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COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL
Officials discuss Hwy 71 median closure
Columbus City Council members were made aware of a notification systems blunder after a local resident complained about her water being turned off without any heads up at Monday night’s council meeting, Feb. 10.
Charlotte Stein, a Columbus mother of a newborn and toddler, says she had her water turned off without being notified of work being done by the city that morning, with some of her neighbors apparently experiencing the same issue the week prior. The blunder on the city’s end left Stein temporarily unable to take care of her children or herself.
“I had no information given to me as a homeowner about the water being turned off, which is illegal,” said Stein. “It didn’t just happen to me. It happened last week with the people who live on the street that runs by St Anthony’s, and it’s just a real problem. If we had gotten a notice, that is easy enough, it is great that it is being done. I can buy water, make food for my baby, wash my hands and use my toilet. I understand the con- tractors at fault, but I also work with contractors regularly and I know that the city can make their job really hard. I just think it’s unacceptable that that would happen today.”
Columbus City Manager Donald Warschak addressed the issue on the city’s end and admitted they were “working to improve the notification process.”
“We were talking today, considering text to be another big thing to use as a way to notify,” said Warschak. “If you have a leak or if something happens around town. The contractor will be working in that area again this coming week. They’re going to go house to house and they’ll be knocking on everybody’s doors.”
City Council members also discussed a request from TxDOT to close the Highway 71 Median Crossover at the Industrial Park located by the Colorado County Fairgrounds on Cross Road Blvd.
The discussion comes after multiple reports were made by residents over the dangers of the Median Crossover. Warschak noted that he was an engineer on the initial project that laid out the groundwork for the design and said he spoke to Tx-DOT representatives Monday afternoon to “eliminate” the crossover and work on a different route to the Industrial Park (laid out in the orange in the photo above).
Mayor Lori An Gobert emphasized that the initial turn on the proposed route should be made much wider to accommodate a smoother turn for vehicles. Columbus Police Chief Skip Edman emphasized that it was “never a good idea” to begin with.
“You’re talking about big trucks going 10 to 12 miles an hour, across the traffic going 80,” said Edman. “It was never a good idea.”
City council members additionally approved a resolution authorizing the submission of a Texas Community Development Block Grant Program Application for Downtown Revitalization.
The grant would potentially aid up to $50,000 in matchable funds by the city, which council members indicated would most likely be in next year’s budget, given that it was not allocated in this year’s budget.
The grant would go towards a project within the Columbus area, with council members identifying areas around the Courthouse Square, specifically sidewalk facing the Opera House by Spring St. The next Columbus City Council meeting will be held on Monday, Feb. 24, at 5:30 p.m.
