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Floresville secures $374,000 planning grant and outlines flood, drainage and road priorities
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Summary
City Manager Mister Munoz told the Floresville City Council the city will use a $374,000 Texas Water Development Board grant to fund a citywide drainage master plan (HRN Engineering) that targets the Lodi Branch Creek/Highway 181 crossing, sewer-plant-adjacent flooding and Catarina Park, and staff will prioritize street repairs alongside drainage improvements.
Floresville City Manager Mister Munoz told the city council on April 9 that staff is using grant funding and regional partnerships to address chronic flooding and roadway safety near key corridors.
The city has arranged for HRN Engineering, working in coordination with Wilson County and the San Antonio River Authority, to produce a citywide drainage master plan after securing a $374,000 award from the Texas Water Development Board, Mister Munoz said. He identified the Lodi Branch Creek crossing at Highway 181, flooding near the wastewater treatment plant and Catarina Park and the area around the skateboard park and adjacent school as priorities for the study and design work.
“Right now at the deepest, that floodway is probably about 4 feet,” Mister Munoz said, describing how backflow and vegetation at the bridge create a choke point and risk for the corridor. He said the plan will produce project cost estimates and help the city become eligible for FEMA and Texas Water Development Board grant programs when funding opens.
Why it matters: city officials told residents the floodway and nearby low-elevation crossings can impair emergency access (the hospital is north of the corridor) and that planning and grant-ready designs are necessary to compete for state and federal mitigation funds.
Mister Munoz also described coordination with TxDOT on interim steps — flashing signage and temporary measures — and a proposed three-way agreement to add street lighting along Business Loop 181 and other corridors. He said TxDOT expects a larger overlay and restriping work on Highway 181 to be completed by late summer and that the city will comment during the state’s Transportation Improvement Program process.
Council members and public commenters pressed staff about street maintenance and potholes; Mister Munoz said public-works crews and outside contractors are finalizing a prioritized list and that staff will present a schedule to the council within about 30 days. He emphasized the city intends to evaluate drainage, curb needs, lighting and sidewalks during paving decisions rather than doing piecemeal overlays that soon fail.
What’s next: the HRN scope will help the city create shovel-ready projects for funding applications; staff will return with a prioritized street list and proposed funding mechanisms during the upcoming budget season.
