Vol. 5, Issue 6 – 09.15.23
Dear District F:

I have a few reminders and updates to share related to public safety, construction projects, and our ongoing water leak and mini-drought crisis.

Public safety: HPD is scheduled to receive an additional $5M in overtime to focus primarily on investigations. I support the proposed funding to address the case backlog, and more specifically, I have requested that a portion of the funds continue the work to mitigate the after-hours on the far west side of the District. I will alert you when the item is on the council’s agenda.

Water Leaks: As of September 15, District F has  181 open cases for water leaks. Several residents have sent photos and emails with 311 service request numbers, and we have routed all cases to HPW. We have 12 contractors working alongside the HPW water repair division to address emergency and routine water leaks. On Wednesday, September 13, HPW Director Carol Haddock updated the number of open, closed, and priority cases. Please watch the clip here and listen for yourself. Continue to share 311 cases that are taking longer to resolve – my office can provide context or additional information. You can also visit https://www.houstonpublicworks.org/ 

As an aside, if your water bill is scheduled as an automatic draft and you are experiencing unusually high bills, please remove recurring payments until the issue is resolved. We are working on several cases, and the reimbursement process is incredibly arduous. Please take a moment and make sure.

Last year, we worked to identify dark intersections throughout the District and installed quite a few street lights. During that process, my office realized several tree canopies were blocking street lights. I submitted a list of streets to the Houston Parks Department, and the tree trimming is complete. I want to extend this opportunity again. Please take a few minutes and complete the survey so we can install new street lights and or trim back canopies blocking existing street lights. Click here to complete the survey.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins September 15-October 15, and I am excited to celebrate exceptional individuals and organizations serving the Hispanic and greater Houston community excellently. Please recommend an individual or an organization; please send a short bio and social media handles to[email protected] .

Sincerely,


Councilmember Tiffany D. Thomas

DISTRICT F TOUR OF HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS
On September 15, Councilmember Thomas took Marc Eichenbaum, Special Assistant to the Mayor for Homeless Initiatives, on a tour of homeless encampments in District F.  Marc had heard that the homeless situation in the area had increased but not to this extent. Residents are encouraged to continue to call 311 to report new encampments or incidents, but are discouraged from distributing food, air mattresses, and clothes. Click here for more information.

HOUSTON SPORTS HALL OF FAME RING CEREMONY

On September 14, Councilmember Thomas attended a ring ceremony honoring the latest Houston Sports Hall of Fame inductees: Elvin Hayes, Bruce Matthews and Calvin Murphy. The Hall of Fame will be located downtown at Green Street and will be built in phases. The first phase of the project features a Walk of Fame stretching from the House of Blues through the Green Street Promenade. Further in the future, the Houston Sports Hall of Fame will be housed in a downtown building. Click here for more information.

AFRIEXPO 2023
On September 14, Councilmember Thomas attended the 2023 AfriExpo at the ION. The Expo is an exciting and vibrant showcase of African culture, innovation, and business opportunities. It also serves as a platform for individuals and organizations to come together to celebrate the richness of African heritage, explore investment prospects, and foster cultural exchanges. Click here for more information.
UNIITED WAY CAMPAIGN KICKOFF
On September 12, Councilmember Thomas attended the United Way Campaign Kickoff. The United Way of Greater Houston supports a wide array of programs in the five-county area, including educational support for children through mentoring, child care, assisting seniors, those affected by domestic or substance abuse, job loss, natural disaster, and other emergencies.  Click here for more information.
 
 
CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
CM THOMAS COMMENTS ON CHANGES IN THE OFFICE OF POLICE REFORM & ACCOUNTABILITY
 
CM THOMAS DELIVERS POP OFF FOR SEPTEMBER 6
 
To View City Council Agendas
To Watch Videos of Previous City Council Meetings
DISTRICT F NEWS
CHROMIUM-6 DATA FOR SOUTHWEST HOUSTON
The City of Houston Public Works (City) tested its drinking water for Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6) in 2013 and 2014 as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 3). The City has conducted additional testing between 2017 and the present at the groundwater well locations in Southwest Houston where Cr6 was detected during UCMR 3, as well as at representative locations in the drinking water distribution system that receive water from those groundwater wells.

The charts below show the current and historical data for the testing of Cr6 conducted by the City at these drinking water wells.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires EPA to determine the level of contaminants in drinking water at which no adverse health effects are likely to occur. EPA has not created a drinking water standard for Cr6 by itself but does have a drinking water standard for total chromium, which includes Cr6. In order to ensure that the greatest potential risk is addressed, EPA based its drinking water standard assuming that total chromium consists of 100 percent Cr6, the form of chromium with the greatest health concern. EPA’s drinking water standard for total chromium is 100 parts per billion (ppb). The highest level of Cr6 observed in the drinking water system has been 8.0 ppb. The chromium present in drinking water in parts of District F have consistently remained far below the SDWA limit of 100 ppb.

Click here for more information regarding chromium in drinking water and the EPA’s responses to Frequntly Asked Questions.
SEPTEMBER 2023 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

There are several opportunities for you to engage with your neighbors and receive accurate information from community partners, elected officials, and public safety leadership regarding District F and the greater Houston area.

Schedule
SN – 17 (West Oaks and Eldridge): No meeting July and August

SN – 25 (Alief): DATE CHANGE: September 19 at 6:30PM
Location: Alief Neighborhood Center

Westside PIP Meeting: Every 3rd Thursday at 6:30PM
Location: Westside Station, 3203 S. Dairy Ashford Street, 3rd floor

Midwest PIP Meeting: Every 3rd Wednesday at 7PM
Location: 7277 Regency Square Boulevard

AARP-ALIEF #3264 Meeting: Every 1st Thursday at 10AM
Location: The Salvation Army Church, 7920 Cook Road

Briarmeadow: Every 2nd Tuesday at 6PM
Location: 3202 Freshmeadows Drive

Westmont Civic Club: Every 4th Thursday every quarter at 7PM
Location: Treemont Retirement Community, 2501 Westerland

Piney Point: Every 2nd Tuesday at 7:30 PM
Location: Pilgrim Rest MBC Activity Center, 3402 Amanda Lane

Huntington Village HOA: Every 3rd Thursday at 7PM
Location: Clubhouse, 9511 Cook Road

Tanglewilde Civic Club: Thursday, September 21 at 7PM
Location: Los Tios, 9527 Westheimer, in the meeting room

 
UPCOMING EVENTS