Houston Quality of Life Committee Meeting - August 18, 2025
Houston Quality of Life Committee Meeting - August 18, 2025
On August 18, 2025, the Quality of Life Committee of the Houston City Council met at 10:03 AM and adjourned at 10:55 AM. Chair Julian Ramirez (At-Large 1) presided, with Vice Mayor Pro Tem Amy Peck present in chambers and several councilmembers and staff participating online. The committee heard public comments on a proposed redevelopment of Hermann Park Golf Course, a presentation on a Municipal Setting Designation (MSD) application, and a briefing on proposed changes to the City's food safety ordinance (Chapter 20) in response to state legislation.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Bert Graham expressed strong opposition to the proposed changes at Hermann Park Golf Course, calling the planned upgrade a "downgrade." He argued that replacing nine of the 18 holes with par-3 holes would eliminate the use of drivers on those holes, reducing the number of full drives per round from 14 to 7. He stated that the feeling of hitting a driver solidly is a key attraction for golfers and that the change would make the course a "novelty" or "amusement park," not a real golf course. He also noted that the course was full of players on a recent 100-degree day.
- Grace Simpson, a member of the women's league that plays at Hermann Park on Wednesdays, expressed opposition to the changes. She stated that Hermann Park is the only affordable place for the league to play in Houston (Memorial Park costs $120 for non-residents versus $30 for residents), and that the proposed nine regular holes plus nine par-3 holes would not count for handicap purposes in tournament play. She also noted that the league (about 50 women) learned of the closure plans only through an email while she was vacationing, and that park employees received pink slips without knowing their last day. She requested that the 18-hole course be preserved.
- Dominic (last name not given) commented on the Hermann Park issue, urging the committee to "leave Hermann Park alone" and instead upgrade the par-3 course at Melrose Park. He also raised a separate concern about unauthorized food vendors on the Metro Red Line and inadequate improvements at Moody Park, which he said serves a predominantly Hispanic and lower-income community.
Discussion Items
- Municipal Setting Designation (MSD) Application: Cassandra Walker, Administration Manager with Houston Public Works, presented a voluntary MSD application for a property at 12280-12288 West Hymer Road, formerly occupied by a dry cleaner (Ultrafine Cleaners). The MSD would certify that the property's shallow groundwater (20–60 feet deep) is contaminated with perchloroethylene (PCE) and should not be used as potable water. Walker explained that the contamination plume is stable and decreasing, that the source has been removed, and that the applicant has enrolled in TCEQ's Voluntary Cleanup Program. She emphasized that the MSD protects public health by prohibiting use of contaminated groundwater, encourages cleanup, and promotes redevelopment. No questions were asked by committee members.
- Proposed Changes to Chapter 20 (Food Safety Ordinance): Christopher Sparks, Bureau Chief of Consumer Health Services, presented a comprehensive update to the City's food safety ordinance required by Texas Senate Bill 1008 (effective September 1, 2025). Key changes include:
- Shifting from an employee-based permit fee structure to a risk-based model aligned with the FDA Model Food Code.
- New annual permit fees: low-risk (e.g., convenience stores with pre-packaged food) $258, medium-risk (e.g., fast-food restaurants) $563, high-risk (e.g., full-service restaurants) $773.
- Eliminating all nonprofit permits (including schools) and the frozen dessert permit.
- Reducing mobile food unit medallion fees from $708 to $258, eliminating GPS tracking fees, and reducing temporary permit fees.
- Removing the City's ability to teach and charge for manager certification courses.
- Sparks noted that the City can no longer revoke permits but can suspend or issue citations; legal is working on enforcement details. Vice Mayor Pro Tem Amy Peck asked about enforcement for schools and nonprofits, and Sparks explained that inspections would still occur on a complaint basis but without the permit threat. Chair Julian Ramirez asked about the risk classification system and the impact on larger restaurants. Sparks indicated that many large restaurants would pay less than under the old employee-based system. The ordinance is expected to be presented to City Council at the August 27, 2025 meeting.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken on any item.
- The Hermann Park Golf Course item was pulled from the agenda by the administration; an open house is scheduled for Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at the golf course clubhouse to discuss the proposed changes. The committee may consider the item at a future meeting.
- The MSD presentation was received; no action was required.
- The food ordinance update discussion will be followed by a formal ordinance to be submitted to City Council on August 27, 2025, to ensure compliance with state law before the September 1, 2025 deadline.
Meeting Transcript
My name is Julian Ramirez. I am chair of the Quality of Life Committee and also uh councilmember in the at large one position. I'll be conducting this meeting. Thank you all for being here. We'll call the meeting to order at 10.03. We are live. We're also online. We have a few people online watching in with us. So welcome everyone. We have a couple of items on the agenda today. And first let me recognize actually the folks who are here. We have with us uh Councilmember Vice Mayor Pro Tem Amy Peck present in the chambers. We have staff from Councilmember Abby Kamen's office, Councilmember Tiffany Thomas's office, Councilmember Joaquin Martinez office, Councilmember Sally Alcorn's office, as well as online. We have staff from Councilmember Flickinger, Jackson Castex Tater, and Tatum. I'm sorry, and Plummer. So at the outset, I want to mention that late last week there was an item on the agenda that was pulled by the administration, and that had to deal with the Herman Park Conservancy. Unfortunately, we will not be able to hear a presentation from the Herman Park Conservancy this morning. However, I do want you to know that there will be an open house at the golf course clubhouse this Wednesday evening. And I encourage anybody who's interested in the changes there at the golf course to try to attend that. We may in this committee take up uh changes at the at Herman Park uh at a later time, but we won't be able to do that this morning, unfortunately. I know that uh there are a few people in the audience who had come to listen to that presentation and plan on giving public comment. So, in deference to that, I'm gonna allow uh those members of the public who would like to offer comment on the changes uh proposed for Herman Park to do that at the beginning of the meeting rather than having to wait till the end of the meeting. So uh we have a list of a few people who have signed up to offer public comment. Um Burt Graham. Uh Bert, I know you have uh expressed an interest in offering comment about the uh changes at Herman Park, so why don't you come forward? And I'll let you do that at this time. And and uh let's raise the podium for Bert since he'll be standing. And that microphone to your right is live. It's got the the red light on. So we're gonna raise the podium for you. There we go. That's good. Okay, that's okay. That's fine. Thank you. Um I have some concerns about the planned update. It's called an update. Um I played my first round of golf ever in my life there at Herman Park, 1958. Never played before, and a friend of mine said, let's go out there and play golf. So I got my dad's quiver basically, with a few clubs, and went out there. One of the clubs was a driver, which is the main reason I'm talking today. Because one of those holes I hit the driver, which for those that don't play golf, it's a big ball of uh wood or metal at the end of the club. Contrary or different than an iron, that's just a sliver of metal. And I hit that driver solid one time, and it changed my golf life for sure. It sent a charge up my arms into my shoulders into my into my chest and into my soul, basically. Uh that's hard to describe. And if you don't play golf, you might think it's a silly description. But if you play golf, you know what I mean. It's rare to hit one that solid, at least for me. Uh, but it brought me back time after time through my life to try to do that again.
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