Posts
As reported in the Chronicle
By CAROLYN FEIBEL
After years of pleading with city officials, neighborhood activists finally got what they wanted: a way to crack down on people who park cars in their yards. But the city has made implementing the ban too difficult and expensive, civic leaders now say.
The program begins next week, but the city has yet to work out crucial issues involving notification and enforcement. The City Council did not budget for the program, so planning officials decided to shift the costs to residents. Neighborhood associations could have to pay thousands of dollars in mailing costs just to apply.
“I think it’s outrageous,” said Ann Collum, president of the Glenbrook Valley Civic Club. “We’re doing all the work and then there’s still no guarantee that our neighborhood is going to get approved and get to participate in it.”
The yard-parking ban passed in January, but it is not universal. Neighborhoods must “opt in” to the ban by applying to the Department of Planning & Development. The current application requires civic clubs to pay for first-class mailings to every property owner that would fall under the parking ban.
“We’re seeing whole neighborhoods come in (to apply), like 5,000 residences,” said Planning Department spokeswoman Suzy Hartgrove. “We underestimated the magnitude of the interest in the program. We weren’t fully budgeted for this, and this was a way for neighborhoods to share the cost.”
Councilman James Rodrigruez said it is unfair to force less-wealthy neighborhoods to pay for postage, envelopes and signs.
“The civic clubs, they have a hard time collecting dues as it is,” he said. “They don’t have a whole lot of money.”
Sharpstown, for example, has more than 6,800 homes. Informing all the owners through a first-class mailing would cost at least $3,000.
Milton Winebrenner, the Sharpstown Civic Association president, said he is asking the city to allow them to do a bulk-rate mailing.
Other neighborhood leaders want to know why they cannot use their regular homeowner association newsletter to inform residents.
With a postage rate increase expected in May, neighborhood leaders are clamoring for answers. Hartgrove said the department was considering a bulk-mail compromise, but nothing had been decided as of Wednesday.
“We don’t want to have to do it again if we did something wrong,” said Cindy Peden Chapman, president of the Westbury Civic Club.
The subdivision has almost 5,000 homes. “I don’t want to waste money." she said. "I just want to do it in a way that’s cost effective.”
Councilwoman Toni Lawrence, who championed the yard-parking ban for many years, admitted that implementing the program was “much more complicated than I thought it would be. But because we’re a property-rights, non-zoned city, there are certain things you have to do.”
Thursday, March 26, 2009
SN 22 Town Hall Meeting
March 26, 2009
I attended the town hall meeting at the Multi-Service Center located on Heights Blvd. The topic of discussion was clubs and bars on Washington Ave.
To recap the meeting, the following things were discussed:
I attended the town hall meeting at the Multi-Service Center located on Heights Blvd. The topic of discussion was clubs and bars on Washington Ave.
To recap the meeting, the following things were discussed:
- Parking Management Division (PMD) explains the options of "commuter parking" restrictions
- Liliana Rambo (PMD) explained the city is pursuing a 40-block radius for the parking program
- Her division is in charge of valet services
- They have issued 48 parking citations within the area
- 5 bars have applied and only 2 have been approved and 1 denied
- 34 No Parking signs will be installed in the area
- The City's Planning & Development Dept. has issued 25 violations to various bars/clubs
- They have conducted 35 inspections of clubs/bars/restaurants in the area
- 11 businesses have been found in violation of the parking ordinance
- They will revisit the off street parking ordinance
- The typical spaces for bars/clubs is 10 per 1,000 sq. ft.
- The City's Public Works & Engineering Dept. is working on better signage in order to enforce the parking ordinance
Questions that came up during the discussion include:
- Enforcement of the law by HPD on duty at these clubs/bars
- Cost of services to these locations (track incidents)
- 6603 Wesctott building (doing construction on the weekends without proper permits)
- Extending the parking ordinance up to I-10 (Camp Logan)
- Boundary of the parking ordinance (No Parking Signs might be the answer)
- Not allowing supply trucks to these businesses because they break the culverts, sidewalks.
- Revisiting the grandfather clause in terms of the number of parking spots allowed on the businesses
- Some bars have 18 spaces and about 200 people show up
- Littering the neighborhood with alcohol bottles and debris
- There are 16 licenses in the pipeline for the area
- Volume of alcohol consumed by the patrons is an issue
- Requiring customers to use valet parking
- Some valet companies are parking the cars on the streets
- Revisit the valet ordinance (the city is considering making revisions)
- The owner of the Drake spoke about his bar and stated that they have an on-duty officer during the weekend patrolling the streets to prevent off street parking; he also paid for No Parking signs around his establishment; they have 300 parking spaces
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
SN 22 Town Hall Meeting
March 25, 2009
I attended the town hall meeting this evening at the West End Multi-Service Center on Heights Blvd. The topic of discussion was the proposed quiet zone/safety zone of Washington Avenue.
To recap the meeting, the discussion included:
I attended the town hall meeting this evening at the West End Multi-Service Center on Heights Blvd. The topic of discussion was the proposed quiet zone/safety zone of Washington Avenue.
To recap the meeting, the discussion included:
- A website was set-up for information - http://www.washingtonquietzone.com/
- These types of zones are in two districts - H & G
- Super Neighborhood includes 10 civic clubs from around the Washington Avenue area
- City Council approved the overall goal of the program this month
- First phase is the safety zone - infrastructure improvements
- Second phase is the quiet zone - reduces (not eliminate) the number of times trains blow their horns
- The goal is to have the quiet zone in place by this fall
- Citizens can call HPD to report the transients on the tracks
- The Washington Avenue is fully funded by the city (approx. $600,000)
- Included under the current fiscal year budget
- The Mayor's overall funding for these types of zones is $8.1 million (mostly TX DOT funds)
- Union Pacific is currently doing construction on about 75 railroad crossings which are not related to the quiet zones
- First Ward is waiting on Union Pacific to execute the agreement (the city already did their part)
- Washington Avenue zone will be a 24-hour quiet zone
- The process of notifying includes 3 notices of intent
- Residents within 500 feet away from the tracks will be notified
- However, there are some discussion about that not being enough
- Businesses will also be notified
- Several more meetings will be scheduled to discuss the details of the plan
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Not all red-light cameras turn green for cities
As reported in the Chronicle blog
Turns out red-light cameras aren't as profitable as critics charge -- at least in some parts of Texas.
At least 10 cities reported to the state that they actually lost money on the cameras, which snap photos of vehicles that violate the rules at monitored intersections. A few others reported just breaking even.
Leading the way was Garland, a pioneer in Texas with the cameras. That city lost more than $300,000, according to records filed with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Cities are required to account for their red-light camera revenue and expenses, because a portion of the profits now go to the state. The money is collected into a fund for regional trauma centers.
Houston, of course, hasn't had any trouble with its camera system. The city sent more than $3.7 million in profit to the state -- more than anyone else in Texas.
FISCAL 07-08
CITY FINES COSTS PROFIT
LONGVIEW $525,941 $534,756 -$8,815
AUSTIN $32,670 $52,484 -$19,814
MCKINNEY $23,524 $60,359 -$36,835
FRISCO $94,464 $142,903 -$48,439
DENTON $244,629 $294,298 -$49,669
MESQUITE $98,448 $150,895 -$52,447
UNIVERSITY PARK $109,800 $163,679 -$53,879
LUBBOCK $342,067 $488,103 -$146,036
RICHARDSON $362,062 $534,060 -$171,998
GARLAND $955,978 $1,307,039 -$351,061
SOURCE: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Metro won’t be using stimulus money on rail
As reported in the Chronicle
By ROSANNA RUIZ
March 23, 2009
As county leaders press forward with Grand Parkway plans, Metro leaders are looking for a Plan B for two rail lines they had planned to use federal economic stimulus money to help fund.
Metro’s pitch to fund the North and Southeast lines with stimulus funds fell short of the feds’ scheduling mandate.
Metro proposed to “get the ball rolling,” within 90 days, according to its brochure requesting $410 million in stimulus dollars. The transit agency also said $70 million could be used to convert 83 miles of high-occupancy vehicle lanes into high-occupancy toll lanes.
Last week, Metro leaders said they learned that federal transit authorities preferred the $92 million it will receive in stimulus funds be used primarily on the HOV conversion.
The two rail lines are not at the appropriate stage to satisfy a requirement that 50 percent of the funds be obligated by Sept. 1.
All of the funds also must be spent in a year, and the projects must be complete in three years, according to the Federal Transit Administration’s Web site.
High hopes?
There are use-it-or-lose-it provisions in the stimulus package as the Obama administration has made clear these projects should get started sooner.
Did Metro aim too high?
“We don’t think we overshot the mark,” Metro spokeswoman Raequel Roberts said. “We submitted a project that we believed would qualify for stimulus funds.”
Metro remains several months from final federal approval for those lines.
Perhaps, Metro was simply too optimistic, as Alan Clark, of the Houston-Galveston Area Council, suggested.
“They might have been a little bit hopeful they could do something with stimulus money to advance the rail project,” said Clark, HGAC’s transportation planning manager. “I don’t blame them at all.”
Planning the Parkway
The default project to transform HOV lanes into toll lanes for solo drivers was tabled by Metro’s board of directors last week, but the proposal will be taken up again next month.
Meanwhile, county leaders are wasting no time on the Grand Parkway as the clock continues to tick on the $181 million in stimulus funding allocated for the project.
The 185-mile proposed outer loop around Houston that has been under consideration for more than two decades. Now that it has an infusion of stimulus funds, planners are in frenzy mode to meet pressing deadlines. Seventeen design and engineeringcontracts related to the Grand Parkway are on this week’s Commissioner’s Court agenda.
“A year ago, no one was expecting to implement this project quite on this time frame,” Clark said. “TxDOT and Harris County are working like crazy to get the pieces wrapped up so it can be let to contract within the 12-month period.”
Lawsuit pending
The county still must acquire about 30 properties totaling about 650 acres of land for Segment E of the toll project, which would connect the Katy Freeway and U.S. 290.
County leaders are keenly aware that a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club potentially could delay the project and preclude use of the stimulus funds. The lawsuit argues that prairie land should not be disturbed.
All of which may make the project sound a little less than “shovel-ready,” one of the primary criteria for stimulus funding.
“I’m not the one that makes the definition,” said Dave Gornet, executive director of the Grand Parkway Association, a group charged by the Texas Transportation Commission with advancing the parkway project. “The state has decided in their terms it is shovel-ready and they have allocated the funds.”
TxDOT’s Texas Transportation Commission gave its approval earlier this month to the projects compiled by its district offices with the help of local planning officials, agency spokesman Chris Lippincott said.
The commission “would not have approved the recommendations had they believed they were setting the state up for failure,” he said. “The buck stops with the commission, but the expertise and the double checking of the math occurred at the staff level.”
By ROSANNA RUIZ
March 23, 2009
As county leaders press forward with Grand Parkway plans, Metro leaders are looking for a Plan B for two rail lines they had planned to use federal economic stimulus money to help fund.
Metro’s pitch to fund the North and Southeast lines with stimulus funds fell short of the feds’ scheduling mandate.
Metro proposed to “get the ball rolling,” within 90 days, according to its brochure requesting $410 million in stimulus dollars. The transit agency also said $70 million could be used to convert 83 miles of high-occupancy vehicle lanes into high-occupancy toll lanes.
Last week, Metro leaders said they learned that federal transit authorities preferred the $92 million it will receive in stimulus funds be used primarily on the HOV conversion.
The two rail lines are not at the appropriate stage to satisfy a requirement that 50 percent of the funds be obligated by Sept. 1.
All of the funds also must be spent in a year, and the projects must be complete in three years, according to the Federal Transit Administration’s Web site.
High hopes?
There are use-it-or-lose-it provisions in the stimulus package as the Obama administration has made clear these projects should get started sooner.
Did Metro aim too high?
“We don’t think we overshot the mark,” Metro spokeswoman Raequel Roberts said. “We submitted a project that we believed would qualify for stimulus funds.”
Metro remains several months from final federal approval for those lines.
Perhaps, Metro was simply too optimistic, as Alan Clark, of the Houston-Galveston Area Council, suggested.
“They might have been a little bit hopeful they could do something with stimulus money to advance the rail project,” said Clark, HGAC’s transportation planning manager. “I don’t blame them at all.”
Planning the Parkway
The default project to transform HOV lanes into toll lanes for solo drivers was tabled by Metro’s board of directors last week, but the proposal will be taken up again next month.
Meanwhile, county leaders are wasting no time on the Grand Parkway as the clock continues to tick on the $181 million in stimulus funding allocated for the project.
The 185-mile proposed outer loop around Houston that has been under consideration for more than two decades. Now that it has an infusion of stimulus funds, planners are in frenzy mode to meet pressing deadlines. Seventeen design and engineeringcontracts related to the Grand Parkway are on this week’s Commissioner’s Court agenda.
“A year ago, no one was expecting to implement this project quite on this time frame,” Clark said. “TxDOT and Harris County are working like crazy to get the pieces wrapped up so it can be let to contract within the 12-month period.”
Lawsuit pending
The county still must acquire about 30 properties totaling about 650 acres of land for Segment E of the toll project, which would connect the Katy Freeway and U.S. 290.
County leaders are keenly aware that a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club potentially could delay the project and preclude use of the stimulus funds. The lawsuit argues that prairie land should not be disturbed.
All of which may make the project sound a little less than “shovel-ready,” one of the primary criteria for stimulus funding.
“I’m not the one that makes the definition,” said Dave Gornet, executive director of the Grand Parkway Association, a group charged by the Texas Transportation Commission with advancing the parkway project. “The state has decided in their terms it is shovel-ready and they have allocated the funds.”
TxDOT’s Texas Transportation Commission gave its approval earlier this month to the projects compiled by its district offices with the help of local planning officials, agency spokesman Chris Lippincott said.
The commission “would not have approved the recommendations had they believed they were setting the state up for failure,” he said. “The buck stops with the commission, but the expertise and the double checking of the math occurred at the staff level.”
Financing for Dynamo stadium nearly a done deal
As reported in the Chronicle
By BERNARDO FALLAS
March 24, 2009, 5:27PM
Dynamo ownership has all but secured all of the financing needed for the construction of an $80-million soccer stadium just east of downtown and plans to break ground on the project as early as this fall.
"We have some I's to dot and t's to cross, but things are looking very favorable," Dynamo president Oliver Luck said Tuesday. "It's not a done deal, but the principal points have been agreed upon."
Dynamo co-owners Anschutz Entertainment Group, Brener International and boxer/promoter Oscar De La Hoya have secured financing totalling about $20 million on behalf of the City of Houston and Harris County through Spanish bank BBVA/Compass.
The development clears the way for city council and commissioner's court to put the stadium item on their respective agendas.
Both government entities have committed tax increment reinvestment zone revenue streams to the project provided the Dynamo could find a bank to provide financing up front, Luck said.
"We spent about three months talking to banks," Luck said. "Given the economic climate, finding a bank was a challenge, so we are appreciative of BBVA/Compass."
Dynamo ownership has pledged $55-60 million in private funding for the proposed 20,000 capacity facility stadium to be located near the intersection of Texas and Dowling, just east of downtown and U.S. 59.
The stadium would be built on land purchased by the city of Houston in 2008 for $15.5 million.
Texas Southern University also has agreed to a $2.5 million investment in exchange for the use of the stadium by its football team.
The Dynamo are hoping to have a new stadium ready for the 2011 season. For that to happen, the team would have to start construction no later than this fall.
By BERNARDO FALLAS
March 24, 2009, 5:27PM
Dynamo ownership has all but secured all of the financing needed for the construction of an $80-million soccer stadium just east of downtown and plans to break ground on the project as early as this fall.
"We have some I's to dot and t's to cross, but things are looking very favorable," Dynamo president Oliver Luck said Tuesday. "It's not a done deal, but the principal points have been agreed upon."
Dynamo co-owners Anschutz Entertainment Group, Brener International and boxer/promoter Oscar De La Hoya have secured financing totalling about $20 million on behalf of the City of Houston and Harris County through Spanish bank BBVA/Compass.
The development clears the way for city council and commissioner's court to put the stadium item on their respective agendas.
Both government entities have committed tax increment reinvestment zone revenue streams to the project provided the Dynamo could find a bank to provide financing up front, Luck said.
"We spent about three months talking to banks," Luck said. "Given the economic climate, finding a bank was a challenge, so we are appreciative of BBVA/Compass."
Dynamo ownership has pledged $55-60 million in private funding for the proposed 20,000 capacity facility stadium to be located near the intersection of Texas and Dowling, just east of downtown and U.S. 59.
The stadium would be built on land purchased by the city of Houston in 2008 for $15.5 million.
Texas Southern University also has agreed to a $2.5 million investment in exchange for the use of the stadium by its football team.
The Dynamo are hoping to have a new stadium ready for the 2011 season. For that to happen, the team would have to start construction no later than this fall.
Settlement’s OK may hurt female contractors
As reported in the Chronicle
By CAROLYN FEIBEL
March 24, 2009, 7:13PM
The city is poised to approve a legal settlement that would eliminate contracting set-asides for women-owned businesses.
“It’s going to hurt women contractors,” said Judy Aiello, executive vice president of Sun Builders. “They’re going to be lumped with white male contractors.”
If approved, the settlement would end a federal lawsuit brought in 1996 by a white business owner.
Robert Kossman, who owns a seed and sod company, alleged that the city’s affirmative action program discriminated against him because he was white.
“We need to take a deep breath and get this lawsuit behind us,” said Councilwoman Melissa Noriega. “It’s been hanging around and hanging around and the judge is getting impatient.”
U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes gave Houston until April 3 to take action, according to City Attorney Arturo Michel. The council could vote next week.
Some councilmembers said they feared Hughes would significantly gut the program if they did not approve the proposed settlement.
The settlement would eliminate the current construction subcontracting goal of 3 percent for women-owned businesses.
Female-owned firms still could apply for subcontracting work under the small business category; that set-aside is expanding from 5 to 8 percent under the settlement. The goal for minority-owned businesses will stay at 14 percent.
While known as “goals,” the subcontracting percentages are not strict quotas. Companies must document a good-faith effort that they tried to hire women-owned or minority-owned subs on a city project.
The city must pay Kossman $50,000 in damages and $125,000 for his legal fees, according to the settlement. Michel said the settlement would create an interim program, but the city would conduct a new “disparity study” to see which minorities and genders are having trouble getting city contracts. Then, the city will use the data to redesign the program for the long term.
Councilwoman Anne Clutterbuck said she would vote against the settlement and wants to do away with an identity-based system.
“I think we should be looking more at helping small and disadvantaged businesses than have a race or gender based system,” she said.
By CAROLYN FEIBEL
March 24, 2009, 7:13PM
The city is poised to approve a legal settlement that would eliminate contracting set-asides for women-owned businesses.
“It’s going to hurt women contractors,” said Judy Aiello, executive vice president of Sun Builders. “They’re going to be lumped with white male contractors.”
If approved, the settlement would end a federal lawsuit brought in 1996 by a white business owner.
Robert Kossman, who owns a seed and sod company, alleged that the city’s affirmative action program discriminated against him because he was white.
“We need to take a deep breath and get this lawsuit behind us,” said Councilwoman Melissa Noriega. “It’s been hanging around and hanging around and the judge is getting impatient.”
U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes gave Houston until April 3 to take action, according to City Attorney Arturo Michel. The council could vote next week.
Some councilmembers said they feared Hughes would significantly gut the program if they did not approve the proposed settlement.
The settlement would eliminate the current construction subcontracting goal of 3 percent for women-owned businesses.
Female-owned firms still could apply for subcontracting work under the small business category; that set-aside is expanding from 5 to 8 percent under the settlement. The goal for minority-owned businesses will stay at 14 percent.
While known as “goals,” the subcontracting percentages are not strict quotas. Companies must document a good-faith effort that they tried to hire women-owned or minority-owned subs on a city project.
The city must pay Kossman $50,000 in damages and $125,000 for his legal fees, according to the settlement. Michel said the settlement would create an interim program, but the city would conduct a new “disparity study” to see which minorities and genders are having trouble getting city contracts. Then, the city will use the data to redesign the program for the long term.
Councilwoman Anne Clutterbuck said she would vote against the settlement and wants to do away with an identity-based system.
“I think we should be looking more at helping small and disadvantaged businesses than have a race or gender based system,” she said.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
CompStat, or better?
As reported in several blogs
January 16, 2008
Mayor Bill White and Police Chief Harold Hurtt rolled out a double-punch P.R. announcement this morning, with a presentation on the "Real-Time Crime Center." It's not open yet, but ill be on Feb. 1 and should be "fully operational" by summer, Hurtt said.
According to Hurtt, it will be "CompStat on steroids." Compstat is shorthand for the much-lauded management philosophy and data-gathering tools used by the New York City police department. Some in Houston have called for HPD to adopt this system too.
Hurtt says that specialized software will link together databases kept by federal, state and county agencies. It will help identify whether local crimes are part of a trend or cluster, even "forecasting" where crimes might occur, so the 60-member "crime reduction" unit can be dispatched quickly to that "hot spot."
The steroids metaphor may have been ill-timed considering the current baseball scandal. That said, however, Hurtt said that HPD visited NYC, Chicago and L.A. and adopted the "best practices" of each of those departments. And all for about $2.9 million, whereas New York's crime center cost $11 million.
Seems almost too good to be true. I've asked the mayor's people for more information. In the meantime, the council people are asking some tough questions of Hurtt:
Anne Clutterbuck of District C wants to know when apartment landlords will be able to track crime statistics at their buildings in real time. The answer is: Soon, but not yet.
Melissa Noriega asked if the system will do the same things as CompStat. Hurtt said yes, if you couple the software with the accountability due to captains and the regular meeting (every two weeks) during which captains must report on progress in their geographic areas.
Jolanda Jones asked for much more detail and a briefing: What does cooperation really mean, with the sheriff's office and other agencies? How does HPD determine how many officers to assign to a neighborhood? And what does "CompStat on steroids" really mean?
I'd like to know too. -- Carolyn Feibel
Posted by Carolyn Feibel
Hurtt responds to Chron op-ed
Last weekend, the Chronicle ran a letter from Chief Hurtt responding to the most recent op-ed from Alan Helfman, Jay Wall and William A. Wolff. In the letter, Chief Hurtt takes exception with their notion that crime statistical analysis should be a much higher priority within HPD, then goes on to argue that crime statistic analysis already IS a high priority within HPD.
We've reproduced the letter below the [Read More] link, as the Chron archives are not always the most searchable.
This part in particular caught my eye:
Despite a recent reduction of more than 600 officers due to retirement as well as an unprecedented influx of new residents, the officers, civilians and managers of our department have actually reduced the likelihood that a Houstonian will be a victim of serious crime.
One supposes it depends on how one defines serious. As the Chronicle reported a little over a week ago, crime declined statewide in Texas last year, but rose in Houston, and murders actually surged in Houston. Chief Hurtt's spokesman didn't have a comment then, and now the Chief's reaction is... denial? Maybe HPD really does need to improve its statistical analysis!
In any case, we sense the Chief is trying to be much more visible of late, what with this op-ed, a rare Saturday press availability, and whispers emanating from downtown that he loves Houston and really doesn't depart for Arizona every weekend. It's almost as if someone has realized a crime problem and an absentee police chief probably won't help in winning statewide election. The problem is, a bumbling-but-present police chief may not help either.
After reading the May 13 Outlook article "Shake HPD blues with NYPD savvy" by Alan Helfman, Jay Wall and William A. Wolff, which touted the CompStat policing system as the answer to Houston's crime issues while condemning the Houston Police Department management's efforts as ineffectual, I feel compelled to provide some balance to the issue.
First, it is somewhat unrealistic to assume that any policing model is the panacea capable of solving our nation's crime problems. For all the proponents of the CompStat model, there are probably an equal number of detractors.
Law enforcement is an evolving field that must adapt to changing laws, technologies and expectations. While we are very familiar with CompStat, we are equally cognizant of policing trends across the nation and other strategies; CompStat is but one of many.
We send representatives to other major city police departments to view operations on a regular basis. Other agencies visit our city to view our best practices, as well. This sharing information is done in the interest of determining which strategies lend themselves to making Houston safer. At HPD, we must tailor our policing efforts to the needs of the community.
Timely crime data remain a priority at HPD.
Each patrol commander has crime analysts assigned to his division to provide him with daily, weekly and monthly crime trend information for his area.
This information is the basis for deployment and tactical decisions in addressing crime-related issues. At the same time, our central crime analysis division provides weekly and monthly citywide crime reports to all commanders.
I personally host a crime strategy meeting each week with my captains and command staff to discuss the crime trends in and around the city and what is being done to address them.
We have also undertaken an effort to update our crime analysis computing capabilities by moving to purchase newer, more robust systems, while also increasing personnel for this. Our goal is to have resources available around the clock every day to support operations on an immediate basis.
These changes will expand our regional information sharing capabilities and clearly demonstrate how seriously HPD views crime data.
I am proud of HPD's men and women and their efforts to address the public safety needs of our city. Despite a recent reduction of more than 600 officers due to retirement as well as an unprecedented influx of new residents, the officers, civilians and managers of our department have actually reduced the likelihood that a Houstonian will be a victim of serious crime. I am confident that the men and women of HPD will continue to maintain the highest levels of professionalism as they deliver police services to Houstonians.
-HAROLD L. HURTTchief, Houston Police Department, Houston
January 16, 2008
Mayor Bill White and Police Chief Harold Hurtt rolled out a double-punch P.R. announcement this morning, with a presentation on the "Real-Time Crime Center." It's not open yet, but ill be on Feb. 1 and should be "fully operational" by summer, Hurtt said.
According to Hurtt, it will be "CompStat on steroids." Compstat is shorthand for the much-lauded management philosophy and data-gathering tools used by the New York City police department. Some in Houston have called for HPD to adopt this system too.
Hurtt says that specialized software will link together databases kept by federal, state and county agencies. It will help identify whether local crimes are part of a trend or cluster, even "forecasting" where crimes might occur, so the 60-member "crime reduction" unit can be dispatched quickly to that "hot spot."
The steroids metaphor may have been ill-timed considering the current baseball scandal. That said, however, Hurtt said that HPD visited NYC, Chicago and L.A. and adopted the "best practices" of each of those departments. And all for about $2.9 million, whereas New York's crime center cost $11 million.
Seems almost too good to be true. I've asked the mayor's people for more information. In the meantime, the council people are asking some tough questions of Hurtt:
Anne Clutterbuck of District C wants to know when apartment landlords will be able to track crime statistics at their buildings in real time. The answer is: Soon, but not yet.
Melissa Noriega asked if the system will do the same things as CompStat. Hurtt said yes, if you couple the software with the accountability due to captains and the regular meeting (every two weeks) during which captains must report on progress in their geographic areas.
Jolanda Jones asked for much more detail and a briefing: What does cooperation really mean, with the sheriff's office and other agencies? How does HPD determine how many officers to assign to a neighborhood? And what does "CompStat on steroids" really mean?
I'd like to know too. -- Carolyn Feibel
Posted by Carolyn Feibel
Hurtt responds to Chron op-ed
Last weekend, the Chronicle ran a letter from Chief Hurtt responding to the most recent op-ed from Alan Helfman, Jay Wall and William A. Wolff. In the letter, Chief Hurtt takes exception with their notion that crime statistical analysis should be a much higher priority within HPD, then goes on to argue that crime statistic analysis already IS a high priority within HPD.
We've reproduced the letter below the [Read More] link, as the Chron archives are not always the most searchable.
This part in particular caught my eye:
Despite a recent reduction of more than 600 officers due to retirement as well as an unprecedented influx of new residents, the officers, civilians and managers of our department have actually reduced the likelihood that a Houstonian will be a victim of serious crime.
One supposes it depends on how one defines serious. As the Chronicle reported a little over a week ago, crime declined statewide in Texas last year, but rose in Houston, and murders actually surged in Houston. Chief Hurtt's spokesman didn't have a comment then, and now the Chief's reaction is... denial? Maybe HPD really does need to improve its statistical analysis!
In any case, we sense the Chief is trying to be much more visible of late, what with this op-ed, a rare Saturday press availability, and whispers emanating from downtown that he loves Houston and really doesn't depart for Arizona every weekend. It's almost as if someone has realized a crime problem and an absentee police chief probably won't help in winning statewide election. The problem is, a bumbling-but-present police chief may not help either.
After reading the May 13 Outlook article "Shake HPD blues with NYPD savvy" by Alan Helfman, Jay Wall and William A. Wolff, which touted the CompStat policing system as the answer to Houston's crime issues while condemning the Houston Police Department management's efforts as ineffectual, I feel compelled to provide some balance to the issue.
First, it is somewhat unrealistic to assume that any policing model is the panacea capable of solving our nation's crime problems. For all the proponents of the CompStat model, there are probably an equal number of detractors.
Law enforcement is an evolving field that must adapt to changing laws, technologies and expectations. While we are very familiar with CompStat, we are equally cognizant of policing trends across the nation and other strategies; CompStat is but one of many.
We send representatives to other major city police departments to view operations on a regular basis. Other agencies visit our city to view our best practices, as well. This sharing information is done in the interest of determining which strategies lend themselves to making Houston safer. At HPD, we must tailor our policing efforts to the needs of the community.
Timely crime data remain a priority at HPD.
Each patrol commander has crime analysts assigned to his division to provide him with daily, weekly and monthly crime trend information for his area.
This information is the basis for deployment and tactical decisions in addressing crime-related issues. At the same time, our central crime analysis division provides weekly and monthly citywide crime reports to all commanders.
I personally host a crime strategy meeting each week with my captains and command staff to discuss the crime trends in and around the city and what is being done to address them.
We have also undertaken an effort to update our crime analysis computing capabilities by moving to purchase newer, more robust systems, while also increasing personnel for this. Our goal is to have resources available around the clock every day to support operations on an immediate basis.
These changes will expand our regional information sharing capabilities and clearly demonstrate how seriously HPD views crime data.
I am proud of HPD's men and women and their efforts to address the public safety needs of our city. Despite a recent reduction of more than 600 officers due to retirement as well as an unprecedented influx of new residents, the officers, civilians and managers of our department have actually reduced the likelihood that a Houstonian will be a victim of serious crime. I am confident that the men and women of HPD will continue to maintain the highest levels of professionalism as they deliver police services to Houstonians.
-HAROLD L. HURTTchief, Houston Police Department, Houston
MWBE showdown at City Hall
As reported in the Chronicle blog
March 17, 2009
Mayor Bill White could be in for a rare occurrence at City Council next week: a no vote on an agenda item.
A federal judge today ordered the city to put to a City Council vote a settlement agreement over the participation of women in Houston's minority business program. The settlement, part of decade-old litigation over the legality of such municipal contracting efforts, would have put women-owned businesses into the same category as small businesses. That would have left women business owners with a smaller "set-aside" portion of city contracts than currently exists, a fact that spurred a furious lobbying effort from local and national women contracting and business associations, given the prominence of the city's minority business program.
March 17, 2009
Mayor Bill White could be in for a rare occurrence at City Council next week: a no vote on an agenda item.
A federal judge today ordered the city to put to a City Council vote a settlement agreement over the participation of women in Houston's minority business program. The settlement, part of decade-old litigation over the legality of such municipal contracting efforts, would have put women-owned businesses into the same category as small businesses. That would have left women business owners with a smaller "set-aside" portion of city contracts than currently exists, a fact that spurred a furious lobbying effort from local and national women contracting and business associations, given the prominence of the city's minority business program.
Hispanic Buying Power
As reported in the Chronicle
A Wal-Mart store to have Hispanic focus
By JENALIA MORENO Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
March 20, 2009, 10:38PM
Wal-Mart is transforming two of its Neighborhood Markets into Supermercado de Walmart stores.
The Neighborhood Market formats are more like traditional supermarkets Soon, a store in Houston and another in Phoenix, each about 39,000 square feet, will have Spanish-language signs and products specifically for Hispanics. The Houston location at 7960 Longpoint in the Spring Branch area should reopen in the next few months, Wal-Mart officials said.
The move comes as more retailers are courting the growing Hispanic market. U.S. Hispanic buying power was $984 billion in 2008 and is expected to surge to $1.3 trillion in 2013, according to market research firm Packaged Facts.
This is not Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart’s first move into Houston’s Hispanic market. Mas Club, a warehouse concept similar to Sam’s Club, is slated to open at 8711 North Freeway by June.
Cincinnati-based Kroger was one of the first major grocers in the Houston area to remake a store for the Hispanic community.
In 2003, it transformed its southwest Houston store in the Gulfton area to cater to the largely Hispanic neighborhood and has no plans to change any of its other stores.
“It’s going very well. As demographics change, we cater to the needs of the customers of that neighborhood,” said Kroger spokesman Gary Huddleston.
In 2006, San Antonio-based H-E-B opened its first Hispanic-focused grocery store on Spencer Highway and dubbed it Mi Tienda and expects to open more in the Houston market.
A Wal-Mart store to have Hispanic focus
By JENALIA MORENO Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
March 20, 2009, 10:38PM
Wal-Mart is transforming two of its Neighborhood Markets into Supermercado de Walmart stores.
The Neighborhood Market formats are more like traditional supermarkets Soon, a store in Houston and another in Phoenix, each about 39,000 square feet, will have Spanish-language signs and products specifically for Hispanics. The Houston location at 7960 Longpoint in the Spring Branch area should reopen in the next few months, Wal-Mart officials said.
The move comes as more retailers are courting the growing Hispanic market. U.S. Hispanic buying power was $984 billion in 2008 and is expected to surge to $1.3 trillion in 2013, according to market research firm Packaged Facts.
This is not Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart’s first move into Houston’s Hispanic market. Mas Club, a warehouse concept similar to Sam’s Club, is slated to open at 8711 North Freeway by June.
Cincinnati-based Kroger was one of the first major grocers in the Houston area to remake a store for the Hispanic community.
In 2003, it transformed its southwest Houston store in the Gulfton area to cater to the largely Hispanic neighborhood and has no plans to change any of its other stores.
“It’s going very well. As demographics change, we cater to the needs of the customers of that neighborhood,” said Kroger spokesman Gary Huddleston.
In 2006, San Antonio-based H-E-B opened its first Hispanic-focused grocery store on Spencer Highway and dubbed it Mi Tienda and expects to open more in the Houston market.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Metro OKs $1.46 billion contract for rail
As reported in the Houston Chronicle:
The Metropolitan Transit Authority board of directors on Wednesday unanimously approved a $1.46 billion contract for four new light rail lines, which would add 20 miles to its lone seven-mile line along Main Street.
Under the contract, which came after almost a year of negotiations, Parsons Transportation Group is responsible for designing, building, operating and maintaining the new East End, Southeast, North and Uptown lines at an average cost of $73 million a mile. Metro has said the lines will be complete by 2012.
A fifth rail line, the University line, and an intermodal terminal near downtown still are planned, but are not included in the contract.
Metro officials said the agency intends to spend $632 million on the initial phase of the project, primarily on the East End line along Harrisburg as it is further along in the planning than the others.
“Today is obviously a very significant milestone in our building of the Metro Solutions program,” board Chairman David Wolff said moments before the vote. “Our objective is to improve transit in Houston.”
The first phase includes $390 million for the East End line and a rail vehicle service and inspection facility in that corridor.
Metro will spend another $93 million on what officials described as utility work in the Southeast, North and Uptown corridors.
The initial outlay also will include $118 million to buy 29 new light rail cars from manufacturer CAF USA Inc. Of those, 19 will be used on the existing Main Street line and 10 will go to the East End line.
Finally, there is progress being made on the lines especially the East and North lines. Those affect District H the most.
As reported on La Voz Newspaper
March 03, 2009
Cinco candidatos en contienda por el Distrito H
Cinco candidatos en contienda por el Distrito H
Cinco candidatos se enfrentarán en la contienda electoral del 9 de mayo para cubrir la representación del Distrito H ante el Concejo Municipal de Houston que dejó vacante el sheriff Adrián García en enero pasado. Todos alegan conocer bien los problemas del distrito, unos por haber vivido ahí toda su vida y otros porque sus trabajos como empresarios o educadores los han llevado a compenetrarse con él.
Tres de esos candidatos resaltan su origen hispano y su vida en el Distrito H como los factores que los hacen comprender mejor a la comunidad latina, pero los restantes argumentan que no es indispensable ser hispano para entender a los latinos y defender sus intereses. Todos ellos compiten por primera vez por un puesto de elección popular.
Hugo Mojica, originario de Managua, Nicaragua, llegó a Houston cuando tenía 8 años y estudió la primaria, la secundaria y la preparatoria en escuelas del Distrito H. El inmigrante tiene una licenciatura en Ciencia Política de la Universidad de Houston (UH) y dos maestrías, una en Administración Internacional de la Universidad de Miami (UM) y otra en Administración Pública de Florida International University (FIU). "Yo vengo de la parte más pobre de América Latina", dice Mojica.
Hugo Mojica nació en Nicaragua y sus padres lo trajeron a Houston cuando tenía cuatro años. Desde entonces ha vivido en Houston, salvo unos años en Florida, donde hizo dos maestrías. (Foto: Cortesía de su equipo de campaña).
"Yo he vivido en el Distrito y conozco sus problemas", dice Mojica al referirse a las razones que lo llevaron a postular su candidatura. "Pienso que debemos elegir a alguien que conoce realmente los problemas y que vive realmente en el Distrito".
Mojica ha trabajado como asistente del congresista Gene Green y del concejal hispano Gabriel Vásquez. Además, fue director de la oficina del concejal de Houston Michael Berry.
Lupe García, originario de Del Río, Texas, no se considera a sí mismo un político. Hijo de madre mexicana, García estudió en la Academia de Policía de Houston y fungió brevemente como agente de la Patrulla Fronteriza en Brownsville, aunque afirma en una entrevista que se separó de ella porque "no me gustó como trataban a mi raza".
García regresó a Houston y puso después un taller de mecánica automotriz en la calle Fulton, en el corazón del North Side.
El candidato sostiene que los políticos hacen promesas que no cumplen, y asegura que hay partes del distrito que están abandonadas y requieren mejoras en sus sistemas de desagüe.
"Todo el día estoy oliendo a drenaje", dice García en la entrevista en relación con los olores que prevalecen en la calle Fulton, donde está su taller. "Hay tanto dinero y uno está sufriendo, pero ¿por qué?", pregunta el candidato sobre el uso de los impuestos de los habitantes del distrito y la carencia de obras que él observa.
Lupe García, mecánico automotriz, compite por el Distrito H, en el norte de Houston. (Foto: Cortesía de su equipo de campaña).
Ed González, originario de Houston de una familia mexicana, dice que él nació y ha vivido siempre en el Distrito H. Actualmente es agente del Departamento de Policía de Houston y dice que ha trabajado de cerca con Adrián García en sus períodos como concejal por ese distrito y ha colaborado de manera voluntaria en todas sus campañas políticas.
Además de competir entre ellos, estos candidatos hispanos deben también enfrentar a Karen Derr, una empresaria de bienes raíces que ha apoyado con fondos las campañas demócratas en Houston, y al educador Maverick Welsh, de quien hemos escrito una semblanza en Pulso Latino.
Special Election - May 9, 2009
Nine candidates with various backgrounds will face off in a May 9 special election for Houston City Council District H.
By BRADLEY OLSON Copyright 2009 HOUSTON CHRONICLE
March 4, 2009, 4:21PM
March 4, 2009, 4:21PM
The seat was vacated when former councilman Adrian Garcia resigned to become Harris County sheriff.
The list of candidates seeking to take his place was as noteworthy for those on it as the one who was not. Karen Derr, a prominent realtor who was seen as a potentially strong candidate from the Heights, missed the filing deadline. So, although she already had raised money, held events and promoted her candidacy in a blog and on her business Web site, she will not be in the race. Derr did not return a call for comment.
The order on the ballot, which was determined by a drawing according to a longstanding tradition set up by the city secretary, is as follows: Edward “Ed” Gonzalez, Lupe Garcia, Gonzalo Camacho, Hugo Mojica, Larry Williams, Maverick Welsh, James Partsch-Galvan, Yolanda Navarro Flores and Rick Rodriguez.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
To Be or Not to Be Latino in Houston
By Hugo Mojica
According to most indications, Houston’s population has steadily increased during the last decade, particularly in minority communities. In 2007, the Census Bureau estimated the City of Houston’s population at 2.2 million with about 41.7% Latino, 28% White, 24% Black, and 5.3% Asian. With those numbers, you can argue that we are becoming a more diverse community and seeing firsthand the future of America here in Houston. Also, these numbers have started discussions about having more Latino representation on City Council given our percentage of the population. Currently, City Council consists of seven Whites, four African Americans, one Asian, and one Latino. However, the discussion now is to be focused on Houston’s violation of the 30-year-old settlement between the Department of Justice and the City, since the charter required two additional Council seats once our population reached 2.1 million.
So why are we in this predicament? We find ourselves in this position because we have not come together as a community to seek equal representation. Where have our Latino leaders been on the issue? We reached the 2.1 million threshold in 2007, yet no one seemed to care enough to bring the issue of redistricting until now—an election year. Given the proximity of next year’s 2010 Census, we should wait for more precise numbers in order to divide the Council Districts more accurately.
However, that does not guaranteed we will have more representation on City Council. According to a presentation given during the recently held Houston Area Latino Summit, in 2008 only two districts, H & I, 22% and 21% respectively, have a significant percentage of Hispanic surnamed registered voters. In terms of Hispanic surnamed registered voters for the other districts, it was much lower, including District A at 11%, District B at 3%, District C at 6%, District D at 6%, District E at 13%, District F at 8%, and District G at 5%. While I believe we have increased in numbers, it is not clear to what extent it will change some districts. Increases in number do not necessarily translate into a more representative government, only voter participation does.
If we really want to work on equal representation, we should focus on nurturing the future leaders of this community. We should encourage more Latino candidates to run for office and provide them the financial backing that is needed to run in a city as large as Houston. Our issues are not Latino issues but, rather, Houstonian issues. We all want the same things, like comprehensive mobility, affordable housing, economic development, and quality of life. However, in order to get us there, we need to build coalitions in order to solve our problems.
I am proud of my Latino culture and heritage, and our community is richer for it. However, we need to start taking responsibility for our lack of representation and our failure to promote Latino issues in a more organized manner. To quote Abraham Lincoln, “The strongest bond of human sympathy outside the family relation should be one uniting working people of all nations and tongues and kindreds.”
According to most indications, Houston’s population has steadily increased during the last decade, particularly in minority communities. In 2007, the Census Bureau estimated the City of Houston’s population at 2.2 million with about 41.7% Latino, 28% White, 24% Black, and 5.3% Asian. With those numbers, you can argue that we are becoming a more diverse community and seeing firsthand the future of America here in Houston. Also, these numbers have started discussions about having more Latino representation on City Council given our percentage of the population. Currently, City Council consists of seven Whites, four African Americans, one Asian, and one Latino. However, the discussion now is to be focused on Houston’s violation of the 30-year-old settlement between the Department of Justice and the City, since the charter required two additional Council seats once our population reached 2.1 million.
So why are we in this predicament? We find ourselves in this position because we have not come together as a community to seek equal representation. Where have our Latino leaders been on the issue? We reached the 2.1 million threshold in 2007, yet no one seemed to care enough to bring the issue of redistricting until now—an election year. Given the proximity of next year’s 2010 Census, we should wait for more precise numbers in order to divide the Council Districts more accurately.
However, that does not guaranteed we will have more representation on City Council. According to a presentation given during the recently held Houston Area Latino Summit, in 2008 only two districts, H & I, 22% and 21% respectively, have a significant percentage of Hispanic surnamed registered voters. In terms of Hispanic surnamed registered voters for the other districts, it was much lower, including District A at 11%, District B at 3%, District C at 6%, District D at 6%, District E at 13%, District F at 8%, and District G at 5%. While I believe we have increased in numbers, it is not clear to what extent it will change some districts. Increases in number do not necessarily translate into a more representative government, only voter participation does.
If we really want to work on equal representation, we should focus on nurturing the future leaders of this community. We should encourage more Latino candidates to run for office and provide them the financial backing that is needed to run in a city as large as Houston. Our issues are not Latino issues but, rather, Houstonian issues. We all want the same things, like comprehensive mobility, affordable housing, economic development, and quality of life. However, in order to get us there, we need to build coalitions in order to solve our problems.
I am proud of my Latino culture and heritage, and our community is richer for it. However, we need to start taking responsibility for our lack of representation and our failure to promote Latino issues in a more organized manner. To quote Abraham Lincoln, “The strongest bond of human sympathy outside the family relation should be one uniting working people of all nations and tongues and kindreds.”
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