Mission seeks grant for COVID-19 Emergency Responder Project
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Two special called Zoom meetings were held in Mission this week, addressing both COVID-19 and the Storm Drainage Assessment plan.
During the first meeting, city council passed Resolution No. 1663, which supported the submission of a grant application to be sent to Governor Greg Abbott’s office. The grant, which is expected to be worth $135,000 for Mission, is in regards to the COVID-19 Emergency Responder Project.
Michael Elizalde, the Grants Administrator for the city of Mission, presented the grant to council. He stated that the grant was requested by the Mission Police Department, and the purposes for the funding will be for eligible activities.
“They [funds] must be utilized to prevent, prepare for and respond to COVID-19,” Elizalde said. “The grant will allow the Mission Police Department funds for Personal Protective Equipment [PPE], supplies and other costs associated with personnel and overtime.”
The grant requires no matching funds from Mission’s standpoint. The resolution was passed unanimously without discussion.
The second session was a joint meeting between the city council, Planning & Zoning Commission and the Mission Drainage Committee. During this meeting, they accepted a plan for the Comprehensive Storm Drainage Assessment from the TEDSI Infrastructure Group.
Ponciano Longoria, the project manager from TEDSI, has been working on this plan since it was introduced, and TEDSI has been contracted with Mission to conduct the drainage assessment. He presented the plan to council, along with other representatives from the group.
The need for a plan and reevaluation of the city’s drainage became clear after several neighborhoods and residences in Mission were flooded by an unexpected storm in June 2018. Residents have been complaining to the city about the drainage issue, some citing that it was a problem before the flood.
Mayor Armando O’caña said the Comprehensive Storm Drainage Assessment Plan is necessary for the city of Mission, as one has not been conducted since 1984.
“This [plan encapsulates] approximately one year of study that was drastically needed,” O’caña said. “We’re going to be updating as we go along – it may not be perfect, but it’s a great start and a great beginning for us to build a new drainage system in Mission.”
Longoria presented a power point detailing the improvement plan, which, over a 10-year time period, is estimated to cost $93 million. The Mission Lateral, one of the largest areas in need of drainage improvement, is being covered by Hidalgo County’s bond, which was passed shortly after the flooding hit the region in 2018.
The cost estimates were based on “unit cost rates and quantity estimations of proposed improvement elements.
The city of Mission’s plan includes three miles of channel improvements, five new detention basins, 50 miles of storm sewer system improvements and 15 bridge/culvert expansions or replacements. The city council stated that they appreciated how detailed the full plan was.
The priority focus of each area is going to be determined based on flood complaint call locations, floodplain area reduction and floodplain property reduction.
After a few questions from the Planning & Zoning Commission, as well as Mission Drainage Committee Chairman Ned Sheats, the city accepted the plan. Moving forward, they plan to seek further grant funding (so far, Mission has applied for $4 million toward drainage improvement) so they can get started on improving the drainage situation.
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