City Council, January 6, 2026
Approves Resolution of No Objection for Benezia Place Housing Development, unanimous
What happened
Houston City Council swore in new council member Alejandra Salinas and approved a controversial $30 million stormwater fund allocation for blighted building demolition by a 9-7 vote.
- Jurisdiction
- Houston, TX
- Governing body
- Final authority
- Date
- January 6, 2026
- Decisions
- 6 zoning decisions
- Outcome
- Approved, unanimous
Free sample: decision 1 of 6
Stormwater Fund for Building Demolition
Council approved using $30 million from the stormwater fund to demolish dangerous blighted buildings that allegedly impede drainage systems. The vote was 9-7 with council members Kamen, Thomas, Castillo, Pollard, Ramirez, Salinas, and Alcorn voting no. City Controller Hollins argued the expenditure was illegal and outside permissible fund uses, while City Attorney Michel maintained it was legal under the maintenance provisions of the stormwater fund ordinance.
- Liens will be placed on demolished properties with proceeds returning to the stormwater fund. Mayor committed to bringing forth an ordinance to ensure money goes back to the fund.
The other decisions are listed below by title. The full write-up, verbatim conditions, and the audio at each vote are in Pro.
Meeting Summary
Houston City Council swore in new council member Alejandra Salinas and approved a controversial $30 million stormwater fund allocation for blighted building demolition by a 9-7 vote.
Key Decisions (6)
Stormwater Fund for Building Demolition
Golfton Area Municipal Management District Appointments
Resolution of No Objection for Benezia Place Housing Development
Council Holiday and Break Week Schedule Amendment
Fleet Procurement Consolidation
Lift Station Improvements Final Payment
Development Activity (3)
Benezia Place
Residential
Edison Project Phase 2
Mixed-Use
Ben Taub Hospital Expansion
Other
Market Signals (5)
Housing Demand
Harris County Housing Authority developing 120-unit senior housing project using…
Infrastructure
City settling Jones Watson lawsuit will add $500 million annually…
Infrastructure
Stormwater fund balance has grown from $40 million to $160…
Meeting Intelligence Preview
Ask this meeting anything
Ask who voted, what conditions passed, and what staff recommended for "City Council - 2026-01-06", with every answer cited to the transcript. Included with Pro.
Learn about Meeting Q&AGet every Houston meeting with full decisions, votes, and zoning details, within hours of each session.
7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Just want to know when new Houston meetings are posted? Get free email alerts below.
Follow Houston
Get the agenda when a meeting is posted, plus decision and analysis alerts.
We'll email you an activation link — one click, no password, unsubscribe anytime.