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Residents urge council to resolve long-running drainage problem; city schedules engineering meeting
Summary
Residents described a recurring neighborhood flooding problem dating to 1990 and asked council to help secure a coordinated meeting with Public Works, the Treasurer and City Attorney about escrow/payment options for repairs.
At the public-comment portion of the May 19 Southfield City Council meeting, residents from a neighborhood with chronic drainage problems asked the council to help move a stalled resolution forward.
Imari Kenyatta said the flooding issue dates to 1990 and that residents and the city disagree over who should pay for private portions of a proposed infrastructure fix. He provided documentation to the clerk and urged the council to use the city administrator's office to help coordinate a meeting among Public Works, the Treasurer's Office and the City Attorney so homeowners can review a proposed payment plan.
Public-works update and next steps - Public Works staff said the city has designed a permanent solution and will perform the public portion of the work; homeowners were asked to perform private-portion repairs under the engineered plan. - Staff said options include establishing an escrow agreement similar to a 1990 arrangement or other payment options that involve the Treasurer's Office; a coordination meeting slipped several times but staff expects to schedule a meeting in early June, with the city engineer participating.
Why it matters The issue affects homeowners in a localized area where drainage failure has been reported for decades. The council and staff emphasized that the matter involves private-property work tied to public infrastructure and thus requires interdepartmental coordination and legal/payment agreements.
Council response Council members and the mayor acknowledged prior city involvement and asked that staff set a meeting and provide clearer oversight and priority for resolving the issue. Public Works noted regrading challenges on concrete drive approaches and possible localized milling or regrading work.
Ending City staff said a survey and engineering drawings are complete; the city will host a meeting with residents and the three departments to discuss escrow/payment options and finalize the plan schedule.
