Resident says bridge collapsed after runoff; trustees plan field inspection and county follow-up

A Morgan Township resident told trustees stormwater runoff tied to recent retention work has eroded a creek crossing to his property, leaving the bridge collapsed and his home difficult to access. Mike Henley, who identified himself as a Morgan Township resident, told trustees the problem has persisted for three to four years and worsened after recent retention boxes were installed upstream. He said a heavy rain on June 15 caused the bridge leading to his house to wash out and the creek to widen markedly. "I can't get to my house," Henley said. "Simple activities, like bringing groceries in or taking the garbage out have now become big issues." Henley said he had contacted township and county personnel, obtained repair estimates approaching $100,000 for a private bridge, and that neighbors have also had property impacts from erosion. He asked the township for help in evaluating solutions and said he was reluctant to spend large sums if the underlying runoff problem would persist. Trustees and the fire chief discussed emergency-response arrangements and agreed the township needs to inspect the site and document conditions before approaching Butler County. One trustee said a special field meeting would be scheduled after Trustee Tom returned, and staff would compile findings for county engineers and consider whether outside engineering analysis is required. No funding commitment or immediate remediation was approved at the meeting; trustees said the next step is a site visit and coordination with the county engineer's office, with potential follow-up to seek resources or engineering help.