[1. Invocation / Pledge of Allegiance;]
[00:00:16]
2025. WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH INVOCATION. MY FRIEND VICE- CHAIRMAN CRAIG EISSLER HAS SAID MORE PRAYERS THIS WEEK THAN A MINISTRY.
AND BROTHER EISSLER IS GOING TO SAY THE PRAYER AND FINISH THE WEEK OUTCH.
>> PLEASE BOW WITH ME. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU YOU AGAIN FOR TODAY AND FOR BLESSING US AND BLESSING THIS WONDERFUL COMMUNITY AND GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE, LORD. AND WE DON'T TAKE THAT LIGHTLY.
AND WE ASK YOU CONTINUE TO GUIDE US, WATCH OVER US IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT AND OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. AND EVERYTHING WE THINK, SAY, OR DO, PLEASE HELP US HONOR YOU.
>> AMEN. MR. FRANKS, LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE.
>> I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. HONOR OF THE TEXAS FLAG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE TEXAS, ONE STATE, UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
[2. Call meeting to order;]
>> ALL RIGHT, IT'S 6:01 P.M. , I DECLARE IN ACCORDANCE TO STATE LAW NOTICE OF THIS MEETING WAS POSTED 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.
THE POSTING OCCURRED INSIDE THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP AT THIS OFFICE BUILDING. IN DERMATION OF A QUORUM REQUIRES AT LEAST FOUR BOARD MEMBERS BE IN ATTENDANCE TOTO CONDUCT BUSINESS. AS I ASK EACH TO RESPOND WITH WITH OZABLE AS I CALL ROLL.
[3. Receive, consider and act upon adoption of the meeting agenda;]
>> PLEASE REVIEW YOUR AGENDA IN PACTTS PAGES 1 THROUGH 3 IN PACKETS. I CALL FOR A MOTION AND SECOND. MOVED BY DIRECTOR FRANKS, SECONDED BY DIRECTOR NELSON.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RESPOND BY SAYING AYE.
>> MOTION CARRIES. RECOGNIZE PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
WE HAVE EMIL JACOBS HERE. THANK YOU, SIR.
THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
[4. Recognize public officials;]
IT'S A TOUGH JOB. YOU GUYS DO A LOT, SO WE APPRECIATE IT. ARTHUR, HE'S A MEMBER OF EVERY BOARD IN THE WOODLANDS INCLUDING METRO MUD. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR OFFICE. LIKE I SAID, Y'ALL DO A GREAT[5. Public comment;]
JOB AND IT'S A BIG JOB. PUBLIC COMMENT.SIMON. WAIT, I GOT 2 1/2 PAGES OF THINGS TO READ BEFORE YOU GET HERE. PARTICIPATION BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IS OPEN MEETING BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS WELCOMED AND ENCOURAGED. A PUBLIC COMMENT IN AGENDA ITEMS IS INCLUDED IN ALL REGULAR MEETING AGENDAS.
IN ACCORDANCE TO CONDUCT THE MOST EFFICIENT PROCESS THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACCEPTS THE COMMENTS IN ACCORDANCE TO IT FOLLOWING GUIDELINES FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE PUBLIC MEETING. NUMBER ONE, EACH PERSON WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD MUST FIRST SIGN THE SPEAKERS ROSTER PROVIDED BY THE BOARD RETARY. SIMON, YOU DID THAT.
INDIVIDUALS MUST SIGN TO ADDRESS TOPICS INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA WHO WISH TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC ITEMS MUST DO SO UNDER PUBLIC COMMENTS AGENDA ITEM AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE LIMITED TO 3 MINUTES REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF TOPICS. EACH SPEAKER WILL BE LIMITED TO 2 MINUTES REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF TOPICS.
SPEAKERS WILL BE TAKEN IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP. SPEAKERS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO YIELD THEIR TIME TO ANOTHER SPEAKER ON THE LIST.
THEREFORE ANY BOARD DISCUSSION OF ITEMS NOT INCLUDED IN THE POSTED AGENDA IS LIMITED TO IT QUESTIONS FOR CLIRIFICATION IN WHETHER OR NOT THE ITEM SHOULD BE PLACED ON FUTURE BOARD AGENDAS.
SPEAKERS MAY EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS AND VIEWPOINTS ON AN ISSUE BUT ARE NOT PERMITTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEBATE OF AN ISSUE.
SPEAKERS WILL NOT USE PROFANITY. COMMENTS FROM SPEAKERS MAY BE MADE AS THE BOARD AS A WHOLE OR INDIVIDUAL DIRECTORS. ALSO I ASK YOU PLACE YOUR PHONES ON SILENT MODE. I CALL SIMON TO COME TO THE PODIUM.
>> GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE TOWNSHIP STAFF, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO
[00:05:01]
SPEAK AGAIN TONIGHT. MY NAME IS SIMON.I'M THE DIRECTOR OF SOCCER OPERATIONS FOR YOUR HOMETOWN PROVIDER OF YOUTH SOCCER, HTX SOCCER. WE ARE OFFICIALLY UP AND RUNNING AS A YOUTH CLUB FOR THE FALL SEASON.
OOPS BEING REP RUMANDED. WE JUST HAD OUR HOUSTON YOUTH CUP 2025 THIS LAST WEEKEND, AUGUST 15TH THROUGH THE 17TH HERE IN THE TOWNSHIP, USING THREE FACILITIES -- ALDON BRIDGE, BEAR BRANCH, AND GOSLING. WE HAD CLOSE TO 300 TEAMS. IT'S OUR PRESEASON EVENT SO WE ARE KICKING IT OFF WITH A LARGE AMOUNT OF TEAMS. WE HAD VISITORS COMING FROM AS FAR AS LOUISIANA, DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO, AND AUSTIN.
SO TEAMS WERE COMING FROM FARTHER AFIELD AS WELL AS OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS WERE INVOLVED. WE USED THE HOTELS OF THE TOWNSHIP AS PRIORITY NUMBER ONE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE HUGE AMOUNT OF TEAMS THAT WE HAD, WE HAD TO GO FURTHER AFIELD ONTO I-45. SO PRIORITY WAS THE TOWNSHIP HOTELS. WE FILLED THOSE. I WILL COME BACK WITH YOU -- I WILL COME BACK TO YOU WITH A SPECIFIC REPORT ON THAT WHEN ALL THE FIGURES ARE DONE. AGES U- 19 TO U-9.
SO THE LITTLE ONEALIZE THE WAY UP TO THE OLDEST AGE GROUP THAT WE OFFER IN THE CLUB. AND WE HAD FORMATS OF 7 VERSUS 7, 9 VERSUS 9, 11 VERSUS 11. SO BASICALLY THE FIRST EVENT OF THE YEAR. IT WAS A VERY HOT WEEKEND.
WE HAD 500 PLUS GAMES, AND WE STARTED THE GAMES ON FRIDAY NIGHT THIS WEEKEND. SO TO GET MORE IN FRIDAY NIGHT ALL THE WAY THROUGH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
WE HAD A HICCUP WITH THE WEATHER.
WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A STORM CELL COME THROUGH, BUT WE GOT THEM IN. AND IT WAS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE, AND IT WAS AN ENJOYABLE EVENT.
SO WE'RE EXCITED FOR THE FALL SEASON.
IT STARTED, AND I WILL COME BACK AND REPORT A LITTLE BIT MORE ONCE WE GET FURTHER INTO THE SEASON. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU THE BOARD, THE TOWNSHIP STAFF, AND ALSO THE MEMBERS OF OUR CLUB. IT'S GOING TO BE AN EXCITING YEAR. THANK YOU.
>> IF WE GET THIS THING WRAPPED UP SOON ENOUGH,
[ CONSENT AGENDA]
I'VE GOT TO GO PICK MY SON UP FROM PRACTICE.ALL RIGHT, AGENDA ITEM 6, CONSENT AGENDA, SUCH ITEMS ARE NONCONTROVERSIAL AGENDA ITEMS. NO DISCUSSION WILL TAKE PLACE IN ANY OF THESE ITEMS UNLESS IT IS ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND PLACED ON THE REGULAR AGENDA BY ANY BOARD MEMBER PRIOR TO TAKING A MOTION ON THE ITEM.
>> MOVED BY RICHARD, SECONDED BY CRAIG EISSLER.
[7. Receive, consider and act upon an update from the San Jacinto River Authority regarding flood mitigation;]
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RESPOND BY SAYING AYE.>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 7 RECEIVE AND CONSIDER AND ACT UPON AN UPDATE FROM THE SAN JACINTO RIVER AUTHORITY REGARDING FLOOD MITIGATION.
I CALL ON TODD STEVENS ASSISTANT THE PRESIDENT TO REPORT. TODD.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF DIRECTORS. I'M JUST GOING TO BEGIN BY SETTING THE STAGE FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM, AND WE'LL HAVE OUR GUEST PRESENT SOME INFORMATION TO YOU THIS EVENING. THE BOARD HAD ASKED IN LIGHT OF IT BEING HURRICANE SEASON. OBVIOUSLY SEPTEMBER IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST MONTHS TYPICALLY FOR HURRICANES IN OUR AREA AS WELL AS OBVIOUSLY EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THROUGHOUT TEXAS IN RECENT MONTHS RELATED TO FLOODING AND PARTICULAR IN THE -- AREA FOR EXAMPLE, HILL COUNTRY. SO THE BOARD ASKED FOR AN UPDATE ON MITIGATION PARTICULARLY SPRING CREEK AS THAT WAS A CONCERN. SO FOLLOWING HURRICANE HARVEY THERE WAS A LOT OF ATTENTION PUT ON THE SAN JACINTO RIVER CREEK AREA TO DETERMINE WHAT PROJECTS MAY BE NECESSARY TO LOOK AT MITIGATING FLOOD IMPACTS BOTH IN THIS AREA AND FURTHER DOWN STREAM IN THE KINGWOOD AREA, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT TOOK A LOT OF DAMAGE FOLLOWING HARVEY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UMIN ALL THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAPPENED WHEN THE STATE DESIGNED ITS FIRST FLOOD FIVE-YEAR PLAN, DEVELOPED A FLOOD INFRASTRUCTURE FUND. LOCALLY WE HAD GROUPS PUTTING IN MONEYS TO LOOK AT FEASIBILITY STUDIES. ONE WAS YOU HAVE TO GO FURTHER WEST. SAN JACINTO AUTHORITY AND SOME OF THEIR PARTNERS HAVE BEEN CITING WEST OF US IN ORDER
[00:10:06]
TO BE ABLE TO MITIGATE DOWNSTREAM FLOODING THROUGHOUT MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND FURTHER INTO KINGWOOD.THIS EVENING WE HAVE MATT BARRETT ON THEIR FEASIBILITY STUDY TO COME AND GIVE AN UPDATE ON THAT FLOOD CONTROL STUDY AND THE FEASIBILITY STUDY. AND THEN AFTER HE'S FINISHED, I'LL COME BACK. ED IS GOING TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON BEAR BRANCH DAM, AND WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE FOLLOWING THIS ONE TO TALK ABOUT WOODLANDS FOREST AND A NEED TO GET EVACUATION ORDERS THROUGH THAT AREA.
SO IF YOU WOULD I'M GOING TO LET MATT BARRETT PRESENT AT THIS
TIME. >> GOOD EVENING, DIRECTORS. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU HAVING ME TONIGHT. THE ITEM UP, SO I'M GOING TO JUMP RIGHT IN. STARTING WITH A BIT OF BACKGROUND. SPRING CREEK WATERSHED HAS A DOCUMENTED HISTORY WITH FLOODING OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES. GOING BACK TO 1994, SEVERE FLOOD. OF COURSE HURRICANE HARVEY IN 2017, ALMOST 30 INCHES OF ON THE WATERSHED. AND IN CONSECUTIVE YEARS WATERSHED IN 2016 AND ALL THAT TO SAY SPRING CREEK IS GOOD EXAMPLE FOR MITIGATION PROJECTS.
THE SPRING CREEK WERE ONE OF SEVERAL PROJECTS ANALYZED.
THIS STUDY LOOKED AT THE ENTIRE UPPER SAN JACINTO RIVER BASIN, WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE UPPER AREA OF YOUR SCREEN.
THE GOALS OF THAT STUDY WERE TO DEVELOP NEW MODELING FOR THE BASIN, IDENTIFY FLOOD RISK AREAS IN THE BASIN AND ULTIMATELY TO RECOMMEND FLOOD MITIGATION SOLUTIONS OR PROJECTS. 16 MAJOR PROJECTS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED IN THAT STUDY, TWO OF THEM WERE THE FLOOD CONTROL DAMS AND SPRING CREEK WATERSHED, I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT HERE TONIGHT. BASED ON THAT RECOMMENDATION, SJ PARTNERED WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, FIVE WOODLANDS AREAS MUDS MANAGED BY WOODLANDS AREA WATER AGENCY AND ALSO GOT GRANTS TO DO A FEASIBILITY STUDY TO DIVE DEEPER INTO THESE PROJECTS AND REALLY DETERMINE ARE THEY COST- EFFECTIVE, ARE THEY FEASIBLE, AND DO THEY PROVIDE BENEFITS TO MAKE THEM VIABLE FOR PROCEEDING INTO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. ON THE SCREEN HERE YOU'LL SEE A MAP OF THE SPRING CREEK WATERSHED. SPRING CREEK ITSELF RUNS ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE WATERSHED. IT'S THE SOUTHERN MOST BLUE LINE YOU SEE THERE THAT RUNS ALONG THE BORDER OF HARRIS AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES.
WATER FLOWS WEST TO EAST TERMINATES IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT NEAR LAKE HOUSTON. THE PROPOSED RETENTION BASINS THAT WOULD BE CREATED BY THE PROPOSED DAMS YOU'LL SEE IN THE PINK, ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MAP THERE SITUATED ON PITCH CREEK AND WALNUT CREEK THAT FLOW INTO SPRING CREEK. THE AREA IN RED IS MORE OR LESS THE TOWNSHIP BOUNDARIES JUST TO SHOW THAT THE DAMS WOULD BE UPSTREAM OF THE TOWNSHIP AND THEREFORE WOULD PROVIDE BENEFIT TO THE TOWNSHIP.
ONE OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE CONFIGURATION OF THE DAMS, WHAT THEY WOULD LOOK LIKE.
THESE WULD BE EARTHEN DAMS, EARTHEN LEVY EARTHEN LEVEES FOR A MAJORITY OF THE DAM. ON THE TOP OF THE DAM THERE WOULD BE AN OVERFLOW HIGH FLOW SPILLWAY SIMILAR TO THE PICTURE YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT. THE WAY THAT WORK IF YOU IMAGINE HERE YOU'RE STANDING AT THE END OF DAM, YOU CAN SEE THAT LOW COVER AT THE BOTTOM, THE SPILLWAY ON THE TOP. THESE ARE WHAT WE WOULD CALL DRY BOTTOM DAM. UNLIKE LAKE CONROE OR BEAR BRANCH, THESE WOULD NOT HAVE WATER UP STREAM OF THEM AT ALL-TIMES. THAT AREA COULD BE USED FOR SOCCER FIELDS, FOR PARKS, FOR TRAILS, THOSE KIND OF THINGS. ONLY DURING A MAJOR STORM EVENT WOULD THE WATER BUILD UP BEHIND THE DAM AND GO BACK DOWN SLOWLY OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW DAYS OR A WEEK. O SON A SUNNY DAY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SEE HERE, THE WATER WOULD JUST CONTINUE DOWN THE CREEK, GO THROUGH THAT LOW FLOW OUTLET AND NO WATER WOULD BE BACKED UP BEHIND THE DAM.
IN A SMALL STORM EVENT SAY A COUPLE OF INCHES OF RAIN, THE CREEK WOULD RISE BUT STILL ALL BE HANDLED BY THAT LOW FLOW OUTLET, BE NO WATER BACKED UP BEHIND THE DAM AND GO ON MORE OR LESS HOW IT DOES TODAY. WHEN YOU GET INTO A MORE MODERATE STORM EVENT SAY 6 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN, THAT'S WHEN THE WATER WOULD START BUILDING UP UPSTREAM OF THE DAM AND BE LIKE A BATHTUB. IT WOULD FILL UP AND SLOWLY DRAIN TO THE BOTTOM. THAT SLOWING DOWN OF FLOW IS WHAT PROVIDES THE FLOOD MITIGATION DOWNSTREAM.
THEN WHEN YOU HAVE A MAJOR STORM EVENT SAY 15 OR MORE INCHES OF RAIN, THAT'S WHEN THE WATER WOULD STACK UP TO A POINT IT WOULD ENGAGE THAT HIGH FLOW, OVERFLOW SPILLWAY AT THE TOP OF THE DAM, AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS ENSURE THE WATER GOES OVER AT THE DESIGN PILLWAY AND DOES NOT IMPACT THE EARTHEN PART OF THE DAM AND CREATE STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE CONFIGURATION OF THE DAM WOULD BE, ANOTHER COMPONENT OF THE STUDY WAS DETERMINING THE
[00:15:02]
BEST LOCATION FOR THE DAM. AND THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS WE WOULD TO LOOK AT WHEN LOOKING AT LOCATION. ONE IS MINIMIZING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS. THERE COULD BE WETLANDS, ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITATS, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.TRY TO LOCATE THE DAM IN SUCH A WAY WE AVOID IMPACTS TO THOSE BECAUSE THAT CAN CREATE HIGH COST TO MITIGATE AS WELL AS LOT OF TIME GOING FOR PERMITS, THAT KIND OF THING.
I ALSO WANT TO MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF EARTH WORK REQUIRED. THESE RESERVOIRS WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED DIGGING. THERE'D BE NO DIGGING OUT OF A RESERVOIR. IT'D SIMPLY BE PUTTING OUT A DAM. OUR WHOLE GOAL IS MAXIMIZE BENEFITS DOWNSTREAM. SO WE'VE GOT TO FIND, AGAIN, THAT SWEET SPOT THAT AVOIDS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, MINIMAL COST, BUT STILL PROVIDES GOOD BENEFITS DOWNSTREAM. SO WHAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE, THIS WAS THE INITIAL PROPOSED INUNDATION LIMITS UPSTREAM OF THE DAM OF BIRCH CREEK DAM. THE HORIZONTAL LINE YOU SEE THAT'S WHERE THE DAM WOULD BE. THE YELLOW LINE IS WHERE WE PROJECTED THE FLOOD WATERS WOULD GO TO DURING A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD EVENT UPSTREAM OF THE DAM. THE ORANGE OR RED WOULD BE THE PROBABLE MAXIMUM FLOOD OR MPF.
THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE LARGEST FLOOD YOU WOULD EXPECT TO OCCUR. THOSE ARE THE LIMITS WITH THE INITIAL LAYOUT OF THE DAM. ONCE WE GOT INTO THIS STUDY WE RECOGNIZED THAT THE MODELING THAT WAS DONE AS PART OF THE MASTER DRAINAGE FIVE-YEAR PLAN WAS OVERLY E AND WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPTIMIZE THESE DAMS TO MAKE THEM SMALLER. NOW SHOWING THE OPTIMIZED REDUCED SIZED DAM. THE AREA UPSTREAM THAT WOULD BE FLOODED WAS REDUCED BY ABOUT 200 ACRES.
AND THOSE THINGS MINIMIZES -- IT REDUCES THE COST OF YOUR DAM, REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF LAND YOU HAVE TO ACQUIRE WHICH ALSO REDUCES COST.
THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS. THE BAD NEWS WHEN WE GOT INTO THIS PROJECT WE ALSO FOUND TWO PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS CONFLICTING WITH THESE DAMS. AT BIRCH CREEK THERE'S A RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, THE WOOD HAVEN DEVELOPMENT WE FOUND WAS PROPOSED. YOU SEE THE KIND OF CHECKERBOARD CROSSHATCHING THERE. THAT IS THE AREA WHERE THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS PROPOSED TO BE, AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S RIGHT, SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR PROMISED RESERVOIR. IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF THAT IMAGE YOU CAN SEE WHERE SOME CLEARING AND DEVELOPMENT HAD ALREADY OCCURRED. SIMILARLY ON THE WALNUT CREEK DAM YOU CAN SEE THE INITIAL LIMITS, AND THEN ONCE WE OPTIMIZE SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER FLOOD BOUNDARY UPSTREAM OF THE DAM, WE REDUCED THIS DAM, ABOUT 300 FLOOD ACRES REDUCED.
AT THIS DAM, THOUGH, WE FOUND A SOLAR FARM PROPOSED TO BE CONSTRUCTED AT THE AREA. IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE BUT KIND OF THE GRAYISH, BROWN BLOCKY LOOKING AREAS AROUND THE RESERVOIR THOSE ARE ALREADY INSTALLED SOLAR PANELS THAT WERE INSTALLED WHILE WE WERE DOING THIS STUDY. THE GOOD NEWS ON THIS SITE IS YOU'LL SEE THERE'S VERY LITTLE OF THOSE SOLAR PANELS ACTUALLY INSIDE THE YELLOW AND THE ORANGE. ONLY ABOUT 100 ACRES WORTH OF PANELS, AND WHILE IT WILL LEAD TO INCREASED COSTS, WHICH WE BUILT INTO THE STUDY, WE FEEL IT'S STILL VIABLE TO MOVE THOSE PANELS. WE GO TO BUILD THIS DAM, WE CAN MOVE THESE PANELS TO ANOTHER LOCATION AND STILL PROCEED WITH THE DAM.
GETTING NOW INTO THE BENEFITS. ON THE LEFT IT SHOWS VARIOUS LOCATIONS ALONG SPRING CREEK.
TO THE RIGHT OF THE COLUMN SHOW EACH OF THE DAMS, BIRCH, WALNUT, AND THEN BOTH DAMS COMBINED.
AND THE NUMBERS YOU SEE ARE THE REDUCTION IN FLOOD ELEVATION IN THE CREEK AT THOSE VARIOUS LOCATIONS FOR A HUNDRED- YEAR STORM EVENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU GO TO THE MIDDLE OF THAT GRAY COLUMN IN A HUNDRED YEAR STORM EVENT WE EXPECT IT TO BE 6 INCHES LOWER TODAY IF WALNUT CREEK WERE CONSTRUCTED.
THE TOWNSHIP IS ROUGHLY BOUNDED BY 2978 ON THE WEST AND I- 45 ON THE EAST.
YOU CAN SEE LOOKING AT WALNUT THERE'S ABOUT A 4 TO 6- INCH REDUCTION THROUGHOUT THAT AREA.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMBINED DAMS, ROUGHLY A 5 TO 10- INCH REDUCTION OF THE AREA.
SO SOME FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTIONS IN CREEK ELEVATION WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP AREA.
SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THE BENEFITS EVEN MORE, THESE ARE THE BENEFITTED STRUCTURES THAT ARE PROJECTED. THIS IS THE BIRCH CREEK DAM.
IT'S VERY SIMILAR FOR WALNUT CREEK.
THE DIFFERENT COLORS ARE SIMPLY SHOWING DIFFERENT COUNTIES. THE BROWN BEAK WALNUT COUNTY, THE RED WEEK MONTGOMERY, AND THE PURPLE BEING HARRIS. YOU CAN SEE QUITE A BIT OF STRUCTURES SHOW TO BE BENEFITTED BY THE DAM.
ONE THING I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR WHEN WE SAY BENEFITTED THAT DOES NOT MEAN THE STRUCTURE WOULD NO LONGER FLOOD IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
BENEFIT MEANS IT WOULD SIMPLY EXPERIENCE LESS FLOODING ELEVATION THAN IT DOES NOW.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INSTRUCTTURES THAT WOULD NO LONGER FLOOD, AT LEAST BE PROJECTED TO NO LONGER FLOOD.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF BOTH DAMS ARE CONSTRUCTED, THERE'S ABOUT A THOUSAND STRUCTURES WE PROJECT WOULD BENEFIT, HAVE REDUCED FLOODING. BUT THERE'S ABOUT A HUNDRED OR MAYBE A LITTLE MORE THAN
[00:20:01]
A HUNDRED THAT WOULD NO LONGER FLOOD IF HURRICANE HARVEY WERE TO HAPPEN AGAIN. SO SOME SUBSTANTIAL BENEFITS FROM THE PROJECT. THESE ARE VERY SIMILAR SHOWING THE STRUCTURES FOR THE WALNUT CREEK DAM.SO WITH A STUDY LIKE THIS IT ALWAYS BOILS TO WHAT IS THE BENEFIT COST RATIO.
FOR A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE YOU CAN SEE BIRCH CREEK TOTAL COST ESTIMATED ABOUT 100 MILLION. F1 WALNUT CREEK ESTIMATED ABOUT 200 MILLION. WHEN WE GET TO PROJECTS OF THAT MAGNITUDE, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE AT LEAST STATE FUNDING, LIKELY FEDERAL FUNDING TO GET SOMETHING THAT BIG OFF THE GROUND.
TO GET FEDERAL FUNDING YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW A POSITIVE, A ONE BENEFIT COST RATIO MEANING YOUR BENEFITS OUTWEIGH YOUR COST. THESE PROJECTS LIKE MANY IF NOT MOST LARGE FLOOD PROJECTS, THEY DON'T ACHIEVE A BENEFIT COST RATIO OF ONE, PURELY BASED ON STRUCTURAL BENEFITS. IF YOU'RE PURELY LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF STRUCTURES YOU REDUCE FLOODING IN COMPARED TO THE COST, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET THERE. HOWEVER, FEMA AT THE TIME OF THE STUDY ALLOW SOCIAL BENEFITS. THEY ALLOW TO PUT A DOLLAR AMOUNT OF THINGS OF PEOPLE BEING OUT OF WORK, THOSE INTANGIBLE THINGS THEY PUT DOLLAR AMOUNTS TO THOSE. YOU CAN SEE WE DID ACHIEVE AN OVER TO ONE COST BENEFIT RATIO ON BOTH PROJECTS.
AND SO FINALLY OUR CONCLUSIONS AND OUR NEXT STEPS.
FIRST, WE FOUND THE PROPOSED DAMS CAN PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL BENEFITS TO THE SPRING CREEK WATERSHED.
WE SHOWED THAT WITH ALL THE STRUCTURES THAT WOULD BENEFIT AND MANY STRUCTURES THAT WOULD BE REMOVED FROM FLOODING.
AND WE FOUND THEY ARE COST- EFFECTIVE BASED ON FEMA STANDARDS AND COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS.
NOW, SOMETHING I'VE ADDED IN RED AT THE BOTTOM, WHEN WE COMPLETED OUR DRAFT REPORT, PUT IT OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, IN THE TIME IT WAS OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PULLED THE SOCIAL BENEFITS FROM THEIR ALLOWED PROCESS. SO CURRENTLY THOSE SOCIAL BENEFITS ARE NOT PART OF THE PROCESS. WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THEY'RE GOING TO REINTRODUCE THOSE OR REDEFINE THEM IN SOME WAY.
I BELIEVE WHAT TAKES OUR DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND CORP OF ENGINEERS ARE BOTH LOOKING AT WAYS TO INCORPORATE NONSTRUCTURAL BENEFITS TO PROJECT COSTS.
THEY RECOGNIZE STRUCTURAL DOESN'T GET YOU THERE ON BIG FLOOD PROJECTS. HOPEFULLY THEY'LL COME BACK.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT FORM THEY'LL COME BACK IN, BUT HOPEFULLY THEY WON'T BE GONE FOREVER.
OUR NEXT STEPS ON THE PROJECT TO SHARE WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAKEHOLDERS SUCH AS YOURSELVES, GARNER WHAT SUPPORT THERE IS AND DETERMINE WHO IS BEHIND THE PROJECT, WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT WE CAN GET FOR IT.
A BIG STEP IS GOING TO IDENTIFY A PROJECT OWNER AND A SPONSOR. ESTUARY LED THE STUDY BUT ESTUARY DOES NOT HAVE TAXING AUTHORITY, WE DON'T HAVE CUSTOMERS WHO PAY A DIRECT FEE TO US FOR FLOOD MANAGEMENT.
WE DON'T HAVE MUCH FUNDING TO PUT TOWARDS THESE PROJECTS.
EVEN IF WE CAN IDENTIFY GRANT FUNDING, $3 HILL MILLION TO BUILD THE PROJECTS WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO OPERATE AND OWN AND MAINTAIN LONG-TERM. WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY A PROJECT OWNER AND FUNDING SOURCE THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR THE LONG- TERM FUNDING AND MAINTENANCE OF THESE PROJECTS.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG NEXT STEP. ONCE WE CAN NAIL THAT DOWN THEN WHOEVER THE ENTITY WAS CAN PURSUE FUNDING FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.
AND AS PART OF THAT, OF COURSE, WE'D HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH THOSE LANDOWNERS AND DEVELOPMENT TO SEE IF WE CAN WORK OUT FOR THOSE PROJECTS TO COEXIST WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT ON THE GROUND AND PLANT. THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS
YOU HAVE. >> WHAT KIND OF STATE FUNDING ON THIS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS YOU WOULD GO TO? JUST TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD OR --
>> THAT'S THE BIG ONE THAT'S THERE NOW.
OF COURSE IN THE RECENT LEGISLATURE THERE WAS TALK ABOUT HAVING MORE STATE FUNDING KIND OF GOING WITH THIS BIG- WATER FUNDING THAT CAME OUT. WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW MUCH IS AVAILABLE FOR STATE PROJECTS.
>> I KNOW MY FRIEND STATE REPRESENTATIVE SAM HARLISS WAS ABLE TO GET $78 MILLION THIS LAST YEAR FROM THE STATE THAT WAS MATCHED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AT THE SAME TIME. SO ALMOST $158 MILLION OF STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING JUST FOR FLOOD MITIGATION RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM US
SURE. >> ARE THERE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT TO GO TO PROJECTS LIKE
THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D HAVE TO WORK WITH REPRESENTATIVE AND DETERMINE WHAT'S AVAILABLE AND WHAT'S OUT THERE.
BUT DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE WOULD PURSUE,
YES. >> WOULD LETTERS OF SUPPORT BY THE TOWNSHIP AND OTHER AREA MUNICIPALITIES, WOULD THAT HELP?
WOULD. >> BECAUSE IF IT'S OVER THE 1. -- WHAT'D YOU SAY THE 1.
0 THRESHOLD IS SOMETHING THAT ATTRACTS THE ATTENTION OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?
>> IT IS, YES. OVER THAT THRESHOLD GETS YOU THERE.
>> HAVE YOU TALKED TO CONGRESSMAN
LETRELL? >> WE BROACHED THE TOPIC WITH CONGRESSMAN LETRELL. WE BROACHED IT WITH NUMEROUS ELECTED OFFICIALS. WE'RE JUST NOW WRAPPING UP THE STUDY SO NOW WE HAVE A FINAL DOCUMENT WE'LL BE IN MORE OF A POSITION TO KIND OF SELL IT
[00:25:01]
WITH THAT FINALREPORT. >> BUT YOU'RE NEEDING THE SOCIAL BENEFITS TO WE INCLUDED, RIGHT?
>> IS THAT ON BOTH OF THEM? I KNOW ONE OF THEM WAS
1.05. >> I BELIEVE THEY BOTH NEEDED IT TO GET OVER 1, YES.
>> I KNOW THAT SJRA AND THE WOODLANDS HAVE BEEN PARTNERS SINCE THE INCEPTION OF SJRA.
AND THE PROJECT LIFT AS WELL AS DURING HURRICANE HARVEYHARVEY THE BEAR BRANCH DAM REALLY ALLEVIATED PERHAPS WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED DURING THOSE TIMES. SO IF IT'S 50 YEARS, ARE THERE INFRASTRUCTURES IN PLACE THAT ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED? >> WELL, THE NEXT PROJECT ACTUALLY FITS WELL WITH THAT.
I WAS GOING TO COME UP AND GIVE AN UPDATE ON OUR BEAR BRANCH DAM SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE.
OUR LAKE CONROE DAM IS ALSO AROUND 50 YEARS OLD, SO THERE'S ALWAYS REHAB THAT HAS TO BE DONE THERE. THOSE ARE THE TWO BIG FLOOD- RELATED INFRASTRUCTURES.
>> THE STRUCTURE YOU SHOWED WITH THE HIGH AND LOW, IS THAT BENCHMARKED OFF OF OTHER PLACES?
>> THE WATER FALL AND THEN THE --
>> THOSE WERE EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DAMS THAT WERE INSTALLED SO IT WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YES.
>> ALL RIGHT, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU. IT WAS A GOOD DAM REPORT.
>> IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY. THAT WAS AWESOME.
THIS IS THE ONE I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT BECAUSE RIGHT ACROSS IS MY HOUSE. NO PRESSURE.
>> ED IS ACTUALLY PART OF THIS ONE AS WELL.
OKAY, SO THE CHAIRMAN PROVIDED A GOOD SEGUE IN TALKING ABOUT FUNDING, FEDERAL FUNDING IN PARTICULAR.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS BOARD DOES IS OBVIOUSLY WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO FIND THOSE TYPES OF FUNDS IN OUR FEDERAL AND STATE RESOURCES. AND ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT THIS BOARD HAS SUPPORTED IS REHABILITATION OF OUR BEAR BRANCH DAM.
LAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS AGO I THINK IT WAS WE PROVIDED A LETTER OF SUPPORT WITH CONGRESSMAN CRENSHAW WHO SECURED FEDERAL FUNDING TO BEGIN SOME OF THE REHABILITATION.
EARLIER THIS YEAR THIS BOARD ISSUED A LETTER OF SUPPORT AGAIN TO CONGRESSMAN CRENSHAW'S OFFICE TO SUPPORT HIS BID TO GO FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING. ED SHACKLEFORD IS GOING TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT PROJECT.
>> WE RECEIVED FUNDING FROM CRENSHAW --
>> FROM THE FIRST ROUND. THE SECOND ROUND IS CURRENTLY IN PROCESS IN
CONGRESS. >> I JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION.
>> GOOD EVENING. >> BEFORE YOU START THERE, I SEE AS ON THAT DAM. IS THAT THE ANN SNYDER
>> TOO FUNNY, CHAIRMAN BAILEY.
>> TO CARRY THE THEME, THAT'S THE DAM DAM. YOU'RE LOOKING UPSTREAM FROM BEAR BRANCH DAM. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS THE CONCRETE PORTION YOU SEE, NOT ANY OF THETHE PORTION. SO WHAT YOU'VE GOT THERE, HERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXPLANATION OF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. SO THE MIDDLE PART IS THE SERVICE SPILLWAY, AND THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL PROJECT THAT YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT. AND LEFT AND RIGHT AS A SERVICE SPILLWAY IS THAT EARTHEN THE BANKMENT. AND THEN DOWNSTREAM OR THE CONCRETE PORTION YOU SAW EARLIER IS THE AUXILIARY SPILLWAY, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS THE EMERGENCY SPILLWAY. SO DURING THE 2015, 2016 RAINS WATER WAS OVERTOPPING THE UX ILRY SPILLWAY, AND WE -- I THINK WE HAVE VIDEO OF KIDS WAKE BOARDING THROUGH THE WATER DOWNSTREAM. SO AND THEN THE RESERVOIR ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE. JUST REAL QUICKLY WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH THE MUDS ABOUT THE BEAR BRANCH DAM ALL WEEK, AND ONE OF THE DIRECTORS BECAUSE OF HIS CONCERN ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE DAM WAS IF YOU LOWER THE RESERVOIR DOES THAT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. AND THE QUICK ANSWER TO THAT IS NO BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE THE WATER STAYS BELOW THE FLOW LINE OF THE SERVICE SPILLWAY. SO THIS IS -- THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS DIFFERENT CATEGORIES FOR THE TYPES OF DAMS THAT EXIST IN TEXAS.
THIS IS AN INTERMEDIATE HEIGHT HIGH HAZARD DAM. HIGH HAZARD BECAUSE THERE'S PROPERTY AND LIVES AT STAKE AT DOWNSTREAM. INTERMEDIATE BECAUSE OF THE HEIGHT OF THE DAM. LAKE CONROE IS A HIGH HAZARD DAM
[00:30:01]
BECAUSE IT'S 75 FEET TALL, AND THERE'S A LOT OF PROPERTY AND POTENTIAL LOSS OF LIFE DOWNSTREAM IF IT WERE TO BREACH. SO YOU'LL HEAR THAT REFERRED TO OFF AND ON. THIS IS A CROSS- SECTION OF BEAR BRANCH DAM, AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS -- I'M GOING TO TRY MAYBE. NOPE. HOW DO I USE THE CURSOR? CURSOR'S NOT GOING TO SHOW UP THERE.SO THE VERY TOP LINE, TOWARDS THE TOP OF THE SLIDE THAT IS THE CONCRETE WALLS ON THE SIDE PLUS THE -- PLUS THE SPILLWAY. AND THE MIDDLE DOUBLE LINE, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST WAY I KNOW TO DESCRIBE IT IS THE FLOW LINE OF THE SERVICE SPILLWAY. AND THEN PARABOLIC SHAPE IS THE AUXILIARY SPILLWAY. IT BUILDS UP ABOUT 14 FEET TALL BEFORE IT STARTS SPILLING OVER ON THE AUXILIARY SPILLWAY. THE PICTURE ON THE FAR RIGHT CORNER THOSE WERE THE WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH, AND THAT'S ONE OF THINGS CAUSING THE PROBLEM IN TODAY'S CONDITION OF THE DAM. THEY DON'T HAVE PLASTIC WATER STOPS IN BETWEEN THE JOINTS.
THEY'RE NOT OVERLAPPING, AND SO WATER DOES GET BETWEEN THE JOINTS. THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE FOR US FOR THE LAST 15, 20 YEARS. SO A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE WENT IN AND DID SOME VOID REPAIR BECAUSE WATER HAD GOTTEN UNDER THE SPILLWAY SLAB, AND YOU COULD SEE WHERE DIRT, SOIL HAD ERODED OUT FROM UNDER THE DAM AND COME OUT ON THE BOTTOM SIDE.
WE THINK WE GOT ONE OF THE VOIDS FILLED, BUT ONE OF THE ISSUES THE CONSULTANT HAS RAISED WITH THIS DAM IS THE SLAB IS NOT THICK ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND THE UPLIFT PRESSURE IF WATER GOT UNDER THE SLAB AND LIFTED IT AND PUSHED IT DOWNSTREAM. THIS NEXT SLIDE GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE JOINTS SHOULD LOOK LIKE WITHOUT GETTING INTO A WHOLE LOT OF DETAIL.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT HE HAS RAISED WITH HIS
STUDY. >> CAN YOU GO BACK ONE SLIDE? AND I APOLOGIZE.
>> BUT THE SUBJECT TO FLOTATION OR HYDRAULIC JACKING.
>> THAT'S THE WATER GETTING UNDER THE SLAB.
AND IF ENOUGH OF IT DOES, THEN IT HAS MORE FORCE AND PRESSURE THAT COULD LIFT THE CONCRETE, SEPARATE THE CONCRETE, AND CAUSE THE CONCRETE TO SHIFT AND BLOW
I HAVE A PICTURE OF THAT BUT IT'S NOT PRETTY.
NOT OF THIS DAM BUT ANOTHER DAM SIMILAR. SO THOSE ARE THE JOINTS. THESE ARE STANDARD DESIGNS FOR THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION. THE TCQ DOES REGULATE DAMS IN TEXAS BUT THEY DON'T GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF DAM DESIGN. THEY RELY ON OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE MORE IN TUNE WITH THOSE
REQUIREMENTS. >> LIKE WHAT AGENCY?
>> BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, CORP OF ENGINEERS HAS A NUBER OF DAMS AND MOST OF THOSE ARE URBERN WITH A CONCRETE SPILLWAY OF SOME SORT, OR THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT WAY OF LETTING WATER OUT.
OR THEY HAVE AN OFF-CHANNEL SIDE SPILLWAY SIMILAR TO LAKE HOUSTON WHERE THEY ONLY HAVE TWO GATES SO THEIR NOT RELYING ON THE GATES TO LET WATER OUT. WATER BUILDS UP A CERTAIN HEIGHT, AND THEN IT SPILLS OVER THEIR WEIR OR THEIR SIDE CHANNEL. BEAR BRANCH DAM, IT GOES THROUGH THE SERVICE OUTLET, AND THEN IT GOES OVER THESE AUXILIARY SPILLWAY AND IF YOU HAVE A STORM IT COULD OVER TOP AND THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE SOME BREACH. THIS IS THE OPINION THAT THE ENGINEERS THAT WE HIRED OFFERED US. THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT TOP PARAGRAPH IT SAYS A MORE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO REHABILITATING THE SPILLWAY IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
THEY SAY IMMEDIATELY. AND SINCE REHABILITATING THE SERVICE SPILLWAY WAS NOT ADDRESSED OR DOESN'T ADDRESS SIMILAR ISSUES, WE'VE GOT TO BE DOING SOMETHING. AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE WILL TALK ABOUT FUNDING.
AND BY THE WAY, I'M NOT HERE TO ASK FOR FUNDING.
>> THANK YOU. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR LOANS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BANK OF TOWNSHIP.
>> I UNDERSTAND. SO OUR FIRST PROJECT WHICH WAS THE SPALWAY SPILLWAY AND THE UPSTREAM SIDE WE GOT 3. 6
[00:35:04]
MILLION FROM CONGRESSMAN CRENSHAW.THE PROJECT HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNED, SO WE HAVE A SHORTFALL OF ABOUT $2 MILLION ON PHASE ONE. AND THAT'S -- THAT'S JUST THE SERVICE SPILLWAY AND THE SOIL
CEMENT. >> IS THE -- LET ME BACK UP REAL QUICK. IS THE GRANT THAT YOU HAVE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH CONGRESSMAN CRENSHAW, IS IT A DONE DEAL? YOU'RE JUST WAITING ON FUNDING?
>> NO, WE HAVE THE FUNDING. THE $3. 6 MILLION WE
OKAY. >> SO PHASE TWO, THIS IS THE PART THAT WE WEREN'T AWARE OF UNTIL CONSULTANT DELIVERED HIS PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT WHERE I'S RECOMMENDING REPLACE AUXILIARY SPILLWAY.
YOU CAN SEE THE ESTIMATED COST OF $7.
1 MILLION. TODD MENTIONED YOU HAD OFFERED A LETTER OF SUPPORT TO CONGRESSMAN CRENSHAW FOR A SECOND REQUEST OF FUNDING FOR $5 MILLION.
HE HAS PUT THAT IN HIS ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS, SO WE'RE WAITING ON CONGRESS TO PASS THE BUDGET.
SO IT'S -- WE THINK IT'S -- WE THINK IT'S A DONE DEAL, BUT FUNDS WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE PROBABLY UNTIL EARLY SPRING NEXT YEAR.
>> YEP. >> BUT IN THE MEANTIME WE HAVE SOME ENGINEERING TO DO, AND WE HAVE SOME OTHER -- SOME OTHER ASPECTS TO DO.
FORTUNATELY, WE DON'T HAVE TO ACQUIRE ANY RIGHT AWAY, BUT THE TOTAL PROJECT HAS AN ESTIMATED COST OF 14 MILLION WITH ALL THE ENGINEERING, ALL THE CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL TESTING AND ALL THE INSPECTION AND THE CONSTRUCTION GO WITH IT. THIS -- IF SCHEDULE WERE PERFECT WE COULD BE IN DESIGN SAY LIKE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR AND PROBABLY BE GOING OUT FOR CONSTRUCTION THE MIDDLE OF 2027. AND -- AND IT WOULD TAKE PROBABLY 18 MONTHS TO TWO YEARS TO CONSTRUCT.
>> SAY THAT. HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM JUST A CONSTRUCTION STANDPOINT?
>> YOU'D HAVE TO MAINTAIN BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN A STORM'S GOING TO COME, SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE SOME WAY TO GET WATER THROUGH WHILE YOU'RE WORKING ON ONE SIDE OF THE DAM.
AND THEN YOU SHIFT OVER AND WORK ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND YOU PUT IN EITHER SEAT PILING OR SOME OTHER WAY TO ROUTE WATER.
AND THEN THE CONTRACTOR WOULD HAVE MORE THAN LIKELY A BACKUP BYPASS PUMPING
SYSTEM. >> SO PREDOMINANTLY HAS YOUR FUNDING COME FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?
>> WELL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CHART OVER ON THE RIGHT SIDE UNDER THE GREEN, THE CORP, IF THEY HONOR THE 5 MILLION, WOULD HAVE GOTTEN $8. 6 MILLION.
NOW 10% OF THAT GOES FOR CORP PROJECT MANAGEMENT, SO WE TAKE THAT RIGHT OFF THE TOP. SO ACTUAL MONEY WE CAN USE $7.
74 MILLION, AND THEN THE REST OF IT HAS TO COME FROM LOCAL FUNDS.
>> SO LET ME -- LET'S BACK UP FOR A
SURE. >> IF EVERYTHING ALIGNED PERFECT -- I WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT.
IF EVERYTHING ALIGNS PERFECT YOU CAN GET TO LIKE WHAT IN THE BEGIN OF THE YEAR
2026? >> WE CAN START ENGINEERING.
>> SO START ENGINEERING IN 2026.
>> TAKES ABOUT 18 MONTHS TO DESIGN AND PERMIT.
>> OKAY. >> BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY WETLANDS OR ANYTHING WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THERE. TAKES ROUGHLY THREE MONTHS TO ADVERTISE A WARD AND ISSUE A NOTICE TO PROCEED TO THE CONTRACTOR. AND THEN THE CONTRACTOR IS 18 TO 24 MONTHS TO CONSTRUCT.
AND BECAUSE HE'S HAVING TO DO IT IN PHASES, THAT'S WHY IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
SO WHEN WOULD THIS BE FINISHED?
>> GO BACK THREE SLIDES. I THINK TO THE QUOTE -- YEP, RIGHT THERE. THE
QUOTE. >> WHICH ONE? YES, I SEE THE WORD "IMMEDIATE. "
>> I'M -- THIS QUOTE, AND THIS IS A -- I'D LIKE TO SEE THE WHOLE QUOTE.
I'M SURE Y'ALL HAVE IT ON YOUR WEBSITE OR SOMETHING, BUT THIS IS CONCERNING TO ME. BECAUSE LITERALLY THE AMOUNT OF HOMES THAT ARE ALL RIGHT -- LITERALLY RIGHT THERE.
IF YOU GO TO THE OVERVIEW PASS OF THE PICTURE YOU SHOWED IN THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE SLIDE YOU SEE HOMES RIGHT THERE. THAT'S MY
NEIGHBORHOOD. >> LET ME HELP YOU WITH THAT SLIDE.
>> YEAH, YEAH. THAT IS LITERALLY MY
NEIGHBORHOOD. >> THAT IS THE -- IF THE DAM WERE TO BREACH, THAT IS THE AREA IMPACTED.
>> AND I'M TALKING FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD ON THIS AND YOU HEAR A LOT OF THINGS IN THIS COMMUNITY, BUT THERE'S RAMIFICATIONS TO LAKE WOODLANDS IF THAT DAM BREACHES, CORRECT?
>> THAT IS CORRECT. IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM BULLET
POINT. >> THAT'S THE BULLET POINT.
>> I THINK WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING A LOT FASTER.
[00:40:03]
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT -- HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THIS. IF WE NEED TO GO TO AUSTIN, IF WE NEED TO GO TO -- IF WE NEED TO TAKE A TROLLEY TO AUSTIN AND A TROLLEY TO D.C. , WE WILL.THERE'S SO MANY LIVES AND PROPERTY AT RISK FOR THIS.
SEEING THAT JANUARY 2029 IS WHEN WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE AND JUST DON'T THINK IS ACCEPTABLE. AND THIS IS THE FIRST I'VE EVER HEARD ABOUT THIS.
I LITERALLY GOT A PHONE CALL FROM MY FRIEND WALT HERE WHO'S A MUD DIRECTOR AND EXPLAINED EVERYTHING TO ME, AND I -- I FEEL LIKE I'M PRETTY CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY.
I FEEL LIKE I READ A LOT, SPENT A WHOLE WEEK DOING BUDGETS, BUT THIS IS VERY, VERY CONCERNING. THIS IS LIFE AND DEATH STUFF RIGHT HERE.
>> IT IS. FOR THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE TO HAPPEN, IT TAKES A RAINFALL OF OVER 35, 37 INCHES.
RIGHT ON YOUR WATERSHED. IT'S -- SO IT'S -- IF YOU LOOK AT HARVEY IT WAS 15, 17 INCHES IN THE WOODLANDS ROUGHLY. THE 2015, 2016 STORMS WERE 10 TO 15 INCHES OF RAIN. WE HAVEN'T HAD THE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE STORM THAT THIS IN UNIDATION WOULD OCCUR.
>> HARVEY WAS -- IT WAS 30 INCHES UP AT THE LAKE.
>> BUT I THINK YOU ALL WERE AROUND
15. >> YEAH, I WAS GOING TO SAY 17.
>> WHAT ABOUT ALLISON? WASN'T THAT CLOSE TO 30
INCHES? >> IT WAS IN CERTAIN PARTS BUT NOT UP HERE.
>> I JUST REMEMBER BECAUSE THERE WAS TREMENDOUS FLOODING. WE HAD JUST MOVED TO THE WOODLANDS SO --
>> IS THERE ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE IN THE MEANTIME? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, NOT -- I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DOING PATCHWORK AND WHAT NOT.
>> WE HAVE BEEN DOING PATCHWORK. WE'VE BEEN SEALING JOINTS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING INTERIM REPAIRS UNTIL WE COULD GET THIS MAJOR PROJECT UNDER DESIGN. WE SPENT THIS WEEK TALKING TO MUDS ASKING IF THEY WOULD LOOK AT PARTICIPATION.
FIVE MUDS RIGHT NOW PAY FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BEAR BRANCH SYSTEM.
THOSE FIVE MUDS BEING MUD 7, 46, 47, AND 67.
SO WE WERE TALKING TO ALL THE OTHERS.
THE MUDS NOT PART OF THE PARTICIPATION PROJECT HAVE INDICATED THEY ARE INTERESTED IN HEARING MORE ABOUT -- BECAUSE THE WAY THE MUD MEETINGS FALL, NOT EVERYBODY KNEW WHAT THE OTHERS WERE DOING. AND SO WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH ALL THE MUD MEETINGS. ALL BUT ONE OF THE MUDS HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN KNOWING MORE ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND WHAT KIND OF PARTICIPATION THEY MIGHT HAVE IF THEY PAID BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CONNECTIONS WITHIN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO NOW THAT WE KNOW HOW MANY HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST, WE CAN GO BACK AND RUN THE TABLES AND TALK TO THE MUDS THIS NEXT GO AROUND AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE WILLING TO PUT IN.
>> BECAUSE IT COULD AFFECT NOT ONLY THOSE WEST PART OF THE WOODLANDS BUT COULD TRICKLE DOWN WITH LAKE WOODLANDS --
>> FOR THE ALMOST ENTIRETY. I KNOW GROGANS POINT HAS FLOODED SIGNIFICANTLY BEFORE AND THAT'S THE FAR EAST PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO IT COULD ULTIMATELY AFFECT -- IT'S BEEN GOOD WE'VE HAD A REPRESENTATION ON THE ONE WATER TASK FORCE AT WOODLANDS
WATER. >> TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, WE'VE KNOWN ABOUT CERTAIN ISSUES FOR A WHILE. WE'VE RAISED THOSE ISSUES WITH THE MUDS OVER TIME.
THEY STARTED ALLOCATING MORE FUNDING ALONG ABOUT 2021, AND IT'S TAKEN US THIS LONG TO GET TO THIS POINT OF HAVING A -- BASICALLY A PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING ANALYSIS.
>> CAN I ASK -- IS THE LAWSUIT YOU JUST SETTLED --
>> AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU HAD TO PAY TO DEFEND YOURSELF --
>> DID THAT GO TO ANY OF THIS DELAYING OF BEING ABLE TO ATTACK THIS?
>> NO, SIR. BECAUSE THE MUDS ARE PAYING FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BEAR BRANCH SYSTEM. IT'S A SEPARATE ENTERPRISE
>> SO ANYTHING RELATED TO OUR GRANT GROUND WATER REDUCTION PROGRAM IS SOLELY FUNDED WITHIN THE GROUND WATER REDUCTION
PROGRAM. >> COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE FUNDING PAGE? I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'VE GOT THIS STRAIGHT IN MY MIND.
>> I DON'T HAVE IT HERE, BUT HAVE AN UPDATED SLIDE WITH A LITTLE BIT BETTER NUMBERS TO SHOW A BETTER AMOUNT OF WHAT LOCAL PARTICIPATION SHOULD
BE. >> OKAY, AND NONE OF THESE ARE STATE DOLLARS? NONE OF THIS IS FROM THE
[00:45:03]
STATE? >> THESE ARE FROM OUR CONSULTANT BASED ON HIS EXPERIENCE AND HIS NATIONAL DAM ENGINEERING FIRM.
AND THEY'RE BASED ON PROJECTS THAT THEY HAVE ADVERTISED AND CONSTRUCTED
RECENTLY. >> WELL, YOU'VE GIVEN US SOME GREAT, GREAT INFORMATION. AND YOU'VE GIVEN US A GREAT NEED, AND I AM SURE THAT THE BOARD WILL PURSUE WHATEVER AVENUES WE CAN TO ASSIST YOU IN THIS ENDEAVOR. AND I'M SURE TODD WILL BE ON IT AS WELL. ANY OF THOSE KIND OF THINGS WE CAN DO INCLUDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR MUDS, WHICH IS SOMETIMES SORT OF DISTANT FOR US TO BE MORE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN ASSISTING THEM AND HELPING THEM ALONG THE WAY,
>> ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THE COMMENT THAT WAS MENTIONED TO MATT.
CHAIRMAN BAILEY, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT ONE OF THE ENTITIES WAS ABLE TO GET $78 MILLION FROM
THE STATE. >> REPRESENTATIVE SAM HARLISS FOR CHAMPIONS. THIS WAS THE FIRST LEGISLATIVE I CAN RECALL THERE WILL ACTUAL EARMARKS AT THE STATE LEVEL. SO THAT DOES KIND OF OPEN THE DOOR FOR US TO PURSUE SOME EARMARKS AT THE STATE
THIS IS -- THIS IS -- REALLY BECAUSE I LIVE THERE, THESE ARE MY NEIGHBORS. LITERALLY MY DAUGHTER PLAYS IN THE HOUSE THAT'S IN THE PICTURE.
THIS IS SCARY STUFF AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT. AND IF IT'S A FUNDING SITUATION, LET US ALL GO BACK AND TALK AND ABOUT IT.
IF WE NEED TO DO A LOAN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT MY CONCERN IS THE TIMELINE.
>> WE HAVE GOT TO LOOK AT OPTIONS.
THIS IS DANGEROUS, AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OPTIONS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS IN A QUICK MANNER BECAUSE GOD FORBID SOMETHING HAPPENS AND WE'VE SEEN MORE AND MORE WEATHER THINGS HAPPEN THATTHAT SERIOUS RAINS AND SERIOUS RAINFALLS THAT --
>> THIS HAS BEEN A VERY UNUSUAL WEATHER PATTERN THIS YEAR NOT JUST FOR TEXAS BUT THE NATION.
>> AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO STOP.
BUT I'M JUST -- YEAH. IS THERE ANY SOLUTION OF THE BOARD? CINDY, I KNOW YOU AND ANN HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE CLOSER TO THIS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS HOW WE CAN SPEED THINGS UP OR WORK WITH
PARTNERS? >> ONE, IF I MAY, YEARS AGO ONE OF THE KEY RESOURCES THAT MR. MITCHELL STATED WAS THAT WE ALWAYS NEED TO REMEMBER THE VALUE AND THE IMPORTANCE THAT WATER IS OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE. I'M GETTING TO A POINT.
>> I AM. WITH THAT SAID, WE HAVE -- BUT I THINK WE'VE BECOME COMPLACENT BECAUSE IT HASN'T TOUCHED MY BACKYARD.
AND THROUGH WHAT THE WOODLANDS WATER, SJRA, YOU'RE IN THE PROCESS OF EDUCATING THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
>> AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW AND BE AWARE OF -- OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WORKING WITH OUR MUDS AS WELL AS BOTH ENTITIES COULD REALLY HELP.
AND ALSO OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES AS WELL AS OUR CONGRESSMEN, AND IT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WHEN WE ALL DID SOMETHING WITH CRENSHAW, WITH THE LETTER IT WAS SOMETHING THAT HE SAW THAT WE AS A BOARD, AND YOU VOTED FOR THAT -- IT WAS THIS BOARD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE, AND IT WORKED.
AND HE HAS BEEN A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR US IN WASHINGTON.
ANNUALLY. >> TO YOUR SUGGESTION, CHAIRMAN BAILEY, THAT WE DO OUR LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR BOTH LOCAL AS WELL AS STATE AND FEDERAL.
>> AND JUST TO MENTION AND ERIC WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT WE HAD BEEN WORKING ON WITH ONE WATER IN THE PAST, BUT FUNDING IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE FOR EVERY ONE OF THESE PROJECTS.
THE LONGER YOU WAIT, THE HIGHER THE PRICE GOES.
IN A MATTER OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SO WE HAD ASKED THE STATE WHEN WE FIRST STARTED FOR A LITTLE BIT OF HELP ON THIS, AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO HELP. SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND FUNDING FOR OUR LITTLE PROJECT. SO MAYBE WE CAN GET CREATIVE, AND MAYBE WITH HOPEFULLY HEADING THAT WAY WE'LL GET A LITTLE
GO. >> HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO CENTER TO CREATE ON THIS?
>> WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO HIM TOMORROW.
HE CAN BE A BIG HELP TO US ON THIS.
IF WE NEED TO SIGN A LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR TO THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR, THIS IS -- THIS IS REAL STUFF.
[00:50:01]
AND, YOU KNOW, MY QUESTION COULD YOU TAKE OUT A BOUND TO SECURE THE SHORTFALL ON THIS?WE HAVE TO HAVE SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENTS WITH THE MUDS BECAUSE THAT'S WHO WOULD BE PAYING THE DEBT SERVICE ON THE BONDS.
>> COULD WE BACK OUR WAY UP TO HELP THE MUDS ON THAT BOND, MONIQUE? I MEAN, I'D BE WILLING TO ENTERTAIN THAT, BUT I JUST -- THE THING THAT CONCERNS ME IS NOT MORE THE MONEY, IT'S THE TIME. AND WE GOT TO -- WE GOT TO SPEED IT UP. WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO BECAUSE WE CANNOT HAVE -- I MEAN, THAT'S LIKE LIVE ON CNN STUFF.
>> YES. >> AND WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN DO IT. IF WE HAVE TO WORK WITH ANY STATE REP, STATE CENTER AND GO TO THE GOVERNOR, BUT BRANDON CRAYTON IS THE BEST SOURCE FOR THIS.
I WOULD VOTE IN FAVOR OF REACHING OUT TO TOMMY AND GETTING HIM TO WORK WITH SJRA THROUGH OUR BOARD TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN DO THIS. KAREN, AM I OKAY? BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME LIKE OH, GOD. KAREN KEEPS US IN LINE HERE. WE STEP OUT OF THE SANDBOX EVERY SO
OFTEN. >> WELL, WE'RE STILL ON FLOOD
MITIGATION. >> SHE USES THE WORD DAM A LOT WITH US.
>> AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT -- A GREAT IDEA IF WE PUT -- IF THIS IS NOT -- IF THIS IS ALL THE INFORMATION, WE COULD PUT THAT ON NEXT WEDNESDAY'S AGENDA AND HAVE THE LETTER ALL READY TO GO AND THE CONVERSATION.
>> I JUST -- I THINK WE NEED TO PUT A LOT OF RESOURCES TO THIS.
AND I -- UNTIL EARLIER THIS WEEK I GOT A CALL AND DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.
>> I DIDN'T EITHER UNTIL WALT TOLD ME.
>> IS IT OKAY, KAREN, CAN WE HAVE OUR MUD DIRECTORS THAT THEY NEED AND HOW THEY CAN HELP? BECAUSE THEY'RE DIRECT PLAYERS IN THIS. WE MAKE HER VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, Y'ALL.
>> SO IT'S COMPLICATED BECAUSE YOU'RE ALSO HAVING A BUDGET DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW. AND YOU NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE BUDGET IMPACT OF THE DECISIONS THAT YOU MAY BE MAKING. SO I WOULD SUGGEST MAYBE NOT MAKING A DECISION TONIGHT ON THIS BUT HAVING A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
>> CAN WE MAKE AN AMENDMENT SINCE WE DID THE BUDGET TODAY TO TAKE UNRESERVED -- I FORGET WHAT IT'S CALLED.
YEAR. >> YOU HAVEN'T APPROVED YOUR BUDGET.
>> YOU CAN MAKIN' AMENDMENT ANY TIME DURING THE YEAR.
>> THIS IS COMPLICATED. WE NEED TO LOOK AT EVERY AVENUE. WE'VE GOT TO TALK TO BOND COUNCIL. THE SOONER WE CAN HAVE THESE.
>> THE FACT REMAINS IF YOU HAD THE MONEY TOMORROW, WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT
'29. >> IF WE HAD MONEY TOMORROW WE COULD SAVE SIX MONTHS, MAYBE NINE MONTHS OFF THE SCHEDULE.
>> BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE PROBABLY -- WE'RE NOT GOING TO MOVE FORWARD UNTIL WE KNOW -- WE HAVE THE AGREEMENT WITH THE CORP OF ENGINEERS IN HAND AND EXECUTED. AND WITH THEIR FUNDING, IT'S SPEND FIRST AND THEN SEEK REIMBURSEMENT.
SO WE WOULD -- WE WOULD HAVE TO EXPEND FUNDS BASED ON WHAT'S IN THE BANK ACCOUNT AND THEN SUBMIT A REIMBURSEMENT APPLICATION.
BUT THAT'S THEIR PROCESS. AND SO WE GO IN WITH THAT.
>> IF WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT FUNDING, CAN WE ASK THE MUD DIRECTORS TO COME TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS FOR THIS, ABOUT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS HOW WE COULD SPEED IT UP?
OKAY. >> I WILL SAY THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE AUDIENCE, THEY'VE BEEN VERY
>> THEY'RE PART OF THE GROUP NOT PAYING MAINTENANCE OF THEIR RAIN STAND, BUT THEY'VE BEEN WILLING TO STRONGLY CONSIDER GETTING
ENGAGED. >> CAN WE CALL -- MUD DIRECTORS COME UP IF YOU LIKE TO TALK TO US ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOU GET OTHER MUD DIRECTORS -- OTHER MUDS ONBOARD? ARTHUR, YOU'VE NEVER MET A MICROPHONE YOU DIDN'T
LIKE. >> AND THAT'S FINE, MR. CHAIRMAN, ON THE TOPIC.
>> WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT WE'RE GOING TO HELP OR DO ANYTHING.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP GET OTHER MUDS ONBOARD WITH THIS ISSUE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? OR IF THAT'S NEEDED. I DON'T KNOW.
>> GOOD EVENING. I'M PRESIDENT OF MUD 1, AND WE DID VOTE TUESDAY MORNING TO SUPPORT THAT WE WOULD
[00:55:02]
PARTICIPATE IN THE FUNDING. AND I THINK METRO MUD VOTED THE NIGHT BEFORE THAT THEY WOULD PARTICIPATEIN IT. >> METRO MUD VOTED ON MONDAY NIGHT TO PARTICIPATE. WE'RE WAITING FOR SOME NUMBERS BACK ON WHAT THE COMMITMENT IS. I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE SOLUTION, SJRA HAS TO GO BACK AND SAY HOW DO I TAKE 18 MONTHS AND REDUCE IT DOWN BY HALF, NINE MONTHS? HOW DO YOU TAKE THIS ENTIRE PROJECT AND REDUCE IT? AMERICA'S DONE GREAT THINGS IN A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME. AND AT THE SAME TIME GO OUT AND GET THE FUNDING EVEN BEFORE CRENSHAW'S BILL COMES, YOU COULD ALWAYS TAKE HIS MONEY AND PAY BACK PART OF THE LOAN. WE'VE GOT TO SPEED THIS WHOLE PROCESS UP. KEYWORD IN THE PRESENTATION IS IMMEDIATE, AND THAT'S A CLEAR DEFINITION OF WHAT IT MEANS.
SO I THINK WE CAN DO THIS, BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER AND SAY HOW DO WE MOVE THIS PROJECT ALONG.
>> WE CAN MOVE FORWARD THAT WAY, AND I THINK ALL THE MUDS WOULD PROBABLY SUPPORT IT.
>> THE MUDS CAN HAVE SPECIAL MEETINGS ONCE THEY GET ALL THE STUFF TOGETHER AND MAKE A COMMITMENT. BUT THERE'S A COMMITMENT BY THE MUDS NOT IN A FORMAL AGREEMENT BY THE DAM BECAUSE WE SEE THIS AS A RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT. THIS IS NOT ANNUAL MAINTENANCE.
THAT SLIDE THAT SHOWS YOU THE 70% IMPACT DOWNSTREAM IS EXTREMELY ALARMING. AND WHAT THE -- WHAT THE IMPACT IS ALSO TO THE SECOND DAM.
SO WE APPRECIATE THAT THE TOWNSHIP IS SUPPORTIVE.
WE JUST GOT TO BRING THIS PROJECT
>> IF I KNOW WATER, THERE'S ONE SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT AND THERE'S ALWAYS ANOTHER SIDE. WHAT IS THE DIS -- IS THERE ANY DISSENTING REVIEW INTHIS IS PRETTY FACTUAL WHEN YOU HAVE A MAJOR ENGINEERING FIRM COE IN AND SAY IMMEDIATE
NEED. >> OH, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S WHAT TRIGGERED IT. YOU HAVE A WORLD RENOWNED FIRM BEEN IN BUSINESS 75 YEARS, SO THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
IT'S NOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST SOMEBODY OFF-THE- WALL THAT CAME UP WITH --
>> DURING THE MUDS -- EXCUSE ME, DURING THE MUD'S MONTHLY MEETING AT WOODLANDS WATER, HAVE YOU
RECENTLY. >> ERIC -- ERIC, COME ON
[8. Receive, consider and act upon an update from Woodlands Water related to potential flooding due to weather emergencies;]
UP AND HELP US OUT.>> LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF
UPDATE. >> CAN YOU GIVE A BACKGROUND WHO YOU ARE AND WHO YOU REPRESENT?
>> YES, ERIC PETERSON, WOODLANDS WATER GENERAL AGENCY. BEYOND THE $5 MILLION THAT'S SLATED TO COME FROM CRENSHAW'S HELP, THE REMAINING $4. 8 MILLION, THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S AT -- WHAT'S AT PLAY RIGHT NOW. AND ALL OF THE MUDS LOOKED AT IT THIS WEEK IN THEIR MUD MEETINGS. AND OF THE FIVE MUDS THAT WERE -- WERE NOT A PART OF THE ONM, NOT THE PART OF THE NORMAL PAYMENT OF ONM EXPENSES, FOUR OF THOSE FIVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN PARTICIPATING. A COUPLE OF THEM MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AS MUCH AS THEY'D LIKE TO JUST BECAUSE OF THEIR POSITION, BUT LIKE WALT AND ARTHUR MENTIONED MUD 1, MUD METRO WILL DEFINITELY BE PUTTING IN A GOOD BIT.
AND THEN THE OTHER MUDS LISTEN TO THAT AND IDENTIFY THAT THE REMAINDER THEY WOULD LIKELY COVER. SO I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD FIVE-YEAR PLAN.
WHAT WAS DECIDED AT THOSE MEETINGS WAS THAT WE WOULD GO BACK.
WHAT WE KNOW IS 9 OF THE 10 MUDS ARE IN.
WE WOULD REDO THE PRO RATA TO SEE WHAT EVERYBODY'S SHARE WOULD BE, AND THEN WE LOOK AT IT AT THE SEPTEMBER MEETING AND MAKE SOME DECISIONS ON WHO'S DOING WHAT AND
HOW MUCH. >> ERIC, HOW CAN WE -- DO A LITTLE ENGINEERING AND GET THIS THING GOING FASTER.
HOW DO WE MAKE IT GO -- LITERALLY LIKE THEY SAID CUT IT FROM 18 MONTHS TO 9 MONTHS?
>> THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH THE ENGINEER TO DISCUSS SHORT TRACKS THERE, MAKING SURE THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THE DESIGN. AND ALSO ON THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE OF THINGS YOU CAN PUT THINGS IN LIQUID DAMAGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT WOULD HELP PUSH IN THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE OF THINGS. THERE ARE BITS AND PIECES YOU CAN DO ALONG THE WAY TO CUT OFF A MONTH HERE, COUPLE MONTHS HERE, COUPLE MONTHS HERE AND THOSE WILL ACCUMULATE TO SOME BENEFIT, I THINK.
>> SO THE PRIORITY AND THE KEY IS TO GET THE FUNDING, GET STARTED AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
>> WELL, AGAIN, I THINK THAT WE'RE ALL HERE TO SAY PLEASE LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN BE OF MORE ASSISTANCE. I'M SURE OUR STAFF HAS GOTTEN A GOOD PICTURE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO LOOK AT AND WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO, AND WE'LL CERTAINLY BE GLAD TO HELP IN ANY WAY WE CAN.
[01:00:01]
BUT I'M PLEASED TO HEAR THAT THE MUDS ARE COMING ALONG SO WELL BECAUSE I HAVE IN THE PAST HEARD SOME REAL DISSENT ABOUT GETTING - INVOLVED. YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB BRINGING THEM THIS FAR.>> AND JUST TO SPEAK ONON BEHALF OF A CUP OF THESE GUYS, THE MUDS CURRENTLY PAYING INTO THE OPERATION ARE MUDS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE AN AREA THAT DRAINS INTO THAT WATERSHED. SO THE OTHER FIVE AREN'T IN IT BECAUSE THEY THEORETICALLY BACK IN THE DAY I THINK THIS AGREEMENT HAPPENED IN 1999, THEY DON'T PROVIDE ANY WATER INTO THIS WATERSHED. BUT THEY IDENTIFIED THAT THEIR INVOLVEMENT WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY, AND OBVIOUSLY WE ARE ONE COMMUNITY AND WE SHOULD BE HELPING EACH OTHER, SO I THINK THAT'S FAIR.
>> FANTASTIC. >> WELL, YOU LITERALLY TOOK ME FROM NOT WANTING TO SPEND ANOTHER PENNY TO READY TO BUY A DAMN DAM. WE GOT TO GET CREATIVE ON IT.
I DON'T -- I MEAN THIS. WE HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR MONEY, AND THAT'S TO MONIQUE AND THE TEAM'S CREDIT. I CAN TELL YOU THERE COMES A TIME WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A HANDOUT. A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES IN THE WOODLANDS, WE WORK TOGETHER AND WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THINGS WORK. YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING IN OUR COMMUNITY IF SOMEONE IS NOT WORKING WITH YOU.
MAYBE THAT'S WHAT GEORGE MITCHELL DESIGNED IT.
WE'VE GOT TO WORK AND ROLL OUR SLEEVES UP AND COME TO MUD MEETINGS AND DO WHAT HAVE YOU.
I'M ALL GAME, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS -- THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, AND HAS TO BE DEALT CAN . AND THE QUICKER THAT YOU - PUT WALT -- HE'S AN OLD ENC GUY. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT BETTER THAN ANYONE. BUT WE NEED TO FIGURE HOW WE CAN GO FROM 18 MONTHS OR EVEN LONGER, 18 MONTHS DOWN TO 10 MONTHS AND EXPEDITE IT. AND WE'LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BRING RESOURCES, BUT I THINK WE GOT TO GET CREATIVE WITH IT. YES, WALT? I MEAN, ARTHUR.
>> I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AT THE SEPTEMBER MEETINGAND ASK THAT SJRA, WWA COME BACK AND GIVE US AN UPDATE. SO WE KEEP THIS THING MOVING ALONG. GIVES US 30 DAYS TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE AND GIVE A REPORT. WOULD BE MY
RECOMMENDATION. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, ARTHUR. ALL RIGHT.
>> THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH, AND OBVIOUSLY IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS LET CHRIS OR TODD KNOW AND I'D BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE
>> I WANT TO BE OUT OF HERE AT 6:30 AND Y'ALL BROUGHT UP THE DAMN DAM.
I CALL A MOTION AND SECOND TO ACCEPT THE REPORT.
>> MOVED BY DIRECTOR SNYDER, SECONDED BY DIRECTOR HEISER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RESPOND BY SAYING AYE.
WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE. ARE WE DONE? IS THAT ALL ONE? OKAY, RECEIVE, CONSIDER, AND ACT UPON AN UPDATE FROM WOODLANDS WATER RELATED TO POTENTIAL FLOODING DUE TO -- DANG, OTHER EMERGENCY. I CALL ON DIRECTORS LOOK TO PAGE 106. I CALL ON TODD STEVENS TO INTRODUCE OUR FRIEND ERIC PETERSON, GENERAL MANAGER OF WOODLANDS WATER TO PRESENT.
>> EXCUSE ME, MR. CHAIRMAN. AND I'LL MAKE THIS QUICK.
THIS PROJECT WAS IDENTIFIED THROUGH A LOT OF COMMUNITY COLLABORATION, THE WATER TASK FORCE, THE DRAINAGE TASK FORCE AND LOOKING PARTICULARLY % AROUND THE AREA OF THE HIGH SCHOOL RESEARCH FOREST, FOR OUR PURPOSES IT WAS THE NEED TO GET EMERGENY VEHICLES THROUGH IN HIGH- WATER SITUATIONS. AND THE MUDS, AGAIN, TOOK THE LEAD HERE AND PUT A FIVE-YEAR PLAN TOGETHER, AN IDEA TOGETHER FOR A PROJECT AND ERIC IS GOING TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE THEY ARE ON THAT.
>> THANK YOU, TODD. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN, THE BOARD.
YES, AS TODD MENTIONED, THIS PROJECT IT WAS STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO, WENT INTO PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING IDENTIFYING THAT THERE WOULD BE AGAIN THROUGH THE TAX DAY, MEMORIAL DAY AND HARVEY, PARTICULARLY TAX DAY BEING A LITTLE BIT WORSE FOR THIS AREA, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE OF I GUESS I'D CALL A HOT SPOT FOR DRAINAGE OR FLOODING AROUND RESEARCH FOREST THERE AROUND THE HIGH SCHOOL.
FOR THOSE LARGER RAINFALL EVENTS YOU'D SEE ANYWHERE FROM PARTICULARLY IN THE TAX DAY EVENT AROUND 3 FEET OF WATER SITTING THERE AT THAT -- ALONG TAT CORRIDOR PREVENTING EMERGENCY VEHICLES AND OTHERS FROM GETTING THROUGH THERE. SO THIS PROJECT WAS CONTEMPLATED TO ADDRESS THAT. ALSO, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BLACK BOX, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO TELL, BUT THAT -- IN THE BLACK BOX KIND OF RIGHT IN THE CENTER THAT'S THE HIGH SCHOOL. AND THE BLACK -- THE BLACK BOUNDARY IS REALLY THE BENEFIT AREA OF THIS PROJECT.
[01:05:02]
AND SO THE PROJECT THAT WAS IDENTIFIED THROUGH PRELIMINARY ENGINE ENGINEERING WAS TO GO INTO THOSE RED AREAS AND THAT'S PANTHER BRANCH OR RED BRANCH AND DO SOME CLEARING AND THE TWO BALKS WOULD BE THE RETENTION PONDS THAT WOULD ALLOW THE WATER TO -- BASICALLY WHEN YOU CLEAN THE UNDERBRUSH, YOU SPEEDSPEED THE WATER. YOU CAN'T PUT IT DOWNSTREAM THAT FAST ON EVERYBODY DOWNSTREAM, SO YOU'VE GOT TO RETAIN IT IN A RETENTION POND AND RELEASE IT NORMALLY.SO THAT WAS THE PROJECT. THE PROJECT THAT WAS IDENTIFIED ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO IT WAS UTILIZING THAT PRELIMINARY DESIGN.
WE WENT AFTER SOME FUNDING. THE MUDS PUT SOME FUNDING IN.
WE GOT A GRANT FROM THE STATE AS WELL AS FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO THE TUNE TOTAL OF ALL THOSE THINGS ABOUT $11.
3 MILLION. WE THEN WENT INTO FULL- BLOWN DRAINAGE MODELING, AND AT THE COMPLETION OF THAT, ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AGO, UPDATED COST ESTIMATES.
CONFIRMATION THAT THE PROJECT THAT WAS CONTEMN PLATED ORIGINALLY WOULD, IN FACT, DO WHAT IT WAS INTENDED TO DO, WHICH WAS DURING A TAX DAY TYPE OF EVENT, IT WOULD KNOCK THE HIGH- WATER SERVICE ELEVATION ALONG THAT CORRIDOR ENOUGH TO GET EMERGENCY VEHICLES THROUGH THERE. SO 3 FEET TO JUST ABOUT UNDER A FOOT SO THE VEHICLES COULD GET THROUGH THERE.
THEY ALSO AT THAT TIME THE ENGINEERS UPDATED THE COST ESTIMATE, AND, UNFORTUNATELY, LIKE YOU HEARD FROM THE PREVIOUS PROJECT, COSTS WENT UP.
THE ECONOMY CHANGED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, CONSTRUCTION COSTS WENT UP, THE COST OF THE PROJECT WENT UP. SO WE HAVE $11. 3 MILLION.
PROJECT ESTIMATE RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT 20, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR ABOUT 9 OR $10 MILLION.
WE ARE GOING TO -- WE PRESENTED THIS TO THE MUDS THIS WEEK, AND THEY'RE IN FAVOR OF US PURSUING SOME CORP OF ENGINEER PROGRAMS, FUNDING PROGRAMS. WE FEEL LIKE MAY HAVE SOME FAVORABILITY TO THEM TO HELP. SO WE WOULD BE ASKING THE TOWNSHIP FOR A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THAT APPLICATION TO THE CORP OF ENGINEERS SO THAT THEY CAN -- BASICALLY WHAT THEY'LL DO IS THEY'LL LOOK AT THE PROJECT, IDENTIFY IF IT'S A PROJECT THEY'D LIKE TO PARTNER WITH US ON, AND THEN IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL AND THEY DO DEEM IT A PROJECT THAT THEY WANT TO PARTNER WITH US ON, WE'D ACTUALLY GET POTENTIALLY THE ENTIRE DELTA THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. WE'D LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS AROUND, OTHER ENTITIES, THE COUNTY, ET CETERA WITH A LITTLE LUCK OR INTEREST. AND SO WE THINK THIS RIGHT NOW IS OUR BEST PATH FORWARD TO FIND THAT FUNDING THAT WE NEED.
>> BY WHEN WOULD YOU NEED THAT
LETTER? >> PROBABLY BY YOUR NEXT MEETING, SO I THINK WE'D REQUEST IF POSSIBLE I'D WORK WITH TODD AND WE CAN GET THAT ON YOUR AGENDA NEXT MONTH. THE APPLICATION WE'RE GOING TO BE SUBMITTING TO THE CORP IS GOING TO BE DUE AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, BUT THEY SAID THE LETTER OF SUPPORT COULD COME IN JUST AFTER THAT. SO I THINK SEPTEMBER WILL BE
FINE. >> AND THIS IS THE ONE ERIC -- WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MANAGEMENT, THIS PROJECT CAME UP BECAUSE REALLY IT AFFECTS EGRESS ON RESEARC FOR US ON ALL VEHICLES AND VEHICLES.
>> THAT'S CORRECT. AND I DIDN'T MENTION ALSO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S QUITE A FEW HOMES IN THAT BLACK BOUNDARY. THE BENEFIT TO THOSE AREAS AS WELL, IF YOU THINK OF, YOU KNOW, THE HIGH SCHOOL ESSENTIALLY AS KIND OF THE CENTER, ALL OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD LOWER WATER ALONG -- KIND OF IN THAT AREA, IT WOULD SPREAD OUT.
AND SO ALL THE AREAS AROUND THAT AREA WOULD ALSO DECREASE IN THEIR -- IN THEIR WATER LEVELS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, YOU KNOW, STREETS AS YOU KNOW ARE DESIGNED TO FLOOD AND HOLD WATER. ON THOSE BIGGER EVENTS IN THAT AREA WATER RELEASES A LITTLE SLOWER THAN WE'D LIKE.
SO NOT ONLY WOULD THE WATER NOT PROBABLY GET AS HIGH, LIKELY IT'D BE ABLE TO ET OUT A LITTLE BIT FASTER AS WELL IN THE
NEIGHBORHOODS. >> ERIC, WHERE ARE THOSE IN- LINE PONDS? I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ARE ON
GOSLING. >> NORTH WEST CORNER OF GOSLING AND RESEARCH.
>> FOR -- IT'S RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE GOSLING SPORTS PARK.
>> ACROSS GOSSLING WEST. IN FACT, IF YOU SEE ON THE MAP THERE, YOU CAN SEE THE FIELDS JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE BLUE
>> GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD, SHELLEY.
[01:10:07]
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I HAVE A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS.
YOU MIGHT HAVE SAID IT BUT I MISSED IT.
HOW MANY OF THE MUDS OF THE TEN MUDS IN WOODLANDS WATER VOTED TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT AND CHIPPED IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT?
>> THIS PROJECT IS BEING FUNDED BY CURRENTLY SIX OF THE MUDS THAT ARE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS AND HAVE -- AND HAVE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THAT GEOGRAPHICALLY IN THAT -- THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
>> WHY NOT THE REST OF THEM? THEY DON'T SEE THE VALUE?
>> PERHAPS THERE COULD BE SOME VALUE.
OBVIOUSLY ALONG THE SAME LINES OF THE PREVIOUS PROJECT WE TALKED ABOUT THERE COULD BE -- THIS IS A MUCH SMALLER AREA, AFFECTS LOWER -- LESS AMOUNT OF
PEOPLE. >> ARE THEY OUT OF THE AREA, THE BLACK BOX AREA OF THE MUDS?
>> ANYONE THAT PARTICIPATES OR PUTS WATER IN THAT AREA IS INVOLVED RIGHT NOW, AND THERE WOULD ONE MUD -- ARTHUR'S METRO MUD THAT DOESN'T PROVIDE ANY WATER TO THAT AREA BUT ACTUALLY DECIDED TO PUT MONEY IN TO HELP THE PROJECT.
SO THAT'S ACTUALLY A SIXTH MUD THAT'S NOT RESPONSIBLE,
NECESSARILY. >> BUT THEY VOTED AGAINST IT, CORRECT? THEY VOTED AGAINST PARTICIPATING?
>> INTERESTING, OKAY. YOU DIDN'T ASK THEM TO PARTICIPATE, THEN?
>> CORRECT. ON THE OTHER FOUR MUDS, THAT'S
CORRECT. >> OKAY, BECAUSE I HEARD THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PARTICIPATE.
PARTICIPATE. >> YEARS AGO BEFORE I WAS HERE I BELIEVE THAT DISCUSSION WAS HAD AT ALL OF THOSE MUD MEETINGS, AND THE OTHER FOUR DID DECLINE TO PARTICIPATE AT THAT TIME.
>> I SEE. >> THAT WAS ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO.
>> I SEE. JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE MY MEMORY WAS CLEAR BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT -- AND IT DOES -- I'M NOT AGAINST SUPPORTING WITH A LETTER, BUT IT IS BETTER FOR US TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE MAY BE OTHER MUDS THAT DON'T SUPPORT THIS BEFORE WE SIGN ONTO A LETTER THAT COULD EXTEND THE DEBT. AND I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH DEBT Y'ALL -- WILL IT TAKE ON. HOW MUCH MORE DEBT WILL YOU TAKE ON?
WELL, THEN I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE RESISTANCE.
SO YOU'RE TAKING ON ZERO DEBT, BUT THEY STILL WERE NOT
CONFUSING. >> IT'S A CRAZY WORLD WE LIVE IN.
>> PROBABLY THE TAX DAY FLOODS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT, WHEN YOU CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN RESEARCH. AND 45 MINUTES OF FLOODING EVERYBODY
EXPERIENCED THAT. >> THE OTHER, TOO, AT THE HIGH IT AFFECTS MORE THAN JUST THE NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND IT. THERE'S CHILDREN -- STUDENTS FROM A GOOD PART OF THE WOODLANDS SO THEY ALL SHOULD
SUPPORT. >> SO ONE OTHER POINT THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE IF THERE'S ANYMORE QUESTIONS ON THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT -- OKAY.
REALLY GOOD NEWS. SO OVER THE LAST NINE MONTHS WWA, MYSELF, AND A COUPLE OF STAFF MEMBERS HAVE WRITTEN ALL OF THE DITCHES IN THE WOODLANDS, ABOUT 30 MILES OF DITCHES. AND WE'VE BUILT A DATABASE THAT IDENTIFIES ALL OF THE CONDITION OF ALL THE ASSETS OF THE DITCHES WITHIN THE WOODLANDS.
AND SO THAT WILL BE PIPE, INTERCEPTING PIPING, OUTFALLS, VEGETATIVE OVERGROWTH. WE'VE IDENTIFIED ALL THE VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF ALL THE DITCHES, AND ASSESSED A CONDITION TO THOSE.
WITHIN CREATING COST ESTIMATES AND I'VE PRESENTED IN EACH OF THE MUDS THE WORK TO BE DUP TO ADDRESS THE MORE IMMEDIATE ITEMS LIKE PIPING THAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO ALL OF THOSE BUDGETS INCLUDED SOME SIGNIFICANT AND PRETTY AGGRESSIVE WORK TO BE DONE IN ALL THE DITCHES.
SO THE MUDS WILL BE CONTEMPLATING THAT AND APPROVING THAT AT THEIR SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETINGS.
SO AS A PART OF THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING A OVERALL ONGOING MAINTENANCE PROGRAM ON ALL THE MUDS OR ALL THE DITCHES. WE WILL BE HIRING AND DESIGNATING A SPECIFIC CREW THAT WILL BE HANDLING MAINTENANCE ON THE DITCHES GOING FORWARD AS WELL AS BUYING EQUIPMENT THAT WILL FACILITATE THEM DOING THAT WORK. SO THERE'S SOME WORK THAT WE CAN'T PHYSICALLY DO JUST BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE PIPE AND THE EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO DO IT, SO WE'LL BE HIRING CONTRACTORS TO DO THOSE WORK -- THAT WORK. AND THEN WE'LL BE DOING ALL
[01:15:01]
THE REST OF THE WORK OURSELVES. AND ONGOING WE'LL -- WE'LL KEEP ITTHANK YOU SO MUCH. I CALL A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ACCEPT THE
>> MOVED BY DIRECTOR SNYDER. SECONDED BY DIRECTOR NELSON.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I TEXT SENATOR CRAYTON AND HIS TEAM.
THEY'RE FINISHING THE SPECIAL SESSION UP.
HAPPY TO COME BACK FOR A MEETING
[9. Recess to Executive Session to discuss matters relating to real property pursuant to §551.072, Texas Government Code; deliberation of economic development negotiations pursuant to §551.087, Texas Government Code; discuss personnel matters pursuant to §551.074, Texas Government Code; discuss IT network or critical infrastructure security pursuant to §551.089, Texas Government Code; and to consult with The Woodlands Township’s attorney pursuant to §551.071, Texas Government Code;]
ON THIS. THAT WOULD BE GOOD. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION SO I HERE BY ANNOUNCE THE BOARD WILL RECESS TO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS REAL PROPERTY. DISCUSS PERSONAL MATTERS PURSUANT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THE BOARD WILL[10. Reconvene in public session;]
[11. Consideration of items to be placed on the agenda for next month's meeting;]
>> 734 TIME. RECONVENING FROM SESSIONS. ANY BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS IN.
>> I HAVE TWO AGENDA ITEMS. I ASKED MONIQUE ABOUT THIS ONE.
PRESENTATION OF ADDITIONAL STAFF SINCE 2023.
AND MY SECOND AGENDA ITEM WOULD BE AN UPDATE FROM SJRA AS WELL AS LETTERS OF SUPPORT THAT WOODLANDS WATER MENTIONED AND SJRA FROM OUR STATE AND FEDERAL
REPRESENTATIVES. >> YOU HAVE A
SECOND. >> JUST TO CLARIFY YOUR UPDATE ON SJRA WAS REGARDING THE
I'M SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE SAID IT THAT WAY.
>> IS THAT THE NEXT MEETING OR SEPTEMBER? I THOUGHT THEY REQUESTED
SEPTEMBER. >> CHAIRMAN, REGARDING HER REQUEST, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT, IF I CAN, TO ASK TODD STEVENS TO REACH OUT TO REPRESENTATIVE DAN DAN CRENSHAW'S OFFICE TO SEE WHAT THEY KNOW ABOUT THE SITUATION, WHICH I'M SURE THEY KNOW MANY THINGS. THEY'RE INVOLVED A LOT IN FLOODING.
AND SEE WHAT LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION FINANCIALLY THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH.
>> OKAY, THAT WAS IN THE REPORT. AS I WAS TELLING YOU, YOU NEED TO GO BACK AND SEE YOU MISSED THAT SECTION, BUT THEY WENT THROUGH THAT DURING THEIR PRESENTATION.
>> I KNOW THEY DEDICATED $3 MILLION AND I'M AWARE OF THAT.
AND WE HAD A CEREMONY TO THAT EFFECT. BUT WHAT I'M ASKING IS SINCE THE DELTA CAME IN, DID THEY ADDRESS -- DID THEY REQUEST AGAIN? THEY REQUESTED AGAIN AND THEY WERE TURNED
DOWN? >> THEY'VE GONE THROUGH IT --
>> IT'S IN PROCESS, OKAY. SO YOU CAN GIVE US AN UPDATE ON WHERE THAT STANDS, THEN.
>> LIKE I SAID, IT WAS GIVEN TODAY.
SO IF YOU WERE HERE, YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD IT, BUT YOU WEREN'T HERE. SO I RECOMMEND YOU GO BACK AND WATCH THE VIDEO OR CALL SJRA AND WALK THROUGH IT.
>> OF COURSE NOT. I WOULD HATE
TO DELAY. >> I'M JUST SAYING WE WERE HERE. WE SHOWED UP ON TIME.
IT. >> DO WE HAVE ANY BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS? IF NOT, DO I HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND TO ADJOURN THE
MOVED. >> SECO
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.