Tag Archives: Houston

Off and running for Council

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I confess I haven’t paid very much attention to the Houston city races so far. Part of that is the existential angst I feel at being forced to take seriously anything Bill King or Tony Buzbee says, and part of … Continue reading →

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Off to mediation we go

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hope for the best, y’all. Mediation soon will begin in a lawsuit between the Houston police and firefighters unions over Proposition B, the voter-approved measure that gives firefighters equal pay to police officers. In a Monday morning filing, State District … Continue reading →

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Ogg hires Bradford

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A familiar face for the DA’s office. Former Houston City Councilmember and Police Chief C.O. “Brad” Bradford has joined the Harris County District Attorney’s Office as a senior adviser. District Attorney Kim Ogg has hired Bradford to serve in a … Continue reading →

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We are still talking about Metro maybe allowing ads

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is one of the longer ongoing story lines I’ve followed on this blog. The red and blue stripes on Metro’s buses and trains soon could be joined by advertisements for Red Lobster and Blue Bell, a nod to the … Continue reading →

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We’re still figuring out how to do development in a floodplain

Posted on April 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium has released dual research reports that examine current standards in the area’s drainage, detention, and development regulations. The reports also include findings that encourage implementation of new and updated flood management infrastructure approaches … Continue reading →

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Here comes the Kroger driverless grocery delivery car

Posted on April 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Who wants to order some groceries, in certain selected ZIP codes? Kroger, the nation’s largest grocer, has launched a self-driving grocery delivery service in Houston, the latest salvo in a hyper-competitive grocery market that has supermarket chains investing heavily in … Continue reading →

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Mediation ordered in Prop B lawsuit

Posted on April 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. A state district judge on Thursday ordered the city, the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association and the Houston Police Officers’ Union to enter into mediation as they seek to resolve lingering differences over the implementation … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

This was a busy week for dumb lawsuits

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Exhibit A: Houston mayoral challenger Tony Buzbee followed through his pledge to sue Mayor Sylvester Turner Wednesday, claiming that donated billboards for the city’s AlertHouston! campaign violate campaign finance laws because they feature a photo of Turner. The lawsuit, filed … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

What will Council do about Prop B layoffs?

Posted on April 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’re gonna find out. Mayor Sylvester Turner told the Houston fire union Monday he would provide it with financial data leaders requested, a sign of progress at a critical point in negotiations between the mayor and union to phase in … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Is there a city/firefighters agreement in the works?

Posted on April 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

They’re talking, for whatever it’s worth. Officials from the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association said Friday they would seek union members’ approval of a 3.5-year phase-in of Proposition B if the city meets certain conditions. After meeting with the union … Continue reading →

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Instagram in space!

Posted on April 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Far out. Like, literally. Internet service can sometimes be spotty here on Earth. Just imagine checking email from the moon or searching Google from Mars. A Houston satellite and artificial intelligence company wants to make that possible through an “interplanetary … Continue reading →

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Using floodplain rules to force environmental safety compliance

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A county’s gotta do what a county’s gotta do. Harris County officials are using flood control regulations passed after Hurricane Harvey to delay the reopening of two chemical companies where fires erupted in recent weeks, killing one worker and sending … Continue reading →

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The Orbit lawsuit

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Now here‘s an interesting case. A Montgomery County woman has filed suit against the Astros, alleging she suffered a broken finger when her left hand was struck by a T-shirt fired from an air-powered cannon wielded by Orbit, the ballclub’s … Continue reading →

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Curbside glass recycling is back

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hooray! Houston residents can resume putting glass in their curbside recycling bins, city officials said Thursday at the opening of a recycling facility in northeast Houston. The new plant, outfitted with advanced technology including a glass cleanup system, is operated … Continue reading →

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How many rail lines to Hobby do we need?

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe just one. Metropolitan Transit Authority board members on Thursday agreed to plan on one light rail line to Hobby Airport, as opposed to the two initially proposed as part of the agency’s long-term transportation plan. The first draft of … Continue reading →

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First city layoff notices sent

Posted on April 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. The city has sent pink slips to 67 Houston Fire Department cadets, the first documented layoffs resulting from Mayor Sylvester Turner’s plan to implement Proposition B. The trainees will remain employed through June 7, according to a … Continue reading →

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Explode, rinse, repeat

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. A massive explosion at a chemical plant in northeast Harris County on Tuesday killed one person and sent two others to the hospital in critical condition, sparking a blaze that sent yet another plume of dark … Continue reading →

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The further effects of Prop B

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, what did you expect? The Houston Fire Department would idle six to nine fire trucks and employ fewer firefighters per shift, risking a modest increase in response times, if City Council approves a $25 million reduction in HFD’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Judge tosses Dave Wilson’s lawsuit against HCC

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Dave. A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Houston Community College that had been filed by one of the Board of Trustee’s controversial members. Dave Wilson claimed in a lawsuit that the college violated his First and 14th Amendment … Continue reading →

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Garbage fee trashed

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not surprised, though I’d have thought it would get more support that this. Houston City Council disposed of a proposed garbage collection fee in a pair of 16-1 votes Wednesday. Councilman Dwight Boykins, who floated the monthly fee as a … Continue reading →

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Achieve 180 schools showing progress

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I hope it’s enough. Houston ISD schools covered by the district’s $16 million campus turnaround plan saw modest improvements in the program’s first year — enough to outpace gains reported across the district, but not nearly enough to pull chronically … Continue reading →

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HISD conservator suspends superintendent search

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Halt! A state-appointed conservator ordered Houston ISD trustees on Monday to suspend their search for a permanent superintendent, an unprecedented intervention in the state’s largest school district. In a letter sent to HISD trustees, the conservator, Doris Delaney, said she … Continue reading →

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How would you implement Prop B?

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here, from last week, is Mayor Turner’s official announcement about layoffs, following a failure to come to an agreement with the firefighters’ union about a time frame to fully implement Prop B. Here’s the Chron story about the firefighters protesting … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Still lots of houses at risk of flooding

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is going to take a long time to really mitigate. A new study is raising concerns that restrictions on new construction put in place after Hurricane Harvey could leave low-income residents with fewer choices for affordable housing. More than … Continue reading →

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Garbage fee on the agenda

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t think this is going to pass, but it will get a vote. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday said he would put a proposed garbage fee on next week’s city council agenda, but will not vote for it. … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Driverless grocery deliveries

Posted on March 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Coming soon to Houston. Some local shoppers soon could see their produce pull up in a Prius in one of the first forays into autonomous vehicles in the Houston area, a move observers said is sure to spur more robot … Continue reading →

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Space force!

Posted on March 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Yippie. Gov. Greg Abbott wants the U.S. Space Force headquarters to be at Ellington Airport. In a letter to President Donald Trump, Abbott said Texas has the universities and human capital needed to support a Space Force and pitched the … Continue reading →

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It’s hard out here on a small theater company

Posted on March 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s rough going in Houston right now. Horse Head ended operations earlier this month. But it was far from an isolated case. Many other small theater companies in Houston are also fighting for survival, battling gentrification, donor apathy and increasingly … Continue reading →

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Is the anti-sick leave bill also anti-equality?

Posted on March 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Could be. Whose word do you take for it? What started as seemingly simple state legislation hailed as good for Texas businesses is drawing skepticism from legal experts and outrage from advocates worried it would strike employment protections and benefits … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We’re about to find out how much we’ll pay to fix Houston’s sewer system

Posted on March 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Be prepared. Houston would ramp up spending on its sewer system by $2 billion over 15 years under a proposed deal with state and federal regulators that is expected to produce higher water bills as soon as next year. The … Continue reading →

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No DNC for Houston

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. Democratic National Committee officials announced Monday that the party’s 2020 convention would take place in Milwaukee. The announcement is a setback for Houston, which was a final contender to host the convention. Miami was also on the short list. … Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Firefighter layoffs

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hoo boy. Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to lay off up to 400 firefighters as he prepares to award pay raises required by Proposition B, the voter-approved charter amendment that grants firefighters the same pay as police of corresponding rank, according … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

What’s wrong with the I-45 expansion plan?

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Urban planner Jeff Speck, in a recent lecture in Houston, lays out the following problems with the planned I-45 expansion: The brief list of negatives include: I-45 will wreck your bayou parks. I-45 will destroy wildlife habitat. I-45 will make … Continue reading →

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Turner officially announces his re-election bid

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

And he’s off. Mayor Sylvester Turner made it official Wednesday, launching his re-election campaign for Houston’s top elected office. Turner announced the news in a 96-second video that appeared on a revamped campaign website, where the mayor also posted notice … Continue reading →

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