City staff updated the Galveston Industrial Development Corporation on the city’s drainage master plan and the timeline and funding challenges for multiple pump stations, including the South Shore project and the planned Fourteenth Street pump station.

Staff said the program identifies seven to eight pump stations in a long-range, 100-year drainage master plan and that projects of this scale are often spread over many years. They cautioned that federal funding requirements can slow schedules: the South Shore project uses Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, while Fourteenth Street is connected to FEMA funding. Staff also said the city is pursuing design-phase grants and preparing shovel‑ready plans to make the projects more competitive for construction dollars.

A substantive concern discussed was temporary construction easements: staff said securing those easements has introduced federal compliance steps and administrative delay and could, if unresolved, risk state grant conditions tied to the General Land Office (GLO). One board member warned the extension provided by the GLO is approaching a year and said the board has previously raised concerns that the GLO could require a return of funds if milestones are not met.

Staff noted that federal and HUD procurement and environmental requirements govern acquisition of easements and other grant conditions, and that those rules often lengthen timelines. The city reported plans to begin site work once easements are secured and said engineers recently met to finalize schedules that staff will review before the neighborhood town-hall meeting for South Shore.

Board members discussed long-term sequencing and whether early pump stations would relieve downstream basins. Staff described how stations working in tandem could provide basin relief and emphasized the high cost and complexity of the combined infrastructure beyond the pump-house facility itself.

Ending: Staff said it will continue to pursue design grants, finalize schedules for the neighborhood meeting and provide updates as easement negotiations progress. No votes were taken on funding shifts or contract awards at the meeting.