Department: County Engineer
Department Head/Elected Official: Milton Rahman, PhD, P.E., PMP, CFM, ENV SP, County Engineer
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Policy
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for approval of the Reaffirmation of Minimum Standards for Communities in Harris County and Draining to Harris County Facilities.
end
Background and Discussion:
On Tuesday, May 19, 2020, Harris County Commissioners Court adopted minimum measures for adoption by communities located in Harris County to ensure the benefits achieved by the 2018 Harris County Flood Control District’s Bond Program are protected. These five minimum measures, recommended by the Office of the County Engineer and Harris County Flood Control District include:
1. Use Atlas 14 rainfall rates for sizing storm water conveyance and detention systems.
2. Require a minimum detention rate of 0.55 acre-feet per acre of detention for any new development on tracts one acre or larger. A single-family residential structure and accessory building proposed on an existing lot is exempt from providing detention.
3. Prohibit the use of hydrograph timing as a substitute for detention on any project, unless it directly outfalls into Galveston Bay.
4. Require no net fill in the current mapped 500-year floodplain, except in areas identified as coastal zones only.
5. Require the minimum Finished Flood Elevation of new habitable structures be established at or waterproofed to the 500-year flood elevation as shown on the effective Flood Insurance Study.
The attached letter was sent to Mayors of cities located within Harris County and to all Counties that border Harris County. The letter includes guidelines for adopting five minimum measures before a December 31, 2020 deadline, with an impact on the approval of future partnership projects (Bond Project ID Z-02 - Partnership Projects with Municipalities, Authorities, and Other Districts in Harris County - $175,000,000).
The Engineering Department has retained a consultant to review ordinances and provide recommended revisions to each community, and Engineering Department staff has engaged cities and counties in these discussions since May 2020, resulting in 23 jurisdictions successfully adopting minimum measures. The Engineering Department has continued to engage officials in each community since May 2020, including city managers, floodplain administrators, and building officials.
County Commissioners Court reaffirmed on February 21, 2023 the Minimum Measures policy established in May 2020 with the addition that item 4 is modified to read as follows: “Prohibit the use of hydrograph timing as a substitute for detention on any project, unless it directly outfalls into Galveston Bay, the Brazos River or the San Bernard River.
Expected Impact:
Municipalities that have not adopted minimum measures and seek partnership with Harris County pose a potential impact to the County’s investment in existing and future infrastructure.
Alternative Options:
The alternative would be to rescind the County’s commitment to assisting these municipalities with adoption. This alternative would significantly reduce the potential for future partnerships.
Alignment with Goal(s):
_ Justice and Safety
_ Economic Opportunity
_ Housing
_ Public Health
_ Transportation
X Flooding
_ Environment
X Governance and Customer Service
Prior Court Action (if any):
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
5/19/2020 |
Page 7, v. |
Transmittal of recommendations of minimum standards in connection with a fix flooding first initiative to be adopted by December 31, 2020 for all communities/cities within the county, and those entities located outside the county but drain to the county; extend the agreement with EHRA Engineering to assist communities in evaluating and updating their policies and ordinances at no cost to the community; and that no partnership projects be constructed in the communities after December 31, 2020 until their criteria is updated to reflect the minimum standards. |
|
4/5/2022 |
Page 10, 79. |
Approval of the Reaffirmation of Minimum Measures for Communities in Harris County and Draining to Harris County Facilities. |
|
2/21/2023 |
Page 13, 94. |
Approval of the Reaffirmation of Minimum Standards for Communities in Harris County and Draining to Harris County Facilities with a modification to of the minimum measure to include the Brazos River and San Bernard River as exemptions. |
Location:
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Anticipated Court Date: July 15, 2024
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date):
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or COVID-19 related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Darrell Hahn, Permits Director, Permits, HCED
Attachments (if applicable): Minimum Standards for Communities, Mayors Letter