2005 Archives

2004 Archives

2003 Archives

Tuesday               April 19, 2005

Friendswood City Council

The Friendswood City Council on Monday voted unanimously to approve the first readings of several speed limit changes on FM 528 and FM 2351.  The changes are the result of a Texas Department of Transportation traffic study.

The speed limit in the Windsong Intermediate school zone on FM 528 will be reduced from 35 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour when the school zone lights are flashing.  The speed limit on FM 528 from the city limit to the Sunmeadow subdivision will remain at 55 miles per hour, but the speed limit from Sunmeadow to the Galveston/Harris County line will be reduced to 45 miles per hour. 

On FM 2351, from the Galveston/Brazoria County line traveling east and just west of Sunset Boulevard, the speed limit will be posted at 45 miles per hour.  From just west of Sunset Boulevard to just east of Live Oak Road the speed limit will be reduced to 35 miles per hour.  From Live Oak Road to the Harris/Galveston County line, the speed limit will be 40 miles per hour.  From the county line to the east city limits at Beamer Road, the speed limit will be 45 miles per hour.  The speed limit in the Clear Brook High School school zone will be reduced from 35 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour. 

The city council voted unanimously to approve a letter from Mayor Kim Brizendine to the Texas Municipal League that cautions against TML's use of the word "zealot" in printed materials criticizing advocates of the 3 percent property tax appraisal cap.  Listen  Download

"I sent out a letter, one of acknowledgement of the information transfer that TML does and one introducing some caution into labeling and chastising those that would disagree with the city or with TML's interpretation," Brizendine said.  "I thought that was an appropriate thing to do as mayor of the city. I see that as my role as the mayor."

Friendswood resident Don Johnson commented on the letter to TML in a public hearing. Listen  Download

"I think the mayor's position in writing a letter was great," Johnson said. "I think it takes integrity, it takes courage, and it takes somebody who will take a stand and say what's right."

All other agenda items were unanimously approved. 

City Manager Ron Cox announced the final approval of the acquisition settlement agreement for the acquistion of TNP Enterprises, including Texas-New Mexico Power Company and First Choice Power, by PNM Resources.  The agreement is the result of an intervention by the City of Friendswood to resolve issues that would impact electric rates and services in the city. 

PNM Resources has agreed to provide consumers with rate credits of $6 million over a two-year period and will place a two-year freeze on transmission and distribution rates.  Service quality and reliability commitments will be extended and there will be no decrease in the number of transmission and distribution centers or service employees. 

Texas-New Mexico Power Company will lower transmission and distribution electric rates by 9.3 percent effective May 1.  First Choice Power residential and small commercial price to beat customers will also benefit from a rate reduction. 

Cox also recognized Friendswood pool manager Amy Breazeale and recreation coordinator James Toney for their participation in the American Red Cross Aquatic Examiner Program on February 5.  The Stevenson Park Pool and staff achieved a perfect score of 100 percent in the Red Cross' Challenge Champion Program.  

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Jamaica Beach City Council

The Jamaica Beach City Council on Monday voted unanimously, in a meeting that lasted about two-and-one-half minutes, to approve a franchise agreement with Time Warner Cable. 

The city council also voted unanimously to approve a draw to NNS Construction for the city's Wastewater Treatment Plant Project. 

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Hitchcock City Commission

The Hitchcock City Commission on Tuesday voted 3-1, with Henry Coger opposed, to place a two-year moratorium on new mobile home park developments in the city. 

Coger voted against the moratorium because he said there was no clear distinction between mobile home parks and trailer parks. 

The city commission voted unanimously to accept the Hazard Mitigation Plan for the Houston-Galveston Area Council region. 

The city commission voted unanimously to approve the reinstatement of the water tower on Red Fish Road as part of the TIRZ One Project plan and budget. 

The city commission voted unanimously to proclaim the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. 

All other agenda items were unanimously approved.

The city commission heard a presentation on the poor road condition of Jordan Street and will work to find ways to improve the road. 

The city commission proclaimed March 30 through April 1 to be Independent Missionary Baptist General Association of Texas Day.  The city commission also proclaimed April 2 to be Little League Baseball Day and April 16 to be June Scrofne Day, in celebration of Scrofne's 80th birthday. 

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Beaumont City Council

The Beaumont City Council today voted unanimously to approve a contract in the amount of $255,676 with McGriff, Seibels and Williams, Inc. for fire, extended coverage, flood and earthquake property insurance for city-owned properties.

The city council voted unanimously to authorize City Manager Kyle Hayes to execute a contract in the amount of $519,022 with Brystar Contracting, Inc. for water line replacements on Lindbergh Drive and in Tyrell Park. 

The city council voted unanimously to authorize an application for, and acceptance of, grant funding for the Southeast Texas Auto Theft Task Force. 

The city council voted 4-3 to approve a request to reallocate $10,000 from the 2004 Infrastructure line item to fund two additional 2005 Public Services line items. 

All other agenda items were unanimously approved. 

Antoinette Hardy was appointed to the Civil Service Committee for a three-year term commencing today and ending on April 18, 2008. 

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High Island Independent School District

The High Island Independent School District Board of Trustees on Monday voted unanimously to approve a two-year principal contract for Randy Barnette for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school year. 

The school board voted unanimously to approve a counselor/curriculum director contract for Gwen Edgar. 

The school board voted unanimously to move the May regular board meeting to May 16 in order to canvass the returns from the May 7 election. 

The school board voted unanimously to approve the budget amendments for charitable donation from the McDaniel Foundation for the fitness center.  

Superintendent Michael Sims reported that for the third straight year, the High Island ISD cafeteria had been given the Gold Ribbon Award for Excellence.  The award is given by the Galveston County Health Department to food establishments that demonstrate consistent and cooperative effort in operation by protecting the health and safety of the public they serve. 

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Houston-Galveston Area Council

The Houston-Galveston Area Council Board of Directors on Tuesday voted unanimously to authorize contracting with several companies that provide traffic control and signal preemption equipment, including camera-operated systems designed to reduce the running of red lights.  H-GAC will now negotiate contracts with 3M; Paradigm Traffic Systems; ACM Highway Products, Inc.; Nestor Traffic Systems; and Redflex Traffic Systems to provide cooperative purchasing power to H-GAC member entities that choose to purchase such equipment. Photos

Bert Keller, former Houston city council member and now Nestor’s vice president of sales, told Guidry News Service, the state legislature could still outlaw the use of cameras to nab red light runners, even if such drivers only get civil citations rather than criminal ones.  Keller obviously hopes lawmakers don’t forbid the practice that some call an invasion of privacy. Listen Download

Listen Download

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Texas General Land Office

The Texas General Land Office reports that it earned more in fiscal year 2004 than ever before, "earning an incredible $484,204,843 from a wide array of programs and transactions."

The state agency that manages state lands and the Texas coast, cleans up coastal oil spills, oversees state veteran benefits and manages extensive historic archives cost just more than $42 million in 2004.  

Highlights of the fiscal year include 33 percent increase in the total amount deposited into the Permanent School Fund.  Income from real estate sales was up by 2,844 percent.  The value of loans made by the Texas Veterans Land Board nearly doubled, and early indications for fiscal year 2005 are strong. In the first two quarters of fiscal year 2005, the lease rental income, which the Land Office is paid when an oil or gas operator is interested in a particular tract of mineral acreage, is up sharply.  In the first two quarters of fiscal year 2005, the Land Office made $8.7 million in lease rentals, more than twice the 2004 total of $3.4 million.

“The Land Office is the only state agency that earns more than it costs,” said Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office.  “I’m proud of this organization, and our shareholders — both the taxpayers and the schoolchildren of Texas — should be as well.”

The bulk of the Land Office’s earnings, more than $302 million, is earned from oil and gas production on the 20 million mineral acres the Land Office oversees.  Grazing rights and other surface rentals of state land brought in another $2.5 million.

Since its inception, the Land Office has put more than $8.6 billion into the state’s $21 billion Permanent School Fund, which helps pay for public education in Texas.  In 2004 alone, the Land Office deposited more than $343 million, a 33 percent increase over 2003’s $259 million, into the children’s education fund while using the balance of royalty income to invest in income producing real property.

A Land Office decision to reduce the royalty rate charged to those producing oil and gas on state lands should be credited in large part for making 2004 a record year, Patterson said.  This rate reduction in the early years of a production lease encourages producers working on state lands to pump now.

“I’d rather get 20 percent of $50 oil than 25 percent of $30 oil,” Patterson said.

Patterson said the Land Office has also taken steps to expedite its handling of an increasing number of mineral leases on state lands.

However, he said "innovative programs," like the State Power Program, have also contributed to this success.  In 2004, the State Power Program, which sells electricity generated from gas produced on state lands to public customers, earned $3.7 million for the Permanent School Fund.

He said other innovative programs, like Save Texas History, have also brought in more income.  Save Texas History brought in more than $194,508 from private donors and map sales in 2004, up from just $41,835 in 2003.  The money will be used to preserve and protect historic Texas documents for future generations.

“2004 was a record year for oil and gas income at the Land Office, but we know we can’t count on oil and gas forever,” Patterson said.  “That’s why we’re aggressively seeking to earn more income from things like wind power generated on state lands, as well as increasing our ability to make profitable land investments on behalf of the school fund.”

For 2004, the Land Office earned more than $48 million from land transactions.  That total is expected to rise considerably as the Land Office continues to ramp up its real estate investment program that began in 2001 with the passage of HB 3558, which allowed the Land Office to invest oil and gas royalties into real estate on behalf of the Permanent School Fund.

Wind power generated on state lands earned $75,940 in 2004.  That total is expected to grow rapidly as the wind energy market in Texas continues to develop and the Land Office moves forward with plans to lease submerged coastal land for wind energy production.

As recommended by the state auditor’s office, Patterson said he is also seeking legislative changes this session that would increase the School Land Board’s ability to enhance the value of real estate purchased on behalf of the Permanent School Fund.  The School Land Board, which Patterson chairs, is an adjunct of the Land Office.  Other changes backed by Patterson will let the School Land Board adjust to rapidly changing market conditions.

The Land Office has also helped an unprecedented number of Texas veterans buy homes or improve the ones they have.  In 2004, the Texas Veterans Land Board funded more than $1 billion in VLB home loans to Texas veterans and their families, almost doubling the previous fiscal year’s record high of $532 million.

By marketing the VLB directly through realtors and lenders, Patterson said the number of veterans who received VLB home loans also jumped during this period to about 7,084, an increase of 81 percent over fiscal year 2003’s total of 3,912.

Today, a Texas veteran may borrow up to $240,000 for a home and up to $60,000 for land.  Recently, the VLB also reduced the minimum size of its land loans to one acre, in contrast to the previous required minimum of five acres.

Patterson said the Land Office also brought in substantial federal funding.  For coastal projects, the Land Office brought in more than $5.7 million in federal funds.  Another $10.9 million in federal funds came from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to help offset the daily costs of running the four Texas State Veterans Homes, which provide long-term nursing care for Texas veterans and their spouses.

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Texas House of Representatives

Harris County Judge Robert Eckels will testify before the state House of Representatives Local Government Ways and Means Committee in support of House Bill 2800 on Wednesday.  The bill seeks the abolishment of the Houston/Harris County Sports Authority. 

"This is a good government bill," Eckels said.  "The Sports Authority has done its job in doing what the voters of Harris County wanted them to do, which was to oversee the financing and building of our three new sports venues.  Now that the venues are up and running, we need to save the taxpayers $3 million dollars a year and shut the Sports Authority down.  It is important to show the voters that government can keep its promises."

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Harris County Archives

Harris County Judge Robert Eckels officially opened the new Harris County Archives at a ribbon-cutting ceremony today.  The Harris County Archives, located in the Criminal Justice Center at 1201 Franklin in Houston, is the only archives in Texas that is a component of the county-wide Records Management Program, which serves all of the appointed and many of the elected Harris County officials.

"History buffs, genealogists, and other researchers can now have access to historical records, materials, and photographs from different county departments and offices," Eckels said.   "The history of Harris County government, its officials and the people of the county can be revealed through county records and other materials donated to the archives."

Records eligible for transfer to the archives are documents that have outlived the purpose for which they were created but are historically significant, such as the 1846-1852 Justice of the Peace Docket Book.  The statute of limitations has long passed for all the criminal offenses and civil records recorded, and all the principals have long since died, yet the docket book provides a glimpse of life in Houston during the sparsely documented period immediately after Texas' annexation into the Union.

The primary source of material will be county departments and offices holding records that are no longer required to fulfill their responsibilities.  Another important source will be former officials and their families, who have personal documentation of the public and political lives of elected officials throughout the county's history.

Harris County Commissioners Court approved the Harris County Archives in November 2002.  Sarah Canby Jackson was also hired that November to be the county's first archivist.  Organizing the archives has been a two-year project and they are now prepared to accept researchers on a regular basis.

The Harris County Archives will be open on Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment. For additional information, contact Sarah Canby Jackson or Ann Elise Golden at (713) 368-7640. 

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Coastal Connection

Coastal Connection, the electronic newsletter published by Washington Lobbyist Howard Marlowe, reports that Senators Russ Feingold and John McCain introduced legislation to “reform” the Army Corps of Engineers last week.

"The Corps of Engineers Modernization and Improvement Act of 2005 mandates independent review of Corps projects, among several proposed changes to Corps policy and project development," reported Michael Kaiser, author of the article.

“While the Army Corps of Engineers can provide invaluable services for the waterways in Wisconsin and throughout the nation, all too often, taxpayer dollars are wasted on projects with seemingly endless costs or no real time table for completion,” Feingold said in the article.  “This legislation will help make sure that taxpayer dollars are used effectively while protecting and conserving our environment.” 

“We can no longer afford to overlook the economic and environmental costs of unwarranted Army Corps projects” McCain said.  “The common sense reforms needed to protect taxpayers and our vital natural resources provide the basis of this bipartisan legislation."

Kaiser said that the bill is not expected to move as a stand alone piece of legislation, but portions of it may be offered as amendments to the WRDA bill once that bill reaches the Senate floor.

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Texas Aggie Muster

Texas Aggie Muster Chair Shelly Fordyce has announced that former Texas A&M University at Galveston students will assemble on Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Galveston Gymnasium for the annual Texas Aggie Muster. 

The Muster will honor all Texas Aggies who have passed away within the last year. 

Texas Aggie Muster welcomes all former and current students, their families, and friends of Texas A&M University.

The Texas Aggie Muster tradition spans over a century and will be observed in more than 300 locations around the world.   Muster gatherings are held in many unique places, ranging from battleships and foxholes during World War II to ballrooms and steakhouses today.  Over the years, Aggie Muster has grown to be one of Texas A&M's most revered traditions.  Muster honors the memory of A&M men and women whose death prevents them from answering Roll Call at this year's Muster.  The Roll Call is a roster compiled of all former and current students who have died over the past year.  As each name is called, a friend or family member will answer "Here!" symbolizing that their memory lives on in the hearts of Aggies everywhere.  

For more information regarding the Texas Aggie Muster held in Galveston County, contact Shelly Fordyce at (409) 740-4427, or by e-mail at fordyces@tamug.edu.  

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San Jacinto College

Students who have successfully completed San Jacinto College Central’s Associate Degree Nursing program are taking part in a pinning ceremony on Thursday, May 5 at 7 p.m. at Gaines Mason Auditorium in Deer Park. 

This marks the 40th year that students have graduated from the program.  In 1965, 16 students graduated from the class.  Today, 96 students will graduate from the spring 2005 class, the largest to complete the program since May 1973.

“The pinning ceremony is a long-standing tradition in nursing schools,” said Edna Robinson, San Jacinto College's nursing department chair.  “It is symbolic of the transition from nursing student to professional nurse and recognizes the end of the students’ academic career and the beginning of practicing their profession.”

Florence Nightingale, considered the founder of modern nursing, is known as the Lady with the Lamp.  She provided nursing care to soldiers during the Crimean War in 1854.  As a traditional part of the ceremony, graduates receive a nursing lamp in memory of Nightingale’s dedication to the profession. 

Graduates and RNs in the audience also recite the Nightingale Pledge, a promise to hold themselves to a high ethical standard, advocate patient rights and devote themselves to the health and welfare of all humans.

For additional information, call (281) 476-1842.

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Kemah Historical Society

The Kemah Historical Society invites the public to hear a pictorial essay depicting the history of Clear Creek and Clear Lake.  

Alecya Galloway, historian for the Environmental Institute of Houston, will present the "History of the Clear Creek Watershed" on Monday, April 25 at 7 p.m. in the Kemah Community Center.

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Workers Memorial Day

During the service, the union will present a $1000.00 scholarship to College of the Mainland earmarked for nursing students in thanks for the care and attention given to the victims of the recent plant explosion by area nurses and other staff.  

A blood mobile will also be present at the same location from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.    

For additional information call Lee Medley at (409) 457-9983.

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Galveston County Health District

The Galveston County Health District Animal Services staff will  reseal the floors at the Joe Vickery Animal Shelter Saturday, April 23 and Saturday, April 30.  The shelter is located at 3412 Loop 197 North in Texas City .  Resealing the floors is a state requirement for shelters and will help control possible disease outbreaks in the facility and assist in controlling odor. 

During the two weekends when the sealing process will take place, the health district encourages pet owners who wish to relinquish their pets to do so during business hours Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. through 5 p.m.  

Weather permitting, adoptions will be conducted both Saturdays in the animal shelter parking lot.  Texas City and Galveston County animal licenses will also be available for purchase from health district staff. 

The Galveston County Health District thanks the public for their patience and support of this necessary temporary inconvenience.  During the sealing process, citizens can still call for field assistance with stray animals or animal bites as these services will not be interrupted. 

For more information, call Animal Services at (409) 948-2485.

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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, April 19 
4:00 Galveston Planning Commission
7:00 Clear Lake Shores City Council
7:00 Seabrook City Council
7:00 Tiki Island Board of Aldermen
7:00 Webster City Council
7:30 Pasadena City Council

Wednesday, April 20 
9:00 Houston City Council
12:00 Rotary Club of Galveston, Fisherman's Wharf.  The program is Youth Direct Ministries with Don Smarto
4:00 Galveston Zoning Board of Adjustment Special Meeting
4:00 Galveston Intermodal Transportation Committee, City Hall Room 100
4:00 Galveston Building Standards Commission, City Hall Room 204
5:00 Texas City City Commission
5:00 Shoalwater Royale Ribbon Cutting, 323 Tiki Drive.
6:30 League City City Council Joint Meeting with the Planning and Zoning Commission 
7:00 Clear Creek Independent School District Board of Trustees Special Meeting 

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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.

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  

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