Bellaire - Meyerland - West University | August 2024

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Bellaire Meyerland West University Edition VOLUME 6, ISSUE 4 AUG. 6SEPT. 5, 2024

2024 Education Edition

Recovering from Beryl

More than 50 volunteers gathered at Bualo Bayou Park’s Houston Police Department Memorial on July 20 to help clean up silt left behind by Hurricane Beryl.

SHAWN ARRAJJCOMMUNITY IMPACT

After devastating hurricane, leaders in Houston, surrounding cities chart path forward

President Joe Biden approved a disaster declara- tion for Texas on July 8 to provide federal assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures, according to a July 9 news release from the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

On July 8, Category 1 Hurricane Beryl brought high winds and rainfall to Houston, leaving trees scattered and 2.2 million CenterPoint Energy customers with- out power. In response to widespread damages, cities issued local disaster declarations and developed debris collection plans.

BY SHAWN ARRAJJ, WESLEY GARDNER & EMILY LINCKE

As the Greater Houston area recovers from the eects of Hurricane Beryl, ocials in the cities of Houston, Bellaire and West University Place are working to restore the communities back to prehurricane status.

CONTINUED ON 15

Also in this issue

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Education: Houston ISD explores $4.4 billion bond, encounters community pushback (Page 8)

Government: Bellaire’s plans for 202425 budget could entail tax rate increase (Page 12)

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Owners John and Jennifer Garrett launched Community Impact in 2005, and the company is still locally owned today with editions across Texas. Our mission is to provide trusted news and local information that everyone gets. Our vision is to build communities of informed citizens and thriving businesses through the collaboration of a passionate team. Our purpose is to be a light for our readers, customers, partners and each other by living out our core values of Faith, Passion, Quality, Innovation and Integrity.

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Impacts

roasted twin Maine lobster tails, banana split waffles, cocktails served in goblets topped with candies and decadent milkshakes. • Opened July 2 • 5015 Westheimer Road, Ste. 1290, Houston • www.sugarfactory.com/houston-tx 6 Nightrider Jewelry The business, located in The Galleria, handcrafts “one- of-a-kind” 0.925 sterling silver and 14 karat gold pieces. Merchandise includes rings, pendants, wallet chains, bracelets, buckles and belts. • Opened July 2 • 5085 Westheimer Road, Level 2, Houston • www.nightriderjewelry.com 7 Kh aadi The clothing store in The Galleria offers fast fashion apparel and ready-to-wear accessories typically worn by men and women in south and central Asia. Pieces include kurta tops, shalwar dress, trouser sets and shalwar scarves. • Opened June 8 • 5085 Westheimer Road, Level 1, Houston • https://us.khaadi.com 8 Oak + Fort The modern lifestyle brand carries full collections of womenswear, menswear, accessories, jewelry and homeware. • Opened May 13 • 5085 Westheimer Road, Level 2, Houston • www.oakandfort.com 9 Ka ppa Toys The shop sells toys, books, plush dolls, science sets and stickers. Featured brands include Tokidoki, Nintendo and Pokemon. • Opened May 1 • 5085 Westheimer Road, Level 2, Houston • www.kappatoys.com 10 Lo ew e The Spanish luxury fashion house specializes in leather goods, clothing, perfumes and other fashion accessories. Items available for purchase will include

10 11 13

A M A S T .

W E S T H E I M E R R D .

8 5 6

9 7

D A V E .

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3 El Bolillo Bakery The authentic Latin bakery offers over 100 varieties of bread and pan dulce, and an array of specialty cakes. The decor pays homage to traditional Mexican bakeries. • Opened June 21 • 3507 Fountain View Drive, Houston • www.elbolillo.com 4 Paper Source The shop offers sustainable, artisanal paper products, including calendars, journals, notepads and planners. Other offerings include pens, candles, home decor items and personalized gifts.

Now open

1 Pure Green The juice and smoothie shop offers superfood smoothies and snacks; cold-pressed juices and shots; acai bowls; and a variety of flavored toasts. Pure Green also offer juice cleanses, or a combination of cold-pressed juices that guests drink throughout the day until dinner. • Opened July 5 • 3311 Westpark Drive, Ste. 210, Houston • www.puregreenfranchise.com 2 Cambridge Caregivers The nonmedical caregiving business offers nursing care and assisted living. Services include personal assistance; companionship; meal planning and preparation; transportation and basic errands; and post-op care. • Opened July 1 • 5555 W. Loop South, Ste. 650, Bellaire • www.cambridgecaregivers.com

• Opened June 29 • 5515 Kelvin Drive • www.papersource.com

5 Sugar Factory The restaurant, located in The Galleria, offers decorative food and drinks—including rainbow sliders,

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women’s ready-to-wear apparel, bags, shoes, sunglasses and home scents. • Opened July 16 • 4444 Westheimer Road, Houston • www.loewe.com

• Opened in May • 4444 Westheimer Road, Ste. E110, Houston • www.adamlippes.com

Coming soon

Bliss Care Transportation The company offers non-emergency transportation services to help individuals access essential services and appointments. Services are tailored to each customer and include flexible scheduling options and transparent pricing. The business does not have a physical location and serves the Greater Houston area. • Launched June 1 • www.blisscaretransport.com

11 Azum i The modern Japanese restaurant offers dishes such as scallop tiradito, hirame crudo, wagyu short rib, yakisoba noodles, miso black cod and chicken gyoza. The beverage menu offers signature cocktails, wine, over 60 sakes and 16 different rare bottles of Japanese whiskey. • Opened June 24 • 4444 Westheimer Road, Ste. G130, Houston • www.azumirestaurant.com/houston 12 Gala Desi gn Studio The 10,000-square-foot showroom serves as a marketplace for high-end kitchen, closet and bathroom furnishings, as well as doors and storage systems. • Opened in July • 2222 Westheimer Road, Houston • www.galadesign-studio.com 13 Adam Lippes The global luxury lifestyle brand and fashion designer offers the latest in luxury knitwear, outerwear, dresses, classic women’s basics and accessories.

In the news

14 Leven Bakery & Cafe Officials will celebrate the cafe’s one-year anniversary Aug. 29. In addition to an array of bakery staples, the gluten-free cafe offers coffee, tea, made-from-scratch sandwiches, salads, bowls, and dinner options with rotisserie chicken and vegetables. • 4191 Bellaire Blvd., Ste. 125, Houston • www.levenbakingcompany.com

15 On the Kirb The eatery and sports bar offers dishes for health- conscious eaters such as grass-fed filet mignon and wild-caught salmon filet. Classic sports bar options include chips and queso, wings, nachos, burgers and tacos. All food items are made with fresh local produce, organic meats and fresh dairy. • Opening in late summer 2024 • 3800 Southwest Fwy., Ste. 124, Houston • www.onthekirb.com

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BELLAIRE - MEYERLAND - WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION

Transportation

BY SHAWN ARRAJJ & CASSANDRA JENKINS

Improvements planned in Westbury The city of Houston will kick off drainage and paving improvements in the Westbury area this fall, according to a city’s Capital Improvement Plan approved July 2. The details The $18 million project—which will run through the fall of 2026—will include the construction of storm drainage improve- ments, concrete paving, curbs, sidewalks, driveways and underground utilities.

Whitmire hints at possible bond proposal Houston Mayor John Whitmire hinted at possibly calling a bond referendum during a July 2 Houston City Council meeting that would help secure fund- ing for drainage and sidewalk projects in the city. The full story Whitmire’s comments came as council members were discussing amendments to the fiscal year 2025-29 Capital Improvement Plan, which was unanimously approved by the council at the July 2 meeting. The city could need to issue a bond for projects not currently listed in the CIP, he said at the meeting. “I would anticipate in the near future we attempt to do a large bond issue for drainage, infrastructure, sidewalks and lighting,” Whitmire said. “It’s not a pretty picture when you travel across the city. We just don’t have the money.”

City spending plans Houston has identified $11 billion in enterprise projects in a 2025-29 capital improvement plan, including street and drainage work.

Wastewater: $3.87B

Aviation: $2.77B Water: $2.16B

Enterprise total: $11.06B

Streets: $1.24B

Storm drainage: $1.02B

SOURCE: CITY OF HOUSTON/COMMUNITY IMPACT

By the numbers A majority of the CIP—$11 billion—covers enter- prise programs, including aviation facilities, storm drainage systems, streets, and wastewater and and water systems. Just under $3.9 billion was put toward wastewater treatment facilities followed by $2.77 billion for aviation projects. The proposed plan is an approximately $3 billion increase from when the CIP was last updated in June 2023.

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A I R P O R T B L V D .

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Education

BY SHAWN ARRAJJ

Education Edition

2024

Readers, welcome to your annual CI Education Edition! This guide features the latest updates and resources about local K-12 public school options in your community, including stories on Houston ISD’s transportation system and a $4.4 billion bond referendum district ocials are considering to place on ballots this November. All of the stories were written by our team of local journalists, and all of the advertisements are from nearby businesses who support our mission to provide free, useful news—show them your gratitude by supporting them. The HISD board of managers has until Aug. 16 to vote to place the bond on the ballot in the Nov. 5 General Election. As district ocials ne-tuned details of the potential bond in July, our team took a look at what it could mean for tax payers as well as what improvements would be funded at schools in the Bellaire, Meyerland and West University area. The story also looks at challenges the district could face in getting the bond to pass, including disapproval among some voters of district leadership under Superintendent Mike Miles, who was appointed by the Texas Education Agency to run the district in 2023. Find all the details about what the bond could include and the key dates moving forward in the story by Reporter Wesley Gardner on pages 8-9.

What's inside

Houston ISD nears deadline to place $4.4 billion bond referendum on November ballots (Page 8)

Rachelle Park General Manager rpark@ communityimpact.com

HISD cuts, adjusts bus routes for 202425

The cost

The district will save around $3 million by streamlining routes, part of a broader eort to cut $16 million from annual transportation infrastructure costs, which were $56 million in the 2023-24 scal year. Ocials are aiming to reduce transportation infrastructure costs by: • $10 million by the end of the 2024-25 school year • $16 million by the end of the 2025-26 school year Additional savings are expected to come from improvements to how HISD dispatches and manages buses, according to a July 22 news release. Families with questions or concerns about their routes can call the HISD transportation helpline at 713-613-3040. Certain students may be eligible for an exemption to the new bus route plan that would allow for changes to pickup and dropo points.

In an eort to cut costs and reduce the time students spend on buses, Houston ISD ocials announced changes July 22 to bus routes that will go into eect for the rst day of the 2024-25 school year on Aug. 12. The changes will aect the bus routes and pickup points for roughly 3,000 students in the school choice program. Roughly 115 schools are part of HISD’s school choice program, including magnet, dual language and international baccalaureate schools. District ocials estimate roughly 9,000 students rely on the bus system to get to and from campuses, including 6,000 zoned students and 3,000 school choice students. Under the new streamlined system, buses will on average make fewer stops and carry more students, said Alexandra Elizondo, HISD’s chief of public aairs and communications. Students who attend zoned schools and students who are enrolled in HISD special education programs—around two-thirds of students that ride buses—will not be aected by the changes.

Bus route changes

Total routes 2023-24: 2024-25:

508

423

Average length of one-way trip 2023-24: 1 hour 45 minutes 2024-25: 1 hour 15 minutes

30 minutes

Assigned bus stops for roughly 3,000 school choice students: • Were located within a 2-mile radius of their homes in 2023-24 • Will be located within a 3-mile radius of their homes in 2024-25

SOURCE: HOUSTON ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

For the remaining 3,000 students enrolled in school choice programs, assigned bus stops will now be located within a 3-mile radius of each students’ home, up from a 2-mile radius last year. Most of those students will be assigned a stop at their zoned high school or middle school, while some students may be assigned stops at community centers or libraries nearby.

BELLAIRE MEYERLAND WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION

Education

HISD bond focuses on aging facilities

A closer look

Although Miles said the bond would not result in a tax rate increase, many members of the public have expressed concerns over the proposal due to what they called policy and culture changes that have taken place since the Texas Education Agency appointed Miles to take over the district last June. Several locally elected ocials who spoke during the board’s July 16 workshop raised concerns over the bond proposal’s plan to construct “co-locations,” which would entail merging several elementary and middle schools into single campuses. State Sen. Molly Cook, DHouston, said the inclusion of co-locations has been deeply unpopular with her constituents. For months, community members who have been opposed to the changes implemented by Miles, have concluded their comments at board meetings with the phrase “no trust, no bond.” Several community members continued to share that sentiment during the board’s June 27 meeting. Jamie Ford, a former teacher at Carnegie Van- guard High School who resigned earlier this year, said she couldn’t support the bond because of her mistrust for Miles. “[Miles’] approach has sucked all the joy out of teaching and severed the connections teachers make with their students,” Ford said. “I would not trust him to organize a bake sale, much less a $4.4 billion bond.” Community member Amy Maddox voiced similar concerns. “Trust and transparency have tanked with stu- dents, parents, the community and elected leaders,” Maddox said. Former state Rep. Garnet Coleman, who co-chairs the bond advisory committee, said it would be essential for district ocials to work more closely with community members to regain their trust. Alexandra Elizondo, HISD’s chief of communi- cations and public aairs, said a large portion of the community members the district has engaged with were initially skeptical of the bond, but she said many of them reconsidered their position after seeing the state of the district’s aging campuses.

HISD’s most recent bond—approved in 2012— was a $1.9 billion package backed by roughly two-thirds of voters. According to the district’s website, the bond included roughly $1.64 billion to replace and repair 40 schools across the district, including 29 high schools, as well as $252 million for additional projects. While the bulk of the work included in the 2012 bond was focused on high schools, Alishia Jolivette, HISD interim chief operating ocer, said the potential 2024 bond would emphasize elementary and middle school improvements. Jolivette said there are more than $10 billion worth of facilities, technology and security needs across the district, noting the bond would serve as a rst step toward addressing those needs. “The bond is going to help us address some of it,” Jolivette said. “It won’t address all of it.” $1.1 billion would be spent on health and safety improvements at every campus, including updating heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems; removing lead from drinking water; and enhancing security infrastructure $1.1B would be allocated toward “future-ready” initiatives, including: $445M in technology upgrades $425M in career and technical education improvements $200M to expand the district’s prekindergarten program by 4,000 students

Houston ISD board managers have until Aug. 16 to decide whether to approve placing a $4.4 billion bond referendum on Nov. 5 ballots. Board managers received an overview of the proposed bond, which would largely focus on upgrading and improving more than 270 campuses throughout the district, during the board’s June 27 meeting. The board is planning to vote Aug. 8 on whether to place the proposal on the ballot. HISD Superintendent Mike Miles said the bond would provide: • $1.04 billion for safety and health initiatives • $200 million for early childhood education • $445 million for technology upgrades • $425 million for career and technical education • $2.27 billion for campus expansions, renovations and rebuilds

Bond at a glance

$2.2 billion would be spent on campus improvements aecting 43 schools, including: • 15 full campus rebuilds • 7 partial campus renovations • 4 partial campus renovations with expansions • 1 co-location serving 2 elementary schools and 1 middle school • 3 co-location rebuilds, combining 3 elementary schools and 3 middle schools

Improvements at local schools

Proposed action key

Elementary schools

Full rebuild and expansion

Lead abatement Partial renovation and expansion

Year built

Proposed investment

Proposed action

Safety and security upgrades HVAC improvements

Condit Elrod Herod

2016 $460,000 1964 $6.49M

Middle schools

2011 2011

$1.4M

Horn

$540,000

Year built

Proposed investment

Proposed action

Kolter

2020 $240,000

Longfellow

Fondren

1966 $23.9M 1929 $180.36M 1959 $7.88M

2007 2011

$1.98M

Lanier

Lovett Parker

$850,000

Meyerland

2018 $80,000 1928 $2.96M

Pershing

Poe Red

2007

$6.95M

“Folks do understand that school combination plays out exactly the same way as a school closure. I don’t know a single person

1957

$6.13M

High schools

Roberts Shearn Tinsley

1936 $5.47M

Year built

Proposed investment

Proposed action

1952 2001 2005

$14.78M $3.82M $2.22M

in my district that would be supportive of that.” DISTRICT 15 STATE SEN. MOLLY COOK, DHOUSTON

Bellaire

2020 $140,000

Twain

Lamar

1962 1961

$3.64M $11.42M

West University

1925

$6.06M

Westbury

NOTE: BOND PLANS ARE NOT FINALIZED AND DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. SOURCE: HOUSTON ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY WESLEY GARDNER

Also of note

What’s next

Funding CTE The Barbara Jordan Career Center is the only career and technology center in HISD. Three more could be built with bond funding.

During the July 16 workshop, several board members questioned whether the $425 million allocated toward the construction of three new career and technical education improvements should be scaled back. Miles said it’s unfair and inequitable for stu- dents to only have one career center—the Barbara Jordan Career Center—serving the entire district. Board manager Cassandra Auzenne Bandy said she understood the need for greater access to CTE programming, but she questioned the cost of keeping the facilities and equipment up to date. “It seems like we are bearing the burden of managing a state-of-the-art CTE facility times four,” Bandy said. Board manager Janette Garza Lindner also questioned the need for four CTE facilities, asking administrators to consider exploring partnerships with local businesses and organizations to provide additional CTE programming.

Aug. 8: Board managers will consider placing bond on Nov. 5 ballot August: Managers will consider approving project management consultant to oversee the scope and sequence of bond September: District ocials will release preliminary project plans and timeline October: District ocials will name members of bond oversight committee, release nal project plans and timeline Nov. 5: Voters will consider approving the district’s bond proposal on Election Day; if approved, district ocials will launch project site feasibility studies Q1 2025: District will issue solicitations for safety, health and security projects Q2 2025: Potential launch of rst projects

HISD district divisions

Barbara Jordan Career Center

North

290

Central

2025

West

610

South

288

3 proposed new CTE centers in bond

$425M total for CTE improvements in bond

SOURCE: HOUSTON ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

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Real estate

Total home sales dropped by more than 35% in both the 77005 and 77096 ZIP codes when comparing data from June 2024 with June 2023. Residential market data

Number of homes sold

June 2023

June 2024

-43.75%

+11.11%

+100%

-37.21%

77005

77025

77030

77096

77401

77005

77401

77030

Median home sales price

77025

610

June

2023

2024

77096

$1,944,000 $519,911 $825,000 $430,000 $1,199,000

$1,737,500 $666,250 $1,415,250 $507,000 $1,039,000

77005

288

77025

Homes sold by price point

77030

June 2024

77096

77401

$1 million+

$750,00-$999,999

Average days on market +53.13%

$500,000-$749,999

+239.13%

-46.09%

-8.96%

-66.67%

$250,000-$499,999

<$250,000

MARKET DATA PROVIDED BY ALINA ROGERS SPARROW REALTY • 281-961-2944 WWW.SPARROW-REALTY.COM

77005

77025

77030

77096

77401

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Government

BY SHAWN ARRAJJ, MELISSA ENAJE & CASSANDRA JENKINS

Bellaire council reviews tax rates, city needs As city ocials in Bellaire consider priorities ahead of the adoption of the scal year 2024-25 budget, members of the Bellaire City Council will have to decide whether to seek voter approval for a higher property tax rate. The big picture A draft budget proposal to the Council July 15 included $28 million in expenditures and a 3% step pay increase for city employees. The city’s property tax rate is $0.437 per $100 valuation. The draft budget using the voter-ap- proval rate—the highest rate the city can adopt without having to go to voters for approval—would be structurally balanced, City Manager Sharon Citino said. However, the city would have to dip into its $2.9 million contingency fund to cover some capital improvement costs, she said. Sta recommended several supplemental

Bellaire considering drainage utility fee Bellaire city ocials are considering a stormwater utility system that would provide a method of generating revenue through user fees to fund stormwater proj- ects. A public hearing will take place Sept. 9. The fee could go into eect Oct. 1.

$1.27M approved in public safety projects Harris County commissioners approved allocating $1.27 million in public safety bond funding June 25 for seven projects within the county sheri and re marshal oces. Tommy Diaz, law enforcement command assistant chief, said further planning meet- ings with county engineering ocials will take place by June 2025 for these “long-term investments.” The details Projects being funded include: • Active shooter training facility: $110,000 • Swift-water rescue operations training facility: $100,000 • Academy rearms complex: $30,000 • Training academy expansion project: $280,000

Texas Supreme Court halts income program Harris County ocials were ordered by the Supreme Court of Texas on June 14 to prohibit payments for Uplift Harris, the county’s rst guaranteed income program. Breaking it down Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton led the original lawsuit against Uplift Harris on April 9, seeking a temporary injunction. A state district judge ruled against Paxton April 18, prompting him to le an emergency order with the Supreme Court of Texas. The state’s appeal of the denial of a temporary injunction remains pending in the court of appeals. More than 1,900 qualied families living below 200% of the poverty line will not be given $500 per month for 18 consecutive months as part of the program, pending the outcome of the appeals court lawsuit.

Tax rate options

“Local governments exist in part to help the less fortunate among us, and the Supreme Court’s ruling eectively ends

City uses reserves to fund some expenses related to capital improvements, vehicles Reduces fund balance by around $608,000 City can completely balance budget without using reserves City can fund budget and all supplemental items without using reserves City can fund all supplementals while also adding around $1 million to reserves

$0.4355 per $100 valuation

a program that has proven to be highly successful at allowing lower-income folks to lift themselves out of poverty.” CHRISTIAN MENEFEE, HARRIS COUNTY ATTORNEY

$0.4474 per $100 valuation

$0.4591 per $100 valuation

Proposed monthly fees

$0.4766 per $100 valuation

Residential owners : $6

“[Texas Supreme Court] has stepped in and put a stop to this abuse of power and unlawful use of taxpayer money while the case continues.”

SOURCE: CITY OF BELLAIRECOMMUNITY IMPACT

Nonresidential owners: based on square footage of impervious surface area Up to 10,000 sf $6 10,001-50,000 sf $7.20 50,001-100,000 sf $18 100,001-250,000 sf $42 250,001-500,000 sf: $84 500,001+ sf: $180

items that would require a higher tax rate to fund, including $318,000 to add three police ocers. What’s next As of press time July 29, a public hearing on the budget was set to take place Aug. 5, and a tentative workshop is set for Aug. 12. Council is slated to adopt the budget on Aug. 19.

KEN PAXTON, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL

SOURCE: CITY OF BELLAIRECOMMUNITY IMPACT

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News

BY MELISSA ENAJE

CenterPoint Energy workers spent days restoring power to aected customers following the impacts of Hurricane Beryl.

COURTESY TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

RACHEL LELANDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Engineering expert Tom Overbye shares lessons on electric grid Tom Overbye serves as the director of Texas A&M University’s Smart Grid Center and is also a faculty member at the College of Engineering. He and his team work on developing better engi- neering tools for electric grid-related situations including resiliency and severe weather impacts. Community Impact interviewed Overbye about the current challenges when it comes to strengthening the electric power grid as well as the lessons learned on electric grid infrastructure after Hurricane Beryl left more than 2 million residents in the Greater Houston region without power. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Why was this storm so severe? I think the issue with this event isn’t that some people lost electricity—that would be expected in a hurricane—but that so many people lost electricity. I think that will be an issue with the investigations. ... I had a hard time believing it when I looked at the numbers on the power outage map and it was over 2 million. This is more of a transmission distribution issue. Beryl was mostly a wires issue. What I suspect happened is you have trees falling on distribution lines and you also have higher wind knocking over

some transmission towers and distribution towers. What is the long-term strategy here? I think the conversation is going to be around building resiliency into the grid by hardening structures and providing the engineers with the best tools to plan the grid eectively, realizing that we can’t harden everything in the next couple of years. So we need to prioritize what gets hardened and look at which lines are at most risk and which ones are critical loads like hospitals. Can you explain hardening structures more? It’s making both the distribution and transmission lines structures themselves stronger. It’s about tree management. Vegetation management certainly plays a role in this. There’s some devices we can install on the distribution wires that, if a branch comes in contact with it, it doesn’t go out of service for a long time. It’s going to be a long-term eort over many years to harden the grid. When I’m talking about the grid, I’m mostly talking about the wires but, to some extent, substations as well. The transmission grid, what you need to do to harden it is to replace wooden towers [with] steel and concrete towers, and CenterPoint is in the process of doing that. [CenterPoint] is also in the process of mostly getting rid of their 69kV grid and replacing it with 138kV. Help explain the volts terminology. Most people are familiar with volts, because in our houses we have 120 volts, and then we have 240 volts for the air conditioning and the stove.

When we distribute electricity, if we want to move it [a] longer distance, like 10 miles or more, we will operate the grid at a very high voltage. In Texas, we mostly use the 345 kV, or 345,000 volt, systems, which is thousands of times higher than what you have in your home. What’s the dierence between the grids? They’re divided into the high-voltage ones, which we call the transmission grid and then the low- er-voltage ones, which are the distribution grid. Should residents expect to lose power for a longer period of time? I don’t think your readers should expect to have so many people lose power during a Category 1 storm. There’s design standards on this. How come these circuits did not withstand what they were supposed to withstand? The state knows this, and CenterPoint knows this, and [the Electric Reliability Council of Texas] knows this. We’re certainly available to help in doing the research that needs to be done to help make our grid better. Part of that research is when you have events like this, and then you learn from them and make the grid better.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com.

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

From the cover

Recovering from Beryl

BY SHAWN ARRAJJ, WESLEY GARDNER & EMILY LINCKE

Beryl by the numbers

Local recovery City officials have waived some permit fees as storm recovery continues. Bellaire

Two-minute Impact

18 people in Texas have died as a result of Hurricane Beryl.

10 power transmission lines were downed during the storm in the Greater Houston area. 47 water rescues were conducted by Harris County and city of Houston agencies. 2.2M CenterPoint customers in the Greater Houston area were left without power on July 8. $28B-$32B is the preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss from Beryl in the U.S.

Hurricane Beryl initially formed as a tropical depression over the Atlantic Ocean on June 28 before strengthening into the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season the following day, according to the National Weather Service. At least 18 people have died in Harris County as a result of Beryl, as of July 24 data from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Half of the cases were from heat-related issues. Many of Houston’s multiservice centers that were predesignated as cooling areas before the storm hit could not be used because they did not have power, said Tom Muñoz, acting director of public safety and homeland security. Randy Macchi, Houston Public Works chief operating officer, said 178 of the city’s 378 wastewater pumping stations lost power at the peak of the outages, though he said Houston’s drinking water remained safe. Moving forward, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said transparency from city department heads will be key in addressing shortcomings. “We can’t go around saying we have a $400 million surplus when we have critical needs,” Whitmire said. “We have a lot of work to do, but it starts with transparency.”

Emergency recovery work may begin without a permit, but residents must apply for a no-fee permit for the work the next business day. Contractors must obtain a permit when necessary. West University Place Permit fees related to storm damage repairs will be waived until Sept. 6. Contractors must obtain a permit when necessary.

Historical peak wind gusts

Historical peak power outages in the Greater Houston area

Hobby Airport

George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Hurricane Beryl (July 8)

2.2M

84 mph 83 mph

Hurricane Beryl (July 8) Derecho (May 16-17, 2024) Isolated thunderstorm (June 2023) Hurricane Harvey (August 2017) Hurricane Ike (September 2008)

Derecho (May 16-17, 2024)

930,000

62 mph

Outages during Harvey totaled 1M

91 mph

Hurricane Harvey (August 2017)

270,000

41 mph

Hurricane Ike (September 2008)

2.2M

82 mph

SOURCES: CENTERPOINT ENERGY, CITY OF BELLAIRE, CITY OF WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE, HARRIS COUNTY INSTITUTE OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Zooming in

What readers should know

What’s next?

Hurricane outlook On May 23, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released projections for the 2024 Atlantic Ocean hurricane season.

Thomas Gleeson, chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, said state agencies will work with local utility companies to strengthen infra- structure against future disasters. “I look at every one of these storms as a chance for us to review what we’ve done and try to get better at our preparation, our response,” he said. The PUC is investigating CenterPoint’s response to Beryl. The investigation kicked off July 25 with a hearing on CenterPoint’s resiliency efforts and what officials said the company will enact immediately to improve communication during emergencies. Meanwhile, residents in Bellaire addressed the Bellaire City Council July 15 with suggestions for what can be done at the local level, including a request for the city to waive permits to install generators during times of emergency and to look closer at how the city can regulate vegetation near utility lines. Bellaire Mayor Gus Pappas said he expected storm-related topics to return to council for discussion in the coming months.

A number of resources are available in the city of Houston for residents who need food, shelter or who are looking for help with disaster repairs. Food, water, hygiene Houston Food Bank www.houstonfoodbank.org Texas Health and Human Services www.211texas.org Health Care for the Homeless www.homeless-healthcare.org/severe-weather-resources

Hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30

17-25 named storms

8-13 hurricanes with 74 mph winds or higher

4-7 major hurricanes with 111 mph winds or higher

Beryl featured winds of 84 mph in Houston

Shelter City of Houston www.houstonoem.org/pages/response Red Cross www.redcross.org/local/texas/gulf-coast Disaster assistance Federal Emergency Management Agency www.fema.gov/disaster/4798

85% chance of an above average number of hurricanes over Atlantic Ocean

2024

10% chance of a normal season 5% chance of a below average

number of hurricanes over Atlantic Ocean

SOURCE: NOAA/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCES: VARIOUS AGENCIES/COMMUNITY IMPACT

BELLAIRE - MEYERLAND - WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION

Events

BY ASIA ARMOUR

showing of the iconic teen movie “American Pie.” Tickets to this 18 years and older event grant access to the movie screening and after party. • Aug. 15, 7:15-10:30 p.m. • $25 • 1700 Post Oak Blvd., 5th Level, Houston • www.rooftopcinemaclub.com Butterfly Walks Buffalo Bayou Partnership hosts a discovery tour of local butterfly species. Former director of the Cockrell Butterfly Center, Nancy Grieg, will lead participants on a 3-mile nature walk to explore butterflies’ life cycles and habitats starting from Buffalo Bayou’s Jackson Hill Bridge. • Aug. 17, 9-10:30 a.m. • Free • 3422 Allen Parkway, Houston • www.buffalobayou.org Mess Makers The Nature Discovery Center invites children ages 3-7 years old to explore messes of mud, flowers, paint and shaving cream to create works of art. Prior registration

August

Houston Shakespeare Festival The Miller Outdoor Theatre hosts the 50th annual Shakespeare Festival. Performers from the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance and Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts will alternate performances of “Romeo & Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” A pre-show panel will be held before every show. • Aug. 1-10, 8:15-10:30 p.m. • Free with registration • 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston • www.milleroutdoortheatre.com Mixers and Elixirs The Houston Museum of Natural Science hosts this 21 years and older event with a cash bar, food trucks and a dance floor. Music will be provided by DJ Troy Parker & Karaoke. • Aug. 9, 7-10 p.m.

Opening reception for Do Ho Suh: In Process This artist installation will be on display at Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts from Sept. 6-Dec. 21. The exhibit of sculptures, drawings and artwork explores Do Ho Suh’s methodologies and practice through studio materials, collaborative projects and finished works.

• $20 (members); $25 (nonmembers) • 5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston • www.hmns.org

is required to attend. • Aug. 25, 10-11:15 a.m. • $22 (members); $27 (nonmembers) • 7112 Newcastle St., Bellaire • www.naturediscoverycenter.org

• Sept. 6, 6-8 p.m. • Free (admission) • 6100 Main St., Ste. MS-480, Houston • https://moody.rice.edu

Class of ‘99 Reunion The Rooftop Cinema Club in Uptown Houston honors the class of 1999 with a 25-year reunion party and a

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If you or someone that you know is at risk of developing diabetes, the DAWN center can help. The DAWN Center provides diabetes self-management education and support, along with health-related services, to individuals living with diabetes or at risk for diabetes.

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