Jasper County Commissioners Court
Thursday morning, we hosted representatives of the Texas General Land Office at Jasper County's Emergency Operations Center, who held our kickoff meeting to begin work on projects deemed eligible under Jasper County's recent $13,254,000.00 grant award.
This meeting including our personnel, GLO representatives, engineers and grant administrators discussed the next steps to take in implementing projects prioritized in each Commissioner Precinct.
A portion of this round of funding will be utilized to conduct major repairs and upgrades to the water supply infrastructure at the Evadale Water Control & Improvement District #1 in Precinct 4. This will replace aging infrastructure and provide better quality water service to the citizens within the Evadale Community while providing for future expansion capabilities.
Another large portion of this funding will be utilized to replace the water tower in the downtown area of the City of Kirbyville. Once again, this will replace aging infrastructure and provide sustainable safe drinking water to the citizens of Kirbyville in Precinct 3.
Assisting the citizens of both Precinct 2 and Precinct 3, a portion of the grant funding will be utilized to greatly improve and elevate road surfaces and drainage on County Roads 317 and 328. This is intended assist in keeping these roads passable for citizens during major storm events. These roads are shared by both Commissioner Precincts and will be improved on both sides of the Precinct boundaries.
Additionally, County Road 323 in Precinct 2 will be improved with major drainage enhancements to ensure safe passage for local citizens living in the area and emergency vehicles responding during major storm events.
Funding will also be utilized in Precinct 1 to construct a facility in the Dixie Community off of Farm to Market Road 2799 to be used as a community center and shelter of last resort for citizens and emergency response personnel during major storm events.
A second community and sheltering facility will be constructed in the Homer Community at the Commissioner Precinct 1 Barn property on County Road 80 northwest of the City of Jasper, which will also serve to provide for citizens and response personnel during major storm events.
Also discussed after the kickoff meeting was the status of Jasper County's other major grant project under a previous General Land Office grant program that is currently underway along the U.S. Highway corridor ranging from the City of Jasper to just south of the Buna Community.
These projects involve improving drainage on county roads adjacent to or near U.S. Highway 96 in Jasper County. Projects are underway in Commissioner Precincts 3 and 4 at this time, with planning underway in the Buna Community to mitigate flooding along Goode Branch.
Planning is still in progress on two major water detention ponds expected to reduce flooding along Sandy Creek northeast of the City of Jasper in Precinct 2 and also near Davis Creek northeast of the City of Kirbyville in Precinct 3.
Much like the City of Kirbyville water tower project, these Jasper County detention pond projects are expected to assist the Cities of Jasper and Kirbyville with reducing flooding to protect local citizens within the cities as well as in the surrounding unincorporated areas.
Under this same grant program, Jasper County has already completed one major road elevation and drainage project on County Road 200 at Mill Creek in the Brookeland area in Precinct 2.
Many thanks to Texas General Land Office Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and her staff for providing support and funding to Jasper County to enable us to continue efforts to protect our citizens from future storm events.
