4/20/2026 – On April 10, 2026, the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) announced that it finally completed its Mercer Stormwater Detention Basin – two years after the originally scheduled completion date.
Mercer’s delays underscore the risk associated with eleven similar projects with a firm completion deadline just 314 days away – 2/28/2027. They involve a third of a billion dollars in US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) administered by the Texas General Land Office (GLO).
Harris County Commissioners have tried to understand whether the projects could miss the deadline and jeopardize the funding. But HCFCD’s executive director, Dr. Tina Petersen, has not supplied them with sufficiently detailed information to assess the risk. Her high-level reports mask logistical red flags with vague generalities.
For example, she says:
The TC Jester East Basin project is “in construction.” But aerial photos show that no actual construction equipment is onsite, only a construction trailer. Clearing has not yet even begun.
She says the Isom Street Basin on Halls Bayou is “out for bids.” But she does not address how her department will meet the same deadline, ten months away when such projects usually require one to two years.
As a consequence, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo says she has “lost confidence” in Petersen. And Commissioners Court unanimously adopted a resolution demanding specifics about how HCFCD will complete all CDBG projects.
So, let’s look at some specifics.
Mercer Basin Had Multiple Delays
The Mercer Basin sits between Cypress Creek and FM1960 immediately east of the Hardy Tollroad. It features two dry-bottom compartments that provide an estimated 512 acre-feet of stormwater storage. It had multiple delays totaling two years, but is now finished. See the photos below taken April 19, 2026
Looking west along FM1969 (l) at southern compartment of Mercer Basin, with second basin in upper right.Looking NW at northern compartment and Cypress Creek. Hardy Tollroad cuts through upper part of frame.Spillway lets water overflowing from Cypress Creek into basin.A culvert connects the northern and southern basins so that floodwater from the creek can use both for storage.
HCFCD began the project in 2022. Construction was to have begun in Spring 2023 on an expedited basis and should have finished by April 2024. But it actually finished in April 2026. See the timetable below.
In July 2024, I went to photograph the completed basin and discovered contractors had not yet started digging. They were still clearing the land. So, I decided to return regularly.
On April 10, 2026, HCFCD called it “substantially” complete.
On April 19, 2026, I finally verified completion – two years late.
Playing Beat the Clock for Other Projects
That experience doesn’t bode well for 11 other CDBG-DR projects that HCFCD now has in development with a firm expiration date on funding – February 28, 2027 – just ten months away. To be more precise, there are only…
314 days left on the shot clock!
Now you know why Harris County Commissioners and the County Judge put a full court press on HCFCD Executive Director Dr. Tina Petersen in their 4/19/26 Commissioners Court meeting.
Petersen presented a vague, high-level status report. For instance, it said the TC Jester Stormwater Detention Basin project was “in construction,” but not what percentage of construction was complete. When I photographed it on 4/19/26, I saw no construction equipment – only a construction trailer. Not one tree had been cleared yet. And that basin is much larger than the Mercer Basin which took three years to build. See below.
Looking E across TC Jester at large forested area where new basin will wrap around small existing basin (middle right)
The Isom Street Project also uses CDBG-DR funds. It involves clearing an area near Halls Bayou adjacent to two existing detention basins, creating a new detention basin, and then connecting all three.
Isom Street Project on Halls Bayou. Existing basins on the left and right will connect with new one in the treed area.
The Isom Project has the same 2/28/27 deadline, but it is even less far along than TC Jester. Petersen told Commissioners Court it was “in bidding.”
At this point, it’s not clear how HCFCD will meet the deadline. And county commissioners need that clarity.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/20/2026
3156 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DJI_20260419163132_0821_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2026-04-20 18:03:072026-04-20 18:04:03Mercer Basin Delays Illustrate Risk To Eleven Projects with HUD Funding
4/18/2026 – I have written thousands of articles about drainage, flooding, governance, and infrastructure projects since Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Reporting on these topics triggered a flood of emotions: anxiety, frustration, exasperation, enlightenment, disappointment, empathy, sadness and hope. After writing yesterday’s post about the most recent Harris County commissioners court meeting, I added “anger” to that list.
Potential Loss of Funding Due to Needless Delays
As discussed in yesterday’s post and a Houston Chronicle article, Harris County is poised to lose hundreds of millions of dollars intended for flood-prevention projects all across the county because of looming deadlines that Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) likely won’t be able to meet. Missing those deadlines could mean an unprecedented failure for HCFCD, the County Judge, Commissioners, and Harris County residents.
HCFCD Exec, Director, Dr. Tina Petersen fielded angry questions from Commissioners and the County Judge on 4/16/2026.
Why am I angry? During numerous conversations with knowledgeable sources on Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) and Flood Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funding, I learned of project delays. Those delays jeopardize deadlines that were identified with these projects more than TWO YEARS AGO.
Another example: HUD originally set a deadline of May, 2026 (next month), to complete the TC Jester East Detention Basin, which hasn’t even started construction yet. Most large detention basins take at least a year to complete or – more likely – two years.
HCFCD began planning the TC Jester project in 2021, announced funding availability in 2023, and now plans to START construction in the second quarter of 2026. The District hopes to complete it sometime in Q2 2027. The already extended deadline is February 28, 2027. The delays put $12 million CDBG-DR dollars at risk.
Vague Responses to Specific Questions
But instead of reporting the projected completion date to Commissioners Court yesterday, Dr. Tina Petersen, head of HCFCD, transmitted a vague schedule indicating the current project phase was “construction” and that it would cost $23.5+ million dollars – nine million dollars more than the District’s own press release said it would cost on 12/5/2025.
Over and over again during Commissioners Court meetings, Court members have asked Dr. Petersen if there were any problems … if they could help in any way … if the projects were on track. Each time, Dr. Petersen would give vague, squishy, feel-good answers, such as “we are doing everything we can” and “all projects will be out to bid soon.”
Masking Red Flags with Hopeful Generalizations
The 4/16/26 Commissioners Court meeting was the same. Petersen masked logistical red flags with vague generalizations. Most likely, none of the CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT projects – totaling $850 million – will meet the deadlines associated with their respective grants. Eleven DR projects all face a completion deadline of February 28, 2027 – less than ten months from now. MIT projects have slightly more time.
The truth is that the Flood Control District is relying on and hoping for schedule extensions that may not come.
Most good leaders know that hope is not a strategy.
HCFCD’s own data highlights Petersen’s lack of performance.
The Flood Control District has more resources available than most public agencies. Last year, she hired consultants to augment HCFCD staff in executing these projects. What excuse do they have for not delivering these projects and protecting us from the next flood???
Confidence Lost
I am in agreement with Judge Hidalgo. I have little confidence in HCFCD’s leader at this point.
Their experiment has failed in my opinion and will likely cost all of us dearly. Ironically, most flood-control dollars were already going to low-income watersheds.
In 2021, a year before the county’s first equity prioritization framework, I obtained surprising data via a Freedom of Information Act Request. It showed that four Harris County watersheds – those with the highest low-to-moderate income (LMI) populations – already received more flood-mitigation spending than all other 19 watersheds combined in the previous 20 years.
During our next flood, when people are putting their drywall and furniture on the curb and wondering why this happened, I hope that Commissioner Garcia can own up to his mistake in recommending Dr. Petersen to lead HCFCD. But I don’t have much confidence that will happen.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/18/2026
3154 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Tina-Petersen-in-Hot-Seat.jpg?fit=1100%2C581&ssl=15811100adminadmin2026-04-18 16:02:322026-04-19 10:59:34Editorial: A Flood of Emotions About Flood Control, Including Anger
4/17/2026 – Harris County Commissioners Court erupted into open hostilities yesterday when County Judge Lina Hidalgo publicly blasted Dr. Tina Petersen, head of the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD). This issue had to do with the potential loss of close to a third of a billion dollars in federal Community Development Block Grants for disaster relief (CDBG-DR).
Specifically, Hidalgo received a status report on the endangered projects at 5:00 AM, just hours before the start of the meeting. Hidalgo said the report did not include status information and timelines that she had previously requested showing how the projects would be completed before deadlines.
“I would be embarrassed to show this to any member of the public,” said Hidalgo, “I’m totally baffled by this.” Before yielding the floor, Hidalgo added, “I just lost my confidence in you.”
County Judge Lina Hidalgo holding up transmittal that arrived hours before commissioners court with 2-year-old timeline.
Petersen tried to be apologetic. She said she misunderstood what the Judge requested. Hidalgo retorted, “How do you NOT know this, Director? I spoke with you directly.”
What Commissioners Court Requested
The discussion had to do with two items on the agenda – #300 and #366.
#300. Request for discussion and possible action regarding the status of the Harris County Flood Control District’s CDBG-MIT and CDBG-DR programs, including updates on the project-level schedule. These updates must include a timeline with benchmarks for all projects and information on how they will meet the necessary deadlines.
#366. Transmittal by the Flood Control District on project status updates for the CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT programs.
What Commissioners Received
HCFCD submitted two reports, neither of which the public could see. However, I have since obtained them. The first shows a timeline. But it stops in 2024. In fairness, it also shows a table that indicates the current “phase” of each project. But that wasn’t enough for Hidalgo. She said, “I ask for a timeline and what I see here is the timeline between February 2018 and July 2024. That already passed!”
The two-year-old timeline in HCFCD report to Commissioners Court
Here is the other report. It contains a table showing when projects were amended into HCFCD’s contract with the Texas General Land Office, which administers HUD funds in Texas. With one exception, the dates range from 2024 to 2025.
Hidalgo: “There’s not a project-by-project summary here!”
Petersen: “So, what’s the point?”
“The public is seeing that we might miss the deadline and you’re saying, here’s the deadline. How is that helping, Director?”
Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge
Hidalgo continued, “People have been waiting for these projects. We report the projects are behind and you’re not providing anything that provides any sort of assurance to the community, much less to me, that you’re on track.”
“I requested a timeline that showed where we are, what the deadlines are, and what we’re going to do to meet those deadlines,” she added.
“We secured this money back in 2021. I don’t know at what point we got behind, but it’s well past time for there to be a clear timeline. And so, I am really demanding that, Director.”
Ramsey Concerns
Earlier in the discussion, Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, PE, addressed many of the same issues but more diplomatically.
Ramsey focused on specific deficiencies in Petersen’s reports. He expressed desire to see accurate construction estimates and pointed out two errors totaling approximately $15 million.
He also emphasized the need to communicate clear project start times, duration and completion dates. “None of those can be left blank,” he said.
Ramsey lamented the fact that projects were reported by Bond IDs, not individual projects. (A bond ID can contain multiple projects, masking project delays.)
He also lamented that HCFCD has taken up to TWO YEARS to execute new contracts. “You just can’t do that,” he said.
Ramsey also wanted the “percentage of completion” of construction, because that’s “what the GLO needs.” He then proposed a three-part motion, laying out exactly what the Court and GLO want to see.
Ramsey Motion Passes Unanimously
Ramsey’s motion says:
“I move that the Harris County Flood Control District provides Commissioners Court with monthly project-level schedules and financial reporting for all CDBG-DR and -MIT flood mitigation projects. The monthly report shall include, for eachproject, the:
Estimated design completion date
Estimated construction start date (and actual start of construction when applicable)
Total expected construction duration in calendar days
Estimated construction completion date
Total project budget
Amount encumbered
Bid award amount
Amount spent to date
Any project delays.
“I further move that HCFCD will submit this information in a consistent monthly format that clearly identifies any schedule changes, delays, or financial variances from the prior month, so that Commissioners Court can exercise meaningful oversight and ensure transparency in project delivery.
“I further move that the first monthly report will be due on May 1, 2026, and all other monthly reports will be due on the third Monday of every month thereafter.”
The motion carried unanimously.
Briones Reaction
Precinct 4 Commissioner Briones agreed with Ramsey and his motion. She felt information was crucial to the success of the CDBG program.
Ellis Reaction
Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said, “Judgment day is coming soon.” He asked Petersen what she would have done differently, but she dodged his question.
He ended by saying, “I’m keeping my fingers crossed; but I’m very concerned.”
Garcia Reaction
In contrast, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia was full of sunshine. He blamed delays on the previous administration.
For More Information
To see video of the entire discussion, go to this page on the Harris County website. Click on Departments 3 of 3. Then scroll forward to approximately 4:13:40.
Click on the tab in the right hand panel to see a transcript of the discussion.
For a history of the CDBG projects, search ReduceFlooding.com using “CDBG”.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/17/2026
3153 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Hidalgo-Holding-Up-Status-Report.png?fit=1622%2C884&ssl=18841622adminadmin2026-04-17 18:09:362026-04-18 12:30:01Hidalgo Publicly Blasts HCFCD Leader: “I Just Lost My Confidence in You”
Mercer Basin Delays Illustrate Risk To Eleven Projects with HUD Funding
4/20/2026 – On April 10, 2026, the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) announced that it finally completed its Mercer Stormwater Detention Basin – two years after the originally scheduled completion date.
Mercer’s delays underscore the risk associated with eleven similar projects with a firm completion deadline just 314 days away – 2/28/2027. They involve a third of a billion dollars in US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) administered by the Texas General Land Office (GLO).
Harris County Commissioners have tried to understand whether the projects could miss the deadline and jeopardize the funding. But HCFCD’s executive director, Dr. Tina Petersen, has not supplied them with sufficiently detailed information to assess the risk. Her high-level reports mask logistical red flags with vague generalities.
For example, she says:
As a consequence, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo says she has “lost confidence” in Petersen. And Commissioners Court unanimously adopted a resolution demanding specifics about how HCFCD will complete all CDBG projects.
So, let’s look at some specifics.
Mercer Basin Had Multiple Delays
The Mercer Basin sits between Cypress Creek and FM1960 immediately east of the Hardy Tollroad. It features two dry-bottom compartments that provide an estimated 512 acre-feet of stormwater storage. It had multiple delays totaling two years, but is now finished. See the photos below taken April 19, 2026
HCFCD began the project in 2022. Construction was to have begun in Spring 2023 on an expedited basis and should have finished by April 2024. But it actually finished in April 2026. See the timetable below.
In July 2024, I went to photograph the completed basin and discovered contractors had not yet started digging. They were still clearing the land. So, I decided to return regularly.
Playing Beat the Clock for Other Projects
That experience doesn’t bode well for 11 other CDBG-DR projects that HCFCD now has in development with a firm expiration date on funding – February 28, 2027 – just ten months away. To be more precise, there are only…
Now you know why Harris County Commissioners and the County Judge put a full court press on HCFCD Executive Director Dr. Tina Petersen in their 4/19/26 Commissioners Court meeting.
Petersen presented a vague, high-level status report. For instance, it said the TC Jester Stormwater Detention Basin project was “in construction,” but not what percentage of construction was complete. When I photographed it on 4/19/26, I saw no construction equipment – only a construction trailer. Not one tree had been cleared yet. And that basin is much larger than the Mercer Basin which took three years to build. See below.
HCFCD announced that the TC Jester project would start construction “soon” back on December 5, 2025 – four and a half months ago. Now the federal deadline is just 10 months away.
The Isom Street Project also uses CDBG-DR funds. It involves clearing an area near Halls Bayou adjacent to two existing detention basins, creating a new detention basin, and then connecting all three.
The Isom Project has the same 2/28/27 deadline, but it is even less far along than TC Jester. Petersen told Commissioners Court it was “in bidding.”
At this point, it’s not clear how HCFCD will meet the deadline. And county commissioners need that clarity.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/20/2026
3156 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
Editorial: A Flood of Emotions About Flood Control, Including Anger
4/18/2026 – I have written thousands of articles about drainage, flooding, governance, and infrastructure projects since Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Reporting on these topics triggered a flood of emotions: anxiety, frustration, exasperation, enlightenment, disappointment, empathy, sadness and hope. After writing yesterday’s post about the most recent Harris County commissioners court meeting, I added “anger” to that list.
Potential Loss of Funding Due to Needless Delays
As discussed in yesterday’s post and a Houston Chronicle article, Harris County is poised to lose hundreds of millions of dollars intended for flood-prevention projects all across the county because of looming deadlines that Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) likely won’t be able to meet. Missing those deadlines could mean an unprecedented failure for HCFCD, the County Judge, Commissioners, and Harris County residents.
Why am I angry? During numerous conversations with knowledgeable sources on Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) and Flood Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funding, I learned of project delays. Those delays jeopardize deadlines that were identified with these projects more than TWO YEARS AGO.
For example, it took HCFCD four years just to complete a list of DR projects … which HUD approved in four months.
TC Jester East Basin
Another example: HUD originally set a deadline of May, 2026 (next month), to complete the TC Jester East Detention Basin, which hasn’t even started construction yet. Most large detention basins take at least a year to complete or – more likely – two years.
HCFCD began planning the TC Jester project in 2021, announced funding availability in 2023, and now plans to START construction in the second quarter of 2026. The District hopes to complete it sometime in Q2 2027. The already extended deadline is February 28, 2027. The delays put $12 million CDBG-DR dollars at risk.
Vague Responses to Specific Questions
But instead of reporting the projected completion date to Commissioners Court yesterday, Dr. Tina Petersen, head of HCFCD, transmitted a vague schedule indicating the current project phase was “construction” and that it would cost $23.5+ million dollars – nine million dollars more than the District’s own press release said it would cost on 12/5/2025.
Over and over again during Commissioners Court meetings, Court members have asked Dr. Petersen if there were any problems … if they could help in any way … if the projects were on track. Each time, Dr. Petersen would give vague, squishy, feel-good answers, such as “we are doing everything we can” and “all projects will be out to bid soon.”
Masking Red Flags with Hopeful Generalizations
The 4/16/26 Commissioners Court meeting was the same. Petersen masked logistical red flags with vague generalizations. Most likely, none of the CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT projects – totaling $850 million – will meet the deadlines associated with their respective grants. Eleven DR projects all face a completion deadline of February 28, 2027 – less than ten months from now. MIT projects have slightly more time.
The truth is that the Flood Control District is relying on and hoping for schedule extensions that may not come.
HCFCD’s own data highlights Petersen’s lack of performance.
The Flood Control District has more resources available than most public agencies. Last year, she hired consultants to augment HCFCD staff in executing these projects. What excuse do they have for not delivering these projects and protecting us from the next flood???
Confidence Lost
I am in agreement with Judge Hidalgo. I have little confidence in HCFCD’s leader at this point.
But there’s plenty of blame to go around. Remember that Court members removed the former leadership of HCFCD four years ago for political reasons. That triggered a brain drain. They also imposed an “equity prioritization framework” on HCFCD spending and built new layers of bureaucracy, staffed by political hires as opposed to professional hires.
Their experiment has failed in my opinion and will likely cost all of us dearly. Ironically, most flood-control dollars were already going to low-income watersheds.
In 2021, a year before the county’s first equity prioritization framework, I obtained surprising data via a Freedom of Information Act Request. It showed that four Harris County watersheds – those with the highest low-to-moderate income (LMI) populations – already received more flood-mitigation spending than all other 19 watersheds combined in the previous 20 years.
During our next flood, when people are putting their drywall and furniture on the curb and wondering why this happened, I hope that Commissioner Garcia can own up to his mistake in recommending Dr. Petersen to lead HCFCD. But I don’t have much confidence that will happen.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/18/2026
3154 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Hidalgo Publicly Blasts HCFCD Leader: “I Just Lost My Confidence in You”
4/17/2026 – Harris County Commissioners Court erupted into open hostilities yesterday when County Judge Lina Hidalgo publicly blasted Dr. Tina Petersen, head of the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD). This issue had to do with the potential loss of close to a third of a billion dollars in federal Community Development Block Grants for disaster relief (CDBG-DR).
Specifically, Hidalgo received a status report on the endangered projects at 5:00 AM, just hours before the start of the meeting. Hidalgo said the report did not include status information and timelines that she had previously requested showing how the projects would be completed before deadlines.
“I would be embarrassed to show this to any member of the public,” said Hidalgo, “I’m totally baffled by this.” Before yielding the floor, Hidalgo added, “I just lost my confidence in you.”
Petersen tried to be apologetic. She said she misunderstood what the Judge requested. Hidalgo retorted, “How do you NOT know this, Director? I spoke with you directly.”
What Commissioners Court Requested
The discussion had to do with two items on the agenda – #300 and #366.
What Commissioners Received
HCFCD submitted two reports, neither of which the public could see. However, I have since obtained them. The first shows a timeline. But it stops in 2024. In fairness, it also shows a table that indicates the current “phase” of each project. But that wasn’t enough for Hidalgo. She said, “I ask for a timeline and what I see here is the timeline between February 2018 and July 2024. That already passed!”
Here is the other report. It contains a table showing when projects were amended into HCFCD’s contract with the Texas General Land Office, which administers HUD funds in Texas. With one exception, the dates range from 2024 to 2025.
Hidalgo: “There’s not a project-by-project summary here!”
Petersen: “So, what’s the point?”
Hidalgo continued, “People have been waiting for these projects. We report the projects are behind and you’re not providing anything that provides any sort of assurance to the community, much less to me, that you’re on track.”
“I requested a timeline that showed where we are, what the deadlines are, and what we’re going to do to meet those deadlines,” she added.
“We secured this money back in 2021. I don’t know at what point we got behind, but it’s well past time for there to be a clear timeline. And so, I am really demanding that, Director.”
Ramsey Concerns
Earlier in the discussion, Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey, PE, addressed many of the same issues but more diplomatically.
Ramsey focused on specific deficiencies in Petersen’s reports. He expressed desire to see accurate construction estimates and pointed out two errors totaling approximately $15 million.
He also emphasized the need to communicate clear project start times, duration and completion dates. “None of those can be left blank,” he said.
Ramsey lamented the fact that projects were reported by Bond IDs, not individual projects. (A bond ID can contain multiple projects, masking project delays.)
He also lamented that HCFCD has taken up to TWO YEARS to execute new contracts. “You just can’t do that,” he said.
Ramsey also wanted the “percentage of completion” of construction, because that’s “what the GLO needs.” He then proposed a three-part motion, laying out exactly what the Court and GLO want to see.
Ramsey Motion Passes Unanimously
Ramsey’s motion says:
“I move that the Harris County Flood Control District provides Commissioners Court with monthly project-level schedules and financial reporting for all CDBG-DR and -MIT flood mitigation projects. The monthly report shall include, for each project, the:
“I further move that HCFCD will submit this information in a consistent monthly format that clearly identifies any schedule changes, delays, or financial variances from the prior month, so that Commissioners Court can exercise meaningful oversight and ensure transparency in project delivery.
“I further move that the first monthly report will be due on May 1, 2026, and all other monthly reports will be due on the third Monday of every month thereafter.”
The motion carried unanimously.
Briones Reaction
Precinct 4 Commissioner Briones agreed with Ramsey and his motion. She felt information was crucial to the success of the CDBG program.
Ellis Reaction
Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said, “Judgment day is coming soon.” He asked Petersen what she would have done differently, but she dodged his question.
He ended by saying, “I’m keeping my fingers crossed; but I’m very concerned.”
Garcia Reaction
In contrast, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia was full of sunshine. He blamed delays on the previous administration.
For More Information
To see video of the entire discussion, go to this page on the Harris County website. Click on Departments 3 of 3. Then scroll forward to approximately 4:13:40.
Click on the tab in the right hand panel to see a transcript of the discussion.
For a history of the CDBG projects, search ReduceFlooding.com using “CDBG”.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/17/2026
3153 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.