[District A Redistricting Town Hall and CIP Meeting]
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I'M AMY PECK, YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT A.
BEFORE WE START, I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE SOME PEOPLE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE WE HAVE WITH US COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOOSH AT LARGE.
WE HAVE AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, CHIEF OF STAFF FOR AT LARGE, COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX, JOHN MOSS, OUR HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, CHIEF, CHIEF PENA, AND OUR HPD COMMANDER FOR THE NORTHWEST DIVISION COMMANDER WYNN.
AND WE DO HAVE SOME CANDIDATES HERE TONIGHT TOO.
WE HAVE KYLE SCOTT FOR HARRIS COUNTY TREASURER, DAVID SLATTERY FOR SPRING BRANCH, ISD, TRUSTEE POSITION SEVEN.
LISA ALPE FOR SPRING BRANCH I, FRANCHIS D, POSITION FIVE, AND JOHN PEREZ FOR SPRING FRANCHIS D POSITION SIX.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LIVE IN SPRING, FRANCHIS D JUST SO YOU KNOW, THERE IS A SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION, MAY 7TH, EARLY VOTING IS HAPPENING NOW.
YOU CAN VOTE HERE AT TRINITY MINDEN HALL.
SO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
YES, I SAID THE WRONG ONE, BUT YES.
UM, BUT YOU CAN VOTE HERE FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, SO, GOT IT.
UM, DID I MISS ANY ELECTED OFFICIALS OR CANDIDATES? IF YOU WANNA STAND UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.
LORD KEN ALLEN, RESIDENT OF, UH, PARK RECREATION.
OH, AND OUR DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE MAYOR, WALTER HAMRICK.
AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR FORMER DISTRICT A COUNCIL MEMBER, BRENDA STAR AS WELL.
SO TONIGHT WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT REDISTRICTING AND OUR CIP.
SO FOR THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT IT IN JUST A MINUTE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL MAPS OF WHAT THE REDISTRICTING DISTRICTS WILL LOOK LIKE TONIGHT, IS TO GET INPUT FROM WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
SO OF COURSE, THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM YOU, WHICH I'M SURE YOU'LL REITERATE TO OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT TONIGHT, IS KEEPING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER, KEEPING SPRING BRANCH TOGETHER, KEEPING INWOOD TOGETHER, KEEPING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.
SO YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT SOON.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE CIP, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
THESE ARE THE LARGER SCALE FLOODING AND MITIGATION, STREET AND DRAINAGE PARKS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
THE LARGER SCALE ITEMS. SO NOT LIKE THE SMALLER LOCAL, SMALLER LOCAL DRAINAGE TYPE PROJECTS.
THESE ARE THE MORE LIKE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR TYPE PROJECTS.
SO YOU'LL HEAR A STATUS UPDATE ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, THE MAYOR WAS SCHEDULED TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
UM, WE ACTUALLY SCHEDULED THIS MEETING BASED ON HIS AVAILABILITY, AND WE WERE JUST FOUND, WE, WE WERE JUST TOLD THAT THE MAYOR WILL NOT BE HERE TONIGHT.
HE IS ON HIS WAY TO DC SO I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU WERE COMING HERE TONIGHT TO TALK TO THE MAYOR.
OF COURSE, I KNOW WHAT YOUR FLOODING MITIGATION ISSUES ARE THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON AND HAVE BEEN WORKING ON.
WE'RE LOOKING AT CREATIVE WAYS FOR FUNDING FOR ALL OF THESE ISSUES, BECAUSE THIS MONEY IS NOT COMING FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS QUICKLY AS WE WOULD LIKE.
SO WE ARE WORKING ACTIVELY ON ALL OF THOSE ISSUES.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE HERE TO TALK TO THE MAYOR ABOUT WHAT THOSE ISSUES ARE.
SO SINCE THE MAYOR ISN'T COMING TO YOU, WE WILL ACTUALLY BRING YOU TO THE MAYOR.
UM, SO LOOK OUT SOON FOR A BUS THAT WILL TAKE YOU HERE FROM TRAINING MENIN HALL DOWNTOWN TO PUBLIC SESSION SO YOU CAN TALK TO THE MAYOR IN PERSON.
SO FIRST UP,
WE LIVE IT, BREATHE IT EVERY SINGLE DAY AND HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT.
SO I KNOW THAT YOU'VE REALLY WANTED TO TELL THE MAYOR WHAT THESE ISSUE ARE ISSUES ARE, AND REITERATE THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN TELLING HIM FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, FIRST UP WE HAVE OUR, UM, PLANNING DEPARTMENT HERE WITH OUR DIRECTOR, MARGARET WALLACE BROWN, TO TALK ABOUT REDISTRICTING.
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
UM, I DO WANNA REITERATE THAT THIS IS REALLY A KIND OF A TWO PART MEETING, AND SO IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
THE FIRST PART IS REDISTRICTING.
THE SECOND PART WILL BE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS DISCUSSIONS.
SO IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT BOTH, WE'RE HAPPY TO LISTEN ABOUT BOTH.
BUT IF YOU WANNA TALK ONLY ABOUT CIP, WE WILL
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ASK YOU TO WAIT UNTIL THE SECOND PORTION OF THIS MEETING.UM, THIS IS ABOUT REDISTRICTING.
UM, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE AND, UM, AGAIN, SEND THE MAYOR'S REGRETS.
HE GOT AN URGENT CALL TODAY THAT HE NEEDED TO GO TO WASHINGTON, DC AND SO HE, HE, HE IS ON THE PLANE RIGHT NOW, I SUSPECT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA PLAY A VIDEO IN JUST A MOMENT THAT'S GONNA THROW A LOT OF INFORMATION AT YOU.
UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE, TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE VIDEO.
BUT MOSTLY WHAT WE WANNA DO TONIGHT IS WE WANNA HEAR FROM YOU ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOW YOU WANT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO LOOK AFTER THE CITY OF HOUSTON REDISTRICTING EFFORT ENDS.
SO WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO CONSIDER WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT MAPS AND DRAWING MAPS FOR REDISTRICTING? UM, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR TWO ADDRESS, TWO EMAIL ADDRESSES AND, AND, UM, I'M GONNA TELL YOU THEM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY COME UP AT YOU PRETTY QUICKLY OFF THE, UM, VIDEO.
THE FIRST ONE IS OUR WEBSITE THAT IS GONNA GIVE YOU ANY INFORMATION YOU, UM, CAN GET ABOUT, UH, REDISTRICTING.
IT'S ACTUALLY LET'S TALK HOUSTON.ORG.
THERE'S NOT AN APOSTROPHE, IS THERE? NO APOSTROPHE.
LETS TALK HOUSTON.ORG/AND I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE THAT IS, BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO JUST GUESS.
SO THAT'S THE WEBSITE THAT HAS ALL THIS INFORMATION.
AND THEN THE NAME YOU'LL HEAR MOST FREQUENTLY TONIGHT IS THE GENTLEMAN'S NAME, RUPESH KOHI.
HE'S STANDING BACK THERE IN THE YELLOW SHIRT.
UM, HIS EMAIL ADDRESS IS GONNA BE HIS FIRST NAME.
DO LAST NAME AT CITY OF HOUSTON? NO, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY.
THAT'S H-O-U-S-T-O-N-T-X DOT GOV.
AND IT'S RUPESH, R-U-P-E-S-H, KOHI, K-O-S-H-Y.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT ADDRESSES YOU CAN GET TONIGHT.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN FIND FROM THOSE TWO? AND, UM, SO ROLL THE VIDEO AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND LISTEN TO YOU.
A CITY CHARTER AS WELL AS STATE AND FEDERAL LAW REQUIRE THAT WE ADJUST OUR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS FROM TIME TO TIME IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE DIFFERENCE IN DISTRICT POPULATIONS IS NEVER MORE THAN 10% OF AVERAGE DISTRICT POPULATION.
THE LAST TIME THE CITY ADJUSTED CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, AN ACTION CALLED REDISTRICTING WAS 10 YEARS AGO.
SINCE THEN, OUR POPULATION HAS GROWN BY 9.8% AND IS MORE THAN 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE.
EACH OF THE 11 COUNCIL DISTRICTS EXPERIENCED POPULATION CHANGE AT DIFFERENT RATES.
AS A RESULT, ADJUSTMENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR OUR CURRENT DISTRICTS BY CITY COUNCIL BEFORE THE NEXT MUNICIPAL ELECTION IN 2023.
THIS MEETING IS ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS IN THAT PROCESS.
ACCORDING TO THE 2020 CENSUS, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DISTRICT WITH THE LARGEST POPULATION, DISTRICT C AND THE DISTRICT WITH THE SMALLEST POPULATION, DISTRICT H IS OVER 66,000 PEOPLE.
THIS IS 31% OF THE AVERAGE DISTRICT POPULATION, FAR ABOVE THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE VARIATION.
OTHER DISTRICTS ARE ALSO ABOVE OR BELOW THE ALLOWABLE RANGE AND WILL HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY.
THE GOAL OF REDISTRICTING IS TO RECONFIGURE OUR DISTRICTS TO ACHIEVE AN EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF THE POPULATION IN EACH DISTRICT TO MEET REQUIREMENTS OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS.
STARTING IN 1964, THE SUPREME COURT RECOGNIZED THE PRINCIPLE OF ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE, AND THE APPLICABILITY OF THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE TO REDISTRICTING.
AND THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 AS AMENDED ALSO SETS FORTH REQUIREMENTS THAT WILL AFFECT THIS PROCESS.
REDISTRICTING MUST NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, OR MEMBERSHIP IN A PROTECTIVE LANGUAGE.
MINORITY GROUP CITY COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED A RESOLUTION THAT ESTABLISHES THE TIMELINE CRITERIA AND RULES THAT WILL HELP GUIDE THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
THE SPECIFICS FOR EACH OF THESE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, AND CHINESE CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE@WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV.
OUR REDISTRICTING TIMELINE IS GUIDED IN PART BY THE DATES THAT RESULTS OF THE 2020 CENSUS BECOME AVAILABLE AND BY THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE, WHICH PROVIDES THAT CHANGES IN ELECTION BOUNDARIES.
EXAMPLE, COUNCIL DISTRICTS MUST BE ADOPTED MORE THAN THREE MONTHS BEFORE ELECTION DAY.
IT IS ALSO INFORMED BY THE 12 MONTH RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT ESTABLISHED IN THE CITY CHARTER.
AND THE CITY CHARTER ALSO REQUIRES THAT A REDISTRICTING ORDINANCE BE ADOPTED IN THE SAME YEAR AS THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION.
SO THE PLAN ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN THE FALL OF 2022 WILL BE RATIFIED BY CITY COUNCIL IN EARLY 2023, AND THE NEW BOUNDARIES WILL BE EFFECTIVE ON JANUARY 1ST, 2024.
WE HAVE ORGANIZED THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS TO HELP KEEP YOU INFORMED AND AWARE OF WHAT WE ARE DOING AT EVERY STEP OF THE PROCESS.
[00:10:01]
PARTICIPATION, YOUR PARTICIPATION IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROCESS, AND WE HOPE YOU'LL PROVIDE COMMENTS TO HELP GUIDE DECISIONS ABOUT THE CONFIGURATION OF POWER 11 COUNCIL DISTRICTS.THESE MEETINGS WILL HAPPEN ACROSS HOUSTON THROUGHOUT THE MONTHS OF APRIL AND MAY.
IN JUNE, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, DEMOGRAPHER AND LEGAL COUNSEL WILL PRESENT A DRAFT PLAN AND MAP TO CITY COUNCIL.
PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL BE HELD FOR CITIZENS TO COMMENT ON THE DRAFT PLAN AND MAP.
THE FIRST TWO HEARINGS WILL BE ON JULY 13TH, ONE IN THE MORNING, AND ONE IN THE EVENING.
AND THE THIRD WILL BE HELD ON JULY 20TH.
CITY COUNCIL WILL APPROVE THEIR REDISTRICTING PLAN ORDINANCE IN SEPTEMBER.
THE CRITERIA ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL, WHICH SHOULD BE FOLLOWED TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, INCLUDE DISTRICTS SHOULD BE RELATIVELY EQUAL IN POPULATION WITH NO MORE THAN A 10% VARIATION FROM THE AVERAGE DISTRICT SIZE, THEREBY ENSURING THE VITAL STANDARD OF ONE PERSON ONE VOTE.
THEY MUST BE COMPOSED OF WHOLE COUNTY VOTING PRECINCTS, WHICH ARE DEFINED BY THE COUNTIES, AND SERVE AS THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
WHEN PRECINCTS ARE SPLIT BY THE CITY LIMITS, ONLY THE CITY PORTION OF THAT PRECINCT WILL BE USED.
THEY SHOULD HAVE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES SUCH AS MAJOR THOROUGHFARE OR BA.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT NOT ALL COUNTY VOTING PRECINCTS FOLLOW CLEAR GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES, WHICH MAY MAKE IT NECESSARY FOR CITY COUNCIL BOUNDARIES.
TO DEVIATE FROM A PREFERRED BOUNDARY, THEY SHOULD MAINTAIN COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.
THEY SHOULD BE COMPACT AND COMPOSED OF CONTIGUOUS TERRITORY, INCLUDING FUNCTIONAL AND GEOGRAPHIC CONTINUITY.
THE FUNCTIONAL DIMENSION MAY TAKE ON ADDED WEIGHT IN SITUATIONS IN WHICH GEOGRAPHIC COMPACTNESS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT SOME AREAS ARE ATTACHED TO THE REMAINDER OF THE CITY ONLY BY RELATIVELY LONG AND NARROW STRIPS OF LAND.
FUNCTIONAL COMPACTNESS AND CONTINUITY INCLUDES CONSIDERING FACTORS SUCH AS AVAILABILITY OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION, EXISTENCE OF COMMON SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND OTHER SHARED INTERESTS.
THE ABILITY OF CITIZENS OF A COUNCIL DISTRICT TO RELATE TO EACH OTHER AND TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVE ON CITY COUNCIL, AND THE ABILITY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO RELATE TO HIS OR HER CONSTITUENCY.
THEY SHOULD PRESERVE INCUMBENT CONSTITUENT RELATIONS BY RECOGNITION OF THE RESIDENTS, OF EXISTING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND THEIR HISTORY IN REPRESENTING CERTAIN AREAS.
THE PLAN SHOULD NOT FRAGMENT A GEOGRAPHICALLY COMPACT MINORITY COMMUNITY OR PAC MINORITY VOTERS IN THE PRESENCE OF POLARIZED VOTING SO AS TO CREATE LIABILITY UNDER SECTION TWO OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
MORE DETAILS ABOUT THESE CRITERIA CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, AND CHINESE.
TO HELP US MANAGE THIS COMPLICATED AND LENGTHY PROCESS, CITY COUNCIL ALSO ESTABLISHED THESE IMPORTANT RULES.
THE CITY'S PLAN AND ANYONE ELSE'S PLAN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY FOR CONSIDERATION MUST BE IN WRITING, BE BASED ON THE 2020 FEDERAL CENSUS MUST REDISTRICT THE ENTIRE CITY CONTAINING PROPOSED BOUNDARIES FOR ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS WITHIN THE CITY.
IF A PLAN DOES NOT REDISTRICT THE ENTIRE CITY, IT MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR COUNCIL TO ASSESS THE PLAN'S IMPACT ON ONE OR MORE PROTECTED MINORITY GROUPS.
THIS REQUIREMENT DOES NOT PRECLUDE CITIZENS FROM PROPOSING THAT PARTICULAR VOTING, PRECINCTS, NEIGHBORHOODS, OR LOCATIONS BE INCLUDED IN A SPECIFIC COUNCIL DISTRICT.
THE PLAN MUST CONFORM TO THE CRITERIA DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY AND BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN 4:45 PM ON JULY 20TH, 2022.
TO RUPESH KOSHI IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD REGARDING YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CONFIGURATION OF THE NEW COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
YOUR INPUT MAY SIMPLY BE REGARDING NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARIES OR YOU MAY WANT TO SUBMIT A COMPLETE REDISTRICTING PLAN.
EITHER WAY, THERE ARE SEVERAL POINTS AT WHICH YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS, OPINIONS, OR PLANS, ONE HERE AT THIS OR OTHER SCHEDULED TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
TWO THROUGH OUR WEBPAGE@WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV.
THREE DIRECTLY TO RUPE KOSHI IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT THROUGH EMAIL AT RUPE KOSHI@HOUSTONTX.GOV BY US POSTAL SERVICE, OR HAND DELIVERY TO RUPE KOSHI, OR FOUR AT ONE OF THE THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WILL BE HELD IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF CITY HALL 9 0 1 BAGBY STREET.
IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT A PLAN OF YOUR OWN, IT IS VITAL THAT YOU FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES CRITERIA AND RULES FOR THE CONSIDERATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
WE'RE READY TO HELP TO ENABLE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP AND SUBMIT THEIR OWN PLAN.
A COMPUTER KIOSK WITH REDISTRICTING
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SOFTWARE WILL BE SET UP IN THE OFFICES OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON THE SIX FOUR OF SIX 11 WALKER STREET, SEVEN SEVEN ZERO ZERO TWO.PLEASE CALL 8 3 2 3 9 3 6 5 5 2 TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT SO A STAFF MEMBER CAN ASSIST YOU IN USING THE SOFTWARE.
AGAIN, ALL PLANS MUST BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN 4:45 PM ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 20TH, 2022.
NO MATTER HOW OR WHERE YOU JOINED THIS CONVERSATION, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARIES ARE AND WHERE IT MAKES SENSE TO KEEP A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST TOGETHER.
HOUSTON WILL BE STRONGER AS A RESULT OF YOUR PARTICIPATION.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING IN THE CONVERSATION.
I TOLD YOU THOSE NUMBERS WOULD COME QUICKLY.
UM, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA JUST JUMP INTO THIS.
SO WE'VE ASKED YOU TO FILL OUT A CARD IF YOU WANNA COMMENT.
AND THE REASON WE'VE DONE THAT IS BECAUSE WE'RE KEEPING A RECORD OF, UH, MAKING SURE THAT OUR DEMOGRAPHER KNOWS WHO, UM, MADE COMMENTS AND HAVE YOUR, HAS YOUR PHONE NUMBER ON IT IN CASE HE HAS ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS IN CASE IT'S NOT CLEAR TO HIM.
AND I WANNA INTRODUCE JERRY TO YOU RIGHT NOW.
JERRY WOOD IS, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S DEMOGRAPHER WHO WILL BE WORKING THROUGH THE DETAILS AND, UM, ALL OF THE REDISTRICTING EFFORT WITH US.
UM, SO HE'S TAKING NOTES TODAY.
HE'S GONNA WRITE DOWN WHAT, UM, EVERYTHING YOU SAY, UM, AND WE'D LIKE YOU TO FILL OUT A CARD AND GIVE IT TO US.
AND SO RUPESH OR A NUMBER OF OTHER FOLKS IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM CAN TAKE THIS.
I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT IF YOU, UM, HAVE, UH, DIFFICULTY WITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE, WE HAVE THE VIDEO TRANSCRIBED INTO ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND VIETNAMESE, UH, I'M SORRY, CHINESE, SPANISH AND VIETNAMESE.
UM, IT'S OVER AT THE DESK WHEN YOU CAME IN.
AND WE ALSO HAVE, UM, SPANISH TRANSLATORS WHO CAN HELP YOU WHEN YOU COME TO THE, TO THE MICROPHONE.
SO, I'M SORRY, IT'S BACK THERE.
ELISE IS HOLDING THEM UP RIGHT THERE IF YOU WANT THEM.
UH, SO I'M GONNA CALL THE FIRST PERSON WHO GAVE US A CARD, BUT I'M GONNA NEED MORE CARDS AFTER THIS.
GOING TO RUPESH, UH, BRENDA STARK.
YOU'RE THE FIRST ONE ON MY LIST.
UM, I'M COUNCIL, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER BRENDA STARGE, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT.
I THINK THIS IS A GREAT SHOWING, SHOWING THAT OUR COMMUNITY CARES AND WANTS TO STAY TOGETHER WITHIN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, I THANK COUNCIL MEMBER PECK FOR GOING AHEAD FORWARD WITH THIS MEETING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A VOICE, UM, BECAUSE IT DOES GO VERY QUICKLY ONCE THE TRAIN LEAVES THE STATION.
I WAS, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS AS BEING A FRESHMAN IN OFFICE AND THE TRAIN LEFT THE STATION AND IT WENT AWAY.
SO YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON THIS, UH, TRAIN.
UM, I GUESS MY CONCERNS RIGHT NOW AND MY QUESTIONS, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS STAY THAT ARE LIKE-MINDED, STAY TOGETHER.
THE LAST TWO TIMES, UH, REDISTRICTING OCCURRED, THE PROPOSALS WERE TO CARVE OFF EAST SPRING BRANCH.
WE DO NOT WANT TO CARVE OFF ANY PART OF SPRING BRANCH.
INWOOD WANTS TO STAY TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY HAVE, THEY'RE FINALLY IN THE PHASE OF, OF, OF PROGRESS THE MOVING FORWARD.
I CAN'T SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF, BUT I JUST KNOW THEIR HISTORY LONG ENOUGH THAT I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM TO STAY TOGETHER.
UM, WE CAN GO THROUGH ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN DISTRICT A AND KNOW THAT THEY HAVE, THEY'RE ALL DIFF AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN THEIR LIFE CYCLES, IS WHAT I CALL THEM.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY WITHIN THEIR LIFE CYCLE AND DON'T DIVVY THEM UP, BECAUSE THEN IT MAKES IT HARDER FOR RESOURCES AND THE TYPES OF RESOURCES THEY NEED.
AND THEN THE LAST THING IS, I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NUMBERS, THE POPULATION OF DISTRICT A AND THE OTHER NUMBERS THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED.
BECAUSE OVER MY TERM, OVER THE A DECADE OF, OF PERIOD OF TIME, THE NUMBERS ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE NUMBERS BEING PROVIDED THIS EVENING.
UM, AM I CORRECT, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK? UM, SO I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND WHAT PLANNING HAS GIVEN US OVER THE YEARS.
AND NOW WE'RE SHOWING 219,000 AS POPULATION, ACCORDING TO THE SLIDE THAT I CAPTURED VERY QUICKLY WITH A PHOTO.
UM, IN THE PAST WE'VE BEEN AS HIGH AS 288,000.
AND, UM, IT SHOWED A, I'LL GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE, WHAT THE GROWTH WAS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT SPRING BRANCH ALONE HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY WITH, UH, THE NEW HOUSING.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE IN HERE WOULD DISAGREE.
I KNOW INWOOD HAS DONE ITS OWN FAIR SHARE IN THAT AREA SURROUNDING IT.
AND, UM, SO IT'S VERY UNSETTLING
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TO ME THAT DID WE, DID WE POP UP THE NUMBERS FOR CONVENIENCE, FOR FUNDING ISSUES OR, I'M NOT MAKING ANY ALLEGATIONS OR ANYTHING.YOU KNOW, I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THESE NUMBERS ARE NOT CONSISTENT THROUGH TODAY FROM WHEN WE STARTED.
AND ARTUR, MICHELLE, I THINK WAS OUR CITY, UM, ATTORNEY AT THE TIME.
BACK UP WITH THE, WITH THE POPULATION? NO, IT WAS DAVE FELDMAN.
WE ACTUALLY CAN'T, IT'S, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT.
NO, BUT WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT IS SO CURRENTLY, UM, I DID, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T WRITE THAT NUMBER DOWN.
SO 209,000 IS, UM, THE DISTRICT AVERAGE, DISTRICT A IS 5% OVER THAT BY ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE.
219 IS WHAT I HAD ON THE SLIDE THAT I READ.
AND SO IN THE, IN OVER THE PERIOD THAT I WAS IN OFFICE, WE WERE AS HIGH AS 288,000 AS, UH, THE NUMBERS WE WERE GIVEN BY PLANNING, WE HAVE THAT DOCUMENTED.
I ASKED COUNCIL MEMBER PECK WHEN SHE WAS MY CHIEF OF STAFF TO KEEP THAT FILE.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING OUR FAIR SHARE AND THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE CARVING OFF FOR THE SAKE OF CARVING OFF AND MOVING AND, AND MANIPULATING.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE MEANS TO, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT NUMBERS MATTER.
GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT'S RIGHT.
UM, NEXT SPEAKER IS JOY MULLETT, AND IT'S M-U-L-L-E-T-T.
MA'AM, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE MICROPHONE AND THEN FOLLOWING JOY, I HAVE VICKI MORRIS, IS THAT CORRECT? UM, SO IF YOU'D BE PREPARED TO FOLLOW JOY UP TO THE MICROPHONE.
I'M NOT A
I JUST REALLY HAVE THAT QUESTION ABOUT WATERSHEDS AND WHAT ROLE THEY PLAY IN REDISTRICTING.
AS YOU KNOW, WATERSHED PUSH WATER AND IT REALLY MAKES COMMUNITIES, YOU'RE EITHER IN A FLOOD, SHE, YOU KNOW, A WATER HELPING YOU, SORRY, YOU'RE EITHER IN A CERTAIN WATERSHED OR YOU'RE NOT.
AND IT HELPS DETERMINE IF YOU'RE GONNA FLOOD OR NOT.
SO WHAT ROLE DOES IT PLAY IN REDISTRICTING? IT CERTAINLY IS SOMETHING THAT THEY SHOW ON HARRIS COUNTY'S, UH, FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT WEBSITE.
WELL, TYPICALLY, UH, THE, THE PROCESS LOOKS AT, UM, VISIBLE, IMPORTANT, UH, SUBSTANTIAL BOUNDARIES AND BIOS TEND TO BE THE KIND OF BOUNDARY THAT PEOPLE RECOGNIZE AS DIVIDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
NOT ALWAYS, BUT SOMETIMES AND FREQUENTLY.
AND SO THERE MAY BE SOME TENDENCY FOR WATERSHEDS TO ACTUALLY BE SPLIT BY CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS IF A BIO, FOR INSTANCE, IS USED AS THE BOUNDARY AND IT, AND IT FREQUENTLY IS.
DO YOU WANNA GO FLIP TO THE MICROPHONE? OH, DO I HAVE MORE CARDS? OKAY, GO AHEAD, GO TO THE MICROPHONE 'CAUSE YOU'RE THE NEXT CARD ON MY LIST.
YOU CAN GO TO THE MICROPHONE AND SPEAK.
CAN I GET A CARD OVER HERE? SO THIS IS MYRA JEFFERSON, SHE DIDN'T HEAR ME.
MY NAME IS MYRA JEFFERSON, AND I'M FROM CARDALE.
AND I HEAR, UH, A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE REFERRING TO SPRING BRANCH.
AND, UM, AND I KNOW YOUR SIGNS ARE NOW IN CARDALE AS WELL.
BUT THE THING IS, IS THAT CARDALE, UH, IT REALLY, IN MY OPINION, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON NEEDS TO, UH, WORK WITH CARDALE TO INCREASE ITS CAPACITY TO MANAGE ITSELF.
IT NEEDS TO EITHER BE ITS OWN CITY OR ITS OWN MANAGEMENT MANAGING AGENCY.
BECAUSE OVER THE YEARS, CARDALE HAS JUST BEEN IGNORED, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, FOR, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, STARTING FROM THE 1960S WHEN THEY CLOSED OUR SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF INTEGRATION, THEY, THEY CHOSE TO, UH, CLOSE OUR SCHOOL AND, UM, UH, AND, AND BUS US, YOU KNOW, UH, THROUGHOUT CY-FAIR DISTRICT.
AND, UM, AND, UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT, A FEW YEARS LATER, 10 YEARS LATER, WE GET THIS LANDFILL.
OUR PARENTS WERE BLIND BLINDSIDED BY THIS LANDFILL.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND IT, AND IT OCCUPIED THE ONLY LAND IN CARDALE LARGE ENOUGH FOR
[00:25:01]
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND, AND, UH, EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE.AND SO BASICALLY, WHEN YOU HAVE NO SCHOOL AND YOU HAVE NO LAND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE MESSED UP PRETTY BAD.
AND, UH, AND SO IT STAYED THAT WAY AND IT STAYED THAT WAY ALL THESE YEARS.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT WE'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I JUST DON'T TRUST ANYONE TO DO ANYTHING FOR US IN THE FUTURE.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE NEED, SOMEONE NEEDS TO WORK WITH US TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO MANAGE OURSELVES, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, DISTRICT A LOOK, DISTRICT B LOOKS MORE LIKE US, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S FAIR TO TO, TO DUMP OUR PROBLEMS ON THEM.
IT MIGHT TAKE THEM 30 YEARS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TRY TO HELP US, YOU KNOW? AND SO, I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A BAD SITUATION THAT CARDALE IS IN.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ALL ARE GONNA DO TO TRY TO HELP CARDALE, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T SPEAK FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, BUT I CERTAINLY SPEAK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IN CARDALE WHO, WHO JUST FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN BYPASSED AND WE'RE BEING MISSED.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW THAT.
UH, MY NEXT SPEAKER IS JAN FOWLER, AND THEN ROY LIRA.
UH, I DO WANNA PAUSE FOR A MOMENT AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING FROM THE CARDALE COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN YOU GO HOME AND TALK WITH YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THIS, EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T COME TO TONIGHT'S MEETING FOR DISTRICT A, WHAT WE ARE DOING IS ANYONE IS WELCOME AT ANY ONE OF THESE MEETINGS.
SO IF YOU SPEAK TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT THESE MEETINGS AND THEY SAY, OH DARN, I MISSED IT, IT WAS LAST NIGHT, THEY HAVEN'T MISSED IT.
THERE ARE, UM, NINE MORE MEETINGS PLUS A VIRTUAL ONE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HOLD.
SO, UM, GO TO LET'S TALK HOUSTON.ORG REDISTRICTING, AND YOU CAN FIND THE SCHEDULE FOR THE FUTURE MEETINGS.
ANYONE CAN GO TO ANY MEETING, AND WE REALLY DO WANNA HEAR FROM EVERYONE.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR THAT LITTLE ADVERTISEMENT.
SO DID I SAY JAN FOWLER? OKAY.
I'M FROM A VERY SMALL SUBDIVISION CALLED YORKWOOD THAT IS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF TWO 90, RIGHT BY COAL CREEK PARK.
SO IF YOU KNOW WHERE TARGET IS, YOU GO DOWN LANGFIELD, AND THERE WE ARE, UH,
WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN WITH BRENDA FOR A LONG TIME AND AMY FOR A LONG TIME TOO.
I HAVE A QUESTION IN A COMMENT.
THE QUESTION IS, WHEN THESE CHARTS SAY THAT DISTRICT A IS 5% OVER, DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE GOING TO CUT OUT 5% OF THE PROPERTY IN DISTRICT? A QUESTION.
THE, UH, THE DISTRICT'S, UH, POPULATIONS CAN VARY FROM THE AVERAGE.
SO YOU'RE 5% ABOVE THE AVERAGE.
THE RANGE THAT IT, THAT, UH, DISTRICTS CAN BE AWAY FROM THE AVERAGE, AND THIS IS FROM PAST COURT CASES, IS 5% ABOVE AND 5% BELOW.
SO THE, THE, THE POPULATION WOULD NOT REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO DISTRICT A, IF THAT HELPS.
UH, THAT, THAT'S A GOOD ANSWER,
UNLESS, UNLESS THEY START BUMPING PEOPLE AROUND.
SO, SO JUST TO REITERATE FOR, FOR I DID, I UNDERSTAND YOU.
AT THIS POINT IN TIME, IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THERE WILL NEED TO BE ANY CHANGES MADE TO DISTRICT DAY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT MORE THAN 5% OVER.
IS THAT, I, I, I CAN'T COMMIT TO THAT BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY HERE OR IN OTHER DISTRICTS.
BUT BY POPULATION, YOU'RE BEING 5% OVER THE AVERAGE POPULA DISTRICT POPULATION WOULD MEAN THAT YOU, YOU'RE NOT IN A POSITION LIKE DISTRICT C WHERE THEY ARE MUCH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S 17% I BELIEVE ABOVE THE DISTRICT POP, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOSE A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF THEIR POPULATION.
DISTRICT A IS MUCH CLOSER TO THE AVERAGE.
AND MY COMMENT IS WE ARE NORTH OF TWO 90, AS IS INWOOD, AS IS WOODLAND TRAILS.
UH, THERE ARE A BUNCH OF US OVER THERE, AND WE DON'T WANNA BE CUT OUTTA DISTRICT A.
THE NEXT CARD I HAVE IS FOR KIM.
AND THEN FOLLOWING KIM, I HAVE HECTOR DE LA GARZA
I PUT HECTOR ON TOP OF IT, SO YOU'RE, WELL, KIM'S HERE.
HI, ROY LARA AND I'M THE, WITH THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THERE.
AND WITH ME THIS EVENING IS ALSO STA WELL, STACY AND FAIRCHILD, WHO'S OUR SNA SECRETARY.
A COUPLE OF COMMENTS I WANTED TO MAKE IS, AS A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE, WE'RE AVAILABLE TO HELP FACILITATE CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, ADDRESS PROBLEMS, AND INCREASE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND I SEE A FEW SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD
[00:30:01]
REPRESENTATIVES HERE, SO THIS IS FANTASTIC TO SEE.THIS IS ALSO THE SECOND EVENT I'VE COME TO THAT WE'VE COME TO, 'CAUSE I, I'M A RESIDENT OF CARLOS CISNEROS DISTRICT, AND WE'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POPULATION COUNT.
SO I THINK COLLECTIVELY AS A CITY FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, PEOPLE WILL QUESTION THE TOTAL COUNT, WHETHER IT'S CULTURAL TRUST OR ERRORS IN DEMOGRAPHIC OR DATA, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.
I MADE MY SPECIFIC COMMENTS ABOUT REDISTRICTING YESTERDAY EVENING.
AND ONE ITEM I DID NOT MAKE WAS ABOUT AT LARGE REPRESENTATION.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THEORIES OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS REPRESENTATIVES AND ELIMINATING AT LARGE REPRESENTATION.
FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, I THINK I SEE VALUE IN AT LARGE REPRESENTATION BECAUSE AS A MEMBER RESIDENT, THIS ALLOWS US SIX OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEAK WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS INSTEAD OF JUST ONE.
ADDITIONALLY, IF WE HAVE INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS OR REPRESENTATION, WE MAY MISS OUT ON SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS, SUCH AS CHAPTER TH 30, WHICH IS THE SOUND NOISE ORDINANCE THAT'S BEING ADDRESSED IN CITY OF HOUSTON TODAY, ACTUALLY.
AND THIS WAS SPEARHEADED BY AN OUR AT LARGE REPRESENTATIVE WHO'S HERE THIS EVENING.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF VALUE, PERSONAL OPINION OF HAVING THESE AT LARGE REPRESENTATIVES.
SO WITH NINE CITY OF HOUSTON COUNCIL, UH, COMMITTEES, AND AS WE EXPAND THERE, IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO GET SOME OF THE BIGGER PICTURE ITEMS DONE.
HELLO, KIM, I'M GONNA HAVE TO ASK YOU FOR YOUR LAST NAME, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO EXPAND TRAINING ON THE REDISTRICTING SOFTWARE AS MOST CONSTITUENTS ARE UNAWARE OF HOW TO USE IT? I, SO I, I CAN ANSWER THAT.
SO RUPESH, THE GENTLEMAN IN THE YELLOW SHIRT, WE HAVE THE COMPUTER SET UP IN OUR OFFICE.
YOU MAY COME, YOU MAY CALL HIM AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO COME AT ANY TIME HE'S AVAILABLE, WHICH HE'LL WORK WITH YOU ON THE SCHEDULE AND HE WILL HELP YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IT SO THAT YOU CAN USE THAT SOFTWARE YOURSELF.
SO AS I'M UNDERSTANDING, IT ALL HAPPENS IN LIKE A ONE SESSION TIME.
HE'LL WORK WITH YOU ON, ON IF, IF IT TAKES LONGER THAN ONE SESSION, HE'LL WORK WITH YOU.
IS IT, IS THAT A, A PRACTICAL, UM, EXPECTATION THAT SOMEONE COULD GRASP IT IN THAT SHORT TIMEFRAME? THAT, THAT'S MY QUESTION.
LIKE, TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE THAT SOFTWARE SEEMS LIKE THERE SHOULD BE MORE OPPORTUNITY THAN JUST GOING TO THE OFFICE DOWNTOWN AND, AND SITTING WITH SOMEONE.
I CAN, I CAN GIVE YOU SOME, SOME IDEA OF OUR PAST EXPERIENCE.
UM, I HAVEN'T USED THE UPDATED SOFTWARE IN 11 YEARS SINCE THE LAST REDISTRICTING, BUT UH, IT'S THE SAME COMPANY.
AND SO IT SHOULD BE VERY SIMILAR.
IN THE PAST, WE HAD A NUMBER OF CITIZENS COME DOWN WHO'D NEVER USED THE SOFTWARE BEFORE.
WE WERE ABLE TO EXPLAIN TO THEM HOW TO USE THE SOFTWARE.
THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR PLAN.
IT WAS ANALYZED AND INCLUDED IN THE FINAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL.
UM, SO I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE THAT DIFFICULT.
THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE SOFTWARE IS TO MAKE IT AS USER FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE ALL DEALT WITH SOFTWARE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE USER FRIENDLY, THAT ISN'T, BUT, BUT RUPE IS VERY GOOD AND HE'LL BE ABLE TO HELP YOU WALK YOU THROUGH IT.
AND, AND, UH, I, IF THOSE OTHER PEOPLE COULD DO IT, I'M PRETTY SURE YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT TOO.
IT IS IT, UM, POSSIBLE TO KNOW THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS SOFTWARE? THE, THE SOFTWARE IS CALLED AUTO BOUND.
IT'S AN UPDATED, UH, UH, UH, SOFTWARE, UH, BY THE NAME OF AUTO BOUND.
YEAH, AUTO AS IN AUTOMOBILE, BUT AUTO BOUND AS IN BOUNDARY, AUTO BOUND BOUNDARY.
BECAUSE I, I'M JUST THINKING, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE A LOT OF CITIZENS WHO ARE NEEDING TO GO AND GET THAT TRAINING FROM RU PEH AND HE'S ONLY ONE PERSON, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IT, THAT WEIGHS A LOT ON ONE INDIVIDUAL AND INDIVIDUAL.
AND WILL HE HAVE THE ACCESSIBILITY TO MEET THE NEED IF THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WANTING TO, WELL, LET ME, LET ME QUICKLY ASSURE YOU THAT IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC ISSUE THAT IS OF CONCERN TO YOU, AS OPPOSED TO A FULL REDISTRICTING ISSUE, IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC ISSUE, YOUR COMMENTS WILL ALSO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AND INCLUDED IN THE REPORT AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC HAVE MADE CHANGES TO DRAFT REPORTS AND HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED
[00:35:01]
INTO THE, THE DRAFT PLANS IN THE PAST ALSO.UM, SO THE PLANS DO CHANGE AND THEY CAN BE CHANGED BASED ON THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY THE PUBLIC AND BY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION IS, SO WE HAVE THE NAME OF THE SOFTWARE.
IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS IT FROM HOME? THERE'S THERE'S NOT.
NO, BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT, IT'S A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS.
I MEAN, YOU COULD BUY IT, BUT IT'S A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS AND SO WE'VE GOT IT.
YEAH, WE, WE, WE HAVE A LICENSE FROM THE COMPANY AND WE CAN'T SIMPLY PUT IT ON THE INTERNET.
AND, AND I WOULD ADD THAT LAST, LAST REDISTRICTING.
THERE REALLY WERE HALF DOZEN, SIX, 10 PEOPLE WHO DID IT.
SO I DON'T ANTICIPATE THERE'S GONNA BE 50 PEOPLE THIS TIME.
UM, HECTOR DE LA GARZA, AND THEN ROSALIND WOLF.
HELLO, MY NAME'S HECTOR DE LA GARZA.
I'VE BEEN AT SPRING BRANCH SINCE 1997.
UM, I'VE BEEN AT SPRING BRANCH SINCE 1997.
UM, MOST RECENTLY I MOVED OUT ON MY OWN IN 2010.
I LIVE ON STEEL WOOD DRIVE NORTH OF NEWAN ROAD.
IF Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE NEWAN PROJECT FOR THE DRAINAGE RAISE OF HANDS.
ANYBODY WHO KNOWS ABOUT THE NEWEST PROJECT EVERYBODY DOES.
HOW MANY PEOPLE LEFT THE PROJECT? OKAY, MY HOUSE FLOODED 2008.
DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER WHEN HARVEY WAS 2017? OKAY.
YOU KNOW WHY WE DIDN'T FLOOD? 2017, I WENT OUT AND RENTED FOUR WATER PUMPS.
I PUMPED THE WATER FROM STEEL WOOD DRIVE TO NEW ORLEANS ROAD.
ME AND MY NEIGHBORS WENT OUT INSIDE THE CARGO TRAILER.
WE SAT IN THERE WITH LAWN CHAIRS AND WE RAN THE PUMPS.
WE WERE OUT THERE SO LONG WE DIDN'T KNOW THE REST OF HOUSTON WAS FLOODING.
WE HAD THREE FLOODS IN FOUR YEARS.
WE KNOW AS SOON AS IT RAINS WE'RE GONNA FLOOD.
WE WERE OUT IN THAT CARGO TRAILER SO LONG.
WE HAD ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS BRING OUT AN EXTENSION CORD.
WE WERE WATCHING THE, WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS GOING ON UNTIL LIKE 24 HOURS INTO THE FLOODING.
WE WATCHED THE REST OF HOUSTON FLOOD EVERYWHERE AROUND US EXCEPT OUR STREET.
WE'RE ON STILL WOOD AND NEW ONES.
OKAY, I WAS TOLD WE'RE THE SECOND PHASE.
STEEL WOOD IS THE SECOND PHASE OF THE DRAIN OF THE NEWEST DRAINAGE PROJECT.
THEY HAVE GRASS, THEY HAVE NICE SIDEWALKS, BRAND NEW STREET.
BUT GUESS WHAT, GUESS WHAT HAPPENED THIS JANUARY 9TH.
THE WATER CAME AN INCH FROM EVERYBODY'S DOOR FLOODED ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE GARAGES ON MY STREET.
YOU KNOW WHY IT DIDN'T GET INTO THEIR HOUSE? I CAME OUT AGAIN.
I HAVE $50,000 WORTH OF EQUIPMENT IN MY BACKYARD AND I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO BRING THAT ONE OUT.
I JUST BROUGHT UP TWO SMALL ONES.
SO AT JANUARY 9TH, WHEN THE TORNADO HIT FROM LONG POINT TO TO HAMMERLY, THAT TORNADO WENT RIGHT ABOVE MY STREET.
I HAD NEIGHBORS WITH HOLES IN THEIR, IN THEIR ROOF.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AT MIDNIGHT, RIGHT AFTER THE TORNADO WATER STARTED RISING.
THE RETENTION POND DID NOT WORK.
I'M, I'M, I'M NORTH OF, I'M NORTH OF NEW NUANCE.
ALL OF US THAT FLOOD OVER AND OVER AGAIN, I'M NORTH OF NEW NUANCE THAT THE RETENTION POND IS SOUTH OF NEW NUANCE THAT HELPS SOUTH OF NEW NUANCE.
NO SOUTH, SOUTH OF NEW NUANCE FLOWS TOWARD NEW NUANCES.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT COMPLETED YET.
SO JANUARY 9TH I CAME OUT, I RAN THE PUMPS.
I SAVED AT LEAST 10 HOUSES FROM FLOODING AGAIN.
[00:40:01]
I SAVED AT LEAST 30 HOUSES FROM FLOODING 'CAUSE THERE'S 15 HOUSES ON MY CUL-DE-SAC.THERE'S ANOTHER 15 ON THE OTHER SIDE.
THERE'S ABOUT 30 OR 40 TOWNHOUSES BEHIND ME.
ALL THOSE PEOPLE CAME OUT AND THEY SAW WHAT WE WERE DOING.
EVERYBODY CAME OUT AND STARTED GIVING US DONATIONS.
LUCKILY THOSE DONATIONS COVERED THE $1,500 OF RENTAL EXPENSES THAT I INCURRED MYSELF TO GET THOSE PUMPS.
DURING HARVEY 2019, WHEN WE FLOODED DURING THE MAIL, THE STORM, I WENT OUT AND BOUGHT FOUR PUMPS THAT ARE WORTH $1,600 EACH.
AND AFTER THAT, IN CASE I WASN'T ENOUGH, I WENT AND BOUGHT ANOTHER DIESEL IRRIGATION PUMP SIX INCH THAT COULD LITERALLY FLOW TONS OF WATER PER MINUTE.
AND I'VE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION BEFORE.
I HAVE A NEIGHBOR THAT IS IN THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW THAT SHE CANNOT COME TO THESE MEETINGS NO MORE.
SHE'S BEEN BRINGING ATTENTION TO THIS.
I HAVE ANOTHER NEIGHBOR THAT PASSED AWAY WHILE SHE WAS OUT OF HER HOUSE.
SHE DID NOT MAKE IT BACK HOME AFTER THE FLOOD.
I GOT ANOTHER NEIGHBOR THAT COMMITTED SUICIDE BECAUSE SHE COULD NOT REBUILD AFTER HER FLOOD.
ALL BECAUSE WE DON'T GET AN EXTRA A HUNDRED FEET OF COVERT THAT WE NEED TO GET CONNECTED TO THE NEWEST PROJECT.
WE STILL HAVE THE 24 INCH COVERT FROM 1956.
ARE WE JUST GONNA KEEP FLOODING UNTIL THEY FALL APART? LET SOMEBODY ELSE COME IN AND BUILD FOUR HOUSES PER, PER LOT.
I KNOW IT'S ATTRACTIVE TO HAVE FOUR HOUSES PER LOT WHERE YOU CAN CHARGE HALF A MILLION PER HOUSE.
YOU CAN GET 2 MILLION IN TAXES PER PROPERTY WHEN RIGHT NOW YOU'RE ONLY GETTING TAXES ON 200,000.
AND LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING ELSE.
THERE'S THREE HOUSES ON MY STREET RIGHT NOW.
IF THEY FLOOD, THERE'S ONE PENDING FOR 350,000.
IT WAS ONLY ON THE MARKET FOUR DAYS.
IT'S ONLY BEEN PENDING FOUR DAYS.
THEY'RE GONNA CLOSE ON FRIDAY.
THEN NEW OWNER HAS NO IDEA IT'S GONNA FLOOD.
IF I DON'T COME OUT WITH MY PUMP, THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S GONNA FLOOD.
THERE'S A BRAND NEW HOUSE BUILT.
THERE'S A BRAND NEW HOUSE ON 1902 STILL WOOD BRAND 800.
IT ALMOST FLOODED JANUARY 9TH.
IF I DIDN'T RUN THE PUMPS, THAT HOUSE WOULD'VE FLOODED AS WELL.
AND 2017 STILL WITH ALL THOSE HOUSES ARE FOR SALE RIGHT NOW.
THOSE PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW IT'S GONNA FLOOD.
THE NEW OWNERS ARE GONNA KNOW.
'CAUSE I'M GONNA TELL 'EM WELL, WE'LL WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS MORE DURING THE CIP PORTION OF THIS MEETING.
UM, 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE REDISTRICTING, BUT I'LL JUST ADDRESS IT RIGHT NOW SINCE YOU'RE HERE.
WELL, SORRY IF, I DON'T KNOW IF I MENTIONED IT, BUT I KIND OF GOT AHEAD OF MYSELF.
MY MAIN CONCERN, WELL MY CONCERN THAT WAS LEADING UP TO THIS WAS THE POPULATION IS AT A CONTROLLING SPRING BRANCH.
IT'S, I MEAN, HOUSES ARE BEING BUILT, YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE HOUSES PER LOT, LIKE EVERYWHERE YOU TURN.
I'VE BEEN IN SPRING BRANCH SINCE 1997.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS MUCH GROWTH.
I MEAN THIS PAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS IS RE IS JUST TOO MUCH.
SO THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF GROWTH IF IN SPRING BRANCH, DISTRICT DAY, IF ANYTHING, WELL, I MEAN THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF GROWTH IN SPRING BRANCH OR W RIGHT? AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE TO PUMP OUT THE WATER FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, A LOT MORE HOMES WOULD HAVE FLOODED IF NOT FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
UM, AND WE ARE GOING TO SCHEDULE THAT MEETING FOR, UM, FOR US TO GO OUT THERE WITH YOU TO LOOK AT THAT WITH PUBLIC WORKS ABOUT EXTENDING THE PIPE.
UM, SO THIS, THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS PART OF THE SPRING SHADOW SOUTH DRAINAGE AND PAVING PROJECT.
NEWAND ROAD, OF COURSE WAS PHASE ONE, WHICH IS ALMOST COMPLETE NOW.
UM, AND THAT WAS BASICALLY TO ADD CAPACITY FOR THE OTHER FOUR PHASES FOR THE WATER TO GO.
SO YOU HAD TO START AT ONE POINT TO ACTUALLY CREATE THAT CAPACITY.
UM, OTHERWISE THE WATER WOULDN'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO IF WE CONNECTED ANY PIPES.
SO YOU'RE RIGHT, CONNECTING THE PIPE IS PART OF PHASE TWO, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY FIX THAT WILL FIX PHASE TWO BECAUSE AS MUCH CAPACITY AS WE PUT WITH UNDER NEW ONES AND WITH NEW ONES AND THE DRAINAGE, UM, THE, THE, UM, THE DETENTION BASIN, IT'S STILL NOT ENOUGH TO CONTAIN ALL OF THE WATER THAT'S HAPPENING IN SPRING SHADOW SOUTH.
SO YOU'RE RIGHT, A PIPE IS PART OF THE EQUATION, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY FIX.
AND SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE OTHER FOUR PHASES, ALMOST A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF PROJECTS OF, OF STUFF THAT WE NEED TO DO.
SO OF COURSE THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PIECEMEALING IT PHASES TWO THROUGH FIVE AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE ANOTHER 30 PLUS YEARS IF WE DO IT THAT WAY.
RIGHT NOW I'M WORKING ON TRYING TO FIND FUNDING TO ADDRESS THE ENTIRE PROJECT ALL AT ONCE.
[00:45:01]
WITH FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVE, STATE REPRESENTATIVES, LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES, LITERALLY ANYONE WHO IS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT HAS ANY CONTROL OVER ANY FUNDING THAT HAS TO DO WITH SPRING BRANCH.I HAVE MET WITH TRU TRI GET FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT.
I THINK THAT WE ARE STARTING TO MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS THAT.
UM, I'VE ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE A NEW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT AS WELL IN THAT AREA.
I HAVE PERSONALLY TAKEN OUT A CANDIDATE AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHER CANDIDATES FOR THAT THAT WANT TO COME OUT WITH ME, BUT I'VE PERSONALLY TAKEN OUT A CANDIDATE TO LOOK AT IT PHYSICALLY WITH HIS OWN EYES TO UM, COMMIT TO TRYING TO GET FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS THAT.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD PROBABLY DO IN THE INTERIM FOR QUICK KIND OF FIXES JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT MAYBE A FEW PEOPLE DON'T FLOOD IN THE INTERIM.
AND I HAVE MET WITH COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, WHO WILL BE YOUR NEW COMMISSIONER, UM, WITH THE NEW PRECINCT LINES TO DISCUSS SOME OF THOSE FIXES.
AND IT, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN EASIER QUICK FIX, BUT IT MIGHT ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE FLOODING IN THE INTERIM.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE MAYOR WERE HERE
I MEAN, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN IS NODDING HER HEAD TO LITERALLY ALL THE TIME OUT OF MY MOUTH IS SPRING SHADOW, SOUTH SPRING SHADOWS, NORTH DRAINAGE AND PAVING PROJECTS AND AMONG A FEW OTHER PROJECTS AS WELL.
SO YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE IS A LOT OF NEED THERE.
AND WE WILL BE SETTING UP THAT MEETING WITH YOU TO GO OUT THERE WITH, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN THERE LITERALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF RAIN EVENTS, BUT I KNOW YOU WANTED TO GO OUT THERE WITH ME TO LOOK AT THAT.
WHAT YOU THINK IS THE, THE PIPE THAT WE COULD JUST EXTEND.
SO WE'LL BE OUT THERE WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO DISCUSS THAT.
WELL, IT'S NOT SO MUCH EXTENDING THIS STREET IS THE LOWEST STREET.
BEFORE, AND THAT'S PART OF THE ISSUES.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY TO FIX SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I KNOW, BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
BUT WE'RE GONNA WORK ON SOME OF THOSE.
IF, IF, IF I CAN PUMP THE WATER OUT, IF I CAN PUMP THE WATER OUT, I THINK A HUNDRED FEET.
WELL THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED TOO, IS PUTTING WE, WE DON'T NEED TO EXTEND COMPS, THAT KIND OF THING.
JUST GET A BIGGER CULVERT IN THERE.
NOT THE LITTLE 24 INCH THAT WE HAVE THAT GOES ALL THE WAY FROM HAMMERLY 12.
WELL PUT IN A 24 INCH CULVERT FOR OUR DRIVEWAY.
UHHUH DITCHES CAN'T HANDLE A 24.
SO WE HAVE A 24 INCH SINK ALL THE WAY FROM HAMMERLY TO NEW ORLEANS FOR ALL OF OUR STREET PLUS THE OTHER STREETS THAT COME TOWARD US.
SO WE'RE, WE KNOW, WE FEEL YOU FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD OUT.
SO WE'RE GONNA SET UP THAT MEETING AND JUST KNOW THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THAT.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU'LL COME WHEN WE TAKE THE BUS TO CITY HALL TO PUBLIC SESSION TO TALK TO THE MAYOR ABOUT WHY THIS PROJECT IS NEEDED.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I TELL HIM ALL THE TIME, BUT HE NEEDS TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE ELSE TOO, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE FLOODING THIS, THIS PROJECT IS OVERDUE.
NO, THIS, THIS DISTILL WOOD STILL WOOD.
AND WE'LL SCHEDULE THAT MEETING.
SO DO WE WANNA GO BACK TO THE SEAT? TO THE DISTRICT? THANK, THANK YOU SIR.
UH, THE NEXT CARD I HAVE IS ROSALYN WOLF, AND THEN FOLLOWING HER, UM, IS VICKI MORRIS.
BUT I THINK WE'VE ALREADY CALLED VICKI ONCE.
UM, I'M WITH THE RIDGECREST CIVIC CLUB AND OUR HOMES WE'RE ABOUT ROUGHLY 900 HOMES MAYBE, GIVE OR TAKE.
UH, AND WE'RE ON THE NORTH PORTION OF, UH, LONG POINT FROM HUG OAKS TO BINGLE.
AND THEN WE GO ACROSS HAMLEY WHERE WE GO BACK TO THE LANDRUM, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND I'M PRETTY MUCH REPRESENTING THE MAJORITY OF THEM THERE.
WE DO WANNA KEEP OUR DISTRICT, WHICH IS DISTRICT EIGHT TOGETHER.
UH, THEY COULD NOW BE HERE TO TONIGHT, UM, UM, REPRESENTING THEM AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CIVIC CLUB.
AND THEY'RE WANTING TO KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE KEEPING OUR DISTRICT TOGETHER, YAY TOGETHER, UH, JUST ON THE OFF CHANCE THAT THOSE GUYS WANNA SEPARATE US, HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT DOING THAT REDISTRICTING? WHERE WOULD YOU START? FROM WHAT STREET TO WHAT STREET? 'CAUSE WE WANNA KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA BE SPLIT UP, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD SPLIT UP OUR CIVIC CLUB AND WE WANNA KEEP OUR CIVIC CLUB TOGETHER AS WELL AS OUR DISTRICT.
UM, I AM
BUT, UM, IF, IF YOU, IF YOU COULD FORGIVE ME, I, I WAS WRITING YOUR NAME DOWN AND I DIDN'T HEAR THE NAME OF THE CIVIC CLUB, AND I'M TERRIBLY SORRY.
IT'S RIDGECREST RIDGECREST, RIDGECREST, CITY RIDGE C CLUB, RIDGECREST.
[00:50:01]
IS, IS WHEN WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THESE PLANS, WE USE THE VOTING PRECINCTS AS THE BUILDING BLOCKS.SO WHATEVER VOTING PRECINCT YOU'RE IN, UM, WOULD THE BOUNDARIES OF THAT VOTING PRECINCT WOULD BE THE, UH, THE, THE PORTION OF THE DISTRICT, UH, OF THE, OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WOULD BE TAKEN IN ANY KIND OF REDISTRICTING, WHETHER IT'S THE CITY COUNCIL OR THE STATE OR THE COUNTY MM-HMM
UM, BUT AGAIN, I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE'S ANY IMMINENT PLAN TO SPLIT UP SPRING BRANCH.
I'M NOT SEEING ANY PLANS LIKE THAT.
AND JUST A NOTE ABOUT THAT TOO, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I AM WATCHING VERY CLOSELY WHEN WE COME TO THE REDISTRICTING MAPS TO TRY TO KEEP NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT WON'T BE AN ISSUE IN SPRING BRANCH, BUT IN INWOOD AND SOME OF THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, UM, ARE NEXT TO DISTRICT B AND C, WE DO HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE ACTUALLY SPLIT BETWEEN COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M GOING TO WATCH VERY CLOSELY.
I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION OF WHOSE DISTRICT THAT'S GONNA BE IN AND NOT SPLIT UP THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO IT, IT'S VERY, UM, CONFUSING WHEN THAT HAPPENS FOR EVERYONE CONCERNED.
SO WE DEFINITELY DO NOT WANNA SPLIT UP ANY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND REAL FAST, WHILE I'M HERE, CAN I JUST HAVE A FEW OTHER PEOPLE THAT I NEEDED TO ANNOUNCE? UM, THE DIRECTOR OF SOLID WASTE, MARK WIL IS HERE OVER THERE.
DIRECTOR OF DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
SASHA FRANCIS, SARAH SCOTT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON'S OFFICE IN THE BACK.
CHRIS GONZALEZ, OUR SPRING BRANCH, ISD BOARD PRESIDENT ZF TO HEAR FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE DISTRICT, A TEAM SITTING OVER THERE.
AND THEN, UM, MS. BRIDGES, AND I'M NOT SURE I CAN READ THE FIRST NAME.
I'VE BEEN AT A RESIDENT SPRING BRANCH FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS NOW.
UM, I DO WANT TO JUST EMPHASIZE THAT, UH, EVERYONE WHO'S HERE TO, UH, TAKE THE COMMUNITY REQUESTS ABOUT THE, UM, UH, REDISTRICTING.
PLEASE LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF POLITICIANS IN THIS AUDIENCE.
THERE'S A LOT OF FORMER POLITICIANS IN THIS AUDIENCE.
THERE'S A LOT OF CITY EMPLOYEES IN THIS AUDIENCE, AND THEY'RE HERE TO, UH, MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, UH, ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS REDISTRICTING, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
PLEASE LISTEN TO THE WOMAN WHO IS FROM, UH, CARDALE, WHO HAS, UH, PROVIDED HER INPUT ON THIS.
PLEASE LISTEN TO THE GENTLEMAN WHO HAS HAD TO PUMP WATER OFF OF HIS STREET.
UH, BECAUSE THE CITY AND THE DISTRICT HAVE IGNORED THE FLOODING PROBLEMS IN THIS, UH, AREA FOR SINCE THE 1960S.
I HAVE LOOKED AT THE, UH, HOUSTON CHRONICLE, UH, ARTICLES FROM THAT TIME PERIOD UP UNTIL NOW.
AND SPRING BRANCH HAS IGNORED THE FLOODING AND DRAINAGE PROBLEMS IN THIS COMMUNITY, UH, ESPECIALLY APARTMENT COMPLEXES SINCE THAT TIME.
THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD ARE EXACTLY THE SAME AS THEY'VE BEEN SINCE THE SIXTIES.
THEY'VE JUST PANNED THEM OVER.
I KNOW I LIVE IN ONE, MY APARTMENT COMPLEX FLOODS ALL THE TIME.
IT'S THE SAME PIPES THAT HAVE BEEN THERE SINCE THE SIXTIES.
THE, UH, POLITICIANS IN THIS AREA HAVE CONSISTENTLY, UH, PUSHED BACK AGAINST IMPROVING THOSE PIPES.
I'VE READ THE ARTICLES, I'VE READ THE QUOTES.
PLEASE LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE, THE WOMAN WHO ALSO SPOKE ABOUT ACCESS TO THIS SOFTWARE.
I'M SURE THAT YOU HAVE DONE EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO MAKE SURE THERE IS ACCESS, BUT A SINGLE, UH, APPOINTMENT, EVEN OVER A COURSE OF A FEW SESSIONS, UH, WITH THE RULES THAT ARE IN PLACE TO REDISTRICT THE ENTIRE CITY.
LET, LET ME EMPHASIZE THAT, THAT ANY, ANY SUGGESTIONS REGARDING BOUNDARIES.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO REDISTRICT A A PORTION OF THE CITY, IT'S DIFFICULT TO ANALYZE 'CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE EFFECTS ON THE REST.
BUT ANY PROPOSALS OR SUGGESTIONS MADE ABOUT ANY
[00:55:01]
BOUNDARIES THAT YOU, UH, THINK ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY TO KNOW ABOUT.THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE AS PART OF AN, A ENTIRE REDISTRICTING OF THE CITY.
IF SOMEONE IS CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, FOR INSTANCE, THE COUNCILMAN WAS TALKING ABOUT IN THE INWOOD AREA, UH, SOMEONE WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GREATER INWOOD AREA IS UNITED IN A SINGLE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT DOES NOT HAVE TO PROVIDE US WITH A, A FULLY REDISTRICTED PLAN OF THE ENTIRE CITY IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT POINT AND TO, FOR THAT POINT TO BE HEARD AND FOR THAT POINT TO BE INCORPORATED INTO A PLAN IF IT POSSIBLY CAN.
I CANNOT EASILY READ THE FIRST NAME.
UH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, MAY, MAY, I-S-U-Z-O-N.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO BOLSTER WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT NOT BREAKING UP SPRING BRANCH, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD A COMMENT.
UM, IN MEETINGS THAT I USUALLY GO TO FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT, A PROPOSED MAP IS USUALLY SET FORTH SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN SEE WHAT IS GOING ON.
AND TO ME, THIS, THIS IS NOT TRANSPARENT IN THIS, I'M NOT, IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL.
I'M NOT, THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE TOO TRANSPARENT FOR THERE NOT TO BE SOME KIND OF, UH, PROPOSAL UP TO WHERE EVERYONE CAN SEE WHAT THE PROPOSED, BECAUSE AS THIS GENTLEMAN POINTED OUT, WE CAN'T TELL.
I MEAN, HE'S SAYING, WELL, WE CAN'T TELL WHAT'S GONNA BE TAKEN AWAY FROM SOMETHING ELSE, BUT YOU ALL HAVE THE INFORMATION.
YOU HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION.
WE ARE JUST CITIZENS IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO THAT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO COMMENT EXCEPT JUST WITHIN YOUR OWN, UH, UH, AREA ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T WANNA BE BROKEN UP.
BUT THEN THERE'S A SHORT TIME FUSE BEFORE THE FINAL PROPOSAL HAS TO BE DONE.
AND IF MEETINGS ARE DONE TO WHERE YOU HAVE A MAP ALREADY PROPOSED, THEN I THINK YOUR, THE COMMENTS MADE BY THE CITIZENS WOULD CERTAINLY BE MORE RELEVANT TO YOU ALL, EVEN, YOU KNOW, AND WE WOULD BE MORE IN LINE ABOUT WHAT THE THOUGHT PROCESS BE IS BEHIND, YOU KNOW, THE ACTUAL REDISTRICTING.
AND THERE WOULD BE A COMMUNICATION HERE, SUGGESTION ONLY.
WE DO HAVE CENSUS INFORMATION, BUT WE DON'T HAVE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS.
AND WE HAVE THE DEFINITIONS OF NEIGHBORHOODS CHANGE OVER TIME.
AND WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THE, THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHERE THE BOUNDARIES OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE, THE WAY THAT THEY SEE THEIR DISTRICT AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, IN THE GREATER MESH OF THE CITY DISTRICTS.
HOW THAT WORKS BEFORE WE COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT WE WOULD THEN PRESENT IN, IS IT JULY? IT WOULD BE JULY BEFORE WE WOULD PRESENT THAT WITH CITY COUNCIL VOTING ON IT IN SEPTEMBER.
SO THERE IS ACTUALLY QUITE A LOT OF TIME BETWEEN THE TIME IN WHICH A A DRAFT PLAN WOULD BE A A, A PROVIDED AND THE ACTUAL VOTE BY CITY COUNCIL.
AND DURING THAT TIME IT, WE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME DOWN TO CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE YOUR, YOUR VOICE HEARD.
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO, IN WRITING OR BY EMAIL, PROVIDE US WITH INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR OBJECTIONS OR YOUR SUPPORT FOR A PARTICULAR ASPECT OF THE PLAN.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL GET INCORPORATED INTO A FINAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL.
SO THEY KNOW, FIRST OF ALL WHAT THE, THE PUBLIC HAS SAID ABOUT THEIR DEFINITION OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOW THE DISTRICTS OUGHT TO BE DRAWN.
AND SECOND, HOW THEY REACT TO THE, THE WAY IN WHICH THE PLAN CAME OUT.
WHEN WE ESTABLISHED THE TIMELINE FOR THIS, WHAT WE LOOKED AT WAS, DO WE GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY WITH A DRAFT PLAN AND HAVE THEM THINK THAT WE DID A DRAFT PLAN WITHOUT THEIR INPUT? OR DO WE COME TO THE COMMUNITY FIRST AND ASK THEM FOR THEIR INPUT AND THEN TAKE WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE COMMUNITIES AND WE'RE DOING THIS IN EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT AND TAKE WHAT WE LEARNED FROM YOU TONIGHT AND LAST NIGHT AT THE OTHER COUNCIL DISTRICT MEETING AND FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS.
AND THEN USE THAT INFORMATION TO PUT TOGETHER A DRAFT AND THEN BRING THAT BACK TO YOU AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE HEARD.
THIS IS BASED ON THE, THE CENSUS NUMBERS.
THIS IS WHAT WE HEARD FROM YOU AND THIS IS WHAT WE THINK WORKS FROM THAT.
NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? SO YES, WE WILL HAVE DRAFT MAPS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS, BUT WE THOUGHT COMING TO YOU FIRST AND GETTING YOUR INPUT BEFORE WE EVEN PUT PEN TO PAPER, WE BELIEVED THAT WAS WISER AND THAT THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTED
[01:00:01]
BY THE COMMUNITY.UM, NEXT CARD THAT I HAVE IS ARNOLD OLIVERES.
AND THEN AFTER ARNOLD, I HAVE PATRICK GONZALEZ EVENING.
I WORK, SORRY, I'M NOT SPRING BRANCH BORN.
BUT I MOVED HERE IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES.
I WORKED FOR SPRING BRANCH INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR OVER 35 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN RETIRED FROM THEM 15 YEARS.
UM, SPRING BRANCH WAS GOOD TO ME AND I WAS GOOD TO THEM.
OUR MOST IMPORTANT PRODUCT WAS OUR KIDS.
NOW ONE THING, I HAVE SOME THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED.
PERMANENT THINGS, SUN'S GONNA RISE, SUN'S GONNA SET DEATH AND TAXES.
OKAY? EVERYTHING ELSE IS GONNA CHANGE.
IF REDISTRICTING MEANS MORE MONEY FOR THAT CHIEF OVER THERE, IF MORE MONEY MEANS MORE MONEY FOR THOSE PEOPLE OVER THERE THAT PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE EVERY FRICKING DAY, THEN LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.
IF IT DON'T, THEN I DON'T KNOW.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT REDISTRICTING.
UH, I HAD THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT THE OTHER LADY THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO PROPOSE SOMETHING, BUT NO PLAN IN EFFECT.
SO WE CAN SEE WHAT THE CHANGE MAY BE.
ALSO, GOTTA HAVE INPUT WITHOUT INPUT.
IS THAT ENOUGH TIME? I DON'T KNOW.
THIS IS ONE HUMONGOUS CITY, ONE HUMONGOUS AREA YOU WANNA SLICE UP.
AND I HAVE FAITH IN AMY THAT SHE WILL NOT LET OUR DISTRICT GET SPLIT UP.
BUT LIKE I SAID, CHANGE IN IS INEVITABLE.
SHE ALSO ASKED, HOW DO YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR DISTRICT? I WANNA BE ABLE TO GO WALKING WITH MY WIFE IN THE MORNINGS.
WE'RE BOTH RETIRED AND I'D HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FIGHTING SOME FRICKING DOG TRYING TO ATTACK ME.
OR SOME OTHER JOKER WHEN WE'RE RIDING OUR BICYCLES, TRYING TO ATTACK ME IN A PARK.
I WANNA BE ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND ENJOY MY RETIREMENT IS KIND OF HARD.
WHEN THEY'RE SHORTHANDED AND THEY'RE SHORTHANDED AND THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN.
I WORKED WITH SPRING BRANCH POLICE MANY YEARS.
MAN, I, I, I, I THINK I MADE A DIFFERENCE IN SPRING BRANCH THE YEARS THAT I WORKED.
PROBABLY PEOPLE HERE DON'T REMEMBER ME WORKING FOR SPRING BRANCH 'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S NEW.
ALL, ALL OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, THO THOSE PEOPLE ARE NEW.
THEY, THEY DON'T KNOW WHO I WAS.
UH, BUT I ALWAYS SUPPORTED THE CHIEF OVER THERE AND I ALWAYS SUPPORTED THE MEN IN BLUE.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? ABSOLUTELY.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, I'VE BEEN A SPRING BRANCH RESIDENT SINCE 2014.
SO WANT TO EMPHASIZE, DON'T BREAK US UP.
AMY, THIS MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY DIVIDED WITH MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
SO WE HAVE A SPRING BRANCH, WE HAVE A MEMORIAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, SO THERE'S NO SELF-CONTROL BECAUSE WE LOSE SOME OF THAT CONTROL, SOME OF THOSE TAX DOLLARS.
SOMETHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW IT'S A STATE LEVEL TYPE OF THING.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DIVIDES US.
WE GOT CY-FAIR TO MY NORTH IN BINGO WOOD TO MY NORTHEAST, I GUESS IS HISD.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE GOT THE VILLAGES SIDE OF THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO WE'RE PRETTY DIVIDED ALREADY.
SO I THINK, UH, THE LADY HERE MENTIONED CARDALE, THE OTHER GENTLEMAN ABOUT SOME LOCAL CONTROL, THAT KIND OF THING.
UH, I MEAN, ARE THOSE BIG FUNDAMENTAL PLANS? DO YOU TALK ABOUT THAT AT CITY COUNCIL? DO WE GET ADEQUATE, SOLID WASTE SERVICE, YOU KNOW, POLICE SERVICE, THOSE KIND OF THINGS? WE GOT A TON OF MONEY AND WE'RE NOT SEEING IT, AMY.
AND, AND SO I'M ASKING YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR THAT? WE'RE EVEN DIVIDED BY DISTRICT.
WE JUST GOT REDISTRICTED OUT OF LACEY HALL OR, OR WHATEVER HER NAME IS.
THEY ADDED A NEW DISTRICT AT THE CONGRESSIONAL LEVEL.
SOMEHOW WE'RE GERRYMANDERED WITH SHEILA JACKSON LEE IN SPRING.
AND I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT'S INTENTIONAL.
I THINK IT'S WORKING JUST LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BECAUSE IT'S DROWNING OUT EVERYBODY'S VOICE THAT'S HERE TELLING YOU WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
I GO TO SOME OF HER FUNDRAISERS, SO I SUPPORT HER.
SO, UM, I MEAN, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
[01:05:01]
HAVE DIVIDED US, UM, SCHOOL DISTRICT, RIGHT? WE HAVE FIVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN, UM, DISTRICT A ALONE.YEAH, I THINK SOME OF THAT MIGHT BE HARD TO, TO NOT, UM, CONTINUE BECAUSE LIKE KESD SCI FAIR, ISD REALLY COULDN'T GO TO ANY OTHER COUNCIL DISTRICT, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE AT THE FARTHEST, UM, WEST AND KIND OF NORTH POINTS OF SPRING BRANCH.
SO I THINK EITHER WAY WE'RE GOING TO PROBABLY CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE FIVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN DISTRICT A.
UM, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT ARE DIVIDING US TO LIKE THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS AND OF COURSE THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT'S AT THE STATE LEVEL, THE CONGRESSIONAL MAPS AND ALL CONGRESSIONAL ALL MAPS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
LIKE YOU SAID, LACEY HOLE'S DISTRICT CHANGED A LOT AS WELL.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING TO KEEP DISTRICT A AS WHOLE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN TO KEEP SPRING BRANCH TOGETHER, TO KEEP INWOOD TOGETHER, TO KEEP ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I AM LOOKING VERY CLOSELY AT.
BECAUSE EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO HPD DIVISIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE ALL OF THE NORTHWEST DIVISION IN DISTRICT A, BUT THE NORTH DIVISION, WHICH IS THE INWOOD AREA, UM, HAS DISTRICTS A, B, C, AND HI THINK I GOT, YEAH, SO THERE'S FOUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS IN THE NORTH DIVISION AND IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT WHEN WE'RE ALLOCATING FUNDING OR OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, AND THEN SOLID WASTE, UM, AS WELL YOU MENTIONED THAT IS SOMETHING THAT AS WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, I GET DIRECTOR I MY TRASH A DAY.
I'M TALKING TO YOU THAT TOO EVERY WEEK.
UM, BECAUSE IN, OR AT LEAST MY RECYCLE, IT'S FRIDAY COMES ON SATURDAY.
EVERY AND IN DISTRICT A WE ARE PRETTY MUCH THE THIRD AND FOURTH WEEK PICKUPS.
AND THAT HAS ITS OWN IMPACTS ON DISTRICT A TOO.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE IS A LOT TO CONSIDER HERE, BUT THAT'S WHY WHEN THINGS ARE DIVIDING US, WE NEED TO TRY ON THE CITY LEVEL TO KEEP US AS ONE COMMUNITY AS BEST WE CAN.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M GOING TO BE ADVOCATING FOR.
AND I, I RECENTLY READ FROM A RICE, ONE OF THOSE REPORTS THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE PEOPLE OF CITY OF HOUSTON PROPER ARE A NET CONTRIBUTOR TO HARRIS COUNTY IN TERMS OF DOLLARS TAX DOLLARS.
SO IS THERE A WAY WE CAN CAPTURE SOME OF THAT AS CITY OF HOUSTON RESIDENTS? I MEAN, NOBODY LIKES THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT WE, WE PAY THE BILLS, YOU KNOW, SO I WOULD LOVE TO CAPTURE ALL OF THAT MONEY.
WE PAY A LOT OF MONEY, IN FACT, COUNSEL, BUT WE WE'RE A NET CONTRIBUTOR TO HARRIS COUNTY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR TAX BILL, YOU KNOW THE PORTION THAT YOU'RE PAYING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON VERSUS THE COUNTY AND YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, CORRECT? I MEAN, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE LO I SAY LOSING BUT MONEY TO THE COUNTY, BUT RIGHT.
WE'RE PAYING A LOT OF MONEY TO THE COUNTY THAT WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GETTING BACK IN CERTAIN, IT'S LIKE 244 MILLION, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.
ALCORN HAS BEEN WORKING ON SHARED SERVICES TO SHARE CERTAIN, UM, DEPARTMENTS AND SERVICES WITH THE COUNTY, WHICH I COMPLETELY SUPPORT AND WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO RECOUP SOME OF THAT MONEY AND JUST SAVE MONEY TOO BY NOT DUPLICATING SERVICES.
UM, BUT ALSO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO, UM, DO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS.
LIKE THAT NUANCE PROJECT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.
WHEN COUNCIL MORRIS STARTED WAS IN OFFICE.
WE WORKED WITH COMMISSIONER KAGEL.
UM, IT'LL NOW BE COMMISSIONER RAMSEY AFTER THE PRECINCT CHANGES.
BUT, UM, HE ACTUALLY DID THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT PROJECT AND WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH HIM ON THAT.
WE WERE WORKING WITH HIM AND COMMISSIONER RAMSEY ON SEVERAL OTHER FLOODING RELATED PROJECTS AS WELL, WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY TAKING SOME OF THE COUNTY MONEY AND SOME CITY MONEY AND LEVERAGING IT TOGETHER TO, UM, TO REALLY SHARE YOUR, YOUR TAX DOLLARS, SO, RIGHT.
YEAH, WE'RE DOING AS MUCH OF THAT AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME?
SO, AND THERE IS A DISPARITY STUDY TOO.
UM, IT'S WAS DONE KINDER INSTITUTE, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO, TO LOOK IT IT UP.
I THINK THAT'S THE STUDY YEAH.
THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU'RE PAYING $244 MILLION.
I THINK THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY WE NEED TO, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
ALRIGHT, SO I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE CARDS.
DOES ANYONE ELSE WANNA SPEAK ABOUT REDISTRICTING AND TELL US ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD? YES, SIR.
AND IF YOU WOULD GIVE YOUR NAME AND SPELL IT, PLEASE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UH, MY NAME IS GILBERT GARCIA AND I'M A CITIZEN AND TAXPAYER, UM, I'M NOT A DEMOGRAPHER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO, JERRY, WHY ISN'T IT AS EASY AS SAYING THOSE DISTRICTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES, MEANING THE PLUS OR MINUS 5%, JUST SAY LEAVE THEM ALONE AND THOSE THAT ARE ALREADY OVER AND THOSE THAT ARE UNDER THAT ARE NEXT TO EACH OTHER, JUST SAY, LET'S MOVE SOME NEIGHBORHOODS FROM THIS ONE TO THIS ONE TO GIVE PEOPLE COMFORT THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE CHANGING THEIR DISTRICT.
IS THAT, I MEAN, IS THAT JUST TOO EASY? IT IT, WELL, IT IS TOO EASY.
SO FOR INSTANCE, DISTRICT E IS
[01:10:01]
A, HAS A LITTLE MORE POPULATION THAN THE, UH, ALLOWABLE RANGE, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO GIVE UP TO DISTRICT.I, FOR INSTANCE, TO, FOR THAT ALONE TO CHANGE DISTRICT I'S POPULATION, UH, ENOUGH TO BRING IT UP.
SO YOU MIGHT HAVE TWO DISTRICTS THAT ARE OVERPOPULATED, LIKE G AND AND C THAT ARE NEXT TO EACH OTHER, AND THEY, UH, THEY'RE NOT, IF YOU, UH, YOU CAN'T, THEY CAN'T GIVE UP TO EACH OTHER.
AND THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE UNDERPOPULATED ARE FURTHER EAST.
AND SO THERE HAS TO BE A, A PROCESS OF TRYING TO MOVE POPULATION INTO THOSE DISTRICTS AND OUT OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS.
AND IT MAY IN SOME CASES HAVE AN EFFECT ON A DISTRICT WHICH OTHERWISE IS WITHIN THE RANGE OF ALLOWABLE POPULATION.
IT'S, IT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT YOU WANT TO TRY AND AVOID IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
AND I MUST SAY THE DISTRICT A HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING IN ONE CORNER OF THE CITY AS OPPOSED TO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT C IS SURROUNDED BY DISTRICTS ALL AROUND IT.
SO, UM, WELL, TO THE EXTENT YOU REACH A PLACE WHERE CERTAIN DISTRICTS ARE CLEAR, THAT LIKE A, THAT'S IN A CORNER TO GIVE PEOPLE PEACE OF MIND TO SAY, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE TOUCHING THIS DISTRICT BECAUSE OF YOU'RE IN THE CORNER AND YOU'RE WITHIN THE BOUNDARY.
WELL, I, I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM PEACE OF MIND, BUT I ALSO HAVE TO GO TO NINE MORE MEETINGS AND HEAR FROM PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE CITY AND TAKE THEIR VIEWS INTO ACCOUNT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, I CAN'T MAKE COMMITMENTS AT, AT A POINT AT WHICH I HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE EVERYONE COME FORWARD AND SPEAK.
LAST ONE, WHEN DO YOU THINK THE PUBLIC WILL GET A, I DON'T KNOW, A, A TENTATIVE MAP SO THE PUBLIC COULD START LOOKING AT WHAT'S IN Y'ALL'S MINDS WHEN THAT TIMELINE? I DON'T RECALL SEEING IN THE TIMELINE OF WHEN A DRAFT MAP MIGHT BE AVAILABLE.
WHAT'S YOUR NAME AGAIN? I'M, I'M GILBERT GARCIA AND I'M A CITIZEN OF TAXPAYER JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE HERE, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THE, UM, THE DRAFT MAPS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN JULY.
WE'VE GOT A SERIES OF PUBLIC MEETINGS IN JULY AT CITY COUNCIL.
SO THEY'LL BE AVAILABLE BEFORE THAT DEFINITELY SOMETIME BEFORE JULY.
ANYTHING ELSE ON REDISTRICTING? ALRIGHT THEN I'M OFFICIALLY CLOSING THE REDISTRICTING MEETING AND HANDING IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE CIP MEETING.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR VERY THOUGHTFUL AND CONSIDERED TESTIMONY.
AND JUST REAL FAST, ONE MORE NOTE ABOUT REDISTRICTING.
CAN I HAVE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION REAL FAST? JUST ONE FINAL NOTE ABOUT REDISTRICTING.
I KNOW THAT THERE MIGHT NOT BE PEACE OF MIND AT THE MOMENT SINCE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MAPS LOOK LIKE, BUT JUST HAVE PEACE OF MIND KNOWING THAT I WILL NOT VOTE IN FAVOR OF ANY MAP THAT BREAKS UP OUR COMMUNITY.
AND ALSO WE WERE JOINED BY WELLBY GOODE FROM COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS'S OFFICE THERE IN THE BACK.
SO WE HAVE THREE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN DISTRICT DAY.
SO, UM, AND UM, COMMISSIONER ELLIS IS IN THE INWOOD SECTION OF DISTRICT DAY.
I'M SORRY, WHAT DID YOU SAY HIS FIRST NAME? WELBY.
WE ARE MOVING INTO THE CIP PORTION OF OUR MEETING IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME UP.
SO WE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE QUEUE.
AND IF YOUR PROJECT ISN'T ON THE LIST, DON'T WORRY
UM, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE, UM, FLOODING RELATED, STREET DRAINAGE, TRAFFIC, ANY OR ALL OF THE ABOVE THAT YOU WANNA DISCUSS.
UM, AGAIN, WE CAN DISCUSS IT TONIGHT OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT BUS TO A PUBLIC SESSION AT A TUESDAY COMING UP SOMETIME BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE CIP.
YOU CAN ALSO, UM, DO THAT AS WELL.
WHERE IS THE, IS THERE A PRESENTATION? YEAH.
WE'RE JUST WORKING ON THE PRESENTATION.
HERE IT'S LINE WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR STICKING IT OUT.
SO, UM, ON BEHALF OF OUR DIRECTOR HADDOCK AND MY BOSS ERIC HERE, CAN YOU BRING THE MICROPHONE UP? 4,000 EMPLOYEES.
[01:15:01]
SO 4,000, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES THAT WORK DAILY.
UH, I'M PRIVILEGED TO BE HERE, SO I'LL GO VERY QUICKLY ON THIS NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS IS A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT.
UH, I'VE BEEN ASKED TO ANNOUNCE THIS.
THE CITY CONTINUES TO ADDRESS THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF PANDEMIC.
HOUSTON WILL RECEIVE 607.9 MILLION FROM AN AMERICAN RESCUE ACT PLAN ACT PASSED BY CONGRESS LAST YEAR.
WE RECEIVED HALF OF THE FUNDING ALREADY, AND WE WILL RECEIVE THE OTHER HALF IN MAY.
SO THE PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY HAVE PUT A SURVEY, SO PLEASE GO.
IT'S VERY USEFUL FOR THEM TO ALLOCATE THAT FUNDING THAT'S COMING IN INTO, UM, INTO USE.
I JUST WANTED TO GO OVER, UH, SOME, SOME THINGS.
THE CIP IS A LOT MORE THAN PUBLIC WORKS, EVEN THOUGH I STAND HERE TODAY REPRESENTING THE ENTIRE CIP.
THERE ARE OTHER, UH, DEPARTMENTS THAT DELIVER CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS HERE THAT DO THE VERTICAL BUILDINGS AND ALSO PARKS AND RECS.
SO THEY ARE ALL HERE AND THERE ARE ALSO SOME TABLES HERE.
SO PLEASE GO THERE AND ASK THEM FOR EVERY SPECIFIC THING.
SO I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD IS IS THE CITY PROGRAM THAT ENHANCES, IMPROVE, MAINTAIN IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT I WANT YOU TO TAKE TODAY IS THESE THREE RS THAT WE TALK ABOUT, REPAIR, REHABILITATE, RECONSTRUCT, OKAY? THIS IS ALL THE GAMUT OF THINGS THAT PUBLIC WORKS PROVIDE.
SO ON REPAIR, IT'S REALLY, UH, FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE STAFF THAT WE HAVE WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS THAT DO AND RESPOND TO 3 1 1 AND ALL THE CALLS, THESE ARE REALLY QUICK RESPONSE THAT'S NEVER STOPPED.
SO YOU CAN CALL AND GO THROUGH THE COUNCIL MEMBER OFFICE OR ANYTHING AND YOU'LL FIND IT THAT WE, THEY'LL COME INVESTIGATE AND ACT ON IT.
PAT HOLES, UH, CLEANING DITCHES, UH, DRAINAGE WASTES, CLEARING THEM, OR, UH, CLEANING STORM, STORM DRAIN AND REHABILITATE IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE ADDED INTO OUR TOOLBOX, THESE, THESE YEARS FROM THE PAST THAT WE REALIZE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH FUNDING TO GO AROUND TO ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO REHABILITATION HAS TO BE PART OF OUR STRATEGY.
THESE ARE NOT THE LARGE CIP PROJECTS, BUT THEY ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL IMP INCREASE THE SERVICE LIFE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
I EQUATE IT TO, UH, WHEN YOU GO AND CHANGE YOUR OIL FOR YOUR CAR, YOU'RE NOT REALLY FIXING ANYTHING, BUT YOU ARE EXTENDING THE LIFE OF THAT THING A FEW YEARS, RIGHT? UH, SO SIMILARLY WE DO THOSE KIND OF THINGS FOR, WITH THE STORM WATER ACTION TEAM, UH, THAT DO VERY TARGETED TYPE OF, UH, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT AND ALSO PANEL REPLACEMENTS AND PATCHING FOR ASPHALT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO OVERLAYS LIKE EXTENDED SEGMENTS OF OVERLAYS.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT EXPENSIVE, BUT IT EXTENDS THE SERVICE LIFE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WHEN WE DON'T REPAIR IT AND REHABILITATE IT, AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO RECONSTRUCT IT.
THAT MEANS WE HAVE JUST HAVE TO REPLACE IT.
AND THESE ARE REALLY EXPENSIVE LONG-TERM PROJECTS BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF COORDINATION, STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, UH, UTILITY CONFLICTS, REAL ESTATE AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO THEY TAKE LONGER AND THEY'RE TYPICALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE.
SO I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT RIGHT NOW.
THIS 18 MILLION NUANCE ROAD IMPROVEMENT, WE'LL WRAP UP LATER THIS MONTH, THIS SUMMER PURPOSE ARE IN THE INTER-AGENCY EFFORT WITH FUNDING ALSO COMING FROM HARRIS COUNTY.
THE COUNCIL MEMBER TALKED ABOUT THIS.
UM, FROM GESNER TO BLAYLOCK, WE ARE ADDING CURB GUTTER DITCHES AND SIDEWALKS.
THERE'LL BE AN ALWAYS STOP ALONG WI ROAD.
THE CITY IS CONTINUING, UH, CONTRIBUTING A LITTLE MORE THAN 14 MILLION, BUT HARRIS COUNTY IS DEFINITELY TAKING THE RISK AND CONSTRUCTING IT AS WELL FOR ALL CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY.
SO BE, BEFORE I START HIGHLIGHTING THIS, LET ME REITERATE WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER SAID.
THERE ARE NOT EVEN ONE DATE THAT SHE DOES NOT REMIND US ABOUT
[01:20:01]
SPRING SHADOW.WE ARE TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR THIS.
UM, SO SPRING SHADOW NORTH, UH, VERY CHALLENGING PROJECT, BUT THE SPRING SHADOW NORTH PAVING IS STILL IS ON THE LIST.
TO BEGIN IN 24 24, WE ACTUALLY DESIGNED, FINISHED THE DESIGN, UH, TO ABOUT 90%.
THE BIG PROBLEM IS EVERYBODY KNOWS IT.
IT'S BETWEEN TWO WALLS OF THE KEMP WOOD DRAINAGE WATERSHED THAT GOES TO WHITE OAK AND BUTTERMILK CREEK.
AND WE HAVE A BOWL BASICALLY IN BETWEEN THERE.
AND IT IS VERY HARD TO FIND DETENTION.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROJECT YEARS AGO, OUR DRAINAGE REQUIREMENT TO MITIGATE THAT AREA, TO GET IT TO ABOUT 10 TO 50 YEAR, UH, SERVICE LIFE, NOT EVEN A HUNDRED YET, WAS ABOUT 30 ACRE FEET.
SO IMAGINE THAT'S WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
BUT WITH ATLAS 14, NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT 42 POINT, UH, FIVE TYPE OF ACRE FEET THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE THE 10 TO MEET THE REQUIREMENT TO EVEN GET IT TO ABOUT 50 YEAR, UH, SERVICE LIFE.
SO IT IS CHALLENGING BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ROOM AROUND HERE, RIGHT? BUT HOW CAN WE GET IT TO, UM, TO MITIGATE? SO I'LL, I'LL JUST TAKE A LITTLE MORE TIME ON THIS.
WE'VE TRIED ALL KINDS OF APPROACH TO LOOK AT 13 SITES ALONG BUTTERMILK CREEK, HOW TO RESOLVE THIS, BUT ALL OF THEM, AS YOU KNOW, IS BUILT OUT AND VERY, VERY HARD TO FIND SOMETHING.
HOLD ON, LET ME FINISH AND AT THE END, CAN WE GO,
UH, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT THE CENTER POINT RIGHT AWAY THERE BETWEEN, UH, SPRING NORTH, UH, SPRING SHADOW NORTH, AND, UH, THE CHURCH THERE, UH, WORKING WITH THEM TO SEE WHAT KIND OF MITIGATION WE CAN INCLUDE IN THAT AREA.
VERY HARD TO WORK WITH CENTER POINT, BUT WE ARE ATTEMPTING IT AS HARD AS WE CAN NOW.
THEY HAVE NOT AGREED TO ACTUALLY PUTTING A SERIES OF PONDS THERE, BUT NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, OTHER MITIGATION OF LOOKING AT UNDERGROUND TYPE OF DETENTION THERE IF POSSIBLE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE HEADING THAT FOR THE 2024, UH, DELIVERY.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING, UH, WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THAT ONE AND LOOKING AT IT WITH SPRING SHADOW SOUTH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO WHAT'S, WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER ASKED FOR IS TO GET THE PRE-ENGINEERING AND ALL THE COMBINATION TO BE WORKED WITH SPRING SHADOW SOUTH SO WE CAN COME, UH, REGIONAL TYPE OF SOLUTION.
NOT ONLY ARE WE WORKING WITH THESE SMALL KIND OF SOLUTIONS, I'LL TELL YOU, WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL, WHICH CONTROLS BUTTER MILL CREEK.
UM, ALSO WITH, UH, THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, UH, THAT, UH, THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBER SPEARHEADING.
I KNOW THERE WILL BE QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU.
THIS IS IN OUR BACK OF THE HEAD CONSTANTLY.
THIS IS THE INTERSECTION OF ANTOINE AND HAMMERLY.
IT'S BEEN ON OUR BOOKS FOR A WHILE.
UH, THIS IS A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT FOR THAT INTERSECTION.
THESE, THESE WILL, THESE IMPROVEMENT WILL ADDRESS PART OF THE VISION ZERO INJURY NETWORK.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, UH, A ROUNDABOUT NOW, HOLD ON.
THAT'S WHY I CAME OVER TO THE MICROPHONE.
'CAUSE I KNEW THAT THAT WAS GONNA
MAY 3RD HERE AT MAY 3RD 16TH, WE'LL BE COMING HERE AGAIN.
COME, COME LISTEN TO THE MEETING AND, AND THE EXPLANATION OF OTHER SOLUTIONS AND WHY THIS MIGHT BE THE BEST SOLUTION.
BUT JUST COME TO THE MEETING AND THAT'S RIGHT.
WE'LL, I, I HAD THE SAME REACTION WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT TOO, BELIEVE ME.
BUT IT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR A WHILE AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT, FOR THE INWARD PART, UH, ANTOINE ROAD BETWEEN TWO 90 AND WEST WESTMAN HOUSTON, UH, THIS IS ONE OF THE, UH, FEDERAL FUNDING WITH HGAC, THAT, THAT, THAT STARTED.
SO IT'S A 99 MILLION PROJECT HELD TO IMPROVE PAVEMENT CONDITION, INCREASE MOBILITY DEMANDS, UH, UH, ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
AND THE, THE FUNDING IS CONTINGENT IN MAKING THE CASE IN IMPROVING TRANSIT CORRIDOR ALONG HERE WITH THE BOOST.
[01:25:01]
UM, SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH T DOT AND HGAC TO GET THOSE CONCEPTS IN.WE'LL BE RECONSTRUCTING FIVE MILES OF ROADWAY.
UH, IT GOES RIGHT THROUGH THE NORTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
SO, AND, UH, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AS WELL ON THE NORTHERN PART.
UH, CURRENTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TOMORROW ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A MEETING WITH TDOT TO GET THE NEPA PROCESS STARTED SO WE CAN TAKE IT TO THE PUBLIC.
WE WILL BE BACK WITH OUR CONCEPT OF WHAT WE WILL TAKE TO A GAC ABOUT SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
AND THEN WE'LL GO TO TEXT DOT AND GET THAT FUNDING SECURED.
AND I CANNOT GO WITHOUT SAYING THIS AT EVERY MEETING.
SO WE PUT ADDING THESE TWO SLIDES, UH, TOGETHER.
THIS IS IN BUILD TO STEM FORWARD.
THESE ARE DOTS THAT YOU SEE IN GREEN ARE STORM REHABILITATION PROJECTS.
SO YOU CAN SEE ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN DONE WITHIN DISTRICT A AND WHAT'S UPCOMING AS WELL.
UH, WE HAVE STARTED USING REHABILITATION AT A STRATEGIC WAY OF RESOLVING AND MAINTAINING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WE, WE CAN'T DO IT JUST RECONSTRUCTING.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING.
SO, UH, THESE ARE ALL THE, THE, THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING.
AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS VERY, VERY, UM, INVOLVED IN THE SELECTION OF THESE THINGS, UH, FOR THE SWAT, PARTICULARLY, VERY LOCALIZED TYPE OF IMPROVEMENTS.
NEXT SLIDE IS THE STREET REHABILITATION.
THIS IS THE, UH, OUR STREET MAINTENANCE TEAM AND SEVERAL MAJOR THOROUGHFARE AND LOCAL STREETS, UH, PART OF THE MAYOR, UM, REHABIL STREET REHABILITATION PROGRAM.
AND YOU'LL SEE 'EM AS A YELLOW.AS WELL THERE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH, AND BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD.
I'LL BE PRESENTING THIS AS WELL WITH PARKS, OUR FRIENDS AT PARK.
SO COLUMN PARK SPRAY GROUND DUE TO DAMAGES CAUSED BY HARVEY.
THE SPRAY GROUND RE RENOVATION, WE REPLACE ALL THE SPRAY FEATURES, ACTIVATORS AND CONTROLLERS.
THE SERVICING WILL BE REPLACED WITH COLORFUL SURFACING MATERIAL.
THE PROJECT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND WILL BE COMPLETED LATE 2022.
THE COMMUNITY REQUESTED AN UPGRADE.
PARK IDENTIFICATION SIGNS AT THE RECENTLY RENOVATED PARK CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN LATE SUMMER AND COMPLETE THIS FALL.
THIS IS RL AND CORA JOHNSON PARK PLAYGROUND.
A NEW PLAYGROUND IS ON ORDER AND WILL BE INSTALLED SUMMER OF 2022.
PICNIC TABLE BENCHES AND GRILLS WITH ALSO TO BE REPLACED.
THEY'VE ORDERED IT, IT'S LIKE IT'S JUST TAKING A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT IT'S, IT'S HAPPENING VERY SOON.
SUPPLY ISSUE,
AND I, I CANNOT CLOSE ANY MEETING WITHOUT SAYING THIS, BUT THIS IS A KEY WEBSITE THAT WE'VE STARTED IS CALLED ENGAGE HOUSTON.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECTS IN YOUR AREA.
UH, ALSO YOU CAN REGISTER FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
SO IF YOU LEAVE YOUR EMAIL AND REGISTER, THEN YOU CAN GET SPECIFIC MESSAGE TO YOUR PROJECT, NOT THE ENTIRE THING.
UH, WE DO HAVE SOME HIGH LEVEL INFORMATION OF THE PROJECT, SO IF WE ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WE'LL PUT TRAFFIC CONTROL PLANS AND THINGS LIKE THAT ON THIS, ALL KIND OF MEETING PRESENTATIONS AS WELL.
BUT THERE IS ALSO A CONTACT INFORMATION BELOW IF YOU NEED DESIRE.
UH, I DO HAVE CUE CARDS TODAY.
AND IT'S, YOU CAN FIND IT ON PUBLIC WORKS TABLE THERE.
AND IF YOU HAVE THE CUE CARD AND THERE IS AN ASK US BUTTON, AND YOU CAN ALSO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION THROUGH THERE.
SO, AND FINALLY, I I JUST GOTTA SAY THIS, I AM ALSO A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT A, SO THIS IS MY COUNCIL MEMBER,
ALL RIGHT, LET'S ASK QUESTIONS.
GET UP WHEN YOU WERE I DON'T GET UP ON THE I WANTS TO HEAR YOU THOUGH.
AND YOU'RE ALSO ON FOR THE RECORDING.
UM, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT,
[01:30:01]
UM, THE MONEY THAT WAS BEING SPENT FOR SOME OF THE AREAS FOR THE FLOODING, UM, ON LONG POINT, ONCE YOU'RE GOING WEST MM-HMMWHEN YOU HIT CAMPBELL ROAD, THE WATER IS UP TO HERE.
BY THE TIME YOU GO TO BUNKER HILL, IT'S EVEN HIGHER.
AND I WENT THROUGH THERE AND IT WAS RAINING AT MY HOUSE.
I LIVE ON HUGE OAK IN THE 1900 BLOCK.
AND IT WAS RAINING AND IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF WATER ON THE STREET, BUT BY THE TIME I HIT CAMPBELL ROAD BETWEEN THERE AND BUNKER HILL, THERE WAS SO MUCH WATER I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA DROWN.
AND I MADE IT THROUGH BECAUSE THERE WAS AN 18 WHEELER COMING WHEN IT WENT THROUGH AND PUSHED THE WATER TO THE SIDE.
I KIND OF LIKE RAN UP IN THAT OPEN SPACE RIGHT BEHIND IT.
BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN OR HEARD ANYBODY SAY THEY WERE GONNA FIX THAT.
DID WE GET SOME MONEY SPENT ON THAT LITTLE? I'D LIKE TO LIVE TO BE 80
DO YOU WANT THE LIST? UM, YES, YOU ARE RIGHT THERE.
THERE ARE SOME ISSUES WITH, UM, PONDING AND FLOODING ALONG LONG POINT.
AND THE SPRING BRANCH MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IS WORKING ON THAT REIMAGINE LONG POINT PROJECT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ASK THEM TO LOOK AT TOO IN, WITHIN THAT SCOPE IS SOME OF THOSE AREAS THAT POND AND FLOOD.
SO, UM, WE WILL GET WITH THEM AGAIN TO SEE HOW THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE PLANS.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE ARE SOME ISSUES ON LONG POINT.
AND, AND ONE THING IS, IF IT IS ALL RIGHT TO CALL 3 1 1 AND ASK, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE CAN SEE IF THE DRAIN IS PLUGGED OR SOMETHING.
UM,
I, I DON'T SEE HOW IS IT TRULY SOMETHING YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH AT THIS POINT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRICE SQUARE FOOT ON COMMERCIAL CHILD, 38 TO $40 A FOOT IN SOME CASES, 35 TO $40 A SQUARE FOOT FOR COMMERCIAL.
AND THEN ARE YOU GONNA, ARE WE GONNA PRICE OURSELF OUT? DO YOU ALREADY HAVE A LEAD ON A PROPERTY? AND IF YOU DO, I'D LIKE TO, UH, KNOW HOW LONG UNTIL YOU CLOSE.
NO, WE DON'T, BUT WELL, I'LL LET YOU ADDRESS THAT.
YOU'RE
AND, AND THAT'S PART OF THE STRUGGLE, RIGHT? YESSS NOT, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH AFFORDABLE, YOU KNOW, MITIGATION, UH, SPACES.
AND WE'VE, WE'VE SEARCHED AND ASKED SOME PROPERTY OWNERS THAT I CANNOT MESH, BUT, BUT I, WE DID APPROACH 'EM AND, AND LOOKED AT IT AND, BUT THE IDEAL LOCATION IS, AND IT IS WHERE, SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE MM-HMM
AND SOMETIMES THE RIGHT PERSON ASKS MAKING THAT ASK BECAUSE WE DO NEED THAT DE THAT DETENTION IN ORDER TO PRO PROCEED WITH THE PROJECTS THAT WE WANT FOR STEEL WOOD.
UM, THAT, THAT, THAT PROJECT'S NEW ONES WAS NOT EVEN ON THE BOOKS WHEN I TOOK OFFICE.
NEW ONES WAS NOT EVEN ON THE BOOKS.
FOR A FACT, I BROUGHT THAT PROJECT FORWARD BECAUSE OF MS. MASON, WHO WAS 80 SOMETHING YEARS OLD AT THE TIME, AND I THINK SHE'S 90 SOMETHING.
AND WHEN AMELDA HIT, I WENT TO HER HOUSE FIRST BEFORE I LEFT TOWN THAT DAY.
UH, BECAUSE I'D ALREADY HAD A SCHEDULED TRIP, BUT I MADE SURE I WENT AND CHECKED ON HER.
SO I'M VERY AWARE OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH AND IT, IT, AND I THINK I'VE EVEN BEEN ON YOUR STREET DURING THE STORMS, IT'S VERY UNSETTLING THAT THESE FOLKS HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
AND KNOWING THAT THAT WHOLE AREA, THERE'S SOME EASY, THERE IS SOME EASY FIX FIXES, BUT ALSO YOU JUST NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CREATIVE BECAUSE I DON'T SEE ANY QUICK FIX FOR THESE FOLKS WITHOUT, I MEAN, AS FAR AS THE, I I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBERS YEAH.
BUT THE, THE FACT IS BY THE TIME WE CAN GET THAT KIND OF LAND FOR THAT KIND OF DETENTION, IT'S GOING TO BE TOO LATE FOR THESE FOLKS.
THEY'RE, THEY'VE VERY LIVED A DECADE OF THEIR LIFE.
AGAIN, BY THE TIME WE GET TO THAT PROJECT THROUGH DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND, AND ACTUAL BUILD, I, I, I WOULD HONESTLY SAY THE SOLUTION IS NOT JUST HAVING ONE BIG AREA ON THIS.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AS ALL SOLUTIONS ARE ON THE TABLE.
BUT, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION FOR THE PUBLIC, I THINK IT'D BE GOOD FOR US TO KNOW, 'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF CONNECTIONS TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE REAL ESTATE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THEY KNOW PEOPLE.
WHAT PART OF THE AREA DO YOU WANT IT SOUTH? BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE IN A CERTAIN LOCATION FOR IT TO BE EFFECTIVE? YES.
[01:35:01]
BE A LONG BUTTERMILK CREEK PRETTY MUCH CLOSE BY SOUTH OR NORTH OF IT? EITHER OR.BUT IF WE DID HAVE AN, AN ANALYSIS OF LOOKING AT ALL THE OPTIONS, ABOUT 13 OF THEM, AND SOME OF THEM ACTUALLY ARE WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF NORTH SPRING, SPRING BREAK, YOU KNOW, BREAD.
BUT IT IS IN SPRING SHADOWS YOU MEAN? YEAH.
I MEAN, ARE YOU, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TAKING HOMES? THEY ARE ANY AVAILABLE LOTS AT SOME POINT? MAYBE AT SOME, BUT NOT NOW, OBVIOUSLY.
WELL, AGAIN, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T, WE DON'T SET UP THIS GENTLEMAN FOR THE EXPECTATION THAT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TOMORROW.
AND JUST TO, JUST TO ADD TO THAT AND THEN WE'LL GET TO YOUR QUESTION.
UM, THE 44 ACRE FEET OF DETENTION DOESN'T HAVE TO JUST BE ONE GIANT DETENTION BASIN.
THERE'S ALSO THE INLINE DETENTION THAT WILL ADD TO THAT INCREASED CAPACITY.
UM, AND THEN TALKING TO COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, WHO WILL BE THE COMMISSIONER OVER THAT AREA AFTER, YOU KNOW, THE PRECINCT CHANGES, HE HAS SOME IDEAS TOO, AS DOES HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT AS FAR AS WHERE TO PUT THE WATER.
AND SO THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH.
SO IT'S NOT JUST GONNA NECESSARILY BE ONE GIANT DETENTION BASIN.
IT, THERE'S MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE THE 4 40 50 AND, AND WHEN THE DIRECTOR IS KIND ENOUGH TO REBUILD CAMPBELL ROAD, THERE'S ALSO PLENTY OF INLINE DETENTION OPPORTUNITIES THERE PROBABLY FOR THIS PROJECT AS WELL.
SO IF WE COULD LOOK AT THAT, THAT'S A NOTE THAT WAS LEFT IN MY CHAIR JUST NOW.
AND I'M SORRY YOU'VE HAD YOUR HAND UP AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE LINE OF, UM, QUESTIONS BACK HERE.
SO ON NEWAN, SOUTH OF NEWAN, UH, E NO, WEST OF UH, ELM VIEW, THERE'S ABOUT 20 NEW HOMES.
RIGHT ON NEW END, SOUTH OF NEW END, THERE'S ANOTHER 30 BRAND NEW HOMES.
AND WHEN THEY ORIGINALLY PLANNED THAT OUT, THERE WAS A RETENTION POND IN THE BACK.
THE LAST TIME I LOOKED OVER THERE, IT'S ALL FULL OF HOUSES.
THAT'S ONE, THAT'S ONE LITTLE AREA.
I'M PRETTY SURE THEY PROBABLY GOT PERMISSION TO USE THAT NEW RETENTION POND THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING NO, YOU KNOW, NORTH OF NUANCE.
SO THEY, YEAH, THEY HAVE INLINE DETENTION UNDERNEATH MM-HMM
UM, IF THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE SOME EXTRA POND THAT MAYBE THEY DIDN'T PUT IN LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO MM-HMM
CONTACT OUR OFFICE BECAUSE WE CAN ACTUALLY GET AN INSPECTOR TO GO OUT THERE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY PUT IN WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO PUT IN MM-HMM
UM, A LOT OF THESE NEW HOMES THAT ARE BEING BUILT, I MEAN, SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T SEE THE DETENTION BECAUSE IT'S UNDERGROUND.
UM, BUT WE DO NEED TO READDRESS OUR, OUR FLOODING RULES BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT THEY GO FAR ENOUGH TO ADDRESS IN FLOOD GROWN AREAS.
UH, ANOTHER THING, NEW ONES, RIGHT WHERE IT INTERSECTS WITH STILL WOOD ON MY STREET, THAT'S AT LEAST A FOOT.
OR TWO HIGHER THAN IT USED TO BE.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT EVEN WHERE I'M, OKAY.
SO THOSE HOUSES THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT HAVE NO RETENTION POND, THOSE HOUSES ARE BUILT LIKE TWO FEET HIGHER THAN NEW ONES.
SO OUR HOMES THAT ARE LIKE WAY DOWN HERE, THREE FEET UNDER NEW ONES THAT WERE ALREADY THREE FEET UNDER NEW ONES ARE NOW FOUR FEET UNDER NEW ENDS.
THOSE NEW HOUSES ARE TWO FEET ABOVE NEW ENDS.
SO THERE'S A SIX FOOT DIFFERENCE AND WE ARE STILL NOT CONSIDERED A FLOOD ZONE.
OUR FLOOD MAP SHOWS ZONE X NO FLOOD SINCE 2007.
YOU CAN LOOK IT UP RIGHT NOW ON THEIR WEBSITE.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE MAPS ARE BEING, I MEAN, THEY'RE BEING DRAWN DOWN.
YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING THE MAPS NOW.
THE FEMA MAPS, I DON'T HAVE THE DATE.
I MEAN WE FLOODED THOUSAND DATE GONNA
I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE LATER BECAUSE NOW WE WOULD'VE FIVE FLOODS MAYBE THAT WOULD CALL ATTENTION.
I MEAN SOME HOMES HAVE FLOODED EIGHT TIMES, EIGHT PLUS TIMES.
OH, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE, THEY'VE THEY'VE ONLY FLOODED.
THEY'VE ONLY FLOODED FOUR TIMES SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE SINCE 2008.
DARLENE ROMER HAS FLOODED EIGHT TIMES.
SHE CAN'T, SHE MOVED OUT TO YEARS AGO BECAUSE SHE CAN'T HANDLE IT.
SHE'S HAD THREE HEART ATTACKS SINCE JANUARY.
I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE SAYING THIS PUBLICLY, BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW.
I MEAN WE WILL HAVE THAT MEETING OUT.
AND I GOT ANOTHER SOLUTION FOR THE SPRING SHADOWS FLOODING, I'M SORRY, THE SPRING SHADOWS FLOODING, UH, EAST OF GESNER, SOUTH OF KEMP WOOD.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER THAT GOLF COURSE OVER THERE BY CLAY AND GESNER? YES.
THAT'S BUILT UP LIKE THREE FEET.
[01:40:01]
SO IF THEY BUILD THAT UP FIVE FEET, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT KIND OF DRAINS YOU PUT, WE'RE GONNA FLOOD EVERYBODY'S ALL SPRING BREAD IS GONNA FLOOD.THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT FLOODING IS ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENT WHERE THE FORMER GOLF COURSE WAS.
I MEAN THERE'S DEFINITELY LOT.
WELL MY POINT IS, ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENT ARE GETTING BILLED HIGHER.
ALL OF US THAT HAVE BEEN PAYING OUR TAXES FOR DECADES ARE GETTING LEFT BEHIND UNTIL WE JUST DIE OFF.
I GOT THE THIRD ONE ABOUT TO DIE OFF THREE HEART, THREE HEART ATTACKS SINCE JANUARY.
HOW LONG, HOW MUCH LONGER IS SHE GONNA HOLD ON.
WE DEFINITELY HEAR YOU AND WE'LL HAVE THAT MEETING OUT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, AND WE'LL, WE'LL TALK OFFLINE MORE.
WE HAVE A BIG LINE BEHIND YOU.
GO TO THE NEXT, I'M 36 AND I JUST CAME FROM THE CARDIOLOGIST TODAY BECAUSE I'M HAVING HEART ISSUES 'CAUSE OF, OF THIS FLOODING ISSUE.
WE'LL LISTEN, MY NAME'S JOANNE CORTEZ.
I LIVE IN THE BENGAL WOOD AREA, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE LANGWOOD.
SO LANGWOOD IS EAST OF BENGAL WOOD.
SCULLY RUNS RIGHT THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THAT WE, AT LEAST 35 HOUSES HAVE BEEN BOUGHT AND NOW IT'S JUST GREEN SPACE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IN LINGWOOD.
SO THEY HAVE FLOODED ENOUGH FOR THEM TO BE BOUGHT OUT AND NOW IT'S JUST GREEN SPACE ADJACENT TO BRICK HOUSE SCULLY.
AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE GOLF COURSE THAT THOUSAND HOMES THAT ARE BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW THAT YOU SEE THAT ARE THIS CLOSE TO EACH OTHER ARE BEING BUILT AND ALL THAT GREEN SPACE IS BEING TAKEN UP.
ALL THE GREEN SPACE BASICALLY FROM BELTWAY EIGHT ALL THE WAY EAST THROUGH BRICK HOUSE.
YOU DON'T GO DOWN CLAY WHEN IT RAINS HEAVY BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU, IT'S IMPASSABLE CARS ARE USUALLY UP ON THE ADES, BUT ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BOUGHT OUT AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL THERE, THEY'RE JUST HANGING ON
THERE'S A LOT OF GREEN SPACE HERE.
AND I'VE BEEN SPEAKING TO HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID, WELL WE WANNA WORK WITH THE CITY TO SEE IF WE CAN JOIN UP FUNDS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THIS SPACE.
WE HAVEN'T HAD A TROPICAL STORM OR A HURRICANE IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.
AND EVERY GREEN SPACE BETWEEN KEMP WOOD AND CLAY FROM BELTWAY ALL THE WAY INTO HEMPSTEAD WHERE THIS NICE LITTLE BRICK HOUSE GULLY CHOKE HOLD IS, IT'S GONNA CAUSE MORE AND MORE HEARTACHE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THIS SPACE.
SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN ENGAGE WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD AND CITY OF HOUSTON TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THIS.
CAN WE UTILIZING, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR UTILIZATION FOR THE CUMULATIVE SMALLER PROJECTS.
THIS RIGHT HERE IS WHAT ABOUT? YEP.
YEAH, I MEAN THERE'S A, I I COUNT THESE ADDRESSES AND THERE'S 35 VACANT LOTS JUST IN TWO BLOCK AREA.
BUT, BUT I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE AS THEIR OPTION.
SELL THEIR HOME AND MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE.
WE, WE KNOW THIS AND BRICKHOUSE SCULLY HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME AND IT HASN'T BEEN ON THE CIP AND I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW WE CAN, UH, GET THAT ON THERE.
YOU SEE THAT VALERIE OVER THERE AND I REALLY WILL LIKE, IF, IF YOU CAN YEAH.
SUBMIT THAT TO HER AND UH, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THAT IDEA AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
MAYBE WE CAN HAVE SOME RETENTION IN THAT SPACE.
WE'LL, WE'LL ASK THE PLANNERS TO WORK, YOU KNOW, AND SEE HARRIS COUNTY AND US SOME PARTNERS.
SO IT'S DICTATED TOO BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE IT'S FEDERAL BUYOUT.
SO IF TYPICALLY THEY DON'T ALLOW THAT.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH.
MY NAME IS CORRE MOORE AND I TOO AM WITH CARDALE COMMUNITY.
I'M ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, ON WITH THE CIVIC CLUB AND I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT TANNER ROAD REHABILITATION.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN ON THE BOOKS OFF AND ON SINCE MR. AND MRS. JOHNSON
[01:45:01]
WAS THERE,AND WE HAD FUNDING AND THEN IT'S LIKE OUR FUNDING WAS TAKEN OR IT WAS REDIRECTED.
HOW'S THAT? AND SO NOW I SEE THAT IT'S ON HERE, UH, JUST TO A PORTION OF IT.
TANNER IS NOTORIOUS FOR WHEN IT RAINS, THERE'S WATER ALL OVER THE PLACE.
IT'S A TWO LANE HIGHWAY, A STREET THAT NEEDS TO BE REVAMPED SO THAT IT'S AT LEAST FOUR LANES AND I SEE THAT THERE'S GONNA BE SOME WORK DONE ON IT IN 2023.
SO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO IS YOU'RE GOING TO START WORKING FROM TRI WAY TO, TO HEMPSTEAD.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO OR YES MA'AM.
SO CAN YOU GIVE ME AN UNDERSTANDING OF THAT? YES.
UH, ONE IS TANNER FROM HEMPSTEAD TO TRI WAY MM-HMM
AND WE ARE ALSO TALKING WITH THE COUNTY FROM TRI TO BELTWAY EIGHT.
AND IT'S BEEN ON OUR BOOKS FOREVER.
IT'S, IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT THERE, THERE ARE CHALLENGES TO WIDEN THAT ROAD BECAUSE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY LIMITATION.
AND ALSO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME NEW POWER POLES THAT HAVE POPPED UP ON BELTWAY EIGHT SIDE MM-HMM
UH, ON THE COUNTY SIDE THAT, THAT, UH, MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO WIDEN ACTUALLY.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE CALL A SUPER REHAB TYPE OF IMPLEMENTATION WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY REPAY THEM MILL AND OVERLAY AND REPLACE THE, THE, THE ROADSIDE DITCHES REFORM 'EM AGAIN AND ALSO THE DRIVEWAY CROSSINGS.
UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING THERE INSTEAD OF HAVING THE ON THE BOOKS.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY HARD TO FIND A RECONSTRUCTION OF A TWO LANE WITH DITCH TO A FOUR LANE UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF FEDERAL MATCH.
MM-HMM
SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT WE GOT TODAY AND IMPLEMENT SOMETHING ON THAT SEGMENT AND WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, OBVIOUSLY TO BE CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT MM-HMM
AND THIS IS JUST AN INTERIM PROJECT, SO THIS IS JUST TO ADDRESS THE ROAD CONDITION AND THE UM, THE DRAINAGE ISSUES THERE ON THE CITY PORTION.
AND HOPEFULLY THE COUNTY WILL EXTEND THAT ON THE COUNTY PORTION AS WELL.
BUT THIS IS JUST UNTIL WE CAN GET THE FUNDING OR HAVE CENTER POINT MOVE THOSE POLES THAT THEY PUT, UM, TOO CLOSE TO THE STREET THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE ON THE COUNTY PORTION.
AND SO THIS IS JUST, AND WE'VE GOTTEN THE COMMITMENT FROM PUBLIC WORKS THAT ONCE WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT, THAT WE WILL STILL GET THE FULL TANNER ROAD PROJECT AS PROMISED.
UM, BUT THIS, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING IN THE INTERIM BECAUSE THE STREET IS JUST, WELL, YOU KNOW HOW THE STREET IS MM-HMM
SO THIS IS JUST AN INTERIM PROJECT TO AT LEAST HELP PEOPLE WITH THE MOBILITY AND THE DRAINAGE UNTIL WE CAN GET TO THAT POINT.
UM, MY NAME IS ROSALY EGGY AND I JUST FOUND OUT I WAS A MAYOR OF CHATEAU FOUR SUBDIVISION
IN FRONT OF THAT IS A STRIP CENTER.
UH, THE OWNERS OF THE STRIP CENTER OWNED THOSE FIVE ACRES AND HE, HE TOLD THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT HE WAS GOING, WHETHER THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO HE WAS GOING TO PUT ANOTHER STRIP CENTER RIGHT THERE.
THE THING IS HE CAN'T EVEN FILL THE STRIP CENTER.
HE HAS NOW THIS BEEN GOING ON.
I'VE BEEN LIVING THERE FOR 41 YEARS AND UM, I THINK HE WAS LYING.
THE BEST THING HE COULD DO WITH THOSE FIVE ACRES IS, IS LET US, THE CITY BUY 'EM OUT AND PUT A RETENTION POND.
AS YOU CAN SEE WE'RE ON THAT CIP LIST THAT THE WORK IS SUPPOSED TO START NEXT YEAR TO DO A, WHAT WAS THAT? AND IT WILL START
SO YEAH, WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT FOR A LONG TIME.
AND SO I'M WONDERING, DO YOU THINK IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE CITY MIGHT BUY THOSE FIVE ACRES? UM, WE HAVE A REAL ESTATE DIVISION WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT LOOKS AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO, UM, IF YOU COULD JUST SEND US THAT INFORMATION,
[01:50:01]
WE'LL SEND IT TO THEM AND TAKE A LOOK.UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT CLOSE TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD FOR, THEY WOULD HAVE TO PUT IN A LOT OF DETENTION IN ORDER TO DO SOME KIND OF STRIP CENTER.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT.
UM, JUST SEND US THE ADDRESS AND WE'LL SEND THAT OVER TO OUR REAL ESTATE DEPARTMENT.
YEAH, ANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN FIND FOR EXTRA DETENTION AND DRAINAGE OPPORTUNITIES WE'RE, WE'RE READY TO DO.
SO PUTTING, PUTTING ANOTHER STRIP CENTER MEANS JUST PUTTING MORE CEMENT AND THAT WOULD MAKE IT VERY EVEN WORSE.
UH, CONTINUE WITH THE DRAINAGE THEME TONIGHT.
THE, UH, WITH MCGREGOR WEST AND WE'RE KINDA NORTH OF THE CENTER POINT EASEMENT THERE AND KINDA OVER THE YEARS THAT'S BEEN BUILT UP AND IT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE NOW EVERY TIME IT RAINS OUR SUBDIVISION BACKS UP AND CONTINUES TO FLOOD THE HOUSES.
AND UH, I THINK YOU KINDA CAME OUT AND VISITED US LAST YEAR.
WE'RE KINDA SEEING WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT ONE OF OUR MAJOR CONCERNS IS ONE, YEAH, WE KNOW WE GOT THE PROJECTS GOING ON, BUT ALSO THEY PLAN ON EXTENDING THAT HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL OUT THAT WAY.
AND THAT'S JUST GONNA COMPOUND THE ISSUE.
SO IT'S KIND OF TWOFOLD IS WHAT CAN WE DO IN THE SHORT TERM TO HELP THE PEOPLE THAT DO CONTINUE TO FLOOD AND TWO, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD JUST GO AND MAKE IT WORSE.
SO FOR MCGREGOR WEST, WE ARE LOOKING AT A SWAT PROJECT.
RIGHT NOW IT'S A STORM WATER ACTION TEAM.
IT'S LIKE THE SMALLER SCALE PROJECT.
SO IT'S NOT THE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR PROJECTS, BUT THEY'VE BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL IN MITIGATING FLOODING IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO IT'S ACTUALLY BEING EVALUATED RIGHT NOW, UM, FOR THAT SWAT PROJECT.
AND, UM, AS FAR AS THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, THEY HAVE TO PUT IN SUFFICIENT DRAINAGE WHEN THEY'RE PUTTING IN CONCRETE.
SO IT, IT HOPEFULLY SHOULDN'T IMPACT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AT ALL.
BUT LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT SWAT PROJECT, WE'VE NOTIFIED THEM ABOUT THAT HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL SO THEY CAN KIND OF LOOK AT THAT INTO THEIR CALCULATIONS AS WELL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY DETAILS ON THE SWAT PROJECT? I DON'T BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY EVALUATING IT RIGHT NOW.
AND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR OR SO, JULY OR SO, THEY'LL COME TO MY OFFICE WITH THEIR LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE GIVEN THEM FROM INPUT LIKE YOURS AND THEN THEY'LL, THEY'LL SHOW US HOW MUCH THE IT WOULD COST IF IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE BENEFICIAL TO DO THIS PROJECT.
AND THEN IT'S BASICALLY UP TO ME TO DETERMINE WHICH PROJECTS GET FUNDED EACH FISCAL YEAR.
SO WHAT MY PRIORITIES ARE TO MAKE SURE THAT IF LIKE THERE'S STRUCTURAL FLOODING IN HOMES, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY A PRIORITY.
AND THEN LOOKING AT ROADS THAT ARE JUST CONSTANTLY FLOODED AS WELL.
BUT MCGREGOR WEST, WE, I'VE ACTUALLY MET WITH SOME OF YOUR NEIGHBORS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND SO IT'S BEING EVALUATED.
SO AS SOON AS WE GET THAT INFORMATION WE'LL SHARE IT WITH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL QUALIFY FOR THAT SWAT PROJECT.
HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT SO EXPENSIVE THAT IT'S, IT'S OUTSIDE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, REALM OF SWAT PROJECTS, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT MOVING.
HI, UH, MY NAME IS ISABEL AND I ALSO LIVE ON STILL WOOD IN NEW NUANCE.
BRENDA DID A GREAT JOB IN TRYING TO GET THAT, UM, THROUGH THE, UH, THE LAST PROJECT FOR NEW NUANCE.
UM, IT TOOK A REALLY LONG TIME, BUT WE STILL REALLY NEED THAT SECOND FACE TO GO THROUGH.
UM, I THINK SHE HAS A GREAT POINT IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN TRY AND TACKLE SOME OF THOSE ISSUES, UH, AS OPPOSED TO WAITING FOR THE WHOLE PROJECT TO BE FUNDED.
'CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS BROKEN OUT IN FACES BEFORE AND NOW YOU'RE JUST GROUPING IT ALL INTO KIND OF A BIG LUMP SUM.
SO HOW ARE WE, HOW ARE WE, HOW ARE WE GETTING THE MONEY FOR THOSE PROJECTS AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO TRY AND SEE IF THERE'S SMALLER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES IN THE HOUSES THAT ARE GETTING AFFECTED THE MOST? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND WHEN I SAY THAT I'M TRYING TO COMBINE THEM ALL INTO ONE BIG PHASE, I'M TRYING TO TACKLE GETTING THAT, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS PRICE TAG.
IF WE GET A SMALLER AMOUNT, WE'LL JUST START WITH PHASE TWO.
SO I'M NOT SAYING, YOU KNOW, GIVE US THE FULL AMOUNT OR NOTHING.
IF WE CAN GET SOME OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, WE'LL START WITH THAT PHASE TWO.
UM, BUT YES, THERE COULD BE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO IN THE INTERIM TO HELP WITH SOME OF THE FLOODING AND THAT'S BEING EVALUATED RIGHT NOW.
WE DID SEND THAT OVER TO OUR SWAT OFFICE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT TO SEE IF THERE'S JUST SOME QUICK FIXES THAT WILL, AGAIN, WILL HELP.
IT'S NOT GONNA FIX EVERYTHING IN A HEAVY RAIN EVENT.
THERE STILL MIGHT BE STRUCTURAL FLOODING, BUT IT'S NOT, BUT IT MIGHT ACTUALLY HELP, BUT IT'S BEEN RAIN.
I MEAN MONDAY WAS A TUESDAY, IT'S NOT EVEN IN IT'S SUPER DRY.
IT RAINED FOR A COUPLE HOURS AND WE WERE ALREADY SEEING WATER BEING COLLECTED, YOU KNOW, UP TO THE ABSOLUTELY TWO OR GRASS.
SO IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THESE SUPER HARVEY EVENTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST NORMAL.
[01:55:01]
I'M SAYING IS THAT THE, SO THE SMALLER SCALE PROJECTS THAT MIGHT HELP IN THE INTERIM MIGHT ONLY HELP WITH THOSE SMALLER RAIN EVENTS, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'VE SEEN IN SMALLER RAIN EVENTS THAT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS FLOODED.SO ABSOLUTELY WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO KIND OF TACKLE THAT.
I'VE MET WITH COMMISSIONER RAMSEY AND HE HAS SOME IDEAS AS WELL, AND SO WE'RE GONNA JUST CONTINUE WORKING ON THOSE, THOSE INTERIM FIXES AS WE GO.
SO IT'S, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO, UM, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY AND SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO AT LEAST HELP IN THE INTERIM, WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
AND THEN, AND THEN THE OTHER THING WE TALKED ABOUT, WE SEE, YOU KNOW, HOUSES GOING UP ALL THE TIME.
THE NEW HOUSES ON NUANCE, THERE'S WHAT, 24, THE NEW APARTMENTS THAT JUST WENT UP ON CRYSTAL.
AND SO ALL OF THAT'S JUST ADDING TO THE PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, AND ALL OF THESE PROJECTS JUST KEEP GETTING APPROVED AND APPROVED AND APPROVED.
UM, SO THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT APPROVES THE PLA FOR THIS, THEY ARE BOUND BY STATE LAW THAT BASICALLY SAYS AS LONG AS THE APPLICANT FOLLOWS ALL OF THE STATE AND LOCAL RULES, THEY HAVE TO ISSUE THE PERMIT.
SO THEY CAN'T JUST SAY, OH, I DON'T LIKE THIS.
UM, IT MAY CAUSE FLOODING OR, I, I JUST DON'T LIKE THIS PROJECT, SO WE'RE GONNA DENY IT.
IT HAS TO BE DENIED BASED ON LIKE A DEED RESTRICTION ISSUE, OR THEY'RE NOT FOLLOWING ONE OF THE STATE OR LOCAL RULES.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK THAT OUR LOCAL RULES NEED TO BE REVAMPED BECAUSE IT IS NOT HELPING NEIGHBORHOODS IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS LIKE YOURS WHEN WE'RE DOING ALL THIS BUILDING AND NOT PUTTING INSUFFICIENT DRAINAGE.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO TRY AND INFLUENCE THAT CHANGE AS WELL? SO ONLY RIGHT NOW ONLY THE MAYOR CAN PUT ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FOR A VOTE.
SO I, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, CAN'T ACTUALLY PUT ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA TO TAKE A VOTE ON.
UM, WHICH THERE'S A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT COMING UP IN 2023 THAT YOU CAN VOTE TO CHANGE THAT TO ALLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, TO JOIN TOGETHER TO PUT ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
BUT IT WOULD TAKE ORDINANCE CHANGES TO CHANGE THAT, UM, THOSE RULES AND WELL, YEAH.
IN 2018, UH, THE ATLAS 14 DID INCREASE FOR EVERY DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES IN TO MEET THE NEW STANDARDS, WHICH IS A HIGHER LEVEL OF FLOOD MITIGATION AND IT'S EQUIVALENT OF ABOUT A HUNDRED YEAR, WHAT USED TO BE A HUNDRED YEAR NOW IS A REQUIREMENT TO HAVE THE 500 YEAR.
SO EVERY DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES NOW IS ABIDING TO THESE NEW RULES OF DETAINING SOMETHING FOR WHAT THEY ARE IMPACTING, PUTTING AN IMPERVIOUS SERVICE ON.
SO YEAH, AND WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN THE FLOOD PLAIN THOUGH, AND YOU'RE IN A FLOOD PERONE AREA, THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HELP THE SITUATION.
SO, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE.
AND, AND THEN I WOULD JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING, KEEP DOING IT.
I KNOW YOU SAY PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF ME, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO YOU BRING UP THE PROJECTS AND YOU KIND OF LAUGH IT OFF, BUT FOR US, IT'S OUR LIFE, RIGHT? YEAH.
I MEAN, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
OH, THEY KNOW THAT I'M, I'M NOT LEAVING IT BE, I TALKED TO THEM ABOUT IT CONSTANTLY, SO DON'T WORRY, WE WON'T STOP.
UH, BO JOHNSON, SHERWOOD OAKS, UH, WE HAVE A UNFUNDED, UNSCHEDULED CIP PROJECT.
I KNOW YOU, YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT.
UM, JUST YOU MENTIONED SOME OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING.
JUST WANNA SEE WHAT IS A NEIGHBORHOOD WE CAN DO TO HELP AND MOVE THOSE FORWARD.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER PROJECT THAT I TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME TOO.
SO, AND THAT'S ABOUT A $30 MILLION PROJECT, UM, AT THIS POINT.
SO THAT IS ONE THAT HAS, I, I MEAN YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS HAS BEEN PRE-ENGINEERED AND IT'S UNFUNDED AND SO WE ARE ACTUALLY, WE'VE LOOKED AT STATE FUNDING, UM, THROUGH THE BRICK FUNDING PROGRAM AND TRYING TO GET FUNDING THROUGH THAT AND SOME OTHER SOURCES.
UM, WHEN I MET WITH COMMISSIONER CAGLE TO TALK ABOUT HIS NEW PRECINCT LINES, THAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THIS PROJECT.
AND SO, UM, HE'S LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL TO DO SOME KIND OF INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
SO HINT, HINT, WE NEED, UM, THE CITY ON BOARD WITH THAT TOO, BUT ABSOLUTELY IT, THAT, THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TURKEY CREEK, UM, WE ARE STILL IN COMMUNICATION WITH MOVING THAT MAINTENANCE OVER TO THE COUNTY BECAUSE REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF THAT CREEK, AS YOU KNOW, IS GOING TO MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR NEW DITCH MAINTENANCE PROGRAM WHERE SOME OF THOSE DITCHES, CITY OWNED DITCHES, WE ARE NOW REGULARLY MAINTAINING WITH, UM, OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, WHICH IS YOUR TAX DOLLARS, YOUR MONEY IS GOING TOWARDS THIS.
UM, BUT THAT HAS REALLY HELPED AS WELL.
SO WE, BUT WE JUST NEED THAT REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF TURKEY CREEK, WHICH WILL AT LEAST HELP.
WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT AND LET US KNOW AS WHAT WE CAN DO AS A NEIGHBORHOOD TO HELP.
UH, TRAVIS SMITH, UH, RESIDENT SPRING BRANCH DISTRICT A, UH, I'VE HAD TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT, UH, THE VARIOUS, UH, AGENCIES THAT ARE IN CHARGE
[02:00:01]
OF OUR, UH, FLOOD ZONES, OUR, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.IN THE SPRING BRANCH AREA, THERE'S THE, UM, FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, THERE'S THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THERE'S ALSO A CENTER FOR ENERGY, WHICH IS IN CHARGE OF THE LAND BELOW THEIR POWER LINES.
IF THERE IS A CULVERT THAT RUNS ALONG THAT LAND, THAT IS CENTER POINT ENERGY.
I'VE HAD TO LEARN ALL OF THIS ON MY OWN BECAUSE THERE WAS A CULVERT THAT WAS DAMAGED, UH, ON CENTER POINT ENERGY LAND THAT I HAD TO SPEND MONTHS CONTACTING, UH, THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICTS,
AFTER MONTHS OF, UH, EMAILS AND CALLS AND GOING BACK AND FORTH, THERE IS FINALLY A TEMPORARY SOLUTION.
UH, THERE IS COMPACTED SAND AND WHERE CONCRETE SHOULD BE.
UH, THERE IS NOT A NEW CULVERT.
THE SAME BROKEN CULVERT IS STILL THERE.
UM, SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN TO WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH THE VARIOUS AGENCIES THAT ARE A PATCHWORK SYSTEM OF OUR VARIOUS FLOOD MITIGATION.
UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND DISTRICT A, YOU NEED TO WORK MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER IN ORDER TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. I CANNOT GO BACK AND FORTH FOR MONTHS BETWEEN DIFFERENT AGENCIES, UH, EACH ONE SAYING IT'S SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBLEM IN ORDER TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS. UH, ADDITIONALLY, UH, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, UH, FUNDING FOR PROJECTS.
UM, THERE IS A, UH, COMMUNITY GROUP IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD CALLED NEIGHBORHOOD FLOOD PREVENTION, AND THEY HAVE SOME INTERESTING NUMBERS ABOUT FUNDING.
UH, THEY CRUNCHED THE NUMBERS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON BUDGET.
UH, AND I HAD LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS.
I HAD CHECKED THEM THREE TIMES.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, THE PART OF THE CITY BUDGET THAT'S UNDER PUBLIC WORKS THAT ACTUALLY DEALS WITH FLOOD MITIGATION IS ONLY 3% OF THE CITY BUDGET.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE MAN, UH, WHOSE STREET FLOODED, UH, BELIEVES THAT HIS STREET AND HIS NEIGHBOR'S LIVES ARE WORTH 3%.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT CARVER DEAL IS WORTH 3%.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT CARE ABOUT FLOODING ISSUES IN HOUSTON AND IN DISTRICT A.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT LEFT EARLIER WHO APPARENTLY DO NOT CARE ABOUT FLOODING IN DISTRICT A.
BUT I CARE ABOUT FLOODING IN DISTRICT A, UH, I DO NOT THINK THAT WE ARE WORTH 3%.
WE NEED MORE FUNDING FROM THE CITY TO DEAL WITH FLOODING.
SO TO ADDRESS YOUR FIRST, UM, POINT ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE OTHER ENTITIES AND CREST CULVERT, UM, NEXT TIME, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
WE FIGURE OUT WHO IT'S, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS TO THE RIGHT PLACE.
MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY'VE CONTACTED US ABOUT SOMETHING THEY WEREN'T SURE, YOU KNOW WHO IT BELONGS TO, AND WE'RE ABLE TO GET IT TO THE RIGHT PLACE PRETTY QUICKLY.
SO PLEASE CONTACT US AND WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT IT, IT GETS TO THE RIGHT PERSON.
UM, AND WE DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER WHEN EVERYONE JUST DENIES THAT IT'S NOT THEIRS.
WE MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE TAKES OWNERSHIP FOR IT.
SO PLEASE, JUST CONTACT MY OFFICE NEXT TIME.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY, STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THEN TO YOUR SECOND POINT, I MEAN, I COMPLETELY AGREE.
WE NEED MORE FUNDING FOR DRAINAGE.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY IN THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE I HAD 39 BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
I THINK I SET A RECORD FOR THE NUMBER OF BUDGET AMENDMENTS BECAUSE I'M NOT HAPPY WITH HOW OUR BUDGET IS CURRENTLY LAID OUT.
AND IN FACT, I KEEP, UM, TRYING TO PUSH FOR A SUNSET REVIEW PROCESS WHERE WE ACTUALLY AUDIT EVERY SINGLE PROGRAM AND EVERY DEPARTMENT AND TAKE SOME OF THAT EXCESS MONEY THAT THEY'RE SPENDING ON THINGS THAT WE DON'T NEED AND PUT IT INTO THESE DRAINAGE MITIGATION PROGRAMS. AND I'VE ALSO WORKED ON AMENDMENTS TO TRY TO MORE FAIRLY ALLOCATE THE FUNDING THAT WE GET FOR DRAINAGE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, DISTRICT A IS NOT GETTING OUR FAIR SHARE OF THAT MONEY.
AND SO WE DO NEED TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THIS.
AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL CONTINUE PUSHING FOR AND FIGHTING FOR.
SO I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.
AND I APPRECIATE, UM, THE OFFER OF CONTACTING YOUR OFFICE.
I'LL DEFINITELY DO THAT IN THE FUTURE.
AND IF YOU SAID IT WAS A TEMPORARY FIX, PLEASE CONTACT US SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS PERMANENTLY FIXED.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO FINISH BY SAYING THAT, UM, THERE ARE OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT ARE 30 TIMES, UH, THE ACTUAL PART OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT THAT ACTUALLY DEALS WITH FLOOD, FLOOD MITIGATION.
THE MONEY FOR FIXING FLOODING IN HOUSTON HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE.
THERE ARE HUGE BLOATED DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT NEED TO BECOME SMALLER.
UM, AGAIN, WE ARE NOT WORTH 3%.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, WE, WE ARE WORTH MUCH MORE THAN 3%.
UH, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT I DID NOT ASK ANY QUESTIONS WHEN I CAME HERE TO SPEAK.
THAT'S BECAUSE I'M NOT INTERESTED IN ANSWERS.
[02:05:08]
OKAY,SO AMY, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE WITH ALL THE, YOU KNOW, GETTING ALL THE, THE FLOODING AND, YOU KNOW, BRINGING ATTENTION TO IT.
UM, I KNOW I'VE BEEN IN A LITTLE BIT OF A PAIN ON FACEBOOK.
SO I HAVEN'T BEEN ON FACEBOOK.
YOU WANNA SEE EVERYTHING I PUT JUST SEARCH NUANCE PROJECT ON FACEBOOK.
YOU'LL SEE ALL MY PICTURES AND EVERYTHING
OKAY? BUT THERE IS ONE THING YOU CAN DO FOR US THAT WILL NOT COST YOU ANY MONEY.
THERE'S ONE THING, AND I REALLY, REALLY HOPE YOU CAN DO IT.
IT MIGHT BE HARD 'CAUSE IT INVOLVES HARRIS COUNTY, BUT IF YOU CAN PULL IT OFF MY STREET WILL BE REALLY GRATEFUL.
WHAT IS IT?
EVERYBODY KNOWS SPRING BRANCH IS GOING UP.
HOUSES ARE SELLING FOR DOUBLE, TRIPLE WHAT THEY USED TO FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO.
WE DON'T NEED TO BE TAXED AT THOSE RATES.
IF I WERE TO SELL MY HOME KNOWING THAT IT FLOODS, I CANNOT SELL IT FOR THAT PRICE.
THOSE THREE HOUSES THAT I MENTIONED ARE FOR SALE.
THEY'RE SELLING IT WITHOUT TELLING THE POTENTIAL BUYER THAT IT FLOODS, WHICH IS ILLEGAL.
SO THEY, YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, OKAY, I'LL GIVE THAT, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THAT ADDRESS.
YOU HAVE TO DISCLOSE WHEN, AGAIN, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE ADDRESS IN YOUR HOME ADDRESS.
1925, STILL WOOD AND 2017 STILL WOOD.
THOSE ARE THE THREE ADDRESSES CURRENTLY FOR SALE.
TWO OF 'EM ARE ABOUT TO GO TO CLOSING.
ONE OF 'EM IS STILL FOR SALE 'CAUSE IT'S 800,000.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THAT HOUSE IS APPRAISED FOR IN HARRIS COUNTY, 360,000.
MY HOUSE IS APPRAISED AT 305,000.
MY HOUSE IS HALF THE SQUARE FOOTAGE AND 60 YEARS OLDER.
SO WHY AM I ONLY 50,000 LISTS ON APPRAISAL VALUE THAN AN $800,000 HOUSE? WELL, I THINK IT, SO WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR US SOMEHOW, SOME WAY TALK TO HARRIS COUNTY, REDUCE OUR TAXES BECAUSE WE STILL FLOOD UNTIL WE STOP FLOODING, THEN WE CAN BE TAXED THE SAME RATE AS THE REST OF SPRING BRANCH.
WELL, I THINK IT MIGHT BE AN EASIER THING TO FIX YOUR FLOODING
I MEAN, IT'S NOT IN OUR AUTHORITY, UM, ON THE CITY TO TELL ONE LIKE STREET OR GROUP THAT YOUR TAXES ARE LOWER THAN ANOTHER.
I MEAN, THIS IS SET BY STATE LAW.
SO DOES SOMETHING, UM, IT WOULD TAKE A STATE LAW CHANGE TO ALLOW FOR THAT KIND OF REDUCTION.
THE CITY CAN'T OFFER TAX REDUCTIONS OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THAT'S NOT GOVERNED OR ALLOWED FOR BY STATE LAW.
SO WOULD I, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY CAN DO.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTACT YOUR STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT.
THEN FLOOD PRONE AREAS, OR IF A HOME IS FLOODED THAT MAYBE THERE'S SOME KIND OF TAX REDUCTION.
BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY IS AUTHORIZED BY THE STATE TO DO.
I MEAN, THE CITY CAN DO SOMETHING.
I MEAN, WE CAN PROTEST YOUR TAXES.
AND I, I WILL SAY THAT I VOTED AGAINST, UM, I, I HAVE ANY KIND OF INCREASE IN TAXES.
THERE IS, UM, LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE VOTING ON OUR LAST YEAR, TWO YEARS AGO NOW, I CAN'T REMEMBER, UM, VOTING ON OUR TAXES.
IT WAS A REDUCTION IN THE TAX RATE, BUT IT WAS STILL HIGHER THAN IT COULD HAVE BEEN.
SO ANY OPPORTUNITY TO LOWER TAXES.
I I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.
I HAVE, I HAVE A TAX CONSULTANTS THAT FIGHT MORE PROPERTY TAXES EVERY YEAR.
THEY CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE PEOPLE KEEP SELLING THEIR HOUSES AT MARKET VALUE.
KNOWING WHEN THEY FLOOD, I CAN'T DO THAT.
AND THAT'S KIND OF OUTSIDE THE, THE REALM OF WHAT WE CAN GOVERN WITH THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
BUT I HEAR YOU AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT MEETING IN PERSON SO WE CAN TALK MORE ON OFFLINE.
WE HAVE TWO MORE SPEAKERS AND THEN OKAY.
WE WILL END THE MEETING, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL TALK MORE.
WE'LL SET UP THAT MEETING TO MEET IN PERSON.
DAVID, I HAVE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU,
UM, I'VE LISTENED TO ALL OF THIS.
UH, AND YOU'VE HEARD A LOT FROM ME WITHOUT ME BEING HERE, UH, $670 MILLION, HOW IS THAT GOING TO BE ALLOCATED TOWARD, IS IT ALL GOING TOWARDS FOOT FLOODING
[02:10:01]
AND IF SO, HOW IS THAT GONNA BE ALLOCATED? AND YOU KNOW WHERE I'M GOING?I'M HAPPY, ECSTATIC TO SEE IT AT 90% DESIGN.
IT STARTED IN 2009 AND WE'RE AT 2000 TALKING ABOUT STARTING IT IN 2024.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETE IN 2018.
I DON'T KNOW WHO TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE 'CAUSE I KNOW I'VE DEALT WITH YOU, I'VE DEALT WITH BRENDA AND I'M JUST LIKE THAT WHERE THEY'RE AT.
I'M HAPPY, BUT IT'S WAY TOO LATE.
AND YOU CAN HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TRYING TO GET THIS PROJECT.
IT'S THE MAYOR TO WELL, I KNOW, BUT ULTIMATELY YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TEXT ME.
BUT WE'RE SHE GOT A TEXT WE BEFORE WE CAME TO THE MEETING.
UM, BUT WE'RE, I MEAN WE'RE CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET THERE.
I MEAN THE, THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT SPRING SHADOWS NORTH IS THAT IT IS FUNDED.
AND SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR MONEY LIKE WE ARE WITH SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS.
IT'S JUST AN ENGINEERING ISSUE.
AND SO THAT HOPEFULLY IS GONNA GOING TO BE AN EASIER FIX THAN TRYING TO FIND MONEY.
UH, I'M NOT GONNA MAKE THE COMMENT, I JUST THOUGHT IN MY HEAD,
UH, JUST AN OVERALL QUESTION CONCERNING WHAT I'VE SAID JUST NOW.
WHAT CAN ALL OF US HERE AS CITIZENS DO TO FORCE THE HAND OF THE CITY, NOT YOU, BUT THE HAND OF THE CITY ON INFRASTRUCTURE? WELL, ONE THING YOU CAN DO IS WHEN WE TAKE THIS BUS TO CITY HALL, I MEAN TALK TO THE MAYOR.
HE NEEDS TO HEAR FROM OTHER PEOPLE THAN JUST ME SCREAMING ABOUT IT EVERY TIME AT COUNCIL THAT WE'RE, WE HAVE FLOODING ISSUES.
HE HAPPY BE EMAIL DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
I MEAN HE, HE REALLY DOES NEED TO HEAR HOW THIS IS AN ISSUE FROM ACTUAL PEOPLE.
UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAD MS. MASON IN SPRING SHADOW SOUTH COME DOWN AND YOU WERE THERE TOO, DAVID, UM, AND ACTUALLY TALK TO THE MAYOR AND SEE HIM FACE TO FACE AND SAY THIS IS AN ISSUE.
SAID, WELL, DIDN'T SAID, SAID HE DIDN'T LIKE WHAT I SAID AT ALL.
I MEAN, BUT NUANCES HAPPENED AND SO I CAN'T, I MEAN, I AM HE YOUR HELP IN NOW WE DO.
I MEAN, FLOODING IS A HUGE PRIORITY TO ME.
I MEAN, I KNOW INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, THOSE ARE, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING, THE TOP TWO ISSUES.
BUT THANK YOU AND BRENDA STARTED FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR AREA.
WILL NOT CALL YOU OUT NEGATIVELY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT WE AS CITIZENS, WHETHER YOUR PROJECT'S BEING DONE NOW, WHETHER YOUR PROJECT'S BEING DONE IN FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO PUSH.
TO PUSH THE CITY INTO MOVING INSTEAD OF TALKING AND TAKING AWAY RAINY DAY FUNDS.
AND OUR LAST QUESTION OF THE NIGHT.
MY NAME IS VICTOR ABER AND I'M IN CARDALE AND I LIVE ON THE CORNER OF TRI AND TANNER.
AND WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR RIGHT AT 40 OR 50 OR 60 YEARS.
AND I WAS CURIOUS, I I WAS GLAD TO SEE THAT THERE'S SOME REHAB WORK TO BE DONE ON TANNER ROAD, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A NEED.
BUT I'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT IT'S BEING WIDENED TO FOUR LANES FOR, AS MS. MOORE SAID ALMOST FOREVER.
AND I WONDER WHY THAT'S NOT A PRIORITY, BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC ON TANNER ROAD FOR 16 HOURS A DAY WITH 18 WHEELERS AND HUGE TRUCKS ALL DAY LONG, EVERY DAY THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHY SOMEONE HAS NOT STUDIED THAT.
TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND AT LEAST EASE OF CONGEST CONGESTION OF TRAFFIC AND FIVE O'CLOCK IT'S STACKED UP FROM GUESSING ALL THE WAY TO BELTWAY A AND WITH TRUCKS IDLING AND THINGS LIKE THIS WITH THE FUMES AND EXHAUST AND THINGS LIKE THIS.
AND, AND WHERE I LIVE, LIKE IT'S, MY HOUSE IS ABOUT 60 FEET FROM THE STREET.
BUT I THINK THAT ABSOLUTELY, WELL IT DEFINITELY IS A PRIORITY TO GET THE STREET WIDENED AND UNTIL WE CAN GET CENTER POINT TO MOVE THEIR POLES ON THE COUNTY PORTION OF TANNER, WE CAN'T WIDEN IT BECAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE TO TAKE THE ROAD.
AND SO WE DO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE TO HOPEFULLY GET IT
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MOVED OR WE CAN WIDEN IT.UM, AND, AND WHEN WE CAN, WHEN WE DO THAT, THEN WE CAN GET THAT PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.
BUT THIS PROJECT IS JUST AN INTERIM PROJECT TO AT LEAST HELP WITH THE ROAD CONDITION AND DRAINAGE ISSUES.
BUT AGAIN, PUBLIC WORKS HAS COMMITTED THAT.
THIS IS NOT THE FINAL PROJECT.
ONCE WE GET THOSE POLLS MOVED, WE WILL GO, UM, WITH THE ORIGINAL PLAN OF WIDENING THE STREET, EVERYONE IS ON BOARD THAT IT NEEDS TO BE WIDENED.
AND YOU KNOW, I, YES COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN IS ON THE HG COMMITTEE AND HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT TANNER ROOF? IF YOU'LL GIMME A SECOND.
I MEAN, WE DID NOT GET, I'VE SERVED ON THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL BOARD AND WE DID NOT GET, WE GOT $9 MILLION, WE GOT 2% OF THE FOUR.
FOLLOW THOSE $500 MILLION THAT THEY GOT HOUSTON, THERE'LL BE A TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT COMING UP.
I'LL MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HAS THE INFORMATION.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING YOU CAN DO IS COME AND JUST GIVE YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THAT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S THE END OF THE STORY.
YOU KNOW, THE CITY WAS SUPPOSED TO GET A BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF FUNDING FROM HUD.
HGAC GAVE US VERY, VERY LITTLE.
SO THERE'S STILL A BIG FIGHT TO BE HAD.
UM, WE DID NOT GET NEARLY THE MONEY WE DESERVE AFTER HARVEY AND EXPECTED THE WAY THE LEGISLATION WAS WRITTEN WAS BASED ON, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY TO GET LIKE HALF OF THE MONEY COMING TO THE STATE.
AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT'S ENDED UP.
UM, WE'RE ALL GONNA GO DOWN SWINGING BECAUSE, UH, AND WE'LL JUST NEED YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS AT THE, AT THE RIGHT TIME.
AND I WILL JOIN COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN IN THAT FIGHT AND HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT AT HGA AS WELL.
SO IT, WE NEED THAT MONEY FOR PROJECTS LIKE THAT.
YES, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT.
HOW DO WE FIND OUT WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED FOR CARDALE OR FOR THIS REHAB, YOU KNOW? YEAH, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING.
UM, WE'RE JUST NOT QUITE AT THAT STAGE YET, BUT WE WILL HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING WITH CARDALE TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS INTERIM PROJECT.
SO YOU'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT.
WE'LL, WE'LL COME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMING TONIGHT AND WITH THE REDISTRICTING.
IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS OR ISSUES WITH THE MAPPING PROGRAM, CONTACT YOUR OFFICE.
ANY OTHER ISSUE, CIP, ANYTHING RELATED TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, PLEASE CONTACT US.