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Lakeland city commissioners on Monday assured angry, passionate and concerned residents who live around – or, more accurately these days – in Lake Bonny that they are working with county, state and railroad officials to try to drain the water out of the lake, which is still flooding their homes after Hurricane Milton.
Eighteen people spoke to the commissioners, describing the horror of watching the floodwaters rise each day and sewage water floating into their homes. Commissioners then tried to assuage their anguish during an hour and a half discussion on the 11th day of flooding.
Watch the City Commission discussion about Lake Bonny flooding.
One of the main issues for Lake Bonny-area residents was what they said was a clogged water pump that was not pushing water from Lake Bonny to Lake Parker; city officials said it is working, but not at the maximum rate possible.
Pamela Smith said a city worker told her if she went to the spot on Lake Parker where the water flows through a pipe from Lake Bonny, she would see water shooting into the larger lake.
We have nowhere to live and you guys are our only lifeline.
Pamela Smith
“Bulls—t,” Smith exclaimed. “I went over there for eight days. I’ve yet to see any water shooting. The pump is not working … you cannot convince me otherwise.”
She told commissioners that she, her husband and their daughter don’t have a home.
“Our home is completely uninhabitable,” Smith said. “Everything is molded. It is not safe to be in our home … We have nowhere to live and you guys are our only lifeline.”
Terry Mullis said he has lived on Lake Bonny for 46 years.
This never should’ve happened and hopefully it will never happen again.
Terry mullis
“Our neighborhood is a lake –– I’ve never seen the water rise like that,” Mullis said. “It didn’t go down this time. The water after the storm has been increasing. I would like for the city to coordinate with the county on this issue because this never should’ve happened and hopefully it will never happen again.”
Diana Hoagland has lived on Lake Bonny Drive East for 21 years. Her family went through the triple hurricanes of 2004 and Hurricane Irma in 2017 and has never seen it flood like this.
That has created a Bermuda Triangle where accountability has gone to die.
Diana Hoagland
“There is sewage in that water. There is sewage in people’s homes,” Hoagland said as she began crying. “This is a city-owned and operated pump that is operated under a permit issued by SWFWMD in a canal that resides on county property. That has created a Bermuda Triangle where accountability has gone to die. We are living the worst-case scenario right now. We don’t need a study. We need everyone to learn from this now and fix it and please make sure that this never, ever happens again.”
SWFWMD (pronounced Swiftmud) is the Southwest Florida Water Management District, which controls the flow of water from Lakeland lakes into the Peace River, which is also inundated. SWFWMD is trying to keep other cities, including Bartow and Fort Meade, from flooding. Polk County officials are also involved, as is CSX railroad because the outflow pipe runs under their tracks.
It makes me sick to walk through that water. Please know that we care.
Mayor bill mutz
“We’re in this with you. There is no opposition to you. This is us,” Mayor Bill Mutz said. “It makes me sick to walk through that water. Please know that we care.”
Mutz apologized for being vague about any plans they might have, but, while “it maybe seems like we’re trying to be dicey … we’re trying to make sure that we’re easing everyone into a solution that we can cooperate and get done. Staff has cried over this.”
Chad Smith, who at first seemed angry with the city about the issue, told the mayor by the end of the meeting, “God bless you. I think you guys are, at this juncture, doing everything within your power that you can do.”
While City Manager Shawn Sherrouse has not been a front-facing, visible public presence, Mutz assured everyone that Sherrouse has been working tirelessly and on the scene for the last week, desperately trying to figure out a solution and get all parties to come together.
The commissioners were hesitant to discuss a specific plan on the advice of City Attorney Palmer Daivs, but several people mentioned that CSX railroad is a vital part of the plan and they were waiting to hear back from them.
“What you’re going through is agonizing and I can assure you that city staff agonizes with you,” Sherrouse said, adding that he has been in telephone meetings “around the clock,” ending one at 11:30 p.m. Sunday and conducting another one at 6:30 a.m. Monday.
His family has been in Polk County since the 1860s and during Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne in 2004, his family –– including two young sons –– wound up living in a motorhome in his front yard when they lost their roof.
He said the pump is the only thing the city can control at this point and acknowledged that it “is not pumping at its maximum capability because of the system that it is flowing into.”
He said he ordered city staff to conduct a dye test last week to make sure that water was flowing out of Lake Bonny and into Lake Parker, which it is. In addition, he had staff checking the pump to make sure it wasn’t clogged four times a day, all weekend.
“It has been my strong recommendation that we don’t go into the details of what we’re trying to do … Those get complicated,” he said. “I’ve been reluctant to put out information that might build false hope.”
Mayor Pro Tem Stephanie Madden then spoke of hopes that were dashed on Friday.
We were hopeful we had something Friday; maybe we’ll hear from CSX today.
commissioner stephanie madden
“We thought we were going to be able to get large pipes and put them across the railroad tracks and start draining these lakes,” Madden said. “CSX – they say you can’t go over the tracks, so then you have to bore underneath the tracks. So then we have to figure out the cost of boring underneath the tracks and officially get a sign off from CSX cause it’s their … They were here before we were and they’re like God when you want to do anything. We thought we were going to be able to do this on Friday. We thought we were gonna be able to start getting large quantities of water pumped out of that lake over into Lake Parker. But we have to get approval from CSX.”
The Lake Bonny neighbors had planned to attend a Polk County Commission meeting on Tuesday, but were disappointed to learn that it was only a small committee meeting.
Sherrouse encouraged them to write emails, make phone calls, post on Facebook and even knock on the office doors of county commissioners.
Let’s keep moving forward. Let’s not let our anger pull us back.
Commissioner mike musick
Madden urged them to tell commissioners to watch the City Commission meeting on Vimeo.
“You coming today is half the battle,” Madden said. “In a world where there’s so many voices … the squeaky wheel does get the attention … Being here today is powerful. We were hopeful we had something Friday; maybe we’ll hear from CSX today.”
Commissioners Guy LaLonde and Mike Musick have visited several neighborhoods around Lake Bonny throughout the last week as residents cried for help on social media. They urged the residents to harness their passion for good.
“You guys are angry and I want to help you as much as I can to take that anger, take that frustration, and focus it,” Musick said. “Let’s keep moving forward. Let’s not let our anger pull us back.”
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As Dennis Miller once put it: You can’t depend on the government to pave the roads much less anything of serious consequence. Better move to high ground; somewhere north of Mt Carmel, FL should do.