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Your Monthly News & Updates
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Series of Disaster Debris Workshops Continues June 29
To address the need for communities to perform efficient and timely cleanup of disaster debris, H-GAC provides training and resources to prepare local governments.
Discussion points for this workshop include:
- Timeline - When to communicate what.
- One Message, Multiple Messengers - Tackling the challenge of a consistent message.
- Hashtag Nation - Techniques to gather data from and push information out to the hardest hit areas.
Save the date for the next workshop in this series,
Summer Update from FEMA, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 31, at H-GAC.
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Parks and Natural Areas Subcommittee to Meet July 10
The next meeting of the Parks and Natural Areas (PNA) Subcommittee will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday, July 10, at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor.
Agenda items include:
- Discussion on details for the 2017 PNA Awards
- Highlights from two recipients of the 2016 PNA Awards
Registration is requested.
The PNA Subcommittee meets the second Monday of January, March, July, and September, with visits to local parks in the spring and fall. The meetings are open to anyone interested in participating.
To join the mailing list to get updates about meetings and activities, e-mail Andrea Tantillo.
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Next Revitalization Roundtable to be July 25
Mark your calendars for the next Bringing Back Main Street Revitalization Roundtable from 9:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday, July 25, at a location to be announced.
These roundtables help local governments, chambers of commerce, and economic development interests promote the economy and revitalization of downtown areas.
For more information, contact Clint McManus at 832-681-2513.
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Instant Impacts to be Focus of Workshop September 29
H-GAC will host Instant Impacts: A Land Use Planning Workshop from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, September 29, at Near Northwest Management District.
Registration will open four to six weeks before the event.
To be added to the list to receive more information, e-mail Amanda Thorin.
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Annual Fall Planning Workshop Set for October 20
H-GAC's Fall Planning Workshop for Local Governments will be from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, October 20, at H-GAC.
This annual half-day workshop series for local governments features presentations on best planning practices for communities.
Registration will open four to six weeks before the event.
To be added to the list to receive more information, e-mail Amanda Thorin.
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More Upcoming Events
Low Impact Development/Green Infrastructure Workshop
The Houston Land/Water Sustainability Forum will host a
Low Impact Development/Green Infrastructure Workshop from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 7, at the Michael Talbott Pavilion at the Harris County Flood Control District's North Service Center, 7522 Prairie Oak Drive, Houston. Topics include residential low impact development (LID), effective use of Harris County LID guidelines, designing with maintenance in mind, and roadway infrastructure. A field trip to local LID-based projects will follow formal presentations. Lunch is provided. Seating is limited, and
registration is required. The cost is $125 for IECA members and $150 for non-members.
Building Support for Waste Reduction Programs Webinar
The College and University Recycling Coalition (CURC) 2017 Webinar Series continues with
Recycling Collection Logistics at College Campuses from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 8. The webinar will feature case studies of how colleges and universities organize their collection processes and the factors that influence key aspects, such as the vehicles and equipment used, labor arrangements, and when to contract or handle operations internally.
Registration is required.
Galveston Bay Foundation Public Meeting
The Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) will host a
public meeting from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Monday, June 12, at the Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center, 400 W. Walker Street, League City. The meeting will focus on providing updates on current initiatives, past successes, and future work of the GBF Implementation Plan (I-Plan) to reduce levels of harmful bacteria in Galveston Bay. Seating is limited. RSVP to
Nate Johnson.
Keep Texas Beautiful Annual Conference
Online registration closes soon for the
Keep Texas Beautiful annual conference
June 12-14 at the Westin Riverwalk, 420 W. Market Street, San Antonio. The 50th annual conference will feature educational sessions on recycling, youth programs, litter prevention, and strategic planning. Registration ranges from $140 for a single day to $430 for the entire conference.
Online registration closes
Friday, June 2.
Sustainable Materials Management Webinar
The National Recycling Coalition will present a webinar,
Building Relationships with Regulatory Agencies, from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m.
Tuesday, June 20. Through this webinar, participants will learn key concepts important to relationship management related to interaction with regulatory representatives.
Texas Citizen Planner Specialty Courses
TexasAgriLife Extension Service will present three single-day
Texas Citizen Planner specialty courses to emphasize integrating hazard mitigation approaches with local planning practices. The Flooding and Stormwater course will be
Thursday, June 29, the Coastal Hazards and Preparation course will be
Thursday, July 13, and the Hazard Mitigation and Plan Integration course date will be announced later. All courses will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Houston Transtar, 6922 Katy Road, Houston. The cost is $75 per course, and lunch is provided.
Registration is required. For information, contact
Steven Mikulencak or
Celina Gauthier Lowry at 281-560-3970.
Greater Houston Environmental Summit
Save the date for the Citizens' Environmental Coalition (CEC) annual
Greater Houston Environmental Summit from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Friday, August 4, at the United Way of Greater Houston, 50 Waugh Drive, Houston. The summit will include keynote presentations, small-format table talks, and a featured panel in conjunction with EarthShare of Texas. The CEC is also partnering with environmental education collaboratives to offer an Environmental Education Expo for teachers and informal educators. Anyone interested in exhibiting at the expo should contact
[email protected]. Suggestions for table talks may be forwarded to
[email protected].
EPA Region 6 19th Annual Stormwater Conference
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 will host its
19th annual Stormwater Conference
September 17-21 at the Hilton Palacio del Rio, 200 South Alamo Street, San Antonio. Stormwater professionals will learn about stormwater management programs, construction and industrial stormwater management, low impact development, and advanced research topics. For more information, contact
Nelly Smith.
Annual State of Texas Alliance for Recycling Texas Recycling Summit
The
State of Texas Alliance for Recycling Texas Recycling Summit 2017 will be
October 22-25 at the Double Tree Hotel, 6505 N I-35, Austin. This is the only state conference dedicated entirely to recycling and waste diversion activities in Texas. It's also an opportunity to network with professionals from the recycling industry to learn, collaborate, share successes, and support recycling efforts.
Sponsorship and
exhibitor opportunities are available.
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Livable Centers Call for Planning Study Partners
H-GAC released a call for planning study partners for the Livable Centers program. Partners are local governments or other eligible project sponsors.
This is not a request for proposals from consulting firms.
The objective of the Livable Centers planning studies is to
- Help create quality, walkable, mixed-use places;
- Create multi-modal travel choices;
- Improve environmental quality; and
- Promote economic development and housing choice.
Study recommendations may lead to projects for possible inclusion in the Regional Transportation Plan and future Transportation Improvement Programs. H-GAC anticipates identifying four to six Livable Centers studies to recommend for funding in 2018 and 2019.
The deadline to apply is Monday, August 28. The Notice of Intent to Apply must be received by Friday, June 30.
H-GAC will host a presubmittal meeting for potential sponsors at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor.
For more information, contact Cheryl Mergo at 713-993-4520.
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H-GAC Releases Our Great Region Awards Showcase
The Our Great Region Awards, established in 2016, recognize outstanding projects in the H-GAC 13-county region that advance the goals and strategies outlined in the Our Great Region 2040 plan.
The 29 projects featured by the Our Great Region Awards Showcase offer effective solutions and new opportunities for a wide array of the region's challenges from transportation and housing to disaster mitigation and small business development.
This document showcases the work of all applicants, representing 19 communities, and recognizes their accomplishments as examples for others to follow.
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How's the Water? 2017 Basin Highlights Report Available Online
Each year the H-GAC Clean Rivers Program publishes a report for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality summarizing the state of water quality in the region.
The 2017 Basin Highlights Report includes water quality status and trends for waterways in four basins monitored by the H-GAC program, an overview of the program's outreach activities, and a summary of special projects using Clean Rivers Program data.
This year's report is accessible in an online story map format with interactive maps, photos, graphics, and text. The application is compatible with desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
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Communities Encouraged to Participate in Economic Resilience Surveys
The Gulf Coast Economic Development District (GCEDD) is conducting research on Economic Resilience in the 13 counties of the H-GAC planning region through a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant.
GCEDD is seeking local expertise on what economic vulnerabilities are faced by each county and what strategies are being employed to address those concerns. Learn more about the project and provide insight on the region's economic vulnerabilities by participating in a survey for your county.
For more information, contact Joshua Owens at 832-681-2613.
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Partner Announcements
Texas Main Street Designation Application
The Texas Historical Commission is now accepting applications from cities interested in becoming designated
Main Street Communities. Each year, the Texas Historical Commission may select up to five cities for official Main Street Designation. Communities selected this year will enter the program in January 2018. Main Street is an economic development program focusing on small business development, using reuse of historic properties and historic preservation as primary tools. Optional letters of intent are due
Friday, June 2. Full applications are due
Monday, July 31. Main Street communities in the region are Bay City, Huntsville, Rosenberg, and Sealy.
National Recycling Coalition 2017 Awards
The National Recycling Coalition is seeking nominations for the
2017 Awards - with awards to be presented at the Resource Recycling Conference
August 28-30 in Minneapolis, Minn. Awards are available in seven categories, and applicants should
apply online. More information, including category descriptions and application criteria, is available
online. The deadline to apply is
Friday, June 30.
Keep Houston Beautiful Mayor's Proud Partner Awards
Keep Houston Beautiful is accepting applications for the
2017 Mayor's Proud Partner Awards. Applicants can submit a project that best illustrates commitment to keeping Houston beautiful. Applications are due by
Monday, July 24. Awards will be presented at the Mayor's Proud Partners Luncheon in October.
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All content, including links to websites, is for informational purposes only. Users of this content are responsible for checking its accuracy, currency, and suitability.
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Community and Environmental Planning Programs
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Mapping Applications
Looking for interactive applications or GIS data related to the H-GAC Community and Environmental Planning Department? Visit H-GAC's interactive applications web page to see the latest information, including Census, Regional Forecast, and more.
Facebook
Find the latest information about activities around the region at H-GAC's Twitter feed
@hgaccog. H-GAC's water resources program also offers Twitter updates on water quality issues in the region, including fish consumption advisories,
@HGACwater.
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Banner Photo: The view from the San Jacinto River Authority conference room at the dam on Lake Conroe by Todd Running.
Would you like us to consider featuring your municipality, program, or regional photo on the C&E Planning Update banner? Just forward
Andrea Tantillo your picture, along with some information about the subject and the photographer, and you might see it in a future month's newsletter.
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