As noted in our last petition update, the Mayor has chosen not to extend the board positions for three of the Montrose TIRZ board members (and to replace one board member who resigned earlier this year). But our opposition is trying to stop him.
A change in the makeup of the board will be good news for the Montrose trees! Several of the old board members were adamant in refusing to make any changes to benefit trees. The TIRZ board had been advised that its plan for Montrose Boulevard would not be accepted by the city, and yet it was refusing to either modify the plan or negotiate a compromise. The project was at an impasse and there was no plan to move forward past that impasse.
The prior chairman went as far as declaring at their last board meeting that all the trees on the east side would come down even if the city disallowed their plan for a 10-foot-wide concrete sidewalk. They spoke very angrily about the mayor and were clearly not supportive of making any changes the new administration requested. For months they had refused to listen to the overwhelming outpouring of support for the trees and opposition to their concrete-heavy design.
So the mayor elected not to renew their terms when they expired. The defined process for TIRZ board appointments is that the current mayor selects the appointees and then city council votes to affirm or not affirm. Mayor Turner appointed and extended many TIRZ board positions during his terms in office. Now it is Mayor Whitmire’s responsibility to make those appointments.
But the Neartown Superneighborhood, some of the Montrose Civic Clubs and a few other non-profits (who are very pro-bike lanes and pro-road “diets”) have become very politically involved as a result of the Mayor’s recent decisions. The rules for 501c3 organizations say they cannot urge their members or the public to tell Council to vote a certain way. And yet at recent meetings, several of these groups seem to be engaging in actions and statements that approach the definition of lobbying.
These people, who support the old TIRZ board's plan to remove all the trees and put in wide concrete bike paths/sidewalks, have planned to show up en masse at next week’s city council meeting on 7/2 to argue against the mayor’s changes to the Montrose TIRZ board.
We need people to show up and/or sign up to speak at council on Tuesday 7/2 just to say “I support the mayor’s decision to appoint new members to the Montrose TIRZ board.”
Even if you don’t want to speak, come to the meeting and when one of us speaks, we will ask everyone who supports the mayor’s changes to the TIRZ board to stand, so that the city council can see the people present who support the mayor. We did this at a HGAC meeting a few weeks ago and it was a very effective, visually impacting way to show our solidarity.
Remember that the opposition is trying to convince the at-large and other council members to vote against the mayor by making it seem like everyone in Montrose is opposed to this change. We need to show them otherwise.
We need YOU!
Come to city hall at 901 Bagby on Tuesday 7/2 at 9am. You’ll need your ID to sign in at the desk in the lobby, then come up the elevator to 2nd floor. City Council chambers are right there when you exit the elevator.
If you want to sign up to speak (for up to 3 mins) send email to speakers@houstontx.gov or contact the City Secretary's Office 832-393-1100.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WEEK ONLY (BC OF 4th of JULY) THE SPEAKERS WILL START AT 9AM.
We recommend you do NOT provide a topic for why you are speaking because we have months of experience showing that Abbie Kamin will move all speakers who oppose her position to the end of the agenda. It is best to list nothing at all, or something generic like “infrastructure” or “citizen concern” as your topic.
If you haven’t been to a city council meeting before, feel free to reach out to Jonna at savemontroseliveoaks@gmail.com with any questions about location, parking etc. We hope to see many of you there!
Jonna