Howdy WHA Members!
Spring has sprung in the greater West Houston region. Trees are getting planted, flowers are blooming, and the Astros season started. At the same time, Mayor Turner announced his One Clean Houston initiative to combat illegal dumping and April 1st was Keep Houston Beautiful Day!
At the West Houston Association we are deep in the trenches of the legislative season. The deadline to file most bills and resolutions was March 10th, and over 8,000 were filed. While this may seem like a lot, over the last twenty years the number has averaged around 10,000. The key difference is that this year there are billions of dollars up for grabs thanks to a record $32.7 billion surplus and the State’s “Rainy Day Fund” might hit its cap. West Houston Association as part of Houston Stronger is actively seeking for part of that money to be invested in Flood Infrastructure.
Flood infrastructure was also a topic of conversation at our recent Tri-County Commissioner’s Forum. Held on March 23rd, the event was the biggest in WHA’s recent history with over 200 attendees. Much of the dialogue focused on the Commissioners working together, across county lines, to address mobility and flood issues.
On April 12th, we are hosting a Federal Issues Luncheon with Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7). This event will be moderated by WHA Board Member, Alia Vinson (ABHR) who will be serving as our moderator. The discussion will be centered around the issues of flood resiliency, infrastructure, and the expansive growth in our region.
We also have a few committee meetings taking place in April. The Government Affairs Committee as well as the Flood Control & Drainage Committee on April 10th, Sustainable Infrastructure Committee on April 11th, Education & Workforce Committee on April 12th, Regional Mobility Committee on April 17th, Quality Planned Development Committee on April 20th, and the Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Committee on April 25th. If you would like to be added to the email list or calendar invites for these committees, or any others, please let us know.
In April we will also be also be starting up our next cohort of WHA Rising Leaders. We had a lot of interest in the program this year and the 2023 cohort will be our biggest yet! We would love to have you support the program by participating in the 3rd Annual Rising Leaders Topgolf Tournament on May 25th or you can donate directly to the Ted Nelson Educational Fund set up to support the Rising Leaders program in perpetuity.
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 region!