Emporia City Commissioners are weighing their options to address storm drainage issues in the Becker Addition.
Discussions between commissioners and representatives of BG Consultants highlighted the commission’s study session Wednesday. The conversation has been ongoing for the past 4-5 years as yearly rainstorms have led to erosion in a creek located behind the property.
According to city manager Mark McAnarney, this has led to a loss of land for residents as the creek continues to widen and consume more and more of the additions land. McAnarney says this, in turn, is constantly causing residents to reposition fencing and other additions around their properties.
Previously commissioners were given some pause on addressing the issues due to the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2015 Clean Water Rule which carried a high mitigation fee — around $500,000 — to change certain wetlands according to McAnarney. However, thanks to the Trump Administration repealing the act, the city has now reverted back to an earlier ruling from the 1980s which may eliminate the need for a mitigation fee.
As such, McAnarney says the city now has more options on how to address the issue, hence the conversations with BG earlier this week. McAnarney says during the study session BG presented several potential options.
There is currently no timetable for when action may be taken on the item, but McAnarney says they’re hoping to have another discussion on the item within the next 30-60 days. McAnarney says discussions will not be held exclusively amongst city staff as they will be reaching out to residents in the area for additional input on the potential project.
