Updates on repairs to the Buffalo Springs Drive bridge and the effects of Hurricane Harvey were among the items that Montgomery City Council members discussed at Tuesday's meeting. Here are four takeaways from that meeting:
1. Cedar Brake Park to get sandbox through Eagle Scout Project
Eagle Scout Conner Jones submitted a proposal for placement of a sandbox on the east side of Cedar Brake Park. The 10-by-12-foot sandbox will be compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act regulations and will be maintained by the Montgomery Public Works Department, Jones said.
Building the sandbox will be a three-day project, and Jones said he intends the sandbox to be completed by Oct. 14.
2. Atkins Creek further eroded by Hurricane Harvey
City Engineer Chris Roznovsky reported that an estimated 160 feet of Atkins Creek, located off FM 1097, was further eroded during Hurricane Harvey’s torrential rainfall. Additionally, a water line going through the creek was damaged from the erosion, resulting in 1.2 million gallons of treated water to be released.
Roznovsky said the builder for the nearby upcoming Terra Vista subdivision, to which the water line was leading, has offered to pay for the water line repair.
3. Amendment to Montgomery Economic Development Corporation’s mission statement
An amendment to the development corporation's mission, goals and objectives statement was presented to council members for their consideration during Tuesday’s meeting.
The amendment included an item to Section 2 of the mission statement, by stating the following: "To quantify the progress of economic development efforts, the MEDC will report to the Montgomery City Council, no less frequently than once per calendar quarter, economic development activities and the estimated number and types of job brought to and retained by those activities.”
This amendment came after the
Sept. 12 regular meeting, at which council debated the effectiveness of the corporation's activities on economic development.
4. City waiting on funding for Buffalo Springs Drive bridge repairs
In spring 2016, the Buffalo Spring Drive bridge suffered severe damage from flooding. Since then, city officials have been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to obtain funding for bridge repairs, which are estimated to cost $1.8 million. FEMA is set to fund roughly $1.4 million of the project, and city officials said grants will fund the remainder.
As of Tuesday evening, FEMA has not responded to recent correspondence as on its final approval for funding, Roznovsky said. He reported that U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, has been informed of the halt in correspondence, and Brady’s office is assisting in getting final documents from FEMA.
The city of Montgomery was also recently awarded a grant from the Texas General Land Office that allowed, the city to start on other portions of the project while waiting on FEMA funds. Construction on Buffalo Springs Drive bridge is expected to begin in December and be completed in the first quarter of 2018.