Council to Vote on Employee Health Care
Council received citizen input regarding the health insurance contract that covers all City of Houston employees. The current contract, subject to renewal in May 2014, is held by Cigna Health Insurance. After a negotiation process to reduce costs, the City Human Resources Department has recommended that Cigna be approved to retain this contract. Council is expected to vote on the matter next week.
On the Agenda
To enhance Houston’s digital security, Council authorized a three-year contract with Virtuo Group Corporation, which will review the information security practices for each City department. After completing the risk assessment, this group will submit recommendations for the City to comply with industry and government best practices for cyber security. Virtuo will work in tandem with the Houston Information Technology Services Department with the goal of significantly reducing the risks of an information security breach.
What’s Happening in the Annex
Council Member Cohen met with Scenic Houston Board Member Jonathan Day to review the group’s objectives for 2014. Recognizing that unattractive streetscapes can adversely affect both economic development for businesses and the quality of life of residents, Scenic Houston has produced a Streetscape Resource Guide to discuss optimal planning under current City of Houston code standards. Scenic Houston’s mission is to preserve and enhance the visual character of Houston and, to this end, Mayor Parker has included adherence to the Guide as one of the objectives of her Executive Order on Complete Streets.