Message from your Council Member:
Dear Reader,
I am excited for the release of our first issue of The Pollard Press. The Pollard Press will be our online newsletter that will be emailed out on the first Monday of each month. Our newsletter aims to be very interactive with stories, invites, information, and links to resources and programs the District J office wants you to be ware of.
The Pollard Press will primarily focus on issues specific to District J. We have been working for you for exactly two months now and our office is dedicated and committed to make District J better than it has ever been. We look forward to serving you.
Together we will!
Council Member Edward Pollard
The first of its kind in District J: Listening Sessions
Council Member Edward Pollard and the District J Office hosted a series of town halls called Listening Sessions. These Listening Sessions were held over a span of three evenings and targeted different areas of District J on each night.
The purpose of the Listening Sessions was for our office to hear directly from the residents about your issues and concerns and what we should prioritize when setting our agenda for the year. The Listening Sessions were held at Sharpstown Baptist Church, 7000 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77074 from 6 pm to 8 pm for the following residential neighborhoods and dates:
Monday, February 24th – Glenshannon, Braeburn Valley West, West Brae, Braeburn Glen, Braeburn Valley, Bonham Acres, Larkwood, and Westwood.
Tuesday, February 25th – Sharpstown
Thursday, February 27th – Shenandoah, Richmond Plaza, St. George, and Piney Point.
We are extremely proud the Listening Sessions were a huge success. My office and I had a wonderful opportunity to truly reach out and feel the pulse of District J.
Council Member Expresses Constituent’s Concerns:
Affordable housing is needed all over our city, but we cannot take a cookie cutter approach to it. When deciding on the most ideal locations for affordable housing complexes we must look at the unique dynamics of each neighborhood. Over 85 percent of residents in District J live in apartment complexes. We are also the most densely populated area of Houston with around 9,000 people per square mile as opposed to the city average of around 3,000 people per square mile.
When developers identify areas to build affordable housing they must first go to the residents (HOA’s, Civic Clubs, Super Neighborhood Council’s, etc.) and get their feedback. By doing so they can get a real pulse of the community and learn about any unintended consequences that can result from developing what in theory sounds like a good idea.
We must look at factors such as density, traffic, access to public transit, parking, safety, grocery/food options, and how over populated schools in the area currently are.
The real focus should not necessarily be on adding more affordable housing complexes to lower income areas, but the need to hold the neglectful apartment complex owners (slumlords) accountable for the existing properties that are there. We should focus on rehabbing existing properties, and if we add new development, especially in a densely populated area, it needs to be due to replacing a substandard property for it.
Sometimes things sound good on paper but are not truly practical in nature. I will continue to advocate for equity and opportunity for all…and most importantly, speak up and speak out on behalf of my constituents.
Click here to read the article in the Houston Chronicle.
Keeping District J Beautiful
Our office was made aware of an illegal trash dumping in the 3300 block of Fountain View. As soon as we received the report, we had a cleanup team address the issue by removing the debris.
In an effort to crack down on illegal dumping in our district, we are examining ways to hold those accountable who are caught dumping their garbage on our streets, sidewalks and other unauthorized areas.
We must all work together to keep District J clean and safe for all residents.
Homeless Encampment
Our office received a call in which one could clearly interpret that the constituent was in distress. We were informed that there was a homeless encampment adjacent to an apartment complex (WoodCreek on the Bayou) that continued to grow and become a threat. There was trash, feces, urine and even a machete was found by a Seal officer near the camp. The constituent stated that the individuals living in the homeless encampment would come onto the apartment complex to harass the tenants. Mr. Brizuela spoke with the constituent to get a better grasp and he also took pictures of the site. With the information and images that were obtained he reached out to the corresponding DRT Sergeant and HPD Liaisons to resolve the issue. Without the help of multiple DRT Sergeants and other HPD personnel none of this would have been possible.
Our office kept in touch with HPD to make sure that the task at hand would be resolved. HPD answered the call and quickly dismantled and cleared the encampment.
We strive to do more and improve District J by having a proactive approach, strive to find new solutions to unsolved problems, and improve the quality of life for our constituents by raising our own bar to meet your standards.
Complete the 2020 Census
Beginning in March, homes throughout the United States will start receiving information on how to complete the 2020 Census, and the Harris County and City of Houston Complete Count Committee wants to make sure every resident is counted. The U.S. Constitution mandates that a Census count take place every 10 years. Information from the count is used to determine how billions of dollars in federal funding is distributed to support programs such as health care, education, employment, transportation and infrastructure. The Census is also used to determine the number of seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives.
When you receive your invitation to complete the Census, please respond either by phone, mail or going online. Remember, it’s extremely important that everyone is counted so that our communities in Texas have the resources to adequately serve our needs. If you want more information, please click on the website to lead you to the information below: www.harrishoustoncounts.com
