The Texas Legislature has created 23 management districts within the
city of Houston. These districts have the authority to impose an ad
valorem tax and issue bonds to provide certain improvements and services
for economic growth, cultural activities and public safety in designated
areas of the city.
The districts are run by a board of directors composed of commercial
property owners, tenants, and residents, along with an executive
director and staff. The districts are funded by a tax assessed on
commercial property owners. Money raised by the districts remains in the
district to fund projects and improvements.
The Near Northwest Management District boundaries currently cover a
16 square mile area from the Beltway on the north to Pinemont on the
south with T.C. Jester on the east and Hollister on the west. The
District has plans to annex the area from Pinemont on the south to
Hempstead at the Beltway on the southwest, and to Hempstead at Watonga
on the southeast. It would also annex on the west, from the current
boundary to include the Beltway up to Hwy. 249.
"This will triple the size of the Near Northwest Management
District," says Roy Millmore, Executive Director of the District,
"and bump up against the newly created Spring Branch Management
District, sharing a common border on Hempstead." The process
actually consists of acquiring at least 51 signatures from property
owners in the area to be annexed.
The NNMD, created in 2001, has developed initiatives to address
issues it says are important to the area. One of the District's high
profile initiatives was involvement in the gang task force in which
numerous law enforcement agencies joined efforts to crackdown on drugs,
prostitution, and gangs in the near northwest area. The anti-gang
operation was so successful that crime was significantly reduced in the
targeted areas.
Mr. Millmore says that in the Security and Public Safety component of
the State requirements the District has an overall drop in crime of
17.4%. "This significant drop in crime," he says, " is
holding, and continues to move in a positive fashion with the Public
Safety strategies being implemented by the Executive Director and
approved by the Board of Directors."
The District has hired seven deputy constables to patrol
district-wide and supplement the law enforcement efforts of the Houston
Police Department. These constables are equipped with radios that allow
direct contact with Houston police officers for back-up and quicker
response time.
Another initiative is an effort to improve the appearance of
commercial and apartment properties through a Graffiti Abatement
Program. The District's Graffiti Mobile is available for both
power-washing of graffiti, and color paint matching to cover it. The
service is offered at no charge to the District's assessment-paying
property owners. Future projects will include planning and urban design,
and business development.
Currently the Near Northwest District is conducting meetings on the
U.S. 290 expansion and Hempstead toll road to provide information to
business owners impacted by these plans. Three meetings have been held
with TxDOT officials present to answer questions on the project.
The District's plans to expand are in response to numerous inquiries
from property owners along the 290 corridor. Mr. Millmore says that the
District is "particularly concentrating on the 290 corridor running
from 610 out to the Beltway." The property owners, he says, are
without any specific representation and the District can be an advocate
for their concerns.
Commercial property owners in the annexed area will be assessed $.11
out of every $100 by Harris County for services generated by the
District. Mr. Millmore feels that the additional cost to property owners
is outweighed by the benefits the management district can provide to
businesses. "Like the Greenspoint and Westchase Districts, the Near
Northwest Management District has over the last 20 months proven their
contribution to the community. Those businesses who lease space in the
strip centers seemed to be willing to pay the minimal increase of rent
to assist the property owners' tie-in to the District."
The NNMD office is located at 5300 Hollister. Board meetings are held
the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm, and community security
meetings are held the second Tuesday of every month at 10 am.
Deputy Constables patrol the District and
participate in the anti-gang task force. Shown are C. Eichenour, Richard Smith, V.H. Schultea and A. Soltura
More information can be found at www.nearnorthwestdistrict.com.
