Engineering presents Leander stormwater master plan; top 15 projects estimated at just under $15 million
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Summary
Engineers told the Leander City Council that public outreach and modeling identified 77 high‑risk flood locations narrowed to 45 candidate projects; the top 15 cost an estimated just under $15 million and the full 45 list is roughly $40 million. Staff outlined funding options and next steps toward a mid‑May draft for staff approval.
Engineering representatives presented an update on Leander’s first stormwater master plan, summarizing data collection, public input, and prioritized project recommendations.
The presentation explained that staff and consultants cataloged 77 high‑risk flooding areas and narrowed those to 45 candidate projects, with 15 top‑priority sites singled out for planning‑level cost estimates and concept sheets. “We identified 77 areas throughout the city of high flood risk…and we whittled down to 45 and then we recommend 15,” the presenter said, adding that the top 15 projects total “just under $15,000,000” and the full 45 are “just under $40,000,000.”
Why it matters: the plan creates a citywide inventory and a prioritized list council can use to program capital improvement projects, target grant applications and coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions. The team said the plan’s assumptions and planning‑level cost estimates include a 30% contingency and that final engineering could alter costs and specific designs.
Details and next steps: the presenters described methods used to prioritize sites — a combination of flooding risk and impact scoring, cost‑effectiveness, operations and maintenance implications, ability to pair projects with other CIP work, and the complexity of external coordination (TxDOT, Williamson and Travis counties). They noted regional modeling updates (Atlas 14 precipitation and updated LIDAR) informed the analysis and that staff collected resident flooding histories via festival outreach and an online survey to supplement technical data.
Funding options discussed included using the CIP and general municipal funding, pursuing a dedicated stormwater utility or impact fee, and applying for external grants (examples cited: CDBG, FEMA programs, the Texas Water Development Board and the General Land Office). Presenters said several of the top 15 candidate projects would be strong candidates for state and federal grant programs and recommended collaboration with counties on ETJ issues.
Council questions focused on how the plan’s prioritization relates to the city’s CIP scoring, the inclusion of property‑acquisition cost assumptions in planning estimates, realistic annual delivery rates (the presenter suggested 2–3 projects per year under reasonable funding and staffing), and the timing for a staff‑ready report. Engineers said they expect to deliver a draft for staff review in about six weeks, with a mid‑May target for a package of recommendations.
The master plan will include individual project cut sheets with aerial imagery, planning‑level budgets, assumed permitting and permitting authorities, and notes on further engineering steps needed to ready projects for construction funding.