[00:00:06]
ONE 40 ON TUESDAY, APRIL 19TH, 2022.I'M MAYOR VESTER TURNER, CALLING THIS MEETING THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER AS A HYBRID MEETING WITH SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS JOINING IN PERSON AND SOME USING MICROSOFT TEAM.
[PRESENTATIONS]
RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO ROGER KIPP TAYLOR TO HONOR HIM AS A VIETNAM WAR VETERAN.AND COLONEL TAYLOR, IF YOU WANNA JOIN ME UP HERE.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS COLLEAGUE TODAY.
KIPP TAYLOR IS A LONGTIME FRIEND OF MINE MAYOR, AND I WANTED TO DO THIS ON VETERANS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HONORED THE VIETNAM VETERANS VETERAN, UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO, YOU WERE IN MEXICO, AND, BUT WE HAD A WONDERFUL CEREMONY, UH, THAT THE MAYOR PRO TEM PRESIDED OVER.
AND, BUT THERE WERE ALREADY THREE PRESENTATIONS ON THAT DAY, SO I'M DOING IT TODAY.
UH, LIKE I SAID, HE'S A LONGTIME FRIEND OF MINE WITH A STORIED CAREER IN THE MILITARY, SO I'M JUST GONNA GET RIGHT TO IT AND READ THIS PROCLAMATION.
ON AUGUST 11TH, 1967, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE PILOT, ROD COLONEL ROGER KIPP TAYLOR MADE REPEATED LOW PASSES IN HIS ZERO DASH ONE BIRD DOG AIRCRAFT, UNDER THREAT OF HE HEAVY ENEMEN ENEMY WEAPONS FIRE, SO THAT HE COULD LOCATE AND EXTRACT A FRIENDLY PATROL ENGAGED IN COMBAT WITH A SUPERIOR HOSTILE FORCE.
AFTER RE RESCUING THE PATROL, HE THEN DIRECTED FIRE SUPPRESSION AND AIRCRAFT STRIKES ONTO THE ENEMY'S POSITION.
HIS COURAGEOUS ACTIONS SAVED THE PATROL FROM ALMOST CERTAIN PERIL.
THE FOLLOWING YEAR ON THE RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, COLONEL TAYLOR WAS SELECTED TO JOIN A TEAM OF TEST PILOTS TO DEVELOP AND TEST THE FLIGHT INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS AND CONTROL CONFIGURATIONS FOR AN ALL WEATHER LANDING SYSTEM, WHICH ENTAILED MAKING LANDINGS IN ZERO ZERO WEATHER CONDITIONS WITHOUT EVER SEEING THE RUNWAY.
THESE TESTS ENSURED LATER PLANES WOULD BE ABLE TO FLY LOWER TO THE WEATHER CEILING, AN OPERATION USED IN TODAY'S COMMERCIAL PLANE LANDINGS.
DURING HIS TENURE, COLONEL TAYLOR FLEW ON 385 COMBAT MISSIONS, RECEIVED 18 AIR MEDALS, TWO SILVER STARS, AND A DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS.
FOLLOWING HIS DISCHARGE IN 1991, HE OPENED AND MANAGED INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICES FOR PRATT AND WHITNEY UNITED TECHNOLOGIES IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, AND TEL AVIV, ISRAEL.
HE WAS ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOEING INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA.
HE RETIRED FROM THE BOEING COMPANY AND SETTLED IN HOUSTON.
HE IS THE FATHER OF TWO DAUGHTERS, GRANDFATHER OF SIX PLUS A GRANDSON IN-LAW, AND GREAT-GRANDFATHER TO TWO.
ON APRIL 19TH, 2022, COLONEL TAYLOR WILL BE HONORED FOR HIS WORK, TIRELESS COMMITMENT TO THE FREEDOM AND SECURITY OF THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED, THE, UH, OF THE UNITED STATES.
ENJOY TODAY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS COLONEL TAYLOR ON HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ALCORN.
AND SO I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SAYING, THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER MAYOR CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM THIS DAY, APRIL 19TH, 2022, AS COLONEL ROGER KIPP TAYLOR DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I GIVE MYSELF FEW WORDS FIRST.
YES, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, MAYOR TURNER.
UM, I WAS IN THE AIR FORCE 25 YEARS, ENJOYED THEM ALL, UH, HAD, UH, GREAT TIMES.
AND DURING THAT TIME, I MOVED MY FAMILY 12 TIMES, AND THAT THEY WEREN'T ALWAYS DIVIDED EQUALLY.
TWO YEARS, TWO YEARS, SOME WERE EVERY YEAR.
UM, AND THAT IT CREATES A LOT OF HARDSHIPS, AND THOSE HARDSHIPS FELL ON MY CHILDREN, AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE THEM HERE.
TRACY, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND UP? Y'ALL COME ON UP.
THIS IS MY DAUGHTER, TRACY CHRISTIE.
D SHE WENT TO FOUR DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS.
AND IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN PUT YOURSELF BACK IN THAT PERIOD OF YOUR LIFE, GOING INTO A NEW SCHOOL, TRYING TO MAKE FRIENDS, LEAVING THEM AFTER A YEAR AND REPEATING IT FOUR TIMES, UH, IT WAS TOUGH.
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SHE WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT HOUSTON, THAT WAS THE, SHE JOINED THE TRIDELTA SORORITY, AND THAT FOUR YEARS WAS THE LONGEST HOME SHE HAD HAD IN HER LIFE.WHEN THEY GRADUATED AND CAME TO HOUSTON, SHE HAD ONE SEMESTER LEFT AND SHE QUIT AND FOLLOWED THEM TO HOUSTON.
I WAS UPSET AT THE TIME, BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND IT NOW.
AND SHE LATER GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND HAS RISEN TO BE A STRONG, INDEPENDENT, UH, HAPPY, A SUCCESSFUL LADY.
SHE'S THE SENIOR ACCOUNTANT FOR ENERGY, ENERGY, AND SHE'S MARRIED TO RICK CHRISTIE, WHO IS AN EXECUTIVE WITH STAR OF HOPE, AND THEY HAVE THREE WONDERFUL CHILDREN, KIM, TOO, AND KIM'S GREAT TOO.
ANN, NOW I'M GETTING TO MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER,
THIS IS MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER, KIMBERLY.
CRAIG KIM WENT TO THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN THE FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH GRADES.
AND IF YOU CAN IMAGINE BEING AT THAT AGE, TRYING TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS, LEAVE THEM AFTER A YEAR AND REPEAT IT FOR FOUR TIMES.
AND SHE HAS JUST RETIRED FROM A VERY SUCCESSFUL CAREER, 33 YEARS WITH DELTA AIRLINES AND HAS MARRIED TO MARTIN CRAIG.
HE IS THE US REPRESENTATIVE FOR A FOREIGN PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY, AND SHE HAS THREE CHILDREN, MY GRANDCHILDREN RANGE, AND I, I LOVE THEM ALL.
MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE FROM LAWYERS TO MANAGERS FOR IT COMPANIES, TAX SPECIALIST MARKETING, AND ONE IS A MOTHER.
BUT WITHOUT THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF TRACY AND KIM, I WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THAT 25 YEARS.
AND I LOVE THEM SO VERY MUCH, AND I AM HONORED AND PROUD TO ACCEPT THIS AWARD TODAY.
MAYOR TURNER, THEY'RE PROUD TO HAVE YOU HERE ON THEIR BEHALF AND IN THEIR NAMES, TRACY AND CHRISTIE, TRACY AND KIMRA.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THEY GOT SOME, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE IN THE QUEUE.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, MR. MICHAEL KOSH, COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH WAS JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
UH, THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH.
YES, MY BROTHER ED WAS ON THE USS CITY HALL IN THE BAY OF TONKIN.
AND, UH, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE, HIS SERVICE.
AND NEXT WEEK OR NEXT MONTH, I'LL BE GOING TO THE NAVAL ACADEMY AND THE GREAT LAKES FOR MY GRANDSON TO GRADUATE, AND I'LL BE AT THERE AT HIS GRADUATE.
THANK YOU FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY.
CONGRATULATIONS AND CONGRATULATIONS TO YOUR GRANDSON.
COUNCIL VICE MAYOR PROAM, MARTHA CASTEX, TATUM, COLONEL TAYLOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, I RECOGNIZE THAT PRIDE OF A FATHER, UM, AND HIS CHILDREN.
AND SO MANY TIMES, WE, UM, TAKE FOR GRANTED THE SACRIFICES THAT OUR FAMILIES MAKE WHEN WE ARE SERVING.
AND SO I WANTED TO NOT ONLY SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, BUT SAY THANK YOU TO YOUR FAMILY WHO REALLY UNDERGIRDED YOU SO THAT YOU COULD SERVE SELFLESSLY IN OUR AIR FORCE.
AND, UM, WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SACRIFICES, UM, SO THAT YOUR FATHER COULD MAKE THE SACRIFICES THAT HE MADE FOR THE SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU FOR THIS GRAND RECOGNITION.
[00:10:01]
DESERVED.COUNCIL MEMBER ED POLLARD, WHOSE FATHER SERVED IN VIETNAM, COUNCIL MEMBER.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIMM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU FOR BEING IN THIS PROCLAMATION.
UM, COLONEL TAYLOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, UM, THE SACRIFICE OF YOUR FOR THANK ME, YOUR, THE SACRIFICE OF YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY.
UH, MY FATHER ALSO SERVED IN VIETNAM, UH, IN THE MARINES, UH, WENT THERE IN 67 AND SERVED ALL AS 68 AND 69.
AND WHEN I LOOK AT YOUR FAMILY, IT IS A REPRESENTATIVE OF, OF FAMILIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, UM, THAT HAD DADS AND UNCLES AND BROTHERS THAT HAD TO GO OFF AND SERVE.
AND SO YOU REPRESENT ALL OF THEM AND YOU'VE SERVED US WELL.
AND, UH, BEST WISHES TO YOU GOING FORWARD.
AND TELL YOUR FATHER FY AND COLONEL TAYLOR, CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS GREAT HONOR.
MR. WILLIAM PAUL THOMAS STANDING BEHIND ME.
HIS WIFE TINI WAS A SCHOOL NURSE AT LUBBOCK AS BEL AIR, SO, UH, QUITE AN INFLUENCE, HOPEFULLY ON YOUR DAUGHTERS IN THE POSITIVE WAY FOR SURE.
SO, BUT GOD BLESS, GOD BLESS YOU.
AND, AND MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WHO HAVE COME DOWN AND THEY'VE BEEN TALKING TO ROBERT DEMBO AND DR.
THEY HAVE, UH, BEEN SO KIND AND COME DOWN HERE AND TALK, VISITED WITH HIM EARLIER, AND ALSO DID SUCH A TREMENDOUS JOB AT THE VIETNAM VETERANS, UM, CELEBRATION.
CURRENTLY, IF YOU'LL TURN RIGHT AROUND, LET US GET YOUR FAMILY RIGHT.
CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER NAN HUFFMAN FOR THE NICARAGUA AMERICAN FOUNDATION IN HONOR OF AZULI BLANCO NICARAG EXILE COMMUNITY JET DAY.
SO I'M EXCITED TO GET TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION.
THE NICARAGUA AMERICAN FOUNDATION WAS INITIATED IN 1986 WITH THE GOAL OF CELEBRATING THE CULTURE IDENTITY AND THE CUSTOMS OF NICARAGUA IN 2007.
THEY FORMALIZED THEIR ORGANIZATION AS A NONPROFIT 5 0 1 C3, AND AS AN EXILE COMMUNITY, THEY FELT LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO LOSE THEIR IDENTITY WHILE IN EXILE.
AND SO THEY KEEP THEIR COMMUNITY ACTIVE AND ENGAGED BY HOSTING ANNUAL EVENTS LIKE A PICNIC, A BASEBALL TOURNAMENT, AND ANNUAL DONATION DRIVES.
AND SINCE 2018, THEIR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION HAS ACTIVATED ITS HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT MECHANISM.
TEXAS HAS SEEN AN INCREASE IN OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND NICARAGUANS ARRIVING AS REFUGEES WITHIN THE LAST 12 MONTHS AS GOOD HOUSTONIANS.
THE FOUNDATION HAS ORGANIZED DONATION DRIVES, WHICH RESULTED IN DONATIONS TO REFUGEES OF FOOD, CLOTHES, SHOES, JACKETS, UM, VITAMINS, BIBLES, WHICH HAVE ASSISTED OVER 2100 NICARAGUA FAMILIES.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE EXCITED TO WALK YOUR ORGANIZATION AND CONTINUE TO GROW AND CONTINUE TO HELP MR. MAYOR.
OKAY, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SAYING, SO THEREFORE, I SVE TURNER MAYOR CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM IN THIS DAY, APRIL 18TH, 2022, AS THE ZOO E BLANCA NICO ROCKMAN EXILE COMMUNITY DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WELL, I WANNA BEGIN, FIRST OF ALL BY SHARING OUR GRATITUDE TO OUR CREATOR, CITY COUNCIL, COUNCILWOMAN HUFFMAN AND MAYOR TURNER, THE NICK ISLAND COMMUNITY.
FIRST EXILED TO HOUSTON BACK IN THE LATE SEVENTIES, EARLY EIGHTIES.
WE'RE FLEEING A COMMUNIST DICTATORSHIP AND WE'RE BLESSED TO HAVE ARRIVED HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND MORE SO IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY WE CALL HOUSTON.
WE ARE MEMBERS OF CHURCH, PLACES OF WORSHIP.
OUR FAMILIES HAVE GROWN UP HERE.
WE'RE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, WE'RE GOOD CONSTITUENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE GO TO THE RODEO EVERY YEAR.
ALSO, WE'VE LEARNED THAT HOUSTON HAS A PHENOMENAL GIVING HEART, EITHER KATRINA OR RITA, EITHER TORNADOES IN ALABAMA, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, OR WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA.
POLITICS ASIDE, HOUSTON ALWAYS STANDS UP AND SUPPORTS IN TIMES OF NEED.
WE COPIED AND PASTED THAT MODEL, AND WE CAN PROUDLY SAY THAT WE SELF-ORGANIZE, SELF ACTIVATED, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEND THAT HINT, THAT LENDING HAND AS THE GOOD HOUSTONIANS WE ARE TODAY.
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THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF NICARAGUANS HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL TO NOT ONLY SAY THAT WE'RE NICARAGUANS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TODAY SAY THAT WE ARE HOUSTONIANS.GOD BLESS TEXAS, AND GOD BLESS THE GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON.
COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, FOR BRINGING THIS IMPORTANT PROCLAMATION FORWARD.
AND THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING, UH, THE NICARAGUA AND NICARAGUAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION.
THIS IS INDEED A WORTHWHILE HONOR, THE BLANC NICARAGUA EXILE COMMUNITY DAY.
SO WE ARE VERY HAPPY AND ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE, AS YOU SAID, THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF NICARAGUANS.
AND I KNOW THAT MAKES US ALL SO PROUD IN THIS GREAT AND DIVERSE CITY, UH, TO HAVE YOU WITH US TO CELEBRATE THIS SUPER, SUPER IMPORTANT DAY.
SO, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH GLADIUS AS WELL, AND, UH, GOD BLESS YOU.
SO ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE TODAY WE HAVE OUR VICE PRESIDENT, FERNANDO FORES LOVO, SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN, CONSTITUENT, AND GOD LOVING HOUSTONIAN.
AND RIGHT HERE WE HAVE CCO ELA.
Y'ALL CAN CALL HIM CHACO CCO IS KIND OF HARD TO MENTION.
ALSO, A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS PERSON CONSTITUENT AND GOD-FEARING HOUSTONIAN.
UM, BOTH HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD, UM, FOR OUR DONATION DRIVING TO ASSIST OUR COMMUNITIES.
OKAY, UM, TWO EXCELLENT PROCLAMATIONS AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR, FOR BRINGING THEM TODAY.
[2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
UH, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, NO, I'M SORRY.THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON FOR THE INVOCATION AND THE PLEDGE.
WITH US TODAY IS BARKLEY THOMPSON, UH, BARKLEY, IF YOU'D COME TO THE PODIUM, UM, UH, BARKLEY WILL SHARE THE INVOCATION WITH US TODAY.
FEW WORDS ABOUT BARKLEY AND HIS MINISTRY.
UH, HE SERVES AND IS THE EIGHTH DEAN AND 23RD RECTOR OF THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL, UH, WHICH IS THE OLDEST CHURCH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF TEXAS.
BARKLEY IS AN AVID AND PROLIFIC WRITER.
HE'S PUBLISHED ESSAYS IN THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY, AND HE'S THE AUTHOR OF TWO BOOKS, ELEMENTS OF GRACE, AND IN THE MIDST OF THE CITY, THE GOSPEL AND GOD'S POLITICS.
UH, BARKLEY CHAIRS THE BOARD OF THE BEACON, HOUSTON'S LARGEST EMPOWERMENT DAY CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS, UH, ORGANIZATION WE'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH.
AND HE ALSO SERVES ON THE NORTH AMERICAN COMMITTEE FOR ST.
GEORGE'S COLLEGE IN JERUSALEM, UH, WHICH IS THE ANGLICAN CENTER IN THE HOLY LAND.
AND HE ALSO SERVES ON THE EPISCOPAL HIGH SCHOOL BOARD IN HOUSTON, GO KNIGHTS, WHERE MY DAUGHTER AT, WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL AND, AND THE VICE MAYOR PRO PRETENDS SON.
UM, JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE HERE, BARKLEY, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT GREAT DEGREES IN PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION.
UH, FROM HENDRICKS COLLEGE, MAGNA C*M LAUDE, A MASTER OF DIVINITY FROM THE SEMINARY OF THE SOUTHWEST IN AUSTIN, AND ALSO A MASTER OF ARTS IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.
SO, UH, WE ARE SO BLESSED TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
HE'S MARRIED TO HIS WIFE, JILL, WITH TWO CHILDREN AND MAYOR, I'M VERY HONORED, BARKLEY.
A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO ON THE VERY BUSY DAY WE HAD WITH THE FAMILY DAY IN THE PARK, I WAS ASKED TO ATTEND A PRAYER VIGIL AT THE CATHEDRAL THAT BARKLEY INVITED FOLKS TO ATTEND ON BEHALF OF THE CONFLICT IN
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THE UKRAINE.SO, WITH THAT, BARKLEY, I KNOW YOU'VE PREPARED SOME WORDS FOR US, BUT WITH, UH, HOLY HEARTS, WE'RE PREPARED TO WORSHIP WITH YOU.
UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, LET US PRAY.
MOST GRACIOUS GOD, YOU HAVE BOUND US TOGETHER IN A COMMON LIFE, AND FOR A TIME YOU HAVE SET APART THESE WOMEN AND MEN TO LEAD OUR CITY.
SEND DOWN UPON OUR MAYOR AND COUNCIL THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM, CHARITY AND JUSTICE, THAT WITH STEADFAST PURPOSE, THEY MAY FAITHFULLY SERVE TO PROMOTE THE WELLBEING OF ALL PEOPLE SO THAT BARRIERS WHICH DIVIDE US MAY CRUMBLE, SUSPICIONS, DISAPPEAR, AND HATRED, CEASE THAT OUR DIVISIONS BEING HEALED.
WE MAY LIVE IN JUSTICE AND PEACE.
AND GRACIOUS GOD, GRANT THIS COUNCIL GRACE, ALWAYS TO REMEMBER THE CITY'S IMPOVERISHED AND NEGLECTED, WHOM IT IS SO EASY TO FORGET THE HOMELESS AND THE DESTITUTE, THE ELDERLY, AND THE SICK, AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE NONE TO CARE FOR THEM.
GRANT THIS COUNCIL COURAGE AND WISDOM TO LEAD OUR CITY, TO HEAL THOSE WHO ARE BROKEN IN BODY OR SPIRIT, AND TO TURN THEIR SORROW INTO JOY.
AND FINALLY, GRACIOUS GOD, GRANT OUR MAYOR AND COUNCIL THE GRACE TO RELY NOT ON POLITICS, BUT ON YOUR STRENGTH, AND TO ACCEPT WHOLE AND OPENHEARTEDLY THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TO OUR CITIZENS.
THAT THEY MAY MAKE WISE DECISIONS FOR THE WELLBEING OF OUR CITY, AND THAT THEY, AS ALL OF US MAY SERVE YOU FAITHFULLY IN OUR GENERATION.
AND TO THE HONOR OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
PLEASE RISE TO THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING]
UH, CHAIR, RECOGNIZE SECRETARY FOR THE CALLING OF THE ROLE, MAYOR TURNER.WHO'S HERE? WAS THAT CAROL? EVAN SHABAZZ.
PRESENT? COUNCILMAN CISNEROS? HERE.
HERE WE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF MARCH 29TH AND 30TH.
COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN IS PRESENT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN POLICE SHOW HER HAS BEEN PRESENT.
[PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
UM, JUST A FEW PROCEDURAL MOTIONS OF, AND THIS IS PRIMARILY FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE MEETING WITH US, UM, REMOTELY.UH, PLEASE, UH, IF YOU NEED TO LEAVE THE MEETING, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW, THEN YOU CAN PROCEED TO HANG UP.
UH, STATE YOUR NAME WHEN MAKING OR SECONDING A MOTION.
UH, FOR THOSE JOINING VIRTUALLY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, UM, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW.
IF WE FAIL TO SEE YOU, JUST SPEAK UP AND I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU.
AND THEN PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU MUST BE VISIBLE ON CAMERA WHILE YOU ARE SPEAKING.
UH, FOR THOSE WHO ARE GONNA BE PARTICIPATING IN THE PUBLIC SPEAKER AND AT THE PUBLIC SESSION, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A PUBLIC SPEAKER, YOU HAD TO SIGN UP, UH, WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE ABOUT 3:00 PM ON YESTERDAY.
AND WE WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN, IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGNED UP.
UH, WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, UM, UH, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM IF YOU'RE HERE IN PERSON.
IF YOU ARE CALLING ONLINE, UH, REMOTELY, PLEASE, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX.
AND THEN YOU CAN PROCEED TO SPEAK THE ONE, TWO, OR THREE MINUTES FOR WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED, UH, AFTER YOUR TIME HAS IS UP.
UH, YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY COME TO A STOP.
UH, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PROCEDURAL MOTIONS.
FIRST, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN FOR PROCEDURAL MOTION.
I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE PAUL MADERO TO
[00:25:01]
JOIN THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST.SECOND, ROBINSON, BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
UH, ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR IS NONE.
CHAIR RECOGNIZES, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
I MEAN, I'M COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX FOR PROCEDURAL MOTION.
I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND MOVE, UH, MS. UH, WRIGHT.
UM, I THINK HER NAME IS MARIAN WRIGHT.
UH, TO BE W RIGHT DIRECTLY BEHIND MS. SYLVIA BLAIR ON THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA FOR ONE MINUTE.
KUBOSH BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY OTHER PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? MAYOR, UH, CO.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON? UH, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT, UH, WE ADD EMMA HAD NOT, WHO'S NOT ON THE LIST FOR THREE MINUTES? NON AGENDA.
ANY OTHER PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? CHAIR NONE.
MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU PROCEED TO CALL THE, UH, SPEAKER'S, LIST THE FIRST SPEAKER.
IF YOU'RE OPPRESSED, STAR SIX, YOU CAN PROCEED.
SAVANNAH KUMAR, IF YOU'RE OPPRESSED, STAR SIX.
IF YOU'LL GET RIGHT BEHIND THAT MIC.
IS THAT POSSIBLE IF YOU'LL GIVE IT TO RENEE? RENEE, HE'S COMING UP NOW.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY, COUNSEL MAYOR.
UH, WE LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF WESLEYAN PLAZA NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF RICHMOND AND WESLEYAN.
WE HAVE A BUSINESS OPEN THERE AT THE END OF DECEMBER CALLED SOCIAL HOUSE.
UH, THAT WAS MEANT TO BE, IT MEANT TO BE A, UH, HOOKAH LOUNGE.
BUT SINCE BEING OPEN, THEY ARE, UH, BROADCASTING AT VERY LOUD VOLUMES, UH, RAP MUSIC.
THERE'S A, THERE'S DJS, THERE'S SOMETIMES BANDS AND THE RESULTANT PROBLEMS. UH, WE HAVE CREATED A PETITION AND YOU'LL SEE THOSE.
UH, THE SECOND PAGE OF THE HANDOUT IS A MAP SHOWING THE SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND, UM, WE ALL LIVE RIGHT BEHIND IT ON MARKHAM STREET.
AND THE BUSINESSES, UH, HAVE ALSO SIGNED THIS PETITION WITHOUT FAIL ALL THE RESIDENTS ON MARKHAM STREET, BECAUSE IT GOES ON FROM 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT TILL AFTER TWO IN THE MORNING.
AND THAT'S ALSO ON AFTER THE SIGNATURES THAT'S IN THE LAST PAGE OF THE HANDOUT.
WE'VE TAKEN READINGS AT VARIOUS TIMES, VARIOUS DAYS OF THE WEEK, AND IT'S THE SAME DEVICE THAT THE POLICE HAVE, UH, TO MEASURE DECIBEL LEVELS SO THAT WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A MUNICIPAL CODE AND IT'S BEING VIOLATED.
AND WE ALSO KNOW NOW THAT THE BUSINESS DOES NOT HAVE THE PERMIT TO DO THIS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOME HELP HERE TO, UH, DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM.
AND ALSO, UH, IF I CAN GET ACCESS TO THE COMMITTEE THAT'S, UH, WORKING ON A, A NEW SET OF RULES FOR THIS SITUATION WITH THE, UH, VOLUME LEVELS OF BUSINESSES, OF CLUBS, ESPECIALLY ON WASHINGTON AVENUE.
BUT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
IT'S THE ONLY, UH, BUSINESS LIKE IT ON RICHMOND.
THE REST OF IT'S A VERY QUIET AREA.
AND, UM, THE BUSINESSES HAVE ALL SIGNED, ALSO SIGNED, AND, UM, BECAUSE THEY ONLY HAVE SIX PARKING SPACES IN FRONT OF IT, YOU'LL SEE IT THERE ON THE LITTLE MAP.
[00:30:01]
ONLY GOT SIX, SIX, UH, PLACES THEIR CUSTOMERS HAVE TAKEN TO PARKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN FRONT OF OTHER BUSINESSES.AND JUST YESTERDAY I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE OWNER OF THE FORT BEND MUSIC CENTER.
YOU'LL SEE HE'S TWO DOORS DOWN JUST ON THE AIR SIDE OF THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL.
THEY WERE ASKED TO USE THEIR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
THANK YOU, SIR, FOR COMING IN.
UH, MY NAME'S SALLY ALCORN AND I CHAIR THE REGULATORY AND NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
AND WE ARE, UM, LOOKING AT REVISIONS TO STRENGTHEN THE NOISE ORDINANCE.
THE DECIBELS ARE 58 AT, IF THEY'RE MEASURED AT A RESIDENCE AT NIGHT.
UM, SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO REPORT THESE.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO REPORT TO NON-EMERGENCY, UH, HPD LINE WHEN, WHEN THIS OCCURS, AND WE ARE, THE, THE REVISIONS THAT WE'RE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, IT WOULD REQUIRE BUSINESSES THAT PLAY AMPLIFIED SOUND AFTER 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT ON A WEEKDAY, OR 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT ON A WEEKEND TO, TO OBTAIN A PERMIT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN STAY WITHIN THE DECIBEL LEVELS THAT ARE PRESCRIBED.
SO, AND YOUR AND YOUR COMMITTEE IS THE ONE THAT'S GONNA TAKE CARE OF THIS.
I'M HAPPY PERMIT, SO HAPPY TO SHARE MY INFORMATION WITH YOU.
I'LL, I'LL MEET YOU DOWN HERE AND, AND HAPPY TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
AND IS IT POSSIBLE ATTEND YOUR MEETING? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
WE JUST HAD ONE AND, AND ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE, BUT WE'RE MY, WE'RE MY STAFF TEAM AND I ARE HAPPY TO SHARE THE INFORMATION FROM THAT MEETING.
IS IT ONLINE? YES, EVERYTHING'S ONLINE ON THE REGULATORY AND NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS COMMITTEE WEBSITE.
THERE'S A RED LINE OF THE CURRENT ORDINANCE PLUS A PRESENTATION THAT THE ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS GAVE AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING RECENTLY.
MY NAME IS VINCENT COLBERT AND I'M THE CEO OF HOUSTON INNER CITY COUNSELING.
IF YOU LOOK UP HOUSTON INNERCITY COUNSELING.ORG, YOU CAN SEE MY WEBSITE AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO DO FOR THE CITY.
AND WHAT WE ARE OFFERING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS COUNSELING LIFE SKILLS, MENTAL HEALTH REFERRALS AND OUTREACH.
WE SEE THAT THE CRIME AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE ALL DEALING WITH.
WE'RE ALL ADDRESSING, TRYING TO KEEP OUR CATALYTIC CONVERTERS AND TRYING TO KEEP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAFE.
WHEN WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE IMPLEMENTED IN ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE MARGINALIZED, OR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DISENFRANCHISED, WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THESE PROGRAMS, WE CAN SEE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
IF YOU LOOK AT MY WEBSITE, I HAVE A SHORT VIDEO THAT KIND OF EXPLAINS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AND THE THINGS THAT I'M WORKING ON ADDRESSING.
I WANT TO HELP, UH, HOUSTON, I WANNA BRING HOUSTON TO A PLACE.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CITY AND WE HAVE WONDERFUL INDIVIDUALS AND WE SHOULDN'T BE AFRAID TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND ENJOY OUR LIVES.
AND IF WE HELP SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CURRENTLY DEALING WITH SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THEY HAVE, WE CAN SEE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON NOW DIMINISH.
UM, I SAW THAT THE MAYOR HAD GONE OUT TO, UM, AKERS HOMES AND HE DID AN OUTREACH OUT THERE.
I USED TO WORK IN, UM, AKER HOME.
I WORKED FOR A PROGRAM CALLED ABUNDANCE LIVING, UM, CLOSE TO DOLLY WRIGHT.
AND I SEE THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, AND YOU HAVE TO GO OUT THERE.
YOU NEED TO GO OUT AND GET INTO WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD AND TALK TO THESE INDIVIDUALS AND HELP THESE INDIVIDUALS AND BRING SOME OF THE, UH, RESOURCES THAT THEY MAY NOT KNOW THEY HAVE ACCESS TO.
IF YOU WERE BUILDING A HOME AND YOU ONLY HAD ONE TOOL OR NO TOOLS, YOU WOULDN'T BUILD A HOME THAT WOULD STAND THE WEATHER, THAT WOULD STAND THE STORM, THAT WOULD BE A HOME THAT YOU WOULD WANNA LIVE IN.
SO A LOT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS DO NOT HAVE THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO DO THE RIGHT THING SO THAT THEY WILL HAVE ALTERNATIVES, UM, COMMUNITY, UH, ACCESS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, COMMUNITY ACCESS TO PROGRAMS FOR PARENTS THAT HAVE NEEDS, THEY MAY HAVE, UM, WORK AND NOT HAVE THE CHILDREN NOT NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE TIME AND THE ENERGY THEY NEED TO SOME OF THEIR CHILDREN.
SO WE WANT TO KIND OF BE THAT BRIDGE TO GAP, THAT AREA.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST AND HELP AND BRING, UH, HOUSTON TO A PLACE WHEN PEOPLE COME TO VISIT.
THEY'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT BEING KNOCKED IN THE HEAD OR HAVING, UH, UM, TO DEAL WITH THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY WHEN THEY GO TO SOME OF THE, THE WONDERFUL AREAS WE HAVE HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND MR. COLBERT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UH, WHERE'S, WHERE'S YOUR PROGRAM LOCATED? WE'RE AT, UM, 26 56 SOUTH LOOP WEST, RIGHT ACROSS
[00:35:01]
FROM THE ASTRODOME, UM, RIGHT THERE WHERE SOME OF THE ISSUES HAVE TAKEN PLACE.AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS, THEY CAN COME TO MY PROGRAM.
I WOULD LOVE TO INVITE YOU TO COME, WE'RE AT, UM, 26 56 SOUTH LOOP WEST SUITE 2 25.
YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND COME UP AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU AND SHOW YOU AROUND AND TALK ABOUT SOME MORE THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP.
MR. COLBERT, THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING, BEING HERE TODAY.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO HELP.
UM, I SAY IT ALL THE TIME, GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITIES ON THE GROUND THAT ASSIST US WITH MAKING SURE OUR, OUR SOCIAL ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED.
UM, YOU DID SAY SOMETHING ABOUT A WEBSITE.
WHAT'S THE WEBSITE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION? I HAVE SOME CARDS.
IT'S HOUSTON INNER CITY COUNSELING.ORG.
RENEE CAN GET THOSE HOUSTON INNER CITY COUNSELING.ORG.
AND I HAVE A FULL LAYOUT ON EVERYTHING.
THE, UM, OUTREACH PROGRAM, THE, UH, LIFE SKILLS, UM, THE COUNSELING AND THE MENTAL HEALTH REFERRAL.
WE HAVE THOSE THINGS AND WE WANNA MAKE HOUSTON JUST, YOU KNOW, A MUCH BETTER PLACE THAN WHAT IT CURRENTLY IS.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND I'LL DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR WEBSITE AND WE'LL REACH OUT TO YOU.
AND ONE MORE THING, MAYOR, MY COUSIN, WHO'S A RETIRED COLONEL SAID THAT HE WENT TO THE SAME, UM, ALMA MATER THAT YOU WENT TO.
SO HE TOLD ME TO TELL YOU THAT.
WILL YOU PLEASE TELL HIM I SAID HELLO? I'M SORRY.
COUNCILMAN MAYOR SHABA ON THE SCREEN.
AND I THINK, I THINK I HAD A MEETING WITH YOU A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND CERTAINLY I AM SO GLAD THAT YOU HAVE COME FORWARD BECAUSE WE DO NEED ALL THE ASSISTANCE WE CAN GET.
AND I'LL GET YOUR CARD AS WELL.
AND CERTAINLY I HAVE A, A PSYCHOLOGICAL BACKGROUND SO I KNOW THE NEEDS, UH, OF THE PEOPLE.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU OFFERING YOUR SERVICES.
THANK YOU ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS.
OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, JOHN MATURA.
JOHN MATURA, I HAVE YOUR PRESS STAR SIX.
MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU GO BACK UP TO THE VERY FIRST SPEAKER, SAVANNAH KUMAR.
SAVANNAH KUMAR, YOU PRESS STAR SIX, YOU CAN PROCEED.
HELLO MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS SAV KUMAR AND I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE A CLE OF TEXAS.
AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE A CE OF TEXAS TODAY TO ASK THAT YOU REVISE THE ORDINANCE PROPOSED IN COUNCIL ITEM 43 TO ENSURE THAT IT CONFORMS WITH FEDERAL LAW AND DOES NOT RESULT IN UNCONSTITUTIONAL SEARCHES AND SEIZURES.
AND WE SENT A LETTER OUTLINING OUR CONCERNS EARLIER TODAY, AND WE WOULD BE SO GLAD TO WORK WITH YOU ON REVISING THE ORDINANCE TO ENSURE THAT IT PROTECTS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.
THE ORDINANCE PROPOSED IN COUNCIL ITEM 43 VIOLATES THE FOURTH AMENDMENT OF THE US CONSTITUTION.
AND AS IT'S DRAFTED, IT WILL LIKELY RESULT IN UNCONSTITUTIONAL SEARCHES AND SEIZURES THAT WILL VIOLATE THE PRIVACY RIGHTS OF HOUSTONIANS.
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE FORCES BUSINESSES TO CREATE AND STORE SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE OF THEIR OWN CUSTOMERS, THEIR OWN EMPLOYEES, AND ANYONE WHO EVEN MERELY PASSES BY THE BUSINESS ON THE STREET.
AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PRIVACY RELATED CONCERNS ABOUT THE ORDINANCE, BUT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HOW CHANGING JUST ONE SINGLE WORD OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE WOULD HELP GUARD THE PRIVACY RIGHTS OF HOUSTONIANS.
RATHER, UM, THEM STATING THAT A BUSINESS SHOULD PROVIDE SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE TO THE POLICE WITHIN 72 HOURS OF A REQUEST, WHICH IS THE LANGUAGE THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
THE COUNCIL SHOULD REQUIRE THAT FOOTAGE MUST ONLY BE PROVIDED IN RESPONSE TO A WARRANT AND WARRANTS REQUIRE THE POLICE TO DEMONSTRATE PROBABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE A CRIME WAS COMMITTED BEFORE SEARCHING PRIVATE PROPERTY WARRANTS REQUIRE THE POLICE TO SPECIFY THE OFFENSE THEY BELIEVE WAS COMMITTED AND NARROW THE SCOPE OF THE SEARCH BY SPECIFYING WHAT THEY'LL BE SEARCHING AND WHY THEY BELIEVE THAT IT WILL CONTAIN EVIDENCE OF AN OFFENSE.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS SAFEGUARD HOUSTONIANS FROM INVASIVE AND UNWARRANTED PRIVACY ABUSES, INCLUDING SITUATIONS WHERE PRIVATE BUSINESSES BECOME EXTENSIONS OF THE CITYWIDE SURVEILLANCE TEAM.
THE ORDINANCE MUST MAKE CLEAR WHAT IS REQUIRED BY THE CONSTITUTION THAT BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEMAND THAT THE POLICE OBTAIN A WARRANT BEFORE SEIZING OR ACCESSING SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE THAT'S IN THEIR POSSESSION WITHOUT THE REQUIREMENT FOR A WARRANT.
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE WILL LIKELY RESULT IN DRAGNET POLICING THAT VIOLATES THE FOURTH AMENDMENT AND COMPROMISES THE PRIVACY OF HOUSTONIANS.
THIS ORDINANCE CREATES AN END RUN AROUND THE CONSTITUTION BY CARVING ITSELF OUT FROM THE NORMAL WARRANT REQUIREMENTS.
WE URGE YOU ALL TO REVISIT THIS ORDINANCE RATHER THAN PASSING IT TODAY
[00:40:01]
AS IT'S DRAFTED.AND MY OFFICE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SERVE AS A RESOURCE TO YOU TO HELP YOU CONTINUE TO REFINE THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO REFLECT THE RIGHTS THAT ARE IN ENSHRINED BY THE CONSTITUTION.
BUT THIS ORDINANCE REQUIRES, UM, UH, CAMERAS FOR PUBLIC FACING.
THEY COME, THEY'RE LOOKING OUTWARDS AND THE ORDINANCE IS INTENDED, UH, SOLELY TO DEAL WITH WELL FILING OFFENSES ARE BEING CREATED.
SO IF SOMEBODY IS OUT THERE SHOOTING AND KILLING AND ROBBING, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S AN ISSUE, THEN THEY CAN TAKE IT UP WITH THE COURTS.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S THE INTENT OF IT IS PUBLIC FACING.
AND IT'S, UM, IS TO, UH, NUMBER ONE, TO DETER CRIMINAL, UH, PEOPLE WHO MAY BE INCLINED TO COMMIT A CRIME.
AND NUMBER TWO IS AIM TO RESOLVE, UH, SITUATIONS WHERE CRIMES HAVE BEEN COMMITTED.
IT IS NOT JUST TO BE LOOKING AT PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING AND GOING, UH, FROM A CONVENIENCE STORE, A CLUB OR A BAR BAR.
SO IT'S WHEN AN INCIDENT, A VIOLENT CRIME INCIDENT OCCURS, UM, THAT'S WHEN THE INFORMATION WOULD BE SOUGHT.
UM, AND IF LEGAL, UM, COULD JUST ANSWER FOR ME AND IT CAN BE OFFLINE.
I JUST HAD A FOLLOW UP QUESTION BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IN TERMS OF HOW, UH, THIS ORDINANCE IS CURRENTLY WORDED AND WHAT WE DISCUSSED IT, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ALREADY SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, IS THAT, UM, THIS MIRRORS AN ORDINANCE THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE REQUIRING CERTAIN FACILITIES TO HAVE, UM, INSIDE CAMERAS, FOR EXAMPLE, CONVENIENCE STORES THAT HOUSE ATMS AND THAT WE'RE NOT VEERING AWAY FROM, UH, THAT STANDARD THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE.
AGAIN, I I'M NOT SURE IF LEGAL CAN ANSWER THAT NOW, BUT IT I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT, UH, BACKGROUND WHEN POSSIBLE.
I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT NOW.
UM, NO, I'M SORRY THAT WAS, THAT, THAT WAS A QUESTION FOR OUR CITY LEGAL.
AND, UM, UM, CITY LEGAL CONCERNING GET, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, TO RESPOND TO ANY CONCERNS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
IF YOU A PRESS STAR SIX, YOU CAN PROCEED.
CLIFTON ARTS A RDS CLIFTON A HERE CLIFTON.
TIAWANA BRYANT TIAWANA BRYANT.
IF YOU OPPRESS STAR SIX, YOU CAN PROCEED.
DO I HAVE TO PRESS, OH, SORRY I DIDN'T.
IF I HAD TO PRESS ANYTHING, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME.
HELLO, MY NAME IS STACY SEAL STINSON.
I HAVE BEEN A, A RESIDENT OF THE HEIGHTS FOR 26 YEARS.
I AM HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF ARTS.
WHAT IS ARTS? IT'S AN ALLIANCE FOR REASONABLE TRA TRA TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF HEIGHTS, BUSINESSES AND HOMEOWNERS WHO HAVE COME TOGETHER TO BUILD A COALITION AGAINST 11TH STREET ROAD DIET AND OTHER ROAD DIET CITY HALL IS PLANNING ON IMPOSING THROUGHOUT HOUSTON.
WE ARE PRESENTING THIS POSITION PETITION OF OVER A THOUSAND NAMES SIGNEES, THAT HAS BEEN ACTIVE FOR ONLY 18 DAYS.
85% OF THE SIGNEE ARE FROM THE HEIGHTS RESIDENCE AREA AND SURROUNDING AREA.
MAYOR TURNER OPPOSITION DOES NOT MEAN OPPOSITION TO BIKE LANES AND IT SURELY DOESN'T MEAN OPPOSITION TO YOUR VISION ZERO PLAN.
IT MEANS OPPOSITION TO THE REDUCTION OF 11TH STREET AND SECTION SIX TWO OF HIGH HOUSTON BIKE PLAN.
IT IS STATED THAT COMMUNITY SUPPORT IS VITAL.
DAVID FIELD SAID THAT THERE IS AN OVERWHELMING SUPPORT TO THIS INITIATIVE.
HOWEVER, OUR DATE AND OUR COMMUNICATION SHOW OTHERWISE THE CITY HAS NOT PROPERLY INFORMED TAX PAYING RESIDENTS OR BUSINESSES OF THE HEIGHTS.
MOST OF THE BUSINESSES ON 11TH STREET, THEY WANNA REMAIN ANONYMOUS.
YOU WANNA KNOW WHY? BECAUSE THEY GET HARASSED BY BY HOUSTON.
I WAS AT A MEETING AT BUCHANANS AND GUESS WHO GOT HARASSED FROM BY HOUSTON? ME.
I DON'T WANNA BE THAT END OF IT.
FEBRUARY 15TH, DAVID FIELD STATED THAT THERE ARE NO STUDIES CONDUCTED TO SHOW THAT THERE IS A DEMAND OR A DESIRE FOR THESE BIKE LANES.
ADDITIONALLY, L'S TALK HOUSTON EVEN CLARIFIES THAT THERE'S NO STUDIES.
SO WHAT DID WE DO? WE PUT IT OUT ON, ON NEXT DOOR.
AND WHAT DID WE ASK? WE SAID, DO YOU THINK THE CITY SHOULD TAKE AWAY TWO CAR LANES ON 11TH STREET TO MAKE BIKE LANES? 1400 VOTES CAME IN AND 73% SAID NO.
WOULD YOU EVER USE BIKE? A BIKE LANE ON A LEVIT STREET? LET'S SEE IF WE GET UTILIZATION.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BIKE HOUSTON IS QUOTED AND NOTED THAT BUSINESSES WERE NOT
[00:45:01]
AWARE QUOTED.HE SAYS THAT'S PRETTY STANDARD FOR PEOPLE TO NOT KNOW WHAT'S COMING.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SEEK OUT THAT INFORMATION AND IF YOU'RE NOT SEEKING OUT THE INFORMATION, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS SHOW UP AT YOUR DOORSTEP.
DO YOU KNOW THAT THE ATTENDANCES OF THE MEETINGS HAVE ONLY BEEN ABOUT 60 PEOPLE AND THE MOST IT WAS FEBRUARY WHEN THE RESIDENTS FINALLY FOUND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? IT WAS A CAPACITY OF A HUNDRED.
SO ONLY A HUNDRED PEOPLE COULD ATTEND THAT MEETING.
RIGHT? SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT I WANNA BRING FORWARD CITY STARTED TALKING BEFORE THEY TALK TO THE COMMUNITY.
I WOULD NEVER TRAVEL ON 11TH STREET.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE ON L TALK.
HOUSTON, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP HOMEOWNERS, FAMILIES, CHILDREN, AND PETS SAFE FROM THE DRIVERS THAT ARE SPEEDING DOWN THE STREETS? WHO'S GONNA PROTECT THE TAXPAYERS? WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? MARGARET WALLACE BROWN STATES, IF AFTER IT IS COMPLETED IT WARRANTS ADJUSTMENTS, WE'LL DO IT.
THAT'S A WASTE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO DO SOMETHING AND THEN HAVE TO REDO IT.
ONE OF MY MOST FAVORITE QUESTIONS THAT I GET ALL THE TIME IS, WHERE IS COUNCIL MEMBER CAMERON? THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REQUESTS TO MEET WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVE, HOWEVER, WE ARE TOLD THAT DUE TO HEALTH ISSUES, SHE IS NOT ABLE TO MEET IN PUBLIC.
DID IT STOP HER FROM ATTENDING THIS MEETING? ONE SECOND.
YEAH, TIME HAS EXPIRED, I THINK.
UM, UH, COUNCILMAN KNOX, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO COUNCIL TO TALK.
COUNCILMAN MIN KNOX IS ON THE SCREEN.
SO MS. UH, MS. SEALS QUESTION, QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE PASSED THE BIKE PLAN, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE BIKE PLAN WAS SUBJECT TO CHAIN THE COMMITTEE.
AND UH, APPARENTLY THAT WAS NOT THE CASE AND IS NOT THE CASE NOW.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU'RE NOT AVO, YOU'RE NOT OPPOSED TO BIKE LANES IN THE AREA, YOU JUST DON'T WANT THEM ON 11TH STREET.
IS THAT CORRECT? I MEAN, I LOVE THE BAYOU SYSTEM.
I TAKE MY BIKE FROM MY HOUSE TO THE ASTROS GAME.
THAT IS NOT WHAT WE'RE OPPOSED TO.
WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A CITY.
MAYOR TURNER, I THINK YOU WERE QUOTED IN, UM, THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE TWO WEEKS AGO, UM, OH, EXCUSE ME, SORRY, UM, TWO WEEKS AGO ABOUT SAYING IT'S A PIECEMEAL PROJECT AND THAT WAS OVER THE SPEED BUMPS IN OAK FOREST.
I FEEL WE NEED A HOLISTIC APPROACH.
WE NEED EVERYBODY INVOLVED, NOT JUST ACTIVISTS BY HOUSTON PEOPLE.
WE COULD MAKE THE HEIGHTS WONDERFUL.
SO MY, MY QUESTION THOUGH IS YOU HAVE A SOLUTION IN MIND, LIKE WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO MOVE IT ONE BLOCK OVER AND AND THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMMUNITY? OR WHAT IS YOUR IDEAS ABOUT A SOLUTION? SO THERE WAS, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY.
THERE IS A SOLUTION AND THERE HAS BEEN SOLUTIONS AND PEOPLE HAVE, UM, PASSED THEM DOWN.
ONE OF THE PLANS IN BY HOUSTON BASICALLY STATES, IF WE COULD GET MORE PEOPLE TO RIDE THE BIKES, FOR INSTANCE, THE SCHOOLS, UM, GET CHILDREN SAFELY TO GO BACK AND FORTH SO PARENTS DON'T HAVE TO GO PICK 'EM UP RIGHT THERE ON 14TH STREET.
IT GOES RIGHT BY THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE MATURE ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY RIDE THEIR BIKE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN NOT, UH, JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOLERS ARE NOT, OF COURSE THEY HAVE TO CROSS THE STREET OVER THERE.
BUT IF YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE AN IMPACT AND GET PEOPLE RIDING THEIR BIKES AND, AND REDUCE CRASHES AND ALL THAT KINDA STUFF, PUT IT IN A PLACE WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE UTILIZED.
DON'T PUT IT IN A PLACE THAT'S NOT GONNA BE UTILIZED.
THAT'S NOT THE IDEA OF THE CITY.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO GET OUT AND USE 'EM.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA USE 'EM ON 11TH STREET.
AND I'M NOT GONNA GO RIDE MY BICYCLE TO PICK UP A MATTRESS.
I'M NOT GONNA GO RIDE MY BICYCLE TO GET MY CAR FIXED.
I'M NOT GONNA GO RIDE MY BICYCLE TO PICK UP MY GROCERIES AT KROGER STORE AND THEN I'M GONNA STOP OFF AT BUCHANANS AND PICK UP A BUNCH OF PLANTS FROM A SPRING.
BUT WHAT I CAN DO IS ENJOY THE CITY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO, OH, OH, I'M SORRY.
UM, AND MS. SEALS, I KNOW THAT MY CHIEF OF STAFF HAS REACHED OUT TO YOU.
WE AND MYSELF INCLUDED, HAVE BEEN AT MULTIPLE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE PAST TWO YEARS.
SO I WANNA THANK AGAIN, BUCHANANS FOR HAVING THEIR OWN MEETING.
UNFORTUNATELY, I COULD NOT BE THERE, BUT WE DID HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM MY STAFF.
UM, I HEARD IT WAS WELL ATTENDED.
UH, WE'VE SPOKEN WITH DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, BUT I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, THIS ISN'T JUST BY HOUSTON.
UH, I WAS JUST ON THE PHONE WITH CIVIC LEADERS, WITH CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, ALL OF WHO NOT ONLY SUPPORT, UM, THE EFFORT TO IMPROVE SAFETY, INCLUDING THE CROSSWALK AT NICHOLSON, WHICH HAS BEEN A PRIORITY
[00:50:01]
FOR ME.AND IF YOU, I KNOW HOW FAMILIAR YOU ARE WITH THE AREA, RIGHT? 11TH STREET, RIGHT AT NICHOLSON, THAT CROSSWALK IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
UM, BUT I WANNA ALSO RECOGNIZE THE CIVIC GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS, THAT HAVE VOICED SUPPORT FOR IT, UM, THAT HAVE HAD THEIR COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE GONE INTO THIS.
I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE MAYOR, UM, I THINK SEVERAL OF YOUR STAFF HAS BEEN MENTIONED, INCLUDING DAVID FIELDS, WHO, UM, HAS AT LEAST WORKED WITH MY OFFICE WHEN WE'VE RECEIVED RESIDENT FEEDBACK, UM, HAS BEEN EXTREMELY ACCOMMODATING, INCLUDING ADDING IN LEFT TURN LANES FROM 11TH STREET, NOT LEFT TURN LANES, EXCUSE ME, BRAKES, UM, FOR, TO ALLOW LEFT TURNS INTO NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND WE'VE GOTTEN SOME OF THOSE ADDED IN.
SO I JUST AGAIN, WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE, UH, COMMUNITY EFFORT AROUND THIS PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON, UH, FOR YEARS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MS. SEALS, I'M, I'M SORRY, I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION, UH, BUT I DON'T WANNA MISCHARACTERIZE SOME OF THIS AS ONLY ONE ORGANIZATION 'CAUSE THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF FOLKS INVOLVED IN THIS.
I'D LIKE TO LEAVE THE PETITION.
WHO SHALL I MEET THAT WITH? YES MA'AM.
RENEE, THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
I LIVE IN THE HEIGHTS AND I'M ALSO A HEIGHTS BUSINESS OWNER.
18 YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED OUR BUSINESS, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE NEEDED TO MAIL OUT NOTICES AND AS WELL AS POSTING A VISIBLE VARIANT SIGN IN CASE THERE WAS OPPOSITION TO OUR INTENDED PROJECT.
AT THE INCEPTION OF THE 11TH STREET PROJECT, WE OWN 500 FEET OF PROPERTY.
THAT'S SEVEN PROPERTIES ON 11TH STREET AND THREE PROPERTIES ON 10 AND A HALF STREET.
WE HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY TYPE OF NOTIFICATION FROM THE CITY OF THE PROPOSED 11TH STREET ROAD DIET PROJECT, WHICH WILL CONVERT FOUR LANES TO TWO ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE.
SHOULDN'T THE CITY BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO THE SAME STANDARDS OF NOTIFICATIONS AS BUSINESSES? AS A BUSINESS OWNER, I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT DELIVERY TRUCKS, EMERGENCY VEHICLES, AND GUESTS HEADED TO ESTABLISHMENTS ON 11TH STREET AND THE IN INABILITY TO NAVIGATE THERE SAFELY.
I WANNA BE PERFECTLY CLEAR, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO BIKE LANES AND I SHARE THE CITY'S DESIRE FOR SAFETY.
MY CONCERN IS IN THE EFFORT TO PROMOTE A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE FOR TRANSPORTATION, WE'RE ELIMINATING CAR USAGE.
IT UNDERMINES THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO ENJOY TRANSPORTING THEMSELVES IN A TIMELY MATTER FROM POINT A TO POINT B IN THEIR OWN VEHICLE.
I BELIEVE A BIKE BOULEVARD IS A MUCH SAFER ALTERNATIVE TO A PARTIALLY PROTECTED 11TH STREET BIKE LANE.
IN LIEU OF THE IKE PROJECT, WHICH IS PLANNED FOR THE 11TH STREET AND HEIGHTS BOULEVARD, THE EIGHT FOOT INTERACTIVE KIOSK WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON 11TH STREET, ESPECIALLY IF THERE ARE NO TURN LANES.
THE ROUTE PLANNING FOR A BIKE BOULEVARD WOULD SEEM TO MINIMIZE BIKE BICYCLIST DELAYS WITH CLEAR AND SAFER NAVIGATIONS.
STREETS THAT ARE NOT ON A SPEED LIMIT OF 30 MILES PER HOUR WOULD, IN MY OPINION, BE A MORE LOGICAL CHOICE.
12TH STREET TO TC JESTER, UH, FROM TC JESTER TO STUY WOOD OR 14TH STREET FROM SHEPHERD DURHAM TO NORTH MAINE ARE JUST SUGGESTIONS IN TERMS OF SLOWING DOWN SPEEDERS ON 11TH STREET.
COULDN'T THE CITY ADD SPEED INDICATORS AT THE INTERSECTIONS WHERE BICYCLISTS NEED TO TRANSITION? LIKE NICHOLSON STREET WHERE THE COMPLAINTS ORIGINATED, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT A SOLUTION IS IMPERATIVE.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE CONGESTION BROUGHT ON BY THE TWO LANE CHANGE WILL INCREASE NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC.
AGAIN, DELIVERY TRUCK DRIVERS AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES ENDANGERING THE CHILDREN WHO REGULARLY RIDE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD ON THEIR BIKES, TRIS SCOOTERS, AND PARENTS WITH BABY STROLLERS.
AND NOT TO MENTION THE PEDESTRIANS AND THE ELDERLY THAT ARE WALKING OR RUNNING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITHOUT SIDEWALKS.
I THINK THE CITY NEEDS TO RETHINK THE 11TH STREET PROJECT.
I AM HERE TO CON TALK ABOUT THE 11TH STREET PROJECT AS WELL.
I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT Y'ALL SAY THAT Y'ALL HAVE CIVIC CLUBS THAT ARE SUPPORTING THIS PROJECT.
I JUST PASSED OUT SOMETHING TO Y'ALL THAT SHOWS THE WOODLAND HEIGHTS CIVICS ASSOCIATION HAS 352 MEMBERS, 352 MEMBERS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY CAN SPEAK UPON.
UH, THEY CAN'T SPEAK ON MY BEHALF.
AND NEITHER ARE THE REST OF THE HEIGHTS
[00:55:01]
RESIDENTS.THE WOODLAND HEIGHTS RESIDENTS 352.
SO WHEN MISS CIRO'S READ DLS WEEK AND SAID THAT THERE WERE 2,500 PEOPLE THAT WERE RESIDENTS OF THIS WOODLAND HEIGHTS, YES, THERE ARE 2,500 PEOPLE.
ONLY 352 OF 'EM BELONG TO OUR CIVICS CLUBS.
OUR CIVICS CLUBS ARE NOT HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS.
THEY ARE VOLUNTEER CIVICS CLUBS.
OKAY? SO WHEN THEY'RE SITTING HERE SAYING THAT THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY, WHERE WHERE IS THE SOME MORE PART OF THE COMMUNITY? WE PUT THIS ON NEXTDOOR.
ON NEXTDOOR BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW ELSE TO GET IT OUT.
73% OF THE PEOPLE ON NEXTDOOR WITHIN THE WOODLAND HEIGHTS AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
'CAUSE THAT'S ALL THAT WE PUT IT OUT THERE.
AND HOW DID THEY VOTE? THEY VOTED NO, NO, THEY DON'T WANT THIS PROJECT.
WE DON'T WANT IT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA RIDE THEIR BIKES ON 11TH STREET.
IT IS A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE WHO'S GONNA RIDE THEIR CARS, THEIR BIKES ON A STREET WITH CARS THAT ARE SPEEDING LIKE THIS? IT'S JUST DANGEROUS.
THERE ARE OTHER STREETS, THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING? I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO GET THE WORD OUT TO YOU? WE DON'T WANT THIS.
MS. CEROS DID THE SAME THING LAST TIME WITH SPEED BUMPS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE SPEED BUMPS? THE CIVICS CLUB HAD TO RETRACT THEIR LETTER OF SUPPORT.
YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THEY RETRACTED IT? DO WE ALL KNOW HOW MS. CEROS SAYS LEGEND CAME IN? DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT? WHEN YOU WIN BY LESS THAN 20 VOTES AND YOU'RE THE INCUMBENT, WHY? IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT LISTENING TO WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WANTS.
THE CIVICS CLUB DIDN'T EVEN PUT THIS UP FOR A VOTE.
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DID? INSTEAD OF PUTTING IT UP FOR A VOTE, THE BOARD MEMBERS VOTED AND THEN SENT OUT THAT LETTER OF SUPPORT.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE THING THAT THEY HAD IN THERE ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOLERS.
THEY SAID THAT THEY HEARD THAT MIDDLE SCHOOLERS HAD GOT HIT ON THEIR WAY TO SCHOOL.
I CALLED HOG MIDDLE SCHOOL AND I SPOKE TO THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
I'M, SHE'S A STAFF MEMBER THAT'S BEEN THERE FOR 21 YEARS AND I SENT Y'ALL ALL HER NAME AND NUMBER.
Y'ALL CAN CALL HER YOURSELVES.
'CAUSE I SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF Y'ALL.
AND TO THE PRINCIPAL HERSELF, WELL ACTUALLY SHE SPOKE WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND GOT BACK TO ME.
THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF ANYONE EVER GETTING HIT.
WHAT THEY DID SAY WAS AN ISSUE IS THAT THEY HAVE TWO CROSSING GUARDS KIDS ARE PLAYING FOR TO GET ACROSS THE STREET.
AYE, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM.
UH, MS. WRIGHT, IT THERE'S A A LOT OF ALREADY A LOT OF TRAFFIC ON 11TH STREET.
AND SO ONE OF THE CONCERNS OF THE CITY IS WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE THE SPEED THAT PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING ON THAT STREET.
WE'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET ON THE BUS OR USE ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION.
IS IT YOUR PERSPECTIVE THAT THE BIKE LANE IS AN EFFORT TO PRO TO PRO TO PROVIDE SPEED CONTROL FOR WEST 11TH? AND ESSENTIALLY, AREN'T WE USING BICYCLISTS AND THE RIDERS OF THOSE BICYCLES TO HELP REDUCE THE SPEED AND, AND, UH, INCREASE THE VOLUME OF VEHICULAR TRAFFIC TO FORCE PEOPLE ONTO, UH, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? OKAY, LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND ABOUT HOW WE USE 11TH STREET.
MY SON WENT TO SCHOOL ON WT ROAD.
OKAY? WHEN HE WAS 16 YEARS OLD, HE HAD TO GET HIMSELF AT THAT POINT BECAUSE I WORK IN WOOD WHATNOT FROM THE HEIGHTS, THE WOODLAND HEIGHTS TO WORD ROAD.
SO WHAT HE WOULD DO IS HE WOULD USE 11TH STREET IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
I'M NOT GONNA PUT MY 16-YEAR-OLD NEW DRIVER ON THE INTERSTATE.
AND AT SIX 10 HAVE HIM GET OVER THREE LANES SO THAT HE CAN GET OFF IN THE INTERSTATE.
SO WHAT DID HE DO? HE WOULD GET ON 11TH STREET, GO DOWN 11TH STREET TILL HE WOULD HIT HEMPSTEAD HIGHWAY AND HE WOULD THEN GO IN WHEN HE GOT TO T ROAD TO SPRING BRANCH TO MISS PECK'S NEIGHBORHOOD AND HE WOULD GET TO HIS SCHOOL.
THAT'S WHAT PARENTS USE IT FOR.
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE USE IT FOR.
I DON'T WANT MY GRAND, MY MOTHER RIDING ON THE INTERSTATE TO GO PICK UP MY SON.
WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER, WHAT WOULD SHE DO? SHE WOULD USE THE SAME PATH.
DID I USE THE INTERSTATE? YEAH.
I'M A LITTLE BIT MORE CONFIDENT OF A DRIVER AND, BUT YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T JUST USE THIS AS A CUT THROUGH.
WE USE IT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE INTERSTATE.
AND THERE ARE REASONS THAT YOU NEED AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE INTERSTATE.
AND AMY PECK, I REALLY DO HAVE TO TELL YOU, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I SO ADMIRE ABOUT WHAT YOU DID.
DO YOU KNOW THAT MS. PECK AND SHE DESERVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
[01:00:01]
TO THE CITY AND SHE SAID, NO, THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE ON LONG POINT TO GO AHEAD AND DO THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW WHAT SHE DID IN HER COMMUNITY? SHE FOUND AN ALTERNATE ROUTE, A ROUTE WHERE THE CYCLIST CAN ACTUALLY NOT HAVE TO RIDE ON LONG POINT RIGHT NEXT TO VEHICLES.
AND THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR.
COUNCIL MEMBER STAR GIG AND AMY PECK, THEY SAW WHAT WAS GONNA GO ON AND THEY'RE LIKE, NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT OUR KIDS NEXT TO VEHICLES.
WE'RE GONNA FIND AN ALTERNATIVE.
SAMMY FORD STAR SIX TO UNMUTE PLEASE.
I WANNA ADDRESS AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED, UH, ON APRIL 2ND WITH A METRO LIFT DRIVER.
UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND I'M CERTAIN IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO OTHER RIDERS.
I AM, UH, I RIDE BECAUSE I AM, UH, DISABLED.
UM, AND THERE WAS A DRIVER, UH, CALLED AND SAID THAT MORNING THAT HE WAS A METRO.
UH, AND I LOOKED AT MY CAR, CALLER ID, HE WAS NOT CALLING FROM, UH, THE METRO LYFT NUMBER, BUT HE CONTINUED TO HARASS ME THAT MORNING ABOUT MY PICKUP.
BUT I, I KNEW THAT IT WASN'T RIGHT BECAUSE IT'S NOT QUESTIONS THAT METRO LYFT, UH, NORMALLY ASKS THE CUSTOMERS.
AND, UH, AFTER THAT HE WENT ON TO, HAD MY INFORMATION AND SOMEHOW HE TRIED TO MAKE DEMANDS ON FINDING OUT WHO WAS RIDING WITH ME, WHICH FAMILY MEMBER OR ATTENDANT WAS WRITING.
I DIDN'T GIVE HIM THE INFORMATION, BUT SOMEHOW HE WAS ABLE TO MANIPULATE THAT INFORMATION AND HE, UH, INTERCEPTED OUR RIDE, OUR ORIGINAL RIDE AND PICKED MY DAUGHTER AND I UP AND WE WERE THINKING AND TRUSTING THAT THIS WAS OUR METRO LIFT DRIVER ONLY TO GET OFF DOWN THE ROAD.
AND HE STARTED ASKING ME, UM, QUESTIONS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WAS I FROM? HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN IN HOUSTON? UH, WHAT MY HEALTH ISSUES AND HOW DO I IDENTIFY? AND I TOLD HIM AT THAT POINT I SAID, I DON'T DISCUSS MY PERSONAL BUSINESS WITH METRO LYFT DRIVERS.
SO, UM, HE WAS VERY PERSISTENT, BUT CALM.
AND SO I DIDN'T GET A GOOD FEELING ABOUT IT.
BUT ANYWAYS, I, I TEXTED MY DAUGHTER AND I TOLD HER AND SHE SAID, WELL, UH, SO SHE HURRIED UP AND SHE CALLED ME AND SHE SAID, UH, WHICH DIRECTION ARE YOU GOING? WE WERE HEADED EAST.
I KNOW WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HEADED WEST BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING TO THE STORE.
AND SHE SAID, WELL, I'M GONNA STAY ON THE PHONE WITH YOU UNTIL YOU GET DROPPED OFF.
HE SUDDENLY CHANGED AND STOPPED ASKING THE QUESTIONS AND HE JUMPED OVER FROM THE EAST LANE AND STARTED WEST.
I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE THE END OF IT.
LIKE I SAID, I FELT STRANGE AND JUST, UH, AFRAID THAT I DIDN'T, UH, GIVE IN THAT I WAS AFRAID.
BUT SURE ENOUGH, ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR LATER, HE STARTED BACK WITH THOSE SAME HARASSING CALLS.
UM, AND I DIDN'T PICK HIM UP RIGHT THEN.
I JUST, UH, FELT VERY LEERY ABOUT IT.
SO I PRESSED THE BUTTON WHEN HE CALLED AGAIN AND HE SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, I LOVE YOU.
UH, AND HE CONTINUED TO TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT TIME I WAS BEING PICKED UP THAT EVENING.
AND SURE ENOUGH, UM, UH, ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER, MY UH, ALARM WENT OFF BECAUSE I HAVE RING CAMERA AT MY HOME.
AND THAT DRIVER, THANK MS. FORD HAD TURNED UP BACK TO MY HOME.
HAS MR. JOSE POLITO WITH METRO REACHED OUT TO YOU YET? NO.
WE HAD FOUR OFFICERS TO CALL ME AND TELL ME THAT, BUT NO ONE HAS REACHED OUT.
[01:05:01]
TRYING TO COVER IT UP.WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT HE DOES REACH OUT TO YOU.
AND I NEED YOU TO KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE EVERYTHING ON THE CAMERA, ON THE RING CAMERA THAT THEY TRIED TO SAY.
IT'S NOT ON THERE, BUT IT'S ON THERE.
I SENT THEM A COPY, BUT WE DO HAVE IT.
OKAY, WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU.
MS. IS THAT MS. LOPEZ? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
UM, AS, AS, AS YOU KNOW, UH, YOU ARE DEVALUE YOUR OWN LAND.
AND REPLACING WITH NEW AT SUCH WINDOW DOOR, PROBABLY NOT AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE ANYMORE.
THE WORLD IS CHANGING RAPIDLY.
AND, UH, HOUSE STRUCTURE WOULD BE BUILT DIFFERENT TODAY.
UM, AND, UM, THE FUTURE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTIVENESS.
UH, MODULAR, MODULAR, MODULAR BUILD IS BEING DONE.
UH, SOLAR PANEL, ETC, YOU KNOW, AS ENDLESS POSSIBILITY.
AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE THAT TO THE NEXT GENERATION TO DO WHATEVER THEY WISHES TO DO, UH, SUCH AS OME.
IT WAS BUILT WONDERFUL, BUT TODAY IS, UH, IT IS A WASTE OF LAND, SPACE AND TAXPAYER MONEY.
UH, AND, UH, AND, UH, ASAM IS LESS THAN A HUNDRED YEAR.
IT, IT WAS A, A WONDERFUL, UH, THING BACK THEN, BUT WITHIN A HUNDRED YEAR, IT'S ALREADY, IT'S OUTDATED.
SO, UM, I HAVE SPENT ENDLESS TIME AN HOUR TO RESEARCH THIS TYPE OF, OF VIEW.
AND, UM, NOT MANY PEOPLE REALIZE HOW DESTRUCTIVE IT IS TO OUR FUTURE GENERATION.
AND, UM, I SEE, UH, THERE'S NO RULES OR LAW ON, ON THRESHOLD AND LIMITATIONS OF THE VOTE.
UH, IT WAS 51 PROPERTY AND IT GO DOWN TO 36, AND NOW IT GO DOWN TO 19.
SO, UH, BASED ON THE, UM, ORDINANCE DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR AND THE STAFF HOLD FULL EXECUTIVE POWER TO REDO THE TRACK MAP BOUNDARY AS SMALL AS THEY LIKE TO ACHIEVE THE VICTORY IN THE PAPER AT 67%.
AND, UM, THERE IS NO ACCURATE TOTAL LIMITATIONS.
I'M IN OIL AND GAS, AND WHEN WE DRILL, THERE'S CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF ACRES THAT NEED TO BE COMBINED, UH, TO, TO, TO, TO, TO GET THE, THE, THE RESIDENT TO AGREE ON THE DRILLING, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THIS IS IN FAVOR OF THE CITY.
AND, AND FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT IN FAVOR OF THESE ORDINANCE AND DOESN'T SPEAK FOR THE REST OF US WHO LIVE THERE AND BEING FORCED INTO THIS, AND MAYBE SOME NEIGHBORHOOD IS NICE, PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO KEEP THE HOUSE ALONG AT THE LIGHT BECAUSE WHEN FUTURE 1500 YEARS FROM NOW, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE CUSTOM MADE AND IT'S EXPENSIVE, AND MAYBE IT'S OUTDATED, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE DRIVE IT SIX, NOW WE TRY.
I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE WANNA KEEP, KEEP OLD, BUT IF YOU THINK YOUR HOUSE BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL, LANDMARK, 'EM, LANDMARK, YOU KNOW, I, I WONDER WHY RIVER OAK IS NOT REGISTERED UNDER HISTORIC.
UH, IF YOU GO TO RIVER OAKS NOW, THERE ARE MANY HOMES AND THAT MIXTURE OF NEW AND OLD, AND IT'S STILL A BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IF YOU WANNA RESERVE CULTURE, LANDMARK YOUR HOME, BUT DON'T DO THIS TO AFFECT EVERYBODY THERE.
AND NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND THIS.
I SPENT ENDLESS HOURS, ENDLESS HOURS.
I'M NOT EVEN AN ATTORNEY OR ANYONE, YOU KNOW.
MS. LOPEZ HAS BY THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ.
AND THANK YOU MS. LOPEZ FOR COMING FORWARD.
[01:10:01]
I, UH, WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO EXPRESS YOURSELF.AND SO I THINK YOU MAY HAVE A FEW OTHER COMMENTS, AND CERTAINLY I YIELD MY TIME TO YOU.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE, THE CD PLANNING OFFICE AND THE, THE STAFF HAVE FULL POWER AND AUTHORITY TO REDRAW THE MAP ANY WAY THEY LIKE TO ACHIEVE THE 67%.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY RULES AND LAW WRITTEN ON THE ORDINANCE OF HOW MANY HOMES, UH, TO, TO EQUAL TO THE 67%.
AT LEAST YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ACCURATE TOTAL LIMITATION, YOU KNOW, WITHIN SQUARE MILES OR WHATEVER THAT IS.
YOUR, YOUR OPPOSITION TO THE RIVERSIDE TERRACE BECOMING A HISTORICAL DISTRICT HAS BEEN NOTED.
MR. KELSEY, HOW ARE YOU? FINE, THANK YOU.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, I HAVE GOOD NEWS, UM, UM, REGARDING SOMETHING WHICH COULD DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS QUALITY OF LIFE FOR FREE.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF WASHINGTON DC HAS RECENTLY PASSED A BAN ON LEAF BLOWERS, WHICH IS MODELED AFTER HUNDREDS OF SUCCESSFUL BANS DATING BACK TO THE 1980S.
AND, UM, JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE ENTIRE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS PASSED A BROADER MEASURE, WHICH POTENTIALLY PHASES OUT ALL TWO CYCLE LAWN EQUIPMENT, GUESS WHO DID NOT SHOW UP AND FIGHT THIS TIME AROUND THE MANUFACTURERS OF LAWN EQUIPMENT AND THE, UH, PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPER ASSOCIATIONS.
WHY? IT TURNS OUT THAT WITH TECHNOLOGY TODAY, THE COST OF OWNERSHIP OF ELECTRIC IS LOWER.
MEANWHILE, THE DAMNING EVIDENCE ABOUT THE ADMISSIONS OF THESE TWO CYCLE MACHINES HAS SKYROCKETED.
ONE HALF HOUR OF USING A GAS POWERED, UM, LEAF BLOWER IS EQUIVALENT IN CARBON TO DRIVING FROM HOUSTON TO ALASKA.
AND MANY STUDIES RECENTLY HAVE REACHED THE SIMILAR RESULTS FOR NITRIC OXIDE, SULFUR, OZONE, CARBON MONOXIDE, ET CETERA.
MORE CONCERNING, UM, AND HEARTBREAKING IS THE RESULT ON CHRONIC RESPIRATORY ILLNESS AND MAJOR HEARING LOSS AMONG CREW WORKERS AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
UM, HEARTBREAKING STORIES FROM LONG LIFELONG GROUNDSKEEPERS WHO CANNOT HEAR THEIR GRANDCHILDREN.
UM, JUST THIS MORNING I WAS WALKING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WITH MY DOG AND ENCOUNTERED THREE LEAF BLOWERS OPERATING SIMULTANEOUSLY AROUND ONE BUILDING.
NOT ONE OF THOSE CREW WORKERS HAD EAR PROTECTION.
THEY ALL HAD, YOU KNOW, FLIMSY T-SHIRTS AROUND THEIR FACES, BASICALLY INHALING FROM A TAILPIPE OF A JET ENGINE.
AND, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY VERY LIKELY DID NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE.
THE RESIDENTS OF THAT BUILDING, WHICH IS KIND OF A, A RUNDOWN BUILDING IN, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, TENDS TO BE OLDER RESIDENTS APPEAR LOWER INCOME, THEY ARE TRAPPED.
UM, DUE TO THE ACOUSTIC PROFILE OF THESE LEAF BLOWERS, WEATHER STRIPPING, SEALING YOUR WINDOWS AND DOORS HAS VIRTUALLY NO EFFECT.
SO YOU CANNOT ESCAPE THIS NUISANCE IN YOUR OWN HOUSE.
COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID, ASK COUNSEL TO COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON.
AND MR. KELSEY JUST, UH, CURIOUS.
YOU, YOU SOUNDED LIKE YOU WERE MAKING A LAST POINT.
WHY DON'T WE HEAR THAT? AND THEN I'VE GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU.
WELL, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE, THE INDUSTRY NOW IS, IS BASICALLY WAITING FOR SOME COOPERATION AND REGULATORY CERTAINTY SO THAT THEY CAN PLAN AHEAD AND, AND PHASE IN ALTOGETHER.
AND SO, UM, I MEAN, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT COULD KIND OF IMMEDIATELY, UH, RAISE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE WITH REALLY NO, NO DOWNSIDE, UM, I IT WOULD BE TO PHASE OUT THIS TOTALLY OBSOLETE, UNNECESSARY EQUIPMENT.
AND IT'S KIND OF A, A LOOPHOLE IN THE FEDERAL CLEAN AIR ACT.
THANK YOU FOR CON YOUR CONCLUDING POINT THERE.
THAT WAS, I THINK, REALLY, UH, IMPORTANT TO HEAR.
SO WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE GOOD NEWS AS YOU INTRODUCED IT.
AND ALSO, UH, I, I KNOW, AND I'M
[01:15:01]
ACUTELY AWARE OF, UH, MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR.I LIVE NEXT TO A RESTAURANT, A LITTLE CAFE, AND THEY HAVE, THEY BRING AN ELECTRIC, UH, LEAF BLOWER AROUND, WHICH OBVIOUSLY BURNS LESS FOSSIL FUELS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M GUESSING THE EQUIVALENT IS NOT A TRIP FROM HOUSTON TO ALASKA.
IT'S GONNA BURN SOMETHING FROM THE ELECTRICAL GRID.
UH, IT STILL WAKES ME UP WHEN THEY START TOO EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND I'VE GOT SOME ISSUES WITH THAT AND THEIR TIMING.
THEY'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT FROM ME.
BUT I WONDER, YOU KNOW, IN TRANSITIONING AS YOU DESCRIBED IT, DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR US ABOUT WHAT YOU, AND MAYBE WHAT YOU'D, WHAT YOU'RE ASKING US TO CONSIDER AS YOUR CITY COUNCIL? RIGHT.
WELL, I THINK CITY COUNCIL HAS, UH, WRESTLED FOR A LONG TIME WITH DECIBEL LEVELS AND ENFORCING DECIBEL LEVELS, AND THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
AND I, AND I AM VERY APPRECIATIVE TO THIS COMMITTEE AND YOU ALL FOR THIS BAR PROBLEM.
UH, YOU DON'T, THERE'S NO ENFORCEMENT PROBLEM IF YOU JUST BAN OR SORRY, HELP TO PHASE OUT, THAT'S BETTER.
THIS, THIS TYPE OF EQUIPMENT PHASE OUT.
THANK YOU COOK FOR COMING AND FOR YOUR ADVOCACY ON THIS ISSUE.
WE'VE CERTAINLY HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN WE'RE REVISING THE NOISE ORDINANCE, I'VE HAD MANY, MANY PEOPLE SAY, WHAT ABOUT LEAF BLOWERS? I'M LIKE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BARS RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT LEAF BLOWERS.
BUT HOW MUCH IS AN ELECTRIC LEAF BLOWER? YOU SAID THAT THE COSTS HAVE COME DOWN TO WHERE INDUSTRY IS NOT FIGHTING IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS.
WHAT IN WASHINGTON, UM, SOME CITIZENS HAD BROUGHT TOGETHER MEMBERS OF THE INDUSTRY AND LANDSCAPING COMPANIES THAT BROKE DOWN THE PRICES.
AND I CAN PROVIDE KIND OF THEIR RESEARCH FOR YOU.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM VERY WELL UNTIL COVID AND, UH, WORKING FROM HOME AND MY FRIENDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE WERE JUST ASTONISHED BY HOW, HOW NOISY THEY, THEY ARE.
AND WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TIDAL WAVE.
I I THINK THIS WOULD REALLY BRING HOUSTON TO THE FOREFRONT, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND EVERYTHING.
THIS IS KIND OF A, AN EASY WIN.
WE'LL DO, WE'LL DO SOME RESEARCH ON THIS.
NEXT SPEAKER EMMA HAD NOT, SORRY.
KELSEY, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, WHO WE MISSED IN THE QUEUE.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BRINGING, UM, IMPORTANT POINTS, NEW PERSPECTIVES, AND ENGAGING IN SUCH A POSITIVE WAY.
THANK Y'ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
UM, IS MY FIRST TIME A LITTLE NERVOUS, BUT ANYWAY, I THANK GOD.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, I'M KIND OF, UM, BOGGLED TODAY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THERE WERE TWO THINGS THAT WERE DONE TO ME AS AN ELDERLY DISABLED PERSON.
AND I CALLED MYSELF RIGHT IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, TO NOBEL.
UH, I HAD A, BACK IN 2020, THERE WAS A WRECK AT THE BELTWAY.
THE 18 WHEELER CAME OFF THE FREEWAY.
I WAS IN MY FLORIDA SPOILER, AND THE, THE LITTLE SMALL TRAILER WAS ON IT.
I WAS SITTING THERE, I WENT FORWARD TOWARD THE STEERING WHEEL, MY HEAD HIT, AND THEN I, WHEN I WENT TO GET OUT, I THOUGHT HE WAS, HE BACKED BACK.
HE WENT TO TRY TO LEAVE, AND THEN THE, I STARTED BLOWING THE HORN AND THE PEOPLE SAW ME BLOWING THE HORN, HEARD ME, AND THE CARDS BLOCKED HIM TO KEEP HIM FROM LEAVING.
HE SAYS, OH, LET ME PRAY FOR YOU.
I SAID, YOU CAN PRAY ALL YOU WANT, BUT PLEASE DON'T TOUCH ME.
SO ANYWAY, I SAID ALL THAT TO SAY THIS.
I HAD CALLED 9 1 1 GIVING THEM WHAT I HAVE.
AND 9 1 1 NEEDS TO LISTEN BECAUSE SOMETIME WE CAN ONLY GIVE THEM WHAT WE SEE.
WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T MAYBE GET LICENSE PLATE BECAUSE I WASN'T BEHIND THE TRUCK.
AND I ALMOST FELL OUTTA THE TRUCK WHEN HE, HE HIT ME AGAIN, TRYING TO GET AWAY, ALMOST FELL
[01:20:01]
OUT OF THE TRUCK.AND I GRABBED THE, THE SIGNAL LIGHT, WHICH, FOR WHICH I BROKE.
OKAY? ALL THIS TIME, I USE, I'M ELDERLY AND DISABLED.
I USE MY TRUCK AND MY TRAILER TO DO HAULING.
THEY PUT THE STUFF ON, I TAKE IT AWAY, AND THEN THEY TAKE IT OFF.
THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S MESSING WITH ME.
THAT'S BEEN OVER TWO YEARS AGO, THIS PAST 16TH, APRIL 16TH, 2020.
I DON'T HAVE PHONES LIKE I NEED TO HAVE.
OKAY? THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS PLAYING GAMES WITH ME.
THEY'RE NOT DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
THEY, ANYWAY, I KNOW THIS MIGHT BE ON A DIFFERENT THING, BUT I FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE, THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE RIGHT BY ME.
I GOT A SO-CALLED ATTORNEY, WHICH HE SHOULD BE BANNED.
UH, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND BASICALLY TO GO, TO GO, GO TO HELL.
AND THEN HE SAYS, I DON'T GIVE A, WHEN I WAS TELLING HIM ABOUT ME OR WHAT MY HEART, MY ILLNESSES WAS, HE SAYS, I DON'T GIVE A DAM.
OKAY? IF YOU, WHAT ARE YOU BEING A WHAT ARE YOU BEING A, A ATTORNEY FOR? WHAT ARE YOU HELPING PEOPLE FOR IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THE HELL? THEY NEVER SENT ME ANYWHERE TO GET, GET, WHICH PUT ME BACKWARDS.
TO THIS DAY, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING.
OTHER THING IS NOW THE STATUE.
SO I WAS, WE NEED TO HAVE THINGS WHERE, FOR US, THAT Y'ALL PUSH THOSE LITTLE BUTTONS WHERE YOU OPEN THE DOOR.
AND THANK YOU MA'AM FOR COMING FORWARD.
WHEN, WHAT DATE WAS YOUR ACCIDENT? APRIL 16TH, 2020.
SO THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IS TWO YEARS? MM-HMM
WHICH MEANS IT WOULD HAVE RUN THREE DAYS AGO.
AND YOU SAID YOU WERE REPRESENTED BY AN ATTORNEY? YES.
YOU STILL REPRESENTED BY THAT ATTORNEY? AT THE LAST MINUTE, HE TOOK MY, SEND MY STUFF BACK, AND THEN HE WAS TELLING ME I'M NO LONGER AN ATTORNEY.
SEND ME THE LETTER AND EVERYTHING LEFT ME ALL STUCK OUT.
YOU STILL HAVE A COPY OF THE LETTER? YES.
I, I DIDN'T BRING IT, BUT YES, I, I WILL PRESENT IT.
I'LL TALK TO YOU OFFLINE ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO.
AND, AND, UH, THEY SHOT IN MY, SOMEBODY SHOT IN MY, I KNOW YOU SAY MY TIME WAS UP.
GO AHEAD AND FINISH MY, THEY SHOT IN MY, IN MY WINDOW.
THEY COME AND SHOT FIVE OR SIX TIMES.
I CALLED 9 1 1, CALLED THE POLICE FIRST.
AND THEN I TOLD 'EM, AND SHE, SHE SAYS, WELL, WE, WE DON'T, UH, WELL, THEY'LL COME OUT WHEN THEY NEED TO.
WHEN THEY, I SAID, YOU NEED TO COME ON, YOU NEED TO COME ON.
THEN I CALLED THE, THE NINE ONE, THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT.
AND I SAYS, Y'ALL NEED TO COME OUT HERE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE SAYING THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET HERE RIGHT NOW.
SO HE SAYS, WELL, WE DON'T GO.
THE LADY WAS SCREAMING AT ME, AND IF Y'ALL LISTEN TO THAT 9 1 1 CALL, Y'ALL HEAR IT.
I SAID, MA'AM, THEY'RE DOWN HERE SO MUCH THAT THEY LIVE HERE.
I NEED TO KNOW THERE'S HOLES UP IN MY WINDOW AT THE TOP.
AND THEN THEY SHOT LIKE THREE OR FOUR TIMES DOWN AT THE BOTTOM.
I'M LAYING IN THE BED THERE AND, AND, AND, AND I MEAN, I'M SH PARDON ME? I'M STILL SHAKY.
I'M STILL SHAKY BECAUSE IS THIS A DIFFERENT INCIDENT THAN THE AC THE CAR ACCIDENT? YES.
BUT THEY HAVE CONVICTED, ONE OF THE FELONS IS CONVICTED FROM CARRYING A GUN AND SHOOTING SOMEBODY AND KILL HIM.
AND HE GOT SEVERAL YEARS, OKAY.
HIS MOM AND DAD HAD PASSED AWAY AND I TOOK CARE OF THEM.
AND NOW HE'S, I THINK HE'S INVOLVED WITH THIS.
HE TRYING TO GET BACK AT ME, BUT I NEED SOMETHING DONE.
I NEED SOMETHING DONE, BECAUSE I'M, I'M AFRAID.
THANK YOU MS. HEAD AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
ED POLLARD'S A GREAT ATTORNEY, SO I'M SURE HE'LL BE PROVIDING SOME GREAT INSIGHT FOR YOU.
HELLO, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNSEL, I'M GONNA TRY TO BE QUICK.
I DIDN'T GET TO FINISH THIS LAST WEEK, BUT BASICALLY THIS IS A HEALTH, HEALTH DEPARTMENT QUESTION AND PROCESS.
ONE OF, UH, MY TENANTS CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT MOLD.
WE WENT IN THERE, CITY WENT IN THERE, FOUND OUT THERE WAS NO MOLD IN, THERE WAS SIMPLY, UM, DUST.
AND THE FACT THAT THE TENANT DIDN'T CLEAR THE APARTMENT.
MY CONCERN WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS BASICALLY THEY TAKE ANY COMPLAINT ABOUT ANYTHING AND THEY DON'T VET THEM.
AND I HAVE TO SPEND A BUNCH OF TIME RESPONDING TO THESE, THESE COMPLAINTS WITH A THREAT HERE THAT WITHIN SEVEN DAYS, WHAT DOES THE CITY DO? OR HOW DO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HANDLE TENANTS WHO MAKE COMPLAINTS WITH BAD FAITH? THAT'S, THAT'S MY CONCERN.
I'M NOT AGAINST OBVIOUSLY SOMEBODY THAT NEEDS TO BE A RECOURSE, BUT MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES.
UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS, WELL, THEY DO ASK, I DON'T EVEN GET A NOTICE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE COMPLAINT.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO LEGALLY, UH, ACCORDING TO THEIR CONTRACT.
[01:25:01]
ABOUT THE MOLD, AND THEN I HAVE TO BASICALLY EDUCATE THEM AND THE CITY AND SAY, NO.IF YOU GUYS DON'T ANSWER ME, I'M JUST GONNA KEEP, KEEP, SIR, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT YOUR RESIDENTS ARE REPORTING THEIR CONCERNS WITH THE CITY INSTEAD OF CONTACTING YOU DIRECTLY.
I THINK THEY HAVE A LEASE THAT STATES THEY WILL NOT CONTACT US, THEY SHOULD CONTACT YOU.
SO WHEN THEY CONTACT US, WE ACT ON THEIR BEHALF.
I KNOW, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS WHEN THEY DO THAT, I FILE, IT BASICALLY ENDS UP IN THEM GETTING EVICTED.
SO YOU GUYS ACT LIKE THE PROTECTORS OF THESE FOLKS.
I'M THE PROTECTOR OF THIS FOLKS.
I'M THE ONE WHO INVESTS MONEY ON IT.
SO I'M ASKING WHAT THE CITY CAN DO, WHAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CAN DO TO BE A LITTLE MORE, UM, CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT ACCEPTING BAD FAITH COMPLAINTS FROM TENANTS.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHERE MAYOR TURNER IS.
HE HAD AN, UH, AN ENGAGEMENT THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED.
I'LL BE BACK NEXT WEEK TO TALK.
NEXT SPEAKER OR HE ON LINE? NO.
NEXT SPEAKER LY MONTOYA RIVAS.
MS. MONTOYA RIVAS, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
HOW ARE YOU? UH, I'M DOING, I'M HAPPY 'CAUSE I'M GONNA BE A GRANDMOTHER OF, UH, UH, BABY GIRL.
UH, THE REASON WHY I'M HERE IS BECAUSE I STILL HAVE A PROBLEM.
UH, UH, WITH MY LANDLORD, I HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE OFFICE OF MRS. STARCHER JACKSON.
THERE IS, UH, A FIVE STEP PROCESS NOTICE TO VACATE, UH, UH, TO FILE THE EVICTION COURT HEARING JUDGMENT, UH, READ THE POSSESSION.
I KNOW MY LEGAL RIGHTS, NOT KNOWING MY LEGAL RIGHTS IS HAVING A RIGHTS.
SO, UH, I KNOW I HAVE AND TRUTHFUL, UH, THE, UH, MANAGER IS, SHE'S A BULLY.
SHE'S NOT WILLING TO COOPERATE.
SO I JUST WANT HER TO FILE THE EVICTION TO GO BEFORE THE JUDGE SO WE CAN, UM, UM, TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS.
SO I GOT OFFER, UH, LETTER FROM AN ATTORNEY THAT WILL BE WILLING TO REPRESENT ME IN COURT, AND SHE JUST TOLD ME TO VACATE.
AND I'M JUST, UH, UH, SICK AND TIRED OF, UH, THE NOISE, UH, THE NEIGHBORS.
I MEAN, I HAVE A PLACE TO, TO GO, UH, WITH MY MOM AND FAMILY.
JUST RECENTLY MOVED IN TOWN FROM ARIZONA.
UH, AND I, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
AND I, I WOULD JUST CONTINUE TO STAY UNDER THE ADVICE OF YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL, COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON? YES, MA'AM.
AND, UM, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT, YOU JUST SAID THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MY OFFICE, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.
AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO, UM, I KNOW YOU, ARE YOU TALKING TO RAIN OR MARY? UM, WITH, UM, NO, UH, THE PERSON THAT I SPOKE WITH, UM, MY GOODNESS, I FORGOT HER NAME.
YEAH, I'M TRYING TO GET THE INFORMATION FROM THEM ABOUT YOUR CONVERSATION, BUT WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, I'M HERE TO HELPEE MAG MCEE, SO I'M, I'M HERE TO DO WHAT I CAN HELP.
AND I ASKED HER IF, UH, YOU COULD GIVE ME AN APPOINTMENT SO I CAN SHOW YOU ALL THE PAPERWORK.
MR. UH, POLLER ALSO OFFERS, SO WHOEVER IS WILLING TO HELP AND LOOK AT THE PAPERWORK, UH, I'LL BE HAPPY TO, UH, OKAY.
I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
I THINK THERE IS MUCH GOING ON.
I HAVE LIKE A PORTFOLIO FULL OF PAPERWORK AND I'M STRESSED.
UH, AT ONE POINT I WENT TO MY MOM'S HOUSE.
I STAYED THERE FOR TWO DAYS AFTER I WENT TO THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, UH, COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
I'M JUST, UH, STRESSED ABOUT THE SITUATION.
THE, UH, I KNOW MY LEGAL RIGHTS AND I EXPRESS IT TO MRS. OMI.
BASICALLY SHE TOLD ME LEAVE THE OFFICE.
SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S NO WAY TO, TO TREAT, UH, UH, UH, UH, FROM LADY TO A LADY.
AND I HAVE GONE TO MANY CHURCHES.
I HAVEN'T DRIVING AROUND TOWN.
UH, UH, AND I KNOW WHAT IS OUT THERE.
UH, I KNOW HOW WE CAN, UH, RESOLVE THE EVICTION CASES, BUT, UH, UH, THIS POINT, UM, I'M JUST STRESSED.
SO ARE YOU HOMELESS RIGHT NOW? NO, I'M NOT HOMELESS.
[01:30:01]
FEES IS OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS.I'M LIKE, JUST REMOVE THE FEES, LET'S NEGOTIATE.
LET'S ABOUT GOING TO COURT, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO BEFORE THE JU JUSTICE OF THE FEES, UH, I GOT THE, UH, THE CARD.
BASICALLY IT WAS JUDGE LARISSA CORDOBA.
I CHECK WITH THE COURT, THERE'S NO EVICTION AND YOU HAVE TO SWEAR, UH, AND GIVE, UH, YOUR STATEMENT AND PROVIDE PAPERWORK.
SO WHO IS, UH, UH, HIDING? UM, RIGHT INFORMATION WILL BASICALLY WILL BE PUNISHED.
SO MY TEAM TELLS ME THAT YOU RECEIVED RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
SO YOU GOT ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR RING? YES, I HAVE.
SO I'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND THEN I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER YOU MENTIONED HIM AS WELL AND GET MORE DETAILS.
SO I SPOKE TO MR. ARTURO, MICHEL, WHOEVER IS WILLING TO HELP ME.
UH, ROSA AND MATTHEW SENT THEM A LETTER.
UH, BASICALLY THEY GOT A LETTER.
THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO COOPERATE.
SO YOU JUST NEEDING MORE MONEY FOR RENT, BASICALLY.
UH, MY LEASE IS ABOUT TO BE, UH, TO BE UP.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, TO UH, MA'AM, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I CAN JUST GO LIVE WITH MY FAMILY.
I'LL GET WITH MY TEAM AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP.
THIS IS AMY DEN WITH THE LONE STAR LEGAL AID, UH, ON BEHALF OF PLEASANTVILLE AREA SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 57.
UM, THESE RELATE TO THE NORTH POINT MSD APPLICATION, WHICH IS AGENDA ITEM 44.
THE APPLICATION SHOWS THAT ONE FOUR DIOXINE IS STILL PRESENT IN QUANTITIES THAT ARE NOT DECREASING.
SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 57 HIRED AN EXPERT TO REVIEW THIS APPLICATION, AND HER REPORT FOUND THOSE CONCENTRATIONS THAT OF THAT CONTAMINANT INCREASE AND SOMETIMES INCIDENCE IS OVER 10 TIMES.
WE HAVE SUMMARIZED THESE CONCERNS IN A LETTER FOR THE COUNCIL AND EXPLAINED WHY THE APPLICATION DOES NOT MEET THE CITY'S REQUIREMENTS FOR AN MSD APPLICATION.
THE COMMUNITY IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEVELS OF CONTAMINATION ON SITE BECAUSE THERE ARE NO REASSURANCES THAT ONSITE CONTAMINATION WILL NOT MOVE CLOSER TO THE COMMUNITY OVER TIME.
A FLOODING EVENT COULD CHANGE THE GRADIENT AND SHIFT THIS CONTAMINATION OR THE CHEMICAL CONTINUE TO MIGRATE OVER TIME FOR THESE REASONS.
SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 57 REQUESTS THE COUNCIL VOTE TO DENY THE NORTH POINT MSD APPLICATION BECAUSE THE APPLICATION, YEAH, TOM HAS EXPIRED.
I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU 30 SECONDS OF MY TIME TO, UH, FINISH YOUR STATEMENT, PLEASE.
I SAW YOU DURING THE INVOCATION, SO THANKS FOR STAYING WITH US.
I JUST NEEDED TO SAY MSD APPLICATION AND I'M DONE,
COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON.
AND THANK YOU MS. DUNN FOR COMING IN.
UM, AGAIN, TO, I GUESS FINISH UP YOUR STATEMENT FROM LAST WEEK.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE A MEETING LATER THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS THIS PROJECT.
WOULD YOU BE ON THE CALL? OKAY.
SO, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT PLEASANTVILLE HAS A LIST, LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS, AND SO, UM, WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATION DURING THE CONVERSATION THAT WE ARE HAVING AT WHAT, FIVE 30? UM, LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING MORE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO, TEM AND AMY, WE WERE JUST TOGETHER.
SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A SHOUT OUT.
AND I KNOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS FEELS THE SAME WAY, BUT JUST SO OUR COLLEAGUES KNOW, UM, AMY IS NOT ONLY HELPING OUT OTHER SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS AND RESIDENTS IN OTHER DISTRICTS, UM, BUT LEADING THE WAY WITH A BUNCH OF STUFF IN DISTRICT I, AND IT WAS SUCH A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU THIS MORNING, UM, AS WE KIND OF SPOTLIGHTED SOME OF THOSE AS IT RELATES TO OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS, UM, THAT YOU'RE TAKING ON.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW MUCH OF A PLEASURE IT WAS TO MEET YOU, UM, AND OUR, MY APPRECIATION FOR ENGAGING, UM, IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY ON THIS ISSUE.
UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AROUND THIS, BUT I HAD TO GIVE AMY A BIG SHOUT OUT BECAUSE WE WERE JUST WITH HER THIS MORNING AND SHE'S TERRIFIC.
THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM, AND THANK YOU, AMY, FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT ON THIS ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, I'LL TALK SOME MORE ABOUT THIS TOMORROW, BUT WHAT, WHAT IS DIFFICULT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE WE, THE, THESE, THESE ARE HIGHLY TECHNICAL MATTERS AND IT'S BASICALLY EXPERT TESTIMONY ON BOTH SIDES, UH, WHICH IS FAR BEYOND MY HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY DEGREE.
SO IT REALLY PUTS US IN A TOUGH POSITION.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL PUBLIC MEETINGS ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND YOU'RE MEETING AGAIN WITH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON TODAY.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO MORE DISCUSSION TOMORROW.
BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY ON THIS MATTER.
[01:35:06]
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. LU.GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UH, MY NAME IS HAN LUU AND I REPRESENT NORTH POINT DEVELOPMENT TO FOLLOW UP WITH, UM, AMY JUST SAID, SO, YOU KNOW, AS, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE OF NORTH POINT DEVELOPMENT, WE ESSENTIALLY JUST FOLLOW THE DATA ANALYSIS AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE PUBLIC ENTITIES SUCH AS TCEQ, UM, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD MANY REVIEWS, EXTRA TESTING WITH THOSE AGENCIES, AND ALL THREE AGENCIES HAVE NO CONCERN.
AND, AND ESSENTIALLY TELL US THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE RECOMMENDED US FOR MSD APPROVAL.
AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, NOT TO GET INTO THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF IT, LIKE AMY SAID, YOU KNOW, SHE MENTIONED AN INCREASE OF TENFOLD, YOU KNOW, THE ACTUAL DATA IS, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A SLIGHT INCREASE, WE ARE STILL ONE DECIMAL POINT BELOW THE ACCEPTABLE LEVEL SET BY TCEQ.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, HERE, IF IT INCREASED FROM NINE TO 10 AND THE ACCEPTABLE LEVEL IS A HUNDRED, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU CAN ESSENTIALLY TIME HAS EXPIRED.
I'LL GIVE YOU COUPLE SECONDS TO FINISH UP.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T IN THE WEEDS AND TO THE NUMBERS, THERE'S, THERE'S MANY WAYS YOU CAN SPIN THE NUMBERS TO, TO MEET YOUR NARRATIVE, AND WE JUST FOLLOW THE, THE EXPERT GUIDANCE FROM THE PUBLIC ENTITIES TO, YOU KNOW, GUIDE US IN THE RIGHT WAY.
SO I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN AGREE WITH THE, THE ENTITIES AND, AND LET US APPROVE THIS MSD APPLICATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS? NO, NO, SHE, SHE'S OUT.
COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON.
AND SO I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT IN, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SAYING THAT, UM, THE LEVELS ARE I GUESS A PERCENT LOWER, UH, POINT LOWER.
I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON IT, BUT, UM, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS BEFORE WITH DEAN BULLARD WHEN WE WERE DEALING WITH THE DCES PLAN.
UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, CRESO, JUST ALL THE DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WITHIN, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, HE OUTLINES IS THAT TCE Q'S RECOMMENDATION REQUIREMENT IS ALWAYS LIKE BELOW STANDARD.
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, SO WHEN WE GET HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD, NINE TIMES OUT OF 10, IT'S WORSE THAN WHAT IT REALLY IS BECAUSE OF THE STANDARD.
AND SO, AND COMMUNITY KNOWS THIS, AND SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE A LITTLE CONCERNED.
THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING MORE TESTING BEFORE WE CAP IT.
UM, AND I MEAN, THE REQUEST IS BASICALLY JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE TESTING.
AND I THINK WE OWE THAT TO THE RESIDENTS OF PLEASANTVILLE WHO'S OVERWHELMED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, WITH THE PLA, WITH THE, UM, WITH THE, UM, PORTS AND JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST DIFFERENT THINGS, THE TRUCKING COMPANIES OUT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THERE, I MEAN, THAT'S THEIR RIGHT AND I THINK WE, WE SHOULD GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT IF THEY WANT MORE TESTING.
SO JUST UNDERSTAND MY POSITION AND THE RESIDENTS POSITIONS.
WE KNOW THAT THESE STANDARDS IS VERY LAX FROM THE GET GO.
AND, AND WE HAVE GONE, YOU KNOW, ABOVE AND BEYOND AND DONE VOLUNTARY TESTING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WELL AS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, ABOVE WHAT'S REQUIRED BY HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT PUBLIC, WHERE ANTI TCQ AND THOSE TESTS ALL SHOWED NON-DETECT FOR THESE CHEMICALS OF CONCERN.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE, WE'RE OPEN TO MORE TESTING, BUT WE JUST DON'T WANNA, YOU KNOW, TEST INDEFINITELY IF THERE'S NOTHING THERE.
I KNOW THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON USED A PROCEDURAL MOTION TO TAG IT, DELAY IT TILL TOMORROW.
AND I DO KNOW THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAVE REVIEWED AND APPROVED THE MSD APPLICATION.
SO WE WILL TAKE IT UP TOMORROW AND WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
OH, HOW ARE YOU? LAST? OKAY, GOOD.
HOW ARE YOU? UH, THIS, I, UH, MY NAME IS CHARLES EON.
I'M WITH, I I WORK WITH CHAN, UH, I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT IN, IN TEXAS AND HAVE BEEN A, A FORMER TCEQ EMPLOYEE AND ACTUALLY WAS INVOLVED WITH WRITING THE MSD LEGISLATION MANY YEARS AGO.
AND, UH, AND SO I, AND I'VE ALSO GONE THROUGH PROBABLY A HUNDRED OF THEM THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND SO I DO NOT APPLY TO ANY CITY FOR ANY APPLICATION UNLESS THEY MEET ALL THE CRITERIA, PRIMARILY WHETHER THERE'S A STABLE OR DECREASING PLUME.
AND IN THIS CASE, THERE'S OVER 12 YEARS OF DATA ON PERIMETER WELLS THAT HAVE SHOWN A DECREASING CONCENTRATION OF ONE FOUR DIOXANE, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY CHEMICAL CONCERN.
WHAT AMY WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS THERE WAS A ONE UPTICK IN ONE DATA POINT BETWEEN TWO OUT OF 12 YEARS OF DATA WHERE IT WAS A SLIGHT INCREASE, BUT IT WAS STILL BELOW THE TCE Q'S DRINKING WATER STANDARD.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE CLARIFY THAT.
[01:40:01]
30 SECONDS TO COMPLETE.WELL, I'M JUST CALLING, I'M JUST SAYING THAT, UH, THIS IS AN APPLICATION LIKE MANY I'VE HAD BEFORE, WHERE THERE'S A, A, A WEALTH OF DATA THAT THAT PRESENTS ITSELF AS BEING, SHOWING THAT IT MEETS ALL THE CITY'S CRITERIA.
AND, UH, I JUST ASK THAT YOU, UH, DON'T, UH, IT, THE, THE DIFFICULTY WITH TRYING TO SAY THAT THIS IS DIFFERENT IS THAT THIS IS A LOT, IS A LOT MORE STABLE PLUME, A LOT, MUCH MORE MEETS THE CRITERIA OF THE CITY THAN MANY OTHER APPLICATIONS THAT I'VE PRESENTED TO THE CITY BEFORE.
'CAUSE MANY OF US PROBABLY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ALL GET TO THAT POINT.
WHAT IS THE UPTICK? WHY IS THERE A UPTICK AND WHY ISN'T THERE A DOWNTICK? WELL, THE HISTORY OF THE DATA FOR THIS PARTICULAR, WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, IS ONLY ONE OF MANY, MANY THAT WERE ON THE PERIMETER THAT WAS TALKING ABOUT, IT WENT FROM 0.005 MILLIGRAMS PER LITER TO 0.007.
THE STANDARD IS 0.09, SO IT'S AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE LESS THAN THE DRINKING WATER STANDARD, WHICH IS PROTECTIVE FOR SOMEONE WHO DRINKS WATER.
IT WOULD BE DRINKING THE INGESTION OF THIS, OF COURSE, ALL THE RESIDENTS IN THE AREA ARE NOT DRINKING THIS WATER.
WE THAT HAPPENS BASICALLY DUE TO LABORATORY DIFFERENCES.
THAT'S MOSTLY, WOULDN'T, WOULDN'T AN UPTICK MAKE IT LESS SAFE? IT, IT IS IF IT WERE TO HAVE CONT BEEN ABOVE THE DRINKING WATER STANDARD, BUT IN, IN ALL THE 12 YEARS OF SAMPLING, IT'S NEVER BEEN ABOVE THE DRINKING WATER STANDARD.
BUT WOULD IT MAKE IT LESS SAFE THAN WHEN IT WAS DOWN A TICK
AND SO THEY DON'T MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN, IF IT'S BELOW 0.9 0.09 OR OR OR ABOVE, ABOVE, IT CAN BE A, A LONG-TERM CONCERN BELOW THERE'S NO DE UH, GRADATION OF INCREASED DECREASED RISK.
IF IT'S ABOVE, BELOW THAT NUMBER, UH, IT CAN BE UNSAFE.
AND MR. EON, CAN YOU ADDRESS THE CONCERN THAT, THAT THERE'S NOT MORE, THAT THERE, THAT THE WELLS HAVE BEEN ABANDONED, THERE'S NOT MONITORING WELLS NOW AND IT THEREFORE YOU CAN'T TELL IF THE PLUME IS DELINEATING OR IF THE CONCENTRATIONS ARE DECREASING.
CAN YOU TALK TO ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE TESTING? YEAH, THE TESTING TOOK PLACE IS, IS IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS UP THROUGH JANUARY OF 2019.
AND AT THAT TIME, UM, NORTH POINT PURCHASED THE PROPERTY FROM EXXON AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED DOING THE NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AND NEW CONSTRUCTION REQUIRE THAT ALL THE, ALL THE WELLS AND ALL THE LANDSCAPE BE, UH, BE REMOVED AND, AND RE REPLANTED.
AND AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, ALL OF THOSE MONITOR WELLS WERE REMOVED.
AND, AND SO WE USED THE DATA AND WE FILED OUR MSD APPLICATION IN MARCH OF 2019 BASED ON ALL THE HISTORICAL DATA WE DID ALL OF THE NECESSARY STATISTICAL ANALYSIS WHICH HAD BEEN PRESENTED TO TCQ SHOWING THAT IT IS A STABLE OR DECREASING PLUME BASED ON ALL OF THE DATA THROUGH JANUARY OF 2019.
NOW, SINCE IT'S BEEN IN THE PROCESS HERE WITH THE CITY, UM, WE HAD RECEIVED THE BOTH ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL APPROVAL THAT IT WAS COMPLETE AND MET THOSE CRITERIA.
SO THERE WAS NO NEED TO DO ANY ADDITIONAL TESTING.
HOWEVER, AS, AS HAN MENTIONED, WE'VE DONE IT VOLUNTARILY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S 14 MONITORING WELLS THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND IN NOVEMBER OF 2020 WE TOOK A ROUND OF SAMPLES THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN IN MAY, 2021 WE TOOK ANOTHER ROUND JUST TO SEE, HEY, HAS THERE BEEN ANY MIGRATION THAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED OVER THE PREVIOUS THREE OR FOUR YEARS? AND ALL THE RESULTS SHOWED NON-DETECT OF ANY, ANY KIND OF CHEMICALS OF CONCERN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THAT'S BEST EVIDENCE THAT IT'S NOT CAUSING AN INFLUENCE THERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ABEY CAYMAN ON SCREEN VIRTUALLY.
AND IRE, I APPRECIATE THAT WE HAVE, I'M AN EXPERT HERE, SO I JUST HAD A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
GIVEN YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH TCE EQ.
UM, WOULD YOU AGREE THOUGH THAT AS IT RELATES TO TCE Q I'M NOT SAYING IT'S
[01:45:01]
TCE Q'S FAULT, BUT FOR DECADES, ESPECIALLY IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN, WHETHER IT'S AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL OR STATE LEVEL, UH, NOT ONLY LACKS ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT BUT LOOPHOLES THAT HAVE ALLOWED LEGACIES OF, UM, POLLUTION IN SOME OF THESE RESIDENTIAL AREAS.OH YEAH, WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED.
AND SO I, I THINK WHAT SOME OF US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE STRUGGLING WITH IS RIGHTFULLY SO, RIGHT FOR FOLKS LIVING IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, AS COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, YOU KNOW, WHO REPRESENTS THEM FIERCELY AND VERY WELL, UM, POINTED OUT THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS FROM RESIDENTS STILL.
AND I THINK, UH, SOME OF WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IS, YOU KNOW, MEETING RESIDENTS WHERE THEY ARE, UM, TO TALK THROUGH THIS TO ALLAY THEIR CONCERNS IF IT IS IN FACT SAFE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND WE TEND TO DEFER TO THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, ON THESE TYPES OF ISSUES THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S RIGHTFULLY SOME CONCERNS FROM RESIDENTS RIGHT NOW ABOUT THIS AND, AND WE WANT TO COMMUNICATE ALL ANY KIND OF RISKS THAT MAY BE THERE THAT WE SEE.
NEXT SPEAKER, THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
[RECESS]
WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20TH AT 9:00 AM AGENDA FOR THE WEEK, APRIL 19TH AND 20TH 2022.ITEM ONE, PUBLIC HEARING RELATIVE TO THE APPROVAL OF THE DESIGNATION OF THE FOLLOWING 10 LANDMARKS ARE PROTECTED LANDMARKS.
ITEM TWO, PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE RENEWAL OF THE TAX ABATEMENT ORDINANCE.
ITEM THREE, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATED $976,399 AND 1 CENT OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM, CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND RESUM INC.
ITEM FOUR, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF PEACE AND PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF CHANGE ORDER NUMBER 13 IN THE AMOUNT OF $976,399 AND 1 CENTS FOR THE FORCE MAIN RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT FOR STRAW AND BAYFIELD LIFT STATIONS ON CONTRACT WITH RECOM INC.
THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM THREE ABOVE ITEM FIVE FOR LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION FOR SOLE SOURCE PURCHASE OF KINGFISH AND FLEX R-N-A-D-N-A, EXTRACT EXTRACTION INSTRUMENT AND SERVICE PLAN FOR THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
ITEM SIX, RANGER CONVEYING AND SUPPLY COMPANY INC.
FOR THE PURCHASE OF BAR SCREEN CONVEYOR BELT SYSTEM FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM SEVEN, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND MCCALL.
PARKHURST AND HORTON LLP FOR BOND COUNCIL.
SPECIAL DISCLOSURE COUNCIL AND SPECIAL TAX COUNCIL SERVICES FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
ITEM EIGHT, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BRACEWELL LLP FOR BOND COUNCIL SERVICES FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
ITEM NINE, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND GREENBERG TARIG, LLP FOR SPECIAL DISCLOSURE COUNCIL SERVICES FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
ITEM 10, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ALEXANDER DEBO AND JEFFERSON LLP TO PROVIDE LEGAL CONSULTING SERVICES ON GENERAL APPELLATE MATTERS.
ITEM 11, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND OLSON OLSON LLP ITEM 12, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THIRD AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND SEARCH HOMELESS SERVICES.
ITEM 13, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL PLANNING SERVICES BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND RRG MILLER ENGINEERS INC.
ITEM 14 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $400,000 AND NO SENSE OUT OF HOMELESS AND HOUSING.
CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AID CONTRACTS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ONE BCB CONSTRUCTION LLC TWO HCG MANAGEMENT L-L-C-D-B-A, HONESTY CONSTRUCTION GROUP THREE, DEPA SERVICES L-L-C-D-B-A-M-C-P CONSTRUCTION FFMG CONSTRUCTION GROUP LLC FIVE, BASAL CONSTRUCTION SIX HOME BASE REPAIRS LLC SEVEN ALL IN ONE BUILDING, MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION LLC AND EIGHT AREAS.
GROUP LLC FOR COMMUNITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM FOR THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
ITEM 15, ORDINANCE AWARDING TASK ORDER CONTRACT TO INLAND ENVIRONMENTS LTD ITEM
[01:50:01]
16 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING 236,860,000 NO CENTS OUT PUBLIC LIBRARY CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ALI VAN SELLER AND CDP IN TEXAS.PURCHASER ITEM 17 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ELECTRONIC GRANT APPLICATION TO THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR FY 2023 PROJECT.
SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS PROGRAM GRANT FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ITEM 18 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ELECTRONIC GRANT APPLICATION TO THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR FY 2023.
TAKING A STAND REDUCING VIOLENT CRIMES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
GRANT FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ITEM 19 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ELECTRONIC GRANT APPLICATION TO THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR FY 2023 PAROLE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INITIATIVE GRANT FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ITEM 20 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ELECTRONIC GRANT APPLICATION TO OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR FY 2023.
HOUSTON HAZARDOUS CLANDESTINE LABORATORY RESPONSE EQUIPMENT GRANT FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ITEM 21 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
ITEM 22 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINATE THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRED THE CONTINUED USE OF A MORE OR LESS 50 FOOT WIDE UNNAMED STREET EASEMENT LOCATED WEST OF GLEN HOLLOW DRIVE AND BEING OUT OF LOTS 10 AND 12 BLOCK THREE OF SOUTH ACRES INCORPORATED THE SUBDIVISION IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS.
ABANDONED
ITEM 23 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF A 0.112 ACRE PARCEL OF CITY FEE ON LAND BEING PART OF TRACK 36 B LOCATED IN THIRD BLOCK 36 OF THE GLENDALE SUBDIVISION IS SITUATED IN THE J BROWN SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER EIGHT, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS A DG INTEREST LLC, THE ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNER IN CONSIDERATION OF ITS CONVEYANCE TO THE CITY OF TWO RIGHT OF WAY EASEMENTS, BOTH SITUATED IN THE J BROWN SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER EIGHT, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, A CASH PAYMENT TO THE CITY OF $3,972 AND NO CENTS AND OTHER CONSIDERATION.
ITEM 24 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 94.191 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 99 FOR INCLUSION IN THE DISTRICT.
ITEM 25 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 11.2077 ACRES OF LAND TO PORTER MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT FOR INCLUSION IN THE DISTRICT.
ITEM 26 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 1 0 6 0.166 ACRES OF LAND TO DECKER PRAIRIE MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT FOR INCLUSION IN THE DISTRICT.
ITEM 27 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 36.26 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER FIVE 60 FOR INCLUSION IN THE DISTRICT.
ITEM 28 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 11.784 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 5 31 FOR AN INCLUSION IN THE DISTRICT.
ITEM 29 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 71.793 ACRES OF LAND TO NORTHWEST HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER FIVE FOR AN INCLUSION IN THE DISTRICT.
ITEM 30 ORDINANCE DESIGNATED THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 1914 GAIN OAK STREET AND ALSO KNOWN AS THE CAMPBELL MORENO HOUSE BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A LANDMARK ITEM 31 ORDINANCE DESIGNATING THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 1419 KIRBY STREET AND ALSO KNOWN AS MR. AND MRS. RAF M HENDERSON HOUSE BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A LANDMARK ITEM 32 ORDINANCE DESIGNATING THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 2310 ELGIN STREET, ALSO KNOWN AS EL DORADO BALLROOM BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A PROTECTED LANDMARK.
ITEM 33 ORDINANCE DESIGNATING THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 53 53 0 3 LYONS AVENUE, AND ALSO KNOWN AS THE MARSHALL CALLAWAY BUILDING BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A PROTECTED LANDMARK.
ITEM 34 ORDINANCE DESIGNATING THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 5 0 1 RALPH STREET AND ALSO KNOWN AS THE MENTAL HOUSE BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A PROTECTED LANDMARK.
ITEM 35 ORDINANCE DESIGNATING THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 1714 HOUSTON AVENUE AND ALSO KNOWN AS THE JF KESSLER BUILDING BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A PROTECTED LANDMARK.
ITEM 36 ORDINANCE DESIGNATED THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 1428 EAST 34TH STREET, AND ALSO KNOWN AS SMITH MAXI HOUSE BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A PROTECTED LANDMARK.
ITEM 37 ORDINANCE DESIGNATED THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 2011 JOHNSON STREET AND ALSO KNOWN AS THE
ITEM 38 ORDINANCE DESIGNATED THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 39 0 4 BRANCH STREET AND ALSO KNOWN AS THE CARSON LUCIA HOUSE BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A PROTECTED
[01:55:01]
LANDMARK.ITEM 39 ORDINANCE DESIGNATED THE PROPERTY MUNICIPALLY KNOWN AS 28 12 MIDDLE STREET AND ALSO KNOWN AS BOYNTON CHAPEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF BEING LOCATED THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A PROTECTED LANDMARK.
ITEM 40 SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE RELATIVE TO THE SALE OF A 0.268 ACRE PARK SITE KNOWN AS STUDENT MONTH SPACE WAY.
SUGGESTED HEARING DATE WEDNESDAY 9:00 AM MAY 25TH, 2022.
FOR HYDROFLUORIC ACID CHEMICALS FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN KBA.
THIS WAS ITEM 13 ON AGENDA OF APRIL 13TH, 2022.
ITEM 42 IS AN ORDINANCE ADDING ARTICLE 20, CHAPTER 28 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON TEXAS ESTABLISHING A MINIMUM BAIL BOND PREMIUM.
THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN AND
THIS WAS ITEM 15 ON AGENDA OF APRIL 13TH, 2022.
ITEM 43 IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 28 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS TO ADD AN AMEN'S TEXAS RELATED TO TO EXTERIOR SECURITY CAMERAS AND LIGHTING TO INCREASE PUBLIC SAFETY TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN CAYMAN THOMAS AND ALCORN.
THIS IS ITEM 16 ON AGENDA OF APRIL 13TH, 2022.
ITEM 44 IS A MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE USE OF DESIGNATED GROUNDWATER BENEATH A TRACT LAND CONTAINING 86.658 ACRES, COMMONLY KNOWN AS OH 82, DAVID STATEMAN STREET, HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS.
THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN JACKSON.
THIS WAS ITEM 36 ON AGENDA OF APRIL 13TH, 2022.
THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE COUNCIL SESSION OF APRIL 20TH, 2022.
STATE TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULE TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF OUR FORMER CITY SECRETARY, MS. ANNA RUSSELL.
SHE ALWAYS SAID DRIVE SAFE, DRIVE FRIENDLY, AND HAVE A NICE DAY.
IN THE WORDS OF OUR CURRENT CITY SECRETARY, PAT JEFFERSON DANIEL, I LIKE TO BE VIEWED WITH THIS.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED.
HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY.
[RECONVENE]
ALL RIGHT Y'ALL, IT'S 9 0 5.IT'S WEDNESDAY, APRIL THE 20TH, 2022 I MAYOR.
I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO WATER, UH,
[1.
9:00 A.M. PUBLIC HEARING relative to the approval of the designation of ten Landmarks or Protected Landmarks - DISTRICTS B - JACKSON; C - KAMIN; D - EVANS-SHABAZZ; G - HUFFMAN and H - CISNEROS
- The Cambell-Moreno House at 1914 Gano Street (Landmark)
- The Mr. & Mrs. Ralph M. Henderson House at 1419 Kirby Street (Landmark)
- The Eldorado Ballroom at 2310 Elgin Street (Protected Landmark)
- The Marshall Calloway Building at 5303 Lyons Avenue (Protected Landmark)
- The Miller House at 501 Rouse Street (Protected Landmark)
- The J. F. Kessler Building at 1714 Houston Avenue (Protected Landmark)
- The Smith Maxie House at 1428 E 34th Street (Protected Landmark)
- The Zischang- Alvarado House at 2011 Johnson Street (Protected Landmark)
- The Carson-Lucia House at 3904 Brandt Street (Protected Landmark)
- The Boynton Chapel United Methodist Church at 2812 Milby Street (Protected Landmark)
UH, SEE, I THINK THERE ARE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS THIS MORNING.
SO IF YOU HAVE CALLED THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING, ITEM ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING RELATIVE TO THE DESIGNATION OF 10 LANDMARKS OR PROTECTED LANDMARKS.
AND THIS MORNING, UH, WE HAVE THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER, UH, ROMAN MCALLEN, UH, WHO WILL BE PROVIDING THE PRESENTATION THIS MORNING.
DEAR MR. ALLEN, MR. MCALLEN MCALLEN, THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, MAYOR TURNER AND ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE.
I'M ROMAN MCALLEN, I'M THE PRESERVATION OFFICER FOR THE CITY.
THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT RECEIVED APPLICATIONS FROM PROPERTY OWNERS REQUESTING PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING ADDRESSES, NO STATEMENTS AND OPPOSITIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC TO ANY OF THESE LANDMARK DESIGNATIONS AND PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATIONS BEFORE YOU IS A MAP INDICATING THE APPROXIMATE LOCATIONS OF THESE PROPERTIES IN THE CITY.
IN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT B, WE HAVE THE MARSHALL CALLAWAY BUILDING AT 53 0 3 LYONS AVENUE FOR A PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THIS IS A FORMER OFFICE OF THE LATE DISTINGUISHED CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA JORDAN, AS WELL AS OTHER HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS COUNCIL DISTRICT C, THE CARSON LUCIA HOUSE AT 39 0 4 BRANCH STREET FOR PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION IN COUNCIL DISTRICT D, THE EL DORADO BALLROOM AT 2310 ELGIN STREET AND THE BOYNTON METHODIST CHURCH AT 28 12 MILBY STREET FOR PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THAT'S A STRONG COMMITMENT THESE OWNERS MAKE.
THAT MEANS THEY WANT THAT BUILDING TO BE AROUND A LONG TIME.
IN COUNCIL DISTRICT G, MR. AND MRS. RALPH M. ANDERSON HENDERSON HOUSE AT 1419 KIRBY DRIVE FOR A LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
AND IN COUNCIL DISTRICT H WE HAVE FOUR PROTECTED LANDMARKS IN ONE LANDMARK.
THE JF KESSLER AT 1714 HOUSTON AVENUE FOR A PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THE MILLER HOUSE AT 5 0 1 ROUSE FOR PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THAT'S OVER IN, UH, UH, THE, UH, HARBOR.
UH, WHAT AM I IN GOING DENVER HARBOR.
UH, THE FIRST DESIGNATION IN DENVER HARBOR OF A, OF A PROTECTED LANDMARK.
THE SMITH MAXEY HOUSE AT 1428 EAST 34TH STREET FOR A PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
[02:00:03]
AND THAT IS IN INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS.ANOTHER NICE, UH, SAVE OF ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING HISTORIC PROPERTIES.
AND THEN THE ZHANG ALVARADO HOUSE AT 2011 JOHNSON STREET FOR A PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
AND THEN THE CAMPBELL MORENO HOUSE AT 1914 GANO STREET FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THESE PROPOSED LANDMARKS AND PROTECTED LANDMARKS WERE PRESENTED TO THE HOUSTON ARCHEOLOGICAL AND THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION ON A SEPARATE MEETING, ON SEPARATE MEETING DATES THROUGHOUT 2021.
AND THE COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THESE DESIGNATIONS AND FORWARD THEM TO YOU ALL.
AND I'M HERE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANT TO THANK ROMAN FOR HIS WORK ON THIS AND THE DEPARTMENT FOR PREPARING ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND UM, ALL THE DOCUMENTATION FOR US ON THIS.
I THINK THE LIST THAT YOU JUST READ IS IMPORTANT FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO HOUSTON'S HIS HISTORY AND NOT JUST ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY, BUT REALLY YOU MENTIONED BARBARA JORDAN, FOR INSTANCE.
CAN YOU IDENTIFY AGAIN WHAT PROPERTY THAT WAS? THAT IS THE, UH, I KNOW IT BY PICTURE THAT ONE.
SO AT, UH, 53 0 3 LYONS AVENUE IN DISTRICT B, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S INCREDIBLE FOR US.
SO I THINK FIRST OF ALL, THE DOCUMENTATION, THE PURPOSE OF THIS AND, UH, WHAT WE'LL BE DOING TODAY BY CAN, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE VOTING ON AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE ACTIVITIES AT THE ARCHEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL COMMISSION? WHAT PROCEEDS WHAT SURE.
FIRST I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ IN YOUR PACKET, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL ACTUAL, UH, REPORT TO CREATE THAT LANDMARK THERE AT 53 0 3 ALLIANCE BECAUSE WE HAVE WONDERFUL PICTURES OF, OF CONGRESSWOMAN THERE.
AND THEN THE HISTORY OF THE, THE FAMILY THAT ALSO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WORKED THERE.
IT WAS A PRINTING COMPANY I THINK THAT HE HAD THERE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THOSE PEOPLE COME FORWARD, SOMETIMES THEY GO TO PRESERVATION HOUSTON WHO HELPS TO WRITE UP THESE REPORTS.
SOMETIMES THEY COME TO US AND WE DO RESEARCH AND WE HELP TO WRITE UP THE REPORT.
SOMETIMES THEY GO TO PROFESSOR STEVEN FOX AT RICE UNIVERSITY WHO THEN WILL DOCUMENT THE BUILDING AND FIND ITS FULL HISTORY.
SO WITH THAT REPORT IS REALLY TO GET THE FULL HISTORY DOWN ON PAPER.
SO IF ANYONE CHOOSES, THEY CAN KNOW THAT.
AND OF COURSE, GOING FORWARD, WHAT THIS MEANS IS SOMEONE'S GONNA CLICK ON A MAP ON A GI IS MAP ON IT, THEY'RE GONNA SEE A HISTORIC LANDMARK, THEY'RE GONNA CLICK ON IT, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THAT FULL HISTORY RIGHT THERE.
SO THAT IS WHAT WE DO AT THAT LOWER LEVEL THAN WE COME TO HISTORICAL COMMISSION, BUT WE CANNOT LANDMARK SOMETHING WITHOUT CITY, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL TO LANDMARK SOMETHING.
AND SO, UM, AND THEN AS, UM, THIS HEARING IS A RESULT OF A NEED RE FROM A DECISION LAST YEAR, UH, THE SUPREME COURT MADE THAT HOUSTON NEEDS TO OPERATE UNDER CHAPTER TWO 11 FOR THEIR HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE.
SO NOW THESE HEARINGS ARE COMING BEFORE YOU, WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT EXCEPT MAKING IT MORE VOCAL THAT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO IN SPECIFICALLY TO THE QUESTION, THE ARCHEOLOGICAL HISTORICAL COMMISSION HAS REVIEWED IT, THEY'VE MOVED IT TO OUR REVIEW PUBLIC HEARING AND THE SUBSEQUENT VOTE IS LATER IN OUR PACKAGE TODAY.
AND CERTAINLY THANK YOU ROMAN.
AND I DO NEED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, THE BOYINGTON, UH, CHURCH, WHICH IS, HAS BEEN IN OPERATION 140 YEARS NOW UNDER THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP OF REVEREND LINDA DAVIS.
SO I'M STILL VERY DELIGHTED FOR THAT AND CERTAINLY THE ELDER ELDORADO BALLROOM.
I CAN REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAY WHEN MY PARENTS USED TO GO THERE AND SHAKE A TAIL FEBA BACK IN THE DAY, UH, THEY'D LEAVE US AT HOME AND THEY WOULD GO AND HAVE A GREAT TIME.
SO I KNOW THAT IT IS BEING TOTALLY REFURBISHED.
AND SO THAT IS WONDERFUL AND I AM SO VERY EXCITED FOR THAT VENUE AS WELL.
OKAY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS TO MR. MCALLEN? OKAY, THANK YOU.
UM, THERE IS NO ONE, UM, THAT HAS RESERVED, UM, THIS, THIS AS A, AS A SPEAKER.
UM, SO IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING? TATUM MOVE SECOND.
ROBINSON BEEN MOVED AND SECOND TO CLOSE THE HEARING.
[2.
PUBLIC HEARING to consider the renewal of the Tax Abatement Ordinance
]SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL THE NEXT PUBLIC HEARING.ITEM TWO IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO RENEWAL OF THE TAX ABATEMENT ORDINANCE CHAIR.
I RECOGNIZE THE SENIOR STAFF ANALYST, JENNIFER CURLEY, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION ON THIS, UH, ITEM.
TEXAS TAX CODE SECTION THREE 12.002 A REQUIRES CITIES TO ADOPT TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA BEFORE ENTERING INTO TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENTS.
AND EACH APPROVED ABATEMENT AGREEMENT MUST MEET THOSE GUIDELINES.
STATE LAW ALSO PROVIDES THAT A CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND
[02:05:01]
CRITERIA ARE EFFECTIVE FOR TWO YEARS FROM THE DATE ADOPTED.THE CITY'S CURRENT TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA WILL EXPIRE MAY 19TH, 2022, AND THE CITY DESIRES TO CONTINUE ITS TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM BY READOPTING AND RENEWING THE CITY'S CURRENT TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW.
THE NOTICE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING WAS PUBLISHED IN THE EASTERN CHRONICLE ON APRIL 8TH, 2022.
THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM IS ONE OF EIGHT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS USED TO COMPETE FOR OR ATTRACT CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND CREATE OR RETAIN JOBS.
IT HAS BEEN AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR ATTRACTING PROJECTS ACROSS INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING TECHNOLOGY, ENERGY, MANUFACTURING, DISTRIBUTION, AND MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT, THE PROGRAM HAS EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS TO REMAIN RELEVANT AND REFLECT THE CHANGING INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC DYNAMICS.
EXAMPLES OF PRIOR AMENDMENTS TO THE TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA ORDINANCE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING.
IN 2018, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AN AMENDMENT TO THE GUIDELINES RELATING TO COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND REQUIRED AT LEAST ONE COMMUNITY BENEFIT IN EVERY APPLICATION, SUCH AS LOCAL COMMUNITY JOB RECRUITING, HIRING FROM JOB REENTRY PROGRAMS, LOW MIDDLE SKILLS, JOB TRAINING, AND PAID INTERNSHIPS OR INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS. ADDITIONALLY, MULTI-FAMILY PROJECTS WERE REQUIRED TO INCLUDE AT LEAST 20% AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS.
IN 2020, THE CITY APPROVED AN AMENDMENT TO THE GUIDELINES AND CREATED A TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM FOR GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND INCREASED LEAD ABATEMENT PERCENTAGES TO 5%, 10%, AND 15% FOR SILVER, GOLD, AND PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS.
RESPECTFULLY TO ENCOURAGE, TO ENCOURAGE GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.
THE ORDINANCE TO RENEW AND READOPT THE CITY'S CURRENT GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA WILL BE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL NEXT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27TH, 2022.
THERE'S NO COUNCIL ACTION REQUIRED TODAY.
ANY, ANY, UH, UH, QUESTIONS TO MS. KERLEY? OKAY.
UM, MADAM SECRETARY, I THINK THERE ARE ONE OR TWO SPEAKERS, SO IF YOU'LL CALL THAT LIST FIRST SPEAKER.
LINDA MORALES WITH THE TEXAS GULF COAST AREA LABOR FEDERATION, ALSO WITH THE BILL HOUSTON PROJECT COALITION.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
UM, THE ASK THAT I HAVE TODAY ALONG WITH OUR COALITION GROUP IS THAT WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF THIS BODY WOULD ALLOW THE COMMUNITY A LONGER PUBLIC PROCESS WITH MORE OUTREACH SO THAT RESIDENTS CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE GETTING INTO BY GIVING UP THIS MONEY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES TRUE ACCOUNTABILITY AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND RETURN FOR ANY TAX BREAKS.
UM, I THINK WE REMEMBER, UH, THE CITY GAVE A COMBINED 2.5 MILLION IN TAX ABATEMENTS TO JP MORGAN AND TRANSOCEAN TO CREATE JUST 20 JOBS TOTAL.
WE NEED MORE ACCOUNTABILITY ON THIS.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A BETTER PROCESS OUTLINED IN THESE TAX ABATEMENTS.
THERE NEEDS TO BE MONITORING OF THE PROJECTS FOR COMPLIANCE.
BILL HOUSTON BETTER SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE ORDINANCE PART TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CREATING AND RETAINING GOOD JOBS, NOT JUST ANY JOB.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
NO, I'M LOOKING AT, OH, I GOT IT.
MS. MORALES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS THE CHAIR OF THE CITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, UM, WHENEVER WE HAVE, UH, TAX ABATEMENTS SCHEDULED, WE DO, UM, POST THOSE NOTICES.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE ON OUR DISTRIBUTION LIST SO THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FIRSTHAND AND IN ENOUGH TIME FOR YOU TO, UM, KNOW THAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE COMING FORWARD FOR THE BUSINESSES.
UM, I, I DO WANT TO THANK THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE AS PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF HAVE ASKED FOR MORE COMMUNITY BENEFITS, UM, WE'VE ADDED THAT, THAT WAS AN ADDITION TO OUR, UM, OR OUR, UM, OUR PLAN.
[02:10:01]
TILLSON HAS BEEN VERY VIGILANT IN GIVING US UPDATES ON, UM, THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE RECEIVED TAX ABATEMENTS WITH THE NUMBER OF JOBS THEY'VE PROVIDED.AND DURING OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS, WE SPECIFICALLY ASK THE TYPES OF JOBS, THE, UM, WAGES OF THESE JOBS, AND THE BENEFITS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU, AS A, A COUNCIL, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE WIN-WIN FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ATTRACTING GOOD COMPANIES AND THAT WE ARE PROVIDING JOBS FOR PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT ARE, UM, LIVING WAGE AND HIGH EARNING JOBS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE, UM, GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO WE DEFINITELY WANNA WORK WITH YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION.
SO PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE ON OUR DISTRIBUTION LIST SO THAT WHEN THESE OPPORTUNITIES COME AVAILABLE, YOU CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FIRSTHAND AND SHARE WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION.
WE LOVE THE FEEDBACK AND WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR ALL.
HOUSTONIANS, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, WE DID ASK TO BE PLACED ON THAT DISTRIBUTION LIST TWO YEARS AGO WHEN THIS ISSUE CAME UP.
UH, MS. CURLEY THAT JUST SPOKE, SPOKE, SAID IT HAD ONLY BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE.
SOMETIMES THOSE POSTINGS ARE SO TINY, LIKE A 10 POINT FONT, YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE THEM.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE SAID.
UM, WE TOO, AS A COMMUNITY, WANT THE CITY TO BE BETTER, TO HAVE BETTER JOBS.
AND, AND I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE NOW, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER.
AND I ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, BUT I CERTAINLY WANT TO GIVE YOU GREETINGS, LINDA, UH, FOR YOUR STELLAR LEADERSHIP IN THE UNION AND CERTAINLY KEEPING OUR UNION WORKERS, UH, WORKING.
AND SO I THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT AND FOR COMING FORWARD, UH, THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TO SEE YOU.
UM, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THE, THE RESEARCH THAT YOU'VE DONE ON THIS CHASE, UH, TAX ABATEMENT WHERE THEY GET $2 MILLION AND ONLY 20 PEOPLE GOT A JOB.
UH, I, I, I, I KNOW YOU HAVE MY EMAIL, IF YOU'D REACH OUT TO ME AND SEND ME WHAT YOU HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING TODAY.
'CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF ALARMING.
THANK, IT'S KIND OF A PUNCH IN THE NOSE.
I BELIEVE YOU'RE ALSO STAR SIX.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING.
AND COUNCIL, UH, MY NAME IS JEREMY HENDRICKS WITH THE LABOR'S INTERNATIONAL UNION.
WE'RE A CONSTRUCTION AND SERVICE WORKER UNION WITH OVER 500,000 MEMBERS.
AND LEON IS PROUD TO BE HERE THIS MORNING WITH A BROAD COALITION, INCLUDING BUILD HOUSTON, BETTER, THE GULF COAST LABOR FED BUILDING TRADES, CAMP COUNCIL, TEXAS APPLESEED, THE HOME COALITION, WORKERS DEFENSE, AND SO MANY OTHERS.
UH, ASKING YOU TO STAND WITH WORKERS THIS MORNING BY PAUSING ITEM 28 TO CONSIDER IMPORTANT CHANGES TO BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY AND WORKERS.
AND WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND I'VE HEARD THE COMMENTS THAT CAME BEFORE ME.
UM, BUT FRANKLY, WERE A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE WORKING MEN AND WOMEN OF HOUSTON WEREN'T GIVEN PROPER NOTICE OF TODAY'S MEETING, WHETHER IT'S LEGAL OR NOT.
UH, THEY WERE NOT GIVING ADEQUATE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THIS POLICY OR TESTIFY THIS MORNING.
SADLY, WORKING FOLKS ARE OUT FIGHTING TO SURVIVE, KEEP A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE, UH, FRANKLY, DURING A PANDEMIC.
WHILE INFLATION IS SKYROCKETING AND THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON SIMPLY DESERVE BETTER, AND THEY EXPECT THEIR TAX DOLLARS TO CREATE GOOD, SAFE JOBS THAT LIFT PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY AND CREATE REAL OPPORTUNITIES.
WHAT WE DO NOT NEED TODAY IS ANOTHER RUBBER STAMP OF AN OUTDATED POLICY.
AND WHEN THEY SAY AT LEAST ONE COMMUNITY BENEFIT, THAT'S A RIDICULOUSLY NO LOW NUMBER IN MY OPINION, WHEN THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON OUT THERE STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE.
AND IT'S A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY THAT HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS RECTIFY TODAY.
UM, AND FRANKLY, WE JUST CAN'T AFFORD ANY LONGER TO USE THE PEOPLE'S TAX DOLLARS TO INCENTIVIZE TO COMPANIES WHO ONLY CREATE A HANDFUL OF JOBS WITH LOW WAGES, UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS, AND WHAT IS ALREADY THE MOST DANGEROUS STATE FOR WORKERS IN AMERICA.
SO I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU GUYS TAKE PAUSE TODAY BECAUSE THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON DEMAND BE BETTER THAN THIS.
THEY HAVE PUT THEIR FAITH IN YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
[02:15:01]
PROPERLY UPDATE THIS POLICY, TO REVIEW THE SUGGESTED CHANGES THAT WE'VE INCLUDED, UH, WHICH ARE THE BUILD HOUSTON, BETTER POLICIES, INCLUDING LIVING IN PREVAILING WAGES, OSHA TRAINING, FAIR CHANCE, AND LOCAL HIRING, APPRENTICESHIP AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS, ONSITE MONITORING.AND THESE GUIDELINES ARE ALREADY BEING CHAMPIONED BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.
THEY HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY HARRIS COUNTY, TRAVIS COUNTY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND IT'S TIME FOR THE, UH, MODERN ENGINE AND INTERNATIONAL CITY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT HOUSTON IS TO DO THE SAME THING TO HELP WORKERS.
SO LET'S LEVERAGE OUR TAX DOLLARS TO ENSURE THE RIGHT KIND OF INVESTMENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, AND PLEASE GIVE A SECOND AND FOR A MORE CONVENIENT MEETING SO THAT WORKERS CAN COME IN THE EVENING OR IN A WEEKEND AND ACTUALLY GIVE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THIS IMPORTANT POLICY.
UM, THAT WILL INCLUDE STRONGER BENEFITS, UH, BEFORE WE PASS ANYTHING.
AND I'LL REMIND YOU THAT THE POLICY DOES NOT EXPIRE UNTIL MID-MAY.
SO THERE'S NO REASON TO RUSH AHEAD WITHOUT COMMUNITY INPUT AND A CLEAR PATH TO REAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
SO, UH, PLEASE REVIEW THAT LANGUAGE, LABOR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE'RE EAGER TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS, AND WE WELCOME THAT.
AND WE'RE, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO HELP HOUSTON SUCCEED FOR EVERYONE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR SUPPORT TODAY.
UH, VICE SMITH PRO, TIM ACK TATUM.
AND WHILE YOU ARE DOING THAT, UH, 'CAUSE I THINK THERE'S ONLY BEEN ONE TAX ABATEMENT GRANTED IN, UH, IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
AND I WAS GONNA ASK IF SHE COULD EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TEZ PROGRAM AND THE TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM, BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF TIMES, UM, PEOPLE MAY GET THOSE CONFUSED.
ONE IS THE SALES TAX FROM THE STATE.
UM, IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN THAT DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE ONE, WE CAN DO MORE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE DONE TO TRY TO MAKE SURE COMPANIES ARE PROVIDING GOOD PAYING JOBS AND WE CAN ADD THOSE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
AND ONE IS THE SALES TAX FROM THE STATE.
SO WHEN COUNCIL UPDATED THE CRITERIA IN 2018, WE ADDED A LIST OF, UM, CRITERIA BEFORE YOU CAN ACTUALLY QUALIFY FOR THAT.
I'LL GET YOU THE DETAILS WITH THE SPECIFIC, UM, REQUIREMENTS.
BUT THE, WHAT THE, THE LAST CALLER TALKED ABOUT THAT IS IN THAT PARTICULAR ORDINANCE, UM, WITH REGARD TO T'S, THAT'S A NOMINATION THAT COUNSEL DOES FOR STATE, FOR THE STATE TEXAS ENTERPRISE ZONE PROGRAM.
AND SO WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK AT THE LIST OF POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS THAT WE HAVE AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY.
MEANING THERE'S, UM, A NUMBER OF NOMINATIONS THAT THE CITY GETS, BUT WE DIDN'T FILL IN.
SO IF SOME, A COMPANY COMES TO US AND UM, WANTS TO GET A TEZ, WE REVIEW THEIR DOCUMENTATION, REQUIRE CERTAIN MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS WITH REGARD TO OUR GUIDELINES, IF THEY MEET THOSE GUIDELINES, AND THEN WE REFER THAT, THAT THOSE PARTICULAR APPLICATIONS TO COUNSEL FOR APPROVAL.
SO THAT'S A DIFFERENT SET OF GUIDELINES.
AND SO, UM, LET ME SEND YOU A MEMO WITH REGARD TO THE DIFFERENCES.
AN EXAMPLE OF THE TEZ, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR JP MORGAN TRACE VERSUS THE BIT MORE FOUNDERS' DISTRICT OR THE SCANSCA, UM, TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENTS.
'CAUSE THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE ITEMS. AND YOU HAVE, AND COUNCIL HAS, THE CITY HAS MORE SAYER WITH THE TAX ABATEMENT GUIDELINES, RIGHT.
AND I THINK THE MAX NUMBER OF T ZS WE HAVE IS, IS IT NINE CURRENTLY CURRENT T ZS? IT, IT, IT'S NINE NINE IN A TWO YEAR PERIOD.
NINE OVER A TWO, OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD.
FOR THE T ZS? FOR THE TS I THINK IT IS.
UM, AND I THINK THE JP, UM, MORGAN CHASE WAS A TZ.
THAT WAS A TT A TAX Z THAT WASN'T A TAX ABATEMENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S WHY WHAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS HERE.
THIS IS THE TAX ABATEMENT AND THEN TAX ABATEMENT, UH, THERE'S ONLY BEEN ONE.
AND WITH THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE IN 2018, YES.
I MEAN, WE DO TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY JOB RECRUITMENT.
I SPECIFICALLY REMEMBER THAT, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT HIRING FOR THE JOB REENTRY PROGRAM.
LOW MIDDLE SKILLED JOBS, TRAINING, PAID INTERNSHIPS AND MENTORSHIPS.
ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE JUST HEARD.
REENTRY JOBS, WHICH IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
AND THEN IN 2019 IT WAS THE GREENSTONE WATER.
WITH REGARDS TO, UH, WHAT WE DOING TO BUILDING A RESILIENT CITY.
SO WE HAVE MADE THOSE CHANGES FROM 2018 TO 2020.
UH, WITH REGARDS TO OUR TAX ABATEMENT.
AND THEN LET ME ALSO SAY, 'CAUSE I DO WANT, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO KEEP REMINDING AS IT RELATES TO
[02:20:01]
EMPLOYEES LABOR, YOU KNOW, ALL CITY EMPLOYEES $15 A MINIMUM AND GOING UP.AND THAT INCLUDES OUR JANITORS, SECURITY AIRPORT WORKERS.
AND THEN WITH RESPECT TO THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENT, WHICH DOESN'T EVEN FALL WITHIN THIS AS IT RELATES TO THE ION, WE KNOW WHAT'S TAKING PLACE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING COULD BE AS MUCH AS $50 MILLION DURING THE COURSE OF THAT ANOTHER 15, RIGHT AROUND 50 MILLION THAT'S BEING GIVEN DOLLARS BEING GIVEN TO, UM, UNDERREPRESENTED, UH, FOUNDERS IN TERMS OF THE TECH SECTOR.
SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IN THAT FRONT, BUT I JUST WANT US TO BE VERY CLEAR.
CHASE WAS A TEZ NINE OVER TWO YEARS.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE TAX ABATEMENT, WHICH IS BEFORE US, THE TAX ABATEMENT, WE HAVE MADE MODIFICATIONS CHANGES IN 2018 AND 2020, AND WE'VE ONLY DONE ONE.
AND THEN I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, MAYOR.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT FOR NOTIFYING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE TAX ABATEMENT IN, IN, IN THE, IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE? UM, BECAUSE I KNOW AT, AT WE, WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS AS A, A TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE IN, UM, NOTIFICATIONS, UM, IF WE COULD MOVE THOSE FROM THE NEWSPAPER TO MORE ONLINE, UM, DISTRIBUTION SO THAT PEOPLE CAN, CAN SEE THOSE, UM, EITHER IN THE NEWSPAPER, ON ONLINE AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS.
UH, DO, DO WE ONLY, UM, PUT THAT TAX ABATEMENT INFORMATION IN THE NEWSPAPER? OR ARE WE ALSO PUBLISHING THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE? WE'RE PUBLISHING IT OUT IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE.
ONLY IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE.
UH, SEE, COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN MCCAIN.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS WE ONLY HAVE ONE, UH, TAX ABATEMENT RIGHT NOW THAT'S BEEN UTILIZED.
AND ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THAT, UH, WHEN WE PUBLISH IN THE CHRONICLE, UM, WE'RE STILL NOT PROVIDING DEVELOPERS AND HOUSTONIANS, UM, A LOCALIZED PLACE WHERE THEY CAN COME TO UTILIZE AND KNOW AND LEARN ABOUT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT INCENTIVES AND PROGRAMS WE HAVE, INCLUDING WITH GSI.
UH, I THINK GSI IS SOMETHING I'VE CHAMPIONED.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WORKED ON IT AS WELL.
UM, NO, WE'RE NOT SEEING THE USE OF THAT ONE.
I THINK THE THRESHOLD IS TOO HIGH FOR ACCESS TO IT, BUT, UM, WE'RE ALSO NOT CONSOLIDATING INFORMATION IN SUCH A WAY THAT FOLKS CAN ACCESS IT.
SO I WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, NOT TODAY OF COURSE, BUT TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THESE PROGRAMS MORE ACCESSIBLE AND MORE AVAILABLE AND LOOK AT HOW WE, UM, CAN INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE REALLY IMPORTANT PROGRAMS. AND CERTAINLY WE WANT TO, UH, DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE.
UM, AND THEN WHEN PEOPLE COME IN SEEKING TAX ABATEMENTS, THEY CERTAINLY ARE MADE, THEY'RE MADE AWARE OF, UM, WHAT WE, UH, WHAT OUR CRITERIA IS AND WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR.
UM, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS DO MORE IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING TO THE, TO THE GENERAL WORLD.
A COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND REALLY COVERED IT.
I MEAN, WE WERE ALL SO EXCITED ABOUT THE GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE TAX ABATEMENT, AND A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD MORE INTEREST IN IT, OR MORE APPLICATIONS, ANY REALLY THAT HAVE GONE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE THRESHOLDS AND, AND HOW WE PROMOTE THESE PROGRAMS BECAUSE GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE WANNA SEE MORE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT DO.
SO WHATEVER WE COULD DO TO FURTHER THAT, I'M ALL FOR.
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, TO MS. CURLEY, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS? ON THIS ITEM? THEY MAY NOT HAVE SIGNED UP.
SEEING, HEARING OH ONE, IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING? SO MOVE ROBINSON SECOND CAST.
NEXT MOVE, THEN SECOND TO CLOSE THE HEARING.
ANY OBJECTIONS JERRY'S DONE GRANTED.
[MAYOR'S REPORT]
UH, THIS MORNING, THIS MORNING, UH, SPIRIT AIRLINES, UM, ANNOUNCED THE ADDITION OF AN AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE FACILITY AT GEORGE BUSH INTER CONTINENTAL AIRPORT.THE FACILITY LOCATED ALONG JOHN F. KENNEDY BOULEVARD WILL SERVE AS A LARGE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE HANGER WITH OFFICES AND WAREHOUSING, UH, SPIRIT PLANS TO STAFF THE FACILITY WITH MORE THAN 50 HOUSTON BASED TEAM MEMBERS.
UH, HOUSTON'S STRONG ECONOMIC OUTLOOK MAKES OUR CITY AN ATTRACTIVE ALLY FOR CORPORATE GROWTH AND EXPANSION IN A GLOBAL MARKETPLACE.
AND I THINK THESE JOBS WILL BE RIGHT AROUND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OR MORE.
UH, THE NEW MAINTENANCE FACILITY AT BUSH AIRPORT WILL ADD
[02:25:01]
QUALITY JOBS IN OUR COMMUNITY.UH, WE CERTAINLY VALUE SPIRIT ALLY'S COMMITMENT TO HOUSTON AS THEY CONTINUE TO EXPAND SERVICES IN OUR CITY AND INVEST IN OUR WORKFORCE.
UH, LAST NIGHT WE STARTED OUR REDISTRICTING MEETINGS.
AS YOU KNOW, THEY WILL BE TAKING PLACE IN 11 DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE STARTED LAST NIGHT IN DISTRICT E IN THE KINGWOOD AREA, UH, TALKING ABOUT REDISTRICTING.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, VISITING IN YOUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS, TALKING ABOUT REDISTRICTING.
AND ALSO WE COMBINE THAT WITH THE CIP MEETINGS AS WELL, OR ANY OTHER TOPICS THAT PEOPLE WANNA TALK ABOUT, QUITE FRANKLY.
UH, PEOPLE TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING.
SO, UM, UH, THAT ONE WAS THE FIRST AND, UH, 10 MORE TO GO.
AND, UH, SO, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO, TO THOSE, UH, TURNAROUND HOUSTON JOB FAIR, UH, YOU CAN REGISTER FOR THE SPRING 2022 TURNAROUND HOUSTON JOB AND READINESS FAIR.
MORE THAN 1000 OPEN POSITIONS OR AVAILABLE IN MANY INDUSTRIES.
AND THIS EVENT ADDRESSES THE BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT THAT MANY HOUSTONIANS FACE.
IT OFFERS ACCESS TO JOB TRAINING, RESUME WRITING, TATTOO REMOVAL, SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, COUNSELING AND INTERVENTION TO HELP HARD TO EMPLOY HOUSTONIANS TURNED THEIR LIVES AROUND.
WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM IN, UH, IN MY FIRST TERM, UH, WHERE WE ACTUALLY GO INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS TO REACH THOSE WHO ARE HARD TO EMPLOY, UM, AND PROVIDE THEM WITH VARIOUS TOOLS TO MAKE THEM AND PUT THEM IN A, IN A BETTER POSITION TO BE EMPLOYABLE.
SO LEMME JUST SAY, UM, THE SPRING 1000, UH, JOB OPENINGS.
UH, THERE, THERE ARE PLENTY OF JOBS OUT HERE THAT YOU CAN WORK.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO AND HIT SOMEBODY UPSIDE THE HEAD.
UH, TAKE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER.
AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH WORKING, OKAY? THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH WORKING.
UH, SO WE WANT TO HELP YOU JOIN WITH YOU, SUPPORT YOU.
UH, BUT PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TURNAROUND HOUSTON JOB FAIR OF PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, REENTRY TYPE PROGRAMS. UH, PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE.
OKAY? UH, TONIGHT IS THE HOUSTON SPORTS AWARDS.
UH, THE FIFTH ANNUAL HOUSTON SPORTS AWARD WILL BE TONIGHT AT THE WORD THEM CENTER.
THE RED CARPET STARTS AT SIX, WALK DOWN THE RED CARPET.
AND, UH, THIS STAR STUDIED AWARD SHOW GATHERS HOUSTON TOP ATHLETES BOTH PAST AND PRESENT TO COMMEMORATE, CELEBRATE, AND RECOGNIZE HOUSTON'S TOP SPORTS ACHIEVEMENTS, SPORTS ICONS, PERFORMANCE, AND MOMENTS.
SO SOME OF THE ATHLETES WHO WORE, WHO WORE 22 ON THEIR JERSEYS, CLYDE DREXLER, CHERYL SWOOPES, UH, ROGER CLEMONS, UH, S TURNER, AND A, UH, MONTH, MANY ME,
I DON'T KNOW WHY Y'ALL LET, WHEN Y'ALL GO GET MY JERSEY, I MEAN,
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO PLAYED ACTUALLY OUT THERE IN THE FIELD, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO PLAYED VIRTUALLY, UH,
BUT THAT'S THE, THE AWARDS ARE TO, TO TONIGHT.
AND, UH, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK THAT'S HOW CINDY CLIFFORD, WHO SERVES ON THE HARRIS HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY.
SO, UH, I GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO JANICE BURG FOR PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S TONIGHT THE SISTERS NETWORK BREAST CANCER WALK.
LOOK FORWARD TO JOINING THE SISTER NETWORK INCORPORATED AT IT.
NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN BREAST CANCER WALK ON SATURDAY, APRIL 23RD AT DISCOVERY GREEN.
PROCEEDS WILL SUPPORT BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS AND RESEARCH.
ON SATURDAY, WE WILL CELEBRATE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CATHERINE DUTCH DECH, I THINK PARK.
THE PARK IS LOCATED AT 5,700 COLLINSWORTH IN CASHMERE GARDENS.
I THINK THAT IS IN DISTRICT B.
AND THIS EVENT IS PART OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT OF HOSTING.
ITS FIFTH LOVE OUR PARKS FEST.
AND THE FED THE FEST WILL FEATURE FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMMING FOR HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION, HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, HPDS, GREATER HOUSTON POLICE ACTIVITIES LEAGUE, AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UH, THEN MUSIC DAY, MAKE MUSIC DAY, OR RETURNS TO HOUSTON ON TUESDAY,
[02:30:01]
JUNE 21ST, 2022.AND I ENCOURAGE HOUSTONIANS OF ALL MUSICAL ABILITIES TO PARTICIPATE THIS YEAR.
OVER 90 CITIES NATIONWIDE TO PART IN LAST YEAR'S CELEBRATION IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, SUPPORTS HOUSTON'S MUSIC INDUSTRY AND IS PARTNERING WITH HOUSTON'S PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION.
AND YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ONLINE.
AND THEN EARTH DAY FRIDAY IS EARTH DAY, AND THIS YEAR'S THEME IS INVEST IN OUR PLANET.
SO WE ARE TENTATIVELY PLANNING AN ANNOUNCEMENT RELATING TO PLANS TO BUILD THE SUNNYSIDE IN DISTRICT, UH, SUNNYSIDE SOLAR FARM IN DISTRICT D, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT EVENT ON FRIDAY.
AND THEN, UH, I STARTED TO SING A LITTLE BIT FROM FRANKIE BEVERLY MAC, BUT, UH, A LITTLE BIT HOARSE, UM, THIS MORNING.
BUT ANYWAY, WE HAD THE, UH, ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE SES ESQUE.
CELEBRATION OF EMANCIPATION PARK, 150 YEARS EMANCIPATION PARK.
MASTURBATION PARK IS THE, IS THE OLDEST PARK IN THE CITY AND THE OLDEST PARKED IN THE STATE.
UH, AND THEN PART OF THE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION, THEY'RE HAVING TWO DAYS OF ACTIVITIES WITH FRANK, BEVERLY AND MAY, THE ISAAC BROTHERS KOOL AND THE GANG.
UM, UH, ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
FRIDAY, UH, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, I THINK FROM FOUR TO EIGHT.
IT'S A FREE EVENT, BUT YOU HAVE TO REGISTER, UH, IN ORDER TO, UH, TO BE THERE.
UH, SO THAT WOULD BE AT EMANCIPATION PARK, WHICH IS A CITY PARK TURNER, UH, UM, HALF HOUR SET.
FRANKIE BEVERLY AND I, WE TALKED THE OTHER NIGHT, AND SO WE ARE GONNA TRY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING NEW, UH, A NEW SONG THAT'S COMING OUT,
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S COMING UP ON, UH,
UH, I WENT TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY TOO.
UH, SO THAT'S COVERED UP ON THIS COMING, UH, UH, JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION.
SO A NUMBER OF EVENTS SURROUNDING JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION, THE ACRE SONG PARADE, JUNETEENTH PARADE WILL TAKE PLACE THAT MORNING AT 10, AND THEN WE'LL FLOW RIGHT INTO, INTO THESE OTHER EVENTS.
UM, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THAT THIS WEEKEND.
UM, EMERGENCY SUPPLIES ARE TAX FREE.
SO AS EVERYONE IN HOUSTON IS PREPARING, UH, HURRICANE SEASON IS ALMOST UPON US.
I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE AND APPRECIATE THE CHRONICLES COVERAGE.
BUT THINGS LIKE, UM, GENERATORS, LADDERS, ICE CHEST, I EVEN THINK SMOKE DETECTORS, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT YOU USE TO PLAN AND PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES WILL BE TAX FREE.
SO AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO JUST TALK ABOUT HURRICANE SEASON, BUT NOW YOU GOTTA TALK ABOUT 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
UH, SO GET YOUR EMERGENCY SUPPLIES.
AS YOU KNOW, THE TAX DAY FLOOD WAS IN APRIL.
HARVEY WAS IN AUGUST, TROPICAL, STORMY, MEL WAS IN SEPTEMBER.
THE WINTER STORM WAS IN FEBRUARY.
OKAY? THEN, OF COURSE, YOU HAD THE MEMORIAL DAY FLOOD AS WELL.
SO YOU ALMOST HAVE TO PREPARE FOR EVERY SINGLE STAY PREPARED, YOU KNOW, GET PREPARED SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUSH TO GET PREPARED.
SO HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T HAVE TO FACE ANY MAJOR, UM, EVENTS OF THAT KIND, BUT, UM, BUT DO GET PREPARED AND GET PREPARED NOW.
UH, THAT DOES IT FOR, FOR, FOR ME.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
SECRETARY, WE'LL TURN TO THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY.ITEMS THREE AND FOUR HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BID CATEGORY.
ITEM FIVE AND SIX NEED A MOTION.
CASTEX T MOVED SECOND, ROBINSON MOVED.
AND ON ITEMS FIVE AND SIX, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSE, AND GRANTED UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS REMOVED FOR, I MEAN, ITEM 14 HAS, ITEM 14 HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED IF IT IS RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING.
ITEM 21 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ARE 10, 11, 13, AND 16.
THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 10, 11, 13, AND 16.
DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED AND GRANTED,
[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
I IS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.[02:35:01]
THREE NEEDS A MOTION CAST.AND SECOND ON ITEM THREE, DISCUSSION ON THREE, TAG POLLARD.
UH, ITEM THREE IS TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN POLL, WHO MADE THE MOTION CAST TATUM.
SECOND ROBINSON TAGGED, MOVED BY VICE MAYOR PROTE, SECONDED BY ROBINSON, TAGGED BY COUNCIL MAYOR P*****K.
ROBINSON BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED BY BEEN MOVED.
THIS ITEM IS FORGED TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN POLLARD.
AND GRANTED, ITEM 11 IS AN ORDINANCE.
WE ON ITEM 11, DISCUSSION ON 11.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSE, AND GRANTED, ITEM 13 IS AN ORDINANCE.
THIS IS FOR THE, UM, PLAN FOR THE BUYOUTS, UM, FOR AREAS THAT WERE AFFECTED BY HURRICANE HARVEY.
AND I DID ASK ABOUT THIS ONE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE BUYOUT PROGRAM TOO.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT DUPLICATING WORK THAT THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING AT, AND THEN WE CAN HELP SUPPLEMENT WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THIS IS FOR AREAS THAT ARE IN THE FLOODWAY AND THE FLOODPLAINS.
AND THERE'S SO MUCH AREA THAT ARE NOT IN EITHER THE FLOODWAY OR THE FLOODPLAIN THAT FLOOD ALL THE TIME, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT A.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THOSE AREAS AS WELL, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT FEMA'S STILL LOOKING AT MAPS AND ALL OF THAT, BUT RIGHT NOW, SO MUCH OF DISTRICT A THAT FLOODS ARE NOT IN THE FLOOD PLAY PLANE OR THE FLOODWAY.
AND SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PLANS, THERE ARE PARTS OF DISTRICT A THAT ARE JUST NOT INCLUDED IN ANY PLAN BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND I AM SURE THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
THIS IS A, A STUDY IN THE PLAN ITSELF.
SO, UH, CERTAINLY WE, WE, WE COORDINATE WITH THE COUNTY ALL THE TIME ON THESE BIO PROGRAMS. AND THEN WE RESPECT TO LOOKING AT AREAS THAT, UM, FLOOD, WELL THEN THE FLOODWAY FLOOD PLAN.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM AT ALL EITHER.
UM, AND JUST COLLEAGUES, JUST TO REMIND, UM, REMIND YOU OF THE SE SERIES OF ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL AROUND ACQUISITION AND MOVING PROPERTY OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN FOR DISASTER RECOVERY.
BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS GOING TO SUPPORT OUR CITYWIDE EFFORTS IN TERMS OF OUR CITYWIDE FLOOD STRATEGY, UM, BY 2023, WHICH ALIGNS WITH OUR RESILIENT HOUSTON PLAN.
SO NOT JUST LOOKING AT THE ISOLATED WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING IN RESPONSE TO HARVEY, BUT HOW WE RESPOND TO THAT AS A CITY AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
PECK'S POINT IS EXACTLY RIGHT WITH THOSE OTHER AREAS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY IMPACTED BY HARVEY, BUT CONTINUE TO FLOOD THROUGH EACH STORM.
SO THIS IS A CRITICAL PIECE AS WE EXAMINE DATA AND MOVE FORWARD.
WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DECADES WHAT OUR RESPONSE WILL BE.
UH, COUNCIL COUNCILMAN MCCAMMON.
AND I ALSO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IN THIS ITEM THAT THE CONTRACT INCLUDES EXTENSIVE, UM, OUTREACH.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL WITH THESE PROGRAMS TO LET RESIDENTS KNOW AND STAKEHOLDERS KNOW ABOUT IT.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT COMPONENT OF IT.
ANY ANYONE ELSE ON ITEM 13? ANYONE ELSE IN FAVOR? OPPOSE GRANTED ON 13.
[NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS]
ITEM 40 IS A MOTION TO SET A, A PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR MAY 25TH, 2022 FOR STUDENT MONTH SPACE WAY.ROBINSON MOVED IN, SECONDED ON ITEM 40 TO SET A HEARING DATE FOR WEDNESDAY.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSE, AND GRANTED
[MATTERS HELD]
ITEM 41.JUST NEED A, JUST NEED A VOTE.
A FEW YEARS AGO, THIS ITEM CAME UP, UH, AND OF COURSE JACK CHRISTIE WAS, UH, ON COUNCIL AT THAT TIME, AND WE HAD A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS COME AND TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THE FLUORIDATION OF WATER AND WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS STILL NEEDED TODAY.
AND I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS AND, AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF WE STILL NEED THIS FLUORIDATION, UH, IN OUR WATER.
AND SO, UM, I, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO
[02:40:01]
HAVE, HAVE A, A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO LOOK FOR, FOR THERE TO BE THE DISCUSSION OF IT.WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA SPEND, UH, A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, BUT, UM, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF IT'S NECESSARY.
I DON'T THINK IT'S HARMFUL FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY HELPING TO REDUCE TOOTH DECAY.
NATIONS THAT DON'T FLUORIDE THEIR WATER HAVE ABOUT, HAVE THE SAME RESULT AS THE NATIONS THAT DO.
SO FOR THAT REASON, I WOULD BE OPPOSING IT.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 41? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED SHOW COUNCILMAN KOSH VOTING NOW.
NEXT ITEM, ITEM 42 IS AN ORDINANCE.
RECOGNIZE THIS MAYOR PRO TIM, UH, ON THIS ITEM FOR MOTION.
YES, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO REFER THIS MS. UH, ITEM BACK TO ADMINISTRATION SECOND ROBINSON, THEN MOVE.
AND SECOND TO REFER THIS ITEM BACK.
AS YOU KNOW, THE HARRIS COUNTY BAIL BOND AUTHORITY VOTED ON LAST WEEK.
UH, SO THERE'S NO NEED FOR US TO PROCEED HERE.
UH, COUNCILMAN KASH ON THE MOTION TO PREPARE.
MAYOR, I KNOW THE HARRIS COUNTY BAIL BOND BOARD IS THE REGULATORY, UH, BODY THAT REGULATES A BONDSMAN.
UH, THEY HAVE, UH, ALREADY TAKEN ACTION.
UH, I AGREE WITH THE REFERRAL BACK.
I DON'T SEE WHERE WE NEED TO DO THAT.
UH, I JUST, UH, ALSO FEEL LIKE THAT, THAT, UH, I, I DON'T SEE HOW THIS IS GONNA HELP.
I KNOW THAT MANY OF US, UH, AND MANY HAD SAID BEFORE THE VOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST A STEP THEY FELT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO I, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S GONNA BE, UM, UH, ANY LAWSUIT.
E EVERY TIME THE BAIL BOND BOARD'S BEEN SUED ON TAKING, UM, WHAT WE CALL ULTRA VIRUS, UH, UH, DECISIONS, UH, THEY'VE LOST.
THEY'VE NEVER ONCE SINCE I'VE, I THE HISTORY OF THE BOARD.
SO MAYOR, I, I, I THINK THAT WE, WE REALLY NEED TO COME UP WITH SOME WAY OF COMBAT COMBATING OUR CRIME.
IF, IF, IF, IF THEY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS, THEN, UH, THEN I CERTAINLY, UH, UH, WANT TO SEE A GOOD RESULTS IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE ISSUES, UH, UH, WHERE THE FOCUS IS ON PREVENTING VICTIMS AND THEN BEING SENSITIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED.
SO YOU HAD VICTIMS GROUPS SPEAKING UP, UH, FOR THE MEASURE SOUTH.
UM, YOU HAD CRIME STOPPERS, UM, BEING SUPPORTIVE OF THE MEASURE.
UM, AND I THINK PEOPLE JUST HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME WITH PEOPLE, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, BEING OUT, UM, GETTING BAIL OUT FOR LESS THAN 10% ON AN INSTALLMENT PLAN.
SO THIS IS ONE IN WHICH, UM, I THINK WE ARE TRYING TO APPROACH IT IN A VERY HOLISTIC WAY WITH EVERYBODY, UH, PARTICIPATING, UH, TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER.
IT'S NOT THE, THE THING, BUT IT'S ONE OF THE TWOS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR, IN OUR TOOL BOX.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY WHEN YOU PUT ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS TOGETHER, UH, WE'LL HAVE A MUCH SAFER COMMUNITY.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE HOPE TIME WILL TIME WILL JUDGE IT ALL.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THIS ITEM WAS FOR HABITUAL VIOLENT OFFENDERS OF THOSE WHO COMMITTED SEXUAL, UH, CRIMINAL ACTS.
AND IT IS BASICALLY STATING THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE IT EASIER ON YOU TO POST BAIL IF YOU'RE A HABITUAL VIOLENT OFFENDER.
UH, AND THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT SOME BAIL BOND COMPANIES ARE ALLOWING PEOPLE TO PAY, UH, TWO, 3% OR GET ON INSTALLMENT PANS, WHICH MAKES IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HABITUAL VIOLENT OFFENDERS TO GET BACK OUT ON THE STREETS.
SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO PREVENT THAT, I THINK IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND SO, I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT THE HARRIS COUNTY BAIL BONDS AUTHORITY, UH, SAW IT THE SAME WAY THAT MOST OF US DO.
MAYOR, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE DIDN'T DISCUSS HERE, UH, AND I KNOW WE'RE REFERRING IT BACK.
I, I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE IF, IF JUST INSTEAD OF GETTING RID OF IT, IF THIS BODY WANTS TO MAKE A STATEMENT THAT WE'RE IN FAVOR OF IT AND SUPPORT THE BAIL BOND BOARD AND SUPPORT SENATOR WHITTIER'S EFFORTS IN AUSTIN, THEN, THEN MAYBE THIS SHOULD COME BACK AS A RESOLUTION, MAYOR.
WELL, UH, I THINK WE ARE NUMBER ONE, WE PUT THIS IN, THIS WAS A PART OF OUR ONE SAFE HOUSTON PLAN.
UH, SO WE ADVANCED IT ON THAT FRONT.
[02:45:01]
ONE OF THE FIRST TO COME OUT IN ADVANCE, UH, THIS PUT FORTH THIS RECOMMENDATION, UM, CERTAINLY THE LEGISLATURE, AND I HOPE THAT THE LEGISLATURE WILL, WILL TAKE IT UP AND FULLY IMPLEMENT IT.UM, BUT THE LEGISLATURE WON'T MEET UNTIL JANUARY, 2023.
SO, UM, AND WE ARE NEEDING TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION RIGHT NOW.
UH, WHAT THIS ISSUE DOES DO AND HAS DONE.
I THINK IT HAS HELPED TO FURTHER SENSITIZE THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, AND IT HAS PLACED THE EMPHASIS WHERE IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE, AND THAT'S ON VICTIMS OR PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM BEING VICTIMIZED.
AND TO THE EXTENT WE KEEP ONE PERSON FROM BEING VICTIMIZED, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S VERY MUCH WORTH IT.
SO, UM, BUT I DO HOPE THAT THE LEGISLATURE, UH, WILL MOVE FORWARD AND, UH, CREATE EVEN, UM, TAKE THIS UP, UH, FIRMLY SOLIDIFIED LEGISLATIVELY, UH, AND THEN TAKE SOME ADDITIONAL STEPS AS WELL.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO TALK WITH, UH, OUR LEGISLATORS.
ARE WE ON TO REFER BACK? ARE WE ON THE MOTION TO REFER BACK ANY OTHER CONVERSATION ON THE MOTION TO REFER BACK IN FAVOR, OPPOSE GRANTED ON THE MOTION TO REFER BACK.
WE ON ITEM, WE ON ITEM 40, ON ITEM 43.
AND AGAIN, LEMME JUST SAY ON 40, ON 43, UH, WHICH IS ALSO A PART OF THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON, UH, PLAN.
UH, THIS IS AN ALSO TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL, UH, TO OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
WE HAVE, UH, ROUGHLY, LET'S SAY 5,200 OF THEM COVERING 640 SQUARE MILES.
UH, THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO, UM, UH, UH, ADDRESS EVERY ISSUE.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE AS WE GO ALONG TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO DO MORE.
UM, BUT THIS IS A CRITICAL STEP AND IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE MOVE FORWARD NOW, UH, TO, UH, TO ADDRESS IT, I HAVE AN ADDITIONAL, UH, I, AND THIS IS PUBLIC FACING AND LIGHTING, SO IT'S PUBLIC FACING AND LIGHTING ON THESE, ON THESE ISSUES.
UM, AND WE HAD A STAKEHOLDERS MEETING, UH, ON WEDNESDAY OF LAST WEEK.
UH, AND, UM, WITH THE SUPPORT OF, IF NOT MANY OF THEM, IF NOT MOST OF THEM, OF THE STAKEHOLDERS, UH, WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, OF THIS MEASURE.
UM, BUT WE DO NEED TO SEND A VERY, UH, WE NEED TO SEND 'EM A, A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO WOULD SEEK TO ENGAGE IN, UM, UH, ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.
UH, ESPECIALLY OUR CONVENIENCE STORES.
AGAIN, LET ME THANK VICE MAYOR PRO, MARTHA CAST TATUM FOR HER, UH, WORK, HER LEADERSHIP ON THIS, WHICH HELPED TO LAY THE PREDICATE FOR IT, UM, BECAUSE IT'S IN MY CONVERSATION WITH HER THAT THIS WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALSO BRINGING CHAPTER 1 25 ACTIONS AGAINST CERTAIN CONVENIENCE STORES AND BARS THAT'S ALREADY TAKEN PLACE.
UM, UH, BUT THESE, UH, CAMERAS AND ADDITIONAL LIGHTING, AGAIN, THIS IS SEND A VERY MESSAGE THAT, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS ENGAGING IN ACTIVITY AROUND CONVENIENCE STORES AND BARS AND ALL THAT IS SIMPLY NOT GOING TO BE ALLOWED.
OKAY? SO AGAIN, IT'S, IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT THE WHOLE ELEPHANT, UH, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A SIGNIFICANT, UH, PART OF IT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LAY THAT AS A PRETAX.
UM, AND TO THE EXTENT WE DISCOVERED WE NEED TO GO BE, GO FURTHER, UH, WHETHER IT'S APARTMENTS AND YOU NAME IT, THEN WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
BUT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN, UM, CREATING, UH, AND, UM, A MORE SAFE PUBLIC ECOSYSTEM.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, THANK YOU MAYOR.
AND I, UH, CERTAINLY AGREE THAT, UH, SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS ARE AN IMPORTANT TOOL IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND I THINK THIS IS A, A, A GOOD IDEA.
BUT I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS MAKING AN IMPERIAL DECISION IN VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE STATE OF TEXAS AND OTHERS.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE, UH, PROBABLY UPHELD IN A COURT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THE PREMISE FOR THIS WHOLE THING IS THE AMOUNT OF CRIME BEING COMMITTED IN FIVE PARTICULAR BUSINESS TYPES.
THE FIRST OF THESE IS, UH, CONVENIENCE STORES WITH TWO TH UH, 7,201 CRIMES AT CONVENIENCE STORES.
THE SECOND ONE IS, UH, CRIMES AT BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS, 2,946 CRIMES, UH, INVESTIGATED BY HPD AT CRIME AT BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS IN HOUSTON, WHICH
[02:50:01]
INCLUDES SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESS IN 94 CRIMES AT GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS.THE TOTAL NUMBER OF THOSE CRIMES IS 10,241.
I TAGGED THIS ITEM LAST WEEK SO I COULD DO SOME MORE RESEARCH BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF CRIME GOING ON IN A LOT OF BUSINESSES OTHER THAN THESE FIVE.
AND SO I ASKED HPD TO CHECK ON JUST ONE TYPE OF BUSINESS APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
AND I HAVE RIGHT HERE A LIST OF 97,626 CRIMES THAT, THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
SOME, UM, A LOT OF THEM, ALL THESE THAT YOU SEE HERE IN YELLOW ON THIS FIRST PAGE ARE VIOLENT OFFENSES.
SO NEARLY 50%, OR ACTUALLY ABOUT 48% OF THE, THE CRIMES ON THE FIRST PAGE ARE VIOLENT.
I'M GONNA READ SOME OF THEM TO YOU.
ASSAULT, BODILY FORCE, AGGRAVATED ROBBERY, DEADLY WEAPON, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, DEADLY WEAPON, FAMILY VIOLENCE, ASSAULT, BODILY FORCE, INDECENT EXPOSURE, WHICH I HAPPEN TO CONSIDER TO BE A VIOLENT OFFENSE.
UH, AGGRAVATED ROBBERY, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON.
FAMILY VIOLENCE, ASSAULT INVESTIGATION, MAJOR ASSAULTS, FAMILY VIOLENCE, UH, ANOTHER ASSAULT CASE, AGGRAVATED ROBBERY, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, ASSAULT WITH BODILY INJURY.
AND THE LIST GOES ON 97,626, AND WE'RE GOING TO TARGET FIVE BUSINESSES WITH A TOTAL OF 10,000 PLUS CRIMES ON THE AUSPICES.
THAT THESE ARE THE BIG PROBLEM WITH VIOLENT CRIME IN HOUSTON.
WELL, MAYOR, THIS IS A, A FINELY TUNED, UH, LAW DESIGNED TO IMPACT A LIMITED NUMBER OF BUSINESSES, WHICH MANY PEOPLE FIND TO BE DISTASTEFUL IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND ANYTIME YOU PASS LAWS WHERE YOU'RE TARGETING ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE AND THE LAW DOESN'T APPLY TO OTHERS, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
THE OTHER THING IS, WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE THESE PARTICULAR BUSINESSES TO INVEST IN EQUIPMENT AND STORAGE SPACE.
AND WHILE THE CAMERAS AREN'T THAT EXPENSIVE, STORAGE SPACE IS HOW MUCH DO WE PAY TO STORE BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE FOR THE CITY OF, OF HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS A TON.
SO WE'RE GONNA PUT THIS BURDEN ON INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES, AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THEM PART OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT SURVEILLANCE TEAM, WHILE OTHER BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE TO INCUR THAT, THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT, UM, THIS ORDER REQUIRES THESE BUSINESSES TO INVEST ON ALL THE SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT AND ALSO, UH, REQUIRES THEM TO RELEASE THE, THE MATERIAL WHICH THEY OWN.
THEY OWN THAT MATERIAL BECAUSE THEY PAID FOR IT.
IT'S GONNA REQUIRE THEM TO RELEASE THAT TO THE, AT THE REQUEST OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.
EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THIS COUNTRY, PRIVATE PROPERTY IS PROTECTED BY THE FOURTH AMENDMENT, THE RIGHT TO AGAINST UNREASONABLE SEARCH AND SEIZURE WITHOUT DUE PROCESS OF LAW.
BUT WE'RE GONNA REQUIRE THESE BUSINESSES TO FORFEIT THEIR FOURTH AMENDMENT RIGHT, TO PROTECT THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY AFTER HAVING MADE THEM, UH, PURCHASE THIS EQUIPMENT FOR OUR, FOR OUR USE.
AND WE'RE GONNA ONLY GONNA DO THIS FOR FIVE CLASSES OF BUSINESSES.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO RETHINK THIS.
THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO DO THIS, AMONG THOSE WAYS IS TO, UM, MAKE IT A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM.
NOW, UH, LET ME JUST BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.
THE DIRECTION OF THE CAMERA IS IRRELEVANT.
THE PROP, THE VIDEOTAPE THAT IS RECORDED, BELONGS TO THE BUSINESSES.
WHETHER THE CAMERA CAMERA'S INWARD FACING OR OUTWARD FACING, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
AND WHEN THE GOVERNMENT REQUIRES BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE IN A LAW ENFORCEMENT EXERCISE, THEY BECOME AN ARM OF THAT GOVERNMENT IN VIOLATION OF OUR CONSTITUTION.
YOU KNOW? SO, UM, THE WAYS THAT WE CAN FIX THIS VERY SIMPLY, SIMPLY IS TO MAKE IT A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM WHERE BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO PARTICIPATE CAN, AND THOSE THAT DON'T MOTION TO EXTEND BACK, WE'LL HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU.
UH, LET ME JUST SAY THAT, UH, IT SEEMS THOUGH TO ME, AND I COULD BE WRONG, 'CAUSE YOU, YOU, YOU ARE ARGUING MULTIPLE THINGS.
'CAUSE ON ONE HAND, WHAT I'M HEARING YOU TO SAY, WE NEED TO INCLUDE EVERYBODY.
AND THEN ON THE OTHER HAND, I HEAR YOU SAYING, UH, SHOULD BE VOLUNTEER OR IT'S COSTING MORE MONEY.
I THINK WHEN YOU SUM IT ALL DOWN, WHAT I'M HEARING YOU ARE, YOU ARE OPPOSED TO DOING IT, PERIOD.
SO YOU'RE USING MULTIPLE ARGUMENTS TO GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE.
WELL, I STRONGLY DISAGREE BECAUSE POLICE OFFICERS CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE,
[02:55:02]
OKAY? AND THERE ARE, AND YOU ARE CORRECT.WE HAVE FINALLY TUNED THIS TO DEAL WITH THESE FIVE GROUPS.
WE'VE HAD THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, I PARTICIPATED IN THEM.
AND THE OPPOSITION THAT YOU ARE ANNOUNCING DIDN'T COME FROM THEM.
IN FACT, CONVENIENCE STORES FIND THIS TO BE A PLUS BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT PEOPLE LAUTERING AROUND AND COMMITTING CRIMES BECAUSE IT KEEPS THEIR CUSTOMERS FROM GOING IN AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WHAT'S IN THE STORES.
SO THEY'RE SAYING THEY'RE NOT OPPOSED.
BUT IF YOU ARE AGAINST WHAT WE, IF YOU ARE AGAINST CAMERAS, PERIOD, ON CONVENIENCE STORES, BARS, AND CLUBS, THEN I THINK IT'S JUST BEST TO JUST SAY, I'M OPPOSED TO IT, MAYOR, PERIOD.
IT'S LIKE YOU'RE ARGUING OVER HERE.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT YOU DON'T WANT, YOU DON'T WANT THE CAMERAS.
WELL, LEMME JUST SAY ABOUT THIS WHOLE CONSTITUTION PROTECTION.
I DON'T WANT PEOPLE SHOOTING, KILLING AND, AND, AND HURTING PEOPLE.
LET THEM TAKE IT UP TO THE COURTS.
BUT WHAT I HEAR THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS SAYING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MAKE US SAFER.
CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S SAFER AND I'M GOING TO RESPOND TO THEM AM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FEELING SAFE.
I DON'T WANT ANY MORE VICTIMS. AND IF PROVIDING CAMERAS OUTWARDLY FACING WILL DETER PEOPLE FROM GOING TO SOME OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS AND WILL SAVE PEOPLE LIVES, THEN I VOTE.
BUT IF YOU OPPOSED TO THIS MEASURE, JUST SAY, I'M OPPOSED TO CAMERAS.
I, I I'M GOOD RESPECT TO THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BEAR IN MIND, WE ARE SPENDING OVER $10 MILLION OF THE DOMESTIC, UM, ABUSE RESPONSE PROGRAM OVER $10 MILLION.
OKAY? AND WE ARE PROVIDING SHELTERS AND NURSES AND OTHER THINGS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
SO A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE ARE ALREADY TARGETING, WHICH WILL GO TO THOSE APARTMENTS AND OTHER PLACES, THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS.
IT'S NOT A BROAD SHOTGUN APPROACH, BUT IT'S VERY TARGETED.
AND MANY OF THE BUSINESSES THAT, UH, THAT ARE HERE, THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE NOT OPPOSED.
UM, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING INTO THE MURKINESS OF THE CONSTITUTION, I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT, UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MAJORITY OF THESE, UH, HORRIFIC ACTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, I APPRECIATE YOU RAISING THOSE.
'CAUSE A LOT OF THEM ARE RELATED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
THOSE ARE HAPPENING INSIDE SOMEONE'S HOME.
AND IF THE, UH, CITY WAS TO REQUIRE AN APARTMENT TO PUT CAMERAS INSIDE SOMEONE'S HOME, THAT WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE A VIOLATION OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND MAYOR, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT BEING NARROWLY TAILORED, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT AS TO HOW, UH, THESE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS WERE COME UP WITH.
I ASKED HPD AND, UH, WHAT THEY SAID IS, HISTORICALLY, AND NOW RECENTLY, AS PART OF THE MAYOR'S ONE SAFE HOUSTON PROGRAM, HPD GENERATES WHAT IS CALLED A HEAT MAP OF THE TOP VIOLENT CRIME LOCATIONS IN EACH OF OUR REGIONS ON A WEEKLY BASIS, THE MAP OF GEOSPATIAL HOTSPOT LOCATIONS IS BROKEN OUT INTO TWO VERSION.
AND WE UNDERSTAND WHY WE CANNOT NECESSARILY DO APARTMENTS, ALTHOUGH APARTMENTS ON THE OUTSIDE CAN VOLUNTARILY PUT ADDITIONAL CAMERAS OUT, AND THAT'S PART OF BLUE STAR PROGRAM AND OTHER THINGS ON THE OTHER, IT FILTERS OUT APARTMENTS AS A LOCATION FOR THE REASONS I EXPLAINED.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE SECOND MAP THAT HAS FILTERED OUT APARTMENTS, OVER 50% OF THE HOTSPOT AREAS ARE MADE UP OF BARS, CLUBS, AND CONVENIENCE STORES OR LOCATIONS WITH A NEXUS SUCH AS A PARKING LOT OR A STREET SURROUNDING THE BARS, CLUBS, OR CONVENIENCE STORES.
WHEN USING A HEAT OR HOTSPOT MAP, THE CRIME CONCENTRATIONS BY VICINITY SURROUNDING THESE LOCATION TYPES BECOMES VISIBLE.
ANY COMMANDER OVER A PATROL AREA WILL POINT TO THESE TYPES OF LOCATIONS AS THE DRIVERS OF VIOLENT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
SO THIS ITEM IS NARROWLY TAILORED.
UH, WHEN YOU DO LOOK AT THE LAW, AND I, I SPOKE WITH COUNSEL EARLIER IN MAYOR, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LAW.
WE ARE CONSIDERING, UM, UNDER ORDERS ON HP D'S SIDE, SHOULD A CONVENIENCE STORE, LET'S SAY NOT WANT TO HAND OVER VOLUNTARILY, UH, THIS FOOTAGE THAT THEY WOULD BE HPD WOULD BE REQUIRED TO, FOR EXAMPLE, GET A WARRANT.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS, THAT IS CORRECT.
BECAUSE THIS IS THE ORDINANCE AND THEN THERE'S A, UM, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT, UH, TO MICHELLE? A GUIDE, UH, WHAT DO
[03:00:01]
YOU CALL IT? A MANUAL? MANUAL GUIDELINES.THE HPD IS PUTTING FORTH A MANUAL OF GUIDELINES, WHICH HAS MADE MANY OF THESE BUSINESSES EVEN MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE INDICATED TO US WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, THE MANUAL THAT HBT WILL BE PUTTING FORTH, AS YOU HAVE INDICATED, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, THAT'S GIVEN THEM MUCH MORE COMFORT THAT THIS WOULD MEET ANY, ANY LEGAL MUST.
AND AND I DO WANNA SAY, UM, I HAVE TREMENDOUS RESPECT, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE ACL U, AS SOMEONE THAT PRACTICED, UH, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND CIVIL RIGHTS.
UH, THEY ARE, THEY ARE HERE TO KEEP US IN CHECK AND THEY'VE RAISED CERTAIN THINGS.
AND MAYOR, I APPRECIATE YOU WORKING, UM, TO CATER TO SOME OF THAT.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS VERY NARROWLY TAILORED AND I WANNA CONGRATULATE MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, EXCUSE ME, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU DID, UM, TO DRIVE THIS.
AND THEN MAYOR EXPANDING UPON IT, BUILDING UPON IT, AND BRINGING THIS HOME.
UH, BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN EXTENSIVE OUTREACH ON IT, AND IT IS NARROWLY TAILORED TO ADDRESS WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING RIGHT NOW.
MAYOR, I WAS READY TO VOTE FOR THIS LAST WEEK.
AND THEN WE GET THIS LETTER FROM THE ACL U, UH, MS. JOHNSON.
AND, UH, THERE'S AN ATTORNEY, UM, KUMAR, UH, THEY MAKE SOME, UH, STRONG POINTS ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RIGHTS OF THE PUBLIC.
AND I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT, UH, WHEN WE PASS THE ORDINANCE TO, UH, TO, TO, TO LIMIT THE HOMELESS FROM, UH, BEING INTENSE AND OTHER THINGS, WE GOT IN A, IN A LAWSUIT, ARE WE GONNA FACE ANOTHER ONE WITH THIS? WELL, I'M, I DON'T BELIEVE WE WILL, UH, COUNCILMAN KASH.
BUT EVEN IF WE ARE, I THINK WE ARE ON, WE ARE ON GOOD GROUNDS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MANUAL HANDBOOK THAT H HP HPD IS PUTTING FORTH.
BUT LET ME ALSO SAY TO YOU, THESE CAMERAS WORK TO DETER AND HELP TO RESOLVE CRIMES.
JUST LIKE IN THE GALLERIA AREA, FOR EXAMPLE, I AGREE SHOOTING THAT SHOOTING THAT TOOK PLACE, THOSE CAMERAS HELPED TO SOLVE CRIMES.
I'LL BE MAKING A COMMENT ON THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER ON.
BUT THOSE CAMERAS WORK AND THEY HELP TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS QUICKLY.
OKAY? JUST LIKE IN THAT SITUATION, YOU, 'CAUSE LIKE WE GOT CAMERAS ALL OVER THAT PLACE, YOU GO COMMIT A CRIME, YOUR BUTT'S GETTING PICKED UP QUICKLY, OKAY? NOBODY'S PLAYING WITH YOU ANYMORE BECAUSE THE CAMERAS ARE OUT FAIR.
SO DON'T THINK YOU CAN BE OUT THERE IN THE PUBLIC FACING AND COMMIT A CRIME, THEN YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE FOUND IN DISCOVERED.
WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME GOOD EXAMPLES.
CAN I RECLAIM A LITTLE BIT OF MY TIME? OH, I'M SORRY.
WELL, I MEAN, I'M SUPPORTING YOU ON THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, WHEN I HEARD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX BRING UP THE 97,000 AND HE HELD THAT BIG, BIG BOOK UP, I IMMEDIATELY DAWNED ON ME THAT, YOU KNOW, HALF THE PEOPLE IN HOUSTON RENT AND, AND THEY LIVE IN APARTMENTS.
AND THEN I THOUGHT, WELL, A LOT OF 'EM ARE, ARE THEY, ARE THESE CRIMES OCCURRING IN THE PARKING LOTS WHERE, WHERE THEY WOULD BE SEEN? AND I'M WONDERING HOW MANY OF 'EM WERE IN THE PARKING LOTS? DID THEY BREAK THAT DOWN? MAY I ASK MR. KNOX, COUNCIL MEMBER, HOW MANY OF 'EM WERE IN THE PARKING LOTS? WELL, I DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THEM BREAK IT DOWN, UH, IN THAT PARTICULAR WAY, UH, BECAUSE I REQUESTED IT LAST WEDNESDAY AND I RECEIVED THIS INFORMATION AT 5:15 PM YESTERDAY.
SO I HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A TIME TO GO THROUGH IT AND REALLY DO WHAT I NEED TO DO AS FAR AS DOCUMENTING WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT'S MASSIVE IN, IT'S IN ITS SCOPE.
AND MANY OF THESE CRIMES ARE BEING COMMITTED OUTSIDE OF THE APARTMENT, IN THE PUBLIC VIEW, UM, ON APARTMENT COMPLEXES, IN THEIR PARKING LOTS, IN THE BREEZEWAYS AND AROUND THE VARIOUS PUBLIC AREAS OF THOSE LOCATIONS.
OKAY, LET ME RECLAIM A LITTLE BIT OF MY TIME MAYOR THEN.
UH, I WOULD HOPE, AND AND THIS IS WHAT I HAD SAID LAST WEEK, I WOULD HOPE THAT, THAT IF WE PASS THIS, THAT THAT YOU WILL COME BACK AND IF THERE'S OTHER HOTSPOTS OR THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I, I'M THE ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER HERE THAT'S HAD A, A REAL HISTORY OF BEING OPPOSED TO CAMERAS
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, BUT I'M, I'M REALLY IN FAVOR OF THIS.
AND SO, UH, I'M, I'M, I'M DONE.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE ARE NOT GONNA GET TO, UM, WHERE COUNCIL MEMBER MONIA IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC FACING ABSOLUTELY SAYING THIS IS A CRITICAL FIRST STEP FOR US TO DO, MOVE FORWARD RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE AND ASSESS, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE YOU'VE HEARD THE CONVERSATION WITH RESPECT TO THESE CLY CONVERTERS.
I DON'T WANT THEM RESOLD IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO THAT ORDINANCE IS COMING TO YOU SOON, BUT I'M SAYING THIS IS NOT THE, THIS, THIS DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE THE LAST STEP, BUT IT
[03:05:01]
IS A CRITICAL FIRST STEP WHILE WE CONTINUE TO EVALUATE AND ASSESS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, EVAN SHABAZZ.AND I WANNA SAY I THANK YOU AND THE LEGAL TEAM FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
I GOT A, UM, TEXT YESTERDAY FROM A GENTLEMAN WHOSE SISTER WAS KILLED AT ONE OF THE CONVENIENCE STORES, AND HE SHARED WITH ME THAT ON MONDAY A WOMAN WAS SEVERELY BEATEN.
SO THERE ARE MANY CONVENIENCE STORES IN DISTRICT D AND I THANK YOU FOR THIS BITE OF THIS ELEPHANT.
I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, THAT THERE IS A NEED.
AND I SHARED YEARS AGO, I, WITH ATTORNEY PERRY OL, WHO IS NOW DECEASED, BROUGHT IT TO SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT CAMERAS IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.
AT THAT TIME, I WAS THE EDUCATION CHAIR OF THE HOUSTON BRANCH OF THE NAACP.
SO I HOPE THAT THE INFORMATION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX HAS WILL HELP US TO PUSH FORWARD TO TAKE ANOTHER BITE OUT OF THE ELEPHANT.
BUT I THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY AND FOR BRINGING THIS ORDINANCE FORWARD.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN POLLAN.
AND, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO ALL THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE THAT WE WANT TO REDUCE CRIME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
NO ONE, NO ONE'S DISPUTING THAT.
AND AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY, WE ONLY HAVE BUT SO MANY TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX TO TRY TO DO THAT.
REGARDING LETTERS, THEY, WE MAY RECEIVE OR POSSIBLE LITIGATION.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD EVER LEGISLATE BASED ON POSSIBLE LITIGATION OR WHAT MAY COME FORWARD OR BE SCARED OF A LAWSUIT.
UM, IF WE BELIEVE THAT WE'RE STANDING ON GOOD GROUND AND WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND EVEN IF WE DON'T, SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOTTA PUSH FORWARD AND LET THE COURT DECIDE WHAT THEY DECIDE.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS AT THE TRIAL LEVEL, THE PEOPLE WHO WILL SERVE ON THOSE JURIES ARE HOUSTONIANS AND HOUSTONIANS ARE GOING TO WANT TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE LAWS IN PLACE THAT PROTECT THEM AND KEEP THEIR COMMUNITIES SAFE.
ALL RIGHT? SO I INVITE LITIGATION SOMETIMES IF, IF, IF YOU WANT TO PUSH BACK AT SOME OF THE CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE, NEW IDEAS AND FRESH PERSPECTIVES THAT WE MAY BE HAVING.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL SEE YOU DOWN THE ROAD IN COURT, BUT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THAT PREVENT US FROM GOING FORWARD WHAT WE BELIEVE MAY KEEP OUR CITY SAFE.
UM, WE ALSO NEED TO UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY.
IF WE'RE GONNA BE SMART AND SAFE AND TOUGH ON CRIME, THEN WE CAN'T ALWAYS DO THE SAME THINGS.
YOU KNOW, THE MOST DANGEROUS PHRASE IN BUSINESSES, WE ALWAYS DO IT THIS WAY.
SO WE'RE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND MY DISTRICT, WE'RE PUTTING UP A HUNDRED LICENSE PLATE READERS ALL OVER THE DISTRICT STREETS AND INTERSECTIONS.
EVERY SINGLE CAR THAT GOES THROUGH A STEEL PHOTO WILL BE TAKEN OF YOUR LICENSE PLATE, YOU'RE MAKING YOUR MODEL OF YOUR VEHICLE.
IF IT HAS BEEN SEEN THAT THAT CAR HAS BEEN REPORTED TO BE IN A CRIME, THEN AN ALERT WILL GO TO HPD AND AN INVESTIGATION WILL, UH, START.
MANY OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS WITHIN OUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, UH, SAID THAT THEY ARE PROPONENTS AND WILL BE PUTTING FORWARD, OUTWARD FACING CAMERAS ON THEIR PROPERTIES FOR SURVEILLANCE.
AND WE WANT TO HAVE SURVEILLANCE BECAUSE IT'S A DETERRENT.
WE HAVE TO FIND AS MANY DETERRENTS AS POSSIBLE, UH, TO TRY TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM COMMITTING CRIME, OR AT LEAST THINKING TWICE ABOUT COMMITTING CRIME.
AND AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY, WE ONLY CAN DO, BUT SO MUCH.
SO LET'S CONTINUE TO TRY TO BE CREATIVE WITH OUR APPROACH.
I AGREE IT MAY NEED TO BE EXPLORED AND CONSIDERED TO GO FURTHER, BUT I THINK THESE PARTICULAR SPOTS GET A LOT OF ATTENTION.
ALL OF OUR OFFICES GET MANY EMAILS AND CALLS ABOUT CLUBS, NIGHTCLUB BARS AFTER OUR SPOTS.
SO IT'S A GOOD WAY IN WHICH WE CAN, UM, ANALYZE IF IT'S WORKING OR NOT, AND THEN SEEING WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO IMPROVE UPON IT, TO EXPAND IT, UH, AROUND THE CITY.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE WILL SEE THAT THIS WILL DETER CRIME AND BRING THE RATES DOWN.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, VICE PRESIDENT, VICE MAYOR PROAM, CAST TATUM.
I, I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THIS TODAY 'CAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UM, WHAT WE ARE DOING IS RESPONDING TO THE CRIES OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.
WHEN I GO TO COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN DISTRICT K, I HAVE RESIDENTS CONSTANTLY TELLING ME THAT THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LOITERING, UM, AT THESE CONVENIENCE STORES.
AND, UM, THESE PEOPLE ARE, UH, POSSIBLY SELLING DRUGS.
AND WE KNOW THAT CRIMES ARE HAPPENING THERE AND THEY ARE CRYING OUT FOR HELP.
AND WE KNOW OUR POLICE OFFICERS CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE.
AND THESE CAMERAS FACING OUTWARDLY ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO HELP SOLVE SOME OF THESE CRIMES.
WE ALREADY REQUIRE CONVENIENCE STORES TO HAVE CAMERAS INSIDE FACING THE CASH REGISTER.
AND FACING THE ATMS. SO HAVING THE CAMERAS ON THE OUTSIDE
[03:10:01]
TO PREVENT THE LOITERING AND POTENTIAL CRIME THAT'S HAPPENING IN THESE SPACES IS ANOTHER WAY FOR US TO HELP SOLVE CRIME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND MAKE OUR RESIDENTS FEEL SAFE.SO I WILL TELL YOU, WE PUT CAMERAS ALL OVER DISTRICT K FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING, AND IT HAS HELPED, UM, PEOPLE HAVE STOPPED DUMPING IN OUR DEAD ENDS BECAUSE THERE'S A CAMERA THERE.
AND THEN WHEN THE, THE DUMPING MOVED, UM, TO HOMES ROAD, WE PUT ANOTHER CAMERA THERE AND THE DUMPING STOPPED.
AND THEN WHEN THE CAMERA MOVED, WHEN THE DUMPING MOVED TO ANOTHER SPACE, WE PUT ANOTHER CAMERA THERE.
AND WE'VE CAUGHT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DUMPING NEAR THEIR HOMES.
WE'VE CAUGHT BUSINESSES, UM, WHO HAVE BEEN DUMPING, WHO ALSO WERE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR THE CITY
UM, WE'VE ALSO, UM, CAUGHT CONTRACTORS WHO ARE DUMPING IN THE CITY.
AND WE HAVE HAD HPD TO KNOCK ON PEOPLE'S DOORS THAT THEY CAUGHT ON THE CAMERA DUMPING, AND THEY'VE HAD CITATIONS AND HAD TO GO TO COURT.
UM, SO THEY WORK, THEY ARE A, A TOOL THAT WE CAN USE TO DETER CRIME JUST LIKE WE'VE USED IT TO DETER ILLEGAL DUMPING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS.
IT MAY NOT BE PERFECT, BUT IT IS GOOD.
AND WE ARE RESPONDING TO THE CRIES OF OUR CONSTITUENTS.
EVERY DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER CAN NAME THE CONVENIENCE STORES AND THE NUISANCE BUSINESSES IN THEIR DISTRICTS.
AND THIS IS A WAY FOR US WHEN WE GO TO THOSE COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO TELL THE RESIDENTS WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP YOU SAFE IN YOUR COMMUNITIES.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING, UH, THIS SECURITY CAMERA ORDINANCE AND LOOK FORWARD TO SOLVING THESE CRIMES AND DETERRING CRIMES SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO ASK OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO DO MORE OF THIS WORK.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT 7,000 CRIMES AT CONVENIENCE STORES, THAT'S ALMOST 20 A DAY AT THE CONVENIENCE STORE.
AND IT'S AT THE PLACES WHERE OUR RESIDENTS ARE SAYING, I DON'T EVEN WANNA STOP AND GET GAS ON MY WAY HOME BECAUSE THERE'S 10 PEOPLE LOITERING AND POSSIBLY SELLING DRUGS THERE.
AND IF WE CAN PREVENT THAT, BECAUSE WHAT I KNOW, IF YOU ARE A CRIMINAL, YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE ON CAMERA.
AND IF THERE IS A CAMERA THERE, YOU ARE GOING TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO HOPEFULLY, UM, THIS MEASURE IS JUST ONE STEP TO HELP US KEEP OUR RESIDENTS SAFE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
ALRIGHT, COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
UM, YOU KNOW, I AM, UH, PRO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I'M PRO EVIDENCE COLLECTION AND I KNOW THAT THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO EVERYTHING AND THE POLICE CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE.
AND WE NEED THE COOPERATION OF PRIVATE BUSINESSES AND CITIZENS TO PARTNER WITH US TO HELP MAKE THE CITY SAFE.
I'M CONFLICTED ABOUT THIS JUST BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF SINGLING OUT THESE BUSINESSES, UM, AND REQUIRING CAMERAS IS SOMETHING THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD REQUIRE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE CAMERAS FOR DUMPING, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE CAMERAS WERE ON CITY PROPERTY OR ON CITY EASEMENTS, YOU KNOW, AND SO MAYBE WE TAKE THESE CAMERAS AND WE PUT THEM ON CITY EASEMENTS OR CITY PROPERTY FACING THE CONVENIENCE STORES TO NOT PUT THE BURDEN NECESSARILY ON THE BUSINESSES OR OFFER INCENTIVES FOR THE BUSINESSES TO PUT THESE CAMERAS IN.
UM, AND SO, UM, I HAVEN'T MADE MY MIND UP ABOUT THIS YET.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF MY CONCERNS AND I, I CAN APPRECIATE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER HOFFMAN.
BUT, BUT LEMME TELL YOU, WHEN, UH, WHEN INCIDENTS ARE HAPPENING, LET'S SAY IN THE PARKING LOT OR IN FRONT OF THESE BUSINESSES, THESE BUS, MANY OF THESE BUSINESSES ARE THE ONES COMPLAINING.
MAYOR, WHERE'S THE POLICE? I MEAN, THEY'RE THE ONES COMPLAINING, UH, WHEN, WHEN EITHER THEIR STORES ARE GETTING, OR THEIR BARS OR WHAT HAVE YOU BE GETTING BROKEN INTO.
UH, THEY ARE THE ONES SAYING, WE NEED, WHERE'S, WHERE'S THE PUBLIC SAFETY? I MEAN, WHERE ARE THE POLICE OFFICERS? WELL, POLICE OFFICERS CAN'T BE EVERY, CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE.
THEY, THEY CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE.
SO IF WE CONTINUE, JUST IN A SENSE, RELYING ON POLICE OFFICERS TO COVER 640 SQUARE MILES, WE'RE NOT GONNA WIN THIS BATTLE.
SO THIS IS A TOOL TO HELP THEM HELP ALL OF US DO OUR, DO OUR JOB.
UH, AND I KNOW FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE'S A COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT, BUT THE WAY I CHOOSE TO LOOK AT IT, IF SOMEONE,
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FOR EXAMPLE, GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED IN FRONT OF THEIR BUSINESS, THEY DON'T WANT THAT.SO WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DETER? AND I WILL SAY TO YOU WHERE THESE CAMERAS HAVE BEEN ALREADY, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT AN, UH, AN INCIDENT MAYBE LATER ON TODAY OR LATER ON THIS MORNING, AND THOSE CAMERAS ARE READILY AVAILABLE.
IT DOES HELP POLICE TO DO THEIR JOB AND APPREHEND PEOPLE MUCH MORE QUICKLY.
AND IF THEY DIDN'T EXIST, AND I KNOW THAT'S THE CASE 'CAUSE WE HAVE A VERY RECENT EXAMPLE OF THAT, BECAUSE THE CAMERAS DO EXIST.
SO I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, NO ONE, I THINK WANTS TO PUT AN ADDED MONETARY VALUE, A COST ON THEM.
BUT, UM, THE COST FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IS, IS ONE THAT WE ALL HAVE TO SHARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, AND SAME THING WITH COUNCILMAN MINOX.
I KNOW COUNCILMAN MIN IS AGAINST A CRIME.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
IT'S A POLICE OFFICER FOR 15 PLUS YEARS.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE DEBATING WHAT'S THE BEST APPROACH.
I I DON'T THINK THERE'S A PERFECT ANSWER TO IT.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A PERFECT ANSWER.
AND CERTAINLY WE MAY BE ABLE TO MOVE AFTER WE LOOK AT THIS, EVEN MOVE CLOSELY TO WHERE COUNCILMAN MONIS IS, UH, IS WHAT HE'S ADVOCATING FOR.
BUT I'VE ALSO REACHED A POINT THAT YOU SAY YOU CAN'T SACRIFICE THE GOOD SEEKING THE PERFECT, AND YOU END UP WITH NOTHING.
THEN THE PUBLIC SAYS, OKAY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? SO I, I HEAR YOU.
UH, BUT I'M HOPING THAT AS WE, UM, TAKE THIS STEP, UH, THEN WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT ADDITIONAL STEPS WE CAN DO, AND HOPEFULLY THE BUSINESSES WILL BE SUPPORTIVE.
BUT FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS MEETING THAT WE HAD LAST WEDNESDAY, THEY WERE SUPPORTIVE.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX.
I WAS GONNA WITHHOLD MY, MY COMMENTS, BUT I WANNA RECALL, I ATTENDED THE CRIME STOPPERS LUNCHEON LAST WEEK, AND I WAS A GUEST OF HEB HEAD OF SECURITY, NOTHING BUT LOSS PREVENTION AT THE TABLE.
AND I SAID, ARE Y'ALL AWARE OF THE ORDINANCE WE TAGGED? AND THEY SAID, WELL, NO.
SO I STARTED TALKING TO 'EM ABOUT THE ORDINANCE, AND THEY SAID, WHEN YOU WALK IN HEB, WE TAKE A PHOTO OF YOU WHEN YOU COME IN AND WHEN YOU COME OUT
SO WE ALREADY ARE EXPERIENCING THAT.
AND THEY SAID THEY WILLFULLY WORK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO EXCHANGE THAT FOOTAGE BECAUSE IF THERE'S SOMETHING, MAJORITY OF THE CRIME HAPPENING ON THE PARKING LOT, THEY SAID THEY WORK WITH LAW