The Fine Print: Houston
What they put in the agenda
Every agenda the site reads, from Commissioners Court and City Council to the port, the transit authority, the college districts and the school boards, is checked item by item. Anything that adds a rule, a fee, debt, surveillance or land control, or that happens behind closed doors, is logged here with the agenda's own words. Anything that cuts or repeals one is logged too, as a rollback.
Showing City of Pasadena only. Every government →
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Executive session on pending litigation and real property
Board will convene in closed session to discuss pending litigation (Way-Tech, Inc. v. Pasadena EDC) under Texas Government Code §551.071 and to deliberate purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property (Project Apollo) under §551.072.
Oct 22, 2026 agenda, item 11: the agenda's words
Executive Session. a. Convene in e xecutive session pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 551 of the Texas Gover nment Code in accordance with the authority contained in Section 551.071, regarding pending or contemplated litigation - Way - Tech, Inc. v. Pasadena EDC . b. Convene in executive session pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, in accordance with the authority contained in Section 551.072 to deliberate the purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property – Project Apollo
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Pipeline franchise permit for Equistar Chemicals refined liquids line
Ordinance grants non-exclusive franchise and permit to Equistar Chemicals, LP to construct, operate, and maintain a 16-inch refined liquids pipeline across multiple streets and properties in Pasadena's corporate limits. Equistar receives right to lay and operate utility infrastructure.
Oct 20, 2026 agenda, item I: the agenda's words
Project (CIP #S149, # S150 & # S171) for a total appropriation of ($2,389,527.00) from the 2022 Certificates of Obligation Account 58340000 - 331800. (M) An Ordinance authorizing and approving a contract between the City of Pasadena, Texas , and Cari Trading Company LLC for the purchase of Paper Refuse Bags for a period of one year. (N) An Ordinance granting to Equistar Chemicals, LP the non - exclusive right, privilege, franchise and permit to lay, replace, construct, repair, maintain, operate, and remove an existing 16 - inch Refined Liquids pipeline running East to West starting on North R ichey Street, and crossing W est Richey Access Street, North Shaver Road, North Main Street, and ending on Red Bluff Road, all in the corporate limits of the City of Pasadena, Texas , and routed on and across parcels of land and routes of which are shown as attached and in accordance with plans and specifications heretofore filed with the Department of Public Works and the Department of Planning; prescribing the terms and conditions under which said right, privilege, franchise and permit is granted; and provi ding for acceptance. (O) An Ordinance accepting, approving and adopting the Valuation and Assessment of all real and personal property in the City of Pasadena, Harris County, Texas , for the 2026 Tax Year; providing for repealing clause; containing a severability clause .
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Certificates of Obligation for capital projects totaling $2.4 million
Appropriation of $2,389,527.00 from 2022 Certificates of Obligation Account for three capital improvement projects (CIP #S149, #S150, #S171). City of Pasadena incurs debt obligation.
Oct 20, 2026 agenda, item I: the agenda's words
Project (CIP #S149, # S150 & # S171) for a total appropriation of ($2,389,527.00) from the 2022 Certificates of Obligation Account 58340000 - 331800. (M) An Ordinance authorizing and approving a contract between the City of Pasadena, Texas , and Cari Trading Company LLC for the purchase of Paper Refuse Bags for a period of one year. (N) An Ordinance granting to Equistar Chemicals, LP the non - exclusive right, privilege, franchise and permit to lay, replace, construct, repair, maintain, operate, and remove an existing 16 - inch Refined Liquids pipeline running East to West starting on North R ichey Street, and crossing W est Richey Access Street, North Shaver Road, North Main Street, and ending on Red Bluff Road, all in the corporate limits of the City of Pasadena, Texas , and routed on and across parcels of land and routes of which are shown as attached and in accordance with plans and specifications heretofore filed with the Department of Public Works and the Department of Planning; prescribing the terms and conditions under which said right, privilege, franchise and permit is granted; and provi ding for acceptance. (O) An Ordinance accepting, approving and adopting the Valuation and Assessment of all real and personal property in the City of Pasadena, Harris County, Texas , for the 2026 Tax Year; providing for repealing clause; containing a severability clause .
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Executive session on pending litigation Way-Tech, Inc. v. Pasadena EDC
Board will convene in executive session under Texas Government Code Section 551.071 to discuss pending or contemplated litigation involving Way-Tech, Inc. v. Pasadena EDC.
Sep 24, 2026 agenda, item 9: the agenda's words
Executive Session. a. Convene in e xecutive session pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 551 of the Texas Gover nment Code in accordance with the authority contained in Section 551.071, regarding pending or contemplated litigation - Way - Tech, Inc. v. Pasadena EDC .
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City authorized to deny park access for rule non-compliance
City reserves right to deny access to parks and facilities to persons, firms, or corporations that fail to comply with adopted rules. City may adopt and enforce reasonable rules for parks to ensure safety, efficiency, and protection of users.
Sep 15, 2026 agenda, item IV.4: the agenda's words
04— Entry enter purpose whatsoever. entry re-entry constitute trespass action damage against Rules adopt enforce reasonable rules facilities persons, vehicles, opinion reasonably ensure safe efficient safety, convenience protection those using City’s parks. observe obey same. reserves deny access person, firm corporation fails refuses obey comply rules, jaws.
Deed restrictions
Houston has no zoning; deed restrictions are what keep a business out of a neighborhood, and the city's Legal Department enforces them for neighborhoods. Complaints don't go through 311: they go to drcomplaints@houstontx.gov or the city's complaint form.
- Deed restriction cases reviewed and enforced by the city: 530 in 2024-25, an estimated 550 in 2025-26, and a target of 550 for 2026-27. Nuisance lawsuits handled: 15 in 2024-25, an estimated 10 in 2025-26. [City of Houston FY2027 budget, Legal Department]
- The city's list of reported deed restriction violations has not been updated since Oct. 20, 2015. [data.houstontx.gov]
Code enforcement
- 40% of the City of Houston's Neighborhoods code citations and 36% of Public Works citations were dismissed; the top reasons were "Nolle Prosequi" (the city dropped it), "Officer Not Present" and "Insufficient Evidence." Inspectors made 95,688 residential inspections from Jan. 1, 2024. [KPRC, Nov. 21, 2025]
- Code enforcement inspectors from Neighborhoods and Public Works have been merged into one Community Code Enforcement division in Houston Public Works. Targets for 2026-27: 13,500 weeded-lot cuts, 87% voluntary compliance, 325 demolitions. [City of Houston FY2027 budget, Neighborhoods]
- The Municipal Courts do not publish code citations and how each ended (fined, dismissed, deferred), and the city's code violation dataset was last updated in 2023.
Code and nuisance complaints to Houston 311, by type, and the average days each took to close, from the city's 311 extract.
| Case type | Cases | Closed | Average days to close |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parking Violation | 1,175 | 643 | 6.3 |
| Traffic Signal Maintenance | 1,162 | 882 | 1.2 |
| Container Replacement | 984 | 945 | 1.4 |
| Weeds/Trash/Stagnant Water on Property | 950 | 88 | 5 |
| Trash Dumping or Illegal Dumpsite | 562 | 179 | 4.8 |
| Traffic Signs | 509 | 367 | 4 |
| New Resident Container | 494 | 471 | 1.3 |
| Building Code Violation | 403 | 337 | 2 |
| Container Repair | 340 | 311 | 1.3 |
| Heavy Trash Code Violation | 335 | 119 | 5.4 |
| Health Code | 261 | 25 | 5.7 |
| Junk Motor Vehicle - Private Property | 163 | 34 | 5.1 |
| Bandit Sign - Right of Way | 157 | 148 | 1.8 |
| Traffic Signals | 104 | 54 | 4.9 |
| Dangerous Buildings | 54 | 12 | 3.9 |
| MultiFamily Habitability Violation | 49 | 28 | 1.8 |
| Fire Code Complaint | 49 | 40 | 2.6 |
| Occupancy Violation | 38 | 36 | 2.4 |
| Container Placement | 25 | 3 | 4 |
| Graffiti on Private/Commercial Property | 12 | 4 | 4.5 |
| Drainage System Violation | 11 | 5 | 4.6 |
| Donation Box Violation | 8 | 6 | 2.1 |
| Sign Code Violation | 7 | 5 | 4.5 |
| Malfunctioning Railroad Signal | 4 | 0 | |
| Graffiti - ATT Telephone Equipment | 4 | 0 |
By council district: A 707 (2.5 days) · B 978 (2 days) · C 1,066 (3.1 days) · D 1,118 (2.6 days) · E 370 (2.2 days) · F 337 (3 days) · G 512 (2 days) · H 1,037 (2.7 days) · I 822 (2.7 days) · J 328 (3.1 days) · K 557 (4.1 days) ·
Ghosts in the machine
These cities pass ordinances, set tax rates and sign contracts, and none of it appears here: their agendas could not be read by machine in the last 90 days (scanned images, script-only pages, or no posted agendas). Unseen is not clean.
- 9,613 residents · Jacinto City (0 agendas read, 0 new items; newest agenda posted is for May 28, 2026)
- 4,385 residents · City of Hunters Creek Village Its website does not answer this site's public-records reader, and has since Oct 23, 2026. Its meeting agendas are public records the city must post under the Texas Open Meetings Act; nothing it approves can be shown here until it lets them be read.
- 3,704 residents · City of Taylor Lake Village Its website answers "forbidden" to this site's public-records reader, and has since Oct 23, 2026. Its meeting agendas are public records the city must post under the Texas Open Meetings Act; nothing it approves can be shown here until it lets them be read.
- 3,128 residents · City of Piney Point Village (0 agendas read, 0 new items)
- 816 residents · City of Hilshire Village (0 agendas read, 0 new items)
Scorecard, last 12 months
Points: New rules 3 · Money 4 · Surveillance 4 · Land control 3 · Strings attached 2 · Secrecy 2 · Rollback −3 · the same weights The Fine Print uses everywhere. The Fuckery Meter adds tax rates, consent agendas, closed sessions, missing notice and withheld records.