Letter to the Editor Re: Chambers County Drainage Projects

Dear Editor, 

I would like to begin this letter by thanking you and your publication for your diligent efforts to  keep Chambers County residents – especially those who live in the eastern third of our county – informed about the goings on of local government agencies. While we at the County do our best  to communicate information to the public, we must rely on partnerships with media to amplify our  messaging. I recognize the work that you do in educating the public and am appreciative of those  efforts. 

That being said, I feel it is important to clarify and correct some of the information that has recently  been published regarding Chambers County’s efforts to mitigate the effects of flooding and  generally improve drainage across the county. 

It is true that the Certificates of Obligation (CO) that are being proposed for Fiscal Year 2025 only  expressly delineates $4 million for use toward drainage projects, but that is not the only drainage  funding included. Of the $26 million that will be set aside for the Chambers Parkways project, if  approved by the Commissioners Court, $12.8 million will be used to expand the Kilgore Drainage  facility that was constructed years ago. These additional funds will not only help facilitate drainage  for the roadway expansion but also increase capacity and drainage flow in this region of the  Chambers County. So, in total, $16.8 million of the CO (30% of the funds) will be used for drainage  improvement projects. 

It is also worth mentioning the value of the $4 million that was included. While this may not seem  like a large sum of money, when distributed equally among Commissioners to use for priority  projects in their precincts, it will allow for the more rapid addressing of drainage issues. Residents 

will see the work that is being done with these dollars in a much shorter timeframe than what the  County is usually able to deliver. I have been planning several of these projects for months prior  to the anticipated CO being passed as have the other commissioners. 

In addition, I would also like to discuss a few other Drainage projects that I think it is important  for the citizens of Chambers County to know are ongoing, already happened, or underway. The  County is continually working to utilize grant funding and creative partnerships to address  drainage and reduce risk to residents and property in a way that limits the financial impact to  residents. One such project is the “in progress” Community Development Block Grant Mitigation 

funded North Anahuac Drainage Improvement project. This project will utilize the $14.9 million  allocated by the State for use in an area affected by Hurricane Harvey to update and improve a  nonfunctional drainage pathway in an area that was inundated by flooding during both Hurricane  Harvey and Tropical Storm Imelda.  

I also want to make sure the citizens are aware that the currently Countywide TWDB FIF study is  nearing completion. We have recently held two public meetings in which you did a wonderful job  streaming for your followers. Although this is just a “study” it is vital to have this study in order  for the county to compete and secure future Federal and State grants that are no additional cost to  the taxpayer. Regardless of the Federal and State grants, rest assured we will start analyzing the  identified projects from this study and prepare to execute them along with other county  municipalities and stake holders.  

Through a partnership with Chambers County Improvement District No. 3, the County secured +/- 28 acres of land – at no cost to the taxpayers – to be used as a regional detention facility which  will benefit upstream Hackberry Creek near the Legends Bay community and future east phase of  Chambers Parkway. Now that this land has been donated, we will be able to leverage our dollars  to create a large detention basin in the area for additional flood mitigation and relief.  

Beyond the CO and alternative funding, the County also funds drainage projects through the  regular budget. Notable projects that have been recently completed include improvements to the  RWJ subdivision and Barrow Ranch drainage systems. Crews continually work on gully  improvements, culvert cleaning and mowing throughout the County. A recent clearing and mowing  project was in Precinct 2 south of Interstate 10 where over a mile of drainage ditch was mulched  and cleared to increase drainage flow and velocity throughout the drainage system.  

With $16.8 million dollars or 30% of the CO allocated for drainage, an additional $14.9 million of  grant funding for drainage, this results in $31.7 million dollars allocated to drainage. This still does  not include the regular monies we allocate in the general fund. I think this shows that we are  making strides to mitigate a knowing issue in this Great County.  

I will close with this: myself and the other members of the Court understand that our role in this  representative democracy is to make decisions on the behalf of our constituents. Balancing the  wants and needs of thousands of residents can be a challenge and we recognize that we are not  always able to please everyone with the decisions that we make. We each do our best, however, to  make what we feel is the right decision, to be fiscally responsible and to keep both the current and  long-term needs of our constituents at the forefront of our minds. With respect to drainage I will 

close with this, we are making progress but I realize we have a long road ahead and I am in this to  make sure Chambers County is successful at maintaining fiscal conservative values all while  addressing the drainage issues throughout the entire county.  

We all know that we must first crawl, then walk, before we can run. I have been in office a relatively  short time (19 months) but with the above noted progress combined with the slated 2024-2025  projects I feel we are already walking towards our goal and ready because I’m ready to start  running! 

Thank you for the opportunity to expand and explain. 

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions. 

Sincerely, 

Ryan Dagley, MAI 

Chambers County Commissioner, Precinct 4 

7711 Hwy 146 

Baytown, TX 77523