H-GAC Community and Environmental Update- OCT 2005

Manager's Welcome
This is the October issue of the Houston-Galveston Area Council's (H-GAC's) Community and Environmental Planning (C&E) E-newsletter. We hope this monthly newsletter will keep you up to date on the wide variety of community planning, economic development and environmental planning programs going on at H-GAC. We want this information to be useful and are very interested in your feedback! If you have any questions about any of our programs, please feel free to contact me at 713-993-4560 or Jeff.Taebel@h-gac.com. To unsubscribe, add another subscriber or offer any comments on the e-newsletter, please e-mail cep_news@h-gac.com. To view the current and past editions of the e-newsletter, please visit:
www.h-gac.com/CEeNewsletter

Please click on the links below to view information regarding each topic.

IN THIS ISSUE
H-GAC Downtown Public Spaces Improvements Program
Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Documents Online 
Montrose One of 15 Areas in City to get Funding for Bicycle, Walk Plan 
Draft of Plan for Gulfton District to be Revealed to Residents, Leaders 
Boating Access Grant Application Now Available 
Invitation to Comment on Parks Funding Options 
College Recycling Competition begins Registration for 2006 Event 
New Section 319 Nonpoint Source Success Stories Web Site Launched 
Keep America Beautiful Issue Guide to Preventing Cigarette Litter 
Water Efficiency Factoid 

H-GAC MEETING NOTICES 
Local Enforcement Roundtable
Solid Waste Management Committee
Storm Debris Workshop on Contracting for Services and Memorandums of Agreement/Understanding

OTHER MEETING NOTICES 
World Water Monitoring Day October 18th
"Bayou SOS" Clean Up Event
Emerging Development Trends Forum
Pollution Prevention Workshops Teach Money-Saving Strategies
Homeland Security Issues for Small Water Systems

IN THIS ISSUE
H-GAC Downtown Public Spaces Improvements Program
H-GAC is pleased to announce our new Downtown Public Spaces Improvements Program.  Funds currently available through this program will be used to improve public spaces in the Downtown areas of communities in the H-GAC region. The program will benefit the region by making Downtown areas more attractive and increasing local economic vitality, sales tax and property values, while preserving and enhancing their architectural and cultural history.

Program requirements and other details, as well as an application, may be found on H-GAC's Community Resources webpage.

Please contact Chris McGowan at cmcgowan@h-gac.com with any questions.
Back to Top

Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Documents Online
Up to 38% of the waste stream in the H-GAC region is construction and demolition (C&D) waste.  It is estimated that up to 90% of C&D waste can be diverted from the landfill through reuse or recycling. 

In an effort to assist the H-GAC region in addressing the C&D issue, the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) has performed a Residential C&D Waste Study, consisting of three helpful documents. 

These reports offer:
Overview of C&D issues and best practices
Recycling, reuse and deconstruction options
Helpful planning, recycling and reuse hints for the construction site
Listing of recyclers, salvagers and contractors in the H-GAC area for C&D materials
Resources and references

Construction Waste Handbook (also available in Spanish) - A resource for builders, developers, contractors and community planners.

"Why This C&D Handbook is Important" - A quick reference guide for builders.

Residential C&D Waste Study - A detailed description of the waste stream audit performed by HARC.  In brief, the waste stream audit performed by HARC in cooperation with a local builder examined the waste produced during the construction of two very similar custom homes.  During construction of House 1, HARC measured the amount of C&D waste produced.  The construction of House 1 produced 85,242 pounds of waste, which was disposed of in the landfill.  During the construction of House 2, HARC and the builder employed waste reduction and re-use methods.  House 2 produced 87,556 pounds of waste, but 72,060 pounds were diverted from the landfill through on-site grinding and beneficial reuse of materials.  This represents and 82.3% reduction.

The full reports and additional resources can be found at http://www.recyclecddebris.com/. For more information contact Kelly Doyle 713-993-4566 or kdoyle@h-gac.com.
Back to Top 

Montrose one of 15 Areas in City to get Funding for Bicycle, Walk Plan 
A plan to add more pedestrian and bicycle amenities to Montrose has taken another step forward as partners in the project have narrowed a list of community suggestions down to 34 priorities. Those priorities include restoring bike lanes along major thoroughfares, adding street signage and crosswalk markings to warn motorists of pedestrians and bike riders, and reconstructing sidewalks to allow more room for pedestrians and to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council and consultants Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam held a public meeting to give residents a chance to further whittle down the priority list for the Montrose Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan. H-GAC is hoping to secure up to $3 million in federal funding for pedestrian and bike projects in Harris and surrounding counties by the end of the year. Montrose was one of 15 neighborhoods selected to receive part of that funding based on the large concentration of pedestrians and bicyclists who live in the area. The council hosted a pair of stakeholder and public meetings earlier in the summer to take suggestions from residents about improvements they want to see made. Residents were also asked to choose what they think are the five most necessary projects from the priority list.  H-GAC will then assess the feasibility of each of the recommended projects before making its final recommendations. To review the Montrose Plan, please visit http://www.livablemontrose.org/.
Back to Top 

Draft of Plan for Gulfton District to be Revealed to Residents, Leaders
The Gulfton District was selected among 20 candidate neighborhoods in Houston to receive some $3 million in seed money from Texas Department of Transportation funds, said Stella Gustavson, senior planner/project manager with Knudson & Associates. Knudson & Associates is an urban planning/economic development firm involved in the planning and eventual development of the Gulfton project. The $3 million in federal funding for the project could be available as early as February 2006. Other entities that would be involved in developing this project include the city of Houston, Harris County Precinct 3, Harris County Toll Road Authority and the Texas Department of Transportation. The plan for Gulfton is not designed for recreational bicycling, and infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists is not a luxury for this area's population, Raine said. "Gulfton residents walk and bike as part of daily survival, not for recreation," he said. "You won't see bike helmets or Lycra shorts on bicyclists in Gulfton; instead, you'll see folks riding to work and school".  "This community walks and uses the bicycle for transportation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They're looking to help their family and themselves."

To review the Gulfton Pedestrian-Bicyclist Plan, please visit http://www.gulftonwalkbike.org/.
Back to Top

Boating Access Grant Application Now Available 
The application can be requested from Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPWD) by emailing Rec.Grants@tpwd.state.tx.us and placing "boat ramp request" in the subject line or email your name and full address to receive a printed copy. The deadline for submitting a Boat Ramp application is October 31.
Back to Top 

Invitation to Comment on Parks Funding Options 
The Texas Recreation and Parks Account (TRPA) provides 50% matching funds to acquire property and/or develop outdoor and indoor public recreation facilities. State and Federal grant funds that support this program have been significantly reduced by actions of the Texas Legislature and U.S. Congress, respectively. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is asking for comments on several options for changes to regulations governing the TRPA. Current options include: limiting the Outdoor Program reviews to only one per fiscal year; reducing the maximum project grant share of $500,000 for the Outdoor Program; limiting the Community Outdoor Outreach Program reviews to only one per year; or, make no changes. TPWD is asking for comments to be submitted by October 15, 2005. Comments can be submitted to Tim Hogestt, Director, Recreation Grants Branch, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744 or email comments to Rec.Grants@tpwd.state.tx.us.
Back to Top 

College Recycling Competition begins Registration for 2006 Event 
RecycleMania, the annual college and university recycling competition, has opened registration for 2006. The 10-week waste-reduction competition is open to colleges and universities across the United States. Schools compete in different contests to see which can collect the largest amount of recyclables, generate the least amount of trash, and have the highest recycling rate. The 2006 competition will run from Jan. 29 through April 8. To register, go to http://www.recyclemaniacs.org/. Forty-six institutions participated in RecycleMania 2005, with Miami University of Ohio taking the first-place trophy. The primary goal of the event is to increase student awareness of campus recycling and waste minimization. RecycleMania began in February 2001 when two students from Ohio University and Miami University decided to tackle the challenge of increasing recycling in the dormitories and dining halls on their campuses.
Back to Top 

New Section 319 Nonpoint Source Success Stories Web Site Launched 
A new EPA Section 319 Nonpoint Source Success Stories Web site was recently launched.  The Web site features projects receiving grant funds from the Clean Water Act section 319 Nonpoint Source Program that have achieved documented water quality improvements, including the achievement of water quality standards and removal from state section 303(d) lists of impaired waters.  The Web site initially includes 18 stories, and an additional 10 new stories will be posted on the Web site in the next several weeks.  Please visit this new Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/nps/success/ .  For more information, contact Stacie Craddock at 202-566-1204 or by e-mail at raddock.stacie@epa.gov.
Back to Top 

Keep America Beautiful Issues Guide to Preventing Cigarette Litter 
Keep America Beautiful unveiled a guide to help communities address cigarette litter. The "Guide to Cigarette Litter Prevention" provides tools to help municipalities launch cigarette litter reduction initiatives. Keep America Beautiful and its affiliate's field-tested programs for three years in more than a dozen large and small communities. Cigarette butts, packaging and lighting material represent more than 20 percent of the litter collected in many community cleanup initiatives, according to Keep America Beautiful. Keep Genesee County Beautiful in Michigan, one of the affiliates using the guide, found more than 2,000 cigarette butts in a three-block area during a cleanup. Information on the program and the guide are available at http://www.kab.org/.
Back to Top 

Water Efficiency Factoid 
Outdoor water use accounts for an estimated 30% of domestic water use nationwide.   Much of this water (on average 25 to 30 gallons per person per day) is used to irrigate landscaped areas of homes and businesses.  Landscape irrigation varies widely by area of the country.  In the Northeast, it may account for 10% of total annual residential use, while in the Southwest; it can be over 70% of use.  In the summer months, irrigation water use increases dramatically, placing additional strains on the nation's water supply and treatment systems.   One way to reduce inefficient water use is to set and properly maintain automatic irrigation systems.  This means checking to see that sprinkler heads are functioning properly, that pipes are not leaking, and timers are set correctly.  A new product category, weather-based irrigation controllers, can be used in place of a clock timer.  These controllers use real-time or historic weather information to adjust irrigation automatically by plant type and can also be used with moisture sensors.  These devices have reduced irrigation water use by an average of about 20 to 30%.  More information about water efficiency and water efficient products can be found on EPA's Water Efficiency website http://www.epa.gov/owm/index.htm.
Back to Top 

Solid Waste Management Committee
October 26, 2005
H-GAC Conference Room C 
3555 Timmons, Houston, TX 77027
10:00am to noon

For more information, please contact Cheryl Mergo at 713-993-4520 or cmergo@h-gac.com.
Back to Top

Storm Debris Workshop on Contracting for Services and Memorandums of Agreement/Understanding
Due to the deployment of our scheduled speakers to aid in the recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Storm Debris Workshop on Contracting for Services and Memorandums of Agreement/Understanding has been RESCHEDULED.  This workshop was originally scheduled for October 25, 2005.

The Contracting workshop will now be combined with the January 18th Force Account Labor and Equipment workshop, and will run from 9am until 4pm.

Storm Debris Workshop: Contracting, Force Account Labor and Equipment
January 18, 2006
9am to 4pm
H-GAC Conference Room A 
3555 Timmons, Houston, TX 77027

This workshop will cover Contracting for Storm Debris Management Services, Memorandums of Agreement/Understanding, Force Account Labor, and Equipment.  We will send you official notice and further details of the workshop as the scheduled time approaches.

Thanks for your understanding while our speakers attend to the pressing needs of those affected by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, and please join us in wishing them well in their endeavors.  For more information, please contact Kelly Doyle at 713-993-4566 or kdoyle@h-gac.com.
Back to Top

OTHER MEETING NOTICE
World Water Monitoring Day October 18th 
World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is October 18th. The goal of WWMD is to create a network of individuals from around the world who represent all ages, backgrounds, creeds, faiths and ethnicities and who are willing to invest in the protection of their local waterways. This event presents an annual opportunity to increase citizen awareness about water quality monitoring by inviting them to participate first-hand in an educational monitoring experience anytime from September 18th through October 18th each year. You are invited to join this important global effort. Find on-line site registration, test kit orders, event resources and children's materials here, http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org/.  
Back to Top

The Bayou Preservation Association (BPA) will host a "Bayou SOS" Clean Up Event on Saturday, October 22 on Montrose Blvd at Westheimer. There will be T-shirts and other surprises along with refreshments. For further information contact Kathleen Ramsey (713 499-6653 or kathleen.ramsey@h-gac) or Mary Ellen Whitworth, Executive Director, BPA, at (713) 529-6443 or bpa@hic.net, or visit http://www.bayoupreservation.org/ .
Back to Top

Emerging Development Trends Forum
What are the economic and environmental benefits of emerging trends in sustainable development for the region? The North Houston Association, Houston Advanced Research Center and North Harris Montgomery Community College District (NHCMCCD) will host a forum to discuss this intriguing topic on Thursday, October 27, 2005 at the NHCMCCD Training & Development Center in The Woodlands at 5000 Research Forest Drive. There is no charge but seating is limited. Please RSVP to Paula.Lenz@north-houston.com .
Back to Top

Pollution Prevention Workshops Teach Money-Saving Strategies
TThe TCEQ has scheduled a workshop this fall to give you strategies for improving efficiency while decreasing or eliminating pollution. The workshop will be interactive, and will include many classroom exercises. Experts in pollution prevention (P2), environmental management systems (EMS), environmental regulations, and energy efficiency will help you use P2 strategies to improve your bottom line.

Workshop topics include pollution prevention requirements and how to develop and plan your P2 program. You will learn how to make your P2 plan a success, identify and remove barriers to P2, and engage management and employees. To learn more about the workshops or register online, please visit http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Diane Stallings at 512-239-6333.

Within the H-GAC region, the workshop location has scheduled:

October 27-28, 2005
University of Houston Small Business
Development Center
2302 Fannin, Suite 200
Back to Top

Homeland Security Issues for Small Water Systems
The Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas Cooperative Extension, Southeastern Technical Advisory Center and the Environmental Protection Agency have partnered to offer a "Homeland Security Issues for Small Water Systems" workshop on Oct. 28 in Houston. The workshop will provide information about homeland security issues to small water systems managers and is also designed to help small water systems with both short-term and long-term planning. The workshop will take place at the Extension office for Harris County, 3033 Bear Creek Dr., Houston. Registration starts at 8 a.m. The cost is $20, which includes lunch. For more information or to register, call the Texas Water Resources Institute at 979-845-1851 or go to http://water-workshop.tamu.edu/ .
Back to Top

To unsubscribe, add another subscriber or offer any comments on the e-newsletter, please e-mail cep_news@h-gac.com.
H-GAC Community and Environmental Update October2005
End of document 9.30.05