A group of residents from the Francis Addition brought their storm water drainage concerns to the Kingfisher city commission meeting Monday evening.

Although the matter was not an agenda item at the regular monthly meeting, several residents spoke during the time allotted for citizen comments.

Gerald Braden said that his house flooded on June 28 for the first time since he moved in 30 years ago.

“I have two rooms that were flooded,” he said. “My property adjoins Mecklenburg pond and the water came from behind and through my backyard and into my den and living room.”

He said the water rose to 12 inches in his backyard in about 10 minutes.

Braden said that during the Sept. 30 rainstorm, “the water came down and it was bank-to-bank and over the bridge again.

“We’ve lived there since ’91 and I’ve seen the water over the bridge one time (in all that time) and then this past year it was over twice,” he said later. “It’s not like it used to be.”

Braden’s wife Schrie added: “We’re not in a flood zone but I feel like I’m in a manmade flood zone. It’s a devastating feeling. I don’t want my home to flood again.”

Brian Henderson, another resident of the neighborhood, said water rose significantly higher and faster than in the massive townwide flood in 2007.

“The event we had in June was kind of a freaky thing, but the 500-year flood back in 2007 was a bigger and faster rain and we didn’t come anywhere close to [this year’s water levels],” he said.

“It took a significantly longer period of time to get to the bridge than it does now.

“We’ve got more concrete [from new construction] added from ’07 to 2021 that the water is draining off of.

“That bridge is more like a dam than a bridge now.”

In addition to new construction on the south side of the bridge, an open area to the north becomes overgrown before it dries out enough for city crews to get in and mow, Braden said.

“We’re trying to raise something that could be done further to the north as far as getting the water out.”

While commissioners couldn’t address the concerns directly since the matter wasn’t on the agenda, City Manager Dave Slezickey discussed the issue during his scheduled report to the commission.

“We’ve got good engineers and we’re looking into it,” Slezickey said, noting that two options may be to add more concrete to route the water out of the addition faster or build a detention or retention pond.

“It’s a natural waterway and falls under the Army Corps of Engineers,” Slezickey said, adding that anything that changes the course or movement of the water would require that agency’s approval.

Meanwhile, the city will continue to keep the area mowed to eliminate some of the obstruction to water flow.

He also said that what residents are referring to as a bridge is actually a “concrete block.”

“We may need to look at building a bridge right there,” he said.

Commissioner Geoff Covalt asked when the city’s engineering firm was expected to report back.

“We’ve got them hooked up pretty good right now,” Slezickey said. “I didn’t ask them for a due date.”

The Francis Addition residents expressed appreciate for the attention being paid to the problem and for efforts to keep the area mowed and cleared.

Mrs. Braden said the city crew was out mowing within a couple of hours of aphone call from her husband to Slezickey.

“I want to commend Dave for that,” she said.

“I’d like to take credit but it was already on the schedule to be done,” Slezickey said.