Burleson advances stormwater fee study alongside municipal flood recovery

Burleson advances stormwater fee study alongside municipal flood recoveryThe Burleson City Council has unanimously approved the reappropriation of $52,252 for a stormwater fee study, moving forward with infrastructure financial planning as the city manages nearly $500,000 in recent flood damage to its own facilities.

The council approved $52,252 for the initial scope of a stormwater fee study contracted with Freese and Nichols.

The city allocated $385,878 for flood mitigation, rebuilding, and furniture replacement at City Hall.

An additional $94,539 was approved for server reallocation costs resulting from the City Hall flooding.

The flood recovery expenditures are expected to be offset by the Texas Municipal League (TML) intergovernmental risk pool.

During its May 18 meeting, the Burleson City Council unanimously approved a mid-year budget amendment for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, advancing a key stormwater planning initiative while addressing recent municipal flooding impacts. Director of Finance Mark Davies presented the amendment, which reappropriates $52,252 in FY 2025 funding to cover the initial scope of a stormwater fee study. The city has contracted with the engineering firm Freese and Nichols to conduct the analysis, which will evaluate the city's approach to funding its stormwater infrastructure. The stormwater fee study funding was approved alongside significant expenditures related to a recent flood event at Burleson's City Hall. The council authorized $385,878 for flood mitigation, rebuilding, and furniture replacement. According to Davies, these costs are expected to be offset by revenues from the Texas Municipal League (TML) intergovernmental risk pool. Additionally, the city allocated $94,539 from the IT Support Services Fund for server reallocation costs necessitated by the City Hall flooding. The combined actions were part of a broader $883,086 mid-year budget amendment across four municipal funds, which also included the reappropriation of funds for two standby generators at City Hall and the Municipal Services Center. The council passed the ordinance on its first and final reading without opposition.