[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6485534,"mediaKeyId","5682401-97faa5ce430f0a572b9d183e6d27c41d","parentId",5682401,"title","Council issues Labor Day proclamation and honors longtime Health Department director Stephen Williams on retirement","audioSeconds",1341,"startMs",69000,"endMs",1410000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5682401-97faa5ce430f0a572b9d183e6d27c41d&start=69&end=1410","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5682401-97faa5ce430f0a572b9d183e6d27c41d/thumbnail_69000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6485534/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Council-issues-Labor-Day-proclamation-and-honors-longtime-Health-Department-director-Stephen-Williams-on-retirement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6485534-3201a83d56f34b316e682d45157849fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770408249&Signature=l~E8fZIN28wewNH4uepo3TDiVNjB5~bRDJ8ml9z~Wij2zXQEIbl-JvmlIU-XrZq2tbZ2tUwSk4du7uf8wJRd8Q2EA8KBMnER9fjWNOrwa0Qxcnjv8DuKW3~-ZXa3z02NIeVHx5iltIirVChqCeMn07Tm6u4UWBV1zRbZ3at26peKycKudERDRryhswkBDJnWbUNvPVDFrpknrCFPGiOdOwV9tL9ukpxl4whZHmbxVpSpF10JR97lpkOb9uBr8F6t4ozJj3DeS17Sc0rjokctCof2j-s~33afqww7uRFXEHYisbp54dJSPhwASLc6RGDPof-ueU1Y5cDOk3mYv2xqWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Houston","date","2025-08-26T00:00:00Z","article","At the start of the Aug. 27 evening meeting, the council presented a proclamation marking Labor Day and later read a second proclamation honoring Stephen Lawrence Williams on his retirement as director of the Houston Health Department.

Councilmember Kamen introduced a Labor Day proclamation recognizing Houston’s unions and apprenticeship programs and thanking organized labor for services during storms and other emergencies. Mayor John Whitmire joined city leaders in thanking union members who, council speakers said, support public services and local recovery efforts.

Hanny Khalil of the Gulf Coast AFL-CIO accepted the proclamation on behalf of roughly 60,000 local union members and urged continued local policy steps — such as living-wage and apprenticeship requirements — that the unions say lift workers and their families.

Later in the meeting Councilmember Castillo read a proclamation honoring Stephen Lawrence Williams for more than 45 years in public health, including more than 21 years as director of the Houston Health Department. The proclamation summarized Williams’ tenure: overseeing about 1,300 employees, managing a $180,000,000 budget, leading accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board in 2014 and 2021, and directing major emergency responses and pandemic work.

Williams thanked his staff and said he came to Houston expecting to stay only a few years but ended up serving for more than two decades. He mentioned specific programs cited in the proclamation, including the Sobering Center, Nurse Family Partnership, See to Succeed, Project Saving Smiles and the department’s wastewater surveillance program during COVID-19. The proclamation also noted the Houston Health Foundation and other financial strategies developed during his tenure.

The mayor proclaimed Aug. 28, 2025, as Stephen Lawrence Williams Day across Houston and the council expressed gratitude for Williams’ leadership in responses to hurricanes, public-health emergencies and staff development.

Councilmembers used the occasion to emphasize the role of the health department in citywide responses and to note continuing partnerships — several members said they would remain in touch with Williams as he continues public-health work outside the director role. A retirement celebration was scheduled for Aug. 28, 2025, at Cherry Flores Garden Pavilion, per the proclamation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Houston - Council Meeting (August 26, 2025 & August 27, 2025)","oneSentenceSummary","Houston City Council read proclamations recognizing Labor Day and marking the retirement of Stephen Williams after more than two decades leading the Houston Health Department. Speakers credited Williams for emergency responses, public-health accreditation and programs launched under his leadership.","taxTitle","Houston, Harris County, Texas","taxId",2797,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6485539,"Hundreds of public commenters urge Houston council to end HPD collaboration with ICE, demand transparency and legal funding",2343,3075000,5418000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5682401-97faa5ce430f0a572b9d183e6d27c41d&start=3075&end=5418","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5682401-97faa5ce430f0a572b9d183e6d27c41d/thumbnail_3075000.jpg","/articles/6485539/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Hundreds-of-public-commenters-urge-Houston-council-to-end-HPD-collaboration-with-ICE-demand-transparency-and-legal-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6485539-a020146de1198f0a62f593f572b33d47/orig.mp4?Expires=1770408249&Signature=mx4AP-v0Nm2tuyhcJioYIhGluvJHmL8WjzD0csuIrTfcdKVmGOqMKQbYZlcYZf6pFxfOa5cY5qxD1~jsOjLRhclxxQOKXXrIOfOrc80ZkLkqiu17BaaMhu8RZum0oSLEnMHoAcvIWbdbHXllF1rh79L2qocDTFGmnZ8RjQlzc4RzLGnK9U7Xd~uc~MqbNrlWu8mXl-tv96rsAf1gcom6eN3u89mK3O-8X9Xc0oUOBLTJW4CPZtymG~Mr9xu-rsm63ybvVcS-ubeMpyHJrlaYYiAF4bte7wPrZVTTcHH0Z16zL~8tGpAHy0gIU0vUftXraTr3rSYH8SM68Jh~skPidw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A steady stream of speakers at the Houston City Council’s Aug. 27 evening meeting urged elected officials to end cooperation between the Houston Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to take several concrete steps community groups said would reduce deportations.

Speakers from Houston Leads, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and more than 30 neighborhood and faith organizations told the council that local cooperation with ICE is done “above and beyond” what state law requires, that HPD has made discretionary calls to ICE on low-level matters, and that the lack of transparent data prevents public oversight.

\"Compared to the cumulative number in the past four years, HPD has called ICE three times as many times in this year alone,\" told the council, Patricia Chen, a speaker identified in the public comment list. Katie (Katie Merdza), representing the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and the Houston Leads Coalition, said local governments have discretionary authority and should choose to limit collaboration. \"If Houston truly stands with immigrant community members, we must make it our utmost priority to put an end to any discretionary collaboration,\" she said.

Speakers demanded: immediate, public disclosure of HPD-ICE interactions; a city pledge to stop voluntary information sharing beyond state requirements; funding to match Harris County’s $2 million commitment to the Immigration Legal Services Fund for legal defense; and a city push to bar airlines that work with ICE from using local airports — repeatedly naming Avelo Airlines.

Diego Castillo, a community organizer, quantified community demands during his statement: \"58 calls have been made by ICE to HPD\" and said many in detention had no criminal convictions, citing figures from organized advocates. Commenters gave multiple examples they said showed the problem: a domestic-violence survivor who called police and was then reported to ICE; motorists detained after minor traffic infractions; and accounts of people taken during routine interactions.

Council response during the session was cautious: several members thanked speakers, said they would meet with coalition representatives and noted limits imposed by state law. Some council members and the mayor signaled openness to transparency measures and to funding talks, while none of the speakers’ demands was resolved by vote during the evening session.

\"The city should be compiling this information and explaining to the public what you are doing to protect your constituents,\" Rob Block, speaking for Houston Leads, told the council.

Community groups said they would continue to press the council for a public dashboard, ordinance language limiting non-safety traffic stops, expanded funding for immigration legal services, and a formal statement against airlines that contract with ICE. Several council offices invited speakers to follow-up meetings. No ordinance or formal resolution on HPD-ICE cooperation was taken during the Aug. 27 meeting; the topic remains in the public-comment and advocacy phase.","More than 100 speakers during an evening session pressed the City Council to cut ties between the Houston Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, publish transparent records of cooperation, fund immigration legal services and bar Avelo Airlines from deportation flights at Hobby Airport.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6485544,"City Council adopts ban on standing or sitting on narrow medians for pedestrian safety",740,799000,1539000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5682401-97faa5ce430f0a572b9d183e6d27c41d&start=799&end=1539","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5682401-97faa5ce430f0a572b9d183e6d27c41d/thumbnail_799000.jpg","/articles/6485544/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/City-Council-adopts-ban-on-standing-or-sitting-on-narrow-medians-for-pedestrian-safety","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6485544-8f9bf3f361221993b52978febcdc2965/orig.mp4?Expires=1770408249&Signature=KQw1XbRBW9Ac6lHqfgpXDY3wuOHdQg1mOpgMbHwXtulMyFDLC1qYtMYJfCQfKAJxuBH34BzbqDI3Hw~QZyOM07XSPH~lqvMsKn3H-AIr49D0HxENbkogTZf7tts5h0S9ZB6xfrHiAl4-R4CeiLjzIIpYwsJ3EeWzkEUx-lT~C-PomktUkTqPML-nE0ErYH1hD7RF6QrZaTPCCdP1HCWRorMDW8i7kFlk9pWFh3XhFKbufwtM7rudqsFSN9tyPcFZCwinylHHR26Aw5utXSAQM1C8M92PcihlaPOetRVY2eFfq4Hk2-t8vsm1mDcrlQpXJD2sG-6vOQZlj40aab0RfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Houston City Council voted 11–2 on Aug. 27 to adopt an ordinance that bans sitting, standing and walking on median strips measured at 6 feet or less, a change council members said is aimed at reducing avoidable pedestrian injuries.

The ordinance, sponsored in council discussion by Councilmember Huffman, makes small, narrow medians — often traffic dividers with little room for anyone caught there — off-limits except when a pedestrian is passing through in the most direct route or in emergency or law-enforcement-directed situations. Violations are a Class C misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $500, and council members said the city expects an initial public-education period and officer discretion before enforcement increases.

\"Public safety has to be a top priority in our city,\" Councilmember Huffman said during debate, describing data showing a high share of pedestrians among traffic fatalities and noting design standards that recommend pedestrian refuges be at least 6 feet wide. She said the ordinance was tailored to mirror language adopted in other cities and had been vetted by the city attorney.

Supporters noted the measure is narrowly written to cover only medians too narrow to function as refuges and emphasized an education-first approach. \"Narrow medians were never meant to be a place for people to walk, sit or stand,\" Huffman said. \"They leave individuals inches away from fast-moving traffic with no protection.\" She told colleagues the ordinance was discussed at a Proposition A committee meeting and that first-responder groups had raised the issue.

Opponents and cautious council members raised concerns about unintended consequences for people experiencing homelessness or other vulnerabilities. Councilmember Plummer asked how the city would reach people who are not on social media or mailing lists and warned that low-income people could accrue fines they cannot pay. Councilmember Thomas, who later voted no, asked that the council monitor impacts and said he supported the safety aim while worrying about enforcement outcomes for people without stable housing.

Mayor John Whitmire and other council members said they expected HPD to emphasize warnings and education in the ordinance's initial phase and to use discretion for hardship cases. The roll call recorded 11 yes votes and 2 no votes (Councilmembers Thomas and Plummer voted no).

The ordinance includes explicit exceptions for momentary passage across a median in the most direct route, actions directed by a peace officer, and emergency or necessity defenses under state law, council staff said. Councilmembers said they would ask HPD for an outreach and education plan during the grace period and to report back if enforcement produced disproportionate impacts.

The new rule joins the city’s Vision Zero goals and other pedestrian-safety efforts brought up repeatedly in public comment during the evening session, when speakers urged more street redesigns, safer crosswalks for schoolchildren and restoration of protected bike lanes.

Councilmembers and staff said the item will be monitored and can be revisited by the council if enforcement produces harms not intended by the ordinance.","Houston City Council approved an ordinance prohibiting people from sitting, standing or walking on median strips less than 6 feet wide after debate about enforcement, equity and public education. The measure passed 11–2 and includes limited exceptions and an initial public-education period, council members said.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council issues Labor Day proclamation and honors longtime Health Department director Stephen Williams on retirement

Hundreds of public commenters urge Houston council to end HPD collaboration with ICE, demand transparency and legal funding

City Council adopts ban on standing or sitting on narrow medians for pedestrian safety