Houston city council notes, prepared by Emily J Hynds.
Agenda
- Mayor’s Report
- Consent Agenda (items that require a vote, like purchases, resolutions, ordinances, etc)
- Council Member Pop-Off
The Mayor’s Report
- Houston’s Freedom Over Texas Fourth of July celebration is this coming Tuesday at Eleanor Tinsley Park. The event is $10 and starts at 4pm.
- The application deadline for the Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs stabilization grant is this Friday, June 30. Applicants must be a 501c3 organization.
- The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was named Rodeo of the Year by the Academy of Country Music.
- Mayor Turner wished Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating Eid al-Adha, a festival of sacrifice that encourages compassion for those in need.
- He wished a happy birthday to CMs Kamin and Plummer who both celebrated their birthdays on Monday.
- The majority of the mayor’s report today revolved around an editorial published in the Houston Chronicle titled “Turner should make arbitration, not war, with Houston firefighters.” The Mayor was frustrated and said, “I’ve really had to pray on this one.”
- Turner alleged that several claims made in the article are outright false. He said, “This is a poor piece of journalism and it lacks integrity.”
- Turner submitted a memo from HFD Chief Peña on the ways his administration has supported the Fire Department: budget increases, pay raises, equipment upgrades, signing bonuses, and more.
- Turner said the writer of the editorial was ignorant on the issue at hand, the Texas legislature, and the legal system in general. He accused the Chronicle of bias, persecution, and disregard for facts.
- The Mayor complained that he and his administration have been under attack from the Chronicle since day one of his tenure. He said, “I give every single day to this city. I don’t have a vendetta against firefighters … But I do have a responsibility to defend the financial and fiscal management of this city.”
- The link to the editorial is in the final slide – recommended reading!
Agenda Items, Selected Works
- Item 5 approved $1.4M for laptops for HPD.
- Item 6 approved $106K for laptops, printers, projectors, and projector screens for libraries.
- Item 7 approved $897K for broadcast equipment for HTV. As someone who uses HTV on a weekly basis, thank you!
- Item 9 approved a resolution that will help finance a 272-unit development called Summerdale Apartments in District B.
- Item 11 approved $2.4M for The Montrose Center for rental / utility assistance and supportive services for households living with HIV / AIDS.
- Item 19 approved a $200K settlement for a woman involved in a vehicle accident with a police officer in 2017.
- Item 23 approved $743K for security improvements at HPD, HFD, and Solid Waste facilities.
- Item 26 approved $33M over three years for “sludge dewatering” for Houston Public Works, and I can’t get over it, I just love the phrase “sludge dewatering.” A merchandise contender, for sure.
- Item 28 approved $150K in ARPA funding for Bread of Life to “provide a hot meal to ~100 individuals who are homeless at 61 Reisner St., Houston, TX 77002 for four days of the week.”
Council Member Pop-Off
- CM Robinson reminded everyone that next week’s Transportation, Technology, and Infrastructure Committee meeting will be postponed to July 13 because of the July Fourth holiday.
- CM Thomas shared two constituent concerns:
- A single-family home on Gessner and Richmond being unlawfully used as a lodging facility.
- A community center in sore need of scheduling help, it has no infrastructure in place to help with room reservations.
- CM Plummer wished Eid Mubarak to all those celebrating Eid al-Adha and invited everyone to “reach out, be compassionate, sharing your time and your sacrifice.”
- CM Peck’s office has sponsored HPD overtime for the Fourth of July holiday weekend to try and curb illegal fireworks and celebratory gunfire.
- CM Kamin shared resources the police department is disseminating re: safe online dating.
- CM Pollard plugged District J’s annual Liberty Fest on Sunday. He encouraged people to call county officials to advocate for restrictions on fireworks sales close to city limits. He encouraged personal responsibility when it comes to fireworks and celebratory gunfire and hopes to make a few examples of those who are not following the law.
- CM Castex-Tatum shared that the GLO has come to the table after receiving criticism for poorly planned replacement homes post-Harvey. She encouraged people to report illegal fireworks and celebratory gunfire to HPD and crimestoppers.
Who took these notes? And what resources did they use?
My name is Emily Hynds and I am a writer, producer of the monthly storytelling series Grown-up Storytime, and lifelong Houstonian. I am not a journalist or government official. I am a local government enthusiast who believes meaningful change starts at home. These notes are presented from my point of view and with my framing, and are not comprehensive. Your notes will certainly be different, and I would love to read them if you attend.
While compiling these notes I used the following sources:
https://www.houstontx.gov/july4/index.html
https://www.maaa.org/for-organizations/moca-2/
https://houston.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/houston-firefighters-arbitration-contract-dispute-18173240.php
You can find your City Council Member and their contact info at: http://www.houstontx.gov/council/whoismycm.html
Thank you to Houston In Action and ACLU TX for supporting these notes.
My Patreon is patreon.com/emilytakesnotes.
