Resident raises flooding complaint at Union Baptist Church; council and staff plan site inspection

During the unscheduled public‑appearances segment of the July 7 Wagoner meeting, resident Sheila McCormick described repeated flooding near Union Baptist Church at 609 South Fillmore and asked the council to address collapsed concrete junction boxes and missing culverts that divert stormwater.

McCormick said the parking lot and an adjacent apartment complex flood regularly; she described a collapsed concrete box that previously carried stormwater and said truck traffic and saturated soils contributed to its deterioration. "It's on 609 South Fillmore...I've been asking about 3 or 4 years now," she told council. She asked the city to address larger culverts and pipe sections downstream as well.

Council Member Thomas said he had previously inspected the site and agreed to coordinate with staff and the church’s pastor to schedule a more detailed review next week. City staff commented that a concrete box collapse and lack of culverts were likely causes and that any fix would require assessing upstream and downstream pipe sizes and possibly upsizing pipes.

The city agreed to follow up: staff will coordinate a site visit with Thomas and the pastor and return to council with options and estimated scope for corrective work. Council thanked the resident for bringing the matter to the meeting and encouraged staff to pursue a plan.