Greetings from Council Member Mike Knox
At Large Council Member Pos 1
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Mayor's Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting brought to you by Reliant NRG.
A much larger than usual crowd gathered on the lawn in front of City Hall this year. It seems with the hard work from Harvey, and the fresh cool clear air, folks were into the holiday spirit more so than last. Happy New Years everyone.
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The Houston Police Department Southwest Houston Division dedicated their long overdue brand new police station combination community room and park.
The Houston Police Department on Friday unveiled a new station in southwest Houston that officials believe will strengthen ties between law enforcement and the public and help reinvigorate the surrounding neighborhood.
The $20 million station, located near Allum Road and Player Street, required a public bond and replaces HPD's decades-old, twice-flooded substation on Beechnut. It serves police districts 15 and 16.
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HFD is responsible for preserving life and property for a population over 2 million in an area totaling 617 square miles. Station 67 sits in the heart of what's commonly known as "Acres Homes" subdivision at West Little York and Willow. It was constructed in 1971 and was renovated in 2000-01. In 2017 the space was doubled to include a triage center for "walk in" citizens.
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Our friends at A.T.&T. rolled up their sleeves for a toy drive in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Club. This toy drive was dedicated to families impacted by Hurricane Harvey. More than a thousand toys were gathered in short order for.
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The invocation for the final Council Session of 2017 was presented by Pastor David L. Smith of New Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church. In his prayer, he asked God to watch over all our elected officials that they make the best decisions for our citizens.
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Legislative Highlights 2017
Panhandling (Impeding the Use of a Roadway)
Earlier this spring, I was proud of the Mayor and my fellow council members for supporting my amendment to change the City panhandling ordinance which prohibits panhandlers from entering the street or being on the medians. Panhandlers on streets or medians are a danger to themselves as well as motorists. While oftentimes the police have more pressing service calls than to remove panhandlers from medians, this change in ordinance is another tool given to the police to help them combat this important safety issue.
Homeless Persons
In the spring of 2017, City Council approved an ordinance prohibiting encampments on public property. Unfortunately, this ordinance was blocked from enforcement by the courts. Last week, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt dissolved a court order prohibiting enforcement of this important ordinance. Judge Hoyt stated that ”allowing the encampments to continue in their current condition poses a greater detriment to the city and its residents more so than any harm that may result from the City’s enforcement of the ordinance.” I welcome the judge’s comments. Having individuals camp out is dangerous and a health hazard. City personnel have approached many of these homeless individuals to offer them shelter, safety, as well as medical assistance. I applaud the Mayor and his team for their continuing efforts to place these persons in short and long-term housing.
Pensions
After years of discussions and lawsuits, the Mayor’s 30 year proposal to deal with the City’s pension systems was approved by the Texas Legislature and subsequently by the Houston voters in November. In summary, the pension systems agreed to minor cuts in benefits, more contributions to the system from City employees, an infusion of $1 billion in taxpayer backed bond money to the pension systems, and caps the amount of annual taxpayer money into the systems. With these changes, the unfunded liability of the pension systems was reduced from $8 billion to approximately $5 billion.
Revenue Cap
I am proud of my stand on preserving the 2004 voter approved property tax revenue cap. The Mayor and some on city council have advocated the need to get rid of the property tax limitations which restrains the annual increase in local property tax revenue by the total of inflation plus population growth or a maximum of 4.5% whichever is lower. I fully support the will of the voters. Furthermore, I am not convinced that each City department is being operated as efficiently as possible and thus the need for additional tax dollars. This fall the Mayor proposed busting the property tax revenue cap which I vocally opposed. In response to the Mayor, I offered an amendment to oppose the Mayor’s tax increase. My amendment passed by a council vote of 15-2 thereby defeating the Mayor’s tax hike.
DC Trip
I, along with a few of my council colleagues, travelled to Washington, D.C. in November to meet with elected leaders in the House and Senate as well as representatives from the Trump Administration. We pressed the case that Houston needs additional funds to recover from Hurricane Harvey and prevent such devastation from future storms. Unfortunately, some “Inside the Beltway” have the impression from news reports that since the storm debris in Houston is cleaned up, Houston is back to normal. I reminded them thousands of Houstonians are still recovering from Harvey and are currently displaced from their homes. Houstonians are resilient but need help at this time and possibly for years to come. We need the feds to assist us with additional reservoir capacity as well as repairing and strengthening the current reservoirs in west Houston which are under the authority of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In addition, we stated the need for a coastal spine or “Ike Dike” which engineers have proposed will limit the storm surge in the Gulf from future storms and possibly save thousands of homes and businesses from incurring billions of dollars in damage. Houston can’t do this alone but could partner with the feds and surrounding communities.
Budget
This past summer we approved the City’s annual balanced budget with minor spending cuts and asset sales. We have been informed that the City will once again be facing a deficit of over $100 million out of a $5 billion budget. Does Houston have fiscal challenges ahead? Absolutely. Despite these challenges I will continue my commitment to scrutinize your tax dollars and how they are spent. I will work with and support the Mayor’s agenda when I can, and will oppose him when I think it is in the best interest of Houstonians.
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YARD/TREE WASTE COLLECTION RESUMES
JANUARY 2, 2018
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In coordination with its Annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program, the Solid Waste Management Department will restart its Yard/Tree Waste Collection and Recycling Program on Tuesday, January 2, 2018.
Yard/Tree Waste will be collected on residents’ normal garbage collection day. Customers are reminded that yard waste should be properly placed at the curb in city approved recycling bags, or if tree/branch trimmings, they should be bundled and/or tied in lengths not greater than 36 inches. Material not properly prepared for ease of collection will be tagged and left at the curb for the customer’s proper preparation.
For further instructions on how to prepare yard waste for ease of collection, visit the Solid Waste Management website
www.houstonsolidwaste.org
What is Tree Waste?
“Clean” wood waste such as tree limbs, branches, and stumps. Lumber, furniture, and treated wood will NOT be accepted.
What is Yard Trimmings?
Yard Trimmings, grass clippings, small branches and leaves. They must be in city-approved compostable bags.
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The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund is disbursing an additional $27.6 million to 28 local nonprofit organizations to provide relief to Hurricane Harvey flood victims in Houston and Harris County.
This action brings the total distribution of money by the fund to $64.4 million. The fund, which was founded by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, will distribute another $43 million or more in future rounds.
The latest grants will provide direct financial aid and services to an estimated 12,470 households with 71,328 individuals.
For this round, HHRF Grants Committee members met with 30 nonprofit organizations in seven of the hardest hit zip codes in Harris County as identified by a needs assessment by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University. Grant Committee members hosted roundtable discussions with these nonprofit organizations to learn more about the unmet needs of the population in those neighborhoods.
“As recovery and rebuilding efforts continue, new challenges and needs arise. The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund is specifically designed to address these evolving needs,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “For this third round of funding, we had boots on the ground to evaluate needs in affected areas and get the most accurate, updated information as possible to ensure grants made were aligned with our city’s real-time needs. I believe the grantees will make a real difference in the lives of so many that are still working to pick up the pieces.”
“The devastation of Harvey is still disrupting the lives of thousands of our residents. Fortunately, there are caring, effective organizations that can help restore normalcy to such families and individuals. The generosity of many makes these grants possible,” said County Judge Ed Emmett.
The grants will provide flood victims with:
Financial Assistance;
Disaster Case Management;
Basic Needs;
Furniture, Furnishings, and Appliances;
Behavioral Health Services;
Educational Services.
This grant round includes over $1.8 million of funding that will be directed toward local school districts, which are well-positioned to provide direct assistance to the families they serve. School districts will use the funds to support families through direct emergency financial assistance, tutoring and educational services, and basic supplies for students.
The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund is also partnering with St. Bernard Project to place over 70 AmeriCorps members in social services organizations serving the community. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is sharing the cost of the placements, which will increase staffing of the community organizations, particularly for disaster relief efforts related to home repair and construction.
“We recognize and are humbled by the heroic work by so many to help those in need,” said Steve Maislin, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Community Foundation, which administers the fund. “As Houston works to recover, rebuild and restore the lives of those affected by Hurricane Harvey, we are truly grateful for the outpouring of support and the generosity of our local community and from those across the country.”
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Former Houston City Council Member and mayoral candidate Peter Hoyt Brown passed away peacefully at home on December 12, 2017 at the age of 81 after a courageous fight against cancer. His was twice elected to office as At Large Council Member Position1 from 2006 until he ran for Mayor in 2009.
Among his memorable legacies include the Sabine Street bridge, TIRZ 1 - Lamar Terrace, Hermann Park reflection pool redesign, and design guidelines for the historic Old Sixth Ward. Peter was instrumental in bringing light rail to Houston’s Main Street. He served on many boards, community organizations, and non-profits dedicated to developing better neighborhoods, transit, and communities.
Peter requested that donations be made to MacGregor Elementary School, which was close to his heart: https://www.youcaring.com/macgregorelementaryschool-1014437. Please send your memories of Peter to [email protected].
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The best of plans came together for Super Bowl LI. Houston was in the international spotlight.
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But even the best of forecasting could not predict the massive damage caused when 53 inches of rain hit Houston during Hurricane Harvey.
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Brushing ourselves off and allowing some distractions, our wildest dreams came true when the Astros won the World Series.
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And when things could not look more hopeful, a gentle snow blanketed Houston in late fall. Truly this was the icing on the cake of a roller coaster year.
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Chief of Staff
John Moss
832-393-3014
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Administrative Coordinator
Sheena Childs
832-393-3014
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Communications Director
Lanny Griffith
832-393-3014
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