The Guidry News
© 2003, Guidry News
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The Guidry News
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© 2003, Guidry News
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Galveston Collective Bargaining Bay Area Transportation Partnership National Aeronautics and Space Administration Galveston Collective Bargaining Bay Area Transportation Partnership National Aeronautics and Space Administration Galveston Collective Bargaining Bay Area Transportation Partnership National Aeronautics and Space Administration Galveston Collective Bargaining Bay Area Transportation Partnership National Aeronautics and Space Administration Galveston Collective Bargaining Bay Area Transportation Partnership National Aeronautics and Space Administration Galveston Collective Bargaining Bay Area Transportation Partnership National Aeronautics and Space Administration Galveston Collective Bargaining Bay Area Transportation Partnership National Aeronautics and Space Administration Galveston Collective Bargaining Bay Area Transportation Partnership National Aeronautics and Space Administration Galveston Collective Bargaining Bay Area Transportation Partnership National Aeronautics and Space Administration Galveston Collective Bargaining Bay Area Transportation Partnership National Aeronautics and Space Administration Galveston Collective Bargaining |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced today that it has decided to extend the scientific operations of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite through this hurricane season. TRMM, a joint effort of NASA and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, faced elimination at the end of this year. The decision to continue the operation came after pleadings from a number of community and government leaders, including Congressman Nick Lampson. "With the appearance of the first South Atlantic hurricane since 1966 in March, two storms now churning in the Atlantic and a report Monday predicting El Nino-like conditions in the coming months, I am very pleased that NASA has decided to utilize TRMM through this hurricane season," Lampson said. "I hope we continue to use it to study future seasons." Dickinson
City Council on Tuesday
voted 4-1, with Mark Townsend opposed, to approve revisions to
an economic incentive agreement between Penreco and the
Dickinson Economic Development Corporation. “The
changes were recommended by the city staff following the
Penreco plant expansion, which resulted in a number of new
positions and a number of positions moving to Dickinson,"
said Council Member Kerry Neves in an email report. Report
“The agreement is intended to encourage development
of the Dickinson facility within the Penreco corporate plans,
and to make the company a continuing asset to our
community.” The city council approved the second and final reading of an ordinance regulating use of the public rights of way, with instructions to city staff and attorneys to prepare an agreement with the water district to regulate its day-to-day use of the rights of way. The
city council scheduled budget workshops for August 24, August
26 and August 30. At
the last meeting the city council will vote on the recommended
tax rate and call for a public hearing on the issue. The
city council approved an amendment to the contract with
Galveston County for the collection of ad valorem taxes.
The amendment was necessary because the county has reduced its
fee from 55 cents to 45 cents for each parcel of property. The
city council approved a request by the school district to set
the speed limit on Melvin Utley Drive, which is a city street
on the grounds of the Dickinson High School, at 10 miles per
hour due to its high volume of pedestrian traffic. The
city council approved a resolution to accept changes proposed
by the Galveston County Health District for on-site sewage
facilities rules that will bring the district current with
rules already in place from the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality. The city council approved a resolution adopting a policy for the use of the city logo and seal that states that these are considered valuable assets of the city and their use is not allowed by any group or organization without the approval of the city. "A brief application form is available for any group seeking to use the logo or seal," said Neves. All
other agenda items were unanimously approved.
Council Member Louis Decker was absent. League
City City Council voted to approve a special use permit requested
by John Hamilton to operate a body shop on I-45 and FM 518. The city
council voted to set a public hearing for August 24 for a
proposal to rename State Highway 96 "League City
Parkway." The
city council voted 6-1, with Thomas Cones
opposed, to postpone a request for a public hearing on August
24 on rezoning for an area in the Casa Marina Del Sol
Development along Twin Oak Boulevard. The
city council voted to name the children’s theatre in Helen Hall Library the "Susan
Matthews Memorial Children’s Theatre." The
city council approved an agreement with the State of Texas to
put a traffic signal and lighting at I-45 and Calder Road. All other agenda items were approved. Print
Version Mayor Bill White today announced his support for a November charter amendment to impose a ceiling on the rate of increase in property tax collections and water and sewer rates. Release "The City of Houston should have financial discipline, just like our citizens must," White said. "Houstonians have seen their property taxes rise faster than their incomes, and that is simply not affordable for many Houstonians." White said he supports a charter amendment which would limit the annual increase in property tax revenues and water and sewer rates to the combined growth in inflation and population. "I also think we should write into the City Charter an annual increase in the homestead exemption for seniors," White said. Photos and a recording of the mayor's comments will be posted on The Online News Station. The city council unanimously voted to authorize a $200,000 expenditure for the Airport Councils International Airports Council International-North America annual conference scheduled in Houston in September. The city council unanimously voted to accept nominations at next week's meeting for the city's Ethics Committee and for the board of directors of Reinvestment Zone 1. The city council unanimously voted to leave the speed limit on Space Center Boulevard at 40 mph. Council Member Addie Wiseman worked with local homeowner associations to maintain the speed limit for the safety of children. Two items were tagged, or delayed for one week, by individual members of the city council. Condemnation of property for the Pech Road Paving Project from Long Point to Westview were tagged by Pam Holm and Mark Goldberg. A $5 million contract with Kellogg Brown & Root, Inc. for a project at William P. Hobby Airport was tagged by Carol Alvarado and Shelley Sekula Gibbs. All other agenda items were approved unanimously. Council Member Carol Mims Galloway was absent. Seabrook City Council on Tuesday at a special meeting waived a 30-day pre-approval requirement and approved a special events permit for Clear Creek Equipment to hold an auction tomorrow, August 12. The
city council The
city council approved, with minor changes, a fire policy. The
city council sent a proposed contract with the Seabrook Volunteer Fire
Department back to committee for more work and will consider
the issue again at the October 19 Council members Jack Boteler, Larry Bonnin and John Buhman were absent. The Galveston Landmark
Commission on Monday recommended approval with changes of a request by Eubanks
Group Architects of a request for a certificate of
appropriateness for for alterations to the structures, installation of a front
yard fence, installation of a fence dividing the properties
and a new access ramp to a rear structure at 1511 Church Street
Front/1511 Church Street Rear.
The commission
denied a
request
for a certificate of appropriateness by Philip
DeMarco and Chito Bernardo for alterations
to the structure at 1607 Avenue L.
"Staff has determined the three proposed doors and alterations to the first floor door openings do not conform to the Design Guidelines for Historic Districts in Galveston, are not required by applicable city codes, and are not compatible with the historic structure or district with regards to material and design" said Planning Director Wendy O'Donohoe The
commission approved a
request
for a certificate of appropriateness by Fred
L. Speck, Jr. for
alterations to the structure at 601 12th Street.
Judith Price was elected chair of the Landmark Commission. Galveston Collective Bargaining Members of International Association of Firefighters Local 571 met with City of Galveston officials in a negotiating session on Tuesday Photos and Audio, as did members of the Galveston Municipal Police Association. Photos and Audio "We had a positive discussion today," said Lowell Denton, chief negotiator for the City of Galveston at the conclusion of the meeting with the firefighters. "The city put its first pay package proposal on the table today, based on the joint survey that our committee, the city staff team and the firefighters team, have done in the past few weeks." At the next session, at a date to be set, the firefighters will present a counter proposal on wage issues. Police negotiators agreed that the talks were productive. Additional meetings will be held to continue the discussions. American Legion Post 614, located at 1202 53rd Street in Galveston, is holding its "Shoes for School" program this week. The program assists needy families by providing shoes for children in grades one through eight. "I'm always proud of local efforts in our communities to help those who have particular needs, and am glad that the American Legion is continuing its fine efforts in serving our communities," said Congressman Nick Lampson in an announcement to promote the program. "I encourage all area residents to participate in this program, and hope for great success for 'Shoes for School' and all our area school children." For questions contact Second Vice Commander Robert Blake at (409) 457-3995 with any questions. The July 20 arrest in North Carolina of a Pakistani man, who possessed videos of several U.S. cities, including Houston, has resulted in the Houston Police Department maintaining high visibility and vigilance throughout the city. However, Police Chief Harold Hurtt said that there is no credible information of an imminent threat to the Houston area at this time. "This arrest serves as a reminder for public employees and private citizens to maintain their vigilance as we continue the fight against terrorism," Hurtt said. "We are continuing to work with corporate security of local businesses and other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to maintain a safe and secure environment for all citizens." "As it has since September 11, 2001, the Houston Police Department continues to have an increased patrol presence around the city's critical infrastructure," said Hurtt's news release. "This includes, but is not limited to, the city water treatment plants, the two major airports (Bush-IAH, Hobby), the Texas Medical Center, the Port of Houston, the Houston Ship Channel, NASA, area religious centers (mosques, synagogues and temples) and downtown business district." Hurtt said that HPD's Criminal Intelligence Division is a participant in the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. "This task force works hand-in-hand with other federal agencies to identify and investigate reports of possible terrorist activity on domestic and international levels," the release said. "C.I.D. is also in constant communication with intelligence agencies at the local, state and federal levels in order to receive information about threats, trends and analysis of terrorist activity." The
Neches River was reopened to recreational boaters at 7 a.m.
today while Port Neches Park remains temporarily closed.
The Neches River had been partially closed and limited to
restricted traffic after a barge struck the tank ship Torm
Mary during refueling, causing a 25,200-gallon oil spill which
affected 28 miles of the Neches River shoreline.
Clean-up
operations are ongoing along the river and the coast guard is
patrolling to ensure that boaters operate their vessels at
slow speeds and stay away from cleanup crews and equipment in
the areas between Unocal and Motiva. The latest figures from the unified command put the clean-up cost at approximately $5.8 million. Anyone
who has had property damaged by the oil spill should call
(888) 850-8486, and anyone
who discovers any oiled wildlife is requested to not attempt
capture, but rather to immediately contact Texas Parks and
Wildlife at (281) 842-8100. Bay Area Transportation Partnership The Bay Area Transportation Partnership and the City of
Webster will host a NASA Parkway Bypass Ground Breaking
Ceremony at 4 p.m. Tuesday, August 17 at the Webster Civic
Center Complex. After more than ten years of planning, in April 2004, the
Texas Transportation Commission awarded a $40.67 million
contract to Contractor Technology, Ltd., for the construction
of the NASA Parkway Bypass in Webster, Texas. Completion
is slated for April 2007. “This is something that is so important for our area to
help mitigate the terrible problem we have with congestion on
NASA Parkway and I-45, and it is also going to be very
beneficial to us in the event of a hurricane,” said Chairman
of the Bay Area Transportation Partnership Bob Robinson. The 2.7 mile bypass is aimed at alleviating traffic along
the NASA Parkway scenic corridor. TxDOT studies show
that an average of 36,000 motorists a day drive on NASA
Parkway through the City of Webster, with the number reaching
48,000 near the El Camino Real/FM 270 intersection. The four-lane bypass will run from I-45 to just east of the
El Camino Real/FM 270 intersection on NASA Parkway and will be
located just south of Magnolia Avenue between NASA Parkway and
FM 518. The by-pass will include an overpass at Texas 3,
will curve north through Reliant Energy property and then feed
into NASA Parkway at Sarah Dell, just west of the El Camino
Real/FM270 intersection. Keynote speakers for this event will include U.S. House of
Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Harris County Judge
Robert Eckels, Harris County Commissioner Sylvia R. Garcia,
City of Webster Mayor Donna Rogers, City of Nassau Bay Mayor
Don Matter and Texas Department of Transportation District
Engineer Gary K. Trietsch. The
San Jacinto College North continuing education division has
been awarded nearly $50,000 through the National Council for
Community and Education Partnerships 2004 Promoting Excellence
and Innovation in Education grant program, which is funded by
the Southwestern Bell Corporation Foundation. “Enabling
low-income students to attend college is one of the greatest
gifts we could bestow on our community,” said San Jac North
President Dr. Charles Grant, “We
are grateful to SBC in donating this grant to us.” The
funds support GEAR UP, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness
for Undergraduate Programs, a federal program that helps
students in low-income communities make it to college.
After-school programs help students with math, science,
reading and technology. The funds will also establish new K-16 education partnerships based on the GEAR UP model. Teachers in the Galena Park Independent School District will be trained in utilization of technology in the classroom. Scheduled
Meetings Today, August
11
Thursday, August
12 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. Jim and Lynda Guidry are publishers Gulf Coast E-news and The Online News Station. Jenna Ware is editor of Gulf Coast E-news. Chuck
Lawrence is
Galveston City Correspondent. Carl Guidry covers
events in Jefferson County. Anita Donatto covers the education beat in Galveston.
Michael Durisseau
covers the Clear Lake area entities, in addition to special
assignments elsewhere. Ivan
Arceneaux
is a special correspondent.
We
are seeking to hire reporters & marketing agents to
expand our coverage in Jefferson & Harris Counties. |
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individual articles: Click the "Print
Version" link below each story, then use your
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