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City of Edcouch presents conceptual regional detention pond near Ibarra Middle School; trustees discuss workshop
Summary
City officials presented a conceptual plan for a regional detention pond south of Ibarra Middle School to reduce street and campus flooding. The city said HUD funds and drainage‑district cooperation are part of the plan; trustees discussed a stakeholder workshop but did not take a formal vote.
City of Edcouch officials briefed the Edcouch‑Elsa Independent School District Board of Trustees on a conceptual regional detention pond project intended to reduce recurring flooding in the northwest quadrant of the city and areas draining to Ibarra Middle School.
Eddie Symes, representing the city, said the planned pond would capture runoff from the area bounded roughly by State Highway 107, Llano Grande Street and Yellowjacket Drive and that it could reduce backups that affect the intersection of 107 and Yellowjacket Drive and the district’s special education bus entrance. City staff and elected officials in the room described the concept as a multipurpose site: the excavated area could serve as a sports and recreation zone at ground level when not holding stormwater, with amenities such as courts, restrooms and parking reconfiguration shown in conceptual slides.
City officials said the project would be coordinated with the local drainage district, Hidalgo County precincts and other stakeholders. Symes told trustees the drainage district had proposed in‑kind excavation assistance and that a separate ditch‑widening project east of Yellowjacket Drive is underway; the city also referenced an $850,000 HUD allocation that would be programmed partly for detention purposes.
Trustees raised operational questions the city’s team addressed, including whether a perimeter fence would be included (city staff said yes) and whether the detention design would require upgrades to outlet pipes and conveyance between the walking‑trail pond and downstream infrastructure. Trustees suggested convening a workshop with all stakeholders — the city manager agreed to coordinate meetings with district staff, drainage‑district representatives and county or congressional offices to develop a master plan.
The presentation was informational; the transcript records discussion and an agreement to schedule stakeholder coordination but does not record any formal board action or vote on city proposals during the public session.
