1. Who do I call if the street lights on my block have gone out?
Street light outages should be reported directly to CenterPoint Energy, at (713) 207- 2222 or online at www.centerpointenergy.com/outage/. When reporting an outage to CenterPoint, you will need to have the 6 digit number found on the light pole, or the address where the light is located. This will expedite the maintenance process. If you fail to receive a timely resolution to the issue, please call my office and also report the outage to my staff.
Please note – if there is a City construction project in the area, such as a Neighborhood Street Reconstruction, CenterPoint Energy will frequently disconnect power to the street lights for the duration of the project. CenterPoint will not re-energize the lights until the project has been completely finished.
2. Who should I call if Solid Waste missed my trash pickup or recycling?
Please visit this website (http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/schedule.html) to verify the pickup schedule for your neighborhood. If you have been missed for weekly garbage pickup or recycling, you may report it to 3-1-1.
Take careful note of the new policies regarding Heavy Trash Pickup. The City of Houston now collects “tree waste” and “junk waste” separately on alternating months. During odd-numbered months (January, March, May, July, September, November), Solid Waste will only be picking up tree waste. On even numbered months, (February, April, June, August, October, December), Solid Waste will collect junk waste and other heavy trash. Small amounts of tree waste may be put out for collection on even numbered months, but no junk waste will be collected on odd numbered months.
Detailed instructions about the tree waste/junk waste policy can be found at this website - http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/treewaste.html - along with a schedule. If you have an issue with heavy trash pickup, please report it to 3-1-1.
3. I have questions about a construction project going on in my neighborhood, who should I call?
Please call my office if you have any questions or concerns about street construction projects in your neighborhood or District C. My office follows each project very closely and will be able to answer your questions or put you in touch with the appropriate project manager in Public Works. Information concerning some of the projects in our area can be found on the District C page here - http://www.houstontx.gov/council/c/construction.html.
4. The streets in my neighborhood are in terrible condition – why hasn’t the City repaired them? Living through a street construction project can be a frustrating inconvenience over a long period of time, which is why the City of Houston requires neighborhoods and homeowners to apply for Neighborhood Street Reconstruction (NSR) projects. The application process requires a petition signed by over 75% of the abutting homeowners on a block. More information about the program can be found on the Public Works webpage at http://documents.publicworks.houstontx.gov/latest/neighborhood-street-reconstruction-nsr-program.htm.
Once Public Works has approved an application, there is an average wait of 7-8 years until completion of the project. The project will be placed in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) at the end of the queue. This is why it is best to begin this process early, with realistic expectations about the timeline for reconstruction. If you have additional questions about the NSR petition process, please do not hesitate to contact my office for assistance. Generally, it is a good idea to initiate the petition process through a civic club or homeowner’s association where there may be a strong basis of support.
If there are smaller issues of disrepair on your neighborhood street or alley, such as potholes, please report these issues to 3-1-1 and also my office. As you can imagine, thousands of potholes are reported to the City, so there may be a significant wait time for repair.
5. Will the City fix my sidewalk that is in disrepair?
Unfortunately, the maintenance and repair of neighborhood sidewalks is the responsibility of the abutting property owner, and the City will only replace sidewalks in very specific circumstances, such as on a busy thoroughfare, near a school, or for citizens with mobility impairments. If any of these criteria may apply, please visit this website http://documents.publicworks.houstontx.gov/latest/safe-sidewalk-program-ssp.htm for more information about the Safe Sidewalk Program.
6. How can I help my neighborhood beautify our esplanades and other public spaces?
The Planning and Development Department is available to help communities with issues such as deed restrictions, minimum lot size applications and other neighborhood initiatives, including helping fund improvement projects through the Neighborhood Matching Grant Program (NMGP). More information about NMGP can be found on the Planning website at http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/ComPlanning/nmgp.htm. Several District C neighborhoods have been successful in applying for and receiving these grants. If you would like to speak with someone who has already gone through this process, please contact me and I will try to put you in touch with another group.
For esplanades, the Parks and Recreation Department sponsors the “Adopt an Esplanade” program which can help community groups with beautification efforts for city esplanades. A detailed explanation of the program is available online - http://www.houstontx.gov/council/g/adoptanesplanade.pdf.
7. Where can I find information about crime statistics in my neighborhood?
The Houston Police Department keeps current data about crime throughout the City, and makes this information available online at http://mycity.houstontx.gov/crime/. Please feel free to use this resource, and if you have specific questions or concerns about crime in your neighborhood, please contact my office.
8. How can I schedule a visit to City Hall for my class, scout troop or other interested group? City Council meetings are held most Tuesday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. and Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. and are open to the public. Tuesday afternoons are generally public session, where constituents and residents are given the opportunity to address City Council. During the Wednesday morning sessions, Council Members and the Mayor vote on agenda items. Free guided tours of City Hall are available on weekdays. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit http://www.houstontx.gov/cao/cityhalltours.html.
You do not need to schedule a visit to either session through my office, but if your group is planning on attending a Council session, please let me know! If, however, a member of your group would like to speak at the Council Public Session, you must sign up ahead of time with the City Secretary’s office. They can be reached at (832) 393-1100.
9. What do I do if I have a water-main break?
Initially contact the 3-1-1 service request line or fill out this online form (https://webintake.houstontx.gov/web_intake/Controller ) to receive a service request number. To follow up on the request please call my office at 832-393-3004 or e-mail our office at districtc@cityofhouston.net with your 3-1-1 service number.
10. There is a barking dog in my neighborhood. Who should I call?
Initially contact the 3-1-1 service request line or fill out this online form (https://webintake.houstontx.gov/web_intake/Controller ) to receive a service request number. To follow up on the request please call my office at 832-393-3004 or e-mail our office at districtc@cityofhouston.net with your 3-1-1 service number.
11. Who do I report illegally parked trucks or a large amount of through traffic in my neighborhood to?
Initially contact the 3-1-1 service request line or fill out this online form (https://webintake.houstontx.gov/web_intake/Controller ) to receive a service request number. To follow up on the request please call my office at 832-393-3004 or e-mail our office at districtc@cityofhouston.net with your 3-1-1 service number.
12. What should I do if there is a swimming pool hazard in my neighborhood?
Report a pool violation to the Department of Health and Human Services at (713)640-4399 if:
There is a house, occupied or unoccupied, with a pool or spa that has not been properly maintained. This can result in green or black water that may breed mosquitoes.
There are any slats broken or missing from a fence that surrounds a house with a pool or a spa. This also includes both vacant and occupied houses.
If a house or property has any type of outside above-ground pool or spa that is not enclosed by a secure fence.
13. What should I do about overgrown lots, visible junk or dilapidated buildings in my area? Initially contact the 3-1-1 service request line or fill out this online form (https://webintake.houstontx.gov/web_intake/Controller ) to receive a service request number. To follow up on the request please call our office at 832-393-3004 or e-mail our office at districtc@cityofhouston.net with your 3-1-1 service number.
14. Who should I report graffiti to?
Graffiti should be reported to the Houston Police Department. Follow this link (http://www.houstontx.gov/graffiti) to the HPD website to learn what you can do to have graffiti removed from your area. If the situation is not resolved in a timely manner please contact my office to receive assistance.
15. How can I report illegal Bandit or Spectacular signs?
The City of Houston Sign Code prohibits two specific types of signs - Spectacular Signs and Bandit Signs.
SPECTACULAR SIGNS
Typically has automatically changing advertising that changes more often than every five minutes (not including date, time, temperature, weather, and stock market information).
Have blinking, rotating, moving, chasing, flashing, glaring, strobe, scintillating of spotlights or similar devices.
Has Lights or colored elements creating a continuously moving, shimmering or prismatic effect, and/or rotating or moving parts.
BANDIT SIGNS
Typically small and placed in large quantities along public spaces as advertisements, these signs include political, real estate, developer, and garage sale signs and other similar signs placed upon a public street, public sidewalk, public alley, public right-of-way, public curb or other public improvement in any public street or grounds, on any public bridge or part of same, or on any public building or structure of any kind belonging to the city, or in any public place or any public improvement.
To report what you suspect to be an illegal sign, call the City of Houston's Sign Administration Office in the Code Enforcement Division at 713.535.7800.
16. There are trees hitting power lines on my street, who should I call?
Trees interfering with power lines should be reported to CenterPoint. CenterPoint offers more information about tree trimming on their website. Citizens concerned about CenterPoint tree trimming may contact customer service at: 713.207.2222.
17. Who should I call regarding a bee-hive around my home?
The City of Houston does not handle bees unless it is an emergency situation and they are attacking someone. If an emergency in progress, call 9-1-1 and request the Fire Department. If the situation is not an emergency and the caller just wants the bees removed, he or she will need to call a licensed beekeeper.
18. There is a noisy club in my area. Who should I call?
Initially contact the 3-1-1 service request line or fill out this online form (https://webintake.houstontx.gov/web_intake/Controller ) to receive a service request number. To follow up on the request please call our office at 832-393-3004 or e-mail our office at districtc@cityofhouston.net with your 3-1-1 service number.
19. How can I have a Quiet Zone study done in my area to prevent train horn noise?
The City of Houston has developed a Quiet Zone Program to address train horn noise near neighborhoods. Quiet Zones are segments of railroad lines where train crews are exempt from sounding the horn at grade crossings. However, the train engineer may use the train horn if there is any activity on or near the track that he or she deems to be unsafe. The program will enhance at-grade crossing safety while improving the quality of life for those neighborhoods adjacent to the railroad corridor being considered.
Unless a grade crossing is designated as a Quiet Zone, federal law requires that trains must sound the horn 15-20 seconds prior to arrival at a grade crossing. Basically, the train horn must be sounded continuously from about a ¼ mile in advance of a grade crossing until the train reaches the crossing.
There is currently a list of 10 areas that are petitioning for a Quiet zones and the process is lengthy. Also, the costs to of creating new intersections along cross streets that comply with federal regulations will run up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, in the current fiscal environment, the funding is tight. I continue to follow this issue closely, and as soon as there are available funds for Quiet Zone programs, I will do my best to make certain that these areas are expanded.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the District C office at (832) 393-3004 or by email at districtc@cityofhouston.net.
