By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Just when everyone thought there was light at the end of the tunnel on the Nelson Street drainage project, City Manager Bert Cunningham said new problems arose last week and the contractor also asked for the rain days reportedly owed per the contract.
In the works for almost a year and closing a major thoroughfare at the same time, the city council was updated at its Monday night meeting. The city manager said it was found the culverts that run from Houston Street to the drop box at Mill and Nelson and from the drop box to the bridge culverts have come loose and must be repaired before any more work can be done at the intersection.
Also, the drop box does not have the correct elevation so water will not enter the drop box under normal rainfall circumstances. Cunningham said problems with the drop box continue to be a sore point after previous questions on incorrect soil compaction that also caused delays.
“The project will not be finished until the contractor gets everything fixed at the box and concrete is poured at the intersection. There are other items that need to be addressed, but the drop box is our main concern,” said the manager.

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Pictured above: Concrete pour on Nelson Street back in July. Courtesy photo

By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
A little more than a dozen people attended the public meeting Wednesday night to review sidewalk replacement plans for a one-block section of Smythe Street.
This project is funded through a Downtown Revitalization grant of $450,000 and a 15% match of $67,000 from the City of Bowie.
Lisette Howard of Public Management and Brandon Dusenberry, design engineer with Hayter Engineering, reviewed the project that will replace the west sidewalk on Smythe from Wise to Montague Street.
In addition to the sidewalk there will be new curbing and some brick repair, including some section on Smythe at Tarrant, which have been damaged. There also will be a few new lights, a hydrant will be moved and a “ramp to nowhere” on the opposite side of the street will be torn out and smoothed out to a sidewalk.
City Manager Bert Cunningham said there also are a few places where the brick has been damaged by trash trucks, and those will be replaced with concrete because the brick cannot hold up to the weight.

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(Top photo) Lisette Howard of Public Management points out some specifics on the Smythe Street sidewalk replacement project at Wednesday’s public meeting. (News photo by Barbara Green)

Members of the Nocona City Council handled a lengthy agenda of business this week including water and sewer rate changes, and new cross-connection fees.
Councilors met Tuesday night and gave final approval to a $1.50 increase for the water and sewer rates across all categories. These rates apply to the standard use and any amount over that can see an additional fee.
The new cross-connection fee program was added to meet new Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requirements said City Secretary Revell Hardison. It relates to back flow where a business may have dual connections for example soda pop dispensing.

Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.