Editing Spring Branch, Houston (section)

===Local government===
[[File:Springbranchstorefronthouston.JPG|thumb|[[Houston Police Department]] Spring Branch Storefront at 8400 Long Point Road #A]]
The Spring Branch District within Houston is served by the [[Houston Police Department]] Northwest Patrol Division,<ref>"[http://www.houstontx.gov/police/cs/beatpages/northwest.htm Crime Statistics for Northwest Patrol Division]." ''City of Houston''</ref> headquartered at 6000 Teague Road.<ref name="VIPCops">"[http://www.houstontx.gov/police/vip/vip_cops.htm VOLUNTEER INITIATIVES PROGRAM - Citizens Offering Police Support]." ''City of Houston''.</ref> The Spring Branch Storefront Station is located at Suite A at 8400 Long Point Road.<ref name="VIPCops"/>

The [[Houston Fire Department]] serves areas within Houston and operates Fire Station #5 Old Spring Branch at 2020 Hollister Road, Fire Station #38 West Side at 1120 Silber Road, Fire Station #49 at 1212 Gessner Drive, and Fire Station #77 Spring Shadows at 10155 Kempwood Drive; the stations are in Fire District 5.<ref>"[http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/firestations/index.html Fire Stations]." ''City of Houston''. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> Some [[unincorporated area]]s in Spring Branch are served by the Houston Fire Department, while others are served by the [[Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department]].<ref>"[http://www.hcfmo.net/jurisdictionsearch.aspx Jurisdiction Lookup] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427083103/http://www.hcfmo.net/jurisdictionsearch.aspx |date=2009-04-27 }}." ''Harris County''. Retrieved on April 21, 2009.</ref><!--Lookup 4384 bRITTMoore rd, 77041 and 10800 train ct, 77041--> Station 38 was built in 1955.<ref name="Station38">"[http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/firestations/station38.html Fire Station 38] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527054328/http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/firestations/station38.html |date=2010-05-27 }}." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010.</ref> Station 49 opened in a former Spring Branch Volunteer Fire Department facility at Campbell at Long Point in 1956. Station 49 moved to Gessner at Westview in 1961.<ref name="Station49">"[http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/firestations/station49.html Fire Station 49] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527190251/http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/firestations/station49.html |date=2010-05-27 }}." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010.</ref> Station 5 moved from what is now [[Downtown Houston]] to Spring Branch in 1977.<ref name="Station05">"[http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/firestations/station5.html Fire Station 5] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529202611/http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/firestations/station5.html |date=2010-05-29 }}." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010.</ref> Station 77 opened in 1990.<ref>"[http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/firestations/station77.html Fire Station 77] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527052750/http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/firestations/station77.html |date=2010-05-27 }}." City of Houston. Retrieved on May 8, 2010.</ref> Station 38 was last renovated during the financial year of 1995.<ref name="Station38"/> Station 49 closed in April 2008 before undergoing a $753,821.40 renovation. The station reopened on February 9, 2009, and the re-opening ceremony occurred on March 16, 2009.<ref name="Station49"/> A renovation of Station 5 is scheduled for 2011.<ref name="Station05"/> [[File:Fire Station 5 Houston.jpg|thumb|Fire Station 5, 1976]]

[[Houston City Council]] District A covers areas of Spring Branch in Houston.<ref>[http://www.houstontx.gov/council/maps2012/a.pdf City of Houston, Council District Maps, District A] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131073541/http://www.houstontx.gov/council/maps2012/a.pdf |date=2012-01-31 }}." City of Houston. Retrieved on November 5, 2011.</ref> As of 2014 Brenda Stardig represents the district.<ref name="Baird01">{{cite news|last=Baird |first=Amanda |url=https://www.chron.com/default/article/Stardig-back-in-office-with-to-do-list-5162911.php |title=Stardig back in office with to-do list |date= January 21, 2014 |access-date=February 8, 2014 |newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]}}</ref> In the 1990s a small portion of Spring Branch was in City Council District G.<ref name="map3.gif">"[https://web.archive.org/web/19970211154806/http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/citygovt/council/map3.gif map3.gif]." City of Houston. February 11, 1997. Retrieved on November 7, 2011.</ref>

The city of Houston organized the areas in Spring Branch within Houston into the #8 Westbranch,<ref name="WestbranchCouncil">"[http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/SN_8.htm Super Neighborhood #8 - Westbranch] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509150111/http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/SN_8.htm |date=2008-05-09 }}." ''City of Houston''. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.</ref> #10 Spring Branch West,<ref name="SpringBranchWestCouncil">"[http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/SN_10.htm Super Neighborhood # 10 - Spring Branch West] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509091605/http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/SN_10.htm |date=2008-05-09 }}." ''City of Houston''. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> #84 Spring Shadows,<ref name="SpringShadowsCouncil">"[http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/SN_84.htm Super Neighborhood # 84 - Spring Shadows] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511172439/http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/SN_84.htm |date=2008-05-11 }}." ''City of Houston''. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> #85 Spring Branch Central,<ref name="SpringBranchCentralCouncil">"[http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/SN_85.htm Super Neighborhood # 85 - Spring Branch Central] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509150527/http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/SN_85.htm |date=2008-05-09 }}." ''City of Houston''. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref> and #86 Spring Branch East super neighborhoods.<ref name="SpringBranchEastCouncil">"[http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/SN_86.htm Super Neighborhood # 86 - Spring Branch East] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605030059/http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/SN_86.htm |date=2008-06-05 }}." ''City of Houston''. Retrieved on December 10, 2008.</ref>

The council for #10 Super Neighborhood opened on May 11, 2000.<ref name="SpringBranchWestCouncil"/> The council for the #85 Super Neighborhood, which includes the Binglewood, Binglewood 5, Campbell Woods, Hollister Place, Holley Terrace, Kempwood North, Langwood II, Outpost Estates, Spring Branch Estates II, Spring Branch Oaks, Springwood/Timbercreek, and Western Oaks subdivisions, many of which still have deed restrictions, opened on August 24, 2000.<ref name="SpringBranchCentralCouncil"/> The council for the #84 Super Neighborhood, which mostly consists of deed-restricted, single family subdivisions such as Spring Shadows and also includes nine apartment complexes and one mobile home area, opened on March 14, 2005.<ref name="SpringShadowsCouncil"/> Subdivisions within Super Neighborhood #86 include Afton Village, Brykerwoods, Monarch Oaks, Ridgecrest, Hillendahl Acres, Long Point Oaks, Pine Terrace, and Westview Terrace.<ref name="SpringBranchEastCouncil"/>

In 2011 the City of Houston opened a permanent electronics recycling center in Spring Branch.<ref>Balke, Jeff. "[http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2011/09/city_opens_permanent_electroni.php City Opens Permanent Electronics Recycling Center in Spring Branch] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130125152553/http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2011/09/city_opens_permanent_electroni.php |date=2013-01-25 }}." ''[[Houston Press]]''. September 28, 2011. Retrieved on July 25, 2012.</ref>

The Spring Branch Management District is headquartered at 9610 Long Point Drive.<ref>"[http://sbmd.org/contactus.aspx Contact Us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706080353/http://sbmd.org/contactus.aspx |date=2009-07-06 }}." ''Spring Branch Management District''. Retrieved on April 3, 2009.</ref> The Spring Branch Management District's mission is to positively impact public safety, business development, environmental and urban design, and mobility and transportation to help create an environment attractive to business, to facilitate profitability, and to promote the redevelopment and growth of the area.<ref name="SpringBranchManagementDistrictServicePlan">"[http://www.sbmd.org/serviceplan.html Spring Branch Management District - Service Plan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091114094551/http://sbmd.org/serviceplan.html |date=2009-11-14 }}." ''Spring Branch Management District''. Retrieved on February 18, 2010.</ref> Ongoing programs spearheaded by the Spring Branch Management District include working with the Houston Police Department to promote its Blue Star Program to bring apartment complexes and multifamily residential units into compliance with current city codes, providing constable patrols to enhance security, removing graffiti on public and private property, maintaining various landscapes throughout the district, removing bandit signs, enforcing [[newspaper vending machine|news rack]] ordinance, and pursuing health code violations.<ref name="SpringBranchManagementDistrictCurrentPrograms">"[http://www.sbmd.org/inthecommunity/currentprograms.html Spring Branch Management District - Current Programs] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091114094446/http://sbmd.org/inthecommunity/currentprograms.html |date=2009-11-14 }}." ''Spring Branch Management District''. Retrieved on February 18, 2010.</ref> The management district's boundaries are almost entirely within the City of Houston; a portion in the north is in an [[unincorporated area]] in Harris County.<ref name="SBMDBorderMap"/><ref>[http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/sn_map_w_links.html Locate a Community Technology Center (CTC) in your Super Neighborhood !] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331101735/http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/nbhd_svces/TechCntrInfo/sn_map_w_links.html |date=March 31, 2009 }}. ''City of Houston''. Retrieved on April 4, 2009.</ref>

====Local politics====
As of 2012, according to Bob Stein, a [[Rice University]] political scientist, voters in [[Houston City Council]] District A tend to be older people, conservative, and [[White American]], and many follow the [[Tea Party movement]]. The voting base is such despite the presence of large Hispanic neighborhoods within District A. In the 2011 election voters in Spring Branch, for City Council District A, favored [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party]] candidate [[Helena Brown (person)|Helena Brown]] over the incumbent, Brenda Stardig, because Stardig supported a "rain tax," passed in 2010, that lead to taxation of churches. However, Stardig later voted to exempt church- and non-profit-property-owners from the "rain tax". The taxation of churches had a negative reception with political conservatives in Spring Branch.<ref name="McCoy2"/> In the 1990s a small portion of Spring Branch was in City Council District G.<ref name="map3.gif"/> In 1989, during a city council race, many in Spring Branch voted for Jim Westmoreland for an at-large position. Westmoreland drew controversy after reports of a joke that was characterized as "racist" spread. Beverley Clark, the opponent and a Black teacher, defeated Westmoreland in that race.<ref>Bernstein, Alan. "[https://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1989_663585 Core of white support failed to halt Westmoreland's defeat]." ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''. November 12, 1989. A1.</ref>