Sunny Side /South Park Super Neighborhood

Communicating with the Office of Inspector General

Open information act - 10/17/02

Mr. White,

In response to your e-mail of 10-17-02 to me, please be advised that the
Office of Inspector General (OIG) is attempting to conduct a thorough
inquiry
into your allegations related to the reformation of the Sunnyside/South Park
Super Neighborhood into two separate super neighborhood councils, which was
approved by the Planning and Development Department. You have alleged in
writing that Mr. Litke and/or the Planning and Development Department
violated
Sunny Side/South Park Super Neighborhood "by-laws" and "local super
neighborhood policies, protocol and guiding principles." Furthermore, you
have alleged that Mr. Litke overrode the "procedural development process of
the established elected board of officers for the Sunny Side/South Park
Super
Neighborhood." By telephone on October 16, 2002, I requested that you
provide
a copy of the specific "by-laws," "policies," "protocol," "guiding
principles," and specific aspects of the "procedural development process of
the established elected board of officers for the Sunny Side/South Park
Super
Neighborhood," which would support the validity of your allegations. At your
request, I am, by this e-mail, making the same request in writing. Thank you
in advance for your cooperation in our official inquiry.


Lieutenant T. W. Hartnett
City of Houston
Office of Inspector General
61 Riesner, 3rd Floor
Houston, TX 77002
Office: 713-247-5800

Open records act - 10/22/02

Mr. White,

In the attached memorandum, dated October 19, 2002, you requested "a copy of
whatever material [we] have collected up to this point" pertaining to your
OIG
complaint. If you wish to make an Open Records request, please notify
Administrative Coordinator Mary Haisten of HPD's Media Relations office, who
handles such requests for HPD. A mail-in request may be sent to her at 1200
Travis, Houston, TX 77002. Her telephone number is 713-308-1828.






Lieutenant T. W. Hartnett
City of Houston
Office of Inspector General
61 Riesner, 3rd Floor
Houston, TX 77002
Office: 713-247-4028


-----Original Message-----
Date: 10/22/2002 10:35 am -0500 (Tuesday)
From: MYR Inspector General
To: Hartnett. Thomas - HPD
Subject: FW: Robert Litke




-----Original Message-----
From: Charles X White
To: MYR Inspector General
Cc: Andrew Burks; Willie Belle Boone; Marvin Delaney
Sent: 10/21/02 8:33 AM
Subject: Robert Litke


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OIG-Questions 10/22/02

Mr. White,

Before OIG completes its inquiry concerning your complaint, I have a couple
of
questions that I request you answer at your convenience.

1. A letter, dated August 16, 2002, from Mr. Litke to Mr. Les Chamberlain
states in part the following:

"At the request of the majority of the stakeholders in Sunnyside (#71) and
South Acres/Crestmont Park (#76) Super Neighborhoods, the Planning and
Development Department has approved the reformation of the former
Sunnyside/South Park Super Neighborhood (#s71, 72 and 76) into two separate
super neighborhood councils. The new councils are now Sunnyside/South
Acres/Crestmont Park Super Neighborhood (#71 and 76) and the South Park
Super
Neighborhood (#72)."

The copy of the letter OIG has in its file indicates you and Mayor Brown
were
to receive a copy of the letter. Did you receive your copy?

2. In your memorandum of October 19, 2002, regarding the "reformation" of
the
one super neighborhood council into two super neighborhood councils, you
state
that "our right to due process" was "ignored and violated" and that "due
process" was circumvented. I have reviewed your by-laws, the information
you
provided in your memorandum, and the Guidelines for Organizing Super
Neighborhoods and Forming Super Neighborhood Councils. So far, I have been
unable to identify a by-law or an established guideline, policy, or
procedure
(or "due process"), which would prohibit (in specific or even general terms)
the forming of a super neighborhood council by the majority of stakeholders
in
a super neighborhood separate from an existing super neighborhood council as
was done in this case. Will you please let me know if such a prohibition
relative to such a "'reformation" exists and where?

3. Hypothetically, if the majority of stakeholders in Super Neighborhood 72,
your super neighborhood, had decided in April of 2002, to separate from
Super
Neighborhoods 71 and 76 and form its own super neighborhood council (without
discussion for whatever reason), how, in your opinion, should such a desire
of
the majority of stakeholders in Super Neighborhood 72 have been brought to
pass and according to what specific by-laws and established policies,
procedures, and guidelines?

Thanks once again for your cooperation,

Lieutenant T. W. Hartnett
City of Houston
Office of Inspector General
61 Riesner, 3rd Floor
Houston, TX 77002
Office: 713-247-4028