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City manager: West 19th drainage design complete; project to be advertised, Motiva meeting planned
Summary
Engineers told Port Arthur council the West 19th Street drainage design is complete and will be advertised for bids; staff said some drainage flows originate on Motiva property and pledged a meeting with the company to discuss contributions and phase-two Terminal Road fixes. The council pressed for schedule clarity and ARPA-related completion by December.
Port Arthur officials on Jan. 27 received a construction-ready design and a six-week procurement timeline for the West 19th Street drainage project aimed at reducing repeated street flooding.
Edwin Jones, engineer of record for EJS, told the council the team delivered preliminary, 60% and 95% submittals and has turned in signed, sealed final plans; purchasing will advertise the project. Jones said the design work encountered survey access limitations because Motiva facilities blocked entry to parts of the drainage network and that Motiva's facility runoff appears to discharge into the city system. "We encountered during the survey that Motiva had blocked multiple challenges for us to get access to our pipes," Jones said.
City staff outlined a schedule: advertise the project two weeks in a row, open bids in the third week, evaluate in the fourth, and present a construction award to the council in about six weeks. The target construction completion date is the December of the current year unless an extension is obtained for ARPA-funded work.
Council members repeatedly pressed for a firm date and accountability. Council member Lewis said residents on West 19th "have been flooded" and asked the city to schedule a meeting with Motiva to determine any contribution to phase two of the project, which will address Terminal Road where much of Motiva's runoff enters the system. City staff agreed to set a meeting and to include council members in scheduling.
The project was described as "phase 1" that removes water from West 19th to Terminal Road; staff said phase 2 will cover Terminal Road improvements and would likely be costlier, so the city hopes to negotiate Motiva participation. City manager Tomi Haney (as referenced in the meeting) said the city will seek harmonization of ordinances and coordinate legal and court processes to strengthen enforcement and contractor coordination.
Next steps: purchasing will advertise for bids; staff will schedule a Motiva meeting and provide the council a timeline that traces project funding, studies and key milestone dates.
