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East Ridge to seek engineering RFQs for stormwater master plan after flood damage
Summary
City manager recommended an RFQ to develop a stormwater master plan after repeated flooding and damaged infrastructure; council agreed to seek a consultant to inventory drains, prioritize repairs and identify funding options.
City Manager Miller told the East Ridge City Council Sept. 25 that repeated storms have highlighted the city’s lack of an adopted stormwater master plan and asset inventory and recommended the city issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) to hire an engineering firm to prepare a comprehensive plan.
Miller said the city’s drainage system—concrete flumes, ditches, culverts and limited private detention—was overwhelmed during the Aug. 12 storm and during other heavy rainfall events. He recommended a stormwater master plan that inventories existing assets, identifies problem areas, proposes a capital-improvement program and develops revenue options to fund repairs, maintenance and upgrades.
Miller provided examples: a concrete flume on Stump Avenue that needs repairs and carries an estimate of about $60,000 to fix, and a larger, heavily silted dual culvert near the walk-in clinic and shopping center that could require removal of thousands of truckloads of sediment and was estimated by staff and a contractor at roughly $250,000 (the contractor’s estimate varied and a higher figure was discussed as a worst-case scenario). Miller said many concrete flumes are on private property and that maintenance responsibility can fall to property owners; staff and the county water-quality representative said the condition is common across Hamilton County.
Council members and staff discussed funding. Miller said funds used for road resurfacing (a roughly $1.4 million allocation in the FY2025–26 plan drawn from capital improvement and state street-aid funds) could be one revenue source but cautioned that those budgets are already programmed. Council discussed other options including federal or state grants, and members emphasized the need for both short-term repairs and a long-term plan for resilience.
Council agreed to proceed with an RFQ for engineering services to develop a stormwater master plan and to prioritize projects that could be eligible for external grant funding. Staff said an adopted plan would be required to pursue many state and federal grant programs.
No immediate appropriation was made Sept. 25; staff said individual repair projects will be brought forward for council approval as cost estimates and funding sources are confirmed.
