Early Voting is Happening Now
or
www.fortbendcountytx.gov for Fort Bend Houston hours and locations.
 
Starting Soon! Bayou Greenway Construction Connecting from Scott Street to Buffalo Speedway
 
The Houston Parks Board is pleased to announce construction will soon begin on a new segment of Sims Bayou Greenway segment, the longest yet. The segment will connect the existing Sims Bayou Greenway starting at Scott Street, directing west with trails through Margaret Jenkins Park, continuing under Highway 288, through the Houston Sports Park, to Buffalo Speedway. Notable features include:
 
  • Neighborhood connections at Fairland Drive, Brisbane Street, Kirby Drive, West Orem Drive and Buffalo Speedway
  • Trail connections into Margaret Jenkins Park, Houston Sports Park and Townwood Park
  • Improvements to Margaret Jenkins Park, including a landscaped connection into the park’s walking trail and signage
  • A new hike-and-bike pedestrian bridge connecting the Sugar Valley Neighborhood west of Margaret Jenkins Park with the park which will provide the neighborhood with safe pedestrian and bicycle access
  • Improvements to Townwood Park, including landscaped connections from the parking lot and the park’s walking trails to the Sims Bayou Greenway, seating, planting and signage
  • 10-foot wide concrete trail
  • Planting of native trees and meadows
  • Interpretive and directional signage
  • Trash cans and recycling containers
  • Implementation of our Conservation and Maintenance Program for the greenway, which includes weekly trash pickup, bi-weekly mowing of grass along the trail, upkeep of the trail and amenities, and any necessary flood cleanup
 
Sims Bayou Greenway is part of the citywide project, Bayou Greenway 2020, which the Houston Parks Board is leading in partnership with the City of Houston and Houston Parks and Recreation Department in close cooperation with Harris County Flood Control District. 
 
October Economic Development
Committee Meeting Info.
The Economic Development Committee, chaired by Vice Mayor Pro Tem Castex-Tatum, reviews matters related to Economic Development, Domestic and International Trade, Business and Job Creation, and Aviation.
 
The next Council Economic Development Committee meeting will commence Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. The agenda will include a presentation on TIRZ Annexation and Life Extension Proposals by Deputy Director Gwen Tillotson. The meeting will be a virtual meeting via Microsoft Teams Live.
 
The committee meeting will be streamed on HTV Live Stream or can be watched online via this link: on bit.ly/EDCOct212020 .
 
Public comment will be allowed via video conference only. To sign up for Public Comment, the public is asked to please complete the form bit.ly/EDCPublicCommentOct21 before 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 20, 2020. You must sign up in advance in order to provide public comments during the meeting. Public speakers will receive a specific link that will allow them to be able to speak at their designated time during the public comment portion of the meeting.
 
Department of Neighborhoods Matching Grant Program Application Deadline is Nov. 6, 2020
Do you have beautification and improvement ideas for your community? I encourage you to explore the Department of Neighborhoods Matching Grant Program and apply. The deadline for applications is November 6, 2020. For more information and the application, visit: https://www.houstontx.gov/neighborhoods/Matching-Grant-App-Packet-FY2021.pdf
 
Census Update 2020
The City of Houston’s response rate on the final day of the census was 58.7%.
 
This week’s highlights:
  • City of Houston’s response rate is 58.7%. Six districts (A, C, D, E, G, K) have response rates of 60% or greater.
  • All districts have response rates above 50% or higher.
  • District E has the census tract with the highest response rate in the city (89.8% in #340400).
  • Tract #432701 in Districts F and J has the lowest response rate of 25%, with 2,000 households still left to respond.
  • Seven Super Neighborhoods remain below 50%: Park Place and Pecan Park (49.8%), Greater Eastwood (49.8%), Magnolia Park (49.4%), Second Ward (49.2%), Sharpstown (47.1%), and Westwood (46.1%).
  • The City of Houston lags behind Harris County (62.7%), Texas (62.6%), and the nation (66.8%).
  • District E (MPT Dave Martin), K (VMPT Martha Castex Tatum), District C (Council Member Abbie Kamin), District A (Council Member Amy Peck), District G (Council Member Greg Travis), and District D (Council Member Carolyn Evans Shabazz) have outperformed the State.
 
Find your census track and see how your neighborhood is performing. To view an interactive version of this map visit: januaryadvisors.com/census-2020-houston-response-rates/. We will send out the final self-response rates once the Census Bureau publishes the information. Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out their census form.
Fireworks Stand near Fort Bend Houston
 
The fireworks stand being built at South Post Oak and McHard (2234) has been reported and investigated by HFD Chief Pena. Unfortunately the stand is located on the south side of McHard, which is outside the city limits.
 
I have consulted with Mayor Turner and our Government Relations Team and it seems prior to 2015, municipalities could post fire marshal personnel near these stands to prevent individuals from bringing fireworks into cities where they were against the law. In September 2015, the law changed and now allows possession and transport, even in municipalities where they cannot be set off.
 
I have attached a copy of SB 1593 here, and encourage residents to reach out to your state representatives to revisit this in the upcoming legislative session. You can also see TX Code Chpt. 2154; Rules 28 TAC 34.800 for more information. I will also be discussing the change with my state representative.