Lago Vista resident says Rockwood Drive flooding threatens homes; council and staff promise follow-up

Sean Cunningham told the Lago Vista City Council that severe storm runoff channeled from the golf course and an empty lot is inundating properties on Rockwood Drive and putting his family at risk.

"My kids were at risk over the weekend," Cunningham said. He described water flowing through an empty lot and into the house at 4206 Rockwood and said existing culverts "do nothing," that the water rose about "a 3 and a half foot gain" and that videos and photos documenting the flooding are available.

City staff acknowledged the problem and described immediate and longer-term steps. Charles West, speaking for staff, said crews made emergency repairs but that the fixes did not fully solve the drainage issue. "We're working on it," West said, and added that federal and state grant options are being explored. He told the council he had been on the phone with the U.S. Department of Agriculture about funding and asked residents to file damage reports in iSTAT to document losses.

Council members and staff discussed several possible responses. Councilor Owen said he would reintroduce grant requests at the next council meeting and asked West to investigate whether county or state emergency declarations could unlock funds. Mayor Sullivan told Cunningham the council had referred stormwater rules to the Building and Standards Commission, which staff said has been working on a revised drainage ordinance.

Cunningham urged the city to consider a box culvert in the driveway of a neighboring property to prevent concentrated flows from crossing Rockwood Road and entering yards. West and other council members said some of the problem is private property drainage and that homeowners may bear some responsibility, but they also said the city would continue to look for publicly funded mitigation. West said staff will follow up on potential grant opportunities and on whether the city has legal authority to compel a private property to construct a culvert.

Council members asked staff to bring a formal agenda item to a future meeting so the council could receive a fuller report and consider specific actions; a council member said a related item would be scheduled for an upcoming June or July meeting. The Building and Standards Commission was explicitly identified as the venue for incorporating resident experiences into a revised drainage ordinance.

The council and staff directed next steps that residents said they would support: documenting damage in iSTAT, sharing photos and videos with staff, and a follow-up report from West on funding options and any code or enforcement authority the city might use to address private property drainage that produces downstream harm.

Cunningham and residents said they would attend the Building and Standards Commission meeting and provide first-hand accounts as the commission finalizes the draft drainage ordinance.

Ending: Staff said they will follow up with Cunningham by email with additional information about possible grants and the city's next formal steps; the council requested a staff report on options and costs for targeted, short-term repairs and for a citywide drainage study.