Katy City Council hosted a workgroup meeting Feb. 28 with representatives from Costello, Inc. and residents of the Riceland Terrace subdivision, an area that flooded after Hurricane Harvey dropped more than 30 inches of rain on the city last August.

Stephen Wilcox and Ralph Saldana, representatives for of Costello proposed a variety of recommendations for drainage improvements to the subdivision, saying that the topography of the subdivision makes it a bowl shape that holds water, rather than releasing it because the existing drainage infrastructure is not up to engineering standards.

Wilcox and Saldana outlined the need to improve water flow downstream, including finishing work on the detention pond just north of Town Park Boulevard and south of Summit Drive, improving drainage along Patna Drive and Fortuna Drive and redirecting drainage from north of the subdivision to the east, using a possible west-to-east drainage ditch to move water into Mason Creek. Wilcox said that improvements to Morton Road that lowered elevation were part of the problem.

“When you have a big rainfall event, that water is going to come in and move south now instead of the damming effect that Morton Road had, pushing that water east,” Wilcox said.

Proposed improvements within the subdivision included lowering the elevation of both Patna and Fortuna drives and installing a cement curb and gutter system to allow the streets to be a low point in the subdivision. The process of lowering the streets would also provide and opportunity to install a storm sewer beneath them to take water to the drainage ditch which would then move the water into the Town Park drainage pond.

Next steps for the proposed plan are for Costello to design the drainage systems, discuss the proposed changes with affected landowners and develop funding sources.

Costello, Inc. will design the system, which may take up to three months and will require the city council’s approval. The city has a bond measure on the May ballot, Proposition B, which would fund the improvements in addition to federal grant funding from two possible grants.

City Administrator Byron Hebert said he is working with city Finance Director Becky Wilkins to complete an application for a grant, and that they had already submitted another application for additional funding.

The council told Riceland Terrace residents who were present at the meeting flood control and drainage improvements are their top priority. Council members also encouraged residents to go to the polls and vote on the proposed bonds which would fund the drainage improvements discussed during the meeting as well as other drainage improvements throughout the city.

“We’re not going to let any grass grow under our feet on this stuff,” Katy Mayor Chuck Brawner said.