Tag Archives: Houston City Council

Vape ’em if you’ve got ’em

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

E-cigarettes are not affected by the city of Houston’s smoking ban. For now, anyway. When city officials announced a sweeping ban on smoking in public parks last month, many in Houston’s growing ranks of electronic cigarette users worried the new … Continue reading →

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HERO repeal petition lawsuit set for January

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

There will be no HERO repeal referendum on the ballot this year, but depending on how the trial (and likely appeal) goes, there could be one next year. Opponents of Houston’s equal rights ordinance dropped their request for a temporary … Continue reading →

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HERO repeal hopefuls try another venue

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. Conservative opponents of Houston’s equal rights ordinance have asked an appeals court to force the city secretary to certify the signatures on their petitions to force a repeal referendum on the November ballot. Equal rights ordinance critics filed a … Continue reading →

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Council approves vehicles for hire overhaul

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

At long last. Technology companies that have unapologetically disrupted vehicle-for-hire markets in cities across the country will be able to operate legally in Houston after City Council on Wednesday ended 16 months of wrangling by approving new rules. Council voted … Continue reading →

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HERO repeal lawsuit moved to federal court

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

And the bad guys are very unhappy about it. Conservative activists seeking to repeal Houston’s equal rights ordinance accused the city of stalling the issue Wednesday after city lawyers moved the opponents’ lawsuit over rejected ballot petitions from state to … Continue reading →

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Remember Ray Jones

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

So now that the HERO-haters’ petitions have been rejected by the city for not having enough valid signatures after all of the petition pages that were not compliant with the requirements of the city charter were thrown out, the story … Continue reading →

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Houston municipal employees may see health insurance costs get hiked again

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s one of many possible proposals for closing the upcoming budget shortfall. A key option, [Mayor annise] Parker has said, is to increase the share of health care costs employees pay. The city now pays three-fourths, and employees pay one-fourth. … Continue reading →

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Council approves funds for Harrisburg Line overpass

Posted on August 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Progress! The City Council is set to decide Wednesday whether to give Metro $10 million to accommodate traffic as well as trains on a controversial overpass the transit agency plans to build along its Green Line light rail route. The … Continue reading →

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One more week till vehicles for hire

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

You didn’t expect Council to vote on it so quickly, did you? They’ll get to it next week. The proposed changes would place specific requirements on the independent drivers and the technology companies, which connect drivers willing to ferry people … Continue reading →

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Repealing the revenue cap is only part of the answer

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Repealing the dumb revenue cap charter amendment from 2004 won’t solve the impending fiscal problems by itself. It’s still a good idea to repeal it. With an estimated $144 million budget shortfall looming next summer, the city’s finance director delivered … Continue reading →

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Checking in on Uber and Lyft in San Antonio

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

San Antonio City Council will soon be taking up with vehicles for hire issue, and so far things have gone about as smoothly as you’d expect. A proposal from City staff to integrate rideshare companies into the existing Vehicle for … Continue reading →

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City smoking ban extended to parks and libraries

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Who knew they weren’t already, right? Houston public parks, golf courses and pools will be smoke-free zones come September, marking one of the most sweeping tobacco bans at city facilities. Parks and Recreation Department Director Joe Turner announced the new … Continue reading →

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Will we finally get a vote on vehicles for hire this week?

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Remember last month when Council was supposed to vote on a vehicles for hire ordinance change to allow Uber and Lyft to operate here in some fashion? It was put off till July 30 to allow for some form of … Continue reading →

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It’s past time for a garbage fee

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, this. For years, Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department Director Harry Hayes has suggested the city implement a garbage fee to expand curbside recycling and pay for other initiatives. And for years, Mayor Annise Parker has demurred. Now, with a … Continue reading →

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Another lawsuit against Uber and Lyft

Posted on July 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

That’s three lawsuits that I know of. A coalition of Texas disability advocates sued ride-share companies Uber and Lyft on Thursday as part of dozens of lawsuits filed around the state ahead of the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities … Continue reading →

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HERO repeal petitions announcement today

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Today’s the day we find out what happens. The city’s controversial HERO ordinance prohibits discrimination based on federally recognized groups such as race and age, but also extends those rights to sexual orientation and gender identity. Opponents of the ordinance … Continue reading →

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Council votes to sue over bad pension projections

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Game on. Houston City Council on Wednesday paved the way for city attorneys to sue an actuarial firm the city claims gave inaccurate pension estimates that spurred costly changes to firefighters’ retirement benefits in 2001. […] Houston’s contribution rate to … Continue reading →

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Diverting ReBuild Houston funds

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about this. Expressing impatience with the pace of street repairs under the Rebuild Houston program, City Council on Wednesday voted to siphon off some of the drainage-fee supported funds to speed up projects and help resolve smaller … Continue reading →

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Houston’s payday lending ordinance is now in place

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Part of me hopes that there’s a lot of complaints, and part of me hopes there’s very few. Houston’s stringent new rules on payday and auto title lenders took effect Tuesday, reviving industry complaints that it would drive companies out … Continue reading →

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Back to the drawing board for the city and the firefighters’ union

Posted on July 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t expect much at this point. Negotiators for the city of Houston and its firefighters union will return to the bargaining table to discuss a new labor contract weeks after union members soundly defeated the last proposed deal, Mayor Annise … Continue reading →

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Get ready to defend the HERO

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Surrounded by members of the community who are impacted by the ordinance, Mayor Annise Parker announced today that the City will mount a vigorous effort to defend Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance from being repealed. “The Houston I … Continue reading →

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Uber is working hard to make itself unlikeable

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s almost as if it’s a deliberate part of their business plan. “We’re in a political campaign, and the candidate is Uber, and the opponent is an asshole named Taxi,” Travis Kalanick, the CEO of ride-sharing company Uber, said while … Continue reading →

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One less food desert

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: With high hopes of more to come, Mayor Annise Parker, Council Members Stephen Costello and Dwight Boykins, the Houston Redevelopment Authority (HRA) and others broke ground on the first project to target a Houston food desert. With … Continue reading →

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A lesser overpass

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not very happy with this. A City Council delay in contributing funds for a contentious East End overpass will likely lead Metro back to build a span only for its light rail line and not drivers, and without some … Continue reading →

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City exploring new pension for new firefighters?

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. Long concerned about the cost of Houston’s pensions and stymied in her attempts at reform, Mayor Annise Parker is considering a dramatic step to place new firefighters into a separate, less generous pension plan, sources with knowledge of the … Continue reading →

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We need more context to the HPD no-investigations issue

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Regular commenter Steven Houston left this feedback on my “More reaction to the HPD no-investigations report” post. It raises some good points and helped me focus my thinking on a couple of things, so I wanted to reproduce it and … Continue reading →

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Council adopts its budget for next year

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Might be the last easy budget for a couple of years. The Houston City Council agreed to boost funding for after-school programs, add cameras to catch illegal dumpers and give $1 million to each district council office to spend on … Continue reading →

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Firefighters union rejects contract deal

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. The contract rejected Tuesday by 93 percent of the roughly 2,900 firefighters voting would have taken a similar approach, granting a pay raise in exchange for concessions on members’ ability to take leave. With the no vote, as of … Continue reading →

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More talk about bathrooms

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The HOUEquality webpage returns to a familiar topic. 1.) Over 180 cities and municipalities across the country have implemented nondiscrimination ordinances, some have been in place for decades. There are no reports of incidents of sexual assault or rape causally … Continue reading →

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On cops and the revenue cap

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Parker again calls attention to the city’s stupid revenue cap and the things it will prevent the city from doing if it is left in place. If Houston voters do not want police pulled from the streets next year, … Continue reading →

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Another taxi survey

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Vehicle for hire industry survey The City of Houston has retained Taxi Research Partners to conduct a study of demand within the vehicle for hire industry in Houston. The study will review current market conditions, identify key … Continue reading →

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Vehicles for hire vote put off till end of July

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Seriously? The Houston City Council delayed a vote until July 30 on regulations for the vehicles-for-hire industry, keeping Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc.’s legal status in Houston in limbo. Council member Mike Laster proposed an initial delay of 60 … Continue reading →

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Here comes the Uber and Lyft vote

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Barring anything unexpected, today is the day that Houston City Council settles – for now, anyway – the Uber/Lyft issue. Houston is not the only place where transportation network companies are seeking to do business in Texas, of course. The … Continue reading →

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More reaction to the HPD no-investigations report

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not the only one that wasn’t impressed by Chief McClelland’s response. [Burglary victim Heather] Heinke’s experience is not unusual in the nation’s fourth-largest city. A recent HPD staffing study says that 15,000 burglaries and thefts, 3,000 hit-and-run crashes and … Continue reading →

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