Councilman creates cleanup program with own campaign funds

06:40 PM CDT on Thursday, July 21, 2005

From 11 News Staff Reports

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It's not every day you find a politician putting his money where his mouth is. But that's exactly what has happened in Houston. If things work out the program to battle neighborhood nuisances could go citywide.

On a tolerable summer morning, it's not unusual to see Ofelia Bennett and her friend and neighbor, Bobbie Sheppard, on the porch or walking through the yard.

"Ms. Sheppard is just like my own child," Bennett said.

It's the only exercise the 88-year-old gets.

"I have a cane and I used to walk in the yard," Bennett said. "Now I don't want to walk around there because I don't know what's out there."

Out there, Bennett said, are rodents and insects living inside wood and bricks that a storm blew off the next-door building onto her yard. And she wants it picked up.

"I called the 311," she said, "the mayor's office, ever since trying to get some help."

After four months of complaining, Sheppard was told, "the city has no funds for doing anything like that."

But Councilman Adrian Garcia in District H does, so he created "District H. Cares."

"I spend my campaign money buying the equipment," Garcia said. "The weed eaters, the chain saws, the trailers, all the equipment … so I could put this program in place."

The idea is to quickly move in to clean up neighborhood nuisances already cited by the city.

"To me that's enough," said Garcia. "Literally, my crew can be right behind them to take the corrective action. We should not wait until the lien process comes into place."

Mrs. Bennett is no longer waiting. "I feel alright about it," she said with a laugh.

And although she is blind, she looks on as the crew cleans up. "Seeing is believing," she said.

"District H Cares" relies on a field service coordinator, volunteers, probationers and the homeless to get the job done.

So far, 22 weeded lots have been cleared and 700 trash bags filled with debris from clogged culverts, gutters and curbs have been tossed.

If all goes well, the program may go citywide.