* 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. [00:00:07] END [FY2023 Budget Workshop: Legal ] FOR THE DELAY. UM, BUT GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD POLLARD, AND I SERVE AS VICE CHAIR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. I CALLED THIS MEETING TO ORDER AND WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, WHO IS IN PERSON. ALL BUDGET WORKSHOPS WILL BE CONDUCTED IN PERSON ONLY. PUBLIC SPEAKERS HAVE THE OPTION TO COMMENT IN, COMMENT IN PERSON, OR VIRTUALLY. ALSO WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME STAFF FROM DISTRICT B DISTRICT, F DISTRICT, DISTRICT H, DISTRICT I AT LARGE POSITION THREE AND AT LARGE POSITION 4 48 HOURS PRIOR TO THE START OF ALL WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS. MATERIALS ARE UPLOADED TO SHAREPOINT AND HARD COPIES DELIVERED TO EACH COUNCIL OFFICE. THE BUDGET WORKSHOP SCHEDULE HAS BEEN POSTED TO THE BFA WEBSITE. QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN BE UPLOADED AT ANY TIME DURING THE BUDGET WORKSHOP PROCESS. THE EARLIER THE BETTER, ALLOWING THE DEPARTMENTS PLENTY OF TIME TO PROVIDE RESPONSES. ALL DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO PROVIDE WRITTEN RESPONSES WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR PRESENTATION. TO ANY QUESTION POSTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SHAREPOINT, ALL PUBLIC SPEAKERS SHOULD BE SIGNED IN TO SPEAK. IF YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED UP, PLEASE SIGN IN NOW AT THE FRONT TABLE. DISTRICT E STAFF MEMBER CAROLINA WILL BE MONITORING THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS LIST. COUNCIL MEMBERS. THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET AMENDMENT TEMPLATE HAS ALSO BEEN UPLOADED TO THE SHAREPOINT BUDGET WORKSPACE. MAYOR TURNER SENT OUT A MEMO TO ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNCIL OFFICES TO ENSURE PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSIONS ON THE FISCAL YEAR. 2023. PROPOSED BUDGET REMINDER ONLY OPERATIONAL BUDGET RELATED AMENDMENTS WILL BE CONSIDERED POLICY AMENDMENTS, AS IN YEARS PAST WILL BE RULED OUTTA ORDER. PLEASE SEE THE MAYOR'S MEMO FOR ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE AMENDMENTS ARE DUE ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 25TH. WE ALSO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN IN CHAMBERS IN PERSON THIS AFTERNOON. WE WILL HEAR FROM LEGAL DEPARTMENT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF CITY COUNCIL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE MUNICIPAL COURTS. AS A REMINDER, THE ONLY PEOPLE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY ARE PUBLIC SPEAKERS, WILL GET TO THEIR QUESTIONS AFTER THE PRESENTATIONS. AND QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL HAVE CONCLUDED. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME CITY ATTORNEY, ARTURO MICHELLE AND THI RUIZ TO PROVIDE THE LEGAL BUDGET PRESENTATION. THE FLOOR IS YOURS. UM, LET'S BEGIN WITH, UH, THE SECOND CHART. UH, THIS IS THE FUNCTIONAL ORG CHART THAT WE HAVE. UH, THIS INCLUDES THE, THE DIFFERENT, UM, SECTIONS, THE OVERALL AND THE, UM, THE DOLLARS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. AND THIS IS FROM ALL THREE OF THE, UH, THE FUNDS THAT, UH, AFFECT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, THE GENERAL FUND, THE PROPERTY AND CASUALTY, AND THE WORKERS' COMP FUNDS. IT EXCLUDES ANY, UM, POSITIONS, UH, FUNDED BY ENTERPRISE FUNDS. THEY'RE PART OF OTHER DEPARTMENT BUDGETS SUCH AS PUBLIC WORKS AND AIRPORT. UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, AND THE FOLLOWING ONE, DESCRIBE, UH, WHAT WE DO. YOU KNOW, THE, SOME OF THE MAJOR AREAS. OF COURSE, EVERYONE HERE AT THE TABLE IS INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH IT. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WE DO DEAL PERHAPS MORE THAN OTHER CITIES IN CERTAIN AREAS SUCH AS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES. UH, WE, WE DON'T FOLLOW THE ZONING SCHEME, UH, THE REGULATORY SCHEME THAT MANY CITIES DO THAT PRESENTS PARTICULAR CHALLENGES. WE OFTEN DEAL WITH REGULATORY, UH, OR STATUTORY CONTRACT COMPLIANCE. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ISSUES WHERE THE STATE CHALLENGES US ON PREEMPTION ISSUE OF WATER RIGHTS AND SO ON. SO WE HAVE MORE ACTIVITY THAN I THINK MANY CITIES DO IN THAT AREA. ALSO, WITH OUR PROTECTION OF, OF NEIGHBORHOODS, AGAIN, NOT BEING ZONED DEED RESTRICTIONS, THAT BRINGS UP PARTICULAR ISSUES. THAT REQUIRES, UH, A LOT OF INVESTIGATION, ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS, CHALLENGING, UM, UH, UH, THOSE ENTITIES OR PERSONS WHO WE BELIEVE ARE VIOLATING THE LAW. AND THEN WE DEAL WITH A HUGE NUMBER OF CONTRACTS, YOU KNOW, AND THE CONTRACT ISSUES. AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT NOW, ALTHOUGH I COULD DO IT LATER, WHEN I TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT IN, IN CONTRACTS IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING, WHAT IS VALUED IS TRANSPARENCY AND AVOIDING ANY, UH, FRAUD OR OTHER ILLEGALITIES THAT SLOWS THE PROCESS DOWN. SO WE WORK CONSTANTLY WITH STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT TO TRY TO DO OUR BEST TO IMPROVE THE PROCESSES AND GET THE DEPARTMENTS THE CONTRACTS THAT THEY NEED. [00:05:01] UM, THE NEXT PAGE SHOWS, UH, SOME OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. UM, AND ALSO THE, OUR LABOR LAWYERS, IN ADDITION TO LITIGATION, HAVE A, IN FACT, THEIR LARGEST VOLUME IS PROBABLY THE ADVERSE MATTERS, THE CONTESTED CASE MATTERS THAT ARE NOT LITIGATED BEFORE THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION ISSUES, BEFORE, UM, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OR EEOC, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. UH, IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDE, UH, IT REFLECTS IN PART SOME OF OUR PRIORITIES OF THE FINANCIAL OR SOCIETAL IMPACT OF SERVICE DELIVERY. OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVES OF THE CITY IS ONE WHERE WE PROVIDE SUPPORT SERVICES. WE TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO ACCELERATE THE PROCESS, WHETHER IT'S A TRANSACTIONAL OR WHETHER IT'S AN ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS OF WHAT CAN BE DONE. AND THEN WE ANTICIPATE GROWTH IN AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN, THAT HAVE BEEN GROWING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, YEARS NOW, UH, PUBLIC WORKS WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM AND OUR UTILITY SYSTEM. THE AIRPORT SYSTEM ALWAYS HAS NEW, UH, AND, UH, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES. UH, HOUSING IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE HERE IN HOUSTON AND IN MOST PLACES IN TEXAS FOR QUITE A WHILE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HA, UM, WITH THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE SPENT A LARGE, A BIG FOCUS ON, NOT ONLY IN ORDINANCE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TO POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OFFICE OF, UH, POLICING, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY. IT HAS BEEN HOUSED IN OUR OIG DEPARTMENT. IT, THEY, IT REALLY TAKES THE LEAD CRYSTAL KOOR IN MANY OF THESE INITIATIVES IN EXPLAINING WHAT'S HAPPENING TO COMMUNITY IN TAKING COMPLAINTS AND PUTTING OUT AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN SO THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS DOING. UM, THE NEXT SLIDE GETS, WE START GETTING INTO THE NUMBERS HERE. IT'S, IT'S THE FOLLOWING SLIDE. UM, THE REVENUE BY FUNDS, AND THIS IS MONEY THAT COMES IN. SO I'LL GET TO THE EXPENDITURES NEXT. BUT THIS IS THE REVENUE BY FUNDS. AND AS YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS, UH, THERE'S AN INCREASE IN BOTH THE GENERAL FUND AND PROPERTY AND CASUALTY, UH, PROPERTY AND CASUALTY FUND REVENUE IS, IS JUST INCREASED TO REFLECT THE, THE INCREASED EXPENDITURES. THE GENERAL FUND INCREASE IS DUE PRIMARILY TO VACANCIES. WE'VE HAD AN ISSUE IN, IN BEING ABLE TO STAFF OUR DEPARTMENT. I THINK THAT'S GENERALLY TRUE OF MANY, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC SECTOR, UH, LEGAL DEPARTMENTS. BUT HERE, IT HAS BECOME A BIG ISSUE THAT I THINK WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE BY HAVING MARKET, UH, ADJUSTMENTS TO INCREASE. I THINK THE MAYOR WORKED WITH US, AND, AND HE DID, I, I THOUGHT A REMARKABLE JOB OF BEING ABLE TO FUND MARKET INCREASES. SO WE ARE NO LONGER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MAJOR CITIES IN TEXAS, AND THEN OTHER MAJOR, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS SUCH AS METRO HARRIS COUNTY. AND THE FOLLOWING SLIDE REFLECTS JUST WHAT, WHAT I WAS SAYING RIGHT NOW. IT, IT'S THE, UH, THE REVENUE HIGHLIGHTS. THE GENERAL FUND SHOWS THE, THE VACANCIES OF SAVINGS THERE, AND THEN THE PROPERTY AND CASUALTY REVENUES TO MATCH THE EXPENDITURES IN THE FUNDS. NOW, THE FOLLOWING SLIDE GETS INTO, UH, EXPENDITURE BY FUNDS. AND, UH, WE GO THROUGH TO THE THREE MAJOR FUNDS THAT I'VE DISCUSSED BEFORE. UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S A, A BIGGER BUMP IN THE WORKERS' COMP FUND, BUT THAT'S A SMALLER ONE. AND SO THAT'S, IT'S PROBABLY BETTER TO EXPLAIN THAT IN THESE OTHERS IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDES WHERE WE CAN GET INTO THE DETAILS. BUT YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THE GENERAL FUND HAS AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 17% AND ABOUT SIX, 6% FOR THE PROPERTY AND CASUALTY FUND. SO THE FOLLOWING SLIDE, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, YOU'LL SEE, YOU KNOW, THE TWO DARK BARS TOWARD THE TOP. UH, WHAT'S IN UNDER THAT FIRST BAR IS, IS REALLY THE NET CHANGE TO FY 2022. AND THEN BELOW THE SECOND BAR IS THE FY 2023, UH, EXPENDITURE. SO WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS WE HAVE AN OPERATING BUDGET. WE BEGIN WITH, THEN YOU ADD IN THE HOPE ADJUSTMENT. UM, THEN YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL STAFF AND PAY ADJUSTMENTS. SO THAT IS PART OF WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT BEFORE WITH THE INCREASE. AND THEN BELOW THAT, YOU HAVE RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS AND RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS. ARE IT APPLICATION DATA SERVICES. YOU KNOW, THE LAW HAS INCREASINGLY BECOME DEPENDENT ON, UH, TECHNOLOGY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO, TO DO THE JOB THAT YOU NEED TO DO TO PROVIDE QUALITY LEGAL WORK. UH, GOING BELOW THE SECOND BAR, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FY 2023, [00:10:02] YOU CAN SEE THERE, UH, A REFLECTION OF SOME OF THE REMARKS I'VE MADE TO DATE. UM, THE PROGRAM ADJUSTMENTS ARE IN THE, UH, DEPARTMENT MARKET SALARY INCREASE, THE ADDITIONAL STAFF AND PAY ADJUSTMENTS. AND THEN THE, THE PARENTHETICAL, THE TWO 16, THE NEGATIVE IS JUST, UH, REFLECTS A PERSONNEL TRANSFER FROM ONE FUND TO ANOTHER. UH, THEN THERE ARE CONTRACTUAL, UH, OR MANDATED ADJUSTMENTS. THAT INCLUDES HOPE, UH, AGAIN, RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS. AND THEN HEALTH BENEFITS, UH, MAKE UP THAT LAST NUMBER 44. AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO BUDGETS, THAT YIELDS A 17% CHANGE. UM, I, THIS WAS SET UP TO SET QUESTIONS FOR LAST, BUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AT ANY POINT, PLEASE ASK ME. I DON'T WANT TO GO OVERLOOK A SLIDE WHERE YOU MAY HAVE, IT MAY BE CONFUSING TO YOU. UH, THE FOLLOWING, UH, SLIDE, SLIDE 10. THIS IS THE HIGHLIGHTS. IT'S AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE INCREASE IS THE MARKET SALARY INCREASE TO BRING US UP TO COMPETITIVE WITH THE OTHER, UH, ENTITIES TO WHICH WE WERE LOSING ATTORNEYS, FRANKLY, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR. AND THEN THE, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE MADE FOR HEALTH BENEFITS, FOR HOPE AND SO ON. AND THEN THE FUNDING FOR OUR OUTSIDE COUNSEL, LITIGATION SUPPORT, CLAIMS AND JUDGEMENTS. THE FOLLOWING SLIDE, NUMBER 11 IS THIS. NOW I BEGIN A, A SERIES OF CHARTS TO SHOW, UM, WHERE THE MONEY'S GOING WITHIN A FUND. SO THIS IS THE GENERAL FUND. IF YOU LOOK AT THE LEFT, YOU'LL SEE THAT PERSONNEL MAKES UP 92% OF THE COSTS. AND THAT'S VERY TYPICAL FOR ANY LEGAL DEPARTMENT, LAW FIRM, ANYWHERE. THAT'S GENERALLY WHERE YOU HAVE THE HUGE BULK OF YOUR COSTS. NON-PERSONNEL IS 8%. THE PIE CHART TO THE RIGHT, WHERE THE ARROW IS POINTING, BREAKS DOWN THE NON-PERSONNEL. SO YOU HAVE THE RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS THAT MAKE UP, UH, ABOUT HALF. AND THOSE RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS ARE THE IT APPLICATIONS, DATA SERVICES, VOICE SERVICES, INSURANCE FEES, GIS, HR, CLIENT SERVICES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. THEN YOU HAVE OTHER SERVICES THAT MAKE UP 18%. AND THIS IS ANNEX PARKING SOFTWARE, MAINTENANCE, MAIL SERVICES, CODE OF ORDINANCE, PRINTING, UM, CLE, BARDOS TRAVEL, UM, SUPPLIES, OUR OFFICE AND COMPUTER SUPPLIES. THAT'S ANOTHER 12% GENERAL OFFICE SERVICES. THOSE ARE IN THE NATURE OF WESTLAW TITLE DATA. AND THEN PAYING THE HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF AD FOR ARCHIVE SERVICES. AND THEN THE LEGAL SERVICES, THE 9% IS, IS OUTSIDE COUNSEL THAT WE USE FOR IMMIGRATION, VISA VISAS, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND THEN SUPPLIES ARE YOUR STANDARD OFFICE AND COMPUTER SUPPLIES. UH, THE NEXT SLIDE 12 IS THE SHOWS, THE PROPERTY AND AND CASUALTY FUND. AND THERE YOU SEE, THE NUMBERS ARE, ARE REVERSED BECAUSE THIS IS FROM, THIS IS FROM WHICH WE PAY OUR CLAIMS. SO PERSONNEL MAKES UP ONLY 35%, WHEREAS NON-PERSONNEL MAKES UP 65%. AND THEN LOOKING AT THE PIE CHART TO THE RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BULK OF THE, UH, EXPENDITURES THERE ARE ANTICIPATED FOR CLAIMS SETTLEMENTS, JUDGMENTS, ATTORNEYS FEES, UH, LEGAL SERVICES ARE OUTSIDE COUNSEL FEES, UH, LITIGATION SUPPORT. THOSE ARE EXPERT WITNESSES, COURT REPORTERS, MEDICAL SERVICES, DOCUMENT READING, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. THEN WE HAVE SUPPLIES AND, UH, RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS, AND THEN OTHER SERVICES, WHICH WERE THE PROFESSIONAL AND MEMBERSHIP FEES, WESTLAW, TRAVEL, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. THEN THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE WORKERS' COMP. UH, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, PERSONNEL MAKES UP THE BULK OF THAT, ABOUT THREE FOURTHS. AND THEN NON-PERSONNEL, UH, IS ABOUT A FOURTH. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE, TO THE RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE RESTRICTED ACCOUNTS, AGAIN, THE IT APPLICATION, DATA SERVICES, ET CETERA, MAKE UP THE BULK OF THAT, SUPPLIES A SMALL AMOUNT, AND THEN THE OTHER SERVICES, THE PARKING, THE SOFTWARE, UH, AND, AND SO ON. SO THAT'S HOW THE WORKERS FUND COMPENSATION FUND BREAKS DOWN. SO AT THIS POINT, UH, I'M OPENING UP TO QUESTIONS AND ALL I REALLY HAVE LEFT AFTER THAT IS JUST A GLOSSARY, OUR ORG CHART, AND THEN SOME DEMOGRAPHIC DATA AND THE, UH, DEPARTMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANK YOU, ARTURO, UH, FOR YOUR [00:15:01] PRESENTATION. COUPLE QUESTIONS. TRY TO EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC, UH, THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUR PUBLIC LAW PRACTICE AND A PRIVATE LAW PRACTICE. ARE THERE THINGS WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT THAT WE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LACKING, UM, AS OPPOSED TO A PRIVATE LAW FIRM, WHETHER IT'S WITH SOFTWARE OR ANY OTHER APPLICATIONS? WE, CERTAIN LAW FIRMS CAN, CAN AFFORD THE NEWEST AND THE BEST TECHNOLOGY. UH, I, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE, OBVIOUSLY WITH MORE FUNDS, YOU CAN, YOU CAN PURCHASE MORE, ALSO MORE OF THE TECHNOLOGY. SO IT'S SPREAD OUT AMONG FEWER PEOPLE WHEN YOU DO THAT. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE, YOU KNOW, THAT HAS TO BE REVIEWED, THAT HAS TO BE EDITED TO PINPOINT, TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT, UH, YOU KNOW, IN ANY LITIGATION OR ANY OTHER MATTER. SO YOU DO HAVE THAT CONSTRAINT. BUT, UH, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND FUNDS TO GET THE, THE SOFTWARE AND THE TECHNOLOGY WE NEED, WE THINK, TO BE ABLE TO DO, UH, AS GOOD A JOB AS CAN BE EXPECTED. ARE THERE ANY OUTSIDE, UH, OF THE GENERAL FUND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL, UH, DOLLARS OR FUNDS THAT COME INTO YOUR DEPARTMENT? UH, OUTSIDE OF A PROPERTY CASUALTY OR GENERAL FUND? WE CAN, WE SOMETIMES RECOVER FUNDS. I MEAN, WE DID IT, UH, WE RECOVERED FUNDS FOR THE CITY, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT WHEN WE WERE SENT TO DEFECTIVE MASKS, YOU KNOW, DURING THE PANDEMIC, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WE RECENTLY SETTLED THE ALLENS CREEK RESERVOIR, UM, MATTER THAT, UH, WE TOOK ISSUE WITH STATE LEGISLATION, WE WERE ABLE TO PREVAIL, AND WE RECEIVED, EVEN IF IT'S NOT INDIRECT DOLLARS OVER TIME, WHAT I THINK WILL, WILL BE SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS TO THE CITY. I THINK YOU HAD MENTIONED IN YOUR PRESENTATION, UM, THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AT ONE POINT IN TIME WAS TOWARDS THE BOTTOM. MM-HMM . UH, WHEN IT CAME TO, IS THAT MAJOR CITIES OF COMPETITIVE SALARY? YES, THAT'S RIGHT. THAT WOULD BE SAN ANTONIO, UM, DALLAS FORT WORTH. AND ALSO COMPARING LOCALLY HERE TO HARRIS COUNTY AND METRO, WHERE ARE WE NOW? UH, WE ARE, WE'RE MORE TOWARD THE, WE'RE AT THE MEDIAN. WE'RE, WE'RE RIGHT THERE. UH, WE THINK WE'RE, WE SHOULD BE FOR THE TIME BEING. AND WHAT ARE OUR EFFORTS FOR RECRUIT RECRUITMENT AT THE DIFFERENT LAW FIRMS, AT THE LAW SCHOOLS TO TRY TO, UH, ATTAIN THE BEST TALENT? WE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, I THINK WE NEED TO PROBABLY TAKE A MORE DIRECT APPROACH TO WORKING WITH THE LOCAL LAW SCHOOLS, WORKING WITH THE DEANS. I'VE HAD A COUPLE CONVERSATIONS. WE DO GET A LOT OF INTEREST FROM, UH, FROM LAWYERS, AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, I THINK, HIRE SOME TALENTED YOUNG LAWYERS FROM THE LOCAL LAW SCHOOLS OR WHO COMING OUT OF PRACTICE HERE. WE DO SOMETIMES HAVE DIFF A BIT DIFFICULTY TRYING TO HIRE IN SOME OF THE MORE SPECIALTY AREAS, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WATER RIGHTS OR IT TECHNOLOGY. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS BY COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN. THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR. UM, CITY ATTORNEY. MICHELLE, FIRST OFF, UH, JUST A HUGE THANK YOU, UH, AND MOMENT OF GRATITUDE TO YOU AND THE ENTIRE TEAM. I KNOW THAT YOU BREAK DOWN, UM, ALL THE DIFFERENT SPECIALTIES THAT YOUR OFFICE TAKES CARE OF, BUT I DON'T THINK, UH, IT, IT'S REALLY HARD TO GRASP HOW MUCH Y'ALL ACTUALLY DO, UH, DAY IN AND DAY OUT, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT MATTERS THAT YOU ALL HAVE EYES ON. UM, REMIND ME HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, ROUGHLY? UH, I THINK WE HAVE ABOUT 170. I KNOW THAT'S NOT PRECISE, BUT THAT'S OKAY. UM, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU, BECAUSE I KNOW, UH, WE OFTEN SEE ITEMS COME UP WHERE WE'RE SEEKING OUTSIDE COUNSEL, BUT THAT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY FROM, UH, THE EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU ALL DO. AND THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING SO RESPONSIVE, UH, TO MY OFFICE ON THINGS REALLY QUICKLY. UM, THE, THE COURT BACKLOGS AND DELAYS THAT WE'VE SEEN, UM, THAT THE, THE COUNTY IS FACING, HOW HAS THAT HAD AN IMPACT, IF ANY, ON, UH, CITY RELATED LITIGATION? UH, I THINK IT'S PRIMARILY AFFECTED IT IN, IN TWO WAYS. ONE, I THINK OUR MUNICIPAL COURTS NOW THAT, UM, IN, IN-PERSON, UM, HEARINGS AND TRIALS ARE OCCURRING, YOU HAVE A RUSH NOW BECAUSE OF THE BACKLOG, ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T QUITE WHAT IT WAS IN THE, THE CIVIL COURTS. WHAT I THINK WE SEE IN THE CIVIL COURTS IN AN AREA THAT WE'VE HAD SOME CONCERN BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO STAFF, IS REALLY IN THE TORT CASES. AND SO NOW THAT THE COURTS ARE BACKLOGGED, WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE, AND PARTICULARLY WHEN WE, WE NEED LAWYERS AND ALSO PARALEGALS. IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT TO FIND PARALEGALS. [00:20:01] IT'S DIFFICULT TO COMPETE WITH A PRIVATE SECTOR, TOO. SO I THINK THAT HAS JUST REALLY ADDED TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE AS A, AS A PUBLIC ENTITY LAW FIRM DURING THE PANDEMIC. I KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WHEN LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE HOME, WE GOT AT LEAST THE DISTRICT OFFICES A LOT MORE CALLS, RIGHT. OF ISSUES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. DID YOUR OFFICE SEE AN, A HIGHER INFLUX, UM, OR, OR, OR CASES AND ISSUES, UH, REMAINING STEADY? YEAH, I, I THINK THAT THERE WERE, UM, THERE WERE PARTICULARLY CHALLENGES AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF ISSUES THAT, THAT HAD TO BE RAISED THAT, THAT WE HAD TO ADDRESS. AND I THINK MUCH OF THAT HAPPENED BEFORE I ARRIVED. AND I THINK DEPEN AND RANDY ZAMORE AND THE TEAM DID AN EXCELLENT JOB. ABSOLUTELY. AND FINALLY, UM, WHAT ARE THE NEEDS GIVEN THE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS THAT THE CITY CONTINUES TO FACE, THE REVENUE CAP, ET CETERA, UM, WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THAT AREN'T, UM, ADDRESSED IN THIS, IN YOUR BUDGET THIS YEAR? UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF YOU HAD A WISHLIST, YOU WOULD PROBABLY TRY TO EXPAND MORE IN SUPPORT SERVICES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW, PARALEGALS, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE ABILITY TO INVESTIGATE CLAIMS, PARTICULARLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU LOOK AT NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, THEY HAVE DONE, THEY FILED 11 CHAPTER 1 25 LAWSUITS. THEY'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN CHALLENGING SOBS BARS, SPIVEY, UM, BLO STREET, FOR EXAMPLE. UH, BUT THOSE TAKE TIME AND THOSE TAKE EFFORTS IN ADDITION TO WHAT, UH, HPD PROVIDES. THANK YOU. AND IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE, UM, VICE CHAIR, UH, TO PUT ME BACK IN QUEUE, I'D APPRECIATE IT. SURE. AND I ALSO WANNA WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK, COUNCIL MEMBER MARY ANN HUFFMAN, AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON TO THE CHAMBERS. NEXT WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS AND STAFF FROM DISTRICT K AND DISTRICT D, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, AND SHOUT OUT TO RANDY ZAMORA FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK HE DID ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE, SITTING THERE BEHIND YOU, UH, ON PAPER REDUCTION, YOU KNOW, LEGAL'S A LOT OF PAPER. AND ARE Y'ALL DOING DOCUSIGN? ARE Y'ALL TRYING TO CUT DOWN ON CONTRACT PAPERS GOING BACK AND FORTH? CAN YOU DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR EFFORTS THERE? YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE PAY MONEY TO HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ED TO ARCHIVE, YOU KNOW, AND WE NEED TO GO AS PAPERLESS AS POSSIBLE. IT IS, THAT CAN'T BE DONE IN ALL INSTANCES, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT A PARTICULAR COURT YOU'RE IN AND WHAT'S BEING REQUIRED. UH, WE HAVE THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT, I THINK EVERYONE IS IN THE DEPARTMENT IS CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO USE LESS PAPER. IT, YOU KNOW, IT AFFECTS OUR BOTTOM LINE. AND FRANKLY, IT MAKES IT MORE EFFICIENT IN BEING ABLE TO, UM, IDENTIFY AND, AND FIND SOMETHING AFTER THE FACT. SO THERE'S NOT REALLY AN ORCHESTRATED EFFORT, IT'S JUST KIND OF A LET'S TRY TO DO BETTER, OR IS THERE ANYTHING KIND OF IN PLACE TO, THERE IS NOT SPECIFIC REDUCTION EFFORTS. THERE IS NOT A, UH, A PLAN. I, I'M GONNA TAKE THAT UNDER ADVISEMENT AND LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING IN, IN ORDER TO DO THAT. I DO KNOW THAT IT, IT, IT JUST MAKES US MORE EFFICIENT WHEN WE DO THAT. AND I THINK EVERY LAWYER, WE, OUR LAWYERS ARE FRANKLY OVERWHELMED IN THEIR, IN, IN WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO, AND THEY WILL ALWAYS FIND WAYS TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT. BUT YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT. THANK YOU. THAT IS A GOOD POINT. I KNOW THAT, UH, IN MY LAW FIRM, WE TRY TO BE EFFICIENT WITH, UH, GOING PAPERLESS, BUT YOU KIND OF ARE ALSO VERY, UH, ACCUSTOMED TO HAVING THOSE PAPER FILES IN FRONT OF YOU AND YOU LIKE TO GRAB 'EM AND WRITE NOTES AND YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. AND SOMETIMES GOING PAPERLESS AT A LAW FIRM, IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD BE MORE EFFICIENT, BUT SOMETIMES IT COULD BE, UH, A LITTLE FRUSTRATING AS WELL. SO I KNOW THAT THAT BALANCE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL WILL CONTINUE TO CONSIDER AND FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, AMY, UH, ABBY CAME IN, SORRY, IT WAS A CLOSE ONE. , UM, CITY ATTORNEY, UH, AS IT RELATES TO NUMBERS AND METRICS, IT'S HARD, RIGHT? SOME DEPARTMENTS CAN HAVE EASY METRICS. UM, YOUR DEPARTMENT, WHAT MAY SOMEONE MAY THINK IS A WIN IN COURT IS ACTUALLY A BETTER WIN BECAUSE WE HAVE A SETTLEMENT, LESS COURT COSTS, ET CETERA. UM, ARE, DO YOU TRACK NUMBERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT? HOW MUCH, UH, DOLLARS ARE GENERATED FROM SETTLEMENTS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE? YEAH, WE DO, UH, YOU KNOW, MUCH OF OUR LITIGATION IS DEFENSIVE, SO WE'RE ALSO LOOKING, YOU ALSO WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT SOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE REALISTICALLY WHAT WE FELT, UH, YOU KNOW, A JUDGE OR JURY COULD AWARD. AND IF WE WERE ABLE TO SETTLE FOR LESS THINGS OF THAT NATURE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE, UM, LITIGATION [00:25:01] WHERE WE'RE THE PLAINTIFF THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT. BUT YEAH, WE DO HAVE THAT DATA. OKAY. I JUST, AGAIN, JUST WONDERING, I THINK Y'ALL DO A PHENOMENAL JOB AS, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS MENTIONED, RANDY, WITH THE SOUND SOUND ORDINANCE, UM, THE DRES, AS I LIKE TO SAY, ON MULTIPLE THINGS. BUT AGAIN, THE ENTIRE TEAM, UH, JUST REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF Y'ALL'S WORK. THANK YOU. WELL, AGAIN, UH, WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, UH, CITY ATTORNEY MICHELLE, AND TO YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE STAFF, UH, FOR ALL THE CONTRIBUTIONS. WE KNOW YOU ALL DO A LOT WITH A LITTLE, UM, AND YOU ALL DO A GREAT JOB OF COLLABORATING AND ENGAGING WITH OUR OFFICES. UH, SO CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK AND THANK YOU AGAIN. AND YOU MAY BE DISMISSED. THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW BEGIN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. WE WILL START WITH OUR VIRTUAL PUBLIC SPEAKERS. PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR NAME. THE FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE ING SABA BLANDING, PLEASE PRESS HI. GOOD AFTERNOON. CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? YES, MA'AM. OKAY, WONDERFUL. UM, I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS. ON SLIDE 20, IT SAYS THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UM, NEGOTIATED POLICE AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE UNION CONTRACTS. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE'S A PLAN TO MAKE THIS PROCESS PUBLIC, LIKE IN OTHER CITIES, AND IF NOT, WHY? UM, I WAS ALSO CURIOUS WHEN AND HOW THE OFFICE OF POLICING REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, IS PLANNING TO IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY LED RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND POLICING BEYOND THE MAYOR'S APPOINTEES. UM, I WAS ALSO CURIOUS, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN ADDRESSED THIS IN AN EARLIER DEPARTMENT PRESENTATION, UM, BUT WHAT ARE PLANS TO EXTEND THE PRENATAL, PARENTAL AND INFANT WELLNESS LEAVE ORDINANCE? AND FINALLY, UM, I WAS, UH, PERSONALLY CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF FUNDING FOR ONE SAFE HOUSTON IS OUTSIDE OF HPD, UH, PARTICULARLY CURIOUS ABOUT VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION AND, AND PREVENTION MEASURES AND YOUTH OUTREACH. IT MAKES SENSE HOW IT'S SET UP ON THE WEBSITE BY LIKE, UM, ISSUE. BUT JUST IN TERMS OF BUDGETING, I'M CURIOUS HOW THE BREAKOUT IS WITH DEPARTMENTS. MS. BLANDING, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL TIME BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WERE KIND OF RUNNING THROUGH THOSE, UH, QUESTIONS SO THAT WE COULD, UM, ENSURE THAT WE GOT IT ALL IN THE ALLOTTED TIME. BUT CAN YOU PLEASE REPEAT QUESTION ONE AND, AND SPEAK A LITTLE SLOWER FOR US? UH, YEAH. WELL, , YEAH. UM, SORRY. YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO GET IN LIKE 23 QUESTIONS, SO OH, GOOD. UM, MY FIRST QUESTION WAS THAT ON SLIDE 20 IT SAYS THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UM, IS THE ONE THAT NEGOTIATES THE POLICE AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES UNION CONTRACTS. AND I WAS CURIOUS IF THERE'S A PLAN TO MAKE THIS PROCESS PUBLIC, LIKE IN OTHER CITIES, INCLUDING IN TEXAS, AND IF NOT, WHY NOT? THAT WAS, UH, MY FIRST QUESTION. SO, SO ON THAT FIRST QUESTION, UM, YOU ARE RIGHT. THE, UH, CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT DOES, UM, NEGOTIATE WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS UNION. I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, PLANS MOVING FORWARD, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED BETWEEN THE MAYOR AND, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY, UM, EACH PARTICULAR YEAR ON THEIR VISION AND THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AS IT PERTAINS TO THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS, WE ARE AWARE THAT OTHER CITIES DO HAVE, UM, WHAT MAY BE CONSIDERED A MORE OPEN PROCESS. UM, BUT THOSE CONSIDERATIONS LIE SOLELY WITH THE MAYOR, HIS VISION AND WORKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY. DID YOU NEED ME TO REPEAT MY OTHER QUESTIONS? I KNOW I WAS TRYING TO GET THEM OUT REALLY QUICK. YES, YES, PLEASE. OKAY. AND I WAS GETTING A LITTLE WINDED TOO. UM, SO MY SECOND QUESTION WAS, WHEN AND HOW IS THE OFFICE OF POLICING REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY PLANNING TO IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY LED RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND POLICING? SO JUST BEYOND THE APPOINTEES, SOME MORE COMMUNITY LED INPUT? YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT AS WELL. UM, I WOULD, UH, REQUEST THAT THE CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE KIND OF LOOK INTO THAT SOMEWHAT TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN GET ON THE SCHEDULE AS A WAY IN WHICH WE CAN TAKE QUESTIONS, UH, FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT TO, UM, THAT OVERSIGHT, UM, OFFICE, AND THEN BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME TYPE OF FEEDBACK. OR YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO YOUR, UM, SPECIFIC DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, ON ADVOCATING FOR THAT AS WELL. UH, FOR THE DISTRICT J OFFICE, I CAN SAY THAT I WOULD LEAN TOWARDS TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO COLLABORATE WITH, UH, MR. KO FOR, UH, TO, TO DO MAYBE A, A VIRTUAL, UH, TOWN HALL, UH, WHERE WE CAN SUBMIT SOME, UH, QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC AND THEN BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE ANSWERS. OKAY. AND TO REPEAT MY THIRD QUESTION, AND THIS IS MORE, UM, TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, PERHAPS, UM, [00:30:01] YOU ADDRESSED THIS IN OUR EARLIER DEPARTMENT PRESENTATION, BUT I WAS CURIOUS, UH, ABOUT ANY PLANS TO EXTEND THE PRENATAL PARENTAL AND INFANT WELLNESS LEAVE ORDINANCE? UM, SABA AS IT RELATES TO EXPANSION OF THE, UH, PAID PARENTAL LEAVE, UH, PROGRAM, ALL CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES ARE CURRENTLY COVERED. UH, THE MAYOR HAS, UH, ASKED, AND WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGING, UM, A AFFILIATED ARMS OF THE CITY THAT MAY NOT BE WITHIN COUNCIL'S DIRECT CONTROL, FOR EXAMPLE, METRO HOUSTON FIRST, ET CETERA, UM, TO BEGIN LOOKING AT THAT FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, UM, AS WELL AS FOR CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, ET CETERA. UM, I DO KNOW THAT OTHER WORK IS BEING DONE BY THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION, BUT I CANNOT SPEAK TO THAT. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION ABOUT THE PROCESS. UM, AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION, UM, WAS WHAT PERCENTAGE OF FUNDING FOR ONE SAFE HOUSTON IS OUTSIDE OF HPD? UM, AND I WAS PARTICULARLY CURIOUS ABOUT THE VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION AND PREVENTION MEASURES AND THE YOUTH OUTREACH. SO RIGHT NOW ON THE WEBSITE, IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY LIKE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHICH MAKES SENSE. BUT, UM, AS THIS IS BUDGET HEARINGS AND WE'RE LOOKING AT PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT BUDGETS, I WAS CURIOUS TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS BY DEPARTMENT. SO THAT WAS MY FINAL QUESTION, AND I APPRECIATE THE TIME TO KIND OF REPEAT IN A NON RUSHED MANNER. GREAT QUESTION. WE WILL, UH, GET THAT FINAL ANSWER FOR YOU, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE SPECIFIC LINE ITEMS AND BROKEN DOWN FOR YOU IN AN ITEMIZED FASHION. SO PLEASE, UH, ENSURE THAT YOU SEND THAT SPECIFIC QUESTION OVER TO THE DISTRICT E@HOUSTONTX.GOV, AND THEN WE WILL RESPOND PROMPTLY. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT PUBLIC SPEAKER IS MR. JASON OLIVER. OH, PERFECT. OKAY. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. SO FIRST, LET'S SEE. OH, OKAY. SO I'M, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE MUNICIPAL, THE EMPLOYEE CONTRACTS AS WELL. UH, AND I ALSO KNOW THAT THE MUNICIPAL CONTRACTS ARE A LOT MORE TRANSPARENT THAN SAY, THE, THE POLICE UNION, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD FIRE NEGOTIATIONS IN A LONG TIME. SO, UH, BUT I'M, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT HOW MUCH IN RAISES HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED FOR EACH OF THE THREE MAJOR EMPLOYEE GROUPS. I KNOW THAT THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DETAILED, SO I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE TO SEND THAT ONE IN SECOND. THIS IS, UH, I, GOING ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, I KNOW YOU BROUGHT THE TRANSPARENCY DASHBOARD, UH, PROJECT COMPORT. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED THROUGH THAT DASHBOARD, UH, AND HOW CAN WE BRING, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY PUBLISH THE COMPLAINTS LIKE PROJECT COMPORT DOES. I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN BRING THAT BACK INTO THE SCOPE OF THIS, OF THIS NEW DASHBOARD THAT'S BEEN PUT TOGETHER. AND THEN FINALLY, NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT FOR DEED RESTRICTION HAS BEEN A BIG, LIKE, HAS BEEN A BIG NEED THAT I'VE HEARD FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, UH, IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO EXPAND LIKE THE, THE TYPES OF LEGAL SUPPORT THAT THE DEPARTMENT CAN, CAN OFFER TO COMMUNITIES, LIKE CIVIC CLUBS THAT, THAT ARE LOOKING FOR DEED RESTRICTION SUPPORT. ALRIGHT, GREAT QUESTION. I BELIEVE, UH, ON THE EMPLOYEE, UH, CONTRACTS, UM, FIRE, THEY RECEIVE 6% INCREASE, UH, OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. UM, POLICE RECEIVE 4% AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES 3%. UM, AS IT PERTAINS TO THE, THE POLICE TRANSPARENCY DASHBOARD, UM, THOSE NUMBERS ARE CONSISTENTLY, UM, BEING REEVALUATED. AND AS, AS YOU HAVE A QUESTION TO THAT, UH, TO, TO WANTING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW MANY INQUIRIES ARE COMING INTO THAT, UM, PORTAL. SO DO I, AND SO I WILL BE REACHING OUT TO MR. KO FOR, FOR THOSE ANSWERS AS WELL. AND I THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB AS A CITY AND REALLY HIGHLIGHTING, UM, THE POLICE TRANSPARENCY DASHBOARD. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M, I'M PROUD OF, BUT NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE KIND OF UNDERSTAND THE FUNCTIONALITY OF IT, AS WELL AS KIND OF HOW TO NAVIGATE IT AND USE IT TO THEIR BENEFIT. SO I'M GOING TO PUT THAT ON MY SHOULDERS, UH, TO GET MORE ENGAGEMENT FROM THE PUBLIC AND AWARENESS ON HOW TO UTILIZE THAT. AND, UM, I WILL REACH, MY OFFICE WILL REACH OUT TO YOU DIRECTLY. I'M GONNA MAKE A NOTE OF THAT SO THAT WE CAN COLLABORATE ON GETTING SOME ENGAGEMENT. AND THEN, UM, YOUR THIRD QUESTION WAS, OH, THE, UH, INCREASED LIKE DEED RESTRICTION ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT ENFORCE. SO OF COURSE, AS YOU HEARD IN THE, IN THE PRESENTATION EARLIER, OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS SPREAD PRETTY THIN AS IT IS WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT, UM, UM, PRACTICE AREAS THAT [00:35:01] THEY COVER. UH, SO TO ADD ON TO THAT WITH CIVIC CLUBS OR HOAS WHEN IT COMES TO DE RESTRICTIONS, UH, I THINK WOULD BE CHALLENGING. SO WE HAVE TO BE CREATIVE IN OUR APPROACH IN WORKING WITH LONE STAR LEGAL AID AND OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO BRING FORTH THOSE SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC. I KNOW IN DISTRICT J WE HAVE SEVERAL ENTITIES LIKE THE INDIA HOUSE AND CATHOLIC CHARITIES WHO PROVIDE WEEKEND LEGAL SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS AT NO COST. AND SO WE NEED TO DO, UH, A BETTER JOB IN MAYBE GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND SO I WILL REQUEST THAT EVERYONE PLEASE SIGN INTO, SIGN UP FOR YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, NEWSLETTERS BECAUSE THEY PUT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION OUT THERE REGARDING THOSE ISSUES. AND I KNOW WITH THE DISTRICT J P*****K PRESS, UH, WE TRY TO PROVIDE, UM, INFORMATION ON FREE LEGAL SERVICES, UH, EACH MONTH, UH, FOR OUR RESIDENTS AS WELL. ALL THAT CONCLUDES THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS LIST. * 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.