Environment & Natural Resources Task Force Breakfast Meeting

In person and online via TEAMS - FREE TO ALL but please register below.

Date & Time: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 7:30 - 9:00 am
Location: Offices of Halff & Associates, 
Address: 1201 Bowser Rd., Richardson, TX 

Topic:  Continuation of Water: Is the Region Running Out?  
Speaker: Hydrologist and Planner Valerie Miller from Olsson
Agenda:
7:30 – 8:00 am – registration, meet & greet
8:00 am – Introduction & announcements
8:10 am – Speaker Introduction & presentation, followed by Q&A
8:45 am – task force business & closing remarks
9:00 am – end 

We will continue our regularly scheduled programs, with a follow on discussion from our November meeting on the topic of Water: Is the Region Running Out?  

This topic has direct implications for public policy and calls for substantial changes in both water and land use planning practices.  Current growth projections for the region assume that water, the essential resource, will be there when we need it. The fact is that, under even the most optimistic  scenarios, our region will not have the water we need to support anticipated growth. The problem lies in a deep disconnect between how we do land use planning on one hand, and how we govern and build our water resource on the other. 

Our discussion exploring this topic will be led again by Hydrologist and Planner Valerie Miller from Olsson.  She will go over potential next steps for us as professionals and as an organization – to make sure we not only support smart growth, but ensure we have water and natural resources to meet that growth. Valerie’s focus on sustainable, environment-friendly design dates to her early experience planning outdoor spaces. She remembers the frustration of seeing one subdivision flood repeatedly, and it stuck with her as she pursued her graduate degrees and began a 19-year span of helping city and regional authorities create smarter spaces. Much of Valerie’s time since joining Olsson has been consumed by trying to raise visibility of the intersection of water management, community growth, and stakeholder engagement in Texas and other nearby points. She has focused on attending and speaking at conferences and with local organizations to hear pain points and create conversations around these topics.  Valerie has a Bachelors degree in Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, and a Master’s of Water Management and Hydrologic Science from Texas A&M University, and a PhD of Public Administration from University of Texas, Dallas.

Following the presentation, we will do a short update on NCTCOG Air Quality Improvement Plan, which received funding from an EPA CPRG grant to determine how we can come into air quality attainment by 2026. They are looking for project ideas and support, which includes water security. Public comments can be sent to: Https://publicinput.com/dfwaqip

We will close the meeting with a discussion on programming and speakers for our monthly Env TF meetings and our fall Urban Summit.

Please contact Env/NR TF co-chairs Matt Craig at [email protected] or John Clarkson at [email protected] with any questions.