16 August 2005
Thank you Mayor White
Matt Bramanti points to a KPRC-2 story about how the city's forced towing program has another black eye:
Two women from different parts of Houston became victims of identity theft and the only common link between the cases was a towing company with the city's Safe Clear program, the Local 2 Troubleshooters reported Monday.
[snip]
Andrea Anderson broke down along Highway 59 near Collingsworth. A Safe Clear wrecker was dispatched.
"I was hot and sweaty and waiting for a long time," she said. "I was forced to use the Safe Clear program, where I could have used my warranty tow."
A wrecker from Unified Auto Works towed Anderson's car to Humble. She paid the bill with her check card. Several days later, Anderson checked her bank account and found more than $600 worth of unauthorized charges, along with a list of overdraft fees.
Around the time Anderson was trying to figure out who was draining her bank account, a different woman's car broke down along Interstate 10 near Lockwood. Again, a wrecker from Unified Auto Works was dispatched as part of the Safe Clear program.
The woman talked with the Troubleshooters but asked to remain anonymous. She told them she also paid Unified with her credit card. And soon after, she also got hit with hundreds of dollars in unauthorized charges.
Detectives traced some of those charges to an east Houston apartment and a woman by the name of Cheryl Jackson, a three time convicted thief.
[snip]
There's a wrinkle though -- Jackson doesn't work for Unified. But her husband, Huey Hamilton, did work for Unified. He was a dispatcher for the wrecker service and he also has a long criminal record for theft and burglary.
There's more...go read how the city is responding to this. And then, let's all thank Mayor White for SAFEClear.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/16/05 05:32 AM |
13 August 2005
Houston is rolling in the dough
Houston saw sales tax revenues jump almost seven percent in July:
Houston's sales tax payment reached $36.96 million in July, a 6.9 percent increase from $34.58 million the same month a year ago, according to Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn.
[snip]
Houston's sales tax allocations are up 6.1 percent so far this year compared to the same period a year ago. The city so far has collected $253.37 million in sales tax revenue this year, compared to $238.84 million by this time last year.
Add to that the Operation Jaywalking revenue stream and the future red light camera revenue stream and Houston will be sitting pretty.
Mayor White's first priority surely will be more police officers, since the excuse that Houston lacked the funding to deal adequately with HPD's manpower shortage seems to be evaporating.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/13/05 07:36 AM |
Bob McNair hopes for 2010 Super Bowl
With the news that Houston may have a shot at the 2010 Super Bowl, let's remember what Ken Hoffman said after Houston lost out on the 2009 Super Bowl:
The thing I wonder about is, whenever Houston goes after a major event, we send the same tired group of people to represent us. I've never seen a group less representative of Houston. This is a vibrant, 21st-century, diverse, on-the-move city. Roy Rogers and Dale Evans left town years ago.
If I were an NFL team owner, and the Houston contingent came to my door, I'd put a piece of candy in their bag and send them away.
And who made up the "same tired group of people"?
Texans owner Bob McNair, Mayor Bill White and other city leaders traveled to Washington, D.C., for the league's meeting.
I still think ttweak should handle it.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/13/05 07:22 AM |
12 August 2005
Residents fear proposed bike path will lead to crime
Some Southeast residents are fighting current plans for a bike path along an old railroad right of way in their neighborhood:
Along a stretch of MacGregor, just east of Highway 288, state highway officials want to build a new bike path.
It would run through an old railroad right of way, across an old railroad bridge, then through an industrial area leading back toward the park.
Civic activists suggest another path running alongside the bayou is much more practical.
The problem is a lot of people who live in the community just don't want the a bike path. It would run very close to homes in the neighborhood. Many worry the bike path would also become a pathway for criminals to come into this area.
"Crime has been an issue," Lloyd said. "Ever since this fence was put up, crime has pretty much dropped to zero because there was access through this bridge. And they were able to get into the homes and into the school area. And it was just pretty unsafe."
The proposed bike path would also cut straight through a lot owned by the city which a nearby homeowner has converted into a natural habitat; complete with private security and surveillance cameras.
"There was very little, if any, community input into this," Houston City Councilwoman Ada Edwards said. "It was like, 'We're doing this for y'all. Be happy. And we're gonna move on."
Mayor Bill White is now taking another look at the future of the path and the property.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/12/05 09:26 PM |
11 August 2005
Why is the Mayor fixated on a new parking bureaucracy? (Updated)
KHOU-11's Doug Miller reports on a bad idea from Mayor White that just won't go away:
Variety Fair 5 & 10 store customers are guaranteed to find all sorts of interesting merchandise. But there's no guarantee customers can find a place to park -- and no confidence in a parking commission.
"A bureaucracy. I don't know how that's going to help us a whole lot," said Cathy Irby, store owner.
With so many cars and so many drivers looking for parking spaces, the Rice Village is one of the places city officials point out when they say the city needs a parking commission.
"It's fairly common in urban areas that are bigger and smaller than Houston, to have a group of citizens focusing on parking on the long term, as you do in the Medical Center," said Mayor Bill White.
But as people in the Rice Village have learned, messing around with parking can be like playing with fire.
For example, the City of Houston is buying 2,000 new parking meters. The first 500 will replace old meters downtown. But the rest could go anywhere. When you ask people in Rice Village what they think about parking meters, the reaction's pretty negative.
"I don't think parking meters would generate revenue for anyone but the city -- wouldn't generate money for businesses," said Irby. "It would not create and open up more parking. That's not the answer to the situation."
Ms. Irby sums it up pretty well. It's hard to see how a new parking bureaucracy solves any of our city's real problems. But Mayor White seems determined to create yet another revenue stream whether the citizenry wants it or not.
UPDATE (08-12-2005): KTRH-740 this morning is reporting that the parking authority proposal will soon be moving to a council vote. Councilmember Michael Berry, whose committee is shepherding the proposal, was quoted in favor of the parking authority. Perhaps the councilmember or his staff would like to explain to our readers why he supports the creation of another new bureaucracy/revenue stream, at a time when the city is raking in the revenues.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/11/05 09:59 PM |
09 August 2005
Metro's Mobility Breakfast Series
Here's a meeting notice on Metro's website:
Houston-Intown Chamber of Commerce
Mobility Breakfast Series
Connecting the Centers: An Update on the University Line
Guest Speaker: METRO President & CEO, Frank J. Wilson
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
7:30 - 9 a.m.
The Briar Club
2603 Timmons
Ticket Prices: Members $20 Non-Members $30
RSVP 713-524-8000
Also, Metro's next round of service "improvements" is scheduled for August 14 and Metro's next board meeting is August 18.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/09/05 09:56 AM |
04 August 2005
Mayor White and the tale of two bridges
While residents in one part of town have been waiting seven years for a bridge to be built:
People living in the Manchester area near the Houston Ship Channel have said they sometimes face a long wait just to get in their neighborhood.
Money just waiting to be spent to solve the train trouble has been left untouched for several years.
[snip]
Congressman Gene Green has now sent a letter to Mayor Bill White, asking him to expedite the bridge over the tracks that congress approved funding for in 1998."I want him to do what he does best -- get the bureaucracy in gear," Green said. "The frustration is that it's taken seven years."
"I've been frustrated over half my life because of the bureaucracy," said Councilmember Carol Alvarado.
Residents in another part of town appear to be getting a bridge they don't want -- ASAP:
Construction of a controversial bridge at the end of Rosslyn Road that would link Candlelight Estates to a new 17-acre subdivision should be finished by January, said Alvin Freeman, one of the project's developers.
This is despite the efforts of a group of residents who oppose the construction, saying it would increase traffic, and are continuing efforts to see if they can stop it.
Freeman said he and fellow developer Tom Shepard have been accepting bids from contractors to build the bridge, which will be constructed over a drainage ditch.
It will serve as the entryway for Candlelight Place Section 3, a new subdivision that will be located north of Bethlehem Street and south of Pinemont Drive, he said.
Freeman said he and Shepard have the necessary permits required by the city and the Harris County Flood Control District to build the structure.
"We've got the green light from all applicable authorities," Freeman said.
[snip]
The opposing residents have met with city officials several times in recent months about the bridge, but those talks have yet to produce any delay for the project.
Ray Bush, 72, who lives on the corner of Bethlehem and Rosslyn and is part of the group against the bridge, said they plan to talk with Mayor Bill White about the situation on Monday at 7 p.m. when he appears at Candlelight Park, 1520 Candlelight, for an Oak Forest Homeowners Association meeting.
Mayor White actually sent an email to Candlelight Estates residents telling them the city couldn't stop the bridge from being built.
It's a rather interesting compare and contrast, isn't it?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/04/05 07:55 AM |
An HPD conundrum
If an illegal immigrant minor is riding a motorized scooter, does HPD have to call in the Feds to issue the $500 ticket?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/04/05 07:05 AM |
03 August 2005
Chief Hurtt encourages closer bonds between HPD and FBI
Yesterday, USA Today ran a story about how the FBI is working with local law enforcement agencies to thwart terrorism:
Since the 9/11 attacks, more than 6,000 state and local police officers have been granted access to classified material involving terrorist threats, the broadest dissemination of secret information in U.S. history.
The information sharing, which is overseen by the FBI, has been held up as a model of cooperation by law enforcement.
Despite its success, it's unclear whether giving local officials access to classified information has provided them with a direct link to any terrorism suspects.
Even so, Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt, one of the early critics of the information-sharing program because of delays in getting secret clearances, says the new access is forging closer bonds between local police and the FBI. And the FBI has grown increasingly dependent on local police to assist in terrorism investigations.
Well, well. Isn't that interesting?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/03/05 08:17 AM |
01 August 2005
City and firefighters resume negotiations
The Chronicle's Matt Stiles does some solid reporting on the resumed negotiations between the city and Houston Firefighters.
According to Stiles, HFD negotiators have a better grasp of firefighter concerns after polling the rank and file online.
Councilmember Mark Goldberg, who lately seems to enjoy sticking his foot in his mouth, has the following to say about the process:
Councilman Mark Goldberg said he doesn't believe firefighters understood budget implications before the last vote.
"Even if most of the firefighters are expecting a certain amount of pay increase, if it's not within in the city of Houston budget, then we can't agree to it," he said.
Mayor White has been very good about finding money for projects that are a priority for him, so that's not an especially compelling argument. But it's certainly less offensive than Goldberg's echoing the Chronicle in effectively calling out Houston firefighters as stupid. Too bad the Chronicle editorialists aren't bumping up against term limits like Councilmember Goldberg.
Councilmember Adrian Garcia's comments were more reasonable:
Councilman Adrian Garcia, who chairs the public safety committee, said he believes the city ought to leave the shifts alone, even if it means a lower pay raise. The gesture is necessary, he said, to build trust among the firefighters, many of whom believe previous mayoral administrations haven't treated them fairly.
One provision of the agreement that concerned firefighters will apparently be clarified:
[Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association President Roland] Chavez said at least one other hot-button provision that doomed the last contract has been fixed. Some firefighters thought an ambiguous section of the deal meant the city was retreating from its commitment to staffing trucks and engines with four firefighters.
That commitment, which Chavez said would be explicit in any new deal, is a critical safety issue to firefighters, who've seen five of their colleagues die on duty in as many years.
No agreement is likely to win approval without that clarification.
The city needs to get this deal done. Houston firefighters deserve a raise (and a little more respect from certain people on Council), and an administration that was able to implement Tasers and SAFEclear so rapidly surely can close the deal on a real matter of public safety.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/01/05 09:25 PM |
Red light cameras can help with Houston's day laborer problem
The Minutemen sure have stirred things up in Houston.
Oh, and it's not just about diversity, harmony and peace. We forgot about compassion:
A regular police community meeting near Shepherd and Washington last week drew more than 70 residents and business owners, including many who expressed frustration with day laborers.
The problem "is way worse than it was three or four years ago," said Michael Tones, the vice president of New Plan Excel Realty Trust, which owns a shopping center in the area. Tones said customers are frightened by the men loitering along Shepherd near 11th Street.
Juan Alvarez, an activist working to organize the day laborers in that area, asked homeowners to be compassionate.
"I know it is a problem for most of you, but on the other side they are human beings, too," Alvarez said.
So, what's the solution? Why, build more "day labor sites," at city expense of course:
At a separate meeting, Joe Rubio, a representative of Catholic Charities who also heads the Mayor's Office on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, introduced a proposal to place a day labor center in each quadrant of the city. The centers would be located away from residential neighborhoods, and would offer language classes and other education.
Rubio estimates that each center would cost a "minimum" of $150,000 a year. Councilman Gordon Quan said he doubted the council would provide $600,000 to fund the four sites, but Rubio and others said private funding could help offset the costs.
In the East End, a day labor center has reopened using $90,000 from the city, $50,000 from Bank of America and volunteer work from representatives of Exxon Mobil Corp.
That's awfully defeatist of Councilman Quan. Mayor White can be pretty persuasive, and if the mayor decides he wants $600,000 to build centers where "immigrants" can take educational classes, get help with identification papers and find employment, he'll figure out a way to make it happen.
Besides, those red light cameras will have plenty of revenue flowing into city coffers real soon.
UPDATE: Chris Baker is discussing this topic today. He interviewed Joe Rubio (mentioned in the Chron's story) who passed along an interesting tidbit: day laborers have complained about being picked up for jobs and then not paid by homeowners and contracters. So HPD has it set up where laborers can lodge a complaint with HPD about people who don't pay them.
Interesting, huh? Chief Hurtt insists that HPD does not have the resources to ask people if they are here legally, but HPD does have the resources to go after the homeowners and contractors who rip them off.
Of course as Chris points out, it's terrible that anyone would not uphold his promise to pay, but if the people who are here illegally weren't encouraged to be here, maybe they wouldn't be victimized in the first place.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/01/05 10:29 AM |
28 July 2005
Former councilman sues city over airport concessions contract
The City of Houston is being sued by a former Houston city councilman:
The City of Houston is being sued by a former Houston City Councilman in a dispute over duty-free concessions at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
A lawsuit filed by Branch/McGowen Ventures in Harris County District Court accuses airport officials of fraud and breach of contract, and seeks damages of $3 million.
Branch/McGowen Ventures is a partnership consisting of ex-Councilman Ernest McGowen Sr. and local fast-food franchisee Theldon Branch.
The partnership has operated the duty-free concession at Houston's largest airport since 1995. With the long-running contract up for renewal, the suit alleges the partnership was misled into investing in improvements to airport operations.
The suit contends airport officials promised to renew the contract if the partnership would make $500,000 in improvements. But shortly after $350,000 of the investment was raised, according to the suit, airport officials opened the bidding on a new duty-free concession contract.
In January, an airport selection committee rejected the bid by local partnership Branch/McGowen. Chosen instead was The Nuance Group Houston LLC, the local arm of a global operator of duty-free shops.
[snip]
Denying that airport officials made any promises, City Attorney Arturo Michel says, "The city's position is that that didn't happen."
Some City Hall insiders suggest the contract flap is indicative of an effort by Mayor Bill White to cut ties with the political cronyism left over from previous administrations.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/28/05 04:52 PM |
Crime Summit Conference
That's what Chief Hurtt called his press conference yesterday.
Topics included rising crime, the police manpower shortage, red light cameras (woo!), sanctuary for illegals, and...tattoos!
Chris Baker explained yesterday why he calls Chief Hurtt "Link Appleyard." It made me laugh, and after yesterday's "Crime Summit Conference," the characterization doesn't seem out of place.
Other press conference...er "Crime Summit Conference" coverage: KPRC-2, KHOU-11, KTRK-13
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/28/05 10:12 AM |
26 July 2005
A clarification to today's Chronicle eminent domain story
Today's Chronicle has a story by Matt Stiles about Councilman Michael Berry's proposed ordinance to limit the city of Houston's ability to declare eminent domain:
With protection for property owners from private-development land seizures dead for now in the Legislature, a Houston councilman is proposing a new city ordinance intended to limit Houston's eminent domain powers.
Councilman Michael Berry, a lawyer and real estate agent, has asked Mayor Bill White's administration to draft a new rule preventing the city from taking property unless needed for public use.
[snip]
"My intent is to prevent the government from acting as an agent of private developers," Berry said. "This is to preserve as sacrosanct private property rights and prevent the government from taking private property except for a public use."
Councilman Berry's office indicates that he has not asked the mayor's office to draft an ordinance; in fact, Councilman Berry has already submitted a draft ordinance (with input from Dana Berliner, a Kelo advocate) to the mayor's office for consideration and a thorough debate.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/26/05 09:25 AM |
Commissioners Court voting on $450 million bond referendum today (updated)
Harris County Commissioners are set to vote -- TODAY -- on approving a $450 million bond referendum that would go before voters in November:
Harris County voters could be asked in November to approve a $450 million bond issue one of the biggest in county history if county officials give the go-ahead for a referendum today.
If passed, $200 million would go for road building and repairs, $150 million for parks projects, $65 million for building a new Family Law Center and $35 million for renovating and expanding the juvenile detention center on West Dallas.
Recent bond issues have not raised the county's tax rate because increased property values and taxes on new properties covered bond debt. But three members of Commissioners Court say the new bonds likely would lead to an increase in the tax rate.
"If you pass issues like this, tax increases are certainly possible probable in my opinion," said Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, who represents the eastern part of the county, said she is not convinced that county residents want a referendum on bonds that would lead to tax rate hikes.
"My bottom line is that I'm not going to increase the tax rate," said Garcia, a first-term commissioner who will be seeking re-election next year. "My sense of the current climate is that people don't want increased taxes."
Good for the Chronicle's Bill Murphy, getting this story out, but the meeting is this morning! I am on the news alert email list for Judge Eckels -- it's the only email alert thing I could find on the county page -- and I did get an email alert yesterday...announcing that Judge Eckels had shown his appreciation for law enforcement, fire and volunteer agencies by distributing over 8,000 Astros tickets for three end-of-July games. Not one peep about a meeting dealing with such a big issue.
How much longer will these elected officials, who are little kings (or czarina) in their kingdoms, keep the public in the dark? Why aren't these meetings ever held outside of downtown? Why is there not a big media blitz to promote these meetings? We are talking a half of a billion dollars and the meeting is THIS MORNING! There is nothing on the front page of the Harris County website that says, "Meeting July 26 -- up for discussion: a half billion dollar bond referendum."
Why not? The cynical side of me says it's because they really don't want us there voicing any dissenting opinions.
UPDATE: Via Sedosi, I see that Bill Murphy's story now says the bond referendum was voted down. Excellent!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/26/05 06:31 AM |
25 July 2005
Tom Kirkendall solves the city's golf course problem
Yesterday the Chronicle ran a Matt Stiles story on Houston's municipal golf system. Tom Kirkendall has some more thoughts on the city being in the golf course business, and a great idea on how the city can get out from under the red ink:
Here is a "thinking outside the box" suggestion for the Houston City Council on the golf course operation. Other than Memorial Park and Hermann Park golf courses, sell the remainder of the golf courses, including a sale or donation of the Gus Wortham Course to the University of Houston, which could then invest the funds necessary to renovate that tract into a potentially fine university course close to the University's Central Campus. With a portion of the funds generated from the sale of the courses, the City could then fund an endowment to be administered by the Houston Golf Association to promote golf to underprivileged children and citizens of Houston.
Someone please forward this idea to Mayor White!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/25/05 12:39 PM |
23 July 2005
A curious omission in Mack's local campaign finance column
In her most recent column, the Chronicle's Kristen Mack wrote about political contributions to local political candidates and PACs:
Mayor Bill White raised $2.2 million during the first six months of this year for his November re-election bid, according to a report filed July 15 for his Friends of Bill White fund.
The mayor also has three other campaign accounts affiliated with him and his causes.
He still has $800,000 left over in his 2003 mayoral race account, which he has used for expenses, including consultants and pollsters.
[snip]
HOU PAC, which White created to promote the city at the state level, raised $217,000 from just 16 donors during the period.
Other council incumbents, hoping to fend off challengers, have rolled in the cash as well. District G Councilwoman Pam Holm raised $236,000, according to her July 15 report. At-large Position 5 Councilman Michael Berry bought in $248,000.
"Stockpiling a war chest is a talisman, assuring no credible candidate will file against you," Berry said. "Money provides an incredible security blanket."
Given the fact that both the Chronicle editorial board and Councilmember Goldberg suggested that Councilmember Addie Wiseman's stance on Houston MediaSource's vulgarity was somehow motivated by campaign concerns, the fact that Mack didn't report on Wiseman's campaign finances seems like a striking omission.
Wiseman's campaign finance report, available on the City of Houston website, shows total political contributions of $39,725 this year and total political contributions on hand as of July 15 of $61,758.39. No candidates have announced to run against her.
We were pleased to see Mack identify Rice political scientist Bob Stein accurately.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/23/05 03:08 PM |
Now maybe he could get around to talking about issues...
The Chronicle's Kristen Mack reports that District C council candidate Brian Cweren's campaign has been poaching internet domain names:
Houston City Council candidate Brian Cweren is trying for a landslide in political cyberspace. The District C hopeful has purchased Web sites containing various combinations of his name and five of his opponents' names.The result is that some sites with the names of his opponents direct Web users to Cweren's campaign site.
[snip]
Go to some sites containing all or part of the names of Cweren opponents Anne Clutterbuck, George Hittner, Ray Jones, Mark Lee or Herman Litt, and you'll get this message:
"I realize you were looking for someone else, but I would be honored if you would visit my website." It helpfully provides a link to Cweren's site.
Cweren's campaign purchased 29 sites including variations on his name or the others.
"It was a strategy designed by our Web designer. We thought, 'Why the hell not?'
Here's why the hell not: Because it's tacky, misleading, and cries out "LOSER WHO CAN'T GENERATE POLITICAL INTEREST HIMSELF."
The city needs more serious candidates who talk about serious issues, and fewer gimmicks. If Cweren wants to be taken seriously, maybe he could at least put links to his opponents on the domains he bought (and provide some details on all the wonderful things he wants to accomplish on his own site). Otherwise, he looks a little pathetic.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/23/05 02:17 PM |
And these are the people charged with protecting us?
The announced arrival of citizen immigration patrols in Houston has rekindled a long-smoldering debate over the city's hands-off policy toward illegal immigrants.
Since 1992, Houston police officers have been officially forbidden from enforcing immigration law in most cases. Other city departments generally take a "don't ask, don't tell" approach toward immigrants, officials acknowledge.
[snip]
Houston's policy is more complex than sometimes portrayed. In 1992, Houston Police Chief Sam Nuchia signed General Order 500-5, which states: "Officers shall not make inquiries as to the citizenship status of any person, nor will officers detain or arrest persons solely on the belief that they are in this country illegally."
But the policy has never been formally approved by the City Council and does not officially govern other departments. Before he became a city councilman, immigration attorney Gordon Quan lobbied for a law that would make Houston a "Safety Zone" for illegal immigrants. The proposal died in 1997 after garnering no council support.
But even without the official policy, city officials outside the Police Department are not encouraged to cooperate with immigration officials, Quan notes. He does not see any point in revisiting the issue.
"I just think it would be very divisive to talk about this immigration policy," he said.
[snip]
But [Harris County District 6 Constable Victor] Trevi๑o said that if citizens and even police started entering Hispanic neighborhoods and asking locals for their documents, it would create a major backlash.
"It'll be worse than the Civil War," he said.
That is so mind-numbingly stupid.
Orlando Sanchez recently said on KSEV-700 that he finds it unbelievable that Houston police are actually prevented from upholding the law.
And Laurence Simon thinks we need a new Godwin's Law.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/23/05 10:29 AM |
22 July 2005
Houston still trying to take Spring Branch ISD's land
I see that the Chronicle's This Week section contains a story about the city of Houston's eminent domain land grab attempt on a parcel of land belonging to Spring Branch ISD. Earlier this week, I suggested we needed a follow-up story to a Chronicle Wrap-up story on the subject, because the story was so confusing. After reading the This Week story, I am left to assume that the condemnation process is still underway:
City of Houston and Spring Branch school officials have agreed to meet and discuss the fate of a piece of property near Valley Oaks Elementary School that has been the subject of controversy and confusion in recent weeks.
The debate centers on whether the city needs to exercise eminent domain proceedings to acquire the property for a Pech Road widening project.
The city of Houston project calls for widening Pech Road between Westview and Long Point roads from a two-lane asphalt road with open ditches to a four-lane, concrete street with curbs and gutters. There also will be sidewalks along both sides with wheelchair ramps.
Wes Johnson, city of Houston public works spokesman, said the 20-foot-by-20 foot tract of land is needed to improve handicapped access at the corner.
Spring Branch Superintendent Duncan Klussman said if that's the case, a condemnation proceeding against part of the district's property is not necessary.
"Typically, if an entity needs land for a handicapped access, it doesn't require condemnation," Klussman said.
District A City Councilwoman Toni Lawrence, whose district includes Valley Oaks, said the Pech Road project has been on the city's capital improvement plan since 2002. She said information about the project was distributed to area residents, school officials and business owners at a town hall meeting in early 2004.
You'll remember that Councilwoman Toni Lawrence made herself unavailable to Spring Branch ISD officials and the media (before this article), when asked about the condemnation.
And again a Houston spokesman says that this project is about handicapped access, but a Spring Branch ISD official bats that one down.
This seems mighty suspicious. It seems unlikely that the city would turn a "two-lane asphalt road with open ditches [in]to a four-lane, concrete street with curbs and gutters" and sidewalks, just for handicapped access. Nope, the skeptical side of me wonders who this land grab/road improvement is really for.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/22/05 08:48 AM |
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