Houston City Council Notes, prepared by Emily J Hynds

Agenda

1. Public Hearing
2. Consent Agenda (items that require a vote, like purchases, resolutions, ordinances, etc.)
3. Public Comment 
4. Council Member Pop-Off

Kiss The Critter

Kiss The Critter is an annual fundraiser the Council does for the zoo. Every Council Member fundraises (unclear how they do this) and the CM with the lowest total has to “kiss a critter” from the zoo.

This year there was a tie for last place between CM Ramirez and CM Castillo, who was absent, which Ramirez jokingly pointed out. The “critter” this year was a plated lizard named Dixie. CM Ramirez did a photo op with her (no kissing, false advertisement!!).

Someone from the zoo made remarks and shared news about the new baby elephant, Kirby, who was born just last week. “She is a delight.”

Mayor Whitmire criticized the zoo for being inaccessible to many Houstonians who cannot afford to go. He said, “There are hundreds of thousands of children in Houston that will never experience this zoo because it is so expensive,” and “We need to remember it’s a city asset and it should be open, accessible to people of modest means, which means most Houstonians.”

A Public Hearing

This public hearing regarded “Protected Landmark” status for four properties, “Landmark” status for one property, and a “change of designation” for part of a property in a historic district in the Heights.

Roman McAllen, a historic preservation officer with the Planning and Development Department, presented each property’s historic significance, what plans are in place, and explained the reason behind the designations.

• CM Flickinger generally criticized historic preservation, giving the impression he thinks the government should stay out of what people do with their property. For instance, the current owners can preserve it, but they should not get to dictate what future owners do with it down the line since Protected Landmark status makes it more difficult to demolish or alter the property. Flickinger also asked questions about property tax implications and suggested that demolishing a historic building and putting in a new development would achieve similar property value goals.
• Mr. McAllen said, “Absolutely not. Emphatically not. Across the nation, it is very clear that people like places that have a sense of character, that have a history to them.”

There were 10 public speakers, most in support of the designations suggested by the department. This was one of the more active public hearings I have witnessed.

• Speaker two said, “As the houses disappear, the stories disappear.” She remarked on the disparity of property valuation because of racial divides and said that historic preservation is one way to boost the value of these historically undervalued homes.
• A representative from Preservation Houston said, “These properties are irreplaceable.”
• Several speakers encouraged Council to not think in black and white, it’s not historic preservation vs new development — the two can coexist and both have places in the future of Houston.
• One speaker remarked on how Houston has traditionally lagged in historic preservation compared to other cities. She said, “The process of historic preservation is not casting something in amber. It is returning a building to use, improving it … It is very much possible to stay true to the history of a building, maintain it, and make it even better.”
• The final speaker complained about how items are presented on the agenda, saying that the powerpoint presentations used in the public hearing should be made available so that the public can do their homework. Mayor Whitmire agreed and suggested this whole conversation might be better for a committee (as he is wont to do) which I don’t think was really the intent of the speaker (they just want the docs made public). Whitmire really likes committees.

Agenda Items, Selected Works

• Item 2 updated the Code of Ordinances to no longer require an engineer to hold the position of Director of Houston Public Works (HPW), which paved the way for Item 3 to approve Randy Macchi to that position. Mayor Whitmire defended the move against criticism, specifically mentioning a Houston Chronicle article in which the American Society of Civil Engineers criticized the move. Whitmire pointedly said the ASCE are based in Washington DC and are “protecting their turf.”
  • Director Macchi thanked the Council and the HPW department for their support. He highlighted customer service, water leaks, water bill improvement, streets, and the water system in general. His remarks were smooth and Macchi is obviously well practiced in the public arena. He thanked his wife, whose “sacrifices are a gift to this City,” particularly in disaster times when he must be away from home.
  • Many CMs made supportive remarks. While thanking Director Macchi’s wife and sons for their support, CM Evans-Shabazz said, “This job is a consuming fire.” CM Castex-Tatum, while supportive of Director Macchi, said this ordinance change is “good policy” and will serve the City in the future, not just in this instance.
• Item 6 approved the purchase of a mobile generator ($92K) for the Northeast Water Purification Plant.
• Item 10 named a portion of the bike route along Woodhead Street in Montrose as the “Pat Walsh Memorial Bikeway.” Pat Walsh, who passed in 2018, was Director of the City’s Planning and Development Department for five years. “A native Houstonian, Pat was a father, husband, friend, public servant, dog lover, and pillar of the community.”
• Item 11 extended the agreement with and approved a further $750K for Fundacion Latinoamericana de Acción Social, which provides housing for people affected by HIV/AIDS.
• Item 12 approved $125K for early education programs for low-to-moderate-income families.
• Item 13 approved $100K for an early childhood development program through SEARCH’s Foshee Family House of Tiny Treasures.
• Item 18 approved giving $200M to Southwest Airlines for construction on the West Concourse at Hobby Airport. “Project costs are fully recoverable from the airlines following project completion in 2027 through the airline use and lease agreements.” *hey Siri, make note to follow up in 2027 on reimbursement*
• Item 20 approved $89K for the Houston Health Department’s program, My Brother’s Keeper, which works with the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department (HCJPD) for intervention and case management services.
• Item 25 approved an $850K settlement to a former firefighter “who alleges that she was subjected to a hostile work environment based on her sex” between 2007-2009 by John Barrientes, who is still employed by the Houston Fire Department. This prompted a discussion on the “180 day rule,” which pops up every once in a while, usually when the City is negotiating contracts with the police and fire unions. The 180 day rule restricts when disciplinary action can be taken and is dictated by State law, which makes it difficult for Houston to negotiate its removal. CM Alcorn said, “We need women in the fire department and stories like this don’t do us any favors.”
• Item 31 added ~$1M to the contract with the company that provides generators and related services for the City. This addition will fund a generator at the Kashmere Gardens Multi-Service Center in District B.
  • This is a result of a budget amendment proposed by CM Plummer, who thanked colleagues for their support. Plummer said that Kashmere Gardens has been historically underserved, has a compromised life expectancy, and this is just one step to making sure the community has what it needs to survive disasters. CM Jackson agreed, thanked local advocates, and looks forward to all resiliency hubs in Houston having generators. Mayor Whitmire blamed the previous administration for the lack of generators, repeatedly saying he “never would have dreamed” these multi-service centers wouldn’t have them when he came into office.
• Item 39 authorized the sale of a parcel of land belonging to Buffalo Bayou Park to TxDOT, which they plan to use to reconstruct a portion of IH 45 Highway, known as North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP). CM Plummer voted no, the item passed. The City will receive $613K in exchange.
• Last week, Items 59 and 60 (23 and 24 on the 11/14 agenda) were tagged by CM Peck on behalf of CM Kamin, who was absent. CM Jackson joined the tag. Item 59 (nee 23) addressed funding for concrete repair at several fire stations and the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center. Item 60 (nee 24) addressed funding for HVAC upgrades at the African American Library. Both items passed today with no discussion. CM Kamin was still absent.

Council Member Pop-Off

• CM Evans-Shabazz plugged a Cuney Homes Implementation kickoff event at the El Dorado Ballroom on 11/21. The Lockhart Elementary Spark Park unveiling is Friday 11/22 at 9:30am. Victory Community Church has an anniversary event Friday 11/22 in the evening. She encouraged people to sign up for the District D newsletter by emailing districtd@houstontx.gov.
• CM Flickinger thanked the people that helped with the Kingwood median clean up last Saturday, particularly the Parks Department, who he said he is considering financially supporting at the end of the year rather than the traditional police and fire gifts.
• CM Jackson plugged the District B end-of-year celebration on 12/13 at 6pm at Studios at East River, RSVP required.
• CM Huffman wished luck to the Spring Branch Memorial Sports Association teams heading to the Tolley Ball this weekend. She encouraged everyone to be patient at the airports during the upcoming holiday.
• CM Thomas shared updates on the “District F is lit” campaign, which improves public safety by improving lighting. She highlighted Afrotech, which has announced it will be back in Houston in 2025.
• CM Peck plugged a partnership with HFD’s Operation Stocking Stuffer toy drive through 12/6. She complained that heavy trash is not being picked up and implored the Mayor to help.
• CM Pollard praised the success of Afrotech.
• CM Alcorn plugged the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee meeting on 12/3 which will go over the BARC local government corporation proposal, a recent TIRZ report, and the Houston First budget.

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://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/firefighter-liable-lawsuit-18512872.php

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

Thank you to the volunteers who proofread these notes.
My Patreon is patreon.com/emilytakesnotes.