Tag Archives: drainage

Patrick’s blackmail bill goes to the House

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The assault on the will of the voters takes another step forward. The Texas Senate voted 30-1 for Sen. Dan Patrick’s bill to broaden the exemption from Houston’s drainage fee to cover non-profit groups and expansion by churches and schools. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Drainage fee passes with exemptions

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Council has passed the drainage fee ordinance required by Renew Rebuild Houston, with exemptions for existing church and school properties. The fee will apply to all future “impervious cover” at church and school buildings, such as roofs and parking lots. … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Drainage fee passes with exemptions

Costello opposes exempting the churches

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Houston City Council Member Stephen Costello asks the Mayor and Council to exempt only state-mandated property from the drainage fee. Costello, the At Large Position 1 Council Member, offered an amendment Wednesday to the Municipal Drainage Utility … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Costello opposes exempting the churches

“Nobody likes a sore winner”

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Parker’s updated drainage fee proposal, which would allow for exemptions to schools and churches, was introduced to City Council amid a torrent of whining from the pro-exemption forces. Church and school leaders testified at a special council meeting that … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

More on the drainage fee exemptions

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Chron story about the Mayor’s change in direction to exempt churches and schools from the new drainage fee. Under previous numbers published by the administration, exempting those institutions would raise the monthly fee on other property owners by … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

City caves on drainage fee for churches

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Mayor Parker Announces New Rebuild Houston Funding Plan with Exemptions and Assistance for Low Income Mayor Annise Parker today announced that she will ask City Council next week to approve a new Rebuild Houston funding plan that … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The “Dan Patrick thinks you’re too stupid to know what you’re voting for” bill

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. A bill that would remove churches and schools from the drainage fee Houston voters narrowly approved last November as part of Proposition 1 is scheduled for a public hearing Wednesday before the Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee. Dubbed Rebuild Houston, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

More drainage fee details

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Things are moving right along on the implementation of Renew Rebuild Houston. Senior Parker administration officials Wednesday revealed the remaining elements of the plan, which would charge an owner of an average-sized Houston home between $5 and $5.31 monthly, depending … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Effect of exempting schools and churches on drainage fee would be small

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the drainage fee that will be collected to fund street and sewage repairs through the project formerly known as Renew Houston is intended to apply to all property that isn’t specifically exempted by state law, such as … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

County asks about exemption from drainage fee

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez has asked County Attorney Vince Ryan for an opinion on whether the county has to pay the city of Houston’s new drainage fee. Sanchez already has his own opinion. “You’re getting a government, the city of Houston, … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Preparing to implement Prop 1

Posted on December 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Proposition 1, originally known as Renew Houston but now apparently dubbed “Rebuilding Houston”, was passed by voters last month, which means that the Mayor and City Council must come up with a way to raise the $125 million per year … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Who cares about the will of the voters?

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Prop 1 opponents don’t. Opponents of Proposition 1 are planning to lobby the state legislature to strike down the controversial drainage fee, even after voters narrowly approved it earlier this month. Don Hooper, who organized a political action committee blasting … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

What now for Renew Houston?

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to the disposal of the red light cameras and the associated costs of their removal, Mayor Parker and City Council now need to work out the details for Prop 1, which created the dedicated fund for streets and … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Mayor’s email to Council regarding drainage and street repair

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This email from Mayor Parker to City Council members about the estimated costs of street and drainage repairs found its way into my Inbox, and I’m sharing it with you because it’s something you should know about, too. Any long-term … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Mayor editorializes for Prop 1

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Parker lays out the case for Prop 1, the ballot referendum to establish a dedicated revenue source for street and drainage improvements. Is it necessary? Absolutely! Approximately 65 percent of our streets and drainage systems are beyond their useful … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

HISD versus Prop 1

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This would be a tough obstacle to overcome. HISD Board President Greg Meyers on Wednesday raised the specter of teacher layoffs if the school system is forced to pay an estimated $2.5 million to $3.5 million a year in drainage … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Endorsement watch: Chron for Prop 1

Posted on October 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise here. The city’s capital improvement program, which issues debt-incurring bonds to fund construction, is far behind the curve in dealing with the situation. According to at-large City Council member and engineer Stephen Costello, 65 percent of the city’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: Chron for Prop 1

The anti-Prop 1 factions gear up

Posted on October 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The usual suspects have gotten the band back together to ensure that no action is taken to mitigate flooding in Houston. Former Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt has teamed up with anti-tax advocate Bruce Hotze and conservative activist Norman … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Pro-Prop 1 op-ed

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Council Member Stephen Costello, the driving force behind Renew Houston, now known as Proposition 1 on the November ballot, teams up with a pair of co-authors to pen this op-ed in its favor. Proposition 1 is a sensible solution that … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Poll shows Renew Houston with a lead

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The supporters of the Renew Houston effort, now known as Proposition 1 on the ballot, have released a poll showing solid support for their proposal. The Vote FOR Proposition 1 campaign released a new poll today that shows voters approving … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Public meeting regarding Koehler Street Development

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Public Meeting Regarding Koehler Street Development Mayor Annise Parker Cordially invites you to attend A public meeting regarding the Koehler Street Development Wednesday, August 25, 2010 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. George R. Brown Convention Center 1001 … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Public meeting regarding Koehler Street Development

Chron opines on Renew Houston

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is a pretty fair take on it. Given Houston’s history of flooded streets, businesses and homes over the past decade, the Chronicle agrees with the aims of Renew Houston, the organization of engineers that is backing the proposition. What … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Chron opines on Renew Houston

Renew Houston proposition officially on the ballot

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

City Council voted to put the Renew Houston referendum on the ballot Wednesday. Details about how much the drainage fee it calls for will be, and other aspects of it are still to be worked out by the city before … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

ReNew Houston officially makes the ballot

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From their press release: The ReNew Houston Campaign is pleased to announce it has met state requirements for qualified signatures from registered Houston voters to call for a charter amendment to create a dedicated funding source to improve and renew … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on ReNew Houston officially makes the ballot

Opposition to Renew Houston

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Last Tuesday, while I was out of town, Council Member Stephen Costello did a presentation about Renew Houston at HCDP headquarters. (CM Sue Lovell was supposed to be with him but was unable to make it because a committee meeting … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Renew Houston submits petitions

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Renew Houston has submitted signatures to get its drainage improvement proposition on the ballot this November. Renew Houston, a group of influential local engineers, has collected more than 30,000 signatures in a push to seek voter approval for an $8 … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Followup on Renew Houston

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

So I attended that blogger briefing I wrote about last week to learn more about Renew Houston. It was very informative, and I want to thank CM Costello and his staff for taking the time to talk to us. They … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

More on Renew Houston

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The effort to create a dedicated fund for flooding and drainage is moving along at a good clip. Renew Houston, the non-profit committee formed to seek at least 22,000 ballot signatures in a bid to put the matter to voters … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments