District E welcomes its newest intern, Barrett Skeeter! Born and raised in southeast Houston, Barrett is currently a sophomore at the University of Mississippi.  He is an accounting major and currently serves as an Inter-Fraternal Council delegate for his fraternity, Pi Kappa, Alpha.  His hobbies include playing sports and spending time with family and friends.  Barrett is excited to be a part of District E and work for a city he loves. Welcome, Barrett!

Houston is no stranger to the human and economic costs of severe weather. Recent floods in 2015 and 2016 caused 16 deaths and over $1 billion in damage. Additionally, the entire coastal region is particularly vulnerable to the threat of storm surge from a powerful hurricane.

 

In order to address these issues, Houston City Council Member Dave Martin along with his colleague Council Member David W. Robinson, the American Institute of Architects Houston Urban Design Committee, and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Houston (ACEC) will host an event featuring two panel discussions on flooding and storm surge. Experts from academia, government and advocacy groups will shed light on these challenges and discuss possible solutions.

 

Confirmed panelists for the event include Steve Costello, Chief Resiliency Officer, City of Houston ; Russell A. Poppe, Executive Director, Harris County Flood Control District ; Mary Anne Piacentini, Executive Director, Katy Prairie Conservancy ; Bob Mitchell, President, Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership; Chris Sallese, Coastal Programs Coordinator, Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation; and Phil Bedient, Director, Severe Storm Prediction, Education, and Evacuation from Disasters. 

 

The event will take place on Wednesday, January 18, 2017, at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Meeting Room 371ABDE. The reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the program at 6:00 p.m. Remarks by Harris County Judge Ed Emmett will be given at the beginning of the program. This event is free and open to the public.

 

Online registration is available until 3:00 pm on Wednesday January 11. For more information or to register for the event click here.

On January 26 Council Member Martin and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) will be hosting a follow up Master Plan meeting regarding the September Sylvan Rodriguez Park meeting. The District E  office has worked with HPARD to evaluate resident input and to recreate three new master plan options that will be presented at this upcoming meeting. 

Please join Council Member Martin and HPARD in the Bayou Building, University of Houston - Clear Lake, 2800 Bay Area Boulevard, at 6:30 p.m on January 26. 

On Monday, December 5 staff from Council Member Martin's office had the opportunity to attend an elected officials meeting at the Bay Area United Way of Greater Houston Office. The event featured a tour of the office and a presentation on the 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE that provides free information and a referral service to constituents that are looking for available resources in the district. In 2015, the 2-1-1 Helpline answered over 50,000 calls in the Bay Area Community alone.

 

For more information about 2-1-1 resources, click here. 

 

 

Council Member Martin and Mayor Sylvester Turner thank Memorial Hermann for the service that it has provided not only to southeast Houston, but citywide.

On Tuesday, December 6 staff from Council Member Martin's office attended the City of Webster's Business Alliance Luncheon. Webster Business Alliance is in important organization forging strong bonds between the City and its commercial constituents. Although the organization is a Webster agency, it is important to District E and the City of Houston as it supports business and economic growth in the overall community. 

 

For more information on the Clear Creek Education Foundation, please visit www.clearcreekeducationfoundation.org. 

On Wednesday, December 7 staff from Council Member Martin's office attended the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region Legislative Kickoff Luncheon at San Jacinto College North Campus. San Jacinto Chancellor,  Dr. Brenda Hellyer welcomed members and guests to the campus . Following, Jim Griffin, Chairman of the Economic Alliance Board introduced the Panel. The main presentation featured Senators Larry Taylor and Sylvia Garcia, State Representatives, Carol Alvarado, Dennis Paul, Briscoe Cain, and Mary Ann Perez, educating the audience on what we can expect this legislative session on items such as healthcare, transportation and education. The 2017 Legislative Session begins January 10th. The City of Houston and surrounding areas are grateful to be represented by such extraordinary legislators. 

On Wednesday, December 14 staff from Council Member Martin's office attended the last General Membership Luncheon of the 2016 calendar year. At this luncheon, staff had the opportunity to visit and celebrate this holiday season with members of the Chamber as well as hear some Christmas carols from the Clear Falls High School Troubadours.

 

Council Member Martin thanks the Chamber for an excellent year and is excited to see what is in store for Clear Lake in 2017!

On Thursday, December 15 staff from Council Member Martin's office attended a ribbon cutting event for Clear Lake Marketplace's most recent addition, MOD Pizza. Founded in Seattle, Washington in 2008, MOD Pizza currently has more than 150 locations in the US and the UK. MOD Pizza is a counter-serve chain with industrial-chic décor known for build-your-own pizza. Serving individual artisan-style pizzas and salads, the Clear Lake location in Houston is now open daily.

 

Council Member Martin welcomes MOD Pizza to District E! 

On Thursday, December 15 Council Member Martin had the opportunity to speak at the Reserve at Clear Lake's Annual H omeowner's Association Meeting. At the meeting the council member provided updates on what is happening downtown at City Hall as well as in the Clear Lake community. Council Member Martin updated the attendees on projects and improvements they can expect to see in the new year such as at Sylvan Rodriguez Park, the widening of El Dorado B oulevard and ongoing panel replacements on Space Center Boulevard.

 

Council Member Martin thanks Trendmaker Homes for inviting him to speak with everyone at the Rese rve at Clear Lake City. 

On Thursday, February 4 the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its 2017 "A Taste of Space" Epicurean Evening at Space Center Houston.  Those in attendance at the event will sample tastings from over 40 area food establishments and enjoy entertainment from a variety of musicians. 

Each ticket will be good for food samplings, two drink coupons (more can be purchased at the event), parking accommodations and a silent auction. Kids tickets are also available and provide play time in the Kids Space Place. Ticket prices range from $10 for children ages 4-12 to $50 for early entry wristbands. Doors to the event will open as early as 5:45 p.m. for "Early Entry" purchasers and the Silent Auction will begin at 8:15 p.m.

 

For more information on Epicurean Evening 2017, and to purchase tickets, please click here.  

The Lake Houston Family YMCA's 25 ^th Annual Bridge Fest will take place on Saturday, February 11 from 7:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. at the Lake Houston Family YMCA. With races of three distances for runners, joggers and walkers to choose from, the event is designed to encourage participation from all abilities and ages.

Lake Houston Family YMCA's 25th Annual Bridge Fest

Saturday, February 11, 2017

2420 West Lake Houston

Kingwood, Texas 77339

7:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

 

For more information or to register for Bridge Fest, click here. 

 

This year's luncheon raised nearly $300,000 through their live and silent auctions and raffles. To date, MAC has raised and donated over $5 million to Texas Children's Cancer Center.

 

Council Member Martin thanks MAC for all they do for children's cancer research. For more information about Mother's Against Cancer go to www.mothersagainstcancer.net. 

On Tuesday, December 13 Council Member Martin attended the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce's fourth annual Elected Officials Reception honoring local, state and national elected officials from the Lake Houston Area. Joining Council Member Martin at the event were Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle, Humble Independent School District Trustees Heath Rushing, Charles Cunningham, Robert Sitton and a number of additional public officials and staff representing the area.

 

Council Member Martin thanks the Lake Houston Area Chamber for putting on the annual event and for its dedicated work promoting economic development and an enhanced quality of life in the Lake Houston Area.

On Tuesday, December 13 Council Member Martin had the privilege of addressing the Leadership Lake Houston Class of 2017. In his remarks, Council Member Martin discussed the process of becoming an elected official and why it was important to him to have a say in his own community.

 

Other topics of discussion were the recent pension issues and how Houston compares to other cities. 

 

Council Member Martin appreciates the opportunity to address the Leadership Lake Houston class and thanks the "Government Day" chairs, Casey Christman, Kim Brode and Jason Stuebe, for inviting him to participate.

The month of December was quite busy for District E as Council Member Martin and staff celebrated the holiday season with many organizations within the district . The office attended the Oak Meadows Holiday Dinner, Harris County Commissioner Jack Morman's Holiday Reception, the South Belt Ellington Chamber of Commerce Annual Holiday Open House, the Economic Alliance Holiday Open House, the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Holiday Reception, the Meadowcreek Village Civic Club Holiday Dinner, the Bay Area Alliance Holiday Breakfast, the San Jacinto Republic Women's Club Holiday Reception, and the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Holiday Open House.

 

Council Member Martin was happy to celebrate the holidays with all these organizations who contribute so much to District E!

On Monday, December 12 Council Member Martin had the privilege of attending a meet and greet where Major Applewhite was introduced as the new University of Houston head football coach.  The event was held at TDECU Stadium where Applewhite met and spoke with those in attendance.  

Applewhite, who is entering his first tenure as a head coach, has coached at Syracuse, Rice, Alabama, and Texas, before being hired as Houston's offensive coordinator in 2015.  After successful 2015 and 2016 seasons, the departure of former head coach Tom Herman caused the school to give Applewhite the nod.  His history as a determined player at Texas and a brilliant coaching mind have expectations high and fans excited to see how he can better the U of H football program in the near future.

On Wednesday, December 14 City Council came to an agreement with the Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department to allow Uber to continue operating in the city of Houston.  City Council has been debating on whether or not Uber should require drug testing and physical health inspections be submitted by their drivers.  The decision was made that Uber will not have to test their employees at least through the Super Bowl on February 5.  The drivers will, however, have to submit to a fingerprint background check.  Although it is only a temporary solution, this deal will make  navigating the city much easier for the thousands of Super Bowl visitors who cannot wait to experience Houston. 

 

Council Member Martin thanks Keep Houston Beautiful, DRC, Inc., and the Solid Waste Management Department for keeping the Christmas giving spirit alive each year and honoring the great children in our communities.