A boundary survey is headed to Upper Turkey Creek in Merriam.
The Merriam City Council on Monday unanimously approved a $120,000 local match for the survey, which needs to be done as part of the design process for the Upper Turkey Creek levee project.
After years of efforts, Merriam secured nearly $24 million in federal funding for the levee project, which once complete, will protect the downtown area from Turkey Creek flooding.
This study is being done a year early
- City Administrator Chris Engel said the boundary study was originally slated for 2024, but city, county and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff all feel moving it up “is the right thing to do.”
- That’s because the three parties have already run into some “difficulties with easements [they] think are going to be problems,” Engel said.
- Engel told the city council the information from the study will help decide “how to best move forward with the solution to the flooding.”
- “This boundary survey will be needed regardless of whatever solution we end up going forward with,” Engel said. “This is good money spent from a staff perspective.”
It will take six months to complete the study
- The study includes all properties in the creek area between Shawnee Mission Parkway and Waterfall Park, Engel said.
- He said the Corps plans to send letters to impacted property owners to let the owners know about surveyors’ presence in the area for the study.
- Merriam will also send letters to these property owners for notification about the study, which Engel said will begin “pretty soon.”
Merriam will be reimbursed $90K for this expenditure
- The Johnson County Stormwater Management Advisory council is also a local contributor for the Upper Turkey Creek levee project.
- The advisory council will reimburse Merriam $90,000 for the boundary survey’s $120,000 local match, according to city staff.
- Still, Engel said the city will own the boundary survey moving forward, which is valuable information.
