Creek group hopes to get answers tonight

By By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
May 20, 2003
Tom Harley hopes his frustration will persuade Meridian city councilmen tonight they should repair a drainage creek he says has caused problems for years.
Harley and two other people who live near Gallagher Creek are expected to state their case before the Meridian City Council when it meets at 7 p.m. in the municipal courtroom at the downtown police station.
About 20 other concerned residents who live near the creek are expected to support the group by attending the meeting.
Tonight's meeting comes about six weeks after severe storms in Meridian and Lauderdale County caused flash floods and sent drainage canals over their banks. More storms two weeks later caused similar problems.
Residents along Gallagher Creek began complaining that the drainage canal eroded parts of their property, became cluttered with debris, carried raw sewage and turned into a snake- and rat-infested hazard.
Gallagher Creek is one of several canals that feed Sowashee Creek, the city's main drainage canal that eventually empties into the Chickasawhay River.
The group of concerned residents who live near Gallagher Creek have met twice this month to discuss the canal's problems.
Harley said the city needs to clean the creek and repair it to prevent future erosion. He said his property at 1801 39th Place, which backs up against the creek, has continued to erode since last month's storms.