[District F Redistricting Town Hall and CIP Meeting]
[00:00:11]
ALL RIGHT, IT'S ABOUT SIX 10.WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UH, SHIRE, IF YOU CAN, UM, LET EVERYONE KNOW OUTSIDE THAT WE'RE GETTING STARTED, UM, 'CAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S IN THE ROOM.
UM, I DID INVITE MY DADDY, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S COMING TONIGHT, SO I'M GONNA KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR HIM.
UM, HELLO, MY NAME IS TIFFANY D. THOMAS.
I'M YOUR HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING DISTRICT F ON THE WEST SIDE.
WE GOT THE MAYOR OUT ON THE WEST SIDE.
OH MY GOODNESS, HE PASSED THE BELTWAY,
YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR STOMPING GROUND, BUT WE KNOW, UH, THE MAYOR IS ALL OVER.
SO, UM, I'M WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MY REMARKS ARE BRIEF BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST ADD AGENDA.
AND WHILE THE MAYOR'S HERE IN OUR HIS LEADERSHIP TEAM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET TO THE MEAT, UM, THE MEAT AND POTATOES OF TONIGHT.
BUT FIRST, LET ME JUST SHARE WITH YOU THAT CIVIC PARTICIPATION IS A DUAL RESPONSIBILITY.
IT'S NOT THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF YOUR ELECTED OFFICIAL.
IT'S NOT THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF YOU AS RESIDENTS.
IT IS ALL OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PARTICIPATING IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
MANY OF YOU ARE, UH, ARE NOT NEW FACES.
YOU ARE IN THE TRENCHES WITH THE OFFICE AND WITH ORGANIZATIONS.
SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR COMMITMENT AS WE WORK THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING TIMES AND COME OUT POST PANDEMIC.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE MY STAFF THAT'S IN THE ROOM.
Y'ALL WORK WITH THEM CLOSELY AS WELL.
RELL, MY CHIEF OF STAFF IS IN THE BACK WAVE, UH, SHAW, EDWARD SENIOR, AND THEN JONATHAN JOHNSON, HIS OUTSIDE WA UH, HE'S OUTSIDE WORKING.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THEM AND THE HEAVY LOADS THAT THEY CARRY, UM, ON MY BEHALF.
UH, LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER, SALLY ALCORN, UM, FOR COMING OUT TO THE WEST SIDE.
SHE WORKS VERY HARD WITH OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS AND DOING A LOT OF QUALITY OF LIFE MEASURES, PLANTING TREES, AND WORKING ON A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.
SHE'LL BE PASSING OUT A BUSINESS CARD THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO, UM, CONTRIBUTE PUBLIC COMMENTS TO OUR CITY BUDGET.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE MIDST OF CITY BUDGET WORKSHOPS, AND SO YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT AS WELL.
AND SHE'S BEEN LEADING THE CHARGE ON SOME PUBLIC INFORMATION.
AND SO I, UM, DEFINITELY DON'T HAVE TO, UM, READ HIS BIO, BUT YOU KNOW WHO HE IS.
AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO HE IS, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE IN THIS ROOM, BUT OUR WONDERFUL MAYOR IS HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
SO I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR MAYOR SO HE CAN SHARE SOME REMARKS WITH US.
LOOK, LEMME JUST SAY GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE, AND IT'S GOOD TO BE IN DISTRICT F UH, TONIGHT.
COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS.
AND, UH, I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, SHE'S, SHE'S VERY, VERY HANDS ON.
SHE IS A HARD, UH, WORKER AND A VERY STRONG AND INFLUENTIAL ADVOCATE FOR DISTRICT, FOR DISTRICT F.
SO, UH, I, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, SERVING WITH HER.
AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
UH, LOOK, THIS IS NUMBER, THIS IS TOWN HALL MEETING NUMBER 10.
THIS IS TOWN HALL MEETING NUMBER 10.
THERE ARE A TOTAL OF, WE'RE HAVING 12 OF THESE.
SO WE'VE GOT TWO, TWO MORE TOMORROW NIGHT.
AND THEN THE FINAL ONE WILL BE ON THURSDAY NIGHT.
AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCO, 'CAUSE SHE'S BEEN AT ALL 10, UH, NINE, NINE.
DID YOU MISS WATCH HAS BEEN, UH, AT NINE OF THEM.
AND THEN I, I'M SURE COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON WILL BE COMING IN SOON 'CAUSE HE'S BEEN IN MOST OF THEM.
UH, THERE ARE TWO SUBJECTS AT THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
WE HAVE TO DO IT EVERY 10 YEARS.
THIS IS THE CURRENT MAP RIGHT HERE.
UM, AND YOU'LL, THERE'LL BE SOME, A VIDEO THAT'LL BE COMING UP SOON, BUT ONE IS REDISTRICTING IN EVERY 10 YEARS.
THERE ARE 11 CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS, UH, AND FIVE AT LARGE.
AND EACH ONE OF THOSE DISTRICTS HAVE, SHOULD BE ABOUT 209,000.
THERE ARE SOME DISTRICTS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW LIKE DISTRICTS, H AND DISTRICT I, THEY'RE SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE ABOVE.
UM, DISTRICT C, FOR EXAMPLE, IS SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE DISTRICT F.
AND DISTRICT F IS ABOUT 1%, I THINK JEREMY ABOUT 1% BELOW, WHICH MEANS IT'S WITH 2% BELOW.
IT'S 2%, 2% BELOW, WHICH MEANS IT'S WITHIN, IT IS WITHIN ACCEPTABLE, UH, NUMBERS, UH, BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE A VARIANCE OF ABOUT 10%.
[00:05:01]
AND SO DISTRICT, DISTRICT F IS PRETTY MUCH, YOU KNOW, NUMERICALLY, IT'S WHERE IT PRETTY MUCH SHOULD BE.UH, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT CHANGES WON'T TAKE PLACE BECAUSE WHEN YOU START MAKING CHANGES IN ONE DISTRICT, IT CAN REALLY BOOMERANG THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE, THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY.
SO WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU, BUT BECAUSE, UH, DISTRICT F IS ONLY ABOUT 2% DOWN FROM THAT 209,000, UH, THE SECOND MEETING, A PART OF THIS, THIS, UH, TOPIC DEALS WITH THE CIP, UH, AND VARIOUS PROJECTS.
AND SO FOR PURPOSES OF TONIGHT, UM, AND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT ANOTHER MEETING THAT'S COMING UP AS WELL TONIGHT.
I'VE BEEN HAVING THEM ALMOST EVERY NIGHT, UH, TWO AND THREE MEETINGS PER NIGHT.
UM, AND WITH THE CONSENT OF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, QUITE FRANKLY, UH, AT THE REQUEST OF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'RE GONNA FLIP TONIGHT AND WE'RE GONNA DO THE CIP FIRST AND THEN WE'LL DO THE REDISTRICTING.
AND I TELL YOU ONE, I MEAN, THE MAJOR REASON IS BECAUSE YOU ONLY ONE TO 2% BELOW, YOU KNOW, UH, I THINK PROBABLY MORE THE CIP THOSE TYPE OF PROJECTS MAY HAVE MORE GREATER INTEREST TO, TO YOU.
SO WE ARE GONNA, WE ARE GONNA FLIP IT TONIGHT.
WE, I CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES.
IF YOU ARE A CITY EMPLOYEE, JUST, JUST KIND OF WAVE YOUR HAND.
UH, IF YOU'LL LOOK AROUND THE ROOM, KEEP YOUR NAME PUT, PUT YOUR HANDS OUT ONE MORE TIME, UH, SO I CAN SEE THE ROLL.
THEY'RE ON, THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY.
AND THEN OF COURSE THERE ARE THE BOOTS OUTSIDE FROM PARKS, THE SOLID WAYS, UM, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, YOU NAME IT.
SO WHATEVER OTHER TOPIC THAT YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN.
WE JUST BROUGHT THE WHOLE GROUP TO DISTRICT F BECAUSE THEY NEED TO, THEY NEED TO LEARN AS WELL THAT THE CITY GOES BEYOND SIX 10.
AND SO WE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE JUST BROUGHT THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE TEAM, UH, GROUP OUT TO, TO DISTRICT F TONIGHT.
NOW, UM, FOR THE, FOR THE, UH, CIP PORTION, UM, MIKE RETI IS GOING TO, IS GOING TO LEAD US ON THE, ON THE CIP PORTION.
AND HE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, UH, WHEN WE FINISH WITH THAT, WE WILL SHIFT TO, UH, THE DISTRICT.
AND I'M GONNA TRY TO STAY AS LONG AS I CAN BEFORE I HAVE TO JUST GET TO THE OTHER MEETING.
SO, MIKE, WHY DON'T YOU COME UP AND GET US STARTED.
UH, ON BEHALF OF DIRECTOR HADDOCK AND, UH, MY BOSS HERE, ERIC DARGAN AND 4,000 EMPLOYEES OF CITY OF HU MIKE.
AND ON BOTH OF THESE, UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE CARDS THAT WE'LL BE HANDING OUT.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, THIS PORTION, LIKE THE CIP, IF YOU'LL JUST PUT YOUR NAME DOWN SO THAT WE CAN CALL ON YOU WHEN MIKE FINISHES.
AND THEN WE'LL DO THE SAME THING ON REDISTRICTING.
SO THE FIRST PART WOULD JUST BE ON THE CIP AND THEN THE SECOND PART WOULD BE ON THE DISTRICT.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANNA POSE ON CIP, UH, GO AHEAD AND PUT YOUR NAME DOWN.
AND THEN JUST AS SOON AS, UH, MIKE FINISHES, THEN WE'LL BRING UP.
AND MIKE, RUSTY IS ONE OF OUR EXECUTIVES IN PUBLIC WORKS.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T LIKE ON CIP, UH, THINGS HAPPEN.
HE'S THE GUY TO BLAME RIGHT HERE.
SO I'LL BE BRIEF AS MUCH AS I CAN, BUT, UH, THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING IN DISTRICT F.
SO, UH, FIRST IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
THE CITY CONTINUES TO ADDRESS THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC.
HOUSTON WILL RECEIVE 607.9 MILLION FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN PASSED BY CONGRESS LAST YEAR.
THE OTHER ONE IS COMING, UH, THE OTHER HALF IS COMING THIS MONTH.
SO, UH, WE'VE BEEN ASKED FOR YOU TO GO TO THIS WEBSITE THAT UC, UH, HOUSTON TX.GOV/APA.
AND THERE IS A 22 QUESTION SURVEY, SO PLEASE COMPLETE THAT.
SO, UH, UH, THEY CAN USE YOUR INPUT.
UH, ALTHOUGH I STAND HERE AS PUBLIC WORKS REPRESENTATIVE, THE CIP IS A LOT MORE THAN PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS.
UM, IT INCLUDES THE GSD, THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT THAT DOES THE VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION, AND ALSO PARKS AND RECREATION THAT DO MOST OF THE PARK IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE TODAY.
UM, SO I'LL, I'LL BE TALKING FOR THEM A LITTLE BIT.
SO IF THERE'S ANY, ONE THING THAT I WANT YOU TO TAKE TODAY IS
[00:10:01]
THE THREE RS.SO WE SIMPLY CALL THEM THE THREE RS, BUT THEY ARE REPAIR, REHABILITATE, AND RECONSTRUCT.
AND THESE ARE ALL THE STRATEGIES THAT WE USE TO MAINTAIN AND OPERATE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
REPAIR IS SOMETHING WE DO, UH, TYPICALLY THROUGH 3 1 1, YOU ARE OUR EYES AND EARS.
WHEN YOU CALL IT, WE GO OUT AND ADDRESS IT.
IT MIGHT BE REDONE AGAIN, BUT IT IS THE WAY IT WORKS.
AND, UH, WE, WE DO USE YOUR INPUT AS WELL.
THESE INCLUDE PATCHING, POTHOLES, UH, CLEANING OUT STORM, INSPECTING INLETS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, 3 1 1 IS A LOT MORE THAN THAT.
YOU, YOU, YOU CAN ACTUALLY INPUT A LOT MORE THAN PUBLIC WORKS ITEMS, BUT WE LIVE AND DIE BY THAT.
REHABILITATE IS A STRATEGY THAT WE HAVE ADDED, ACTUALLY JUST RECENTLY BECAUSE OF THE MAYOR'S STREET REHABILITATION PROGRAM AND THE STORM WATER ACTION TEAM AND THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM.
THESE ARE VERY CRITICAL REHABILITATION ACTIVITIES THAT ARE WE, THAT WE ARE DOING TO FIX LOCALIZED PROBLEMS. WITHOUT THIS, WE REALLY CANNOT COVER EVERYTHING, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE, THE NEXT R BUT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STRATEGY TO EXTEND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICE LIFE, YOU KNOW, FIVE TO 10 YEARS A LITTLE BIT.
IT MIGHT COME BACK AGAIN, BUT IT IS REASONABLE PRICE AND WE CAN DO SOME OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES AT IT.
AND RECONSTRUCTION IS REALLY, UH, WE CANNOT REPAIR IT.
IT'S DYING, SO WE HAVE TO RIP IT AND REPLACE IT.
AND THESE ARE VERY LARGE SCALE PROJECTS, TYPICALLY TAKE A LONG TIME.
THEY HAVE MAJOR UTILITY CONFLICTS.
TYPICALLY IT TAKES MORE RIGHT AWAY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE AS WELL.
UH, BUT THESE ARE ALL OUR THREE STRATEGIES THAT WE USE AND WE USE 'EM EVERYWHERE.
UM, SO I'LL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE CIP SINCE WE HAVE MET, UH, THE LAST TIME ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
THE FIRST ONE IS BRIAR MEADOWS, PHASE ONE, THE BRIARS MEADOWS DRAINAGE PAVING IMPROVEMENT IS NEARLY COMPLETE TO $17 MILLION.
UH, PROJECT ADDRESSING NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
UM, MUCH NEEDED STORMWATER IMPROVEMENT.
THE AREAS WITHIN RICHMOND, ANN ARBOR HIGH MEADOW AND, UH, FISHER MEADOW RECEIVED NEW STORMWATER AND WATERLINE MANHOLES, INLETS AND, UM, SIDEWALKS, DRIVEWAYS, PAVEMENT, AND UPGRADED UTILITIES, UH, WILL SERVE THE BARE MI SUBDIVISION, UH, WITH IMPROVED DRAINAGE TO THE BUFFALO BY WATERSHED.
UH, AND I KNOW THERE WAS A TRAIL ISSUE THERE ON, UH, STORY BROOKS, AND I THINK THAT HAS BEEN HANDLED.
THE COUNCIL MEMBER INSISTED THAT WE NEED TO ADD THIS SLIDE.
SHE'LL NEVER LET US FORGET THIS.
SO THESE ARE ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT ARE PLANNED IN DISTRICT F SOME OF WHICH ARE ILLUSTRATED HERE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, WITHIN THE FUNDED CIP, THE FIVE YEAR PLAN, UH, HUNTINGTON VILLAGE, UH, IS ACTUALLY, UH, PLANNED FOR YEAR 2025.
THE ASHFORD PARK AND CATALINA AREA ARE BEING PRIORITIZED AND IMPLEMENTATION, AND WERE PREVIOUSLY PROGRAMMED WITHIN THE CIP, BUT DUE TO COST RISE AND ALSO OUR DRAINAGE DETENTION REQUIREMENTS, MOST OF OUR PROJECTS NEEDED TO BE DEFERRED.
UH, SO THESE ARE THE TWO THAT ARE STILL ON THE LIST, BUT ON THE DEFERRED LIST, UH, AND IT'S, THEY'RE STILL IN THE CIP BOOK.
BEYOND THESE PRIORITIZED PRO PROJECTS, ADDITIONAL AREAS HAVE BEEN STUDIED AND PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS IDENTIFIED FOR FUTURE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY.
THESE INCLUDE THE BRIAR MEADOW, PHASE TWO AND PHASE THREE.
UH, BUT WE NEED TO GO BACK AND UPDATE THE DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS AS WELL.
BUT THEY ARE STILL ON THE LIST.
SO THIS IS A SLIDE THAT WE ALWAYS INCLUDE AT EVERY DISTRICT AS WE TAKE A SNAPSHOT OF BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD.ORG.
AND THESE ARE ALL THE REHABILITATION ACTIVITIES THAT WE'RE DOING WITHIN DISTRICT F.
YOU CAN SORT THROUGH THEM AND ACTUALLY IDENTIFY WHAT'S IN DISTRICT F.
SO THE GREEN DOTS ARE STORM REHABILITATION, THAT'S THE, THE SWAT, THE STORM WATER ACTION TEAM.
AND, UH, THE LDP, THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM.
[00:15:01]
SOME EXAMPLE THAT ARE BEING STUDIED RIGHT NOW IS THE ASHTON VILLAGE, WHICH THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS A LOT TO DO WITH SELECTION OF THESE PROJECTS.ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU SORT IT FOR PAVEMENT, YOU'LL SEE A YELLOW DOT.
AND THAT IS FOR THE MAYOR STREET REHABILITATION PROGRAM.
SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE HAPPENING ARE BEING PLANNED TO HAPPEN WITHIN DISTRICT F.
UH, SOME OF THE MAJOR ONES INCLUDE RICHMOND BELTWAY A TO GESSNER, WHICH WAS A MAJOR, MAJOR IMPROVEMENT.
THE HARD WIND PARK PLAYGROUND REDEVELOPMENT IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE NEW PLAY AREA WITH UNITS FOR TWO TO 5-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN, FIVE TO 12-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN AND NECK CLIMBER AND SWINGS ASSOCIATED WALKWAYS, BENCHES, PICNIC TABLES AND DETENTION ARE PART OF THE PROJECT.
THE PLAYGROUND IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN LATER THIS SUMMER.
AS PART OF THE 50 50 PARK PARTNERS INITIATIVE, ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE MADE TO HARWIN PARK TO INCLUDE NEW PICNIC SHELTER, OUTDOOR EXERCISE EQUIPMENT, LIGHTING UPGRADES AND WALKWAYS.
WOOD CHASE GREEN SPACE, UH, THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION, UH, AGREEMENT WITH WEST CHASE DISTRICT WAS WOODCHASE PARK BECAME REALITY IN 2021.
ONE OF OUR NEWEST PARKS IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE AN EE PLAZA, WALKWAYS AND TRAIL CONNECTIONS, PARKING, LIGHTING, UH, LAWN AREA SPRAY, FEATURE SHAPED PAVILION, RESTROOMS, DOG PARK, AND OUTDOOR EXERCISE AREA.
THIS NEXT ONE IS AN EXCITING ONE FOR US.
UH, THIS IS THE LEAF PARKS PART OF THE CDBG MID FUNDING THAT WE GOT FOR 8.1 MILLION.
UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS AND RECREATION ARE COLLABORATING TO DELIVER THIS PROJECT.
WE DO HAVE ACTUALLY, IF YOU GO TO ENGAGE HOUSTON, ENGAGE HOUSTON.ORG, YOU CAN SEE THAT REPORT THAT WE BOTH TOGETHER PUT TOGETHER TO DO THINGS LIKE THIS USING A MULTI-USE PURPOSE FOR PARKS.
ALTHOUGH THAT IS, THAT IS ON MY LIST AND WE ARE GONNA TRY TO SPEED THAT, MOVE THAT ONE UP SOONER.
UH, APPROXIMATELY 10 ACRE AND IT'S BOONE ROAD PARK AND HACKBERRY PARK, UH, THIS COM WILL GIVE US A COMBINED, UH, DETENTION OF 45 PLUS ACRE FEET.
THAT'S PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL FOR ALI FOREST AREA.
AND OF COURSE WE'LL BE WORKING WITH AMENITIES, UH, TO INCLUDE WITHIN THE PARKS AS WELL.
AND, UH, ONCE WE SECURE THE CONSULTANT, WE WILL DEFINITELY COME TO THE PUBLIC AND HAVE GREAT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND YOUR INPUT TO SHAPE THE FACE OF THIS PARKS ALE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
THE NEWLEAF NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER WILL COMBINE, UM, H HEALTH DEPARTMENT, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, THE REGIONAL LIBRARY AND PARKS COMMUNITY CENTER IN APPROXIMATELY 70,000 SQUARE FEET.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING ON FOR 25 YEARS AT THIS POINT.
AND IT'S ONE OF A KIND, I GUESS, THAT COMBINES ALL FOUR DEPARTMENTS.
AND IT IS TO BE COM COMPUT COMPLETELY LATER THIS YEAR IN 2022.
UH, COST OF ABOUT 58.5 MILLION.
IT'S GOING TO BE ON BELLA BOULEVARD.
SO I'LL FINALLY CLOSE WITH THIS, WITH IT.
OH, TANGLE PARK IS ON THIS AS WELL FOR THE 50 50.
YEAH, WE DID NOT PUT IT ON THE SLIDE OUTSIDE.
APPLAUSE FOR TANGO ONE AND ALL OF THOSE, ALL OF THOSE 50 50 PARKS IN THERE ARE 22 OF THEM ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE CITY.
ALL OF THEM MUST BE COMPLETED.
YOU GOTTA TANGLE WILD, NOT TANGLE WOOD,
[00:20:01]
MY FINAL SLIDE, UH, FOR ENGAGE HOUSTON.UH, REALLY, IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE AND IF WE HAVE A ACTIVE PROJECT WITHIN DISTRICT A, PLEASE GO THERE AND REGISTER.
YOU CAN REGISTER WITH YOUR OWN EMAIL FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT.
AND WHEN THERE ARE CHANGES ON THAT PROJECT AND UPDATES, YOU CAN RECEIVE THOSE NOTIFICATIONS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE STATUS OF TRAFFIC CONTROL CHANGING OF LANES AND THINGS LIKE THAT AS WELL.
UH, ALSO THERE IS A TABLE THERE WITH A QR CODE, UH, THAT WE HAVE FOR ENGAGE HOUSTON.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THERE'S AN ASK US BUTTON AND WE WILL GET BACK TO YOU.
AT THIS POINT, UH, THAT, UM, TAKES CARE OF MIKE MIKE'S INITIAL PRESENTATION, BUT WE DO WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU IN TERMS OF YOUR PRIORITIES, YOUR INTERESTS, UM, WHAT YOU LIKE, WHAT YOU THINK WE NEED TO DO MORE OF, UM, PROJECTS THAT WE MAY HAVE OVERLOOKED, UM, UH, THINGS THAT ARE PRIORITIES FOR YOU.
THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO, TO EXPRESS, EXPRESS YOUR THOUGHTS ON, ON WHATEVER YOU SAW UP HERE OR THINGS THAT WE DID NOT FACTOR IN.
YOU GOT SOMETHING? YOU WANNA START WITH THIS? OKAY.
MIKE, WHY DON'T YOU START WITH, OKAY.
MR. RITTER, YOU WANNA SKIP RITTER? OH, THERE HE IS, RIGHT THERE.
I KNOW THE MAYOR THINKS I'M STALKING HIM 'CAUSE I'M GOING TO EVERY ONE OF THESE MEETINGS, BUT I'M STALKING HIM TO TELL HIM THANK YOU BECAUSE VERY FRANKLY, HE SAW A VISION AND, UM, AND HE UNDERSTOOD THE, THE NEED FOR, FOR ATTENTION.
I JUST WANNA SHARE WITH YOU, WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS HERE.
UM, RAFINO LANDFILL IS ONE OF TWO LANDFILLS THAT ARE IN DISTRICT K.
DISTRICT J AND DISTRICT F REFINO LANDFILL IS PRIMARILY IN DISTRICT, DISTRICT, UH, K AND AND J.
BUT THERE IS ANOTHER LANDFILL CALLED DODY LANDFILL, WHICH IS IN DISTRICT F.
THOSE TWO LANDFILLS, UH, WILL APPRECIABLY REDUCE THE RISK OF FLOODING DOWNSTREAM TO THOUSANDS OF HOMES.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, IS, IS, IS GETTING SUPPORT, GETTING SUPPORT FOR THE MAYOR, UH, SO THAT HE CAN GET SOME OF THAT, UM, UH, THAT INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY THAT CAN HELP PAY FOR THIS.
UH, THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT THEY WANT FROM US, UM, IN THE GRANTS, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTS THIS, RIGHT? SUPPORTS THE, UM, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE CONVERSION OF THE LANDFILL TO A DETENTION BASIN.
UM, AND THE SECOND THING THEY WANNA KNOW IS THAT, UH, WHATEVER BENEFIT IS GONNA OCCUR IS GOING TO, IS GONNA OCCUR FOR EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT LEMME TELL YOU ABOUT THESE TWO LANDFILLS.
THEY ARE, THEY'RE 5,000 ACRE FEET OF DETENTION.
1.8 BILLION GALLONS OF WATER STORAGE, 300 ACRES OF LAND IN THE CITY IN YOUR AREA.
IT WILL REDUCE FLOODING, APPRECIABLY DOWN DOWNSTREAM.
WE HAVE GONE TO MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
UM, UM, WE, WE, WE'VE GONE TO, UM, TO ALL THE SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICTS.
WE'VE NOT GOTTEN ONE, ONE DISTRICT TO DENY US.
THEY ALL SUPPORTED THIS PROCESS, THIS PROJECT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO.
BECAUSE WHEN THE, THE CITY APPLIES FOR THESE MONIES, THEY'RE GOING TO ASK FOR AN UNDENIABLE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE GIVING THEM.
WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO GIVE THAT TO THE MAYOR.
SO, SO THAT, UM, THAT HE, HE WILL HAVE THAT IN HAND.
EVERYBODY'S GOING AFTER THESE FUNDS.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT EVERY, UM, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD WITHIN YOUR, THESE THREE DISTRICTS.
AND THERE ARE FOUR DISTRICTS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS, HAVE, UM, HAVE ALL APPROVED THIS AND, AND, AND, AND, AND SUPPORTED THIS PROCESS.
UM, AND I, AND I ASK YOU ALL TO DO THAT AS WELL.
THE REASON THIS HASN'T BEEN DONE BEFORE IS MONEY.
IT'S GONNA COST UPWARDS OF A HUNDRED MILLION A PIECE TO DO THIS, BUT THE SAVINGS IS GONNA BE SIGNIFICANT.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT UNDER, UNDER THE CURRENT CIP AS IT
[00:25:01]
CURRENTLY EXISTS, UH, THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT HAVE, THAT ARE IN, THEY MAY BE, THEY MAY BE OCCURRING IN 23, 24, 25, PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF DOLLARS.BUT WITH THE, WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE, THE 1.2 TRILLION, UH, THAT WE, THAT THEY ARE NOW MAKING RULES FOR, UM, THAT WILL HELP TO INFUSE DOLLARS AND INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS INTO THE PROCESS, THAT WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, SPEED UP SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS OR TO DO THE LARGER PROJECTS.
SO WE WANT TO BE VERY COMPETITIVE AND WOULD WANT TO BE VERY AGGRESSIVE AT GOING AFTER THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS.
YOU SAW SOME GREAT, UH, PLANS FOR HACKBERRY PARK AND BOONE ROAD PARK IN THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS, AND I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT NEXT TUESDAY, THE A LEAF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MONTHLY MEETING IS GOING TO HAVE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT THERE TO TELL US WHAT THEY HAVE IN MIND FOR THOSE TWO PARKS.
SO IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT AND WOULD LIKE TO GIVE SOME INPUT AS TO WHAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE COMPARED TO WHAT THEY'RE SHOWING, IF YOU GO TO A LEAF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.COM, YOU CAN FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT TIME THE MEETING IS AND HOW YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR THE ZOOM MEETING.
AND I DO WANT TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, DIRECTOR KENNY ALLEN, WHO'S OVER PARKS AND REC, UM, RIGHT, RIGHT THERE.
AND A GREAT DEAL OF EMPHASIS ON, ON REALLY ENHANCING OUR PARKS.
AND WE HAVE SOME BEAUTIFUL SIGNATURE PARKS, BEAUTIFUL SIGNATURE PARKS.
I'VE SEEN THE PLANS ALREADY AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED THEM TO COME TO OUR MEETING 'CAUSE THEY'RE SPECTACULAR.
SO, AND I ALSO WANNA EMPHASIZE THOUGH, WE HAVE ABOUT 350 LOCAL, WHAT I CALL LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS THAT REALLY NEED A LOT OF LOVE AND ATTENTION TO, AND THEY LITERALLY CAN CHANGE THAT STREET, THAT COMMUNITY, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SIGNIFICANTLY UPGRADE MANY OF THESE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY PARKS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT 22 OF, OF THOSE PARKS, UH, BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT YEAR WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY UPGRADED AND COMPLETED AS A PART OF, UH, OUR 50 BY 50 INITIATIVE.
ALL BARBARA, I DIDN'T WANNA SLAUGHTER THE LAST NAME.
NOW, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW BARBARA
WHEN WE FIRST STARTED ASKING FOR THIS MANY YEARS AGO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I PERSONALLY THOUGHT WE NEEDED IS A YEAR ROUND POOL.
WE HAVE 44,000 KIDS IN A LEAF SCHOOLS, MOST OF WHICH ARE MINORITY KIDS THAT CAN'T SWIM.
WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC POOL IN AILEY ONE.
SO I WOULD, I'M ASKING EVERYBODY, MAYOR
UH, THEY HAVE SAVED ROOM BECAUSE I SO MUCH, THEY'VE SAVED ROOM IN THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
SO I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT WE NEED ONE.
AND LET ME GIVE YOU, LET ME GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF WAYS OF, OF, OF GETTING, OF GETTING IT, UH, ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
THEY NOW HAVE THESE COMMUNITY PROJECTS.
OKAY? SO YOU ARE A CONGRESS PERSON, UH, CAN PUT IN A REQUEST FOR THESE, FOR COMMUNITY PROJECTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN NORTHEAST, THE CONGRESS PERSON OUT THERE IS CARRYING A MEASURE FOR A SWIMMING POOL.
OKAY? SO THE CONGRESS PERSON, THAT'S ONE OPTION.
AND I THINK YOUR CONGRESS PERSON NOW IS CONGRESSWOMAN FLETCHER.
THE OTHER OPTION IS, UH, ON THE STATE LEVEL.
SO WHOEVER YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE OR STATE SENATOR MAY BE FOR THIS AREA, HUBERT VO AND, AND, AND, UH, BORIS MILES REPRESENT US THEN, THEN SENATOR MILES, FOR EXAMPLE, REPRESENTATIVE, IF HE WOULD VO CAN PUT IN A REQUEST, UH, FOR FUNDING FOR SWIMMING POOL.
FOR EXAMPLE, STATE REPRESENTATIVE NIA THOMPSON HAS DONE, SHE'S DONE THAT FOR TIDWELL PARK, SPECIFICALLY A SWIMMING POOL.
AND WHAT MAKES THIS ATTRACTIVE, WHICH WILL PUT YOU IN A BETTER POSITION, IS THAT YOU'VE GOT THE BRAND NEW A LEAF NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER THAT'S BEING BUILT AND WITH THE CITY.
AND SIMPLY ASK THEM TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY THAT THIS IS THE ONE ELEMENT THAT'S
[00:30:01]
MISSING.AND THEN ASK EITHER THE CONGRESSWOMAN THROUGH HER COMMUNITY PROJECTS AND, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT A LONG TIME.
THESE PROJECTS, THEY, THEY, THEY, YOU MEAN NOT 25 YEARS? NO, NO, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE 25 YEARS.
THEY GET, THEY GET, THEY THE, THEY ACT ON THESE WITH THAT, LIKE WITHIN A YEAR'S TIME.
AND THE SAME THING WITH THE LEGISLATURE.
THEY, OF COURSE, THEY WILL MEET AGAIN IN JANUARY OF 23.
THEY CAN MOVE IT ON THAT FRONT.
AND THEN WE'LL ALWAYS BE LOOKING FOR DOLLARS LOCALLY.
BUT THAT WILL, THAT WILL HELP TO PROVIDE THE FUNDING, UH, FOR A SWIMMING POOL.
UH, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.
I, I, I, I WANNA ASK THE, THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN HERE, YOU NEED TO GET INVOLVED.
UH, THIS, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED EARLIER, THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD STARTED ASKING FOR SOMETHING IN THE YEAR 2000.
UH, TOMMY TIME, IT GETS FINISHED.
WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT DECADES.
SO YOU YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO, TO GET OUT THERE AND GET WITH THE PROGRAM BECAUSE IF I DIE OFF, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO,
I MEAN, WE, WE, WE GOT NOTHING FOR YEARS, ABSOLUTELY.
A COUPLE OTHER THINGS I'D LIKE TO, TO SEE.
UM, EVERYBODY KNOWS IN A LEAF THAT I'M A, A TREE ADVOCATE, UM, WE NEED MORE TREES AROUND HACKBERRY PARK.
UM, THE, THE, UH, TRAIL, THE NORTH SIDE OF THE TRAIL, VICTOR CORDOVA, BEFORE HE RETIRED PROMISED ME THOSE.
UH, SO I'M GONNA HOLD YOU TO VICTOR'S PROMISE, OKAY? AND ON THAT, ON THAT ONE, BARBARA, THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY'S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN BECAUSE ON THE CITY'S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, WE HAVE COMMITTED OURSELVES TO PLANTING 4.6 MILLION TREES.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT PLACES FOR THE TREES, UH, THEN WE NEED TO PARTNER WITH YOU, WITH PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE WE NEED TO BE PLANTING THESE TREES, UH, IN A VERY AGGRESSIVE MANNER IF WE'RE GONNA PLANT 4.6 MILLION.
AND WE, WE NEED NOT ONLY TO, TO PLANT THEM BECAUSE OF THE, OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT IT IS STUPID TO KEEP MOWING ESPLANADES.
IF WE PLAN ENOUGH, UH, TREES TO SHADE OUT THE GRASS, IT WILL SAVE THE CITY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN JUST MOWING AND MOWING THE ESPLANADE.
RIGHT? SO, UH, THAT, THAT AND, UH, BOONE ROAD PARK, I DON'T, I, I DON'T, I KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE AMENITIES, BUT WE ALSO NEED ON THE WEST SIDE, THE TRAIL AROUND THERE, THERE'S ALL OF IT'S GONNA BE REDONE.
SO THE, THE $8 MILLION INVESTMENT, THE ENTIRE PARK IS ESSENTIALLY GONNA BE A BRAND NEW PARK.
SO, UM, NOT ONLY, OF COURSE, IT'S TO SERVE AS DETENTION, BUT ALL OF THOSE AMENITIES WILL BE UPGRADED AS WELL, WHICH INCLUDES TREES, AP TREES, I MEAN, THE TRAIL, THE COMPLETION OF EVEN CROSSWALKS.
IT'S, IT'S A PHENOMENAL DESIGN.
SO ANYONE THAT LIVES IN THAT AREA, UM, THEY'RE GONNA BRIEF, IT'S IN PRE-DESIGN RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE GONNA BRIEF WITH THE TTI COMMITTEE, ONCE THEY BRIEF WITH THE TTI COMMITTEE, WE'LL PUBLICLY SHARE.
AND SO WE CAN HAVE ENCOURAGE PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT THOSE, THOSE PARKS ARE ALREADY SLATED FOR THOSE TYPES OF INVESTMENTS.
I, I KNOW THEY'RE COMING NEXT WEEK TO THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT I'M WORKING THE ELECTION, SO I, I WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE IT.
IT IS BOONE ROAD, THE RE REBUILD OF BOONE ROAD FROM BEL AIR TO BISSONNET.
IS THAT ON THE CIP? ANY PLACE? NO, THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S A ROLLER COASTER.
YOU TAKE YOUR LIFE IN YOUR HANDS WHEN YOU DRIVE DOWN BOONE ROAD, BEL AIR TO WHAT? UH, BEL AIR TO, YES.
BEL BI, ALL THE WAY TO BISSONNET.
BUT BEACH, BEL AIR TO BENU IS THE WORST PART.
I MEAN, IT'S LIKE THIS, IT NEEDS TO BE REBUILT.
IT'S PROBABLY IN THE, THE ADDITIONAL SET OF PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE ASSESSING, BUT IT'S NOT ON THE CURRENT SCHEDULE.
THAT'S ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN PULL DOWN DOLLARS FROM FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS.
THAT'S ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE ON THAT LIST.
BUT IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE ON THAT LIST, WE NEED TO BE WORKING ON.
SO SOMEBODY WILL PUT THAT ON THE LIST.
YEAH, MIKE HAS PUT IT ON THE LIST.
AND HIGHSTAR FROM, FROM BO BOONE ROAD TO BUGLE.
ANOTHER MESS IN OUR SUBDIVISION.
UM, I'M FROM BRIAR MEADOW, AND THERE'S A HANDFUL OF US HERE, SO I WON'T BE TOO LONG.
[00:35:01]
ON THE BRIAR MEADOW PAVING AND DRAINAGE PROJECT.UM, THIS MADE ME THINK THAT MAYBE PHASE TWO AND PHASE THREE ARE BACK ON THE DOCKET.
IS THIS BRIAR MEADOW, SOUTH BRIAR MEADOW SOUTH.
OH, I'VE HEARD A WHOLE LOT ABOUT PROPHETS,
UM, BUT I LIVE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN, A 2-YEAR-OLD AND A SEVEN MONTH OLD.
I CANNOT WALK MY KIDS ON THE SIDEWALKS.
UM, THAT'S LIKE AN EVERYDAY PROBLEM IN TERMS OF DRAINAGE.
IF IT IS RAINING FOR 30 MINUTES, REALLY HARD, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS GONNA FLOOD AND I CAN'T GET TO MY HOUSE.
MY HOUSE ITSELF WON'T FLOOD, THANKFULLY.
THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBER HAS BROUGHT THAT ONE TO MY ATTENTION.
I KNOW WHAT WE'VE DONE ON BROWN MEADOWS NORTH.
BUT BROWN MEADOWS SOUTH, UH, WE ARE NEEDING TO TURN OUR ATTENTION TOO.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE MAKING ASSESSMENTS AND WE ARE TRYING TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAYBE MOVE SOME THINGS AROUND.
UM, BUT AGAIN, AN INFUSION OF INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS WOULD HELP US TO MOVE MUCH, MUCH QUICKER.
UM, BUT IT IS, IT IS ON THE LIST.
AND WE DID REACH OUT TO LIZZIE FLETCHER'S OFFICE, UM, BUT THEY HAVE NOTED THAT THIS IS NOT A TYPE OF PROJECT THAT THEY COULD FUND.
THAT, THAT ONE WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH OUR EITHER CIP PROGRAM OR OUR, UH, DRAW DOWN ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS, UH, THROUGH THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
UH, BUT I'M VERY MUCH AWARE OF BROWN MEADOWS SOUTH.
AND THEN IS THERE ANYTHING AS A BRIAR MEADOW RESIDENT OR FOR OUR OTHER RESIDENTS THAT AREN'T HERE THIS EVENING THAT WE COULD OR SHOULD BE DOING TO TRY AND PRIORITIZE THAT? WELL, YOU CERTAINLY, YOU CERTAINLY HAVE AN, A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO HAS CALLED ME ON IT.
UM, SEVERAL TIMES WE'RE PES WE'RE PESTERING HER.
SO
AND, UM, WE, WE, WE'LL, MAKING THE ASSESSMENT AND WE TRYING TO SEE HOW WE CAN MOVE SOME DOLLARS AROUND IN THE CIP.
ANDREA RUN, DID I PRONOUNCE RIGHT? SO YOU ASKED US TO ALL COME OUT.
SO I'M ALSO WITH BRIAR MEADOW.
UM, I AM ON THE SOUTH SIDE, SO, UH, SO PHASE ONE LOOKS GREAT, BUT WE DO WANT PHASE TWO TO BE FUNDED SINCE THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ONE SUBDIVISION.
WE'RE NOT THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH.
UM, SO DIRECTOR ALREADY, AND I GUESS WE CAN MAYBE HAVE AN OFFLINE CONVERSATION, BUT WHAT IS PLANNED MEAN? WHAT FUNDING IS REQUIRED FOR THE PROJECT TO BE DESIGNED, THEN CONSTRUCTED? DOES IT NEED TO BE FULLY FUNDED FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND CON UH, FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND CONSTRUCTION? OR IS IT IN PHASES? WHEN WILL THE DRAINAGE PORT BE COMPLETED? WHO IS WORKING ON THE DRAINAGE REPORT? AND ONCE THE DRAINAGE REPORT IS COMPLETE, WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS TO BE COMPLETED? I WILL TELL YOU THAT ALL OF THAT DEPENDS ON THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING.
THE FIVE YEAR CIP RIGHT NOW IS FULLY, IS PRETTY MUCH FULLY FUNDED.
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE TO DO, LEMME PUT THIS, WHAT I DON'T LIKE TO DO IS ADD PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT FUNDED, RIGHT, BECAUSE YOU SEE IT, BUT THE FUNDING IS NOT THERE.
I DON'T WANT 'EM, I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
UH, SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL DOLLARS, UH, FOR IT.
UH, WHERE POSSIBLY, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE, IF THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE CIP THAT ARE JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN FOR WHATEVER REASONS, UH, THEN THOSE DOLLARS MAY BECOME AVAILABLE.
THEN WE CAN LOOK AT PROVIDING SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS, AND THEN YOU CAN DESIGN, YOU CAN START THE DESIGN WORK, BUT YOU PRETTY MUCH DON'T WANT TO START THE DESIGN WORK UNTIL YOU PRETTY MUCH KNOW WHERE THE DOLLARS ARE GONNA BE FOR THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION.
OTHERWISE IT JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST KIND OF MOVING THINGS AROUND ON THE, ON THE TABLE.
NOW, THE, AGAIN, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, DOLLARS THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE, UH, IT MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE.
JUST LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, WE SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION ON TELEPHONE ROAD AS A PART OF THE RAISE GRANT.
SO THOSE DOLLARS, WE'RE GETTING THOSE DOLLARS THROUGH THE, FROM THE FEDS, UH, THROUGH THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT.
SO THOSE ARE THE SORT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AS SOON AS WE SEE A, A PLAUSIBLE FUNDING SOURCE, UH, THEN WE, THEN WE WILL MOVE ON IT.
BUT RIGHT NOW, I'M NOT IN THE POSITION TO SAY WHEN IT'S GONNA START BECAUSE WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR THE FUNDING SOURCES.
BUT IT IS ON, IT IS ON THE LIST.
GREG, MY NAME'S GREG RAMP, I'M ALSO FROM BRIAR MEADOW, AND, UH, I'M ON THE SOUTH SIDE FOR THE SOUTH PROJECT AND COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS MAYOR, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND COMING OUT, AND I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME, BUT I DO JUST WANNA SAY THAT IN 2017, CITY HOUSTON CAME OUT, EXPLAINED THIS PROJECT
[00:40:01]
TO US, AND CAROL HADDOCK PROMISED THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE THIS DONE, AND NOW WE'RE WAITING FOR THE SOUTH SIDE.I'M A FORMER T OUT AREA ENGINEER, SO I KNOW ABOUT SHOVEL READY JOBS, AND SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO TRY TO FIND MONEY TO AT LEAST DO THE DESIGN.
SO IF YOU DO GET THAT MONEY FROM THE FEDS, YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S YOU CAN PUT INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND THANKS, THANKS FOR LISTENING TO US, SIR.
AND THEN LEMME JUST ASK, WAS, WAS, DID DIRECTOR HADDOCK SPEAK TO THE BROWN MEADOW SOUTH PROJECT, OR WAS SHE SPEAKING TO THE, THE BROWN MEADOWS ON THE NORTH? THE, THE TOTAL PROJECT? SHE PHASE ONE, TWO, AND THREE, WHAT? THEY GAVE US THREE PHASE, ACTUALLY THREE PHASE.
SHE SPOKE TO THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE PROJECT.
AND THAT'S WHAT SHE GAVE YOU? YES, SIR.
THEN IF YOU MAKE SURE THAT, UH, MICHAEL RE MIKE, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT? YES.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE THE PRE-ENGINEERING.
AND THAT'S THE REPORT THAT THEY HAVE.
SO THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING HAS BEEN DONE ON THE, ON ALL PHASE FOR ALL THREE PHASES.
AND WE MOVED WITH PHASE ONE TO CONSTRUCTION.
UH, THANKS FOR BEING OUT HERE, MAYOR AND COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, YEAH, I'M WITH PRIOR MITTER SOUTH AS WELL, SO I GUESS THE SAGA CONTINUES FOR YOU,
UM, BUT NO, I JUST, I WANNA REITERATE, I MEAN, I THINK EVERYTHING THEY SAID REALLY SUMS UP MY THOUGHTS IN, IN, IN A SENSE.
I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH IT, WHICH IS, IT'S GREAT TO HEAR.
I THINK EVEN JUST SEEING IT BACK FROM THE BOARD PUTS A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN, IN MY MIND.
I THINK FOR A WHILE WE THOUGHT IT JUST KIND OF SLIPPED OUT OF, OUT OF, YOU KNOW, THIN AIR.
AND WE, WE HEARD ABOUT IT FOR A LONG TIME, AND THEN YOU KIND OF GO INTO THE ARCHIVE OR YOU KNOW, WHERE Y'ALL ARE TRACKING ALL YOUR PROJECTS, AND IT JUST KIND OF DISAPPEARED ON US.
SO, UM, I'M GLAD WE'RE TALKING THROUGH IT AGAIN.
IT'S, UH, ENCOURAGING TO HEAR THAT.
BUT, UH, I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, REITERATE THAT KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, I MEAN, SOME ARE FRUSTRATED, SOME ARE UNHAPPY, BUT I THINK THE SENTIMENT IS GENERAL.
YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL DO.
BUT, UH, WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THREE OR 400 PEOPLE THAT HAVE SHOWN UP IN SOME OF THESE EVENTS.
I MEAN, I KNOW TIFFANY KIND OF GOT THROWN IN THE RING AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY HELD AROUND VERY WELL, BUT, BUT, UM, THERE'S A, YEAH, I KNOW YOU WERE GETTING SHOT AT, BUT, UH, I JUST, UH, WANNA SAY THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE BEHIND US AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR ROADS ARE COMPLETELY DETERIORATED.
IT'S HARD TO WALK IN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE LIVE IN A GREAT CITY, A GREAT COMMUNITY, BUT, UH, I THINK JUST THE BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE IS WHAT WE, WE OBVIOUSLY LOOK TO, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR ORGANIZATION TO SUPPORT US ON.
AND, UM, I, I THINK THE ONE THING I REALLY WANNA POINT OUT IS IF THERE'S ANY WAY, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP Y'ALL, I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY OF US THAT ARE JUST TONS OF MOMENTUM BEHIND AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ASSIMILATE ON A, A DAY'S NOTICE KIND OF THING.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING WHERE YOU CAN POINT THAT ATTENTION TO, LET US KNOW.
AND, UM, THIS PLAY THE NUMBERS POWERBALL.
PLAY THE NUMBERS IN POWERBALL.
BUT, UH, BUT YEAH, I KNOW FUNDING'S TOUGH AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT'S BEEN THE HARDEST THING IS, YOU KNOW, WE SAW THE, THE PLANS GO UP, I THINK STARTED TALKING ABOUT IN 2010, 2017, WE WERE TOLD IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
AND, UM, THEN THIS PAST YEAR, NOW WE'RE, WE'RE SENSING THAT IT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER FIVE YEARS, WHICH WE'RE JUST BEGGING THAT SOMEHOW WE CAN PUSH THIS IN, YOU KNOW, UH, LIKE GREG SAID, GET THE DESIGN DONE, AND I'M SURE WE CAN, UH, HOPEFULLY SNEAK IT IN SOMEWHERE OR ANOTHER.
BUT, UH, THAT, THAT'S REALLY MY SENTIMENT.
BUT AGAIN, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND, UM, LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP.
GOOD EVENING, UH, COUNCILWOMAN.
UH, I ALSO COME AS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM BRIAR MEADOW SOUTH.
UH, I'M NOT HERE TO ASK QUESTIONS BEYOND WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS, HAS, HAS ASKED, BUT, UH, I SUPPORT THEIR QUESTIONS, CONCERNS.
I'VE BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 26 YEARS.
I'VE SEEN ALL THE PROMISES, AND LITERALLY, AS THE LAST GENTLEMAN WAS TALKING ABOUT, JUST LITERALLY DISAPPEARING ON US.
UM, SO WE THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
MY ACTUAL QUESTION IS, IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THOUGH, AS IS TIED TO, UH, ONE OF THE PROJECTS, MIKE, THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, A COMPLETED PROJECT.
AND IT'S RICHMOND AVENUE BETWEEN GESNER AND DUNVILLE.
THEY BLACKTOP THAT DURING COVID, WHICH WAS GREAT TO, TO SEE THEM DO THE WORK AND NOT BE AS AFFECTED BY THE TRAFFIC AND THINGS.
MY CONCERN IS COMPLETION OF PROJECTS.
AND WE'RE SEEING THAT AS TIFFANY, AS YOU AND I, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH,
[00:45:01]
IN SOME PROJECTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY'RE SLOPPY.UH, THEY'RE NOT COMPLETED, THEY'RE NOT ORGANIZED, THEY'RE NOT, UH, THEY'RE NOT MANAGED VERY WELL.
UM, EXISTING PROJECT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS AN EXAMPLE, TIFFANY, IT'S NOT COMPLETED.
IT'S STILL AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER.
BUT THE RICHMOND AVENUE, WHICH WHICH IS STRUGGLING IN ITSELF IS, IS SOME OF THE OTHER NEIGHBORS HERE HAVE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT ROADS, IS ABSOLUTE DISASTERS.
SO RICHMOND BEING A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE, GREAT IDEA.
LET'S GET THIS THING BLACKTOP, BECAUSE IT WAS, IT WAS A MESS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE DRIVEN DOWN IT LATELY, BUT IF YOU DRIVE DOWN IT, IT, IT, SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH IT.
SO MY CONCERN IS, IS WE GO THROUGH, WE SPEND A, AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR ALL THESE REPAIRS, AND IT'S NOT DONE RIGHT.
IS, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE AS A CITY CAN DO TO THE CONTRACTOR OR WHATEVER, SAY, HEY, LISTEN, THIS IS THE LONG TERM PROJECT.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO BE RESPONSIBLE BESIDES THE TAXPAYERS.
UH, AND SO ANYWAY, THAT WAS MY CONCERN.
IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW EVERYBODY, THAT IF YOU DRIVE DOWN RICHMOND, YOU KNOW IT, YOU, YOU, YOU THINK SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH YOUR CAR, UM, AND YOU REALIZE THAT IT'S NOT YOUR CAR.
AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, I THINK IS ANY PROJECT MANAGER HAS TO HANDLE IS MAKING SURE NOT ONLY PROJECTS YET DONE, BUT THEY'RE DONE CORRECTLY.
BECAUSE WE AS TAXPAYERS PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO THAT.
BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR, FOR LISTENING TO ME TONIGHT.
WELL, IF THEY'RE NOT DONE WELL, WE HOLD THEM, WE HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
IF THEY'RE NOT DONE, IF THEY'RE NOT DONE THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE DONE, IF THE WORKMANSHIP IS POOR, UH, WE DON'T GIVE THEM A PASS.
THAT'S, THAT IS NOT OUR INTENT TO GIVE THEM A PASS.
DO WE ANTICIPATE FIXING THE PROBLEM? I'M SORRY.
I MEAN, AT THIS STAGE, RICHMOND AVENUE, DO WE ANTICIPATE FIXING THE PROBLEM? RICHMOND TO KILL PROP IS PHASE THREE? WELL, NO, NO, THAT'S FROM GESNER TO DUNVILLE.
BUT IT IS, I I WOULD TELL, I THINK, UH, IT WOULD BE NICE TO, TO MANAGE EXPECTATION FOR REHABILITATION VERSUS RECONSTRUCTION.
THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
UH, WHEN YOU ARE REHABILITATING A STREET, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE MILLING A CERTAIN LEVEL OF IT, RIGHT? AND, AND SO YOU'RE REALLY NOT COMPLETELY FIXING THE BASE AS YOU WOULD DO IT IN THE RECONSTRUCTION PHASE.
SO I I WOULD SAY YOU WOULD NOT GET A PERFECT COPY.
WAS THIS, WAS THIS REHABBED OR RECONSTRUCTED? YES, IT IS A REHAB.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT IN TERMS OF YOU, YOU SAID WORKMANSHIP, UH, THAT, THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.
IF, IF THE CONTRACTOR REALLY IS NOT MEETING OUR SPECIFICATIONS THAT WE SET UP FOR THE CONDITIONS OF WHAT WE AWARDED THEM, THEN WE WILL HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
AND WE'LL, AND I RESPECT THAT.
AND I UNDERSTAND, I THINK MY QUESTION MAY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE LOOKED AT AS IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM.
IF, IF YOU DO, I'M SURE YOU'RE LOOKING INTO, IF YOU DON'T, MAYBE SOMEBODY AT THE CITY COULD LOOK AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT THAT UNDERSTAND IT.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
THEY GRADED IT DOWN AND THEY RE BLACKTOPPED IT.
IT JUST SEEMS THAT THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENTIRE STRIP.
'CAUSE IT DIDN'T, INITIALLY IT WAS SMOOTH, EVERYTHING WORKED GREAT.
NOW THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE WRONG WITH IT.
AND THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING IS THAT THE CITY SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
AND IF THERE WAS A, A BIGGER PROBLEM BECAUSE IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST BRIAR MEADOW, BUT IT'S EVERYWHERE IN AND AROUND THE PEOPLE THAT COMMUTE IN FROM, FROM ALE AND, AND FURTHER WEST THAT ARE COMING DOWN THERE AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S JARRING.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
BUT I JUST THOUGHT THE CITY, IF, IF YOU WEREN'T AWARE OF THAT, SHOULD BE AWARE OF THAT AND SOMEBODY SHOULD PROBABLY JUST TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
I REPRESENT SHADOW LAKE SUBDIVISION.
I WANT TO ASK ABOUT WEST PARK IN BETWEEN WILCREST AND DAIRY.
ASHFORD GOES FROM FOUR LANES TO TWO LANES TO FOUR LANES TO TWO LANES.
PEOPLE GET CONFUSED WITH IT GOING LIKE THAT.
IT'S BEEN PUSHED BACK SEVERAL TIMES.
MOST RECENTLY FOR TEXDOT TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY.
THE OTHER THING, WHEN THEY DO THAT WORK, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT RICHMOND TOO, BUT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER OUT.
I KNOW THE WEST CHASE DISTRICT HAD SOME WORK DONE AND NOW YOU SAID THEY'RE GOING EAST TOWARDS HILLCROFT.
THEY STARTED AROUND, STOPPED AROUND WOODLAND PARK GOING TO THE WEST.
I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER GOING FURTHER TO THE WEST, ALL THE WAY TO THE WEST CITY LIMITS NEAR SINAI FOR CONCRETE PANEL REPLACEMENT.
[00:50:01]
SEPARATION, A LOT OF POTHOLES THAT HAVE BEEN PATCHED REPEATEDLY, AND THEY KEEP, CONTINUE TO FAIL.THEY REALLY NEED THOSE SECTIONS CUT OUT AND RE POURED.
SO GREAT THAT WEST PARK'S STILL ON THE BOOKS, BUT WHEN THEY, THEY'RE DOING THAT WORK, JUST LIKE KIRKWOOD, EVERYBODY'S GONNA DIVERT OVER TO WILCREST AND, UH, DAIRY ASHFORD, WHEN THEY'RE DOING KIRKWOOD WAS GONNA BE THE SAME WAY WHEN THEY'RE DOING WEST PARK, THEY'RE GONNA MOVE OVER TO, TO RICHMOND AVENUE.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO TRY AND GET SOME WORK DONE THERE.
SO IF I CAN, BEFORE MICHAEL MAY RESPOND, SO THE FIRST SECTION IN RICHMOND IN THAT AREA WAS A PART OF THE MAYOR STREET, UM, INITIATIVE THAT I SUBMITTED THAT ONE MILE PASSED.
SO WE, UM, WE SUBMITTED THAT ONE AS WELL.
UM, TEXT.IS A PART OF THAT PROJECT.
SO ONCE WE GET INFORMATION, AND WE'VE BEEN, UM, WORKING WITH TEX.TO PROVIDE US MEANINGFUL UPDATES TO SHARE, TO PREPARE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THAT CONSTRUCTION.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIVISION FOR PUBLIC WORK SUBMITTED A SERIES OF POSSIBLE PROJECTS.
AND ONCE THEY LOOKED, WENT THROUGH ALL THE DATA, I, I NEED TO CHECK THAT LIST BECAUSE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS ARE ELIGIBLE TO SUPPORT PANEL REPLACEMENT.
SO, UM, THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED.
FROM MIDWEST HOUSTON TO A E SO WEST CHASE.
SO IT'S AN EQUITABLE REACH ALL THROUGHOUT FROM EAST TO WEST OF THE DISTRICT.
BUT I NEED TO CIRCLE BACK ON THAT INTERSECTION.
JUST TO MAKE SURE TO SEE WHERE IT IS IN THE QUEUE.
I'VE LIVED THERE ALMOST 30 YEARS AND WORK ON RICHMOND'S JUST BEEN MINIMAL, SO THANK YOU.
OKAY, CHARLES RYAN, THANK YOU FOR TIME FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING.
UM, I'M WITH BRIAR MEADOWS SUBDIVISION AS WELL.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE NORTH SIDE REAL QUICK.
IF WE CAN GET A MECHANICAL COMPLETE DATE FROM WHEN THAT WARRANTY STARTS.
AS Y'ALL MENTIONED WITH 3 1 1, WE HAVE A LOT OF EYES AND SO WE CAN LET Y'ALL KNOW WHAT HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED ON THAT PUNCH LIST SO THAT THAT CONTRACTOR IS HELD RESPONSIBLE.
UM, I KNOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT CAN GET SLIPPED OUT AND SO IF WE CAN GET THAT IDENTIFIED JUST SO THAT THE CITY IS, YOU KNOW, PROTECTED IN THAT WARRANTY PERIOD WITH SCR.
AND THEN GOING ON THE SOUTH SIDE, UM, JUST TO GIVE Y'ALL A RUN BACK, IT WAS IN 2015, THE AGENDA, UM, CITY COUNCIL INITIALLY CREATED WAS MARCH OF 2015.
IT WAS PASSED ON APRIL 8TH 15, ORDINANCE NUMBER 2015 0 3 1 5.
I WENT BACK AND WATCHED ALL THE VIDEOS TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSIONS ON IT.
WHAT, WHAT I, WHAT DID YOU SAYING WHAT WAS PASSED? I WASN'T THERE IN, SORRY.
THE BRIAR MEADOWS SUBDIVISION DRAINAGE PROJECT.
AND SO THAT WAS PHASE ONE AND TWO.
THE SCOPE WAS FROM WESTHEIMER DOWN TO WEST PARK, WHICH INCLUDES NORTH AND SOUTH DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND THEN I FOUND AS WELL IN 2017, I THINK THERE WAS, IT MUST HAVE COME UP SHORT WITH FUNDS IN 27.
I WILL TELL YOU, IN 2017, THAT WAS HURRICANE HARVEY.
AND MOST MANY OF THOSE PROJECTS IN THE CIP WERE PUSHED BACK.
HARVEY BECAME THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
SO ANYTHING STARTING 20 17, 20 18, 20 19 ALL BECAME THE VICTIMS OF HARVEY.
THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY WAS ADDRESSING THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AS IT RELATES TO HARVEY.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE SITUATION THAT WE ARE IN NOW.
HARVEY TOOK PRECEDENT 20 17, 20 18, 20 19 AND EVEN EFFECTING US RIGHT NOW.
SO LIKE THIS WAS THE, AND I, I'LL, I'LL DROP THIS OFF AS WELL.
THESE ARE THE MAP THAT WAS PRESENTED ADDITIONALLY, THE GANTT CHART THAT WAS PROVIDED IN 2015, WHICH IS PHASE ONE, TWO, AND THREE, THE PLANNING PHASE IN 2013 DESIGN WAS IN 2015.
AND THEN IT KIND OF SCHEDULE SLIPPED UNDERSTANDABLY SOMETIMES WITH CERTAIN THINGS THAT, THAT IS PART OF THE PRE-ENGINEERING REPORT THAT LOOKED AT ALL PHASES.
UH, IN, IN THOSE DAYS ACTUALLY, YES.
WE, WE, WE THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UH, A LOT OF FUNDING THAT'S COMING BECAUSE OF THE NO, IN THOSE DAYS, A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS WERE PUT IN, WERE PUT IN THE CIP WITH, WITH, WITH CITY HALL, KNOWING THAT THE MONEY WAS NOT THERE.
I CHOOSE NOT TO DO IT THAT WAY.
THAT, BUT UP UNTIL, UP UNTIL I CAME IN, THERE WERE A LOT OF PROJECTS IN THE CIP, BUT THE FUNDING WAS NOT THERE.
BUT THAT IS PART OF THE PRE-ENGINEERING STUDY THAT WAS DONE FOR ALL PHASES.
IT, IT BASICALLY TAKES IT TO ABOUT 30% PLAN, BUT IT NEVER FUNDED TOWARD FINAL DESIGN, SO.
UM, SO YEAH, SO THAT WAS, WE WANTED TO TALK AND THEN ALSO IN REGARDS TO THE SWAT PROGRAMS THAT ARE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IF THERE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SECURITY AND SAFETY ORIENTATION.
UM, WE HAVE REBO BARS STICKING OUT FROM UNPAVED CURBS.
[00:55:01]
OKAY.THAT, UM, SOMEONE COULD HURT ON.
WE'VE ALSO SEEN THE CONTRACTOR POUR CONCRETE DOWN THE RECENTLY PA OR RECENTLY BUILT STORM DRAINS.
UM, AND YOU NEED TO GIMME THE NAME OF THAT CONTRACTOR.
SO THERE IS A SWAT EFFORT YES.
IN THE BRIAR FOR MEADOW SOUTH.
UM, AND THE DAMAGE THAT THEY DID, THEY SAID THAT THEY DID NOT CAUSE BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY SEE STREET VIEW THAT WAS THERE.
SIX MONTHS BEFORE, NO DAMAGE TO THE SIDEWALKS AND THEN NICE TIRE MARKS AND BROKEN PAVEMENT.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I'LL TAKE IT TO THE PROJECT TEAM FOR SURE.
UH, THANK, THANKS FOR BEING HERE AND THANKS FOR LISTENING.
UH, JOHN WEATHERLY FROM BRIAN MEADOW.
I'M THE HOA PRESIDENT AND JUST WANT TO COME OUT HERE AND, AND VOICE OUR, UH, CONCERN AND SUPPORT FOR THE SOUTH SIDE PROJECT.
SO SAME, LIKE EVERYBODY SAID, WE ARE DIVIDED BY RICHMOND, BUT WE ARE ONE NEIGHBORHOOD, ONE HOA ONE CLUBHOUSE.
WE'VE GOT A HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD, 60 PLUS YEARS OLD.
UM, A GREAT HOA HALF OF IT IS DONE AND, AND THE OTHER HALF IS NOT EVERYTHING WE'VE CONTINUED TO HEAR YOU SAY.
WE APPRECIATE IT, WE KNOW THAT IT'S BEING WORKED ON AND WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT DOES GET BACK ON THE, THE PRIORITY LIST, UH, MAKES IT, I THINK, DIFFICULT FOR THOSE OF US IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD NORTH OR SOUTH SIDE, ALL OF US TO, TO HAVE A, A NEIGHBORHOOD HALF HALF DONE WITH REGARD TO PROPERTY TAXES AND PEOPLE COMING IN AND COMING OUT.
UM, THE OTHER, I THINK THE BIGGER POINTS ALSO CONNECTIVITY AND A DA COMPLIANT, YOU KNOW, IF WE LOOK AT THE NEW SIDEWALKS VERSUS THE OLD.
UM, AND THEN ALSO JUST THE STREETS.
UM, THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF YOUNG KIDDOS, A LOT OF OLD AND EVERYTHING IN, IN BETWEEN.
SO I THINK TO WHERE WE CAN, UM, WE CAN FOCUS ON THAT AS WELL.
THERE'S A LOT OF PATCHES WHERE THERE'S BLOCKS THAT THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS.
UM, SO AGAIN, JUST, JUST HERE TO VOICE CONCERN AND SUPPORT FOR THE, UH, THE SOUTH SIDE PROJECT TO GET TO GET BACK ON.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT WAITING TOO MANY YEARS DOWN THE ROAD BEFORE IT IS, IS COMPLETED.
ONE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY ON RICHMOND IS SIX 10 TO HILLCROFT.
IT'S ALL BEEN REDONE AND IT'S, AND THEN WHAT IS IT? DUNVILLE OUT TO WEST CHASE.
AND IT'S KIND OF THAT WHOLE STRETCH OF RICHMOND THAT RUNS RIGHT THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'RE NOT A BUSINESS DISTRICT, WE'RE A NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO WE KNOW THAT'S WHAT'S FUNDED BOTH OF THOSE SIDES.
BUT IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN ON A BOAT MAYBE WITHOUT A DRIVER, THAT'S SOME SOMETHING WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.
AND I THINK WE HAD MAYBE FIVE, FOUR OR FIVE DEATHS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS JUST IN THAT 200 YARD STRETCH OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
PEOPLE WRAPPING AROUND TREES AND POLES AND, AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO CONTROL THE SPEED, BUT WHEN THEY FLY THROUGH HILLCROFT AND THEY'RE CHOOSING TO RACE THAT NIGHT, UM, WHERE THE ROAD JUST GOES AND, AND IT WASN'T ANYTHING THAT WAS PAVED, BUT IT'S LIKE A, AN EARTHQUAKE IN A WAY OF ALL KIND OF MEETING AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT, UM, IF WE CAN JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WELL.
AND I KNOW WHEN THAT REBUILD HOUSTON MEETING, I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, CAME INTO THE, WHAT YEAR WAS THAT? GREG
WHEN THEY
AND THEY HAD SAID AT THAT POINT THAT OUR STRETCH OF RICHMOND WAS NOT EVEN IN THE 10 YEAR PLANNING, PLANNING PHASE.
AND EVERY, I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING'S GOT A, GOT A, GOT A POINT IN TIME, BUT, UM, JUST TO, YOU KNOW, PUT THOSE THINGS ON THE, ON THE CHECKLIST AS WELL.
AND WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME.
YOU WANT MAYOR? COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE HERE, FRANKLY, WE NEED MORE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THESE TOWN HALLS AND PARTICIPATING IN OUR CIVIC DEMOCRACY.
SO NOT ONLY IN DISTRICT F BUT AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I THINK SEEING MORE COLLABORATION BETWEEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TERMS OF VOTER REGISTRATION, GETTING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND TEACHING THEM THE VALUE OF WHAT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IS, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF JUST KEEPING ON THIS GENERATIONAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT EVENT IN HACKBERRY PARK, THAT WAS VERY GREAT IN TERMS OF GETTING OUT THE COMMUNITY.
UM, ONE REQUEST IS ON THE EASTEN,
[01:00:01]
THERE IS A ENTRANCE AND OPENING TO CORONA LANE.I THINK THAT WAS ONCE OPENED, BUT NOW IT'S CLOSED OFF.
I THINK THAT SHOULD BE OPENED UP AGAIN BECAUSE THAT WHOLE COMMUNITY HAS TO GO THROUGHOUT THE STREET, AROUND THE STREETS, UM, IN A WHOLE SQUARE, A RECTANGLE TO GET INTO THE PARK.
AND I THINK SINCE THERE ARE A LOT OF KIDS AND YOUNG PEOPLE THERE, UM, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL.
UM, AND ALSO ON THE LOT ADJACENT, UM, TO MARTY GOLF CENTER, THERE IS A PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WHO STARTED ON, UM, A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT NEXT TO THE HOUSES, BUT IT STOPPED BECAUSE OF FUNDING.
AND NOW THERE'S A LOT OF BLIGHT ON THERE.
UM, THERE'S CONCRETE BARRELS AND NO ONE'S THERE TO CLEAN IT UP, BUT IT IS ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO I'M WONDERING WHO DO WE TELL THAT TO? UM, DOES THE CITY PICK THAT UP, UH, BECAUSE IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY OR CAN WE NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT? YOU ON THAT ONE, YOU CAN CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEN THEY WILL SEND THE INSPECTORS OUT AND ISSUE CITATIONS WHERE IF THERE'S A VIOLATION TO THAT, TO THAT HOMEOWNER.
THAT PROPERTY OWNER, I SHOULD SAY.
AND IF I CAN SPEAK TO THE, UM, OPENING OF THAT BACK GATE TO HACKBERRY, THE REASON WHY IT WAS CLOSED, BECAUSE THERE WAS A COMMUNITY REQUEST TO INITIALLY CLO CLOSE THAT.
SO, UM, UM, PASTOR CASTANOS, PASTOR WENDY CASTANO, THAT THEY HAD THE CHURCH ON THE OTHER SIDE, THEY'RE ALSO ASKING, REQUESTING FOR THAT TO BE OPEN.
MY HOPE AND INTENTION IS ONCE THE DESIGN FOR HACKBERRY AND THE PUBLIC COMMENTS BECOME AVAILABLE, THAT CAN BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
'CAUSE AGAIN, THAT ENTIRE PARK IS GONNA BE REDESIGNED.
SO WE'LL HAVE, UM, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT ACCESS DIFFERENTLY.
UM, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUST ENTER INTO THAT ONE ENTRANCE ON DAIRY ASHFORD, WHICH IS LIMITED, RIGHT? YES, WE SAW THAT SUNDAY WITH PARKING.
UM, SO IF THE COMMUNITY BEHIND, UH, THAT PARK WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT AND WE'LL HAVE WALKABILITY.
AND WE'LL HAVE MORE FORMAL DISCUSSIONS DURING PUBLIC SESSION OF THAT PROJECT.
AND HACKBERRY PARK IS THEIR PLANS.
I HEARD THEY WERE TO CONNECT THE OTHER PARKS THROUGH THE, THE GREENWAY OVER NEXT TO IT.
UM, I LIVE ON RICHMOND ROAD ESTATES, AND IT'S, I AM, UH, BETWEEN BOONE ROAD AND WILCREST A LITTLE BIT SOUTH OF, UH, BINET.
I HAVE ONE STRIP OF ROAD AND IT'S CALLED KENNY ROAD.
IF THERE'S ANY TRAFFIC COMING FROM BOONE OR COMING FROM DAIRY ASHFORD COMING DOWN, UH, BINET, THEY TAKE THE BACK STREET AND COME DOWN KENNY ROAD AND AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED.
THEY EITHER TAKE A LEFT ON KIPPY RIGHT THERE BY KIPP, UH, KIPP ACADEMY.
BUT ON THAT STRIP, YOU KNOW, A COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, SAYING THAT YOU'RE GONNA PUT THE SPEED CUSHIONS, UH, THERE.
BUT ON THAT PARTICULAR STREET, UM, LESS THAN THREE BLOCKS FROM OLLIE, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND KIPP ACADEMY.
SO I HAVE, WE HAVE TRAFFIC ON THAT STREET FOR BOTH, BOTH SCHOOLS AT THE, AT THE, IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, HALF OF THE HALF OF THE BLOCK HAS A SIDEWALK AND THE OTHER HALF DOESN'T HAVE ONE.
UH, SO I THINK THEY SENT THE STUDY TO DO, UM, ON THE ACTUAL DRAINAGE AND ADDING THAT, UH, SIDEWALK.
YOU KNOW, I, WE HAVE AN APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT'S THERE, AND WE HAVE TWO, UH, A YOUNG MAN AND A OLDER MAN THAT COME DOWN THE STREET IN A WHEELCHAIR.
SO THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE STREET TO GET TO BISSONNET TO GET TO THE CVS RIGHT THERE ON THE CORNER OF BINET AND WILCREST.
SO FOR THE COOL, THE SKIDS, THEY CAN GO DOWN, UH, LEWIS DRIVE DOWN A SIDEWALK.
BUT IN THAT PARTICULAR PLACE RIGHT THERE WHERE WE, I HAVE, UH, STATION 73, THAT'S RIGHT IN FRONT, IF THEY OPEN THEIR GATE, THEY BLOCK THAT SIDEWALK, PUT THE KIDS IN, INTO THE STREET OR ANYBODY WALKING.
AND ONCE THEY DO THAT, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE FLYING, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT TURN THOSE CORNERS AND THEY WIND UP IN THE DEEP DITCHES.
THANK GOD FOR THE DITCHES THAT THEY'RE DEEP BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY CAN'T GET OUT OF 'EM WITHOUT HELP.
BUT ONCE THEY DO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY PUT, YOU KNOW, UH, ALL THESE, UH, THESE STUDENTS THAT ARE COMING EARLY IN THE MORNING, SEVEN IN THE MORNING, SIX 30 IN THE MORNING, ALL THE WAY TO EIGHT 40 WHEN THE, THE KIDS GO TO SCHOOL AT OLLIE.
SO IT ALL DEPENDS, BUT WE HAVE A HIGH TRAFFIC OF, OF CHILDREN ON THAT STREET, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE'S NO WAY FOR THEM TO ADD, UH, SIDEWALK FROM THE MIDDLE OF, UH, KENNY ROAD BETWEEN, UH, LEWIS AND, AND VINCENT.
SO I WOULD REALLY, LIKE, I HAVE PICTURES.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR SOMEBODY TO REVISIT THAT.
LET ME ASK YEAH, LET ME ASK YOU TO GET TO WHAT SOMEONE FROM PUBLIC WORKS BEFORE
[01:05:01]
THIS MEETING IS OVER.SO, UH, SINCE I LEARNED BEFORE THE MEETING THAT MY CIP PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN DEFERRED, IS THAT MY SUBDIVISION UP THERE WITH THEM IS CATALINA AREA? YES.
I'M THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE CATALINA SQUARE, HOA CATALINA AREA, I GUESS.
AND, UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY FOR MY SUBDIVISION TO TALK ABOUT, BUT THERE'S, IN THE GENERAL AREA THAT WE LIVE AND WORK IN AND RECREATE IN, THERE'S TWO THINGS I'VE NOTICED OVER AT LEAST THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND THAT IS ONE, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF WORK DONE ON REHABILITATING INTERSECTIONS, OKAY.
TO THE POINT OF PUTTING IN, UH, WHEELCHAIR ACCESS ON THE SIDEWALKS ONCE THEY TEAR AN INTERSECTION UP AND, AND PUT IT BACK DOWN, AND THEN PUTTING IN NEW TRAFFIC LIGHTS, OKAY? MM-HMM
UH, WE HAVE GOOD CONTRACTORS THAT PUT IN, I CALL 'EM THE LIGHT STANDARDS.
AND THAT'S THE BIG GALVANIZED STEEL POLES THAT THEY PUT IN TO HANG THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS ON THAT THEY'RE HURRICANE PROOF, QUOTE UNQUOTE.
SO THAT CONTRACTOR DOES A GOOD JOB AND HE DOES IT ON TOP, BUT NO ONE COMES AROUND FOR MONTHS, YEARS TO PUT IN THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS, WIRE 'EM UP THE SIGNAL BOX, MAKE IT ALL WORK.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE, WE STILL HAVE THE, UH, THE CABLE STRUNG ALL THE WAY ACROSS DAIRY, UH, DAIRY ASHFORD OKAY.
AND, UH, RICHMOND AND, UH, WEST PARK AND, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THERE'S A DIS THERE'S A BIG DISCONNECT THERE ON, ON HOW THIS WORK IS BEING DONE.
UH, SO, UH, HURRICANE SEASON STARTS IN TWO WEEKS.
UH, THE PROBLEM THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING ABOUT RICHMOND AND THE ROLLERCOASTER OKAY.
IS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT WE TALKED ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO ABOUT THE WEST SIDE POLICE STATION AND DAIRY ASHFORD.
WE, AND THIS, THIS PART OF HARRIS COUNTY, WE HAVE FAULTS RUNNING ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AND THE, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT AN ELECTRICAL FAULT, I'M TALKING ABOUT A GEOLOGICAL FAULT.
UH, ALL, MOST OF THIS WAS FARMLAND.
WE HAVE A, THE AREA, THE, THE SOIL IS WHAT THEY, THE SLANG TERM IS GUMBO.
OKAY? IT'S GOOD FOR GROWING THINGS AND IT'S GOOD FOR CATTLE AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
OKAY? BUT TO, UH, TO GET THE ROADS FROM NOT WARPING WHAT IT IS.
OKAY? UH, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS 25 YEARS AGO, THEY WOULD SAY YOU'D HAVE TO BUILD THE ROADS LIKE YOU WOULD AN INTER UH, AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY.
OKAY? IF YOU WERE, IF FEW AROUND IN THIS PART OF TEXAS, WHEN THEY REDID I 10 WEST OF KATY TOWARDS SEALY AND PLACES LIKE THAT, AND THEY WENT FROM TWO LANES EACH DIRECTION TO THREE LANES EACH DIRECTION, YOU SAW THAT THEY WERE ABOUT 16 INCHES THICK OF CONCRETE, AND TWO LAYERS OF FIVE EIGHT INCH REBAR.
THEY REALLY DID A GOOD JOB ON DOING THAT.
YOU COULD LAND A FIGHTER JET ON THOSE THINGS.
I THINK ONE, ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN THAT SPOKE IS EITHER AN ACTIVE OR RETIRED ENGINEER FROM TXDOT.
SO HE'S PROBABLY MORE QUALIFIED TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE TECHNIQUES USED FOR PUTTING DOWN ROADS THAT WILL NOT MOVE.
BUT IN, IN A, IN A, IN A CITY WHERE YOU PUT DOWN EIGHT TO EIGHT INCHES OF CONCRETE AND YOU'RE DOING GOOD TO GET REBAR.
MOST OF, MOST OF THE ROADS AROUND HERE, WHEN, AND THE SUBDIVISIONS WERE BUILT, AND THE, AND THE ROADS THAT WERE BUILT TO GET INTO THOSE SUBDIVISIONS, IT WAS, UH, WIRE, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE FE YOU KNOW, FARM FENCING, THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, TO HOLD, HOLD THE ROADS TOGETHER.
THERE WAS NO, THERE WAS NO REBAR USED.
TODAY WHEN YOU REDO A, UH, SOME PLACE LIKE BEL AIR OR BINET OR BEACH NUT LIKE THAT, YOU PUT DOWN A, UH, AT LEAST A FIVE EIGHT INCH REBAR.
BUT, BUT, UH, UH, THE, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE A VERY EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION TO REBUILD RICHMOND OR REBUILD DAIRY ASHFORD FOR THAT.
SO, BUT THE, THE TEX ENGINEER, IF HE, IF HE HAS A MORE INFORMATION, HE'D BE THE ONE THAT COULD, COULD, COULD TALK TO HIM THAT I, WELL, I AGREE.
JUST BEAR IN MIND, WE GOT 16,000 MILES OF STREETS IN THE, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, SO WE TRY TO TAKE ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS IN INTO ACCOUNT.
[01:10:01]
BUT I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.I, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THERE'S, UM, A MAP OR SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE IDENTIFIED WHERE ALL THE FAULTS ARE, BUT IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A FACT OF LIFE IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTY THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH.
BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A SOLUTION TO THE THING.
UH, YOU CAN SLOW IT DOWN, BUT, BUT IF YOU, IF YOU PUT IN A VERY RIGID, REINFORCED CONCRETE ROAD, AT LEAST IN LATE THE EARLY THE MIDDLE NINETIES, THEY ALL SAID IT, IT WOULD BREAK APART IN, IN 20, 30 YEARS.
YOU'RE NOT, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T GO AFTER THE, THE GEOLOGICAL STRESSES ARE TOO MUCH.
LEMME JUST SAY THIS 'CAUSE I WAS HOPING IN THE STATE TO HEAR ALL OF THE THINGS DEALING WITH THE CIP, BUT WHAT I WILL DO, 'CAUSE I, I'M, I'M NOW REALLY LATE TO ANOTHER MEETING, BUT LET ME, LEMME JUST SAY WHAT I WILL DO, UH, DIRECTOR CAROL HADDOCK IS NOT HERE TONIGHT.
UH, BUT DIRECTOR HADDOCK WILL COME COUNCIL MEMBER WHEN YOU WANT HER TO COME.
UH, BECAUSE I DO THINK, UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, UH, FOR YOU TO HEAR FROM DIRECTOR CAROL HADDOCK, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.
AND SO I WILL HAVE HER HERE, UM, VERY SOON.
YOU TELL ME WHEN AND THEN SHE WILL BE HERE TO, UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU AND MISS DID YOU JOHN? OH, THERE YOU GO.
SO JUST TO RESPOND TO THE, UM, YEAH, SORRY.
THE, UM, THE DISASTER, I'M GOING BLANK RIGHT NOW.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE, UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UM,
THE, THE BILLBOARD, THE ELECTRIC BILLBOARDS THAT WE'VE INSTALLED.
SO WE'VE NO, NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE, THE TRAFFIC.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE DISASTER INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT USES BLOCK GRANTS TO GIVE US, TO DO, TO DO THINGS AND ONE OF IT WAS A HURRICANE.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING.
'CAUSE I WAS GONNA RESPOND TO WHEN THEY'RE TURNED ON.
NO, I'M TALKING, I'M NOT, I I DID NOT NO, YOUR OKAY.
IF YOU WANT, UH, I CAN TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF, UH, SIGNAL LIGHT EQUIPMENT DURING CONSTRUCTION AND WHY YOU SEE THOSE DELAYS.
AND ALSO THE CITY KNEW, YOU KNOW, HOW WE DESIGNED PAYMENT SECTIONS FOR RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? NO, WE'RE DONE.
SO I WANNA THANK EACH OF YOU FOR, UM, SUBMITTING YOUR QUESTIONS.
I THINK WE HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT PARTICIPATION.
HE SAID HE WOULDN'T COME TO MY MEETING.
MY DADDY IN THE BLACK POLO WAVE YOUR HAND DADDY.
THAT'S THE FIRST MAN OF DISTRICT F.
SO, UM, I WANNA, I THINK WE HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT PARTICIPATION OF ALMOST EVERY, I THINK EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD WE HAVE BRI MEADOW, TANGO WILD WESTMONT.
WE HAVE, UM, ALE AND WE HAVE WESTCHASE.
PINE POINT, PINE POINT, CARVER CREST IS IN THE MIX.
ANYONE FROM WEST CHASE HERE? ALRIGHT, THERE WE GO.
UM, I APPRECIATE MAYOR TURNER FOR STAYING FOR A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF TIME.
UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW HIS TIME IS LIMITED.
UM, SO AS SHARED, OF COURSE, WE WILL HAVE A FOLLOW UP THAT'S NECESSARY.
SO NEXT WE'RE GONNA TRANSITION, UM, TO THE NEXT DISCUSSION, WHICH IS REDISTRICTING, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
SO I WANNA, UM, EN ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY IN YOUR SEATS.
WE DO HAVE POPCORN AND LEMONADE OUTSIDE FOR YOUR PLEASURE.
I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO HAVE SOME OF THAT.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT SPIKED.
SO, UM, MS. JENNIFER, SHE'LL COME FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND WE WILL INITIATE THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
I'M JENNIFER OSLAN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR WITH THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND THANKS FOR COMING TONIGHT.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN REDISTRICTING, WE ARE, WE'LL BE SHOWING A, A BRIEF VIDEO THAT EXPLAINS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT AND HOW IT'S DONE.
AND ONCE THAT'S OVER, WE'LL OPEN UP OUR LISTENING SESSION.
UM, WHAT YOU'LL HEAR IS THAT THIS IS THE VERY BEGINNING OF A PROCESS.
UM, WE HAVEN'T DRAWN ANY MAPS.
UM, OUR FIRST STEP IS TO LISTEN TO YOU AND HEAR WHAT YOU WANT, UM, WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE.
AND THEN WE WILL GO BACK AND, UM, PUT TOGETHER SOME DRAFT MAPS AND THEN BRING THOSE BACK OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
I'M JOINED TONIGHT BY MR. JERRY WOOD, WHO'S, UM, TO THE RIGHT OF COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
HE IS, UM, OUR DEMOGRAPHER AND EXPERT ON REDISTRICTING.
HE IS PARTICIPATED IN A NUMBER OF REDISTRICTING EFFORTS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES.
AND HE IS TAKING NOTES TONIGHT.
SO ANYBODY WHO'S TALKING, UM, WHO WANTS TO GIVE US SOME COMMENTS TONIGHT, UM, JERRY,
[01:15:01]
WELL, IS DOCUMENTING THAT.AND THIS ALSO IS NOT THE LAST OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO GIVE COMMENTS AS YOU LEARN IN THE VIDEO.
THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
SO IT'S A LOT TO, TO TAKE IN AND DIGEST IN TONIGHT.
UM, SO YOU MAY THINK OF SOMETHING LATER AND THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, BY WEB, BY PHONE, OR TO VISIT US IN PERSON WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR COMMENTS TO US.
SO WITH THAT, UM, LET'S, UM, DO THE VIDEO.
HELLO, THIS IS MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
HOUSTON, THE CITY WE ALL CALL HOME CONTINUES TO PROSPER AND GROW.
RANK THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
WE ARE A DYNAMIC COMMUNITY, RICH IN CULTURE AND DIVERSITY TOGETHER.
OUR PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS HELP TO SHAPE THE GLOBAL METROPOLIS WHERE IDEAS, DREAMS, AND IMAGINATION ARE WELCOME AND CELEBRATED.
HOW WE CHOOSE TO GOVERN OURSELVES IS ESTABLISHED BY OUR CITY CHARTER, MUCH LIKE THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, OUR CITY CHARTER.
IT'S THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S GOVERNMENT, AND FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR GOVERNMENT AND WE THE PEOPLE, ANY GOVERNMENT, WHETHER FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL WORKS BEST WHEN IT REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S WHY ADJUSTING THE BOUNDARIES OF OUR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS IS SO IMPORTANT.
OUR CITY ATTORNEY, ARTURO HEL, WILL NOW TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IN THIS REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
THE CITY CHARTER, AS WELL AS STATE AND FEDERAL LAW, REQUIRE THAT WE ADJUST OUR CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS FROM TIME TO TIME IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE DIFFERENCE IN DISTRICT POPULATIONS IS NEVER MORE THAN 10% OF AVERAGE DISTRICT POPULATION.
THE LAST TIME THE CITY ADJUSTED CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, AN ACTION CALLED REDISTRICTING WAS 10 YEARS AGO.
SINCE THEN, OUR POPULATION HAS GROWN BY 9.8% AND IS MORE THAN 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE.
EACH OF THE 11 COUNCIL DISTRICTS EXPERIENCE POPULATION CHANGE AT DIFFERENT RATES.
AS A RESULT, ADJUSTMENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR OUR CURRENT DISTRICTS BY CITY COUNCIL BEFORE THE NEXT MUNICIPAL ELECTION IN 2023.
THIS MEETING IS ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS IN THAT PROCESS.
ACCORDING TO THE 2020 CENSUS, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DISTRICT WITH THE LARGEST POPULATION, DISTRICT C AND THE DISTRICT WITH THE SMALLEST POPULATION, DISTRICT H IS OVER 66,000 PEOPLE.
THIS IS 31% OF THE AVERAGE DISTRICT POPULATION, FAR ABOVE THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE VARIATION.
OTHER DISTRICTS ARE ALSO ABOVE OR BELOW THE ALLOWABLE RANGE AND WILL HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY.
THE GOAL OF REDISTRICTING IS TO RECONFIGURE OUR DISTRICTS TO ACHIEVE AN EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF THE POPULATION IN EACH DISTRICT TO MEET REQUIREMENTS OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS.
STARTING IN 1964, THE SUPREME COURT RECOGNIZED THE PRINCIPLE OF ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE, AND THE APPLICABILITY OF THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE TO REDISTRICTING.
AND THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 AS AMENDED ALSO SETS FORTH REQUIREMENTS THAT WILL AFFECT THIS PROCESS.
REDISTRICTING MUST NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, OR MEMBERSHIP IN A PROTECTIVE LANGUAGE.
MINORITY GROUP CITY COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED A RESOLUTION THAT ESTABLISHES THE TIMELINE CRITERIA AND RULES THAT WILL HELP GUIDE THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
THE SPECIFICS FOR EACH OF THESE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, AND CHINESE CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE@WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV.
OUR REDISTRICTING TIMELINE IS GUIDED IN PART BY THE DATES THAT RESULTS OF THE 2020 CENSUS BECOME AVAILABLE AND BY THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE, WHICH PROVIDES THAT CHANGES IN ELECTION BOUNDARIES.
EXAMPLE, COUNCIL DISTRICTS MUST BE ADOPTED MORE THAN THREE MONTHS BEFORE ELECTION DAY.
IT IS ALSO INFORMED BY THE 12 MONTH RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT ESTABLISHED IN THE CITY CHARTER.
AND THE CITY CHARTER ALSO REQUIRES THAT A REDISTRICTING ORDINANCE BE ADOPTED IN THE SAME YEAR AS THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION.
SO THE PLAN ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IN THE FALL OF 2022 WILL BE RATIFIED BY CITY COUNCIL IN EARLY 2023, AND THE NEW BOUNDARIES WILL BE EFFECTIVE ON JANUARY 1ST, 2024.
WE HAVE ORGANIZED THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS TO HELP KEEP YOU INFORMED AND AWARE OF WHAT WE ARE DOING AT EVERY STEP OF THE PROCESS.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, YOUR PARTICIPATION IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROCESS, AND WE HOPE YOU'LL PROVIDE COMMENTS TO HELP GUIDE DECISIONS ABOUT THE CONFIGURATION OF OUR 11 COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
[01:20:02]
THESE MEETINGS WILL HAPPEN ACROSS HOUSTON THROUGHOUT THE MONTHS OF APRIL AND MAY.IN JUNE, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, DEMOGRAPHER AND LEGAL COUNSEL WILL PRESENT A DRAFT PLAN AND MAP TO CITY COUNCIL.
THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL BE HELD FOR CITIZENS TO COMMENT ON THE DRAFT PLAN AND MAP.
THE FIRST TWO HEARINGS WILL BE ON JULY 13TH, ONE IN THE MORNING, AND ONE IN THE EVENING.
AND THE THIRD WILL BE HELD ON JULY 20TH.
CITY COUNCIL WILL APPROVE THEIR REDISTRICTING PLAN ORDINANCE IN SEPTEMBER.
THE CRITERIA ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL, WHICH SHOULD BE FOLLOWED TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, INCLUDE DISTRICTS SHOULD BE RELATIVELY EQUAL IN POPULATION WITH NO MORE THAN A 10% VARIATION FROM THE AVERAGE DISTRICT SIZE.
THEREBY ENSURING THE VITAL STANDARD OF ONE PERSON ONE VOTE.
THEY MUST BE COMPOSED OF WHOLE COUNTY VOTING PRECINCTS, WHICH ARE DEFINED BY THE COUNTIES, AND SERVE AS THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
WHEN PRECINCTS ARE SPLIT BY THE CITY LIMITS, ONLY THE CITY PORTION OF THAT PRECINCT WILL BE USED.
THEY SHOULD HAVE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES, SUCH AS MAJOR THOROUGHFARE OR BUYS.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT NOT ALL COUNTY VOTING PRECINCTS FOLLOW CLEAR GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES, WHICH MAY MAKE IT NECESSARY FOR CITY COUNCIL BOUNDARIES.
TO DEVIATE FROM A PREFERRED BOUNDARY, THEY SHOULD MAINTAIN COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.
NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY SHOULD BE COMPACT AND COMPOSED OF CONTIGUOUS TERRITORY, INCLUDING FUNCTIONAL AND GEOGRAPHIC CONTIGUITY.
THE FUNCTIONAL DIMENSION MAY TAKE ON ADDED WEIGHT IN SITUATIONS IN WHICH GEOGRAPHIC COMPACTNESS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT SOME AREAS ARE ATTACHED TO THE REMAINDER OF THE CITY ONLY BY RELATIVELY LONG AND NARROW STRIPS OF LAND.
FUNCTIONAL COMPACTNESS AND CONTINUITY INCLUDES CONSIDERING FACTORS SUCH AS AVAILABILITY OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION, EXISTENCE OF COMMON SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND OTHER SHARED INTERESTS.
THE ABILITY OF CITIZENS OF A COUNCIL DISTRICT TO RELATE TO EACH OTHER AND TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVE ON CITY COUNCIL, AND THE ABILITY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER TO RELATE TO HIS OR HER CONSTITUENCY.
THEY SHOULD PRESERVE INCUMBENT CONSTITUENT RELATIONS BY RECOGNITION OF THE RESIDENTS, OF EXISTING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND THEIR HISTORY IN REPRESENTING CERTAIN AREAS.
THE PLAN SHOULD NOT FRAGMENT A GEOGRAPHICALLY COMPACT MINORITY COMMUNITY OR PACK MINORITY VOTERS IN THE PRESENCE OF POLARIZED VOTING SO AS TO CREATE LIABILITY UNDER SECTION TWO OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
MORE DETAILS ABOUT THESE CRITERIA CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, AND CHINESE.
TO HELP US MANAGE THIS COMPLICATED AND LENGTHY PROCESS, CITY COUNCIL ALSO ESTABLISHED THESE IMPORTANT RULES.
THE CITY'S PLAN AND ANYONE ELSE'S PLAN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY FOR CONSIDERATION MUST BE IN WRITING, BE BASED ON THE 2020 FEDERAL CENSUS MUST REDISTRICT THE ENTIRE CITY CONTAINING PROPOSED BOUNDARIES FOR ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS WITHIN THE CITY.
IF A PLAN DOES NOT REDISTRICT THE ENTIRE CITY, IT MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR COUNCIL TO ASSESS THE PLAN'S IMPACT ON ONE OR MORE PROTECTED MINORITY GROUPS.
THIS REQUIREMENT DOES NOT PRECLUDE CITIZENS FROM PROPOSING THAT PARTICULAR VOTING, PRECINCTS, NEIGHBORHOODS, OR LOCATIONS BE INCLUDED IN A SPECIFIC COUNCIL DISTRICT.
THE PLAN MUST CONFORM TO THE CRITERIA DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY AND BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN 4:45 PM ON JULY 20TH, 2022.
TO RUPE KOHI IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD REGARDING YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CONFIGURATION OF THE NEW COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
YOUR INPUT MAY SIMPLY BE REGARDING NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARIES OR YOU MAY WANT TO SUBMIT A COMPLETE REDISTRICTING PLAN.
EITHER WAY, THERE ARE SEVERAL POINTS AT WHICH YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS, OPINIONS, OR PLANS, ONE HERE AT THIS OR OTHER SCHEDULED TOWN HALL MEETINGS.
TWO THROUGH OUR WEBPAGE@WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV.
THREE DIRECTLY TO RUPE KOSHI IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT THROUGH EMAIL AT RUPE DOT COHI@HOUSTONTX.GOV BY US POSTAL SERVICE, OR HAND DELIVERY TO RUBES KOHI, OR FOUR AT ONE OF THE THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WILL BE HELD IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF CITY HALL 9 0 1 BAGBY STREET.
IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT A PLAN OF YOUR OWN, IT IS VITAL THAT YOU FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES CRITERIA AND RULES FOR THE CONSIDERATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
WE'RE READY TO HELP TO ENABLE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP AND SUBMIT THEIR OWN PLAN.
A COMPUTER KIOSK WITH REDISTRICTING SOFTWARE WILL BE SET UP IN THE OFFICES OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON THE SIX FOUR OF SIX 11 WALKER STREET, SEVEN SEVEN ZERO ZERO TWO.
PLEASE CALL 8 3 2 3 9 3 6 5 5 2
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TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT SO A STAFF MEMBER CAN ASSIST YOU IN USING THE SOFTWARE.AGAIN, ALL PLANS MUST BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN 4:45 PM ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 20TH, 2022.
NO MATTER HOW OR WHERE YOU JOIN THIS CONVERSATION, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARIES ARE AND WHERE IT MAKES SENSE TO KEEP A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST TOGETHER.
HOUSTON WILL BE STRONGER AS A RESULT OF YOUR PARTICIPATION.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING IN THE CONVERSATION.
UM, BENNY, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND PUTTING UP THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE LET'S TALK HOUSTON CONTACT INFORMATION.
UM, I'M GONNA PUT THAT SLIDE UP THERE.
SO IF YOU DIDN'T GET IT WHILE THE VIDEO IS PLAYING, UM, IT'S THE WEB ADDRESS WHERE YOU'LL FIND A COPY.
YOU WILL SEE A COPY OF THIS VIDEO IF YOU WANNA SEE IT AGAIN OR IF YOU WANNA LET OTHERS KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND ALSO ALL OF THAT CONTACT INFORMATION THEY MENTIONED, UM, IF YOU WANTED TO GET WITH US.
AND THEN JUST MORE INFORMATION ABOUT UPCOMING DATES AND SO FORTH.
SO WE'LL BEGIN THE LISTENING SESSION.
I JUST, LET'S SEE, I ONLY HAVE ONE CAR.
DO OTHERS, UM, SIGN UP TO SPEAK DOUG SMITH.
IF Y'ALL WATCH CITY HALL MEETINGS, THEN YOU KNOW, DOUG.
SO DOUG'S OUR, UH, EX OFFICIO AT LARGE MEMBER FOR THE CITY AND, UH, KEEPS US ACCOUNTABLE ON CITY BUDGET.
I I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT DISTRICT F BECAUSE I THINK OUR DISTRICT IS FINE.
WE'RE AT THE RIGHT POPULATION AND I DOUBT IF YOU MAKE ANY CHANGES AT ALL TO DISTRICT F, BUT I HEARD TWO WORDS IN THAT PRESENTATION THAT WE JUST WATCHED.
ONE DISTRICT SHOULD BE CONTIGUOUS, AND TWO, THERE SHOULD BE A COMMON INTEREST.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN MEET THAT CRITERIA WITH DISTRICT E WHERE KINGWOOD IS 30 MILES FROM CLEAR LAKE.
AND MARGARET WALLACE BROWN MADE SOME COMMENT LAST WEEK AT A MEETING ABOUT, WELL, WE HAVE TO DO THIS AND WE HAVE TO DO THAT.
BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHEN KINGWOOD WAS ANNEX, WHAT DISTRICT DID IT GO INTO WHEN CLEAR LAKE WAS THE NEXT, WHAT DISTRICT DID IT GO INTO? WHY CAN'T THEY GO BACK TO THE DISTRICTS THEY WERE PUT IN WHEN THEY WERE INITIALLY ANNEXED? THANK YOU.
ADDRESS THAT? UH, WHEN KINGWOOD WAS ANNEXED, IT WAS, UH, INITIALLY PLACED IN DISTRICT B BECAUSE THE LAKE HOUSTON AREA WAS IN DISTRICT B.
UH, WHEN CLEAR LAKE CITY WAS ANNEXED, IT WAS, UH, INITIALLY PUT INTO DISTRICT E WHERE IT REMAINS, UM, LEAVING KINGWOOD IN DISTRICT B, LEFT THE CITY OPEN TO AN OBJECTION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE BECAUSE OF RETRO AGGRESSION.
UM, BECAUSE IT INTERFERED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND DISTRICT B TO REP ELECT REPRESENTATIVE OF THEIR CHOICE.
SO IT WAS COMBINED WITH DISTRICT, UH, WITH, UH, CLEAR LAKE CITY, UH, WHICH IS A GREAT DISTANCE APART, BUT BOTH COMMUNITIES HAVE A GREAT DEAL IN COMMON AS, UH, THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER WHO SPOKE AT THE MEETING WE HAD IN KINGWOOD ALREADY, UM, EXPRESSED HIS SUPPORT FOR HAVING THE DISTRICT, UH, CONFIGURED AS IT IS CURRENTLY BECAUSE HE FINDS IT
DOES ANYBODY ELSE, WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT? ASK A QUESTION? NOPE.
DADDY, TELL HIM YOU WANT YOUR, PUT THE SLIDE UP.
TELL HIM YOU WANT YOUR DISTRICT TO STAY THE WAY IT'S DADDY.
TELL THEM, TELL HIM TELL I WON'T TAKE YOU OUT.
OKAY, WELL THAT MAKES A SHORT, SHORT PRESENTATION UP THERE.
UH, LET'S TALK HOUSTON.ORG/REDISTRICTING IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION, THE VIDEO AND ALL OF THAT GOOD STUFF.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HANGING AROUND, UM, TO HEAR ABOUT REDISTRICTING.
AND PLEASE, UM, GIVE US COMMENTS.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT 'EM LATER, CALL US, ASK QUESTIONS.