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MEETING.[Bicycle Advisory Committee]
UH, STAFF LIAISON TO THE BAC.UH, JUST TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW, UM, AND WE WILL BE RECORDING THIS PRESENTATION.
UH, THE B'S MISSION IS TO ADVISE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMISSION AND THE DIRECTOR ON ISSUES RELATED TO BICYCLING IN THE CITY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO AMENDMENTS TO THE BIKE PLAN, BICYCLE SAFETY AND EDUCATION IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BIKE PLAN, DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIES FOR FUNDING PROJECTS RELATED TO BICYCLING AND PROMOTING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN BICYCLING.
UM, WITH A VISION THAT BY 2027, THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL BE A SAFER, MORE ACCESSIBLE, GOAL LEVEL, BIKE FRIENDLY CITY.
I THINK WE MAY HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE HERE FOR QUORUM.
SO I WILL START WITH THE ROLL CALL AND THEN GIVE IT TO THE CHAIR.
ADAM J. WILLIAMS. CARL B. SALAZAR.
WERE THERE ANY BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT JOINED WHILE I WAS CONDUCTING THE ROLE? BRIAN NICK HILLIER HAS PUT THAT.
HE'S IN THE, UH, HE'S PRESENT.
SO WE ARE CURRENTLY AT NINE OUT OF 20.
WE JUST NEED QUORUM FOR VOTES.
SO WHEN WE GET TO, UM, MINUTES APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, UM, WE'LL HAVE TO SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE JOINED OR ELSE WE WILL HAVE TO TABLE THAT FOR, UH, THE NEXT PAC MEETING.
BRIAN, WE HAVE A COMMENT FROM BETH MARTIN IN THE CHAT ASKING IF YOU COUNTED HER.
SO THE AGENDA AND SLIDES ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, HOUSTON BIKE PLAN.ORG/BAC.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US BY PHONE OR IF YOU DROP OFF OF THE MICROSOFT TEAMS CALL, UH, YOU CAN CALL IN AT (936) 755-1521 WITH THE, UH, PASSCODE, 7 1 4 8 2 0 1 5 1.
UH, PLEASE REMEMBER TO STAY ON MUTE UNLESS YOU'RE IDENTIFIED BY THE CHAIR TO SPEAK.
IF YOU ARE ON THE PHONE, YOU CAN USE STAR SIX TO MUTE OR UNMUTE YOURSELF.
SO NOW WE'RE AT THE, UH, TOP OF THE AGENDA.
I KNOW WE HAVE, UM, BETH, BETH WHITE FROM HOUSTON PARKS BOARD COMING UP.
UH, SO I WANTED TO LEAVE IT TO CHAIR THOMPSON FOR THE INTRODUCTION AND, UH, CHAIR'S REPORT.
I, WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND SEND OUR, OUR DIRECTORS
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HERE.MAYBE, UH, DAVID, YOU CAN GO AHEAD WITH YOUR OKAY, SURE.
UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THIS MONTH.
UM, MAY IS GOING TO BE A VERY, VERY BUSY BIKE FOCUSED MONTH.
FIRST OF ALL, IT IS, UH, OFFICIALLY BIKE MONTH, UH, FOR THE REGION.
HGAC PASSED THAT RESOLUTION AGAIN, UH, LAST WEEK.
UM, BUT THERE ARE KIND OF BIG ACTIVITIES HAPPENING INCLUDING BIKE TO WORK DAY ON THE 20TH.
UM, UH, BIKE HOUSTON IS HAVING A MULTI-DAY, UM, CONFERENCE.
UH, OVER THE, UH, 20TH 21ST, MAYBE THE 22ND, BUT RIGHT IN THAT TIME, UM, MAY 21ST.
UH, THE CITY IS HOSTING A SAFE ROUTE TO SCHOOL EVENT.
UH, MAY 23RD THROUGH 24TH IS THE VISION ZERO, TEXAS CITY SUMMIT, WHICH WILL BE HOSTED HERE IN HOUSTON THIS YEAR.
THE BAC INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE, WE WANTED TO MENTION THAT.
UM, AND THE MAYOR'S STATE OF MOBILITY ADDRESS WILL BE ON MAY 19TH AS WELL.
SO IT'S KIND OF A VERY, VERY JAM PACKED MOBILITY, BUT REALLY BIKE HEAVY EMPHASIS IN THOSE COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, THE OTHER THING I DID WANNA MENTION IS AT THE MAY 5TH CITY, UH, TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, RYAN AND I WILL BE PRESENTING THE STATE OF THE BIKE PLAN.
UM, THE CHAIR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON SPECIFICALLY WANTED THE WHOLE COMMITTEE TO KNOW THE WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON, BOTH, UH, WHO IS, WHO IS PART OF THE BACA REMINDER OF EVERYBODY ABOUT HOW BIG THE BIKE PLAN IS AND HOW MUCH IS GETTING DONE WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS TO GET IT THERE.
UM, AND THEN SOME OF THE PRIORITIES, LIKE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DID WITH BRIAN ON THE PRIORITIZATION EXERCISE, SO THAT CITY COUNCIL UNDERSTANDS THEIR INVESTMENT IN CAPITAL PROJECTS IS REALLY BASED ON A DATA FOCUSED METHODOLOGY THAT WE CAN POINT TO AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE YOUR SUPPORT ON.
UM, AND THEN ALSO PART OF THAT IS GOING TO BE, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF YOUR WORKING GROUP ON THE, UH, BIKEWAY MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
AND WE DO ENCOURAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF, UH, TO COMMUNICATE THAT THE END RESULT OF OUR NETWORK IS NOT JUST A BIG NETWORK, BUT A USABLE NETWORK.
AND THAT MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR LONG-TERM IS JUST SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THE COUNCIL RE RE EXCUSE ME, UH, UNDERSTANDS THAT.
UM, CAN I CALL ON PEOPLE? DID YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD, LEE.
I JUST HAD A, A QUICK QUESTION.
YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE PRESENTING THE STATE OF THE BIKE PLAN TO THE COMMITTEE.
AND WHICH COMMITTEE WAS IT? THE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE.
AND IS THAT BOTH, IS THAT A HYBRID? BOTH IN PERSON AND I'M 99% SURE IT IS HYBRID.
UH, DO YOU KNOW OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD? I'M NOT SURE FOR CERTAIN AS FAR AS HYBRID FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
BUT I DO KNOW IT WILL BE, IT WILL BE BROADCAST, UH, ON HTV.
MIGHT HAVE TO BE THERE IN PERSON TO COMMENT.
AND COMMENTS? UM, I THINK THE WAY THE COMMITTEES WORK IS YOU DO NEED TO SIGN UP THE DAY BEFORE.
UM, SO BRIAN, MAYBE WE CAN SEND OUT THE LINK TO THE, THE COMMITTEE'S WEBPAGE ABSOLUTELY.
FROM THAT COMMITTEE TO THIS COMMISSION'S, UH, LIST.
I'LL ADD THAT TO THE, UH, THE POST-MEETING EMAIL, MR. CHAIR.
UM, I'M JUST GOING TO, UH, LEVERAGE OFF OF THAT LAST, UH, ITEM THAT DAVID MENTIONED AS FAR AS MAINTENANCE GOES.
UM, WE WERE JUST REMINISCING HERE THE LAST TIME WE HAD THE FULL, UH, BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING HERE IN PERSON WAS IN JANUARY OF 2020, WHICH WAS MY FIRST MEETING, BUT NOT AS A MEMBER.
I WAS A GUEST SPEAKER, AND MY TOPIC WAS BIKEWAY MAINTENANCE
SO IT'S A, IT'S AN AREA THAT'S VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART.
I I THINK IT'S CLOSE TO ANYBODY'S HEART WHO TRIES TO RIDE.
UM, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, OUR NEW PROTECTED BIKE LANES THAT ARE QUICKLY FILLED WITH DEBRIS, MAKING THEM UNRIDEABLE AND TO THE FRUSTRATION OF, OF EVERYBODY INCLUDING MOTORISTS.
SO, UM, I DO INTEND TO ATTEND, WHETHER IT'S VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON NEXT WEEK, AND I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE AS WELL AS THOSE TUNING IN TO, UM, TO, TO WEIGH IN AND SUPPORT, UH, PROVIDE THE CITY COUNCIL THAT INPUT AS WELL AS THAT SUPPORT FOR THEM, UM, TO HOPEFULLY PROVIDE SOME INCREASED FUNDING FOR BIKEWAY MAINTENANCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE, UH, THE REPORT THAT THIS COMMITTEE PUT TOGETHER LAST YEAR.
I WOULD LIKE TO, AND, AND IT'S MY GREAT PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE, UH, BETH WHITE WITH, UH, HOUSTON PARKS BOARD.
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BECOMING ALMOST CLICHE, BUT, YOU KNOW, TRANSFORMATIVE IS A CLICHE.IT'S, IT'S OVERUSED, BUT IT CERTAINLY APPLIES TO WHAT HOUSTON PARKS BOARD IS ACCOMPLISHING FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH THE BIO GREENWAYS.
AND I'M ANXIOUS TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING NEXT,
SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH, BETH, FOR, FOR JOINING US, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, HEARING YOUR PRESENTATION.
IT'S SUCH A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AND TALK ABOUT THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL OF YOU TO EXPAND ACCESS TO, UH, GREEN SPACE, CREATE NEW PROTECTED BIKE LANES, AND REALLY CREATE AN INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM OF PARKS AND OPEN SPACE.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I WANNA JUMP INTO THE PRESENTATION AND, UM, WE WILL GET GOING HERE.
SO I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW US, BUT, UM, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T, I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE, UH, REFRESHER.
WE HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE 1976.
WE WERE SET UP BY SOME VERY GENEROUS PHILANTHROPISTS WHO WANTED TO SUPPORT HOUSTON PARKS.
OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE, IMPROVE, PROTECT, AND ADVOCATE FOR PARKS FOR EVERYONE.
AND WE ARE DRIVEN BY THE PRINCIPLE OF PARK EQUITY.
OUR, OUR VISION IS THRIVING PARKS AND COMMUNITIES FOR EVERYONE FOREVER, WHICH IS WHAT IS OUR NORTH STAR ON, UH, BIOG GREENWAYS.
UM, AS TOM SAID, IT, IT MAY BE A CLICHED WORD TRANSFORMATIVE, BUT REALLY IT DOES DESCRIBE THIS INITIATIVE THAT WAS A PRETTY BOLD MOVE ON THE PART OF HOUSTON PARKS BOARD AND THE MANY PARTNERS, UM, WHO HAD BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS.
AND REALLY, UM, IT'S THE BIGGEST DOWN PAYMENT I THINK THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S EVER MADE ON PARK EQUITY IN ONE FELL SWOOP.
SO, UM, IT, IT REALLY IS A, A PRETTY TRANSFORMATIVE EFFORT.
IT'S DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT.
AND IT WAS REALLY SINCE 2012, THAT PARKS BOARD HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON BEING THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THIS CRITICAL PROJECT BY CONNECTING 150 MILES OF EXISTING AND BUILDING NEW TRAILS WITHIN THAT 150 MILES ALONG NINE MAJOR BIOS.
THIS WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE WITHIN A MILE AND A HALF OF A BIO GREEN WAY.
SO JUST A SHORT BICYCLE RIDE AWAY FROM A, A BIO GREEN WAY.
WE HAVE ACTIVE PROJECTS ALONG ALL OF THESE BIOS, AND I'LL BE TOUCHING ON THOSE THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION.
BUT I THINK THE FUNDING MODEL FOR THIS IS ONE THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
UM, AS A PUBLIC PRIVATE, UH, INITIATIVE, WE HAVE $100 MILLION TOWARD THE PROJECT BECAUSE OF A CITY BOND THAT MAYOR PARKER WAS WILLING TO PUT ON THE BALLOT.
IT GOT THE MOST VOTER APPROVAL, OR MOST VOTES OF ANY BONDS, 68% VOTER APPROVAL THAT YEAR.
AND, UH, WE AGREED TO RAISE A A MATCH FOR THIS.
WE'VE RAISED ABOUT 128 MILLION, UM, AS OF YESTERDAY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE THRILLED AT THE SUPPORT THAT THIS PROJECT HAS GOTTEN.
UM, AS PART OF THE FUNDRAISING, AND TOM, THIS WILL BE NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART, WE RECEIVED A HISTORIC $50 MILLION DONATION FROM THE KINDER FOUNDATION TO LAUNCH THE CAMPAIGN.
AT THE TIME, IT WAS THE SINGLE LARGEST GIFT, UH, FOR PARKS IN HOUSTON'S HISTORY, ONE OF THE BIGGEST IN THE COUNTRY.
BUT WHAT WAS INTERESTING ABOUT THAT GIFT IS THE CONTINGENCY WAS THAT WE ALL HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CREATE A DEDICATED MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FOR THE BIO GREENWAYS.
THIS WAS REALLY A GAME CHANGER, AND I THINK IT SET THE STAGE FOR ALL THE WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TOGETHER.
AS WE INVEST IN GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, IF YOU WILL, WE, AS PART OF OUR PROJECT MANAGER ROLE, UM, HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CREATE THAT WITH THE CITY.
WE HAVE BOUGHT LAND, WE RAISE THE MONEY, WE DESIGN THE PROJECTS, WE HOLD THE CONSTRUCTION, UH, CONTRACTS, AND NOW WE ARE THE LONG-TERM CONSERVATION AND MAINTENANCE MANAGER OF THIS SYSTEM.
THIS IS A REALLY HIGH PRIORITY FOR US AND A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY WHILE WE'RE DOING IT.
HERE'S SOME PHOTOS OF OUR GREEN TEAMS OUT THERE, RESTORING PRAIRIES, UM, PLANTING NATIVE VEGETATION, DOING INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL, PUTTING IN BIRD AND BAT NESTING BOXES, AND REALLY TRYING TO RESTORE THE NATURAL, UH, HABITAT ALONG THESE BIOSYSTEMS. AND ANYONE WANTS TO SIGN UP FOR, FOR BEING ON THE GREEN TEAM? PLEASE DO.
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AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAM STARTED IN 2014.AND, UH, THIS IS JUST A, A, A REALLY FUN DASHBOARD JUST TO SHOW HOW MUCH WORK THEY GET DONE OUT THERE.
UM, REPAIRED OR REPLACED SEVEN BRIDGES.
UH, THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 56 BRIDGES IN OUR SYSTEM.
WE'VE TREATED OVER 10,800 GRAFFITI SITES, WHICH WE'D RATHER DO LESS OF, BUT, UH, WE'VE BECOME PRETTY EXPERT AT THAT.
UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN BECOME VERY EXPERT AT REMOVING FLOOD DEBRIS.
AND BETWEEN LITTER, SILT, DEBRIS REMOVAL, WE HAVE, UH, REMOVED OVER 5,000 DUMP TRUCK LOADS, UH, FROM OUR SYSTEM THAT WOULD OTHERWISE CLOG OUR WATERWAYS AND GALVESTON BAY.
AND THEN THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING ON BIOG GREENWAYS, UH, DESPITE HARVEY, DESPITE THE PANDEMIC, UH, WE HAVE 129 MILES ALREADY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, OUR GOAL WAS 150, BUT, UM, WE ARE GONNA SURPASS THAT GOAL.
AND, UH, THIS NEXT MAP SHOWS YOU WHAT WE HAVE UNDERWAY, WHAT'S IN PROGRESS, SORT OF COLOR CODED.
UM, AND THAT'S ABOUT 36 MILES THAT, THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO FINISH UP.
SOME OF THAT WORK WAS DELIBERATELY POSTPONED SO THAT WE COULD COORDINATE WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL AND ESSENTIALLY STAY OUT OF THEIR WAY AS THEY DID THEIR FLOOD MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THEN WE GO IN BEHIND AND PUT IN THE TRAIL.
AND SOME CASES FLOOD CONTROL IS PUTTING THOSE TRAILS IN FOR US, UM, WHICH IS REALLY AN EXTRAORDINARY PARTNERSHIP.
UM, THIS NEXT MAP I LIKE, OR THIS MAP I LIKE TO SHOW, UM, 'CAUSE IT SHOWS THE COMPLEXITY OF MANAGING A LOT OF SMALL PIECES THAT ADD UP TO A HUGE SYSTEM.
UM, AND AGAIN, COLOR CODED TO SHOW WHAT PHASE OF, UH, OF WORK THE PROJECT IS IN, WHETHER IT'S IN DESIGN OR IN CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN THE, THE NEXT CHART, UM, WHICH WILL BE VERY FAMILIAR TO BRIAN BECAUSE, UH, OUR WONDERFUL LISA GRIFF, A MEMBER OF YOUR COMMITTEE AND OUR, UH, BEYOND THE BIOS PROJECT MANAGER EXTRAORDINAIRE, SUBMITS THIS TO BRIAN ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND, UH, THIS IS THE ONE THAT WAS SUBMITTED, I KNOW, JUST SEVERAL DAYS AGO.
UM, AND THE NEXT ONE, WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU ON GREEN'S BIO, WHERE WE'RE CONTINUING TO EXPAND BIO GREENWAY'S ALONG GREEN'S, UM, CONNECTING BROCK PARK, STRICKLAND PARK, AND THEN THROUGH THE, THE COOL GREEN, UM, CORRIDOR THERE.
SO SOME OF THE UPDATES THAT I KNOW THIS GROUP IS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN, STARTING WITH THE MKT BRIDGE, WHICH WE GET THE MOST INQUIRIES ON, AND JOE KARU AT BY HOUSTON IS HELPING US GET THE WORD OUT, I THINK ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS WHERE WE ARE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE WERE WORKING ALONG TO REPAIR THIS BRIDGE AT THE CITY'S REQUEST.
IT WASN'T PART OF OUR ORIGINAL BIOG GREENWAY SYSTEM, BUT WE WERE HAPPY TO TAKE IT ON BECAUSE IT'S SUCH AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT LINK IN THE SYSTEM.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY JUST AS WE WERE FINISHING UP, THERE WAS A, A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT FIRE, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THESE VERY DRAMATIC PHOTOS.
UH, SO WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN, HAD TO DO, UH, INSPECTIONS WITH THE FIRE DAMAGE, FIGURE OUT HOW, HOW BADLY IT WAS DAMAGED.
OUR CONTRACTORS ARE INSTALLING STEEL SUPPORTS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.
THERE'LL BE WOODEN CROSS BRACING AND CONCRETE FOOTINGS BELOW.
AND WE REMAIN ON TRACK FOR REOPENING THE MKT BRIDGE FOR THIS SUMMER.
UM, OF COURSE ALL OF THIS IS WEATHER PERMITTING.
THE CURRENT DETOUR THAT'S OUT THERE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE.
SO I JUST WANNA THANK EACH OF YOU AND EVERYONE WHO USES THIS TRAIL FOR YOUR CONTINUED PATIENCE AS WE WORK VERY DILIGENTLY TO RESTORE THE BRIDGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, PLEASE STAY UP TO DATE ON THE REPAIRS AND MORE BY FOLLOWING US ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND WE'LL HAVE A SLIDE AT THE END.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES, WE WILL PROVIDE THOSE TO YOU.
AND I, AND AGAIN, I KNOW BY HOUSTON IS HELPING US PUSH OUT THIS INFORMATION, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW WE WILL INVITE ALL OF YOU WHEN WE ARE READY TO CUT THE RIBBON AND REOPEN THIS TRAIL, UM, THIS SUMMER.
AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN COORDINATION WITH THE CITY WHO IS FINISHING UP A REALLY IMPORTANT CONNECTION TO THIS, UH, AREA ALONG STU OR UNDER MONT.
SO THI THIS IS GONNA BE A REALLY INCREDIBLE, UM, NEXUS ALONG THE SYSTEM AND OF COURSE, RIGHT NEXT TO OUR BIO GREEN WASTE PARK, WHICH I'M SURE MANY OF YOU ARE
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FAMILIAR WITH.AND IF YOU'RE NOT, PLEASE GO SPEND AN AFTERNOON OR MORNING IN THAT PARK 'CAUSE IT'S REALLY QUITE LOVELY.
UM, ANOTHER ITEM THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT I KNOW IS VERY MUCH, UM, AT THE HEART OF ALL OF YOUR WORK AND, UM, WITH DAVID FIELDS WITH VISION ZERO AND, AND ANYONE WHO WALKS OR RIDES A BIKE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND THAT'S ABOUT TRAIL SAFETY.
SO, UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH TOOL DESIGN WHO'S A NATIONAL LEADER IN TRAIL PLANNING AND DESIGN, UH, THEIR LOCAL PARTNER TRAFFIC ENGINEERS WHO I'M SURE IS FAMILIAR TO ALL OF YOU TO CONDUCT A SAFETY AUDIT.
OUR PRIMARY FOCUS WAS TO DETERMINE WHAT IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE MADE ALONG THE SYSTEM TO INCREASE SAFETY FOR ALL TRAIL USERS, NOT JUST CYCLISTS, BUT PEDESTRIANS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME PLACES WHERE WE HAVE EQUESTRIAN USERS, BUT, UM, PARTICULARLY AT POINTS OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT SUCH AS THE TRAIL STREET INTERSECTIONS, AND THEN JUST GENERALLY IMPROVING THE OVERALL TRAIL USER EXPERIENCE.
SO WE HAVE RECEIVED THE DRAFT REPORT, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT INTERNALLY, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS SOME NEXT STEPS AND COME BACK TO YOU AND WANNA SET UP A MEETING WITH THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, OUR COUNTY PARTNERS, UM, OTHER BIKE ADVISORY GROUPS, FOR INSTANCE, HGS, PED BIKES SUBCOMMITTEE, AND, YOU KNOW, WORK TOGETHER TO REALLY HELP SET THESE SAFETY PRIORITIES FOR ALL USERS AT THE GREENWAYS.
AND IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE WITH OUR, IN OUR CONTROL TO INSTITUTE SOME OF THESE, WE WILL IMPLEMENT THEM IMMEDIATELY.
AND, UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE EXCITING THINGS ABOUT OUR ROLE ON THIS PROJECT IS, UM, THE SPEED WITH WHICH WE CAN ADDRESS ISSUES.
SO, UM, WE'RE REALLY EAGER TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAVE THE REPORT READY TO SHARE.
SO, UM, I KNOW EVERYONE'S, UH, INTERESTED IN WHAT HAPPENS AFTER BIOG GREENWAYS AND WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE HOUSTON ENDOWMENT WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THAT QUESTION.
UM, MIDWAY THROUGH BIOG, GREENWAYS
BUT IT'S REALLY BEEN FASCINATING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS SYSTEM FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PROVIDING EQUITY, LOOKING AT ACCESS AND CONNECTIVITY TO RESIDENTS COMMERCIAL CENTERS, LIBRARIES, JUST WHERE, WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.
AND THEN THIRDLY, IS HOW TO WORK WITH OUR NATURAL SYSTEMS, NOT, UM, AGAINST THEM.
SO WE, WE WERE REALLY FORTUNATE, UM, TO BRING ON A GREAT TEAM WITH, UH, MICHAEL VON VALKENBERG AND ASSOCIATES AND HEWITT ZOAR ARCHITECTS OR, UH, MORRIS ARCHITECTS, WHICH WAS BOUGHT BY HEWITT ZOAR.
AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO IMPLEMENT, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE PUT FORWARD AS, AS WAYS TO START TO CREATE THAT SYSTEM.
AND SINCE HARVEY, BEYOND THE BIOS HAS COME INTO EVEN GREATER IMPORTANCE, NOT ONLY FOR US, BUT FOR EVERYONE WHO IS LOOKING TO HAVE MULTI-PURPOSE INFRASTRUCTURE TO LOOK AT OUR FLOOD MITIGATION EFFORTS, NOT JUST FOR FLOOD CONTROL, BUT PROVIDING RECREATIONAL USES FOR ENHANCING OUR, UH, NATIVE HABITATS AND FOR PROVIDING ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION THROUGH THESE BIKEWAYS.
UM, AND WE LIKE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, FLOOD MITIGATION IS THE NEXT BIG PARK BUILDING OPPORTUNITY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS BEYOND THE BIOS, IT'S REALLY PUT SIMPLY A REGIONWIDE PLAN TO CONNECT, TO CREATE, UH, IT, IT'S SIMPLE TO READ, UH, MORE DIFFICULT TO SAY TODAY, A REGIONWIDE PLAN TO CREATE AN INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM OF PARKS AND TRAILS TO BUILD A MORE RESILIENT AND EQUITABLE HOUSTON.
AND WE ARE SO DELIGHTED TO TELL YOU HOW WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE CITY AND, AND WORKING WITH MANY OF YOU TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
WHAT, UH, EVERYONE KNOWS BY NOW IS WHAT IS A BIO GREENWAY.
SO OF COURSE, OUR FIRST SORT OF TYPOLOGY, IF YOU WILL, AND LOOKING AT PARKS AND OPEN SPACE IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND THE BIO GREENWAY SYSTEM, GIVEN THE BIOS THAT WE, WE HAVE.
UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT REGIONAL CONNECTORS, UM, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE UTILITY CORRIDORS WITH EITHER CENTER POINT OR THE GAS PIPELINES TO USE THOSE AS CONNECTORS BETWEEN
[00:25:01]
BIO TO BIO OR CONNECTORS ON THEIR OWN, LOOKING AT HUB PARKS.AND AGAIN, THAT FLOOD MANAGEMENT, UM, ASPECT HELPS US CREATE THESE LARGER PARKS THAT ARE NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM.
AND THEN THE SMALLER NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS AND HOW WE CONTINUE TO BUILD THE CONNECTIONS TO THOSE REALLY IMPORTANT SMALLER NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS WHICH ARE, UM, MOST ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE.
SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT EXAMPLES OF WHERE THE PLACES THAT WE COULD THINK ABOUT EXPANDING AND WE'RE TAKING THIS OUT TO OUR PARTNERS, BOTH AT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, LIKE CYPRESS CREEK IS, UH, AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR EAST WEST CONNECTIONS ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF HARRIS COUNTY.
ALONG HALLS BIO WHERE WE'VE DONE, UM, AS YOU SEE ON THE GREEN LINE, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, BUT WE COULD REALLY KEEP EXPANDING ON HALLS BIO TO ADDRESS PARK EQUITY NEEDS IN AREAS THAT HAVE NOT HAD A LOT OF PARK INVESTMENT.
AND THEN ONE PROJECT THAT WE IDENTIFIED AND WE'RE DELIGHTED TO BE WORKING ON BRINGING IT FORWARD IS VINCE BIO, WHICH CONNECTS TO THE STRAWBERRY TRAIL IN PASADENA.
AND WE'RE GONNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, ON, UH, BIOG GREENWAY'S CONNECTORS, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S, UM, WE CALL IT THE HEADWATERS, THIS LONG NORTH SOUTH CONNECTION BETWEEN BRAS AND CYPRESS CREEK.
THAT WOULD BE SORT OF THE ULTIMATE DREAM, RIGHT? TO GET FROM CYPRUS UP TO BRAISE.
LITTLE FEW CHALLENGES, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE KEEPING OUR EYE ON THAT, UM, SPRING BRANCH AND NORTH SIDE.
UM, ANOTHER ONE WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT IN MORE DETAIL.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE EAST SIDE CONNECTOR THAT WOULD, UH, MAKE A STRONG CONNECTION TO CLEAR CREEK AND BRAZE BIO.
SO LOOKING TO HUB PARKS, UM, AGAIN, STARTING BACK UP NORTH LITTLE CYPRESS CREEK AND CYPRESS CREEK, THERE ARE, UH, LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES IN PARTNERS IN THAT AREA TO THINK ABOUT HUB PARKS, UM, IN RELATION TO THESE GREENWAYS CASHMERE GARDENS.
AND, UH, ALONG HUNTING AND HALLS, A NEW FLOOD MANAGEMENT PARK OPPORTUNITY.
AND THEN MCGREGOR PARK LOOKING AT AN EXISTING HUB PARK ON BRAY'S BIO.
AND, UM, HAVING JUST UPDATED THEIR MASTER PLAN AND THINKING ABOUT HOW TO HAVE EVEN BETTER CONNECTIONS TO AND THROUGH MCGREGOR PARK CONNECTING TO PROTECTED BIKE LANES.
THAT PRECINCT ONE IS DOING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE METRO SYSTEM, UM, A REALLY IMPORTANT EXISTING HUB PARK.
THEN, UM, WE, UNDER THE, BEYOND THE BIOS BANNER, IF YOU WILL, IS ALL OF OUR WORK, WHICH INCLUDES AN INITIATIVE THAT MAYOR TURNER PUT FORWARD TO ADDRESS PARK EQUITY CALLED THE 50 50 PARK PARTNERS.
AND IT'S TAKING A LOOK AT THE 180 NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS WITHIN THE, UH, PARKS AND RECS 380 PARK SYSTEM, FINDING THOSE 50 PARKS THAT HAVE THE MOST NEED FROM, FOR INVESTMENT FROM EITHER A STANDARD OF CARE PERSPECTIVE OR, UM, THE IN NOT ENOUGH INVESTMENT OVER THE YEARS TO BE, UH, REALLY CLEAR ABOUT IT.
AND SO WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH PARKS AND REC TO DO AN ANALYSIS OF THE PARKS TO SEE WHICH ONES WERE OF THE MOST NEED.
AND THEN WE ALSO ANALYZED THE PARKS AGAINST, UM, A NUMBER OF EQUITY CRITERIA TO SEE WHERE WE COULD REALLY BEGIN TO ADDRESS HOW WE, HOW WE, UH, PRIORITIZE OUR FUNDING ACCORDING TO EQUITABLE, UM, ALLOCATION.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE PARKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, WE'VE LOOKED AT A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD PARK IN THE EAST END, UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY, UH, IMPROVEMENTS AT BEACH WHITE PARK BASED ON, UM, ALL OF THESE CRITERIA.
SO GOING BACK TO THE REGIONAL CONNECTORS, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF A PROJECT THAT WE'RE, UH, WORKING ON NOW, AND VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT, UH, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON THIS.
UM, IT'S AN 11 MILE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL VISION FROM WHITE OAK BIOG GREENWAY THROUGH THE HEART OF SPRING BRANCH ALL THE WAY TO THE ATTICS RESERVOIR.
UM, IT WOULD BE A, A PHENOMENAL CONNECTOR ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT LEVELS.
UM, WE ESTIMATE IT COST AROUND $30 MILLION TO COMPLETE THIS, BUT WHAT'S EXCITING IS THAT WE HAVE AN AMAZING PARTNER WITH THE SPRING BRANCH MANAGEMENT DISTRICT WHO HAS ALREADY FUNDED THE COMPLETION OF PHASE ONE.
UM, I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE RIDDEN THIS TRAIL.
WE OPENED PHASE ONE IN DECEMBER OF 2020.
IT'S 2.4 MILES BETWEEN BLAYLOCK AND W WT ROAD.
AND THE, UH, PHASES TWO AND THREE ARE ALSO SHOWN ON THIS MAP.
UM, PHASE TWO IS IN PLANNING, PHASE THREE
[00:30:01]
IS IN PERMITTING.UM, AND THIS IS, THIS IS ONE OF THE, THE MANY PROJECTS THAT, UM, LISA GRIFF KEEPS MOVING FORWARD AND, UH, WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH OUR PARTNERS TO BRING TOWARD REALITY, UM, ON ANOTHER PROJECT THAT, UH, LISA'S WORKING ON.
AND IT'S AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME DURING THE PRESENTATION OR AFTERWARDS, BUT THIS IS ONE THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF COMBINING FLOOD MITIGATION AND THE CREATION OF NEW PARKS.
THIS IS THE OLD INWOOD GOLF COURSE.
UH, THE CITY AND HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL GOT TOGETHER AND TEAMED UP TO TRY TO ADDRESS FLOODING IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH BOTH DETENTION AND DRAINAGE.
THEN THE MAYOR ASKED US TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, GIVEN ITS PROXIMITY TO, UH, THE WHITE OAK BIO GREENWAY, OUR WORK IN AKERS HOME, UH, WITH THIS COMPLETE COMMUNITIES AND ARE BEYOND THE BIOS PARK PLANNING, AND HOW CAN WE ADD RECREATIONAL COMPONENTS TO THIS, UH, WATER MANAGEMENT, UH, PLANNING EFFORT.
SO WE HAVE CREATED A PLAN, UM, THAT ADDRESSES THE ENTIRE ENTITY AS THIS FLOOD MANAGEMENT HUB PARK, BUT AGAIN, BEING PRACTICAL, STAYING OUT OF THE WAY OF FLOOD CONTROL TO GET THEIR DETENTION PONDS IN.
WHAT LISA AND THE TEAM DID WAS, UH, TALK WITH THE CITY ABOUT PULLING BACK, LOOKING AT IT FROM A BROADER PERSPECTIVE AND HOW DOES THIS FIT INTO THE LARGER PLANNING EFFORT THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH THE CITY IN CONNECTING THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO WE LOOKED AT THE OPPORTUNITY OF CREATING A NEW GREENWAY VOGEL CREEK, WHICH WILL BE A ONE MILE LONG GREENWAY CONNECTING LONE STAR COLLEGE ON THE NORTH.
UM, AND, UH, TOWARDS OR LONE STAR COLLEGE NORTH TOWARDS THE EISENHOWER HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, THIS IS A $6 MILLION FULLY FUNDED EFFORT, UH, A COMBINATION OF PUBLIC MONEY FROM THE CITY, THE COUNTY, UH, AT 3 MILLION, AND THEN A PRIVATE DONOR FOR 3 MILLION FROM THE BROWN FOUNDATION.
SO WE'RE SERVING AS THE PROJECT MANAGER, WHICH EVEN AS A STANDALONE PROJECT, THIS ONE MILE LONG GREENWAY WITH SOME POCKET PARKS AND UM, UH, A BASIN WHERE WE'RE DOING SOME EXPERIMENTAL PLANTING IS REALLY HAVING A HUGE IMPACT OF HOW WE THINK ABOUT LIVING WITH WATER AND NATURAL SYSTEMS. SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE PLANNING PROCESS NOW.
UM, WE'RE HOPING TO PERHAPS BE CUTTING SOME RIBBONS NEXT YEAR.
WE WANNA GET OUT THERE WITH MAYOR TURNER SOON TO HAVE A GROUNDBREAKING AS WE FINISH UP THE FINAL DESIGN.
BUT IT'S REALLY GONNA BE EXTRAORDINARY.
AND IF, IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THAT OLD GOLF COURSE, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
UM, SO CONNECTING VOGEL CREEK GREENWAY, UM, AS PART OF PHASE ONE OF INWOOD AND CONNECTING IT OVER TO WHITE OAK BIO GREENWAY, YOU, YOU BEGIN TO BUILD OUT THAT SYSTEM, UM, TO GIVE ACCESS TO SO MANY MORE PEOPLE TO GET AROUND THE CITY.
THE NEXT IS VINCE BIO GREENWAY.
UM, THIS IS ANOTHER UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY THAT CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF A PLANNING EFFORT THAT WE WORKED ON WITH, UM, SOME CONSULTANTS WITH OSCAR ROBINSON, UM, AND THE CITY OF PASADENA.
AND THEY DID A CITYWIDE HEALTHY PARKS PLAN.
AND ONE OF THE KEY OPPORTUNITIES IDENTIFIED IN THAT PLAN WAS TO CREATE A GREENWAY ALONG VINCE BIO.
UM, WE PUT THAT FORWARD, THE CITY EMBRACED THE PLAN, UH, JUMPED AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN IMPLEMENTATION.
SO, UH, WE ARE THE PROJECT MANAGER WITH LISA IN THE LEAD.
YES, LISA IS A VERY BUSY LADY,
THIS WILL CONNECT FROM MEMORIAL PARK AND PASADENA, UH, SOUTH TO STRAWBERRY PARK AND STRAWBERRY TRAIL.
AND, UM, AGAIN, JUST ANOTHER INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY.
AND WE, WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR CONNECTIONS FROM THIS GREENWAY INTO THE BROADER SYSTEM OF BIO GREENWAYS AND BEYOND.
ANOTHER, UH, IMPORTANT TRAIL IS SHARPSTOWN TRAIL, WHICH, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON WITH THE TURS.
UH, PHASE ONE, WE'VE COMPLETED PERMITTING THAT WILL BE 1.8 MILES, AND WE, WE HAVE IT ON HOLD RIGHT NOW, BUT FOR A VERY FINE REASON, CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN, UH, DEDICATED AN EARMARK, UH, GRANT OF $1 MILLION TOWARD THIS TRAIL.
UM, IT PASSED CONGRESS, WE'RE WORKING OUT THE GRANT AGREEMENT, AND THE MINUTE THAT'S DONE, WE ARE, UM, GONNA START
[00:35:01]
CONSTRUCTION.AND IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO THINK ABOUT.
PHASE TWO WILL BE ANOTHER 0.8 AND PHASE 3.5, BUT AGAIN, ONE OF THOSE REALLY IMPORTANT CONNECTORS, UM, TO GET PEOPLE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS DOWN TO THE BIOG GREENWAYS.
UM, AND THEN ONE OF THE AREAS, AND THIS IS AGAIN, VERY ASPIRATIONAL, LOTS OF COMPLICATIONS, BUT, UH, A SECTION WE CALL HEADWATERS, THIS NEW REGIONAL CONNECTOR.
WE'RE WORKING ON A FEASIBILITY STUDY WITH PRECINCT ONE OF HARRIS COUNTY AND THE INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO THINK ABOUT, UM, AROUND FOUR MILES OF THIS SYSTEM TRYING TO CONNECT BRAS, BIOG GREENWAY TO KEEGAN'S BIOG GREENWAY.
AND, UM, YOU SEE THAT SHOWN THERE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, UH, THE RED LITTLE SECTION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MAP.
AND THEN, UM, OTHER STUDIES WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT SEGMENTS.
UM, AS YOU GO FURTHER NORTH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND MEMORIAL PARK CONSERVANCY ARE LOOKING AT PARTS OF THIS SECTION.
AND, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, OH, SORRY, NOT MEMORIAL PARK CONSERVANCY, THE, UM, THAT'S
BUT WE UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE A BUSINESS REASON FOR USING THESE CORRIDORS.
BUT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY PERSISTENT, SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA KEEP AT IT.
AND THEN THE WEST SIDE, THESE NAMES ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, WORKING NAMES.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, BRAND NAMES, BUT, UM, THIS IS THE ONE WHERE, UM, MEMORIAL PARK AND, UM, THE UPTOWN TOURS, UH, PARKS AND REC ARE LOOKING AT THE NORTHERN SECTION.
UM, THEY'RE, WE PUT IN SOME TIP GRANTS BACK IN 2018.
WE MAY TRY TO RECONSTITUTE THOSE WITH YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE UPPER MIDSECTION, WHICH WOULD BE FROM RICHMOND SOUTH TO BRAZE BIO.
THE LOWER SECTION, UM, WOULD BE BRAISED BIO SOUTH TO REACH WILLOW WATER HOLE, UM, WHICH IS BEING STUDIED FOR PRECINCT ONE AND WILLOW WATER HOLE.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THE WONDERFUL STORY A COUPLE OF SUNDAYS AGO ABOUT THEIR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN AND WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, AT WILLOW WATER HOLE, WHICH IS REALLY EXTRAORDINARY.
SO, UM, THESE ARE ALL REALLY INCREDIBLE SORT OF NEAR TERM OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE SORT OF DOING, YOU KNOW, CHUNKING IT DOWN A PIECE AT A TIME, BUT THEY REALLY ADD UP.
AND ONE THING I WOULD LOVE TO INVITE ALL OF YOU TO THIS COMING SATURDAY IS A CELEBRATION OF A 1.4 MILE SEGMENT ALONG SIMS BIO, WHICH IS GOING TO CONNECT GLENBROOK PARK TO STEWART PARK, THAT'S S-T-U-A-R-T.
THERE'S ANOTHER STEWART PARK, S-T-E-W-A-R-T ALONG SIMS A LITTLE FURTHER OUT, BUT TO STEWART PARK.
AND THEN, UM, IT GOES THROUGH THE BOTANIC GARDEN.
SO IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, UM, PORTION OF THE TRAIL.
AND ONCE WE HAVE THIS CONNECTION IN PLACE, WE'LL HAVE, UH, 14.9 MILES OF TRAIL OPEN AND AVAILABLE ALONG SIMS BIO.
UM, WE'RE GONNA START THE SPEAKING PROGRAM AT 1130, BUT BRING YOUR BIKE BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, BIKE RIDES AND SORT OF A LITTLE MINI FESTIVAL WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THE OTHER BIKE ORIENTED EVENT THAT WE'RE HAVING, AND I'D LOVE TO GET IT ON YOUR LIST, DAVID, OF ALL THE BIKE THINGS GOING ON IN MAY IS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE ORANGE SHOW TO HAVE AN ART BIKE FESTIVAL.
UM, AND IT'S GONNA BE REALLY FUN.
WE HAD HOPED TO DO THIS IN 2020, BUT THE PANDEMIC, UM, CANCELED OUR PLANS.
SO WE ARE RECONSTITUTING THIS EVENT WITH THE ORANGE SHOW, THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND WE, UH, PROVIDED ABOUT 250 BIKES TO, TO THE SCHOOLS TO WORK WITH THE ART TEACHERS TO, UH, TURN THESE BIKES INTO WORKS OF ART.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE IN MCGREGOR PARK GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN, UH, FONDE PARK, SMITHER PARK, AND MCGREGOR PARK ALONG BRAISE BIO GREENWAY.
SO WE, WE HOPE YOU COME OUT AND JOIN US FOR THAT EVENT.
AND, UH, I WANTED TO LEAVE A LITTLE TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
AND AS I SAID, IF I CAN'T ANSWER THEM, LISA GRIFF CAN GIVE YOU, UM, ALL THE DETAILS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK THAT SHE AND OUR TEAM ARE DOING TO CREATE THESE SYSTEMS. AND HERE ARE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES IF YOU WANNA FOLLOW US, UM, ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
[00:40:01]
THAT'S OUR PRESENTATION.I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING,
ALL YOU'VE DONE AND ALL YOU'VE GOT IN THE HOPPER, IT'S JUST FANTASTIC.
ONE, UH, WILL THE PRESENTATION BE AVAILABLE FOR US? SURE.
MAYBE YOU CAN SEND IT, UH, TO, UH, BRIAN AND BRIAN, YOU COULD DISTRIBUTE.
SO LISA, UH, SENT US THE PRESENTATION JUST AS A TECHNOLOGY BACKUP, SO I'LL MAKE SURE TO ADD THAT TO THE SLIDES AND SEND THAT OUT TO EVERYBODY.
AND THAT I HAD A, A QUESTION ON THE TRAIL, UH, SAFETY AUDIT.
UM, YOU MAY HAVE MENTIONED IT, I MAY HAVE MISSED IT.
DO YOU HAVE A TARGET DATE FOR WHEN THE FINAL REPORT WILL BE COMPLETED? UM, WELL THEY GAVE US THE DRAFT REPORT RECENTLY.
TRENT RONDO, WHO'S BEEN OUR MAIN POINT PERSON ON IT, IS ON VACATION FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
SO WE'RE GONNA WAIT FOR HIM TO GET BACK AND LET US KNOW IF HE'S WRAPPED UP ANY COMMENTS.
I KNOW HE'S ASKED FOR SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM THE TEAM, SO I WOULD GUESS MID-MAY.
LISA, WOULD THAT BE A GOOD GUESS TO, UM, THINK ABOUT WHEN WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE IT THIRD WEEK IN MAY? HE'S NOT BACK UNTIL THE SECOND WEEK, I THINK.
YEAH, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU FOR SURE AND LET YOU KNOW IF THAT'S YEAH, BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT YOU TO DIG INTO THAT REPORT.
UM, THERE'S SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE OUT THERE TO ADDRESS SAFETY.
YEAH, THAT, YEAH, WE C WE CERTAINLY ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO, UH, TO GETTING THAT.
UM, ARE THERE QUESTIONS IN THE CHAT ON, I'M SORRY, COMMANDER.
UM, I THINK YOU SAID THE, UH, DRAFT WAS PROVIDED TO HPD, UH, WHO'S YOUR CONTACT AT HPD THAT Y'ALL PROVIDED THAT TO? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE TO OH, UM, AT HPB, SORRY, UM, HOUSTON PARKS BOARD, I MEANT OUR, AT OUR ORGANIZATION, SORRY, IT'S PROBABLY MY, MY EYES THERE.
JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK AND MAKE SURE THAT I MIGHT HAVE SAID HPD
WE DOES SO MUCH WORK WITH YOU
I JUST KNOW TRENT, TRENT HAD SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION HE WANTED THEM TO PROVIDE, AND SO WE'LL GET THAT TO YOU AS SOON AS WE HAVE IT, AND THEN WE CAN ALL DIG IN TOGETHER.
AND I, I SEE THERE'S A BUNCH OF HANDS UP, BUT I CAN'T TELL WHO THEY ARE, SO MAYBE YOU COULD WORK THROUGH THOSE.
SHARON IS MONITORING THE CHAT AND THE RAISED HANDS.
I SAY RICKY CARDENAS HAS HIS HAND UP.
AND WHEN YOU'RE READY, I HAVE A COUPLE UPDATES FOR YOU FROM THE CHAT.
HELLO? UH, MY NAME IS RICKY CARDENAS.
I JUST WAS CURIOUS ON THE MAP, THERE'S A, THERE WAS A MAGENTA PORTION AND I GUESS THAT'S, YOU KNOW, TO BE, UH, PROPOSED BY OTHERS JUST TO THE EAST, I'M SORRY, YEAH, JUST TO THE EAST OF DOWNTOWN.
AND THAT WAS PROPOSED BY OTHERS.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS, IS THAT, UM, A BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP PROJECT? IF, IF IT'S THE SLIDE I'M THINKING OF, YES.
WE TRIED REALLY HARD IN THE FIRST ROUND AND SUBSEQUENT ROUNDS OF BEYOND THE BIOS TO HONOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH GREAT WORK BY BUFFALO BIO PARTNERSHIP, UH, WESTCHASE, THE T THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
SO, UM, IT IS A CHALLENGE TO KEEP UP WITH FRESHENING ALL THAT UP.
AND SO WE DIDN'T WANNA PUT A PLAN OUT THERE THAT WOULD IMPLY IN ANY WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE ALL THIS ON
SO I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
I DON'T CURRENTLY SEE ANY OTHER HANDS RAISED, HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO KIND OF GO BACKWARDS A LITTLE BIT IN THE CHAT BOX TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T MISS ANYTHING.
BETH, IS IT OKAY IF I GO AHEAD AND RESTATE YOUR QUESTION? IS THE 50 50 PARKS EQUITY REPORT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC? UH, THE ONE THAT HOUSTON PARKS BOARD DID WITH PARKS AND RECREATION? SO I GUESS I'M NOT SURE WHO THAT'S DIRECTED TO, BUT IF ANYBODY COULD RESPOND TO THAT, AND THEN I'LL GO ON WITH THE OTHER UPDATES IN THE CHAT.
UM, HAVEN'T TALKED TO YOU IN A WHILE.
I, I'D BE HAPPY TO, UM, SHARE THAT.
WE'VE CREATED A MAP THAT SHOWS WHERE ALL OF THE 50 PARKS ARE.
UM, AND WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IS WE HAVE, THE FIRST 11 PARKS HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS.
WE'VE MATCHED THEM UP WITH THE, UH, CORPORATE SPONSORS WHO, UM, I SHOULD SAY THE WAY WE DESIGNED IT, THE PRIVATE DONATIONS GO INTO A POOL OF FUNDS, AND THEN WE MATCH THOSE UP WITH THE PUBLIC FUNDS AND ADDRESS THE PARKS FROM, UM, AN EQUITY NEED.
BECAUSE A LOT OF THE PUBLIC FUNDS COME FROM THE PARK SECTOR
[00:45:01]
FUNDING, WHICH ARE BASED ON DEVELOPER FEES.AND NOT ALL NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE DEVELOPER FEES.
SO, UM, WE HAVE THOSE FIRST 11 READY TO GO.
OUR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
WE'RE JUST LETTING THE CONTRACTS NOW, SO THE CONSTRUCTION DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION FOR THOSE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE FIRST 11 WILL BEGIN.
AND THEN FOR THE SECOND 11, THE ROUND OF 11 PARKS WILL BEGIN THE, UM, COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS DETERMINING WHAT THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE.
AND THEN THAT NEXT ROUND OF, UM, CONSTRUCTION, WE WILL HAVE BY DECEMBER OF 20 23, 22 PARKS OUT OF THE 50, UM, PROJECTS COMPLETED.
AND THEN WE, YOU KNOW, KEEP GOING THROUGH SUBSEQUENT ROUNDS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE CRITERIA THAT WE USED AND SHOW WHERE THESE PARKS ARE IN THE SYSTEM.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND GET THAT TO YOU.
WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT WORK, AND IT'S, LIKE I SAID, IT DRIVES EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
THE CHALLENGE FOR US IS THERE'S SO MUCH NEED OUT THERE, AND SO WHERE DO WE START? SO WE DID DEEPER WORK ON EQUITY METRICS AND, UM, WITH BEYOND THE BIOS AND SO, AND WHAT IS OUR PARTICULAR SKILLSET THAT WE CAN USE TO ADDRESS THAT? SO IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING MATRIX THAT WE'RE STILL FINE TUNING, BUT, UM, WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO HAVING THAT READY TO SHARE WITH PEOPLE AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WORK, TRYING TO WRAP OUR ARMS AROUND IT.
THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH, BETH.
IT'S SO WONDERFUL SEEING THIS PRESENTATION AND, AND KIND OF RECONNECTING VIRTUALLY, UM, WITH YOU AS, AS OUR GUEST TODAY.
I'M, I'M PUTTING ON MY KIND OF NON BAC, UH, BOARD MEMBER HAT AND JUST AS A, AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, UM, JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE STRATEGIC WAY THAT YOU ALL FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN GREEN SPACE.
UM, I'M WORKING WITH, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A CITY PROJECT AGAIN, WEARING MY MY CITIZEN HAT, UM, ON, UH, KIND OF A, A HOUSTON 2036 TASK FORCE.
AND I'M ON THE ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE.
AND ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE FOCUSED ON IS JUST HOW DO WE FOCUS ON EQUITY AS IT AS IT RELATES TO PARKS.
AND OF COURSE, WE'RE SEEING ALL THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT HPB DOES, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY SEE THAT EQUITY LENS OF THERE'S SO MUCH NEED.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHY I'M ASKING.
'CAUSE HEARING YOU TALK ABOUT THIS EQUITY REPORT THAT YOU DID WITH THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, AND I, I'M HEARING THERE'S 380 PARKS, I THINK I HEARD THAT NUMBER AND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU SELECTED, UM, THE 180 TO KIND OF TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT, SO IT'S, IT'S THOSE THINGS THAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN FOR THAT WORK.
I, I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH, WITH LISA IF, IF SHE'S BEST OR, OR WHOEVER, BUT I'M, I'M EAGER TO, TO GET MY HANDS ON THAT REPORT.
'CAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE KIND OF INSTRUMENTAL IN UNDERSTANDING THE EQUITY LENS AND HOW RESOURCES LIKE DECISIONS ARE MADE REGARDING RESOURCES.
NO, WE'D, WE'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE AND KEEP ADDING TO THE CONVERSATION.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING THAT, UM, THERE ARE SO MANY WONDERFUL PARK CONSERVANCIES IN HOUSTON.
I MEAN, SECOND TO NONE ANYWHERE IN THE NATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S MAYBE A DOZEN, NOT, WELL, NOT QUITE A DOZEN, BUT WHEN YOU THINK OF 380 PARKS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM, BUT THEN WE HAVE FOUR COUNTY PRECINCTS, AND THEY ALSO HAVE A SYSTEM OF PARKS.
SO, UM, THERE'S ALSO, UM, PARK SCORE, WHICH YOU'RE PROBABLY VERY FAMILIAR WITH, THAT THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND PUBLISHES EVERY YEAR.
AND IT SHOWS WHERE HOUSTON RANKS AGAINST OTHER CITIES.
SO THE BIO GREENWAY SYSTEM, WHICH WHAT MAKES ME SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT IS IT'S NOT JUST A PARK, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LINEAR PARKS AND GREENWAYS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ROUTES.
BUT FOR SOME PEOPLE IT'S THE ONLY PARK THEY KNOW.
BUT IF WE CAN KEEP BUILDING THAT SYSTEM TOGETHER TO GET PEOPLE TO PARKS, IF YOU BUILD THEM AND THEY CAN'T GET THERE, WHAT'S THE POINT? SO ALL OF THIS IS ADDITIVE.
SO I'M EXCITED YOU'RE WORKING ON THE 2036 INITIATIVE.
AND BETH, I DIDN'T KNOW IF BETH WAS GONNA POSE THAT TO LISA OR TO BETH.
I HAVE A NOTE FROM RICKY CARDIA.
HE SAYS HE'LL BE VOLUNTEERING NOW, RICKY, I SEE THE NOTE
SO IF YOU CAN CLICK ON OR SEND US A NOTE AND LET US KNOW.
BUT I DID WANNA MENTION THAT WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE THAT JOINED THE MEETING LATE.
WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW ADAM WILLIAMS JOINED AT THREE O'CLOCK AND WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, YOU HAVE ANOTHER ONE THAT CAME IN, WANTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT THAT.
I'LL FIND THAT NAME IN A MINUTE.
BUT SOMEBODY WANTED TO APPLAUD YOU, BETH, AND THAT WAS FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO IN REGARDS
[00:50:01]
TO THE FLOOD DEBRIS.AND THIS IS FROM KEVIN STRICKLAND.
HE SAID, YOU ALL HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB AND YOUR AMAZING ABILITY TO CLEAR FLOOD DEBRIS.
UH, WELL, I TELL YOU, TRENT RONDO AND OUR CONSERVATION AND MAINTENANCE TEAM ARE AMAZING.
UM, SO I WILL PASS THAT ALONG.
I KNOW THEY WILL APPRECIATE THAT.
AND IT, IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR INVESTMENT, WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC INVESTMENT OR PRIVATE INVESTMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE BUILD.
YEAH, THAT WAS, UH, I WOULD CERTAINLY SECOND THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, TRENT AND HIS TEAM ARE AMAZING, AND THAT CERTAINLY WAS A
I MEAN, THE WHOLE THING'S FANTASTIC, BUT WHEN, WHEN THE KINDERS REQUIRED THAT MAINTENANCE TO BE SET ASIDE AT ALL.
'CAUSE ANY OF US THAT HAD RIDDEN THE TRAILS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, MAINTENANCE, PARTICULARLY AFTER FLOODING EVENTS, BUT ANYTIME, I MEAN, WHENEVER THERE WAS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE, USUALLY THE REACTION WAS THIS, IT'S SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD, YOU COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE SAME BIO IS TRUE.
I MEAN, THERE WERE DIFFERENT ENTITIES RESPONSIBLE.
SO THAT, THAT'S BEEN, THAT'S BEEN A TERRIFIC, UH, TERRIFIC IMPROVEMENT.
UH, TREVOR, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OH, UH, YEAH.
UH, IT'S EXCITING TO, UH, SEE THE, ALL THE EXPANDING ACCESS TO THE GREENWAYS OUTSIDE OF THE LOOP.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, UM, INSIDE THE LOOP WITH MEMORIAL PARK BEING OUR LARGEST URBAN, UH, PARK, UH, WITHIN THE LOOP MM-HMM
UM, IS, IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO CONNECT ALLEN PARKWAY TO MEMORIAL PARK? BEING THAT THE, BEING THAT THE BUFFALO BAYOU GOES ALL THE WAY TO MEMORIAL PARK, BUT THE TRAIL ENDS AT SHEPHERD, WHAT IS THE, IS THERE A PLAN IN THE FUTURE OR IS IT CONCEIVABLE THAT THE PATH WILL CONTINUE EVENTUALLY ALL THE WAY TO MEMORIAL PARK? THAT IS SUCH A GREAT QUESTION, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE, UM, WORKING TOWARD.
UH, WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD THAT IN OUR GOAL FOR BIOG GREENWAYS THAT CONNECTION, AS YOU SAID, BETWEEN BUFFALO BIO PARK FROM SHEPHERD TO MEMORIAL PARK.
UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE LINED UP SOME, UH, PROPERTY ALONG THE WAY.
WE'VE DONE SOME, UH, SHORELINE RESTORATION THAT WAS DAMAGED IN HARVEY, AND WE'RE CURRENTLY TRYING TO FIND CONNECTIONS, UM, TO GET YOU OFF OF MEMORIAL AND GO BEHIND THE SHOPPING CENTER.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL COME BACK AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT.
UM, BUT IT IS, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE SLOW GOING, UM, BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE LITTLE PIECES BEING PUT IN PLACE, SO THANK YOU FOR ASKING ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO MEMORIAL PARK CONSERVANCY.
WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM.
AND, UM, IT'S JUST A CONNECTION THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE
SO ENVISION IF YOU COULD MAKE THAT CONNECTION AND THEN GET ON THE SORT OF NORTH SOUTH, UM, THE REGIONAL CONNECTOR AND THEN GET UP TO WHITE OAK FROM THERE.
SO THAT, THAT'S OUR GOAL IS TO JUST KEEP PUTTING THESE LITTLE PLACES, PIECES IN PLACE OVER TIME.
WE'RE ALMOST DONE WITH THE UPDATES.
I CAN'T SEE, TOM, IF THERE'S ANYBODY IN THE CIRCLE THAT WANTS TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS, IF THERE AREN'T ANY, I CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH A FEW MORE UPDATES.
UH, BEFORE WE DO THAT, WERE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, UH, FOR BETH IN THE, IN THE CHAT? WELL, I COULD JUST SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US, AND, UM, YOU HAVE LISA GRIFF ON YOUR TEAM THERE.
UM, I'M SURE A VERY VALUED MEMBER OF THIS GROUP.
SO ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, PLEASE LET LISA KNOW.
AND AMMAR, I'M SO GLAD YOU COULD JOIN.
YOU'VE BEEN SUCH A PARTNER IN BIOG GREEN WAYS AND THE BEYOND THE BIOS WORK, SO, UH, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE YOU EVEN THE FEW LITTLE, LITTLE IMAGE FOR ME RIGHT NOW AT THE END OF THAT TABLE.
BUT, UH, THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE FOR HAVING US TODAY.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO AND, AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO CREATE FOR THE CITY.
BETH, WE WE'RE JUST THRILLED WITH ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THIS TIME TO, TO GIVE US THIS, UH, TERRIFIC UPDATE.
AND I'M, I'M SORRY WE HAD TO RESCHEDULE FROM JANUARY, BUT WE HAVE MORE TO TELL SO
JEN, BEFORE YOU GO, BEFORE YOU GO, UH, RICKY WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW HE'S VOLUNTEERING FOR THE SIMS BAYOU RIBBON CUTTING.
WELL, I'LL LET LISA CASANOVA THERE.
LISA G WILL YOU PLEASE CONNECT RICKY WITH LISA? K THIS IS AWESOME,
[00:55:01]
SO WE'LL KEEP GOING ON WITH THE AGENDA.UM, WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT HAVE COME SINCE WE'VE STARTED, UM, AMAR AND ADAM, COULD YOU, UM, RESPOND WITH AN AUDIBLE YES.
SO WE CAN COUNT YOU? YES, THIS IS HONOR.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER BAC MEMBERS THAT, UH, JOINED AFTER WE TOOK THE ROLE? YES, YOU HAVE BANAL ROBLES.
THAT'S THE NAME I WAS TRYING TO FIND.
ALRIGHT, BANAL, CAN YOU ANNOUNCE YOURSELF WITH THE HERE? I'M HERE.
UH, WE NOW HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR QUORUM.
SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, THE APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY MINUTES.
I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE JANUARY MO UH, MEETING MINUTES POLL, SIR.
OR RAISE YOUR HAND VIRTUALLY WHATEVER
SO WE'LL GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, THERE WERE NO WRITTEN COMMENTS THAT CAME IN THROUGH THE BAC INBOX, UH, BEFORE 2:00 PM TODAY.
UM, AS GOING FORWARD, IF, UH, ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SEND US AN EMAIL, UH, YOU CAN EMAIL BAC@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
AND AS LONG AS YOU GET IT TO US BY 2:00 PM UH, THE DAY OF THE BAC C MEETING, I WILL BE JUST LETTING YOU KNOW, I WILL BE TALKING TO THE CHAIR ABOUT ADJUSTING THAT TIME NOW THAT WE ARE ALSO IN PERSON, JUST TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR COORDINATION.
UM, BUT ALSO JUST ONCE AGAIN, TO TALK ABOUT THE PHONE.
IF YOU ARE, UH, CALLING IN, UM, YOU CAN USE STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF WHEN CALLED UPON BY THE CHAIR.
UH, AND YOU CAN ALSO, UH, TYPE YOUR NAME INTO THE COMMENT SECTION AT THIS POINT RIGHT NOW AND SAY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO WE WILL, UH, OPEN THE FLOOR.
THERE'S NOBODY HERE, UM, FROM THE PUBLIC.
SO WE'LL START WITH MICROSOFT TEAM.
SHARON, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT HAS ANNOUNCED THEMSELVES WHO WANNA MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT? I DON'T HAVE ANYONE THAT HAS ANNOUNCED TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT I DO HAVE ONE MORE, UH, COMMENT THAT'S IN THE CHAT.
OH, THERE'S SOMETHING JUST POPPED UP.
BUT LET ME MAKE YOU AWARE OF EMMANUEL NUNES WHO SAYS, LET'S MAKE ADOPT A BIKE LANE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE COMMENTED ON.
I DID HAVE SOMEONE WHILE I WAS SPEAKING JUST A MINUTE AGO, POP UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
PLEASE PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE TIMELINE FOR THE PATTERSON STREET BIKEWAY PROJECT AT SOME POINT DURING THIS PRESENTATION.
WAS THAT CLEAR? I HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT, ALSO ANOTHER PUBLIC COMMENT FROM EMMANUEL NUNEZ.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THE PATTERSON STREET BRIDGE AS WELL.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE AN AUDIBLE, UH, COMMENT AS WELL OR JUST, UH, THE NOTE FROM THE CHAT? UH, NO, NOTHING ELSE OTHER THAN THE COMMENT I PULL UP.
PROVIDED JUST, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY HAS BEEN, UH, ASKING FOR UPDATES ON WHEN WE THINK THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
SO I CAN PROVIDE, UM, AN ES AN UPDATE ON PATTERSON STREET.
UH, THE LAST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE WAS GETTING, UH, CERTAIN PERMITS SIGNED OFF ON BY THE STATE.
WE HAVE THOSE, AND I, I RECOGNIZE HOW BUREAUCRATIC THIS SOUNDS.
WE ARE LITERALLY WAITING FOR THE PAPERWORK TO CONFIRM THEIR SIGNATURES.
UM, AND AFTER THAT WE CAN GO OUT.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT IS, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, MAY OR JUNE AT THE, UH, EXPECTED FOR A START DATE PENDING.
IS PIECE OF PAPER ANY IDEA HOW LONG PIECES OF PAPER TAKE THAT NOT THE PIECE TO WORK? I DON'T HAVE THAT OFF OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
BUT WE CAN DIG THAT OUT FOR YOU.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE PATTERSON STREET, UH, BUT EXCEPT IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BIKEWAY, IT'S ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE, THAT BIKEWAY.
UM, I, I MEAN, I THINK EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS ABOUT, UM, THE INCLUSION OF THE PATTERSON STREET BRIDGE AND THE BIKE PLAN AND, UM, I HAVE BEEN WORKING TO JUST, YOU KNOW, GARNER COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE, UM, IF THERE'S A WAY TO GET SOME ESTIMATES OF HOW
[01:00:01]
MUCH IT WOULD COST, WHAT, UH, WHERE DOES IT FALL IN THE PRIORITY, UM, OVERALL, UM, BASICALLY WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR A BRIDGE THERE TO HAPPEN.UH, JUST CLARIFICATION, IS THIS A, A BRIDGE OF A WIDE OAK BIO THERE AT THE NORTH END OF PATTERSON WHERE IT CURRENTLY ESSENTIALLY STOPS AT THE TRAIL? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, UH, I KNOW THAT WAS NOT A PART OF THE, UH, PATTERSON STREET BIKEWAY THAT'S GOING INTO CONSTRUCTION.
WE DID A PRIORITIZATION EXERCISE, UM, WITH THE BAC LAST YEAR.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY THAT PARTICULAR SEGMENT WAS NOT, UM, ONE OF THE PRIORITY CORRIDORS THAT WE'LL BE FOCUSING ON, UM, FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, UM, AS FAR AS OUR NEXT CIP FUNDS.
BUT WHEN WE RUN THE PRIORITIZATION EXERCISE, AGAIN, UH, WE DON'T JUST USE DATA.
WE ALSO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS, UM, AND CONCERNS TO, TO UPLIFT THINGS THAT THE DATA DOESN'T NECESSARILY SHOW.
UM, WE WILL PROBABLY START OUR NEXT PRIORITIZATION EXERCISE EARLY NEXT YEAR.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO BRING UP THE BRIDGE.
AND THAT WOULD BE FOR, UH, CONSTRUCTION.
UH, ON WHICH TIMELINE? SO OUR PRIORITIZATION EXERCISE, UM, MOSTLY WHAT IT DOES, IT IS THAT IDENTIFIES THE CORRIDOR.
SO AS FUNDING COMES UP, UM, EITHER THROUGH OUR CIP PROGRAM OR IF THE CITY GETS OTHER FUNDING FOR BIKEWAYS, THOSE ARE THE CORRIDORS THAT WE APPLY THAT MONEY TO FIRST.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.
AND THOSE TIMELINES VARY BASED ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROJECT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, ONE OF OUR CORRIDORS IS, IS AN WHAT THAT WE PICKED IS AN EXTENSION OF SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING, UM, OVER IN GULFTON, WHICH WILL BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
UM, AS OPPOSED TO ONE OF OUR OTHER PRIORITY CORRIDORS IS LOOKING AT WASHINGTON CENTER.
THAT'S GONNA, UM, REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT MORE RESEARCH BEFORE WE FIGURE OUT, UM, HOW INSTALL BIKE FACILITIES.
AND, UH, ONE LAST THING IS, UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF AT SOME POINT, MAYBE DURING THE NEXT MEETING, I CAN DO A SHORT PRESENTATION ON SOME OF THE FINDINGS THAT WE'VE, UM, FOUND REGARDING THESE BRIDGES.
UM, JUST, UM, IF IT WOULD MAKE SENSE, UM, DURING THE INFRASTRUCTURE MEETING NEXT MONTH.
UM, SO YOU CAN USE THE, EITHER THE BAC@HOUSTONTX.GOV EMAIL ADDRESS, OR YOU CAN SEND ME AN EMAIL DIRECTLY.
UM, MINE IS BRIAN D AS IN DELTA.SMITH@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
AND WE CAN BE IN TOUCH AND, AND TALK ABOUT YOU PRESENTING TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUBCOMMITTEE.
BRIAN, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF, UH, HANDS UP IN THE CHAT FOR MIKE VAN DUSEN AND CHRISTOPHER HUDDLESON.
NOT SURE WHICH ONE WENT UP FIRST.
UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, JUMP IN.
I WANNA MAKE EVERYONE AWARE THAT, UH, DURING THE 2018 FUNDING, HGAC FUNDED A PROJECT TO, UH, MAKE A CROSSING OF, UH, WHITE OAK, UH, FROM RUTLAND, UH, DOWN TO THE SOUTH SHORE.
AND SO THAT'S IN, IN FAIRLY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE END OF THE PATTERSON STREET.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER OPTION.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE TIMING IS ON THAT.
UH, I THINK, UM, UH, ANNA RAMIREZ WHERE TO MAY HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON THAT, BUT IT IS IN THE QUEUE, SO THANK YOU, MIKE.
I HAD HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT THAT ALSO, BUT I WASN'T AWARE THAT IT HAD BEEN, UH, APPARENTLY APPROVED BY THE HGAC.
IT WAS, YEAH, IT'S, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THE MONEY'S AVAILABLE QUITE YET, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T WANT TO TURN LOOSE OF IT.
CHRISTOPHER HUDDLESTON HAD HIS HAND UP AS WELL, CHRISTOPHER? YES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, THIS IS CHRISTOPHER HUDDLESTON.
UM, I WAS WONDERING, UH, THE BIKEWAY PRIORITIZATION, UH, INFORMATION.
IS THAT LIKE A LIST THAT'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE OR, UM, IS THAT JUST SOMETHING Y'ALL HAVE INTERNALLY? SO A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
UM, WE ACTUALLY PUBLISHED AN INTERACTIVE MAP THAT SHOWS HOW THE ENTIRE BIKE WAYS NETWORK AS IT'S, UH, BUILT OUT IN THE HOUSTON BIKE PLAN.
UH, EVERYTHING THAT'S CURRENTLY UNBUILT, HOW IT RANKED FROM PRIORITIES ONE THROUGH FOUR.
[01:05:01]
IN A SERIES OF PRESENTATIONS TO THE BAC LAST YEAR, WE IDENTIFIED THOSE, UM, THOSE CORRIDORS AND, AND PRESENTED IT HERE IN THIS, UH, IN THIS SPACE.WHAT WE CAN DO, UM, WE CAN TRY TO FIND SOME SPACE ON THE BIKEWAYS HOUSTON WEBSITE, UM, TO PULL THAT INFORMATION OUT AND THEN POST IT.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER, UH, TO IDENTIFY, JUST GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF PATIENCE FOR IT, UM, BECAUSE WE, UH, ARE A LITTLE SHORT STAFFED.
UM, BUT WE SHARE, WE CAN, WE CAN BE SURE TO GET THAT UP.
YEAH, I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS IN THE CHAT RIGHT NOW, BUT I DO SEE EMMANUEL NUNES SAYING TWO BRIDGES.
UH, AND I WANTED TO GO BACK AND MAKE SURE THAT I POINTED OUT THAT NICK HELLER HAD PUT INFORMATION ABOUT THE BIKE SUMMIT IN THE CHAT, IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED, THERE IS A LINK THERE.
AND WE'LL BE SURE TO, UH, SHARE THAT LINK AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
SO UP NEXT, UH, WE WILL HAVE KIM MICKELSON FROM OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
UM, KIM IS GOING TO PRESENT IN JUST A MINUTE ON, UH, ETHICS TRAINING FOR, UH, THE BAC.
UM, WE'RE VERY GLAD YOU ALL JOINED US TODAY.
THIS IS NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING EVERYBODY SHOULD LISTEN TO AND MULTITASK AND GO DO SOMETHING ELSE WHILE IT'S KIND OF PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND.
UM, AS A PLANNER, WE TAKE, UH, THE ETHICS RESPONSIBILITY INCREDIBLY SERIOUSLY.
THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, STARTS TO TALK ABOUT AS DECISIONS ARE MADE AS, UH, YOU RUN AS AN ORGANIZATION, AS A COMMITTEE, UM, THAT THE REST OF THE PUBLIC WHO IS NOT AS AWARE ABOUT THE THE DAY-TO-DAY DETAILS OF THE WORK YOU'RE DOING, THAT THEY CAN LOOK BACK AND SAY, LOOK, THEY FOLLOWED A CODE OF ETHICS.
THEY FOLLOWED THE CODES OF GUIDELINES.
UM, AND, AND THAT MATTERS TO PEOPLE WHEN THINGS, UH, BECOME A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT AND THEY START TO QUESTION DECISIONS THAT GET MADE.
THEY DO START TO LOOK AT THIS STUFF.
AND WE LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SAY, LOOK, WE, UH, OUR COMMISSIONERS WERE TRAINED, OR COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE TRAINED.
SO WE ASK, UH, THAT YOU, YOU TAKE THIS, UH, REALLY SERIOUSLY GIVE IT THE FOCUS.
UH, KIM DID REMIND ME JUST BEFORE SHE LEFT, UM, IT'S ALSO A REQUIREMENT OF SIGNING UP FOR, UH, THE COMMITTEE.
UM, SO YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE MORAL RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL AS THE THING YOU ALREADY SAID YOU WERE GONNA DO.
SO WE, WE HOPE YOU'LL, YOU'LL TAKE IT SERIOUSLY WITH US.
UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY ASKED OUR STAFF, UM, TO ALSO LISTEN AND PAY ATTENTION.
UH, WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE EQUALLY RESPONSIBLE TO UPHOLD THAT ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY.
UM, SO WE'RE RIGHT HERE WITH YOU IN IT, BUT WE MIGHT NEED ONE MORE MINUTE,
SO IF ANYBODY NEEDS A BATHROOM, NOW'S THE TIME.
UH, WHILE WE'RE WAITING,
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, THAT, UH, BETH MOORE APPLAUDED YOU WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN MAY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THAT IN THE CHAT, SO THOUGHT I'D SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
WELL, SOME OF US ARE TAKING A QUICK BREAK HERE WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR, UM, KIM TO AVAILABLE AGAIN.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO DO LIKEWISE,
[01:11:41]
FLAVOR OF HOW MY WEEK HAS GONE.SO, UM, DAVID, DID YOU INTRODUCE ME? UM, I ACTUALLY INTRODUCE YOU.
SO, UM, I'M KIM MICKELSON AND I'M A SENIOR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY HERE AT THE, IN, WITHIN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT ASSIGNED PRIMARILY TO PLANNING AND PUBLIC WORKS RELATED PROJECTS.
SO I GET TO PUT MY FINGERS IN ALL OF THE FUN THINGS THAT YOU DO AND THAT YOU GOT TO HEAR ABOUT EARLIER, THE BIKE LANES AND THE PARKS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND SO IT'S, UM, IT'S REALLY FUN.
'CAUSE AS YOU KNOW, YOU GET TO RIDE AROUND THEN AND SAY, WOW, I HELPED MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND, AND THAT'S A REALLY GOOD FEELING.
UM, I LOVE BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS, BUT I'M GLAD I'M NOT ONE OF THEM.
THIS IS MUCH MORE INTERESTING.
UM, UM, SINCE BETH GOT, UH, SO MANY VOLUNTEERS, I'M JUST GONNA PUT THIS OUT HERE.
MY WEEK HAS BEEN CRAZY BECAUSE I'M CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A PLANNING ATTORNEY.
SO IF ANYONE KNOWS OF A PLANNING ATTORNEY OR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO LEARN THIS STUFF, LET ME KNOW.
AND, UM, WE'D BE HAPPY TO PUT THEM TO A LOT OF WORK.
UM, BECAUSE THINGS HAVE BEEN SO BUSY IN THE OFFICE, AND I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND YOUR MEETINGS MORE REGULARLY, BUT, UM, PLANNING HAS A PRETTY STOUT NUMBER OF, UM, COMMITTEES AND, AND BOARDS.
AND I KNOW STAFF HAS YOU WELL IN HAND HERE.
THEY'RE REALLY GOOD ABOUT ASKING ME QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU GET, WE GET TO THE MEETINGS.
SO, UM, UM, HAVEN'T HAD TO COME, BUT, UM, HOPEFULLY THAT WILL EVEN OUT AS WE GET FULLY STAFFED UP TOO.
SO YOU'LL SEE MORE OF EITHER ME OR, OR THE NEWBIE.
UM, AFTER YOU'VE HEARD ALL THAT REALLY FUN STUFF ABOUT PARKS AND CONNECTIONS WITH BIKE LANES AND ALL THAT, YOU GET TO HEAR ETHICS AND I'M SO SORRY, BUT IT'S SO NECESSARY.
AND, UM, THE MAYOR HAS MADE IT A PRIORITY FOR ALL BOARDS AND COMMITTEES TO GET THIS TRAINING.
UM, WE'LL TRY AND GO THROUGH IT FAIRLY QUICKLY.
I WILL WARN YOU THAT THE BAD NEWS IS, IS I CAN TALK ABOUT THIS FOR HOURS, AND I KNOW YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN HERE FOR HOURS, SO WE'LL TRY AND GET THROUGH IT.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO ASK QUESTIONS, RAISE YOUR HAND, PUT QUESTIONS IN THE CHAT, AND SHARON, IF YOU'LL KEEP AN EYE ON THAT, UM, I'D RATHER ANSWER THEM WHILE WE'RE GOING THROUGH IT BECAUSE IF I'M TALKING ABOUT OPEN MEETINGS AND YOU HAVE A QUESTION, I'D RATHER ANSWER IT THEN THAN FOR ALL OF US TO TRY AND REMEMBER WHO ASKED WHAT AT THE END.
SO, UM, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO INTERRUPT.
IT'S A, I GUESS A PROCEDURAL QUESTION.
I, I KNOW THAT WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A BUNCH OF FOLKS COME IN AS THE MEETINGS UNFOLDED, BUT NOT ALL OF OUR MEMBERS ARE HERE.
I'M ASSUMING THIS IS MANDATORY TRAINING.
CAN YOU SAY FOR A MOMENT, OUR FOLKS WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO JOIN US LIVE AND IN PERSON RIGHT NOW, WHAT SHOULD THEY DO TO GET CAUGHT UP ON THIS? THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
AND WE ARE ACTUALLY FACING THAT WITH A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMISSIONS BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS BUSY, RIGHT? SO, UM, WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER AN, AN ALTERNATE TRAINING DATE FOR COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE MISSED IT, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY, UM, I KNOW ONE
[01:15:01]
OPTION WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH HAD THREE COMMISSIONERS, I THINK MISSED THE TRAINING, IS WE'RE GONNA SEND OUT THE PRESENTATION AND I WILL SAY WE CAN SEND OUT THIS PRESENTATION TODAY TO EVERYONE AS WELL, BUT THEN WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE, I'M JUST GONNA SET UP A CALL WITH THEM TO JUST ANSWER QUESTIONS MORE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.SO YEAH, WE, WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT.
IF, IF STAFF WILL KEEP AN EYE ON WHO'S, WHO'S HERE AND WHO'S NOT.
UM, I DID MENTION WE'LL SEND OUT THE PRESENTATION AND MY CONTACT INFORMATION IS IN, IS IN THE POWERPOINT.
BRANDON, IF YOU'LL START FLIPPING THROUGH, I'M GONNA TRY AND GET THROUGH ALL OF THESE TODAY.
UM, AND FOCUS, I'M INITIALLY GONNA START ACTUALLY WITH, UM, YOUR OPEN GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS AND KIND OF MEETING ISSUES AND ISSUES OF PROCEDURE.
UM, WE'LL GET INTO, UH, SOME OF THE LEGAL ISSUES ABOUT, UM, THE ORDINANCES THAT ARE INVOLVED.
AND I APOLOGIZE, THIS IS ACTUALLY A SLIDE I USED IN, UH, PLANNING AND HISTORIC COMMISSION.
UM, YOUR ORDINANCE DOESN'T REALLY REGULATE PRIVATE PROPERTY, ALTHOUGH WHAT YOU ALL RECOMMEND FOR IMPLEMENTATION WILL.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU DO TOUCH PRIVATE PROPERTY, AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR Y'ALL TO KIND OF HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES THAT WE HAVE AND THINGS WE HAVE TO BEAR IN MIND AS YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS GO FORWARD.
I DID NOT PUT THIS COMIC IN, SAYS, A CAREER IN POLITICS AND THE TRASH CAN SAYS ETHICS.
UM, IN MY 25 OR SO YEARS OF PRACTICING MUNICIPAL LAND USE LAW, I'VE NEVER HAD A COMMISSION OR A, AN INDIVIDUAL MEMBER CHARGED WITH AN OPEN MEETINGS VIOLATION OR A CONFLICT OF INTEREST VIOLATION.
UM, I THINK OF ETHICS AS SOMETHING VERY PERSONAL.
THIS IS, THIS IS A DICTIONARY, YOU KNOW, TYPE OF DEFINITION, BUT, YOU KNOW, A SET, SET OF PRINCIPLES OF RIGHT OR GOOD BEHAVIOR.
I TEND TO THINK OF IT AS, YOU KNOW, TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD YOURSELF, YOU KNOW, AS YOU WANT TO BE TREATED.
IF YOU HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION, YOU PROBABLY DON'T WANNA TAKE THE ACTION THAT YOU'RE HAVING TO ASK ABOUT.
AND I GET THOSE QUESTIONS A LOT WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, YOU KNOW, IS THIS A CONFLICT? I JUST DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE BECAUSE IF THERE'S A, DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE BECAUSE WE'LL GET INTO THE DETAILS, BUT IT'S PROBABLY BETTER TO ABSTAIN OR STAY AWAY FROM DISCUSSION AND ACTION ON AN ITEM.
UM, IF YOU'RE A MEMBER OF A REGULATED PROFESSION LIKE LAW, LIKE PLANNING, UM, REALTY, UM, ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS, DOCTORS, YOU ALL, YOU, YOU HAVE A PROFESSIONAL CODE OF, UH, CONDUCT AND STANDARDS THAT YOU HAVE TO BEHAVE BY.
UM, NOW AS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL, ALL OF YOU, UH, YOU GET ANOTHER SET OF STANDARDS OR BEHAVIOR.
UM, I DO BRING THIS UP BECAUSE SOMETIMES SOMEBODY ON A COMMISSION OR A BOARD COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE SAYS, NO, THAT DOESN'T APPLY TO ME.
I'M NOT A LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIAL.
I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT A CITY OFFICIAL.
AND IF, IF BY NO OTHER TOOL, YOU'RE A CITY OFFICER BY THE DEFINITION IN THE CITY CODE BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN APPOINTED TO THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, AND SO THAT IMPOSES NOT ONLY STATE RULES ON YOUR, ON YOUR CONDUCT IN THESE MEETINGS AND IN IN YOUR OFFICIAL DUTIES, BUT ALSO SOME SPECIFIC CITY RULES THAT ACTUALLY ARE A LITTLE MORE STRINGENT.
UM, SO BECAUSE BECAUSE YOU'RE APPOINTED, YOU'RE A CITY OFFICIAL.
SO THIS JUST BREAKS DOWN THE, THE LAST SLIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, BUT ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSION OFFICERS ARE CONSIDERED CITY OFFICIALS.
SO, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON CODE OF ORDINANCES, WHICH IS REALLY THE SET OF LAWS THAT PRIMARILY GOVERN THE CITIES.
WE HAVE SEPARATE STANDALONE ORDINANCES AS WELL.
BUT SECTION, UH, CHAPTER TWO IS GOVERNS ADMINISTRATION OF THE CITY.
AND IT IMPOSES RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS ON MEMBERS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UNLESS THE COUNCIL ADOPTS AN ORDINANCE THAT SPECIFICALLY SAYS, BUT SOME PEOPLE CAN LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND SO WE HAVE SOME, SOME OF THOSE, WE HAVE THAT FOR PLANNING COMMISSION.
[01:20:01]
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS SPECIFICALLY HERE OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY, BUT THIS COULD BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE OTHER, OTHER, UM, PEOPLE FROM OTHER AREAS.UM, CHAPTER 33, DIVISION THREE OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES CREATED THE DUTY FOR THE CITY TO ADOPT A BICYCLE MASTER PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED IN 2017.
AND, UM, ADOPTED THE STRUCTURE FOR THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND I THINK IT'S BEEN, YEAH, I STARTED IN AUGUST OF 2017 DURING HURRICANE HARVEY.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE BOARD WAS CREATED IN THAT BEGINNING OF THAT OF 2018.
UM, YOU ALL KNOW, YOU, YOU MEET QUARTERLY, UH, YOU MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS UP THROUGH COMM PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEN CITY COUNCIL ON WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT BIKE LANES AND SO FORTH.
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD YOU ALL COME TO PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO, BEST RECOMMENDED POLICIES.
JUST REAL QUICK, THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY.
UM, I'M GONNA START WITH THE GOVERNMENT CODE.
UM, THERE ARE PROVISIONS IN THE PENAL CODE, IF I HAVE TO SAY PENAL CODE, IT'S BAD.
THOSE ARE THINGS YOU DO NOT DO.
UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE GOVERNS CONFLICT OF INTEREST, AND THEN CHARTER AND CODE OF ORDINANCES HAVE SOME PROVISIONS AS WELL.
Y'ALL HAVE PROBABLY NOTICED THAT ALL OF YOUR MEETINGS ARE POSTED WITH AN AGENDA.
YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA.
YOU CAN'T DISCUSS ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA, EXCEPT IN A LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCE AS YOU'VE HEARD OF WHERE THEY COME UP IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO SAY, HEY, I WANT THIS ON THE AGENDA.
UM, WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS? AND FOR STAFF OR OTHER MEMBERS TO GIVE A SHORT DISCUSSION, IT'S NOT DESIGNED FOR, UM, DEBATE OR A LONG OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ISSUE.
IF A COMMISSIONER, I, I WOULD SAY THIS, IF A COMMITTEE MEMBER WANTS TO PLACE SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA AND YOU, OR WANTS TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S CONTROVERSIAL, IT'S BETTER TO GET WITH STAFF AND PUT IT ON THE AGENDA THAN TO BRING IT UP AND HAVE A BIG DISCUSSION HERE.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN CASES WHERE, UM, ELECTED OFFICIALS OR APPOINTED OFFICIALS HAVE GOTTEN INTO TROUBLE WITH THAT.
THERE WAS A CASE OUT OF BEXAR COUNTY WHERE A COUNTY COMMISSIONER JUST POSTED UNDER COMMISSIONER COMMENTS, OH YEAH, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS BIG CONTROVERSIAL DEVELOPMENT GOING ON IN BEXAR COUNTY AND WAS CHARGED WITH AN OPEN MEETINGS ACT VIOLATION.
SO, UM, YEAH, WE DON'T WANNA, DON'T WANNA, I DON'T KNOW IF ALL OF YOUR THINGS WOULD BE THAT CONTROVERSIAL, BUT, UM, SO COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT, OPEN MEETINGS ACT, AND THE PUBLIC RECORD ACT WERE ADOPTED IN THE 1970S IN PART OF THE WHOLE OPEN GOVERNMENT MOVEMENT THAT WAS GOING ON, UM, TO MAKE GOVERNMENT MORE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ANYWAYS, MORE TRANSPARENT.
UM, SO FOR ANYTHING YOU ALL DO, STAFF WILL TAKE CARE OF GETTING THE AGENDAS DONE, THE MATERIALS TO YOU AS YOU ALL HAVE SEEN.
UM, WE, THE AGENDA, JUST SO YOU KNOW, HAS TO BE POSTED 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE.
UM, YOU ALL HAVE HAD, I HOPE, AN HOUR OF OPEN GOVERNMENT TRAINING.
I HOPE YOU ALL WERE ADVISED OF THAT.
UM, THAT WAS A FAIRLY NEW REQUIREMENT, I'LL SAY THREE OR FOUR SESSIONS AGO IN THE LEGISLATURE.
THE CITATIONS FOR IT ARE HERE.
IF YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN IT, PLEASE DO.
IF YOU HAVE ALREADY TAKEN IT AND YOU HAVE BEEN REAPPOINTED, YOU DO NOT NEED TO RETAKE IT.
BUT, UM, IT'S SO ENTERTAINING.
I WISH I COULD GET THIS TO COUNT, BUT IT'S NOT A FULL HOUR JUST OF OPEN GOVERNMENT.
SO, UM, THEY DO HAVE NICE VIOLIN MUSIC IN IT, BUT IT'S ONLINE.
UM, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, THAT INFORMATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO YOU BY THE MAYOR'S BOARDS AND COMMISSION'S OFFICE.
SO, UM, HOPEFULLY YOU'VE DONE THAT.
WE HERE IN HOUSTON CAN DO HYBRID MEETINGS.
VO LAW LIKE TODAY, UM, THESE WERE REALLY, REALLY HARD FOR CITIES TO DO FOR MANY YEARS.
THE EXCEPTION REALLY FOR HOUSTON IS THAT CITIES THAT ARE LOCATED IN THREE COUNTIES CAN DO THEIR MEETINGS THIS WAY.
UH, SPECIFICALLY THERE'S A SPECIFIC PROVISION IN STATE
[01:25:01]
LAW.WE HAVE TO MAKE THE ROOM OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
WE HAVE TO DO CERTAIN EXTRA POSTING REQUIREMENTS.
WE'VE GOT, OBVIOUSLY THE MEETING LINKS AND ALL OF THAT, AND ALL OF THIS TECHNOLOGY, A LOT OF WHICH IS NUISANCE.
HARVEY HAD TO BE PUT IN IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH STATE REGULATIONS ON THE TECHNICAL CAPABILITY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ALL, IT ALL WORKS.
UM, WE, PEOPLE WHO, MEMBERS WHO ARE ON, UM, ON CAMERA, WHO, WHO ARE ATTENDING FROM THE, THE VIRTUAL LINKS IDEALLY NEED TO BE VISIBLE DURING THE ENTIRE TIME.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU WANNA SPEAK, OBVIOUSLY
IF YOU'RE VOTING, WE NEED TO HEAR YOU.
SO, UM, WHAT I'VE ADVISED COMMITTEES AND BOARDS IS THAT IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE, JUST ANNOUNCE IT.
ANNOUNCE WHEN YOU COME BACK, UM, SO THAT WE'RE SURE WE HAVE A QUORUM.
'CAUSE THAT QUORUM HAS TO BE VISIBLE AND AUDIBLE.
I KEEP, JUST QUICK QUESTION ON THAT.
'CAUSE I THINK IN THE PAST, UM, AND I'VE DONE THIS ALSO, I GENERALLY, WHEN I WAS ATTENDING VIRTUALLY, I WAS TURNING MY CAMERA OFF JUST TO SAVE BANDWIDTH SO FORTH.
AND YEAH, I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS.
YEAH, IT, IT'S THAT, THAT'S WHAT THE LOSS, WELL, THE LOSS SAYS THAT THEY MUST BE AUDIBLE AND VISIBLE.
OKAY? UM, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WHERE, UM, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE FIRST STARTED USING TEAMS, I THINK THAT THE BANDWIDTH OR SOMETHING IN THE PROGRAM REALLY MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR LOTS OF PEOPLE TO HAVE THEIR CAMERAS ON.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I, I, I ADVISE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IF YOU CAN.
UM, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MEETINGS.
Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR THAT TO HAVE A MEETING, THIS GROUP HAS TO HAVE A QUORUM.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, YOU DON'T HAVE A MEETING, THAT'S, YOU, YOU MAY ALL SIT AROUND AND TALK ABOUT STUFF, BUT THEN WE RUN INTO POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS OF THE ACT.
UM, BUT A MEETING IS A QUORUM OR MORE OF MEMBERS, 50% PLUS ONE, UH, OR IT CAN BE LESS THAN A QUORUM OF MEMBERS IF YOU'RE DOING IT TO AVOID, UM, PUBLIC DISCUSSION OR TO AVOID HAVING TO POST A MEETING OR SO FORTH.
AND THIS HAS GOTTEN A LITTLE TOUCHIER IN RECENT YEARS BECAUSE OF SOME, UM, SOME CASES ON IT.
WHEN JOHN CORNYN WAS ATTORNEY GENERAL, HE WROTE AN OPINION STATING THAT TWO MEMBERS OF A BOARD OR COUNSEL OR GOVERNING BODY CONSTITUTED, UM, IF THEY MET TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS COMING BEFORE THEM, THAT CONSTITUTED A VIOLATION OF THE ACT.
I THINK IT WAS A MISREADING OF THE ACT.
JOHN CORNYN AT THE TIME WAS JUST ANOTHER LAWYER, ATTORNEY, GENERAL LAWYER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT IT NEVER GOT TESTED.
YOU ALL MAY REMEMBER A FEW YEARS BACK, THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY JUDGE WAS PROSECUTED FOR VIOLATION OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
IN TALKING TO VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE, UH, COUNTY COURT IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
HE SAID, THAT'S A VIOLATION OF MY FREE SPEECH RIGHTS.
UM, HE WAS EVENTUALLY FOUND NOT GUILTY, I THINK LARGELY ON THAT FIRST AMENDMENT BASIS.
UM, BUT THEN THE LEGISLATURE TWO SESSIONS AGO WENT BACK AND CLARIFIED THAT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IF YOU START A DISCUSSION BETWEEN MEMBERS ONE AT A TIME OR IN SMALLER GROUPS, THAT CAN REALLY, THAT THAT CAN ABOUT, LET ME CLARIFY, SORRY, BACK UP A MINUTE.
IF YOU START THAT DISCUSSION BETWEEN ONE OR MORE MEMBERS, OR REPEATED ONE OR MORE MEMBERS, UM, ABOUT AN ITEM THAT IS GOING TO COME BEFORE THIS GROUP, UM, IN YOUR OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS A MEMBER OF THE GROUP, THAT CAN CLEARLY BE A VIOLATION OF THE ACT.
AND THIS HAS COME UP NOW IN RELATION TO SOME SUBCOMMITTEE ISSUES.
YOU WANNA HAVE A SUBCOMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT THE BRIDGE OVER WHITE OAK BAYOU.
WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT POSTING THAT.
'CAUSE I DON'T CARE IF IT'S JUST TWO OR THREE PEOPLE.
LET'S TRY AND STAY WITHIN, WITHIN THE ACT BECAUSE OF THESE RECENT CHANGES.
THESE WENT INTO EFFECT IN 2019.
SO, UM, I TEND TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CONSERVATISM WHEN IT COMES TO OPEN MEETINGS ISSUES, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ME.
IT'S NOT STAFF THAT'S GONNA GET FINED OR CHARGED WITH, WITH AN ACT AND POSSIBLY FIND AND GO TO JAIL.
IT'S THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARDING COMMITTEE AND OUR JOB'S TO KEEP YOU OUTTA TROUBLE.
SO DON'T THINK OF IT AS I'M BEING A ROADBLOCK.
UM, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EMAILS AND TEXT MESSAGES.
[01:30:01]
I KNOW THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY I THINK WITH THIS GROUP, YOU ALL HAVE SUCH A PASSION FOR THE SUBJECT MATTER AND WHAT YOU ALL DO.YOU SEE EACH OTHER OUTSIDE OF THESE MEETINGS.
YOU, YOU END UP AT THE SAME PLACES TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THINGS ALL THE TIME.
IT'S PROBABLY HARD TO, TO KEEP THAT TOTALLY SEPARATE.
UM, DON'T STRESS OVER IT TOO MUCH WHEN YOU GET EMAILS IN YOUR OFFICIAL CAPACITY WITH ALL THE OTHER MEMBERS ON IT FOR THIS GROUP.
DON'T SAY, HEY, I THINK THIS, IT'S ABOUT TIME THIS CAME TO US.
WHAT HAS COUNCIL BEEN DOING? UM, YOU KNOW, DON'T, DON'T, DON'T REPLY ALL.
UM, DURING MEETINGS, DON'T TALK TEXT, EMAIL, DON'T HAVE SIDEBAR DISCUSSIONS.
WE ALL NEED TO HEAR ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE DISCUSSION.
AND IT HAPPENS NOT INFREQUENTLY WITH MEETINGS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO DO, BUT ALL OF THIS STUFF, YOUR EMAILS, TEXTS, UM, PHONE RECORDS BACK IN THE DAY, IT USED TO BE FAXES.
UM, BUT DOCUMENTS THAT YOU GET ARE PROBABLY TECHNICALLY PUBLIC INFORMATION IF THEY RELATE TO YOUR DUTIES HERE OR AT A TIME WHEN YOU ARE AT A MEETING.
AND I'VE HAD OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS COME IN FOR COPIES OF MEMBER X'S EMAILS AND TEXT MESSAGES DURING A MEETING PERIOD, TRYING TO SEE IF THEY WERE TEXTING AND TALKING TO SOMEBODY IN THE AUDIENCE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST BE CONSCIOUS OF DON'T DO SOMETHING YOU WANT TO END UP ON, YOU KNOW, THE SIX O'CLOCK NEWS.
SO JUST GENERAL ADVICE, UM, EX PARTE CONTACTS MAIN, AND I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY COME INTO EFFECT VERY LITTLE FOR YOU ALL, BUT CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE WHO MIGHT COME WITH A PROPOSAL TO YOU.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, FOR ACTION AT THIS, AT THIS COMMITTEE THAT YOU MIGHT MEET OUTSIDE IN THE FIELD.
WELL, HEY, THIS IS WHERE I THINK THE BRIDGE SHOULD GO.
OR WHY ISN'T THE BIKE LANE ON THIS SIDE OF THE STREET IN A MASTER PLAN? JUST, I THINK THAT'S LESS OF A CONCERN HERE BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT REALLY ACTING ON THOSE NECESSARILY.
THERE'S STILL DISCUSSION WHEN IT COMES BACK TO YOU, YOU JUST MIGHT MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS, HEY, I WAS OUT THERE ON THE BRANCH STREET AND I WAS APPROACHED BY THREE BICYCLISTS WHO SAID, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, WHATEVER THEY SAID, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
SO GOING BACK TO THE REPLY ALL FOR EMAILS, THIS HAS COME UP A LOT IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
UM, STAFF, IF WE NOTICE AN EMAIL HAS GONE TO ALL OF YOU AND THEN REPLIED FROM ALL OF YOU TO ALL OF YOU, WE'LL MAKE BEST EFFORTS TO TAKE YOU ALL TO A, B, C, C AND SAY, YOU KNOW, JUST A REMINDER, UH, OF YOUR ETHICS TRAINING.
YEAH, PLEASE DON'T RELY ON US TO CATCH EVERY SINGLE ONE.
WE WILL DO OUR BEST EFFORTS, BUT IT IS UPON YOU, UH, TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S HAPPENING.
YOU CAN TELL THIS ONE WAS DONE FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UM, SO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT, I MENTIONED BRIEFLY, DOCUMENTS, EMAILS, TEXT MESSAGES.
TRUST ME, LAWYERS KNOW THEY'RE OUT THERE.
SO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT EMAIL ADDRESSES YOU USE.
UM, I, WHEN I WAS CITY ATTORNEY FOR SEABROOK, WE WERE IN INVOLVED IN LITIGATION AND THE ATTORNEY ASKED FOR, UM, FOR EMAILS FROM MAYOR AND SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WORKED.
HE ASKED FOR THEIR OFFICIAL WORK EMAILS AND OFFICIAL CITY EMAILS AND THEIR WORK EMAILS.
SO THEY WERE ROCKET SCIENTISTS AND THEY DID WORK AT NASA AND SPACE ALLIANCE, USA AND BOEING.
AND NONE OF THESE COMPANIES WERE HAPPY ABOUT HAVING TO ANSWER THOSE SUBPOENAS.
SO CONSIDER, CONSIDER THAT TOO.
I ALWAYS ADVOCATE THAT BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD GET CITY ADDRESSES THROUGH SOME MAGIC.
BUT, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S TOUGH TO DO.
BUT, UM, REMEMBER EVERYTHING CAN BE, CAN BE, UH, PUBLICLY REQUESTED AND IT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN.
BUT DON'T DRAW LITTLE DEVIL HIT DEVIL FACES.
AND, UM, NEXT TO SOMEBODY'S ITEM ON AN AGENDA THINKING, I WILL NEVER APPROVE THIS.
UM, THAT ALL THE STORIES I TELL YOU WERE TRUE, THAT, THAT HAPPENED, IT WAS REQUESTED.
[01:35:01]
THIS ALSO HAS, UM, O ATTORNEY GENERAL TRAINING, SO PLEASE BE SURE YOU TAKE, HAVE TAKEN THAT ONE AS WELL.TWO HOURS OF YOUR LIFE, BUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
I, I WILL ADD JUST REAL QUICKLY ON THIS, UM, PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT, IF WE EVER GOT A REQUEST FOR, FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, E IT'S TYPICALLY THESE DAYS, I THINK, EMAILS OF MEMBERS.
UM, I THINK THE, THE OPINION IN THE GENERAL COUNSEL'S OFFICE IS THAT WE DO NOT REQUIRE YOU TO TURN OVER PERSONAL EMAILS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF YOUR EMAILS.
IT'S GONNA BE IF THERE'S ANYTHING RELATED TO CITY BUSINESS.
THERE WERE TIMES THAT PEOPLE ASKED FOR CALENDARS OR, YOU KNOW, NOTES OR COMPUTER DRIVES AND, YOU KNOW, THEN WE HAVE TO PARSE, PARSE THINGS OUT.
DANCE, LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING, BUT TEXT AND EMAIL, LIKE IT WILL BE READ IN COURT ONE DAY.
OKAY, ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR? ANYTHING ELSE ON OPEN MEETINGS? COMMUNICATIONS? OKAY.
HOW LATE ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO GO? FOUR 30.
OKAY, I'M GONNA TRY AND GO QUICKLY.
UM, SO AGAIN, I MENTIONED TEXAS PENAL CODE.
THESE ARE ALWAYS ONES I THINK I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BRING UP, BUT, YOU KNOW, DON'T TAKE BRIBES.
I, I CAN IMAGINE THAT THAT'S SO COMMON.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND KIM, I HATE TO INTERRUPT YOU.
WHAT DID SHE SAY? MIKE? IT KIM, THIS IS MIKE.
UM, I WAS RECENTLY ON THE AGS WEBSITE AND UH, THEY HAVE A, A VIDEO THAT THEY POSTED ON YOUTUBE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO LOOK AT OR HAVE LOOKED AT IN THE PAST A COUPLE OF TIMES ON, UH, TRAINING, RIGHT? AND THAT, THAT VIDEO IS DATED 2016, AND YET THE HANDBOOKS THAT ARE ON THE SAME WEDGE PAGE ARE 2022, RIGHT? UH, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? AND IS THE VIDEO STILL GOOD? AND SHOULD THAT BE WHERE PEOPLE GO TO GET THEIR TRAINING? WELL, THAT'S WHERE STATE LAW REQUIRES YOU GET YOUR TRAINING.
SO THE ANSWER IS YES, YOU SHOULD STILL WATCH THOSE VIDEOS.
THE 2016 VIDEOS, I DID NOT REALIZE THEY WERE STILL THAT OLD.
UM, DON'T OBVIOUSLY INCLUDE AMENDMENTS LIKE THE ONE I WAS JUST REFERRING TO THAT WENT INTO EFFECT IN 2019.
UM, THE HANDBOOK, AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, FOR BOTH OPEN MEETINGS AND, AND PUBLIC RECORDS IS GONNA BE MORE UP TO DATE AND CONTAIN THE UPTODATE STATUTE.
YEAH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S PARTLY WHY YOU GET TO ATTEND THESE KIND OF SESSIONS TOO.
BUT YEAH, UM, MAYBE IT WASN'T IN THE BUDGET FOR THE AG OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UM, BUT SO UNDER THE TEXAS PENAL CODE, THERE'S A COUPLE OF SIT OF SECTIONS THAT APPLY TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
UM, YOU COMMIT AN ACT IF, UH, AN OFFENSE IF, YOU KNOW, INTENTIONALLY OR KNOWINGLY OFFER CONFER OR AGREE TO CONFER TO SOMEONE ELSE A BENEFIT.
AND THE STATUTE DEFINES BENEFIT.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF PECUNIARY GAIN OR ADVANTAGE TO, UM, THAT THAT IS EITHER OFFERED TO YOU OR THAT YOU ARE OFFERING, UM, TO SOMEONE, UM, WHOSE WELFARE IS OF INTEREST TO YOU.
THERE'S A DALLAS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO RECEIVED FROM A DEVELOPER, A LAND DEVELOPER IN DALLAS TUITION FOR HIS DAUGHTER TO GO TO A, A VERY EXPENSIVE PRIVATE SCHOOL BROUGHT UP IN LITIGATION.
THEY FINALLY PROCURED ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO SAY, OH NO, HE'S AN OLD FAMILY FRIEND.
UM, AND SO IT WAS FOUND TO NOT BE A BRIBE AT THAT POINT, BUT IT CERTAINLY LOOKED SUSPICIOUS.
AND IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THOSE YOU SHOULD HAVE, HE SHOULD HAVE SAID, HMM, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE.
BUT SO, SO THERE, THERE ARE THOSE SORTS OF SITUATIONS.
I, UM, HONORARIUMS, I GET ASKED THESE QUESTIONS SOMETIMES, UM, WELL NOT INFREQUENTLY, BUT, UM, THE PENAL CODE DOES MAKE IT, UM, AN OFFENSE TO, UH, IF YOU
[01:40:01]
ASK FOR OR AGREE OR AGREE TO ACCEPT OR ACCEPT AN HONORARIUM THAT'S OFFERED JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE CHAIRMAN OF THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO COME HERE AND I'M GONNA PAY YOU $500 JUST FOR SHOWING UP.AND THAT SORT OF HONORARIUM IS, IS A VIOLATION OF THE PENAL CODE.
IF YOU'RE ASKED TO SPEAK, YOU'RE PARTICIPATING IN A CONFERENCE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR TRANSPORTATION'S PAID FOR TO GET THERE BY, YOU KNOW, AMERICAN PUBLIC TRANSIT ASSOCIATION OR WHAT HAVE YOU, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN HOUSTON.
IT'S BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE HERE AT THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO SPEAK ABOUT HOUSTON, BUT YOU'RE DOING IT IN AN EDUCATIONAL FASHION.
SO, SO IT COMES DOWN TO THAT KIND OF FINE LINE.
SO IF IT'S JUST BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FAMOUS AND WE WANT YOU TO SHOW UP, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SPEAKING OF THINGS WITH GRAY LINES GIFTS, THE BIG RECOMMENDATION IS DON'T ASK FOR 'EM, DON'T TAKE 'EM.
UM, THERE'S, THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS.
I THINK THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON CODE IS MUCH MORE RESTRICTIVE IN THIS MATTER THAN STATE LAW IS.
AND THE GENERAL RULE IN THE HOUSTON CITY CODE IS NO, NOT ONLY A LITTLE BIT, BUT NO, DON'T DO IT.
UM, STATE LAW HAS SOME EXCEPTIONS.
THE JOKE USED TO BE THAT YOU COULD ACCEPT DALLAS COWBOY TICKETS AND NOW IT'S HOUSTON TEXANS TICKETS BECAUSE THEY WERE OF DE MINIMUS VALUE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S BEST STILL STANCE, BUT UNDER, UNDER HOUSTON'S CODE, THAT WON'T GET YOU ANYWHERE
SO IF IT'S A GIFT OR BENEFIT FROM A PERSON OR PROFESSIONAL, YOU KNOW, RELATIONSHIP, UM, INDEPENDENT OF YOUR, YOUR STATUS AS A BOARD OR COMMISSION MEMBER, YOU CAN ACCEPT IT, YOU KNOW, UM, AN ITEM WITH LESS, WITH A VALUE OF LESS THAN $50, EXCLUDING CASH.
AGAIN, DON'T TAKE BRIBES, DON'T TAKE CASH.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS CASH ANYMORE.
UM, THE, THE OTHER EXCEPTION IS, IS YOU, YOU CAN ACCEPT A GIFT IF IT'S FOOD, ENTERTAINMENT, OR TRAVEL.
ACCEPT IT AS A GIFT AND YOUR HOST DONOR IS WITH YOU.
SO THE EXTREME EXAMPLE I GIVE THAT MAKES THIS REAL SEEM REALLY LUDICROUS IS THE, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL EXPENSE PAID CREWS ON THE YACHT TO HAWAII.
IS THAT OKAY? BECAUSE IT'S YOUR TRAVEL AND ENTERTAINMENT EXPENSES, YOUR DONORS WITH YOU.
DOES THAT MAKE IT ALL RIGHT UNDER THE GIFT PROVISION? I THINK SOMETHING THAT EXTREME WOULD PROBABLY NOT MAKE IT TECHNICALLY, THIS TO ME MEANS SOMEBODY CAN BUY YOU LUNCH OR DINNER, YOU CAN GO TO A CONFERENCE AND HAVE DINNER.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S FUNDED FOR BY A, A DONOR OR A SPONSOR OF THE ORGANIZATION.
HEY, KIM? YEAH, SORRY, CAN I ASK A SPECIFIC, A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE? THIS IS ROBIN HOLZER.
WELL, I GUESS THE QUESTION I HAVE IS WHETHER THE RULES ARE THE SAME FOR CITY EMPLOYEES AS FOR US.
AND THE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE I'M WONDERING ABOUT IS, FOR EXAMPLE, DAVID MENTIONED THAT STATE OF MOBILITY IS COMING UP IN MAY.
IS THAT A THING WHERE, UM, A DONOR SLASH HOST CAN TAKE A BAC MEMBER OR A CITY STAFFER TO STATE OF MOBILITY AND AND STILL BE WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF WHAT'S ETHICAL? YES, I THINK SO.
AND WE'VE BEEN ASKED THAT QUESTION.
I WILL SAY ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF DAVID'S STAFF IS VERY CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT ASKING THESE QUESTIONS.
BUT YEAH, I THINK, I THINK ITEMS LIKE THAT IN AN EDUCATIONAL, UM, SETTING ARE FINE.
WE ALL KNOW THEY DO THAT FOR, FOR MARKETING REASONS.
IT'S PART OF THEIR MARKETING BUDGET.
THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
THEY'RE HOPING THEY'LL GET A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT YOUR DECISION.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ISSUING THE CONTRACTS.
UM, I'M GONNA GUESS PROBABLY NOT EVEN INVOLVED IN THE RFP OR RFQ PROCESS.
SO, UM, THOUGH MAYBE PERIPHERALLY OR YOU MAY KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT YEAH, I THINK THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT A CONFLICT.
YOU BRING UP ANOTHER GOOD POINT.
WHEN YOU DO GO TO A CONFERENCE LIKE THAT, THERE MAY BE A QUORUM OR MORE OF YOU THERE, AND THAT'S OKAY.
THERE IS AN EXCEPTION FOR SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.
SO IF YOU'RE ALL AT A CONFERENCE, LEARN AWAY.
[01:45:01]
YOU ARE ALL OUT AT DINNER, HAVE A GREAT TIME.AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT DON'T TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT ARE GONNA COME UP, YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU YEAH.
TALK ABOUT BIKE PLANNING IN GENERAL OR YOU KNOW, THE NEED TO UPDATE THE MASTER PLAN OR YEAH.
BUT MAYBE NOT A SPECIFIC REQUEST FROM BY HOUSTON TO PUT IN WHERE THEY WANNA PUT IN EIGHT MORE, EIGHT MORE UNITS IF THAT'S GONNA COME BACK HERE.
UM, CONFLICT OF INTEREST REAL QUICKLY.
UM, IF, IF A MEMBER OF THIS, THIS COMMITTEE HAS A SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST IN A BUSINESS ENTITY OR OWNS REAL PROPERTY, UM, OF A CERTAIN CAPA, UH, BOTH OF A CERTAIN VALUE, UM, BEFORE ANY VOTE IS TAKE TAKEN ON THE ITEM, AND IDEALLY BEFORE ANY DISCUSSION ON AN ITEM, YOU NEED TO DO TWO THINGS.
YOU NEED TO FILE AN AFFIDAVIT WITH THE, WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMISSION, UH, MR. FIELDS OVER THERE, AND, UM, THAT STATES WHAT THE NATURE OF THE CONFLICT IS, AND THEN ABSTAIN FROM DISCUSSION AND VOTING ON THE MATTER.
'CAUSE I THINK IT GOES INTO MORE DETAIL.
UM, THIS KIND OF SETS OUT THE STANDARDS FOR WHEN THOSE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST APPEAR.
IF YOU OWN 10% OR MORE OF STOCK IN A BUSINESS ENTITY, UM, OR 10% OR MORE, UH, OR $15,000 OR MORE, UM, OF THE BUSINESS ENTITY, IF YOU HAVE A STAKE IN THE BICYCLE VENDOR COMING IN TO PUT RENTA BIKES ON HOUSTON STREETS, JUST MAKING AN INFORMATION PRESENTATION THAT THEY WANT YOU TO SEND UP, WANT THE COMMITTEE TO SEND UP ABSTAIN.
IF YOU'VE, IF YOU'VE INVESTED IN THAT, UM, IF YOU RECEIVE 10% OF YOUR GROSS INCOME IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR FROM A BUSINESS ENTITY, AND IT CAN BE AN ENGINEERING FIRM, A PLANNING FIRM, THESE TYPES OF CONFLICTS COME UP ALL THE TIME FOR PLANNING COMMISSIONERS AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSIONERS.
'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR BUSINESS.
THEIR COMPANY IS OUT THERE DOING THAT.
OR IF YOU HAVE EQUITABLE OR LEGAL OWNERSHIP IN REAL PROPERTY, THAT WILL BE IMPACTED DIFFERENTLY THAN THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITH A VALUE OF $2,500 OR MORE.
AND THAT'S NOT A LOT THESE DAYS.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A MONTH'S RENT IN DOWNTOWN, I DON'T KNOW.
SO IF YOU OWN PROPERTY THAT IT'S GOING ON OR NEARBY THAT MIGHT BE INCREASED OR DECREASED IN VALUE, IF IT'S GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT, THEN YOU NEED TO ABSTAIN.
SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF SITUATIONS, BUT YOU MUST DO THOSE TWO THINGS AND YOU MAY NOT REALIZE IT UNTIL YOU'RE SITTING UP HERE, AND THAT'S OKAY.
BUT THEN ONCE YOU REALIZE IT, YOU MIGHT STEP AWAY FROM A LET STAFF KNOW THAT YOU NEED TO FILL OUT THE AFFIDAVIT AND YOU CAN LEAVE THE ROOM OR NOT.
I, AND I THINK THAT'S UP LARGELY TO THE BOARD'S RULES OF PROCEDURE AND HOW, HOW YOU ALL FEEL ABOUT THAT.
BUT, UM, IT, THERE'S NOT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT THAT YOU LEAVE, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT YOU'RE NOT STAYING THERE.
AND THESE ARE OFTEN THE ONES I GET QUESTIONS ABOUT.
AND I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU, UM, I WORKED IN A CITY ATTORNEY IN FRIENDSWOOD, AND I WORKED FOR A FIRM BY THE WAY, THAT REPRESENTED LOTS OF DIFFERENT CITIES.
SO I DID THAT FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.
AND SO WHEN I SAY I WAS CITY ATTORNEY FOR ALL THESE DIFFERENT CITIES, IT'S BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL SMALL AND YOU COULD DO MULTIPLE.
SO SOUNDS LIKE I GOT FIRED A LOT, BUT, UM, WELL, I DID, BUT YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE NATURE OF THAT GAME.
UM, UM, BUT SO WHEN I WAS CITY ATTORNEY IN FRIENDSWOOD, I HAD A COUNCIL MEMBER WHOSE, UM, FATHER'S BANK WAS FUNDING A, AN APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT.
SO THE ZONING CHANGE WAS COMING BEFORE CITY COUNCIL.
AND HE HAD NO INTEREST IN THE BANK.
HE HAD NO, NO INCOME FROM IT, NO, NOTHING.
AND HE SAID, I, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE, I WANNA ABSTAIN.
AND, UM, I DON'T ADVOCATE ABSTENTION EVER, EXCEPT IF YOU'VE GOT A, A CONFLICT THAT MEETS STATE LAW OR ONE THAT KIND OF JUST LOOKS LIKE IT, IT'S BETTER TO AVOID, UM, THE APPEARANCE OF ANY IMPROPRIETY OR INFLUENCE.
AND I THINK SHARON STARTED TO ASK A QUESTION AND I SEE A COUPLE HANDS.
I'VE GOT ADAM WILLIAMS WITH HIS HANDS UP, KIM.
WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION? YES, HI.
UM, I WORK FOR A FIRM THAT, UH, OWNS AND DEVELOPS A LARGE AMOUNT OF REAL ESTATE,
[01:50:01]
UH, AROUND THE CITY.AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN MY, WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE BEST JUDGMENT, I REALIZE MOST OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOES NOT HAVE ANY DIRECT RELATION TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT I DO IN MY, MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS WHERE THE, WHERE THIS DISTINCTION WOULD COME IN AS TO WHAT SCALE OF, YOU KNOW, PROJECT THAT I MAY FEEL OBLIGATED TO ABSTAIN OR, OR MAKE A NOTIFICATION.
UM, ONE, SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE, UH, POST POST HDX, THE BARBARA JORDAN, UH, POST OFFICE DOWNTOWN.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT I'VE WORKED ON AND, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT BAGBY STREET POTENTIAL THINGS HAPPENING ALONG WASHINGTON.
UM, JUST KIND OF CURIOUS WHAT YOUR OPINION ON, UH, WHAT LEVEL OF DISCLOSURE OR ABSTENTION I SHOULD BE INVOLVED WITH FOR THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND, AND, AND I WILL, I WILL SAY, FIRST OF ALL, ALL OF THESE ARE PRETTY FACT SPECIFIC.
SO IT'S MORE OF A, A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
I WOULD SAY JUST IN GENERAL, FROM WHAT YOU'VE JUST DESCRIBED, IT PROBABLY DOES NOT RISE TO THE LEVEL.
OKAY? UNLESS IT'S YOUR COMPANY.
IF IT'S YOUR COMPANY BRINGING FORWARD THE PROPOSAL, ABSTAIN, YOU'VE GOTTEN MORE THAN 10% OF YOUR SALARY FROM THEM.
I HOPE, UM, I HOPE THEY'RE PAYING YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT.
BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, THEN ABSTAIN.
WELL, LET ME ASK YOU, 'CAUSE ACTUALLY THIS IS, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION, ADAM.
AND, UM, THINKING FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE DID OUR PRIORITIZATION EXERCISE LAST YEAR, WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON CORRIDOR CAME UP, YOU KNOW, WHAT SHOULD ADAM'S ROLE BE IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT? I MEAN, YOU COULD, YOU COULD SEE, OH, WELL THAT BENEFITS POST, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GREAT THING.
SO I WANT TO JUMP THAT UP, YOU KNOW, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT DISCUSSION DID NOT HAPPEN, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING, THERE'S A CASE POINT.
AND, AND I MEAN, THAT IS A PERFECT EXAM.
I THINK YOU JUST WEIGH THAT AND SAY, DOES IT GIVE THE APPEARANCE THAT I'M DOING THIS FOR MY EMPLOYER, OR IS IT CLEAR THAT THE WASHINGTON CORRIDOR IS A LARGER PROJECT? MY EMPLOYER OWNS A SMALL PART OF IT.
AND, AND THAT, AND, AND AGAIN, I SAY, WHEN IT GETS TO THE POINT WHERE YOU HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION OF, SHOULD I VOTE ON THIS? IT MEANS YOU'RE UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE THAT WEIGHT OR THAT BALANCE IS, IS SHIFTING TO THE SIDE OF, YEAH, I WANNA STAY OUT OF THIS.
I I THINK THAT'S, UH, PRETTY CLEAR.
DO WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? IF YOU DON'T, AT THE HORSESHOE? KIM, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT QUORUM? A PERSON SAYS, OKAY, I'M GONNA STEP OUT, I'M GONNA STEP AWAY FROM THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, BUT YOU ONLY HAVE SO MANY MEMBERS, IT'S NOW QUORUM AFFECTED, AND DO THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE? YEAH, THANKS.
UM, SO YEAH, IF YOU HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND YOU HAVE TO ABSTAIN OR YOU CHOOSE TO ABSTAIN BECAUSE IT LOOKS GRAY, UM, THEN IT DOES NOT AFFECT QUORUM.
IT DOES NOT BREAK QUORUM BECAUSE IT'S ALL COUNTED IN THE VOTE.
IF YOU, IF IF QUORUM IS EIGHT AND ONE PERSON HAS TO ABSTAIN, THE VOTE IS, YOU KNOW, FOUR TO THREE TO ONE.
SO ALL EIGHT SHOW PRESENT IN THE VOTE.
NOTHING ELSE IN THE CHAT OR NO HANDS RAISED? THAT'S WHAT NO.
UH, THERE ARE NO OTHER HANDS RAISED.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT MY HANDS,
AND I'M GONNA TRY AND WRAP IT UP HERE.
UM, THERE ARE SOME OTHER PROVISIONS AS FAR AS DISCLOSURE OF VENDOR CONFLICTS.
YEAH, NO, AND I WAS GONNA SAY, I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WITH CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AND THIS IS REAL IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS, WHICH IS A, A COMMUNITY PROPERTY STATE.
UM, IT APPLIES IN THE FIRST DEGREE, UH, FIRST DEGREE I THINK OF, OF CONSANGUINITY OR A AFFINITY.
AND SO THAT MEANS IF IT'S YOUR SPOUSE'S EMPLOYER, 50% OF THEIR INCOME IS YOURS.
YOU, THEY MAY NOT KNOW THAT, BUT 50% IS TECHNICALLY YOURS, SO YOU SHOULD ABSTAIN BECAUSE THAT WAS MORE THAN 10% OF YOUR INCOME.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO YOU DO, AND, AND LIKEWISE, DISCLOSURE OF VENDOR CONFLICTS.
UM, IF YOU'RE A COMPANY THAT MIGHT DO BUSINESS, WANTS TO DO BUSINESS, HAS DONE BUSINESS, UM, WITH A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY OR SOMEONE COMING BEFORE YOU, THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE ALSO BEEN GIVEN THIS FORM AT THE TIME YOU ALL WERE APPOINTED, UM, BY THE MAYOR'S, MAYOR'S OFFICE.
SO, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS
[01:55:01]
OR IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SAME THING.DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST IN PROPERTY.
THIS DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST IN PROPERTY.
OH YEAH, IT'S MY FAVORITE, UM, DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST IN PROPERTY IS IF YOU'RE SELLING PROPERTY TO THE CITY, BUT WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO KNOW IT'S YOURS.
UM, YEAH, ALWAYS THINK OF CALLING YOUR ATTORNEY.
SO I SOW AND QUILT IN MY SPARE TIME, SO THAT'S WHY IT'S TIM GUNN.
YEAH, FINANCIAL INTEREST IN CITY CONTRACTS, PARTICULARLY ON THESE LAST THREE FOR, FOR VENDORS, UH, INTEREST IN PROPERTY OR FINANCIAL INTEREST IN CITY CONTRACTS.
THERE'S A PROVISION IN THE CHARTER THAT SAYS IF YOUR COMPANY HAS A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY THAT CON AND YOU ARE ON A BORDER COMMISSION, THAT CONTRACT IS VOID.
UM, COME TALK TO US IF YOU THINK YOUR, YOUR, YOUR COMPANY DOES OR MIGHT.
UM, YEAH, YOU, YOU CAN'T HOLD ANY, ANY, ANY EMPLOYMENT.
EMPLOYEES CAN'T HOLD ANYTHING IN ARREARS EITHER.
YOU MAY NOT HAVE ANY TAXES OR MONIES OWED TO THE CITY IN ARREARS AT THE TIME OF YOUR, UM, YOUR APPOINTMENT AND SERVICE.
SO PAY YOUR TAXES, PAY YOUR PARKING TICKETS.
YEAH, LIBRARY FINES, JUST, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'D STILL CHARGE THOSE.
OKAY, WE TALKED ABOUT THE RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT.
OKAY, SO IT, WITHIN THE CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GIFT LIMITATION.
UM, THERE IS ALSO A PENAL CODE, UH, VIOLATION FOR ABUSE OF OFFICIAL CAPACITY BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO MUCH POWER AS A BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER, UM, YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED IT'S AT HOW MANY PEOPLE, AND NOT ON THIS COMMITTEE OBVIOUSLY, BUT OR, AND ANY THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH RECENTLY, BUT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO JUMP OUT OF A CAR WITH AT A TRAFFIC STOP.
DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? AND, UM, SO DON'T USE YOUR OFFICIAL CAPACITY TO TRY AND GAIN FUTURE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
OBVIOUSLY COMPANY LOOKING IS GONNA KNOW YOU'VE BEEN ON HERE IF THAT MAY HAPPEN, BUT DON'T USE IT TO DO THAT.
UM, DON'T REPRESENT SOMEONE BEFORE THIS BODY.
AND I MENTIONED THE FIRST AMENDMENT CLAIM THAT THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY JUDGE HELD.
I DON'T THINK YOU GIVE UP YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS BY AGREEING TO BE A MEMBER OF ANY CITY BOARD OR COMMITTEE BEING A CITY EMPLOYEE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY USE DISCRETION AND JUDGMENT IN DOING SO, BUT I THINK IT MEANS YOU CAN WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, YOU CAN STATE THINGS AT THE MEETINGS.
UM, IF YOU GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE SOMEONE, WHERE THE ORGANIZATION YOU WORK WITH OR ARE AFFILIATED WITH OR ON THE BOARD OF, UM, HAS SOMETHING COMING BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE FOR APPROVAL OR ACTION, CALL US AHEAD OF TIME.
IT'S A BAD IDEA FOR YOU TO REPRESENT PROBABLY THAT, UM, THAT PRESENTATION BEFORE THE, BEFORE THE COMMITTEE.
UM, SO, AND DON'T HARASS OR DISCRIMINATE AGAINST NON BIKE RIDERS.
YES, I'M SORRY, I'M HAVING FUN WITH THAT.
THAT'S KIND OF THIS, THIS IS MAYBE THE MOST FUN ETHICS ONE I'VE DONE.
WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION? HEY, KIM.
UH, LIKE I'M, UH, HEY, AS A PUBLIC AGENCY, UH, REPRESENTATIVE, I, WE DO A LOT OF PROJECTS IN PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CITY IS, AND A NUMBER OF TIMES THOSE ARE PRESENTATIONS COME TO THE BOARD, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT BETH PRESENTED, UH, ON SOMETHING THAT LISA WORKS ON.
SINCE WE ARE PUBLIC AGENCY OR NONPROFITS, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ABSTAIN FROM? OR IS THERE CERTAIN CODE OF ETHICS THAT WE SHOULD FOLLOW THAT YOU WOULD SAY, HEY, KEEP THIS IN MIND.
I I WOULD KEEP IT IN MIND, AMARA, I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY SAY YOU NEED TO ABSTAIN FROM THAT ACTION UNLESS YOU THINK YOUR JOB DEPENDS ON, IT MAY BE
UM, AND, AND I, I I I SAY THAT KIND OF JOKINGLY, BUT OBVIOUSLY GOVERNMENTS ARE GONNA COOPERATE.
THE, THE BIGGEST ISSUE IN SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS WHEN IT IS SOMEONE'S, YOU KNOW, IF YOU AS A BOARD, AS AS A COMMITTEE MEMBER HERE,
[02:00:01]
UM, WANTED TO BRING BIKE HOUSTON'S NEXT PLAN TO PUT A A BIKE, UM, WHAT DO THEY CALL THEM? BIKE WAY.WHERE, WHERE, WHERE YOU CAN GO AND RENT THE BIKES.
WHY AM I DRAWING A BLANK? THE B CYCLE.
THAT'S, BUT IF YOU, IF YOU OWN PROPERTY WHERE THEY WERE GONNA PUT THAT ON AND YOU SAID, OH, I'LL GO AND I'LL MAKE THE PRESENTATION.
'CAUSE I KNOW THE BOARD, IT'S YOUR PROPERTY AND YOU'RE GONNA FINANCIALLY BENEFIT, I THINK AS A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL, YOU'RE NOT LIKELY TO FINANCIALLY BENEFIT.
SO I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD NEED TO ABSTAIN.
UM, JUST A FEW CAMPAIGN SEASON REMINDERS.
UM, THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS ON SOLICITATIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS CONTAINED IN CITY CODE.
CLEARLY AS AN INDIVIDUAL YOU CAN MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS, UM, DON'T DO IT IN YOUR OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
UM, IT JUST PUTS THAT IMP PREMATURE OF ENDORSEMENT BY, UM, FROM THIS.
SO IT STAY OUT OF, I WOULD SAY TO, TO, TO TRY AND STAY OUT OF THAT.
I THINK WE GOT SOME CLARIFICATION ON SOME, SOME QUESTIONS THAT WERE HELD AT PLANNING COMMISSION.
I THINK IT STILL MEANS YOU COULD HOST A PUBLIC, UH, YOU COULD HOST AN EVENT FOR A CANDIDATE FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, UM, YOU COULD ATTEND THOSE.
UM, DON'T WEAR YOUR BIG BICYCLE BADGE, I MEAN, WEAR YOUR BIKE, BUT NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT IN YOUR FIC NOT YOUR BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, DESIGNEE DESIGNATION, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE A BI AFICIONADO, SO WEAR THE BIKE.
IF YOU HAVE OTHER CAMPAIGN SEASON, UM, ISSUES COME UP, UH, LET ME KNOW OR LET STAFF KNOW AND WE'LL GET THOSE ANSWERED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
WE'VE HAD A, A COUPLE OF OTHER SPECIFIC ONES COME IN, UM, BECAUSE IT IS THAT SEASON AND IT'S STARTING TO, STARTING TO BE THAT WAY.
AND, UM, SOME PEOPLE AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE AND MAKE THEIR SPOUSE WITH A DIFFERENT LAST NAME, DO THE CHECK WRITING AND DO THE SPONSORING AND SO FORTH.
BUT, UM, JUST, UH, KEEP THAT AND WELL, THAT WILL CONCLUDE IT.
THE NEXT SLIDE ACTUALLY HAS MY EMAIL, UM, AND PHONE NUMBER ON IT AND WHAT LOOKS LIKE VERY SMALL PRINT SO NOBODY CAN READ IT.
UM, BUT FEEL FREE DAVID AND STAFF KNOW HOW TO GET AHOLD OF ME.
UM, AND SO IN EVEN OTHER WAYS THAN THAT.
SO, UM, I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION AND I'M SORRY TO KEEP YOU UNTIL THE VERY BITTER END.
YOU MADE IT A, UH, DIFFICULT TOPIC.
HEY, WHAT, WHAT DO WE HAVE LEFT? I KNOW IT'S, WE'RE KIND OF OUT OF TIME.
ARE THERE SOME KEY ANNOUNCEMENTS YOU WANNA MAKE? UH, YES.
JUST A HANDFUL OF KEY ANNOUNCEMENTS.
YEAH, SO SIDETRACKED, UH, THE VIDEO THAT WE PREMIERED WITH VISION ZERO, HOUSTON IS AVAILABLE ONLINE ON YOUTUBE FOR FREE.
SO THERE IS A LINK IN THE SLIDES AND I'LL HAVE A DIRECT LINK, UM, FOR THE VIDEO IN THE POST-MEETING.
SO HGAC, THEY ARE STARTING TO HOST A SERIES OF COURSES ON HOW TO ANTICIPATE ROAD CONDITIONS AND CHALLENGES.
UM, IT'S KIND OF AN ADULT, UH, TRAIN YOUR BIKE BICYCLING COURSE.
UM, THEY'RE HELD FROM APRIL TO JUNE, UM, ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE REGION.
UM, AND THERE'S MORE INFORMATION ON THEIR WEBSITE.
AND THEY'VE ALSO POSTED, UH, THEY'VE ALSO STARTED POSTING ABOUT BIKE MONTH, SO I'LL MAKE SURE TO HAVE THAT LINK, UH, IN THE EMAIL SO YOU COULD SEE ALL OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES, UM, THAT WE AND MORE ARE DOING.
SO, UH, BIKE TEXAS IS HAVING THE TEXAS TRAILS, AN ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE STARTING TODAY, UM, AND THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK, IT IS A VIRTUAL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION AND MORE INFO IS AT THE LINK.
UM, THE LINK IN THE, UH, IN THE EMAIL, UH, NEXT SLIDE
UM, BETH AND LISA ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT, UM, BUT ALSO COMING UP IN MAY.
SO THEY'RE ALSO HOSTING AN EVENT, UM, ON COLUMBIA TAP FROM HOME IN THE ELGIN STREET, A BIG BLOCK PARTY SATURDAY, MAY 7TH.
[02:05:03]
AND THEN NEXT SLIDE, WE'RE JUST GONNA KEEP BARRELING THROUGH OUR BIKE TO WORK DAY IS AT, UH, 7:30 AM MAY 20TH.WE ARE GONNA START AT THE LOST LAKE VISITOR CENTER.
WE'RE GONNA RIDE BUFFALO BAYOU TO CITY HALL.
MORE INFORMATION IS ON THE HOUSTON BIKE WAVES WEBSITE.
UM, AND WE'LL ALSO BE SHARING THIS OUT.
FEEL FREE TO COME, BRING YOUR BIKE, CELEBRATE WITH US.
AND THEN, UM, AT THE END OF MAY.
SO HARRIS COUNTY AND THE HARRIS COUNTY TALL ROAD AUTHORITY, THEY'RE ABOUT TO BEGIN ENGAGEMENT ON THE DESTINATION TRAIL, WHICH IS GONNA START, UM, HERE IN THE CITY AND EXTEND SOUTHEAST ALL THE WAY TO WEBSTER.
UH, THE FIRST OPEN HOUSE IS GONNA FOCUS ON THEIR FIRST SEGMENT, WHICH GOES FROM EMANCIPATION PARK, UH, TO MASON PARK.
UM, AND THAT WILL BE TUESDAY, MAY 31ST, UM, AT THE RAUL C MARTINEZ COURTHOUSE.
AND OUR NEXT MEETINGS, UH, MAY 25TH IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUBCOMMITTEE.
JUNE 22ND IS THE EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND JULY 27TH IS OUR NEXT BAC MEETING.
UM, JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE AN UPDATE ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND FUNDING TALK.
SO CHAIR THOMPSON, MYSELF AND MIKE HOUSTON, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BRINGING SPEAKERS TO TALK ABOUT THE, UH, IIJA AND THE SOON TO COME, UH, TIP CALL FOR PROJECTS FROM HGAC TO THE BAC.
UM, WE'RE STILL WAITING, IT'S STILL, IT'S STILL A PROCESS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE OUR FRIENDS AT HGAC ARE READY TO PRESENT.
UM, SO THAT WILL BE COMING FORTH LATER IN THE YEAR WHEN THE TIP CALL FOR PROJECTS IS READY AND WE'LL HAVE THOSE SPEAKERS IN LINE.
UM, SO THAT MAY HAPPEN DURING A BAC COMMITTEE MEETING MAY HAPPEN IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUBCOMMITTEE.
IT ALL KIND OF DEPENDS ON THE TIMING.
SO STAY TUNED AND THANK YOU ALL.
UM, APPRECIATE EVERYBODY FOR COMING ONCE AGAIN.
YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE OF HANDS RAISED UP IN THE CHAT.
UH, I KNOW JOE OPEN BY HOUSTON, HE'S HAD HIS HAND UP FOR A WHILE.
AND THEN ROBIN HOLZER AND I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT JESSICA WIG WIGGINS IS HERE AND ARRIVED ABOUT THREE 50.
SO IF THAT ON THE RECORD FOR US PLEASE.
UH, GOOD TO SEE EVERYONE HERE.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT.
UH, BIKE HOUSTON HAS THE 2022 HOUSTON BIKE SUMMIT HAPPENING NEXT MONTH, BIKE MONTH, OF COURSE.
UM, AS SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER, WE DIDN'T HAVE, UM, AN IN-PERSON BIKE SUMMIT IN 2020 OR IN 2021 FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
UH, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO BE BACK IN PERSON.
IT'S A THREE PART EVENT THIS YEAR.
WE'VE GOT ON THURSDAY, MAY 19TH, UH, WE'LL HAVE A VIRTUAL EVENT, UM, WITH, UH, A BOOK TALK, UH, WITH JESSE SINGER, THE AUTHOR OF A NEW BOOK CALLED THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS, WHICH, UH, TALKS ABOUT HOW, UM, AMONG OTHER THINGS TRAFFIC CRASHES ARE NOT ACCIDENTS AND GOES INTO THE WHOLE HISTORY OF, UM, ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN AMERICA AND THE RACE AND CLASS IMPLI IMPLICATIONS OF THAT.
UH, SHE'LL BE DOING A Q AND A WITH MEGAN KIMBALL, WHO I'M SURE A LOT OF FOLKS ARE FAMILIAR WITH.
FORMER EDITOR OF, UH, THE TEXAS OBSERVER, UH, AND AND AUTHOR HERSELF ON MAY 20TH, WHICH IS ALSO BIKE TO WORK DAY ON THE EVENING OF MAY 20TH.
WE'VE GOT THE BIKE SUMMIT SOIREE, WHICH WILL FEATURE, UH, NOT JUST FOOD AND DRINK AND A SILENT AUCTION, BUT ALSO, UH, WHAT PROMISES TO BE A LIVELY DISCUSSION, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, UH, A BC 13 REPORTER, MAYA SHEA.
AND, UH, IF YOU'RE ON TWITTER, YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD OF HIM.
HE'S A NEWLY TWITTER FAMOUS MAYOR FROM EMERYVILLE, CALIFORNIA.
UH, MAYOR JOHN BODER IS GOING TO BE IN TOWN FOR THAT ONE.
UH, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, AND THAT THE, THE, THE POINT OF THAT CONVERSATION IS TO, UM, TO SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW HERE IN THIS COMMITTEE THAT, UH, BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SAFE STREETS ARE GOOD POLICY, BUT WE WANNA SHOW THAT THEY'RE GOOD POLITICS TOO, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MAYORAL RACE COMING UP.
AND THEN FINALLY ON THE MORNING OF SATURDAY, MAY 21ST, WE'LL HAVE A BIKE SUMMIT RIDE.
UH, MORE DETAILS TO COME ON THAT ONE, BUT WE'LL BE HITTING SOME OF THE BEST NEW BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE IN TOWN AND BE INVITING, UM, SOME FOLKS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN FUNDING AND DESIGNING AND BUILDING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE TO TALK ABOUT THOSE PROJECTS.
UM, SOME OF YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING IN YOUR INBOXES FOR INVITATIONS IN THE COMING, UH, DAYS TO, UH, TO JOIN THAT RED.
ROBIN, I WANNA PUT IN A REQUEST FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SUBCOMMITTEE NEXT MONTH AT THE END OF MAY.
I REMEMBER THAT WE SPENT TIME TALKING ABOUT PROJECT PRIORITIZATION, UM, AND THE, THE DATA-DRIVEN GIS PROCESS THAT GOT US TO LIKE OUR NEXT SET OF THREE PRIORITIES.
AND SOMETHING I'M INTERESTED IN IS TWO PIECES.
THE FIRST IS I SORT OF HEARD ALL OF THAT AS
[02:10:01]
HOW WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE THE CITY'S ANNUAL BICYCLE PROJECT ALLOCATION MONEY.LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE WANNA BE WORKING ON NEXT.
BUT I THINK THERE'S A RELATED PIECE TO IT OF HOW DO WE WANT TO ALLOCATE MONEY, UM, WHEN WELL-TIMED PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES COME UP.
UH, SO IN PARTICULAR, I'M AWARE A COUPLE OF THET, THE CITY'S TOURS, TURS FIVE, TUR 27, ARE WORKING ON SOME PIECES OF WEST DALLAS, WHICH IS A THING, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO A GAP COMING ON WA BETWEEN WEST DALLAS AND ALLEN PARKWAY.
AND MY IMPRESSION IS THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY POTENTIALLY TO GET A WHOLE LOT OF BANG FOR THE BUCK OUT OF A FAIRLY MODEST INVESTMENT TO HELP CLOSE A GAP IN THAT PROCESS.
BUT THAT WASN'T PART OF OUR OFFICIAL PRIORITIZATION DISCUSSION A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD HOPE THAT WHEN WE COME BACK FOR INFRASTRUCTURE NEXT MONTH, THAT WE COULD TALK ABOUT BOTH THIS SPECIFIC EXAMPLE, HOW, HOW CAN WE POSITION THE CITY TO HELP MAKE THAT KEY PIECE ON WA HAPPEN, BUT THEN MORE BROADLY, IS THERE A, A PROCESS PIECE THAT WE WANNA HAVE IN PLACE BY NEXT JANUARY WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT PRIORITIZATION FOR NEXT YEAR, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BOTH ADVANCING CITY DRIVEN PROJECTS, BUT ALSO EQUIPPED TO PARTICIPATE FINANCIALLY IN PARTNER PROJECTS.
ALSO, I SHOULD GIVE CREDIT TO PRECINCT ONE IN THAT.
SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO LEAVE YOU OUT AMAR.
ANYWAY, THAT'S MY REQUEST FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
THERE'S ONE MORE COMMENT IN THE CHAT.
UH, THIS IS FROM MATTHEW TETLOW.
JOE, ARE THESE UPCOMING ACTIVITIES LISTED ON THE BIKE HOUSTON WEBSITE CALENDAR? I SHOULD HAVE PLUGGED THE WEBSITE AS WELL.
BIKE HOUSTON.ORG/SUMMIT AND THERE'S A LITTLE BANNER ON THE TOP OF THE WEBSITE.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN THE MEETING.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? GOT A SECOND.