The Houston-Galveston Area Council reminds everyone that the Federal Fair Housing Act makes discrimination in housing against the law. In any decision regarding rental, sales or lending, it is illegal to consider race, color, national origin, sex, disability or family status. The H-GAC Board of Directors recognizes April as Fair Housing Month.

If you feel your fair housing rights have been violated, all complaints and comments should be addressed to the local office of U.S. Housing and Urban Development at 713-718-3199. 

There will be two identical sessions for this seminar and attendance is limited. Online registration is required; the profile created will only be used to communicate regarding this meeting.

Monday, May 2, 2011

9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
     or
5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
 

Each session will be held at H-GAC Conference Room A, second floor.

Public Meetings Scheduled for Regional Goods Movement Study

H-GAC has undertaken the Regional Goods Movement Study which will be used to develop a Plan for a safe and efficient goods movement system that will enhance freight mobility and economic competitiveness while mitigating the community impacts of goods movement.

Four public meetings will be conducted and we need your participation! These meetings will include a panel of private sector freight stakeholders and community leaders addressing community concerns and providing insight into the local freight operations, as well as an appearance by America's Road Team and the "Share the Road" Program, sponsored by the American Trucking Association.
 

Please plan to attend one of these important meetings to provide your input and voice your concerns on our regional freight network. Can't find a babysitter? No problem; H-GAC will be providing a kid's coloring station, with a prize given to the participants that color our Freight Commodity Color Sheet. To learn more, please visit our website. 

H-GAC invites participation in a public meeting regarding safety and mobility improvements to Business FM 1960. The study area encompasses BF 1960 (old Business 1960), which runs from FM 1960 just west of Lee Road in Houston and along 1st Street in Downtown Humble to FM 1960 east of Humble. The study will identify short-term transportation improvements and long-term solutions.

An open house meeting will be held to introduce the study goals and receive public feedback:

Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Humble Civic Center, Ballroom 3
8233 Will Clayton Parkway
Humble, TX 77338
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

H-GAC representatives will be available at this meeting to answer questions. For more information about access management, visit www.h-gac.com, and click on the Transportation and Air Quality section. 

Terence O'Neill and Jack Steele with Fresh Air Friday Proclamation

On Friday, April 8, Houstonians gathered at Jones Plaza at the eighth annual Fresh Air Friday: A Picnic on the Plaza event hosted by H-GAC. Attendees learned about clean air programs that promote the use of alternative fuels, clean-engine technology and commute alternatives. Speakers included H-GAC Executive Director Jack Steele, METRO President and CEO George Greanias, and City of Houston Director of International Affairs, Terence O'Neill.

With Ozone season underway (March 1 - October 31), warmer temperatures contribute to increased levels of ground-level ozone. More than 1,500 attendees were encouraged to declare an action for clean air such as recycling, trying a commute alternative or conserving energy. 

At the event, attendees received free health screenings from Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Fresh Air Friday's exclusive medical partner, and danced to live jazz music from the Stephen Richard Band while enjoying food and beverages from popular Houston restaurants. Prizes were also awarded throughout the event.

More information can be found at www.cleanairaction.org.

Resource conservation is about more than saving the environment. As budgets get leaner it becomes more important to utilize existing resources to get the word out about environmental protection. Join us at the next Environmental Roundtable as we discuss and discover quality materials to make your shrinking budgets go further.

May 10, 2011
9:30 a.m. - Noon

H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor
3555 Timmons Lane
Houston, Texas 77027

Please note, a 30 minute networking period starts at 9:30 a.m. The program starts at 10:00 a.m.

There is NO COST to attend this roundtable. Please RSVP by May 5, 2011.

For more information or to RSVP please email Kristi Corse at kristi.corse@h-gac.com.

The 18th annual River, Lakes, Bays 'N Bayous Trash Bash® held on Saturday, March 26, 2011, was a huge success!  The weather was perfect, attracting  a record number of volunteers. More than 6,700 folks came out to clean-up trash and debris and to learn how they can protect their local waterways all year long. 

Trash Bash® participants collected 132,815 pounds of trash (66 tons) along 176 miles of shoreline at 17 different clean up sites.  Volunteers also collected more than 617 tires for proper disposal and recycled approximately 5,737 pounds of material.  Educational displays and activities were provided at each site and continue to be an important part of our event each year. 

The H-GAC 2010 Aerial Imagery is now available to the general public online. If you are interested in acquiring the entire data set or individual Lambert imagery tiles in 1-foot pixel resolution, please click here.

H-GAC's Geographic Data Committee (GDC) is gearing up for the next round of digital aerial imagery acquisition in 2012. In 2011 H-GAC will be going out for bid, selecting vendors and garnering financial support from agencies who desire to take part in the update.

Please consider attending our GDC meetings held the first Wednesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at H-GAC Conference Room A, second floor. Many of the upcoming meetings will include discussions on the imagery topic. This will also provide a forum for your agency to express its desire to cost-share on your portion of the H-GAC coverage area. The more cost-share participation we receive, the lower the cost for each participant.

For more information contact Robert LaBarbera. 

H-GAC currently manages a suite of business loan programs including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Small Business Administration 504, and the Economic Development Administration Revolving Loan Fund.

The Drayage Loan Program helps short haul trucking companies/owner-operators purchase fuel-efficient and cleaner running trucks. For more information, please visit www.hgacdrayageloan.com.

The SBA 504 Loan Program provides long-term business expansion financing for real estate, construction, and equipment purchases. Additional information is available online at www.h-gac.com/go/sba.

The EDA Revolving Loan Fund assists businesses impacted by Hurricane Ike. Visit www.gcedd.org for more information.


Anyone interested in applying for a loan or getting more information should contact Paula Bowden at 832-681-2512 for the Drayage Loan Program, Devin Holum for the SBA 504 Loan Program at 832-681-2592, or contact Stephanie Ellis at 877-354-4264 for the EDA Revolving Loan Fund.