Regional Economic Adjustment Plan for Building Disaster Resilient Communities US Department of Commerce – Economic Development Administration Grant No
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Lower Rio Grande Valley Regional Economic Adjustment Plan For Building Disaster Resilient Communities US Department of Commerce – Economic Development Administration Grant No. 08-79-04390 Prepared for: Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council Hurricane Dolly July 23, 2008 Prepared by: Program Manager: Daniel O. Rios, PE Senior Project Manager: Sharlotte L. Teague, PE Project Engineer: Mardoqueo Hinojosa, PE Engineering Assistant: Ryan Hall, EIT In association with: 2012 Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta, LLP Civil Systems Engineering, Inc. Guzman & Muñoz Engineering and Surveying, Inc. L&G Consulting Engineers, Inc. Olivarri & Associates, Inc. Rigcatco Consulting TEDSI Infrastructure Group, Inc. September 28, 2012 LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL Regional Economic Adjustment Plan for Building Disaster Resilient Communities September 2012 LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL Regional Economic Adjustment Plan for Building Disaster Resilient Communities EDA Grant No. 08-79-04390 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY……………………………………………………………… e1~e6 SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND ………………………….………..………………………..……… -1 1.2 PLAN FRAMEWORK………..…………..……….………………………………….-1 1.3 OBJECTIVES IMPLEMENTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN … -2 1.4 TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF RURAL AFFAIRS………………………………. -2 SECTION 2 BASELINE CONSIDERATIONS 2.1 PROJECT STUDY AREA………...…..…………………….……..……. -3 2.2 JURISDICTIONAL INTEREST AND COOPERATION……………..… -4 2.3 OVERSIGHT, INPUT, AND EXPECTATIONS …………………...…… -5 2.3(a) Plan Development Oversight / Team…………………………...…… -5 2.3(b) Government Entity / Public Input and Expectations………...…..…… -5 2.4 APPLICABLE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL REQUIREMENTS … -6 2.4(a) Federal……………………………………………….……...…… -6 2.4(b) State……………………………...………………….……...…… -7 2.4(c) Local……………………………………………….……......…… -9 2.5 CURRENT REGION / SYSTEM CONDITIONS …………………………… -9 2.5(a) Historic Storm Events……………………………….……......…… -9 2.5(b) Region Topography ……………………………….……......…… -11 2.5(c) Drainage Features ……………………………….……......…… -11 2.6 DESIRED REGION / SYSTEM CONDITIONS……………………………… -14 2.6(a) Improvements to Localized Flooding of Incorporated Areas …....…… -14 2.6(b) Improvements to Localized Flooding of Un-incorporated Areas …..… -15 2.6(c) Improvements to Localized Flooding of Colonias …....................…… -17 2.6(d) Improvements to USIBWC Floodways / Arroyo Colorado ……...…… -18 2.6(e) New Region / Main Channels ………………………………....…… -18 2.6(f) Drainage Standards ……………………………………….....…… -19 2.6(g) Irrigation Drainage Ditches ………………………………......…… -19 SECTION 3 FUTURE DEMANDS 3.1 DEMAND FORECAST ….…………………………….…………..………… -21 3.1(a) Population Growth ….………………………….…………..………… -21 3.1(b) Economic Growth….………………………….…………..………… -22 3.2 CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY …………………………………………… -21 3.2(a) Geographic Information System (GIS) ….……….…………..………… -23 3.2(b) Storm Water Management Systems ….……….…………..………… -23 i LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL Regional Economic Adjustment Plan for Building Disaster Resilient Communities EDA Grant No. 08-79-04390 3.3 DEMAND MANAGEMENT PLAN……………… …….………..………… -26 3.3(a) Grants and Loans ……………………....……….…………..………… -26 3.3(b) Drainage Impact or User Fees………....……….…………..………… -27 3.3(c) State and Federal Programs…………....……….…………..………… -28 3.4 INCORPORATON OF NEW ASSETS FROM GROWTH ….………… -29 SECTION 4 WORKING TOOLS OF THE PLAN………………..…………. -31 4.1 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM / INVENTORY DATABASE .. -31 4.2 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN….………………..……….……… -35 SECTION 5 IMPLEMENTATION / MAINTENANCE OF THE PLAN … -45 SECTION 6 OVERALL PLAN MONITORING AND UPGRADES……… -47 6.1 RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING FUTURE OVERSIGHT ENTITY… -47 6.2 UPGRADES / IMPROVEMENTS OF PLAN ….……...…..……….……… -48 REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………..… -51 TABLES Page Table 1: LRGVDC – County Populations….……………..………...…… -3 Table 2: Summary of Government Entities ……..……………………… -4 Table 3: Hurricane Alex Rainfall ……..……………………….………… -11 Table 4: LRGV Population Growth…..……………………….………… -21 Table 5: CIP Summary ……..…………………….…………….………… -36 Table 6: CIP / Project Ranking Development Process-Goal I.………… -36~37 Table 7: Texas State Land Codes ……..……………………….………… -39 Table 8: CIP / Project Ranking Development Process-Goal II.………… -41~43 Table 9: CIP / Project Ranking Development Process-Goal III………… -43~44 Table 10: Maintenance Plan Summary…………………………..………… -45~46 Table 11: Plan Upgrade Timeline………………………………..………… -49 FIGURES Page Figure 1: Project Study Area / Location Map….……………..…..……… -4 Figure 2: Hurricane Dolly Total Rainfall….……………..……………..… -10 Figure 3: Location Map – Existing Raymondville Drain.……………..… -12 Figure 4: Location Map – North Main Drain / Main Floodwater Channel -12 Figure 5: Location Map – USIBWC Floodways / Arroyo Colorado…..… -13 Figure 6: Location Map – Drainage District Boundaries.……………..… -16 Figure 7: Chart – Colonias, Flooded Households – Flood Events……..… -17 Figure 8: Example of Low Impact Development………………………..… -24 ii LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL Regional Economic Adjustment Plan for Building Disaster Resilient Communities EDA Grant No. 08-79-04390 Figure 9: Example of LID – City of Alton Calichera Project…………..… -25 Figure 10: Aerial Imagery ………………………………….……………..… -32 Figure 11: Future Land Use Map – City of Brownsville.……………..… -33 Figure 12: Sales Tax Revenue Generation Report (Texas Comptroller)..… -40 APPENDICES APPENDIX A LRGVDC BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MEMBERSHIP LIST APPENDIX B ENTITIES BY COUNTY APPENDIX C COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP APPENDIX D EVAULATION / SCORING OF PROJECTS FOR RANKING APPENDIX E COMPLETE PROJECT LIST APPENDIX F CIP / RANKED PROJECT LIST APPENDIX G DECISION MATRIX APPENDIX H COLONIA DOCUMENTATION APPENDIX I TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF RURAL AFFAIRS PROJECTS iii LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL Regional Economic Adjustment Plan for Building Disaster Resilient Communities EDA Grant No. 08-79-04390 This Page Intentionally Blank iv LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL Regional Economic Adjustment Plan for Building Disaster Resilient Communities EDA Grant No. 08-79-04390 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2009, the LRGVDC obtained a grant (Grant No. 08-79-04390) from the US Department of Commerce - Economic Development Administration (EDA) to develop a project entitled “Regional Economic Adjustment Plan for Building Disaster Resilient Communities”. The purpose of this grant was to develop a regional master plan for the four counties of the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), to include Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy and portions of Starr, that will ensure economic growth and economic recovery following natural disasters. Work on the project began in 2010, and was completed in 2012. The effort has resulted in: identification of over 418 projects developed as the result of meetings and coordination with representatives for over 203 entities in the region; development of a project evaluation system that ranked 212 of these projects in terms of various factors, including cost-benefit, public support and shovel readiness; production of a ranked list of projects in three categories – Large (over $25 million in project cost), Medium ($2.5 to $25 million) and Small (less than $2.5 million); a GIS (Geographic Information System) centralized database with a wealth of information on the region, including district and entity boundaries, tax and sales tax data, land use and value of development information, public infrastructure information, and existing stormwater systems data; extensive public outreach; and analysis of the legal and organizational options for the future. The LRGV region in southernmost Texas is one of the most unique areas in the United States. The region: is an extremely fast growing area with over 1.2 million people and a relatively young population. contains major international crossings and maritime ports critical to import and export trade. home for operations of more than 80 of the Fortune 500 global manufacturers as well as countless other businesses. has millions of dollars of state and federal investment in public facilities and infrastructure. contains multiple, and often overlapping local entities, including four counties, which have fairly limited powers by state law. has significant elevation in the northwest and west that falls to flat country with only four major drainage outfalls and is subject to periods of extreme rainfall, particularly as the result of tropical storms and hurricanes. Three of the major outfall systems are under the control of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), a bi-national organization. consists of rapidly expanding urbanized areas interspersed with large areas of rural farm /ranch land. despite the growth, remains one of the poorest per capita areas in the United States with local entities that struggle to address the pressures of growth with relatively small local tax bases and revenue sources. has 1,338 colonias (as per the Texas Secretary of State), a large majority without, or have limited, community level drainage infrastructure that would be considered capable of substantially providing drainage control and flood protection, including connections to regional structural drainage facilities. The result is a region with significant needs in terms of stormwater systems but limitations on the ability to deliver solutions. The lack of the systems is severe, resulting in billions of dollars in potential economic loss with impacts that radiate from the local to the state to the national and international levels. Over the last decade,