Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) released its November report on Flood-Bond progress to Commissioners Court yesterday. The report covered through October 2022. I had two major take-aways:
The slowdown in bond spending continues. HCFCD initiated no new construction projects during the month of October.
HCFCD spent more money on buyouts than flood reduction.
The major announcement: the District advertised bids for the construction of a stormwater detention basin in Inwood Forest. The project encompasses property owned by the City of Houston located both east and west of Antoine where Vogel Creek outfalls into White Oak Bayou (the old Inwood Forest Golf Course). It will eventually have a total of 12 interconnected compartments.
Funding of this project comes from the 2018 Bond, FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). HCFCD hopes construction will begin in winter 2022-23. But let’s look at what has happened, instead of what will.
Overview
Since the last update, HCFCD:
Awarded NO construction projects
Awarded 9 non-construction agreements totaling $33 million
Paid $1.2 million for professional services.
Completed 28 home buyouts valued at approximately $5 million
Spent a total of $9.9 million since the last update.
Those last two bullet points mean…
HCFCD spent more on buyouts than flood reduction in the month of October.
HCFCD uses some buyouts for right-of-way (ROW) acquisition to build detention ponds or widen channels. But many buyouts simply avoid repetitive losses. The latest update does not specify which category October buyouts fell into.
Schedule performance indicators (the SPI index) for the month remained at .95 – behind schedule. HCFCD says the bond program is 23.8% completed – an increase of 0.3% from the previous month. That’s at 50 months out of a planned 120 month program or 41.6% of the way into the bond program.
Where the Money Has Gone
Only three projects out of 181 in the Bond changed stages. One went into preliminary engineering and two went from preliminary engineering into right-of-way acquisition. All are in the Cedar Bayou watershed.
The map below shows where $1.14 billion spent to date has gone.
In table form, that looks like this. I provided three months of data so you can see whether the needle is moving in your watershed. Five watersheds received no money in October.
Spending changes by watershed for the last three months.
October’s $9.9 million was only slightly better than September.
Project Phasing Influences Spending Rates
Projects typically go through phases that comprise different percentages of the total budget. In flood control, upfront spending on studies typically comprises only 13% of the total. The big spending – 79% – happens for right-of-way acquisition and construction. Looking back at all phases of all projects since 2000…
Right-of-Way Acquisition and Construction account for almost four out of every five dollars spent by HCFCD.
Here’s how the breakdown looks:
Data compiled from FOIA Request
HCFCD typically spends six times more on Rights-of-Way and Construction, than upfront Feasibility Studies, Preliminary Engineering Reviews and Design.
More than four years into the bond, many projects should be entering the more expensive phases. So you would expect spending to increase. And July totals reflected that. But then a precipitous decline set in.
At the current spend rate, it would take 32 years to complete the bond, not 6.
Why the Slowdown?
HCFCD has not yet explained the slowdown except to say that, during the course of major programs like the Flood Bond, sometimes you hit lulls between major projects. But this slowdown has persisted for three months. No construction projects started last month. And Inwood-Forest stormwater-detention-basin construction likely won’t start for several more months.
Management Turnover – HCFCD recently lost its top three leaders who architected the Flood Bond: Russ Poppe, Matt Zeve, and Alan Black.
Less Experienced Management – Poppe was replaced by an academic who formerly managed the Subsidence District which has a budget one-thousandth the size of the 2018 flood bond.
More Layers of Management – There’s now a whole new department – County Administration – between Flood Control and Commissioners Court.
Bottom line: County Judge Lina Hidalgo needs to provide an explanation for the slowdown. This affects all Harris County residents, not just those in particular watersheds.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/30/2022
1919 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/2022/11/Screenshot-2022-11-30-at-12.42.00-PM.png?fit=1270%2C954&ssl=19541270adminadmin2022-11-30 12:54:322022-11-30 13:06:15HCFCD Spending Slows; More Went to Buyouts than Flood Reduction
On the morning of 11/29/22, Humble ISD contractors finished demolishing the last walls of the old KMS (Kingwood Middle School). They were also draining a water tower on the property before taking that down. The next two steps: remove all the debris and start removing the foundation.
New athletic fields and a permanent larger detention pond will go where the old school was and frame the entrance of the new school.
Photo from Start of Demolition
Here’s what the extent of demolition looked like on 11/9/22.
Pictures Taken at 9:30 A.M. on 11/29/22
For comparison, here’s what it looked like today. New KMS is in background; old KMS in foreground.
KMS today. Looking back E from SW corner of property.Wide shot taken from the SE corner of the old KMS looking NW toward Woodland Hills Drive.A parade of trucks hauls away the debris after recyclables such as steel are separated.The giant claws pick girders from the rubble and stack them for separate removal.Note the hole punctured in the school’s water tank.Other steel parts will also be recycled.
Starting Year Three of Project
For photos showing the progress of KMS construction and demolition, see below.
The illustration below shows next steps. After removing the foundation of the old building (2A), contractors will excavate a larger, permanent detention basin to hold stormwater runoff from the property. The runoff will then be released at a slower rate to reduce the risk of overwhelming the neighborhood’s drainage system. That will reduce the risk of flooding.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/20221129-DJI_0466.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2022-11-29 10:53:032022-11-29 11:19:46Old KMS Down, But Not Yet Out
The Preserve at Woodridge based its detention basin calculations on 65% impervious cover. But photos taken on 11/26/22, a full year after they cleared the land, suggest the impervious-cover percentage may have been dramatically understated.
That affects the amount and speed of runoff. And that raises concerns for downstream residents along Ben’s Branch, many of whom have flooded in recent years, in part because of dense upstream developments like this one.
Looking straight down reveals little dirt between the densely packed rental homes and the concrete surrounding them.
Taken 11/26/22
I continue to be amazed at how the developer claims that one third of this dense, concrete bungle is NOT “impervious cover.” And lest you think I selectively cropped the photo above to exaggerate the percentage of concrete, the shot below shows virtually the entire development.
Taken 11/26/22. Area on right still does not have sidewalks.
Pushing the Limits
At my age, I don’t like the idea of carrying groceries blocks from my car to my house – which I would potentially have to do here.
Nevertheless, to give credit where credit is due, it appears that this developer has a flair for pushing limits. Just look at the development’s website. They offer “unmatched amenities” like vinyl flooring.
And some homes are 660 square feet. Much smaller and you would expect the residents to wear orange jumpsuits.
But still, this new concept in luxury living has its rewards:
No stairs to climb like in apartments.
An extra wall between you and your neighbor’s stereo.
On-street parking, just like Manhattan.
147 parking spaces for 131 homes.
Plenty of nearby food-trucks.
A “Scream Park” and fireworks stand within walking distance.
No leaves to rake.
Your own toilet.
This is way better than life in a frat house. The stainless steel refrigerators are definitely a step up from Igloo coolers.
The only thing missing is a pet run that can accommodate a Chihuahua and Cocker Spaniel at the same time.
But seriously, this developer claims to have identified a niche between sleeping bags and starter homes. Perhaps the company will pioneer a new market and this will be the future of Montgomery County. To see their construction plans, click here.
Will Detention Basin Hold Enough?
I just hope their detention pond is big enough in case their impervious-cover calculations are off.
Preserve at Woodridge detention basin is built to pre-Atlas 14 rainfall rates. It appears partially fenced in so that residents can’t walk around it.
Montgomery County’s Subdivision Rules and Regulations specify that outfall ditches, such as the one in the photo above only need to carry a 25 year rain. (See page 9.) With that in mind, it seems that this detention pond would fill up quickly from ditch overflow in a 25-year rain and provide little detention benefit during 50- or 100-year rains. And that’s no joke.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/28/2022
1918 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.
HCFCD Spending Slows; More Went to Buyouts than Flood Reduction
Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) released its November report on Flood-Bond progress to Commissioners Court yesterday. The report covered through October 2022. I had two major take-aways:
The major announcement: the District advertised bids for the construction of a stormwater detention basin in Inwood Forest. The project encompasses property owned by the City of Houston located both east and west of Antoine where Vogel Creek outfalls into White Oak Bayou (the old Inwood Forest Golf Course). It will eventually have a total of 12 interconnected compartments.
Funding of this project comes from the 2018 Bond, FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). HCFCD hopes construction will begin in winter 2022-23. But let’s look at what has happened, instead of what will.
Overview
Since the last update, HCFCD:
Those last two bullet points mean…
HCFCD uses some buyouts for right-of-way (ROW) acquisition to build detention ponds or widen channels. But many buyouts simply avoid repetitive losses. The latest update does not specify which category October buyouts fell into.
Schedule performance indicators (the SPI index) for the month remained at .95 – behind schedule. HCFCD says the bond program is 23.8% completed – an increase of 0.3% from the previous month. That’s at 50 months out of a planned 120 month program or 41.6% of the way into the bond program.
Where the Money Has Gone
Only three projects out of 181 in the Bond changed stages. One went into preliminary engineering and two went from preliminary engineering into right-of-way acquisition. All are in the Cedar Bayou watershed.
The map below shows where $1.14 billion spent to date has gone.
In table form, that looks like this. I provided three months of data so you can see whether the needle is moving in your watershed. Five watersheds received no money in October.
Spending Trend Still Down
Last month I wrote about this downward trend in bond spending at a time when it should be increasing. Notice the trend in recent months:
Project Phasing Influences Spending Rates
Projects typically go through phases that comprise different percentages of the total budget. In flood control, upfront spending on studies typically comprises only 13% of the total. The big spending – 79% – happens for right-of-way acquisition and construction. Looking back at all phases of all projects since 2000…
Here’s how the breakdown looks:
HCFCD typically spends six times more on Rights-of-Way and Construction, than upfront Feasibility Studies, Preliminary Engineering Reviews and Design.
More than four years into the bond, many projects should be entering the more expensive phases. So you would expect spending to increase. And July totals reflected that. But then a precipitous decline set in.
Why the Slowdown?
HCFCD has not yet explained the slowdown except to say that, during the course of major programs like the Flood Bond, sometimes you hit lulls between major projects. But this slowdown has persisted for three months. No construction projects started last month. And Inwood-Forest stormwater-detention-basin construction likely won’t start for several more months.
At this point, explanations are in order. Last month, I suggested several:
Management Turnover – HCFCD recently lost its top three leaders who architected the Flood Bond: Russ Poppe, Matt Zeve, and Alan Black.
Less Experienced Management – Poppe was replaced by an academic who formerly managed the Subsidence District which has a budget one-thousandth the size of the 2018 flood bond.
More Layers of Management – There’s now a whole new department – County Administration – between Flood Control and Commissioners Court.
Delays in Other Departments – Community Services has failed to submit a plan for how to spend $750 million allocated to Harris County for flood mitigation by the Texas General Land Office and HUD.
Drawdown of Flood Resilience Trust Funds – The County is already running out of money in the Flood Resilience Trust Fund – a backup to keep projects moving in case grants, such as the $750 million, were delayed.
Yesterday HCFCD recommended pursuing a grant for Greens Bayou that would consume the current balance in the Flood Resilience Trust.
Bottom line: County Judge Lina Hidalgo needs to provide an explanation for the slowdown. This affects all Harris County residents, not just those in particular watersheds.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/30/2022
1919 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.
Old KMS Down, But Not Yet Out
On the morning of 11/29/22, Humble ISD contractors finished demolishing the last walls of the old KMS (Kingwood Middle School). They were also draining a water tower on the property before taking that down. The next two steps: remove all the debris and start removing the foundation.
New athletic fields and a permanent larger detention pond will go where the old school was and frame the entrance of the new school.
Photo from Start of Demolition
Here’s what the extent of demolition looked like on 11/9/22.
Pictures Taken at 9:30 A.M. on 11/29/22
For comparison, here’s what it looked like today. New KMS is in background; old KMS in foreground.
Starting Year Three of Project
For photos showing the progress of KMS construction and demolition, see below.
Next Steps
The illustration below shows next steps. After removing the foundation of the old building (2A), contractors will excavate a larger, permanent detention basin to hold stormwater runoff from the property. The runoff will then be released at a slower rate to reduce the risk of overwhelming the neighborhood’s drainage system. That will reduce the risk of flooding.
The next step: rebuild the athletic fields (2B).
Check back frequently for updates.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/29/22
1918 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Impervious Cover Percentage Raises Downstream Concerns
The Preserve at Woodridge based its detention basin calculations on 65% impervious cover. But photos taken on 11/26/22, a full year after they cleared the land, suggest the impervious-cover percentage may have been dramatically understated.
That affects the amount and speed of runoff. And that raises concerns for downstream residents along Ben’s Branch, many of whom have flooded in recent years, in part because of dense upstream developments like this one.
Looking straight down reveals little dirt between the densely packed rental homes and the concrete surrounding them.
I continue to be amazed at how the developer claims that one third of this dense, concrete bungle is NOT “impervious cover.” And lest you think I selectively cropped the photo above to exaggerate the percentage of concrete, the shot below shows virtually the entire development.
Pushing the Limits
At my age, I don’t like the idea of carrying groceries blocks from my car to my house – which I would potentially have to do here.
Nevertheless, to give credit where credit is due, it appears that this developer has a flair for pushing limits. Just look at the development’s website. They offer “unmatched amenities” like vinyl flooring.
And some homes are 660 square feet. Much smaller and you would expect the residents to wear orange jumpsuits.
But still, this new concept in luxury living has its rewards:
This is way better than life in a frat house. The stainless steel refrigerators are definitely a step up from Igloo coolers.
The only thing missing is a pet run that can accommodate a Chihuahua and Cocker Spaniel at the same time.
But seriously, this developer claims to have identified a niche between sleeping bags and starter homes. Perhaps the company will pioneer a new market and this will be the future of Montgomery County. To see their construction plans, click here.
Will Detention Basin Hold Enough?
I just hope their detention pond is big enough in case their impervious-cover calculations are off.
Montgomery County’s Subdivision Rules and Regulations specify that outfall ditches, such as the one in the photo above only need to carry a 25 year rain. (See page 9.) With that in mind, it seems that this detention pond would fill up quickly from ditch overflow in a 25-year rain and provide little detention benefit during 50- or 100-year rains. And that’s no joke.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 11/28/2022
1918 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.