October

Involvement

This issue of H-GAC Regional Focus contains many opportunities for involvement in H-GAC's programs and services.

Whether you are in a large or small local government, are an elected official, staff professional, or interested citizen, there is something here for you.

H-GAC has a diverse membership.  For that reason, it is important that we provide many different services to meet the  needs of our region.

As you look over this issue, I hope you will  make plans to participate in at least one H-GAC proagram.  You will benefit and others will too.

Jack Steele
Executive Director

The Texas Department of Transportation and the Houston-Galveston Area Council invite you and your colleagues to attend the 2007 Project Development Workshop on Wednesday, November 7, 2007, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Wyndham Greenspoint Hotel, located at 12400 Greenspoint Drive, Houston, Texas 77060.

The cost to attend the all-day workshop is only $40.  For more information about Workshop Sponsorships and to register, call 713-993-2436, or email Gabriella.Villegas@h-gac.com or visit our web site.

Project development can often be challenging; this workshop will provide local governments, transportation and planning agencies, engineering firms, construction companies, and other consultants with knowledge and tools to manage and implement their projects more effectively.  Participants can earn five professional development hours (PDH) and one hour of ethics credit for attending.  Please join us!

County Planning Workshop: "A Goal without a Plan is Just a Wish"

The Houston-Galveston Area Council is requesting applications for FY2008 Solid Waste Implementation Grants.  Applications are due by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 8, 2007.  There will be a Grant Application Workshop on Thursday, October 18 at 2:00 p.m. The workshop will be held at the H-GAC offices on the second floor in Conference Room A.  Please RSVP via email to Hilde Leitenbacher (hleitenbacher@h-gac.com) if you plan to attend.  Grant applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the Grant Application Workshop.  

The application packet materials can be downloaded from our web site at www.h-gac.com/2008swgrants.

If you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to obtain a hard copy of the application packet, please contact the Solid Waste staff:

Cheryl Mergo, Solid Waste Program Manager, 713-993-4520, cmergo@h-gac.com
Amy Boyers, Senior Environmental Planner, 713-993-2441, aboyers@h-gac.com
Gena McKinley, Environmental Planner, 713-993-4529, gmckinley@h-gac.com
Christy Corse,  Environmental Information and Data Specialist, 832-681-2564, ccorse@h-gac.com
Hilde Leitenbacher, Environmental Planning Administrative Specialist, 713-993-4566, hleitenbacher@h-gac.com.

The second annual Regional Traffic Safety Planning Conference will highlight the safety issues facing our community and serve as a forum for communication among safety advocates across the state. Participants will learn up-to-date information on safety planning efforts, explore best practices for improving safety and discuss safety issues that need legislation or outside support.

Hot Topics Include:

• DWI Enforcement in Harris County
• Traffic Safety Engineering
• Pedestrian, Bicyclist and Child Safety
• Reducing DUI/DWI Crashes
• Improving Freight Safety
• Reducing Aggressive Driving
• Improving Safety Information Systems

2007 Regional Traffic Safety Planning Conference
Thursday, October 18, 2007
University of Houston Hilton Hotel
Conrad Hilton Main Ballroom

Click here for more information, including agenda and registration details.

The H-GAC Clean Rivers Program is expanding its ambient water quality monitoring coverage.  H-GAC staff will be monitoring 30 additional sites in areas where there has been very little or no monitoring in the past.  New areas covered include:

    San Bernard River Watershed
    West end of Buffalo Bayou Watershed
    West end of Cypress Creek Watershed
    Lake Creek Watershed
    Spring Creek Watershed
    West Fork San Jacinto River
    East Fork San Jacinto River
    Caney Creek
    Peach Creek
    Luce Bayou Watershed
    Cedar Bayou Watershed
    Halls Bayou

Monitoring will be conducted on a quarterly basis.  Sampling will include routine field parameters and observations, conventional lab parameters, bacteria, nutrients and flow where appropriate.  Sampling began on October 1.  So, if you see a vehicle with an H-GAC placard on the side and flashing yellow lights parked near a stream in your area, please slow down and say hello--and if you stop, you just might get a chance to help!
 
If you have questions or want to get detailed locations of the monitoring sites and a detailed parameter list contact Jean Wright at jean.wright@h-gac.com or call 713-499-6660.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will be initiating a series of public meetings focused on Total Maximum Daily Load Projects (TMDL) for elevated bacteria levels in impaired water bodies throughout the region. Bacteria TMDL projects aim to define the maximum amount of E. coli that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards.

Click here for a listing of all the meeting dates, times and locations.

Each public meeting will provide background information on the specific watershed that the meetings are addressing and present the monitoring planned to quantify the bacteria entering the water body.  Meeting format will include an open house for approximately three hours, including one hour of technical presentations.  Open house segments will include booths from TCEQ Water Quality Standards, TCEQ TMDL Program, TCEQ Small Business Program, and H-GAC.  Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board will participate in meetings associated with Lake Houston and its tributaries.

Food Security and Sustainable Prosperity

Food Security and Sustainable Prosperity
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The Crystal Ballroom at the Rice Lofts
909 Texas Street
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

H-GAC is teaming up with the Gulf Coast Institute to host a conference on local food.  Local farmers play a key role in the safety of our food supply, and help preserve the quality of life in many of our rural counties.  Local producers are also supporting our regional economy as more people turn to buying local foods, fueling the resurgence of farmers' markets across the region.  Many farmers are also capitalizing on the growing trend of cultural tourism and provide opportunities for picking local fruits and pumpkins and spending a weekend on the farm.

How our region grows will directly affect our local farmers, the security of our food supply and local economies.  As more and more small farms are converted to residential subdivisions, we will be faced with challenges in balancing growth with the need to sustain agriculture as a viable part of our regional economy.

A light breakfast and a buffet lunch will be served at the conference. All of the food for the conference will be locally grown.

The conference will be held in the Crystal Ballroom at the Rice Lofts, located at 909 Texas Street.

This program is sponsored by H-GAC's Gulf Coast Economic Development District and Gulf Coast Small Business Finance Corporation.  Chuck Wemple and Jeff Taebel will be representing H-GAC at the conference and presenting an inventory of local food from the H-GAC region and discussing how our current growth patterns may impact our local farmers and the sustainability of our local food supply.

Responsible Rights: Government in the Sunshine
Bayland Community Center
6400 Bissonnet
Houston, TX 77074
October 18, 2007
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Responsible Rights: Government in the Sunshine is a traveling symposium designed to develop and enhance understanding of the changing landscape of open government.  It is directed toward the general public, elected officials, government employees and representatives of the media. The course materials have been approved by the Office of the Attorney General as meeting the requirements for open government training for public officials.  Presenters from the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and the Office of the Attorney General will conduct the seminars.

The Houston seminar will be held at Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, 77074, on October 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Materials may be picked up beginning at 8:30 a.m.  Each seminar is divided into two sections: the Texas Public Information Act in the morning and Texas Open Meetings Act in the afternoon.  The fee is $65 for the full day, including lunch; $40 for the morning sessions only, 9:00 a.m. -11:45 a.m.; and $35 for the afternoon session only, 1:00p.m. - 3:00 p.m.  Full day registration also includes a one-year membership to the FOIFT that has the benefits of a subscription to the FOI Focus and online access to the FOIFT Handbook.  Advance registration is required due to limited space.  Registration is available on the FOIFT Web site, www.foift.org, or by contacting the FOIFT office, 214-977-6658.  Registration deadline is one week prior to seminar.