"I'm thrilled to have recommended that the SPARK Park Board has chosen Ridgemont Elementary School to participate in this grassroots program. Not only will this school be the first within Fort Bend ISD, but Ridgemont will set the stage for other Houston Fort Bend ISD schools to follow," states Council Member Green. 

 

The SPARK School Park Program is a non-profit organization operating out of the City of Houston Mayor's Office. Developed in 1983 by former City Council Member Eleanor Tinsley as a way to increase park space in Houston, the SPARK School Park Program develops public school grounds into neighborhood parks.  The SPARK Program consists of an inter-local agreement between the City of Houston, the Houston Parks Board, and the local school district. SPARK further combines the resources of the Department of Housing and Community Development, the County, the private sector, neighborhood groups, PTA/PTO groups, and concerned citizens. 

 

For detail about the SPARK School Park Program, contact Kathleen Ownby at 832-393-0911 or e-mail kathleen@sparkpark.org.

In July 2013, the City of Houston Public Works and Engineering Dept. (PWE) began a primarily micro-tunnel project within the Fort Bend Houston area of the Ridgemont and Green Valley Estates subdivisions along Castlecreek Ln., Court Rd., Hiram Clarke Rd., Rapidcreek Dr., Ridge Harbor Dr., and Amy Ridge Rd. The contractor did not start immediately upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed and to recover lost ground, the contractor added additional crews  to ensure an on-time finish of the work.

 

In preparation for this infrastructure project (before the construction started), the Fort Bend Houston SNC, in partnership with Council Member Green, hosted an informational meeting at the Ridgemont Community Center where representatives from the affected communities were invited to engage the PWE project manager and the project contractor to ask questions about this infrastructure project.

 

"The District K office will continue to monitor the progress of this project and continue to communicate with the community leaders of Ridgemont and Green Valley Estates," states Council Member Green.  According to the Public Works and Engineering Department, this project is expected to be complete by June 2014. 

The Pinnacle Senior Center of Fort Bend County

Last year, the City of Houston Public Works and Engineering Dept. (PWE) began a 42" waterline replacement project within the Brays Oaks area that will extend from West Bellfort Ave. at Braes Forest to Pembridge; southward to Ludington;  eastward to Sandpiper, and southward to terminate at West Airport Blvd. The affected neighborhoods are Northfield Sec. 5 and Sec. 6 and Southwood Place.

 

Prior to the start of this infrastructure project, Council Member Green hosted an informational meeting at the South Gessner HPD Substation. Representatives from the three residential communities impacted by this project were invited to engage the PWE project manager as well as the project contractor to ask questions about the project.

 

"The District K office will continue to monitor the progress of this project and continue to communicate with the community leaders impacted by this infrastructure project," states Council Member Green. "I'm glad to report that this infrastructure project is near completion as the construction crews wind their way along Sandpiper Dr. through the Southwood Place neighborhood."

 

For more information about this Brays Oaks 42" waterline replacement project, click below to access FAQs and project map: click here. 

A new 15,500 square foot Houston Community College (HCC) is planned for construction within the Brays Oaks District this calendar year. The new campus will be located along West Bellfort Ave. and Riceville School Rd. Dr. Anthony Hancock will be the newly appointed Associated Dean of Workforce Development for the southwest Brays Oaks campus. This HCC campus was developed from the $78 million allocation of the HCC bond passed  by voters in 2012.

 

The new Brays Oaks HCC campus will boast workforce development with an emphasis on continuing education programs such as ESL, GED, information technology, assessment & tutoring, and health related programs for certified nurse's aides and medical technology. In addition, dual credit course for high school and junior college will be offered. The campus target date for completion is Fall 2015.   

2013 Spring Clean up

The South Houston Concerned Citizens Coalition is planning their annual Spring Clean-up de-litter event throughout the Hiram Clarke community on Saturday, May 3. The staging location will be at Townwood Park, 3403 Simsbrook Dr. and is set to start at 8:30 a.m.

 

Anyone interested in volunteering with the Coalition to help de-litter the Hiram Clarke area, please contact Linda Scurlock at 832-393-4205 or e-mail the Coalition at shccc12@gmail.com. 

General District K News

District K Announces Newly Assigned Attorney Liaison

The District K office has a new deed restriction liaison from the Legal Department. Yolanda Woods has been reassigned to all District K deed restrictions enforcement inquiries within the City's jurisdiction.

 

Ms. Woods is a native Texan who graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. from the Plan II Honors Program in Liberal Arts in 1987 and from Harvard Law School with a J.D. in 1990.  Ms. Woods also spent the summer of 1986 studying at Oxford University (Brasenose College) in England.  Prior to joining the City 's Legal Department, she worked for the Office of Public Utility Counsel as an Assistant Public Counsel from November 1992 until October 1996.  She also worked for the Office of the Attorney General as an Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Division from April 1991 until October 1992. 

 

Ms. Woods joined the City of Houston Legal Department in 1996 and is currently a Senior Assistant City Attorney in the Neighborhood Services Division.  She divides her time between dangerous building matters, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission protests and hearings, and deed restriction enforcement in Council Districts D, E, and now in District K. 

Council Member Green Hosts Annual District K Capital Improvement Plan meeting

 

This symposium provided attendees with information about the responsibilities of BARC and the City's Ch. 6 ordinance revisions City Council approved last month. 

 

Council Member Larry Green coordinated eight community beautification and de-litter clean-up events throughout the council district on April 5th as part of the annual Keep District K Beautiful Day initiative. 

 

Each of the eight community events was sponsored by a civic organization within the District which included the following:

• Braeburn Valley HOA Street Cleaning and Curb Painting
• Glenshire Community De-Litter Campaign
• Hager Park Tree Planting & De-Litter Campaign
• Southwest Manor De-Litter Campaign 
• Maplewood West HOA Esplanade Beautification Initiative
• West Place HOA De-Litter Campaign 
• Fort Bend Houston Super Neighborhood De-Litter Campaign 
• Southmeadow HOA Esplanade Beautification Initiative

"I am pleased these District K communities partnered with the council office to improve the appearance of their communities. This initiative will go a long way to beautify their neighborhood and foster positive community engagement," said Council Member Green.  

 

This District-wide event was held in conjunction with Keep Houston Beautiful Day, and is held annually on the first Saturday of April. Keep Houston Beautiful Day kicked off the Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup, which continues until May 30th.  

South Post Oak Youth Association has been a very vital part of the Harris/ Fort Bend county community.  Over the years the association has impacted the lives of both boys and girls through youth sports.  Leadership, sportsmanship and team building are some of the skills that the South Post Oak Youth Association have developed with our Districts youth.

Council Member Green would like to especially thank board members Billy Hill, Stephanie Boykins, Kerry Boykins, Sean McGowan and Abagail Miles for including him on this steller kick-off the to South Post Oak League.  The District K office wishes you a great season!

Last month, City Council approved revisions to Ch. 6 which regulates animal control such as BARC. These Ch. 6 revisions include the following:

• BARC will not adopt or foster to any person convicted of animal cruelty. 
• A hobby/non-commercial breeder permit has been added.
• The chain of ownership to and from BARC is clarified.
• Expanded eligibility for the in-home quarantine of dogs involved in bite cases. 
• Term "dog kennel" has been replaced with the term "commercial pet services facility".
• Clear guidelines for suspending/revoking a permit. 
• Move towards nuisance-based enforcement whereas an aggressive dog will need to
  be kept in a six-foot fence, micro-chipped, spay-neutered, and tagged. The owner of a nuisance dog will have 30 days to fix the broken fence or face daily citations. The animal can be ordered removed from the City if continued violations exist.

Passage of the ordinance is now in effect. Continue to contact 311 and the District K office when reporting BARC related concerns.

As Chairman of the City's Transportation, Infrastruction, Technology Committee, Councilman Green and the Public Works & Engineering Department (PWE) celebrated its first group of mentor and protégé firms who recently participated in the department's Mentor/Protégé Program on Marych 27th.. The PWE Small Business Development Group hosted a Mentor/Protégé Recognition Event, at the United Way Community Resource Center to recognize and honor the four (4) mentors for their dedication and commitment to supporting the development of minority and women-owned engineering firms. The recognized mentors were:

• Chester Engineers;
• Freese & Nichols;
• Jacobs Engineering Group   
• Neel-Schaffer

Also recognized were the 15 protégé's  for their efforts and achievements since joining the program.  

 

Over 100 attendees were welcomed by the PWE Director, Daniel Krueger, and PWE Small Business Development Group Manager, Tony Henshaw. Each of the mentors for taking the initiative to help guide and strengthen small and emerging businesses, and also for going above and beyond expectations. Mr. Henshaw also challenged prime construction firms to step up to the plate and join the mentor program. In addition, representatives from both the mentor and protégé firms had the opportunity to share their experiences and success since joining the program.

 

The keynote speaker was Mayor Annise Parker who shared her experience as small business owner and her understanding of the challenges that the protégé's face on a daily basis. Council Member Green gave greetings to the PWE Department for its strong efforts to assist small, minority and women-owned businesses. Other attendees at the event included Council Members Dwight Boykins, Jerry Davis, and Stephen Costello.  

The City of Houston economy is picking up steam. With this increase is a number of development activities within the District. Keep up with development and construction projects in your neighborhood. Sign up for the City's E-Plat summary report and the E-Permit report to find out about plat and permit applications.

 

The Plat Summary E-Report contains information about the plats, replats, variances, and special exceptions to plats that will be considered at Planning Commission meetings. The report provides locational, plat, and applicant information for each application that can be easily scrolled through, or sorted, based on particular data, such as council district.

 

The Houston Planning Commission meets every other Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in City Hall Annex Chambers, 900 Bagby St. unless otherwise posted.

 

The Plat Summary E-Report is usually sent out approximately a week before Planning Commission meets, while the Planning Commission Agenda is posted three days in advance of Planning Commission meetings on the Planning & Development Department website ( click here ).

 

The Permit E-Report provides information regarding any new construction, remodeling, or change-of-use permits by zip-code in an effort to inform citizens of activity in their neighborhoods. This E-Report is e-mailed every Monday.

 

The Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) offers a variety of fitness opportunities to help keep Houstonians fit for all ages and abilities. Whatever your interest from day camps and tennis lessons for children, classes and activities for active seniors, or adult sports leagues we have a program for you!  The Parks and Recreation Department offers more than 100 miles of walking/jogging trails in and around our parks.  In addition, there are exercise workstations located along some of our trails as well as indoor and outdoor basketball courts, outdoor tennis court, swimming pools, disc golf courses, golf courses and  community center fitness programs designed to meet the needs of all Houstonians. Check out HPARD's Summer Activities Guide and Class Catalog for a complete list of  activities you can participate click here. 

 

The Harris County Attorney's Office offers speakers who are experts on a wide range of topics that you and your organization might find interesting and educational.  The "Community Speakers Series" is designed to benefit the people of the greater Houston and Harris County area by providing information about our Office and the areas of law in which we practice.  These programs are intended to help individuals and suggest ways the Attorney's Office can work together to improve neighborhoods and quality of life in Harris County.

 

Upon request, the Attorney's Office will provide staff attorneys who can speak on a wide range of topics such as "Using Civil Law to Combat Crime", "Environmental Enforcement", and "Wills and Probate".  The Attorney's Office trust that your organization will take advantage of this public service initiative and look forward to your participation.

 

Please contact Debbie Dillard, Community Outreach Director, and she will be pleased to assist with scheduling or answering any questions you may have.  Ms. Dillard may be reached by phone at 713.274.5109 or via email at debbie.dillard@cao.hctx.net. 

The SPARK Park program is pleased to announce that H-E-B, in recognition of Earth Day, has selected EarthShare of Texas to be the April beneficiary for its in-store coupon promotion. This means that customers can tear  off and add check-out coupons worth $1, $3, or $5 to their total bill to support environmental work throughout the State of Texas for the entire month of April. SPARK will benefit because the contributions made in the Houston area will be divided among  EarthShare of Texas organizations with program work in the Houston region.

 

For detail about the SPARK School Park Program and Earthshare of Texas initiative, contact Kathleen Ownby at 832-393-0911 or e-mail kathleen@sparkpark.org.

New District... New Council Member... New Beginnings!