ISSUE 5 · SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2026 · LIFE BY DESIGN, NOT DEFAULT
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE This Week |
Photo: City of La Porte
The record caught up. The minutes of the Oct. 12 council meeting are now posted, as a draft attached to Monday’s agenda, where council is asked to approve them (item 6.a). Here is what the draft says happened. Eight of nine members were present; Councilperson Lunsford was absent.
Monday’s packet also holds a full agenda, the Development Corporation’s project list at 5 p.m., and the redistricting committee’s next meeting Thursday.
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Liberty Watch |
Photo: City of La Porte
7–1 tax rate vote, Oct. 12 (draft minutes) | Mon 10/26 LPDC 5 p.m. council 6 p.m. | Thu 10/29 redistricting committee, 6:15 p.m. | Sat 10/31 Treats on the Trail 4–7 p.m. |
What the draft minutes of Oct. 12 record:
- The tax rate. Council adopted the 71-cent tax rate on a 7-1 vote, by roll call, with Councilperson Williams (District 1) voting against. Ordinance 2026-5059 splits it into 58.969 cents for operations and 12.031 cents for debt. Council also accepted the 2026 certified appraisal roll (Resolution 2026-20), also 7-1.
- Shoreacres and the flood channel, 8-0. On the consent agenda, council designated the former City of Shoreacres as part of District 5 (Ordinance 2026-5060) and approved the agreement with the Harris County Flood Control District on the F216 channel, including a $2,000,000 transfer to the district. The same vote covered a $1,343,477.71 arbitrage rebate payment to the IRS on the 2021 certificates of obligation, a budget amendment (Ordinance 2026-5063) and $612,723 for replacement EMS equipment and service agreements.
- City Hall decor, answered. Last week we reported council had asked staff for three color palettes. On Oct. 12 council chose the red-and-silver option, 7-1 (Williams against).
- Other votes, all 8-0: a City Hall conference-room reservation policy (amended to set reservation hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.); support for state legislation to protect personal information of city advisory-committee members; Resolution 2026-21 supporting faster TxDOT highway projects; and the city’s ballot for the Texas Municipal League Region 14 director. Council took up whether to seek an exemption for at-large seats after redistricting, but took no action.
- Closed session. Council met in executive session from 7:15 to 8:23 p.m. on a personnel matter with the city manager. The draft records no action afterward.
Redistricting committee, Oct. 21 (draft minutes, up for approval Oct. 29). Outside counsel discussed example maps and population estimates. Members asked that all the large-lot parcels stay in District 1, that the Duane Drive properties be in District 1, and, if needed for balance, that two top rows of census blocks on District 6’s northeast edge move into District 4. Councilperson Guerra noted the area bounded by Flintlock, Cavalry, Cannon and Battleview is not a large-lot area. No citizens spoke. The meeting ran 6:15 to 7:39 p.m.
Not posted yet: minutes from the Oct. 14 TIRZ 1 board, the Oct. 15 Planning & Zoning Commission, the Oct. 20 Keep La Porte Beautiful committee and the Oct. 22 Airport Advisory Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment. Where there are no minutes, we are not reporting votes.
This week:
- Monday, Oct. 26, 5 p.m. — La Porte Development Corporation board: a reimbursement of up to $51,326 to Anchored Restorations at 914 S. Broadway; opening 60-day comment periods on proposed incentives for EquipmentShare (up to $298,594) and Fort Worth Running Co. at 9608 Spencer Hwy (up to $57,681); and a public hearing on 12 projects for 2026-27.
- Monday, Oct. 26, 6 p.m. — City Council. Presentations on TIRZ 1 and on TxDOT projects. Public hearings on Ordinance 2026-5061, home-occupation rules written to match a 2025 state law, and Ordinance 2026-5062, a new process for lot consolidations and lot-line adjustments. Council also takes up a three-year delinquent-tax collection contract (staff recommends Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott after scoring two proposals 80 and 75 out of 100), direction on art and design for the new City Hall (no money requested; $100,000 is budgeted), and a closed session on a pending lawsuit. The consent agenda includes $455,500 for Neptune meters, $319,224 for a wastewater plant assessment and $1,643,825.23 in vehicle purchases.
- Thursday, Oct. 29 — City Facilities Naming Committee, 9 a.m. (a tree-planting application); Ch. 172 Employee, Retiree Insurance and Benefits Board, 2 p.m. (recommendations to council on stop-loss insurance and the Medicare Advantage renewal); Redistricting Advisory Committee, 6:15 p.m. (approve the Oct. 21 minutes, then plan changes and recommendations to council).
| Your move: the home-occupation and lot-consolidation hearings are the two items on Monday’s agenda that change rules for private property. Public hearings let you speak when the mayor calls for comments, without signing up in advance. |
Sources: Oct 12 council agenda (eSCRIBE) · Oct 26 council agenda, with draft Oct 12 minutes · Oct 26 LPDC board · Oct 29 Redistricting committee, with draft Oct 21 minutes · Oct 29 Facilities Naming Committee · Oct 29 Ch. 172 Board · Harris County Tax Office rates
✦ Rooms This Week |
| City of La Porte — City Council Monday, 6:00 PM · City Hall Council Chamber, 604 W. Fairmont Pkwy, La Porte, TX 77571 · Open to the public | ||
| Rotary Club of La Porte · Club Meeting - LP Student Life Wednesday, 12:00 PM · Guests by invitation How to get in: the room’s site |
Who sits in these rooms and the public money that goes in: the record.
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Mapping Our Community: One Project Is Two-Thirds of the Development Corporation’s $3.8 Million |
On Monday at 5 p.m. the La Porte Development Corporation board holds a public hearing on 12 capital projects for 2026-27. The staff report says the 60-day comment period ended Oct. 3 and staff received no comments. The biggest line by far is $2.6 million for a new irrigation system at the golf course.
$2.6M golf course irrigation system | $350K bird blinds and pier | $220K new or expanded business at 116 N. 16th St. | 12 projects on the list |
Source: LPDC staff report, Oct 26 agenda (12 listed amounts)
One thing doesn’t add up. The notice and staff report say the 12 projects total $3,807,050. The 12 amounts listed in them add up to $3,837,050, which is $30,000 more. We don’t know which number is right; the agenda doesn’t say. Why it matters: the board is asked to approve the projects by name and amount, so the list and the total should match. The seven smaller projects are fencing at the depot, Little Cedar Bayou bridge redecking, Lomax Arena, pickleball court lighting, recreation-center parking lot lights, park signs and 5 Points enhancements.
A caution on the tax side: the tax-rate notice still posted with the Oct. 12 packet lists a 2025 rate of $1.56013 and a tax-office contact at the school district. The Harris County Tax Office shows the city’s 2025 rate as 71 cents. We are not using the notice’s comparison figures.
| GO DEEPER The La Porte record: budgets, tax rates, votes and who governs, every figure sourced — councilonlocalrelations.org/tx/la-porte/ Start here — the Primers: 01 The Long Flat Line (how the family changed) · 02 The Documents We Live Under (the written rules that limit power) · 03 The Household (what a household buys, priced in years of work) · all primers → From the Council: This week: Formation Comes Before Function (The Shepherd); If It's Not Written, It Doesn't Exist (The Advocate); Empty Rooms Are Not Consent (The Sentinel); Culture Moves Faster Than Argument (The Maestro); On Time. In Budget. No Bullshit. (The Builder). Get them by email → |
Sources: Oct 26 LPDC board (staff report, FY27 projects) · Oct 12 council packet (tax-rate notice) · Harris County Tax Office — jurisdiction tax rates · CLR record — La Porte
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE From the Council This Week |
 | MONDAY, OCT 26 · THE ELDER Before We Build Anything New, Someone Should Ask What Was Here |
 | TUESDAY, OCT 27 · THE COUNSELOR The Mortar Is the Part Nobody Sees |
 | WEDNESDAY, OCT 28 · THE PHYSICIAN Health Is a Project, Not a Prayer |
 | THURSDAY, OCT 29 · THE PATRON Wisdom That Does Not Transfer Dies |
 | FRIDAY, OCT 30 · THE CLIENT Teach Me: Notes From the Seat That Sits Down to Learn |
Every piece, every figure linked to its source: councilonlocalrelations.org
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Around the Block |
Photo: City of La Porte
Library landscaping is being redone. The city and the Keep La Porte Beautiful committee say the library is first in a series of upgrades: native Texas plants, a new pollinator garden and a rain garden. The existing mature plants are coming out because, the city says, they have outgrown their spaces and their roots threaten the parking lot, walkways and foundations. The police department, animal shelter and Five Points Plaza are next (city notice).
| Story Time Under the Stars: Halloween Stories — 6 p.m., La Porte Branch Library. Pajamas welcome; stories and action rhymes for families. | ||
| Little Explorers: Spooky Playdough — 10:15 and 11:15 a.m., La Porte Branch Library. Ages 0–5 with a caregiver; free ticket, available at the library that morning. | ||
| Party in Pottsfield: An Over the Garden Wall Halloween — 3:30–5 p.m., La Porte Branch Library. After-school games, crafts, snacks and a screening of the PG series. | ||
| Little Readers: Halloween Storytime — 10:15 a.m., La Porte Branch Library. Ages 0–5. | ||
| Treats on the Trail: Cleared for Candy — 4–7 p.m., La Porte Municipal Airport, 10615 Spencer Hwy. Free trick-or-treating with local vendors, a Haunted Hangar and an optional 3K run/walk. | ||
| First Fridays at Five Points: Wine Walk — Nov. 6, 6–9 p.m. Check in at Five Points Plaza, 100 S. Broadway, for a tasting cup and map; live music by Janet Z. |
Your move: Main Street Trade Days return Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Five Points Town Plaza. Run a La Porte event? Send it by Thursday.
Sources: Library landscaping (city) · Story Time Under the Stars · Spooky Playdough · Party in Pottsfield · Little Readers · Treats on the Trail (city calendar) · November events (city calendar)
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Prosperity Spotlight |
 | Books by the Bay Books by the Bay is an independent, Latina-owned bookstore on Main Street in historic La Porte. Its site says it sells bestselling fiction and bookish merchandise and hosts book clubs, author events and cozy gatherings — a place where “every reader deserves a place to feel at home.” The shop sells online as well as in person, and the city’s Visit La Porte directory lists it among the Main Street shops. Hours aren’t posted on its site, so check its Instagram (@booksbythebaytx) before you go. |
| Books by the Bay · 315 W. Main St., La Porte Hours aren’t posted — check before you go · booksbythebaytx.square.site |
Sources: Books by the Bay (own site) · Visit La Porte — Main Street directory
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Food Scene |
Photo: The Southern Komfort Kitchen
The Southern Komfort Kitchen
The Southern Komfort Kitchen is a La Porte restaurant that says it opened in 2011 after its founders tired of restaurants serving prepackaged and reheated food. Its site says everything is made fresh from scratch, “just like Grandma used to make.”
Besides dine-in, it has a full-service bar, carry-out, home delivery and catering, and it takes call-ahead seating through the Yelp waitlist. Its homepage photo shows plates of country-fried meat with gravy, fried green tomatoes and a fried seafood platter.
| The Southern Komfort Kitchen · 2501 Underwood Rd., La Porte · 281-867-9231 Sun–Thu 11 a.m.–9 p.m. · Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m. · skktx.com |
Sources: The Southern Komfort Kitchen · Contact and hours
✦ Trivia Question |
In 1915 La Porte suffered two major disasters. One was a tremendous hurricane. What was the other? (Answer at the bottom.)
✦ Quote of the Day |
“if a nation expects to be ignorant & free, in a state of civilisation, it expects what never was & never will be.” — Thomas Jefferson to Charles Yancey, 1816 (Founders Online)
✦ Secret Little Hack |
Get the city’s emergency alerts before the storm, not after. AlertLP sends alerts by phone, text and email, and you choose when and how you are contacted. Sign up for free at AlertLP.com (city notice).
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Real Estate Pulse |
$275K median sale price (3 mo. to Sept) | $150 median price per sq. ft., +1.0% | 126 homes sold in September | −17.1% sales vs. a year ago (152) |
Source: Redfin, September 2026
Redfin has not yet posted October figures, so the picture is the same as last week’s with one new detail: prices per square foot are up only 1.0% over a year, against 5.1% for the median sale price. Fewer homes are changing hands — 126 sold in September, down from 152 — though they sell in a median of 28 days, down from 43. That’s the market the appraisal district reads when it values your house. Your move: check your value at hcad.org.
Sources: Redfin — La Porte housing market
Photo: HAR.com listing
For rent, listed by Nina Bright. 4713 E Meadow Dr, Deer Park 77536: $2,550 a month. Four bedrooms, two baths, 1,928 square feet on one story, built in 2010. Two-car attached garage, covered patio, wood floors, granite counters, a fireplace and fresh paint. Available now; pets case by case ($500 deposit per pet). See the listing on HAR.
Full disclosure: Nina is David’s wife.
| Looking to buy or sell? Nina Bright, Realtor — call or text 832-689-3170. Full disclosure: Nina is David’s wife. |
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Service Opportunities |
Photo: City of La Porte
Volunteer with the police department. La Porte’s Citizen’s Volunteer Program is open to anyone 18 or older. Volunteers help at community events such as Christmas on Main Street, National Night Out and the health and safety fair, and some help in the Crime Victims Liaison’s Office and the Records Division. The Citizen’s Police Academy, which most volunteers have completed but which isn’t required, runs 13 to 14 Tuesday nights, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., at no charge. Contact P.A.R. Officer Ricky Valdez at 281-842-3152 for the next class (volunteer program · police academy).
The shelter has its own helpers, too: the Friends of La Porte Animal Shelter, a registered nonprofit that takes members and volunteers (Friends of La Porte Animal Shelter · city shelter page).
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Adopt a Friend |
 | Meet Prince 5 months · Male · Labrador Retriever A brown (chocolate) Lab puppy listed by the city shelter. The adoption fee is $85, which covers a vet check, initial vaccines, a microchip and vouchers toward spay or neuter and rabies shots. See Prince’s listing → |
| La Porte Animal Adoption Center and Shelter · 10901 Spencer Hwy, La Porte Tue–Fri noon–6 p.m., Sat–Sun 11 a.m.–4 p.m. (closed Monday) · adoption page |
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Growth & Learning |
Illustration
Read a real agenda with your kids. Open Monday’s council agenda. Find the date, time and place. Find the item where citizens may speak. Then find the two public hearings: what is each one about, and what ordinance number does each carry? Look at the consent agenda — why do you think those items are grouped together? Add up three of the dollar amounts. Next, open the list of the Development Corporation’s 12 projects and check whether the amounts match the total. More at unrivaledacademy.com.
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Local Theory & Remnant Radio |
 | Now playing: Love & Fear — Local Theory (April 2, 2026 · 12 tracks). Listen. Remnant Radio streams the whole catalog 24/7 at radio.thinkandactlocally.com · Spotify. Thirteen releases. Sovereignty through sound. In the Studio now: Beloved. Vote on the mixes. |
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Weather Forecast |
Sun  Mostly sunny 79° 63° | Mon  Mostly sunny 81° 68° | Tue  Partly sunny 80° 70° | Wed  Showers possible 80° 71° | Thu Mostly sunny 80° 70° | Fri  Rain chance 79° 71° |
Mostly sunny and mild early in the week, with highs of 79 to 81 and lows from 63 to 71. The National Weather Service shows a slight chance of showers Wednesday and a 30% chance of rain Friday. Its forecast doesn’t reach Saturday yet, so check it before Treats on the Trail.
Sources: National Weather Service (HGX), retrieved Oct 24, 5:50 p.m. CT
✦ CrowdHealth |
 | David and his family left traditional health insurance for CrowdHealth — a community that funds each other’s medical bills. Bills get negotiated down first; no claims department, no denial letters. See how it works. We earn a referral if you join. CrowdHealth is not insurance. David is a paying member. |
✦ Unrivaled Travels |
 | Planning a trip worth taking? Our own travel service books the expedition, cruise, or getaway you’ll remember — at no markup. info@unrivaledtravels.com · 281-241-1994 · unrivaledtravels.com One of our own businesses. |
✦ Unrivaled Candles |
 | Hand-poured jewelry candles — every one hides a piece of jewelry inside, valued from $10 to $10,000. Burn it down and find out what’s yours. Shop Unrivaled Candles. Full disclosure: one of our own businesses. |
✦ Unrivaled Marketing Solutions |
 | You built the business — now make sure your La Porte neighbors can find it. Book a free 15-minute call with David: we’ll look at how your business shows up online and where customers may be slipping past. If you want us to fix it, that’s paid work, and David will go over the price on the call. Book a free 15-minute call. One of our own businesses. |
✦ Sponsor Spot |
This spot is open. Sponsor this spot — reach La Porte neighbors every Sunday, in the one inbox they actually read. Reply to book it.
✦ They Told Him He Was Crazy |
David sold his metals. Not trimmed — sold. He kept the receipts, every decision sourced, so you can decide for yourself: conviction, or crazy? Read the filing →
David’s own account; affiliate link. Support never touches coverage.
✦ Have a Question? Ask It Live |
Want to understand the framework David uses to put money to work without living in front of a screen? The team behind it runs free live calls — bring your questions, get them answered in real time. No cost to sit in and listen.
Register for a free live call →
Full disclosure: this is an affiliate link. But you know the rule — sponsors support the mission, never influence the message. David doesn't recommend anything he doesn't personally use.
We earn a referral if you join. Education, not financial advice. Options involve risk of loss.
✦ Tuttle Twins: For the kids at your table |
 | The Tuttle Twins Monster Sale runs through Halloween. Their graphic novels turn big ideas about money and freedom into adventures kids actually want to reread — and brand-new Season 4 just landed. All four seasons (44 hardcover books) are $349 this month. Get ready for questions at dinner. As a Tuttle Twins affiliate, TAAL may earn a commission if you buy through our link. |
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Community Voices |
Did you speak at council, or sit in the chamber on Oct. 12? Tell us what you saw — one or two sentences — and we’ll check it against the city’s posted record before we run it. Hit reply, and we’ll run the best next Sunday.
✦ Take Action |
- Monday, Oct 26, 6 p.m. — City Council meets at City Hall, 604 W. Fairmont Pkwy. Citizen comment comes before the consent agenda; the home-occupation and lot-consolidation hearings are items 7.a and 7.b.
- Thursday, Oct 29, 6:15 p.m. — the Redistricting Advisory Committee meets at City Hall. Citizen comment is the second item.
- Saturday, Oct 31, 4–7 p.m. — Treats on the Trail at the La Porte Municipal Airport, 10615 Spencer Hwy. Free.
✦ Submit Your Content |
Events, business features, volunteer calls, letters from La Porte: david@thinkandactlocally.com. Deadline: Thursday 5 PM for Sunday.
✦ Answer to Trivia |
A fire. The Handbook of Texas says that in 1915 La Porte suffered two major disasters: a fire that destroyed the whole downtown business district, and a tremendous hurricane (Handbook of Texas).
THE HERALD ✦ LA PORTE Keep the Herald Free |
No advertiser sets our coverage — readers keep it alive. The best thing you can do costs nothing: forward this to one neighbor who wants to know what the city decided, not just what it planned.
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The Herald is published by Think and Act Locally. Its facts come from the public record kept by the Council on Local Relations, which shares a founder with Think and Act Locally. Portions drafted with AI assistance and reviewed before publication. Reply anytime: david@thinkandactlocally.com.
