Flood Mitigation Task Force Hosts Forum
September 12, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information,
Contact: Barbara Thomason, President
281-440-4160, BThomason@HoustonNWChamber.org
Flood Mitigation Task Force Hosts Flood Information Forum
Northwest Houston, Spring, Klein, Champions - The Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce appointed a task force to advocate for flood mitigation projects for three critically important watershed areas: Cypress Creek, Little Cypress Creek, and Spring Creek prior to the August 25th Harris County Flood Bond Election. The task force insured that “Vote for Prop A” signs decorated northwest Harris County. Now that the Bond passed with an unprecedented 85.6% county-wide approval rate, the task force is shifting its focus to one of education and project advocacy.
On Thursday, September 20th at 6:30 p.m., the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce and its Flood Mitigation Task Force will host a Flood Information Forum entitled, “Prop A Passed – Next Steps?” The event is open to the public and takes place at Cypress Creek Christian Church, 6823 Cypresswood Drive, Spring 77379. This church fell victim to severe flooding during Hurricane Harvey.
“No one is of a mind to forget Hurricane Harvey,” explains task force chair Al Haines, “We felt it was appropriate to host this first forum in a place representative of area faith based communities where this and so many other congregations toiled tremendously to bring their storm damaged worship and sanctuary facilities back to their original purposes. This wonderful and embracing community has reached out to invite us to use it. We are most grateful!”
Haines, himself a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) and leader in the church’s Houston Temple, which was also flood damaged, knows first-hand of the sacrifices of so many faith-based organizations in the greater northwest Harris County area post Harvey. As former Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Houston, he also played a key leadership role in the city’s recovery from Tropical Storm Allison.
Other task force members include Dr. Bret Champion, Klein ISD superintendent; Tim Puthoff, CEO of Houston Northwest Medical Center; Jim Robertson, Cypress Creek Flood Control Coalition; Alan Smith, owner, Hasta La Pasta Restaurant; Brad Sondock, owner, Retail Properties Group; Nancy Blackwell, president, AEI Engineering; Tom Petrick, Cy Forest PUD; David Riddle, Owner of The Breeder’s Assistant; Bobby Lieb, vice-president for Economic Development/Grow Northwest, Houston Northwest Chamber; and Barbara Thomason, Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce.
The Forum program will be kicked off by Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner R. Jack Cagle, who played a key recovery role during and after Hurricane Harvey, though his own home sat under two feet of water. He then joined his colleagues in the work to educate the public as well as to listen to our questions and concerns prior to the August 25th Bond election. Now we are interested to know where the Bond money will be used and in what priority order. To answer these questions, several experts have been invited to join us on September 20th.
Matt Zeve, P.E., CFM, M. ASCE, Chief Operations Officer for the Harris County Flood Control District will describe for us the bond-funded projects for the Cypress Creek, Upper Cypress Creek and Spring Creek watersheds, the anticipated timelines, challenges and strategies. Then two representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mr. Andrew Weber, P.E. and Mr. Eduardo Irigoyen, will share what their roles are with respect to Cypress Creek, and the interrelationship between our community and the Barker and Addicks Reservoirs. We will hear about the feasibility of a third reservoir and the required timelines to bring that project to reality.
The Forum will be kept to a strict time limit though it is intended that some questions and answers will be allowed.
“We hope interested citizens will attend. It is important that we understand the process going forward so that we can have patience with our public officials, do our part to facilitate the process and to insure that our bond dollars are applied most efficiently and effectively,” summarized chamber president Barbara Thomason.
About Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce
The Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce is a 44-year old association serving the interests of business and the community of northwest Harris County. For more information about the Chamber, go to www.HoustonNWChamber.org. To learn more about the “Grow Northwest” Initiative, go to www.GrowHoustonNW.com
Contact:
Barbara Thomason, President
ChamberInfo@HoustonNWChamber.org, (281) 440-4160
