Kirkland officials ask Clinton County to help find White City tile and fund stormwater study after repeated flooding

Kirkland officials asked the Clinton County drainage board on the record to help locate a county-linked drainage tile and to consider funding a professional stormwater study after repeated flooding in 2024–25.

Melinda Jobe, Kirkland town council president, said the town has contacted county staff and shared photos documenting worsening flooding at locations including Capstone Trailer Park and Sunshine Manor Apartments. "We've contacted Dan Chees in November," Jobe said, noting the town has been trying to get answers and help.

Billy Walker, Kirkland superintendent, showed property photos and said an outfall to the McLamrock ditch was "barely flowing" during heavy rains. "I've been with the town of Kirkland going on 11 years...and year after year...it just continually gets worse," Walker said, describing persistent pooling and a retention pond that still held water 27 days after a storm.

Town officials told the board they have limited funds: Clerk‑Treasurer Tara Walker said the town's watershed account balance is currently $1,400 and stressed she could not justify using those funds to address problems that may be caused by a county tile. "I cannot see myself wanting to write a check to even fix something or even explore something that is not ours," Tara Walker said.

Maureen Hayden of Commonwealth Engineering, representing the town, said her firm has worked with OCRA/OCCRA grant programs and recommended the county consider paying for a stormwater study to identify issues and accelerate access to construction grants. "We would advocate for a stormwater study to be paid for, and to skip the OCCRA planning process altogether so that we can get a study together," Hayden said. She estimated a study could range widely depending on scope and said OCCRA planning grants typically cover about $30,000 with a town match of roughly $5,000–$6,000; OCCRA stormwater construction grants were described as having funding up to $750,000.

County staff said the watershed in question is jointly administered with Boone County and that reconstruction work would likely require Boone County participation and a joint drainage‑board process. The board discussed possible steps: locating existing risers and structures in the field; continuing contractor and survey work to map the tile; considering a joint drainage board with Boone County to raise assessments; and using the county's spring draw (expected in June) to prioritize maintenance.

Next steps recorded at the meeting: Kirkland will provide photos and contact information to county staff; Commonwealth Engineering will follow up with a scoped cost estimate for a study and a suggested timeline; county staff said they will review the materials and consider whether limited county funds can be applied to a study. The board agreed locating the tile on the east side of town and tracing it into town limits is an essential early step before major reconstruction or assessment changes.

The drainage board did not approve funding at the meeting; it instead committed to reviewing the town's materials and continuing conversations about a study and joint arrangements with Boone County.