HOUSTON – It’s time for Pop-Off Politics!
This is the only station in Greater Houston that takes a look at each week’s agenda and tells you what they are voting on before council members do it.
We get it, you’re busy, and that’s why we are active about it.
Here’s the deal: Over two million of us were without power for days, and now we’re heading into the second week with eight percent of customers still in the dark.
During a special council meeting on Monday, Mayor Whitmire and the council extended the emergency proclamation. This was a big move to get folks the help they needed.
What’s Next? Clean-Up Efforts
We’re focusing in on Agenda Item #8. The city wants to up the maximum contract for four companies through the Solid Waste Department. Those companies are:
- ASHBRITT, INC.
- DRC EMERGENCY SERVICES, INC.
- T.F.R. ENTERPRISES, INC.
- CERES ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC.
These companies got approved in May for debris cleanup with up to $20 million contracts. Now, the city wants to bump that up to $120 million. This extra spending is to tackle the mess left by Hurricane Beryl and the Derecho in May. We should see updates on what they’re doing. We took note of this key line: “As specific funding is identified; a separate action will come before the City Council for approval.”
KPRC 2 Investigates reached out to the Mayor’s Office, the Controller’s Office, and each City Council Member for clarity.
District A’s Amy Peck was quick to respond. She said this move doesn’t allocate any money; it’s just to “preposition the companies for disaster cleanup.” She pointed out that these companies already did some cleanup after the May storm in District A, but not much has happened since.
District F’s Tiffany Thomas plans to bring this up openly in council on Wednesday because she hasn’t seen any schedule for pickups. As of Monday, many businesses and residents in her district still didn’t have power.
Both council members know the cleanup from the Derecho has been slow, and they need better answers for residents after Beryl.
Who’s Paying for All This?
The city is hoping FEMA will reimburse up to 80% of the costs. But, with two storms, there’s going to be a ton of paperwork that needs to be spot on.
Can They Bring in More Companies?
The short answer is no. The Solid Waste budget comes from the General Fund, and it would take a different department to request Emergency Purchase Orders (EPOs). From what council members are saying, it’s not clear when the debris cleanup will actually happen or how long it will take.
On Wednesday, City Council Member Tiffany Thomas asked if this was going to be a FEMA reimbursement, and Mayor John Whitmire said yes, and the companies will need to come back before council for approval for work.
The agenda item was voted on unanimously.