CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Today, Mayor Turner began the Council session by noting:
  • beginning next week, City Council will convene through video conference for at least the following 2 weeks
    • We wish a fast recovery to Council Member Leticia Plummer, who recently tested positive for COVID-19 and is in quarantine
  • raw data for the FY21 Proposed Budget has been released
  • to help close the $169m budget gap, furloughs of 3000 municipal employees will be of no more than 10 days, which can be nonconsecutive, beginning July 1st
    • the City will adjust accordingly if we receive flexibility from the federal government to utilize CARES Act dollars to resolve this

Here were the notable Agenda items passed at Council:

  • Item #10 – Resolution to set a date for Public Hearing of FY21 Proposed Budget
    • MOTION PASSED: Budget Hearing is pushed back to June 3rd; Vote is pushed to June 10th
  • Item #18 – Ordinance authorizing a Professional Services Agreement between the City of Houston and BALLARD SPAHR LLP for Legal Assistance to the City of Houston related to matters involving Affordable Housing Federal Grants; providing a maximum contract amount – $700,000.00
    • The scope of work requires Ballard Spahr LLP to provide legal guidance related to affordable housing federal grants, including CDBG-DR 17 funds and contracts, and applicable regulations and laws. Such related services will include, but may not be limited to, consulting regarding the laws, regulations, and procedures applicable to federal and state community and housing development programs, including without limitation, expertise in fair housing laws and regulations, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development affordable housing regulations, and federal Community Development Block Grants, as well as representing the City in administrative hearings or legal actions related to the City’s current housing programs.
    • Congress had intended for the CIty to be in control of the housing construction program, but the Texas General Land Office (GLO) has taken the initiative to directly control the program.  The City has objected to this arrangement and the US Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) has not publicly commented on this, but the GLO is moving forward with running this program.
  • Item #46 – Garbage Cart Lease Fee
    • PASSED; rate of $1.14 is effective beginning July 1st
    • MOTION PASSED: This will be sunsetted and brought back to Council for a vote in 4 years
REMINDER:
For the next two weeks (or longer, if necessary, as a safety precaution), City Council meetings will be conducted online via video conferencing.

Public Session – Tuesdays at 2pm
Agenda Session – Wednesdays at 9am

HTV will continue to broadcast the meetings live:
https://www.houstontx.gov/htv/
https://www.facebook.com/HoustonTelevision
Comcast Channel 16
PRESS RELEASE:
Rental Assistance Program Closes
Upon Fulfilling $15 Million In Support
SPANISH   VIETNAMESE   CHINESE

Starting Wednesday, May 13, SNAP recipients can visit participating retailer websites and use their Lone Star Card to purchase groceries for curbside pickup or delivery. Currently, participating retailers in Texas are Walmart and Amazon.
We encourage everybody to download our Disaster Preparedness Guide
• www.HoustonOEM.org
• Available in six languages (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, and French)
• It has preparedness checklists to assist
• It is important to Make a Plan, Build a Kit, Stay Informed, and Know your Neighbors
• Sign up for AlertHouston.org to receive our emergency alerts

THE PEOPLE’S CHAMP
  • A big thank you to India House for their donation of masks and essential items on Friday 5/8/20, and to the International Management District (IMD) for working with our office to receive and help distribute the supplies.
  • We would also like to thank and commend the Nigerian American Multicultural Council (NAMC) for holding an extremely successful distribution event on Saturday 5/9/20.
  • Another community champion we want to spotlight is Comp-U-Dopt Executive Director Colin Dempsey, who, along with volunteers, distributed computers to families in Alief on Wednesday 5/6/20.  Thank you for providing technology access to families in need!
  • Finally, much appreciation goes to Mayor Turner, Alief ISD Police, Kevin Kebede, Heads Up Houston, and all of the volunteers at our 2nd mask distribution event on Saturday 5/9/20.
This week, we will bid a bittersweet farewell to our Director of Constituent Services, Torrence Atkinson-Lively. The dedication and diligence that he has brought to the District F office have been immeasurable.

“Due to personal passions, I will be resigning from my role as Director of Constituent Services for District F and will return to focusing on my film career. I have immensely enjoyed my time working for the City of Houston and serving the constituents of District F alongside all of my colleagues.”

We thank him for the great work that he has done for District F since 2018 and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 20
CIP PROJECT: BRIARMEADOW AREA DRAINAGE AND PAVING IMPROVEMENTS

Please be advised that construction on this CIP project began on April 14, 2020 and is anticipated to be completed in March 2022.  For more information, refer to this FAQ.

A virtual public meeting was held by Public Works on Tuesday, April 21st.  Please click on the video below to view the meeting.  The answers to the Q&A section can be found here.