We’ll be voting on flood control bonds in August

Not my first choice, but it is what it is.

Harris County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to seek a special election on Aug. 25 for what likely will be a multi-billion-dollar bond package that, if approved by voters, would be the largest local investment in the region’s flood control system after Hurricane Harvey.

The move comes a month before the start of the 2018 hurricane season and more than seven months after Hurricane Harvey, with the election timed to coincide with the storm’s one-year anniversary. County officials have spent months wrangling over when best to schedule the election, lest the measure fail and scuttle efforts to overhaul the area’s flood control efforts after one of the biggest rain storms in United States history.

“Why August 25?” Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said. “It’s the one year anniversary of Harvey. I don’t think we want to go a year and not be able to say we’re doing something. People who care about mitigation, resilience, flood control, they’ll be energized and they’ll want to go out. Will there be somebody who wants to stand in the face of what we went through during Harvey and say ‘I want to be against it’? I kind of dare them to do it.”

It is not clear yet what the bond referendum will include. The court on Tuesday floated a $2.5 billion price tag — a number that could change as a priority list of flood control projects emerges. Emmett said the number of projects would be in the “hundreds” and likely would include the buy-out of all of the county’s high-priority areas at highest-risk of flooding, approximately 5,500 properties.

A huge chunk of funds, between $500 and $700 million officials estimate, could go toward local matches for federal grants and projects. A match could be required for the completion of four bayou widening and straightening projects underway with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along Hunting, White Oak, Brays Bayou and Clear Creek. Bayou engineering projects on Halls and Greens Bayou — some of the areas in the county most vulnerable to flooding — also likely would be targeted.

Emmett said all of the county’s 22 watersheds would see some sort of investment.

The bond funds also could help finance the construction of an oft-discussed third reservoir northwest of the city to contain storm water from Cypress Creek.

See here for the background. I would have preferred to have this on the November ballot, and from the article most of the Commissioners at least started out with that same preference. County Judge Ed Emmett pushed for the August date, and convinced them to go along. Again, I get the reasoning, but the county is really going to have to sell this. Recent history has shown that even non-controversial bond issues with no organized opposition don’t pass by much. This one will have a big price tag, a (minor) property tax increase, and no obvious benefit for anyone who wasn’t directly affected by Harvey, all wrapped up in a weird election date. This should pass – it’s easy to scratch your head and say “how could it not?” – but do not take it for granted. The county still has to get approval from Greg Abbott, which should be straightforward, then formally call the election. I hope they start gearing up the campaign for this in the meantime.

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5 Responses to We’ll be voting on flood control bonds in August

  1. C.L. says:

    Waterproof the interior of the Astrodome, floor to ceiling, side to side, and lay some pumps-n-pipe from Addicks/Barker Cypress Reservoirs to NRG Parkway, HouTex, 77054, and whenever it starts raining hard, fill ‘er up – that’s my proposal.

  2. C.L. says:

    As an FYI, the Astrodome could hold 314,160,000 gallons of water. Just saying.

  3. Bill Daniels says:

    @C.L.:

    Good thought, but that’s literally a drop in the bucket. Also, I doubt the Astrodome could handle the kind of pressure that much water would exert on the walls. On the plus side, that would be a good way to finally tear down the Astrodome, so there’s that.

    Personally, I like the idea of pipelines sending water to parched West Texas or to the Hill Country. 290 is already torn up beyond recognition, now would be the time to install some large diameter piping. Put in some pump stations along the way, as well as some lateral lines to area lakes. I remember a time when you could sit at the Oasis on Lake Travis and see islands. Maybe some of the cost could be offset by the sale of that floodwater?

    Channeling bayous is nice, but seems like it would be harmful to those living downstream, especially is a flood event comes with a storm surge.

  4. Bill Daniels says:

    *if

  5. Manny Barrera says:

    The county’s version of the Houston rain tax. Don’t trust them to keep their word and use the money for flood prevention.

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