Residents of District E,

As we head further into summer, my City Council colleagues and I continue to fight for district projects in the City of Houston's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Since being sworn into office, I continue to see, year after year, the amount of tax dollars for CIP projects allocated inequitably across the 11 council districts. This year's proposed plan, which was given to city council members late last week, shows a total of 7% of all CIP dollars going towards District E, doubling the amount of CIP dollars we received last year. Last year District E only received 3% of the total CIP dollars distributed among Council Districts.

While I am happy to be seeing more meaningful projects in District E, the inequity among Council Districts still exists and I will not rest until the CIP plan allocates a true equal distribution of funds across all City Council Districts. This year's CIP will include two landmark projects which will improve mobility and public safety in each part of District E. These projects are the Northpark Drive Mobility Project in Kingwood and the El Dorado Boulevard Expansion Project in the Southeast Houston/Clear Lake Area. The entire CIP will be voted on during the July 19 council meeting. You can tune in during the meeting to watch the discussion by visiting http://www.houstontx.gov/htv/index.html, and I will also have the video posted on my Facebook page during the meeting.

Just last week Houston experienced its first bout of severe weather with Tropical Storm Cindy, which entered the Gulf Coast but to our benefit, veered east of the City of Houston. While Houston did not see the immediate threat after all, the potential for weather of that magnitude reminded us of the importance of being prepared. I encourage each of you, if you do not already, to have an emergency plan and to subscribe to news and weather updates through the city's Office of Emergency Management here.

Tomorrow kicks off the month of July and Independence Day is right around the corner. District E is home to many of the City's signature events including the most well attended parade in the City, the Kingwood 4th of July Parade. In addition to the parade, Kingwood will host, for the very first time, the Houston Zoo's ZooMobile at the July 4th Festival at Town Center Park, located at 8 Main Street Kingwood Town Center, Kingwood, Texas 77339.

The Town Center Park activities will begin at 2:00 p.m., however the Houston Zoo's ZooMobile will not arrive until 4:30 p.m. with an expected departure time of 6:30 p.m. Weather depending, the Houston Zoo's ambassador animals will be able to come out of their van to interact with festival attendees. It is my hope the weather will cooperate and I encourage everyone to take advantage of this amazing opportunity. I am already looking for other opportunities to have the ZooMobile in District E, we hope to share this experience with more and more residents in years to come.

In closing, I hope every one of you is having a wonderful summer and wish everyone a Happy Independence Day! Thank you for allowing me to serve you at City Hall. It is a true pleasure.

Sincerely,

Dave Martin

Save the Date for District E Fall Town Halls

Council Member Martin invites District E residents to save the date for his Fall town hall meetings:

Kingwood

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Kingwood Community Center

4102 Rustic Woods Drive

Houston, TX 77345

Southeast Houston/Clear Lake

Thursday, September 14, 2017

6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Space Center Houston

1601 NASA Parkway

Houston, TX 77058

Council Member Martin has extended the invitation to several city departments including Public Works and Engineering, Houston Parks and Recreation and the Houston Police Department as well as a variety of community speakers. We hope to see you there!

New District E HPD Captains

District E has welcomed two new captains to the Kingwood and Clear Lake HPD substations last month!

Captain Jacob Atkins started as a police cadet in Class #178 in November of 2000, and graduated as an officer in May 2001. He later became part of the Northeast Patrol Division for 5 years, then in 2006 was transferred to the Criminal Investigations Command for over a year. He was so in love with the a certain division he decided to pursue just Burglary and Theft Division for 9 months. Officer Atkins was promoted in 2008 to Sergeant and was a part of the Special Operations Division inside the Central Jail until March of 2010. After which Atkins worked with Homeland Security Command for over two and a half year . Sergeant Atkins in 2012 was again promoted, yet this time to Lieutenant and took the leadership position in the Special Response Group. In the Spring of 2014 he was given a job as the Administrative Lieutenant for the Airport Division. In 2017 he was promoted to Captain and assigned to the Kingwood Patrol Division. Captain Atkins is a second generation Houston Police office and feels as though law enforcement is his calling thanks to his father's initiative as a Lieutenant.

Captain Dana Hitzman was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and obtained her Bachelor's Degree from Northeast Louisiana University. She went onto obtain a Master's Degree from the University of Delaware and then made her way to Houston in 1998. She joined the Houston Police Department in August of 1999, graduating as a member of Cadet Class #176. Over the last 17 years, she has worked at Central, Southeast, Juvenile, Kingwood, Auto Dealers Detail and the Special Victims Division. In March of 2017, she was assigned to the Clear Lake Division. Captain Hitzman brings a variety of experience to the assignment and she is looking forward to working with the Clear Lake officers and community.

Council Member Martin welcomes both Captains to District E, and looks forward to working together!

Mayor Turner Visits District E

District E had the honor of hosting Mayor Sylvester Turner several times this month. Mayor Turner was the featured speaker the June 1 Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership General Membership Luncheon as well as at the June 29 Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Division Meeting. A champion for our city, and surrounding areas, he discussed several items such as the importance of city-partnerships, storm surge suppression, and aerospace, petrochemical and maritime success in the Bay Area Region.

Dr. Staples Tribute

On Friday evening, June 9, Council Member Martin attended a tribute event at South Shore Harbour Resort, celebrating Dr. William Staples' 22-year legacy of leadership as President of the University of Houston-Clear Lake. The night was full of remarks and toast made by many of UHCL's finest friends, such as University of Houston Chancellor Renu Khator, Mayor Tom Reid of Pearland, San Jacinto College Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer, BAHEP President Bob Mitchell, State Representative Ed Thompson, 1997 Distinguished Alumna and Donor Kathy Tamer, and Clear Creek ISD Superintendent Dr. Greg Smith. Concluding the evening, Former Vice President for Administration and Finance, Michelle Dotter, and Executive Associate to the President, Mary Ann Shallberg, led the guests in a toast, thanking Dr. Staples for all he has contributed to our community today.

Dr. William Staples became the fourth president of UHCL in 1995. During Staples' tenure as president, UHCL has built vital partnerships, developed new academic programs and expanded the university's endowment. His leadership has set the stage for key initiatives that have taken the UHCL experience beyond the classroom and into the community. Dr. Staples will be retiring August 31 of this year, and we wish him luck and a relaxing retirement!

Council Tour of James Webb Space Telescope

On Monday, June 26, City of Houston council members and staff had the opportunity to tour the Johnson Space Center in District E. The tour included visiting the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) which had been undergoing testing at NASA-JSC during the month of June. The JWST is the world's most advanced space observatory, designed to unravel some of the greatest mysteries of the universe, from discovering the first stars and galaxies that formed after the big bang to studying the atmospheres of planets around other stars. The telescope will be launched in October 2018 from French Guiana where it will travel a million-mile journey to its destination of deep space.

The tour also included a stop at the original Mission Control Center, which is currently undergoing renovations to ensure that this historic room remains preserved. The tour then lead down to the new Mission Control Center where they have managed the International Space Station for 17 years.

Council Member Martin extends his thanks to the folks at NASA-JSC for helping to coordinate the tour!

Clear Lake Area Chamber Monthly Luncheon

On June 28, staff from Council Member Martin's office attended the June Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce General Membership Luncheon featuring a panel of Clear Lake's finest educators.

This luncheon program each summer gives an informative and exciting snapshot of the past year's accomplishments for Clear Creek ISD, San Jacinto College, as well as University of Houston-Clear Lake. Dr. Greg Smith, Clear Creek ISD Superintendent, Teri Crawford, Vice Chancellor-Marketing for San Jacinto College, and Dr. William Staples, President of University of Houston-Clear Lake all touched on ways they have been able to partner with each other to enhance the education in many ways, and it is clear this partnership-orientation has influenced the community.

The Longhorn Project Tour

On June 28 Council Member Martin had the opportunity to tour the Longhorn Project at Johnson Space Center. The project is a joint venture between NASA's Johnson Space Center, the Houston Livestock And Rodeo, Clear Creek Independent School District, and the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America. These groups came together and joined forces to develop the first of its kind facility for furthering agricultural education and providing the basis of international cooperation in agriculture-related studies and scientific efforts.

The Longhorn Project, also known as the Center for Agriculture, Science, and Engineering (CASE), is located at NASA's Johnson Space Center on a 53-acre tract of land. This land features a 35-acre pasture for grazing, an 11-acre feedlot, and 7-acre "garden" area which consists of the garden plots, greenhouse, orchards, compost containers, aquaculture ponds, a paved patio with a waterfall and pond that is stocked with small fish and the Western Heritage Pavilion that was built and donated by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Through this unique program, students have the opportunity to learn about ranch management, animal husbandry and the rich history of our Texas heritage to promote the preservation and legacy of the cattle native to our state. For more information click here.

Council Member Martin commends the Longhorn Project and thanks the group for providing an opportunity to tour the facility.

Summer Creek BizCom

On June 8 the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce hosted their Summer Creek BizCom at Summer Creek High School. The meeting brings together a blend of businesses, community members and school officials to address specific needs within the Lake Houston Area.

This month's BizCom featured presentations by Josh Urban, CEO of Memorial Hermann NE, Kimber Molke, 24 Hour Nurse Hotline Director at Memorial Hermann NE, Ian Adler, Director of Marketing for McCord Development-Generation Park, Shanna Lopez, Municipal Solutions Manager for Waste Management, Jerri Monbaron, Community Development Director for Humble ISD, and Nolan Correa, Principal of Summer Creek High School.

Council Member Martin extends his thanks to the Lake Houston Area Chamber as well as all the sponsors that come together to put on a great event.

Lake Houston Area Chamber State of the State Luncheon

On June 27 staff from Council Member Martin's office attended the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce "State of the State" luncheon featuring Representative Dan Huberty and Senator Brandon Creighton. The luncheon was a great opportunity to engage our local business community in a conversation with our state leaders regarding the future of our state. Representative Huberty and Senator Creighton delivered an update to the chamber on their collective efforts in Austin related to several subjects ranging from Public Education to Property Tax Reform.

Council Member Martin thanks the Lake Houston Area Chamber for organizing this luncheon and thanks Representative Huberty and Senator Creighton for their presentations.

Kingwood Drive Safe Sidewalk Projects

Council Member Dave Martin is pleased to announce, in an effort to provide increased pedestrian mobility, the City of Houston's Public Works and Engineering Department will be in the Kingwood area to install a new safe sidewalk on the south side of Kingwood Drive from Lake Kingwood Trail east to Oak Street, repair the median sidewalk between the eastbound and westbound lanes of Kingwood Drive, and rehabilitate the existing sidewalk on the north of Kingwood Drive between Valley Manor and West Lake Houston Parkway.

Construction is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, July 5, 2017, and is expected to be completed by the end of August before school starts. The project will begin on the Kingwood Drive south sidewalk to ensure that pedestrian traffic is not interrupted. The project will then move to the median sidewalk repair, finishing up the project with the rehabilitation of the sidewalk on Kingwood Drive north. Council Member Martin has emphasized the importance of completing this project before the start of the school year to avoid additional traffic congestion.

Construction crews will operate between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, however, no lanes will be closed between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to avoid adding congestion during rush hours. As a result of the construction activities, please expect intermittent lane closures. Flaggers and caution devices, like orange traffic control barriers, will be put in place on site to help with traffic flow through the construction zone.

Council Member Martin funded the rehabilitation of the Kingwood Drive north sidewalk utilizing his District Service Fund in the amount of $151,700.00. The other sections of the project were funded in the amount of $38,000.00 with funds from the Safe Sidewalk and Pedestrian Accessibility Programs with the City of Houston.

For more information, please contact the District E office at (832) 393-3008 or districte@houstontx.gov.

Insperity Adaptive Sports Complex Update

The construction and fundraising for the Insperity Adaptive Sports Complex are both nearing completion! The Complex, a collaborative partnership between the YMCA of Greater Houston and the Humble Independent School District, will give ALL children in our community a chance to benefit from the exercise, energy, stress-release, and the pure enjoyment of friendships built by playing sports. The Lake Houston Family YMCA will operate its Miracle League baseball and other adaptive programs at the complex, which will also serve as a hub for Humble ISD's integrated athletics programs.

Thanks to the leadership of the Sports for All Campaign Cabinet and Co-Chairs, Joe Cleary and Mark Koenig, the campaign is less than $70,000 away from reaching their fundraising goal of $4.8 million. They are seeking generous support from individuals, corporations and foundations that embrace the idea of creating a place where anyone and everyone can play outdoors and experience the joy of being part of a team. Council Member Martin encourages anyone who is interested in supporting the Sports for All Campaign to make the dreams of our players come true. Find out more or make a gift today!

The Grand Opening and Dedication of the Complex will be on September 16, 2017.

Save the Date! Lake Houston 10K 5K

Save the date! The 2017 Lake Houston 10K 5K will take place on August 19 at 7:00 a.m. at Kings Harbor in Kingwood. The event, organized by the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce and presented by Memorial Hermann Northeast, will feature a 10K and 5K race followed by an award ceremony at which prizes will be awarded to the top overall male and female contestants in each race.

For additional information or to register for the 2017 Lake Houston 10K 5K, please click here.

Mayor's Literacy Leadership Award Breakfast

On June 1 Council Member Martin attended the Mayor's Literacy Leadership Award Breakfast. Over 350 community and business leaders, philanthropists, adult learners, literacy providers, and city officials joined Mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston Center for Literacy to focus the spotlight on improving adult literacy in the greater Houston area. Houston Astros sensation Carlos Correa accepted the Mayor's Leadership Award, and by video, spoke of how important speaking and understanding English is to him in succeeding.

HCL's goal is to make literacy work for Houston by connecting adult learners to the education they need to be prepared for their future. The generosity of those in attendance allows HCL to fulfill its mission of building a more prepared Houston and supporting adult literacy providers and programs.

TASO Scholarships

On June 13 Council Member Martin had the opportunity to address a group of young men and women high school baseball athletes who were awarded scholarships from the Texas Association of Sports Officials Houston Baseball Umpires. The council member was honored to be able to speak to the group and take part in their well-deserved recognition.

Chef Hugo Proclamation

On June 20 Council Member Martin, along with Council Members Boykins, Gallegos and Knox, had the honor to present a proclamation to Chef Hugo Ortega and congratulate him on his recognition as being named the Best Chef Southwest at the James Beard Foundation Restaurant & Chef Awards.

BOMA Legislative Update

On June 21 Council Member Martin attended the Building Owner's and Managers Association monthly meeting featuring Rep. Dan Huberty. Representative Huberty updated attendees on important issues faced this year in the state legislature, including the hot topic of school finance.

College Football Insider Luncheon

On June 23 Council Member Martin had the opportunity to attend the annual college football insider luncheon at NRG Stadium which featured Kirby Hocutt, Chairman of the College Football Playoff Committee and Director of Athletics at Texas Tech University as the keynote speaker. The luncheon gave insight into the importance of Houston to the College Football Playoff Committee, highlighting the fact that events such as the Texas Bowl and Advocare Texas Kickoff contribute to a major economic impact to the City of Houston annually, as well as bringing thousands of visitors to our great city.

Council Member Martin thanks Kenny Friedman for inviting him to this event, and appreciates all the work the Committee does to put on a great event, which benefits the DePelchin Children's Center.

PWE Job Fair

The Department of Public Works and Engineering will hold a job fair on July 15, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. until noon at the Transportation and Drainage Operations facility located at 5500 N. McCarty Street. Interviewing and testing will occur at the site and assistance with the application process will be provided.

Liftoff Houston

The City of Houston and Capital One Bank are pleased to announce the 2017 launch of the "Liftoff Houston" Start Up Business Plan Competition; a program that is helping to launch new businesses today, for a better Houston tomorrow!

Sponsored by Capital One Bank in partnership with the Houston Public Library (HPL) and the Office of Business Opportunity (OBO), "Liftoff Houston" is a start-up business plan competition that engages and empowers Houstonians seeking to start a new business in Houston by providing them with access to essential information, resources and the support necessary to develop a sound business plan toward realizing their goal.

In its fifth year, Liftoff Houston has helped to educate thousands of individuals seeking information on how to start and sustain their business, supported the launch of new businesses, and provided over $120,000 in cash awards and incentives to those businesses. This year's program will build on past successes to include more opportunities to showcase previous winners and finalists, encourage program participation and completion and engage the general public. Added program activities such as a Winners Panel and mixer featuring past competition winners, additional business plan and pitch coaching, cash incentives for business plan completion and fan favorite selections, and live streaming of key events are just some ways this will be accomplished.

To be eligible, applicants must have a for profit business that is less than a year old, has earned less than $10,000 in revenue, is operated and have owners who live within the Houston city limits. The top three finalists will receive much needed capital to invest in their business. Capital One Bank is providing cash prizes totaling $30,000 to the top three winning business plan submissions in the categories of Product, Service and Innovation. Prizes of $10,000 will be awarded for each category.

The application deadline is Sunday, July 16th at 11:00 p.m. To learn about the competition or to apply, visit www.Liftoffhouston.com.

Proud Partners Awards

Keep Houston Beautiful, the City of Houston's Clean City Commission, is now accepting applications here for the 33rd Annual Mayor's Proud Partner Awards. The City of Houston is calling for applications from groups that have worked to support the city through volunteer beautification, neighborhood cleanups or conservation activities. Please note that all applications must be submitted online and are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 24, 2017.

Eligible entries include any program, project or individual effort, big or small, carried out and substantially completed during the last year to create a cleaner more beautiful environment. Examples include beautification and landscaping installations, neighborhood cleanups, environmental education programs, volunteer park improvements, murals (graffiti abatement), waste minimization efforts, litter prevention programs and similar service projects.

Sponsoring groups may include businesses, nonprofit and civic organizations, garden clubs, youth groups (including, classroom projects), universities, government agencies, religious institutions, medical institutions and individuals.

For more information, please contact Keep Houston Beautiful at alaroche@houstonbeautiful.org.

Upcoming Events

Please refer to Council Martin's District E website for location, time and more event details. Email the District E office if you would like us to include your upcoming event in future newsletters!

City Wides

July 4

Independence Day - City Holiday

July 4

CITGO Freedom Over Texas

July 5

Consolidated City Council Meeting

July 11-12

Council Break Week

Kingwood

July 1

Kingwood Electronic Waste Recycling

July 4

Kingwood 4th of July Parade

July 12

Kingwood Service Assocation's Public Safety Committee

July 20

Kingwood PIP

July 18

Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce's

Salute to Healthcare Luncheon

*Kingwood Super Neighborhood on break until August 16

Southeast Houston/Clear Lake

July 8

Clear Lake Electronic Waste Recycling

July 20

Clear Lake PIP

July 26

Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce's General Membership Luncheon