LCRA awards $20,000 grant for improvements at Hempstead City Hall

Upgrades will make restroom more easily accessible

Dec. 7, 2023

Lower Colorado River Authority representatives present a $20,000 grant to the City of Hempstead for restroom improvements at Hempstead City Hall. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Frank Rodriguez, city building inspector; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA Board member; Sabrina Alvarez, city secretary; and Kate Ramzinski, LCRA Regional Affairs representative.

HEMPSTEAD, Texas – The restroom at Hempstead City Hall soon will be upgraded to include ADA-compliant facilities thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority. The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $5,000 in matching funds from the city, will upgrade the gender-neutral restroom to be accessible by anyone using a mobility assistance device. In addition to a new toilet and sink, the grant will help pay for widening the restroom doorways and stalls, adding grab bars and adjusting the height of the facilities. Sabrina Alvarez, Hempstead city secretary, said the renovations are urgent. “Our public restroom is in sad shape,” she said. “It will be a blessing to renovate it and make it more accessible to everyone.” City Hall houses the City of Hempstead utility office and regularly hosts public meetings for the City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission and others. “The City of Hempstead is dedicated to delivering effective, efficient and respectful public services with integrity and accountability,” Alvarez said. “Upgrading the restrooms is in the best interest of our community.” Kollye Kilpatrick, managing director of operations for the City of Hempstead, said the city currently has no ADA-compliant restrooms. “All community members will be able to use this restroom, and we’re pleased to be able to conduct this needed renovation,” Kilpatrick said. The community grant is one of 45 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. The City of Hempstead is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in January. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.

About LCRA

The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations.

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