CITY&COUNTY
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TOP CITY & COUNTY STORIES TO WATCH IN 2022
Harris County Flood Control District heads into biggest spending year yet HARRIS COUNTY Three years after work began on projects outlined in the Harris County Flood Control District’s $2.5 billion bond program, Deputy Executive Director Matt Zeve said 2022 may be the district’s biggest spending year in its history. “We had a 10-year plan, and the way things are BY HANNAH ZEDAKER MAKING PROGRESS In mid-December, HCFCD o cials also completed the Phase 2 feasibility study of constructing an underground tunnel in Harris County to divert oodwaters, Zeve said. The results will be released to the public in 2022. Since Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017 and Harris County voters passed a $2.5 billion ood bond referendum in 2018, the Harris County Flood Control District has: Initiated 181 of 181 projects, 19 of which are complete
“We briefed all of the members of Commissioners Court on the results of that study, and we got a wide variety of reactions,” Zeve said. “Because of that, we’re not in a place where we can release the results of the tunnel study just yet.” Future projects Outside of the 2018 bond program, the HCFCD received $250 million from FEMA in December to fund sediment removal across eight watersheds over the next ve years. In 2021, HCFCD o cials also completed 10 watershed planning studies, which identi ed new projects. While Zeve said some elected county o cials have mentioned the possibility of a second ood bond program, that will depend upon how much more debt the county can take on. “Even if we had $100 billion instead of $2.5 billion, we can only go so fast at a time,” Zeve said. With or without another bond, Zeve said the HCFCD’s budget needs will continue to grow to pay o bond debt and maintain new infrastructure.
Authorized $578 million in bond funds Received $1.35 billion in partnership funding Completed 667 buyouts with 645 additional buyouts in process
mapping out …we should be done with pretty much everything by early 2029,” Zeve said. “But the vast majority of our spending is happening now.” A majority of that spending will come from completing three federal ood damage reduction projects next year along Brays, Hunting and White Oak bayous—each of which costs more than $100 million, Zeve said. In addition to those projects, HCFCD o cials will submit preliminary ood plain maps in late January to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will issue the preliminary ood insurance rate map in the summer. Brian Edmondson, project manager for HCFCD’s Modeling, Assessment and Awareness Project, or MAAPnext, said the new rates could take effect in 2024. The nearly $30 million e ort, which began in Jan- uary 2019, will be the rst time the entire county’s ood plain has been remapped since 2001.
In 2022, Harris County residents can look forward to the following accomplishments by the Harris County Flood Control District: LOOKINGAHEAD
Completion of Brays, Hunting and White Oak bayou federal ood damage reduction projects Public release of Phase 2 ood tunnel feasibility study
Public release of preliminary ood insurance rate map
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Cy-Fair FireDepartment accommodates growthwith new, refurbished stations
JerseyVillage continues potential bond talk
BY DANICA LLOYD
something needs to be done with that building. We just need to decide exactly what that is,” she said Dec. 20. “My only concern is that we continue to push things and kick the can down the road, and I’m afraid that we’re going to be sitting here discussing the same thing ve years from now.” Other council members have expressed their desire to avoid a bond altogether and instead use cash on hand to build the facility designed in 2019—which is now estimated to cost $7.5 million—or redesign the project entirely. A redesign would add another nine to 12 months to the project’s timeline, o cials said. Mayor Bobby Warren said he would like to continue discussing the options and come to a scally responsible solution. However, more immediate investments may be necessary to address the leaky roof and other issues with the facility, according to Warren.
JERSEY VILLAGE After discuss- ing the possibility of calling a $10 million bond election in May 2022 for a new clubhouse at the Jersey Meadow Golf Course throughout 2021, Jersey Village City Council is nearing a nal decision. City sta presented a draft ordi- nance for a bond election at the Dec. 20 council meeting, but the council took no action and decided instead to call a work session to further discuss their options for the clubhouse project ahead of the Jan. 17 regular meeting. City Manager Austin Bleess said the council may decide to call a bond election, allocate cash on hand to the project or take other action at that meeting. Council Member Sheri Sheppard said she was previously in favor of calling a bond election to give resi- dents a voice in the matter, but the strong support in favor of the project
BY DANICA LLOYD
HARRIS COUNTY The Cy-Fair Fire Department added 34 full-time re ghters and 24 full-time paramed- ics in 2021 and plans to add another 25 re ghters and additional para- medics in 2022, according to Tommy Balez, president of Harris County Emergency Services District No. 9. The district also opened a new Station No. 5 to replace the old facility, which was damaged in Hurricane Harvey, and broke ground on a replacement facility for Station No. 1 in 2021. In 2022, ESD o cials will continue work on their long-term strategic plan to ultimately grow to 22 re sta- tions, Balez said. This could include the purchase of land for Stations Nos. 14 and 15 in the western part of the district. Older facilities are also being refurbished or rebuilt. “We’re trying to balance growing while at the same time spending
ESD No. 9 commissioners participate in a groundbreaking ceremony April 15 for the new facility replacing Station No. 1.
COURTESY CAPT. DANIEL ARIZPE CY FAIR FIRE DEPARTMENT
funds to x [or improve] the stations that are already existing,” Balez said. “One thing we found [is] these facilities were built for a volunteer department, which wasn’t always manned. … These older stations aren’t equipped for [full-time sta ].” The reconstruction of Station No. 1 is slated for completion in May, and construction on a new Station No. 6 is expected to start in 2022. Balez said the district is also look- ing to purchase land to move Station No. 10 in east Cy-Fair, and Stations Nos. 3 and 8 will likely be refurbished in 2022 as well.
has “died down” over time. “There’s no question that
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CY FAIR EDITION • JANUARY 2022
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