Resident urges council to fix chronic flooding on Wedgwood and Wildwood; public works says assessment under way

Donna Rickenbacker told the council that her neighborhood south of Forness is repeatedly flooded and that past TxDOT work and interim city repairs have left streets with poor drainage and standing water.

"This neighborhood constantly experiences street flooding," Rickenbacker said, recounting utility breaks, "band aid" repairs and the effect on homes she described as valued at $800,000–$1,000,000. She cited the November 2024 bond package — $40 million for drainage and $30 million for water/wastewater, which voters approved — and asked why her street was not prioritized for reconstruction.

City staff told the council they have begun a pavement condition and drainage assessment to prioritize work across the city. Mark Velasquez, director of public works, said crews are field‑verifying utility and pavement conditions and coordinating contractor analyses: "We are working in a lot of those areas," he said, and the new pavement assessment is being reviewed by TxDOT. Velasquez warned that fixing certain sections could require addressing underlying utilities (storm sewer, sanitary, water) before full road reconstruction.

Council members asked staff to place those low‑lying streets high on a prioritization list and to clarify which fixes can be handled through operations versus which require bond or capital funding. The mayor said staff will marry condition assessments and operational findings to produce a plan and cost estimates for council review. Public works said it is actively working in the neighborhoods and will report findings once contractor evaluations are complete.

Next steps identified in the meeting include targeted field inspections, verification of buried infrastructure condition and a future council discussion to weigh operational fixes against larger bond‑funded projects.