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

Mayor’s Report

The Mayor thanked everyone who stepped up during the recent storm and ongoing recovery, including first responders, City employees, electeds, the State, philanthropic and faith-based orgs, etc.

• At the peak of power loss, 920K customers in Houston were without power.
• There are still 135 traffic lights out. Whitmire praised TxDOT for getting roads in working condition.
• Whitmire thanked County Commissioners Briones, Ramsey, and Garcia for their work and collaboration.
• Whitmire encouraged downtown employers to let people work from home. He criticized HISD for reopening on Monday.
• The City opened 50 cooling centers and METRO is offering free rides to them, call 311 for assistance.
• Whitmire lauded the STEAR program which helps the City know where to send aid first. He criticized owners/managers of complexes that did not have disaster plans in place and abandoned their residents.
• The water is, and was, safe to drink. That was never an issue.
• You must apply for aid from FEMA, they won’t reach out to you.
• Whitmire shared two anecdotes about how he personally helped people:
  • “I won’t go into all the details, but if I keep reaching into my pocket to give money … we shared our resources. I can’t do that every day, but I think it’s just an example of everyone coming together.”
  • When he met a young mother at one site who had walked 45 minutes to get there, Whitmire said, “I actually had my security detail give them a ride home. I can’t help everyone with that specialized service, but if we help one family, we’ve made a difference.”

United Way President Amanda McMillian and Stephen Maislin, President of the Greater Houston Community Foundation, presented on the Severe Weather and Derecho Recovery Fund, which will give aid to individuals and organizations in the area.

• McMillian said the fund is for the most vulnerable population and includes immediate assistance for food and other supplies, home repair, and help navigating other disaster aid through FEMA and the SBA (which I assume means Small Business Administration but they never said this).
• Call 211 for information about the fund.
• The fund serves Harris, Montgomery, and Waller counties.

Many Council Members and the Mayor had comments.

• CM Peck said that most of the remaining power outages are in District A and particularly expressed concern for seniors.
  • Mayor Whitmire defended Centerpoint’s repair efforts and said that no community is being neglected. If your power is still out after today, the Mayor recommends getting an electrician to come out and make sure the problem isn’t on your end.
• CM Castex-Tatum advocated for District K’s multi-service center to get a generator.
• CM Plummer asked if people need to get denied from FEMA to be eligible for the United Way fund. President McMillian said no.

• CM Martinez advocated for outreach to hard-to-reach residents. He asked what the fund’s average awards will be. McMillian said up to $1K for “emergency financial assistance” and up to $15K for home repair. Martinez advocated for Centerpoint to trim more of the trees around their lines. He praised faith-based organizations and small nonprofits that often have local trust and connections the large organizations don’t.
• Mayor Whitmire claimed most aid workers are bilingual and encouraged people to seek aid regardless of their immigration status. He defended Centerpoint’s tree trimming program, calling it “vigorous.” He said property owners also need to care for the trees on their property.
• CM Jackson clarified that there is no max amount of funding for the smaller nonprofits United Way plans to distribute to.
• CM Kamin is concerned about the heat. She asked people with damage to fill out the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) damage surveys, which help the government know where to allocate sources and will help draw down federal aid. While advocating for better preparedness at complexes and living facilities, she remarked on her visit to the Heights Tower senior center on Saturday, saying, “What I saw there, I am not soon to forget.”
• CM Plummer advocated for an outreach campaign on the safety risks of generators, other emergency supplies like candles and lamps, and the dangers of food spoilage.
• CM Jackson praised the Houston Tool Bank, which helped distribute generators, tarps, and other supplies after the storm.

Agenda Items, Selected Works

• Item 5 approved $1.4M for 44 vehicles, including 20 hybrids.
• Item 7 approved $16K for personal radiation monitors, which “monitor radiation when emergency personnel are in the field responding to emergencies, on scene, and returning to the station.”
• Item 10 approved $6.1M for “Scott air-paks,” which firefighters use to protect themselves from fire and other contaminants.
• Item 12 approved $99K for odor control systems for Houston Public Works. CM Kamin supported this item but complained about persistent odor problems at the 11th Street Wastewater Treatment Plant.
• Item 22 approved $3.3M in what I am calling “loan shenanigan assistance” for the East End Maker Hub. I have read the support documents ten times and I still don’t get it. CM Castillo said this did go to the Housing and Community Development Committee and will help stabilize the maker hub economically as they struggle to repay some loans. So, a loan to repay a loan? Seems like it.
• Items 23 and 24 approved up to $800K in total for the continued operation of housing for people with HIV/AIDS.
• Item 35 approved $2.5M for costs associated with developing and constructing a sand trap in the San Jacinto river or one of its tributaries “​​to prevent future sedimentation with the purpose of mitigating flooding.”
• Item 38 approved $4.4M for a “Real Time Crime Center” for HPD. This is tech that’s supposed to quickly give officers in the field access to more data.
• Item 51 approved $163K for “concealment boxes used to hide surveillance cameras, electronics and communication equipment.” CM Kamin tagged this last week but today said she is confident that there are standard operating procedures in place.

Item 52: Affordable Housing for Seniors in District D

CMs Ramirez and Plummer tagged this item last week over concerns about the developer, Kittle Property Group.

• Today, CM Plummer complained again that Kittle’s other Houston property is only four years old but already in disrepair. She advocated for an Apartment Inspection Reform Ordinance which could give the City some teeth enforcing standards at apartment complexes. She supports affordable housing in general but wants it to be done right. She shared a success story about Cleme Manor, which enacted a tenant agreement and performed well during the recent derecho.
• CM Evans-Shabazz, who represents District D, supports the development. She believes Kittle has addressed concerns and that the lease addendum CM Plummer proposed was too restrictive.
• CM Ramirez’s issues and questions were answered and he feels comfortable supporting now.
• CM Kamin supported CM Evans-Shabazz, but she did advocate for strengthening the City’s tools on oversight and protections for complexes.
• CM Flickinger asked Plummer if Kittle rejected the lease addendum she proposed. CM Plummer said they removed tenant protections from the addendum, making it a moot point in her opinion. She pleaded with the Mayor to revisit the apartment inspection reform she proposed in the past. Mayor Whitmire implied the State Health Department should be responsible for that.
• CM Pollard has concerns about Kittle, basically saying that who knows how long poor conditions at their other property would have continued if CM Ramirez hadn’t bothered them about it and raised awareness. He said developers need to be “exceptional in every single way” to receive tax credits.
• Item 52 was approved, CM Plummer voted no.

Item 54: the sale of land along the White Oak Bayou to TxDOT

Item 54 authorized the sale of a parcel of land along White Oak Bayou to TxDOT for the reconstruction of a portion of I-45, part of the larger project known as the North Houston Highway Improvement Plan. Some Council Members and the Mayor have been inundated with constituent concerns. The item was tagged last week by CMs Castillo, Carter, and Plummer.

• Today, CM Castex-Tatum said the City has two memorandums of understanding (MOU) and a voluntary resolution agreement (VRA) with TxDOT. She pointed to these documents as proof that TxDOT must maintain the hike and bike trails both during construction and after. If Council doesn’t approve the sale, TxDOT could proceed with eminent domain, which introduces more uncertainty.
• CM Castillo wants stronger assurances that the area will be protected and said, “As it stands today, I can’t support it.”
• Mayor Whitmire said “everything is being preserved” and “the paths will be protected.” He agreed to a one week delay to address constituent concerns, something he and CM Castillo apparently agreed on before the meeting. Whitmire said, “I’m afraid it (the delay) will be abused … I hope we’re just not giving additional time to those who just don’t want the project.”
• CM Plummer commented on the dangers and impacts of freeway expansion. She said, “These changes will result in a louder, more obscured and overall degraded experience for Houstonians who use the White Oak Bayou Greenway for transportation and for recreation.”

• CM Castillo asked if the MOAs and the VRA are contracts. Attorney Michel said yes, they are legally binding. CM Castillo expressed concern about long-term impacts years down the line and advocated for the City to retain ownership of the land. In a reversal of his previous plan, Castillo called for a roll call vote on the item, abandoning his plan to delay for one week. This greatly annoyed Mayor Whitmire.
• CM Castex-Tatum implied that CM Castillo was misinformed. She asked if the VRA stays with the project for its entirety, Attorney Michel said yes. Castex-Tatum encouraged “confused” people to go read the MOUs and the VRA.
• The Mayor said the project is moving forward but was still amenable to a one-week delay to address constituent concerns. “But I hope we don’t spend the week energizing those that were opposed to the project in any form or fashion.”
• Seeing that a one-week delay would produce no significant changes to the item, Castillo continued to push for a vote.
  • Castillo’s flip flop annoyed Whitmire, who accused him (basically) of disrespecting their earlier agreement. Whitmire said he thought that Castillo must feel the vote would fail if he was now pushing for a vote, which was very risky. Castillo and Whitmire spent some time going back and forth, Whitmire constantly interrupting Castillo’s time to speak. Whitmire repeatedly said, “I believed you when I got to work this morning” in an accusatory tone.
• Finally, there was a vote and the item passed. CMs Kamin, Castillo, Pollard, and Plummer voted no.

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://houwatch.com
https://damage.tdem.texas.gov/
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/city-of-houston/2024/05/22/488372/white-oak-bayou-sold-houston-city-council-txdot/

You can find your City Council Member and their contact info at: http://www.houstontx.gov/council/whoismycm.html

Thank you to ACLU TX for supporting these notes.
My Patreon is patreon.com/emilytakesnotes.