MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. — The Board of Determination will meet Wednesday, Sept. 8 at the VanDyk Mortgage Convention Center in downtown Muskegon to hear from residents and business owners and receive evidence in deciding if the Kuis Drain needs additional maintenance and improvements.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and is the result of a petition by property owners within the Drainage District.
In 2018, a $2 million project was completed on the Kuis Drain which is in both Fruitport and Sullivan Townships. That effort focused on directing ground water away from neighborhoods and into Black Creek. The project was paid for through assessments on properties.
The meeting next week will include a presentation by Muskegon County Water Resources Commissioner Brenda Moore. Moore is expected to provide community members with background on the Kuis Drain and current issues reported by landowners in the Drainage District.
The Board of Determination will make a decision at the end of its meeting.
The meeting is being made available to those who do not wish to attend and participate in-person.
Fruitport Township resident Matthew Woolen says he'll be there in person to tell the Board of Determination about the flooding he's dealing with on Lee Avenue in Fruitport Township.
Woolen says after nearly every rain event rain water from his neighborhood drains down his driveway and into his garage and basement.
"Just been a constant issue with water from the road," he said. "When it's raining you can see the flow of water coming to the house."
Woolen says the problem with flooding at his home has already cost his family several thousand dollars. He's improved two four-inch driveway drains that should be enough to keep his home from flooding. Those drains can't keep up when the water starts flowing down his driveway.
"Once that water from the road comes down there's nothing I can do except run around in the rain and the storm and run the water transfer pump," he said. "Just looking for help, I don't know what to do at this point."
Woolen says even sandbags across the driveway aren't working.
Muskegon County Water Resources Commissioner Brenda Moore says the maintenance and improvements under consideration inside the Kuis Drain would be focused and localized mitigation efforts. The problems on Lee Avenue would be considered if the Board of Determination gives approval for the project to progress to the engineering and design phase.
Woolen believes one large single drain along the road in front of his home that would direct water to the creek behind his home is all it would take to keep the flooding from happening again.
"Something like that put in at the edge of the road," he said. "I'd be a perfect solution, it could run straight past the side of my house."
Here is the information for those interested in attending the meeting remotely through Zoom:
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88572768394
Meeting ID: 885 7276 8394
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