Resident says 2024 basement flood cleanup unpaid; insurance denied claim

Knob Noster resident Jared Goucher told the Board that his basement was flooded with freshwater during Easter 2024 when the area received roughly 10 inches of rain in three hours. He said he hired SteaMagic Carpet Care LLC for cleanup and submitted the bill to the City for reimbursement; the City’s insurer (MIRMA) rejected the claim and stated the City was not liable for the water infiltration.

Goucher told the Board he "doesn't have a backflow prevention device in the home and said he wouldn't put one in" and that, as a homeowner, he "might have to sue the City to recover the clean‑up costs." The minutes record the resident’s complaint as public comment; no directive or staff action to reopen the insurance decision or to provide reimbursement was recorded in the minutes.