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Meetings and Events
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H-GAC Board of Directors Meetings are held at 10:00 a.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. Agendas for all committees can be found on our website.
Please visit our
calendar
for upcoming meetings and events.
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August Board of Directors Meeting
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At the August meeting, the H-GAC Board of Directors unanimously approved nearly $4 million in contracts funding transportation, aging, workforce, early education/child care, parks and recreation, and water quality management programs.
The Board also approved a contract with the Economic Development Administration and the Texas Association of Regional Councils to assist local governments and economic development organizations in the region to recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey by providing technical assistance in identifying potential economic recovery projects.
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EDA Harvey Recovery Grants
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The
U.S. Economic Development Administration's
(EDA) Austin regional office received $129,119,000 in supplemental funding for disaster relief and is actively seeking projects to help communities in the Houston-Galveston region recover from Hurricane Harvey.
outlines the requirements, which include the following:
* Projects require a 20 percent match, which can include in-kind
* Typical projects will range from $1-$2.5 million
* First round of 14-15 applications anticipated to be funded by September 2018, with 1 or 2 subsequent rounds of funding
* Must demonstrate a nexus to Harvey, in terms of economic recovery or resilience
* Eligible applicants include governments, nonprofits, and universities
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| Texas Coastal Community Recycling Grant |
The Recycling Partnership and The Coca-Cola Foundation have opened the
Coastal Community Recycling Grant program to help address the challenge of waste in waterways and help improve the collection of recyclables for reuse. The program will provide new carts with lids for curbside recycling programs located on the coastal shorelines.
The deadline to apply for the first round of funding is
Friday, September 21
. Anyone interested in this program should contact
Rob Taylor
before applying.
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| H-GAC Septic System Repair/Replacement Funding Program |
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H-GAC has funding available for the repair or replacement of failing traditional or aerobic onsite sewage facilities (septic systems) in the H-GAC service region.
Funds are available to homeowners who meet certain income restrictions. No cost sharing is required. For more information click
HERE or contact
Will Merrell at 713-993-4594.
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FCC Seeks Nominations for Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee by September 7
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released a public notice soliciting nominations for a new working group within its
Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee
(BDAC).
The FCC is seeking applicants from several categories, including local governments - particularly nominations for first responders, emergency managers, emergency planners, local network managers, and risk management staff.
All applications must include the information listed in the public notice and be submitted by email to the FCC no later than
September 7, 2018.
If you or a local or regional leader you know is planning to apply for the BDAC Disaster Response and Recovery Working Group, please email
maci.morin@narc.org so that NARC can write a letter in support of your nomination.
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| H-GAC Seeks Public Input on Use of Harvey Infrastructure and Home Buyout Funds |
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The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) Board-approved a Method of Distribution (MOD) detailing the allocation of approximately $241 million in Harvey recovery funds to support infrastructure projects and home buyouts/acquisitions outside the City of Houston and Harris County in July 2018.
H-GAC is
continuing our Citizen Participation process and seeking input to help inform guidance we will make available to local governments as they plan and prioritize use of their allocated CDBG Disaster Recovery infrastructure and home buyout/ acquisition funds. We are especially seeking input to the elements found on pages 5-8 of the
Summary Form. We are not seeking comments on the H-GAC Board-approved allocation formula.
The public comment period regarding the
Summary Form opened at noon
Thursday, August 30, 2018, and will close at noon,
Friday, September 14, 2018. We will take comments online, by e-mail, by mail, hand-delivered, and at a public meeting from 10 a.m. to noon
Monday, September 10, at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor. More information about the means for submitting input are available on the
project website.
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| 2045 Regional Transportation Plan Update |
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The Transportation Policy Council (TPC) approved the initiation of the 2018 Call for Projects at its August meeting.
H-GAC will seek proposals from local governments and other eligible project sponsors to implement transportation projects beginning
September 4, 2018 and ending
October 31, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.
Project proposals requesting federal funding will be aligned with goals, strategies, and investment priorities emphasized in the
2045 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP).
To assist
potential sponsor agencies and other interested parties with application submittal, H-GAC will conduct an application workshop on September 11, 2018 from 9:00am - 11:00am at Houston TranStar. Click here to register for the workshop.
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Texas General Land Office Requests Input for $137M in Grant Funding
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Texas General Land Office (GLO) officials are seeking more local and regional input to decide on projects eligible for $137 million in Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR). The grants will be used to help pay for local, regional, and state planning to mitigate and reduce the impact of future disasters, according to Land Commissioner George P. Bush.
GLO officials plan to distribute the survey to citizens, local officials, councils of government, and river authorities. Input has been requested on flood control, drainage improvements, resilient housing solutions, economic development and infrastructure upgrades. The grants from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will be used to fund studies in impacted areas to promote sound, long term recovery. This allocation is part of the $5.024 billion State Action Plan recently approved by HUD. The survey is available
HERE.
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| Texas Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Survey |
The University of Texas Center for Transportation Research is conducting a study of costs and benefits of the Texas motor vehicle safety inspection program. A short survey for Texas vehicle owners about their experiences with annual safety inspections can be taken
HERE.
For any questions or for more information regarding this survey, please contact
Dr. Mike Murphy, P.E. at 512-232-3134.
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| Broadband Listening Tour - September 13 |
Thursday, September 13, 2018 from 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. in Conference Room A - 2nd Floor of the Houston-Galveston Area Council, 3555 Timmons Ln., Houston, TX 77027.
This session is intended to develop and share a state and federal resource guide that will assist rural Texas communities in identifying funding and resources that can be used for broadband technology projects.
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| Census 2020 Workshops - September 12 and October 15 |
 The Houston-Galveston Area Council and The United States Census Bureau are hosting workshops to prepare for the upcoming 2020 Census. Attend to learn about the Participant Statistical Area Program and how it could shape your community for the Census.
Event Locations:
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Participant Statistical Areas Program
Stakeholder Workshop #1
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Houston-Galveston Area Council
3555 Timmons Ln
2nd Floor, Conference Rooms B & C
Houston, TX 77027
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Participant Statistical Areas Program
Stakeholder Workshop #2
Monday, October 15, 2018
Houston-Galveston Area Council
3555 Timmons Ln
2nd Floor, Conference Rooms B & C
Houston, TX 77027
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**Online registration is
required to attend these workshops.
For more information, contact:
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United States Census Bureau
Jim Castagneri
Geographic Coordinator
Office: 720-962-3882
James.D.Castagneri@census.gov
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Houston-Galveston Area Council
Brooks Andrews
Manager - GIS Program
Office: 713-993-4519
Brooks.Andrews@h-gac.com
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Future of Retail: Your Community Destination - September 21
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Save the date for
Future of Retail: Your Community Destination from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Friday, September 21
, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor.
At this half-day workshop, participants will gain insights from experts on retail trends and future opportunities and learn how small communities like Navasota, Rosenberg, and Huntsville are attracting and retaining retail tenants while re-branding their retail destinations through practical policies, programs and projects.
Breakfast and registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The program begins at 9:00 a.m.
Registration is requested. View the full agenda
HERE
. For more information, contact
Anita Hollmann
at 713-993-4587.
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| Parks and Natural Areas Awards Application Open Until September 28 |
PNA awards honor projects in four categories: Projects Over $500,000; Projects Under $500,000; Planning Process; and Policy Tools. Winning entries serve as models for planning and project implementation for parks and natural areas in the region.
Winners will be notified in December. The awards ceremony and half-day parks event will be in February 2019. For more information, contact Andrea Tantillo at 832-681-2507.
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H-GAC 2018 Salary Survey
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H-GAC conducts a regional salary and benefits survey as a service to its member cities. The survey covers nearly 80 municipal jobs and includes questions on city benefit practices.
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| H-GAC Home Rule and General Law Caucuses |
Home Rule and General Law Representatives: Please Save the Date for the upcoming 2018 caucuses to elect your 2019 H-GAC Board Representatives. The
Home Rule Caucus
will be held on
Thursday, November 1
and the
General Law Caucus
will be held on
Thursday, November 8
at Maggiano's Little Italy at 2019 Post Oak Blvd. Registration information will follow in the coming weeks.
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Tow And Go
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Ever find yourself broken down on the freeway and you just don't know what to do? Well now there is an App for that!
The
Tow and Go Program, launched by H-GAC, provides no-cost towing for vehicles that break down from mechanical failures while traveling within the City of Houston.Vehicles that break down due to mechanical failure (e.g., out of gas, overheating, flat tires) while traveling in the program's service area will be cleared, at no cost, to a safe location within one mile. The program also includes motorcycles and trailers.
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| H-GAC Offices Closed Monday, September 3 |
The Houston-Galveston Area Council offices will be closed Monday, September 3 in observance of Labor Day.
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Careers at H-GAC
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H-GAC offers opportunities in clerical, technical, and professional positions, when available. Qualified, motivated individuals are encouraged to view our current opportunities and apply.
H-GAC is currently seeking:
To learn more and stay up to date on all career opportunities at H-GAC click
HERE and follow us on
Linkedin.
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