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TO THE EXTENT THERE IS A PLACE TO SIT, PLEASE BE SEATED.I'M SHOWING 1 34 ON TUESDAY, MAY 24TH, 2022.
I'M MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER AS A HYBRID MEETING WITH, UH, SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS JOINING IN PERSON AND SOME USING MICROSOFT TEAMS.
[PRESENTATIONS]
UH, WE'LL START TODAY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE, WE'RE SWITCHING.WE'RE GONNA KUBOSH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, UH, WHO WILL PRESENT A PROCLAMATION TO MEOLA DONAHUE LAWS FOR HER OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.
TODAY WE HAVE SOMEONE IN THE, IN THE, UH, CHAMBER WITH US TODAY THAT WILL BE 103 YEARS OLD IN THREE MONTHS.
UH, IT IS VERY, UH, APPROPRIATE THAT WE HAVE A DISTINGUISHED HONOREE HERE TODAY DURING THIS NATIONAL, UH, OLDER AMERICANS MONTH.
I, AND I BELIEVE SHE QUALIFIES
I ASSURE YOU THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS, WILL SEEM THAT HER LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UH, ARE VERY LONG.
THESE ARE ONLY A HIGH FEW HIGHLIGHTS OF HER MANY ACHIEVEMENTS.
UH, MYLA DONAHUE LAWS WAS BORN, UH, BY MIDWIFE ON AUGUST 24TH, 1919 IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, WHERE SHE'S LIVED HER ENTIRE LIFE HERE FOR OVER 102 YEARS.
THE DAUGHTER OF CRAWFORD AND WINNIE DONAHUE, SHE ATTENDED BLACKSHIRE ELEMENTARY, WHICH AT THE TIME WAS ONLY ONE OF THREE BLACK ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN HOUSTON.
SHE GRADUATED FROM THE HISTORIC JACK YATES HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE SHE WAS RECENTLY HONORED AS ONE OF THE MATRIARCHS OF HER CLASS OF 1937.
AT 14, MY OLDER BECAME THE PIANIST FOR THE YOUTH CHOIR OF FOURTH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH.
IN THE THIRD WARD, AS A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR, SHE BECAME THE ONLY CHURCH PIANIST AT THE INDEPENDENT MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH.
SHE LATER WORKED AS A MUSICIAN FOR THE TRUE LIGHT MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH ON NORTH MAIN AND BELLA VISTA MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH.
HER LOVE FOR DESIGNING AND CREATING CLOTHING BEGAN AT 15 WHEN SHE STARTED MAKING HER OWN SCHOOL CLOTHES, RESULTING IN A LIFELONG CAREER AS AN ACCOMPLISHED FASHION DESIGNER.
AND SEAMT, SHE TRAVELED WITH AND CREATED STAGE ATTIRE FOR ENTERTAINERS SUCH AS TINA TURNER AND THE IKES, AND THE IKE IKE AND TINA TURNER REVIEW.
SHE WAS ALSO A SEAMSTRESS FOR NOTABLE, NOTABLE HOUSTONIANS, INCLUDING JOANNE KING HERRING AND ELIZABETH SCURLOCK.
SHE MARRIED HERBERT LAW SENIOR AND BECAME, AND TOGETHER THEY HAD EIGHT CHILDREN, BLANCHE LAWS MCCONNELL, FORMER CHURCH MINISTER AND MUSIC, AND GENERAL MANAGER OF ANGLISS FUNERAL HOME IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, CALIFORNIA HUBERT LAWS JR.
JOHNNY LAWS, ELOISE LAWS, IVY RONNIE LAWS, CHARLOTTE LAWS THOMPSON, DEBORAH LAWS, AND DON DR.
YOU KNOW, I'M TIRED OF JUST READING THOSE AND YOU HAVE
UH, SHE HAS BEEN HONORED NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THE LEGACY SHE AND HER FAMILY HAVE CREATED, AS WELL AS HER WORK IN THE COMMUNITY.
SHE RECEIVED THE MOTHER OF JAZZ AWARD FROM THE RED CAT'S, UH, RED CAT JAZZ FOUNDATION, AND WAS RECENTLY HONORED WITH A SCHOLARSHIP IN HER NAME AT PILGRIM REST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH.
SHE'S ACTIVE IN SEVERAL OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE CONRAD O JOHNSON MUSIC FOUNDATION AND THE CCC CG WILKINS SCHOLARSHIP FUND.
SHE IS TREMENDOUSLY PROUD OF HER FAMILY AND BLESSED TO HAVE HAD 15 GRANDCHILDREN, AMONG THEM, A PHYSICIAN, A GRAMMY NOMINATED VOCALIST,
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BUSINESS OWNERS, AND CARD BLUE PERSONAL CHEF.SHE HAS A 21 GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN AND ONE GREAT, GREAT-GRANDCHILD, MAYOR AND MISS MEOLA.
WE ARE SO GLAD TO WOW, MISS MEOLA DONAHUE LAWS AND, UM, WE ARE SO HONORED.
WE ARE SO HONORED TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY.
PROUD TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY AT THE GRACEFUL AGE OF 1 0 3.
YOU KNOW WHAT A, WHAT A BLESSING.
AND THEN, UH, GOING BACK TO FOURTH MISSIONARY, UH, REVEREND BRANCH WAS BACK THERE DURING THOSE TIMES, THAT FOURTH MISSIONARY.
AND SO TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY IS SOMETHING SPECIAL, VERY, VERY SPECIAL.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU FOR, FOR ACKNOWLEDGING MORE THAN A CENTEN CENTEN CENTENARIAN, UH, 'CAUSE YOU ARE 100 PLUS, YOU KNOW? AND, UH, GOD PROMISES THREE SCORE AND 10, COME ON.
BUT HE, BUT HE'S ADDED, HE'S ADDED US SOME ICING
SO I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SAYING, SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM THIS DAY, MAY 24TH, 2022, AS MEOLA LA LAWS DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONGRESS.
AND THEN, IF YOU DON'T MIND, COUNCILMAN, WE, WE ARE GONNA ASK FOR, FOR A FAMILY TO COME UP AS WELL.
I THINK, I THINK IT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED OF 'EM.
I JUST WANTED OH, TURN HER BACK.
I JUST WANT HER TO SEE EVERYBODY.
WE HAVE MS. MYLAS SON ON VIRTUALLY, AND HE'LL LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS FOR THE FAMILY.
IS THIS AT THE RONNIE? MR. RONNIE LOST RIGHT THERE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? MS. OLA, CAN YOU SEE RONNIE? HEY, MOM, LOVE YOU DEARLY.
AND EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED FOR YOU IS, IS WELL DESERVED.
YOU, YOU'VE HAVE BEEN SO ACTIVE IN ALL OF OUR ASPIRATIONS, AS YOU KNOW, IN OUR CAREERS, AND YOU'VE BEEN VERY INSPIRATIONAL ALONG WITH DAD.
AND, BUT YOU, YOU REALLY, UH, UH, GAVE US, UH, THE DIRECTION IN, IN, IN PURSUING OUR CAREERS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA EXPRESS OUR LOVE TO YOU.
AND EVERY, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS REWARDED TO YOU TODAY IS WELL DESERVED.
SO, MS. MYLA, WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST HALL, A FUTURE HALL OF FAMER.
SO, MR. HALL OF FAMER, IF YOU WOULD UNMUTE YOURSELF BY HITTING STAR SIX, MR. GREATEST MANAGER IN BASEBALL, DUSTY BAKER.
HOW YOU DOING? HEY, RONNIE, MY BROTHER.
HEY, DUSTY, HOW YOU DOING? MY BROTHER.
I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A PLAYER WITH THE DODGERS, AND, UH, UH, RONNIE SAYS, HEY, MAN, YOU GOTTA CALL MY MOM, UH, WHEN YOU GET TO HOUSTON.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SHE'S THE BEST COOK ON, ON EARTH.
AND, UH, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE 103 YEARS OLD.
IT WAS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS THAT LONG AGO WHEN YOU WERE COOKING FOR US.
I KNOW RONNIE WAS A BIG, UH, UH, ASTROS FAN, AND, UH, BUT YOU COOK FOR, YOU COOKED FOR US.
AND, UH, I, I'D BRING, UH, KENNY LANDRO OVER THERE AND, UH, PEDRO GUERRERO, AND I THINK REGGIE SMITH CAME ONE TIME, UH, UH, I THINK DAVE LO.
BUT I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT MEALS THAT YOU GAVE US AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE INSTALLATION THAT YOU GAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR OWN FAMILY, BECAUSE I WAS A BIG, UH, HUBERT LAWS, ELO LAWS, RONNIE LAWS FAN.
AND, UH, RONNIE AND I HAVE, HAS HA HAVE, HAVE, UH, REMAINED PARTNERS, YOU KNOW, THROUGH ALL THIS, UH, ALL THESE YEARS.
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MRS. LAWS, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT'S A WELL DESERVED DAY, AND WE LOVE YOU.WE NEED TO GET SOME RUNS AND FEW HITS.
SO IT DIDN'T LOOK GOOD LAST NIGHT, BUT WE'RE HAVING A GREAT YEAR SO FAR.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MEMBER ED POLLARD.
AND, UH, FOR ONE, YOU LOOK GORGEOUS TODAY.
I WANNA KNOW YOUR SECRET BECAUSE YOU'VE DEFINITELY BEEN DRINKING FROM THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH.
UM, BUT IT'S GREAT TO LEARN ABOUT YOUR HISTORY OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT YOU'VE HAD TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OR SUPER INCREDIBLE.
UM, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE LIFESPAN THAT YOU'VE HAD AND ALL THAT YOU'VE LIVED THROUGH, TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY TO RECEIVE THIS PROCLAMATION IS SOMETHING INCREDIBLE.
UH, FOR, FOR A YOUNG MAN WHO IS THE ONLY BLACK, UH, COUNCIL, MALE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, BORN IN THE MID EIGHTIES, UH, FOR YOU TO HAVE BEEN BORN IN 1919.
AND FOR US TO SHARE THIS CHAMBER, UH, TODAY TOGETHER IS, IS NOTHING BUT THE GRACE OF GOD.
AND I HEARD IN YOUR, UH, PROCLAMATION THAT MANY TIMES, UH, IT HAD THE WORD CHURCH IN THERE.
YOU WERE VERY ACTIVE IN YOUR CHURCH, DID THINGS WITH YOUR CHURCH.
AND SO, UH, THE LORD HAS, UH, SHOWN HIS FAVOR TO YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY.
AND I THOUGHT, I THINK I ALSO SEE PASTOR DAMON WILKINS WITH THE, UH, PILGRIM REST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH BACK THERE.
I WANNA GIVE, UH, PASTOR A SHOUT OUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS AND I SHARE THAT, UH, AREA OF PINEY POINT, UH, AND GREAT TO SEE ALL OF YOU ALL HERE TODAY.
SO, MS. MYLA, UH, TO REITERATE A POINT THAT MR. COUNCIL MEMBER ED POLLARD MADE YOU LOOK PHENOMENAL.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE 63, YOU LOOK PHENOMENAL FOR 103, I THINK THAT'S JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS OLDER THAN COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH.
BUT JUST SAYING, JUST SAYING, I KNOW YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF YOUR KIDS, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, EITHER YOU OR ONE OF THEM INTRODUCING THE FAMILY.
UH, DO I NEED TO SPEAK? YEAH, COME ON.
WELL, LET ME FIRST SAY, WE DO HAVE TWO, UM, DAUGHTERS WHO ARE DECEASED.
SO I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE MY OLDEST SISTER, BLANCHE LAWS MCCONNELL, WHO'S NOW DECEASED.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE OUR BROTHER, HUBERT LAWS JR.
NEXT, OUR BROTHER JOHNNY LAWS, OUR SISTER ELOISE LAWS, AND SHOULD I SAY HER DAUGHTER ELOISE LAWS? NEXT IS RONNIE RONNIE LAWS.
AND THEN OUR BELOVED SISTER CHARLOTTE, WHO'S ALSO DECEASED.
CHARLOTTE LOST THOMPSON AND HER, BUT HER DAUGHTER NICOLE IS HERE.
NICOLE, HER REPRESENTATION, AND THEN DEBORAH LAWS.
AND AS MY DAD WOULD SAY, I'M THE CREAM OF THE CROP.
I'M THE LAST, JUST JOKING, JUST JOKING.
WELL, I TELL YOU, YOUR FAMILY HAS SOME WONDERFUL GENETICS.
THE GOOD LORD HAS BLESSED YOU IN MANY, MANY WAYS AND SUCH GREAT CHILDREN THAT ARE HERE TODAY, AND GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT GRANDCHILDREN.
WHAT A BLESSING, WHAT A BLESSING THIS DAY IS, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER KASH, FOR, UM, HAVING MISS MYLA HERE, AND SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY GOD BLESS YOU, AND I HOPE HE GIVES YOU ANOTHER 102 YEARS, HUNDRED THREE YEARS.
AND I, I'LL LEAVE THE LAST WORDS TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH AND OR MAYOR SYLVETA TURNER.
MAYOR, I, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR NINE YEARS, I, I'VE NEVER, NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
UH, I, I GOT TO COME IN EARLY AND SPEAK TO THE GROUP AND, UM, AND, AND, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT THE, THE BOOK OF PROVERBS CHAPTER 31 TALKS ABOUT, UH, Y Y'ALL ARE ABOUT TO GET ME TO PREACH.
BUT
AND, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, BEING ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, MAYOR, AND, AND TO READ THE PROCLAMATION THAT YOU'RE GIVING.
AND, AND I'M SO HONORED TO HAVE DONE THAT.
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UH, TO HAVE MET MEOLA, UH, LAWS AND, AND HER FAMILY.AND, UH, GOD BLESS YOU AND KNOW YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL HUNDRED THIRD BIRTHDAY, OKAY? TURN AROUND THAT
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INDIVIDUALLY.BUT I JUST WANTED TO THANK HER WONDERFUL CHURCH MEMBERS WHO'VE COME OUT TO SUPPORT HER.
YES, ALL OF OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF, OF YEARS AGO, AND, AND, UH, ADOPTED CHILDREN, ALL OF MY OTHER BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
UM, AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO CANDY EASTMAN WHO CAME FROM MAGIC 1 0 2 AND ARTIE AND NAOMI WITH CONRAD JOHNSON MUSIC FOUNDATION, JUDY FOTON AND JOSE GRON, AND KATHY.
AND I HOPE I HAVEN'T MISSED ANYONE.
I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, FOR EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT.
WE REALLY THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE THE LOVE THAT YOU'VE SHOWN MY MOTHER OVER THE YEARS.
THESE, THESE ARE ACTUALLY FROM CANDY MOTHER, THE FLOWERS CANDY.
WHERE'S CANDY? RIGHT? HERE'S CANDY.
WE'LL SEE YOU ON A HUNDRED AND FOURTH.
ONE SECOND, ONE SECOND BEFORE WE START MOVING.
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LOVE.CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES I HERE TURNER.
HOW ARE YOU? CHAIR RECOGNIZES VICE.
COUNCIL CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS FOR A PROCLAMATION TO HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE IN HONOR OF THEIR 35TH ANNIVERSARY.
SO, HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE, WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN US AT THE PODIUM? TODAY WE ARE CELEBRATING A MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY FOLLOWING ANOTHER MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY OF 103 YEARS.
UM, AT 35 YEARS, YOU GUYS HAVE 68 YEARS MORE TO GO, THAT'S ALL.
SO FOR 35 YEARS, HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE HAS BEEN FULFILLING THEIR MISSION AS A PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL, GIVING MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL STORIES AND ADDRESS ISSUES, WHICH WOULD NOT TYPICALLY BE FEATURED ON TRADITIONAL COMMERCIAL BROADCAST OUTLETS.
AND AS THEY LIKE TO SAY, ALL YOU NEED TO DO WHEN YOU WALK IN THE DOOR IS TO HAVE AN IDEA.
SO IT'S REALLY A GREAT PLEASURE TODAY, I'M STANDING HERE WITH YOU MAYOR, TO HAVE THIS PROCLAMATION TO THEM, TO HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCES
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AT SOURCE ON THEIR 35TH ANNIVERSARY.WHEREAS THE HOUSTON AREA IS WONDERFULLY ENRICHED BY DEDICATED INSTITUTIONS THAT ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR SO MANY PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE, HOME TO HOUSTON'S PUBLIC ACCESS CABLE TELEVISION STATION, HMS TV HAS PROVIDED PUBLIC ACCESS CABLE TELEVISION PROGRAMMING IN HOUSTON SINCE 1987.
AND WHEREAS NON-COMMERCIAL PUBLIC ACCESS TELEVISION IS UNADULTERATED FREE SPEECH ACCORDINGLY, HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE PROVIDES MEDIA EDUCATION AND EQUIPMENT ACCESS TO ALL HOUSTON AREA RESIDENTS, WHICH IS THEN USED BY THE COMMUNITY TO PRODUCE THE ONLY LOCAL ALL ORIGINAL TELEVISION CHANNEL.
AND WHEREAS AS PART OF ITS SERVICE TO THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY, HOUSTON MEDIUM SOURCE BUILDS A SOLID EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ITS CITIZEN PRODUCERS PROVIDING INSTRUCTION IN A VARIETY OF TOPICS, SCHOOL PROGRAMS, TELEVISION, EXPOSURE TO ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, AND FREE PUBLICITY FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES ON THE COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD.
AND WHEREAS ON MAY 31ST, 2022, HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE WILL CELEBRATE ITS 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF OFFERING TELEVISION AND RADIO PRODUCTION CREATED BY THE COMMUNITY AND FOR THE COMMUNITY IN RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION OF ITS DEDICATION AND LOYAL SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS AND APPRECIATES HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE FOR ITS OVERALL CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS.
AND SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIM MAY 31ST, 2022 AS HOUSTON HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE DAY, THEIR 35TH ANNIVERSARY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE.
WELL, VERY BRIEFLY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SEVERAL PEOPLE, FIRST OF ALL, UH, MAYOR TURNER FOR YOUR SUPPORT, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AS WELL, AND HELPING US TO FULFILL OUR MISSION, BRINGING THE MASS MEDIA TO ORDINARY CITIZENS.
THANKS ALSO TO OUR FINE BOARD REPRESENTED HERE TODAY BY ALEX LESTER.
THERE HE IS OUR, UH, OUR OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER.
UH, THANKS ALSO TO OUR COMMUNITY PRODUCERS.
WITHOUT THEM WE WOULDN'T HAVE A CHANNEL.
AND THANKS TO THE GREAT STAFF AT HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE, WE HAVE, UH, FOUR STAFF MEMBERS OUT OF 11 WHO HAVE BEEN WITH HOUSTON MEDIA SOURCE FOR OVER 20 YEARS, WHICH I THINK IS QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT.
UH, EVERYONE REALLY BELIEVES IN THE MISSION AND THEY WORK HARD, AND WE'LL DO IT FOR ANOTHER 35 YEARS.
THANK YOU VERY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS HONOR.
HAVE YOU HOLD THIS AND TURN WE WORKS.
STATION 3, 2 1, 3 2, AND ONE MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER FOR A PROCLAMATION TO DELTA SIGMA THETA TO HONOR THEIR, TO HONOR THEIR 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF DELTA DAY AT CITY HALL.
UM, MAYOR PRO TEM, I'M GONNA NEED, UH, MY SOROS HELP, UM, WITH THIS PROCLAMATION TODAY.
SO I WANNA START OFF D-E-L-T-A-S-I-G-M-A-T-H-E-T-A, DELTA, CIGNA, ADA.
UH, MAYOR, NO STRANGER TO YOU AND COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING US ON HTV.
UM, I'M SO PROUD AND HONORED TO PRESENT, UM, MY SOR WITH THIS PROCLAMATION WITH SUPPORT OF YOU MAYOR.
UM, AND JUST AS A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, UM, I CAME TO DELTA SIGMA THETA BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE THAT WE HAVE DONE, UM, IN THE WORLD.
AND MOST OF THE WOMEN THAT I HAVE ADMIRED, ADMIRED, AND STILL ADMIRE TODAY
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ALL HAPPEN TO BE WOMEN OF DELTA SIGMA THETA.UM, ALSO WE HAVE DELTA ALL THROUGHOUT CITY HALL.
WE SEE THEM TODAY, UM, IN THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION FROM PUBLIC WORKS, HPD HOUSTON PLANNING, TRASH HOUSTON HEALTH, AND THEY'RE BRINGING THE VALUES AND IDEALS OF DELTA SIGMA THETA.
SO, UM, ALL OF THAT CONTINUES TODAY, UM, WITH OUR OUTSTANDING DELTA DAY COMMITTEE, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOAR JACKIE POPE.
OUR WONDERFUL SOR TASHA AND OUR WONDERFUL SORROW, COURTNEY.
SHE'S COURTNEY'S VERY MODEST IN THE BACK FOR THEIR VERY DILIGENT AND ROBUST EFFORT THAT THEY, UM, SHARED WITH US TODAY.
UM, AND I'LL ACKNOWLEDGE SARAH CASSIE A LITTLE BIT LATER, UH, IN OUR PROCLAMATION.
SO, UM, MAYOR TURNER, IT IS MY HONOR AND PRIVILEGE, UM, TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT WHEREAS DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY WAS FOUNDED ON JANUARY 13TH, 1913, BY 22 UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY, WHO WERE FOCUSED ON SOCIAL WELFARE, ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, CULTURAL ENRICHMENT, AND HIGH MORAL STANDARDS.
AND WHEREAS THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA CHAPTERS OF DELTA SIGMA THETA HAVE BUILT A FOUNDATION ON SERVICE AND COMMITMENT TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY THROUGH VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO PROGRAMS THAT ENHANCE OUR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND POLITICAL AWARENESS.
WHEREAS DELTA, TODAY AT CITY HALL IS AN ANNUAL MEETING TO INCREASE MEMBERS INVOLVEMENT IN THE LOCAL PUBLIC POLICY PROCESS AND ADVOCACY ON SOCIAL ACTION AIMS. THE ANNUAL MEETING INCLUDES FORUMS ON LOCAL ISSUES, ADVOCACY, SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, AND ENGAGEMENT WITH LOCAL LEADERS, AND RECOGNITION OF COURSE, BEFORE YOU CITY COUNCIL FEATURED SPEAKERS INCLUDE KEY POLICY MAKERS, EXPERTS, ELECTED AND PUBLIC OFFICIAL.
AND OUR SOER, CASSIE LEVY, IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS THE CATALYST THAT INSTITUTED DELTA TODAY AT CITY HALL 25 YEARS AGO.
MEMBERS WORLDWIDE CONTINUE TO HOLD IN HIGH ESTEEM THE PRINCIPLES, THE MORALS, AND THE INTEGRITY ON WHICH THE SORORITY WAS FOUNDED.
AND WHEREAS ON MAY 24TH, 2022, THE 25TH ANNUAL DELTA DAY WILL BE OBSERVED AT CITY HALL, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, COMMENDS AND CONGRATULATES, THE GREATER HOUSTON CHAPTERS OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY INCORPORATED ON ITS IN COMP COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING OUR CITY AND ON THIS MOMENTUM OCCASION AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS.
WELL, I WELL, I YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T READ THIS PROCLAMATION, YOU PREACHED THIS TO ME
SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM MAY 24TH, 2022 AS DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY INCORPORATED HOUSTON ALUMNI CHAPTER DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
HOW YOU WANT ALL OF THEM? PRESIDENT? HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON ONE SEC.
COUNCIL, OH, COUNCIL MEMBER, ALL THE DELTAS IN THE HOUSE.
WE HAVE A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS, AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A LITTLE FIGHT HERE BECAUSE OUR FIRST SPEAKER'S GONNA BE VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX, TATUM
SHE GOTTA WEAR THAT RED TODAY, NOT THAT PINK
YOU SEE HOW WE, WE NOT GONNA LET HIM BE MESSY.
WE'RE NOT GONNA LET HIM BE MESSY.
TO MY SISTERS OF DELTA SIGMA THETA, UH, WELCOME TO YOUR CITY HALL.
UM, I HEARD ALL OF THOSE, OOH, WHOOPS.
AND I STARTED THE SKI WEE, BUT I SAID, HMM, IT'S THEIR DAY AND I'M GONNA LET THEM HAVE THEIR DAY.
UM, BUT I WANT TO, ON A SERIOUS NOTE, LET YOU KNOW WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO SERVE ALONGSIDE YOUR SOROR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS.
SHE REPRESENTS YOU ALL WITH EXCELLENCE.
SHE REPRESENTS THE CITY IN A STELLAR FASHION.
BUT THAT IS NO SURPRISE, KNOWING THE AMAZING WOMEN THAT I KNOW OF, DELTA SIGMA THETA, YOU ALL REPRESENT YOUR ORGANIZATION WITH SUCH EXCELLENCE.
UM, YOU UPLIFT THE CITY, YOUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, YOU ARE A POLITICAL FORCE.
UM, AND TO SEE YOU ALL HERE IN CITY HALL ON THE 25TH DELTA DAY IS AMAZING.
UM, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW VERY HONORED I
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AM TO WORK ALONGSIDE EACH OF YOU AS A MEMBER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY.WE ARE SISTERS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE HOUSTON IS THE BEST.
OUR STATE IS THE BEST, OUR COUNTRY IS THE BEST, OUR WORLD IS THE BEST.
WE SUPPORT ALL THE LADIES OF DELTA SIGMA THETA, AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 25TH DELTA DAY AT CITY HALL.
COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD J. POLLARD.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
I CAN TELL YOU ALL YOU ARE TRULY PAINTING THE CITY RED TODAY AND, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND TO ECHO MY COLLEAGUE SENTIMENTS, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS DOES A GREAT JOB OF REPRESENTING YOU, UM, NOT ONLY HERE IN CHAMBERS, BUT ALL AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS SHE REPRESENTS DISTRICT F.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL JUST FOR YOUR COMMUNITY IMPACT, YOU KNOW, GOES BEYOND JUST, UH, THE CAMARADERIE WITHIN THE SORORITY, BUT THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO IMPACT LIVES, TO IMPACT COMMUNITIES, UH, GOES A LONG WAY.
AND I ALSO WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY CHIEF OF STAFF'S WIFE, UH, PAUL YOUNG, HIS WIFE ERICA IS A DELTA, AND HE WORE HIS RED TIE PAUL MADE, PAUL MADE SURE HE WORE HIS RED TIE TO REPRESENT HIS WIFE.
SO, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL.
LEMME LET ME, LET ME, LET ME JOIN IN NUMBER ONE BY THANKING, UH, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCILMAN MC, TIFFANY THOMAS FOR AND I, I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY CHIEF OF STAFF, WHO IS ALSO A DOCTOR AND ALL OF MY DEPARTMENT, TEDS UH, UH, TASHA FRANCIS, AND SO MANY OTHERS WHO ARE DELTA.
SO I WOULD BE RESS AND I DON'T SEE ANNA JAMES WHO SEE, BUT SHE HAD, I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION ANNA JAMES.
UM, THE ONLY REASON, WHERE AM I MISSING? WHERE'S MY COUSIN? WHERE'S FREDDIE MA? THAT'S MY FIRST COUSIN
AND THE ONLY REASON WHY I'M NOT IN RED IS BECAUSE MISS VIOLA WAS DRESSED IN BLUE.
BUT, UH, BUT NO, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING PRESENT.
IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU HERE.
IT WAS, IT WAS MY HOPE, UH, THAT THE DELTAS WOULD'VE BROUGHT THEIR NATIONAL, UH, UH, BACK TO HOUSTON, UH, WHILE I WAS MAYOR, BUT NEXT MAYOR WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THAT, THAT PRIVILEGE.
BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING PRESENT.
IT'S AN HONOR WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, STEM IN GENERAL, UH, BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE DELTAS FOR HELPING OUT.
THERE'S SO MANY COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT WE HAVE FROM ONE SIDE OF TOWN TO THE OTHER.
SO THANK YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH FOR BEING PRESIDENT.
QUITE FRANKLY, THIS HAS BEEN A SPECTACULAR DAY, UH, AT CITY HALL.
AND TO CAP IT OFF WITH THE DELTAS, IT JUST COULDN'T BE ANY NICER.
COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH.
AND THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
UH, IT'S, IT'S A VERY HONORABLE DAY.
I, UH, MAYOR, WHEN, WHEN I GLANCED OUT IN THE AUDIENCE, I, I SAW ONE OF OUR, OUR FORMER DISTRICT JUDGES AND DISTRICT, UH, JUDGE IN 3 39.
AND, AND WHEN I SAW HER, I WANTED TO STAND UP BECAUSE WHEN SHE COME INTO THE COURTROOM, THAT'S WHAT I'D HAVE TO DO.
NOW JOINING US LIVE VIRTUALLY FROM THE DELTA SIGMA THETA ROOM AT THE SHABAZZ RESIDENTS ARE COUNCIL MEMBER FROM THE DISTRICT OF DELTA, CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ.
OKAY, NOW I'M LIKE, UH, VICE MAYOR PROM.
I, I AM SO VERY HONORED AND CERTAINLY EVERYBODY THAT KNOWS ME, THEY KNOW THAT RED IS MY FAVORITE COLOR.
AND AS YOU SEE MY BACKGROUND, IT IS RED.
BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, I HAVE WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL FRIENDS THAT ARE IN THE DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY INCORPORATED.
YOU ALL DO A FANTASTIC SERVICE.
I'M SORRY I CAN'T SEE ALL OF THE FACES.
OF COURSE, I LOVE MARIA T. JACKSON AND ONE OF MY FORMER
[00:45:01]
COWORKERS, FELICIA ANICK.UH, AND SO IT'S SO MANY OF YOU THAT ARE THERE THAT I REALLY, REALLY HONOR AND CHERISH YOUR FRIENDSHIPS.
AND THEY CROSS THE PINK AND GREEN, UH, AND, AND THE DELTA RED LINES.
AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND CONGRATULATIONS FOR THIS.
UH, YOUR SERVICE IS PHENOMENAL.
OH, AND I LOVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY D. THOMAS AS WELL.
D AS IN DELTA, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY AL, YOU ALL WON A DAY, HUH? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE SEE HOW MUCH NEED THERE IS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND GOVERNMENT CERTAINLY CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
AND YOUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS MEAN A LOT TO THIS CITY.
CAN YOU TELL ME, WITHOUT HAVING, YOU KNOW, DO I GET IN TROUBLE, BUT WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THE RED? IS THERE SOME KIND OF SECRET MEANING, OR IS THERE SOMETHING YOU CAN SAY OUT LOUD? THE
COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON.
UM, MAYOR PRO TIM, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, FOR BRINGING US FORWARD.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL YOUR BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN RED, UM, AND KIMBERLY LEWIS BACK THERE.
I, I'M SITTING HERE AND I'M JUST LOOKING AT YOU GUYS AND MESMERIZED.
I NEVER PLEDGED, UM, TO A SORORITY, BUT IF I HAD A CHOICE OR HAD A OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT NOW, SHE WAS RIGHT.
I COME WITH YOU GUYS, I'M GONNA COME WITH THE BREAD, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA COME WITH YOU GUYS.
SO, UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 25 YEARS AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP.
CONGRATULATIONS, MAYOR TURNER.
COUNCIL MEMBER GIVE YOU THE LAST WORDS.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA, UH, ANNOUNCE THE CHAPTER PRESIDENTS THAT ARE WITH US TODAY FOR YOUR, WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR EACH CHAPTER FOR ARCHIVES.
AND SO IF THE CHAPTER PRESIDENTS CAN MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE FRONT, WE'LL DO A COLLECTIVE IN THE INDIVIDUAL AND THEN WE'LL DO A GROUP SHOT.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE, IF WE COULD SIT.
WE'RE GONNA GET, WE'RE GONNA SISTERLY LOVE TODAY AND GET BACK HERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE EXPEDITIOUSLY WITH OUR CHAPTER PRESIDENTS.
SO WHICH ONE? UM, HOUSTON METROPOLITAN, THE BAY AREA.
COME, COME GET EAST HARRIS CHAMBER.
THIS HARRIS, SUBURBAN HOUSTON, AND THEN HOUSTON.
OH, YOU WANNA DO THE PRESIDENT HERE? YEAH.
PRESIDENT, TAKE THE PRESIDENTS FIRST.
[00:57:42]
CHAIR[00:57:42]
NOW[2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK FOR THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE.THIS INVOCATION TODAY COMES FROM ALDEN SOY WHO TEACHES AT THE HEBREW UNION COLLEGE JEWISH INSTITUTE OF RELIGION IN JERUSALEM.
AND IT'S THE PRAYER FOR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP, GOD OF HISTORY.
WE YEARN FOR LEADERSHIP FOR MEN AND WOMEN OF INSPIRATION AND INSIGHT VISIONARIES TO BUILD NATIONS AND COMMUNITIES IN YOUR IMAGE STEWARDS DEDICATED TO JUSTICE, UNAFRAID TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF OUR DAY SO THAT ARE CITIES AND COUNTRIES RESONATE WITH COMPASSION AND HEALTH, JUSTICE AND MERCY, KINDNESS AND PEACE.
BLESS OUR LEADERS WITH DEDICATION AND FORESIGHT, FORTITUDE AND IMAGINATION TO SOLVE THE COMPLEX ISSUES THAT THREATEN OUR FUTURE.
MAY THEY LEAD US TO A TIME WHEN NEIGHBORS EMBRACE AND THE COMMUNITIES THRIVE.
A TIME WHEN LIBERTY AND EQUALITY REIGN SUPREME, SOURCE AND SHELTER, GRANT SAFETY AND SECURITY TO ALL NATIONS AND COMMUNITIES SO THAT TRUTH AND HARMONY WILL RESOUND FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH.
LET THE LIGHT OF WISDOM SHINE BRIGHTLY IN THE HALLS OF POWER.
A BEACON OF HOPE FOR EVERY LAND IN EVERY PEOPLE.
COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, PLEASE STAND FOR THE P PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS NATION IN LIBERTY FOR ALL.
[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING]
HAVE ROLL CALL.COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE PREPARE TO ANSWER THE ROLL CALL BY EITHER UNMUTING YOURSELF, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS WILL BE ABSENT.
HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF APRIL 19TH AND 20TH.
[01:00:01]
CASTEX TATUM, MOVE.SECOND IN FAVOR OPPOSED? MOTION GRANTED.
[PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING THIS HYBRID PUBLIC SESSION FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS.PLEASE REMEMBER TO SPEAK SLOWLY AND CLEARLY.
IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE MEETING, PLEASE TYPE THAT INTO THE CHAT WINDOW AND THEN HANG UP.
THIS WILL REMOVE YOU FROM THE MEETING AND WILL ALSO GIVE US A RECORD OF WHEN YOU LEFT, STATE YOUR NAME WHEN MAKING A MOTION, SECONDING OR TAGGING.
FOR THOSE JOINING VIRTUALLY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE TYPE THAT INTO THE CHAT WINDOW.
THE AGENDA DIRECTOR WILL BE MONITORING THE CHAT AND WE'LL ADD YOUR NAME TO THE QUEUE.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU MUST BE VISIBLE ON CAMERA WHILE YOU ARE SPEAKING FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
LET ME REMIND YOU THAT IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A PUBLIC SPEAKER, YOU HAD TO SIGN UP WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE BY 3:00 PM YESTERDAY.
WE WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGNED UP WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED.
IF YOU ARE HERE IN PERSON, PLEASE STEP FORWARD TO THE PODIUM.
IF YOU ARE CALLING IN, PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE.
IF YOU ARE APPEARING ON CAMERA, CLICK ON THE MICROPHONE ICON AND THE CAMERA ICON.
YOU WILL THEN HAVE EITHER ONE, TWO OR THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
AFTER YOUR TIME, THE BELL WILL RING AND ONCE THAT BELL RINGS, YOU MUST STOP SPEAKING.
YOU MAY ONLY SPEAK WHEN RECOGNIZED.
IF YOU SPEAK DURING THE MEETING AND I HAVE NOT RECOGNIZED YOU, WE WILL MUTE YOU.
IF YOU SPEAK AGAIN, WE WILL REMOVE YOU FROM THE MEETING.
ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? I'LL CALL ON COUNCIL MEMBER DAVE MARTIN.
I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE MR. JERRY GA GEIS TO FOLLOW SHANE STENSON FOR THREE MINUTES AND TO ADD MR. ROBERT WOODS AFTER JERRY GAUZE FOR THREE MINUTES.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OPPOSED MOTION AND GRAN GRANTED.
COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH FOR PROCEDURAL MOTION.
I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE MARY UH WRIGHT, MARIAN WRIGHT TO FOLLOW ROBERT WOODS FOR ONE MINUTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE FIRST PUBLIC SPEAKER EDWARD A ABOVE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE PERMIT PARKING APPLICATION FOR A BLOCK.
MY FAMILY AND I LIVE ON THE 2000 BLOCK OF CONVERSE.
LIKE OTHER FAMILIES ON OUR STREET, WE'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH ONGOING PROBLEMS CAUSED BY NON-RESIDENTS WHO PARK HERE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL POPULAR BARS A COUPLE BLOCKS AWAY.
SO BAR PATRONS USE OUR STREET TO PARK LATE AT NIGHT AND EARLY IN THE MORNING WHEN THEY GO TO AND FROM THE BARS TO TAKE UP PRACTICALLY ALL THE STREET PARKING BLOCKED DRIVEWAYS, AND OFTEN USE THE STREET FOR OVERNIGHT PARKING, SOMETIMES FOR DAYS AT A TIME.
BUT WHAT MAKES THE PARKING PROBLEM ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT IS THAT WHEN THE BARS CLOSE AFTER TWO IN THE MORNING, PEOPLE COME TO GET THEIR CARS THAT THEY LEFT IN FRONT OF OUR HOMES AND THEY'RE OFTEN DRUNK, LOUD AND ROWDY.
WE'VE BEEN AWAKENED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT MANY TIMES BY PEOPLE WHO HANG AROUND THEIR PARKED CARS AND MAKE ALL SORTS OF LOUD NOISE.
THEY YELL AT EACH OTHER, SLAM CAR DOORS, BLOW HORNS, ACTIVATE CAR ALARMS, REV ENGINES, AND PLAY MUSIC.
IN ADDITION, BAR PATRONS PASS OUT IN THEIR CARS FOR HOURS, VOMIT ON NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY, THROW GARBAGE AND PEE ON THE STREET WHILE TRYING TO PARK PEOPLE HAVE CRASHED OTHER CARS.
THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE WAS ABOUT A MONTH AGO WHEN SOMEONE CRASHED A PARKED CAR ON THE STREET AND THEN THEY TOOK OFF.
IT HAPPENED RUN RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.
THE SOUND OF THE CRASH LATE AT NIGHT JOLTED US RIGHT OUT OF BED.
THE ROUT US, THE DISTURBING OF THE PEACE, THE PUBLIC NUISANCE ACTS ARE ALL CHRONIC PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE PARKING SITUATION.
THESE ARE ALL BIG NEGATIVES FOR THE SECURITY AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE ON OUR BLOCK.
I'M VERY RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THAT YOU APPROVE THE APPLICATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, COUNCILMAN KAMAN.
MR. COUNCILMAN KAMAN ON THE SCREEN.
AND MR. ABOOD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TODAY.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THIS.
UM, I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE IN FAVOR OF IT, AND THIS HAS BEEN RESIDENT DRIVEN.
WANTED TO LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT, UH, IT'S ACTUALLY GOING.
THE ITEM IS GOING TO BE NOT ON THIS WEEK'S AGENDA, BUT NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA, BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING ON IT AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE Y'ALL THAT HEADS UP, UM, SO THAT YOU'RE NOT TAKEN BY SURPRISE THAT YOU WON'T SEE
[01:05:01]
IT ON THIS WEEK'S AGENDA.BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EFFORTS ON THIS.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SEVERAL, UH, RPP APPLICATIONS COMING IN FROM THE DISTRICT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING ON THEM.
OH, COUNCIL, AND I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS.
YOU NEIGHBORS ARE, ARE, ARE REALLY HAVING TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF THIS OVERFLOW FROM THE BARS AND STUFF.
UH, WHAT, WHAT TIME WILL THE, THE PERMITS BE ACTIVE? SO WILL IT AFFECT THE DAYTIME PARKING OR JUST THE EVENING AND AFTERNOON? YEAH.
UM, THE, THE REQUEST HAS BEEN MADE FROM 11:00 PM THROUGH 5:00 AM UH, WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.
SO IF THEY GO THERE AND PARK AT NINE O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING THOUGH, THAT, THAT'S A, THAT THEY CAN PARK THERE THEN? YES, SIR.
UM, IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX, BRANDON BAIRD, STAR SIX.
IS IT GONNA LET ME TALK BRANDON? NEXT SPEAKER.
GEORGE LEBLANC IS HERE READING CITY COUNCIL.
UH, MY NAME IS GEORGE LEBLANC AND I LIVE IN THE HILLWOOD SUBDIVISION, UH, IN THE SOUTH ACRES, UH, UH, REGION OF HOUSTON.
AND, UM, COULD I PASS THIS OUT TO THE, THE MEMBERS? OH, KEEP SPEAKING.
UM, IF YOU ALL WILL NOTICE WHEN YOU GET THE MAP HERE, I HAVE A MAP OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND, UM, UH, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU SEE 2 88, UH, FREEWAY.
UH, NEARLY NEAR THE CENTER OF THAT YOU SEE THE INTERSECTION OF ALAMEDA, GENOA.
AND, UH, AND I LIVE, UH, IN THE SUBDIVISION HILLWOOD, WHICH IS NORTH OF ALAMEDA GENOA.
UH, BETWEEN CULLEN AND SCOTT STREET.
AND, UH, I LIVE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM THE MLK CLINIC.
AND, UH, I STAND BEFORE YOU REPRESENTING 15 TO 20 YEARS OF ILLEGAL DUMPING EVERY DAY OR EVERY OTHER DAY.
UH, THE UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF ALAMEDA, GENOA, THAT WHOLE AREA FROM THERE, FROM ALAMEDA GENOA TO TO, UH, TO THE, UH, SAM HOUSTON TOLLWAY.
AND THERE ARE NEW, UH, COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE STILL DEVELOPING THERE AS WELL.
UH, THEY'RE UNINCORPORATED AND THEY DON'T HAVE HEAVY TRASH SERVICE.
AND THAT COMMUNITY, UH, FOR THE PAST 15, 20 YEARS, THEY TAKE THEIR HEAVY TRASH AND COME ACROSS ALAMEDA GENOA AND THEY DUMP IT IN MY COMMUNITY.
AND I HAVE NUMEROUS, UH, UH, YOU CAN LOOK UP MY NAME.
I'VE MADE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND I'M HOPING THAT CITY COUNCIL OR THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL COULD TALK TO PERHAPS SOMEBODY WITH THE COUNTY TO COORDINATE HEAVY TRASH SERVICE FOR THIS COMMUNITY SOUTH OF MENTO GENOA, TO ALLEVIATE THE ONGOING, UH, HEAVY TRASH THAT THESE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT SERVICE THEY'RE PUTTING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION, UH, ACCESS TO HIGHWAY 2 88.
AGAIN, IF YOU GUYS WILL NOTICE, ALAMEDA GENOA, UH, IS AN ACCESS ROAD TO 2 88.
AND THEN NORTH OF THAT, OF THIS, UH, MAP YOU'LL SEE AIRPORT THAT'S AN ACCESS TO 2 88.
MY COMMUNITY AND EVERYBODY BETWEEN THERE, WE ARE LANDLOCKED ALMOST GETTING TO 2 88 DUE TO THE FACT THAT OREM DRIVE, IF YOU LOOK AT 2 88 ALMOST IN THE CENTER BETWEEN, UH, AL GENO AND AIRPORT, THERE'S AN ACCESS THAT'S, UH, PARTIALLY BUILT RIGHT THERE, CONNECTED WITH 2 88.
AND, UH, I'VE BEEN LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY SINCE 1977.
AND, UH, UH, AND THAT'S ORUM DRIVE.
THAT'S THE PROPOSED ORUM DRIVE.
AND OREM DRIVE DOES NOT CONTINUE IT, IT ENDS IN MY COMMUNITY AND WE'RE LANDLOCKED AND DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO 2 88 AND WE'RE ALL CRAMMED IN THE MORNING TRYING TO GET TO WORK, UH, UH, GETTING ON ALAMEDA GENOA OR GETTING ON AIRPORT.
AND ALAMEDA GENOA IS ONLY TWO LANES.
THERE'S ONLY TWO LANES ON ALAMI GENOA.
AND WHEN YOU CROSS OVER 2 88, THERE ARE FOUR LANES OVER THERE.
AND I'M HOPING THAT YOU ALL CAN ASSIST US WITH THIS ISSUE.
THOSE ARE TWO, TWO DISTINCT ISSUES.
I WILL TELL YOU, IN TERMS OF ILLEGAL DUMPING, IF THERE ARE PEOPLE COMING,
[01:10:01]
IF THEY'RE DUMPING ANYWAY ILLEGALLY, THAT'S A, THAT'S UP TO A $4,000 FINE.SO, UM, I MEAN, IF YOU KNOW OF THE PERSONS PERSON, PERSONS THAT ARE DOING THAT, WE CERTAINLY, WE CERTAINLY CAN GO AFTER THEM ON THAT, ON THAT POINT.
UH, AND I THINK WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY IS THAT THEY'RE LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, HOUSTON, BUT THEY'RE BRINGING, THEY'RE, THEY'RE UNINCORPORATED AREAS FROM THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS YES.
SO THEY'RE STILL, THEY'RE STILL SUBJECT TO THE, TO, TO THE $4,000 FINE FROM, FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND THEN WITH RESPECT TO YOUR OTHER ISSUE, THE CONNECTIVITY ISSUE, UH, LEMME JUST REFER THAT TO PUBLIC WORKS FOR THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
HEY, MAY I SAY THIS MAYOR IN RESPONSE? SURE.
UH, LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN FILING COMPLAINTS FOR 15, 20 YEARS AND THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNS, THERE ARE NO DUMPING, IT HAS NOT DETERRED THESE PEOPLE.
UH, THEY DO THIS BASICALLY AT NIGHT AND, UH, ON MOSTLY ON ZELENSKY, WHICH IS THE FRONT FRONTAGE STREET FOR MLK CLINIC.
AND I MEAN, LITERALLY IT, IT'S HORRIBLE.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE PEOPLE GOING TO THE CLINIC WHO ARE SICK.
I MEAN, YOU CAN GET SICK JUST LOOKING IN ALL THAT HEAVY TRASH, UH, UH, UH, GETTING ON ENS, GOING TO THE, UH, GOING TO THE CLINIC.
NOTHING HAS HAPPENED TO DETER THIS.
UH, SO, UH, THE ONLY REMEDY THAT I CAN SEE, AND MAYBE YOU ALL CAN HELP ME, UH, THEY'RE NOT AFRAID TO DUMP.
'CAUSE THEY'RE USUALLY DOING THIS AT NIGHT, YOU KNOW, UH, IN, UH, LATE AT NIGHT AND IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR 15 OR 20 YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, THE SIGNS, NO DUMPING SIGNS HAS NOT HELPED, UH, ALL OF THAT.
AND AGAIN, I'M ASKING IF YOU ALL COULD TALK WITH THE, THE COUNTY ALRIGHT.
AND PERHAPS EXTEND SERVICES TO THIS UNINCORPORATED AREA.
SO THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE THEM FROM HAVING TO HAVE TO PUT THAT TO HEAVY TRASH IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, IT IS PROBABLY SOMEBODY'S DUMPING PROBABLY RIGHT NOW AS WE'RE SPEAKING.
JUST TRYING TO THINK WHO IS, WHO IS, UH, WHO IS THE COMMISSIONER IN THAT? IS THAT ELLIS? THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE RODNEY ELLIS.
THEN WE'LL, WE'LL, WE WILL VISIT WITH COMMISSIONER ELLIS, UM, UM, ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
UM, WE CERTAINLY COULD LOOK AT PUTTING UP SOME CAMERAS UP IN THAT AREA.
UM, THAT'S ANOTHER, THAT'S ANOTHER WAY OF DOING IT.
BUT LET, LET US VISIT WITH COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
UM, I CERTAINLY AGREE THAT THAT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND OF COURSE DUMPING IS A MAJOR PROBLEM ALL OVER THE CITY, BUT I THINK YOU NAILED IT WHEN YOU SAID THAT THEY DO NOT GET SERVICES.
AND SO PERHAPS IF THEY COULD GET SERVICES, THEY WOULDN'T BE SO DILIGENT ABOUT DUMPING OVER IN, INTO THE DISTRICT.
AND SO CERTAINLY I, ALONG WITH THE MAYOR, WILL REACH OUT TO, UM, MR. ELLIS, UH, COMMISSIONER ELLIS TO SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE, BECAUSE CERTAINLY THEY SHOULD HAVE SOME TYPE OF SERVICES TO BE ABLE TO, UH, DUMP THEIR GOODS.
AND SO, UM, CERTAINLY WE CAN LOOK AT PUBLIC WORKS AND MAYBE T DOT THAT COULD LOOK AT EXTENDING OR ORUM OR SOMETHING IN THAT AREA, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT IS QUITE HAZARDOUS TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE TRAFFIC TO GET IN AND OUT AND WELL ON AND OFF OF 2 88.
SO THANK YOU AND FEEL FREE TO ENGAGE WITH MY OFFICE AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP, UH, WITH THE MAYOR WHO CERTAINLY WILL REACH OUT TO COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
I'M, I'M TRYING TO SEE EXACTLY WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
IT'S RIGHT OFF OF SCOTT STREET.
IF YOU LOOK AT 2 88 ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE AND TOWARD THE MIDDLE BOTTOM WHERE IT SAYS ALAMEDA GENOA, WHERE IT CONNECTS WITH 2 88, YOUR ADDRESS SHOWS TO BE ON THE EAST, EAST SIDE OF SCOTT STREET.
YOU WISHES THIS CAME ACROSS HERE.
THAT'S WHERE THE, BUT BUT THAT, BUT THAT'S A UNINCORPORATED AREA.
UH, EVERYTHING SOUTH OF ALAMEDA.
ALAMEDA GENOA IS THE CITY LIMIT.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU SIR FOR COMING.
AND THE ALAMEDA GENOA THING, I, I BELIEVE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN CHAZZ, I BELIEVE THAT CAME UP SOME, SOME DISCUSSION OF THAT CAME UP DURING THE CIP MEETING OF THE ISSUES ON AL ALIDA GENOA.
I REMEMBER TALK, UH, A WOMAN STANDING UP AND TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING.
SO I'D JUST BE INTERESTED IN WHAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE ANY CITY PLANS TO, TO ADDRESS WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING.
I, I HEARD FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHA BASS'S OFFICE THAT THERE'S, UH, FUNDING THAT'S IN THE WORK FOR EXPANDING, UH, ALAMEDA GENOA TO FOUR LANES.
UH, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN FUNDED YET.
SO I'M HOPING THAT YOU GUYS COULD THINK ABOUT MAYBE, UH, UH, UH, SPEEDING THAT PROCESS UP.
UH, BECAUSE THAT ROAD IS VERY DANGEROUS.
IT'S ONLY TWO LANES WHEN IT SHOULD BE FOUR, AND YOU HAVE ALL OF THAT TRAFFIC.
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED ON THAT,
[01:15:01]
UH, ON THAT ROAD.AND I'VE KNOWN ONE OR TWO PEOPLE PERSONALLY.
UH, BECAUSE ON EACH SIDE THERE'S DEEP DITCHES ON BOTH SIDES.
AND YOU HAVE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN AND, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY CATCHING A BUS THERE.
THE CITY BUS RUNS ALONG THERE AND THEY'RE LITERALLY STANDING IN THE DITCH TO CATCH THE BUS, THE METRO BUS.
IT'S, IT'S BAD BECAUSE THE, THE, THE AREA'S EXPANDING.
IT'S GROWING AND, AND WE REALLY NEED THIS, THIS ALLEVIATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO PLEASE IMMEDIATELY, IF YOU COULD CONSIDER POSTING, UH, UH, UH, ILLEGAL, UM, THE, THE, THE CAMERAS, THE DUMPING CAMERAS ON, ON, ON, ON, UH, WHAT WAS THAT? NO, THAT'S, UH, ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF, UH, RIGHT.
OBJECTION FOR A MOTION TO EXTEND OBJECTION TO YOUR NOW GRANTED, THANK YOU.
LET US, LET US VISIT WITH COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
BECAUSE IF THE ILLEGAL, IF THE ILLEGAL DUMPING IS COMING FROM THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, YOU THEN PRETTY MUCH NEED A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ADDRESS IT.
SO LET US GET WITH COMMISSIONER ELLIS.
ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER SHANE STINSON.
I LIVE IN THE HEIGHTS, ONE BLOCK OFF OF 11TH STREET.
SEEN TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN THE AREA OF ALSO A REAL ESTATE AGENT AND SELL PROPERTY IN THIS AREA.
THE 11TH STREET PROJECT CAME TO MY ATTENTION EARLY THIS YEAR IN JANUARY SEVERAL TIMES IT'S BEEN STATED THAT THE PROJECT WAS PUBLICIZED TO THE RESIDENCE.
I'LL SAY THAT WAS DONE DURING COVID OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS WHEN PEOPLE WERE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR HEALTH THAN THEY WERE STREET PROJECTS.
UM, IT WAS ALSO PUBLICIZED IN NEWSPAPERS AND AS AN 11TH STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, WHICH WOULD LEAD ONE TO BELIEVE IT'S AN ACTUAL IMPROVEMENT.
SINCE THE ARTS COALITION HAS SEEN THIS PLAN, THE PUBLIC IS NOW AWARE OF WHAT THE, THE PLAN ACTUALLY IS.
WE NOW HAVE 21, ALMOST 2100, UH, PETITIONS SIGNED AGAINST THIS STATED PLAN.
WHAT STARTED AS A REQUEST FOR A, A SAFE SOLUTION TO CROSS 11TH AND NICHOLSON HAS NOW MORPHED INTO REDUCTIONS OF LANES FOR VEHICLES, ADDED BIKE LANES AND NO TURN LANES IN MOST AREAS SINCE 2027.
7 0 0 8 HAS SEEN THE ADDITIONAL OF FIVE APARTMENT COMPLEXES WITH UP TO 1200 PLUS NEW RESIDENTS OCCUPYING THESE UNITS.
NOT TO MENTION THE ADDED COMMERCIAL GROWTH ALONG 11TH.
THIS IS A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE FOR A REASON.
IT'S THE ONLY ONE IN THE HEIGHTS THAT RUNS EAST AND WEST.
IT DOES ITS JOB SUFFICIENTLY, IT GETS TRAFFIC TO AND FROM.
AND WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT A PROPOSAL TO REDUCE THE LANES ALL IN THE NAME OF SAFETY.
SO WHEN WE DO GET BACKUPS ON 11TH, WHERE'S THIS TRAFFIC GOING? IT'S GONNA GO INTO OUR INTERIOR STREETS.
THAT'S NOT SAFE FOR THE RESIDENTS.
THIS IS NOT A SAFE SOLUTION FOR 11TH STREET, NOR IS IT A SAFE FOR THE INTERIOR STREETS OR THE RESIDENTS.
YOU'VE GOT DAILY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES UNLOADING LOADS FOR, FOR, FOR, UH, FOR BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALONG 11TH, WHICH CREATES A PROBLEM.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GO.
I KNOW IT'S SUPPOSEDLY AGAINST THE LAW.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW SOME OF THOSE GUYS ARE GONNA GET THEIR DELIVERIES DAILY FROM FOUR TO 6:00 PM ON BEVERLY STREET, NORTH AND SOUTH.
THIS BECOMES A CUT THROUGH STREET.
THERE'S TRAFFIC IN AND OUT FROM FROM 11TH GOING SOUTH AND FROM STUDER WOOD GOING WEST TO MISS THE LIGHT AT STUDER WOOD.
UM, WE HAVE VERY LITTLE, UH, SIDEWALKS IN THIS AREA.
IT PRESENTS PROBLEMS FOR RESIDENTS.
KIDS ARE WALKING TO AND FROM SCHOOL WITH THEIR PARENTS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS GONNA GET ANY BETTER WITH THE REDUCTION OF LANES ON 11TH STREET.
AGAIN, IT'S MENTIONED TIME AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR SAFETY.
IT DOESN'T MAKE THE RESIDENTS AND THE INTERIOR STRAITS ANY MORE SAFE.
WE'VE SEEN NO STUDIES PROPOSING THAT IT'S GONNA, UH, BE SAFER FOR THE RESIDENTS.
UH, WE WERE TOLD BY DAVID FIELDS IN UH, FEBRUARY THAT THERE WERE NO STUDIES, BUT JUST ROADS, ROAD DIET STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN OTHER CITIES.
HE ALSO STATED THE CITY DOES A POOR JOB INFORMING RESIDENTS OF THE ACTUAL PLAN.
I CAN TELL YOU TODAY THE RESIDENTS KNOW AND ARE INFORMED ABOUT THE PA PLAN DUE TO OUR GROUP AND OUR COALITION.
WE WERE TOLD AT THE SAME MEETING IF THERE ARE ISSUES WITH TRAFFIC AFTER THE FACT IN THE INTERIOR STREETS THAT THEY WOULD STUDY AT ONLY AFTER YOUR TIME, YOUR TIME HAD EXPIRED.
HEY, UH, MY NAME IS JERRY GOS.
I SPOKE, UH, MAY 3RD AND I WANTED TO THANK THE MAYOR FOR TAKING A MONTH TO REASSESS THE PROJECT, THE 11TH STREET PROJECT.
I'M HERE TO PROPOSE TO THE MAYOR THAT THE CITY SPONSOR A TOWN HALL MEETING
[01:20:01]
FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT LIVES IN THE GREATER, UH, HOUSTON, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 15.UH, THAT'S THE AREA THAT IS GONNA BE MOST AFFECTED BY THIS PROJECT.
AND, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONFINE SUCH A MEETING TO THAT PROJECT.
I KNOW THERE WAS A, A SESSION HERE LAST WEEK WHERE SOMEBODY WAS, UH, OBJECTING TO SOME PROJECT BUT THEY DIDN'T EVEN LIVE IN THE PROJECT AREA.
SO THAT'S SIMILAR REASON WHY WE WOULD SAY LET'S, IF WE HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING THAT WOULD BE SPONSORED BY THE CITY, IT WOULD BE CONFINED TO THE, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, AREA, WHICH IS A DEFINED AREA BY THE CITY.
UH, AS SHANE SAID, WE HAVE A PETITION OF 200 OVER 2044 VERSUS A, UH, UH, ANOTHER PETITION THAT'S, UH, SUPPORTING THE PROJECT OF 1511.
UH, SO WHEN, UH, AND AT THE LAST MEETING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND SAID THERE WAS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT, BUT EVERY TIME WE TALKED TO I'VE BEEN TO THREE MEETINGS, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SUPPORT.
I DON'T SEE THE OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT.
IN FACT, I SEE QUITE THE OPPOSITE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR, UM, THE GROUP TO GO ON RECORD THAT, THAT THEY ARE NOT OPPOSED TO BIKE LANES.
BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD THE MEETING, UM, UH, BACK A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO MM-HMM
THAT THE BIKE, THE PEOPLE, UH, THAT ARE PART OF THE BIKING COMMUNITY FELT AS THOUGH THAT, THAT WE WERE ALL OPPOSED TO BIKE LANES.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE HERE.
NO, WE'RE NOT OPPOSED TO BIKE LANES AT ALL.
UM, WHAT WE ARE OPPOSED TO REALLY IS BIKE LANES ON 11TH STREET.
'CAUSE IT'S A HIGH VOLUME, UH, STREET.
THERE'S OTHER ALTERNATIVES OR BIKE LANES THAT MAKE A LOT MORE SENSE.
14TH STREET'S ALREADY A BIKE PATH.
IT COULD BE EXTENDED PAST HEIGHTS BOULEVARD.
UH, THERE'S 10TH STREET, 12TH STREET THAT GIVES YOU EAST WEST, UH, UH, TRAFFIC FOR BICYCLES THAT CAN, UH, ALSO ACCESS 11TH STREET.
THERE'S NO PREVENTION OF THOSE BICYCLES GOING TO 11TH STREET FOR BUSINESSES.
JERRY GETS THE, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING.
I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
I THINK THAT EVERY TIME THAT WE MAKE A ONE OF THESE PRESENTATIONS, YOU NEED TO MAKE THE COMMENT THAT YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF BIKE LANES.
YOU THINK THAT'S TOO DANGEROUS? OKAY.
ROBERT WOODS ROBERT, BE ROBERT WOODS.
THANKS FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I, UH, BEEN LIVING IN A HEIGHTS FOR 17, UH, 17 YEARS AND IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE.
I WAS DOING SAY EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID.
WELL, I'M NOT, UM, I'M NOT AGAINST, UH, BIKING.
I'M A CYCLIST MYSELF, BUT I'M TOTALLY AGAINST HAVING HER ON 11TH STREET SIMPLY BECAUSE IT CONGESTED.
UH, CUTTING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD BE A DANGEROUS TO THE KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND UH, IF WE CAN REROUTE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
I WANNA MAKE IT EXPLICITLY CLEAR.
ARTS IS NOT AGAINST BIKE LANES, WE ARE NOT AGAINST CYCLISTS.
I ALSO WANT TO PLEASE REACH OUT TO YOU, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PUTTING BREAKS AND EVALUATING EVERYTHING NOW.
PLEASE, PLEASE HAVE A TOWN HALL SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY HEAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
PLEASE LISTEN TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA BE GETTING THINGS SAYING THAT DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS ARE IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
THE HOUSTON HEIGHTS ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS THE MAJOR PART OF IT, IS STAYING NEUTRAL.
THEY'RE STAYING NEUTRAL FOR A REASON BECAUSE IT IS A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.
PLEASE, PLEASE, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO HAVE A TOWN HALL? WE'RE BEGGING YOU.
PLEASE HAVE A TOWN HALL SO THAT YOU CAN LISTEN TO OUR COMMUNITY AND NOT PEOPLE THAT ARE CLAIMING TO REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY.
PLEASE LISTEN TO US, NOT TO ME, TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
CAN WE HAVE A TOWN HALL? UM, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY.
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE AGAIN TODAY.
[01:25:02]
ETHAN WRIGHT IS ETHAN.UH, I'VE LIVED IN THE HEIGHTS MY WHOLE LIFE AND I'M A CYCLIST.
UM, FIRST THING THAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN NICHOLSON AND 11TH STREET.
THIS INTERSECTION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND I'M AFRAID THAT SOMETHING BAD COULD HAPPEN.
UM, IF IT'S NOT TAKEN CARE OF.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A LIGHT INSTALLED.
UM, PREVIOUSLY, UH, THE KROGER ON SHEPHERD, THERE WAS A TRAGIC ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENED THERE AND IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER THAT ACCIDENT HAPPENED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING INSTALLED.
UM, AND I DON'T SEE WHY WE NEED TO WAIT FOR SOMETHING BAD TO HAPPEN TO, UH, FIX A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WHEN WE COULD TACKLE IT RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE NEXT THING IS THAT 11TH STREET RIGHT NOW HAS FOUR LANES AND THERE'S A PROPOSITION TO, UM, CUT THIS DOWN TO TWO LANES AND ADD IN A BIKING LANE.
UH, THIS IS PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE IT TOO CONGESTED ON 11TH STREET FOR THE CARS AND MAKE IT DANGEROUS FOR THE CYCLIST.
WHO WOULD WANT TO USE THAT BIKING LANE? UM, ANOTHER POINT IS THAT WHEN I WAS, UH, LEARNING HOW TO DRIVE, FOR EXAMPLE, I DIDN'T WANT TO USE THE INTERSTATES BECAUSE I DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE.
AND SO I USED 11TH STREET TO GET TO SCHOOL, UH, AS IT'S THE ONLY MAJOR STREET THAT GOES EAST AND WEST AND YOU CAN'T FORCE PEOPLE TO USE THE INTERSTATES IF THEY'RE NOT COMFORTABLE TO DO SO.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T COMFORTABLE.
UM, SO THIS JUST SHOWS LIKE HOW MANY CARS ARE GONNA BE GOING UP AND DOWN THESE STREETS AND WHY IT'S NOT SAFE.
INSTEAD, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT MAYBE WE COULD HAVE A, UM, A BIKE BOULEVARD OF SOME SORTS THAT WOULD BE MADE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO WALK THEIR DOGS OR TO BIKE OR PUSH THEIR STROLLERS WITH THEIR CHILDREN.
UM, SOMEWHERE ELSE BESIDES 11TH STREET, THERE ARE PLACES THAT WE CAN DO IT AND WE NEED TO DO IT THERE AND NOT ON OUR ONE MAJOR THROUGHWAY, UM, BETWEEN EAST AND WEST.
IF YOU OPPRESS STAR SIX, YOU CAN PROCEED.
ELENA HEBERT STAR IF YOU OPPRESS STAR SIX.
UM, UM, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I'VE LIVED WITH MY FAMILY ON KUER STREET JUST NORTH OF 11TH SINCE 2016.
AND I'LL PUT MYSELF ON CAMERA.
I DRIVE BICYCLE, WALK AND TAKE THE BUS TO GET AROUND THE COMMUNITY WITH MY FAMILY.
AND THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE WITH 11TH STREET, WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY DATA, IS NOT THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC, BUT IT'S THE SPEED AND THE BEHAVIOR OF DRIVERS THAT MAKE IT DANGEROUS FOR EVERYONE TO USE ACROSS THE STREET.
UM, AND IN JANUARY, 2019, BEFORE, WELL BEFORE ALL THESE SPEAKERS BECAME AWARE OF THE PROJECT, I ATTENDED A COMMUNITY MEETING OF WHICH THERE HAD BEEN 12 SINCE, WHERE MY REPRESENTATIVES DETAILED, UH, CITY REPRESENTATIVES DETAILED POTENTIAL PLANS FOR 11TH.
I CREATED MY INFANT DAUGHTER THERE WHO FELL ASLEEP IN HER SLING.
AND I WAS EXCITED THAT NOT ONLY THE CITY HAD PLANS TO IMPROVE THE CROSSWALK AT NICHOLSON, BUT ALSO THAT, UM, BUT ALSO THAT THEY HAD PLANS TO, UM, CALM THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR.
SO MY BABY'S NOW FOUR YEARS OLD AND SHE'S GOT, UM, A LITTLE SISTER AND A SCOOTER THAT SHE LOVES AND I WANT HER AND HER SISTER TO HAVE THE AUTONOMY TO EXPLORE THEIR COMMUNITY SAFELY AND CROSS THE STREET TO VISIT THEIR GRANDPARENTS AND HER FRIENDS WHO HAVE SOUTH OF 11TH.
AND THIS PLAN THAT IS PROPOSED IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP IN LETTING HER JUST DO THAT.
WE'LL ALSO MAKE IT EASIER FOR US TO WALK TO BUSINESSES ALONG THE 11TH STREET, LIKE AL QUICK STOP, EIGHT ROAD, FLINT AND DISH SOCIETY, AS WELL AS A 10 MASS AT ALL.
SAINT CHURCH WE'RE FRUSTRATED THAT A STRAIGHTFORWARD PROJECT SUPPORTED BY THE PREPONDERANCE OF IT, IT'S ABOUT ROAD DIETS, BIKE LANES, AND PEDESTRIAN ISLANDS, WHICH WILL BE INSTALLED ALONG THIS, UM, HAVE BEEN STOPPED BY SOME VERY LOUD OPPONENTS THAT SCARE OUR MANAGER.
THE DRYERS WILL LITERALLY SPEED DOWN OTHER STREETS.
THEY HAVE PRESENTED ZERO EVIDENCE THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN.
UM, AND THIS PROJECT HAS, AND IT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING SEEING SOME OF THESE PEOPLE SHOUT DOWN.
UM, MANY SUPPORTERS AT COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND ABUSING THEM ONLINE AS WELL AS CITY REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE WORKING REALLY HARD.
THE PROJECT HAS DEEP SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY.
IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS, WE'VE GATHERED 1500 SUPPORTERS IN COMPARISON TO THREE MONTHS THAT THE OTHER SIDE HAS HAD.
AND NUMEROUS CIVIC DECISIONS HAVE SUPPORTED THE AL STREET PLANS, INCLUDING WOODLAND HEIGHTS, NOR HILL, THE CLARK PINES, AS WELL AS THE GREATER HEIGHTS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COMMITTEE.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT.
WE'VE HAD FOUR YEARS WORTH OF PLANNING ON THIS.
AND WE BELIEVE WE CAN HAVE A SAFER COMMUNITY THAT'S ACCESSIBLE TO ALL RESIDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR CHOSEN MODE OF TRANSPORT OR DISABILITY
[01:30:01]
STATUS.SO WE'D LIKE YOU TO REJECT THE BAD FAITH ARGUMENTS THAT WE CAN'T MAKE THINGS BETTER, IMPLEMENT PLANNED 11 STREET IMPROVEMENTS THAT MIGHT MAKE, THAT WILL LIKELY MAKE SOME THINGS BETTER.
SO THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND I'M HAPPY TO ENGAGE WITH ANY OF YOU WHO WISH TO, UH, CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION.
MICHELLE WILLIAMS. MICHELLE WILLIAMS. IF YOU'LL PRESS STAR SIX, YOU CAN PROCEED.
MICHELLE WILLIAMS. MICHELLE WILLIAMS. STAR SIX MICHELLE.
UNFORTUNATELY, I CANNOT CELEBRATE THE NICE CELEBRATION YOU HAD HERE.
MY HEART IS BROKEN AND 20 YEARS AGO I BOUGHT 140 ACRES IN THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN ON THE ETJ OF HOUSTON.
I ASKED FOR, FOR THE, FOR THE ADJACENT MUD, FOR UTILITY WATER AND SEWER.
THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE IT TO ME.
I BUILT MY OWN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
NOBODY BELIEVED THAT I CAN DO ANYTHING THERE.
AND I CREATED A SUBDIVISION WITH $30 MILLION TAX REVENUE, INCLUDING EXISTING 250 HOMES, WALGREEN, JACK IN THE BOX AND OTHER COMMERCIALS.
IT WAS ANNEX IN 2016, THE UTILITY DISTRICT THAT WE HAVE A SIGNED AGREEMENT THAT TO PAY THE DEVELOPER BACK BASED ON WHAT HE DID SUBJECT TO THE TAX REVENUE CREATED.
I HAD TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO FILE A LAWSUIT.
BUT WE SETTLED, WE SETTLED WITH THE DOCUMENT.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH COPY.
I CAN GIVE YOU THE LAST ONE OF MINE IF YOU WANT.
AFTER I GO ANYWAY, NOW I CREATED ADDITIONAL $25 BILLION ON SECTION THREE, SECTION FIVE IN SECTION SIX.
ALL OF THIS MONEY WILL COME TO THE GOVERNMENT TO COLLECT TAXES, REVENUE EVERY YEAR.
DO NOT PROVE IT BECAUSE THEY'RE KEEPING THE MONEY THAT YOU RECEIVE $5,000,864 THAT THEY ISSUED BOND FOR AND DON'T PAY TO ME.
THE REASON IS, THE REASON WHY THEY DON'T PAY TO ME.
WE MADE THE SET, WE MADE THIS, UH, ROADMAP.
IT'S CALLED ROADMAP AGREEMENT.
THAT WHAT I HAVE TO DO AND WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO ON THE ROADMAP AGREEMENT, IF YOU RECEIVED, THEY DIDN'T INCLUDE THE, THE VALUE OF THE LAND.
SO WE AGREED THAT THESE PAPER, THAT WE WILL DO AN APPRAISAL AND BASED ON THE APPRAISAL, THEY WILL PAY THE VALUE OF THE LAND.
UM, NOW WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M SHOWING IS THAT YOU OPERATING A TIDWELL WASTE WATER UTILITY.
CORRECT? UM, AND THIS MEMO SAYS THAT YOU, THIS MEMO IS SAYING THAT YOU EXECUTED A GROUNDWATER REDUCTION PLAN AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE.
THE CITY WORKING WITH ME ON THIS.
I DON'T WANT TO BRING THIS ISSUE BECAUSE I MET YESTERDAY.
THE PEOPLE FROM THE WATER, IT LOOKS TO ME THE CORPORATE, BECAUSE PART OF THE AGREEMENT IS, WHICH IS, AND I HAVE A SIGNED AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, APPARENTLY G UH, THE, THE DISTRICT
[01:35:01]
AND HOUSTON AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEY MADE DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENT.THEY DIDN'T INCLUDE US, BUT NOW THEY REALIZE THAT WE HAD AN AGREEMENT AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH ME TO BE ANNEX WITH THE GLP.
SO I DON'T WANT TO BRING THIS ISSUE BECAUSE THE CITY WORKING WITH ME ON THIS.
THEN IF, IF, IF YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE, WITH THE CITY, THEY'RE WORKING WITH ME.
I DON'T WANT TO BRING SOMETHING BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO FOLLOW THE RULES AND I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THEN WHY, WHY ARE YOU BEFORE US TODAY? WHY ARE YOU BEFORE US TODAY? IF, IF YOU, AND IF YOU AND THE CITY AS IF YOU ALL ARE WORKING IN THIS OUT? NO, THE, THE G PS THEM, BUT THE, THEY'RE HAVING THE MONEY IN THEIR BANK.
THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY THE INTEREST.
AND I TOLD THEM, JUST PAY FOR THE LAND APPRAISAL AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THE WATER PLANT, THE SEWER PLANT AND EVERYTHING.
JUST DO WHATEVER IS ON THE ROADMAP.
I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO WORK IT OUT.
I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO WORK THIS OUT RIGHT NOW BETWEEN YOU AND ME RIGHT NOW, I WILL ASSUME THAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
BUT THE G BUT THE SANCTION AGREEMENT FOR SECRETARY FIVE AND SIX MAY COME TO THE AGENDA NEXT WEEK.
I'M GONNA, I'M DON'T APPROVE IT.
WELL, NO, I'M, I'M GONNA DEFER TO LEGAL.
NOW I'LL DO WHATEVER LEGAL RECOMMENDS.
IF YOU WILL APPROVE IT, THEY WILL HAVE ANOTHER THREE OR $5 MILLION, BUT THEY WILL NOT PAY TO THE DEVELOPER.
WELL, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I JUST, I JUST DON'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS BEFORE ME TO SAY YAY OR NATE.
THAT'S WHY I SAID THAT'S, THAT'S WHY TO ALERT.
I CAME HERE TO ALERT BECAUSE THREE SECTION HAS BEEN APPROVED.
THEY COLLECTED THE MONEY, BUT THEY STILL KEEPING IT IN THEIR ACCOUNT.
LET ME, LET ME, I APPRECIATE THAT.
LET ME DEFER, REFER IT TO, UH, TO THE LEGAL.
YOU KNOW, I'M 76 AND I WANT TO, I, YOU KNOW, 25 YEARS OF WORK, YOU KNOW, DAYS AND NIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND I, I UNDERSTAND.
LET'S SEE WHERE IT GOES FROM HERE.
IF YOU PRESSED STAR SIX ROOSEVELT GILMORE STAR SIX.
OKAY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU ARE ALL ELECTED PUBLIC SERVANTS ELECTED BY MAJORITY ROOM.
I AM HERE TO PETITION THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL TO FALL AND ADHERE TO THE SAME MAJORITY RULES YOU WERE ELECTED BY.
LET ME GIVE YOU THE DEFINITION OF MAJORITY RULES.
THE PRINCIPLE THAT THE GREATER NUMBER SHOULD EXERCISE GREATER POWER.
THAT'S HOW OUR DEMOCRACY WORKS.
BUT MAJORITY RULES DOES NOT DEFINE JUST AN UNJUST FAIR AND UNFAIR.
EACH OF YOU WON YOUR POSITION WITH OPPOSITION.
BUT THE MAJORITY RULES DO YOU WISH TO REWRITE DEMOCRACY NO MATTER WHAT YOUR JUSTIFICATION, PROMISE TO HOW MANY HANDSHAKES THE BABIES KISS, EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT KEPT YOUR CAMPAIGN COMMITMENT, MAJORITY RULES WHETHER YOUR OPPONENT OR OPPOSITION AGREED LIKE IT OR NOT.
LAST WEEK, MAYOR TURNER STATED, WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY NO TO IN REFERENCE TO THE HISTORICAL DESIGNATION IN RIVERSIDE TERRACE.
LIKEWISE, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY YES TO.
CASE IN POINT, THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST.
MAJORITY RULE THE ATOMIC BUM DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA AND MAGGIE SAGGY YES.
AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE WHEN MINORITY RULE APARTHEID.
MINORITY RULE TORICAL SOCIETY GERRYMANDERED AND RIVERSIDE TERRORISTS.
IF YOU VOTE YES ON CREATING HISTORIC DISTRICT AND RIVERSIDE TERRORISTS AGAINST THE MAJORITY OF MY NEIGHBORS, YOU MOCKED DEMOCRACY AND MAJORITY RULES.
YOU DID NOT WIN YOUR POSITIONS UNOPPOSED, BUT YOU DID WIN A MAJORITY BY VOTING YES TO A HISTORICAL DESIGNATION, RIVERSIDE TERRORIST, YOU SUCCESSFULLY GO TO WHERE NO OTHER MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE GONE.
YOU IMMORTALIZE YOURSELVES AS A MINORITY MAJORITY WHO MARK FAIR PLAY AND THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, THEREBY MAKING THE MAJORITY VOICELESS MY NEIGHBORS AND YOUR REWARD.
YOU WILL BE PLACED ON BOTH THE MAJORITY AND THE MINORITY LIST.
THIS FIGHT ABOUT HISTORICAL DESIGNATION IS A FORCE.
THIS IS AN ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY.
MAJORITY RULES DRIVEN BY MONEY, POWER LIES IN SELF-INTEREST.
[01:40:01]
MY NEIGHBORS HAVE EMBRACED THIS FIGHT.HOW? OPENLY PLACING SIGNS IN THEIR YARDS, PETITIONS, PHONE CALLS, VOLUNTEERING, DOOR KNOCKING, TALKING TO NEIGHBORS, NEWS, MEDIA, SPEAKING AT CITY COUNCIL.
THIS EPITOMIZED THE MOCK, THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
OPEN, TRANSPARENT, NO BACKDOOR DEALS.
WHERE IS THE OPPOSITION IN THIS FIGHT? IS COUNCIL DOING THAT BIDDING FOR OTHER PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE? DON'T FORGET YOUR OATH.
THE MAJORITY OF MY NEIGHBORS WILL VOTE IN THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS AND REELECTIONS WHERE I GREW UP, EVEN THE HONORABLE EUGENE O'CONNOR HAD TO YIELD TO MAJORITY RULE.
SO WILL ALL OF YOU AT SOME POINT IN YOUR CAREER, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED? UH, COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABAZZ.
AND CERTAINLY THANK YOU MR. GILMORE.
YOU KNOW, YOU ARE MY FORMER NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, SO I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR YOU AND JUST WANNA INFORM YOU AND THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE AREA THAT THERE WILL BE AN EDUCATIONAL MEETING SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK AND THAT WILL BE ANNOUNCED, UH, SO THAT WE CAN COME OUT AND DISCUSS WHAT THE HISTORICAL DISTRICT IS.
AND I THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY, COUNCIL.
I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT THE THIRD WARD, RIVERSIDE TERRACE AREA.
ALSO, UH, I'VE TALKED WITH BETTY
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT UPLIFT DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS THEY IN THAT AREA, WE'D LIKE TO ASSIST HER AND WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH HER.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT MEETING THAT SHE JUST SPOKE OF.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN, I'M SORRY.
MS. UNDERWOOD, COUNCILMAN EVANSON.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT.
IT, IT'S CAROL AND EVAN SHABAZZ, BUT I'M HONORED TO BE BETTY.
SO, BUT THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH FOR COMING FORWARD AND FOR THE SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY GIVEN, AND WE WILL WORK TOGETHER TO GET EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR COMING DOWN TO SPEAK TO US AT COUNCIL, AND YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.
UH, UH, MY NAME IS JOHN EGGING.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR ATTENTION.
UH, AND ANY, UH, HELP THAT YOU CAN GIVE.
UH, UH, I LIVE ON ROSALIE STREET BETWEEN BRAZOS AND BAGBY.
UH, AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE BAR ACROSS THE STREET CALLED TASTE BAR AND KITCHEN.
UH, I HAVE LIMITED TIME, SO I'M GONNA GET TO THE POINT.
UH, I HAVE LIVED IN MY TOWNHOUSE FOR 14 YEARS AND HAVE HAD TO WITNESS THE ENTIRE EXISTENCE OF TASTE BAR KITCHEN.
UM, AND IT HAS BEEN AT TIMES SOMEWHAT DANGEROUS.
A SHORT LIST OF THINGS TO POINT OUT WOULD INCLUDE THAT MY DAUGHTER HAS HAD TO WATCH, WATCH OVER HER ENTIRE LIFE.
UH, TASTE EMPLOYEES AND PATRONS SMOKING MARIJUANA ON THE SIDEWALK, JUST OUT OF SIGHT OF THEIR SECURITY CAMS. UH, AND DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE NO SMOKING SIGNS POSTED BY MY NEIGHBORS.
UH, LATE NIGHT STREET FIGHTS, DOMESTIC FIGHTS, ACTUAL SHOOTINGS.
A MAN WAS ACTUALLY SHOT TO DEATH ON, UH, IN AUGUST ON BRAZOS STREET, ABOUT A BLOCK AWAY, UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE.
BUT THE ALTERCATION STARTED AT TASTE AS WELL AS NO FEWER THAN THREE CAR ACCIDENTS ON BRAZOS AND BAGBY DUE TO PARKING ISSUES.
UH, PUBLIC URINATION, DEFECATION, VOMITING IN MY, IN MY DRIVEWAY.
UH, MY TOWNHOUSE HAS BEEN EGGED TWO TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH.
UH, CONSTRUCTION HAS GONE ON, UH, UNPERMITTED.
THEY HAVE, UH, PUT, UH, DIFFERENT KINDS OF, UH, UH, THINGS OUT ON THEIR ACTUAL PUB ON THEIR LAND.
UH, THEY INSTALLED A, UH, WALK-IN FREEZER THAT WAS PROBABLY UNUNITED AMONG OTHER THINGS.
UH, AS FAR AS PARKING GOES, AS I I MENTIONED, UH, TASTE HAS NO PARKING LOT, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY HAVE TO CONTRACT A VALET
[01:45:01]
COMPANY AND A LOT NEARBY, BUT ALSO USE EVERY AVAILABLE AND UNAVAILABLE SPACE IN A THREE TO FOUR BLOCK RADIUS OF THEIR ACTUAL BUILDING.PATRONS MAKE A HABIT OF USING THE NO PARKING ZONE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED TO KEEP THE STREET OPEN AND AVAILABLE FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT IS A DANGER TO ANYONE PULLING OUT OFF OF ROSALIE TRYING TO GET ONTO BRAZOS OR BAGBY ON EITHER SIDE.
UH, CARS PARKED SO CLOSE TO THE EDGE, THEY PARK ON THE, THE, YOU CAN'T SEE AROUND IT AND YOU'RE TRYING TO EDGE OUT.
AND I TAKE MY LIFE INTO MY HANDS EVERY TIME I DRIVE OUTTA MY, MY BUILDING.
EMPLOYEES USE ALL OF THE SPACES, IN ANY CASE, NEVER RELINQUISHING THE SPOTS AND USING TRAFFIC CONES TO RESERVE SPACES FOR THEMSELVES.
THE VALET STAND ON THE CORNER IS REGULARLY BACKED UP ON BAG B CAUSING TRAFFIC HAZARDS ON A STREET THAT IS ALREADY INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT IS FEEDING ONTO THE SPUR AND PEOPLE ARE JUST SPEEDING BY.
UH, THE NO PARKING SIGNS ARE REGULARLY KNOCKED OVER BY PATRONS.
UH, THERE IS ALSO A GARBAGE ISSUE, UH, WHICH BECOMES A HEALTH ISSUE.
TASTE HAS TWO DUMPSTERS BEHIND THEIR ESTABLISHMENT AND THEY'RE BOTH IN MY DIRECT SITE LINE 24 HOURS A DAY.
THEY'RE REGULARLY OVERFLOWING AND OPEN PATRONS LEAVING THEIR REFUSE IN THE STREET AND ALL OVER THE SIDEWALK.
AND I GOT MORE IF ANYONE HAS YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING PRESENT.
AND I KNOW THAT THE PARKING, UH, DIVISION HAS ISSUED ABOUT 24 CITATIONS TO TODAY.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT SITUATION.
JEREMIAH, ARNOLD, JEREMIAH, JEREMIAH ARNOLD, HE'S HERE.
I COULD'VE DID IT IN ATLANTA ANYWHERE ELSE BECAUSE OF THE ENTERTAINMENT THERE.
IT'S MORE PREVALENT THAN HOUSTON.
BUT I, I WAS GETTING MESSAGES FROM PEOPLE WHO KNOW YOU, UH, MR. TURNER ABOUT HEY, HOW BRINGING ENTERTAINMENT TO HOUSTON.
AND THEY WAS TALKING ABOUT, WELL, WE NEED A PRODUCTION COMPANY.
I'M ON ROKU, AMAZON FIRE TV, I'M ON, UH, I'LL BE ON UH, UH, ANDROID NEXT MONTH.
MY THING IS THAT THE OTHER DAY ON, UH, A, B, C, THEY HAD INVESTIGATIVE NEWS ABOUT, UM, HOUSTON FIRST GIVING MONEY TO THE BACHELOR JUST FOR TWO EPISODES.
JUST TO, YOU KNOW, PUT HOUSTON OUT THERE ON, ON THE SHOW.
SO I'VE BEEN HITTING UP HOUSTON FIRST SINCE FEBRUARY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE PUTTING THINGS OUT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE HOUSTON.
NO ONE'S PAYING US TO DO THIS.
BUT I DO IT ON MY, ON MY OWN BECAUSE I LOVE THE CITY.
I LOVE THE DIRECTION IT'S GOING.
AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT, HEY, WE CAN DO BETTER.
WE CAN HIGHLIGHT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE CITY.
SO THE THING IS THAT I'M LETTING YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT I HAVE.
'CAUSE IF YOU CAN GIVE THEM $240,000 JUST FOR 15 MINUTES OF FAME, AND THEY GONE AND THEY GOT TOP CHEF COME HERE.
I'M LIKE, WELL, MY NETWORK, WE HERE, MY PRODUCTION INSIDE, UH, FORT WORTH, TEXAS AS WELL.
SO MY NETWORK, I SAY, WELL, I'M HEADQUARTERED HERE IN HOUSTON 'CAUSE I'M FROM HOUSTON.
SO THE THING IS THAT I'VE BEEN REACHING OUT TO HOUSTON FIRST AND, UH, LETTING THEM KNOW, HEY, WE, WE ARE HERE.
LET US KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE CITY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING A TELEVISION SERIES DOWN HERE INSIDE HOUSTON BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN HOUSTON.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT DO COME TO HOUSTON FOR MY PRODUCTION AND STUFF LIKE THAT, HEY, WE NEVER KNEW THIS WAS GOING ON DOWN IN HOUSTON.
WHAT'S, WHAT ELSE WE HAVE GOING ON? WELL, THE THING YOU SAY, WELL THIS IS ONE OF THE REASON WHY I DID THIS NETWORK.
JUST TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH HOUSTON AND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE GOVERNMENT IN HOUSTON.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE Y'ALL DOING A GREAT JOB.
AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I DO, I TOLD MY, MY, MY, UH, MY CREW, I SAID, LISTEN, I HAVE BOTTOM LINE NEWS FEED ON MY NETWORK.
I SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO HELP HOUSTON AND THE POLICE AS WELL.
LET THEM, THE, THE PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT SO MANY THINGS THAT'S GOING ON TOWARDS CRIME.
YOU JUST CAN'T JUST GIVE, GIVE, UH, A, B, C AND THE LOCAL NEWS THAT HEY, GIVE THEM UH, 30 SECONDS AND IT IS OVER WITH.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO I'M LIKE, UH, PRESIDENT KENNEDY, I'M NOT ASKING FOR Y'ALL TO DO FOR ME.
I'M LIKE, I'M, YOU KNOW WHAT I WANNA DO CITY.
AND SO TALK TO THE HOUSTON FIRST.
LET ME KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH, WITH THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ON YOUR OWN.
I PAID FOR THE NETWORK, I PAID THE FEES FOR ALL THIS.
REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
[01:50:01]
OKAY.LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
I'D LIKE TO PASS THESE OUT TO Y'ALL FOR IF YOU GIVE IT TO RHONDA, MA'AM.
AND YOU CAN GIVE IT TO OUR, TO RHONDA.
ALRIGHT, YOU SIR, YOUR TIME'S RUNNING THE MICROPHONE.
I WANTED TO SAY I LOVE THE CITY.
I WANTED TO THANK YOU, MAYOR FOR ALL YOU DO FOR DEFENDING US.
TRYING TO GET US TO HURRICANE HARVEY FUNDS, WHICH YOU DID FOR MS. RUBY TERRELL.
I OWN A PROPERTY AT 30 15 BAGBY THAT USED TO BELONG TO GOVERNOR ROSS STERLING.
IF YOU LOOK IN THE FOLDER, YOU'LL SEE THE HISTORIC SECTION IN HOW I WORKED WITH HOUSTON PRESERVATION.
UM, I HAVE A TEXAS LICENSED ENGINEER WHO SAYS THE STRUCTURAL, THERE'S MAJOR STRUCTURAL ISSUES.
IT COULD COLLAPSE AT ANY TIME.
HE'S A LICENSED TEXAS ENGINEER.
UM, THERE'S BEEN EXTENSIVE WORK WITHOUT PERMITS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE.
THIS BUILDING IS LIKE MY BABY.
I KNOW THE INSIDE, OUTSIDE, EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.
THERE'S TONS OF BOOTLEG WORK THAT HAS NOT BEEN COVERED BY PUBLIC WORKS AND INSPECTIONS.
OWNER'S DECLARATIONS TO A TO GET PERMITS WERE FORGED WITH THE TENANT, ROGUE TENANT SAYING HE LIVES AT MY HOUSE AND HE'S THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MY LLC, WHICH IS A LIE.
AND HE'S DONE THAT ON THREE ACCOUNTS.
HE'S ALSO BEING SUED BY ANDRE JOHNSON, ACON AND HIS PARTNERS AT RARE.
AND HE'S BEING SUED BY HIS PARTNER AS TASTE AS WELL.
HE HAS THREE LAWSUITS RIGHT NOW.
UM, INSPECTORS HAVE FOUND, UM, THEY TATED HIM FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH BUILDING OFFICIALS INSTALL ELECTRIC WITHOUT PERMITS AND HAZARDS AND SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC WELFARE.
UM, HE HAS REMOVED ALL THE A DA COMPLIANCE, THE PARKING, THE THE WOMAN'S BATHROOM, UM, ACCESS TO THE SECOND FLOOR.
IT'S NOT A DA COMPLIANT, YOU CAN SEE THE TDLR, UH, REPORT FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATIONS.
UM, HE HAS OVER 250 HEALTH CODE VIOLATIONS.
UM, WHEN HEALTH INSPECTORS WERE THERE A FEW WEEKS AGO, THERE WAS A SHOOTING AND TWO MEN WERE ARRESTED.
UM, THERE'S A COMPLIANCE REPORT DONE BY ANOTHER RESTAURATEUR.
IS THIS YOUR, THIS IS YOUR TENANT.
UM, IT, IT, IT IS A HOLDOVER TENANT WHO BROKE BACK IN WITH A CROWBAR, UM, AFTER I LOCKED HIM OUT.
RIGHT, BUT YOU'RE THE, YOU'RE THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING.
UM, IS THIS TASTE RESTAURANT? THIS IS TASTE, UH, RESTAURANT.
AND HE ALSO OWNS RARE, AND HE'S BEING SUED BY HIS PARTNER AT TASTE BY ANDRE JOHNSON, ACON AT RARE.
AND HE'S BEING SUED BY MYSELF FOR NONPAYMENT OF RENT SINCE JANUARY.
SO YOU'RE TRYING, YOU'RE TRYING TO REMOVE HIM.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M HERE FOR COUNSEL FOR.
UNDER PROPERTY CODE 93, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE REPAIRS AS A LANDOWNER AND I HAVE THE RIGHT TO LOCK OUT A TENANT FOR NON-PAYMENT OF RENT.
THE A DA VIOLATIONS, THE BOOTLEG CONSTRUCTION.
UM, I'M A MASON AND A SHRINER.
THERE'S ALL THE WHOLE FOOTPRINT'S BEEN BUILDING.
THEY TOOK AWAY, THE HANDICAPPED WOMAN SAW AND ADDED IT TO THE KITCHEN.
THEY'VE PUT A WALK-IN COOLER OVER THE HANDICAPPED PARKING SPOT.
THIS IS NOT REGULATED BY THE CITY.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE REGULATED BY THE OWNER.
AND IF YOU DON'T GET A CERTIFICATE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN NON-COMPLIANCE.
UM, ALRIGHT, HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
UM, I'M STILL TRYING TO GET MY ARMS AROUND.
I'M JUST BEGGING YOU GUYS TO PLEASE SET UP A MEETING WITH PUBLIC WORK SO THEY CAN, BUT I'M, BUT I, BUT IT'S, YES, SIR.
YOU ARE THE, YOU ARE THE TI YOU'RE THE LANDOWNER.
I, I HOLD TITLE TO THE PROPERTY.
AND YOU'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE TE THE TENANT.
I'M, I'M, I'M THE TENANT HAS ARMED GUARDS THERE.
THE TENANT, YOU'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE TENANT.
YOU ARE SUING THE TENANT FOR FAILURE TO MAKE PAYMENT AND BUILDING DAMAGES AND BUILDING DAMAGES.
AND I ASSUME YOU ALL ARE IN COURT.
AND HAVE, HAVE, UH, YOU AND YOUR LEGAL TEAM SOUGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER.
AND LAST WEEK, UM, A JUDGE WAS, WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE EYES AND
[01:55:01]
EARS.HIS ARMED GUARDS STOPPED JUDGE MARK DAVIDSON AND WOULD NOT LET HIM IN, UH, EXCUSE ME, HIS ARMED GUARDS THAT HE HAS ON SITE.
CHAR STOPPED, UM, JUDGE MARK DAVIDSON, WHO HAD A COURT ORDER TO GO, UM, INSPECT THE PROPERTY TO MAKE SURE NO CONSTRUCTION'S BEING DONE.
WE HAD TO CALL JUDGE BE MILLER TO COME ON A SATURDAY AT NOON FOR AN EMERGENCY.
UM, I'M SORRY, THIS NONE, THIS IS, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THERE.
BUT I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO PLEASE SET UP A MEETING WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
I, I UNDERSTAND, BUT IT'S BIGGER THAN PUBLIC.
IT'S BIGGER THAN PUBLIC WORKS.
THIS IS A LEGAL, THIS IS A LEGAL ISSUE.
SO WAS THE T WAS THE TEMPORARY GRANT? UH, TEMPORARY RESTRAINING OR ORDER ISSUED? OR NOT ISSUED? IT WAS ISSUED.
SO HE CAN'T DO CONSTRUCTION, BUT HE'S, HE'S STILL DONE.
SO MY, DID YOUR LAWYERS GO BACK TO COURT TO SAY THAT HE VIOLATED? YES, SIR.
AND THAT'S WHAT ON SATURDAY THEY CAME FOR AN EMERGENCY.
SO, SO WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESULT OF THE TRO? THE TRO IS IN EFFECT, HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO DO CONSTRUCTION.
AND WE'RE GOING BACK AND FORTH TO COURT.
MY ISSUE HERE IS THERE'S HANDICAP, BUT IT FALLS ON ME.
IF THERE'S A FEDERAL LAWSUIT TOMORROW OR THE BUILDING COLLAPSES, IT FALLS ON ME.
AND I'M JUST ASKING FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
WHO'S WORKING WITH MY TENANT TO WORK WITH ME? NOT ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS.
I'M, LET ME TURN THIS OVER TO LEGAL.
IT'S, IT'S WAY BIGGER THAN PUBLIC WORKS.
I'VE, I I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH, WITH DEANDRE PENNY.
I'VE EMAILED HER AND SHE REFERS ME BACK TO PUBLIC WORKS.
LET, LET ME, LET, LET ME FIND OUT BECAUSE YES, SIR.
IF THIS MATTER IS IN COURT, IT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED.
I'VE I'VE GOTTEN EMAILS FROM MR. WILLIAM PAUL.
LET ME, LET ME GET, LET ME TALK WITH THE LEGAL.
I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
SO, OKAY, ANY QUESTIONS TO, TO, UH, THIS GENTLEMAN, UM, VICE MAYOR PROAM CAST TAYLOR, IN YOUR BINDER, I SEE AN EMAIL FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE PERMITTING CENTER, UM, SAYING HE WAS AWARE OF YOUR CIVIL CASE WITH YOUR TENANT THAT WAS RECENTLY DISMISSED ON APRIL 21ST, 2022.
WHAT WAS THAT IN REFERENCE TO? THAT IS NOT TRUE.
MY TENANT HAS, BEN HALL IS A LAWYER AND THAT IS JUST NOT TRUE.
THE CASE HAS NOT BEEN DISMISSED.
THAT WAS A JP COURT THAT EXCEEDED THEIR JURISDICTIONAL LIMITS AND IT WAS SENT TO THE COUNTY COURT.
BUT IT'S, OUR CIVIL CASE HAS NOT BEEN DISMISSED.
SO THERE'S A CIVIL CASE AND THERE'S A CIVIL CASE FOR DAMAGES AND THERE'S A CASE IN COUNTY FOR POSSESSION.
SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT CASES.
UM, BUT THAT EMAIL IS, IS, IS STATING THAT THE CITY THINKS THAT MY CASE WAS DISMISSED, WHICH IS NOT A FACT.
ALL I WANT TO DO IS UNDER TEXAS PROPERTY CODE 93, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO MAKE REPAIRS.
THAT'S MY RIGHT UNDER THE TEXAS PROPERTY CODE.
AND I'M BEING STOPPED BY ARMED GUARDS THAT ARE THERE.
SO I'M ASKING HPD TO HELP PROTECT ME.
SO I DON'T GET SHOT GOING ON SITE.
BUT IF, IF IT'S, IF YOU'VE GOT A RIGHT, YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO GO TO THE COURTHOUSE AND THE JUDGE NEEDS TO BE THE ARBITRATOR OF THAT DISPUTE.
UM, SO I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR OUR CITY, ALL OF YOU.
I'VE, I'VE EMPLOYED, I'VE DONE SO MUCH HERE.
AND THIS IS, I JUST, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF I COULD JUST HAVE A MEETING WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
LET ME FIRST TALK TO THE LEGAL TO SEE WHERE WE ARE.
THIS ALL RIGHT, GARY, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
RHONDA, IF YOU CAN BRING THAT MIC DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
I VISITED, AM HERE TO, UM, UM, SUPPORT MY RUN MIRROR, OR I RECENTLY WENT TO HIS RESTAURANT NOT KNOWING HE HAD RENTED OUT, OUT TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT THE HANDICAP BUGS ME HAD BEEN TAKEN AWAY.
[02:00:01]
AND THE DRAGON CAN, CAN THERE NOW.AND I'M ALSO DISAPPOINTED THAT THE ELEVATOR HAS BEEN COVERED UP AND BASICALLY NOT, NOT USABLE.
AND, UM, I HAD NO IDEA I, THAT AMIR WAS NOT PRESENT ANYMORE AT THE BUILDING.
AND I WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED AND SURPRISED THAT I COULDN'T EVEN GAIN ACCESS TO THE BUILDING ANYMORE.
GARY, I, I ASSUME YOU, YOU, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUILDING ON BAGBY? YES.
THE TASTE, THE BUILDING WE JUST DISCUSSING.
OKAY, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
ALRIGHT, UH, GARY, LET US, LET US TAKE A, LET US LOOK INTO IT.
IS THAT YOUR MOM BACK THERE? THAT SHE BACK THERE? YES.
LIKE TO THANK, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UM, ABBY AND ALL CITY COUNCIL.
FOR PUTTING UP THE CAMERAS AT WEST BREAK.
FEEDBACK AND YET IT'S, THANK YOU.
SOMETHING NEEDS TO, I GOT YOU.
RACHEL MEDINA, RACHEL MEDINA, RACHEL NEXT SPEAKER.
IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX, SHE'S ON CAMERA.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
ADVOCATING FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR BARK.
UM, I RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THE INCREASE OF $300,000 IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.
BUT WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THIS IS STILL A HUGE DEFICIT TO ADDRESS OUR CITY'S HOMELESS ANIMAL POPULATION WITH A BUDGET OF $10.8 MILLION ON A PER CAPITA BASIS, THIS AMOUNTS TO ROUGHLY $5 AND 90 CENTS.
IF I COMPARE THIS TO THE DALLAS ANIMAL SHELTER, A CITY WITH HALF THE POPULATION IN SQUARE MILES OF HOUSTON, WE HAVE LESS THAN HALF THEIRS AT $12 AND 60 CENTS PER CAPITA.
I'VE ATTENDED SESSIONS WITH BARK MANAGEMENT AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S TEAM RECENTLY, INCLUDING THE LATEST BARK TOWN HALL.
AND THE ISSUE WE KEEP HEARING IS AT IN ADEQUATE STAFFING DUE TO THE INABILITY TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TALENT.
HOWEVER, IN THE MAY 19TH SESSION IT WAS PRESENTED THAT THE $10.8 MILLION BUDGET PLANS FOR 110 FTES SHELTER POSITIONS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A REDUCTION OF TWO FTS FROM FISCAL YEAR 2022.
AGAIN, COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING TO THE DALLAS ANIMAL SHELTER, THEY CONSISTENTLY BUDGET FOR BETWEEN 162 AND 166 POSITIONS.
UH, TO EMPHASIZE WHY THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY VITAL TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN TALENT, WHICH REQUIRES BEEFING UP SALARIES TO AVOID LOSING THESE INDIVIDUALS TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
I'M HIGHLIGHTING A FEW STATISTICS OVER THE COUNTER.
ANNUAL INTAKE PRE COVID IN 2019 WAS NEARLY 20,000 ANIMALS.
IF YOU LOOK AT JANUARY THROUGH APRIL, ACTUALS AND AVERAGE OUT ON AN ANNUALIZED BASIS FOR THIS YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT MORE LIKE 6,800.
THIS IS LARGELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT INTAKE IS NO LONGER OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
NOT SURE IF YOU'RE AWARE, BUT ONLY ABOUT 20 APPOINTMENTS ARE OPEN PER DAY, FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
SO ONE IN 2.5 MILLION PEOPLE, YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW HARD THAT IS TO SECURE AN APPOINTMENT, WHICH MEANS ANIMALS ARE BEING DUMPED ON THE STREET TO OFFSET THIS SPARK HAS INCREASED THEIR FIELD PRESENCE OF GOING OUT AND PICKING UP ANIMALS.
THIS WAS WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO ADD ADDITIONAL BODIES AND TRUCKS TO DO THIS.
UM, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE UP FOR THE GAP.
AGAIN, ON AN ANNUALIZED BASIS, WE'RE LOOKING AT APPROXIMATELY 14,500 TOTAL INTAKES FOR THIS YEAR VERSUS THE 2019 TOTAL INTAKE NUMBER OF 27,000.
THAT'S NEARLY 12,500 ANIMALS LIVES WHO ARE NOT GONNA BE SAVED.
SO I WANNA CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE AMPLE FUNDING TO BE ALLOTTED FOR THESE ADDITIONAL IN THE FIELD INTAKE RESOURCES.
ADDITIONALLY, ANOTHER STATISTIC TO POINT OUT IS THAT THERE IS A FOCUS ON SPAY AND NEUTER ACTIVITIES.
UM, IF YOU ANNUALIZE THIS FOR THE YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 6,500 SPAY AND NEUTER VERSUS THE TARGETED 10,000.
I BELIEVE MAYOR TURNER HAS ALLOCATED ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THIS.
BUT IF WE CAN'T MEET OUR TARGETS, WE NEED TO COME UP WITH ALTERNATIVE PLANS.
AT THE SESSION LAST WEEK, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD ASKED FOR ONE OF THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS TO ASK IF THERE WERE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO STRETCH DOLLARS.
I SUGGEST BART CONTINUES TO PARTNER WITH PRIVATE AGENCIES TO FULFILL THEIR TARGET SPAY AND NEUTER SURGERIES.
I'VE BEEN ON CALLS WHERE EMANCIPATE HAS OFFERED TO HELP ALLEVIATE.
[02:05:01]
THANK YOU.IF YOU WANNA WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS REAL QUICK, YOU CAN HAVE SOME OF MY SURE.
I, I KNOW EMANCIPATE HAS OFFERED TO HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THIS, BUT THE RESPONSE THAT I'VE RECEIVED IS THAT THE FUNDS ARE RESTRICTED AND HOW THEY CAN BE SENT.
SO PERHAPS IT REQUIRES SOME REEVALUATION ON THAT.
IN GENERAL, I COMMEND THE EFFORTS OF BARK.
IT'S A RELENTLESS JOB, BUT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ALLOCATE ENOUGH FUNDING AND RESOURCES TO HIRE, UM, THE VET AND THE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO, UM, ATTRACT, RETAIN THE TALENT FOR THE, UM, TO PAY THE INDIVIDUALS WHAT THEY DESERVE, TO PERFORM THE VITAL AND VERY MUCH NEEDED RESOURCES, THE CITY DEMANDS.
I KNOW THAT MY CHIEF OF STAFF WAS AT THE TOWN HALL MEETING AND APPRECIATE ALL YOUR CONTINUED A ADVOCACY ON THE, ON THE ANIMAL WELFARE BEHALF.
RAMON DIXON, IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX I LEAVE.
JUST WANNA LET Y'ALL KNOW I'VE SEEN OVER THREE MINUTES.
I'M GONNA ASK FOR MY FULL THREE MINUTES.
SO IF YOU HAVE A LAWYER THAT I DIDN'T TALK TO, AND WE WILL BE SUING IF I DON'T GET MY FULL THREE MINUTES.
SO ANYWAY, I'LL GET RIGHT INTO IT.
SO I'VE COME HERE TODAY, THE DAY BEFORE THE TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF OUR MARTYR SAVIOR AND YATES HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI, GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH.
I'M LOBBYING TO CHANGE THE NAME OF JACKIE YATES HIGH SCHOOL TO GEORGE FLOYD HIGH AND NO, NOT HIGH ON FENTANYL BEFORE SOME RACIST TROLL MAKES A JOKE ABOUT THAT.
THIS WOULD INVOLVE CHANGING THE CURRICULUM IN THE CLASSROOM AND AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND ON THE SPORTS FIELD IN THE CLASSROOM.
INSTEAD OF THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, WE WILL HONOR GEORGE FLOYD.
EVERYONE WILL TAKE A KNEE AND INSTEAD OF HAVING YOUR HAND OVER YOUR HEART, YOU'LL HAVE BOTH HANDS TIED BEHIND YOUR BACK.
THE PLEDGE IS VERY CHAUVINISTIC, WHICH IS ANTI GEORGE FLOYD.
IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE IN HISTORY CLASS GEORGE WASHINGTON WILL BE REPLACED WITH GEORGE FLOYD IN SEX ED.
EVERYBODY'S REQUIRED TO WATCH GEORGE FLOYD'S SEX TAPE INSTEAD OF BOMBARDING KIDS WITH A BUNCH OF NUMBERS.
MATH WILL BECOME MORE EQUITABLE FOR BOTH SPANISH AND ENGLISH SPEAKERS.
IN SPANISH MATH, SINCE FLOYD IS SO BIG IN ALL OF OUR HEARTS, THERE'LL BE NO SMALL NUMBERS.
ALL NUMBERS USED WILL HAVE TO BE OVERDOSE.
IN MOST IN MUSIC CLASS, SPECIFICALLY GUITAR, ALL SONGS MUST BE TAILORED TO GEORGE.
FOR EXAMPLE, INSTEAD OF THE SONG MONEY BY PINK FLOYD, IT'LL BE CHANGED TO COUNTERFEIT MONEY BY PINK GEORGE FLOYD.
INSTEAD OF THE SONG DON'T GO BREAK IN MY HEART, IT'LL BE CHANGED TO DON'T GO ENLARGE IN MY HEART.
THEN IN AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES, THERE WILL NOW BE THE GEORGE FLOYD GUN CLUB.
ALL THE TARGETS WILL BE A PREGNANT WOMAN'S STOMACH.
AND IN THE BOARD GAME CLUB IN MONOPOLY, THE GOAL OF THE GAME WILL BE CHANGED TO ACCUMULATING AS MANY GET OUTTA JAIL FREE CARDS AS POSSIBLE.
ON THE GRID IRON, THE TEAM NAME WILL BE CHANGED FROM THE LIONS TO THE FIGHTING FENTANYLS.
WHEN THE PLAYERS WANT A WATER BREAK, THEY WILL SAY, I CAN'T BREATHE.
THERE WILL ALSO BE NO KNEELING ALLOWED ON THE SIDELINE.
AND THE GAME PLAN WILL ALWAYS BE, KEEP THE PRESSURE ON THEIR NECKS AND DON'T LET UP.
THE BASKETBALL TEAM WILL BE GIVEN FREE SHOES FROM NIKE CALLED GASPING FOR AIR JORDANS, WHICH WE'LL HAVE GEORGE FLOYD'S FACE ON IT AND TO INCLUDE OUR LGBT STUDENTS.
MAYOR, DON'T THINK I WOULD NOT INCLUDE THAT.
THE GAY ADE ALLIANCE WILL BE CHANGED TO THE CURIOUS GEORGE CLUB ANYWAY, UM, JACK YATES DOESN'T NEED TO BE CHANGED.
HE'S A REVEREND IN CHRISTIANITY, IS VERY RACIST.
AND I THINK REPLACING IT WITH A CAREER CRIMINAL, I MEAN HERO LIKE GEORGE FLOYD WOULD REALLY HELP THIS CITY BEING THAT WE WASTE A BUNCH OF MONEY AND WE HAVE ALL THESE SCANDALS HERE ANYWAY, WHY NOT GO FULL CRIME RIDDEN LIKE WE DO? GOD BLESS JUDGE LENA HIDALGO FOR LETTING OUT PEOPLE ON $100 BAIL TO LET THEM GO MURDER PEOPLE.
GOD BLESS THE MAYOR FOR MISAPPROPRIATING 400 MILLION OF OUR FUNDS AND GOD BLESS ALL YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR BEING COMPLACENT IN ALL OF IT.
YOU GUYS ARE DISGRACES AND YOU GUYS WILL ALL GET VOTED OUT COME NOVEMBER AND PRETTY SOON I'M GONNA BE RUNNING TO TAKE ONE OF Y'ALL'S SPOTS.
ANYWAY, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.
THE NEXT SPEAKER, TANIKA TORRANCE.
EVERYTHING THAT I WOULD COME AFTER THAT, I'M FROM MINNEAPOLIS FOR A PHOTO.
UM, WHAT I, WHAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT, UM, I CAME HERE A COUPLE, UH, WEEKS AGO AND YEAH, YOU NEED TO POLLARD GAVE ME, YOU NEED TO PULL UP THE, PULL UP THE MIC.
I CAME HERE, UH, SOME WEEKS AGO, TWO, TWO WEEKS AGO.
AND MR. POLLARD GAVE ME SOME GREAT ADVICE.
HE SAID, GET THEM TO PRINT OUT, UH, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT YOU SAY THAT THEY'VE DONE.
I DID THAT THEY WOULD ONLY GIVE ME WHAT I PAID IN CASH.
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? AND I HAD RECEIPTS FOR, SO AS I SAID, SO FAR THEY'VE CHARGED ME, UH, OVER $700, A $1,500 FOR A PHONE THAT THEY ADVERTISE SOMETHING ELSE FOR.
[02:10:01]
I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO ALL THE DETAILS.I HAVE ALL THE EVIDENCE, BUT I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING THAT ANYBODY COULD REASONABLY DO.
I I WENT TO THREE DIFFERENT T-MOBILE STORES.
I'VE, I'VE TRIED COMPUTE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS, FCC GOVERNMENT, AND THIS ISN'T A LOT OF MONEY TO YOU GUYS, BUT I'M, I'M ON SOCIAL SECURITY
$1,500 FOR A PHONE THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO HIT ME FOR.
AND THEY'VE ALREADY HIT ME FOR 700 FOR A PHONE.
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GET UNLIMITED TALK AND TEXT FOR $45.
SO THANK YOU GOD, THAT WE HAVE A GROUP THAT YOU CAN COME BEFORE AND, AND SAY, HEY, I HAVE BEEN TO THE CITY COUNCIL NOW I AM WRITING TO T-MOBILE, I WILL WRITE TO THEIR HEADQUARTERS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I STAND.
I JUST, I'M JUST HERE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL TWICE AND, AND RECEIVE NO, NO HELP.
BUT YOU, YOU HELPED ME THANK YOU IN LETTING ME KNOW THAT YOU CARE.
WHAT?
SO JUST SCHEDULE, JUST CONTINUE TO SCHEDULE YOUR MEETINGS WITH HIM.
HE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO ASSIST YOU.
'CAUSE I KNOW HE GOT UP THE LAST TIME.
'CAUSE YOU CAME IN A WHITE DRESS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
I'M WEARING THIS BECAUSE I'M GREEK AND IT'S WAR
I'M AT WAR WITH THESE PEOPLE NOW.
LET, LET ME, BUT I, I'M NOT, I'M FROM MINNESOTA AND I'M NOT AT WAR WITH ON ANYBODY ELSE.
LEMME, COUNCILMAN POLL IS HERE TO ASSIST YOU.
THANK YOU MA'AM FOR, UM, COMING BACK AND GIVING US AN UPDATE.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, HAVE YOU BEEN PAYING YOUR, YOUR BILL EVERY MONTH IN CASH? UH, NO.
THE, THE ONLY MONTHS THAT I DIDN'T PAY ONLINE, I WENT IN AND I GOT, THAT'S WHEN I STARTED REALIZING, HEY, THEY'RE REALLY MESSING WITH ME.
AND UNTIL THEY MESS WITH ME AT $103, THEN I DIDN'T PUT MY FOOT DOWN.
SO, SO YOU'VE BEEN, BEFORE THAT YOU WERE USING A CREDIT CARD OR A DEBIT CARD? NO, I, MY DEBIT CARD, I WAS USING MY DEBIT CARD.
AND THE ISSUE WITH THAT IS THE BANK WILL GIVE ME, THEY WON'T GIVE ME A LINE ITEM.
WE'LL, WE'LL FOR THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS, EVERYTHING THAT I'VE PAID, THAT'S RIDICULOUS TOO.
SO ARE YOU ABLE TO GO ONLINE AND TAKE YOUR CARD INFORMATION OUT OF THE SYSTEM? I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING THAT I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT, BUT I HAVE, I HAVE EVEN TALKED, UH, XFINITY GAVE ME A PHONE AND THEY WERE ON THE PHONE WITH THE PHILIPPINES
HE COULDN'T STRAIGHTEN IT OUT.
THEY WON'T GIVE ME, I CHANGED MY ADDRESS AND I HAVE A LETTER LETTERS FROM THE GREEK ORTHODOX BISHOP.
SO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT MY SECOND ADVICE TO YOU IS I CAN PROVE I HAVE ANOTHER ADDRESS.
THEY WON'T GIVE ME A CHANGE OF ADDRESS AND THEY WON'T GIVE ME MY PIN NUMBER.
THEY MY MY SECOND, MY SECOND PIECE OF ADVICE FOR YOU IS IF YOU TALK TO THEM AGAIN IN PERSON, YOU WANT THEM TO ASK, YOU WANT TO ASK THEM TO PULL UP THE INFORMATION THAT SHOWS THAT YOUR CARD IS ON FILE AND REMOVE YOUR CARD FROM BEING ON FILE.
CAN WE TAKE THIS OFFLINE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER? 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU, YOU'VE GIVEN HER YOUR NO, I, I I I THINK, I THINK THAT WILL HELP YOU.
IT IS TO REMOVE YOUR CARD FROM BEING ONLINE.
THEN THEY CAN'T CHARGE THAT CARD.
BUT I DON'T GET MY $700 BACK AND THEY STILL COULD SAY THAT I OWED THEM 1700 BUCKS.
SEE THAT THING? YOU WANNA GIVE 'EM THIS PHONE? ANYTHING? THIS IS, IT'S ROTTEN AND I KNOW THEY'RE NOT JUST DOING IT TO ME.
T-MOBILE TOOK OVER XFINITY AND SPRINT AND ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE AND, AND I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER PEOPLE AND WHO ARE HAVING ISSUES.
SO YOU WANT GIVE A LIKE A NUMBER TO YOU TO NO, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, UH, I'LL GO FURTHER.
UM, I DO HAVE A, ON A SERIOUS, UM, VERY SERIOUS NOTE 'CAUSE I KNOW CNN IS REPORTING THAT 14 STUDENTS HAVE BEEN KILLED AND ONE TEACHER IS DEAD IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN, IN YUVAL AT UVALDE HIGH SCHOOL IN, IN TEXAS, WHICH I THINK NEAR SAN ANTONIO, IT'S NEAR SAN ANTONIO.
AND 13 OTHERS ARE INJURED IN THE HOSPITAL.
BUT 14 STUDENTS KILLED ONE TEACHER DEAD.
IT'S GOT TO BE, IT'S JUST GETTING, IT IS JUST, I DON'T HAVE ANY WORDS.
UH, DEBORAH ELAINE ALLEN, STAR SIX.
[02:15:01]
DEBORAH ELAINE ALLEN.MS. RIVAS, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE.
UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UH, MAYOR TURNER.
UH, THEY'RE PASSING AROUND SOME, UM, BINDERS IS, UH, THE LETTER THAT, UH, IS ABOUT THE EVICTION.
MY, UM, LEASE IS ABOUT TO BE OVER.
THAT'S THE LETTER THAT ROSA MATTHEWS PC, UH, SENT TO, UH, THE LANDLORD.
UH, THIS SITUATION IS BASICALLY CIVIL.
UM, ALSO A MILITARY MAN, UH, CAME INTO MY PROPERTY, UM, INTO THE APARTMENT.
HE HAVE, UM, ANYTHING THAT GRANT HIM A ACCESS, I FILE POLICE REPORT.
AND I ALSO SPOKE WITH, UH, ROGER GI JANE AND ASSOCIATE PBC ATTORNEY LAW.
I KNOW MY LEGAL RIGHTS AND I'M NOT WILLING TO, UM, BACK DOWN.
ALSO, I DO NOT APPRECIATE THE RESIDENCE AND, UM, THE DISTRICT OF DAY.
THERE WAS FOUR VEHICLES, UH, FOLLOWING ME A FEW DAYS AGO, AND ONE OF THEM HAD A WEAPON SO I COULD HAVE GOT SHOT.
UM, I'M WILLING TO GO TO DISTRICT E TO ADDRESS HIM BECAUSE I COULD HAVE TAKEN A BULLET AND I CALL YOUR, UH, YOUR OFFICER.
THERE WAS FOUR VEHICLES INVOLVED.
PLEASE GIMME HELP BECAUSE HERE'S WHAT I'M GOING TO READ.
I'M GONNA READ SOMETHING FROM MY, UM, PHONE.
MY BOSSES, CHRISTINA HAM AND CINDY M AT ARAMARK ARE FANTASTIC.
NOT ONLY ON THE PHONE CONVERSATIONS, BUT ALSO ON TEXT.
THEY SHOW CONCERN FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES.
I TELL YOU WHY THIS CAME ABOUT.
THIS CAME ABOUT BECAUSE AROUND 9:41 PM ON SEPTEMBER, I MEAN, UM, AFTER SATURDAY'S ESTOS GAME, I WAS HIT BY A CAR WHILE USING A TURNING SET.
WHILE IT WAS TURNING, I WAS A FOURTH OF THE WAY INTO THE CROSSING WHILE WE WERE USING THE CROSSWALK WITH THE CROSSWALK SIGNAL IN MY FAVOR.
THE POLICEMAN SAID I WAS NOT AT FAULT WHEN HE CONSULTED ME IN THE HOSPITAL.
THE CASE NUMBER IS 0 6 7 4 6 3 7 2 2, HALF AN L YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, ENDING CAPITAL AND THE ASTROS ARE STILL THE BEST.
ING BARBECUE IS THE BEST BECAUSE I THERE THAT MY GIRLFRIEND, UM, I ON, UH, YESTERDAY'S OFFICERS CAME AND EVEN THOUGH WE GOT CLOGGED, JACOB SY GOTTA TAKE THAT OFFLINE.
THEREA VASQUEZ, INTERPRETER FOR TODAY.
[02:20:01]
I CAME HERE A FEW WEEKS AGO TO TALK ABOUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR JANITORIAL CONTRACT CAMPAIGN.LAST WEEK, JANITORS FROM ALL ACROSS HOUSTON SENT A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT THEY ARE READY TO STRIKE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IF PLEADING CONTRACTORS IN THIS CITY DO NOT WORK WITH JANITORS TO REACH AN AGREEMENT, THOUSANDS OF JANITORS COULD GO ON STRIKE.
MAYOR TURNER, WE APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR PUBLIC SUPPORT AND WE ARE ASKING OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SUPPORT JANITORS BY CALLING THE MAJOR BUILDING OWNERS AND TELLING THEM THAT HOUSTON JANITORS SHOULD NOT BE LEFT BEHIND PUTTING JANITORS ON A PATH TO $15 AN HOUR, NOT ONLY GIVE WORKERS A LIFELINE OUT OF POVERTY, IT'S IT'S ALSO AFFORDABLE AND WOULD ONLY COST A PENNY PER SQUARE FOOT MORE PER MONTH.
CONTRACTORS IN COMPARABLE CITIES ALREADY PAID $15 OR MORE, AND IT'S LONG OVERDUE THAT THEY DO THE SAME IN HOUSTON.
I'LL LET YOU, I'LL LET YOU FINISH.
IF WE CAN GET WORKERS ON PASS TO $15 AN HOUR, IT WILL HELP TO REDUCE THE POVERTY GAP.
RIGHT NOW, ONE OUT OF FIVE LATINOS IN HARRIS COUNTY LIVES IN POVERTY.
JANITOR, MY WORKERS AND THOUSANDS OF JANITORS IN THIS CITY WON'T SETTLE.
WE ARE WILLING TO STRIKE AND WE HOPE YOU WILL SUPPORT US NOW BEFORE WE HAVE TO TAKE THE STREETS.
RENE ANOR, IF YOU'RE PRESS STAR SIX, IRENE ANOR.
IRENE ANOR, STAR SIX, I THINK THAT'S HER.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
CAN YOU HEAR? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I'M MY AGENDA TODAY IS THE HOMELESS HOUSING AND, UM, THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND BUSINESS PROPRIETORS WHO HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY OF PLACING THE HOMELESS PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE FAIR HOUSING GUIDELINES.
WHAT I FIND IS THAT SINCE PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO, THE CITY CROWDSOURCE, RE RE CROWDSOURCE RESCUE ALL THE PRIVATE SECTORS, ALL THE BUSINESS PROPRIETORS AND THIRD PARTY CONTRACTORS, INCLUDING THE HOUSING COORDINATORS, HAVE BLATANTLY VIOLATED THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES, THE FAIR HOUSING ACT IN OKAY, YOUR TIME ON THE NO, IT'S MY, MY TIME HAS NOT EXPIRED BECAUSE I HAVE NOT, I HAVE NOT SPOKEN IN THREE MINUTES AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ON HERE.
AND YOU HAD A LADY THAT JUST CAME ON AND SHE'S A GREEK, A GREEK DESCENDANT.
SHE SAID SHE WAS JUST HERE TWO WEEKS AGO.
YOU STAYED ON THERE FIVE MINUTES WITH HER.
I GIVE YOU 30 SECONDS NOW CAN I PLEASE FINISH? I'LL GIVE YOU 30 SECONDS.
[02:25:01]
30 SECONDS? SIR, I HAVEN'T SPOKE IN THREE WEEKS OR FOUR WEEKS, SO I AM ENTITLED FOR THREE MINUTES.SO MAY I PROCEED? GO AHEAD ON YOU.
YOU'RE WASTING TIME GOING AND TALK.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE POLICIES THAT YOU HAVE IMPLEMENTED WITH HOUSING HAVE HAD A DISCRIMINATORY EFFECT AND IMPACT ON THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS, THESE PROGRAMS. I HAVE CONTACTED YOU ABOUT THIS SEVERAL TIMES.
MAYOR TURNER, I'VE EMAILED YOU AND YOU'VE TURNED A BLIND EAR.
NOW THESE, THESE VIOLATIONS THAT THEY IN VIOLATION OF FAIR HOUSING CO, UH, UH, OF ACT AND PEOPLE THAT ARE GIVEN THIS MONEY NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED.
I'M ASKING ANY NEWS CREW THAT'S THERE AND ALL YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO INVESTIGATE THIS.
YOU CAN GET IN CONTACT WITH, WITH ME.
I HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION, BUT IT'S NOT FAIR FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
I WANTED TO GET A HOUSE, A TWO BEDROOM HOUSE, AND I'M TOLD BY MY HOUSING COORDINATOR THAT I'M NOT ALLOWED TO GET A TWO BEDROOM HOUSE BECAUSE I DON'T MEET THE CRITERIA.
AND I ASKED HER WHY AND SHE TOLD ME, BECAUSE YOU ONLY PLACE PEOPLE, THEY ONLY PLACE PEOPLE LIKE THAT WHO MARRIED WITH TWO CHILDREN.
THAT'S A VIOLATION OF THE MILK STATUE.
THEN SHE'S LOOKING FOR ME IN APARTMENT.
SHE CALLS ME AND ASKS ME WHAT KIND OF DOG DO I HAVE AND HOW MUCH DO WE WASTE.
MY DOG IS AN ASSISTANT ANIMAL.
HE'S NOT REQUIRED TO PAY PET FEES.
YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS AND YOU HAVE PEOPLE WORKING FOR YOU.
HER THIRD CONTRACT, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT LEARNED IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING FEDERAL HOUSING.
YOU ALL HAVE LIABILITY AND CU CULPABILITY IN THESE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING TO PEOPLE WITHIN BEING INJURED.
YOU PUT PEOPLE ON PROPERTY, WE, WE COMPLAIN AND YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE MEN.
WE'RE ENTITLED TO RENT ABATEMENTS.
YOU HAVE NOTHING IN PLACE FOR US TO GO TO AND FILE A COMPLAINT AND YOU ALL HAVE A COMMITTEE WHERE WE CAN HAVE SOME TYPE OF ACTION TAKEN ON OUR BEHALF.
EVEN IF WE'RE HOMELESS AND WE ARE PLACED IN HOUSING, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN SAFE AND SANITIZED HOUSING.
UH, KAREN COUNCILOR MELVIN SHABAZZ ON THIS ONE? NO, IT WAS THE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS.
AND NO MA'AM, THAT WAS FOR THE LAST SPEAKER, BUT I, I'M GOOD.
NOT, I MEAN THE SPEAKER BEFORE THIS ONE.
THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
[RECESS]
TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 AM IN OUR CAPTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE WEEK MAY 24TH AND 25TH, 2022.MAD ITEM ONE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CITY BUDGETS FOR THE TIME PERIOD JULY 1ST, 2022 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2023.
ITEM TWO, PUBLIC HEARING RELATIVE TO THE SALE OF A 0.268 ACRE PARK SITE KNOWN AS STUDENT MONTH SPACE WAY.
ITEM THREE ORDERS MAKING FINDINGS CONCERNING THE USE OF PERMANENT TAKING OF A 0.2 600 ACRE OF PARK LAND KNOWN AS STUDENT MONTH SPACE WAY LOCATED AT 800 STU MONTH STREET, SOUTH OF WASHINGTON AVENUE AND NORTH OF MEMORIAL DRIVE.
THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASTURE OF ITEM TWO ABOVE ITEM FOUR HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
ITEM FIVE, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR OF GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR APPROVAL TO FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $7,273,474 AND 72 CENTS.
AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH TIMES CONSTRUCTION INC.
FOR THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK CONTRACT FOR THE RENOVATION AND RELOCATION AT 60 11 WALKER FIFTH, EIGHTH AND NINTH FLOORS AND 28 0 5 MCKINNEY.
ITEM SIX, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $15,496,027 AND 46 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH BRH GARVER CONSTRUCTION LP FOR HELFORD CITY DIVERSION PACKAGE NUMBER ONE 60 INCH SANITARY SEWER ALONG WEST PARK DRIVE FROM DAIRY ASHFORD ROAD TO HOUSTON CENTER BOULEVARD.
ITEM SEVEN, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL TO FINAL A CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $12,694,137 AND 45 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE WORK ON CONTRACT WITH BOYER INC.
FOR DIVERSION AND ABANDONMENT OF KIRKWOOD.
NUMBER THREE, LIFT STATION TO NEW HARVEST MOON LIFT STATION.
ITEM EIGHT, RECOMMENDATION FROM CITY ATTORNEY TO SETTLEMENT
[02:30:03]
TO SETTLE THE CONDEMNATION MATTER OF CITY OF HOUSTON VERSUS V-S-D-L-L-C AT ALL CAUSE NUMBER 1 1 1 1 5 2 3 FOR AN ADDITIONAL $72,246 AND NO CENTS ABOVE THE AWARD OF THE SPECIAL COMMISSIONERS FOR A TOTAL COMPENSATION OF $130,000 AND NO CENTS.ITEM NINE, KEN LOCK EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY INC.
REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.
ITEM 10, GLOBE ELECTRIC SUPPLY CODE INC.
FOR REFLECTIVE VINYL TAPE FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
FOR TRAFFIC SIGNAL POLLS FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
FOR LEVEL MEASUREMENT DEVICES FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM 13, RESOLUTION OF ASSURANCES OF SUPPORT FOR THE 2024 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION.
ITEM 14 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THIRD AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF HOUSTON.
ITEM 15, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THIRD AMENDMENT TO CONTACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE WOMEN'S HOME.
ITEM 16 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $15,656,686 AND NO CENTS OUT OF AIRPORTS RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT FUND AS ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND FLATIRON CONSTRUCTORS INC.
ITEM 17 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATED 126 120 7,960,000 NO CENTS OUT OF EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION, CONSOLIDATED FUND FOR EQUIPMENT AND OTHER PURCHASES FOR THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
ITEM 18 ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY'S MASTER CLASSIFICATION PLAN, CITY OF HOUSTON, ORDINANCE NUMBER 1998 DASH 8 34 AS MOST RECENTLY AMENDED BY CITY OF HOUSTON.
ORDINANCE NUMBER 2022 DASH 2 45 TO ADD TWO CLASSIFICATIONS AND DELETING THREE JOB CLASSIFICATIONS PROVIDING A REPEAL ITEM 19 ORDERS APPROPRIATING $50,000 AND NO CENTS OUTTA MISCELLANEOUS CAPITAL PROJECT SLASH ACQUISITION CP SERIES E FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH RAY DE RAZOR ARCHITECTS INC.
FOR CITY HALL BASEMENT RESTORATION.
HURRICANE HARVEY ITEM 20 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZED THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT FOR MOVING AND STORAGE OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND A PMS OF HOUSTON, L-L-C-D-B-A.
ALL POINTS MOVING AND STORAGE FOR THE HOUSTON HOUSING AND COMMISSION DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AWARDING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HERITAGE.
CRYSTAL CLEAN LLC FOR PARTS EMERGENT CLEANING SERVICES FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
ITEM 22, ORDINANCE AWARDING CONTRACT EASY ICE LLC FOR THE LEASE OF ICE MACHINES AND COMBINATION ICE MACHINES, WATER DISPENSERS FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
ITEM 23, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL PLANNING SERVICES BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND JENSEN HUGHES INC.
FOR TO PROVIDE HURRICANE HARVEY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ITEM 24, ORDINANCE OF MANY ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 22 2 71 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT AND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE HARRIS CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND IDD ITEM 25 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO ENTER A LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THE JOINT PROCESSING CENTER.
ITEM 26 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 30 38 0.566 ACRES OF LAND TO FORT BEND COUNTY MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER ONE FOR INCLUSION IN THIS DISTRICT.
ITEM 27 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE CREATION OF EAST LAKE HOUSTON MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND THE INCLUSION OF 4 34 0.036 ACRES OF LAND INTO THE DISTRICT.
ITEM 28 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE UTILITY FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER THREE 90 APPROVED BY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2002 764 TO LIMIT CITY OF HOUSTON'S REBATE OBLIGATION ITEM 29.
ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 50 55 0.32 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER THREE 90.
THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASTURE.
ITEM 28 ABOVE ITEM 30, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING GROUNDWATER REDUCTION PLAN.
WHOLESALE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 5 25 ITEM 31 ORDINANCE.
FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND LY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF A PORTION OF EAST PARKER ROAD RIGHT AWAY AT THE INTERSECTION OF AIRLINE DRIVE, ABANDONING THE EASEMENT TO LOUIS MACY TRUSTEE AND FOUNTAIN VIEW PARTNERSHIP NUMBER ONE, TENANT IN COMMON AND THE ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNERS IN EXCHANGE FOR A CASH PAYMENT OF $43,640 AND NO CENTS.
ITEM 32 ORDERS APPROPRIATING $5,326,200 AND NO CENTS OUTTA METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION D-D-S-R-F FUNDS, APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ANY LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN
[02:35:01]
CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND UPTOWN.DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR MEMORIAL DRIVE.
PANEL REPLACEMENT PROJECT ITEM 33, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $9,109,450 AND 82 CENTS OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND, ABDU TAX AND $3,527,683 AND NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.
CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT TO RATE TECH CONSTRUCTION RESOURCES INC.
FOR WEST PARK DRIVE AND DRAINAGE WILCREST TO DAIRY ASHFORD, SETTING A DEADLINE FOR THE BUSINESS EXECUTION OF THE CONTRACT AND THE THEY REVOLVED BONDS.
THIS IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
NON-CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 34, REVIEW ON THE RECORD AND MAKE DETERMINATION RELATIVE TO THE APPEAL FROM THE DECISION OF THE SIGNED ADMINISTRATION ON DENIAL OF AN OFF-PREMISE SIGN AT 7,007 GULF FREEWAY FILED BY STEPHANIE STEWART ON BEHALF OF CHICK-FIL-A.
HELD ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT FOR THE JOB ORDER CONTRACTS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BROWN AND ROOT INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, LLC, HORIZON INTERNATIONAL GROUP, LLC AND JAMELE AND SMITH CONSTRUCTION, LP FOR THE HOUSTON AIRPORT ASSISTANT PROJECT NUMBERS FIVE 16 J FIVE 16 L FIVE 16 M TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS THOMAS PAUL VAN PLUMMER.
THIS WAS ITEM 12 ON AGENDA OF MAY 18TH, 2022.
THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE COUNCIL SESSION OF MAY 25TH, 2022.
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULE.
BEGIN AT 9:00 AM FOR A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
WE WANNA RECOGNIZE A BIRTHDAY TODAY.
SHE WANTS TO KEEP IT QUIET, BUT WE ARE NOT GONNA KEEP IT QUIET.
THE LADY THAT SITS DIRECTLY NEXT TO ME, TO OUR LEFT, OUR VERY OWN AGENDA DIRECTOR TODAY IS THE BIRTHDAY FOR MARTA CJO.
SHE DOESN'T WANT ANYBODY TO KNOW, BUT TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY, HER BORN DAY.
SO WE WANTED TO SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MARTA CJO.
ALSO, EVERYBODY IS SO MANY MAY BIRTHDAYS, BUT WE CAN'T DO 'EM ALL.
BUT I HAVE BIRTHDAY TO EVERYBODY BORN IN THE MONTH OF MAY.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE WANT TO IN THE
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED.
HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY.
AND THANK YOU MADAM SECRETARY.
MY NUMBER ONE FAN, IT IS A 9 0 4.
[RECONVENE]
UM, SO LET'S GET, LET'S GET STARTED.IT IS 9 0 4 ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 25TH, 2022.
I'M MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER, UM, TO BEGIN WITH TODAY.
UM, SEE, LET ME ASK THE CITY SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PLEASE CALL THE FIRST
[1.
9:00 A.M. PUBLIC HEARING on the City Budgets for the time period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023
]PUBLIC HEARING.ITEM ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FY 2023 PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET.
WITH RESPECT TO THE PUBLIC HEARING ON, ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, THERE IS NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UM, THIS MORNING AND SEE IF ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON THE, THE BUDGET THIS MORNING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE? MOTION? OKAY, TATOR MOVED.
SECOND ROBINSON MOVED AND SECOND TO CLOSE THE HEARING ON THE BUDGET.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, PLEASE BEAR IN MIND YOUR AMENDMENTS ARE DUE IN TODAY BY 5:00 PM TO ME, UH, TO MARTY.
SO PLEASE 5:00 PM NOW LET ME, HAVING SAID THAT, DON'T FEEL COMPELLED TO DO IT.
I MEAN, SO I MEAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
UM, BUT, UM, PLEASE HAVE THEM IN BY 5:00 PM TOMORROW, UH, TODAY.
UH, SEE THAT, UH, THAT'S THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING AND MADAM SEE MA'AM TO BEGIN, UH, WITH, LET ME ASK THE SECRETARY TO PLEASE CALL UP THE SECOND
[2.
PUBLIC HEARING relative to the sale of a 0.268-acre park site known as STUDEMONT SPACEWAY
]PUBLIC HEARING.ITEM TWO IS A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE SALE OF MONT FACE WAY.
WITH RESPECT TO THIS PARTICULAR PUBLIC HEARING, SINCE WE'RE HAVING TO REDO IT, WE DID IT ONCE, BUT WE ARE HAVING TO REDO IT.
UH, LET ME, UH, SHALL RECOGNIZE DEPUTY DIRECTOR MICHAEL, UH, ICEMAN, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND MICHAEL, IF YOU'LL TELL US WHO'S WITH YOU AS WELL.
[02:40:01]
YES, SIR.I HAVE SENIOR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY MARK SWAIN.
HE'S STANDING ABOUT HERE TO A ANSWER, LEGAL QUESTIONS.
SHOULD THERE BE ANY? GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND MA UH, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I'M DIRECTOR OF, UH, FACILITY MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS HEARING TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AS YOU MAY RECALL, THE PRESENTATION AND HEARING WAS PREVIOUSLY HELD ON APRIL 26TH OR A LITTLE BIT LOUDER, MIKE, SORRY WE CAN'T HEAR YOU A LITTLE BIT LOUDER.
THE, UH, THIS HEARING WAS HELD ON APRIL 6TH, 2022.
I'LL EXPLAIN IN A MOMENT WHY WE'RE REPEATING THE, THE HEARING.
THE PROPERTY'S LOCATED AT 800 MONT STREET JUST SOUTH OF WASHINGTON AVENUE AND NORTH OF MEMORIAL DRIVE.
IT'S APPROXIMATELY 2.6 OR 0.26 ACRES IN SIZE.
UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT UH, ACQUIRED THE SITE IN 1958 AND, UH, TRANSFERRED THE EXCESS RIGHT OF AWAY TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IN THE 1968.
UH, THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS HAS CONFIRMED THE PROPERTY IS NOW IN HPRN INVENTORY.
THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES OF BY FENCING ADJACENT TO A MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IS UNDEVELOPED A GRASSY AREA WITH NO TREES AND NO PARK AMENITIES.
BKR MEMORIAL REQUESTED ACCESS EASEMENT THROUGH THE PROPERTY SIDE FOR STREET ENTRY FROM MONT STREET INTO THE PLANNED BUFFALO HEIGHTS REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
BUFFALO HEIGHTS IS A MULTI-PHASE MIXED USE REDEVELOPMENT OF RETAIL RESTAURANTS, MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS, HOTEL AND MEETING SPACES, OFFICES AND PARKING GARAGES AROUND THE CENTRAL PLAZA AND GREEN SPACE.
THE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS DETERMINE THE INTERIOR DRIVE TO STUDENT MONT WOULD BENEFIT THE OVERALL TRAFFIC FLOWS BECAUSE IT ALLOWS FOR A MID-BLOCK ENTRY TO EXIT OR AN EXIT OPTION, UH, TO BALANCE THE TRAFFIC FLOWS FROM THE, FROM THE FACILITY.
GRANTING AN ACCESS EASEMENT THROUGH THE PRODUCT SIDE WOULD DIVIDE THE PROPERTY, LEAVING TWO SMALL SITES UNUSABLE FOR RECREATION AND MORE DIFF DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN DENYING THE ACCESS OF EASEMENT LEAVES THE PARK INTACT.
BUT THE DEPARTMENT HAS NO PLANS OR NEED TO DEVELOP THE PROPERTY FOR RECREATION 'CAUSE IT IS NOT CONDUCIVE AS SUCH.
THEREFORE, H PAR RECOMMENDS THE SALE OF THE ENTIRE PROPERTY TO BKR MEMORIAL, WHO WILL REPURPOSE THE SITE TO INCLUDE AN ENTRY STREET SEEDING TERRACE TREE AND ORNAMENTAL PLANTINGS AND RESTAURANT TERRACE AS PART OF THE BUFFALO HEIGHTS MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
THE AREA, THE AREA CURRENTLY BY, UM, MULTIPLE PARKS OR THE CURRENTLY, I'M SORRY, THE, THE PARK IS CURRENTLY LOCATED CLOSE TO BUFFALO BAYOU PARK, SPOTS PARK AND AUTRY PARK.
THE PARK SITE IS NOT FUNCTIONAL AND OR USABLE AS A PARK SHOWN HERE IS A STREET VIEW OF THE CURRENT PARK SITE CONDITION.
THE SALE OF THIS PARK DIRECTLY TO BKR IS FACILITATED BY TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 2 72 0.001 B SIX, WHICH STATES THE LAW AUTHORIZES THE SALE OF LAND LOCATED IN THE REINVESTMENT ZONE AND THAT THE MUNICIPALITY DESIRES TO HAVE DEVELOPED UNDER A PROJECT PLAN ADOPTED BY THE MUNICIPALITY FOR THE ZONE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS LOCATED.
THE PARK IS LOCATED INTS NUMBER FIVE AND IS PROPOSED USE FOR THE APPROVED TURS PLAN.
REVENUE FOR SALE CAN BE USED TO ACQUIRE OR IMPROVE PARKS IN UNDERSERVED AREAS.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS HEARING TO IS TO COMPLY WITH CHAPTER 26 OF THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE CODE SECTION 26.001 OF THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE CODE.
CODE PROVIDES THAT CITY MAY NOT APPROVE ANY PROGRAM OR PROJECT FOR THE USE OF LAND DESIGNATED AS A PARK LAND, UNLESS AFTER A PUBLIC HEARING.
IT IS GOVERN, IT'S GOVERNING BODY DETERMINES THE FOLLOWING.
THERE IS NO FEASIBLE OR PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE TO THE
[02:45:01]
USE OF THE PARK LAND FOR PROGRAM OR PROJECT AND THE PROJECT, THE PROGRAM OR PROJECT INCLUDES ALL REASONABLE PLANNING TO MINIMIZE HARM TO THE PARK LAND.AS I MENTIONED AT THE START, WE ARE HOLDING THIS PUBLIC HEARING AGAIN TO A PROCEDURAL OVERSIGHT IN THE CHAPTER 26 STATUTORY PROCESS.
WE LEARNED AFTER APRIL 26TH PUBLIC HEARING THAT THREE PUBLIC NOTICES REQUIRED BY CHAPTER 26 WERE NOT PUBLISHED AS INTENDED.
I CAN CONFIRM TODAY THAT THE NOTICES PUBLISHED IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE ON MAY 2ND, MAY 9TH AND MAY 26TH, 2022.
I WOULD REINSTATE THE DEPARTMENT'S RECOMMENDATION THAT THERE IS NO FEASIBLE OR PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE TO THE USE OF THE PARK LAND FOR THE PROJECT.
IN ADDITION, THE PURPOSE OF THIS HEARING IS TO COMPLY WITH CHAPTER 2 53 OF THE STATE'S LOCAL GO.
UH, GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 2 53 PROVIDES THAT THE CITY MAY NOT SELL PUBLIC LAND WITHOUT AN ELECTION UNLESS THE PARK IS SMALLER THAN TWO ACRES.
IT'S NO LONGER USABLE OR FUNCTIONAL AS A PARK.
THE PROCEEDS WILL BE USED TO ACQUIRE LAND AND A PUBLIC HEARING IS HELD.
AFTER THIS HEARING TODAY, CITY COUNCIL WILL BE ASKED TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE MAKING THE FINDINGS REQUIRED BY CHAPTER 26 AND CHAPTER 2 53, AUTHORIZING THE AUTHORIZING THE CONVEYANCE OF THE PROPERTY TO BKR.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR ATTENTION.
BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY.
THANK YOU MR. AMAN FOR THE, UM, PRESENTATION.
UM, DOES THE PARKS DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY MAINTAIN THIS SPACE? YES, MA'AM.
AND, UM, WERE, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE NOTIFICATION IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE, THE, UM, HO ON PAGE TWO, THOSE, UH, I GUESS THOSE ARE HOMES OR APARTMENT HOMES THAT ARE LOCATED THERE.
WAS THERE ANY NOTIFICATION GIVEN TO THOSE RESIDENTS? UH, NONE OTHER THAN THE NOTIFICATION THAT WE WERE REQUIRED TO DO IN THE CHRONICLE.
SO THE PEOPLE THAT LIVED THERE WOULD'VE HAD TO SEE, SEE IT IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE THE THREE TIMES THAT WE PUBLISHED IT WITH REGARDS TO THE, THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS, YES, MA'AM.
BUT I BELIEVED THAT, I'M SURE THE DEVELOPER HAS BEEN TALKING WITH THE, THE OWNER OF THAT PROPERTY AS WELL.
AND THEN ON PAGE THREE, WHERE THIS, THE, IT SAYS FUTURE STREET AND PROPERTY LINE, DOES THAT GO OUT TO MONT OR IS IT THE NORTH OR THE SOUTH GOES TO MONT EAST, WEST.
SO WILL THE STREET, I'M, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, BECAUSE IT'S NOT OVERLAID, WILL THE STREET COME THROUGH THE PROPERTY OR WILL THE STREET THE STREET BASICALLY SEVERS OUR PARK IN HALF COMING FROM WHERE THEY'RE PLANNING A A ROAD TO GO THROUGH WHERE, I GUESS BEHIND THE PROPERTY WHERE THOSE, THOSE RESIDENCES CURRENTLY ARE, AND THEN OUT TO STRAIGHT OUT TO MONT.
IT'S A, IT'S A, SO IT GOES THROUGH THOSE TWO APARTMENTS? ARE THOSE APARTMENTS GOES THROUGH THOSE TWO APARTMENTS THROUGH THE PROPERTY? THAT WOULD BE MY, THAT WOULD BE MY UNDERSTANDING.
I DON'T CHECK, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE.
I THINK IF THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF STRIP THE STREET WOULD GO BACK TO THE SIDE RIGHT HERE.
AND THEN, BUT IT WOULDN'T GO THROUGH HERE.
THAT'S JUST THE LITTLE STRIP THAT WE ARE GOING TO SELL BECAUSE IT, IT PRETTY MUCH, YOU CAN'T USE IT FOR ANYTHING ELSE.
I I I'M, I'M NOT SEEING THAT VERY WELL IN THIS PICTURE.
THAT'S ONE, ONE, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT'S BEING PROPOSED TO, TO SELL BECAUSE YOU GOT THAT LITTLE POCKET THAT'S THERE, THAT'S REALLY, IT'S JUST NOT USABLE SPACE FOR, FOR A PARK.
BUT MY CONCERN WAS, I, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO AFFECT THE, THE OWNERS, THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY BEHIND IT, AND THAT THEY WERE NOTIFIED AND IT WASN'T GOING THROUGH THERE, AND WE ONLY REQUIRED THEM TO SEE IT IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE, THE THREE TIMES THAT WE PUBLISHED THE NOTICE, WHICH I KNOW IS WHAT THE STATE, WHAT THE STATE REQUIRED.
I CHECK ON THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU, MA'AM.
I I THINK IT'S, I I'M ASSUMING THE FUTURE STREET IS ONLY ON THE PROPERTY.
AND IT DOESN'T SPILL OVER INTO THAT OTHER LIVING SPACE.
IT DOESN'T, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IT DOES NOT SPILL OVER INTO THE LIVING SPACE.
[02:50:06]
OKAY.COUNCILMAN COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS.
THIS ISN'T ON DISTRICT H AND IT, IT, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
IT IS NOT CURRENTLY USABLE OR FUNCTIONAL.
THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT USABLE OR FUNCTIONAL.
SO I THINK THIS IS A GOOD SOLUTION BECAUSE THEY, WE WILL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BY CONNECTING IT TO THIS OTHER PIECE OF, OF LAND, IT, WE, WE WILL BE ABLE ACTUALLY TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF, OF, UM, GREEN SPACE THAT'LL BE, UM, DEVELOPED AND NICE.
I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL SOLUTION AND I LIKE THE IDEA THAT, THAT THE, UM, THE REVENUE THAT'S CAPTURED, UM, WE WILL BE ABLE TO BE PUT TOWARDS OTHER GOOD USES IN, UM, UNDERSERVED AREAS, WHICH, UM, DISTRICT H IS STILL AN UNDERSERVED AREA, SO I HOPE IT STAYS CLOSE TO HOME OVER THERE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, KASH MAYOR, I'VE, I'VE KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROPERTY FOR ABOUT 20 SOMETHING YEARS OR WHENEVER I, I, I FIRST BEGAN TO PAY ATTENTION TO IT.
I, IT, MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW THAT MY BUSINESS IS IN THE HISTORICAL SIXTH WARD AREA AND, AND MY HOME THERE.
SO, UM, I, I REALLY SUPPORT THIS.
AND, UH, I BELIEVE THAT, THAT THIS PICTURE THAT YOU GAVE THE DEVELOPER'S REQUEST, UH, I BELIEVE THAT WHEN IT SAYS A FUTURE STREET, THAT THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO TURN IN TO GO TO THESE BUSINESSES THAT MAY BE BUILT THERE.
THAT I DON'T THINK IT GOES INTO THE PROPERTY, UH, ON THE BACKSIDE OF IT, BUT THIS IS JUST A, A, AN ARTIST'S RENDITION.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXACTLY THIS.
I MEAN, THIS IS JUST WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING TO US.
SO, UH, MAYOR, I, I'M CERTAINLY, UH, FOR SELLING IT.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, IT'S A, IT'D BE A BE BETTER USE OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, I GO TO THE WALGREENS ACROSS THE STREET AND THE CHASE BANK, UH, EVERY, EVERY WEEK FOR YEARS.
AND, UM, SO, UH, LET'S GET ON WITH IT.
ARE THERE ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS TO MS. TYSON AND OR TO THE, UH, ASSISTANT, UH, LEGAL ATTORNEY, MARK SWAIN? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS PARTICULAR, ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON FOR OR AGAINST? I DON'T SEE ANYONE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING? CASTEX TATUM MOVED.
SECOND ENC, CLOSE THE HEARING.
ANY OBJECTION TO CLOSING? THE HEARING CHAIR IS NONE.
UM, LET ME, LET ME ASK THE CITY SECRETARY TO CALL UP, UM, ORDINANCE ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS AN ORDINANCE ON THIS PARTICULAR, ON THE SUBJECT MATTER THAT WE JUST HEARD.
SO MADAM SECRETARY OF, YOU'LL CALL UP THE NEXT
[3.
ORDINANCE making findings concerning the use or permanent taking of a 0.2600 acre of park land known as Studemont Spaceway located at 800 Studemont Street, south of Washington Avenue and north of Memorial Drive
This item should only be considered after passage of Item 2 above
]ITEM.WE ON ITEM THREE PERTAINING TO THE HEARING THAT WE JUST HAD A DISCUSSION.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSE GRANTED.
[MAYOR'S REPORT]
LET ME, LET ME, UM, LET ME FIRST GO TO, UM, UH, TODAY MARKS, UH, TWO YEARS SINCE GEORGE FLOYD WAS KILLED.UM, AFTER THE MINNEAPOLIS, UH, POLICE OFFICER KNOCKED ON HIS NECK FOR OVER NINE MINUTES.
UH, GEORGE FLOYD GREW UP IN THIRD WARD IN THE CUNY HOMES.
YOU KNOW, HIS DEATH SPARKED A LOT OF SOCIAL AND CIVIL UNREST THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY.
UH, GOING BACK TO 2020, UH, THERE ARE TWO SIGNIFICANT EVENTS, UH, MARKING THIS, UH, DAY.
UH, THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY WILL HAVE AN EVENT THIS AFTERNOON AT THE GREGORY SCHOOL, AFRICAN AMERICAN LIBRARY.
AND THEN LATER, UH, I WILL JOIN COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS AT A PRECINCT ONE STATUE UNVEILING AT TOM BASS PARK.
AND I THINK THAT'S SCHEDULED TO BE AT FIVE OR FIVE 30.
UH, THIS A THIS AFTERNOON, UM, THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS NOW OFFERING FREE COVID-19 BOOSTERS TO CHILDREN AGES FIVE TO 11.
UH, THE FREE BOOSTER SHOTS ARE AVAILABLE AT ALL.
HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT VACCINATION SITES AND VACCINATIONS AT HEALTH DEPARTMENT SITES IS FREE, UM, AND DOES NOT REQUIRE INSURANCE OR PROOF OF RESIDENCY.
LET ME ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET THEIR VACCINATION AND TO GET BOOSTED.
AND FOR INFORMATION ON LOCATIONS AND SCHEDULES, VISIT HOUSTON HEALTH.ORG ARE CALLED 8 3 2 3 9 3 4 2 2 0.
THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION NOW RECOMMENDS THAT CHILDREN IN THIS AGE GROUP RECEIVE A BOOST TO SHOT FIVE MONTHS AFTER THE INITIAL PFIZER, UH, BIONTECH VACCINATION SERIES.
SO, PLEASE, PLEASE, UM, GET VACCINATED, GET BOOSTED, UH, THAT WILL HELP OUT.
AND, UM, UH, SO LET ME JUST DO THAT.
OUR NUMBERS ARE TICKING UP SOME, SO LET'S KIND OF GOVERN OURSELVES ACCORDINGLY.
[02:55:01]
UH, PROJECT BRACE RIBBON CUTTING WOULD BE THURSDAY AT 10:00 AM.UH, THE BRAYS FEDERAL FLOOD DAMAGE REDUCTION PROJECT, KNOWN AS PROJECT BRAS, IS THE LARGEST FLOOD DAMAGE REDUCTION PROGRAM UNDERTAKEN BY THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT TO DATE.
UH, IT'S A COOPERATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT IN THE US, US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
IT'S A MULTI-YEAR, $480 MILLION PROJECT, UM, THAT SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES FLOODING RISK AND THE BREAKS VALUE WATERSHED.
NOW, IF YOU CAN RECALL, WE INITIALLY BORROWED $46 MILLION FROM THE TEXAS WATER BOARD TO KIND OF JUMPSTART THIS PROJECT.
SO IT IS SCHEDULED, IF SO, TOMORROW AT 10 O'CLOCK WILL BE, UH, THAT PRESS CONFERENCE.
UM, NEXT MONDAY, MAY 30TH, THIS MEMORIAL DAY, IT'S THE DAY, UH, FOR ENTERING THE US MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO HAVE DIED WHILE SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES.
UM, I'LL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE CEREMONY AT THE HOUSTON NATIONAL CEMETERY.
AS A REMINDER, ALL CITY OF HOUSTON DEPARTMENTS WILL BE CLOSED, UH, RESUMING BUSINESS ON TUESDAY AND ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1ST, WE WILL HAVE A CONSOLIDATED COUNCIL SESSION AND THE BUDGET WILL BE DEALT WITH NEXT, NEXT, UM, NEXT WEDNESDAY.
UM, AND I WANTED TO, TO CLOSE, UM, AND, UM, TALKING ABOUT THE VALDI SHOOTING.
UM, OF COURSE, WE ARE ALL HEARTBREAK BROKEN, UM, THIS MORNING ABOUT YESTERDAY'S SMASH SHOOTING AT ROB ELEMENTARY IN, IN UVALDE, TEXAS, AND 19 CHILDREN, UH, AND TWO ADULTS WERE KILLED.
AND AGAIN, LET ME UNDERSCORE THAT, UH, NINE 19, UH, CHILDREN AND TWO ADULTS.
UM, SO THIS HAPPENED 10 YEARS AFTER SANDY HOOK, AND FOR YEAR AND FOUR YEARS AFTER THE SCHOOL SHOOTING IN SANTA FE, UH, TEXAS, AND IN HIGH SCHOOL IN PARKLAND, FLORIDA.
SO IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, IF YOU COUNT, UM, THE, WHAT HAPPENED IN, UM, IN, UH, IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AND THEN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN VALDI, TEXAS ON YESTERDAY, UM, 19 10, 20, 29, PEOPLE ARE JUST IN THOSE TWO MASS SHOOTINGS, 2029 IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST THOSE, THAT'S JUST THOSE TWO SHOOTINGS.
UM, LOOK, WE'VE, UM, OFFERED OUR PRAYERS AND OUR CONDOLENCES, UM, BUT I'M GOING TO AGREE WITH, UM, WITH THE, UM, COACH FROM LAST NIGHT.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOTTA DO MORE THAN PRAYERS AND CONDOLENCES AND ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
UM, I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN SOME, YOU KNOW, ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHERS CALLING ABOUT, UM, US CANCELING, UM, THE CONVENTION AT THE NRA CONVENTION, UM, THAT IS SCHEDULED IN A FEW DAYS, BUT LET ME SAY THIS, THAT CONVENTION HAS BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS, OKAY? IT IS A CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENT, GOT SOME THINGS.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE SIMPLY CANNOT CANCEL A CONFERENCE OR A CONVENTION BECAUSE WE MAY NOT AGREE WITH THE SUBJECT MATTER.
AND IF, UM, AND THAT WAS SUBJECT THE CITY TO A NUMBER OF LAWSUITS ON A CONVENTION THAT'S BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR TWO YEARS, AND WE SEEK TO CANCEL IT BECAUSE WE DO NOT NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THE SUBJECT MATTER.
BUT I THINK THE GREATER QUESTION IS WHY ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS COMING TO THE RNRA TO SPEAK AND WHAT MESSAGE DOES THAT SEND? AND I DO, I DO NOT THINK THAT THE GOVERNOR OR US SENATOR, TED CRUZ OR ANY OTHER CONGRESS PERSONS GOING AND SPEAKING SENDS THE RIGHT MESSAGE.
SO IT'S NOT ABOUT US CANCELING A CONVENTION, IT'S ABOUT ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN OUR STATE GOING AND SPEAKING AND ENDORSING THOSE POLICIES.
AND YOU CAN'T PRAY AND SEND CONDOLENCES ON ONE DAY AND THEN BE GOING AND CHAMPIONING THE GUNS ON THE NEXT.
SO PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASKING THE GOVERNOR AND US TED CRUZ, SENATOR TED CRUZ AND OTHERS, WHY YOU GOING THERE TO SPEAK? AND I WOULD TELL YOU I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED WITH SENATOR TED CRUZ BECAUSE HE SAID THE ANSWER, UH, TO THIS GUN VIOLENCE IS TO PUT GUNS IN THE HANDS OF OUR TEACHERS.
ARE YOU SERIOUS? SO IS THE ANSWER TO WHAT HAPPENED IN BUFFALO, FOR EXAMPLE, IS TO PUT GUNS IN THE HANDS OF THE STORE CLERKS? IS THAT HOW WE
[03:00:01]
DEAL WITH THAT? THIS IS THIS WHAT'S HAPPENING UNTIL PEOPLE, UNTIL VOTERS PUT THIS ON THE BALLOT.AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, IN THE HANDS, LOOKING AT PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO ARE ESPOUSING THESE POWER PROBLEMS, IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE.
I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO AND PULL UP HOUSE BILL 1927, PERMANENCE CARRY.
OKAY? NO PERMANENT LICENSE, NO PERMIT, NO LICENSE, NO TRAINING.
AND LOOK AT THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR HOUSE BILL 1927, PULL UP THE LIST OF THOSE WHO VOTED FOR HOUSE BILL 1927.
AND I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY OF THEM WHO VOTED FOR HOUSE BILL 1927 TALK GLOWINGLY ABOUT THEIR VOTE ON HOUSE BILL 1927.
IN FACT, THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT IT AT ALL.
THERE'S NO CONVERSATION AT ALL.
OKAY? SO THEY WON'T TALK ABOUT IT, BUT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
OKAY? BUT YESTERDAY, 19 OF OUR CHILDREN, AND THEY ARE OUR CHILDREN.
YOU MAY NOT HAVE GIVEN BIOLOGICAL BIRTH TO THEM, BUT THEY ARE OUR CHILDREN, OKAY? AND THEY WERE LIKE IN THE SECOND AND THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE.
SO LEMME JUST PUT IT ANOTHER WAY.
THAT WAS, I COUNT MY ROBINSON 19 OF OUR BABIES.
19, IF THAT DOESN'T FORCE A CHANGE, AND THIS IS AN AMERICAN'S PROBLEM, OKAY? PEOPLE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH.
MENTAL HEALTH IS NOT JUST IN THE UNITED STATES, IT'S ALL OVER THE GLOBE, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS IS AN AMERICAN PROBLEM, BECAUSE WE ARE MORE PROTECTIVE OF OUR GUNS THAN WE ARE OF OUR BABIES.
I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
NOW, WE IN OUR COUNTRY, WE ARE MORE PROTECTIVE OF OUR GUNS THAN WE ARE OF OUR BABIES.
SO THIS MORNING, 19 FAMILIES ARE MOURNING THIS MORNING.
SO I'M NOT, I'M NOT JUST GOING TO OFFER PRAYERS AND CONDOLENCES TO THOSE FAMILIES.
I'M OFFERING PRAYERS AND CONDOLENCES FOR OUR COUNTRY.
I'LL BE PRAYING FOR OUR COUNTRY BECAUSE WE ARE CLEARLY, OUR VALUES ARE MESSED UP.
WHEN WE ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE OUR CHILDREN TO PROTECT GUNS, OUR VALUES ARE MESSED UP.
AND WE NO LONGER CAN BE NUANCED ABOUT THIS, OKAY? YOU CAN'T BE NUANCED.
CAN'T BE BECAUSE LEGISLATORS, ELECTED OFFICIALS LIKE US, WE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE PUTTING THESE POLICIES IN PLACE, AND WE ALLOW OUR GOVERNOR AND UNITED STATES SENATORS AND OTHERS TO THEN GO TO THE NRA AFTER 19 BABIES HAVE BEEN MURDERED.
IS THAT NOT MESSED UP? MESSED UP.
SO LET ME APPEAL TO OUR FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY ONE MORE TIME, BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU LOVE SOMEBODY THAT YOU DON'T SEE AND DO NOTHING FOR THOSE THAT YOU SEE EVERY DAY? HOW CAN YOU LOVE SOMEBODY THAT YOU DON'T SEE WHOSE FACE IS NOT EVEN YET BEEN BORN AND YOU DON'T PROTECT THE CHILDREN THAT YOU SEE EVERY DAY, EVERY DAY? HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE OUR CHILDREN AND WE HAVE TO PROTECT THEM.
[03:05:03]
SOMEBODY ASKED ME A QUESTION.WHAT DO, MAYOR, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE CHILDREN? YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK ANYWAY, TO THE CHILDREN, PARENTS AND ADULTS, WE HAVE TO SPEAK TO SELVES.
SO LET ME, I DON'T WANNA JUST TALK TO THE CHILDREN, LEMME TALK TO THE PARENTS, TO THE ADULTS.
I'M GONNA CLOSE WITH ONE LAST EXAMPLE.
WHEN YOU GET ON THE AIRPLANE, THAT MESSAGE USED TO BE FROM THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT.
NOW IT'S JUST FROM THE, YOU KNOW, THE MESSAGE COMING ON AND SAYS THAT IF BY CHANCE, UH, THIS PLANE LOSES PRESSURE, THE OXYGEN MASS WILL FALL DOWN.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY BEFORE YOU PLACE IT, THE OXYGEN MASS ON YOUR CHILDREN, YOU MUST FIRST PLACE IT ON YOURSELVES, AND THEN YOU PLACE IT ON YOUR CHILDREN.
AND YOU KNOW WHY? BEFORE YOU CAN SAVE THE CHILDREN, ADULTS, WE MUST FIRST SAVE OURSELVES.
THE CHILDREN ARE NOT DOING THIS TO THEMSELVES.
AND NOW THIS POISON IS GETTING INTO OUR, THIS YOUNGER GENERATION.
THIS IS THE SECOND 18-YEAR-OLD, THE SECOND ONE THAT HAS TAKEN LIVES IN THIS COUNTRY,
SO I DON'T WANNA BE NICE ANYMORE, GOVERNOR, YOU ARE WRONG, SENATOR TED CRUZ, YOU ARE WRONG.
I DON'T WANNA BE NICE ANYMORE.
OKAY? AND THE MEDIA HAS TO GO TO THEM, LIKE THEY COME TO ME AND ASK, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? DON'T GIVE A PASS.
AND DON'T ALLOW THEM TO KEEP SAYING, WE ARE PRAYING, PRAYING, AND THEN VOTING IN HOUSE BILL 1927.
YOU CAN'T CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR GUNS AND THEN EXPECT NOT FOR THESE GUNS NOT TO BE USED AGAINST OUR CHILDREN.
AND MORE CHILDREN ARE DYING BECAUSE OF GUNS IN THIS COUNTRY NOW THAN ANY TIME BEFORE.
BECAUSE ADULTS HAVE CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT FOR GUNS.
IF THEY AGREE WITH WHAT THEY DID ON HOUSE BILL 1927, GO BEFORE A CAMERA, GO BEFORE THE PUBLIC AND SAY, WE VOTED FOR 1927.
WE ARE PROUD OF WHAT WE VOTED FOR, AND WE'LL, WE'LL DO IT AGAIN.
GO OUT IN PUBLIC AND SAY THAT.
BUT THE ANSWER IS NOT TO PUT MORE GUNS IN THE HANDS OF TEACHERS, A GROCERY STORE CLERKS.
THIS 18-YEAR-OLD WENT AND PURCHASED THOSE GUNS A FEW DAYS AGO.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? AND I DON'T EVEN APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING THE TIME BECAUSE 19 OF OUR CHILDREN ARE DEAD.
19 AND 19 FAMILIES ARE HURTING AND TWO ADULTS ARE DEAD.
UH, COUNCILMAN MADMAN, SHA BOSS.
I PUSHED THAT BUTTON BACK WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE GEORGE FLOYD STATUE, BUT I'LL WAIT TO POP OFF.
I JUST, I'M JUST SPEECHLESS AFTER WHAT YOU HAVE SHARED.
MARY, I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS AND I APPRECIATE COUNCIL'S CONTINUED VOICE ON THIS.
UH, LAST NIGHT WE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE GET TO, ALL WE WANTED TO DO WAS GO HOME AND KISS OUR KIDS OR HOLD THE PEOPLE THAT WE LOVE CLOSE.
LAST NIGHT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
BUT THERE'S FAMILIES TODAY THAT DON'T GET TO DO THAT.
THERE'S CHILDREN'S BEDROOMS THAT ARE EMPTY.
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT HOUSE BILL 1927 AND ALLEGEDLY
[03:10:02]
THIS 18-YEAR-OLD BECAUSE OF HOUSE BILL 1927, LEGALLY OBTAINED TWO ASSAULT STYLE RIFLES ON HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY HOUSE.BILL 1927 AMENDS OUR STATE CODE TO ALLOW PEOPLE WHO ARE 18 OR OLDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A HANDGUN LICENSE IF THEY MEET ALL OTHER, THE REQUIRE ALL OTHER REQUIREMENTS EXCEPT THE MINIMUM AGE UNDER FEDERAL LAW.
THIS IS A DIRECT CAUSE OF HOUSE BILL 1927.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, THE NRA CONVENTION ON THEIR WEBSITE CELEBRATING THEIR 151ST YEAR.
AND THEY CALL IT A CELEBRATION.
THE EXHIBIT HALL IS OPEN ALL THREE DAYS AND WILL SHOWCASE OVER 14 ACRES OF THE LATEST GUNS AND GEAR FOR THE MOST POPULAR COMPANIES IN THE INDUSTRY, FROM ENTERTAINMENT TO SPECIAL EVENTS.
IT'S ALL HAPPENING IN HOUSTON OVER MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.
THE WEBSITE GOES ON FREE ADMISSION FOR NRA MEMBERS AND THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY.
AND THEY START TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS IS A FAMILY EVENT, THE NRA CONVENTION WHERE INDUSTRY IS MAKING MONEY OFF OF WEAPONS THAT ARE USED TO SLAUGHTER CHILDREN ON OUR STREETS.
SO I UNDERSTAND THE CITY IS BOUND BY WHAT THE STATE HAS DONE.
WE ARE CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO HOST, IF WE CAN CALL IT THAT.
I DON'T EVEN WANNA SAY THAT WE'RE HOSTING, BUT THEY WILL BE UTILIZING OUR CITY SPACES.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT OKAY.
AND I HOPE THAT EVERYONE WILL TAKE PAUSE OVER WHAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND AND THE CELEBRATION, QUOTE UNQUOTE, THAT'S GONNA BE TAKING PLACE IN THE MIDST OF THE SLAUGHTER OF OUR BABIES.
OKAY, LET'S, UM, PROCEED WITH THE AGENDA.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
SECRETARY, UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEM FOUR HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE ACCEPTABLE CATEGORY.NEED MOTION FOR ITEMS FIVE, SIX, AND SEVEN.
SECOND ROBINSON, IT HAS BEEN MOVED.
UM, SECOND ON ITEMS FIVE, SIX AND SEVEN.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR POST GRANITE UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF B CATEGORY.
NEED A MOTION AS TATUM MOVE SECOND ROBINSON.
AND SECOND ON ITEMS NINE THROUGH 12.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANTED UNDER THE RESOLUTION CATEGORY.
DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANTED BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
THIS IS, UM, UH, GOING AFTER, UH, SEEKING AGAIN FOR THE 2024 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION.
AND LAST TIME WE WERE THE, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT, THE BRIDES MAID, RUNNER UP.
THIS TIME WE'RE TRYING TO GET MARRIED.
I KNOW STEPHANIE ELLIS PAGE IS HERE IN, UM, HOUSTON FIRST WORKING COLLABORATIVELY, UH, TO GO AFTER THIS ONE.
UM, THE SAME THING, I THINK, UM, THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL EVENT HAS SENT US NOTICE FOR 2028.
UM, AND SO WE'LL BE GOING AFTER THAT AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON THIS.
SO APPRECIATE THE, YOUR SUPPORT ON ITEM 13.
OKAY, NEXT ITEM UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY.
ITEM 20 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
YEAH, 20 ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 23, 24, AND 32.
DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR.
OPPOSED? GRANTED, I IS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
AND I'M CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM AND I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE COMING TO THE TTI COMMITTEE, I BELIEVE, UH, CHAIR ROBINSON.
AND, UH, BUT THIS IS ABOUT THE CODES AND OUR STAKEHOLDER, UH, UM, ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
[03:15:01]
HAD A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THAT DURING THE LAST CODE SESSION.I HAD A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS FOR, UH, FOR THE, ABOUT THE ITEM, WHICH HAVE ALL BEEN REALLY FULLY A ADDRESSED.
A BIG PART OF OUR, KIND OF THE SIX THINGS OUTLINED IN THE SCOPE OF WORK OF THIS CONTRACT IS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I MEAN, THIS IS THE TIME TO GET, UH, PUT YOUR, UM, WORD IN ON WHO YOU WANT INCLUDED IN THIS AND WHAT, UM, WE WILL HAVE A VOICE IN THIS STRATEGY THAT'S BEING PUT FORTH, WHICH IS, UH, I THINK SO KEY TO, UM, EVENTUALLY PASSING SOME CODES, UH, GETTING ALL THE EXPERTS AT THE TABLE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THIS ITEM AND I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE.
AND IT, COUNCILMAN ROBINSON MAYOR, JUST TO CLARIFY, IT'S THE 9TH OF JUNE THAT WE WILL HEAR, UH, FURTHER DETAIL ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS, UH, PRESUMING WE PASS THIS TODAY TO, UH, SIGN ON THE CONSULTANT.
SO, UH, THIS WILL HELP LIVE INTO YOUR PROMISE TO BRING FORWARD THE, UH, 2021 CODE.
AND AGAIN, LET ME ENCOURAGE ALL STAKEHOLDERS WHO HAVE AN INTEREST, UH, CERTAINLY EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST.
SO IT'S COMING UP, IT'S COMING UP.
SO EVERYBODY WHO HAS AN INTEREST, PLEASE EXPRESS YOUR VIEW, UH, ON IT.
OKAY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 23? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED 23, ITEM 24.
ITEM 24 IS AN ORDINANCE, THIS NEED OF VOTE ITEM 24, DISCUSSION ON 24, DISCUSSION ON 24.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR POSE GRANTED ON 24 AND SEE.
AND COUNCILMAN PLUMMER, THIS IS FULFILLING COMMITMENT, UH, TO ADD THOSE TWO ADDITIONAL, UH, MOBILE CRISIS OUTREACH TEAMS. I THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR FOR THIS.
AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW AROUND THE COUNTRY, UM, SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS IS REALLY CRITICAL.
AND THIS IS MENTAL HEALTH MONTH.
COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMBER ON ITEM 32, OR DID YOU TAKE OH, SHE TOOK, OKAY.
AND WE ON ITEM 32, ITEM 32, DISCUSSION ON 32.
[NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS]
34 IS A MOTION TAG.DO WE NEED TO HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
WE WON'T NEED A MOTION RIGHT NOW.
OKAY, ITEM 34 IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN P*****K.
[MATTERS HELD]
ITEM 35 IS AN ORDINANCE.MAYOR, I TAGGED THIS ITEM LAST WEEK.
THIS IS, UH, WORK THAT'S BEING DONE AT THE, UH, AT IH.
AND IT'S A, FOR A $20 MILLION CONTRACT THAT FIRST WAS ENACTED BACK IN 2017.
I NOTICED THAT THE MWBE GOALS ON THIS FOR THREE VENDORS WAS 30%, BUT ONE OF THE VENDORS WAS, UM, NOT CLOSE TO 30%.
BUT I DID WORK WITH, UH, DIRECTOR MURRAY, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR NICOLE OWENS AND OTHERS.
UH, YESTERDAY ON REALLY GETTING SOME CLARIFICATION ON THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT, I WAS TOLD THAT, UM, ONE OF THE VENDORS HAS BEEN ASSIGNED LESS WORK THAN THE OTHER TWO CONTRACTORS, AND WITH MORE WORK THAT SPECIALIZED FOR THE PRIME TO COMPLETE.
HOWEVER, OVER THE EIGHT MONTHS THAT THIS CONTRACT WILL BE EXTENDED, UH, THEY WILL BE FULLY BILLED AND 10 FUTURE PROJECTS FITTING THEIR EXPERTISE, WHICH IS OVER $2 MILLION WORTH OF WORK, UM, WILL BE AVAILABLE.
AND SO THEY, THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY THERE, UH, FOR THEM TO MEET THEIR GOALS.
UM, MY THING IS, I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT OBO AND HAS IS STAYING ON TOP OF THESE CONTRACTORS AND THESE VENDORS, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE LONG LIFESPAN, UM, CONTRACTS THAT THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE CONTRACT, THEY'RE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THE PARTICIPATION GOALS ARE AND ENSURE THAT THEY'RE DOING ALL THAT THEY CAN TO MEET THOSE GOALS.
SO I'M SATISFIED WITH THEIR ANSWER.
I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD.
UM, I RECEIVE A CORRESPONDENCE AS WELL, AND I DO AGREE.
IT'S JUST WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MINORITY CONTRACTORS ARE GETTING A FAIR SHAKE, UM, AND HAVE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO WE REALLY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW,
[03:20:01]
SUPPORT OBO, UM, AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THEY, UM, KEEP TRACK OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.ANY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 35? OKAY.
IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 35.
THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
[NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
ONE SECOND.BACK UP TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON.
I DO WANT TO CLARIFY WITH COLLEAGUES.
UH, WE DO HAVE A TBI COMMITTEE MEETING ON JUNE THE NINTH.
IT IS A VERY FULL, UH, AGENDA, INCLUDING SOMETHING FROM PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, BUT THE, THE MEETING TO REVIEW THE HENSEL, UH, THE CONTRACT WE JUST DISCUSSED WITH THE, UM, NEW CODE ITEM WILL BE CONSIDERED ON A DATE TO BE DETERMINED FOR A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING WITHIN THE MONTH OF JUNE, EITHER THE 16TH, 17TH, OR 28TH.
YOU'LL BE HEARING ABOUT THAT SHORTLY.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, MAYOR.
UM, ON THE POP OFF, WE WE'RE STARTING WITH VICE MAYOR PRO TEM CAST TATUM.
JUST WANNA LET, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC KNOW THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING.
IT'S TOMORROW, THURSDAY, MAY 26TH AT 2:00 PM THE HOUSTON AIRPORTS AIRPORT SYSTEM DIRECTOR, MARIO DIAZ AND STAFF WILL PRESENT AN UPDATE ON THE IAH TERMINAL REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
SO THOSE WHO WISH TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENTS CAN SIGN UP TO SPEAK, UH, THROUGH TODAY AT 5:00 PM AND YOU CAN CONTACT OUR CHIEF OF STAFF DD CHAVIS AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 1 6 FOR MORE INFORMATION.
UH, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WILL HOST THE FINAL REDISTRICTING TOWN HALL THIS EVENING AT 6:00 PM THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL TOWN HALL MEETING VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS. UM, ALSO YOU CAN VIEW ALL PREVIOUSLY HELD TOWN HALLS BY VISITING THE HTV WEBSITE.
UH, THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WILL HOST PUBLIC MEETING NUMBER THREE, THE FINAL MEETING FOR THE NEW HOMES FOR STELLA LINK IN DISTRICT A ON TUESDAY, MAY 31ST FROM FIVE 30 TO 6:30 PM UH, JOIN THE CONVERSATION AND GIVE YOUR INSIGHT ON THE SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT IN THE STELLA LINK AREA.
UH, YOU CAN JOIN IN PERSON AT THE HARMONY SCHOOL OF INGENUITY ON STELLA LINK OR VIRTUALLY.
TO JOIN, VIRTUALLY REGISTER AT HOUSTON TX.GOV/HOUSING/HOME/STELLA LINK, OR YOU CAN JUST PHONE THE DISTRICT K OFFICE AND WE'LL SEND YOU THAT LINK.
UH, WANT TO WISH A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER CARRIE BARNES ON HIS RETIREMENT TOMORROW MAY 26TH.
WE CONGRATULATE OFFICER BARNES ON HIS 24 YEARS, UH, SERVED, AND WE WISH HIM WELL AND LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING WITH HIM TOMORROW AT HIS, UM, RETIREMENT CELEBRATION.
AND THEN FINALLY, MAYOR, UM, LAST WEEK I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY AS THE TML PRESIDENT TO, UM, GO TO FREDERICKSBURG FOR THE SMALL TOWNS, UM, AND CITIES CONFERENCE.
AND, UM, THIS IS THE CONFERENCE FOR CITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT ARE UNDER 15,000, UM, POPULATION OR LESS.
UH, THE, THERE WAS, THE CITY OF CONCORD HAS 53 RESIDENTS MM-HMM
SO IT WAS INTERESTING TO BE WITH, UM, THESE ELECTED CITY LEADERS FROM THE SMALL TOWNS.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEAGUE AND, AND TRAVELING AROUND THE STATE AND MEETING ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM ALL OF THESE CITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LEAGUE DID REACH OUT TO VALDI, UM, TODAY AND OFFER OUR ASSISTANCE AND ANY HELP THAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO THAT CITY.
UM, AND JUST KNOWING THE ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM ACROSS THE STATE, WHEN YOU HEAR OF TRAGIC, TRAGIC INCIDENCES LIKE WHAT HAS HAPPENED, UM, AND, AND TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE, THEY ARE SUFFERING THE WAY THAT THEY DO.
UM, I, I, I'M, I'M HEARTBROKEN FOR THOSE FAMILIES.
I CAN'T IMAGINE SENDING MY CHILD TO SCHOOL AND THEN NOT PICKING MY CHILD UP ON THAT SAME DAY.
UM, WHEN WE MAKE ACCESS TO GUNS EASIER, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR INCIDENTS LIKE THIS BECOME EASIER.
SO, UM, I STAND WITH EVERYONE WHO IS, UM, LOOKING FOR SENSIBLE GUN CONTROL.
UM, I AM A LICENSED GUN HOLDER.
I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SENSIBLE GUN CONTROL BECAUSE THE MORE WE MAKE GUNS EASILY ACCESSED BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HATED THEIR HEARTS, UM, THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE FOR PEOPLE TO KILL.
UH, THAT 18-YEAR-OLD BOUGHT TWO ASSAULT WEAPONS AND KILLED THOSE CHILDREN YESTERDAY.
[03:25:01]
UNACCEPTABLE.WE HAVE TO DO BETTER, BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN ROBINSON.
MAYOR, I, I THOUGHT YOUR WORDS CHARACTERIZE THE SITUATION PERFECTLY.
UM, SO WITH VERY LITTLE TO ADD TO THAT, I JUST WANT TO READ A COUPLE OF SHORT VERSES FROM OUR POET LAUREATE, AMANDA GORMAN, WHO WROTE YESTERDAY, UM, ON THE DAY OF THE KILLING, IT TAKES A MONSTER TO KILL CHILDREN.
BUT TO WATCH MONSTERS KILL CHILDREN AGAIN AND AGAIN AND DO NOTHING ISN'T JUST INSANITY.
THIS IS ONE NATION UNDER GUNS.
AND FINALLY, MAYOR, UM, SHE CLOSED WITH THE THOUGHT THAT WHAT MIGHT BE, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT MIGHT WE BE IF WE ONLY WE TRIED? AND WHAT MIGHT WE BECOME IF ONLY WE'D LISTEN? SO AS THERE IS MUCH TO PRAY AND THINK ABOUT, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT OUR NATION STANDS FOR AND LIVE INTO THAT.
MAYOR, THE, UH, THE EVENTS IN VALDI ARE, ARE, UH, JUST, UH, BREATHTAKINGLY TERRIBLE.
BUT ANYWAY, MAYOR, UM, I, I WANT TO, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU THAT YOU MADE IT POSSIBLE THAT, UH, BECAUSE I WAS VACCINATED, I GOT TO ATTEND MY GRANDSON'S GRADUATION AT THE NAVAL RECRUITMENT, UH, CENTER IN, UH, GRAY LAKES, ILLINOIS.
UH, IT WAS A AWESOME EXPERIENCE.
UH, AND ALSO, UM, YESTERDAY WITH, UH, MEOLA LAWS HERE AND, AND, UH, ALL OF HER FAMILY.
AND TO SEE THIS, UH, MATRIARCH, UH, WITH HER FAMILY'S, UH, ALL AROUND HER, IT'S JUST A POWERFUL THING.
UH, I APPRECIATE DUSTY BAKER COMING ONLINE AND SAYING SOMETHING TO HER AND, AND, UH, I APPRECIATE THE ASTROS WINNING LAST NIGHT
SO, UH, BUT AGAIN, MAYOR, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN THOMAS, PASS, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO MAYOR.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORDS TODAY, UM, TOO, YOU KNOW, UH, IN 2018 AFTER THE PARKLAND SHOOTING, GEORGE AND I WERE IN SAN FRANCISCO VISITING MY DAUGHTER AND JOINED IN THE MARCH FOR OUR LIVES THAT I KNOW MANY OF YOU PARTICIPATED IN AFTER THE PARKLAND SHOOTING.
AND THERE WAS THIS KIND OF SENSE THAT, OKAY, NOW THESE KIDS HAVE TAKEN OVER, THEY'VE ORGANIZED THESE MARCHES.
WE ALL HAVE OUR SIGNS, WE ALL HAVE OUR MARCHING ORDERS, WE'RE ALL CONTACTING OUR LEGISLATURE.
AND THERE WAS KIND OF SOME HOPE, BUT I, I LIKE YOU, I'M, I'M GETTING, UH, OR I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE PESSIMISTIC.
I, I, I'VE GOTTEN PESSIMIST, PESSIMISTIC BECAUSE THAT WAS FOUR YEARS AGO.
THERE'S 90% OF THIS COUNTRY THAT, THAT WANTS UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS.
THERE'S A BILL THAT'S PASSED IN THE, IN THE FEDERAL HOUSE, CAN'T GET OUT OF THE SENATE.
I MEAN, MOST PEOPLE WANT SENSIBLE GUN LEGISLATION.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE CAN DO AS A CITY TO ADVOCATE, I'M ALL IN.
I, UM, IT'S JUST COMPLETELY UNFATHOMABLE WHAT PARENTS IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER.
UM, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY WHEN I WENT HOME, I JUST HAD TO LAY DOWN AND, UM, AND I JUST THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE MEMORIES I HAVE OF RAISING MY SONS AND, AND THE MEMORIES THAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE BECAUSE THEY'VE LIVED A LIFE AND THEY'RE STILL YOUNG.
I MEAN, I IMMEDIATELY TEXT ALL OF THEM, EVERYONE CHECK IN, YOU KNOW, UM, I COULD ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THE PARENTS ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, AND THE SHORT LIFE THAT THOSE CHILDREN HAVE HAD.
SO, UM, YOU'RE RIGHT, THE PRAYERS AND CONDOLENCES ARE NECESSARY, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S SO MINIMAL.
AND, UM, AND HOLDING OUR LEADERSHIP ACCOUNTABLE IS DEFINITELY NUMBER ONE ON THE LIST.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, A MEMBER OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY THAT LOST HER LIFE.
UM, SADIA MANSOUR, UH, SHE WAS TRAGICALLY SHOT, UM, BY HER HUSBAND.
UM, SHE WAS SHOT, HER MOTHER-IN-LAW WAS SHOT.
HER 4-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WAS SHOT.
UM, THREE GENERATIONS AT ONE FELL
[03:30:01]
SWOOP GONE.UM, SO MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY.
SHE WAS A TEACHER, AN AMAZING TEACHER, UM, AND, UH, IN A, IN A PART OF THE PAKISTANI COMMUNITY IN HOUSTON.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS A TIME WHERE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS, I MEAN, YOU HAVE DONE SUCH AN AMAZING JOB SUPPORTING DOMESTIC, SUPPORTING, SUPPORTING THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ABUSERS.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT CONTINUALLY GO OUT AND DO IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
UM, AND SO WE JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.
UM, AND I, AND I WANT TO ALSO, UM, JUST GIVE, JUST THANKS TO, UM, ATTORNEY GILL.
SHE IS, UM, DOING A PRO BONO WORK TO ASSIST THE FAMILY TO COME TO THE US FROM PAKISTAN.
SO I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE HER, UM, FOR, FOR STEPPING IN, UH, AND TO, TO ASSIST US WITH GETTING THAT FAMILY HERE SO THEY CAN HAVE CLOSURE, UH, FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON IS GONE.
I, I PRETTY MUCH SAID WHAT I HAD TO SAY PREVIOUSLY.
UM, BUT I, I, I WILL SAY THAT WE TALK A LOT ABOUT HOW SAD WE ARE, HOW WE NEED ACTION.
WE SAY HOW THIS WAS UNIMAGINABLE, BUT IT WAS SANDY HOOK COLUMBINE.
I WAS IN SCHOOL DURING COLUMBINE, SANTA FE WAS A WEEK AGO, THE ANNIVERSARY.
WE WERE RIGHT HERE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE TALKING ABOUT THAT TRAGEDY.
BUFFALO, EL PASO, CHURCHES, SYNAGOGUES, IT JUST KEEPS GOING ON.
SO IS FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY AND HEARTBROKEN AS WE ALL ARE.
WE HAVE TO DEMAND MORE OF OURSELVES, OF OTHER LEADERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, EVEN OF THE SENATE AND THE FILIBUSTER PASS MEANINGFUL REFORMS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
IF OUR STATE LEADERS WON'T ACT IN COW TO POWERFUL AND WEALTHY LOBBIES THAT CARE ABOUT A BOTTOM LINE MORE THAN ABOUT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN, WE, LIKE YOU SAID, THE GLOVES ARE OFF.
AND, UM, I WILL BE, LOOK, TAKING A LONG HARD LOOK AT WHAT MORE I CAN DO.
I KNOW IT'S EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING WHEN THE CITY TIME AND AGAIN HAS BEEN PREEMPTED CLOSING THE GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE, CITY'S PREEMPTED, DOING ALL THE THINGS WE CAN.
UH, MAYOR, YOU, YOU SPOKE ABOUT IT YESTERDAY, UM, ON THE NEWS ABOUT WE KEEP ASKING LAW ENFORCEMENT TO DO TOO MUCH.
THIS IS A DIRECT CORRELATION WITH THAT TOO.
ALL OF IT IS TIED BACK TO GUN VIOLENCE, AND WE HAVE TO SEE ACTION.
SO WORDS WITHOUT ACTION, PRAYER WITHOUT ACTION IS COMPLETELY MEANINGLESS AT THIS TIME.
BUT FOR ANYONE TO SAY HOW, UM, UNIMAGINABLE THIS WAS, THAT WE, IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME.
AND UNLESS WE ACT, IT WILL ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME.
AND I AM NOT WILLING FOR IT TO BE MY CHILDREN OR YOUR CHILDREN OR ANYONE ELSE'S CHILDREN.
SO, AND I KNOW WE'RE, UH, ON A VERY HEAVY SUBJECT, BUT I I'M MOVED BY ALL OF THE PUBLIC SERVANTS, NOT JUST US AROUND THE HORSESHOE, BUT YOUR STAFF INCLUDED.
SO I, I DID WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, MARTA TODAY FOR, UM, HER BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION.
UH, COUNCILMAN PUBLIC COUNCIL.
UM, I FIRST WANT TO CERTAINLY SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, I GET A LITTLE CHOKED UP, SO I REALLY AM NOT GONNA TALK LONG ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY EXPRESSED SO ELOQUENTLY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A FEW ISSUES THAT ELECTEDS VOTE ON THAT IS ANY MORE IMPORTANT THAN SAFETY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA POLITIC POLITICIZE THIS, BUT SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO, TO LOOK AT OUR LEADERSHIP AND SEE IF THEY ARE WEIGHING IN ON THOSE THINGS THAT ARE KEEPING OUR CHILDREN AND OUR FAMILIES SAFE.
SO THE RESPONSIBILITY ALSO LIES IN THE HANDS OF THE VOTERS WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO CHOOSING LEADERSHIP.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT ONE TO JUST THINK THAT IT'S ALL LYING IN THE HANDS OF, UH, THE ELECTEDS BECAUSE THERE IS SOME SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH THINGS GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY, AND WHICH WOULD HAVE SOMEBODY TO THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE OKAY TO GO AND ATTACK A SCHOOL WITH
[03:35:01]
SOME SMALL CHILDREN.BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SEASON.
WE ARE VOTING THIS YEAR, AND I, I, I JUST NEED PEOPLE TO LOOK AT WHO IS ACTUALLY STANDING TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR FAMILIES AND MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
USE YOUR OWN CONSCIOUS AND, AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, THE POLITICS HAVE JUST GOTTEN OFF, OFF THE CHAIN AND WE ARE FOLLOWING PARTY LINES AND NOT REALLY LOOKING AT WHO IS PRESERVING OUR MOST PRECIOUS ASSETS.
AND THEN I'M GONNA GO ON TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT IN MY COMMUNITY, WHICH IS A DISTRICT D COMMUNITY MEETING, UH, FOR RESIDENTS OF THE RIVERSIDE TERRACE REGARDING THE HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION.
THE MEETING WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MAY 31ST FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM AT ST.
AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, HPD SOUTH CENTRAL COMMANDER JOHNSON FOR PROVIDING OFFICERS TO ASSIST WITH TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND PARKING LOT.
SO I HOPE THAT THE, THE RESIDENTS WILL COME FOR AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING.
UM, THE THIRD WARD COLLEGE SENDOFF CELEBRATION, UH, WILL BE THIS SATURDAY, THE ECONOMIC, EXCUSE ME, EMANCIPATION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.
THEIR FOURTH ANNUAL CELEBRATION WILL BE FROM NOON TO TWO AT THE EMANCIPATION PARK CONSERVANCY CULTURAL CENTER.
AND I WANNA CONGRATULATE ALL OF THE PARTICIPATING, GRADUATING SENIORS AND ALL THE GRADUATING SENIORS THROUGHOUT THE CITY ON THIS SATURDAY.
ALSO, THERE WILL BE A TRINITY FRESH PRODUCE MART AND MINI HEALTH FAIR.
UM, PRE MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION SATURDAY, MAY 28TH FROM 10 TO ONE IN THE CHURCH PARKING LOT, 2,600 HOLMAN STREET AND ITEMS WILL BE SOLD AT LOW PRICES AND THE SNAP, SNAP CARD ACCEPTED.
UM, THERE WILL ALSO BE CITY OF HEALTH, CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT WITH ON ONSITE COVID VACCINE AND BOOSTER SHOTS.
UH, THERE WILL BE A SOUTH PARK COMMUNITY VIOLENCE PREVENTION MEETING ON JUNE THE EIGHTH FROM SIX TO 7:00 PM AT THE BLACK FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS ON REED ROAD.
AND I'LL GIVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, UH, NEXT WEEK.
AND I WAS GONNA SAY SOMETHING IN REGARDS TO TODAY'S EVENT.
CERTAINLY THERE'S AN EVENT TODAY AT THE PRECINCT ONE TOM BASS PARK, BUT I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT'S THE DISTRICT DN X.
AND SO I WANNA CERTAINLY SAY
I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO, UH, BE WITH LATONYA FLOYD, WHO IS THE SISTER OF GEORGE FLOYD, AND SHE'S VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
I PRAY THAT WE ALL STAY SAFE AND THAT WE WILL HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.
IN RESPONSE TO THE HORRIFIC EVENTS YESTERDAY, IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO PROTECT GOOD PEOPLE, INNOCENT PEOPLE, CHILDREN FROM BAD PEOPLE.
TO FIX THIS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO WAY MORE THAN TIGHTEN GUN LAWS AND BEEF UP THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IN SOME WAYS, IT'S TOO LATE FOR, BECAUSE THE GUNS ARE OUT THERE.
TRY AS YOU MIGHT, ONCE AN EGG IS BROKEN, YOU JUST CAN'T GET IT BACK IN THE SHELL.
AND I THINK THAT THE, THE ANSWER IS GOING TO, FOR US, A BIG PART OF THE ANSWER IS GOING TO COME FROM INTENTIONALLY FOCUSING ON THE HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN SO THAT THEY GROW UP TO NOT TURN INTO BAD PEOPLE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE HEALTHY, THAT THEY ARE EMOTIONALLY STABLE.
IT'S A LONG VIEW, BUT I THINK THAT TO REALLY, TO CHANGE THINGS, THAT'S WHERE WE MUST INVEST OUR TIME.
AND, AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO, WE NEED TO DO TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE PRODUCING CONTRIBUTING CITIZENS.
THAT'S, UM, THIS IS, THIS IS SO HARD.
THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH OF AMERICAN CHILDREN AND CHILDREN ARE DIVINE BETWEEN AGE OF ONE AND 19.
THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IS FROM FIREARMS. THAT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IS FIREARMS. AND WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT AND ORGANIZE OURSELVES AROUND THAT.
JUST A QUICK REMINDER TO COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AT BUDGET AMENDMENTS ARE DUE TODAY WITH THE APPROPRIATE FUNDING SOURCE BY 5:00 PM UH, TWO QUICK PANEL REPLACEMENT PROJECT UPDATES THAT WILL BEGIN ON TUESDAY, MAY 30TH, 31ST ONE ON KINGWOOD DRIVE FROM KINGS FOREST DRIVE
[03:40:01]
TO WOODLANDS HILL, THE OTHER ON BAY AREA BOULEVARD BETWEEN SPACE CENTER BOULEVARD AND GRADUATE DRIVE.AGAIN, THOSE WILL BE TWO PANEL REPLACEMENT PROJECTS.
ONE ON THE NORTH SIDE, ONE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
THAT WILL BEGIN TUESDAY, MAY 31ST.
AND BACK TO CAROL, EVAN SHABA.
UH, DELOITTE PARKER WOULD NOT LET ME COME BACK TO THIRD WARD IF I DON'T MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT TODAY WILL, THAT ON SATURDAY, EXCUSE ME, THE 43RD ANNUAL PAN-AFRICAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE SHAPE COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND THAT WILL BE FROM 11:00 AM TO 8:00 PM SO PLEASE COME OUT AND JOIN US AT THE, UM, OUR PARK, WHICH IS RIGHT THERE AT THE SHAPE COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I COULD SAFELY GET BACK IN THE THIRD WARD, UH, AND THAT'S WHY I HAD TO COME BACK AND MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT.
AND TODAY WE, UM, WE WILL ADJOURN IN MEMORY OF THE 21 WHO WERE KILLED IN UVALDE, TEXAS ON YESTERDAY.