* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
           
          [00:00:01]
GOING TO CARRY 
          [FY2023 Budget Workshop: Mayor’s Office ]
ON NOW WITH OUR, OUR NEXT PRESENTATION FOR THIS BUDGET WORKSHOP. 
          AND NOW WE WILL SHIFT TO GEARS TO HEAR FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. 
          AND AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME OUR CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, MS. MARETTE HUNTER, AND, UH, VALERIE BERRY TO PROVIDE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET PRESENTATION. 
          UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND TURN THE FLOOR TO YOU. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          GOOD MORNING CHAIR, UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES. 
          UH, I'M HERE TODAY WITH OUR CFO VALERIE BERRY AND, UH, VALERIE HAS, UH, WRITTEN SIDE SHARE WITH ME FOR THE LAST SIX BUDGET PRESENTATIONS, SO REALLY GLAD THAT SHE'S HERE. 
          WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE EXECUTIVE TEAM WHO ARE PRESENT, AND I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED RIGHT NOW. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU ALL. 
          I MAY HAVE, UM, A COUPLE OF THEM COME FORWARD DURING OUR Q AND A, UH, TIME PERIOD. 
          UM, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT RELATE TO THEIR SPECIFIC AREAS OF EXPERTISE. 
          UM, AFTER I FINISHED THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, I'M EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE WITH YOU IN PERSON, UH, INSTEAD OF VIRTUALLY, WHICH WAS OUR LAST, UM, FATE. 
          UM, WE HAVE CERTAINLY HAD OUR FAIR SHARE OF CHALLENGES THROUGH THIS ADMINISTRATION. 
          UM, BUT JUST LIKE HOUSTON, WE'VE PROVEN THAT WE ARE RESILIENT AND THAT WE CAN COME THROUGH ANYTHING, EVEN A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. 
          I'D LIKE TO PUBLICLY THANK THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF MAYOR TURNER AND THIS ADMINISTRATION. 
          AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE 22,000 EMPLOYEES WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON. 
          UM, TODAY I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU THE FY 23 MAYOR'S OFFICE PROPOSED BUDGET. 
          AND IF WE COULD HAVE OUR FIRST SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          HERE IS THE FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION CHART SUMMARIZING OUR SIX GENERAL FUND DIVISIONS. 
          UM, FIRST WE HAVE OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICES, WHICH INCLUDES OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, EDUCATION, CONSTITUENT SERVICES, COMMUNITY RELATIONS, AND OUR COUNCIL RELATIONS. 
          UH, NEXT WE HAVE OUR AGENDA OFFICE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMUNICATIONS, AND OUR VETERAN AFFAIRS OFFICE. 
          YOU'LL NOTE HERE THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR EACH OF THE SIX DIVISIONS, UH, AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF FTES FOR EACH OF THOSE, UH, RESPECTIVE DIVISIONS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THERE ARE TWO, UH, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. 
          FIRST, WE HAVE OUR CABLE TV SPECIAL FUND, UH, WHOSE FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION CHART YOU SEE BEFORE YOU WITH THE BUDGET AND THE NUMBER OF FTES THAT ARE REPRESENTED. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          YOU'LL SEE HERE THE OTHER SPECIAL FUND, WHICH IS OUR TOURISM AND PROMOTION SPECIAL FUND. 
          AND THIS ORGANIZATIONAL CHART SHOWS THE BUDGET AND THE FTES FOR EACH OF THOSE RESPECTIVE DIVISIONS. 
          THE TOURISM AND PROMOTION FUND INCLUDES OUR SPECIAL EVENTS, UH, TRADE AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, AND IT ALSO INCLUDES CULTURAL AFFAIRS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THE NEXT FOUR SLIDES ARE GOING TO, UH, SHARE WITH YOU OUR CORE SERVICES WITHIN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. 
          UH, FIRST WE LOOKED AT DIVISIONS THAT ARE MANDATED BY FEDERAL OR STATE STATUTES OR MUNICIPAL CODE, AND THEN WE LOOKED AT DIVISIONS THAT WERE CREATED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON. 
          NOW, ALTHOUGH MOST OF OUR DIVISIONS ARE NOT STATUTORILY REQUIRED, UM, THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON CERTAINLY DEPEND ON THOSE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, UH, ON A DAILY BASIS. 
          SO ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE, YOU SEE OUR OFFICE OF EDUCATION, OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND OUR CONSTITUENT SERVICES DIVISIONS. 
          UH, AND I JUST WANTED TO NOTE JUST A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS FROM EACH ONE OF THOSE. 
          UH, AND THE REST IS THERE FOR YOUR READING. 
          BUT HOWARD HOUSTON YOUTH, UH, THAT IS ONE OF THE MAYOR'S SIGNATURE INITIATIVES, AND THAT IS, UH, ADMINISTERED THROUGH OUR, UH, EDUCATION OFFICE. 
          AND WE ARE ON TRACK CURRENTLY THIS YEAR TO PROVIDE 12,000 JOBS FOR OUR YOUTH, AGES 16 TO 24. 
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AND I WILL MAKE NOTE THAT WHEN THAT PROGRAM FIRST STARTED, WE WERE ONLY PROVIDING 450 JOBS, AND NOW WE HAVE BROUGHT ON THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND ALL OF THE ADDITIONAL JOBS NOW ARE PRIVATE SECTOR RELATED. 
          I'LL ALSO NOTE THAT AS FAR AS OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IS CONCERNED, UH, WE HAVE, AND MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THIS, A HUN OVER 160 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, AND THAT'S A LOT OF, UM, PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE TO ADMINISTRATE OVER. 
          AND THEN LASTLY, FOR CONSTITUENT SERVICES, JUST MAKING A NOTE THAT THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 1400 PIECES OF CORRESPONDENCE THAT COMES IN TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ON A MONTHLY BASIS, AND, UH, WITH A VERY LEANN STAFF OF TWO, WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE THAT AND BE RESPONSIVE TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON. 
          UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          HERE WE HAVE OUR AGENDA OFFICE, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, AND THE SPECIAL EVENTS OFFICE. 
          AND ALL OF THESE ARE STATUTORILY MANDATED. 
          UM, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS, AND THAT IS THROUGH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE. 
          THIS IS OUR OFFICE THAT ADMINISTERS THE, THE TURS, THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, THE TAX ABATEMENTS, AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER $25 MILLION IN BILLINGS THROUGH THE INDUSTRIAL, UH, ASSESSMENTS, UM, EACH YEAR. 
          AND THEN I WANTED TO ALSO MAKE NOTE OF OUR SPECIAL EVENTS OFFICE NOW THAT WE ARE PAST COVID OR POST COVID ID AND BEGINNING TO RETURN TO OUR MINI EVENTS. 
          THIS PARTICULAR OFFICE PRODUCES ABOUT 2000 SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          HERE WE HAVE OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OFFICE, OUR CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AS WELL AS OUR VETERAN AFFAIRS. 
          AND I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT OUR GR TEAM, UH, WAS, UH, MAINLY RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING TO BRING $630 MILLION OF APA FUNDS, WHICH IS REALLY, UM, BEING RELIED UPON TO HELP US GET THROUGH NOT ONLY THIS YEAR, BUT THE NEXT TWO YEARS, UH, OF DEFICITS THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING DUE TO COVID. 
          SO VERY IMPORTANT, UM, THEIR WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING. 
          AND THEN OUR VETERAN AFFAIRS. 
          I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT HOUSTON HOSTS THE SECOND LARGEST VETERAN POPULATION, UH, IN THE COUNTRY, OVER 300,000 VETERANS. 
          AND THIS OFFICE BASICALLY PROVIDES SERVICES, REFERRAL SERVICES TO THAT POPULATION. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          UH, LASTLY, WE HAVE OUR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE AND OUR TRADE AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, AND ALSO HOUSTON TELEVISION. 
          AND I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT OF COURSE, UH, COMMUNICATIONS STATUTORILY REQUIRED BY THE TEXAS PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT, BUT I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WE RECEIVE ABOUT 170, UH, TPS PER YEAR AND OVER 270 REQUESTS FOR PROCLAMATIONS, UH, OR LETTERS FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. 
          AND SO THAT IS A VERY, UH, VERY BUSY OFFICE WITH A STAFF OF TWO, UH, IN TRADE AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 
          THIS OFFICE IS CRITICAL IN COORDINATING THE MAYOR'S, UH, ABROAD TRADE MISSIONS AND ALSO IN MARKETING THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS AN INTERNATIONAL CITY, WHICH WE'RE VERY PROUD OF. 
          AND THEN LASTLY, UH, HOUSTON TELEVISION. 
          UM, AND THAT IS MANDATED BY CHAPTER 37 OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON CODE OF ORDINANCES. 
          AND OF COURSE, THE IMPACT IS, UM, BETTER TRANSPARENCY OF GOVERNMENT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE AN INFORMED PUBLIC. 
          OKAY, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THIS SLIDE SUMMARIZES OUR REVENUES FOR THE THREE FUNDS THAT ARE MANAGED IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. 
          WE HAVE OUR GENERAL FUND, AND WE ALSO HAVE HOUSTON TELEVISION SPECIAL REVENUE FUND AND THE TOURISM AND PROMOTION SPECIAL REVENUE FUND FROM OUR FY 22 ESTIMATE. 
          THE GENERAL FUND HAS INCREASED IN REVENUES OF APPROXIMATELY $887,000 FOR FY 23, AND THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE PROJECTED REVENUE FROM THE NEW DIGITAL KIOSK, WHICH WILL BEGIN GENERATING REVENUE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 22. 
          THE REVENUE PROJECTED FOR FY 23 IS FOR A FULL YEAR OF THOSE REVENUES, UM, AND THE REVENUE PROJECTION FOR FY 22 WAS ONLY PRORATED FOR A MAY START DATE. 
          SO THERE'S ALSO A $33,000 INCREASE IN THE INDUSTRIAL 
          [00:10:01]
DISTRICT ASSESSMENT REVENUE DUE TO THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN TAXABLE VALUES BY 6.3 MILLION. 
          FOR OUR HOUSTON TELEVISION FUND, WE ARE PROJECTING AN OVERALL REVENUE DECREASE OF 69,000 OVER, UH, THE FY 22 ESTIMATE. 
          AND THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE PROJECTED DECREASE OF THE PEG FEES, THE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENTAL REVENUES. 
          AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN SHARING WITH COUNCIL FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS. 
          UH, THAT TREND IS CONTINUING. 
          FINALLY, FOR OUR TOURISM AND PROMOTION FUND, WE ARE ESTIMATING AN APPROXIMATE $2.95 MILLION INCREASE IN REVENUE FROM OUR FY 22 ESTIMATE, AND THE INCREASE IS PRIMARILY DUE, UH, TO THE PROJECTED POST PANDEMIC INCREASE IN HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUES, WHICH WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT. 
          BASED ON INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY HOUSTON. 
          FIRST, AS YOU'LL RECALL, THE FY 21 REVENUES TOOK A SUBSTANTIAL HIT AS A RESULT OF CVID NINETEEN'S IMPACT. 
          AND SO WE ARE NOW PROJECTING, UH, FOR FY 22, HAVING A GRADUAL COMEBACK. 
          AND FOR FY 23 REVENUE BUDGET, UH, REFLECTS A VERY STRONG RETURN TO PRE COVID ACTIVITY. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THIS SLIDE REITERATES THE LARGEST DRIVERS OF THE REVENUE INCREASES AND DECREASES FOR FY 23, AND MOST OF WHICH I DISCUSSED ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. 
          GENERAL FUND REVENUE FROM THE DIGITAL KIOSK CONTRACT, HTV, THE PEG CONTRIBUTIONS FROM STATE FRANCHISE FEES AND A COMEBACK, UH, CHARGEBACK TO FUNDS FOR HTV. 
          AND LASTLY, TOURISM PROMOTION. 
          THE HOT RECEIPTS COMEBACK TO PRE CI, UH, LEVELS. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THIS SLIDE CAPTURES THE EXPENDITURE COMPARISON FOR ALL OF OUR FUNDS BETWEEN THE YEAR AND FY 22 ESTIMATE AND THE FY 23 PROPOSED BUDGET. 
          SO THE GENERAL FUND SHOWS AN EXPENDITURE INCREASE OF $230,000 OR 2.9%. 
          HOWEVER, THIS PERCENTAGE INCLUDES THE NET ADJUSTMENTS, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER. 
          FOR CONTRACTUAL MUNICIPAL HOPE PAY INCREASES, HEALTH INSURANCE AND RESTRICTED, UH, ACCOUNTS, THE ALMOST $2.1 MILLION INCREASE IN HOUSTON TELEVISION SPECIAL REVENUE FUND IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE PROJECTION IN CAPITAL PROJECTS FROM YEAR TO YEAR. 
          SO THE FY 23 PLAN CAPITAL PROJECT IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE THE UPGRADE, UH, FOR THE CITY HALL CHAMBERS VIDEO CONTROL ROOM, WHICH WAS MUCH NEEDED, THE NEW BUILD OF THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND THE TERMINAL ROOM, ALONG WITH THE FEW MUCH SMALLER PROJECTS. 
          SO THESE FUNDS ARE CAPITAL DOLLARS, UH, THAT ARE RESTRICTED FOR CAPITAL USE ONLY. 
          SO THEY CANNOT BE USED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES. 
          IN THE TOURISM SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, WE PROJECT AN INCREASE OF $3.1 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES, OR 17.47% FROM THE FY 22 BUDGET. 
          AND THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE INCREASE IN THE CITY'S NET RECEIPTS OF THE HOT TAXES, AND THUS, THE CITY'S PAYMENT GOING OUT TO THE ARTS PARTNER. 
          HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE. 
          UH, AS NOTED EARLIER, OUR FY 23 BUDGET REFLECTS A STRONG RETURN TO PRE COVID ACTIVITY, AND THEREFORE, AGAIN, AN INCREASE IN THE PAYMENT TO THE ARTS PARTNER IS ANTICIPATED. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THE NEXT THREE SLIDES PROVIDES A GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF OUR PERSONNEL VERSUS NON-PERSONNEL BUDGETED EXPENSES FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE'S THREE FUNDS. 
          SO TO ELABORATE ON THAT, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE GENERAL FUND IS 65% PERSONNEL EXPENDITURES OF THE REMAINING 35%. 
          68% OF THAT IS FOR THE GENERAL FUND TRANSFER TO SUBSIDIZE SPECIAL EVENTS. 
          SO THE RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS COMPRISED 22% OF THIS PORTION, LEAVING ONLY ONLY 10% OF THE NON PERSONNEL BUDGET FOR SERVICES AND SUPPLIES. 
          AND THOSE THINGS ARE LIKE THE NOVUS ACCOUNT 
          [00:15:01]
OFFICE EXPENSES, TRAVEL, PARKING, AND THE LIKE. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THE HOUSTON TELEVISION SPECIAL REVENUE FUND IS 26% PERSONNEL EXPENDITURES OF THE REMAINING 74% MORE THAN HALF IS FOR THE PLANNED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, AND MORE THAN A THIRD IS FOR THE CONTRACTUAL PAYMENT TO HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE. 
          UH, AND THIS IS THE CITY'S PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL PARTNER. 
          THE SERVICES AND SUPPLIES ACCOUNT FOR ONLY 6%, AND THE RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS ALSO TAKE ANOTHER 6% OF THIS PORTION. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          LASTLY, THE TOURISM PROMOTION SPECIAL REVENUE FUND IS 15% PERSONNEL EXPENDITURES AND 85% OTHER. 
          AND PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS THE FUND WHERE WE RECEIVE OUR HOT TAXES. 
          SO THEREFORE, THE PERSONNEL BUDGET IS RELATIVELY VERY SMALL. 
          UM, 92% OF THE OTHER CHARGES ARE TO PAY THE ARTS PARTNER PER THE HOT AGREEMENT, AND THEN SUPPLIES AND SERVICES ARE THERE FOR ONLY ABOUT 7% OF THE OTHER, UH, FOR THE ENTIRE FUND. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          THIS SLIDE, UH, GIVES A GREAT SUMMARY OF THE NET CHANGE IN EXPENDITURE BUDGET FROM FY 22 TO FY 23. 
          THE SLIDE ILLUSTRATES THE NET INCREASE OF $230,000 FROM THE FY 22 BUDGET TO FY 23 PROPOSED BUDGET, AND THIS REPRESENTS A 2.9% CHANGE AS DISCUSSED ON SLIDE NUMBER 11. 
          SO, BEGINNING AT THE TOP, UH, OF THIS CHART, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FY 22 OPERATING BUDGET IS $6.95 MILLION. 
          SO ONCE WE ADD TO THAT, OUR RESTRICTED ACCOUNT BUDGET OF 621,000 FY 22 CONTRACTUAL MUNICIPAL HOPE INCREASES OF 3% OF 140,000, REVISED PROJECTION OF RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS OF 76,000, THE FY 22 COUNCIL SURPLUS OF 10,000, WHICH WAS GRANTED TO US FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CIRO'S OFFICE FOR AN INTERN IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION AND FUNDING FOR MARKETING SPECIALISTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS AND PROGRAM ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE TOOK IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE FOR A TOTAL FY 22 BUDGET OF $7.9 MILLION. 
          NOW, THE NEXT TWO AREAS, SHADED AREAS ON THE CHART. 
          THE BLOCKS INCLUDE OUR PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS FOR FY 23, AND THE FIRST ITEM IS THE REVERSE OF THE ONE-TIME FUNDING FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CIRO'S OFFICE, UM, THE FY 22 SURPLUS FY 21 SURPLUS, AND THE BALANCE OF THE ANNUALIZED FUNDING AMOUNT FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING. 
          SO ADDED TO THIS ARE THE CONTRACTUAL ADJUSTMENTS FOR HOPE INCREASES HEALTH AND BENEFITS, UH, OFFSET BY A REDUCTION IN THE RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS. 
          SO TAKING ALL OF THE INCREASES AND THE DECREASES FROM THE FY 22 OPERATING BUDGET YIELDS THE PROPOSED FY 23 BUDGET OF $8.16 MILLION FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THIS SLIDE PROVIDES A BRIEF NARRATIVE OF EACH FUND'S EXPENDITURE HIGHLIGHTS FOR YOUR REFERENCE, AND WE DISCUSSED THE EXPENDITURE HIGHLIGHTS THAT ARE LISTED ON SLIDE NUMBER 11. 
          UM, THE GENERAL FUND EXPENSE BUDGET INCLUDES FUNDING FOR CONTRACTUAL MUNICIPAL HOPE PAY INCREASES, HEALTH BENEFITS, UH, AND RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS. 
          AND SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FUND INCLUDE FUNDING FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THROUGH HOUSTON TELEVISION AND IN THE TOURISM PROMOTION SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, THE INCREASE BEING ATTRIBUTED TO THE INCREASE IN HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THIS CONCLUDES THE FINANCIAL PORTION OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FY 23 BUDGET PRESENTATION. 
          FOR YOUR REFERENCE, WE HAVE INCLUDED OUR OFFICE DEMOGRAPHICS AND SOME, JUST SOME OF OUR FY 22 ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE APPENDIX SECTION. 
          [00:20:01]
UH, THANK YOU, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. 
          UH, AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR EXECUTIVE STAFF HERE IN CHAMBERS TO ASSIST WITH QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING THEIR SPECIFIC AREAS OF FOCUS. 
          I KNOW THAT WE HAVE ANDY ICKEN HERE FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAND, EVERYBODY. 
          SO, UM, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AGAIN. 
          UH, SO WE DO HAVE TED IRVING WHO IS HERE. 
          UH, WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM VETERAN AFFAIRS, UM, AND WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM SPECIAL EVENTS AS WELL AS OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICES. 
          SO, UH, TURN IT OVER TO YOU. 
          ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. HUNTER AND, AND YOUR STAFF AS WELL REPRESENTED. 
          GREAT TO SEE EVERYONE HERE IN THE CHAMBER WITH YOU. 
          UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, BEEN JOINED BY A FEW COLLEAGUES AND STAFF MEMBERS. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN HAS JOINED US AND HAS BEEN HERE THIS MORNING ALONG WITH, UH, STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON, AS WELL AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL ASH'S OFFICE. 
          SO WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE EVERYONE HERE. 
          WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE BEFORE WE GET TO OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS. 
          UH, BUT FIRST, LET'S, UM, LET'S HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, MS. HUNTER. 
          UH, I, YOU, THE BIG INCREASES WERE IN THE HTV AND THEN THE, TO THE ARTS. 
          I THINK I SUBMITTED THOSE IN WRITING, BUT YOU'VE COVERED 'EM HERE, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UM, IF WE COULD HAVE YOU OR MR. IRVING ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE. 
          UH, DOES THIS INCLUDE THE, WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE IN THE CHAMBER? IS MORE STUFF COMING, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CONTROL ROOM, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE COLOR AROUND WHAT, UM, I, I WILL ALLOW, UM, MR. IRVING TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, UH, REGARDING SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS. 
          BUT AS YOU RECALL, WE, WE DID A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS HERE. 
          THE LIGHTING, OF COURSE, THE SOUND, UH, WE STILL HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL WORK TO DO. 
          AND THOSE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE PART OF THE BUDGET ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ONLY. 
          SO YOU WILL SEE SOME ADDITIONAL WORK, BUT I'LL ALLOW HIM TO ELABORATE FURTHER. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          UH, UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, HORSESHOE AREA WAS A PHASE ONE. 
          AND SO THE PHASE TWO IS THE CONTROL ROOM THAT IS BEHIND THIS SPACE. 
          AND AT ONE POINT IN TIME, THAT CONTROL ROOM, AS WELL AS THE ANNEX CHAMBERS CONTROL ROOM HAD NOT BEEN UPDATED. 
          THERE HAVE BEEN NO UPDATES, EXCUSE ME, SINCE 1997. 
          THEY ARE EXTREMELY OUTDATED, BUT DUE TO THE CARES ACT, THE ANNEX CONTROL ROOM HAS BEEN MODERNIZED WITH VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY. 
          IN THE NEXT PHASE, THE NEW BUILD THAT CHIEF HUNTER IS DISCUSSING THAT WE ARE WORKING TO HAVE, UH, STARTED HERE, HOPEFULLY IN JULY FY 23 WILL BE THIS CONTROL ROOM TO HAVE IT MODERNIZED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          AND MR. IRVING, I KNOW HAVING WORKED WITH YOU RECENTLY ON THE TECHNOLOGY, THE TTI COMMITTEE, UH, WE ARE STILL TWEAKING SOME THINGS. 
          SO IT, COUNCIL MEMBER, IT IS VERY MUCH AN ONGOING PROGRAM WITH COORDINATION WITH THE SPEAKERS AND THE IT PLATFORMS AND HTV, OF COURSE, UH, TRYING TO COORDINATE IT ALL. 
          SO WE THANK YOU FOR THAT ONGOING EFFORT. 
          UH, NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CAYMAN'S STAFF. 
          THANK YOU, JARED. 
          THANK YOU, MS. HUNTER. 
          UM, MS. HUNTER, I WAS CURIOUS IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO, GIVEN THE CITY'S BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS, ANY, UH, UNMET NEEDS OR REALLY PARTICULARLY CRITICAL UNMET NEEDS THAT Y'ALL HAVE IDENTIFIED? UM, WELL, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY CRITICAL UNMET NEEDS AT CURRENT. 
          I THINK THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT WE FACE IS THAT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE HAVE TRIMMED OUR BUDGETS AND KEPT EVERYTHING VERY, VERY TIGHT. 
          AND SO IN SOME INSTANCES, WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO ELIMINATE, UH, VACANCIES, AND THEREFORE OUR STAFFING IS AT A MINIMAL RIGHT NOW. 
          SO AS WE CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO CITIZENS' CALLS AND, UH, ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO WITHIN THE OFFICE, IT DOES PRESENT A CHALLENGE. 
          BUT AS FAR AS UNMET MET NEEDS, I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE ANY MAJOR ONES AT THIS POINT. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. 
          WE HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION NOW IN THE QUEUE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU, CHAIR ON THE KIOSK REVENUE. 
          HOW MANY KIOSKS DOES THAT REPRESENT? I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER. 
          I THINK WE HAVE A CONTRACT FOR 25, BUT I'M GONNA HAVE ANDY KIN TO COME FORWARD AND ANSWER THOSE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING, MR. KIN. 
          WELCOME TO THE CHAMBER. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          UH, CHIEF STAFF'S CORRECT, THE FIRST SEGMENT OF YOUR MEMBER COUNCIL PASSED THE FIRST 25 WE'RE WELL ON THE WAY TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW. 
          UH, THEY HAVE BEEN VERY WELL RECEIVED, AND THE ADVERTISING 
          [00:25:01]
REVENUE WAS EXCEEDING THE EXPECTATIONS THAT WE HAD AT THAT TIME. 
          I JUST SAW ONE GOING IN THIS THIS MORNING AS I WAS COMING IN ON PRAIRIE AND FAMINE. 
          SO THAT'LL BE 25 WITHIN, UM, 75. 
          75 WITHIN THE TOTAL FISCAL YEAR. 
          23. 
          YEAH, WE'RE DOING ABOUT FIVE A MONTH RIGHT NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT, THAT'S THE PACE AT WHICH THEY'RE LETTING CONTRACTS AND, AND DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW. 
          UH, I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF, UH, THEY DON'T COME BACK TO US VERY SOON. 
          IF REMEMBER, WE PUT A PAUSE AT 25. 
          UH, ALL THE FEEDBACK WE'RE GETTING, I'M NOT SURE IF COUNCIL HAS ANY DIRECT FEEDBACK, HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IT, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL, UH, UH, DIRECTOR AND, AND, UH, CHIEF TO SEE A MAP OF ALL OF THAT. 
          I KNOW SURE. 
          AT, AT SOME POINT TO GET THAT UPDATE WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. 
          WE, WE HAVE SUCH A MAP, AND WE'LL GET THAT FOR YOU. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          WELL, I BELIEVE THAT IS IT FOR COMMENTS, UH, FROM THE HORSESHOE. 
          UH, BOTH COUNSEL AND STAFF HAVE HAD THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. 
          SO WE'LL TURN TO THOSE, UH, IN PUBLIC COMMENT WITH, UH, THE FIVE VIRTUAL SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP. 
          WE'RE SEEING, UH, TWO OF WHOM ARE HERE ONLINE, OR PERHAPS THREE. 
          AND WE'RE GONNA START, UM, WITH MS. SABA BLANDING. 
          MS. BLANDING, UM, WE MAY 1ST HEAR FROM YOU. 
          GOOD, GOOD MORNING. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 
          UM, I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS. 
          THE FIRST WAS THAT ON SLIDE TWO IT SAYS THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE DEVELOPS AND COORDINATES ALL CITY POLICIES. 
          CAN WE RETURN TO A BUDGET HEARINGS WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN ASK DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS THEIR QUESTIONS DIRECTLY? IF NOT, WHY NOT? AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS ON SLIDE, UH, 28, YOU MENTIONED INITIATIVES WITH HOUSTON'S UNHOUSED COMMUNITY. 
          WHAT EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO BE PROACTIVE AND MITIGATE EVICTIONS? OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS GROSSLY UNDERFUNDED WITH A BUDGET OF ONLY $400,000. 
          HOUSTON RENTERS, I MEAN, TO QUOTE THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE, HOUSTON RENTERS ARE NOW MORE COST BURDENED AND EVICTED AT A HIGHER RATE THAN RENTERS IN DALLAS, CHICAGO, OR ATLANTA. 
          UM, IN 20 19, 1 IN 11 WINTER HOUSEHOLDS IN HARRIS COUNTY HAD AN EVICTION NOTICE POSTED ON THEIR DOOR. 
          I KNOW HARRIS AND HOUSTON ARE DIFFERENT, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF OVERLAP AND AN ANALYSIS BY THE EVICTION LAB AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY FOUND 16 HOUSTON APARTMENT COMPLEXES HAVE FILED FOR MORE THAN A HUNDRED EVICTIONS EACH AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO THE FIRST QUESTION IS ABOUT THANK YOU, MS. BLANDING HELPING EXPIRED. 
          MS. BLANDING, THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. 
          YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. 
          UM, I'LL GIVE THE CHIEF THE OPTION TO RESPOND, BUT I THINK WE, AS YOU UNDERSTAND, HAVE BEEN RESTRICTED BY THE INSTRUCTION OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND SEEING NO COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE TO RESPOND. 
          UH, WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER, WHO IS MS. LEANNE CHONG. 
          MS. CHONG, IF YOU'RE WITH US, WE'LL GIVE YOU A MOMENT TO HIT STAR SIX TO UNMUTE OR OTHERWISE SPEAK UP AND WE'LL HEAR YOU. 
          HELLO? UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MS. CHONG, GO AHEAD. 
          OH, GREAT. 
          WE CAN, WE HEAR YOU AND WE SEE YOU ONLINE. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AWESOME. 
          UM, SO I AM AN ARTIST AND, AND I'M AN ORGANIZER FOR ARTS ACCOUNTABILITY HOUSTON, AND WE HAD MANY ENGAGED ARTISTS WHO ARE, UM, UH, ADVOCATING FOR, UM, PUBLIC FUNDING FOR THE ARTS HERE IN HOUSTON. 
          UM, NOW WE ARE AWARE OF A PROPOSAL THAT'S BEEN SENT TO THE MAYOR BY THE CULTURAL DISTRICTS, UM, FOR ARPA FUNDING TO BE, UM, ALLOCATED TO THE ARTS IN HOUSTON. 
          UM, I'D LIKE TO SORT OF, AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, UM, ADVOCATE FOR THESE FUNDINGS TO GO TO, UM, TO FUND THE ARTS HERE IN HOUSTON. 
          I KNOW IT'S NOT ON THE BUDGET, UM, BUT WE ARE, UM, CURIOUS TO KNOW WHEN, UM, THESE FUNDS WILL BE CONFIRMED, UH, FROM THE CITY TO SUPPORT THE ARTS HERE IN HOUSTON. 
          UM, ANY ORGANIZATIONS ARE STILL SUFFERING AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC. 
          AND, UM, AND WE WOULD, UM, REALLY LIKE FOR THE CITY TO ADVOCATE, UM, TO ALLOCATE OUR FUNDING TOWARDS THE ARTS HERE IN HOUSTON. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. CHONG. 
          WE ARE WELL AWARE OF THE, UH, ONGOING CHALLENGES FOR OUR ARTS COMMUNITY, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS QUESTION TO COUNCIL. 
          IT IS SOMETHING, UH, THAT WE ARE WORKING ON WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND, UH, APPRECIATE YOU CALLING OUR ATTENTION TO IT. 
          AND, UM, AND, AND WE WILL STAY VIGILANT WITH THAT ITEM. 
          NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM MR. YES, MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE WILL, WE WILL RESPOND ACCORDINGLY. 
          OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. JASON OLIVER. 
          MR. OLIVER, IF YOU'RE WITH US OR HIT STAR SIX TO UNMUTE. 
          I'M HERE. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          UH, FIRST I WANT TO SPEAK UP IN, IN SUPPORT OF LEANNE AND THE, UH, THE ARTS PROPOSAL. 
          LIKE THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT LOSSES AND, 
          [00:30:01]
AND HOT TAXES. 
          AND USING ARPA FUND TO REVENUE REPLACEMENT WOULD BE A, A GREAT IDEA TO KIND OF STIMULATE THE ECONOMY AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN, IN HOUSTON. 
          UH, FIRST. 
          UH, AND, AND SO ALONG THOSE LINES, IT'S COME UP BEFORE, BUT I'M INTERESTED IN THE PROCESS FOR APPROVING ARPA FUND SUGGESTIONS. 
          CAN YOU SHARE THAT PROCESS IN ANY RUBRIC THAT EXISTS? ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE THUS FAR. 
          AND THEN SECOND, HTV FEELS LIKE AN UNDER CELEBRATED ENTITY WITHIN THE CITY, BUT IT'S VITAL FOR TRANSPARENCY. 
          AS MS. HUNTER, UH, MENTIONED, THE EXPENDITURE IS ACCEPTING A TWO AND A HALF MILLION FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT LINE ITEMS SEEM FLAT OR DECREASING OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS. 
          EVEN. 
          UM, WITH, WITH THE PANDEMIC GOING ON, I'M WONDERING IF HTV SAW AN INCREASED WORKLOAD DURING THE PANDEMIC AND IF THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN OVERTIME OR OTHER PAY 'CAUSE I'M NOT SEEING IT IN THE, IN THE LINE ITEMS. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MR. OLIVER. 
          I'M GONNA PICK UP ON YOUR FINAL POINT THERE ABOUT THE GOOD WORK OF HTV AND, UH, UH, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED TO UTILIZE THAT, UH, FACILITY AND, UM, THAT ABILITY FOR US TO, TO REALLY PROGRAM ACCORDING TO SOME OF, UH, THE, THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AROUND CITY HALL. 
          SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION FOR BEING HERE WITH US VIRTUALLY. 
          AND MS. HUNTER, UH, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY FOR YOUR TEAM BEING HERE WITH US IN CHAMBERS. 
          AND, UH, WITH THAT, WE WILL TAKE A BREAK, UH, AND RESUME AFTER LUNCH THIS AFTERNOON AT ONE O'CLOCK WITH PRESENTATION OF THE BUDGET WORKSHOP. 
          OUR NEXT GROUP TO HEAR FROM WILL BE OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT. 
          AND WITH THAT, UH, OUR BREAK COMMENCES. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE, SHARE THE INVESTMENT PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED BY THE EASTWOOD CIVIC ASSOCIATION. 
          WE NEED RELIEF ON THREE LINES TO IMPROVE MOBILITY IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          I WILL SPEAK TO THE GALVESTON SUB AND MY NEIGHBOR, LINDSAY, WHO'S UP NEXT, WILL SPEAK ABOUT EAST AND WEST BELTS LATER ON THE GALVESTON SUB. 
          OUR TOP PRIORITY IS AN UNDERPASS ON LOCKWOOD, WHICH WAS IN THE PRESENTATION. 
          THIS IS THE EXPECTED ROUTE OF METRO BTS UNIVERSITY CORRIDOR LINE. 
          BUT LET ME BE CLEAR, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BELIEVES AN OVERPASS IN THIS AREA WOULDN'T BE THE RIGHT SOLUTION. 
          WE ARE INSTEAD IN FAVOR OF A SMALL UNDERPASS THAT WOULD PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY WITH ONE ADDITIONAL NORTH-SOUTH CROSSING, BUT STILL LEAVES SEVEN CROSSINGS AT GRADE THAT ARE BLOCKED DAILY. 
          AS SUCH, I URGE THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO ALSO SEEK FUNDING FOR A RAIL IMPROVEMENT STUDY ON THIS LINE TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT ADDRESS THE ENTIRETY OF THE SUB, NOT JUST ONE CROSSING. 
          AND THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH METRO TO ENSURE SOLUTIONS CAN BE EXPEDITED TO ALIGN WITH THE TIMELINES FOR BRT CONSTRUCTION. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          MY COLLEAGUE LINDSAY WILL SHARE PRIORITIES FOR EAST AND WEST BELT, OR EAST AND WEST BELTS IN HER REMARKS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. LAPIERRE. 
          AND, UH, WE'LL PROCEED WITH THE, I BELIEVE, HOLD ON. 
          BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE PODIUM, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM, UH, CHAIR GALLEGOS. 
          THANK YOU, DANIELLE, FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND REPRESENTING EASTWOOD. 
          UH, JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I DID MEET WITH, UH, THE NEW BOARD CHAIR, SANJAY. 
          UM, AND, AND, AND DID, DID BRING THAT TO HIS ATTENTION. 
          HE CAME INTO MY OFFICE, UH, THAT THERE ARE CONCERNS IN REGARDS TO THE BRT GOING DOWN LOCKWOOD, UH, IN REGARDS TO AN OVERPASS THAT MIGHT, MAY BE CONSTRUCTED OR AN UNDERPASS. 
          UH, SO, UM, THEY ARE AWARE OF IT AND, UH, WE ARE GOING TO BE MONITORING IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, PROCEED TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER. 
          THANKS AGAIN, UH, MS. LINDSEY WILLIAMS, UH, WITH US VIRTUALLY AND ONLINE PROCEED. 
          MS. WILLIAMS, IF YOU'D HIT STAR SIX TO UNMUTE, WE'LL AWAIT YOUR COMMENT. 
          MS. LINDSEY WILLIAMS ONLINE, WE SEE YOU ONLINE. 
          IF YOU CAN UNMUTE STAR SIX, WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU IF THERE ARE TECHNICAL CHALLENGES WITH THAT NICE INTRO FROM DANIELLE. 
          I'M SORRY WE CAN'T TAKE IT RIGHT TO MS. WILLIAMS, BUT WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU IF WE CAN. 
          UH, MR. TOM THOMPSON ALSO ONLINE VIRTUALLY TESTING OUR SYSTEM HERE. 
          MR. THOMPSON, ARE YOU THERE? ARE YOU ABLE TO MUTE? UNMUTE, PLEASE. 
          UNMUTE. 
          WE SEE YOU MR. COMPSON, AND WE KNOW WE HEARD YOU AT THE PUBLIC SESSION THIS WEEK AT COUNCIL. 
          UH, WE'RE CHECKING OUR SYSTEM TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY TECHNICAL CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW, BUT PROCEEDING WITH OUR LIST, A CALL FOR EITHER MS. WILLIAMS OR MR. COMPSON ONLINE. 
          [00:35:02]
AND WHILE WE'RE ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES THERE, WE WILL PROCEED. 
          PRESENT HERE IN CHAMBERS IS PANKAJ WAHA. 
          PANKAJ IS HERE WITH US. 
          LET'S HEAR FROM YOU AT THE PODIUM. 
          SIR, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          IF YOU COULD STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND PROCEED WITH YOUR QUESTION OR COMMENT. 
          YES, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          GOOD MORNING, COUNSEL. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          UH, THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THIS MEETING. 
          THANK YOU BNSF FOR BEING PRESENT, UH, PROVIDING VITAL, VITAL RAIL SERVICES TO OUR CITY AND THE COUNTRY. 
          I JUST WANNA SAY I LOVE TRAINS. 
          I ENJOY COUNTING TRAIN CARS WITH, WITH MY KIDS AS THEY ROLL BY WHEN I'M STUCK AT ONE OF THE BLOCK CROSSINGS. 
          UNFORTUNATELY. 
          UH, MY NAME IS UA. 
          I'M PART OF THE HOUSTON QUIET ZONES COMMITTEE, AND I'M ONE OF THE RESIDENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE NEAR THE BNSF RAIL LINE THAT RUNS PARALLEL TO THE 34TH STREET TRACKS, UH, JUST NORTH, UH, OUTSIDE OF SIX 10 LOOP ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE, UH, FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS, FROM OAK FOREST, ALL THE WAY TO INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE, UH, ON THE MAP, I'VE PROVIDED YOU GUYS, UH, THERE ARE OVER 500 HOUSEHOLDS, UH, THAT HAVE VOICED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE 34TH STREET STREET QUIET ZONE CORRIDOR. 
          CONSIDERING EACH HOUSEHOLD TYPICALLY HAS TWO TO FOUR RESIDENTS, THERE ARE AT LEAST SEVERAL, SEVERAL THOUSAND HOUSTONIANS IMPACTED BY THE TRAIN HORNS ON THE STRETCH OF TRACKS. 
          IT'S TIME TO SILENCE THE TRAIN HORNS IN HOUSTONS PEOPLE IN COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD LIVE WITH, LIVE IN COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT ARE MUCH MORE DENSE WITHOUT THE OBNOXIOUSLY LOUD TRAIN HORNS, HOUSTON CAN DO THE SAME. 
          WE DON'T LIVE IN THE 18 HUNDREDS WITH COAL FIRED TRAINS, BELCHING OUT BLACK, SO BLACK SOOT AND POLLUTING THE ENVIRONMENT, DO WE THEN, WHY SHOULD WE LIVE WITH AN OUTDATED SAFETY MEASURE AS A TRAIN HORN? THE TRAIN HORN IS THE LAST RESORT FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS NOTIFYING ANYONE TO GET OFF THE TRACKS. 
          SAME, AS SAME AS IT IS FOR WHEN WE DRIVE OUR VEHICLES. 
          WE DON'T HONK OUR HORN EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. 
          UM, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HONK OUR HORN WHEN WE CHANGE LANES. 
          SO WE HAVE SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE, AND WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO MANDATE, UH, PER THE CITY OF HOUSTON INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN MANUAL TO PUT THESE MEASURES IN PLACE AND HAVE HORNS ONLY AS A LAST RESORT, UH, PER THE, UH, FRA, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS THE AUTHORITY TO MANDATE THIS, UH, TO PUT EFFECTIVE QUIET ZONES IN PLACE. 
          AS YOU GUYS HAVE DISCUSSED EARLIER TODAY, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE IN PROCESS OF DOING THAT, BUT WE NEED TO DO THIS NOW. 
          IT'S LONG AWAITED, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE PART OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE. 
          IT'S NOW TIME TO MAKE THIS, UH, BETTER FOR ALL CITIZENS' QUALITY OF LIFE, ESPECIALLY THE THOUSANDS OF HOUSTON THAT HAVE JUST, UH, ADVOCATED FOR THIS. 
          UH, IF I MAY HAVE ONE MORE MINUTE. 
          WELL, YOU, YOU CAN CONCLUDE YOUR REMARKS. 
          YEAH, I HAVE ONE MORE, MAYOR, I'LL GIVE YOU A FEW MORE SECONDS. 
          UM, I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THOUSANDS OF MEMBERS OF, BUT WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO TODAY. 
          MR. PADUA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS REGARDING FUNDING AND COSTS OF THE QUIET ZONES. 
          I DON'T THINK THE CITY SHOULD BE BURDENED WITH THIS, NOR THE TAXPAYERS. 
          LET'S LOOK AT BNS BNS F'S FINANCIAL STATEMENT. 
          UH, IN 2021, THEY HAD 22 BILLIONS IN REVENUE, 13 BILLIONS IN EXPENSES WITH THE NET, UH, INCOME OF 7 BILLION. 
          THANK. 
          NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER, UH, 350,000 WAS MENTIONED EARLIER AS A COST PER. 
          UM, SIR, IF, IF YOU'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP THE INTERSECTION, WE CAN TAKE YOUR COMMENT ONLINE AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO POST IT AND CIRCULATE IT TO THE COMMITTEES. 
          UH, BUT THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE, AND, AND I APPRECIATE ASKING YOUR QUESTIONS. 
          I APPRECIATE YOU ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. 
          IF YOU COULD WRAP UP, SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT 0.03% OF BNFS F'S PROFITS TO IMPLEMENT A $2 MILLION QUIET ZONE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          ALONG THE 34TH STREET, UH, CORRIDOR. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          APPRECIATE THAT PROCEEDING. 
          NOW TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER, WE'RE GOING TO TRY AGAIN FOR ONLINE. 
          OUR SPEAKER IS MS. ORLANDO POLO. 
          MS. POLO, IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE JOIN. 
          HELLO? THERE YOU ARE. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU, MS. POLITO. 
          WE CAN HEAR YOU. 
          HELLO. 
          IMPLEMENT THE 2 MILLION QUIET ZONE. 
          HELLO? GO AHEAD, MA'AM. 
          WE CAN HEAR YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU FOR, UM, ALLOWING ME A FEW MINUTES TO SPEAK. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, UH, I SUBMITTED, UM, IN WRITING MY CONCERNS TO BACK UP, UH, WHAT I'M SPEAKING OF TODAY. 
          SO WITH THE RAILROAD, I'VE BEEN IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR A VERY LONG TIME. 
          AND, UM, I'M JUST LIKE VERY UPSET THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THE RAILROAD IS SITTING THERE TALKING ABOUT THEY HAVE, UH, DAILY CONVERSATIONS, UH, MONTHLY MEETINGS, BUT YET THERE'S NO SOLUTION IN ADDITION TO THIS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THIS BLOCKAGE, THIS BLOCKING OF, OF, OF, OF VEHICLES HAVING TO REROUTE INCLUDE MASSIVE 18 WHEELERS TRYING TO GET TO THESE BACK INDUSTRIES. 
          THERE ARE CAUGHT, I KNOW THESE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS, THESE ARE SMALL STREETS, AND THESE 
          [00:40:01]
MASSIVE TRUCKS NAVIGATING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ARE NOT ONLY TEARING UP OUR STREETS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A TRAIL, A WALKING TRAIL, WE HAVE A PARK, BUT OUR, OUR WIRES SIT LOW WHEN THEY COME THROUGH HERE. 
          AND I'VE ALREADY REPORTED THIS NUMEROUS TIMES. 
          THEY CAUSE DAMAGE TO MY HOUSE IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. 
          UM, THEY HAVE POPPED MY INTERNET WIRES, UM, CAUSING MY WHOLE, UH, HOUSE TO BE DAMAGED. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THEY FORCED THEIR WAY IN ANYHOW, POSSIBLE, ANY WAY POSSIBLE. 
          AND I'VE SUBMITTED PICTURES OF THAT. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CHILDREN RIDING THEIR BIKES. 
          WE HAVE PEOPLE, WE HAVE OLDER SENIORS WALKING, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE TRUCKS HAVE, YOU KNOW, ARE TRYING TO GET TO THIS INDUSTRY. 
          THEY'RE TRYING TO EXIT THIS INDUSTRY. 
          OUR COMMUNITY STREETS ARE NOT FOR THAT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, UM, THE YOUNG MAN BEFORE ME WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE REVENUE. 
          UM, YEAH, THERE HAS TO BE ALTERNATIVE WAYS IN THESE MEETINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO PUT THIS REVENUE TO, TO, TO, IN EFFECT. 
          BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IS, UM, YEAH, WE NEED SOLUTIONS AND WE NEED 'EM QUICKLY. 
          THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH, MS. POLITO. 
          WE DO HAVE THE HANDOUT THAT YOU BROUGHT, UH, OR DELIVERED TO US, UH, WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT YOU MENTIONED. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          AND, UH, UH, WE WILL, UM, WE WILL POST THOSE AND CIRCULATE. 
          SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND BEING HERE, SEEING NO QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL, WE'RE GONNA PROCEED TO THE NEXT SPEAKER, UH, WHICH IS MS. MARA GOMEZ. 
          UH, MS. GOMEZ IS HERE WITH US IN CITY HALL CHAMBERS, SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          IF YOU'D JOIN US AT THE PODIUM, UH, WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENT OR QUESTION TODAY FOR THE COUNCIL, IF YOU COULD IDENTIFY YOURSELF. 
          YES. 
          UM, GOOD MORNING. 
          UH, MY NAME IS MANA GOMEZ, AND I'M WITH LINK HOUSTON, A NONPROFIT THAT ADVOCATES FOR A ROBUST AND EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK SO THAT ALL PEOPLE CAN REACH OPPORTUNITY. 
          TODAY I'M ADDRESSING THIS JOINT COMMITTEE ABOUT THE INCREASING BURDEN TRAIN BLOCKAGES CONTINUE TO POSE FOR TRANSIT RIDERS, BICYCLISTS, AND PEDESTRIANS IN THE EAST END AND FIFTH WARD COMMUNITIES LINK HOUSTON SHARES MANY OF THE CONCERNS RESIDENTS ARE SHARING WITH YOU TODAY. 
          I LIVE IN THE EAST END, SO I EXPERIENCE FIRSTHAND THE IMPACT THESE TRAIN BLOCKAGES HAVE ON OUR COMMUNITIES. 
          UM, WE ARE FORCED TO REROUTE TO ACCESS JOBS, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, AND WELLNESS, RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND OTHER ESSENTIAL DESTINATIONS. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, WHILE RIDING METRO'S 40 LOCAL BUS ROUTE, ONE DAY, THE DRIVER HAD TO REROUTE ALONG THE I 45 FRONTAGE ROAD AND MISSED 10 STOPS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRAIN BLOCKAGE. 
          SEVERAL METRO BUS ROUTES ARE OFTEN FORCED TO REDIRECT WHEN TRAINS BLOCK CROSSING, CAUSING PEOPLE TO BE LATE TO THEIR DESTINATIONS. 
          SOME PEDESTRIANS, SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN INCLUDED, GO UNDER OR OVER IN BETWEEN THE CARS OF TRAINS, STOPS OF STOPPED TRAINS BLOCKING THEIR ROUTE AND RISK THEIR LIVES. 
          BY DOING SO. 
          PEDESTRIANS WILL TRY TO FIND THE QUICKEST WAY TO THEIR DESTINATION, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE BEING LATE, AFFECTS THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. 
          ADDITIONALLY, THEY CAN FORCE BICYCLISTS TO REROUTE ONTO BUSIER STREETS, WHICH MAY NOT HAVE THE BUILT-IN INFRASTRUCTURE TO AFFORD SUFFICIENT SAFETY. 
          SO TODAY WE ASK THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION UP BNSF AND THE KCS RAIL COMPANIES TO WORK WITH OUR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITIES TO FIND THE BEST COMMUNITY DRIVEN SOLUTIONS TO THESE TRAIN BLOCKAGES WITH OUR MOST VULNERABLE ROAD USERS IN MIND, AND WITHOUT FURTHER DIVIDING THE COMMUNITIES THE RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE GOES THROUGH. 
          AND WE ASK OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO HELP HOLD THESE COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE AND DO RIGHT BY THE COMMUNITIES THEY OPERATE IN. 
          YOUR EFFORTS TO REMEDY THESE ISSUES WILL REMOVE ADVERSE BARRIERS AND BRING ABOUT EQUITY IN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. GOMEZ, UH, FOR YOUR COMMENTS. 
          SEEING NO QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE, WE'LL PROCEED. 
          UM, I SEE THAT MS. WILLIAMS HAS REJOINED US OR HOPEFULLY IS ABLE TO UNMUTE MS. WILLIAMS. CAN YOU DO THAT? THERE YOU ARE. 
          YES. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, GO AHEAD. 
          LOUD AND CLEAR. 
          PERFECT. 
          , MY NAME IS LINDSEY WILLIAMS. I'M THE EASTWOOD CIVIC ASSOCIATION TRAIN COMMITTEE CHAIR. 
          CONTINUING TO SHARE OUR INVESTMENT PRIORITIES. 
          DANIELLE STARTED WITH ON THE WEST BELT, WE AGREED WITH THE PRIORITIZATION OF YORK STREET PRESENTED BY STAFF AND INCLUDED IN THE 10-YEAR-OLD RAIL DISTRICT STUDY. 
          HOWEVER, THERE IS A CRITICAL MISSING PIECE IN PHASE ONE NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE NH H I'S PLAN IN ANTICIPATION OF THE CLOSURE AT POLK AND ST. 
          EMANUEL, WE WOULD URGE THE INCLUSION OF AN UNDERPASS AT LELAND AS AN EQUAL PRIORITY TO ALLOW EASTON RESIDENTS A STRAIGHT ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN ON THE EAST BELT. 
          THE COMMUNITY DESPERATELY NEEDS AT LEAST ONE EAST WEST CROSSING, EITHER AT POLK, LAWNDALE OR TELEPHONE. 
          EACH CROSSING HAS ITS MERITS. 
          POLK SERVES AS A ROUTE FOR METRO BUSES. 
          LAWNDALE WOULD PROVIDE BETTER ACCESS TO KIPP SCHOOL AND POST OFFICE, AND THE TELEPHONE 
          [00:45:01]
MAY UNDERGO A COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION. 
          IF THE RAISE GRANT AND TURNS 23 PARTNERSHIPS COME THROUGH, THERE ARE TOUGH CHOICES, BUT WE'D BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY ON WHICH CROSSING THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE PRIORITIZED. 
          MOVING ON FROM INFRASTRUCTURE TO QUIET ZONES, SINCE AT LEAST 2011, THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN SEEKING QUIET ZONES ACROSS THE WEST BELT, EAST BELT, AND THE GALVESTON LINE. 
          EACH TIME THERE'S SOMETHING PREVENTING QUIET ZONES FROM MOVING FORWARD, FUNDING OTHER PRIORITIES, OR WAITING ON NO HORN SIGNS. 
          COUNSEL, THERE ARE NEW BIL GRANTS, WHICH COULD SOLVE FOR FUNDING. 
          WE HAVE HAD QUIET ZONES IMPLEMENT. 
          WE COULD HAVE HAD QUIET ZONES IMPLEMENTED A LONG TIME AGO WITH THE USE OF GRANTS TO IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IT FEELS LIKE OUR VOICES HAVE GONE UNHEARD. 
          MONEY IS AVAILABLE NOW, AND THERE SEEMS TO BE NO URGENCY AT THE CITY TO APPLY FOR DOLLARS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE EAST END. 
          PROJECTS HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON THE WEST SIDE, AND IT'S TIME TO SEE DOLLARS HELPING THOSE WHO LIVE EAST OF I 45 PUT THE MONEY WHERE THE PROBLEM IS. 
          AND IT'S IN THE EAST END. 
          CHICAGO IS ALREADY CELEBRATING BIL DOLLARS AS THEY, THEY THEY EXPECT TO RECEIVE AND WE ARE ALREADY BEHIND. 
          SO, PASSING IT BACK TO COUNCIL, HOW SOON DO YOU EXPECT TO HAVE THE FIRST PROPOSALS READY FOR FUNDING FROM THE BIL? AND I HOPE YOU HAVE AN ANSWER. 
          WELL, MS. WILLIAMS, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND ASKING YOUR QUESTION. 
          I DON'T SEE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS JUMPING AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND. 
          UM, UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, WELL, THERE WE GO. 
          WE'VE GOT COUNCIL MEMBER CHAIR, ALCORN, UH, HERE TO ADDRESS YOU, MS. WILLIAMS. GO AHEAD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD QUESTION AND WE'LL FIND OUT. 
          AND I JUST WANNA, I'M SAY I'M SO IMPRESSED WITH THE EASTWOOD RESIDENTS. 
          I MEAN, YOU GUYS NOT ONLY KNOW YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS ARE WITH SUCH SPECIFICITY THAT IS SO HELPFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU EXACTLY. 
          YOU WANT. 
          YOU HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. 
          UM, YOU GUYS KNOW YOUR STUFF, AND I, FOR ONE, AM IMPRESSED BY THAT AND WILL CERTAINLY, UM, CERTAINLY DO WHAT I CAN TO ADVOCATE FOR, FOR WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          WE ARE WORKING VERY, VERY HARD HERE. 
          . 
          THANK YOU, MS. WILLIAMS. WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS ALSO IN THE QUEUE. 
          THANK YOU MS. WILLIAMS FOR, FOR TAKING TIME TO BE BE HERE. 
          UH, JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, WE HAVE, UH, SUBMITTED, UH, A REQUEST TO, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN GARCIA AND, AND CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON RE LEE, UH, FOR FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY PROJECT, UH, FOR THE EAST END QUIET TWO, UH, ZONE. 
          SO, UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT, UH, THAT WILL BE APPROVED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          AND THANK YOU MS. WILLIAMS FOR BEING HERE, UM, AGAIN, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND BRINGING YOUR QUESTION TODAY. 
          SO WITH THAT, WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER. 
          WE'RE GONNA TRY AGAIN FOR MR. TOM COMPSON, IF HE'S, UH, BACK ONLINE AND ABLE TO JOIN US. 
          STAR SIX TO UNMUTE. 
          OTHERWISE, WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED WITH THE NEXT SPEAKER, WHICH IS MS AMY DEN. 
          AMY DEN VIRTUALLY WITH US, I BELIEVE. 
          AMY, ARE YOU THERE? WE'RE SEEING YOU ONLINE, BUT HEARING NOTHING, CAN YOU, UH, JOIN US WITH STAR SIX? IF NOT, WE WILL PROCEED AND HOPEFULLY GET BACK FROM YOU. 
          THE NEXT SPEAKER ON THE LIST IS MR. CLAY DIPPLE CLAY. 
          UM, GLAD YOU'RE WITH US. 
          IF YOU COULD APPROACH THE PODIUM, HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR QUESTION OR COMMENT TODAY. 
          IF YOU COULD IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD. 
          UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          I'M, UH, CLAY DIPPLE. 
          I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF EASTWOOD. 
          I WANT TO THANK YOU COMMITTEE MEMBERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, CHIEF PENA. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND TO THE RAILROADS. 
          I ALSO REGRET THAT THE FRA COULD NOT MAKE IT. 
          UH, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED IN SEVERAL PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT THE TRAIN BLOCKAGES IN THE EAST END HAVE BEEN INCREASING IN FREQUENCY AND IN DURATION, ALL WHILE THE TRAINS THEMSELVES GET LONGER. 
          WHILE HOUSTON'S POPULATION GROWS, UNION PACIFIC TELLS US THEY EXPECT TRAIN TRAFFIC THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS ONLY GOING TO INCREASE WITH JUST A $30 SECURITY CAMERA AT JUST ONE CROSSING. 
          IN EASTWOOD, PRIVATE CITIZENS HAVE AN AMASSED AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF DATA, UH, TO PROVE THE SCOPE OF THE BLOCKAGE PROBLEM. 
          IT'S MEASURABLE, IT'S PERSISTENT, AND IT'S ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          THE PROBLEM IS ONLY GONNA GET WORSE. 
          WE COME NOW TO URGE THE COUNCIL TO WORK WITH CITY PUBLIC WORKS STARTING TODAY. 
          TO USE THIS DATA AND THE DATA FROM THESE PILOT SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS TO CREATE A CONCRETE ACTION PLAN. 
          WE WANT TO KNOW HOW HOUSTON CAN APPLY AND ALLOCATE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS FOR GRADE SEPARATED UNDERPASSES, COMPLETION OF LONG PROMISE QUIET ZONES AND ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENT STUDIES SO THAT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CAN GIVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHICH PROJECTS YOU INTEND TO APPLY FOR IN EACH YEAR OF THE B'S FIVE AVAILABLE YEARS. 
          RAIL OPERATORS HAVE LONG TREATED OUR NEIGHBORHOOD EASTWOOD LIKE A PARKING LOT FOR TRAINS THAT ARE TOO LONG BY THEIR OWN STANDARDS TO FIT IN THE SWITCHING YARDS BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE THEM. 
          THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHICH INTERSECTIONS THEY'RE BLOCKING. 
          [00:50:01]
THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK AND SHOP AND INVEST HERE WANT TO SEE BOOTS ON THE GROUND TO SECURE FUNDING FOR A FIX. 
          PLEASE TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THIS ISSUE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU ARE OUR VOICE. 
          WE NEED YOU TO SPEAK UP FOR US. 
          AND I END WITH A QUESTION FOR COUNCIL. 
          WHAT ARE THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S FUNDING REQUEST PRIORITIES FOR ALLEVIATING RAIL BLOCKAGE ISSUES? AND HOW DO YOU INTEND TO INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY IN DECIDING WHICH OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS COME FIRST? FIRST, FIRST OF ALL, MR. DIPPLE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. 
          AND FOR YOUR QUESTION, UH, FOR RESPONSES IS CHAIR GALLEGOS. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU CLAY, FOR YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY. 
          I KNOW YOU AND OTHERS WERE AT THE, UH, UM, TOWN HALL, UH, HELD BY THE EAST END CHAMBER, AS WELL AS THE FIFTH WARD, UH, AND THERE AT GUADALUPE CHURCH, UH, WITH, WITH CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE. 
          UH, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THE, THE NICE, UH, HANDWRITTEN NOTE. 
          UH, APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL. 
          OH, THANK YOU. 
          YES, . 
          UM, ALSO, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, THAT THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT THAT UNION PACIFIC AND, UH, BURLINGTON NORTHERN, UH, ARE AWARE OF THIS TRIANGLE, UH, WHICH AFFECTS EASTWOOD UH, FIRE STATION 18. 
          UH, IT DOES, AGAIN, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN, BUT IT DOES HAPPEN WHERE THERE'S A TRAIN ON ALL THREE TRACKS. 
          UH, SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RESIDENTS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EMERGENCY VEHICLES. 
          UH, YOU'RE TALKING, AGAIN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PARENTS THAT CAN'T TAKE THEIR KIDS, UH, TO SCHOOL OR, OR PICK THEM UP AFTER SCHOOL. 
          UH, SO IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST CHAOS. 
          UH, AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING BURLINGTON NORTHERN AND UNION PACIFIC TO LOOK AT THIS TRIANGLE, UH, AND, AND ASK YOUR DISPATCHERS, UH, TO NOT STOP TRAINS IN WITHIN THIS TRIANGLE BECAUSE IT IMPACTS QUITE A FEW RESIDENTS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MEMBER. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          GREAT QUESTION. 
          APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. 
          OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MS. ERICA MIRANDA, WHO I BELIEVE IS ONLINE. 
          THIS IS AMY DEN . 
          AH, OKAY. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, LET'S HOLD OFF ON THE QUESTION FROM MS. MIRANDA AND GO BACK ON OUR LIST FOR MS. DEN. 
          WE CAN HEAR YOU. 
          AMY, GO AHEAD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SORRY, I WAS, I SOMEHOW WE HAD A MISSED CONNECTION. 
          UM, SO MY NAME IS AMY DEN. 
          I'M THE PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 64 IN 88. 
          WE APPRECIATE YOUR HAVING THE SECOND MEETING ON RAILROAD OPERATIONS AFTER THE JANUARY, 2022 MEETING. 
          UH, SINCE YOUR FIRST JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING IN JANUARY, OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD CONDUCTED A COMMUNITY SURVEY REGARDING RAILROAD IMPACTS AND MR. H GROUP PRESENTED AT OUR FEBRUARY 9TH, 2022 SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING TO SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS SPECIFIC TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          WE ALSO SHARED THESE RESULTS OF THAT COMMUNITY SURVEY WITH MR. H GRIFF, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE INTERESTED. 
          WE ARE GLAD THAT COUNCIL IS CONTINUING TO ENGAGE ON THIS ISSUE. 
          THE CURRENT RAILROAD OPERATIONS ARE SAFETY ISSUES FOR PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS, AND VEHICLES IN OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES BECAUSE OF THE HORNS NOISE AND IMPACT TO PRODUCTIVITY FOR THOSE TRAVELING TO WORK OR SCHOOL. 
          OUR SURVEY REVEALED THE FOLLOWING CONCERNS. 
          FIRST EXTENDED AND REPEATED BLOCK CROSSINGS FOR MANY HOURS AT LAWNDALE AND TELEPHONE BY THE KIPP POST OFFICE AT LELAND AND SCOTT AT LOCKWOOD, UM, AT RUST AND HARRISBURG ON HUGHES STREET AT POLK AND HARRISBURG ON GRIGGS AT REDWOOD AND BOBBY LEE AT THE GUS WAR GOLF COURSE. 
          BLOCKING THE PEDESTRIAN BIKE AND BAYOU TRAIL TO CAPITOL STREET FOR HOURS ON SATURDAY MORNINGS, THE DUMBBELL AND HARRISBURG IN, IN, UH, INTERSECTIONS. 
          AND AT 1500 TELEPHONE ROAD NEAR CEDAR JOBS. 
          WE ALSO EXPERIENCED REGULARLY, UH, WHO NOISE DURING THE DAY AND NIGHT, AND SPECIFICALLY ILLEGAL DUMPING ALONG THE RAIL LINE AT 300 NORTH 67TH STREET IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, 7 7 0 1 1 WAS REPORTED. 
          WE THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO OUR CONCERNS AND GIVING US THIS FORM. 
          THE RESULTS OF OUR SURVEY ARE AVAILABLE BY REQUEST. 
          UH, YOU CAN SEND THE REQUEST TO ME AND I'M LISTED UNDER SUPER COUN, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL INFORMATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MS. DEN. 
          UM, APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR ONGOING WORK ON, ON THE ISSUE AS WELL. 
          ALRIGHT, WE'RE NOW GONNA TRY, UH, FOR, EXCUSE ME, HOLD ON. 
          AMY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU. 
          THANK YOU, AMY. 
          I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AGAIN. 
          I KNOW YOU ADDRESSED US IN, UH, THE JANUARY MEETING THAT WE HAD. 
          UH, AND, UH, THANK YOU, UH, FOR REPRESENTING THE EASTWOOD LAWNDALE WAYSIDE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, UH, AGAIN, TWICE, UH, ON, IN JANUARY AND TODAY. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MS. D. 
          OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MS. ERICA MIRANDA, WHO IS WITH US VIRTUALLY. 
          IF YOU'RE ONLINE, SPEAK UP OR HIT STAR SIX ON MUTE. 
          MS. ERICA MIRANDA. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'LL PUT A HOLD ON. 
          ERICA, IF YOU JOIN US, PLEASE LET US KNOW OR, UH, I'M 
          [00:55:01]
HERE. 
          THERE YOU ARE. 
          OKAY. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME? GO AHEAD, MS. MIRANDA. 
          UM, ERICA MIRANDA IS WITH, I'M AN EASTWOOD NCE. 
          UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, MAYBE THE CITY, UH, AND THE RAILROAD CAN WORK ON THE LOW HANGING FRUIT, MEANING THE EASY THINGS. 
          I WOULD THINK THAT IT DOESN'T INVOLVE LOGISTICS. 
          'CAUSE I KNOW I WORK IN LOGISTICS AND I KNOW HOW HARD THAT CAN BE, BUT I'M THINKING, PUTTING UP QUIET STONE LINES DOES NOT INFLICT ON LOGISTICS. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE WORKED ON. 
          ALSO, PUTTING SIGNS FOR ALTERNATE ROUTES, UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE BUS DRIVERS THAT ARE NEW AND THEY DON'T KNOW THE, THE ROUTES AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THEM ALONG WITH BUS DRIVERS, BOTH SCHOOL AND PUBLIC. 
          UM, ALSO ONE OF THE, UH, ROADS THAT IS USED FOR AN ALTERNATE ROUTE COMING OFF IS BROADMOOR. 
          I KNOW MY MOTHER LIVES BETWEEN BROADMOOR AND MUNGER AND THE SPEED. 
          SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE GOING 40, 50 AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PUTTING SPEED BUMPS OR SIGNS SAYING WHAT THE SPEED LIMIT IS WOULD BE GOOD. 
          UM, ALSO ONE OF THE ROADS THAT IS USED, UH, TO DO THE BACK WAY TO GET ACCESS TO THE ACCESS ROAD AND THEN GET INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AGAIN, IS KNOCK BLOCK STREET. 
          SO THAT STREET IS VERY, THERE'S A LOT OF POTHOLES. 
          IT'S VERY NARROW AND IT DOES NEED TO BE FIXED. 
          I THINK FOR THE TIME BEING UNTIL DATA IS IS PUT TOGETHER AND A LONG TERM OR MIDTERM SOLUTION IS DONE. 
          MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE THIS CAN BE A SHORT TERM SOLUTION. 
          AND ALSO ON THE LONG TERM TO THINK WHETHER IT'S AN OVERPASS OR AN UNDERPASS, THINK OF THE PEOPLE THAT WALK. 
          I KNOW MY MOM WALKS TO, UM, TO THE GROCERY STORE. 
          SO SOMETIMES SHE'S STUCK WAITING FOR THE TRAIN TO START MOVING AND SOMETIMES SHE'S WAITING TWO OR THREE HOURS BECAUSE OF THE WHOLE COVID THING. 
          SHE WAS NOT TAKING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BUT INSTEAD SHE WAS WALKING. 
          AND SO HER TRIP TO THE GROCERY STORE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A 45 MINUTE WALK FOR HER, IT WOULD END UP BEING A FOUR MINUTE, I MEAN, A FOUR HOUR TRANSIT TIME BECAUSE SHE NEEDED TO WAIT FOR THE TRAIN. 
          THANK YOU, MS. MIRANDA. 
          UH, MOVE ON. 
          THANK YOU, MS. MIRANDA. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          UM, MS. MEN MIRANDA, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT, UH, WE'RE YOU, YOU WERE HOPING THAT WE COULD HAVE SOME KIND OF SIGNS OR SOMETHING TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE'S A TRAIN, THEREFORE THEY DON'T SPEND THEIR TIME GOING TO THAT CROSSING. 
          UH, I KNOW THAT THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS HAS REACHED OUT TO MY OFFICE, UH, AND THEY ARE WORKING ON, UH, SOME DIGITAL BOARDS. 
          I BELIEVE THERE'S ONE GOING UP AT LAWNDALE NEAR GRIGGS. 
          I BELIEVE THERE'S ONE ON WAYSIDE, AND I'M NOT SURE IF WHERE, WHERE THE OTHER ONE, UM, MAY GO. 
          UM, BUT HOPEFULLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE, UH, THAT WILL BE TIED INTO THE SMART RAILROAD CROSSING. 
          UH, SO THAT WAY, UH, IT LETS, UH, THE DRIVERS KNOW THAT THERE'S A TRAIN, FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE 5,200 BLOCK OF LAWNDALE, AND THEREFORE THE, UH, DRIVER DOESN'T HAVE TO SPEND THEIR TIME GOING OVER THERE TO FIND OUT THERE'S A TRAIN BLOCKING, UH, THE CROSSING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS AGAIN MS. MIRANDA FOR BEING WITH US, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. 
          UM, WE NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM MR. BRANDON MARTINDALE, WHO'S WITH US VIRTUALLY, IF YOU CAN, OR ARE YOU HERE IN PERSON, MR. MARTINDALE? WE'VE GOT YOU AS BEING WITH US PRESENT, BUT I DO NOT SEE YOU. 
          TAKE A SECOND TO LOOK FOR YOU AGAIN. 
          NO. 
          AND, UM, WE'LL GO ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER. 
          MR. KYLE ROGERS ONLINE. 
          MR. ROGERS, CAN YOU SPEAK UP OR HIT STAR SIX TO JOIN US? HEARING NONE LOOKING ONLINE, WE'LL, WE WILL CALL YOU AGAIN, MR. KYLE ROGERS, VIRTUALLY WITH US, OTHERWISE PROCEEDING NEXT TO SARAH GUTIERREZ. 
          MS. GUTIERREZ WITH US ONLINE. 
          PRESUMABLY IF YOU CAN HIT STAR SIX OR SPEAK UP, BEEN A LONG MEETING, FOLKS MAY BE GETTING SOME LUNCH. 
          MS. GUTIERREZ LAST CALL FOR YOU. 
          OTHERWISE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO MS. VIRGINIA IVANEZ. 
          MS. IVANEZ, IF YOU ARE WITH US VIRTUALLY, WE'LL TAKE A MOMENT TO HEAR FROM YOU OR HIT STAR SIX IF YOU CAN UNMUTE AND WE'RE NOT SEEING YOU ON. 
          HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? THIS IS KYLE ROGERS. 
          OH, I'M SORRY. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          KYLE ROGERS WITH US. 
          THANK YOU KYLE FOR JOINING. 
          WE CAN HEAR YOU. 
          WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEP. 
          UH, HELLO. 
          AT A RECENT THREE DAY NTSB, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD HEARING ON RAIL INEFFICIENCY, 
          [01:00:01]
A FORMER BNSF SUPERVISOR STATED THAT BNSF UTILIZES PUBLIC CROSSINGS AS PARKING LOTS BECAUSE ITS ACCEPTABLE TRAIN LENGTHS, EXCEED RAIL YARD CAPACITY. 
          UH, SHOULD PUBLIC STREETS BE USED AS DEF FACTO YARDS? I WOULD SAY NO, BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT DOES BNSF THINK? WHAT DOES UP THINK? WHAT DOES THE FRA THINK? WHAT IS AN INTERNALLY ACCEPTABLE STOPPAGE TIME FOR A TRAIN TO BE BLOCKING AN AT GRADE CRASH, UH, TRACK CROSSING? IS IT 30 MINUTES, 60 MINUTES, 120? WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR THE FREQUENT BLOCKAGES NEAR BNSF SOUTH YARD, NEARBY TELEPHONE, LAWNDALE AND POLK TO UP? WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR THE FREQUENT BLOCKAGES AT THE GALVESTON SUB BETWEEN MILBY AND TIC? IS IT TRAIN LENGTH? WHAT INVESTMENTS OR OPERATIONAL CHANGES IS BNSF AND UP ARE MAKING TO REDUCE THOSE BLOCKAGES? WE NEED TO KNOW THIS. 
          AS OF THE LAST AVAILABLE DATA, TRAINS ARE STOPPING FOR OVER AN HOUR ON AVERAGE AT THE GALVESTON SUBLINE. 
          IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, UH, WE WOULD, WE WANT TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE CITY FEDERAL REGULATORS AND RAILROADS. 
          WE HAVE DATA. 
          WE CAN GIVE YOU THIS DATA, BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE SOMETHING IN RETURN, BUT WE WOULD LIKE SOMETHING IN RETURN, WE WANT MINIMAL BLOCKAGES. 
          CHILDREN ARE FREQUENTLY TARDY TO SCHOOL AFFECTING EDUCATION. 
          GOODS ARE HELD UP AT THESE BLOCKAGES AFFECTING COMMERCE. 
          FIRST RESPONDERS ARE REROUTED DURING, DURING EMERGENCIES AFFECTING SAFETY AND HEALTH. 
          WE URGE OUR RAIL COMPANIES TO BE BETTER, TO KEEP BETTER BLOCKAGE DATA AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE PUBLIC TO ACCESS. 
          WE URGE THEM TO DRASTICALLY IMPROVE THEIR OPERATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN THE EAST END. 
          WE URGE THE FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES AND REGULATORS TO LOOK AT HOW RAILROADS ARE OPERATING AND CHANGE THE RULES AND LAWS TO LIMIT UNNECESSARY, UNPREDICTABLE, AND UNPRECEDENTED BLOCKAGES ON OUR STREETS. 
          AND LASTLY, WE URGE OUR CITY, COUNTY, AND STATE OFFICIALS TO HELP CATALYZE COOPERATION BETWEEN US ALL TO THIS END. 
          WE ENCOURAGE ANY AND ALL FUNDING THAT WILL ALLEVIATE OUR PAIN AND BE SOUGHT OUT AND APPLICATIONS TO BE MADE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK, THANK YOU YOU, MR. ROGERS. 
          UH, GREAT QUESTION AND I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO OFFER THAT DATA. 
          WE DO HAVE, UM, THE REPRESENTATIVE, MS. DAVIS FROM BNSF, UH, RESPONDING TO YOUR QUESTION. 
          MS. DAVIS. 
          SIR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          THANK YOU, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR CONCERNS WITH US. 
          UM, WE MOST CERTAINLY ARE TRYING TO MOVE, UH, OUR TRAINS AS QUICKLY AND SAFELY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN THROUGH COMMUNITIES WHEN THERE IS AN ISSUE. 
          AS MENTIONED BEFORE, WE TRY OUR BEST, OUR CREWS, UH, WORK TO, UM, ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AND RESUME THE MOVEMENT OF OUR TRAINS. 
          UM, SO, UH, WE'LL CERTAINLY TAKE YOUR CONCERNS BACK AND TALK TO OUR OPERATIONS TEAM AND ALSO WORK WITH UNION PACIFIC, UM, TO, UM, WORK ON THAT COORDINATION AND THAT HANDOFF OF OUR TRAINS GOING IN AND OUT OF OUR YARD AS WELL. 
          UM, AS I MENTIONED IN MY PRESENTATION BEFORE, UM, COMMUNICATION CAN ALWAYS BE IMPROVED. 
          AND SO WE ARE COMMITTED TO, UM, BOTH COMMUNICATING BETWEEN OUR CREWS AND OUR YARD AS WELL AS, UM, BETWEEN UP DISPATCHING AND OUR CREWS. 
          THANK YOU, MS. DAVIS. 
          UH, NOW I WANT TO THANK YOU MR. ROGERS AGAIN FOR BEING HERE WITH YOUR QUESTION. 
          AND I THINK WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER. 
          AND I'M TOLD THAT MR. TOM THOMPSON IS WITH US ONLINE. 
          I'M GOING TO TRY THAT NOW. 
          MR. THOMPSON, CAN YOU UNMUTE OR IDENTIFY? HELLO? THERE HE IS. 
          ALRIGHT, SIR, GO AHEAD WITH YOUR QUESTION. 
          YAY. 
          YEAH, I'M SORRY ABOUT THE, UH, POOR RECEPTION I HAVE HERE. 
          UH, CELL PHONE COVERAGE WORRIES. 
          GO AHEAD WITH YOUR QUESTION OR COMMENT. 
          SURE. 
          I, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT, UH, IN THE, UH, IN THE PRESENTATION FROM DIRECTOR DAVIS AND, UH, MS. SUMMERLAND, THEY POINTED OUT SOME EXCITING NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAYBE COULD BE APPLIED FOR SOME OF THE ISSUES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. 
          OF COURSE, IT, IT SEEMS THAT ALL OF THEM REQUIRE SOME KIND OF LOCAL MATCH. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE IT GETS TOUGH FOR US. 
          'CAUSE WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES, AS WE ALL KNOW. 
          BUT SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE VOTERS OF TEXAS APPROVED A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT IT, THAT IT ESTABLISHED A TEXAS RAIL RELOCATION AND IMPROVEMENT FUND. 
          THIS WAS BACK IN 2005. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, THAT FUND HAS NEVER BEEN FUNDED BY THE LEGISLATURE. 
          IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT COULD BE A SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR THE KIND OF PROJECTS WE'RE TALKING HERE, TALKING ABOUT HERE THAT COULD, COULD BE USED FOR OUR MATCH TO GET THE, UH, FEDERAL, UH, FUNDING. 
          AND, UH, I'M A MEMBER OF TEXAS RAIL ADVOCATES. 
          UH, THIS ORGANIZATION IS BEGINNING A COMPA A CAMPAIGN NOW TO SOLICIT LETTERS OF SUPPORT THAT CAN BE SUBMITTED 
          [01:05:01]
TO THE, THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE PRIOR TO THE 2023 SESSION, REQUESTING THEM TO ACTUALLY ALLOCATE FUNDING TO THE TEXAS FRAIL RELOCATION AND IMPROVEMENT FUND. 
          AND I'LL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH EMAILS, UH, TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH MORE INFORMATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. THOMPSON, FOR MAKING IT TO US AND FOR ADDING YOUR COMMENT FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD. 
          THANKS VERY MUCH. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK, THANK YOU. 
          PRE PROCEEDING WITH OUR NEXT SPEAKER. 
          I'M GONNA CALL AGAIN BRIEFLY, VIRGINIA IVANEZ, I DON'T BELIEVE IS WITH US. 
          UM, AND FOLLOWING THAT CALL IS ONE NOW FOR BATI BANKSTON, WHO I BELIEVE IS WITH US VIRTUALLY BATI BANKSTON. 
          WE'RE LOOKING FOR PHONE NUMBER AND SEEING NONE. 
          IF YOU'RE THERE, HIT STAR SIX OR IDENTIFY OTHERWISE. 
          MOVING ON THEN TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. JAMES ELLI. 
          MR. ELLI VIRTUALLY WITH US, IF HE CAN SPEAK UP OR HIT STAR SIX TO UNMUTE. 
          JOIN US WITH YOUR CLIENT. 
          CAN YOU HEAR WHO DO WE HAVE? THIS IS JAMES ELLI. 
          OKAY, GO AHEAD MR. ELLI. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY. 
          UM, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 16 YEARS IN THE SAME HOUSE IN THE FIFTH WARD, AND I'VE EXPERIENCED ALL THE ISSUES THAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS, UH, MENTIONED FROM LOUD HORNS, LOTS OF BLOCKAGES BEING STUCK IN A TRIANGLE WHERE IF YOU'VE GOT ONE BEHIND YOU AND ONE IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU CAN'T GO ANYWHERE. 
          HOUR, 30 MINUTE DELAYS, GETTING TO WORK, TRYING TO DO THINGS IN THE EVENING. 
          UH, SUBMIT THE MORE DETAILS ON THESE INTERSECTIONS. 
          AND ALSO WHERE 18 WHEELERS ARE REROUTING DUE TO BLOCKAGES THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, SHAKE MY BED AT FIVE 30 IN THE MORNING. 
          AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL SEND THOSE FOR A COMMENT KIND OF AD-LIBBING A LITTLE BIT HERE BECAUSE I, I LEARNED A LOT TODAY LISTENING TO EVERYBODY. 
          AND I NOTICED TWO THEMES THAT I WOULD HOPE COULD BE ADDRESSED. 
          UM, ONE OF 'EM IS THAT THE ONUS CONTINUES TO BE ON THE CITIZENS, UM, TO REPORT THE BLOCKAGES THROUGH A WEBSITE, A PHONE NUMBER, SO MANY DIFFERENT, UH, DIFFERENT WAYS OR, OR A THREE STEP PROCESS ON U'S WEBSITE. 
          UH, I REALLY THEN WITH, UH, MR. BOUNDS MD, UH, PILOT PROGRAM, NOTICE THAT MORE PASSIVE GATHERING OF THE DATA CONTINUOUSLY REAL TIME IS GOING TO PROVIDE MUCH MORE BENEFIT. 
          SO THE SECOND PART OF IT IS THERE SEEMS TO BE SO MUCH REQUEST FOR FUNDING THAT WILL HAVE TO BE OUT THERE, THAT EITHER COMES FROM FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS, PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS, LOCAL MATCH, EVERYTHING ELSE. 
          AND I NOTICED WITH ALL THOSE PARTNERS THAT WERE LISTED, UM, WE UNFORTUNATELY DIDN'T SEE UNION PACIFIC AS ONE OF THEM ON THERE. 
          SO I WOULD HOPE THAT THEY COULD BE A WILLING PARTNER, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS CHEAPEST, HE SAID. 
          SO THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY TURN THIS FROM NOT JUST THE PILOT PROGRAM, BUT MORE INTO A MUCH MORE CONTINUOUS ONE. 
          AND TO TOUCH ON WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID, UH, I REMEMBER IN 2007 WHEN MAYOR BILL WHITE TOOK A HELICOPTER AROUND AND SPOKE ABOUT THE ARROGANCE OF THE STOPS TRAINS THAT WERE AROUND HERE. 
          UM, AND SINCE 2007, UNION PACIFIC HAS SPENT $48.2 BILLION ON STOCK BUYBACK. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. GELLI. 
          APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT. 
          YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. 
          APPRECIATE THAT POINT. 
          AND, UH, WITH UP HERE STILL IN THE CHAMBER TODAY, UH, I THINK YOUR POINT IS A STRONG ONE FOR HOW THEY MIGHT, UH, CONTINUE TO STEP UP OR FURTHER STEP UP. 
          SO I APPRECIATE THAT COMMENT FROM YOU FOR THE RECORD TODAY. 
          THANKS AGAIN FOR, FOR BEING HERE. 
          UM, AND OUR NEXT SPEAKER ON OUR LIST, WE'LL MOVE NOW TO MR. OSCAR AGUILAR, UH, WHO I BELIEVE IS WITH US IN THE CHAMBER. 
          YES, SIR. 
          IF YOU WOULD COME FORWARD TO THE PODIUM AND, UH, STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. 
          WE'D APPRECIATE HEARING FROM YOU, MR. AGUILAR. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          YES, SIR. 
          COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, I'M OSCAR, OSCAR AGUILAR, GENERAL COUNSEL FOR STATE SENATOR CAROL ALVARADO. 
          AND TODAY I AM HERE ON HER BEHALF AND I WILL BE READING A STATEMENT FROM HER DEAR COMMITTEE MEMBERS. 
          AS A NATIVE OF THE EAST END, I HAVE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND THE LOGICAL AND QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT HAVE RESULTED FROM THE BLOCK CROSSINGS IN THE EAST END. 
          RAIL TRAFFIC HAS LONG KEPT OUR COMMITTEES ISOLATED FROM EACH OTHER, AND AS IMPORTANT AS RAIL TRAFFIC IS, THE ABILITY OF OUR COMMUNITY TO REMAIN CONNECTED IS MUCH MORE PARAMOUNT. 
          MY DISTRICT OFFICE IS LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF LOCKWOOD AND HARRISBURG, ALONGSIDE A BC RAIL LINE IN THE EAST END. 
          ON A WEEKLY BASIS, TRAINS SLUGGISHLY MOVE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OFTEN STOPPING AND BLOCKING MULTIPLE CROSSINGS 
          [01:10:01]
ALONG THE TRACK. 
          CONSEQUENTLY, MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS DAILY ROUTINES ARE OFTEN THROWN OFF BY THE EXTENSIVE WEIGHTS AND UNNECESSARY DETOURS THAT THIS BLOCKAGE HAS CAUSED. 
          MOREOVER, FIRST RESPONDERS OFTEN DRIVE OUR OFFICE RESPONDING TO CALL SOURCE SERVICE ONLY TO FIND BLOCK CROSSINGS PUTTING FURTHER DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM AND WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED. 
          THE TREND DISRUPTIONS LARGELY AFFECT COMMUNITIES. 
          I REPRESENT, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS WORKING TOWARDS A SOLUTION. 
          I APPRECIATE THE INITIATIVE THAT THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL IS TAKING TO FIND SOLUTION TO THIS ONGOING PROBLEM. 
          THE SMART RAILROAD CROSSING MONITORS PILOT PROGRAM INCLUDES SEVERAL BASIC CROSSINGS IN MY DISTRICT, AND I'M EAGER TO REVIEW THE DATA THAT THE PROGRAM WILL PRODUCE. 
          THE FEDERAL FUNDING SOLUTIONS DISCUSSED TODAY ARE ALSO A GOOD STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR INPUT ON HOW STATE RESOURCES CAN BE USED. 
          TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE, WE MUST CONTINUE THE DISCOURSE SO RAIL, SO THAT RAIL COMPANIES KNOW THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT CAN NO LONGER BE IGNORED, AND AN ISSUE THAT WILL TAKE SIGNIFICANT ACTION FROM THEIR PART TO ADDRESS. 
          I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED WORK TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE TRANSPORTATION AND QUALITY OF LIFE NEEDS OF HOUSTON AND SENATE DISTRICT SIX. 
          SINCERELY, CAROL ALVARADO, STATE SENATOR FOR DISTRICT SIX. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. AGUILAR. 
          AND FOR THE LETTER THAT IS HERE SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD, THANK YOU TO HER AND FOR HER INVOLVEMENT AS, AS A MEMBER OF THE SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, I KNOW, UM, WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR HER SERVICE AND FOR YOURS AS WELL. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THANK, THANK YOU MR. AGUILAR. 
          UH, AND ALSO, UH, THANK, UH, SENATOR ALVARADO FOR THE LETTER, UH, AND FOR HER SUPPORT IN OUR, UH, EFFORTS, UH, TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          THANK YOU CHAIRMAN. 
          YES, SIR. 
          AND THANKS FOR GETTING THAT ONTO THE RECORD. 
          UH, RETURNING NOW FOR A MOMENT TO OUR SPEAKER. 
          WE UNDERSTAND BATI BANKSTON BANKSTON IS WITH US ONLINE. 
          MS. BANKSON VI BANKSON TOLD THAT YOU'RE WITH US ONLINE. 
          IF NOT, WE WILL PROCEED. 
          HIT STAR SIX OR LET US KNOW YOU'RE THERE. 
          OTHERWISE, WE'LL MOVE ON IN THE CHAMBER, I BELIEVE WITH US IS MR. TONY GARCIA. 
          MR. GARCIA IS HERE WITH US. 
          IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENT OR QUESTION FOR THE COMMITTEES ASSEMBLED TODAY. 
          THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR ROBINSON. 
          THANK YOU. 
          CHAIR GALLEGOS. 
          SO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW ME, I'M TONY GARCIA. 
          I'M A LOCAL EAST END RESIDENT. 
          I'M A BUSINESSMAN, COMMUNITY LEADER, PHILANTHROPIST, AND ALL AROUND JUST COMMUNITY SERVANT. 
          UM, AS I WAS HEARING THIS MEETING TODAY, I WAS JUST BLOWN AWAY BY THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING. 
          AND, UM, I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU MY POINT OF VIEW FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. 
          THE NUMBER 10 COMES TO MIND, AND THAT IS MY EVERYDAY TASK. 
          IT'S 10, IT'S 10 RAILROAD CROSSINGS THAT ARE BLOCKED WHILE I'M TRYING TO ACCESS MY CHILD TO GET 'EM TO SCHOOL, TO SEE MY MOTHER, WHO IS A GRANDMOTHER AND AN ELDERLY WOMAN REPORTING TO MY OFFICE, REPORTING TO SEVERAL OF MY BUSINESSES, AND REPORTING TO MY CAFE 10 CROSSINGS EVERY DAY THAT ARE BLOCKED IN THE EAST END RESIDENT. 
          THAT'S LAWNDALE, LELAND LOCKWOOD MILBY, OAKHURST POLK, SCOTT SAMSON, UM, ERNESTINE. 
          AND IF I MISSED A FEW, MY APOLOGIES, THIS JUST HAS TO STOP. 
          YOU KNOW, I DO BUSINESS ELSEWHERE IN HOUSTON AND THROUGHOUT TEXAS, AND I CAN SHARE WITH YOU THAT I DON'T ENCOUNTER 10 BLOCKINGS ANYWHERE IN HOUSTON OTHER THAN THE EAST END. 
          SO AT WHAT POINT DID OUR LIVES BECOME LESS VALUABLE? AT WHAT POINT DID THE CITY SAY IT'S OKAY FOR UP AND BNSF TO JUST PARK YOUR TRAINS ON OUR TRACKS? THIS MUST STOP NOW. 
          YOU KNOW, I HEARD EARLIER ABOUT DETECTIONS AND CAMERAS AND, UH, QUIET ZONES AND HOW THEY KNOW HOW THEY CAN DETECT WHEN THEY'RE APPROACHING A QUIET ZONE. 
          WELL, CLEARLY AN ENGINEER IS CERTAIN HE'S BLOCKING A TRACK. 
          THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, AND I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT IT'S ANYTHING FROM MECHANICAL OF FAILURE. 
          WHEN IT HAPPENS ON A ROUTINE BASIS, EVERY SINGLE DAY THEY DELIBERATELY BLOCK OUR TRACKS. 
          IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HINDERING OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. 
          IT'S A SAFETY HAZARD. 
          IT'S AS IF EVERY SINGLE DAY WE PARKED A TRAIN OUTSIDE YOUR HOMES, BNSF, AND YOU P AND SAID, YOU CAN'T GET OUT, YOU CAN'T GO TO THE HOSPITAL, YOU CAN'T TAKE YOUR CHILD TO TO SCHOOL. 
          WE'RE JUST GONNA PARK A TRACK OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE. 
          THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          MY NAME IS TONY GARCIA, AND I THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. 
          WELL, THANK YOU MR. GARCIA, FOR PAYING ATTENTION AND FOR BEING WITH US. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          UH, AND THANK YOU, TONY, FOR YOUR TIME FOR BEING HERE. 
          I KNOW YOU'RE A BUSY MAN, AND I KNOW YOU ARE VERY, VERY, VERY ACTIVE IN THE EAST END. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, UH, IN, IN THE EAST END. 
          UH, AND I, AND LIKE YOU STATED, UH, LELAND, I KNOW YOU HAVE ONE OF YOUR 
          [01:15:01]
OFFICES THERE ON LELAND, JUST A BLOCK OR SO AWAY FROM THE RAILROAD TRACK, SO I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, UH, THE FRUSTRATION THAT YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES GO THROUGH, UH, UH, NOT ABLE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, GET, GET ACROSS THAT RAILROAD TRACK. 
          UH, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. 
          THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. 
          IF YOU YES, SIR, WOULD ENTERTAIN ONE COMMENT FROM THE CHAIR OF, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS AND I WERE RECENTLY, UH, AT THE BOTANICAL GARDEN, OR RIGHT ADJACENT TO IT FOR A TRACK COMPLETION FOR PART OF OUR PEDESTRIAN AND RAIL. 
          AND I RODE MY BIKE BACK FROM THERE AND WAS THROUGH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WITNESSED MYSELF A NUMBER OF BLOCKED INTERSECTIONS. 
          UM, AND I KNOW FROM MY ROUTE THAT I'VE GOT AN APP ON MY PHONE WHERE I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE I WENT ON THAT BIKE RIDE THAT DAY. 
          AND WITH YOUR 10 CROSSINGS, I WONDER IF YOU KNOW SUCH AN APP THAT YOU COULD MAP YOUR DAILY ROUTE. 
          BECAUSE WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED TO ME IS NOT ONLY A COMPROMISE OF YOUR PERSONAL QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT ONE THAT ALSO IS, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTING WHAT WE'RE HERE FUNDAMENTALLY FOR TODAY, WHICH IS PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE CONCERNS THAT AMONG OTHERS CHIEF PENA DESCRIBED. 
          SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU DESCRIBED MAPPED, AND IF YOU NEED ANY HELP, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL LOAN YOU MY END. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I'LL BE CERTAIN TO MAP IT OUT FOR YOU AND CONVEY IT TO YOUR OFFICE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU, MR. GARCIA. 
          THANK YOU, COUNSEL. 
          OKAY, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, WITH US ONLINE AND VIRTUALLY, I BELIEVE THAT'S MR. ANDREW WRIGHT. 
          IF YOU'RE WITH US, HIT STAR SIX OR SPEAK UP AND WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW. 
          MR. ANDREW WRIGHT, ARE YOU STILL WITH US? OKAY. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE HEARING FROM MS. VIRGINIA IVANEZ, WHO, UH, WE THINK IS ONLINE. 
          IF YOU'RE ABLE TO SPEAK, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU, MS. IVANEZ. 
          IT HIT STAR SIX TO UNMUTE, NOT HEARING YOU. 
          WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON. 
          I DO SEE MR. MARK KLEIN IN WITH US IN CHAMBERS. 
          SO LET'S MOVE TO YOUR COMMENT, MR. KLEIN, AND I BELIEVE YOU'RE ON THE NORTH SIDE. 
          I AM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IF YOU COULD, THANK YOU. 
          CHAIR AL HORN AND CHAIR GALLEGOS AND CHAIR ROBINSON. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          GOOD. 
          YOU. 
          I'M MARK KLEIN, PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 12, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE 34TH STREET QUIET ZONE SINCE 2010. 
          AND IT'S, WE'VE WORKED REALLY LONG AND HARD. 
          THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS SUPPORT IT. 
          IT WAS A CRUSHING BLOW WHEN IN 2011, THE FUNDING MECHANISM, WHICH WAS REBUILT, HOUSTON PASSED. 
          AND SO THE FUNDING MECHANISM FOR QUIET ZONES WENT AWAY. 
          AND SO WE SPENT THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS, OR AT LEAST I DID, TALKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS, JEFFREY WEATHERFORD, HARRY HAYES, UH, ELLEN COHEN, FORMERLY CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT C AND OTHERS, AND WERE FOUND, TOLD THAT THERE JUST WASN'T ANY MONEY, AND THAT WE'D HAVE TO FIND SKIN IN THE GAME TO GET THE CITY COUNCIL TO PONY UP. 
          ITS SHARE, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TIME, HALF MILLION DOLLARS, UH, IT'S AN, THAT WOULD BE A MOMENTOUS UNDERTAKING FOR ANY NONPROFIT TO TAKE, UH, LET ALONE A BUNCH OF VOLUNTEERS. 
          AND SO WE WERE NINTH ON THE LIST WHEN THAT LIST, UH, EIGHT OF US GOT COMPLETED. 
          SO WHEN THAT LIST WENT AWAY, THIS IS A LIST THAT HAD BEEN VETTED BY COUNCIL, BY, BY STAFF. 
          AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE ARE FACING THAT THIS HAS BEEN RESHUFFLED. 
          AND NOW 34TH STREET QUIET ZONE COULD BE ANYWHERE ON THE LIST. 
          AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT REMAINS TOP OF MIND FOR, FOR YOU FOLKS AND CITY COUNCIL. 
          WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LARGEST QUIET ZONE THAT WOULD OCCUR IN HOUSTON. 
          IT WOULD IMPACT THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS. 
          IT WOULD IMPROVE THE SAFETY FOR THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS HIGHS, THREE HIGH SCHOOLS, THE YM CS ON IT. 
          THERE ARE, UH, THERE ARE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES ON IT. 
          AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THERE'S AN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY THAT, UH, HAS PROBABLY BEEN UNDERSERVED SINCE IT WAS FORMED IN 1915. 
          AND THAT'S INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS. 
          AND THIS COULD BE AN, A HUGE IMPROVEMENT FOR THEM. 
          AND THEY JUST BUILT THAT NEW HIGH SCHOOL BOOKER T WASHINGTON. 
          UH, IT'S AN AMAZING THING. 
          AND I WANNA SAY THAT, UH, I'M ALWAYS CONFOUNDED, UH, BY BURLINGTON NORTHERN, UH, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY PAY OR CONTRIBUTE FOR SOME OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS. 
          I MEAN, NO ONE'S ASKING ANYBODY TO PAY THE FULL AMOUNT OF THIS, BUT THEY DID MAKE $7 BILLION IN PROFITS LAST YEAR. 
          AND THOUGH SOME OF THOSE PROFITS ARE BORN IN THE BACKS OF RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG THESE LINES THAT SUFFER FROM THE CONSEQUENCES IN OIL POLLUTION, WHICH RESEARCH HAS SHOWN, CAN BE AS EGREGIOUS AS AIR POLLUTION. 
          BUT NONE OF THOSE COSTS ARE BAKED INTO THOSE PROFITS. 
          AND SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A BRAND TO REALLY GET OUT AHEAD OF ITSELF AND TO, TO NOT ONLY HELP ITS SHAREHOLDERS, BUT TO HELP ITS STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY IMPROVE THEIR LIVES AND PROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. 
          I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND WHAT NOISE POLLUTION AND THE TRAIN HORN CAN DO. 
          AND SO THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR BNSF TO IMPROVE LIFE FOR THOUSANDS OF HOUSTONIANS AND FOR CITY COUNCIL AS WELL. 
          SO, THANK YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU, MR. KLEIN. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US IN YOUR APPEAL TO THE INDUSTRY. 
          WE APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. 
          UH, A FEW MORE SPEAKERS ON OUR LIST, WE WILL PROCEED WITH, UH, VIRTUALLY WITH MS. RUBY THOMAS. 
          MS. THOMAS, IF 
          [01:20:01]
YOU'RE WITH US AT STAR SIX OR START TALKING MS. THOMAS RUBY THOMAS LOOKING FOR YOU ONLINE STAR SIX. 
          OTHERWISE, WE WILL MOVE ON. 
          OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MS. PAULETTE KUK. 
          AH, IN THE CHAMBER TODAY. 
          MS. KUK, GLAD YOU'RE WITH US. 
          IF YOU COULD TAKE THE PODIUM AND, UH, STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. 
          CONGRATULATIONS FOR SAYING MY NAME CORRECTLY. 
          WELL , IT'S VERY DIFFICULT. 
          HELLO, I'M PAULETTE KUK. 
          I AM A DIRECTOR WITH THE EASTWOOD CIVIC ASSOCIATION, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION IN REGARD TO THE INTERSECTIONS BLOCKED ON THE GALVESTON SUB AS A RESULT OF STOP TRAINS. 
          THIS DATA WAS COLLECTED BY A SURVEILLANCE CAMERA DIRECTED AT THE CROSSING AT EASTWOOD DOT NUMBER 85 95 22 Y IN MARCH OF TWENTY TWENTY ONE, TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN TRAINS TRAVELED THIS CROSSING OF WHICH 26 STOPPED AND BLOCKED THE INTERSECTION FOR A TOTAL OF 20 HOURS. 
          IN MARCH OF 2022, WE SAW 188 TRAINS TRAVEL THIS CROSSING, OF WHICH 63 STOPPED AND BLOCKED THE INTERSECTION FOR A TOTAL OF 73 HOURS OF BLOCKAGES. 
          THAT'S 30 LESS TRAINS, BUT 37 MORE BLOCKAGES AND 52 MORE HOURS IN A YEAR TO YEAR COMPARISON. 
          THIS ILLUSTRATES THAT THIS PROBLEM IS GETTING MUCH WORSE DESPITE FEWER TRAINS TRAVELING THE TRACK FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS. 
          I'VE PAINSTAKINGLY RECORDED THE DETAILS OF EVERY TRAIN THAT'S TRAVELED THIS CROSSING. 
          HERE'S WHAT WE LEARNED. 
          WE SEE AN AVERAGE OF 163 TRAINS A MONTH. 
          OF THOSE 34% OF THEM COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND BLOCK THE ROAD FOR AT LEAST 10 MINUTES. 
          THE AVERAGE DURATION OF THE BLOCKAGE IS 62 MINUTES EACH MONTH. 
          EACH MONTH, THIS CROSSING IS BLOCKED FOR A TOTAL OF 56 HOURS. 
          ON AVERAGE, THE LONGEST SINGLE BLOCKAGE WAS EIGHT HOURS AND 38 MINUTES. 
          WE SEE AT LEAST ONE BLOCKAGE OF OVER THREE HOURS EVERY MONTH. 
          THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE EAST END. 
          THIS IS A SINGLE CROSSING ON A SINGLE RAIL LINE. 
          THE IMPACTS ARE SIMILAR. 
          UH, OTHER CROSSINGS ON OTHER LINES, WE NEED THE CITY TO ACCELERATE AND EXPAND. 
          ITS SMART RAILROAD CROSSING MONITOR. 
          PILOT, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK CANCEL AND STAFF, ARE THERE PLANS TO REGULARLY SHARE THE DATA FROM THE PILOT PUBLICLY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. 
          WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. COCO. 
          AND, UM, I THINK THE INTENTION IS VERY MUCH TO SHARE THAT DATA, UH, HOW WE DO THAT. 
          I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING A GOOD LOOK AT IT WITH THE PARTNERS WHO'VE PRESENTED TODAY. 
          AND, UH, I DO SEE MR. HRAF, UH, BEHIND YOU WHO PRESENTED EARLIER WHO MAY LIKE TO APPROACH. 
          AND CAN YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD, MR. HRAF, IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE, UM, ON THE RECORD WITH YOUR COMMENT OR RESPONSE? NO, I'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE EAST END COMMUNITY AND, AND THEY HAVE BEEN PROVIDING US THE DATA TO HELP US COMPILE THE, THE ENTIRE STORY ALONG WITH OUR SENSORS. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          AND WE KNOW THE CONCENTRATION OF RAILROAD CROSSINGS IN THE EAST END, THE, THE TRIANGLE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS HAS BEEN SPEAKING OF TODAY. 
          SO WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR DATA COLLECTION, YOUR OBSERVATIONS, AND FOR WORKING WITH OUR TEAM. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          QUESTION, UH, WE DO, MS. KUK, IF YOU'D HOLD ON. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS WOULD LIKE TO, UM, SPEAK. 
          GO AHEAD, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          PAULETTE, IF THERE, IF THERE WAS AN EAST END AWARD, YOU'D BE THE RECIPIENT OF THE EAST END AWARD FOR 2022. 
          UH, CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU GATHERED ALL THIS INFORMATION? YES, I'D BE GLAD TO. 
          I BOUGHT A WISE CAMERA FOR $30. 
          I MOUNTED IT AT THE BACK OF THE HOUSE 'CAUSE THE TRAIN TRACK IS RIGHT BEHIND OUR HOUSE. 
          AND EACH DAY I LOOK AT THE DATA THAT'S COLLECTED FROM THE CAMERA AND IT RECORDS FOR 24 HOURS. 
          I PAINSTAKINGLY LOOK AT EACH TIME THERE IS A STOP TRAIN AND HOW LONG IT STOPPED. 
          I RECORD IT AND I GIVE IT TO DANIELLE WHO CONVERTS IT INTO A CHART. 
          WOW. 
          SO, SO THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR, UH, TAKING YOUR PERSONAL TIME TO DO THIS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GLAD TO THANK YOU. 
          THANKS, MS. COOK HOOK, AND I HAD A LIONEL TRAIN WHEN I WAS A KID, AND I, I WANT YOUR HELP BUILDING THAT NEXT TRAIN SET. 
          . 
          YOU ALL ARE AWESOME. 
          WE, UH, MAYBE DOWN TO OUR FINAL SPEAKER ON THE LIST, UH, BEFORE WE CALL ANYONE WHO WE'VE MISSED, MS. MELISSA BEELER, 
          [01:25:01]
I BELIEVE YOU'RE WITH US VIRTUALLY. 
          UH, MS. BEELER, IF YOU COULD HIT STAR SIX OR UNMUTE GOING TO GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE. 
          AND ASK AGAIN FOR MS. BEELER TO UNMUTE OR SPEAK NOW AND HEARING NOTHING THERE. 
          I'M GONNA CALL ANY OF THOSE WHO MAY HAVE MISSED. 
          AND, UH, THANK YOU CHIEF. 
          MY CHIEF OF STAFF HAS DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB. 
          I WANT TO THANK DIANA SDO AS WELL AS, UH, DANIEL FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GALL'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS JORDAN FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE, AND THE REST OF OUR STAFFS. 
          YOU ALL ARE, UM, DOING GREAT WORK FOR US. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN PASSED TWO SPEAKERS WHO ARE WITH US IN CHAMBERS LATE EDITIONS, BUT WE DO WANT TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE, MR. JOHN SEGOVIA. 
          MR. SEGOVIA, IF YOU'RE WITH US, PLEASE, UH, STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          GOOD MORNING COUNSEL. 
          IF IT'S STILL MORNING, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, BUT GOOD AFTERNOON, . 
          MY NAME IS JOHN PAUL SEGOVIA. 
          I OPEN UP AN HELLO. 
          IF YOU COULD HOLD ON SPEAKER, WE'LL TAKE ONE MORE CALL IN A MOMENT, BUT MR. SEGOVIA, GO AHEAD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, MY NAME IS JOHN PAUL SEGOVIA. 
          I OPEN UP AN ART GALLERY IN THE EAST END, UH, ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. 
          AND IT SITS IN BETWEEN FIVE TRAIN TRACKS ON SAMSON AND RUS. 
          SO, UM, BEING THERE EVERY DAY FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, I GET TO WITNESS THIS, WITNESS THIS FIRSTHAND EVERY DAY. 
          SO IT'S HARD FOR MY CLIENTS TO GET TO APPOINTMENTS BECAUSE OF DAILY TRAIN BLOCKAGE. 
          UH, THE BIGGEST THING HERE IS THAT THE TRAIN HORN ABUSE, UH, TRAIN CONDUCTORS WILL BLARE THEIR HORN FOR MINUTES AT A TIME. 
          AND IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY ANNOYING IF YOU'RE TRYING TO HOST AN EVENT THERE. 
          UH, YOU GET TRAINS ON BOTH SIDES COMING IN AND IT'S JUST A CONSTANT BLARE. 
          IF THERE'S TRAINS PARKED ON THE TRACK, THEN FUTURE TRAINS WILL COME THROUGH THERE AND STILL CONTINUE TO BLA BLARE THEIR HORN. 
          SO IT'S LIKE, WHO ARE THEY WARNING AT THAT POINT, IF THERE'S ALREADY TRAINS BLOCKING THAT AR THAT AREA. 
          SO, UM, WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THE QUIET ZONES TO TAKE PLACE? RIGHT? I HEAR EVERYBODY TALKING ABOUT THIS. 
          UH, BUT REALLY HOW HARD IS IT TO IMPLEMENT THIS? WHY IS THERE TALK ABOUT ALL THIS BUDGET AND COST AND COST EFFECTNESS AND ALL THIS, AND I'M LIKE, A HUMAN KNOWS HOW TO BLOW A HORN. 
          WHY IS THERE MONEY BEHIND IT? RIGHT. 
          SO JUST EDUCATE THEM. 
          UM, I'VE TAKEN PICKS AND VIDEOS OF BEING BLOCKED COMPLETELY ON BOTH SIDES. 
          AND THERE IS A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT NEXT DOOR THAT IS THE, UH, THE SAMSON LOFTS. 
          AND SO IF I'M BLOCKED IN AT A BUSINESS AND THEY'RE BLOCKED IN AT THEIR HOMES, UH, IF ANYTHING WERE TO HAPPEN, I KNOW THERE'S A, A CHEMICAL COMPANY THAT WORKS NEXT DOOR. 
          IF THAT SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN CATCH ON FIRE, WE HAVE NO PLACE TO GO. 
          AND, UH, LISTENING TO THE FIRE CHIEF EXPRESSES THE CONCERNS OF, UH, BEING ALERT OF TRAIN BLOCKAGE MADE ME REALIZE THIS UBER TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 12 YEARS NOW AND I WORKED FOR A LOGISTICS COMPANY WHO HAS ADOPTED THIS TECHNOLOGY BACK IN 2015 TO MONITOR THE DRIVING ROUTES ARE THE TRASH TRUCKS AND WHY IS IT TAKING THE RAILROAD COMMISSION SO LONG TO IMPLEMENT THIS TECHNOLOGY. 
          AND YOU SPOKE ABOUT AN APP THAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR PHONE AND YOU'RE GONNA PASS THAT INFORMATION TO MY FRIEND TONY GARCIA. 
          AND WHY ISN'T THE RAILROAD COMMISSION ADOPTING THIS TECHNOLOGY ALERTING THE FIRE CHIEF OF TRAIN BLOCKAGE? THANK YOU, MR. SEGOVIA. 
          AND YOU HAVE BEEN JOINED AT THE PODIUM FROM MS. DAVIS, FROM THE CITY. 
          MS. DAVIS, IF YOU'D LIKE TO RESPOND? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO AS FAR AS QUIET ZONES GO, UH, AS THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER MENTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIES CHANGE, AND THIS IS PRIOR TO ME TAKING THIS ROLE. 
          AND SO WE HAVE ADDED MORE SIGNATURE PROGRAMS LIKE THE MAYOR STREET REHAB INITIATIVE, UM, TO WHICH WE AIM TO, UH, REDO 2% OF OUR ROADS EVERY YEAR. 
          WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THAT. 
          UM, SO SINCE COMING INTO THIS ROLE, WE HAVE BEEN MOVING SOME FUNDING, UM, TO THE QUIET ZONES, BUT THERE'S A TWO PART EFFORT. 
          SO THERE'S THE PART ON THE CITY, UH, WHERE WE HAVE THE FIVE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW THAT ARE PENDING, UH, WHERE WE ARE DOING OUR PORTION OF THAT, OF, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S, UM, UPGRADING THE, THE PAVEMENT MARKINGS OR THE, YOU KNOW, THE CHANNELIZATION FOR THE CARS. 
          SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO ON OUR SIDE. 
          UM, BUT IT IS AN EFFORT FOR, WE DO THE, WHEN WE DO THE QUIET ZONES, 'CAUSE THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN ON THE RAIL SIDE AND, AND WE CAN'T COMPEL THEM TO DO IT, BUT WE DO PARTNER WITH THEM ON QUIET ZONES. 
          AND SO THAT'S JUST GENERALLY WHAT CAN TAKE SO LONG. 
          UM, AND SO I DO HAVE A STAFF PERSON. 
          UH, PART OF THEIR ROLE IS QUIET ZONES AND PART IS, UM, SCHOOL ZONES. 
          UH, BUT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE ONES THAT ARE PENDING. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT DISCUSSION 
          [01:30:01]
AND EXPLANATION. 
          WE APPRECIATE THAT. 
          AND, UH, UH, WITHOUT ANY COMMENTS OR COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE, WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. 
          I DIDN'T SEE THAT. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, GO AHEAD. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. 
          I KNOW YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT QUIET ZONES THERE AROUND SAMSON IN YORK. 
          UH, THAT, THAT, THAT, AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE, UH, WE'VE SUBMITTED, UH, TO CONGRESSWOMAN GARCIA AND CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, UH, FOR COMMUNITY, UH, PROJECT FUNDING, UH, FOR THAT AREA RIGHT IN THERE FOR A QUIET ZONE. 
          UM, AND, UH, IT'S ESTIMATED THAT IT WILL COST ABOUT $3.6 MILLION, UH, TO CONVERT THOSE CROSSINGS RIGHT IN THERE FOR, UH, INTO A QUIET ZONE. 
          SO I, UH, CAN ONLY ASK THAT YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS AND BUSINESSES IN THE AREA. 
          PLEASE CONTACT CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, UH, AND, AND LET THEM KNOW THAT, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS, UH, ASKED, UH, FOR THEM TO SECURE SOME FUNDING FROM COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING, UH, THESE $3.6 MILLION SO WE CAN ADDRESS THAT. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THEN I WILL ADD, THAT'S THE ONE OF OURS THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR GREAT SEPARATION. 
          UM, AND SO WE HAVE THAT, WE'RE AT ABOUT 30% DESIGN. 
          UH, AND SO THOSE ARE ONES THAT WIN THE NOTICE OF FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE AGAIN, DEPENDING ON THE CRITERIA, THAT IS ONE AT THE TOP OF OUR LIST TO SUBMIT TO GET THE FUNDING SO THAT WE CAN CLOSE THE GAP. 
          AND THE CHAIR WILL NOTE ALSO THAT WITH OUR PARTNERING WITH OUR FEDERAL FRIENDS, UH, THE FOUR MENTIONED CONGRESS FOLKS, UH, SHEILA JACKSON LEE AND SYLVIA GARCIA, WITH THE NEW, UH, RETURN OF POTENTIAL EARMARKS AND, UH, FUNDING, UH, SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED WITH THE IIJA AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE EVERY OPPORTUNITY WORK WITH THOSE, UH, AVAILABLE FUNDS. 
          SO THANK YOU AGAIN BOTH AND COUNCIL MEMBER FOR YOUR RESPONSE. 
          UM, WE'RE GONNA TURN TO OUR FINAL SIGNED UP SPEAKER. 
          MR. JUAN PARRAS. 
          MS. DID I HEAR FROM HERE HE IS. 
          MR. PARRAS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, COMING TO THE PODIUM, IF YOU WOULD IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD. 
          UH, YES SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MY NAME IS, UH, JUAN RA, AND I LIVE IN THE EAST END , CONTINUE ON. 
          PARDON ME. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, UH, I LIVE ALMOST AT THE CORNER OF LOCKWOOD AND HARRISBURG AND RUS RUNS PARALLEL TO THE HARRISBURG RAIL LINE. 
          AND, UH, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF GOOD ISSUES RAISED, BUT NOBODY'S RAISED THE ISSUE OF WHY DON'T THE RAIL YARDS JUST EXPAND THEIR RAIL YARDS FACILITY SO THE TRAINS CAN HAVE A PLACE TO PARK? 'CAUSE UH, THEY'RE SO OFTEN BLOCKING OUR COMMUNITIES THAT I, I CONSIDER THAT THEIR PARKING LOT, THEIR UNOFFICIAL PARKING LOT. 
          AND, UH, IF THEY HAD TO PAY FOR PARKING THERE, I THINK WE WOULD GENERATE A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE CITY. 
          SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER IDEA. 
          BUT NEEDLESS TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALSO AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUE. 
          UH, THE EAST END IS INUNDATED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES, UH, TRAIN TRAFFIC, 18 WHEELERS RUNNING ON OUR STREETS, AND, UH, NUMEROUS ISSUES, UH, THAT IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES AND STANDARD OF LIVING. 
          SO, UH, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT ONE OF THE IDEAS IS TO EXPAND THE RAIL YARDS OR TO PENALIZE OR GIVE FINES. 
          LIKE WHEN YOU'RE PARKING AT A METER AND IT EXPIRES, YOU GET A, A PENALTY, RIGHT? YOU PAY A FINE. 
          IF WE HAD SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT MAY ENCOURAGE THE RAILROAD, RAILROAD INDUSTRY TO EXPAND THEIR RAIL YARDS AND ACCOMMODATE THE TRAFFIC THAT'S COMING INTO HOUSTON. 
          THANK YOU, MR. PEREZ. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SOUNDS SO SENSIBLE AND, AND EASY. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF OUR CHAIR OF THE REGULATORY AFFAIRS WHO HANDLES ALL PARKING ISSUES IN THE ORDINANCE, IF YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT A LEVY FOR THE TRAIN COMPANIES, DO WE HAVE ANY INTEREST IN RESPONDING FROM BNSF OR UP, UH, MS. DAVIS, OR, UH, PLEASE COME FORWARD, SIR. 
          UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. 
          AGAIN, FOR THE RECORD, IF YOU COULD IDENTIFY YOURSELVES. 
          YES, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS TESSA MINOR FROM BNSF. 
          I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND TO, UM, I'M SORRY, I MISSED HIS NAME. 
          JUST WANTED MR. PAREZ, MR. PAREZ. 
          UM, I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, THE RAILROADS WERE BUILT HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO, AND HOUSTON IS BUILT AT CITY AROUND THE RAILROADS, AND SO THAT LIMITS OUR CAPACITY TO EXPAND OUR YARDS. 
          OKAY. 
          THERE'S A, THERE'S ONE ANSWER. 
          HOW ABOUT YOU, MR. ZEC? SO I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CAPACITY PROJECTS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT GOING ON AT INGLEWOOD, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE, SOME OF WHICH WE HAD TALKED ABOUT EARLIER OF BETWEEN THE SIGNAL UPGRADES AS WELL AS, UH, WITHIN THE YARD ITSELF. 
          SO THERE ARE THOSE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT CONTINUING TO MAKE, UH, A NUMBER OF VARIOUS INVESTMENTS WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS RELATED 
          [01:35:01]
TO OUR SIDING PROJECTS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH. 
          FOR THE RECORD, ARE YOU TWO AND YOUR COMPANIES BOTH OFFICIALLY AGAINST A PARKING FEE? I BELIEVE THE FIFTH, NO. 
          YES, I'M AGAINST IT. 
          FAIR ENOUGH. 
          JOKES ASIDE. 
          UH, APPRECIATE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR, UH, WAYS IN WHICH TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS. 
          SO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR BEING HERE. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES. 
          UM, WE ARE NOW AT THE END OF OUR LIST. 
          WE HAVE, UH, NOW A POINT WHERE WE'D LIKE TO MAKE A LAST CALL FOR THOSE SPEAKERS WHO HAVE NOT. 
          HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE ARE CALLING FOR ONE LAST ROUND. 
          YES. 
          WHO'S ON THE LINE PLEASE? HI, THIS IS MELISSA ELLER FROM AIR ALLIANCE HOUSTON. 
          SAY YOUR NAME PLEASE. 
          ONE MORE TIME. 
          MELISSA ELLER ELLER. 
          MELISSA BEELER. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          GO AHEAD WITH YOUR, YOUR COMMENT OR YOUR QUESTION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          AGAIN, MY NAME IS MELISSA AND I'M WITH THE TRANSPORTATION. 
          I'M THE TRANSPORTATION JUSTICE COORDINATOR FOR AIR ALLIANCE HOUSTON, WHO ENVISIONS HEALTHY COMMUNITIES WITH CLEAN AIR EVERY DAY FOR EVERYONE. 
          UM, I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME. 
          I JUST WANNA SAY THAT WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UM, IN REQUESTING IMPROVED CONDITIONS TO RAIL OPERATIONS IN HOUSTON. 
          UM, WE UNDERSTAND AND ALSO EXPRESS THE SAME FRUSTRATIONS THAT, UH, THE COMMUNITY DOES IN TERMS OF THE FACT THAT WHILE WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, SOLUTIONS TODAY, UH, WITH RAILROAD COMPANIES, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. 
          AND, UH, COMMUNITIES, THESE ARE THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE OFTEN GET, UM, YOU KNOW, THE HARMS AS OPPOSED TO THE BENEFITS OF OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. 
          AND, UH, THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME CUMULATIVE IMPACT ISSUES, UM, COMPOUNDING WITH POLLUTION FROM THE PORT AND THE HIGHWAYS. 
          UM, COMMUNITIES ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, TRAIN POLLUTION WHILE IDLING AS WELL. 
          SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT, UM, INDUSTRY COULD SPEAK TO A BIT, UM, IN TERMS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE EMISSIONS WHILE IDLING. 
          AND WHILE WE DEAL WITH THESE TRAIN BLOCKAGES ARE IN FACT HAPPENING FOR HOUSTON. 
          UM, I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION MY OWN EXPERIENCES WITH TRAIN BLOCKAGES. 
          UM, HAVING VISITED MAGNOLIA PARK, UM, WHEN I WAS WORKING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE FOR THE BRAVE BAYOU TRAIL, UM, WE TRIED TO GO VISIT, UM, A TRAIL HEAD, THE BEST TRAIL HEAD THAT THEY CAN, UH, VISIT AT CAPITOL A STREET, UH, RIGHT BEHIND THE, UM, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER THERE. 
          AND A TRAIN WAS WALKING THE TRAIL HEAD, SO WE HAD TO GO WALK TO WAYSIDE, UM, WHERE IT HAS VERY NARROW SIDEWALK, UM, IT'S OBVIOUS, HONESTLY, GRAVEL IN SOME PLACES AND NOT A SIDEWALK. 
          AND WE ARE FACING THREE LANES OF ONCOMING CAR TRAFFIC. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, TRYING TO GO IN LIKE A SINGLE FILE LINE. 
          THANK YOU MS. BEELER FOR, UH, YOUR COMMENTS TODAY AND FOR JOINING US ONLINE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, I THINK MS. RUBY THOMAS MAY BE ONLINE. 
          WE'RE LOOKING AGAIN FOR MS. THOMAS. 
          RUBY, ARE YOU THERE? IF SO, SPEAK UP OR HIT STAR SIX. 
          I THINK WE'RE HAVING CHALLENGES WITH GETTING YOU ONLINE. 
          WE'RE GOING TO CALL ONE LAST TIME FOR MS. VIRGINIA IVANEZ, UNDERSTANDING YOU MAY HAVE JOINED US BACK ONLINE. 
          UNDERSTAND MS. THOMAS, YOU MAY BE TRYING TO UNMUTE, HIT STAR SIX ON YOUR PHONE, SPEAK UP. 
          WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. 
          AND IF WE CAN'T HEAR FROM YOU, YOU CAN ALWAYS SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION TO ANY OF THE CHAIRS WHO ARE CO-SPONSORING THIS MEETING. 
          THAT'S COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS, OR MYSELF, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. 
          UM, SO WITH THAT, I, I, I'M GOING TO CALL FOR ANY FINAL SPEAKERS LAST TIME FOR ANY SPEAKERS TO HIT STAR SIX, UH, OR SPEAK UP. 
          I THINK WE HAVE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME. 
          COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, YOUR STAFF AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, BOTH ONLINE, VIRTUALLY AS WELL AS IN THE CHAMBER. 
          UM, FOR FINAL COMMENTS, LET ME CALL FIRST ON COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          I, UM, WAS IN THE QUEUE. 
          I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UM, UH, MR. PATAS, UH, FOR YOUR YEARS OF ADVOCACY IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU AND THE DO IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          UH, LET ME AGAIN THANK ALL THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO TESTIFIED TODAY AND SHARED THE VERY SERIOUS ISSUES THEY'RE SEEING AND FILLING IN OUR COMMUNITY DUE TO POOR RAIL OPERATIONS. 
          AS I TOLD YOU, PETE, BACK IN 
          [01:40:01]
JANUARY, AND I SAY TO BNSF TODAY, IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT THE RAILROADS WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH CITIES AND COMMUNITIES TO IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT MUTUAL BENEFICIAL SOLUTIONS. 
          WE CAN NO LONGER ACCEPT PROLONGED BLOCKAGES, LASTING FOUR AND EIGHT HOURS, AND EVEN 14 HOURS AS IT WAS LEARNED TODAY. 
          BLOCKING MAJOR THOROUGH AFFAIRS AND NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, LEAVES RESIDENTS STRANDED, FRUSTRATED, AND FIRST RESPOND. 
          RESPONDERS MUST SCRAMBLE TO FIND ALTERNATE LONGER ROUTES. 
          AND AS WE ALL KNOW, EVERY SE SECOND COUNTS IN EMERGENCY RESPONSES, PROLONGED BLOCKAGES ARE UNACCEPTABLE AND MUST BE I ASK THE RAILROADS TO PLEASE WORK WITH US TO REMAIN ENGAGED AND OPERATE MORE RESPONSIBLY. 
          FINALLY, LET ME THANK DIRECTOR JESSE BOUNDS, JACK HANNA, GRIFF, AND ALL THE PARTNERS RECOGNIZE EARLIER FOR ALL THEY'VE DONE TO GET US TO THIS POINT. 
          AND FOR WORKING WITH MY OFFICE TO BRING THIS PILOT TO FRUITION. 
          I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THEIR WORK AND DEDICATION. 
          THE FINDINGS THEY PREVIEWED WITH US TODAY SUPPORT CITIZEN OBSERVATIONS AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT BLOCKED CITY STREETS AND CRITICAL CROSSINGS. 
          AND AS WE NOTED, THE DATA GATHERED THROUGH THIS PILOT WILL BE UTILIZED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND, MANAGE, AND CONTROL THE IMPACTS OF BLOCK CROSSINGS, AND TO INFORM AND ENCOURAGE DATA DRIVEN COLLABORATION BETWEEN COMMUNITIES, FEDERAL REGULATORS, AND THE RAILROAD COMPANIES. 
          AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL AND LET'S ALL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. 
          I CERTAINLY CAN IMPROVE ON THAT. 
          WHAT I DO WANNA SAY, UH, WHAT I HEARD FROM RESIDENTS TODAY WAS ABOUT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. 
          SOME KIND OF KNOWLEDGE OF WHEN YOUR, WHEN YOUR, UM, GRADE CROSSING OR YOUR QUIET ZONE MIGHT BE IN THE QUEUE. 
          SO WE WANNA TALK MORE WITH PUBLIC WORKS ABOUT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADDRESS THESE, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THESE INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS AVAILABLE. 
          THANK YOU TO THE RAILROADS FOR COMING. 
          WE NEED YOU, OUR, OUR CITY ECONOMY, STATE AND NATIONAL ECONOMY. 
          NEED THE TRAINS. 
          WE ALL JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN BETTER GET ALONG AND BE BETTER NEIGHBORS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PARTICIPANTS TODAY, THOSE WHO'VE PRESENTED, STAFF AND COUNCIL FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND ATTENDANCE TODAY. 
          I WANT TO, UH, REMIND THE PUBLIC, UH, AND URGE THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE REPORTING INSTANCES OF BLOCKED CROSSINGS TO WWW.RA.DOT.GOV/BLOCKED CROSSINGS. 
          AND TO CALL UNION PACIFIC AT +1 888-877-7267. 
          I WANNA THANK AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBERS ROBERT GALLEGOS AND COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN AND THEIR TEAMS FOR PARTICIPATING WITH US. 
          UM, ALL OF THESE PRESENTATIONS WILL BE, UM, COMPILED AND PLACED ONLINE, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE IN FUTURE REFERENCE. 
          AND WITH THAT, UH, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE AGAIN AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.