Houston city council notes, prepared by Emily J Hynds.

Agenda

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

The Mayor’s Report

• Mayor Turner remarked on a successful trade mission to West Africa.
• The National Urban League Conference is this week.
• Priya Zacharia, the city’s Chief Resilience And Sustainability Officer, made a presentation on the Houston Climate Action Plan 3 Year Report:
  • CM Robinson remarked on Houston’s LEED gold status, which is apparently a big deal.
  • Mayor Turner implored future administrations to continue the resiliency work.
  • CM Kamin advocated for a shift in the way Houston approaches energy, especially if we want to remain the energy capital of the world.
• There will be a Barbara Jordan monument unveiling on Thursday at the African American Library at The Gregory School.
• Mayor Turner shared condolences for Jesse Lott, artist and founder of Project Row Houses.
• Turner condemned the news that HISD superintendent Mike Miles intends to convert some libraries into discipline centers. He related a story from his own youth about using a library for escapism because his family didn’t have money to travel. He complained that libraries are only being closed in select communities, which sends the wrong message to the kids that go to school there. He literally said, “What the hell are you doing?”
  • Turner implored the community at large to get engaged.
  • CM Kamin also censured the library move and said, “our public school system is the foundation and bedrock of American democracy.”
  • CM Gallegos said that 62% of HISD students are Hispanic and lamented how the state tries to erase Texas history prior to Anglo settlement in the 1830’s. He said, “This is part of the culture wars from Austin, telling people what they can learn and what they can’t learn to make sure that they continue to stay in power in Austin.”
  • Mayor Turner concluded by saying “You ban books, and now you’re closing libraries. You’re doing it in selected schools, in selected communities. It cannot happen on our watch.”
  • He pressured the Board of Managers, especially anyone who represents the city, to fight back. He also sent a message to Miles – “You are in Houston. You do not operate in a vacuum.” And he invited him to city council to discuss.
• Next was a presentation from Director Ponce of the Mayor’s Office on Disability to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They also presented the Mayor with the Houston Civic Award for Disability Inclusion Award.
  • CM Cisneros had never heard of the Capitol Crawl before today. The Capitol Crawl is such a remarkable event that I want to make sure everyone who reads these notes knows about it:
    • On March 13, 1990, 1,000+ people marched to the US Capitol to demand the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Upon arrival, 60 people abandoned their wheelchairs and other mobility aids and crawled up the Capitol steps to demonstrate how inaccessible architecture affects people with disabilities, and the urgency needed to address the problem. The ADA was signed into law four months later.

Agenda Items, Selected Works

• Items 2 and 3 both approved final contract amounts ($3M and $12M) for Houston Public Works projects. CM Pollard voted no on Item 2 with no discussion. Mayor Turner prefaced the vote on Item 3 with a discussion on how this contractor did not meet their Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) goal, but since it was their first infraction in three years, the city is obligated to pay them.
  • CM Pollard, like usual, criticized the city policy requiring contractors to be paid even though they didn’t meet MWBE requirements, and especially because it is alleged that this contractor did not work in good faith with the Office of Business Opportunity (OBO) to resolve the issue. He wants to amend the ordinance regulating these matters so contractors who don’t meet their goals can’t get paid or won’t get hired again … or maybe both!
  • CM Castex-Tatum agreed the city could reevaluate the policy, but she defended this contractor and said it was a timing technicality, something about paperwork not being filed on time, that caused them to miss their MWBE goal. She also pushed back on Pollard’s insinuation that unmet MWBE goals are out of control. Castex-Tatum said there are thousands of contracts that get voted on every year and the percentage that don’t fulfill their MWBE goals is actually quite small.
  • Item 3 passed, CMs Pollard and Plummer voted no.
• Item 5 approved the emergency purchase of a $920K mobile stroke unit for the Houston Fire Department.
• Item 12 approved a contract extension for the company that facilitates online birth and death certificates for the health department.
• Item 13 approved a contract to accept a $614K interlocal grant with Harris County. “The Overdose Data Action grant is a cooperative agreement that began in September 2019 and focuses on the complex and changing nature of the overdose epidemic. This grant uses data to better understand the nature of the overdose problem by using data to monitor emerging trends and direct preventive activities, working with providers to reduce unsafe exposure to opioids and treat addiction.”
• Item 17 approved a $395K two-year contract with Underground Planet Art Studio to facilitate the traffic signal mini mural program across the city. CM Castex-Tatum supported and shared that when District K was formed it had one piece of civic art. The mini mural program has vastly expanded that. CM Cisneros said that programs like these help to democratize art.
• Items 18 and 19 approved two contracts ($496K and $403K) for professional lobbying services to the federal government. CMs Huffman, Peck, and Knox voted no on both.
• Items 20-23 approved contract extensions and increases with several organizations that provide HIV/STD related services, such as testing, counseling, education, and risk reduction.
• CM Alcorn tagged Item 27, which would prohibit the use of groundwater beneath a tract of land in District B. She supports the item but said the community wants more time.
• Item 32 established an alcohol free zone (which isn’t really an alcohol free zone but I’ll explain that later) within 300 feet of Heights Preschool & Early Learning Center.
  • The alcohol free zone will still allow restaurants with alcohol sales that make up 60% or less of total sales to operate, but will restrict businesses like liquor stores and bars.
  • CM Kamin spoke in support and shared supportive community feedback.
  • CM Knox griped about the semantics of an alcohol free zone that isn’t really alcohol free, but supported this item and said, “I’m going to be in favor of this because this is what the neighborhood wants. And by golly, we do what the people say around here.” Mayor Turner laughed and said, “In most cases, that’s true.”

Council Member Pop-Off

• CM Alcorn applauded a $15M Houston Endowment grant that will go to organizations fighting to end homelessness.
• CM Peck shared condolences for the passing of James Latham, a longtime District A resident and volunteer.
• CM Kamin shared information on sidewalk maintenance on Richelieu Lane in Oak Forest that should be done in August. She highlighted recent problem solving at the Health Department relating to quick burial practices for Jewish and Islamic people.
• CM Evans-Shabazz shared condolences for the passing of Jesse Lott, artist and founder of Project Row Houses.
• CM Castex-Tatum plugged many back-to-school events (sign up for the District K newsletter to get those deets) and plugged the National Battle of the Bands at NRG 8/25 and 8/26.
• CM Robinson shared condolences for Jesse Lott and plugged a special Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure meeting on August 24 that will review building code amendments.
• CM Thomas reflected on the recent trade mission to Africa. She said, “Oftentimes I think it’s lost on Houstonians how global our city really is … but on a national scale, Houston is a leader. Houston can model what those subnational politics and then influence can be,” and “we are in the very best position to model to the globe on how we partner with the (African) continent.”

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://houston.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/
https://open-hac-budget-tool.github.io/watcher/#/city-council-2023/2023-07-26-Council_Meeting_Agenda_Session
https://www.houstontx.gov/disabilities/
https://nul.org/

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.