* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:05] OKAY. HELLO. IT'S 1 35 ON TUESDAY, MAY THE THIRD, 2022. I'M MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO TOWARD AS A HYBRID MEETING, WHICH SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS JOINING IN PERSON AND SOME USING MICROSOFT TEAMS. [PRESENTATIONS] UH, THE CHAIRS WILL RECOGNIZE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. YES. OH, I'M SORRY. MM-HMM . COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE STORY HIVE TO HONOR THEIR WORKING COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY. HAPPY WITH ME. THERE YOU GO, MAYOR. SO, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, TODAY WE ARE CELEBRATING THE EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF STORYHIVE, AND IT'S, UM, OUR PLEASURE TO HAVE WITH US THE, THE FOUNDERS AND CO-OWNERS OF STORYHIVE. UM, WE HAVE, UH, ALEX LUSTER, TOM GANDY, AND JENNA MORENO WITH US TODAY. AND I WANTED TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO JENNA MORENO, WHO'S ALSO, UM, REPRESENTING, UM, OUR CITY, OUR, THE WOMEN IN OUR CITY ON THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION, AND SHE STEPPED UP TO A LEADERSHIP ROLE. SHE'S THE CHAIR OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CAREER EX, UM, ACCESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. THANK YOU FOR THAT TOO. JENNA. UM, THE STORYHIVE WAS FOUNDED BY THE, THESE HOUSTON FILMMAKERS AND, UH, 14 STORYHIVE PRODUCERS, VIDEOGRAPHERS, EDITORS AND GRAPHIC ARTISTS CREATE VIDEOS AND ANIMATIONS FROM MANY OF HOUSTON'S ENERGY COMPANIES, FINANCIAL FIRMS, SMALL BUSINESSES, AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. SO, UM, ON, ON MAY 5TH COMING UP THIS WEEK, THE STORYHIVE WILL BE HOSTING AN OPEN HOUSE TO SHOWCASE TO THE CLIENTS THE MANY CREATIVE POSSIBILITIES THEY CAN PRODUCE. SO I THINK THEY MAY BE TALKING MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT, UM, THE PROCLAMATION STORYHIVE IS AN EAST END VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY THAT HAS PURCHASED AND ABANDONED 15,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING IN SECOND WARD. IN 2019, THE MINORITY OWNED COMPANY HAS INVESTED MORE THAN $1.8 MILLION IN RENOVATING THIS PROPERTY INTO THE LARGEST PURPOSE-BUILT FILM STUDIO INSIDE THE HOUSTON LOOP. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE STORYHIVE HAS PRODUCED FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT AND BENEFITS TO MANY CREATIVE ARTISTS AND FILMMAKERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. NO SMALL THING DURING A PANDEMIC, THE STORYHIVE CURRENTLY EMPLOYS 14 STAFF MEMBERS AND FREQUENTLY PROVIDES WORK TO OTHER FILMMAKERS AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL. THESE HIVE STIRS ROUTINELY LEND THEIR SELFLESSNESS TO MANY VOLUNTEER EFFORTS. RECENTLY, THE HOUSTON HOLOCAUST MUSEUM COMMISSIONED A MURAL OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICE RUTH BATTER GINSBURG TO BE PAINTED ON STORY HIVES BUILDING BY ART SYLVIA BLANCO ON MAY 5TH, 2022. THE STORY HIVE WILL BE HONORED FOR ITS WORK AND COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY. THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS AND APPRECIATES THE STORY HIGH FOR INSPIRING HOUSTON WITH ITS STAUNCH VOLUNTEERISM AND ADVOCATION FOR THE ARTS, AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR ITS CONTINUED SUCCESS, MAYOR. SO THEREFORE, I SUGGEST TURNER MAYOR, CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIM MAY THE FIFTH, 2022. THAT'S THE STORYHIVE DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THANK YOU ALL, AND CONGRATULATIONS. THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH SPEAKING. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, WE ARE HAVING OUR CIN AND MAYO PARTY ON THURSDAY TO CELEBRATE, AND WE HOPE THAT THE MAYOR WILL COME BECAUSE WE HAVE A, A YELLOW STORYHIVE, YELLOW MARIACHI HAT FOR HIM TO WEAR. SPECIFICALLY , WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS, UM, WITHOUT THE MAYOR WHO WE MADE A VIDEO ABOUT. UM, AND ALSO WITH, UH, FOR OUR WONDERFUL COUNCIL PEOPLE, UM, BOTH GALLEGOS AND CISNEROS, WHERE WE, WE LIVE AND WORK IN THE EAST END. AND THAT WAS ONE OF OUR GOALS IN LIFE, WAS TO, UH, CREATE JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE LIVE. AND, UH, I KNOW THAT EVERY TIME I CALL COUNCILWOMAN CISNEROS, WHICH MIGHT BE ONCE A WEEK, UM, SHE RESPONDS TO ME AND IMMEDIATELY HELPS OUT HER AND HER STAFF. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, I ALWAYS SAY THAT IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT IN HOUSTON, YOU CAN'T MAKE IT ANYWHERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE, IF YOU DON'T MIND. COULD YOU INTRODUCE THE OTHER FOLKS THAT YOU'RE WITH TODAY? UM, SO MY, UM, THE TWO, UH, OTHER CO-FOUNDERS IN THE STORY HIVE ARE ALEX LUSTER, WHO WAS, UH, WHO IS OUR NEIGHBOR AND WHO WAS MAKING A VIDEO ABOUT, UH, STREET ARTISTS WHEN WE MET HIM. AND, UH, WE DECIDED TO GO INTO BUSINESS WITH HIM. AND THEN THIS [00:05:01] IS NOT ONLY MY BUSINESS PARTNER, BUT MY LIFE PARTNER TOM GANDY. AND, UM, YES, ALL OF US ARE LONGTIME EAST AS END RESIDENTS AND THAT'S WHY WE DECIDED TO CREATE THIS, UM, BUSINESS IN THE EAST END. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE. COUNCIL MEMBER CIRO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS PROCLAMATION. I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UH, MS. MORENO FOR SERVING, UH, IN SO MANY DIFFERENT CAPACITIES, BUT TO THE ENTIRE STORYHIVE TEAM. THANK YOU FOR THE JUST BEAUTIFUL WORK YOU'RE DOING, SHINING A LIGHT ON SO MANY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. WELL, THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, I WANT TO THANK YOU AS WELL FOR BRINGING THIS ATTENTION AND MAYOR WHAT, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO HAVE MORE FILMMAKERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YOU KNOW, THAT'S VERY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE HOUSTON FILM COMMISSION IS TRYING TO DO. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT BETTER FOCUS THAN TO HAVE THAT ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? SO I SALUTE YOU ALL, UH, ALONG WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND NOW COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS AS THE REPRESENTATIVES ON THE HORSESHOE THAT HAVE, UH, WORKED WITH HOUSTON FIRST TO REPRESENT ALL THAT IS SO VALUABLE ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YOU GUYS ARE DOING THAT, AND I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND FOR YOUR WORK IN OUR GREAT CITY. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU INDIVIDUALLY AND ALSO TO THE STORY HIGH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, YEAH. FOR SYLVETA TURNER FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON HOUSTON TO HONOR ITS HUNDRED AND 75TH ANNIVERSARY. OKAY, LET ME, ALRIGHT, I, AND I HAVE THE HONOR AND THE PRIVILEGE OF PRESENTING THIS PROCLAMATION TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON HOUSTON. AND IF I CAN HAVE HIS EXCELLENCY, BISHOP LIO, UH, RA TO COME TO COME FORWARD. GOOD. GOOD. AND, UH, HIS EXCELLENCY IS FROM ITALY, RIGHT? YES. AND SPEAKS, UH, ENGLISH, SPANISH AND ITALIAN. YEAH. OKAY. WE'RE GONNA START OFF BY DOING THIS IN, IN, UM, ITALIAN, AND WE ARE GONNA FINISH UP UM, . OKAY. LONG TRIP. YEAH, BUT IT'S MY VERSION OF ITALIAN. THERE WE GO. YES. ALL RIGHT. UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AT CITY HALL. WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE YOU. UM, THIS IS, UH, THE PROCLAMATION TO THE DIOCESE OF GALVESTON HOUSTON. AND WHEREAS IN 1985, BEAUMONT BOND, BISHOP JOSEPH ZA BECAME THE SEVENTH BISHOP AND THE FIRST NATIVE TO SHEPHERD THE DIOCESE, WHICH BY THEN HAD GROWN TO 1.2 MILLION CATHOLICS AND LATER BECOMING ITS FIRST ARCHBISHOP. AND WHEREAS IN 2004, POPE BENEDICT, UH, THE 16TH ELEVATED THE DIOCESE OF GALVESTON HOUSTON TO AN ARCHDIOCESE. AND TEXAS JOINED CALIFORNIA AS THE SECOND STATE WITH TWO ARCHDIOCESE WITHIN ITS BOUNDARIES. AND WHEREAS IN 2 0 7, UH, POPE BENEDICT, UH, THE 16TH ELEVATED ARCHBISHOP FIZA CESA ARCHBISHOP DANIEL DONATO TO CARDINAL, AND HE REMAINED THE ONLY AMERICAN CARDINAL IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. AND WHEREAS THEN IN 2008, THE NEWLY BUILT CALLED THE CATHEDRAL OF THE SACRED HEART IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, SHARES THE FUNCTION OF BEING THE BISHOP SEAT, ALONG WITH ST. MARY'S BASILICA IN GALVESTON, THE MOTHER CHURCH OF TEXAS. AND WHEREAS UNDER CARDINAL DONATO STEWARDSHIP, THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON HOUSTON CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS MINISTRY NOW TO 1.7 MILLION INDIVIDUALS IN 10 COUNTIES SERVED BY ITS 146 PARISHES, SEVEN MISSIONS, AND 43 SCHOOLS, AND THE MANY MINISTRIES PROVIDING CARE FOR THE LESS FORTUNATE. AND WHEREAS ON MAY THE FOURTH, 2022, ARCHBISHOP OF GALVESTON HOUSTON WILL CELEBRATE [00:10:01] ITS 175TH ANNIVERSARY. THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS AND APPRECIATES ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON HOUSTON FOR ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR SO MANY PEOPLE THROUGH ITS RELIGIOUS EFFORTS AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER MAYOR CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM THIS DAY, MAY THE FOURTH, 2022, AS THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON HOUSTON DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXANS THE EXCELLENCY. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR GRESING US BY BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. PLEASE, I'LL BE HAPPY. TO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAYOR, ON BEHALF OF KAREN DIARDO, I'M PLEASED AND HONORED THAT TO ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION AND I THANK MAYOR TURNER AND HIS STAFF AND THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND, UH, THE STAFFS NOT ONLY FOR THIS RECOGNITION, BUT FOR THE WORK YOU DO EVERY DAY SERVING OUR COMMUNITY IN THAT REGARD. THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE DIOCESE, UH, ARE SIMILAR. WE ARE DEDICATED TO THE COMMON GOOD TO HELPING OTHERS, TO MAKING OUR CITY BETTER. TODAY, THE DIOCESE OF GALVESTON HOUSTON PREACHES THE GOOD NEWS OF, UH, CHRIST, UH, TO A FLOCK OF MORE THAN 1.7 MILLION FAITHFUL IN 10 COUNTIES, SERVED BY ABOUT 150 PARISHES, AS WE HEARD, AND OVER 40 SCHOOLS AND OTHER MINISTERS MINISTRIES, WHICH PROVIDE HEALTHCARE, NUTRITION, AND SHELTER. THIS HUNDRED 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DIOCESE IS AN OCCASION FOR LOOKING BACK AND REFLECTING ON OUR HISTORY, BUT ALSO FOR LOOKING FORWARD AT THE BEAUTIFUL, DIVERSIFIED, AND GROWING CITY OF HOUSTON. WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE WORK AHEAD CHILDREN, TO TEACH NEIGHBORS TO LOVE AND HEARTS, TO UNITE AND IGNITE WITH THE LIGHT OF THE TRUTH OF CHRIST. I'D LIKE TO CLOSE HIS BRIEF REMARKS WITH A SIMPLE INVITATION TO ANYONE SEEKING PEACE IN THEIR LIVES. JOIN US IN BECOMING ONE IN CHRIST THAT IS IN MAYOR TURNER. MANY THANKS AGAIN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE, THANK YOU, YOUR EXCELLENCY, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY KAIN. OKAY. JOINING US VIRTUALLY. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS, UH, PROCLAMATION, UH, YOUR EXCELLENCY, BEN VENUTO. UM, I, I BELIEVE YOU ALL REPRESENT OVER 1.3 MILLION PEOPLE IN OUR REGION. SO FOR ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL WORK THAT, UH, YOU DO, THANK YOU. I ALSO WANTED TO, UM, MAYOR EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION AND THE RECOGNITION OF ONE OF THE ORIGINAL THREE AMIGOS, UM, ARCH BISHOP ARCHBISHOP, UH, EMERITUS FIZA. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH HIM, UH, IN MULTIPLE CAPACITIES PRIOR TO COMING ONTO COUNCIL, BUT WHAT A BEAUTIFUL INDIVIDUAL, AND I KNOW THAT HE REPRESENTS, UM, THE BEAUTY IN ALL OF THE WORK THAT THE ARCHDIOCESE IS DOING. SO THANK YOU, UH, FOR THIS PROCLAMATION, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON, UH, SUCH A HISTORICAL ACHIEVEMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN, YOUR EXCELLENCY. CONGRATULATIONS ON A HUNDRED, 175 WONDERFUL YEARS AND, AND MANY, MANY, MANY MORE TO COME. GOD BLESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHAIR. NOW RECOGNIZES MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE, UM, 2022 BRAVO AWARDS WINNERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MAYOR PROM, VICE MAYOR PROAM, TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF GIVING OUT TODAY. I THINK THERE WILL BE SIX, UH, BRAVO AWARD WINNERS FOR 2022, AKA DISTRICT D, OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVAN SHABAZZ OF THE CHURCH SECRETARY, UH, BEVERLY WILLIAMS, UH, BEVERLY WILLIAMS OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. GREGORY WILLIAMS, THE PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING. JAMES BELL, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, NAAN EDWARDS, DISTRICT F, OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY D. THOMAS, AND STEPHANIE FANON FROM THE HOUSTON AIRPORTS. OUT OF ALL OF THE AWARDS, THE CITY GIVES THE BRAVO AWARDS AMONG THE MOST ESTEEMED AND IMPORTANT. THEY GO TO CITY EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT JUST OUTSTANDING AT THEIR JOBS, BUT WHO ARE EXEMPLARY AND INSPIRING MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. THEY ARE GREAT AT WHAT THEY DO BECAUSE IT'S WHO THEY ARE. THEY [00:15:01] ARE TRULY, THEY ARE TRULY PUBLIC SERVANTS WITH EMPHASIS ON SERVANTS. IT IS THEIR NATURE TO HELP OTHERS. UM, THEY NOT ONLY DO A GREAT JOB FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEY DO MUCH MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY OF HOUSTON. AND FOR THAT WE SAY BRAVO, AND WELL DONE. AND HERE ARE THE ACADEMY AWARDS TO THE 2020, UH, TWO BRAVO AWARD WINNERS. UH, FIRST LET ME ASK, LET ME ASK, UH, YAKA CHIEF OF STAFF, DISTRICT D, OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABA TO COME FORWARD. I SEE, I SEE. I HEY, PRECIOUS. GIMME A SMILE. THERE YOU GO. AH, LOOK AT THAT. YOU KNOW, GOOD LOOKS WHEN YOU SEE IT. THANK YOU. AT THE ONSET OF THE, AT THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC, AMMA AND YAKA FOUND HERSELF IN AN UNIMAGINABLE SITUATION. AS SCHOOLS AND THE CITY SHUT DOWN DURING THE 20 20 20 SCHOOL YEAR, AMMA HOSTED A LEARNING POD CALLED THE BLACK GIRL MAGIC SCHOOL. FIVE PRE-K STUDENTS, INCLUDING HER DAUGHTER, IS THAT RE UH, WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THEIR DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOL SKILLS. THIS SELFISH ACT GAVE THE GIRLS A SENSE OF NORMALCY. AMMA ALSO SERVES A COMMUNITY AS A MANAGER ON THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE FOR THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF HOUSTON. AND AMMA IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON A SYMPOSIUM THAT WILL EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON THE BENEFITS OF EXPUNGING THEIR RECORDS AND CONNECT THEM TO THE RESOURCES. HER WORK IN THE COMMUNITY IS HELPING TO CREATE LASTING CONNECTIONS. AND AS WE KNOW, WE LAST HEARD HER SPEAK, UH, WHEN WE PUT IN, UH, THE FAMILY LEAVE, UH, DEAL. SO, UH, MICHAEL, WE ARE HONORED TO AWARD YOU THE BRAVO AWARD. THANK YOU. OKAY. TURN RIGHT AROUND. TURN AROUND. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MICHAEL. NEXT LEMME CALL UP BEVERLY WILLIAMS, THE SENIOR PAYROLL CLERK FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. YES. HOW YOU DOING? I'M GREAT. GOOD PAYROLL STILL WORKING? YES. . ALL RIGHT. THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT. BEVERLY WILLIAMS BELIEVES IN SECOND CHANCES. FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, SHE HAS VOLUNTEERED WITH LOVING WORD FELLOWSHIP CHURCH IN THE LIBERTY FOR CAPTIVE MINISTRY. LOVING WORD. MM-HMM . PASTOR . YES. UH, OKAY. , MY, MY FRIEND HELPING MEN AND WOMEN RECENTLY RELEASED FROM PRISON FIND PURPOSE AFTER PRISON. SHE PROVIDES PRAYER AND GUIDANCE ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH LIFE AFTER BEING INCARCERATED AND FURTHER LIFTS UP THESE MEN AND WOMEN BY SOURCING CLOTHING AND MONETARY DONATIONS FOR THE MINISTRY. THROUGH THESE DONATIONS, PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE CLOTHING AND TOILETRIES TO PREPARE FOR JOB INTERVIEWS. BEVERLY ALSO HELPS ADMINISTER A 12 WEEK PROGRAM THAT FURTHER HELPS PARTICIPANTS REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL AND THEIR PURPOSE. AND THROUGH THE LIBERTY FOR CAPTIVE MINISTRY, BEVERLY HAS HELPED MORE THAN 500 MEN AND WOMEN GET A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE AND HAPPINESS FOR THAT AND SO MUCH MORE. BEVERLY, WE PRESENT TO YOU THE BRAVO AWARD. THE NEXT RECIPIENT I'D LIKE TO CALL UP WILL BE, UM, GREGORY WILLIAMS, THE SENIOR INSPECTOR PUBLIC WORKS, AND ENGINEERS GREGORY LEAVING BEHIND A PATH OF HOMELESSNESS AND DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE. GREGORY WILLIAMS DECIDED TO EMBARK ON A SPIRITUAL PATH TO HELP TURN HIS LIFE AROUND BY FOUNDING G WILL TALK MINISTRIES IN 2013. IN 2020, GREGORY CREATED UNITED BLESSING MINISTRY AND OUTREACH OF G WILL TALK. MINISTRIES THAT SEEK TO PROVIDE NECESSITIES TO HOUSTON'S HOMELESS COMMUNITY. GREGORY HAS SPENT MORE THAN A DECADE IN SERVICE TO OTHERS, VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY FOR ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS MUFA PRIDE, WINDSOR VILLAGE, UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND THE SALVATION ARMY. GREGORY ALSO SERVES ON THE HPW MINISTRIES COUNCIL, SERVING THE SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES THROUGH HIS MINISTRIES AND VOLUNTEERISM. [00:20:01] GREGORY ADVOCATES FOR THOSE IN NEED AND HELPS THEM FIND THEIR PURPOSE. AND FOR THIS GREGORY AND SO MUCH MORE IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL STORY, WE PRESENT TO YOU THE BRAVO AWARD. THANK YOU. AND CERTAINLY WANNA ASK THEM ALL TO STAY SO WE CAN TAKE ONE BIG PICTURE AT THE END. THE NEXT PERSON CALLING UP IS JAMES BELL, ADMINISTRATIVE MA ADMINISTRATION MANAGER FOR THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT. JAMES BELL IS A COMMUNITY MENTOR WHO ISH VOLUNTEERISM IS CHANGING LIVES AS A MISSION MEMBER OF CROSSOVER BIBLE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH JAMES MENTORS AND PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO AT-RISK YOUNG MEN LIVING IN GHANA, AFRICA. JAMES PROVIDES GUIDANCE ON EDUCATION, FINANCES, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND MORE. HE'S SET TO TRAVEL TO GHANA IN JULY TO DO SCHOOL REPAIRS, ASSIST WITH A VOCATIONAL BIBLE SCHOOL AND HELP SET UP A MENTORING PROGRAM FOR YOUNG BOYS. JAMES SERVES AS AN ADMINISTRATION MANAGER FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S COMMUNITY REENTRY NETWORK PROGRAM AND THE MY BROTHER'S KEEPERS REDIRECT PROGRAM. HIS WORK POSITIVELY INFLUENCES THE PATH THAT MEN REENTERING SOCIETY AFTER INCARCERATION AND AT RISK. YOUNG MEN IN NEED OF GUIDANCE, JAMES WORK IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM HAS HELPED YOUNG MEN IMAGINE A BETTER LIFE THROUGH SOCIAL OUTINGS AND PRESENTATIONS THAT SPARK HOPE. JAMES TRULY IS MY BROTHER'S KEEPER. AND FOR THAT JAMES, WE PRESENT TO YOU THE BRAVO AWARD. NOW LET ME CALL UP, UH, HAW EDWARDS, THE DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES AND HOUSING RESEARCHER, DISTRICT F, OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY D. THOMAS. SERVICE COMES FIRST FOR NHA EDWARDS FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, AND NHA HAS VOLUNTEERED THROUGH THE OMEGA. IT'S ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD. IT'S ALRIGHT. HE HAS VOLUNTEERED THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE OMEGA SCI-FI FRATERNITY SPEARHEADING PROJECTS WITH MEALS ON WHEELS, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IN PINEY WOODS COMMUNITY CLEANUPS, BLOOD DRIVES, DAYS OF SERVICE, AND ADOPT A FAMILY DURING THE HOLIDAYS THROUGH, THROUGH HIS MENTORSHIP WITH EMERGING 100 HOUSTON, HE ASSISTS WITH FUNDRAISING EFFORTS THAT SUPPORTS COMMUNITY CLEANUPS AND THE HOUSTON HEIGHTS COMMUNITY. NOW SEAN ALSO VOLUNTEERS WITH THE LOCAL INITIATIVE SUPPORT CORPORATION, AN ORGANIZATION THAT ASSISTS COMMUNITIES. THANKS TO HIS WORK, NAAN RECEIVED A GRANT TO IMPLEMENT HIS COMMUNITY DINNER CONCEPT IN THE PINEY POINT COMMUNITY. HE ALSO VOLUNTEERS WITH LEADING TOGETHER AND IN AN INITIATIVE THAT BUILDS COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS, ORGANIZATION AND RESILIENCY. HIS OVERALL WORK FOR DISTRICT F HELPS TO IMPROVE OFFICE OPERATIONS WHILE RESOLVING CONSTITUENT CONCERN. NOT ONLY IS HE A VALUED MEMBER OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES, BUT HE'S A VALUED MEMBER OF OMEGA SCI FI FRATERNITY INCORPORATED. YES, SIR. I KNEW THAT WAS COMING. WE PRESENT TO YOU THE BRAVO AWARD. THANK YOU. LET ME CALL UP, UH, STEPHANIE FANON, OUR AIRPORT OPERATIONS SPECIALIST FOR [00:25:01] HOUSTON AIRPORTS. STEPHANIE, STEPHANIE RESCUE IS A WORD STEPHANIE FANON KNOWS WELL AS A VOLUNTEER FOSTER FOR THE GREAT DAME RESCUE OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. SHE WORKS TO SAVE THE LIVES OF DOGS IN NEED. AFTER THE PASSING OF HER GREAT DANE DUKE, SHE GOT INVOLVED WITH RESCUE WORK IN HIS MEMORY. SINCE 2020, SHE HAS HELPED TO RESCUE, FOSTER AND REHABILITATE GREAT DAMES IN NEED OF LOVING HOMES. EBY THE GREAT DAME SHE IS CURRENTLY FOSTERING. WAS AN OWNERSHIP, WAS AN OWNER. WAS IT? YOU WAS BANDAID. EW. LET'S GO. I GET SOMETHING ELSE. YOU TRYING TO, SINCE 2020, SHE HAS HELPED TO RESCUE, FOSTER, AND REHABILITATE GREAT DAMES IN NEED OF A LOVING HOME. EBY. THE GREAT DAME SHE IS CURRENTLY FOR, FOR FOSTERING WAS AN OWNER SURRENDER WHO WAS IN DESPERATE NEED OF MEDICAL ATTENTION, UNDERWEIGHT AND HAD A BAD SKIN CONDITION. OVER THE PAST YEAR, STEPHANIE HAS HELPED EBY MAKE A FULL RECOVERY. SHE HAS ALSO SERVED AS A FOSTER FOR BARK THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S ANIMAL SHELTER, AN ADOPTION FACILITY. STEPHANIE'S RESCUE WORK IS SAVING LIVES ONE DOG AT A TIME. AND FOR HER WORK ON WITH ABBY AND SO MANY OTHERS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER SERVICE AND GIVE HER THE BRAVO AWARD. THANK YOU. NOW, IF THE OTHERS WILL COME AND JOIN ALL OF US, I APPRECIATE IT. OF THE AWARD WIN WINNERS. 'CAUSE I CERTAINLY, I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING OTHERS. YOU HAVE TOUCHED THE LIVES OF MANY, AND TODAY WE RECOGNIZE YOU AND YOUR PASSION FOR SERVICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE. I KNOW Y'ALL WANT TO GET A QUICK PICTURE. OKAY. BIG SMILE, JOHN. TURN RIGHT AROUND. THANK YOU EVERYONE. THE, THE GREATEST RECOGNITION, THE GREATEST GIFT THAT YOU CAN RECEIVE IS TO BE RECOGNIZED FROM YOUR PEERS BECAUSE THEY REALIZE HOW FANTASTIC OF A JOB YOU DO. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO AMMA BEVERLY, GREGORY, JAMES, STEPHANIE AND MAYOR. CAN WE GIVE NHAN TWO BRAVO AWARDS FOR PUTTING UP WITH TIFFANY D. THOMAS BECAUSE HE'S, HE'S DESERVING OF MUCH MORE THAN JUST ONE. BUT COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. AND CERTAINLY I HAVE TO SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE MY CHIEF OF STAFF. IMA AKA CERTAINLY SHE, UM, TESTIFIED THE OTHER WEEK AS TO HOW CHALLENGING HER JOB WAS, BUT SHE NEVER MISSED A BEAT. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT ALL OF MY STAFF ARE DE ARE DESERVING OF BRAVO AWARDS. BUT I WANTED TO START OUT WITH MY CHIEF OF STAFF AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO PRESENT HER WITH THIS SMALL TOKEN AND TO LET HER KNOW HOW MUCH I DEARLY LOVE HER. AND I'M GLAD THAT SHE BROUGHT MY BOSS WITH ME. URE WITH YOU. RE WHO TELLS HER, UH, YOU ARE NOT MY BOSS. COUNCIL MEMBER IS MY BOSS. GET IT RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM WITH A COUPLE OF DOZEN ROSES FOR THE NEXT RECIPIENT. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. I, I, MAYOR, I AM NOT SURPRISED THAT WE HAVE, UH, THIS GROUP OF, UH, DYNAMIC [00:30:01] PEOPLE WHO, UM, WORK EVERY DAY FOR THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON, BUT HEARING WHAT THEY DO OUTSIDE OF THEIR EVERYDAY JOBS IS EXTRAORDINARY. AND, UM, WHILE YOU WERE READING WHAT THEY DO OUTSIDE OF WORK, I I, I'M FILLED WITH JOY, ESPECIALLY TO HEAR, UM, THESE, UM, MEN WHO ARE WORKING WITH MUFASA'S PRIDE, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR CASE, UM, GRANTEES IN DISTRICT K. UM, MY SON IS A VOLUNTEER WITH MUFASA'S PRIDE, SO I KNOW THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY DO WITH, UH, YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AND TO HEAR, UM, ABOUT THE WORK AT CROSSOVER BAPTIST CHURCH IS BLAKE WILSON, THE PASTOR. WE WENT TO COLLEGE TOGETHER. AND, AND SO I LOVE BLAKE. HE'S A, HE'S A DYNAMIC YOUNG MAN. HE'S ALWAYS BEEN DYNAMIC EVEN WHEN WE WERE IN COLLEGE. SO TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH HIM AND, AND MY BROTHER'S KEEPER AND EVERYONE OF YOUR STORIES, UM, IS IMPACTING HOUSTONIANS IN A SPECIAL WAY. AND SO, NOT ONLY ARE YOU DESERVING OF THESE BRAVO AWARDS, UM, BUT YOU ARE DESERVING OF THIS RECOGNITION BECAUSE WE APPRECIATE, AND I SAY THIS ALL THE TIME, GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE. BUT WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE LIKE YOU OUT IN OUR COMMUNITIES ALSO HELPING TO MAKE HOUSTON BETTER, WHAT MORE CAN WE DO THAN RECOGNIZE YOU AND LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE WORKING ALONGSIDE YOU TO MAKE HOUSTON THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE? SO, CONGRATULATIONS. AND BRAVO. YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY D. THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO. MAYOR PROTI, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU, ESPECIALLY HAW. UM, AND MANY OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT IN ADDITION TO HIS WORK THIS PAST WEEKEND, HE WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE NINTH DISTRICT FOR OMEGA SCI-FI AND WAS APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS. SO HE'LL BE CONTINUING THAT WORK WITH THE STATE, WITH THE DISTRICT LEVEL POSITION, AND THEN ALSO RECEIVED A SCHOLARSHIP AS HE PURSUES HIS, UM, HIS TERMINAL DEGREE. SO HE'S PURSUING HIS DOCTORATE DEGREE AND MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT. SO IN ADDITION TO NAVIGATING ALL OF THE OBLIGATIONS AND PUTTING UP WITH ME, , AMEN, HE'S DOING THAT. UM, A GREAT FATHER, GREAT COMMUNITY SERVANT, AND IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL OF YOUR COMPLIMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR HIM AND YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO THE 2022 BRAVO RECIPIENTS FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YOU MAKE OUR JOBS MUCH EASIER, SO THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS. THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO RECEIVED PROCLAMATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, UH, TODAY. REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] AND NOW WE'RE GONNA TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE INVOCATION AND THE PLEDGE. AND THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS FOR THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE. THANK YOU COLLEAGUES. THANK YOU. MAYOR, WILL YOU BLOW YOUR HEADS? PLEASE, GOD, BEFORE WE ASK YOU FOR ANYTHING, WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. THANK YOU FOR THE BREATH IN OUR BODY. FOR MANY PEOPLE DID NOT RECEIVE THAT GIFT THIS MORNING. WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE, BECAUSE TO SERVE IS TO MODEL WHO YOU ARE IN THIS EARTH. WE WANNA THANK THE CITY EMPLOYEES, WE WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO ARE CONSTITUENTS, THOSE WHO ENTRUST US TO ADVOCATE ON THEIR BEHALF. AND WE JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS MOMENT AND THANK YOU FOR OUR GREAT CITY FATHER FOR THAT. WE MAY NOT BE PERFECT, BUT FATHER, WE ARE IN PROGRESS AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE LEADERSHIP THAT WE HAVE IN THE HORSESHOE, THE LEADERSHIP IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND FOR THOSE THAT CONTINUE TO TRUST US TO MAKE THE VERY BEST DECISIONS FOR OUR CITY, ADD A SPECIAL BLESSING TO THOSE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HEARTBREAK AT THIS TIME, ESPECIALLY OUR COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, AS YOU WELCOME HER MOTHER IN THE BOSOM OF YOUR ARMS. FATHER, WE THANK EVERY SINGLE ONE THAT CONTINUES TO SHOW UP IN THIS CITY WHEN THEY'RE CARRYING THEIR OWN PERSONAL WEIGHT AND THEIR OWN PERSONAL OBLIGATIONS. AND SO SEND THEM AN EXTRA BLESSING. DEAR GOD, IT'S IN YOUR NAME THAT I PRAY THIS PERFECT PRAYER. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. AND AMEN. OKAY, UH, IF YOU PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC [00:35:01] FOR WHICH IT STANDS FOR ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IF YOU'RE PREPARED TO UNMUTE YOURSELF, FOR THOSE WHO ARE ONLINE, UM, MADAM [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] SECRETARY, YOU'LL PROCEED TO CALL THE ROLE MAYOR TURNER. HERE. COUNCILMAN PEG HERE. COUNCILMAN JACKSON? HERE. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. PRESENT ONLINE. COUNCILMAN EVAN CHABA. HERE, COUNCILMAN MARTIN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN THOMAS. PRESENT. COUNCIL HUFFMAN PRESENT. COUNCILMAN CIRO? HERE. COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS. HERE VIRTUALLY. CONSTABLE POLLARD. HERE. COUNCILMAN CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCILMAN KNOX. WILL WILL BE ABSENT. CONSTABLE ROBINSON. HERE. CONSTABLE KOSH. HERE. COUNCIL PLUMMER HERE AND CONSTABLE ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF APRIL 5TH AND SIXTH. CASTEX TATUM MOVED SECOND ROBINSON AND MOVED AND SECONDED TO ADOPT THE MINUTES. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR? NONE. THE MOTION IS GRANTED. UH, JUST A FEW [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY'S, UM, PUBLIC SESSION FOR THOSE WHO ARE LINE, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, REMEMBER, UM, IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE MEETING, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW. IN THE CHAT WINDOW, AND THEN YOU CAN PROCEED TO HANG UP. STATE YOUR NAME WHEN MAKING OR SECONDING A MOTION ON ITEM. FOR THOSE JOINING VIRTUALLY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW. AND THE AGENDA DIRECTOR WILL BE MONITORING THE CHAT WINDOW AND WILL ADD YOUR NAME TO THE QUEUE. UH, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU MUST BE VISIBLE ON CAMERA WHILE YOU ARE SPEAKING FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS TODAY. FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS, IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, YOU HAD TO SIGN UP WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE BY 3:00 PM ON YESTERDAY, AND WE WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGNED UP, UH, WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED. IF YOU ARE HERE IN PERSON, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM AND IF YOU ARE CALLING IN, PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF. IF YOU ARE APPEARING ON CAMERA, CLICK ON THE MICROPHONE ICON AND THE CAMERA ICON. UH, YOU WILL THEN, UH, HAVE THE ONE, TWO, OR THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK, WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED. NOW, WHEN THE, WHEN THE BELL RINGS, WHEN THE BELL RINGS, THAT MEANS THAT YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED AND YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY COME TO AN END AND YOU MAY ONLY SPEAK WHEN RECOGNIZED. UH, NOW LET ME RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR A PROCEDURAL MOTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I MOVE TO ADD HEATHER WOOD TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA LIST. I'M SORRY, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD. OKAY. YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTIONS. SECOND. WE MOVED A SECOND. ANY OBJECTION? CHAIR IS NONE. AND MOTION IS GRANTED. CHAIR RECOGNIZE. THANK YOU. OKAY, CHAIR RECOGNIZES, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE WENDY ALVAREZ, UH, TO THE THREE MINUTE SPEAKER'S LIST. BE BEHIND APRIL AGUIRE. WENDY ALVAREZ, CORRECT? WENDY? YES. WENDY ALVAREZ. OKAY. BEHIND APRIL AGUIRE. OKAY. THANK YOU. I MOVE A SECOND. ANY OBJECTION, JERRY? NONE GRANTED. COUNCILMAN KASH. MAYOR, I, I MOVE TO, UM, MOVE JERRY GOSS TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE, UH, NON AGENDA. G-A-U-S-E. JERRY, GO. FIRST PAGE. AND I HAVE ONE MORE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTES TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTES. OKAY. IT'S BEEN MOVED. SECOND. SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND. ANY, UM, ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR? NONE MOTION. MAYOR, I HAVE ONE MORE. I'D LIKE TO MOVE MARY WRIGHT, MARIAN WRIGHT, UH, SYLVIA BLAIR AND STACEY SEALS. THEY EACH GET ONE MINUTE, BUT PUT 'EM RIGHT BEHIND JERRY GAUZE THAT WE JUST MOVED BECAUSE THEY'RE SPEAKING ON THE SAME SUBJECT. OKAY. ONE MINUTE. ONE MINUTE TO MOVE. MARIAN WRIGHT, SYLVIA BLAIR AND STACEY SEALS. OKAY. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? I HEAR A SECOND. SECOND. SECOND. THEN MOVED AND SECONDED. AND ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR NONE. MOTION IS GRANTED. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND, I'D LIKE, UH, REQUEST A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE, UH, COOK KELSEY, UH, TO THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA LIST, OR IN THIS CASE, ONE MINUTE BEHIND ANDREA FRENCH ON THE AGENDA TOWARD THE TOP OF OUR SPEAKER'S LIST TODAY. THE SECOND FOR ONE MINUTE. YES, SIR. AS CURRENTLY LISTED FOR ONE MINUTE AFTER, AFTER ANDREA FRENCH. YES. THREE MINUTES. SECOND. RIGHT. SHE'S BEEN MOVED FOR ONE MINUTE. BEEN SECONDED. ANY OBJECTION, [00:40:01] CHAIR? NONE GRANTED. ANYONE ELSE? GIVE US ONE SECOND. OKAY. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. A LOT OF MOVEMENT THIS TODAY. ONE SECOND. OKAY. WE'RE STILL TALING THE VOTES, SO ONE SECOND. . OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET, UH, LET'S GET STARTED. ADAM, UH, SECRETARY, IF YOU PROCEED TO CALL THE SPEAKER'S LIST. FIRST SPEAKER WENDY, I MEAN, LINDA MORALES. LINDA MORALES. IF YOU PRESS, UH, STAR SIX, YOU CAN PROCEED. HAVE ONE MINUTE. LINDA MORALES, LINDA MORALES MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, LINDA MORALES WITH THE GULF COAST AREA LABOR FEDERATION OF THE A-F-L-C-I-O. FIRST, I WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ASHA JACKSON FOR THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT POLICY. WHEN USED CORRECTLY, TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAMS CERTAINLY PROVIDE VALUABLE INCENTIVES THAT CAN BRING GOOD JOBS TO HOUSTON, BUT THE PROCESS NEEDS TO BE TRANSPARENT AND WITH PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT. I ASKED MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL TO PLEASE VOTE YES TO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CITY'S TAX ABATEMENT POLICY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL, COUNCIL COUNCILMAN KASH. THANK YOU, LINDA. THIS COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH, I, I READ YOUR, I READ THE AMENDMENT AT LENGTH AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW WILL THIS, UH, AMENDMENT HELP, UH, TO, TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? WILL, WILL IT DO SO MAYBE TARSHA JACKSON CAN, UH, CAN SPEAK TO THAT OR MAYBE, UH, YOU CAN, LINDA. WELL, I THINK I, I, I THINK THAT THE FIRST THING IS IMPORTANT IS PEOPLE NEED TO BE NOTIFIED. AND I THINK THERE'S LANGUAGE IN THERE. I HAVEN'T SEEN THE, I THINK THERE'S LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT PROVIDES FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY. UM, SO I HEAR OTHER PEOPLE TALKING, SO I, UH, I WOULD SUPPORT, I ASK YOU TO SUPPORT THAT POLICY. IT'S A FIRST STEP TO MANY THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE CHANGE, BUT I'M BEING REASONABLE AND I THINK, UH, THAT THE PROCESS DOES NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT. THIS HELPS WITH SOME OF THAT TRANSPARENCY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. DOUG SMITH? YES, DOUG SMITH. IS DOUG HERE? YES. DOUG? NO. STARTS DOUG HERE. I DO NOT SEE HIM. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. MARGARET PASSANT. OKAY. HELLO, I'M HERE. THIS IS DOUG. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. THIS IS OKAY. DOUG? YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. OKAY. OKAY, GREAT. I'VE ATTENDED NEARLY EVERY DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET HEARING FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS AND PLAN TO DO SO AGAIN THIS YEAR. I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHY THOSE MEETINGS DID NOT COVER THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT LINE ITEMS. THIS IS THE THIRD LARGEST ITEM IN THE GENERAL FUND AFTER POLICE AND FIRE AMOUNTING TO OVER $200 MILLION FOR NEARLY 10% OF THE TOTAL FUND PRIOR TO DEATH SERVICE. PERHAPS ONE REASON IT IS NOT ADDRESSED IS BECAUSE THE EXPENDITURES RELATE TO MORE THAN ONE DEPARTMENT, BUT THAT SHOULD NOT PREVENT AN EXPLANATION OF SUCH A LARGE PART OF THE BUDGET. I'M SURE THE ADMINISTRATION COULD FIND A KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF MEMBER TO PROVIDE THAT EXPLANATION. LAST YEAR I ASKED A COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT THE ACCOUNT AND THEY DESCRIBED IT AS A SLUSH FUND. THEN RECENTLY I TALKED TO ANOTHER MEMBER ABOUT THE ACCOUNT AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS, DON'T YOU? AND I SAID, NO, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. THEY ALSO CALLED IT A SLUSH FUND. THERE MAY BE OTHERS OF YOU HERE AT THE HORSESHOE TODAY THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME OPINION OR REALLY [00:45:01] DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE ACCOUNT, BUT WHATEVER THE CASE, IF YOU ARE TO REPRESENT THE VOTERS WHO PUT YOU IN YOUR POSITION, YOU NEED TO HAVE A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT ACCOUNT. THE 2023 BUDGET SCHEDULE IS ON YOUR AGENDA TOMORROW. AND I'M ASKING THAT A DISCUSSION OF THE ACCOUNT BE ADDED TO THE SCHEDULE. A LOGICAL PLACE TO ADD, IT WOULD BE ON MAY 17TH, WHERE ONLY THREE DEPARTMENTS ARE SCHEDULED. IT COULD BE ADDED EITHER RIGHT BEFORE OR RIGHT AFTER THE GSD PRESENTATION. IF YOU DO NOT INSIST ON AN EXPLANATION, BE INCLUDED IN THE SCHEDULE, THEN I DO NOT THINK YOU ARE DOING THE JOB YOU ARE ELECTED TO FULLY DO TO UNDERSTAND THE CITY BUDGET, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS DESCRIBED IT TO ME AS A SLUSH FUND. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KOSH. DOUG, THIS IS, THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH. WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, PUT WHAT YOU SAID IN AN EMAIL TO ME BECAUSE YOUR VOICE WAS VERY BROKEN IN THIS, UH, TALK TO THE COUNCIL. I'M NOT SURE IF, IF, IF WE ACTUALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU SAID, EVEN THOUGH, UH, I, I HEARD YOU SPEAK. I'D LIKE TO HAVE IT IN WRITING IF YOU WOULD. THANK YOU. YES, I WILL DO THAT. AND I JUST HAVE TO SAY, THE REASON I'M NOT DOWN THERE, UH, IN PERSON TODAY IS THAT I TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID YESTERDAY. I'M FEELING BETTER, BUT, UH, MAYBE THAT'S WHY MY VOICE, UH, SOUNDS LIKE IT DOES. BUT I WILL SEND IT TO YOU. GET WELL, MY FRIEND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOUG. AND, AND GET WELL. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. SURE. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, MARGARET PASSANT. MARGARET, UH, PASSANT. IF YOU HAVE PRESS STAR SIX MARGARET, SHE'S ON CAMERA. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, SPEAKING TODAY ABOUT THE PROPOSED CHAPTER 30 REV REVISIONS TO THE NOISE ORDINANCE, WHICH I'VE, I'M OPPOSED TO FOR SEVERAL REASONS, AND I'VE HAD SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ALCORN AND STAFF COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT THE THESE REVISIONS. I WANNA FIRST THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR WORKING ON THESE REVISIONS AND ALSO EXTEND MY CONDOLENCES TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR HER LOSS. UM, THE REASON WHY I DON'T AGREE WITH THESE REVISIONS IS BECAUSE THE PROPOSED REVISIONS DO NOT MEASURE SOUND AT THE ORIGINATING PROPERTY. AND THERE ARE SEVERAL CIRCUMSTANCES, ESPECIALLY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHERE THERE ARE SEVERAL BARS IN A ROW AND THE SOUND IS ORIGINATING FROM MULTIPLE BARS. SO IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHICH BAR IS CREATING THE NOISE WITHOUT MEASURING THE SOUND AT THE ORIGINATING PROPERTY. AND WE HAVE A CIRCUMSTANCE, SEVERAL CIRCUMSTANCES ON WASHINGTON AVENUE WHERE THESE ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE CREATING THIS TYPE OF NUISANCE ARE ADJACENT TO HOMES, TOWN HOMES, AND NOW A LOW INCOME SENIOR RESIDENTS. SO THERE ARE A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED NOT ONLY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT CITYWIDE. AND WE NEED AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO MEASURE THE SOUND FROM THE OFFENDING PROPERTY. I'M SURE CITY COUNCIL UNDERSTANDS, AS DOES THE MAYOR, THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO CITE BARS THAT ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE BAD BEHAVIOR. BUT WE DO WANT TO CITE BARS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING, UM, IN THE BAD BEHAVIOR. WE REQUESTED HIS RESIDENTS REMOVAL OF OUTDOOR LOUDSPEAKERS AND A REDUCTION IN THE ALLOWED DECIBEL LEVEL, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 10:00 PM TO 2:00 AM WHEN WE'RE AWOKEN BY AMPLIFIED SOUND. DJS ON LOUDSPEAKERS AND NOISE VIBRATIONS. HOWEVER, THIS REVISED ORDINANCE IS PERMITTING THE AMPLIFIED SOUND AT THE SAME DECIBEL LEVELS THEY OPERATE NOW, WHICH GIVES ESTABLISHMENTS THE CONTINUED RIGHT TO DISTURB THE QUIET USE AND ENJOYMENT OF OUR HOMES. THIS ORDINANCE DOES NOT ADDRESS VIBRATION FROM BASE SOUND, WHICH RATTLES THE WINDOWS AND WALLS OF OUR HOMES BASE. SOUND CANNOT BE MEASURED BY DECIBEL LEVEL. THE REVISION HAS NO TEETH. THE BARS ARE PLAYING AMPLIFIED SOUND IN EXCESS OF THE ALLOWED DECIBEL LEVELS WITHOUT PERMITS AND WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES. SO THE PROPOSED REVISION TO PULL A PERMIT IF THEY ARE REPEAT OFFENDERS, IS WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE. IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. OTHER STATUTES IN OTHER CITIES, SUCH AS SAN ANTONIO, WHO HAS A RIVERWALK STANDARD IN AUSTIN, ALLOW FOR THE SEIZURE OF NOISE PRODUCING EQUIPMENT AFTER NOTICE AND A HEARING. I'M ALSO SUGGESTING THAT THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY FOR THESE OFFENDING ESTABLISHMENTS BE REVOKED IF THERE ARE VIOLATIONS AND ESPECIALLY CONTINUED VIOLATIONS OF THE NOISE ORDINANCE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCILMAN ASH, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU ON COUNCIL WHO, WHO DO NOT KNOW, UH, THAT THIS IS ONE OF OUR JUSTICES OF THE 14TH COURT OF APPEALS, SHE'S NOT HERE, SHE SAID UNDER HER OFFICIAL CAPACITY, BUT YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW [00:50:01] THAT. UH, SHE'S ALSO, UH, HERE AS, AS A, AS A CITIZEN WHO ACTUALLY LIVES AT 51 0 2 CENTER STREET AND IS SUBJECT TO THIS SOUND. AND SHE'S VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE. I HAD A GOOD, UH, DISCUSSION WITH HER. AND I, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT, UH, WHAT YOU'VE SAID HAS MERIT. AND, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT, UH, WE COULD COME TO SOME TYPE OF A, A WAY OF, OF GIVING THE CITIZENS WHO ARE SUBJECTED TO THIS LOUD BASE SOME TYPE OF, UH, UH, UH, UH, SOME KIND OF HELP. AND YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE, THOUGH, THAT UPON REVIEWING THIS ORDINANCE THAT IT'S REALLY GOING TO DO ANYTHING BUT GIVE MORE PERMISSION FOR LATER TIMES AT NIGHT. SO I'M JUST KIND OF WONDERING WHERE WE ARE HERE. AND SO, UM, I I HOLD YOUR OPINION PRETTY HIGH, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS US ON THAT, THAT YOU HAVEN'T SAID TO US? YES, MR. KIBOSH. THANK YOU. UM, I AM HERE IN MY INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AS A 30 YEAR RESIDENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I ALSO HAVE FRIENDS IN MIDTOWN THAT ARE SUFFERING THESE SAME CONSEQUENCES. AND I WOULD SAY THAT WE NEED AN EXPERT TO HELP US NOT ONLY WITH THE ACCEPTABLE DECIBEL LEVELS, BUT ALSO WITH THE FREQUENCY LEVELS, WHICH ARE ADDRESSED IN OTHER STATUTES IN OTHER CITIES. UH, THE ONLY THING I CAN, LIKE IN THIS EXPERIENCE TO HAVING HAD IT FOR YEARS NOW IS, YOU KNOW, I FEEL AS THOUGH THE RESIDENTS DESERVE A LITTLE MORE RESPECT. I WE'RE CERTAINLY, UH, A A, THE BARS CAN MAKE ALL THE MONEY THEY WANT AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE THEM DO SO WE JUST WANNA SLEEP AT NIGHT. YOU KNOW, THE ANIMALS THAT THE HOUSTONS DO GET TO SLEEP AT NIGHT BECAUSE THE ZOOKEEPERS MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S QUIET SO THAT THEY CAN DO SO. WE, WE SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE THAT LEVEL OF RESPECT FOR THE RESIDENTS IN OUR CITY. WE, WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT. UM, AND I'M SORRY THAT THIS IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM. WE HAVE TRIED TO WORK WITH VARIOUS BAR OWNERS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, AS MUCH WORK AS EVERYONE WAS PUT INTO THIS STATUTE, THIS STATUTE DOES NOT SOLVE THAT PROBLEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LOGISTIC. I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT AND YOU TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU CAN'T DETERMINE WHICH CLUB IT'S COMING FROM. THAT'S ALSO A, A SIGNIFICANT MATTER. AND I DO THINK WE ALL NEED TO BE ABLE TO SLEEP JUST LIKE THE ANIMALS AT THE ZOO. I WONDER IF THERE WAS A CLUB CLOSE TO THE ZOO, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MANCO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND MEG, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT. YOU'VE BEEN, UM, AT THIS FOR A LONG TIME, AND I REALLY VALUED THE INPUT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US AS WE'VE, AS WE'VE TRUDGED THROUGH THIS ORDINANCE. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DON'T THINK THIS ORDINANCE GOES FAR ENOUGH AND THERE'S OTHERS THAT THINK IT DOES. IT GOES TOO FAR. SO AS THE MAYOR OFTEN SAYS, WE DON'T LET THE PERFECT GET IN THE WAY OF THE GOOD. THIS IS WHAT I COULD GET. THIS IS WHAT I CAN GET THROUGH COUNCIL, AND IT WILL BE AN IMPROVEMENT. WE ARE NOT GIVING ADDITIONAL PERMISSION TO BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS TO PLAY LOUD MUSIC AT LATE NIGHT. THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT PERMISSION. THEY'RE ALREADY DOING IT. THERE ARE, THERE ARE ALREADY RULES ON THE BOOKS THAT SAY HOW LATE THEY CAN PLAY AND HOW, WHAT DECIBEL LEVELS THEY CAN PLAY. NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY REQUIRING A PERMIT FOR ALL LATE NIGHT NOISE MAKERS, SO WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. THE ONES THAT ARE PLAYING NOW DON'T EVEN, THEY JUST SKIRT THE RULES. THEY DON'T GET THE PERMITS. NOW WE'RE REQUIRING A PERMIT SO WE KNOW WHO'S PLAYING LOUD, AMPLIFIED SOUND AFTER HOURS IF THERE ARE RESIDENCES WITHIN 300 FEET. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE MEASUREMENT. I I DO. BUT THIS, LIKE I SAID, IS WHAT I COULD GET. THIS IS THE MEASUREMENT. THIS IS WHERE THE LAW ALREADY ON THE BOOKS, AT THE MEASUREMENT, AT THE COMPLAINING WITNESSES, HPD IS GOOD ABOUT DETERMINING WHERE THE SOUND IS COMING FROM. THEY DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE. UM, BASE SOUND IS ADDRESSED IN THE ORDINANCE IN 30 DASH FIVE B. WHAT I HAVE BEEN ON A MISSION MAYOR TO DO IS REALLY TO TALK TO HPD ABOUT CITING BASED NOISE. THEY OFTEN DON'T CITE BASED NOISE BECAUSE THEY DON'T THINK THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THE EVIDENCE TO GET IT THROUGH, BUT THERE ARE, THERE, THERE, THERE IS EVIDENCE THEY CAN PROVIDE TO. IT'S ALREADY ON IN THE BOOKS. WE'RE NOT CHANGING THAT. THERE'S ALREADY, UM, UH, BASE NOISE, UH, UH, COVERED UNDER THIR 30 DASH FIVE. SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR COMPLAINTS, MEG, I REALLY DO. I'VE BEEN TO YOUR HOUSE. I HEAR THE NOISE. UM, I DO THINK THIS, THIS IS GOING TO BE A WAY FOR OUR CITY TO WORK WITH THE BARS TO GET THEM INTO COMPLIANCE. WE'RE INSTITUTING THIS ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING PROCESS WHEREBY WHICH WE, THE CITY CAN WORK WITH BARS. THEY CAN PROVIDE A SOUND MITIGATION PLAN RIGHT NOW. DON'T YOU THINK A SOUND MITIGATION, I KNOW THERE HAD TO BE A QUESTION IN THERE. DON'T YOU THINK A SOUND MITIGATION PLAN FROM THE BARS WILL HELP MOTION TO EXTEND? MOTION TO EXTEND. MOVE SECOND. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR? NOW, GRANTED, [00:55:02] MAY I RESPOND FIRST OF ALL, AND REALLY JUST IF, IF YOU COULD ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT THE SOUND MITIGATION PLAN? SURE. FIRST OF ALL, I THINK WE SHOULD DO BETTER THAN WHAT I CAN GET. I I SIMPLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT STANDARD. SECONDLY, WHAT THIS PERMIT DOES IS IT PERMITS AMPLIFIED SOUND BETWEEN THE HOURS UP, UP UNTIL 2:00 AM WHICH IT DID NOT DO BEFORE. THIRD, WE CANNOT GET A POLICE OFFICER OUT TO OUR LOCATION. AND WHEN WE DO, AND A DJ IS SCREAMING ON A MICROPHONE INTO OPEN AIR IN AN OPEN PATIO AREA, WE CANNOT, THEY CANNOT ON THE SOUND METER GET THE RIGHT DECIBEL LEVEL, EVEN THOUGH IT'S GOING THROUGH DOUBLE PANE, DOUBLE INSULATED WINDOWS AND DOUBLE INSULATED WALLS. AND I WILL ALSO STATE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, YOU SAID YOU'VE BEEN IN MY HOUSE SEVERAL TIMES, YOU'VE NEVER BEEN IN MY HOME TO SEE EVERYTHING VIBRATE. I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF WHEN YOU'VE COME BY MY HOME. I GUESS YOU'VE TOURED WITH OTHER PEOPLE, BUT SORRY, LIGHT, LIGHT NIGHT OUTSIDE. I, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INFERENCE, BUT LIGHT NIGHT OUTSIDE, I MEAN, MY REPRESENTATION IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE REALITY IS. AND THE REALITY IS THAT MY NEIGHBORS AND I LIVE WITH THIS EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. THOSE BARS ARE OPEN. RIGHT? AND WE HAD A DOZEN SPEAKERS LAST WEEK, MANY OF WHOM ARE FROM YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN SUPPORT OF THESE CHANGES. THEY DO THINK THAT WORKING WITH THE BARS TO PRESENT SOUND MITIGATION PLANS WILL HELP. WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, HOLD ON ONE SECOND, ONE SECOND. LET ME, LEMME JUST CHIME IN AND PUT SOME CONTEXT IN ALL OF THIS. I THINK, UM, I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN AND A COUPLE OF TIMES THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY HAVE VOTED NO TO ZONING. THE PEOPLE IN THIS CITY HAVE, HAVE CONSISTENTLY VOTED NO TO ZONING. AND WHEN YOU VOTE NO TO ZONING, THAT MEANS THAT EVERYBODY CAN LIVE NEXT DOOR. OKAY? SO WHEN YOU START TRYING TO REGULATE, AND WHEN THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON SAID NO TO ZONING, THEN YOU CREATE A UNIQUE SITUATION IN THIS CITY WHERE BUSINESS CAN BE THERE FIRST AND DEVELOPMENT CAN COME AROUND THAT BUSINESS. OKAY? UH, THE PEOPLE CAN BE THERE FIRST AND THE BUSINESS CAN COME NEXT DOOR. AND SO NOW WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IN WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ANCO AND OTHERS, IS TO CREATE SOME SORT OF BALANCE, SO TO SPEAK. IT'S NOT PERFECT AT ALL, OKAY? BECAUSE, UM, YOU'LL HAVE BUSINESSES WHO SAY, AND I'VE HEARD FROM SOME JUST YESTERDAY, MAYOR, WE WERE HERE FIRST AND PEOPLE BUILT CLOSE TO US, PUT TOWN HOMES AND OTHERS CLOSE TO, BUT WE WERE HERE FIRST WHEN NOBODY WAS THERE. SO IT'S, IT'S A BALANCE. NOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEVERAL CHOICES. YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO ADDRESS IT IN SOMEWHAT OF A MEANINGFUL WAY. AND WE'VE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WHO SAY, WHAT'S ON THE, ON THE AGENDA FOR TOMORROW? IT'S, IT IS A GOOD MEASURE. IT'S A GOOD STEP. LET'S PUT IT THIS WAY. OKAY? SO IT DEPENDS FROM ONE'S POINT OF VIEW, IT IS, IT IS NOT GONNA BE PERFECT. IT'S NOT GONNA BE, UH, PERFECT. FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE SAYING, MAYOR, YOU'RE GOING TOO FAR AND NOW YOU'RE IMPOSING FEES ON US. PERMIT FEES, OKAY? AND THEN FROM RESIDENTS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HAVE HERE WHO SAYING, WE DIDN'T GO FAR ENOUGH. SO IT'S, IT'S HALF A DOZEN AND ONE AND HALF DOZEN IN ANOTHER. BUT, BUT WHEN THE PEOPLE IN THIS CITY ELECTED NOT TO HAVE ZONING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, I MEAN, WE, WE START GOING DOWN THIS SLIP SLIPPERY SLOPE. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, CAYMAN COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND JUST TO ADD CONTEXT TO THIS, UM, JUDGE, I ALWAYS LOOK, WE WORK WITH YOU CONSISTENTLY. UH, YOU'RE IN TOUCH WITH MY STAFF, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S STAFF, AND, UH, I JUST WANT US TO BE CAREFUL WHILE I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, YOU, YOU FEEL, AND OTHER RESIDENTS FEEL THAT THIS COULD HAVE GONE FARTHER. UM, THAT DOES NOT TAKE AWAY FROM THE, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HAS OF WHAT RESIDENTS ARE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW. AND THIS ISSUE IS VERY, UM, IMPORTANT TO ME, NOT ONLY BECAUSE THIS IMPACTS SO MUCH OF OUR DISTRICT, BUT, UH, THERE'S BARS GOING UP A FEW BLOCKS FROM ME. I CAN ALREADY HEAR THE MUSIC GOING. AND AGAIN, TO SAY THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HAS ONLY BEEN ON THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOME, NOT THE INSIDE, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO THAT, BUT TO SAY THAT SHE HAS NOT WALKED IN YOUR SHOES, I ASSURE YOU SHE HAS BEEN THERE WITH US, WITH RESIDENTS, UM, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY FIGHTING FOR RESIDENTS. SO I WANNA APPRECIATE HER AND HER STAFF, UM, FOR THAT. AGAIN, I RECOGNIZE AND RESPECT WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, BUT I DON'T WANT TO, UM, TAKE AWAY FROM THE EXTRAORDINARY [01:00:01] EFFORT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN IS CHAIR OF HER COMMITTEE HAS GONE THROUGH, UM, TO GET EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY. AND MAYOR FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN GETTING US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, ANDREA FRENCH. GOOD AFTERNOON, MS. FRENCH. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M ANDREA FRENCH. I'M THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR SCENIC HOUSTON. UH, MANY OF YOU MIGHT REMEMBER ME. UH, I'VE BEEN WITH TAG A TRANSPORTATION ADVOCACY GROUP FOR NINE YEARS. I AM DELIGHTED, UH, TO BE STEPPING INTO THIS ROLE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR WHAT I WOULD CALL ALL THE SPACES IN BETWEEN THE LARGE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE LAST NINE YEARS. UM, IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY THE SPACES WHERE ALL HOUSTONIANS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS, UH, LIVE, WORK, UH, PLAY AND, AND VISIT, UH, AND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO PROVIDE COMMENT ON ITEM EIGHT FOR AN ORDINANCE REPEALING THE REVIEW PERIOD FOR CHAPTER 46 OF THE HOUSTON BUILDING CODE, THE HOUSTON SIGN CODE, UH, SCENIC HOUSTON SUPPORTS ITEM EIGHT AND APPLAUDS THE MAYOR, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND COUNCIL FOR THEIR COLLABORATION IN THIS CRITICAL PROCESS. THE SUPREME COURT RULING ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN VERSUS REAGAN ARRIVED ON MY SECOND DAY WITH SCENIC HOUSTON. SO I WAS ABLE TO SEE FIRSTHAND, UM, HOW SCENIC HOUSTON, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND THE SIGN INDUSTRY ALL CAN WORK TOGETHER IN PARTNERSHIP FOR CONSENSUS, UH, ON A CRITICAL ISSUE. UH, IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS THE FIRST CITY IN THE NATION THAT ENACTED SUCH A MORATORIUM, A FACT THAT REFLECTS DEEPLY ON THE COMMITMENT OF OUR CITY'S LEGAL PROWESS AND PASSION. AGAIN, WE APPLAUD THE COLLABORATION AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE CONVERSATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS ON THIS ITEM IN FUTURE ENDEAVORS AS WELL. I PERSONALLY LOOK FORWARD TO SITTING WITH EACH OF YOU AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT SCENIC HOUSTON CAN DO FOR YOU AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT YOU SERVE. I'M EXCITED FOR WHAT'S POSSIBLE AND HONORED TO BE A PART OF ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE ALREADY DOING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR TIME, AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS. OTHER THAN THAT, I KNOW I'VE GOT, UH, ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS HERE TO SPEAK AFTER ME, SO THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PRAM AND, AND, UH, ANDREA. WE CERTAINLY KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU'VE BEEN, UH, UM, WITH TAG AND ALL THE IMPORTANT WORK YOU'VE BEEN DOING WITH INFRASTRUCTURE. SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE TODAY IN YOUR NEW CAPACITY, RECOGNIZING, CONGRATULATE YOU ON THAT. 'CAUSE THAT'S, IT'S A GREAT, UH, WIN FOR ALL OF US HERE THAT CARE ABOUT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. UM, I'M GONNA DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUES. I THINK I'M SATISFIED, BUT I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP TODAY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS SNE. HI . UM, I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR NEW ROLE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE YOU WERE GOING WHEN YOU LEFT TAG AND I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN WONDERFUL THERE. BUT, UM, THANK YOU. THAT'S IT'S REALLY GREAT NEWS THAT YOU'LL BE, YOU'LL BE, UM, LEADING, UM, SCENIC HOUSTON, WHICH HAS JUST A, BEEN A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION AND I LOOK FORWARD TO VISITING WITH YOU. I'M ANXIOUS TO FOR THAT VISIT. THANK, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANKS, ANDREA. WONDERFUL. LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING CONVERSATIONS IN YOUR NEW ROLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, CLERK KELSEY. MORNING COUNSEL. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. 18 MONTHS AGO, I RAN ACROSS THE AUSTIN CASE ON A COURT WEBSITE. AND WHEN THE CITY OF BOSTON DID NOT RETURN MY OR SCENIC HOUSTON'S PHONE CALLS, WE WENT THERE WITH A GROUP OF HOUSTONIANS AND WE TOLD AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, YOU MUST APPEAL THIS CASE. WE WILL DO ALL OF THE LEGWORK, BUT HOUSTON IS NOT GOING DOWN WITH THIS SHIP. I HAVE BEEN VERY HONORED TO REPRESENT YOU THROUGH, UH, THE HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION AND AN INCREDIBLE COALITION OF 50 GROUPS FROM THE NORTHWEST HOUSTON CHAMBER TO THE EAST END CHAMBER, UM, EVEN THE GREATER HOUSTON SIGN ASSOCIATION, MANY NATIONAL CORPORATIONS BASED IN HOUSTON. UM, AND TO BASICALLY FAST FORWARD TO LAST WEEK, UH, THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT RULED THAT THERE IS AN EXCEPTION, UH, CONSTITUTIONALLY FOR BILLBOARD BANS. AND IT IS, THANK YOU. GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP. IT IS BASED SOLELY ON OUR QUOTE, UNBROKEN LEGACY, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR HOUSTON'S OPEN SKIES AND, AND VIEWS. UM, IT'S, I MEAN, THE CASE ACTUALLY IS IN, IS IN AUSTIN. WE'RE STILL THERE ON THE SECOND PRONG, AND WE WILL, WE WILL FIGHT ANYWHERE FOR, FOR HOUSTON'S BILLBOARD ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN. THANK YOU COOK. AND ANDREA, [01:05:01] THIS IS, THIS IS GREAT. I LOVE THAT YOU STARTED THIS WHOLE THING READING THAT CASE. GOOD FOR YOU. UM, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND WE'RE WITH YOU, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT COULD HAVE BEEN ANYONE AND, AND REALLY THE STORY WE TOLD THE COURT, IT GOES BACK TO 1913 WHEN A GROUP OF CITIZENS CAME BEFORE THIS BODY AND SAID, WE DON'T WANT BILLBOARDS ON OUR, IN FRONT OF OUR, UH, LOCAL BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN. AND IT IS JUST BUILT UP OVER THE YEARS, THIS, THIS VERY UNIQUE COALITION. AND I'M JUST INUNDATED EVERY DAY NOW FROM CITY ATTORNEYS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, UH, GOING, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE CASE AND UP TO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS ITEM EIGHT ISSUE, THE MORATORIUM. AND, UH, WE'RE JUST SO PROUD. WE'RE UNIFIED AND WE ARE PROUD OF HOUSTON'S, UH, YOU KNOW, LOCAL BUSINESSES AND SCENIC VIEWS AND SKYLINES AND PARKS, AND WE WILL FIGHT FOR IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, MEG DUFFY. MEG DUFFY STAR SIX. CAN YOU HEAR ME? GOOD AFTERNOON. GO AHEAD. GOOD AFTERNOON, AND THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU TODAY. MY NAME IS MEG DUFFY AND I'M A POLICY ANALYST AT TEXAS APPLESEED. FOR OVER A DECADE, WE WORKED WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS IN HOUSTON ON PROJECTS RELATED TO DISASTER RECOVERY AND NEIGHBORHOOD EQUITY. AND I COME HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS THE TAX ABATEMENT ORDINANCE. WE DO NOT OPPOSE TAX ABATEMENTS AS A DEVELOPMENT TOOL, BUT THERE MUST BE MEANINGFUL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND GREATER TRANSPARENCY IN THIS PROCESS. OVER THE LAST DECADE, MANY DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAVE MODERNIZED THEIR PROCESSES TO INCLUDE POSTING NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES ONLINE AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WHERE RECENT RESEARCH INDICATES THAT MANY PEOPLE GET THEIR INFORMATION, THE CURRENT PROCESS OF POSTING NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS ON TAX ABATEMENTS, UH, BOTH FOR THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ORDINANCE AND FOR INDIVIDUAL ABATEMENT APPLICATIONS. AND THE LEGAL NOTICES OF THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE DOES NOT ACTUALLY NOTIFY THE PUBLIC WHOSE MONEY IS AT STAKE IN TAX ABATEMENT POLICY. IT IS ALSO IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT ON PROPOSED ORDINANCE WHEN A DRAFT HAS NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC. THERE'S BEEN NO INFORMATION AT ALL ABOUT WHETHER THE ORDINANCE IS BEING AMENDED AND WHAT CHANGES THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAS PROPOSED. WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION, HOUSTON RESIDENTS CANNOT ASSESS THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE OR PROVIDE ANY MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK. WHEN PUBLIC MONEY IS USED TO FURTHER THE CITY'S ECONOMIC GOALS, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE PUBLIC RECEIVE ADEQUATE NOTICE INFORMATION AND CONTEXT IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC HEARINGS. I WANNA REITERATE THAT WE DO NOT OPPOSE TAX ABATEMENTS. TAX ABATEMENT POLICIES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BRING GOOD FAMILY SUPPORTING JOBS, TRAINING PROGRAMS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND OTHER BENEFITS TO THE CITY, PARTICULARLY AT A TIME WHEN SO MANY COMMUNITIES ARE REELING FROM THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 AND ESCALATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS IS CRITICAL THAT PUBLIC DOLLARS PROVIDE REAL PUBLIC BENEFITS. WE SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S AMENDMENT ON THE TAX ABATEMENT POLICY, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE CITY TO ENSURE MEANINGFUL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND GREATER TRANSPARENCY THROUGH THIS AND FUTURE TAX ABATEMENT DISCUSSIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MS. DUFFY. NEXT SPEAKER, HEATHER WOOD? YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, MS. WOOD, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, AND THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY. UM, I'M REPRESENTING AS A MEMBER OF A BUSINESS IN THE RECYCLING INDUSTRY FOR PRECIOUS METALS. I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TODAY ON ITEM NUMBER NINE, WHICH IS AN ORDINANCE FOR THE AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER SEVEN, WHICH REVISES THE REQUIREMENTS FOR METAL RECYCLERS, SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSING CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. UM, AS A COMPANY, OF COURSE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO RESPONSIBLE SOURCING AND TAKE CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT, AND IT'S ACCOMPANYING ISSUES INCREDIBLY SERIOUS. AS MANY OF US KNOW, CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO OUR NATION. IN NOVEMBER, 2021, THE US SECRETARY OF INTERIOR INCLUDED, UH, THREE OF THE METALS WITHIN THE CONVERTERS, UM, ON THE 2022 LIST OF CRITICAL MINERALS FOR OUR NATION. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE REVISIONS INCLUDED WITHIN THIS ORDINANCE WILL HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT ON OUR ABILITY TO COLLECT AND PROCESS THESE CRITICAL MINERALS. UM, OUTSIDE OF INDIVIDUALS, THIS REVISION WOULD LIMIT CONVERTER SALES IN THE BUSINESS ARENA TO AUTO REPAIR FACILITIES ONLY. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES OUTSIDE OF THESE FACILITIES, WHICH GENERATE CONVERTERS. UM, NOT ALLOWING THESE BUSINESSES TO SELL WOULD LEAVE CRITICAL MINERALS OUTSIDE OF THE RECYCLING VALUE CHAIN. UM, REVISIONS, UH, WOULD ALSO ADD REQUIREMENTS, WHICH WOULD, UH, REQUIRE INTENSE HANDLING OF [01:10:01] EACH INDIVIDUAL CONVERTER. AS WE PROCESS HUNDREDS OF THESE CONVERTERS IN AN AVERAGE WEEK, THE TIME REQUIRED TO ADHERE TO THESE LAWS WOULD CREATE BURDENSOME REQUIREMENTS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES, WHICH WOULD ULTIMATELY AFFECT THE FLOW, UM, AND VOLUME OF CRITICAL MINERAL MINERALS INTO OUR COUNTRY. UM, I'M ALSO CONCERNED WITH LIMITING STATE, THE, THE ING TO STATE LICENSED INDIVIDUALS. AND THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF BUSINESSES WHICH ULTIMATELY PROCESS THIS MATERIAL. UM, YOU, YOU WILL HAVE SOME THAT WILL CROSS STATE LINES, UM, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ENCOMPASS THOSE BUSINESSES AS WELL. UH, WE PROPOSE THAT THIS ORNAMENT, UH, BE DELAYED AND A MORE COLLABORATIVE SOLUTION WITH AFFECTED INDUSTRY BUSINESSES, UM, BE ESTABLISHED SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BRING THESE CRITICAL MEN MINERALS INTO OUR NATION, UM, AND ASSIST WITH DEVELOPING A MORE VIABLE SOLUTION TO CURB CONVERTER THEFT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. AND MS. WOOD, THANK YOU FOR CALLING. UM, WE DID HAVE A COMMITTEE MEETING ON THIS LAST WEEK, UM, AND I WOULD ASK MAYOR PRO TEM, UM, THAT, UH, OUR CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT OR HPD REACH OUT TO, UM, MS. WOOD, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE HER ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE ORDINANCE, BUT ALSO GET HER FEEDBACK. MS. WOOD, I'M SURE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND, UM, THE URGENT NEED OF THE CITY TO DO, TO TAKE ACTION TO CURB, UM, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF VERY DANGEROUS THEFTS OF CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. BUT WE CERTAINLY DO NOT WANT TO, UM, HINDER BUSINESS AND THOSE THAT ARE FOLLOWING THE LAW. UH, SO I, I APPRECIATE YOU CALLING AND MAYOR PROTIME. AGAIN, I WOULD ASK THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT REACH OUT TO MS. WOOD. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH. MS. WOOD, THANK YOU FOR CALLING. UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE VIRTUAL. BECAUSE YOU'RE VIRTUAL. I COULDN'T HEAR EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID, AND I'M VERY INTERESTED IN, IN WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY. UH, ARE YOU FAR, I HEARD YOU SAY DELAY THE ORDINANCE. ARE YOU FOR THE ORDINANCE OR ARE YOU WANTING TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE? UM, IT WOULD BE SOME TYPE OF COLLABORATIVE AMENDMENT THAT I WOULD HOPE TO, TO SEEK OUT JUST BASED ON THE, UM, I, I FEEL THE CHANGES THAT ARE WITHIN THE ORDINANCE WOULD, WOULD SEVERELY LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF CRITICAL MINERAL THAT WE'RE BRINGING TO THE NATION THROUGH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. ARE, ARE YOU, ARE YOU IN THE SALVAGE BUSINESS OF THESE MINERALS? UM, YES, WE DO. WE PURCHASE CATALY CONVERTERS AND WE, UH, WE ULTIMATELY PROCESS THEM FOR RECYCLING. YES. UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN A PERSON, LIKE MY GRANDSON GOES OUT TO HIS PICKUP TRUCK AND HE'S ON, HE'S IN COLLEGE AND HAS LOST HIS CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND HE CALLS ME AND, AND, AND IT'S VERY CONCERNING THAT SO MANY OF HAVE OF HIS FRIENDS ALSO HAVE LOST THEIR CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. AND, AND, AND I, I'M, UM, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION. UH, AND OF COURSE WE HAD ONE OF OUR, UH, OUR DEPUTIES, UH, KILLED AT, AT A SCENE WHEN THEY'RE TAKING CATALYTIC CONVERTERS OFF OF THESE CARS. DO YOU, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO SPRAY PAINT THE CITIZENS NEED TO SOME KIND OF PAINT THESE CONVERTERS OR MAYBE PUT, UH, CODES ON THESE CONVERTERS SO THAT, UH, THE BUYERS OF THE CONVERTERS KNOW THAT THEY'RE STOLEN? UM, I ULTIMATELY, I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW, HOW PUTTING A NUMBER OR SPRAY PAINT WOULD, WOULD FLAG ANY SORT OF THEFT NOTIFICATION. UM, SO, SO, SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW THAT WOULD, I GUESS, ALLOW US TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE STOLEN. IF, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. HOW MANY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS DO YOU BUY EACH WEEK? UM, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT, WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MUCH, I, I KNOW IT IS HUNDREDS EACH WEEK THAT WE, THAT WE WOULD PURCHASE AND PROCESS. ARE, ARE THEY, ARE THEY TELLING YOU THAT THEY'RE GETTING, GETTING, I MEAN, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST, I'M SORRY. I, YOU HAVE TO THINK THERE, THERE, THERE ARE MILLIONS OF CONVERTERS ON THE ROAD AT ANY GIVEN TIME. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, THE LIFE CYCLE TYPICALLY OF THE CONVERTER, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE SEEING THE CONVERTERS 13 TO 15 YEARS AFTER, YOU KNOW, AFTER THAT, THAT VEHICLE WAS INTRODUCED INTO, UM, INTO THE PUBLIC MARKET. AND SO WITH MILLIONS OF CONVERTERS OUT THERE AT ANY GIVEN TIME, YES, YES, WE WOULD SEE HUNDREDS. OKAY. I THINK, I THINK I'VE ASKED ENOUGH QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. SO MS. WOOD, UH, HOW DO YOU VERIFY THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER THAT YOU'RE SELLING CAME FROM A LEGITIMATE SOURCE OR AN ILLEGITIMATE SOURCE? UM, WE DEFINITELY WOULD FOLLOW, UM, [01:15:01] FOLLOW THE STATE LAW AND THE EXISTING, UM, COORDINATE OR THE EXISTING LAW WITH, WITH HOUSTON. AND SO, UM, I THINK THE HANGUP IS, IS WHEN YOU START TO LIMIT IT TO JUST AUTO REPAIR BUSINESSES. SO CURRENTLY THE STATE LAW ALLOWS MULTIPLE BUSINESS TYPES. AND SO WHAT WE WOULD TYPICALLY DO IS WE WOULD REQUIRE SOME SORT OF BUSINESS PROOF, UM, USUALLY THAT WOULD BE A BUSINESS LICENSE OF, OF TYPE. AND, UH, WE WOULD REQUIRE THAT, UH, WE ALSO FOLLOW, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN WITH OUR INDUSTRY, WE HAVE OTHER, I'M SO SORRY. NO, WE DID A MOTION TO EXTEND. THERE'S A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OPPOSED? MOTION GRANTED. GO AHEAD. KEEP SPEAKING. THIS WOULD, OKAY. YES. THANK YOU. UM, SO WE, WE ALSO HAVE OUTSIDE REQUIREMENTS IN, IN THING IN, IN OTHER LAWS SUCH AS ANTI LAUNDERING LAWS WHERE WE HAVE TO FORM, UM, CERTAIN ASPECTS OF WHAT THEY CALL KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER. AND SO UNDERSTANDING OUR CUSTOMER VOLUME, WHAT THEY SHOULD BE PULLING IN BASED OFF OF THEIR, UM, THEIR BUSINESS TYPE. YOU KNOW, IF THEY TELL US THAT THEY'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, A, A SALVAGE YARD, THEN, THEN WE CAN KIND OF SEE WHAT SORT OF VOLUME THEY SHOULD HAVE. BUT ULTIMATELY, THAT PROOF'S GONNA COME DOWN TO THEIR, THEIR BUSINESS LICENSING. AND WE, WE DO GO IN AND WE VERIFY THEIR BUSINESS LICENSE, WHETHER THAT BE THROUGH THE SECRETARY OF STATE WEBSITE, WHETHER THAT BE THROUGH, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE A SOLE PROPRIETOR. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO VERIFY, BUT MANY OF THEM HAVE ASSUMED NAMES AND SO WE WOULD VERIFY THEIR ASSUMED NAMES, CERTIFICATIONS. UM, SO THERE ARE SEVERAL MEASURES THAT WE GO THROUGH WHEN WE'RE VERIFYING, UM, THAT A BUSINESS IS LEGITIMATE. UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S THE PART FOR US THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE REMAIN. UM, WE UNDERSTAND WHEN IT COMES TO INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, COLLECTING, UH, VERY DETAILED AND SPECIFIC INFORMATION IS DEFINITELY A NECESSITY. AND I THINK THAT YOU WOULDN'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU WOULD FIND ANYBODY IN, IN THE INDUSTRY AGAINST THAT. UM, BUT WE WANNA BE ABLE TO ALLOW THESE, THESE LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES TO, TO CONTINUE. COUNCIL, MAY I PRO TELL, UH, MARTIN, YES. JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP. SO AS AN INDIVIDUAL COMES INTO YOUR STORE WITH A NUMBER OF CATALYTIC CONVERTERS THAT DOES NOT HAVE A TEXAS DEPARTMENT LICENSE, HOW DO YOU VERIFY THAT INDIVIDUAL THAT DOESN'T HAVE A BUSINESS? UH, SO, SO IF WE WOULD GO OFF OF EACH INDIVIDUAL STATE LAW, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT I, I HELP HANDLE MANY DIFFERENT STATES BECAUSE WE ARE A NATIONAL COMPANY. SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE HAVE DEVELOPED, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR OWN IN INDIVIDUAL, I'M SORRY, OUR OWN COMPANY CHECKLIST. AND IT DEPENDS ON THE AREA. SO WE OF COURSE, LOOK AT THE STATE LAW, AND THEN WE, WE BOIL IT DOWN TO THE LOCAL LAWS IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL, MORE STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS. BUT WE DO HAVE CHECKLISTS BASED ON WHAT EACH AREA REQUIRES, AND THEY'RE OBTAIN, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN THE INFORMATION BASED ON EACH INDIVIDUAL STATE. UM, AND, AND SO MOST TIMES THAT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR IDENTITY INFORMATION, COPY OF YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE. UM, YOU KNOW, SOME STATES REQUIRE FINGERPRINTING FOR INDIVIDUALS. UM, IT REALLY JUST BOILS DOWN TO EACH INDIVIDUAL STATE. THANK YOU. WELL, LET ME JUST, LEMME JUST SAY THIS NOW. LET ME KEEP EVERYTHING IN PERSPECTIVE. THOUSANDS OF CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ARE STOLEN IN THIS CITY. EVERY YEAR. SHE GET A HUNDRED A DAY. SHE SAID SHE GET HUNDRED A DAY AND SHE'S YOU. SO THOUSANDS. AND WE HAVE HAD LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT AND KILLED. WE'VE HAD PEOPLE VICTIMIZED AND, AND WE ARE TRYING TO GET ON TOP OF THIS SITUATION NOW. AND LET ME ALSO SAY UNDER THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE, THINGS ARE WORKING. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE NUMBER JUST ON HOMICIDES JUST AS OF TODAY, YEAR TO PASS IN JANUARY, WE WERE LIKE 50 TO 6% ABOVE A YEAR AGO. AS OF THIS MORNING, WE ARE DOWN TO 6% ON HOMICIDES. WE ARE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT IT'S BECAUSE ALL OF THE MA EVERYBODY IS WORKING. IT'S HANDS ON. AND YEAH, IT'S, FOR SOME PEOPLE IT IS TOUGH. BUT I DO BELIEVE THE WORD IS GETTING OUT TO FOLK THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET THEM SAFE. AND WE NEED TO ELIMINATE THIS MARKET FOR PEOPLE GOING AND CUTTING THESE CATTLE, THE CONVERTERS, AND THEN TRYING TO RESELL THEM. I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S THE A MUST. AND I DON'T WANNA SEE ANOTHER PERSON [01:20:01] VICTIMIZED OR KILLED BECAUSE SOMEBODY WENT OUT THERE, GOT A, TO TRY TO TAKE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER, CUT IT OFF, AND THEN TRY TO RESELL IT. NOT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE IT AS INCONVENIENT AS POSSIBLE. I I JUST BELIEVE THAT. SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CI, I'M SORRY. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I SUPPORT THIS AGENDA ITEM. AND, AND PART OF IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU ARE, UM, IT'S ILLEGAL TO BE TRANSPORTING, RIGHT? AN ILLEGAL ONE. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT. IT GIVES US, UM, HPDA TOOL IF THEY CATCH SOMEBODY. I HAD A CONVERSATION RECENTLY WITH A METAL RECYCLER WHO HAD FOUR CATALYTIC CONVERTERS CUT OFF THE BOTTOM OF HIS PICKUP TRUCK. AND HE WAS TELLING ME THAT IT'S EASY TO, TO FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL BUY THEM. YOU CAN PUT THEM IN A CARDBOARD BOX AND SHIP THEM TO OHIO AND GET A CHECK. YOU KNOW, SO I'M, I APPRECIATE WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND I DO THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO, TO TALK TO OUR, OUR FEDERAL, UM, REPRESENTATIVES TO SEE, P SAID IT REALLY NEEDS TO HAPPEN AT A NATIONAL LEVEL. IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO DO THIS. AND I'M HOPING BY US TAKING THE INITIATIVE, WE CAN THEN SAY TO OUR OTHER PARTNERS, THEY NEED TO DO THE SAME. OTHER CITIES NEED TO DO THE SAME. I'M CERTAINLY ENCOURAGING THE BIG CITY MAYORS TO DO THE SAME. SO IT'S, BUT IT HAS TO START. SOMEBODY HAS TO START IT, AND THEN HOPEFULLY OTHERS WILL PICK IT UP. BUT WE HAVE TO ELIMINATE THESE, THIS, THIS MARKET FOR PEOPLE TO GO AND VICTIMIZE OTHER PEOPLE AND THEN GO AND BE ABLE TO SELL IT FOR, FOR THESE PRECIOUS MEMORIES. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL, BUT I BROUGHT THIS UP A FEW MONTHS AGO. YES, MA'AM. AND SO I WANNA TELL YOU, THANK YOU AS WELL AS THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR MOVING FORWARD ON THIS ORDINANCE. UH, PEOPLE ARE TEXTING AND CALLING CONSISTENTLY. THEY'RE WALKING INTO A GROCERY STORE AND COMING OUT AND THEY'RE GONE. AND I MEAN, THIS IS FINANCIALLY DEVASTATING. SO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO, I WILL CERTAINLY SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND LEMME GIVE YOU A GREAT DEAL OF CREDIT. 'CAUSE I, I DID GET YOUR, YOU SENT ME THE EMAIL AND YOU ASKED US TO MOVE ON IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OH, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. AND WE DID HAVE A PILOT ETCHING IN OUR, UH, DISTRICT, AND WE ARE HAVING ANOTHER ONE, WHICH I WILL BE ANNOUNCING AND POPOFF, UM, SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO HELP PEOPLE TO GET THIS UNDER CONTROL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MOTION TO EXTEND. MOTION TO EXTEND. SECOND, SECOND. MOVE A SECOND. LEMME OBJECT TO HERE, JONATHAN. GRANTED, COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I ACTUALLY, MAYOR PRO TEM UH, ALREADY ASKED SOME OF MY QUESTIONS, BUT TO YOUR POINT ABOUT, UM, THE CRIME RATES ON THIS, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT YOU SAID, I HAD PULLED UP, UM, IN HOUSTON DURING THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR ALONE, HPD RECORDED 3,188 THEFTS OF CATALYTIC CONVERTERS IN CITY OF HOUSTON ALONE. THAT'S NOT, I BELIEVE, INCLUDING HARRIS COUNTY, A 123% INCREASE OVER THE SAME PERIOD IN PREVIOUS YEARS. AND THAT DOES NOT. UM, THERE'S ALSO BEEN 34 AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS AND AGGRAVATED ROBBERIES ASSOCIATED WITH CATALY CONVERTER THEFT, UM, AS OF LAST YEAR IN 15, IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR. SO IN TERMS OF, UH, THIS ISSUE CONTINUING, UH, IT IS ABSOLUTELY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I AM GLAD THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING. UM, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HAD HEARD JUST MY REQUEST AGAIN, AS SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY, IF WE COULD CONNECT MS. WOOD, UM, TO HPD AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO JUST DISCUSS SOME OF THE NUANCES OF THIS AND WHY IT'S FORMATTED THE WAY THAT IT IS. UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KASH, MS. WOOD, ARE YOU STILL THERE? I AM, YES. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, UH, ARE, ARE, I KNOW YOU SAY YOU FOLLOWED ALL THE LAWS, UH, OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. LET, LET ME ASK YOU THIS. ARE YOU TELLING US HERE TODAY THAT OF THE A HUNDRED CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, YOU SAY YOU COLLECT A WEEK, THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT NONE OF THOSE HAVE BEEN STOLEN OFF OF ANYBODY'S VEHICLE HERE IN HOUSTON? I MEAN, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD EVER BE ABLE TO JUST CO COMPLETELY, COMPLETELY SAY THAT. UM, I THINK JUST WITH THIS INITIATIVE ALONE, YOU CAN'T, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SIT THERE AND SAY THAT THIS IS GONNA PUT A STOP TO CONVERTER THEFT. UM, YOU KNOW, OKAY, WELL, LEMME SAY THIS. IF YOU HAVE TAKEN ONE FROM ANYBODY WHO STOLE IT, YOU'RE IN VIOLATION OF STATE LAW. UH, BUYING OR SELLING STOLEN PROPERTY IS A CRIMINAL, IT'S A FELONY IN THE OFFENSE. SO I, I I JUST, I I, I MEAN, YOU, YOU HAVE CALLED UP. I DON'T THINK YOU HELPED YOURSELF BY CALLING TODAY 'CAUSE YOU'VE REALLY STIRRED ME UP. 'CAUSE I HAVE A GRANDSON WHO'S HAS A PICKUP TRUCK THAT I HAD TO TRY TO HELP AND IT JUST, IT JUST RARES ME UP, MAYOR. I CAN'T SEEM TO GET OVER IT. RIGHT. SO I'M, I'M GONNA SHUT UP WHILE I'M STILL IN ONE PIECE. , LIKE YOU SAY, SOMETIMES I TAKE A BREATH. . THANK YOU. AND I CERTAINLY HOPE YOU KNOW THAT FROM, FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE, WE [01:25:01] ABSOLUTELY DO NOT WANT CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT TO CONTINUE. THAT IS, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WE'RE, WE ARE WILLING TO WORK AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO COLLABORATE ON WHAT A GOOD, A GOOD CONCLUSION TO THIS COULD BE. I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT PUTTING A A A A SPRAY PAINT ACROSS A CONVERTER OR, OR ANY OF THOSE METHODS IS GONNA STOP SOMEBODY FROM SPENDING 90 SECONDS UNDER, UNDER A, UM, UNDER A CAR TO, TO TAKE IT. BECAUSE YOU STILL DO HAVE THESE, THESE OUTLETS SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE WHERE SOMEBODY IS GOING TO ACCEPT THAT. UM, AND, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF THE LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES THAT THAT ACTIVITY IS HAPPENING, WE WANT TO FIND A WAY TO STOP THAT ILLEGITIMATE ACTIVITY. AND I JUST, I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS THE SOLUTION. BUT I AGREE WITH YOU AND, AND, AND, AND IF IT WERE MY FAMILY MEMBER THAT THAT HAD HAPPENED TO, I WOULD FEEL JUST AS PASSIONATE AS I DO AS A MEMBER OF THE COMPLIANCE COMMUNITY. THAT IS MY JOB. THAT'S MY LIVELIHOOD. THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR CALLING IN. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER THERE. THEREA VASQUEZ. THERESA VASQUEZ. WHEN I, WHEN OKAY. THANK YOU. I THINK I UNDERSTOOD, UH, RENEE, BUT JUST FOR THE OTHERS, IF YOU COULD. SURE. , I KNOW YOU, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN PRACTICING, RIGHT? UH, UH, MY NAME IS, UH, UH, TERESA VASQUEZ. UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AND, AND THE DOWNTOWN OFFICES OF HOUSTON. AND I JUST TO RE TO EXPLAIN, SHE'S WITH SEIU AND SHE IS, UH, THINKING ABOUT UNIONIZING, UH, WITH ALL THE, UH, UH, JANITORS IN THE AREA. OKAY. UM, UH, SHE'S BEEN, UH, SHE'S, UH, SHE HAS A CAMPAIGN THAT SHE'S, SHE'S, UH, WORKING ON AND IT'LL, AND IT, AND IT'LL START ON THE 31ST. UM, THE UNION, UH, IS GOING, IS REPRESENTED BY ABOUT 3000 WORKERS. UM, THE, THE, THE NUMBER ONE, UH, TOPIC SHE WANTS TO DISCUSS IS RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR, UM, FOR THE EMPLOYEES UP TO $15 AN HOUR. UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC, SHE HAD TO, UH, WORK [01:30:01] EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND, UH, AT THE END, UH, THOUGH SHE WAS CALLED A HERO, THEY, UH, THEY SAID THAT SHE WAS, UM, THAT, THAT HER JOB DUTIES WERE THEN REDUCED TO FOUR, FOUR TO FIVE HOURS A DAY INSTEAD OF GETTING TO CONTINUE TO, TO KEEP WORKING. UM, SO SHE'S, SHE IS, SHE'S ASKING, UH, FOR YOUR SUPPORT SO THAT SHE CAN CONTINUE WITH, UH, WITH UNIONIZING. AND SHE FEELS LIKE SHE IS AT THE POINT THAT SHE MIGHT, UH, HAVE TO STRIKE. UH, BECAUSE, UH, MAKING $10 AND 75 CENTS AN HOUR IS NOT SUFFICIENT. UH, SHE'S HAVING TO HAVE MORE THAN, UM, MORE THAN TWO OR THREE JOBS AT A TIME JUST TO MAKE ENDS MEET. UM, SHE ALSO WANTS TO REITERATE THAT THEY'RE WORKERS IN, IN HER FIELD UP TO 60 TO 70 YEARS OF AGE THAT ARE WORKING THOSE SAME HOURS FOR THE SAME PAY. UH, SO AT, UM, TO CONCLUDE, SHE'S SEEKING THAT, UM, SUPPORT FOR THAT $15, UM, MINIMUM WAGE. OKAY. YEAH. SO THEY'RE READY TO STRIKE IF THEY DON'T MEET THOSE DEMANDS ONCE THEY BECOME UNIONIZED. RIGHT. SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THEY'RE, THEY'RE NEGOTIATING WITH, WITH A, WITH A PRIVATE SECTOR. WITH A PRIVATE COMPANY. OKAY. YES. SO THEY HAVE, UH, THEY HAVE, UH, UH, FOUR. YES. SO THEY HAVE MORE, FOUR MORE NEGOTIATIONS AND THEY'RE READY TO UNIONIZE AND ACTUALLY EXECUTE ON THE 31ST IF, IF THEY'RE NOT MET. YEAH, I UNDERSTAND. OKAY. JUST A COUPLE, A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS, JUST ONE PERSON AT THAT PODIUM AT ONE TIME. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN RAM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK YOU WERE ASKING SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I WAS CONSIDERING. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU, RENEE, FOR, UH, I THINK A REALLY GOOD TRANSLATION JUST NOW, QUE PREACHER. OKAY. OKAY. SO 10 75 IS WHERE THEY ARE NOW. SO, OKAY. SO MAYOR, I GUESS I'M, I'M TRYING TO MAKE A SUGGESTION ABOUT HOW THIS NEGOTIATION IS GOING SOMEWHAT PRIVATELY AS OPPOSED TO BEING WITH THE UNION AND HOW WE HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE AT THE HORSESHOE, UH, TALKING ABOUT THIS. AND I THINK I'M REALLY SPEAKING TO YOUR ADVOCACY AND THE COUNCILS IN GENERAL FOR GETTING HIGHER WAGES FOR OUR JANITORS AND, AND CLEANING SERVICES. YES. AND, AND FOR EVERYBODY'S, EVERYBODY'S AWARENESS. YOU KNOW, I DID WRITE A LETTER EVEN AS IT RELATES TO THOSE, TO THOSE, UM, NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR. SO I DID WRITE A LETTER IN, UH, ADVOCATING AND PUSHED UP TO 15. SO, UM, AND I SENT THAT TO EL RAILROAD, WHICH [01:35:01] THEY HAVE UTILIZED IN THEIR BARGAINING PROCESS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, RENEE CAN, I'M CURIOUS, CAN YOU ASK THE QUESTION, UM, SURE. HOW MANY HAVE BEEN REDUCED IN TERMS OF THEIR TIME AND HAVE THEY GONE BACK UP INTO FULL-TIME STATUS? OR ARE THEY CURRENTLY AT PART-TIME? NOT EVERY, NO, NOT EVERY BUILDING HAS THE SAME. AND THEY ALSO DO NOT QUALIFY FOR MEDICAL INSURANCE, SO THAT'S ONE OF THEIR CONCERNS AS WELL. THANK YOU. GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. UM, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR COMING AND, UM, SPEAKING OUT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR ISSUES WITH, YOU KNOW, THE UNION AND GETTING PAID A LIVABLE WAGE. I DID A LOT OF WORK WITH SEIU. IN FACT, MY FIRST, UM, WORK WAS BACK IN 2006 WITH THE JUSTICE PHOTOMETRY, SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOU GUYS. UM, MY PERSON TO YOU IS AS FAR AS, UM, YOU SAID, LIKE RIGHT NOW YOU GUYS ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF NEGOTIATION AND I KNOW THE MAYOR SENT A LETTER. DO YOU WANT COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SEND A LETTER AS WELL, OR ARE YOU FINE WITH JUST THE MAYOR'S LETTER? UM, ANY HELP IS, IS IS IMPORTANT HELP AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, FOR, FOR COMING IN IN FRONT OF US TODAY. THIS QUESTION'S REGARDING THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE. HAVE THEY, I KNOW A LOT OF THEM MAY NOT LIVE WITHIN THE COUNTY, BUT THEY DO THEY KNOW ABOUT THE GOLD CARD JUST AS A TEMPORARY, UM, FIX TO GIVE THEM THE HEALTHCARE THAT THEY NEED? ARE THEY FAMILIAR WITH HARRIS COUNTY PROGRAM? WITH THE BULL CARD. OKAY. UM, AND WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE PROGRAM COUNCIL MEMBER? SURE. IT'S THROUGH THE HARRIS COUNTY. IT'S HARRIS HEALTH. IT'S THE GOLD, A GOLD CARD. OH, THE GOLD CARD. THE GOLD CARD PROGRAM. YES. THEY'RE AWARE OF IT. OKAY. LOTS OF THE EMPLOYEES ARE AWARE OF THAT PROGRAM, BUT, UH, PRIVATE, PRIVATE INSURANCE IS, HAS, UH, BETTER BENEFITS THAN THE GOLD CARD DOES. SHE WANTS TO REITERATE THAT AB ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. BUT SOMETIMES SOME HEALTHCARE IS BETTER THAN NOTHING AT THE MOMENT, RIGHT? YES. UNTIL WE CAN WORK ALL THE DETAILS. SO IF SHE, IF ANYONE NEEDS AN APPLICATION PROCESS, TYPICALLY IS, YOU KNOW, CAN BE . IF, IF ANYONE NEEDS ANY ASSISTANCE, MY AT LARGE CORE OFFICE IS WILLING TO HELP WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. BYE. THANK YOU. GLADYS HOUSE A CAN YOU HEAR? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. ALRIGHT. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, MA'AM. ALRIGHT. PEACE TO EVERYBODY. JUST, UH, HAVE A, A FEW ISSUES THAT I, I NEED THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO LOOK INTO. ONE IS, UH, THE 1100 BLOCK OF ANDREW STREET. NOW I WANT TO COMPLIMENT SAUL 'CAUSE, UH, HE'S BEEN LOOKING INTO THE MATTER FOR ME TO, UH, TODAY. I, UH, I GOT, UM, SOMEWHAT OF A, UH, AN ANSWER, BUT IT'S STILL NOT SPECIFIC ON WHEN THE CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED SO THEY CAN PUT THE BRICKS BACK. THE SECOND ISSUE, UH, IS, UH, A 2-YEAR-OLD ISSUE. I KEEP TAKING BEFORE COUNCIL, THE THREE HERITAGE HOMES IN THE 1400 BLOCK OF ROBIN STREET. STILL NO SPECIFICS ON THAT EITHER. UH, THE THIRD IS THE HELICOPTER, UH, LANDING ISSUE, UM, UH, HAVING A HELICOPTER FLYING OUT OVER FREEMANS TOWN. I'M, UH, STILL, AND I WANT TO THANK, UM, THE COUNCILWOMAN, UM, FOR LOOKING INTO, UH, THAT FOR US, UH, TIFFANY. AND, [01:40:01] UH, WE WE'RE STILL AWAITING SOME, UH, FINAL WORD ON THAT. AND LASTLY, UH, THE NEW STREET PAVING THAT'S GOING ON IN FREEMANS TOWN AND THE 1000 AND 1100 BLOCKS OF GILLETTE STREET, THEY SEEM TO BE LOWER, MUCH LOWER THAN THE ORIGINAL STREETS. AND CONSIDERING ALL OF THE FLOODING, HOUSTON IS PRONE TO FLOODING, UM, WHY ARE THE STREETS SO LOW? MUCH LOWER. AND I'M STILL AWAITING SOME RESPONSE, UM, FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING. UM, SO IN, IN ALL, I'M, I'M TWO YEARS LATER ON SOME OF THE ISSUES AND STILL NO TANGIBLE PROGRESSIVE RESULTS. AND JUST ON SOME OF THE MORE RECENT ISSUES, LIKE THE 1100 BLOCK OF MAN DREW STREET THAT'S BEEN GOING ON A YEAR NOW, AND IT'S CAUSING A ADVERSE RIPPLE EFFECT OF THE OTHER, UH, EXISTING BRICKS IN THAT BLOCK. SO TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. THE CITY REALLY NEEDS TO MOVE A LOT QUICKER THAN WHAT IT'S DOING BECAUSE ON THE THREE HERITAGE HO HOUSES, THE ROOFS ARE COLLAPSING. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK, THANK YOU MS. HOUSE. I WOULD JUST SUGGEST TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH SAL. HE'S, UM, IN THE AUDIENCE AND HE'S MORE THAN WILLING TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PAUL CASTRO. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS PAUL CASTRO. I'VE BEEN A HOUSTONIAN SINCE 1995 IN JULY, ON JULY 6TH, 2021. MY 17-YEAR-OLD SON WAS MURDERED HERE IN HOUSTON BY A ROAD SHOOTER. MY SON WAS A SON OF HOUSTON, WHO WOULD'VE MADE OUR COMMUNITY PROUD AND, UM, WOULD'VE MADE OUR COMMUNITY BETTER, HAD VIOLENCE NOT CUT HIS LIFE SHORT. THANKS TO THE HARD WORK OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON, AND HELPFUL TIPS FROM GOOD HOUSTONIANS, AN ARREST WAS MADE AND THE ACCUSED WILL BE ON TRIAL LATER THIS YEAR. OUR FAMILY STANDS WITH OTHER CRIME VICTIMS, SOME OF WHOM ARE HERE TODAY, UNITED IN ASKING HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL FOR ADDITIONAL STAFFING AND RESOURCES FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT TO RETURN OUR CITY TO SAFETY. HOUSTON'S POPULATION HAS GROWN BY ABOUT 140,000 IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. THE STAFFING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS STAYED THE SAME IN THAT SAME PERIOD AT ABOUT 5,300 OFFICERS. IF STAFFING RATES HAVE STAYED THE SAME. WE, WE ARE ABOUT 350 OFFICERS SHORT TODAY. AS A RESULT, HPD DOES NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ACTIVELY PREVENT CRIME THROUGH TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT AND PREVENTIVE POLICING. MY FELLOW HOUSTONIANS, DO NOT FEEL SAFE AND WE ASK YOU TO TAKE ACTION. ASSAULT AND MURDER RATES ARE EMBARRASSINGLY HIGH HERE IN HOUSTON. OUR MURDER RATE IS TWICE THAT OF AUSTIN AND EL PASO, AND IT'S 50% HIGHER THAN SAN ANTONIO. WE DESERVE BETTER WITH VIOLENT CRIME GROWING. WE CALL ON YOU TO PRIORITIZE FUNDING TO INCREASE STAFFING AND IMPROVE DEPARTMENT, UH, STAFF, STAFF DEPARTMENT RECRUITMENT TO SUPPORT CHIEF FINNER AND HIS TEAM AT HPD. WE CALL ON YOU TO INCREASE STAFFING AND DIRECT THEM TO FOCUS ON GUN VIOLENCE AND OTHER VICTIM CRIMES THAT ARE ON OUR STREETS AND ON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THANK YOU, MR. CASTRO. PLEASE ACCEPT OUR CONDOLENCES. UM, I DID WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE A SPECIFIC INITIATIVE IN OUR ONE SAFE HOUSTON PLAN TO ADDRESS AGGRESSIVE DRIVING, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, WE DO NEED MORE OFFICERS TO, UM, HELP WITH THAT SPECIFIC ISSUE. AND WE ARE WORKING ON IT AS WE ADD MORE CADET CLASSES. UM, AND WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU AS WELL. MY SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU VERY VICE MAYOR PROTO. AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. UM, MR. CASTRO, UM, I SHARE MY COLLEAGUES' SENTIMENTS AS WELL WITH, UH, MY DEEP CONDOLENCES TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. I KNOW YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT J. UM, YOUR REQUEST TODAY ABOUT ADDITIONAL STAFFING, I CAN TELL YOU. UM, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO INCREASE POLICE PRESENCE. UM, SOMETIMES WE HAVE A CHALLENGE WHEN IT COMES EVEN TO RECRUITING. WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CADET CLASSES EVERY SINGLE, UM, YEAR, AND WE CAN PUT FORTH THE CLASSES, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO RECRUIT, UH, CREDIBLE CANDIDATES, UH, TO, TO WANT TO BE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT REALLY ENGAGING MORE OF THE, UM, THE COLLEGES AND THE HBCUS IN THE AREA AS WELL, TO TRY TO INCREASE OUR WORKFORCE. UM, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE, UH, INCUMBENT UPON US TO BE CREATIVE WITH WAYS IN WHICH WE COLLABORATE, UH, WITH OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, RIGHT? WITH, UH, WITH METRO, WITH THE IDS, WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, WITH OUR CONSTABLES. BECAUSE WHEN YOU ADDED, WHEN YOU ADD ALL THESE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TOGETHER, THEN WE HAVE, UH, MANY MORE OFFICERS THAT CAN PATROL. AND SINCE WE SHARE THE SAME BOUNDARY LINES AND WE, UM, UH, WORK ON SIMILAR ISSUES, [01:45:01] UH, FINDING A CREATIVE WAY FOR US TO WORK SMARTER AND NOT HARDER WITH THE PERSONNEL THAT WE HAVE, I THINK WILL GO A LONG WAY. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR WORDS TODAY, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO, UH, BRING FORTH TO MY OFFICE, PLEASE REACH OUT AT ANY TIME. THANK YOU. OKAY, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH. PAUL, THANK YOU FOR COMING. I, I CAN'T IMAGINE THE PAIN OF HAVING LOST A CHILD, UH, IN THIS MANNER. I'M, I'M, I'M, I, I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE IT. UH, THE PAIN MUST BE INTENSE. I LOST A GRANDDAUGHTER AT BIRTH THROUGH MEDICAL REASONS, BUT I'VE, I'VE NEVER FACED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. AND I THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SHARING WITH US. UH, WE MUST DO BETTER. WE MUST PROTECT OUR CITIZENS. THE FIRST DUTY OF GOVERNMENT IS FOR THE PROTECTION OF ITS CITIZENS. AND THANK YOU FOR COMING, AND MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU. MAY GOD GIVE YOU THE PEACE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. UM, MR. CASTRO, THANK YOU, UH, NOT ONLY FOR COMING, BUT FOR USING YOUR VOICE. I KNOW THAT YOU NEVER WANTED TO BE, UM, IN THE POSITION OR IN THE HEADLINES, UM, FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FAMILY. UM, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY. UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESPONDING TO YOUR QUESTIONS AND YOUR CONCERNS. UM, YOU'RE WELCOME TO EMAIL, UH, MY OFFICE DIRECTLY AND I CAN SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE MOST RECENT INVESTMENTS THAT COUNSEL UNDER MAYOR TURNER, UM, HAS BEEN MAKING, INCLUDING OVER TIME, UH, ADDITIONAL FUNDING, RECRUITMENT, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN BE DOING. IT'S, IT'S NOT ENOUGH. SO THAT, THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT IT IS. UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP WORKING AT IT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE, UM, ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU WANT TO LOOK OVER, IF THAT'S OF INTEREST TO YOU. UM, ON TOP OF THAT, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP THE ISSUE OF GUN VIOLENCE IS A CORE AND KEY COMPONENT, UM, TO ALL OF THIS. THE MAJORITY OF, UM, VIOLENT CRIMES AND HOMICIDES THAT WE ARE SEEING ARE CORRELATED WITH GUN VIOLENCE. AND WE HAVE TO, UM, ADDRESS THAT ISSUE HEAD ON IF WE'RE GOING TO, UM, SAVE LIVES IN CURB CRIME IN OUR CITY. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR PRESENCE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOICE. UM, MY, MY HEART CONTINUES TO BE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, UH, AND WE WON'T STOP WORKING AT THIS ISSUE AGGRESSIVELY. UM, SO PLEASE REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE, UM, IN DISTRICT C, UH, DISTRICT C@HOUSTONTX.GOV, AND I CAN GET YOU, UM, SOME OF THAT INFORMATION. UH, AND WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP TALKING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, JERRY GOFF. THERE'S A HANDOUT THAT'S BEEN HANDED OUT. UH, WHAT I'M GONNA SPEAK ABOUT IS THIS ONE. UH, IT SAYS 11TH STREET IS A SAFE STREET. THAT'S REALLY MY KEY MESSAGE. AND WE, I'M PART OF A, A ALLIANCE. MANY OF US HAVE TALKED ALREADY. I'M AN ENGINEER BY BACKGROUND. I'VE LOOKED AT THE DATA AND I WANTED TO SHARE MY FINDINGS WITH YOU TODAY. UM, SO THE, THE SECOND PAGE, UM, 11TH STREET HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED AS A DANGEROUS STREET. UH, THAT'S BEEN, UH, MENTIONED MANY TIMES IN THE PRESS. UM, THERE'S BEEN A STATEMENT THAT IT'S 10% HIGHER THAN THE TEXAS AVERAGE FOR FOUR LANE ROADS OF THIS TYPE. IN FACT, I'LL SHOW YOU LATER THAT THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY THE CASE. UM, SO THE FIRST POINT IS THAT, UH, 11TH STREET CURRENTLY MEETS THE VISION ZERO GOALS OF FATALITIES, NO SERIOUS INJURIES. THAT'S OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD, ACTUALLY, THAT, THAT, UM, GOES TO 2019 PLUS THREE YEARS. AFTER THAT, WE CAN SAY OVER A 13 YEAR PERIOD, NO FATALITIES, NO SERIOUS INJURIES. UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT, THAT WAS THIS MAP ON THE BOTTOM LEFT WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE VISION ZERO PLAN. IT SHOWS STREETS THAT, UH, WERE A PROBLEM STREET. IF YOU BLOW THAT UP AND LOOK WHERE 11TH STREET IS LOCATED, IT'S NOT INDICATED AS A PROBLEM STREET. SO THAT'S POINT NUMBER ONE. OKAY. THE NEXT PAGE SHOWS THE, UH, THE PROJECT WAS SHOWN BY, UH, DAVID FIELDS TO THE HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION ON FEBRUARY THE SEVENTH. THERE WAS, UH, UH, QUITE A BIT OF DATA SHOWN. NOT VERY MUCH ACTUALLY, BUT SOME DATA SHOWN. WHAT I [01:50:01] HAVE DONE IS TAKEN THE DATA THAT WAS SHOWN. HE IMPLIED THAT, UH, THE, THE PROBLEM ON 11TH WAS, UH, SPEED AND ERRATIC DRIVING. BUT IN FACT, WHEN I ASKED THAT QUESTION ON LET'S TALK, THERE WAS NO REASONS GIVEN ONLY THE MATTER OF COLLISIONS. AS YOU SEE ON THE NEXT PAGE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA THAT WAS PRESENTED, UH, IT, THERE'S, IT'S THE TOP OF IT SAYS REASON NUMBER TWO, NUMBER THREE, OKAY? RIGHT. UH, NUMBER TWO IS 11TH STREET IS 25% BELOW THE METRIC. OKAY? THE DATA AT THE TOP FROM DURHAM TO MISHU, UH, THE DATA THAT, UH, DAVID FIELD SHOWED WAS 385 CRASHES PER A HUNDRED MILLION MILES COMPARED TO THE TEXAS AVERAGE OF 3 56. THAT'S 10% HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE. BUT HE ALSO SAID THAT THE DURHAM SHEPHERD, UH, INTERSECTION, UH, IS A PROBLEM AREA AND IS A SEPARATE PROJECT, HAS TO DO WITH, UH, TRAFFIC LIGHT TIMING. THAT'S A SEPARATE TOPIC, SEPARATE PROJECT. SO THE REST OF, UH, 11TH STREET FROM THE END OF SHEPHERD ALL THE WAY TO MISHU, IF YOU SUBTRACT OUT THE CRASHES AT SHEPHERD AND DURHAM, YOU END UP WITH 350 CRASHES. THAT BRINGS THE METRIC TO 2 66, WHICH IS 25% BELOW THE AVERAGE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, AND SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, IS THAT, UH, BY TAKING OUT THE NUMBER OF CRASHES THAT OCCURRED BETWEEN, UH, DURHAM AND SHEPHERD, UH, IT, IT SIGNIFICANTLY DROPS THE NUMBER AND PUTS THIS IN A SAFER AREA. UH, AND, AND IT, WE WOULD NOT HAVE QUALIFIED, UH, FAR A BIKE LANE IN THIS AREA TO, BECAUSE THE PEOPLE AREN'T AGAINST THE BIKE LANE. YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'RE NOT AGAINST BIKE LANES. NO, NOT AT ALL. THEY, THEY'RE AGAINST REDUCING THE NUMBER OF LANES IN THAT AREA. YEAH. THERE'S REALLY, AND, AND, AND PUSHING THE TRAFFIC TO 11TH, 12TH, OR 10TH STREET. EXACTLY. NOW, WE'RE CONCERNED WITH SEVERAL THINGS. ONE IS, UH, BY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF LANES AND PUTTING IN BIKE LANES, THAT WILL ACTUALLY INCREASE THE RISK OF A FATALITY OR A SERIOUS INJURY, IN OUR OPINION, BECAUSE YOU'RE PUTTING BIKES ADJACENT TO CARS. OKAY? AND THEN THAT WILL ALSO CAUSE CONGESTION, BECAUSE CARS WILL BACK UP WITH ONLY TWO LANES. AND THESE MAJOR INTERSECTIONS WITHOUT A TURN LANE, ESPECIALLY, THAT WILL CAUSE CONGESTION. THAT CONGESTION WILL OVERFLOW INTO ADJACENT STREETS. I LIVE ON 10 AND A HALF. A LOT OF OUR GROUP, UH, AND ALSO BUSINESSES ON 11TH AND 10 AND A HALF ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT TRAFFIC OVERFLOW. WE'VE SEEN THAT SITUATION ALREADY OCCUR ON OTHER STREETS WHERE THERE'S CONSTRUCTION AND YOU GET OVERFLOW AND TRAFFIC ON SIDE STREETS. THAT'S OUR BIGGEST CONCERN. AND YOU ALSO ADDRESSED THE FACT THAT IN YOUR POINT NUMBER FOUR, ABOUT TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, SIGNIFICANTLY, SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, UNDERESTIMATES THE GROWTH RATE OF 1% USED BY, UH, THE, THE ZIP CODE SEVEN TO 7 0 0 8 ANNUAL GROWTH RATE IS TO BE 3.51%. THAT'S RIGHT. WELL, UH, OUR, SO SAFETY IS THE BIG CONCERN. THE NEXT ONE IS THE TRAFFIC. THE DATA THAT IS BEING USED ON THIS STUDY GOES TO 2019, UH, WITH, THERE ISN'T ANY, UH, CURRENT DATA BEYOND THAT. SO WHAT THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING GROUP HAS DONE IS ASSUMED 1% GROWTH. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE PAGE THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN KOSH REFERENCED, UM, WE CAN SEE A GROWTH IN THE FUTURE OF THREE AND A HALF PERCENT BASED ON THE DATA FROM THIS HOMETOWN LOCATOR, WHICH USES CENSUS DATA. THAT DATA ALSO SHOWS THAT THE POPULATION GROWTH FOR THE HOUSTON FROM 2010 TO 2021 IS 1%. WELL, THAT MAY BE A GOOD NUMBER IN THE PAST FOR HOUSTON, BUT THE HEIGHTS, UH, POPULATION GROWTH IS EX HAS GROWN 2.5%. IT'S PROJECTED TO GO 3.5%. OKAY. THAT ONLY MEANS MORE TRAFFIC. NOW, THIS, I RAISED THIS POINT IN AN EMAIL TO DAVID FIELDS. HE SAID THERE'S NO CORRELATION BETWEEN TRAFFIC GROWTH AND POPULATION GROWTH. I MEAN, I'M, I'M ASTONISHED. OKAY. I RESEARCHED THAT. THERE'S A REFERENCE BY BROOKINGS INSTITUTE THAT SAYS THE MOST OBVIOUS REASON FOR TRAFFIC GROWTH IN THE UNITED STATES IS POPULATION GROWTH. UH, IN FACT, IT'S A ONE-TO-ONE CORRELATION. SO I'M, I'M TAKING THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTE STUDY, UH, ONE TO ONE CORRELATION, APPLYING THAT TO THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT. AND THAT MEANS THAT MANY OF THE GUIDELINES THAT THE CITY HAS ON, UH, TRAFFIC FOR A TWO-LANE ROAD [01:55:01] OR A FOUR-LANE ROAD, UH, ARE BEING, ARE GOING TO BE EXCEEDED ALREADY, IF NOT NEXT YEAR. AND THAT'S SHOWN LATER ON THE NEXT, UH, PAGE. NEXT PAGE I SHOW, UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER FIVE, THE 11TH STREET EXCEEDS. THAT'S CORRECT. UH, WHAT DID, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ROAD DIET? OKAY, ROAD DIET SHRINKING IS, UH, WHERE YOU GO FROM FOUR LANES TO TWO LANES. YOU TAKE THE OTHER TWO LANES AND YOU PUT IN BICYCLE LANES. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SHRINKING DOWN THE ROAD, LIKE, I NEED TO BE ON A DIET. THAT'S RIGHT. OH, NO. OKAY. YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY OFFENSIVE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO HEAR YOU EXPLAIN IT. THAT'S THE IDEA. AND, UM, AND THERE'S GUIDELINES THAT THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION HAVE FOR ROAD DIETS. ONE OF THEM IS THAT IT, THAT CONCEPT IS PROBABLY FEASIBLE IF THE, UH, NUMBER OF VEHICLES PER DIRECTION PER HOUR IS BELOW 750. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DATA THAT DAVID FIELDS, UH, GAVE US IN HIS PRESENTATION, AND YOU FORECAST THAT IN THE FUTURE, WE ALREADY HAVE A TWO HOUR PERIOD WHERE THAT, UH, GUIDELINE IS EXCEEDED. AND BY 2020, UH, THREE, WHICH IS NEXT YEAR, THAT'S GONNA BE A THREE HOUR PERIOD. WOULD YOU PUT ME BACK IN THE QUEUE? MOTION TO EXTEND? SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION IF NO DISCUSSION THAT PASSES BACK AND CONTINUE. HO HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN? YES. THANK YOU. MR. GOS. THE, SEEMS LIKE THE LAST MONTH WE'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS. UM, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY THAT'S SUPPORTIVE OF THIS IDEA. SO I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT SOMETIMES THE, UH, SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS TO GREASE. WHERE ARE WE IN THE PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF THIS PROJECT? HAVE WE STARTED OR WE'RE STILL PLANNING GENERALLY IN ISSUES LIKE THIS, WE DEFER TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER. AND I UNDERSTAND, I THINK THERE ARE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE THIS PARTICULAR AREA, COUNCIL MEMBER, A CISNEROS AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, BUT MM-HMM . WHERE ARE WE IN THE, IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS? OKAY, I CAN ANSWER THAT. UM, THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN UNDERWAY, ALTHOUGH I THINK IT'S CHANGED A LOT. UH, AND THERE'S BEEN SOME COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMUNITY, BUT VERY LITTLE, ACTUALLY FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, BECAUSE OF COVID, THERE'S BEEN VERY LITTLE COMMUNITY DISCUSSION. ON FEBRUARY THE SEVENTH, UH, PRESENTATION WAS MADE TO THE, UH, HOUSTON HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION. AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THIS DATA CAME FROM. IT'S INTERESTING THAT AFTER THAT PRESENTATION, HE, UH, THEY WERE SHOWING A ROAD DIED OF, OF TWO LANES, WELL, THREE LANES, UH, CENTER LANE, UH, FOR A TURN LANE WITH BIKE LANES. AFTER THAT, MEANING THAT WAS CHANGED FROM SHEPHERD TO YALE OF ONLY TWO LANES, NO TURN LANES, WHICH MAKES THAT SEGMENT, WHICH IS ALMOST HALF OF THE TOTAL SEGMENT CAN, UH, BECOME VERY CONGESTED. AND, UM, I MEAN, THAT'S A MAJOR CHANGE. THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION PLANNING SAYS THEY'RE AT A 60%, UM, DESIGN LEVEL. THEY'RE WORKING ON 90%. UH, I'VE RAISED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS. I MENTIONED SOME ALREADY TODAY. UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THEY ARE. I DON'T KNOW WHERE, WHAT THEIR CURRENT, SO TO ANSWER MY QUESTION, WE'RE 60% INTO THE DESIGN PHASE. THAT'S RIGHT. CORRECT. THAT'S, NO, I DON'T SEE 90. OKAY. WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. I'LL GIVE HER SOME OF MY TIME SINCE IT IS MY TIME. WERE YOU NOT FINISHED? NO, I WAS NOT. OKAY, GO AHEAD. DON'T GET SENSITIVE. WELL, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY WE DON'T, WE DON'T CONSTRUCT ROADS THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT. BUT YET I THINK I'M HEARING FROM A, MAYBE A SMALL SEGMENT THAT DOESN'T WANT IT. SO I WOULD, I WOULD DEFER TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TO ANSWER SOME OF MY QUESTIONS IN CONCERNS. SO, COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. GO AHEAD, COUNCIL. SORRY. DID Y'ALL OKAY. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. UM, MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I'M HAPPY TO GO BACK AND DOUBLE CHECK, AND MAYOR PR YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME, UH, TALK TO ME SO I CAN VERIFY THIS. BUT IT'S, UH, OVER 90% ALREADY. UM, IN TERMS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS, I HAVE A LIST GOING BACK ALL THE WAY TO 2018 PRIOR TO ME COMING INTO OFFICE. OCTOBER 9TH, 2018. UH, DECEMBER 15TH, 2018. JANUARY 14TH, 2019. MARCH 5TH, 2019. MARCH 19TH, 2019, MAY 8TH, 2019. DECEMBER 16TH, 2020. NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021, NOVEMBER 16TH, 2021, FEBRUARY 7TH, 2022. IN ADDITION TO, UM, ONE-ON-ONES IN SMALLER GROUP MEETINGS THAT THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE HAD WHEN RESIDENTS, UM, HAVE RAISED CONCERNS, THERE IS LARGE SUPPORT FOR THIS IN THE COMMUNITY. I'M NOT TAKING AWAY FROM THE [02:00:01] RESIDENTS THAT ARE SPEAKING HERE TODAY. UM, BUT INCLUDING FROM THE HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION, I EVEN GOT BACK ON THE PHONE WITH THEM, UM, AFTER WE HAD SOME OF THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE STILL, UM, ON THE RIGHT TRACK IN TERMS OF THE LARGE MAJORITY OF SUPPORT FOR THIS IN THE COMMUNITIES. BUT AT THIS POINT, JUST SO COUNCIL IS AWARE, UM, THERE, THERE'S NO COUNCIL ACTION ON THIS, RIGHT? UH, THAT, THAT HAS BEEN DONE. SO AGAIN, I, I, I APPRECIATE ALL THE RESIDENTS COMING. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY, BUT THIS IS ABOVE AND BEYOND, UM, THE 90% PROGRESS AT THIS POINT, GOING BACK OVER THREE YEARS OF WORK. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION. WELL, IN FACT, UH, WE HAD A MEETING LAST NIGHT. UH, COUNCILMAN KUBOSH WAS THERE. UH, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT THE MEETING. ONLY THREE PEOPLE OUT OF ABOUT 50 SUPPORTED THE PROJECT. SO TO SAY THAT THERE'S LARGE SUB COMMUNITY SUPPORT IS A, UH, MISREPRESENTATION. UH, MANY OF THE MEETINGS THAT SHE SUGGEST, OR THAT SHE MENTIONED WERE VERY SMALL MEETINGS, VERY LOW ATTENDANCE. THE WORD HAS NOT GOTTEN OUT UNTIL VERY RECENTLY WHEN THE WORD GOT OUT. THERE'S BEEN A BIG GROUNDSWELL OF, UH, UH, CONCERN MOVE A SECOND JUNCTURE, NOT GRANITE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, SHALL I GET, I MEAN, ONE SEC, ONE SECOND. OKAY. ONE SECOND, ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN CISNEROS. THANK YOU. UM, SO I REPRESENT A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THIS PROJECT AS IT ON THE, ON THE EAST SIDE OF, OF STU WOOD. AND THERE'S SUPPORT FOR THAT. I WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE IS SUPPORT FOR THAT IN YOUR PACKAGE THAT YOU HAVE. THERE'S A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THE WOODLAND HEIGHTS CIVIC ASSOCIATION, YOU KNOW, URGING THE CITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT. I HAVE GOTTEN OTHER LETTERS AS WELL. UM, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE HEARD FROM, BUT IT IS A SMALL GROUP THAT HAVE CONCERNS. YOU KNOW, THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT POSSIBLE CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC, BUT I THINK THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC IN DISTRICT C. UM, WOODLAND HEIGHTS HAS SPEED CUSHIONS, UM, THAT, THAT, UM, HAVE, ARE WORKING. SO IT'S, I DON'T HEAR AS A PROBLEM IN, IN DISTRICT H. UM, SO THERE IS, THERE'S STRONG SUPPORT IN DISTRICT H FOR THIS PART OF IT. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KASH. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. UH, AND YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND MAYOR, I KNOW YOU'VE SAID MANY TIMES THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF ONE LIFE CAN BE SAVED, THEN, THEN IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, MANY TIMES IT'S WORTH DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND, AND I THINK THAT, UH, YOUR NUMBER SEVEN IS WHEN WE, WHEN WE PUT THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN, AND THE OVERFLOW WILL GO ONTO THE SIDE STREETS, AND, AND I HEAR ABOUT THE SPEED CUSHIONS, BUT ARE THERE SPEED CUSHIONS CURRENTLY ON, ON 11TH STREET, 10 AND A HALF STREET, 12TH STREET, 13TH STREET, THESE, THESE OTHER THROUGH STREETS ARE, ARE GONNA RECEIVE THE OVERFLOW. PEOPLE ARE GONNA GET OFF OF THAT ROAD AND, AND GO TO ONE OF THOSE OTHER ROADS WHERE OUR CHILDREN ARE IN THE STREETS PLAYING, AND THEY'RE NOT USED TO SEEING THIS KIND OF TRAFFIC FORCED INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND, AND THAT WAS MY CONCERN. AND, AND I, I READ YOUR NUMBER SEVEN. AND, UH, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA SAY ABOUT THAT? I KNOW THAT YOU, YOU WROTE QUITE A BIT ABOUT IT. THAT'S RIGHT. UM, WELL, THAT IS ONE OF OUR BIG CONCERNS. AND IT'S TOTALLY UNNECESSARY BECAUSE 11TH STREET IS A SAFE STREET. UH, THE MAYOR DIDN'T SEE MY FIRST PART. IT MEETS, UH, VISION ZERO GOALS OF NO FATALITIES, NO SERIOUS INJURIES FOR A 13 YEAR PERIOD. IF BICYCLE LANES ARE PUT ON 11TH STREET, I'M SURE THERE WILL BE SOME, SOME SERIOUS INJURY AT SOME POINT. AND IT MAY NOT BE RIGHT AWAY, BUT I THINK THAT 11TH STREET HAS A TREMENDOUS TRACK RECORD OF NO FATALITIES, NO SERIOUS INJURIES OVER A 13 YEAR PERIOD. THERE'S NO REASON TO CHANGE IT. THE TRAFFIC IS GROWING, POPULATION IS GROWING. IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO FEDERAL GUIDELINES ON TRAFFIC FLOW, AND ALSO CITY GUIDELINES ON, IF IT WERE MADE A TWO-LANE ROAD, IT WOULD BE OVER THE GUIDELINE FOR A TWO-LANE ROAD IN ABOUT A ONE YEAR PERIOD. MR. GOSS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU, YOU SAID HERE, AND I WANT HIGHLIGHT, UH, IS THE CONGESTION IS, WILL BE DURING RUSH HOUR, AND THAT CORRESPONDS TO THE TIME THAT PEOPLE ARE WALKING, KIDS ARE PLAYING IN THEIR FRONT YARDS, AND CYCLISTS ARE ENJOYING A BIKE RIDE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT'S RIGHT. AND, AND, AND THAT, THAT CONCERNED ME. UH, AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A, I'VE LIVED IN THE HEIGHTS FOR A WHILE. MY MOTHER LIVED THERE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND DAD, AND, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IT'S GONNA DO, IF IT'S GONNA PUSH THAT TRAFFIC INTO THOSE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS. AND, AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO. UH, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? [02:05:01] NO, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S REALLY ONE OF OUR BIGGEST CONCERNS. AND LIKE I SAID, I, THERE REALLY IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PROJECT. IT ALREADY IS BELOW THE, UH, TEXAS, UH, CRASHES PER A HUNDRED MILLION MILES. AND, AND ONCE AGAIN, WOULD YOU TELL US WHAT YOUR BACKGROUND, UH, YOUR EXPERTISE, OR YOUR BACKGROUND IS? OKAY. WELL, I'M A, A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER. I'VE LOOKED AT THE DATA THAT DAVID FIELD HAS PRESENTED, AND I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT. UH, AND IT'S IN THE HANDOUTS THAT, UH, IT IS A SAFE STREET. IT'S 25% BELOW THE METRIC THAT WAS USED TO JUSTIFY THE PROJECT. IT HAS NO FATAL, NO FATALITIES OR SERIOUS INJURIES. THERE'S A GROWTH RATE OF 3.5% THAT HAS NOT FACTORED INTO THE PLAN. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT DAVID FIELD HAS NOT LOOKED AT SERIOUSLY. I'VE ASKED THAT QUESTION. UM, IT IS GETTING CLOSE TO CITY GUIDELINES AND FEDERAL GUIDELINES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PART OF THE PROJECT IS BICYCLES, AND I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT ONE. NO, ONE SECOND. WE, WE ARE NOT GONNA TURN THIS INTO AN 11TH STREET TOWN HALL NOW, . OKAY. SO WE ARE NOT GONNA DO THAT TODAY. OKAY. UM, COUNCIL COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN? UH, THANK YOU, MARY. JUST A, AGAIN, FOR COUNCIL, AND I APPRECIATE THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE COMING. BUT I DO WANNA FLAG, UH, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT DURHAM AND SHEPHERD AND A LOT OF THE HEADWAY THAT'S GONNA BE MADE ALONG THAT CORRIDOR. BUT THERE WAS ALSO A ROAD SAFETY AUDIT FORM 11TH AND NICHOLSON, UM, TALK ABOUT ON BORROWED TIME WHEN IT COMES TO FAMILIES AT THAT INTERSECTION TRYING TO CROSS. UM, WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN THERE. THE STATE PROHIBITS US FROM DOING ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC MEASURES, STOP SIGNS, THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT 11TH AT NICHOLSON IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PEDESTRIAN INTERSECTIONS, UM, IN THE DISTRICT. SO, AGAIN, I, I JUST WANNA FLAG THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS HERE. I KNOW THAT THERE'S TALK, TALK ABOUT BIKE LANES. THERE'S TALKING, THERE'S TALKS ABOUT WOODLAND HEIGHTS, DIFFERENT AREAS, BUT THERE ARE SOME CRITICAL PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ISSUES, UM, THAT ARE ALSO INVOLVED IN THIS. AND AGAIN, MAYOR, I DON'T WANNA TO YOUR POINT, TURN INTO THIS, TURN INTO, UH, AN 11TH STREET TOWN HALL SITUATION AT PUBLIC SESSION, BUT I DO WANT, UM, RESIDENTS TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THEIR FEE. SO I APPRECIATE, UM, WHY CONSTITUENTS COME. WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS? WHY DON'T WE DO, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS? LET, LET ME, LET ME VISIT WITH, UM, MY, UH, WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. LET ME VISIT WITH PUBLIC WORKS. UH, LET ME TAKE A, A, A VERY THOROUGH LOOK AT THIS. MAKE AN, UM, MAKE AN, UM, MAKE AN ASSESSMENT. SO LET ME, LET ME TAKE, LET ME TAKE, TAKE OWNERSHIP AND THEN LET ME, LET ME, LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT IT. THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY. AND INVITE ME TO BE THERE WITH YOU. WELL, LET ME, LET ME DO THAT BECAUSE, UM, UH, SO RECOMMENDATION THAT, THAT'S COMING FORTH FROM THE DEPARTMENT. SO LET ME, LET ME, LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT IT. OKAY. A VERY THOROUGH, THOROUGH LOOK AT IT, AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE. OKAY? OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MAYOR TIM MARTIN. YES, I'LL BE VERY BRIEF SINCE THE MAYOR'S GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT IT. BUT, UH, I SPENT, UH, QUITE A FEW MONTHS OVER THE LAST, UH, YEAR LOOKING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S BEAUTIFUL AREA. IT REALLY IS. I LOVE GOING THERE AND, AND WATCHING THE, THE BIKERS AS WELL AS THE MOMS AND DADS STROLLING, AND THE PEOPLE HAVING A GREAT TIME PLAYING IN THE PARK. SO, AS COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMANS MENTIONED, THIS DOES NOT REQUIRE COUNCIL ACTION, SO IT WILL NOT COME TO US. BUT REST ASSURED, UH, THE MAYOR WILL TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND DO A GOOD JOB. BUT I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I REALLY ENJOY YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. I THINK YOUR PRICES ARE A LITTLE OVERVALUED, BUT I ENJOY YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD VERY MUCH. THERE GO. I DO TOO. LEMME JUST GIMME, GIMME, GIMME 30 DAYS. LET ME MAKE AN, MAKE AN ASSESSMENT, OKAY. TILL THEN WE'LL PUT EVERYTHING ON HOLD UNTIL I TAKE A LOOK AT IT. OKAY? I GOTCHA. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALL. NEXT SPEAKER. MARIAN WRIGHT. HI. MY PRESENTATION ISN'T AS PRETTY AS THE ENGINEERS THAT JUST CAME. MINE'S THE ONE WITH THE SHARPIE CIRCLES. BUT I'D LIKE TO TALK, FIRST OF ALL, THERE. I GAVE A PACKET OF INFORMATION TO THE, UM, FOR Y'ALL TO GIVE TO MICHAEL ERIC. IT SAT ON HIS DESK UNTIL FRIDAY. HE NEVER LOOKED AT IT, NEVER OPENED IT UP ON FRIDAY. WHEN I TALKED TO HIM, HE SAID THERE WAS REALLY NOTHING HE COULD DO ABOUT IT. COUNCIL MEMBER CISAN SAYS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT OR SUPPORT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. ONLY EIGHT PEOPLE VOTED ON THAT. THE WILL HEIGHT CIVIC ASSOCIATION BOARD IS THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT VOTED ON THAT. LAST NIGHT WE WERE AT A MEETING WITH THE HEIGHTS, UM, CIVICS ASSOCIATION, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY DID NOT SUPPORT THIS OR THEY WERE JUST GONNA BE A FORUM OF INFORMATION. IT WAS TOO CONTENTIOUS [02:10:01] AND THEY WERE NOT GONNA MAKE A DECISION EITHER WAY. ABBY CAME IN, JUST SAID THAT SHE GOT SUPPORT FROM THEM. THEY MOST DEFINITELY DID NOT. COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH WAS THERE. WE HAVE MULTIPLE SURVEYS THAT WE'VE DONE ONLINE ON NEXTDOOR. 'CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE TO REACH PEOPLE. THE SUPPORT IS OVERWHELMINGLY AGAINST IT. THE TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KOSH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, YOU KNOW, WE PASSED THE BIKE PLAN AND I, AND THIS IS, UH, THIS IS PART OF IT. AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, AND THE MAYOR'S ALREADY ADDRESSED THIS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, UH, ONCE WE, ONCE WE, UH, WE VOTED FOR THAT MM-HMM . AND IT GOES TO THESE DEPARTMENTS, THEN ONLY THE MAYOR CAN CAN REALLY AGREE TO, TO SEND IT BACK TO US TO LOOK AT OR TO MAKE A DECISION. UH, AND SO, UM, I'M REALLY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT HE'S GONNA TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THIS AND LOOK AT IT BECAUSE I THINK ONCE HE LOOKS AT THE NUMBERS AND, AND WHAT JERRY GOSS PRESENTED, UH, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THAT, THAT IT WILL BE A, UH, A SAFETY ISSUE ON THOSE STREETS NORTH AND SOUTH, UH, OF 11TH STREET. AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT. AND SO I DO APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S KINDNESS LAST NIGHT IN THE MEETING. I THOUGHT, JERRY, YOU DID A GREAT JOB OF PRESENTING THIS. AND I THANK MARK FOR HAVING YOU. AND SO THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, SYLVIA BLAIR. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, JUST NOT TO BE REDUNDANT, BUT I KIND OF FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT THE 11TH STREET. I LIVE ON 10 AND A HALF STREET, AND WE DO HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE STREETS. CHANGING 11TH STREET FROM FOUR LANES TO TWO LANES IS NOT A VERY SAFE IDEA FOR BIKERS, ESPECIALLY. I THINK, UM, WE HAVE A PETITION. WE HAVE OVER 1400 SIGNATURES FROM PEOPLE IN THE HEIGHTS. UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT. THE CITY NEEDS TO LOOK AT. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AT THIS AGAIN. AND HOPEFULLY WE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO CHANGE YOUR MIND AND PUT A, A BIKE BOULEVARD SOMEWHERE ON ONE OF THE OTHER EAST WEST STREETS THAT ARE CLOSE TO US. I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LIVE WITH, EVERYBODY CAN LIVE WITH AND CYCLISTS CAN LIVE WITH. YOU KNOW, THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS AT STAKE HERE, AND WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. STACEY SEALS. STACEY SEALS ON APRIL 5TH, MR. LUTS AND HIS DOG WERE KILLED BY A SPEEDING TRUCK ON 25TH STREET AT THE HEIGHTS. ON HIS MORNING JOG, THE SPEEDER SAID THAT HE WAS GOING ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, MR. LUTZ IS AT FAULT. YOU WOULDN'T KNOW WHY HE'S AT FAULT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY SIDEWALKS. AND HE WAS RUNNING ON THE STREET. WHY WAS HE RUNNING ON THE STREETS? 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY SIDEWALKS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE SPEEDING. THEY ARE CONGESTED ON 11TH STREET, AND THEY'RE COMING INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY'RE SPEEDING ALL THE TIME. SO WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN THE CITY FORCEFULLY CHANGES A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE, WHICH ACCORDING, ACCORDING TO THE CITY MOBILITY PLAN, IT REQUIRES IT TO STAY AT FOUR LANES. WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? AN ARTICLE IN THE, IN THE CHRONICLE CONFIRMS DRIVERS WILL FIND THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE AND TAKE THEIR TRAFFIC TO OTHER STREETS. THAT'S US INSIDE. SO WHAT ARE THE MEASURES THE CITY'S GONNA DO TO PROTECT, PROTECT US? MARGARET WALLACE BROWN SAYS, AFTER IT'S COMPLETED AND IT WARRANTS ADJUSTMENTS, WE'LL DO IT. BUT ABBY CAYMAN SAYS, WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN KASH, UH, LISTEN, THANK YOU FOLKS FOR COMING. YOU, YOU GOT WHAT? YOUR DESIRED RESULT. YOU GOT THE MAYOR'S ATTENTION. HE SAYS HE'S GONNA LOOK INTO IT WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS. GOD BLESS YOU. I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, MAYOR TURNER. ALSO, IF I CAN JUST ADDRESS YOU ONE SECOND. ROBERT WOODS, WHO'S A GOOD FRIEND OF YOURS, FRIEND OF MINE, UM, HE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO DINNER WITH HE AND I. UM, HE SAYS HE IS NOT GOING TO HIT YOU UP FOR MONEY FOR HIS CENTER. THIS IS STRICTLY ABOUT THE 11TH STREET. THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU REALLY CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IS TO COME TO SUPPER WITH US. RIGHT. WELL, I DON'T THINK NECESSARILY DINNER IS GOING TO DO IT. YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON ON 11TH STREET. RIGHT. I, THAT WAY YOU REALLY GET A GOOD FEEL OF WHAT'S HAPPENED. I, I'M A, I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN. I KNOW. SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ON 11TH STREET AND ROBERT WANTS YOU TO COME TO SUPPER WITH HIM, RIGHT. AND ME. YEAH. WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT LET ME TAKE A, A LOOK AT IT AGAIN. UM, THIS IS NOT ABOUT, UM, UM, YEAH. ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, ARE VERY, UH, ATTENTIVE TO THEIR, TO THEIR DISTRICTS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. AND THIS IS NOT A MEASURE THAT WOULD BE VOTED ON BY COUNCIL. UNDERSTOOD. SO I WANT EVERYBODY, LET ME, LET ME PUT THINGS IN THEIR CONTEXT. UH, [02:15:01] BECAUSE AS WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW TO ENHANCE MOBILITY, UM, AND THE SAFETY OF OUR STREETS, THAT'S WHY VISION ZERO IS IN PLACE. UH, IT'S, IT'S ABOUT HOW AND HOW TO, UM, DESIGN A PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY, WALKABLE CITY. AGREED. SO WE ARE, SO, WE ARE CONSTANTLY COMING UP WITH PLANS. AND THESE PLANS HAVE COME UP, UH, AS IT RELATES TO 11TH STREET AND THE BIKE LANES. UH, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO A FULL ASSESSMENT. SO, UM, IN ALL FAIRNESS TO YOU, TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE DON'T BE LOOKING AT THEM IN A NEGATIVE WAY. OH, NICE. AND THAT'S WHY IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I'LL, I'LL TAKE OWNERSHIP BACK OF THIS. OKAY. AND I'LL TAKE A, A LOOK AT IT AND I'LL VISIT, WE'LL TAKE A, I HAVE ALL OF MY DEPARTMENTS COME AND VISIT AND TALK WITH ME AND LAY OUT AND I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE PLUSES AND THE MINUSES, AND THEN EVEN TALK WITH PEOPLE AGAIN OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO GIMME ABOUT 30 DAYS TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT AND THEN, UH, AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE. THANK MAYOR, CHAIR. OKAY. I APPRECIATE YOU, YOU DOING THAT FOR US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL. OKAY, NEXT ITEM. JABBAR PERKINS. JABBAR PERKINS. OKAY. I SEE 1, 2, 3, 4, BUT ONLY JABBAR CAN COME UP. OKAY. OKAY. JABBAR. YES. I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR COUNCIL, UH, MEMBER AND ALSO THE MAYOR FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY. I'M COMING TO YOU ON THE BEHALF OF HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES. WE ARE ACTUALLY A 5 0 1 C3 ORGANIZATION. THE, OUR FOCUS IS TO, YOU KNOW, ERADICATE CRIME COMPLETELY OUTTA THE PEOPLE LIVES. AND ONE OF OUR MOTTO IS, YOU KNOW, POLICE TAKE CRIME OUT OF THE STREETS, WHICH IS GOOD. WE TAKE CRIME OUT OF THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE. WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG WOMEN WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN CHANGED THROUGH THIS ORGANIZATION. WE, WE GO OUT TO, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOODS, PARKS. WE'RE ALSO ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES. I MET YOU AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT EVENTS, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'VE EVEN BEEN AWARDED BY SHEILA JACKSON AND, AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, UPON OUR SERVICES THAT WE DO FOR THE COMMUNITY. ONE THING I DO WANT TO NOTIFY THAT WE'RE NOT AS MUCH KNOWN IN OUR OWN CITY, WHICH WHERE OUR HEADQUARTERS ARE, BUT MAINLY IN OTHERS. WE HAD DIFFERENT EVENTS LIKE IN DALLAS WHERE POLICEMEN, YOU KNOW, HAD BEEN GUNNED DOWN, WHERE SEVERAL HAD BEEN GUNNED DOWN AND, AND KILLED, YOU KNOW, WHICH WAS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. AND WE WENT OUT TO HAVE A MARCH, AN EVENT, WHICH IS A PEACE MARCH, AN EVENT WHERE WE BROUGHT STAGE AND BROUGHT, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN TO CALM THE STREETS AND TO BRING UNITY BETWEEN POLICEMEN AND THEM. AND ALSO, UH, IN OUR OWN CITY IN HOUSTON, WE ALSO HELPED OUT WHEN IT WAS A, A HARVEY, WHEN IT, WHEN THERE WAS A FLOOD, YOU KNOW, WE MADE IT ON THE NEWS. AND THERE'S A LOT OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT CAME OUT WHO HEARTS WAS WARM, YOU KNOW, AT US COMING OUT THERE AND BEING THERE WITH THEM, AND IN PRAYER AND ALSO IN GUIDANCE. UH, ALSO WE, WE HAD A MARCH IN LAFAYETTE AND WHERE WE HAD A, A NICE EVENT WHERE IT WAS ACTUALLY, THE CAUSE OF IT WAS BECAUSE YOUNG PEOPLE WERE KILLING IT, KILLING THEMSELVES LIKE CRAZY. SO WE CAME OUT THERE TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHERE WE BROUGHT A MARCH. AND THAT MARCH MADE IT VIRAL EVEN DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHICH WE HAD SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO CAUSE ANY COVID INFLATIONS, UH, WHICH WE ARE STARTING NOW TO GET BACK OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. UH, ATLANTA HAD CALLED US. IT WENT VIRAL, IT WENT ALMOST TO A MILLION VIEWS. AND THEY CALLED US AND SAID THEY WILLING TO PUT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE FOR US TO PERFORM OUR EVENT. AND COMING TO YOU, UH, MAYOR TURNER, BECAUSE I WANT TO DO A SIT DOWN. I'M TEAMED UP WITH TROY FINNER, HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH HIM. HE'S WILLING TO PROVIDE SECURITY, UH, SEVERAL, UH, UH, SECURITY FOR EVERY EVENT THAT WE DO FOR FREE BECAUSE HE SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING. WHAT TYPE OF, WHAT TYPE OF EVENT DO YOU DO? YOU DO? WE HAVE, UH, CONCERTS WHERE WE HAVE PROFESSIONALS GOSPEL SINGING, AND WE'LL HAVE TESTIMONIES OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH HOSTILE LIFESTYLES THAT HAVE CAME THROUGH, THAT HAVE OVERCAME, THAT CAN TOUCH THE HEARTS OF OTHERS AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO GET BETTER. AND, AND THAT'S WHAT ONE SAFE HOUSTON, UH, THAT YOU'VE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT. WE'RE LOOKING TO PARTNER UP WITH AND, AND GO OUT. OKAY. WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS? WHY DON'T YOU, UH, UH, GET WITH WILLIAM, WILLIAM PAUL THOMAS, RIGHT HERE. OKAY. AND, UH, GET YOUR INFORMATION AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL SIT DOWN AND TALK, OKAY? OKAY. WHAT'S THE NAME? DO YOU HAVE A NAME OF YOUR GROUP? YES. HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES. HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES. HIGHWAYS [02:20:01] AND HEDGES. UH, HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES? YES. H AND H? YES. YES. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. YES, SIR. WELL GET, UH, IF YOU'LL GET, UH, WILLIAM AND PAUL, HE'LL COME DOWN AND GET YOUR INFORMATION, OKAY? OKAY. AND THEN, AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW UP. ALRIGHT? THAT SOUNDS GREAT. OKAY, THANKS. ALRIGHT. AND ALL OF Y'ALL ARE FROM THE HOUSTON AREA? YES. WE'RE ALL IN THE HOUSTON AREA. MM-HMM . OKAY. WELL, LET'S GET TOGETHER. WE'RE ABOUT THE SAME AGE. OKAY. . ALL RIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER. MONTEZ POWELL. MONTEZ POWELL MONTES IS HERE. HOW YOU DOING TODAY? MAYOR TURNER? DOING FINE. HOW WE IN HEDGES AS WELL? YES, SIR. HOW WE IN HEDGES AS WELL? I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU AND PRESENT, UH, A BRIEF TESTIMONY. UM, I AM A PRODUCT OF THIS ORGANIZATION, UH, SINCE A YOUNG CHILD. UM, I WAS INVOLVED EVEN, UH, GOING TO JUVENILE HOMES. I WAS A MENACE TO MY SOCIETY, YOU KNOW, WHERE, UH, MANY PEOPLE FELT LIKE I COULD NOT BE HELPED, YOU KNOW, IN AND OUTTA JAIL, GOING TO BOOTCAMP AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT WHEN I TEAM UP WITH THIS ORGANIZATION, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN 12 YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN INCARCERATED. IT'S BEEN 12 YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, A SOCIETY I WAS INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, TAKING POLICES ON HIGH SPEED CHASE. I WAS A BIG THIEF, YOU KNOW. UM, AND, UH, WHAT WE WAS GONNA MENTION TO YOU, A LOT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE OUT ON THESE STREETS, THEY LIVE BY MEAN OF SURVIVAL. WHEN I WAS IN THE STREET, YOU KNOW, TO SURVIVE, I BEGIN TO STEAL. I GET UNDER TRAILER HOUSES AND PUT ALL THE COPPER WIRE THAT Y'ALL WAS TALKING ABOUT, UH, OF THE, UH, VIC CONVERTERS, YOU KNOW, UH, DEATH WAS TYPE OF LIFE I LIVED BECAUSE I WAS UNEDUCATED. I COULDN'T FIND A JOB. I HAD FELONIES ON MY RECORD. BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET ME SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU ALL, UH, THAT YOU GUYS MAY HAVE A VISUAL WITH THE SMALL TIME THAT I HAVE REMAINING. AND BEAR WITH ME FOR A SECOND. WHO'S GONNA CALL THE DRUG DEALER TO GIVE OFF THE STREETS? WHO'S GONNA CALL THE PROSTITUTES WHO STOP PROSTITUTING BODY? I KNOW YOU HEARD ABOUT YOUR TESTIMONIES HALL, BUT I'M HERE TO LET YOU KNOW. ALL OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE IS JUST IN CATCH. YOU WHITE HAVE A TESTIMONY OF GOD. THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EVEN WEAR WHITE WITHOUT A LIFESTYLE HALL WHO MAY SAY, HOW DO WE DO THIS? THAT MUST GOT SOME TYPE OF CLUB THAT MUST GOT SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL DOING. OFFER THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. WE AIN'T GOT NOTHING TO OFFER THEM. BUT THE WORD OF GOD, AN OUTREACH PROGRAM HAS TRAVELED MORE THAN 300 MILES TO SPREAD THE WORD TO A LOCAL COMMUNITY. HOWING HEDGES IS A NATIONWIDE ORGANIZATION. THE NATIONAL MINISTRY BRINGS ITS MESSAGE TO PEOPLE IN MONROE, URGING THEM TO STOP THE VIOLENCE. THE NONPROFIT HIGHWAYS AND HIJ MINISTRY MARCHED AND KNOCKED ON DOORS NEAR BEL AIR HIGH SCHOOL. WE COMING TO BRING THEM HOPE, BRINGING HOPE TO ALL MANKIND IS THIS NOT ONE NATIONALITY, BUT FOR ALL MANKIND. THAT WHATEVER CONDITION THAT YOU IN, GUESS WHAT? GOD CAN CHANGE YOU. I REMEMBER BEING IN THE SAME SITUATION, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER BEING, YEAH. TIME HAS EXPIRED BY LUST BOUND BY FORNICATION BOUND BY LYING BOUND BY ALL THESE THINGS. I KNOW THE CONDITIONS OF THE PEOPLE AND I KNOW THERE'S HOPE. I JUST APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS IS THE CHIEF OF BATON ROUGE, THAT THE SOLUTION ISN'T GONNA START WITH THE HUMAN UNIFORM, IT STARTS FROM THE COMMUNITY. YEAH. POLICE TAKE CRIME OUT OF THE STREETS. THAT'S RIGHT. BUT HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES, WE FOCUS ON TAKING CRIME OUT OF THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE. THAT WAY IT'LL ERADICATE CRIME COMPLETELY OUT. THIS IS THE EFFECT WE HAVE ON THE COMMUNITIES. YOU, I I BE NEVER BE [02:25:01] THE, I'LL NEVER MOTION TO CONTINUE FOR JUST 60 SECONDS. , I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING TO YOU. MOTION TO EXTEND. YES, MA'AM. MOTION TO EXTEND. NO OBJECTION, GRANT. UM, I NO LONGER TAKE THE POLICE OFFICERS ON HIGH SPEED CHASE. I NO LONGER SELL DRUGS ANYMORE. THESE GUYS THAT YOU ACTUALLY SEEN CAME WITH US, ACTUALLY HAVE THE SAME TESTIMONY, AND WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF THEM, WHERE MANY PEOPLE FELT THAT THERE WAS NO HOPE. ALL WE ARE ASKING IS FOR, UH, YOU, MR. TURNER AND THE REST OF THE CITY TO STAND WITH US AND SUPPORT US, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES TO COMPEL PEOPLE FOR THIS LIFE CHANGE. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. OKAY. AND LOOK, AND, UM, UM, WE ACCEPT THE OFFER, YOU KNOW, UM, WE DO NEED, UM, CREDIBLE MESSENGERS OUT THERE MAKING A, MAKING A DIFFERENCE. SO, UM, LET US, LET US SET UP A TIME. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON THROUGH A CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM THAT'S OUT THERE. YOU CERTAINLY, UH, YOU'VE, YOU ARE OUT THERE. UM, YOU'VE GOT A ONE HECK OF A TESTIMONY TO GIVE, I'M SURE THE OTHERS AS WELL. SO, EXCEPT Y'ALL FOR WE'LL SET UP A MEETING. WE'LL SIT DOWN AND WE'LL, AND WE'LL, WE'LL WORK IT FROM THERE. OKAY. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. VICE MAYOR PROAM, CAST TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, MR. POWELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY. UM, YOU, YOU HAVE A POWERFUL TESTIMONY, AND I SAY THIS ALL THE TIME. GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE. WE NEED PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO REACH OUT TO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY, UH, CAN SERVE AND HELP. UM, I, I'M NOT SURE IF YOUR ORGANIZATION IS FAMILIAR WITH OUR CASE AFTER SCHOOL, UM, GRANT AND PROGRAM. UH, THERE ARE SOME AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I THINK THAT CAN BENEFIT FROM WHAT YOUR PROGRAM OFFERS. I THINK THERE ARE SOME OTHER FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT I, I FEEL LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE GREAT PARTNERSHIPS WITH. THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY AND, AND REACH OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW THAT SOMEBODY CARES. AND I THINK THAT, UM, WHAT YOU ARE DOING CURRENTLY IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TOUCH THE LIVES OF OTHERS AND, AND HAVE MORE TESTIMONIES LIKE YOURS, MOVING FROM A LIFE OF, UM, OF, OF, OF CRIME AND, AND BEING A, A NUISANCE IN A CITY TO BEING A VALUED MEMBER OF, OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU FOR MAKING A LIFE CHANGE, UM, AND FOR REACHING BACK AND WANTING TO HELP OTHERS TO ALSO DO THE SAME. ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO ASSIST, WE DEFINITELY, UM, WILL STAND WITH YOU. YES, MA'AM. WE THANKFUL. HOLD ON. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU, YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION DO FOR, UM, YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN MM-HMM . YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT HAD, HAS RAN INTO HARD TIMES, YOU KNOW, GOT INTO TROUBLE AND WANT TO GET OUT. AND SO THIS IS IMPORTANT, UM, TO HAVE ADVOCATES LIKE YOURSELF THAT ONCE, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, WE CALL IT LIVED EXPERIENCE. PEOPLE THAT HAVE NAVIGATED, UM, THESE SYSTEMS AND AS THE MAYOR SAID, CREDIBLE MESSENGERS TO GO OUT AND, UM, JUST BASICALLY WORK WITH THOSE AND MENTOR THOSE THAT, THAT FIND THEMSELVES IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS. AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU. IN FACT, UM, WE HAVE A CREDIBLE MESSENGER TRAINING THAT'S HAPPENING THAT NEXT NEXT WEEK, YOU KNOW, LEADERS ACROSS THE DISTRICT, UM, DISTRICT BE MY DISTRICT THAT WANT TO BE THOSE ADVOCATES AND WANT TO LIKE THE COMMUNITY, WANNA TAKE BACK OWNERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, OF THEIR KIDS AND OF THEIR, JUST THEIR COMMUNITIES AND NOT JUST TOTALLY RELY ON THE GOVERNMENT AND POLICE, UM, TO HANDLE ALL THESE SITUATIONS. AND SO WE'D LOVE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU GUYS COME OUT AND IF YOU ARE AROUND TO SPEAK, UM, TO THE CREDIBLE MESSENGERS THAT'S GOING THROUGH THE TRAINING. AND WE HAVE FOLKS FROM NEW YORK AND CHICAGO THAT'S HERE, UM, WASHINGTON THAT'S ACTUALLY FACILITATING THE TRAINING. AND SO, UM, WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU, YOU KNOW, PART OF, AND ANOTHER THING, WE HAVE A MINISTER'S FAITH-BASED MINISTERS ALLIANCE, UM, THE DISTRICT B MINISTERS ALLIANCE, AND IN FACT, WE MET, MET YESTERDAY, THEY'RE DOING SOME TEAM BUILDING TO WHERE THEY WILL BE, YOU KNOW, VIOLENCE, INTERRUPTERS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TAKING IT, WE MAKE PUTTING OUR COMMUNITY BACK UP FRONT. THAT'S RIGHT. AND NOT JUST RELYING ON, ON THE SYSTEM. SO WE'D LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION. YES MA'AM. HAVE A CONVERSATION AND, YOU KNOW, INVITE YOU TO BE PART OF THE TABLE. OKAY? YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. WE, WE ARE THANKFUL. GOOD. UH, LOOK, UM, SEND ME, SEND ME WHAT YOU JUST PLAYED. AND Y'ALL COME AND VISIT WITH ME NEXT WEEK. YES SIR. MOST DEFINITELY. OKAY. THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR TIME. ALRIGHT, THANKS. ALRIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER. APRIL AGIRI. APRIL AGIRI. APRIL HERE. APRIL IS HERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US. MY NAME IS APRIL AGUIRE. I AM THE AUNT TO ARLENE ALVAREZ. EVERYONE HERE TODAY HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF REACHING ADULTHOOD TO CHASE YOUR DREAMS. MYLENE DIDN'T EVEN MAKE HER 10TH BIRTHDAY. [02:30:01] HER LIFE WAS ENDED BY A BULLET IN HER HEAD. DESPITE BEING WITHIN REACH OF HER MOTHER AND FATHER, WE FELT TO PROTECT HER. WENDY SCREAMED FOR EVERYONE TO GET DOWN WHEN THEY HEARD GUNSHOTS. ARLENE WAS WEARING HER HEADPHONES AND DIDN'T HEAR HER. MOMMY, WHEN ARLENE'S STRENGTH TO STAY, CONSCIENCE WAS OVERCOME BY UNIMAGINABLE PAIN. DID SHE WONDER WHAT SHE DID WRONG? WHAT SHE DID TO DESERVE SUCH A DEATH? I STILL WONDER HOW MUCH SHE SUFFERED. HER FAMILY WAS SIMPLY ON THEIR WAY TO DINNER ON VALENTINE'S DAY WHEN HER EYES CLOSED AND SHE SUCCUMBED TO HER INJURIES IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT STREET AWAITING AN AMBULANCE. DID SHE KNOW HER? MOMMY WAS WISHING SHE COULD HAVE GAVE HER LIFE FOR HERS. WE ARE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE NOW THE VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS. WE NEVER WANTED TO BE A PART OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. WE WERE THROWN INTO THIS CRIME IS RAGING IN OUR CITY CRIME THAT CLAIMED THE LIFE OF HER BELOVED ARLENE AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE. WE ARE IMMEDIATELY GIVEN A LIFE SENTENCE OF PAIN AND SUFFERING. WHEN WE COME TOGETHER, WE ARE UNSTOPPABLE. WE PASSED A 10% MINIMUM MANDATE APE ON BOND PREMIUMS FOR VIOLENT OFFENDERS. YET WE WASTED SO MUCH TIME AT COMMISSIONER'S COURT TEARING DOWN CRIME STOPPERS. THE POLITICAL GAMES NEED TO STOP. NO MORE FINGER POINTING. WE ALL HAVE TO COME TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT EVERY PART OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS WORKING AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. AND IF THEY'RE NOT, LET'S GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE AMOUNT OF CRIME IN THE CITY FACES TODAY. OUR POLICE OFFICERS, OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY, OUR JAILS, OUR COURTS, WE HAD 400 AND 473 HOMICIDES LAST YEAR. AND WE'RE PROJECTED TO SUR PASS THAT THIS YEAR. DON'T WAIT TILL YOU HAVE TO BURY ONE OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS. WE WORE OUT AT 8:00 PM ON VALENTINE'S EVENING ON OUR WAY TO GET PIZZA. IT DOESN'T GET ANY WORSE THAN THAT. JUST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I'M GONNA SHOW YOU SOME PICTURES OF OUR LIEN THAT WERE TAKEN THE SAME WEEK FOR VALENTINE'S DAY. THIS IS WHAT THEY DID TO HER. SHE WAS SHOT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HER FACE BY HER TEMPLE, BY HER EYE. THIS IS AFTER THEY DISCONNECTED HER. SHE DIDN'T WANNA DIE. SHE DIDN'T WANNA DIE. WE DIDN'T WANNA BURY HER. IT'S BEEN TOO MANY KIDS. TOO MANY KIDS HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO THIS. IT, THEY'RE TELLING US AT THE DA'S OFFICE THAT IT CAN TAKE UP TO THREE YEARS BEFORE HER. MAY I CONTINUE? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. LEMME JUST SAY THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, UM, AND WE CERTAINLY OUR HEARTS AND OUR PRAYERS AND OUR CONDOLENCES GO OUT TO, TO YOUR NIECE. I THINK THAT WAS YOUR NIECE. SO OUR HEARTS AND THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, EVERYBODY HAS A ROLE TO PLAY. I AGREE WITH YOU. YOU KNOW, AND SO WE ARE STEPPING UP TO DO MORE. UM, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. AND I SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE WANTING TO PASS. UM, THERE ARE TOO MANY GUNS THAT ARE ON THE STREET. THERE'S NO TRAINING OR LICENSE REQUIRED AT ALL. OKAY? SO, BUT THAT HAS TO BE HANDLED, YOU KNOW, AT THE LEGISLATURE LEGISLATIVE SESSION BECAUSE THEY, THEY PASSED HOUSE BILL 1927. THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY IN SEPTEMBER. MM-HMM . DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY PERMIT, ANY LICENSE, ANY TRAINING. SO EVERYBODY HAS TO DO HAS TO DO THEIR PART. THAT'S RIGHT. AND SO, UM, AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE, UH, YOU BEING HERE SHARING, UM, YOUR PAYING AND PAIN IF YOU ARE FAMILY MEMBERS AND RELATIVES. UH, BUT WE ALL GOING INTO AN ENDEAVOR TO, TO DO, TO DO MORE. YES. WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER. I'VE SEEN ALL ACROSS THE NEWS AND WE, I WATCHED IT FROM OUR HOME, FROM OUR PHONES. MM-HMM . WE SEE IT ON THE NEWS AND YOU NEVER THINK IT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO YOUR FAMILY. WE WERE THAT FAMILY. WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN TO US. WE'VE BEEN WATCHING IT HAPPEN. AND THAT'S WHY IT, THAT'S WHY IT SAYS IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE FOR THERE TO BE SO MANY GUNS AND FOR PEOPLE TO EVEN, FOR EVEN THE LEGISLATURE TO ALLOW GUNS, PEOPLE TO HAVE GUNS WITHOUT PROPER TRAINING AND BEING LICENSED. YEAH. OUR KILLER WASN'T LICENSED. YEAH. I'M SORRY HE WASN'T LICENSED. AND THAT'S HIM. IT DOESN'T MAKE, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. AND IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE OUT HERE WITH IT, THERE ARE NEEDS TO BE SOME TRAINING. SO THE CITY'S GONNA DO OUR PART. THE COUNTY NEEDS TO DO ITS PART, THE STATE NEEDS TO DO ITS PART. EVERY AND ALL CITIZENS. EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY HAS A ROLE TO PLAY. DO YOU KNOW WHAT SYLVESTER, UH, TURNER. I HAVE A SUGGESTION. I I SEE THAT DIFFERENT ENTITIES MEET IN DIFFERENT TIMES. WHAT IF WE ALL CAME INTO A ROOM AND MET TOGETHER? THE DA THE, THE CHIEF OF POLICE, THE CONSTABLES, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE PROSECUTORS, WE ALL NEED TO ADDRESS WHAT IT IS THAT THEY NEED. THESE ENTITIES ALL WORK [02:35:01] TOGETHER. AND IF ONE OF THEM IS FAILING, WE ARE ALL FAILING. WELL, I AGREE. I AGREE. BUT, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT. I KNOW THAT ELECTION SEASON IS COMING. LET'S NOT THAT ON THE LOCAL LEVEL. THE STATE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TOO. OH, LET'S, WE WE'RE WORKING WITH SENATOR WHITMEYER TO PASS THIS 10% MANDATE STATEWIDE. WE'RE DOING A LOT OF MOVES, BUT, AND HOPEFULLY THEY, HOPEFULLY THEY WILL UNDO HOUSE BILL ON 1927. IT'S A TERRIBLE, IT'S A TERRIBLE DECISION. UM, I JUST WANNA SAY YOU YEAH. HOPEFULLY THEY WILL. HOPEFULLY THEY WILL UNDO NINE HOUSE BILL ON 1927 BECAUSE, UM, THEY'RE COMMITTED. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. LET ME, COUNCIL MEMBER CI. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I AM SO SORRY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. I'M REALLY, I'M, I'M, IT'S TRAGIC. IT'S JUST AWFUL. I WANTED TO SHARE A STATISTIC THAT JUST WAS RELEASED BY NPRI THINK IN THE LAST WEEK. IT SAID THEY, THEY REPORTED THAT FIREARMS ARE NOW THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH OF CHILDREN. THAT FOR DECADES IT WAS, UM, MOTOR, MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. AND NOW IT IS FIREARMS THAT ARE KILLING OUR CHILDREN MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. THANK YOU FOR SHARING WITH US TODAY. I MEAN, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE TO COME AND BE AND STAND BEFORE US. SO LET ME, LET ME JUST, UM, LET ME APPLAUD YOU. THIS IS NOT A POSITION WHERE YOU WOULD WANT TO BE. YOU CERTAINLY DIDN'T ASK TO BE, BUT I DO WANT, I DO WANT TO APPLAUD YOU, UM, EVEN WITH YOUR PAIN FOR STANDING UP AND, AND REPRESENTING, UH, YOUR NIECE AND YOUR, YOUR ENTIRE, YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY. SO DO, DO KNOW. YEAH, DO KNOW, DO KNOW THAT WE, THAT WE HEAR YOU. AND I THINK YOU WILL FIND FROM THIS COUNCIL, WE, WE, WE ARE GONNA DO EVERYTHING ON OUR PART OKAY. AND WORKING WITH OTHERS, UH, TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE, TO MAKE OUR PLACE WHERE PEOPLE LIVE SAFE. YES, SIR. HOLD, HOLD ON ONE SECOND ON THE SCREEN AS COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU. AND, UM, MAYOR, I APPRECIATE YOU KNOW, YOUR WORDS AND OF COURSE TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, MA'AM. UM, AS THE MAYOR SAID, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE. THANK YOU. YOUR VOICE, UM, RIGHT IN THE POSITION THAT YOU'RE IN, BUT THAT YOU USE YOUR VOICE TO ENSURE THIS, THAT, THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO OTHER FAMILIES. UM, I, I HOPE YOU FIND AT LEAST SOME MEANINGFULNESS IN THAT. UM, WE ARE ALL WITH YOU. WE STAND WITH YOU. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER , THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. UM, THAT NEW DATA I HAD BEEN LOOKING AT AT THAT AS WELL. AND, UM, GUN HOMICIDES AND THAT REPORT ARE NOW ALSO THE LEADING, UH, CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN, MEN AS WELL AS CHILDREN AND TEENS. UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS. UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER. UM, AND THE MAYOR HAS COMMITTED, UH, ADDITIONAL FUNDS, UM, FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTMENTS IN THE FUTURE. UH, MAYOR, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING FOR THE INVESTMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY TO TRACK A LOT OF THIS. UM, WHICH WE'RE SORELY LACKING AND WE NEED THE STATE TO, UM, CONTRIBUTE TO AND DO SOMETHING ON. SO, WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP AT THIS. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. JUST ONE LAST THING. THEY SAID THAT IT COULD TAKE UP TO THREE YEARS BEFORE OUR MURDER PHASES TRIAL. AND JOSE SUES CASE FINALLY GOT A GUILTY VERDICT ABOUT 30 MINUTES AGO, AND IT TOOK HIM SIX YEARS. WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER. YES, MA'AM. COUNSEL. OH, GOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. WENDY ALVAREZ. WENDY ALVAREZ. MM-HMM . HI. HI. HONORABLE MAJOR. I AM SO SORRY. MY NAME IS WENDY ALVAREZ, THE MOTHER OF ARLENE ALVAREZ. MY DAUGHTER WAS MURDERED ON VALENTINE'S DAY. AND AS A GRIEVING MOTHER, I HAVE CAME PERSONALLY TO MAKE A CONCERN OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR CITY. WITH ALL DUE TO RESPECT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HONORABLE MAJOR SYLVESTER TURNER FOR CALLING US ON THE DAY OF MY DAUGHTER'S PASSING AND FOR UNDERSTANDING OUR PAIN. BUT WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAS BEEN DONE. [02:40:01] WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS? HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO GOVERNOR ABBOTT? I ALSO BELIEVE IN SECOND CHANCES. AND WE NEED OUR LAWS BACK. WE NEED TO ENFORCE THEM. THAT'S THE MOST THAT WE CAN GET BACK BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS I WILL NEVER GET MY BABY BACK. I FEEL LIKE PART OF THE SOLUTION IS TO ENFORCE LICENSE, TO CARRY, TO PROTECT THE REST OF THE KIDS, THE FAMILY AND THE FUTURE OF THE CITY. AND OF COURSE THE OFFICERS AS WELL. WE NEED THE COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER AND TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER. WE ALL NEED TO EXERCISE PROTECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND AS A COMMUNITY TURNING THE CRIMINALS, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO COME TOGETHER AND CARE BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID THIS TO HAPPEN TO ANYONE. 'CAUSE EVERY NIGHT I LIVE MY WORST NIGHTMARE. ALSO, I FEEL THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO KNOW HOW IT'S, SORRY. ALSO, I FEEL LIKE THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO KNOW HOW IT'S BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. THE SAME WAY AS CELEBRITIES GET RECOGNIZED. THE CITY OF HOUSTON NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. AND WE NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR COMING TOGETHER. AND AVO AVOID VIOLENCE. THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS GOING THROUGH CRISIS. THIS IS A REALITY. THE JUDGES ARE NOT PUTTING WORK TO GIVE FAMILIES WHAT THEY DESERVE. I DON'T WANT MY DAUGHTER'S CASE TO BE DELAYED WHEN SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE OPTION FOR HER DEBT TO BE DELAYED. I DON'T WANT HER DEBT TO BE IN VAIN. I AM BEGGING FOR YOU TO TAKE EVERY OUNCE OF YOUR POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. TOMORROW, WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR COURT DATE, BUT ARLENE'S KILLER'S ATTORNEY IS OUT ON VACATION. HOW WE WISH IT WAS US VACATIONING WITH ARLENE. 'CAUSE THIS IS HER BIRTHDAY MONTH. WHY DOES THE KILLER HAVE PRIVILEGES TO LAY IN HIS BED WHILE ARLENE IS SIX FEET UNDER DIRT? WE ARE BEGGING FOR JUSTICE. WE NEED JUSTICE FOR ALL. AND THANK YOU MAJOR AND EVERYBODY FOR YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, UM, AND I KNOW WE CAN'T, UH, SAY IT ENOUGH, BUT, UM, ATTORNEY, WE, WE ARE PRAYING FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. OKAY. UM, BECAUSE YOU HAVE SUFFERED A PERMANENT LOSS. SO WE'LL CERTAINLY PRAYING AND ASKING GOD TO GIVE YOU, YOU KNOW, AND EVERYONE IS THE STRENGTH. BUT I ALSO WANT TO APPLAUD YOU, UM, FOR HAVING THE COURAGE AND THE STRENGTH TO COME BEFORE, UH, BEFORE US TODAY. UH, UM, AND I DO AGREE WITH, UM, YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE OUT ON THE STREET WITHOUT, UH, HAVING, IF YOU COULD GO AND CARRY THESE GUNS, YOU SHOULD HAVE PERMITS, LICENSE AND PROPER TRAINING. MM-HMM . OKAY. SO THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. UM, AND HOPEFULLY THE STATE WILL, UH, WILL, UM, UNDO HOUSE BILL 1927. AT THE SAME TIME, WE NEED, UM, THE BACKLOG OF CASES TO COME DOWN. YEAH. SO PEOPLE CAN, UH, BE SENT TO TRIAL MUCH SOONER. AND SO, UH, AND SO HOPEFULLY THE COUNTY AND ALL THE, AND THE JUDGES OVER THERE WILL WORK TO DO, TO DO THAT PART, UH MM-HMM . AND THEN HERE AT THE CITY, WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT OUR POLICE TO, UH, TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY MM-HMM . UH, TO WORK TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY EVEN SAFER. BUT LET ME, BUT LET ME, UM, LET ME THANK YOU FOR FINDING THE VOICE. IT'S, IT'S THE HARDEST. THIS IS THINGS THAT I WILL SEE AT THE NEWS. UM, AND GRIEVING MY BABY GIRL, HAVING TO GET DRESSED UP, HAVING TO FIGHT FOR HER JUSTICE IS THE HARDEST. YOU KNOW, AND A LOT OF PARENTS DON'T HAVE THE COURAGE, DON'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE, DON'T HAVE THE GUIDANCE, DON'T HAVE THE MENTORS. AND THANK GOD GOD HAS BEEN PLACING THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN MY PATH. SO THAT'S WHY I'M TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TRYING TO HELP GIVE BACK WHAT'S BEEN GIVEN TO ME. WELL, YOU, YOU'RE EXCEPTIONAL AND YOU'RE SHOWING EXCEPTIONAL STRENGTH, UH, IN DOING THAT. AND YOUR VOICE IS BEING HEARD AND, UH, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO WORK TOGETHER, UH, TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. BUT JUST KNOW, UM, ON BEHALF OF YOUR DAUGHTER, UM, THAT YOU ARE MAKING, YOU ARE MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE. SO THANK YOU. AND, UM, AND WE ARE, WE APPRECIATE YOU. WE LOVE YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. BLESS. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. ABIGAIL AVAREZ. ABIGAIL IS NINTH YOU HERE? BUT, UM, THERE A MOTION TO ADD, UM, DR. SERGIO LIRA. WE DON'T HAVE OBJECTION. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? NO OBJECTION. YOU MOVE TO ADD SECOND. OKAY. IF YOU'LL RECALL, SER SERGIO LIRA. UH, [02:45:01] THANK YOU MAYOR ON BEHALF OF THE ALVAREZ FAMILY, ASK ME TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ABIGAIL ALVAREZ, UM, ONBOARD MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. I WANNA COMMEND COUNCILWOMAN TARON JACKSON AND DR. SHABAZZ, UH, COUNCILWOMAN HUFFMAN, ALL THE FOLKS WHO HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM. AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE PAUL CASTRO FAMILY AND THE ALVAREZ FAMILY. AND ALL THOSE VICTIMS WHO HAVE BEEN, WHOSE LOST LIVES HAVE BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKEN DOWN TOO EARLY, TOO EARLY, UM, AND ALSO TO SUPPORT CRIME STOPPERS. THEY ARE AN ORGANIZATION THAT DEFINITELY HAS BEEN RECEIVING SOME BAD MEDIA PRESS, BUT THEY SUPPORT THESE FAMILIES THAT ARE HURTING AND GRIEVING. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION THAT DOES A BETTER JOB THAN CRIME STOPPERS. BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU, MAYOR TURNER, I'M NOT SURE IF, IN OUR APPEAL TO EVERYONE HERE, IF YOU HAVE A, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON PUBLIC ADVOCACY DEPARTMENT OR OFFICE FOR VICTIMS, SOMEONE THAT CAN STAND WITH THEM, THAT CAN SPEAK FOR THEM, THAT CAN GUIDE THEM, THAT CAN BE MENTORS BECAUSE THEY ARE UNDER EMOTION VERY DIFFICULT TIMES, AND THEY NEED GUIDANCE. THEY NEED RESOURCES. SO SOMEONE TO GO WITH THEM, TO PRESS CONFERENCES, SOMEONE TO GUIDE THEM TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT IN THE MOST DIFFICULT TIMES OF THEIR LIFE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A DEPARTMENT LIKE THAT OR NOT. WELL, I THINK CRIME STOPPERS IS, IS DOING THAT. YES. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IF THERE'S ANY OTHER AGENCIES THAT CAN DO THAT ALSO. I MEAN, CRIME STOPPERS IS DOING THAT AND UH, CERTAINLY, UM, UM, APPRECIATE THEM DOING THAT. MM-HMM. YES, SIR. AND ONE MORE THING BEFORE WE LEAVE. I'M A LITTLE OLD SCHOOL, BUT, UH, COULD YOU MAKE SURE THAT THE FAMILY, MYSELF AND OTHERS, RECEIVE A HARD COPY OF THE, UH, THE CRIME INITIATIVE THAT WAS PASSED, UH, RECENTLY AND ALL THE EFFORTS FROM THE CITY TO REDUCE THE CRIME RATE? UH, I KNOW THAT DISTRICT, IH AND J HAVE LOST A LOT OF FOLKS MOVING AWAY FROM THE CITY DUE TO, UH, DISPLACEMENT FROM GENTRIFICATION, BUT ALSO THE SURGING CRIME. UH, MY FAMILY, MY DAUGHTER, MY FAMILY FOLKS HAVE LEFT TO THE SUBURBS. WE'RE THAT CLOSE. MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE AND I, WE DON'T WANT TO LIVE THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY . RIGHT. BUT THERE'S, BUT SERGIO, THANK YOU, SIR. YEAH. BUT SERGIO, THERE'S CRIME EVERYWHERE. EVERYWHERE. THAT'S RIGHT. AND I DO WANNA INDICATE THAT, UM, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE AREN'T TOO MANY GUNS IN THE STREET. ABSOLUTELY. BUT THERE'RE NOT JUST, NOT JUST THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I MEAN, IN ALL FAIRNESS, THE VIOLENT CRIME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH EXCEPTION HOMICIDE IS LOWER THAN IT WAS THIS TIME LAST YEAR. AND THE HOMICIDE NUMBER HAS DROPPED FROM 50 TO 6%, DOWN TO 6% AS OF THIS MORNING. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH CRIME STOPPERS. HAVE, HAVE THEY TOLD YOU THAT? YES. WITH, UM, THE LAST REPORT I SAW, UM, INDICATED THAT THE HOMICIDES WERE HIGHER THAN DALLAS IN SAN ANTONIO. AND THAT WAS ABOUT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. WHEN THINK WHEN YOU YEAH, YEAH. THERE'S MISINFORMATION. I KNOW. I MISINFORMATION. YES, SIR. YEAH. WHERE ARE YOU GETTING YOUR INFORMATION FROM? UH, IT WAS ONE OF THE, I THINK IT WAS ONE OF THE PEW STUDIES OR IT WAS A STUDY THAT CAME OUT OF, I BELIEVE IT WAS REPORTED IN THE CHRONICLE SOMEWHERE. YEAH. WELL, LEMME LEMME JUST SAY WITH REGARDS TO NEW YORK TIMES OR SOMETHING, WE RESPECT, WE VIOLENT CRIME. MM-HMM . VIOLENT CRIME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS LOWER THAN WHERE IT WAS THIS TIME LAST YEAR. ON THE HOMICIDE RATE, THE PERCENTAGE OF THIS MORNING IS 6% HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR, AND IT'S TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. BUT AT ONE TIME PEOPLE WERE SAYING HOUSTON WAS MURDER CAPITAL WORLD OF THE, OF THE COUNTRY. THAT'S WRONG. YES. AND INFORMATION IS WRONG. AND IF YOU LOOK AT HOMICIDES PER CAPITAL, HOUSTON IS, IS PROBABLY NOT EVEN IN THE TOP 10. SO MISINFORMATION IS, DOESN'T SERVE ANYONE ANY GOOD. ABSOLUTELY. BUT TO SAY PEOPLE ARE LEAVING THE CITY TO THE SUBURBS, THERE'S, THAT'S, THAT, THAT WOULD BE A MIS MISCHARACTERIZATION, SERGIO. SO I JUST HAVE TO TAKE ISSUE WITH THAT. 'CAUSE INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. YEAH. AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR CRIME STOPPERS. EVERYONE ELSE. I HAVEN'T HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF GUNS THAT ARE ON THE STREET. MM-HMM . WELL KNEW WHEN THAT LAW PASSED. IT WAS GONNA BE IN 1927. YES. I KNEW WHEN THAT BILL PASSED. IT WAS GONNA BE THE WILD, WILD WEST. YEAH. AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE CAN SEE THE OUTCOMES OF THAT RIGHT NOW. RIGHT. AND, UH, BUT YEAH, I JUST WANT TO ASK EVERYBODY TO, TO WORK TOGETHER AND, AND, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, MAYOR. RIGHT. AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE INITIATIVE TO REDUCE THE CRIME, UH, AND EVERYONE ELSE. BUT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK AND SUPPORT THESE FAMILIES. I KNOW YOU AND YOUR ADMINISTRATION IS DOING A WONDERFUL JOB, BUT THE ISSUE IS THE LACK OF INFORMATION AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THE MISINFORMATION. AND THERE'S ALWAYS TWO SIDES. AND THE FAMILIES ARE CONFUSED AND, AND, AND POINTING FINGERS AWAY FROM OTHERS TO SOMEBODY ELSE. THAT'S NEVER, THAT'S NEVER GOOD. ABSOLUTELY. RIGHT. BUT THANK YOU, SERGIO, APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER. THANK YOU EVERYONE. THANK YOU. DR. SHABAZZ. NEXT SPEAKER. TAMELA BLACK. KAELA BLACK. TAMELA BLACK. HERE. NEXT [02:50:01] SPEAKER, DEBORAH ELAINE ALLEN. BO LANE. ALLEN STAR. SIX DEBO LANE. ALLEN STAR SIX LANE. ALLEN STAR SIX. NEXT SPEAKER, TAWANA BRYANT. TAWANA BRYANT STAR SIX. TAWANA BRYANT STAR SIX. TAWANA BRYANT. NEXT SPEAKER. GERALDINE GRANT. GERALDINE GRANT. HERE. GERALDINE GRANT. GERALDINE GRANT. GERALDINE GRANT. NEXT SPEAKER. IT'S ACTUALLY AARON. I'M SORRY. AARON DAVIS. NO. GERALDINE. GERALDINE. GRANT IS ON MY SHEET. GERALDINE GRANT. NEXT SPEAKER. AARON DAVIS. UH, AARON DAVIS. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, ATTORNEY. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING ST. MARY'S BAPTIST CHURCH IS LOCATED IN THE HEIGHTS. UM, WE HAVE A SITUATION THAT, UH, WE'VE BROUGHT TO THE CITY'S ATTENTION ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. WE'VE REACHED OUT TO CODE ENFORCEMENT. WE'VE REACHED OUT TO 3 1 1. I'VE SPOKEN WITH RICHARD SMITH OVER AT THE OFFICE OF CITY ENGINEER ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS ABOUT IT. BUT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANY RELIEF. UH, THIS IS JUST THE, UH, THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE, UH, SIDE OF THE CHURCH, UM, WHERE, UH, UH, UH, THE BEFORE PICTURE, UH, RIGHT NEXT TO OUR CHURCH. AND THEN I'LL SHOW YOU ANOTHER PICTURE, WHICH IS THE PICTURE OF, UH, THAT SAME PARTICULAR AREA, UM, AFTER A DEVELOPMENT HAS COME IN. AND THEY PURCHASED A PROPERTY ADJACENT TO US AND BUILT A, UH, A TOWN HOME DEVELOPMENT THERE. WHAT, WHAT THE SITUATION IS, THEY HAVE BUILT OVER THE ALLEY. THE ALLEY WAS OPEN. IT IS AN ALLEY THAT I HAVE IDENTIFIED, AND I HAVE CHECKED WITH THE REAL ESTATE DEPARTMENT HERE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THAT IT IS AN ACCEPTED ALLEY. IT HAS A SANITARY SEWER LINE RUNNING THROUGH IT, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER UTILITIES. AND THE BUILDER BUILT OVER THE ALLEY AND EVEN ONTO OUR FEE ON PROPERTY, THEY HAVE ALSO BUILT A FENCE, WHICH THE CITIES, UH, ORDINANCES REQUIRE YOU TO. IF YOU BUILD A FENCE OVER SIX FEET TALL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT FENCE PERMITTED. WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY BUILT A RETENTION WALL AND PUT THE FENCE ON TOP OF THAT. SO NOW THAT THE FENCE IS 10 FEET TALL, AND THAT ALLOWED, THAT WAS A SLIGHT LOOPHOLE THAT ALLOWED THEM TO BUILD THAT FENCE IN THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION WITHOUT IT BEING PROPERLY VETTED BY THE, UH, BUILDING IN CODE ENFORCEMENT. BUT WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO THEM, THEY CAME AND RED TAGGED IT ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, BUT EVENTUALLY THEY WOULD WIND UP CLOSING THE CASE OUT. WHAT, UM, RICHARD SMITH AND THE OFFICE OF CITY ENGINEER AND CODE ENFORCEMENT TOLD US IS TO NEGOTIATE WITH THEM, UH, TO EITHER SELL THE PROPERTY OR TO GET A, UH, A TEMPORARY USE AGREEMENT OR A USE AGREEMENT FOR THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY. AND, UM, BUT WHEN WE STARTED DOING IT, THE CASE WAS CLOSED OUT WITH, UH, WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT AND HOLD BACK. I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. YES, I'M UNDERSTAND. THE CITY OF HOUSTON RED TAGGED IT. YES. THE CITY OF HOUSTON RED TAGGED FENCE AND THEY RED TAGGED IT FORWARD. WHAT WHAT REASON? BECAUSE THE FENCE WAS IMPROPERLY LOCATED. IT WAS NOT BUILT ON THEIR FEE ON PROPERTY. IT WAS BUILT ON THE ALLEY. SO WHAT DID THE CITY TELL YOU THAT SAID WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE? THEY, UH, I TALKED TO CODE ENFORCEMENT AND THEY TOLD ME SPECIFICALLY THAT WE, WE, THEY COULD LEAVE THAT FENCE THERE IF WE NEGOTIATED WITH THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER, BECAUSE AS, AS WE KNOW, WE ARE THE UNDERLYING FEE OWNER TO 50% OF THE ALLEY. THE CITY TAKES THAT POSITION IF YOU OWN ON ONE SIDE AND THERE'S ANOTHER FEE OWNER, AND THERE'S A RIGHT OF WAY OR AN ALLEY IN THE MIDDLE THAT YOU'RE THE 50% FEE OWNER TO IT. AND THEY ASKED US TO NEGOTIATE. WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING. THEY, THE, UH, ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER STOPPED ALL NEGOTIATIONS. AND BECAUSE THE RED TAG WAS ACTUALLY REMOVED AND THE CASE WAS CLOSED OUT WITHOUT PROPER RESOLUTION BETWEEN BOTH PARTIES, THAT TAG WAS REMOVED BY THE CITY Y YES. THE, AND THE CASE WAS CLOSED WITHOUT ANY RESOLUTION. AND WE ARE ASKING, UH, FOR, UH, YOU MAYOR TURNER TO REACH OUT TO THE, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT TO REOPEN THE CASE AND HAVE THEM MOVE THE FENCE COMPLETELY OFF THE ALLEY. AND HOW LONG AGO WAS THIS? UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HIM FOR ABOUT EIGHT OR NINE MONTHS. I'VE BEEN OUT TO RICHARD SMITH'S OFFICE A COUPLE OF TIMES. THEY REACHED OVER TO REAL ESTATE AND VERIFIED ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT I GAVE TO YOU. AND WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME, WHEN WAS THE, WHEN DID THEY BUILD ON, WHEN WAS THE RED TAG REMOVED? THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. UM, WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THE RED TAG WAS REMOVED. I KNOW THAT IT WAS PUT ON THERE ON, UH, AUGUST [02:55:01] OF LAST YEAR. AND THAT'S WHEN, UH, THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER AND I WERE NEGOTIATING. AND WE, UH, WE WERE NOT INFORMED WHEN THE RED TAG WAS REMOVED AND WE WERE NOT INFORMED WHEN THE CASE WAS ADMINISTRATIVELY CLOSED OUT. OKAY. AND DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING FROM, UH, FROM CODE ENFORCEMENT THAT THEY WRITE YOU SOMETHING? NO, THEY DID NOT WRITE US ANYTHING. THEY DID NOT INFORM US OF WHY IT WAS CLOSED OUT. WE'VE CALLED ON SEVERAL. NO, I'M SAYING DO YOU HAVE ANY PAPERWORK FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON ABOUT THEM? RED TAGGING? NO. NO SIR. IT'S THE, IT IS IN THE RECORDS OF 3 1 1 THAT IT WAS RED TAGGED. OKAY. LET ME, LEMME LEMME, LEMME PULL IT. LEMME TAKE A LOOK. LET ME SEE. DO YOU WANT SAL TALK TO HIM AND GET YEAH. HERE. AND I, IF Y'ALL S IF Y'ALL CHECK IT OUT AND GET BACK TO ME AND LET ME KNOW. YES, THIS IS, UM, I KNOW I GOT YOU. THANK YOU. LET LET ME KNOW WHAT'S THE, WHY IT WAS ALLOWED TO PROCEED. VICE MAYOR. OKAY. VICE MAYOR. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE FENCE. THIS IS ME RIGHT HERE. RIGHT HERE, RIGHT HERE. RIGHT. OH, HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE FENCE. YOU SAID THEY BUILT A RETENTION WALL AND THEN THEY PUT THE FENCE ON TOP OF THE RETENTION WALL AND THEY YES, MA'AM. AND SO IT'S NOW 10 FEET. IT'S NOW 10 FEET TALL. THE INSPECTOR SAID HE CAME OUT AND MEASURED IT IS SIX FEET TALL FROM THE SIDE OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THEY BROUGHT IN DIRT TO, UH, TO BUILD IT UP BECAUSE OF, UH, UH, FLOOD, BROUGHT IN DIRT FLOODING ISSUES. BUT NOW IT'S ACTUALLY 10 FEET, UH, 10 FEET TALL BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT FOUR FEET FOR THE RETENTION WALL. AND THEN THE FENCE IS ON TOP OF THERE. SO IF YOU MEASURE IT FROM THE ORIGINAL GRADE, IT'S 10 FEET. AND I, I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S WHERE THE MEASURE, THE, UH, THE, THE ACTUAL IMPROPER MEASUREMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN, BROUGHT IN FIELD. AND NOW YOU'RE, NOW YOU'RE FLOODING. AND NOW WE'RE FLOODING AND WE CANNOT MAINTAIN THAT PARTICULAR SIDE OF OUR CHURCH AS WELL. CHURCH HAS BEEN THERE FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS. YOU ACTUALLY GAVE MY FATHER A PROCLAMATION, UH, FOR PRESIDING OVER THE A HUNDRED YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHURCH. WHAT'S YOUR FATHER NAME? UH, PASTOR CHARLES C. DAVIS. YOU, UH, ALSO SENT A, UH, A PROCLAMATION WHEN HE PASSED ON FROM COMPLICATION FROM COVID LAST YEAR AND HE ASKED ME TO, TO FIX THIS MATTER BEFORE HE PASSED. ALRIGHT, CHARLES, I'LL GET BACK WITH ME. LEMME KNOW. WE'LL, WE'LL BE BACK IN TOUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. WILLIE DREW. WILLIE DREW. WILLIE. WILLIE IS HERE. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL. UH, YEAH. GET RIGHT BEHIND THAT MIC. MR. JACKSON. GET RIGHT BEHIND THAT MIC. OH, I'M SORRY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, UH, CITY COUNCIL AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT. UH, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON, UH, THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE. I WAS ASKING FOR A REQUEST BECAUSE WE WERE LOOKING TO BUILD, UH, SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SENIORS AND VETS. UH, AT THIS TIME WE HAVE, UM, RECEIVED A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT. UH, ONE OF THE MAIN SUPPORTERS THAT WE RECEIVED, UH, MR. JG HOLLAND'S BUILDERS, HE'S BUILDING 200 HOMES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES. AND WHEN HE HEARD ABOUT WHAT WE WAS TRYING TO DO WITH MULTIFAMILY, HE STEPPED UP AND HE WOUND UP HELPING US TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY THAT WE NEEDED IN ORDER TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO WE ARE STILL MOVING FORWARD. WE ALSO RECEIVED, GOT THE LAND NOW, WE ALSO RECEIVED OUR FUNDING BACK FROM THE STATE. WE RECEIVED OUR ALLOCATION OF BONDS BACK. SO WE ARE MOVING FORWARD INTO UNDERWRITING WITH OUR FINANCING. MAYOR TURNER, I I'M REALLY COMING BEFORE YOU BECAUSE AGAIN, I'M REQUESTING THE SUPPORT OF THIS CITY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND TO SUPPORT SMALL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE MYSELF. WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND ANOTHER THING WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS PROVIDE CLEAN ENERGY THAT'S GONNA HELP REDUCE THE FOOTPRINT FOR ENERGY FOR THOSE SENIORS AND OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE STARTED, I, I'VE GIVEN YOU SOME DOCUMENTATION. WHEN YOU LOOK BEHIND SUN TYPE ENERGY, SOME ENERGY BILLS BASED UPON A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE, THAT'S THE ENERGY BILL FOR THIS HOUSE USING CLEAN ENERGY. AND WE ALSO WANT, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CREATE COMMUNITY SOLAR IN ORDER TO HELP OTHERS WHO CAN'T AFFORD SOLAR PANELS. SO I HAVE JUST TWO REQUESTS. I'M I'M ASKING FOR ONE, THE REQUEST FOR A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUNDING TO CONTINUE TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROCESS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND TO CREATE THIS PROGRAM. AND THEN ANOTHER THING JUST TO GET LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM, FROM THIS COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, TO HELP US CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. RIGHT. AND I'LL HAVE TO SEND IT TO OUR HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. WHEN, WHEN YOU START SEEKING FUNDING ON, ON, UM, THESE MULTIFAMILY UNITS, THERE'S A PROCESS THAT IT HAS TO GO THROUGH. SO, I MEAN, [03:00:01] WE JUST CAN'T GIVE, I MEAN, IT HAS TO GO THROUGH A, UH, THE PROCESS. DO FP AND, AND I THE NOFA FOR FUNDING AVAILABILITY? YES, SIR. I MEAN, THERE IS A PROCESS THAT IT HAS TO GO THROUGH, BUT THERE, I WOULD THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IN SOME CASES, IF IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT THAT THERE MAY BE SOME SPECIAL PROVISIONS. NO, DOESN'T, DOESN'T QUITE WORK THAT WAY. I MEAN, IT STILL HAS, IT STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH OUR NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY, SIR. SO, UM, I MEAN THERE ARE, THERE ARE FEDERAL DOLLARS IN MOST CASES, OR IN SOME CASES THEY MAY BE CHARGE DOLLARS, BUT I WOULD STILL HAVE TO SEND IT THROUGH MY HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. OKAY. WELL, JUST TO SHOW YOU AGAIN, WITH THE RESOURCES THAT I'VE SHARED WITH YOU TODAY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE UTILITY BILLS THAT IS BASED UPON A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE USING, UH, SOLAR AS WELL AS STORAGE BATTERIES. AND WE CAN CONTINUE AND WE CAN HELP SENIORS REDUCE THIS, THEIR UTILITY BILL IN THIS WAY, IF WE CAN HELP BUILD PROGRAMS LIKE THIS, IT'S NEEDED. AND I, I'M NOT TAKING AN ISSUE WITH YOU, I'M JUST SAYING THERE IS A PROCESS THAT IT HAS TO GO THROUGH. I'M, I'M, I'M SURE IT'S AN EXCELLENT PROJECT AND, UH, AND I KNOW MR. I KNOW, UH, JG HOLLINS AND KNOW HIM WELL AND HE'S A GOOD BUILDER, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO SEND IT THROUGH THAT PROCESS. YES, SIR. OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANKS. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. I'M SORRY, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN JACKSON. MR. DREW, I JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS ON, UM, MOVING FORWARD. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS A LONG TIME. YES, MA'AM. AND SO THE FACT THAT YOU GOT SOMEBODY TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU SOME RESOURCES TO PURCHASE THE LAND, AND YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU MY CONGRATULATIONS AND WHATEVER I CAN DO TO SUPPORT, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, IT IS A PROCESS. YOU KNOW, IT HAS TO GO TO THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AND HE'S RIGHT ON THAT. BUT WHATEVER I CAN DO TO HELP YOU AND GUIDE YOU, JUST LET ME KNOW. OKAY. AND I, I GUESS TO ME, I, AND I, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE UP SITUATIONS, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT'S DOING, TRYING TO DO THEIR BEST JOB, BUT I KNOW WHEN FUNDING COME AVAILABLE, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE ME, MAYOR TURNER, WE DO NOT HAVE A CHANCE. I'M, I'M TELLING YOU I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I'M SAYING WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH CBDG DOLLARS, THERE IS A PROCESS THAT WE MUST FOLLOW. I, I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, MAYOR TURNER, MAYBE WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT ANOTHER SOLUTION TO, WITH, WITH, OKAY. YOU KNOW. OKAY. I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING MAYBE IF THERE'S A WAY TO COME UP WITH ANOTHER SOLUTION TO HELP US TO DEAL WITH CGB DOLLARS, THAT HELPS SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS COMPETE. WE CANNOT COMPETE WITH THESE BIGGER ORGANIZATIONS WHO GET MILLIONS, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. WELL, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH HUD OKAY. AND THE STATE OF TEXAS. SO IT'S, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS IT. I I'M NOT MAYOR TURNER, I WOULD LOVE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO YOU ONE DAY. IT'S NOT, I CAN'T, I CAN'T. I MEAN, I'M JUST ASKING FOR A MEETING WITH YOU, MAYOR TURNER IN PERSON ONE-ON-ONE. WELL, I, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN WORK THAT OUT. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. BARBARA RAY. BARBARA RAY. BARBARA RAY HERE. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. KEVIN, KEVIN WILLIAMS. KEVIN WILLIAMS, IF YOU'RE PRESSED ON THIS. UH, YES I AM. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. UM, MY NAME IS KEVIN WILLIAMS. I'D LIKE TO SHARE AN EXPERIENCE THAT I'M GOING, UH, THROUGH AS FAR AS, UM, RECOVERY, UH, FROM A DRAG RACING UP LAY ROAD. UM, THE NINTH LAST YEAR, UH, MY FRIEND AND I WERE SITTING AT THE LIGHT, WENT TO MAKE A LEFT ONTO THE LIGHT FROM HOMESTEAD LIGHT TURNED GREEN AS WE PROCEEDED THROUGH THE, A, UH, THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, I HEARD A BUMP. WHEN I WOKE UP AGAIN, IT WAS THE END OF SEPTEMBER. I WAS IN A COMA FROM AUGUST THE NINTH TO SEPTEMBER. I FINALLY GOT RELEASED FROM, UH, BEN TAUB, UM, END OF OCTOBER, AND HE PLACED ME IN A REHAB IN PASADENA. AT THAT TIME, I MET, UH, DETECTIVE CRUZ TO INFORM ME. HE WAS ASSIGNED THE, UH, THE CASE. UH, I WAS IN A HIT AND RUN. AND, UM, THEY CAUGHT THE GUY. SUBSEQUENTLY, IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, THEY GAVE A COURT ORDER, DNA SWAB, WHEN I CALLED HIM LAST MONTH, COME TO FIND OUT THIS GUY'S BEEN RELEASED FROM JAIL BECAUSE THE DNA HASN'T CAME BACK YET. YOU KNOW, UH, MY FRIEND WHO WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME, HE GOT EJECTED AND KILLED INSTANTLY. I LOST FOUR MONTHS OF MY LIFE IN THE HOSPITAL BEHIND THIS ACCIDENT, WHICH WAS SENSELESS BEHIND TWO KIDS RACING DOWN LAY ROAD. UM, [03:05:01] I SPOKE TO AN OFFICER TODAY WHO SAYS, SHE STATED SHE WAS A LIAISON FOR THIS COMMITTEE, UH, MEETING. AND, UM, SHE INFORMED ME THAT IT CAN TAKE UP TO EIGHT MONTHS TO GET DNA BACK, WHICH I FIND IN THIS DAY AND TIME KIND OF RIDICULOUS BECAUSE I DID SOME RESEARCH ON MY OWN AFTER I SPOKE WITH HER. AND I JUST QUESTIONED LIKE, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ACTUALLY GET DNA BACK? A LOT OF STATES SAY IT TAKES ANYWHERE FROM SIX WEEKS, TWO MONTHS TO EVEN TWO YEARS. BUT THEN I DID SOME FURTHER, UH, RESEARCH AND THERE IS A TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE CALLED RAPID HEAD ID, WHERE THEY CAN GET DNA SAMPLES BACK WITHIN 90 MINUTES AT, WHICH WOULD BE ALLOW PEOPLE TO GET CHARGED WITH SOMETHING AND NOT GET RELEASED. UM, THE INFORMATION IS ONLINE, IT'S AT POLICE ONE.COM IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN THE PROGRAM. BUT I MEAN, IT'S TAKEN A YEAR OF MY LIFE AND I'M STILL IN RECOVERY TODAY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST HOPE THE CITY CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE STREET RACERS AND THEN THESE PEOPLE GETTING RELEASED. THAT'S IT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. AGAIN, I MEAN, JUST SAY THAT THE, THE STATE OF HOUSTON, WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE JUDGES LETTING PEOPLE OUT OR, OR RELEASING THEM OR PLACING THEM ON PROBATION. THAT, THAT DOESN'T FALL WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION. YOU KNOW, SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT IN TERMS OF PEOPLE BEING RELEASED AND LET OUT, THAT DOESN'T, UM, WE DON'T CONTROL THAT. RIGHT. BUT THE STREET RACING AND STREET RACING IS SOMETHING THAT THE STREET RACING IS SOMETHING THE CITY CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT. AND THE STREET RACING, WE ARE CRACKING DOWN ON THAT. WE, WE HAVE SPECIAL UNITS, SPECIAL TEAMS SPECIFICALLY, UH, ASSIGNED TO DEAL WITH STREET RACING. OKAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT THEN. OKAY. THANKS. THANKS FOR CALLING. YOU'RE WELCOME. SURE. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER, NEXT SPEAKER. LAYLA ALI. LAYLA ALI. K. IF YOU HAVE PRESSED STAR SIX. LAYLA. KELLI. YES. HELLO, . UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR TURNER. MY NAME IS LAYLA KAL, AND I SERVE AS DIRECTOR OF CAPACITY BUILDING AT HOUSTON IN ACTION. HOUSTON IN ACTION ENVISIONS A REGION WHERE EVERY PERSON PLAYS A POWERFUL ROLE IN THE INSTITUTIONS THAT SHAPE OUR LIVES. WE STRIVE TO ENSURE THAT HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED COMMUNITIES HAVE A SAY IN THE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT THEIR LIVES. WE KNOW THAT THE CITY IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, HOUSTON IN ACTION, AND OUR PARTNERS HAVE COME TOGETHER TO CENTER THE VOICES OF COMMUNITIES OF FOCUS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. BY SELF-IDENTIFYING THEIR SHARED CULTURE HISTORY AND POLICY CONCERNS, RESIDENTS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MAPS THAT REPRESENT COMMUNITIES FAIRLY, NEITHER DILUTING ANY POPULATION'S VOTING POWER, NOR DIVIDING A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST. CENTRAL TO THIS WORK ARE LANGUAGE JUSTICE AND ACCESSIBILITY. ENSURING CONSTITUENTS ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IN THE LANGUAGE THEY'RE MOST COMFORTABLE WHEN ADVOCATING FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES IS INTEGRAL TO INCLUSION. AS OF RIGHT NOW, THERE IS ONLY ONE TOWN HALL MEETING PER COUNCIL DISTRICT SCHEDULED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ONES THAT ALREADY HAPPENED DID NOT HAVE INTERPRETERS PRESENT. UM, COMMUNITY LEADERS IN DISTRICT J REACHED OUT TO HOUSTON IN ACTION REQUESTING SUPPORT FOR INTERPRETATION AT THE TOWN HALL MEETING LAST NIGHT, SINCE IT WAS NOT PROVIDED. AND WHILE WE WERE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE INTERPRETATION, UH, THAT IS NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION. I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT THERE WERE TRANSLATED MATERIALS AT THE SIGN-ON TABLE IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES, WHICH WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE. BUT INTERPRETATION FOR THESE MEETINGS IS STILL NEEDED. WE LIVE IN A BEAUTIFULLY DIVERSE REGION, AND WE BELIEVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHOULD BE PRIORITIZING TRANSLATION, INTERPRETATION, AND ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES FOR ALL DISTRICTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH SIGNIFICANT POPULATIONS WHO SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH. WE WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO ADDRESS THE LACK OF INTERPRETATION AT THESE MEETINGS AND IDENTIFY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS. ADDITIONALLY, THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS REDISTRICTING PROCESS, AND WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHO WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. THANK YOU MARIN. AND THANK YOU LELA LELA FOR COMING TODAY. I AGREE WITH YOU. AND, AND I'LL TELL YOU, IT WAS AN ISSUE FOR US IN THE DISTRICT AGE TOWN HALL MEETING, THAT THERE WAS ONE CONSTITUENT WHO CAME, WHO, YOU KNOW, WHO HAD GOTTEN THE IN INVITATION THAT WAS BILINGUAL, BUT THE MEETING ITSELF WAS NOT. AND SHE WAS FRUSTRATED BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING. YOU [03:10:01] KNOW, WHEN, WHEN SHE CAME TO SPEAK, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS AN INTERPRETER, YOU KNOW, WHO EXPLAINED TO US WHAT SHE WAS SAYING, BUT SHE HERSELF WAS NOT ABLE TO FOLLOW THE MEETING. SO I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. WE NEED TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT EVERYONE CAN, CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, SANDRA RODRIGUEZ. SANDRA RODRIGUEZ, IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX, SANDRA RODRIGUEZ. SANDRA RODRIGUEZ, SIX. NEXT SPEAKER PURVIS A ON. NO, THAT WAS KEVIN . NEXT SPEAKER PURVIS, AGU PURVIS. AGU IS HERE. IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY. I HAD NO IDEA I WAS GONNA BE GOING AT THIS TIME, SO I APOLOGIZE. UH, TO ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR TURNER, UH, STAFF AND FOLKS PRESENT HERE, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN ADVANCE. UH, THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY LIKE MYSELF. UH, AND FOR LISTENING TO THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY. IT'S KIND OF TOUGH TO FOLLOW UP A LOT OF THE REAL WORLD PROBLEMS HERE. UH, MY CONCERNS ARE NOT AS, UH, AS REALLY HEARTBREAKING AS THE CRIME ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP. SO I'D ALSO LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME OUT TO APOLOGIZE SINCE I'M SURE Y'ALL HAVE DOZENS OF PRESSING MATTERS TO ATTEND TO. AND INSTEAD, YOU HAVE TO SPEND THE NEXT THREE MINUTES LISTENING TO ME AT THE END OF THE DAY, I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GONNA GO TO THE SLATE. GO ON AND ON ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF BUILDING A PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY CITY. I'D JUST LIKE TO OPEN WITH TWO QUOTES AND IT'S NICE TO GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, NUMBER ONE, THE RECOVERY OF THE CONCRETE SPRAWL TO VIBRANT PLACES IS LITERALLY OUR GENERATION'S GREATEST CHALLENGE. THIS IS FROM THE MIAMI ARCHITECT STEVE OZONE. SECOND, PEOPLE MAKE CITIES, AND IT IS TO THEM, NOT BUILDINGS, NOT CARS, NOT CONCRETE HIGHWAYS THAT WE MUST FIT OUR PLANS. MY NAME IS PERVEZ AWAN. I'M A PRECINCT CHEER, UH, HERE IN MONTROSE, A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF HOUSTON, A MEMBER OF THE ACTIVE MONTROSE CIVIC ASSOCIATION, AND SOMEONE WHO IS DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY. PLEASE EXCUSE MY SOLILOQUY JUST 30 MORE SECONDS OF ME GETTING THIS OUT THERE. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE TRAGEDY OF MY HOMETOWN OF HOUSTON IS THAT WHEN HISTORIANS LOOK BACK ON WHAT CAUSED THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL, TALENT, AND RESOURCES TO FLEE THIS CITY, AS WE MOVED INTO THE 21ST CENTURY, THEY'LL FIND THAT WE BUILT THIS CITY FOR CARS, FOR INDUSTRY, FOR THE FOSSIL FUEL LOBBY, AS OPPOSED TO FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN FACT DEMANDING SUSTAINABLE AND CLIMATE RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE, AS WELL AS GREEN JOBS AND A GREEN CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRY. I'M NOT WEARING A TINFOIL HAT, ACTUALLY, I'M WEARING AN ASTROS HAT, RIGHT? JUST LOOK AT SOME OF OUR CONGRESSMEN AND WOMEN'S FEDERAL ELECTION COMMITTEE FILINGS. RIGHT? MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM ANTI RENEWABLE AND ANTI-GREEN AND ANTI-US PACS IN CORPORATIONS. CONGRESSMAN, LIZZIE FLETCHER, DAN CRENSHAW. SOON TO BE WESLEY HUNT. OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WOULD RATHER EXPAND I 45 THAN BUILD A GREENWAY OR A TRAIN OR BIKE SYSTEM, RIGHT? I WORK IN RENEWABLE ENERGY, SO MAYBE I'M A LITTLE BIT BIASED, I APOLOGIZE. WE NEED MORE WIND, WE NEED MORE SOLAR. WE'RE GREEN JOBS. BACK ON TOPIC. MY COMMUNITY IS NOT REALLY ASKING FOR MUCH, HONESTLY. JUST A FEW TRAFFIC LIGHTS, STOP SIGNS AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS. THAT'S LITERALLY ALL I'M HERE TO ASK FOR, RIGHT? I CAME IN TODAY BECAUSE I HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING AND MY CIVIC ASSOCIATION HASN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE CITY. IN TWO MONTHS, I REACHED OUT TO COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS. HE SENT ME TO HIS CONSTITUENT DIRECTOR. HE SENT ME ON TO COUNCILWOMAN ABBY CAYMAN'S OFFICE, WHO'S MY DISTRICT, DISTRICT C IN MONTROSE. HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM ANYONE UNTIL YESTERDAY WHEN I SCHEDULED TO BE UP HERE. RIGHT? SORRY ABOUT THAT. IF YOU DON'T MIND GIVING ME JUST TWO MORE MINUTES, I'M ALMOST DONE. YEAH. TIME HAS EXPIRED. UM, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WELL, UM, WE'RE HERE BECAUSE THIS IS OUR JOB, BUT IN THIS CASE, I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. I'M A NEIGHBOR OF YOURS. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND I APPRECIATE YOU QUOTING AN ARCHITECT. UH, SO YOU KNOW, WITH THAT, I THINK A LOT OF US ARE PAYING ATTENTION. SO YOU HAVE OUR ATTENTION. WOULD YOU LIKE TO FINISH YOUR STATEMENT? THANK YOU SO MUCH. JUST ONE MINUTE AND I'LL BE DONE. UM, I FILED TICKETS, PETITIONS, MADE CALLS, SILENCE FOR SEVEN WEEKS. I RECEIVED A CALL YESTERDAY, ONLY AFTER I SCHEDULED TO BE UP HERE, RIGHT? NUMBER ONE, THE INTERSECTION OF WEST GRAY AND STANFORD STREET. NUMBER TWO, THE INTERSECTION OF WEST DALLAS AND CROCKER, UH, AND STANFORD STREET. NUMBER THREE, THE INTERSECTION OF FAIRVIEW STREET AND CROCKER STREET, HEAVY BAR AND PEDESTRIAN AREA. THERE ARE NO STOP SIGNS OR CROSSINGS IN SIGHT. OUR COMMUNITY, THE EAST MONTROSE CIVIC ASSOCIATION, [03:15:01] THE RESIDENTS OF EAST MONTROSE, THE CONSTITUENTS OF MY PRECINCT, WHERE I'M A PRECINCT CHAIR, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE ACROSS AND WALK ACROSS THESE INTERSECTIONS SO THAT WE CAN ACCESS THE REST OF OUR CITY. WE CAN MAKE IT OVER TO BUFFALO BAYOU PARK, TAKE OUR KIDS TO THE NEARBY SCHOOLS AND BIKE OVER TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY IN SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE MANNERS ANY GIVEN DAY. AT FOUR OR 5:00 PM MAYOR TURNER, YOU'LL SEE MOTHERS WITH THEIR BABIES AND STROLLERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH THEIR PETS, JOGGERS AND BIKERS WITH THEIR SPOUSES AND KIDS WAITING FOR MINUTES AT END JUST TO CROSS THE STREET. RIGHT? FOR THAT SHORT TEN SECOND WINDOW, YOU HAVE TO SPRINT ACROSS SO YOU DON'T GET HIT BY A CAR, RIGHT? THERE'S NOTHING TO MAKE THIS A PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY CITY. HOUSTON IS NOT A PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY CITY, AND IT'S TIME WE CHANGE THAT. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE, RIGHT? IT'S LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE ACROSS THESE OR EVEN WALK ACROSS THESE INTERSECTIONS. YOU JUST CAN'T SEE WHAT'S COMING. SO I'M GONNA CONCLUDE HERE, RIGHT? I BELIEVE THE CITY NEEDS TO BE PROACTIVE ON THESE ISSUES AND SHOULDN'T WAIT FOR SOME LOUD AND OPINIONATED, OPINIONATED AND IMPETUOUS RESIDENT LIKE MYSELF TO START WALKING ON PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. TO CONCLUDE, I HOPE WE CAN START ON A SMALL SCALE HERE IN EAST MONTROSE. THEN WORK BIGGER SO WE CAN SAY THAT OUR CITY FOR PEDESTRIANS, NOT PORSCHES, AND MOM'S BIKES, JOGGERS AND PETS, YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED. YES. OKAY. I JUST WANT SOME STOPLIGHTS. ALRIGHT, I GOT YOU. THAT'S ALL. WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT ACTUALLY THOUGH. WE TAKE A LOOK AT IT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THAT'S IT. I WAITED TWO AND A HALF HOURS. I HOPE I GET SOME STOPLIGHTS AND SOME STOP SIGNS AND SOME TRAFFIC LIGHTS. ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT SPEAKER. ILI MONTOYA. RIVAS. ILI MONTOYA. RIVAS. SHE'S HERE. NEED A TRANSLATOR. YOU'VE BEEN TALK TALKING TO SHE DOES NOT. SHE'S REALLY NERVOUS TODAY. SHE DOES NOT NEED A TRANSLATOR. SHE'S BEEN TALKING, YOU'VE TALKED TO US THREE OR FOUR TIMES IN ENGLISH. COME ON NOW. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. IN GLASS FOR FOUR, RENEE. THANK YOU. IN GLASS. 4, 4, 4. UH, YEAH. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. THE REASON WHY I'M HERE, I HAVE AN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE OFFICE OF MRS. STARCHE JACKSON, AND I HAVE A SITUATION WITH UH, MR. LAS STILL, AND SOMEONE BY THE NAME OF, UH, GERARDO IVAN GONZALEZ, UH, WITH PRIMERICA. YESTERDAY I WAS IN THE CITY OF SUGARLAND. I WENT TO CITY, THE SUGARLAND, UH, CITY HALL, AND BASICALLY I STILL, I STILL HAVE A TIME, I HAVE A MINUTE, AND THE JUSTICE OF THE PIECE OF FILE ON PAPERWORK IN FOR WAYNE COUNTY BECAUSE I HAVE AN ACCUSED, UH, WRONGFULLY, UH, BY MR. GONZALEZ EX-MILITARY, AND BASICALLY HIS ALLEGATIONS ARE IRRELEVANT. I WILL DEFEND MYSELF, UH, AND GO TO COURT IF NECESSARY, AND IF SOMETHING COMES OUT. I ALSO WENT TO THE, UH, OFFICE OF MR. UH, MR. LUSTER AND, UH, MR. UH, UH, TI, WHICH ARE POWER PRIME AMERICA. AS A FEMALE, I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO, UH, BASICALLY PURSUE ANY TYPE OF BUSINESS I WANT TO. UH, I DON'T LIKE THE, UH, THE, UH, MACHO, MISOGYNISTIC MINDSET OF CER CERTAIN MEN. THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU, . OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. THE NEXT SPEAKER. JACOB CLEMENTE. JACOB CLEMENT, HIM FROM STAR SIX. JACOB CLEMENTIS. STAR SIX. JACOB CLEMENTI, NEXT SPEAKER. OKAY. I'M INE I'M INE. UH, YOU CAN HEAR ME. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HEAR ME. I WANT TO SAY THAT I'M AT, UH, WORK RIGHT NOW AT ARAMARK AND THAT THE MEME PARK, OR HOPEFULLY THE ONE AGAINST THE SETTLE, UH, MARINERS. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU, BUT I THINK YOU ARE AT WORK. UH, YEAH. YEAH, I'M AT WORK, BUT I'M TAKING A BREAK UNTIL THE, THE PEOPLE COME IN AND THEN I'M, I'M GOING TO SAY THEY, THEY WEREN'T KIND ENOUGH TO LET ME WORK, UH, WHEN, WHEN MY BROTHER'S BIRTHDAY WAS GOING ON. AND THE AFTER ONE WAS, WAS VERY GOOD BECAUSE, UH, WELL, IT MADE MY OLDER BROTHER HAPPY AND IT MADE ME HAPPY AND IT MADE MY FELLOW ARAMARK WORKERS HEAVY AND, UH, ALSO MY HISPANIC AND MADE HIM HAPPY. BUT THAT HE LIKES, HE HAS TO SAVE YOU MONEY. HE ALSO HAS FREE, FREE, FREE. AND WELL, I BETTER LET HIM GO. I BETTER GET BACK TO WORK, SO TAKE CARE. [03:20:02] OKAY. TAKE CARE. ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER, NEXT SPEAKER. STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS, STAR SIX STEVE WILLIAMS. STAR SIX STEVE WILLIAMS. STAR SIX. NEXT SPEAKER THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF [RECESS] SPEAKERS. BE STANDING AND RECESS TILL TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 AM CAPTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE WEEK MAY 3RD [RECONVENE] AND FOURTH, 2022. ITEM ONE, RECOMMENDATION FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OR REAPPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE WASHINGTON AVENUE CORRIDOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR TERMS TO EXPIRE IN TWO YEARS. ITEM TWO, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE JOINT REFERRAL COMMITTEE ON REQUEST FROM KEVIN DAVIS ON BEHALF OF JESUS AND ALFONSO GONZALEZ OWNERS DECLINING THE ACCEPTANCE OF REJECTING AND REFUSING THE DEDICATION OF BEFOR STREET FROM FIELD STREET SOUTH TO ITS TERMINUS OUT OF THE EAST HOUSTON EDITION OUT OF THE JL STANLEY SURVEY, A 7 89 PARCEL SY 22 DASH OH THREE EIGHT. ITEM THREE, TEXAN WASTE EQUIPMENT, DBA HEEL OF TEXAS FOR HEEL REPLACEMENT, PARCEL AND REPAIR SERVICES FOR THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. ITEM FOUR, INDUSTRIAL DISPOSAL SUPPLY COMPANY LLC $80,290 AND NO CENTS SOURCE WELL AND $70,681 AND NO CENTS, BOB BOARD AND CENTRAL TEXAS HEAVY EQUIPMENT CODE DBA CENTRAL TEXAS EQUIPMENT $745,979 50 CENTS FOR PURCHASE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF TRAILER MOUNTED EQUIPMENT THROUGH THE INTER INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS FOR COOPERATIVE PURCHASING WITH THE TEXAS LOCAL COOPERATIVE BY BOARD AND SO WELL FOR THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM FIVE, RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTING THE FISCAL YEAR 2023, JULY 1ST, 2022 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2023, BUDGET SCHEDULED FOR THE CITY BUDGETS. ITEM SIX, ORDINANCE, ADMITTING AND RATIFYING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2015 DASH 77 20 17 DASH 8 21 AND 2013 DASH 89 RELATING TO THE SERIES GH DASH TWO AND J COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAMS PERTAINING TO THE AUTHORIZED PURPOSES OF SUCH COMMERCIAL PAPER PROGRAMS AND MAKING FINDINGS RELATING THERE TO AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. ITEM SEVEN ORDINANCE AMENDING VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 30 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS, RELATING TO NOISE AND SOUND LEVEL REGULATION. ITEM EIGHT ORDINANCE REPEALING THE REVIEW PERIOD FOR CHAPTER 46 OF THE HOUSTON BUILDING CODE, THE HOUSTON SIGN CODE. ITEM NINE ORDINANCE SUBMITTING CHAPTER SEVEN, ARTICLE THREE AND ARTICLE FOUR OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS RELATING TO METAL RECYCLERS AND SECONDHAND RESELLERS. ITEM 10, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE VILLAGE LEARNING CENTER TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL HURRICANE HARVEY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT DISASTER RECOVERY 2017 FUNDS. ITEM 11 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO SUB RECIPIENT GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON'S CAPITAL INVESTING AND DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYMENT OF ADULTS INC. TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL HURRICANE HARVEY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDS FOR THE CONTINUING ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION OF HURRICANE HARVEY PUBLIC SERVICES ACTIVITIES. ITEM 12 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON TIFA SERVICES FOUNDATION, INC. TO EXTEND THE RESTRICTED USE PERIOD FOR A FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER. ITEM 13 ORDINANCE APPROVAL AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ALL PUMP AND EQUIPMENT COMPANY FOR NONS SUBMERSIBLE PUMP REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT SERVICES. ITEM 14, ORDINANCE AWARD AND CONTRACT TO J SUPER INVESTMENTS, LLC FOR EXHAUST MONTHLY REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT SERVICES FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. ITEM 15, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY AND MUNI SERVICES, LLC FOR SALES USE TAX, AUDIT AND SALES USE TAX ANALYSIS AND REPORTING SERVICES. ITEM 16 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AND APPROVING A FORM OF MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND EACH OF THE FOLLOWING CITIES. CITY OF DALLAS, TEXAS, CITY OF EL PASO, TEXAS, CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS, AND CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE FARM MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT FOR THE PROVISION OF MUTUAL AID WITH EACH CITY. ITEM 17, ORDINANCE SUBMITTING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2021 DASH 30 PAST JANUARY 13TH, 2021 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ENTERPRISE INC. FOR PURCHASE OF LICENSES FOR A CURRICULUM AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS [03:25:01] FOR THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IN CONNECTION WITH THIS BUILDUP, HOUSTON CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM. ITEM 18, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY FOR HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, FUNDED BY A GRANT FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE FOR THE GUN CRIME INTELLIGENCE CENTER INTEGRATION PROGRAM. ITEM 19 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 0.8592 ACRES OF LAND TO GRANT ROAD PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT FOR INCLUSION IN THIS DISTRICT. ITEM 20 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 44.272 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 5 5 8 FOR INCLUSION IN THE DISTRICT. ITEM 21 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 4 5 3 0.327 ACRES OF LAND TO NORTHWEST HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 12 FOR INCLUSION IN THIS DISTRICT. ITEM 22 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF SIX 7.081 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 5 7 2 FOR INCLUSION IN THE DISTRICT. ITEM 23 ORDINANCE. FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF A PORTION OF LOT STREET FROM GOLDEN WATER STREET SOUGHT TO ITS TERMINUS ABANDONING SUCH STREET TO ZACHARY, T HAYNES, EMILY HAYNES, TERRANCE E HILL, AND KIMBERLY MEYER, THE ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNERS. IN CONSIDERATION OF THAT CASH PAYMENT TO THE CITY IN THE AMOUNT OF $70,095 AND NO CENTS AND A CONVEYANCE TO THE CITY OF A 1,159 SQUARE FOOT STORM SEWER EASEMENT AND $78,090 AND NO CENTS, AND AT 1,216 SQUARE FOOT STORM SEWER EASEMENT, ALL EASEMENTS BEING LOCATED IN THE GLEN PARK SUBDIVISION, SITUATED IN THE JOHN AUSTIN SURVEY ABSTRACT NUMBER ONE, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS. ANOTHER GOOD AND VALUABLE CONSIDERATION WAIVING CERTAIN PROHIBITIONS IN CHAPTER 15 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. ITEM 24 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $70,000 IN NO CENTS OUTTA DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND, DRAINAGE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY TO REIMBURSE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD FOR CREST STREET AREA DRAINAGE AND PING IMPROVEMENTS FROM LARAMA STREET TO CLINT DRIVE, PROVIDING FUNDING FOR CIP COST RECOVERY ITEM 25 ORANGE APPROPRIATING THREE MEAT EIGHT HUNDRED TWENTY THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SEVENTY SEVEN THOUSAND TWENTY FIVE CENTS OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND VALOR TAX AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND DATA TRANSFER SOLUTIONS. NLC FOR STREET DATA COLLECTION AND PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT UPDATE PROGRAM AS APPROVED BY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2017 DASH 5 64. PROVIDING FUNDING FOR CIP COST RECOVERY RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION OF FACILITIES FINANCE BY THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND AVENUE TAX ITEM 26 ORDERS APPROPRIATED IN $2,978,026 AND NO CENTS. ITEM METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION, D-D-S-R-F AWARDING CON CONTRACT TO JFT CONSTRUCTION INC. FOR CITYWIDE WORK ORDERS FOR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUND PROJECT NUMBER EIGHT, SETTING A DEADLINE FOR THE BIDS, EXECUTION OF THE CONTRACT AND DELIVERY OF OUR BONDS INSURANCE AND OTHER REQUIRED CONTRACT DOCUMENTS TO THE CITY HOLDING THE BID AND D 40 FULFILLS TO MEET THE DEADLINES. PROVIDING FUNDING FOR CIP COST RECOVERY RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION OF FACILITIES FINANCED BY THE METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION, D-D-S-R-F CONTINGENCY AND TESTING SERVICES. ITEM 27, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATED 20 3068, DO 68 20 $3,068,100 AND NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEW SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND, AWARDING CONTRACT TO INDUSTRIAL TX CORP FOR EAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT CHLORINE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS. PACKAGE TWO TONGUE CONTAINERS, EVAPORATORS CHLORINATORS INJECTORS, PIPING AND MISCELLANEOUS IMPROVEMENTS, SETTING A DEADLINE FOR THE BIDS, EXECUTION OF THE CONTRACT AND DELIVERY OF ALL BONDS, INSURANCE, AND OTHER REQUIRED CONTRACT DOCUMENTS TO THE CITY. HOLDING THE BIDDER, HOLDING THE BIDDER, EXCUSE ME, HOLDING THE BID AND DEFAULT IF IT FAILS TO MEET THE DEADLINES. PROVIDING FUNDING FOR CRP COST RECOVERY RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION OF FACILITIES FINANCED BY THE WATER AND SEW SYSTEM, CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND CONTINGENCIES AND TESTING SERVICES. THIS IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. NON-CONSENT AGENDA. ITEM 28, SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR CHAPTER 42, TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS HEARING DATE WEDNESDAY 9:00 AM MAY 11TH, 2022 UNDER THE MATTERS HELD CATEGORY. ITEM 29 WAS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND READOPTING ARTICLE FOUR OF CHAPTER 44 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS RELATING TO GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA FOR TAX ABATEMENTS. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THIS WAS ITEM 16 ON AGENDA OF APRIL 27TH, 2022. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE COUNCIL SESSION OF MAY 4TH, 2022. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULE TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF OUR FORMER CITY [03:30:01] SECRETARY, MS. ANNA RUSSELL, SHE ALWAYS SAID, DRIVE SAFE, DRIVE FRIENDLY, AND HAVE A NICE DAY. IN THE WORDS OF OUR CURRENT CITY SECRETARY, I'D LIKE FOR EVERYONE TO REMEMBER THESE WORDS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. OKAY, RIGHT? THERE'S NO, YEAH, GOOD MORNING. IT'S 9 0 2 ON WEDNESDAY, MAY THE FOURTH, 2022. I'M MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER. I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER. LET'S SEE. WE WE'RE GONNA BEGIN, UH, [MAYOR'S REPORT] WITH THE MAYOR'S REPORT AND IN FACT, I GOING TO BE, WE'RE GONNA PRESENT A PROCLAMATION. UH, THIS IS THE NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK. UH, SO, UH, MAYOR PER TIM, IF YOU'LL COME, AND MICHAEL HECKMAN WILL COME, UH, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HOUSTON FIRST THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, WE PAY, UH, HOMAGE, UH, TO THE INDUSTRY THAT CONTRIBUTES JOBS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. WHILE BOTH HEALTHCARE AND ENERGY ARE HUGE INDUSTRIES FOR OUR CITY, TRAVEL AND TOURISM CREATES NEW JOBS AND SOMETIMES EVEN ADDITIONAL INCOME OPPORTUNITIES. AND, UM, I LIKE, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, SHOW OUR APPRECIATION TO, UH, MICHAEL HECKMAN AND TO EVERYONE, UH, AT HOUSTON FIRST, IN FACT, WE WERE JUST IN MEXICO A FEW WEEKS AGO, UH, PROMOTING TOURISM. SO LET ME PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION. IT READ AS FOLLOWS. UM, WHEREAS TRAVEL HAS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY OF HOUSTON, THE NATION AND OUR IMAGE ABROAD TRAVEL TO AND WITHIN THE UNITED STATES PROVIDES SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR THE NATION, GENERATING MORE THAN $2.5 TRILLION IN ECONOMIC OUTPUT IN 21 WITH 1.1 TRILLION SPENT DIRECTLY BY TRAVELERS. AND WHEREAS TRAVEL IS A PILLAR OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN HOUSTON AND IS AMONG THE LARGEST PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS IN THE UNITED STATES SUPPORTING 15.7 MILLION JOBS IN 2021, INCLUDING 8.9 MILLION DIRECTLY IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY, AND 6.8 MILLION IN OTHER INDUSTRIES, TRAVELERS SPENDING DIRECTLY GENERATED TAX REVENUE OF 170.9 BILLION FOR FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SUPPORT ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS. AND WHEREAS INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES IS THE NATION'S NUMBER ONE SERVICE EXPORT IN 2018, TRAVEL GENERATED $256 BILLION IN EXPORTS, CREATING $69 BILLION TRADE PLUR SURPLUS FOR THE UNITED STATES. AND WHEREAS AN ESTIMATED 18 MILLION CONSUMERS TRAVELED TO HOUSTON IN 2021, SPENDING A TOTAL OF $9.8 BILLION IN THE HOUSTON REGION, SUPPORTING AN ESTIMATED 326,000, AND CREATING MORE THAN $1 BILLION IN LOCAL SALES AND STATE TAX REVENUE BENEFITING HOUSTON AND RESIDENTS. AND WHEREAS FROM MAY THE FIRST TO THE SEVENTH, 2022 NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK WILL BE OBSERVED. THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTONIANS GREATLY BENEFIT FROM THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY, WHICH BRINGS REMARKABLE AND TANGIBLE BENEFITS TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO THEREFORE, I SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIM MAY 1ST THROUGH THE SEVENTH 2022 AS NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK. CONGRATULATIONS, MIKE, FOR WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING IN THE MARKET IN THIS CITY. MAYOR, THANK YOU, UM, UH, FOR RECOGNIZING THIS. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT WEEK. UH, IT IS A DISTINCT HONOR FOR ALL OF US AT HOUSTON, FIRST TO DO THE WORK THAT WE DO IN, IN, IN REPRESENTING THIS REGION, UH, UH, ACROSS THE GLOBE, UH, FOR THE VERY IMPORTANT WORK FOR FOR TRAVEL AND TOURISM. UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN OUR MEXICO MISSION. VERY IMPORTANT, OUR NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONAL MARKET, UM, THAT WE HAVE. IN FACT, 70% OF OUR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS DO COME FROM MEXICO, AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY WE KNOW IT'S BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT LAST TWO YEARS THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH. AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU, ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFICULTIES THAT WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH. UH, WE BELIEVE THE WORST IS BEHIND US. WE BELIEVE THE, THE, THE FUTURE IS VERY BRIGHT FOR TRAVEL, AND I THINK THAT, THAT ONE OF THE, THE THINGS TO HIGHLIGHT WAS THE WORK THAT CONVENTIONS, LEISURE TOURISM, AND THE JOBS THAT ARE CREATED, UH, DURING THAT TIME OF, OF THE PANDEMIC, WE [03:35:01] SAW, UH, SMALL BUSINESSES GO OUT OF BUSINESS, PEOPLE LAID OFF. AND I THINK THAT THAT REALLY DOES HIGHLIGHT THOSE BIG NUMBERS THAT THE MAYOR MENTIONED THERE OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT WE DO HAVE, WHICH IS IN THE MULTIPLE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT TRAVEL AND TOURISM DOES PROVIDE TO HOUSTON. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THIS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK VERY HARD, ALL OF US AT HOUSTON. FIRST ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THANK YOU, MR. HECKMAN. WE HAVE A MEMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN Q FIRST, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KUBOSH. THANK YOU MAYOR FOR, UH, UH, THE TEAM THAT WE HAVE AT HOUSTON FIRST ARE JUST EXCELLENT. AND I APPRECIATE MICHAEL, UH, HECKMAN'S, UH, SINCE HE'S BEEN OUR DIRECTOR. I KNOW IT'S BEEN TOUGH WITH COVID AND ALL, BUT YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB. I I APPRECIATE THE BOOK THAT YOU GAVE US HERE TODAY ON COUNCIL MAYOR. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT THIS, BUT, BUT IF YOU GO TO PAGE 29, UH, IT, THE CHAPTER 10 SAYS BOOKS OF FEATHER, AND THEN IT'S, UH, IT'S THE PICTURE OF THE ALICE MCKEAN YOUNG NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY, THE THE BIRDS. AND, AND THIS IS THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. AND, AND LET ME SAY THIS, WHEN, WHEN I FIRST SEEN THIS, THIS WAS A MUST FOR ME TO BRING ALL MY KIDS AND GRANDKIDS. THEY HAVE TO SEE THIS. AND, AND IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN THERE TO SEE THESE GIGANTIC BIRDS, THIS PICTURE DOESN'T DO IT FAIRLY BECAUSE THESE BIRDS HAVE TO BE 15, 12 TO 15 FEET TALL. AND THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE, AND I I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE BOOK. I KNOW MY WIFE WILL MAKE SURE I GO TO MOST OF THESE COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIM, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR THE RECOGNITION TO HOUSTON FIRST. THANK YOU, MICHAEL. THANK YOU DAVID MINTZBERG, JUST THE, UH, BOARD AND, AND, AND ALL THE STAFF MEMBERS FROM HOUSTON. FIRST FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO. I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL LIKE THE REST OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON WERE, WERE HIT IN REGARDS TO HARVEY, UH, AND THE PANDEMIC. AND, UH, Y'ALL DID SOME AMAZING THINGS IN REGARDS TO THE WAR OF, UH, THEATER, UH, THAT WAS HIT HARD AS, YOU KNOW, DUE TO, TO DUE TO HARVEY AND, AND HOUSTON FIRST WAS ABLE TO BE THERE, AND, UH, NOW THEY'RE HAVING PERFORMANCES AGAIN. AND, UH, SO THAT WAS GREAT. I KNOW AS YOU STATED, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THEY HAD THE GOVERNOR, UH, GARCIA FROM, FROM NO, LEON, UH, AND HE POINTED OUT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE STATE OF NOVAL IS OPENING A NEW BORDER CROSSING, UH, COLUMBIA THERE, THERE AT THE, AT THE BORDER, UH, WHICH WILL INCREASE, UH, TRADE OF COURSE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO. UH, AND, AND, AND, AND IN FACT, AS YOU KNOW, WITH THE TWO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS, UH, IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE PROMOTING, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, INTO THE CARIBBEAN AND INTO MEXICO, UH, SO THAT WAY WE CAN INCREASE OUR TOURISM TO AND FROM MEXICO. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO. VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, MARTHA CASTEX. TATUM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THIS IS A GREAT PRO PROCLAMATION, UH, TODAY. HOUSTON FIRST IS JUST SUCH A STAPLE IN THE CITY, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT EVERY TIME, UM, WE HAVE VISITORS IN THE CITY AND WE NEED TO SHOWCASE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, I CAN CALL OVER TO HOUSTON FIRST, SPECIFICALLY TRACY PRINCE, WHO'S JUST BEEN PHENOMENAL AT MAKING SURE THAT WE REPRESENT OUR CITY IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME TO THE CITY TO COME BACK TO THE CITY. MOST RECENTLY, WE HAD SOME, UH, TOUGALOO STUDENTS WHO CAME TO SING AT WHEELER AVENUE AND AT THE CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS. AND, UM, WE HAD A, A REALLY NICE PRESENTATION WITH A, WITH A BACKPACK AND A LOT OF GREAT, UM, HOUSTON MEMORABILIA FOR THEM. AND THEY WERE JUST FLOORED WITH HOW GREAT THAT SWAG BAG WAS AND COULDN'T WAIT TO TELL US THAT THEY ARE COMING BACK TO HOUSTON WITH THEIR FAMILIES. UM, BECAUSE WE, WE JUST LAY IT OUT FOR PEOPLE TO WANT TO COME BACK TO HOUSTON. I WAS FLIPPING THROUGH THIS BOOK AND I'VE GONE TO SOME OF THESE PLACES, BUT WHEN YOU LIVE IN A CITY, I THINK SO MANY TIMES, YOU TAKE FOR GRANTED THE AMAZING THINGS THAT ARE IN YOUR CITY. SO I CAN'T WAIT TO, UM, SIT DOWN AND SEE HOW MANY I HAVEN'T GONE TO AND MAKE PLANS TO VISIT THOSE. AND WE CAN ALWAYS USE THIS TO ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO COME TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT OUR CONFERENCES AND WHAT'S HAPPENING AT GEORGE R. BROWN AND AT DISCOVERY GREEN AND ALL THE GREAT PLACES IN OUR, IN OUR CITY. SO, KUDOS TO EVERYONE THAT'S WORKING AT HOUSTON FIRST AND MAKING HOUSTON THE SHINING STAR THAT IT IS. COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ, THANK YOU AND GOOD MORNING. CERTAINLY, UH, THIS IS BEAUTIFUL AND THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION COULD PROBABLY HAVE THEIR OWN BOOK, BUT CERTAINLY I DO APPRECIATE THIS AND THIS IS JUST PHENOMENAL BECAUSE I'VE TRAVELED A LOT OF PLACES AND I DON'T THINK I'VE BEEN ANYWHERE THAT HAS OFFERED THIS MUCH TO VISITORS, AND I CERTAINLY HAVE TO SAY THAT TRACY IS OUTSTANDING, UM, JUST, UM, SO RESPONSIVE AND SO HELPFUL. AND SO I, YOU, FOR HER BEING OUR LIAISON AND OUR FACE, UH, I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE HER AND I APPRECIATE YOU. YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HERE THAT [03:40:01] LONG, BUT YOU'VE MADE A PHENOMENAL RUN, AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU MR. HACKMAN. AS AN EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBER, SERVING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS, AND PREVIOUSLY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. UH, HOUSTON FIRST IS PROBABLY THE COOLEST ORGANIZATION IN THE CITY BECAUSE IT'S WHERE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN. IT'S WHERE WE GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE ALL THAT WE DO. AND, UH, BEFORE WE, UH, WE SALUTE YOU AND HEAD YOU ON YOUR WAY, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MR. JONATHAN NEWPORT FROM HOUSTON FIRST AND MS. TRACY PRINCE. THESE FOLKS HAVE HELPED US DAY IN AND DAY OUT, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A TOTAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HOUSTON FIRST IS ALL ABOUT. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW DO WE GROW BIGGER WITH HOUSTON? FIRST, HOW DO WE LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITY, SIT IN FRONT OF THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES AND CAPITALIZING ON THAT? UH, WE'RE BECOMING KNOWN AS A FOODIE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, AND I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HOW WE TRANSPIRE AND HOW WE MOTIVATE OURSELVES TO MOVE INTO THE NEXT ITERATION OF WHAT THE CITY NEEDS TO BE. SO, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE OVER THESE LAST SIX YEARS, AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER YEAR AND A HALF, 18 MONTHS THAT WE HAVE. AND SAME WITH YOU, MR. HECKMAN. IT'S AN HONOR TO SERVE ON YOUR BOARD. IT'S AN HONOR TO WORK WITH YOU AND YOUR TALENTED PEOPLE DAY IN AND DAY OUT, SO THANKS VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. UH, WE ALSO WANT TO, UH, CONGRATULATE, UM, ASTRO MANAGER, DUSTY BAKER. YEAH, YEAH. WITH , WITH LAST NIGHT'S WIN OVER THE SEATTLE MARINERS, UH, BAKER BECAME THE 12TH MANAGER AND FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN MANAGER IN MLB HISTORY TO REACH 2000 CAREER WINS. HE HAS BEEN THE ASTROS MANAGER SINCE JANUARY, 2020. HE HAS LED THE TEAM TO TWO A LCS APPEARANCES AND A WORLD SERIES APPEARANCE. AND THIS AFTERNOON, MLBN THE ASTROS WILL HAVE A SPECIAL PRE-GAME, UH, CEREMONY, HONORING THE SKIPPER ON HIS OUTSTANDING MILESTONE. SO, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO DUSTY BAKER, GREAT GUY. UM, AND THEN BEAR IN MIND, THIS IS POLICE WEEK, MAY THE SECOND, UH, THROUGH THE SIXTH, UH, IS NATIONAL POLICE WEEK IN HOUSTON. UH, YESTERDAY I ATTENDED THE HERO'S LUNCHEON THAT GAVE TRIBUTE TO SOME OUTSTANDING OFFICERS IN OUR CITY. THERE ARE SEVERAL EVENTS THIS WEEK TO HONOR THE DEDICATION, SERVICE, AND SACRIFICE OF THE NEARLY, UH, 5,200 HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS. AND LATER THIS MORNING, 55 MEN AND WOMEN WILL GRADUATE FROM THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT CADET CLASS. FRIDAY AT 6:30 PM THERE WILL BE A CANDLELIGHT SERVICE AT THE HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS MEMORIAL, AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU CAN JOIN US. UH, SO POLICE WEEK MAY THE SECOND, AND, UM, THROUGH THE SIXTH, WE WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL, UH, 5,200 OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS. AND THIS MORNING, AS WE SPEAK, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ALONG WITH THE HOUSTON PARKS DEPARTMENT OR IN WASHINGTON DC TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS THE FIRST GOVERNMENT TO ADOPT THE CHILDREN'S BILL OF RIGHTS IN SPORTS, JOINING MORE THAN 130 ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING UNICEF, USA, THIS INITIATIVE IN SHRINES EIGHT RIGHTS FOR CHILDREN, INCLUDING TO PLAY SPORTS, TO HAVE SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS, TO AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR PERSONAL GROWTH AND OTHERS. THE CHILDREN'S BILL OF RIGHTS IN SPORTS ALIGNED WITH SEVERAL OF OUR, OF OUR GOALS, INCLUDING THE HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY, DEVELOPED AS PART OF THE CITY'S BID TO HOST THE FIFA WORLD CUP IN 2026, AND THE PLAN TO BE DESIGNATED BY UNICEF AS A CHILD FRIENDLY CITY, WHICH IS BEING LED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION AND ALSO BEING CHAMPIONED BY CARLOS CISNEROS, WHO HEADS, UH, THAT COMMITTEE DEALING WITH OUR KIDS. SO, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. A NEWS RELEASE IS BEING DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE HOUR, UH, FROM OUR, FROM OUR OFFICE, AND THEN THE BIKE FESTIVAL AND PARADE. HOUSTON PARKS BOARD AND ON SHOW CENTER FOR VISIONARY ART WILL HOST HOUSTON'S FIRST EVER HOUSTON ART BIKE FESTIVAL OF THE DAY. LONG ARTS AND CULTURE CELEBRATION WILL BRING TOGETHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND YOUTH PROGRAMS FROM ACROSS THE CITY TO EXPLORE CREATIVITY, PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND CELEBRATE THE ARTISTS IN EVERYONE. IT WILL TAKE PLACE MAY 21ST AT MCGREGOR PARK, AND YOU MUST REGISTER BY MAY 15TH. AND THEN TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY YESTERDAY, TUESDAY, MAY THE THIRD WAS TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY. AND [03:45:01] DON'T FORGET TO THANK YOU. A FAVORITE TEACHER. UH, AND THEN, UH, JUST AS A REMINDER, HURRICANE SEASON STARTS ON JUNE THE FIRST, BUT NOW IT'S THE TIME TO PREPARE MAY THE FIRST THROUGH MAY THE SEVENTH IS HURRICANE PREPARING THIS WEEK, AND WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE PREPARED FOR ALWAYS UNPREDICTABLE STORM SEASON. SO BETTER TO BE PREPARED THAN TRY TO GET PREPARED. SO BE PREPARED. AND THEN LASTLY, CINCO DE MAYO PARADE. THURSDAY, TOMORROW, CINCO DE MAYO, WHICH COMMEMORATES THE ANNIVERSARY OF MEXICO'S VICTORY OF THE FRENCH EMPIRE AT THE BATTLE OF PUEBLO IN 1862 THROUGHOUT THE CITY. YOU CAN CELEBRATE AT FESTIVALS AND OTHER EVENTS, EAT AND ENJOY LIVE MUSICS. AND OF COURSE, I'LL BE RIDING IN THE LULAC CINCO DE MAY PARADE, STARTING AT THE CORNER OF HAMILTON AND TEXAS IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON ON THIS COMING SATURDAY. THAT WRAPS, UH, ME UP ON THE MAYOR'S REPORT. ALL RIGHT, HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, UM, MADAM [CONSENT AGENDA] SECRETARY, WE'LL PROCEED WITH THE AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY. ITEM ONE HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. ITEM TWO NEEDS A MOTION CAST, STATE A MOVE, MARTIN. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED THAT SECTION ON ITEM TWO, DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANITE UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS. CATEGORY ITEMS THREE AND FOUR. NEED A MOTION, TAYLOR MOVE MARTIN. SECOND, MOVED AND SECONDED ON ITEM THREE AND FOUR, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSING GRANTED UNDER THE RESOLUTION CATEGORY, ITEM FIVE HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ORDINANCES. CATEGORY ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ARE SIX THROUGH 9, 12, 18, AND 24. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 18, AND 24. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSING GRANTED ITEM REMOVED [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM ONE NEEDS A MOTION CAST TAX T MOVE MARTIN SECOND, THEN MOVED IN, SECONDED ON ITEM ONE. DISCUSSION ON ITEM ONE, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSED GRANTED ON ITEM ONE. UM, THIS IS TO THE WASHINGTON AVENUE COURT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. POSITION ONE IS DAVID CHAN. POSITION TWO IS KEITH EDGAR. THREE IS MARK S FAIRCHILD. FOUR IS SHARON STEWART, FIVE IS CAROLYN RUBENSTEIN. UH, COUNCILMAN MC KAMAN ON ITEM ONE. THANK YOU. AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE, UM, SOME OF THE COMMITTEE IN THE, UM, AUDIENCE, IF Y'ALL WOULD STAND. YES, IT'S YOU. IF YOU ARE HERE. IF YOU'RE HERE, COME FORWARD. AND SO WE HAVE BEFORE, UH, MARK, UH, S FAIRCHILD, AND WE HAVE, UH, SHARON STEWART, AND THIS IS SERVING ON THE WASHINGTON AVENUE COURT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. COUNCILMAN CAMERON. STEWART, YOU THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, MARK AND SHARON, FIRST OFF, SHARON, I BELIEVE YOU'RE BEING APPOINTED TO THE BOARD, SO CONGRATULATIONS AND MARK, THANK YOU FOR SERVING, UH, AND TO ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS. WE APPRECIATE IT. UH, I WAS ACTUALLY LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS COMMITTEE, AND, UH, JUST SO COLLEAGUES KNOW, THIS BOARD DETERMINES HOW FUNDS FROM THE SPECIAL PARKING DISTRICT ALONG WASHINGTON AVENUE ARE EXPENDED. AND I THINK IT'S A REALLY GREAT FORMAT THAT WE HAVE IN SET UP WHERE WE HAVE RESIDENTS ON THE COMMITTEE THAT ARE HELPING TO DETERMINE WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THEM. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU BOTH FOR SERVING THINGS TO THE ENTIRE COMMITTEE. AND LOOK, AND THIS IS A, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT BOARD WITH RESPECT TO RIGHT, TO THE WASHINGTON AVENUE CORRIDOR, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE TWO OF YOU AS WELL AS WITH THE OTHERS, OKAY? AND REALLY ADVANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S NEEDED ALONG THAT WASHINGTON CORRIDOR. SO THANK YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU BOTH. OKAY, MADAM SECRETARY, ITEM FIVE IS AN ORDER. JUST NEED A VOTE. WE ON ITEM FIVE. AND IF YOU NOTICE ON ITEM FIVE, THIS IS THE, THE SCHEDULE, UH, THAT WE, UM, VOTE ON EVERY SINGLE YEAR PROCEEDING THE ACTUAL BUDGET. BUT IT LAYS OUT THE SCHEDULE. AND THERE IS AN AMENDMENT THAT'S BEING, UH, PUT FORTH, UH, BY COUNCIL. UH, MEMBER PECK, YOU HAVE IT BEFORE YOU IN WRITING. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, YOU WANNA SPEAK TO IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THE AMENDMENT THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU IS TO CHANGE THE DATE THAT OUR BUDGET AMENDMENTS ARE DUE FROM THE 24TH TO THE 25TH. AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS BECAUSE, UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS ON MAY 25TH. SO THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING, AT LEAST UNTIL THE END OF THE DAY, TO TAKE THOSE COMMENTS INTO CONSIDERATION IN CASE THERE'S AMENDMENT, AN AMENDMENT THAT WE WANT TO PUT FORTH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE SPEND A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT THIS [03:50:01] BUDGET AND THEY COME TO COUNCIL TO TALK TO US. AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHAT THEY SAY WE'RE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE AMENDMENTS. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, FOR WORKING WITH ME ON THAT. CURRENTLY ADMINISTRATION DOES SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT. UH, COUNCILMAN ALCO, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD WORK COUNCIL MEMBER PAC. THIS WAS A GOOD CATCH AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, AND THE BUDGET IS SUPER IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR SUPPORTING THIS. THANK YOU. AND THEN LEMME JUST SAY AS WE, UH, WELL, LEMME, LET'S DEAL WITH THIS. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE, ON THE AMENDMENT? ON THE AMENDMENT, UM, IN FAVOR, OPPOSED? GRANTED. NOW WE'RE VOTING ON THE ITEM AS AMENDED ON THE ITEM AS AMENDED IN THE DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION. COUNCIL COUNCILOR KAMAN. OH, I'M SORRY. COUNCILOR MCCAMMON. UH, MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK YOU AND MAYOR PRO TEM FOR IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS, UH, TRANSITIONING TO A HYBRID. UH, WE HAD, I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST COUNCIL MEETING SINCE THAT DECISION WAS MADE. SO I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CLEAR FOR THE PUBLIC AS WE'RE VOTING ON THIS, THAT THERE WILL BE AN ONLINE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE. AND WE'VE BEEN HEARING, EXCUSE ME, TERRIFIC, UM, OUTPOURING OF APPRECIATION, AT LEAST FROM DISTRICT RESIDENTS ON THAT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM AS AMENDED IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED. AND LEMME JUST SAY, UM, IT DOES SHORTEN THE TIME FOR US TO TURN AROUND AND GET OUR RESPONSES BACK TO YOU. AND SO, UM, WE ARE GONNA BE VERY STRICT ON POLICY AMENDMENTS, NO POLICY AMENDMENTS. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE TO COME AND PUT FORTH AN ORDINANCE ON SOMETHING AND IT'S DEALINGS WITH POLICY AND NOT BUDGETARY, IT WOULD BE RULED OUT. SO, BUDGETARY AMENDMENTS, BUDGETARY AMENDMENTS, BUDGETARY AMENDMENTS, BUT NOT POLICY AMENDMENTS. OKAY. NOT POLICY BUDGET. BUDGET ON THE BUDGET. SO , SO, YOU KNOW, SO IF YOU'RE TAKING SOME DOLLARS FROM HERE, PUTTING IT OVER THERE, THAT'S GOOD. OKAY? IF YOU'RE STRIKING SOME, SOME DOLLARS FROM ONE AREA, ALL OF THAT'S GOOD. YOU KNOW, UH, IF YOU WANT TO, UH, ELIMINATE 20 OF THE 23 DEPARTMENTS, THAT'S GOOD. I MEAN, I MEAN, IT'S NOT GOOD, BUT , BUT YOU GET WHAT I'M SAYING. BUT IF IT'S ABOUT CREATING SOME DIVISION, THAT'S POLICY. OKAY? AND SO NO POLICY, AND IT'S OKAY IF YOU ARE OKAY WITH THE BUDGET THAT'S PRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY TO SAY, MAN, THERE'S NOTHING HERE WE COULD CHANGE. YOU KNOW, THIS BUDGET IS SOLID, SO JUST BETTER THAN MINE. UM, BUT THANK YOU COUNCILMAN PECK FOR, FOR THE CATCH. APPRECIATE THAT. COUNCILMAN KOSH IN, IN REFERENCE TO THAT MAYOR, I KNOW YOU'RE TALKING TO ME, SO, UH, NO, NO, NO. IT'S IN GENERAL , BUT WELL, IT DOES, IT DOES APPLY TO ME. , ONE OF THE THINGS, MAYOR, THAT I HAVE FOUND DURING THE BUDGET TIME IS, IS IT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, TO, TO SAY THINGS THAT I NORMALLY WOULDN'T GET TO SAY AT COUNCIL. SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SAY, WELL, I, THE, THE ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T SUPPORT IT, BUT, BUT AT LEAST I GOT TO SAY IT. AND, AND, AND NOW YOU COULD STILL, YOU COULD STILL PRESENT IT AND SPEAK . WELL, WELL THEN THAT'S FINE. YOU CAN PRESENT IT AND SPEAK TO IT AND THEN WITHDRAW, AND THEN, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO WITHDRAW IT. YES. . OKAY. SO IT GIVES STILL GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITY TO, TO STATE YOUR CASE. OKAY? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. UH, NEXT ITEM, MADAM SECRETARY. ITEM SIX IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. WE ARE ON ITEM SIX. WE'RE ON ITEM SIX, DISCUSSION ON SIX. DISCUSSION ON SIX, ON SIX IN FAVOR. OPPOSED GRANTED ON SIX. ITEM SEVEN IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. WE'RE ON ITEM SEVEN. ON ITEM SEVEN. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KU MAYOR YESTERDAY, UH, WE HAD A, UM, A JUSTICE FROM THE COURT OF APPEALS, UH, SPEAK IN REFERENCE TO THIS. AND SHE AND I HAD TALKED TO HER, UH, BEFOREHAND, AND SHE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THAT THIS NECESSARILY IS GOING TO, TO FIX THE MATTER. I I, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WE'RE, ARE WE STILL GONNA BE ISSUING CITATIONS OR IS THIS, IS THIS BASICALLY GONNA GONNA MAKE IT CIVIL? WELL, NO, IT'S JUST, IT'S NUMBER ONE. WE ARE GOING, WE ARE CREATING THIS COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT SOUND PERMIT. SO WE ARE CREATING A NEW PERMIT. THAT'S, THAT'S NUMBER ONE. IT DOESN'T EXIST RIGHT NOW. THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ONE. OKAY? SO WE ARE CREATING A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT SOUND PERMIT. WE'RE INCREASING THE MAXIMUM CITATION FINE FROM 1000 TO 2000. SO WE, WE ARE INCREASING THE FINE, WE'RE DOUBLING THE FINE BE ARE WE ABLE TO DO THAT UNDER THE STATUTE? RIGHT NOW IT'S 1000. OKAY. SO WE ARE, WE ARE DOUBLING THAT WITH THIS, WITH THIS ORDINANCE. WE REQUIRE THAT A PERMIT BE ISSUED TO AN ESTABLISHMENT RATHER THAN AN INDIVIDUAL, WHICH IS BIG BECAUSE IN CURRENTLY [03:55:01] YOU GIVE IT TO THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT NOT TO THE ESTABLISHMENT. SO NOW WE, WE ARE IMPOSING, UH, PLACING THE PERMIT ON THE ESTABLISHMENT, UH, WHICH WILL MAKE IT MUCH BETTER FOR EVERYBODY IN ADMINISTRATIVELY HANDLING THESE MATTERS. WE REFINE THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING PROCESS FOR REVOCATION OF A PERMIT THAT DOESN'T EXIST RIGHT NOW. SO THAT WILL HELP. AND WE ARE CODIFYING REGULATIONS RELATED TO THE ISSUANCE OF A PERMIT FOR A PROTEST AT A RESIDENTIAL LOCATION. SO WE ARE DOING, WE ARE, WE ARE DOING MORE THAN WHAT CURRENTLY EXISTS NOW AS IT RELATES TO THE SPEAKER YESTERDAY, I KNOW WE'RE NOT DEALING WITH THE BASS AND WE'RE NOT MEASURING THE SOUND TO THE EDGE OF THE PROPERTY. YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS. UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU WOULD'VE GOTTEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PUSHBACK IF YOU START DOING, DEALING WITH THOSE ITEMS AS WELL. SO IT'S NOT PERFECT. IT'S NOT PERFECT. UM, BUT IT IS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN WHAT CURRENTLY EXISTS. AND MAYOR, SHE TALKED ABOUT HOW, HOW CAN WE DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE SOUND FROM ONE CLUB THAT'S NEAR ANOTHER CLUB. YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE ARE MULTIPLE CLUBS IN THESE CLUSTER, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE CLUB CLUSTERS AND I, I MEAN, I I, THAT THAT'S GONNA BE I'M SURE AN ARGUMENT AS WELL. AND, AND THEN SHE BROUGHT UP TO ME, NOT, UH, PUBLICLY HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT THEY'RE BUILDING A SENIOR, UH, THAT WE HAD A, UH, WE GAVE A TAX ABATEMENT TO, TO A, TO BUILD A SENIOR FACILITY RIGHT NEAR HER. AND, AND THESE SENIORS ARE GONNA BE SUBJECT TO ALL THIS NOISE. AND SEE, THAT'S, AND THAT'S THE OTHER ARGUMENT, THE BUSINESSES THAT SOME OF THE BUSINESSES ARE MAKING, THEY'RE SAYING, WE, WE ARE HERE ALREADY. WE ARE HERE. THAT'S LIKE, THAT'S LIKE BUILDING YOUR HOME NEAR AN AIRPORT. AND AIRPORT WAS ALREADY THERE, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT SOME OF THE BUSINESSES ARE SAYING, WE WERE HERE FIRST AND NOW YOU'VE BUILT RIGHT AROUND US, AND NOW YOU ALL ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SOUND THAT WE ARE MAKING. BUT WE WERE HERE FIRST. SO IT'S THAT SORT OF BALANCE. AND I THINK WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO BEAR MIND, HOUSTON IS IN ARCHWAY FOR A FOURTH LIFE CITY. WE ARE VERY UNIQUE. WE, WE, WE HAVE DECIDED WE ARE NOT GONNA TRY TO CONTROL PEOPLE'S WHAT THEY DO WITH THEIR PROPERTY. SO YOU CAN, I CAN LIVE NEXT TO MAYOR PRO TEM AND VICE MAYOR PRO TEM COULD SET UP A BUSINESS NEXT TO MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THEN SOMEONE COULD BUILD A HOME. COUNCILMAN LES COULD BUILD HIS HOME NEXT TO THE VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. AND WE SAY THAT'S OKAY IN HOUSTON. BUT I THINK WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO NOW IS STRIKE AND SOME SORT OF A BALANCE. AND NOT EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE HAPPY EITHER WAY. 'CAUSE TRUST ME, IN THE LAST, IN THE LAST WEEK OR SO LONG, I'VE HEARD FROM BOTH ENDS AND I HAVE TOO MAYOR. AND ONE OF THE, IF I CAN RECLAIM A LITTLE BIT OF MY TIME. SURE, SURE, SURE. AND THAT IS IN REFERENCE TO THE, THE PERMITTING, IF WE, BUT TO, TO HAVE YOUR PERMIT REVOKED YOU, YOU FIRST HAVE TO GO TO, TO A HEARING. AND, AND, AND ONCE THAT'S ALL DONE AND, AND, UH, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO WORK IT OUT AND WE'VE REVOKED THEIR PERMIT, DOES THAT MEAN THEY CAN'T PLAY MUSIC AT THEIR ESTABLISHMENT? I THINK THAT'S THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING THE PERMIT NOW. 'CAUSE IF YOUR PERMIT IS REVOKED, YOU CAN'T PROCEED WITH YOUR BUSINESS. DOES THAT AFFECT THEIR OCCUPANCY PERMIT AS WELL? IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY AFFECT THEIR OCCUPANCY, BUT IT DOES SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO OPERATE THAT AMPLIFIED SIGN WITH A PERMIT. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT PERMIT, YOU CAN'T DO IT. OKAY. WHEREAS TODAY, WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, THERE IS NO PERMIT REQUIRED. AND, AND WE DIDN'T ANSWER THE OTHER, THE FIRST QUESTION. WILL THERE STILL BE A, A CRIMINAL, UH, CITATION WRITTEN WRITTEN AS WELL? THAT IS CORRECT, YES. EVEN THOUGH IT'S A CLASS C, IT IS CRIMINAL. YES. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. SO WE'VE TRIED TO STRIKE A BALANCE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, POLL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. I, I THINK THE PERMIT, UM, PROVISION IS, IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. UM, BUT IN ORDER FOR THE PERMIT PROVISION TO BE STRONG, THEN WE HAVE TO HAVE ENFORCEMENT. AND THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IS WHAT MANY OF US ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AND WHAT THE CONSTITUENTS WANT TO SEE, RIGHT? IT HAS TO GO BEYOND WHAT WE PASS OR MAY PASS TODAY. UM, BUT THE ENFORCEMENT OF WHAT WE MAY PASS TODAY IS, IS REALLY WHAT WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON. AND SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO PUT A STRATEGY IN PLACE TO HOLD BAD ACTORS ACCOUNTABLE TO WHERE WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY CHECKING, CONTINUOUSLY UPDATING, CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING, TO WHERE IF SOMEONE IS OUTTA COMPLIANCE, THEN THEY WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT HEARING SO THAT THE PERMIT WILL NO LONGER BE IN THEIR PRESENCE. UM, BUT IF WE DO NOT HAVE THE ENFORCEMENT, UM, I DON'T THINK THIS IS GONNA REACH THE POTENTIAL THAT WE WANTED TO REACH. SO I REALLY WANT TO STRESS, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ENFORCEMENT AND IN ORDER TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE AND TO MAKE SURE [04:00:01] THAT OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE ISSUES REGARDING SOUND THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, KOACH, BACK TO YOU, MA. MAYOR, THAT BRINGS UP ANOTHER POINT. IT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY NOT THE POLICE THAT ARE GONNA BE DOING THE ENFORCEMENT, REALLY. IT'S GONNA BE THE CITIZENS MAKING COMPLAINTS. IT THAT, THAT'S THE ENFORCEMENT FACTOR HERE IS, AM I CORRECT? WELL, THE CITIZENS WERE MAKING COMPLAINTS, BUT THE POLICE WOULD BE OUT THERE PROVIDING THE ENFORCEMENT. SO, SO, SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE MAKING THE COMPLAINTS TO, TO A NON-POLICE AGENCY THAT'S GONNA BE KEEPING THESE RECORDS. WE'RE GONNA TIE UP OUR POLICE FOR ALL THIS. YEAH. IT, IT WOULD BE A PART OF THEIR POLICE RESPONSIBILITY, THEIR DUTIES WITH ALL THE CLUBS AND WITH ALL THEY'RE DOING AT LATE AT NIGHT. THAT'S OKAY. MAYOR TIM MARTIN, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK THIS ORDINANCE GOES A LONG WAY. AND, UM, THE SIGN OF A GOOD TO ORDINANCE IS WHEN BOTH SIDES COME AWAY FROM IT AND AREN'T A HUNDRED PERCENT HAPPY, BUT THEY AGREE THAT IT'S THE BEST METHOD TO MOVING FORWARD. UH, SOME PEOPLE WILL SAY THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS SERVED BEST THROUGH NO ZONING. SOME PEOPLE WILL SAY IT SERVED BEST WITH ZONING. WE'VE TAKEN UP THIS NUMEROUS TIME, AND THE PEOPLE DECIDE THAT THEY WANT A CITY WITH NO ZONING. I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE THIS CONTINUE TO HAPPEN IN THE CITY. I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE ASHBY HIGH RISE 2.0 COME UP AGAIN, WHICH IS GONNA CHALLENGE HOW THE CITY BUILDS THINGS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF NEIGHBORHOODS. SO THIS IS A CHALLENGE THAT WE FACE EVERY DAY. WE SIT ON COUNCIL, WE'LL FACE IT TOMORROW, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO FACE IT AS LONG AS THE CITIZENS ARE THE ONES THAT ADOPT IN THE ZONE. THE, THE ZONING, NO ZONING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, UM, I THINK IT'S A, A GREAT MOVE FORWARD. UH, KUDOS TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, ALCORN AND CAYMAN, UH, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE DISTRICT OF DESTRUCTION OF NOISE, , UH, . CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ, SO OF DECIBELS, DISTRICT OF DECIBELS. I LIKE THAT. BUT ANYWAY, A GOOD ORDINANCE IS ONE WHERE BOTH SIDES AREN'T HAPPY, BUT YET THEY AGREE TO MOVE FORWARD. AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCILMAN MALCO FOR THE WORK THAT SHE HAS DONE. SHE CERTAINLY HAS CHAMPION, UM, THIS, UM, AND BEEN TIRELESSLY AND TENACIOUSLY ON IT. YOU KNOW, UH, SHE AND SHE AND HER STAFF, SO CERTAINLY WANT TO GIVE HER CREDIT WHAT CREDIT IS DUE. SO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THANKS ALL THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS. 'CAUSE CAMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ P EVERYONE HEARD FROM EVERYONE. CONSTABLE POLLETT ON THIS, ON THIS ISSUE. UM, SO AGAIN, IT'S NOT PERFECT. IT CERTAINLY, UM, IF YOU PASS IT TODAY, IT WILL TAKE EFFECT 120 DAYS FROM THE, UH, UH, 120 DAYS FROM TODAY. THAT'S WHEN THE EFFECTIVE DATE TAKES PLACE. IN THE MEANTIME, UH, A RA WILL BE EDUCATING PEOPLE ON, ON THE NEW ORDINANCE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND, AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WILL SPEAK AFTER THE VOTE, SO I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA, UM, TAKE UP WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY. BUT TWO YEARS, TWO YEARS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS. UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. THIS COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT YOU COUNT COLLEAGUES IN DISTRICT C. WE ARE INUNDATED EVERY SINGLE WEEK WITH NOISE COMPLAINTS. AND COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH, TO YOUR POINT, HPD IS ALREADY BEING PULLED ONTO THIS EVERY TIME THEY'RE CALLED. THEY ARE, THEY HAVE TO RESPOND. WE HAVE HAD TO POUR MONEY OF DISTRICT FUNDS INTO THE LOUD NOISE UNIT THAT WAS CREATED FOR WASHINGTON AVENUE. UM, CENTRAL PATROL IS HAVING TO SEND ADDITIONAL OFFICERS THERE. WE'RE LOSING OFFICERS OVER MEMORIAL PARK WHERE WE KNOW THERE'S CRIME IN OTHER AREAS. SO THIS IS ADDRESSING NOT ONLY THE RESIDENT'S, VERY, VERY VALID CONCERNS, BUT ALSO THE STRAIN THAT'S ALREADY BEING PUT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM A BREAK. WE HAVE TO GET TEETH INTO THIS ORDINANCE. IT IS NOT PERFECT, I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS SAYING THAT, BUT IT IS A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. UM, I ALSO, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN IS THE CHAMPION. AGAIN, THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ HAS BEEN THERE AT THE ALL OF EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY MEETING, HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS. A RA, TINA PAEZ, KATHERINE BRUNE, AND THE ENTIRE TEAM. WELL, LEGAL DEPARTMENT, CITY ATTORNEY, THANK YOU TO YOUR TEAM AND RANDY ZAMORA, UM, CENTRAL PATROL. I JUST HAVE TO THANK FOR NOT ONLY THE INPUT AND WORKING WITH US, BUT THE HOURS AND HOURS LATE NIGHT EVERY WEEKEND THAT THEY ARE WORKING WITH RESIDENTS AND WE'RE REALLY APPRECIATIVE TO THEM. AND THEN ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, AND WE HAVE ONE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, MARK, TO YOU AND STACY. THANK YOU. MARK IS ALSO GETTING THE CALLS, IS [04:05:01] THE PRESIDENT OF THE CIVIC CLUB GOING OVER TO RESIDENTS HOMES, EXPERIENCING IT WITH THEM. SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE RESIDENTS AND THEN ALSO JOSH AND, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEER GARDEN ASSOCIATION. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUSINESSES, WE ACTUALLY HAD A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES AT THE TABLE WITH US WORKING ON IT, ON THAT. AND WE CERTAINLY DO NOT WANNA INHIBIT THE, UM, OPPORTUNITY AND ABILITY OF A BUSINESS, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE A VIBRANT SCENE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THEY HAVE BEEN AT THE TABLE AS WELL. SO, A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS. BUT AGAIN, I WANNA BRING THE FOCUS BACK TO THE RESIDENTS AND THE STRAIN THAT IS ALREADY BEING PLACED ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS. SO, MAYOR, THANK YOU. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. UM, THIS IS A BIG DEAL. THIS IS A VERY BIG DEAL. UH, I MEAN, WE WERE HEARING ABOUT IT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. IT'S BEEN YEARS AND YEARS COMING, SO CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER. SORRY ABOUT THAT. COUNCILMAN MC GALLEGOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I JUST WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR ALL HER WORK ON THIS, ON, ON BEHALF OF RESIDENTS OF DOWNTOWN IN IDO THAT, UH, FOR YEARS THEY HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THE LOUD MUSIC, UH, ESPECIALLY CONCERTS, WHEN THEY HAVE CONCERTS OUTDOORS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. SO I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND ALL THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL. THANK YOU. AND I, AND WHILE WE'RE DOING THIS, I DO WANT TO, UH, GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO TINA PIUS AND A RA, UM, WELL, WE HAVEN'T VOTED ON IT YET, SO, UM, SO DON'T WANT TO, DON'T WANT BE PREMATURE, BUT I CERTAINLY DO, CERTAINLY DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE TINA PIUS AND HER TEAM, A RA AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ARTUR, MICHELLE AND LEGAL. SO, UH, UM, DON'T WANT TO, DON'T WANNA LEAVE THEM OUT AT ALL. UH, COUNCILMAN KUBOSH, BACK TO YOU, MAYOR. WHAT WILL THE COST OF THE PERMIT BE? 1200. IS IT 1200? IT IS SAME AS THE EXISTING SIGN. YEAH, IT IS 1200, $1,200 FOR THE PERMIT. ANNUALLY. ANNUALLY. AND, AND HOW, WHAT'S, HOW, HOW MUCH TIME, HOW WILL WE NOTIFY THESE CLUBS THAT THEY HAVE TO GET A PERMIT? AND, AND WHAT IF THEY DON'T GET ONE? AND THAT IS, THAT IS A RA AND WE'LL GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESSES AS THE CURRENT PERMITS. SO, SO ONCE, ONCE WE, ONCE THIS PASSES, THE, THE NEWS MEDIA'S GONNA PICK IT UP. THAT, THAT THEY HAVE TO GET A PERMIT AND THEY KNOW AND, AND THEY WILL APPLY FOR IT ONLINE OR, OR WILL THEY HAVE TO GO DOWN AND, AND IT WILL BE THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE SEEKING THEIR PERMITS NOW THROUGH A RA AND, AND HOW MANY, HOW MANY CLUBS DO WE THINK THIS IS GONNA BE? A THOUSAND, 2000. IT DEPENDS ON THOSE CLUBS THAT ARE SEEKING AMPLIFIED SOUND, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, I, I, WE HAVE A NUMBER. WE'LL GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE ELSE IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? NO KUBOSH GRANTED. UH, SHOW. I'M SORRY. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. SHOW COUNCILMAN KUBOSH VOTING? NO. ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, THE ITEM PASSES. COUNCILMAN NOW. COUNCILMAN ALCO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. I, I DELIBERATELY STAYED OUT OF THAT CONVERSATION 'CAUSE I THINK EVERYBODY'S HEARD QUITE ENOUGH OF ME TALKING ABOUT THE NOISE ORDINANCE FOR A LONG TIME. BUT I DO WANNA THANK, UM, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES. I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THESE REVISIONS TO CHAPTER 30 ESPECIALLY. WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS, EVAN SHABAZZ AND CAYMAN, FOR YOUR GREAT WORK ON THIS ISSUE AND FOR STRONGLY ADVOCATING FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS. I THINK THESE CHANGES REPRESENT AN IMPORTANT STEP IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN MANY HOUSTON NEIGHBORHOODS. I WANNA THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN SUPPORTING OUR EFFORTS. MY THANKS. ALSO GO TO THE EXCELLENT STAFF OF CITY LEGAL AND A RA. THEY ACTUALLY DO THE HARD WORK OF CRAFTING THESE REVISIONS. RANDY ZAMORA, RASHAD GUM, GARE, KATHERINE BRUNING, ALSO TINA PA AS AN ARTURO MICHELLE FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. THANKS TO THE PARTICIPATION OF HPD, UM, TO YOUR POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH, THEY ARE UNDERSTAFFED AND OVERWORKED. WE DO NEED, UH, RESIDENTS TO CALL IN OUR COUNCIL OFFICES. WE NEED THEM TO CALL IN COMPLAINTS, BUT THEY, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE CAN'T DO IT ALL. BUT THEY'VE BEEN IMPORTANT PARTNERS IN CRAFTING THESE REVISIONS. I WANNA THANK, ESPECIALLY CHIEF 10, CHIEF HARDIN, SERGEANT GRAHAM OF THE CENTRAL PATROL MAN. HE IS A ROCK STAR. HE HAS SOME STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR NOISE VIOLATIONS THAT I THINK SHOULD BE COPIED AND ALL. AND, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD EXECUTE THOSE ALL CITYWIDE. SO MY PLUG FOR SERGEANT GRAHAM'S STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, UM, ALSO COMMANDERS, GUZMAN AND JOHNSON THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP. AND OF COURSE, TO ALL THE RESIDENTS WHO KEPT THIS ISSUE ON THE FRONT BURNER. FAR TOO MANY TO NAME, BUT IT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT YOUR PERSISTENCE, YOUR ADVOCACY, YOUR DEMANDING THAT THIS, THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN. THANKS FOR FIGHTING FOR YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND NOT BACKING DOWN. AND TO THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS, ESPECIALLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEER, BEER GARDEN AND BAR ASSOCIATION. RESPONSIBLE BO BEER, RESPONSIBLE BAR OWNERS WHO MAKE HOUSTON A FUN PLACE TO PLAY. THANKS FOR WORKING US [04:10:01] WITH US TO STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE AND FOR SHOWING US BARS CAN BE BOTH SUCCESSFUL AND GOOD NEIGHBORS. AND FINALLY, TO JORDAN FRAZIER , MY CHIEF OF STAFF. SHE TOOK EVERY PHONE CALL, SHE ANSWERED EVERY EMAIL. SHE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS FIELDING VARIOUS CONCERNS, IDEAS, AND SCENARIOS. AND SHE'S YOUNG AND FUN AND LIKES TO GO TO THE BARS. UM, AND SHE DID IT ANYWAY. SHE FOLLOWS UP WITH EVERY SINGLE PERSON, AND I THINK SHE MIGHT BE THE MOST EXCITED PERSON IN THIS ROOM. UM, I WORE MY HORSESHOE NECKLACE TODAY THAT AMY PECK GAVE ME WHEN WE FIRST GOT ELECTED, BECAUSE WE DO HARD THINGS IN THIS HORSESHOE. THIS NOISE ORDINANCE WAS A HARD THING AND I AM SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT TODAY. THANK YOU. I'M GONNA GO CELEBRATE AT A LOCAL BAR, . ALRIGHT, THEN, UH, NEXT ITEM ITEM EIGHT IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. WELL ITEM EIGHT. EIGHT. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF VOTE. COUNCILMAN, I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN MCCAIN ON ITEM EIGHT. I'M SORRY I DID NOT GET IN THE QUEUE IN TIME. UM, I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE AS WE TALK ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES, HOW IMPORTANT, UH, THIS ITEM IS WHEN WE'RE REPEALING BASICALLY THE HOLD ON SIGNS. RIGHT NOW WE'VE HAD TWO DISTRICT, UM, BUSINESSES THAT THIS IS DIRECTLY IMPACTED IN BOTH OF THEM. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UM, THE HOT SAUCE BOSS, UH, JAMES BECK OF IBER HOT SHOP AND HOT SAUCE SHOP, EXCUSE ME. AND THEN ALLIE JARRET OF HAROLD. SHE'S A GREAT COMMUNITY PARTNER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, SHE'S ACTUALLY OPENING UP A SHOP, UM, IN YOUR DISTRICT, AND THAT'S WHERE THE SIGN HOLDUP HAS BEEN. SO THIS IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE REALLY HELPING A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT THIS IS COMING. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE ON ITEM EIGHT? EIGHT? ANY OTHERS IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON ITEM EIGHT, ITEM NINE IS AN ORDINANCE. YOU SEE THE VOTE ON ITEM NINE. UH, LEMME JUST SAY ON ITEM NINE, THIS DEALS WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. UM, JUST IN THE FIRST, UH, I THINK YOU HAVE IT IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF 2022, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN, HPD HAS RECORDED 3,188 THEFTS OF CATALYTIC CONVERTERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON ALONE. UM, AND THAT'S 123% INCREASE OVER THE SAME PERIOD IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. SO THIS, THIS ORDINANCE WILL PRIMARILY DO TWO THINGS. IT'LL STOP THE RESALE FROM BUSINESS TO BUSINESS. AND THEN THE SECOND, UH, IF YOU HAVE A CUTOFF CONVERTER, AND LET'S SAY YOU'RE TRAVELING WITH IT IN YOUR VEHICLES, UNLESS YOU CAN DEMONSTRATE PROOF OF PROOF OF OWNERSHIP, IT WILL CREATE, UM, A, A MISDEMEANOR, UH, FOR YOU. AND EACH ONE OF THOSE LY CONVERTER IS AN INDEPENDENT, UH, CHARGE. OKAY? EACH ONE. SO IF YOU'RE CARRYING FIVE OR SIX, EACH ONE OF THEM REPRESENTS, UH, A SEPARATE OFFENSE. UM, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT CATALY CONVERTERS THE THEFT LEADING TO OTHER VIOLENT CRIMES. AND THIS IS A PART OF THE OVERALL ONE. SAFE HOUSTON. UH, WE'VE DEALT WITH PROVIDING ADDITIONAL ILLUMINATION AND CAMERAS OUTWARDLY FACING, AND MANY OF OUR CONVENIENCE STORES AND BUSINESSES, UH, WE DEALT WITH AT LEAST HARRIS COUNTY BELL IN TERMS OF THE 10% ON THE BONDS. NOW WE'RE DEALING WITH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. UM, SO, UM, THIS AGAIN IS ANOTHER MEASURE TO BE USED BY OUR TUBE IN A PLACE IN OUR TOOLBOX TO DRIVE DOWN, UH, CRIME IN OUR CITY AND TO CREATE A MUCH SAFER, MUCH SAFER CITY. COUNCILMAN KOOSH MAYOR, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH THE, THE NATIONAL MAYORS, PERHAPS THE AUTO INDUSTRY COULD COME UP WITH A WAY OF, OF STAMPING THE VIN NUMBER, UH, ON THESE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. THIS IS SUCH A PROBLEM. YOU KNOW, I, I GOT PRETTY IRATE YESTERDAY TALKING ABOUT IT WHEN I HEARD THEY WAS TAKING IN A HUNDRED OF 'EM A DAY. I, I, I JUST BELIEVE THAT WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING. AND, AND, UH, AND THE MEANWHILE, UH, I'VE HAD CITIZENS REACH OUT TO ME SAYING, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS WE COULD, UH, SPRAY 'EM WITH, WITH SOME KIND OF PAINT THAT, THAT, UH, IF THEY WERE SPRAY PAINTED, UH, THAT WOULD BE HEAT RESISTANT. THAT, AND, AND IF THEY TOOK 'EM INTO A FACILITY, THEY WOULD KNOW THEY WERE STOLEN IF THEY HAD THIS PAINT ON THEM. THEY, THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT ALL KIND OF WAYS TO TRY TO GET THE CITIZENS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, BUILDING CAGES AROUND 'EM. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT I, I DO KNOW THAT WE, WE REALLY NEED TO GET THE AUDIO INDUSTRY TO STAMP 'EM WITH THE VIN NUMBER. AND, AND, UH, I, I MEAN, THIS IS A NATIONAL, IT'S GOTTA BE A NATIONAL, WHEN I HEARD THIS LADY SPEAKING YESTERDAY AND SAID YOU COULD PUT 'EM IN A, IN A CRATE OR A BOX AND SHIP 'EM SOMEPLACE, I JUST GOT REALLY ANGRY, UH, TO THINK THAT YOU, THEY'RE BUYING 'EM ONLINE LIKE THAT. [04:15:01] SO, UH, MAYOR, I JUST, UH, I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, USE YOUR INFLUENCE SOMEHOW AND I'LL, MAYBE WE CAN TALK TO OUR CONGRESSMAN AND OUR SENATORS ABOUT GETTING THE AUTO INDUSTRY TO COMPLY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I, I AGREE WITH YOU 100%. I DO AGREE. I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR, UH, OTHERS TO PICK IT UP ON THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL, JUST A TOTAL CRACKDOWN. UH, BUT I DO, UM, WITH THE PASSAGE OF SHOULD PASS OF THIS MEASURE, I DO WANT IT TO BE MA MADE KNOWN AND CLEAR THAT THE RESALE OF THESE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, UH, ARE REALLY NOT, UM, ALLOWED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YOU KNOW, UH, IF YOU'RE GONNA DO IT, YOU GONNA WANNA MAKE IT AS INCONVENIENT AS POSSIBLE FOR YOU. UH, BUT YOU, UH, BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY WANTING TO DISCOURAGE THE RESALE, UH, WITHIN THE 640 MILES OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THAT IF YOU'RE CAUGHT WITHIN THESE INDIVIDUALLY AND YOU CAN'T SHOW PROOF OF OWNERSHIP, THEN THAT IS A SEPARATE OFFENSE ON EACH ONE. SO, UH, WE JUST, YOU KNOW, WANT THE WORD TO GO OUT, UH, NOT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES. AND, UH, WITH PEOPLE TAKING THESE, UH, THESE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, COUNCILMAN MR. SEZ? THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS, THIS NEW TOOL IN, IN THE TOOLBOX, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, UH, TOWARDS THE OTHER PROGRESS IN ONE, THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON PROGRAM. UM, I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT, UM, I SAW A CONGRESSWOMAN, SHEILA JACKSON LEE YESTERDAY EVENING AND TALKED TO HER ABOUT CATALY CONVERTERS, AND SHE WAS VERY INTERESTED. WE'VE SENT HER OVER THIS MORNING A COPY OF, OF THIS ORDINANCE, AND SHE SAID SHE WOULD LIKE TO BRING IT FORWARD AT THE, AT FEDERAL LEVEL AND MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO TRANSPORT THEM ACROSS STATE LINES. EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT. OH, SO THIS BUT, BUT THIS IS STILL IMPORTANT. AND WE STILL NEED, WE NEED OTHERS TO, TO FOLLOW THIS MODEL. YOU KNOW, WE NEED OTHER MAYORS TO, TO, TO DO WHAT YOU'VE DONE HERE. UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I'M PRESENTING THIS IN TERMS OF A RESOLUTION OF THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS WHEN WE MEET THE FIRST WEEK IN, UH, JUNE, UH, AS A TRUSTEE OF THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, BECAUSE IT DOES NEED TO BE HOLISTIC. AND PEOPLE, UH, WHO WOULD HAVE A TENDENCY TO, TO, TO STEAL THESE CATALYTIC MURDERERS NEED TO KNOW THAT THERE'S JUST A NATIONWIDE CRACKDOWN. UH, SO THAT WILL, THAT WILL HELP. BUT ANYTHING THAT CONGRESS CAN DO AS WELL, UH, WOULD JUST ADD TO AND MAKE IT THIS EVEN MORE, EVEN MORE MEANINGFUL. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, MARY. I ALSO WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS IS ANOTHER COMPONENT OF ONE SAFE HOUSTON IS COMING BEFORE US, WHERE THE CITY IS LEADING THE WAY. WE ABSOLUTELY COUNCIL MEMBER CIS NEED INTEREST STATE, UM, REGULATION HERE. WE CANNOT DO IT ALONE. UH, BUT I DID WANNA, UH, POINT OUT HPD PUT TOGETHER A REALLY GREAT PRESENTATION AND PUT THAT FORWARD BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AND THE PUBLIC CAN ACTUALLY GO ONLINE TO LOOK AT IT FOR RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHAT RESIDENTS CAN DO TO HELP COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH. THAT DOES INCLUDE PUTTING A CAGE UNDER SO THAT IT TAKES LONGER ETCHING PAINTING. ALL OF THOSE ARE ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED BY HPD IN THE SIMPLEST OF THOSE PARKING IN A LIT AREA. DON'T MAKE IT EASY ON ANYONE. UH, DO, WE CAN ALL DO OUR PART. WE ALL HAVE TO DO OUR PART. AND MAYOR, TO THAT POINT, AS YOU TALK ABOUT THE MESSAGING ON THIS, IT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL. AND WE NEED THE HELP OF THE MEDIA TO DO THIS, BECAUSE WE ARE, AS A CITY, CREATING A NEW, UM, OFFENSE OF POSSESSION. HOPEFULLY THAT WILL DETER. UH, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC THAT THIS ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN, THAT A NEW OFFENSE DOES OCCUR, AND FOLKS NEED TO WATCH OUT. THANK YOU. AND, AND, AND, BECAUSE I DO WANT THE MESSAGE TO GO OUT. I MEAN, THIS COUNCIL WITH YOUR'S HELP, I MEAN, UM, WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. 'CAUSE PEOPLE OFTEN WANNA KNOW ALL, ALL THE MEASURES WE'RE DOING, MAKING A DIFFERENCE. AND SO I WANT TO KEEP REPEATING THAT BECAUSE AT THE VERY BEGINNING, WHEN THE THINGS WERE GOING UP EVERY SINGLE DAY, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. BUT AGAIN, UH, THE HOMICIDE RATE AND COMPARING TO LAST YEAR, INSTEAD OF IT BEING LIKE IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, 55, 60%, IT'S DOWN. IT'S STILL, THIS MORNING, IT'S 7% IN ALMOST EVERY OTHER CRIME VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORY OUTSIDE OF HOMICIDE. IT IS DOWN COMPARING TO LAST YEAR. SO THE MEASURES ARE WORKING AND, AND TO, AND THIS MORNING AND ABOUT AN HOUR FROM NOW, YOU KNOW, 55 ADDITIONAL PLEAS, UH, UH, POLICE WILL BE ADDED TO THE FORCE. SO IT'S NOT JUST THIS, IT'S THE COMBINATION OF EVERYTHING. SO 55 MORE POLICE OFFICERS WILL BE ADDED TO THE FORCE, UH, AS OF AS OF THIS, AS THIS MORNING COUNCIL IMPACT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS ORDINANCE IN DISTRICT A, JUST LIKE EVERYONE'S DISTRICT, IT HAS BEEN A REAL ISSUE. SO I THINK THAT THIS IS GONNA BE ANOTHER TOOL THAT HPD CAN USE. UM, BUT I REALLY WANNA URGE THE DA'S OFFICE TO ACCEPT THE CHARGES, THESE NEW CHARGES FOR THE CUT CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD OF MANY INSTANCES, UM, THAT HAPPEN IN DISTRICT A, WHERE POLICE ACTUALLY CAUGHT SOMEONE TAKING A CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND THEN NOTHING [04:20:01] HAPPENED IN THE DA'S OFFICE AS FAR AS TAKING THOSE CHARGES. SO I JUST WANTED TO URGE THE DA'S OFFICE TO PLEASE TAKE THESE CHARGES, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN AT THE CITY LEVEL. I KNOW THAT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS, BUT WANTED TO PUT THAT PRESSURE ON THEM THAT WE NEED THOSE CHARGES TO STICK WHEN HPD CATCHES PEOPLE DOING THIS. AND LET ME THANK YOU, ECHO YOU. I AGREE WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT, BECAUSE UNLESS PEOPLE KNOW, AS WE SAID EARLIER, THE ENFORCEMENT, THE ACCOUNTABILITY, THEN IT'S MEANINGLESS. BUT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW YOU TAKE 'EM, YOU'RE GONNA PAY A PRICE FOR IT. OKAY? SO THAT'S, THAT'S CRITICAL. THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT. COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU KNOW, UM, LIKE YOU SAID YESTERDAY, GETTING THIS, UM, IN ORDER, HOPEFULLY WE CAN SET AN EXAMPLE TO OTHER CITIES, UM, ACROSS THE, NOT JUST TEXAS, BUT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES BY MAKING THIS, UM, SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO. BUT I ALSO WANT TO, UM, KIND OF PUT ON THE RADAR, AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW WITH THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON PLAN, WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THOSE PAPER LICENSE PLATES AND THE FICTITIOUS PLATES. AND I DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY WHAT THE CITY CAN DO, UM, WITH THAT ISSUE. AND MAYBE IT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THAT WE LOOK AT IN THIS NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. UM, BUT I THINK THAT THAT WOULD DO, UH, BIG THINGS FOR REDUCING CRIME. I AGREE. EVAN SHA UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I, I WANT, AGAIN, THANK YOU PUBLICLY. YOU DID HEAR ME. YOU HAVE SO MUCH GOING ON, AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND, UH, LEGAL COUNSEL MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS ORDINANCE. UH, I WANT TO SAY, I HAVE TO LIFT UP COMMANDER JOHNSON OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SERGEANT ERICA DEAN. WE HAD A SUCCESSFUL EVENT. IT WAS A PILOT EVENT THAT WE HAD THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND WE ARE GONNA MOVE FORWARD AND HAVE OTHER EVENTS, AND THEY WILL BE ANNOUNCED PROBABLY AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK, WHERE WE WILL HELP PEOPLE TO GO TO LOCATIONS WHERE THEY CAN GET THE SERVICES OF THE ETCHING SO THAT THEY CAN PRESERVE AND PROTECT THEIR PROPERTY. AND SO, I JUST WANTED TO PUBLICLY THANK YOU FOR, FOR THIS ORDINANCE. AND LEMME THANK, UM, LEMME, THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THE EMAIL THAT YOU SENT, YOU KNOW, UH, WELL OVER A MONTH AGO, WELL OVER A MONTH AGO. SO, SO THANK YOU, UM, VERY MUCH. AND IT'S A COLLECTIVE, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT PEOPLE AS A WHOLE, AS A COUNCIL, WE ARE, WE ARE ALL DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN THINK OF, UH, TO DO, UH, TO DEAL WITH IT. SO IT'S REALLY A COLLECTIVE EFFORT. SO LET ME THANK ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR, FOR YOUR SUPPORT. UM, THAT'S IT. OKAY. ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? PREPARED TO VOTE IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED. THANK YOU. SWEAR VERY MUCH. ITEM 18 PASSES NINE. ITEM NINE, NINE, OH, I'M SORRY. ITEM NINE. ITEM NINE. AND THEN, AND THEN I, THANKS. I MENTIONED THE, UM, THE, UH, CINCO DE MAY PARADE, UH, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND CONFIRM THAT COMES THAT IT WILL NOT TAKE PLACE ON, ON, UH, ON SATURDAY. SO THE CINCO DE MAY PARADE WILL NOT BE ON SATURDAY. SO MY, MY APOLOGY. OKAY. OKAY. NEXT, NEXT ITEM. ITEM 12 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 12. COUNT, UH, WHAT DID I SAY? DISCUSSION ON ITEM 12. DISCUSSION ON ITEM 12. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSED? GRANTED. ITEM 18 IS AN ORDINANCE. YOU SEE THE VOTE ON ITEM 18? DISCUSSION ON 18. DISCUSSION ON 18. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 18. ITEM 24 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. WE'RE ON ITEM 24. DISCUSSION ON 24. COUNCILMAN GALL IS ON 24. I KIND ALREADY KNOW WHAT GOING ON. . HELLO, MAYOR . UH, I, I KNOW THIS IS A SMALL GESTURE, BUT IT'S ON PRINCIPLE. UM, I KNOW THAT UNION PACIFIC IS WANTING $70,000 FROM THE CITY. UH, BUT WE TOO, RESIDENTS IN THE EAST END ARE WAITING ON PERMITS, ON MODIFICATIONS FOR CROSSINGS AT PUBLIC WORKS, HAS BEEN WAITING ON FOR MONTHS, FOR MONTHS. SO THAT WAY WE CAN PROCEED WITH A QUIET ZONE IN THE EAST END, A NEW QUIET ZONE IN THE EAST END. BUT YET, UNION PACIFIC IS DRAGGING THEIR FEET. AND ALL I CAN DO IS JUST POSTPONE THIS VOTE FOR ONE WEEK. I WISH I COULD POSTPONE IT FOR MONTHS, BUT ON THAT, RIGHT, ON THAT, I WILL TAG THIS FOR A WEEK. OKAY. THIS ITEM IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, GALLEGOS, ITEM 24. UM, SO, BUT LET ME, BUT LET ME FOLLOW UP. THIS ITEM HAS BEEN TAGGED, BUT, BUT LET ME ADD TO THAT. UM, I'M CALLING ON UNION SPECIFIC TO BE A MUCH BETTER PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN TWO AREAS. UH, THE GRADE CROSSINGS OF ONE. OKAY? BECAUSE IT, IT [04:25:01] JUST DOESN'T, IT, IT, IT'S REALLY UN IT'S REALLY, UH, UNCONSCIONABLE FOR TRAINS TO BE BLOCKING URBAN STREETS 30 MINUTES AN HOUR, SOMETIMES 2, 3, 4, 5 HOURS WHEN EMS VEHICLES AND OTHERS NEED TO GO FROM POINT A TO POINT B. SO THERE, THEY HAVE TO COME TO THE TABLE AND WORK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN ADDRESSING THE GRADE CROSSINGS IN THIS CITY. AND I'M ASKING UNION SPECIFIC TO DO THAT. THAT'S NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, THE CANCER CLUSTER IN THE KME GARDEN FIFTH WARD AREA IS UNACCEPTABLE. THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. AND TO SAY THAT THERE'S NOT MIGRATION OF THE CREOLE, IT'S JUST NOT TRUE. AND YOU CAN'T PLACE A WALL OVER A PLUME AND THEN SAY, OUR WORK IS DONE, SO TO SPEAK, THAT THAT DOESN'T WORK. AND THERE'S THE BARBARA JORDAN PARK, WHICH IS RIGHT THERE. OKAY? SO PEOPLE ARE LIVING DIRECTLY OVER THE INITIAL, THE PLUME. PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY AS IT, AS IT MOVES AND SEEPS AND UNION SPECIFIC MUST COME TO THE TABLE. YOU CAN'T DO THIS INSPECT JUST TO WALK AWAY, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO COST YOU ANYTHING. AND I'M SAYING TO THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, YOU MUST WORK WITH US. YOU CAN'T GIVE THEM A PASS. YOU CAN'T DO THAT. SO UNION SPECIFIC NEEDS TO, THEY NEED TO COME TO THE TABLE. UM, AND I'M GONNA REACH OUT TO THE CEO, UM, AND THE HEAD OF UNION SPECIFIC TO ASK THEM TO COME AND VISIT WITH ME. UM, BUT ON THOSE TWO ISSUES, THE GRAY CROSSINGS AND THE CASHMERE FIFTH, WHAT CANCER CLUSTER, UM, THEY'RE JUST THE CURRENT, WE CAN'T PROCEED AS IF THERE ARE NO ISSUES HERE, BECAUSE THEY ARE. OKAY. SO THANK, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER GS FOR HIGHLIGHTING IT, BUT IT JUST SHOULDN'T BE COUNCIL MEMBER. GALLUS IS ALL OF US. WE ALL HAVE A STAKE. THIS IS OUR CITY. AND, UM, AND UNION SPECIFIC HAS TO DO MORE, AND I'M CALLING ON THEM TO DO MORE. UM, SO THIS CONVERSATION, UH, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION EVERY SINGLE WEEK. AND EVEN IF I'M NOT HERE, I WOULD ASK FOR MAYOR PRO TEM, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, EVERY SINGLE WEEK WE'RE GONNA BE CALLING ON UNION SPECIFIC TO COME TO THE TABLE UNTIL THEY COME TO THE TABLE EVERY SINGLE WEEK. OKAY? IT'S JUST THAT, AND IT'S BEEN TAGGED, SO HE'LL RELEASE HIS TAG FOR DISCUSSION. YEAH. WELL, HE'S, IF YOU WILL RELEASE YOUR, RELEASE YOUR TAG JUST FOR A MOMENT, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES. OKAY. I'LL, I'LL, I'LL RELEASE MY TAG FOR OKAY. MOMENT DISCUSSION. JUST MOMENT. OKAY. COUNCILMAN PLUMER. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN MAGOS FOR TAGGING THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THAT TAG WITH YOU AS WELL. UM, I JOINED THE MAYOR YESTERDAY AT THE TCQ MEETING YESTERDAY. IT WAS JUST, IT WAS DEPLORABLE, UM, ON SO MANY LEVELS. UH, TCQ HAS A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL. I MEAN, THEY HAVE TO STRENGTHEN THEIR REQUIREMENTS AS WELL. UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, JUST THE CEMENT BATCH POINTS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND SO MANY OTHER ISSUES THAT WE SEE IN OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES. UM, BUT UNION PACIFIC IS TAKING NO RESPONSIBILITY. UM, THEY'RE NOT ACKNOWLEDGING WHAT THEY'RE DOING. THEY'RE PATCHING IT. THEY'VE KNOWN IT FOR IT FOR YEARS, FOR DECADES. THEY'VE KNOWN THEY'RE CREATING PROBLEMS. UM, AND SO, AND IT'S, AND IT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND IT'S, IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATE AND ACCEPTABLE. SO EVERY TIME I SEE YOU IN PACIFIC ON OUR AGENDA ITEMS, IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A NO, JUST FOR GP , NOT FOR ANY OTHER REASON, JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY AND PEOPLE ARE DYING AND HAVE DIED. AND, UM, AND NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BLOCKING, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY VEHICLES FROM GOING INTO OUR COMMUNITIES. PEOPLE CAN'T GET TO WORK ON TIME. UM, THERE'S NO WAY TO GET AROUND IT. UM, THE POLLUTION ISSUES, THE CITY IS BEARING THE BRUNT OF PUTTING AIR MONITORS IN COMMUNITIES BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING. UM, AND SO, AND ALL THE EXP YOU KNOW, EXPENSE THAT WE SPENT WITH GROUNDWATER RESEARCH AND, YOU KNOW, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE BEARING ON THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, JUST THE COMMUNITIES IN GENERAL. SO, I'M SO GLAD, MAYOR TURNER, THAT YOU'RE ON BOARD WITH THIS. IT WAS SO GOOD TO SEE EVERYONE YESTERDAY. BUT YON PACIFIC HAS TO BE A BETTER PARTNER. THEY HAVE TO BE, OR THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DO BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, AND LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER SAID, I THOUGHT THE, THE MEETING LAST NIGHT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY INTERESTING DEPLORABLES, UH, I THINK A CAREFULLY CHOSEN WORD THERE. AND, UH, GRATEFUL FOR MY COLLEAGUES, UH, TAGGING THIS ITEM, UH, FOR US ALL TO KEEP IT IN FRONT OF US. MAYOR. AND YOUR POINT ABOUT, UH, [04:30:01] UH, HAVING THIS DISCUSSION ON OUR COUNCIL AND OUR HORSESHOE, I THINK IT IS MUCH MORE THAN AN ISSUE FOR DISTRICT B AND OUR COLLEAGUE TARSHA JACKSON, AND THE COMMUNITIES OF FIFTH WARD, UH, CASHMERE GARDENS, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, IT'S BEYOND THE INGLEWOOD YARD THAT PLUME HAS MIGRATED IT. YOU KNOW, IT JUST DOESN'T GO AWAY WHEN IT'S IN THE GROUND. THERE ARE THE MS, UH, D THE, UH, THE HEARINGS THAT WE HAVE ON, UH, MS. ALCORN'S COMMITTEE TO UNDERSTAND WHEN WE'RE READY TO BUILD. BUT, UH, BETWEEN THE TCEQ AND THE EVIDENCE THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED WITH NOTABLE DISSENSION FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE ARE NOT READY TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS. SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S RIGHT FOR US TO CONSIDER THIS. UH, YOU KNOW, I'M CHIMING IN TODAY, MAYOR PRIMARILY TO SAY THAT THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF SEVERAL ISSUES THAT'S BEFORE US. THAT INVOLVES OUR FRIENDS AT UNION PACIFIC. AND NOTABLY, NEXT WEEK, A WEEK FROM TOMORROW, ON THURSDAY THE 12TH OF MAY, WE WILL HAVE OUR NEXT IN THE SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RAILROAD CROSSINGS. AND THAT'S WITH THE TTI COMMITTEE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION COMPONENT THAT'S INVOLVED. IT'S WITH THE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE FOR ALL THOSE HEALTH RELATED AND, UH, LIFE THREATENING CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE, NOT ONLY WITH UNION PACIFIC, BUT WITH OTHER RAILROADS AND, UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE REGULATION AND NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS COMMITTEE FOR, FOR WHAT THAT ALL IMPLIES FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. AND MAYOR. LASTLY, JUST TO, TO SPEAK TO THAT IN PREPARATION. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS AND I WERE ON THE PHONE YESTERDAY WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON WHO WILL NOT BE SHOWING UP. UH, I'M, I'M SORRY TO SAY, BUT WE HAVE HAD SOME COOPERATION FROM THEM. AND I KNOW WITH OUR VISIT TO WASHINGTON LAST WEEK, MAYOR, AND THE CONVERSATION WITH THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION, WE HAVE, WE HAVE GROUNDS ON WHICH TO STAND AND WORK. SO I THINK THAT, UH, UH, YES, WE NEED TO KEEP THIS IN FRONT OF OUR FRIENDS AT UNION PACIFIC. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. I THINK, UM, WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENED AND IS CURRENTLY THE SITUATION IN FIFTH WARD IS EGREGIOUS, AND THAT I WOULD HOLD HIGHER THAN ALMOST ANY CITY, ANY ISSUE BEFORE THE CITY. SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS, UM, TO CONSIDER THE SINS OF THIS FOR ANOTHER WEEK. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, MY QUESTIONS ARE GONNA BE DIRECTED, UH, TO THE CITY ATTORNEY WHEN READING EVEN THE CAPTION FOR ITEM 24. IT SAYS, APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY. SO AS THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, ARE WE THE ONE THAT'S CREATING, UH, THE AGREEMENT WITH THEM IN CONTRACTUAL FORM? WHAT ARE WE AUTHORIZING? IS THIS, ARE WE PUTTING FORTH THIS AGREEMENT? THE LANGUAGE, UH, IT, IT'S BEEN JOINTLY WORKED OUT BETWEEN, BETWEEN THE TWO. IT'S JUST SORT OF A STANDARD PROCESS, UH, THAT, THAT WE DO. WHEN THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE NEED ACCESS TO THEIR PROPERTY, OTHER TIMES THEY NEED ACCESS TO OUR PROPERTY. AND SO I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE THIS IS A LEGAL AGREEMENT, RIGHT? AND AS THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE AGREEMENTS THAT WE PUT FORWARD. AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CREATIVE ABOUT THE LANGUAGE AND THE PROVISIONS WITHIN THOSE AGREEMENTS THAT GIVES US SOME TYPE OF LEGAL AUTHORITY WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY DON'T COMPLY ON OTHER MEASURES, THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO COMPLY WITH, UM, ISSUES SUCH AS THE ONES THAT WE'RE DECIDING ON WITH THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. BUT IF WE CAN START TO PUT LANGUAGE THAT HOLDS THEM ACCOUNTABLE THAT ARE, THAT'S CONTINGENT. BUT FOR YOU DOING THIS, WE WON'T DO THAT. THAT'S A PART OF IT. THEN WE WOULDN'T JUST HAVE TO TAG THIS FOR A WEEK. WE CAN SAY, NO, YOU BREACHED THE CONTRACT BY NOT DOING X, Y, Z. YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET PAYMENT, OR YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET CERTAIN SERVICES. AND THEN IT CAN JUST BECOME SOMETHING THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO FIGHT IN LITIGATION, BUT WE CAN PROTECT OURSELVES ON THE FRONT END IF WE CREATE THE LANGUAGE THAT ENSURES THAT THEY MUST DO X, Y, ZA PART OF THAT AGREEMENT. UH, AND IF THEY DO NOT DO SO, THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO COMPLY. 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, BASED ON OUR AGREEMENT, IF WE DON'T PAY, OF COURSE WE'LL BE, IT'S A BREACH. BUT IF WE HAD LANGUAGE WITHIN THE AGREEMENT THAT PROTECTS US IN THESE INSTANCES, IF THEY DON'T DO CERTAIN, UM, REQUESTS, THEN, THEN WE ARE NOT IN BREACH. AND SO AS THE LEGISLATIVE BODY, I THINK THAT'S THE WAY IN WHICH WE CAN TRY TO HAVE LEVERAGE IN THE WAYS IN WHICH WE, UM, INTERACT AND DO BUSINESS WITH THESE DIFFERENT ENTITIES. UM, THAT PUTS US IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND WE DICTATE THE TERMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT [04:35:01] THIS IS A STORM WALL DRAINAGE, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT IN DISTRICT H IN DENVER HARBOR, AND IT'S TO CONSTRUCT STORM WATER DRAINAGE AND PAVING IMPROVEMENTS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF STRUCTURAL FLOODING. SO WHILE I APPRECIATE THE, THE SYMBOLIC, UM, STAND AGAINST UP, AND I'M WITH YOU ON THAT, THIS COULD BE NOT SO GOOD FOR MY DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE EXISTING AT GRADE CROSSING AREA, UM, ALONG THE RAILROAD TRACK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UM, UH, BETWEEN, ALONG CREST STREET, BETWEEN, UM, LARIMER AND CLINTON DRIVE THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH CONSTRUCTION OF THE CREST STREET PROJECT. SO I, I AM WITH YOU ON ALL THE, THE THINGS THAT WE ARE, WE ARE WORKING TO THE COMPLIANCE AND COOPERATION, COLLABORATION, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERATION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET FROM, FROM ALL OF OUR RAILROAD, UM, COMPANIES. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, DON'T, DON'T CUT OFF OUR NOSE TO SPITE OUR FACE. SO I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. BUT, BUT, BUT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PROJECT FOR, FOR, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE. OKAY. THANK YOU. LEMME JUST SAY THIS, THIS ONE IS BEING TAGGED. WE, I THINK WE ARE SPEAKING WAY BEYOND, NOT YOU ITEM. I THINK IT'S OKAY. SO THIS IS, YEAH, THIS IS, I KNOW IT'S JUST A WEEK. OKAY. I'M, I'M GOOD WITH THAT. ALRIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER GAGO FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST REMINDING US THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, FIND, IDENTIFY ANY WAY THAT WE CAN TO HOLD UP ACCOUNTABLE. UM, WE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN A GOOD PARTNER. THE MEETING LAST NIGHT, IT WAS JUST HORRIFIC. IT WAS SAD. I MEAN, WE LEARNED ABOUT FAMILIES, YOU KNOW, GENERATIONS DYING FROM CANCER, KIDS DYING FROM CANCER. I MEAN, THE HUMAN LOSS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, JUST, IT'S BEEN DEVASTATING AND UP HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT. AND SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO CONTINUE TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, I'M, I'M WITH IT A HUNDRED PERCENT. UM, I WILL JOIN THE TAG AND I WOULD JOIN EVERY TAG AFTER THIS, YOU KNOW, TAG BECAUSE WE HAVE TO LIKE, PUT A STOP TO IT. I MEAN, THE, THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT'S IN FIFTH WARD, CASHEL GARDEN, PLEASANTVILLE, THESE PEOPLE ARE HURTING. THEY'RE HURTING. AND I MEAN, MY HEART HURT LAST NIGHT. THERE WAS A WOMAN JUST STANDING THERE DYING FROM CANCER, YOU KNOW, AND SHE'S SPEAKING. SHE HAD JUST LOST HER BROTHER. AND SO WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. THIS IS PEOPLE LIVES IN STATE. AND SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE CAN. IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTING IN ANY WAY FASHION THAT WE CAN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UM, I, I WANTED TO BE WITH YOU ALL LAST NIGHT, UM, AT THE TCQ HEARING BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT. I HAD MY DISTRICT TOWN HALL ON REDISTRICTING, SO I COULDN'T. UM, BUT MAYOR, I KNOW YOU REPRESENTED US AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS REPRESENTED US WELL. UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CIS, I, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THESE FLOOD MITIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS INTO NEIGHBORHOODS. I THINK WHAT'S HARD TO STOMACH IS THAT WE ARE APPROPRIATING AND PAYING FOR A PORTION OF THIS, WHEN REALLY IT NEEDS TO BE UNION PACIFIC FOOTING THE BILL A HELL OF A LOT MORE THAN THEY ARE. AND COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. I WAS JUST AT ORIGINAL NFAS LAST WEEK. I ASKED CHEF, HOW'S THE TRAINS? IT, THERE ARE NO WORDS FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE EAST END. DISTRICT C HAS ALSO BEEN FACING IT, NOT TO THE EXTENT, BUT WITH THOSE ROADBLOCKS, LONG WASHINGTON AVENUE CORRIDOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES CANNOT GET THROUGH. IT'S DANGEROUS. UM, SO, AND ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT, MAYOR, AND I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS, HOW THEY HAVE RUN DOWN THEIR PROPERTIES, ESPECIALLY ALONGSIDE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, YOU DEAL WITH THIS AS WELL IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE FLOODING IS OCCURRING RIGHT NOW. AND THEY NEED TO BE TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS, THE LIVES COSTS, THE FLOODING, THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. IT'S NOT OKAY. SO, UM, I, I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION, MAYOR. I LOVE THAT WE WILL BE CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT THIS. UH, AND I, I JUST WANT DISTRICT C RESIDENTS TO KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET UP ON THIS EITHER. THANK YOU. AND COUNCILMAN MAG GALLEGOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON STATED YESTERDAY, HE AND I HAD A VIRTUAL MEETING WITH THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION. THEY HAD THREE REPRESENTATIVES, THEIR CHIEF COUNSEL, CHIEF SAFETY OFFICER, AND AGAIN, THEY HAD THEIR CHIEF COUNSEL THERE, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THEY ASK, THEY, THEY WERE ABLE TO ASK OR ANSWER QUESTIONS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. UH, AND I WANNA THANK, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, UH, FOR, UH, ARRANGING THIS. UH, SHE WAS HOPING, AND I MENTIONED IT TO HER LAST NIGHT AT THE BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP [04:40:01] EVENT, UH, THAT, UH, IT WAS A VIRTUAL MEETING THAT THEY CHOSE AND STATED THEY COULD NOT COME TO A PUBLIC MEETING. SHE WAS NOT VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT. UH, SO SHE SAID SHE WAS GONNA REACH OUT TO THEM TO SEE IF THEY CAN HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE. NEXT WEEK AT OUR JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING, WHICH IS A FOLLOW UP MEETING, IT'S ON MAY THE 12TH AT 10 O'CLOCK, A FOLLOW UP MEETING FROM OUR JANUARY MEETING AND YESTERDAY, MAYOR. AND THIS IS SOMETHING I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO. I MEAN, IT'S BAD ENOUGH WHEN A TRAIN IS STOPPED AND BLOCKING AN INTERSECTION FOR HOURS WHEN PEOPLE CANNOT GET TO WORK, WHEN PEOPLE CANNOT TAKE THEIR KIDS TO AND FROM SCHOOL. BUT WHAT'S REALLY, REALLY BOTHERSOME IS WHEN YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE AND YOU SEE THAT AMBULANCE, YOU SEE THAT FIRE TRUCK, YOU SEE THAT POLICE CAR, AND THEY'RE BLOCKED AND THEY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET AROUND EVERY SECOND IS IMPORTANT. AND WE WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED YESTERDAY TO HEAR FROM THE CHIEF COUNCIL. 'CAUSE I ASKED WITH TECHNOLOGY TODAY, ISN'T THERE A WAY WHERE WE CAN MONITOR SO THAT WAY UNION PACIFIC DISPATCH CAN SEND A, UH, SOMETHING TO HPD DISPATCH, HFD DISPATCH, AND SAY, THERE'S A TRAIN THERE, IT'S GONNA BE THERE FOR TWO HOURS. SO THEREFORE, WHEN THERE'S AN EMERGENCY, THEY KNOW NOT TO BOTHER TO GO TO THOSE INTERSECTIONS. THEY CAN WORK THEIR WAY AROUND. THE CHIEF COUNCIL SAID, YES, THERE IS THAT, THERE'S A CITY THAT ACTUALLY HAS THESE MONITORS. SHE DIDN'T RELEASE THAT INFORMATION, BUT SHE DID. THEY DID SAY THEY WOULD SEND IT TO US. UH, ONCE WE DO RECEIVE IT, I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU ABSOLUTELY. TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT. UH, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE WE'RE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. UH, THERE, THERE WAS A, A FEW YEARS AGO BEFORE COVID, THERE WAS A FIRE, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RAILROAD TRACK THERE ON LAWNDALE. THE HOUSE WAS JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE. THE FIRE TRUCK COULDN'T GET AROUND, YOU KNOW, SO, SO, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON. AND IF THERE IS SUCH MONITORS OUT THERE, THEN WHY IN THE HECK IS UNION PACIFIC NOT SHARING THAT INFORMATION? 'CAUSE I HAVE ASKED THEM MANY TIMES, IS THERE A WAY TO DO THIS? AND IF THERE ARE MONITORS OUT THERE, THEY NEED TO STEP UP WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND PROVIDE THOSE MONITORS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S THESE INTERSECTIONS THAT THEY'RE CONSTANTLY, CONSTANTLY BLOCKING. SO ONCE WE GET THAT INFORMATION FROM THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, I WILL SHARE THAT WITH YOU, MAYOR, AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HOPEFULLY HAVE UNION PACIFIC WORK WITH US REGARDING THOSE MONITORS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALSO VERY, VERY MUCH. AND THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT, WE'LL, THAT WILL CONTINUE. ALRIGHT. THE, THE ITEM IS BEING ITEM 24 4 IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. JACKSON. JACKSON. PLUMBER. PLUMBER. OKAY. NEXT ITEM. [NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS] ITEM 28TH IS A MOTION TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CHAPTER 42, THE TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS. THE SUGGESTED HEARING DATE IS 9:00 AM MAY 11TH, CASTEX T MOVE SECOND ROBINSON. AND MOVE THEN SECOND TO SET A HEARING DATE FOR WEDNESDAY, 9:00 AM MAY 11TH. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED. GRANTED. ITEM [MATTERS HELD] 29 IS AN ORDINANCE. YOU SEE THE VOTE? ITEM 29, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I TAGGED THIS ITEM LAST WEEK, UM, TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS WITH ADVOCATES. UM, THEY HAD SOME ISSUES WITH TRANSPARENCY AND JUST, YOU KNOW, UM, NOTICE, UM, ABOUT THE HEARINGS. AND SO I WAS PREPARED TO SUBMIT AN, UM, AMENDMENT TO SECTION FOUR FOUR DASH 1 26 ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND APPROVAL AND, UM, NOTICE REQUIREMENTS. UM, AND OF COURSE, THE AMENDMENTS WAS GONNA COVER, YOU KNOW, PUTTING NOTICES ON THE WEBSITE AND, UM, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S, UM, THAT THAT SPANISH SPEAKING INDIVIDUALS TRANSLATION EQUIPMENT IS AVAILABLE. UM, AND THAT, UM, THE ORDINANCE IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC BEFORE THE HEARING. UM, AFTER FURTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION AND VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, I LEARNED THAT IT WAS SOME LEGAL ISSUES, UM, THAT WE COULDN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ORDINANCE. AND SO, UM, I GUESS WE ARE GOING, I GUESS I'M GONNA WAIT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO LET ME KNOW HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, RIGHT. IF WE PROCEEDED WITH THE AMENDMENTS ON, LET'S SAY THE AMENDMENT'S PASSED, ONE COULD OBJECT TO, UH, WHAT WE ARE DOING MM-HMM . WITH THE, UM, UM, WHAT IS IT? THE TAX ABATEMENT? YES, SIR. WITH THE TAX ABATEMENT, BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN NOTICE FOR THE, FOR THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE ARE PUTTING ON. SO WITH YOUR PERMISSION, UH, WE ARE GOING TO, WE WILL PROCEED WITH IT AS IS, AND THEN WE WILL THEN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL NOTICE ABOUT THE NOTICE AMENDMENT THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING AND BRING IT AND COME BACK WITH YOUR PARTICULAR AMENDMENTS. OKAY. AND WHEN AWAY WILL WE COME BACK WITH THE AMENDMENTS? I THINK IT TAKES 30 DAYS TO PUT OUT THE NOTICE. SO ONCE 30 DAYS TO PUT OUT THE NOTICE. AND THEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THOSE 30 DAYS HAVE [04:45:01] EXPIRED, WE CAN COME BACK WITH THE AMENDMENTS. I NEED YOU TO ADD A WEEK TO GET, SO, SO GIMME ANOTHER WEEK OR TWO, BUT WE HAVE TO GIVE 30 DAYS NOTICE AND THEN ADD ANOTHER WEEK OR TWO TO WORK WITH US, MARTY, AND EVERYBODY, TO GET IT ON THE AGENDA. SO I WOULD SAY ABOUT 45 DAYS OR SO. OKAY. IS THAT GOOD? SO CAN WE JUST EXPLAIN WHY, SO PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY WE CAN'T? UM, I KNOW YOU SAY IT'S 30 DAYS, RIGHT? WELL, LET ME ASK TOUR MICHELLE, THE LEGAL ATTORNEY, IF YOU'LL EXPLAIN. YEAH. IT'S, YOU. AS WITH MANY, UH, AGREEMENTS WITH PUBLIC ENTITIES, THERE'S A PUBLIC NOTICE THAT'S REQUIRED. IT'S A LEGAL NOTICE, AND IF YOU CHANGE IT, YOU AND, UH, YOU DO NOT PUT OUT ANOTHER NOTICE. YOU, YOU FACE A POSSIBILITY IT MIGHT BE CHALLENGED AND IT COULD BE DOWN THE LINE WHEN ACTIVITIES ALREADY OCCURRED. SO I THINK WHAT THE MAYOR OUTLINED IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO PROCEED TO IMPLEMENT, UH, UH, WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE. OKAY. AND IN THE MEANTIME, WITHIN THOSE 30 DAYS, LET'S WORK WITH YOU ON YOUR AMENDMENTS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, UM, THE MEASUREMENTS THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH. ALRIGHT. MOST OF THEM ARE, ARE JUST NOTICE PROVISIONS, NOTICE REQUIREMENTS. YES, SIR. BUT LET'S WORK WITH YOU WITHIN THOSE 30 DAYS. SO WE, WE WON'T WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE EXPIRATION AND THEN SIT DOWN. LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE, OF THIS PERIOD TO YES, SIR. MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE. OKAY. THANK YOU, SIR. OKAY. VICE MAYOR PRO TEMP CAST TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AND, UH, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. WE HAD A LENGTHY DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, HER AMENDMENT. AND I THINK EVERYBODY RECEIVED A COPY OF IT THIS MORNING, UH, UH, WITH SOME VERBIAGE FROM THE TEXAS APPLESEED ORGANIZATION. AND, UH, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE ADDITIONAL, UM, WORDS THAT THEY WANT TO ADD TO, UH, THE TAX ABATEMENT ORDINANCE, UM, WHEN YOU GO THROUGH IT, A LOT OF THE STUFF WE ALREADY DO. UM, BUT I THINK WHAT THE BIG ISSUE IS TRANSPARENCY. AND WE HEAR THAT ALL THE TIME AT THIS HORSESHOE ORGANIZATIONS WANT TRANSPARENCY. EVERYONE WANTS TRANSPARENCY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND LOOKING AT WHAT THEY ARE ASKING FOR, UM, THE, ONE OF THE VERY FIRST THINGS IS THEY, THEY WANTED TO ADD THE NON-LEGAL, THEY WANTED THE NOTICE TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE NON-LEGAL SECTION OF THE NEWSPAPER. AND I THINK THAT, UM, WHEN YOU START SAYING, I DON'T WANT IT IN THE, IN THE, IN THE LEGAL SECTION, I WANT IT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SECTION. I MEAN, PEOPLE GET LOST IN WHERE TO FIND THE ACTUAL NOTICES. UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING, UM, ON THE, ON THE, UH, UH, PROPOSAL IS THEY WANTED A COPY OF THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT BEFORE WE VOTED ON IT. AND IF I'M CORRECT, UM, ATTORNEY MICHELLE, DO WE GIVE ANY CONTRACTS OUT BEFORE WE VOTE ON THEM? NO, I CAN ANSWER THAT ONE. YEAH. SO, SO I THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE AN ISSUE WE, WE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT. UM, AND THEN THE BIG THING IS WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON AND I TALKED ABOUT IS HOW CAN WE IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY WITH OFFICIAL PUBLIC NOTICES? AND I, I THINK A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US IS IF THERE WAS A PORTAL ON THE CITY WEBSITE THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE POST AS A LEGAL NOTICE WILL GO TO ONE PLACE. UM, SO PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO SAY, OH, I DIDN'T FIND IT IN THE LEGAL NOTICES IN THE NEWSPAPER. I DIDN'T FIND IT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SECTION ON THE NEWSPAPER. I COULDN'T FIND IT ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE. I COULDN'T FIND IT ON THE OBO SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE THAT IF IT IS A LEGAL NOTICE THAT WE POST THAT WE WOULD PUT IT ON THE PORTAL ON THE CITY WEBSITE THAT WAY. UM, THE CURRENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT DOES NOT HAVE, UM, A SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE. AND THAT WAS KIND OF ONE OF THEIR SUGGESTIONS. SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO CREATE A SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE TO POST THIS. BUT IF WE HAD AN OFFICIAL PORTAL ON THE CITY WEBSITE FOR LEGAL NOTICES, EVERYONE THAT'S LOOKING FOR ANY NOTICE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WOULD KNOW WHERE TO GO TO FIND IT. AND I THINK IT TAKES AWAY ALL OF THE CONFUSION OF WHERE TO FIND THE NOTICES. HOW OFTEN DO WE POST THESE NOTICES? IT PUTS EVERYTHING IN ONE SINGLE PLACE. AND I THINK IT SPEAKS TO, YOU KNOW, THEY, ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS WAS TO PUT IT ON EVERY CALENDAR THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON UTILIZES. I MEAN, THAT IN ITSELF SEEMS CUMBERSOME TO ME. BUT IF WE HAD ONE PORTAL FOR LEGAL NOTICES ON THE CITY WEBSITE, ANYONE LOOKING FOR A LEGAL NOTICE WOULD KNOW WHERE TO GO. THAT MAKES SENSE. OKAY. MM-HMM . SO WE JUST NEED TO DETERMINE COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, I AND I WORK WITH YOU AND THE ANYONE FROM THE TEXAS, UM, APPLE SEED ORGANIZATION AND, AND MAKE SURE WE CAN GET WITH, UM, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAINTAINING OUR CITY'S WEBSITE TO [04:50:01] GET ONE CITY PORTAL FOR ALL OF OUR LEGAL NOTICES. AND IN THAT CASE, YOU MAY WANNA WORK WITH, UM, UH, JESSE BALANCE AND LISA. OKAY. WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY DO THAT. WE'LL ON. OKAY. BUT THAT MAKES SENSE. OKAY. SO WE'RE GOOD 'CAUSE WE'RE OKAY. OKAY. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. AND TEXAS APPLESEED AND, UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, PROPOSING I THINK REALLY HELPFUL SOLUTIONS TO SOME OF THIS. I JUST WANTED TO ALSO EMPHASIZE, MAYOR, THE IMPORTANCE WHEN POSSIBLE OF ITEMS LIKE THIS COMING BEFORE COMMITTEE. UM, SO THAT AS COUNCIL, WE CAN LOOK AT IT, ASK THE QUESTIONS THAT WE NEED TO AS WELL. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A, A BRIEF PRESENTATION BEFORE THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, BUT IT IS HELPFUL WHEN WE CAN, UM, HAVE THINGS BROUGHT BEFORE COMMITTEE TO REALLY DEEP DIVE INTO SOME OF THESE ISSUES, ESPECIALLY WITH RENEWALS LIKE THIS WHEN POSSIBLE. ALRIGHT. UM, VICE MEMBER TIM CASH. TATUM. SO, AND I DID WANT TO ADD THAT, UM, GWEN TILLSON FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB OF MAKING SURE WE ARE UPDATED ON THIS. UM, WE'VE HAD TWO TAX ABATEMENTS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. THOSE ALL GO TO COMMITTEE, THEY'RE ALL POSTED, THEY'RE ALL POSTED ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE. UM, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY'S BUSY AND WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND A LOT OF MEETINGS, AND IT'S A LOT TO MANAGE. UM, BUT THESE ARE POSTED, WE SEND OUT OVER 9,000, UM, EMAILS TO PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRIBUTION LIST ABOUT THESE TAX ABATEMENTS WHEN THEY'RE IN PROGRESS. AND WE'VE ASKED TO ALSO INCLUDE A REPORT BACK OF THE PROGRESS. UM, SO WE'LL, WE'LL SEE THAT COMING BACK OUT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, REPORT. SO THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE IMPORTANT. IF YOU'RE NOT ON THE DISTRIBUTION LIST AND YOU WANT TO BE, LET US KNOW. WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE THOSE NOTICES. WE GIVE OUT AS MUCH INFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. UM, BUT I DO THINK US MOVING TO ONE CENTRAL PORTAL IS GOING TO BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR NOT ONLY THIS ISSUE, BUT FOR A BROADER, UM, ABILITY FOR US TO ADDRESS THE TRANSPARENCY ISSUE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. OKAY. COUNCILMAN JACKSON. UM, BUT I DO WANT TO ADD, MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE ADMINISTRATION ON THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE WITH, UM, THE TAX ABATEMENT ORDINANCE. I RECALL IN 2016, I MADE MY FIRST PUB PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, HERE ON COUNCIL ABOUT THE ORDINANCE WHEN YOU CAME INTO THE OFFICE AND YOU AMENDED IT. AND ONE OF THE CONCERNS WAS THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TEETH IN IT, THERE WAS NOT A REQUIREMENT, UM, FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS, BUT NOW THERE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS. SO JUST WANNA THANK THE ADMINISTRATION, COMMEND YOU ON THE PROGRESS. I SEE ALL THE PROGRESS THAT WE ARE MAKING, THAT WE'VE MADE OVER THE YEARS. AND, UM, I'M HAPPY TO BE PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE ARE JUST, WE'RE JUST HERE TO SERVE Y'ALL AND, UH, WE TRY TO ACQUIESCE TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS' REQUESTS IN THAT CASE. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 29? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED GRANT ON 29? LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. COUNCILMAN JACKSON. ALRIGHT. OH, THAT MADAM SECRETARY, THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. OH, OKAY. ALRIGHT. 10 25. OKAY. ALRIGHT. [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] UH, TODAY ON THE POPOFF, WE START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY, IT WILL HAVE BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE JOSUE FLORES'S BRUTAL MURDER ON HIS WALK HOME FROM SCHOOL. HE WAS 11 YEARS OLD. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE YEAR HE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE YEAR HE WAS GETTING READY TO HEAD OFF TO COLLEGE. HOUE WANTED TO BE A DOCTOR. POWE'S FAMILY HAS ENDURED AN UNIMAGINABLE AND DEVASTATING LOSS. SO HAS THE COMMUNITY, AND SO HAS EVERYONE WHO IS SHOCKED AND HORRIFIED BY JOSE SUE'S BRUTAL MURDER. THE INDICTMENT OF A SUSPECT CAME THREE YEARS AGO WHEN NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, SINCE THE MURDER ALLOWED FOR MORE SOPHISTICATED TESTING THAT LINKED SOLID DNA EVIDENCE TO A PARTICULAR SUSPECT. ANOTHER THREE YEARS HAVE NOW PASSED YESTERDAY, THAT STRONG DNA EVIDENCE LED TO A GUILTY VERDICT OF THE MURDERER. AND WHILE THIS BRINGS JUSTICE FOR JOSUE, IT ALSO BRINGS A RENEWED AND PROFOUND GRIEF FOR HIS LOSS. WE'VE NEVER GIVEN UP, NO ONE HAS. I WANT TO THANK THE FLORES FAMILY FOR THEIR FAITH IN THE SYSTEM, THE COMMUNITY FOR THEIR PATIENTS, AND ALL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WHO WORK TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY. DISTRICT ATTORNEY, OG, CHIEF FINNER, CHIEF ACEVEDO, MAYOR TURNER, AND THE COMMUNITY HAVE CONTINUED TO SEEK JUSTICE. JOSE HU'S MURDER WAS PRO PROFOUNDLY SHOOK THE NEAR NORTH SIDE. [04:55:01] NOTHING HAS ROCKED DISTRICT H MORE SHOCK, AGONY, AND OUTRAGE EVENTUALLY TRANSFORMED INTO EMPOWERMENT, MOBILIZATION, AND PULLING TOGETHER FOR POSITIVE CHANGE. THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE IMPACT AND ROLE HIS DEATH HAS PLAYED IN UNIFYING THE NEAR NORTH SIDE. THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONTINUES TO MOURN HIM. AND SINCE HIS DEATH, THE COMMUNITY HAS STEADFASTLY MAINTAINED AN ALTAR AT THE SITE OF HIS MURDER OVER TIME. THAT IS INCLUDED, A SERIES OF TENTS, BANNERS ACROSS FLOWERS, BALLOONS, AND SMALL GIFTS LEFT IN HIS MEMORIES, CEREMONIES AND PRAYER VIGILS HO SUE'S MOTHER HAS REQUESTED HELP IN SHIFTING A CELEBRATION OF HOSUE TO HIS BIRTHDAY, WHICH IS AUGUST 10TH INSTEAD OF THE DAY HE DIED. PLEASE HELP HONOR HER REQUEST. I INTEND TO HONOR HER REQUEST THAT, THAT VERY WAY. UM, THE NEXT THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS, UM, REDISTRICTING. SO THE REDISTRICTING MEETINGS ARE UNDERWAY. THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS ENCOURAGING RESIDENTS TO SUBMIT, UM, IDEAS, INPUT AND SUGGESTIONS OF WHAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AND WHAT THE NEW DISTRICT SHOULD LOOK LIKE. THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS IS JULY 20TH AT 4:45 PM UM, THE REDISTRICTING TIMELINE IS FIRMLY SET, AND THE NEWLY DRAWN BOUNDARIES WILL GUIDE THE CITY'S ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER, 2023. HAVING SET ALL THAT, WHILE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CENSUS DATA AND FAIR REPRESENTATION, NOW IS AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO RECONSIDER SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS AND AT, AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER POSITIONS. THE ARGUMENT THAT I'VE HEARD THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE THEY CAN FOCUS ON CITYWIDE ISSUES. I WILL TELL YOU THAT JUST ABOUT EVERY DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER ALSO SPENDS A SIGNIFICANT TIME AND HAS SPECIAL INTEREST THAT THEY DEVOTE TIME TO, THAT ARE CITYWIDE ISSUES THAT AFFECT AND IMPACT THE WHOLE CITY. IF IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY, IF IT'S QUALITY OF LIFE, IF IT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE, VISION ZERO, THE CITY'S FINANCES, MOBILITY, CHILDREN AND YOUTH, THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT AFFECT THE WHOLE CITY. THAT DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO CARRY THE ARGUMENT. THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL ONLY CARE ABOUT THEIR OWN DISTRICTS, DOES NOT HOLD WATER GOING FROM 11 TO 16. SMALLER DISTRICTS WOULD BE MORE MANAGEABLE FOR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS. THEY WOULD STILL NOT BE SMALL, BUT THEY WOULD BE MORE MANAGEABLE TO SERVE. THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE IF THERE WERE 16, LOOKING AT, UM, THE, OUR, OUR CITY'S POPULATION OF 2.3 MILLION. THAT WOULD, IF WE COULD DIVIDE THAT BY 16, THAT WOULD BE 144,000 CONSTITUENTS PER DISTRICT AS OPPOSED TO THE, THE, THE NEW GOAL FOR THE RE CURRENT REDISTRICTING EFFORT AT 2009, THAT WOULD BE 65,000 LESS PEOPLE PER PER DISTRICT. LOOKING AT THE 10 LARGEST CITIES IN, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, UM, SAN ANTONIO, DALLAS, AUSTIN, FORT WORTH, EL PASO, ARLINGTON, LAREDO, LUBBOCK, THOSE ARE THE, THE, THE AND THE, THE EIGHT OF THE 10. THEY ALL HAVE MOVED TO SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS. UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MOST OF THEM HAVE, HAVE, UM, DONE THAT THROUGH CHARTER AMENDMENTS. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S EXACTLY CORRECT, BUT THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE. UM, CORPUS CHRISTI'S HAS THREE AT LARGE MEMBERS AND FIVE SINGLE ONES. PLANO IS ONLY AT LARGE MEMBERS. THEY'RE OF COURSE MUCH SMALLER THAN WE ARE. I JUST, I'M ALMOST, WE'LL COME BACK, WE'LL COME BACK AROUND. CUSTOMER CISNEROS MAYOR, I APPROACH HIM. MARTIN, THANK YOU MAYOR KINGWOOD MONTHLY RECYCLING EVENT WILL HAPPEN IN THIS SATURDAY, MAY 7TH FROM 9:00 AM TO THREE O'CLOCK OR UNTIL THE TRUCKS ARE FILLED. AND THAT USUALLY IS THE CASE AT THE KINGWOOD METRO PARK. AND ROD. INCREASED SAFETY PROTOCOLS DUE TO COVID-19 RESIDENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK OR FACE COVERING. WHEN TALKING TO STAFF. RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PLACE ITEMS FOR DROP OFF IN THEIR TRUNK FOR EASY CONTACTLESS UNLOADING. THIS PAST WEDNESDAY, I HAD THE HONOR OF SITTING DOWN AND TALKING WITH NASA JOHNSON, SPACE CENTER DIRECTOR VANESSA WECH AT THE ASCEND TEXAS KICKOFF PANEL, UH, DIRECTOR WECH AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SPACE EXPLORATION AND HOW THE CITY OF HOUSTON, IN PARTICULAR HOUSTON SPACEPORT, WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE ALONGSIDE OF NASA. I'D LIKE TO THANK DIRECTOR WECH AND HER TEAM AT NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO THE FUTURE OF SPACE EXPLORATION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I'D LIKE TO ALSO WISH THE NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, A HAPPY 60TH ANNIVERSARY. THE SOUTHEAST CLEAR LAKE RE REDISTRICT AND TOWN HALL WILL BE HELD AT SPACE CENTER HOUSTON SPECIAL EVENTS ROOM ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 18TH AT 6:00 PM [05:00:02] AGAIN, THE CLEAR LAKE REDISTRICTING WEDNESDAY, MAY 18TH AT 6:00 PM AT SPACE CENTER HOUSTON. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TIM, CAST STATE TATUM. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, TONIGHT IS OUR NIGHT IN DISTRICT A. WE HAVE OUR REDISTRICTING TOWN HALL AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT UPDATE. OUR MEETING IS AT 6:00 PM AT THE FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER AT 1 4 0 8 3 SOUTH MAINE. HOPE ALL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, ANYONE INTERESTED, WILL COME LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL THERE TONIGHT. UM, ALSO WANT TO, UM, LET RESIDENTS KNOW IN THE BRAY OAKS COMMUNITY THAT WE'VE STARTED THE STREET CONSTRUCTION ON BOB WHITE, THAT, UM, STREET HAS BEEN, UH, IN NEED OF SOME SERIOUS REHABILITATION. UM, WE'VE GONE BY THERE, WE'VE SEEN THE IMPROVEMENTS. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED THAT THAT STREET IS, UM, BEING WORKED ON. AND I THINK THE RESIDENTS WILL, UM, ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF THAT NEW ROAD ON, UH, BOB WHITE IN BRA OAKS. THEN ALSO MAYOR, I WANT TO THANK, UM, CITY LEGAL KIM, UH, MICHAELSON AND YOLANDA WOODS AND STAFF FROM, UH, CHRISTIAN MENIFEE OFFICE AND THE SOUTH HOUSTON CONCERNS CITIZENS. WE HAD A, A MEETING ABOUT THE GLO HOMES, UM, THROUGHOUT DISTRICT A THAT ARE REALLY, UM, IMPACTING THE INTEGRITY OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, WE ARE ASKING ALL OF THE RESIDENTS IN THE DISTRICT WHO ARE DEALING WITH THESE HOMES TO LET US KNOW. WE'VE COMPILED A LIST. UM, WE WILL BE REACHING OUT TO THE GLO AND ASKING IF THERE IS, UM, ANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING THE DEED RESTRICTIONS AND THAT WE AREN'T JUST PUTTING, UM, HOMES WITH ONE WINDOW ON A, NOT ON A SLAB WITH NO GARAGE FOR THESE RESIDENTS WHO HAD THESE HOMES. UM, THEY'RE GETTING TWO BEDROOMS. AND, AND IT, IT REALLY IS A, A COMPLEX, COMPLICATED ISSUE BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY LITTLE AUTHORITY OVER THIS, BUT THE RESIDENTS ARE LOOKING TO US TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN. UM, SO IT PUTS US IN A, IN A TOUGH SITUATION, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO WORK WITH THE GLO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, PROVIDING RESIDENTS WITH A, A, A QUALITY HOME AS OPPOSED TO, UM, JUST A, A A TWO BEDROOM IN, IN MANY CASES, UM, WITHOUT A GARAGE ON STILTS. UM, VERY MUCH UNLIKE WHAT THE OTHER HOMES ARE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. UM, THEN I WANT TO, UM, LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS WEEK THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HOPES THAT YOU WILL JOIN US AT THE PUBLIC KICKOFF MEETING FOR OUR LARGE TRACK PROJECT ALL ALONG STELLA LINK. AND THAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW, THURSDAY, MAY 5TH FROM FIVE 30 TO SIX 30 AT THE HARMONY SCHOOL OF INGENUITY. UM, HOPE THAT EVERYONE WILL COME OUT WHERE WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE, UM, POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF UP TO 240 NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THAT AREA. UM, RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SPEEDING ALL OVER THE CITY. I MEAN, EVERYBODY IS SAYING PEOPLE ARE IN A HURRY. PEOPLE ARE SPEEDING. WELL, THERE'S A SECTION ON WEST BELFORT THAT HAS BEEN, UM, SO MANY TRAGIC ACCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED ALONG THIS STRETCH OF WEST BELFORT FROM ATWELL TO MULLINS. SUPER EXCITED THAT, UM, PUBLIC WORKS WILL BE OUT THERE. WE'RE PUTTING SOME RAISED PAVEMENT MARKINGS ALONG THE STREET WITH SOME ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE, UM, TO TRY TO SLOW PEOPLE DOWN IN THAT AREA. SO IF YOU SEE WORK HAPPENING IN THAT AREA, PLEASE SLOW DOWN SO THAT THE CONTRACTORS CAN SAFELY PUT THIS, THESE PRECAUTIONS ON THE STREETS WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. BUT WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THAT WE ARE HELPING WITH THE EXCESSIVE SPEEDING IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA. AND THEN FINALLY, I WANNA ADD HOW MUCH I ENJOYED EARTH DAY. UM, APRIL 22ND OF LAST WEEK, OUR STAFF WENT OUT AND WE VISITED, UM, A LOT OF THE SPACES IN THE DISTRICT THAT WE LOVE. WE LOOKED AT OUR FLORAL, UH, BRIDGE CAPS AND OUR NEW, UM, CIVIC ART THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT AND OUR, OUR, OUR HOPSCOTCH SPACES AND ALL THE FUN THINGS IN OUR DISTRICT. AND IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF LOVING OUR EARTH AND THE SPACES IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, AND WE ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO FILL OUR FILM, THE UPCOMING VIDEO, CLEAN STATE OF MIND, WHERE WE WILL BE FEATURING SOME OF THE ILLEGAL DUMPING ACTIVITY CAPTURED BY OUR CAMERAS THROUGHOUT DISTRICT K. UM, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT FILM. UM, I HOPE NOT FOR PEOPLE NOT TO BE FEATURED IN THIS FILM, BUT YOU'LL BE SURPRISED AT WHAT WE CAUGHT ON OUR CAMERAS. UM, AND WE'VE GOT SOME MOVIE STARS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT ARE VERY INFAMOUS, UM, FOR THE DUMPING THAT THEY'VE DONE IN DISTRICT K. SO, [05:05:01] UM, I'LL, I'LL BE SURE TO LET EVERYONE KNOW WHEN THAT FILM IS COMPLETE. UM, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD, UM, LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT, UM, THERE ARE CAMERAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, WE ARE ASKING RESIDENTS TO DISPOSE OF THEIR LITTER AND ILLEGAL DUMPING PROPERLY. UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA HIGHLIGHT YOU ON THE NEXT VIDEO, UH, OF CLEAN STATE OF MIND. SO THANK YOU AND HAVE A SUPER WEAK AND BE KIND TO EACH OTHER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I GUESS I'M GONNA TOUCH ON A NUMBER OF THINGS RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE TTI COMMITTEE THAT I CHAIR. BUT, UM, AS YOU KNOW, UH, WE, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF REFERENCES TO THAT THIS MORNING, BUT I, I WAS LATE ARRIVING HERE THIS MORNING BECAUSE, UH, TODAY WAS THE FIRST, UM, UH, TDOT PLANNING CONFERENCE IN SEVERAL YEARS. AND IT WAS RIGHT HERE HOSTED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO WELCOMING HUNDREDS OF PLANNERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE. I WAS THERE WITH OUR FRIENDS FROM TXDOT METRO, THE PORT, UM, I BELIEVE HARRIS COUNTY, AND OF COURSE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, LOTS OF FOLKS TALKING ABOUT OUR ROADWAYS AND CONGESTION. BUT IT WAS REALLY, UH, PARALLEL TO SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'RE HAVING TODAY. ALL MODALITIES OF TRANSPORTATION UNDER DISCUSSION, WHICH AS YOU KNOW, MAYOR FROM OUR TIME IN WASHINGTON, DC LAST WEEK, YOU FOR THE, UH, CONFERENCE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYOR'S ASSOCIATION. UM, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR GRATEFUL, UH, FOR YOUR INVITATION TO ATTEND SOME OF THOSE SESSIONS, UH, INCLUDING MEETING SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG, WHICH I THINK WAS, UH, HELPFUL FOR ALL THOSE ITEMS THAT WE GOT TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT, UH, RELATED TO TRAINS RELATED TO HIGHWAY PROJECTS, SOME OF WHICH ARE VERY MUCH IN THE NEWS, AND OTHERS THAT ARE JUST GENERALLY ABOUT ADVOCACY AND OUR, UH, INTEREST IN GETTING OUR FAIR SHARE OF THE PIE GOING FORWARD. SO I KNOW, UH, MY GRATITUDE GOES OUT TO CHAD BURKE AND THE ECONOMIC ALLIANCE, UH, FOR LEADING THE DELEGATION THAT I WAS A PART OF. AND WE MET WITH CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS, UM, ACROSS THE STATE AND REALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, IN THE CAPITOL, AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR, UH, CHAMPIONS, UH, LIKE SUSAN LENT IN, IN OUR ADVOCACY GROUP THERE. SO, UM, WANTED TO BRING THAT, UM, BACK TO HOUSTON A LITTLE BIT WITH MENTION NOT ABOUT NEXT WEEK'S SPECIAL CALLED TTI COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, WHICH WE'LL FOCUS ON THE RAIL CROSSINGS AS MENTIONED DURING OUR SESSION JUST NOW. BUT THE TOMORROW MORNING'S MEETING, UH, AT 10:00 AM WILL BE THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MONTHLY MEETING OF THE TTI COMMITTEE, 10:00 AM HERE IN CHAMBERS. WE'VE GOT THREE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA UPDATES TO THE HOUSTON COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ON DISABILITIES. UH, THE ORDINANCE THAT'S BEING BROUGHT FORWARD WILL BE PRESENTED BY DIRECTOR CAES, AND WE WILL BE HEARING FROM THE HGAC ABOUT INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS THE REGION, MAKING AN IMPACT WITH NEW FUNDING. AND THAT'LL BE PRESENTED BY CHUCK WEMPLE, AS WELL AS CRAIG RAYBORN FROM THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL. AND THEN FINALLY WE'LL HEAR FROM OUR OWN DAVID FIELDS TALKING ABOUT THE HOUSTON BIKEWAYS PLAN WITH AN UPDATE. AND I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE WITH, UM, MAY BEING BIKE MONTH FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO GET OUT YOUR BIKES, WHICH MAKES ME THINK OF MY COLLEAGUE SALLY ALCORN WITH, UH, GREAT WORK TODAY ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE. BUT LET ME, UM, LET ME END WITH THAT MAYOR. 'CAUSE I WANT TO HOLD SALLY UP FOR THE LOSS OF HER MOM AND THE PRAYERS FOR THE COMSTOCK ALCORN FAMILY AND OUR PRAYERS FOR HER. UM, I HAVEN'T TOLD ANYBODY ON THE HORSESHOE YET, BUT, UM, MY MOM LOST HER YOUNGER BROTHER LAST NIGHT. MY UNCLE FRED ALLEN PASSED AFTER, UM, 80 YEARS OF LIFE AND, UH, WANTED TO SHARE THAT WE'VE HAD SOME LOSSES AROUND THE HORSESHOE WITH WILLIAM PAUL THOMAS AND HIS FAMILY AND CHANTILLY. SO WE'RE, WE ARE, UM, HOLDING ALL OF OUR LOVED ONES UP. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. PRAYING FOR YOU AND YOUR MOM AND FAMILY, AND OF COURSE, WILLIAM PAUL AND HIS WIFE AND AND FAMILY. AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN PRAYING FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AS WELL. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. I'LL PASS TODAY. MAYOR. THANK YOU. OKAY, COUNCIL MEMBER P THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, TODAY I JUST WANTED TO THANK A FEW PEOPLE IN, UM, VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS FOR ALL OF THEIR HELP IN DISTRICT A FIRST THANKS TO NANCY BREWER AND THE NORTHWEST DRT OFFICERS. UM, THEY HELPED MY OFFICE WITH A DANGEROUS UNSECURED BUILDING IN THE DISTRICT THAT'S NOW DEMOLISHED. AND, UM, RECENTLY THERE WAS AN INDIVIDUAL FOUND DEAD IN ANOTHER ABANDONED BUILDING, VERY CLOSE TO THIS ONE. AND SO PEOPLE ARE CAMPING OUT IN THESE UNSECURED, UM, ABANDONED BUILDINGS. AND SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN A BIG PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE REALLY BEEN ON TOP OF THAT AND JUST WANTED TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR WORK ON THAT. [05:10:01] AND FINALLY, THANKS TO, UM, PJI, PRASH, KANG, IAN, AND THE WHOLE CAPITAL PROJECTS TEAM AND TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE TEAM FOR THE PUBLIC MEETING THAT WE HAD LAST NIGHT ABOUT THE UNSAFE INTERSECTION AT ANTOINE LY AND HEMPSTEAD. IT'S A VERY STRANGE INTERSECTION THAT THEY'VE WORKED A LONG TIME TO FIGURE OUT, UM, HOW TO IMPROVE THAT INTERSECTION AND ARE GOING TO INSTALL A ROUNDABOUT THERE. UM, AND I KNOW CONSTITUENTS WERE REALLY SKEPTICAL ABOUT THIS ROUNDABOUT. I WAS TOO, TO BE HONEST. BUT AFTER REALLY HEARING THEM OUT AND WHY THAT MIGHT BE THE BEST SOLUTION, I THINK EVERYONE WAS KIND OF ON BOARD BY THE END OF THAT MEETING. SO REALLY WANTED TO THANK THEM FOR MAKING THAT PRESENTATION LAST NIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, LEMME FILE MY SHEET, MAKE SURE I'M RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN . THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, WE HAD A STANDING ROOM ONLY ATTENDANCE, UH, AT DISTRICT CS, UH, REDISTRICTING AND CIP THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON AND ALCORN ALSO FOR BEING THERE, MAYOR. THANK YOU. IT MEANT A LOT TO OUR RESIDENTS. UH, WE HAD A LOT OF GREAT FEEDBACK, AND I THINK THE THEME WAS, UH, AFTER YOU LEFT, INFRASTRUCTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE. SO WE WILL KEEP PUSHING AHEAD ON THAT. UM, MAYOR, I DID WANT TO BRING UP, I, UH, RECENTLY GOT AN EMAIL, UH, RELATED TO ALL WOOD CEMETERY, WHICH AS YOU KNOW, BUT THE PUBLIC MAY NOT. UM, IT'S HOUSTON'S OLDEST INCORPORATED AFRICAN AMERICAN CEMETERY IN THE CITY, AND IT WAS JUST NAMED ONE OF AMERICA'S 11TH, 11 MOST ENDANGERED HISTORIC PLACES IN THE COUNTRY. UM, AS OF YESTERDAY, UH, WE HAVE EROSION ISSUES, FLOODING ISSUES, THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S TAKEN ON AROUND IT. WE HAVE A LOT OF JURISDICTIONAL ISSUES BECAUSE IT'S NOT RELATED TO THE, THE CITY NECESSARILY, BUT I DO THINK IT'S OUR DUTY, UH, TO PROTECT THIS HISTORY. UM, COMMUNITY GROUPS ARE OUT THERE CLEANING IT UP EVERY DAY, BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE. AND NOW WITH THIS UNFORTUNATE RECOGNITION, ALTHOUGH I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, I I'M GONNA BE ASKING YOUR, YOUR TEAM, UH, FOR ASSISTANCE, LOOKING INTO WHAT MORE WE CAN BE DOING THERE TO PROTECT THAT HISTORY, UH, APPARENTLY, UH, OH. AND THEN ONE, UH, JUST CONSTRUCTION UPDATE. UH, WESTLAND AT WEST ALABAMA IS STILL CLOSED. WE WERE HOPING IT WOULD BE ONLY TWO WEEKS. THEY'RE GETTING IN THERE, THEY'RE FINDING ANCIENT WOOD PIECES. ALL I MEAN, IT, IT'S RIDICULOUS WHAT THEY'RE FINDING, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A FEW MORE WEEKS. I DRIVE OVER THERE EVERY SINGLE WEEK. AND I ALSO DRIVE 11TH STREET EVERY SINGLE WEEK. UM, BUT I'M ASKING RESIDENTS TO BE, PATIENT CREWS ARE WORKING AS DILIGENTLY AS POSSIBLE. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL INSTANCES OF ASSAULTS OF, UH, CREW WORKERS IN THE AREA. I GET PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED, BUT I'M JUST GONNA ASK THAT EVERYONE BE SAFE, PLEASE. THEY'RE DOING THE BEST THAT THEY CAN RIGHT NOW. AND, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE PUBLIC WORKS, BUT WANTED TO MAKE, UH, THE ANNOUNCEMENT. IT IS UNFORTUNATELY GONNA BE A FEW MORE WEEKS THERE. UH, APPARENTLY THERE'S A LOT OF DAYS AND WEEKS WE'RE CELEBRATING THIS WEEK. UH, INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS DAY. IT'S POLICED WEEK, IT'S HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK. MAYOR, AS YOU MENTIONED, UM, IT'S ALSO MOTHER'S DAY COMING UP, SO I WANNA WISH A VERY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL AND WHOEVER IS LIKE A MOTHER TO YOU AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, I'M CONTINUING TO LIFT YOU UP, YOUR FAMILY UP. UM, I'M ALSO LIFTING UP IN ADDITION TO ALL THE LOSSES THAT WE'VE JUST BEEN TALKING ABOUT AROUND THE HORSESHOE. UH, SHARON IN MY OFFICE LOST HER MOTHER, UM, TWO WEEKS AGO. UH, SO THERE WAS A BEAUTIFUL CEREMONY, BUT, UH, AGAIN, YOU'RE IN OUR HEARTS AND THINKING OF YOU, UH, ONE OTHER CONSTRUCTION NOTICE SINCE, UH, COUNCILOR ROBINSON, YOU BROUGHT IT UP ABOUT TXDOT. YES, IT HAS BEEN IN THEIR SEVEN YEAR PLAN. WE'VE KNOWN ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S HERE, UH, 59 AT SIX 10. THE RAMP FROM 59 TO TAKE GO TO SIX 10 SOUTH CLOSED FOR TWO YEARS. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO GET ONTO SIX 10. WESTHEIMER HAS ALSO BEEN HAVING ISSUES. I MEAN, IT'S A MESS IN THE FACT THAT TEXT IS NOW CLOSING THIS RAMP FOR TWO YEARS IS GOING TO HAVE A DEVASTATING IMPACT ON DISTRICT C RESIDENTS, THE CITY AS A WHOLE. BUT THAT, I MEAN, COUNCILOR ALCORN, YOU KNOW HOW I MEAN IT, IT'S GONNA BE REALLY BAD. SO I'M LETTING EVERYONE KNOW IT'S SHUT DOWN. THAT IS TDOT AND TDOT HAS TO DO BETTER. LASTLY, UM, I, WE NEVER GET TO SAY THIS, BUT IT'S PERFECT. MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU, . OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN POLL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS PAST SATURDAY, MY OFFICE ORGANIZED THE DISTRICT J PRIVATE TRASH DAY, WHERE WE CONTRACTED WITH A PRIVATE WASTE DISPOSAL COMPANY TO PROVIDE CURBSIDE PICKUP OF HEAVY TRASH AND TREE WASTE FOR [05:15:01] RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT J. THIS PRIVATE TRASH INITIATIVE IS IN ADDITION TO THE REGULAR CITY TRASH PICKUP AND USE TO SUPPLEMENT THE WORK OF OUR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. AND WITH THAT, I WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR WILL FAULK FOR WORKING WITH MY OFFICE TO HELP COORDINATE AND SUPPORT THIS EFFORT. THANK YOU TO NEXUS DISPOSAL FOR THEIR GREAT WORK IN COLLECTING AND SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MY CHIEF OF STAFF, PAUL YOUNG AND THE ENTIRE DISTRICT J OFFICE FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS. UM, THERE'S SO MUCH WORK THAT GOES INTO TRASH PICKUP. UM, BUT I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT MY, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, EVERY HOUSE THAT SIGNED UP WAS TIMELY SERVED. AND WE COLLECTED SEVERAL TONS, UH, FROM HUN HUNDREDS OF HOMES IN ONE DAY. MY OFFICE PLANS TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE AND WILL ANNOUNCE THE NEXT DATE IN THE DAYS AHEAD. LAST WEEK, I WAS ABSENT FROM COUNSEL TO ATTEND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYORS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, DC WHERE I WAS ABLE TO SERVE ON A PUBLIC SAFETY ROUNDTABLE TO DISCUSS PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVES WE ARE DOING IN DISTRICT J AND AROUND THE CITY THAT I BELIEVE CAN BE REPLICATED IN OTHER CITIES. OUR VERY OWN MAYOR TURNER, SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF ALMA AND DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB IN PRESIDING OVER THE CONFERENCE. AND I CAN SAY THAT MANY OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE IN HOUSTON ARE BEING EXPERIENCED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. AND WITH MAYOR TURNER'S LEADERSHIP, THESE CITIES REALLY ARE LOOKING AT US AS COUNCIL TO GAUGE THE POLICIES THAT THEY WILL PUSH. AND SO, MAYOR, THANK YOU, UH, FOR INCLUDING ME IN THAT AND TO EVERYONE, HAVE A GREAT AND BLESSED REST OF YOUR WEEK AND THANK YOU. AND SUCCESS ON, UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON SUCCESS OF YOUR FIRM. Y'ALL ARE BEING VERY SUCCESSFUL. UH, I JUST FIRM HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. SO CONGRAT, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. PEOPLE DO HAVE JOBS AWAY FROM CITY HALL, SO CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS. OKAY. UM, IN THE LEGAL WORLD, THINGS TRAVEL, YOU KNOW, SO, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, EMMA, UH, SHABAZZ, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. I, I WANNA START OUT BRINGING YOUR ATTENTION TO A PHENOMENAL LOGISTICS AND SAFETY PROBLEM THAT'S IN DISTRICT D ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS, UH, BY MCGREGOR PARK AND ON THE ALAMEDA CORRIDOR. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE THE TRAFFIC CONTROL. UH, OF COURSE, COMMANDER JOHNSON IS DOING A YEOMAN'S JOB, BUT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MANPOWER TO CONTROL THE CROWDS. UH, I DID REACH OUT TO CHIEF FINN, THIS IS RIGHT ON OST NEXT TO, NO, DON'T TAKE ANY OF MY TIME. MAYOR, WRITE DOWN OST RIGHT DOWN OST NEXT TO MCGREGOR PARK TO HAVE RACES AND POPPING WHEELERS. WATCH THAT BELL. AND, UM, ON THE ALAMEDA CORRIDOR WHERE THEY ACTUALLY BLOCKED IT OFF, GOING TOWARDS, UH, ALAMEDA ON, UH, FROM 2 88. I MEAN, IT IS PHENOMENAL. CHIEF NER SAID THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON A PLAN. I'M REACHING OUT TO, UH, CONSTABLE MAY WALKER TO SEE IF THEY CAN GIVE US SOME SUPPORT. UH, AND IT, IT IS JUST, IT'S JUST, UH, UNBELIEVABLE WHAT'S GOING ON ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS. AND SO IF THEY COULD GIVE SOME OF THEIR TIME, THAT WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. UH, I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT THERE WAS A SUCCESSFUL MOBILE DENTAL CLINIC, UM, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, UH, WITH THE TEXAS MISSION OF MERCY, A MOBILE DENTAL, UH, CLINIC, UH, OVER $700,000 IN CHARITABLE DENTAL CARE IN TWO DAYS. AND APPROXIMATELY 7,700 PEOPLE SERVED BY MORE THAN 50 VOLUNTEER DENTISTS. THAT IS JUST PHENOMENAL. UH, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UH, THE 13TH PRESIDENT OF TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. DR. ALICIA CRUMPTON YOUNG ON HER SUCCESSFUL INVESTITURE, AND THERE WAS A SOUL OUT BALL TIGER BALL THIS WEEKEND, UH, IN SUPPORT OF STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS. AND THEN ON THIS, UH, SATURDAY INVITING ALL THAT WANT TO, UH, TO, UH, JOIN ME WITH THE SOUTH SIDE BIKE RIDE, AND THAT'LL BE AT 9:00 AM ON SATURDAY MORNING, LEAVING FROM 27 27 EL CAMINO STREET, WHICH IS THE PRECINCT. UM, ONE OFFICE, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT ONE. AND I WANT TO THANK MY TEAM AND CERTAINLY THOSE THAT WILL JOIN US FOR THAT RIDE ON SATURDAY MORNING. THEN AFTER THAT, I GUESS I'LL RIDE MY BIKE OVER TO JACK GATES HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE THERE WILL BE A FOOD DISTRIBUTION, UM, AT, UM, FROM NOON TO TWO, UH, THE LOVE BUTTON FOUNDATION. WE'LL BE DISTRIBUTING FOOD 36 50 ALABAMA. ALSO, I WILL BE GOING TO THE THIRD WARD ON TAP, WHICH IS THE OLD RAILROAD TRACK, WHICH IS NOW THE COLUMBIA TAP. UH, TO SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, COMING IN TOGETHER AS MEMBERS OF A COMMUNITY, HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AND HOW IT'S SUCH A PHENOMENAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US WITH GREEN SPACE AND JUST ENGAGING IN, IN FOOD [05:20:01] AND FELLOWSHIP. UH, ALSO, LET'S SEE, UH, THE HISTORIC EL DORADO BALLROOM IN HOUSTON'S THIRD WARD IS SET TO BE RESTORED. UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. AND LET'S SEE. I THINK I HAVE, UH, OKAY, I WANT TO SAY THAT OUR DISTRICT CIP MEETING WILL BE MONDAY, MAY 16TH AT THE HCC SOUTH CAMPUS ON AIRPORT AND 2 88. AND THEN I CERTAINLY HAVE TO MENTION MY OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO MONROVIA. IT WAS VERY EYE-OPENING, AND I, IT SAW IT. LET ME SEE HOW BLESSED WE ARE AND HOW WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO BE A BLESSING. AND I THANK YOU MAYOR FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY. AND FINALLY, I CERTAINLY WANT TO GIVE MY PERSONAL CONDOLENCES TO COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, THE LOSS OF HER MOTHER. IT'S PARTICULARLY HARD THAT FIRST MOTHER'S DAY, BUT GOD IS GOOD AND HE IS FAITHFUL, AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE YOU LIFTED UP IN OUR PRAYERS. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. AND YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK AND HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO THE MOTHERS AND SOME OF THE FATHERS WHO HAVE TO SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY AS WELL. AUNTIES, UNCLES, WHOEVER, JUST TO HELP US TO RAISE OUR CHILDREN. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. WHEN IS THE, UH, PASTOR'S ANNIVERSARY, WHICH , SHE'S GIVING YOU A SIDE EYE. WHAT? PUSHING THIS BUTTON AS THE CHURCH, AS THE PRAYER, AS THE CHURCH SECRETARY. SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU, MAYOR, TO CONTINUE. I WOULD LIKE US TO ENTERTAIN THE IDEA OF CONSIDERING A CHARTER AMENDMENT TO, UM, UH, TO MOVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO 16 SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS. I KNOW THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO THAT, PETITIONS, LAWSUITS, BUT A CHARTER AMENDMENT SEEMS TO BE THE WAY OTHER TEXAS CITIES HAVE GONE AND IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL, UM, BEGINNING THIS NOW WOULDN'T SEE RESULTS UNTIL YEARS FROM NOW, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S WORTH LOOKING INTO AND, AND GIVING SERIOUS CONSIDERATIONS. 16 SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS WOULD GIVE FAIR REPRESENTATION TO DIFFERENT GROUPS ALL AROUND THE CITY. UM, I DID WANNA ALSO COMMENT, NOW THAT I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ON, UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TEMP CAST TATUM. I LOVE THE CLEAN STATE OF MIND, UM, VIDEO. I, I TOTALLY AM WITH YOU AND WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A SEQUEL, YOU KNOW, FOR, UH, DISTRICT H NAP. PAULA, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, UM, YOUR, YOUR EPISODE. UM, I, I WANT TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE NEXT CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE MEETING HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED. IT WILL NOW BE ON WEDNESDAY, UH, JUNE 1ST. THERE WILL NOT BE A MEETING OF THE CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE NEXT WEDNESDAY, UM, ON THE 11TH. IT WILL BE JUNE 1ST. AND THEN FINALLY, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL. UM, AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN YOU ARE, ESPECIALLY IN OUR, IN OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS ON THIS DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH. AND TODAY WE STAND ADJOURNED IN MEMORY OF COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ICAHN'S. MOM, WE STAND ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.