Houston City Council today voted unanimously to delay for two weeks a decision on the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget for the Memorial City Redevelopment Authority in Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 17, on a motion by Oliver Pennington. Listen
(1 minute 19 seconds)
“There has been a turnover of about 40 percent of the board members and I just want to be sure that the TIRZ directors all have an opportunity to look at the budget,” Pennington said, noting that the president of the TIRZ, another member of the board and some of the residents of the district had requested the delay at Tuesday’s meeting of the city council.
Council Member Helena Brown, who had posted a news release following Tuesday's meeting requesting the delay, thanked Pennington and others.
“This is us saying ‘yes’ to the community,” Brown said. “This is keeping things moving on a positive track, moving forward.”
The city council voted unanimously to appropriate $3,744,400 for a professional architecture/engineering services contract with Walker Parking Consultants/Engineers for a new parking garage at William P. Hobby Airport, but there was considerable discussion of Southwest Airlines’ support for the garage. Listen (3 minutes 47 seconds)
“The construction of a new parking garage predated any discussion with Southwest Airlines about new terminals, and if you have had to park at Hobby recently you will understand the need for new construction,” said Mayor Annise Parker, responding to the concerns expressed by Council Member Mike Laster. “As we allocate the cost of any expansion we can certainly discuss the parking garage, but I know that it’s imperative that we do construct that new garage.”
Four items were delayed for one week by individual members of the city council using the ‘tag’ rule.
- A request by Brian Nawara of Texas Engineering and Mapping, on behalf of Alliance Enclave Reflections Limited Partnership for abandonment and sale of a 10-foot-wide water line easement and a 10-foot-wide by 35-foot-wide water main (flushing valve) easement, located within the Enclave at Reflections Apartments Addition, Section One was tagged by Pennington;
- A motion to increase spending authority from $27,563,500 to $38,588,900 for chemicals, inorganic metal salt coagulants for the Department of Public Works & Engineering, in a contract with Altiva Corporation was tagged by Larry Green;
- An ordinance appropriating an additional $246,100 for a professional engineering services contract with TRW Engineers, doing business as TSC Engineering, for Braesmont Drive area drainage and paving improvements was tagged by Green; and
- An ordinance appropriating an additional $10 million for a contract with Houston Airports Program Management Team for professional program management consulting services for the Houston Airport System was tagged by Michael Sullivan.
An ordinance appropriating and transferring $400,000 out of Contractor’s Responsibility Fund into the Health Special Revenue Fund for the provision of services under the Care Houston Program for the Houston Department of Health and Human Services did not arrive in the city council chambers in time for consideration and will be included for action on a future agenda.
All other agenda items were approved unanimously with Wanda Adams absent. Agenda
At her news conference following the meeting Mayor Parker announced a new collaborative effort to broaden the number of young people who “reach for the stars” in careers in aviation and aerospace with the launch of the Houston Airport System Aviation Club. News Release
“Houston’s legacy as a world leader in aerospace jobs will continue with the development of this exciting and innovative community outreach to the next generation,” Parker said. Listen (30 minutes)
Houston Airport System Director of Aviation Mario C. Diaz said that he had a vision to launch the Aviation Club during the school year of 2012 in Houston as a means to plant seeds for future generations to enter aviation and aerospace as a career
“As a teenager, I became fascinated with aviation and I enjoy the journey I experience as first a pilot and later as an executive for airports in three major U.S. cities,” Diaz said.
“Today’s students have many career choices but also face many distractions,” said Bob Mitchell, president of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. “The newly-created Aviation Club will assist students in focusing on some of the most exciting career opportunities available now and in the future – the fields of aerospace and aviation.”