Mayor Turner’s statement following Texas Supreme Court ruling against GOP in-person convention
 | HOUSTON – The City of Houston has prevailed in multiple legal challenges following Houston First’s decision not to host the Republican Party of Texas in-person convention for health and safety reasons. |
| Today, the Texas Supreme Court dismissed for lack of jurisdiction two lawsuits brought by the RPT and several individuals seeking to force Houston First to allow the RPT to hold an in-person convention in the George R. Brown Convention Center. The RPT and individual Republicans also sought such relief in a Harris County District Court last week. Last Thursday afternoon, a state district judge denied a motion for a temporary restraining order.Finally, in a third, evidentiary proceeding in the Harris County district courts held this morning, the court also refused to force Houston First to host the RPT’s Convention this week and denied the RPT the temporary injunction it had sought. “These four proceedings before ten different judges have given the RPT several days in court, and it has lost at every turn. As I said from the beginning, the decision to cancel the convention was not political. It was driven by science and data during a pandemic,’ said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “My job is to protect Houstonians during a public health crisis, and that includes the convention delegates, service workers, and the general public.” Last week, Dr. David Persse, Houston’s EMS Physician Director & Public Health Authority, informed the mayor that holding a convention in the GRB presented a ‘clear and present danger’ to attendees, convention staff, hotels and restaurant workers, and all Houstonians. “I listened to the medical experts, and so did the CEO of Houston First. We let science dictate our actions. It is time to move forward with a virtual gathering and stop the time consuming and expensive lawsuits as we deal with this public health crisis,” said Mayor Turner. |
DEEPER DIVE WITH BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP
| Last Thursday, Buffalo Bayou Partnership launched a new online series, Deeper Dive, to give you an inside-look at past projects, current initiatives and upcoming plans for Buffalo Bayou. Thanks to all who attended the first presentation led by BBP President Anne Olson! We appreciate the positive feedback and hope you learned something new about our non-profit organization. Continuing with the series, we invite you to tune in to Deeper Dive: Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan this Thursday at 1:30pm. While most of BBP’s green space development has occurred west of downtown, the organization has been acquiring property and building a trail system along the waterway’s East Sector for more than a decade. With its recently released Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan for the area stretching from US 59 to the Port of Houston Turning Basin, BBP will bring the community’s vision for its waterfront to life. Informed by significant outreach and engagement, the plan envisions integrating new parks and trails, dynamic recreational and cultural destinations, and connections to surrounding neighborhoods. In this presentation, BBP Project Manager Jose Solis will discuss the history of the neighborhoods along Buffalo Bayou East, how we gathered input from the communities, the principles guiding the plan, what amenities you can expect in the coming years, and more. To receive the link to the online event, please be sure to register. Attendees will be sent the link 10 minutes prior to the start of the event. |
Rockets’ Russell Westbrook tests positive for COVID-19
Rockets guard Russell Westbrook announced Monday that he tested positive for COVID-19 and is in quarantine.
Westbrook, James Harden and Luc Mbah a Moute have not been with the team in Florida for the NBA’s restart training camp, though Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said he had hoped they will arrive in the middle of this week.
“I tested positive for COVID-19 prior to my teams departure for Orlando,” Westbrook posted on social media. “I’m currently feeling well, quarantined, and looking forward to joining my teammates when I am cleared. Thank you for all the well wishes and continued support. Please take this virus seriously. Be safe. Mask up! #whynot.”
Westbrook averaged 27.5 points on a career-best 47.4 percent shooting in 53 games with the Rockets this season. The 2016-17 MVP, Westbrook has been among the league’s top players during the latter half of the season, averaging 31.7 points on 52.7 percent shooting along with 8.1 rebounds and 6.8 assists since Jan. 1.
D’Antoni was optimistic on Sunday that his absent players would be joining the team soon.
“We’re still expecting them in a few days,” he said. “It’ll be soon. It’s not going to be long. You never know, but we think we’ll get them back in here by the middle of the week.”
City of Houston’s Office of Sustainability seeking input on strategy to make electric vehicles more accessible
| HOUSTON – City of Houston’s Office of Sustainability, in coordination with EVolve Houston, today issued a Request for Information (RFI) for a community-wide strategy for publicly-accessible electric vehicle support equipment and City-owned fleets. The RFI is one of the first implementation efforts of the City’s recently-released Climate Action Plan, which identifies vehicle electrification as a key strategy for Houstonians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve regional air quality, and build climate resilience. “Even in these challenging times, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “As outlined in the Climate Action Plan, vehicle electrification can help clean our air and improve our climate resilience. We are looking for partners with innovative solutions to help make electric vehicles more available and affordable for all Houstonians.” The RFI will gather information on public-private business models for owning, operating, and managing publicly accessible electric vehicle support equipment at City-owned and operated facilities located throughout the community and its own private fleet. The RFI will also seek information on equitable distribution of infrastructure, infrastructure optimization and utilization rates, infrastructure resilience, and revenue sharing opportunities. The findings from the RFI will be used to inform the scope and requirements for the City’s future electric vehicle infrastructure deployment. “EVolve is excited to assist The City in their effort to support current and future EV adoption,” said Chris George, Executive Director of EVolve Houston. “Houston continues to lead by example and will benefit greatly from taking immediate steps to address air quality and growing EV adoption following the launch of the Climate Action Plan.” Visit https://purchasing.houstontx.gov/Bid_Display.aspx?id=I03320 to view the full RFI. Responses must be submitted by Friday, August 7, 2020 at 4:00 P.M. Central Standard Time. About the Office of Sustainability The City of Houston’s Office of Sustainability is responsible for implementing Mayor Turner’s commitment to reduce Houston’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The office manages the City’s internal sustainability and energy efficiency programs and, on April 22, 2020, released the Houston Climate Action Plan, a science-based, community-driven strategy for the City of Houston to reduce community-wide ghg emissions, meet the Paris Agreement goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, and lead a global energy transition. Visit www.greenhoustontx.gov for more information. About EVolve Houston EVolve Houston is a coalition of sustainability-minded civic, business, and academic leaders who seek to accelerate clean transportation through electrification. Collaborating with government, academic, private industry, and community leaders, our goal is to improve regional air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Greater Houston area. In addition to overseeing and tracking the implementation of the actions set forth in the Electric Vehicle Roadmap, EVolve Houston works alongside civic, industry, and academic institutions to advance electric vehicle awareness, availability, and affordability. Visit www.evolvehouston.org for more information. |
Tomorrow is Election Day for the July 2020 Primary Runoff Elections
| (Houston, TX) – Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 14th, is Election Day for the July 2020 Primary Runoff Elections. Voters can cast their ballots anytime between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at any of the 109 voting centers throughout Harris County. For the nearest voting location and estimated wait times go to HarrisVotes.com/WaitTimes. A total of 154,313 voters cast their ballots during the ten-day Early Voting period that concluded on Friday, July 10th. |
| “These are challenging times for all of us, but I want to encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote,” said Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins. “This runoff is a critical part of the election process, because it will determine which candidates go on to represent their parties in the General Election in November.” |
| To protect voters and election workers from COVID-19, all voting centers have been set up to allow for social distancing. Poll workers have been provided with personal protective equipment including gloves, face masks, and shields. Sanitizing stations are set up at all polling sites, and voters are being provided with finger covers to use while voting. Additional face masks are available for voters who do not have one. Voters exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 can vote curbside to avoid entering the polling center. |
| To cast a ballot, you must be registered to vote and have one of the following forms of ID: |
| Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS); Texas Election Identification Certificate (EIC) issued by DPS; Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS; Texas License to Carry a Handgun (LTC) issued by DPS; U.S. Military ID Card containing the person’s photograph; U.S. Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph; or U.S. Passport. |
| Except for the U.S. citizenship certificate, the form of identification you use must be current or have expired no more than four years before being presented at the polls. If you don’t have any of these to use for identification, you can (1) sign a sworn statement explaining why you don’t have those IDs and (2) bring one of the following: |
| Valid voter registration certificate; Certified birth certificate; Current utility bill; Government check; Pay stub or bank statement that includes your name and address; or Copy of or original government document with your name and an address (original required if it contains a photograph). |
| To expedite your time at the polls, go to HarrisVotes.com to print your personal sample ballot, make your selections, and take it with you when you go vote. If you start the voting process and think you have received the wrong ballot, make sure you let an election official know immediately—before casting your vote. For more election information, visit HarrisVotes.com and follow @HarrisVotes on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. |
Reminder: Houston Health Department, partners announce free COVID-19 testing schedule for week of July 13
| HOUSTON – The Houston Health Department and its agency partners are announcing the schedule for sites offering free COVID-19 tests the week of July 13, 2020. Texas Division of Emergency Management The Texas Division of Emergency Management and the department will open four drive-thru test sites: Crump Stadium, 12321 High Star Dr.,Cuney Homes Community Center, 3260 Truxillo St.,HCC-Northeast Campus, 555 Community College Dr., andHCC – South Campus, 1990 Airport Blvd. TDEM sites require appointments, available by visiting texas.curativeinc.com. TDEM will also operate a walk-up site that doesn’t require appointments at the Merfish Teen Center, 9000 S Rice Ave, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 12, through Friday, July 17. United Memorial Medical Center United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC) will offer weekday testing at drive-thru test sites at the Southwest Multi-Service Center, 6400 High Star, Houston Community College-Southeast, 6815 Rustic, and Houston Community College-Felix Fraga, 301 N. Drennan St. The sites don’t require appointments and offer testing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or until reaching its daily capacity of 250 tests. Other UMMC sites opening weekdays are:UMMC Tidwell, 510 W Tidwell Rd., 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.Forest Brook Middle School, 7525 Tidwell Rd, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.Cullen Middle School, 6900 Scott St., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., andGriggs School, 801 Regional Park Dr., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.People needing information about UMMC test sites can call 1-866-333-COVID or visit ummcscreening.com. Houston Health Department The department operates two free drive-thru COVID-19 community-based testing sites open to anyone, regardless of symptoms. Each site has capacity for 650 tests per day and operates Monday through Saturday. People can call the department’s COVID-19 Call Center at 832-393-4220 between 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. to receive an access code and directions to the nearest community-based site. The department will offer testing at Bussey Elementary, 11555 Airline, Tuesday, July 14 through Friday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or until reaching its 250-test capacity. It will open a one-day testing site Saturday, July 18, at Collins Elementary, 9829 Town Park Dr., from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until reaching its 250-test capacity. The site will offer drive-thru and walk-up options on a first come, first served basis. Federally Qualified Health Centers The health department is providing test kits, lab access and equipment to four local Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) so they can expand their COVID-19 testing capacity. The centers and phone numbers people can call to set up testing appointments are: HOPE Clinic: 713-773-0803,Community Health Network – Scarsdale Family Health Center: 281-824-1480,Spring Branch Community Health Center: 713-462-6565,El Centro de Corazon: 713-660-1880,Avenue 360 Health and Wellness: 713-426-0027,Lone Star Circle of Care at the University of Houston: 346-348-1200 andLegacy Community Health: 832-548 5000.FQHC patients pay what they can afford, based on income and family size, and are not denied services due to inability to pay or lack of insurance. The department and its agency partners may shift locations and schedules of test sites to better meet community needs. Houstonians can visit HoustonEmergency.org/covid19 for current Houston test sites and information about stopping the spread of the virus. Information obtained through testing, treatment or services will not be used against immigrants in their public charge evaluation. Houston Free COVID-19 Testing Sites Flyer: Week of 7/12/20  |