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TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES[Budget and Fiscal Affairs on March 29, 2022.]
NOW.SO, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE JOINING US IN PERSON OR COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK FROM DISTRICT A.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN AT LARGE POSITION FIVE.
AND VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD J. POLLARD FROM DISTRICT J.
ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE JOINING IN.
VIRTUALLY EVERYONE I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, WE'RE SORRY, WE'RE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES NOW.
SO I'D LIKE TO WELCOME ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE JOINING US IN PERSON OR COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK FROM DISTRICT A COUNCIL MEMBER AND VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD J. POLLARD FROM DISTRICT J.
ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE JOINING IN VIRTUALLY.
JOINING US VIRTUALLY IS COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVAN SHABAZZ, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS.
ROBERT, I THOUGHT YOU WERE IN MEXICO.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS MEETING WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS.
JOINING US VIRTUALLY IS COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVAN SHABAZZ, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS.
ROBERT, I THOUGHT YOU WERE IN MEXICO.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR THAT FEEDBACK? COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX.
COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KU BOX.
OKAY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND RUN THROUGH IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS MEETING WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BUT MEETING WILL REGARDING MASS CARLOS ROS, ALLOWABLE ROOM CAPACITY COUNCIL SEATING ARRANGEMENTS MAY BE IN PLACE.
OFFICER OF THE COMMITTEE WILL BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN CHAMBER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 5 1 0.127 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE APPLICABLE TO A GOVERNMENT BODY THAT EXTENDS INTO THREE OR MORE COUNTIES.
ALL OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA MICROSOFT TEAM.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE HERE IN PERSON WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENT, THERE IS A SIGN-IN SHEET AT THE FRONT TABLE.
MY STAFF MEMBER CAROLINA WILL BE MONITORING THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS LIST.
COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, PLEASE HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS TILL THE END OF ALL PRESENTATIONS.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTIONS, PLEASE TYPE REQUEST TO SPEAK INTO THE CHAT AND I WILL RECOGNIZE YOU IN ORDER WHEN YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
AND REMEMBER TO UNMUTE YOUR MICROPHONE BEFORE YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR TWO MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS HAS ENDED.
AT THIS POINT, THERE ARE NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK VIRTUALLY.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME TO THE PODIUM CONTROLLER CHRISTOPHER BROWN AND DIRECTOR TAN EMO TO PROVIDE THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT DATED FEBRUARY 28TH, 2022.
QUESTIONS HAS ENDED AT THIS POINT.
THERE ARE NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK VIRTUALLY THIS TIME.
UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING FEBRUARY 28TH, 2022.
THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 258.6 MILLION FOR FY 22.
THIS IS 21 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE 91.8 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET OF HOLDING SEVEN POINT A 5% IN RESERVES.
OUR REVENUE PROJECTION INCREASED BY 15 MILLION FROM THE JANUARY, 2022 REPORT PRIMARILY AS FOLLOWS.
SALES TAX INCREASED BY 8.3 MILLION DUE TO LARGER RECEIPTS AND ANTICIPATED INDUSTRIAL ASSESSMENTS INCREASED BY 2 MILLION DUE TO LARGER THAN ANTICIPATED RECEIPTS AND INCREASED ASSESSED VALUES, LICENSES AND PERMITS INCREASED 2.2 MILLION DUE PRIMARILY TO INCREASES IN LIQUOR LICENSE, FOOD PERMITS, SPECIAL FIRE PERMITS, LIMOUSINE PERMITS AND ADMINISTRATIVE FEES.
CHARGES FOR SERVICES INCREASED BY 1.2 MILLION, PRIMARILY DUE TO PASSPORT SERVICE FEES, DEMOLITION FEES, GARBAGE COLLECTION, NETWORK NODE FEES, ZONING FEES, AND CERTIFIED COPY FEES.
DIRECT INTER FUND INCREASED BY 1.1 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED COSTS FOR POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES.
EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES WERE MOSTLY UNCHANGED FROM THE JANUARY, 2022 REPORT.
SO I'LL MOVE ON TO THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
IN THE AVIATION OPERATING FUND, OPERATING REVENUES INCREASED BY 15.7 MILLION AND THAT WAS DUE TO INCREASES IN PARKING AND CONCESSION RECEIPTS.
OPERATING EXPENSES INCREASED BY 4.5 MILLION AND THAT WAS MAINLY DUE TO SUPPLIES AND SERVICES.
NON-OPERATING REVENUES DECREASED BY 6.5 MILLION, MAINLY DUE TO LOWER THAN
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ANTICIPATED INTEREST INCOME IN THE CONVENTION AND ENTERTAINMENT OPERATING FUND TRANSFERS INCREASED BY 15.9 MILLION AS A RESULT OF TRANSFERS TO COMPONENT UNIT, AND THAT WAS DUE TO LARGER HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX RECEIPTS.THE COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM OPERATING TRANSFERS DECREASED BY 15.3 MILLION AND THE STORMWATER FUND EXPENDITURES DECREASED BY 8 MILLION AND THAT WAS DUE PRIMARILY TO 10 MILLION IN SAVINGS FOR VACANCY AND OTHER SERVICES.
AND THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL FUND.
UH, THE DRAINAGE FUND DECREASED TRANSFERS OUT TO THE STORMWATER FUND BY 2 MILLION IN THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL ADOR TAX FUND.
THAT DECREASED OPERATING EXPENSES BY 6 MILLION AND THAT WAS DUE TO REDUCTION IN CAPITAL OUTLAY.
FINALLY, IN THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL METRO FUND, THEY DECREASED BY 1 MILLION DUE TO REDUCTION IN REVENUE OF 710,000, OFFSET BY A DECREASE IN EXPENDITURES OF 2 MILLION.
AND MAINLY THAT WAS FOR VACANCY SAVINGS.
IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS, ALL OF OUR AVAILABLE RATE DEBT, UH, IS WELL BELOW THE 20% THRESHOLD.
CONTROLLER FINANCE DIRECTORY, TAN EMO.
UH, BEFORE WE DEL DO THAT, UH, WANTED TO WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON AND STAFF FROM VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM.
THIS IS THE EIGHT PLUS FOUR FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING FEBRUARY 28TH, 2022.
UH, THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON EIGHT MONTHS OF ACTUAL RESULTS AND FOUR MONTHS OF PROJECTIONS.
UH, KEEP IN MIND, NEXT MONTH IN THE, UH, MARCH, UH, FINANCIAL REPORT, WE WILL BE STARTING THE GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS.
SO YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF CHANGES REFLECTED IN THIS REPORT.
UH, FOR THE GENERAL FUND, OUR REVENUE PROJECTION IS 42.4 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, AND 6.3 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE SEVEN PLUS FIVE REPORT.
THE VARIANCE FROM LAST MONTH'S PROJECTION IS MAINLY DUE TO THE FOLLOWING 2.5 MILLION INCREASE IN THE INDUSTRIAL ASSESSMENTS DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED TAXABLE VALUATIONS, 1.5 MILLION INCREASE IN OTHER FRANCHISE FEES.
THIS IS DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED SOLID WASTE AND CABLE TV FRANCHISE FEES.
UH, WE ALSO REFLECT 1.2 MILLION INCREASE IN LICENSES AND PERMITS MAINLY DUE TO HIGHER, UH, SPECIAL FIRE AND SPECIAL FOOT FOOD PERMITS, 1.1 MILLION INCREASE IN DIRECT INTER FUND SERVICES.
THIS IS DUE TO HIGHER COST FOR POLICE AND FIRE AIRPORT SERVICES.
862,000 INCREASE IN CHARGES FOR SERVICES TO REFLECT HIGHER WE CUTTING FEES.
UM, PLAN, PLAN REVIEW FEES, EXTRA CONTAINER GARBAGE FEES, 552,000 INCREASE IN MUNICIPAL COURT FUNDS AND FORFEITS.
THIS IS DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED FINES AND SUSPENDED SENTENCE FEES.
AND WE ALSO REFLECT 1.3 MILLION DECREASE IN THE TELEPHONE FRANCHISE FEES.
THIS IS TO REFLECT LOWER THAN ANTICIPATED RECEIPTS FROM THE TELEPHONE FRANCHISE FEES.
WE ALSO REFLECT FOR AN 10,000 DECREASE IN OTHER FINES AND FORFEITS.
THIS IS DUE TO LOWER THAN ANTICIPATED RECEIPT FOR FALSE ALARM PENALTIES.
OUR EXPENDITURES PROJECTION IS 29.5 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, 11,000 HIGHER THAN LAST MONTH'S REPORT.
THE VARIANCE FROM LAST MONTH'S REPORT IS MAINLY DUE TO INCREASE IN THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE REDISTRICTING LEGAL SERVICES.
WITH THAT, WE ARE CURRENTLY PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE IN THE GENERAL FUND OF TWO 80.1 MILLION.
SO THIS IS 12.9 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND 12.6% OF THE ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.
THIS FUND BALANCE IS 113.3 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGETED 7.5% OF THE EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY SU GO.
WE ARE PROJECTING THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, UH, THE SAME, UH, CHANGES AS WHAT CONTROLLER HAD MENTIONED.
UH, AGAIN, I'M GONNA FOCUS ON THE, UM, CHANGES IN OTHER FUNDS THAT IS OVER $1 MILLION FROM LAST MONTH'S PROJECTION.
AND YOU CAN SEE ALL THE DETAILS IN THE REPORT.
SO THAT WITH THAT, I'M MOVING ON TO THE, UM, ASSET FOR FEATURE SPECIAL FUND.
THE EXPENDITURES PROJECTION DECREASED BY 2.5 MILLION DUE TO SAVINGS IN PERSONNEL AND SUPPLIES.
AUTO DEALER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS REVENUES INCREASED BY 1.1 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED TOWING CHARGES.
SALE OF IMPOUNDED VEHICLES AND VEHICLE AUCTION FEES.
UH, WE ALSO PROJECTING THE CHANGES IN THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUNDS WHERE REVENUES INCREASED BY 4 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED PERMITS AND CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES.
EXPENDITURES DECREASED BY 6.1 MILLIONS DUE TO CONTRACT IMPLEMENTATION DELAYS FOR THE IT PROJECT AS WELL AS PERSONNEL SAVINGS.
OPERATING TRANSFER OUT INCREASED BY 2.2 MILLION.
UH, THIS IS TO REFLECT HIGHER TRANSFER TO CAPITAL PROJECTS AS PART AS THE, UM, IT CONTRACTS BEING PAID OUT
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OF THE CAPITAL PROJECT FUND.HEALTH SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS EXPENDITURES DECREASED BY 1.1 MILLION DUE TO SAVINGS IN PERSONNEL PLUS IN SERVICES PARK PARK HOUSTON.
SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS REVENUES INCREASED BY 1.1 MILLION.
THIS IS DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED PARKING VIOLATIONS.
AND FINALLY, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS REVENUES INCREASED BY 2.6 MILLION.
UH, THIS IS TO REFLECT HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED PLANNING ACTIVITIES.
EXPENDITURES DECREASED BY 3.5 MILLION.
THIS IS TO REFLECT THE CONTRACT IMPLEMENTATIONS DELAYS AS WELL AS PERSONNEL SAVING.
WITH THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.
IT COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN.
A QUESTION ON THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.
DO YOU KNOW, AND I COULD ASK THEM, BUT EXPENDITURES DECREASED BY 3.5 MILLION DUE TO CONTRACT IMPLEMENTATION DELAYS.
WHAT CONTRACT IS THAT? WHAT WHAT ARE THEY? ARE THEY I'LL YEAH, I WILL HAVE TO GIVE YOU THE DETAIL ON THAT.
AND SO WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
SO THAT, THAT ON THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND, THERE WERE CONTRACTS OUT, UH, KIND OF SOME STAFF AUGMENTATION CONTRACTS.
ARE THOSE DIFFERENT THAN THE IT PROJECT ON THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND? SO ON THE BUILDING INSPECTION FUND, THAT DELAY THAT I MENTIONED, THAT IS RELATED TO IN FOUR.
THAT WHOLE 6.1 MILLION IS IN FOUR, UH, 5.2 MILLION OF THAT IS IN FOUR.
AND THERE'S MAYBE LESS THAN 1 MILLION IN THE PERSONNEL SAVINGS.
AND CONTROLLER BROWN, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A GOOD LOOK.
WE'RE DEPENDING ON WHOSE PROJECTION 60 TO $70 MILLION INCREASE IN IN SALES TAX, THAT'S CERTAINLY GOOD FOR OUR REVENUE SIDE.
UM, IS I, I'D LIKE TO JUST ASK ARE, ARE WE TRACKING THE ARPA SPENDING? I MEAN, I KNOW MUCH OF THE ARPA SPENDING HAS BEEN ON ONE TIME THINGS THAT WE NEEDED TO GET PAST COVID, BUT THERE'S A NUMBER OF, OF, OF DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING SPENT IN ARPA FUNDS THAT WILL, WHAT I WILL CALL STRUCTURAL.
I MEAN, WE'RE PAYING FOR THEM NOW WITH ONE TIME REVENUE SOURCE, WHICH IS ARPA.
BUT THE, THE EXPENDITURES WILL CONTINUE ON.
SALARY INCREASES EXTRA CADET CLASSES, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT WILL CONTINUE ON, UM, LONG PAST, UM, WHEN THE ARPA REVENUES ARE GONE.
SO IS ANYONE TRACKING KIND OF THE STRUCTURAL, UH, ADDITIONS TO OUR BUDGET FROM ARPA THAT WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE UP FOR, BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THIS EXTRA REVENUE THINKING WE BETTER BE SOCKING SOME OF THAT ASIDE FOR, FOR THE, THE THE THINGS WE'RE SPENDING ON THAT WILL CONTINUE.
IS THAT A QUESTION? I, I MEAN, YEAH, I THINK SIR, BUT OKAY.
IF WE COULD JUST LEAVE THE MICS ON, THAT'S A LOT, MUCH EASIER.
YEAH, I GUESS IT WAS A QUE I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE SOMEHOW TRACKING THAT SO WE COUNT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN HAVE SOME IDEA OF WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO BE MAKING SURE ARE IN RESERVES IN FUTURE YEARS? WELL, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN SALES TAX.
UH, THINGS RIGHT NOW ARE, ARE, ARE LOOKING, UH, MUCH BETTER THAN THEY DID, UH, TWO YEARS AGO.
ALL OF THE FEDERAL MONEY IS A ONE-TIME FINANCING SOURCE.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IN THE SIMPLEST OF TERMS, ANYTIME YOU ADD A RECURRING EXPENDITURE AND FUND IT WITH THIS ONE-TIME FUNDING FUNDING SOURCE, YOU ARE EXACERBATING THE STRUCTURAL IMBALANCED BUDGET THAT WE HAVE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHILE UH, RAISES AND SUCH, UH, ARE WARRANTED AND NECESSARY, THOSE ARE RECURRING EXPENDITURES OUT INTO THE FUTURE.
SO IF WE ARE, UH, USING A FEDERAL ONE-TIME FINANCING SOURCE TO FUND ONGOING, UH, PERSONNEL OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF, OF COST, UM, THAT IS GONNA CREATE PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND I'VE, YOU KNOW, AT LENGTH DISCUSSED THE STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE AND, AND WHERE WE'RE AT ON THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GETTING MUCH BIGGER RATHER THAN SMALLER.
SO IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE A, A, A LARGE PROBLEM ONCE, UH, THE FEDERAL FUNDS ARE RUN OUT.
SO THE, YOU KNOW, THE SOLUTION AND CHALLENGES, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT, UH, NEW SOURCES OF REVENUE THAT ARE RECURRING BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO TIE A RECURRING EXPENDITURE TO A RECURRING SOURCE OF REVENUE IN, IN ORDER TO BALANCE, TRULY BALANCE THE BUDGET.
SO, UH, WE ARE ACTUALLY, UH, DOING THAT EXERCISE.
I KNOW AS PART OF THE BUDGET, UH, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT WILL PUT OUT THEIR FIVE YEAR PLAN.
UM, BUT I WOULD EXPECT, UH, IN THE OUT YEARS, UH, PARTICULARLY IN 25 AND 26, UH, WE'LL SEE A STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE PROJECTED PROBABLY DOUBLE OF WHAT IT WAS WHEN I FIRST CAME INTO OFFICE.
UH, YEAH, SO IT'S, IT'S REFLECTED IN THE FIVE YEAR PROJECTION THAT I HAD PRESENTED IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
UM, SO YEAH, SO IN FISCAL YEAR 24, 25, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE RPA ANYMORE.
AND SO RIGHT NOW WE DO HAVE RPA FOR THE REVENUE LOSS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET.
UH, AND THE NEED ON ADDRESSING THE PUBLIC SAFETY IS STILL OUT THERE.
SO, UH, AGAIN, AS CONTROL MENTIONED, IT IS WARRANTED.
SO WE DO NEED TO STILL CONTINUE
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TO TALK ABOUT, UH, NEW REVENUE SOURCES AND, AND COST CUTTING INITIATIVES THAT CONTINUE TO BE WHAT WE HAVE TO STRIVE ON FOR MORE EFFICIENCIES IN THE CITY.WE DO HAVE OUR CALL FOR THE REGULAR UPDATES ON THE OPEN FINANCE, EVEN THOUGH SAFETY STILL OUT THERE.
SO AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S, SO WE DO NEED TO, TO TALK ABOUT, I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY WHEN WE PROJECTED OUR BUDGET, I REMEMBER THAT WE SET THE PRICE OF OIL AT $20 A BARREL.
AND I BELIEVE NOW, UH, COUNCIL IT'S REACHED OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS A BARREL.
I WANNA THANK SO IS THIS SHOW IS PART OF THE IMPACT ON THE INCREASED PROJECT, A SALES TAX? I BELIEVE THIS FROM THE OIL, UH, BEHIND WHAT, WHAT IT SHOULD BE EITHER ONE OF YOU.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY WE WANT ANSWER THAT PROJECTED OUR BUDGET.
I, I REMEMBER THAT WE SET THE PRICE OF OIL AT, UH, $20, UH, A BARREL AND I BELIEVE NOW, UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S REACHED OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS A BARREL.
WE'RE HAVING SOME AUDIO ISSUES.
SO IT'S REPEATING THE QUESTION.
I THINK THE TWO QUESTIONS WERE WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THE OPEN FINANCE PROJECT? AND THE SECOND IS, WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF INCREASED, UH, PRICE OF OIL ON OUR SALES TAX? YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT? WE WE'RE HAVING A TEAMS PROBLEM.
SO WE'RE GONNA PAUSE FOR A SECOND.
WE'RE HAVING SOME AUDIO ISSUES.
SO IT'S REPEATING THE QUESTION.
I THINK THE TWO QUESTIONS WERE, IF YOU HEAR ANY BACKGROUND MUSIC WE'RE HAVING, WHAT'S KIND OF THE, THE VIETNAM FINANCE PROJECT AND THE SECOND CELEBRATION IMPACT, I GUESS YOU'D CALL IT THAT INCREASED
SO THAT'S THE MUSIC YOU'RE HEARING IN THE BACKGROUND, BUT AFTERWARDS, WE'RE UP.
UH, ALRIGHT, WE'RE BACK IN IN SESSION.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH, YOUR TWO QUESTIONS.
NUMBER ONE, THE SOFTWARE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTED, GIVE US A STATUS UPDATE ON THAT.
AND THEN THE SECOND WAS REVOLVED AROUND SALES TAX REVENUE GIVEN THE PRICE OF THE, A BARREL OF OIL.
SO ON THE UPDATE ON THE SOFTWARE, I KNOW, UM, THE HITS DEPARTMENT HAD PROVIDED THE TWO WEEKLY UP, UH, BIWEEKLY UPDATE TO YOU.
I THINK I HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME IN HERE.
I DUNNO IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, I CAN RESEND IT BACK.
UM, ON THE SECOND QUESTIONS FOR THE SALES TAX, UM, I KNOW WITH THE COVID IT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO PROJECT WHAT THE SALES STACK IS GONNA END, BUT BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR, IT HAS BEEN, UM, UH, INCREASING HIGH HIGHLY THAN WHAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED FOR FISCAL YEAR 22.
SO WE WILL BE REFLECTING ANOTHER PROJECTION ON SALES TAX BASED ON THE FEBRUARY RECEIPT, UM, AND IN THE NEXT MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT.
UM, GOING BACK TO YOUR QUESTIONS ON WHAT WILL BE THE FISCAL YEAR 23 EXPECTED, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
WE ARE, WE ARE FORMULATING THAT NUMBER AT THIS POINT, UM, TO BE READY FOR THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGET.
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IT IS, IT IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UM, THE PANDEMIC.UM, WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS ON LOOKING AT THOSE, UM, GROWTH IN THE SALES TAX BECAUSE IT IS VERY VOLATILE.
THANK YOU MAYOR PO TIM, AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE.
UH, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET.
UH, WHEN YOU ALL PUT OUT THE FIVE YEAR PROJECTION, IS IT GOING TO BE AS A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET, AS IN THIS IS WHAT A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET WILL LOOK LIKE? THESE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WILL HAVE TO BE DONE TO GET US THERE, UM, SO THAT WE SEE WHAT CUTS, IF NECESSARY NEED TO BE MADE OR WHAT TYPES OF CHANGES THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, MAKE WITHIN OUR CURRENT BUDGET TO ACTUALLY GET TO A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET.
AND EVEN IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS MORE HYPOTHETICAL, AT LEAST IT WILL GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE IN ORDER FOR US TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE NOW TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE WITH A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET.
SO, UM, IS THAT WHAT WE WILL SEE IN THE FIVE YEAR PROJECTION? SO WHAT YOU SEE IN THE FIVE YEAR PROJECT, UH, PROJECTIONS SIMILAR TO WHAT I HAD, UH, PRESENTED EVERY SINGLE YEAR, IS ESSENTIALLY THE PROJECTED, UM, GAP THAT WE HAVE TO, UM, WE, WE WILL FACE IN THE OUT YEARS BASED ON THE CURRENT PROJECTIONS ON WHAT THE REVENUES GROW AND WHAT THE EXPENDITURES, CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS WILL BE GROWING.
UM, SO YOU WILL SEE ESSENTIALLY THE, THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES THAT YOU EXPECT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, APART FROM THAT, UM, I, I KNOW WE HAD DONE A, UM, UH, PFM UM, STUDY DONE.
AND ONE OF THAT, AND I APPRECIATE IT, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, IS, IS THE OUTCOME BASED BUDGETING, RIGHT? AND SO ONE OF THE KEY THING THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IS PRIORITIZE YOUR BUDGETING.
UM, AND SO PRIORITIZE THE FOCUS ON WHAT WE WANT TO PROVIDE TO SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE THOSE HAVE COST, UM, TO GET TO THE OUTCOME BASED BUDGETING.
UNFORTUNATELY, WITH SO MANY DISASTER HITTING OUR, OUR CITIES THAT PROJECTS DOES GET, DID GET DELAYED.
AND SO WE ARE HOPING TO GET THAT DONE IMPLEMENTATION WISE, UM, MAYBE IN AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 23 AT THIS TIME BECAUSE IT, IT, IT, IT REQUIRES A CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM AS WELL.
AND I WOULD JUST ADD, SO THAT FIVE YEAR PLAN IS GONNA HAVE BASICALLY A, A BUDGET DEFICIT NUMBER, AND THAT'S WHEN I REFER TO THAT STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE, THAT'S THAT BUDGET DEFICIT NUMBER IS WHAT I'M REFERRING TO.
AND, AND THE THING I WOULD SAY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M SOUNDING THE ALARM NOW THAT NUMBER IS GROWING, AND YET WE'RE GETTING RECORD AMOUNTS OF REVENUE IN BOTH FROM RECURRING SALES TAX AND, AND OTHERS, AND ALSO ONE TIME FROM FEDERAL SOURCES.
BUT YET OUR PLANNED, AND YOU'LL SEE THIS, UH, NEXT MONTH WHEN THEY PROPOSE IT, THAT BUDGET DEFICIT IS GROWING AND IT'S NOT GROWING BY A FEW MILLION.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GROWING BY A HUNDRED MILLION.
SO, YOU KNOW, HEREIN LIES THE CHALLENGE.
WHAT WE, I THINK FROM THE CONTROLLER'S PERSPECTIVE IS WE SHOULD BE USING THESE ONE-TIME FINANCING SOURCES TO REDUCE THAT STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE RATHER THAN GROW IT.
THE PFM IS, I THINK, THE ROADMAP.
THERE ARE SOME UPDATED NEW OPPORTUNITIES, BUT I I, I WELCOME THAT QUESTION.
AND I WOULD RECOMMEND FOR COUNCIL THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE ADDING AND DOING ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO HELP US FINANCIALLY IN THE FUTURE RATHER THAN HURT US, RIGHT? AND IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT.
I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT IT FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, YOU HAVE A BUDGET DEFICIT NUMBER, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO WORK WITHIN YOUR CONFINES IN EACH DEPARTMENT AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS THE BUDGET DEFICIT NUMBER.
IDENTIFY THROUGH EACH DEPARTMENT WHERE THE CUTS NEED TO BAKE, BE MADE, OR SAY, YOU CANNOT GO BEYOND THIS, UH, AMOUNT FOR YOUR ANNUAL BUDGET.
AND THEN FROM THERE, WHATEVER'S LEFT, UM, YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT.
RIGHT? BUT IT SEEMS AS IF ON THE GOVERNMENT SIDE, WE FIND WAYS TO, UH, BANDAID THINGS TOGETHER AND KEEP MOVING TO THE NEXT YEAR, UH, FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
UH, WE DO THAT, THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT THERE WILL BE A TIME IN WHICH WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE SOME REALLY TOUGH AND HARD DECISIONS, UH, TO ENSURE THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OF THE CITY.
AND, UH, STARTING WITH THE BUDGET DEFICIT NUMBER GIVES US AN IDEA OF WHERE THOSE, WHERE THAT, WHERE THAT GAP IS THAT WE HAVE TO CLOSE.
IF, IF I COULD, IF I COULD CHIME IN, AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT, UM, KEEP IN MIND THE GENERAL FUND, CLOSE TO 70% OF YOUR BUDGET IS PUBLIC SAFETY, RIGHT? UM,
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SO NOW WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT HIGH OF, OF, OF A, UM, UH, PRIORITY AS THE PUBLIC SAFETIES.AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE, WE STILL HAVE THE REVENUE CAP.
WE STILL HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DO SOME TAX RATE ADJUSTMENTS, REDUCE THAT, UH, WHILE THE NEED IS OUT THERE.
AND SO THAT WILL BE A CHALLENGE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THIS BODY, UM, TO FACE THOSE CHALLENGING THAT PROFIT SECTORS DON'T HAVE.
AND IF I COULD INTERJECT, UH, THE CONTROLLER PROJECTS 91 90 $2 MILLION OVER THE 7.5 CITY PROJECTS, 115.
SO LET'S CALL IT ABOUT 104 MILLION.
HOWEVER, WE ALWAYS PASS A BALANCED BUDGET, BUT WE NEVER PASS A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE PRIVATE SECTOR DOESN'T HAVE DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS, WHICH IS OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE CITY.
MY OPINION, IF YOU WANT TO PASS A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET, OPEP OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, PRIVATE SECTOR DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF THESE BECAUSE THEY DISCONTINUED DEFINED BENEFIT PROGRAMS. SO ONE OF THE DIALOGUE THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN MAYBE LONG AFTER I'M ON CITY COUNCIL IS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ELIMINATION AS WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS OF DEFINED BENEFIT AND GOING MORE TO A DEFINED CONTRIBUTION, WHICH EVERYONE HAS BEEN LEERY OF DOING.
BUT THE BIGGEST BUGABOO THAT WE HA WE HAVE IS THE LIABILITY THAT WE EXTEND OUT THERE FOR OPE AND FOR SOME OF THE MONEY THAT WE OWE OUR RETIREES.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT FROM A PRIVATE SECTOR, UM, YOU KNOW, ONES THAT STILL HAVE 'EM, LIKE AN EXXONMOBIL OR THE COMPANY THAT I USED TO WORK FOR, THEY FUND THAT THROUGH PRESENT DAY EARNINGS.
THEY DON'T HAVE A TRUST FUND OUT THERE.
THEY HAVE A SMALL ONE, BUT THEY DON'T DO IT THE WAY THAT, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SHOULD DO IT.
AND THAT IS ATTACKING A TRUST FUND THROUGH OPE UH, UH, TRUST ALLOCATIONS.
SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ABEY CAME AND
I'LL SAVE THE, THE BENEFITS DEBATE, UH, FOR ANOTHER, FOR ANOTHER MEETING.
BUT, UH, A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS.
DIRECTOR EMO, UM, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, HAD THE MAJORITY OF DEPARTMENTS BEEN MAKING CUTS EACH YEAR? I'M SORRY, I MISSED IT.
CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? REPEAT THAT.
HAVE DEPARTMENTS, UH, BEEN MAKING BUDGET CUTS, PERSONNEL CUTS, AND OTHER TYPES OF CUTS AND HOLDINGS, UM, OR FREEZES THAT EACH YEAR? SO I KNOW WE DID NOT DO THE CUT LAST YEAR IN FISCAL YEAR 22.
UM, WE HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE ARPA MONEY, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE MAYOR HAD MENTIONED.
IF IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF ARPA ARPA, YOU WOULD HAVE MAJOR, UH, LAYOFFS IN THE CITIES DURING THE PANDEMIC.
UM, SO WE HAVE NOT DONE CUTS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT FOR THAT, THAT, BUT FOR THAT MONEY, WE WOULD'VE HAD TO.
AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU SAID IN TERMS OF, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE BANDAID, UM, DIRECTOR EMO, IN YOUR OPINION, AND CONTROLLER BROWN, YOU'RE WELCOME TO ANSWER THIS AS WELL.
UM, SOME OF THESE MAJOR EXPENSES THAT WE'RE NOW HAVING TO PAY FOR, UM, ARE IN FACT BECAUSE, UM, THOSE ARE BILLS THAT HAVE COME DUE.
SO WHILE WE ARE HAVING TO MAKE, UM, SOME SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENTS, THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT IN THE PAST, IN PRIOR ADMINISTRATIONS, ET CETERA, MADE CERTAIN INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN REQUIRED, RIGHT? IS THAT CORRECT? I DO NOT FOLLOW THE QUESTIONS.
I, I THINK THE QUESTION WAS IS A LOT OF THESE EXPENSES THAT WE ARE INCURRING TODAY ARE FROM PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS.
UM, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, MAYBE A, A SMALL, SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THAT.
BUT THE REALITY IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF, UM, DECISIONS THAT THIS BODY HAS MADE THAT ARE ADDING TO THOSE RECURRING EXPENDITURES.
AND AGAIN, AS I SAID EARLIER, THESE ARE, ARE PROBABLY NECESSARY.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.
AND THE ULTIMATE SITUATION IS THAT, UH, AS COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD DID SO ELOQUENTLY PUT IT, IT'S PUTTING A BANDAID ON A SITUATION THAT, UM, IT'S GONNA BE INFECTED AND MUCH WORSE IN THREE YEARS.
RIGHT? AND LET'S UNDERSTAND, 85% OF OUR EXPENDITURES ARE RELATED TO SALARY EMPLOYEES.
SO WE HAVE POLICE THAT RECEIVED A 4% FOR FISCAL YEAR 23.
WE HAVE FIRE THAT HAS 6% FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, AND WE HAVE MUNICIPALS THAT ARE THREE OR 3%, 3%.
SO THERE'S NO WAY WHEN YOU HAVE 85% OF YOUR BUDGET ALLOCATED TO FTES, THAT YOU CAN MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DENT INTO YOUR OVERALL BUDGET PROCESS.
THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE TO HAVE, AS CONTROLLER BROWN SAYS, EVERY YEAR WE HAVE ESCALATION AND, AND BUDGET NUMBERS.
[00:30:01]
WE'RE A PAYROLL RICH, UM, ENTITY THAT WE RUN HERE.SO THAT'S GONNA BE OUR PROBLEM TOMORROW.
IT'S GONNA BE OUR PROBLEM 10 YEARS FROM NOW, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
BECAUSE WE GIVE ANNUAL INCREASES, IF I CAN SAY, I MEAN, IT IS A MIXED BAG, RIGHT? AND, AND YOU DO HAVE, LET'S SAY, THOSE DEBT PAYMENT SCHEDULES THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND THEN THOSE INCREASES IN THE COST, JUST OVERALL COST INFLATIONS, UM, THAT IS NOT PACING YOUR REVENUE SOURCES AT THIS POINT, INCLUDING THOSE, UM, TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH THE MARKET, THEN YES, WE, THOSE INCREASES ARE NECESSARY TO RETAIN THOSE EMPLOYEES IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S JUST A MIXED BAG.
I WOULD, AND I WOULD SAY TO, SORRY, GO AHEAD, CONTROLLER.
I WOULD ALSO ADD, WE'RE WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO RESOLVE THE, UM, PROP B FIREFIGHTER PAY DISPARITY.
AND AT SOME POINT, I, I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE, UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE CITY THAT'S NOT HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO AT SOME POINT, A JUDGE IS GONNA TELL THE CITY HOW MUCH WE OWE AND BACK PAY AND, UH, INTEREST AND PENALTIES, AND THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO BE SUBSTANTIAL.
SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST HOPE THAT HAPPENS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER SO THAT MAYBE WE CAN USE SOME OF THAT FEDERAL MONEY TO ADDRESS IT IF POSSIBLE.
BECAUSE THE WORST CASE SCENARIO WOULD BE THAT WE RUN THROUGH THE FEDERAL MONEY, THE SALES TAX AND EVERYTHING ELSE STARTS TO NOMINALIZE AND COMES BACK DOWN, AND THEN WE GET HIT WITH A HUGE, YOU KNOW, LARGE PAYMENT.
I WON'T SAY HOW BIG I THINK IT IS, BUT IT'S LARGE.
AND CHAIR, I HAD ONE, I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION IF I, IF I MAY.
UM, AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE TALK ABOUT PAY.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AS, UH, A COMMITTEE AT SOME POINT, WE LOOK AT HOW COMPETITIVE OUR PAY IS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, UM, WE ARE LOSING CITY EMPLOYEES WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO PRIVATE, UM, AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES BECAUSE WE CAN'T PAY ENOUGH.
SO I KNOW THAT IT'S A BIG ISSUE AND THAT'S A BIG PART OF OUR BUDGET, BUT IN TERMS OF REMAINING COMPETITIVE, UM, IN THIS MARKET, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
UH, I MAY HAVE MISSED THIS EARLIER, DIRECTOR EMO, UM, HOW HAS THE COST OF MATERIALS AND WIDGETS DUE TO TRADE ISSUES, UM, IMPACTED, UH, OUR BUDGET? RIGHT NOW? I HAVE TO GET THOSE DETAILS FOR YOU SEPARATELY.
I DON'T HAVE THOSE DETAILS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I KNOW THAT THE DEMAND ON, LET'S SAY, UH, PROJECTS HAD INCREASED, RIGHT? UM, CIP PROJECTS, WE HAVE TO GET A REEVALUATIONS OF THE COST BECAUSE OF THE MATERIALS ARE INCREASING.
AND JUST KEEP IN MIND, UH, CAPITAL COST IS PAID OUT OF DEBT.
SO ANY INCREASE IN THE CAPITAL COST, ESSENTIALLY, UH, WE WILL, WE WILL BE TURNING OUT AS YOUR DEBT PAYMENT SCHEDULES, UH, IN THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, SO I DON'T HAVE THOSE DETAILS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I KNOW IT, IT HAS, I HAVE BEEN SEEING SOME INCREASES IN THE PROJECTED COSTS ON THE CAPITALS.
UM, SEPARATELY, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PAY, UH, I BELIEVE HR DOES A COMPENSATION STUDY FOR ALL THE MUNICIPAL POLICE CLASSIFIED AND FIRE CLASSIFIED, I BELIEVE EVERY THREE OR FIVE YEARS.
COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS.
LET'S GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
UM, AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR AND CONTROLLER.
UM, I KNOW WE AREN'T THROUGH THE PROJECTS THAT, UM, WERE ON THE LAST BOND, UM, THAT WAS PASSED, BUT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT LONG-TERM, UM, PLANNING AND DEFICITS, ARE WE LOOKING AT POTENTIAL FUTURE BONDS AND HOW THAT MIGHT AFFECT OUR BUDGET? BECAUSE I'M THINKING SPECIFICALLY OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND FUTURE PROJECTS, AND IF THERE'S AN EVALUATION OR GOING TO BE AN EVALUATION OF HOW THAT MIGHT ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE BURDENS ON THE BUDGET.
I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THE QUESTION, CUSTOMER.
SO WE ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT NOW OF THE, UH, REMAINING CAPACITY, UM, YOU KNOW, TO SEE HOW, HOW FAR WE CAN GO.
AND THEN IF WE NEED TO DO ANOTHER, UH, BOND ELECTIONS, I WOULD JUST ADD THAT INFLATION IS, UH, TAKING UP COST OF EVERYTHING AND ALSO INTEREST RATES.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE COST OF DEBT SERVICE FOR THE CITY TO ISSUE THOSE BONDS IN THE FUTURE WILL MOST LIKELY BE HIGHER.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, SHE'S STILL NOT BACK IN, STILL NOT BACK IN, UH, MAYOR PRO.
SO, IF I CAN ALSO ASK, UM, UH, UH, TO RESPOND TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S PREVIOUS QUESTIONS ON THE PLANNING SPECIAL FUND.
UM, I GET THE ANSWER THAT DELAY WAS FOR THE PLAT TRACKER PROJECT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
I'M LOOKING AT OUR LONG-TERM, UH, AT OUR CITY OF HOUSTON FINANCIAL POLICIES, THE FINANCIAL PLANNING POLICIES, WHEN YOU DO THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST,
[00:35:01]
IT'S SUPPOSED TO INCLUDE AN IDENTIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR ACHIEVING A STRUCTURAL BALANCED BUDGET IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR AND THE SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEAR, INCLUDING A LIST OF OPTIONS FOR ELIMINATING ANY FUNDING SHORTFALLS, PREVENTING ACHIEVEMENT OF A STRUCTURAL BALANCED BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR AND THE SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEAR.SO THAT'S, I THINK, ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD WAS ASKING ABOUT, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SITTING UP HERE, WE WANNA SEE WHAT'S COMING, AND WE'D LIKE TO KNOW SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
I MEAN, WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE LOOKING AT? SO I THINK IT VERY CLEARLY STATES IN OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT WE NEED THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THANKS, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS.
HER QUESTION WAS ANSWERED DURING DISCUSSION.
ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH QUESTIONS? SEEING YOU? NONE.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR EMO, WE HAVE NO PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
WE'LL NOW MOVE INTO REDISTRICTING 2022.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME DOUGLAS RAY, SENIOR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND MARGARET WALLACE BROWN, THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
SORRY FOR ALL THE BACKGROUND NOISE.
WE HAVE SIRENS, WE HAVE MUSIC, WE HAVE EVERYTHING GOING ON TODAY, SO YES.
BETTER MUSIC OF DAYS WITH YES, I ASK COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I AM A SENIOR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, I HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE WITH REDISTRICTING WORK.
SO, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S ASKED ME TO STEP IN AND, AND KIND OF BE THE POINT MAN ON THIS DEAL.
UM, I WAS WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR MANY YEARS AND WAS THE, UH, PRIMARY, UH, PERSON OVER THERE THAT HANDLED THE, UH, COUNTY'S REDISTRICTING BACK IN 2011.
UM, THE, UH, HOW DO WE CHANGE THE SAY CHANGE? SAY CHANGE START.
UM, WE LIVE IN A VERY DYNAMIC CITY, AS YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY MORE AWARE OF THAN ANY THAN ANYBODY.
UH, PEOPLE MOVE IN, PEOPLE MOVE OUT, THEY MOVE AROUND.
UH, EVERY 10 YEARS WE'RE CHARGED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF LOOKING AT THE CENSUS AND, UH, ADJUSTING OUR REPRESENTATION SO THAT, UH, IT IS, UH, FAIRLY AND ACCURATELY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, THIS REFLECTS THE, UH, DYNAMIC NATURE OF THE CITY, UH, ONE OF THE MOST DYNAMIC CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, I THINK.
UH, ONCE AGAIN, I'M DOUGLAS RAY.
UH, THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE AT THE COUNTY OR THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
MY PHONE NUMBER'S THERE ON THE SLIDE.
UH, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MY CELL PHONE NUMBER, I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU.
I USED TO REPRESENT ALL THE ELECTION PEOPLE, UH, UH, UH, AND USED TO GIVE THAT OUT ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS TO THE PUBLIC, UH, AT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
UH, MARK WALLACE BROWN HERE IS IN CHARGE OF THAT DEPARTMENT, UH, RAPISH KOHI RUPE KOHI.
I ALWAYS MISPRONOUNCE HIS NAME.
HE'S THE PRIMARY TECHNICAL CONTACT, UH, AT THE, UH, DEPARTMENT, AND THAT'S WHY HIS NUMBER IS INCLUDED THERE.
JERRY WOOD WAS WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT FOR 30 YEARS.
HE'LL BE PARTICIPATING IN A VERY DETAILED WAY IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS, THE LEGAL SUPPORT.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN GROUPS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO FILE SUIT AGAINST THE REDISTRICTING PLAN THAT THE CITY ADOPTED WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING WHAT IT WOULD BE.
UH, AND THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HIRED AND ARE RETAINED IN ORDER TO, UH, MEET THAT CHALLENGE IN THE COURTROOM.
AND WE THINK THAT THEY'RE A VERY EXPERIENCED GROUP AND, UH, WILL, UH, BE A BIG HELP TO US IF THAT COMES ABOUT.
UH, THE, I THINK THE ORIGINAL THREAT WAS THAT THIS SUIT WOULD BE FILED IN MARCH.
UH, THEY MAY BE WAITING TILL WE ACTUALLY COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT THEY COULD CHALLENGE DIRECTLY.
CAN YOU GIMME THE NEXT SLIDE? UM, THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS IS A PROCESS THAT GOES ON IN ORDER TO MEET, UH, POLITICAL NEEDS OF THE CITY TO GIVE FAIR REPRESENTATION TO, UH, GROUPS, UH, AROUND TOWNS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT INTERESTS.
UH, WE HAVE TO MEET CERTAIN CONSTITUTIONAL STANDARDS.
UH, THE CONSTITUTIONAL STANDARDS INCLUDE THAT, UH, ALL OF THE DISTRICTS, THE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS, HAVE TO BE BASICALLY EQUAL IN POPULATION, THAT THEY MAY NOT BE SET UP IN A WAY AS TO DILUTE THE VOTING STRENGTH OF EITHER RACIAL OR LANGUAGE GROUPS THAT ARE PROTECTED BY THE CONSTITUTION.
AND ALSO, THEY MUST BE, UH, IF THEY'RE, THEY CANNOT BE DRAWN PRIMARILY ON A RACIAL OR LANGUAGE BASIS UNLESS THERE'S A COMPELLING STATE INTEREST.
[00:40:01]
SLIDE, PLEASE.THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE WAS THE BASIS FOR THE ORIGINAL CONSTITUTIONAL DECISION, UH, BAKER VERSUS CARR, WHICH CAME IN 1962.
UH, UP UNTIL 1962, THE TEXAS OF THE, UH, UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT HAD ALWAYS TAKEN THE POSITION THAT REDISTRICTING WAS A POLITICAL DECISION THAT THEY COULD NOT INTERFERE WITH.
AND AT THAT POINT, UH, THE CASE WAS PRESENTED TO HIM OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, WHICH HAD A PROVISION IN THEIR STATE CONSTITUTION, WHICH REQUIRED REDISTRICTING EVERY 10 YEARS.
BUT BY 1960, THEY HAD NOT DONE IT SINCE 1901.
AND THE, UH, NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WERE REP REPRESENTED IN EACH DISTRICT WAS TREMENDOUSLY OUTTA BALANCE.
AND AT THAT POINT, THE SUPREME COURT STEPPED IN, CHANGED THE STANDARD, AND SAID THAT THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE ACTUALLY PROTECTED THE ONE PERSON ONE VOTE RULE, SO THAT ONE PERSON'S VOTE IN ONE DISTRICT WOULD HAVE THE SAME VOTING POWER AS IN OTHER DISTRICTS.
IN 1965, THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT WAS PASSED AND WAS LATER.
UH, IT'S BEEN REVISED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT SPECIFICALLY REQUIRED AS FAR AS REDISTRICTING IS CONCERNED, IS THEY CAN'T HAVE EITHER WHAT IS CALLED CRACKING OR PACKING.
UH, CRACKING IS WHEN YOU HAVE AN IDENTIFIABLE AREA, UH, WHERE A, A IDENTIFIABLE RACIAL OR LANGUAGE GROUP RESIDES, AND YOU DIVIDE IT UP SO THAT PIECES OF IT ARE PUT OFF INTO OTHER DISTRICTS, AND IT DILUTES THEIR VOTING STRENGTH BECAUSE THEY CANNOT ACTUALLY ELECT A CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.
AND DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VOTING STRENGTH IN THAT DISTRICT, UH, PACKING IS JUST THE OPPOSITE.
THEY IDENTIFY ONE AREA, PUT ALL OF THOSE FOLKS INTO ONE DISTRICT SO THAT THEY DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ELECT AT LEAST ONE PERSON, UH, AS A CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, ALL OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF VOTING STRENGTH, UH, ARE OUTNUMBER THEM.
UH, THE, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF STATES SUCH AS ALABAMA, WHERE THEY HAD SEVEN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS, UH, BUT 44% OF THE POPULATION IS AFRICAN AMERICAN, BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE, UH, DEMOCRATICALLY OR DEMOCRAT WHO'S ELECTED PRIMARILY BY, UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN VOTERS BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL INCLUDED GERRYMANDERED INTO ONE DISTRICT, SO THAT THE OTHER SIX CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS ARE, ARE REPUBLICAN, PRIMARILY ANGLO VOTERS.
THERE WERE A DISTRICT IN HISTORY OF THE, UH, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON UP UNTIL THE 1970S.
HOUSTON HAD ALL, UH, AT LARGE ELECTED COUNCIL PERSONS, SO THAT, UH, IF YOU WANTED TO RUN, YOU RUN CITYWIDE.
IT WAS, UH, UH, FINALLY RECOGNIZED THAT THIS, UH, DILUTED THE VOTING STRENGTH OF RACIAL AND LANGUAGE MINORITIES BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT ELECT ANYBODY, UH, UH, AS A, AS A, UH, CANDIDATE OF CHOICE BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT ALL PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY GOT TO VOTE FOR THE SAME CANDIDATES.
UM, UH, IN THE SEVENTIES, IT WAS DECIDED THAT THEY WOULD ADOPT A, A, A HYBRID SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE SYSTEM WE HAVE TODAY, WHERE NINE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS WOULD BE ELECTED, FIVE, UH, CITYWIDE DISTRICTS OR CITYWIDE CANDIDATES WOULD RUN, AND THEN THE MAYOR.
SO YOU'D HAVE, UH, SIX PEOPLE ON THE COUNCIL, INCLUDING THE MAYOR, UH, ELECTED AT LARGE AND NINE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS.
UH, THIS WAS CHALLENGED IN THE NINETIES ON THE BASIS THAT, UH, THAT SYSTEM DID NOT GIVE HISPANIC VOTERS WHO WERE GROWING IN POPULATION DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A, A CHANCE TO ELECT THEIR CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.
UH, THE SYSTEM SURVIVED, UH, BUT, UH, NOT WITHOUT A LOT OF LITIGATION.
AND THEN ALSO, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF LITIGATION HAVING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT KINGWOOD WAS ALSO ANNEXED DURING THE NINETIES.
UH, IN 2001 AND 2011, THERE WAS NO LITIGATION, UH, LUCKY US THAT, UH, WAS, UH, FOLLOWED THE REDISTRICTING.
UH, BUT ONE OF THE ORIGINAL, UH, PROVISIONS OF THE, UH, ADOPTION OF THE 9 5 1 SYSTEM WAS THAT WHEN THE CITY REACHED THE POPULATION OF 2.1 MILLION, THAT TWO ADDITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER SEATS WOULD BE ADDED.
AND THAT HAS IN FACT, HAPPENED.
SO NOW THE MAKEUP IS 11 DISTRICTS, FIVE AT LARGE, AND ONE MAYOR.
SO, UM, ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA, WHICH YOU'LL CONSIDER TOMORROW, IT'S, UM, ITEM NUMBER 12, I BELIEVE, IS A RESOLUTION WHICH WILL SET OUT ALL THE RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING TO UNDER UNDERGO.
[00:45:01]
IT DOES SEVERAL THINGS.IT SETS UP, UH, A PROCESS WHERE THERE'LL BE PUBLIC INPUT.
WERE THE PLANS THAT THE, UH, UH, OR THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE PROPOSED BY, UH, THE STAFF WILL BE HEARD BY THE PUBLIC AND BY THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
AND IT ALSO SETS THE STANDARDS, THE RULES, SO TO SPEAK, ABOUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THE PROCESS WILL LOOK AT IN TRYING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN FOR REDISTRICTING.
UH, SEVERAL OF THESE THINGS ARE LISTED HERE.
UH, THEY INCLUDE MAINTAIN, MAINTAINING A, UH, RELATIVELY EQUAL POPULATION FOR EACH OF THE DISTRICTS, UH, THAT THEY CONFORM TO COUNTY VOTING PRECINCTS, UH, THAT THEY HAVE EASILY IDENTIFIED GEO GEOGRAPHICAL BORDERS.
THEY MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF NIG NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST, THAT THEY BE COMPACT, THAT THEY AVOID PACKING OR CRACKING, AND THAT PRESERVE INCUMBENT CONSTITUENCY RELATIONSHIPS.
NOW, ONE COMMENT I HAVE ABOUT THE COUNTY VOTING PRECINCTS.
THE CITY DOES NOT ADMINISTER ITS OWN ELECTIONS.
UH, THE COUNTY DOES THAT, AND THEY, UH, REDRAW THOSE, UH, PRECINCT BOUNDARIES FOR VOTING PRECINCTS EVERY, UH, TWO YEARS.
THEY'VE DONE IT IN RE IN, UH, RESPONSE TO REDISTRICTING FOR, UH, US REPRESENTATIVE, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, STATE SENATOR, UH, AND COUNTY COMMISSIONER PRECINCTS.
ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF DISTRICTS, THE BOUNDARIES OF VOTING PRECINCTS HAD TO CONFORM TO THE BOUNDARIES OF THOSE TYPES OF DISTRICTS.
THEY DO NOT HAVE TO CONFORM TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICTS.
SO IN ORDER TO, UH, AVOID CONFUSION AND AVOID ADMINISTRATIVE HEADACHES WHEN THEY ACTUALLY TRY TO ADMINISTER THE ELECTION, FOR US, WE, UH, THINK IT IS A GOOD GOAL TO TRY TO CONFORM OUR COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICTS TO THOSE VOTING, UH, PRECINCT BOUNDARIES AS WELL, SO THAT THEY DON'T GET MIXED UP AT WHEN VOTING TIME COMES PROGRAM THE MACHINES INCORRECTLY.
AND WHEN YOU SHOW UP TO VOTE, YOU DON'T GET TO VOTE FOR THE PERSON WHOSE DISTRICT YOU LIVE IN AS OPPOSED TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT ONE'S THERE.
HERE IS WHY REDISTRICTING IS NECESSARY AT THIS POINT.
UH, ACCORDING TO THE LAST, UH, LAST CENSUS, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE CITY.
THE AVERAGE DISTRICT, IF YOU DIVIDE THAT BY 11, WOULD BE 209,507 PEOPLE.
AND IN EACH OF THESE CASES, IF YOU LOOK AT THE CHART, UH, THE PRECINCTS OR THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE, UH, EXCEED THAT AVERAGE BY MORE THAN 10%.
THOSE IN YELLOW, UH, ARE BELOW THAT AVERAGE BY MORE THAN 10%.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION OF, UH, ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE, WOULD REQUIRE THAT EACH OF THESE DISTRICTS BE WITHIN 10% OF THE AVERAGE.
SO THERE ARE FIVE DISTRICTS THAT ARE OUT OF BALANCE WITH THAT AVERAGE AND NEED TO BE ADJUSTED.
UH, SOME OF THE OTHERS ARE LESS, UH, OFF.
BUT, UH, ONE THING YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND IS WHEN YOU START MOVING AROUND POPULATION TO INCREASE OR DECREASE SOME DISTRICTS THAT'LL TAKE AWAY POPULATION FROM OTHER DISTRICTS.
SO THAT IT'S KIND OF A BALANCING ACT.
YOU HAVE TO SHIFT IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE AN, AN AVERAGE, UH, WHILE COMING UP WITH, UH, DEFENSIBLE BOUNDARIES AND KEEPING ALL THE OTHER STANDARDS.
MR. CAN I CALL AN AUDIBLE? AND THE REASON WHY IS IN A LITTLE WHILE, WE'RE GONNA LOSE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO THE, UH, VIETNAM APPRECIATION EVENT THAT WE'RE HEARING IN THE BACKGROUND.
SO, CAN WE, LIKE, I'LL SPEED IT UP.
JUST, JUST, OKAY, HOW'S THIS GONNA AFFECT US? WHAT ARE WE DOING MOVING FORWARD? WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? WELL, I'M JUST ABOUT TO HAND IT OFF TO, UH, THE, THE NEXT STEP AFTER YOU NEXT STEP APPROVE YOUR RESOLUTION ON TOMORROW, SHOULD YOU APPROVE IT, IS THAT WE WILL HAND, WE WILL BEGIN A SERIES OF TOWN HALL MEETINGS WHERE WE WILL GO OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
WE'RE NOT TAKING PROPOSED DISTRICTS OUT TO THE PUBLIC IN APRIL AND MAY, BUT EACH ONE OF THE, UH, DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAS GIVEN US A DATE AND A LOCATION, AND WE'LL GO OUT AND WE WILL MEET WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS.
ALTHOUGH ANYBODY CAN COME TO ANY MEETING AND WE WILL HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS IMPORTANT ABOUT REDISTRICTING FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, FOR THEIR INDIVIDUALS.
THIS IS WHAT WE DID IN 2011, AND WE FELT IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE FOR US.
AFTER THAT, AFTER THOSE MEETINGS, THEN THE WORK REALLY BEGINS IN-HOUSE WHERE WE START DRAWING DISTRICTS.
WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU IN SEPTEMBER WITH A PROPOSED PLAN.
WELL, ACTUALLY IN JULY, WE'LL HAVE A SERIES OF PUBLIC MEETINGS.
WE'LL MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS, AND IN SEPTEMBER YOU'LL APPROVE THE PLAN.
SO, PUBLIC MEETINGS TO GET INFORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC, NO MAPS AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
MAIN QUESTION WE HAD THE OTHER DAY WAS, I, I FELT THIS IS ME THAT, UM,
[00:50:01]
MOST COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD PREFER WE'RE GETTING INTO CIP.SO DO YOU HAVE A JOINT PLANNING AND CIP MEETING, OR DO YOU HOLD THEM SEPARATE BECAUSE THEY'RE HAPPENING AROUND THE SAME TIME PERIOD? UM, I'M GOING TO MAKE THE DECISION FOR MY DISTRICT THAT WE COMBINE THEM, BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CIP, UH, 2023 FISCAL YEAR 23 PLANS AND PROJECTS.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A COMBINED REDISTRICTING AND CIP PREDOMINANTLY FOCUSED ON REDISTRICTING.
SO, UH, COUPLE OF FEW QUESTIONS.
I'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER PECK FIRST BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, YOU'RE GETTING READY TO LEAVE TO GO DOWNSTAIRS.
BUT REAL QUICKLY, THANK YOU, CHAIR.
UM, I HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS I CAN GET WITH YOU LATER ON THIS, BUT YOUR COMMENT THAT THE MAPS ARE NOT GOING TO BE PART OF THE PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING, I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE POINT OF THE PUBLIC MEETINGS TO SHOW PEOPLE THE MAPS.
SO I GUESS I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED WHAT THE POINT OF THAT THOSE MEETINGS ARE GONNA BE, BECAUSE IF WE NEED TO JUST HEAR, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE, I COULD TELL YOU WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN DISTRICT DAY RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A WHOLE MEETING BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE ARE EXPECTING TO SEE THOSE MAPS AT THESE MEETINGS AND SEE HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT THEM AND WHO THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE.
I THINK WITHOUT THAT, I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, MY DISTRICT WANTS TO STAY THE WAY THAT IT'S
UM, AND SO I'M JUST A LITTLE CONFUSED WHAT THE POINT OF THOSE MEETINGS ARE THEN.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID IN 2011.
AND THESE MEETINGS WERE INCREDIBLY INFORMATIVE FOR US.
NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD COME AND SAY, WE WANT TO BE WITH THIS OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE BELIEVE THERE'S A, THERE'S A SYNERGY WITH HOW WE'RE DEVELOPED, AND WE BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE UNDER ONE COUNCIL.
DISTRICTS, UM, WITHIN ONE COUNCIL DISTRICT, UM, OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS CAME AND SAID, WE, WE ARE CUT IN HALF AND WE WANT TO BE REJOINED.
UM, THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW INTUITIVELY AND THAT EVEN PERHAPS EVEN THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS DIDN'T KNOW INTUITIVELY, WE WERE TOLD AT THOSE MEETINGS.
AND SO THIS IS A WAY FOR US TO GATHER INFORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC, FROM ALL HOUSTONIANS, UM, IN TERMS OF GIVING US DIRECTION SO THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE VOTING PRECINCTS AND THE POPULATIONS WITHIN THOSE VOTING PRECINCTS, WE ALSO HAVE THE DESIRE OF THE COMMUNITY.
ALRIGHT? AND I WOULD ASSUME THAT WE HAVE MAPS, BUT THERE ARE THE MAPS OF THE DISTRICT AS IT EXISTS TODAY, EXISTING THE EXISTING COUNCIL AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS COULD SAY TO, TO, UH, DIRECTOR WALLACE BROWN'S POINT IS THAT DOESN'T IT MAKE SENSE FOR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE INCLUDED WITH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD MOVING FORWARD? AND THAT'S WHEN THE DISCUSSION TAKES PLACE, THAT'S WHEN THE REVISION OF THE MAPS COMES BACK TO US.
AND IT'S ON THE TIMELINE THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED THAT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF.
IS THE 2022 TO 23 ANTICIPATED REDISTRICTING TIMELINE ON THE SCREEN? COUNCIL MEMBER ABEY CAYMAN.
I HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS, SO I MAY NEED TO BE PUT BACK IN THE QUEUE.
UH, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? I KNOW WE'VE BEEN HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
UM, GOING FIRST TO PAGE EIGHT.
UM, DOUG, I THINK THIS IS A QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT, UH, DIRECTOR, IF YOU WANNA ANSWER IT AS WELL, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE CONSIDERING A RESOLUTION TOMORROW OUTLINING SOME OF THE PRINCIPLES.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S NO WEIGHT INDICATED AS TO WHAT, UM, EACH OF THESE MAY BE WEIGHTED OR CONSIDERED UNDER.
SO HOW DO WE KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW THAT OBVIOUSLY, UH, PRESERVATION OF THE, UH, AND FOLLOWING THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT IN, UH, FOLLOWING ALL LAWS IS GOING TO TAKE PRECEDENT AS IT SHOULD.
BUT FOR EXAMPLE, UM, PRESERVING INCUMBENT CONSTITUENCY RELATIONS OR INTEGRITY OF NEIGHBORHOODS OR COMMUNITY INTEREST, UM, HOW ARE THOSE WEIGHTED COMPARED TO, UM, OTHER FACTORS? AND IN HERE, I DON'T SEE ANY WEIGHT GIVEN TO SPECIFICALLY, UM, CONSTITUENT INPUT.
SO WE'RE DOING THESE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, BUT UNDER THE, UH, REDISTRICTING CRITERIA, UM, I AM NOT SEEING WHAT WEIGHT WILL BE GIVEN TO CONSTITUENT INPUT.
DO YOU, DOUG? UM, BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO, UH, PRESERVE THE CONSTITUENT RELATIONS AND, UH, ALL OF THE OTHER FACTORS.
AND THE WAY THAT WE ASSURE OURSELVES THAT WE'RE DOING THIS IS BY GETTING CONSTITUENT INPUT AND MAKING A RECORD OF THAT CONSTITUENT INPUT AND TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AND ACHIEVING ALL THE GOALS THAT ARE LISTED THERE IN THE RESOLUTION.
RIGHT? BUT AGAIN, THE, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE ARGUMENTATIVE.
I JUST HAVE A CONCERN BECAUSE LISTED IN THE CRITERIA THAT COUNSEL IS GOING TO TAKE UP THAT GUIDES THESE PRINCIPLES, WE'RE NOT LISTING OR INCLUDING, UM, PUBLIC INPUT
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IN THAT.WELL, I THINK THAT PART OF THE RESOLUTION CALLS FOR THE HOLDING OF THE, THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS IN ORDER TO GET PUBLIC INPUT.
AND IT ALSO SCHEDULES THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS IN JULY, UH, THAT WILL BE NECESSARY BEFORE THE COUNCIL CAN ADOPT WHATEVER PLAN THEY EVENTUALLY DECIDE TO ADOPT.
I, I HEAR, AND DOUG, MAYBE WE CAN JUST TALK OFFLINE AGAIN, I JUST HAVE A CONCERN THAT WE'RE NOT LAYING OUT, UH, IN THE CRITERIA TO BE CONSIDERED.
UM, BUT GOING ON TO THE NEXT ONE, 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE SHORT ON TIME, UM, DIRECTOR WITH THE PUBLIC INPUT HEARINGS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY'RE GONNA GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY DRAW, UM, WHAT THEY FEEL IS A, A FAIR MAP THAT REPRESENTS THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, IS THERE GONNA BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMENT, ACTUAL PUBLIC COMMENT AND RECORDING OF THOSE COMMENTS? UM, VERBALLY DURING THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING IN THE DISTRICTS COUNCIL MEMBER, THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS ARE PRIMARILY LISTENING SESSIONS, SO THE PUBLIC CAN TELL US ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE IN TERMS OF THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, AND I DIDN'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY IT, WE HAVE A COMPUTER THAT WILL BE SET UP IN OUR OFFICES AT SIX 11 WALKER STREET, WHERE THE PUBLIC IS WELCOME TO COME DRAW THEIR OWN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.
THERE ARE SOME RULES AROUND THAT.
IT'S IN THE PRIVATE, IT'S IN THE PRESENTATION THAT WE SUBMITTED TO ALL OF YOU, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO, AND IT WILL BE ON OUR LET'S TALK HOUSTON, UM, WEBSITE, WHICH IS SHOWN RIGHT HERE.
THE LINK IS SHOWN RIGHT HERE ON THE SCREEN.
UM, THOSE PUBLICLY DRAWN, UM, BOUNDARIES WOULD BE, ARE DUE TO THE CITY PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS IN JULY, SO THAT WE CAN REVIEW ALL OF THOSE, UM, DRAW ALL OF THOSE INDIVIDUALLY DRAWN, UH, MAPS AND HAVE COMMENTS FOR THEM IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I, I THINK THAT WAS YOUR QUESTION.
I'M HAVING A HARD TIME HEARING YOU.
BUT AGAIN, ARE THEY JUST GONNA BE DOING THE ACTIVITY CALLED DRAWING MAPS? OR WILL THERE, FOR EXAMPLE, BE A MICROPHONE SET UP WHERE INDIVIDUALS CAN COME AND ACTUALLY SPEAK ABOUT WHAT THEIR OPINION IS? AND WILL THAT BE RECORDED OR DOCUMENTED IN SOME WAY? YES.
SO I UNDERSTAND WE'RE, I'M SORRY, I'M, I MISUNDERSTOOD YOUR QUESTION.
SO AT THE, THERE WILL BE THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS IN JULY WHERE WE WILL ALSO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT.
BY THAT TIME, THE CITY'S DRAFT MAPS WILL BE MADE PUBLIC, AND SO THE PUBLIC CAN COMMENT ON BOTH THE DRAFT MAPS AND ANY INDIVIDUALLY DRAWN MAPS THAT WERE COMPLETED BY THAT TIME.
YEAH, IT'S NOT, BUT NO ONE WILL, I WANTED TO CALL YOUR, GO AHEAD.
I WANTED TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE PART OF THE RESOLUTION THAT, UH, TALKS ABOUT THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS, AND IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE HOLDING THOSE IS TO RECEIVE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC.
UM, CHAIR, CAN, DO I STILL HAVE TIME OR DO I NEED TO BE PUT BACK IN QUEUE? COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS.
UM, DISTRICT AGE IS THE LEAST POPULOUS DISTRICT CURRENTLY.
WE ARE ALSO ONE OF THE LARGEST GEOGRAPHICALLY.
AND WHICH GETS ME TO THE POINT THAT I THINK THAT, UM, THAT, THAT CITIZENS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND ADDITIONAL TOWN HALL MEETINGS BESIDES THE ONE THEY'RE IN, ESPECIALLY FOR DISTRICT H BECAUSE, UM, WITH THESE NUMBERS, DISTRICT H WE SEE WILL GROW.
AND, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO HEAR THE, UH, THE CONVERSATIONS IN THE IN DISTRICTS THAT, AND THE DIRECTIONS WE MAY BE MOVING INTO.
AND IF, IF YOU COULD, UM, HELP COMMUNICATE THAT AND, AND NOT JUST MAKE IT THAT ONE DISTRICT HAS ONE MEETING.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE, UM, THE NEIGHBORS WILL ALSO, NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS WILL ALSO BE AFFECTED BY, BY THESE DECISIONS.
THAT'S ACTUALLY WISE SUGGESTION.
AND WE HAD INTENDED TO HAVE IN OUR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS THAT ANYONE MAY ATTEND ANY DISTRICT MEETING.
UH, WE WILL, WE WILL DO A BETTER JOB AT MAKING THAT CLEAR.
TO THAT POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER C THANK YOU.
BECAUSE WE, SOME OF US HAVE DISTRICTS THAT SPAN A LOT OF SPACE ALREADY.
UM, DIRECTOR WALL WALLACE BROWN, UM, I KNOW THAT SOMEBODY CAN COME TO CITY HALL TO WORK ON OR PROPOSE THEIR OWN MAPS.
WILL THERE BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT COMMENTS ONLINE FOR SOMEBODY, LET'S SAY, THAT CANNOT MAKE IT TO AN IN-PERSON MEETING OR MAKE IT DOWNTOWN TO CITY HALL? YES.
OUR WEBSITE HAS A FUNCTION WHERE PEOPLE CAN SIMPLY COMMENT TO THE WEBSITE.
I DO ALSO WANNA SAY THAT THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS WILL BE HYBRID MEANS WE WILL BE IN PERSON AT THE LOCATIONS.
HOWEVER, WE WILL BE BROADCASTING THROUGH THE INTERNET ALSO.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.
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BECAUSE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS IN JULY WILL BE AT CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, THEY WILL ALSO BE HYBRID.AND THEN DOUG, GOING BACK TO PAGE NINE, UM, JUST SO IT'S CLEAR, THIS SHOWS, 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE SAYING PERCENT VARIATION FROM THE AVERAGE.
THIS, THIS SPECIFICALLY IS THE TOTAL DEVIATION BETWEEN, IS THIS THE TOTAL DEVIATION BETWEEN THE LARGEST AND SMALLEST, UM, DISTRICTS? IS THAT WHAT THIS IS INDICATING? YEAH, BASICALLY, UH, THE, THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES THAT THE DEVIATION FROM THE AVERAGE BE NO GREATER THAN 10% IN ANY DISTRICT.
SO THE HIGHLIGHTED DISTRICTS ARE MORE THAN 10% OFF THE AVERAGE.
AND IT'S OUR GOAL TO BRING THAT AS CLOSE TO THE, THE AVERAGE IN EACH DISTRICT.
UH, BUT NO MORE THAN 10% DEVIATED FROM THE AVERAGE.
THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH AND THANKS TO YOUR TEAMS. I KNOW THIS IS, UM, AN UNPRECEDENTED HEAVY LIFT.
UH, DOUG, IN YOUR OPINION, I KNOW I'VE SPOKEN TO DIRECTOR ABOUT THIS, UM, ARE THE, WE ARE BOUND TO GO BY THE CENSUS NUMBERS EVEN THOUGH THE CENSUS BUREAU ITSELF HAS SAID THAT THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT UNDER COUNT.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT, YES.
WE SEE NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE AM I MISSING ANYONE? NO.
BEFORE WE ADJOURN, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE ON APRIL 26TH AT 10 O'CLOCK.
IF NO, NO OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, MEETING IS ADJOURNED.