Morgan County board outlines REDI-funded drainage work to divert flows from cemetery

Unidentified Speaker 3, a board member, said county engineers redesigned a REDI-funded drainage project to prevent runoff from entering the cemetery ditch and to improve storage behind Artesian Avenue. The plan calls for blocking a secondary ditch at Artesian Avenue, installing a raised high spot to split flows, and laying back cemetery banks to add storage, Speaker 3 said. “Were gonna block it at Artesian Avenue, and were gonna block it where it turns and goes down into cemetery,” Speaker 3 said.

The board was told the county has advertised the bid and expects to award the contract by April and start construction the same month, with some local excavation work expected to take two to three weeks and a broader completion target around July. Speaker 3 said most watershed flows that previously routed through the area now identified as heading toward Sodom/Sodder will be redirected into the intended cemetery ditch to reduce overflow risk.

Board members discussed easements needed for the work; Speaker 3 said the county has all easements except one and expects Kirsten to complete that by the week. The board also noted that Indian Creek can loop into the local ditch network, complicating longer-term dredging because larger permits are required for work on the creek.

Speakers cautioned that the REDI "ready money" program operates on a reimbursement basis, requiring the county to pay project costs up front and later submit invoices for reimbursement, which can delay reimbursement by months. That administrative point was described as a surprise compared with earlier expectations at initial meetings.

Next steps: the board tentatively scheduled a drainage board hearing for March to follow up, and staff will continue to secure outstanding easements, finalize bid awards and proceed with construction procurement.