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February 3, 2023 Issue 121
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Dear residents,
With a new year comes new opportunities, I am happy to announce that after about two years with the District E Office, Mark Mitchell our Director of Constituent Outreach and South Sector, is leaving our office to join the ranks of those at the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. Mark’s last day in the District E Office will be Thursday, February 16. Mark has done a tremendous job engaging the residents of the Edgebrook, Southbelt, Ellington, North Shore, and Clear Lake areas of our District, joining our team right in the middle of the pandemic in 2020.
In addition, he has mentored many of our office interns wearing many hats within the community and our office. Mark completed the Leadership Clear Lake program upon graduation serving as the chair for government day and organizing a Women in Government panel featuring District E’s very own Chief of Staff, Jessica Beemer, as the moderator. Mark leaves our south sector in great shape, and we look forward to bringing on a new team member to follow in his footsteps.
Continuing the celebration, I’d also like to announce the promotion of Dustin Hodges as the District E Deputy Chief of Staff. Dustin has been an asset to our office with his keen analytical skills he has proven himself in more ways than one. Dustin will continue to manage the North Sector of District E including Kingwood, Huffman, and Lake Houston communities, while also assisting in tasks associated with the more day-to-day operation of the office as well as the inner workings of City Council. Congratulations to these outstanding men as they continue to grow serving District E.
January proved to be a demanding month testing our office with inclement weather that impacted both sectors of District E with a tornado in the south as well as flash flooding in the north. Utilizing boots-on-the-ground canvassing in the south the District E office was successful in identifying damaged structures in the Gulf Palms neighborhood securing storm debris pickup within 72 hours of the F3 Tornado. Additionally, the District E Office worked with Houston Public Works professionals to monitor river and lake levels allowing us to avoid structural flooding while also providing us an opportunity to continue to educate residents on the dangers of flash flooding.
Throughout the City of Houston, streets are designed to serve as secondary drainage channels, meaning they could flood by design when rain amounts exceed 2 inches in one hour. Once rain slows to less than 2 inches an hour, the drainage system will recover and move the water through the stormwater system. It is important to monitor local news during storms as forecasts can change in an instant and understand that it only takes six inches of rain to knock a person off their feet and only a foot of water to move a small vehicle. Areas near the floodplain in District E did see high water, which is to be expected to their proximity to the floodplain. Harris County Flood Control District is still working to complete the updated floodplain mapping that started a couple of years ago, utilizing dollars from the 2018 Bond.
Once this mapping is complete residents will have a better understanding of how to manage their risk. Lake Houston gates continue to be open while the level returns to normal pool, which should occur this weekend. Currently lake level on Lake Houston is 42.79 ft and normal pool is 42.4 ft. Our office will continue to monitor and operate Lake Houston alongside Coastal Water Authority and Houston Public Works during each threat for inclement weather utilizing both pre-release and active storm management protocols.
Please don’t forget every time you come across issues in the community (flashing traffic signal, pothole, downed tree, etc.) to contact Houston 3-1-1 by calling (713) 837-0311, writing down your service request number, and follow up by emailing your service request number to DistrictE@houstontx.gov. This is important because it establishes and supports a history for the problem which allows us to work towards bigger repairs and higher priority. I look forward to continuing to serve you all as your Mayor Pro Tem and District E Council Member through the end of this year.
Sincerely,
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Mayor Pro Dave Martin
900 Bagby, First Floor
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (832) 393-3008
The District E Team
Jessica Beemer
Chief of Staff
Dustin Hodges
Deputy Chief of Staff
Mark Mitchell
Director of Constituent Outreach
Demari Perez
Spring Intern
Yasmine Perez
Spring Intern
City Resources
Kingwood Community Center
(281) 348-2570
Community Resources
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Demari Perez, District E, Intern
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Demari Perez is a bilingual-speaking, 4th generation native Houstonian born to Mexican/Cuban parents, where she was raised near Cypress, Texas. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from CFISD in 2020, she fast-tracked her path at Lone Star College and attained her Associate of Arts in 2021, then transferred to the University of Houston where she is enrolled and thriving towards a career in law with an expected graduation with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Public Relations by the end of 2023.
Demari has actively been working within the marketing industry for more than 5 years, and she currently provides Digital Media Marketing services as well as Social Media Marketing to agencies in Houston, TX. Her passions include singing, dancing, law, and serving her community.
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Yasmine Perez, District E, Intern
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Yasmine is a senior at the University of Houston with 5 more classes left until graduating with a B.S. in Psychology, and a minor in Political Science. She was born in Houston and has been here ever since. She is hoping for this opportunity with District E to sharpen her administrative skills and help the community along the way.
Yasmine enjoys baking desserts and breads to share with others and finding new taste-worthy bakeries around the city. She has learned to love running the 3-mile loop at Memorial Park because of this. Yasmine will be assisting with answering incoming calls and supporting constituent services.
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Update: 50/50 Parks Partnership Freeway Manor Park
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The improvements at Freeway Manor Park will include: resurfacing the parking lot, repairing the walking trail, replacing park benches, regrading the baseball field, updating the picnic areas, repurposing the existing tennis court to a soccer mini-pitch, and improving park lighting. Construction is expected to conclude in Summer 2023.
The construction cost for this project is $1,034,000. Landscape Art, Inc. is serving as the construction firm, and Houston Parks Board is serving as the construction manager. The landscape architect was Lauren Griffith Associates.
Construction activities will occur Monday through Friday, with occasional Saturdays, between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Earlier starts might be required for any concrete pouring in case of high temperatures.
Residents should be mindful of the active construction site and not enter areas surrounded by orange construction fencing.
City Council has approved two agreements between the City of Houston and Houston Parks Board that underscored the commitment to this public/private partnership by appropriating almost $6.2 million from the City of Houston’s Parks and Recreation Dedication Fund and General Fund for this work to begin on the first 11 parks of the 50/50 Park Partners initiative.
Houston Parks and Recreation Department is providing the public funding commitment, reviewing, and approving plans, and providing ongoing operation and maintenance of the parks. Houston Parks Board is serving as the project manager and overseeing the private fundraising for the 50/50 Park Partners initiative in coordination with Greater Houston Partnership.
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Kingwood Drive Concrete Repairs Scheduled
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Houston Public Works will be performing concrete repairs on the 3800 Block of Eastbound Kingwood Drive (approx. 600 feet east of the Kingwood High School traffic signal). The repairs will begin on Monday, February 6, and are estimated to be completed by Thursday, February 16, weather permitting. Construction activities are expected to take place Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
As a result of the construction activities, please be aware of flagmen and orange traffic cones that will be put in place on-site to help with traffic flow through the construction zone as the project may require a one-lane closure. Two-way traffic will be maintained at all times. Businesses and residents will have access to driveways and sidewalks at all times and may experience an increase in noise levels due to trucks and equipment in the area.
For more information, please contact Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin's office at (832) 393-3008 or districte@houstontx.gov.
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CCTV to be Installed at Ellington Airport/Clear Lake Neighborhood Recycling
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The Houston Solid Waste Management Depart will be installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the Ellington Airport/Clear Lake Neighborhood Recycling, in February, to help deter illegal dumping and the misuse of the recycling facilities. Residents are encouraged to report any illegal dumping or debris clean-up needed, at the recycling facility to Houston 311.
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Lake Houston Spillway Dam Infrastructure Project
Receives Favorable Benefit to Cost Ratio
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This past summer, Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin announced challenges related to the Lake Houston Spillway Dam Improvement Project regarding the ability of the City of Houston to secure a benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) between .75 and 1. Those challenges have been overcome thanks to Mayor Pro Tem Martin diligently pursuing innovative strategies and Mayor Sylvester Turner along with Chief Recovery Officer Stephen Costello’s meeting with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator to discuss the inequities of the Federal BCR formula associated with incorporation of social benefits.
As a result, Mayor Pro Tem Martin and Mayor Turner would like to announce that a HUGE hurdle has been removed for the Lake Houston Region as the revised draft BCR for the Lake Houston Spillway Dam Improvement Project has been determined to be federally compliant and is very favorable. The revised BCR was completed by Atkins, a City of Houston consultant, and is for an eleven-gate structure. The eleven gates will be built into the existing embankment on the east side of the Lake Houston Spillway Dam. Building the new gate structure in the east embankment removes the high-construction risk of modifying the existing gate structure, allows the continued use of the existing gate structure during construction, and eliminates the need for a cofferdam in the lake.
The City of Houston is now preparing this BCR analysis to be sent to FEMA for justification of the project which has a preliminary cost estimate of nearly $200 million, exceeding the City of Houston’s FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant amount of $48 million. In anticipation of a much more costly project, Mayor Pro Tem Martin, Chief Costello, and State Representative Dan Huberty met with the Texas House of Representatives Speaker Dade Phelan’s Director of Finance to begin conversations for additional state dollars to fund this project as a life and safety initiative for the survival of the community and economy in the Lake Houston Area.
Key partners this legislative session will be Congressman Dan Crenshaw, State Senator Brandon Creighton, Speaker of the Texas House Dade Phelan, State Representative & Chair of Appropriations Dr. Greg Bonnen, State Representatives Charles Cunningham and Armando Walle. Mayor Pro Tem Martin is committed to working with Federal and State partners to ensure the cost of the Lake Houston Spillway Dam Project is fully funded before he leaves office in December 2023.
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With the El Dorado Blvd Expansion Project near completion, Mayor Pro Tem Martin is teaming up with Trees for Houston to replant 500 plus tress along the project boundaries. The replant will be in two phases. Phase I will begin this winter/spring and will have 250 trees planted. Phase II will take place in the winter/spring of 2024. Phase will take place after Mayor Pro Tem Martin is out of office, but he has dedicated funding to this project to ensure the trees will be replaced.
As planning going further along, list of native tree species that will be planted will be available, and well as the opportunity to sign up to volunteer to help with the replant.
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Disaster Recovery Following January 24th Storms
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If your property was damaged during the January 24 storms and tornadoes, there is a temporary disaster exemption available that could reduce your 2023 taxes.
The Texas Tax Code allows a qualified property that is at least 15% damaged in a governor-declared disaster area to receive a temporary exemption of a portion of the appraised value of the property. Qualified property includes real property such as homes and buildings, certain manufactured homes, and tangible personal property used for the production of income for a business.
The property owner must apply for the temporary exemption no later than 105 days after the governor declares a disaster area so the temporary disaster exemption application must be filed by May 11.
Please mail the temporary disaster exemption form – along with copies of any supporting documents such as photos, inspection reports, estimates, or invoices – to the address in the top left of the form.
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Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership
2023 Quasar Award
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District E staff attended The Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Quasar Award Banquet held on Jan. 27, 2022, honoring Vanessa Wyche, Director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Director Wyche is responsible for overseeing a broad range of human spaceflight activities, including the development and operation of human spacecraft, commercialization of low-Earth orbit, and Johnson’s role in landing the first woman and first person of color on the surface of the Moon.
Congratulations Director Wyche on this auspicious honor. Thank you, Brian Freedman, and the BAHEP staff for such an amazing evening.
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Leadership Lake Houston Government Day
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On Tuesday, January 10, Mayor Sylvester Turner and Mayor Pro Tem Martin had the opportunity to speak to the Partnership Lake Houston Leadership Class 11 as part of their Government Day. Following the productive conversation on how the City of Houston government works, Leadership Class 11 had the chance to stay and be recognized at Public Session in City Council Chambers.
Thank you to Partnership Lake Houston for partnering with our office to help educate the leaders of our community.
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Kelsey-Seybold Clear Lake Clinic Groundbreaking
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Mayor Pro Tem Martin attended the Kelsey-Seybold Clear Lake Clinic Expansion Groundbreaking event on January 12, 2023. The Kelsey-Seybold Clear Lake Clinic is expanding its footprint to better serve the community.
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Dead and Dangerous Tree Removal Underway
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District E and the City of Houston are working hard to prepare for the 2023 Hurricane Season. Throughout the Fall, Houston Urban Forestry identified trees for removal, based on declining health and danger, along the major thoroughfares in Kingwood. The Dangerous Tree Removal Program started in January and is working on Northpark Drive currently with West Lake Houston Parkway and Kingwood Drive remaining. The cost of this project is $73,521 and funds are provided through Mayor Pro Tem Martin's Council District Service Funds.
The trees being marked for removal are dead, extremely unhealthy, and/or the most dangerous. This trees marked for removal also include ones that are diseased or have structural issues with their roots posing a risk for failure. Work order(s) are generated by block and then issued to the City's contractor, Prime Trees, to schedule the removal of the dead and most dangerous trees.
As a result of the construction activities, please be aware of flagmen and orange traffic cones that will be put in place on-site to help with traffic flow through the construction zone as the project may require one-lane closures in certain locations. Two-way traffic will be maintained at all times. Businesses and residents will have access to driveways and sidewalks at all times and may experience an increase in noise levels due to trucks and equipment in the area.
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Utilizing 3-1-1 to Report Issues
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Residents can help be our eyes and ears on the streets and soon you'll be able to report a pothole, broken traffic signal, or drainage issues while on the go. Houston 311 is in the process of launching a new smartphone app that makes reporting issues like these easier than ever. The app will use GPS to identify your location and also allow you to snap a photo to add to your service request. Reports are automatically sent to the City’s 311 system and routed to city departments for resolutions.
You can still alert the City of Houston of issues by dialing 3-1-1 or 713-837-0311 of potential problems in your community. Houstonians can also access this helpful service via an e-mail to 311@HoustonTX.gov. A self Service Request (SR) form is available online at www.houston311.org. Once you've reported a problem please follow up with our office by emailing your case number and information on the issue to our office at districte@houstontx.gov so that we can help make sure the problem is addressed in a timely manner.
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Bag it & Bring It! All-Plastic Recycling
at Kingwood Recycling Center
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There is a new all-plastic recycling program at the Kingwood Recycling Center (located at the Kingwood METRO Park & Ride) happening every Saturday and Sunday.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
Bag ALL of your PLASTICS for recycling and bring them to the weekend recycling at the Kingwood METRO Park & Ride lot.
You can still use your regular curbside recycling to recycle plastics, that doesn't change. BUT, the new weekend recycling program accepts all types of plastics. Curbside plastic recycling has limits.
Styrofoam, for example, can now be recycled! Bag it and bring it to the weekend recycling at the Park & Ride!
- Empty and rinse out any liquids, food, and other residues
- Bag it! Place all plastic material in a plastic bag. No sorting is needed.
- Tie the plastic bag and BRING THEM TO THE WEEKEND RECYCLING at the Park & Ride lot in Kingwood
"Bag it and Bring it!" ALL PLASTICS!
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- Soda bottles
- Water bottles
- Food containers
- Clear cups
- Milk jugs
- Detergent bottles
- Shampoo bottles
- Clamshell food containers
- Plastic pipes
- Shower curtains
- Squeeze bottles
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- Plastic wrap
- Plastic bags
- Yogurt cups
- Ketchup bottles
- Medicine bottles
- Styrofoam
- Plastics plates
- Plastic cutlery
- Baby bottles
- CDs
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NEW RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY
This all-plastics collection will be possible thanks to new sorting and recycling technology - technologies that can sort and transform all types of plastic into new products, far beyond the typical items like water bottles and milk jugs.
These technologies include new sorting and pre-processing methods and scaling up both mechanical and advanced recycling.
THINGS TO REMEMBER
- Only PLASTIC recyclables should be bagged
- All other recyclables, like paper, metal and glass needs to be loose, NOT in plastic bags
- This new program applies only to the Kingwood Recycling at the Park & Ride, only on the weekends, when the City of Houston Solid Waste Management provides recycling bins
- Please do not bag any plastics in your curbside recycling. Those items need to be loose as usual
This program would not be possible without the partnership of ExxonMobil, Lyondell Basell, Cyclyx, Houston Solid Waste Department, and Keep Kingwood Green. For more information about the program and how new technologies are being leveraged to make this possible please visit the website here.
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District E Electronic Recycling Events
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District E Upcoming Monthly Events
Please refer to Mayor Pro Tem Martin's District E website for location, time, and more event details for City of Houston Events. Email the District E office (districte@houstontx.gov) if you would like us to include your upcoming event in future newsletters!
February 08 – KSA Public Safety Committee Meeting
February 09 – HPD Northeast Division Positive Interaction Program Meeting
February 09 – Meadowcreek Village Civic Club Meeting
February 15 – Kingwood Super Neighborhood Council Meeting (Zoom)
February 20 – HPD Eastside Division Positive Interaction Program
February 21 – HPD Clear Lake Division Positive Interaction Program
February 21 – HPD Kingwood Division Positive Interaction Program
February 21 – Edgebrook Super Neighborhood Council Informational Meeting
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See a pothole, report it by calling (713) 837-0311
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Get the latest on COVID-19 including locations of active testing sites can be found here.
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Tune to HTV Houston to watch live and recorded City Council and Committee Meetings.
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