Reprint from the Progress Times - August 8, 2008
©Progress Times 2008 - All Rights Reserved

 

Drainage district anticipates more federal funding

 

By Ricky Reynoso

The Drainage District 1 board of directors approved a request to utilize services through membership with the Texas Multiple Award Schedule (TXMAS) for levee rehabilitation hauling services.

Drainage District #1 Director Godfrey Garza said the request was related to the ongoing levee project and the hauling of materials for the project.

“We’re looking at utilizing TXMAS to provide those services from the vendors that they have on their list,” said Garza. “The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been working closely with the district in helping us enter into further negotiations with those companies we’ve awarded contracts to.”

Garza went on to say that DHS is working to come forward with an additional $70 to $80 million in order to cover the overrunning costs related to the border-levee projects. If funding is approved, the district would then go before the board in order to approve the award.

“We’re also requesting that legal council do its due diligence to make sure that we’re not going to have any surprises on any potential change orders that come in after the award is given,” Garza said. “There’s always that risk in there, but we’ve taken a federal project with them coming in with $65 million with the potential of $160 million from them which would probably be the biggest federal impact on our community on dollars coming in and assisting us for our flood protection and also our border security.”

Garza also said there could potentially be an extension on the timeline of the levee

projects. Currently the deadline for substantial completion is December 1, but DHS has told the district that it would be possible to mitigate an extension through March 31, 2009.

“All of those things have been ongoing discussions with DHS and I think they’ve been hearing a lot of input from the local community,” Garza said. “With the hurricane season and the associated costs, they’re being very positive in that respect.”

The drainage district has also been notified by Senator Hutchinson’s office that the senator has moved forward with a $20 million package for the levee rehabilitation.

“In that money that they’re proposing, there is language in there that will allow the county to utilize some of the money that the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) is using,” Garza said. “So, we’re going in the right direction. With just these two programs that the senator has been working on and with DHS, we’re looking at possibly over $200 million in funding.”

Precinct 2 Commissioner Tito Palacios thanked the state legislature for helping the county in its efforts to fix the levees.

“Senator Cornyn and Senator Hutchinson have been very helpful in working with Congressmen Hinojosa, Ortiz, Cuellar and the rest of them,” Palacios said. “They’ve been very supportive and I greatly appreciate that.”

Also approved was a work authorization for construction materials testing for DHS segment 0-5, which is the border-levee segment in Granjeno.

“Basically it is the hydraulic wall going there on the north levee,” Garza said. “On the south levee, which is called the common levee, they’re basically just elevating the dirt bank there.”

Construction on the $21.4 million, 1.7 mile border-levee segment began late July. Though Hurricane Dolly did much damage to other Valley areas, Garza said construction resumed the following Tuesday.

Currently there are large metal beams lining the southern border of the levee. The structure will temporarily hold the levee in place while the concrete section of the border-levee is being poured.