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City of Edcouch presents regional detention‑pond concept to EDCOUCH‑ELSA ISD trustees
Summary
City officials proposed creating a regional detention pond on the south side of Ibarra Middle School to reduce street and campus flooding in the northwest quadrant; officials suggested a stakeholder workshop and said HUD funds and precinct monies are available for parts of the project.
Eddie Simes, representing the City of Edcouch, presented a conceptual plan to EDCOUCH‑ELSA ISD trustees for a regional detention pond on the south side of Ibarra Middle School intended to reduce recurring flooding in the northwest quadrant of the city and on campus grounds.
Simes told the board the proposal would collect runoff that currently overwhelms a small walking‑trail pond north of the high school and a narrow conveyance pipe, which can back up to intersections and campus entrances. “What we’re trying to do is before it ever gets into the ditch, get it into the pond and let it hold for a long time,” Simes said, describing the conceptual detention area and the goal of preventing backup into school parking and adjacent streets.
City officials in the room included Mayor Gonzales, Aldermen Merina and Cabrera, City Manager Marci Aguilar, Assistant City Manager Andy Perez, and city planner/fire chief Victor Nieves. Simes outlined a conceptual site that would include a graded basin and recreational amenities at higher elevations—basketball and pickleball courts, restrooms, fields and courts—while the lower graded portion would serve detention functions. He noted that protective fencing would be included and that the city envisions shared use opportunities for school athletics and community recreation.
Trustees and staff asked technical questions about drainage impacts near the Special Education building, the walking‑trail pond and conveyance pipes; city staff acknowledged the need to coordinate with the county drainage district and other stakeholders and recommended a multi‑party workshop. Simes said federal funding already programmed for related park/facility work—an $850,000 HUD allocation mentioned during the presentation—could be applied toward detention work, and he said precinct funding and other partners could contribute to excavation and construction costs.
Trustees expressed support for a workshop to bring together the school district, the city, the drainage district, county representatives and congressional staff to develop a master plan for drainage and shared facilities. No formal vote on the concept or on any funding transfer was recorded in the meeting transcript; the city requested follow‑up coordination and a joint stakeholder meeting.
The concept presentation included a conceptual site plan and several renderings of recreation areas integrated with the detention basin; city staff said specific engineering design, parking reconfiguration and construction phasing would be developed in coordination with the district and other partners before any construction begins.
