All fiscal matters and initiatives to improve management and efficiency of City service delivery. The committee’s scope will include Annual Budgets and Debt Model, Monthly Financial and Operations Report, Quarterly Investment Report, matters related to Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones, regulated utilities, strategic purchasing and other procurement processes. The Committee will also receive quarterly reports on the three pension systems that provide defined benefit plans for City employees.
Strategies to encourage viable, sustainable development that is appropriate to the surrounding community. Scope will include development regulations incorporated in the Code of Ordinances Chapter 42 and Chapter 33 (Historic Preservation; Trees and Shrubs), and the Houston Sign Code. The committee will consider matters related to annexation and Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction and will function as the Ordinance Committee for purposes of the City Charter.
Regulations adopted in the Code of Ordinances Chapter 18, including regulations for the registration of lobbyists, and matters related to the Council Rules as adopted in Chapter 2 of the Code of Ordinances.
Regulatory and permitting functions affecting flooding and drainage incorporated in Code of Ordinances Chapter 19 (Floodplain) and 47 (Storm Drainage Discharge); long-range planning for funding of drainage infrastructure; communication with affected stakeholders, including recommendations concerning coordination with other entities such as the federal and state government, Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery Counties and the Harris County Flood Control District.
Strategies to promote the development and maintenance of affordable, energy efficient housing, including matters related to Houston Hope, the Land Assemblage Redevelopment Authority and community revitalization initiatives funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and TIRZ Affordable Housing Funds.
Strategies to encourage international trade and investment in Houston communities. The Committee will provide liaison to the Houston International Protocol Alliance, the Sister Cities International program and Houston’s consular corps.
Small contractor development and contract compliance; the City’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) and Persons With Disabilities Enterprise (PWDBE) programs; and compliance with labor standards, including prevailing wage standards.
Strategies to improve the quality of life for neighborhoods including issues related to the enforcement of deed restrictions and building codes, abatement of dangerous buildings and weeded lots, and management of illegal dumping and other solid waste collection. The committee will review Code of Ordinance regulations that are principally oriented to neighborhood protection and that are not addressed by another committee’s scope.
Matters related to public safety and law enforcement, including police, fire and emergency medical services; Homeland Security and emergency preparedness; and the Houston Emergency Center.
Strategies to identify technological innovations to maximize resources, promote sustainability and enhance City services. The Committee will also consider opportunities to improve access to human services, with special focus on serving Youth and Seniors.
Matters related to ground transportation and general mobility, freight and passenger rail, management of public utilities and right-of-way infrastructure; and matters relating to the Houston Airport System.
Potential benefits of and financing for innovative programs and projects, both inside and outside the City of Houston, that could conserve water and energy resources without compromising quality of life or regional economic growth.
