$2.1 million stormwater collection project coming to McMechen, commission providing $1.5 million in funding

MARSHALL COUNTY, W.Va. ( WTRF ) – After five years of hard work to secure funding, McMechen residents will finally be getting some major upgrades to the stormwater collection system in the areas of Marshall and 22nd Streets.

According to Mayor David Goddard, the project costs around $2.1 million and will construct a new stormwater collection system.

The current system lacks the ability to handle runoff from the upstream watershed after a rainstorm caused the system to collapse a few years ago.

“We had a storm that caused torrential rainfall back in 2019 and it collapsed the whole storm sewer under the road. It creates major backup, major flooding for over 50 families and three businesses in the area. The water comes down off of the hill, down into a ravine and down into the culverts and the culvert itself gets packed full. We’ve had these big trucks come in and clean those pipes out, but to no avail. So, [right not] there is no way for the water to get out of that area [when it rains].”

Mayor David Goddard | McMechen, WV

McMechen was awarded $519,666 from a Section 219 environmental infrastructure grant from the Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE), and the remaining $1,510,000 is coming from the Marshall County Commission.

Commissioner President Mike Ferro commented during Tuesday’s meeting that the commission generally does not fully fund municipal projects, rather they try to assist cities with matching funds.

However, McMechen was at risk of losing their ACOE funding for the project if they could not come up with the remaining balance.

Goddard says they’ve exhausted every effort to get partial funding for this project from the Governor’s Contingency Fund and other sources he has at his discretion but were denied.

In February of this year, commission met with the Bel-O-Mar Regional Council, McMechen city officials and a representative with Senator Joe Manchin’s office.

McMechen sent a letter by mail to the Govenor’s office on April 8, 2024, and the Marshall County Commission hand delivered a letter to the Govenor on August 1, 2024. Neither letter received a response.

On August 27, an email was sent to the Govenor with no response. A follow-up email was sent to the Govenor staff on September 30, 2024.

McMechen officials received denial from the Govenor’s office on Oct. 1, 2024, based on the submitted project being the same project the city could not come to an agreement with FEMA on.

“We’ve tried to go down every avenue that we could find. The state has basically said no to everything. They’ve confused it with a FEMA project, which it was not a FEMA project. This happened long after the 2017 flood. It happened (the storm sewer collapse) in the early 2019.”

Mayor David Goddard | McMechen, WV

A response to the Governor’s denial was sent on Oct. 8, 2024, stating the project submitted to the Governor for assistance was not related to the FEMA project, and this specific project is stormwater only.

“This is something that has gone on for too long, and we want to provide help for these people, the residents and the businesses that are down there. And I think it takes the burden off the city of McMechen too. McMechen is not a rich city. These people have suffered long enough.”

Mike Ferro | President, Marshall County Commission

Goddard says he is thankful for the support from the Marshall County Commission.

“I feel better being able to go to my constituents and let them know that this is finally going to happen. It’s not an easy task to have to worry about this every time it rains.”

Mayor David Goddard | McMechen, WV

Ferro says there will be a drawdown account related to this project that will show every expense.

The project is expected to begin soon, but no start date has been set, be sure to stay with 7News for updates.

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