The decisions made at City Hall affect our lives everyday. Council Member Gonzalez teams up with city leaders, law enforcement, service providers, community activists and citizens to address local concerns and to establish an effective connection between the City Hall and our communities.
Neighborhood Improvement Projects
A collaborative effort, Ed’s office will first identify an area in District H, distribute information about an issue or challenge, host stakeholder meetings, and gather relevant City departments to tackle issues head-on.
In Cottage Grove, Ed joined law enforcement, Crimestoppers and local residents to block walk the area educating people about illegal dumping.
Public Safety 101 Symposiums
A former police officer himself, Ed has hosted the well-received ‘Public Safety 101′ Symposiums where leaders meet with citizens to educate communities about law enforcement. He has also held a series of community meetings in the Melrose and Airline areas to discuss what people can to to tackle crime.
Healthy Communities
Healthy residents ensure a bright future for a community. Ed has participated in several Town Hall meetings about health and well-being. The Pregnancy Prevention Town hall, the obesity summit with Can Do Houston; and a town hall meeting on Nutrition to raise awareness about increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and eating smart.
Disaster Management
While it is important for everyone to always ‘be prepared’ for natural disasters, for residents like those of District H who are close to the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Preparedness is something taken very seriously. The District experienced great damage and power outages in the wake of Ike. To make sure we are all better prepared in the future, Ed was proud to join families at Berry Elementary for an Emergency Preparedness Town Hall Meeting. Joined by community activist Charles X. White, the City of Houston Health Department and the Houston Fire Department, Council Member Gonzalez led a discussion on being prepared for any emergency situation. Attendees learned about the importance of creating a Family Emergency Plan; having adequate essential supplies, emergency contact numbers and family points of congregation. The Houston Fire Department also provided important insight into the community programs available at your local fire station; including FREE smoke detectors and emergency services.
Redistricting Meetings
Every 10 years, the federal government conducts a census. Council boundaries then have to be re-drawn to accommodate these changes in a process known as redistricting. Because the population of Houston now exceeds 2.1 million, this year the city will add two new council seats, J and K. Ed has hosted meetings throughout District H so that residents can learn more about the process.
Coffee with the Council Member
Early in his first term as a council member, Ed had coffee with Denver Harbor residents each month. The meetings were so successful that he later issued invites to residents in other parts of the District to meet him at a spot in their neighborhood. Thus, Coffee with the Council Member was born. Each week, residents in a particular community now have the opportunity to meet with Ed in a casual setting to discuss the business of the day.
