GALVESTON — Housing authority officials are working on a list of frequently asked questions about their plan to rebuild public housing on the island.

To tide over the interested, here’s a list of Galveston Housing Authority answers to questions from a homeowners association concerned about a scattered site public housing unit proposed next to them. The scattered site, 3615 83rd St., neighbors the Sand Castle Condominiums, 8228-8416 Seawall Blvd.

Housing Authority Answers



The answers are an outline of restrictions public housing residents will have to follow once they move in. It's a good list of questions I’ve continually heard brought up from the public.

Earlier this week, a packed room voiced concerns about the scattered sites at a public hearing with many asking for more information about the project.

The housing authority has proposed that at least 50 of the 569 public housing units destroyed in Hurricane Ike be rebuilt at scattered sites throughout the island.

GALVESTON — Mayor Joe Jaworski joined The Oak Ridge Boys onstage at The Grand 1894 Opera House this week, taking up a pair of drumsticks to play surf rock favorite "Wipe Out" with the quartet.

While he didn't throw his drumsticks into the crowd following the performance, Jaworski did present the band with keys to the city and a proclamation.

Check out the mayor rocking it out below:

For those who couldn't make it to the Galveston Housing Authority's "Public Housing 101" workshop, here's a copy of the presentation.

MaryAnn Russ, chief executive officer and president for the Dallas Housing Authority, spent about an hour this week walking through some of the housing authority's history and policies.

The meeting was an educational forum for city council and mayoral candidates and not a public debate. Politics aside, what other specific questions do you have about the housing authority's policies?

Public Housing 101

GALVESTON — City leaders are debating the return of trolleys to the island. When the cars ran before Hurricane Ike, ridership was low because of mechanical problems that skewed the ride schedule.



About $4 million in federal funding and other sources is available to repair the trolleys, but is it worth the expense to maintain the cars and tracks?

What do you think? What did you like most about the trolleys?

Related Story: Will trolleys return to the island?

GALVESTON — Bill Quiroga, who announced in December he would run for mayor, has decided to support mayoral candidate Beau Rawlins and instead run for the district 5 council seat.

“Mr. Rawlins and I have very similar points of view,” Quiroga said in a statement. “Beau and I have a great love for our city and we are in agreement that united we can come together to build a better future for Galveston, our citizens and our business community.”

Councilman Steve Greenberg has said he will not seek re-election for the district 5 seat.

Rawlins, a school board trustee for the Galveston Independent School District, will face Lewis S. Rosen and Mayor Joe Jaworski in May’s election for mayor.

“I appreciate Bill’s spirit and always looking out for what he feels is best for the Island. Mutual support for common goals that progress Galveston and provide for her community is what should be most important for all leaders of Galveston,” Rawlins said.

The Galveston election is May 12.

Beating out designs from competitors from Australia and Hong Kong, Galveston’s design for a new wastewater treatment plant took home an award this month in an international competition for innovation in water and wastewater treatment plant.

The facility was flooded during Hurricane Ike in 2008, prompting a shutdown of the system.

The design for the new facility, created by the city and consultant CDM, considers time constraints, funding limits and keeping the plant in operation while construction is completed. The plant should be finished in 2015.

Here’s a look at the winning video presentation that includes 3D models of the plant and simulations of another storm. And for you non-engineers like myself, the video doesn’t require any technical expertise.

GALVESTON — Staff with an Austin-based law firm have finished revising council redistricting plans for the island. Last week, the city council chose and made some changes to two maps to be considered for redistricting.

The city council will have a public hearing at 5 p.m. on Oct. 27 at city hall before voting on one plan that same night.


Draft Plan R Revised

Take a look at both plan O and plan R and see if you’ll be voting in another district next year. Also included are breakdowns of the demographics of each proposed district. PDFs of the documents are included below.

Draft Plan O Revised Report

Draft Plan O Revised

Draft Plan R Revised Report

Draft Plan R Revised