CITY & COUNTY
News from Houston & Harris County
HIGHLIGHTS HOUSTON A new $20 million grant portal will open Aug. 9 through a partnership between the city of Houston and Wells Fargo. The grants will help more than 500 small businesses and nonpro ts in the Houston area led by people of color. The application process will close Aug. 23. HARRIS COUNTY In a 3-2 vote Aug. 2, Harris County commissioners moved closer to putting a $1.2 billion bond issue on ballots in November. A special meeting will be held between Aug. 12-22 to give commissioners a chance to make a nal decision on putting the bond on ballots. Houston City Council will meet at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 9 for public comment and 9 a.m. Aug. 10 for regular business at 901 Bagby St., Houston. Meetings are streamed at www.houstontx.gov/htv. Harris County will meet for its regular meeting at 10 a.m. Aug. 23 at the Harris County Courthouse, 1001 Preston St., Ste. 934, Houston. Meetings are streamed live at www.harriscountytx.gov. MEETINGS WE COVER
Houston being investigated over illegal dumping HOUSTON On July 22, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it opened an investigation into the city of Houston for its practices related to illegal dumping. The investigation will involve examining the city’s municipal service response to illegal dumping, which allegedly discriminates against Black and Latino residents. BY SOFIA GONZALEZ Illegal dumping is the illegal discarding of heavy trash, which city law requires to be discarded in speci c ways. TRASH PICKUP RIGHT WRONG
Speci c departments being investigated include the Houston Police Department, the city’s 311 system, the Solid Waste Management Department and Houston’s Department of Neighborhoods. “Illegal dumpsites not only attract rodents, mosquitos and other vermin that pose health risks, but they can also contaminate surface water and impact proper drainage, making areas more susceptible to ooding,” said Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general of the Justice Depart- ment’s Civil Rights Division, in a statement. The investigation will include an examination of the city’s enforcement and solid waste management policies and practices that could have resulted in discrimination that is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI “prohibits recipients of federal nancial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin,” according to a July 22 news release. Clarke said the investigation was prompted by a complaint to the Justice Department from Lone Star Legal Aid. The complaint alleges illegal dumping of household
SOURCE: CITY OF HOUSTON COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER Leave items on roadsides, empty lots or anywhere that is not an approved site
Place items out for heavy trash pickup during designated junk-waste months Bring items to city of Houston’s neighborhood depositories
furniture, mattresses, tires, medical wastes, trash, dead bodies and vandalized ATMs, she said. In a July 22 statement, Turner said his o ce has helped under-resourced and underserved communities, calling the investigation a “slap in the face” to the city. “The city follows up on 311 complaints about illegal dumping and aggressively pursues those responsible for illegally discarding debris on public or private property without the owner’s consent,” Turner said. The city will cooperate with the DOJ and expects that no discrimination will be found once the investigation is complete, Turner said.
Scan to shop!
WholeEarthProvision.com Austin • Dallas • Houston • San Antonio
Is your entrepreneurial business growing or stalling? Stop wasting time trying to grow your business without a solid strategy
•
Steven Casto Brand Strategist and Coach Understand your target audience AND how to find them. Cut through the noise and communicate a clear message Get off the hamster wheel of conti nuous, unintenti onal, cookie-cutter marketing
•
SCAN QR CODE FOR A FREE 30-MINUTE CONSULTATION APPOINTMENT
•
9
HEIGHTS RIVER OAKS MONTROSE EDITION • AUGUST 2022
Powered by FlippingBook