Watershed study, neighborhood project also discussed
Azenett Valdez/THE RIDER PHOTOS
The Brownsville City Commission has accepted a Texas Water Development Board Watershed study, authorized the purchase of property for the Jackson Street Neighborhood Stabilization Project and approved the Fiscal Year 2024 Brownsville Community Improvement Corp. Budget.
The watershed study provides a better understanding of flood risk in the region, develops a plan that will act as a roadmap for the region to effectively address flood issues and helps the region be prepared to apply for flood mitigation grants when they become available, according to the agenda documents for the Sept. 5 meeting.
The engineering firm Halff Associates conducted the watershed study.
Ryan Londeen, the water resources project manager at Halff Associates, told the commission that the study used a 2D hydraulic model, which is the latest software that can help forecast the distribution of water.
Londeen said the study will benefit the City of Brownsville by helping it make “better informed decisions” regarding future development projects.
“We can’t solve everyone’s flooding issues, so what we tried to do is find those areas with the highest flood risk,” he said.
Londeen said 10 flood mitigation projects have been established to further protect these communities in North Main Drain and Impala Ditch, North Main Drain and Four Corners, Cameron County Ditch 1 at Confluence, Cameron County Ditch 1 at Cameron Park, Town Resaca at West Fifth Street, Cameron County Ditch 1 at Golf Center, Los Fresnos at East 10th Street, Cameron County Ditch 1 at Highway 69 E, North Main Drain and Highway, Los Fresnos West Ocean Boulevard and Town Resaca at Washington Park.
The next phase of the study is to look for state, federal and grant funding. Once funding is provided, the development of these projects will begin.
Azenett Valdez/THE RIDER PHOTOS
Jackson Street Neighborhood Stabilization
Juan Velez, Historic Preservation officer, presented a budget of $150,000 to purchase two residential properties located at 1526 and 1534 E. Jackson St. for Phase II of the neighborhood stabilization project. The City of Brownsville would be responsible for funding the project.
Come Dream Come Build, a nonprofit organization, will perform project design, project and construction management services, and ongoing property management services, according to agenda documents.
The two houses have historic value and would be protected like previous properties on that same street.
“It all started a couple of years ago, and it was completed the last year,” Velez said. “CDCB bought these six structures, eight units. The previous property owner was wishing to demolish it and finally.”
He said CDCB entered the project and preserved these structures.
The main goal would be to ameliorate the image of East Jackson Street and have neighborhood stabilization.
BCIC 2024 Budget
The proposed $13 million fiscal year 2024 budget for the Brownsville Community Improvement Corp. was presented by Cori Peña, president and CEO of BCIC. Peña told the commission the budget includes $6,314,000 for strategic initiatives; $3,665,000 for debt service; $1,826,101 for administrative expenditures; $370,000 for eBridge operations; and $524,000 for city service contracts.
Azenett Valdez/THE RIDER PHOTOS
The BCIC invests in small business development, retail development, entrepreneurship and job creation projects, according to its website.
The nonprofit has $2 million for quality-of-life projects. It reviews applications for funds and amends the funds based on whether it has enough money to “meet those needs, those projects,” Peña said.
Rose M.Z. Gowen, commissioner At-Large “B,” said had two concerns: the administrative expense being “quite high” and economic development.
“Quality of life is not better quality of life just because it also has an economic impact portion,” Gowen said. “So, it’s a bit upsetting, demeaning to the focus of quality of life for which you were created.”
District 3 Commissioner Roy De los Santos said it is important to look at how the money increases in the quality of life budget.
“We should not have BCIC subsidizing just regular maintenance operations if we’re talking about a quality of life project,” De los Santos said. “Let’s really do something that’s new and impactful.”
De los Santos made a motion to approve the budget, but it failed.
District 2 Commissioner Linda C. Macias said she wanted $1 million moved from unrestricted funds to the $2 million quality of life budget.
“I move to approve the budget as amended with an additional $1 million under the economic grant quality of life section,” Macias said.
De los Santos asked Macias from which section of the budget would the $1 million come from.
She replied the economic grant unrestricted funds.The motion passed. De los Santos and District 1 Commissioner Bryan L. Martinez voted against the motion.
