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Leavenworth residents say city stormwater work is eroding yards, ask commission for immediate fixes
Summary
Several Leavenworth homeowners told the City Commission that stormwater infrastructure installed or permitted by the city has created a man-made channel that is eroding private property. Residents asked for immediate corrective action and disclosure of repair-priority lists; staff said the city manager would follow up.
Several Leavenworth residents told the Leavenworth City Commission on Aug. 7 that stormwater drainage work the city approved or allowed has carved a man‑made channel through back yards on and near Iowa Street and is causing ongoing erosion and safety risks.
"The city's drainage construction design approved or carried out by either city crews, contractors, or under city issued permits has created a man made water channel that runs through my property," resident Rudy Hazleton said. "My property has been eroding at the rate of more than 2 feet a year." Hazleton said the city has inspected nearby runoff lines with cameras and found eroded, nonfunctional pipes.
The remarks were echoed by neighbors who described land loss and safety concerns. Brenda Reza, who operates a licensed in‑home daycare at 3400 Iowa, said she has lost "more than 5 feet of land" since moving there and that "over 10 feet in total have been washed away" since the problem began. She told commissioners that erosion has reached her shed and has compromised an anchor for a nearby transformer pole.
Other speakers described a sinkhole and culvert failures near Sixth and Walnut that they said threaten nearby houses and a blocked road at Chestnut and Sixth that has been closed for years. Jeff Rutledge and Justin Day reported active sinkhole and creek‑bank erosion near their properties; Bill McClure said a roadway has been blocked for more than four years because of caving at Chestnut and Sixth.
Residents asked the commission for "immediate corrective action, not studies, not delays," and requested that any city priority list for repairs be made public — including when the list was created, how items are prioritized and funded, and who maintains it. Several speakers said city structural engineers inspected the site in 2021 and recommended replacement of failing piping.
Commissioners did not adopt a repair plan during the meeting. Staff asked city manager Scott to follow up: "We'll have [the] city manager contact you," a staff member said. No formal motion or funding decision related to the Iowa Street drainage problems was made at the meeting.
The public comments highlight overlapping concerns about private property damage, public‑safety risks tied to utility anchors and culverts, and whether city stormwater inspections and maintenance have addressed the failures residents described. Speakers said they have kept photos and timelines documenting the loss and offered copies of statements and legal citations for the record.
The commission moved on to other agenda items after the public comment period. The city manager or staff were recorded as agreeing to contact the affected residents for follow‑up; no deadline for that follow‑up was announced at the meeting.
