With a litter cleanup initiative underway and a new security patrol contract in place, work is moving in the right direction, board Chair Tammy Rodriguez said.
“With the community’s support and the resources of the management district, we will speed up the neighborhood’s transition into being a safer and more prosperous place,” Rodriguez said in an Aug. 5 statement.
Management districts are political subdivisions that provide services or make improvements in a set geographical area using funds collected through a combination of property taxes, special assessments or impact fees. Under state law, all management districts must approve a service and assessment plan and conduct a public hearing before issuing an order to collect assessments.
The Gulfton Area Management District began collecting assessments on commercial property in 2022, said Alan Bernstein, a spokesperson for the district with the economic development firm Hawes Hill & Associates. It will raise $1.4 million in annual assessments on commercial properties this year, he said, which will be used to advance projects.
The district is governed by a seven-person board of directors, which meets publicly on a monthly basis at a storefront leased last month at 6223 Southwest Freeway, Houston. Board members are appointed by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and approved by the Houston City Council to serve four-year, staggered terms. Board members of the Gulfton district consist of local property owners, grassroots activists and community advocates, according to an Aug. 5 news release.
At a July 28 meeting, the board approved a donation of $150,000 to the Houston Police Department to fund an overtime pay program that puts between three to four officers on an evening patrol shift within the district, according to the release.
The district also approved a contract with WE Security Inc. to have security personnel patrol the district, Bernstein said. Future services will include graffiti removal on business properties and additional crime-stopping measures.
The district is generally bounded by Hillcroft Avenue to the west, the Southwest Freeway to the north, the Bellaire city limits to the east and Bissonnet Street to the south.
Other management districts can be found throughout Houston, including in Midtown, Brays Oaks and Upper Kirby.
