The framework
Pollard described the rebranding as if they are running it like its own municipality, with services and programs that are specifically tailored for J City residents.
These services will supplement the city's departments in an effort to get a faster, more personalized response to community concerns, according to the news release.
"We have over 200,000 people who reside in this area, and we have to be able to provide services to a vast amount of people in a timely manner," Pollard told Community Impact. "But we're also competing with 10 other districts that have to get the same services and are using the same personnel. So why don't we get our own programs and our money to have our own personnel and our own little departments?"
Pollard said the funding for these programs comes from the district's Council District Service Fund, which J City gets $1 million from every year.
Pollard said his office came up with what programs and services were necessary for his community by asking and surveying his constituents on the issues most important to them. He also said they looked at what problems their office was receiving the most calls about.
"So many times when the residents call my office, we have to pass their issues over to the city departments, and then it's kind of out of our hands," Pollard said. "This gives us a much more on-hands approach. We have direct contact with these crews and these programs, so we can dictate the movement."
The programs included as part of J City are:
J City Patrol
Community patrolling in J City will be done by the Houston Police Department’s Differential Response Team, the use of six new Polaris vehicles and the J City Patrol Task Team patrol vehicles.
Polaris vehicles for DRT officers to use while patrolling are reserved for J City only, and they allow officers to patrol the area in unique ways by giving them access to areas that are unavailable to regular patrol cars, according to the website. The fully equipped Polaris vehicles, which can go up to speeds of 60 mph, can go off road for patrolling in parks and bayous, vacant lots and apartment complexes. They are also designed in an “open” concept, allowing officers to fully engage with residents while patrolling.
Supplemental Maintenance Team
This service will provide a dedicated crew that will maintain the mowing of right of ways, medians, vacant public lots and accessible ditches on weekly basis. J City residents can request this service by sending an email to [email protected] and can learn more about the service on their website.
Beautification Team
The Beautification Team is a new service to "preserve the beauty and safety" of J City, according to the website. The program is responsible for graffiti abatement, clearing of scattered debris and disposing of illegal dumping reported by J City residents.
On Jan. 7, some Houston residents expressed their frustrations to City Council over the delay in trash pickups, causing piles of trash in their neighborhoods.
J City resident Cindy Chapman said during the Jan. 7 meeting that trash was piling up in her neighborhood, with the city and Solid Waste Management not addressing the issue.
"My trash was not picked up in November [and] it was not picked up in December, so on Dec. 30, I again reached out to 311 to complain and reported it," Chapman said. "So that means that in Westbury, trash was at the curb for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, for Hanukkah and New Year's, all times of the year where people were visiting—what they saw was a trashy neighborhood."
During the meeting, Pollard said the city knows Houston is behind on heavy trash and that the city should hire as much private contractors to help sweep the city so they can start over and think of a new plan to better clean the city.
"There's no way an entire city, the fourth largest city in America, should be facing this type of challenge for this long," Pollard said. "We can't have neighborhoods going this long with heavy trash sitting out there, and we still trying to piecemeal it together, so hopefully we can get on the right track."
Animal Welfare
The collaboration with the Houston Humane Society will help tackle stray animals in J City and offer support pet owners in need.
To further assist with Houston's significant pet overpopulation problem, particularly concerning cats, Pollard has allocated funds to support Team Feral Cat Rescue and Adoption. This initiative has led to the rescue, sterilization, vaccination and treatment of numerous cats and kittens with the help of the Rescue Vet Clinic, according to the Animal Welfare website.
HOPE will help reduce the number of homeless animals and ensuring that pets receive the care and shelter they deserve. Their work includes fostering pets until they can be adopted into permanent homes, managing the population of feral cats through their Trap-Neuter-Return program and educating the community on responsible pet ownership.
BARC, the City of Houston’s Animal Shelter and Adoption Facility, is unique in its legal obligation to accept every animal, regardless of condition or circumstance, highlighting the comprehensive approach to animal welfare in the district. The J City office periodically partners with BARC for neighborhood sweeps to secure aggressive dogs and keep residents safe.
Good Neighbor Program
According to the website, J City seniors, veterans and disabled homeowners are often at risk of violating city codes due to challenges in maintaining their property's exterior. The program will be partnering with the Southwest Management District and the Houston Planning Department.
Homeowners or their representatives can be referred to the program through Homeowners Associations, Civic Associations or individual submissions. Once a referral is received, a budget analyst will review the request against the program's allocated budget for each home.
Going forward
Pollard said he hopes this rebranding could be something that is replicated citywide at other districts in Houston. Pollard said his office is not dissatisfied with the city departments as he knows they are working hard to address citywide issues, but he believes these J City services could add extra support, especially for his constituents.
"If you want to have a thriving city, you're going to have to continue to come up with innovative ways to address problems," Pollard said.
