Howdy WHA Members,
With the second special session of the Texas Legislature coming to a close just before Labor Day, we will still have yet another special session to address redistricting as well as allocation of $16 billion in federal funds for COVID-19 relief. Meanwhile, locally, Harris County Flood Control District officials announced on Aug. 25 that all 181 projects included in the district’s 2018 bond program have been initiated.
Speaking of flood control, here at the West Houston Association, we hosted our 6th annual Flood Control Forum on August 12th. Over 100 people attended the event held at the Embassy Suites – Energy Corridor where Andrew Weber (US Army Corps of Engineers), Kathleen Jackson (Texas Water Development Board), and Johnathan St. Romain (Harris County Flood Control District) updated WHA members and guests on flood control challenges and opportunities at the federal, state, and local levels. Thanks to Tim Buscha (IDS Engineering), Chair of WHA’s Flood Control and Drainage Committee for moderating the event.
On September 9th we will be hosting our annual Public and Elected Officials Reception to recognize the hard work and dedication of those who serve the Greater West Houston region. We were unable to hold this event in 2020 and are looking forward to bringing back this annual tradition. On September 30th, we are planning to hold an Envision Credentialing Class online. The class is taught by ISI approved WHA member instructors Michael Bloom (R.G. Miller Engineers) and Liz Parent (5engineering), and will prepare you for the ENV credentialing exam. On October 18th we will hosting a State and Local Update luncheon with the Dean of the Texas Senate, John Whitmire. Our final event of the year will be on November 17th. Our new and improved WHA Awards Event, where will will recognize our 2021 awards winners as well as announce our 2022 Board of Directors. More information will be coming soon. We look forward to seeing you at all of these upcoming events!
In the meantime, we also have a handful of WHA Committee meetings coming up, including: Government Affairs (9/13), Sustainable Infrastructure (9/14), Water Resources (9/16), Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces (9/28), Membership (10/5), Flood Control and Drainage (10/11), and our next WHA Board Meeting is September 21st. For more information about an upcoming committee meeting please reach out to me or Jennifer Boggs.
Thank you for what you do for the Greater West Houston Region!