One For All E-Newsletter: December 30, 2021 Edition

Dear Friends,

As we wrap up this year and prepare for 2022, I want to take a moment to recognize all that we have accomplished together this year. It has not been the easiest year for many of us, our communities, or our country. And yet, we have so much to be proud of and to be inspired by as we look to the year ahead.

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act passed in March, we have an opportunity to make transformational investments in housing, community health, childcare, and our local economy. Harris County will receive over $900 million in federal funding. These funds represent a unique opportunity to ensure that those hit hardest by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic can continue to recover, and we can address other long-standing disparities.

We are also advocating for all Harris County residents to get our fair share of resources—and make sure that the people most affected by flooding and highways have a say in how projects are developed. Our flood equity prioritization framework ensures that historically neglected communities are no longer discriminated against, and that our community’s future will not hinge on outdated federal formulas.

To strengthen that process, Commissioners Court recently voted to send a modified Harris County Flood Control District’s Prioritization Framework for the 2018 bond program to the Community Flood Resilience Task Force for review and input.

When approved by Commissioners, the refined guidelines will protect those hardest hit and least resilient to frequent flooding events. While this would not correct all the inequities and discrimination in disaster protection and recovery, it’s another significant step toward addressing them.

Thank you all for sharing our vision of a county that cares for everyone by protecting health and safety and providing equity for all our communities.

I hope you are taking the time to rest and recharge when possible. With COVID-19 rates surging again because of the Omicron variant, I want to urge you to protect your friends and family by getting vaccinated. And if you are vaccinated, take time to get a booster shot. Visit http://vacstrac.hctx.net or call 832-927-8787 to find the vaccine center nearest to you.

We can’t wait to see what 2022 brings.

Sincerely,

APPLICATIONS FOR L.E.E. INTERNSHIPS OPEN UNTIL JAN 28

The Leadership Experience & Employment Program is designed to promote personal growth and knowledge in the working arena, encourage academic excellence, and promote financial rewards for satisfactory completion of work production.

Last summer, the program hosted 50 interns who were placed with Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Harris County Precinct One, Harris County Justice Administration Department, Harris County Public Health, and various other Harris County departments.

[Apply today!]

CONGRESSMAN MICKEY LELAND REMEMBERED

Last month, the Barbara Jordan - Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University honored Commissioner Ellis' friend and mentor, the late and great Congressman Mickey Leland, on what would have been his 77th birthday by making even more of his archival papers, documents, photographs, and videos available to everyone with computer access.

The moral clarity Congressman Leland had around addressing issues of hunger, access to healthcare, and other structural inequalities is a beacon to those of us faced with addressing similar issues today. The increased accessibility to his legacy will help us become more inspired and better equipped to find solutions as we fight to make justice for all a reality.

Watch the April 25, 2020 unveiling of the Mickey Leland statue in Hermann Park

Visit the Mickey Leland Memorial Park | Learn more about Mickey Leland

HOUSTON CHRONICLE EDITORIAL BOARD APPLAUDS THIRD WARD STREET INVESTMENTS

The Houston Chronicle Editorial Board recently recognized how investments in streets near Texas Southern University and University of Houston, led by Commissioner Rodney Ellis, add to the quality of life for residents. The $43M "project is designed to intentionally address decades of neglect and poor funding as money for streets and drainage usually went to other, often whiter, parts of the city."

The editorial board states that with ten percent of Third Ward households lacking automobiles,"safe routes to walk or bike are critical not just for recreation but for accomplishing everyday errands and getting to work and back." READ the entire editorial.

https://www.hcp1.net/media/Galleries/Deussen%20Parkway%20Trail/IMG_0290.jpeg?vgo_ee=A06BXwBCBV4qrbU8lm6x4lPIT%2FyWAyJffpimhEFU00U%3D

GLOW STONES LIGHT UP DEUSSEN PARKWAY TRAIL

The newly completed Deussen Parkway Trail, which connects Summerwood residents to Deussen Park via 1.5 miles of safe 10-foot wide walking and biking pathway, includes an innovative pilot-program utilizing glow stones to help increase visibility in the evening. This inexpensive solar-powered light source will light the trail throughout the night. Once this pilot project has been reviewed for effectiveness, the Development & Infrastructure department will consider incorporating glow stones in other precinct projects.