| |
|
|
| President's Message: Help Us With Flood Control |
| Auggie Campbell, President, West Houston Association |
|
 Greater West Houston needs solutions to the flooding issues that surfaced during the Tax Day Floods. One of the solutions should be H.B. 5025, the "Tax Day Flood Bill," sponsored by Rep. Al Green. Over 88 representatives have co-sponsored the bill, including Reps. Kevin Brady, Mike McCaul, Ted Poe, John Culberson, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Pete Olson, Gene Green, and all other representatives of both parties in the Houston area.
The Tax Day Flood Bill will not provide any new solution, but it will provide funds to complete planned solutions. If passed, the bill will provide $311M in disaster relief funding to pay for local, existing federal flood control projects through 2026, including projects in Brays, White Oak, and Hunting Bayou Watersheds. These projects will reduce the "one-percent" flood risk to thousands of homes. read more |
| Is Retrofitting a Reclaimed Water System a Smart Economic Choice? |
| By Michael Bloom, R. G. Miller Engineers, Inc. |
|
 |
| Reclaimed water system at S. Montgomery County MUD. Photo Credit: M. Bloom |
Conventional wisdom suggests that the cost of retrofitting a "purple-pipe" system to treat and distribute treated wastewater to amenity ponds and irrigation areas far exceeds the resulting benefits, especially with treated water available at $3.00 per 1,000 gallons for many cities and utilities. Two developments are changing these economics and are making reclaim
ed water systems much more economically attractive.
First, the cost of water is going up. Our region is spending well over $3 billion to convert from groundwater supplies to surface water supplies to avoid continued subsidence. We are building a large pump station on the Trinity River, a 26 mile canal from the Trinity River to Lake Houston, an expansion of the Northeast Water Purification Plant, a 96" diameter pipeline from Lake Houston to North Fort Bend County, and other large diameter pipelines. These projects are all designed to utilize the firm yield of Lake Livingston. We are borrowing most of the cost and we must repay our lenders using the revenue our water utilities receive by selling the water and passing on fees. Even using a very conservative cost escalation curve, it is not unreasonable to expect that the end user cost of water might reach $10 or $12 per 1,000 gallons by the year 2050. read more
|
| Event Preview: Purple Pipe Forum |
| July 14th, 8am, Marriott-Westchase |
|
 |
| Mark Gerhinger and Purple Pipe. Photo Credit: Howard Hughes, Bridgeland |
Join us on July 14th as WHA's panel of expert developers share their first-hand experience with purple pipe systems. Rob Bamford from Johnson Development Corp., Mark Gehringer, P.E. from Bridgeland-Howard Hughes, and Kent Puckett, P.E. from Caldwell Companies will bring their different perspectives and collective wisdom to breakfast. Alia Vinson, Partner at ABHR, will moderate this technical forum put together by the West Houston Association's Water Resources Committee. Attendees will gain insight into purple pipe's benefits and challenges from government incentives and financing to permitting and regulatory hurdles. Contact acampbell@westhouston.org for more details.
|
| UH System Launching Katy Programs this Fall |
|
 |
| Community Impact Newspaper, 2002 W. Grand Parkway N., Building 2. Photo Credit: Ryan Graff |
The University of Houston will offer classes beginning with the Fall 2016 semester at the Houston Community College (HCC) Northwest-Katy Campus through the UH-Victoria (UHV) System. Students will be able to enroll in face-to-face classes at a new leased facility about a mile north of I-10 at 2002 W. Grand Parkway N., Building 2. The arrangement will allow UH and UHV to continue serving the higher education needs of the region while a new UH System campus is built near I-10 and the Grand Parkway.
UH System Regents last month approved plans to purchase 46 acres from Parkside Capital and build a state-of-the-art academic building in the fast-growing suburban area. UH's 10-acre system campus at Cinco Ranch will be sold. read more
|
| Committee Updates & Related News |
Sustainable Infrastructure:
Recognition Program Development |
| Chair: Jim Russ, EHRA |
Next meeting: July 12th, 7:30 am at EHRA's Office
The Sustainable Infrastructure committee met on June 14th and discussed how to formulate different types of recognition and how to frame different categories of projects. The committee will meet again on July 12th and review a proposal on recognition and category criteria. The committee also discussed policy priorities for 2016. |
Regional Mobility:
Review "Red-List" Project Priorities & Major Thoroughfare |
| Chair: Mark Kilkenny, Mischer Investments |
Next Meeting: July 12th* at noon in WHA's office (Invitees: Harris Co. Precinct 3)
The meeting date is tentative-we are arranging for Kerry Gilbert and Randy Shillhab to attend and discuss changes to the Major Thoroughfare Plan with the committee. The committee will also review current TIP projects provided by HGAC and "Red-List" project submissions. The Red List are projects that are "quick wins", focusing on the biggest return for the smallest, easiest investment and would include traffic management, like turn lanes, and signalization and synchronization improvement. |
Parks, Recreation, & Open Space:
WHA Recognition |
| Chair: Chris Patterson, RVI, Inc. |
Next Meeting: July 27th, 2:00am at WHA's Office
The Committee will meet to work on WHA recognition criteria for parks and recreational space. The Committee will also work on recommended park projects as well as the parties and means necessary to implement these projects and common standards that WHA would recommend across Greater West Houston.
|
Quality Planned Development:
Cane Island |
| Chair: Peter Houghton, Howard Hughes Corporation - Bridgeland |
Next meeting: July 28th, noon at Cane Island
The QPD Committee will meet at Cane Island and take a tour of the recently completed community center and other amenities. The QPD committee will play a key role in developing a framework for various parts of the 2050 plan.
The July 28th meeting will include discussion on sustainability and different elements that could be part of the QPD designation. The committee will also look at how (and who in) the committee can work on coordinating the 2050 plan framework.
|
Water Resources:
Reviewing Regional Projects & Priorities |
| Chair: Jack Miller, R.G. Miller |
Next meeting: July 28th, 3 pm at WHA's Office
The committee has been busy preparing for the Purple Pipe Forum. At its July 28th meeting, the committee will review and develop policy initiatives for the upcoming legislative session and for inclusion in the 2050 Plan.
|
Flood Control, Drainage & Wetlands:
Guidelines Completion & Technical Forum |
| Chair: Lee Lennard, Brown & Gay Engineers, Inc. |
Next meeting: August 8th, 2 pm at HCFCD Office (Guests: City of Houston Officials)
The committee met on June 13th at WHA's office and discussed policy and project considerations for 2016-2017. Members of the committee will meet with HCFCD on the Bear Creek easement language in August. The Technical Forum on regional drainage solutions will take place this fall.
|
Education & Workforce Development:
Employment Demand Numbers |
| Chair: Chanda Cashen Chacon, Texas Children's Hospital |
Next Meeting: August 15th, 2pm at Texas Children's Hospital West Campus
On June 20th, the committee reviewed HCC's data projections for employment in key areas: (a) healthcare; (b) engineering; (c) trades; and (d) education. Data analysis experts from HCC, UH, Katy ISD, and CDS talked to the committee about how to demonstrate the needs for educational infrastructure based on this data and other data sets available to the group.
At the next meeting, the committee will review the educational infrastructure analysis generated by CDS and WHA's 2016 education policy priorities.
|
| |
|
| |
| WHA on Social Media |
|
| The West Houston Association is working to increase our presence on social media via Facebook and Twitter. Please like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to keep up with the endeavors, events, committees and current issues of the West Houston Association. |
2016 Planned WHA Events
Look for more details in 2016 as these event dates and times are confirmed. |
Thursday
July 14
8-9:30 am |
|
Purple Pipe Technical Forum
Marriot, Westchase |
| |
|
|
Tuesday
August 30
6-8 pm |
|
West Houston Delegation Reception
Westin, Memorial City |
| |
|
|
Sept.
12-2 pm |
|
State/Federal Issues Forum
Westin, Memorial City |
| |
|
|
Sept.
8-9:30 am |
|
Flood Control Forum
Pending |
| |
|
|
Monday
October 3
3-6 pm |
|
WHA Golf Tournament
Pending |
| |
|
|
Thursday
November 17
12-2 pm |
|
14th Annual Tri-County Judges Forum
Marriot, Westchase |
| |
|
|
Thursday
December 15
6-9 pm |
|
Annual Christmas/Year-end Party & Awards Banquet
Westin, Memorial City |
| |
|
|
| *Dates and venues are subject to revision based on scheduling and contract considerations. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
