QUINCY (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - A public meeting was held in Quincy on Tuesday night to discuss if the recent flooding that destroyed many homes, cars, and furnishings could have been prevented.
Tom Koch, the mayor of Quincy, called the town meeting because residents were outraged and believed the city was responsible for the damage caused by last week's spring Nor'easter.
More than two dozen houses filled with water as the storm hit the South Shore. The city's Merrymount neighborhood was devastated by the rising waters.
However, residents of that area say the flooding could have been prevented if the foreman on-duty for the Quincy Department of Public Works had closed the tide gates.
Mayor Koch told FOX 25 that he regrets that DPW did not make the call to close the tide gates. He believes if they had been closed the residents would not be dealing with this situation.
Koch expressed remorse at the town meeting which was held at 7 p.m. at the Parks and Recreation Complex on Merrymount Parkway; however, no one lost their job because of the failure to close the gates.
Going forward, the city plans to impose a system of checks and balances. The city also plans to install new tide gates next spring which will be more efficient and electronically operated. The current gates must be moved manually during low tide which leaves workers only a small time frame to make the decision and close the gates.
