[District C Redistricting Town Hall and CIP Meeting]
[00:00:18]
AGAIN, WE'RE ABOUT TO START.IF EVERYONE COULD PLEASE TAKE A SEAT.
DO WE HAVE EVERYONE THAT WE NEED IN TERMS OF UP HERE? WE GOOD TO GO? ALL RIGHT.
I HAVE TO SAY, IT'S REALLY SPECIAL TO BE HERE.
UH, MAYOR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER THIS, BUT LITERALLY THE DAY BEFORE OUR FIRST CIP TOWN HALL, WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE THE DAY BEFORE WAS WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT AND WE WENT VIRTUAL.
SO I'VE NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A TOWN HALL OF THIS FORMAT WITH THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, MAYOR.
UH, REALLY QUICKLY, I WANTED TO SAY A FEW ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BEFORE WE GET STARTED.
UM, FOR ANY, FIRST IN THE ALL AROUND THE ROOM AND ALL UP FRONT, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE WATER AND SNACKS, SO STAY HYDRATED.
I KNOW IT'S HOT OUT, UH, BUT WE HAVE ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS WITH US.
SO IF YOU WERE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, CAN YOU PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND? THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT ONLY AT OUR TOWN HALL TONIGHT, THEY HAVE TO GO TO HOW MANY? 12.
12, BECAUSE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON KNOW BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO ALL OF THEM AS WELL.
SO A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ALL OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES AND, UM, WE CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT OUR DEPARTMENTS.
ALSO, AGAIN, I MENTIONED, BUT REALLY QUICKLY, BER, CAN YOU, OH, CAN YOU PLEASE STAND? WE HAVE TWO OF OUR AT LARGE THANK YOU BOTH.
AND AGAIN, A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, WHO HAS BEEN DEALING WITH A LOSS IN HER FAMILY AND IS STILL WITH US TONIGHT.
AND OF COURSE, MAYOR, IT'S FANTASTIC TO BE WITH YOU.
I'LL GET TO YOU AND ACKNOWLEDGING YOU IN ONE SECOND.
BUT I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE MY STAFF, DISTRICT C STAFF, LANCE, SHARON, HOLICK, KATE, MANY OF YOU KNOW THEM, BUT I'M NOT.
I ASKED THEM TO PULL A FEW QUICK NUMBERS BEFORE THIS MEETING.
SO, AS OF LAST WEEK, SO FAR IN THIS YEAR ALONE, THERE HAVE BEEN 962 CALLS TO THE DISTRICT C MAINLINE.
IN DISTRICT C ALONE, THERE HAVE BEEN OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND 3 1 1 CASES SINCE I CAME INTO OFFICE.
AND IN THE PAST YEAR ALONE IN OUR DISTRICT, OUR EMAIL, WE HAVE GOTTEN OVER 27,000 EMAILS TO DISTRICT C.
SO NONE OF THE RESPONSIVENESS COULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT OUR STAFF.
SO THANK YOU EACH AND EVERY DAY FOR WORKING WITH ME AND SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
JUST TO MANAGE SOME OF THE EXPECTATIONS FOR TONIGHT, REALLY QUICKLY.
UM, WE'RE HERE PRIMARILY TO TALK ABOUT REDISTRICTING.
IT'S A PROCESS THAT THE CITY IS REQUIRED LEGALLY TO GO THROUGH EVERY 10 YEARS BASED ON THE CENSUS, EVEN IF WE DISAGREE WITH SOME OF THOSE CENSUS NUMBERS.
AND YES, THERE ARE, THERE IS IN THE CENSUS BUREAU THEMSELVES HAS SAID THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT UNDER COUNT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING IN HOUSTON.
WE ARE BOUND TO GO BY THOSE NUMBERS.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR DISTRICT C? UH, WE ARE OUTSIDE OF, AND I KNOW PLANNING WILL GET INTO THIS, SO I DON'T WANT TO STEAL Y'ALL'S THUNDER, BUT WE ARE OUTSIDE OF THE AVERAGE OF 10% RANGE.
WE ARE OVER THAT, MEANING THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE AREAS AND I'LL FIGHT, LIKE HELL EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE FOR EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD TO STAY.
BUT THE REALITY IS WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE EVERY SINGLE AREA STAY IN DISTRICT C.
SO YOUR INPUT TONIGHT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PROVIDING THAT VOICE.
THERE WILL BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE INPUT, BUT I JUST WANT US TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE HERE.
IT'S SO THAT WE CAN HEAR FROM YOU IN TERMS OF THAT.
AFTER WE HEAR FROM PEOPLE SPEAKING ABOUT REDISTRICTING, WE WILL PIVOT TO A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON THE CIP CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
BUT I DON'T WANT TO, UM, ANYONE TO WALK AWAY THINKING THAT JUST THE CIP PROJECTS.
ONE, THIS ISN'T GONNA BE ALL OF THE CIP PROJECTS HAPPENING IN DISTRICT C.
THERE WERE TOO MANY TO INCLUDE AND THERE'S A LOT MORE THAN THAT, INCLUDING STORM WATER
[00:05:01]
TEAM PROJECTS, INVESTMENTS IN FLOOD MITIGATION, INFRASTRUCTURE SIDEWALKS.MAYOR, I KNOW ONE OF YOUR TOP PRIORITY ITEMS IS NORTH CANAL, WHICH IS GONNA IMPACT A LARGE PART OF THE DISTRICT.
IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE MULTI, ALL THE WAY UP TO THE FEDERAL LEVEL PROJECT, UM, TO ADDRESS FLOOD MITIGATION.
SO WITH THAT, I'M JUST MAKING SURE I DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING REALLY QUICKLY.
THANK YOU TO CONGREGATION EMMANUEL FOR HOSTING US.
UH, WE'RE TRYING SOMETHING NEW EACH YEAR.
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO BE AT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DISTRICT.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE AT EMMANUEL 'CAUSE IT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
WE WORKED WITH RICE, UH, THE CHURCH ACROSS THE STREET AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS RIGHT OUTSIDE AT SUNSET AT RICE ON WHAT RESIDENTS HAD PRETTY MUCH BEEN WAITING FOR, FOR 15 YEARS.
AND THANKS, MAYOR, TO YOUR PUSH.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET THIS DONE.
UH, WE MODIFIED THE INTERSECTION RIGHT THERE WITH DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS.
SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE OF THE SAFETY PRIORITIES THAT WE ARE TAKING VERY SERIOUSLY.
UH, I ALSO WANT TO THANK MAYOR U.
A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT ON THE BACKEND, AND I KNOW YOU'LL HAVE TO GO AND TESTIFY, UH, BEFORE TCEQ RELATED TO CONTAMINATION AND POLLUTANTS THAT THE RAILROADS ARE CAUSING IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
SO WE UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'LL HAVE TO LEAVE.
UH, BUT NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP.
WHAT YOU HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH DISASTER AFTER DISASTER AFTER DISASTER DURING YOUR TENURE.
AND WE'RE STILL MOVING FORWARD AND SEEING PROJECTS COME TO FRUITION.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, UM, I CAN SAY AS CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY MAYOR TURNER HAS BEEN TAKING, UM, AND INVESTING ALONGSIDE COUNCIL IN ADDRESSING CRIME IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND WE ARE SEEING THOSE NUMBERS COME DOWN.
WE ARE STILL TAKING THIS VERY SERIOUSLY AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
BUT MAYOR, I JUST WANNA SPOTLIGHT THAT IS ONE OF YOUR MANY EFFORTS RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND FINALLY, IF YOU'RE A NEIGHBORHOOD CIVIC LEADER, COULD YOU PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND TO EVERY PRESIDENT, TO EVERY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADER, AND EVEN IF YOU ARE JUST INVOLVED IN YOUR CIVIC CLUB.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
THIS WORK CANNOT GET DONE WITHOUT YOU.
IF YOU ARE NOT INVOLVED WITH YOUR CIVIC CLUB, PLEASE REACH OUT AND WE WILL CONNECT YOU.
BUT I JUST, AGAIN, WANT TO EMPHASIZE HOW IMPORTANT EACH OF YOU IS TO OUR DISTRICT.
AND WITH THAT, UH, I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER AND I'M GOING TO SIT DOWN, UH, TO MAYOR TURNER.
LOOK, LEMME JUST SAY IT'S GOOD TO BE IN DISTRICT C AND IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
AND, UH, I DON'T THINK, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, SHE AND HER STAFF ARE VERY, VERY HARDWORKING, UH, VERY DETAILED AND VERY MUCH HANDS ON.
SO IT'S GOOD TO BE, UH, UH, WITH COUNCILMAN CAYMAN.
IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH THE OTHER TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE, COUNCILMAN
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S GOOD TO IN EVERY ONE OF YOU.
AND WE HADN'T MET LIKE THIS IN MORE THAN A COUPLE OF YEARS, 'CAUSE COVID DID KIND OF, UH, CLOSE THINGS DOWN.
I THINK I WAS WITH YOU THE DAY BEFORE, AND THEN WITH DISTRICT DAY ON THE DAY OF, AND THINGS CHANGED, BUT IT'S GOOD TO, IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK.
UH, TONIGHT, IT IS PRIMARILY ABOUT RE REDISTRICTING.
AND THEN AFTERWARDS, UH, THEN WITH THE CIP, UH, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, UH, WE ARE HAVE, THERE ARE 12 OF THESE MEETINGS, UH, ALL OVER.
THIS IS NUMBER, THIS IS NUMBER FIVE.
AND, UH, AND THEN SOMETIMES WE'RE HAVING BACK TO BACK THIS EVENING, UH, I WILL BE TESTIFYING BEFORE THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, QUALITY OF THE CANCER CLUSTER IN THE CASHIER GARDEN AREA.
AND SO, UH, I'LL BE AN HOUR, AND THEN I'LL HAVE TO QUICKLY, QUICKLY, UH, RUN OUT TO THEM.
IN TERMS OF DISTRICT C AND REDISTRICTING, UH, LEMME JUST SAY THAT DISTRICT C IS ABOUT 17% OVER.
UH, WE TRY TO NORMALIZE OR AVERAGE THESE DISTRICTS, ABOUT 209,000 EACH, ABOUT 209,000.
AND DISTRICT C IS ABOUT 17% ABOVE.
UH, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME DISTRICTS AROUND, UH, DISTRICT C THAT ARE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 11 AND 17% BELOW.
UH, AND SO, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, UH, WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS.
UH, WE DO TAKE INTO, INTO ACCOUNT THE, THE COMMONALITY OF INTERESTS, NEIGHBORHOODS, TRYING TO KEEP THOSE TOGETHER, UH, KEEPING, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS, KEEPING THE DISTRICT CONTIGUOUS AS POSSIBLE.
WE TRY TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY.
AND SO WE ARE SENSITIVE TO THAT AS WELL.
SO THERE ARE MANY, MANY KEY FACTORS.
[00:10:01]
QUESTION THAT CAME UP LAST NIGHT, WHICH I FOUND INTERESTING, AND THAT IS, IF PEOPLE ARE EVEN NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE OR CAN'T VOTE, UH, BUT THEY LIVE IN THE DISTRICT, DO WE COUNT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE OR CAN, OR DO WE COUNT EVERYBODY? WE COUNT WARM BODIES.IF YOU ARE BREATHING, YOU KNOW, JUST A LITTLE BIT.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE COUNT WARM BODIES.
TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ARE IN RURAL TEXAS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND SAY THERE'S SOME PRISONS THERE, AND THEN LET'S SAY THREE OR 4,000 PEOPLE IN THAT PRISON FOR THOSE PERSONS, THEY COUNT EVERY ONE OF THOSE IN PRISON, WHETHER THEY CAN VOTE, CAN'T VOTE.
AND THAT'S WHY WHEN I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE, YOU HAD MANY PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN RURAL TEXAS WANTING PRISONS TO BE BUILT IN THEIR AREA BECAUSE THEY COUNT THEM.
OKAY? SO WARM BODIES, NOT WHETHER THEY CAN VOTE OR NOT, BUT WARM BODIES.
BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TONIGHT TO LISTEN TO YOU, UH, TO SEE, UH, WHAT YOU WANT, WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE.
AND SO TONIGHT YOU WON'T SEE ANY MAPS.
THERE ARE NO MAPS, UH, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO TALK WITH YOU FIRST.
IF WE CAME OUT WITH MAPS ALREADY, YOU WOULD SAY, MAYOR, YOU DIDN'T TALK TO US FIRST.
Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY MADE UP YOUR MINDS.
BUT AFTER WE GO AROUND, THESE HAVE THESE 12 TOWN HALLS, UH, THEN JERRY AND THE GROUP OVER THERE, WE'LL, WE'LL PUT TOGETHER SOME MAPS, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
AND THEN THE MAPS WILL BE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL IN SEPTEMBER.
OKAY? SO THEY WILL BE VOTED ON IN SEPTEMBER, AND THEN PEOPLE WILL BE RUNNING ON THOSE MAPS IN 2023, TAKE OFFICE IN JANUARY OF 24.
SO THAT'S THE GENERAL CONCEPT.
LET ME STOP AND LET ME TURN YOUR ATTENTION NOW TO THE SCREEN.
HELLO, THIS IS MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
HOUSTON, THE CITY WE ALL CALL HOME CONTINUES TO PROSPER AND GROW.
RANK THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
WE ARE A DYNAMIC COMMUNITY, RICH IN CULTURE AND DIVERSITY.
TOGETHER, OUR PEOPLE AND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS HELP TO SHAPE THE GLOBAL METROPOLIS WHERE IDEAS, DREAMS, AND IMAGINATION ARE WELCOME AND CELEBRATED.
HOW WE CHOOSE TO GOVERN OURSELVES IS ESTABLISHED BY OUR CITY CHARTER, MUCH LIKE THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, OUR CITY CHARTER.
IT'S THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S GOVERNMENT, AND FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR GOVERNMENT AND WE THE PEOPLE, ANY GOVERNMENT, WHETHER FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL WORKS BEST WHEN IT REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S WHY ADJUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF OUR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS IS SO IMPORTANT.
OUR CITY ATTORNEY, AURA HEL, WILL NOW TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IN THIS REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
THE CITY CHARTER, AS WELL AS STATE AND FEDERAL LAW, REQUIRE THAT WE ADJUST OUR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS FROM TIME TO TIME IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE DIFFERENCE IN DISTRICT POPULATIONS IS NEVER MORE THAN 10% OF AVERAGE DISTRICT POPULATION.
THE LAST TIME THE CITY ADJUSTED CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, AN ACTION CALLED REDISTRICTING WAS 10 YEARS AGO.
SINCE THEN, OUR POPULATION HAS GROWN BY 9.8% AND IS MORE THAN 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE.
EACH OF THE 11 COUNCIL DISTRICTS EXPERIENCED POPULATION CHANGE AT DIFFERENT RATES.
AS A RESULT, ADJUSTMENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR OUR CURRENT DISTRICTS BY CITY COUNCIL BEFORE THE NEXT MUNICIPAL ELECTION IN 2023.
THIS MEETING IS ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS IN THAT PROCESS.
ACCORDING TO THE 2020 CENSUS, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DISTRICT WITH THE LARGEST POPULATION, DISTRICT C, AND THE DISTRICT WITH THE SMALLEST POPULATION, DISTRICT H IS OVER 66,000 PEOPLE.
THIS IS 31% OF THE AVERAGE DISTRICT POPULATION, FAR ABOVE THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE VARIATION.
OTHER DISTRICTS ARE ALSO ABOVE OR BELOW THE ALLOWABLE RANGE, AND WILL HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY.
THE GOAL OF REDISTRICTING IS TO RECONFIGURE OUR DISTRICTS TO ACHIEVE AN EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF THE POPULATION IN EACH DISTRICT TO MEET REQUIREMENTS OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS.
STARTING IN 1964, THE SUPREME COURT RECOGNIZED THE PRINCIPLE OF ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE, AND THE APPLICABILITY OF THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE TO REDISTRICTING.
AND THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 AS AMENDED ALSO SETS FORTH REQUIREMENTS THAT WILL AFFECT THIS PROCESS.
REDISTRICTING MUST NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, OR MEMBERSHIP IN A PROTECTIVE LANGUAGE.
[00:15:01]
HAS ADOPTED A RESOLUTION THAT ESTABLISHES THE TIMELINE CRITERIA AND RULES THAT WILL HELP GUIDE THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.THE SPECIFICS FOR EACH OF THESE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, AND CHINESE, CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE@WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV.
OUR REDISTRICTING TIMELINE IS GUIDED IN PART BY THE DATES THAT RESULTS OF THE 2020 CENSUS BECOME AVAILABLE AND BY THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE, WHICH PROVIDES THAT CHANGES IN ELECTION BOUNDARIES.
EXAMPLE, COUNCIL DISTRICTS MUST BE ADOPTED MORE THAN THREE MONTHS BEFORE ELECTION DAY.
IT IS ALSO INFORMED BY THE 12 MONTH RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT ESTABLISHED IN THE CITY CHARTER.
AND THE CITY CHARTER ALSO REQUIRES THAT A REDISTRICTING ORDINANCE BE ADOPTED IN THE SAME YEAR AS THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION.
SO THE PLAN ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN THE FALL OF 2022 WILL BE RATIFIED BY CITY COUNCIL IN EARLY 2023, AND THE NEW BOUNDARIES WILL BE EFFECTIVE ON JANUARY 1ST, 2024.
WE HAVE ORGANIZED THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS TO HELP KEEP YOU INFORMED AND AWARE OF WHAT WE ARE DOING AT EVERY STEP OF THE PROCESS.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, YOUR PARTICIPATION IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROCESS, AND WE HOPE YOU'LL PROVIDE COMMENTS TO HELP GUIDE DECISIONS ABOUT THE CONFIGURATION OF OUR 11 COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
THESE MEETINGS WILL HAPPEN ACROSS HOUSTON THROUGHOUT THE MONTHS OF APRIL AND MAY.
IN JUNE, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, DEMOGRAPHER AND LEGAL COUNSEL WILL PRESENT A DRAFT PLAN AND MAP TO CITY COUNCIL.
PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL BE HELD FOR CITIZENS TO COMMENT ON THE DRAFT PLAN AND MAP.
THE FIRST TWO HEARINGS WILL BE ON JULY 13TH, ONE IN THE MORNING, AND ONE IN THE EVENING.
AND THE THIRD WILL BE HELD ON JULY 20TH.
CITY COUNCIL WILL APPROVE THEIR REDISTRICTING PLAN ORDINANCE IN SEPTEMBER.
THE CRITERIA ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL, WHICH SHOULD BE FOLLOWED TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, INCLUDE DISTRICTS SHOULD BE RELATIVELY EQUAL IN POPULATION WITH NO MORE THAN A 10% VARIATION FROM THE AVERAGE DISTRICT SIZE, THEREBY ENSURING THE VITAL STANDARD OF ONE PERSON ONE VOTE.
THEY MUST BE COMPOSED OF WHOLE COUNTY VOTING PRECINCTS, WHICH ARE DEFINED BY THE COUNTIES, AND SERVE AS THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
WHEN PRECINCTS ARE SPLIT BY THE CITY LIMITS, ONLY THE CITY PORTION OF THAT PRECINCT WILL BE USED.
THEY SHOULD HAVE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES, SUCH AS MAJOR THOROUGHFARES OR BAYOU.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT NOT ALL COUNTY VOTING PRECINCTS FOLLOW CLEAR GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES, WHICH MAY MAKE IT NECESSARY FOR CITY COUNCIL BOUNDARIES.
TO DEVIATE FROM A PREFERRED BOUNDARY, THEY SHOULD MAINTAIN COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.
NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY SHOULD BE COMPACT AND COMPOSED OF CONTIGUOUS TERRITORY, INCLUDING FUNCTIONAL AND GEOGRAPHIC CONTIGUITY.
THE FUNCTIONAL DIMENSION MAY TAKE ON ADDED WEIGHT IN SITUATIONS IN WHICH GEOGRAPHIC COMPACTNESS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT SOME AREAS ARE ATTACHED TO THE REMAINDER OF THE CITY, ONLY BY RELATIVELY LONG AND NARROW STRIPS OF LAND FUNCTIONAL COMPACTNESS.
AND CONTIGUITY INCLUDES CONSIDERING FACTORS SUCH AS AVAILABILITY OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION, EXISTENCE OF COMMON SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND OTHER SHARED INTERESTS.
THE ABILITY OF CITIZENS OF A COUNCIL DISTRICT TO RELATE TO EACH OTHER AND TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVE ON CITY COUNCIL, AND THE ABILITY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO RELATE TO HIS OR HER CONSTITUENCY.
THEY SHOULD PRESERVE INCUMBENT CONSTITUENT RELATIONS BY RECOGNITION OF THE RESIDENTS, OF EXISTING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND THEIR HISTORY IN REPRESENTING CERTAIN AREAS.
THE PLAN SHOULD NOT FRAGMENT A GEOGRAPHICALLY COMPACT MINORITY COMMUNITY OR PAC MINORITY VOTERS IN THE PRESENCE OF POLARIZED VOTING SO AS TO CREATE LIABILITY UNDER SECTION TWO OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
MORE DETAILS ABOUT THESE CRITERIA CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, AND CHINESE.
TO HELP US MANAGE THIS COMPLICATED AND LENGTHY PROCESS, CITY COUNCIL ALSO ESTABLISHED THESE IMPORTANT RULES.
THE CITY'S PLAN AND ANYONE ELSE'S PLAN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY FOR CONSIDERATION MUST BE IN WRITING, BE BASED ON THE 2020 FEDERAL CENSUS MUST REDISTRICT THE ENTIRE CITY CONTAINING PROPOSED BOUNDARIES FOR ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS WITHIN THE CITY.
IF A PLAN DOES NOT REDISTRICT THE ENTIRE CITY, IT MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR COUNCIL TO ASSESS THE PLAN'S IMPACT ON ONE OR MORE PROTECTED MINORITY GROUPS.
THIS REQUIREMENT DOES NOT PRECLUDE CITIZENS FROM PROPOSING THAT PARTICULAR VOTING, PRECINCTS, NEIGHBORHOODS, OR LOCATIONS BE INCLUDED IN A SPECIFIC COUNCIL DISTRICT.
THE PLAN MUST CONFORM TO THE CRITERIA DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY AND BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN 4:45 PM ON JULY 20TH, 2022.
TO RUPE KOHI IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
[00:20:02]
WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD REGARDING YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CONFIGURATION OF THE NEW COUNCIL DISTRICTS.YOUR INPUT MAY SIMPLY BE REGARDING NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARIES OR YOU MAY WANT TO SUBMIT A COMPLETE REDISTRICTING PLAN.
EITHER WAY, THERE ARE SEVERAL POINTS AT WHICH YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS, OPINIONS, OR PLANS, ONE HERE AT THIS OR OTHER SCHEDULED TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
TWO THROUGH OUR WEBPAGE@WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV.
THREE DIRECTLY TO RUPE KOSHI IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT THROUGH EMAIL AT RUPESH DOT KOHI, AT HOUSTON TX.GOV BY US POSTAL SERVICE, OR HAND DELIVERY TO RUPE KOHI, OR FOUR AT ONE OF THE THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WOULD BE HELD IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF CITY HALL 9 0 1 BAGBY STREET.
IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT A PLAN OF YOUR OWN, IT IS VITAL THAT YOU FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES CRITERIA AND RULES FOR THE CONSIDERATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
WE'RE READY TO HELP TO ENABLE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP AND SUBMIT THEIR OWN PLAN.
A COMPUTER KIOSK WITH REDISTRICTING SOFTWARE WILL BE SET UP IN THE OFFICES OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON THE SIXTH, FOUR OF SIX 11 WALKER STREET, SEVEN SEVEN ZERO ZERO TWO.
PLEASE CALL 8 3 2 3 9 3 6 5 5 2 TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT SO A STAFF MEMBER CAN ASSIST YOU IN USING THE SOFTWARE.
AGAIN, ALL PLANS MUST BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN 4:45 PM ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 20TH, 2022.
NO MATTER HOW OR WHERE YOU JOIN THIS CONVERSATION, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARIES ARE AND WHERE IT MAKES SENSE TO KEEP A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST TOGETHER.
HOUSTON WILL BE STRONGER AS A RESULT OF YOUR PARTICIPATION.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING IN THE CONVERSATION.
I KNOW JENNIFER'S ABOUT TO JUMP IN.
UH, IF YOU HAVE A SEAT OPEN BY YOU, COULD YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? WE HAVE A FEW.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE STANDING IN THE BACK.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME SIT, PLEASE DO.
I KNOW THAT IT'S GETTING A LITTLE CROWDED, BUT AGAIN, PLEASE SIT IF YOU'RE ABLE TO.
AND I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT CHIEF PENA, UH, HAS JOINED US AS WELL, AND ALSO, UH, SOME FOLKS OVER FROM HPD.
AND, AND I DO WANT TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE AND RECOGNIZE, UH, THIS, UH, CITY'S LEGAL ATTORNEY, AURA.
MICHELLE CHO, IF YOU'LL STAND UP, UH, THAT'S, SO JUST IN CASE YOU WANT, YOU MIGHT WANNA FOLLOW UP ON ANY QUESTIONS.
YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO POINT HIM OUT.
YOU KNOW,
AND THEN IN FACT, ALL OF THE OTHER DIRECTORS, IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE DIRECTORS, PLEASE STAND UP.
ALL OF THE DIRECTORS WHO ARE HERE.
I KNOW SARASHA FRANCIS WITH DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
WHERE DID THEY GO? MANY OF THEM MAY BE OUTSIDE OF THEIR BOOTH.
SO, UH, IN ADDITION TO REDISTRICTING, UH, SALLY WASTE IS HERE.
AND SO, IN ADDITION TO THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT, IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES ON ANY OTHER CITY RELATED MATTER, THEY ARE OUTSIDE.
SO ALL OF, PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS ARE HERE, UH, WHETHER THEY'RE SUBJECT OF THIS CONVERSATION OR NOT.
UM, SO WITH THAT, YOU READY? TAKE IT BACK.
UM, IS THIS, THIS? OKAY? IT'S ON, UH, GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY.
I'M DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE CITY'S PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND OUR TEAM IS, IS LEADING THE, THE REDISTRICTING EFFORT.
I'M JOINED HERE TONIGHT BY JERRY WOOD, WHO, UM, IS, UH, A DEMOGRAPHER ON THIS PROJECT LEADING, AND HE'S BEEN INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF REDISTRICTING EFFORTS IN HOUSTON OVER THE YEARS.
AND RUPESH KOCHI IS HERE SOMEWHERE, RAISING HIS HAND OVER THERE.
AND THAT'S WHO'S ALSO HELPING IN ADDITION TO MANY OTHERS.
UM, AS, AS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ STATED, THIS PORTION RIGHT NOW, UM, IS THE LISTENING SESSION FOR REDISTRICTING.
SO IF YOU, UM, CHECKED A CARD THAT SAID YOU HAVE A COMMENT ABOUT REDISTRICTING, I'M GONNA CALL NAMES AND I'LL TRY TO REMEMBER TO CALL, UH, A NAME, AND THEN WHOEVER WILL FOLLOW.
AND IF YOU WOULD PROCEED UP TO THE MICROPHONE, UH, MR. WOOD IS TAKING, LISTENING INTENTLY AND TAKING NOTES ON YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT REDISTRICTING.
AND AS WE'VE SAID BEFORE, UH, YOU, THIS IS NOT YOUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE COMMENTS.
WE WILL POST UP AGAIN, UH, MR. KO, SHE'S CONTACT INFO AND OUR WEBSITE INFO ALSO.
SO YOU CAN DO THAT, OR YOU CAN ATTEND ANOTHER MEETING.
SO, WITH THAT, AND JENNIFER SAY, WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO KEEP COMMENTS ABOUT THREE OR FOUR MINUTES, IF YOU DON'T MIND, JUST TO BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYONE'S TIME, BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE THE CIP PORTION.
AND THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
[00:25:01]
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THANK, THANK YOU.SO FIRST WE HAVE EMILY GEIER, FOLLOWED BY CARL JOSE HART.
THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER FOR BEING HERE.
UM, SO I, MY NAME IS EMILY GEIER.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION, BUT I HAVE LIVED IN THE WOODLAND HEIGHTS FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.
AND OUR COMMUNITY WAS DIVIDED THE LAST TIME THE REDISTRICTING, UH, TOOK PLACE.
UM, WE HAVE A LARGE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY THAT IS CUT RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE.
AND NOT ONLY ARE OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, OUR CHILDREN ARE GOING TO SCHOOLS ACROSS DISTRICTS, AND WE HAVE A PRIORITY TO BE UNIFIED.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO GUYS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE MAP.
UM, WE HAVE A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH DISTRICT C.
UM, THEY UNDERSTAND OUR NEEDS.
THEY ANSWER, UH, QUICKLY, AND WE FEEL LIKE WE WANNA CONTINUE THAT RELATIONSHIP.
SO, UM, IF IT WERE UP TO US, WE WANNA BE UNIFIED.
AND SO WE HOPE YOU TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
UH, CARL JOSE HART, FOLLOWED BY JOHN ZAVALA.
UM, I'M HERE REPRESENTING, UH, JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE AS THE INCOMING CEO.
AND ALTHOUGH WE'RE JUST OUTSIDE DISTRICT C, MUCH OF THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE, UH, LIVES THERE.
AND I WANTED JUST TO SPEAK, UM, SIMILAR TO THE PRI PRIOR SPEAKER, ABOUT A CONCERN ABOUT DIVIDING, UH, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IN A WAY THAT, UH, TAKES AWAY A SENSE OF UNITY.
UM, OUR COMMUNITY, AS YOU KNOW, WAS VERY HARD HIT BY THE, BY THE FLOODS.
AND MANY OF THE, UH, INSTITUTIONS IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY WERE PARTICULARLY HARD HIT.
AND IT CREATED A REAL FRACTURING OF A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, WHICH WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD, UH, TO REBUILD.
UM, THE ONE OTHER SORT OF COLOR BACKGROUND I WOULD OFFER IS THAT YOU MAY HAVE READ THE RECENT, UH, STUDY THAT JUST CAME OUT BY THE A DL THAT SHOWED IN THE HISTORY OF THEM COLLECTING STATISTICS.
2021 WAS THE MOST, UH, REPORTED, UH, UM, ANTI-SEMITIC EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF A DL COLLECTING THAT.
SO I THINK THE COMMUNITY, IN PARTICULAR, THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN DISTRICT C, IS FEELING A SENSE OF VULNERABILITY.
AND WHAT WE WANNA DO IS, UH, MAINTAIN A SENSE OF COHESION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THAT COMMUNITY FEELS THAT THEIR SHARED INTEREST AND CONCERNS, UM, ARE BEING HEARD AND THAT THEIR VOICE CONTINUES TO BE HEARD.
UM, AND JUST THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
YOU'VE BEEN SUCH A TRUSTED PARTNER FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
JOHN ZAVALA, FOLLOWED BY KURT SWAFFORD.
AND IF YOU'VE, UH, MR. ZAVALA, YOU'VE SIGNED UP FOR, TO SPEAK ON BOTH CIP AND REDISTRICTING.
IF YOU'LL HOLD THE CIP COMMENTS, WE'LL CALL YOU BACK UP.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR ABBY AND ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
UH, I'M THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 14.
WE'VE HAD ABBY AND MR. MAYOR TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, LAZY BROOK, TIMBER GROVE IN THAT AREA.
AND SEVERAL REDISTRICTINGS AGO, WE WERE KICKED OVER IN SPRING BRANCH.
WE HAD NOTHING COMPARED TO SPRING BRANCH.
WE ARE THE HEIGHTS, WE'RE THE WEST SUBURB OF THE HEIGHTS.
BACK IN THE DAY, WE WERE THE SUBURBS AND OUR CHURCHES, SYNAGOGUES, MOSQUE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALL, UH, USE THEM THERE.
AND WE WANNA STAY PART OF DISTRICT C AND, UH, AT OUR AGE GROUP, WE DIDN'T CONTRIBUTE TO THE OLD POPULATION.
THOSE ARE THE YOUNG PEOPLE, SO DON'T BLAME US FOR THAT OVERPOPULATION.
I HAD TO BUST UP THE CROWD HERE, BUT, UH, IT TAKES YEARS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND IT'S BEEN YEARS TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP.
WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT ABBY'S DONE, AND HER STAFF, THEY WORK REALLY HARD.
SO WE WANNA STAY IN DISTRICT C.
AND THAT'S OUR MESSAGE TO THE, TO THE SCRIPTURE HERE, THE BRAINIAC IN THE ROOM.
WE'RE GONNA FIGHT THE STAY IN DISTRICT C, YOU KNOW, TILL THE COWS COME HOME.
KURT SWAFFORD, FOLLOWED BY STEVEN LONGMEYER.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF LAZY BROOK CIVIC CLUB, AND I'M JUST HERE TODAY TO ECHO WHAT JOHN IS SAYING, RIGHT? WE'RE, WE'RE A SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT 700 HOMES, AND INSIDE THE INNER LOOP, JUST RIGHT THERE BY TIMBER GROVE, UM, OBVIOUSLY WE SHARE EVERYTHING WITH TIMBER GROVE AND THE HEIGHTS, WHETHER IT'S GROCERY STORES, ALL OF OUR GOALS ABOUT MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION, THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE GO TO, THE SCHOOLS THAT OUR KIDS GO TO, IT'S ALL SHARED WITHIN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO I HOPE THAT CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO KEEP US WITH THEM.
OBVIOUSLY, ALL THE RELATIONSHIPS WE'VE BUILT,
[00:30:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL AND ALL THE, THE, THE SHARED INTERESTS THAT WE HAVE, I THINK THAT, UH, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THAT RELATIONSHIP GOING.STEVEN LONGMEYER, FOLLOWED BY MARIE CARLISLE.
GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE FIRST MONTROSE COMMON CIVIC ASSOCIATION, ONE OF A NUMBER OF HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN THIS CITY, THE LION'S SHARE OF WHICH ARE WITHIN DISTRICT C, INSIDE OF LOOP SIX 10.
HAVING BEEN REDISTRICTED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN DISTRICTS, I CAN TELL YOU IT TAKES ABOUT FOUR YEARS TO REEDUCATE A COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT ALL OF THE NUANCES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE.
WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE IN NEAR TOWN AND MONTROSE, AS I'M SURE THE HEIGHTS IS AS WELL.
AND WE WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO KEEP AS A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST, THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION, BECAUSE HOUSTON IS NOT PRETTY WELL KNOWN FOR THAT.
AND WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CONTINUES, UM, FORWARD.
UM, I REALIZE THAT WE'VE PROBABLY DONE TOO GOOD A JOB, 'CAUSE DISTRICT CS GROWING FASTER THAN THE REST OF 'EM.
AND IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE OF REPRODUCTION, IT'S 'CAUSE PEOPLE WANNA LIVE HERE,
UH, AND SO IT'S GONNA BE A DIFFICULT TASK TO REDISTRICT US, BUT WE, WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE INSIDE THE LOOP PORTIONS OF DISTRICT C MUST REMAIN INTACT WITH OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN DISTRICT C.
MARIE CARLISLE, FOLLOWED BY DENNIS BEON.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
UM, AND TO YOUR STAFF MEMBERS AND ALL THE CITY PEOPLE, UH, ALL THE CITY EMPLOYEES HERE TONIGHT, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR LETTING US HAVE THIS VOICE.
UM, MY NAME IS MARIE CARLISLE AND I'M THE NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 14.
AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THAT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD TO ASK, UM, FOLLOWING UP ON WHAT JOHN AND KURT SAID, THAT YOU DO KEEP US TOGETHER IN, UM, IN, UH, SECTION C, SORRY, DISTRICT C.
UM, I'M, I AM NEW TO THIS POSITION, SO THIS IS MY FIRST TIME DEALING, UM, WITH A LOT OF THIS.
BUT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND HER STAFF HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN GETTING ME UP TO DATE AND HELPING ME, UM, DEAL WITH ISSUES AND PROBLEMS AND BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE.
AND WE WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO STAY IN HER DISTRICT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
HELLO, MY NAME IS DENNIS BEEDEN.
I'M SIMPLY A HOMEOWNER IN ROBINDALE, DISTRICT C UNDER ABBEY.
I HAVE A QUESTION THAT IT COMES DOWN TO THE FACT THAT DISTRICT C IS SPLIT.
HOW DOES THE SECOND REPRESENTATIVE GET PUT ON DUTY, WHETHER IT BE A ALREADY AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER, HE OR SHE GETS THAT NEW DISTRICT OR THE NEW SECTION, OR IS IT DONE THROUGH VOTE MAP UP? YEAH, YOU BRING THE MAP.
SO IT WOULD, I THINK I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING MY QUESTION.
NO, I I THINK WE UNDERSTAND IT.
AND THE MAYOR'S GONNA TAKE A STAB AT IT, GONNA BE BAN WHITE FOR A WHILE.
SO IT, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY AT LARGE, MEMBERS WILL ALWAYS REPRESENT THE ENTIRE CITY IN EVERY DISTRICT.
BUT PARTS OF THE DISTRICT MAY GO TO OTHER DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS REPRESENTING THEM UNTIL THE NEXT ELECTION.
IT REMAINS IN PLACE WITH THOSE DISTRICTS UNTIL THE NEXT ELECTION.
AND AS, AS I'VE SAID, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT DISTRICT C, DISTRICT C, YEAH.
DISTRICT C IS, IS ALL OF THIS.
OKAY, NOW, DISTRICT C CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW IS 17 PERC 15% OVER.
UH, WHICH MEANS, AND DISTRICT H IS UNDER AND DISTRICT I IS UNDER.
AND DISTRICT J IS UNDER, SO THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE ADJUST? ADJUST? AND QUITE FRANKLY, YOU JUST CAN'T LOOK AT JUST THOSE AREAS.
'CAUSE IT, IT, IT COULD, THE RAM IF THE EFFECT COULD BE ALL OVER THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO POTENTIALLY SOME OF IT COULD CHANGE STATE REPS ALSO.
NO, WE DON'T DEAL WITH THE STATE REPS.
THAT'S, THAT'S THOSE STATE PEOPLE.
THAT'S, THAT'S THOSE PEOPLE, WELL, JOHNS DON'T HAVE ENOUGH.
THEY DIDN'T, THEY, THEY DIDN'T COME OUT AND HAVE MEETINGS LIKE THIS.
YOU HAD TO GO TO AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WELL, I'M HEADED, YEAH.
BUT, UH, BUT NO, YOUR STATE REPS AND STATE SENATORS,
[00:35:01]
YOU KNOW, WHATEVER MAPS THEY'VE DRAWN, YOU WOULD BE IN THERE.SO WE DON'T, WE, WE DON'T IMPACT THOSE AT ALL.
ALL AS THE MEMBER MEMBER CAMON, ALL THE AT LARGE MEMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO REPRESENT EVERYBODY.
BUT THE QUESTION IS, IF, IF YOU'RE IN THE, LIKE, THE CORE, YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH OKAY, JUST, JUST STAY IN ODDS OR YOU'LL STAY IN DISTRICT C.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T KIND OF, KIND OF LIKE, GO THROUGH HERE, I'M JUST GONNA MOVE MY HOUSE
SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE DO IT.
AND IT, AND IT IS A VERY COMPLICATED PROCESS.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANSWER.
ALAN LIPMAN, FOLLOWED BY, OOPS.
THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCILPERSON AND CITY OFFICIALS.
I'M HERE WITH MULTIPLE HATS AND ALL HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS.
I REPRESENT THE JEWISH MUNI CENTER.
I REPRESENT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AS A FOUNDING FORMING MEMBER OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, AS WELL AS A LEADER IN MY CIVIC CLUB SINCE 1983.
SO WE'RE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT TWO OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS KEEPING LIKE NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER.
AND WITH THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 31 AREA, TAKING US TO A DIFFERENT DISTRICT THAT ARE CONTIGUOUS TO US, WOULD WE, WE'D LOSE THAT COMMONALITY THAT WE ALREADY HAVE WITH DISTRICT C AND WE'D REALLY NEED TO STAY WITH DISTRICT C BECAUSE OF THE COMMONALITIES OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WE'RE WITH NOW, RATHER THAN SOME DIFFERENCES.
I'M IN BARCLAYS CIRCULAR BAR CIRCLE.
AND SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 31, WHICH IS MYLAND SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IS WHAT IT'S CALLED.
DEBORAH KERNER, FOLLOWED BY TERRY KAMINSKI.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE CITY STAFF WHO ARE HERE.
UM, I ALSO WANNA TALK ABOUT MARLAND AS SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE.
SEVERAL OF THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS HAVE MENTIONED, AND I LOOKED AT YOUR CRITERIA AND WE'RE LOOKING AT FOLLOW, EASILY IDENTIFIABLE GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES, MAINTAIN COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST, BE COMPACT AND CONTIGUOUS, PRESERVE INCUMBENT CONSTITUENCY RELATIONS, AND AVOID VOID CRACKING MEYERLAND, ALTHOUGH IT INCLUDES SEVERAL DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
YOU HEARD SOMEBODY SPEAK ABOUT BARCLAY SQUARE.
I LIVE IN MAPLEWOOD, NORTH SOUTH, WHICH IS BOTH SIDES OF THE BAYOU.
BUT MEYERLAND, WHEN I TELL SOMEBODY WHERE I LIVE, IT'S MEYERLAND, WHICH IS THE WAY THE DISTRICT SEE, SHOWS IT RIGHT NOW, SIX 10, TO BASICALLY THE END OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS BOB WHITE BEACH.
NOT, OR THE BORDER WITH BEL AIR TO BASICALLY THE UTILITY ACCESS JUST NORTH OF WILLOW BEND.
THOSE HOMES WERE BUILT AT THE SAME TIME.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS JUST AS OLD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
IT'S ALL SAME FOR THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD.
PLEASE KEEP IT INTACT AND DON'T CRACK IT.
CHERRY KAMINSKI, FOLLOWED BY KAY SWINTT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LETTING US SPEAK.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 31, WHICH IS THE GREATER MEYERLAND AREA.
IT INCLUDES NINE SUBDIVISIONS THAT RANGE FROM 22 HOMES TO 2000 HOMES IN MEYERLAND.
UM, THE SMALLER SUBDIVISIONS, WE HAVE FOUR OF THEM, AND WE ALL NEED TO BE KEPT TOGETHER.
BUT THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT WE HAVE, WHICH RECENTLY HAPPENED TO US ON THE REDISTRICTING FROM THE COMMISSIONER'S, UM, COURT, IS THAT MEYERLAND WAS SPLIT IN HALF AND MEYERLAND IS ON THE NORTH SIDE AND THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BAYOU.
THE MAPLEWOOD AREA THAT'S ALSO SPLIT BETWEEN THE BAYOU NEEDS TO STAY TOGETHER.
UM, AS ALAN SAID, THE JCC WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF STARTING THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT ALL HAPPENED AFTER MEMORIAL DAY AND HARVEY STORMS. THEY'VE BEEN OUR BIGGEST SUPPORT.
UM, IT'S A COMMUNITY THAT HAS GONE THROUGH SO MUCH IN THE LAST, UH, FIVE YEARS, 10 YEARS.
AND, UM, WE JUST REALLY NEED TO KEEP THE DISTRICT C SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 31 TOGETHER.
COULD I ASK YOU A QUICK QUESTION? COULD YOU JUST CONFIRM FOR ME
[00:40:01]
THAT THE, THE SECTION OF MEYERLAND, UM, WHICH IS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO HILLCROFT, IS, IS ALSO CONSIDERED PART OF THE LARGER, SO, UH, MEYERLAND DOESN'T GO TO HILLCROFT.MEYERLAND GOES TO CHIMNEY ROCK.
SO MEYERLAND GOES FROM SIX 10 TO CHIMNEY ROCK, HILLCROFT.
AND THERE'S A SECTION AT HILLCROFT SECTION 10.
I JUST WANT YOU TO CONFIRM FOR ME THAT THAT IS YES.
CONSIDERED PART SECTION 10 IS OFF HILLCROFT.
AND THAT'S MAPLEWOOD GOES IN AND AROUND THAT.
AND, AND THAT'S REGARD AS PART OF MEYERLAND.
I'M SORRY, THAT'S REGARDED AS PART OF MEYERLAND.
WELL, EVERYBODY CONSIDERS THAT AREA ALL MEYERLAND, BUT IT IS ALL NINE SUBDIVISIONS SURE.
THAT HAVE THEIR OWN, UM, PRESIDENTS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPORTING THAT SUBDIVISION.
I JUST WANNA GET SOMETHING ON THE RECORD.
KAY SWIN, FOLLOWED BY JOE WEBB.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK TODAY.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 31, WHICH IS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 31 GREATER MEYERLAND.
AND THEN I'M THE, UH, ON THE BOARD OF OUR, UH, FREMONT CIVIC CLUB, WHICH IS ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS NEIGHBORHOODS.
I DID, AS I WAS LISTENING TO OTHER PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, I'M A PRESBYTERIAN ELDER IN MY CHURCH, BUT I RECOGNIZED THAT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE SYNAGOGUE IN OUR AREA REALLY HELD US TOGETHER DURING ALL THE FLOODING THAT HAPPENED.
AND WITHOUT THEM, I THINK WE WOULD'VE BEEN IN A MUCH MORE PRECARIOUS SITUATION THAN WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
SO REGARDLESS OF YOUR, YOUR RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION, YOU WANT TO KEEP US ALL BOUND TOGETHER.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT BRAS BIO IS NOT A DIVIDER.
BRAS BIO IS A UNIFIER FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE ALL SUFFERED FROM THE FLOODING ON BOTH SIDES.
WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER TO AMELIORATE THE FLOODING ON BOTH SIDES.
WE BOTH, UM, WE, WE SHARED JUST THIS COMMON HERITAGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND, UH, AND, AND LATELY THE OTHER BIG ISSUE IN OUR AREA IS CRIME.
AND I KNOW MAYOR TURNER KNOWS, HE CAME TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER MAYBE THREE YEARS AGO AND HAD A BIG PUBLIC MEETING ABOUT HOW MUCH CRIME HAD INCREASED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE ARE TWO MAJOR COMPLEXES IN, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BAYOU BETWEEN CHIMNEY ROCK AND RENWICK THAT HAVE OVER 2200 APARTMENT HOMES.
SO THEY EXCEED THE RESIDENTIAL HOMES BY FAR.
THERE ARE MANY, MANY GOOD PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD, IN THOSE APARTMENTS, BUT IT IS A SOURCE OF CRIME FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WE'VE HAD POLICE COME AT IT FOR A WHILE, AND, BUT WE'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO REALLY MAKE A DENT IN THAT CRIME.
I DON'T WALK OUTSIDE, UM, AFTER SIX O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
AND THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN MY LIFETIME THERE.
I'VE LIVED THERE FOR 45 YEARS.
WHAT? BUT, UH, ABBY HAS PUT TOGETHER A TASK FORCE TO WORK WHERE SHE HAS LEADERSHIP FROM THE LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AT THE OWNERSHIP LEVEL.
SHE HAS, UH, CIVIC CLUB GROUPS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING.
SHE HAS POLICE COMMANDERS PARTICIPATING.
AND WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING ON THIS AS A COALITION TOGETHER.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS IS HAPPENING, AND WE NEED TO STAY WITH SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND CAN HELP US TAKE THIS ON.
IT WOULD BE REALLY A CRIME TO SEE THAT NOT HAPPEN.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
UH, AND JOE WEBB, JOE, UM, THIS IS THE LAST SPEAKER I HAVE.
IF THERE'S ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO SPEAK, RAISE YOUR HAND AND WE'LL GET A CARD TO YOU REALLY QUICKLY.
I THINK THERE'S ONE RIGHT THERE.
UM, ABBY, GOOD TO SEE Y'ALL AGAIN.
UH, I'M HERE TALKING FOR MYSELF TONIGHT BECAUSE I CHAIR THE MONTROSE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IN TURS.
ONE THING I HOPE YOU GUYS HEED WHEN YOU DO THIS IS YOU FOLLOW THE WORDS YOU PUT YOURSELF IN THE, THE LITERATURE COMPACT CON CONTI, A CONTIGUOUS CONNECTED NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE LIKE A STRING OF VILLAGES IN THIS DISTRICT BECAUSE WE'VE, WE HAVE A SHARED HISTORY, WE HAVE SHARED TIMELINES.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL KIND OF BUILD ON THE SYNERGY OF EACH OTHER.
'CAUSE WE SEE THAT AT, AT THE TURS IS IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP DO INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT NOT ONLY JUST IMPACT US, BUT THEY IMPACT THOSE WHO VISIT AND THOSE WHO PASS THROUGH US.
SO, AND THIS ALSO HELPS GIVE AN IDENTITY.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS IMPORTANT IN THE DISTRICT.
IT GIVES AN IDENTITY OF WHO WE ARE WITHIN THE CITY.
SO I, MY BIGGEST WORDS ARE, REMEMBER THAT IT IS A STRING OF VILLAGES.
IT'S LIKE AN ARCH ARCHIPELAGO WITHIN THE CITY, THE SEA OF THE CITY.
IT'S GOT SHARED HISTORY, SHARED TIMELINES.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL KIND OF STAY TOGETHER AND DO WHAT YOU CAN TO KEEP IT FUNCTIONING FOR, LIKE
[00:45:01]
WITH STEVE, WITH HISTORIC ISSUES, ALL OF US.BUT THAT, THAT SHARED HISTORY, IS THAT THE THING THAT REALLY HELPS THE MOST.
GREG LAGRAND, FOLLOWED BY MARK WILLIAMSON, ABBY AND MAYOR, UH, TURNER.
AND ESPECIALLY THANKS FOR ALL THE STAFFS THAT YOU HAVE HERE, THAT, THAT'S A LOT OF MANPOWER, A LOT OF OVERTIME, A LOT OF, UH, EFFORT TO PUT ALL THIS TOGETHER.
BUT, UH, I'M GREG LAGRANDE, PRESIDENT OF THE, UH, NEAR TOWN, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS MONTROSE, ESSENTIALLY MONTROSE.
UH, ONE, ONE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT MONTROSE IS IT'S, UH, IT IS SO DIVERSE, BUT YET IT'S SO MODERNIZED IN ITS DIVERSITY AND, UH, IT, IT SORT OF JUST FITS TOGETHER.
I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE COMPONENTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE THERE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UH, IT'S, IT SEEMS LIKE AN ATTITUDE THAT YOU GET WHEN YOU LIVE THERE FOR A WHILE.
BUT, UH, WE, WE HAD CER CERTAINLY, UH, WOULD LOVE TO KEEP OURSELVES TOGETHER AS A WHOLE, UH, THES SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD WITHIN THE SAME DISTRICT, UH, OR HAVE OUR TOURS IN THE SAME DISTRICT.
I, I, I THINK IT MAKES A LOT OF ECONOMIC SENSE, UH, FOR, FOR THE, THE CONTINUITY AND FOR HOUSTON ALSO.
AND, UH, HAVE HAVING, UH, UH, THAT TYPE OF NEIGHBORHOODS FOR THE TOWN.
A LOT OF THINGS ARE BEING BUILT.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, THAT'S WHY POPULATIONS ARE UP.
BUT, UH, THANK, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TONIGHT AND, UH, YOU'RE DOING A LOT OF HARD WORK HERE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
MARK WILLIAMSON, FOLLOWED BY REESE.
MY, MY NAME IS MARK WILLIAMSON.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE GREATER HEIGHTS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, I WAS ALSO SPOKE AT DISTRICT H, AND I POINTED OUT THAT WE'VE BEEN DIVIDED IN THE LAST, IN THE LAST, UH, FOR SEVERAL, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN THERE FOR 30 YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN DIVIDED AMONG DISTRICTS AND IT WASN'T TOO HARD TO DEAL WITH.
AND AS I SAID, IN DISTRICT H, WE CAN MEETING, WE COULD LIVE WITH HAVING TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT IF WE COULD BE UNIFIED, I AM NOW BY THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS ALL STAYING TOGETHER IN ONE DISTRICT, IF THAT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE.
AND DISTRICT C, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF I MISPRONOUNCE YOUR NAME, FOLLOWED BY CHANDRA JOHNSON.
IT'S ACTUALLY REESE AMI, E-R-M-I-S.
I'M ON THE BRAEBURN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD WITH REESE.
HIS WIFE IS PREGNANT, DEMANDING POPEYE'S RIGHT NOW.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.
UM, HE WANTED ME TO CONVEY THAT OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT NOW IS IN DISTRICT C AND DISTRICT J, AND IF POSSIBLE, THEY'D LIKE TO MOVE TO DISTRICT J BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE OVERCROWDING DISTRICT C.
MAKE SURE THAT I GOT THAT RIGHT.
UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RY CAMAN, UM, I REPRESENT, I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FREEMAN'S TOWN ASSOCIATION.
MY NAME IS SHARONDA JOHNSON, AND I REPRESENT, UH, FREEMAN SOUND, FOURTH WARD, ONE OF THE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN DISTRICT C.
AND IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE TO PARTNER WITH MS. CAMAN ON DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND WE ARE ALSO HISTORIC HERITAGE DISTRICT, WHICH HAS BEEN NEWLY, UM, FORMED.
SO IT WOULD, WE WOULD LOVE TO STAY TOGETHER WITHIN ALL THE HERITAGE DISTRICT, I MEAN THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
AND, UH, ONCE AGAIN, IT IS AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH MS. CAYMAN.
SHE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, OUR CHAMPION.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE RECORD, YOU KNOW, OUR PREVIOUS COUNCILWOMAN DID NOT SERVE US.
AND SO IT IS AN HONOR TO, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY GET RECOGNITION FROM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL PERSON.
I'M THE CIVIC, UH, ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT THERE.
I JUST LIKE TO SAY ON RECORD THAT WE WANNA STAY IN DISTRICT C AND, UH, WE ARE COTTAGE GROVE, NORTHWEST SOUTH.
WE STRADDLE, WE STRADDLE I 10.
UM, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY THERE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE GREATER HEIGHTS AND WITH SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22, WHICH IS ALONG WASHINGTON AS WELL.
CAM, IF YOU WOULD JUST PUT THE WEBSITE BACK UP, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO
[00:50:01]
TAKE A PHOTO OF THAT.IF YOU GO THERE, YOU WILL FIND ALL THE WAYS THAT YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE MORE TO THIS DISCUSSION.
AND YOU WILL FIND THE TIMELINE, YOU'LL FIND A COPY OF THE VIDEO, UM, ANYTHING YOU MIGHT NEED.
WE ALSO HAVE A TABLE OVER HERE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROOM THAT HAS, UM, WHERE THE MAP IS.
THERE'S MORE INFORMATION ABOUT REDISTRICTING THERE.
SO, UM, IF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING AFTER TONIGHT, PLEASE REACH OUT AND LET US KNOW.
AND WITH THAT, I THINK WE ARE READY TO BEGIN THE CIP MEETING.
AND I THINK, UH, MR. OKAY, I'M SORRY, JUST ONE LAST THOUGHT.
I KNOW THE MAYOR WAS, UM, TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE SURROUNDING DISTRICTS WITH THE, THE GRAPH UP, THE CHART THAT SHOWED THE PERCENTAGES OF ABOVE AND BELOW.
AND IF THAT'S AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE, THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO GO BECAUSE IF YOU ARE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT WHICH DIRECTION YOU COULD GO FOR THE BALANCING OF THE CENSUS, THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT, UH, STATISTIC NOW THAT WE SEE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US AND BLENDED WITH THE MAP, THAT CAN REALLY INFORM SOME OF THE DIALOGUE THAT'S GOING ON HERE TONIGHT.
SO THAT'S MY 2 CENTS COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND WE WILL SHARE THE WEBSITE AND IF YOU'RE NOT SIGNED UP FOR OUR EMAILS, YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAILS AT THE FRONT.
AND WE WILL ALSO BE SHARING ALL OF THIS INFORMATION BACK OUT AGAIN, UM, AS THOSE UPDATES CONTINUE.
I DO HAVE TO GO TESTIFY BEFORE THE TCEQ ON THE, UH, CASHMAN GARDEN CANCER CLUSTER.
UM, BUT IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
UM, IT IS A COMPLICATED PROCESS, SO PLEASE STAY IN TOUCH WITH US, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
ALRIGHT, DO WE HAVE OUR CI? YES, WE DO
SO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR ALL OF THE INPUT, AND THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE INPUT AS THE PROCESS GOES ALONG.
I'M GONNA SHARE A FEW STATISTICS PLEASE JUST BEFORE WE START.
SO, UM, I DO WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM FOR DISTRICT C.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE.
THERE WERE TOO MANY TO INCLUDE.
SO PUBLIC WORKS HAS AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST FOR EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD OF PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING GOING ON RELATED TO THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AT THEIR TABLE.
SO YOU CAN ALSO, AFTER THIS GO TO THE TABLE TO ASK ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING OUTSIDE OF CIP.
UH, OVER $300,000 HAS BEEN FROM DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS PUT TOWARDS SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS.
AND WE'RE ALSO LEVERAGING, I KNOW WE HAVE JOE HERE AND OTHER TOURS MEMBERS LEVERAGING ADDITIONAL FUNDS THROUGH OUR TOURS FOR SIDEWALKS AND $10,000, UH, IN RAMP IMPROVEMENTS, OVER $200,000 IN PANEL REPLACEMENTS AND OVERLAYS.
AND WE HAVE OVER $6 MILLION WORTH OF MAJOR REHABILITATION TAKING PLACE IN THE DISTRICT.
YOU ARE GOING TO BE WOWED BY MICHAEL'S ABILITY TO PRESENT ON THIS VERY QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY.
UH, BUT WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING.
UM, ON MY NAME IS MICHAEL LORETI, AND I AM A DEPUTY DIRECTOR WITH CAPITAL PROJECTS IN THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
AND, UH, ON BEHALF OF OUR DIRECTOR, HADDOCK AND MY BOSS HERE, ERIC DARGAN, AND 4,000 EMPLOYEES OF PUBLIC WORKS THAT DO THEIR WORK ON A DAILY BASIS, I'M PRIVILEGED TO BE HERE.
I TYPICALLY SAY, I PROMISE I'LL BE SHORT AND BRIEF, BUT DISTRICT SEEK
BUT THE, THE SHORT IS A LONG LIST, SO THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UM, SO I'LL, I'LL GET ON IT PRETTY QUICK.
THE FIRST ONE IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
REALLY, UH, THE CITY CONTINUES TO ADDRESS THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC.
HOUSTON WILL RECEIVE 607.9 MILLION FOR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT PLAN ACT PASSED BY CONGRESS LAST YEAR.
WE RECEIVED HALF OF THE FUNDING LAST YEAR, AND WE'LL RECEIVE THE SECOND HALF THIS LATER THIS MONTH.
SO YOU'VE BEEN ASKED TO GO TO THE WEBSITE THAT'S LISTED HERE, AND THERE IS A 22 QUESTION SURVEY.
THEY REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOUR INPUT ON THIS, SO PLEASE DO IT.
AND IT'S JUST SIMPLY HOUSTON TX.GOV AT SLASH
[00:55:01]
APA FOR MORE.SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT I WANT YOU TO TAKE TODAY IS THE THREE RS.
UM, AND, UH, IN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, WE CALL 'EM THE BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD.
UH, THE THREE RS ARE REPAIR, WHICH INCLUDES STANDARD OPERATION MAINTENANCE, MOWING, UH, PATCHING OF POTHOLES AND CLEARING STORM LINE.
THIS IS THE TYPE OF STUFF THAT YOU CALL ON THREE ONE ONE.
AND WE DO HAVE IN-HOUSE CREW THAT ACTUALLY DO THIS WORK.
IT'S REALLY DUCT TAPE ENGINEERING.
WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP IT GOING AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
AND THEN WE GO TO REHABILITATION.
IN THE PAST, THIS HAS NOT BEEN OUR, UH, STRATEGY, UH, BUT THANKS TO THE MAYOR'S, UH, STREET REHABILITATION PROGRAM, THE STORM WATER ACTION TEAM AND THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM, WE ARE DOING A LOT MORE OF REHABILITATION.
THESE ARE REGRADING DITCHES AND, UH, INLETS AND, UH, PANEL REPLACEMENTS AND OVERLAYS.
THIS REALLY EXTENDS THE SERVICE LIFE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE BEYOND THE REPAIR FIVE TO 10 YEARS OR SO.
BUT IT'S NOT AT THE NEXT LEVEL.
RECONSTRUCT IS WE CANNOT REPAIR IT, REHABILITATE IT ANYMORE, SO WE HAVE TO REPLACE IT.
AND THESE ARE TYPICALLY LARGE SCALE PROJECTS THAT HAVE MAJOR UTILITY CONFLICTS, AND IT TAKES A LONGER TIME.
UH, AND THEY ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.
THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY ABOUT THAT
BUT, UH, SO THESE ARE ALL THE STRATEGIES THAT WE USE.
SO I'LL HIT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHT PROJECTS.
I STARTED AT PUBLIC WORKS IN 2009, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT SINCE THEN,
AND THIS IS A CRITICAL LINK, UH, ALONG WHITE OAK BAYOU THAT CONNECTS STU MON TO THE MKT TRAIL.
I, I USE THE WHITE OAK TRAIL A LOT TO GO UP NORTH, UH, ABOUT 15 MILES RIDE.
AND THIS IS A GREAT CONNECTOR BECAUSE I DO NOT LIKE THE SPRING DRIVE DRIVE, UH, MKT, WHERE YOU HAVE TO CROSS A LOT OF STREETS, UH, ON THE WAY.
SO THIS IS A GREAT CONNECTION.
NEXT PROJECT IS, IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION SHEPHERD DURHAM, ANOTHER MAJOR PROJECT IN THE WORKS IN SHEPHERD DURHAM.
UH, CONSTRUCTION BEGAN LAST YEAR TO IMPROVE SAFETY MOBILITY AND CORRIDOR.
THIS IS A $12 MILLION PROJECT, WILL INCLUDE NEW STREET DRAINAGE, BUFFERED BIKE LANES, CURB SIDEWALK, STREET LIGHTS, UPGRADES TO ANY UTILITY BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND DIXON.
UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS VERY BUSY CORRIDOR.
IT IS TIGHT, UH, AND WE KNOW IT'S INCONVENIENT AND, UH, STACY CAN ASSURE YOU, UH, SHE'S DEFINITELY REMIND US EVERY DAY.
NEXT ONE IS GARDEN OAKS AND SHEPHERD PARK.
UH, ALSO UNDER WAY 23 MILLION PAVING AND DRAINAGE PROJECT GARDEN OAK SHEPHERD PARK WEST, THE STREET HIGHLIGHT.
HERE WE'LL SEE IMPROVEMENT, STORM DRAIN AND NEW STREETS.
UH, WE WILL ADD OVER 6,000 FEET OF SIDEWALK ALONG WITH NEW WASTEWATER.
LINE CONSTRUCTION WILL WRAP UP NEXT YEAR.
WEST ALABAMA PUBLIC WORKS IS ALSO BEGINNING THIS STORM DRAIN IMPROVEMENT, UH, PROJECT FROM WESTLAND TO BUFFALO.
SPEEDWAY VERY TIED RIGHT AWAY.
UH, THE 14 MILLION PROJECTS INCLUDE MORE THAN 5,000 FEET OF WATER AND A STORM LINE.
NEW BIKE LANES, UH, MORE THAN 6,000 FEET OF NEW SIDEWALK.
WE REMOVED THE TRAFFIC LANE, ALLOWING CONTINUOUS LEFT TURN AT THREE INTERSECTIONS.
CURRENTLY WE'RE AT WORKING AT, UH, WE HAPPEN TO BE WORKING, I KNOW YOU KNOW IT, IT'S WEST ALABAMA.
AND WESTLAND, I'LL TELL YOU, THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS VERY HEAVILY INVOLVED IN WORKING WITH US HOW TO MITIGATE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THIS.
AND WE'LL HEAD TO THE EAST TOWARDS BUFFALO, UH, SPEEDWAY, AND WE'LL BE HITTING THOSE MAJOR INTERSECTIONS AGAIN AT TIMMONS CUMMINS, ED LOW AND, UH, ULTIMATELY BUFFALO SPEEDWAY.
BUT THAT'S HALF OF THE INTERSECTION.
AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AGAIN BUILDING THE NORTH SIDE OF WEST ALABAMA.
UH, SO AGAIN, AND THIS WILL BE DONE IN AUGUST OF 2023.
I EMPATHIZE WITH EVERYBODY THAT'S GOING THROUGH THIS AND WE'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO LESSEN THE IMPACTS UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD.
UM, THIS PROJECT, UH, WAS, WILL BE ON THE WAY IN
[01:00:01]
2024, 6 MILLION PAVING AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT, UH, BETWEEN KIRBY AND MORNINGSIDE, WHICH WE ARE CONSIDERING TO LOOK AT UP TO GREENBRIERS AS WELL.'CAUSE THAT'S A SMALL SEGMENT.
THIS IMPROVEMENT WILL TAKE ABOUT A YEAR TO COMPLETE.
THIS, THIS PROJECT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF INCREDIBLE COORDINATION WITH RICE VILLAGE SHOPS AND COMPROMISE ON PARKING AND BICYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN ACCOMMODATION.
IT IS GOING TO BE ACTUALLY ONE OF THE SIGNATURE PROJECTS, I THINK IF YOU ARE BY THE GRB.
THIS IS THE 72 INCH WATER LINE THAT WE ARE BUILDING, UM, IN IDO, THE EAST DOWNTOWN THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
UH, PART OF THE 97 MILLION PROJECT INCLUDES TUNNELING OF 80 FEET UNDER 59 ALONG CLAY STREET.
THIS WILL IMPROVE DISTRIBUTION OF WATER TO THE SOUTHWEST PUMP STATION.
ONCE A, ONCE THE LINE IS BUILT, WE'LL REBUILD THE ROADWAY WITH NEW SIDEWALKS, TRAFFIC SIGNALS, STREET LIGHTS, AND IS PLANNED TO BE COMPLETED IN 2024.
THESE ARE SOME OF OUR PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS.
UH, PROJECT BRAYS AND MAYOR GROVE.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT ON PROJECT BRAYS TO REPLACE UPGRADE TO, UM, BRIDGES ALONG CHIMNEY ROCK AND SOUTH RICE BOULEVARD, WHICH IS ABOUT 21 MILLION.
IN ADDITION, AT 10 MILLION MAYOR GROVE DETENTION WAS SPEARHEADED BY REPRESENTATIVE LIZ FLETCHER EARMARK TO IMPROVE THE STORMWATER DRAINAGE, UH, FOR THE AREA.
THEY ARE ALL TO BE WRAPPED UP WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR.
I KNOW WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CARDS FOR THIS.
UH, IT STILL IS ON OUR CIP AND IT'S A LARGE MITIGATION PROJECT FOR COTTAGE GROVE WILL BE DONE IN TWO PARTS.
UH, THAT'S WHY WE PUT IT, UH, THE CORNISH AND LARKIN, WE PULLED THAT OUT BECAUSE OF THE SHEPHERD DURHAM IMPROVEMENT.
THAT'S COMING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MEMORIAL HEIGHTS.
BUT AS, AS EVERYTHING GOES, THAT'S ALSO A LITTLE BIT DELAYED.
SO MORE THAN LIKELY THIS PROJECTS WILL BE IN ONE PHASE, UH, IN 2023.
SO, UH, WE ARE FINISHING UP THE DESIGN RIGHT NOW.
OUR DESIGN CONSULTANT ACTUALLY IS RIGHT HERE LISTENING.
AND, UH, SO THE COMMUNITY CAN EXPECT NEW STREETS SIDEWALKS IN ADDITION TO DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS NORTH CANAL.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE HERE WITH SPECIFIC, UH, BOARDS THERE.
AND THE NORTH CANAL PROJECT IS A MAJOR INTERAGENCY PROJECT AS PART OF OUR, UH, MITIGATION GRANT, UH, FROM FEMA.
SO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MEMORIAL HIGH DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL AND TXDOT, THE OBJECTIVE IS TO REDUCE FLOODING BY IMPROVING HIGH FLOOD DIVERSION CHANNEL AND OVERFLOW CHANNEL, AND BY MAKING BRIDGE AND CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS TO CONVEY MORE WATER.
SO PLEASE GO TO THE BOARD AND ASK JOHN.
HE'S RIGHT THERE SO HE CAN TELL YOU MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE NORTH CANAL PROJECT.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY ARE SPENDING ON REHABILITATION THIS IS OUR STRATEGY.
THESE ARE SNAPSHOTS FROM BUILT HOUSTON FORWARD.
OKAY, SO THESE ARE ALL THE DOTS THAT YOU SEE THAT HAS HAPPENED WITHIN DISTRICT C.
THE GREEN ONES ARE STORM RELATED REHABILITATION PROJECTS, AND THE YELLOW ONES ARE FOR STREET REHABILITATION THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND THEY DO HAVE A LIST HERE TOO, OF WHAT HAD BEEN HAPPENING IN DISTRICT C.
SO ALTHOUGH I'M HERE STANDING AS PUBLIC WORKS, THE CIP IS A LOT MORE THAN PUBLIC WORKS.
IT DOES INCLUDE PARKS AND RECREATION AND THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
SO I'LL BE SPEAKING FOR THEM NOW A LITTLE.
SO THIS IS ALVIN DALE PROMENADE PARK.
AVONDALE OPENED IN 2021 AND IS ONE OF THE C CITY'S NEWEST POCKET PARKS.
THE FOCUS OF THE PARK IS A CRAFTSMAN STYLE STRUCTURE AND LIGHTED BRICK PAVER PROMENADE TC ADJUSTER PARK UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.
THE PLAYGROUND DEVELOPMENT WILL INCLUDE PLAY EQUIPMENT, SWINGS FOR ALL AGES, COLORFUL SURFACING WALKWAYS, PICNIC TABLES, BENCHES, AND LANDSCAPING LOVE PARK AS PART OF THE 50 50 PARK PARTNER PROGRAM.
LOVE PARK REDEVELOPMENT WILL INCLUDE TRAIL CONNECTIONS,
[01:05:01]
NEW PLAYGROUND, EXERCISE AREA, PICNIC TABLES AND BENCHES.THE PROJECT IS IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION WILL START IN THE FALL, THE MEMORIAL PARK, LAND BRIDGE AND PRAIRIE.
UH, THE MEMORIAL PARK CONSERVANCY.
JUST ABOUT TO FINISH THE MEMORIAL PARK BRIDGE, WHICH IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND TUNNELS OPEN TO VEHICLE OR TRAFFIC THIS MONTH.
WORK WILL CONTINUE ON PRAIRIE RESTORATION TRAILS GRADING AND LIGHTING.
THE PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
THE COMMUNITY LED PLAYGROUND REDEVELOPMENT WAS COMPLETED IN 2021, FOLLOWED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW ASPHALT TRAIL BY HARRIS COUNTY.
CURRENTLY THE POOL IS BEING RE PLASTERED AND WILL BE COMPLETE BEFORE OPENING UP POOL SEASON.
THE PROJECT IS IN DESIGN AND WILL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN WINTER 2022.
SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETION IN WINTER 2023.
THE STATION WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED IN 1978 AND REPLACED THE ORIGINAL FIRE STATION NUMBER 16 LOCATION AT 1413 WESTHEIMER.
THE STATION WILL UNDERGO AN EXPANSION AND RENOVATION, THE NEW MONTROSE LIBRARY.
THE PROJECT IS IN DESIGN AND WILL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN WINTER 2022, SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN SUMMER 2023.
THE NEW MONTROSE LIBRARY LOCATED WITHIN THE NEW MONTROSE COLLECTIVE DEVELOPMENT WILL FEATURE A LIBRARY WITH READING AREAS TECHNOLOGY ACCESS AND CHILDREN'S AREA AND TEEN AREA AND MEETING SPACES.
THE MONTROSE COLLECTIVE IS A NEW MIXED USE RETAIL OFFICE SPACES IN THE HEART OF MONTROSE.
THE AFRICAN AMERICAN LIBRARY GREGORY SCHOOL.
THE PROJECT IS IN DESIGN PROCUREMENT PHASE RIGHT NOW.
DESIGN SCHEDULED FOR DESIGN TO START IN THIRD QUARTER OF 2022, A CONSTRUCTION TO COMPLETE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2024.
THE PROJECT WILL RESTORE THE BUILDING ENVELOPE SYSTEM, WHICH SUSTAINED DAMAGE DURING HURRICANE HARVEY.
THE PROJECT SCOPE IS EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM MINOR REPAIRS TO FOUR REPLACEMENT OF BUILDING ENVELOPE COMPONENTS INCLUDING ROOFING, HISTORIC WINDOWS, DEPENDING ON THE RULING OF TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
AND AT THE END WE WE'RE HERE WITH THE CHAMPION OF WE, THE ENGAGED HOUSTON CHALLENGE, WHICH IS DISTRICT C.
SO I DO HAVE A CARD HERE AND IT'S ON THE TABLE AS WELL.
AND IT HAS A CUE CARD AS WELL.
SO YOU CAN GET ON THIS AND ACTUALLY PUT YOUR QUESTIONS WITHIN ENGAGE HOUSTON.
AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS FOR EVERY SINGLE PROJECT WE GOT THERE, YOU CAN ACTUALLY REGISTER WITH YOUR EMAIL AS A USER.
SO YOU WILL GET EMAIL UPDATES ON THAT PROJECT SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN.
NOW I THINK, DO YOU TAKE THE QUESTION? YES.
LET'S READ, WE HAVE NINE LISTS FOR COTTAGE GROVE.
SO IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN ORDER IN FORTNEY FORTNEY.
DID I PRONOUNCE IT RIGHT? YES.
UM, MY NAME'S IAN FORTNEY AND I'M THE, UH, PRESIDENT OF COTTAGE GROVE CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
JUST A SHOW OF HANDS, EVERYONE HERE WHO'S FROM COTTAGE GROVE, CAN YOU PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND? YEAH, WE, WE HAVE A LOT.
AND SO WE'RE A NEW CIVIC ASSOCIATION, BUT WE ARE, UH,
AND I KNOW WE HAVE A PROJECT UP THERE, BUT TO REALLY MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS COTTAGE GROVE IS, COTTAGE GROVE IS CENTERED AROUND TC JESTER.
UM, AND I 10 COTTAGE GROVE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1910, BUT LIKE MANY NEIGHBORHOODS HAS EXPLODED IN POPULATION OVER THE YEARS.
UH, FOR
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT DREW WILL TALK ABOUT AND OTHERS.
WE CREATED A WHOLE SURVEY HERE, UM, THAT WE WENT THROUGH.
[01:10:01]
OF THE BASIC THINGS THAT WE HAVE IS 81% OF OUR ROADS ARE LESS THAN 20 FEET WIDE, WHICH DOES NOT, IT DOES NOT ADHERE TO OUR FIRE SAFETY CODE, WHICH MEANS FIRETRUCKS CANNOT EVEN ENTER MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.WE HAD A PUBLIC SCHOOL BUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS GET STUCK IN A DITCH AND KIDS COULD NOT GET OFF THE BUS FOR HOURS.
WE'VE HAD COUNTLESS THINGS THAT ARE VERY BASIC, LIKE PEOPLE BEING DENIED SEEING EYE DOGS DUE TO THERE BEING NO SIDEWALKS.
ALL OF THESE ISSUES EVEN COMPILED TO THE FACT THAT A CHILD FELL IN A MANHOLE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT COVERED PROPERLY.
WE WERE ASKING THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, COTTAGE GROVE WEST AND SOUTH ARE ALSO PUT ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PLAN TO REDO OUR ROADS AND DRAINAGE.
UM, RIGHT NOW IT IS SEVERELY LACKING.
WE HAVE 18 WHEELERS COMING THROUGH AND DESTROYING CURBS.
WE HAVE CARS ACTUALLY PLOWING THROUGH OUR PARKS, WHICH CAME IN, HAS HELPED US A LOT WITH TO MITIGATE THAT WITH SIGNS AND WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THIS, BUT WE REALLY WANT TO NOT STOP THERE AND WE WANT TO KEEP THIS MOMENTUM GOING.
AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY A VERY IMPACTFUL THING BECAUSE WE HAVE PROBABLY MORE PEOPLE HERE THAN MOST CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETINGS HAVE ACROSS.
I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE.
UM, BUT I'LL BE THE FIRST OF MANY.
AND I, FIRST OFF, I, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S WORKED IN OTHER, AT OTHER TOWN HALLS, I, THERE IS STAFF THAT IS GONNA BE TAKING YOUR COMMENTS.
SO THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GONNA BE ENGAGING ONE-ON-ONE 'CAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH EVERYONE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT MICHAEL'S NOT TAKING NOTES.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN, YEAH, YOU KNOW ABOUT COTTAGE GROVE.
THE DEPARTMENT KNOWS ABOUT COTTAGE GROVE.
AND I JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL AND I'M GONNA THANK EVERYONE UP FRONT.
'CAUSE I'M NOT GONNA CHIME IN AT EVERY, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER.
BUT I DO WANNA MAKE SURE YOU ALL KNOW THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE STAFF BACK HERE FROM THE DEPARTMENTS TAKING NOTES.
I GUESS I SHOULD ADD, JUST THE REAL GOAL IS FOR US JUST TO GET ON THE CIP PLAN, ESPECIALLY FOR OTHERS.
AND SOUTH AND SOUTH AND SOUTH.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF COTTAGE GROVE CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
UM, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UH, LAST, EARLY LAST YEAR, WE DECIDED TO TAKE A SNAPSHOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD INFRASTRUCTURE USING A ARC GIS TOOL THAT WE DEVELOPED WITH, UH, SOME FOLKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THE WAY IT WORKS IS THAT RESIDENTS WERE ABLE TO RECORD A SURVEY AT A SPECIFIC LOCATION IN THE EAST, OR I'M SORRY, IN THE WEST OR THE SOUTH.
UM, WE COMPLETED 104 OF THESE SURVEYS THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WHAT IT DOES, EACH SURVEY USES A QUESTIONNAIRE TO RECORD THE WIDTH OF THE ROAD, CONDITION OF THE DITCHES, SIDEWALKS, AND THEN THE CONDITION OF THE UTILITIES RESIDENTS UPLOADED PHOTOS AS WELL TO GO ALONG WITH, WITH THIS.
AND THIS IS ALL COMPILED INTO A, UH, A REPORT, WHICH WE'VE GIVEN YOU TODAY AND, AND PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED AS WELL.
UM, WHAT WE FOUND WAS NO SURPRISE TO US, BUT IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED UNACCEPTABLE.
UM, IAN MENTIONED THE ROADS, THE 81% THAT ARE NOT THE MINIMUM WIDTH.
27% OF THE DRAINAGE DITCHES ARE IN POOR OR COLLAPSED CONDITIONS.
THIS MEANS THEY DO NOT FLOW WATER AT ALL.
UH, 32% OF POWER LINES AND DATA LINES ARE TROOPING SEVERELY.
SO, I MEAN, IN MY, MY DRIVEWAY PERSONALLY, I HAVE TO PUSH A BROOM TO GET A LARGE TRUCK, UM, IN MY DRIVEWAY.
20% OF THE SIDEWALKS ARE COMPLETELY MISSING.
THIS IS SCATTERED ACROSS THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO NOT A SINGLE BLOCK IS WHOLE.
NOT A SINGLE BLOCK IS A DA COMPLIANT.
UM, THESE CONDITIONS HAVE LED TO SERIOUS SAFETY INCIDENTS.
EMERGENCY VEHICLES REGULARLY GET STUCK.
RESIDENTS ARE FORCED TO WALK IN BUSY STREETS WITH THEIR KIDS AND DOGS, AND THERE'S CONSISTENT ANNUAL FLOODING.
UM, MANY OTHER FOLKS WILL TALK ABOUT THEIR, THEIR ISSUES AS WELL.
WE INSIST THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IMMEDIATELY ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AND BRING FORWARD A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT TO, UH, INSTALL BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN COTTAGE GROVE.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK.
MY NAME'S KATIE NEIMAN, I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C AND COTTAGE GROVE.
UM, WE'RE SO EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY.
WE WANTED TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
YOU'VE WORKED SO HARD FOR US, AND WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, AND WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK TO BE DONE, AND WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE THERE FOR IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HEAR A LOT ABOUT, ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
UM, I I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU FROM A MOM TO A MOM, HOW MUCH I LOVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
HOW I'M COMMITTED WITH MY TWO KIDS TO STAY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DESPITE ITS LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT MY KIDS AREN'T SAFE, UH, WALKING DOWN THE STREET BECAUSE THEY MIGHT GET HIT BY A TRUCK.
UM, BUT, BUT I CARE A LOT ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND I, I, I HOPE THAT, UH, HOUSTON WILL AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY
[01:15:01]
AND TO MAKE OUR, OUR STREETS SAFE, TO GIVE US SIDEWALKS TO, UM, HELP US NOT HAVE TO DO DITCH OF THE MONTH, UH, TO TRY TO, UH, IMPROVE OUR DITCHES JUST SO THAT WE CAN FLOW WATER THROUGH THEM, UM, WHEN SO MANY ARE COLLAPSING AND DAMAGED.AND, UM, WE JUST NEED YOUR HELP.
AND WE, WE WANT SO MANY MORE FAMILIES TO WANT TO COMMIT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THE ONLY WAY THEY'RE GONNA DO THAT IS, IS WITH YOUR HELP, IS WITH MAKING IT BETTER.
HI, MY NAME IS RUSTY SINGH AND I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF COTTAGE GROVE SINCE, UH, 2008, SO FOR ABOUT 14 YEARS.
UM, I STARTED OUT SINGLE WITH NO KIDS, NOT MARRIED.
AND SO, YEAH, OUR POPULATION AND OUR HOUSE HAS INCREASED.
SO I NOW HAVE AN 8-YEAR-OLD AND A, A FIVE AND A HALF YEAR OLD.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHILE MY SON WAS LEARNING TO RIDE HIS BIKE, YOU KNOW, HE FELL IN ONE OF THESE SWAMPY DITCHES, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS HEARTBREAKING TO SEE YOUR KID TRYING TO LEARN TO RIDE THEIR BIKE AND THEY END UP IN A DITCH FULL OF MUDDY MOSQUITO, YUCKY WATER.
UM, SO THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A CONCERN THAT YES, OUR, OUR KIDS AREN'T SAFE.
AND, UM, AND YEAH, WHEN HE WAS AN INFANT, YOU KNOW, JUST TRYING TO PUSH HIM AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, FOR AN AFTERNOON WALK, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO THAT VERY EASILY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ZIGZAG THROUGHOUT CARS.
UM, SHE DISLIKES DRIVING TO MY HOUSE BE ESPECIALLY ON TRASH DAY BECAUSE THE STREETS ARE SO NARROW THAT SHE HAS A HARD TIME, YOU KNOW, NAVIGATING THE STREETS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO THEM BEING UNSAFE, YOU KNOW, AND NOT ALLOWING FIRE, FIRE TRUCKS TO PASS THROUGH, UM, AT A DECENT WIDTH, UM, IT'S ALSO DIFFICULT FOR RESIDENTS, UH, TO, TO NAVIGATE AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND FOR, FOR HELPING US, UH, IMPROVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
MY NAME IS MELINA STEFANOVICH.
I'VE LIVED IN COTTAGE GROVE WEST SINCE ABOUT 2019.
UM, LIKE A LOT OF MY NEIGHBORS HAVE SAID, OUR STREETS ARE, YOU KNOW, BELOW THE MINIMUM WIDTH REQUIRED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND ON ESPECIALLY ON TRASH DAY WITH PARKING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.
I'VE BEEN PERSONALLY UNABLE TO DRIVE MY, YOU KNOW, NORMAL CAR TO MY HOUSE.
UM, AND WITH THE SIDEWALKS, I KNOW THAT I, AS AN ADULT HAVE ALMOST BEEN PLOWED DOWN BY A CAR BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T SEE.
AND SO JUST THINKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE KIDS AND PARENTS, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE YOUR KID OR YOUR DOG FOR A WALK WITHOUT FEARING FOR YOUR LIFE.
AND FOR OUR DITCHES, I KNOW THAT WE GET STREET FLOODING AND FAIRLY INSIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENTS, AND IF WE HAVE ANY TYPE OF SIGNIFICANT STORM OR TROPICAL STORM, WE HAVE HOMES THAT FLOOD IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND AS FOR THE POWER LINES, I HAVE A POWER LINE THAT'S ON THE SIDEWALK.
SO PEOPLE ARE WALKING ON IT, THEY ARE PARKING ON THESE POWER LINES.
AND SO WE HAVE FREQUENT POWER OUTAGES.
THEY'RE NOT TIED TO ANY WEATHER, NOT TIED TO WIND.
AND LIKE A LOT OF THESE FOLKS HAVE ECHOED.
AND I THINK THAT ALL OF COTTAGE GROVE, NOT JUST THE EAST SIDE, NEEDS THESE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
IT'S, CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? I'LL GO, I'LL GO BACK OVER THERE.
UH, MY NAME IS OCTAVIAN GAVI, LUKE, UH, I'M A RESIDENT OF, UH, COTTAGE GROVE DISTRICT C UH, ME AND MY WIFE AND OUR TWO FUR BABIES HAVE LIVED THERE FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS.
UH, I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE 18 WHEELERS, UM, DESTROY STOP SIGNS AND ALL SIGNS AROUND, UH, ALONG WITH DITCHES.
UM, ON EVENING, ON WALKS, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO GO, THERE'S CARS EVERYWHERE PARKED ON THE SIDE.
UH, WE'RE CONSTANTLY MOVING IN AND OUT OF, UH, SIDEWALKS AND STREET AVOIDING, UH, GETTING HIT BY ONCOMING CARS.
UM, I DO REQUEST THAT, UH, COTTAGE GROVE WEST AND SOUTH ALSO BE ADDED TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
[01:20:01]
HI, I AM ELLISON PEREZ.I AM A RESIDENT OF COTTAGE GROVE AND I'M ACTUALLY A NEW MOM, SO I DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE WHOLE STREET PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, TAKING THE KIDS TO THE PARK UNTIL I ACTUALLY HAD TO GO THROUGH IT AND, UM, BECAME FRIENDS WITH A COUPLE OF OTHER MOMS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND HAVING TO GO OFF AND ON THE ROAD NOW WITH A TODDLER IS KIND OF SCARY BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE, THE STROLLER AND YOU KNOW, THAT YOU CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE HE'S GONNA RUN, AND JOEL AND THE, THE PEOPLE ARE GOING SO FAST ON THE STREET.
SO SOMETHING THAT WOULD TAKE US LIKE FIVE MINUTES TO GET TO THE PARK, WE'RE KIND OF HAVING TO GO AROUND NOW SO THAT WE CAN AVOID ALL THE TRAFFIC THAT IS GOING ON.
SO I DO, UM, ASK THAT WE BECOME A PART OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
I WANNA ECHO EVERYBODY, ALL MY NEIGHBORS THAT I, SOME OF THEM I MET TODAY, MOST OF THEM, UM, TO BE PART OF THE CIP CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE.
I'M AT THE END OF THE BLOCK OF KEEM STREET AND CONSTANTLY SEE THE 18 WHEELERS COMING BY BECAUSE THE CITY BLOCKED THE PASSAGE ON HAMPTON STREET.
UH, AND I NOTICED THAT, UH, CONSTRUCTION COSTS $50 MILLION TO BE BUILT WHERE YOU PASSING 18 WHEELERS THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH ARE DESTROYING ALL THE SIDEWALKS.
AND I JUST WONDER HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA COST YOU NOW TO REBUILD THOSE SIDEWALKS THAT THEY ARE NOT EVEN PART OF THE CITY RESPONSIBILITY.
BECAUSE EVERY TIME I CALL, THAT'S THE ANSWER THAT I GET.
SO, PLUS I'M NOT A PARENT, BUT I DON'T HAVE TO BE ONE TO SEE THAT THERE IS NO SIDEWALKS.
SO KIDS ARE RIDING BICYCLES AND PLAYING IN THE STREETS, WHICH ALREADY MENTIONED THAT CARS ARE DRIVING BY IN 18 WHEELERS.
SO ONCE AGAIN, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE PART OF THE CIP CONSTRUCTION.
AND I JUST ASKED MICHAEL, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE IS IT OKAY TO YEAH, THIS, THIS HAS BEEN IN THE PRE-ENGINEERING STAGE, THE COTTAGE GROVE WEST, BUT SOUTH HAS NOT BEEN EVEN, UH, PRE-ENGINEERED YET.
UH, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, IT'S NOT ON THE CIP.
AND, UH, WITH THE, WHAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH COTTAGE GROVE EAST, THE REASON THAT WE WERE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ALMOST THERE, BUT WE HAD TO GO AND REEVALUATE IT BECAUSE OF THE 2018 RULE OF NEW DRAINAGE DETENTION REQUIREMENTS.
SO THESE HAS BEEN ESCALATING OUR PROJECTS EVEN MORE TREMENDOUSLY, ON AVERAGE, ABOUT 30% ON EVERY PROJECT, JUST FROM THE DETENTION OF THE RULE OF CHANGE THAT WE'VE HAD.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR COTTAGE GROVE WEST IS, IS RIGHT NOW ABOUT 80 MILLION OR SO THAT, AND I'M GUESSING ON THAT TOO.
BUT, UM, IT, IT IS A LONG TERM TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT.
SO, UH, THAT'S ALL I CAN, SO WHILE IT'S 80 MILLION, AND I KNOW WE'VE SPOKEN AND WE'RE WORKING ON ANYTHING AS AN OFFICE THAT I CAN BE DOING IN THE MEANTIME, UM, AND THAT INCLUDES, WE HAVE SOME OF THE SIDEWALKS IN KEY WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
AND I REALLY HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO MICHAEL AND HIS TEAM AND EVERYONE FROM PUBLIC WORKS FOR DOING WHAT WE CAN RIGHT NOW, INCLUDING WE PASSED THE AMENDMENT TO GET, UH, THROUGH THE BUDGET TO DO THE DITCH TEAMS. I KNOW A LOT OF THOSE ARE IN QUEUE, IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
UM, IT JUST, AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE OTHER PEOPLE SPEAK AND WE WILL HEAR VERY SIMILAR THINGS OF NO SIDEWALKS, DITCHES THAT DON'T DRAIN CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING IN SHADY ACRES, INCLUDING IN LAZY BROOK TIMBER GROVE.
UM, JUST ON 25TH STREET WE LOST SOMEONE WHO WAS HIT BY A CAR.
UH, SO IT, IT'S, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL COMING HERE TONIGHT, UH, AND REALLY AMPLIFYING THE NEED.
UH, AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD, UH, WHILE WE'RE WAITING ON THESE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ON HEMPSTEAD REALLY QUICKLY.
SO JUST TO SHOW Y'ALL, I HAVE MY STAFF IN THE BACK AND LITERALLY AS THEY'RE HEARING THINGS, THEY'RE WORKING ON THEM.
UH, WE'RE REACHING OUT ON, UH, HEMP, THE HEMPSTEAD ROAD ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S A TXDOT MATTER.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ANN, UH, JOHNSON STAFF ON SPEED DIAL, AND THEY ARE, UM, WE'RE ADDRESSING IT WITH THEM.
UH, I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE WE DO HAVE, UH, FROM COMMISSIONER ELLIS'S OFFICE, UH, THEIR STAFF HAS BEEN HERE THE ENTIRE TIME.
THANK YOU ALL, UH, TO ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS.
[01:25:01]
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM.THEY HELP US INVEST AGAIN IN SOME OF THESE BIGGER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT WE CAN'T NECESSARILY DO ON OUR OWN RIGHT NOW TO GET THE BALL MOVING WHERE WE CAN.
UH, AND ALSO, UH, JUDGE INGLEHART IS WITH US.
IF I MISSED ANY ELECTEDS, PLEASE FLAG ME DOWN, LET ME KNOW.
HI, I AM NELSON VIRTUAL FROM THE MONTROSE COALITION.
UM, JUST A SUGGESTION, SOMETHING THAT WILL PROBABLY IMPROVE, UM, NOT ONLY OUR LIVES, BUT YOUR LIVES IS I THINK SUGGESTING IN EVERY CHURCH MEETING WE HAVE A MONTROSE STORES IS A, PROBABLY ONE OF THE NEWEST STORES AND THEY'RE WORKING ON IMPROVING STREETS AND MONTROSE IS WELL KNOWN FOR HAVING POTHOLES EVERYWHERE.
BUT, UM, THERE'S A DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT THE CHURCH IS DOING AND THE CIP HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR A MEETING OR EVEN A MAP WHERE EVERYBODY IN MONTROSE CAN SEE WHAT THE CIP IS DOING AND THE TURS IN THEIR PLANS.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TWO COMPLETELY FRAGMENTED PLANS THAT WE HAVE TO GO TO BOTH MEETINGS.
AND ONE GROUP DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE OTHER IS DOING.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO WE'RE GLAD WE HAVE A TURS FINALLY.
THAT'S WHY MONTROSE, IF YOU SEE WESTHEIMER IS A MESS FROM KIRBY TO MIDTOWN IS THE ONLY PART OF MONTROSE THAT'S STILL THERE ARE POTHOLES EVERYWHERE.
MONTROSE IS, UH, PROBABLY HIGHEST INCOME AREA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST DISTRICT SEA, AND YET WITH POTHOLES EVERYWHERE, BUT TURT ON THE TRO IS DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB.
I HAVE TO SAY, IT'S JUST THAT AS RESIDENTS WE'RE VERY CONFUSED ON WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT'S NOT GOING ON.
SO A MEETING BETWEEN FOUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY COVID CAME THROUGH AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THESE LUXURIES.
THIS IS A LUXURY, WE HAVEN'T HAD IT IN A WHILE.
SO, UM, TO HAVE A MEETING TOGETHER, NOT ONLY FOR OUR CHURCH, THERE ARE MANY CHURCHES IN, IN, IN, UM, DISTRICT C WHERE CIP AND TUR MEETS WITH A COMMUNITY PER TS AREA.
AND THAT WOULD REALLY HELP EVERYBODY, NOT ONLY IN MONTROSE, BUT EVERYWHERE ELSE.
I LIVE IN TIMBER GROVE MANOR, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBOR 14.
AND WHEN I MOVED IN, WHEN I DRUG MY WIFE KICKING AND SCREAMING TO MOVE BACK IN THE CITY IN 2016, WE BUILT A NEW HOME AND I IMMEDIATELY DOVE INTO STORMWATER DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE 'CAUSE NOBODY WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT.
I MEAN, IT'S A REAL GLAMOROUS JOB.
SO I SPENT DAYS DOWN AT CITY HALL LOOKING FOR PROJECTS IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS NEIGHBORHOOD BUILT IN THE MID FIFTIES, LATE FIFTIES.
AND THERE'S NEVER BEEN A, A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT IN OUR AREA.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE IT'S NOT NEEDED.
'CAUSE WE WERE MOVED FROM THIS DISTRICT TO THAT DISTRICT, AND WE NEVER HAD A LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP WITH AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
ABBY HAS HELPED US WITH SOME PANELS AND WE ON 18TH AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
I HOPE WE GET THE SECOND PHASE APPROVED.
YOU, YOU KNOW, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN THAT NORTHWEST CORNER INSIDE THE LOOP, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HOME EVALUATION FROM SIX TO SEVEN TO 800,000 AND WE'VE BEEN PAYING TAXES SINCE THE FIFTIES AND WE'VE NEVER HAD A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT EVER.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A MILLION OR A HALF A MILLION.
I'M TALKING ABOUT A BIG BOY LIKE SEAMEN STREET, REPLACING IT ALL FROM 11TH TO 18TH.
NO, FROM ELLA TO HEMPSTEAD, ANOTHER MILE, TWO MILES.
AND WITH ABBY'S HELP, WE DID EXPAND THE TOURS, YOU KNOW, BUT IT TAKES A WHILE TO BUILD THAT COFFER UP.
YOU KNOW, IT TAKES YEARS AND YEARS TO DO THAT.
SO MICHAEL, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SET UP A MEETING WITH OUR LEADERSHIP SO WE CAN LOOK AT A PROPOSED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT TO AN AREA THAT'S NEVER, EVER HAD ONE EVER, EVER.
I LIVED IN HOUSTON SINCE 1951.
I DID THE RESEARCH AND THERE'S NEVER BEEN ONE THERE.
IN 1963 WHEN IT WAS A COUNTY, THEY WERE PROPOSED A 72 INCH STORMWATER DRAIN LINE FROM HEMPSTEAD HIGHWAY OLD ALL THE WAY TO WHITE OAK.
THEY KNEW THEY HAD A DRAINAGE PROBLEM IN THE EARLY SIXTIES.
WE POURED HUNDREDS OF ACRES OF MORE CONCRETE.
OUR FLOODING PROBLEM HASN'T GOTTEN ANY BETTER, IT'S GOTTEN WORSE.
AND IBY SEEN ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENT.
THE CITIES GET A LOT MORE TAX REVENUE.
DID A MAJOR PROJECT IN LAZY BROOK TIMBER GROVE.
SO LET'S SET UP A MEETING AND WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION.
[01:30:01]
MICHAEL, THANK YOU.KURT SWER AGAIN ON BEHALF OF LAZY BROOKS CIVIC CLUB.
UH, JUST FOLLOWING UP WITH JOHN, HAPPY TO BE AT THAT MEETING.
UM, SO, UH, I'M HERE TODAY, UH, TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR 700 HOMES.
WE HAVE A GREAT COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO LOVE LIVING WHERE WE LIVE.
UH, OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE MOVED IN, INCLUDING MYSELF, AND THEY WERE SETTING UP ROOTS THERE, HAVING CHILDREN, REDOING THEIR HOUSES, UH, REALLY TRYING TO MAKE IT OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN I CALLED ON 'EM TO, TO HELP ME PICK UP LITTER, UH, IN OUR GREEN SPACES, THEY SHOWED UP WHEN I HASHED THEM TO HELP US FIGHT BLIGHT ON 18TH STREET, PICKING UP TRASH, POWER WASHING SIGNS, MAKING THINGS LOOK LIKE A COMMUNITY THAT CARES.
UM, YOU KNOW, LAZY BROOK WAS BUILT IN 1950S, STARTING IN THE 1950S.
UH, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE LOOKS LIKE IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MISSING SIDEWALKS.
UH, WE HAVE STREETS THAT ARE, ARE BEYOND REPAIR, UM, AND ARE IN DESPERATE NEED THAT BY PUBLIC WORKS OWN SCHEDULE, UH, ARE MORE THAN 10 YEARS FROM REGULAR MAINTENANCE, WHICH THEY'RE, THEY WERE, THEY NEEDED IT FIVE YEARS AGO, SO WE CAN'T WAIT 10 MORE YEARS ON SOME OF THESE STREETS.
UM, AS FAR AS LAZY BROOK ITSELF, WE'RE AN ISLAND NOW.
UH, IN THE 1950S WHEN WE WERE BUILT, 18TH STREET LOOKED A LOT DIFFERENT THAN IT DOES TODAY.
UH, IT'S A VERY BUSY PRINCIPLE.
THOROUGHFARE, SAME AS TC JESTER SIX 10 WAS BUILT.
UM, AND WE HAVE ZERO, EXACTLY ZERO PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS ON ANY OF THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARES.
NO PAINT ON THE STREET, NO SIGNS, NO BUTTONS TO PUSH NOTHING.
I AM AT LEAST ONE CROSSING AWAY FROM EVERY GREEN SPACE.
JC PARK, TC JESTER PARK, UM, TWO MAJOR THOROUGHFARE CROSSINGS FROM THE NEAREST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SINCLAIR.
UH, THERE ARE ZERO PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS.
WE NEED PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS SO THAT WE CAN ENJOY OUR COMMUNITY.
WE NEED A THOUSAND FEET OF SIDEWALK ON MILLWOOD DRIVE, WHICH I'VE REQUESTED, BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE IT'S NOT A PRINCIPAL THOROUGHFARE.
WE GET CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC WHERE TC JESTER IS NOT A QUIET ROAD.
18TH STREET'S NOT A QUIET ROAD.
ALL THE DEVELOPMENT IN TIMBER GROVE IS MAKING THINGS WORSE.
WE HAVE MAJOR LARGE TRUCKS CUTTING THROUGH.
WE HAVE NORMAL LIGHT DUTY CUTTING THROUGH JUST THE NATURE OF OUR COMMUNITY GROWING.
BUT WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE OUTTA THE STREET, A THOUSAND FEET OF SIDEWALK THAT GETS OUR COMMUNITY OUT OF THE STREET AND CONNECTS US TO THE, OUR AREA.
SO I HOPE THAT, UH, WE'RE CONSIDERED IN ANY FUTURE, UH, PROJECTS.
AND LIKE JOHN SAID, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE RIGHT THERE AT THE TABLE AT ANY MEETING ADVOCATING FOR US, UH, A GREAT COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO, WHO PAY TAXES AND HOPE TO GET SOMETHING BACK OUT OF, OUT OF ALL THAT.
AND, AND WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT.
I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO REPRESENT ROBINDALE CIVIC CLUB.
UM, MS. KAMAN, I PROBABLY HAVE TALKED TO EVERYBODY IN YOUR OFFICE A MILLION TIMES IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS.
I DIDN'T KNOW ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE GONNA BE BACK HERE FOR ALL THESE DEPARTMENTS, BUT I WANNA SAY I PROBABLY HAVE SPOKEN A MILLION TIMES TO EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT HERE.
UH, I ESPECIALLY WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO 3 1 1 SINCE JANUARY.
UH, SINCE JANUARY I'VE TURNED IN 93 1 ONES AND EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE REQUESTED HAS BEEN ADDRESSED.
SO I THOUGHT I WAS COMING HERE WITH A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS THIS EVENING.
BUT, UM, LISTENING TO THESE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY IN PRETTY GOOD STANDING.
I DO, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF ISSUES THAT I'D LIKE TO PASS ALONG.
UM, UH, WE HAVE 600, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS, OUR BORDERS ARE HILLCROFT, NORTH, BRASSWOOD, BENU, AND BIANET.
SO WE ARE AT THE FAR WEST OF DISTRICT CI DON'T KNOW WHERE THE BORDER, BUT WE HAVE A SMIDGEN ACROSS THIS, UH, BEACH NUT THAT IS DISTRICT J.
AND SO I WAS KIND OF CURIOUS AS TO HOW THAT WAS GONNA WORK OUT.
UM, WE HAVE SOME PAVED ROADS THAT HAVE BEEN REP PAVED RECENTLY BETWEEN ROBINDALE AND, AND BOB WHITE THAT ARE FLOODING, UM, NO MATTER THE SIZE OF THE RAIN, UH, AND A LOT OF STANDING WATER.
UM, MY BIGGEST ISSUE TO THIS EVENING IS OUR RETENTION POND, WHICH IS ACTUALLY CALLED SHARPSTOWN DETENTION POND.
I'M NOT SURE WHY BECAUSE IT'S IN ROBINDALE.
BUT, UM, THAT IS ONLY MOWED TWICE A YEAR.
THERE ARE DEAD TELEPHONE POLES, LUMBER BLOCKING THE DRAINS.
THAT DRAIN DOES NOT HAVE A SCREEN ON IT.
SO WE HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE RIDING THEIR BIKES THROUGH THAT CULVERT DOWN TO THE BAYOU.
[01:35:01]
UH, I REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT NEEDS, UM, MORE ATTENTION THAN JUST THE MOWING TWICE A YEAR, UM, FOR MOSQUITO PREVENTION AND, AND SO FORTH.UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I THINK WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOUR PROGRAM AND FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP.
IT'S JUST, YOU'VE JUST BEEN A TREMENDOUS HELP THIS YEAR.
WELL BEFORE, BEFORE I ACKNOWLEDGE OUR COUNCIL MEMBER, I WANT TO TELL COTTAGE GROVE THAT, OH MY GOD, I SAW MYSELF STANDING IN DISTRICT D DOING EXACTLY THE SAME THING IN 2004.
IT TOOK ME UNTIL 2016 TO GET OUR PROJECT DONE.
AND IT WAS FINALLY FINISHED AFTER HARVEY AND IKE, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY FLOODS IT WAS, BUT OUR PROJECT WAS FINALLY DONE IN 2018.
SO WE HAVE SIDEWALKS AND WE DON'T FLOOD ANYMORE.
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU'RE DOING TONIGHT IS HOW WE GOT OUR PROJECT THROUGH THE CIP PRO PROCESS.
EVERY NIGHT, EVERY, EVERY MEETING I ATTENDED MORE MEETINGS THAN ANY ENGINEER IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON ABOUT N SR 4 6 7.
AND THEY, THEY'RE AFRAID OF THAT NUMBER OF PUBLIC WORKS NOW.
ANYWAY, I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK ABBY CAYMAN FOR, FOR, UM, FINALLY ENDING THE SUICIDE LANE.
UM, WAS SUPPOSED TO GO AWAY IN 2006, UH, ALONG WEST ALABAMA FROM THE SPUR TO SHEPHERD DRIVE.
AND WE, WE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TURN OFF VERY MANY MORE OF THE SIGNALS.
MOST OF THEM HAVE QUIT WORKING ALTOGETHER, BUT WE'RE DELIGHTED THAT YOU'VE DONE THAT.
WE ARE HOWEVER VERY CONCERNED THAT THE ONLY SAFETY MEASURE ALONG LOWER WEST ALABAMA IN THAT SAME SEGMENT ARE THE SPEED BUMPS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CALLING THEM NOW.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY GREAT BIG GIANT POTHOLES AND RIDGES THAT LIMIT THE STREET TO 20 MILES AN HOUR.
UM, SO PEOPLE DRIVE DOWN THE CENTER LANE NOW, AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE SOMEWHERE WAY OFF IN THE FUTURE, PROBABLY AFTER I'M DEAD AND GONE ON A CIP PROJECT.
BUT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING, WHETHER IT'S A SCRAPE IT AND LEVEL IT OUT, DO SOMETHING BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD NEW LOW PROFILE TIRES AGAIN.
UH, SO PLEASE DON'T FORGET ABOUT LOWER WESTHEIMER, EVEN IF IT'S A, A RESURFACING, UH, PROJECT FOR US.
BUT THANK YOU ABBY, SO MUCH FOR FINALLY GETTING THIS DEADLY SAFETY HAZARD TAKEN CARE OF.
MY NAME IS ALEXANDRA HERNANDEZ.
I'M, UM, TALKING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF.
I LIVE IN MONTROSE ON THE WEEKENDS, UM, I USUALLY CYCLE TO WHITE OAK BAYOU AND, UH, THE CITY HAS JUST RESURFACED WOODHEAD.
AND, UH, THE BUILDERS OF THE RESURFACING, THEY DECIDED THAT IT'S FINE TO LEAVE THE SPEED BUMP AND THEY JUST SHAVE OFF THE PAVEMENT UP TO THE SPEED BUMP AND THEN THEY RESURFACE IT, BUT THEY LEAVE A GAP AND IT HITS PRETTY HARD WHEN YOU GO BY OVER THAT WITH A BIKE, A ROAD BIKE.
SO IT'S MINIMAL BY COMPARISON TO EVERYBODY'S ELSE'S PROBLEMS. BUT COULD YOU JUST ASK THE BUILDERS, SHAVE IT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE SPEED BUMP AND THEN RESURFACE IT RIGHT UP TO THE SPEED BUMP.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE LITTLE DETAIL.
THE OTHER DETAIL IS FROM MONDAY TO SATURDAY, I'M A LANDSCAPE DESIGNER AND, UH, I HAVE TO WORK WITH THE CITY ARBORIST.
AND APPARENTLY YOU JUST HAVE ONE OR TWO FOR THE WHOLE CITY OF HOUSTON, DALE TEMPLE.
HE, UM, IT WENT INTO RETIREMENT AND SENDING EMAILS TO THE CITY ARBORIST AND GETTING A RESPONSE IS IMPOSSIBLE.
SO I MEAN, YES, UH, CONCRETE STREETS, UH, SIDEWALKS, DRAINAGE, CULVERTS, THAT'S ALL VERY IMPORTANT.
WE NEED PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR TREES.
I MEAN, PEOPLE COME AND THEY JUST REMOVE A CITY TREE WITHOUT PERMITTING AT ALL.
AND IT TAKES US 30, 40 YEARS TO GROW ANOTHER TREE.
[01:40:01]
FROM TREES.PROPERTY GOES UP IN PRICE IF WE HAVE TREES.
SO OTHER THAN CONCRETE AND ALL THAT, PLEASE DO TAKE CARE OF OUR TREES.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE HERE.
UM, MY NAME'S JILL METCALF AND MY HUSBAND AND I MOVED TO COTTAGE GROVE ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
UM, WE CAME FROM THE SUBURBS WHERE APPARENTLY SIDEWALKS AND DRAINAGE DITCHES ARE CONSIDERED THE NORM.
UM, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I NEVER REALIZED TO BE A LUXURY UNTIL WE MOVED HERE.
UM, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE A LUXURY.
UM, SO WE REALLY HAVE THREE MAIN ISSUES AS EVERYONE'S HIGHLIGHTED BEFORE, THE NARROW STREETS, THE OPEN DRAINAGE DITCHES, AND THE POWER LINES.
UM, AS FAR AS THE OPEN DRAINAGE DITCHES, UH, WHEN IT RAINS HEAVILY AND I'M DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, I LITERALLY CANNOT TELL WHERE THE ROAD ENDS AND THE DITCH STARTS.
THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, UH, BECAUSE THE ROADS ARE SO NARROW THAT SOMETIMES IF THERE'S A CAR COMING THE OTHER WAY, YOU HAVE TO KIND OF TURN WIDE.
AND THERE ARE TIMES I'VE REALLY BEEN VERY CONCERNED THAT I WOULD JUST END UP IN THE DITCH FULL OF WATER.
UM, ALSO THE STREET'S NOT MEETING FIRE CODE IS A REAL PROBLEM.
UM, THIS IS JUST A VERY, IT'S A BIG SAFETY HAZARD FOR ALL OF THE RESIDENTS.
AND HONESTLY, THE CITY REALLY CREATED THESE PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEY GAVE WAIVERS OUT TO THE BUILDERS FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
AND SO NOW THE CITY REALLY NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS. UM, A GREAT SOLUTION I FEEL, WOULD BE TO PUT IN CULVERTS, COVER THE DITCHES, AND THEN THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THE ROOM NECESSARY TO WIDEN THE ROADS WITHOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD JUST BE A GOOD SOLUTION AND THAT WOULD SOLVE REALLY BOTH PROBLEMS. ALL RIGHT.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22, AND ALSO A RESIDENT, LONGTIME RESIDENT OF RICE MILITARY.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, MICHAEL, FOR EXPLAINING ALL OF THESE PROJECTS AND ENGAGING, UH, THE COTTAGE GROVE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ALL OF YOUR WORK.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR ADVOCATING FOR ALL OF DISTRICT C, BUT IN PARTICULAR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22.
AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR COMING TONIGHT.
COTTAGE GROVE, THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
IT MAKES ME REALLY HAPPY AND EXCITED TO SEE ALL OF YOU HERE BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT ADVOCACY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IS, IS, IS.
SO, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
AND, UM, I COMMIT TO YOU AS S IN 22 LEADERSHIP THAT WE WILL SEE THIS THROUGH.
SO I KNOW THESE PEOPLE, I AM HAPPY TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS ISSUE STAYS IN FRONT OF THEM, UM, IN A VERY POSITIVE, METHODICAL WAY, AND WE'LL GET IT DONE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE BEFORE WE WRAP UP? THANK YOU FOR, UH, GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY.
I'M CLEARLY OF ITALIAN ORIGINS.
I'M A RESIDENT IN COTTAGE GROVE.
WHEN I MOVED IN COTTAGE GROVE, IT WAS REALLY 2000 AND AND 14, OKAY? AND, UH, WAS MY FIRST HOUSE I BOUGHT.
AND, UH, I REALLY DIDN'T LOOK MUCH BEYOND JUST MY PROPERTY.
AND SO ALL OF THE ISSUES APPEARED RIGHT AWAY.
BE HONEST THAT WHEN I COMPARE, I'M A LITTLE BIT EMBARRASSED WHEN I, I HAVE TO INVITE PEOPLE TO MY HOME.
AND MOST OF THEM ARE ITALIAN OF ORIGIN AND SHOWING THAT THE UNITED STATES, IT'S ALMOST THE THIRD WORLD.
I MEAN, IF YOU GO TO SCOTT GROVE, AND I'M COMING FROM ITALY, WHERE BELIEVE ME, ITALY IS NOT THE TOP OF THE TOP IN THE WORLD.
IT'S, UH, IT'S GREAT PASTA PIZZA.
I DO THAT AND YOU'RE INVITED TO MY HOME TO DO IT IN THE BACKYARD.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF FUN.
BUT REALLY WALK WITH US, UH, JOIN US.
I'M GONNA BE BE HAPPY OF JUST WORKING WITH YOU OR RIDING ALONG COTTAGE GROVES.
UH, I'M KIND OF SPEECHLESS,
[01:45:06]
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE GOTTEN TO DO THIS SINCE I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE.AND, UM, FIRST I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO IS HERE AS A CITIZEN PARTICIPANT BECAUSE, UH, WHETHER YOU REALIZE IT OR NOT, WHETHER THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME OR NOT, THIS SORT OF THING DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
UM, AS, UH, CITIZENS, I, I'M IN NORTHEAST MONTROSE AND, UH, WE HAD EFFORTS, UH, LAST YEAR, UH, TO ESTABLISH THE MINIMUM, UH, LOT SIZE, UH, ADHERENCE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT WAS A HILL WE DIED ON, BUT IT'S, UH, IT'S THERE FOR EVERYONE ELSE.
SO IF YOU HAVE ISSUES, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BRING 'EM FORWARD AND, AND THEY WILL BE ADDRESSED.
UM, NOT EVERYTHING HAPPENS RIGHT AWAY, BUT, UH, THEY WILL BE ADDRESSED.
AND ALSO, UM, THAT'S HOW THINGS GET CHANGED IS BY CITIZENS PARTICIPATING.
AND IF YOU, UM, HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE SCHEDULE, UH, THE PUBLIC SESSIONS, UH, EVERY, MOST, EVERY TUESDAY AFTERNOON DOWN AT CITY HALL, UH, YOU DO GET LISTENED TO AND YOU DO, UH, GAIN CREDIBILITY.
AND FOR BETTER OR WORSE, UH, THEY RECOGNIZE YOU AFTER A WHILE,
UM, AND, UH, I WON'T GET INTO IT NOW, BUT EXPECT TO SEE ME SOME TUESDAY AFTERNOON SOON.
UH, I REALLY COMMEND THE NORS NOISE ORDINANCE AND, UM, UH, WE, UM, HAVE SOME OTHER THINGS TO WORK ON THAT.
AND I'LL BE DOWN VISITING WITH THE, UH, THE COUNCIL ON THAT SOMETIME BEFORE LONG.
SO THANKS TO EVERYONE HERE FOR PARTICIPATING.
ALRIGHT, ANYONE ELSE? OH, JUDGE ENGLEHART.
AND UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, ABBY, YOU AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR A LONG TIME.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, YOU AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR A LONG TIME AND I JUST WANNA COMMEND YOU ON THIS MEETING AND SAY THAT IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO WATCH YOUR SINGLE-MINDEDNESS IN YOUR, UH, DEDICATION TO THE PEOPLE IN YOUR DISTRICT.
I LIVE JUST OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT IN BEL AIR, BUT I TRAVEL THROUGH YOUR DISTRICT ALL THE TIME AND I SEE THE WONDERFUL THINGS YOU'RE DOING AND I AM VERY FORTUNATE TO BEHIND THE SCENES SEE HOW, UH, HARD YOU WORK AND HOW MUCH YOU CARE ABOUT THESE PEOPLE.
AND THEY'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AS THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER IS ALL I WANTED TO SAY.
UM, WITH THAT, AGAIN, WE HAVE EVERY DEPARTMENT HERE, PARKS DEPARTMENT, UH, SOLID WASTE.
I HAVE TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO SOLID WASTE.
I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN HEADACHES, UM, BUT OUR, OUR DRIVERS ARE LITERALLY WORKING SIX DAYS A WEEK RIGHT NOW.
WHEN WE ARE TAKING, WELL, I'M NOT TAKING OFF, BUT WHEN MOST PEOPLE ARE TAKING OFF, THEY ARE STILL DRIVING.
WHEN YOU ARE GOING HOME TO YOUR FAMILIES, THEY ARE STILL DRIVING.
SO I KNOW THAT WE ARE STILL SHORT STAFFED, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN.
PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UH, PUBLIC WORKS TEAM IN THE BACK.
I SEE A FEW OF YOU AND VAL, THANK YOU.
AND EVERYONE, UH, MICHAEL, MICHAEL HAS HAD TO PRESENT AT ALL OF THESE.
MICHAEL IS, UH, HAS FOUND WAYS EVEN WHEN WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET THINGS INTO CIP HAS FOUND WAYS TO ADD JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE OR TO LISTEN AND TAKE RESIDENTS INPUT.
AND IT'S NOT JUST MICHAEL, IT'S THE WHOLE TEAM.
SO WHEN YOU'RE SAYING, UH, MICHAEL, WE WANNA MEET WITH YOU, IT MAY BE SOMEONE ELSE, MICHAEL, HIS, UH, NOT DRAWING THIS SHORT STICK 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU ENJOY THIS, BUT HE IS THE ONE TAKING ALL THE FEEDBACK, BUT IT'S NOT JUST UP TO MICHAEL.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT
ON BEHALF OF DON, WE HAVE LIBRARIES.
WE HAVE, WHO AM I, MI I'M PROBABLY MISSING A BUNCH, BUT AGAIN, I'LL BE HERE FOR A LITTLE BIT.
UM, STAFF SHOULD PLEASE GO HOME BECAUSE WE HAVE AN EARLY MORNING TOMORROW, BUT I WILL BE HERE.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE AND ESPECIALLY CONGREGATION EMMANUEL.
THANK YOU FOR SETTING UP AND HOSTING US.
UM, PLEASE GET HOME SAFELY, PLEASE.
I KNOW YOU WON'T BE A STRANGER, BUT WE REALLY APPRECIATE WORKING WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.