Houston Council Member Dave Martin To Host Kingwood Town Hall Meeting on October 9

Mark your calendar. Houston City Council Member Dave Martin will host a town hall meeting on Tuesday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m., at the Kingwood Community Center, 4102 Rustic Woods, Kingwood, TX 77345. The community is invited to attend and hear from city and community representatives about ongoing projects, issues and community news related to the Kingwood and Lake Houston areas of District E.

Mayor Turner on Rebuild Houston and Fire Dept. Salaries

This fall’s town hall meeting will include a presentation from Mayor Sylvester Turner who will speak on the Rebuild Houston and fire salary referendums that will appear on the November 6 ballot. All registered voters within the boundaries of the City are urged to attend.

Costello, Odum and Zeve on Post-Harvey Mitigation

Residents will also hear from Stephen Costello, City of Houston Chief Resiliency Officer and Marvin Odum, Chief Recovery Officer, on the progress made to rebuild the City post-Harvey. Harris County Flood Control Chief Operations Officer, Matt Zeve, will provide a post-Harris County Flood Control Bond update.

Townhomes on Marina Drive in Forest Cove more than one year after Hurricane Harvey.

Sarman on TIRZ Projects, Huberty on Upcoming Legislation

Stan Sarman, the Chair of the TIRZ 10 board will provide information on a variety of projects including the Northpark Drive Mobility Improvement Project, and the status of area intersection improvements.  There will be an update on the Lake Houston Debris Removal Project provided by a member of the City of Houston Solid Waste Department Team. State Representative Dan Huberty is confirmed to provide insight on the upcoming legislative session.

Loop 494 Expansion, San Jacinto Greenway Project and More

For those that arrive to the Kingwood town hall early, there will be information tables available starting at 5:30 p.m. from Harris County Precinct 4 to discuss their upcoming projects in Forest Cove, from the Texas Department of Transportation to educate residents on the expansion of TX Loop 494,  and from the Houston Parks Board to provide information on the upcoming San Jacinto Greenway Project. The Houston Department of Neighborhoods and the Houston Police Department’s Kingwood Division will also be on site with information available to residents before and after the town hall meeting.

For more information, please contact Council Member Martin’s office at (832) 393-3008 or via email at districte@houstontx.gov.

Posted on September 9, 2018, by Bob Rehak

376 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Dredging Almost Ready to Begin

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should begin dredging the West Fork of the San Jacinto River next week. The Corps expected to begin dredging this week, but a part failure for one of the dredges caused a slight delay. A replacement part is being remanufactured and shipped to the command site. The replacement part will help hold the dredge in place during operations and should arrive within days.

First dredge has been moved into river and is awaiting one final part.

With the exception of the replacement part, the first dredge is now virtually completed. It is 27 feet wide, 90 feet long and weighs 270 tons.

Second Dredge Also Now In the Water

A second dredge is also nearing completion. It is electrically powered and has also entered the river for final assembly. No pictures of it are available at this time. In the meantime, the rest of the operation is proceeding as scheduled.

4.5 Miles of Pipe

Workers have welded and weighted 4.5 miles – or almost 24,000 feet – of 24-inch dredge pipe made from 40-foot sections. The pipe will pump sand and sediment back to storage pits (placement sites) on both the north and south sides of the San Jacinto river. Each string of pipe is 1000 feet long. Booster pumps will connect the strings to keep sediment moving up-river and uphill.

Dredge pipe being moved into the West Fork of the San Jacinto in preparation for the start of dredging. Each of these strings is 1000 feet long. They weigh hundreds of thousands of pounds. These 24-inch-diameter pipes will eventually move more than 1.8 million cubic yards of sediment to two placement areas. 

A tender boat moves dredging pipeline into place along the banks of the San Jacinto river. Approximately 4.5 miles of 1,000 – foot  sections of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Pipe is being positioned for use next week when dredging should begin.

Even though the start date has been delayed, the date for completion has not.

Dredging Safety Warning

Jet skiers and recreational boaters have been sighted in the vicinity of the dredge command site. Dredging safety officers are asking West Fork San Jacinto recreational boaters to stay clear of submerged pipes and dredge platforms.

Stay away from this section of the river for your own safety. Even though you may be able to see operators, they may not be looking out for you as they struggle to move equipment weighing hundreds of tons. Operators are focused on their job, not you.

As the operational tempo of this project increases, so will the risk of accidents. So please keep your distance.

Posted September 8, 2018 by Bob Rehak

375 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Mark Your Calendar: Flood Control Director to Address Kingwood Issues on September 17

Matt Zeve, Deputy Executive Director for the Harris County Flood Control District, will discuss Lake Houston area projects approved in the recent County Flood Bond at a meeting of the Lake Houston Area Grassroots Flood Prevention Initiative on September 17. Zeve will also address updates to Flood Plain Maps. The new maps could lead to increases in flood insurance rates and affect your home’s market value.

Meeting Specifics

  • Date: September 17, 2018
  • Time: 6:30 – 8:30
  • Place: Kingwood Community Center
  • Address: 4102 Rustic Woods, Kingwood

Matt Zeve. Director of Operations for Harris County Flood Control District

About Matt Zeve

Zeve is the Deputy Executive Director for the Harris County Flood Control District. Under his direction, the District carries out its mission to devise countywide flood damage reduction plans, implement those plans, and maintain the infrastructure.

That mission is executed in the third most populated county in the United States, with a population in excess of 4.5 million, which includes the City of Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city.  The District has jurisdiction over the primary stormwater facilities in the county, which consist of about 1,500 channels, totaling 2,500 miles in length, as well as more than 60 regional stormwater detention basins and a 2.5-square mile wetlands mitigation bank.

After graduating from Texas A&M University with Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Zeve successfully practiced engineering as a consultant in the private sector before joining the Harris County Flood Control District in November, 2015. He has spent his entire professional career working on drainage projects primarily in the Houston Metropolitan area.

Updates on Other Flood Issues

Additionally, Grass Roots leaders will update the community on other issues affecting the potential for flooding in the Lake Houston Area.

Help Shape Agenda

If you have specific questions or concerns, please email them ahead of time so the group can prepare to address them. Send suggestions to: Bill Fowler, co-chair of the Grass Roots Initiative at txwil43@yahoo.com.

Spread the Word

Please forward this page t0 everyone you know in our area.  Flood prevention impacts the peace of mind and economic well-being of everyone.

Posted September 7, 2018 by Bob Rehak

374 Days since Hurricane Harvey