5/9/2026 – During the 5/14/2026 Harris County Commissioner’s Court Meeting, Commissioners will discuss Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Dr. Tina Petersen in Executive Session with an eye to taking possible action.
Request by the Commissioner of Precinct 3 for an Executive Session pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.074(a) for discussion and possible action regarding the Executive Director of the Harris County Flood Control District.
Section 551.074 allows commissioners to conduct sessions in private when deliberating the employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee.
Performance Issues
Petersen’s performance has come under increasing scrutiny in the last few years as HCFCD projects have bogged down. For instance:
Construction of the Mercer Basin in Rodney Ellis’ Precinct One was started in 2022 on an expedited basis. But what should have taken one year took four. The project just finished. (See Item 389).
Funding for the reconstruction of Poor Farm Ditch in West U and South Side Place was announced in June 2023. But bid approval is on the May 14, 2026 agenda. (See Item 275).
The construction contract for the Woodridge/Taylor Gully project was awarded in March 2026. Seven weeks later, Item 124 on the agenda shows that HCFCD is just now requesting access to the site. As of yesterday, no construction equipment was onsite yet…not even a construction trailer.
Item 390 shows that hundreds of millions of dollars of CDBG-MIT and CDBG-DR projects have slipped so badly, they likely won’t meet state and federal deadlines. Of the 11 projects in the DR category only two are in construction and one of those is already seriously behind schedule. Construction bids have not yet been awarded on four others totaling approximately $90 million. Less than 9.5 months remain before deadlines kick on projects that typically take one to two years.
Despite all that, Item 473 on the agenda shows that Petersen is requesting renewal of a $12 million contract to provide “program management, project management, construction management and inspection services for the development and implementation of CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT projects.”
$90,000 Raise Last Year
Despite her department’s less-than-stellar performance, Commissioners awarded Petersen a $90,000 raise last year. That brought her salary to approximately $434,000 per year.
The big question at this point is…
“Will commissioners start projects they may not have money to finish?”
The $868 million in CDBG-DR and -MIT projects is on a reimbursement basis only when the job is done. Commissioners could spend a lot of money and if the projects don’t get done, they might not get reimbursed.
Will 5/14/26 be Dr. Tina Petersen’s “Day of Reckoning” that Commissioner Ellis warned about last month?
The irony here is that we had management at flood control that was doing an excellent job…until Democrats on Commissioners Court pushed them out. You can see on the graph below what has happened since.
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/2026/04/2018-Bond-Spending-by-WS-Incremental.png?fit=2060%2C778&ssl=17782060adminadmin2026-05-09 21:55:412026-05-09 22:01:59Harris County Commissioners Will Discuss HCFCD Executive Director in Executive Session
The 5300+ acre development lies at the confluence of the San Jacinto West Fork, and Spring, Cypress and Turkey Creeks. It is some of the most flood-prone land in southeast Texas.
Scarborough purchased the land (outlined in red) from Ryko last year.
Scarborough Area in center. From FEMA’s Flood Hazard Layer Viewer. These are from old flood maps. New draft maps show the situation above is far worse. Cross-hatch = floodway. Aqua = 100-year floodplain. Brown = 500-year.
One of the leading hydrologists in the area has told me that developing this land would be like “aiming a fire hose at Kingwood and Humble.”
Information Blackout
Even worse, the GLO has stonewalled all attempts to determine the extent and nature of the PSF’s investment and terms of its contract with Scarborough, the Dallas-based developer, that bought the land from Ryko last year.
All they have told reporters is that “our plans are changing.” But how? What does that mean? Are they changing a street layout? Or backing out of the investment altogether? Could they even back out of the investment at this point? What are the conditions that would let the PSF and GLO back out even if they wanted to?
Flood victims still traumatized with PTSD need specifics, not vaguely worded generalities intended to soothe an anxious public before the election.
According to FEMA, flood mitigation typically costs six times more than flood prevention. So, the decision to finance this development could easily turn into a billion dollar public expense someday: $140 mm + (6 x $140 mm) = $980 mm.
Invitation to Buckingham
So, here’s an invitation to Commissioner Buckingham. Please come to Houston and explain the thinking behind this investment. Look your audience in the eye and be specific.
Don’t rely on vaguely worded press releases with prosaic flatulence like “Our plans are changing.” Tell us how they are changing. Do you intend to turn this land into a state park? To me, that’s the only positive that could come from this misguided episode of “As the Rivers Rise.”
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/2025/11/20251103-Layered-Maps.jpg?fit=1100%2C563&ssl=15631100adminadmin2026-05-08 18:15:012026-05-08 18:28:49An Invitation to GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham
5/6/27 – Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commissioner Matt Gray addressed a packed East Montgomery County Chamber luncheon today about the often conflicting issues of property rights, growth, flooding and public safety. Both during the meeting and in an hour-long, one-on-one interview after it, he stressed the need for responsible development that mitigated downstream flooding impacts.
Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commissioner Matt Gray
Managing Growth
Montgomery County has consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing counties in America. And Gray’s Precinct 4 alone expects to add another 14,000 to 16,000 rooftops in the next five years.
Gray is finishing his first term and running for another. “If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you’ve heard me talk about steering and managing the growth. That’s been my mission and my office’s mission,” Gray told the crowd.
In that regard, he talked about helping to update Montgomery County’s:
He also discussed catching up with past growth. “We’re just now addressing issues and roads that have been a burr under the saddle for 20, 25 years,” said Gray. “You get all these new developments off a lonely country road. Well, it’s no longer a lonely country road. Next thing you know…you can’t move. And I get 50 calls a day.”
Funding Challenges and Triumphs
Gray also talked about his efforts in Washington, D.C. and with the Texas General Land Office to fund badly needed flood-mitigation and drainage projects. In the “win column,” Gray points to:
De-snagging (eliminating logjams) on Caney Creek, Peach Creek, East Fork of SanJac, and White Oak Creek. That grant from the Texas General Land Office (GLO) has been awarded. Work is kicking off in 2026. Full contract value is $60.4 million with $36.4 million being spent in East Montgomery County. Contractors will clean debris out of almost 100 miles of the tributaries – just within Precinct 4.
Completing $10 million in outfall drainage improvements using federal dollars (ARPA) to clean out an estimated 138,000 linear feet of outfalls throughout the precinct
Taylor Gully clean up and maintenance
A $7.7 million grant for a historically “never-been-drained” neighborhood – Porter Heights
Partnership with HCFCD to install and maintain 4 flood gages on major bridges/watersheds – all visible on Harris County Flood Warning System. They include:
Caney Creek @ US 59
Caney Creek @ Firetower Rd.
Peach Creek @ FM 1485 East
Peach Creek @ Roman Forest Blvd.
HCFCD Woodridge Basin – Entered into an interlocal agreement with HCFCD so that their new detention basin can tie into existing MoCo basins – a win for both Harris and Montgomery counties.
Focus Now Shifting to Execution
“It was a nightmare to get the grants,” said Gray. “But I’ve got an awesome team that does an exceptional job.” Under his leadership, they applied for $130 million in grants and so far have received almost $70 million.
His focus now has shifted to executing those projects.
Gray, a construction expert and project management professional, has employed a number of strategies to improve his staff’s efficiency. He has:
Developed focused and comprehensive maintenance schedules by neighborhood. In 2025 alone, his team dug out more than 232,000 linear feet of drainage ditches (approximately 44 miles)
Worked with the Houston-Galveston Area Council to help bring more funding to the region and MoCo
Shifted to in-house culvert inspections and enforcement
Developed Interlocal agreements with MUDs
Continually applied for federal grants for drainage projects
Used constables to address floodplain violations such as unpermitted work and illegal dumping
Worked directly with the County’s Floodplain Administrator’s office to ensure flagged properties are brought into compliance.
Gray emphasizes action. As the Chamber’s moderator said, “Everyone in this room knows that – you and your office – when you see something that needs to be done, you just do it. You find a way to make it happen!”
“We Want Responsible Development”
Gray continued, “Our message is ‘we want responsible development.’ So what does that mean? It means a lot of things to me including, ‘we don’t want to flood our new residents or people downstream.'”
“We spent a lot of man hours sitting together, working through the drainage criteria manuals,” he added. “And we addressed the Beat-the-Peak issue. We struck that out and built in a lot more detention requirements than ever existed previously in this county.”
Beat-the-Peak refers to a loophole in previous regulations that let developers avoid building detention basins if they could prove they could get their stormwater to a river before the peak of a flood arrived.
The theory was that that would not be adding to the peak. But in practice, it encouraged everyone to get their water to the river as quickly as possible – exactly the opposite of what you want to do in a flood.
Gray who has fond memories of growing up near the East Fork San Jacinto and FM1485 is haunted now by the sight of flooded neighborhoods there.
If anyone can make a difference, I’m sure he can. He’s a man on a mission.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/6/26
3172 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Matt-Gray-At-EMC-Luncheon.jpg?fit=1100%2C733&ssl=17331100adminadmin2026-05-06 21:54:462026-05-07 08:48:19MoCo P4 Commissioner Matt Gray on Growth, Flooding, Responsible Development
Harris County Commissioners Will Discuss HCFCD Executive Director in Executive Session
5/9/2026 – During the 5/14/2026 Harris County Commissioner’s Court Meeting, Commissioners will discuss Harris County Flood Control District Executive Director Dr. Tina Petersen in Executive Session with an eye to taking possible action.
Item #490 on the Agenda reads:
Request by the Commissioner of Precinct 3 for an Executive Session pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.074(a) for discussion and possible action regarding the Executive Director of the Harris County Flood Control District.
Section 551.074 allows commissioners to conduct sessions in private when deliberating the employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee.
Performance Issues
Petersen’s performance has come under increasing scrutiny in the last few years as HCFCD projects have bogged down. For instance:
Despite all that, Item 473 on the agenda shows that Petersen is requesting renewal of a $12 million contract to provide “program management, project management, construction management and inspection services for the development and implementation of CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT projects.”
$90,000 Raise Last Year
Despite her department’s less-than-stellar performance, Commissioners awarded Petersen a $90,000 raise last year. That brought her salary to approximately $434,000 per year.
The big question at this point is…
The $868 million in CDBG-DR and -MIT projects is on a reimbursement basis only when the job is done. Commissioners could spend a lot of money and if the projects don’t get done, they might not get reimbursed.
Will 5/14/26 be Dr. Tina Petersen’s “Day of Reckoning” that Commissioner Ellis warned about last month?
The irony here is that we had management at flood control that was doing an excellent job…until Democrats on Commissioners Court pushed them out. You can see on the graph below what has happened since.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/9/2026
3175 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.
An Invitation to GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham
5/8/26 – The Texas General Land Office (GLO), despite all the good it does, has a serious conflict of interest under Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, MD.
Administratively, the Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation resides within the GLO and Buckingham has a seat on its board.
The Permanent School Fund has reportedly invested $140 million in a floodplain development in the Lake Houston Area, according to State Representative Steve Toth.
The 5300+ acre development lies at the confluence of the San Jacinto West Fork, and Spring, Cypress and Turkey Creeks. It is some of the most flood-prone land in southeast Texas.
So, why does a state agency responsible for flood mitigation invest in a flood-prone development? That question has never been adequately answered.
One of the leading hydrologists in the area has told me that developing this land would be like “aiming a fire hose at Kingwood and Humble.”
Information Blackout
Even worse, the GLO has stonewalled all attempts to determine the extent and nature of the PSF’s investment and terms of its contract with Scarborough, the Dallas-based developer, that bought the land from Ryko last year.
All they have told reporters is that “our plans are changing.” But how? What does that mean? Are they changing a street layout? Or backing out of the investment altogether? Could they even back out of the investment at this point? What are the conditions that would let the PSF and GLO back out even if they wanted to?
Flood victims still traumatized with PTSD need specifics, not vaguely worded generalities intended to soothe an anxious public before the election.
According to FEMA, flood mitigation typically costs six times more than flood prevention. So, the decision to finance this development could easily turn into a billion dollar public expense someday: $140 mm + (6 x $140 mm) = $980 mm.
Invitation to Buckingham
So, here’s an invitation to Commissioner Buckingham. Please come to Houston and explain the thinking behind this investment. Look your audience in the eye and be specific.
Don’t rely on vaguely worded press releases with prosaic flatulence like “Our plans are changing.” Tell us how they are changing. Do you intend to turn this land into a state park? To me, that’s the only positive that could come from this misguided episode of “As the Rivers Rise.”
Until Then, Sign Petition
Absent that, I urge everyone in the Lake Houston region to sign the petition against the Scarborough development. Make your concerns heard. It’s your money and your safety.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/8/26
3174 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.
MoCo P4 Commissioner Matt Gray on Growth, Flooding, Responsible Development
5/6/27 – Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commissioner Matt Gray addressed a packed East Montgomery County Chamber luncheon today about the often conflicting issues of property rights, growth, flooding and public safety. Both during the meeting and in an hour-long, one-on-one interview after it, he stressed the need for responsible development that mitigated downstream flooding impacts.
Managing Growth
Montgomery County has consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing counties in America. And Gray’s Precinct 4 alone expects to add another 14,000 to 16,000 rooftops in the next five years.
Gray is finishing his first term and running for another. “If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you’ve heard me talk about steering and managing the growth. That’s been my mission and my office’s mission,” Gray told the crowd.
In that regard, he talked about helping to update Montgomery County’s:
Catching Up with Past Growth
He also discussed catching up with past growth. “We’re just now addressing issues and roads that have been a burr under the saddle for 20, 25 years,” said Gray. “You get all these new developments off a lonely country road. Well, it’s no longer a lonely country road. Next thing you know…you can’t move. And I get 50 calls a day.”
Funding Challenges and Triumphs
Gray also talked about his efforts in Washington, D.C. and with the Texas General Land Office to fund badly needed flood-mitigation and drainage projects. In the “win column,” Gray points to:
Focus Now Shifting to Execution
“It was a nightmare to get the grants,” said Gray. “But I’ve got an awesome team that does an exceptional job.” Under his leadership, they applied for $130 million in grants and so far have received almost $70 million.
His focus now has shifted to executing those projects.
Gray, a construction expert and project management professional, has employed a number of strategies to improve his staff’s efficiency. He has:
Gray emphasizes action. As the Chamber’s moderator said, “Everyone in this room knows that – you and your office – when you see something that needs to be done, you just do it. You find a way to make it happen!”
“We Want Responsible Development”
Gray continued, “Our message is ‘we want responsible development.’ So what does that mean? It means a lot of things to me including, ‘we don’t want to flood our new residents or people downstream.'”
“We spent a lot of man hours sitting together, working through the drainage criteria manuals,” he added. “And we addressed the Beat-the-Peak issue. We struck that out and built in a lot more detention requirements than ever existed previously in this county.”
Beat-the-Peak refers to a loophole in previous regulations that let developers avoid building detention basins if they could prove they could get their stormwater to a river before the peak of a flood arrived.
The theory was that that would not be adding to the peak. But in practice, it encouraged everyone to get their water to the river as quickly as possible – exactly the opposite of what you want to do in a flood.
Gray who has fond memories of growing up near the East Fork San Jacinto and FM1485 is haunted now by the sight of flooded neighborhoods there.
If anyone can make a difference, I’m sure he can. He’s a man on a mission.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/6/26
3172 Days since Hurricane Harvey