Rob Todd
Encyclopedia
Rob Todd is an American lawyer and former member of the Houston City Council
from 1996 to 2002. Todd, a Republican, was a member of the Houston City Council
from 1996 to 2002, representing the eastern edge of Houston including the Johnson Space Center
, William P. Hobby Airport
, the Houston Ship Channel
, and Lake Houston. He chaired the Regulatory Affairs Committee, the Charter Committee, and the Rail Committee. He was also a member of the Aviation, Ethics, and Finance Committees. At the time of his initial election, Todd was the youngest person ever elected to Houston City Council
at the age of 31.
Todd is currently Chairman of the Tower Permit Commission for southeast Texas.
, and attended the University of Texas at Austin and the South Texas College of Law.
without a public vote being held, and in 2001 filed suit against the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, to block the project and force a referendum. He argued that a referendum should be held to allow taxpayers to consider the merits of light rail. He succeeded in obtaining a temporary injunction against the project; as a result, METRORail
was put to a public vote. Ultimately Metro enacted a public policy position that it should not initiate major light rail projects in the greater Houston area unless there was strong evidence that they would reduce air pollution or result in a major reduction in traffic congestion. This position was also supported by United States Congressman Tom DeLay
.
In 2000, while separated from his wife Penny, Todd admitted to a relationship with the estranged wife of his fellow councilman Bert Keller. Todd had earlier strongly promoted "family values", strongly criticizing President Bill Clinton
's affair with Monica Lewinsky
, and taking extreme measures to shut down the store "Condoms Galore": When a vice-squad raid he requested failed to find any illegal activities at the store, Todd sent in city health inspectors, hoping to find the store selling edible panties without a food license.
In his capacity as chairman of the Regulatory Affairs Committee, Todd supported the passage of controversial "civility ordinances" that restrict behavior such as loitering, begging, and burrowing through trash, aimed at combating vagrancy.
Todd's electronic access card to City Hall was revoked in 1997 when he snuck into the Council chamber and wrapped the Mayor's chair with leftover "Free Kingwood" banners from an anti-annexation rally for that locality.
He is the founder of the Molitoris Group, a real-estate development firm that finances and manages advanced telecommunication systems such as Distributed Antenna System
s.
Todd is an adjunct professor of law at the South Texas College of Law
, where he teaches a class on the legislative process.
Todd's son Robert lost his hearing as an infant due to meningitis
. Todd brought a lawsuit against several movie distributors and producers under the Americans With Disabilities Act, with Robert—then in the ninth grade—as the primary plaintiff. The suit sought to force the companies to provide more films with captioning for the hearing-impaired.
Todd succeeded in efforts to provide closed captioning
on Houston's government-information Government-access television (GATV) channel so that weekly televised city council meetings would be accessible to the hearing-impaired. He also succeeded in persuading the Hobby Center and the Houston Rodeo to add closed captioning to their performances.
, Todd serves as the Chairman of the Tower Permit Commission, which has jurisdiction over towers within a 572 square miles (1,481.5 km²) area of southeast Texas.
Houston City Council
The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.Currently, there are fourteen members, nine elected from council districts and five at-large. The members of the Council are elected every two years, in odd-numbered years...
from 1996 to 2002. Todd, a Republican, was a member of the Houston City Council
Houston City Council
The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.Currently, there are fourteen members, nine elected from council districts and five at-large. The members of the Council are elected every two years, in odd-numbered years...
from 1996 to 2002, representing the eastern edge of Houston including the Johnson Space Center
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's center for human spaceflight training, research and flight control. The center consists of a complex of 100 buildings constructed on 1,620 acres in Houston, Texas, USA...
, William P. Hobby Airport
William P. Hobby Airport
William P. Hobby Airport is a public airport in Houston, Texas, located from Downtown Houston. The airport covers and has four runways. Hobby Airport is Houston's oldest commercial airport and was the city's primary air terminal until the opening of Houston Intercontinental Airport in 1969...
, the Houston Ship Channel
Houston Ship Channel
The Houston Ship Channel, located in Houston, Texas, is part of the Port of Houston—one of the United States's busiest seaports. The channel is the conduit for ocean-going vessels between the Houston-area shipyards and the Gulf of Mexico.-Overview:...
, and Lake Houston. He chaired the Regulatory Affairs Committee, the Charter Committee, and the Rail Committee. He was also a member of the Aviation, Ethics, and Finance Committees. At the time of his initial election, Todd was the youngest person ever elected to Houston City Council
Houston City Council
The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.Currently, there are fourteen members, nine elected from council districts and five at-large. The members of the Council are elected every two years, in odd-numbered years...
at the age of 31.
Todd is currently Chairman of the Tower Permit Commission for southeast Texas.
Personal life
Todd was born in Kirksville, MissouriKirksville, Missouri
Kirksville is the county seat of Adair County, Missouri, United States. It is located in Benton Township. The population was 17,505 at the 2010 census. Kirksville also anchors a micropolitan area that comprises Adair and Schuyler counties. The city is perhaps best known as the location of Truman...
, and attended the University of Texas at Austin and the South Texas College of Law.
Political career
As a member of the Houston council Todd opposed the expenditure of public funds on the installation of light railLight rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
without a public vote being held, and in 2001 filed suit against the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, to block the project and force a referendum. He argued that a referendum should be held to allow taxpayers to consider the merits of light rail. He succeeded in obtaining a temporary injunction against the project; as a result, METRORail
METRORail
METRORail is the light rail line in Houston . It is the second major light rail service in Texas following the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. With an approximate daily ridership of 34,155, the METRORail ranks as the fourteenth most-traveled light rail system in the United States, with the...
was put to a public vote. Ultimately Metro enacted a public policy position that it should not initiate major light rail projects in the greater Houston area unless there was strong evidence that they would reduce air pollution or result in a major reduction in traffic congestion. This position was also supported by United States Congressman Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
.
In 2000, while separated from his wife Penny, Todd admitted to a relationship with the estranged wife of his fellow councilman Bert Keller. Todd had earlier strongly promoted "family values", strongly criticizing President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's affair with Monica Lewinsky
Monica Lewinsky
Monica Samille Lewinsky is an American woman with whom United States President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an "improper relationship" while she worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996...
, and taking extreme measures to shut down the store "Condoms Galore": When a vice-squad raid he requested failed to find any illegal activities at the store, Todd sent in city health inspectors, hoping to find the store selling edible panties without a food license.
In his capacity as chairman of the Regulatory Affairs Committee, Todd supported the passage of controversial "civility ordinances" that restrict behavior such as loitering, begging, and burrowing through trash, aimed at combating vagrancy.
Todd's electronic access card to City Hall was revoked in 1997 when he snuck into the Council chamber and wrapped the Mayor's chair with leftover "Free Kingwood" banners from an anti-annexation rally for that locality.
Career after politics
, was an attorney in private practice in Houston. He represented 27-year-old Ariana Venegas in a high-profile sexual harassment lawsuit against Harris County District Court judge Donald Jackson, in which Jackson was convicted of offering to dismiss Venegas's case in exchange for sex.He is the founder of the Molitoris Group, a real-estate development firm that finances and manages advanced telecommunication systems such as Distributed Antenna System
Distributed Antenna System
A Distributed Antenna System, or DAS, is a network of spatially separated antenna nodes connected to a common source via a transport medium that provides wireless service within a geographic area or structure...
s.
Todd is an adjunct professor of law at the South Texas College of Law
South Texas College of Law
South Texas College of Law is a private American Bar Association accredited law school and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools...
, where he teaches a class on the legislative process.
Todd's son Robert lost his hearing as an infant due to meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
. Todd brought a lawsuit against several movie distributors and producers under the Americans With Disabilities Act, with Robert—then in the ninth grade—as the primary plaintiff. The suit sought to force the companies to provide more films with captioning for the hearing-impaired.
Todd succeeded in efforts to provide closed captioning
Closed captioning
Closed captioning is the process of displaying text on a television, video screen or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information to individuals who wish to access it...
on Houston's government-information Government-access television (GATV) channel so that weekly televised city council meetings would be accessible to the hearing-impaired. He also succeeded in persuading the Hobby Center and the Houston Rodeo to add closed captioning to their performances.
, Todd serves as the Chairman of the Tower Permit Commission, which has jurisdiction over towers within a 572 square miles (1,481.5 km²) area of southeast Texas.