Houston Council of Engineering Companies originated in 1980 as The Association of Consulting Municipal Engineers of Metropolitan Houston as a non-profit business organization. In June 1999, ACME became the local chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies. In July 2002, we became the Houston Council of Engineering Companies (Houston-CEC) to reflect our goals and our national affiliation.

Originally created to address problems that private consulting engineers were having in getting timely plan reviews by local agencies and to discuss other problems faced by engineers involved in municipal/civil type work, we have expanded the scope of our purpose.

OUR PURPOSE

Representing all sizes of consulting engineering firms, Houston-CEC represents a voice for the private consulting engineer. We are a forum for the interchange of ideas, a source of technical information and expertise and a political voice for engineering interests in the Houston metropolitan region involved with public works agencies to resolve problems and issues common to the industry. We work to advance the interests of the private practicing engineer as a whole in a way that no single firm can do on their own.

WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED

The recently approved NPDES Guidelines for the City of Houston and Harris County had substantial input from our Drainage Committee, including the designs for Best Management Practices (BMP). Houston-CEC members have developed a reputation of high technical expertise and thus are routinely requested to review and make recommendations to our public agencies on a wide range of design criteria, guidelines, policies and regulations affecting many types of civil engineering projects.

Our members worked closely with the COH on writing its initial Design Manual

Preliminary engineering was provided by Houston-CEC member firms for the first 14 Neighborhoods to Standard for the City of Houston.

Our Plan Review Committee was responsible for the "Express Plan Review Sheet" now being used by the County and City.

Our Contracts Committee worked with both the City and County to revise the engineering fee curves in 1995 and is working this year (2001) to update them again.

Drafted the first Design Criteria Manual and Detention Policy for Harris County Flood Control District.

Our Design Standards Committee worked with the City to modernize criteria for internal site drainage for development projects.

Deep versus Shallow Utility Lines Criteria was created through a study by Houston-CEC member firms for the City of Houston.

The policy statement "Observation of Construction for Utility District Projects" was drafted and executed by Houston-CEC member firms.

THE WORK OF CEC IS THROUGH ITS COMMITTEES

Contracts- Communicates our concerns regarding professional services contracts to local public entities. Negotiates updates to engineering fee curves with the City of Houston and Harris County.

Design Standards/Plan Review - Provides the focus for review of design criteria standards of the regulatory agencies and plan review issues. Serves as a conduit to recommend revisions and additions to the various design criteria standards of the city, county and flood control. Meets with regulatory agencies monthly to accomplish its goals.

Drainage -Serves as a resource to the public agencies and offers our members' recourse for drainage and flood control issues. Reviews storm water-permitting issues and drainage design

criteria. Keeps members apprised of new or changing regulations .

Geotechnical - Reviews geotechnical issues as related to civil engineering with public agencies at the direction of the Board.

Transportation - Representatives from the Transportation Committee will meet with local transportation agencies and pursue global with those agencies, such as backage and frontage road policies; uncompleted major thoroughfare systems; local control of transportation projects.

Water Resources Committee will work on establishing design guidelines/criteria so that the water supply lines from/to the water plants will be compatible. The committee will meet with local agency staff and other associations recommends that he stay on the committee Regarding surface water supply issues