At the March 19 Board of Directors meeting, we are pleased to have as our special guest Richard Celli, the City of Houston’s new Director of Housing and Community Development.

Governmental Affairs Advisory Group

February 13
The Candidate Questionnaire Subcommittee, consisting of volunteers serving on the GAAG and PAAG, met to develop the 2007 Houston City Council candidate questionnaire. A copy of the questionnaire can be found on www.har.com.

March 8
GAAG Chair Ed Wolff and David Schwarz, representing residential and commercial real estate, attended Houston City Council Member Pam Holm’s On-Premise Signage Stakeholders Task Force Meeting at City Hall. The On-Premise Sign Code is being reviewed for clarity and enforcement.

March 9
Volunteers serving on the GAAG met to discuss proposed amendments to the City of Houston's Historic Preservation Ordinance, which is moving swiftly through Houston City Council. Special guests were Houston City Council Member Sue Lovell and Sharie Beale, a member of the Houston Archeological and Historical Commission and Realtor with Greenwood King Properties. A majority of HAR Directors approved the motion, allowing HAR to speak with one voice on the Historic Preservation Ordinance at public hearings scheduled for March 14, 15, and 22. Since the Board would not have met until March 19, the following motion was emailed to the Board of Directors and was approved by a majority of Directors on March 13, the deadline for the vote.

MOTION:

The Governmental Affairs Advisory Group recommends to the HAR Board of Directors support for the City of Houston’s proposed amendments to the Historic Preservation Ordinance.

To view the proposed amendments, click here.

March 14
Ed Wolff and I attended the Houston Archeological and Historic Commission’s public hearing at City Hall.

Political Affairs Advisory Group

February 21
The PAAG, Chaired by Ray Holtzapple, held a candidate interview orientation to prepare the volunteers for the March 6 Houston City Council, At-Large, Position 3 candidate interviews. Members of the PAAG discussed the issues and questions on the questionnaire. The focus of the interview centered around four main issues: affordable housing, flooding and drainage, permits and inspections, and private property rights.

February 28
Houston City Council Member Pam Holm graciously hosted members of the PAAG at City Hall. Ward Arendt, Genie Byrd, Diane Hinsley, Ray Holtzapple, Janice Jamail-Garvis, Richard Ortiz, Barbara Stubblefield, Carlos Garcia, Darryl Malloy, and Laolu Yemitan attended.

March 6

The PAAG interviewed the following Houston City Council At-Large, Position 3 candidates:

Noel Freeman - a city public works employee
David Goldberg - a Bellaire High School student and second cousin of former Councilman Mark Goldberg
Ivan Meyers – a former energy executive who now serves as a consultant to several nonprofit groups
Roy Morales – a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who sought the At-Large, Position 1 Council seat that Peter Brown won in 2005.
Andy Neill - a consultant involved in the Houston Downtown Alliance's emerging leaders committee
Tom Nixon - lawyer and former Houston police officer who gained notoriety last year after his firing over criticisms of HPD's vehicle-chase policy
Melissa Noriega - a Houston school official and wife of State Representative Rick Noriega

The result of the PAAG’s interviews is the motion below:

MOTION

In the May 12, 2007, Special Election for Houston City Council At-Large, Position 3, the Political Affairs Advisory Group recommends to the HAR Board of Directors that HAR make no candidate recommendation at this time. The PAAG recommends waiting until the runoff election between the top two voter-getters and then making a recommendation to the Board.

Political Activities

February 14
Debi Trahan, Bay Area Political Affairs Advisory Leadership Chair, held a meeting at the Bay Area Branch. I gave them an update on the March 27 Hill Visits, TREPAC fundraisers, and May 12 Special Election, and May 16 and 17 congressional visits. Attending the meeting were John Nugent, Mary Starr, Nancy Furst, Jan Briggs, Billy Burt, Barbara Stubblefield, Mary Keen, and new PAAL member and Sterling R TREPAC investor Jim Butcher.

February 15
Nancy Furst extended an invitation to attend the BACREN luncheon at Lakewood Yacht Club where they presented a $1,000 TREPAC contribution to TREPAC Chair Vicki Fullerton. HAR Director and TREPAC Trustee Chaille Ralph, Karen Driscoll, and I attended.

February 16
Anna Kong, Governmental Affairs Coordinator, attended U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee’s Federal Political Coordinator (FPC) Meeting, chaired by FPC Gerald Womack. The meeting was held at Womack & Associates. Members attending the meeting were Bobbye Mills, Jasmine Coleman Quinerly, Duni Hebron, and Janice Jamail-Garvis. Gerald reviewed the role and responsibilities of the FPC and his recent participation in NAR’s Mid-Year Conference in Washington. Congresswoman Jackson-Lee spoke to the group by speaker-phone from her Washington office, as she was on her way to a committee hearing on the war in Iraq, and expressed her open-door policy with regard to issues facing the real estate industry.

February 22
HAR’s “REALTOR® Education Forum on the City of Houston’s Homebuyers Assistance Program” was held at the Fifth Ward Multi-Service Center, 4014 Market Street, from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Complimentary boxed lunches and beverages were provided by Bank of America, the program sponsor. 101 REALTORS® attended. It was an overwhelming success and congratulations should go to Shad Bogany and Michael Levitin for championing the class. The City of Houston’s Housing and Community Development Department was pleased with the Realtor participation and classes are planned for March 21, April 18, and May 17 at the Third Ward Multi-Service Center.

February 22
I attended U.S. Representative John Culberson’s Town Hall Meeting at Rice University.

Feb. 25-27
Karen Driscoll and I attended TAR’s Winter Meeting in Austin.

March 1
I attended Houston City Council Member Adrian Garcia’s Graffiti Stakeholder’s Meeting held at City Hall.

March 6
Ray Holtzapple and I attended the Prudential Gary Greene, Realtors, Woodforest Office’s sales meeting.

March 12
The Governmental Affairs Department sponsored the GRI lunch at the Central Location for about 50 members. I spoke to the class about the importance of HAR’s political involvement and REALTOR® Lobby Day. GRI instructor, Gene Feigelson, gave the class a demonstration of My Elected Official Finder on www.HAR.com. Anna Kong promoted two upcoming TREPAC fundraisers, Casino Royale and Realtor Idol.

March 12
Members of Goals Team 3 met to review the 2007 goals, making governmental affairs and TREPAC relevant and meaningful to all generations of HAR members. Ed Wolff, Governmental Affairs Advisory Group Chairman, was our special guest.