Community Meetings Scheduled in Each of 23 Watersheds to Solicit Neighborhood Input, Describe Proposed Projects
Harris County has begun scheduling a series of 23 community engagement meetings next month to solicit public input on an expected $2.5 billion bond issue that would help reduce much of the catastrophic flooding that has struck the area in recent years, County Judge Ed Emmett said Wednesday.
Officials with the Harris County Flood Control District are scheduling public meetings in each of the county’s 23 watersheds to describe some of the projects the county is proposing and to solicit residents’ input on which projects should be included. Flood Control officials also have created an interactive website detailing the status of more than 150 proposed and current projects throughout the county.
Emmett joined Flood Control District Executive Director Russ Poppe in announcing the initiatives during a Wednesday afternoon news conference at TranStar. Poppe laid out opportunities for a series of channel improvements and repairs, floodplain buyouts, and creation of greenspace and detention basins throughout the entire county. Some of these projects have been in the works for several years, but have been stalled by a lack of money.
The initial list of potential projects and details about the upcoming community engagement meetings can be found as they become available through June 8 on a dedicated portion of the Flood Control website at www.hcfcd.org/bondprogram.
The first of the 23 public meetings is set for June 5 at the Hiram Clarke Multi-Service center. The meetings will conclude Aug. 1, allowing time for county officials to finalize the bond package for voters.
Harris County Commissioners Court is expected to vote June 12 to place a $2.5 billion flood bond issue on the Aug. 25 ballot. If approved, issuance of the bonds would be spread over 15 years, and the expected Flood Control tax increase for most homeowners would be limited to 1.4 percent or less.
