Howdy WHA Members!
The Texas primaries are behind us, but the election cycle is still going strong. You can read more about the results from the Texas Tribune. Two particularly interesting races for West Houston include the Republican primary runoff between Shelley Barineau and Mano DeAyala for HD 133 formerly held by Jim Murphy as well as the Democratic primary runoff between Lesley Briones and Ben Chou for the recently redistricted Harris County Precinct 4, where the winner will face incumbent Jack Cagle.
Speaking of redistricting, the City of Houston has just started its redistricting process which would change the boundaries of the lettered single-member districts for the 2023 municipal election. Meanwhile, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan issued interim committee charges. Quite a few of these are on the radar of the WHA Government Affairs committee which is actively reviewing the charges and watching to see what develops.
This month is packed full of committee meetings and kicking off the new cohort of WHA Rising Leaders. The Flood Control & Drainage Committee is meeting on April 11th, the Sustainable Infrastructure Committee is visiting Bridgeland to learn about the bioswales on April 12th, the Education and Workforce Committee is meeting on April 13th and will include a speaker discussing the Spring Branch ISD bond election, the Regional Mobility Committee is meeting on April 18th, the Quality Planned Development Committee is touring Cross Creek Ranch on April 21st, and the Parks, Recreation, Open Spaces Committee is meeting April 26th. In between all of that, the seventh WHA Rising Leaders class will start up on April 22. If you would like to be added to the email list or calendar invites for any committees, or if you have questions about being part of Rising Leaders, just let us know.
We have two events for WHA members in May. On May 20th, Howard Hughes Corporation is hosting a panel discussion with the author of The Nature Fix, Florence Williams, and a panel of parks and outdoor experts to discuss the restorative benefits of nature. Then on May 26th, WHA Rising Leaders are hosting the Who’s Your Caddy Topgolf Tournament. Sponsorships and teams are filling up fast and this will likely be another sellout event. Register soon if you want to be part of the fun!
Also, on April 9th, I will be speaking at the Eagle Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Banquet addressing the question “Does urban growth equal rural growth?” Spoilers: short answer, “yes” with an “if.” Long answer, “no” with a “but.” I welcome you to come out and support their efforts of economic redevelopment in what we might think of as “Far West Houston.”
Thank you for your support of the West Houston Association and working to improve quality of life for the 2,000,000+ people who live, work, and play across the Greater West Houston region!