The Guidry News
© 1996, Guidry News
Service
|
|
|
|
The Guidry News
|
|
|
© 1996, Guidry News
Service
|
|
|
The Houston City Council on Wednesday voted 12-3, with Addie Wiseman, Mark Goldberg and Pam Holm opposed, to approve and authorize the second amendment to the meet and confer agreement with the board of directors of the Houston Municipal Employees Pension System. Houston is currently negotiating the agreement with HMEPS. The vote came after lengthy council discussion expressing disappointment and even embarrassment with the HMEPS board. Photos"They doubled peoples’ pensions when they knew the money wasn’t there. They had extravagant trips and travel expenses, exorbitant office expenses and, worst of all, they allowed the benefits to increase at a time when they knew that the city’s contributions were not being met," said Goldberg. "I think it helped to cause the bond rating of the city to lower, and it did lower." "Travel, bonuses, reimbursements, certainly we have been embarrassed by what’s gone on in the past," said Gordon Quan. "And I think we’ve learned a dear lesson." Shelley Sekula-Gibbs offered an amendment designed to tighten the rules for the HMEPS board regarding committee meetings and operations as well as travel, salaries, bonuses and reimbursements. It was voted down, however, with only Goldberg, Wiseman, Holm, Sekula-Gibbs and M. J. Khan in favor after Mark Ellis pointed out that city council couldn’t force the HMEPS board to incorporate such changes. Listen Download"I agree with what you said about more accountability," Ellis told Sekula-Gibbs. "But it was a negotiation process and we pushed them just about as far as we could go with them." Ellis said he believes that if council adopts her amendment, the HMEPS board would simply reject it and "we’ll be back at square one." The city council unanimously approved the final contract amount of $18,544,931.14 and acceptance of work on the contract with W. W. Webber, Inc. for civil site development for the consolidated rental car facility at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The city council also unanimously approved the final contract amount of $13,623,972.51 and acceptance of work on the W. W. Webber, Inc. contract for Runway 8L26R final grading and airfield drainage at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Some items were tagged, or delayed for one week, by individual members of the city council. Toni Lawrence, Ada Edwards and Holm tagged purchases from PMO Link for phase two development of comprehensive process management system for building permit and land development processes and from Continental Airlines to provide customer service training for certain city employees. Wiseman tagged a Texas Transportation Institute purchase for video camera equipment and broadband Internet services for the Public Works department, a resolution consenting to the creation of the Fort Bend County Rural Transit District, and an ordinance establishing a budget policy with regard to the budgeting and expenditures of increase franchise fee revenues for public safety Holm tagged a Lone Star Flags & Flagpoles, Inc. purchase for flags and banners for various departments. Wiseman and Sekula-Gibbs tagged a proposed amendment to the code of ordinances relating to the regulations governing the making, amendment or extension of contracts with persons indebted to the city. Ronald Green, Wiseman, Holm, Adrian Garcia and Sekula-Gibbs tagged a proposed ordinance to establish a utility relocation policy for the city. Ellis tagged ordinances approving the issuance of bonds by the Midtown Redevelopment Authority and authorizing an agreement with Midtown Redevelopment Authority and Reinvestment Zone Number Two for certain public infrastructure improvements. Ellis also moved to delay for one week a motion to extend the expiration date to April 23, 2006 for Paints, Solvents & Paining Supplies contracts for various departments which were awarded to ICI Dulux; Sherwin-Williams Paint Co., Inc; Southwestern Paint Co.; and Quality Paint & Decor. Khan and Gordon Quan tagged a contract award to Ideal Finishes, Inc. for graffiti eradication and protective coating application services for various departments. Goldberg, with Bill White’s agreement, referred back to the administration an ordinance related to providing city firefighting and fire protection services to certain unincorporated areas of Harris County. All other items were unanimously approved. The government classes of Willow Ridge High School visited the city council meeting on Wednesday, and city Communications Director Frank Michel wore his baseball bow tie to commemorate the beginning of the major league baseball season. PhotosThe Bayou Vista City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a resolution for a joint hazard mitigation plan for the Houston Galveston Area Council Region with the Galveston County Office of Emergency Management. The resolution allows the City of Bayou Vista to receive mitigation funding from the Federal Emergency Management Administration. The city council tabled an action to implement penalties for non-compliance of contracting with B.F.I., the city's contract carrier, for solid waste management service. The city council will send out 14-day letters to residents regarding this item before taking any action. The city council voted unanimously, with Theresa Moeller and Eddie Stafford abstaining, to approve reserve officer Norman Desormeaux as a full-time police officer. The city council issued a proclamation supporting Galveston County Children's Protective Services-Child Abuse Prevention Month. All other agenda items were unanimously approved. The Seabrook City Council on Tuesday voted 4-3, with Mayor Robin Riley, John Buhman and Mike Laible opposed, to select the firm Ross, Banks, May, Cron & Cavin, P.C. to fill the position of city attorney. Riley, Buhman and Laible had planned to vote for the other finalist, Johnson, Radcliff, Petrov & Bobbitt PLLC. "Nevertheless, we feel very positive about the firm we did pick, and we are looking forward to working with this group," Riley said. The city council voted unanimously to approve a resolution opposing a pending bill in the Texas legislature that would increase the weight of containers by 10,000 pounds and authorizing the city's lobbyist to fight the bill. The city council voted 4-3, with Laible, Buhman and Rick Sammons opposed, to approve an ordinance amending the Seabrook City Code as it pertains to marinas. The amendments will clarify fire protection measures, provide that new or extended streets shall meet city design standards and will alter electrical and sanitation standards. The city council also approved, by the same vote, an ordinance adding a new section to the city code that establishes criteria for the filing of site plans for new and existing marinas. The city council voted unanimously to reject a budget amendment increasing the Hotel/Motel Fund in the categories of travel and conference, dues and subscriptions, and various items to operate an off-site office. "The council told them that they must stay within their budget," Riley said. The city council amended the motion to require that the Hotel/Motel Tax Committee will not be reimbursed for any travel expenses not pre-approved by council. The city council voted 6-1, with Jack Boteler opposed, to direct city staff to determine how the city council could obtain the titles for fire apparatus. The Seabrook Volunteer Fire Department plans to purchase a new fire truck in the near future. The city council also requested the minutes, for further clarification, from the meeting during which the fire department staff announced the purchase. An item to consider financial assistance for the Bayside Little League Baseball's handicapped league was pulled from the agenda at the request of the league. Council Member Mike Laible pulled from the agenda a request for an audit of the fire department. Laible also pulled a request to send a letter to U.S. Representative Tom Delay to establish a Seabrook district office. An amendment to the 2004-2005 Economic Development Corporation budget for the moving expenses of the EDC II administrator and an item approving Marie McDermott and Jan Lawler as ex-officio members of the EDC II Board of Directors were pulled from the agenda. Council Member Jack Boteler pulled from the agenda a resolution in support of property tax appraisal caps. All other agenda items were unanimously approved. The groundbreaking ceremony for the City of Seabrook Fire Station will be held on Saturday, April 16 at 10 a.m. at 1850 East Meyer Road. Correction: Early voting in Friendswood will be Wednesday, April 20 to Tuesday, May 3 in the City Council Chambers of Friendswood City Hall from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The League City mayor and city council will hold a City Hall Open House on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 300 West Walker Street. The theme for the free event will be "Renaissance Festival" and the open house will feature food, live entertainment, rides, games and give-aways. For additional information, call (281) 554-1025. Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Port of Galveston Director Steve Cernak will be the featured speaker at the Historic Downtown Strand Partnership Fourth Tuesday Forum on April 26. The meeting will be at Luigi's Ristorante Italiano in Galveston. Reservations are required. Call (409) 763-7080. Houston
TranStar, the Transportation and Emergency Management Center
for the Greater Houston Region, has been named the winner in
the category of 'State and Local Government Innovator' for its
'Real-Time Situation Status Website' during the 6th Annual
Digital Government Awards at FOSE 2005, the largest government
trade show in the world. "With
Houston TranStar serving as a model for other Transportation
Management Centers worldwide, it is incumbent upon us to be a
leader in the industry but, more importantly, to provide an
unprecedented level of service to the citizens of this
region." "Winners
used information technologies in creative ways to support and
enhance all manner of government functions, from soldiers in
the field, to helping commuters assure safer, faster drives
home."
The
60-second radio feature aims to tell fascinating, but
lesser-known stories of Texas history to encourage
appreciation of Texas’ rich heritage.
It also serves to draw attention to the agency’s
efforts to conserve historic maps and documents through the
Save Texas History initiative. Written
and produced entirely by Land Office staff, the feature will
focus on people, places and events that usually escape mention
in history textbooks.
For instance, listeners at the end of April will hear
about how, in 1856, U.S. Secretary of the Army and future
President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis convinced
Congress to purchase 32 North African camels to chase American
Indians across West Texas.
Other programs describe the most costly Texas hurricane
and the first Houston baseball game in 1867. “These
stories make even history buffs like me want to know more,”
said Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson.
“We want to get folks’ attention.
Our goal is to make Texans understand that all our
history is worth saving, and that’s what this program is all
about.” Currently,
the program airs only in Houston, but negotiations
are under way with radio stations in San Antonio and the
Dallas-Fort Worth markets as well. All of the radio
features will be available online at www.savetexashistory.org.
No other state agency has a similar initiative. Patterson
hopes that providing Texans with interesting information on
state history will increase donations to the Save Texas
History Program. The
General Land Office houses a collection of about 35 million
historical documents, including maps, letters, land grants and
field notes. Some of the documents carry the signatures
of Texas heroes such as Travis, Austin, Crockett and Bowie. So
far, thousands of maps have been conserved using a thorough
restoration process, digital scanning and safe, permanent
storage. Once scanned, the maps and documents can be
copied and posted on the Internet. The process ensures that
the maps, an integral part of Texas history, will be available
for future generations. Ben
Thomson will lend his baritone Texan twang to serve as the
voice of Save Texas History. Born in San Angelo and
raised on a ranch in Lampasas County, Thomson now directs the
surveying division at the Texas General Land Office. For
Thomson, a registered professional surveyor and licensed state
land surveyor, a deep knowledge of Texas history is
essential. Radio, however, will be a new experience for
him. “I
suppose my grandkids will get a real kick out of hearing me on
the radio,” Thomson said. “I’ve worked as a road
engineer for the highway department once, way back, but I’ve
never been on the radio before. I guess they just felt
like I had a distinctive voice.” To
order a copy of a historical map or for additional
information, visit www.savetexashistory.org
or call (800) 998-4GLO. Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority The Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority will hold two public hearings at noon and 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 14 to discuss the modification of three local bus routes through the new Gulfgate Transit Center and other service modifications. The
meetings will be held in the second-floor board room of the
METRO Administration Building at 1900 Main Street in
Houston. The proposed service changes, if approved, will
go into effect Sunday, May 29. METRO
plans to modify the 5 Southmore, 36 Lawndale and 101 Hobby
Airport Express routes to serve the new Gulfgate Transit
Center at 7400 South Loop East, south of Gulfgate Center mall.
The
$2.1 million facility is being financed with 80 percent
federal funds and 20 percent local funds. In addition, the
owners of the Gulfgate Center mall and METRO will fund the
reconstruction of an existing pedestrian bridge between the
mall and the transit center property that will allow bus
patrons to safely cross Loop 610. For
additional information on the proposed service changes, call
METROLine at (713) 635-4000 or visit the METRO Web site at http://www.ridemetro.org.
METRO
recently honored two employees for their outstanding work.
Clement C. Hodge
has been named METRO’s Top Operator of the Month for
February and Ariel Tamez has been named METRO’s Top Tech of
the Month for February. Hodge
drives various routes as needed out of the Hiram Clarke Bus
Operating Facility. He began his career at METRO as a
METROLift customer service representative in 1999 and now
works as a bus operator. Tamez
has been a METRO employee since 2001, when he started working
as a service lane technician at the Fallbrook Bus Operating
Facility. Tamez now works as a cleaner at METRO’s Field
Service Center. Actress Marlee Matlin will appear today at Lamar University to address students at a 4:30 p.m. session in the University Reception Center on the eighth floor of the Mary and John Gray Library. A free public event will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the university's Montagne Center. Matlin received worldwide acclaim after winning an Oscar for her performance in “Children of a Lesser God.” Her appearance at Lamar University is part of the ongoing Academic Lecture Series. The series was created by the students of Lamar University and is funded by student services fees. Matlin’s visit is hosted by the College of Education and Human Development. Galveston Island Children's Chorus The Galveston Island Children’s Chorus will present its final concert of the year on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Central Christian Church, 2702 Avenue O½. Admission is free. A highly dedicated team of local choral music directors – Roderick Blake, Lois Rivaux and Susan Vaughan – have volunteered since January to create a versatile program for the children’s chorus. Sunday’s program consists of a range of music selections sung by students in grades 3-7 from public and private schools around the island. Guest conductors include Eric Sharp, the new choral director at Galveston College, and Laura Hyatt from Trinity Episcopal School. The accompanist is Bonnye Karger. Highlights include a mother-daughter performance by Debra and Sofie Milton. Debra Milton of Dickinson is a founding member of the Galveston Island Children’s Chorus and a professional vocalist. Also on the program is a “works in progress” string ensemble directed by Norway’s Trond Saeverud, who performed earlier this month at the Galveston Island Arts Academy chamber music series. The children in the ensemble include Jeremy Chi, Vaughan Hennen and William Loeblich. Donations will be accepted at the concert to further the choir’s efforts during the 2005-06 school year. For more information, call academy director Susan Vaughan at (409) 771-4438 or visit www.academicplanet.com/webs/giaa. The National Rifle Association will hold its Annual Meeting and Exhibits Friday, April 15 through Sunday, April 17 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The event will feature House Majority Leader Tom Delay as keynote speaker and will offer presentations on methods of conceal carry, women's personal protection and power politics, World War II military arms, hunting in Texas and Africa and firearms law. For additional information visit http://www.nraam.org. The captain of Juan Sebastián de Elcano held a news conference in his office aboard the ship and exchanged gifts with Galveston Mayor Pro Tem Joe Jaworski. Photos and Audio Kelly Williams has been named Mrs. Galveston County United States. Photo and Release Angie Curry, BP Bay Crossing project manager for health, safety, security and the environment, and Bob Boyce, BP project director - Bay Crossing LNG project, present a $15,000 grant to Galveston Bay Foundation Executive Director Bob Stokes. Photo Scheduled
Meetings Today, April 6 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 and Dana Patricia Burke are editors 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
stories in the newsletter. Click on the link
to go directly to the article. Print
individual articles: Click the "Print
Version" link below each story, then use your
regular print program. On The Online News Station, if you click on an audio link and the photos stop loading, click on Refresh or Reload and they will resume. |
|||||
