Public Works Moving to New Temporary Space

Unlike other city facilities, the Public Works administration building generally isn’t public facing.  So understandably it doesn’t always get the most attention; out of sight, out of mind.  But that doesn’t make it any less essential to providing the critical infrastructure and services we all depend on, and which are fundamental to our health and wellbeing:  clean drinking water, wastewater treatment, solid waste collection, streets and drainage.  We’re currently in the process of moving the Public Works department into a leased commercial office, on South Rice just outside the City, because they are in desperate need of functional space as we finally get underway with planning for a new facility.

Special Election to Authorize Sale of Ruffino Hills Landfill Property

It’s an election year in Bellaire, and in addition to the usual races for Mayor and Council voters will also be asked to authorize the sale of property outside the City previously dedicated as park land.  We’ve been looking to sell it for many years and at last the time is right.  While we don’t yet have a deal, it makes sense to go ahead and put it on the ballot now because it won’t cost us anything extra to conduct a special election in conjunction with the general election we’re already paying for.

Ruffino Hills is located along Keegan’s Bayou, out near 59 and the Beltway in Southwest Houston.  Originally the site of a municipal landfill for the cities of Bellaire and West University Place, after the landfill was closed in the 1980s the property was developed as a golf course that operated through the 90s and early 2000s.  The two cities continued to own it in roughly equal portions, until last December when West U. sold its half for $10.5 million to the City of Houston to be used for regional storm water detention in the Keegan’s watershed.

Bellaire is in talks with Houston to do the same, and is also considering interest from private developers.  Unlike West U.’s side of the property, however, Bellaire’s was dedicated as park land when the golf course was going in.  As such, under state law our voters must first approve a sale:

PROPOSITION A

SHALL THE CITY COUNCIL BE AUTHORIZED TO SELL OR OTHERWISE CONVEY APPROXIMATELY 72.5 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED AT 9720 RUFFINO ROAD, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77031, THE SITE OF A CLOSED MUNICIPAL LANDFILL COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE RUFFINO HILLS PROPERTY, PREVIOUSLY DESIGNATED AS PARK LAND.

__________ FOR
__________ AGAINST

We hope all who are eligible will take the time to carefully study this issue—and, of course, the candidates for Mayor and Council—and exercise your right to vote!  Be sure to register by October 10 if you haven’t already.  Early voting will run from October 23 through November 3, and Election Day is November 7.

#OneBellaire Mobile App Available for Download

Keep up with the latest City of Bellaire news and information, and access helpful resources anytime, anywhere, from the convenience of your mobile device.  The #OneBellaire app is your new digital hub for:

• Community events calendar and public meeting announcements
• Important alerts and updates
• Information about city services, such as holiday trash and recycling schedules
• Online bill pay
• and so much more!

Set it up for push notifications to receive new content automatically in the categories you choose.  This feature does not replace our PrepareBellaire emergency alert system, which is geotargeted for incidents that affect your specific location, but is a great way to get general information through Notify Me.

The #OneBellaire app is our primary, centralized app.  From within #OneBellaire you can easily access the SeeClickFix app previously released by tapping “Report a Concern,” or you can continue to use it separately if you prefer.  Still under development is another new app, Bellaire Collects, which is all about solid waste services, including a waste wizard that will assist users in understanding what materials can and cannot be put out for recycling.  Once ready it will likewise be integrated into #OneBellaire and also function as a standalone app.

We’re excited to bring you this communication enhancement, and hope you will find it a useful tool for staying connected and engaged with the City.  Please reach out with your feedback, or if you have any questions or need assistance with the app.

Download the #OneBellaire app today!