This Week: U.S. Attorney General Decision Puts Women and Children in Danger; Committee Meeting Rescheduled; Community meeting on Chapter 19, Houston’s Floodplain Ordinance, and proposed changes to Chapters 9 and 13 of the Infrastructure Design Manual.

U.S. Attorney General Decision Puts Women and Children in Danger

Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions has ordered immigration judges to stop granting asylum to most victims of domestic abuse and gang violence, a move that could block tens of thousands of people, especially women, from seeking refuge in America. The decision overturns decades of legal efforts to protect abused women. Women that are trapped in abusive marriages need protection and, in many places, their governments cannot or will not protect them at all. “Domestic violence is not a private problem between partners – it is a community problem and it impacts everyone. As a nation of immigrants, we should be willing to provide refuge to those in need, the same as refuge was provided to our own ancestors,” Council Member Cohen said.

Know immigrant domestic violence survivors who need help? The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1.800.799.7233.

The Houston Area Women’s Center Domestic Violence Hotline is 713.528.2121.

Committee Meeting Rescheduled

The June meeting of the Council Committee on Quality of Life has been rescheduled and will now take place on Thursday, June 28th at 10AM in Council Chambers at City Hall. The agenda for this meeting will be distributed when it is confirmed. All committee meetings are open to the public and include the opportunity for public comment.

What’s Happening in the District

The Houston Public Works Department will host a community meeting in District C to share information on the recent changes to Chapter 19, Houston’s Floodplain Ordinance, and proposed changes to Chapters 9 and 13 of the Infrastructure Design Manual. The new proposed changes include:

• Eliminating the detention credit for redevelopment so that redevelopments are required to provide the same amount of detention as new developments;
• Requiring all developments (not just those larger than one acre) to demonstrate protection of overland sheet flow;
• Lowering thresholds for the requirement for fill and grade permits and engineered grading plans; and
• Allowing sites to be graded to drain to outfalls outside of the public right-of-way.