President's Message: WHA's Policy Priorities in 2016 Auggie Campbell, President, West Houston Association This summer, WHA's board members, committee leaders, and partners, like Representative Jim Murphy, worked hard to identify WHA's top priority projects and policies. WHA engaged in a number of workshops, drafting exercises, and email exchanges. So what were the results? 1) Build & Fund Regional Flood Control. Regional Flood Control is the top priority for WHA for the foreseeable future. The Tax Day Floods illustrated the need for a regional solution to flood mitigation in Greater West Houston. Efforts from the Executive Committee and WHA members like Lee Lennard, Steve Robinson, and many others have helped bring solutions in to focus and partners to the table. WHA has been evaluating regional flood control solutions. In the past, WHA has expressed reservations about HCFCD's ability to build and maintain additional big infrastructure projects. We are working with HCFCD, the City of Houston, various officials, and others to find a way to secure a shared vision, funding, and mechanisms necessary to provide a viable long term flood control solution. 2) Improve & Fund Regional Mobility. Regional Mobility has been and probably always will be a top priority for WHA. WHA supported State Propositions 1 and 7, which provide much needed funding for roads, bridges, and related infrastructure. However, the amount of funding behind Propositions 1 and 7 are not set in stone. Greater certainty in the amount of funding and ensuring that the funding goes to projects in current plans is essential for quality growth. WHA recognizes that immediate strategies and priorities must reflect the dominance of automobile travel while seeking new ways and means to improve other transport modes. WHA's two priority mobility projects are raising both Highway 6 and Westheimer through Addicks and Barker Reservoirs, respectively. As the Tax Day Floods illustrated, if our regional road system is not resilient, all transportation modes are inadequate. 3) Protect Special Districts & Quality Growth. Special Districts have received less than balanced coverage recently. Greater West Houston would be a shadow of what is today if not for municipal utility districts, management districts, and other similar local government entities. Without special districts, homes cost tens of thousands of dollars more and infrastructure is built, if at all, more slowly and often at lower quality. Special districts provide a way to transfer and share costs and risks on projects that local property owners and potential homebuyers want and cities and counties are unable or unwilling to pay for. WHA will work to protect quality growth and seek to enhance the ability of special districts to make smart public investments that make better communities more affordable. Thanks to all of our members and partners who have given their time and ideas to help keep our community growing the right way. With engaged and outstanding members and partners, WHA will keep doing what it has done so well since 1979: identifying solutions to quality growth for Greater West Houston and helping make those solutions into realities.