CITY & COUNTY
News from Bellaire & West University Place
COMPILED BY GEORGE WIEBE
CITY HIGHLIGHTS WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE The nal acceptance of the Virtual Gate Project was unanimously approved by West University Place City Council on May 23 after contractor Minuteman Security Technologies completed the project. The $4.5 million security camera and license plate recognition system that has been installed around the city is intended as a crime deterrent. The project involved installing cameras at 40 intersections. As of press time, a ribbon cutting was scheduled for June 1. Bellaire City Council will meet at 6 p.m. June 6 at 7008 S. Rice Ave., Bellaire. Meetings are streamed at www.bellairetx.gov. West University Place City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. June 13 at 3800 University Blvd., Houston. Meetings are available via teleconference. Find details at www.westutx.gov. Houston City Council will meet at 1:30 p.m. June 7 for public comment and 9 a.m. June 8 for regular business at 901 Bagby St., Houston. Meetings are streamed at www.houstontx.gov/htv. MEETINGS WE COVER
Design contract approved for public works campus WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE An ordinance granting an architectural and engineering design contract was approved by the West University Place City Council on May 9 for a new public works campus at the southwest corner of Westpark Drive and Dincans Street. Part of the ordinance included amending the city’s scal year 2021-22 budget, allocating $662,000 toward design costs. The new campus is part of the city’s facili- ties master plan, which kicked o in June 2021. The design rm, Pierce Goodwin Alexander & Linville Inc., was hired to work on the master plan after the city hosted town hall meetings in April to garner feedback. Designs are estimated to be complete at the end of this year, and construction could begin in summer 2023.
Bellaire approves wage increase for city employees BELLAIRE On May 16, the Bellaire City Council approved $62,950 in midyear wage increases for some part-time and full-time city employees to address high turnover rates across departments. The salary step increase targets employees who have not moved up to a higher pay level since signing on to work for the city, o cials said. “Within our salary plan, we have assigned a value for that position that’s in that pay range,” Human Resources Manager Lori Remington told council. “From that, we’ve developed steps to progress the employees.” The city is looking to hire police o cers; lifeguards; aquatic and recreation aides; and a re ghter para- medic, among other un lled roles. “I want this document to serve as a communication directly to our sta on behalf of our residents that we support you, we hear you, and we understand there is an increasingly competitive marketplace,” Bellaire Mayor Andrew Friedberg said during the meeting. City sta most recently received a cost-of-living adjustment in October. The latest wage increase was done as part of a city retention program, interim City Manager Deacon Tittel said. O cials will develop a retention plan to submit with the city’s scal year 2022- 23 budget that will be presented in July, he said.
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BELLAIRE MEYERLAND WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION • JUNE 2022
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