Houston-Galveston Area Council Newsletter    November 2021
October Board of Directors Meeting
At its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 19, the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) Board of Directors approved several items of regional significance.

The board unanimously approved agreements that will help fund a project to replace existing diesel vehicles operating as terminal tractors at warehouses within the region with all-electric models; fund new focused Livable Centers studies in Pasadena, Alvin, Sugar Land, Prairie View, and Harris County Precinct 2; and continue H-GAC's Clean Rivers Program partnership with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The Clean Rivers Program aims to improve the quality of surface water that flows through our region's landscapes, cities, and towns.

Additionally, the board approved a recommendation by the Water Resources Committee to raise a San Jacinto River flood mitigation project to tier 1 status on H-GAC's list of Priority Flood Mitigation Projects. It also approved the committee's recommendation to add a new "urgent need" category that will include a project to make critical improvements to a wastewater plant in Columbus, Texas. The improvement project is urgently needed to prevent a possible breach of the facility during a major flooding event.

Towards the end of the meeting, the board approved new appointments to the Gulf Coast Economic Development District, the H-GAC Energy Purchasing Corporation, the Houston-Galveston Area Local Development Corporation, the Regional Homeland Security Coordinating Council, and Solid Waste Management Committee. It also heard new updates from the Special Committee on H-GAC Board Composition by committee chairman Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia.
Next Board Meeting: Tuesday, Nov. 16

The next board meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 16. 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.
H-GAC Program Spotlight: An Update on the Regional Results of the 2020 Census
At its October meeting, the H-GAC Board of Directors received an update regarding the preliminary results of the U.S. Census for the region.

According to the data, the 13-county Houston-Galveston region experienced one of the highest concentrations of population growth in the country.

The Greater Houston metropolitan area is one of the three metropolitan areas in the U.S. that gained more than one million people in the last 10 years. New York and Dallas are the other two. Houston moved up from the sixth-largest metro area in 2010 to the fifth-largest in 2020.

H-GAC has released a regional impacts report detailing the top census data highlights for the region. Stakeholders can get a more visual look at the census impacts by using the interactive 2020 Census Data Redistricting Tool, or they can visit h-gac.com/census-data to view charts and more in-depth reports.
Program Contact:
Pramod Sambidi, Ph.D.

Title: Manager, Modeling
Contact Email: pramod.sambidi@h-gac.com
Contact Phone: 713-993-2451
H-GAC Commemorated 55 Years of Service Excellence and Regional Cooperation at Special Symposium on Oct. 15
H-GAC commemorated its 55th anniversary as a special symposium on Oct. 15 at The Briar Club. The theme of the symposium was "Growing Stronger Together through Regionalism." Chuck Wemple, executive director of H-GAC, discussed with H-GAC board members and officers the strengths of regionalism and the evolution of technology in the 13-county H-GAC region during two panel discussions.

The event highlight was the afternoon keynote speech by Renu Khator, chancellor of the University of Houston System and president of the University of Houston, where she championed collaboration and cooperation with local leaders, fellow postsecondary education institutions, community organizations, and businesses to provide exceptional, accessible education and research that will drive innovation, prosperity, and quality of life for our more than 7 million residents and growing.

H-GAC also premiered a special video highlighting the agency's mission and achievements. The symposium was developed and led by the H-GAC communications team with the gracious assistance of members of the intergovernmental relations team. For more information about H-GAC's 55th anniversary, visit h-gac.com/55th-anniversary.
H-GAC General Law and Home Rule Cities to Meet on Nov. 4 and 8 for Annual Caucuses
H-GAC General Law and Home Rule Cities will meet to select their representatives and alternates to serve on the 2022 board of directors on Nov. 4 and 8. These meetings will be held in person at the Hyatt Regency Houston West (formerly Omni Westside) located at 13210 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77079. 

Representatives who plan to attend and have not yet registered may use the links below to register for their caucus. 

General Law Cities Caucus | Thursday, Nov. 4 | 6:30 p.m.

Home Rule Cities Caucus | Monday, Nov. 8 | 6:30 p.m.

For questions, contact Cynthia Jones.
Get Ready for the 10th Annual Hiring Red, White & You! Job Fair
The 10th Annual Hiring Red, White & You! Virtual Job Fair supporting Texas veterans and their families will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4 and conclude at 10 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7. 

Workforce Solutions, in partnership with the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas Veterans Commission, and the Texas Medical Center, is connecting Texas veterans, their families, and qualified candidates with area employers who are looking to fill a variety of positions. This event is free to veterans, their spouses, and employers.

Register today at wrksolutions2.easyvirtualfair.com/prefair. To learn more, connect with a Workforce Solutions office or service unit at 1-888-469-JOBS (5627).
New Work Group by Trash Free Texas Seeks Participants from Restaurants, Manufacturers, and Delivery Services to Strategize Solutions for Reducing Single-use Plastic
More than 100 million plastic utensils and 500 million plastic straws are thrown away by consumers each day in the U.S.
 
To help address these issues, the Trash Free Texas team is working with Texas-based restaurants, third-party delivery services, and manufacturers to identify win-win strategies to reduce the use of single-use plastic, help our partners save money, and clean up our communities. Want to be a part of the solution? Consider joining our Plastic Reduction Work Group.  

Beginning in late November, the Plastic Reduction Work Group will meet online to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and resources available to restaurants, third-party delivery services, and manufacturers to reduce the frequency of single-use plastic use. Through these discussions, the project team will develop a toolkit of best practices to aid partners in implementing plastic reduction strategies, as well as case studies that highlight great work already being done. Interested parties can choose to adopt those strategies, helping the project team collect data to better understand which methods are most effective for restaurants.

A general overview of the timeline for the work group is:

  • Work Group Meeting No. 1 | 2 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 30: Participants will discuss the project and begin identifying strategies for reducing the use of single-use plastics. Registration is required.
  • Work Group Meeting No. 2 | January 2022: Participants will further refine their strategies for reducing single-use plastic usage and begin developing the toolkit and case studies. 
  • Work Group Meeting No. 3 | April 2022: The project team will share the toolkit and case studies with participants. Opportunities for further partnership will be discussed. 

To join the Plastic Reduction Work Group email list or to learn more about the project, email Kathy Janhsen

To learn more about Trash Free Texas and its initiatives, visit h-gac.com/Trash-Free-Texas, or subscribe to the newsletter.
Upcoming Community and Environmental Events
Mark your calendars and register for these upcoming community and environmental events.
Solid Waste Workshop - Thursday, Nov. 18
Solid Waste Grant
H-GAC's next Solid Waste Workshop will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 18. 

The event will be online, and registration is required.

H-GAC's solid waste workshops focus on in-depth studies of different topics each quarter. For more information, contact Erin Livingston.
Fall Planning Workshop - Friday, Dec. 3
Make plans to attend H-GAC's Fall Planning Workshop from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 3. The topic will be "Growing Kid-Friendly Communities," with a focus on safety and strong communities.

The event will be online, and registration is required.

The Fall Planning Workshop is an annual workshop for local governments featuring presentations on planning best practices for communities. For more information, contact Cheryl Mergo.
Make Safety a Priority When Driving throughout the Region
H-GAC would like to remind drivers to practice safe habits and use caution when traversing our roads. The region has experienced tremendous population growth and a corresponding increase in traffic-related injuries and deaths. Last year, traffic fatalities increased by 7% in Texas and by 11% in the eight-county metropolitan planning area. Improving traffic safety will take every one of us working together. Otherwise, we will continue to pay the price.

Visit h-gac.com/paytheprice for tips and resources on how we can improve transportation safety in the region.
Preparing for a Hurricane Can Help You Prepare for Other Types of Severe Weather
As we move towards end of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season and colder weather comes to the region, H-GAC would like to remind residents to be vigilant and stay prepared. Many hurricane preparedness measures and strategies are useful in preparing for other types of severe weather, including severe storms, flooding events, unexpected power outages, and winter storms.

Visit the Hurricane Evacuation Planning page and TogetherAgainstTheWeather.com for maps, tool kits, strategies on preparing your home and family, including small children, special need individuals, and those with health conditions, for a hurricane or severe weather.
H-GAC is Hiring
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.
FOLLOW US