[District K Redistricting Town Hall and CIP Meeting]
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EVENING, EVERYBODY GOT YOUR POPCORN AND WATER.
IF I CAN ASK EVERYONE TO PLEASE COME IN.
WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET OUR MEETING STARTED TONIGHT.
UH, I THINK THAT, UM, IT'S ALREADY SIX O'CLOCK AND I KNOW THAT EVERYONE IS EXCITED ABOUT OUR REDISTRICTING MEETING TODAY.
AND SO WE WON'T, UH, DELAY ANY FURTHER.
WE WILL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYONE BEING HERE FOR THIS VERY IMPORTANT REDISTRICTING MEETING.
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME TO DISTRICT K, THE INCOMPARABLE DAVID ROBINSON.
IT'S REALLY A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU.
AND THEN I'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME HANNAH COBB.
SHE'S STAFF FOR COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE.
UH, I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF HOUSTON PLANNING AND LEGAL DEPARTMENTS FOR PREPARING THE MATERIALS FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING.
TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION AND OTHER RELATED MATERIALS FOR OUR DISCUSSION WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT LETS TALK HOUSTON.ORG/REDISTRICTING.
IF YOU'RE WRITING IT DOWN, IT'S LET TALK HOUSTON.ORG/REDISTRICTING.
AND WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, Y'ALL KNOW HIM.
UH, YOU'VE SEEN HIM WORKING AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE HAVE THE GREAT HONOR OF WORKING WITH HIM ON CITY COUNCIL EACH WEEK.
UH, WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE WITH US IN DISTRICT K, UH, THE HONORABLE MAYOR, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR TURNER.
LOOK, LEMME JUST SAY THAT IT'S AN HONOR TO BE BACK IN DISTRICT K, WOOHOO, UH, THIS, THIS, THIS EVENING.
AND AS CINDY WAS TELLING ME BACK THERE, THE BEST DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU WITH THE, UH, YOUR COUNCILWOMAN AND VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CATECH TATUM.
IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON, WHO'S THAT LARGE.
IN FACT, HE'S BEEN WITH ME AT ALL OF THESE MEETINGS.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, UH, WELL FOR TONIGHT, WE WE'RE DIVIDING IT UP INTO TWO SECTIONS.
THE FIRST SECTION AND, AND, AND, BUT IS THE PRIMARY PORTION FOR TONIGHT'S TOWN HALL.
IT DEALS WITH REDISTRICTING, SO IT DEALS WITH REDISTRICTING.
AND THEN THE SECOND PART, OF COURSE, OF COURSE, WE'LL BE DEALING WITH, UH, THE CIP INFRASTRUCTURE TYPE PROJECTS.
UH, I'M GONNA TRY TO STAY AS LONG AS I CAN.
I GOT ANOTHER MEETING LATER ON, BUT I'M GONNA TRY TO STAY AS LONG AS I CAN, PROBABLY BE HERE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR OR SO.
UH, BUT ON, BUT WITH REGARDS TO REDISTRICTING, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERY 10 YEARS WE, WE DO THIS.
AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL BE HEARING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE VIDEO SHORTLY.
UH, AND THIS IS TRYING TO EVEN OUT ALL OF THE DISTRICTS, THERE ARE 11 DISTRICTS.
UH, WE HAVE 12 TOWN HALLS BECAUSE KINGWOOD HAS A MEETING AND THEN CLEAR LAKE, BUT BOTH OF THEM ARE PART OF DISTRICT E.
UH, AND THE GOAL IS TO TRY TO EVEN THINGS OUT BASED ON THIS CENSUS.
OKAY? UH, EACH DISTRICT SHOULD BE ROUGHLY ABOUT 209,000 PEOPLE.
UH, THERE ARE SOME DISTRICTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ARE 15% BELOW, WHICH MEANS THEY NEED MORE PEOPLE.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME DISTRICTS THAT MAY BE 15% ABOVE LIKE DISTRICT C, UM, WHICH MEANS THEY NEED TO GIVE UP SOME PEOPLE.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME DISTRICTS LIKE DISTRICT K, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH PERFECT, PERFECT.
OKAY? UH, SO IN THE, IN BEST OF OUR WORLDS, ONE MAY SAY, OKAY, DISTRICT K STAYS THE SAME SINCE THE DISTRICT K IS PRETTY MUCH AT THE AVERAGE.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, WE'LL SEE HOW, HOW THAT GOES.
UH, I KNOW YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER HAS ALREADY SAID DISTRICT A IS PERFECT, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, GO LOOK SOMEPLACE ELSE.
BUT, UH, BUT SO THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO.
AND WE, WELL, IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE NUMBERS, IT'S ALSO ABOUT KEEPING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER, KEEPING THINGS CON AS CONTIGUOUS AS POSSIBLE.
UM, BEARING IN MIND THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CITIES.
SO WE, WE FACTOR ALL OF THOSE THINGS INTO ACCOUNT.
SO TONIGHT WE ARE HERE PRETTY MUCH TO LISTEN TO YOU, OKAY? THERE ARE NO MAPS.
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YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE ANY MAPS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY DRAWN.UH, 'CAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, IF WE BROUGHT SOME MAPS ALREADY DRAWN, YOU WILL SAY, WHILE WE HAVING THIS MEETING, YOU ALL HAVE ALWAYS DECIDED WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
ANYWAY, SO WE, THIS IS THE LISTENING SET, UH, TOUR FIRST, UH, AND THEN MAPS WILL BE DRAWN, UH, BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION DIRECTOR MARGARET WALLACE BROWN, JERRY WOODS WHO'LL SIT RIGHT HERE BEFORE YOU.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME PUBLIC MEETINGS IN JULY.
UH, THERE WILL BE THREE OF THEM, UH, PRETTY MUCH AT CITY HALL WHERE YOU CAN THEN COMMENT ON THOSE MAPS THAT WILL HAVE BEEN DRAWN BY THEN.
UH, AND THEN CITY COUNCIL WILL BE VOTING ON THOSE MAPS IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
AND PEOPLE WILL RUN ON THOSE MAPS IN 2023, AND THEN THEY WILL TAKE OFFICE IN JANUARY OF 2024.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE PROCESS.
AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, UH, WE'RE TAKING NOTES AND KIND OF RECORDING EVERYTHING.
AND SO WHATEVER COMMENTS YOU HAVE, IF YOU LIKE THE WAY IT'S DRAWN, UH, PLEASE PROVIDE COMMENTS.
IF YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, THINGS NEED, SOME CHANGES, NEED TO OCCUR, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
BUT, UH, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU.
AND IF YOU JUST SAY IT'S PERFECT, YOU DON'T SEE ANY NEED FOR CHANGING, SAY THAT AS WELL.
AND THEN WE'LL JUST MOVE TO THE SECOND PART, WHICH IS THE CIP INFRASTRUCTURE TYPE PROJECT.
AND THEN ONE QUESTION THAT CAME UP IN PREVIOUS MEETING, AND THAT IS, SUPPOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE, CAN VOTE, YOU KNOW, DO YOU COUNT THEM? AND THE BOTTOM LINE, WE COUNT ALL WARM BODIES.
SO YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE BREATHING, WE COUNT YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU BARELY GOT A BREATH, BUT I CAN HEAR IT, WE COUNT YOU.
OKAY? JUST LIKE IN RURAL TEXAS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE MANY OF THE PRISONS ARE, THOSE PERSONS IN THOSE PRISONS ARE COUNTED IN THAT AREA, OKAY? THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO VOTE, BUT THEY'RE WARM BODIES, THEY'RE COUNTED IN THOSE JURISDICTION.
SO IF A WARM BODY, WE COUNT YOU, WHETHER YOU CAN VOTE OR NOT, YOU ARE YOU, YOU ARE PART OF THE, OF THE COUNT.
OKAY? HAVING SAID THAT, LET ME ASK YOU TO TURN YOUR ATTENTION 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 IN 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 A 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 THE 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, ARTURO 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 IT, 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
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OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS.STARTING IN 1964, THE SUPREME COURT RECOGNIZED THE PRINCIPLE OF ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE, AND THE APPLICABILITY OF THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE TO REDISTRICTING.
AND THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 AS AMENDED ALSO SETS FORTH REQUIREMENTS THAT WILL AFFECT THIS PROCESS.
REDISTRICTING MUST NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, OR MEMBERSHIP IN A PROTECTIVE LANGUAGE.
MINORITY GROUP CITY COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED A RESOLUTION THAT ESTABLISHES THE TIMELINE CRITERIA AND RULES THAT WILL HELP GUIDE THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
THE SPECIFICS FOR EACH OF THESE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, AND CHINESE, CAN BE FOUND ON A 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.
THREE, 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 CONTINUITY.
THE FUNCTIONAL DIMENSION MAY TAKE ON ADDED WEIGHT IN SITUATIONS IN WHICH GEOGRAPHIC COMPACTNESS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT SOME AREAS ARE ATTACHED TO THE REMAINDER OF THE CITY, ONLY BY RELATIVELY LONG AND NARROW STRIPS OF LAND.
FUNCTIONAL COMPACTNESS AND CONTINUITY INCLUDES CONSIDERING FACTORS SUCH AS AVAILABILITY OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION, EXISTENCE OF COMMON SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND OTHER SHARED INTERESTS.
THE ABILITY OF CITIZENS OF A COUNCIL DISTRICT TO RELATE TO EACH OTHER AND TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVE ON CITY COUNCIL, AND THE ABILITY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO RELATE TO HIS OR HER CONSTITUENCY.
THEY SHOULD PRESERVE INCUMBENT CONSTITUENT RELATIONS BY RECOGNITION OF THE RESIDENTS AND 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
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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 KOSHI IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD REGARDING YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CONFIGURATION OF THE NEW COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
YOUR INPUT MAY SIMPLY BE REGARDING NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARIES, OR YOU MAY WANT TO SUBMIT A COMPLETE REDISTRICTING PLAN.
EITHER WAY, THERE ARE SEVERAL POINTS AT WHICH YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS, OPINIONS, OR PLANS, ONE HERE AT THIS OR OTHER SCHEDULED TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
TWO THROUGH OUR WEBPAGE@WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV.
THREE DIRECTLY TO RUPE KOHI IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT THROUGH EMAIL AT RUPE DOT KOHI, AT HOUSTON TX.GOV BY US POSTAL SERVICE, OR HAND DELIVERY TO RUBES KOSHI, OR FOUR AT ONE OF THE THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WILL BE HELD IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF CITY HALL 9 0 1 BAGBY STREET.
IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT A PLAN OF YOUR OWN, IT IS VITAL THAT YOU FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES CRITERIA AND RULES FOR THE CONSIDERATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
WE'RE READY TO HELP TO ENABLE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP AND SUBMIT THEIR OWN PLAN.
A COMPUTER KIOSK WITH REDISTRICTING SOFTWARE WILL BE SET UP IN THE OFFICES OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON THE SIXTH FOURTH 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 AND JUST BEFORE DIRECTOR BROWN COMES UP, UH, LET ME JUST INTRODUCE A FEW PEOPLE THERE.
NUMBER ONE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE HERE.
SO IN THOUGH PRIMARILY LISTENING YOUR COMMENTS ON REDISTRICTING, UH, AND THEN DISCUSSING SOME ASPECTS OF THE CIP UH, UH, AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CITY, UH, DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE HERE TO ADDRESS ANY OTHER CONCERNS YOU MAY HAVE.
AND SO LEMME JUST ASK ALL OF THE CITY, ALL OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES, IF YOU'RE HERE, JUST, JUST KIND OF RAISE YOUR HAND, UH, SO THAT YOU WILL SEE THAT THEY'RE ALL KIND OF ALL AROUND THE ROOM.
SO PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS MEETING, AFTER THIS MEETING, UH, TO VISIT WITH ANY ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS ON ANY QUESTION YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, THEN OF COURSE YOU SAW ARTURO MICHELLE THAT WAS ON THE SCREEN, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, UH, SINCE CEO, KIND OF SEE SOME MAPS.
IF YOU GET UPSET, YOU KNOW, WE CHANGE IT AND YOU DON'T LIKE IT.
MICHELLE ARTURO, WHY DON'T YOU JUST STAND UP
ANDY KIN BACK THERE IS THE CHIEF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, UH, AND THEN MAY BE OTHERS COMING IN.
SO FEEL FREE TO TALK TO, AND OF COURSE, YOU'RE GONNA BE HEARING FROM DIRECTOR MARGARET WALLACE BROWN IN A FEW MINUTES.
SO FEEL FREE TO TO VISIT WITH ANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, ANY OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES.
HAVING SAID THAT, NOW LEMME TURN IT OVER TO, UH, TO DIRECTOR MARGARET WALLACE BROWN.
GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GONNA GET FROM YOU TONIGHT.
I'M GONNA INTRODUCE JERRY WOOD TO THE MAYOR'S, RIGHT? JERRY IS OUR DEMOGRAPHER, AND HE'S THE ONE YOU'RE GONNA BE TALKING TO TONIGHT, AND HE'S TAKING THE NOTES, AND HE WILL USE THIS INFORMATION WHEN HE, UM, AND OUR TEAM START LOOKING AT AND DEVELOPING MAPS.
SO, UM, WHAT WE WANT IS FOR YOU TO TELL US HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT, UH, DISTRICT, UM, THAT YOU'RE IN.
SOME OF YOU MAY NOT BE FROM DISTRICT K, AND THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT SPEAK UP, ALSO, WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
I KNOW THE VIDEO WAS INFORMATIVE, BUT IT WENT BY A COUPLE PRETTY QUICKLY.
SO THERE'S TWO THINGS I WANNA TELL YOU THAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED THE COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU, UM, SAID THIS FIRST, BUT I'M GONNA REPEAT IT ALL THIS INFORMATION IS AT THE C ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, AND THAT CAN BE FOUND BY LET'S
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TALK HOUSTON.ORG.AND THERE'S NO APOSTROPHE IN THE, LET'S, IT'S JUST LETS TALK HOUSTON.ORG BACK SLASH REDISTRICTING.
AND THEN THE OTHER NUMBER TO KNOW, AND I DON'T SEE RU, OH, THERE'S ES IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
UM, YOU SAW RU'S EMAIL ADDRESS, BUT I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO YOU AGAIN.
UM, R-U-P-E-S-H, RUPESH DOT KOHI.
K-O-S-H-Y AT HOUSTON TX GO GOV.
DID I SAY THAT? IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
SO RUPESH IS GONNA BE YOUR POINT OF CONTACT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS LEAVING TONIGHT, IF YOUR FRIENDS HAVE QUESTIONS, IF ANYBODY'S GOT ANY QUESTIONS, EMAIL RUPESH.
HE CAN GET YOU HIS PHONE NUMBER.
YOU TALK TO HIM TONIGHT IF YOU WANT.
SO WE'RE GONNA START, I'VE GOT A COUPLE CARDS IN MY HAND AND I'M GONNA READ THE CARDS WHERE YOU CHECKED REDISTRICTING.
I'M NOT GONNA READ THE CARDS WHERE YOU CHECKED.
CIP I'LL BE HANDING THOSE OFF TO THE SECOND HALF OF THE MEETING, BUT I'LL START WITH THE FIRST PERSON.
SO ZACHARY PETIT, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S P-E-T-I-T-T HAS A COMMENT.
MR. PETIT, IF YOU COULD COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE SO JERRY CAN HEAR YOU.
YOU CHECKED REDISTRICTING, OKAY.
HOW YOU ALL DOING TODAY? I WANNA TALK ABOUT SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET HELP WITH FOR THE PAST YEAR ABOUT THE BOMB UP HERE IN THE STREET IN CENTER POINT, TRYING TO TAKE INTERMITTENT DOMAIN ON OUR PROPERTY TO SUPPLY THE BOMB UP HERE.
OUR CITY COUNCILWOMAN IS NOT HELPING US.
SHE TOLD US SHE SPOKE TO THE MAYOR, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY ANSWERS FOR THAT.
THIS IS WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND INTERMITTENT DOMAIN ON OUR PROPERTY TO PUT A 40 INCH LINE HERE.
NOT IN HER DISTRICT, NOT WHERE SHE LIVE AT, BUT WHERE WE LIVE AT, WHERE OUR HOMES BACK UP TO.
AND EVERY TIME THEY CENTER POINT SEND OUT SOMETHING, IT'S ON THE HOLIDAYS WHEN EVERYBODY'S OUTTA TOWN OR THEY PLAN A MEETING.
WHEN PEOPLE AT WORK AT 12 O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE AT WORK, WE CAN'T GET ANY ANSWERS.
WE CAN'T EVEN GET CENTER POINT TO COME MEET WITH US, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO GET THEM TO MEET WITH US AND THEY WON'T DO IT.
WE HAD A MEETING THREE WEEKS AGO, POST, GOT PAPERWORK.
WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THAT TODAY.
OKAY, LET ME, LET ME ADDRESS THIS ONE.
EVEN THOUGH THE FIRST PART IS, IS ON THE REDISTRICTING SITE, UH, PROCESS.
BUT LET ME, SINCE YOU LET ME, LET ME ADDRESS THIS.
AND I HAVE TALKED, UH, TO, UH, YOUR COUNCIL PERSON WHO A FEW TIMES, UH, MONTHS, MONTHS, MONTHS AGO ON THIS ISSUE.
UH, THE, THE ISSUE IS THAT THESE WERE THE PLACEMENT OF THESE, WHAT YOU CALL 'EM, UM, PEAK SHAVEN FACILITIES.
THESE, THIS FACILITY IS PRETTY MUCH OVERSEEN BY THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION.
IT'S NOT, IT'S EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S JURISDICTION.
IT IS GOVERNED BY THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION.
AND I KNOW IT'S, WHEN YOU SAY RAILROAD, YOU'RE THINKING RAILROAD, BUT NO, THAT'S, THAT'S, IT'S MUCH MORE DIFFERENT.
IT'S ALL IN GAS AND THE UTILITIES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND THAT'S, AND, AND THEY ARE HOUSED OUT OF AUSTIN.
WE ASK OUR CITY COUNCILWOMAN, IT TAKES TIME TO DO THIS AND GET PERMITS FROM THE CITY TO, IN ORDER TO BUILD SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
IT DON'T COME, IT DON'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
NO, BUT THE PER BUT, BUT AGAIN, BUT THE PERMITTING, LET ME, LEMME JUST, LEMME JUST EXPLAIN.
I KNOW YOU'RE UPSET ABOUT THE, THE PLACEMENT.
BUT THE PERMITTING COMES FROM THE RAILROAD COMMISSION.
SO THE CITY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.
THAT'S JUST LIKE ON MANY OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, AS MANY AS THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHERS CAN ATTACH, WE ARE PREEMPTED.
OKAY? SO AS THE STATE THAT HAS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY, THEY KIND OF LAY IT OUT.
THEY DO THE PERMITTING, THEY SAY THE SENATE POINT AND OTHERS, YES, YOU CAN PROCEED.
AND WE DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO STAND IN THE WAY.
IF THAT WERE THE CASE, IF WE COULD, LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT MANY OF THESE THINGS WE WOULD SAY NO TO.
OKAY? AND AS MAYOR SAID, IF HOUSTON SAID, I WOULD SAY NO TO, LEMME ASK ONE MORE QUESTION.
UH, BUT I'M GONNA DO THIS, AND THEN I HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO GO INTO THIS.
WHY ARE THEY PUTTING IT IN THE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY? BECAUSE THEY HAVE ONE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET AND THEY HAVE ONE HERE.
THIS IS SUPPLYING KATIE, NOT US HERE.
WELL, AGAIN, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S A GOOD THING, BUT YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH THESE SEAMEN CRUSH IMPLANTS.
OKAY? THESE CRUSH SEMEN PLANTS, MANY OF THOSE ARE ALSO LOCATED IN C COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
AGAIN, THAT'S REGULATED BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
I WAS JUST AT ANOTHER TOWN HALL MEETING AFTER A
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REDISTRICTING MEETING LAST NIGHT.M ROBINSON AND I, IN THE CASHEL GARDENS AREA, THERE'S A CA THERE'S A CANCER CLUSTER UNION SPECIFIC PACIFIC UP.
OKAY? AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S ON IN THE CASHEL GARDEN AREA.
THAT'S PERMITTED BY THE TEXAS COMMISSIONER ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
AND THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GRANTING A PERMIT FOR UP TO MOVE FORWARD IN WHAT THEY ARE PROPOSING.
I'M, I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, BUT THERE ARE STATE JURISDICTION AND THEN THERE'S CITY JURISDICTION.
AND ON MANY OF THESE MATTERS, WE ARE PREEMPTED BY STATE LAW.
YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER WAS NOT IN FAVOR OF THE PLACEMENT THERE.
WELL, I'M, I'M, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.
I'M YEAH, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, NO, WAS NOT IN FAVOR.
AND I EVEN SPOKE TO SENATOR POINT ON THIS ISSUE, BUT THE RAILROAD COMMISSION HAS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY.
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I FEEL YOUR FRUSTRATION AND I WISH AS MAYOR OR MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL THAT WE COULD DO MORE.
I HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU WHAT THE ANSWER THAT YOU WANT, BUT IT IS, IT'S NOT THE ANSWER I WANTED, BUT, YOU KNOW, ME AND THE COMMUNITY, OTHER PEOPLE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET A MEETING WITH ANYBODY.
WE LUCKED UP AND CAME UP HERE BECAUSE YOU WAS GONNA BE HERE TONIGHT.
WELL, AND I DO, I I DO UNDERSTAND.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE JUST, YOU HAVE ONE OF THE BEST COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE ENTIRE CITY, LEMME JUST, LEMME JUST SAY THAT TO YOU AND I, AND I, AND I, I'M JUST, I'M JUST GONNA BE STRAIGHT UP HONEST WITH YOU, I'M GONNA BE, BUT OFTENTIMES WHAT I'VE AS MAYOR, WHAT I'VE DISCERNED OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN MAYOR, ALL WATER FLOWS DOWNHILL.
AND WHATEVER TAKES PLACE, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE AUTHORIZED BY THE STATE.
WE ARE THE ONES THAT BEAR THE BRUNT.
OKAY? AND THAT SHOULD BE THE CASE.
OKAY? NOW I WANT TO GET BACK TO REDISTRICTING.
I, I WANNA GET BACK TO REDISTRICTING WITH ME.
ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS, WHAT THEY PUT IN BACK OF OUR HOMES.
AND, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT TONIGHT YOUR ATTORNEYS ARE MEETING WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT OF CENTER POINT.
THERE'S A ZOOM MEETING TONIGHT HAPPENING WITH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WITH YOUR ATTORNEYS AND CENTER POINT THAT I SET UP FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO WE'VE HAD AT LEAST FOUR OR FIVE MEETINGS WITH CENTER POINT, AND THEY'VE BEEN OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THERE'S ONE TONIGHT WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT OF CENTER POINT.
SO FOR YOU TO SAY THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A MEETING IS, IS A MISREPRESENTATION.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THIS, I KNOW IT'S NOT WHAT YOU LIKE, BUT THAT, THAT HAS HAPPENED.
SO IT IT, IT IS UNFAIR FOR YOU TO COME UP AND SAY THAT YOU HAVEN'T HAD A MEETING TOLD YOU TOLD US THE SHIP HAS LEFT THE PORT.
IT HAS, IT'S BUILT, BUT IT, BEFORE IT WAS EVEN BEING BUILT, BECAUSE WHEN WE HAD THE FIRST MEETING WITH YOU, CENTER POINT MOVED EVEN FASTER AFTER WE HAD THE MEETING WITH YOU AND PUT ALL THE, SIR, I DON'T WORK ON THE TIMELINE FOR CENTER POINT.
IT'S THEIR PROPERTY, BUT EVERYTHING DESCENT WAS ALWAYS LATE.
OKAY, EVERYTHING, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
ALRIGHT, NOW LET'S, LET'S RESET FOR A MINUTE.
NOW, THE POPCORN WAS GOOD,
LOOK, I UNDERSTAND FRUSTRATIONS.
OKAY, I UNDERSTAND FRUSTRATIONS AND WE DON'T TAKE ANYBODY'S CONCERNS LIGHTLY.
UM, BUT LET'S, LET'S RESET AND, UH, REDISTRICTING.
OKAY, LET'S DO REDISTRICTING TONIGHT.
NOW LET ME BRING TO YOU DIRECTOR, UH, BROWN.
THE NEXT PERSON, THE NEXT CARD I HAVE IS FOR SANDRA DENNIS, S-T-E-N-N-I-S.
UM, MY QUESTION, MY NAME IS SANDRA STENT AND MY QUESTION REGARDING REDISTRICTING IS YOU WANT THE COMMUNITIES TO BE BALANCED.
WHAT PERCENTAGE WOULD DISTRICT K GAIN BY DOING A REDISTRICTING RIGHT NOW FOR OUR AREA? DO YOU KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE WE WOULD GAIN OR LOSE? AND WHAT WOULD BE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THIS DISTRICT IF WE WERE TO DRAW REDRAW OUR DISTRICT LINES? WELL, I WOULD TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU ARE, YOU'RE, YOU ARE, YOU'RE RIGHT WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN TERMS OF POPULATION, THE AVERAGE, UH, NUMBER IS LIKE 2 0 9.
OKAY? AND YOU ALL ARE AT 2 0 9.
YEAH, PUT THE, CAN WE PUT THE MAP? CAN YOU
[00:30:05]
BACK ONE, GO BACK THE CHART.SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS WEEK, YEAH, I, I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT I READ.
I WAS JUST CONCERNED WHEN YOU SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME REDISTRICTING FOR OUR AREA.
AND BASED ON YOUR MAP AND YOUR FORMULA, IT SAYS THAT WE WOULD BE AT 0%.
AND THEN IF YOU WERE TO DO A REDISTRICTING FOR THIS AREA, WHAT WOULD BE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR OUR AREA? HOW WOULD IT BENEFIT US? WELL, LEMME JUST PUT IT THIS WAY.
WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION EVERY 10 YEARS TO REDISTRICT THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND THERE ARE 11, THERE ARE 11 CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
CORRECT? AND THE GOAL IS TO TRY TO HAVE ALL OF THEM RIGHT AROUND 2 0 9 RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT K IS AT 2 0 9, 2 9 5 MM-HMM
THE ONLY ISSUE REALLY AS WE RE AS WE LOOK AT THE ENTIRE CITY, IS WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S GOING TO BE ANY SHIFTING TO SURROUNDING DISTRICTS THAT MAY BE TOO HIGH, TOO LOW.
AND HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT OUT? SO IT'S, THE QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT THERE WILL BE ANY SHIFTING.
OKAY? ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, YOU ARE ALREADY AT THE NUMBER.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE DISTRICT K NEEDS ANY MORE PEOPLE, AND IT'S NOT LIKE DISTRICT K IS OVER AND WE NEED TO TAKE PEOPLE OUT.
THE ONLY QUESTION AS WE SEEK TO REDISTRICT THE ENTIRE CITY, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S GOING TO BE A NEED TO DO ANY SHIFTING AND KEEPING YOU AT 2 0 9 IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, UM, A FACTOR HERE.
DOES THAT ADDRESS IT? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
THE NEXT CARD I HAVE IS FROM MELVA THORNTON.
MY NAME IS MELVA THORNTON, AND MY QUESTION IS, WITH THE REDISTRICTING, I WAS WONDERING IF THE PORTION OF THE SOUTH HOUSTON CONCERNED CITIZENS COALITION BOUNDARIES THAT FELL INTO DISTRICT D, IF WE COULD GET IT BACK INTO DISTRICT K SO THAT OUR WHOLE, UM, SOUTH HOUSTON CONCERNED CITIZENS COALITION COULD BE IN ONE DISTRICT INSTEAD OF US HAVING TO DO WITH DEAL WITH TWO SEPARATE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND SEE, THAT IS, THAT'S A, THAT'S A, THAT'S A, UH, INTERESTING, UH, COMMENT THAT WAS JUST MADE BECAUSE SEE, YOU CAN SHIFT SOMEBODY INTO DISTRICT K, WHICH MAY CAUSE SOMEBODY TO SHIFT OUT OF DISTRICT K.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? THAT THOSE ARE THE INTRICACIES THAT WE HAVE TO WORK OUT.
SO IT'S THAT DISTRICT D IS WHAT IS, IS A LITTLE OVER.
AND SEEING DISTRICT D IS 7% UP ALREADY.
SO YOU, IF YOU START SHIFTING OUT A DISTRICT D TO PUT IN INTO DISTRICT K, THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PULL OUT SOMEPLACE ELSE.
YOU SEE HOW THE DOMINO EFFECT CAN TAKE PLACE? NOW WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE SHIFT THEN SOME PEOPLE SHIFT OUT.
BUT THESE ARE THE SORT OF COMMENTS WE, WE NEED TO HEAR.
THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE LAST CARD I HAVE.
DOES NO ONE ELSE HAVE A COMMENT OR A QUESTION ABOUT REDISTRICTING? OH, YOU ALL MUST BELIEVE YOU ALL HAVE THE PERFECT DISTRICT Y.
SO I'M HANDING IT OVER TO THE CIP SIDE DIRECTOR.
I'M GONNA MAKE ONE COMMENT, MAYBE AS YOUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I'M LUCKY TO SERVE WITH THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS IN FRONT OF YOU, OUR MAYOR AND YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER.
BUT I'M ALSO GOING IN THAT REGARD.
IT'S GREAT THAT Y'ALL ARE PERFECT AND JUST RIGHT, REMINDS ME RIGHT TEMPERATURE.
BUT IN THIS CASE, YOUR NEIGHBORS SURROUND YOU ARE LESS PERFECT NUMERICALLY.
SO FOR YOU ALL TO BE HERE AND SAY THAT YOU LIKE IT THE WAY IT IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND THE COMMENTS WE'VE HEARD ARE CRITICAL.
YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE OF YOUR NEIGHBORS THAT ARE GONNA NEED TO EBB OR FLOW, INCREASE OR DECREASE.
AND SO FOR OUR DEMOGRAPHER, JERRY, THAT'S HERE AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO UNDER IS CRITICAL.
SO THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING HERE.
WITH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, DIRECTOR MARGARET WALLACE BROWN, THANK THANK YOU.
AND JERRY, THANK YOU ALL AND ALL THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOLK ON REDISTRICTING.
YOU, YOU ALL MADE THAT SHORT AND SWEET.
[00:35:01]
NOW TO THE CIP PORTION AND, UM, MICHAEL, RUSTY, WEST, MIKE AND MIKE, YOU'RE UP.ON BEHALF OF OUR DIRECTOR, HADDOCK 4,000 EMPLOYEES OF PUBLIC WORKS, THANK YOU FOR BEING, FOR INVITING ME TODAY.
I'LL PROMISE I'LL BE VERY SHORT AND, AND, AND CONCERN OF TIME.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT.
THE CITY CONTINUES TO ADDRESS NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF PANDEMIC.
HOUSTON WILL RECEIVE 607.9 MILLION FROM AN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT PASSING BY CONGRESS LAST YEAR, UH, RECEIVED HALF OF THE FUNDING.
UH, THE OTHER HALF HAS COME IN THIS MAY.
SO YOU'VE BEEN ASKED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THERE IS A QUESTIONNAIRE AT THIS WEBSITE THAT YOU SEE HOUSTON TX.GOV/APA 22 QUESTIONS.
SO PLEASE FILL OUT THAT SURVEY.
UH, ALTHOUGH I STAND HERE TODAY, UH, AS PUBLIC WORKS, THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT DO CIP PROJECTS WITHIN THE CIP PROGRAM.
UH, THE GSD, THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT THAT DO THE VERTICAL AND PARKS, ALSO PARKS AND REC DO A LOT OF IMPROVEMENT WITHIN THE PARK.
SO I'LL BE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
SO BEFORE WE START, REALLY, WE WANT TO COVER SOME THINGS.
AND, UH, IF THERE IS ONE THING I WANT YOU TO TAKE TODAY IS THE THREE RS.
OKAY? PUBLIC WORKS USES THESE STRATEGIES TO DO A LOT OF OUR OPERATING AND MAINTAINING OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR BEING.
THIS IS THE THREE ONE ONE CALL THAT THAT'S ALWAYS GIVEN THAT WE LIVE AND DIE BY IT.
UH, AS WE GET THOSE CALLS, WE FIX THEM AND, UH, COULD BE PATCHING POTHOLES, UH, CLEANING DITCHES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THESE ARE REALLY DONE BY STAFF, IN-HOUSE STAFF.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT R IS REHABILITATION.
THIS IS THE STRATEGY THAT WE'VE BEEN USING LATELY, THANK GOODNESS TO THE MAYOR'S, UH, STREET REHABILITATION PROGRAM AND THE STORM WATER ACTION TEAM AND THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM.
UH, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE IT EXTENDS THE SERVICE LIVE TO THAT FIVE TO 10 YEARS INSTEAD OF THE OTHER OPTION, WHICH IS THE THIRD R RECONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS REALLY, WE CANNOT REPAIR IT, REHABILITATE IT ANYMORE, WE HAVE TO RIP IT OUT AND REPLACE IT BACK.
AND THESE ARE REALLY AND EXPENSIVE AND TAKE A LONGER TIME AND, UH, ARE COMPLEX SOMETIMES WITH UTILITY CONFLICTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, SO I'LL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAS BEEN DONE WITHIN THE DISTRICT A THIS, UH, WE HAVEN'T MET IN TWO YEARS.
UH, FONDER ROAD IS, UH, A 49 MILLION PROJECT, WHICH WILL EXTEND BRAYWOOD TO CREEK BEND, UH, CREEK BEND TO WEST AIRPORT.
WE'LL INSTALL ABOUT 15,000 LINEAR FEET OF STORM DRAIN, UH, 14,000 FEET OF NEW WATER LINES AND, AND, UH, A DA COMPLIANCE SIDEWALKS ALL ALONG.
UH, THIS IS THE, SOME OF THE FEDERAL MESH THAT WE GET FROM HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL THROUGH TEXT DOT.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE ARE GOING BACK TO RE-ENVISION AGAIN.
UH, THE, INITIALLY YOU CAME UP WITH A SIX LANE OPTION, BUT NOW BECAUSE OF COMMUNITY INPUT, WE'RE GOING WITH THE FOUR FOOT, WITH THE FOUR LANE OPTION, AND WE ARE STARTING THE UPDATING OF THE DESIGN AND, UH, CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN IN 2025.
UM, ANOTHER PROJECT WRAPPING UP THIS YEAR IN THE WI SHIRE PAVING AREA.
THIS IS THE PHASE TWO OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, $12 MILLION PROJECT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE FLOODING RELIEF.
WE IMPROVED DRAINAGE AREA, ADDED NEW SIDEWALKS, DRIVEWAYS, TREES, AND LIGHTING.
WEST CRAVE FORT BEND, HOUSTON, UH, THIS IS THE, UH, LAST YEAR WE, WE WENT, CAME AND DID SOME RESURFACING, BUT THIS IS THE RECONSTRUCTION PORTION OF IT.
WE WILL BE RECONSTRUCTING CHIMNEY ROCK, UH, FONDANT
[00:40:01]
BLUE RIDGE, AND, UH, HILLCROFT INTERSECTIONS COMPLETELY WITH BRAND NEW SIGNALS.AND ALSO CONNECT THE SIDEWALK BY FILLING IN GAPS AND ALSO MAKING MADA COMPLIANT FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH, UH, BETWEEN CHIMNEY ROCK AND, UH, FONDANT.
WE'LL GO TO BID VERY WE'LL JUST FINISHING UP THE DESIGN.
SO WE'LL GO TO BID, UH, WITHIN A MONTH OR TWO.
AND THEN CONSTRUCTION, YOU'LL BE SEEING IT IN, IN ABOUT, UH, 2023, BEGINNING OF THAT.
AND THE CONSTRUCTION WILL TAKE ABOUT TWO YEARS BECAUSE SIGNALS TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO COMPLETE CHIMNEY ROCK.
THIS IS, UH, IN COORDINATION WITH FORT BEND.
UH, THE FORT BEND TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY.
UH, THE 4 MILLION PAVING DRAINAGE PROJECT WILL CONNECT MISSING FRONTAGE ROADS, UH, TOLL ROAD WILL GET START NEXT YEAR.
IT WILL INCLUDE STORM DRAIN UPGRADE, NEW PAVEMENTS, SIDEWALKS, STREET LIGHTS, UPDATES TO UNDERGROUND UTILITY.
NEXT ONE IS HILL CRAFT AVENUE, UH, COURT ROAD, UH, EXTENSION.
THIS IS ANOTHER PARTNERSHIP WITH ALONG, UH, FORT BEND COURT.
UH, TALL AUTHORITY AND, UH, PUBLIC WORKS IN PARTICIPATING WITH FORT BEND COUNTY PRECINCT TWO 10 MILLION PROJECT, $10 MILLION PROJECT WILL CREATE THOROUGHFARE TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC MOBILITY DRAINAGE IN THE AREA AND CONNECTIVITY WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE WE'LL INCLUDE STORM DRAIN, SIDEWALK, STREET LIGHTS AGAIN, UH, CONSTRUCTION WILL GET STARTED NEXT YEAR.
THIS IS A VERY POPULAR ROAD FOR, FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES NEEDED.
IT'S REALLY INITIATED BY, UH, A UTILITY NEED FOR WESTWATER CONNECTION IN THAT AREA.
THE IMPROVEMENT WILL INCLUDE NEW PA CURB, SIDEWALK STREETLIGHTS, AS WELL AS PART OF THE WESTBURY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I KNOW THE, I REMEMBER THE, SO AS PART OF THE WESTBURY, UH, IMPROVEMENT IN THAT AREA, MITIGATING DRAINAGE.
UH, THIS IS, UH, SPELMAN DETENTION.
UH, WE HAVE ACQUIRED THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY AND IT'S THROUGH HUD.
IT'S ABOUT 75,000 SQUARE FEET, WHICH WILL HAVE INCREDIBLE IMPACT IN DETENTION IN THAT AREA.
UH, THE BUILDING WILL BE, UH, CLEARING THE SIDE DEMOLITION OF BUILDING EXCAVATION AND ADDING INLET AND OUTLET STRUCTURES.
THIS IS PART, AGAIN, AS I SAID, THIS PART OF THE STRATEGY OF WEST BAY AREA DRAINAGE, CURRENTLY FINALIZING DESIGN AND THE SECURING THE FRONT WITH CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN IN 2023.
ESTIMATED TO BE COMPLETED IN 2025.
THE, THERE HAS BEEN A STUDY FOR THE ENTIRE AREA.
UH, AGAIN, THERE IS A DETENTION THAT WE HAVE PURCHASED AN APARTMENT AND, UH, UH, IN THAT LOCATION THAT YOU SEE TO THE RIGHT ON THE MAP.
AND THAT WILL BE PART OF THE MITIGATION FOR THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE, UH, SOME OF THE BENEFITS THAT WE GET FROM SHELL GASSER SITE AS WELL ON THE WEST, UH, ON THE EAST SIDE OF CHIM, CHIMNEY, ROCK, AND SLOTTED TO BEGIN IN 2024.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE TOOK A SNAPSHOT OF BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD TO, TO SHOW HOW MUCH HAS BEEN DONE IN DISTRICT K IN REHABILITATION.
THE GREEN DOTS THAT YOU SEE ON THIS WEBSITE IS ALL, UH, THAT'S DONE IN DISTRICT K.
AND THIS IS PART OF OUR REHABILITATION PROGRAM FOR SWAT AND, UH, THE STORM WATER ACTION TEAM AND THE LOCALIZED DRAINAGE PROJECT.
AND IT'S A VERY TARGETED PROJECT TO FIX THE OUTFALLS AND CRITICAL AREAS.
UM, AND YOU CAN GO SEE THE STATUS AND, AND ALL THAT STUFF.
AND WE ALSO HAVE AT THE TABLE HERE THE LIST OF TABLE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING IN DISTRICT, IN DISTRICT, UH, K.
NEXT ONE IS, UH, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE STREET REHABILITATION THAT HAS HAPPENED IN DISTRICT K.
AGAIN, THIS IS ON BUILD HOUSTON THEM FORWARD.
THESE ARE THE YELLOW DOTS FOR REHABILITATION.
THAT'S NOW OUR MAJOR, UH, ONE OF OUR MAJOR STRATEGIES
[00:45:01]
TO KEEP UP OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.SO I'LL GO TO THE NEXT DEPARTMENTS RIGHT NOW.
UH, FORT BEND COUNTY IS WORKING WITH THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT ON REDEVELOPMENT OF BLUE RIDGE PARK.
AMENITIES WILL INCLUDE UPGRADED PARKING LOT, NEW PLAYGROUND SHADE STRUCTURES, FIELD AND COURT IMPROVEMENTS, TRAILS AND RESTROOM TRAILS AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES AND OVERLOOK SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING.
AN AMENDMENT TO THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AND DESIGN IS UNDERWAY.
MAYFAIR PARK AS PART OF THE 50 50 PARK PARTNER, UH, PROGRAM.
MAYFIELD PARK REDEVELOPMENT WILL INCLUDE NEW PLAYGROUND FENCING, IMPROVED LIGHTING, PICNIC TABLES AND BENCHES.
THE PROJECT IS IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION WILL START IN THE FALL OF 2022 WESTBURY LIBRARY.
LIKE BE HAPPY
THE PROJECT IS IN DESIGN AND WE'LL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN FULL 2022, SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN FULL 2023.
THE PROJECT WILL COMBINE SERVICE AREAS OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY, WHICH SUSTAINED DAMAGE DURING A HARVEY, UH, HURRICANE HARVEY AND FRANK EXPRESS LIBRARY.
THE REPLACEMENT FACILITY INCLUDES THE TECH LINK CONCEPT, UH, MEETING AND CONFERENCE SPACES, UH, QUIET ADULT SPACE, TEENS AREA, CHILDREN AREA, UH, PUBLIC COMPUTERS AND ADEQUATE STAFF SPACE.
THE NEW LIBRARY WILL BE CONSTRUCTED WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDING SYSTEM, SIGNIFICANT INSIGHT IMPROVEMENT AND LEAD CERTIFIED.
SO AT THE END, I WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE WITH, WITH PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS. SO
AND IT HAS A Q CARD QR CODE ON IT.
AND YOU CAN ASK US QUESTION OR FILL OUT THERE.
AND THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE NEW TOOLS THAT WE'RE USING FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON OUR PROJECTS.
YOU HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF REGISTERING FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN, AND YOU'LL GET UPDATES WHEN THERE IS A CHANGE IN THOSE PROJECTS.
SO I'LL ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AND GO SEE THAT.
I'M MARILYN RAYON AND I AM TWO FROM SOUTHWEST CROSSING.
AND WE'RE LESS THAN A BLOCK AND A HALF FROM THIS BUILDING.
WE HAVE A LOVELY COMMUNITY OF OVER 500 HOMES.
WE'RE WORKING PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN.
SOME OF US HAVE RETIRED AND ARE TRYING TO ENJOY OUR LIFE.
BUT RECENTLY, IE LAST MAY, WE DIDN'T FIND OUT ABOUT IT UNTIL JULY, BUT LAST MAY, CENTER POINT PURCHASED PROPERTY.
THEY HAD PURCHASED IT AND THEY STARTED BUILDING WHAT THEY CALL THEY LIQUID PROPANE GAS TANK FACILITY.
THE LIQUID PROPANE GAS TANK FACILITY THAT THEY HAVE BUILT HAS FIVE TANKS.
THEY COMBINED, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO HOLD 300,000 GALLONS OF LIQUID PROPANE, GA GAS.
THESE TANKS ARE IMMEDIATELY IN BACK OF OUR HOMES.
WE LOOK OUT OUR BACK WINDOWS AND WE SEE THE TANKS.
SO WE'RE CONCERNED BECAUSE WE DON'T FEEL IT'S SAFE, BUT WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED PRIOR TO THEM STARTING THEIR PROJECT.
IF WE WOULD'VE BEEN NOTIFIED, WE COULD HAVE JUST DONE EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO, TO MAKE THEM PLEASE.
WE HELP THEM FIND ANOTHER LOCATION WHERE THEY, WHERE YOU WOULDN'T BE AFRAID TO GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT FOR FEAR THAT THERE WOULD BE AN EXPLOSION OR PROBLEM.
[00:50:01]
OUT AND TALKED TO US AND SAID, I'M SORRY, BUT IF THERE'S A PROBLEM, BY THE TIME WE GET HERE, YOU GUYS WILL BE REALLY BE IN DEEP TROUBLE.SO WHAT WE CAME HERE TODAY TO DO, IN ADDITION TO FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT DISTRICT K, WE CAME HERE TO ASK, IS THERE ANY WAY ANYONE CAN HELP US? WE DON'T WANT THE FACILITY IN OUR OUR IN OUR BACKYARD.
WE'VE LOST WEIGHT WORRYING ABOUT IT.
IF WE WERE TOLD TO MOVE AND GET OUT OF THE AREA AND DON'T USE OUR CARS, WE'D BE IN BAD SHAPE.
I DID WRITE YOU A LETTER, MAYOR, AND I KNOW YOU GET THOUSANDS.
I WROTE YOU A LETTER AND TOLD YOU WHAT A SWEET NEIGHBORHOOD I LIVE IN AND HOW WONDERFUL THE PEOPLE ARE THAT SURROUND ME IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
I, I KNOW THAT YOU GET THOUSANDS OF LETTERS I'VE INTERFACED WITH, UM, MADAM APPROACHED HIM, MADAM AND ON THIS.
AND, AND LEMME JUST SAY TO YOU THE BEST, THE BEST WAY.
'CAUSE IF YOU SEND ME A LETTER, I MEAN, YOU'RE SENDING IT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE READING THOSE LETTERS, OKAY? MM-HMM
UH, BUT THE BEST WAY TO GET TO, TO ME IS, UH, IS, IS TO SEND ME AN EMAIL@MAY.ST AT HOUSTON TX.GOV.
NOW, I THINK SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM CAN ATTEST.
I, I WILL, I READ MY EMAILS AND, UH, NOW I DO RESPOND BETWEEN 11:00 PM AND 1:00 AM IN THE MORNING.
OKAY? BUT, UH, BUT I DO READ AND DO RESPOND MM-HMM
THE JURISDICTION, THE RAILROAD, THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION IS THE ENTITY THAT DIRECTLY OVERSEES THE PLACEMENTS OF THESE TANKS.
AND THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE THE JURISDICTION.
THEY DECIDE, UH, THEY GRANT THE PERMITS, THEY AUTHORIZE THEM.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO OVERRIDE, UH, THE STATE AGENCY.
UM, I MEAN, WE'VE TRIED TO DO THAT IN SOME OTHER MATTERS, BUT THE CITY ITSELF DOESN'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT AUTHORITY.
THE, THE STATE HAS PREEMPTED US ON THAT.
BUT THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION IS THE ENTITY THAT OVERSEES AND PERMITS, AND ONCE THEY PERMITTED, UM, THEN THE ENTITY LIKE SIN UPON IS AUTHORIZED TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY WHAT WE CAN DO IS TO TRY TO, IS TRY TO AMPLIFY YOUR VOICE, YOU KNOW, ON THESE MATTERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WITH CENTER POINT, WE TRY TO ENCOURAGE, UH, THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION, UH, TO BE SENSITIVE TO COMMUNITIES AND TO NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, WE HAVE REPEATEDLY SAID TO THE STATE, NOT TO PLACE THESE FACILITIES IN COMMUNITIES, UH, AND ESPECIALLY COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND NOT JUST THESE FACILITIES, UH, CEMENT CONCRETE PLANTS.
AND ALL OF THOSE SAID NO, NOT TO, NOT TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT I WISH I COULD, I WISH I COULD, COULD, COULD BE MORE DEFINITIVE AND COULD TELL YOU THAT WE HAD THE POWER TO STOP OR TO TELL CENTER POINT TO REMOVE.
UH, BUT CERTAINLY I THINK WE CAN HELP TO AMPLIFY YOUR VOICE AND THE VOICES OF OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW IT'S A FINE COMMUNITY SOUTHWEST CROSSING.
AND I KNOW THE, UH, THE NERVOUSNESS THAT YOU ALL FEEL, UH, AND RIGHTFULLY SO.
SO I'M NOT, I DON'T WANT TO IN ANY WAY TO DOWNPLAY YOUR CONCERNS.
UM, BUT LET US SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN JOINING IN AND AMPLIFYING YOUR VOICE WITH THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION.
WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, SIR.
ALRIGHT, KENNETH BURGESS, GOOD EVENING.
I'M A, I'M A FORMER, UH, US MARINE VETERAN.
I'M ALSO, UH, THIS SPENT 30 YEARS IN THE, UH, CHEMICAL, CHEMICAL INDUSTRY WHERE I RETIRED AFTER, UH, 40 YEARS OF WORK.
I LIVE OVER HERE IN THIS, IN THIS WONDERFUL NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I LOVE, THAT I LOVE BEING IN.
I, UH, I EVEN TAKE CARE OF THE, UH, THE EASEMENT.
THAT CENTER PORT HAS A POWER LINES ON THAT, THAT'S AS PART OF OUR PROPERTY THAT THEY WANT THAT, THAT THEY NOW WANT TO PUT PIPELINES THROUGH.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE PIPELINE, BUT THAT TANK DOWN THERE, WE CAN'T LIVE WITH THAT TANK.
I SURVIVED A, UH, EXPLOSION IN 1989 AT MY, AT MY PLANT.
SO I DON'T WANNA SEE THIS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I DON'T WANT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CONCERN FOR US RIGHT NOW.
HOW ARE THEY GOING TO PROTECT US IF SOMETHING
[00:55:01]
HAPPENED? DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL PEOPLE DIE BEFORE, BEFORE THEY DO SOMETHING? WELL, AGAIN, HOW THEY GONNA PROTECT US AGAIN? I, I, I HEAR YOU.I DO UNDERSTAND AGAIN, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND LIKE I SAID, THIS THE SAME EASEMENT THAT WE HAVE, I GOT, WE ALSO HAVE CITY SERVICES ARE ALIGNED BACK THERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S CAUSING OUT SOME OF OUR PROPERTY.
THE, THE, UH, IT'S CAUSING OUR PROPERTY, WHETHER IT MAY BE WASHING AWAY, BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE WHERE ALL OUR PROP THAT THIS, THIS IS THE SAME PROPERTY THAT THEY, THEY WANNA RUN THE LINES TO, BUT, BUT WE HAVE CITY SERVICE, UH, DRAIN LINES THAT LOOK LIKE THEY MAY BE CAUSING OUR ISSUES, OUR FOUNDATION, AND ALSO TO, UH, TO OUR YARDS.
RIGHT? SO WE DON'T WANT, WE DON'T WANT CENTERPORT COMING IN, PUTTING LINES IN THAT'S GOING TO FURTHER AFFECT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND AGAIN, LET, LET US DO WHAT WE CAN TO, TO, TO, UH, TO ADD TO YOUR, TO YOUR VOICE.
UH, AND I, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING BEFORE THIS CAME UP.
WELL, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED AT THE STATE.
WE SHOULD'VE KNOWN SOMETHING THERE.
A LOT OF CITY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT WAS WHAT WAS COMING.
BUT LET ME, LET ME JUST ASK THIS.
HOW MANY OF YOU IN THIS ROOM KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT SIT ON THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION? LEMME JUST SEE A SHOW OF HAND.
I MEAN THAT YOU KNOW THEM, OKAY.
RIGHT? BUT, BUT THE POINT THAT I'M MAKING IS THAT PEOPLE IN AUSTIN ARE MAKING DECISIONS THAT ARE IMPACTING, UH, HOUSTON.
NOW YOU CAN COME AND SEE US IN RIGHT HERE.
YOU CAN COME SEE US IN THE, WHEN WE ARE IN THE GROCERY STORE.
YOU CAN COME TO CITY HALL AND YOU KNOW US BY NAME AND BY FACE.
BUT FOR PEOPLE IN THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION, AND BY THE WAY, THEY ARE ELECTED PHYSICIANS, THEY
BUT, UH, BUT THEY'RE VOTED IN THERE.
BUT 99.9% OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS, UH, IN THIS COMMUNITY DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
AND THEY ARE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW THERE IS A, THERE'S, UM, DISCONNECT BETWEEN STATE LEADERS AND PEOPLE DOWN HERE.
UH, THE STATE IS ALLOWING IS BUILDING HOMES, UH, POST HARVEY, TWO BEDROOM HOMES IN CERTAIN, IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES.
OH, DESTROYING NOT ONLY THE VALUE TO THOSE HOMEOWNERS, BUT TO THE PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WE HAVE SPOKEN LY AGAINST THAT BECAUSE IT DESTROYS COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO, JUST LIKE YOU WANNA HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE, AND YOU SHOULD, WE ALSO HAVE TO HOLD THOSE AT THE STATE LEVEL ACCOUNTABLE WHO ARE MAKING DECISIONS AND IMPACTING YOUR LIVES.
SO LET US MAKE SURE THAT WE SEND YOU, UH, THE NAMES AND THE CONTACT INFORMATION OF THE PEOPLE AT THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION.
AND JUST LIKE YOU ALL ARE VOICING YOUR CONCERNS TO US, LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOICE YOUR CONCERNS TO THEM BECAUSE THEY, THEY ARE IMMUNE FROM WHAT YOU AND OTHERS ARE SAYING TO US, AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE MAKING THE DECISION.
SO, UH, IF I COULD HAVE BLOCKED IT OR THE CITY COULD HAVE BLOCKED IT, WE WOULD HAVE BLOCKED IT.
OKAY? BUT WE WILL JOIN YOU AND OTHERS AND REACHING OUT ON YOUR BEHALF AND OTHERS TO THE RAILROAD COMMISSION TO SAY THIS IS A BAD DEAL.
BUT SEE, WITH THAT, ALSO SOMETHING NEED TO IMPROVE WITH OUR POSTAL SERVICE WHEN, WHEN A CERTIFIED MAIL THAT GOES OUT DOESN'T REQUIRE SIGNATURES, OKAY.
WELL, LET US, LET US, LET US WORK WITH YOU.
AND, UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE PUT IN PLACE WHAT WE CALL COMPLETE COMMUNITIES TO JOIN IN WITH, UH, WITH COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE SERVICES IN THE AREA.
SO NOW LET'S LET US, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON YOUR BEHALF.
TALK ABOUT, I'M FROM SOUTHWEST CROSSING AS WELL, BUT I WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT WHO PICKED THE COLORS FOR THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE, UH, THE BRIDGES? UH, THE UNDERPASS WHO PICKED THE COLORS? YEAH, THE, THE BEAUTIFICATION AND THEY PAINTED DIFFERENT COLORS.
LET ME, LET ME ASK FIRST, DO YOU LIKE THE COLORS
[01:00:01]
OH, YOU DON'T LIKE THE COLORS? NO.WELL, LET ME,
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT PLACES, UM, THAT AREN'T TYPICAL PLACES THAT WE CAN PUT ART.
AND ART IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.
THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME THINGS THAT YOU LOVE THAT WE DO, AND THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME THINGS THAT YOU MAY NOT LIKE AS MUCH.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, WE'VE GOTTEN LOTS OF REALLY GOOD, UM, COMMENTS ABOUT THE ARTWORK ON WEST ORM ARTWORK.
WELL, I LIKE THE ARTWORK, BUT THE COLORS OF THE BRIDGE, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE, YOU KNOW, HILL CROSS.
OH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT UNDER THE GATEWAYS? YES.
SO THOSE, THOSE ARE THE COLORS OF THE FIVE CORNERS MANAGEMENT DISTRICT STARS.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THEY AREN'T FINISHED.
UM, AND WHAT YOU'LL, WHAT YOU'LL SEE WHEN WE HAVE THE GRAND OPENING AT THE FIVE GATEWAYS ARE LIGHTS UNDERNEATH THE UNDERPASS.
AND THEY'LL BE VERY MUCH LIKE THE LIGHTS OVER KIRBY.
SO WHEN MADISON WINS THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, WE CAN TURN THOSE LIGHTS BLUE AND RED.
WHEN WESTBURY WINS THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, WE CAN TURN THOSE LIGHTS BLUE AND GRAY.
IF IT'S, UM, UH, BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, ALL OF THE LIGHTS CAN BE PINK.
SO WE TRY TO BRING SOMETHING TO THE COMMUNITY TO WELCOME PEOPLE IN AND HAVE OUR GATEWAYS LOOK MORE BEAUTIFUL.
AND AGAIN, ART IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.
I HOPE THAT YOU WILL GROW TO LOVE IT.
I MEAN,
WHEN WE PUT THE LANDSCAPING IN, I THINK THAT YOU'LL LIKE IT.
THERE'LL BE SOME MORE PRETTY FLOWERS AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT NOT LOOK SO CONCRETEY.
AND, AND, AND, AND MAKE IT LOOK SO IT'S NOT FINISHED.
BUT I THINK YOU'LL LIKE IT WHEN WE HAVE THE GRAND OPENING ALRIGHTYY
CYNTHIA R. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY.
MY QUESTION, YOU HAD A, A SLIDE FOR, UH, CHIMNEY ROCK.
DOES THAT MEAN THEY'RE GONNA OPEN CHIMNEY ROCK DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF OUR SUBDIVISION INTO, UH, MISSOURI CITY FRESNO? YES.
SO YOU GONNA GIVE US MORE TRAFFIC IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? PEOPLE CUTTING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S CONNECTIVITY.
UM, AND SO I THOUGHT A COUPLE YEARS AGO THEY SAID THEY WERE GONNA SHUT THAT DOWN.
THEY WEREN'T GONNA DO THAT PROJECT, THEY WEREN'T GONNA EXTEND IT ANY FURTHER.
THEY WERE GONNA LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS WITHOUT GOING THROUGH SOUTHWEST CROSSING AND OPENING UP ON THE OTHER SIDE.
I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHERE YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT, RIGHT THERE, THE TOLL ROAD IN CHIMNEY ROCK THAT'S CLOSED OFF.
THERE IS A FRONTIER ROAD THAT HAS A GAP.
BUT YOU, YOU CAN'T GO STRAIGHT TO, UM, FRESNO TO MISSOURI CITY THROUGH THAT AREA.
ISN'T THERE A FIELD OUT THERE? LET'S SEE THE MAP.
IT'S STILL, WHAT DOES THAT MAP SHOW? YOU KNOW, I'LL TALK TO YOU THOUGH.
SECOND, TO SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHERE IT'S AT.
SECOND, I WAS JUST CONCERNED IF THEY'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP THROUGH THE NEXT COUNTY.
NOW IT'S, IT'S JUST THE FRONTAGE ROAD.
THERE IS A LITTLE TINY PIECE OF FRONTAGE ROAD THAT'S MISSING BY COURT ROAD.
OH, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT DOWN THERE.
THAT'S WHAT I, I'M TALKING ABOUT RIGHT OFF THE SOUTH.
I'M FROM SOUTH, I'M CROSSING TO Y'ALL.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
I WAS MAKE A FEELING THAT IT'S, AND THE SAME.
THEN MY SECOND QUESTION WAS, WITH ALL THE BUILDING THAT THEY'RE DOING DOWN, UH, HILLCROFT, HOW ARE THEY GONNA KEEP FLUSHING, GET FLOODING? IS ANYTHING I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT GOING DOWN HILLCROFT DOWN HILLCROFT FOR FORT BEND WHERE OUR SUBDIVISION IS RIGHT THERE AT THAT CORNER.
IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? RIGHT THERE BY THAT PARK THAT, UM, WHAT'S HIS NAME? UH, COMMISSIONER UH, RODNEY WAS PUT THERE AND TOOK AWAY MORE GRASS.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA BE DONE TO KEEP US FROM FLOODING BECAUSE THEY HAVE WAREHOUSES LIKE 20 STORIES HIGH GOING ALL THE WAY AROUND US.
BUT I DON'T HEAR ANYBODY TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING ABOUT DRAINAGE FOR US.
AND RIGHT NOW OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DOESN'T FLOOD.
THAT'S WHY CENTER POINT SAID THEY PICKED THAT LOCATION THERE BECAUSE WE DON'T FLOOD AND I DON'T WANT US TO START FLOODING.
WELL, I WILL TELL YOU THAT OVER THE LAST, UH, OH, SEVERAL YEARS THAT THE CITY HAS ACQUIRED ABOUT 400, UH, ACRES OF
[01:05:01]
DETENTION.SO THE GOAL IS TO PUT IN, UH, TO MITIGATE AGAINST THE RISK OF FLOODING.
I WOULD TELL YOU WE WOULD BE DOING EVEN MORE IF THE STATE, UH, THROUGH THE CDBG MID FUNDING, UH, BECAUSE OF HURRICANE HARVEY.
THE FEDS AUTHORIZED $4.3 BILLION IN CDBG FLOOD MITIGATION FUNDING.
THOSE DOLLARS WENT THROUGH THE STATE AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO COME DOWN AND HOUSTON, FOR EXAMPLE, AND HARRIS COUNTY INCURRED ABOUT 50% OF THE DAMAGES FROM HARVEY.
AND THEN BASED ON THE PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION, HARRIS COUNTY WAS SUPPOSED TO GET LIKE A BILLION DOLLARS OF THAT.
AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS SUPPOSED TO GET A RIGHT OF BROWN, $8 BILLION.
THE STATE, UH, HAS ENDED UP GIVING THE CITY OF HOUSTON ZERO.
SO, UH, AND A BILLION DOLLARS MORE, UH, WOULD'VE GONE, WOULD BE GOING A LOT FURTHER, UH, IN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TO MITIGATE AGAINST THE RISK OF FLOODING.
HAVING SAID THAT, UH, WE ARE UTILIZING THE DOLLARS FROM BUILDING HOUSTON FORWARD.
UH, AND OTHER DOLLARS WE'VE PUT ON LOCALLY, WE HAVE PUT IN ABOUT $750 MILLION ON FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND WE'VE ALSO PASSED MORE STRINGENT, UH, RULES FOR BUILDINGS.
SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE BUILDING, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITIES, THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE MAINTAINING THE WATER ON THEIR PROPERTY AND THAT THEY ARE BUILDING ADEQUATE DETENTION FOR WHAT THE IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT THEY ARE TAKING AWAY.
AND I THINK WITH THE SOCCER FIELDS, WE'VE GOT FIVE SOCCER FIELDS GOING IN, BUT SOCCER FIELDS ARE, ARE, ARE WATER CAN SOAK IN A, IN A SOCCER FIELD.
SO IT'S NOT AN IMPERVIOUS COVER.
UM, BUT I KNOW THERE'S SOME APARTMENTS GOING IN AND THEY HAVE TO MEET THE DETENTION REQUIREMENTS, UM, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND WE'VE GOTTEN MORE STRINGENT WITH OUR, OUR BUILDING, UM, REQUIREMENTS.
SO WE, THEY HAVE TO PUT THEIR PLANS IN, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE, UM, PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND EVERYONE LOOKS AT THOSE, UM, BUILDING SPECIFICATIONS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE GOING TO HOLD THE WATER ON THEIR PROPERTY.
AND IF THEY DON'T AND SOMETHING DIDN'T GO RIGHT, WE CAN GO BACK AND ASK THOSE DEVELOPERS TO, UM, MITIGATE IF THEY ARE RUNNING THEIR WATER OFF ONTO OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTY.
THAT HAS HAPPENED AND WE'VE HAD THEM GO BACK IN AND INCREASE THE SIZE OF THEIR DETENTION.
I AM ON THE LEVIT PAVILION, UH, DESIGN COMMITTEE.
UM, I'M ALSO ON THE DESIGN COMMITTEE FOR THE GSMA, WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE GSMA REDEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS THE FORMER SHELL PROPERTY.
YOU MAY KNOW THAT THIS SATURDAY WE ANNOUNCED TO THE, UH, COMMUNITY AT WESTBURY HIGH SCHOOL, THE MASTER PLAN, AS IT'S NOW FINISHED, UM, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THAT MASTER PLAN IS TO IMPROVE GSM R UM, I KNOW YOU HAVE ONE OF THE PROJECTS OF PHASE ONE WESTBURY TAKES THE DRAINAGE INTO THAT SITE AND THEN WILL EVENTUALLY TAKE IT BACK OUTTA THAT SITE.
UM, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IS TO TAKE GSM IMPROVEMENTS BEYOND JUST WHATEVER NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR THAT DRAIN PIPE AND EXTEND IT TOWARDS SOUTH POST OAK SO THAT WE HAVE A PROPER ENTRANCE TO THE, UH, GSMA REDEVELOPMENT.
HOWARD SACHS ALREADY SENT ME TEXT.
I'M, I SPOKE TO, WE'VE ALREADY SENT, UH, MELVIN AND PUBLIC WORKS OUT TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT TO SEE HOW SOON WE CAN TRY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND I'LL, I'LL BE GLAD TO MEET WITH MELVIN TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN DETAIL.
FREDDY SMITH, MY SMITH SAYS THE QUESTION HAS BEEN ASKED AGAIN.
IT WAS, IT WAS PROBABLY MY HANDWRITING.
SO I'M SHIRLEY WARNER AND I FROM THE, UH, BRI GATE, UH, SUBDIVISION.
AND MY QUESTION, IT RELATES TO ONE OF THE SLIDES YOU HAD ALSO THAT WAS ALONG WEST FUQUA, UH, I GUESS SOME, UH, CHANGES ALONG THE INTERSECTION, MIKE GIVE YOU PULL UP THE WEST FUQUA.
BUT MY, MY QUESTION IS ON THE CURVES.
WILL THE CURVES, ARE THE CURVES BEING REPAIRED IN THAT YES MA'AM AS WELL, MA'AM? YES, MA'AM.
THE ONE YEAR ROAD IS AT BLUE RIDGE, EXCUSE ME, INTERSECTION AT BLUE RIDGE AND WEST
[01:10:01]
FUQUA.WELL, ONE SHOULD BE APPLE RIDGE DRIVE IN WEST FUQUA.
AND I'M SAYING THIS BECAUSE I CALLED 3 1 1 LAST MONTH AND ASKED HIM ABOUT FIXING A CURB.
AND THERE THE COMMENT TO ME WHEN THE PERSON CAME OUT THAT SAID, THE CITY DOES NOT FIX CURBS.
AND I SAID, WELL, IF THE CITY DOESN'T FIX A CURB ON A MAIN THIRD AIR, WHO FIX THE CURB? MM.
SO, UM, AND I'M TELLING YOU, THAT CAME FROM 3 1 1.
WELL THAT WAS, THEY, THEY ALL OVER THAT.
NO, THEY, THEY
THE, THE GOOD NEWS IS THE LOCATION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, WITH BLUE RIDGE AT THAT INTERSECTION, IT IS GOING TO BE REPLACED COMPLETELY.
THAT'S GONNA HAVE A TOTAL RECONSTRUCTION WITH NEW CURBS AND NEWING INTERSECTION, EVERYTHING.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST, IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT JUST BLUE RIDGE.
WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, NOT JUST ONE, I THINK THERE'S FIVE INTERSECTIONS.
THERE ARE FOUR, FOUR INTERSECTIONS, ALL FOUR OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS ON, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT AT THE ESPLANADE, ON THE ESPLANADE, THE CURB? WELL, IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
CAN YOU CALL MELVIN IN MY OFFICE AND IF WE HAVE SOME COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, WE CAN GET THOSE CURBS FIXED.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S NOT INCLUDED, BECAUSE THAT'S A LONG WEST FUQUA.
I KNOW IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ESPLANADE, BUT WE CAN DO THAT QUICKER THAN WE ARE GONNA HAVE THESE INTERSECTIONS FIXED.
IF IT'S BROKEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ESPLANADE AND WE CAN FIX IT NOW, WE CAN GET THAT DONE QUICKER THAN WAITING FOR THE ENTIRE INTERSECTIONS TO BE REPAIRED.
THE THE PARTICULAR AREA I'M TALKING ABOUT IS APPLE RIDGE DRIVE IN WEST FUQUA.
SO IT'S, IT'S LIKE A STREET OFF FROM WEST FUQUA.
IT'S ACTUALLY MY STREET IS APPLE RIDGE DRIVE.
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE TURNING OFF OF WEST FUQUA ON BOTH SIDES, THE CURB IS BROKEN.
AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE INTERSECTIONS, BUT I JUST WANNA SEE ALL OF THE CURVES FIX ALONG THAT AREA.
UH, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL RIDE OVER THERE AND TAKE SOME PICTURES AND, AND GET IT TURNED IN FOR OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUND.
THE OTHER THING, WHEN YOU SAID ABOUT FIXING, UH, BLUE RIDGE, SO WHICH END OF BLUE RIDGE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? BLUE RIDGE GOING TOWARD MCCART ROAD OR BLUE RIDGE GOING BACK TOWARD EAST HILLCROFT? BOTH.
SO WHEN WE BUILD THE INTERSECTION, UH, WEST FUQUA, YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE SEGMENT OF IT, ABOUT 600 FEET FROM THE CENTER OF THE INTERSECTION, AND EACH SIDE WILL BE COMPLETELY RECONSTRUCTED WITH SIGNAL EQUIPMENT AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT BLUE RIDGE ALL THE WAY BACK TO MYCARD ROAD? NO.
THAT ANOTHER, THAT'S ANOTHER PROJECT.
THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE ANOTHER PROJECT.
BUT YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CALL THOSE AND LOOK AT 'EM FOR SURE.
THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT 3 1 1 IS.
I KNOW THAT WAS NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE, BUT WE WILL GET IT.
UH, I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION, BUT I CAN'T THINK OF IT RIGHT NOW, BUT IF YOU THINK OF IT, COME BACK UP PLEASE.
WAS THAT IT? LEMME JUST SAY, OH, SYLVIA RIVAS.
I CAME OUT HERE TO SAY HELLO TO YOU.
I HAD STEPPED OUT, SO I'M NOT SURE, I MIGHT JUST KIND OF CAME IN AT THE TAIL END, BUT, UM, I WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE'S GONNA BE ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON THE FONDANT PAVING JOB BEFORE IT'S COMPLETED.
WELL, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD INVITES YOU THERE.
I CAME OUT SYLVIA TO TELL YOU THAT, UH,
AND WHEN WE INTRODUCED THAT PROJECT, PEOPLE IN IN THE BRAY OAKS AREA WERE VERY UNSATISFIED WITH THE DESIGN AND WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN ON FRAN ROAD.
THAT ROAD WAS GOING FROM A FOUR LANE ROAD TO A SIX LANE ROAD.
AND RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS ALONG FOND, DID NOT WANT THAT.
AND WE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH TEXDOT TO GET THAT CHANGED, AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THEY TOOK ALL OF THAT INPUT BACK AND Y'ALL DID A GREAT JOB OF EXPRESSING WHY YOU DIDN'T WANT THE SIX LANE ROAD.
UM, BUT IT DOES SHOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, CITIZEN INPUT MATTERS.
AND WE WANT TO DO OUR VERY BEST TO MAKE SURE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE IS IMPROVED AND IT'S WHAT YOU WANT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND WHEN WE DO HAVE JURISDICTION, WE WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU AND MAKE IT BETTER FOR YOU.
SO THANK YOU FOR, UM, BEING INVOLVED.
AND WHEN WE GET THE, UM, THE NEXT PHASE OF THE CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED, WE'LL BRING THAT BACK TO THE BRA OAKS MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND TO THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS IN THAT AREA, AND THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA TO DISCUSS THE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS ON FRAN ROAD.
AND LEMME JUST SAY IN YES, MA'AM.
I DIDN'T, IS THAT MS. SCURLOCK? YES.
[01:15:01]
BE NICE, MS. SCURLOCK.IT, IT JUST POPPED IN MY HEAD BECAUSE WE HAD A PROJECT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE COUNCILMEN, THE COUNCIL MEMBER KNOWS ABOUT IT.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHY THE CITY GETS THE LOWEST BID.
UH, THAT PROJECT, ACTUALLY, THE CUL-DE-SACS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FLOODED MORE WHEN WE HAD THAT RAIN IN 2021.
THE TRASH CANS AND THEY'RE HEAVY, WE'RE FLOATING, YOU KNOW, AND THEY CAME OUT AND SUPPOSED TO HAVE DONE IT, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED.
I'M JUST, I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY, YOU KNOW THE CITY.
I UNDERSTAND THE CITY GETS THE LOWEST BID.
AND, UH, THIS COMPANY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
AND WHEN I, YOU KNOW, THEY TOLD ME THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD ANOTHER PROJECT, THEN THEY CAME BACK AND IT'S STILL STILL FLOODING IN OUR CUL-DE-SACS.
SO LET, THAT WAS A SWAT PROJECT.
AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN THEY WENT OUT AND FIXED THE DRAINAGE, THEY FOUND THAT UNDERNEATH THE, UM, THE DRAINS ARE SOME TREE ROOTS.
AND SO THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY WERE GONNA BUMP INTO TREE ROOTS.
AND SO NOW THE PROJECT WENT FROM BEING A ONE PHASE PROJECT TO A THREE PHASE PROJECT, AND THE SWAT TEAM CAME AND DID A PRESENTATION FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY FINISHED PHASE ONE.
NOW THEY'RE IN CONSTRUCTION FOR PHASE TWO, SO THEY'VE GOTTA GO BACK AND GET THE TREE ROOTS OUT.
UM, THAT'S WHERE WE GOT THOSE PICTURES OF ALL THE TREE ROOTS IN THE TRASH THAT WAS IN THE DRAINS.
SO THEY FIXED ONE PART, BUT THE WATER STILL WON'T FLOAT BECAUSE OF THE TREE ROOTS.
AND SO NOW THEY HAD TO GO BACK AND DESIGN A SECOND PHASE OF THE PROJECT.
AND THEN THERE'S A THIRD PHASE TO GET THE WATER TO THE, TO THE C WHAT'S THE DITCH? C ONE? 1 51 C 1 51.
SO IT'S GONNA BE A, AND I KNOW THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND I KNOW THIS PROJECT 'CAUSE MY MOM AND DADDY LIVE ON THAT STREET, AND I KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN FLOODING SINCE I WAS IN THE 12TH GRADE.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT Y'ALL HAD A PROJECT TO GET THAT FIXED.
WELL, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'VE ASKED OVER THE YEARS, SO, AND THIS IS WHAT THEY TOLD US.
THEY TOLD US, AS LONG AS IT DIDN'T GET IN THE HOUSES WE'RE FINE.
WELL, STREETS ARE DESIGNED TO HOLD WATER, RIGHT? STREETS ARE DESIGNED TO HOLD WATER.
BUT I'M VERY, I'M VERY ON TOP OF THIS PROJECT, MR. SCURLOCK, FOR MANY REASONS.
I JUST WANNA KNOW WHY THE CITY GETS THE LOWEST BID.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE PROCUREMENT.
WE ARE, WE ARE OBLIGATED IN MANY, NOT ALL TO TAKE THE LOWEST BID, UH, BECAUSE YOU'LL GET IN TROUBLE IF YOU DON'T.
AND THEN YOU GO AND PICK UP AROUND IT.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE PROCUREMENT PROBLEM, UH, SITUATION IN SOME CASES, HOWEVER, WE DON'T HAVE TO SELECT, BUT IT DEPENDS ON HOW THOSE REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS ARE DESIGNED.
BUT IT WASN'T REALLY THE, THE CONTRACTORS' FAULT.
IT WAS THE UNKNOWN TREE ROOTS THAT WERE UNDER THEIR, THAT THEY FOUND IN THAT PHASE OF THE PROJECT.
SO THE, THE CONTRACTOR DID A A, THEY DID THEIR PART.
IF THAT SECOND PHASE WASN'T BLOCKED, THAT WATER WOULD FLOW.
SO NOW WE HAD TO GO TO DESIGN.
THE, THE ISSUE I HAVE IS IT JUST TAKES SO LONG.
SO WE'RE STILL IN DESIGN 30 YEARS, BUT IT'S COMING.
MS. SCURLOCK, I GUARANTEE YOU.
I'M GONNA HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE THEN.
YOU KNOW THAT I OH, I KNOW, I KNOW MS. GER ONE, I'M HERE FOR IT.
NOW, ONE THING WE KNOW, MS. SCURLOCK, I TELL YOU
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA SKIP READER.
UM, I WAS GONNA BE QUIET, BUT I I, I'M AN ADVOCATE FOR THE REFINO LANDFILL, UH, REMEDI REMEDIATION.
WE ON, WE ARE ON TOP OF THAT TO, TO TURN INTO A DETENTION BASIN.
WE, AND, UH, TO SAVE, UM, THE HOMES DOWNSTREAM THAT CAN BE FROM KEEGAN'S VALUE, THAT HAS POTENTIAL TO BEEN A, AND I GUESS I, I, I GUESS, UM, UM, I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT BECAUSE IT COULD SAVE AS MANY AS 3000 TO 5,000 HOMES DOWNSTREAM.
UH, AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN TERMS OF, UH, OF TAKING LAND AND DETERMINED AND, AND TURNING IT INTO DETENTION BASINS.
BUT WHAT GIVES US A LITTLE HEARTBURN IS WHEN YOU TAKE LAND, UM, UH, THAT, UH, THAT COULD BE COMMERCIALLY USED FOR OTHER REASONS AND TAKE IT OFF THE TAX ROLLS IN PERPETUITY.
UM, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THE REFINO LANDFILL, UM, IS NOT ON, ON THE, UM, ON THE TAX ROLLS RIGHT NOW, BUT WOULD BE IF WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THAT, MAKE THAT A DETENTION BASIN.
UM, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU WILL, I'M VERY, WE'LL FIND A WAY TO, TO HELP US DO THAT.
I'M VERY, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT,
[01:20:01]
AND WE ARE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH IT.AND WE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONING WITH THE CITY OF BEL AIR ON THIS PROJECT.
IT HAS THE POTENTIAL OF BEING A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT.
AND IT'S MY HOPE THAT WE CAN COME TO A CONCLUSION ON, UH, REFINO BEFORE, BEFORE I LEAVE OFFICE.
AND, AND, AND IF WE JUST GET MORE CONVERSATION BETWEEN US, UM, I WOULD ANSWER AND ON THAT PROJECT, DON'T, DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO STEVE COSTELLO.
I HAVE, HE'S, I HAVE NUMEROUS TIMES WITHOUT RESPONSE.
HE'S A POINT PERSON, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO PUSH THAT FORWARD.
IF YOU COULD HELP ME WITH THAT, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN BEFORE, BEFORE I LEAVE.
REMEMBER MY HAND WASN'T BEING RECOGNIZED.
SO, BUT ANYWAY, UH, I WILL FIRST PREFERENCE THIS BY SAYING THAT THIS WAS HEARSAY, BUT IT CAME FROM YOUR OFFICE.
SO, BUT I'M NOT GONNA NAME THE PERSON, BUT IT GOES BACK TO WEST, UH, WEST FUQUA, THAT ALONG WITH THIS PROJECT, THAT THE ESPLANADES WERE GONNA BE REDONE AS WELL.
WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT, UH, IMPROVING THE ESPLANADES BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY WITH THOSE TREES, THE GRASS DOES NOT GROW.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, GETTING A LANDSCAPER TO DO SOME HYDRO MULCHING TO TRY TO GET THAT GRASS TO GROW.
UM, WE ARE TRYING TO, WE, WE WANT IT TO LOOK GOOD FOR YOU.
AND I WOULD BE REALLY THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL IF WE COULD GET THE RESIDENTS TO STOP THROWING THEIR TRASH IN THE ESPLANADE, BECAUSE WE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A MONTH PICKING UP THE TRASH.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF IT IS IN THAT AREA.
AND SO OUR, OUR HOT TEAM IS OUT THERE PICKING THAT TRASH UP, PICKING UP SOFAS IN THE ESPLANADE, PICKING UP DRESSERS OUTTA THAT ESPLANADE.
AND WE WANT IT TO LOOK BEAUTIFUL, BECAUSE I KNOW TRASH BEGETS TRASH, BUT IF WE MAKE IT LOOK BETTER, HOPEFULLY IT'LL STAY LOOKING BETTER.
SO WE, WE'LL DEFINITELY WORK TO TRY TO IMPROVE THOSE ESPLANADES.
SO YEAH, IF THAT CAME OUTTA MY OFFICE, THAT'S, THAT'S 'CAUSE IT'S TRUE.
WE DO WANNA IMPROVE THOSE ESPLANADES.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, YES MA'AM.
I DON'T WANNA TAKE THAT TO ANYBODY ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND YES MA'AM, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
WE, WE WANT THAT WHOLE CORRIDOR TO LOOK BETTER.
LET ME MAKE THESE CLOSING COMMENTS AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO RUSH.
I, BUT LET ME MAKE THESE CLOSING COMMENTS.
UM, THE PRIORITY AND, AND I AND MY DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND OTHERS KNOW, IS TO TRY TO GET AS MANY OF THESE PROJECTS COMPLETED BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF 2023.
UH, THAT IS MY, UH, LAST, UM, UM, MY TERM WILL END, UH, THE END OF, UH, 2023.
SO THE GOAL IS TO GET AS MUCH OF THIS WORK, UH, INTO THE PIPELINE.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, AS MUCH COMPLETED BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
THERE ARE 22 PARKS ACROSS THE CITY, UH, THAT ARE ON OUR LIST THAT WILL BE COMPLETED, UH, BEFORE, UH, DECEMBER OF 2023.
11 OF THEM WILL BE COMPLETED, UM, PROBABLY BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
ANOTHER, UH, 11 PARKS WILL BE, UH, REFURBISHED, REDONE, UH, BY NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET AS MUCH DONE, UH, AND MOVING WITH THE GREATEST DEGREE OF URGENCY TO GET TO GET IT ACCOMPLISHED.
SAME THING WITH OUR STREET REHABILITATION PROJECTS.
PUBLIC WORKS KNOW THAT I'M REALLY PUSHING HARD, UH, TO REVAMP AS MANY OF THESE STREETS, IMPROVE MANY OF THESE STREETS, UH, AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO THAT, THAT IS, THAT IS THE GOAL.
AND THEN LASTLY, I DO WANT TO, UH, JUST GIVE A REPORT.
UM, WE, WE PUT IN PLACE, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO YOUR COUNCIL, UM, MEMBER AND VICE MAYOR PER MARTHA CAST TATUM ON THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON PLAN, UH, TO MAKE OUR CITY EVEN TO MAKE OUR CITY SAFER.
UM, WE THAT WENT INTO EFFECT ON FEBRUARY THE FOURTH OF THIS, OF THIS YEAR, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR IN JANUARY ON THE HOMICIDE.
IT WE AS MUCH AS 55 6% ABOVE LAST YEAR OF THIS TIME.
AS OF THIS MORNING, UH, THAT IS DOWN TO 7%.
AND WE ARE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE RESPECT THE VIOLENT CRIME IN OTHER CATEGORIES.
WE ARE BELOW WHERE WE WERE A YEAR FROM NOW, JUST TODAY.
UH, WE PASSED THE NESS TO SAY TO FOLK THAT YOU CANNOT RESELL, REUSE, UH, CATALYTIC CONVERTERS INSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND IF YOU HAVE A CUTOFF, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, EVEN TRAVELING WITH IT, YOU MUST HAVE PROOF THAT IT BELONGS TO YOU.
OTHERWISE, IT BECOMES A CRIME FOR EACH ONE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS THAT YOU ARE CARRYING.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO NOW REQUIRING CONVENIENCE STORES AND BARS AND CLUBS TO HAVE ILLUMINATION, MORE LIGHTING, UH, AS WELL AS TO HAVE CAMERAS OUTWARDLY FACING.
AND TODAY WE GRADUATED ANOTHER 55 POLICE OFFICERS IN OUR CITY FROM THE CADET CLASS.
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WE'RE SPENDING, WE'RE SPENDING ABOUT $5.7 MILLION EVERY 90 PLUS DAYS, UH, ON, ON POLICE OFFICERS, ON OVERTIME PROGRAM.AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO SPEND WHAT WE NEED TO DO, UH, TO GET THE SITUATION UNDER CONTROL, BUT IT REQUIRES EVERYONE PARTICIPATION.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS, UH, WE ARE GONNA DO EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DO, UH, IN ORDER TO MAKE OUR CITY SAFER, TO COMPLETE, COMPLETE THESE PROJECTS, UH, TO REVAMP, TO IMPROVE OUR PARKS, UH, BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
AND, UH, LET ME THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE YOUR MAYOR.
AND IT HAS, IT IS A DELIGHT, UH, TO WORK WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, VICE MAYOR PRO TIM, MARTHA CASTEK TATUM.
OKAY, MS. WIL TURNER, YOU'LL BE THE LAST ONE.
HI, I AM BERNARDINE WIL TURNER, AND I HAD NOT PLANNED TO SPEAK, BUT MY PRESIDENT HAS PAID, I MEAN, HAS TEXT ME FROM NEW ORLEANS AND DEMANDED THAT I GET UP, ASK, ARE WE GONNA GET ANY STREET, UM, REPAIRS, UM, IN ALAMEDA PLAZA? ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
YOU GET MORE THAN STREET REPAIRS AS A MATTER OF FACT.
UM, THE NEXT SWAT PROJECT, UH, IN DISTRICT K, WE ARE GOING TO CLOSE THAT DITCH IN ALAMEDA PLAZA.
IT WON'T DO ANY GOOD UNLESS YOU START WELL, HOLD ON, HOLD ON, MR. LEMME ASK, UM, WHAT I, WHAT I MEAN IS WHEN I SAY THAT IT MEAN, AND, AND IF YOU ALL DON'T HAVE THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD TICKET, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PUTTING THE TRASH ON THE NE ON THE ESPLANADE OKAY, CLOSED DOOR OPEN, IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME.
RIGHT? SO WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THAT DITCH AND PUT THE DRAINAGE UNDERGROUND AND MAKE A LINEAR PARK, UM, RIGHT ALONG ALAMEDA PLAZA, WHICH THAT DITCH HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR OVER 20 FOR A LONG TIME.
I MEAN, OUR HOT TEAM IS PULLING TVS OUT OF THAT DITCH.
UH, SOFAS, BEDS, ALL KIND OF STUFF OUT OF THAT DITCH.
AND SO WE'VE GOT TO CLOSE THAT DITCH BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT SANITARY FOR THEM TO HAVE TO KEEP GOING DOWN IN THERE AND PULLING ALL THAT STUFF OUT OF THAT DITCH.
AND THEN, UM, MY, ONE OF MY PRIORITIES WAS A TOTAL RECONSTRUCTION IN ALAMEDA PLAZA.
AND I HATE THAT THE MAYOR LEFT ON THAT NOTE BECAUSE WITH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS, THE NUMBER ONE PROJECT THAT I'VE ASKED FOR IS A TOTAL RECONSTRUCTION IN ALAMEDA PLAZA LIKE WE'VE DONE IN A COUPLE OF OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO WE KNOW THAT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS TO BE RECONSTRUCTED.
BUT THE FIRST THING THAT IS GONNA HAPPEN THAT YOU'LL SEE SOME ACTION ON NEXT YEAR WILL BE THE CLOSING OF THAT ALAMEDA PLAZA DEALS WE'RE MORE CONCERN.
BUT I TOTALLY AGREE THAT TRASH IS OUT CONTROL.
WE'RE, WE'RE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE STREETS.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM IN GIVING YOU ANOTHER ONE.
THE MAYOR ASKED FOR ONE AT ONE OF THE OTHER CIP MEETINGS.
WE KNOW I SENT, I SENT IT TO HIM.
AND WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY THAT'S COMING DOWN THAT, THAT IS ON THE TOP OF DISTRICT K LIST IS TO GET THE TOTAL RECONSTRUCTION IN ALAMEDA PLA OKAY.
SO SHE WANTS TO KNOW IF YOU ARE GONNA DO ANYTHING IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO ACCORDING TO HER, SO THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN A YEAR.
BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ON THE LIST SO WE CAN TELL HER IT'S JUST ON THE LIST.
'CAUSE I DIDN'T SEE IT IN OUR, IN MY PAPERWORK.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT HAPPENING RIGHT AWAY.
SO THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS AND THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.
IT'S, IT'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE TO EVEN GET IT IN THROUGH DESIGN.
IT DOESN'T MOVE AS FAST AS WE WOULD LIKE IT TO, BUT I WILL TELL YOU ONCE WE GET IT ON THE LIST, THAT'S LIKE A MAJOR HURDLE.
ANYTHING, ANY OTHER? YES, SIR.
WILL THE BRIDGES ON THE, UH, BIKE TRAIL BE PAINTED OR BY BIKE TRAIL? THEY BE PAINTED THE BRIDGES.
UM, SOME OF THE BRIDGES ARE GOING TO BE PAINTED AT THAT.
UH, THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, UH, AND THE TOURS HAVE, UM, A, UM, ART BUDGET AND THEY'RE DETERMINING HOW THEY'RE GONNA SPEND THE MONEY FOR THE ART BUDGET IN THE COMMUNITY.
DO YOU WANT 'EM PAINTED OR YOU DON'T WANT 'EM PAINTED? WELL, THEY SHOULD BE PAINTED.
YOU WANT 'EM PAINTED COLOR SO
I'LL LET 'EM KNOW THAT YOU LIKE GRAY.
ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UM, Y'ALL KNOW MY CHIEF OF STAFF DE DE CHAVIS.
THANK YOU DE DEE, OUR DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICE, MELVIN HOPKINS, OUR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT MR. JOE GADSON, AND OUR DIRECTOR OF, UH, COMMUNICATIONS, MS. KATHY SAPP, AND THEN OUR OTHER DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES, MS. BARBARA HEIGHT.
FEEL FREE TO SPEAK TO THE, UM, CITY REPS THAT ARE HERE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR COMPLAINTS.