The approval allows the ordinance to be placed on a future City Council agenda for a vote.
What’s happening?
Council member Julian Ramirez first proposed the amendment in June, along with two other related proposals to the city’s $16.7 billion Capital Improvement Plan. The three amendments are intended to create more transparency when changes are made to major projects, including:
- Requiring monthly reports to every council member on project changes, such as delays, cancellations or alterations
- The potential to request a public hearing on proposed changes
- Allowing council members to object and vote on changes
The debate
Council members Willie Davis, Twila Carter and Tiffany Thomas argued during the meeting that the proposals and additional communication requirements could create delays in projects.
“The intention is good, but I think the outcome will not be aligned with the intention,” Carter said.
However, Ramirez said that the amendments are not meant to cause delays but to keep residents and council members updated on ongoing changes to important projects.
“This is not intended to cause delay,” he said. “That is set up in the amendments. The work is going to continue, and yes, you know things happen that cause delays in construction. This isn’t going to change that. People see things not being done, and they want to know why. This is part of the reason to give that information to the district council person and the residents.”
Public input
Community members were also allowed to speak on the amendment during the public comment session of the meeting. The majority of public speakers supported the proposal, citing that more transparency and community engagement are needed when it comes to making changes to projects in their communities.
Ruben Garza, a local conversation leader for the group Strong Towns Houston, said he supports the transparency ordinance.
“This [ordinance] creates an institutionalized process for transparency in the city of Houston, which is why it’s needed and why it needs to get to the full council,” he said.
Lisa Hunt, a resident of the city, said she believes transparency and accountability within the city of Houston are incredibly important, especially when it comes to the issue of infrastructure in the CIP projects.
“In terms of where the sources of income are and the length of time of these projects, I agree that we wisely draw on multiple sources,” she said. “I think the other reasons that these transparency amendments are important are a balance of power and accountability. This creates a vehicle for the council to exercise a check and balance on local government and allow citizens to know how their money is being spent.”
Final takeaways
Council members voted unanimously to push Ramirez’s amendment forward to allow for the full council to vote on the matter in the future.
Council members also approved two additional amendments to the CIP, including those related to the budget stabilization fund and Storm Drainage and Street & Traffic funding.
Council member Abbie Kamin, District C, put forward an amendment to improve and strengthen the budget stabilization fund. According to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the account is commonly called the “rainy day fund” and acts as a city’s savings account for emergencies.
Kamin’s amendment moved to increase the amount and require replenishment within 365 days. Council members voted unanimously in favor of the motion without discussion.
Vice Mayor Pro Tem Amy Peck also proposed an amendment to support the creation of a working group to evaluate the CIP process to determine a fair way of allocating Storm Drainage and Street & Traffic funding based on data. This item also passed without discussion.
All three amendments will move forward for full council consideration in the future.
