HOUSTON – Turnout was low for the Harris County flood bond vote this past weekend. Just 6.6 percent of registered voters came out to vote on the flood bond.
“It was about the same turnout as last year's November 2017 statewide election in Harris County for constitutional amendments,” said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.
Yet, approval was high for the $2.5 billion bond.
“Eighty-five percent approval is (a) pretty good result,” said Emmett.
READ: $2.5 billion Harris County Proposition: A flood bond approved
Now, we're getting a look at the projects the flood control district would like to tackle first. The 14 projects will go before the Commissioners Court tomorrow for approval.
Matthew Zeve is the operational manager for Harris County Flood Control District. He said the Armand Bayou area near NASA will see improvements. There is a Neutral Buoyancy Lab in the area that astronauts use to simulate the conditions in space. Zeve said NASA asked the Flood Control District to look at that area because there have been problems around there.
“We're gonna look at the drainage areas in the neighborhoods and the Neutral Buoyancy Lab,” said Zeve.
The projects slated for the first round of approvals already had studies done or the land was bought so the projects could move forward quickly.
For example, there’s a retention basin at Greens Bayou and Cutten Road that the Flood Control District has been working on for years.
“We've never had enough money to be able to fully excavate that detention basin,” said Zeve.
Now, they can finish that project.
Then there's a project that will affect many people on the Westside.
“People will see a big difference when those projects are done,” said Zeve.
After the controlled releases of Addicks and Barker reservoirs caused so much flooding, a major cleanup of the channels is on the list.
“There's 30 different channels that drain to Addicks and Barker reservoir on the Westside that built up with silt and sediment after the Tax Day flood in 2016 and even more after Harvey,” said Zeve.
The Commissioners Court will be asked to give their stamp of approval on Tuesday.
"There won't be any discussion, it'll go right through,” said Emmett.
To see the full list of projects that were proposed, click here.
Here is the list of the first group of projects on the agenda for Commissioners Court to consider:
Flood Control District
Recommendation that the county judge execute amendments/agreements with:
- Aguirre & Fields, LP, in the additional amount of $202,332 for engineering and contract inspection services in support of county-wide district projects.
- Cameron Cooper and Byron Cooper for landscaping maintenance services at 3106 Glen Haven Boulevard, Lot 14, Block 14 in the Southern Oaks Subdivision in the Brays Bayou Watershed in Precinct 1, with no funds required by the district.
- HVJ Associates, Inc., in the amount of $140,161 for materials engineering and testing services in support of the construction of the Brays Bayou federal flood control project, Buffalo Speedway Bridge and approach replacements on Unit D100-00-00 in the Brays Bayou Watershed in Precinct 1 (UPIN 180900D1B026).
- R.G. Miller Engineers, Inc., in the additional amount of $259,461 for environmental engineering services for evaluating and planning a proposed wetlands mitigation bank site in the Cedar Bayou Watershed in Precinct 2 (UPIN 160900Q700Y1).
- CivilTech Engineering, Inc., in the additional amount of $285,167 for design, bidding and construction-phase engineering services in support of the Brays Bayou federal flood control project, channel modifications, Discrete Segment 110 from Brays Bayou upstream of South Rice Avenue to upstream of Fondren Road on Unit D100-00-00 in the Brays Bayou Watershed in Precinct 3 (UPIN 180900D1E011).
- Cobb, Fendley & Associates, Inc., in the amount of $790,000 for design, bidding and construction-phase engineering services for the replacement of bridges at South Rice Avenue and Chimney Rock Road for Project Brays on Unit D100-00-00 in the Brays Bayou Watershed in Precinct 3 (UPIN 180900D1B030).
- Weisser Engineering Company in an amount not to exceed $200,000, with a $100 retainer fee, for watershed-wide surveying services in support of the Little Cypress Creek sub-regional frontier program in the Little Cypress Creek Watershed in Precincts 3 and 4 (UPIN 100900L100P2).
Recommendation for authorization to negotiate agreements with:
- Huitt-Zollars, Inc., for a county-wide study to evaluate the hydraulic performance of bridge crossings and high-flow bypasses on Buffalo Bayou, Unit W100-00-00.
- Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation for investigating potential detention basins along Lower Clear Creek near FM-528 and Dixie Farm Road on Unit A100-00-00 in Precinct 1.
- Geotest Engineering, Inc., for materials engineering and testing services in support of the Lower Greens Bayou regional detention embankment and control structure improvements on Unit P500-01-00 in Precinct 1.
- IDCUS, Inc., for engineering services for identifying and evaluating alternatives to reduce flood risks within the drainage area of Units P118-23-00 and P118-23-02 in the Halls Bayou Watershed in Precinct 1.
- Midtown Engineers, LLC, for engineering services in support of the Dagg Road stormwater detention basin on Unit A500-08-00 in the Clear Creek Watershed in Precinct 1.
- EHRA Engineering for drainage improvements in the Huffman area that drain to the San Jacinto, Luce and Cedar Bayou watersheds in Precinct 2.
- IDS Engineering Group, Inc., for engineering services in support of channel conveyance improvements along Horsepen Bayou and tributaries at Unit B104-00-00 in Precinct 2.
- Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc., for engineering services for identifying and evaluating alternatives to reduce flood risks within the drainage of Units P118-25-00 and P118-25-01 in the Halls Bayou Watershed in Precinct 2.
- McDonough Engineering Corporation for engineering services for construction of the Baywood stormwater detention basin in the Armand Bayou Watershed in Precinct 2.
- IDS Engineering Group, Inc., for watershed-wide design, bidding and construction-phase engineering services for the Barker Reservoir Watershed de-silting project at Unit T100-00-00 and tributaries in Precinct 3.
- Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc., for engineering services in support of flood reduction solutions on tributaries of Buffalo Bayou, Units W151-00-00 and W153-00-00 in Precinct 3.
- IDS Engineering Group, Inc., for watershed-wide design, bidding and construction-phase engineering services for the Addicks Reservoir Watershed de-silting project at Unit U100-00-00 and tributaries in Precincts 3 and 4.
- Michael Baker International, Inc., for updates to the 2003 regional drainage plan and environmental investigation for major tributaries in the Cypress Creek Watershed in Precincts 3 and 4.
- HR Green, Inc., for engineering services in support of the Cutten Road stormwater detention basin on Unit P500-02-00 in the Greens Bayou Watershed in Precinct 4.
- KIT Professionals, Inc., for engineering services in support of the Cypress Rosehill stormwater detention basin on Unit M528-01-00 in Precinct 4.
- LJA Engineering, Inc., for engineering services in support of conveyance improvements along Unit M124-00-00 from SH-249 to Willow Creek in Precinct 4.
Recommendation for approval of changes in contracts with:
- BRH-Garver Construction, LP, for the Homestead detention basin final phase and control structure project in the Hunting Bayou Watershed in Precinct 1, adding 67 calendar days and resulting in an addition of $19,456 to the contract amount (17/0086-02, UPIN 160900H501E3).
- Quest Civil Constructors, Inc., for the Brays Bayou federal flood control project, channel modifications, Discrete Segment 109, from Brays Bayou upstream of Buffalo Speedway to upstream of South Rice Avenue in the Brays Bayou Watershed in Precincts 1 and 3, adding 45 calendar days and resulting in an addition of $69,913 to the contract amount (17/0117-03, UPIN 170900D1E010).
- Patriot Construction and Industrial, LLC, dba
- Patriot Construction and Industrial, LLC, dba Patriot Heavy Civil and Industrial, LLC, for erosion repairs downstream of Kieth Harrow Boulevard in the Addicks Reservoir Watershed in Precincts 3 and 4, resulting in no change to the contract amount (17/0100-04, UPIN 170900U1X010).
- Rally Construction, Inc., for concrete bottom repairs III on White Oak Bayou in the White Oak Bayou Watershed in Precinct 4, resulting in an addition of $28,945 to the contract amount (17/0009-02).
- Recommendation for authorization to initiate and proceed with planning, design and construction of improvements to district infrastructure.
- Recommendation for approval of 20 positions for flood-control projects effective Sept. 1, 2018.