Wylie council approves Army Corps MOA and $196,295 budget amendment to restart McMillan Road work

The Wylie City Council on April 8 unanimously approved a $196,295 amendment to the current fiscal year budget and authorized the city manager to execute a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, to advance the McMillan Road reconstruction project.

The budget amendment, described by city staff as part of the MOA, passed on a 7–0 vote after a motion by Councilman Dave Strang and a second by Councilman Gino Maleche. The separate motion to approve the MOA, moved by Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Forrester and seconded by Councilman Strang, also passed 7–0.

The items come after more than a year of delays tied to federal permitting and archaeological reviews. City Manager Parker told the council the approvals represent the final stages of the permitting process with the Corps and the Texas Historical Commission and, once signatures are complete, construction in the wetland area will resume. Parker said the Corps and the Texas Historic Commission each have 30 to 45 days to review submitted documents before work can restart.

The votes followed an extended public comment period in which McMillan Road neighbors and the owner of Trinity Valley Ranch described ongoing problems from the halted construction. Doug Jones, who said his business Trinity Valley Ranch is at 2300 McMillan Road, asked the council for clearer access for customers, flaggers to protect ingress and egress, restoration of landscaping, acknowledgment of alleged wetland and flooding damage to surrounding properties, and the return of…