A ‘Creative Class’ Metropolis
Council Member Gonzalez has been quite vocal about his long-term goals to make Houston an international hub for the creative community. That’s why he recently proposed the creation of The Innovation and Technology Advisory Board.
The duty of the board will be to consider methods and means to help transform Houston into a thriving ‘Creative Class’ metropolis by making city resources more accessible to innovative entrepreneurs. Official support from the City will give legitimacy to the creative economy and help draw even more entrepreneurs, thought-leaders, and innovators to Houston.
The Board will review and advise on community policies, programs and actions with respect to innovation and technology, and will recommend policy, program changes, and new directions as needed.
Greening Up the City with Parklets
The City of Houston could benefit greatly from increased green space and a more vibrant street life. That’s why Council Member Gonzalez introduced the Parklet Program. The program would allow a business to adopt nearby parallel parking spaces and create a ‘pocket park.’
The people of District H have an impressive track record when it comes to caring for the health and beauty of our community. Neighbors pitched in for the District H ‘GO Green!’ Initiative. We’ve organized events to clean up and prevent illegal dumping and we’ve worked on numerous beautification projects.
It was with these community successes in mind that Council Member Gonzalez introduced the Parklet Program. Over the next few months, we’ll discuss its benefits with Council committees in hopes that by year’s end, the Parklet Program will become a reality.
A Call for Group Home Regulation
The regulation of group homes – defined as halfway houses, sobering houses, boarding homes, or mental retardation homes – was eliminated from the State’s responsibility in 2009. It’s now left up to individual municipalities to address.
The City of Houston does not have the ability to assure that our friends and neighbors, in times of need, are kept out of squalor and abuse due to a current lack of regulation. Because the City had not presented a progressive step towards tackling this big problem, Council Member Gonzalez presented the Group Home Budget Amendment. The Amendment would include regulation to prevent caretakers from abusing patients and to ensure that elderly residents do not miss their medications.
