On Oct. 16, federal, state and local officials met in northwest Harris County to discuss future collaboration on regional flood‑mitigation projects, according to Community Impact. The closed‑door session, which was open to the media, marked the third cross‑jurisdictional meeting aimed at addressing the Houston metro area’s infrastructure needs.
Attendees included Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representatives, members of the Texas House and Senate, City of Houston council member Twila Carter, Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey, Montgomery County Commissioners Matt Gray and Ritch Wheeler, and State Rep. Steve Toth, who hosted the gathering. The participants emphasized the urgency of preparing for heavy‑rain events, noting that Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 caused “catastrophic drainage issues” and severe flooding throughout the region, as reported by the National Weather Service.
State Rep. Steve Toth said the meeting’s goal was to open a dialogue among agencies and encourage them to work together to bring more resources to the region, which has experienced severe flooding. “Most of us here don’t need to be reminded of what’s at stake,” Toth said.
Houston council member Twila Carter stressed that the focus must be on mitigating flood risk before a disaster strikes. “Collaboration is key, but accountability is answerability,” Carter said, adding that measurable commitments are essential.
Montgomery County officials highlighted financing challenges. Commissioner Ritch Wheeler explained that the county relies on property taxes and lacks access to revenue sources such as sales taxes, making it difficult to fund projects while keeping taxes stable. Commissioner Matt Gray noted that the Montgomery County Commissioners Court approved a slight property‑tax increase in September to help address the shortfall.
FEMA Deputy Division Director John Garvin said that jurisdictions with predictable, pre‑planned projects are more competitive for FEMA grants. “When you talk about doing that work ahead of time—having these projects on the shelf—the competitiveness of that project will be the predictability factor,” he said.
FEMA Division Director Roosevelt Grant echoed the sentiment, stating the conversation was “absolutely what we want to hear.” He added, “We want to support you. We want to support the state…but the bottom line is that we want to be a part of the solution.” While no specific grant commitments were made, Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey said the jurisdictions would become “sophisticated grantees” if FEMA awards them money.
The group agreed to reconvene to begin “drilling down on projects,” signaling a continued push for coordinated flood‑mitigation efforts across the Greater Houston area.
What’s next: The participating agencies plan to meet again later this year to identify specific projects for grant applications and to develop measurable timelines for implementation.
Sources: communityimpact.com
