Updated City Council Priorities

In the broadest sense, the City Council's job is to decide the big picture questions and set the policy direction for the City.  The Charter enumerates as Council's responsibilities, to "enact local legislation, adopt budgets, [and] determine policies ...."  The City Manager and staff then "execute the laws and administer the government of the City."

To ensure some measure of consistency in its policy direction, City Council has adopted and periodically reviews and updates its Priorities document (available on the City website, under the "Our Government" tab, here).  These Council Priorities are not only a statement of our most important areas of focus, they guide the city staff in implementing the policy direction they are given.  Nothing is done at random; it all ties back to one or more Priorities.

Municipal Facilities Design Milestone Reached

After the voters approved bond funding in 2013 for our new City Hall, Civic Center, Police Department and Municipal Courts facilities, we got right to work designing the buildings.  But when it became apparent we needed some fresh ideas, we slowed things down to get more public input.

Through two ad hoc citizens’ committees and with a great deal of input from the general public, we’re now back on track.  While the project is still in the design development phase, City Council’s approval of the ad hoc committee’s unanimous recommendation concerning the overall look and feel of the buildings represents a significant milestone, as we can now turn our attention to the more detailed design considerations.

Click here to view the full presentation of the ad hoc committee’s recommendations from the May 16, 2016 town hall meeting.

Our Flooding Problem, And What We're Doing About It

"Here we go again."

Every time it starts to rain we worry.  The frequency and severity of our flooding events have noticeably increased in recent years, due to the sheer amount of new development all over the Greater Houston area.  It's a regional problem requiring a regional solution.  In Bellaire we've made significant strides in our own infrastructure improvements, but during major events our local drainage system is of little use without adequate downstream capacity to receive our storm water.

Bellaire is proactively doing something about it.  Our plans are two-fold:

• Locally, we recently awarded the contract for the final phase of the 2005 Rebuild Bellaire program, in which we've systematically invested more than $40 million in our streets and drainage infrastructure over the past decade.  Now that those bond funds are exhausted, we're preparing the next round for voter approval this fall, to continue making improvements throughout the City.


• Regionally, we're working with the Harris County Flood Control District and other agencies to improve storm water capacity downstream of us and throughout the area.  In fact, we're taking the lead on some innovative engineering work in helping develop solutions.  We're also collaborating with our neighbors in hard-hit Meyerland to explore mutually beneficial improvements.

Drainage is a top priority and these recent flooding events only highlight the urgency.  We will continue working, both locally and regionally, to minimize the impact of future storms.