* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS SALLY [Special-Called Regulatory and Neighborhood Affairs Committee] ALCORN. I AM HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE POSITION FIVE AND CHAIR OF THE REGULATORY AND NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. WELCOME TO OUR APRIL MEETING. VERY IMPORTANT MEETING HERE TODAY, DEALING WITH NOISE AND SOUND REGULATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 5 1 1 2 7 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, APPLICABLE TO A GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENTAL BODY THAT EXTENDS INTO THREE OR MORE COUNTIES. ALL OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS. SO IN THE CHAMBER WE HAVE VICE CHAIR AMY PECK, AND THEN VIRTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVAN SHABAZZ, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS ROS, ALSO IN CHAMBER COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS. AND THEN WE HAVE STAFF FROM DISTRICT B, SASHA JACKSON, STAFF FROM DISTRICT C ABBY CAYMAN'S OFFICE STAFF RIGHT HERE IN CHAMBER FROM THE MAYOR PRO TEMS OFFICE, DISTRICT E. WE ARE ALSO JOINED BY VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX, TATUM AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON'S OFFICE, AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S OFFICE. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I WANNA GET RIGHT TO THE PRESENTATION AS WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS TODAY, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE ALL COMMENTS ARE ADDRESSED. BUT FIRST, I'D JUST LIKE TO TAKE A SECOND TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL WHO HAVE WORKED ON THE PROVO PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THIS NOISE OR ORDINANCE. THIS HAS NOT BEEN AN EASY TASK, AND THAT IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. NO UNDERSTATEMENT. WE ARE A CITY WITH NO ZONING. WE ARE ALSO A CITY THAT IS ENCOURAGING GREATER DENSITY. WE WANT TO PROTECT THE RIGHT OF EVERY HOUSTONIAN TO ENJOY THE PEACE AND COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOMES. WE ALSO WANT A ROBUST HOUSTON NIGHT NIGHTLIFE. THERE ARE MANY THINGS GOING ON HERE, WHICH SEEM TO BE AT CROSS PURPOSES. THAT IS WHY THE NOISE ISSUE IS NOT AN EASY ONE. I START BY THANKING MY COLLEAGUES, ESPECIALLY COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THEY HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF OUR EFFORTS HERE AND HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH ME TO ADDRESS THE SERIOUS CONCERNS OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE LEADERSHIP AND STAFF FROM ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, SPECIFICALLY CATHERINE BRUNING, RANDY ZAMORA, RASHAD GAMBRELL, AND OTHERS. ALSO, HPD HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US, AND MUNICIPAL COURTS HAS ALSO WEIGHED IN. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, HAS INCLUDED SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND CIVIC CLUB LEADERS AND MEMBERS, FAR TOO MANY TO NAME THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BEER AND GAR BEER GARDEN AND BAR ASSOCIATION, THE HOUSTON RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION, AND OTHERS. I AM GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK AND INPUT WE'VE RECEIVED. WHILE SOME STAKEHOLDERS MAY WANT THESE REVISIONS TO GO MUCH FARTHER, AND OTHERS WANT THEM TO NOT GO THIS FAR, I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE REVISIONS WE ARE PROPOSING WILL PUT US IN A BETTER PLACE THAN WE ARE TODAY, ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO DEALING WITH REPEAT VIOLATORS. WITH THAT, I'LL LET CATHERINE BRUNING WITH A RA AND RANDY ZAMORA WITH LEGAL BEGIN THE PRESENTATION. COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS TILL THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. YOU CONTROL THE PRESENTATION. OKAY. OKAY. UM, THIS IS A PRESENTATION, UH, FOR PROPOSED CHANGES TO CHAPTER 30, THE NOISE AND SOUND REG LEVEL REGULATIONS. NEXT SLIDE. THE CURRENT ORDINANCE TODAY, CHAPTER 30, UM, GOVERNS NOISE AND SOUND REGULATION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY DECIBEL MAXIMUMS. AND THIS IS WHAT'S IN THE ORDINANCE TO IS 65 DBAS DURING DAYTIME HOURS, 8:00 AM TO 10:00 PM AND 58 DBA DURING NIGHTTIME HOURS, 10:01 PM TO 7:59 AM AND THESE ARE TAKEN FROM THE RECEIVING PROPERTY. OH, OKAY. UM, NON-RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY DECIBEL MAXIMUMS IS 68 DBA AT ALL TIMES. ALSO, FROM THE RECEIVING PROPERTY, THE CITY ISSUES PERMITS FOR THE USE OF SOUND AMPLIFICATION EQUIPMENT, AMPLIFYING SOUND TO 75 DBAS DURING SPECIFIC PERIODS, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF PERMIT THAT'S OBTAINED. PERMITS ARE ISSUED BY A RA AND THE ENFORCEMENT IS PERFORMED BY HPD. UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOUND AMPLIFICATION PERMITS, AND THESE, ALL THESE PERMITS ALLOW SOUND TO BE AMPLIFIED TO 75 DBA FOR SPECIFIC DATES AND TIMES. THE FIRST PERMIT IS A DAILY PERMIT. IT'S VALID, IT'S VALID FOR THE SPECIFIC DAY IT'S BOUGHT FOR, AND THE TIME IS BETWEEN 8:00 AM AND 10:00 PM AND THE FEE IS $36 [00:05:01] AND 61 CENTS. THE EXTENDED DAILY PERMIT IS VALID FOR MULTIPLE DAYS, NOT TO EXCEED A FIVE DAY PERIOD. UM, THIS WAS PUT IN PLACE FOR FESTIVALS, UH, DIFFERENT DIFFERENT TYPES OF THREE AND FOUR DAY EVENTS THAT WERE OCCURRING. AND THE FEE IS $73 AND 23 CENTS WITH THE ADMIN FEE OF $30 AND 51 CENTS. THE ANNUAL PERMIT IS VALID THROUGH THE YEAR FOR THE 14 HOUR PERIOD BETWEEN 8:00 AM AND 10:00 PM SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. AND THE 15 HOUR PERIOD BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:00 AM AND 11:00 PM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, THE FEE IS, UM, $1,220 AND 72 CENTS, ALONG WITH THE ADMIN FEE OF $30 AND 51 CENTS. AND AS OF TODAY, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A FEW CHURCHES, NONPROFITS, AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS THAT DO HAVE, HAVE THESE PERMITS AND HAVE PAID THE FEE. NEXT, JUST A HISTORY OF OUR SOUND PERMITS ISSUED ANNUALLY. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO REALLY LOOK AT THE LAST TWO YEARS BECAUSE OF COVID AND THE THE STAY HOME WORK SAFE INITIATIVE. UM, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THEM COMING BACK THIS YEAR, BUT IN 2021, WE ISSUED 435 DAILY, EXTENDED DAILY, 41 ANNUAL 58 FOR YEAR TO DATE. THIS YEAR, WE ACTUALLY HAVE 58 ANNUAL PERMITS ISSUED IN 2020. THIS IS WHEN, UM, THE COVID COVID STARTED WITH THE STAY HOME WORKSAFE INITIATIVE. SO WE DID HAVE A GOOD PORTION OF THE FISCAL YEAR THAT WE WERE SELLING PERMITS. THIS IT SHUT DOWN IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH TIMEFRAME, AND YOU'LL SEE THEY'RE JUST A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, WHERE WE HAD A DAILY ISSUANCE OF 6 78, EXTENDED DAILY OF 63 IN ANNUAL OF 40 FOR 2019, WHICH WAS A FULL YEAR WITHOUT, WITHOUT THE PANDEMIC. WE ISSUED 1,132 DAILY PERMITS, 122 EXTENDED DAILY PERMITS, AND 47 ANNUAL PERMITS. THE REVISIONS WERE DEVELOPED WITH STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, AND IT, THE STAKEHOLDERS WERE COMPRISED OF RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL STAKEHOLDERS. WE DID MULTIPLE MEETINGS OVER, UM, FORMAL STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS. OVER THE TIME, OVER THE LAST MULTIPLE MONTHS, WE MET WITH BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS IN JUNE, JULY, AND SEPTEMBER. WE MET WITH THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION IN JULY AND SEPTEMBER. WE MET WITH, UH, RESIDENTS IN JUNE, OCTOBER, AND THREE TIMES IN NOVEMBER. WE ALSO HAVE HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS AND LOTS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE HAD LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS. ONE-OFF INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS VIA EMAIL AND PHONE CALLS AS WELL. SO NOW WE'RE GONNA GO INTO THE PROPOSED REVISIONS FOR THE, UM, SOUND AND SOUND AND NOISE ORDINANCE. THE FIRST NEW DEFINITION IS A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT, WHICH MEANS ANY BUSINESS ENTITY THAT OFFERS FOR SALE OR ALLOWS ITS PATRONS THE ABILITY TO CONSUME FOOD OR BEVERAGES OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF ON ITS PREMISES. A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MEANS ANY PERMANENT BUILDING OR STRUCTURE CONTAINING HABITABLE ROOMS FOR NON-TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY THAT DESIGNED AND USED PRIMARILY FOR LIVING, SLEEPING, COOKING, EATING, UM, INTENDED FOR OCCUPANCY AS A DWELLING UNIT FOR RESIDENTIAL PURPOSES, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE ATTACHED. AND IT INCLUDES HOMES, TOWN HOMES, PATIO HOMES, DUPLEXES, TRIPLEXES, QUADRAPLEXES, NURSING HOMES, BOARDING HOMES, CONDOMINIUM AND APARTMENTS. HOTELS AND MOTELS ARE NOT CONSIDERED RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. THE THIRD NEW DEFINITION IS OUTDOOR AREA. AND AN OUTDOOR AREA IS ANY PORTION OF A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT THAT IS NOT FULLY ENCLOSED BY PERMANENT SOLID WALLS AND A ROOF, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO PATIOS, TERRACES, COURTYARDS, VERANDAS PLAZAS, UM, AND OTHER SIMILAR PORTIONS OF A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT WHERE SOUND AMPLIFICATION EQUIPMENT WILL BE UTILIZED FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF ITS PATRONS. IT ALSO WILL INCLUDE FIXED, NON PORTABLE STRUCTURES, SUCH AS STAGES, DECKS, RISERS, AND LIGHTING SUPPORT STRUCTURES. THE FIRST PROPOSAL IS TO CREATE A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT. THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT WILL ALLOW THE ESTABLISHMENT TO PLAY AMPLIFIED SOUND TO 75 DBA DURING THESE VALID TIME PERIODS. THESE ARE THE EXACT SAME TIME PERIODS THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE WITH THE ANNUAL PERMIT. SO IT'S SUNDAY TO THURSDAY, 8:00 AM TO 10:00 PM [00:10:01] AND FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, 8:00 AM TO 11:00 PM. IT WILL ALSO ALLOW A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT WITHIN 300 FEET OF A SCHOOL TO, UM, PLAY AMPLIFIED SOUND OUTDOORS TO THE DECIBEL READING THAT ARE, THAT'S CITED IN 30 DASH FIVE, WHICH IS WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, THE 68 AND THE 58 IN THE EVENING FOR RESIDENTIAL. THEN THEY'RE VALID FROM THE TIME SUNDAY TO THURSDAY, 10:00 PM TO 2:00 AM AND FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 11:00 PM TO 2:00 AM. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PERSONAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT IS THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT MUST BE WITHIN 300 FEET OF RESIDENCE IF PLAYING OUTDOOR, AMPLIFIED SOUND OR SOUND, THAT CAN BE APPRECIATED OUTSIDE DURING, AFTER 10:00 PM DURING 10:00 PM TO 2:00 AM SUNDAY AND THURSDAY AND 11:00 PM TO 2:00 AM THUR, THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THE KEY IS THAT IT'S WITHIN 300 FEET OF A RESIDENCE. THE MEASUREMENT WILL BE DONE PROPERTY LINE TO PROPERTY LINE, UH, STRAIGHT. IT WON'T BE ACROSS BLOCK FACES OR ANY OF THAT TYPE OF MEASUREMENT. THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY OUTDOOR AMPLIFIED SOUND BETWEEN 2:00 AM AND 8:00 AM. IT'LL REQUIRE A PAYMENT OF A PERMIT FEE. WE ARE DEVELOPING THE FEE, AND IT'LL BE INFORMED BY OUR CURRENT FEES, BUT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON GETTING THE FEE AMOUNT SETTLED. SOME OF THE OTHER PROPOSED REVISIONS IS TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM FUND FROM A THOUSAND TO $2,000, REVISED THE REQUIREMENT THAT A PERMIT IS ISSUED TO AN ESTABLISHMENT RATHER THAN AN INDIVIDUAL. SOME HOUSEKEEPING, NON-SUBSTANTIVE HOUSEKEEPING THAT WE'RE IN HERE. SO WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO CLEAN UP A COUPLE OF LITTLE THINGS. UM, CODIFY REGULATIONS RELATED TO ISSUANCE OF A PERMIT FOR A PROTEST AT A RESIDENTIAL LOCATION, AND REVISE THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING PROCESS FOR SOUND PERMIT, SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION. AND THERE'LL BE MORE DETAILS ON SLIDES 12 TO 14 SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF SOUND PERMITS. A SOUND PERMIT CAN BE SUSPENDED OR REVOKED IF A PERMITEE FAILS TO COMPLY WITH ANY APPLICABLE PROVISIONS. OR CHAPTER 30, OR THE PERMITEE OR AGENT EMPLOYEE RECEIVES TWO OR MORE CONVICTIONS FOR VIOLATIONS OF CHAPTER 30 WITHIN A 36 MONTH PERIOD FOR VIOLATIONS OF ANY PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER. NOW, HERE'S THE DETAILS FOR THE, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING. THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING. ALL PARTIES HAVE THE RIGHT TO REPRESENTATION BY A LICENSED ATTORNEY, BUT AN ATTORNEY IS NOT REQUIRED. EACH PARTY MAY PRESENT WITNESSES ON ITS BEHALF. EACH PARTY HAS THE RIGHT TO CROSS-EXAMINE ALL WITNESSES AND REBUT EVIDENCE. REBUT EVIDENCE ONLY EVIDENCE PRESENTED DURING THE HEARING MAY BE CONSIDERED IN THE FINAL DECISION. WRITTEN COMPLAINTS RECEIVED FROM THE DIRECTOR FROM SURROUNDING PROPERTY OWNERS MAY BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE FINAL DECISION, BUT COMPLAINTS SHALL NOT BE THE SOLE BASIS FOR SUSPENSION REVOCATION OF A PERMIT NOT LATER THAN 10 DAYS BEFORE A SUSPENSION REVOCATION HEARING OF AN ANNUAL OR COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT. THEY PERMITTING MAY SUBMIT A SOUND IMPACT IMPACT PLAN ADDRESSING SPECIFIC CONCERNS OF NON-COMPLIANCE, PROVIDING AT A MINIMUM SITE DIAGRAM, INCLUDING LOCATION OF ANY OUTDOOR AREA WHERE AMPLIFIED SOUND IS EMITTED, AND LOCATION OF SOUND AMPLIFICATION EQUIPMENT TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION, A SOUND AMPLIFICATION EQUIPMENT USED IN THE OUTDOOR AREA. DESCRIPTION OF ANY SOUND BARRIER OR SOUND MITIGATION DEVICE PROPOSED TO BE INSTALLED IN OR AROUND THE OUTDOOR AREA. THE SOUND, THE REQUIREMENTS CONTINUE, UM, ON THE NEXT PAGE AS THE METHOD OF MODIFY OF MONITORING THE SOUND AMPLIFICATION EQUIPMENT, DETAILED PLAN AND TIME SCHEDULE TO PERFORM ALL NECESSARY WORK TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN. IF THE HEARING OFFICER DETERMINES THE PLAN MAY CURE NON-COMPLIANCE WITH CHAPTER 30, THE PERMITEE WILL HAVE 90 DAYS TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN. IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE PROPOSED REVISIONS WILL BE EFFECTIVE 120 DAYS AFTER CITY COUNCIL APPROVES THE ORDINANCE. DURING THAT 120 DAYS, WE WILL BE PROVIDING EDUCATION TO THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS TO GIVE THEM FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, HOW THEY NEED TO APPLY, JUST TO BRING IT ONLINE DURING THAT TIMEFRAME. UM, AND AVENUES TO FILE NOISE, SOUND [00:15:01] COMPLAINTS. THERE'S FOUR DIFFERENT AVENUES THROUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRST IS THROUGH THE NON-EMERGENCY LINE. THE SECOND IS ONLINE THROUGH, UM, WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV/POLICE/ALERT SLIP SLASH OR IN PERSON. YOU CAN ATTEND A COMMUNITY MEETING HOSTED BY YOUR LOCAL POLICE STATION AND OR YOU CAN MAIL YOUR COMPLAINT TO THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE. SO THAT'S A SUMMARY OF EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE. AND ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M NOT SEEING ANYBODY IN THE QUEUE YET, BUT, UH, JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE NOT EX EXTENDING HOURS FOR MUSIC, FOR MUSIC TO BE PLAYED FROM BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS THROUGH OUR REVISIONS. NO, CURRENTLY, EXCUSE ME. CURRENTLY, UM, AS LONG AS THEY'RE MEETING THE DECIBEL READINGS, THEY CAN PLAY AND THEY ACTUALLY CAN PLAY ANYTIME. THERE'S, THERE'S NO ZONE TIMEFRAME THAT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY. SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE COME IN AND WE'VE SAID, OKAY, DURING THIS 10 TO TWO OR 11 TO TWO, YOU CAN PLAY TO WHAT'S ALREADY IN THE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS ALREADY ALLOWED, BUT IT WILL ALSO TAKE AWAY THE ABILITY FOR THE AMPLIFIED SOUND TO BE PLAYED OUTSIDE, BUT BETWEEN 2:00 AM AND 8:00 AM THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU CHAIR, AND GOOD MORNING. AND, UM, I'LL, I'LL SAVE ALL MY THANK YOUS, UH, FOR THE VERY END AFTER RANDY'S PRESENTATION. UM, BUT MS. BRUNICK, THANK YOU AND A RA FOR EVERYTHING. UH, FOLLOWING UP ON, UH, CHAIR ALCORN'S QUESTION. MM-HMM . UM, I BELIEVE WE WE'RE ALSO, WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED IS, UM, ADDITIONAL LAYERS OF REGULATION, SO TO SPEAK, THAT ENFORCEMENT STYLE MECHANISM. UM, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE, WE HAVEN'T HAD THIS TYPE OF TOOL IN THE PAST. IS THAT CORRECT? TO ENFORCE, UM, THE, THE VERY FEW THAT ARE THESE REALLY BAD ACTOR, UM, YES MA'AM. INDIVID GROUPS. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. OKAY, GREAT. UH, QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. I ALSO WANNA WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON, WHO'S JOINED THE MEETING AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ASH'S OFFICE. NEXT WE'LL GO OH, AND CO AND STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S OFFICE. NEXT, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THIS, THIS REALLY WONDERFUL PRESENTATION. I'M REALLY PLEASED TO BE AT THIS POINT AND MAKING SOME, UM, SOME REAL PROGRESS. UM, I WANTED TO JUST, UM, POINT OUT THAT THE FOCUS HERE RIGHT NOW IS ON, ON, UM, ON NOISE AND SOUND FROM COMMERCIAL, UM, ESTABLISHMENTS. AND THAT, UM, I, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT BIGGER PROBLEMS THAN, THAN JUST THIS, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, THAT AS A DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, WE ALSO GET NOISE COMPLAINTS FROM RESIDENTIAL AREAS. AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT REALLY TACKLED IN THIS EXCEPT TO DEFINE WHAT A RESIDENCE IS. BUT, UM, AND I, AND I, I, I REALLY TRULY UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT, UM, TACKLING EVERYTHING AT ONCE WAS, WAS, WAS MAYBE TAKING ON MORE THAN WOULD BE, UM, REALLY, UH, PRACTICAL. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE, UM, THE COMMITTEE TO KEEP, UM, MOVING FORWARD AND, AND LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN ALSO TIGHTEN UP OTHER NOISE COMPLAINTS THAT, THAT, UM, THAT WE GET, YOU KNOW, FROM RESIDENTIAL, UM, UM, UM, FROM RESIDENTIAL SOURCES AS WELL. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT, PLEASE? THE, THE, THE, UM, FOCUS OF THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT WAS LOOKING AT THE NIGHTCLUBS AND THE CLUBS AND THE BARS, BECAUSE THAT WAS WHERE WE WERE SEEING THE LARGEST ISSUE I THE LONG TERM PLANS. UM, WE CAN, WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK AND LOOK AT THIS IN A PHASE TYPE PROCESS. IT'S JUST, IT'S HARD TO BITE OFF EVERYTHING AT ONE TIME. YES. I, I UNDERSTAND THAT. I JUST WANTED TO, TO HEAR THAT THERE WAS AN INTENTION TO KEEP GOING AND TO, TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ALSO TIGHTEN UP AND FIGURE OUT WAYS TO, TO BETTER REGULATE, UM, THE EXCESSIVE NOISE FROM, FROM, UM, HOMES. OKAY. RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. AND, AND YOU KNOW, AS WE DO HAVE DECIBEL MAXIMUMS FOR MM-HMM . RESIDENTIAL AREAS 65 DURING DAYTIME HOURS, EIGHT TO 10 AND 58 DURING NIGHTTIME HOURS. SO JUST INCUR, KEEP ENCOURAGING RESIDENCES TO CALL THOSE IN. IF THEY'RE GOING OVER, IF THEY SEEM TO BE OVER THAT, OR IF THE [00:20:01] BASE VIBRATION NOISE SEEMS TO BE, UM, REALLY AFFECTING PEOPLE'S QUALITY OF LIFE, WE CAN CALL THOSE IN. THAT'S STILL A VIOLATION FROM A RESIDENCE. AND, UM, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR POINT, AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO STRENGTHEN THAT IN THE FUTURE, WE CERTAINLY WILL. COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. THANK YOU CHAIR. AND TH THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, IN, IN, IN LINE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CITO, UH, I KNOW THAT PEARLAND JUST PASSED, UH, AN ORDINANCE IN REGARDS TO AIRBNB PARTY HOUSES. UH, WHERE WOULD THIS FALL IN LINE? WOULD THIS BE CONSIDERED A RESIDENCE OR WOULD IT BE CONSIDERED COMMERCIAL? UH, IF SOMEONE IS RENTING A HOUSE FOR A PARTY, AN AIRBNB PARTY HOUSE. SO IN OTHER WORDS, LET'S SAY IF IT'S AN AIRBNB PARTY HOUSE AND, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE OUTSIDE, THEY'RE PLAYING MUSIC AFTER 2:00 AM WILL THIS FALL IN LINE WITH, WITH THIS ORDINANCE? SO UNDER THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, NO, THAT WOULD NOT BE A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT, UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SELLING FOOD AND DRINK ON THE PREMISES FOR CONSUMPTION. UM, THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE, CANDIDLY, COUNCIL MEMBER TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION AT THE TIME, NOT BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION. UM, WE WERE REALLY LOOKING AT, UH, PROBLEM AREAS, UH, THAT WERE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION. AND THEY WERE ALMOST, ALMOST UNIVERSALLY RESTAURANTS AND BARS, UH, WHICH ARE A LITTLE MORE TRADITIONAL. UH, THE AIRBNB IS SOMETHING WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE. IT'S, UH, JUST NOT SOMETHING WE HAD THOUGHT OF CANDIDLY. YEAH. WELL, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE LOOK AT THAT. I MEAN, I KNOW THAT, UH, WE DO HEAR FROM RESIDENTS THAT, UH, SOMEONE IS RENTING AN AIRBNB PARTY HOUSE. UH, PEOPLE ARE OUTSIDE. THEY'RE, THEY'RE PLAYING MUSIC REALLY LOUD. I MEAN, I WOULD THINK THIS WOULD FALL UNDER THE COMMERCIAL. UH, SO IF WE CAN LOOK IN THAT, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. I HAVE ANOTHER JUST CLARIFICATION THAT I THINK YOU HAD IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT WOULD LIKE YOU TO SAY AGAIN, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WHEN, AND, AND THIS IS BEING CLEANED UP IN, IN THE NEW OR IN THE NEW REVISIONS, IT'S WHERE THE MED, THE DECIBEL READING APPLIES TO WHERE THE MEASUREMENT IS RECEIVED. SO IF YOU ARE A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT, BUT YOUR, YOUR COMPLAINT IS FROM A RESIDENCE, YOU ARE GOVERNED BY THE RESIDENTIAL DECIBELS. THAT IS CORRECT. THANK YOU. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION FOR HPD AND EVERYONE ELSE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS OUT THERE. SO YOU HAVE YOUR COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT. YOU CAN PLAY MUSIC ON A WEEKEND TILL 11 O'CLOCK, UP TO 75 DECIBELS AFTER 11 O'CLOCK. A RESIDENT CALLS ABOUT YOUR ESTABLISHMENT. AN OFFICER GOES TO TAKE THAT MEASUREMENT, THAT MEASUREMENT MUST NOW BE AT 58 DECIBELS DOWN FROM 75 AFTER 11 O'CLOCK. WANT THAT TO BE VERY CLEAR. YES, THAT IS CORRECT. YES. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU CHAIR. AND, UM, CHAIR, THIS QUESTION ACTUALLY IS TO YOU, GIVEN YOUR, UH, THERE'S NO, LIKE, NO, YOUR EXTRAORDINARY AND IMMENSE, UH, IN-DEPTH AMOUNT OF WORK ON THIS. UM, I KNOW YOU TALKED AT THE BEGINNING ABOUT THANKING SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS. UM, DO YOU MIND FOR THOSE LISTENING, UM, GOING THROUGH REALLY QUICKLY, SOME OF THE, UM, COLLABORATIVE PROCESS THAT THE DEPARTMENTS FOLLOWED, UM, IN DOING ALL OF THIS? 'CAUSE AGAIN, IT'S SO IN DEPTH. I WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, IT'S CLEAR HOW MUCH THOUGHT WAS REALLY PUT INTO ALL OF THIS, AND WHAT A HEAVY LIFT IT WAS. EXCUSE ME. SURE. THANK YOU. AND, AND A LITTLE BIT AT THE BEGINNING, I DID SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT INTERESTS HERE. UM, WE OF COURSE ARE, ARE WE THE CITY? THE PEOPLE ARE THE CITY. IT SAYS ON THE WALL HERE. SO FIRST OF COURSE, THIS CAME TO US FROM THE RESIDENTS. UM, WE HAD QUITE A BIT OF, UH, COMPLAINTS AND, AND DISCUSSION AROUND WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN VARIOUS AREAS OF TOWN. SO WE REALLY WERE SENSITIVE TO THAT. AND THEN WE WENT TO THE DEPARTMENT'S, A RA AND LEGAL. THEY DO WHAT THEY ALWAYS DO. THIS IS A BIG CITY, AND YOU HAVE TO INCLUDE ALL STAKEHOLDERS. SO RESTAURANTS AND BARS, AND WE WANT A ROBUST NIGHTCLUB NIGHT SCENE IN HOUSTON. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR ECONOMY. SO THEY'RE IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDERS IN, IN THIS, IN THIS VENTURE. SO IT'S A REAL, LIKE I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT CROSS PURPOSES, BUT YOU DO THE BEST YOU CAN AND TRY TO GET, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THROUGH THAT YOU THINK WILL REALLY IMPROVE MATTERS, ESPECIALLY IN MY OPINION, WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING. IT TAKES SO LONG TO GET THESE CITATIONS THROUGH THE COURTS. AND WE NEEDED AN OPTION WITHIN OUR ORDINANCE TO BRING SOME PEOPLE TO THE TABLE TO PRESENT A SOUND IMPACT PLAN. THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOU CAN STILL PLAY MUSIC, BUT WE WANNA KNOW WHO'S PLAYING MUSIC AFTER, AFTER 10 AND 11. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A, A PLAN IN PLACE [00:25:01] TO MAKE SURE THAT MUSIC IS WITHIN THE ACCEPTABLE DECIBEL LEVELS. SO THIS IS, THIS IS A BIG, HUGE JOINT EFFORT AND REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT EVERYBODY PUT INTO IT. NOBODY'S GONNA BE COMPLETELY HAPPY. AND SOMETIMES THOSE ARE THE BEST ORDINANCES WHEN NOBODY'S COMPLETELY HAPPY. SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL I'M SEEING FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE WANNA GET RIGHT TO THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS. THESE ARE THE SPEAKERS WE HAVE IN THE ORDER. THEY SIGNED UP BY FIVE O'CLOCK YESTERDAY. IF THERE IS SOMEONE HERE, UH, THAT WANTS TO SPEAK, UH, FEEL FREE TO SIGN UP. I, I BELIEVE IN A ROB, UH, IN A GREAT, YEAH, HANNAH IS RIGHT HERE IN THE GREEN, IN THE FRONT. HANNAH COBB. UM, PLEASE SIGN UP WITH HER. I, I, I DON'T WANNA LIMIT DISCUSSION. EVERYBODY WILL GET THREE MINUTES. I'M GONNA KEEP TRACK OF, OF THE QUESTIONS. I, I'D LIKE TO GO THROUGH THE, THE SPEAKERS AND THEN I WILL, UM, RANDY AND RASHAD AND, AND CATHERINE WILL FOR, WILL BE HERE. AND THEN I'LL KIND OF SUM UP SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AT THE END. BUT I'D LIKE TO GET THROUGH EVERYBODY'S STATEMENTS FIRST, AND THEN I'LL ASK SOME OF THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT COME OUT OF THAT. UM, AS WE GO, WE'LL TAKE SOME GOOD NOTES. OH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. ONE MORE THING. THANK YOU, CHAIR. AND I'M SORRY, UH, I JUST HAD ONE FOLLOW UP AFTER YOUR EXPLANATION, WHICH WAS, UM, TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE AGAIN, EVERYONE THAT WAS INVOLVED, RIGHT? KATHERINE, RANDY, YOUR DEPARTMENTS, UM, THE MUNICIPAL COURTS, AND A LOT OF WHO WERE ABOUT TO HEAR FROM THE RESIDENTS, INCLUDING IN DISTRICT C, UM, WHO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS. SO I'M LIKE YOU CHAIR, GOING TO BE, UM, LISTENING AND TAKING NOTES DURING THIS TIME. I'M NOT GONNA NECESSARILY SPEAK, UH, TO EVERY SPEAKER THAT'S A DISTRICT C RESIDENT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT, UH, WE'RE LISTENING AND, UH, PAYING ATTENTION. GREAT. THANK YOU. FIRST SPEAKER, I'M SORRY, BEN MIA. STAR SIX TO UNMUTE BEN MIA. WE SEE THAT YOU'RE ON SIX STAR SIX TO UNMUTE IF YOU HAVE JORDAN'S EMAIL, IF YOU'RE CALLING IN VIRTUALLY AND YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO GET ON, PLEASE EMAIL JORDAN AND WE'LL, WE'LL DO A WORKAROUND OR I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD. OKAY. 2 8 1 8 7 1 0 8 5 0. AND WE'LL TRY TO GET YOU ON. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT WE HEAR FROM EVERYBODY, SO I APOLOGIZE IF YOU'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS EMILY PATTERSON, WHO THANKFULLY IS RIGHT HERE IN THE CHAMBER, SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR HER. EXCUSE ME. GOOD MORNING. AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING THIS MEETING. AND FIRST OF ALL, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, CAYMAN AND SHABAZZ. WE REALLY APPRECIATE HOW MUCH WORK HAS GONE INTO THIS AND UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT'S TAKEN SOME TIME. UM, AS YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE, IT'S NOT QUITE ENOUGH, BUT WE DEFINITELY BELIEVE IT'S A GOOD STEP. AND I WANT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. SO I SUPPORT THE AMENDMENTS, BUT I DO HAVE TWO COMMENTS AND A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. THEY'RE A BIT SPECIFIC. I'M HAPPY TO PUT THEM IN WRITING AS WELL SINCE, UH, SO FIRST OF ALL, AS FAR AS, UM, I HAVE, MY TWO COMMENTS ARE ONE, ABOUT TWO AMENDMENTS TO THE PROPOSAL. THEY'RE KIND OF MINOR. ONE IS TO ADD TO SECTIONS 38 A, 38 B, 28 A FOUR B, TO ALSO MAKE IT UNLAWFUL TO PERMIT THE USE OF SOUND AMPLIFICATION EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH SOME OTHER PROVISIONS OF THE CURRENT ORDINANCE. UM, ADDITIONALLY I WOULD ADD A DEFINITION OF COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT TO THE DEFINITION SECTION 'CAUSE THE OTHER PERMITS ARE INCLUDED IN THE DEFINITION SECTION. SO MY QUESTIONS, UM, ONE, ARE HOW CAN THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS BE INITIATED? I'M GOING TO GUESS THAT RESIDENTS THEMSELVES AREN'T NECESSARILY IN A POSITION TO INITIATE THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS. BUT SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. SECONDLY, WILL RESIDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS? UM, AND I WANNA, WANNA ASK A QUESTION TO CLARIFY WHAT I SEE IN THE DRAFT AND WHAT WAS PRESENTED IN, UH, MS. BRUIN'S PROPOSAL REGARDING WRITTEN COMPLAINTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT, A DECISION IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS CAN'T BE BASED EXCLUSIVELY ON WRITTEN COMPLAINTS, BUT I AM WONDERING IF ORAL TESTIMONY AT WHICH THE [00:30:01] PERMITEE HAS THE RIGHT TO SORT OF CROSS EXAMINE THE PERSON IF THAT TESTIMONY WOULD BE SUFFICIENT. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S ULTIMATELY THE DECISION OF THE HEARING OFFICER, BUT AT LEAST THEORETICALLY. UM, THE NEXT QUESTION IS, WHEN WILL CURRENT PERMITEES HAVE TO APPLY FOR THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT? SO DOES THIS MEAN THAT THEY WAIT FOR THEIR CURRENT ANNUAL PERMITS TO EXPIRE BEFORE APPLYING FOR THE NEW ONE? OR WOULD THEY ALL BE REQUIRED TO APPLY FOR NEW COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMITS? UM, AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS THAT I THINK THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS ADDRESSES, AND I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY THE BURDEN ON A RA, UM, IS HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS WILL TAKE PLACE IN A REASONABLY FAST TIMEFRAME? 'CAUSE THIS, AS WE ALL KNOW, HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS. 36 MONTHS IS THREE YEARS WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO GET TWO DEFERRED ADJUDICATIONS. IT'S UNCONSCIONABLE, UNCONSCIONABLE. UH, ADDITIONALLY, REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS, CAN EVIDENCE ABOUT THE PERMITEE DATING BEFORE THEY HAVE THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT, BUT WHILE THEY HAVE THE ANNUAL PERMIT, CAN THAT BE ADMITTED OR CONSIDERED BY THE HEARING OFFICER IN A CASE FOR REVOCATION OF A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT PERMIT? UM, FINALLY, TWO MORE. WILL RESIDENTS BE ABLE TO COMMENT ON SOUND MITIGATION PLANS? UH, NO, THAT'S THE LAST ONE. I'LL LEAVE IT THERE. SO WILL RESIDENTS BE ABLE TO COMMENT ON SOUND MITIGATION PLANS? AND AGAIN, I SUPPORT THE AMENDMENTS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS. EFFORTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, HOLD ON JUST A MOMENT. I THINK IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO TAKE SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS AS THEY COME. OKAY. AND SO YOU DID SUBMIT THESE IN WRITING? I DID. AND, UM, TO THE EXTENT YOU CAN COMMENT MR. ZAMORA ON, OR, OR CATHERINE BRUNICK ON BASICALLY, HOW CAN THE ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING PROCESS BE INITIATED? SURE. THAT'S I THINK, AN IMPORTANT POINT. WELL, YEAH. SO WE HAD PLANNED CANDIDLY ON RESPONDING IN WRITING AND, AND I STILL PLAN TO DO SO. SO YOU, WE CAN GET A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH THAN WE WOULD HERE. BUT I THINK AS WITH MOST OF OUR PRO UH, HEARINGS HELD UNDER A RA, IT'S COMPLAINT DRIVEN. AND SO IT'S NORMALLY WE GET A COMPLAINT CANDIDLY, EITHER FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE CITIZENS HAVE COMPLAINED TO THEM ABOUT SOMETHING HAPPENING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. OR HPD HAS COME TO US AND SAID, THIS IS A CONTINUAL PROBLEM FOR US. UM, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE CODIFIED IN THE ORDINANCE. AND PERHAPS SOMETHING TO DISCUSS WITH A RA IS A WAY FOR CITIZENS TO ADDRESS IT DIRECTLY WITH THEM. THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN WORK ON. BUT, BUT THE INITIAL PROCESS IS ALWAYS COMPLAINT DRIVEN. I JUST WANNA BE VERY CLEAR. WE LIKELY A RA WILL NOT KNOW ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS UNLESS IT'S BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION. SO WE LOOK TO CITIZENS AND OFFICERS TO BRING THAT TO THEIR ATTENTION. WE COULD PROBABLY, AND I'M SPEAKING FOR A RA AND I DON'T MEAN TO SPEAK FOR A RA, BUT WE COULD PROBABLY COME UP WITH SOME WAY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. AND THEN ON HER QUESTION ON THE, IF YOU HAVE AN ANNUAL PERMIT, UH, E EVERYONE WILL BE REQUIRED TO GET THE COMMERCIAL PERMIT WITHIN FOUR MONTHS. IS THAT COR I MEAN, AFTER THE FOUR MONTHS WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON, YEAH, SO WE'RE WORK. WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT ONE YET. OKAY. BECAUSE THAT IS A, I CAN'T, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. SO WE'LL GET THESE AND, AND WE'LL CERTAINLY POST THESE AN 'CAUSE. I THINK THESE ARE ALL REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS. I, WE'LL POST THESE ANSWERS TO OUR REGULATORY NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS, UH, WEBSITE. SO EVERYBODY WILL HAVE THE ANSWERS. 'CAUSE YOU BROUGHT, BRING UP SOME GREAT POINTS. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS. OKAY. BEN, MIA, HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO GET ON? HE LOGGED OFF. OKAY, WHERE DO I GO? PANKAJ, WAWA, I'M SURE I BUTCHERED THAT. SORRY. RIGHT IN TODAY, WHAT I HAVE, UH, COMMENT, UH, ON SECTION SECTION 30 DASH 16, UNDER DEFENSES, IT CLEARLY STATES THE SOUND WAS PRODUCED BY AN AIRCRAFT AND FLIGHT IN OPERATION AT AN AIRPORT OR RAILROAD EQUIPMENT IN OPERATION IN RAILROAD RIGHTS OF WAY. SO, UM, RAILROAD SHOULD NOT BE EXEMPT FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON NOISE ORDINANCE. OUR FAMILY LIVES NEAR THE BNSF RAILROAD RAIL LINE ALONG 30 34TH STREET. IT'S CURRENTLY NOT A QUIET ZONE, UH, FOR TRAIN HORNS. SO EVERY TIME I'VE, UH, I WAS IN A PREVIOUS MEETING WHEN YOU HAD A RAIL DISCUSSION, I THINK A MONTH OR TWO AGO. AND, UM, WE DISCUSSED THIS ON THE, UH, SAFETY MEASURES THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED FOR SUPPLEMENTAL SAFETY MEASURE MEASURES. SO, CURRENTLY, UH, TRAINS HAVE TO, UH, SOUND A HORN TOO LONG, ONE SHORT, AND, UH, ANOTHER LONGHORN. AND THOSE ARE TYPICALLY 96 TO 110 DECIBELS. UH, WHEREAS RESIDENTS, UH, YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT THEY'RE LIMITED TO 58 DECIBELS, I QUICKLY DID A CHECK. THE DIFFERENCE IN THAT, UH, SOUND LEVEL BETWEEN 58 DECIBELS AT NIGHT AND THE 110 AT THE, AT THE HIGH POINT THAT THE TRAINS HAVE TO SOUND THEIR HORN, IT'S ABOUT 400 TIMES LOUDER AT NIGHT. SO, UH, THESE HORNS CAN LAST FOR A LENGTHY [00:35:01] AMOUNT OF TIME. THEY TAKE AWAY FROM THE QUIET NATURE OF LIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. UH, GIVEN THAT SEVERAL OTHER HOUSTON, UH, AREAS HAVE QUIET ZONES, NAMELY ALONG THE WASHINGTON CORRIDOR, BEL AIR, WEST U, THEY ALL HAVE THESE QUIET ZONES THAT HAVE BEEN ALREADY IN PLACE. SO THE CITY WOULD BENEFIT BY MANDATING THIS ACROSS THE WHOLE CITY AND NOT JUST HAVING, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THOSE HIGHER UPSCALE NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE THAT BENEFIT OF LIVING IN A QUIET ZONE. SO IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO HAVE RESIDENTS, UH, THAT LIVE ALONG 34TH STREET. THERE'S APARTMENTS THERE THAT PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT THEY CAN ADVOCATE FOR THIS TYPE OF BENEFIT BY HAVING A QUIET ZONE. SO I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF SOME OF THOSE MEMBERS THAT LIVE IN APARTMENTS DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THOSE RAIL LINES AS WELL AS THE OAK FOREST AND GARDEN OAKS COMMUNITY. UM, SO INSTEAD OF HAVING THAT ROUTE LOUD RAIL HORN, UM, I KNOW THIS MEETING'S NOT SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT SHOULD LOOK INTO CONSIDERING INSTALLING SUPPLEMENTAL SAFETY MEASURES. UM, SO COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD IN MUCH DENSER URBAN ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS EUROPE, ASIA, JAPAN, ALL OPERATE RAILROADS IN A QUIETER MANNER MANNER WITHOUT SUCH OBNOXIOUSLY LOUD TRAIN HORNS. HOUSTON CAN DO THE SAME. I'VE SPOKE TO BNSF ABOUT THIS AND THEY SAID THEY DON'T HAVE FUNDING FOR THESE TYPES OF INITIATIVES. AND I FIND THAT, UH, CONTRARY TO WHAT THEY HAD STATED, NAMELY, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR EARNINGS, UM, OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS DURING THE PANDEMIC, THEY'VE HAD RECORD PROFITS IN THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. UH, SPECIFICALLY UNION PACIFIC, I THINK IT WAS OVER $6 BILLION. UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COST IS FOR THESE SUPPLEMENTAL SAFETY MEASURES, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO SOUND THOSE REALLY LOUD HORNS, BUT IT WOULD, I BELIEVE SOMEONE HAD MENTIONED 60 TO A HUNDRED. I HAVE ONE MORE PARAGRAPH. THEY HAVE ABOUT 60 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND. SO IT'S SMALL COST TO IMPLEMENT OVER PROBABLY THE DOZENS OF INTERSECTIONS INTO HOUSTON, UH, COMMUNITY. SO INSTEAD OF USING THOSE PROFITS BACK TO THEIR SHAREHOLDERS AND THOSE DIVIDENDS BACK TO THEIR SHAREHOLDERS, THEY SHOULD INJECT THOSE BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, FOR HOUSTON AS A WHOLE. UH, SO JUST AS NOR ORDINANCE OR IN PLACE AROUND THE CITY FOR, UM, AIRPORTS, THEY SHOULD ALSO BE IN PLACE FOR THE RIGHT OF WAYS OF THE RAILROAD. UM, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. WE DO HAVE A QUESTION FROM COUNCILMAN OR COMMENT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GALLAS. I'D LIKE TO SAY ONE THING. PAUL SIMON SAYING, EVERYBODY LOVES THE SOUND OF TRAINS IN THE DISTANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHAIR. AND, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. REGARDING THE RAILROADS. I KNOW THAT THE, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING WAS A JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING BETWEEN THE, UH, R-N-A-T-T-I AND QUALITY OF LIFE BACK IN JANUARY. OKAY. UH, THE ONLY RAILROAD THAT SHOWED UP, UH, WAS UNION PACIFIC. MM-HMM . UH, AND IT WAS A THREE HOUR JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING IN REGARDS TO ISSUES WE ARE HAVING WITH THE TRAINS, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITIES. UH, JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, WE ARE HAVING A FOLLOW-UP MEETING ON MAY THE 12TH AT 10:00 AM PLEASE SIGN UP. UH, BNBN UH, UH, SF HAS, UH, ASSURED US, UH, THAT THEY WILL BE AT THE FOLLOW-UP MEETING. INITIALLY, THEY WERE GONNA BE AT THE JANUARY MEETING AT THE LAST MINUTE. THEY SAID THEY HAD A CONFLICT, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND. UH, BUT THEY HAVE ASSURED US THEY WILL BE AT THE MAY 12TH MEETING. UH, WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION TO ALSO ATTEND THE MAY 12TH MEETING. THEY HAD TOLD US INITIALLY THEY WOULD BE THERE. NOW, LAST WEEK THEY TOLD US THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE THERE. UH, I'VE, UH, REACHED OUT TO CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA AND CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE TO HOPEFULLY PUT, UH, PRESSURE ON THE, UH, UH, THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION TO HAVE REPRESENTATION AT THE MAY 12TH MEETING. SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE, UH, YEAH. SPREAD THE WORD AND SIGN UP AND SPEAK AND BRING THIS TO BNS F'S ATTENTION WOULD BE GREAT. CAN, CAN SECTION 30 POINT 30 DASH 16 B LOOKED INTO MODIFICATION SO IT IS NOT A, A DEFENSE AND PUT INTO ACTUAL ORDINANCE, MAYBE PERHAPS LIMIT THE SOUND OF THE TRAIN HORNS. I KNOW THEY'RE MANDATED BY THE FEDERAL RAILROAD AUTHORITY, WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF ANYONE'S JURISDICTION HERE. BUT LIMITING DOWN, UH, BRINGING IT DOWN 20 DECIBELS OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, 10 DECIBELS WOULD MAKE A BIG REDUCTION WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DECIBEL SCALE AND HOW IT EXPONENTIALLY GETS LOUDER AND MORE DETRIMENTAL TO HUMAN HEARING. THE, SOMETHING TO CONSIDER BEFORE THIS ORDINANCE PASSES, IF YOU GUYS CAN BRING THAT BACK FOR DISCUSSION. THANK, I DO THINK THAT, THAT, THAT FEDERAL RULES, UH, KIND OF OVERRIDE WHAT WE COULD DO IN THIS ORDINANCE. BUT I'LL, I'LL DOUBLE CHECK WITH, WITH LEGAL, WITH IMPLEMENTATION YEAH. ON THAT. BUT WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL SAFETY MEASURES, IF THOSE ARE IN PLACE, BASICALLY THE SUPPLEMENTAL SAFETY MEASURES ARE JUST ADDING MORE OF THE CROSSINGS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRACKS, [00:40:01] AS WELL AS INCREASING THE NUMBER OF BELLS THAT SOUND THERE. SO THAT WOULD PROVIDE A SAFER INTERSECTION INSTEAD OF A LOUD HORN, WHICH REVERBERATES THROUGHOUT COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR VERY THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS. AND AGAIN, ALSO, EXCUSE ME, I LIKE TO JUST MENTION YESTERDAY, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON AND I MET WITH THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS IN REGARDS TO THE FOLLOW UP MEETING WE'RE HAVING ON MAY THE 12TH. UH, I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE GET WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, AND, AND, AND WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS, UH, TO TRY TO SECURE SOME OF THAT MONEY FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL TO HOPEFULLY HELP, UH, WITH QUIET ZONES. 'CAUSE UH, THEY, THEY ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. UH, AND THAT'S WHY THE RAILROADS, YEAH, THAT'S WHY THE RAILROADS DON'T WANNA DO IT 'CAUSE THEY ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. UH, BUT WITH THE INFRAS, WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOME MONIES TO ADDRESS THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE. HE'S OUR RAILROAD EXPERT. WE'LL GO BACK TO BEN MIA. WE SEE HIM ONLINE. MR. MIA, BEN STAR SIX. OH, HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY, THANK YOU. WHY, YOU KNOW, I'M KIND OF A ELECTRONICS EXPERT HERE AND I WAS HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING THROUGH TO YOU GUYS, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ADD MY 2 CENTS. I I'VE REVIEWED THE, UM, THE, THE, THE PRESENTATION. I'VE HEARD YOUR COMICS, AND I'M ALREADY, I ALREADY SEE AND HEAR A LOT OF ISSUES THAT DON'T SEEM TO JIVE CORRECTLY. UH, IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S HALF-ASSED. UM, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LANGUAGE, BUT I'M A FORMER MILITARY NUCLEAR SUBMARINE RADIOMAN. SO I DO HAVE SOME EXPERTISE AND COMMUNICATIONS AND RADIO WAVES AND WHAT, WHAT HAVE YOU. SO, UM, A AFTER MY VERBAL COMMENTS, I'M GONNA SEND EVERYBODY, UH, DETAILED WRITTEN COMMENTS TO FURTHER EXPLAIN MY CONCERNS. BUT I THINK WE'RE MISSING SOMETHING HERE THAT THE, THESE SILENCE ARE BEING PRODUCED BY THE COMMERCIAL, UM, COMPANIES, UM, ARE ALSO BEING CREATED BY PRIVATE CITIZENS. THESE PARTY SPEAKERS THAT ARE BEING SOLD TODAY, THEY ARE JUST AS POWERFUL AS THOSE USED IN THE BAR. I MEAN, YOU CAN BUY A 4,000 WATTS PARTY SPEAKER FROM WALMART FOR 400 BUCKS. SO WE HAVE TO, UM, I THINK WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK A SECOND LOOK AT THIS ORDINANCE AND THE PROPOSALS AND, UM, INCLUDE MORE, UM, LET'S CALL FREEMAN TO EXPLAIN. KIND OF NERVOUS HERE RIGHT NOW. BUT, UH, I'M GONNA SEND EVERYONE MY WRITTEN COMMENTS, UM, . SO, UH, I APOLOGIZE FOR MY NERVOUSNESS, BUT I, I, I HOPE I'M, I'M MAKING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE SHALL ALSO APPLY TO RESIDENTS BECAUSE THEY TOO HAVE ACCESS TO COMMERCIAL GRADE PARTY, AMPLIFIED PARTY SPEAKERS. AND, AND WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T JUST MAKE A SET OF LAWS FOR COMMERCIALS AND NOT FOR THE RESIDENTS. UM, I CONCLUDE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MR. MOONIA. AND I, I WILL SAY THAT THE, THE, THE ORDINANCE ALREADY REQUIRES RESIDENTS TO FOLLOW THE SAME DECIBEL LEVEL REQUIREMENTS. THE, THE DECIBEL LEVEL REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE LISTED IN THE ORDINANCE, THEY HAVE TO GO 65 DURING THE DAY, 58 AT, IN THE EVENING. AND IF THEY WANNA GO TO 75 UNTIL 10 ON THE WEEKDAYS, OR 11 ON THE WEEKNIGHTS, THEY HAVE TO GET A PERMIT. AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET AN ANNUAL PERMIT 'CAUSE THEY DON'T DO IT EVERY DAY, HOPEFULLY. BUT THEY NEED TO GET A DAILY PERMIT IF THEY'RE HAVING A BIG PARTY OR IF THEY'RE EXTENDED DAILY PAR PERMIT IF THEY'RE HAVING A THREE DAY PARTY. SO THERE'S ALREADY LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE THAT ADDRESSES RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU HAVE A NEIGHBOR OR SOMEBODY YOU KNOW THAT IS DEFINITELY VIOLATING THIS, PLEASE REPORT IT AND WE WILL GET, WE WILL GET THAT ADDRESSED. BUT, BUT I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT THIS ORDINANCE IGNORES RESIDENT NOISE COMING FROM RESIDENCES, BECAUSE THAT IS ALREADY TACKLED IN HERE. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT. NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM FREDDY WARNER, WHO IS IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BRACO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND TO YOUR, UH, YOUR COLLEAGUES WHO ARE HERE IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY, WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU PUT INTO THE, UM, THE WORKER REVISING THIS ORDINANCE. ALSO, WANNA THANK THE CITY STAFF FOR EVERYTHING. [00:45:01] UM, I THINK THAT IT WAS SIGNIFICANT TO HAVE Y'ALL LEAD A GROUP OF US DOWN THE WASHINGTON CORRIDOR RECENTLY. AND I CALL OUT JOSH SANDERS AND SOME OF HIS MEMBERS WHO WERE HERE IN THE CHAMBER TODAY, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY STAFF WHO ACCOMPANIED US, BECAUSE I THINK IT REALLY WAS OBVIOUS TO ALL OF US, AND, AND CLEARLY WAS MADE MORE OBVIOUS TO Y'ALL, THAT WE'VE GOT SOME FOLKS WHO ARE VERY RESPONSIBLE IN THE WAY THAT THEY ARE MANAGING THEIR BUSINESS AS A BAR, AS A CLUB, AS A RESTAURANT OWNER. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO WERE CLEARLY NOT. THEY ARE IRRESPONSIBLE, THEY'RE INCONSIDERATE. AND I THINK IT WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS TO ALL OF US THAT EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL, THE FOLKS WITHIN LAW ENFORCEMENT SEEM TO KNOW WHERE THESE FACILITIES ARE LOCATED. UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME INCREMENTAL CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE. WE NEVER GET EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT IN ANY NEGOTIATION, UM, TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS PROCESS. THE LAST GO ROUND. WE MADE INCREMENTAL CHANGES. WE ARE VERY PLEASED THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS PROCESS FOR US. I THINK THAT NEIGHBORS HAVE FELT AS IF WE WERE VERY LIMITED IN OUR REMEDIES AND THE REMEDIES THAT WERE AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, FOR A, A, A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC TO TRY TO TAKE ON A BUSINESS AND TO GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE TRADITIONAL COURT PROCESS, TO HAVE NEIGHBORS DESIRING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR COMPLAINTS HEARD, WORKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WORKING WITH THE CITY STAFFS. IT'S REALLY CHALLENGING. AND I THINK THIS IS GONNA GIVE US SOME TOOLS IN OUR TOOLKIT THAT WERE NOT PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE TO US, RELATIVE TO THE, RELATIVE TO THE NEW PERMIT. UH, IF THERE'S ANY DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, I THINK WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE OPPORTUNITY IN FUTURE ITERATIONS FOR THERE TO BE, UM, A BETTER WAY OF ADDRESSING, YOU KNOW, THE AMBIENT NOISE, THE BASE, THE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT CAPTURED. IT'S JUST NOT, IT, IT DOES NOT APPEAR FROM CONVERSATIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO WE WERE WALKING WITH THAT EVENING. THERE'S, THERE'S SOME ABSENCES OF BEING ABLE TO CAPTURE SOME OF THE IMPACT OF THE NOISE THAT COMES OUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY MEASURED IN A DECIBEL READING. UM, AS I SAID FROM THE OUTSET, WE'RE, WE CERTAINLY DON'T EXPECT THAT WE'RE GONNA GET EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT IN EVERY ORDINANCE. WE ARE SO APPRECIATIVE THAT Y'ALL HAVE GIVEN US THE TIME. I THINK ABOUT YOU AND YOUR STAFF MEMBERS, UM, YOU KNOW, MY COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN AND LANCE JORDAN, I THINK OF ALL OF THE TIME THAT Y'ALL HAVE PUT INTO NOT ONLY ENGAGING YOUR STAKEHOLDERS, ENGAGING CITY STAFFS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IN TRYING TO MAKE THIS A BETTER ORDINANCE. WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE. WE DO BELIEVE THAT THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT GOING FORWARD. WE DO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. BUT THANK YOU FOR WHAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE TO THIS POINT. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, TRYING TO UNMUTE. THERE WE GO. UH, THANK YOU CHAIR. AND FREDDY, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT. UM, AS A RESIDENT, YOU HAVE BEEN, UH, DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, I WANNA SAY FOR DECADES. AND, UH, YOU ARE EXTRAORDINARILY BUSY LIKE ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, AND YET HAVE, UH, COME TO THE TABLE, GIVEN YOUR TIME, UH, WALKING ON VERY COLD NIGHTS, UH, DOWN WASHINGTON AVENUE, BUT ALSO BEING AT THE TABLE, UM, BEING CONSTRUCTIVE AND REALLY WORKING FOR A SOLUTION BOTH FOR BUSINESS AND FOR RESIDENTS. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE, UM, HANGING IN THERE, STICKING WITH US, AND THAT GOES FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN YOUR, ON YOUR BLOCK, UM, IN MOVING THIS FORWARD, SO THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY COUNCILWOMAN TO BE HERE TODAY. SURE. MR. WARNER, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE BASE NOISE ISSUE. THE, AS YOU WORKED ON THE ORDINANCE REVISIONS IN, IN 2011, THERE IS AN A, A SECTION OF THIS ORDINANCE, 30 DASH FIVE B, WHICH DEALS WITH BASE NOISE. I HAVE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH HPD, THEY SEE ME LOOKING AT THEM. I WANT OFFICERS TO CITE BASE NOISE. BASE NOISE IS IN HERE. IT IS COVERED BY THE ORDINANCE. UM, THE ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING, THAT'LL BE A FACTOR. I, JORDAN SHOWED ME A PICTURE SOMEBODY SENT HER FROM OVER THE WEEKEND WHERE GLASSES WERE SHAKING ON THE SHELF NEARBY A BAR BASE NOISE IS A REAL THING. IT IS A VIOLATION OF THIS CURRENT ORDINANCE. IT'S A MATTER OF ENFORCING IT. AND I KNOW THERE ARE PITFALLS WITH EVIDENCE AND GOING THROUGH THE COURT ROUTE, BUT I I, IT IS, IT IS IT, IT IS PART OF THIS ORDINANCE AND I URGE [00:50:01] HPD TO PLEASE, UM, WHEN, WHEN APPROPRIATE TO USE THAT AS A, AS A, AN ENFORCEABLE VIOLATION OF ORDINANCE, WE, WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. WE, WE WENT TO THE EXTRA STEP OF, UM, TAKING OUR WINDOWS OUT IN THE BACK PART OF OUR PROPERTY THAT FACES FIVE CENTRAL AND REPLACING THE WINDOWS THAT WAS NOT AN INSIGNIFICANT COST. AND ALSO COMPLETELY RE INSULATING. YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT PORTION OF OUR HOUSE, THE ATTIC IN THAT PORTION OF OUR HOUSE AS OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE DONE AS WELL. UM, THERE'S, I THINK THAT IT'S PRETTY CLEAR. I, I HAVE WORKED WITH MUSICIANS, WORKED WITH BARS AND CLUBS AND VENUES FOR BASICALLY SINCE I WAS 16 YEARS OLD. THERE'S AN ABILITY TO MAKE THE APPROPRIATE ADJUSTMENT TO THIS SO THAT IT'S NOT GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S QUALITY OF LIFE. AGREED. AND HOPEFULLY I APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT. HOPEFULLY THROUGH THE SOUND IMPACT PLAN AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE THINGS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE CAROLINE, NICK. NICK RAD. HI . UH, HI. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. UM, I AM A RESIDENT OF THE 1800 BLOCK IN PALM STREET, AND I, I FELT LIKE I HAD TO DO MYSELF, BUT ALSO MY NEIGHBORS, UM, SOME JUSTICE BY JUST COMING AND TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH. UM, MOSTLY OUR, I THINK OUR, OUR GREATEST CONCERNS IS, UM, AGAIN, IT'S 65 DECIBELS IS KIND OF THE, THE REGULAR, IF YOU MIND, CAN I PLAY A SOUND CLIP? SURE. JUST BRIEFLY SO EVERYONE CAN HAVE AN IDEA. UH, I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET WITH ANOTHER BAR AND THEN FOUR HOUSES BETWEEN ME AND, UH, THE BAR THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. AND I MEAN, IT, IT REACHES A POINT WHERE, UM, I'M ACTUALLY A MOTHER NOW. I JUST HAD A BABY THREE MONTHS AGO. UH, SO IT'S JUST REACHING A POINT WHERE IT'S OUR HOME, IT'S OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIND BALANCE BETWEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PARTY AND THEN LIVING OUR LIVES, USING OUR HOME TO ITS ENTIRETY, USING THE OUTDOOR SPACE, UM, AS WELL AS THE INN. UM, I'M SURE EVERYONE RELATES AND AS, UM, THE GENTLEMAN JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S A CONSTANT SHAKING VIBRATION, INDOOR, OUTDOOR, YOU CAN'T ESCAPE IT. UM, TWO POINTS THAT I WANTED TO JUST BRING UP, UH, TO SEE YOUR THOUGHTS ON FIRST WOULD BE, UM, THE BAR THAT WE HAVE THE BIGGEST ISSUES WITH IS AN OUTDOOR, IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY 90% OUTDOOR SPACE. UM, AND THEY DO LIVE CONCERTS. UH, SO, AND THIS IS A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. I MEAN, WHEN I SAY LIVE CONCERT, I DON'T MEAN JUST YOUR AVERAGE BAND FROM HOUSTON, I MEAN, LITTLE KIM JAW RULE, LIKE BIG NAME ARTISTS ARE COMING TO OUR LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD AND PLAYING THESE MEGA CONCERTS. I MEAN, AND WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH LIVE MUSIC THERE, THERE'S NO WAY I, I MEAN, HOW DO YOU FIGHT THAT? I, I MEAN, THERE YOU CAN SAY THEY'RE GONNA TURN IT DOWN, BUT THEY, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. SO THESE ARE BARS THAT ARE KIND OF PUTTING INTO THEIR PROFIT AND LOSS, YOU KNOW, PAYING THIS FINE EVERY HOUR OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO KEEP THE PARTY GOING. AND AS A RESIDENT, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR FAMILIES AND EVERYONE, I MEAN, WE'RE ALL OUT ON THE STREET. THERE'S REALLY NOTHING WE CAN DO. THE OFFICERS DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN, BUT I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF TO A LEVEL THAT YOU WOULD NEVER IMAGINE IT COULD ACTUALLY BE THAT BAD. UM, IT'S ALSO BETWEEN THAT AND SOMETHING NEW THAT, UH, THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE, WHICH I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT. 'CAUSE WE SPOKE TO OFFICERS, UM, IT'S A VERY NEW KIND OF MODERN THING TO DO. PORTABLE BARS. SO WE'RE DEALING WITH TRAILERS, WE'RE DEALING WITH A BICYCLE THAT RIDES AROUND WITH LITERALLY AN ATTACHMENT, WHICH IS A-B-Y-O-B BAR. AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SPEAKER SYSTEMS, THEY HAVE EVERYTHING AND THEY RIDE UP AND DOWN OUR RESIDENTIAL STREET. UM, WHAT DO YOU DO, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH NOISE LIKE THAT? UM, AND PEOPLE HANGING OFF DANCING, THROWING CUPS, MAKING A DISTURBANCE. UM, I MEAN, IT'S TECHNICALLY A VEHICLE. IT, IT'S NOT EXACTLY AN ESTABLISHMENT LIKE A PERMANENT BAR. UM, SOMETHING ELSE TO CONSIDER FOR SURE. AND I APPRECIATE IT. NO, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN, UH, YOU ON BEHALF OF YOUR NEIGHBORS AND YOURSELF AND I, I I, I URGE YOU TO KEEP REPORTING YEAH. VIOLATIONS. I MEAN, EVERY BAR IN TOWN IS SUBJECT TO THESE REGULATIONS. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. EVERYBODY IS SUBJECT TO THE REGULATIONS THAT ARE PROMULGATED IN THIS ORDINANCE. MM-HMM . UM, WE HAVE TO APPLY THE LAW EQUALLY ACROSS THE CITY. SO JUST KEEP REPORTING AS FAR AS THE, I'VE SEEN THE PEDAL PARTIES AND ALL OF THAT. I THINK WE, WE'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS ON THAT INTO, UM, LEGAL, UH, TO ADDRESS. UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS, BUT CERTAINLY CAN APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR CONCERN ABOUT THAT AND, AND JUST KEEP REPORTING. AND, AND AGAIN, I'M, UM, HOPING THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING PROCESS [00:55:01] WILL, UH, FORCE ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE, ARE AND, AND WILL, UM, WE'LL, UH, BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT REALLY CONCERNED. WE, YOU KNOW, WE GO WORK THROUGH THE COURT, YOU DO A CITATION, IT KIND OF GOES AWAY. YOU PAY WHATEVER RIGHT NOW WE'RE, THIS WILL HELP US FOCUS ON THINGS YOU CAN DO TO BE A BETTER NEIGHBOR. YES. YOU KNOW, THINGS, THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN WITHIN YOUR ESTABLISHMENT TO BE A BETTER NEIGHBOR. SO I'M REALLY HOPEFUL ABOUT THAT. GREAT. COUNCIL MEMBER, EVAN SHABAZZ WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU. OH, GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR COMING TO SPEAK. AND I, I ACTUALLY SAW THE MOBILE PARTY MYSELF, AND I LOOKED AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT IN THE WORLD? THEY, THEY WERE HEADING TO MY AREA. AND SO I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT CAN BE A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE THROWING THE TRASH AND ALL OF THAT. BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT. BUT I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN AND, AND, AND, AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I, I CAN'T GET IT OUT. ALCORN AL CORNER AND THE MAYOR, UH, WE SAT TOGETHER TO TRY TO GET SOME THIEF TO THIS ORDINANCE BECAUSE I ABSOLUTELY CRINGE ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS WHEN I GET THE EMAILS FROM MY CONSTITUENTS. BUT I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT WE ARE LISTENING AND WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE, AS WE ALL DO BELIEVE THAT THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT A PERSON EXPERIENCES IN THEIR HOME IS THE UTMOST CONCERN. AND SO THE, THE GOOD THING ABOUT THE MOBILE IS THAT THEY KEEP MOVING, BUT THEY ARE CERTAINLY A PROBLEM. AND SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU GI. BILL CAPI, KAKI MAN. Y'ALL'S NAMES TODAY, . I'M HAVING A HARD TIME. I AM GOING TO, UH, PLAY SOME VIDEOS, IF YOU DON'T MIND. MY NAME IS BILL KAKI. I'VE BEEN A PROPERTY OWNER ON PALM STREET SINCE 1995. UH, I LIVE 350 FEET AWAY FROM ALAMEDA AVENUE. I'M HERE TODAY CONCERNING NOISE PROBLEMS CONCERNING THE RESIDENTS OF THE ALAMEDA CORRIDOR. NOISE ORIGINATING FROM 40 805,050 100 BLOCKS OF ALAMEDA. THERE'S A NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS THAT HAVE NO RESPECT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND PLAY AND ENCOURAGE LOUD MUSIC AND DISRUPTIVE ACTIVITIES AFTERNOONS AND NIGHTS UNTIL AFTER 2:30 AM THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, THE ESTABLISHMENTS ARE BAR 50 15 FACES, BAR AND TURKEY LEG HUT. THESE ESTABLISHMENTS SUPPORT ACTIVITIES INCLUDING MOTORCYCLE CLUBS, REVVING THE ENGINES AND PARADING UP AND DOWN NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, PEDAL BAR BUSES, TOURING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THREE WHEEL MOTOR VEHICLES, EXCESSIVELY LOUD DJS AND THEIR MUSIC, LIVE BANDS, CAR RADIOS AT BUILDING VIBRATING VOLUMES. THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 2000 CALLS FOR SERVICE PLACED WITH HPD IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS. ALTHOUGH THE POLICE ARE RESPONSIVE, THEIR SERVICES COULD BE BETTER UTILIZED ON HIGHER PRIORITY CALLS. WHEN THE DJS SEE THE POLICE CAR, THEY LOWER THE VOLUME. AS SOON AS THE POLICE CAR DISAPPEARS, THE VOLUME GOES BACK UP. UM, I HAVE HERE A THING FROM 20, 22 YEARS AGO LISTING SIX PAGES OF EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEMS, WHICH NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE IN TWO YEARS. I'LL GIVE THAT AS EVIDENCE IF YOU WISH. UM, I'M REQUESTING A FINAL DEADLINE INSTEAD OF MESSING AROUND AND HAVING IT GO TO COMMITTEE AND THEN A SURVEY, AND THEN SOMEBODY HAS TO DO AN EVALUATION AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE. UM, TWO YEARS HAS BEEN TOO LONG AND, UM, I'M SUGGESTING A MAY 30TH TIME TO GET THIS THING SETTLED BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT UP WITH ANOTHER 4, 5, 6 MONTHS OR A YEAR OF THIS STUFF GOING ON IN CLOSING. ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE THEIR ENJOYMENT OF A PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT TAKEN AWAY. THEY'RE DIMINISHED BY THESE ESTABLISHMENTS, BAR 50 15 FACES, BAR AND TURKEY LIKE HUT. AND I JUST ASK THAT YOU TAKE, UH, SOME SWIFT MEASURES TO CORRECT THE, THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY HAVING. THANK YOU, SIR. SIR, GET RID OF THE NOISE HERE FOR YOU, HOPEFULLY. THERE WE GO. THANK YOU. AND WE'LL TAKE ALL OF THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE ON GETTING A, SCHEDULING A MEETING AND TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE CONCERNS. WE SCHEDULE MEET, WE, WE TRY TO SCHEDULE MEETINGS. NOBODY GIVES US A CALL BACK. UH, THERE'S BEEN OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO ORGANIZE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY THEY'RE GONNA CALL BACK. THEY NEVER DO. UM, WE'RE JUST TIRED OF GETTING, OF HAVING NOTHING DONE. AND THE BAR, ESPECIALLY BAR 50 15 FACES ARE USUALLY, [01:00:01] THEY DON'T CARE. THEY'RE LIKE, UM, THEY'RE IN YOUR FACE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO WHATEVER WE WANNA DO. YOU CAN'T TOUCH US. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU. I'M VERY CONCERNED, UH, THAT I'M HEARING THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE. AND SO CERTAINLY I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE YOUR CONTACT BECAUSE WE RESPOND, BECAUSE WE TAKE THIS VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY. AND SO, UM, I WILL ASK STEVEN TO REACH OUT TO YOU. UM, HAVE YOU SENT ME AN EMAIL PERSONALLY, OR, OR WENT TO THE DISTRICT D EMAIL OR YOU LEFT A MESSAGE, OR HOW, HOW DID YOU TRY TO REACH US? WELL, THE, THE, THE OTHER MEMBERS, UM, I DUNNO IF THEY'RE GONNA BE ON VIRTUAL TODAY, UH, HAVE BEEN DOING THE COMMUNICATION WITH US, WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, THERE'S, THERE'S ABOUT 40 OR 50 PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP WHO'VE SIGNED INTO A, UH, UH, CONCERNED, UH, CONCERNED RESIDENTS OF EVERYBODY'S BEING AFFECTED BY THE NOISE. SO I HAVE NOT, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CORRESPONDING ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE NOT GETTING A RESPONSE. I, I HAVE NOT PERSONALLY, I MEAN, NOW YOU ALL ARE CONCERNED CITIZENS, BUT I'M A CONCERNED COUNCIL MEMBER BECAUSE, UH, I DO RESPOND, MY OFFICE RESPONDS. SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE, THE, UH, MISCONNECT IS, BUT AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE ADVISED THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE, I WILL ENSURE THAT YOU GET ONE. AND SO IF I COULD GET SOMEBODY TO EMAIL ME PERSONALLY AT CAROLYN DOT E VNS JABBA, S-H-A-B-A-Z Z@HOUSTONTX.GOV, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THAT MEETING IS FACILITATED, BECAUSE THIS IS SO VERY IMPORTANT. AND I APOLOGIZE IF THERE WAS A MISSTEP, BUT CERTAINLY, PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT AS WE ARE NOT INTERESTED OR CONCERNED BECAUSE THIS IS A REAL CONCERN. AND IN FACT, YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT THE NO NOISE MONITORS TO TRY TO HELP TO QUELL SOME OF THAT, AND WE ARE PROVIDING SOME MORE, UM, IN THE SOUTHEAST. AND SO CERTAINLY PLEASE, UH, REACH OUT TO ME PERSONALLY. AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW MY EMAIL, UH, I BELIEVE YOU CAN GET IT ON THE WEBSITE. I'LL GET THAT. THE CITY WEBSITE. THANK YOU. I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU'RE SO CONCERNED, WHY HASN'T ANYTHING BEEN DONE SINCE 2020, SIR? I, I THINK, WELL, THE TIME'S UP, WELL, THE, THIS, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF RIGHT NOW. WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. WE HAVE HAD MEETINGS WITH THE, UM, THE OWNERS OF THE BUSINESSES. BUT YOU KNOW, WE ARE SOME, WE ARE LIMITED AS WELL BECAUSE WE CAN'T ACTUALLY CONTROL THEIR CLIENTELE. BUT WE DO HAVE THE POLICE OFFICERS THAT COME OUT AND WE ARE TRYING TO GET THIS INVOICE ENFORCED. SO PLEASE DON'T TAKE THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED AS AN INDICATION THAT WE DON'T CARE, BECAUSE THAT IS CERTAINLY NOT THE MESSAGE BECAUSE WE ARE VERY, VERY CONCERNED. AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY AND HAVE ENGAGED WITH THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. BUT IT TAKES TIME. AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THANK, THANK YOU, SIR. AND, AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. WE, MY STAFF WAS COPIED ON AN EMAIL FROM YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE GROUP. SO SHE HAS BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THIS, THIS GROUP. SO THERE, THERE HAS BEEN COMMUNICATION THERE. SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, MR. BAZ HAS BEEN HIGHLY ENGAGED IN THIS ISSUE. I KNOW IT'S TAKING TOO LONG. BELIEVE ME, I NEVER THOUGHT AT THAT NOVEMBER, 2020 MEETING, IT WOULD TAKE THIS LONG TO GET THE NOISE PART DONE. THE LAST TIME, UH, I'VE BEEN INFORMED IN 2011 WHEN THE NOISE REVISIONS WERE DONE, IT TOOK TWO YEARS. WE'RE, WE'RE UNDER THAT. IT'S, UH, IT'S NO EXCUSE. IT'S, IT'S TOO LONG. IF IT'S YOUR HOUSE, EVERY, EVERY DAY IS TOO LONG. SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. AND WE, WE HEAR YOU. THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER ISSUES BESIDES NOISE GOING ON AT VARIOUS, IN VARIOUS AREAS OF TOWN, AND ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IT AND HEAR YOU. AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO ADDRESS THEM. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. WOULD, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO, UH, POST THIS AT ALL THIS, UH, THAT, THAT LETTER IS ALREADY UP ON THE RNA WEBSITE. WEBSITE. THAT'S WHERE I PULL IT UP FROM, SO, OKAY. IT'S, IT'S UP FROM THE RA WEBSITE. THANK YOU. NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM KEVIN SCOTT CRAIG, COUNCIL MEMBER. EVAN, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK AGAIN? I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I DID GET A MESSAGE FROM MY CHIEF OF STAFF AND WE HAVE RESPONDED AND THEY HAVE REQUESTED A MEETING AND WE ARE FACILITATING THAT. SO JUST WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. AND THAT WILL NOT BE IGNORED. THANK YOU. RIGHT. THAT'S, THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON I BROUGHT IT UP. 'CAUSE WE WERE COPIED ON THAT EMAIL, SO SHE, SHE WAS RESPONSIVE TO PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE CHAIN. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT NEXT TIME FROM KEVIN SCOTT. CRAIG, PLEASE. I DON'T SEE HIM ON. NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM KAY WALTON. MS. WALTON MEMBER, THANK. [01:05:06] GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. AS WE'VE HEARD JUST FROM THE TESTIMONY THIS MORNING, RESIDENTS CITYWIDE HAVE SEEN OUR QUALITY OF LIFE ERODED. AS MORE AND MORE CLUBS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO OPEN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY'VE BEEN LARGELY IGNORED BY THE POLICE. UNLESS THERE'S A SHOOTING OR OTHER VIOLENT INCIDENTS OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE BEGGED FOR HELP IN JUST GETTING THEM TO TURN DOWN THEIR BOOMING BASE. AND THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S HARD WORK AND PERSEVERANCE AND COORDINATION WITH A RA AND THE CITY'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT, THIS IS THE VERY FIRST STEP IN OFFERING US THE HOPE OF BEING ABLE TO ENJOY THE PEACE AND TRANQUILITY OF OUR HOME AND TO SLEEP AT NIGHT. THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, OR CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE ARE NOT A PANACEA AND FALL FAR SHORT OF WHAT WE HAD ALL HOPED FOR, BUT AS A START, WE HAD HOPED FOR LOWER DECIBEL LEVEL, EVEN THE PROHIBITION OF OUTDOOR SPEAKERS THAT CARRY MUSIC AND BASS FOR BLOCKS BEYOND THE CLUB'S PROPERTY LINE FOR THOSE WILL COME IN TIME AS WE RECLAIM OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN 2024. WE WILL KEEP CAREFULLY WHEN WE CAST OUR VOTES, AND FOR THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO PROTECTED THE CLUBS AT OUR EXPENSE, WE WILL REMEMBER. I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED SO FAR ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. WE SINCERELY HOPE TO MOVE TO AN ADMINISTRATIVE CIVIL PROCEEDING, WILL HAVE SOME EFFECT IN MAKING THE CLUBS BETTER NEIGHBOR. NOTHING ELSE PASSED, GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY MAKE, WE CANNOT FIND THEM ENOUGH TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON, AS WE HAVE SAID ALL ALONG, WE AREN'T TRYING TO PUT THE CLUBS OUT OF BUSINESS. WE JUST WANT THEM TO BE BETTER NEIGHBORS. WE RESPECT OUR RIGHTS TO SLEEP IN OUR HOME. WE MOVE THE CRIME, TRAFFIC, CONGESTION, DRUNKENNESS, AND BAD BEHAVIORS THEY BRING TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. I LOOK FORWARD TO A TIME WHEN WE CAN RECLAIM OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE SMALL STEPS TAKEN BY THE TODAY LED BY COUNCIL MEMBER AL LAUREN WITH THE SUPPORT OF A RA AND CITY'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT. MAKE THAT SEEM POSSIBLE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. I'M CLOSING THE STATEMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KAY. I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND ALL THE WORK YOU'VE HELPED US ON AND ALL OF YOUR INPUT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE COURT SYSTEM AND CITATIONS. NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM JAMES D. PHILLIPS. I'M QUOTING, I'M QUOTING FROM THE RNA MISSION STATEMENT TO CONSIDER POLICIES AND REGULATIONS THAT PROTECT AND PROMOTE STRONG, VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOODS AND ENCOURAGE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITIES. I WOULD IMAGINE WE MIGHT INCORPORATE THE THOUGHT OF KEEPING THE PEACE INTO THAT MISSION STATEMENT. OBVIOUSLY, PEACE AND TRANQUILITY, OUR PILLARS OF ANY GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY. THE CURRENT CHAPTER 30 SOUND LEVELS HAVE MISSED THIS MARK FOR MANY YEARS NOW, ESPECIALLY WITH MORE BARS AND LOUDER AMPLIFIERS CITYWIDE, HPD KNOWS THE CURRENT LAWS ARE ALL BUT UNENFORCEABLE, EVEN IF THEY GET TO A COURTROOM. I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THIS NOISE POLLUTION IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND HAVE MUCH FIRSTHAND PARTICIPATION WITH SERGEANTS, LIEUTENANTS, AND COMMANDERS THAT I HAVE COME TO KNOW PERSONALLY. SO WHY ARE WE STILL ALLOWING SUCH A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION TO DESTROY THE PEACE, THE COMFORT AND REPOSE INSIDE OUR HOMESTEADS EVEN BLOCKS AWAY? WHY DO WE STILL BUY INTO THE BUSINESS MODEL THAT WE MUST HAVE EXTRA LOUD MUSIC TO BE PROFITABLE? THIS IS IRRESPONSIBLE GOVERNANCE AT BEST IN CONFLICT OF INTEREST AT ITS CORE THAT THE MUCH SMALLER GROUP OF PEOPLE CAN PERSISTENTLY BREAK THE LAW AT THE EXPENSE OF THE MUCH GREATER NUMBER IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS YOU HAVE SWORN TO PROTECT. ONE OF THE MAIN COMPLAINTS ABOUT SOUND LEVELS IS THE OVERPOWERING BASE VIBRATIONS THAT TRAVEL MILES TO THE GROUND. 30 YEARS AGO, THESE LEVELS OF VERY LOW FREQUENCY VIBRATIONS DID NOT EXIST EVEN TODAY. WE STILL DO NOT HAVE THE TECHNICAL ABILITY TO RECORD OR MEASURE THEM WITH ANY COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE EQUIPMENT. I HAVE TWO SOUND METERS AS SPECIFIED IN SECTION 30 DASH EIGHT AS USED BY HPD. I ALSO PURCHASED A NECESSARY SOUND CALIBRATION UNIT, WHICH IS REQUIRED FOR CERTIFICATION OF EACH METER. IT IS PHYSICALLY, TECHNICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THESE OR ANY CURRENT SOUND METER TO DETECT THESE VERY LOW FREQUENCY BASED VIBRATIONS. IT SEEMS TO ME AS A THIRD GENERATION NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, THAT IF AN OFFICER IS STANDING 300 FEET AWAY AND CAN HEAR OR FEEL A SOUND NOISE VIBRATION FROM ANY SOURCE, THEY SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO WRITE A TICKET AND THE COURTS TO OBEY THE LAW AND PROSECUTE A CLEAR AND PRESENT DISTURBANCE OF THE PEACE, ESPECIALLY WHEN HEARD OR FELT [01:10:01] INSIDE OUR OWN HOMES. 300 FEET AWAY. AND THAT IS MY SWORN TESTIMONY ON THIS DATE. 4 11 22. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM MIC MICHAEL ALINE. DON'T SEE HIM ON NEXT GARY RUBY, WHO IS IN CHAMBER. GOOD MORNING. MORNING, I'M GARY RUBY. I LIVE DOWN THE STREET FROM, UM, FIVE CENTRAL RESTAURANT. AND ALTHOUGH THE PROPOSED, UM, ORDINANCE SEEMS TO BE THOROUGH AND IT ADDRESSES OUTDOOR, UH, COURTYARDS, IT DOESN'T, UH, ADDRESS PARKING LOTS. TWO O'CLOCK EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, THE PARTY STOPS INSIDE AND THEY GO OUT IN THE PARKING LOT. THE NOISE COMES FROM CARS REVVING THEIR ENGINES AND PLAYING THEIR HUGE, UM, UM, MUSIC FROM THEIR CARS. UM, THE MUSIC IS NOT GENERATED FROM THE CLUB OWNERS OR RESTAURANTS. THEY'RE FROM THE PATRONS, BUT THEY'RE WITHIN THE PARKING LOT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT. AND I THINK THE ORDINANCE SHOULD COVER THE PARKING LOT AS WELL, WHETHER IT'S COMING FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OR THE PATRONS. THANK YOU. THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN TALK TO LEGAL AND A RA ABOUT. OKAY, THANK YOU. THERE'S ALSO A NOISY VEHICLE SECTION OF THE ORDINANCE FOR VEHICLES PARTS. BUT I THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN GENERAL ABOUT JUST WITHIN THE PARKING LOT AND WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ALSO, WHEN THEY LEAVE, UM, IT'S HARD FOR THE POLICE TO, UM, GET TO THEM, BUT WITHIN THE PARKING LOT, THAT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE RESTAURANT OR CLUB OWNER TO MAINTAIN, UM, SOUND LEVELS IN HIS PARKING LOT. THANK YOU. WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM JUSTICE MARGARET PASSANT. MEG, ARE YOU ON THE LINE? CAN YOU HEAR? WE CAN HEAR YOU. HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. AND FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR, UM, MAKING ALL THESE EFFORTS, UH, IN REGARD TO THE ORDINANCE AND FOR EVERYBODY'S, YOU KNOW, PATIENCE IN TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THIS. AND I WANNA MAKE CLEAR THAT I'M HERE AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND NOT IN ANY OTHER CAPACITY. UH, HAVING LIVED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE 1992 AND SEEING ALL THIS PROGRESS INTO A WORSENING, UM, SITUATION, I HAVE A CONCERN, FIRST OF ALL ABOUT THE PROPOSAL UNDER SECTION 30 DASH EIGHT B, WHICH ESTABLISHES A 300 FEET, WITHIN 300 FEET OF, OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. THAT MEANS FOR ME AND MY NEIGHBORS, UM, WE WOULD HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE'S A PARKING LOT THAT THEY, ALL THE PARKING LOTS OF OF THE BARS, THE LINCOLN, THE SPORTING CLUB HEART, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE BARS THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY CAUSING PROBLEMS HAVE A PARKING LOT BEFORE BEHIND THEM. SO FROM PROPERTY LINE TO PROPERTY LINE, I THINK YOU ALL NEED TO LOOK AT SOME REVISION OF THAT, UM, BECAUSE THE PARKING LOT AND THE PROPERTIES ARE OWNED BY, BY BONO RAMANI OR HIS ENTITIES. AND SO I'M CONCERNED THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO, THOSE BARS WILL BE EXEMPT FROM ALL OF THIS BECAUSE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BAR ITSELF IS LOCATED WITHIN 300 FEET. SECONDLY, I HAVE TO SAY, UH, I'M TERRIBLY SORRY, BUT I, I CANNOT SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE. I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT AS MANY TIMES AS THE OFFICERS HAVE COME OUT, UM, THAT A DECIBEL READING OF, OF 58 AT MY PROPERTY LINE DOES, DOES NOT EXIST EVEN WHEN I HAVE DOUBLE PANE, DOUBLE INSULATED WINDOWS, AND THERE'S A DJ SCREAMING ON THE MICROPHONE AT THE LINCOLN THAT MY QUALITY OF LIFE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, PROBABLY HAS DETERIORATED TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT I, I'M HAVING CONSTANT MIGRAINES AND I'M SURE SEVERAL OF MY NEIGHBORS ARE AS WELL, THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF REASONABLE PERSON STANDARD. AND I AGREE WITH THE GENTLEMAN WHO SAID, WHEN AN OFFICER IS STANDING ON YOUR PROPERTY AND HE CAN FEEL THE VIBRATION, WHICH FROM HEART STARTS EVERY NIGHT AT 10:00 PM AND INCREASES UNTIL SUCH A LEVEL AT MIDNIGHT, BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND TWO, THAT MY WINDOWS SHAKE, MY WALLS SHAKE. AND DESPITE TAKING, UM, MELATONIN, USING HEADPHONES AND, UM, TRYING TO SLEEP [01:15:01] THAT WHEN YOU HAVE VIBRATIONS GOING THROUGH THE WALLS AND WINDOWS OF YOUR HOUSE, THAT YOU, YOU JUST CANNOT SLEEP. IT WAKES YOU UP. AND I, I DON'T THINK THE VIBRATION HAS BEEN ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED. UH, I TRIED TO GET A QUESTION IN, BUT I, I DON'T THINK THAT IT, IT SHOWED UP. AND I'M NOT SO GREAT WITH THIS MICROSOFT TEAMS, UM, APPLICATION, BUT I HAD A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT ANYONE HAD CONSULTED WITH ANY NOISE EXPERTS REGARDING ANY OF THIS, UM, DECIBEL READING, BECAUSE YOU'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT, WHICH I THINK IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU ALL NEED TO CONSIDER. YOU'RE ALSO TALKING THANK THANK YOU, MEG. SORRY, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. I WILL, I WILL SAY, I, I APPRECIATE ALL THE INPUT YOU'VE GIVEN US, UM, DURING THIS PROCESS. I'VE, I'VE BEEN TO YOUR STOOD ON YOUR PROPERTY LINE AND KNOW HOW CLOSE YOU ARE IN PROXIMITY TO, UM, SOME OF THE, THE ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE CREATING A LOT OF THE NOISE. SO APPRECIATE YOUR PERSPECTIVE. UM, WE, WE DO, UH, WE DO HAVE THE 58, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE A MEASUREMENT OF 58 DECIBELS AT YOUR PROPERTY. IF PEOPLE ARE VIOLATING THAT, THEY'RE VIOLATING THAT AND THE POLICE NEED TO GET OUT THERE, WE'LL GET OUT THERE AND, AND DO THE CITATION. AND ALSO THE BASE NOISE, AS I SAID BEFORE, IS IN THE ORDINANCE, IF YOU CAN FEEL IT, IF YOU CAN SEE SOME KIND OF EVIDENCE OF SOMETHING SHAKING, IF YOU CAN FEEL IT IN YOUR BONES. I AGREE, THAT'S IN THE ORDINANCE. SO IT'S A MATTER OF ENFORCEMENT. OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL HAVE, ARE STRETCHED VERY THIN IN A, IN A TIME OF RISING VIOLENT CRIME. AND SO IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH PROBLEM FOR SURE. BUT WE, IN WITHIN THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE, THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE, ARE CALLING OUT AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE REVISIONS WHERE WE'RE NOW GONNA REQUIRE PEOPLE TO HAVE A PERMIT FOR THAT LATE NIGHT NOISE, SOMETHING THAT EVENTUALLY CAN'T, IF, IF THEY ARE REPEAT VIOLATORS AND ARE NOT COMPLYING, CAN BE REVOKED OR SUSPENDED. THAT IN, IN MY OPINION, IS, IS A, IS A BENEFIT, IS A PLUS TO THESE REVISIONS. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UM, PLEASE KEEP SALLY, I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT I WANNA MAKE CLEAR THAT MY POINT IS THAT THE OFFICERS WITH THE METERS AT 58, EVEN WHEN THE NOISE IS UNREASONABLE, THEY'RE NOT GETTING THAT, THAT READING AT MY PROPERTY LINE. AND THAT'S WHY I AM SAYING THAT THOSE SOUND LEVELS NEED TO BE REDUCED, AT LEAST THE 65 DECIBELS. SECONDLY, I DO WANT TO ABSOLUTELY MAKE CLEAR THAT WHEN YOU ARE PERMITTING THE BAD BEHAVIOR, THAT CON CONTINUES TO EXIST WHEN YOU'RE PERMITTING THAT NOW UNTIL 2:00 AM THAT, I'M SORRY, I, I JUST THINK THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, NOT A GOOD THING AT ALL. BUT, BUT WHAT WAS STATED AT THE VERY BEGINNING WAS THAT WE ARE NOT EXTENDING HOURS. PEOPLE ALREADY, BARS ALREADY CAN PLAY MUSIC UP TO, TO THE 68, 58 DECIBEL LEVEL TILL 2:00 AM I MEAN, WITHOUT ANY PERMIT, WITHOUT US HAVING ANYTHING EVENTUALLY TO REVOKE OR SUSPEND. SO THAT'S ALREADY THERE. I WILL, WE WON'T, BUT MEG AND I HAVE BEEN BACK AND FORTH A LOT OF TIMES. WE WON'T BELABOR THE POINT RIGHT NOW, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER. BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOUR ALL THE TIME YOU'VE SPENT ON THIS, MEG AND I CERTAINLY, UM, UM, APPRECIATE AND APOLOGIZE FOR ALL THE DISCOMFORT YOU'VE HAD AT YOUR OWN HOME, UM, DUE TO REPEAT VIOLATIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE. NEXT WE WILL HEAR FROM MARK FAIRCHILD. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PAC COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UH, MY NAME IS MARK FAIRCHILD AND I REPRESENT THE RICE MILITARY CIVIC CLUB, UH, A COMMUNITY OF ABOUT 2,400 HOMES ALONG THE WASHINGTON AVENUE CORRIDOR. I WANNA THANK THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK, AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU TODAY TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO CHAPTER 30. LIVING IN AN URBAN SETTING PRESENTS ITS OWN UNIQUE SET OF CHALLENGES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, IS CERTAINLY NOT IMMUNE TO THOSE CHALLENGES. THE CITY IS DENSIFYING AND THEY'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO LIVE IN CLOSE QUARTERS, WHICH RESULTS IN ASKING RESIDENTS TO DEAL WITH A HOST OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. ONE OF THESE FACTORS, WHICH HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS BY MANY OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS, IS THAT OF EXCESS SOUND, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS IN MANY NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS HOUSTON. I UNDERSTAND THE CITY IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND I'M ALL BEHIND THAT, BUT THE CITY ALSO HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO ITS RESIDENTS THAT BUSINESSES OPERATING IN THESE COMMUNITIES BE RESPECTFUL OF THEIR NEIGHBORS AND ABIDE BY APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS. THE CITY ALSO HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO HIS RESIDENTS TO DESIGN POLICY AND IMPLEMENT LAWS WHICH AFFORD RESIDENTS THE RIGHT OF BEING ABLE TO APPRECIATE THE PEACEFUL AND QUIET ENJOYMENT OF THEIR HOMES WITHOUT THE UNWANTED INTRUSION OF THE SOUND POLLUTION GENERATED BY THESE BARS IN THEIR PATRONS. THIS IS NOT A NO ZONING [01:20:01] ISSUE. THIS IS A LEGAL COMPLIANCE AND LACK OF ENFORCEMENT ISSUE, AND IT'S TIME. THIS CITY ADOPTS CHANGES IN ITS CURRENT ORDINANCE TO CURB THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL TOLL, THIS EXCESS SOUND INFLICTS ON ITS RESIDENTS. WHILE THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO CHAPTER 30 DO NOT ADDRESS ALL DEFICIENCIES OF THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, THE CHANGES OR MOVEMENT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THESE CHANGES GIVE HOPE TO RESIDENTS WHO'VE HAD TO ALTER THEIR LIVES IN THEIR WORK SCHEDULES. BECAUSE STAYING HOME DURING THE TIME THESE BARS ARE OPEN IS NO LONGER AN OPTION. THESE CHANGES GIVE HOPE TO RESIDENTS WHO HAVE SPENT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS RENOVATING THEIR HOMES, TEARING OUT AND REPLACING WALLS AND WINDOWS ONLY TO FIND THE EXPENSE, TO NOT MITIGATE THE SOUND OF THESE BARS CONTINUE TO INFLICT ON THEIR NEIGHBORS. THESE CHANGES, GIVE HOPE TO THE HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS WHO FLEE THE CITY EVERY WEEKEND BECAUSE THEY SHUDDER AT THE IDEA OF TRYING TO LIVE AND SLEEP IN THEIR OWN HOME WHILE WINDOWS RATTLE ARTWORK FALLS OFF THE WALLS AND PETS PACE ANXIOUSLY UNABLE TO SETTLE DOWN BECAUSE THE INTRUSION OF THIS UNWANTED SOUND. THESE CHANGES GIVE HOPE TO FAMILIES TRYING TO RAISE THEIR SMALL CHILDREN THAT MAYBE ONE DAY THEIR CHILDREN WON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE VULGAR AND OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE, THESE BARS UNWANTEDLY INTRODUCED INTO THEIR HOMES. AND LASTLY, THESE GIVE THESE CHANGES, GIVE HOPE TO RESIDENTS LIKE KAY WALTON THAT MAYBE ONE DAY SHE WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO DRAG HER MATTRESS TO THE BATHROOM EVERY WEEKEND JUST SO SHE CAN TRY TO GET A RESTFUL NIGHT'S SLEEP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARK. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, MARK, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR NOT ONLY YOUR LEADERSHIP OF THE CIVIC CLUB, BUT UM, YOU, I KNOW HAVE PERSONALLY NOT ONLY BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS ISSUE, BUT HAVE TAKEN IT UPON YOURSELF AND BURDENED AND SHOULDERED, UM, SO MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH THIS ISSUE. I KNOW YOU CARE DEEPLY. I KNOW THE TOLL THAT IT IS TAKEN ON YOU, UM, AS A LEADER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UM, STICKING IN THERE WITH US AND WORKING THROUGH THIS, UH, PROVIDING REALLY IMPORTANT FEEDBACK, BUT ALSO, UM, BEING WILLING TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF THIS. AND YES, IT'S NOT, UM, AS YOU SAID, PERFECT, BUT IT'S A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. UH, SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU AND ALSO RECOGNIZE THE TOLL THAT IT HAS HAD, NOT ONLY OF YOU AS A RESIDENT, BUT ALSO AS A CIVIC LEADER. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, MARK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND, AND I REALLY THANK YOU. PUT IN YOUR REMARKS THAT THE HUMAN, HOW THIS IS AFFECTING HUMAN BEINGS ON A DAILY BASIS, HAVING TO DRAG YOUR MATTRESS INTO ANOTHER ROOM, THE DOGS, THE KIDS, THE ALTERED WORK SCHEDULES. UM, AND LIKE ONE OF THE SPEAKERS SAID, WE HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF GREAT RESTAURANTS AND BARS IN THIS TOWN THAT PLAY BY THE RULES, BUT THE ONES THAT AREN'T ARE REALLY WRECKING PEOPLE'S LIVES. YEP. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND BRINGING THAT KIND OF, UM, PERSPECTIVE TO THE THANK YOU TO THE DISCUSSION. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. YEP. NEXT, WE WILL HEAR FROM STACY FAIRCHILD, CHAIR ALCORN. I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE HERE. , THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M, I'M REALLY JUST HERE TO, TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, UH, FOR, FOR TAKING THIS ON. YOU KNOW, BACK IN 2019, IT HAS BEEN A LONG ROAD. UM, WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT THIS IS SUCH A GREAT START. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH, I I JUST WANNA ECHO EMILY PATTERSON AND FREDDIE WARNER'S COMMENTS AND EVEN MY OWN HUSBAND'S, UM, TO, TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL GOOD SUGGESTIONS AND QUESTIONS. UM, THAT AND, AND COMMENTS THAT THEY, THAT THEY MAKE. ONE THING I DO HAVE FOR, AND, AND REALLY QUICKLY I WANT TO THANK HPD, MY OWN CENTRAL COMMAND IS HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TODAY. I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, THEM BEING HERE. AND ALSO, UH, TO ARAS, KATHERINE BRUNING. I REALLY APPRECIATE HER, UM, BEING AVAILABLE AND, AND, UM, ALL OF THE EFFORT THAT HER AND HER TEAM HAS PUT INTO THIS AND ALSO TO RANDY ZAMORA, UH, FOR, FOR BEING THERE WHEN HE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE. AND, UH, AND FOR ALL OF THE EFFORTS, I MEAN THAT, THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE GONE INTO THIS. I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR, UH, RANDY ZAMORA. RANDY, IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING PIECE, HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DOES IT TAKE TO INITIATE A HEARING? HOW MANY DO YOU NEED IN ORDER TO DO THAT? OR HOW DOES THAT PROCESS WORK? YEAH, WE HAVEN'T PUT A, AT THIS TIME IT DOESN'T CONTAIN A SPECIFIC NUMBER, WHICH IS, [01:25:01] YOU KNOW, WE THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A, A, AN ISSUE TO BE DEALT WITH BY A RA AND LEGAL TOGETHER. AND TO LOOK AND SEE IF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, USING SOME COMMON SENSE. IS IT, UM, IS IT, UH, A LOCATION THAT RECEIVES FREQUENT COMPLAINTS? WHEN DO THEY RECEIVE THE COMPLAINTS? UM, OR ARE THEY CONTINUING VIOLATING THE ORDINANCE? UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY CONSIDER PUTTING A HARD NUMBER IN THERE. WE JUST HADN'T DONE THAT PART OF, I THINK THE THOUGHT WAS IF YOU PUT A HARD NUMBER IN THERE AND THEY ARE REALLY A PROBLEM, BUT NOT REACHING THAT NUMBER, MAYBE THAT HAMSTRINGS US A LITTLE BIT. UM, BUT IT IS, WELL, SOMETHING CONSIDER ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. AND, AND WE DON'T IT RIGHT NOW. I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THERE IS SOME DISCRETION FROM A RA AND LEGAL. I THINK WHEN YOU START PUTTING A TARGET NUMBER ON THERE, THEN THERE IT, IT OPENS ITSELF UP TO, YOU KNOW, SO YOU'RE SAYING THIS WOULD BE A CASE BY CASE BASIS? YEAH. CASE BY CASE BASIS. UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FAIR TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOT ANY, YOU KNOW, JUST ONE BAR'S MAD AT ANOTHER BAR OR WHATEVER AND CALL IN ALL THE TIME YOU THAT, THAT'S WHY WE WANNA LEAVE IT UP TO THE, THE GOOD, YOU KNOW, WORK OF, OF A RA AND LEGAL TO KIND OF EXAMINE IT, LOOK AT CALLS FOR SERVICE, LOOK AT KIND OF ALL THE LAY OF THE LAND. UM, AS, AS HAS BEEN STATED, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOME THAT WE KNOW ARE, ARE, ARE REPEAT VIOLATORS. AND, AND THAT'S, I, IN MY, I'M NOT IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS. I WON'T BE MAKING THE CALL, BUT THAT'S, I THINK WHO, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE GOOD, GOOD CANDIDATES FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING PROCESS. OKAY. OKAY. AND THE, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK OF, OF SEVERAL ON WASHINGTON AVENUE THAT ARE CHRONIC OFFENDERS, AND YOU KNOW, TO ME IT, IT'S BLATANTLY CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, AN ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING SHOULD BE INITIATED, YOU KNOW, IF THIS WERE ALREADY AVAILABLE TO US. BUT, UM, ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT. I APPRECIATE IT. AND, UM, THANK YOU, STACY, YOU KNOW, WE'LL FORWARD. THANK SO MUCH FOR ALL THE HELP YOU'VE GIVEN AND ALL THE GOOD COMMUNICATION YOU'VE DONE THROUGHOUT THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE. WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU CHAIR. AND STACY, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU, UH, SIMILAR TO MARK, UM, YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLE AND I, I WILL SAY ALL OF THE LEADERSHIP OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22, UM, AS YOU SAID, I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE FINALLY HERE. UH, IT IS CERTAINLY BEEN A LONG ROAD AND THERE'S MORE WORK TO DO, BUT AGAIN, UM, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED, BUT FOR YOUR MARK AND OTHER CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU, UM, SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE TOURS WORKING WITH HPD. I MEAN, THE LIST GOES ON WITH WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE PROACTIVELY, UM, TO GET TO THIS DAY. SO REALLY THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A GREAT PARTNER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UH, TWO, TWO MORE COMMENTS I WANTED TO MAKE. I DO APPRECIATE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY BEING HERE TODAY. JOSH SANDERS HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL, UM, YOU KNOW, IN JUST HELPING US UNDERSTAND FROM THE BUSINESS SIDE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT THEY DEAL WITH. AND, UM, ALSO, UM, GOSH, I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT. UM, OH, ANYBODY WHO IS UNDER THE SOUND OF MY VOICE THAT IS DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO THESE CHRONIC OFFENDERS, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH ME. THERE'S A GROUP OF US THAT IS WORKING AT THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE CITYWIDE. IF YOU DON'T HAVE MY CONTACT INFORMATION, PLEASE REACH OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN OR COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND GET IN TOUCH WITH ME. THERE IS A GROUP OF US THAT ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO WORK ON THIS AND, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO JUST, YOU KNOW, MOVING THINGS ALONG AND REFINING THE PROCESS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THIS. NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM MARK WILLIAMSON. YOU'RE ON VIRTUALLY. YES, I GO AHEAD. WE CAN HEAR YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? I'M SORRY. THE, THE PHONE SYSTEM IS TALKING BACK TO ME. UH, YES. I, FOR PURPOSES OF IDENTIFICATION, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF GREATER HEIGHTS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, AND I, UH, CHAIR THE LAND USE COMMITTEE FOR THE USE OF HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION. OUR PROBLEMS UP IN THE HEIGHTS ARE NOT, HAS NOT HISTORICALLY BEEN AS BAD AS THE WASHINGTON CORRIDOR, BUT WE HAVE HAD SOME PROBLEMS ALONG WHITE OAK AND ALONG 19TH TO 20TH. AND I WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE, UH, AREAS THAT SOME OF US WOULD PREFER TO BE TIGHTENED UP, AND AS YOU SAID, AREAS THAT SOME WOULD PREFER TO BE LOOSENED UP. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUING EFFORTS AND, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARK. APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE. NEXT, SANDY STEVENS [01:30:06] SANDY, I BELIEVE YOU'RE ON VIRTUALLY DO STAR SIX TO UNMUTE. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES. OKAY, GREAT. UM, I WANNA THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN AND I WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO OUR DISTRICT D COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ, THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE CITY STAFF, AND, UM, FOR, FOR THE TIME AND THE HARD WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO CRAFTING THESE NOISE REVISIONS. I'M HERE TODAY, UH, REPRESENTING THE MUSEUM PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, A CIVIC CLUB THAT IS FOUNDED BY 59 ON THE NORTH, 2 88 ON THE EAST HERMAN PARK ON THE SOUTH AND MAIN STREET ON THE WEST. AND I JUST WANNA REITERATE SOMETHING. SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE THE ABILITY TO ENJOY THE PEACE AND THE REFUGE THAT OUR HOMES ARE MEANT TO OFFER US. UM, WEEKEND EVENINGS BRING DREAD TO THEIR LIVES AS THEY ANTICIPATE THE NOISE THAT INTRUDES ON THEIR LIVES. SO, UM, OF COURSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT THE ONLY NEIGHBORHOOD TO SUFFER FROM THE BO BAR NOISE, BUT WE, UM, AND SO THEREFORE WE APPLAUD THE NA THE EFFORTS OF ALL OF YOU TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES FOR THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON. CLEARLY, I AM HERE TO LEND MY SUPPORT TO THE ORDINANCE REVISIONS. AS OTHER HAVE MENTIONED, THE PROPOSED REVISIONS DON'T GO AS FAR AS, UH, WE WOULD LIKE AS WE HAD HOPED FOR. AND OF COURSE, IT HAS TAKEN TOO LONG FOR, FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING THE NOISE ISSUES FOR THIS TO COME TO COME ABOUT. BUT THE CHANGES UNDER ADMINIS, UH, UNDER CONSIDERATION IN PARTICULAR, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING PROCESS ARE WELCOME. AGAIN, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND TELL YOU THAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND OTHERS ACROSS THE CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SANDY. APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR HELP ON THIS NEXT BILL POWELL, NOT SEEING HIM ON MR. POWELL. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES. OKAY. MY NAME IS BILL POWELL. I'M WITH THE MUSEUM PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. I LIVE CLOSE TO ALAMEDA, WHICH COMES, UH, I LIVE CLOSE TO ALAMEDA, WHICH HAS TURNED INTO A BAR SCENE, WHICH COMES WITH THE LOUD NOISE. WE WERE A NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE ALAMEDA BECAME A BAR SCENE. WHILE THE ORDINANCE DOES NOT GO AS FAR AS I'D LIKE, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE FIRST STEP, THEREFORE, I SUPPORT THE REVISIONS TO THE SOUTH ORDINANCE. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS CHANGING. YOUNG FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN ARE MOVING TO THE HOMES, DUPLEXES, TOWNHOUSES, AND APARTMENTS. THEY ARE FAMILIES WHO EMBRACE DENSITY, YET STILL HAVE A NEED TO GET THEIR CHILDREN TO SLEEP AT NIGHT. I AM ENCOURAGED WITH THESE REVISIONS AS A FIRST STEP TO A LIVABLE COMMUNITY AND HOPE THAT THEY ARE ENFORCED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU. WELL, ACTUALLY I WANTED TO ADDRESS SANDY BEFORE, BUT I COULDN'T GET TO WHERE I NEEDED TO BE, BUT SHE HAS BEEN SO VERY SUPPORTIVE AS WELL AS THE OTHER NEIGHBORS IN THE MUSEUM PARK. AND JUST, I, I REALLY, REALLY FEEL YOUR PAIN AND I DO APPRECIATE, UH, WHAT YOU ALL DO AS WELL. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. KATHY INGER. HI, THIS, GO AHEAD. WE CAN HEAR YOU. HI, THIS IS KATHY ELLINGER. HI, GO AHEAD. HELLO. WE CAN HEAR YOU. OH, THANK YOU FRANK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, AGAIN, JUST WANNA REITERATE EVERYBODY ELSE'S. UH, THANKS FOR ALL OF YOU FOR WORKING SO HARD ON THIS ORDINANCE. I AM ALSO PART OF THE MUSEUM PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. UM, I LIVE ON WICHITA STREET, UH, CLOSE TO ALAMEDA. UM, I'M CLOSER TO THE UNIVERT SIDE OF THINGS, BUT IT'S AMAZING HOW SOUND TRAVELS AND, UM, HAVE ALSO BEEN INFLUENCED BY, UH, THE LOUD NOISES, UM, THAT ALL OF US ARE EXPERIENCING. UM, NOT ONLY DOES THE NOISE BRING ITS OWN PROBLEMS, BUT IT ALSO BRINGS AN INCREASE IN TRAFFIC AND TRASH. UM, AND JUST KINDA A JUST GENERAL DISREGARD FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, ONE AREA THAT A CONCERN I DO HAVE IS THAT IF ONLY 58 ANNUAL PERMITS HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT'S FAR BELOW THE NUMBER THAT SHOULD BE APPLIED FOR ON A ANNUAL BASIS. UM, AND JUST WONDERING WHAT KIND OF AUDIT PROCEDURES THE CITY IS GOING [01:35:01] THROUGH TO VERIFY THAT PEOPLE ARE INDEED APPLYING FOR PERMITS AS THEY SHOULD. UM, A SECOND ISSUE WE HAVE IS THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF KIND OF POPUP FOOD TRUCKS THAT GO INTO COMMERCIAL LOTS. THERE'S TWO OF THEM, UM, LOCATED ON WICHITA STREET THAT ALSO LIKE TO PLAY LOUD, AMPLIFIED SOUND, UM, PLACE IT ON THE, UH, PARKING LOT AREA. MY QUESTION IS, IS WHERE IS, WHERE IS THE COMMERCIAL AREA FOR THEM? BECAUSE THEY HAVE SINCE MOVED TABLES ONTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. UM, MOST FOOD IS PICKED UP AND TAKEN AWAY, BUT YET THEY AMPLIFY THEIR SOUND AND THAT BASE SOUND THAT EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT WHERE OVER A BLOCK AWAY I CAN FEEL THE REVERBERATIONS IN OUR HOUSE. UM, I THINK SOME CONCERN THAT PEOPLE IN MUSEUM PARK NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE WITH REGARD TO THE CITY TURNING A BLIND EYE TO SOME OF THESE ISSUES IS, UH, THEA CUT IN PARTICULAR. UM, IF YOU WERE TO DRIVE DOWN ALAMEDA ROAD DURING THE HOURS OF FOUR TO 6%, 6:00 PM EACH MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AND IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE TWO LANES OF FREE TRAFFIC, YOU'LL SEE AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR OF CHIA CUT VEHICLES PERMANENTLY ENSCONCED UPON THE STREET, UM, AND NEVER ALLOWING FOR THEIR FREE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. THEY ALSO ARE ALLOWED TO BLOCK OFF LARGE SECTIONS OF THE PUBLIC STREET FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL VEHICLES AND ADVERTISING FOOD TRUCKS, UH, WHICH MEANS THAT THEIR CUSTOMERS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO FREE PARKING AND THEN, UH, ROTATE THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, IN SEARCH OF A FREE SPOT. UM, WE THANK THE CITY FOR GIVING US SOME HELP WITH SOME PARKING ENFORCEMENT, UH, BUT YET, UH, THAT I THINK IT'S PART OF THE FRUSTRATION OF RESIDENTS IS THAT THEY SEE THAT, UH, THE ATE HU IS FAVORED BY THE MAYOR AND THUS IS GIVEN SPECIAL EXEMPTION FROM REQUIREMENTS AND REGULATIONS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KATHY. AND I KNOW I DO KNOW THAT A RA PLANS TO BE DOING OUTREACH AND, AND EDUCATION ON, ON THE NEW PERMIT, UM, IN COMING MONTHS. THAT WOULD BE OVER THE NEXT FOUR OR SO MONTHS AFTER THE, IF, AFTER THE ORDINANCE HOPEFULLY PASSES. AND, AND THEN WE WILL BE DOING SOME WORK, UM, WITH LEGAL ON, ON SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT UP PARKING LOTS AND THINGS GOING ON THERE, SO, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON, ON THAT ISSUE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US. NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM CINDY WOODS. CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN HEAR YOU. THANK YOU. CINDY, GO ON. CINDY, ARE YOU STILL THERE? I, MY NAME IS CINDY WOODS. I CAN'T TELL IF YOU HEAR ME OR NOT. WE CAN HEAR YOU. WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW. WE CAN HEAR YOU. OH, OKAY. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS CINDY WOODS AND I, UM, LIVE IN THE MUSEUM PARK AREA. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK. I SUPPORT THE CHANGES THAT YOU ARE MAKING, BUT I DO ALSO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, AND MAYBE I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND SOME OF WHAT YOU SAID. FIRST OFF, IS THE SOUND BEING TAKEN AT THE EDGE OF THE PROPERTY OF THE BAR, OR DOES IT STILL HAVE TO BE FROM THE, PER THE PROPERTY OF THE COMPLAINANT? BECAUSE THAT MAKES A LOT OF DIFFERENCE. YES, IT'S STILL AT THE, IT'S STILL AT THE PROPERTY LINE OF THE COMPLAINANT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU WORK ON CHANGING THAT. IT NEEDS TO GO BACK, IT NEEDS TO BE AT THE PROPERTY EDGE OF THE ACTUAL ESTABLISHMENT. AND, UM, ANYWAY, THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU WORK ON CHANGING THAT. UH, SECONDLY, I THINK IF I'M UNDERSTANDING, IT'S GOING TO DO AWAY WITH THE ANNUAL PERMIT THAT WE HAVE NOW GOING TO THE COMMERCIAL PERMIT. NO, THE ANNUAL PERMIT WILL STILL BE IN PLACE. THERE ARE, UH, ESTABLISHMENTS AND CHURCHES AND DIFFERENT PLACES THAT NEED THE ANNUAL PERMIT BECAUSE THEY JUST PLANNED TO GO. THEY, THEY WILL GO BE GOING TO THE 75 DECIBELS TILL 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. WHAT'S BEING ADDED IS A PERMIT FOR COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS THAT PLAY, PLAY, AMPLIFIED SOUND THAT CAN BE HEARD OUTDOORS AT ANY LEVEL AFTER 10 ON WEEKDAYS, 11 ON WEEKNIGHTS WITHIN 300 FEET OF A RESIDENCE. SO THE PERSON, OKAY, THANK YOU. IF YOU HAVE A COMMERCIAL PERMIT, YOU'RE YOU THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO GO TO THAT 75 DECIBELS. YOU WON'T NEED BOTH, BUT [01:40:01] SOME JUST NEED ONE, SOME JUST NEED THE ANNUAL PERMIT. THAT'S WHY WE LEFT THAT IN THERE. OKAY. SO THE BARN WILL BE REQUIRED TO GET THAT COMMERCIAL. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION. AND THE NEXT THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS, YOU KNOW, AS BEEN STATED SO MANY TIMES BEFORE, HPD IS OVERWHELMED AND IT, I ALMOST FEEL GUILTY WHEN WE HAVE TO CALL THEM FOR SOUND. SO, IS THE CITY LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT MECHANISM FOR ENFORCEMENT? THERE WERE LOTS OF DISCUSSIONS AROUND THAT. UM, FROM LEGAL'S ADVICE, THIS, THIS IS BEST HANDLED BY A PEACE OFFICER, SOMEBODY WHO CAN GO INTO ONE OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS WHERE THERE'S ALCOHOL AND OTHER THINGS INVOLVED SO THAT YOU NEED SOMEBODY WITH THE TRAINING, UM, OF A PEACE OFFICER. NOW, I HAVE ENCOURAGED WORKING, PERHAPS WITH OTHER, UH, JURISDICTIONS CONSTABLE SHERIFFS TO HELP ENFORCE WITH THIS, AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE TAKING PLACE, BUT, UH, I, I AGREE, THEY ARE OVERWHELMED. UM, THIS IS A, A DIFFICULT TIME PERIOD FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT AND, AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DO THE BEST WE CAN TO ENFORCE THESE ORDINANCES. AND I THINK THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS, WHAT'S BEEN HELPFUL IS OFFICERS HAVE REALLY BEEN MORE HEAVILY TRAINED IN WHAT THE RULES ARE. I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION, STILL IS SOME OUT THERE, BUT GETTING TRAINED ON WHAT THE CORRECT DECIBEL LEVELS ARE, THAT YES, YOU CAN, UH, CITE A VIOLATION FOR BASE NOISE. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF EDUCATION, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT HELPS WITH ENFORCEMENT. SO CINDY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND, UH, APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HELP THAT, ALL THE HELP THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN THIS PROCESS. NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM DAVID. SO ALSO LEMME ASK ONE MORE. SO AS A RESIDENT, WHAT CAN I DO TO BRING EVIDENCE REPORT, REPORT VIOLATIONS? OKAY. REPORT THEM. AND I WOULD, I WOULD JUST, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THE COMMITTEE TO NEXT WORK ON CONSTRUCTION NOISE AS WE GET DENSER IN THIS CITY, RIGHT? AND THAT'S BEEN A BIG, A BIG PUSH FROM THE MUSEUM PARK NEIGHBORHOOD IS ON CONSTRUCTION NOISE. AND, AND WE HOPE TO TACKLE THAT ONCE WE GET THIS DOWN THE ROAD. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT. WE'LL, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. THANK YOU, CINDY. NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM DAVID KRE DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT. OKAY. I BELIEVE HE IS NOT ON. WE HAVE A COUPLE PEOPLE WHO'VE SIGNED UP IN THE CHAMBER. FIRST KYLE BERG. OOPS. MORNING, I'M KYLE BERG. I'M A PARTNER IN MCINTYRE'S. WE HAVE TWO LOCATIONS HERE IN HOUSTON, ONE IN HERE IN DOWNTOWN IN THE OLD SPAGHETTI WAREHOUSE BUILDING, AND ANOTHER IN THE HEIGHTS ALONG THEN 19TH AND 20TH STREET CORRIDORS. I'M HERE BOTH ON BEHALF OF MY PARTNERS AS WELL AS ON THE BEHALF OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEER GARDEN AND BAR ASSOCIATION. UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK CHAIRWOMAN ALCORN, A-R-A-H-P-D, AND THE COMMUNITY FOR INVOLVING US IN THIS PROCESS. THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEER GARDEN AND BAR ASSOCIATION IS COMPRISED OF LONG-TERM STAKEHOLDERS THAT AIM TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY IN HOPES TO BETTER SERVE IT. AND WE SUPPORT THE AMENDMENTS, UH, PROPOSED TO CHAPTER 30 THAT ARE, UH, BEING PROPOSED TODAY. OUR MCINTYRE'S HEIGHTS LOCATION THAT OPENED IN 2016, UM, IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF DENSELY POPULATED HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HAVE TOWN HOMES LIKE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE 14 TOWN HOMES, TWO OF WHICH THAT TOUCH OUR PATIO. UM, THE REASON THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COEXIST IN THAT AREA FOR AS LONG AS WE HAVE, UM, IS PREDOMINANTLY BECAUSE WE'RE ACTIVELY ENGAGED AND INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS KNOW US. THEY HAVE OUR CELL PHONE NUMBERS, UM, AND WHETHER IT'S A FENCE BOARD POST THAT GOT BROKEN BY SOMEBODY'S CAR BUMPING IT, OR DELIVERY TRUCKS RUNNING THROUGH THE CORNER OF SOMEBODY'S YARD MESSING UP THEIR BUSHES OR A PATIO SPEAKERS NEED TO BE TURNED DOWN AFTER 10 O'CLOCK. ALL OF THEM HAVE OUR CELL PHONE NUMBERS. ALL OF THEM CAN CONTACT US. ALL OF US CAN BE IMMEDIATELY ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS, UM, TO FIXING IT, UH, WHILE WE ARE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS AND IMMEDIATELY ACCESSIBLE TO OUR NEIGHBORS. I ALSO FULLY RECOGNIZE HEARING FROM A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TODAY, AND FROM HAVING WALKED WASHINGTON AVENUE WITH, UM, MARK AND STACY FAIRCHILD AND FREDDIE WARNER AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, AND AS WELL AS HPD, THERE, THERE ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS AROUND THE COMMUNITY THAT, THAT WE ARE NOT CATERED TO OR WE'RE NOT A PART OF. UM, WITH THAT SAID, THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEER GARDEN AND BAR ASSOCIATION AIMS TO WHO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHANGES THAT WERE BEING PROPOSED WEREN'T GOING TO MAKE IT TO WHERE WE WERE EFFECTIVELY BREAKING THE LAW WHEN WE JUST OPENED OUR DOORS FOR NORMAL [01:45:01] BUSINESS EVERY DAY. AND SOME OF THE INITIAL CHANGES THAT WERE PROPOSED DEFINITELY WOULD'VE PUT US IN JEOPARDY OF THAT. SO WE'RE THANKFUL THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, UM, AND WE SUPPORT THE CHANGES BEING PROPOSED. AND WE, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING, LETTING US BE INVOLVED. THANKS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. BERG. AND, AND I, I, I REALLY WANNA JUST APPLAUD YOUR GROUP FOR BEING INVOLVED IN THIS. THIS IS A, JUST A MODEL BAR OWNER RIGHT HERE WHO'S WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE, THE NEIGHBORS AROUND HIM. AND, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR INPUT WAS VERY VALUABLE. WE HAVE TO HAVE A GREAT RESTAURANT AND BAR SCENE IN THIS TOWN. WE'RE KNOWN FOR IT, AND WE WANNA KEEP IT THAT WAY. UH, WE ARE REALLY, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. I JUST ASKED JORDAN, HAVE WE EVER HAD A COMPLAINT ABOUT MCINTYRE'S? SHE SAID, NO, . SO THAT'S A GOOD SIGN. SO THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WORK YOU'RE DOING AND FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT IN THIS COUNCIL. MEMBER CAYMAN HAS COMMENT, YOU AND KYLE, THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALL THE WORK ON BEHALF OF THE ASSOCIATION. AND I HOPE, UM, THE MESSAGE IS RINGING CLEAR THAT AS A CITY, UM, WE SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS. WE WANT, UM, TO ENCOURAGE BUSINESS TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY. AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOUR PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, NOT ONLY WHEN WE HAVE BUSINESS WORKING WITH THE CITY, BUT WHEN WE HAVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR BUSINESSES AS GREAT NEIGHBORS. AND MCINTYRE IS THAT PERFECT EXAMPLE. UM, WE NOT ONLY FREQUENT IT, UH, BUT WE LIVE RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD AND NONE OF THE RESIDENTS I WE HEAR FROM EVER MENTIONED MC. UM, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S VERY CLEAR. BUT ALSO JUST, UM, MY GRATITUDE TO THE ASSOCIATION FOR COMING TO THE TABLE, WORKING WITH US TO MAKE THIS AN EVEN BETTER ORDINANCE THAT'S BALANCED BOTH TO PROTECT RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO, UM, THE MAJORITY OF OUR BUSINESSES. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU. AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF OUR PARTNERS IN THE BEER GARDEN BAR ASSOCIATION, WHETHER IT'S THE WOODROW, UH, CONCEPTS, KIRBY ICE HOUSE, DOGWOOD, UM, THE, THE, I FORGET THEIR CORPORATE NAME NOW. UH, THE RED DOOR GROUP THAT OWNS 77 DEGREES AND JACK AND GINGERS AND WONDER BAR. UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF REALLY GREAT OPERATORS THAT ARE ALL LONG-TERM STAKEHOLDERS, LONG-TERM OPERATORS, UM, AS WELL AS THE HANDLEBAR GROUP. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THEIR EVERYONE'S AIM IS TO JUST CONTINUE TO BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. AND, AND I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE BIGGEST FANS AND BIGGEST SUPPORTERS AND BEST CUSTOMERS. SO, UM, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP SERVE THEM BETTER, WE ALL TRY TO. SO THANKS SO MUCH KYLE, AND THANKS FOR DOING THAT VERY COLD TRIP WITH US DOWN WASHINGTON AVENUE. YOU'RE WELCOME. FREEZING. OKAY, NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM JOSH SANDERS. UH, GOOD MORNING AND ALMOST GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, COMMITTEE. WELL, UM, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF COMMENTS TODAY, AND SO I, I JUST KIND OF WANNA WRAP THINGS UP WITH SOME SPECIAL THANK YOUS. UH, MY NAME IS JOSHUA SANDERS AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEER GARDEN AND BAR ASSOCIATION TODAY. UH, SPECIAL THANKS. GO OUT TO CHAIRWOMAN ALCORN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN AZZ, UH, A RA AND, AND THE AMAZING WORK THAT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CATHERINE BRUNING DOES FOR THAT DEPARTMENT. UH, RANDY ZAMORA WITH LEGAL, AND THEN HPD, UH, HPD HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS FROM THE BEGINNING. UH, AND, AND WHAT I WILL SAY IS, YOU KNOW, AS, AS, AS THESE THINGS KIND OF COME UP AND, AND THE CONCERNS OF NEIGHBORHOODS ARE VERY REAL WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WENT AND WITNESSED IT FIRSTHAND, UH, DOING A, A WALK ALONG WASHINGTON AVENUE WITH, WITH SEVERAL, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD FOLKS LIKE THE FAIRCHILDS AND, AND FREDDIE WARNER, UH, WITH HPD. AND SO THERE, THERE WERE SOME REAL SERIOUS ISSUES TO CONFRONT HERE. BUT, BUT I WILL SAY THIS, WHETHER IT WAS THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOLKS WHO WERE BRINGING THE COMPLAINTS, WHETHER IT WAS THE COUNCIL MEMBERS RESPONDING TO THOSE COMPLAINTS OR THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ENGAGED, UH, THE CITY NEVER TOOK A POSITION OF WE WANNA SHUT THESE BUSINESSES DOWN. UH, THIS WAS ALWAYS AN OPEN, TRANSPARENT AND, AND, AND THOUGHTFUL AND COLLABORATIVE PROCESS BETWEEN ALL THESE DIFFERENT ENTITIES TO COME TO THIS SOLUTION HERE TODAY. UH, SO I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEER GARDEN BAR ASSOCIATION, WE'RE, WE'RE CERTAINLY HAPPY TO, TO SUPPORT THESE AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 30. UH, AND JUST AS KYLE MENTIONED, OUR GROUP IS, IS REPRESENTATIVE OF A LOT OF THE ESTABLISHMENTS THAT PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT BUY THE PROPERTY THAT THEIR BUSINESSES ARE LOCATED ON. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BUILDING BRANDS AND REPUTATIONS AND TRYING TO INTEGRATE THEMSELVES INTO THE COMMUNITIES WITH WHICH THEY SERVE. AND THEY'RE A PART OF, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AWARE OF THEIR NEIGHBORS AND, AND AS KYLE SAID, HAVE OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION WITH THEM. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AWARE [01:50:01] OF WHERE THEIR SOUND AMPLIFICATION EQUIPMENT IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S POINTED, HOW LOUD IT IS, AND WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY ON. UM, YOU KNOW, THEY DO THEIR BEST TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS. AND SO, UM, WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED, AND, UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THE AMENDMENTS HERE TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOSH. YOU'VE BEEN A BIG HELP. AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, YOU THANK YOU, CHAIR JOSH AGAIN, THANK YOU, UM, FOR REPRESENTING THE ASSOCIATION. UM, SO EFFECTIVELY, UH, FOR TAKING OUR CALLS, FOR CALLING US, FOR ASKING THE TOUGH QUESTIONS, AND, UM, REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS A BALANCED APPROACH SO THAT WE AREN'T, UM, GETTING IN THE WAY OF BUSINESSES SUCCEEDING, ESPECIALLY OUR LOCAL BARS, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BEER GARDENS, UH, ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT YOU REPRESENT THAT, UH, WE LOVE, AND WE, WE LOVE HAVING THEM AS PART OF OUR CITY. THANK YOU. THANKS SO MUCH, JOSH. AND, AND IF I HAVEN'T SAID IT ENOUGH, WE NEED A GREAT BAR AND RESTAURANT SCENE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE ARE, WE ARE. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR ECONOMY, IMPORTANT PART OF WHY PEOPLE WANNA MOVE HERE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS AND LET PEOPLE ENJOY THEIR HOMES. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE. I'M GONNA GO BACK, THAT'S THE LAST SPEAKER, BUT I'M GONNA GO BACK THROUGH SOME OF THE NAMES THAT I CALLED THAT, UH, MAYBE COULDN'T JOIN AT THE TIME I CALLED THEM. UM, KEVIN, SCOTT, CRAIG, MICHAEL ASLIN. DAVID CREZ. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEARING WITH US ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF THAT HAVE STAYED WITH US. EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE. THIS HAS BEEN A LONG MEETING. AND BEFORE WE ADJOURN, I JUST WANNA THANK AGAIN, THE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE WORKED SO HARD ON THIS ORDINANCE AND ALL OF THE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BECOME REALLY VALUABLE STAKEHOLDERS TO US. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. AND WE ARE ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.