City of La Grange Gives Updates on Drainage Projects; Talks About Mosquito Spraying

The La Grange City Council heard a report from Street Department Foreman Danny Moerbe at their meeting Monday night, Nov. 12.

Moerbe said the City is working on two storm drain projects. The City will replace 300 feet of storm drain in the 100 block of W. Milam St. The City will also install a new larger storm drain box and replace 200 feet of storm drain line in the 100 block of E. Pecan St. Other upcoming projects includes street rehabilitation on N. Jackson St. from Lafayette to Upperline St. and on S. Meyer St. from Eblin to Walnut St.

Moerbe said the City has ordered new street signs with white lettering on a purple background. He said the street department will begin installing them once they arrive.

Moerbe said the City doesn’t spray for mosquitoes very much any more.

“It’s highly recommended not to spray for nuisance mosquitoes,” Moerbe said. “The reason why is because there are only a few chemicals you can spray legally. If you hit a mosquito with a less-than lethal dose, it becomes resistant to that chemical. Then you can’t kill it. And it also passes this trait to the next generation. Before, there were numerous chemicals. You could switch chemicals and kill them.”

Moerbe said there are now only two chemicals that the City can use for mosquito control. That greatly limits the ability to rotate chemicals.

“In other words, we don’t want to create a super-mosquito if we have a disease outbreak,” he said. “So it’s only recommended to spray if you have a disease outbreak.”

During Moerbe’s report, local resident Theresa Von Rosenberg asked him about stormwater runoff that frequently backs up on US 77 near the Faison Home and Fayette Public Library.

“That is a state drain and it’s clogged under the highway,” Moerbe said.

Moerbe said Texas Department of Transportation will repair the drain when the rehabilitate the highway, possibly next year.

“That drain has collapsed under the highway,” said assistant city manager Frank Menefee. “It’s in the state right-of-way. It is our responsibility to maintain it, just general maintenance. But when it comes to repairs and structural stuff, it falls to the state. We’ve been pushing them to do something about it.”