Archives

2003 Archives

Thursday              February 5, 2004

Texas City City Commission

The Texas City City Commission approved a 10-year tax abatement for International Specialty Products on Wednesday.  Company officials say the project will create 10 permanent jobs and more than 200 construction jobs.

The city commission held a public hearing, but took no action on former commissioner Harold Fattig's request to rezone an area at 211 6th Street from Planned Industrial to allow heavy printing equipment in an existing building.  Fattig could not attend Wednesday's meeting, thus action was postponed.  No one spoke at the hearing.

The city commission gave final approval to a collective bargaining contract with police officers.

The city commission voted to support the retention and expansion of military units at Ellington Field.

"Houston is the fourth largest city in the U.S. and the Houston area is home to the Port of Houston, NASA Johnson Space Center, hundreds of oil refineries and chemical plants, the Texas Medical Center and the UTMB Biodefense Laboratory in Galveston, all of which are potential targets of terrorism," said the resolution supporting continuation of the military units at Ellington.

The city commission met in executive session for more than an hour to discuss plans to hire a consultant to recommend changes in how internal affairs investigations are handled and documented in the police department.

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League City Road Report

Effective today, February 5, 2004, through Sunday, February 8, South Shore Boulevard’s northbound, inside, westerly lane will be closed for street repairs.

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Galveston Island Pachyderm Club

Three candidates for mayor of Galveston spoke to an overflow crowd at this week's meeting of the Galveston Island Pachyderm Club.  Current city council members Johnny Smecca and Lyda Ann Thomas and Abdul-H Amin accepted the club's invitation.  A fourth announced candidate, Ernie Hunt, was unable to participate.

Photos and a recording of the meeting are posted on The Online News Station at www.guidrynews.com.

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Photos and Audio

Houston City Council

Houston City Council on Wednesday approved an airport advertising concession agreement with JCDecaux at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport.  The item had been delayed at the past two city council meetings.

The city council approved a contract with the Houston Clean Commission dba Keep Houston Beautiful for volunteer weed mowing and debris removal services.

The city council approved the mayor's appointment of Don Clark as chair of the Board of Directors of Reinvestment Zone One, the St. George Place zone; and the appointment of Tim Myers, Arielle Lawson, Stuart Kensigner, Walter Goff and Steve Rochelle to the board.

Several items were tagged, or delayed for one week, by individual members of the city council.

A $4,592,411.99 contract with Texas Sterling Construction, Inc. for construction of Central Park Subdivision Storm Sewer Improvements was tagged by Carol Mims Galloway.

A $962,192 contract with Horseshoe Construction, Inc. for neighborhood sewer rehabilitation in the Sims Bayou area was tagged by Ronald Green.

A $468,000 amendment to the contract with Carrier Corporation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning maintenance services for various departments was tagged by Gordon Quan.

A $424,000 professional architectural and engineering services contract with Ratnala & Bahl, Inc. for extension of Taxiway "NC" from Taxiway "NG" to Taxiway "NJ" at George Bush Intercontinental Airport was tagged by Mark Goldberg.

Award of construction contracts to B&D Construction Co., Inc. for water distribution, sewer collection, and storm water drainage systems serving Clarke Springs Sections One and Two were tagged by Ada Edwards.

A recommendation from the Department of Public Works and Engineering that the city council declare surplus and authorize the sale of several properties was referred back to the administration.

All other agenda items were approved.

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Taylor Lake Village City Council

Taylor Lake Village City Council voted Wednesday night to require that new single-family and duplex industrialized housing have a value equal to or greater than the median taxable value of each single-family dwelling located within 500 feet of the new building's lot. 

The ordinance also requires that the exterior siding, roofing, roof pitch, foundation fascia and fenestration be compatible with the neighboring single-family dwellings.

The city council voted to support the retention and expansion of military units at Ellington Field.

The city council voted to pay up to $1,350 in membership fees to the Bay Area Transportation Partnership.

"The Partnership continues to offer a single point of coordination to address transportation, mobility and air quality issues for the Greater Bay Area," said BATP President Connie Elston, in her letter urging the city council to continue its membership in the eight year old organization.

Elston cited work on major thoroughfare improvements along the NASA Parkway corridor and creation of a regional scenic district along the corridor, stretching from Highway 146 in Seabrook west to Alvin, as well as several other projects coordinated by BATP.

The city council voted to call an election on May 15 for Position 1 on the city council, currently held by Mayor Pro Tem Laurence Tobin; Position 3, currently held by Jon Powell; and Position 5, currently held by Carl Fontenot.

All other agenda items were approved.

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Harris County Commissioners Court

Harris County Commissioners Court voted on Tuesday to reject all bids for maintenance of System Galaxy control and burglar alarm systems for the Harris County Toll Road Authority.  Secure Net, Inc. had bid $257,177 for the job, but members of the commissioners court said it should be advertised for new bids.

The commissioners court approved a $500,000 architectural services agreement with Morris Architects, Inc., for construction phase services in the amount of $500,000 in connection with the Harris County Juvenile Justice Center.

The commissioners court approved a reduction of $4,862 in the contract with J.T. Vaughn Construction Company for work at the justice center.  The action adds 25 calendar days to the project.

The commissioners court authorized expansion of the LBJ Hospital on 61 tracts north of Loop 610 and east of Lockwood, south of Kelley and west of the existing hospital, and to provide landowner relocation assistance up to $35,000, subject to the new budget.

The commissioners court voted to charge the Hospital District $1,500 per tract for acquisition services and $2,500 per displaced landowner or tenant for relocation services, also subject to the new budget.

The commissioners court approved payment of $125,000 to Klotz Associates, Inc., for additional engineering services in support of the Tropical Storm Allison recovery project.

The commissioners court authorized payment of $30,000 to M2L Associates, Inc., for landscape architectural services in support of the Flood Control District's engineering and maintenance programs and $120,000 to Sirrus Engineers, Inc., for engineering services in support of the district's planning and capital improvement programs.

Two items were withdrawn from the commissioners court agenda; a recommendation for authorization to negotiate with Uptown Houston District for an interlocal agreement to jointly develop a transportation center near the Westpark Tollway and Loop 610; and a request by Constable Gary Freeman for approval of a car allowance for a chief clerk position.

The commissioners court included permission for members of the commissioners court to travel to Denver, Colorado, to participate in a site visit of Denver Health and Hospitals and for a site visit to the Federally Qualified Health Center of Access Community Health Network in Chicago.

The commissioners court authorized two employees to attend the annual Texas Fire and Arson Investigators seminar March 21-26 in Austin.

All other agenda items were approved.

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Texas GLO Region II Advisory Committee

Galveston County Commissioner Ken Clark will welcome Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson to the Galveston County Annex on Tuesday, February 10 at a Texas General Land Office workshop of the Region II Advisory Committee to review the scoping document public input.  Photo and Report

"During the five public hearings held by Commissioner Patterson last year, it was Galveston County’s Region II residents who were the most responsive and most vocal – submitting more comments to the General Land Office than any other coastal region," Clark said.  "One of the goals of this working session will be to start organizing and setting priorities specifically for the Region II area, which includes Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston and Harris Counties."

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United States Congress

United States Representative Nick Lampson, founder and chair of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, sent a letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft and NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe urging them to cooperate on a national scale to assist investigations of missing children.  

" The recent abduction of Carlie Brucia, the young girl from Sarasota Florida, has touched all of us, Lampson said.  " I am sure we share her family's grief and pain as the search for her and her abductor continues. The response by the federal
government and local law enforcement has appropriately been at the highest level."

Lampson noted that one of the investigative tools now being employed in the investigation is NASA imaging enhancement technology. 

" The video of the apparent abductor may provide vital clues to the child's whereabouts. This underscores the critical need for the nation's best and most advanced technology becoming readily available to criminal investigators, especially those searching for abducted children."

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Texas Aviation Hall of Fame

The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame is now accepting nominations for the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame Class of 2004.  Release  

Eligibility is open to any native Texan or Texas-domiciled business responsible for outstanding aviation achievement conducted within or outside the state.  Nominees who are not native Texans or Texas-domiciled businesses are eligible for significant aviation achievements performed within the state. 

The nominees selected for induction will be honored at the Sixth Annual Texas Aviation Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Gala on November 13, 2004. 

Nomination deadline is April 16, 2004.  Confirmed by the Texas Legislature in 1997, the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame honors the aviation heroes and pioneers of Texas who have made lasting achievements to the advancement of aviation. 

For more information and an application, contact the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame at P.O. Box 3099, Galveston, TX, 77552, call (888) FLIGHT-8 or visit www.lsfm.org .  Nomination deadline is April 16, 2004.

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Galveston College

Galveston College’s Phi Theta Kappa, Sigma Gamma Chapter, is hosting a “Dimensions and Directions Discussion” featuring a panel of UTMB research faculty on Friday, February 6, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. in room N-119.  

The speakers will include Dr. Victor S. Sierpina, alternative cancer treatments; Dr. E. Brad Thompson, gene therapy; Dr. Cheryl E. Vaiani, patient rights, and Lisa Reece, stem cells research.  

For more information, contact Janis Ellis, co-advisor of Phi Theta Kappa, at (409) 944-1325.

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Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority

Houston METRO has engaged the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University to bring in a team composed of experts in traffic safety, traffic control devices and LRT/traffic design and safety to examine the new light rail system operations in the wake of numerous accidents.  

"The team will be comprised of outsiders who have not previously worked on METRORail and will bring a fresh perspective to documenting any traffic deficiencies and, if found, recommending enhancements of the METRORail system that they deem necessary," said a METRO news release. 

As a result, METRO has delayed service changes planned for February 15 and March 28 until after the audit is done and any necessary changes made. 

“When we do implement the service changes, we will double the number of trains on the line, and thus the public’s exposure to them,” said METRO President and CEO Shirley A. DeLibero.  “We are not going to do that until we are sure we have the safest and most reliable service possible.”

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University of Texas Medical Branch

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston will host a free expo sponsored by the Gulf Coast Senior Care Providers Network on February 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at UTMB's Primary Care Pavilion, 400 Harborside Drive.
 
This fifth annual event showcases 84 local providers, with representatives offering information about social and volunteer opportunities, health care, insurance and legal assistance, and housing options for seniors. Attendees can also register for one of hundreds of door prizes and enjoy snacks and drinks during the event.

"We believe it's important for seniors to stay active and social, and to know what services are available to them," says Penny Davis, community education specialist with UTMB's Senior Services Office. 

For more information, contact Davis at (409) 747-3377.

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League City Parks and Recreation

The League City Parks and Recreation Department will sponsor its annual Father-Daughter Valentine Dance on Friday, February 13 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.  The program is designed for all dads and daughters three years old and up.  

The dinner will be catered by Ludwig Catering and will be held in the Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center at 400 W. Walker. The fee for residents is $35.00 per couple, and $45.00 per couple for non-residents. 

Contact Chris Saddler in the Parks Department for more information, (281) 338-4877.

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Scheduled Meetings
Meetings will be held in the regular meeting place of the city council or other governmental body, unless otherwise specified.

Today, February 5
6:30 Galveston Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet, Tremont House 
7:00 Kemah Community Development Corporation
8:00 Terrence McNally’s "Master Class," College of the Mainland Community Theatre

Friday, February 6
11:00 NASA Go Texan's "The Wild Wild West" Fashion Show, Gilruth Center
6:00 Galveston Home and Garden Show, Moody Gardens Exhibit Hall 
8:00 Terrence McNally’s "Master Class," College of the Mainland Community Theatre

Saturday, February 7
7:00 - 7:00 Clear Creek Independent School District Bond Election 
7:00 - 7:00 Port Neches Groves Liquor by the Drink Election
10:00 - 6:00 Galveston Home and Garden Show, Moody Gardens Exhibit Hall 
12:45 Galveston County-Texas Department of Transportation Status Meeting, South Shore Harbour Resort
6:00 Artwalk, Downtown Galveston
6:00 - 8:00 The Culinary Salute to Mardi Gras! 2004 "Rock N Roll," Trolley Station Building at 2021 Strand.
6:15 Bay Area Republican Women's 13th Annual Lincoln Dinner, South Shore Harbour Resort and Conference Center. Senator John Cornyn will speak
7:00 League City Volunteer Fire Dept. 2003 Awards Banquet, Johnny Arolfo Civic Center 400 West Walker
8:00 Terrence McNally’s "Master Class," College of the Mainland Community Theatre

Sunday, February 8
11:00 - 4:00 Galveston Home and Garden Show, Moody Gardens Exhibit Hall 
2:30 Terrence McNally’s "Master Class," College of the Mainland Community Theatre
3:00 Galveston Musical Club African Heritage Composers Concert, Reedy Chapel AME Church, Galveston

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Gulf Coast E-news, published by Guidry News Service, provides comprehensive coverage of posted public meetings in Galveston, Harris and Jefferson Counties as well as regional news impacting the Upper Texas Gulf Coast.

Chuck Lawrence is Galveston City Correspondent.  Carl Guidry covers events in Jefferson County.

Robert John Mihovil is a special photographic correspondent for Guidry News Service

Ivan Arceneaux is a special correspondent. 

Drew Gilbert, who covered the Galveston City Beat, was recently reactivated into the Coast Guard for the Iraq war.