Bellaire City Council approved an ordinance Dec. 15 that will begin to wrap up an eight-month-long land swap deal that will help both Bellaire and the city of Houston fight against future flooding.

Remember this: In July, both cities agreed to a deal that would allow Bellaire to acquire the 13.15-acre Beechnut Tract near North Braeswood Boulevard and Loop 610 in exchange for the 76-acre Ruffino Tract near the Brays Oaks neighborhood in Houston.

Bellaire intends to use the Beechnut Tract to expand the Cypress Ditch to improve flood mitigation and drainage in the city. Meanwhile, Houston is looking to turn the 76 acres into a flood detention zone to fight against future flooding.

Latest update: The approval in December was to authorize Bellaire's city manager to execute a Sanitary Sewer Service Agreement between Bellaire and Houston, which is identical to the purchase and sale agreement that was approved in May. 

Once the agreement is approved by Houston City Council, Citino said closing can occur in January or February.

Officials with the new Memorial Hermann Medical Group location in the Bellaire Triangle are now seeing patients as the medical office opened to the public Dec. 15.

The big picture: Primary care specialists, including cardiologists, are accepting current and new patients at the new location.

The event: An official ribbon cutting and open house will take place after the first of the new year, according to communication officials with the hospital group.

• 5427 Bellaire Blvd., Ste. A, Bellaire

Taxis in Houston can now charge up to 65-66 cents more per mile, depending on the time of day, after Houston City Council opted to approve the new maximum rates Dec. 17.

The big picture: Vehicles for hire operating in Houston can charge a maximum of $2.96 per mile during the day and a maximum of $2.97 at night, after the first one-eleventh of a mile. Vehicles for hire have the option to charge lower rates to compete with transportation networks such as Uber and Lyft, according to meeting documents.

The catalyst: Officials with the city’s Administration & Regulatory Affairs Department met with industry stakeholders earlier this year about raising the rate maximums due to increased operating costs for taxicabs. Houston’s last meter rate adjustment was in 2018.

The overall changes to taxi fare rates represent a 28% increase to meter rates, according to meeting documents.

Houston City College officials announced a $2 million investment from Google to expand its artificial intelligence and robotics programs. The grant funding is expected to support new AI faculty and technicians and reach thousands of local high school and college students.

The impact: With the grant, HCC officials said they will establish a variety of initiatives, including:

• Hire at least 10+ full-time faculty and technicians specializing in AI
• Develop a new curriculum
• Enhance lab facilities
• Train 40 college and 40 high school instructors who could reach an estimated 3,200 high school and 4,800 HCC students
• Establish a regional coalition of 20 institutions and partners to meet the needs of the local economy

At the Houston campus, Conroe ISD high school junior Ezra Dakatubia and HCC classmate Ahad Maredia presented their robotics and software program project. The robot was programmed to recognize hand pattern movements that propel the robot's direction—a capability that could be utilized as safety products within the industrial industry, they said.