The city has been working with flood control to remove the restrictor from the end of the pipe at Poor Farm Ditch and is waiting to get allocation for the Meyer Tract detention pond. City Manager Michael Ross has been negotiating with flood control to get permission to use the detention pond, but is unclear when this will happen.
Boehme made his statements about Kelly in an e-mail to a resident on Nov. 6 who had contacted him with questions regarding the city and flood control.
Boehme said that Kelly, in his view, “chose to pick a fight with Harris County.” Boehme carbon copied (Cc) Kelly on the e-mail.
“In my view the city manager deserves an award his Houdini like skills is handing the Harris County Flood Control District and unrest from our County Commissioner. My view is that our mayor chose to pick a fight with Harris County. For reasons I still do not understand, our mayor wanted to become combative and very public in a battle with our county commissioner and the Harris County Flood Control District. As a result, we came very close to losing any logistic or financial assistance from Harris County. Our city manager skillfully cleaned up that disaster-in-waiting and returned the dialogue to engineering merits rather than political posturing. We now have hope again Harris County will assist West U with logistics and funding for the restrictor removal issue, and that is the work product of our city manager.”
Kelly appeared to take offense to Boehme’s message and sent this e-mail in response:
“You can obviously tell by the uncalled for negative unsolicited comments that Council Member Boehme makes about me in his email below that he is attempting to pick a political fight with me. That challenged will be answered this spring when he ” attempts” to run for Council again. I will not dignify his comments at this time with any other response other then to say that my 30+ years of service to West U speaks volumes as to my love for this City, my credibility, and my continued efforts to do what is best for it. I also would refer you to County Judge Ed Emmett for any additional info you would like on the Harris County situation to which Council Member Boehme refers.”
Boehme replied back with this e-mail:
“I was responding to an email from one of our residents. I stand by my comments. You most certainly attempted to exploit a very sensitive and important issue for your own self-serving political purposes. Our residents were being well-served by productive staff discussions between West U and Harris County Flood Control District. You flubbed it up, but calmer heads took control and got the train back on the track,” he said in his e-mail. “Bright lights are a great sanitizer. Your actions were irresponsible. And that is what any examination of the facts will show.”
Several residents came before council after reading a story in the Village News on Sept. 21 that quoted Kelly saying, “The flood control district is playing a game of chicken with us.”
In an e-mail on Sept. 28, Kelly encouraged residents to voice their concerns during an upcoming council meeting.
“Be sure and get as large a turn out as you can for the Oct. 11 Council Meeting. It sends a strong message to Harris County to get off the dime and get the restrictors out,” Kelly said in his e-mail to residents.
In an e-mail on Oct. 1, Ross asked residents to “give us the opportunity to work out the final details with them on your behalf.”
“There is adequate capacity for our new system in the Myer Tract but it will require further negotiations to finalize and we would hate to see something happen to jeopardize that for the City,” Ross said in his e-mail.
Boehme also sent an e-mail to residents on Oct. 1, asking them to be patient.
“Any application of political pressure by West University Place (population 14,255) to Harris County (population 4,070,989) thirty days before a county-wide election is unlikely to get the results we want and could be very costly to the City of West University Place,” Boehme said in his e-mail. “Please consider being a little more patient because it is quite likely we will soon get the result we are seeking from the Harris County Flood Control District based on the engineering arguments being advanced by our city staff, rather than the application of political pressure. I believe we will get the restrictors removed soon if we stay on course.”
Mayor Bob Kelly says
It is worthy of note that in the middle of the current sensitive negotiations by our City Manager with the Harris County Flood Control District over a matter (restrictors blocking the results of over $8 million of public funds) of great concern to our citizens in general and our College Street area citizens specifically that Council Member Boehme would pick a public political fight with the Mayor over that matter and just whose actions “got the train back on the tract”. The very tactics that he unjustly accuses the Mayor, Council Member Boehme now employs. I will make no further comment on the restrictor matter until the negotiations are completed and thus not risk those negotiations being successful. I would as your Mayor ask all our citizens to please do the same. Thank you.
Mayor Kelly, kindly review your reply comment, especially the third to last sentence, for clarification of your thought.
The story behind the story should come as no surprise to anyone who has read the instantnewswestu stories over the past months. Boehme has sold his store and now needs to move on off the council.
Anonymous says
I think this whole mess between the mayor and George stems from the way the two publicly feuded over edloe concessions at the pool. George i understand why you are upset with the mayor. But I must say the two of you arguing publicly is really absurd and the two of you need to cease and desist immediately. You represent the city, go fight privately.
Lucille Gallman says
West U Resident: Will you please clarify your last sentence. Thanks.
Bunch of kids. These are the people representing us? Grow up and keep your differences private. I can’t wait to the next elections.
Brokelyn says
George and Bob,
Please quit the politics and start working together. Communicate, please, behind closed doors so that you’re on the same page before presenting your views to the public. NOBODY needs to hear you squabble and nobody appreciates you stooping to the level of national politics with your public backbiting.
Local politics are great because it is as close to the founding fathers’ vision of governance by the people, for the people. The higher up the ladder we go, the less relevant our politicians become because they become disconnected from their ever-widening base of diverse citizens. You have the luxury of a very narrow set of interests to govern over here in West U — don’t blow it by allowing your political ambitions to overwhelm your practical sensibilities.
Bottom line, shut up and get things done.
Blake says
Kudos to Brokelyn!!! And for beating me to the punch!
The folks in Washington seem to think that appealing to their party’s extremists is a recipe for something other than disaster; still, it should be a bit easier for us to expect, even insist upon, more cooperation among our elected officials in West U. How about if we try to make working together for good outcomes an overarching community government value. Who knows, it might catch on!
That said, thanks for all of our government officials for the hard work they do for us!
Once again, Boehme speaking out of turn - whether appropriate or not - whether in council chambers or not! When he sent the aforementioned email to flood residents Oct. 1st - it was in response to emails sent to Ross & Kelly. Boehme’s response was unsolicited, inappropriate and frankly, irritating; especially since it happened more than once. The residents involved in the restrictor issue frankly don’t know what to think anymore. Our city council & manager say one thing, while Harris County officials say something very different in the local papers. The only thing we do know is…….can’t wait for elections to vote Boehme out!
West U Mom says
I find it disturbing that Mayor Kelly can’t write a sentence that makes sense and can’t spell “track.” Boehme is right to call him out for this flood control disaster. The Flood Control District holds all the cards and any one who thinks a few West U residents at a council meeting will intimidate it is naive in the extreme.
Rich says
Wow, a whole week without people throwing blame around about the Poor Farm Ditch restrictor issue. I guess college b-ball season has started or everyone is working on their Thanksgiving plans.
You guys need to crank it up again so I can entertain my relatives visiting from out of town with our democracy in action.