Flood-prone zones studied

County commissioners heard a report on the projects at their regular Tuesday meeting. It was one of two required public meetings.

Conceptual plans and estimated costs already have been submitted to the Texas Water Development Board with final submissions in 2024, David Rivera with Freese and Nichols, the company developing the plans, said.

Counties throughout the state are competing for more than $700 million approved by the Legislature in 2019.

In January, there were 285 projects submitted for possible funding from around the state and the county projects are ranked 28th on the list.

“That’s pretty good. We’re in the top 10 percent,” Rivera said.

The sites and estimated cost include:

• Kingsteen Road -- $3.1 million

• County Road 342 -- $1.9 million

• Plantation Ridge and Helms Trail -- $8.3 million

• County Road 243 -- $5.1

• Valley View/Ravenhill – Devonshire -- $6.1 million

• County Road 4116 -- $8.4 million

Most of the prosed work includes grading, culverts, and overtopping roads.

Details of the proposal will be posted on freese.mysocialpinpoint.com/kaufmancountyfic later this week.

Flower Escamilla, director of Citizens for a Forney Area Library, asked commissioners to consider forming a Forney-area library zone that could be used to help find funding for a public library.

Forney closed its public library in 2019 and groups have been working to replace it.

A $20.5 million bond proposal that would have built a combined library, community center, and other public spaces failed narrowly last year.

Escamilla said the library would be more than just books. It would provide story times, other educational opportunities, a place for small groups to meet and access to technology.

“We have grandparents who drive to Rockwall to take children to story time,” she said.

Under the proposal the county would set up a multijurisdictional special taxing district. That district then could raise funds for a new library from grants, donations, and public sources.

“We’ve always seen this a public-private partnership,” Escamilla said.

Assistant District Attorney Karen Badgley, who advises commissioners, told them the proposal needs more legal study. Commissioners agreed to wait for more information before considering the proposal again.