The Guidry News
© 1996, Guidry News
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The Guidry News
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© 1996, Guidry News
Service
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Harris County Commissioners Court Harris County Commissioners Court Harris County Commissioners Court Harris County Commissioners Court Harris County Commissioners Court Harris County Commissioners Court
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Harris County Commissioners Court Harris County Commissioners Court today voted 5-0 to approve the Harris County Hospital District’s $780 million 2005-2006 operating budget. Hospital District CEO David Lopez said the process was a challenge. "We were faced with a $45.5 million reduction in revenue, which is very hard to make up, obviously," Lopez said. "With a 10 percent growth projection and with that kind of loss in revenue, if we were to go with that particular kind of a budget, we would have projected a loss, over this fiscal year, ending February 28, 2006, of approximately $35 million." Listen DownloadLopez told commissioners court that, instead, he and the district board are proposing a budget which envisions only a 1.3 percent growth rate and requires an increase in prescription co-pays to the average of all the major hospital districts in Texas. Additionally, the district will no longer buy over-the-counter medications for patients and, unless the medical service is an emergency, will ask for cash up front from persons who do not legally reside in Harris County. Approximately a dozen citizens spoke during the public hearing on the district’s budget, which preceded the commissioners court’s vote to approve it. Most were urging the commissioners court to stop paying for medical services for undocumented residents, especially while the federal government is cutting back on medical benefits for the nation’s veterans. "Many or our elected officials are far more concerned with providing medical care for illegal aliens than for the men and women who helped build and defend our nation during her most perilous times," said former Harris County resident John Fafoutakis, who blames high property taxes for his move to Galveston County. The commissioners court also unanimously approved the $1.16 billion 2005-2006 Harris County budget, 2.249 percent more than last year’s $947.4 million budget. The commissioners court approved Steve Radack’s request to hold, or delay until the next meeting, on a joint participation agreement to construct an extension of Kingsland Boulevard in Precinct 3 and agreements with Urban Architecture, BvB Architects and Yancey-Hausman for space planning services, programming services and real estate services, respectively. The commissioners court approved El Franco Lee’s request to delay action on approval of Centennial Contractors Enterprises, Inc., as primary contractor and Kellogg, Brown & Root Services, Inc., as secondary contractor for job order contracting at an approximate cost of $10 million. The commissioners court approved referring to the county attorney a request for County Judge Robert Eckels to be authorized to enter into a personal services agreement with Joan T. Neuhaus for homeland security planning and support services. All other items were unanimously approved. Eckels also presented resolutions designating March as Harris County Employees’ Savings Bond Month, designating March 8 as Cathy Kinser Correa Day on the occasion of her retirement from Harris County’s office of domestic relations, designating March 6-12 as Severe Weather Awareness Week, designating March 20 as Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church Day on the church’s 140th anniversary, and designating April as Records and Information Management month. Friendswood City Council on Monday unanimously voted to approve a resolution supporting a cap on tax appraisals, but amended the originally proposed resolution to reduce the call for a cap from ten percent to three percent. The amendment supports Governor Rick Perry's legislative program "to bring equality to the property tax system through reduced property tax appraisals". The council voted 5-1, with Shannon Kimmel opposed, to uphold the current city policy regarding the use of Renwick Park for the Spring 2005 season. The policy gives the primary user, Friendswood Little League, authority over allocation of playing time. Friendswood Baseball League, another youth baseball league, has requested use of the facilities. The city council has requested the Parks and Recreation Board to review the existing policy. All other agenda items were approved with 6-0 votes. Mayor Kimball Brizendine was absent. Jamaica Beach City Council in workshop on Monday discussed a resolution to establish the National Incident Management System-Incident Command System as the city's standard command and control system to be used in emergency situations. "To get any homeland security money we are going to have to abide by the Incident Command System during emergencies, including weather emergencies," said John Brick, city administrator. The city council discussed the following items which will appear on the agenda for the regular meeting on March 21: possible change orders for the wastewater treatment plant construction project; the city's franchise agreement with Time-Warner Cable and transferring funds to the Jamaica Beach Volunteer Fire Department for the purchase of a communication tower to replace the existing one. Amtrak has announced that a new schedule for the Sunset Limited Passenger Train between Los Angeles and New Orleans will go into effect today. The new schedule was developed with the cooperation of the Union Pacific Railroad, which owns the 2,000 miles of track between the two destinations. "We agreed to try a new schedule that minimizes some of the very real freight congestion on this route," said Ed Walker, Amtrak vice president, transportation. "Union Pacific Railroad top management has committed to a renewed focus on this train." The Sunset Limited, North America's only transcontinental train, departs Orlando on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and departs Los Angeles on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Freight traffic congestion on the route has meant frequent delays for the Sunset Limited, but the Union Pacific says it is now confident that its dispatchers will be able to deliver the Amtrak train more reliably. "A special Amtrak and UP operating team was formed to establish what we all believe is a Sunset Limited schedule that will mesh with the velocity and capacity of the line over which it operates," said Tom Mulligan, Union Pacific Railroad's director, passenger operations. The new schedule maintains the connection to and from the daily Texas Eagle with daily service to and from Dallas, Little Rock, St. Louis, Chicago and intermediate points. Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail service to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 22,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit www.amtrak.com. Union Pacific Railroad is the largest railroad in North America, covering 23 states across the western two-thirds of the United States. For more information, visit www.up.com. The
French Consul General from Houston will award Joe
M. Uriegas the Legion of Honor, France's highest honor, during
a ceremony in Austin on Wednesday.
Only one hundred veterans have been chosen to receive the “Lιgion d'Honneur” on behalf of all United States soldiers who fought in France during the war. Uriegas is one of six Hispanic veterans chosen for the honor. Due
to illness, Uriegas missed a June 6, 2004 ceremony held at
the Normandy invasion site, during which the one hundred
veterans were honored. Uriegas
landed behind
enemy lines in a glider during the June 6, 1944 assault on
Normandy. He served in the 188th
Field Artillery Battalion, which saw action in Normandy,
Northern France, the Battle of the Bulge, the Rhineland and
Central Europe. He reached the rank of staff sergeant before
leaving the U.S. Army. Uriegas, who turns 90 this year, worked for 35 years at the University of Texas at Austin. Honorees of the National Order of the Legion of Honor, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, receive a white enameled star of five rays on a wreath of leaves with a gold medallion in the center, ringed by blue enamel.
Jerry Patterson, Chairman of the Texas Veterans Land Board organized event. Armand Bayou Nature Center will celebrate Earth Day with an all-day event on Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Nature Center grounds, 8500 Bay Area Boulevard. Photo and Release Festivities will include guided tours of the hiking trails on the 2,500-acre wildlife preserve, pontoon boat tours of Armand Bayou, canoeing on May’s Pond, mini classes on birding, gardening, and photography, environmental and educational exhibits and activities for children and adults. The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston will showcase its Earth Day programs with handouts of interest to children. The Houston-Galveston Area Council is costuming characters to engage children in recycling. Other organizations participating include Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Houston Quality Feed Store with bunnies and chicks, the Pasadena Parks Department exhibiting environmental murals painted by recreation center children, Galveston Bay Estuary Program, Nature Conservancy of Texas, Port of Houston Authority, and San Jacinto College. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children and seniors. Members are admitted free. For more information contact Catherine Miller at (281) 474-2551, extension 19, or visit www.abnc.org. Scheduled
Meetings Today, March 8 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 of Gulf Coast E-news and The Online News Station. Jim Young is Houston City Correspondent. Dana Patricia Burke is the Bay Area Houston Correspondent. Chuck Lawrence is Galveston City Correspondent. Carl Guidry covers events in Jefferson County. Anita Donatto covers the education beat in Galveston. Patty Mayeux is editor of Gulf Coast E-news. Robert John Mihovil is a special photographic correspondent for Guidry News Service We
are seeking to hire reporters & marketing agents to
expand our coverage in Jefferson & Harris Counties. |
College
News Public
School News Real Time Houston Traffic Maps & Cameras Story
Links,
on the left side of the Gulf Coast E-news page, is
made up of "bookmarks" to the
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to go directly to the article. Print
individual articles: Click the "Print
Version" link below each story, then use your
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