District K Residents and Friends,
I hope you are all healthy and safe. So much is happening in our city and country and quite frankly it has been an emotional week for many of us. As we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, prepare for what is being called an active hurricane season as well as deal with the pain of racism in our country, we have so much work to do.
To date, Houston is reporting 8,341 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 138 deaths. Houston Health Department testing sites are now closed on Sundays. Sites operate Monday thru Saturday 8:00am to 3:00pm or until the 500 tests capacity is reached. Please contact the call center if you need to access testing information at 832-393-4220. As we begin to return to our places of employment and to frequent our favorite restaurants, remember to follow the CDC guidelines, wash your hands thoroughly and wear your face coverings.
It’s hurricane season and it is important to familiarize the entire family with a hurricane plan. In the last century, we have not experienced a hurricane season and a pandemic at the same time. Are your emergency kit and hurricane season plan ready yet? To sign up to receive alerts click here. Also visit ReadyHarris website for disaster checklists.
Last week, I attended 2 of the planned marches for justice and a prayer vigil at Westbury United Methodist church, after the unimaginable death of George Floyd. I am proud of Houstonians and people across the world, of all races, ages and faiths who are rallying together and united by humanity. On today and tomorrow, the visitation and funeral for George Floyd will take place in District K, at The Fountain of Praise Church located at 13950 Hillcroft Avenue. The traffic in the area may be unusually heavy as many people are expected to attend the visitation from 12 noon to 6:00pm. The funeral on Tuesday is a private event.
We can’t stop working towards meaningful, actionable change. It will not only take the city council but active engagement from our communities and law enforcement to make sure policies we enact are effective. On Thursday, June 25th at 10:00am the Public Safety Committee will provide an overview of internal and external investigative and oversight processes related to HPD officer involved shootings. I am committed to action and ensuring we are not ignoring systemic ills and being accountable to the residents I vowed to serve. I look forward to more conversations, engagement and opportunities to make the lives of all Houstonians better.
If you have any suggestions or would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact our office. Take care or yourself and each other.
-Martha
Mental Health Resources Guide
May was Mental Health Awareness Month. It was a time for us to raise awareness, fight stigma, provide support, educate and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. Now more than ever, we need to find ways to stay connected with our family, friends, neighbors and community.
We all need help at some point in minimizing any feeling of overwhelm and lack of control. Caring for our mental health will look different for each person. Mental wellness should be a concern all year long, just as we continually care for our physical health.
I have compiled a list of resources to address the spectrum of concerns during and post disaster as we tend to our physical, mental, emotional, financial and organizational health. Let’s all make our mental wellness and self care a priority for ourselves and our community. You are not alone!
To access the Mental Health Resources Guide click here.
Brays Oaks & Five Corners Management Districts Establish “Safe Zone” locations for e-commerce
The Brays Oaks District (BOMD) in partnership with the Five Corners Management District have established “Safe Zone” locations at the HPD S. Gessner Sub-Station and at the Southwest HPD Sub-Station where people can securely complete purchases of items they ordered on Craig’s List and similar websites.Using a Safe Zone to complete a purchase in a police facility helps buyers avoid falling victim to the kind of scams and robberies that have occasionally taken place around the country where buyers expected to complete a private transaction with an online seller.
The HPD Safe Zone is marked by signage near the entrance to the sub-station and provides a location where individuals can conduct e-commerce transactions using cash, checks, and money orders of similar means. “The location is in the view of the station’s video surveillance cameras. The BOMD, FCD and HPD are pleased to provide these locations as an option for the use of residents and businesses in the District” says Executive Director, Ben Brewer.
Keeping District K residents safe is our highest priority and we are pleased to have these 2 safe zones in our community. The S. Gessner Sub-station is located at 8605 Westplace Drive 77096 and the Southwest HPD Station is located at 13097 Nitida St., 77045.
FY 2021 City of Houston Budget
Our city budget is one of the most important policy instruments of our local government. On Wednesday, June 10th, the city council will discuss and vote on the FY21 operating budget. You can watch the meeting live on HTV starting at 9:00am. We will be in the City Hall Chambers physically for this meeting.
To help with the work of our management districts and our District K HOT Team, I submitted a budget amendment to deter the numerous amount of bandit signs being placed in our communities. We are spending thousands of dollars each month to remove these signs each day. The culprits who continue to put these signs out, are not deterred by the current $300-$500 fine associated with the Class C misdemeanor. My amendment seeks a civil penalty for repeat offenders up to $1000 per sign. These signs continue to trash up our neighborhoods, block our drains and just make our residents susceptible to predatory business practices. We need to be able to asses a higher fine to these repeat offenders, who totally disregard our city ordinance and continue placing these signs in the city right of ways, on telephone poles and in the esplanades.
Houston Intelligent Transportation Systems
Have you seen the Dynamic Message Signs in District K? There are 92 DMS planned to be installed throughout Houston to provide real time roadside traveler information. These signs can be used through interagency to provide vital information such as Amber Alerts, flooding and storm warning messages.
The entire project will provide incident management and improve congestion along 150 regionally significant arterial roadway corridors within the City of Houston. The project will include the following:
- Enhanced Detection – Approximately 400 intersections will be upgraded to provide advanced vehicular detection as well as traffic counts for signal timing purposes.
- Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) – 114 cameras with Pan-Tilt-Zoom capabilities are installed at strategic selected intersections to visually confirm incidents detected in real time.
- Midblock Traffic Volume Counters (MBC) – 145 MBC are installed to monitor overall and/or atypical traffic flows in real-time and for planning purposes.
- Central Software System – the entire project will be integrated into centralized facility to manage data inflow and provide optimal response.
To read the fact sheet provided by public works click here. To see a device location map, click here.
HPARD Summer Programs in District K
Marian Park located at 11101 South Gessner, 77071
Townwood Park located at 3403 Simsbrook, 77045
Visit www.HoustonParks.org for more information.
Fort Bend Youth Leadership Council
If you know any students who would like to participate in the Fort Bend Youth Leadership Council, please encourage them to sign up. For more information click here.
Brays Oaks Management District ID Markers
Have you seen the new signs in the Brays Oaks Management District?
Thank you Brays Oaks Management District for all of your dedication and hard work as we continue working to brand and beautify our community. We see the difference and appreciate all of your efforts
District K Census 2020 Update
The City of Houston’s response rate is 51.4%. The latest Census report shows 7 Houston districts (E, K, C, G, D, A) have response rates higher than 50%. The City of Houston still lags behind Harris County, TX and the national average, but districts K, E, D, C and G are still outperforming the rest of the state. District K improved from 56%% to 56.5%. Find your census track and see how your neighborhood is performing. To view an interactive version of this map visit: januaryadvisors.com/census-2020-houston-response-rates/
Fort Bend Houston Super Neighborhood is still leading the way with 62.8% response rate. It’s not too late, you can still complete the census today. It has never been easier to respond on your own, whether online, over the phone or by mail- all without having to meet a census taker. Today you can respond online, by phone or by mail. Hundreds of thousands of temporary census takers will use smartphones to follow up with households that don’t respond. Say YES to Census 2020. www.my2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020 to complete over the phone.
HCFCD Virtual Community Engagement Meeting
Harris County Flood Control District is hosting a Virtual Community Engagement Meeting on Wednesday, June 10 at 6:30 p.m. For more details, visit www.projectbrays.org/The Hillcroft Bridge over Brays Bayou will be closed starting on June 15 for approximately 90 days for work on Project Brays. Detour and construction signs should be posted on the main and side streets of Hillcroft and Braeswood. Please plan ahead for detours and lane closures as the bridge work commences. While this construction takes place, the Brays Bayou Greenway trail between Glenfield Court and Queensloch Drive will be detoured to the sidewalk along the south side of South Braeswood Blvd.
