Edward Pollard, Houston City Council Member, District J

 

Covid-19 Update (as of April 4, 2020)

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the Greater Houston area at an increasing rate. We urge everyone to stay home unless it is absolutely necessary to leave your house.In Houston/Harris County, there were 1,284 confirmed cases, 203 recovered cases and 17 deaths. For the latest COVID-19 news specific to the Houston area, visit https://houstonemergency.org/covid19. The University of Houston’s Community Design Resource Center has created a COVID-19 resource book which contains information on a variety of topics from housing resources and food assistance to mental health aid and support for undocumented immigrants. Visit https://www.cdrchouston.org/resources or download the guide from the following links: English | Spanish

Day of Prayer – April 9, 2020

Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard, District J, calls for a city-wide day of prayer or moment of silence on Thursday, April 9, 2020, as the Greater Houston area deals with the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter addressed to the public, Council Member Pollard asks Houston-area residents to turn to their faith for spiritual support, along with following guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the national level, and the Stay Home, Work Safe order on the local level. Pollard requests that the public to stop and pray at 12:00 p.m. on April 9, and to continue to pray throughout the day. Those who do not practice any particular faith are asked to observe a moment of silence. Read More

Day of Prayer Letter | English | Spanish

 

VIDEO: Pollard Says Use Time Wisely
Click image to view video.

Council Member Edward Pollard Gives Remarks at City Council Meeting

Help for Small Businesses

The federal government has announced several resources available for small business owners negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Through the Small Business Administration, business owners can apply for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Emergency Advance, SBA Express Bridge Loans or SBA Debt Relief. For more information about these programs and to apply, visit www.sba.gov.

HISD Relaunches Food Distribution Program

The Houston Independent School District has relaunched its food distribution program with increased safety measures and a streamlined process. The program will restart on Monday, April 6 at specific sites throughout the city. Visit the HISD website for dates, times and locations where food will be distributed.

METRO Modifies Bus Service in Response to COVID-19

In an effort to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, METRO has implemented several precautionary measures, including altering bus routes, closing some Park and Ride locations, allowing riders to enter from the rear of the bus, and instituting additional sanitation practices. Visit www.ridemetro.org to learn about all the ways METRO is working to help you stay safe during your commute.

3-1-1 Service Requests

We want to make District J the best it can be, but we need your help. Is there a pothole on your street or do you need information about residential building permits? Do you want to report a danger or nuisance in your neighborhood or learn about garbage collection and recycling? Dial 3-1-1 to submit a service request or get information on a variety of city services. You can also download the 3-1-1 app to your smartphone. If you have an emergency, always dial 9-1-1. For everything else, dial 3-1-1. It’s a service provided just for you. For more information, check out the 3-1-1 website. http://www.houstontx.gov/311/

Census 2020

Have you completed the 2020 Census yet? It is critically important that every member of our community is counted. Information from the count is used to determine how billions of dollars in federal funding is distributed to support programs such as health care, education, employment, transportation and infrastructure. The Census is also used to determine the number of seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives. The deadline to submit your Census is August 14, 2020. To complete the Census, visit https://2020census.gov/.
Instructions for how to complete the Census:
English | Spanish | American Sign Language

No Basketball… for Now

Council Member Pollard received severals calls of concern regarding individuals continuing to play basketball at District J parks disregarding social distancing and the Stay Home, Work Safe order. Within a week, the council member was able to coordinate with the Parks Department on a city wide temporary removal of basketball rims from city parks. Shown are rims being removed from Crain Park in Sharpstown. It will take a shared sacrifice from us all to overcome the coronavirus.

Capital Improvement Project Meeting

The District J CIP meeting was a huge success with over 200 people in attendance. Thank you to the India House for hosting, and each city department for your work in coordinating. We are excited about many capital projects in our district. Just this past week, council approved one of our capital projects, a Regional Lift Station, at the corner of Fountainview and Skyline Dr. Not only will the project improve water flow in our city, it will also address quality of life concerns. The area where the lift station will be located is a property that has been vacant for some time. It is a location HPD receives constant calls for trespassing, loitering, and drug activity. With this new construction we should have a more maintained property, absent of blight, with less need for HPD calls of service.

VIDEO: 2020 Bellaire Hospital Negotiation

(Click the image below to watch the video.)
This past week, Council Member Pollard was notified that the landlord of the Bellaire Hospital, located in District J, was reluctant to allow individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 to be treated at their facility. After several days of stalled conversations between the landlord and a third party medical provider, Pollard negotiated a deal that was reasonable to all parties involved. Pollard emphasized the idea that we must put lives before fear and profits. We all must use whatever resources we have at our disposals to combat this virus.
Council Member Pollard talks with KPRC reporter Mario Diaz.