07 October 2008
Quick, someone alert David Mincberg
Houston's traffic signals are up and running:
The last traffic light without power in Houston was near Brock Park in the city's far northeastern corner on Monday.
The signals at Brock Park and Tidwell still were dark as of 4 p.m., but crews were working on them, city officials said.
The other 2,426 intersections in Houston now have working red, yellow and green light cycles. So far, the city has spent an estimated $6.31 million fixing the signals — including costs for equipment, overtime and the hiring of more than 120 contract workers, according to Michael Marcotte, director of Public Works and Engineering.
Mincberg can get off his best buddy's back.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/07/08 06:46 PM |
05 October 2008
DPW to city: Please give us $3.5 million more for water meters, and we PROMISE results by 2012
Nevermind that the original project was supposed to cost $50 million and be completed in 2003. Then in 2006, it was guesstimated the project would cost $75 million and be completed in 2008.
So, here we are in 2008, and the Department of Public Works wants another $3.5 million:
Now, the Department of Public Works and Engineering is asking for another $3.5 million even as officials acknowledge that more than 200,000 of the devices installed by a Washington-based vendor have had to be replaced. The city has more than 400,000 water customers.
City officials originally projected the automated system would pay for itself by 2003; they now say it will not reach that point until 2012.
Mindful of past problems the city has had implementing new technology and software systems — some of which led them to take legal action against the contractor — the City Council tabled a vote on the $3.5 million request Wednesday.
[snip]
Public Works spokesman Alvin Wright said many of the water meter devices the city bought broke due to "water intrusion on a mass scale.
"At the time of the original implementation, the application of this technology in a water utility was brand new," he said, noting that Houston was the first city to implement an automated in-ground water meter system. "The industry has advanced significantly since that time with several generations of the product having come and gone."
Brilliant. New in-ground technology being used in Houston.
Wright said the department will recoup that amount and an additional $1.4 million in savings by 2012 and begin saving $4.5 million a year after that. Most of that is expected to come from needing fewer workers to manually record monthly water usage from meters.
Really! They promise this time!! What can possibly go wrong?
Last time we voted on this, we were told the technology had improved," Councilwoman Anne Clutterbuck said Wednesday, calling the number of devices that failed "staggering."
"We need to know has it truly improved and is the failure rate down to something that is reasonable."
There'll be lots of happy-talk and assurances, plus the argument that it's too late (and too costly) to go back to the old system, and council will vote yes. And in another year or so, we'll see another story about how DPW needs another few million to make it work, along with a new target date for savings.
Typical government.
Ubu Roi adds: I have never been a fan of this project from the start. It was rushed into by managers who wanted to look good to the previous administration, regardless of the cost, which they wouldn't be (and aren't) around to bear. As I've written before, here and elsewhere, the original projections were unrealistic, the technology untested, the application unprecedented, and the plan was completely flawed. Everything since then has been B'rer Rabbit trying to fight the Tar Baby.
(continued below the fold)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/05/08 06:27 AM |
30 September 2008
HPD asks for another $1.25 million for crime lab
Talk about a money drain. From Chron.com:
The Houston Police Department is asking City Council to approve $1.25 million to hire outside scientists to review all tests done by the recently reopened DNA crime lab.
Limited DNA testing resumed at the crime lab in July, but the department still outsources the majority of tests to a Dallas firm.
The two consultants, Dr. Charlotte J. Word and Dr. Robin W. Cotton, would review every case involving DNA testing and check the processes and conclusions reached by HPD's in-house laboratory, according to Dr. Laura Gahn, the DNA lab's technical director.
The hiring of independent, outside consultants was a recommendation of the multi-year, $5.3 million probe of HPD's troubled crime lab, completed in 2007.
"Now, you have an extra level of oversight from outside, giving the public an extra level of confidence," Gahn said.
Right. An "extra level of confidence." The problem is, HPD's crime lab inspires little confidence, let alone "extra."
So, there goes another million down the drain. You may recall that, back in February, Crime Lab Director Irma Rios was interviewed by KHOU-11's Jeremy Desel, when she said that the those in the crime lab were "being good stewards of the public's money." And then she commented that cost was not a problem, which is evidenced by this multi-year fiasco. The only time money has been a problem was when the city didn't want to continue funding the Bromwich crime lab investigation. Now, after fighting that report, HPD wants to spend a million implementing one of its recommendations.
PREVIOUSLY: Crime Lab archives
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/30/08 05:09 AM |
05 September 2008
Annise Parker speaks out on BARC
A few months ago, several of us speculated that Annise Parker might be seriously eying a run for mayor of Houston, after White is term-limited out. Shortly after that, any suspicions I had on the matter were strengthened by the introduction of a regular City Controller's Report, delivered to employee mailboxes periodically. The lead article of the first seemed quite topical at the time, focusing on HPD.
Well, the second issue has just come out and, perhaps not coincidentally, the lead article is also quite up-to-the-moment -- if somewhat lacking in any mention of the reason for such topicality. The lead article "BARC Deserves the Best -- At Long Last", takes on (what else?) the city's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. As this is a city publication, and may not be available to the general public, the full text is below the fold.
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 09/05/08 04:14 PM |
27 August 2008
Thou shalt not question HPD (updated)
KHOU-11's Lee McGuire reports that some city councilmembers had the temerity to ask HPD for an accounting of previous funds that were allotted for recruitment advertising. This came about as HPD was requesting another $750,000 for the same thing:
Several councilmembers, including the budget chair, refused to back a request by the Houston Police Department for another $750,000 for recruitment advertising.
They said HPD has been unable or unwilling to provide information on how many recruits came on board because of the last round of advertising. Councilmember Green said he's been “banned” from asking questions of the HPD public information office and instead has been told to go through the legal department.
Councilmember Anne Clutterbuck said she was shocked that she couldn’t find HPD job openings on common job search Web sites, while the Dallas Police Department came up all the time. She said when she asked HPD about it, all she got back was “rhetoric.”
A councilman has been banned from asking questions??? No HPD jobs are listed on job search websites???
That's some fine leadership from Chief Hurtt.
UPDATE (8-28-2008) The Chron's Carolyn Feibel adds more:
The two-year contract with Patriot Advertising is for Internet and print media.
A previous one-year $300,000 contract with the company expired in April.
HPD also has spent $335,000 on television commercials that aired from February through July.
Councilwoman Pam Holm said Wednesday that council members had asked HPD to track results when the first Patriot contract was approved more than a year ago.
"Anyone renewing a contract needs to examine the effectiveness of money already spent," Holm said.
She added that she was surprised HPD did not produce any numbers from the first contract.
"How do we know if it's effective?" Holm asked. "Basically, what they told us was they didn't track it and they didn't have any way to track it."
Patriot Advertising's website is here and includes a quote on the testimonial page from HPD Capt. Dwayne Ready:
Thanks for the fast work on this. Reacting to market pressures is an unending task, and I appreciate the responses we get when things are needed in short order. Kudos to your and your staff.
-Cpt. Ready - Houston Police Department
Ahhh, the unending task of market pressures. That must be what's holding up the tracking report.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/27/08 05:58 PM |
25 August 2008
Your Houston tax dollars at work
As the end of the city's fiscal year was approaching, what did city councilmembers do with the remainder of their office budgets? The Chron's Matt Stiles and Carolyn Feibel asked for all the spending records and wrote it up. Here's an excerpt:
Six council members bought new TVs with their budget funds. Some mounted large-screen TVs in common staff areas, while others bought each staffer TV sets for their desks.
Two new councilwomen, Wanda Adams and Melissa Noriega, bought five televisions each.
[snip]
Other council members who bought televisions with public funds include Ron Green, Jolanda Jones, M.J. Khan and James Rodriguez. In all, 22 new TVs were purchased for the council floor, at a cost of $8,705.
[snip]
District A Councilwoman Toni Lawrence said the council floor has too many televisions in use.
"Sometimes I have to close the door because of the TV noise," she said.
Be sure to read the entire story for more taxpayer-funded highlights, and don't forget the comments at the end of the Chron's story.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/25/08 05:06 AM |
24 August 2008
Mayor to Mincberg: Quit using me in your ads
Last week the Chron's Liz Austin Peterson reported that Mayor White was not overjoyed with county judge candidate David Mincberg's presumptive use of the mayoral likeness in the wannabe judge's first TV ad:
Democrat David Mincberg makes liberal use of Mayor Bill White's name and picture in the first television ad of his county judge campaign, touting his work in the popular leader's administration and comparing their business experience and management styles.
However, he did not seek permission from White, who generally stays out of local races and has been working to cultivate a good relationship with Republican County Judge Ed Emmett.
White since has made it clear to Mincberg's campaign that he prefers people to ask permission before using him in a campaign ad, said Michael Moore, the mayor's chief of staff.
"He does not want that (ad) to be interpreted as an endorsement," Moore said Wednesday. "The mayor works well with Judge Emmett and has worked well with David Mincberg."
We are thrilled to learn Mincberg plans on running on his "accomplishments" as the city's multi-family housing czar, especially since one could argue that his time in that position appears to have been intended to fluff up his résumé for a future political run. Certainly, the city got its money's worth out of the $1 per-year salary arrangement:
David Mincberg had worked on this a bit, and the City has been grateful for his services, but he has been asked to pass off responsibilities for this because of other time commitments and pursuits.
The "this" referenced above that Mincberg failed to focus on was actually pretty important, as Mayor White described it:
Our central idea is that there should be effective standards and enforcement of standards on the habitability of multi-family units. They should include aspects such as lighting and the ability of law enforcement to get to where they need to, as well as those codes which could create a hazard for electrocution or fire.
As the titular head of the city's multi-family housing program, Mincberg lost interest, and Mayor White had to find someone else to carry on the important work. But that doesn't stop Mincberg from praising his time with the city on his campaign website:
David Mincberg understands that honesty and efficiency are the keys to any successful operation. David’s ability to think strategically is why in 2006, Mayor Bill White asked him to run the City of Houston’s Housing and Community Development Department as a Dollar-a-Year executive. David turned down a salary and instead volunteered his time for this full-time position..
During his tenure as the Dollar-a-Year executive for the City of Houston, David Mincberg:
Managed the Housing Department
Established impartial systems for assessing and improving apartment safety, resulting in the Apartment Security Ordinance.(Ordinance #2006-1124)
Envisioned and created the Better Neighborhoods program by targeting Federal funds strategically to leverage impact.
And yet, in spite of those accomplishments, he was asked to move along so someone else who wasn't so preoccupied could get some work done.
BLOGVERSATION: Lose an Eye, It's a Sport
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/24/08 07:46 AM |
14 August 2008
Mincberg: I may not have a grasp of this county thing, but I've got business acumen!
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and his opponent David Mincberg squared off in a debate yesterday that appeared to showcase Mincberg's unfamiliarity with Harris County operations. The Chron's Liz Peterson has details:
In his first debate against Republican County Judge Ed Emmett, developer David Mincberg said Wednesday his experience in the boardroom and in the community has given him the business acumen and managerial skills needed to lead the nation's third-largest county.
But he stumbled somewhat over questions about the county's day-to-day operations as he sought to paint Emmett as an unethical politician who lacks big business experience.
Asked how he would speed construction of the Grand Parkway so it can be completed as quickly as the Katy Freeway was rebuilt, Mincberg accused the county of awarding contracts for road-building projects to favored campaign contributors without accepting bids.
Mincberg said the county should follow the state's lead when it comes to competitive bidding.
"Unlike the way the I-10 piece was put together, the county's process is not only likely to not go faster, it's likely to go slower," he said.
However, state law bars counties and other governmental entities from accepting bids for professional services contracts with architects, engineers and land surveyors, a fact Emmett quickly pointed out.
[snip]
Mincberg said he would have to review the contracting law, but he believed there was room for more transparency.
The Democrat also decried soaring property assessments and said he would look into the Harris County Appraisal District's appraisal rates while also searching for efficiencies in county government.
But the county has no authority over the appraisal district, other than appointing a member of its six-person board of directors. Also, HCAD is facing pressure from the state to increase commercial property values even further.
After the debate, held by the Houston Realty Breakfast Club political action committee, Emmett said Mincberg's unfamiliarity with county operations makes him an unsuitable candidate to become its chief executive.
We already know Mincberg won't tolerate any questions about his business dealings -- gutter politics!! -- and we know Mincberg wasn't focused on his job as the city's multi-family housing czar because of an old memo Mayor White wrote which the Chron's Matt Stiles obtained:
In this letter, the mayor writes to Houston attorney Tim Horan, asking him to replace David Mincberg, who stopped working on apartments policy last July "because of other time commitments and pursuits." Mincberg is now running for Harris County judge as a Democrat.
If past experience is the best indicator of future results, we already have a hint of how Mincberg will be as county judge.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/14/08 04:07 AM |
13 July 2008
Bradford comes out of hiding, spreads the blame for the crime lab mess
Alan Bernstein's profile of Democratic Harris County District Attorney candidate Clarence Bradford (which has already generated discussion here and elsewhere) heads into almost virgin territory for this campaign, as Bernstein actually managed to entice Bradford out of hiding to talk about various scandals during his time as HPD Chief.
Given the (low) quality of the answers, one can certainly understand why Bradford's handlers prefer him hiding from the press.
Here are some sidebar comments on Bradford's notion of responsibility:
- "Anytime something goes wrong in the police department the chief is responsible. If the toilet doesn't flush in the police building, the chief has to take responsibility for that. That's part of the job"
- "9/11 happened when President Bush was president. I don't blame the president for 9/11 happening because he was president at the time, OK? Things happen"
Things happen, yes. But as the Bromwich reports made clear, life-and-death things happened with the HPD crime lab during Bradford's watch, and Bradford was part of the problem.
Bradford, though, admits that he hasn't read those reports -- reports for which area government spent millions so we could try finally to fix the problems of the crime lab -- and that he doesn't plan to:
The former chief, however, said he had no intention of reading all of the reports on the two-year, $5.3 million investigation of the crime lab by a team led by Michael Bromwich, a former U.S. Justice Department inspector.
Asked why, Bradford replied: "Because I was part of the process (of the investigation). I am familiar with the reports; I have read the summary of all of them."
The reports repeatedly fault HPD's "chain of command" for lax oversight. Bradford said he disagrees with some of the conclusions.
Any candidate for Harris County District Attorney who has pledged NOT to read more than a summary of the Bromwich reports on the crime lab should be disqualified from pursuing the office. That's just an astounding, damning, admission.
Moving on from the responsibility theme, Bradford does have in mind who's really to blame for mismanagement of the crime lab:
"What I should have done — which I didn't see until this all blew up — I should have at least annually gotten independent audits of the crime lab, as opposed to relying on, like the two previous chiefs had done, this particular supervisor ... stating the crime lab met all the federal standards," he said. "So, yes, that's when I dropped the ball. I relied too heavily on the people with the science and biology degrees."
The experts let Clarence the Delegator down! Oh, and so did the other member of Houston's Dynamic Duo at the time:
Bradford, 52, said he was unable to increase lab staffing because of tight budgets dictated by Lanier's successor, Lee Brown — whose law enforcement consulting company, Brown Group International, has employed him since his retirement.
So, this man who won't be capable of trying major cases in court because of lack of experience and has said -- in this profile even -- that as District Attorney, he will be a major public voice and manager rather than a prosecutor -- wasn't able to persuade Lee Brown, Council, or the public that perhaps funding to deal with some known issues at the crime lab would be a good idea? That seems like a guy who isn't likely to be a persuasive public-facing District Attorney either.
But he wants voters to know he's learned from the ordeal:
Bradford, with degrees in criminal justice, public administration and law as well as training by the FBI National Academy and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, considers the lab failures a plus for him now: "I am able to learn from those and move forward. ... That makes me more prepared to go in and deal with organizational issues such as these."
Defendants whose evidence was mangled as the leaders ultimately responsible for the Crime Lab fiddled, so to speak, will surely be pleased to know there's a silver lining to the mess.
Good for Bernstein for finally getting Bradford to answer some of these important questions. We suspect, given some of these disastrous answers, that we may not see Bradford answering many more press inquiries in the near future.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/13/08 10:48 PM |
21 June 2008
Councilmembers aren't impressed with Frank "Procurement Disaster" Wilson
Michael Reed of the River Oaks Examiner provides some background on councilmembers' reactions when the consent agreement with METRO first came before Council over a week ago:
While voicing varying degrees of support for rail, Pam Holm, Jolanda Jones and Ron Green said they still had unaddressed concerns about the protection of the neighborhoods and the small businesses that would be affected.
“Procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part,” Jones said of questions she submitted to the Metropolitan Transit Authority the day before the June 11 meeting. “I still need answers to those questions.”
[snip]
Green, however, said while he feels the Metro board is competent, “there is a serious management disconnect” when it comes to keeping the council informed.
[snip]
When White said Metro had communicated at several public sessions, many attended by Chief Executive Officer Frank Wilson, Jones responded that at meetings she attended, community concerns and ideas were ignored.
Calling Metro’s attitude at that time “disrespectful,” Jones said, “He (Wilson) told us what he wanted to say … They could have had 1,000 meetings.”
[snip]
After the meeting, Wilson told Examiner broadcast partner ABC-13, ““The delay of a week in a 100-year project is insignificant."
And indeed it was, but it is interesting to see local pols publicly voice doubts about METRO. METRO's leadership IS incredibly arrogant, and does all it can to keep the public in the dark. METRO and Mayor White just wanted this consent agreement to pass so METRO can get on to the ground-breaking. While METRO says ongoing dialogue will continue, METRO, under the leadership of Mr. Procurement Disaster, will do what it wants. As Councilwoman Jones said, Frank Wilson says what he wants to say. Period. He's just not interested in differing opinions.
That's how METRO operates, and that's how Mayor White enables Frank Wilson.
PREVIOUSLY: METRO's consent agreement sidesteps committee vote
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 06/21/08 12:21 PM |
Mayor White's new revenue stream, er, flood
The Chron's Mike Snyder has the latest on the city's Ready-Fire-Aim! floodway ordinance:
City officials are recommending changes in a controversial law that limits development in flood-prone areas known as floodways, easing some restrictions that have prompted protests and lawsuits from affected property owners.
The changes, which would permit new construction on vacant land in floodways subject to certain conditions and fees, could be considered by the City Council as soon as next week, said Councilman M.J. Kahn, who chairs the flooding and drainage committee.
But of course!
RELATED: Floodway Coalition of Houston
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 06/21/08 06:25 AM |
20 June 2008
We thought Mayor White was against mixed-use developments
At the Chron's Houston Politics blog, Mike Snyder notes that Mayor White shared his vision of Houston in an interview on NPR:
Over the next 20 years, Houston will become a denser city where people won't have to drive as much because they're riding mass transit and living close to where they work and shop.
That might sound like a pie-in-the-sky prediction from a New Urbanist visionary, but it actually came from someone not known for flights of fancy: Mayor Bill White.
In an interview aired today on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, White said the high price of gasoline is increasing demand for urban mixed-use developments, which combine housing, retail and other amenities.
Unless the dense, mixed-use development is a certain high-rise on Bissonnet.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 06/20/08 07:45 PM |
16 June 2008
Lifestyles of the less well-heeled (cont'd)
Mayor vows action on apartment safety
With renewed attention on substandard conditions at some Houston apartments, Mayor Bill White plans to spend up to $1 million a year on additional inspections to ensure compliance with the city's safety standards.
[snip]
White has considered policy changes for more than a year, since two children were shocked by an open power transformer at a north Houston apartment complex. But recent Houston Chronicle stories documenting code violations and substandard conditions at apartment complexes helped speed the decision, city officials say.
Mayor White "vows action," "plans to spend up to $1 million," "has considered" doing something for more than a year, and now (more than a year later) things are "speeding up." Man, talk about a breakneck pace!
Just wondering, why didn't he take action a year ago after two children were injured?
Contrast this with how Mayor White sprung into action when a high rise threatened the views of some of his, er, wealthy, influential, civically-active constituents. He moved so fast, he created an ordinance that would have had a stifling impact on high-rise and multi-family construction all over Houston.
However, when it comes to dealing with Houston's slum apartments, Mayor White paces himself and considers things. That's pretty revealing.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: Interestingly, a post over at the Chron's Houston Politics blog that hinted at former multifamily housing czar and current County Judge candidate David Mincberg's ineffectiveness in solving these problems produced an entirely self-serving proclamation from Mincberg's campaign:
I'm thrilled to see this initiative come to fruition," Mincberg said. "The Mayor's program not only helps identify problems, but also provides project owners with the information to make the necessary improvements. Everyone involved has worked hard to ensure the City developed a long-term solution to protect the safety of residents.
Back in March 2007, Mincberg seemed to be (self-)promoting the notion that a fix for Houston's slum apartments was just around the corner. Apparently it was not. Just a few months later, according to Mayor White's dispatch on the Chron blog, Mincberg became preoccupied:
David Mincberg had worked on this a bit, and the City has been grateful for his services, but he has been asked to pass off responsibilities for this because of other time commitments and pursuits.
He got too busy running for Harris County judge actually to finish solving the City of Houston problem he said was on the verge of being solved?
And this is the guy who promises to run Harris County "like a business"? Yikes!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 06/16/08 07:42 PM |
10 June 2008
METRO's consent agreement sidesteps committee vote
Following up on this post which noted that the City's proposed consent agreement with METRO had moved out of committee and onto City Council's agenda, Councilwoman Melissa Noriega emails that the consent agreement did NOT get voted out of the Transportation Committee. It was placed on the agenda without the committee vote ever taking place.
Hmmmm. How exactly does that work? Did committee-members' questions make some folks uncomfortable? Who might have pushed that item onto the agenda?
Curiouser and curiouser!
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: The mayor controls the agenda, so this looks like an example of Mayor White micromanaging once again, but doing it in a way so that if this latest example of Ready-Fire-Aim governance goes awry, he doesn't have direct ownership of any resulting mess.
Maybe our intrepid local media will comment on the political maneuvering (and bypassing of Council's role in vetting this important policy decision). In fairness, though, it's probably not something that Raequel Roberts has emailed to anyone at 801 Texas Avenue for consideration.
UPDATE: KRIV-26's Isiah Carey reports that Councilmember Ron Green has blasted the arrogance of METRO's management, and has called on Frank Wilson to step down.
Obviously, METRO's recent dealings with Council haven't exactly impressed some Councilmembers. Mayor White's answer? Bypass a Council Committee -- Ready-Fire-Aim!
BLOGVERSATION: ABC13.com Political Blog.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 06/10/08 08:48 PM |
04 June 2008
Council votes to waste $150,000
KTRK-13's Miya Shay reports that City Council has authorized spending $150,000 to defend Chief Hurtt's ridiculous no-facial-hair policy:
The city council has decided to spend $150,000 to hire outside council to defend itself against this lawsuit.
"What this issue will do is take away the right of African American males on the police department," said Sgt. Shelby Stewart with the Houston Police Dapartment. "That's what it is in a nutshell."
"We've been discussing this and I have some concern. I'm not sure which way I'm going to fall out on this because I see a lot of concern on both sides," said Councilmember Melissa Noreiga.
Way to be decisive there, Councilwoman Noriega. That's what people look for in an elected official -- wishy-washiness. Even the Chronicle's editorial board got this one right, it's such a no-brainer.
This whole sorry episode speaks volumes about Houston's leadership.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 06/04/08 06:40 PM |
01 June 2008
Agenda item 29: City will abandon portion of South Post Oak for BLVD Place (updated!)
This city council agenda item's wording is enough to make one's eyes glaze over:
29. ORDINANCE finding and determining that public convenience and necessity no longer require the continued use (1) as public streets of a 13,380 square foot portion of South Post Oak Lane (Parcel SY5-011A) and a 5,238 square foot portion of Skylark Lane (Parcel SY5-011B), both located within Azalea Terrace, a subdivision according to the plat thereof recorded at Volume 33, Page 38, Map Records of Harris County, Texas (“HCMR”), (2) two utility easements on 0.0963 acres of land (Parcel SY5-011C) and 0.1098 acres of land (Parcel SY5-011D), both located within Restricted Reserve “A”, Saks Fashion Center, according to the plat thereof recorded at Volume 340, Page 51, HCMR, and (3) a water line easement on 0.1863 acres of land (Parcel SY5-011E) within Azalea Terrace Annex, according to the plat thereof recorded at Volume 34, Page 61, HCMR; vacating and abandoning said public street rights-of-way and easements to Boulevard Place, L.P., abutting owner, in consideration of the conveyance to the City of a public street right-of-way easement on 66,500 square feet (Parcel AY6-165), payment to the City of $1,500.00, and other good and valuable consideration; approving and authorizing the conveyance to the City by Crescent POC Investors, L.P. of public street right-of-way easements on 5,346 square feet (Parcel AY8-271A), 343 square feet (Parcel AY8-271B) and 526 square feet (Parcel AY8-271C) of land - DISTRICT G - HOLM
TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HOLM
This was Item 33 on Agenda of May 28, 2008
I see BLVD Place in there, which we posted on previously when the Chron wrote about the city using its eminent domain powers to obtain land for Ed Wulfe's big development.
So how can we find out more about this item?
We have to go and find the "Agenda backup." One has to exit the agenda page, go to the council page, click on "Agenda backup," and download a large PDF file, in this case 122 pages. Then one has to page through to find where the backup is for the particular agenda item of interest. For agenda item 29, the corresponding backup is located starting on page 108 of the pdf file. What one can see in the backup is that the city will be abandoning property valued at $2.45 million, and in return BLVD Place will pay the city $1,500 and convey rights-of-way worth $6.54 million:
Inasmuch as the value of the $1,500 minimum fee plus the street right-of-way being conveyed to the City is greater than the value of the streets and easements being abandoned and sold, it is recommended City Council approve an ordinance authorizing the abandonment and sale of a portion of South Post Oak Lane, a portion of Skylark Lane, two 10-foot-wide utiltiy easements, and a 10-foot-wide prescriptive water line easement in exchange for a consideration of $1,500 plus the conveyance to the city of right-of-way for South Post Oak Lane and Ambassador Way, all located within Azalea Terrace Subdivision, Azalea Terrace Annex Subdivision, Saks Fashion Center, Post Oak Embassy, and/or Fashion Square.
It's too bad there isn't a way to provide links on the online agenda where folks can get more information. And what I didn't see was the reason Councilwoman Holm tagged it.
UBU ROI ADDS: In 2004, the city cut S. Post Oak Ln. (not Blvd.) short and gave Wulfe several parcels of land (where the streets would have been located). In 2006, Council member Holm appears to have been involved in revising the deal; at that time Wulfe agreed to construct the streets around BLVD Place at his expense. The 2008 version frees him from that obligation, at the cost of his giving some of the land back. However, the land he is giving back, in combination with some minor/useless parcels, would re-route the streets, increasing the size of his development. The streets, if built, will be constructed with taxpayer money; Wulfe only has to construct a fire hydrant and cut some water /sewer mains at his expense (approx. $65k).
I'd guess that Pam's not happy that he's going back on the deal; or maybe it's just the difference between treatment of BLVD Place and the Ashby high-rise.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 06/01/08 08:21 AM |
24 May 2008
More on city's floodway ordinance
We've blogged previously about the city's heavy-handed floodway ordinance. Last week, the Chron's Kim Jackson wrote an informative story on the topic:
McKee, a Hedwig Village resident, said about a year ago he and his brother, David McKee, were offered $3.5 million for the commercial property their family has owned off Shepherd Drive and Interstate 10 near White Oak Bayou since 1967.
The deal fell through, he said, when the buyer said he could not purchase the property because most of it was in the floodway, and a city of Houston ordinance prohibited any new construction on vacant floodway property.
Rick McKee said he and his brother did not know their property was in the floodway and were not aware City Council revised the ordinance in August 2006.
"The city wants me to continue paying taxes on land I can't sell because of the city's ordinance," McKee said. "It is against the Constitution of the United States to take property without compensation and this is inverse condemnation. We get to keep our property, but they have taken away our property rights by telling us what we can and cannot do with it.
[snip]
Norcini said the ordinance affects about 3,500 vacant properties and a total of 109,000 properties within the city.
He said the city gave almost no notice to the public before making the changes.
"They did this in the dark. They posted notice on a 3-by-5 card on a board in city hall," Norcini said. "They ought to be ashamed of themselves."
Last year we highlighted Councilman Adrian Garcia's reaction to the ordinance:
Councilman Adrian Garcia, whose district includes Shady Acres, said during the Sept. 20 committee meeting that council members didn't get enough information about the measure's impact before they voted on it.
"Why didn't we let folks know in advance that we were going to be going down this track?" Garcia asked. "Everybody has reared up because a lot of people were caught by surprise. At council, we had almost no discussion on this."
Mayor White doesn't like surprises or dissent, and he has shown a tendency to push the most punitive actions as a first resort. Couple that with the fact that local governments don't post public notices in a citizen-friendly manner*, and hold meetings when most folks are at work, and you have a recipe for a government that operates as if the people work for it, instead of the other way around.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 05/24/08 07:50 AM |
18 May 2008
David Mincberg: Champion of ethics, stickler for deadlines
Good news for Tom Bazan: He now has an ally in his fight to get timely TxPIA requests out of METRO:
David Mincberg, Ed Emmett's Democratic opponent, wants to know why the ethics reform task force the county judge appointed in February hasn't delivered its recommendations.
According to this story about Emmett's announcement of the task force, the panel was supposed to report back within three months, i.e. yesterday.
"I'm surprised Ed Emmett failed to follow through on this promise," Mincberg said in a statement. "He's simply dropped the ball. We need an independent Board of Ethics that is both free of politics and gets the job done."
Finally someone will tell Frank "Procurement Disaster" Wilson to stop stalling on TxPIA's.
Just curious, though. Back in 2007 the City of Houston dropped the ball in releasing a critical budget report, missing a deadline by months:
Houston Mayor Bill White is under scrutiny concerning last year's city budget report, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.
The chairman of the Harris County Republican party wants to know why city leaders are already looking ahead to next year's budget when last year's report still has not been released.
Party officials said it's taxpayer money and it's time residents knew how their money was spent in 2006. But they said the mayor's office has still not completed an audit of the annual financial statement.
[snip]
There is nearly a four-month-long grace period after the October deadline.
But the city missed that and is now in violation of local code.
[snip]
The mayor said Houstonians should expect to see results soon.
"It's going to be out any day now. Not in response to the letter, but in response to me and the controller saying repeatedly, 'We need to get this thing wrapped up.' And that was an estimate that was given some days ago before I saw this letter," White said.
Let's see Mincberg's correspondence with Mayor White demanding the release of the 2006 budget report. I mean, he's a stickler for deadlines! I imagine he was all over Mayor White's case for what ended up being a multi-month delay in releasing information that is required by law.
And why doesn't he release his communication with Mayor White where he chastised the agenda-setter for handing over a NO-BID, long-term airport concessions contract to a company whose owner, coincidentally, of course, had donated generously to city councilmembers and the mayor?
But above all else, let's see have a look at Mincberg's business dealings, both as an apartment complex developer, and as the city's $1 per year head of Department of Housing and Community Development, to get an idea of his own personal code of ethics.
By the way, if Mr. Mincberg is interested in helping, Tom Bazan's latest TxPIA request is actually a third request for information about all consultants on METRO's payroll. We know of two: Frank Wilson's buddy, Frank Russo, and former Houston councilwoman Carol Alvarado. I'm sure Bazan would appreciate some assistance in getting that information released.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 05/18/08 12:23 PM |
08 May 2008
Carol Alvarado's grueling 40 hour work-month
Tom Bazan forwarded METRO's contract with Carol Alvarado which he received following a TxPIA request. Here are several excerpts:
Consulting services will be provided as requested and will include consulting on issues such as, but not limited to the following: advice and guidance on working cooperatively with local entities to help facilitate the successful implementation of the METRO Solutions program, to serve as liaison to and develop and maintain relationships with various stakeholders and entities such as The Gulf Coast Freight Rail District, H-GAC, local chambers of commerce and various community organizations, serve as METRO's representative for the strategic planning of public policy initiatives by working in cooperation with the Texas Transit Association, The Southwest Transit Association and similar organizations, communicate with elected officials at the federal, state and local levels as required to ensure that METRO's programs and initiatives receive support, work proactively with the community to identify and resolve problems and concerns of stakeholders and provide assistance to METRO in attracting eligible small businesses and employee recruitment. These consulting services consist only of advisory services to METRO and specifically exclude any representation of METRO to or before the Mayor of the City of Houston, Houston City Council, or departments of the City of Houston during this agreement.
[snip]
Consultant shall be compensated at the rate of $150.00 per hour for services performed under this contract.
[snip]
Payment will be made monthly to the Consultant within thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of a properly prepared invoice[...]
What follows is Carol Alvarado's first invoice. Note the extraordinary detail she included:
Consulting work performed January 14-February 14, 2008. 40 hrs @ $150.00 and [sic] hour.
Consulting work covers briefings and staff meetings with METRO representatives. Included during this period includes meetings (in person and phone) with various elected officials and their staff, East Downtown TIRZ representatives and various community representatives. In addition, meeting preparation, phone and email responding.
TOTAL DUE: $6000.00
Forty hours of work, $6,000 due, and METRO says it cannot find a single document related to her consultant work.
Wow.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 05/08/08 07:19 PM |
06 May 2008
MLS prez: Letter to Mayor White was private
Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber is confident the city of Houston will meet the Dynamo's needs for a soccer stadium:
"We're having our challenges in Houston, but ultimately we've been through a lot of challenging stadium deals," said Garber of temporary standstills in most league cities that now feature MLS-driven facilities. "At the end of the day they get done. It's going to require a lot of work on our part and hopefully some flexibility on the city's part."
And then he whined:
When a private letter Garber sent to persuade White to change his stance was made public by the mayor, the commissioner came off heavy-handed. Garber stated the team, which only just arrived in the final days of 2005, might be forced to move again if a project couldn't be bargained.
[snip]
"I didn't think that was playing fair," says Garber of the public release. "But this is a tough business we're in and the mayor is not somebody we've had a close relationship with. That wasn't a public document. For whatever agenda he had, he released it, but that's not the worst that's happened to us in my nine years as commissioner and I'm sure it won't be the worst thing going forward."
Tom Kirkendall guesses Mayor White will cave to the tune of $50-$75 million. He's already $20 million of the way there!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 05/06/08 08:10 PM |
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