A developer's proposal to add a 137-lot subdivision in an area prone to occasional flooding has raised many questions about whether the existing roads and drainage can handle the growth.

Tonight, the Casper City Council will discuss whether plans to improve the roads and drainage should be moved ahead of schedule. The projects were originally scheduled for completion this year, but were bumped back to 2011 in favor of other projects.

Improvements to the Eastdale/Glendale drainage and extending East 26th Street westward to connect with McKinley Street are expected to cost approximately $3 million, according to city documents. Both projects were allocated money from the latest optional 1-cent sales tax, but that money has yet to be collected.

If the council decides to make the projects a top priority, the city could shuffle $3 million in excess funds from the previous, 1-cent No. 12 tax to jump-start the improvements.

"This is a project that the public clearly supported," said Peter Meyers, an administrative analyst for the city. "The real question is scheduling. If we move this project up, what do we move back?"

At an April 3 city council meeting that lasted nearly five hours, 12 people spoke for or against the Falcon Crest subdivision proposal.

The council passed ordinances for the three phases of the subdivision on first reading by a vote of 7-2, with Councilman Keith Goodenough and Councilwoman Kenyne Schlager voting against.

Every ordinance requires three public readings before approval, but typically only the first reading has a public hearing where anyone can speak. People who wish to speak before the second and third readings are required to sign up by noon the day before the meeting.

Meyers said several people are scheduled to speak about Falcon Crest at tonight's meeting.

In other business, the council is set to approve an application to the State Loan and Investment Board in the amount of $3,314,000 for improvements to the landfill.

Meyers said several cities and the county agreed last year to ask the board for funding for the landfill and the county courthouse improvement project, since both projects would benefit everyone in the county. The board gave only partial funding for the projects, so the city is asking for the rest of the funding this year, he said.

In addition, the council is expected to approve three amendments to the city codes pertaining to storage uses downtown, minimum building setback requirements and non-conforming residential use exceptions.

The council is also expected to approve $1.4 million in funds for water main replacement projects.

Tonight's meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The meeting is open to the public.

Reporter John Morgan can be reached at (307) 266-0614 or john.morgan@casperstartribune.net.