Constituent Services range from an incorrect water bill or garbage not picked up to long-term projects such as flood mitigation or street repairs that can take months or even years to complete.
Nick did an informal survey of current and former district Council Members, asking them how much time they and their staffs spend on constituent services. The answer was 85 percent.
That is why Nick is laser focused on residents’ concerns—no matter how large or small.
- Every staff member in Nick’s Council office will handle constituent services. Staff members will be assigned areas in District C for which they will be responsible, so residents will know who which staffer is the liaison for their community. Many leaders in District C communities already have Nick’s cell phone number, so this will be a team effort.
- Nick will be out in the district, attending meetings of civic clubs, neighborhood associations and super neighborhoods, listening to constituents and taking their concerns back to City Hall for action. Nick will govern from the bottom up rather than the top down. This was how the offices of the elected officials Nick has worked for operated. He saw how effective nightly community engagement was. This work and the long hours are not new to him.
- District C residents will see representatives of City departments in their neighborhoods. They won’t have to go to City Hall; Nick will bring City Hall to them. Residents in Vermont Commons Civic Association recently told Nick they wanted to learn more about recycling. Nick helped connect the president to the Solid Waste Management Department. A department spokesperson is scheduled to attend the next meeting of their civic club.
- The notorious Nob Hill/Life at Jackson Square Apartments are dragging down the Westbury/Meyerland area. As the Chief of Staff for a Council Member, Nick attended the hearings about the horrible situation the residents suffer. He fully supports an ordinance that gives the City the ability to shut down these bad complexes, rather than just issue fines that the owners pay as a part of doing business. The people who live in these apartments deserve better as do the residents of nearby neighborhoods. Nick will ask the Mayor to appoint him to Council’s Housing Committee. With his real estate background and the support of the Houston Apartment Association and neighborhood leaders, Nick will work to protect District C from these bad actors.
