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Neighbors press Muncie sanitary board to address chronic drainage, cite stormwater fee concerns
Summary
During public comment at the April 1 Board of Sanitary Commissioner meeting, residents called for city action on a problematic drainage system on Harvard Avenue and questioned whether stormwater fees collected by city and county governments are being used to fix local drainage.
Tammy Harris, of the Morningside Neighborhood Association, told the Board of Sanitary Commissioner on April 1 that persistent drainage problems on Harvard Avenue are beyond what nearby homeowners can reasonably maintain and asked the board to step in. “Im just up here to bring more awareness to the issues that were having on Harvard in our neighborhood,” Harris said.
Harris said residents are worried that the maintenance burden will fall to homeowners who cannot afford repairs. She disputed a claim made at a prior drainage-board meeting that the covert drainage system running three blocks alongside the road was installed by homeowners. “Theres this covert system which runs three blocks on two sides of the road…this was not done by the homeowners. This is obviously a city thing,” she said.
Rick Yenser, who identified himself as an author and newsman, expanded on the funding and responsibility question, saying local governments collect stormwater and drainage fees and should use those funds to address problems. “You collect…storm water fees like a couple million in storm water fees and the money is there,” Yenser said, urging the board and county to coordinate on old county ditches and drainage responsibilities across Muncie City.
Board members did not engage in extended debate during the public-comment period. The meeting record shows no immediate motion to direct staff to a specific remediation project; Harris urged the board to investigate whether the drainage system on Harvard is city-owned and to consider relief for homeowners who cannot fund repairs themselves.
Why it matters: Residents say recurring localized flooding and a complex hidden ("covert") drain system are imposing unfair repair burdens on homeowners and that existing stormwater fees should cover more proactive maintenance. Clarifying which entity owns and maintains the drainage structures will determine whether repairs are eligible for district or county-funded work.
What happens next: The board did not place a formal referral on the record at the April 1 meeting. If commissioners choose to pursue the matter, the next step would be a staff report clarifying ownership of the drainage infrastructure and any available use of stormwater funds or drainage taxes to support repairs.
