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Council OKs Cost-Sharing Agreement for Upper Turkey Creek Design; Public Engagement Delayed
Summary
The council approved a cost-share agreement with Johnson County and SMAC to continue design work on the Upper Turkey Creek stormwater project; staff said engineering questions mean public options won’t be ready until about January.
City staff presented an agreement with the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners to share the design costs for the Upper Turkey Creek stormwater project, funded in part by the Stormwater Management Advisory Council (SMAC).
City staff said the 2025 design work is projected at $1,600,000, of which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to cover 65 percent and the local sponsor 35 percent. Staff said the local sponsor’s 35 percent share equals $560,000 and that the city previously paid $550,000 toward that obligation; the city expects to seek $412,500 in reimbursement from SMAC once the county completes its budget process.
Engineering update and public outreach delay: City staff told the council that technical questions remain—specifically around elevating bridges and potential realignment of Merriam Drive to remove downtown from the floodplain—and said those answers likely will not be available until January. Because of that uncertainty, staff said the city would defer detailed public conversations about downtown options until after the new year.
Council action: A motion to approve the agreement to share design costs with Johnson County passed unanimously, 7-0. The motion’s second was recorded as Council member Hans; the meeting minutes list a unanimous aye vote by the seven council members.
Why it matters: The design work advances a multi-year effort to address downtown flood risk. Staff warned that bridge-elevation work could change the footprint of downtown streets and said more engineering analysis is needed before the public can be offered concrete options.
Public comment: Resident Nate Krone asked the city to confirm whether the FEMA floodplain designation remains current and suggested the council consider requesting a FEMA review during the multi-month pause in public outreach.
Next steps: Staff will continue design work with SMAC and the Corps and expects to have the engineering answers needed to begin public engagement after January.
