Harvey repairs delay other projects in Houston
HOUSTON (AP) - Renovations for Houston's streets, libraries, community centers and sewer plants may be delayed for years as city money set aside for those projects is redirected to repair facilities damaged by Hurricane Harvey.
City officials are holding meetings in each council district to discuss projects in Houston's five-year Capital Improvement Plan. The meetings have been rebranded this year from "CIP meetings" to "district community meetings" to give a more heavy focus on Harvey, the Houston Chronicle reported .
Officials said the need to repair storm damage means no new projects will be added in the fifth year of the capital plan. The timeline for many projects listed in prior years now reads "to be determined" on documents distributed at the meetings.
"We're not saying that any of the projects that have already been approved for years one through four will not take place," Mayor Sylvester Turner said Tuesday. "They simply in some cases will be delayed. Some projects will move forward."
The five-year plan will be sent to the City Council after the meetings are completed. The council typically approves the plan in May or June.
"When we have these types of damages, we're required to use our existing funding resources," said Houston Public Works director Carol Haddock. "As projects roll over and the CIP is impacted, that basically happens year after year until we catch up - which we think it's probably going to take all five years until we get to the point where we're caught up."
Fifth Ward resident Ernestine Lloyd said she was "let down" by the update.
"I was kind of disappointed because there's no new projects," Lloyd said. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. But I am disappointed that so much needs to be done in Fifth Ward and there's nobody doing it."
Turner said he's optimistic residents will understand the city's need to fix Harvey's wreckage.
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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com
