Mayor On Flooding: 'I'm Not Going To Leave Council Without This Getting Resolved'

When Mayor Bob Kelly took office, he made it one of council’s goals to resolve the flooding problems in West U. Now, with only months left in his term, he says he will see the problem through.
Several residents have attended council meetings, asking what the city is doing to remove a restrictor from the end of the pipe at Poor Farm Ditch that is causing flooding in downstream areas of West U.
The city has been working with the Harris County Flood Control District to remove the restrictor and is waiting to get allocation for the Meyer Track detention pond.
Kelly asked residents to be more patient and give the city more time to negotiate.
“I am not going to leave council without this thing getting resolved,” Kelly said at the Oct. 11 council meeting.
Kelly told InstantNewsWestU that if the restrictor is not removed come May, when his term as mayor ends, he will run for city council and continue to address the problem. If the problem is resolved before then, he will not run for council again.
“I don’t want to leave this for another council to deal with,” he said. “I really want this to be resolved.”
On Oct. 1, City Manager Michael Ross sent a comprehensive report on the history and status of the College Street Drainage Project to residents. To read the report, click here.
Currently, the College Street Storm System is in place and operating, but the restrictor is still in place at the end of the pipe at Poor Farm Ditch. The Meyer Tract has been constructed inside Loop 610 near Meyerland, but West U still needs permission from flood control to use the detention pond. The city has been negotiating with flood control to determine responsibility and is still addressing the mitigation credits of $1.4 million.
Kelly said he doesn’t know how long it will take to resolve this issue.
“It’s puzzling to me. I’m convinced it’s not about money. I can’t get my thumb on what it’s about,” he said.
The city can’t pay for the restrictor to be removed. West U needs permission from flood control to remove the restrictor.
Ross said once the city has permission, the removal of the restrictor will only take a couple hours.
When asked what the city will do if flood control does not remove the restrictor and allow West U to have detention space, Kelly said they’ll have to wait and see.
“We have to do something,” he said. “I don’t know what it is.”
Kelly said he doesn’t want to drift into another hurricane season with the restrictor still in place.
“You can count on me to see this through for you,” he said. “I’ll stay on this and get this issue resolved.”
After the Oct. 11 meeting, Kelly said he was encouraged and thinks the city will get what they are hoping for.
“I’m optimistic right now,” he said.