Houston city council notes, prepared by Emily J Hynds.

Agenda

1. Monthly Financial Report
2. Mayor’s Report
3. Consent Agenda (items that require a vote, like purchases, resolutions, ordinances, etc)
4. Council Member Pop-Off

The Mayor’s Report

• I’m skipping the Monthly Financial Report today … moving right along…
• As I think we are all aware, there’s a heat wave. The city has activated cooling centers at libraries. Mayor Turner asked everyone that works outdoors to be mindful and take breaks when needed. He encouraged everyone to check on elderly folks to make sure they are okay.
• There is a Houston Community College career fair on July 13 from 9am-3pm at 5601 W Loop. http://www.hccs.edu/careerhub
• Mayor Turner praised the Houston talent on display during the MLB draft.
• Mayor Turner invited Planning Director Margaret Wallace Brown to give a brief presentation regarding proposed changes to Chapter 42 of the Code of Ordinances. For background, please see the public hearing section of my notes on June 21.
  • Director Brown shared a map that showed permit applications made over the past 18 months for front access driveways versus non-front access, which could include the use of alleys, side access, shared driveways, etc. The map illustrated how many, and in what parts of town, formerly single family lots are being subdivided into lots with multiple townhomes on them with large front facing garages and driveways.
  • The permit applications for developments with front access driveways outweighed all others. They are also concentrated in many under-resourced areas, driving rapid gentrification.
  • Turner pointed out that front access developments are happening in areas without deed restrictions and HOA’s and that such developments would never be allowed in wealthier parts of town like River Oaks. He asked Council Members to consider if that was an okay thing to let happen.
  • Director Brown pointed out that each data point on the map represents only one application. Each application might involve several lots.
  • Mayor Turner highlighted how front access driveways increase heat islands, especially dangerous during heat waves like the one we are in. He said, “We’re talking about how do we address equity in our city, so we can’t just talk about it on one day and not act on it the next day.”

Agenda Items, Selected Works

• Item 6 approved renaming the HPD Southwest Patrol Station in District K in honor of Sergeant Harold Preston, who was fatally killed in the line of duty in October 2020. Several CMs remarked on Mr. Preston’s long years of service and outstanding character.
• Item 7 approved a final $3.7M contract for restroom renovations at Hobby Airport. CM Pollard and the Mayor argued for a little bit about how Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) goals are set, and I’m only mentioning it to really drive home how often CM Pollard brings this up. He watches MWBE stuff like a hawk. He voted no on this item, it still passed.
• Item 8 approved a final $7.9M contract for the replacement of Fire Station 55. Mayor Turner explained that this contractor did not meet their MWBE goal and did not provide a satisfactory response when confronted about it. Unfortunately, because this was their only infraction in the last three years, they must be paid. CM Knox suggested the city should revise their code to be less lenient, but understood this contract must be honored. This item passed, CM Pollard voted no again.
• Item 9 approved proceedings to move forward in an eminent domain case in which the city is pursuing ownership of land for water conveyance. “The 24-inch Waterline along Highway 3 Project is a part of the City’s regionalization program in compliance with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District requirement to implement the City’s long range water supply plan.”
• Item 12 approved $337K for an IT cloud system for HPD.
• Item 13 approved $246K for a quadruped robot for HPD. “This quadruped robot will be used by the police department’s bomb technicians and first responders operating in hazardous environments. This robot will be able to monitor the air quality, clear areas, search for suspects and assist in rendering suspicious packages safe.”
• Item 14 approved $2.9M for a contractor to assist with illegal dumping debris removal. CM Gallegos complained about some contractors refusing to pick up tires and small debris, and even related a story about confronting one who said (erroneously) that someone else would be coming to pick up the tires. Mayor Turner said they would be more clear about expectations moving forward.
• Item 15 updated chapters 16 and 26 of the Code of Ordinances, mostly having to do with parking. CMs Kamin, Thomas, and Alcorn spoke in support. Updates include:
  • A parking citation can now be contested online within 30 days of the issuance of the citation, rather than the current 7 days.
  • Cash bonds are no longer required to schedule a hearing.
  • There is now a payment plan option to get a boot off your car.
  • Sections 26-94, 26-95, and 26-96 have been amended, all relating to large vehicle restrictions. This is all about large commercial trucks and trailers being parked in neighborhoods, etc.
  • Various updates recognizing digital technology has replaced manual processes.
• Item 16 approved an additional $813K to The Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County for escalating construction costs at the Housing Navigation Center on Jensen Dr.
• Item 17 approved the continuation of a lease on an apartment complex the city intends to turn into flood retention once all residents have been relocated. 365 out of 558 units are still occupied.
• Item 20 approved $1.7M for emergency counseling services for city employees.
• Item 22 approved $1.5M on pre-construction for The Gregory School Row Houses. The three row houses are located next to the African American Library in Freedmen’s Town. One row house will be used as a visitor center for Freedmen’s Town Conservancy; one will be used as an open-concept meeting or exhibit venue; and the third will be used as a historical representation of a typical row house.
• Item 23 approved $711K for the Hermann Park dog park.
• Item 32 approved an $11.8M contract split between Home Depot and Lowes over the next year for various supplies. CM Plummer attempted to amend the contract to include two other companies that she claimed work especially well with MWBEs and small businesses. The Mayor said this is not the time for impulsively altering big contracts, especially because the city engages in something called a “procurement rotation system.” Turner implied that the companies CM Plummer had just championed will be rotated into the mix during the next procurement.
  • This was the first time many council members have ever heard of the “procurement rotation process,” and several of them asserted that they should be more aware of this and needed to be in the loop on what that meant.
  • A long conversation ensued that was frankly hard to follow. CM Plummer advocated for a more inclusive and transparent procurement process, which other CMs like Gallegos and Alcorn seemed to agree with.
  • After a while, the word “equity” started to get thrown around, never a surprising development in any city process these days.
  • Eventually, CM Plummer withdrew her proposed amendment and the item passed as is, with Plummer voting no. Maybe we’ll hear more about this mysterious “procurement rotation process” that no one has ever heard of, soon.

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://open-hac-budget-tool.github.io/watcher/#/

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.