Residents press city on chronic flooding in Trailwood; manager says full mitigation would be costly

A resident asked what long‑term budget and plans exist to address chronic flooding at Trailwood Park and nearby yards. City Manager Chris Barker responded that the area is a low spot in the watershed and that upstream development contributes to downstream flooding; he said short‑term remedies include creek maintenance and debris removal but noted that fully lifting properties or building large flood walls would be costly.

Barker explained some mitigation tools exist (clearing creeks, removing debris, enforcing modern site‑development detention requirements for new projects) and advised residents that federal FEMA flood insurance is appropriate for owners in the floodplain. He said individual reconstruction with current standards occurs when a property is more than 51% destroyed and then must meet new mitigation requirements.