City Seal
From the Office of Council Member Mike Laster 
The Distric
t Journal
Official Newsletter of Houston City Council District J
 
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Mike Laster - Flipped
832.393.3015
[email protected]


City Hall Annex
900 Bagby
Houston, TX 77002

PO Box 1562
Houston, TX 77251-1562
  
Chief of Staff

Jonny Flores
Deputy Chief of Staff/Agenda & Policy Director

Sharon Shanahan
Administrative Services Director

Eric Widaski
Constituent & Community Affairs Director

District J Parks 
City Contacts

HPD
(non-emergency)
713.884.3131

Anti-Gang Office
832.393.0931

Mayor's Citizens' Assistance
832.393.0955

Department of Neighborhoods
832.393.1038

Health & Human Services
832.393.5169

Parks Department
832.395.7000

Public Works & Engineering
832.395.2511

Solid Waste Management
713.956.6589

Join Our Mailing List
Deja Vu All Over Again
 
Yesterday, floods proved to be d�j� vu all over again for too many of our neighborhoods in Southwest Houston. I was fortunate enough to be able to drive around Monday to assess damage and speak with a few constituents.

Unfortunately, our neighbors in Larkwood, Bonham Acres, Braeburn Valley, Braeburn Glen, and Braeburn Valley West, too many of whom were impacted by the Memorial Day 2015 floods, got a double dose of it this time. While we can't control the weather, we can help each other recover.

The City of Houston has set up houstonrecovers.org as ground central for finding answers to any questions regarding flooding, permitting, volunteering, and other information regarding the flood.
 
Contact 3-1-1

If you haven't done so already, please call 311 and your District J office to report flooding in your home, business or in the street. City damage assessment teams will begin the process of determining the level of sustained damage. There are three ways to do that:
  1. Call 311 (713.837.0311)
  2. Visit houston311.org and click on "Flooding"
  3. Download the Houston 311 App for Android or iOS
Be sure to retain your service request number to share with the District J office.
 
Trash Schedule

A revised trash schedule following Monday's weather events can be found by clicking here.

-Monday's garbage was scheduled to be collected Tuesday
-Tuesday's garbage will be collected Wednesday
-Thursday and Friday will be normal collection days
-Debris contractors are on notice and will begin mobilizing equipment over the next 3 - 5 days
-Debris Monitors will also be employed in the field to monitor recovery collection efforts
-Neighborhood Depository Sites will be open 7 days per week to allow residents to bring trash and debris.


Towed Cars

A number of vehicles were abandoned yesterday as a result of the flooding.  If your vehicle was towed, you can locate it by calling 713.308.8580 or visiting findmytowedcar.com.

Shelters

There are two shelters that have been set up in close vicinity to District J for displaced residents:

-Chinese Community Center: 9800 Town Park Dr., 77036
-Johnston Middle School: 10410 Manhattan Dr. 77096

Flood Recovery Informational Meeting

There will be an informational meeting tonight, Wednesday, April 20th, 7pm at Mark Twain Elementary (7500 Braes Blvd., Houston, TX 77025). Mayor Turner, mayor's office staff and City Department heads will be in attendance to provide information and instruction on how to go about documenting flood damage and answers questions about the next steps.

Giving to the Red Cross

If you are able to, please consider making a donation to the American Red Cross, who have been on the ground from day one assisting stranded and displaced Houstonians.

As always, please contact your District J office for any assistance you may need while navigating City services during this recovery period.
 
God Bless,
Mike Laster - signature
-Council Member Mike Laster, District J

METRO & Veterans

Qualified decorated and disabled veterans can now ride Houston's light rail, buses and Park and Ride for free. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Houston launched the six month pilot program on Monday, April 11th honoring those who have served. The program is intended for veterans with a VA disability rating of 50 percent or more.

Click on the link above to learn how to access this benefit!
24th Annual Gulfton Festival
Saturday, April 30, 2016, the Gulfton Citizen's Advisory Council will host its 24th Annual Gulfton Parade & Festival at Burnett Bayland Park located at 6200 Chimney Rock. The parade will begin at Benavidez Elementary School at 11:00am and will travel to the festival. The festival begins upon completion of the parade and will end at 2:00pm.
 
The Gulfton Citizen's Advisory Council is comprised of members of the Gulfton Community whose goal is to support the HPD Gulfton Storefront's efforts to improve the neighborhood and develop a healthy relationship between the community and the police.  The Parade & Festival have grown into a major annual event with music, games, children activities and information on services available in the area!
 
If you have any questions about volunteering, contributing or being a part of the festival, please feel free to contact Sandra Rodriguez (281) 901-9006 or Cristal Atilano (713) 569-1213.

After School Program Highlight:
Boykins Youth Foundation

District J is fortunate to have a number of after school programs funded and managed through the Harris County Department of Educaton. One such program is the Healthy Kids and Leaders Program at Pilgrim Academy. Students in grades 2 - 5 learn necessary tools to become leaders in their schools and community.
 
The program produced by the Boykins Youth Founation, is designed to promote physical fitness and confidence through various sports activities, in order to foster our new leaders of tomorrow. Extra finacial help in providing this program to more students is always welcome.

If you would like to learn more about this and other programs the Boykins Youth Foundation prduces, please click the link above.
Community Events Calendar
Upcoming Events

Please refer to the Community Events Calendar on our website for the time, and other event details. New events are added every week. Be sure to check it often!

Tuesday, April 19
 -City Council - Public Session

Wednesday, April 20
 -City Council
 -Midwest PIP Meeting

Thursday, April 21
 -San Jacinto Day
 -Westside Division PIP
 -Sands Point Area (Hillcroft and Bellaire) Traffic Plan Meeting

Monday, April 25
 -Southwest Management District Board Meeting

Tuesday, April 26
 -Sharpstown Rotary Club
 -Gulfton PIP
 -City Council - Public Session
 -Alief Super Neighborhood Council Meeting

Wednesday, April 27
 -City Council
 -Braeburn Glen Traffic Plan Public Meeting

Thursday, April 28
 -International District Board of Directors Meeting
 -Sharpstown Civic Association Meeting
 
Saturday, April 30
 -24th Annual Gulfton Parade & Festival