City pays $200K to man after 'slip and fall' on storm drain mural

Dozens of storm drains across Springfield are decorated with colorful murals.

On May 20, 2015, Michael Trask slipped and fell on one of those murals on Boonville Avenue, in front of the Greene County Justice Center.

Last month, according to Springfield spokesperson Cora Scott, the city reached a $200,000 settlement with Trask, who lives in Martin County, Florida.

Scott said Trask suffered a knee injury from the fall. The incident was covered by the city's insurance, Scott said.

Scott said the murals are periodically resealed to make sure they're not slippery when wet, but that particular mural had fallen off the maintenance schedule.

Scott said all storm drain murals are now maintained on a "very rigorous schedule."

The murals were a joint project between the city of Springfield and the James River Basin Partnership, meant to remind people that anything that goes down the drains comes out in nearby streams.

Brent Stock with the James River Basin Partnership told the News-Leader that there were more than 40 storm drain murals painted between 2011 and 2014. Some paintings, damaged by weather and time or construction, have been removed since then.

"It's our way to add some art to our community and draw awareness to these things people walk by all the time," Stock said. "Anything they throw out the window, dump down the drain itself goes directly into a stream."

Stock said Springfield's storm drain mural project has been emulated by cities across the country.

After each painting was completed, Stock said, it was sprayed with a sealant that had an additive to provide traction.