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Houston Housing Market Differs from Nation's

This is the conclusion of the Federal Reserve Bank--Houston Branch in a recent report on the Houston economy.  The report notes the "significant headwind" that the ongoing housing downturn has provided the U.S. economy but highlights that Houston's story is quite different primarily because land use is not as restricted in Houston as it is in higher costs regions.  In other words, the laws of supply and demand work and work well in Houston.

Read this article at this link.  (PDF)

Debating Land Use in Houston:  Two Different Approaches

Should land use in Houston be more restrictive than it currently is?  Two perspectives on this and related issues will be discussed at a special meeting on February 26th sponsored by Houstonians for Responsible Growth, Blueprint Houston and the Gulf Coast Institute. 

On one side: David Crossley, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Institute and Arthur Nelson, Professor of Planning and Urban Affairs at Virginia Tech University

On the other side: former Mayor Bob Lanier and public policy expert Wendell Cox of Demographia.

FEBRUARY 26, 2008 at the George R. Brown Convention Center
5:30-7:00 p.m.
Admission is free

Registration begins at 5:00pm

Please go to www.houstongrowth.org/rsvp
to RSVP and reserve your tickets.

Parking available in Convention Center/ Hotel garage on Polk/Avenida de Las Americas.
 

For Harris County Bonds & Constitutional Amendment 12

The West Houston Association has endorsed the 2007 Harris County Bond Propositions 1 through 6 that will be presented to voters of Harris County on November 6, 2007.  We urge members of the Association to become familiar with and support the propositions because of their crucial importance to the future of county.  Members are encouraged to communicate their support of the proposals to their employees.

The Association is supporting these propositions as a means of expanding and improving critical infrastructure not only in Greater West Houston but throughout the county.  These proposals will improve the quality of life for all Harris County citizens.

For Constitutional Amendment Proposition 12--Highway Bonds

The West Houston Association has endorsed Texas Constitutional Amendment Proposition 12 which authorizes the issuance of up to $5 billion in Texas state general obligation bonds for highways in Texas.  We urge members of the Association to familiarize themselves with this important statewide matter and express their support for the proposition.  A vote on this measure is on the statewide ballot November 6.

This proposition will allow the next session of the State Legislature to authorize bonds for highway improvements in the state.  Although the state highway program is mostly funded by dedicated tax revenue, the traditional sources which the Legislature has chosen not to increase, have not kept up with the growing demands of the system.  The bonds proposed will be repaid from general revenue on which a constitutionally imposed limit of 5% of uncommitted revenue.  The current state debt is below 2%.

WEst houston plan 2050 Symposium on the future of greater west houston

presentations available

Presentations by Symposium speakers are available at www.WestHouston.org.  Click on the link to the Symposium at our home page.  A DVD is of the Symposium is also available.  Order form here.

aSSOCIATION BOARD WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS FOR 2007

Wilbur Smith Associates |  Moody National Bank  |  Simon Property Group  |  Brown and Caldwell

McDade, Smith, Gould, Johnston, Mason + Company  |  HEB Grocery Company

Legislature Wins Some, Loses Some on Toll Roads

List of Potential TxDOT/Harris County Projects included in Plan      

Map of Projects included in Plan

The 80th State Legislature passed Senate Bill 792 (Copy of Fiscal Note to 792) dealing in part with the construction of toll roads around the state.  While the target of 792 seemed to be comprehensive development agreements (CDAs) between TxDOT and private sector entities, some potential Harris County Toll Roads got caught in the crossfire.

In this legislation several Harris County roadways were exempted or grandfathered from the provisions in 792 that placed a two-year moratorium on toll road projects around the state:

• extension into downtown of Hardy Toll Road, HUS 290 corridor toll lanes,

• SH 288, Fairmont Parkway,

• South Post Oak Extension;

• Westpark Toll Road extension to FM 1623,

• Fort Bend Parkway SH 6 to the Brazos River, and

• Beltway 8 East

The state moratorium is lifted on September 1, 2009.

The hottest projects in Harris County were grandfathered, with the exemption of the hottest of all, the Grand Parkway. 

In a deal only some of our elected officials in Austin could conjure up, the Grand Parkway could sit in limbo, or in a "market valuation" study phase for up to four years.  During this period the study and agreement on "terms and conditions" by TxDOT, Local County and the MPO (the Transportation Policy Council) is required.  The MPO is involved in this process until August 31, 2009.  TxDOT and the Local County have another 2 years to reach agreement on terms and conditions.  A copy of SB 792 is available at this link.

An Earlier Story on The TxDOT-Harris County Toll Deal

Gary Trietsch briefed the West Houston Association Board of Directors March 27th on the newly developed agreement between the Texas Department of Transportation and Harris County which may likely lead to the development of $21 billion in new tolled and non-tolled roadways in the Houston region.

Gary Trietsch announced details of the agreement between TxDOT and Harris County for $21 billion in toll and non-tolled roadway projects to be implemented over the next 20 to 30 years, mentioning that Transportation Commissioner Ned Holmes would like to have the projects done in ten years.

This agreement is a new approach for TxDOT and is not duplicated anywhere else in the state according to Gary Trietsch.  It precludes TxDOT from contracting with a private sector firm through a CDA and preempts the creation of a so called regional mobility authority.  In essence, local control is retained.

He said the agreement, which will require further review, was preliminarily agreed upon by local and state authorities and should be finalized within one year.  It calls upon TxDOT to undertake all planning and environmental work and for Harris County Toll Authority to handle all right-of-way, construction, operations and maintenance. 

Legislation to facilitate this agreement will be considered in this session of the Texas Legislature.

Many of the projects are located outside of Harris County and other local government partners such as Fort Bend and Montgomery County will be brought into the agreement now or as the projects come on line.

The estimated total cost of the 56 projects covered by this agreement is $21 billion.  Toll revenue projects will account for $14.6 billion and non-toll revenue projects will account for $6.4 billion.  The revenue potential for all of the projects is unknown at this time.  Essentially, the latter number reflects the payment or concession to TxDOT which, in turn, will be used within the region on the non-tolled projects listed in the agreement.  This amount will be paid out over time as the non-tolled projects are planned and constructed and will not be an upfront payment.

All funding for these projects is over and above current and future TxDOT funding for projects in the Houston District.  Harris County Toll Authority is said to have an approximate $700 million per year funding capability.   The agreement will enable Harris County to undertake the projects directly through the Toll Authority or in partnership with other local governments or the private sector.

Several projects in West Houston included in the agreement are: the Grand Parkway; US 290 and Hempstead Toll Road; the extension of the managed use lanes on I-10 from SH 6 west to Sealy.

WHA Encourages Local Government Intervention in to Houston SIP Lawsuit in the 5th Circuit

Read Issue & Background Paper at this Link

NEW Harris County and Fort Bend County Commissioners Courts have voted to authorize intervention in the suit to halt Houston's SIP.

The West Houston Association is joining with other organizations in the greater Houston area to  request that local governments consider filing a motion to intervene in a very important lawsuit recently filed in the Federal Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit . The lawsuit seeks to overturn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of the Houston area’s current federal 1-hour ozone air quality state implementation plan.

If the suit is successful, all federal funding for road, highway and mass transportation projects may be suspended or diverted to other regions of Texas until such time as a replacement plan is approved by EPA. A steady stream of federal funding is critically important to local efforts to address acute mobility problems. If the flow of federal funds is cut off or disrupted, the citizens of Harris County will suffer costly and needless delays in our area’s roadway and transit capacity projects, in addition to having to deal with other unnecessary restrictions to their mobility.

The lawsuit was filed by an environmental organization against EPA, and no local governmental entity is a party. If no local governmental entity intervenes, the residents of this region would potentially be faced with dictates from a settlement agreement between a federal government agency and a single environmental organization without any local or state government involved in the process.

If a government decides to file a motion to intervene, it would be best to do so prior to January 6 (within 60 days of the date on which the lawsuit was filed). If the intervention is granted, entities will likely be invited to participate in mediation talks that are expected on the matter.

This is not, in our view, a matter of clean air versus pollution. The West Houston Association and its members support clean air and responsible environmental policies. We believe we can achieve both growth and reduced emissions. In fact, data indicate that the Houston area is reducing ozone forming emissions from motor vehicles and will continue to rapidly reduce emissions from motor vehicles as newer vehicles work into the system.

West Houston Association Participates in Opportunity Houston

The Executive Committee of the West Houston Association has pledged $5,000 to the region's economic development and marketing program, Opportunity Houston.  The Association will become a strategic partner in promoting the Greater Houston region.  This project of the Greater Houston Partnership is a 10 year, $40 million campaign to help create 600,000 jobs; promote capital investment of $60 billion; and increase foreign trade to $225 billion.

WHA Endorses November 7 City of Houston Bond and Proposition Election

The West Houston Association Executive Committee has endorsed the City of Houston November 7th $625 million bond election and Propositions G and H.  Members of the Association are urged to carefully review the proposed measures and express their support in this critical election.

The bond election, the first since 2001, will not require a tax increase and will finance capital improvements through 2013.  If approved by voters, the bonds will be used in the following areas:

Proposition G provides that "enterprise fund expenditures" or City expenditures supported directly by user fees such as the airport fund will have no preset revenue limitations resulting from the passage of the cap on expenditures.  We feel expenditures supported by user fees result from the direct use of a particular City activity.  These revenues reflect demand for that service or system and allow for capital and operation investments to expand the systems and improve efficiency.  Fees levied upon that use is the fairest form of public funding--only those that use the service pay for it.  It is inconsistent to place arbitrary limitations on expenditures designed to support that demand.  Visit http://www.voteforpropg.com/facts for additional information on this proposition

Proposition H allows for the expenditure of up to $90 million above the revenue cap for public safety matters such a police and fire protection. 

The Association is directly supporting Citizens to Keep Houston Strong, a group supporting passage of the propositions.

West Houston Association Participates in Opportunity Houston

The Executive Committee of the West Houston Association has pledged $5,000 to the region's economic development and marketing program, Opportunity Houston.  The Association will become a strategic partner in promoting the Greater Houston region.  This project of the Greater Houston Partnership is a 10 year, $40 million campaign to help create 600,000 jobs; promote capital investment of $60 billion; and increase foreign trade to $225 billion.

Stormwater Management Study

The Association represented on the Urban Stormwater Management Study Stakeholders Committee as it advises on the new study being financed by Harris County Flood Control, Texas Department of Transportation and the City of Houston.  The Study goals are to:

• increase understanding of flooding and drainage issues
• improve stormwater management in the entire watershed
• develop better public projects
• improve public understanding and confidence

The Association heavily encouraged the HCFCD to undertake the study when it was in its formative stages after District Director Mike Talbot announced his initiative to look for local partners in the study.

Roger Hord, president of the Association, will represent the Association on this committee.

Roger Hord, president of the West Houston Association, has been appointed by the Texas Transportation Commission to the Trans-Texas Corridor Citizens Advisory Committee.  Hord was one of 21 appointments made by the Commission from the State of Texas.  The Committee will assist in developing major transportation and utility corridors the state plans to build in coming decades.