Any Thoughts On The City Of Bellaire’s Future At The End Of 2024?

Studying the issues for the City’s future at the end of 2024, I see that we haven’t had even a semblance of a flood in the past 7 years and, if or when we do flood again, we have no way of knowing if borrowing $77 million, possibly $84 million, will make much difference. Current plans call for:

Last November, whether they realized it or not, voters approved $40 million in bonds for the Cypress Ditch project, and $30 million in bonds for water and wastewater projects, including our wastewater treatment plant, which is apparently destined for demolition. Most voters thought they were voting for “drainage improvements”. To view the actual ballot language for those bond proposals check out pages 4 and 5 of the sample ballot for Bellaire. 

Somewhere in that $70 million are plans to

•      widen a portion of Cypress Ditch (located in Houston),
•      connect Bellaire’s wastewater treatment to the Houston plant on Beechnut 
•      demolish our existing plant,
•      build a detention pond on portions of the the Edith St. Public Works site,
•      purchase the old HPD station on Beechnut,
•      swap Bellaire’s portion of Ruffino Hills for… something. 

Some alternative plans include renovating and possibly elevating our old plant and installing larger storm sewer systems.  Or building a new one.

Certificates of Obligation were also approved to purchase a $7 million building at 5233-5235 Glenmont in Houston for a permanent Public Works location (with another possible $7 million for renovations).

Regarding the demolition of the City wastewater treatment plant (which continued to operate even during Harvey) and connection to a City of Houston facility, at the right, find a list of current cities and communities served by COH. 

July 8, 2024 Agenda

The actual demolition cost may be as little as $1 million. See this item, part of a response to my public information request.  Over a third of the $30 million in costs to demo the plant is the $11.5 million to Houston, for Impact Fees to connect to the Houston WWTP. The final cost to connect to Houston could be as much as $15 million.

Imagine that – paying Houston $15 million so that we can demolish one of our oldest City Services.   

I’m not a hydrologist, nor do I understand the mechanics of our bayous, but it seems to me that as sea levels rise, so will the water level in the bayous.  One of our retired engineers claims a similar occurrence with subsidence, that as our city land subsides, so does Brays Bayou. Maybe that balances out for flooding, or maybe climate change might. More unknowns.

What does make a difference is building higher, building levees or walls, using pumps, enlarging the City’s stormwater drainage systems. None of this seems to be on the current project list for that $70 million in bonds. Nothing about the railroad ditch that runs along the east side of Southdale, either.

Based on recent costs of $20 to $25 million for the City Hall/Civic Center/Police Station complex, wouldn’t $6 to $7 million be a reasonable cost for a high raised office building on the land on Edith where the temporary offices were located? Building a flood wall around the WWTP could be an economical solution for possible flooding, at a minimal cost to save that facility.  Heavy equipment in the storage yard can be moved to higher ground in case of a flood.

Regardless, the presentations and studies I’ve seen favor the outcomes that the people who requested them want, and that’s that. So far a total of $77 million has been approved in bonds and Certificates of Obligation.

If all the bonds and COs are sold quickly our bonded debt, currently $92 million, could almost double.  Annual debt service is already $9.5 million a year, 40% of the 2022 property tax revenue for Bellaire. 

Few Bellaire residents have expressed an opinion regarding the loss of a City WWTP and the loss of our independence. Quite a few more had something to say when the pickle ball costs in the Rec Center were slated to increase, and to complain about the No Turn On Red signs.

What residents may notice are steady increases in their City fees, property tax, and water bills. Find the current plans for the $70 million bond issue here.  More funding is being pursued via grant applications for Cypress Ditch, but the wastewater treatment plant seems to be headed for demolition.

What do you think?  For me, projects for our yard and in our shop beckon, and I see no reason to spend much time on future goings-on in Bellaire.

Take care, stay well, and best wishes for a healthy New Year,

Email the Mayor and members of City Council via our City Clerk, Tracy Dutton, at tdutton@bellairetx.gov

Find more information on a the WWTP portion of Bellaire’s bond funds here.