Pasadena City Council

Houston City Council

Clear Creek Independent School District

Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority

On The Webio

2005 Archives

2004 Archives

2003 Archives

Friday               January 7, 2005

Pasadena City Council

Pasadena City Council on Tuesday voted 7-1, with Jack Douglass opposed, for final approval of an advance funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for TxDOT participation in the extension of Strawberry Road from Harris to Pasadena Boulevard and the widening of Pasadena Boulevard from Jackson to State Highway 225.

Douglass complained that the extension is a "road to nowhere" and will not help the growth of the city.  He urged the city to repair streets in poor condition on the north side and to tear down old buildings.  Douglass said that he "doesn't understand why the mayor and this council still support this project."

The city council voted 7-1, with Jerri Neely opposed, for final approval of a proposal to authorize the city to sell approximately 13,739 square feet of land at 9700 Palmfield in Houston.

All other votes were unanimous.

The city council voted final approval of a $21,567 contract with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission to implement a software application program for managing patron access to library computers.

The city council voted final approval of a $13,520 contract with Berg-Oliver Associates, Inc. for professional environmental services associated with two pedestrian bridges to be constructed within Pasadena Memorial Park.

The city council voted final approval of a $348,148 agreement with Southeast Texas Housing Partners for the disbursement of Home Investment Partnership Program funds in connection with an affordable housing program.  The agreement will provide construction gap financing for Primrose at Pasadena, a senior housing community.

The city council voted final approval of a service agreement with 2TurnItOn, Inc. to provide an internet link "to make it more convenient for those initiating water service connection to complete much of the process online, as well as provide links that allow those using the site to compare other utilities such as electric, gas, cable, satellite, television and phone service in one convenient location."

The city council approved on first reading an ordinance authorizing the $34,440 purchase of five video detection systems and repair components from Texas Highway Products Ltd. of Round Rock, Texas.

The city council voted to accept a $332 donation from the Pasadena Rotary Club for the 2005 Kid Fish event.

The city council voted to hold a public auction of abandoned vehicles at 9 a.m. on Saturday, January 15 at the Fleet Maintenance Facilities Building at 3124 Red Bluff Road.

All other agenda items were approved.

Council Member James Guthrie announced that the upcoming Crime Watch Training Classes, sponsored by Neighborhood Network, in conjunction with the Pasadena Police Department, begin next Monday, January 10, at the Pasadena Convention Center.

Council Member Don Harrison reported that he has had telephone calls from several sports leagues advising him that repairs are badly needed at the city's ball fields.  Harrison said that a "deal is a deal" and a "word is a word" and encouraged city staff to put the fields in good condition and maintain them for the upcoming season.

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Houston City Council

Houston City Council on Wednesday confirmed Mayor Bill White's reappointment of Charles S. Turet, Jr. and the appointment of Kenneth E. Arnold and Mark A Anawaty to the board of directors of Reinvestment Zone 17 (Memorial City); and the reappointment of Turet as chair of the Memorial City Redevelopment Authority Board of Directors.

The city council confirmed White's appointment of Etan Mirwis to the Houston Planning Commission.

The city council approved a $25,675 contract with Aspen Civil Design, LLC for professional design services in conjunction with expansion of the parking lot at the Smith Branch Public Library.

The city council approved a law enforcement agreement with Harris County for 51 civic organizations utilizing the services of constables of precincts 1, 4, 5 and 7, as well as the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Three agenda items were tagged, or delayed for one week, at the request of individual members of the city council.

A proposal to sell Houston Housing Finance Corporation variable rate demand multifamily housing revenue bonds, in conjunction with the Fairlake Cove Apartments Project, was tagged by Addie Wiseman and Shelley Sekula-Gibbs.

A proposed $160,000 contract with attorney Clarence A. West for advice and counsel related to cable television franchise renewal, future community needs assessment and performance review of Time Warner was tagged by Wiseman.

An ordinance de-appropriating $272,348.82 from the General Improvement Consolidated Construction Fund and $703,073.28 from the Fire Consolidated Construction Fund for the renovation/reconstruction of various fire department facilities was tagged by Wiseman, Sekula-Gibbs and Adrian Garcia.

An ordinance de-appropriating $400,000 from the Convention and Entertainment Construction Fund, $700,000 from the Convention and Entertainment Development Fund, and $500,000 from the Convention and Entertainment CP2002 Series A Construction Fund; and appropriating $400,000 from the Convention and Entertainment Construction Fund, $700,000 from the Convention and Entertainment Development Fund, $500,000 from the Convention and Entertainment CP2002 Series A Construction Fund and $413,825 out of the Civic Center Facility Revenue Fund; and awarding a construction contract to DivisionOne Construction, LLC for construction of the Wortham Center Orchestra Pit Enhancement Project, was removed from the agenda and was not considered at the city council meeting.

All other agenda items were approved.

Mayor Bill White and the Linda Lorelle Scholarship Fund on Wednesday announced Houston's First Annual College Preparatory Conference to be held on Saturday, January 29 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.  

"Targeted at Houston's high school students in grades 9-12,
and their parents, this citywide conference is a collaborative effort to educate students and parents about the many facets of attaining a higher education, and it is offered free of charge," said a news release.

"Houston is a great city of opportunity and, with the help of the Linda Lorelle Scholarship Fund, we can extend that opportunity to young Houstonians," White said.  "I can't think of a better way to invest in Houston's future."

"Inspired by KPRC-TV Local 2 News Anchor, Linda Lorelle, and her desire to help Houston's youth, the LLSF targets good kids with average grades; students who want to go to college, but may not consider it a possibility because of extraordinary circumstances in their lives," said the news release.

Since its inception, the LLSF has awarded nearly $1,263,500 in scholarship support to 202 students in the Houston area.

For more information call (713) 685-7963, visit www.lindalorelle.org or email abarba@lindalorelle.org.

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Clear Creek Independent School District

Clear Brook High School English Teacher Kathalene Jernigan has been named a 2005 Outstanding Teacher Honoree by the Texas Exes and the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin.  Texas Exes is the university’s alumni organization.

"The awards are given to Texas teachers who are inspiring and supportive of their students, who bring credit to the teaching profession and who are held in the highest regard by their current and former students, fellow teachers, administrators, students’ parents and community," said a news release.

Jernigan is one of 12 teachers selected from a state-wide nomination pool.  She will receive her award during a ceremony on February 18. 

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Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority

The Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority will run regular weekday METRORail, bus and trolley service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 17.  Park and Ride service and High Occupancy Vehicle lane usage will not be affected by the holiday.  

Due to parades running through Downtown, some of METRO’s Downtown bus routes will be detoured until the conclusion of the parades.  METRO service supervisors will be stationed at various points around the parade routes to assist patrons with bus detours and transfers. 

For more information, call METROLine at (713) 635-4000 or visit www.ridemetro.org. 

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On The Webio

Lamar University President James Simmons has announced that a total of 411 Lamar University students achieved perfect 4.0 grade-point averages to earn places on the President’s List for the 2004 fall semester.  List

Former Houston Astro Pitcher J.R. Richard was the featured speaker at the monthly meeting of the Webster Business Alliance.  A Webio report is published on The Online News Station Photos and Audio

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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.

Saturday, January 8
1:00 Hitchcock Independent School District Board of Trustees Head Start Training Session
8:00 Showtime at the Apollo, The Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice  

Sunday, January 9
3:00 Steve Hahn, Chapman Stick and Trumpet Artist, Galveston Island Arts Academy, 2627 Avenue O
4:00 The Strand Theatre Auditions for "Daddy's Dyin -- Who's Got the Will?", The Strand Theatre, 2317 Ship's Mechanic Row

Monday, January 10
9:00 Galveston County Commissioners Court, Holbrook Building
9:00 Galveston Ad Hoc Golf Course Committee, City Hall Room 204.
10:00 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo News Conference to Announce Entertainment Lineup
1:30 Jefferson County Commissioners Court
6:00 Jamaica Beach City Council Workshop
6:00 La Marque City Council
7:00 Nassau Bay City Council
7:00 Shoreacres City Council
7:00 High Island Independent School District Board of Trustees
7:00 Seabrook Eco-Tourism/Sister City Committee  

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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.

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Jim Young is senior editor of Gulf Coast E-news.

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