Chambers County Commissioners accepted a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program award from the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to fund phase‑one design and environmental work for the Cotton Bayou and Ackberg Valley improvements.

County emergency management and project staff said the original grant application was submitted in February 2019 and the application moved to FEMA review in February 2023; the project subsequently required extended back‑and‑forth with TDEM and FEMA. Staff told the court they split the work into two phases so the first phase would produce design and environmental documents to make the project shovel‑ready; the second phase would fund construction once final costs are better defined.

The staff presenter described phase one as design and environmental work with a grant amount “right at about $900,000,” and said the split into two phases would allow updated cost estimates after modern design work. The presenter noted the application has been pending for years and staff pursued coordination among TDEM and FEMA to move it forward.

The court approved acceptance of the award and authorized execution of grant agreement documents and designation of subrecipient agent forms. Commissioners thanked staff for the persistence in progressing the long‑pending grant.

What happened: The court accepted the TDEM Hazard Mitigation Grant Program award for phase‑one design and environmental work and authorized execution of required grant documents.

What to watch next: Staff will execute grant paperwork, proceed with design/environmental tasks, and later apply or pursue a second‑phase grant for construction funding when design cost estimates are complete.