It has been my pleasure and honor to have served you for eight years as your Houston City Council Member. When I first ran for City Council, I asked you to Picture a Better District A. I listened to your concerns and worries and fought to make a better and safer community. I am happy to say that we are the fastest growing district in the fourth largest city in the United States with approximately 288,000 constituents over 100 square miles. We continue to strive to make District A a better place to live, work, and play. I am so proud of the work we were able to accomplish together for our community.

Here is a review of some of our accomplishments:

  • Successfully changed the habitability ordinance in order to take on crime havens and slumlords. We demolished six dangerous apartment complexes across the district and recently shut down three more in Spring Branch. One example of a recent dangerous building taken down was the Oakbrook apartments in the Antoine corridor, which was turned from a crime ridden nuisance haven into a beautiful greenspace for the community. To see more about this demolition check out these videos, “Another One Bites the Dust” was our theme:
    https://youtu.be/gpJhncPQFu0
    https://youtu.be/VSPzJWPcrGI
  • I fought for our share of street and drainage projects for our district and created relationships with entities outside the city in order to maximize our tax dollars. Some completed and ongoing projects are the street and drainage upgrades to Gessner and Lumpkin, as well as the acquisition of over 200 acres of the Inwood Forest Golf Course for detention and recreation purposes. (See below for a list of these projects.)
  • Helped protect our pet population by providing free microchip services and spay/neuter vouchers #ForTheAnimals.
  • Invested in crime prevention tools and public safety. Purchased speed trailers to assist the Houston Police Department (HPD) with traffic enforcement. Provided funding for HPD overtime to combat crime in District A, such as illegal spas and game rooms, as well as after-hours bars.
  • Purchased a high water rescue vehicle for the Houston Fire Department (HFD), which arrived just a day before Hurricane Harvey hit. This was the only HFD high water rescue vehicle available in the city during Harvey. Per HFD, about 1,000 people were rescued.
  • Organized and operated a shelter at Trini Mendenhall during Hurricane Harvey. Over 700 volunteers signed up to assist in a 3-day period, and received many donations that helped those affected.
  • Strengthened the boarding homes, lodging facilities, and correctional/alternative ordinance to protect our neighbors and those living in and around these facilities. Prior to the changes, there was no way of tracking these facilities. These facilities must now go through a permitting process allowing the city to be aware of these locations and to make sure they are up to code. Also, residents can now call 311 to report complaints or concerns about facilities in their neighborhood.
  • Advocated for persons with disabilities by creating access in our city and district. Pushed for the installation of automated doors at City Hall, and funded safe sidewalks, ramps, and safe cross lights.

Thanks to all partners that worked with me over the years including the Houston Parks Board, Houston Police Department, Houston Fire Department, Spring Spirit, Spring Branch Family Development Center, Crime Stoppers of Houston, Super Neighborhoods, Korean American community, civic associations, management districts, TIRZ volunteers, concerned citizens, and good neighbors. I will be forever grateful for your support for me and our community.

Before you review some of the highlights in more detail, please take a moment to watch this video from our last Public Safety Town Hall meeting on October 17, 2019. This video sums up what we have all worked so hard for, building a safer community:

“I want to thank you for your love, your support, your care for our community. Our community deserves everything that we worked to get. So please, never settle for anything less than the best for our community. We deserve every bit of it, you deserve it. Thank you.”

– Council Member Brenda Stardig

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