| November 1:
Council approved payment of $1.3 million for work performed to construct sidewalks in fourteen locations throughout the city. Metro provided the funds for this year-long project. The city has similar ongoing contracts to construct and/or repair sidewalks around the city.
Council approved the issuance of commercial paper totaling $614 million in voter-approved bond capacity from elections held in 2012, 2017, and 2022. These funds will provide resources to allocate to the city’s FY2024-2028 Capital Improvement Plan for a variety of projects including: parks, libraries, housing, public safety, health, and solid waste.
Council approved the termination of an Interlocal Agreement with Harris County. The thirty-year Agreement between the city and county was originally approved in 1996 for the operation and maintenance of the 32-acre Burnett-Bayland Park located in southwest Houston. This action by council returns the operations and maintenance of the park to the county.
In a spirited discussion at the council table, I brought up the issue on an agenda item of a suspended subcontractor performing work for the city. Since then, this subcontractor changed company names, even though they have retained the same ownership. I believe this action was to perform an end-around to bid on projects with the city. Unfortunately, this type of issue has occurred too frequently on city contracts. We set rules and procedures to root out the bad actors, and then ultimately allow them to dodge the rules. This is not fair to the contractors who follow the rules or the taxpayers. The administration responded that council was legally required to approve this item, since it was for an additional appropriation to an existing, not a new, contract.
November 8:
Council approved payment of $1.9 million to a contractor who completed work on wastewater systems around the city. The project involved wastewater collection systems rehabilitation and renewal. The purpose of the work was to reduce sanitary sewer overflows in deteriorated systems. Work included repairs, pipe replacement, and pipe bursting in hundreds of locations located throughout the city.
Council authorized payment of $888,644 to a contractor for work performed on behalf of the Public Works Department. The project included the repair, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of storm water drainage assets to resolve drainage problems. The city has similar ongoing contracts with various contractors to repair and mitigate drainage issues.
Council approved the purchase of twenty-four electric Actuators for the Public Works Department. Actuators are used to control the flow through waste and influent/effluent valves to produce potable water. They are a critical component used in the water treatment process. The Actuators will be delivered to the East Water Purification Plant and the Northeast Purification Plant within the next year.
Council approved spending $716,996 for the purchase of Mobile Data Computers (MDC), docking stations, and corresponding deployment services for the Fire Department. This purchase is replacing older Fire Department equipment. MDCs are necessary to provide HFD with critical information relevant to situational awareness, as well as providing real-time visibility and improved on-scene communications to keep first responders apprised and safe.
Council approved spending $1.5 million for improvements to the Latino Learning Center. Improvements included the roof, exterior waterproofing, HVAC system, electrical, fire protection system, elevator, flooring, ceiling, and other interior finishes. The mission of the Center is to provide educational and support services to the elderly, veterans, and disabled Houstonians. This agreement also provides the city with a facility for public meetings, sheltering during extreme weather conditions, and as a location for food distribution.
Council approved a $635,429 contract with a local architectural firm to design the new Municipal Courts facility. This contract is part of the initial phase of replacing the Municipal Courts building located at 1400 Lubbock Street near downtown. The building was devastated by Harvey flood waters in 2017. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has agreed to provide $54.2 million towards the project which will cover the vast majority of the cost. It has not yet been determined where the facility will eventually be built.
Council authorized spending $926,250 over three years in federal ARPA funds for an agreement between the Houston Area Women’s Center and the Houston Police Department’s Domestic Abuse Response Team. The Agreement provides the following services: case management for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault; non-congregant emergency shelter; security services; client supplies, food, and transportation services; and healthcare and wellness services. The Domestic Abuse Response Team is a multidisciplinary crisis response designed to immediately engage high-risk victims of domestic violence once violence is reported to law enforcement.
November 15:
Council approved spending $450,000 in emergency repairs for flashing beacons in school zones. The repairs to the flashing beacons are located in school zones throughout the city. The funds to provide these repairs are provided by Metro.
Council approved spending $3,424,311 for ten large grapple trucks for the Solid Waste Department. These large trucks feature hydraulic grappling arms for the collection of bulky trash items. Federal ARPA funds provided $3 million of the total cost.
Council approved expanding the Downtown Entertainment Zone. In 2003, Council approved the creation of the Downtown Entertainment Zone. This Zone is a mixed-use area consisting of 10 city blocks characterized by high density and mixed uses. The Zone creates an exemption to statutory distance requirements for establishments that wish to sell and serve alcohol within 300 feet of a church, school, or public hospital. This Council action expanded the boundaries in the downtown area to the I-69 freeway, I-10 freeway, and I-45 freeway.
Council approved spending $1.3 million for repairs to the HFD Val Jahnke Training Facility. The existing underground sanitary piping and aged internal plumbing caused the main sanitary line to collapse, forcing sanitary sewage to back into the locker rooms and onto the exterior building grounds. These failures could continue to cause sewage to backup, creating a health and safety issue.
November 29:
Council authorized an extension of the period during which City employees called to active duty during a time of war or state of emergency may be compensated when their military salary is less than their city salary. Section 14-256 of the Code of Ordinances limits the initial authorization to a period of 90 calendar days from the date the employee is called to active duty during a time of war or state of emergency unless City Council extends the period. Council has previously approved extensions. Currently, several City of Houston employees have received military orders calling them to active duty during a time of war or state of emergency which may qualify them for compensation under this article. The current approved period expires on December 31, 2023. To avoid undue disruption to the economic circumstances of these City employees who continue to be called to active duty during a time of war or state of emergency, this Council action authorizes extension of the period during which City employees called to active duty during a time of war or state of emergency may be compensated when their military salary is less than their city salary as specified in Chapter 14, Article IV to December 31, 2025. In the event that the time of war or state of the emergency ends prior to the expiration of this extension, then this order will be rescinded.
Council authorized the establishment of a framework for a citywide truck route plan. This action begins the process to create a truck route plan to manage freight movement, enhance roadway safety, and guide commercial vehicles onto designated truck routes rather than through neighborhoods. Cut-through truck traffic in residential neighborhoods have created traffic safety hazards, roadway damage, noise pollution, and poor air quality in many of our neighborhoods. As the freight movement in the city and the region continue to grow, the through-truck traffic has also become a prevailing issue for neighborhoods, especially those near the port and the major industrial areas. This ordinance authorizes the Planning and Development Department to create a framework for a Citywide Truck Route Plan by creating objective criteria to designate certain Houston roadways as Truck Routes. The specific routes and details will most likely be presented in 2024.
Council approved designating $327,538 in federal grant funds to SEARCH Homeless Services to provide housing, case management, and navigation services. These funds will provide assistance to at least 100 households in our area during 2024.
Council approved spending $9.8 million in federal grant funds to construct the Holcombe Lab Expansion Project. This 20,000 square foot, three-story, Biosafety lab near the Texas Medical Center will be located adjacent to the existing lab. The new lab will be used to study emerging diseases in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Council approved spending $975,000 over three years with two vendors to provide spay and neuter services. The two groups, Houston PetSet and Spay Neuter Assistance Program, are existing partners with the city and these funds will enable them to expand their services. These groups have performed amazing work to address the stray animal overpopulation issue in Houston. |
