Houston Chronicle by Jasper Scherer Jan. 28, 2020
The Texas General Land Office announced Tuesday it is modifying its plan for spending $4.3 billion in federal flood control aid with changes aimed at speeding up the pace of recovery efforts and allowing local governments to receive more funds for joint projects.
The funds, approved by Congress in February 2018 after Hurricane Harvey, are intended to help pay for projects to prevent future flooding.
Under the initial draft plan, local entities were limited to three projects each, with joint projects counting toward the cap. Houston and Harris County officials argued that provision would penalize them for collaborating.
The changes, which the GLO presented at a Texas Senate committee hearing in Brownsville Tuesday afternoon, follow a comment period that included a series of public hearings and, according to the GLO, 4,080 public comments from 898 people in the form of letters, emails and statements at the hearings.
The agency is scheduled to send the updated plan to the Department of Housing and Urban Development on Monday. HUD will then have 60 days to review the plan and decide whether to approve it or send it back for revisions.
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https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/GLO-announces-key-changes-to-4-3-billion-Harvey-15011181.php
