The Houston ReportPartnership Comments on Flood Infrastructure Fund Rulemaking
Published Jan 17, 2020 by Sophia Guevara
Last week, the Greater Houston Partnership submitted a public comment concerning the Texas Water Development Board’s rules for funding of flood mitigation projects by the newly-created Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF).
This fund was created during the 86th Texas Legislative Session through the passage of Senate Bill 7 and the accompanying $793 million contained in Senate Bill 500 for the fund. The Partnership, with the expertise of the Infrastructure and Resiliency Advisory Committee chaired by Steve Clarke, was fortunate to provide substantial input into the creation of Senate Bill 7 and strongly supported the passage of the FIF’s enabling constitutional amendment in November.
As local and federal efforts to improve our region’s flood mitigation infrastructure are underway, the Partnership looks forward to the forthcoming investments from the state that are needed to mitigate future flood risks. That work continues with the implementation of the Flood Infrastructure Fund. Before funds can be spent, the Texas Water Development Board will complete a rulemaking process and seek the public’s input through an open public comment period on the fund’s implementation. The Partnership reviewed the proposed rules and then submitted public comments to maximize and expedite the investments and impacts from the FIF. The Partnership’s comments are specific and targeted to improve the implementation of the program, including clarifying language, application and financing requirements. They can be found here.
For more information about Senate Bill 7 and the Flood Infrastructure Fund, click here. For more information about the Partnership’s Infrastructure and Resiliency Advisory Committee, click here.
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