In hopes of securing federal funding for major drainage infrastructure in the region, Friendswood has entered an interlocal agreement with League City and other regional partners to fund a portion of a $5 million regional flood mitigation plan for the Lower Clear Creek and Dickinson Bayou watersheds.
What happened
Friendswood City Council voted 5-1 to enter the cost-sharing agreement, which also includes Galveston County and the Harris County Flood Control District as partners, at its Feb. 2 meeting.
Per the agreement, Friendswood will be responsible for covering 25% of the study’s cost, which is $1.25 million, according to city documents. That figure is the maximum Friendswood would be obligated to contribute, but if more partners join the agreement, that portion would decrease, Friendswood Engineering Director Jil Arias said at the meeting.
For purposes of this agreement, Friendswood's watershed pro-rata share is $109,361, resulting in an over-contribution by Friendswood of approximately $1.1 million.
The details
The study will be conducted by the Fort Worth-based engineering firm Freese and Nichols Inc. over a period of 34 months, according to city documents.
The project will include:
- Rainfall modeling and projections for sea level rise
- Storm simulations for up to 500-year flood events, as well as a Hurricane Harvey scenario
- Studies to ensure compliance with federal environmental clearances
City Manager Morad Kabiri said obtaining federal environmental clearances was paramount to securing future federal funding.
“If we fail to do this, the feds won't participate, and then we're left solely with just whatever local partnerships we can identify,” Kabiri said at the meeting. “Had we done this in 1998, we likely wouldn't have experienced Tropical Storm Allison to the magnitude that we did, nor Hurricane Harvey, to the magnitude that we did.”
What they’re saying
Council member Michael Ross, who voted against entering the agreement, asked about the likelihood of other area communities, such as Pearland, joining the agreement to share the cost burden.
Kabiri said the city of Pearland had recently indicated to Galveston County that it would possibly participate in the agreement.
Ross said he was wary of the city making that financial commitment when other regional partners have not yet officially signed the agreement, and he felt Friendswood contributed to a smaller portion of the region’s drainage impact.
“We're a small town, we contribute a very small amount to the drainage in this area, specifically Dickinson Bayou,” Ross said at the meeting. “I don't think Friendswood should have to bear that burden of that cost.”
Mayor Mike Foreman acknowledged that, under the agreement, Friendswood would pay more than its cost share but felt that moving forward with the project was urgent.
“Let's just go forward, get the project done, because that's saving water from coming into homes in Friendswood,” Foreman said at the meeting.
