Program & Construction Management

Feral Hog Mitigation Program Harris County,TX RG Miller | DCCM was retained by the Harris County Watershed Protection Group to assist the county with planning and implementing an assessment of changes in water quality and feral hog impacts associated with Harris County Precinct 3’s feral hog mitigation project in Barker and Addicks Reservoirs. Under a Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) grant Harris County Precinct 3 is under taking a feral hog trapping program. Captured animals will be taken to an approved and licensed pork processing facility and the meat donated to Houston area food banks. RG Miller | DCCM, in association with Crouch Environmental Services, Inc. and Watershed Protection Group staff developed a randomized grid approach to assess changes in water quality and feral hog impacts through a combination of water quality sampling, stream visual assessments, motion‐triggered game cameras, and the identification of feral hog “sign,” including rubs, wallows, droppings, tracks, and rooting damage. RG Miller | DCCM will be conducting assessments of the randomized grids during the balance of 2014 and the first part of 2015. The final report will be submitted in April of 2015.

Green Infrastructure Incentives Study, City of Houston, Chief Resilience Officer, Houston, Texas Houston,TX RG Miller | DCCM  interviewed peer cities to identify best practices for encouraging private sector developments to use green stormwater infrastructure (GSI). RG Miller | DCCM  interviewed developers to better understand and evaluate the financial models used in making development decisions and to identify potential “triggers” that could be used to incentivize more use of GSI by the private sector. RG Miller | DCCM conducted an economic analysis of various incentives and programs to determine the potential public benefits and developer benefits that would arise. RG Miller | DCCM then prepared a final report which summarized the work effort, the findings, provided an overview of GSI techniques, and recommended four incentive programs the city should implement to expand the use of GSI by private land development interests. The report recommended tax abatements, awards, expedited permitting, and harmonized regulations and design provisions related to landscaping, parking, and stormwater management. The city adopted the tax abatement incentive in December 2020.  

Municipal Stormwater Quality Compliance for Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 50 Houston, TX As a result of the 2010 U.S. Census the urbanized area of Houston expanded to include the Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 50 (the “District”). This triggered a new Clean Water Act permitting obligation for the District. The District became a regulated small municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) operator and would need to obtain a Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) permit and begin to reduce pollutants in stormwater runoff to the maximum extent practicable. RG Miller | DCCM developed the District’s five year Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) which outlined the activities to be conducted to reduce stormwater pollution. RG Miller | DCCM prepared and submitted the District’s Notice of Intent (NOI) to secure coverage under Permit No. TXR040000. After securing permit coverage in 2013, RG Miller | DCCM initiated compliance activities and SWMP implementation. RG Miller | DCCM is continuing to support the District and during the permit term provides monthly updates to the District’s board of directors on compliance activities and program status.

Residential green infrastructure (GI) standards for Imagination Zones, Harris County Engineering Department and Harris County Community Services Department Houston, TX RG Miller | DCCM was selected as one of two prime consultants to assist Harris County with implementing its Single-Family New Construction Program (SFNCP) using U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant funding, through the Texas General Land Office. RG Miller | DCCM’s contract was task order based.  Under Task Order No. 2, RG Miller | DCCM was retained to prepare residential green infrastructure standards to support the program. Harris County is in the process of developing standards, called Imagination Zones.  Created using alternative land planning and platting guidelines, imagination zones will encourage a mix of affordable, workforce, and market-rate housing and will enhance the resilience and equity of Harris County communities. RG Miller | DCCM initiated work on the GI standards in March 2020 and delivered a pre-final draft on September 30, 2020. The delivered pre-final report includes guidance on planning, engineering, and landscape design for a whole suite of GI techniques including curb cuts, curb inlets, vegetated swales, bioretention systems, rain gardens, and tree boxes.  The report also includes guidelines for operations and maintenance.  Appendices include engineering design standard details in computer-aided design software format along with standard specifications for bioretention systems and permeable paving. Harris County has not moved forward with the implementation of the new standards.