Notes on the Houston City Council Meeting on September 3, 2025

Agenda

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

Monthly Financial Report

Controller Chris Hollins and Finance Director Melissa Dubowski both gave their respective reports.

Controller Hollins predicts an ending fund balance of $328M, which is $17.5M lower than that of the finance department due to differences in revenue projections. Sales tax revenue for fiscal year 2025 were higher than expected and higher than fiscal year 2024 actuals.

• After his financial remarks, Controller Hollins speeched on the importance of labor and people to Houston’s success and resilience. He encouraged increasing financial reserves in case of natural disasters and to “safeguard our rainy day fund from being spent down when it’s not raining,” especially as the federal government cuts funding to FEMA. “Fiscal oversight and disaster readiness must go hand in hand.” Finally he remarked on the upcoming Congressional District 18 race and encouraged people to vote.
• After he finished, Mayor Whitmire said, “You sure you don’t have something else?” This was meant to reference that Hollins often uses his time during the Monthly Financial Report to, well, speech.

Director Dubowski said that 2025 sales tax revenues were 9.88% higher than last year and higher than projected in the current budget. She predicts an ending fund balance of $345.6M.

CM Castex-Tatum asked about strategies other cities use to increase revenues and therefore increase fund balances and cash reserves. She said, “Some of these cities have trash fees, they own their own water, they have other opportunities to bring in money.” She asked, “What opportunities do we have that we haven’t thought about?”

• Controller Hollins replied that much of this info has already been presented by the finance department, but he would be happy to work with Director Dubowski on a joint report.

The Mayor’s Report

The mayor invited Brian Mason, Director of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), to explain a new emergency alert system that will be tested on Friday. Whitmire referenced the flood tragedy in Kerrville, how little warning they had, but also said, “I don’t know of other communities as prepared as we are.”

Director Mason explained the upcoming test alert, intent on reducing public alarm.

• A wireless emergency alert will go out to cell phones within city boundaries on Friday 9/5 around 11am.
• The message will look similar to an amber alert but will be clearly labeled as a public safety alert and as a test.
• OEM has been working with cell phone carriers to make sure they are prepared for the mass message. They have been working to ensure international travelers will receive the message and so the message can be delivered in the language your phone is set to.
• This is different from Alert Houston, which is a messaging service people can opt into through the city’s website.
• If you have disabled wireless alerts, you can find instructions on how to enable and manage them on the city website.
• Director Mason said the city has been doing traditional press and media outreach, as well as social media campaigns, to get the word out, but he appreciates help spreading the word to decrease potential alarm.

CM Kamin said OEM does “incredible work.” She supports this type of messaging but encouraged development of a messaging plan for when cell towers are disabled during and after disasters.

Public Comment

Normally, the public comment portion of city council takes place on Tuesdays. When Monday is a holiday, the two meetings are combined to Wednesday to allow people enough time to sign up to speak. There were six public speakers today. Here is a selection:

• One person complained about an unpermitted funeral home operator. Mayor Whitmire and CM Martinez said this has been “red tagged” by Houston Public Works and they plan a site visit on Friday.
• One person advocated for Beryl-related housing funds to be spent in 77078. He complained about rising crime in 77078 and 77093, including “streetwalkers” and open drug transactions and use. And he said that HPW drainage work is causing people’s pipes to burst.
• One person complained that the civility ordinance* is displacing homeless people to other neighborhoods, lowering the quality of life, decreasing property values, and creating blight. He suggested implementing the civility ordinance city wide or only implementing it as resources are able to support it.
  • Mayor Whitmire said they already only implement the civility ordinance in areas where they have resources (beds, funding, housing, services).
• One speaker opposed the closure of Polk Street due to the George R. Brown Convention Center expansion.

*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. The Central Business District and East Downtown Management Districts civility ordinances have been altered to 24/7.

Agenda Items, Selected Works

• Item 1 would have confirmed the appointment of Dr. Theresa Tran as the Director of the Houston Health Department, but it was “friendly tagged” by CM Castex-Tatum to allow more CMs to meet with Dr. Tran.
• Items 2-6 confirmed appointments to the Archaeological and Historical Commission, the Houston Civic Events board, and the Harris County Improvement District #23 board.
• Item 9 approved a $1.1M grant to the Northwest Assistance Ministries’ homeless diversion program.
• Item 16 supported a grant application to the Texas Division of Emergency Management, which has FEMA funds to distribute. Amounts requested are: $12.7M for 14 generators at select multi-service centers, libraries, and a fire logistics complex; $15M for generators at 3 water facilities; and $13M for generators at 22 fire stations and 7 police stations. If the grant is awarded, the city will need to pay 25% of the cost, which will come from the City’s HUD Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program.
• Item 22 approved $2.2M for the installation of 200 drinking-water sampling stations, which will help the city collect samples without entering private property.
• Item 24 authorized an agreement for the county to take over the maintenance of seven park spaces in districts C, F, G, and J. This agreement will last for 20 years. CM Kamin and Mayor Whitmire praised Harris County Commissioner Briones for investing in Houston parks. CM Thomas requested inclusion in conversations prior to items like this making it to the agenda.

Council Member Pop-Off

• CM Evans-Shabazz plugged a Congressional District 18 forum on Saturday 9/6 and a celebratory breakfast for Career and Recovery Resources on 9/12. She thanked the mayor for pausing changes to the Hermann Park Golf Course, agreeing that upgrades are needed but the community must be included in planning. “We cherish Hermann Park … If there are any changes, a fight comes with it.”
• CM Castillo expressed solidarity with Unite Here Local 23, the union for Hilton America’s workers in the midst of a nine-day strike. He plugged a community update meeting on 9/20 at 10am for the Hispanic Research Center.
  • Mayor Whitmire said he is monitoring the strike carefully and, “As a union member myself, I understand the process.” He expects a “fair settlement.” He also praised HPD for their presence at the strike and for handing out water to strikers.
• CM Flickinger plugged upcoming town halls on 9/30 (Kingwood), 10/12 (Clear Lake), and 10/21 (the Space Center). There is an electronics recycling event this Saturday 9/6 at the Kingwood park and ride starting at 9am.
• CM Kamin advocated for Heights Towers, a senior living home that has been without air conditioning since Friday. She complained about red tape when it comes to deciding whose responsibility ditch maintenance is. She advocated for increasing the city’s rainy day fund and for gun safety initiatives.
• CM Jackson explained a new park under construction around the Curtis M. Graves detention basin. She plugged a District B strategic plan meeting on Thursday 9/4 in Acres Homes.
• CM Ramirez seconded Evans-Shabazz’s remarks on the Hermann Park Golf Course, saying he received feedback from many constituents protesting, partly because the changes would mean the golf course would no longer be eligible for tournament play. He explained that council will see shorter agendas due to Senate Bill 1173, which says that councils only need to review contracts that start at $100K. The previous spending floor for review was $50K.
• CM Thomas said her HOT team is making new trash bin deliveries and thanked Solid Waste Director Hassan for helping to make it possible. She outlined several public safety issues in District F, including problems near an adult-entertainment venue in Crossview, street flooding due to blocked drains, and the discovery of skeletal remains at a homeless encampment in a wooded area. She expressed solidarity for the Unite Here Local 23 workers on strike.
• CM Castex-Tatum complained about miscommunication regarding the enforcement of problematic yard parking. She complained about public drug use at gas stations and homeless encampments and encouraged tackling this issue. She is hosting a ‘meet the team’ event on 9/20 from 9am-11am at the Starbucks on Sam Houston Parkway. The Stimley Blue library is still closed.
• CM Peck plugged a Public Safety Committee Meeting on Tuesday 9/9.
• CM Martinez expressed solidarity with the Unite Here Local 23 workers. An eleven-year old boy was shot over the weekend and Martinez shared condolences for the family. He said, “Violence is not the solution.”
• CM Pollard said that recycling is seven weeks behind in St. George Place. He complained again about retirees who took the city’s incentivized retirement plan who still have not been paid. He complained about rising crime, citing a report listing Houston in the top 10 for cities over 500K in population. He encouraged addressing root causes like unemployment and plugged his jobs website, morejobshouston.com.
• CM Alcorn urged council to raise the tax rate this October. She said the needs are “monumental,” and while Whitmire’s initiatives like the Ernst & Young report and incentivized retirement have helped, the city still needs to generate more revenue. “We are going to have to make unpopular decisions in order to give the residents of this city the services they deserve.”

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.