[1. Call meeting to order / Introductions / Chairman’s Report] [00:00:45] >> I THINK WE CAN GET STARTED. ALL RIGHT. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 3:32 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME. AND THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. OBVIOUSLY WE HAVEN'T HAD A COUPLE WE HAVEN'T HAD A MEETING IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME WE'VE HAD TO SPEND ON COVID RELATED ACTIVITIES. BUT THERE HAS CERTAINLY BEEN NO LACK OF THINGS GOING ON. IN TERMS OF DRAINAGE PROJECTS AND CORRESPONDENCE AND WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. I THINK TODAY WE'LL HEAR SOME REALLY POSITIVE NEWS ABOUT THE INITIAL FINDINGS OF OUR SPRING CREEK MITIGATION STUDY. THE TOWNSHIP AND THE TASK FORCE, ALSO CHIMED IN WITH THEIR SUPPORT FOR YOU KNOW, THE EXTENDED STUDY AND FOR THE WORK THAT WE WANT TO DO AT BEAR BRANCH AND PANTHER BRANCH, IN COCHRAN'S CROSSING WITH THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT JIM STENSON WAS BACK TO WORK. THAT IS THE REASON WHY WE DIDN'T HAVE A DRAINAGE TASK FORCE MEETING FOR TWO MONTHS. WELCOME BACK, JIM. SURE GLAD THAT YOU'RE FEELING BETTER. >> THANK YOU, BRUCE. >> I THOUGHT THAT WAS MY PHONE. >> SORRY ME. >> REVIEW THE STATUS OF THE REGIONAL WATER SHED FOR THE JACINTO. [2. Review the status of the San Jacinto Regional Watershed Master Drainage Plan study for the San Jacinto basin which includes Spring Creek.] >> I'LL PROVIDE A DETAILED UPDATE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR FIVE WEEKS OR SO. THE STUDY IS ON SCHEDULE. THERE ARE ABOUT SEVEN SPECIFIC ALTERNATIVES IN THE SPRING CREEK WATER SHED. THOSE SPECIFIC ALTERNATIVES ARE WRAPPING UP. I'LL KIND OF GIVE YOU THE HIGH LEVEL POINTS ON THOSE. THERE ARE A COUPLE CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT. THESE ARE MAIN STEM CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS ALONG SPRING CREEK. THEY BROKE THEM INTO VARIOUS SEGMENTS. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE TO WILLOW, 70 MILLION DOLLARS JOB OF A VC OF.53, WHICH IS NOT GOOD. CHANNELIZATION PROJECT IN THE GOSSLING AREA, 126 MILLION. I 45, 80 MILLION. BUT THEY'VE LOOKED AS, AS YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR, BECAUSE YOU FUNDED SOME OF THE MOVING FORWARD CITING STUDY EFFORTS, LOOKING AT POTENTIAL RESERVOIRS, NOT ON MAIN STEM SPRING CREEK, BUT RATHER FURTHER UP IN THE WATER SHED, WHERE LAND IS AVAILABLE AND CAN BE ACQUIRED AND BUILD THE SOURCE OF BASINS, DETENTION BASINS THAT CAN PROVIDE GOOD BENEFITS DOWNSTREAM. SO THOSE AREAS, THERE'S ONE ON BIRK CREEK, 7,700 ACRE FOOT DETENTION BASIN A DAM BASICALLY. AND IT HAD A COST OF $122 MILLION. THERE IS A DETENTION ON MILL CREEK, CREATING MORE THAN 11,000 ACRE FEET ALSO WITH A DAM OF 44 FEET HIGH. AND THAT WOULD RUN ABOUT 125 MILLION. AND THEN ALSO THERE IS DETENTION ON WALNUT CREEK, MORE THAN 12,000 ACRE FEET OF DETENTION. I WANT TO PAUSE FOR A SECOND AND GIVE YOU A POINT OF REFERENCE FOR THESE TYPES OF VOLUMES. [00:05:02] SO THERE IS TWO THINGS THAT I LIKE TO POINT OUT TO A LOT OF FOLKS, ONE IS RELATIVE SPECIFICALLY TO SPRING CREEK AND THAT IS WE RECENTLY COMPLETED A STUDY ON WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO PROVIDE A 100 YEAR LEVEL SERVICE IN THE CYPRUS CREEK WATER SHED. I'M SURE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH LOTS OF ISSUES GONE ON OVER THE YEARS. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A 100 YEAR LEVEL OF SERVICE IN CYPRUS CREEK, WE WOULD NEED ABOUT 25,000 ACRE FEET OF DETENTION. THAT GIVES YOU ONE POINT OF REFERENCE. THE OTHER IS THAT WE RECENTLY COMPLETED AN ANALYSIS OF HOW MUCH DETENTION FLOOD CONTROL HAS BUILT SINCE WE WERE CREATED. NOW, THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE RESERVOIRS, BUT SINCE WE WERE CREATED, WE CONSTRUCTED AND NOW MAINTAIN ABOUT 50,000 ACRE FEET IN VOLUME. SO NOW COMPARE ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS. 50,000 SINCE WE WERE CREATED. 25,000 NEEDED FOR CYPRUS CREEK. AND THESE THREE BASINS THAT WERE SUGGESTED ALONG IN THE SPRING CREEK WATER SHED, ARE ON THE 30,000 ACRE FEET MAGNITUDE. SO I JUST OFFER THAT TO PROVIDE SOME POINT OF REFERENCE OF WHAT KIND OF VOLUME WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND THEN THE LAST POINT OF REFERENCE, DURING HARVEY ATTIC RESERVOIR HELD 240,000 ACRE FEET OF WATER. DOESN'T COMPARE TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THESE WATER SHEDS. GOOD INFORMATION IS COMING OUT OF THE STUDY. IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, COMPLIMENTS OF MR. STINSON, THERE HAS BEEN ADDITIONAL SCENARIOS RUN, TO SAY WHAT IF WE COMBINE SOME OF THESE TO SEE WHAT SORT OF BENEFIT WE MIGHT GET. JIM, WERE YOU GOING TO TALK ABOUT OR DO YOU WANT ME TO? ARE YOU SURE? ALL RIGHT. >> PLEASE GO AHEAD, ALAN. PLEASE. >> I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THE DETAILS, SO THE CONSULTANTS LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND SAID WHAT IF WE COMBINE THIS AND THAT, AND DID A LITTLE BIT OF COBBLING TOGETHER, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BEST BENEFITS WE COULD GET. IT WAS EYE OPENING. THE COST IS PRETTY HIGH. BUT THE BENEFITS ARE PRETTY HIGH AS WELL. SO IF YOU COMBINE THE WALNUT, THE BIRCH, AND THE TWO CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE MAIN STEM CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS, THE WATER SURFACE REDUCTIONS IN CREEK SIDE WOULD BE AT 100 YEAR STORM ABOUT 5.6 FEET REDUCTION IN 100 YEAR WATER SURFACE ELEVATION. AT GROGAN'S POINT, 3.25 FEET REDUCTION. HERE IS THE KICKER, IT COMES AT A COST OF $400 MILLION. ANYWHERE BETWEEN 350 TO $400 MILLION. NOT CHEAP. AND IT BECOMES MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT PROJECTS OF THAT SCALE, YOU'RE REALLY STARTING TO TALK ABOUT FEDERAL PARTNERS, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT TYPICALLY HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY. NEARLY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT CAN POTENTIALLY FUND THAT SORT OF PROJECT ARE WILLING FOR A BENEFIT COST RATIO GREATER THAN ONE. THAT IS GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST STRUGGLE. ACROSS THE BOARD, THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD PROJECTS THAT CAME OUT OF THE WATER SHED STUDY THAT DO HAVE GREATER THAN ONE. BUT WHEN WE START COMBINING THESE PROJECTS LIKE THIS, IT CAN BE MORE DIFFICULT TO CALCULATE THE SPECIFIC BC. I DON'T HAVE THE BC FOR THE FOUR PROJECTED TOGETHER, BUT THEY'RE WORKING ON IT. HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO SHARE AT THE END OF JULY, BEGINNING OF AUGUST. THEY'RE STARTING TO SEE RESULTS ON WHAT THE STUDY, AS THE STUDY WAS INTENDED, LET'S LOOK AT THOSE WHAT IFS AND SEE WHAT THEY WOULD DO. WE DO PLAN PUBLIC MEETINGS IN AUGUST. WE WOULD LIKE TO BRIEF THIS DRAINAGE TASK FORCE IF POSSIBLE. THE TIMING MAY BE DIFFICULT. I KNOW THE TYPICAL RECURRENCE FOR THESE MEETINGS IS IT THE FOURTH OR THE LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH? SO THE MATERIALS MAY NOT BE READY YET TO REALLY GIVE YOU KIND OF A PREVIEW OF THE PUBLIC MEETING. BUT WHAT I MAY DO IS KIND OF PUSH MY TEAM TO BE READY TO AT LEAST PROVIDE A 10 TO 15 MINUTE SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS. I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THE DOG AND PONY SHOW ABOUT HOW THE STUDY STARTED, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT. I WANT THEM TO COME BACK TO YOU GUYS TO SHOW, GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO REALLY TALK DETAILS ABOUT THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY AND WHAT SOME OF THE ALTERNATIVES ARE. AND THEN EVEN START BRAIN STORMING HEY, CAN WE ADVOCATE FOR FUNDING FOR SOME OF THESE POTENTIAL PROJECTS. I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS ON IT. [00:10:02] I'M NOT THE DEFINITIVE EXPERT ON THIS STUDY SO I MAY HAVE TO SAY THE OLD I'LL GET BACK TO YOU. BUT AT LEAST THAT IS THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE STUDY. >> ALAN, NUMBER ONE, THANK YOU. FOR THAT SUMMARY. NUMBER TWO, IF YOU NEED TO BRIEF THIS TASK FORCE, WE CAN ALWAYS SET UP A ZOOM MEETING TO GET EVERYBODY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. >> BUT I MEAN, WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE FACT THAT IF WE FIGURED THAT IF YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN 18 INCHES, WE WOULD BASICALLY HAVE ELIMINATED STRUCTURAL FLOODING THROUGHOUT MONTGOMERY COUNTY. >> I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE RUN HARVEY. OFTENTIMES THESE DAYS, WE DO ASK FOR THAT, BUT ON THE SCALE OF JACINTO RIVER WATER SHED THAT COULD BOG DOWN COMPUTERS. >> THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS A GREAT REPORT. YOU KNOW, FUNNY ENOUGH, ALAN, IF YOU GO BACK INTO THE '40S AND '50S, WHEN WE WERE STARTING TO DO STUDIES UP HERE, I THINK THAT THERE WERE ACTUALLY DAMS PROPOSED FOR AT LEAST TWO OF THOSE SITES THAT NEVER GOT PURSUED. SO IT'S JUST YEAH. IF WE CAN DO THIS, AND MAKE IT WORK, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY YOU STILL GOT A HEAVY LIFT. BUT AT LEAST NOW WE KNOW THAT THERE MAY BE A POTENTIAL SOLUTION OUT THERE FOR THE AREA. SO THAT IS GREAT NEWS. >> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ALAN ON THE REPORT? >> I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB ON THIS. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REPORT OUTS TO THE SPONSORS AS THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THE WORK. AND I KNOW I'VE HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH GARRETT. I KNOW JIM HAS AS WELL. THEY HAVE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE TO MY REQUESTS AND MY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND MORE. I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY GOOD OPTIONS. I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A GOOD BRIEFING OF AT LEAST THE SPONSORS, IF NOT THIS DRAINAGE TASK FORCE. AND THEN WE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW ROBUST ARE THESE OPTIONS. WHAT KIND OF WORK IS GOING TO BE NEEDED TO ADVANCE THEM. AND WHAT KIND OF WORK IS GOING TO BE NEEDED TO GET THE POLITICAL LIFT TO GET THE FUNDING UNDERSTOOD ON WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND HOW TO POSITION OURSELVES WITH THAT. SO IF YOU CAN KIND OF KEEP US INFORMED AS TO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, WE'LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE DETAILED MEETING AROUND THESE OPTIONS SO WE CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND AND GET SPECIFIC ON WHAT WE NEED TO DO ON A GOING FORWARD BASIS. >> THAT IS VERY MUCH OUR INTENT. I WAS GOING TO BIDE MY TIME TO THE END OF THIS MEETING, TO FIND OUT WHEN THE NEXT ONE IS SCHEDULED FOR AND THEN GET WITH MY TEAM TO FIND OUT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR THEM TO BE READY FOR THAT. WE COULD MAKE THANKS THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE NEXT TASK FORCE MEETING. OUTSIDE OF THAT, I WOULD REACH OUT TO BRUCE TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN OFF SCHEDULE ONE. WHETHER IT'S THE LAST WEEK OF JULY, FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST, SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT, THAT WE COULD DO A DEEP DIVE INTO THE SPRING CREEK COMPONENT OF RIVER WATER SHED STUDY. >> I WOULD GUESS ALAN, THAT NEXT MONTH'S MEETING WILL IDEALLY, FOR ME BE THREE WEEKS FROM TODAY. BUT IF YOU'RE NOT READY THAT QUICK, I UNDERSTAND THAT. WE STAND. >> I COULD BE READY THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST, IF POSSIBLE. >> WE CAN DO THAT. WE CAN PUT THIS OFF UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST. THAT IS FINE. THAT WILL GIVE YOU ENOUGH TIME. AND IF YOU STILL DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME, WE'LL SET UP AN UNSCHEDULED MEETING. >> GOT IT. PERFECT. >> I THINK ALL OF US WERE DISAPPOINTED WITH DCR RATIOS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN TELL OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THAT. BUT I TALKED TO EITHER SHANE OR GARRETT, IF THE BCR DROPS BELOW ONE, YOU CAN INTRODUCE AND MONETIZE SOCIAL BENEFITS TO INCREASE THE BCR. CAN YOU COMMENT ON THAT? [00:15:05] >> SURE. I'LL GIVE YOU THE HIGH POINTS. BUT THERE IS A WHOLE LOT MORE BEHIND IT. ALSO DEPENDS ON WHICH TOOL YOU'RE USING. FEMA HAS THEIR OWN TOOL KIT. I'LL FOCUS ON THAT ONE BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONE I'M MOST FAMILIAR WITH. THEY HAVE A PROVISION THAT ONCE YOUR BC HITS.75, THEN YOU CAN INTRODUCE OTHER SOCIOECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT AREN'T EASILY MONETIZED. AND REALLY IT'S A PROBLEM. THAT IS THE RIGHT WORD. IT'S A PROBLEM THAT EVERYONE ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS RECOGNIZING. AND OUR MEETINGS UP IN D.C. WITH THE CORPS HEADQUARTERS, TRADITIONAL D.C. ROUTE OF WHAT IS THE COST AND VALUE OF AVOIDED DAMAGE TYPICALLY TO HOME FLOODING, IT'S NOT THAT STRAIGHTFORWARD. AND IN FACT, IT'S BEEN THE REASON WHY WE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN ACHIEVING CORPS PROJECT IN THE HALLS BAYOU WATER SHED. SO MUCH OF THAT AREA IS ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED, WE COULDN'T GET THE DAMAGES HIGH ENOUGH TO SHOW THAT WE WERE CREATING THOSE BENEFITS, AVOIDING THE DAMAGES, BASED ON THE COST OF THE PROJECT. SO IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING IT. THERE IS NO YOU KNOW, GOLDEN SILVER BULLET TO TRY AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WE'RE ONE OF MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO TRY TO PLUS UP THE BENEFIT COST RATIO. THE BIGGEST EFFORT RIGHT NOW IS ACTUALLY AS A RESULT OF OUR PURSUITS FOR CDBG MITIGATION FUNDING. I'LL TRY TO DO THIS IN 30 SECONDS, $2.1 BILLION WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS IN THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. RATHER THAN SAY, HERE, TAKE A BILLION DOLLARS, HARRIS COUNTY, GO DO GOOD WORK. THEY SAID NO, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS. ON TOP OF THAT, THEY LIMITED THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS I CAN SUBMIT AND THEY PUT A CAP ON HOW MUCH MONEY WITH BE SUBMITTED ON ANY INDIVIDUAL PROJECT. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT I HAVE TO MAX OUT MY REQUEST. AND IN DOING SO, IT TRIGGERS A RULE THAT THE HUD PUT IN SAYING FOR PROJECTS MORE THAN $100 MILLION, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO A BENEFIT COST RATIO. SO THAT KIND OF IS COUNTERINTUITIVE BECAUSE MOST OF THESE PROJECTS ARE BENEFITTING LOI AREAS. WE HAVE TO FIRST GO AND CALCULATE THE BENEFIT COST RATIO. BUT THEY DO HAVE PROVISIONS FOR VARIANCE. HEY, I DIDN'T GET A BC GREATER THAN 1, THIS IS WHY THE PROJECT IS STILL A GOOD ONE AND IT SHOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH CDBG MITIGATION. I TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE I'M HOPEFUL THAT OTHER PROGRAMS WILL START IMPLEMENTING SIMILAR CRITERIA. HEY, WE PREFER A BC GREATER THAN 1. BUT IF YOU CAN'T, HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STILL JUSTIFY IT BEING A GOOD PROJECT. THE NEXT PROGRAM THAT IS ON MY RADAR, I'M HOPEFUL THAT THEY WILL ADOPT SOME FORM OF THAT IS FEMA'S BRICK PROGRAM. IT SHOULD BE COMING OUT IN THE FALL OF THIS YEAR. GENERALLY REPLACES THEIR ANNUAL HMA/FMA PROGRAM. BUT I'VE GOT MY EYES ON THAT FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT POSSIBLE PROJECTS, WHERE I CAN'T TYPICALLY JUSTIFY JUST THROUGH A BC BUT MAYBE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY VALUE THAT IT BRINGS, THE RECREATIONAL ELEMENT, THE SOCIOECONOMIC VALUE THAT IT CAN BRING TO AN AREA. SO THAT WAS A LONG AND RAMBLING ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION. I HOPE THAT IT GIVES ME ENOUGH CONFIDENCE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IT. BUT IT'S ALSO A BIG ENOUGH PROBLEM THAT WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES LOOKING AT IT. >> ALAN, ANOTHER QUESTION. ANOTHER THING THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT TOO IS WHAT THE IMPACT OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHAT THAT IMPACT WOULD BE DOWN IN KINGWOOD. >> SURE. HOW FAR DOWNSTREAM DO THE BENEFITS CHASE. AND THAT IS WHY THE BC, I CAN'T TELL YOU RIGHT NOW WHAT THE B.C. WOULD BE FOR ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS COMBINED BECAUSE THAT TAKES A GOOD BIT MORE MODELLING TO SEE A, HOW FAR DOWNSTREAM DO THE BENEFITS CHASE. AND THEN B, HOW DO YOU, IT'S NOT AN EASY TASK TO THEN DETERMINE HOW MANY HOMES SEE A REDUCTION IN THEIR DAMAGES. BECAUSE WHAT YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO DO IS, IT'S A TREMENDOUS GIS LIFT, YOU SHOW, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A THREE DIMENSIONAL MODEL ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTY, ACROSS MULTIPLE COUNTIES AND THEN YOU HAVE TO SHOW WHERE THIS POOL OF WATER IS NOW [00:20:02] REDUCED AND THEN ASSUMPTIONS OF WHAT FINISHED FLOOR SLABS ARE FOR EVERY SINGLE HOME, HAS THAT RESULTED IN A REDUCTION IN DAMAGES TO A HOME. SO IT'S NOT AN EASY THING TO CALCULATE. THE TECHNOLOGY IS THERE. IT TAKES A BIG LIFT. THAT'S WHY I'M HOPEFUL THAT PERHAPS THEY WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO SHARE REGARDING THE B.C. FOR THAT COMBINED AGGREGATE PROJECT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. BUT I CAN'T PROMISE IT. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ALAN? >> WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, REVIEW THE STATUS OF THE APPLICATION [3. Review the status of the application for the Spring Creek Watershed Flood Control Dams Conceptual Engineering Feasibility Study] FOR THE SPRING CREEK WATERSHED FLOOD CONTROL DAMS CONCEPTUAL ENGINEERING FEASIBILITY STUDY. WE'RE IN THE SAME AREA. JIM, ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE THAT OR PUNT THAT OUT? >> I CAN GIVE THE UPDATE. >> I WAS GOING TO SAY I CAN'T ANSWER IT. >> THAT SOUNDS LIKE THAT IS JRA. GO AHEAD. >> YES. SO JUNE 15TH, WE SUBMITTED FIVE SEPARATE APPLICATIONS, ONE WAS FOR THE DAM FOR SPRING CREEK. RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST KIND OF WAITING. WE TALKED TO THE PROGRAM MANAGER AT WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARDS, HE SAID THEY GOT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE BRIDGE APPLICATIONS THAN THEY WERE EXPECTING. SO HE IS THINKING IT'S GOING TO BE BETWEEN 60 AND 90 DAYS BEFORE WE WILL BE NOTIFIED IF WE ARE MOVING ON TO THE FULL APPLICATION OR NOT. IF WE DO GET INVITED TO SUBMIT THE FULL APPLICATION, WE HAVE A 60 DAY TURN AROUND TO SUBMIT EVERYTHING THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE SPRING CREEK PROJECT. SO THAT IS REALLY WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. WE'RE KIND OF WAITING FOR THE BALL TO DROP. >> OKAY. >> THIS IS ALAN. I'M CURIOUS, DID THEY INDICATE HOW OVER SUBSCRIBED THEY WERE ON THEIR APPLICATIONS? >> WE DIDN'T ASK HOW MANY THEY RECEIVED. BUT HE SAID THEY WERE ABOUT A THOUSAND MORE THAN HE HAD ANTICIPATED. I GUESS I COULD HAVE ASKED HOW MANY IN TOTAL. >> THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I'VE BEEN BIDING MY TIME. I WAS GOING TO WAIT A LITTLE WHILE AND SEND OUT A QUESTION. I'M PUTTING THE OVER/UNDER AT A COUPLE BILLION DOLLARS. >> OH, YEAH. >> IT WILL BE INTERESTING. >> THEY'VE GOT BETWEEN 6 AND 700 TO GIVE OUT. >> ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS? >> OKAY. WELL, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD HOPEFULLY MOVING THAT PROJECT FORWARD. THAT STUDY FORWARD. WE'LL GO TO ITEM NUMBER 4. [4. Receive a report from Harris County Flood Control District on the Harris County Bond Projects for Flood Control.] REPORT FROM THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT ON HARRIS COUNTY BOND PROJECTS FOR FLOOD CONTROL. >> GREAT. THANK YOU. I DO WANT TO START OUT BY SAYING THAT WE ARE STILL VERY MUCH WORKING. ABOUT HALF OF THE DISTRICT WORKING FROM HOME, THOSE THAT ARE GOING IN ARE LARGELY IN SUPPORT OF OUR CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY. A LOT OF THEM COME IN REPORTING AND HEAD OUT TO THE FIELD. AS WITH ALL OF YOU, I'M SURE YOU'VE ADJUSTED TO WORKING VIRTUALLY. I'VE HAD SOME DAYS WHERE I'VE HAD NINE MEETINGS VIRTUALLY ACROSS FIVE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS. I GET TO THE END OF THE DAY, WOW, WHAT HAVE I DONE APART FROM STARING AT THE CAMERA ALL DAY. SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING IN NEW HIRES, MANAGING OUR SUMMER INTERNS. WE DIDN'T SHUT THAT DOWN. WE'RE MAKING DO AS BEST WE CAN. WE ADVERTISED $40 MILLION IN CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS. WE HAVE ANOTHER 40 SOME ODD MILLION GOING OUT TO ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT MONTH. AGAIN, PROOF IN THE PUDDING THAT THIS HASN'T STOPPED US. WE'RE GETTING THE WORK OUT. CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ARE CONSIDERED AN ESSENTIAL FUNCTION, SO WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE. YOU MAY RECALL THAT LAST YEAR, COMMISSIONERS COURT ADOPTED THE BOND PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK. THAT IS WHERE WE TOOK THE 80 REMAINING PROJECTS IN THE BOND PROGRAM AND GROUPED THEM INTO FOUR QUARTILES. FOUR GROUPS OF 20 PROJECTS EACH. SO WE HAVE COMPLETED INITIATION OF THE FIRST QUARTILE PROJECTS AND WENT TO COURT SEEKING AUTHORIZATION TO START INITIATING THE SECOND QUARTILE PROJECTS. IT WILL TAKE US ANOTHER FOUR TO 6 MONTHS TO ACTUALLY INITIATE ALL OF THEM. BECAUSE IN SOME CASES, WE HAVE STUDIES UNDERWAY THAT WILL THEN YIELD PROJECTS IN THE SECOND QUARTILE. SO I NEED THE STUDY TO FINISH SO I KNOW WHAT THE PROJECTS ARE SO WE CAN START [00:25:08] DOING SOME DESIGN WORK. AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO SENT AN UPDATE. NO MONEY WAS REALLOCATED FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER. APART FROM WITHIN A PARTICULAR PROGRAM. SO IN ONE CASE, WE NEEDED A CONSULTANT TO MANAGE ALL OF OUR HALL'S BAYOU PROJECTS IN THE BOND PROGRAM. SO WE TOOK A LITTLE BIT FROM EACH ONE OF THE PROJECTS AND SET ASIDE A POT FOR THE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OF THAT. ONE OTHER THING THAT IS KIND OF INTERESTING, ON COURT TODAY, I DON'T THINK THEY'VE GOTTEN TO IT YET, THEY WERE STILL TALKING ABOUT COVID WHEN THIS MEETING STARTED UP. WE ARE SEEKING COURT'S AUTHORIZATION TO STAND UP WHAT'S CALLED, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CALL AN INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE TEAM, WITH THE GOAL OF PREPARING A 2050 HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD AND INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE PLAN. THAT IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL, HARRIS COUNTY ENGINEERING, COMMUNITY SERVICES AND THE HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY. WITH THE GOAL OF BEING ABLE TO ANTICIPATE RISKS AND CHANGE IN USER DEMANDS, TO REDUCE THE PROBABILITY OF FAILURE AND LESSEN THE IMPACT FROM NEGATIVE IMPACTS. THESE ARE DIRECTLY I'M READING. TO QUICKLY RECOVER FROM THE IMPACTS OF EXTREME EVENTS, TO EASILY ADAPT TO NEW CONDITIONS. WHAT THAT BASICALLY MEANS IS FROM A FLOOD CONTROL PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE GOING TO PULL TOGETHER ALL OF THESE STUDIES WE'VE DONE ACROSS THE COUNTY, OVER THE YEARS AND ALL HAVE BEEN UPDATED IN THE LAST FIVE, AND INCORPORATE THAT INTO A LARGER DOCUMENT THAT TALKS ABOUT COUNTY RESILIENCY AND WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING TO POSITION OURSELVES TO BY 2050 BE AS RESILIENT AS POSSIBLE. SO IT STARTS WITH HAVING A PICTURE OF WHAT THAT VISION NEEDS TO BE. AND THEN WORKING OUT THE HOWS. WHAT LEGISLATIVELY NEEDS TO BE ADVOCATED AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL. DO THEY ALIGN WITH FEDERAL PROGRAMS, STATE PROGRAMS. IF NOT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO ADVOCATE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. SO THERE IS A LOT MORE THAT IS TO COME ON THAT. EACH ONE OF THE FOUR AGENCIES ARE GOING TO DEDICATE ONE PERSON AS A LEAD FOR EACH OF THE AGENCIES TO HELP DEVELOP THIS LIVING DOCUMENT THAT HOPEFULLY WILL GUIDE US TO A BETTER FUTURE. CITY OF HOUSTON RECENTLY COMPLETED SOMETHING SIMILAR. MARISSA AHO WAS BROUGHT IN AS CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER. IT'S A GOOD DOCUMENT. INCLUDES A LOT OF HIGH LEVEL IDEAS. BUT ALSO INCLUDES SOME VERY ACHIEVABLE GOALS. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF WHICH IS TO BY A CERTAIN DAY OR BY A CERTAIN YEAR TO HAVE ALL STRUCTURES OUT OF THE FLOOD WAY OF MAIN STEM CHANNELS. GOOD GOAL TO HAVE. SURPRISINGLY, IN DEVELOPED AREAS, THERE IS STILL A LOT OF HOMES THAT ARE THAT WAY. SO IT'S TRYING TO ESTABLISH THAT EVERYONE AGREES SHOULD BE ACHIEVED AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO THAT. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS BUILD UPON THAT CITY DOCUMENT WITH OUR OWN TO TRY AND EXPAND THAT OUT TO THE FULL REALM OF THE COUNTY ITSELF. SO THE LAST THING I DID WANT TO HIT ON WAS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR GRANT PURSUITS. WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TWDB APPLICATIONS ALREADY. FLOOD CONTROL AND HARRIS COUNTY COLLECTIVELY SUBMITTED 16 PROJECT APPLICATIONS, ASKING FOR A TOTAL OF DRUM ROLL, IF MY COMPUTER ISN'T FROZEN UP. ASKING FOR A TOTAL OF ABOUT $100 MILLION OF WATER AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD FUNDING. WE KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT ALL. BUT SIMILAR TO MANY OTHER GRANT PROGRAMS, WE'VE TAKEN THE APPROACH OF OVER APPLYING, SO THAT WAY ANY TIME AN ELECTED OFFICIAL OR RESIDENT OR ANYBODY SAYS WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO TRY AND GET MORE MONEY, YOU CAN SAY WELL, I SENT FIVE APPLICATIONS TO FEMA AND THEY APPROVED ONE. IF THEY FIND MORE MONEY, I GOT FOUR MORE SITTING IN THE WINGS. SAME GOES FOR TWDB PROGRAM. FLOOD CONTROL DID NOT SUBMIT ANY APPLICATIONS ALONG THE SPRING CREEK WATER SHED [00:30:02] BECAUSE THERE ARE VERY SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR THAT PROGRAM. WHAT IT ALLOWS YOU TO DO IS SLOWLY BUILD UP A GRANT AMOUNT AND THEN OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ZERO PERCENT LOAN FOR THE BALANCE OF THE PROJECT. SO IF YOU'VE GOT A $10 MILLION PROJECT, BASED ON SEVEN OF THE CRITERIA THAT THEY PUT IN PLACE, I'M ABLE TO BUILD A 32 PERCENT GRANT, WELL, THEN THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR A $3.2 MILLION GRANT WITH A BALANCE EITHER COMING OUT OF FLOOD CONTROL COFFERS OR ZERO PERCENT LOAN. PRIOR TO COVID, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALL THAT INTERESTED IN A ZERO PERCENT LOAN. MAINLY BECAUSE IT DOESN'T REPRESENT THAT MUCH VALUE TO US BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO PAY IT BACK AND IF WE'VE GOT TO PAY IT BACK, THEN IT CAN COME OUT OF OUR BOND PROGRAM AND OUR INTRASTATES ARE PRETTY LOW TO BEGIN WITH. THE ECONOMY THAT WENT IN THE TANK AFTER EVERYBODY HAD TO STAY HOME, KIND OF DRIED THE BOND MARKET UP. I'M SURE THAT WILL REBOUND EVENTUALLY. BUT IT DROVE OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER INTEREST RATES UP PRETTY HIGH, ABOUT THE 7 OR 8 PERCENT RANGE. AND COMMERCIAL PAPER IS WHAT WE USED TO BRIDGE THE GAP TO WHEN WE ACTUALLY SELL BONDS FOR OUR BOND PROGRAM. AND WHEN WE'RE PAYING EIGHT PERCENT ON COMMERCIAL PAPER, ALL OF A SUDDEN ZERO PERCENT LOAN HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE APPEAL TO IT. AND SO THAT IS THE WAY WE STRUCTURED OUR BRIDGED APPLICATIONS, TO SAY HEY, WE WANT TO GET AS MUCH GRANT AS WE CAN OUT OF THIS BUT WE'LL TAKE LOANS FOR THE REST OF IT. IT TURNS OUT THE EFFORTS THAT WERE POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OUT OF THE SPRING CREEK WATER SHED JUST DIDN'T SCORE ALL THAT HIGH ON THE GRANT SIDE. AND WE REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON WHERE WE COULD GET PROJECTS THAT MIGHT SCORE 35, 40, IN ONE CASE WE HAD A 45 PERCENT GRANT ELIGIBILITY. THE NEXT THING IS CDBG MITIGATION PROGRAM. THAT APPLICATION WINDOW HAS NOW OPENED. THE APPLICATIONS ARE DUE TOWARDS THE END OF OCTOBER. AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT $640 MILLION IN APPLICATIONS TO PREPARE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE PRETTY BUSY ON THAT. IN ADDITION TO DOING OUR DESIGN AND TRYING TO GET PROJECTS OUT ON THE STREET. WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS. >> ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR ALAN? >> GREAT. THANK YOU. GREAT SYNOPSIS, ALAN. OKAY. ITEM NUMBER 5. [5. Receive reports from Task Force agencies a. Woodlands Water – Montgomery County MUD’s b. Harris - Montgomery Counties MUD 386 c. San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) d. Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD)] RECEIVE REPORTS FROM TASK FORCE AGENCIES. WOODLANDS WATER. YOU'RE UP, JIM. >> THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. I SUBMITTED TO YOUR OFFICE A COUPLE OF EXHIBITS. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE TODAY. THERE WE GO. FOR THE INFORMATION TO THE TASK FORCE. NUMBER 6 AS THE SPONSOR FOR THE BRIDGE APPLICATION WITH THE OPEN INTENT, IF IT GETS SELECTED TO MOVE FORWARD, WE COULD HAVE OTHER FUNDING PARTNERS, THIS IS THE PROJECT THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALONG BEAR BRANCH AND POSSIBLY EXTENSION INTO PANTHER BRANCH THAT WOULD LOWER HIGH WATER SURFACE ELEVATION OF A TYPICAL 100 YEAR STORM. NOT HARVEY TYPE EVENT. BUT TYPICAL 100 YEAR STORM. STORMS WE HAVE RECEIVED, TAX DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, MANY OTHER EVENTS WHERE RESEARCH HAS BEEN UNPASSABLE, THE TRAFFIC AND THE TWIN BERRY AREA HAS RECEIVED STRUCTURAL FLOODING. THE CAPSTONE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS RECEIVED STRUCTURAL FLOODING ALONG WITH BEING IMPASSIBLE FOR A DAY OR MORE. DEPENDING ON THE EVENT, THE AREA NEAR THE ENTRANCE INTO THE BEAR BRANCH SOCCER FIELD, THAT AREA IS UNDER WATER. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALMOST 3 FEET REDUCTION IN THE CAPSTONE NEIGHBORHOOD. ABOUT TWO AND A HALF FEET IN THE TWINBERRY AREA AND A LITTLE OVER TWO FEET DOWN [00:35:01] NEAR THE SOCCER FIELD. SO THIS I THINK IS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT THAT WOULD ALLOW RESEARCH TO BE PASSABLE. OR THE PUBLIC AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES DURING MOST STORMS. SO THAT WAS SUBMITTED AS AN APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDINGS. WE'RE STILL WORKING FOR RESEARCH FOREST DRIVE OUT OF THE SUN DANCE PARK CHANNEL. WE CONCLUDED THAT WE CAN INCREASE THE BOX UNDERNEATH THE ROADWAY TO REDUCE IMPACTS TO THAT AREA. I HOPE TO HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT TODAY, BUT DID NOT GET THAT INFORMATION ON WHERE WE ARE WITH I GUESS THAT IS PRECINCT TWO IN THAT AREA. CHARLIE THIS HIS PRECINCT. >> IT IS, JIM. >> I WILL REPORT THAT OUR MUD DISTRICT AND THE WOODLANDS WATER AGENCY TRUSTEE DID VOTE TO SUPPORT ONE OF OUR MUD DIRECTORS WHO IS A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER WITH A VERY STRONG BACKGROUND IN DRAINAGE STUDY AND FLOOD MITIGATION STEPHANIE ZARCUCCI AS THE NOMINEE FOR THE MUD DISTRICT REP ON THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD REGIONAL PLANNING GROUP. SO THAT WAS UNANIMOUS SUPPORT. STEPHANIE WAS A VERY GOOD CHOICE AND SO SHE DID GET SUPPORT FROM OTHER MUD DISTRICTS IN THE AREA. SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WORKS OUT WELL FOR HER AND FOR US. WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS. I KNOW THAT THE RIVER AUTHORITY STAFF HAS MET WITH RESIDENTS AT LEAST ONCE, I THINK IN THE FIELD AND LOOKED AT THEIR CONCERN. THE SUM OF IT IS THAT ONCE THAT PROJECT IS COMPLETED, AND A CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IS REMOVED, THERE IS NO BENEFIT, NOR NO DETRIMENT TO THE FLOODPLAIN IN THE HOMES IN THAT AREA. UNDERGROUND SANITARY SEWER PIPE, LARGE PIPE THAT IS BEING RELINED AND REHABILITATED FROM A STRUCTURAL STANDPOINT. NO IMPROVEMENT TO THE FLOODPLAIN IN THE AREA, BUT NO HARM TO IT EITHER. I DID RESPOND TO ONE OF THE RESIDENTS THAT YOU HAD FORWARDED TO ME THAT LIVES IN THE CAPSTONE NEIGHBORHOOD, I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM MR. BOWMAN. BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO MEET WITH HIM AND GO OVER THAT PROJECT IN DETAIL AND TRY TO ALLEVIATE ANY CONCERNS REGARDING DRAINAGE. >> THANK YOU, JIM. >> YOU'RE WELCOME. >> YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR JIM? IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE, MUD 386. >> BRUCE, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD OTHER THAN WHAT I SAID EARLIER AROUND THE PROJECTS ALONG SPRING CREEK. I WAS EXPECTING REGULAR BENEFITS FROM THESE OPTIONS. HAVING HAD MULTIPLE DISCUSSIONS WITH GENE AND GARRETT, I FOUND MY EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT A PROJECT WOULD BE, COULD BE WERE TOO HIGH. SO I LOWERED MY EXPECTATIONS. I HAVE BEEN COACHED UP AND FEEL SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THESE OPTIONS VERSUS THE OTHER OPTIONS IN THE BROAD HARRIS COUNTY SET OF OPTIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE. I THINK THAT YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A SET OF PROJECTS HERE THAT ARE SO GOOD THAT EVERYBODY GOES THAT IS JUST A NO BRAINER, WE OUGHT TO GO DO IT. IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN I THINK WE NEED TO ONE, CONFIRM THAT THAT IS THE CASE. AND IF IT IS THE CASE, THEN WE NEED TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE WORKING THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF THIS, FUNDING SIDE OF THIS, WHERE WE COULD ACTUALLY MAKE A [00:40:04] SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT ALONG THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE WOODLANDS, NORTHERN PART OF HARRIS COUNTY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE IT WOULD BE HORRIBLE IF 20, 30 YEARS FROM NOW, PEOPLE LOOK BACK AND GO, MOST OF OUR EFFORTS ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE GET EVERYTHING WE NEED TO GET THESE PROJECTS ADVANCED. >> AS YOU KNOW, THE ROOT OF DEVELOPMENT ALONG SPRING CREEK IS DRIVING NORTHWEST AND SO YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, IN 30 YEARS, IF WE GO AHEAD AND DO THIS PROJECT NOW, I THINK THE BENEFITS COULD BE REALLY ALMOST, YOU KNOW, BEYOND OUR CAPABILITY TO ESTIMATE, FRANKLY. BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT IS, IT WOULD SOLVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS. >> AND IT WOULD ADD A LOT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF VALUE TO THOSE AREAS UP THERE IN CREATING RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND THINGS THAT YOU KNOW THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BENEFIT THE ENTIRE REGION. SO YOU KNOW, I'M WITH YOU. I'M WITH YOU 100 PERCENT. >> GOOD DEAL. I THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US PULLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. >> IT SURE IS. >> AS SOON AS WE GET FURTHER DOWN THIS ROAD, IT WOULD BE INCUMBENT TO GET WITH CONGRESSMAN BRADY AND CRENSHAW AND BRIEF THEM AND THEIR STAFFS ON WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. I THINK THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THE IMPACT THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. >> LAURA. >> I HAVE SUBMITTED MY NAME FOR THE RFPG UNDER PUBLIC INTEREST. AND I'VE GONE WITH BOB LILAC AND HELEN AND NEIL FROM THE WOODLANDS MUD TO THE KING AREA AND I'VE GOTTEN SUPPORT THERE. I KNOW IT'S COMPETITIVE, BUT I'VE GOT MY NAME IN THERE. SO THAT IS ALL I WANTED TO EXPAND. >> THANK YOU, LAURA. I APPRECIATE THAT. I'M SURE YOU WOULD BRING A LOT OF ENERGY TO THAT ENDEAVOR. SO THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AT ALL OR COMMENTS? GREAT. THEN WE'LL MOVE TO THE SAN JACINTO RIVER AUTHORITY. >> HEY, EVERYBODY. SO WE'RE PRETTY MUCH SINGING THE SAME TUNE AS ALAN. WITH THE COVID AND THEN EVERYBODY TELEWORKING. THE LAST 3 MONTHS WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON COMPLETING THE BRIDGE APPLICATION FOR FIVE DIFFERENT PROJECTS. AND THEN SUBMITTING THEM. AND SO BESIDES THE SPRING CREEK ONE THAT WE SUBMITTED, WE ALSO SUBMITTED ONE FOR A REGIONAL STUDY THAT WOULD LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT THE UPPER BASIN AND THEN CURRENTLY, WE'RE WORKING ON THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN, SAND TRAP PROJECT IN THE RIVER BASIN SO WE WANTED TO SEE WHAT OUR LUCK WAS TRYING TO GET FUNDING THROUGH FOR A SAND TRAP DEVELOPMENT PRELIMINARY DESIGN. SO FOR THAT, WE WOULD REALLY HOPE TO GET FUNDING TO HOPEFULLY DESIGN TWO POTENTIAL SAND TRAPS WITHIN THE SAN JACINTO RIVER BASIN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE. SO WE APPLIED FOR A LAKE HOUSTON JOINT RESERVOIR OPERATION STUDY. REALLY, THIS IS TO HELP LOOK AT HOW OPERATION STRATEGIES SHOULD BE ONCE THOSE NEW GATES ARE INSTALLED ON LAKE HOUSTON. AND THEN WHERE YOU FOCUS IN ON SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES TO SEE IF THEY WANTED RAIN GAUGES OR STAGE GAUGES INCLUDED IN THEIR COUNTY. SO WE'RE LOOKING WITH THE COUNTY TO HOPEFULLY GET FUNDING TO INSTALL THREE OF THOSE GAUGES ALONG AREAS THAT THEY IDENTIFIED WERE NECESSARY. AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY. THOSE ARE THE FIVE APPLICATIONS WE SUBMITTED. WE KIND OF TOOK THE SAME APPROACH AS ALAN AND HIS TEAM. [00:45:04] APPLIED FOR MORE AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET A COUPLE. SO THAT IS KIND OF WHAT, THAT IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THESE LAST 3 MONTHS. SO THAT IS REALLY OUR UPDATE. >> OKAY. GREAT. ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE SJRA? >> DID YOU SAY THAT YOU APPLIED FOR TWBD FUNDING FOR THE SPRING CREEK STUDY OR NOT? DID I MISS THAT? >> YES. YEAH. SINCE I MENTIONED IT EARLIER, I DIDN'T RUN THROUGH IT AGAIN. >> OKAY. GOOD CATCH THERE. >> I'VE GOT LASER FOCUS. ALAN, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO WRAP UP? >> ANY UPDATES FROM ANY OTHER TASK MEMBERS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP? [6. Updates from Task Force Members] >> FIRST STREET STUDY FOUNDATION AND THE FLOODPLAIN MAP THAT THEY HAVE PUT OUT, I THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE SHOULD LOOK AT. >> I'LL PUT THE LINK TO THAT SITE UP, GET THE TOWNSHIP TO PUT THAT LINK UP ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL SO PEOPLE CAN GET ACCESS TO IT. >> THANK YOU, SIR. >> ANY OTHER TASK FORCE MEMBER. >> IN THAT CASE, WE'VE REACHED PUBLIC COMMENT. [7. Public comment*] WILLIAM, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY? ONE CALLER. >> LET'S HEAR THE CALLER. >>. >> IT'S SOMETHING FOR A QUICK ANSWER, YOU MIGHT REACH OUT TO GENE AND ASK. I'M SURE THAT THE FOLKS HERE ARE INTERESTED IN THE ANSWER TO THAT. IN WHICH CASE, WE MIGHT TOGETHER REACH OUT TO HER AND ASK THAT QUESTION, IN THAT WAY, WE COULD REPORT IT BACK TO THE TEAM. >> I WILL ASK HER. I THINK YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIG ASPECTS OF THE BENEFIT COST RATIO IS, WELL, THERE'S TWO ASPECTS. THERE IS THE DAMAGES AVOIDED WHICH IS BASED UPON THE FLOOD LEVEL THAT YOU COMPUTE. LET'S JUST SAY HYPOTHETICALLY, THAT WE COMPUTE HIGHER FLOOD LEVELS WITH HIGHER RAINFALLS, THEN THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGES GOES UP. IT COULD NUDGE THOSE B.C. NUMBERS UP A LITTLE BIT. >> WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THESE STUDIES ARE NOT DONE AT THE SCALE. IT'S DONE AT A HIGH ENOUGH LEVEL TO GIVE YOU AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE. BUT PRETTY DECENT SWINGS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER AS WE WERE TO DIG INTO MORE DETAILS. THEY'RE TRYING TO ASSESS 45 SOME ODD ALTERNATIVE PROJECTS ACROSS A SEVEN [00:50:09] COUNTY AREA. >> I ASKED THAT QUESTION SO Y'ALL KNEW I WAS HERE. >> I'M SORRY? >> I ASKED THAT QUESTION SO YOU KNEW I WAS HERE. >> TERRIFIC. OKAY. WELL, THAT BRINGS US TO IF THERE IS NO OTHER CALLERS, THAT BRINGS US TO THE DATE [8. Confirm date and time for the next meeting – Tuesday, July 28, 3:30 p.m.] OF THE NEXT MEETING. FOR ALAN'S REQUEST, I'M LOOKING AT TUESDAY, AUGUST 4TH. FOR THE NEXT MEETING. AND EVEN IF WE ARE BACK PHYSICALLY, I THINK WE WILL ALSO HAVE A ZOOM COMPONENT CAPABILITY AVAILABLE. SO THIS FORMAT IS SO CONVENIENT THAT I JUST THINK THAT YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO CONTINUE DOING THIS, EVEN WHEN WE ARE BACK LIVE AGAIN. BECAUSE THE SUB COMMITTEE IS NOT AN OPEN MEETING SITUATION. IT IS A WORKING GROUP. SO THAT WOULD BE TUESDAY, AUGUST 4TH AT 3:30. >> THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I APPRECIATE THAT. >> THANK YOU, ALAN. SO IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE FROM ANYBODY ON THE CALL, I WOULD PROPOSE WE ADJOURN. >> SO MOVED. >> ALL RIGHT. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.