The Orange City Council wants more participation in local government and is asking citizens to make comments on proposed expenses for almost $8 million in Harvey recovery money for infrastructure.
Citizen comments will be accepted until January 2. The comment forms will be online, at city hall, and the Orange Public Library.
The grant money was discussed during a council meeting Tuesday morning.
Grant consultant Greg Wobbe said the money is coming from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The money is targeted to help prevent future flooding and improve public health and safety in low and moderate income areas.
The grants are being overseen by the Texas General Land Office. Wobbe said Orange has been allocated $7.9 million and does not have to compete for the money.
The city staff has designated some of the projects. Public Works Director Jim Wolf said the costs of the projects are currently being analyzed.
The projects include a second phase of lining Cooper’s Gully with concrete. Phase 1 using money from a 2008 Hurricane Ike grant is now in progress.
Another proposal is for installation of sluice gates. Wolf said the gates would slide across sluice or gully to block water from a flooded Sabine River going into the downtown area. One of the city’s plans for more of the Harvey recovery money is to build a flood protection system along the river south of Interstate 10.
The $7.9 million could also be used to construct box culverts in areas to improve drainage.
Also, Wolf said a “regional sewer lift station” will help on the west side of the city around the Lowe Addition and Cypresswood Village. He said three smaller lift stations are used in the area to move sewage to the treatment plant.
The city is also looking to buy a new fire truck designed to go through floodwaters, plus an additional radio communications tower. The demolition of the old Cove school building is on the list and Mayor Larry Spears Jr. said perhaps the old Wallace school could also be demolished.
In addition, the city is looking to use the $7.9 million to help formulate an updated city master plan for development, get a communications radio tower, rehabilitate a water tower, plus allocate money for acquisitions or buyouts of properties that continually flood.
On a separate vote, the council agreed to extend waiving building permit fees for homeowners rebuilding after Harvey. Council members said some people are still working on their houses.
In other business, the council approved a new ordinance to allow citizens to serve on two of the city’s advisory boards. Interim City Manager Kelvin Knauf said the city has had problems getting people to apply and serve on the boards. Currently, the Historic Preservation Commission, which oversees development in the Old Orange Historic District, has only two members. The commission has five seats and cannot meet because of not enough people are available to make a quorum.
The exception will be a citizen cannot serve on the Planning and Zoning Commission at the same time as being on the Board of Adjustment because the two sometimes make decisions on the same issues.
District 4 Councilor Annette Pernell opposed the change. She said the city needs to publicize the boards and get more participation. However, other members of the council approved the change.
Also, the council appointed David Derosier to the Board of Adjustment as an alternate. The alternates are used if the board has a request to decide and a quorum of regular members cannot be gathered.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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