Making Houston Green

Green for greenspace: Rich and Nancy Kinder donate $50 million to ambitious bayou parks plan

It seems to be a week for $50 million donations. A day after the Moody Foundation donated that precise amount to the University of Texas College of Communication, Houston philanthropists Rich and Nancy Kinder announced plans to give $50 million to the Houston Parks Board for the Bayou Greenways 2020 Project, an ambitious plan to connect greenspaces along the city's bayous and create new parkland.

The donation, made through the Kinder Foundation, is the largest donation in the history of Houston’s park system and one of the largest grants to a public greenspace in the United States.

The Bayou Greenways 2020 Project will create 1,500 acres of parkland within the city and ultimately connect 150 miles of trails along nine Houston bayous.

The Bayou Greenways 2020 Project will create 1,500 acres of parkland within the city and ultimately connect 150 miles of trails (80 new miles connected to 70 existing miles of trails) along nine Houston bayous including White Oak, Brays, Sims, Hunting, Halls, Greens and Buffalo bayous, as well as Cypress and Clear Creek.

The ambitious project is funded through a public-private partnership. The city of Houston is pitching in $100 million, which voters approved in a bond referendum last November. The Houston Parks Board has committed to raising a matching $115 million. In addition to the $50 million Kinder donation, $21 million has been committed by the Houston Endowment, The Wortham Foundation, The Fondren Foundation, the Brown Foundation, multiple federal agencies and individual donors.

The Houston Chronicle reports that the donation was contingent on Houston City Council approval to turn over maintenance of the park lands to a nonprofit group to ensure that they are adequately kept up. In last week's session, city council approved the agreement authorizing the Houston Parks Board to oversee maintenance of the bayou trails with public monies. Under the arrangement, the newspaper reports, the city will pay the park board up to $10 million a year for upkeep of the signature park system.

“Bayou Greenways 2020 will complete the 100-year-old vision of city planner Arthur Comey and many like-minded leaders who saw the potential benefits of integrating Houston’s waterways into our recreational system. I would like to thank the Kinders for their generosity and commitment to the future of Houston,” Mayor Annise Parker said in a statement.

In a lengthy press release, officials listed the project segments that are slated to begin by the end of 2014:

· Along Brays Bayou:
o 75th Street trailhead, Forest Hill ramp and Lawndale to OST (under construction)
o Mason Park Bridge & connections (Winter 2014)
o University of Houston Bridge & connections (Winter 2014)
o OST to MLK (Summer 2014)
· Along Buffalo Bayou:
o Travis to Main (Winter 2013)
· Along Halls Bayou:
o Tidwell to Bretshire Drive and Hirsh to US 59 (Winter 2014)
· Along Hunting Bayou:
o Hutcheson Park to Mickey Leeland Park (Winter 2014)
· Along Sims Bayou:
o Reveille Park to Stuart Park (Spring 2014)
o Milby Park to I-45 (Spring 2014)
o S Post Oak to Hillcroft (Spring 2014)
· Along White Oak Bayou:
o Shepherd to West 11th Street (Fall 2013)
o Connect Heritage Trail to Main Street at White Oak Bayou; connect Heritage Trail along Pinckney to Main Street; connect Heritage Trail to Hogg Park (Spring 2014)
o MKT Trail East to MKT Trail West – (Spring 2014)
o Antoine to Alabonson (Spring 2014)
o Alabonson to Hollister (Spring 2014)

Rich and Nancy Kinder

Photo by © Jenny Antill

Rich and Nancy Kinder

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always be prepared

Texas tax-free weekend lets shoppers stock up on emergency supplies

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Emergency supplies like first aid kits that cost less than $75 are eligible for a tax break this weekend.

The best time for Texas residents to stock up on supplies to prepare for natural disasters is coming up this weekend. The annual statewide Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday runs from April 25-27, when Texans will be able to purchase critical emergency supplies — plus household necessities like batteries and fire extinguishers — tax-fee.

Shoppers can purchase certain emergency supplies tax-free starting at 12:01 am on Saturday, April 25, and the "holiday" runs until midnight on Monday, April 27. There is no limit on the number of qualifying items that can be purchased during the weekend, and purchases can be made in store, online, through the mail, and via custom order.

Saving on emergency supplies
Emergency preparation supplies must be purchased under certain price brackets to qualify for the tax exemption. For example, portable generators must have a sales price less than $3,000 to qualify for a tax break. Ladders and hurricane shutters that cost less than $300 also qualify.

Delivery, shipping, handling, and transportation charges are included in the sales price, according to the Comptroller. So if a shopper buys a $299 rescue ladder and is charged a $10 delivery fee, the total sales price for the purchase is $309, and tax would need to be paid for that sales price.

Additional items that qualify for a tax break as long as they cost less than $75 include:

Axes
Batteries – single or multipack (AAA cell, AA cell, C cell, D cell, 6 volt or 9 volt)
Carbon monoxide detectors
Fire extinguishers
First aid kits
Fuel containers
Ground anchor systems and tie-down kits
Hatchets
Ice products – including reusable and artificial ice
Light sources – including those that are battery operated or portable self-powered sources; candles, flashlights, and lanterns
Mobile telephone batteries and mobile telephone chargers
Non-electric can openers
Non-electric coolers and ice chests for food storage
Radios – including portable self-powered radios, battery operated radios, two-way radios, and weather band radios
Smoke detectors
Tarps and other plastic sheeting

The full list of qualifying items is available on The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts' website.

As a reminder, over-the-counter items like antibacterial hand sanitizer, soap, and spray and wipes are always exempt from sales tax if they are labeled with a "Drug Facts" panel in compliance with Food and Drug Administration regulations.

Non-qualifying items that will still be taxed
Medical masks, face masks, and gloves of any kind do not qualify for a tax exemption. Other taxable items including toilet paper, cleaning supplies (such as disinfectants and bleach wipes), vehicle or boat batteries, chainsaws, plywood, extension ladders, and stepladders. Camping equipment and supplies, including stoves and tents, are also not eligible for a tax break.

Additionally, any repair or replacement parts for emergency preparation supplies do not qualify for tax exemptions, and neither do any services that are performed on or related to those supplies.

What to do if a qualifying item is taxed during the holiday
If customers buy a tax-exempt item between April 25-27 and are still taxed, they may request a refund from the seller on the tax paid for the item. The seller can grant the refund to the buyer, or provide them with Form 00-985, Assignment to Right to Refund, which would allow the customer to file a claim for their refund through the Comptroller's website.

tax free weekend emergency supplies texas