Turner, Bush meet on Harvey aid progress
After city criticism over state inaction, session constructive
Two days after Mayor Sylvester Turner said Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush and his office were “hogging” $5 billion in federal Hurricane Harvey recovery aid and “not being a good partner,” Bush visited City Hall to meet with the mayor.
The pair did not speak publicly following the private meeting in Turner’s third floor office at City Hall, but both men later gave a positive assessment of the discussion.
“It went really well, very productive, great exchange of ideas, concepts and tweaks that we’re going to take a deeper look at on the action plan,” Bush said in a phone interview Friday afternoon, referring to the draft document that city officials have raised concerns about this week.
Bush’s office must submit an “action plan” for public comment and then approval by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, spelling out how the $5 billion in Harvey aid will be spent statewide, across programs targeted to single-family housing, multi-family housing, infrastructure and economic development.
Federal rules tied to that funding, which Congress approved last fall, require Bush's office to consult with local officials in drafting the plan for the use of those dollars, something Turner and city housing director Tom McCasland said this week that the GLO had failed to do.
Turner, in a statement, gave a sunnier assessment of Friday’s discussion, saying, “It was a good meeting, and I appreciate Commissioner Bush and his staff coming to meet with me. We look forward to continued productive discussions with the GLO.”
The mayor had said the draft plan included insufficient city input, did not specify how the GLO planned to use data about storm damages — leading city officials to worry that Houston will not receive its fair share of the funding — and gave the city insufficient control over the funding it will receive.
The draft would give Houston a direct allocation of funds only for single-family home repairs, but Bush said city officials laid out their case for direct funding across all programs, a request he pledged to “take a deeper look at.”
The alternative is to run programs from Austin or through the Houston-Galveston Area Council, the federally designated “council of governments” for the Houston region.
“We’re trying to figure out the most efficient way to make these tweaks,” Bush said, adding that he is focused on keeping the plan moving forward and noting that leaders in 61 affected counties each have their own questions.
One approach to incorporate Houston’s concerns could be to have the GLO submit an amendment to the action plan once all public comments are received, then submit that amendment for HUD approval.
Regardless, Bush said he believes the city’s concerns about a lack of communication have been addressed.
“Their voices will always be heard throughout this process,” Bush said. “This is really one of many meetings that will continue to incorporate the concerns and questions and comments, as other elected leaders have throughout this process.”
The action plan for the initial $5 billion HUD allocation should be published March 19, Bush said.