Briar Forest Super Neighborhood 18 Meeting Notes

BFSN Monthly Meeting -- July 17, 2018 @ Briarwood School
Reported by Howard Dunbar

Summary:
Judge Emmitt spoke (about 90% of time) of supporting this bond issue. His views / Powerpoint presentation was to outline where flood control projects would be funded with monies derived from the HCFC's $2.5 Billion issue. The Judge affirmed that the funding would go entirely to the HCFC projects thru out the Harris County regions. Some of this money is to improve the flow of storm water down Buffalo Bayou although he would not say how much of the total would be spent on the westside such as from Highway 6 east to the BW8 overpass for Buffalo Bayou. The audience was very intersest in this. My informal headcount put the number of people at the meeting with flooded homes at 98%. For example, the Judge asked for a show of hands as to people who flooded after the Barker Dam water release on Aug 30 2017. The number would be 98%. I abstained knowing no house in Ashford Hollow had flooded. One man said his house flooded before the water release from Barker Dam. All others in the show of hands had flooded after the water release.

The Judge then went into his views:

1. That he has come to believe that NO ONE who has studied the world's weather can deny that there is global warming involved with violent weather of the last years.
2. That the Legislature and top Texas Government in Austin spends way too much time meddling in County affairs. That the Austin government is trying to saddle the Counties and Cities with cost of flood control, courts, police protection, education, etc. but is now bent on restricting those counties from levying the taxes needed to pay for these services. For example, a Republican sponsored bill would restrict governments from raising property taxes more than 1% or population growth. But the restriction on that limit is 1% of the growth of all of Texas Counties. Since only the urban centers in Texas are growing at up to 10% then it would tie his hands as to money to pay for Texas State mandated programs.
3. The best way to help out on the westside between Hwy6 and BW8 would be to dredge out and deepen the Barker and Addicks reservoir. He agrees with recent studies which show these do not hold as much water as when built in 1940's due to sediment intrusion.

All-in-all it was a good meeting. Since many people showed up, I could not ask my question: What about streets damaged by the flooding i.e. Kirkwood and Dairy Ashford?

Please review the Harris County Flood Control map to see the projects over our way (between Hwy6 and BW8 along Buffalo Bayou).  Visit the HCFCD website at this link.