Houston-Galveston Area Council Newsletter October 2021 |
|
September Board of Directors Meeting |
|
At its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 21, the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) Board of Directors approved several items of regional significance.
The board authorized funding agreements to continue several important H-GAC programs, including the Gulf Coast Regional Tow and Go Program, aerial imagery and remote sensing data products, public safety programs, and economic recovery loans from the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the board authorized a partnership with Greater Southeast Management District to conduct a new Livable Centers study in neighborhoods along the Old Spanish Trail/Palm Center corridor, and it unanimously approved the Title VI Program, which details the agency's measures to prohibit discrimination and promote equitable environmental justice in all its transportation planning programs.
The board put its support behind the next big step in H-GAC's Regional Broadband Initiative. It authorized H-GAC to move forward with conducting a regional market analysis and feasibility study for expanding high-speed internet access across the region. The results of the study will provide crucial data-based support to the Regional Broadband Action Plan currently in development and aid in identifying and securing funding and partnership opportunities. For more information about the Regional Broadband Initiative, visit h-gac.com/broadband.
The board approved an agreement between Workforce Solutions and the Houston Housing Authority to assist at least 284 residents at Oxford Place Apartments in finding and retaining employment, improving job skills and education, and acquiring work-related financial aid through the Jobs Plus program. It also backed an upcoming project with Port Houston to replace the engines of two tugboats that operate within the Houston Ship Channel with cleaner, more energy-efficient engines. The replacement engines will significantly reduce ozone-forming emissions from these vessels and will help to improve air quality. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted preliminary approval of the project, and the board has found it to be consistent with the goals of the Unified Planning Work Program and H-GAC's goals to improve regional air quality.
Additionally, the board listened to presentations from two special guest groups. Texas Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher provided an update regarding the proposed infrastructure bills being discussed in U.S. Congress, and representatives from the Texas Attorney General's Office discussed how a recent global opioid settlement would impact Texas communities. Towards the end of the meeting, the board approved new appointments to the Aging and Disability Advisory Committee, Area Emission Reduction Credit Organization, Houston-Galveston Area Local Development Corporation, Natural Resources Advisory Committee, Regional Air Quality and Planning Advisory Committee, Regional Flood Management Committee, Regional Homeland Security Coordinating Council, and Solid Waste Management Committee. And it received an update from the Special Committee on H-GAC Board Composition by committee chairman Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia.
|
|
Next Board Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 19
The next board meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 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.
|
|
H-GAC Program Spotlight: Improving Public Safety Radio Communications in the Region |
|
At its September meeting, the H-GAC Board of Directors received an update about the ongoing work by public safety planners to improve public safety radio communications in the region. |
|
A key basis of H-GAC's efforts is Project 25 (P25) technology. P25 is a type of digital radio communications technology used by government and public safety organizations throughout North America. The main advantage of P25 is that it is interoperable, which means P25 devices (e.g., portable radios, repeaters, network equipment) can connect and communicate with each other regardless of where they were acquired from.
H-GAC's Regional Interoperable Communications Plan, which was first drafted in 2010, aims to migrate the region's legacy radio communications infrastructure to P25 technology so that the region's public safety agencies - whether they are local law enforcement offices, emergency management offices, state/federal bureau offices, etc. - can communicate with each other securely and without any compatibility issues. Additionally, the plan works to provide a snapshot of the region's overall public safety and radio infrastructure, identify gaps, and recommend future investments.
|
|
Justin Riley, CEM
Title: Senior Planner, Public Services
Contact Phone: 832-681-2548
|
|
The plan is in its fourth iteration and has made significant progress in helping to allocate resources to public safety offices across the region to migrate radio systems to P25 technology as well as improve communication infrastructure to fill in coverage gaps. Twenty-eight sites in the region have been identified for future investments, and H-GAC recently received a grant to build a radio tower in Austin County to address coverage gaps in Austin, Colorado, and Wharton counties.
For more information regarding the Regional Interoperable Communications Plan and other H-GAC public safety programs, visit the H-GAC homepage and click on the "Public Safety" tab.
|
|
H-GAC Will Celebrate 55 Years with a Special Symposium on Friday,
Oct. 15 at The Briar Club
|
|
H-GAC will celebrate its 55th anniversary with a special symposium beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 15 at The Briar Club (2603 Timmons Lane). At the event, H-GAC leaders and partners will pay tribute to H-GAC’s accomplishments, discuss the strengths of regional cooperation, and share their vision of where the Houston-Galveston region is headed. It will include a networking breakfast, two panel discussions, lunch, and an afternoon keynote presentation featuring Renu Khator, chancellor of the University of Houston System and president of the University of Houston.
|
|
National Association of Regional Councils Holds Annual Executive Directors Conference in H-GAC Region |
|
H-GAC was the proud host of the National Association of Regional Councils' annual Executive Directors Conference and Board Retreat Sept. 26-29. Leaders and elected officials representing councils of government and metropolitan planning organizations across the country met in Galveston, Texas, and discussed important topics such as housing affordability, economic resilience, energy, diversity, climate change, infrastructure, technology, and innovation.
|
|
Nancy Arnold, H-GAC Board Member and Waller City Councilmember, Elected Vice President of Texas Association of Regional Councils |
|
Nancy Arnold, Waller city councilmember, has been elected to serve as vice president of the Texas Association of Regional Councils (TARC). Arnold was sworn into office on Sept. 10 at the association's annual meeting held in Austin, Texas. Arnold has been a member of the TARC Board of Directors since 2019, where she represented the 13-county region of H-GAC and has represented General Law Cities on the H-GAC Board of Directors since 2014 and served as chair from 2019-20.
|
|
Get Ready for the 10th Annual Hiring Red, White & You! Job Fair |
|
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.
|
|
Rural and Small Town Downtown Revitalization Summit |
|
Participants will consider recent urban-to-rural migration and opportunities for rural places to maximize their open spaces and outdoor recreation amenities. Strategies to explore include eco-tourism, trail-oriented development, and large-scale conservation.
Program Notes:
- Dr. Charles Gilliland, research economist at the Texas Real Estate Research Center, will discuss the recent uptick in small property rural land sales and urban-to-rural migration trends in Texas.
- Shelly Plante, nature tourism coordinator at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, will suggest how rural and small towns in Texas can cultivate their nature tourism offerings.
- Liz Thorstensen, vice president of trail development at the Rails to Trails Conservancy, will share how rural towns have built and leveraged trails to bring people downtown.
We will also highlight case studies from around the region.
|
|
Connect with HGACBuy Members at Virtual Partnership Panel Series |
|
The HGACBuy Cooperative Purchasing Program is hosting a free virtual panel series, where attendees can learn more about partnerships, hear the latest developments in cooperative purchasing, and get face to face time with experts in the field.
Event dates and times are as follows:
HGACBuy and Mid-America Regional Council Solving the Mystery of Cooperative Purchasing
11 a.m. | Wednesday, Oct. 13
HGACBuy and the Municipal Association of South Carolina Solving the Mystery of Cooperative Purchasing
10 a.m. | Thursday, Oct. 14
|
|
H-GAC Releases 2020 State of Safety Annual Report |
|
|
|
The H-GAC 2020 State of Safety annual report is now available online. The report provides an overview of travel demands, vehicle speeds, and traffic crash incidents in the eight-county Houston-Galveston metropolitan planning area as well as insights of contributing factors to those data points. The full report can be viewed online here.
H-GAC would like to remind drivers to practice safe habits and use caution when traversing our roads. 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.
|
|
Application Deadline for Solid Waste Grants Approaching |
|
H-GAC's application period for solid waste grants is nearing its deadline. H-GAC receives a portion of the money collected as tipping fees at landfills across the state as pass-through funding from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to fund solid waste grant projects throughout the 13-county region. As part of this program, H-GAC will award $1 million in solid waste program grant funds to eligible projects through a competitive process.
The grant application period officially closes at noon, Friday, Oct. 15. For more information about the grant program or to be added to an email list to receive future solid waste grant notifications, contact Erin Livingston.
|
|
2021 Transportation Brown Bag Series Concludes with Insightful Presentation by Streetlight Data on Reducing Inequities Using Comprehensive Data |
|
H-GAC marked the final Transportation Brown Bag of the year with an engaging presentation by Streetlight Data on Sept. 20. Inequities in transportation investments have led to low-income, minority, and rural communities often being under-researched and overlooked when it comes to understanding their transportation needs. This, in turn, leads to further under-investment, creating a viscous cycle.
Matt Barkley, director of Streetlight Data Central Region, provided insights into how location based data from smartphones and navigation devices could paint a more comprehensive picture of the transportation habits and needs of communities that are typically overlooked and underserved. He shared case studies of how this data was used to encourage investments in infrastructure supporting alternative modes of transportation, such as biking and public transit, as well as safety improvements to reduce crashes and fatalities in these communities.
Towards the end of the presentation, Jim Hubbell, AICP, solutions engineering manager at Streetlight Data, provided demos of the organization's different data tools and platforms and answered questions from the audience.
Though the 2021 Brown Bag series has concluded, there are many other ways to get involved with H-GAC transportation programs and initiatives. To learn more about how you can get involved, visit h-gac.com/transportation-public-outreach.
|
|
We Have Passed the Halfway Point of Hurricane Season. Now Is the Time to Make Sure You're Prepared |
|
Sept. 10 marked the halfway point of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. Many of our coastal communities are still recovering from the impacts of recent named storms. It's important for everyone to be prepared during this most active period of the season.
Visit TogetherAgainstTheWeather.com for tool kits and strategies on preparing your home and family for a hurricane or severe storm. The page also contains helpful materials for those caring for small children, special need individuals, and those with health conditions.
|
|
Two Communities in H-GAC Region Earn Scenic City Certification |
|
Scenic Texas announced that two cities in the H-GAC region are among 22 Texas cities that have been recognized as 2021 Certified Scenic City award recipients through the Scenic City Certification Program, a program of the statewide nonprofit and its 17 partner organizations, including H-GAC.
The Scenic City Certification Program recognizes cities for their demonstrated commitment to high-quality scenic standards for public roadways and spaces.
The City of El Campo was recertified at Gold status, and the City of Pearland upgraded its status to Platinum. A total of 85 cities across Texas have earned Scenic City Certification.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
