The Board would like to inform the residents of Sienna Municipal Utility District No. 2 (SPM2) of the progress regarding the rehabilitation of the ditched sections of the community that have been experiencing standing water and other related drainage problems.  Previously, the Board was requested to form a Steering Committee of residents from the District to re-evaluate the path forward for resolving these issues.  With the assistance of Klotz & Associates (a third-party engineering firm), the Committee came back with a comprehensive recommendation that the Board agreed would substantially improve the drainage situation. 

The Steering Committee's recommendation involved the construction of a piped storm sewer system in the North-South corridors (ex. Dewalt, Wickson, Shindler) within Steep Bank West to provide for as much as 24 inches of additional elevation drop to the system's various outfall points. The piped storm sewer will result in shallow swales with area inlets (see example picture below) that will collect rainfall and channel it into the piped system.  By adding this additional elevation drop in the North-South corridors, the East-West drainage ditches along North and South Fitzgerald (which flow into the North-South corridors) can be re-graded to benefit from this additional slope. There will also be some re-setting of culverts (under driveways) which were set improperly during initial construction.  In addition, the city of Missouri City has granted a variance to allow the filling in of some portions of ditches in cul-de-sacs.  This was initially constructed as a result of a design code for Missouri City open ditches in residential neighborhoods.

Phase I – Includes the piped storm sewer system for Kelsey Pass, Schindler Court, and Wickson Manor with improvements to North and South Fitzgerald within those areas and the following cul-de-sacs will be improved: Rita Elliot, Felder, Hart, Belnap, Wickson Square, Border, Rory, Doyle and Farley.  Also, the installation of a box culvert along Steep Bank Trace in front of Sienna Crossing School is included in Phase I. The anticipated construction start date is July 15, 2006 with construction to take place over 90 days.

Phase II – Includes the piped storm sewer system for Dewalt Way, Oakland Way and Oakland Court with improvements to North and South Fitzgerald extending west from the pipeline easement.  The following cul-de-sacs will be improved: Dewalt Manor, Travis, Oakland, Carden, Clark and Butler.  The Board has authorized the advertisement of this phase for bid and the plans are anticipated to be ready for bid in mid to late July.  Bids will be received in mid-August with construction beginning shortly after Labor Day.  The anticipated construction time is 75 days.

Phase III – Includes the remaining areas of the Western portion of Steep Bank Village West including Caulder Way and the cul-de-sac areas in Steep Bank Village East.  The anticipated bid time table is February to March 2007. 

The Board has retained Mr. Tommy Haynes to serve as the Project Manager.

Mr. Haynes will work closely with the Project Engineer from Klotz and Associates to ensure that the objectives of the project are met and that the performance of the contractors follows the letter and spirit of the bid guidelines.  Mr. Haynes was formerly the Director of Public Works for the City of Sugar Land and has over 30 years of experiencedealing with similar construction projects.  If during the course of this project the contractor(s) do not sufficiently answer your questions, Mr. Haynes will be available to you to discuss any issues or concerns that remain.  He can be reached at 281-450-3082 or by email at:   thaynes@sanbernardec.com.

 Some of the construction guidelines that will impact individual homeowners are as follows: 

• Residents will be given notice prior to construction in front of their houses.
• Disturbed areas between the sidewalk and the street will be re-sodded with the same species of sod.
• Sprinkler systems will be restored to the same working order as before.
• Drainage systems such as French drains from other parts of the property will be incorporated into the storm sewer system where needed.  However, discharge drains such as water softeners and pool drains that discharge into the drainage system violate current regulations and will not be incorporated into the new drainage system.  It will be the resident’s responsibility to incorporate these drainage systems into the sanitary sewer system.
• The contractor will be cautious around additional landscaping within the ditch area, but will not be responsible for replacing any additional landscaping beyond sod.
• Any hazards (such as holes or trenches) created as part of the construction process will be covered at the end of each working day.

Please continue to refer to the website (www.spmud2.com) for updates throughout the construction process.  Also, maps will be made available via the website informing residents of construction locations.