By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
The Bowie City Council this week approved an additional $58,900 from the infrastructure fund to continue repairs of the drainage and flooding damage in Kiwanis Park, plus nearby Nelson and Lamb Streets.
Two weeks ago the panel asked Public Works Director Stony Lowrance and City Manager Bert Cunningham to provide more specific cost estimates for the proposed retaining wall, concrete and culvert replacements. They had made a request to use $100,000 from the infrastructure fund to do this section of the work.
At the prior council meeting, Lowrance referred to a pair of engineer studies for two separate plans to repair the flood damaged areas from 2015 and 2016 rainfall. Those plans had projected costs of $1.8 million and $2.3 million, and the city has been unable to find any grant opportunities to help with funding so the damage has laid dormant.
While the most visible damage is at Lamb and Nelson where the street was closed when the culvert collapsed, there is additional work needed down the channel. Lowrance told the council this $100,000 is “just a drop in the bucket.”
Monday night Lowrance reviewed a three-phase plan for the Lamb Street bridge clean-out. Last week an excavator arrived to begin cleaning out debris in the area so they could more clearly see what has to be done. This week work moved over to Kiwanis Park.

Read the full story and the city manager’s monthly report in the Saturday Bowie News.