Residents ask Montgomery council for leadership on long‑running Macedonia drainage problems

Residents of the Macedonia neighborhood told the Montgomery City Council on May 20 that long‑standing drainage and stormwater problems have left yards, cemeteries and church grounds flooded after heavy rains and asked the council to lead a coordinated effort to fix the infrastructure.

Mary (Phalen) Jackson, speaking for the Macedonia Community Association, described standing water that in some locations “some have to use a boat to get to their home,” and asked the council and the mayor to convene city, county, state and federal partners to pursue a comprehensive neighborhood improvement project.

Jackson and other speakers noted prior work on a Macedonia Neighborhood Improvement Project and letters to federal leaders seeking support. She said earlier efforts showed how multiple levels of government previously coordinated on phases of the work and urged the council to resume that approach rather than pursuing small, piecemeal fixes.

Minister Wanda Parks, also speaking for neighborhood residents, invited the mayor and council members to visit the community’s streets and stormwater sites and to see the conditions for themselves. Several speakers said the standing water is affecting two neighborhood churches, the local cemetery and the Willie Cook Community Center and raised concerns about public health and safe access for older residents.

Council members and Mayor Reed responded that they would work with Councilman Mitchell, county commissioner partners and the water authority to identify funding and administrative options. Council members noted that some authorities and quasi‑public entities in Montgomery hold funds that could be leveraged for large infrastructure projects, and they pledged to ask those bodies how they can help.

Council leaders asked staff to identify which departments and authorities should take part in a coordinated plan and to return to the council with a strategy for next steps. The mayor said he would work with Councilman Mitchell and other council members “right away” to begin outreach and coordination.

Residents said they appreciated the pledge but asked for a clear timeline and direct engagement from the mayor’s office and from the Montgomery Water Authority. The council asked staff to follow up and report back as the city and its partners develop a multi‑jurisdictional plan to address the neighborhood’s flood and drainage problems.