Residents say White Oak Road deteriorated, drainage ditch clogging floods yards; council hears complaints

Residents on White Oak Road and nearby private roads pressed the City of Orange council on April 8 about poor road conditions, lack of water service for some properties and a clogged drainage ditch that is flooding yards.

Miguel Angel, who said he lives on Orange Road (4258 White Oak Road), told the council, “I have 3 cars. All my cars, needed, since I've been here almost 2 years, I had to replace shocks,” and asked the city to inspect the road and place the neighborhood on a repair list.

Amelia Miller, also representing nearby residents and building a home at 4262 White Oak, described additional problems: “We have multiple problems besides our road. ... We don't receive water at all. We all have wells.” Miller said the drainage ditch that runs toward Adams Bayou has not been cleaned in a long time, contains stacked culverts and debris, and has rerouted water onto her property.

A city staff member told speakers the neighborhood had already been visited and was on an internal list for work; staff said they would follow up with the speakers after the meeting. The mayor explained during the council report that the city performed a street audit and that White Oak was not the worst street but was next in line for repair. The mayor also described multi‑year budget constraints that reduced street maintenance spending in 2024 and said the city is seeing sales tax revenue recover; she said White Oak will be considered in the 2026 budget process.

No formal motion or vote on road repairs or drainage work took place during the meeting. City staff and council committed to follow up with the residents and to provide updates outside the public comment period.

Residents also raised questions about garbage pickup location and private‑road status; the council did not adopt any new policy at the meeting and asked staff to coordinate responses with the complainants.