Residents urge Cotulla to fix chronic drainage issues after heavy rains; council outlines grant and study steps

Cotulla — Dozens of residents told the council at a June workshop that repeated heavy rains leave streets and yards flooded and, in some cases, water inside homes. The session included multiple detailed public comments about Goodwin, LaSalle and neighborhood streets that lack effective drainage.

Rosalina Martinez said water enters her house ‘‘every time it rains’’ and pleaded with council for a plan and timetables. Another resident described running pumps for years to keep water out of yards. ‘‘I’m tired of every time it rains hard, water goes in my house,’’ Martinez said.

Council members and county representatives acknowledged the longstanding problem and described previous efforts, including an interlocal agreement and partial county work. Staff and a county representative discussed steps to get drainage projects into the state flood plan (which opens projects to grant funds) and mentioned a proposed joint city‑county study to identify hazards along the Nueces River; the transcript noted a potential $1.5 million study funded by the Texas Water Development Board through the Nueces River Authority for a city‑county mitigation study.

Council members said the city will compile and publish an inventory of problem locations, pursue engineering studies and seek available grant funds. They also cautioned that available local funding streams are restricted by statute and by program rules, so some existing funding sources (for example, park‑specific hot‑tax money) cannot be repurposed for street drainage.

Council emphasized that much of the long‑term work will depend on engineering, grant awards and intergovernmental cooperation; members said they would seek to add drainage priorities into the upcoming budget and to pursue grants that can address those priorities.

The meeting produced no immediate financial commitments in open session; council asked staff to return with a list of locations and to continue coordinating with county and regional authorities to nominate projects for state grant programs.