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Honorees Recognized at Water Innovation Strategies of Excellence Awards Ceremony
H-GAC recognized outstanding projects and programs during the Water Innovations Strategies of Excellence (WISE) Awards ceremony in September.
2026 Honorees include:
Awards
- Completed Effort (Less Than $200,000 - Tie): Sugar Land Memorial Park Butterfly Garden and Pavilion, a project by the City of Sugar Land
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Completed Effort (Less Than $200,000 - Tie): Lawson Bioswales, a project by the Office of Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis
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Education and Public Awareness: Wetlands Ecology Program, Liquid Science Program, and Back to the Bay Program, projects by the City of Baytown
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Program Performance: Katy Prairie Conservation, a project by the Coastal Prairie Conservancy
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Research and Monitoring: Citizen Science: Marine Debris Auditing, a project by the Galveston Bay Foundation
Special Recognition
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Infrastructure and Maintenance Operations Improvements: Smart Irrigation Project, a project by the City of West University Place
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Planning For Sustainable Resource Management: Seed & Serve Community Garden, a project by Seed & Serve Community Garden
The WISE Awards program is overseen by H-GAC's Natural Resource Advisory Committee. This program recognizes and celebrates projects, programs, and individuals using innovative strategies to protect and improve water resources in the Houston-Galveston region.
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H-GAC Accepting Reservations for Fall and Winter Legal Clinics
H-GAC’s Elder Justice Program is taking reservations through March 2027 from senior programs, community centers, churches, and non-profits interested in hosting free Advance Planning Legal Clinics for seniors 65+.
The four-session clinic helps educate attendees on the legal documents needed to safeguard assets and preserve independence in the face of physical and/or mental decline.
Legal documents covered are:
- Statutory Durable (Financial) Power of Attorney
- Medical Power of Attorney
- Mental Health Power of Attorney
- Advance Directive to Physicians and Family (aka Living Will)
- Do Not Resuscitate Orders (advice only; requires physician to issue)
- Advance Declaration of Guardian
- Disposition of Remains
Sessions are scheduled for four consecutive weeks. Seniors who attend the two mandatory educational sessions, timely submit information and return for the scheduled notary signing will receive attorney-drafted, fully executed legal documents ($1,5000 value) free-of-charge.
Note: Requires a minimum of 10 participants.
Interested in booking a presentation or hosting an Advance Planning Legal Clinic? Contact Helen Malveaux, Senior Program Attorney, at 346-500-4594.
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H-GAC Offers Customizable Storm Debris Response, Preparation Templates
H-GAC provides a set of customizable debris-related public information messages and templates. These outreach templates and tools are designed for local governments and other partners to customize and use to provide information to communities and residents before, during, and after debris-generating events, such as floods, wildfires, or hurricanes.
The graphics and messages are available in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese and can be downloaded from H-GAC's Disaster Debris Cleanup and Management Resources web page.
Additional tools are available, such as debris separation flyers and videos, public information / news release templates; tips for setting up a call center; and resources from other agencies.
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Area Agency on Aging Offers Free Benefits Counseling
H-GAC's Area Agency on Aging program offers Benefits Counseling Days each month across the region. During these free, in-person events, attendees can meet with a Certified Benefits Counselor to discuss Medicare, Medicaid, and Advance Directives and receive personalized guidance.
Assistance is available to anyone eligible for Medicare, regardless of age, and their caregivers. The H-GAC Area Agency on Aging serves Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller, and Wharton counties.
Dates and locations are listed online.
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2026 Houston Regional Air Quality Summit – October 8 (In Person)
The Houston Regional Air Quality Summit will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, October 8, at the University of Houston Alumni Center, 3204 Cullen Blvd., Houston.
The 2026 summit will bring together community members, policymakers, industry leaders, and youth advocates to explore solutions for cleaner air across the Houston-Galveston region.
The cost to attend is $25, and registration is required.
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Brays & Sims Bayou Watershed Partnership Meeting – October 14 (Hybrid)
H-GAC, in partnership with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), will hold the fourth meeting of the Brays and Sims Bayou Watershed Partnership from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 14, at Johnson Neighborhood Library, 3517 Reed Road, Houston, and on Zoom.
Registration is requested to attend in person. Registration is required to attend online.
Participation will allow stakeholders to be involved in the development of a Watershed Protection Plan. This plan will outline locally supported, voluntary strategies to improve water quality by reducing sources of pollution in Brays and Sims Bayou and its tributaries.
For more information, contact Cornell Evans Jr. at 713-499-6666.
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Area Agency on Aging Roadshow – October 21 (In Person)
H-GAC will host an event to share information about aging services available across the region. The Area Agency on Aging Community Roadshows offer community members the opportunity to learn more about services available to older adults and caregivers.
Colorado County - 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, October 21
Oak Bluff Village
1513 Montezuma Street
Columbus
Additional roadshows will be planned later this year.
Learn more about the H-GAC Area Agency on Aging programs online.
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Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable – October 27 (In Person)
The next Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable will be 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, October 27, at the Tomball Community Center, 221 Market Street, Tomball.
Networking and check in will begin at 9:30 a.m., with the program beginning at 10 a.m.
Speakers from Tomball will showcase how their downtown has grown and developed in the past 10 years and will highlight the importance of collaboration. The first H-GAC Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable was hosted in Tomball in October 2015.
The Bringing Back Main Street initiative offers local communities a place to share best practices and engage in a regional dialogue about revitalizing and supporting vibrant downtown spaces. Each quarter, community leaders gather for a roundtable on topics ranging from small business support to sidewalk infrastructure.
Registration is requested, but not required, to attend. For more information, contact Andrea Tantillo.
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Bacteria Implementation Group Fall Meeting – October 27 (Hybrid)
The Bacteria Implementation Group Fall Meeting will be from 1 to 3 p.m., Tuesday, October 27, at H-GAC second floor conference rooms B and C, and on Zoom.
Light refreshments will be served.
Registration is requested to attend in person and required to attend online.
For more information, contact Steven Johnston.
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Thriving Communities Housing Transportation Group Assistance Session – October 29 (In Person)
H-GAC is hosting a free HUD Thriving Communities Housing Transportation Group Assistance Session Thursday, October 29, at H-GAC. The session will be from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with a break for lunch on your own.
Discussions, geared toward local government staff, elected officials, and university faculty and staff, will explore how to support local partners in developing a shared understanding of the relationship between housing and transportation, clarify common challenges, and align around regional priorities.
This free Technical Assistance is provided through the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Thriving Communities Technical Assistance (TCTA) Program and in collaboration with H-GAC.
Space is limited, and registration is required.
For more information, contact Jose Cantu.
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Houston Area GIS Day – November 18-20 (In Person)
See how location can turn data into insight at the 2026 Houston Area GIS Day November 18-20 at the Houston City College West Loop Campus, 5601 W Loop S., Houston. Houston Area GIS Day is a three-day celebration of Geographic Information Systems for local GIS professionals, universities, high school students, and teachers.
This year’s activities include:
- Cutting-edge GIS tools demos
- Hands-on workshops
- College and University GIS Program Exhibitors
- Geospatial Exhibitors and Vendors
- Student GIS Activities and Games and More!
Tickets for the expo and workshops are available online. University student discount tickets are available. For more information, contact Molly Eskelson.
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Annual Planning Workshop – December 8 (Online)
Save the date for the Annual Planning Workshop from 9 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, December 8, on Zoom. Registration is required.
H-GAC’s Annual Planning Workshop brings together local governments, planners, and community partners to learn from subject-matter experts, explore case studies, and exchange practical, achievable ideas for the H-GAC region.
For more than 16 years, this free event has delivered timely topics, community planning best practices, and real-world solutions attendees can apply in their communities. Designed for local governments, community members, neighborhood leaders, planners, city staff, nonprofit partners, and students, each year’s workshop focuses on current planning challenges and innovative approaches tailored to local needs.
For more information, contact Amanda Ashcroft. Additional details will be posted online as they become available.
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Green Infrastructure for Texas Offers Free Class
Green Infrastructure for Texas provides a free online course, Introduction to Green Infrastructure, designed for professionals involved in community development, infrastructure planning, and environmental management. This self-paced course is available for users to take a closer look at tools and skills for local communities' green infrastructure needs.
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Clean Coast Texas Collaborative Green Infrastructure Workshop – October 7
The Clean Coast Texas Collaborative will host a free Green Infrastructure Workshop from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 7, at the Palacios Educational Pavilion, 693 S. Bay Blvd., Palacios.
There is no cost to attend. However, seating is limited, and registration is required.
Learn about nature-based practices to clean and conserve stormwater for people and wildlife at any scale: business or home, urban/suburban or industrial, local or regional. Local elected officials, municipal representatives, county staff, landowners, and facilities managers will benefit from attending. Speakers will focus on the why and the how of green infrastructure practices.
AICP CMs and TFMA CFMs are available.
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Build Freedom Summit – October 20-22
The Build Freedom Summit, a national conference for the leaders building America’s manufacturing and defense workforce, will be October 20-22 at the Galveston Island Convention Center, 5600 Seawall Blvd., Galveston.
The Summit offers two full days of programming (October 20–21), followed by a Career Expo on October 22.
Registration for the two-day summit is required, with prices increasing on October 19. Registration for the Career Expo, hosted by the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, is required and free.
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Greater Houston Environmental Summit – October 23-24
The Citizens Environmental Coalition (CEC) will host the 2026 Greater Houston Environmental Summit: Fostering Resilience in Community October 23-24 at United Way of Greater Houston, 50 Waugh Drive, Houston. This year’s summit brings together local leaders, changemakers, and community voices to build shared power, align strategies, and drive real solutions. For more information, including an agenda and tickets, visit the 2026 Greater Houston Environmental Summit webpage.
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National Prescription Drug Take Back – October 24
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 24. Check the DEA website in early October for area drop-off locations and year-round pharmaceutical disposal locations. The collection event provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications and environmental contamination. Law enforcement agencies interested in hosting a collection site should call the point of contact for this area.
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Bayou Preservation 2026 Fall Symposium Series – October 28
The next Bayou Preservation Symposium, Confluence: Where Ideas and Practice Meet, will be from 10 to noon Wednesday, October 28, at the United Way of Greater Houston, 50 Waugh Drive, Houston.. Tickets can be purchased online.
Confluence: Where Ideas and Practice Meet is Bayou Preservation's biannual educational series, now in its 23rd year. Each program convenes professionals across engineering, planning, landscape architecture, conservation, and environmental fields for a cross-sector conversation around timely challenges shaping Houston's future. This session's topic is Houston's Urban Drainage System.
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Galveston Economic Development Summit – October 29
The Galveston Economic Development Summit will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, October 29, at the Galveston Island Convention Center, 5600 Seawall Blvd., Galveston.. Each year, this event brings together leaders from business, government, education, and community sectors to share ideas and discuss innovative strategies for sustainable economic growth in Galveston and the region. Registration is required. Tickets are available online. Sponsorship and exhibitor information is also available.
For information, contact Kelsey Malan at 409-770-0216.
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Texas Downtown Conference – November 1-4
The 2026 Texas Downtown Conference will be November 1-4 in Amarillo. The annual conference includes networking, field sessions, and educational workshops highlighting new ideas, inspiration, and innovation for municipal and county staff working to shape the future of downtowns across Texas.
Reistration is $610 for members and $775 for non-members.
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America Recycles Day – November 15
For more than two decades, communities have come together on November 15 to celebrate America Recycles Day.
Find tools for organizing or attending special events.
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Compiled from daily digests from Community Impact News and KPRC
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Funding Sources
H-GAC's Community and Environmental Planning Department maintains a list of ongoing funding opportunities for parks improvements, conservation projects, active transportation projects, and downtown revitalization projects. H-GAC also provides a Funding Resources Hub with the Funding Development Program and a listing of many funding opportunities for individuals, local governments, organizations, and others.
If you know of a funding opportunity, forward it to Andrea Tantillo.
All content, including links to websites on these funding lists, is for informational purposes only. Users of this content are responsible for checking its accuracy, currency, and suitability.
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Unless otherwise noted, all meetings scheduled at H-GAC are at 3555 Timmons Lane, Houston, Texas.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, H-GAC will provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities attending H-GAC functions. Requests should be received 72 business hours prior to the function. Contact the meeting organizer to make arrangements.
Banner Photo: Pleasure Pier on Galveston Island. Photo by Gabriel Fedee.
Would you like us to consider featuring your municipality, program, or regional photo on the C&E Planning Update banner? Just forward your picture to Andrea Tantillo, along with some information about the subject and the photographer, and you might see it in a future month's newsletter.
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