Cedar Park Seeks Input On Drainage, Street Repairs Project

CEDAR PARK, TX — City officials are seeking public input on a program related to storm water drainage and associated street repairs.

The proposed program aims to create a long-term solution for addressing storm water drainage maintenance, priority improvement projects and related street repairs. The program would be funded via a re-allocation of one-fourth of the revenue from economic development sales tax to the storm water drainage program.

In a response to questions from Patch, Cedar Park spokesperson Jennie Huerta estimated the program would cost $1.57 million to implement. That figure is derived from the one-fourth allocation from the economic development sales tax revenue, which totals around $6.29 million.

“All of our neighborhoods will age, which is why our city leaders have been considering various ways to fund a storm water drainage program that will provide financial resources to make necessary improvements that will reduce flooding now and in the future,” Assistant City Manager Sam Roberts said in a prepared statement. “We heard our residents loudly and clearly that they don’t want to pay additional taxes or fees for this project. Instead, we would reallocate one-fourth of the revenue from the Economic Development Sales Tax Fund, which would still leave a generous amount in the fund for business recruitment and retention efforts.”

The proposed storm water drainage and related street management project would fund program management, large infrastructure projects necessary to minimize the risk of flooding and associated street repairs, regular maintenance that is required to make the storm water system function properly, and state and federal compliance, city officials explained.

Residents will receive invitations to upcoming town hall meetings on this matter closest to their neighborhood. City officials encourage residents to attend their specific neighborhood meeting, but add that members of the public are welcome to attend any of them as their schedule allows.

The town hall meetings that are taking place throughout the city in October and November provide an opportunity for residents to learn more about the proposal and to provide feedback. Each meeting will include a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session with city representatives. Neighborhood town hall meetings are scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a brief presentation at 6:30 p.m.

The town hall meetings are scheduled as follows:

• Wednesday, Oct. 18: Cedar Park Recreation Center, 1435 Main St.
• Wednesday, Oct. 25: St. John the Forerunner Church; 800 West Park.
• Thursday, Nov. 2: Forest Oaks Community Center, 105 N. Lynnwood Trail.
• Monday, Nov. 6: Riviera Springs Clubhouse at Rosemary Denny Park, 2500 E. Riviera Dr.

Feedback may also be shared through a website survey at www.cedarparkdrainage.com or by sending an email to drainage@cedarparktexas.gov.

Once citizen input is collected, it will be integrated into the storm water drainage and related street repair proposal and will be presented to the City Council later this year, officials said. In early 2018, the City Council will vote on including the proposal on the ballot for the May 2018 election.

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