Residents frustrated with city response to 311 requests in Independent Heights area

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Recently, if you took a stroll around this part of Independence Heights, just a long this stretch of Yale Street near Weatherly Way, there’s a chance you may have noticed all sorts of items illegally tossed – from grocery carts and tires in the water to debris scattered along the sidewalk.

According to the city’s solid waste management department, much of the problem stems from a homeless encampment that needs to be cleared.

David, who lives nearby, originally reported the issue to 311 in May.

“I want Houston to work. When something is wrong in our neighborhoods and it needs attention, it shouldn’t be swept under the rug and said that it’s completed and it’s not,” David said.

We checked for ourselves. A message sent to him says the service was completed, but when we went out there on Thursday, there was still a lot of work to be done.

“This is a battle for the city of Houston. You know, I’m not worried about myself. You know, I’m worried how the neighborhood looks for everyone,” David said.

In fact, he put in a request for service multiple times since May, so ABC13 asked Houston City Councilmember Mario Castillo, who represents this district, why the job wasn’t taken care of, even though David got notification, that it was.

“311, it doesn’t do a good job of communicating a full picture to our residents. In certain cases, we have cases reported and they’re coming back as completed, and those cases involve non-city of Houston land. 311 agents determined the city doesn’t own that land, we’re not going to clean it up. And it’s closed,” Castillo said.

Once he was notified himself of the illegal dumping, he contacted the correct department. It turns out this property is part of the county, not the city.

“We reached out to flood control, and we found out they were the ones who owned the land where this dumping was taking place, and they went out and picked up in a timely manner,” Castillo said.

David said this was just one of many cases marked complete. He said the same happened to this other one just down the street on Yale and Martin, which is city owned.

“They might not have gotten to it yet, but it was marked as complete because it was routed to the proper department, and that also is a confusing component to this,” Castillo said.

Castillo says as the city works to resolve problems with illegal dumping, Houstonians will need better communication from them.

“That is part of the frustration. You’re getting an email saying your request is marked as complete, and then you’re still seeing the trash there,” Castillo said.

“Let’s make it work. If our neighborhoods need help, help us,” David said.

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