The Italy City Council met Monday evening to discuss three items facing the city.
 
The first issue dealt with flooding in the Forreston area.
 
Two property owners on Hwy. 77 near Cherry Street claim their houses flooded due to water back up from the railroad right of way located across the highway. The City of Italy owns the right-of-way property in that area.
 
John Droll, council member, said that area flooded long before the house was built in that location.
 
Brad Chambers, water superintendent, said there are several options available including removing the top of the concrete culvert in order to clean it out.
 
The city received an estimate of $8,900 from JK Excavation to destroy the culvert that runs across the right-of-way property. Teri Murdock, city administrator, said the city did not have that much money available for this project.
 
Murdock said Ellis County Commissioner Heath Sims and the county engineer surveyed the area.
 
Murdock suggested the city remove a tree blocking one end of the culvert, clean it out, and then cut a trench parallel with the drainage.
 
Greg Richards, council member, suggested not doing anything until utility lines are located. The city has requested the lines be located but the request had not been completed as of Monday. There are fiber optic, water and gas lines running through the area.
 
Another issue the city is dealing with is the bridge replacement on Couch Street. The bridge should have been completed in February.
 
Mayor Frank Jackson said he has talked with Bill Pierce, resident engineer with the Texas Department of Transportation. Pierce told Jackson the contractor is being fined $500 per day.
 
Richards reminded the council that although the contractor is being charged daily, the City will never receive any of that money since the majority of the construction is being paid for by the state.
 
Chambers said the contractor has agreed to repair the damage to San Jacinto Street caused by concrete trucks.
 
The third issue the city is facing is the damage to Sparkman Street.
 
Murdock said she met with Sims about this street and he has agreed to put recycled material on the bad parts in order to smooth it up.
 
Richards said people are driving in the ditches when dry enough.
 
Droll said Sparkman Street was not designed to handle the capacity of traffic that has been on it the last few months.