Dear residents,
In case you missed my news release yesterday, I provided an update on the slow progress being made on the Lake Houston Spillway Dam Improvement Project. Right after Harvey I began the task of transitioning Lake Houston from a water reservoir to a dual facility for drinking water with flood mitigation infrastructure. Equipping the Lake Houston Spillway Dam with flood gates allows a controlled release of water, during a flood event, reducing the risk of flooding to area homes and businesses.
An improvement project of this magnitude normally takes between five and twelve years, however determined to advance this project as quickly as possible I coordinated with federal, state, and local elected officials shrinking the timeline to between five and seven years. Entering the fifth-year post Harvey and still in the design process for the Lake Houston Spillway Dam Improvement Project (LHSDIP) is not where I believed where the City of Houston would be.
The age of the Lake Houston Spillway dam, built in 1953, is proving to be an obstacle for this project as it continues to move forward. Originally, six alternatives of the project were proposed. One by one those alternatives were evaluated to see which proposed design would get the highest Benefits Cost Ratio (BCR). The cost variations between all of the alternatives are outside of the existing federally funded amount, $48 million.
Currently, the final design of LHSDIP is paused to complete a study on alternative 1A looking at constructing five new tainter-gates on the existing embankment located on the east side of the dam. The BCR analysis for the embankment alternative will be completed by end of September 2022. I am continuing to do my due diligence taking multiple avenues working to find additional funding for the project and reaching a favorable BCR with both federal and state partners. Including the exploration of additional funding through the upcoming Texas Legislative Session with outgoing State Representative Dan Huberty and incoming State Representative Charles Cunningham. It is easy to be discouraged with the perceived lack of progress on this project, however, obstacles have only fortified my resolve to see this project through and defining a clear path forward. More information will be forthcoming in a fall public meeting.I am optimistic by October the LHSDIP will have an attractive BCR for the 1A design.
The City of Houston is committed to continuing to utilize the existing Lake Houston pre-release strategy which has occurred each time there has been a forecasted rain event of 3 inches or more within the San Jacinto Watershed, since Hurricane Harvey, which has worked extremely well. This strategy has been used more than twenty times in the past four years. Many thanks to Congressman Dan Crenshaw, Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Commissioner Tom Ramsey, State Representative Dan Huberty, State Representative-Elect Charles Cunningham, TDEM-Chief Nim Kidd, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Chief Recovery Officer Stephen Costello, and Harris County Flood Control District. All parties are committed to constructing these additional gates to ensure protection against future flood events.
Sincerely,
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Mayor Pro Dave Martin
900 Bagby, First Floor
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (832) 393-3008
The District E Team
Jessica Beemer
Chief of Staff
Dustin Hodges
North Sector Manager
Mark Mitchell
South Sector Manager
Michael McKnight
Executive Assistant
(starting August 22nd)
City Resources
Kingwood Community Center
(281) 348-2570
Community Resources
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Unusually High Water Bill?
Here's What You Need to Know
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Mayor Pro Tem Martin would like District E residents to know the District E Office continues to investigate high water bills. It is important to understand all water bill issues are handled on a case-by-case basis as no two addresses are the same and water usage changes month to month, which is why it is crucial to report these issues to Houston 3-1-1 by calling (713) 837-0311. The District E Office is however sharing the data received from residents directly with Houston Public Works and the Administration so the problem is looked at wholistically.
If you believe your water bill is incorrect it is important to contact Houston 3-1-1 (713-837-0311) first. After residents have called Houston 3-1-1 a unique service request number is generated, which triggers an investigation. Once you receive your service request number after calling Houston 3-1-1, please send your service request number along with your most recent water bill to our office at [email protected] for the District E office to monitor. Please keep in mind a Houston 3-1-1 report needs to be submitted each time an issue occurs.
The City of Houston has established a “Consumption Awareness Program” for residents to use which alerts homeowners as soon as usage at your address increases. To register for that program, sign up here. You can also estimate your upcoming bills by using this calculator.
It is important for residents to use Houston 3-1-1, as this is the only way for the City of Houston to know a problem exists. Additionally, the District E office compiles information and can identify a trend, based on 3-1-1 reports. Based on historical information most cases investigated show increased usage by customers.
When leaks are investigated and discovered to be on the private side of the meter a one-time leak adjustment can be submitted. If you do find a leak and would like to submit a one-time leak adjustment you may use this form (once a year). Please continue to pay your bill until your form is approved/denied.
If you do experience unexplained usage over 200% of the average usage you may submit an “unusually large bill application” (once a year). It is important in this instance as well, to continue to pay your bill until your form is approved/denied.
Keep in mind, leaks may not always present as gushing water, sometimes it is an area of your yard that appears greener than the rest, or a running toilet in a part of your home you don’t use often. I encourage you to please visit the City of Houston Water website for tips on how to find a leaking toilet, how to test for a leaking toilet, and tips on in-home conservation.
For more information, please contact Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin's Office by calling (832) 393-3008 or by emailing [email protected].
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Cornyn, Cruz, Weber Bill to Ensure
Coastal Barrier Protection for Texas Gulf
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U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), and U.S. Representative Randy Weber (TX-14) released the following statements after introducing the Texas Coastal Spine Authorization Act which authorizes the construction of the coastal barrier protection system known as the Coastal Spine:
“Protecting the Texas Gulf Coast isn’t just an important local priority – it’s a national imperative,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Our coastal communities are home to millions of Texans and pivotal industries that fuel our country and economy. This bill will ensure our coastline has the necessary infrastructure to help protect against future storms and I will continue fighting for this project.”
“In Texas, we know how destructive storms and natural disasters can be. A coastal barrier protection system will reduce the impact of hurricanes and tropical storms, and help keep Texas communities safer,” said Sen. Cruz. “It’s not only an important safety measure, but it will save money in the long term by softening the destructive power of storms along the Gulf Coast. This is a win-win, not just for Texans, but for taxpayers nationwide.”
“The coastal barrier is a matter of national security. The Texas Gulf Coast is home to millions of people, countless homes and jobs, and numerous refineries. The Texas Coastal Spine Authorization Act will strengthen the resiliency of the Gulf Coast,” said Rep. Weber. “It’s imperative that we complete this critical barrier protection as soon as possible, since it’s a question of when—not if—another big storm barrels up the upper Texas Gulf Coast.”
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Kingwood Burglaries and Vandalism |
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Over the last weekend in July, twenty-four businesses were broken in to and or vandalized. This type of criminal activity is highly unusual for the Kingwood Community. Only two of the businesses impacted by this terrible act had alarms and only one of those businesses had a permitted alarm. This illegal activity has disrupted our quiet community and since these break-ins, Houston Police Department's Kingwood Division has met one on one with each business to devise a tailored safety and criminal activity determent plan.
At the end of June, I set aside funds to purchase FLOCK Cameras which over the next few months will be installed in both the Kingwood and Clear Lake Communities as a way to catch criminals as they attempt to flee from any crime scene. The cameras catch images of all vehicles entering and exiting a community allowing specific cars to be identified that may be connected to crimes, alerting local law enforcement of a criminals whereabouts. To learn more about these cameras please see the presentation provided to the City of Houston Public Safety Committee here.
These cameras are available for purchase by the public and can work with the cameras being purchased by the District E Office. If you are an HOA representative and would like more information regarding the purchase of these cameras for your specific community please reach out to the District E Office. Furthermore, a request for additional patrol officers has been made and a meeting between Mayor Pro Tem Martin and the City of Houston Police Chief has been set.
Kingwood is a safe and close-knit community, our Houston Police Officers host and attend community meetings on a regular basis open to the public and the District E Office encourages your attendance. Those meetings are:
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Kingwood Public Safety meeting, coordinated by the Kingwood Service Association, held on the second Wednesday of the month located in the South Woodland Hills Community Room (2030 Shadow Rock). Call KSA (281-358-5192) to verify if the meeting is in-person or virtual due to COVID concerns.
- Next meeting date, Tuesday, August 10
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Kingwood Positive Interaction Program (PIP) meeting, coordinated by the Houston Police Department, held at 7:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at the Kingwood Church of Christ (2901 Woodland Hills). These meetings are currently being held in person.
- Next meeting date, Tuesday, August 16, 2022
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City of Houston Burglar Alarm Permit Information |
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As Labor Day weekend approaches, it’s important to “Know Your Zone” when you’re on Lake Houston. The Lake Houston Safety Plan provides Lake Houston residents and those visiting with information preparing them to better identify their location on the lake and how to best report a lake incident to 9-1-1 dispatchers.
The "Know Your Zone" map was created by District E in collaboration with the Houston Fire Department, Houston Police Department, Houston Planning Department, Houston Office of Emergency Management, Houston Emergency Center, and the Houston Public Works Department.
To date, signs have been installed at Deussen Park, East End Park, River Grove Park, Kings Harbor, W Lake Houston Parkway Bridge, and on the FM 1960 Bridge. Houston Public Works has been hampered by the weather but is still working to install signs that have been requested by community groups and private community boat dock owners.
To learn more about the Lake Houston Safety Plan visit www.houstontx.gov/knowyourzones. There you can print your own maps, share with neighbors, post on social media, and #knowyourzone.
Should you like to request a presentation for your group (HOA, Civic Club etc.) or receive resources directly, please email the District E Office at [email protected].
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HPD Clear Lake PIP Meeting |
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District E staff attended the HPD Clear Lake Positive Interaction Program (PIP) meeting where Guest Speaker Sergeant Ray Perez with Harris County Constable Precinct 2, spoke to the community about the Harris County Constable Precinct 2's Homeless Outreach Team. For more information about the County Constable’s program, you can visit Constable Jerry Garcia’s web page.
Clear Lake PIP Meetings occur regularly on the Third Tuesday of the month. The next PIP Meeting will be held on August 16, 2022 at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital (1800 Astoria).
If you would like more information about participating in the HPD Clear Lake PIP meetings, please reach out to Office Richard Buitron at [email protected]
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The Village Centers Funding |
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Mayor Pro Tem Martin is happy to announce that City Council unanimously approved an additional $200,000 grant for the Village Centers at the July 27th Council Meeting. The Village Centers will utilize the funding to provide vocational training and supportive employment services to low-to-moderate income residents with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities.
"As the District E Council Member, I am excited to see The Village Centers receive this funding. Supporting our nonprofit communities, especially those that support creating inclusive opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is crucial to the strengthening of our community as a whole."
The Village Centers strives to create the support and services needed to affect positive change in the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and our local community, so that these individuals may reach their maximum potential and level of independence.
For more information, please contact the District E office at (832) 393-3008 or via email at [email protected]. |
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City of Houston Enters
Stage One of the Drought Contingency Plan
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The City of Houston entered Stage One of the City's Drought Contingency Plan, effective Tuesday, June 21, 2022. The Drought Contingency Plan calls for Stage One water conservation measures when there is an observed drop in annual rainfall amounts and higher-than-normal daily temperatures.
During the past month, the City of Houston has had record-setting high temperatures above 90 degrees and a significant decrease in rainfall. As a result, most of Houston’s service area is experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions. These conditions call for the implementation of Stage One water conservation measures.
Stage One drought response calls for the following voluntary water conservation efforts:
- Limit outdoor watering to twice a week between the hours of 7:00 PM and 5:00 AM with the following schedule:
- Sundays & Thursdays for single-family residential customers with even-numbered street addresses
- Saturdays and Wednesdays for single-family residential customers with odd-numbered street addresses
- Tuesdays and Fridays for all other customers
Water customers are also reminded to continue everyday efforts to prevent the loss of water:
- Check & repair water leaks, including dripping faucets & running toilets
- Check sprinkler heads to make sure water is not spraying into the street or directly into a storm drain and/or gutters
These voluntary efforts will help Houston reduce water use by 5%. The public will be notified when Stage One water conservation measures have been lifted.
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Houston Fire Department Chief Officers Association Proclamation |
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Mayor Pro Tem Martin, Mayor Turner, and Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña had the privilege of presenting a proclamation to Deputy Chief Bryan Sky-Eagle with the Houston Fire Department Chief Officers Association (HFDCOA) on Tuesday, August 2nd. The Houston Fire Department has over 950 officer-level employees who are managing the morale of the largest fire department in Texas with over 4,000 department personnel.
The Houston Fire Department Chief Officers Association was established in 2018 as a part of the Chief Officers Association’s local efforts to protect and advance the rights of chiefs and officers by promoting public safety, providing leadership, direction, and counsel, and advocating for improved working conditions and relationships with city leaders. They have improved communications among the members of the Houston Fire Department, and improved engagement with the community through media campaigns to educate the public on fire safety issues, emergency medical concerns, and disaster preparations.
Mayor Pro Tem Martin commends the HFDCOA for its commitment to enhancing the quality of life of all chiefs and officers of the Houston Fire Department and all Houstonians. In honor of their 4th anniversary, July 22nd was proclaimed as Houston Fire Department Chief Officers Association Day.
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Harris County Flood Control District Projects Status Updates |
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Forest Cove Townhomes:
HCFCD demolished the final set of townhomes of the Forest Cove Townhome complex on Tuesday, August 2nd. The townhome buildings were demolished once every unit for a given building was bought out.
Purchasing and demolishing properties located deep in the floodplain is one tool in Flood Control’s flood risk reduction toolbox. Because of their location, flood risk for these properties cannot be adequately reduced through structural flood risk reduction projects. The Flood Control District’s Buyout Program eliminates future flood damage and reduces health and safety risks for owners and first responders during heavy rain events, while also providing public open space.
Woodridge Property Excavation & Removal:
In March 2021, the Harris County Flood Control District and the City of Houston worked together to acquire a 267.35-acre property located in Montgomery County near Kingwood Park High School. The Flood Control District will utilize the property for stormwater detention to help reduce flooding risks in the Kingwood area.
The Flood Control District and the City of Houston jointly purchased the property for approximately $14 million dollars. The Flood Control District contributed approximately $10.2 million dollars from the 2018 Bond Program (Bond ID Z-02) and will own and use 194.35 of the acreage. The City of Houston contributed approximately $3.8 million dollars for the use and ownership of 73 acres of the property. The City of Houston’s property will be used to improve its wastewater services by building a new regional wastewater treatment facility.
In November 2021, the Flood Control District will begin an Excavation and Removal (E&R) project on its portion of the Woodridge property near Woodland Hills and Northpark Drive. E&R agreements provide an opportunity for making progress in advance of future basin construction. These agreements essentially provide a head start in the excavation process before the detention basin is designed and constructed. In these agreements, an excavation company agrees to remove soil from a basin site during an agreed upon time period for minimal compensation. This is a cost-effective way for the material to be removed and it also provides significant savings by minimizing trucking and disposal fees.
More than 51,000 cubic yards of material has been excavated by the contractor at the former Woodridge site so far.
For more information about these Flood Control projects or others please visit their website at www.hcfcd.org.
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Partnership Lake Houston Luncheon |
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District E staff attended a Partnership Lake Houston luncheon where the 2022 Top 4 Under 40 recipients were presented with proclamations from the City of Houston.
Congratulations to Talybra Hollins, Cameron Hayes, Taylor Andrews, and Larkin Le Sueur; these are a great group of Lake Houston’s up-and-coming leaders in our community.
To be considered by Partnership Lake Houston for this prestigious award nominations from peers and coworkers of the Lake Houston Area community's best and brightest executives, volunteers, business owners and advocates to be considered. These nominees are recognized as having an outstanding impact each as young professional within our community.
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Large Vehicle Parking Violations |
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Harris County Housing Authority
"View at Lake Houston" Project Rejected
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During the Harris County Commissioner’s Court meeting on Tuesday, August 2nd, Harris County Community Services Director Adrienne Holloway provided an update on the proposed View at Lake Houston Development. She announced that Harris County Housing Authority would no longer be pursuing the View at Lake Houston project due to not being able to utilize Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds towards the project.
Residents in the area were adamantly opposed to this project due to the potentially negative impacts the development would cause. Mayor Pro Tem Martin is pleased to see this project will not be pursued and is hopeful the land can be used for flood mitigation efforts. https://harriscountytx.new.swagit.com/videos/178190?ts=11963
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Preparing Your Home and Property for Heavy Rain |
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There are actions you can take to keep the threat of rising water to a minimum and reduce ongoing storm drain maintenance costs.
- Keep ditches clear of debris. Mow weeds and tall grass, and don’t block culverts.
- Remove or secure large objects that are on the property that may end up in the ditch during a storm.
- Keep curbs and gutters clear of debris that may prevent water from flowing into inlet drains.
- Keep inlet drains clear of debris. Storm drains are not trash receptacles
- Call the 3-1-1 (713-837-0311) to make a request to clean the drainage system.
- Never put grass clippings in a storm drain. This will clog the system and cause rainwater to back up into streets and yards. Any person caught dumping into the storm sewer system can receive a fine of up to $2,000. Report violators to the 3-1-1.
- Keep trash cans at least two to three feet behind the curb on pick-up days.
Property owners are responsible for cleaning ditches abutting their property. This includes weed removal, mowing, and trash/rubbish removal. However, if there is a drainage problem the property owner should contact 3-1-1 and request an investigation by the Public Works Street and Drainage Division.
Residents can help be our eyes and ears on the streets. Alert Houston Public Works via 3-1-1 or 713-837-0311 of potential problems that could cause flooding or high water in your community. Once you've reported a problem please follow up with our office by emailing your case number and information on the issue to our office at [email protected] so that we can help make sure the problem is addressed in a timely manner.
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District E Electronic Recycling Events |
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District E Upcoming Monthly Events
Please refer to Council Martin's District E website for location, time and more event details for City of Houston Events. Email the District E office ([email protected]) if you would like us to include your upcoming event in future newsletters!
August 02 – Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee
August 10 – KSA Public Safety Committee Meeting
August 10 – Gulf Coast Protection District
August 11 – HPD Northeast Division PIP
August 11 – TIRZ 10/Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority Board Meeting
August 15 – HPD Eastside Division PIP
August 16 – HPD Clear Lake Division PIP
August 16 – Partnership Lake Houston Ribbon Cutting for ProLift Garage Doors
August 16 – Kingwood Positive Interaction Program
August 17 – Kingwood Super Neighborhood Council
August 29 – NASA Artemis I Launch
August 30 – Partnership Lake Houston Focus on Federal Government
August 30 – Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee
August 31 – Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce General Membership
August 31 – Collins Aerospace Building at Houston Space Port Ribbon Cutting
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See a pothole, report it by calling (713) 837-0311 or use a Smartphone App.
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Get the latest on COVID-19 including locations of active testing sites can be found here.
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Tune in to HTV Houston to watch live and recorded City Council and Committee Meetings.
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