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Vice Mayor Pro Tem Castex-Tatum Leads Houston Trade Delegation to Paris, France!
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Energy transition, renewables, and electricity were topics of discussion when the City of Houston and Greater Houston Partnership delegation visited TotalEnergies headquarters in Paris, France.
TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity.
It has more than 100,000 employees worldwide, including in Houston, who are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people. “I am grateful to TotalEnergies for hosting the delegation and being the trade mission sponsor,” said Mayor Turner. “While I am not in France, the company shares our goals on climate. As the Energy Capital of the World, Houston is also focused on energy transition. We look forward to building opportunities and expanding possibilities with TotalEnergies.”
“We are excited to visit a leading company in the energy industry and learn more about what TotalEnergies is doing in terms of oil and gas and the energy transition. Our City’s greatness is built upon the diversity, work ethic, and innovative spirit of those who call our city home, including the companies that call Houston home. I believe this day will lead to new collaboration strategies to help improve the lives of our communities and those around the world,” said Vice Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex Tatum, who is leading the delegation for the City.
The Houston – France Trade and Investment Mission is focused on promoting Houston as a city of innovation, energy transition, space, education and strengthening Houston’s cultural and tourism ties with France.
Since 2020, TotalEnergies has been pursuing its deployment in large metropolitan areas around the world. The Company has a large portfolio of charge points in operation or under construction. All of these developments are in line with TotalEnergies’ ambition to operate more than 150,000 EV charge points in Europe by 2025.
#ViceMayorProTem
#MarthaCastexTatum
#HoustonProud
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Vice Mayor Pro Tem to Host 2nd Deed Restrictions Round Table Discussion in July
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Join us for the second Deed Restrictions Round Table Discussion with the Vice Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum, the Law Firm of Rice & Rice, and Marshall Management to address any concerns or issues that Homeowner Associations and Civic Clubs may be experiencing. Topics, among many, will include deed restriction enforcement, how to run a board meeting, board election issues and collecting assessment fees. Below is the date and location for the second round table:
When: Saturday, July 23rd, 9am to 11:30am
Where: HPD Southwest Command Station Conference Room
Mark your calendar and come out for valuable information and enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast with us!
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View Proposed Redistricting Plan &
Give Feedback at 3 Public Hearings
City Council will hold three public hearings in the City Council Chamber, City Hall, 2 nd Floor, 901 Bagby, to receive comments, suggestions, and alternate plans from the public regarding the Proposed City Council Redistricting Plan, in accordance with the City Charter, Article V, Sec. 3:
Hearings will be held:
Wednesday, July 13, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, July 13, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.
All persons desiring to be heard at any of the public hearings must reserve a specific amount of time (up to 3 minutes) by contacting the City Secretary’s Office at 832-393-1100. Details for signing up to speak in-person or virtually are posted at https://www.houstontx.gov/council/meetingsinfo.html. Reservations for each hearing will be received up to 3 p.m. the day before each hearing is scheduled to begin.
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Public Hearing on Multi-use Detention Pilot Parks, Including Cambridge Village Park, Held July 13, 2022
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City Council held a public hearing on the implementation of multi-use detention in five Pilot Park Projects that includes Boone Park, Cambridge Village Park, Edgewood Park, EP Hill Park, and Hackberry Park. The public was invited to provide comment on the proposed project. View the video of the public hearing here: Public Hearing: Multi-Use Detention in 5 Pilot Park Projects
Houston Public Works collaborated with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department to create multi-use detention in parks in flood prone areas that require mitigation in combination with storm system improvements. The use of the parks as multi-use detention sites will allow for flood resiliency in neighborhoods, enhance green spaces in the parks, and maintain the quality of life benefits in the neighborhoods.
Cambridge Village Park projected amenities include a walking trail, soccer field, lighting, exercise stations, and shade structures, and replaced turf and trees with new shade trees added.
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Notice: Application for Cellular Tower Near Angel Lane Community
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The Planning and Development Department received an application for the construction of a 165 foot tall cellular tower near the Angel Lane community at 12728 2/3 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX 77045. The City’s Tower Ordinance, Code of Ordinance 41-60, requires written notification to be sent to property owners within the area.
Property owners who feel the proposed construction of this tower might violate any applicable restriction, rule, regulation, or ordinance may submit a written request for a hearing before the Tower Commission. Property owners must provide documents, instruments, or other materials that support the request, and do so before 2:00 PM, Friday, August 8, 2022.
Additional information may be obtained by writing or calling Geoff Butler, Planning and Development Department, at 832-393-6528 or Geoff.Butler@houstontx.gov.
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H-GAC Seeks Public Input on Method of Distribution for CDBG Mitigation Funds
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Public Comment Period Open for CDBG Regional Mitigation Funds Method of Distribution
Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is seeking input on a conditionally approved preliminary Method of Distribution (MOD) for $488,762,000 in U.S. Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Mitigation funds to provide funds to counties and local jurisdictions for risk mitigation projects related to flooding, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.
The public comment period is open until 5 p.m. Thursday, July 28, 2022. Anyone wishing to make public comment may leave a voicemail message or may submit written comments by e-mail, postal mail, or hand-delivery. Details about the public comment period are available at www.h-gac.com/go/cdbg.
H-GAC staff will also take oral and written public comments during a public hearing from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 21, 2022. The hearing will be at H-GAC, second floor conference rooms, and on Zoom. Registration is requested to attend in person and required to attend online. As it is a public hearing, H-GAC staff is not permitted to respond to any questions or comments during this meeting.
For more information, visit www.h-gac.com/go/cdbg; an informational meeting was held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 14, 2022. During the informational meeting, H-GAC staff will provide an overview of the conditionally approved preliminary MOD, including information about data used in its development, and will answer questions.
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CenterPoint Energy Work in District K!
By the end of the year CenterPoint Energy plans to replace 58 poles, 82 miles of wire, and the transformers in the Linkwood area that have recently experienced prolonged/frequent outages. These streets include Linkview Dr., Timberside Dr., & Ilona Ln.
Projects of this scale take several weeks to complete. Work is expected to begin in the second half of July. Any residents who will be impacted by a planned outage, to allow for the safe execution of work, will be notified in advance. We believe this work will greatly improve reliability in the area and will bring these facilities up to the current design standards.
Sign up for CenterPoint Power Alert Services
CenterPoint Energy’s Power Alert Service (PAS) can notify you, family and friends of an outage, restoration progress and when power is fully restored. Watch the short video to see how PAS can benefit you.
Thanks to their recent upgrade, you can now easily add up to five text, five emails and five phone numbers – 15 contact points – to each electric account you manage to receive power outage alerts.
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SPARK Park of the Month
Montgomery Elementary – Houston ISD
Throughout July, the SPARK Park at Houston ISD’s Montgomery Elementary located at 4000 Simsbrook Dr., Houston 77045 is being featured. Vice Mayor Pro Tem Castex-Tatum was pleased to use Council District Service Funds to support funding for the SPARK Park.
The SPARK Park at Montgomery features the work of legendary Houston visual artist Marsha Dorsey-Outlaw, who installed colorful mosaic tiles along concrete benches. Remember to search for the school’s lion mascot lurking in the tiles. Also included in the revitalized public space are benches, play equipment, a shade structure, and a winding concrete walking path.
Summer Hours
SPARK Parks are open to the community after school, on weekends, and holidays — and all day long during Summer Break, except when schools are in session for summer school. Please check with your local SPARK Park school to see what the hours are.
About SPARK
SPARK combines efforts and contributions from many sources: local school districts, Harris and Fort Bend Counties, City Council Members, the private sector, corporations, neighborhood groups, PTA/PTO groups, and concerned citizens. The mutual cooperation of these entities is just one aspect that makes the SPARK program unique. Currently, there are over 150 active SPARK Parks in Harris and Fort Bend Counties.
For a map of active SPARK Parks, please visit the SPARK website at www.sparkpark.org.
#DistrictK
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City of Houston Awards $328,700 in Grants to Arts and Culture Non-profit Organizations and Individual Artists
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The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) announced that it is awarding $328,700 in grants to 18 individuals and six arts and culture nonprofit organizations with fiscally sponsored projects that are offering public exhibitions, presentations and performances in 2022.
Congratulations to the WillowMusic Fest 2022 for the award of $10,000 for a Festival Grant!
“Houston artists and organizations play a vital role in ensuring our residents have equal access to to the arts and festivals,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “These grant programs show the City’s continued support of the arts and foster an environment in which art and culture flourish for the sharing and benefit of all residents and visitors.”
The funds were awarded through the Support for Artists and Creative Individuals and the Festival grant programs, which supports individuals, nonprofit organizations, and fiscally sponsored projects with funds for annual arts and cultural programming that is available to Houston residents and visitors. These competitive grant programs are managed and administered annually by the Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) and are funded by a portion of the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT). More information about HOT funding is available here.
All applications received by the published deadline are reviewed through a two-step process. First, applications are reviewed by HAA staff for objective eligibility criteria. For example, the applicant must be based in the City of Houston and must offer publicly accessible programs during the time the grant will be active. Second, all eligible applications are read and scored by panelists, who are experts in the arts and community vetted through the HAA Grants Committee of the Board of Directors. Each year, HAA assembles between 50 and 120 panelists, depending on the number of applications that must be read and scored. Panelists include artists, arts managers, community leaders with engagement or passion for the arts, arts audience members, philanthropists, and other members of the arts community.
The competitive grants programs also include an annual improvement process that begins in January of each year. All aspects of the competitions are updated based on community input and City goals. The staff of HAA launches each competition through social media and newsletter publicity, and then conducts several public workshops about the process and how to create a competitive application. Competitions are open to the public for several weeks, during which the HAA staff takes meetings and phone calls upon request and answers email questions from potential applicants.
#SupporttheArts
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Houston Lauded for Moving 25,000 People From the Streets Into Homes of Their Own
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Houston, our nation’s fourth-most populous city, has moved more than 25,000 homeless people directly into apartments and houses in the past decade, an overwhelming majority of whom remain housed after two years.
Michael Kimmelman, the architecture critic of The New York Times, traveled to Houston to observe an approach to chronic homelessness that has won widespread praise.
Houston, the nation’s fourth-most populous city, has moved more than 25,000 homeless people directly into apartments and houses in the past decade, an overwhelming majority of whom remain housed after two years. What distinguishes Houston is its streamlined process: While other systems built to counter the problem are often marred by bureaucracy, the average wait time in Houston for social housing is 32 days, down from 720 days a decade ago.
This has been achieved through a “housing first” practice: moving the most vulnerable from the streets directly into apartments, instead of shelters, without individuals being required to do a 12-step program, or to find a job.
Delving into the finer details of the process, Kimmelman considers the different logic “housing first” involves. After all, “when you’re drowning, it doesn’t help if your rescuer insists you learn to swim before returning you to shore,” he writes. “You can address your issues once you’re on land. Or not. Either way, you join the wider population of people battling demons behind closed doors.”
#HoustonProud
#HoustonCares
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Housing and Community Development Seeks Input on Draft Action Plan for Winter Storm Uri
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SAVE THE DATE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2022
3:00 P.M.
Please join us for a Virtual Community Meeting to give input on the City of Houston Housing and Community Development department’s Draft Action Plan for Winter Storm Uri.
In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri impacted Houstonians by causing damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. As a result, the City of Houston will receive over $30 million in long-term disaster recovery grants to address the freeze’s impacts and enhance the resilience of Houstonians during future disaster events.
Ways to Participate Live
Call In – US (Toll): 1-936-755-1521
English Participant Code: 442 784 740#
Spanish Participant Code: 968 283 886#
Facebook Live @HoustonHCDD
- Give input about the Draft Action Plan, activities, and budget
- Learn about the grant process
- Inform long-term disaster recovery programs
- Talk about disaster impact and resilience in your community
Can’t make the live virtual meetings?
For additional information or to request special arrangements for the live virtual meetings (interpreter or other), contact Ashley Lawson at 832-394-5438 or Ashley.Lawson@houstontx.gov.
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Free Thursday Afternoons
at Holocaust Museum Houston
In partnership with go baz and Fraternitas, Holocaust Museum Houston welcomes visitors to enjoy free admission to the Museum’s Holocaust, Human Rights, Diaries and Samuel Bak galleries on Thursdays from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thanks to the generosity of go baz and Fraternitas, visitors will also enjoy complimentary entry to
Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on view in the Josef and Edith Mincberg Gallery. This one-of-a-kind exhibition explores the American judicial system through the eyes of the human rights icon, the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg may have stood only five foot one, but she was truly a giant in her work on equality and justice for all.
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