Notes on the Houston City Council Meeting on March 4, 2026

Agenda

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

*The mayor did not make a report today.

Monthly Financial Report

Finance Deputy Director Paula Lichanpanit and Controller Chris Hollins both gave their respective reports.

Controller Hollins predicts an ending fund balance of $336M. The ending fund balance is like the city’s savings account. He remarked on “turmoil in the markets right now given the ongoings in the Middle East,” affecting bond pricing for the George R. Brown expansion.

• He praised candidates, election workers, and voters. “Every ballot cast is an act of belief.”
• He wished a Happy Women’s History Month and acknowledged the women on council.
• The Houston Investor Conference is on March 17.
• He volunteered with Clean The Block in Sunnyside last Saturday. He asked the mayor to help get them a truck to haul debris, which has been done before for a similar group on the northside.
• Hollins said the city’s electricity costs have increased 40% from last year due to policy reforms made after Winter Storm Uri, which pass costs down to customers, including the city and individual consumers. Hollins said these costs will remain higher even with conservation efforts and blamed “the system that Governor Abbott and the state legislature allowed to be in place that holds no one accountable,” and which passes system risks and failures down to customers. He said, “We have to evaluate that risk, look towards long term price stability, and of course, prioritize overall value for Houston taxpayers.”

Director Lichanpanit predicts an ending fund balance of $353.5M.

CM Kamin responded to Hollins’ remarks about increasing electrical cost burden, “directly as a result of previous generational failures of our grid.” She pointed to generators and ice deliveries as other costs the city and consumers are paying for because of “an unreliable grid and unsustainable situation.”

Agenda Items, Selected Works

• Item 1 reappointed Thomas Jones to the Port of Houston Authority. The mayor and many CMs spoke in support. Mr. Jones said the Port of Houston is “one of the largest, if not the largest,” ports in the country. They moved into new headquarters in the East River development along Buffalo Bayou. They are building a new tour boat. He plugged Fleet Week April 12-15.
• Item 7 approved $502K for packaged ice to be used during power outages during weather events, paid for by the Water & Sewer System Operating Fund. CM Kamin complained that the city cannot rely on reimbursement from the current federal administration and advocated for setting aside sufficient funds for disaster prep.
• Item 9 appointed Christopher Gore, Roberto G. De La Garza, and Tara Shaw Boutte as municipal court judges. Judge Gore was present with some of his family and staff. Mayor Whitmire said this position is a “tough job under difficult conditions.” He criticized previous administrations for allowing decay of the court buildings. He praised police for decreasing caseloads due to their work on illegal dumping, traffic violations, and more.
• Item 10 approved up to $20M over three years for IT consultant services for the airports.
• Item 12 approved $7.9M for a new nature center and other site improvements at Sylvan Rodriguez Park in Clear Lake.
• Item 13 approved $2M, paid for by the Greenspoint TIRZ, for HVAC upgrades at Fire Station 74 in District H.
• Item 15 approved $1.6M over three years for inspection and maintenance of the city’s overhead cranes and hoists.
• Item 19 accepted a $1M grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for swimming pool improvements at Agnes-Moffit Park. CM Peck said that HPD and HFD will be able to use the pool for training exercises. She thanked Representative Hull for securing funds.
• Item 20 accepted a $2M grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for sports field enhancements at Melrose Park.
• Item 24 approved an agreement with the Southwest TIRZ for roadway and drainage improvements at Harwin and Hillcroft, funded by a $2M grant from the Federal Highway Administration.
• Item 27 approved $5.5M of the Dedicated Drainage and Street Renewal Fund for general drainage work across the city.

Council Member Pop-Off

Many councilmembers congratulated candidates, applauded election workers and voters, and especially congratulated CM Kamin for winning the Democratic primary for Harris County Attorney. She will face the Republican candidate in the general election in November.

• CM Thomas said Thursday is the final community apartment inspection reform (AIR) meeting at 6pm at 6300 Irvington. Her office helped install three air quality monitors near a concrete batch plant in Westchase. On Sunday, she attended a housing groundbreaking from Boynton Houston Community Development Corporation, which she attributed to her Faith in Affordable Housing summits. “I was reminded that the work that we’re doing is not in vain.”
• CM Castex-Tatum plugged a President’s Advisory Council (of HOA’s and civic clubs and the like) on 4/9 from 6-8pm at the Fountain Life Center. She plugged the AIR meeting on Thursday at 6pm at 6300 Irvington. District K summer internship applications for people age 16-24 are due 3/13.
• CM Peck plugged the annual Dress for Success suit drive through March. She shared information about a Centerpoint storm resilience project in Spring Branch starting at the end of the month.
• CM Martinez said the Houston Land Bank is seeking development proposals for 7811 Harrisburg. The start of on-demand heavy trash pickup has been delayed to allow more time to get the word out.
• CM Alcorn complained about three unpermitted parking lots on Washington Avenue; HPW has cited them daily but construction continues. She plans to attend the AIR meeting on Thursday. She plugged a virtual Adopt-an-Esplanade Town Hall on 3/17.
• CM Salinas honored Regina Jones, the city’s administrative office manager, for Women’s History Month.

• CM Carter complained that the recent PIT homeless count was unsuccessful and remarked on the general need for homeless resources. She thanked the people serving abroad right now. “Six lives lost, six lives too many.”
• CM Evans-Shabazz shared a lot of information and gratitude for events she attended last week.
• CM Castillo wished his mother a happy birthday. He said AIR is a critical ordinance and plans to attend the Thursday meeting. The second annual District H Neighborhood Resiliency event is this Saturday at Settegast Park; there will be free trees and rain barrels for District H residents.
• CM Flickinger plugged a meeting on 3/5 from 6pm-8pm at the Humble Civic Center about Lake Conroe/Lake Houston joint operations. He thanked CM Peck for renting him the District A Hot Spot team, who helped clean up Almeda Genoa, where he saw a lot of plastic debris. He remarked on “microplastics entering our ecosystem,” saying, “You can see where the plastics have degraded. They’re decomposing. They get mowed twice a year, which I think facilitates that decomposing as well. I think the trash and the dumping is not only a quality of life issue, but there’s also some environmental concerns that we really need to address.”
• CM Kamin plugged the Memorial Groves groundbreaking on Thursday. She plugged a community meeting on 3/9 at 3:30 at the Chevron Building regarding the Houston Open. She thanked pollworkers, volunteers, and praised the unprecedented turnout. She said that running a campaign takes a toll on candidates’ families and thanked her own. She thanked her staff and assured constituents that District C is not missing a beat.

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
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/harris-county/2026/03/04/545165/abbie-kamin-emerges-as-top-democratic-candidate-for-harris-county-attorney-advancing-to-general-election/

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.