A year has passed since Harris County voters approved a tax increase to fund flood maintenance, but progress is slow. For Belia Fredenberg, who has lived near Little Cypress Creek for nearly three decades, the delay comes as no surprise. The creek's overflow has caused flooding, with water rising from its banks into neighboring homes and yards.
The maintenance program aims to address this issue by connecting the creek to a nearby ditch. If left unchecked, the creek could erode further upstream, threatening homes, backyards, and infrastructure. According to Jason Krahn, the Harris County Flood District's chief infrastructure officer, even minor events can have significant consequences in the region.
The maintenance program is part of a larger effort to mitigate flooding in the area. In 2018, voters approved a $2.5 billion bond to build new infrastructure to prevent flooding. However, the district has encountered financial difficulties, resulting in multiple project cancellations and pauses due to a $1.3 billion shortfall.
As a result, many residents who voted on the bond will not receive the promised infrastructure improvements. Despite this, the maintenance program continues with 50 major projects and 124 infrastructure repair projects scheduled for next year, including at Addicks and Barker reservoirs.
The district is still hiring staff to support these efforts, but only 22 of the 54 new positions approved in September have been filled so far. Flood district officials attribute the slow hiring pace to various factors, including a highly competitive job market.
As Krahn warned, "Things can happen in a flash right here on the Gulf Coast." The need for effective flood mitigation measures has never been more pressing, and residents are left wondering when they will see tangible results from their tax increases.
The maintenance program aims to address this issue by connecting the creek to a nearby ditch. If left unchecked, the creek could erode further upstream, threatening homes, backyards, and infrastructure. According to Jason Krahn, the Harris County Flood District's chief infrastructure officer, even minor events can have significant consequences in the region.
The maintenance program is part of a larger effort to mitigate flooding in the area. In 2018, voters approved a $2.5 billion bond to build new infrastructure to prevent flooding. However, the district has encountered financial difficulties, resulting in multiple project cancellations and pauses due to a $1.3 billion shortfall.
As a result, many residents who voted on the bond will not receive the promised infrastructure improvements. Despite this, the maintenance program continues with 50 major projects and 124 infrastructure repair projects scheduled for next year, including at Addicks and Barker reservoirs.
The district is still hiring staff to support these efforts, but only 22 of the 54 new positions approved in September have been filled so far. Flood district officials attribute the slow hiring pace to various factors, including a highly competitive job market.
As Krahn warned, "Things can happen in a flash right here on the Gulf Coast." The need for effective flood mitigation measures has never been more pressing, and residents are left wondering when they will see tangible results from their tax increases.
. and now they're telling people who voted for the bond in 2018 that they won't get their promised infrastructure improvements? no thanks! 
I'm all about community support, but this is just so... slow 
. 50 major projects and 124 repair projects scheduled for next year? when will it actually happen?! 
the complexity of it all, 1.3 billion shortfall is like, whoa... how does that happen? 50 major projects and 124 infrastructure repair projects still gotta be done 
like cmon Harris County, 1 yr isnt a lil long time 4 major changes to happen 
the 1.3billion shortfall is straight up crazy tho 
I mean I know the maintenance program is a good thing but it's taking forever to get started and I feel bad for all those ppl who are still waiting on infrastructure repairs 
my fave is the Harris County Flood District tho they're trying their best with limited funds 
the $1.3 billion shortfall is like woah that's a lot of $$$ 
. As someone who's lived in this area for years, I've seen my fair share of flooded homes and yards, and it's not fun at all 
. Can we just get some actual solutions to these problems already? It's been a year since the tax increase and still nothing concrete is happening 
.
slow progress isnt surprising at all 
i feel so bad for belia frederberg and all the other people living near little cypress creek... can you imagine having to deal with constant flooding in your own home? 
it's not just about her though, it's about everyone who lives in that area. the $2.5 billion bond was supposed to fix so many problems, but it seems like it's all falling apart... 
i hope the district can get back on track and fill those 54 new positions ASAP! 
. The fact that there's only 22 new hires out of 54 approved positions is crazy 
. I'm all for supporting the district, but the slow progress is giving me anxiety 
.