Notes on the Houston City Council Meeting on July 16, 2025

Agenda

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

*I am not reporting on pop-off this week.

The Mayor’s Report

There were two sections to the Mayor’s Report today: a presentation on the civility ordinance and a presentation from the Solid Waste Director.

An update and vote on the civility ordinance (Item 15 today) in the Central Business District (downtown) and East Downtown Management Districts

Like last week, Mayor Whitmire invited Mike Nichols, Director of the Housing and Community Development Department, and Larry Satterwhite, Director of Public Safety and Homeland Security and formerly of HPD, to present on a proposed update to Houston’s civility ordinance. Under the standard civility ordinance, it is illegal to sit, lie down, or store belongings in public spaces, like parks and sidewalks, between the hours of 11pm and 7am. The civility ordinance is only enforceable in 12 zones and must be instigated by residents and approved by council. Item 15 on today’s agenda proposed changing the hours to 24/7 in the Central Business District and East Downtown Management Districts only. 

Many of Mayor Whitmire’s, Director Satterwhite’s, and Director Nichols’s talking points were the same as last week. 

• They emphasized the coalition of partners and law enforcement agencies working on this “humanitarian” initiative, as well as the specialized training every officer receives. They are only focusing on the Central Business District and East Downtown because of the limited number of resources (beds and officers). 
• Satterwhite, Nichols, and Mayor Whitmire repeatedly claimed that extending the ordinance to 24/7 will not criminalize homelessness, but instead give the people engaging with the homeless community a tool to get them to accept help. They emphasized that there are different procedures for people actively in crisis. Whitmire, Satterwhite, and Nichols reiterated that if this change isn’t made, people will continue to die on the streets.
• The process:
  1. Nonprofits and medical professionals offer help and resources. They only approach people who they know they can offer immediate support to, hence the limited scope.
  2. For those that remain in the area, law enforcement approaches and offers more help and resources, and advises of the law.
  3. If people violate the law, for example by lying down on a sidewalk after 11pm, law enforcement will give them warning(s).
  4. After multiple warnings, a citation or the threat of a citation can be used to get people to agree to accept help.
  5. An arrest can be made, especially if that person has multiple warrants out for their arrest. Once they are arrested, homeless persons may be sent to The Harris Center, the NeuroPsychiatric Center (NPC), or the Sobering Center.

• There was general discussion on homeless court, which often dismisses cases, but is another opportunity to present homeless people with aid.
• To CMs, Director Nichols said, “Your public wants something like this.”

Several CMs and the mayor had remarks. Many CMs acknowledged the complex nature and deep nuance involved, as well as the conflicting messages they receive from constituents regarding support and opposition.

• CM Kamin is concerned about creating policy that will outlast the current administration without appropriate public input and guardrails.
  • Kamin raised the issue of low-barrier shelters again, because barriers keep many people from accessing shelters. For example, some shelters have religious restrictions, don’t allow belongings, are women/children only, or have drug use restrictions. Kamin said that some shelters, especially all-male shelters, can be very dangerous for residents.
  • When Kamin asked about citations, Satterwhite said they will be rare and likened them to a speeding ticket. He and Nichols remarked on the homeless court, which usually dismisses cases and is another opportunity to offer help. 
• Whitmire reduced the situation to two camps of people: those who want to keep the status quo versus people trying to make things better. He asked that people “just trust” the expertise of Satterwhite and Nichols. He cited a United Airlines survey claiming workers don’t want to return to work downtown because they don’t want contact with homeless people. I have been unable to find this survey. 
• CM Castex-Tatum asked about partnering with TxDOT for help with encampments under overpasses and bridges. Nichols gave a semi-nonsense answer that did not answer the question. When Castex-Tatum asked about oversight, Satterwhite said there will be reports every 6 weeks, they will listen to feedback, and can make changes. 
• CM Ramirez, leaning into semantics, said the text of the ordinance does not use the word “homeless,” implying that it should not be assumed the ordinance is meant to target homeless people. Ramirez said the recidivism rate at homeless court is very low (2%). 
• CM Plummer strongly advocated for the standard use of Mobile Crisis Outreach Teams (MCOTs are clinician only, no law enforcement) and Crisis Intervention Response Teams (CIRTs are clinicians paired with HPD). She proposed an amendment to the ordinance requiring law enforcement to call for MCOTs and CIRTs when someone is in crisis. Whitmire, Satterwhite, and Nichols advocated against the amendment, citing existing policy that allows officers to call for MCOTs, CIRTs, a supervisor, or EMS when they deem necessary. They said this amendment could encourage officers not to engage at all because their hands will be tied.
  • Similar to Kamin’s comments earlier, Plummer said that the current administration is temporary and it makes sense to codify the use of MCOTs and CIRTs. Plummer said, “We have an opportunity to use tools that we have and, in my opinion, we’re choosing not to do so.”  
  • Plummer asked for an update regarding people gathering at the library. Director Nichols said that people who do feedings are not organized and don’t pick up their trash. He called out one group in particular, although he didn’t name them, as not interested in actually feeding people but in making a political statement. Nichols emphasized the need to house people and said they want to work with groups to accomplish that goal. He talked about the capricious nature of everyone’s “moment of change,” and how the goal here is to get in front of a person as many times as possible because you never know when someone will decide to accept help.
• CM Carter advocated for changing the ordinance to 24/7 and against Plummer’s amendment. She shared a graphic anecdote about a homeless person with maggots on their body, ostensibly as a reason to approve this ordinance. 
• CM Thomas encouraged sensitivity to groups that help feed the homeless. “Many people follow scriptural text that commands them to feed, house, and clothe the poor.”
• CM Evans-Shabazz advocated for sensitivity training, said there is a pervasive lack of respect for homeless people, and is concerned about displaced homeless people moving to District D.
• CM Kamin spoke to the success of Houston’s “housing first” initiative and said homelessness has been reduced by 60% since 2011. She pushed back on what she called a “false narrative” that things have been getting worse. She criticized the process of amending this ordinance, agreed it’s a complicated issue, and asked about encampments that aren’t on sidewalks (like the ones under overpasses and along bayous). Kamin pointed out the city reduced the municipal court budget by 16% this year and hopes that won’t affect critical services like the homeless court docket. She suggested that downtown and east downtown were getting prioritized because of the World Cup. 

Mayor Whitmire suggested they go ahead and vote on this item since they were already talking about it. So here we go, a vote on Item 15: an update to the civility ordinance which would extend the hours to 24/7 in the Central Business District and East Downtown management districts.

• First they had to take up CM Plummer’s amendment, which originally required officers to call for an MCOT or CIRT under certain circumstances. She altered the amendment to change the word “shall” to “may,” weakening the amendment to preexisting policy. It passed with unanimous support. 
• CM Thomas advocated for keeping the “housing first” model, but said she would support this ordinance change today knowing that it’s a pilot and can be adjusted.
• CM Kamin advocated for more housing availability before expanding the program.
• CM Ramirez said, “If I thought for a minute that we were voting to criminalize homelessness, I would vote no. But that’s not what this is about. This ordinance addresses behavior and not a condition or a status.”
• CM Plummer wants to evaluate safe ways for organizations and people to feed the homeless and feel safe.
• Finally, this item passed, making the civility ordinance 24/7 in the Central Business District and East Downtown Management Districts. CMs Jackson and Kamin voted no.

A presentation from the Interim Director of Solid Waste 

As he introduced Solid Waste Department Interim Director Larrius Hassan, Mayor Whitmire said, “I hope you all appreciate these briefings. I understand it’s not always been possible to hear from the directors for status reports.” Whitmire criticized comments made by solid waste workers at the July 9 public comment session, saying they were spreading misinformation. Whitmire complained about mismanagement left over from the previous administration. He invited Hassan to be “very candid” about what he inherited and changes he has made. 

Director Hassan acknowledged the Solid Waste (SW) staff. Regarding his time as interim director so far, he said, “It’s been a trying 90 days, to say the least.” He said the entire department needs a complete overhaul, but that they are resilient and up to the challenge. He repeated several times that these problems were inherited from the previous administration.

• Leadership and staff morale is low. Workers say they’ll never be able to catch up and are working 12-14 hours, 7 days per week. Work/life balance is very poor and overtime is rampant.
• 30 people left the department during the incentivized retirement program. There has been only one hire since then because there is no budget to replace them.
• Waste pickup delays are caused by: holidays, broken down trucks, inefficient routes, software problems.
• Improvements so far: training employees to drive different types of trucks, updated routes, implementation of routing software, better trashcan management.
• Hassan said many people are still working from home even though they aren’t supposed to, which is harming customer service because people working from home are unable to take calls or resolve tickets. 
• Hassan said the fleet is old and insufficient. They need 181 trucks operating daily for a bare minimum of service. The fleet owns 218 trucks, 57 of which were down for maintenance on the day of this report (July 16, 2025). 
• None of the 13 truck washing bays have hot water, so they can’t properly clean the trucks, which concordantly have rats and bugs, including maggots. Some SW facilities have raw sewage issues.
• Hassan and Mayor Whitmire criticized the city’s current contract with a recycling vendor, which only has one drop off location and long wait times.
• The lack of transfer stations, where trash and recycling can be compacted and sorted, were discussed at length. Hassan has a plan to increase transfer stations, which will reduce wait time at the recycling facility and possibly even generate more revenue due to fewer loads being denied due to contamination.

Several CMs and the mayor had remarks.

• Mayor Whitmire praised Hassan and the efficiency measures he instituted. “To throw more money at the broken system that’s been allowed for too many years would have been a huge mistake.” Whitmire praised Hassan for referring “abuses” and conflicts of interest to the inspector general. When CM Ramirez brought this up later, Hassan said that one employee was discovered to be abusing their purchase card and there was a suspicious sponsorship contract with the Houston Texans.
• CM Kamin thanked Director Hassan and acknowledged the members of Houston Organization of Public Employees (HOPE is the city’s municipal workers’ union) in the audience. She pointed to Houston’s large 640-square-mile footprint as a unique challenge, in addition to chronic natural disasters which cause delays and wear and tear on equipment. She appreciates the focus on recycling because it diverts waste from landfills, which will save money in the long term. She requested customer-facing route tracking. She suggested the city might have ordered used garbage trucks because of supply chain issues that started during the pandemic. She asked what causes maintenance delays.
  • Director Hassan said the city has purchased 30 new trucks, nine of which are expected by October. He does not know the status of the other 21. Hassan said that trucks have been missing routine maintenance because they are in service seven days a week.
  • Regarding overtime, Kamin said that a new schedule should alleviate this issue, as well as a new HOPE contract with updated overtime triggers. Kamin emphasized the long hours that many SW workers put in and commended them for their hard work.
  • She suggested a conversation with fleet management would be useful, since SW doesn’t manage their own fleet.

CM Peck told Director Hassan, “You inherited a mess.” She said trash is the most basic service a city offers and Houston is not doing a good job. She complained about trash pick up delays in District A, particularly the 77043 zip code. She hopes for better communication with the public going forward and complained about the routing software that she says the council spent ~$4M on but doesn’t fully use. She is “incredibly mad” about this waste of the people’s money.

CM Alcorn thinks that the company the city uses for recycling might be in violation of their contract and asked Director Hassan to investigate. 

CM Castex-Tatum had questions about recycling revenue, sort of seeming to ask if it’s even worth it to do it. She advocated for on-demand heavy trash pick up.

CM Pollard said back-to-back presentations are not the smartest … and I agree. It was a lot of information that was difficult to digest and organize. 

• CM Pollard asked where the funding and personnel for more transfer stations will come from. He had concerns about warranties restricting maintenance and mechanics being poached by the Houston Fire Department.
• And finally, CM Pollard told Hassan he doesn’t want him to get into the habit of blaming the past administration. “This is the first time in six years that we’ve gotten this level of calls for service not being picked up … In the past administration, things were working adequately. Things weren’t always perfect, but they were working adequately, and you have to improve upon that.”

CM Martinez pointed out that Houston’s growth means more demand on SW. He advocated for a garbage fee, which he thinks has public support. He also advocated for on-demand heavy trash pick up.

CM Thomas addressed the mayor’s remarks about last week’s public comment sessions, telling him that if he has issues with her, he should speak directly to her instead of “sneak dissing” her with passive aggressive remarks. She said that municipal workers are first responders. It’s disingenuous to reduce their workforce and funding and then act surprised when they come to council to complain about their working conditions. “I will not stop. I’m not ashamed or afraid to continue to talk about and mention the fact that municipal workers matter.” Mayor Whitmire made no response.

Agenda Items, Selected Works

• Item 3 approved $365K for equipment calibration and maintenance for the fire department’s HAZMAT and detection equipment.
• Item 4 approved $58K for playground equipment at the Almeda School Road Park.
• Item 5 approved a one-year renewal for the CrimeTracer software for HPD. CrimeTracer “is used by crime analysts and HPD officers in investigative operations to search police reports and establish trends and associations between crime types, locations, or persons.”

Item 43: Discriminatory Dress Codes

Item 43 created an ordinance requiring businesses that have a dress code to post that dress code near the entrance. This item was brought by CM Pollard using Proposition A and co-signed by CMs Evans-Shabazz and Plummer. From the support document: “This ordinance is necessary to prevent operators of establishments from arbitrarily selecting who gains entry based on attire. It also gives operators the ability to demonstrate to individuals that a certain dress code is required, and it gives individuals clarity on what the expectations are for entry without any ambiguity.”

• CMs Ramirez and Flickinger tagged this item last week due to concerns expressed by the American Restaurant Association. This week, CM Pollard said those concerns have been addressed and ARA is no longer in opposition.
• CM Huffman said this ordinance is “unnecessary government overreach” and that there has been no public comment at council meetings calling for it. She said bars and restaurants are “private establishments that should have the freedom to communicate their dress code in a manner that best aligns with their needs in a free market. Businesses that choose to not communicate their dress policies will face natural consequences such as losing patrons or revenue or damage to their reputation, all without city council’s interference.”
  • CM Evans-Shabazz says there are a lot of issues that people don’t bring to council. “Unless you walk in the skin of the possibility of discrimination, you may not understand why this is an issue.”
• This ordinance passed. CMs Flickinger and Huffman voted no. Businesses with a dress code policy are now required to post that policy near the entrance or they could face a Class C misdemeanor citation.

Who took these notes? And what resources did they use?

My name is Emily Hynds. I am a writer, small business owner, 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.

I watched this City Council meeting via HTV: https://www.houstontx.gov/htv/

While compiling these notes I used the following sources:
https://houston.novusagenda.com/agendapublic
https://houwatch.com

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

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