November 23, 2004 -- Mayor Bill White today lauded the efforts of the Houston congressional delegation and the city’s government affairs team in earmarking millions of dollars in the federal spending bill over the weekend to support city projects and programs.
“From our efforts to manage traffic incidents, to money for improving our crime lab, to city parks and even funding for the space program, we’re pleased and thankful for the teamwork and the results,” said Mayor White. “Credit where credit is due. This shows how much the city can accomplish with hard work and collaboration with our representatives in Washington. We really appreciate their help and it will enable us to continue improving traffic management and making other positive changes in Houston’s quality of life.”
Ann Travis, the mayor’s government affairs director, cited a number of funding “earmarks” that were placed into the $338 billion federal spending bill, with the help of the congressional delegation, including U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn and Reps. Tom DeLay, Gene Green, Sheila Jackson Lee, Kevin Brady, Chris Bell, Nick Lampson and John Culberson.
She also noted that $37 million will come to the Houston Airport System as part of the regular appropriations cycle. Of that total, $25 million will fund the TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) system, the next generation of air traffic control technology.
Included in the earmarks were $3.25 million, inserted in the bill by Majority Leader DeLay, for an incident management pilot program, which augments Mayor White’s SafeClear freeway towing program, including the purchase of additional police helicopters and other support. Also, included by Reps. Jackson Lee and Bell and Sens. Hutchison and Cornyn was $750,000 for the Main Street Corridor Revitalization Project, to reconstruct/rehabilitate 52 blocks of pedestrian walkways along the eight-mile corridor.
A $775,000 earmark was put in by Rep. Culberson for technology improvements for the Houston Crime Lab. This will enable the Houston Police Department to secure a Laboratory Information Management System to facilitate the collection, storage and retrieval of information relative to evidence collected from criminal cases.
A $200,000 earmark was secured by Rep. Brady for the Downtown Super Block, a project to help spur economic development.
A number of parks projects also received earmark funding, including $121,000 secured with the sponsorship of Rep. Jackson Lee for a Guadalupe Plaza Park revitalization project, and $145,000 secured with Rep. Green for a Mason Park Community Center.
Note: Following is a list of some of the Houston earmark funding items included in the federal spending legislation.
City of Houston FY 2005 Federal Earmark Requests
Freeway Incident Management Program
Amount: $3.25 million
Description: Comprehensive program to reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and community disruption associated with freeway related incidents using a team approach and ITS technology.
Crime Lab Technology Improvements
Amount: $775,000
Description: Program to fund technological improvements to increase the efficiency in the crime lab and establish seamless integration with local and national criminal justice systems. This earmark will enable the Houston Police Department to secure a Laboratory Information Management System to facilitate the collection, storage and retrieval of information relative to evidence collected from criminal cases.
Main Street Corridor Revitalization Project
Amount: $750,000
Description: Project to build and reconstruct/rehabilitate 52 blocks of pedestrian walkways in Houston’s 8-mile Main Street Corridor linking residential, retail, commercial and park areas together and to transit.
Main Street Corridor Intermodal Facility
Amount: $500,000
Description: Program to construct an intermodal facility in Downtown Houston at the northern end of the Main Street Corridor where it intersects Interstate 10. The intermodal center will serve as hub transfer point for the various modes of transportation.
Downtown Super Block Development
Amount: $200,000
Description: Land acquisition/development project designed to maintain the economic redevelopment taking place in downtown Houston.
Freedman’s Town African-American Archive and Cultural Center
Amount: $200,000
Description: Provide funding for the renovation of the Gregory School building, located in the economically depressed Freedman’s Town area of Houston’s Fourth Ward Community, to house an African-American Archive and Cultural Center.
Freedman’s Town African-American Archive and Cultural Center
Amount: $72,750
Description: Provide funding for the renovation of the Gregory School building, located in the economically depressed Freedman’s Town area of Houston’s Fourth Ward Community, to house an African-American Archive and Cultural Center.
Southeast Water Plant Infrastructure Improvement Project
Amount: $150,000
Description: Provide funding to expand the Southeast (Potable) Water Purification Plant and to upgrade the equipment at the facility in the City of Houston.
Mason Park Family Center
Amount: $145,500
Description: Request to fund design and construction of a long anticipated neighborhood-driven Hispanic cultural family center in Mason Park in the City’s East End.
Guadalupe Plaza Park Revitalization Project
Amount: $121,250
Description: Request for capital costs to improve Guadalupe Plaza Park, located in the first Hispanic neighborhood in Houston.