During the 2008, as a first-term council member, Jolanda “Jo” Jones successfully worked with Mayor Bill White and the Administration to receive favorable votes on her proposed budget amendments. All were approved and will be considered and included in the Fiscal Year 2009 budget for the City of Houston. Following are the budget amendments adopted:
Request that the Administration fund 20 audible pedestrian crosswalks in an amount not to exceed $250,000, at 20 prioritized intersections, from FY 08 budget surplus funds or funds identified by the Administration in the Public Works and Engineering Department budget.
Request that the Administration provide funding in the amount of $100,000 to the Health Department, for the City of Houston's Office of Veterans Affairs, to provide intervention services to include job placement, temporary housing vouchers, and counseling through an RFP process. The funding would come from FY 08 budget surplus or whatever fund the Administration identifies.
Request that HUD's federal requirement for the re-inspection of 1,000 homes on the Single Family Repair Program list be completed by the end of FY 09 budget period.
Request that Public Works and Engineering initiate "Quieter Zones" in 10 neighborhoods, from FY 08 budget surplus funds or funds identified by the Administration.
Request that the Administration seek funding in the amount of $15,299 for the SEARCH Mobile Outreach Program in the FY 09 budget.
Request that the Administration review and consider funding an After School Achievement Program at the Alief Community Center, coordinated by Texans Together, to establish social service programs to include vocational training, computer training, and tutorials.
Request that the Administration review and consider the cost to outsource the Houston Police Department's crime lab.
CONSTITUENT ISSUES / SERVICES
Housing:
Senior disabled residents, displaced from Bellerive [a Houston Housing Authority property], were threatened with forced payment of expenses associated with cleaning asbestos released after a fire allegedly destroyed their apartments. CM Jones was the first council person to listen and bring it to the attention of City Council. CM Jones worked with CM Khan, Congressman Al Green and other caring parties, to urge HHA to step up to the plate. Through tough negotiation, we got residents vouchers to buy furniture and help pay for professional asbestos cleaning services.
Helped Brenda Parish, whose section 8 housing voucher was set to expire, maintain eligibility with HHA and HUD.
Public Safety:
Assisted LaMona Green resolve an issue, who was a victim of gunfire and vandalism and placed with family members. Ms. Green’s residence was vandalized by gang members. Ms. Green was put in contact with the HPD Gang Unit and Aggravated Assault charges were filed against the Gang Member. Ms. Green located a new residence with family.
Helped Keeona Mitchell, who was assaulted by her child’s father, contact HPD, have the allegations investigated which led to charges of Aggravated Assault against the perpetrator.
Toured City Jail after citizen complaints alleging sub-standard conditions. After the tour, make recommendation to Administration to study the cost of getting out of the City Jail business and working in collaboration with other municipalities to get this function outsourced.
CM Jones arranged to have the stove repaired and old shelving replaced at Fire Station 25.
Neighborhood Preservation/Quality of Life:
Stood with residents and voted to deny the permit to build the Ashby High Rise, which effectively allowed that neighborhood to preserve it horizontal quality of life from a proposed 23 story high rise project.
Stood with residents/stake holders against CES Environmental Inc. and helped persuade the City to sue to stop nuisances committed by CES. Specifically CM Jones was the first CM to bring this issue to the attention of City Council by popping off. the environmental to con, which is located near a neighborhood with a school and church, had several explosions & a vehicle fire at their plant, sending dangerous debris flying into their neighbor’s yards. I enlisted the assistance of my colleagues on City Council & we were successful in having the plant shut down for inspections.
Assisted Rosedale St. residents, in historic Third Ward, by holding a town hall meeting between the residents and a land owner seeking a variance to build in that neighborhood; speaking before the Planning Commission; and facilitating agreement on the variance. Consequently, the quality of that neighborhood was preserved.
Based on the Rosedale issue, the CM is now working to resolve notice issues which will help neighborhoods protect their character. Specifically CM Jones has forwarded proposed amendments to Chapter 42 regarding variances and re-plats. She is working with the Administration, Legal and Planning to give neighborhoods a greater ability to protect themselves.
Stood with citizens who reside along our floodways to draft an ordinance which protected a homeowners’ constitutional right to build on their property yet help control flooding. Specifically CM Jones attended stakeholder meetings, asked the hard questions at Council and spoke before the Planning Commission.
Stood with residents/stake holders against METRO’s plan to put rail down a specific portion of Wheeler Ave. and was instrumental in convincing METRO to listen to stakeholders which resulted in the line being moved to an alternative that stakeholders agreed to. Specifically, CM Jones voted no [at that time the Wheeler line was planned to go against stakeholder’s wishes], spoke before the METRO Board, wrote numerous letters and requested information fro METRO.
Stood with residents/stake holders and assisted CM Clutterbuck with keeping a cell tower proposed by Crown Castle International, from being erected in District C (Westbury). Specifically CM Jones spoke before the Planning Commission and wrote letter to Planning Commission in support of residents/stake holders.
Stood with residents/stake holders and assisted CM Clutterbuck in getting a police station built in District C (Greater Fondren Southwest Super Neighborhood #36 Meeting). Specifically CM Jones attended neighborhood meetings, spoke with Chief Hurtt and voted for same.
Stood with residents/stake holders and assisted CM Lawrence with keeping yet another hot sheet motel in District A (Highway 6????). Specifically CM Jones spoke before the Planning Commission in support of the residents/stake holders.
Stood with residents/stake holders and assisted CM Sullivan with opposing the proposed mobility plan in District E (Kingwood). Specifically CM Jones Spoke before the Planning Commission and wrote a letter to Planning Commission in support of residents/stake holders.
Stood with Texans Together and Unified Hoods to assist in get a computer lab installed in the Alief Community Center, through a 2009 Budget Priority which provided a place for youth to have a positive place to learn and which would get them off the streets where gangs are prevalent.
Stood with ARMARK workers to improve working conditions, health benefits and efforts to unionize. Specifically CM Jones wrote a letter to Aramark advising of my opposition to efforts to union-bust and intention not to support any company that engaged in such behavior.
Stood with residents and conducted a trash clean, specifically sweeping the illegally dumped trash into piles, in collaboration with community leader Chris Latson, in District B (6329 Gold). Further CM Jones called the Administration and arranged for the illegally dumped trash to be cleaned up within one hour.
Stood with citizens in District B to persuade the Houston Housing Authority to clean the homes up and repair fences damaged by a negligent city contractor. The citizens who were helped were Clarence Price, Faye Webster and Ruby Bennett.
Stood with residents/stake holders regarding Palm Center, Houston’s first shopping mall, who were concerned that it was going to be torn down. CM Jones personally called the Mayor’s Office immediately and voiced the residents’ opposition and her support of the residents and asked that he reconsider until he heard from the residents. As a result, the Mayor informed the residents that he would reconsider his plans and look at alternatives.
Voted to ban Attention Getting Devices.
Voted to ban the erection of bill boards and to tear down many bill boards. CM Jones worked with Scenic Houston in this collaborative effort.
Hurricane Ike Work:
CM Jones arranged for ice & water, with 18 wheelers, to be shipped to Houston after Hurricane Ike, when ice and water were commodities and in shortage. CM Jones had the commodities delivered to PODS during a time of great need.
CM Jones worked with District Council Members and private persons and business to acquire goods to personally delivered and arranged for others to deliver food, water, milk, orange juice ice and pampers to elderly, sick or families with children, in Houston proper and Fort Bend Houston.
CM Jones gave a brand new table top stove top to Fire Station 25, immediately after Hurricane Ike , because they had no way to prepare meals for fire fighters who had to working around the clock.
CM Jones assisted disaster debris removal contract workers to get paid after a prime did not pay them. Specifically she went out to the site and after personal observation she contacted the prime directly.
CM Jones helped improve the working conditions of disaster debris removal contract workers. Specifically she went out to the work site, under cover, and observed the working environment. Then she spoke with the prime contractor to improve the working conditions and said conditions were improved including getting rid of appropriate personnel in management.
CM Jones was asked, and accepted an offer to serve as a member of the Gulf Coast Collaborative to help determine which Houston projects will get injections from the federal stimulus package.
MWBE:
Assisted constituent acquire his City MWBE certification after his application had been denied previously.
Miscellaneous:
Asked the hard question regarding the population of the City and council districts and stood courageously to ensure that the City was not violating any voting rights issues related to the lawsuit styled Moses Leroy v. Jim McConn.??? Specifically, CM Jones asked the hard questions and secured enough votes to have the matter referred back to the Administration for two weeks to answer questions and develop a plan on how to move forward.
Awards:
The Houston Police Department awarded CM Jones its Life Saving Award for saving the life of Megan Kaplan from a car which fell approximately 100 feet and caught fire. While the car was on fire, CM Jones figured out how to get her un-pinned and pull her from the burning car with two Good Samaritans. Then CM Jones carried her to safety just before the car exploded.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States awarded CM Jones its Life Saving Award for the same rescue referenced above.
Rolling Out Magazine named CM Jones one of the Top 25 Women of Houston.
The Alief Alumni Association awarded CM Jones it first Lifetime Achievement Award.
Charity:
Hosted 1st Annual Houston Survivor Challenge. Brought reality television stars from Survivor and Amazing Race, to Houston, to raise money for two non-profits (U’jana Conley Foundation for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Buffalo Bayou Partnership).
Brought 35 reality television stars and volunteers to assist the Red Cross to re-package disaster relief cots used during Hurricane Ike, to be shipped to the Midwest for the disaster flooding.
Brought 35 reality television stars to Galveston after Hurricane Ike to collect canned goods for those affected by Hurricane Ike.
Committees:
Ethics, Housing and Community Development, Human Services and Technology, International Protocol, MWBE, Public Safety, Regulation and Development and Transportation.
