City of Neosho provides flooding update, plans underway to salvage summer recreation at Morse Park

(From the City of Neosho)

The recent flooding on Saturday, April 29, 2017 resulted in significant damage throughout the City. This impacted many of our citizens, businesses and City property.

On Monday, May 1, 2017, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens visited Neosho and reviewed the damage to this area while meeting with local first responders, the City of Neosho Mayor, and council members. While we are anticipating support from state and federal sources such as SEMA and FEMA, this will only occur as the process unfolds. The southwest portion of Missouri, while critically affected, is not the only area where needs exist. All of the impacted areas in the State of Missouri must be past the initial phase of the event, inventories and assessments of damage completed and this entire package presented prior to funding from these sources.

Currently the City Staff is in Stage 2 of the process and is performing inventories and assessments of the damage throughout Neosho. It is only after that inventory and assessment is completed and evaluated that this information can be sent to the State level for inclusion in any SEMA or FEMA funding that may be available. That determination is at the minimum days if not weeks in the future.

However, life must proceed, so the City of Neosho is moving forward and tracking the cost incurred for inclusion in the value submitted for any funding applications. Currently, access to Morse Park from Spring Street is almost complete. A section of the roadway is still washed out but is safe to use for access to the area. This will allow staff to enter the area and inventory the damage.

A meeting was held on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 with Little League officials, Branco Construction, Sally Pennington, Parks and Recreation Director, Ryan Long, Public Works Director and Harold Long, Public Works Supervisor. The joint goal is to help Little League salvage their season. At this time the baseball and softball fields at Morse Park are not safe to use.

The following plan was developed in order to restore portions of Morse Park for safe and serviceable use:

* Branco Construction will provide equipment and manpower to remove fencing, add infield surface material, preparing 4 of the 5 damaged fields for play. This should take approximately 3 weeks.

* City of Neosho Public Works will address the repair of the parking lot. This parking lot was obliterated from the flood waters, eroding to the depth of 4’+.

* Little League will provide organized volunteer groups to help remove signage from fencing, fabric from fencing, and clean up the concessions.

* Parks Department will clean restrooms and have then ready for use.

* City of Neosho Public Works will test the sewer line that services the restrooms to confirm all is clear.

* Disposal of damaged fencing, fence posts, etc will be hauled away by City personnel.

* City staff will be working with Empire and City of Neosho’s contracted electrical service provider on repairs to the electrical panels that control power to the lights for the fields.

* Little League may also utilize Scenic Park and possibly fields located at some of the area churches and schools.

All of the time for work performed by the contractors, City personnel and volunteers and materials will be tracked for inclusion in any future potential SEMA/FEMA funding.