|
SUNDAY, JULY 14, 2024
The following is a review of an Emergency Meeting held by The Woodlands Township's Board of Directors. Meeting agendas are posted to the Township website in accordance with state law. Boardroom Briefings are distributed via email and posted to the Township website within one to two business days following each meeting.
The Woodlands Township Board of Directors held an Emergency Meeting on Sunday, July 14, 2024, at 5 p.m., to discuss the ongoing impact of Hurricane Beryl upon residents and villages.
Hurricane Beryl made landfall on Monday, July 8, 2024, as a Category 1 hurricane. As a result of heavy winds and rain, millions of residents in the Houston-Galveston region were left without power, including The Woodlands and surrounding areas. As restoration efforts have progressed, some areas of The Woodlands are continuing to experience ongoing outages.
The Woodlands Township does not manage or provide electrical utility services; however, the Township Board of Directors and staff are in continuous contact with energy providers and advocating diligently on behalf of residents. Chairman Dr. Ann K. Snyder read a statement from CenterPoint Energy to residents of The Woodlands.
Vice Chairman Kyle Watson read a statement from Entergy to residents of The Woodlands.
|
|
Approved: Accepted the report on Hurricane Beryl storm damage and recovery
efforts to date.
President/CEO Monique Sharp provided an update on the Township’s interactions with CenterPoint.
-
The Township has previously established a process for communication with CenterPoint as a result of past storms and outages. This communication involves multiple contacts at various levels with CenterPoint and includes efforts from both Township staff and Board members. While there were challenges during this emergency with the established process, a representative of CenterPoint has responded to the Township’s requests for updates and information.
-
The Township has prioritized advocating with CenterPoint for the hardening of power infrastructure, an improved plan for vegetation management along their lines in The Woodlands and an improved outage map.
Director of Intergovernmental Relations/Assistant to the President Todd Stephens updated the Board regarding Gov. Greg Abbott’s requests to CenterPoint and the Public Utility Commission (PUC). The governor sent a letter to the PUC requesting a full investigation into power delivery to the Houston region during this disaster, asked CenterPoint for a report by July 31, 2024, regarding their response to the storm and delays in that response, and requested CenterPoint’s removal of vegetation around power lines by August 31, 2024. The governor has proposed heavy consequences should CenterPoint fail to provide an adequate response to these requests. He also indicated that both the House and Senate of the Texas Legislature will hold investigative hearings shortly.
“This Board has heard about the issues with CenterPoint from residents over and over with little remedy,” said Director Brad Bailey. “This is a complicated issue that has to be addressed with ERCOT and those conversations affecting service areas take place in Austin. We need to have a strong presence there starting now so we can be brokers of conversations to resolve this for our residents. Enough is enough.”
Chairman Snyder echoed those sentiments and reiterated the Board’s commitment to residents in ensuring appropriate recourse. “You all can rest assured that we will have a significant presence in Austin on July 31,” she said. “The Woodlands Township is in constant communication with CenterPoint and they are aware of our dissatisfaction with the ongoing issues in their service.”
Chief Operating Officer Chris Nunes provided more updates regarding communications with CenterPoint. “It has been a full court press to communicate with CenterPoint,” Nunes said. “Multiple efforts have been made continuously to try and get reliable, credible information for our residents. We’ve also worked with residents to get their input and experiences so that we can relay that information to CenterPoint.”
Nunes also updated the Board regarding the Parks and Recreation Department’s efforts to secure and restore Township facilities. As of July 14, 2024, 70% of the 220+ mile pathway system is open but not fully free of debris. Debris removal throughout Township parks, reserves and facilities will likely be a multi-month effort. Pools were opened quickly after power restoration and cleanup. Six parks remain closed due to heavy tree damage. The Township is working quickly to resolve the several hundred work orders received in the past week.
Chief Administrative Officer Karen Dempsey updated the Board regarding Storm Debris Removal and the Township’s efforts to communicate those processes to residents. As a special purpose district, the Township cannot declare an emergency. Therefore, in these situations, the Township leverages its partnership with Harris and Montgomery Counties for storm debris removal. Residents must submit a Debris Removal Request form to either Harris or Montgomery County depending on your county of residence. It is a requirement to complete this form.
Dempsey noted that residents can also place smaller debris (green waste) at their curb for Waste Management as long as it adheres to the guidelines. Residents are also able to bring debris to The Woodlands Recycling Center but should be aware that the center has a daily capacity limit. Please note that the center is currently closed until Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Residents may also contact their County Precinct for additional debris drop off locations.
“Waste Management has done an excellent job of being at the recycling facilities to help manage that process, taking away full containers and bringing in new ones,” Dempsey said. “On Saturday, July 13, the center processed 276 cars which equated to a car per minute.”
Dempsey also stated that if residents are noticing that green waste that qualifies for weekly trash service has not been picked up by Waste Management, and has not been tagged as unaccepted, it is simply due to the sheer volume of green waste they are clearing. Waste Management will return and continue to remove curbside green waste that meets the specifications as quickly as possible. Waste Management will not clear large vegetative debris or debris that does not meet the stated guidelines. Residents should register with their County for removal of large vegetative debris.
Chief Palmer Buck of The Woodlands Fire Department updated the Board regarding their response during the storm. The Woodlands Fire Department made seven rescues including high water and elevator rescues in addition to responding to 235 calls as a result of the storm. The department also checked in on those who are registered as medically fragile in the community. Chief Buck noted that WFD was temporarily using fire trucks to transport low acuity individuals to hospitals as a result of high demand and limited ambulance availability. Currently, the department is responding to frequent calls regarding carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of incorrect use of generators.
The Board thanked the Township staff for their efforts to continue to keep the community informed throughout the storm and during recovery efforts despite power and cell tower failures.
The Board will next meet on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at 6 p.m. at 2801 Technology Forest Blvd.
Meeting agendas, videos and more are available online at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.
|
|
|
This Boardroom Briefing is NOT the official minutes of the meeting. Official minutes are posted online upon review and approval by the Board of Directors. The Township holds regular meetings twice per month. Unless otherwise posted, meetings will occur on the third Thursday followed by the fourth Wednesday each month.
|
|
|
|
