Merriam has asked the federal government to renew its commitment to the Upper Turkey Creek Flood Risk Management Project.
The Merriam council unanimously agreed to submit a resolution to the Army Corps of Engineers to show the city’s continued support to complete the Upper Turkey Creek project. Ultimately, the U.S. Congress will have to approve the project and allocate federal dollars to preliminary engineering and design before any work can be completed.
The Upper Turkey Creek Project is a joint effort between Merriam, the Corps and Johnson County Public Works. The Corps had recently informed Merriam that the project would receive no federal funding this year for engineering and design; the federal agency encouraged the city to request funding for 2019.
Merriam estimated the current total cost for preliminary engineering and design to be $1.4 million. The local share between Merriam and Johnson County would be $490,000 with the county funding 75 percent, leaving Merriam to cover the remaining $122,500.
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