Earlier this year, Houston Urban Forestry identified trees for removal, based upon declining health and danger, along the major thoroughfares in Kingwood. The Dangerous Tree Removal Program has started and will continue in phases along W Lake Houston Parkway, Kingwood Drive, and Northpark Drive. The cost of this project is $50,678 and funds are provided through Mayor Pro Tem Martin's Council District Service Funds.

 

Tree removal began Monday, November 2, and will be completed before the start of the 2021 Hurricane Season. The trees being marked for removal are dead, extremely unhealthy, and/or the most dangerous. Tree removal has been completed on W Lake Houston Parkway and crews have now moved onto Northpark Drive. Work order(s) will then be generated by block then issued to the City's contractor, Prime Trees, to schedule 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 will require 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.

With Phase II of the Exploration Green project complete, I wanted to provide the community with an update on the timetable of completion for the remaining phases of Exploration Green.

Phase 3A is almost complete, just a few clean-up items remain along with the grass seeding. Tree planting for 3A will be this winter sometime in January or March of 2021, weather permitting. The wetlands are scheduled to be planted around April of 2021. Phase 3B is in the permitting stage and construction will likely start in early 2021 with an estimated completion time of 6 to 9 months.

Phase 4 is already underway and is scheduled for completion by mid-2021. Tree planting for Phase 4 is planned for Fall of 2021. Phase 5 construction will begin as soon as Phase 4 is completed. Phase 5 is expected to be completed by late 2021 or early 2022, with tree planting in the winter/fall season and the wetland placement in the spring/summer season. The main parking lot, located on Diana St, is scheduled to be replaced in early 2021, with the addition of trees and shrubs around the parking lot and athletic fields that fall. In short, Phase 1 through Phase 5 are expected to be complete by late 2021 or early 2022.

The last piece of the Master Plan is the Entry Plaza. The construction of the Entry Plaza is not expected to begin until early to mid-2022. It is expected to take 6 to 9 months to complete. For more information on Exploration Green please visit their website.

Some traffic delays are expected due to one lane closures and increased traffic of trucks and heavy equipment. Flag men and traffic cones will be present to help with the flow of vehicles. Crew work hours are Monday - Saturday 7 am to 7 pm.

For more information please click here or contact the District E Office by calling 832-393-3008 or emailing Districte@houstontx.gov.

Houston Urban Forestry completed the Kudzu Vine Removal Pilot Program on October 31st. The cost of this project was $34,500 and funds were provided through Mayor Pro Tem Martin's Council District Service Funds. 

 

The purpose of the Kudzu Vine Removal Pilot Program was to assess the removal of vines using a test location along Northpark Drive from Woodland Hills to W Lake Houston Pkwy. Crews utilized a mechanical pulling and cutting method for removal of the vine which was successful in meeting expectations.

 

The Kudzu Vine (Pueraria Montana) is considered an invasive species in the South especially damaging towards trees. With the pilot program being successful and cost effective, additional locations in the Kingwood area will be evaluated and identified for future projects as funding becomes available.

A reminder that the Army Corp of Engineers Coastal Texas Study Public Comment Period will close on December 14, 2020. If you have not, and would like to submit a comment or question to the ACOE about the Coastal Texas Project Draft please visit https://coastalstudy.texas.gov/ for more information. Written comments can be mailed to:

USACE, Galveston District

Attention:  Mr. Jeff Pinsky

Environmental Compliance Branch Regional

Planning and Environmental Center

Post Office Box 1229

Galveston, Texas 77553-1229

City Council recently approved a $624,960 program to provide internet vouchers to low-income Houstonians. Mayor Sylvester Turner's Health Equity Response (H.E.R.) Task Force has partnered with Comcast to provide approximately 5,000 vouchers to qualifying applicants from now until December 20, 2020.  This agreement will ensure qualifying applicants can continue to stay connected to the internet for education, work, and personal health reasons for one calendar year.

 

To qualify for the Internet Voucher Program, applicants must reside in the City of Houston and have a Comcast serviceable address. Applicants must also meet two additional sets of criteria. First, they must demonstrate that their total household income prior to February 2020 was lower than 80 percent of the Area Median Income. Second, they must be a member of one of the following groups: persons over age 65, persons with disabilities, households with children less than five years of age, or opportunity youth, defined as persons ages 16-24 who are not currently enrolled in school or participating in the workforce.

 

This program is a complement to the City's Computer Access Program. Digital connectivity has become critical during the pandemic, but devices alone are less effective if people cannot use them to access the internet. While there are similar internet access programs for families with school-age children, the H.E.R. Task Force realized there were critical groups that were being overlooked.

 

The vouchers will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Vouchers must be redeemed by December 20, 2020. Because these groups may not have access to digital ads or articles, the H.E.R. Task Force is encouraging Houstonians to refer the program to loved ones or friends who might need assistance.

For more information or to apply, visit https://houston.comcast.com/2020/11/30/cohiepp/

The Houston Health Department is launching a new effort to support mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Let's Beat COVID-19: Health Education, and Support Services includes a mental health helpline and other resources to help people adjust mentally and emotionally.

The helpline launched October 1 and is open 7 days per week from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. through December 24. People may call 713-999-9442 to reach a trained mental health professional who will provide appropriate intervention and follow-up.

In addition to the helpline, the program will also offer virtual support groups, toolkits, trainings, and other resources to support people's mental and emotional needs.

The program, supported by $340,326 of CARES Act funding, will focus on high positivity zip codes, parents dealing with virtual learning stressors, and city staff working on the frontlines of COVID-19.