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DR9303-CS 930722To: Mayor and Ci~' Council Ci~' Manager and City Engineer CoppelL Texas From: Barbara S. Austin Subject: Moore Road Drainage Date: July 22:1993 The motion so swiftly passed on July 13, 1993 is the equivalent of: 'Austin,. you have been punished, damaged and devalued for several years...but if you will pay $130,000 we will stop it'. The budgeted amount for the drainage system in the plan I have been ~ o working on for my propert? is $94,000. This figure is based on handling the normal and natural water flow, as it was, prior to development south and west. I full), understand my obligation to spend that money and handle that water. That has never been the issue. That is my share of the over-all Storm Water Management project at site "L". The ci6,'s share and obligation is the cost of the Moore Road system. The city. must take care of its infrastructure. I'll take care of my propert}"s drainage. Please consider that if I did not take all the sto~m water because it was diverted and directed on me, the north-west comer of Sandy Lake and Moore would be a lake during heavy rains. The Day Care Center and Sandy Lake Baptist Church would no doubt be flooded. That water was sent east under Moore Road and discharged on my' property causing serious damage since ! 987. I never could get a~ attention from the cil~' about this problem ~mtil I wanted to develop. Now the ciB' sees an opportuni~' to shift half its obligation to an individual landowner because of the timing. I am being victimized. In July, 1992, the number for the Moore Road drainage project xvas $245,000. That was before another segment located 500 feet beyond my properly was added to the package. I decided to contribute $45,000, having been given the assurance at the July 28, 1992 meeting, that the city xvould spend $200,000--- so that, finally, after 6 i/2 years of waiting, a plan could be implemented to halt the damage to my property. If 40 families had homes on this tract with water washing a~vay their law, as, driveways and retaining walls and killing mature native trees, no doubt the ci~r would have taken right action in a timely manner. No doubt the storm drain would have been put in at city expense back in 1987 as it should have been. The principle is the very same. There is a perception that I should "meet the city half-w~," on the drainage solution of Moore Road, yet my property does not drain that direction, but rather to the noabeast. In fact the city has wxongfully directed water on me from the south and west and used my pro~. as a detention pond. The city now expects me to pay for half the problem it created w-hich is no fault of mine (and has seriously damaged me) just became I am now ready to develop. I went to the council meetings in June and again in July 0993) expecting the ci~' to live up to its 1992 commitment of $200,000 only to be bitterly disappointed again with the lack of integrity in ciB, government. I wish you could be less concerned about what the papers print, which is usually twisted half-truths, and what ill-informed people say. Surely you know what is truly fair. You know that,, in the end, if I do not develop, the city will have to pay for the Moore Road storm sewer entirely, just as it would have had to do in 1987 if the water had not been dumped on me as a "temporary measure". I have been one of this city's most devoted and dedicated friends for 31 years. Why are you foming me into this adversary's role and asking for further conflict? Please rethink this issue; it is not a private property drainage issue. I am willing to save the city $45,000 with a donation because time is important. At long last, take quick and proper action to resolve this problem. May I please have a response at the earliest possible tn'ne. My phone number is 462-0779, and my mailing address is P.O. Box 499. Thank you for the time and thought you have given this matter. I know you are tired of dealing with it. I wish you could be in my place for a little while! I do not ask for a personal favor; I ask for governmental justice due any citizen of any town in this country.