Brookhaven officials have agreed to look into St. George Streetflooding problems after several residents spoke up during Tuesday’smeeting of the mayor and board of aldermen.

The St. George Street situation has been a source of contentionrecently as Ward 3 Alderman the Rev. Jerry L. Wilson sought to havea culvert installed in a ditch along a section of the road.Following recent questions about a possible conflict of interestdue to his owning property on the street, Wilson recused himselfand left the board room during last night’s discussion.

“We really are desperate down there for y’all to do somethingabout that ditch,” said Alberta Smith, speaking for several St.George St. residents present.

Mayor Bill Godbold said to cover the ditch with a new culvertwould cost $75,000. He held up a blank petition for residents tosign if they wanted to pursue a private bond issue for theirstreet.

“If y’all are willing to do that, we’ll start on it as quick aswe can,” the mayor said.

The discussion turned to heavy flooding in the following somerecent rain. One resident, who did not identify herself, said shehad Ward 2 Alderman Terry Bates come see debris and otherneighborhood items that has ended up in her yard.

“Somebody’s pipe from up under their house was in my yard,” theresident said.

Bates said the flooding ditch in question had been maintained inthe 1950s and 60s, but had since been neglected as the concretebroke and trees grew through the cracks. He urged the board to takeaction.

“There’s no need us sitting here fussing and arguing about it,we need to do something about it,” Bates said.

Godbold said, though, that putting in a new culvert in the ditchwould not solve the problem. He indicated a larger culvert underthe street would be needed to ease flooding woes.

“If it’s under the street, I know what to do,” Godbold saidafter the meeting.

Aldermen agreed to have engineers look into the situation andsuggest action for correcting the flooding problems.