Exploration Green Conservancy Announces Website, Email, Feb. Meeting and Groundbreaking

It's official!  The Exploration Green Conservancy will kick off the new year with it's first Town Hall meeting under it's new name on February 27, 2014.  You know the project as the CLC Green Plan, and most of you attended the community input town halls conducted over 2012 to ensure that the project meets the highest use for our neighborhoods.   This past year has been full of action as the planning and organizing has evolved with the formation of the new non-profit organization, the Exploration Green Conservancy.  Chairman Frank Weary continues to lead this new organization and we are in good hands with him at the helm in what will be a very busy year.

The initial groundbreaking for Exploration Green is planned for Saturday, April 12th for the first of five phases that will be completed over the course of the next decade.

You won't want to miss out on the upcoming developments with this innovative and inspiring community project, so be sure to get on the email list for updates:  ExplorationGreen@gmail.com

And the new website is taking the place of this one, so be sure to check it out and get involved in this fantastic community endeavor:   www.explorationgreen.org

Many more details are included in the link below, which was published online today:
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/bay_area/news/new-year-brings-big-advances-for-clear-lake-s-exploration/article_d23ed096-e1de-5c42-84c4-6e99c1e275f8.html

Thank you all for the hard work and dedication you have shared with our community in this tremendous effort over the years, and be sure to get involved by volunteering for the many opportunities to help in the future.

Exploration Green Debuts! Conservancy Formed!

The Clear Lake City Water Authority recently announced the naming of the green space we have all been working hard to protect for the last ten years.  Exploration Green will be an innovative and effective use of the space for both state of the art storm water management and recreational use.  In addition, a conservancy has been formed to help raise funds for the park-like amenities and manage the development of the recreational facilities.  Galveston Bay Foundation was selected to partner with the Water Authority to provide a conservation easement that will secure the land as green space into perpetuity.  Watch for the announcement of a new website for Exploration Green and it's conservancy work coming soon!

Check out the details in the Citizen article today by clicking the link below:

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/bay_area/news/exploration-green-a-new-star-in-the-clear-lake-area/article_01d09a84-6aa5-5679-81c9-2370d38663d4.html

Congratulations to the Clear Lake City Water Authority Board and all the many volunteers who have worked so hard to accomplish this great achievement for our community!!

Email Governor Perry TODAY!!

Dear Clear Lake community member,

You may have heard about HB 1324 currently on Governor Perry’s desk, that proposes to de-annex the corporate entities in the water authority’s tax base.  It is not too late to let Governor Perry know you do not want this to happen, and that it will set a dangerous precedent for those who pay taxes now for services they do not receive.  We all pay taxes to support the infrastructure of our community, our schools, roads and transportation services, our police and fire support among many other things.  These corporations have paid these taxes since they built their plants in our municipality many years ago. And while they do not benefit from these services directly, their employees do, as these taxes go to strengthen our community infrastructure, making it a wonderful place to live and work.   Please email Governor Perry by going to http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/.   Let him know that it is a serious precedent to set, to allow corporations to relinquish tax responsibility within a community in which they operate.  We may not feel the pinch of this bill for some time, but we will feel it in the long term.  Email Governor Perry today, and urge your friends to, before he signs this bill!!  

Support Needed for Senator Taylor and the CLCWA!

Dear Clear Lake City Water Authority Constituents:                                       May 8, 2013

Our community needs your voice to be heard in the legislature. 

Please send an email to Senator Larry Taylor thanking him for his support of the Clear Lake City Water Authority in the current legislation. 

Senator Taylor does not support the effort to deannex the industrial portion of our tax base, which would effectively increase by 13% the taxes of the average homeowner in the CLCWA jurisdiction. 

Senator Taylor also does not support the effort to place the CLCWA into what is called sunset review.  That would mean our water authority would have to undergo a costly, time-consuming and unnecessary review of every aspect of its business practices and basically “prove” what we all know today, and that is that the CLCWA is one of the most ethical, authentic and well managed organizations in our state and possibly in the country.

Email Senator Taylor a hardy “thank you” for his support and let him know that you appreciate the CLCWA’s long standing management of our water services.    Let Senator Taylor know how we feel about the reasonable rates we pay and the consistent service we receive.  Let him know that we are happy with the CLCWA’s progressive and innovative approach to flood control, and its understanding that we are not like the rest of Harris County.

Let’s emphasize to him that we want our community to continue to receive service from our CLCWA!

Please email your appreciation of Senator Taylor’s support of the Clear Lake City Water Authority today. Send your email to larry.taylor@senate.state.tx.us and cc  Nicole Sunstrum in Senator Taylor’s office at Nicole.Sunstrum@senate.state.tx.us.  Forward this request to your friends and relatives, too!  Help get the word of thanks out to Senator Taylor!

There is no time to waste when the legislature is in session!

Letter from John Branch, VP, CLCWA Board of Directors

Master Plan for Former CLC Golf Course

            No one cares more about the Clear Lake area than the Board of Directors of the CLCWA.  A recent letter to the editor by Carole Henning concerning the Clear Lake City Water Authority plan for the former CLC golf course included incendiary claims and urged people to attend a “Friends of the OGC” community meeting on Jan. 19^th.  I attended that meeting which started out with the announcement that no one would be allowed to make comments other than members of their group.  Some citizens, as well as myself, who had worked on preparing community input for over six months last year attempted to correct wrong and misleading information presented at the meeting and were cut off.  What kind of viable group has a community meeting and does not allow anyone who actually knows the facts to speak or allow a free exchange of information? 

            There was so much inaccurate and misleading information presented at the meeting and on their website, I cannot begin to address them in this format.  When the CLCWA purchased the property in May 2011 for flood control purposes, we began discussions with other layers of governments about working together and pooling resources in a partnership to enhance the flood control design by incorporating multiple uses.  We learned that a Master Plan was needed before any serious discussions could proceed.  The CLCWA conducted a Town Hall meeting early in 2012 to inform the public of our desire to incorporate nice amenities into the flood control design.  We asked for volunteers to serve on a Citizen’s Advisory Group to provide input on what the community would like to see incorporated in the design which could then be used to solicit other government funding, corporate gifts, foundation grants, etc.

            The Citizen Advisory Group, which included more than 40 volunteers, completed their work and reported out at a town hall meeting and CLCWA board meeting in September.  The CLCWA and a landscape architect firm have used this vital community input, as much as possible, to develop and fine tune the design.  This master plan will be a working document which will allow the CLCWA to begin discussions with other government and public entities to secure approvals, make whatever adjustments are required, and begin the process to secure additional funding for the amenities. 

            The CLCWA directors have been working relentlessly for the past eight years to procure the property in order to improve flood control capability in our streets and neighborhoods.  The ability to accomplish this and work with residents at the same time to enhance the quality of life in the area has been well received by the community in previous public meetings.

            All residents are invited to come to the CLCWA Town Hall meeting from 7 to 9 pm on Thursday, Feb. 21^st, in the Parish Life Center at St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church.  The church is located at the corner of El Dorado and El Camino Real.  The Master Plan will be introduced to the community and I think most people will be excited to see the long term vision created by the CLCWA and the Citizen Advisory Group.

John Branch, VP, Board of Directors, CLCWA

CLCWA To Present Master Plan At Town Hall Meeting

The Clear Lake City Water Authority Board will host a Town Hall meeting on Thursday, February 21, from 7 pm to 9 pm at the St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church Parish Hall to present the Master Plan for their flood control facility.  The flood control facility will be located on the former Clear Lake Golf Club property. 

For more detailed information, please go to www.clcwa.org or www.clcgreenplan.org,

Master Plan In the Works!

The Clear Lake City Water Authority Board and the architects are making great progress on the Master Plan and are moving toward mid-February to announce a meeting to present it to the community.  No date has been set yet, there are many details to wrap up, and as soon as we know a date and the details about the meeting, we will post immediately.  If we have your email address, you will get an email announcing the meeting info as well.

Email clcgreenplan@gmail.com to be sure you get on the list.