HOUSNITCH ©
HOUSNITCH P.O. Box 55423
Houston, Texas 77255
(Donations made out to Housnitch can be sent to this
address. Please be aware that they are not tax deductible)
If you do not wish to receive
this publication...click here~~> NO
"The ultimate test of a man is not where he stands on
positions of comfort and convenience but where he stands on positions of
challenge and controversy. So on some questions cowardice asks, 'Is a position
safe?' Expediency asks, 'Is the position politic?' Vanity asks, 'Is the position
popular?' But conscience asks, 'Is the position RIGHT?'" -- Dr. Martin
Luther King
Weekend
Edition - Sunday--(click here-you will need REAL Player to hear this.. if
you do not have it download now FREE)
(All letters and e-mail correspondence become the property of HOUSNITCH
and housnitch.com. Unless otherwise expressly requested, we are entitled to
publish all such correspondence. We reserve the right to edit letters for length
and clarity, and for content that might get us sued, or to withhold their
publication. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of our editors or
sponsors.)
EXTRA- EXTRA-
SPECIAL
WEDNESDAY EDITION
READ ALL ABOUT
IT
Ethics complaints filed against mayor
Irregularities cited in granting contracts
By ERIC BERGER
Copyright 1999 Houston Chronicle
At least twice this year, Houston Mayor Lee Brown voted to award city contracts to companies whose chief executive officers gave him $5,000 donations days later, according to documents filed in an ethics complaint Tuesday.
"Mayor, I don't want to do this but I have to," Brenda Flores, operator of a City Hall watchdog Web site, told Brown during Tuesday's public comment session, prior to filing formal ethics complaints with the city and the state.
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Brenda Flynn Flores
"HOUSNITCH"
ADDRESS
Houston, Tx. 77055-1444 
713-722-9258
e-mail: HOUSNITCH@aol.com
Mr. Alexander Carl Chae
Chair
Gardere Wynne Sewell & Riggs
1000 Louisiana, Suite 3400
Houston, Texas 77002
713-276-5539
e-mail: chaal@gardere.com
Dear Mr. Chae;
Please let this letter serve as official notification that I Brenda Flynn Flores, also known as
"Housnitch", am filing a complaint against Lee Patrick Brown, Mayor of the city of Houston, under what I believe to be violations of the City Ordinance No. 87-59 and 89-1683 (Chapter 18,Art.II, Sec 18-11 et.seq.of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Houston). That I believe it is the purpose of the Ethics Committee to administer & implement Chapter 18 of the Code of ordinances, which covers ethics & financial disclosure. I pray that the committee will exercise it's duty and power to review & investigate my complaints of impropriety on the part of Lee Patrick Brown, Mayor of the city of Houston, Texas. I also wish to inform you that I will be sending copies of this complaint to the State Ethics committee in the hopes that they will also review & investigate these allegations of impropriety, as I believe that Lee Patrick
Brown in his capacity as the Mayor of the city of Houston has also violated,Title 15, Texas Election Code REGULATING POLITICAL FUNDS AND CAMPAIGNS. As a courtesy I am forwarding a copy to the Harris County District Attorney's Public Integrity Unit.
First complaint of wrongdoing or impropriety concerns the Appointment of a campaign treasurer under:
Title 15, Texas Election Code
REGULATING POLITICAL FUNDS AND CAMPAIGNS
CHAPTER 252. CAMPAIGN TREASURER
(§§ 252.001 - .015)
§ 252.001. Appointment of Campaign Treasurer Required
Each candidate and each political committee shall appoint a campaign treasurer as provided by this chapter.
§ 252.011. Time Appointment Takes Effect; Period of Effectiveness
(a) A campaign treasurer appointment takes effect at the time it is filed with the authority specified by this chapter.
(b) A campaign treasurer appointment continues in effect until terminated.
(Appointment of a Campaign Treasurer---FORM CTA)
EXHIBIT -A--The Mayor did appoint a campaign treasurer in April of 1997 at which time he appointed Mr. Jack Linville (see EXHIBIT A)
(Amendment of an Appointment of a Campaign Treasurer---FORM ACTA)
But NO WHERE on file is FORM ACTA.....but the Mayor has sworn & affimed under penalty of perjury that Mr.Grover Jackson was his campaign treasurer for the reporting period of 7/1/99 to 9/23/99.....7/1/98 to 12/31/98.... (see exhibits B & C)
Also there seems to be NO ACTA on file renaming Mr. Jack Linville as his campaign treasurer on 1/1/99 AFTER Mr Grover Jackson served his 7/1/99 to 12/31/99 term....
No where on file in the city secretay's office is there ever a letter notifying the Mayor that one or the other of thses two men were vacating the position..... in direct violation of
Title 15, Texas Election Code
REGULATING POLITICAL FUNDS AND CAMPAIGNS
§ 252.013. Termination of Appointment on Vacating Position terminated at the time the vacancy occurs.
(b) A campaign treasurer who vacates the treasurer's position shall immediately notify the appointing authority in writing of the vacancy.
(See Exhibit B)
CODE OF ORDINANCES City of HOUSTON, TEXAS Codified through Ordinance No. 99-1085, adopted October 6, 1999. (Supplement No. 41,
CODE OF ORDINANCES
Chapter 18 ETHICS AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE*
Chapter 18 ETHICS AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE* *Editor's note--Section 1 of Ord. No. 87-59, enacted Jan. 14, 1987, amended Ch. 18 to read as set forth herein in §§ 18-1--18-3, 18-11--18-17 and 18-21--18-27. Prior to such amendment, Ch. 18 consisted of §§ 18-1--18-12 which also pertained to ethics and financial disclosure and derived from §§ 16-11--16-22 of the 1968 Code as amended by Ord. No. 81-2238, § 1, enacted Nov. 4, 1981 and Ord. No. 82-732, §§ 1--3, enacted April 28, 1982.
Cross reference(s)--Prohibited interest in wrecker companies, § 8-326; prohibited interest in contracts let by city, § 15-1; investigation of employees misconduct (police and firefighters), § 34-160 et seq.
ARTICLE I. IN GENERAL
Sec. 18-1.Policy.
It is the policy of the city that all city officials and candidates for city elective office shall act and conduct themselves, both inside and outside the city's service, so as to give no occasion for distrust of their integrity, impartiality, credibility or of their devotion to the best interests of the city and the public trust that it holds.
To this end, there is established in this chapter an ethics committee for the city. The purpose of the committee is to accept and review complaints of impropriety on the part of city officials and candidates for city elective office including, but not limited to,
conflicts of interest such as the use of offices or employment for private gain, the granting and exchanging of favored treatment to persons, businesses, or organizations, and the conduct of activities that engender opportunities to influence government decisions for personal gain or advantage, or that might otherwise bring discredit on or to the city.
3rd & 4th complaints of wrong doing or impropriety....
City Council Chamber, City Hall, Wednesday, June 9, 1999
89. Ordinance 1999-0564
ORDINANCE appropriating $1,500,000.00 out of Street & Bridge Consolidated Construction Fund and approving and authorizing contract between the City and PIERCE GOODWIN ALEXANDER AND LINVILLE, INC for Professional Program Management Services, CIP N-0668-03-2
TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WONG
This was Item 66 on Agenda of June 2, 1999
City Secretary's Minutes
89. ORDINANCE appropriating $1,500,000.00 out of Street & Bridge Consolidated Construction Fund and approving and authorizing contract between the City and PIERCE GOODWIN ALEXANDER AND LINVILLE, INC for Professional Program Management Services, CIP N-0668-03-2 - (This was Item 66 on Agenda of June 2, 1999, TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WONG) - was presented. All voting aye. Nays none. ORDINANCE 1999-564 ADOPTED.
At this time I believe 2 ordinances were broken..... Exhibit D----
FORM B Compilation of Contractor submission Lists City of Houston FAIR CAMPAIGN ORDINANCE signed by Mr. Jack Linville..CEO of P.G.A.L (also Mayor's campaign treasurer at the time...) but Exhibit E----(taken from Political Contributions list 1/1/99 to 6/31/99 and sworn & affirmed by Mayor Lee P. Brown) shows that Mr. Jack Linville & his wife Karen Linville BOTH donated $5000.00 to the Mayor's campaign during a contract award period
Contract award period means the period commencing at the time of posting of the city council meeting agenda including an item for the award of the contract and ending upon the thirtieth day after the award of the contract by city council. (Ord. No. 87-59, § 1, 1-14-87; Ord. No. 92-1245, § 1, 9-16-92)
Sec. 18-2.Definitions. of CODE OF ORDINANCES City of HOUSTON, TEXAS Codified through Ordinance No. 99-1085, adopted October 6, 1999. (Supplement No. 41,CODE OF ORDINANCES Chapter 18 ETHICS AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE*
Also...The Mayor at this time failed to submit an Affidavit of Substantial Interest to the City secretary and to recuse himself from the voting on this ordinance....as he also failed to do in July of 1998 for the same company----His daughter Jenna Brown Ford is employed by PGAL INC and
receives more than 10% of her gross income from the firm......
He did submit an affidavit on 10/14/99(after an inquiry from me to Mr. Don Payne director of communication for the office of the mayor) while the affidavit seems to be notarized on the appropriate date it was not receive by the city secretary until October 14th, 1999...16 days AFTER the fact....Violation of Chapter 171 of Texas local government code...... EXHIBIT-F
Contract award period means the period commencing at the time of posting of the city council meeting agenda including an item for the award of the contract and ending upon the thirtieth day after the award of the contract by city council. (Ord. No. 87-59, § 1, 1-14-87; Ord. No. 92-1245, § 1, 9-16-92)
Sec. 18-2.Definitions. of CODE OF ORDINANCES City of HOUSTON, TEXAS Codified through Ordinance No. 99-1085, adopted October 6, 1999. (Supplement No. 41,CODE OF ORDINANCES Chapter 18 ETHICS AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE*
include the following :Contract award period means the period commencing at the time of posting of the city council meeting agenda including an item for the award of the contract and ending upon the thirtieth day after the award of the contract by city council. (Ord. No. 87-59, § 1, 1-14-87; Ord. No. 92-1245, § 1, 9-16-92)
Exhitit G
51. Ordinance 1999-0314
ORDINANCE appropriating $75,000.00 out of Public Library Consolidated Construction Fund and allocating $735,400.00 out of Community Development Block Grant Funds, awarding construction contract to RESICOM, INC on low bid of $669,800.00 and approving and authorizing professional services contract for engineering testing services with HVJ ASSOCIATES, INC in the amount of $5,000.00 for Renovation of Clifford Tuttle Branch Public Library; GFS E-0032-01-3; providing funding for contingencies relating to construction of facilities financed by the Public Library Consolidated Construction Fund - DISTRICT H - FRAGA
City Secretary's minutes--Wednesday March 31st, 1999
51. ORDINANCE appropriating $75,000.00 out of Public Library Consolidated Construction Fund and allocating $735,400.00 out of Community Development Block Grant Funds, awarding construction contract to RESICOM, INC on low bid of $669,800.00 and approving and authorizing professional services contract for engineering testing services with HVJ ASSOCIATES, INC in the amount of $5,000.00 for Renovation of Clifford Tuttle Branch Public Library; GFS E-0032-01-3; providing funding for contingencies relating to construction of facilities financed by the Public Library Consolidated Construction Fund - DISTRICT H – FRAGA – was presented. All voting aye. Nays none. Council Member Parker out of the city on city business. Council Member Boney absent. ORDINANCE 1999-314 ADOPTED.
Herbert Johnson donated $5000.00 on 4/1/99 1 day AFTER being awarded a contract
I find these violations by Lee Patrick Brown, Mayor of the City of Houston, deplorable and offensive...and pray you give recourse & relief to the citizens and taxpayers of the City of Houston, Texas.
I reserve the right to ammend this complaint at any given time as more violatios come to light.
I am thanking you in advance Sir for you and your committee's consideration in this matter
Sincerely,
Brenda Flynn Flores
HOUSNITCH
There you have it guys----everything I gave the Ethics
Committee...you have right here...and as soon as we can find the applicable laws
we'll send in some more.....Now if the Ethics Committee will just do something
about it...
IT IS A FACT THAT ONE OF THE REGULAR VISITORS TO P W
& E (YA'LL KNOW WHO HE IS...GIVES OUT THOSE FREE LUNCHES TO ORADAT A
LOT...) IS INTIMIDATING SECRETARIES, TECHS...CLERKS...ETC....WANTING TO
KNOW WHO SNITCHES TO US...THROWING AROUND HIS WEIGHT...""I WAS A
MEMBER OF THE MAYOR'S TRANSITION TEAM....I KNOW HILDA & GARY & SHOWRI
PERSONALLY".....
LAY OFF...WE AREN'T AFRAID OF YOU!!!!
WE WERE HERE 3 & 4 MAYOR'S AGO...PEOPLE LIKE YOU COME
& GO....BUT WE KEEP ON DOING OUR JOB....IF WE ARE LET ALONE TO DO SO!!!!!!!
(AND WE DON'T THINK THE CITY IS GOING TO PUT UP WITH YOUR
PRICE GOUGING MUCH LONGER...TRANSITION TEAM OR NOT...)
"BEING POWERFUL IS A LOT LIKE BEING A
LADY...IF YOU HAVE TO SAY YOU ARE......YOU AREN'T!"------Margaret
Thatcher
One last thing.....we have tried for almost 14 weeks now to
wake the mayor up to the fact that "THINGS AIN'T RIGHT" in his
administration. We personally believe the Mayor to be an honest & ethical
man....but too many other people around him are not working in the best
interests of this city or this man's administration.....IT NEEDS TO CHANGE!!!!!
We have been asked to announce that this Friday, October
29th, 1999 on C-Span from 11 am to 1 pm a local FORMER FEDERAL Employee will be
addressing the congress on the inequities in the Census process here in
Houston... I have seen the complaint in writing to the Congressional
Committee....It's great stuff guys...if you have cable & get a chance
WATCH....UNDER COUNTED MEANS UNDER FUNDED....and the way our city wastes funds
we need all of them we can get!!!!
Be well DARLINS...Tell em what you think........
MAYOR
City
Council
611 Walker
PORT BONDS
HOUSNITCH
