Houston-Galveston Area Council Newsletter April 2022 |
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March Board of Directors Meeting |
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The coordinating council reviewed all the eligible applications and made funding recommendations for 29 regionally-significant projects. Many of these projects cover multiple jurisdictions and would help to improve the interoperability of our region's emergency radio communications network and provide upgraded equipment to public safety and emergency response units.
Additionally, the board approved a request from the Water Resources Committee to add the city of Sealy's Allens Creek Conveyance Improvement Project to the H-GAC priority flood mitigation projects list. The project would deliver significant drainage improvements to alleviate flooding along the I-10 corridor that runs through Sealy. The board also approved a proposal to combine several upcoming mobility/corridor planning studies and high-capacity feasibility studies into three and two funding agreements respectively. The studies cover nearly all parts of the eight-county H-GAC metropolitan planning area, including Pearland, Chambers County, Washington Ave. in the Houston Heights, and a regional bus route along Westpark Drive in Fort Bend County.
Towards the end of the meeting, the board approved new appointments to the Regional Homeland Security Coordinating Council and the Natural Resources Advisory Committee.
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Next Board Meeting: Tuesday, April 19
The next board meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m., Tuesday, April 19. If there are any scheduling or location updates to this meeting, we will notify the public immediately. For more information on H-GAC's Board of Directors, past meeting agendas or minutes, or to find dates for future meetings, visit the Board of Directors website.
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H-GAC Program Spotlight: HGACBuy |
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At its March meeting, the H-GAC Board of Directors listened to a spotlight presentation about the HGACBuy Cooperative Purchasing Program. Operating since 1975, HGACBuy is an award-winning, nationwide government-to-government procurement service operated by H-GAC.
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HGACBuy has helped thousands of state, county and local government entities purchase essential goods and services, such as emergency communications equipment, school buses, motor vehicles, power generators, and more at far more competitive prices than they would find on the open market. In 2021 alone, total purchases processed through HGACBuy exceeded $2 billion, with nearly 4,000 transactions.
HGACBuy vets each of its more than 1,200 vendors through a competitive bid or proposal process that follows strict compliance checks to ensure their services and products are of the utmost quality. This service model helped HGACBuy grow into one of the largest, most trusted government procurement programs in the U.S. In 2021, the National Cooperative Purchasing Partners appointed H-GACBuy Director Ronnie Barnes to its board of directors in recognition of the co-op's longstanding reputation as a leader in government procurement.
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Program Contact: Marlana Mack
Title: Senior Program Coordinator
Contact Phone: 713-993-2484
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New Triple 'R' Loan Program Offers Financing Options for Fort Bend County Small Businesses |
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The Houston-Galveston Area Local Development Corporation is offering a new loan program in partnership with Fort Bend County called the Triple 'R' Loan Program.
The three 'R's stand for "Regional, Revolving, and Resilience." The program offers financing options for new and existing small businesses in Fort Bend County. With grants of up to $50,000 and loans of up to $1 million, the Triple 'R' Loan Program promises to work towards recovery, resilience, and growth.
Eligible small businesses must meet the following requirements:
- Be an existing business or be planning to start a business in Fort Bend County
- Have a business net worth of less than $15 million and an average net income of less than $5 million
Applications will be pooled and randomized before being selected to continue through the approval process. H-GALDC will begin randomly selecting applications in May, immediately after the application window closes.
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We Can't Wait to See Our Fellow Members at the TML Region 14 Spring Meeting This Friday, April 8 at Sam Houston Race Park! |
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The Texas Municipal League (TML) Region 14 spring meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m., this Friday, April 8 at Sam Houston Race Park.
TML members will enjoy food, fun, and friendship at the races! We will also be welcoming TML President Martha Castex-Tatum, vice mayor pro tem of the city of Houston.
Missed the opportunity to register? That's okay! Although registration for the meeting has closed, we have a waiting list. Contact Cynthia Jones for more information.
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Thank You to Our Sponsors! |
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Winner's Circle
Pacheco Koch, a Westwood Company
Hospitality
GrantWorks
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Wager Voucher
Schaumberg & Polk, Inc.
Gold
Bleyl Engineering
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Silver
Republic Services
Zarinkelk Engineering Services, Inc.
Bronze
PFM
Page
MBCO Engineering, LLC
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H-GAC Executive Director Chuck Wemple Discusses What Lies Ahead for the Region at Fort Bend County Mayors and Council Meeting |
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H-GAC Executive Director Chuck Wemple was the guest speaker at the Fort Bend County Mayors and Council Meeting on Thursday, March 24 at Pleak Village Hall. Wemple gave attendees an overview of H-GAC's mission, programs, and services, and he discussed upcoming regional projects that will impact communities in Fort Bend County. |
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From left to right: Jeffery Boney, Missouri City mayor pro tem, Chuck Wemple, H-GAC executive director, Larry Bittner, Pleak mayor, Charles Jessup, Meadows Place mayor, Floyd Emery, Missouri City councilmember |
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Fort Bend County Declares March 31 as Nick Natario Day in Recognition of Jobs Partnership with Workforce Solutions |
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Local and H-GAC officials gathered at the Workforce Solutions career office in Missouri City on Thursday, March 31 to honor ABC 13's Nick Natario for his ongoing partnership with Workforce Solutions to help Texans find well-paying, quality jobs.
Fort Bend County Judge KP George issued a proclamation commemorating March 31 as Nick Natario Day. Additionally, Workforce Solutions awarded ABC 13 a certificate of gratitude for their partnership.
Since 2020, Natario and Workforce Solutions Manager Michelle Castrow have hosted weekly virtual jobs fairs connecting Texas residents with employers. The fairs have evolved into the Thursday weekly webcast, "Who's Hiring," where Natario and Castrow also share advice on how to interview for jobs and where residents can learn and develop critical skills to be more competitive candidates to employers.
According to Workforce Solutions, more than 357 residents in the Texas Gulf Coast area have found better jobs through this webcast. In addition, 5,105 people have applied for jobs and 890 have received interviews.
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H-GAC Wishes Happy Retirement to Community & Environmental and Human Services Directors Jeff Taebel and Mike Temple |
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H-GAC would like to wish a fond farewell and thank you to Jeff Taebel, director of Community and Environmental Planning, and Mike Temple, director of Human Services, who are retiring after serving 35 and 41 years, respectively, at H-GAC. We're eternally grateful for all their years of service and the positive impact they have made on this region and its residents. We wish them nothing but the best in their next chapter. |
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Information for Local Governments and Agencies about Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill |
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President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill into law in November 2021. This legislation will provide $1.2 trillion in funding to improve our nation’s infrastructure. Texas will receive $35.44 billion over five years.
Click on the flyer below for more information about funding priorities and links to helpful resources. H-GAC will notify local governments with relevant resources as additional information regarding this legislation becomes available.
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Transportation and Hazard Mitigation Funding Opportunities Available to Local Governments |
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Notice of Funding Opportunity for RAISE Discretionary Grants |
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Applications must be submitted through grants.gov by April 14, 2022. The minimum grant award is $5 million in urban areas, $1 million for rural areas. At least $15 million in funding is guaranteed to go towards projects located in Areas of Persistent Poverty or Historically Disadvantaged Communities. Funds must be obligated within two years of the end of the fiscal year for which they are authorized.
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Deadline to Apply for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is Approaching |
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The application window for the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program closes at the end of April. All applications must be received by the Texas Division of Emergency Management through the Grants Management System no later than 5 p.m., April 29, 2022 to be considered for funding. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program assists communities in implementing hazard mitigation measures following a major disaster declaration.
Entities that are eligible to apply for grants include local governments and communities, state agencies, and private nonprofit organizations providing essential governmental services. Examples of eligible project activities include property acquisition and structure demolition/relocation, mitigation reconstruction, dry floodproofing historical structures, flood risk reduction projects, wind retrofit for family residences, soil stabilization, wildfire mitigation, post-disaster code enforcement, and hazard mitigation plans.
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Learn More about Your Local Representatives with H-GAC's New Regional Elected Officials Interactive Mapping Application |
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This mapping application can be used to help our region’s residents and businesses find their elected officials from a specific address within the H-GAC 13-county region from federal, state, county, city, and other local levels of government. Find information on elected official's position, current term, geographic boundary, and website information. Additional functionality like drawing and adding other geospatial data as well as printing and exporting your findings are coming to the application soon.
All information within the application is as current as the latest certified election, but should users come across any official's information that looks out of date or experience any errors with the application itself, there is a feedback form linked within the application to communicate this information to H-GAC. Please share this exciting new interactive mapping application from H-GAC with your colleagues and friends at: GIS.h-gac.com/gisapps/officials.
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April is Fair Housing Awareness Month, Economic Development Discussion Planned |
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April is Fair Housing Awareness Month, and H-GAC reminds everyone that when it comes to housing, the Federal Fair Housing Act makes it against the law to discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or family status. This applies to both selling or renting housing.
Anyone who feels their fair housing rights have been violated should contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at 1-800-669-9777. For more information, visit www.hud.gov/fairhousing.
Land use and zoning considerations within the scope of Fair Housing will be a topic of discussion during the Gulf Coast Economic Development District’s upcoming meeting on Friday, April 8. The meeting is from 10 a.m. to noon at H-GAC, second floor conference rooms, and on Zoom. Registration is requested to attend in person and required to attend online.
The Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division conducts two monthly Fair Housing webinars. A Fair Housing Overview is presented the first Tuesday of each month, and a Fair Housing Reasonable Accommodations webinar is presented on the third Tuesday of each month. Both webinars begin at 10 a.m. Registration is required.
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Celebrate Earth Month with Commute Solutions |
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April is Earth Month, and with Commute Solutions, you can do your part to help reduce emissions and protect our planet. Did you know that traveling just one mile in your car alone produces one pound of CO2 Emissions? Even changing our habits just one day a week can save approximately $833 annually depending on the length of your trip to work or school.
This month, we invite you to learn more about options that can save you money and help the planet. Visit our self-service virtual Transportation Resource Fair. There, you can learn more about commuting options available within the region by watching videos, downloading brochures, and following links to maps.
You can also use tools like our quick online calculator to find out how much you can save, or become a Beta Tester for the new ConnectSmart app that connects you to transportation options like transit, bike share or bike paths. The fair is open 24 hours a day. Drop in when you wish, and visit the booths at your own pace.
The Commute Solutions team will also participate in the following in-person Earth Day activities around the region. Join us at:
- Discovery Green in Downtown Houston – April 10
- UTMB Health in Galveston – April 15
- LaCenterra in Cinco Ranch – April 22
Follow H-GAC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to learn more about small changes you can make to your daily routine that will help reduce carbon emissions.
Do you need Commute Solutions to assist your organization with finding a better way for your employees to commute to work? Contact Francis Rodriguez at [email protected] or 713-993-2437.
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Public Comment Period for Southeast Harris County Subregional Study Recommendations Remains Open Until April 11 |
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H-GAC has developed a plan to make transportation better in Southeast Harris County neighborhoods, and we want to hear what residents think. The period to make a public comment about the recommendations remains open until Monday, April 11.
Visit engage.h-gac.com/southeast-harris-county-subregional-study to watch a recording of our virtual public meeting on March 28 - where we go in detail about the recommendations - view a map of the study area to find the recommendations relevant to your neighborhood, and to learn how you can use our data tool to comment on those recommendations that affect you.
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Could Public Transportation Benefit the Pearland Community? H-GAC Wants to Hear from You! |
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Calling all Pearland residents and stakeholders! We need to hear from you! H-GAC and the city of Pearland want to understand if there is a way for the city to support residents' mobility needs.
Take our digital survey now and drive the conversation. Could public transportation benefit the Pearland community?
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H-GAC's Next Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable on April 29 Is Back in Person at El Campo Civic Center! |
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H-GAC’s next Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable will be from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, April 26. The event will be in person at the El Campo Civic Center (2350 N. Mechanic St.) in El Campo, Texas.
Check in and breakfast will begin at 9 a.m. with presentations and roundtable from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. A walking tour of downtown will follow. Registration is requested.
Event participants will discuss how cities can support new businesses and cultivate entrepreneurialism. Scheduled speakers are:
- Carolyn Gibson, executive director of City Development Corporation of El Campo
- Courtney Sladek, city manager with the City of El Campo
- Amy Morales, small business marketing at Kapeesh Marketing LLC
- Molli Bodungen, business owner and member of Women on Washington in El Campo
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H-GAC Adds Climate, Economic Justice Tab to Regional Equity Tool |
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H-GAC added a beta version of the Climate and Economic Justice Tool developed by The White House Council on Environmental Quality to our Regional Equity Tool as one of the tabs.
The tool identifies the disadvantaged communities (based on Census Tracts) in the region that qualify for funding priority under the federal Justice40 Initiative, which committed to direct 40% of federal investments toward disadvantaged communities.
Disadvantaged communities are those that are at or above the thresholds in one or more of eight categories of criteria. The categories include:
- Climate change
- Clean transit
- Clean energy and energy efficiency
- Affordable and sustainable housing
- Reduction and remediation of legacy pollution
- Critical clean water and waste water infrastructure
- Health burdens
- Training and workforce development
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Home to more than 7 million people, the Houston-Galveston region is one of the fastest-growing and most diverse regions in the country. Making sure the region remains one of the nation’s leading places to live, work, and prosper doesn’t just happen - it takes planning and partnerships.
If you are looking for a career where you can help make a difference in urban, suburban, and rural communities, the Houston-Galveston Area Council has exciting opportunities for you. For more information or to apply for a job, visit the careers page on H-GAC's website.
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