Salado aldermen will discuss drainage issues at Stagecoach Circle and Chisholm Trail as well as an appointment to the Village Planning and Zoning Commission during a workshop session 6:30 p.m. April 28 at the Municipal Building.

In executive session, aldermen will discuss economic development projects as authorized by Texas Government Code § 551.087, Economic Development, for incentive agreements with Stagecoach 1943 Limited Partners.
No votes will be taken during the workshop agenda.

The board will review recommendations by the Village Engineer from 2007 and 2009 regarding the drainage and flooding issues for residents at Stagecoach Circle and Chisholm Trail.

The issue is not a new one, even predating the incorporation of Salado in 2000.

“This location is designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agencyas being in Zone AE, which means it is within the 100-year Floodplain,” John Simcik wrote after a site visit to the properties in 2007.

“The existing slope in this area is nearly flat, which tends to drain stormwater slowly,” Simcik added in a letter to aldermen. “This has resulted in sedimentation of the existing roadside channel. The flat portion of the channel extends to the next set of culverts at the driveway of the adjacent property. Beyond that, the existing channel slope increases and drainage does not appear to be an issue.”

Simcik offered three options.

“The only way to permanently ensure that future flooding will not occur would be to construct a conveyance that would have the capacity to convey the 100-year storm event,” Simcik stated. “This would require an analysis of the watershed to determine peak flows, design of the conveyance(most likely an open channel), and acquisition of drainage easements for construction of the improvements.”

The option, at that time, was “impractical,” according to Simcik, who cited the costs of design, easement acquisition and construction.

“A more cost effective long-term option which would improve drainage through the area would be to line the existing channel with concrete from the point where the existing culvert crosses Chisholm Trail to the driveway of the adjacent downstream property,” Simcik said. “The concrete lining would facilitate drainage by creating a smoother surface and would also be easier to maintain.”

A third, short-term option would be to “clean the silt out of the channel and reestablish positive drainage between the culverts. This would improve drainage,” according to Simcik, “but it should be cautioned that because of the flat slope of the channel, additional silt buildup in the channelcan be expected and regular maintenance will be required.”

Simcik visited the area again in 2009 at the request of then-aldermen Danney McCort.

Again looking at cleaning out the channel, Simcik advised that because the property lies within the 100-year floodplain “any material that is excavated during the channel cleaning process must be hauled offsite to a location outside of the 100-year floodplain.”

“Extreme caution should be used when excavating in the vicinity of underground utilities,” he added. “Most of the proposed improvements are located on private property.”

The improvements to the drainage system “are not intended to prevent all flooding occurrences in this area, nor are they permanent improvements,” Simcik advised. “The frequency and risk of flooding to said properties will be reduced, but not eliminated.”

He further advised that regular maintenace of the drainage conveyances “will be a necessity to ensure they have maximum available capacity in order to reduce future flooding risks.”

“These improvements will not, nor are they intended to, remove any properties from the FEMA designated 100-year floodplain,” he added.

Aldermen will consider the qualifications of volunteers to serve on the Planning & Zoning Commission. Those volunteers seeking appointment to the Commission include Allie Guenther, Bill Kinnison, Jim Reed, Cameron “Guy” Slimp, Eric Stone and Curtis Strong.