8/19/26 – Today, the Bear Branch Trail Association (BBTA) replaced the old low-water crossing over Bens Branch behind Bear Branch Elementary School with a new clear-span bridge.
Chris Bloch, a member of the BBTA board, wrote that “Today is a significant day in Kingwood Flood Mitigation. The old low-water crossing over Bens Branch is gone. We have replaced it with a new clear-span bridge. The Bear Branch Trail Association will dedicate this new bridge to the memory of Stan Sarman, who helped develop Kingwood’s drainage system.” See below.
This and other photos by Chris Bloch. New bridge installed today.In comparison, previous bridge restricted conveyance by 20X.
Original Built by Foster Lumber Company
Foster Lumber Company originally built the old low-water crossing, so its logging trucks could cross Bens Branch. When Sarman first came out to do survey work for Friendswood Development, the only access through the Livable Forest was old logging roads. This low-water crossing was the original Tree Lane logging road.
“Stan drove over the old crossing when he laid out future roads and utilities,” said Bloch. “People may have wondered why this low-water crossing was so wide. But the logging trucks needed the width. Hamblen Road, Kingwood Drive, and Northpark also had logging-truck roads.”
One culvert bridge remains across Bens Branch. It’s in the median of Northpark between Hidden Pines and Glade Valley Drives south of the St. Martha cathedral. And it frequently contributes to Northpark flooding.
Old Bridge No Longer Adequate
The old low-water crossing near Bear Branch Elementary represented a major restriction to the flow of Bens Branch through Kingwood, according to Bloch, an engineer. “The three culverts were adequate before Kingwood was developed. But as more development took place, increasing the impermeable surface also increased water flows in Bens Branch.
Old crossing during a heavy rain
Debris caught in the three culverts during heavy rains further restricted evacuation of floodwaters. Bloch says that Kids in Action, St. Martha’s Elementary School, plus parts of North Woodland Hills and Bear Branch Villages all suffered flood damage because of the old low-water crossing.
Old low-water crossing catching debris from heavy rain
Delayed by Funding, But Harris County Precinct 3 Helps
The Kingwood Area Drainage Study called for removal of the structure. However, the Flood Control District said they did not have funding for it. The structure was also not on property owned by the District.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey provided the funds out of his budget for the removal of the old crossing The Bear Branch Trail Association provided funding to purchase and install the new bridge. The total cost of the flood-mitigation project exceeded $300,000.
The flow area under the new bridge is more than 20 times that of the old low-water crossing.
Chris Bloch
“In addition to mitigating upstream flooding, installation of the new bridge improves the safety of school children and other trail walkers who cross Bens Branch,” said Bloch.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/19/2026, based on information provided by Chris Bloch
3277 Days since Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/New-Bridge-over-Bens-Branch.jpg?fit=1100%2C508&ssl=15081100adminadmin2026-08-19 16:22:072026-08-19 16:22:08Clear-Span Bridge Replaces Low-Water Crossing over Bens Branch
8/18/26 – This afternoon, Fox26 reporter Greg Groogan interviewed new Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Marcus Stuckett about his priorities. Stuckett inherited the job just six weeks ago after the previous director resigned under pressure, when it became apparent that Harris County could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding.
Groogan interviewing Stuckett on 8/18/26
The most immediate issue: a looming U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) use-it-or-lose-it deadline for $322 million in Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR).
Interview Begins with Frank Assessment
Groogan began the interview by asking Stuckett for his assessment of situation. Stuckett replied frankly and openly. He said, “We have some challenges, but we are working through those. We have some aggressive deadlines that we’re working on with the CDBG-DR projects. They’re due February 2027, followed by CDBG Mitigation projects in March 2028.”
How Stuckett Hopes to Accelerate Projects
Then he added, “We’ve been speaking with contractors, trying to find ways to accelerate the projects and we’ve had some great conversations with them.”
Groogan likened the task to a Manhattan Project or going into the fourth quarter, down three touchdowns and expecting to win. “Can it be done?” he asked.
Importance of Decisiveness and Trust
Stuckett replied, “We can do it as long as we remain focused on the plan and we remain decisive going forward.”
Groogan then asked Stuckett who has a reputation as a leader who fixes problems, “What will you do differently than the leadership you just replaced?”
Surprisingly, Stuckett referred to restoring the public’s trust. “We understand that we are beholden to the residents of Harris County, and I want to be able to restore that trust by communicating honestly, communicating with transparency about our successes, as well as some of the challenges that we face while we work on these projects.”
Focusing More Resources on Construction and Planning
When Groogan tried to pin Stuckett down to more specifics, Stuckett focused on construction. “We’ve been meeting with contractors and trying to provide more resources.”
Stuckett also focused on planning. “In terms of our planning efforts, we just have to focus on developing solutions without having a lot of back and forth amongst ourselves and consultants when making decisions.”
Groogan then asked “That’s an important part of your role – walking into a room and saying, ‘This is the best information we have and we need to get this done.'”
Unleashing an Eager Team
As a followup question, Groogan asked, “How receptive has the team you’ve inherited been to that type of leadership?”
“The team has been great,” replied Stuckett. “Everybody’s behind it. We’re all hands on deck. I’ve gotten a lot of help from some of the senior leadership that remains here. Everybody just wants to get projects done. That something that flood control employees have that the public may not have understood. Our employees want to get the work done. We want to be responsive. And we want to provide the service that we promised.”
For what it is worth, in the six weeks since Stuckett assumed his new role, I have sensed a renewed excitement on the part of HCFCD employees and managers that I talk too. In my opinion, they show an energy that felt missing under his predecessor. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
To See More of Interview
Groogan’s interview with Stuckett continued for 15 minutes. During that time, they also talked about:
The Texas General Land Office Relationship
Physical challenges facing the region such as climate and flat terrain
Planning far into the future
Kingwood issues and projects
Project Brays
Working with Commissioners Court
Readiness
Completing the bond
Construction capacity
To see the entire interview from start to finish, visit Fox26. I highly recommend it.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/18/26
3276 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Groogan-Interviews-Stuckett.jpg?fit=1100%2C610&ssl=16101100adminadmin2026-08-18 17:49:262026-08-18 17:51:07Fox26 Interviews New HCFCD Director Stuckett about Priorities
8/17/2026 – Daniel Ramos, Executive Director of Harris County’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), presented a detailed general fund budget for Fiscal Year 2027 this morning to a special meeting of Harris County Commissioners Court. The budget contained an estimated $327 million/12% increase over the 2026 budget. That increase could raise the average homeowner’s Harris County property tax bill next year to approximately $1,350. But if your house is worth more, that number could go far higher.
The county has two ways to raise property taxes: through your home’s valuation and the tax rate applied to it. But in 2026, total valuations throughout the county rose by only 0.8%. That means in order to pay for 12% increased costs, the tax rates themselves must increase.
Programs Vs. Priorities
Finalizing a budget requires debating priorities. And the presentation Ramos made today mapped proposed expenses to the priorities adopted earlier by the county. The 112-page explanation contains illuminating information about the county’s growth and demographics that drive the proposed increase.
Current Level of Service and Spending
One of the key terms used in the budget is “CLS/S.” It stands for Current Level of Service and Spending. Growth in law enforcement pay parity (with City of Houston), employee health care and benefits, CLS/S requests by departments, pay equity and other changes account for most of the projected $327 increase.
The first three categories alone account for more than two-thirds of the total increase. CLS/S includes the costs of maintaining the same level of service year over year. For instance, it includes $61 million of such things as facility maintenance, fleet operations, utilities, cost-of-living adjustments, changes in state law, and unplanned budget adjustments.
The $61 million also includes $14 million for ARPA programs which would otherwise go away at the end of this year when ARPA funding expires. So those aren’t purely inflationary costs.
The 12% increase is not principally a story about Harris County launching a huge collection of new programs. Approximately half is employee compensation and healthcare.
From Ramos presentation to Commissioners Court on 8/17/2026
And using OMB’s own accounting framework, approximately $287 million of the $327 million year-over-year increase was already embedded in the cost of maintaining existing services and spending commitments. That’s 88% not classified as expansion of services.
Existing recurring commitments are growing faster than sustainable recurring revenue.
And that points to a recurring, structural problem.
It’s important to distinguish between “unavoidable” versus “already committed.” CLS/S does not mean unavoidable. It means current level of service and spending. Some items — healthcare inflation or statutory mandates — may be difficult to avoid.
Other items — pay-parity commitments, continuing ARPA programs, staffing levels, compensation policies — are the consequences of earlier policy decisions that Commissioners Court could theoretically change.
It’s also important to realize that the General Fund numbers cited above do NOT cover Flood Control, Port of Houston, or Public Health which have their own budgets (to be discussed at a later date).
Impact on Typical Homeowner’s Property Tax Bill
At the proposed maximum rate increase allowable without an election – and taking into account homestead exemptions and new construction growth – the average residential homestead would pay $1,350 in County property taxes vs. $1,202 last year, a 12.3% increase. See Page 40 of budget discussion.
The discussion of strategic objectives and their budget impact begins on Page 67 of the PDF. The budget is VERY complex and difficult to follow. However, several appendices may help.
Proposed department budgets on page 99
Glossary of terms on page 103
Which funds pay which departments on page 109
Salary increases of elected officials on page 111
Proposed benefit rates, also on 111
All pages refer to the PDF numbering system, not the numbers listed at the bottom of pages. That makes it easier to fast-forward within the document.
Make Your Feelings Known
Commissioners will vote on the final 2027 budget on September 8, 2026. Unfortunately, that’s before the November elections. So, if you’d like to limit that 12% increase in your property taxes, the time to start mailing, phoning and protesting is now.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/17/2026
3275 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Budget-Cover.jpg?fit=1100%2C673&ssl=16731100adminadmin2026-08-17 22:12:092026-08-18 00:08:13Harris County Considers $327 Million 2027 Budget Increase
Clear-Span Bridge Replaces Low-Water Crossing over Bens Branch
8/19/26 – Today, the Bear Branch Trail Association (BBTA) replaced the old low-water crossing over Bens Branch behind Bear Branch Elementary School with a new clear-span bridge.
Chris Bloch, a member of the BBTA board, wrote that “Today is a significant day in Kingwood Flood Mitigation. The old low-water crossing over Bens Branch is gone. We have replaced it with a new clear-span bridge. The Bear Branch Trail Association will dedicate this new bridge to the memory of Stan Sarman, who helped develop Kingwood’s drainage system.” See below.
Original Built by Foster Lumber Company
Foster Lumber Company originally built the old low-water crossing, so its logging trucks could cross Bens Branch. When Sarman first came out to do survey work for Friendswood Development, the only access through the Livable Forest was old logging roads. This low-water crossing was the original Tree Lane logging road.
“Stan drove over the old crossing when he laid out future roads and utilities,” said Bloch. “People may have wondered why this low-water crossing was so wide. But the logging trucks needed the width. Hamblen Road, Kingwood Drive, and Northpark also had logging-truck roads.”
One culvert bridge remains across Bens Branch. It’s in the median of Northpark between Hidden Pines and Glade Valley Drives south of the St. Martha cathedral. And it frequently contributes to Northpark flooding.
Old Bridge No Longer Adequate
The old low-water crossing near Bear Branch Elementary represented a major restriction to the flow of Bens Branch through Kingwood, according to Bloch, an engineer. “The three culverts were adequate before Kingwood was developed. But as more development took place, increasing the impermeable surface also increased water flows in Bens Branch.
Debris caught in the three culverts during heavy rains further restricted evacuation of floodwaters. Bloch says that Kids in Action, St. Martha’s Elementary School, plus parts of North Woodland Hills and Bear Branch Villages all suffered flood damage because of the old low-water crossing.
Delayed by Funding, But Harris County Precinct 3 Helps
The Kingwood Area Drainage Study called for removal of the structure. However, the Flood Control District said they did not have funding for it. The structure was also not on property owned by the District.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey provided the funds out of his budget for the removal of the old crossing The Bear Branch Trail Association provided funding to purchase and install the new bridge. The total cost of the flood-mitigation project exceeded $300,000.
“In addition to mitigating upstream flooding, installation of the new bridge improves the safety of school children and other trail walkers who cross Bens Branch,” said Bloch.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/19/2026, based on information provided by Chris Bloch
3277 Days since Harvey
Fox26 Interviews New HCFCD Director Stuckett about Priorities
8/18/26 – This afternoon, Fox26 reporter Greg Groogan interviewed new Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Marcus Stuckett about his priorities. Stuckett inherited the job just six weeks ago after the previous director resigned under pressure, when it became apparent that Harris County could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding.
The most immediate issue: a looming U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) use-it-or-lose-it deadline for $322 million in Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR).
Interview Begins with Frank Assessment
Groogan began the interview by asking Stuckett for his assessment of situation. Stuckett replied frankly and openly. He said, “We have some challenges, but we are working through those. We have some aggressive deadlines that we’re working on with the CDBG-DR projects. They’re due February 2027, followed by CDBG Mitigation projects in March 2028.”
How Stuckett Hopes to Accelerate Projects
Then he added, “We’ve been speaking with contractors, trying to find ways to accelerate the projects and we’ve had some great conversations with them.”
Groogan likened the task to a Manhattan Project or going into the fourth quarter, down three touchdowns and expecting to win. “Can it be done?” he asked.
Importance of Decisiveness and Trust
Stuckett replied, “We can do it as long as we remain focused on the plan and we remain decisive going forward.”
Groogan then asked Stuckett who has a reputation as a leader who fixes problems, “What will you do differently than the leadership you just replaced?”
Surprisingly, Stuckett referred to restoring the public’s trust. “We understand that we are beholden to the residents of Harris County, and I want to be able to restore that trust by communicating honestly, communicating with transparency about our successes, as well as some of the challenges that we face while we work on these projects.”
Focusing More Resources on Construction and Planning
When Groogan tried to pin Stuckett down to more specifics, Stuckett focused on construction. “We’ve been meeting with contractors and trying to provide more resources.”
Stuckett also focused on planning. “In terms of our planning efforts, we just have to focus on developing solutions without having a lot of back and forth amongst ourselves and consultants when making decisions.”
Groogan then asked “That’s an important part of your role – walking into a room and saying, ‘This is the best information we have and we need to get this done.'”
Unleashing an Eager Team
As a followup question, Groogan asked, “How receptive has the team you’ve inherited been to that type of leadership?”
“The team has been great,” replied Stuckett. “Everybody’s behind it. We’re all hands on deck. I’ve gotten a lot of help from some of the senior leadership that remains here. Everybody just wants to get projects done. That something that flood control employees have that the public may not have understood. Our employees want to get the work done. We want to be responsive. And we want to provide the service that we promised.”
For what it is worth, in the six weeks since Stuckett assumed his new role, I have sensed a renewed excitement on the part of HCFCD employees and managers that I talk too. In my opinion, they show an energy that felt missing under his predecessor. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
To See More of Interview
Groogan’s interview with Stuckett continued for 15 minutes. During that time, they also talked about:
To see the entire interview from start to finish, visit Fox26. I highly recommend it.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/18/26
3276 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Harris County Considers $327 Million 2027 Budget Increase
8/17/2026 – Daniel Ramos, Executive Director of Harris County’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), presented a detailed general fund budget for Fiscal Year 2027 this morning to a special meeting of Harris County Commissioners Court. The budget contained an estimated $327 million/12% increase over the 2026 budget. That increase could raise the average homeowner’s Harris County property tax bill next year to approximately $1,350. But if your house is worth more, that number could go far higher.
Here is Ramos’ “overview” presentation. And here is a 112-page explanation posted to the (OMB) website.
The county has two ways to raise property taxes: through your home’s valuation and the tax rate applied to it. But in 2026, total valuations throughout the county rose by only 0.8%. That means in order to pay for 12% increased costs, the tax rates themselves must increase.
Programs Vs. Priorities
Finalizing a budget requires debating priorities. And the presentation Ramos made today mapped proposed expenses to the priorities adopted earlier by the county. The 112-page explanation contains illuminating information about the county’s growth and demographics that drive the proposed increase.
Current Level of Service and Spending
One of the key terms used in the budget is “CLS/S.” It stands for Current Level of Service and Spending. Growth in law enforcement pay parity (with City of Houston), employee health care and benefits, CLS/S requests by departments, pay equity and other changes account for most of the projected $327 increase.
The first three categories alone account for more than two-thirds of the total increase. CLS/S includes the costs of maintaining the same level of service year over year. For instance, it includes $61 million of such things as facility maintenance, fleet operations, utilities, cost-of-living adjustments, changes in state law, and unplanned budget adjustments.
The $61 million also includes $14 million for ARPA programs which would otherwise go away at the end of this year when ARPA funding expires. So those aren’t purely inflationary costs.
The 12% increase is not principally a story about Harris County launching a huge collection of new programs. Approximately half is employee compensation and healthcare.
And using OMB’s own accounting framework, approximately $287 million of the $327 million year-over-year increase was already embedded in the cost of maintaining existing services and spending commitments. That’s 88% not classified as expansion of services.
And that points to a recurring, structural problem.
It’s important to distinguish between “unavoidable” versus “already committed.” CLS/S does not mean unavoidable. It means current level of service and spending. Some items — healthcare inflation or statutory mandates — may be difficult to avoid.
Other items — pay-parity commitments, continuing ARPA programs, staffing levels, compensation policies — are the consequences of earlier policy decisions that Commissioners Court could theoretically change.
It’s also important to realize that the General Fund numbers cited above do NOT cover Flood Control, Port of Houston, or Public Health which have their own budgets (to be discussed at a later date).
Impact on Typical Homeowner’s Property Tax Bill
At the proposed maximum rate increase allowable without an election – and taking into account homestead exemptions and new construction growth – the average residential homestead would pay $1,350 in County property taxes vs. $1,202 last year, a 12.3% increase. See Page 40 of budget discussion.
The discussion of strategic objectives and their budget impact begins on Page 67 of the PDF. The budget is VERY complex and difficult to follow. However, several appendices may help.
All pages refer to the PDF numbering system, not the numbers listed at the bottom of pages. That makes it easier to fast-forward within the document.
Make Your Feelings Known
Commissioners will vote on the final 2027 budget on September 8, 2026. Unfortunately, that’s before the November elections. So, if you’d like to limit that 12% increase in your property taxes, the time to start mailing, phoning and protesting is now.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/17/2026
3275 Days since Hurricane Harvey