President’s Message: Staying Engaged with Policy

Auggie Campbell, President, West Houston Association

“If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”—Mike Enzi

Increasingly, regulators are seeking stakeholder engagement prior to adopting policy and regulations. So more voices are involved in regulatory review. If you are working on policy review on your own, it is easy to get drowned out. These days, it is not enough to comment on policy—we have to work together.

Reviewing policy and regulatory changes may seem about as glamorous as designing road drainage, but it is one of the tasks that the West Houston Association has done well for years. And a few of us out there really enjoy it (like those people designing road drainage—thank you). Policy and regulation, like utilities and roads, are not easy to put together and work better when they are properly designed, reviewed, and supported.

WHA’s staff, committees, and Board are actively reviewing plans and policies at the local, state, and federal level. We work to coordinate with other local groups like ACEC, GHBA, HREC, UDAC, Katy EDS, and many others to make sure that we have a coordinated approach. This coordinated approach provides better feedback and increases the likelihood that regulators and lawmakers will adopt our recommendations.

We work to keep our members informed of regulatory changes and make sure that WHA or one of its partners provides timely comments that promote quality growth. To stay better informed or make sure that regulation does not end up hurting our community or your bottom line, please join one of our committees and do not hesitate to email about regulations that concern you.