By Lorenzo Salinas

l.v.salinas@panews.com

 

Further studies of the drainage system in Jefferson County look to be in the works after a routine board meeting Tuesday afternoon.

The Drainage District 7 board of trustees approved a district-wide drainage study between DD7 and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Tuesday afternoon at the District’s current headquarters in Community Bank of Texas.

Manager Phil Kelley wanted to get the board’s approval because with a federal and local joint study of this magnitude, which the county would take up 25 percent of, Kelley estimated the cost to be upwards of $750,000 or more.

When asked about options, Kelley said it could either be done through USACE or through independent engineers.

Kelley said other officials, like those from the city, had been sent form letters requesting the study. He said such an extensive study could look into the city’s infrastructure as well as DD7’s.

The proposal by the USACE for the district-wide study was still new and, as such, Kelley said he didn’t have many details into the matter yet.

Trustee James Gamble Sr. recounted how at a past Port Arthur city council meeting, there were people who said a study of this sort was needed.

“Here’s an opportunity to do it; and I want to make sure everyone is aware of it,” Gamble said.

Kelley echoed Gamble’s sentiment in getting more people educated about the study and the drainage system in the county overall. In particular, he said that he felt when it comes to the city’s drainage system and evaluating it alongside DD7’s, there was still a lot of work that needed to be done.

In other items, trustee Lester Champagne commended all DD7 personnel who went out and participated in the district’s three open houses held last week. They were meant to educate the public about the drainage system and about the organization itself.

Champagne called it “well-organized,” going so far as to say that there didn’t seem to be any people who left the meetings with their questions unanswered.

Trustee Albert Moses Jr. shared Champagne’s praise of the DD7 staff that was on hand to inform the public about the technical ins and outs of drainage. When talk came up of lower than expected attendance numbers, Moses assumed it was because most people were satisfied with the job DD7 was doing.

Kelley likewise praised district officials who attended, but expressed disappointment that more city officials didn’t show up. Specifically, he said there were no officials from Groves, Port Neches or Nederland who showed up while acknowledging there was a Port Arthur councilman or two who did attend the open house in Lakeside.

Gamble echoed the sentiment, saying that key people, or officials, who needed to know more about the drainage system were not present at the open houses.

Gamble said more than once that he would like thedDistrict to reach out to city officials and educate them on drainage issues since those city officials would be the ones to make important decisions regarding the city and its residents.

Kelley said he had sent out invitations to all the city managers about the open houses, with requests for the managers to extend those invitations to their respective council members.

In other news, Kelley said financial statements show DD7 over budget on vehicles, office furniture and fixtures. Essentially, they are all items incurred as a loss from the Harvey flood.

Kelley said this occurrence is before adjustments and compensations from insurance and possibly FEMA are introduced into the budget.

An official with DD7 said the District had lost 13 vehicles in total including six dump trucks.

The same official said four of those dump trucks were lost while two were salvaged. Two trucks have already been replaced while he hopes for the other two to be replaced some time next year.

Kelley expressed hope that FEMA would help reimburse them for some of that cost.

In regular agenda items, the DD7 board approved payment of $692,844.20 to Allco, Inc. for the construction of the Alligator Bayou Pump Station Annex. This would be the 46^th payment to the contractor and would mark approximately 82 percent of the total work done. It should be completed next year.