The city of Missouri City is directing attention to potential projects both related and unrelated to flood mitigation over the next five years, according to a Thursday presentation at the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce.

Hurricane Harvey had a significant effect on the region, and Missouri City, along with other municipalities, is working to identify opportunities for improvement, including capital investments and professional training for staff, said Scott Elmer, assistant city manager of Missouri City.

The city’s five-year capital improvement program includes $48.1 million worth of projects, including enhancements and maintenance work for public safety, transportation and drainage facilities, according to presentation documents.

“One of the things we’re looking at—and we’ve applied for [community development block grant]
disaster relief funding—is establishing a series of flood gauges in our streams,” Elmer said. “That would be remote flood gauges, and they could actually send data back, not just to our [emergency operations center] on water surface elevations and rainfalls at different locations in the city, but also it’d be available for citizens to use.”

Another project is the construction of a gate structure on the Flat Bank Creek diversion channel, which provides drainage for Oyster Creek, Elmer said. Both Fort Bend County and Missouri City have applied for $25-$30 million in disaster relief funding to support this project.

“It’s a concept that Fort Bend County and Missouri City and a few other governmental agencies are working on,” he said. “What it would do is be able to provide flood protection to the western half of Missouri City.”

City staff is also expected to finalize a design contract for the construction of Fire Station 6 at the intersection of Lake Olympia Parkway and Vicksburg Boulevard, providing service to a gap in the coverage area and setting up space for a secondary emergency operations center, Elmer said. Construction and design may take up to two years altogether, and the project is valued at $6 million.

Other needs identified in the five-year CIP include traffic improvements in Sienna Plantation and water treatment plant upgrades to address anticipated growth in demand.

Bond fund allocations from previous years are also depleting, and City Council may call for another bond referendum in 4-5 years to finance projects, Elmer said. However, no decision has been made at this time.