Council Update: Water Line Upgrades; FAA Grant; School Speed Zones

This week City Council City approved funding to replace and upgrade several water lines within the following boundary areas: Dunstan Street on the north side, Rice Boulevard on the south side, Ashby Street on the east and Greenbriar Street on the west; the area of IH 610 on the north, Link Valley Street on the south, Main Street on the east side and Stella Link road on the west, and Green Park Manor Lane on the north side, and the Pinacle Point on the south side area.

City Council approved an ordinance that authorizes Mayor Parker to accept the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) AIP grant of $50,000,000 for the fiscal year of 2012. Grant funding will enable the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport and Ellington Airport to improve their airfields, runways and taxiways.

Council also approved an ordinance to provide Joe Turner, Director of Parks and Recreation Department, the authorization to apply and receive a Texas Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition grant for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Fifty-six community centers supervised by HPARD and ten sites that receive funding from HPARD’s After School Achievement Program will after-school food and organized nutritional services through this grant.

Due to the closing, opening, and relocation of several schools, City Council approved and adopted amendments to the school speed zone ordinance.

New school speed zones due to school openings and relocations are in effect at Almeda, Atherton, Attucks, Bastian, Bethel’s Christian (Arrow) Academy, Energized for Stem Academy– West Campus, Frost, Harvest Time Academy (Arrow), KIPP Intrepid Preparatory, KIPP Liberation, Lewis, Pershing, Pro-Vision School, Reynolds, Ser Niños Charter, Shadow Oaks, Mark Twain, Western Academy, YES Prep Northside, and Young Women’s Preparatory.

School speed zones approved for removal are located at Almeda, from a point 132 ft. west Monarch to a point of 145 ft. west of Chiswick, Cardinal Newman Academy, Concord, Crockett Early Childhood Education, Durkee, and Life Christian Academy.

Several agenda items were delayed by Council Members this week and will be voted on next week.