Residents in Urbana’s Fourth Ward have asked for years for the city to address flooding that damaged their homes, and some said recently they are optimistic progress has been made on identifying a cause.

More than a dozen residents met earlier this week with city officials and representatives from the Floyd Browne Group to review the issue that has affected a section of the city since at least 2009. The city approved a $7,400 contract with the Floyd Browne Group earlier this year to review the situation and determine whether any solutions might exist.

The general area involved includes Pindar, Hagenbuch, Union and Mosgrove streets.

The meeting Tuesday was a final opportunity for residents to meet with the company and summarize their concerns, said Doug Crabill, assistant to the director of administration for the city.

“(It) was essentially a chance for people to bring their comments forward on what their concerns were,” Crabill said.

The final summary of the issue is still a few weeks away, said Mac McCauley, project manager for the Floyd Browne Group. The company has been reviewing data from the city and other sources and will present their findings within the next few weeks.

“The goal is to put together a summary document that explains the situation and defines the problem,” McCauley said.

It’s not yet clear what action, if any, the city will take from there. But residents who have lived with the flooding in recent years said they are happy the issue is being addressed.

During the worst of the flooding about three years ago, water seeped up and cracked the basement floor of Imojene Myers’ home in the 100 block of Union Street. She said neighbors have expressed concern that the flooding could have been the result of construction in the area, while city officials have said it is more likely the result of an unusual amount of rainfall.

“No one seems to know exactly what caused this,” Myers said.

Anna Chamberlain, a Pindar Street resident who has also faced problems from her flooded basement in the past, wasn’t able to attend the meeting Tuesday. But she said she is happy there has been more of an effort to study the problem this year.

“I think they’re going to proceed carefully, but at least they’re finally proceeding,” she said of the city.