CITY & COUNTY
Top city & county stories to watch in 2023
2023 ANNUAL COMMUNITY GUIDE
Fort Bend County o cials identify priorities ahead of 88th Texas legislative session
FEMA ood map, MAAPnext release expected in 2023
8 park projects to conclude in 2023
OTHER STORIES TO FOLLOW IN 2023 THE 2022 BOND PACKAGE All three propositions were approved Nov. 8.
FLOOD MAPS: FROM MODELING TO ADOPTION The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Harris County Flood Control District have been working on concurrent ood mapping projects for Harris County. MAAPNEXT PROJECT (completed) Work on HCFCD's Modeling, Assessment and Awareness Project begins. 2019 The HCFCD reports being 70% done with ood plain maps, projecting FEMA will release preliminary maps in spring or summer 2022. May 2021 Jan. 25, 2022 The HCFCD reports being 96% done with its work and shifts its projection for FEMA’s map release to summer or fall 2022. Feb. 22, 2022 The HCFCD says it has sent mapping data to FEMA. FEMA expects to release preliminary ood insurance rate maps, or FIRMs, in 2023, at which point the MAAPnext dashboard goes live. HCFCD and FEMA will hold open houses. 2023 RELEASE OF PRELIMINARY MAPS 18-24-month period after release: • Residents have 90 days to provide feedback on the FIRMs, which may be revised before being nalized. • Communities have six months to adopt or amend ood plain ordinances based on the new FIRMs. SOURCES: HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT
REPRESENTING FORT BEND
The 88th Texas legislative session, which lasts 140 days, commenced Jan. 10. The Texas Legislature meets every other year. Here is who is representing Fort Bend County at the Capitol. Texas House of Representatives Texas Senate District 26: Jacey Jetton R District 27: Ron Reynolds D District 28: Gary Gates R District 85: Phil Stephenson R District 13: Boris L. Miles D District 17: Joan Hu man R District 18: Lois W. Kolkhorst R
BY ASIA ARMOUR
BY RACHEL CARLTON
KATY Multiple projects on the city of Katy’s parks and recreation system have been com- pleted since its Parks, Trails and Recreation Master Plan was adopted in October, Katy Parks Director Kevin Browne said. Those include multiple projects at Katy City Park, such as the new tness court to be completed by the end of January, as well as repairs and renovations to Woodsland Park and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Park. The plan is considered the rst segment of the city’s still-unfolding comprehensive plan, which will map major works for the city over the next 20 years. Browne said eight projects from the parks plan will start and end within 2023 with a minimum cost of $155,000. The Fussell House, the 3B Learning Center and the parks administration building were approved at the Jan. 9 City Council meeting. Browne said he expects these projects to begin in the summer. Additionally, a play structure at the MKT Depot was unveiled Jan. 14 at the depot’s 125th anniversary event.
HARRIS COUNTY The Federal Emergency Management Agency will release Harris County’s preliminary ood insurance rate maps sometime in 2023, according to Harris County Flood Control District o cials. The HCFCD projected in a May 2021 update that FEMA would release the maps in the spring or summer of 2022, but has continually pushed back its estimate. FEMA o cials could not con rm a speci c release date. Local ood control entities partner with FEMA to provide information for those maps, which show ood risk and mandate ood insurance in high-risk areas. HCFCD Planning Division Director Ataul Hannan said FEMA’s maps have not been updated countywide since 2007. Work on the countywide update began in 2019 with the advent of the Modeling, Assessment and Awareness Project, or MAAPnext, which uses updated rainfall and topographic data to create comprehensive maps and ood risk tools that residents will be able to access with an online dashboard. O cials said MAAPnext’s dashboard will complement the release of FEMA’s maps. A process will then begin to revise the maps before they become o cial in late 2024 or 2025. Early in that process, residents will have 90 days to comment on the maps, and communities will have to adopt or amend their ood plain management ordinances.
Proposition A Proposition C
Proposition B
BY ASIA ARMOUR
$100M for public safety facilities
Fort Bend County looks to support bills that promote more local control, the continuation of House Bill 3 funding for schools, animal protection initiatives and Medicaid expansion bills. Additionally, Fort Bend County will look for funding support on its mental health, criminal and juvenile justice, and transporta- tion and infrastructure programs and initiatives. The county will also consider bills that would reduce red tape for the Fort Bend County Attorney’s O ce regarding civil commitments, allow the district clerk to accept credit cards and money orders for passport o ces, and allow the district clerk to recoup expenses for sending
FORT BEND COUNTY On Dec. 13, Fort Bend County commissioners workshopped possible legislative proposals, areas of interests to monitor and funding opportunities for the county’s priorities in the 88th Texas legislative session, which convened Jan. 10. Michelle Whittenburg—a legis- lative consultant for the county— identi ed trail accessibility in CenterPoint Energy easements, hotel occupancy tax, pension bonds and revenue caps as four priorities for the county. Whittenburg will work with the county to draft proposals and deliver them to local legislators. Per the Dec. 13 presentation,
$1.2B TOTAL
$200M for parks
for roads, drainage and multimodal transportation $900M
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY OFFICE OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
Harris County to initiate work on projects for $1.2B bond package Carl Apple, director of communications for Harris County’s engineering department, said his department is working with the county’s O ce of County Administration to develop a strategy and process for bond projects from the $1.2 billion in bonds approved by voters Nov. 8. Some projects will be bid and assigned in 2023.
SOURCES: TEXAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMUNITY IMPACT
certi ed notices to persons who have excess proceeds from the sale of delinquent property. The county will oppose unfunded mandate bills and pro- visions as well as revenue caps.
FRY ROAD 1743 Fry Rd (281) 579-7004 KATY MILLS 24417 Katy Fwy (281) 394-5780
FRY ROAD NORTH 3811 N Fry Rd (281) 578-0916 FULSHEAR 24940 FM 1093 (281) 391-4008
MASON ROAD 1640 S Mason Rd (281) 395-6262
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