CITY & COUNTY
News from Harris County & Jersey Village
QUOTE OF NOTE
Underground flood tunnels could cost $30 billion
Jersey Village City Council will meet at 7 p.m. July 18 at 16327 Lakeview Drive, Jersey Village. 713-466-2100. www.jerseyvillagetx.com Harris County Commissioners Court will meet at 10 a.m. July 19 at 1001 Preston St., Ste. 934, Houston. 713-274-1111. www.harriscountytx.gov MEETINGS WE COVER NUMBER TO KNOW The estimated cost of the feasibility study for a potential multipurpose stadium at Jersey Village’s 43-acre Town Center. City officials conducted an online community survey in June as part of the study. $71,500 LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS HARRIS COUNTY District Attorney Kim Ogg introduced a billboard campaign promoting the safe storage of firearms June 3. Twenty-five billboards across North Houston encourage residents to secure their guns in English and Spanish. The billboards were donated by Clear Channel Outdoor with some funding for the campaign coming from district attorney’s office criminal forfeiture revenues. JERSEY VILLAGE At its June 20 meeting, the Jersey Village City Council unanimously approved raising the residential homestead exemption from 14% to 20% of the appraised value. City Manager Austin Bleess said while the city’s average home value rose nearly 10% year over year, this move will cost the city about $294,000 in property tax revenue based on estimations from the Harris County Appraisal District. Mayor Bobby Warren said sales tax revenue could help make up for this loss. The homestead exemption for residents age 65 and older will remain at $100,000. “ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN A BIG HELP FOR US OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IS THE FACT THAT, THANKS TO A LOT OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS, OUR SALES TAX REVENUES HAVE INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY.” BOBBY WARREN, JERSEY VILLAGE MAYOR
BY RACHEL CARLTON
assistant director of operations for HCFCD. Phase 3 is backed by $20 million in bond funding from the HCFCD’s $2.5 billion bond approved by voters in 2018, and it will focus on tightening up the engineering details and investi- gating sources of funding for the project. “We will leave no stone unturned when it comes to funding,” Elmer said. “We’ll investigate funding at all levels. I’m not going to be able to say today whether this is something [the Federal Emergency Management Agency would] say is right up [its] alley, but it’s something we’re looking at in Phase 3.” With the size and scale of the tunnel system, county funding would likely be needed to supplement state and federal funding. According to Elmer, one big advantage of a tunnel system is the reduced land acquisition when compared to traditional methods of flood management. The next public comment period will close Sept. 30.
HARRIS COUNTY Findings from an ongoing Harris County Flood Control District feasibility study estimate a $30 billion price tag for a potential countywide stormwa- ter conveyance tunnel system. Funded by a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Depart- ment of Housing and Urban Development, Phase 2 of the district’s feasibility study identified eight tunnel align- ments that would mostly follow existing channels. HCFCD officials presented Phase 2 of the study at a virtual community engagement meeting June 16. The study determined 11 of the county’s 23 major watersheds would receive the greatest benefit from a tunnel system, taking into account factors such as popu- lation density and concentrated areas known as “damage centers” where homes and businesses repeatedly flood. The next phase of the study is set to begin in early 2023 and could last about three years, according to Scott Elmer,
Eight potential tunnel alignments are under consideration
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1 Little Cypress/Cypress Tunnel 2 Halls/Hunting Tunnel 3 White Oak Tunnel 4 Buffalo Tunnel
5 Brays Tunnel 6 Sims Tunnel 7 Clear/Berry/Vince Tunnel 8 Greens/Halls/Hunting Tunnel
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HARRIS COUNTY
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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Harris County commissioners call for youth gun violence data, unanimously create safe schools commission
2 candidates remain in search for elections administrator
BY RACHEL CARLTON
BY EMILY LINCKE
HARRIS COUNTY Two can- didates are under consideration for the county’s elections admin- istrator position, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced at the June 15 meeting of the Harris County Election Commission. Both candidates are from out of state, so neither would be able to start until Aug. 1, according to Hidalgo. By law, Chief Director of Voting Beth Stevens will serve as interim elections administrator once current Elections Administra- tor Isabel Longoria exits on July 1. Hidalgo said June 15 that the commission was aiming to meet for the second time the following week and could announce the final selection at the conclusion of that meeting, but the meeting had not been scheduled as of press time.
“Our hands are tied by laws that prevent us from acting on the purchase, sale or storage of guns, but perhaps there’s something else we can do. ... [Maybe] there’s data that
HARRIS COUNTY Following the May 24 Uvalde school shooting, Harris County Commissioners Court discussed gun violence and school
safety, request- ing a report on county youth gun violence and creating the Harris County Safe Schools Commission on June 14.
we don’t know about,” County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. During the meeting, Hidalgo added the stipulation that the analysts
“OUR HANDS ARE TIED BY LAWS THAT PREVENT US FROM ACTING ON THE PURCHASE, SALE OR STORAGE OF GUNS, BUT PERHAPS THERE’S SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN DO.” LINA HIDALGO, HARRIS COUNTY JUDGE
In a unanimous vote, commission- ers asked the court’s analyst’s office to create a report on data surround- ing Harris County youth gun violence trends from 2015-22. The report will also provide possible policy solutions to address child deaths linked to gun violence.
“consult with relevant stakeholders” while creating the youth gun violence report. The creation of a youth gun violence task force or commission should also be considered, she said. The Harris County Safe Schools Commission was created with unani- mous approval by the court.
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CY-FAIR EDITION • JULY 2022
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