Tag Archives: Houston City Council

Cyber insurance

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good idea. Houston City Council on Wednesday unanimously agreed to spend $471,000 on cyber insurance, becoming the latest Texas municipality trying to bolster its response to growing technological risks. The insurance can cover up to $30 million … Continue reading →

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Appeals court allows city to post video of pay parity hearing

Posted on August 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Probably doesn’t matter much at this point, but there it is. A Texas appeals court on Thursday ordered a state district judge to rescind his temporary restraining order requiring the city of Houston to remove video from its website that … Continue reading →

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The firefighter pay parity referendum won’t be decided by the voters

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

it will be decided by the courts. Here’s a story out of Austin to illustrate. Former Travis County judge Bill Aleshire has sued the city of Austin in the Texas Supreme Court, challenging the ballot language of a proposition up … Continue reading →

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ReBuild re-vote approved

Posted on August 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Add another item to the ballot. City Council on Wednesday unanimously agreed to put the controversial street and drainage program known as ReBuild Houston before voters again in November, but not before tweaking the ballot language in hopes of avoiding … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

July 2018 finance reports: City of Houston

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Every level of government requires finance reports in January and June, whether or not there is an active election cycle in that year. That includes the city of Houston, whose january report data we inspected here. Our next election is … Continue reading →

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The long range plan for municipal waste

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Something you probably missed (I know I did) from recent City Council action. Last week Houston City Council voted to hire a company that will help local officials create and adopt a long-range waste and recycling plan. This wasn’t all … Continue reading →

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Deterring dumping

Posted on August 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Tough problem, good use of technology. [Radny] Scales, a Harris County Environmental Crimes Unit lieutenant, and his team of nine investigators depend heavily on video cameras to crack down on illegal dumping, a crime that disproportionally affects the city’s poorest … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Firefighter pay proposal officially on the ballot

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

As required. Houston voters in November will choose whether to grant firefighters pay “parity” with police of corresponding rank and seniority. After weeks of wrangling over the issue — including angry debates, rare legislative maneuvers and allegations of electioneering — … Continue reading →

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ReBuild re-vote

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Sort of. It’s complicated. Eight years after voters narrowly backed the idea, the controversial street and drainage program known as ReBuild Houston is expected to appear again on the November ballot in the form of an amendment to the city … Continue reading →

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Firefighters file suit over handling of pay parity proposal

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I figured we’d have to wait till after the eventual vote on the firefighters’ pay parity proposal for there to be litigation over it, but no. The union representing Houston firefighters sued Mayor Sylvester Turner and a City Council member … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Council discusses firefighter pay parity proposal

Posted on July 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It will cost some money if it passes. Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña said Thursday that his firefighters deserve raises, but he would be hard-pressed to maintain his department budget without reducing his ranks if voters approve a measure granting … Continue reading →

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No quorum for very special Council meeting

Posted on July 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Close, but no cigar. A handful of city council members who organized a rare special meeting to push for a Houston firefighters petition seeking pay “parity” with police to appear on the November ballot fell short of a quorum Friday … Continue reading →

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Another homeless feeding lawsuit dismissed

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Not the end of the story, though. A state district judge this week dismissed a lawsuit a local activist filed last year against Houston’s ordinance regulating the charitable feeding of the city’s homeless, but the case is proceeding on with … Continue reading →

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A very special Council meeting

Posted on July 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Who knew there was such a thing? In a rare maneuver that sidesteps Mayor Sylvester Turner’s authority, five city council members have called a special meeting this week, hoping to force the issue of Houston firefighters’ push for a referendum … Continue reading →

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Paying to park at Memorial Park

Posted on July 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Let the pearl-clutching begin! A quarter of the parking spaces at Memorial Park will be metered starting later this year, as the city and the park’s nonprofit operators scrape together dollars for maintenance amid an ambitious renovation. Visitors who park … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Council approves initial Harvey housing aid

Posted on June 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. Houston City Council has approved a plan to direct how the first long-term federal housing aid headed this way after Hurricane Harvey will be spent, targeting $600 million to repair or build single-family homes and $375 million … Continue reading →

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Houston submits its DNC 2020 bid

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Houston, recognized for its record of successfully hosting mega-events, today submitted an official bid to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention. The bid document of about 600 pages shows how Houston’s convention infrastructure and its people put … Continue reading →

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Council passes resolution to support 2020 DNC

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Houston bolstered its bid for the 2020 Democratic National Convention on Wednesday as City Council affirmed the city’s safety and logistics services will be marshalled sufficiently to support the gathering if Houston is chosen as the host city. Houston … Continue reading →

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Council approves Mayor’s budget

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The annual ritual is observed. Houston City Council adopted Mayor Sylvester Turner’s $4.9 billion budget by a vote of 13-4 Wednesday, ending three hours of otherwise amiable debate with an impassioned speech from Councilman Jack Christie that concluded with the … Continue reading →

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Zipcar parking arrangement approved

Posted on May 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The City Council on Wednesday said companies can start immediately applying for agreements with the city that allow them to use on-street parking spaces so vehicles are visible and easily available to users. Companies such as Zipcar allow people … Continue reading →

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Zipcars and parking

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s sort this out. A plan to allow more on-street parking spaces for cars Houstonians could rent by the hour hit a bump Wednesday, when city council members balked at moving beyond the pilot program they approved nearly two years … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Turner’s 2019 budget

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the plan for making ends meet for next fiscal year. Mayor Sylvester Turner’s proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts in July would close a shortfall of $114 million without employee layoffs by drawing down the city’s reserves, … Continue reading →

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May 5 election results

Posted on May 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Martha Castex-Tatum is your winner of the District K special election. She dominated in Harris County with over 65% of the vote, and while she finished below fifty percent in Fort Bend County, she had more than enough votes to … Continue reading →

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Today is May Election Day

Posted on May 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Saturday, May 5, 2018 is Election Day for voters in Houston Council Member District K. Voters will determine who will fill the vacancy in the southwest Council District. Polling locations will be open from 7 am to … Continue reading →

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Firefighters have their signatures

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

On to the next act in this drama. A petition Houston firefighters submitted last summer seeking pay parity with police contains enough valid signatures to trigger a referendum election, City Secretary Anna Russell reported to Mayor Sylvester Turner and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

Early voting ends for May 5 elections

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Go vote Saturday if you haven’t voted yet. Voters across southwest Houston will head to the polls Saturday to vote on a replacement for late District K Houston City Councilman Larry Green who died unexpectedly from a drug overdose in … Continue reading →

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Early voting for the May 5 elections begins today

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: EARLY VOTING BEGINS FOR HOUSTON COUNCIL DISTRICT K  Local jurisdictions, including schools, emergency, and utility districts, also holding May 5 Elections Houston, TX –Early Voting for the May 5, 2018 City of Houston Council Member District K Special Election begins Monday, April … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: District K special election

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron makes its choice in the District K special election. Larry Blackmon, 68, has spent decades serving on various boards and advisory committees under the leadership of three Houston mayors. Martha Castex-Tatum, 48, is the director of constituent services … Continue reading →

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Interview with Aisha Savoy

Posted on April 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, I have published a series of interviews with candidates in the special election for Houston City Council District K, to fill the vacancy left by the untimely death of CM Larry Green. As you also know, sometimes … Continue reading →

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Interview with Pat Frazier

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We wrap up our interview series in District K with Pat Frazier, who is the one person in this race that has run for this seat before, back in 2011. Frazier is an educator and community activist with a long … Continue reading →

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Interview with Elisabeth Johnson

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Elisabeth Johnson has a long background in politics and community activism, having worked on the Bill White for Governor campaign in 2010 as a field organizer in Dallas and with the Texas Organizing Project and Working America to help pass … Continue reading →

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Interview with Larry Blackmon

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We return now to the interviews for the special election in District K. Most of the nine candidates in this race are first-timers, but two are not. Larry Blackmon is one of those two, having run in the open At … Continue reading →

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Interview with Martha Castex-Tatum

Posted on April 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We continue on with interviews in the District K special election, to succeed the late Council Member Larry Green. Today we have Martha Castex-Tatum, who has served in CM Green’s office as the Director of Constituent Services since 2015. She … Continue reading →

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Interview with Lawrence McGaffie

Posted on April 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We continue with interviews in the special election for District K to succeed the late CM Larry Green. Today I am talking with Lawrence McGaffie, an ordained minister and Army veteran who is the founder of the Inspire the Lead, … Continue reading →

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