* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:04] PM ON TUESDAY, JUNE. JUNE THE 14TH, 2022. I'M MAYOR BEST TURNER. I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER AS A HYBRID MEETING WITH SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS JOINING IN PERSON AND SOME USING MICROSOFT TEAMS. THE CHAIR [PRESENTATIONS] RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, UH, FOR A PROCLAMATION TO AMANDA CANTLEY IN REMEMBRANCE OF BLAKE CANTLEY, WHO PASSED ON AUGUST 15TH, 2021. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON BLAKE. WILLIAM CANTLEY WAS BORN ON JUNE 19TH, 1982, AND WAS RAISED HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, INTELLIGENT AND DRIVEN. HE ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN AND EARNED A BACHELOR'S OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING IN 2004. HE SERVED THE COMMUNITY WELL AS A SUCCESSFUL ENGINEER, ENTREPRENEUR, BUSINESS LEADER, AND MENTOR AT AN EARLY AGE. BLAKE CANTLEY MARRIED AMANDA, THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE IN 2011, AND TOGETHER THEY BUILT A WONDERFUL LIFE, A DEVOTED FATHER. HIS PRIORITY WAS HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. HE WAS A MASTER ON THE GRILL, AND HE LOVED TO ENTERTAIN, CELEBRATE LIFE, AND SPEND TIME WITH HIS CHERISHED FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HE WAS ALSO A PATRIOT WHO LOVED OUR GREAT CITY, OUR GREAT STATE, AND OUR GREAT COUNTRY. 2021 WAS A CHALLENGING YEAR FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE CANTLEY FAMILY. BLAKE, WILLIAM CANTLEY, A LOVING HUSBAND, FATHER AND FRIEND, ALL PASSED AWAY UNEXPECTEDLY ON AUGUST 15TH, 2021. AT THE AGE OF 39. HE SURVIVED BY HIS BELOVED WIFE OF 10 YEARS. HIS DAUGHTER L CANTLEY SON WESTON CANTLEY, AND HIS LOYAL DOG, BEAR CANTLEY, ALONG WITH COUNTLESS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND SO IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO SAY THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM JUNE 19TH, 2022 AS BLAKE WILLIAMS CANTLEY DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, MAYOR TURNER. UM, THIS MEANS SO MUCH TO OUR FAMILY, AND I KNOW IT WOULD'VE MEANT THE WORLD TO BLAKE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, IF YOU'D LIKE TO POSE FOR A PHOTOGRAPH, IT IS GREAT TO SEE THAT FAMILY MAYOR. AND, UH, WITH THAT, I THINK THE CHAIR WILL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, EDWARD POLLARD, ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KUBOSH FOR A PROCLAMATION TO PARIS, ELLIE, UH, TO RECOGNIZE BROADCAST AND MUSIC INDUSTRY VETERAN DURING BLACK MUSIC MONTH. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD TO THE PODIUM. GOOD, MR. EVIL? YES, SIR. YES, SIR. SO, MAYOR, WE'RE IN THE, UH, MIDST OF SOME REAL, UH, AFRICAN-AMERICAN MUSIC ROYALTY RIGHT NOW. UM, AND IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION. I DID NOT KNOW THIS, BUT JUNE IS ACTUALLY AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC APPRECIATION MONTH, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY STARTED IN 1979, PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER WITH BLACK APPRECIATION MUSIC APPRECIATION MONTH. UH, PRESIDENT OBAMA CHANGED THAT IN 2009 TO AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, MUSIC APPRECIATION MONTH. AND, UH, TODAY WE'RE HERE, MR. WITH MR. PARIS ELY, TO PRESENT HIM WITH A PROCLAMATION. I'M PRESENTING IT ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KUBOSH, WHO'S OUTTA STATE WITH FAMILY AT THE MOMENT, WAS TRYING TO GET BACK FOR THIS OCCASION, BUT COULD NOT. SO I'M STANDING IN HIS SHOES, AND I WOULD LIKE TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION ON HIS BEHALF. PARIS ELY HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IN AMERICAN POP CULTURE FOR MORE THAN FIVE DECADES. HE WAS BORN IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, WHERE HE STARTED HIS CAREER IN 1963 AS A DISC JOCKEY AND ANNOUNCER [00:05:01] AT WHIH RADIO BEFORE RELOCATING TO WPX IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA. PARIS ELY WAS DRAFTED INTO THE US ARMY, WHERE HE SERVED IN VIETNAM, AND LATER RECEIVED THE BRONZE STAR IN THE US ARMY COMMENDATION AWARD. HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1968. PARIS ELY IS STILL, STILL HAD THE BUG FOR BROADCAST RADIO AND CONTINUED HIS CAREER AS AN AFTERNOON DISC JOCKEY IN SOUTH CAROLINA BEFORE HEADING TO HOUSTON TO JOIN KCOH RADIO IN 1969, HE WORKED AS A MIDDAY DJ WITH RADIO BROADCAST LEGENDS, CLIFTON KING B SMITH, SKIPPER LEE FRAZIER, GLADYS GRANDMA, GG HILL, FRANK KING, HOTDOG HALLON, AND WASH ALLEN. THROUGHOUT HIS ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER, HE HAS WORKED AS VICE PRESIDENT FOR BLACK MUSIC DEPARTMENT AT CBS RECORDS, COLUMBIA EPIC RECORDS, AND ATLANTIC RECORDS. PARIS ELY HAS WORKED WITH MANY GRAMMY WINNING ARTISTS, INCLUDING MICHAEL JACKSON, LUTHER VANDROSS, PATTI LABELLE, AND JANET JACKSON. HIS CAREER TOOK HIM FROM CBS RECORDS IN TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, AND TENNESSEE TO THE MOTOR CITY AS THE SENIOR VP OF MARKETING FOR MOTOWN RECORDS. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF HOUSTON'S, REVEREND RAY MARTIN OF THE PROGRESSIVE AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION, PARIS SERVED AS THE YOUTH COUNSELOR, VOLUNTEER AND TRAINER FOR A PA BA'S SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAM, AND A A U CERTIFIED BOXING COACH FOR AMATEUR ATHLETICS FOR FIVE YEARS. PARIS ELY CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE KCOH RADIO 1230 STATION MANAGER AND HOST OF THE MORNING MAGAZINE TALK SHOW, WHICH FOCUSES ON THOUGHTS, WORDS, AND DEEDS OF COMMON UNITY. THE CITY OF HOUSTON, COMMENDS PARIS E ELITE FOUR, HIS MANY PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL CONTRIBUTIONS, PARIS, PARIS. AND IT GIVES ME GREAT, GREAT HONOR TO BE ABLE TO SAVE. THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM JUNE 14TH, 2022 AS PARIS ELY DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS, PARIS. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELL, IT DIDN'T SEEM THAT LONG WHEN I WAS LIVING IT. MY LIFE SEEMED SHORTER. . UM, I, I WANT THANK ALL OF YOU. I GIVE LOVE TO HOUSTON. HOUSTON WAS THE PLACE THAT GAVE WINGS TO MY DREAMS AND TAUGHT ME A LOT. I HAVE BEEN CALLED AWAY NOW AND AGAIN IN OTHER CITIES, OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, BUT THOSE WHO KNOW ME WILL TELL YOU I ALWAYS RETURN TO HOUSTON. I RETURNED TO HOUSTON ALWAYS, BECAUSE HERE IS WHERE I FOUND HOPE. HERE IS WHERE THE BIRTH OF TRANSFORMATION BEGAN, AND THERE ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE HERE. A LOT OF THEM ARE OUT THERE TODAY. YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE. WOULD THAT, I COULD THE NAME YOU ALL, BUT YOU'RE OUT THERE. YOU PERFORM WONDERFUL THINGS FOR ME. I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. UH, WHEN I WAS, WHEN I WAS WRONG, YOU FORGAVE ME. WHEN I MADE MISTAKES, YOU CORRECTED ME. , A LOT OF CORRECTIONS, A LOT OF CORRECTIONS, LOT OF CORRECTIONS. A LOT OF CORRECTIONS. AND SO, UH, ON THIS DAY, I, UM, ACCEPT THIS AWARD ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY, MY WIFE, SANDRA, UM, MY SONS AND DAUGHTER, UH, BRIAN, DANIELLE, AND, UH, CRAIG. AND, UH, BERTHA, THANKS TO YOU FOR ALL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS. SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. AILEY, UM, HAVING YOU HERE WITH US AS COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD SAID, ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH IS YOU AS ROYALTY, UH, HERE IN YOUR COURT. IN OUR CHAMBER. UH, THE PEOPLE ARE CLEARLY HERE WITH YOU. WE'VE PACKED THE HOUSE, AND, UH, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, WHO'D LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU. SURE. THANK YOU. SHE, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD FOR STANDING IN FOR COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH. UH, CONGRATULATIONS. UM, I KNOW YOU, UM, IT WAS MENTIONED IN YOUR BIO ABOUT KCOH AND, AND, UH, I, I CAN'T REMEMBER A TIME NOT LISTENING TO THAT STATION OR KTSU FOR THAT MATTER. YES, I LISTEN TO THAT STATION EVERY DAY. SO JUST THANK YOU FOR PIONEERING AND MAKING SURE, AND GIVING PLAYS WHERE BLACK MUSIC COULD BE HEARD, BLACK ISSUES COULD BE TALKED ABOUT SAFELY, PROUDLY. UM, AND SO JUST THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ETCH YOUR NAME IN THE CITY ARCHIVE SO OTHER PEOPLE CAN KNOW WHO YOU ARE AS WE MOVE ON. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. THANK [00:10:01] YOU. THANK YOU. WELL, AND I ALSO WANNA THANK JA. I ALSO WANNA THANK JA AND WALLS FOR HAVING A VISION THAT PERPETUATES DIALOGUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ELEY. WE'D ALSO LIKE TO HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ FROM THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. OH MY GOODNESS, IF I TELL YOU I HAD TO GET GRACE TODAY AND I GET A TICKET JUST FLYING DOWN HERE BECAUSE I REALLY WANTED TO BE HERE. UM, PARIS ELEY IS A LEGEND, BUT HE'S NOT JUST A, A MAN WITH COMMUNICATION SKILLS. HE IS A WONDERFUL FRIEND. HE AND HIS, HIS WIFE, SANDRA AND I HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. AND THIS IS SO GREAT THAT YOU ARE IN THE ARCHIVES, AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID, AND IT'S SO DESERVING BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE A GREAT SERVICE TO THIS CITY. AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. ELEY. WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER LETICIA PLUMMER, WHO'S IN THE QUEUE FROM THE AT LARGE FOR POSITION. YES, MR. ELEY, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR POLLARD FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, UM, IN PLACE OF, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX. BUT AS A MOTHER OF A YOUNG ARTIST, UH, YOU HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR YOUNG ARTISTS, AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE ARE SO GRATEFUL OF YOU, MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES THROUGH MUSIC AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, MR. ELEY, ON BEHALF OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL, AND ALL THOSE OF US IN THE CHAMBER, CONGRATULATIONS. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE THE LAST WORD. WELL, YEAH, JUST READING OVER HIS BIO, UH, IT'S INCREDIBLE TO KNOW OF THE RICH HISTORY, UM, THAT YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND AS I WAS TALKING TO COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH, UH, LAST NIGHT, HE WAS SO PROUD TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS FORTH, AND HE WANTED ME TO ENSURE THAT YOU KNEW, UM, HOW PROUD HE WAS TO BRING THIS FORTH AND HOW MUCH HE WISHED HE COULD HAVE BEEN HERE, AND THAT HE WOULD BE GIVING YOU A CALL AS SOON AS HE GETS BACK TO CONGRATULATE YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. LEMME JUST SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, PARIS IS A GREAT, IT IS A GREAT HONOR YOU WE'RE GONNA HAVE THERE. SHE, SHE IS SANDRA, AND, AND PARIS IS AN, IS AN ICONIC FIGURE IN THE, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. VOICE DISTINGUISHED, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW. UH, HE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE INTRODUCED. HIS VOICE WOULD INTRODUCE HIMSELF, AND THEN IS HIS WISDOM. AND, UH, THE ENCOURAGEMENT. I MEAN, EVERYTHING. I MEAN, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE PLAYED YOUR PART, FOUND YOUR PURPOSE, DONE YOUR DEAL, AND YOU'VE DONE IT PROUDLY AND, UH, WITH THE GREATEST DEGREE OF DISTINCTION. SO IT'S AN HONOR TO, UM, TO RESTORE THIS DAY ON, ON PARIS. CONGRATULATIONS, MAN. THANK PRESTON MIDDLETON, [00:16:59] COUNCIL MEMBER. I ONLY HAVE ONE COUNSELOR THAT'S OUT TODAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND AS THE, UH, CHAMBER MAYOR, AS THE, UH, CHAMBER CLEARS, I'D LIKE TO CALL OUR NEXT PROCLAMATION TO THE PODIUM. UH, MAYOR, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS FOR A PROCLAMATION TO INDIE CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS IN HONOR OF THEIR 45 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. SO WE'RE GONNA GIVE A MOMENT FOR THE CHAMBER TO CLEAR. HELLO, HOW ARE YOU? I'M SO GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. YES, YOU ARE MY PARTNER. THANK YOU. AND AS WE PREPARE TO GO TO THE NEXT ITEM, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, UH, WE MAY JUST TAKE A MOMENT, BUT IF YOU ALL COULD PROCEED OUT OF THE CHAMBER AND DO YOUR BEST TO BE QUIET. YES, THANK YOU. PARTY, IT'S PARTY COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. I THINK WE'RE READY TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND, UH, PROCLAMATION FOR INDIE CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS IN HONOR OF THEIR 45 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. IT IS MY HONOR TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION, WHEREAS INDIE CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS A UNIFICATION OF TWO HISPANIC OWNED FAMILY BUSINESSES, A STATUS CONSTRUCTION AND GRUPO INDIE HAS BECOME THE LARGEST WOMEN AND MINORITY OWNED CERTIFIED CONSTRUCTION FIRM HERE IN THE CITY. IT IS PROUD TO BE CELEBRATING GENERATIONS OF EXCELLENCE AS A COMPANY. CELEBRATE 45 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. IT OFFERS A FULL RANGE OF CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, [00:20:01] WHICH INCLUDE PRE-CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, GENERAL CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, AT RISK DESIGN, BUILD, SELF, PERFORM, AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. AND WHEREAS A STATUS CONSTRUCTION IS THE FIRST HISPANIC FEMALE GENERAL CONTRACTOR TO BE AWARDED A PUBLIC SECTOR PROJECT OVER THE SIZE OF $50 MILLION FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. AS A RECIPIENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION MINORITY CONTRACTORS RISING STAR AWARD, A, A STATUS CONSTRUCTION HAS COMPLETED OVER 200 PROJECTS IN THE LOCAL HOUSTON COMMUNITY, WHICH INCLUDES THE RENOVATION OF THE BAUER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS GROUP. WENDY HAS, HAS WORKED ON EVERY MAJOR PORT IN MEXICO OVER THE PAST DECADE, CONSTRUCTED THE ICONIC SENATOR'S CHAMBERS IN MEXICO CITY, AND IS THE SECOND LARGEST DEEP FOUNDATION CONS CONTRACTOR WITHIN THE COUNTRY. GRUPO INDI HAS COMPLETED OVER 1000 CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS OVER THE PAST 45 YEARS. INDY CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS HAS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TO BE PILLARS OF THE COMMUNITY AND ESSENTIALLY, UH, PROVIDE RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE VARIOUS ENDEAVORS. AND WHEREAS ON JUNE 14TH, 2022, INDY CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS WILL BE RECOGNIZED FOR ITS WORTHWHILE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY. THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS AND APPRECIATES INDIE CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS FOR UNI, UNIFYING ITS EFFORTS TO TRULY BECOME A PILLAR TO THE COMMUNITY AND FOR INCREASING THE DIVERSITY OF WOMEN AND MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES IN OUR CITY, AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM JUNE 14TH, 2022, AS IN THE CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. CONGRATULATIONS FOR CHILD BOY. WOW, WHAT AN AMAZING DAY. I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP FOR US TODAY. I JUST WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK EVERYBODY HERE THAT CAME OUT. MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, AND EVERYBODY THAT SERVES OUR COMMUNITY. OF COURSE, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS. UM, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN THE ROOM. WE HAVE FORMER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GRACIELA SIGNS IN THE ROOM. WE HAVE THE ALI THEATER, WE HAVE HISPANIC WOMEN'S NETWORK OF TEXAS. WE GOT A LOT OF GREAT SUPPORT. LULAC COUNCILS ALSO IN THE ROOM. I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU MAY RECOGNIZE ME BECAUSE I AM THE LATINA. I OWN THE COMPANY. UH, YES, YOU CAN OWN A BEAUTIFUL PAIR OF HILLS AND STILL DO CONSTRUCTION . BUT, UH, GROWING UP I STARTED FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS. I KNEW SOMEHOW I WANTED TO CHANGE THE WORLD. I DREAMED OF BUILDING EMPIRES. AND HERE WE ARE TODAY, BUILDING AMAZING CITIES. OUR COMPANY IS PASSIONATE ABOUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, AND WE ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE CHANGE. I WANT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM TO REMEMBER THIS MOMENT BECAUSE IT IS HISTORICAL. THIS IS A DAY IN HISTORY, AND I'M PROUD OF ALL OF YOU HERE TO BE A PART OF IT. AND WHY DO I SAY THAT? BECAUSE THE INDUSTRY HAS MORE THAN 745,000 EMPLOYERS WITH OVER 7.6 MILLION EMPLOYEES AND CREATES NEARLY $1.4 TRILLION WORTH OF STRUCTURES EACH YEAR. AND THAT'S ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. NOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT STATISTICS, ONLY 9.4% OF ALL GENERAL CONTRACTORS ARE WOMEN. THAT'S CRAZY, RIGHT? . AND THEN WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE STATISTIC FOR HOW MANY OF THAT 9% ARE MINORITY OR LATINA, YOU CAN'T EVEN NOT, YOU CAN'T EVEN FIND THAT STATISTIC. IT'S PROBABLY 0.001. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD TO BE CHANGING THAT. SO IT'S A PROUD MOMENT FOR HOUSTON AS WE ARE MAKING HISTORY BY RECOGNIZING A COMPANY LIKE OURS, LATINA OWNED AND STRONG. AND DIVERSITY, OF COURSE, IS OUR PASSION, AND WE LOVE WHAT WE DO. SO IF ANYBODY EVER ASKS, AS WE ARE CONTINUING OUR MISSION HERE TO PARTICIPATE AND PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY AND OUTSKIRTS, I HAVE TO BE BIASED AND SAY, BY THE WAY, CITY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS BY FAR THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD, OKAY? AND YES, . AND WE'RE SO PROUD THAT WE ARE HEADQUARTERED HERE TO BEGIN TO, TO YOU TO GROW AND BE THE LARGEST LATINA AND MINORITY OWNED GENERAL CONTRACTOR IN THE UNITED STATES. AND HOUSTON WILL ALWAYS BE OUR HOME. WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, PARTICIPANTS HERE, AND OUR PARTNERS ARE HERE, AND MANUEL CIO. AND, UH, THEY FLEW IN FROM MEXICO CITY THIS MORNING JUST TO BE HERE. UM, MANUEL, DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? JUST THANK YOU. HERE WE GO. YES, YES. YEAH, [00:25:01] JUST TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UM, FOR WELCOME US HERE, AND WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO, TO HELP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNSELORS. AND IF YOU WERE WITH OUR GROUP, CAN YOU PLEASE JUST RAISE YOUR HAND OR JUST, YEAH. OR IF YOU'D STAND. THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VERY MUCH. UM, IF I, I SENT AN INVITATION TO EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, BUT IN CASE YOU DIDN'T GET IN, WE'RE HAVING A RECEPTION AT CURTAIN CALL FROM THREE TO SEVEN. AND ANYBODY THAT COMES, WE WILL CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THAT ROOM ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE MAKING HOUSTON THE GREATEST CITY IN THIS COUNTRY. THAT'S WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CONGRATULATIONS TO, CONGRATULATIONS TO INDY CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS, RO AND TO YOUR PARTNERS FROM, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN FROM MEXICO. IT'S SO GREAT. I THINK THE MAYOR AND I PASSED BY A NUMBER OF YOUR PROJECTS NOT LONG AGO WHEN WE WERE IN MEXICO CITY ON THE PA DE LAMA. GREAT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. THIS IS TRULY AN AUSPICIOUS DAY. AND NOW IN QUEUE WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. UM, KUDOS. I, UM, LISTENING TO YOUR STORY, I'M REMINDED OF A YOUNG WOMAN IN MY DISTRICT THAT REACHED OUT THE DAY OF THE DEADLINE FOR THE MAYOR'S SUMMER JOBS PROGRAM. AND SHE WAS INTERESTED IN CONSTRUCTION SCIENCE. SHE WAS PURSUING THAT. AND ON THE DEADLINE WE WERE ABLE TO GET HER INTO THE MAYOR'S PROGRAM WITH OUR GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. AND I THINK TODAY IS THE SECOND DAY OF THE MAYOR'S INTERN. SO I HOPE SHE'S LISTENING AND WATCHING YOU. YES. 'CAUSE YOU ARE AN EXAMPLE OF WHO SHE COULD BE IN THIS INDUSTRY, AND I'M JUST SO EXCITED, UM, OF ALL THE BARRIERS THAT YOU HAVE BROKEN AND TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE MORE AND THAT YOU'LL DO THAT. UM, AND THEN THE MEXICAN COUNCIL, THAT'S IN DISTRICT F, SO I HAVE TO GIVE YOU, YOU KNOW, , RIGHT? I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO DO THAT. BUT I'M JUST INSPIRED, UM, THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN, UM, TO HIRE LOCAL AND HOUSTON AND TO KEEP YOUR BASE IN THE DISTRICT. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, FOR ALWAYS MAKING SURE, UM, TO PRESENT WONDERFUL PARTNERS TO THE CITY AND BEFORE COUNCIL. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND TO EVERYONE. INDEED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, I'D LOVE TO GIVE YOU THE FINAL WORD IF YOU HAVE A, UH, JUST A MOMENT TO SHARE. THANK YOU. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, AGAIN, IT WAS AN HONOR HERE TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION AND, UH, LIKE IT WAS STATED, I MEAN, TO KNOW ALL THE BARRIERS THAT YOU HAVE BROKEN AND, UH, AND TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND TO BE THE, UH, THE LARGEST WOMAN AND MINORITY OWNED CONTRACTOR HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, AND IT ALL STARTED WITH THAT DREAM. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. CAN YOU GET A PICTURE WITH THAT BABY? YEAH. THIS IS, UH, NUMBER ONE. SO VERY, VERY PROUD. UH, THANK YOU, JESS. JESS HAD A LUNCHEON TALKING ABOUT, UM, CONSTRUCTION AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND GOODS AND SERVICES, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR. MM-HMM. AND THEN TO COME HERE TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THIS COMPANY FOR YOUR SUCCESS. UH, SO WHAT, WHAT AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY. SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, WE'LL TAKE THESE INITIAL PICTURES HERE AND, UH, ARE THERE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE AS WELL? YES, YES. THEN WE'LL DO FAMILY MEMBERS, AND THEN WE'LL INVITE EVERYBODY ELSE WHO'S HERE TO SUPPORT YOU TO COME AROUND THE QUEUE. SO LET'S DO, THANK YOU. [00:33:58] WE ARE THE CHAMBER HERE OF THAT LAST PROCLAMATION. WE, UH, WILL MOVE ON TO OUR FINER FINAL PROCLAMATION OF THE DAY. UH, AND THIS ONE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA PLUMMER. GOOD TO SEE YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND THIS IS FOR A PROCLAMATION, UH, TO THE US ARMY IN CELEBRATION OF THEIR 247TH BIRTHDAY COUNCIL MEMBER. I THINK THE FLOOR IS YOURS, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO, YES, I'M HONORED TO BE STANDING HERE WITH, UM, WITH OUR MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERAN AFFAIRS, UM, DIRECTOR ROBERT DEMBO II IS HERE WITH US TODAY, UH, LIEUTENANT COLONEL SAMUEL KIM, THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE US RECRUITING BATTALION FOR HOUSTON. AND WE'VE GOT SOMEONE ELSE WITH US AS, OH, WE, OH, THIS IS AWESOME. . OKAY. SO IT IS MY, UM, INCREDIBLE HONOR, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO LITERALLY THE ONES THAT PROTECT OUR GROUNDS. SO THIS IS A 247TH BIRTHDAY OF THE US ARMY. [00:35:01] SO UNITED STATES ARMY 247TH, BIRTHDAY 24 SEVENTH. I LOVE THAT. UH, WHEREAS SINCE IT'S OFFICIAL ESTABLISHMENT ON JUNE THE 14TH, 1775, MORE THAN A YEAR BEFORE THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, THE UNITED STATES ARMY HAS PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE AMERICAN NATION. DRAWING ON BOTH LONGSTANDING MILITIA TRADITIONS AND RECENTLY INTRODUCED PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS. IT'S WON THE NEW REPUBLIC'S INDEPENDENCE IN AN AUDACIOUS EIGHT YEAR STRUGGLE AGAINST GREAT BRITAIN. CONSISTENTLY, THE ARMY PROVIDED A LONG SYMBOL OF NA OF NATIONHOOD AROUND WHICH PATRIOT ARTS RALLIED AROUND. WHEREAS SINCE THE EARLY DAYS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, OUR SOLDIERS HAVE SERVED TO PROTECT FREEDOM AND LIBERTY, VI VIGILANT IN TIMES OF PEACE, AND VALIANT IN TIMES OF STRUGGLE. THEY, THEY ARE, THESE PATRIOTS HAVE DEFENDED OUR WAY OF LIFE FOR MORE THAN TWO CENTURIES AND HELPED AMERICA GROW AND PROSPER. GENERATION AFTER GENERATION HAVE RAISED THE RIGHT HAND TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. TO PRESERVE OUR FREEDOMS AND TO PROMOTE AMERICAN VALUES. THESE VALUES WERE SOLIDIFIED INTO A CORE IDEALS. THE CONTINENTAL, UM, ARMY WAS RAISED TO SECURE, AND TO WHICH TODAY'S SOLDIERS SOLEMNLY, SOLEMNLY DEVOTE THEIR ALLEGIANCE. AND WHEREAS TODAY, THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY ARE SERVING AT HOME AND AROUND THE WORLD, KEEPING OUR COUNTRY STRONG AND SECURE. DEDICATED FAMILIES ARE TO SERVE ALONGSIDE OUR SOLDIERS, FORTIFYING OUR ARMY. UNFLINCHING LOVE AND SUPPORT. THE BRAVERY OF OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILY INSPIRES AMERICANS OF EVERY AGE BACKGROUND, AND THEIR SACRIFICES ARE NEVER FORGOTTEN. AND WHEREAS, AS WE OBSERVE THE ARMY'S 247TH BIRTHDAY, WE HONOR THOSE WHO'VE COME BEFORE US, CELEBRATE THEIR SERVICE, REFLECT ON THEIR SACRIFICE, AND THANK THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WILL CONTINUE TO ANSWER OUR NATION'S CALL. WE ARE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THE COMMITMENT, RESILIENCE OF OUR FAMILIES, CITIZENS, SOLDIERS FOR LIFE, WHICH ENABLED US TO REMAIN A SYMBOL OF STRENGTH AND HOPE AROUND THE WORLD. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SAYING, THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM JUNE 14TH, 2022 AS UNITED STATES ARMY'S 247TH BIRTHDAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ARMY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THIS, SIR. UH, SO I DO HAVE SOME PREPARED REMARKS, BUT I'LL TRY TO TRUNCATE THIS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. TAKE, WE'LL GIVE A FLOW, TAKE YOUR TIME. BUT THANK YOU MARY TURNER, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THE UNITED STATES ARMY. IT'S A REAL HUMBLE, UH, HUMBLE, UH, HONOR AND PRIVILEGE FOR ME TO REPRESENT THEM. UM, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, D DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AND FRIENDS, AND THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME OUT HERE AND CELEBRATE THE 247TH BIRTHDAY OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY. MM-HMM. AND 247 YEARS OF SOLDIERS SERVICE TO OUR NATION. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, AS WE ALREADY MENTIONED THIS, THIS YEAR'S THEME IS DEFENDING AMERICA 24 7 IN LIGHT OF THE 247TH BIRTHDAY. AND I'D BE REMISS AS THE RECRUITING COMMANDING OFFICER FOR THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA, IF I DON'T ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN HELPING TO SUSTAIN THE LONG LEGACY AND HISTORY OF OUR UNITED STATES ARMY. MY MISSION AS A RECRUITING COMMANDER IS TO FIND THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST TO JOIN AN ALL VOLUNTEER FORCE IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE DO NEED YOUR SUPPORT. HOUSTON HAS THE SECOND LARGEST VETERAN POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES AND VOTE FOR THOSE WHO ARE VETERANS. I ASK THAT YOU GO TO GO OUT AND TELL YOUR STORY, TELL ALL THE GREAT EXPERIENCES, UM, AND LIFE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE ARMED SERVICES AND HOW IT'S POSITIVELY IMPACTED YOUR LIFE. YOU KNOW, OF THE BENEFITS, I KNOW OF THE BENEFITS, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT WE KNOW. WE NEED TO SHARE IT WITH OUR COMMUNITY OVER HERE, BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL HAVE THE SAME VISION TO CREATE BETTER SERVANT OF SOCIETY AND CITIZENS OF THE WORLD, RIGHT? MM-HMM . AND SO PLEASE HELP US BY SHARING YOUR STORIES. AND I, AND I'LL START WITH MINE. I'M JUST A HUMBLE, UH, KOREAN AMERICAN, YOU KNOW, BORN TO KOREAN AMERICANS, FIRST GENERATION AMERICANS WHO BARELY HAD, UH, MY PARENTS BARELY HAD MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATIONS FROM KOREA. AND I REMEMBER GROWING UP BEING EVICTED FROM PLACE TO PLACE IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. UM, BUT IN ONE GENERATION, THE ARMY'S GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TURN THAT AROUND. AND IN ONE GENERATION, I BECAME A NATIONAL ASSET AS A SPECIAL OPERATION SOLDIER. AND IN ONE GENERATION, I'VE EARNED THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMAND A COMPLEX ORGANIZATION OF OVER 800 PEOPLE IN THE GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON HERE. UH, AND YOU KNOW, IN SUPPORT OF THE ARMY FOR RECRUITING, I'VE EARNED A DEGREE IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT NEW YORK, EARNED A MASTER'S DEGREE AT THE NAVAL POST GRADUATE [00:40:01] SCHOOL IN MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA. EXPERIENCED WORLD CLASS TRAINING AT, FOR FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, HOME OF AIRBORNE AND SPECIAL OPERATIONS. UM, I JUST HAD TO THROW THAT PLUG IN THERE. AND I, I TRAVELED ALL OVER THE WORLD, ALL OVER EUROPE AND ASIA. I VOLUNTEER TO FRONT FIGHT IN THE FRONT LINES DEEP INTO ISIS TERRITORY. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IN DEFENSE OF MY BELOVED COUNTRY, RIGHT, I'VE GOT A CHANCE TO MEET AND WORK ON A TUTELAGE OF WORLD, WORLD-CLASS LEADERS AND GREAT AMERICAN HEROES TO INCLUDE A MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT. AND SO I ASK THAT YOU DO THE SAME, SHARE THAT STORY. YOU KNOW, IF, IF HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR AMERICA, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE ARMY, MY LIFE WOULD NOT BE ON THE SAME TRAJECTORY. SO IN CLOSING, I ASK FOR TWO THINGS. I ASK THAT WE ALL TAKE OWNERSHIP OF MAINTAINING AN ALL VOLUNTEER FORCE IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY, AND TO SHARE THE VALUE PROPOSITION THAT THE MILITARY SERVICE HAS, HAS TO OFFER. YOU'LL LEARN SOFT SKILLS, TECHNICAL SKILLS, YOU CAN EARN AN EDUCATION, SEEK ADVENTURE, TRAVEL, UH, BUILD FRIENDSHIPS FOR LIFE. SO THERE'S ALSO MONETARY BENEFITS. POST NINE 11 GI BILL, UH, HAZELWOOD ACTS FOR TEXANS. YOU CAN BUY VA LOAN FOR YOUR HOUSE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I WAS THE FIRST PERSON IN FAMILY TO BUY A HOUSE AND SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES. AND IT ALWAYS HELPS THAT THE ARMY'S OFFERING A $50,000 BONUS, UH, AND $25,000 IF YOU SHIP WITHIN 45 DAYS. SO I, YEAH, I HUMBLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO GET THE WORD OUT, LET THEM KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, OF THE SAME BENEFITS THAT, THAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED. AND SO, HELP ME TO HONOR OUR HISTORY BY PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE THE ARMY'S LEGACIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. THANK YOU, LIEUTENANT COLONEL KIM. FANTASTIC. UM, LET, I JUST HAVE ONE MAYOR. GO AHEAD. I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP. IS THERE AN AGE LIMIT? SO , WE CAN TRY TO MAKE ASSUMPTIONS. MAYOR. YEAH, THERE'S LIEUTENANT COLONEL AND ALL SERIOUSNESS. I, I, YOU KNOW, GENERAL FUNK. AND SO WE'LL MAKE A PHONE CALL, , THERE'S, THERE'S A FEW OF US THAT ARE GONNA BE UP FOR A JOB IN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, SO APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. WELL, WHAT A, WHAT AN EXTRAORDINARY COMMITMENT YOU'VE HAD. AS YOU SAID, THE ALL VOLUNTEER ARMY IS ONE OF THE TWO POINTS YOU'VE RAISED. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMITMENT, YOUR ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER, WHAT AN EXAMPLE YOU'VE SET FOR ALL OF US. UH, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, DIRECTOR DEBO, FOR BEING HERE WITH ALL THAT YOU DO FOR VETERANS AND, UH, FOR OUR CITY. AND WE DO HAVE, UH, AT LEAST ONE COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE, LIEUTENANT COLONEL. SO, UH, MIKE KNOX IS OUR COLLEAGUE. THANK YOU, LIEUTENANT COLONEL. APPRECIATE THAT. MR. DEMBO, THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH THESE, UH, FINE MEN AND WOMEN AND COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS. NOW, I HAD A QUESTION, THOUGH ABOUT THE, YOU WANT ME TO TELL MY STORY? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. I WAS IN THE AIR FORCE, SO THERE'S NOT MUCH OF A STORY. YEAH, YEAH. UM, BUT I HAVE A LOT OF ARMY FRIENDS, AND THEY SEEM TO TALK A LOT ABOUT RUNNING AROUND WITH 80 POUNDS ON THEIR BACK AND SWEATING HARD AND, YOU KNOW, RAIN AND SNOW AND WIND. AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY'RE PROUD TO BE ARMY. AND IT'S THAT PREPARATION AND THAT PHYSICAL STRUGGLE THAT OUR, UM, RECRUITS GO THROUGH THAT MAKE THEM, YOU KNOW, THE BEST ARMY ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET. SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO, AND I'LL, I'LL SKIP THAT PART OF THE STORY, , UH, WHEN I, WHEN I TELL PEOPLE, I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT HOW GOOD YOU FEEL WHEN IT'S ALL DONE. WELL, WELL, IT'S A GREAT AMERICAN SPIRIT, SIR. AND IT'S THE CRUCIBLE OF THESE DIFFICULT TASKS THAT WE ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER AS A TEAM THAT MAKE IT SO GREAT. IT'S THE AMERICAN SPIRIT. AND ONCE YOU ACCOMPLISH THAT, THERE'S NO GREATER PROUDER MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU CROSS WALK ACROSS THE STAGE. AND YOU EARNED A TITLE OF US ARMY SOLDIER. SO, RIGHT. WELL, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT, UH, WHAT DREW ME TO THE AIR FORCE WAS PT AND IN SHORTS AND TENNIS SHOES, . SO, THANKS AGAIN, LIEUTENANT COLONEL, IT'S SO GREAT TO BE HERE. I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE DR. LASANDRA JONES AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY. AND YES, LET'S GIVE EVERYONE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. UH, SO MAYOR, I BELIEVE WITH THAT, UH, FINAL WORD, IF YOU WOULD, I'M ON, WELL, NUMBER ONE, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU. TWO BROTHERS SERVED IN THE ARMY, SO, UM, AND, UH, LET ME TELL YOU, UH, VERY, VERY PROUD OF WHAT YOU ALL DO. AND IT IS 24 7, UH, BECAUSE OF YOUR SERVICE, THE SACRIFICE OF SO MANY. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE DR. JONES, 'CAUSE SHE JUST HAD, UH, THE CEREMONY OF THE BUFFALO SOLDIER THIS WEEKEND CELEBRATING WOMEN, VETERANS AND, UH, THE SACRIFICES THEY'VE MADE AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS. UH, SO I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE DR. JONES. IN FACT, IT WAS DR. JONES WHO MASTERMIND GETTING THE BILL THROUGH THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE HONORING WOMEN VETERANS. AND IT IS NOW LAW OF THE LAND. SO THANK YOU, DR. JONES, HONOR. SO THANK YOU ALL. LEMME TELL YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE EXCEPTIONAL. YOU'RE AN EXCEPTIONAL REPRESENTATIVE. YOU KNOW, I MAY BE ONLY 50, BUT YOU MAKE ME WANT TO JOIN , YOU KNOW, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY IN THE SERVICE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NOW, YOU ALL TO COME ON AROUND? YEAH. [00:46:39] OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON. GOOD TO SEE MAYOR FOR TIM MARTIN. AND, UH, LET'S SEE. LET'S NOW TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, SESSION. WE'RE DOING INVOCATION. OKAY. WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH THE INVOCATION [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] AND, AND THE PLEDGE, AND WE'LL BE LED BY COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAYBE WE ALL BOW OUR HEADS FOR A WORD OF PRAYER. LORD, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SEE ANOTHER DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US AND ALL THAT YOU WILL GIVE US IN THE DAYS AHEAD. AS WE MEET TO DO WORK ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON, I ASK THAT YOU HAVE OUR WORK, BE PLEASING TO YOU, AND HAVE OUR EFFORTS BE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL PEOPLE. I STILL BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER, AND AS I PRAY, I ASK THAT YOU WATCH OVER US, LEAD US, GUIDE US, AND ORDER OUR STEPS IN RESPECT TO ALL FAITHS AND RELIGIONS. BUT IN JESUS' NAME I PRAY, AMEN. AMEN. YOU PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE, PLEDGE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY. OKAY, THANK YOU ALSO VERY, VERY MUCH. UH, [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] UH, THE ROLL CALL, MADAM SECRETARY OF, YOU'LL CALL THE ROLE MAYOR TURNER. HERE, COUNCILOR PECK. HERE, COUNCILOR JACKSON. COUNCILMAN CAMAN. PRESENT ONLINE, COUNCILOR EVAN SHABA. HERE. COUNCIL MARTIN. PRESENT. COUNCILOR THOMAS. PRESENT. COUNCILOR HUFFMAN. PRESENT. COUNCIL CISNEROS. HERE. COUNCILOR GALLEGOS? HERE. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. HERE. COUNCILMAN CASTEX TATUM. COUNCILMAN KNOX. HERE. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. HERE. COUNCILMAN KNOX. UH, UBA WILL BE ABSENT. CONSTABLE PLUMMER. SHE'S OUTSIDE. OUTSIDE. AND COUNCILOR ALCORN NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES. SO MOVE ROBINSON. SIX. SORRY, WHAT WAS THAT? WE HAD A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES, AND THERE'S A SECOND. SO. OKAY. UH, ANY DISCUSSION? ANY OBJECTION? CHAIR NONE. AND MOTION IS GRANTED. ALL RIGHT, THEN I SEE JUST A FEW PROCEDURAL, UH, MOTIONS. I MEAN PROCEDURAL MEASURES. UM, FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE ONLINE, IF YOU, YOU'RE ONLINE, UM, IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE MEETING, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW AND THEN YOU CAN PROCEED TO HANG UP. AND THIS WILL REMOVE YOU, UH, FROM THE MEETING. UH, STATE YOUR NAME WHEN MAKING A MOTION OR TAG IN AN ITEM. FOR THOSE JOINING VIRTUALLY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE, UM, CHAT WINDOW. AND THEN WE FAIL TO, UH, HEAR YOU OR SEE YOU. UH, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND OR SPEAK UP, AND WE'LL RECOGNIZE YOU FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] TODAY. FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS, UH, LEMME REMIND YOU THAT IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A PUBLIC SPEAKER, YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE BY 3:00 PM YESTERDAY. AND WE WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGNED UP, UH, WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, IF YOU ARE HERE IN PERSON, IF YOU'RE HERE IN PERSON, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM [00:50:01] AND GET BEHIND ONE OF THOSE MICS. NOT IN BETWEEN, BUT BEHIND ONE OF THOSE MICS. AND THEN YOU CAN PROCEED. IF YOU'RE CALLING IN, PRESS STAR SIX STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF. AND IF YOU'RE APPEARING ON CAMERA, CLICK ON THE MICROPHONE ICON AND THE CAMERA I COME. AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE THE ONE, TWO, OR THREE MINUTES FOR WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED. AFTER YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, THE BELL WILL RING. AND ONCE YOU HEAR THE BELL, YOU MUST BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO IMMEDIATE IN. AND BEAR IN MIND, YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK WHEN YOU ARE RECOGNIZED. UH, LET ME FIRST RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS, UH, SHABAZZ, UH, FOR A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OR RECOGNITION Y YES. I WANT TO, UH, HAVE EVERYONE TO LOOK TO THE REAR OF THE ROOM BECAUSE WE HAVE ROYALTY SITTING IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM. THESE ARE THE QUEENS OF THE MILDRED, JOHN 2022, MILDRED JOHNSON, MS. JUNETEENTH JUNETEENTH, QUEENS. AND WE KNOW THAT THIS WEEKEND WE ARE CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH. AND SO AS I CALL YOUR NAME, IF YOU WOULD STAND YOU AND YOUR, UH, ESCORT SO THAT I CAN, SO THAT WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE YOU. UH, WE HAVE BRIAR MONICE, THE JUNIOR, MISS JUNETEENTH, ESCORTED BY MACKENZIE MONICE, HER DAD. WE HAVE COY HUTCHINSON TEEN MS. JUNETEENTH, ESCORTED BY COREY HUTCHINSON, HER DAD. THEN WE HAVE ANOMALY MARTIN SENIOR HIGH, MISS JUNETEENTH, ESCORTED BY JAYDEN BROWN. AND THEN WE HAVE AMY JOHNSON, WHO I KNOW HER MOM VERY WELL, WHO IS MISS JUNETEENTH, ESCORTED BY TYSHAWN BORIN. SO WE JUST THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. YOU ALL LOOK ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. I WAS ABLE TO COME TO THE EVENT, UH, AND JUST, WE'RE GONNA STEP OUTSIDE AND TAKE A PICTURE. AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ONE OTHER PERSON THAT'S HERE HANGING OUT WITH ME. I HAVE, UH, MS. LATONYA FLOYD HERE TODAY. UH, THE SISTER OF GEORGE FLOYD. THANK YOU. AND IF YOU'LL STEP OUTSIDE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU ALSO VERY, VERY MUCH. AND, UH, AND ALL OF YOU WHO ARE HERE TODAY, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. IS THAT MS. DORIS BACK THERE? YEAH. OH, AND, AND DR. DORIS ELLIS. I'M SO SORRY. HOUSTON'S SON. YEAH. I THOUGHT I SAW MS. ELLIS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YEAH, SHE LOOKING LIKE MISS, MISS, UH, TEXAS. MISS USA GO ON . YEAH. AND WHO ELSE IS THERE? WAS THERE WAS, WELL, ALL OF YOU'ALL JUST STAND AT ONE TIME, SO JUST OKAY. THANK YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH. OKAY. YOU ALL HAVE THAT, UH, DR. CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ WAVE. OKAY. GOD, THAT'S ALL RIGHT. GOOD DEAL. . ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. AND, UH, SEE, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABA, DO YOU HAVE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE AS WELL? THAT THAT'S, OH, IS THAT IT? THAT WAS IT. THAT WAS IT, MAYOR. OKAY. UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO SING AND DANCE OR SOMETHING. YOU GOOD? ? THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS FOR TODAY? ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? HEARING, SEEING NONE. OKAY, LET'S PROCEED. MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL THE, UH, THE FIRST SPEAKER. ROSALYN FORD. ROSALYN FORD IS ROSALYN FORD HERE TODAY. ROSALYN FORD. ROSALYN FORD. HERE. MS. FORD, NOT MS. FORD. NEXT SPEAKER, ALAN LOCO. ALAN LOCO. UH, IF YOU'LL PRESS STAR SIX, ALAN LO RACO, KUL AT THE END. ALAN LAAL, STAR SIX. ALAN. ALAN LAAL. ALAN. NEXT SPEAKER. GARY RUBY. IT'S GARY RUBY. HERE. GARY RUBY. HERE. GARY HERE. GARY RUBY. NEXT SPEAKER. RAY NAVARRO. RAY NAVARRO. HERE. RAY NAVARRO. RAY RAY NAVARRO. RAY. NEXT SPEAKER. REGINA CLORE. REGINA CLORE. IT'S REGINA CLORE. HERE. REGINA. REGINA CLORE. NEXT SPEAKER. JESSE ESCALANTE. IT'S JESSE ESCALANTE. OKAY. JESSE IS HERE. LIFE IS GOOD. FANTASTIC. FANTASTIC. IF YOU'LL GET RIGHT BEHIND ONE OF THOSE MICS. OKAY. OKAY. MY NAME IS ANTE. I HAD A FEW, UM, LITTLE POSTER BOARDS I WANTED TO SHOW Y'ALL. I CAME BACK IN, UH, JANUARY, SIR, THANK HOUSTON TOGETHER. HOUSTON IS NOW KICKING CRIME. AND, UH, WE KNOW IT'S, I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO GO BEFORE THAT. UH, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT. BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT THROWING THE SEED OF, UH, GREATNESS INTO THE MINDS. AND THESE ARE JUST SIMPLE BILLBOARDS THAT YOU, THAT YOU SEE 'EM, IT'S JUST AS SIMPLE AS IF YOU PULL THE TRIGGER, ONE WILL LIVE, ONE WILL DIE. I WILL CRY. THANK HOUSTON. SO THESE ARE JUST, UH, I HAVE OVER 80 OF THEM MADE LAST, UH, OCTOBER. I GOT ROAD RAGE. AND, UH, IT WAS SO FRANTIC TO ME THAT I, IT JUST GOT TO MY HEAD. AND I JUST KEPT THINKING THANK, THANK, [00:55:01] THANK AND THANK HOUSTON. YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THE FACT OF THE MATTER OF THANK HOUSTON. RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S ELEVATING. BUT THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT IT'S PLANTING THE SEED, THE GREATNESS IN PEOPLE'S MINDS. SEE, 'CAUSE YOU GOT A LOT OF YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO GOT THESE WARPED THOUGHTS IN THEIR HEADS. SO WE GOTTA KEEP SOWING THESE SEEDS IN THE MIND. AND AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS, I THOUGHT ABOUT A CAMPAIGN. AND SO I PUT TOGETHER ABOUT 80 DIFFERENT BULLETIN BOARDS. LOVE TO TALK TO CITY, UH, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ABOUT THAT. 'CAUSE UH, RIGHT NOW, IT'S A GREAT CAUSE RIGHT NOW. AND THEN AGAIN, YOU GUYS ARE LIKE HEROES TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. A GREAT CAUSE. ALWAYS FIND THIS NEXT HERO. AND I'M JUST EXCITED 'CAUSE UH, I, I SAW 2017 AND 2018, 2019, 2020 2021, HOW IT WENT FROM 180 6 TO 467, UH, HOMICIDES LAST YEARS. AND I REALIZED, AND I RECOGNIZE HOW SOMEONE WHO WAS THE CHIEF OF POLICE BEFORE THIS CHIEF POLICE CAME IN HERE AND SAID, OH, YOU DON'T SEE CRIME, IT'S GONNA GET WORSE. GUESS WHAT HE JUST DID? HE SOLD THE SEED OF UN GREATNESS HERE. WE HAVE TO REVERSE THAT CURSE. WHY? BY WHAT WE SPEAK AND BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE RIGHT THINGS IN PEOPLE'S MINDS WHO ARE DOING ALL THE KILLINGS, THE YOUNGSTERS, THE YOUNGSTERS. AND YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT BEING ABLE TO PUT A SEAT OF GREATNESS INTO SOMEBODY'S HEART. I WANTED TO DISPLAY MY BANNER, BUT THEY TOLD ME I COULDN'T. UH, I WAS AT THE CONSTRUCTION SHOW LAST WEEK AT THE EXPO, AND I HAVE, I GOT A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK. HEY, I'M HERE TO SERVE, UH, MAYOR, WHATEVER I CAN DO TO MAKE THIS CITY GREAT. HEY, I'VE BEEN IN HERE. I SAW THE 82ND AIRBORNE THERE. I WAS IN THE MILITARY BACK IN THE EIGHTIES, SIR, UH, THE BUFFALO SOLDIER THERE. IS HE AC COMPANY G ONE 43RD? I WAS PART OF THAT BACK IN THE EIGHTIES. BUT, UH, HEY, I'D LOVE TO SEE IF I CAN SIT DOWN WITH SOMEONE AND DEFINITELY SHOW THE SCIENCE TO THEM AND SEE IF A LIKE-MINDED, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA MATCH UP WITH HOUSTON, BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE IT GREATER. WHY? BECAUSE YOU GOT TOO MANY KNUCKLEHEADS, TOO MANY CULPRITS OUT THERE ACTING DUMB, DOING STUPIDITY OUT THERE. SO WE NEED TO JUST CHANGE THE FROWN, TURN THE FROWN UPSIDE DOWN. AND I'M EXCITED. 'CAUSE I LIVE IN A GREAT CITY. THIS IS A GREAT CITY. IT'S OUR CITY. IT'S NOT THE CULPRIT CITY. LOOK AT CHICAGO. WE'RE WAY OUTTA LINE. I LIKE TO TAKE IT TO CHICAGO. ALRIGHT, I HAVE, I HAVE THE AMMUNITION, I HAVE THE CAMPAIGN FOR IT. IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO, MY NAME'S JESSE ESCALANTE. I'M HERE TO SERVE Y'ALL. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. JESSE. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND UH, MR. ESCALANTE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OH, THERE YOU GO. AND, UH, YOUR PASSION AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY. AND I AGREE WITH YOU THAT MANY TIMES IT'S THE YOUTH, UH, THAT WE HAVE TO STIR IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND GIVE GUIDANCE AND PERSPECTIVE TO, UM, I KNOW YOU'VE COME UP WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT SIGNAGE. UH, I LIKE TO SEE THOSE. SO I'M GONNA HAVE MY, UM, OFFICE STAFF REACH OUT TO YOU AND GET YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION. AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE YOUTH A LOT OF TIMES ARE ON THEIR PHONES. WE'RE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. YES. WE'RE SCROLLING. SO MAYBE THINKING ABOUT ALSO DOING, UM, THINGS THAT WE CAN POST ONLINE. YES, SIR. THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, THROUGH INSTAGRAM, THROUGH FACEBOOK. AND SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF YOUR IDEAS. SO MY CHIEF OF STAFF, PAUL YOUNG, WILL, UM, BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU. HE'LL COME OUT AND GET HIS INFORMATION AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE TO TRY TO SET SOMETHING UP. APPRECIATE SERVING Y'ALL. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH, GENTLEMEN. THANK YOU LADIES. APPRECIATE Y'ALL. THANK YOU, JESSE. APPRECIATE, ENJOY YOUR DAY. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. PAUL VANCEY. OH, VANCEY. PAUL VANCEY. NANCY. OKAY. IF YOU'LL GIVE RIGHT OVER THERE. UH, GOOD, GOOD EVENING. UH, IT'S BEEN A FABULOUS, UH, SHOW THIS MORNING. THANK YOU THIS EVENING. I ENJOYED IT. BUT COUNCILMAN AND PAULA, YOU, YOU TOUGHER TO, TO REACH IN THE MAYOR, BUT, UH, I DIDN'T WANT A BLINDSIDE. I DIDN'T WANNA BLINDSIDE YOU, MAYOR, BUT, UH, I'M FROM SUNNYSIDE AND I'M A BARBER AND I WAS DOING REALLY WELL, BUT I GOT SICK. I GOT LIVER PROBLEMS REALLY BAD. BUT, UH, I GOT, I GOT TOOLS, I GOT, I DON'T NEED NO ELECTRICITY. I, BUT I, I, I'M SHORT OF EDGERS. I DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT EDGERS AND I DON'T HAVE NO, UH, SHEARS. SOME SUPPLIES. AND I FEEL BAD STANDING HERE AFTER ALL THE GOOD STUFF THAT I WITNESSED THIS MORNING. BUT, BUT MY BACK IS UP AGAINST THE WALL. I GOTTA ASK YOU, WOULD YOU PLEASE, MAYOR? AND, AND, AND IT'S NOT MUCH WHAT I NEED. AND, AND THE, THE THING ABOUT THIS IS PEOPLE WILL SEE, LIKE THE GUY THAT JUST LEFT, I CUT THEM YOUNGSTERS HAIR AND THEM YOUNGSTERS LOOK UP TO ME. AND IT'S A GOOD WORD. PEOPLE CAN SEE THAT YOU HELP ME AND OTHER PEOPLE WITH MEANS WILL REACH OUT AND HELP SOMEBODY ELSE THAT MAY NEED HELP LIKE I DO. 'CAUSE I NEED IT BAD. OKAY? UH, LET US, UH, LET US FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND SEE WHAT, UH, SEE HOW WE CAN ASSIST YOU. OKAY? I, I PUT MY, I LEFT. I, I, I DID IT KIND OF PROFESSIONAL 'CAUSE I WAS TOLD [01:00:01] TO, TO SEND MY, UH, THE DUTY, JURY DUTY, MY LICENSE, MY BARBER LICENSE, AND EVERYTHING'S UP THERE. OKAY? SO I WANTED YOU TO WITNESS TO SEE IT. YEAH, WE DO HAVE IT. LET US, LET US TAKE A LOOK AT IT. MR. MR. V. IS IT V CY WITH A D? NO. NO. DCY. DANY. D-A-N-C-Y. OH, IT'S WITH A D. YEAH. I GOT 10 PEOPLE OUT OUTTA S HOME. YOU, YOU, YOU, THEY, THEY, A LOT OF 'EM IS DECEASED, BUT YOU KNOW 'EM. YES. WELL, THANK YOU. UH, LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU OUT, MR. DCY. ALRIGHT, BUT NOW YOU GOT A COPY OF MY LICENSE BACK ROUTE, WOULD YOU? WE HAVE IT ALL HERE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, UHHUH. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. KEVIN WRIGHT. KEVIN WRIGHT. IT'S KEVIN. UH, KEVIN WRIGHT. IF YOU'RE PRESS STAR SIX. KEVIN WRIGHT, STAR SIX. KEVIN WRIGHT, STAR SIX. NEXT SPEAKER. JOSE MUNOZ. JOSE MUNOZ. IF YOU'RE PRESS STAR SIX. JOSE MUNOZ, STAR SIX. JOSE MUNOZ. IF YOU'RE STAR SIX, JOSE. NEXT SPEAKER. MATTHEW R MATTHEW R. IF YOU OPPRESS STAR SIX, MATTHEW. R STAR SIX. MATTHEW. R STAR SIX. MATTHEW R. NEXT SPEAKER. ANGELA SHIELD. ANGELA SHIELD IS ANGELA HERE. ANGELA IS HERE. IF YOU'LL GET RIGHT BEHIND ONE OF THOSE MICS. YES MA'AM. GOOD EVENING. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY, SO I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY, BUT, UM, I'M GONNA LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT, UM, I'M ONE OF THE WALKING TARGETS FOR STOLEN BIRTHRIGHTS Y Y'ALL MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, I KNOW Y'ALL DON'T HAVE TIME, BUT, UM, FOR THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE SELLING HOUSES AT THE, UM, WHAT IS IT, Y'ALL HAVE A HARRIS COUNTY THING WHERE PEOPLE GO IN FORECLOSURES AND STUFF? WELL, DURING THE PANDEMIC I PUT ON, I, I DID SAY THE PANDEMIC FINANCIAL HEIST. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THEIR INFORMATION BEING STOLEN AND BEING HACKED. WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, THESE PEOPLE ARE USING TO, TO STEAL LAND FROM THE CITY AND BUILD ON IT. SOME OF THE PEOPLE I'VE MET, I HATE 'EM. THEY TARGET ME AND MY FAMILY. THEY WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE. THIS INCLUDES THE PROPERTY MANAGER. THIS INCLUDES THEM WALKING OUT WITH MY CREDITS, MY APARTMENT STUFF. AND I EVEN CAME HOMELESS TRYING TO HIDE FROM 'EM. THEY MAY SEE ME RIGHT NOW, BUT THE THING IS, AND I WISH IT STOP, I'M ONE OF THE GOOD PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT MY ELDERS, WHO CARE ABOUT THE HOMELESS, WHO CARES ABOUT THE OUTREACH, WHATEVER WE CAN DO IN OUR COMMUNITIES. BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT CAME HERE AND SIT HERE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MONEY AND THE BUDGETS THAT YOU HAVE NOW FOR ALL OF US, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET SOMEBODY TO HELP ME. I'M TIRED OF BEING PUSHED ASIDE BY THE OFFICERS WHEN I GO ASK FOR HELP, TRY TO CALL THE DOMESTICS BECAUSE THEY WON'T STOP. THE PEOPLE ARE HERE, THEY'RE DOING THE STUFF IN PLAIN SIGHT. THEY'RE BUYING, THEY ARE SNATCHING THE PROPERTIES. THEY'RE TAKING OUR INFORMATION AND THEY ARE DRAINING THE MONEY OUT OF WHAT'S CALLED A CH OR ETF. THEY'RE TAKING THE MONEY FROM US. THESE AGENCIES, THE POPUP AGENCIES, POPUP BUSINESSES THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE EXISTING. THEY'RE PUTTING OUT LOANS IN OTHER PEOPLE'S NAMES IN ORDER TO BUY THIS PROPERTY. BASICALLY. THEY STILL IN PROPERTY. BUT I'VE TRIED TO TELL PEOPLE, BUT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND. AND UNTIL I BE ABLE TO TALK TO SOMEONE DIRECTLY WHO HANDLES THESE GROUP OF PEOPLE, I CAN'T REALLY SAY THE NAME OF THE GROUP OF PEOPLE NOW BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT POSITION MY CHILDREN ARE IN OR MY GRANDCHILDREN. BUT AS FAR AS ME, I KNOW THAT'S SOME PEOPLE HERE THAT CAN HELP. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S IN PLAIN SIGHT. AND I NEEDED TO STOP. AND IN ORDER FOR ME TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITIES, NOW THAT I'M OFF OF WEST RIDGE, OF COURSE, UM, THE DECEPTIVE PRACTICES THAT THEY'RE USING, MISUSING PEOPLE'S, UH, FEDERAL FUNDS, CITY FUNDS TO PLACE THESE PEOPLE WHO NEED HOMES. THEY GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO NEED HOMES THAT THEY ARE GOT. THEY'RE ON THE WAITING LIST. YOU ASK THE PEOPLE TO MOVE FROM A GOWAN TO DOWNTOWN. I'VE SEEN PEOPLE GET MISTREATED. I'VE SEEN PEOPLE GET WALKED OVER. THEIR NAME IS ON THE WAIT LIST WAITING FOR HOMES. BUT YET THESE PEOPLE TAKE THEIR INFORMATION AND MANIPULATE IT AND BUY OTHER PROPERTIES. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THAT'S FINE. I JUST WANTED TO PUT IT OUT THERE. BUT THANK Y'ALL. I'M [01:05:01] JUST NEEDING THE HELP SOMEBODY TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO ME. THANKS MICHELLE. APPRECIATE I APPRECIATE YOU HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. AN STEWART. ASHA. STEWART. ASHA IS HERE. HELLO. HOW YOU DOING? UH, ONE OF MY BIGGEST DILEMMAS, UH, THAT I'VE BEEN, UH, RIGHT NOW I'M IN A STATE OF HOMELESSNESS AND, UH, I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST IN PERSONAL BUSINESSES, BUT ACTUALLY PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENTS BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. AND I FEEL LIKE THEY FEEL LIKE I'M TOO, I LOOK TOO GOOD TO BE HOMELESS, SO I CAN'T GET HELP OR I LOOK TOO DIRTY. AND THIS IS LIKE, UH, ME GOING INTO THE RESTROOM, MEANING TO USE THE RESTROOM. AND, UM, I'VE BEEN HOMELESS FOR A SIGNI A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME. AND I FEEL LIKE THE RESOURCES THAT I I WAS GIVEN WASN'T LONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO ACTUALLY BECOME STABLE. SO BECAUSE OF THAT, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET MY ID. UM, IT'S HARD TO GET AROUND. AND I'M NOT U UH, I'M NOT USED TO NOT WORKING. I HAD A BUSINESS AND I HAD A, UH, A JOB BEFORE I BECAME HOMELESS. AND IT'S KIND OF HARD TO GET BACK TO WHERE I NEED TO BE. RECENTLY. UM, I'VE GOTTEN HELP, BUT EV EVERY PLACE THAT HAS LONG-TERM HELP SEEMED LIKE IT WAS A MENTAL ILLNESS PLACE, IF NOT LABELED THAT. UH, IT WAS PRETTY MUCH PEOPLE BECOME, I'M WITNESSING PEOPLE TAKE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, UH, MEDICINE TO BE THERE. AND SO, UH, I JUST WANT TO EXTEND THE, WHAT WORD CAN I USE? I THINK THE COMMUNITY, UH, ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC, THE PUBLIC, UH, PLA LIKE THE GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHMENTS, THEY NEED TO CHANGE THE ATTITUDE, CHARACTER BUILDING BECAUSE, UM, IT'S NOT JUST, UH, TRYING TO GET HELP. IT'S BEEN IN THE POLICE, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. UH, IT'S BEEN AT THE YMCA PLACES THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT IS, UH, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. AND I WANNA KNOW, UH, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR A PERSON LIKE ME? YOU WOULDN'T, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT I WAS HOMELESS UNLESS YOU ACTUALLY SEEN ME SLEEPING ON THE STREET, WHICH I HAVE BEEN, UH, TO, UH, I LOST MY THOUGHT. SORRY. UH, HOW CAN, UM, HOW CAN WE, UM, REACH YOU OUT JUST 'CAUSE MARK IS NOT, MARK IS NOT HERE IN THIS ROOM. UM, AND THEN CAN YOU WORK OUT SOMETHING WITH HER WHERE YOU CAN EITHER COME BACK AND HAVE MARK OR SOMEONE FROM HIS OFFICE AVAILABLE? NO PROBLEM. OKAY. IF YOU'LL GET WITH RENEE. UM, AND SO WE CAN, UM, HAVE YOU COME BACK OR WHERE WE CAN REACH YOU AND SEE HOW WE CAN WORK, YOU KNOW, WORK ON YOUR BEHALF. OKAY. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, QUICK QUESTION. ARE YOU CURRENTLY HOUSED? UH, NO, I'M NOT. UH, I WENT TO THE HARRIS CENTER. UH, THE EXPERIENCE WASN'T GREAT FOR ME, SO I ASKED TO LEAVE. I DID GET A LETTER. UH, BUT I, I, I UNDERSTAND MY RIGHTS IN THE MEDICAL, UH, CLINICAL SETTING AND I UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYBODY DESERVES RESPECT AND I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I WAS GETTING IT THERE. I FELT LIKE IT WAS PRETTY MUCH THEM TRYING TO PUSH MEDICATION. AND I'M HOLISTIC, SO I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T DO THAT. AND SO I DID LEAVE. I DID GET, I WAS ABLE TO SLEEP FOR ABOUT FOUR DAYS. I'VE BEEN HOMELESS FOR TWO MONTHS ON THE STREET, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN SINCE LAST OCTOBER. AND SO I DON'T FEEL LIKE I'VE GOTTEN THE HELP THAT I ACTUALLY NEEDED. I WENT, I, NOT IN HOUSTON, I WENT TO CONROE AND I GOT HELP FROM THE MAYOR. UH, BUT ACTUALLY HERE WHERE I BECAME HOMELESS, WHICH IT WASN'T ENTIRELY MY FAULT, IT WAS A SERIES OF EVENTS THAT HAPPENED THAT LED ME TO BE HOMELESS. I HAVEN'T GOT THE HELP THAT I NEEDED. AND EVEN GOING TO HPD I'VE EXPERIENCED THEM HAVING A HORRIBLE ATTITUDE AND EVEN TAKING IN A REPORT FOR ME. AND THIS IS A NUMBER OF TIMES. AND SO I, I, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR SOMEBODY TO [01:10:01] COME IN AND SAY THEY NEED HELP AND GET REFUSED CONSTANTLY? AND IT'S GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE I'VE GOTTEN CHARGES FOR THIS AND I HAVEN'T DID ANYTHING BUT TRY TO GET HELP TO GET BACK STABLE. OKAY. LEMME MAKE SURE, UM, WE ARE GONNA SET UP, TRY TO SET UP SOMETHING WITH YOU MM-HMM . BUT YOU GOT, UM, YOU HAVE TO WORK, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH US. OKAY. RIGHT. SO IT MAY, IT MAY NOT. UM, UM, 'CAUSE I THINK MARK, I THINK MARK I CAN BORROW. YOU TALKED TO MARK LAST WEEK. UM, I MAY HAVE CAME IN LAST WEEK. YEAH, I'VE COME IN HERE TWICE. UH, YEAH, I'M JUST SAYING JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST WORK WITH US AND I'VE TRIED THOUGH. AND THEN, SORRY, UM, GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY. RIGHT. NO, NO, NO. BUT LET'S, LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN, HOW WE CAN ASSIST. OKAY. CAN I, IN NO DISRESPECT, BUT SOME OF THESE PLACES, I, I DID ASK THE PEOPLE WHO GAVE ME THE RESOURCES, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BEACON. I WOULD LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO GO DRIVE AROUND THESE PLACES AND SEE HOW DISGUSTING THEY ARE AND SEE HOW DISGUSTING IT IS FOR ME TO BE ABSOLUTELY STABLE AND TO HAVE AN EXPECTATION OF ME TO ACTUALLY STAY THERE WHERE IT STINKS. IT'S NOT CLEAN AND PEOPLE ARE RUDE. OKAY. BUT, BUT IT'S MORE THAN JUST A BEACON. THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE. I DON'T WANNA DEFAME A SERIES OF PLACES, BUT ANOTHER ONE, I MEAN, THAT'S ONE RECENTLY THAT I WAS RECOMMENDED IN THIS FACILITY, UH, OR ACROSS THE STREET. UH, BUT I'VE BEEN TO MULTIPLE ONES AND THEY'RE FILTHY. WELL, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S, THERE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, UM, PLACES THAT ARE OFFERING ASSISTANCE. WE JUST HAVE TO FIND A, A LOOK JUST TO SEE IF WE CAN FIND A FIT FOR YOU. OKAY. RIGHT. BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M NOT JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, BUT I'M SPEAKING FOR EVERYBODY ELSE BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE COURAGE TO COME IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY AND SPEAK. IT NEEDS TO BE LIVABLE. WHERE YOU OFFERING HELP? WELL, YEAH, IT NEEDS TO BE ONE THAT'S RESPECTFUL AND DIGNIFIED AND ALL OF THAT. RIGHT. AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AT, AT HOUSING A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS. SO YOU, LET'S JUST WORK ON IT. LET'S JUST WORK. OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. Y'ALL HAVE A NICE TIME. OKAY. THANK YOU. BUT RENEE, IF YOU CAN GET WITH RENEE, 'CAUSE WE, WE DON'T HAVE A TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR YOU. SO, AND THIS GENTLEMAN JUST MOVED IN, SO HIS NUMBER POPPED UP. IF YOU WANNA GO BACK TO HIM AND CALL HIM. OKAY. WE'LL GO BACK TO KEVIN WRIGHT AND, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD. SO MATTER. SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL KEVIN WRIGHT'S NAME AGAIN. KEVIN WRIGHT. IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX. KEVIN WRIGHT, STAR SIX. KEVIN WRIGHT, STAR SIX. HI. YES, MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, I WOULD ASK FOR ONE OF THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS TO YIELD SOME OF THEIR TIME FOR ME TO CONCLUDE WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. UH, THERE WAS SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. I COULDN'T TALK LAST WEEK, UM, WHEN I WAITED FOR TWO HOURS. BUT, UM, SO BASICALLY, UM, I HAVE A LOT TO SAY, BUT I'M GONNA SUM IT UP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. UH, I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR, UH, TURNER FOR THE THINGS THAT HE IS DONE FOR THE CITY. UH, INCLUDING THE ALLOWING PEOPLE TO GET THAT PASSWORD. YOU CAN HAVE HANDS UP TO SIX HANDS, UH, ON YOUR PROPERTY AND CERTAIN PROPERTIES IN THE CITY THAT REALLY SAVED A LOT OF PEOPLE. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE GIVE YOU ENOUGH CREDIT FOR THAT, ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC WHERE THEY WERE OUT AT THE GROCERY STORES HERE AND THERE. UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE NEED, UH, OF COURSE Y'ALL KNOW ME ABOUT THE RIVERSIDE WHOLE FIASCO, BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO INTO ALL OF THAT. UH, BUT IT DOES HURT BLACK LANDLORDS WITH EXTRA RESTRICTIONS AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO LANDMARK THEIR, UH, OWN PROPERTY AND NOT TRY TO, UH, FORCE OTHER, UH, NEIGHBORS TO HAVE HISTORICAL, UH, RESTRICTIONS. UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON ON ANOTHER LEVEL, THIS WHITE GUY NAMED UH, SCOTT, WHO LIVES BEHIND THE STRIPES, UH, HE IS A REALLY GOOD NEIGHBOR. LIVES BEHIND THE STRIPES DOWN THE STREET FROM THE APARTMENT COMPLEX. MY MOTHER OWNS ON ROSEDALE. HE'S BEEN GETTING HIS HOUSE SHOT AT, UH, THE, THE, THE PATRONS OF THE, UH, THE STRIPES GAS STATION. AND I TOLD HIM I'D SPEAK UP FOR HIM. HE, HIS HOUSE IS RIGHT BEHIND THE STRIPES GAS STATION ON SOUTHMORE AND, UH, EMANCIPATION. AND HE SAYS THEY'RE REALLY LOUD, THEY DON'T RESPECT NOISE LEVEL LAWS. UM, IT'S DANGEROUS FOR HIM OVER THERE. AND JUST RECENTLY, A FEW WEEKS AGO, HIS HOUSE GOT SHOT UP BY ONE OF THEIR PATRONS IN THE PARKING LOT. AND THE POLICE APPARENTLY DON'T DO ANYTHING WHEN HE CALLS IT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK TO REQUEST A SPECIAL CHAT TASK FORCE BY YOU, MAYOR OR SOMEONE ELSE THAT YOU'RE IN CONTROL OF, TO LOOK AT WHAT PARTICULARLY THAT STRIPES IS DOING TO, UH, PUT PEOPLE AT RISK. [01:15:01] UM, WE NEED MORE SPEED BUMPS ON THE STREETS, UH, NOT HISTORICAL RESTRICTIONS. WE NEED SPEED BUMPS. AND FOR THOSE GUNSHOTS, WHAT I WANT Y'ALL TO DO, LIKE THESE OTHER CITIES I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THAT, THAT GUNSHOT TRACKING TECHNOLOGY, WE NEED GUNSHOT ADDRESS TRACKING TECHNOLOGY. I WAS LOOKING AT ONE 'CAUSE THEY SHOOT A LOT OVER THERE BY, UH, UH, ONE OF MY PROPERTIES, UH, NOT TOO FAR FROM ONE OF YOUR POLICE STATIONS. AND, UH, THEY, THEY HAD THOSE GUNSHOT ADDRESS TRACKING WHERE YOU SHOOT, I THINK THE CHEAPEST ONE WAS, IT WAS UNDER A THOUSAND DOLLARS, MAYBE FIVE, $600. THE CITY NEEDS THAT IN THE HOT AREAS. AND I DON'T WANNA HEAR NO MORE EXCUSES FROM HPD ABOUT, OH, YOU SURE THAT'S NOT FIRECRACKERS? I KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FIRECRACKERS AND GUNSHOTS AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE, THEY'RE AUTOMATIC GUNSHOTS. YEAH. TIME. IT'S FIRED. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER? YES, SIR. OKAY, HAVE A GOOD ONE. ERIC FRY. ERIC FRY. ERIC. ERIC IS HERE. UH, YES, SIR. AYE. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. MY NAME IS ERIC FRY AND I LIVE ON THORNTON ROAD, WHICH IS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF OAK FOREST IN DISTRICT C. UH, I HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS, AGES THREE, SIX, AND SEVEN. UH, AND I MOVED TO OAK FOREST BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO HAVE LITTLE KIDS. UH, APPARENTLY A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME IDEA BECAUSE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVING INTO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A LOT OF LITTLE KIDS. UH, SO I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND MY NEIGHBORS TO DISCUSS AN APPLICATION FOR SPEED BUMPS THAT WE SUBMITTED IN APRIL IN THE EMPTY SPACE PROVIDED ON THAT APPLICATION. WE HAVE OUR NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS AND SIGNATURES. UH, AT THE TIME WE SUBMITTED OUR APPLICATION, WE WERE AWARE THAT PUBLIC FUNDING WAS NOT AVAILABLE, BUT MY NEIGHBORS AND I ARE HIGHLY MOTIVATED AND WE ARE PREPARED TO PRIVATELY FUND OUR PROJECT. WE HAVE SPOKEN EXTENSIVELY WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. HOWEVER, WE REGRET TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE SEEMED, WE HAVE RECEIVED WHAT SEEMS LIKE ONE REASON AFTER ANOTHER AS TO WHY OUR PROJECT CANNOT BE APPROVED OR EVEN EVALUATED. UH, FIRST WE WERE TOLD THAT IT HAD TO BE PRIVATELY FUNDED, AND I DISCUSSED THAT WITH MY NEIGHBORS AND WE ACCEPTED THAT THAT'S WHY WE SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION. UH, THEN WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO FUND A VERY LARGE PROJECT INVOLVING NEARLY 30 SPEED BUMPS ACROSS HUNDREDS OF RESIDENCES IN OAK FOREST. AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN, IT IS IMPRACTICAL TO EXPECT US TO PRIVATELY FUND SUCH A LARGE PROJECT. UH, MOST RECENTLY WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MR. KANG NEWAN THAT A CITY ORDINANCE, SPECIFICALLY SECTION 45 DASH 360 1, UH, WHICH I'VE REVIEWED, DOES NOT ALLOW THE DIRECTOR OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TO APPROVE A PROJECT ON A SINGLE STREET, UH, WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE IS ACCURATE. WE HAVE BEEN FURTHER UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN HOW MANY STREETS, INCLUDING OURS, NTMP WOULD NEED IN ORDER TO ASSESS OUR APPLICATION. UH, SO THAT IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY. IF THIS IS TRULY THE CASE, AND WE MUST ADMIT THAT WE ARE SKEPTICAL, THEN WE ASK THE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL TO PLEASE WORK WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE PROGRAM, MR. KANG NEWAN, TO CLARIFY THAT NTMP DOES HAVE AUTHORITY UNDER THIS ORDINANCE, OR TO PLEASE AMEND THE ORDINANCE IF NECESSARY, TO ALLOW CITIZENS SUCH AS OURSELVES TO PITCH IN AND HELP MAKE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS SAFER FOR OUR KIDS. I FEEL THE COUNCIL SHOULD KNOW THAT OUR STREET WAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED FOR SPEED BUMPS AS PART OF WHAT WAS CALLED THE CANDLELIGHT ESTATES PROJECT. NTMP SHARED WITH US A MAP, THIS MAP OF THAT PROJECT. THIS MAP SHOWS AN EXISTING SPEED BUMP ON OUR SECTION OF THORNTON ROAD WEST OF OAK FOREST DRIVE. UH, BUT IN FACT, THERE IS NO SPEED BUMP THERE. UH, THE PROJECT DID BUILD THREE SPEED BUMPS ON A DIFFERENT SECTION OF THORNTON ROAD EAST OF OAK FOREST DRIVE, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. HOLD ON ONE, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. UH, COUNCILMAN CAYMAN, SHE'S ON THE SCREEN. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. ERIC, I, I WANTED TO SAY SOME COMMENTS, BUT DO YOU JUST WANNA WRAP UP LIKE A FINAL SENTENCE WITH SOME OF MY TIME? Y YES, PLEASE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, SO OUR UNDERSTANDING WAS THIS PRODUCT WAS NEVER COMPLETED. UH, WE, THE RESIDENTS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FINISH THE JOB. AS FAR AS I KNOW, NO ONE IS DISPUTING THAT THERE SHOULD BE SPEED BUMPS ON THIS STREET. UH, IT WAS JUST NEVER BUILT. IF IT NEEDS TO BE PRIVATELY FUNDED, WE WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. WE JUST NEED SOME HELP FROM, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TO APPROVE IT. THANK YOU. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN? UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND [01:20:01] ERIC, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL WORKING WITH MY OFFICE. I KNOW IT'S BEEN FRUSTRATING. UM, ONE THING THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED ON COUNCIL, BECAUSE, UM, IT'S NOT JUST OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HERE, IT'S NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE CITY, UM, IS THE, THERE'S A CURRENT, AND MAY CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, REEVALUATION OF, UM, THE SPEED CUSHION PROGRAM. SOME OF THAT, UH, IS GOING TO ACTUALLY BE COMING, I HOPE, UH, SOMETIMES SOON TO, UM, OUR TTI COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW. DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, UM, ARE LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW, REEVALUATING IN, IN THE CONTEXT OF AN ENTIRE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY PROGRAM. UH, SO IT'S NOT JUST BEAD CUSHIONS, BUT OTHER TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE USED IN ALL OF THAT AS BEING ASSESSED CURRENTLY. UH, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THAT UPDATE BECAUSE, UH, THERE CERTAINLY ARE GOING TO BE A LOT MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD ON PROJECTS LIKE THIS. UM, AND I AGAIN APPRECIATE THE RESIDENTS STEPPING UP OFFERING TO FUND PRIVATELY SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON THIS. AND THERE'S JUST, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS BEING LOOKED AT RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF BEST PRACTICES FROM THE CITY PERSPECTIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, ACTUALLY ADDRESSING, UH, THE SPEED ISSUES AND THE SAFETY ISSUES ON OUR STREETS. AND THAT IS TRUE, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING, UM, AN ASSESSMENT AND WE'LL TRY TO SPEED THAT UP AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THERE ARE ALSO A NUMBER OF, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL THESE CALMING DEVICES, THE REQUESTS CUSHIONS, UM, AND NUM, A NUMBER OF THEM IN BACKLOGGED. UM, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO LOOK AT THE, UH, SPEED CUSHION DEVICES AS WELL AS OTHER TECHNIQUES TO SLOW, SLOW THE TRAFFIC DOWN, ESPECIALLY IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. SO LET US, LET US TAKE A LOOK. LET US TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU PUT FORTH, UH, ERIC, AND SEE HOW WE CAN WORK WITH YOU AND OTHERS OUT THERE, AS WELL AS SOME OF THESE OTHER COMMUNITIES. BUT WE ARE EVALUATING THAT THIS, UM, THIS WHOLE AREA, I MEAN THIS, THIS, THIS AREA RIGHT NOW. UM, SO LET US GET BACK WITH YOU REAL SOON. GREAT. AND IF I COULD JUST SAY, UH, I HAVE COPIES OF THE APPLICATION, UH, MY NEIGHBOR'S CONTACT INFORMATION, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO DISCUSS WITH ANYONE WHO WHO CARES TO, IF YOU'LL GIVE IT, IF YOU WILL GIVE WHAT YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE A COPY OF IT, YOU CAN GIVE IT TO RENEE FOR ME AND LET US, LET US TAKE A LOOK AT IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THEN WE'LL STAY IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND WITH, AND WITH YOU ALL. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, NEXT, NEXT SPEAKER. SARAH BELL EDWARDS. SARAH BELL EDWARDS. SARAH BELL EDWARDS. HERE. SARAH BELL EDWARDS. NEXT SPEAKER. LINDSEY WILLIAMS. LINDSEY WILLIAMS. IF YOU'RE PRESS STAR SIX LINDSEY WILLIAMS. HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU AND SEE YOU. HI, . GREAT. THANK YOU. UM, SO THANK Y'ALL FOR LETTING ME BE HERE TODAY. MY NAME IS LINDSEY WILLIAMS AND I'M THE EASTWOOD CIVIC ASSOCIATION TRAINED COMMITTEE CHAIR. IT'S NO SECRET THAT RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN THE EAST END CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH THE TRAIN, BLOCKAGE AND NOISE HOURS ALL NIGHT. DURING THE MAY 12TH JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING, HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFFERS APPLAUDED US FOR DOING OUR HOMEWORK, TAKING MATTERS INTO OUR OWN HANDS AND TRACKING BLOCKAGE DURING FRE DURATION AND FREQUENCY, AND SUGGESTING REMEDIES TO THE ISSUE. PLOTTS ARE NICE, BUT THEY'RE MEANINGLESS WITHOUT ACTION. AT THIS TIME, WE'RE ASKING THE CITY TO DO ITS PART AND SHARE WITH US WHAT'S BEING DONE TO RESOLVE THE BLOCKAGES AND EXCESSIVE TRAIN HO TRAIN HORN NOISE THAT PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE EAST END. BEFORE AND AFTER THE MAY 12TH MEETING, WE'VE RECEIVED A MINIMAL COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY ABOUT ACTION PLANS. WE WERE DISHEARTENED TO LEARN THAT THE CITY HAS NOT APPLIED FOR CONSOLIDATED RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENT OR GRANT FUNDING FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021 T DOTS HOUSTON REGIONAL FREIGHT RAIL CORRIDOR STUDY FOUND THAT THE COST OF LOST TIME IN REVENUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRAIN BLOCKAGES IN OUR AREA IS $2.3 BILLION. AND THE ESTIMATED PUBLIC BENEFIT OF ADDING EVEN MINIMAL GRADE SEPARATING CROSSINGS IS $828 MILLION. HOUSTON'S LOSING OUT ON VALUABLE REVENUES AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES BY NOT ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES. THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW PASSED IN 2021, MADE $66 BILLION AVAILABLE FOR RAIL RELATED IMPROVEMENT, SOME OF WHICH CAN BE USED FOR THE LONG DISCUSSED, BUT NEVER INITIATED GRADE SEPARATED CROSSINGS IN QUIET ZONES. NOTICE THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RAIL RELATED BIL FISCAL YEAR 2022 MONIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN ANNOUNCED. AND THE RAILROAD CROSSING ELIMINATION PROGRAM, WHICH FOR GRADE SEPARATING CROSSINGS LIKE UNDERPASSES AND OVERPASSES ARE ELIGIBLE, IS SET FOR JUNE, 2022. THE RECONNECTING COMMUN COMMUNITIES PILOT PROGRAM AS A JUNE NOFO AS WELL. CHRISTIE GRANTS ARE SET FOR OCTOBER. WE'RE ASKING FOR A FOLLOW-UP JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING, INVITING THE FRA, THE RAILROADS AND OUR STATE AND FEDERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS. CITY STAFF HAD PROMISED US MANY MONTHS AGO THAT WE WOULD BE CONNECTED TO THEM. BUT TO DATE THIS HAS NOT OCCURRED. ANOTHER ASK IS FOR A MEETING WITH THE APPLICABLE COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF WHO CAN HELP REMEDY THESE ISSUES. AGAIN, APPLAUSE AND THANKS FOR OUR HARD WORK IS NICE, BUT IT'S WORTHLESS IF WE DON'T GET THE, IF WE DON'T PURSUE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE AREA. THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN IS GETTING GREAT SEPARATED PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ACCESS TO MEMORIAL PARK ACROSS I 10 A PROJECT ORIGINATING IN 2017. [01:25:01] AND IT WILL BE AN AMAZING IMPROVEMENT ONCE FINISHED, BUT IT'LL BE U IT'LL BE HEAVILY USED. THAT PROJECT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE HELP OF MANY PARTIES AND FUNDING SOURCES. ONE OF THOSE PROPOSED GRADES SEPARATE AND CROSSING FOR THE EAST END S SAMSON AND NEW YORK INVOLVES MANY OF THOSE SAME PARTIES, BUT HAS BEEN STALLED ON THE TO-DO LIST AS EARLY AS 2012. WHAT'S MORE, THERE'S A FIVE-YEAR FUNDING BUMP TO THE BIL TO GET IT MOVING. WE'LL CONTINUE TO PRESS THE ISSUE. SHARING IMPACTS RESIDENTS FACE EACH AND EVERY DAY UNTIL RESOLUTION IS FOUND. WE HAVE STORIES OF PEOPLE PULLING NOT ONLY BITES, BUT DOGS OR THEIR TRAINS STOP TRAINS IS ACCESS IS BLOCKED FROM MULTIPLE HOURS, LEAVING NO OPTION FOR THOSE OUTSIDE OF A CAR. CHILDREN STILL CONTINUE TO CRAWL UNDER TRAIN STOP RAIL CARS TO GO TO SCHOOL. AND WE ASK THE CITY TO DO ITS PART NOW AND WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OKAY. AND I AM IN ANY DOLLARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR GRACE SEPARATION. I BELIEVE THE CITY HAS GONE AFTER OYSTER GOING AFTER THOSE DOLLARS. IF THERE, IF THERE ARE ANY DOLLARS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND THE CITY IS NOT, THEN YEAH, THAT IS A MISTAKE ON OUR PART. BUT AS FAR AS I AM AWARE, UM, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS ARE GOING AFTER EVERY AVAILABLE DOLLAR FOR GRADE SEPARATION. AND, UM, EVERY, EVERY DEPARTMENT, UH, IS AGGRESSIVELY LOOKING. SO, UM, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION WHERE SO DOLLARS HAVE, ARE OUT THERE AND THE CITY HASN'T SOUGHT, YEAH, I'LL BE INTERESTED IN, IN SEEING THAT. BUT THAT'S, BUT I AM ALWAYS ASKING THAT QUESTION. AND FAR AS I'M AWARE, WE ARE GOING AFTER EVERY AVAILABLE DOLLAR FOR GRACE SEPARATION. COUNCILMAN GGO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, YES, LINDSEY, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR, FOR, FOR, UH, BRINGING THIS AGAIN TO OUR ATTENTION. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU SHARED WITH US. UH, AND LIKE THE MAYOR STATED THAT, UH, WE, WE ARE WORKING TO TRY TO GET SOME MONIES, UH, FEDERAL MONIES, HOPEFULLY FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, UH, FOR GRADE SEPARATIONS, POSSIBLY OVERPASSES, UNDERPASSES. UH, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S GOING TO TAKE YEARS IN REGARDS TO CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN AND WHAT HAVE YOU. SO WITH THAT SAID, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON SOMETHING THAT HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE SOME SUCCESS A LOT SOONER. UH, AS A MATTER OF FACT, JUST EARLIER TODAY, I HAD A, UH, A, UH, VIRTUAL MEETING WITH JACK, UH, HAND GRIFF. UH, HE WAS WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY. HE'S NOW WITH THE EAST END MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, AND HE'S STILL WORKING IN REGARDS TO RAILROAD ISSUES AND ALSO WITH JESSE BOUNDS, UH, WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF INNOVATION. UM, AND, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, UH, OR WHAT THEY'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS, UH, UH, PUTTING MONITORS AND WORKING ON TRYING TO GET SOME CAMERAS, UH, SO THAT WAY WE CAN ACTUALLY MONITOR THE TRAINS BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THE RAILROADS ARE NOT EVEN SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH US. UH, SO NOW WE ARE HAVING TO DO THAT WITH, WITH THE, UH, MONITORS AND WITH CAMERAS. AND I UNDERSTAND THE FRA IS GOING TO BE PROVIDING SOME EQUIPMENT ALSO, UH, FOR THIS. UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO IN THE SHORT TERM, UH, TO AT LEAST LET THE RAILROAD AND THE FRA KNOW WHEN WE ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH TRAINS BLOCKING, UH, UH, CROSSINGS. UH, SO WE'RE HOPE WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO FINALIZE, UH, FINALIZE SOME INFORMATION AND SOME THINGS WORKING WITH THE RAILROAD ACTUALLY ALSO. AND WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE MAYBE MAYOR A NEWS CONFERENCE, HOPEFULLY IN AUGUST, UH, WITH AN UPDATE. UH, UH, UH, AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT IN REGARDS TO GREAT SEPARATIONS BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S JUST GONNA TAKE YEARS, UH, AND THE CITY IS WORKING ON THAT. UH, BUT ON THE SHORT TERM TO AT LEAST TRY TO MONITOR WHEN THESE TRAINS ARE BLOCKING OUR, OUR, OUR, UH, MAIN ROADS HERE IN, IN THE EAST END. SO, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A NEWS CONFERENCE IN, IN AUGUST, AND I WOULD, I'M HOPING TO ALSO HAVE A TOWN HALL, UH, HOPEFULLY IN AUGUST BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS, UH, TO GIVE UPDATES AS TO WHERE WE'RE AT AFTER THE, UH, TWO QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, JOINT MEETINGS THAT WE HAD, UH, EARLIER IN THE YEAR. THANK YOU. ON ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO COME IN BEHIND COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS AND MS. WILLIAMS JUST DEFINITELY ADDRESS YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIGILANCE AND FOR REMINDING US. 'CAUSE WE, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND WE'VE GOTTA COORDINATE OUR EFFORTS TO GET THOSE GRANTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WORK WITH OUR LEGISLATORS, OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION. AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT DOES TAKE SOME TIME. SO I SHARE YOUR FRUSTRATION WITH, UH, THE PACE OF IMPROVEMENT. BUT, UH, TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, WE ARE GOING FOR EVERY IMAGINABLE GRANT THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT THAT THE, THAT THE PRESIDENT SIGNED LAST YEAR AND WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR CONSULTANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT LEAVING A PENNY ON THE TABLE. WE ARE DOING THAT. SO WE WILL HAVE THOSE LONG TERM IMPROVEMENTS LIKE THE GRADE SEPARATIONS, THOSE BRIDGES AND TUNNELS WERE APPROPRIATE ACROSS OUR REGION. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE EPICENTER IS IN DISTRICT I, IT IS IN COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS BACKYARD. AND, UH, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO STAY AS FOCUSED AS POSSIBLE AND MOVE THIS AHEAD AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. BUT AGAIN, I SHARE SOME OF YOUR FRUSTRATION AND, UH, APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY. SO THANK YOU. [01:30:01] IF YOU DON'T MIND, I, I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT YOU HAVE A WHOLE COMMUNITY THAT'S WILLING TO HELP AND WILLING TO COLLABORATE AND WILLING TO WORK AND DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO, TO HELP PUSH ALONG. SO PLEASE DON'T BE AFRAID TO USE US. THANK YOU. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN SISNERO. THANK YOU, LINDSAY. I WANTED TO ALSO, UM, JUST ECHO SOME OF THE THINGS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID, BUT I WANT YOU TO, TO KNOW HOW, HOW, HOW TRUE IT IS THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZING TO APPLY FOR THE GRANTS. UM, WHEN, WHEN THE, THE FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE BILL CAME OUT AND WE WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ACCESS THAT MONEY, I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE TWO YEARS, PROBABLY BEFORE IT WAS EVEN RELEASED. SO, I MEAN, IT'S A LONG TIME OFF, AND THAT IS, THAT IS SO FRUSTRATING. UM, BUT SOME MORE, UH, SPECIFIC DETAIL ABOUT SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE COMING THOUGH. YOU KNOW, THE, UM, THE ACOUSTICAL, THE ACOUSTIC DECIBEL SENSORS IS WHAT THAT'S CALLED. THE, THE FIRST, UM, FIVE THAT, THAT ARE THE PILOT PROGRAM WILL BE AN I, BUT, BUT WE HAVE THIS PROBLEM IN DISTRICT H TWO AND, AND THERE'S, THERE'S MORE THAT WILL BE COMING AND IT WILL, UM, HELP THEM TO HEAR WHERE THE TRAINS ARE. THAT INFORMATION WILL, THAT DATA WILL BE SENT TO TRANS STAR AND TO FIRST RESPONDERS, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF THEY CAN, UM, WORK OUT THE, THE DETAILS OF, OF, YOU KNOW, THE HOW TO COMMUNICATE IT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE GOING TO, TO REGULAR MOTORISTS AS WELL. UM, THE, UH, THE TRAIN WATCH PROGRAM, UM, IS A, IS WHAT THE, THE CAMERAS THAT YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT AND, AND, UM, I, I HEARD, I HEARD OBJECT. THERE'S UNDERSTAND HEARING NONE GRANTED. THANK YOU. THERE'S A GOAL OF, YOU MENTIONED THAT SAMSON YORK, UM, INTERSECTION THAT'S IN, THAT'S IN DISTRICT H, AND THEN THEY'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO PUT TWO CAMERAS ON TOP OF SAMSON LOFT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN AND, AND, UM, WE'RE JUST AS FRUSTRATED AS YOU ARE. THANKS. THANKS LINDSAY. LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. OKAY, THANKS. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. PRISCILLA ETT. PRISCILLA HATCHETT. ETT IS PRISCILLA ETT. HERE. PRISCILLA. PRISCILLA. NEXT SPEAKER. STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. PRESS STAR SIX. STEVE WILLIAMS. STAR SIX. STEVE WILLIAMS. STAR SIX. STEVE. NEXT SPEAKER. DR. MURPHY SIMON. DR. MURPHY. SIMON IS DR. MURPHY SIMON. HERE MURPHY. SIMON MURPHY. DR. MURPHY. SIMON. NEXT SPEAKER REVEREND WILLIE DAVIS. REVEREND WILLIE DAVIS IS HERE, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. GOOD DAY. I AM HONORED TO COME AND SUPPORT REVEREND JANE, REVEREND DWAYNE LARK IN REGARDS TO THE BUDGET FOR ARMED FORCES. VERY IRONIC. TODAY WAS A GOOD OPTIC TODAY. GOOD OPTICS AND GOOD WORDS. DISTINGUISHING MILITARY VETERANS. I AM A VETERAN AND I'M A DISABLED VET. AND WHEN YOU OPEN UP TODAY, YOU OPEN UP WITH PRAYER. AND THEN THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THOSE OF US WHO SERVED THIS COUNTRY AND THIS NATION. AND IT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THE BUDGET HAS BEEN CUT. NOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT SOUNDS TO MOST PEOPLE, BUT THE LAST TIME I WAS IN THIS COUNCIL AND THEY WERE HONORING VETERANS ON THAT DAY, YOU JUST HONOR 247 YEARS BIRTHDAY OF UNITED STATES ARMY. IT'S AN EMBARRASSMENT. IT IS A DISGRACE TO THOSE WHO ARE VETERANS. AND THOSE OF US WHO HAVE SERVED. FOR THOSE OF YOU TO GIVE COMPLIMENTS AND HONOR THEM AND GO TO FUNCTIONS AND TALK ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICES, WAS SAID TO ME. BUT IT'S A DISHONOR WHEN YOU PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG THAT THE MILITARY SERVE ARMED FORCES. AND I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT HOW IT IS THAT THIS CITY WITH ALL THE MONIES IS USED AND INTRODUCED. THE SAME THING WAS DONE LAST TIME I WAS HERE. YOU WAS INTRODUCING MONEY FOR AN INITIATIVE. NOW ON THIS IS SUPPORTING VETERANS. YOU'RE TAKING MONEY AWAY. SO I'M HERE TO PUT ON RECORD, TO GO ON RECORD TO ESTABLISH HOW CAN A CITY, WE ARE NOT ONLY, AS YOU HEARD, THE SECOND LARGEST POPULATION OF VETERANS AND WE HAVE THE SECOND LARGEST MEDICAL FACILITY IN THE UNITED STATES, AND YET WE TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM ARMED SERVICES FOR VETERANS. AND THEN WE BRAG ABOUT HOW WE SUCH A GREAT CITY. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. AND IT'S CERTAINLY A DISGRACE AND A DISHONOR. THE VETERANS TO TALK ABOUT IT. VETERANS SERVE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY, THE STATE HOSPITAL, VETERANS SERVE EVERYWHERE. AND YET WE'D HAVE A CITY THAT IS POSSIBLE TO BE THE THIRD LARGEST CITY THAT WOULD LITERALLY CUT THE BUDGET. I WORKED WITH DEBO, [01:35:01] I HELPED INITIATE ONE OF THE FUR SERVICES THAT WAS DONE OVER TWO YEARS AGO. AND I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT. THAT WE PUT A ZERO BUDGET AND YET WE THANK MILITARY PEOPLE AND WE GIVE HONOR AND SERVICES TO THOSE THAT FOUGHT FOR THAT FLAG. YOU PRAY, YOU PLEDGE THE FLAG, BUT YOU DISHONOR THE VETERANS. IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. COME DAVIS, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT MAYOR, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT IS WHAT IS THE BUDGET? NOBODY HAS, NOBODY'S CUT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERANS. IT IS BEEN TOLD THAT THE BUDGET TO THE ARMED ENFORCE HAS BEEN CUT. WELL, WELL DAVIS, DON'T YOUR PASTOR DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR OUT IN THE WORLD. WELL, THAT MY PASTOR DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT MAYOR IN, IN RESPECT, LIKE I JUST SAID, THE BETTER THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERAN SERVICES HAS BEEN DOING MORE THAN IT HAS EVER DONE. YOU WANT TO NAME THE BUDGET COST? I'M SORRY? YOU WOULD LIKE THE, WOULD YOU LIKE THE NAME, THE AMOUNT TO THE BUDGET FOR THAT? WAIT, TELL YOU, TELL ME HOW MUCH WE'VE CUT ACCORDING TO THE RECORD. ACCORDING TO THE RECORD, IT WAS $800,000. I JUST ASKED THE QUESTION. YOU DIDN'T GIVE THE ANSWER. IT WAS $800,000 WE WERE TOLD. I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT. WE'VE CUT EVERYTHING PASTOR DAVIS. WELL, MAYOR, WELL MAYOR, YOU CAN SAY THAT YOU DID OR YOU DIDN'T. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY THAT NOW. WELL, WELL ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT THERE'S BEEN NO, IF, IF THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A REDUCTION IN SOMETHING THAT FADED THAT, THAT THAT EXPIRED, UH, OR GRANT THAT CAME IN THAT IS, IS OVER. BUT IN TERMS OF THE SERVICES FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERAN AFFAIRS, IT IS AS BU ROBUST, IF NOT MORE TODAY THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN. OKAY, WELL, BUT WELL, MAYOR, LEMME SAY THIS, I'M MAD ENOUGH TO BE, I'M MAD ENOUGH TO ADMIT ANYTHING. ALRIGHT. THAT IS INCORRECT. IF YOU WOULD BE MAD ENOUGH OH, ABSOLUTELY. TO IDENTIFY. SO THEN TELL US. OH, ABSOLUTELY. OKAY, SO I'M ASKING AGAIN. ABSOLUTELY. THEN WHAT IS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY? WELL, I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT HERE. OKAY. YOU DON'T HAVE IT, BUT, BUT I, I WILL CHECK. WE WILL. GOOD. I WILL CHECK. AND YOU LET ME KNOW. I'LL BE THE FIRST WANT TO KNOW. WELL, BUT, AND THEN IF THAT WAS, IF THAT WAS ANYTHING LIKE THAT, OF COURSE WE DEALT WITH THE BUDGET A WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO. YOU SHOULD COULD HAVE COME AT THAT, THAT POINT IN TIME AND BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION. BUT, AND I JUST, WE JUST FINISHED A PROGRAM LAST WEEK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERAN AFFAIRS HONORING WOMEN VETERANS. I I'M SURE YOU DID. WE HAVE, WE HAVE GONE TO SEVERAL PROGRAMS OVER THIS PAST YEAR MM-HMM . HONORING OUR VETERANS. AND, AND, AND I HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN A PART OF THAT. AND I MEET WITH MR. MBO AND DR. JONES ON A REGULAR BASIS. OKAY. SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL BEFORE YOU COME UP HERE AND WELL, LEMME JUST SAY THIS, MAYOR, I LISTEN TO YOU. ALRIGHT, GOOD. I LISTEN TO YOU NOW. I'M WILLING TO LISTEN TO YOU AND YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR A LONG TIME, BUT BEFORE YOU COME OVER HERE AND MAKE THOSE TYPE OF ACCUSATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST MAKE SURE THAT I, I'LL CHECK MY FACTS. YOU CHECK YOURS. OKAY, GOOD. WELL, NOW IT'S NOT AN ACCUSATION IF I ASKED THE QUESTION. OH, YOU DIDN'T ASK THE QUESTION. I DID ASK THE QUESTION. NO, YOU DIDN'T COME UP BE ASKING. NO, I SAID, I SAID LISTEN, IT WAS SAID IN ALL DUE RESPECT, MAYOR, TO YOUR OBJECTIVE, TO YOUR OBJECTIVE, TO ALL DUE RESPECT, I SAID TO YOU MM-HMM THAT IT WAS INDICATED THAT THE BUDGET FOR THE ARMED ENFORCEMENT BENEFIT HAD BEEN REDUCED. OKAY? IT HAD BEEN REDUCED. SO NEVERTHELESS, YOU GET THE NUMBER, GET IT TO ME AND WE'LL DO IT. AND I'LL STOP HER LATER FROM SHAKING HER HEAD. YEAH. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. UNDERSTAND. FIRST A QUESTION. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. JESUS, NEXT SPEAKER. DWAYNE LARK. DWAYNE LARK. GOOD EVENING MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS REVEREND DWAYNE LARK. PASTOR DAVIS, JUST WANNA KNOW THAT YOU ARE SUCH A DEBATER. YOU STOOD YOUR GROUND. I GAVE HIM THE INFORMATION. AND YOU AS MAYOR SHOULD KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER IS. YOU'VE GOT TWO BROTHERS YOU LOVE TO TALK ABOUT THAT WERE VETERANS. YOU, YOU HAVE, YOU WERE AT THE SATURDAY EVENT I WAS AT, AND MY HEART WAS BROKEN ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS YOU SAY THAT THIS DEPARTMENT IS DOING. MAYOR, YOU KNOW, I, LIKE MANY PEOPLE, WORKED VERY HARD TO HELP YOU GET ELECTED. BUT ALL THE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME AND MY CONSTITUENCY, YOU'VE NOT MADE A PRIORITY. SO HERE'S THE FACT. I TOLD PASTOR DAVIS AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO'LL LISTEN, THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT HEAD, WHEN YOU ARE OUT THERE AT OUR PARK ON SATURDAY, I ASKED HIM WHAT WAS HIS BUDGET. HE TOLD ME, ZERO. SO THAT COMES FROM MR. DENVER. MR. MBO, IF THERE WAS ZERO, HE WOULDN'T BE AN EMPLOYEE. THE FACT THAT YOU USING SOME OTHER MONIES TO PAY THEIR SALARIES. IT WAS 275. WHEN I LEFT HERE TWO YEARS AGO BEFORE COVID, I WAS ON MY WAY BACK. COUNCIL MEMBER, FORGET THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S NAME, THEY POINTED THAT OUT TO ME. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I'M NOT JUST SPEAKING TO THE MAYOR. DON'T GIVE US LIP SERVICE. AND THOSE WHO ARE, ARE MEMBERS OF OUR ORGANIZATION CALLED THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ON THIS DESK. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE BUDGET [01:40:01] NUMBERS ARE? HAVE THEY LEFT? I KNOW THERE'S TWO DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS WHO ARE VETERANS ON THIS. I GUESS THEY LEFT ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER KNOW WHAT THE LINE ITEM IS. DON'T SIT AND LOOK AT ME STARE. ANSWER THE QUESTION. HOW MUCH YOU ARE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE THIRD LARGEST CITY IN THE NATION? YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW MUCH YOU SPENT THIS. PLEASE. I DIDN'T, DON'T INTERRUPT ME. PLEASE. NO. PLEASE ALLOW ME TO ASK THE QUESTION. ALLOW ME TO USE MY THREE MINUTES TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR, WHY DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT THE LINE ITEM FOR A MA FOR A MAYOR'S BUDGET, WHICH IS THE MAYOR'S BUDGET, IS NOT YOUR BUDGET FOR VETERANS. THAT'S A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION. AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IT HAS BEEN ZEROED OUT. I'M MORE THAN CERTAIN, HERE'S THE REALITY. $275,000 PAY FOR SALARIES. BECAUSE WHEN YOU SAY WE'VE BEEN TO EVENTS, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT. WE DON'T WANT YOU SHOWING UP SAYING THE SAME SPIEL THAT YOU HAD TWO BROTHERS WHO WERE MILITARY, THAT HEY, WE SUPPORT YOU. WHAT WE WANT IS FOR YOU TO FUND FULLY FUND AN OFFICE SIMILAR TO THE ONE THE HARRIS COUNTY HAS THAT GET PEOPLE CERTIFIED TO HELP PEOPLE LIKE ME GET THEIR BENEFITS. BECAUSE THE VA, THEY AIN'T DOING IT. THEY DON'T GIVE A HOOT. AND I'VE SAID THIS WHEN I WAS HERE LAST TIME, DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT THERE'S MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SEND OUT TO THIS NATION? AND IF YOU, THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL, DON'T HIRE PEOPLE TO HELP US GET THIS MONEY, THAT MONEY'S GOING TO INDIANA, KENTUCKY, AND EVERYWHERE ELSE. WE'RE TALKING ANYWHERE FROM $200 A MONTH AS A COMPENSATION TO 3,600. YOU'VE GOT 160,000 VETERANS AND AT LEAST 60 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND OF THEM CAN'T GET HELP FROM THE EXISTING VSOS BECAUSE THEY'RE OVERLOADED. IF YOU'VE GOT A TWO POINT WHATEVER MILLION, A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, CAN'T YOU FIND YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED? WELL, CAN'T YOU FIND SOME MONEY YOUR TIME THAT WILL ALLOW US TO GET, HELP US GET OUR BENEFITS, GET PEOPLE CERTIFIED. DON'T GIVE US LIP SERVICE ABOUT YOU. GO TO DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT AIN'T, THAT IS NOT WHAT WE NEED. BEING LOUD DOESN'T MAKE YOU RIGHT. WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, BEING YOU ARE NOT RIGHT. BEING YOU ARE NOT RIGHT BECAUSE YOU HAVE DISRESPECTED VETERANS. YOU WON'T ALLOW VETERANS TO DO WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO FOR VETERANS. TAKE YOUR MR. LORD, AND I'M GLAD I WAS HERE TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT HAVING WORKED SO HARD FOR YOU. TAKE TAKE, TAKE YOUR SEAT, MR. LORD. BEING LOUD DOESN'T MAKE YOU RIGHT. AND, AND COMING UP, TAKE YOUR SEAT. TAKE YOUR SEAT, MR. LARK. NOW, NOW THAT, AND LET ME BE VERY CLEAR, YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO SPEAK, BUT BEING LOUD, IT DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT. AND DURING THIS SESSION, THERE WILL BE NO APPLAUSE. OKAY? SO WE ARE GOING TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THE SETTING IF YOU WANT TO COME AND SPEAK, BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE OUT OF ORDER. OKAY? SO LET ME BE VERY CLEAR AND WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. NOT AS LONG AS I'M MAY. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. SANDRA EDWARDS. SANDRA EDWARDS, STAR SIX HERE. CAN I AM HERE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. OKAY. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. HOW'S EVERYONE DOING TODAY? I'M NOT GONNA DO NOTHING. HE DID. I PROMISE. YOU'ALL WANT SYLVESTER, UH, MAYOR TURNER, THIS IS MS. IMPACT AS WELL. AND I AM COMING TODAY ABOUT DRAINAGE. UM, I'M A PART OF NORTH ACTION COLLECTIVES AND I HAVE BEEN LIVING IN FIFTH WARD OVER 25 OR 30 YEARS PRIOR TO ME MOVING OUT. I AM ALSO A COMMUNITY LEADER. I ACTIVIST AS WELL. EVERYBODY KNOW ME ON HERE, SO I DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO ALL THAT. I WANTED TO, UM, I WANNA SUPPORT MS. DORIS AND SAID, WELL, SHE SAID EARLIER IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE NEED DRAINAGE AND THAT WE ARE TIRED OF GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING WE HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH. SO WE JUST WANNA REACH OUT TO Y'ALL AND ASK Y'ALL PUBLIC WORKS FOR THEY HELP FOR THE HELP. I MEAN, UM, AT THE, ON JUNE 1ST, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU, YOU WE WERE GONNA DO SOMETHING, YOU WERE GONNA HELP US WITH SOMETHING. FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING THOUGH. SO WE KNOW YOU AGREE TO THE HELP US WITH THE DRAINAGE PROGRAM. WE JUST WANNA KNOW IF IT'S REALLY GONNA HAPPEN. AND, UH, LIKE WE HAVE TORNADOES AND STORMS COMING UP THIS, THIS SEASON AND WE WANNA KNOW, WELL, WE GONNA BE AFFECTED OR WE GONNA GET HELP THIS TIME OR ANYTHING GONNA BE DIFFERENT OR WHAT? WE JUST WANT HELP [01:45:01] AND WE JUST WANT THE BIRDS THAT Y'ALL GAVE US. Y'ALL WORRIED THAT Y'ALL WILL FIX OUR AREA AND WE WILL NOT BE GOING THROUGH THAT ANYMORE, OR WE ARE ACTUALLY GONNA GET THAT HELP. OR WILL WE KEEP GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR? BECAUSE WE, I'M LISTENING TO THIS MONEY FLOATING AROUND AND I WANNA KNOW IF ANY OF THAT MONEY'S GONNA COME TO OUR COMMUNITY OR ANY WORK GONNA COME TO OUR COMMUNITY. I KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN DOING A LITTLE WORK, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO STOP THE DRAINAGE AND THE, I MEAN, THE FLOOD AND THE DRAINAGE. AND I HEARD Y'ALL WERE GONNA PUT THE DRAINAGE WHERE THEY COME BACK AND CLEAN THE DITCHES OFF. HAVE Y'ALL DONE MADE A DECISION ON THAT? ARE THEY GONNA DO THAT AGAIN? BECAUSE THAT'S THE MAIN REASON WHY WE FLOOD BECAUSE THEY STOPPED THAT PROGRAM. THE DITCHES ARE DRAINING UP WITH BACK WITH, UH, DEBRIS AND EVERYTHING AND THEN THEY WANT THE RESIDENT TO GET OUT THERE. MOST OF THE RESIDENTS ARE OLD MAYOR. THEY CAN'T GET OUT THERE AND GET OUT AND CLEAN A DITCH. SO WHY WOULD THEY STOP A PROGRAM THAT WAS WORKING FOR US? SO ARE WE GONNA BE, UM, MY QUESTION IS ARE THEY GONNA BRING THE PROGRAM BACK AND ARE WE GONNA GET HELP FOR THE DRAINAGE? THAT'S MAINLY WHAT I'M SAYING. AND ACTION. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILOR JACKSON? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. OH, WE NOT GONNA, THANK YOU MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MS. EDWARDS FOR YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY FOR, UM, THESE FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS. UM, JUST A BRIEF UPDATE. I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH PUBLIC WORKS ACTUALLY TWO DAYS AFTER, UM, THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS WAS PASSED, UM, WHAT WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH. UM, ALSO TALKED WITH THE MAYOR. MM-HMM . THE MAYOR, COMMITTED TO, UM, WORKING WITH US TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PROJECTS ARE MOVING FORWARD. BUT PUBLIC WORKS HAS COMMITTED TO GIVING US A, A SCHEDULE ON WHEN THESE PROJECTS WILL, UM, BE DONE, COMPLETED. WE HAVE A TOTAL OF NINE OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE SUBMITTED THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN STUDY AND SHOULD BE COMING OUT OF THE H AND H STUDY. AND THEN WE HAVE SIX PROJECTS THAT'S GOING INTO STUDY ALSO. I SUBMITTED, UM, THESE PROJECTS TO, UM, I ACTUALLY STEPPED OVER MY BOUNDS. I, UM, SUBMITTED THEM TO CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, UM, HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, UM, MR. KELLY THAT THESE PROJECTS ARE ALREADY ILL MARKED AS PART OF PUBLIC WORKS PARTNERSHIP WITH HARRIS COUNTY. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, THERE'S MOVEMENT. SOON AS WE GET THE CALENDAR, I'LL LET YOU KNOW THE SCHEDULE ON WHEN THESE PROJECTS ARE GONNA ROLL OUT AND WHEN THEY WILL BE COMPLETE. I'LL MAKE SURE THAT I WORK CLOSER WITH YOU AND YOUR TEAM, UM, THE NORTHEAST, UM, COLLECTIVE ACTION. UM, AND SO THAT YOU GUYS TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND SO JUST I ASSURE YOU WE'RE MOVING, WE'RE MOVING, BUT CONTINUE YOUR ADVOCACY. I WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE INTERNALLY, UM, UNTIL THESE PROJECTS ARE DONE. OKAY. THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU FOR THAT. LET ME SAY ONE MORE THING, BABY. YOU ARE NEVER WORKING OUTSIDE YOUR BOUNDARIES. WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS GETTING A JOB DONE BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. IT'S NOT A BOUNDARY WHEN YOU DOING YOUR WORK. OKAY? YOU DOING WONDERFUL, Y'ALL JUST KEEP DOING A GOOD JOB. AND I KNOW Y'ALL ALL ALL OF Y'ALL, THIS GOES FOR EVERYBODY UP THERE. I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE BRILLIANCE IN Y'ALL. WE JUST NEED Y'ALL TO PULL IT OUT AND SHOW US. THAT'S ALL I AND MY AIR CONDITION WENT OUT. AND I'M IN ONE ROOM. CAN ANYBODY TELL ME WHAT AIR CONDITION IS? AND, AND MS. EDWARD, I'M GONNA WORK WITH YOU ON YOUR CONDITION. AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE, UM, ROAD DITCH MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE, I'M GONNA USE, UM, A HUNDRED THOUSAND OF THE DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS AND HIRE SOMEONE WITHIN OUR DISTRICT TO WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO MAINTENANCE THE DITCH THE DITCHES BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE A PROGRAM AND THEY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF, UM, STAFF THAT'S OVER IN OUR AREA. AND SO I'M JUST GONNA SUPPORT THEM ON WHAT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING IN REGARDS TO THE DITCH MAINTENANCE. THAT IS WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. SEE, GOOD NEWS. GOOD NEWS. ALL RIGHT. I'M PROUD TO HEAR THAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. HAPPY JUNETEENTH TO YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. BYE. ALL RIGHT. AND SAME TO Y'ALL. Y'ALL HAVE A BLESSED DAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. RODNEY THOMAS. RODNEY THOMAS, IF YOU'RE PRESSED STAR SIX, RODNEY THOMAS. STAR SIX. YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. HELLO. YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME TIME TO TALK. UH, MY NAME IS RODNEY THOMAS AND I'M ALSO PART OF THE NORTHWEST ELECTION ACTION. AND, UH, I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT IN THE FIFTH WARD AREA FOR OVER 20 YEARS. I'M ALSO PART OF, UH, IN SUPPORT OF, UH, DITCH MAINTENANCE ON JULY, ON JUNE 1ST, 2000, DISTRICT B PRESENTED 16 MEMBERS FOCUSED AROUND THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE IMPACT OF FLOOD AREAS OF NORTHEAST HOUSTON. THE MEMBERS INCLUDED A STUDY OF HIGH AREAS THAT NEEDED REHAB PROJECTS AND, UH, PLOT PROGRAMS FOR DITCHES AND DRAINS. MAINLY DISTRICT B WAS TOLD THAT ALL THESE AMENDMENTS WERE IMPORTANT AND THAT NONE OF THE, NONE OF THEM COULD BE SUPPORTED BY THE GENERAL FUND. REGARDING TO THE AMENDMENT SCHEDULE, DRAIN DENTURES AND MAINTENANCE SHOULD BE, WAS TOLD THAT THE FOLLOW UP WITH THE MAYOR OFFICE IN 30 DAYS. I'M HERE, HERE TO WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO US IN 30 DAYS. MAYOR, WE GOT ABOUT 15 MORE DAYS AND I'M ALSO, I'M MERGING TO HEAR FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND MAYOR'S OFFICE AND, UH, WHAT THIS SHOULD BE PLANNED AND [01:50:01] TO GET SCHEDULED FOR THE DITCH MAINTENANCE AND, AND PLAN FUNDING. THIS IS JUST TO PROVIDE THE BASIC CITY SERVICE IN MY RESIDENCE OF NORTHEAST HOUSTON. 80% OF OUR DITCHES AND DRAINS AND THE MAJORITY OF OUR AREAS ARE INCLUDED UNDER THE, UH, CENSUS TRACK DATA. DISTRICT B POSE THE MAJORITY OF THE HOUSTON OPEN DITCH DRAIN SYSTEM. AND MOST OF THESE AREAS ARE OPEN DRAIN AND ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE BECAUSE SOME OF THEM HAVE SEWER MAINS AND HAS THE MATERIAL COMING OUT OF THEM. AND, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT SPEAKER. ALIA RIVAS, WHEN I START IS THE GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, THE REASON WHY I'M HERE, I STILL HAVE THE SAME SITUATION WITH THE LANDLORD, BUT I GUESS I CAN COME BACK NEXT WEEK. I APOLOGIZE FOR, UH, PLOTTING. MY GRANDPA WAS A WORLD WAR II VETERAN. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO MEET WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II VETERANS WHEN I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES. AND, UH, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I FEEL THAT YOU'RE AT THE CENTER OR AS A MAYOR BECAUSE MANY VETERANS SERVE THIS COUNTRY AND YOU HAVE NEVER SERVED IN THE MILITARY FORCES. AND WE HAVE MANY SITUATIONS AROUND THE CITY. UH, AS, UH, THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF ESTEBAN CIO REBA, UH, I HAVE BEEN A VICTIM OF MANY, UH, VIOLATIONS. WHEN I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES, I THEN CAME, I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS SITUATION. UM, ALL OF THESE INTAKES THAT WERE, UM, CREATED, UH, THEY WERE INVESTIGATED. PART OF, UH, ROSA MATTHEWS VIOLATION AFTER VIOLATION. UH, IVAN RAFAEL MONTOYA RIVAS IS MY BROTHER, DISAPPEARED TO VEHICLES. NATALIA MONTO, UH, MONTO SORIO, THE SAME THING I'M HAS IN THIS COUNTRY. THERE'S NO JUSTICE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WHEN YOU SALUTE THE MILITARY, ENSURE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH THAT YOU REMEMBER THAT THEY DIE FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU GAVE TWO LETTERS AND PROSTITUTES BY YOUR PROCLAMATIONS WHEN THERE IS MEN OF THEIR FIGHTING FOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WHEN THE BELL RINGS, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. NEXT SPEAKER. DORIS BROWN. DORIS BROWN. DORIS JUST HERE. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING DAR MATT TURNER. TWO WEEKS AGO AT THE JUNE 1ST CITY BUDGET VOTE, YOU ASKED COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON TO WITHDRAW ALL 16 OF OUR AMENDMENTS FOR DRAINAGE INVESTMENT IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON. YOU PROMISED THAT IF SHE WITHDREW, YOU WOULD HAVE A PLAN IN 30 DAYS. ALL OF HER AMENDMENTS ARE CRITICAL FOR ADDRESSING THE CATASTROPHE STATE OF DRAINAGE IN MY COMMUNITY, IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF NORTHEAST HOUSTON WHERE I LIVE SPECIFICALLY, WE HAD WORKED HARD WITH COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON ON AMENDMENT SEVEN POINT 16, WHICH PROPOSED A $2 MILLION PILOT PROGRAM FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF OPEN DITCH DRAINAGE. YOU YOURSELF HAVE STATED THAT THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING AND OPEN DITCHES REQUIRE MORE CLEANING AND DREDGING TO FUNCTION THAN THE 3 1 1 SYSTEM IS ABLE TO PROVIDE. SEVERAL OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO EXPRESS THEIR SUPPORT FOR ADDRESSING THE CRITICAL ISSUE. WE, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, MS. DORIS, YOU CAN FINISH YOUR COMMENT. THANK YOU. WE DON'T NEED CHANGE IN 12 MONTHS OR 18 MONTHS. WE REFUSE TO LET THE ISSUE OF JUSTICE IN OUR COMMUNITIES BE FURTHER DELAYED. THE DAY YOU ASKED COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON TO WITHDRAW HER AMENDMENTS WAS ALSO THE FIRST DAY OF HURRICANE SEASON FOR THIS YEAR. WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN WAITING AND FLOODING AND SURVIVING FOR YEARS. YOU GAVE YOURSELF A DEADLINE OF 30 DAYS. WE HAVE 15 DAYS LEFT BEFORE THAT DEADLINE. I AM HERE TO ASK, DO YOU STILL COMMIT THIS DEADLINE? THE 40 RESIDENT MEMBERS OF THE KNOCK NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE AND THE REST OF THE NORTHEAST HOUSTON COMMUNITY WILL BE EAGERLY WAITING ON JULY THE FIRST TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING ON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. BROWN. I SAID I WOULD WORK WITH HER AND I'M WORKING WITH THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS. YES. AND I, AND I'VE INDICATED TO THEM THAT IT'S MY PLAN TO INCREASE THE, THE NUMBER OF DOLLARS GOING TO OUR SWAT PROGRAMS. MM-HMM . WE'VE ALREADY, WE ALREADY PUT 20 MILLION IN THAT BUDGET AND I AM, I PLAN TO PUT MORE IN THAT, IN THAT BUDGET. OKAY. SO, WELL, YEAH, I'VE ALREADY DONE, YEAH, I HEARD THE COMMENTS YOU MADE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER 'CAUSE I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT CAME DOWN. BUT I THINK Y'ALL [01:55:01] DOING A GOOD JOB. I, I LIKE WHAT YOU SAID COUNCIL JACKSON. SO, OH, THE DOLLARS THANK THE DOLLARS ARE COMING AND THANK Y'ALL. THE DOLLARS ARE COMING FOR THE ADDITIONAL SWAT PROGRAMS. ALRIGHT. OKAY. BYE-BYE. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. JACOB CLEMENTE. JACOB. HEY GUYS. WELL, EARLIER TODAY I WAS AT THE COUNTY CONVENTION, UM, BUILDING OFFICE AND I SPOKE BEFORE THEM AND I GOT THIS BACK FROM COUNTY COMMISSIONER, UM, TOM RAMSEY. AT ANY RATE, WHAT I WANT TO SAY NOW IS, UM, I'M AN EMPLOYEE NOW OF THE ACTUAL ORGANIZATION. AND SO WELL, UM, BEFORE THAT I WAS AN EMPLOYEE THAT IN THE MANMADE PARK WITH ARAMARK. AND BEFORE THAT I WAS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE, UH, UH, UH, GOODWILL INDUSTRIES, UH, AS A, UH, TEMPORARY HELP. AND, UH, I GOT THAT TEMPORARY HELP THROUGH, UH, NICOLE, NICOLE ESCALANTE MOSQUITO. AND SHE HELPED ME GET THAT JOB. AND THAT'S WHAT WHAT WE DO IN, UH, AT THE ST. JOSEPH CLUBHOUSE FOR MENTAL HEALTH PEOPLE. UH, AND WELL, UM, AND THEN WHEN THERE, AND, UH, DR. SHABAZZ, EVAN SHABAZZ IS IN DISTRICT, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU JACOB. IT'S GOOD TO BE, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. YEAH. CAN I SAY SOMETHING ELSE? THANK YOU. BESIDES, HAPPY JUNETEENTH. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY OLD MAN. YEAH. . THANKS JACOB. NEXT SPEAKER. TAMARA BELL TALKING TO YOU. TAMARA BELL STAR SIX. I'M SORRY. TAMARA BELL IS TAMARA BELL HERE. TAMARA BELL. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. THANK YOU. WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL [RECESS] TOMORROW MORNING AT NINE. ABSENCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE WEEK. [RECONVENE] JAN JUNE 14TH AND 15TH, 2022 ITEM ONE, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL TO FINAL A CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $2,949,927 AND 38 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH RAY TECH CONSTRUCTION RESOURCES INC. FOR FY 2018. DRAINAGE REHAB WORK ORDERS. NUMBER FOUR, ITEM TWO. RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL, A CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $2,979,476 AND 73 CENTS. AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH GROVEL LLC FOR FY 2019 OPEN DRAINAGE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE WORK ORDERS. NUMBER ONE. ITEM THREE, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY TO DEPOSIT THE AMOUNT OF THE WATER SPECIAL COMMISSIONS INTO THE REGISTRY OF THE COURT TO PAY OUR COSTS TO COURT IN CONNECTION WITH EMINENT DOMAIN PROCEEDING STYLE, CITY OF HOUSTON VERSUS AARON BUSINESS, INC. AT ALL CARS NUMBER 1 1 8 1 0 6 9 FUND ROAD PAVING AND DRAINAGE PROJECT FROM SOUTH BRAESWOOD BOULEVARD TO CREEK BEND DRIVE PARCEL A Y 20 DASH 1 79. ITEM FOUR, TOMMY VAUGHN MOTORS, INC. PRIMARY VENDOR AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 9 MILLION 862 0 7 328 AND TRUSTING SECONDARY VENDOR AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $249,245 4 CENTS FOR AN AGGREGATE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $10,111,318 AND 32 CENTS FOR AUTOMOTIVE FORD MOTOR CAR LIGHT, MEDIUM HEAVY DUTY TRUCK REPLACEMENT PARTS AND REPAIR SERVICES FOR THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. ITEM FIVE, AMEND MOTION 20 21 6 80 PAST DECEMBER 15TH, 2021 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY TO HOUSTON FREIGHTLINER INC. FOR PURCHASE OF HEAVY DUTY CAP AND CHASSIS. MOUNTED THROUGH THE INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT FOR CORPORATE PURCHASING WITH THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL FOR THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM SIX, DEERING COMPANY FOR THE PURCHASE LEASE OF GROUNDS MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT, IRRIGATION PARK SUPPLIES AND INSTALLATION SERVICES FOR THE MEMORIAL PARK GOLF COURSE THROUGH THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASING CARPETED BOB WOOD FOR THE HOUSTON PARKS RECREATION DEPARTMENT. ITEM SEVEN CENTRAL SQUARE TECHNOLOGISTS LLC FOR SOLE SOURCE PURCHASE OF SOFTWARE LICENSE MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT FOR HANDHELD CITATION DEVICES FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. ITEM EIGHT T CONSTRUCTION LLC FOR HEAD WORKS DRAIN LINE REPAIRING NEW LINE INSTALLATION FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM NINE, INDUSTRIAL TEXAS CORP TO IMPROVE PAYMENT FOR EMERGENCY MANHOLE REPAIR FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM 10, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THIRD AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BRENTWOOD ECONOMIC COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, DBA BRENTWOOD COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. ITEM 11, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZED SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CATHOLIC. CHARITIES [02:00:01] OF THE DIOCESE OF GALVESTON HOUSTON. ITEM 12, ORDINANCE ACCEPTING PROPOSAL FROM TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RISK POOL APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PURCHASE OF PROPERTY, RADIO EQUIPMENT AND TOWER INSURANCE. ITEM 13, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO TO CONCESSION AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ALLCLEAR LLC ITEM 14, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING REIMBURSEMENT. MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND US CUSTOMS AND BOARD OF PROTECTION. ITEM 15, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $850,000 AND NO SENSE OUT OF THE FOLLOWING FUNDS, $40,000 OUT OF AIRPORTS RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT FUND. $400,000 OUT OF AIRPORTS IMPROVEMENT FUND. $50,000 OUT OF AIRPORT SYSTEM CONSOLIDATED 20:11 AM T CONSTRUCTION FUNDS $260,000 OUT OF AIRPORT SYSTEM CONSOLIDATED 2011 CONSTRUCTION FUND. $50,000 OUT OF APPLE SYSTEM CONSOLIDATED ICHIP, A MT CONSTRUCTION FUND AND $50,000 OUT OF APPLE SYSTEM. 2021 A A MT BOND FOR ICHIP FUND FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN PROJECTS MANAGED BY THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM IN FY 2022. ITEM 16 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC GRANT APPLICATION TO THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE FOR THE AMERICORP STATE AND NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH AMERICORPS GRANT. ITEM 17 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2018 DASH 5 37 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND RICE UNIVERSITY. ITEM 18, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON FOR SERVICES ADDRESSING COVID-19 HEALTH DISPARITIES AMONG POPULATIONS AT HIGH RISK AND UNDERSERVED REGARDING THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS INITIATIVE FOR THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT. ITEM 19 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY AND METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS. ITEM 20 ORDINANCE APPRO AN AUTHOR AWARDING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND GBJ INC. D-B-A-A-F-C. TRANSPORTATION FOR SCHOOL BUSES, COACHES MANY BUSES IN VANS. ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATED IN $25,000 IN NO CENTS OUT OF CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL PROJECT FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND MIDTOWN. REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ACTING ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER TWO, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING CIVIL AWARD AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY. ITEM 23 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE 500 BLOCK OF WILLER STREET WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. ITEM 24 ORDINANCE RELEASING CERTAIN TERRITORY CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY 1 54 0.696 ACRES OF LAND IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS LOCATED ALONG MATHIS ROAD AND BURTON CEMETERY ROAD FROM THE EX EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING RELEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CITY OF WALLER. ITEM 25 ORDINANCE AWARDING CONTRACT TO CSI CONSOLIDATED L-L-C-D-B-A AIMS COMPANIES FOR SEWER STOPPAGE CLEANING AND TELEVISION INSPECTION. SEVEN ITEM 26, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING FILE ME $175,423 AND NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT TO PEN CONSTRUCTION AND REHAB. L-L-C-D-B-A-I-P-R SOUTH CENTRAL FOR WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM REHABILITATION AND RENEWAL. THIS IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE NON-CONSENT AGENDA. MISCELLANEOUS ITEM 27, SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MULTI-USE DETENTION IN FIVE PILOT PARK PROJECTS. THE HEARING DATE IS 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, JULY 13TH, 2022 UNDER THE MATTER SALE CATEGORY. ITEM 28 WAS IN ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE RETAIL GAS UTILITY RATES OF CENTER POINT ENERGY RESOURCES CORP, DBA CENTER POINT ENERGY, INEX AND AT CENTER POINT ENERGY, TEXAS GAS. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON HUFFMAN AND CASH TAX TATUM. THIS WAS ITEM 13 ON AGENDA OF JUNE 8TH, 2022. ITEM 29 WAS AN ORDINANCE APPRO, AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT FOR A CREDIT CARD PROCESSING SERVICES BETWEEN CITI PAYMENT TECH LLC AND JP MORGAN CHASE BANK NA TAB BY COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THIS WAS ITEM 21 ON AGENDA OF JUNE 8TH, 2022. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE COUNCIL SESSIONS OF JUNE 15TH, 2022. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF OUR FORMER CITY SECRETARY, ANNA RUSSELL. SHE ALWAYS SAID DRIVE SAFE, DRIVE FRIENDLY, AND HAVE A NICE DAY. IN THE WORDS OF OUR CURRENT CITY SECRETARY, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. AND BY THE WAY, HAPPY [02:05:01] BIRTHDAY TO MY GRANDSON AND GRANDDAUGHTER. 10 AND 14 YEARS OLD. THANK YOU MA'AM. FOUR. AND LET'S GET STARTED. UM, JUST A FEW COMMENTS. UM, YOU [MAYOR'S REPORT] KNOW, WE, UM, SCHOOL IN MOST CASES, SCHOOL IS OUT AND WE'VE GOT KIDS OUTTA SCHOOL. THE HIGH HOUSTON YOUTH PROGRAM IS NOW FULLY UNDERWAY. AND YOU KNOW, THE, THE GOAL WAS 12,000 TO TO HIRE 12,000 INTERNS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 24. THE STRETCH GOAL WAS TO GET TO 15,000, BUT THE INITIAL GOAL IS 12 STRETCH GOAL OF 15. AND THAT WHERE WE ARE THIS MORNING IS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN 14,000. SO, UM, YEAH, VERY PROUD OF THAT. 450, OUR INTERNS AT THE CITY WILL BE HERE AT THE CITY. BUT THE REMAINING NUMBER OVER, UM, WHAT LET'S SAY 500 FROM 14, 13,005, 13,500 THANKS. 13,000 . YEAH, 13,500 ARE COMING FROM THE PRIVATE. UM, DUE TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UH, OVER 400, OVER 400 BUSINESSES ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE HIGHER HOUSTON PROGRAM. SO WE FEEL VERY COMP, VERY FAIRLY CONFIDENT WE'LL GET TO THE 15,000 STRETCH GOAL. AND, UM, A NUMBER OF THOSE INTERNS, OF COURSE, UM, AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WORKING IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, MAYBE WORKING IN YOUR LEGISLATIVE OFFICES, UH, WORKING IN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS HERE AT THE CITY. AND, UH, AND SOME OF THEM ARE IN THE AUDIENCE THIS MORNING. I'VE HAD THE, UH, THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING, UH, SEVERAL OF THEM. AND LEMME JUST TELL YOU, UM, THAT IF THEY ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE OTHER 13,500, IT, IT IS A VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE, IMPRESSIVE GROUP. AND THESE ARE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AS WELL AS, UH, COLLEGE STUDENTS, UH, WITH VERY PROMISING, PROMISING CAREERS. THEY'RE SHARP, THEY CARRY THEMSELVES EXTREMELY WELL, REPRESENT, UH, OUR CITY AS A WHOLE VERY WELL. AND SO, UM, IF YOU ARE A HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH, UH, INTERN, UH, LET ME ASK YOU TO STAND UP IF YOU'RE IN THE CHAMBER. ALL THESE JUST STAND UP. UM, SO THIS IS, THIS IS A VERY, UM, VERY IMPRESSIVE GROUP. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE INTERNS, UM, WORKING WITH YOU, UH, PLEASE GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AS MANY OF THEM AS POSSIBLE. UM, BUT THEY ARE ALREADY MAKING A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION, UH, TO THE CITY. AND PLUS IT GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SEE FIRSTHAND WHAT WE DO WHILE WE DO WHO WE SERVE AND, UM, AND HOW WE KIND OF NAVIGATE THROUGH ALL OF THE WATER. SO AGAIN, I, ME, FOR THOSE WHO I'VE NOT MET, UH, LET ME SAY GOOD MORNING AND HELLO. AND FOR THOSE WHO I HAVE ALREADY MET, UM, AND TALKED TO, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN. THIS IS DAY THREE, RIGHT? THIS IS DAY THREE, UH, OF THE, OF THEIR, UH, UM, THEIR WORK HERE AT THE CITY. SO WELCOME ABOARD. LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, CONTINUING TO WORK WITH, WITH, UH, WITH, UH, MANY OF YOU AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND HOPE YOU'LL HAVE A VERY ENJOYABLE, UH, SUMMER, UH, WORKING FOR US AT CITY HALL. AND THEN LET OTHER PEOPLE KNOW THAT IF, UH, IF YOU'VE GOT FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND OTHERS WHO ARE STILL LOOKING FOR SUMMER EMPLOYMENT, UH, TELL, TELL 'EM TO GO TO THE, YOU KNOW, TO GO TO THE PORTAL LIKE, LIKE MANY OF YOU DID. UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL A FEW POSITIONS, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, TO MEET THAT 15,000, MAYBE GO EVEN A LITTLE BIT ABOVE. AND AGAIN, AND I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND I, WE'VE GOTTEN SOME FEEDBACK FROM SOME OF THE COMPANIES ALREADY THAT ARE VERY IMPRESSED WITH OUR, WITH THE INTERNS AND, UM, AND THEN SOME OF THEM ON EVEN CARRY ON BEYOND THE SUMMER IF THEY SO DESIRE. SO, UM, AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, UH, OLIVER VERA, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF, UH, OFFICE OF EDUCATION. WANT TO THANK, UH, JANE CHEEKS OVER HU HUMAN RESOURCE. UH, CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UH, FOR REALLY STEPPING UP IN A, IN A MAJOR, MAJOR WAY. SO THANK YOU ALL. Y'ALL CAN BE SEATED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, THEN, UH, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN, HOPEFULLY ALL OF YOU SAW THE ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES ON YESTERDAY, UH, WITH RESPECT TO, [02:10:01] UH, HOMELESSNESS. AND, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT IN TIME, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON WAS ON THE LIST AS BEING ONE OF THE CITIES WITH THE WORST HOMELESS PROBLEMS. UM, BUT THAT HAS CHANGED AND THAT HAS CHANGED. UM, SO CERTAINLY, UH, IN FACT IN THE LAST DECADE, HOUSTON HAS HOUSED ABOUT 25,000 PERSONS WHO WERE HOMELESS ON OUR STREET. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK THAT STARTED WITH FORMER MARISE PARKER, WHICH HAS CONTINUED SINCE THEN. UM, BUT INSTEAD OF DEALING WITH A FRAGMENTED ECOSYSTEM, HOUSTON HAS PUT TOGETHER, UH, THE, UH, THE HOUSTON COALITION ON HOMELESSNESS, WHICH IS, UM, UH, THESE VARIOUS NONPROFITS THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER, QUITE FRANKLY, UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE WAY HOME. UM, AND THAT HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE. AND, UH, HOUSING, UH, IS THE CRITICAL COMPONENT, UH, TO REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS. BUT HOUSING ALONE WON'T DO IT. YOU HAVE TO HAVE HOUSING AND THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES AS WELL. AND, UM, AND I KNOW, UH, VERY MUCH THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS CAN, COULD SPEAK TO THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. BUT THE REALITY IS, IS THAT, UM, SINCE IN THE LAST DECADE, THE CITY HAS REDUCED WITH ITS PARTNERS. AND WHEN I SAY THE CITY, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE EGO SYSTEM, THE NON, THE NON-PROFITS AND, UH, EVERYONE PARTICIPATING, FAITH, UH, BUSINESSES, PARTICIPATION, FAITH-BASED INSTITUTIONS, FAITH-BASED INSTITUTIONS, UH, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, IN THE LAST DECADE WE'VE REDUCED HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY BY 63%. UM, AND THE GOAL, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S A HUGE ACHIEVEMENT. UH, AND, AND, AND THE GOAL IS TO, TO, UM, UH, GET US DOWN TO ZERO WHEN IT COMES TO CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS. MM-HMM . SO, UM, MAJOR STEPS HAVE TAKEN PLACE. WE ARE NOW IN PHASE TWO OF OUR COLLABORATION WITH ACCOUNTING, UH, PUTTING A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS INTO HOMELESSNESS. UH, THE ONLY THING THAT'S HOLDING US UP RIGHT NOW, UH, IS FINDING ADDITIONAL, UH, SINGLE BED UNITS, APARTMENTS. THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY, THAT'S, THAT IS THE ISSUE THAT'S HOLDING US BACK. AND TO THE EXTENT, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE HAD MORE, UM, ONE BEDROOM APARTMENTS, UM, THE REMAINING ENCAMPMENTS THAT YOU SEE IN THE CITY COULD BE DECOMMISSIONED LIKE YESTERDAY AND WE COULD MOVE FORWARD. UH, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY THING, UH, THAT'S HOLDING US BACK. UH, BUT I DO WANT TO THANK, UH, MANY OF THE APARTMENT OWNERS BECAUSE, UH, BUT FOR THEM MAKING UNITS AVAILABLE THAT WE CAN UTILIZE FOR THE HOMELESS, UH, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY. AND I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE APARTMENT OWNERS, AND I WANT TO ALSO ASK FOR THEIR CONTINUAL CONTINUING COOPERATION AND WHERE THEY HAVE AVAILABLE UNITS OR WHERE THERE ARE UNITS THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, TO THE CITY, YOU CAN USE THESE FOR OUR HOMELESS POPULATION. THEN I HOPE THEY WILL WORK WITH US TO DO JUST TO JUST THAT. BECAUSE WE DON'T JUST, UM, PUT PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS IN THESE UNITS AND WALK AWAY. WE ALSO COME WITH THEM AND PROVIDE THE NECESSARY WRAPAROUND SERVICES, UH, WHICH, UH, TWO YEARS AFTER THE FACT, MOST OF THEM ARE STILL, ARE STILL HOUSED. AND THAT'S THE KEY. BE ONE THING, YOU PUT 'EM IN AN APARTMENT AND THEY CIRCULATE RIGHT BACK ON THE STREET. BUT MOST OF THEM, TWO YEARS AFTER THE FACT ARE STILL HOUSED, STANDING UP, REUNITING WITH THEIR FAMILIES, GETTING JOBS. SO, UM, THAT'S BEEN MAJOR. THE NAVIGATION CENTER IS WORKING. UH, THAT'S IN COUNCIL MEMBER PS DISTRICT, UH, KNOW. THERE'S ANOTHER NAVIGATION CENTER THAT WE ARE WORKING ON IN COUNCILMAN NATASHA JACKSON'S DISTRICT. AND AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT SHELTERS. THESE ARE NAVIGATION CENTERS. PEOPLE ARE THERE SIX OR 90 DAYS. AND THEN, UH, THEY, UH, THEN, UM, MOVE ON TO AN APARTMENT, UH, WHERE THEY CAN LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE CITY. SO, UM, THAT IS WORKING. I WANT TO THANK, I WANT TO THANK THE, I WANT TO THANK YOU, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, FOR YOUR, UM, SUPPORT ON THIS, BECAUSE WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND CITY SPENDING A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, UH, SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND, AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE. SO THE GOAL IS, AND I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO BE DOWN TO ZERO, UM, BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE ARE SHOOTING FOR. I DID, AND, AND I, AND I'LL KNOW IT WAS IN THE NEW YORK TIMES. UH, I DID RECEIVE, UH, LAST NIGHT, UM, UH, UH, A TEXT FROM, UH, MAYOR ADAMS IN NEW YORK, [02:15:01] AND, UH, WHO IS WANTING TO COME ALONG WITH HIS TEAM, UH, TO HOUSTON, UH, TO KIND OF LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE, WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO. AND THEN GOT CALLS FROM PORTLAND AND SOME OTHER CITIES AS WELL. SO, NOT, NO ONE IS SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. UH, BUT IT IS WORTHWHILE JUST TO NOTE WHERE WE, WHERE WE ARE AND THE FACT THAT, UH, WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER. SO, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THE NONPROFITS, THE FAITH-BASED INSTITUTIONS, UH, THE COUNTY, UH, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE APARTMENT OWNERS THEMSELVES. UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL, UH, FOR LEAST, YOU KNOW, GETTING US WHERE WE ARE. AND I THINK, AND I KNOW WE ARE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. UM, AND THEN TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, UH, THE 2022 US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT SURVEY OF BEST CHILDREN HOSPITAL RANKINGS CAME OUT. AND TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IS RANKED NUMBER TWO, UH, IN THE NATION. UH, NINE OF THE HOSPITAL SPECIALTIES ARE IN THE TOP FIVE FOR HOSPITALS. SO I WANT TO CON CONGRATULATE THE 16,000 MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY AND STAFF OF OF TEXAS CHILDREN, UH, HOSPITAL. WANNA GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO US, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO MARK WALLACE. UH, HIS LEADERSHIP HAS JUST BEEN STELLAR. SO AGAIN, UH, UH, TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. WE ARE HASHTAG HOUSTON PROUD. AND TOMORROW THE ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE MADE ON, UM, THE WORLD CUP. UH, THE FIFA WILL BE MAKING THAT ANNOUNCEMENT ON TOMORROW. AS YOU KNOW, UM, CHRIS CNET AND HIS GROUP AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR PAST THREE YEARS. IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN PRETTY MUCH THREE YEARS. IT IS A, AS JACK CHRISTIE WOULD SAY, A BIG DEAL, UH, AS MARTY WOULD SAY, A HUGE DEAL. UM, BUT, UH, WE, WE PLAYED IN 2026, AND QUITE FRANKLY, MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF IMPRESSIONS IF WE, IF WE END UP GETTING IT SHOWCASED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, IT WILL PUMP IN A BILLION DOLLARS INTO, INTO THE CITY. SO IT'S A HUGE DEAL. SO TOMORROW THE ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE MADE. UM, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO PLAY IT UP TOO HIGH. UM, WELL, I'VE ALREADY DONE THAT. UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HOPING AND PRAYING THAT IT COMES OUR WAY SO THAT THAT ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE COMING OUT TOMORROW, SOMEWHERE AROUND FOUR O'CLOCK-ISH, UH, ON TOMORROW. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST, UH, BE VERY POSITIVE. AND THEN THIS WEEKEND, A LOT OF JUNETEENTH EVENTS, A LOT OF JUNETEENTH EVENTS, A LOT OF JUNETEENTH EVENTS. UM, MY ONLY DEAL IS THAT JUNETEENTH ALSO FALLS IN THE SAME WEEKEND AS FATHER'S DAY. AND, UH, BUT A LOT OF JUNETEENTH EVENTS. SO, UM, FROM ALL OVER EMANCIPATION PARK, THE PARADE OUT IN RES HOME ON SATURDAY MORNING, FOUR, FOUR, UM, MILLER OUT DAY ON SUNDAY NIGHT AT EIGHT O'CLOCK. UM, A LOT OF THINGS IN BETWEEN HERE OR THERE. UM, SO A LOT OF EVENTS, BUT I DO WANT TO, UM, SO HAPPY JUNETEENTH TO EVERYBODY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, SUNDAY IS FATHER'S DAY, SO I WANNA SAY HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, UH, TO EVERYONE. UM, AS WE, UM, AS IN THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND. AND, AND THEN THE TONY AWARDS, UH, TOOK PLACE, OF COURSE, ON, UH, SUNDAY NIGHT, AND I WAS CLICKING THE CHANNEL GOING BACK AND FORTH. AND, UM, AND WHILE I WAS WATCHING THE TONY AWARDS, THEY HIGHLIGHTED ONE OF THE TEACHERS HERE IN HOUSTON, UH, AT GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS RIGHT AROUND THE STREET FROM WHERE I LIVE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE USED THE DRAMA TEAM FROM, UH, THE MUSIC TEAM, UH, FROM, UH, CARVER HIGH SCHOOL ALL THE TIME. AND SO THEY HIGHLIGHTED THE, UH, THE THEATER DIRECTOR, RHONDA JONES CUMBA. IN FACT, SHE RECEIVED THE HONOR ABOUT 5,000, YOU KNOW, APPLICANTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND, YOU KNOW, I'M WATCHING THE TELEVISION, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE SHOWING HER ON THE SCREEN AND SAID, GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER HIGH SCHOOL IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. AND, UM, I STARTED TALKING BACK TO THE TELEVISION, YOU KNOW, SAYING, . YEAH, I WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, AND WHY DIDN'T SHE INVITE ME? YOU KNOW, , BUT CONGRAT, CONGRATULATIONS, UH, TO, TO HER. SHE'S BEEN, UM, UM, UM, DEVOTED, LIKE UP TO 18 YEARS. AND, UM, SO, UM, JUST, UM, HUGE [02:20:01] CONGRATULATIONS TO WHAT SHE DOES AND HER, UM, SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATION WITH THE ARTS PROGRAM. I THINK FOR ME THAT, UH, THAT COVERS IT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER PAC. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, UM, WITH THE, UM, HOMELESS POPULATION IN DISTRICT A. THE TEMPORARY NAVIGATION, UM, CENTER HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL JUST DRIVING AROUND DISTRICT A, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE THAT IT'S MADE AND THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING, UM, SERVICES, WE'RE NOT JUST PUSHING THE PROBLEM IS REALLY HUGE. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, COUNCILMAN MCCAIN, UH, MAYOR, I ECHO, COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND SENTIMENTS, AND I KNOW LAST WEEK WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE HOLISTIC AND COMPASSIONATE WAY. WE ADDRESSED THE, UM, ISSUE OF ENCAMPMENTS AROUND THE SPUR, UM, AND THE SUCCESS OF THAT. SO, AGAIN, MY HAT'S OFF TO YOU, UH, MARK EICHENBAUM, ALL OF OUR COALITION PARTNERS. UH, ON THE SUBJECT OF AWARDS, THOUGH, 'CAUSE YOU MENTIONED THE TONYS, I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE, UM, ALBA HUTA FROM JULIP WHO FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER WON, IT'S HOUSTON'S FIRST EVER, UM, AWARD IN A NATIONAL CATEGORY AT THE JAMES BEARD COMPETITION. UM, SO JULEP WON, WE'RE VERY EXCITED FOR HER. AND THERE WAS A WHOLE LIST OF HOUSTON, AND I'LL SAY, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT C, A LOT OF ESTABLISHMENTS NOMINATED THAT IT, THAT COMPETED THERE. SO HOUSTON'S FIRST EVER AWARD IN A NATIONAL CATEGORY AT THE JAMES BEARD AWARDS. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU. AND I'M, I'M REMISS. UM, I CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, MARK EICHENBAUM, UM, SPECIAL ADVISOR ON HOMELESSNESS. UM, IN FACT, MARK, IF YOU ARE HERE AT CITY HALL, IF YOU COME, COME IF YOU'RE COME DOWNSTAIRS, UH, WHEREVER YOU ARE. BUT I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM. 'CAUSE MARK HAS BEEN, UH, WORKING ON THIS EVEN BEFORE I CAME IN. OF COURSE, HE'S BEEN HERE EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE. THAT'S BEEN HIS FOCUS. SO I, I REALLY WANT TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT HIS, HIS LEADERSHIP ON IT, BECAUSE HE HAS TAKEN THE LEAD, UH, ON IT AND WORK WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT I'M, THAT I'M MENTIONED. AND, UH, SO I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE AND THE WORK WE CONTINUE. WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO. SO, UH, MARK ACHENBAUM, LET ME THANK YOU. AND THEN LET ME THANK PEOPLE IN THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. UH, LET ME, LET ME THANK, UM, UH, ALL OF THEM, DIRECTOR BYUM, HIS, OUR ENTIRE TEAM, BECAUSE IN LARGE PART, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE THE UNITS WILL COME FROM, UM, THESE MOTHER TOWN FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS AND OTHERS. SO I DO WANT TO THANK HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, UM, STEVE WILLIAMS FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. YEAH, I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THEM. SO I'D BE REMISS IF THEN, SO, UM, SO TO MARK, TO DIRECTOR BYNUM AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM, UH, TO THE HOUSTON HIGH HOUSING AUTHORITY TO THE HEALTH, THERE HE IS. THERE HE IS. MARK, GO, RIGHT? YEAH. LEMME, LET ME LET, AND LET ME, UH, LEMME JUST SAY, UM, UM, UH, MARK IS, IS VERY, VERY, UM, HANDS ON AND PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS WORK AND THE HOMELESS. UH, AND PEOPLE WOULD THINK THAT WE HAVE A HUGE STAFF. THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I GOT, MAYOR, HOW MANY PEOPLE Y'ALL WORKING ON THIS ? I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, , BUT, UH, , AND NOT A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE OVER THERE, MAYBE TWO OR ONE. SO, UM, BUT MARK HAS BEEN, UM, UH, HANDS-ON, UM, UM, FROM THE TIME I CAME HERE TO WHERE WE ARE NOW, EVEN IN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, UM, OUT THERE IN THE FIELD, AND WHAT I MEAN, OUT THERE IN THE FIELD AT THE ENCAMPMENTS, TALKING WITH THE FOLK, UH, HELPING THEM GET PLAYS, UM, THAT, UM, AND HIS WORK, UH, AND THE WORK OF OTHERS, AS I MENTIONED, REALLY PAID OFF. SO, MARK, I, I KNOW, UH, AND AGAIN, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ARTICLE, UM, AND IT'S NOT, WORK IS NOT DONE, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO NOTE THE NOTABLE, UH, THE ACHIEVEMENTS THAT'S BEEN MADE AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON ADDRESSING, ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS. SO, MARK, YOU WANT TO, WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T GET TO WORK ON THIS. WE WOULDN'T GET TO WORK ON THIS AS A CITY OR A REGION WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT IN MAKING IT A PRIORITY. UH, WE HOMELESS, WE, WE CAN'T MAKE BIG STRIDES IN HOMELESSNESS WITHOUT, UM, CHAMPION, WITHOUT A HIGH LEVEL ELECTED LOCAL LEADERSHIP CHAMPIONING THE ISSUE, BRINGING IT TO THE FOREFRONT. AND WHAT'S EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS THE SUPPORT OF COUNCIL. YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH HOMELESSNESS, [02:25:01] SOMETIMES IT'S, IT'S DOING WHAT'S GONNA BE MOST EFFECTIVE, NOT ALWAYS WHAT'S MOST POPULAR. AND IT TAKES POLITICAL WILL TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA INVEST IN DATA PROVEN SOLUTIONS THAT ARE GONNA WORK. UH, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THE LONG RANGE GOALS OF SOLVING AND REDUCING, INSTEAD OF QUICK KNEE JERK REACTIONS THAT WON'T PRODUCE ANY IMPACT AT THE END OF THE DAY. AND IT'S A LOT OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL HEARS FROM CONSTITUENTS ALL THE TIME, BUT YOUR SUPPORT AND THE MAYOR'S, UH, LEADERSHIP ON THIS, YOU KNOW, IS, IS HOW WE MOVE FORWARD. WE'RE DOING THINGS HERE IN THE HOUSTON AND THE HARRIS COUNTY AREA WITH A FRACTION OF THE RESOURCES THAT MOST MAJOR CITIES, IN FACT, WE SPEND THE LEASE OF ANY MAJOR CITY IN THE UNITED STATES ON THIS ISSUE. BUT WHAT WE HAVE THAT OTHERS DON'T HAVE IS AN AMAZING UNIFIED, COORDINATED SYSTEM THAT'S FOCUSED, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ARE UNIFIED ON THIS. AND WE HAVE HIGH LEVEL ELECTED LEADERSHIP THAT KEEPS ON PUSHING THROUGH. UM, I THINK THE TIME SAID IT PERFECTLY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE, WE FOUND THE SOLUTION, BUT WE'VE NOT SOLVED THE ISSUE. AND THERE'S STILL SO MUCH WORK TO DO, UH, IN THE FUTURE. AND HOUSTON HAS RESISTED THE TEMPTATION TO MAKE HOMELESSNESS A POLITICAL ISSUE. WHEN HOMELESSNESS TURNS INTO A POLITICAL FOOTBALL, WE ALL LOSE. BUT STAYING FOCUSED ON ACTUALLY TRYING TO REDUCE IT IN A COMPASSIONATE WAY, BUT ALSO IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY, IS THE WAY THAT WE MOVE FORWARD. UM, AND SO WE STILL HAVE LOTS TO DO IN FRONT OF US. UM, WE ARE MIRACLE WORKERS IN HOUSTON, BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THAT WE CAN DO. UH, BUT, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE PROVIDING LOCATIONS FOR FOLKS TO GO TO HOUSING WITH WRAPAROUND SUPPORT SERVICES, WE'RE FINDING 90, 98% OF THE FOLKS ON THE STREETS WANT TO GET OFF THE STREETS. THEY WANT TO GO TO THAT. AND WHEN WE PUT 'EM IN THAT THEY STAY THERE. WE'RE NOT CHASING 'EM AROUND FROM BLOCK TO BLOCK LIKE SO MANY OTHER PLACES ARE DOING. BUT WE COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT, MAYOR. UH, YOU HAVE, UH, YOU'VE TAKEN SOME WORK THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN STARTED BEFORE YOU, BUT YOU'VE TAKEN IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL AND YOU HAVE NOTCHED IT UP. UH, AND, UH, A DAY DOESN'T GO BY WHEN YOU'RE NOT SAYING IT'S GREAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO MORE? AND THAT'S WHAT I NEED. THAT'S WHAT THE SYSTEM NEEDS, AND THAT'S WHAT HOUSTON NEEDS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE CONSTANT SUPPORT, UH, FROM ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, ON THIS ISSUE. UH, BUT WE ARE NOT DONE, AND WE HAVE LOTS TO DO. AND I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY, WHILE THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE PROFILED CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AND AGENCIES, THERE ARE HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF OTHER HEROES AND ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE IN HOUSTON THAT ARE PUTTING ASIDE THEIR OWN GOALS AND THEIR, AND THEIR OWN PRESSURES TO WORK TOGETHER AS ONE COLLABORATIVE SYSTEM WITH ONE UNIFIED PLAN, WITH ONE WITH SHARED GOALS AND SHARED STRATEGIES. AND WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THEIR AMAZING WORK. AND THEN BEFORE I, UH, DEFER TO SOME OF THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE ONE OR TWO THINGS THAT WOULD STAND AT THE MOST IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU THINK WE NEED TO, TO CONTINUE TO REDUCE THE NUMBERS? THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE RIGHT NOW IS WE NEED ACTUALLY HOUSING UNITS WHEN IT COMES TO COMPLEXES THAT ARE AFFORDABLE. RIGHT NOW, WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS THEY'RE A LONG WAIT LIST AT EVERY, EVERY APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT HAS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THERE'S A LONG, LONG, LONG WAIT LIST RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN UNIQUE TIME TO THE MAYOR'S LEADERSHIP AND COUNCIL'S APPROVAL. WE ARE PROVIDING A LOT OF COVID RELATED FUNDING THAT'S GONNA COVER RENT, AND IT'S GONNA COVER THE WRAPAROUND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, BUT WE DON'T HAVE, AS THE ACTUAL UNIT TO PUT PEOPLE IN THE OCCUPANCY RATES IN TEXAS, ESPECIALLY IN HOUSTON. SAN ANTONIO INCREASED MORE DURING THE PANDEMIC THAN ALMOST ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY. SO IT IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. IT'S TOUGH WHEN WE HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE WILLING TO GO INTO HOUSING AND WE HAVE A WAY TO PAY FOR IT AND THE SERVICES, BUT WE NEED THAT UNIT. UM, AND I KNOW, UM, OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S WORKING ON IT, BUT WE NEED PRIVATE OWNERS RIGHT NOW TO STEP UP, PARTNER WITH THE CITY, PROVIDE THOSE UNITS. UM, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT ENCAMPMENTS, WE COULD DEAL WITH MOST, WE COULD, WE COULD DECOMMISSION ALL THE ENCAMPMENTS IN THE CITY IN THE NEXT SIX, EIGHT MONTHS IF WE JUST HAD THE UNITS. I MEAN, I'M LITERALLY, YOU WOULDN'T SEE ANOTHER ENCAMPMENT IF WE HAD THE UNITS. SO I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU ONE OR TWO THINGS, MAYOR, I'M GONNA TELL YOU NUMBER ONE, THE THING WE NEED IS THOSE ACTUAL PHYSICAL UNITS. AND AT SOME POINT, I GUESS I'LL TELL YOU NUMBER TWO, YOU KNOW, WE WILL NEED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY. UM, RIGHT NOW, LIKE SO OFTEN WE HAVE TO DO IN A CITY, WE PIECEMEAL FUNDING TOGETHER WHEN FEDERAL FUNDING STREAMS COME THROUGH, UH, WHICH IS HOW WE DO THINGS. BUT AT SOME POINT, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE KEEP, UH, FUNDING THESE VITAL INITIATIVES EVEN IF THE FEDERAL FUNDS AREN'T AVAILABLE. AND CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD, WHAT IT WOULD SAY AND MEAN TO THIS [02:30:01] CITY IF PER PERSONS WHO ARE HOMELESS ON THE STREET TODAY WOULD BE IN AN APARTMENT WITH THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND THERE WOULD BE NO ENCAMPMENTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT A POSITIVE STATEMENT THAT WOULD MAKE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON? I MEAN, IF, IF WITH MARK SAYING, IF WE HAD THE UNITS IN SIX MONTHS, ALL OF THE ENCAMPMENTS THAT YOU SEE IN THE CITY WOULD BE NO MORE, AND THESE PEOPLE WOULD BE EFFECTIVELY HOUSED WITH THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES. NUMBER ONE, WE WILL BE MEETING THEIR NEEDS. AND NUMBER TWO, IT WOULD BE A HUGE, HUGE PLUS FOR THE CITY OF OF HOUSTON. AND SO THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO THANK THE APARTMENT OWNERS AND MANAGERS WHO STEPPED UP AND SIMPLY ASKING THEM AND OTHERS, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH US IN SETTING ASIDE ADDITIONAL UNITS. AND WITH THE GOAL, EVEN FOR THEM OF, UM, ELIMINATING, DECOMMISSIONING ALL OF THESE ENCAMPMENTS. IT WOULD BE A HUGE PLUS. AND WE, WE HAVE EVEN TALKED ABOUT PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO THESE PRIVATE APARTMENT OWNERS FOR THE ADDITIONAL COST, YOU KNOW, MAINTENANCE AND THINGS, UH, TO, TO, UH, REDUCE THEIR FINANCIAL RISK. UH, BUT THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE HUGE. SO THAT'S WHY THIS IS AN ECOSYSTEM. THIS IS EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATING. AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. AND, AND MAYOR, PEOPLE OFTEN WONDER, WHY ARE WE, WHY ARE WE HAVING TO OFFER HOUSING TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF ENCAMPMENTS? THE REALITY IS, IS ANY OTHER POTENTIAL, UM, RESPONSE ENDS UP JUST DISPLACING INDIVIDUALS. IF WE JUST GO OFFER SHELTER, MOST OF THE PEOPLE ON THE STREETS DON'T WANT SHELTER FOR VARIOUS REASONS. SO IF WE JUST DO ENFORCEMENT OR WE JUST DO SHELTER, WHAT WE'RE LITERALLY DOING IS JUST DISPLACING 'EM ONTO THE NEXT CORNER OR FURTHER INTO NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH WE, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANNA DO. WE WANT TO, WE DON'T WANT TO PLAY A CAT AND MOUSE GAME AND SHUFFLE FOLKS AROUND. WE WANNA GET THEM OFF THE STREET SO THAT THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE TO KEEP ON RESPONDING. OUR POLICE DON'T KEEP ON HAVING TO RESPONDING. AND IT'S ALSO THE MOST COMPASSIONATE THING. SO NOT ALWAYS DO WE GET TO SAY THE MOST COMPASSIONATE RESPONSE IS ALSO THE MOST EFFECTIVE RESPONSE. BUT WITH THIS, WE GET TO SAY THAT. YET, THERE IS A MERGING OF THE TWO. UH, AND I WANNA THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR BRINGING, UM, APARTMENT OWNERS TO THE TABLE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD AS WELL, UH, HAS BROUGHT IN, UH, APARTMENT OWNERS. UH, BUT, UH, IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF US AS ONE COMMUNITY, UH, TO REALLY PUSH THE BALL EVEN FURTHER DOWN THE COURT. COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, THANK YOU, MARK, FOR YOUR SERVICE. UH, I'LL NEVER FORGET, UH, WHEN WE MOVED, UH, INTO THAT AREA FOR OFF WHEELER BY THE, UH, ION OVER BY FIESTA. AND WHEN I PULLED UP, UH, TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND HOW WE WERE GONNA HANDLE THIS, YOU WERE THERE, YOU WERE IN CHARGE. AND I WAS SO PROUD TO SEE YOU HANDS ON, AND YOU CAN HEAR IT IN YOUR VOICE AND YOUR COMPASSION AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF, OF HOW TO HANDLE THIS. AND I THANK YOU BECAUSE I CERTAINLY DOESN'T WANT HOUSTON TO, TO FACE WHAT SAN FRANCISCO'S FACING TODAY. GOD BLESS YOU. AND, AND MAY WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP WORKING. THANK YOU. AND YOU CALL ON ME IF YOU NEED. WELL, YOU KNOW, I, I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT GOOD GOVERNMENTS, AND I'M PASSIONATE, AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT CITIES AND GOVERNMENT CAN SOLVE INSTITUTIONAL, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY ISSUES. UH, AND, UH, AND HOMELESSNESS IS ONE THAT HOUSTON IS MAKING STRIDES ON, EVEN IF IT MIGHT NOT FEEL LIKE IT EVERY DAY. UH, THE REALITY IS, IS PUT INTO CONTEXT WITH THE REST OF NOT ONLY THE NATION, BUT THE WORLD, UH, HOUSTON IS, IS DOING MORE THAN ANY PLACE ELSE. UH, AND, AND WE'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH. COUNCILMAN MRS. OWERS? THANK YOU, MARK. I, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE, UM, FOR YOUR EXTRAORDINARY, EXTRAORDINARY COMMITMENT. YOUR FOCUS, YOUR CLARITY OF PURPOSE, AND, UM, FOR ORCHESTRATING THE HUNDREDS OF, OF PEOPLE AND AGENCIES THAT YOU, THAT YOU WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, AND ALL THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS AND RESOURCE PROVIDERS AND RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, TO, TO REALLY ADDRESS THIS. UM, YOU IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HOUSING AS, AS YOUR TOP PRIORITY, BUT I WANTED TO ASK YOU, WHAT CAN YOU SHARE WITH US ABOUT, UM, MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS? AND, UM, IS THERE, OR DO YOU SEE ANY INCLINATION IN THE LEGISLATURE IN THE NEXT SESSION TO, UM, DIRECT MORE FUNDING TO MENTAL HEALTH? WELL, I, I, I'LL REFER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEXT LEGISLATURE TO, TO BILL KELLY. UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS IS THAT, UH, WE CAN HOUSE AND WE DO EVERY DAY, UH, HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. AND AS WE KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORS MAY BE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND THEY ARE STILL STABLY HOUSED, [02:35:01] UH, A LOT. UM, IF IT EVER MANIFESTS INTO SOMETHING THAT'S VISIBLE, IT'S HAPPENING WITH THE INSIDE OF THEIR WALLS. UH, BUT THE REALITY IS, SINCE THE HOMELESS HAVE NO WALLS ON THE STREETS, WE'RE, WE ALL GET TO SEE WHEN IT MANIFESTS. UH, BUT THE REALITY IS, IS THE WAY WE CAN SCREW, SQUEEZE MORE JUICE FROM AN ORANGE AND TO, TO DO, TO DRIVE IMPACT WITHOUT RESOURCES, IS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SYSTEM INTEGRATION. AND SO ONE OF THE BIG THINGS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IS INTEGRATION BETWEEN THE HOMELESS SYSTEM AND OUR MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM WORKING TOGETHER LIKE NEVER BEFORE WITH THE HARRIS CENTER, OUR LOCAL PUBLIC, UH, MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY. BUT THERE'S STILL SO MUCH MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, UH, THROUGH THE MAYOR'S, UH, LEADERSHIP. AND WITH COUNCIL'S APPROVAL, WE OPENED UP OUR HOMELESS WELLNESS AND HOUSING FACILITY. IT'S A DIVERSION FACILITY FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS OR WITH MENTAL HEALTH TO KEEP THEM OUTTA JAIL FROM GETTING A RECORD, WHICH ONLY MAKES IT HARDER FOR US TO HOUSE THEM, PROVIDES THEM THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT A SMALL PERCENTAGE MAY NEED SO WE CAN STABLY HOUSE THEM. BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER MISSING PIECES IN THAT CONTINUUM FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. AND WHILE MANY HOMELESS SUFFER FROM MENTAL HEALTH, MOST OF THEM DEVELOP IT ONCE THEY BECOME HOMELESS. IT'S NOT THE REASON WHY THEY WERE HOMELESS IN THE FIRST PLACE. BUT THERE IS LOTS TO BE DONE IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES. THE REASON SOMETIMES WE HAVE ISSUES IS NOT BECAUSE THE PERSON IS HOMELESS, THE ISSUE MIGHT BE 'CAUSE THEY'RE SUFFERING FROM SOME OTHER TYPE OF THINGS. SO ON THAT CONTINUUM OF CARE, UH, THERE IS A LOT THAT WE NEED TO DO. UM, AND THE CITIES AND TALKS RIGHT NOW OF CREATING HOUSING JUST FOR THOSE WITH ACUTE MENTAL HEALTH, UH, ISSUES TO KEEP THEM OFF THE STREETS. THEY NEED A HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICES. WE DON'T WANNA PUT THEM IN A REGULAR APARTMENT COMPLEX. IT WOULDN'T BE SUCCESSFUL FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. UH, AND SO THE CITY'S WORKING ON THAT. BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF, WE, WE HAVE A TON OF ISSUES. THE AGING POP OF OUR HOMELESS POPULATION WHO NEED ASSISTANCE LIVING. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LACK OF LOCATIONS FOR THAT, UH, A LACK OF LOCATIONS FOR, UH, UM, FOR, UH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE. BUT I'LL TELL YOU TODAY IS NOT ABOUT THE LAUNDRY LIST OF VOIDS THAT WE HAVE. UH, AS THE MAYOR WOULD SAY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT CHALLENGES, THEY'RE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, BUT WE PRIORITIZE THOSE AND THEN WE WORK ON THEM TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU ON THAT AS, AS WELL AS OTHER INTERESTED COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. STAN. I WILL TELL YOU, I TALKED WITH SENATOR JOHN CORNY ON MONDAY MORNING, AND A PART OF WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. AND WHAT I ENCOURAGED, UH, HIM TO DO IS TO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE MENTAL HEALTH DOLLARS GET ALL THE WAY DOWN, UH, TO THE LOCAL, UH, COMMUNITIES. AND I'D LIKE, WELL, THAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS. AND I'D LIKE TO JUST ADD, AND, AND I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, BUT IN TERMS OF MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING, THERE'S ALMOST NO MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING FOR CHILDREN. I MEAN, THEY ARE, THEY ARE SUPER, SUPER UNDERFUNDED. THAT'S WHAT, JUST TO THROW THAT OUT THERE, THAT WAS A PART OF THE CONVERSATION. BUT HE, UM, HE INDICATED TO ME THAT THERE WILL BE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS BEING MADE AVAILABLE FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. AND, AND ON THE REALM OF HOMELESSNESS, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT SOME OF THOSE MENTAL HEALTH DOLLARS ARE USED FOR HOUSING BECAUSE PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO SOMEBODY ON THE STREETS IS NOT EFFECTIVE, RIGHT? THEY NEED A SAFE, STABLE PLACE TO LIVE. SO THOSE SERVICES CAN ACTUALLY TAKE HOLD AND BE EFFECTIVE. OKAY. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. MARK, I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, THIS IS SUCH A COMPLEX ISSUE, YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS 'CAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH HUMAN BEINGS, UH, WITH, UM, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, MENTAL HEALTH, JOBS, TRAINING, ALL THE WRAPAROUND SERVICE THAT ARE, THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THAT TRANSITION. BUT I KNOW, SPEAKING WITH YOU EARLIER IN THE YEAR, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME THAT YOU SAID WAS TO PREVENT A PERSON FROM BEING HOMELESS, YOU GOTTA GIVE 'EM A HOME, RIGHT? AND SO FINDING THOSE AVAILABLE UNITS, I THINK, LIKE YOU SAID, IS VERY IMPORTANT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE DECOMMISSION OF THE ENCAMPMENT AT 59 AND FOUNTAIN VIEW. I KNOW THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST, UM, ENCAMPMENTS THAT WAS OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN THAT WE PUT THIS NEW TRAGEDY TOWARDS. AND I CAN TELL YOU TO THIS DAY, UM, THERE ARE NO MORE, UH, HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AT THAT LOCATION. AND THAT WAS A LOCATION THAT WAS A HUGE ISSUE FOR US WITH A LOT OF CHALLENGES. AND IT PROVED THAT THE, THE MODEL THAT YOU'RE PUTTING FORTH AND LEADING ON IS WORKING. THE NEXT THING I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS, UH, AS WE SPEAK ABOUT UNITS, APAR, NOT APARTMENTS, HOTELS THAT HAVE KITCHENS WITHIN EACH UNIT, ARE WE LOOKING AT THAT AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION OR A CONSIDERATION? UH, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL, UM, HOTEL OWNERS THAT HAVE UNITS WITH KITCHENS THAT ASK ABOUT THAT. AND I KNOW IN OTHER CITIES THAT HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE LOOKED AT AS WELL. SO, UM, GETTING OUTSIDE OF THIS SPACE OF JUST TRADITIONAL APARTMENTS, BUT FINDING OTHER, UM, HOUSING OPTIONS AND HOTEL [02:40:01] WITH A KITCHEN IN EACH UNIT MAY BE THAT. SO I WANT TO PUT THAT ON YOUR RADAR AND SEE WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WERE ON THAT. THANKS. COUNCIL MEMBER, CAROLYN, ELVIN SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND CERTAINLY MARK, I THANK YOU, UM, JUST AT THE LAST MINUTE, I'VE REACHED OUT TO YOU AND YOU HAVE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE. UH, WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS I NEED TO GET WITH YOU TO PITCH AN IDEA TO YOU AND THE MAYOR AS WELL. UH, ACTUALLY A FORMER, UM, HOMELESS PERSON, UH, BROUGHT AN IDEA TO ME, AND I'VE JUST KIND OF BEEN CARRYING IT, BUT I'LL, I'LL TALK TO YOU AND THE MAYOR ABOUT IT. BUT IT, IT'S, IT COULD BE A VERY GOOD OPTION, UH, CERTAINLY FOR TRANSITIONAL LIVING, UH, FOR OUR HOMELESS POPULATION. AND THANK YOU ALSO, UH, THE WHEELER ENCAMPMENT, YOU KNOW, WAS, WAS CERTAINLY A HUGE, HUGE FACTOR, AND I THANK YOU FOR, UH, DECOMMISSIONING THAT AS WELL. SO, UH, I'LL GET WITH YOU, UH, TO PITCH MY IDEA AND SEE IF WE CAN COME TO SOME KIND OF RESOLUTION, TEMPORARY RESOLUTION, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL PROBABLY ALWAYS HAVE THE HOMELESS, BUT WE CERTAINLY WANNA BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM WHEREVER THEY ARE. THANK YOU. AND YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND MARK, THANK YOU FOR THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. AND AS YOU KNOW, JUST LISTENING TO MY COLLEAGUES AND THE MAYOR TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED ALL ACROSS THIS CITY, YOU KNOW, FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER, UP AND DOWN. AND THAT IN ITSELF IS JUST A REMARKABLE FEAT. COMPARING OURSELVES TO OTHER CITIES IS GREAT, BUT WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT OVER 640 SQUARE MILES IN THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY, THAT IS EXTRAORDINARY. SO OUR WORK IS NOT DONE. YOU'VE MENTIONED THAT, AND I THINK YOU SAID A REALLY IMPORTANT THING THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME, WHICH IS SOMETIMES IT INCLUDES UNPOPULAR SOLUTIONS. AND I'M SEEING THAT WITH CERTAINLY THE NAVIGATION CENTER THAT WE'VE HAD TO VOTE ABOUT RECENTLY. SOME OF THOSE THINGS. I KNOW IN THE CASE OF THE, THE PARISH WHERE I ATTEND, UH, THE HOMELESS MINISTRY THERE AT THAT FAITH-BASED, UH, COMMUNITY WAS A VERY POPULAR MINISTRY. BUT YOU HELPED US UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE CITY'S PROGRAM. AND WE MADE THAT TRANSITION. AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THAT'S BEEN PART OF THE SOLUTION. SO MAYOR, THE FAITH-BASED INSTITUTIONS, ALL THOSE INDIVIDUAL GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED TODAY ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE SOLUTION. SO I WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT. YOUR WORK AND OUR WORK IS NOT DONE AND WON'T BE ANYTIME SOON. BUT I THINK A TRULY ORGANIZED AND EFFECTIVE APPROACH, LIKE YOU'VE SUGGESTED, IS GONNA PAVE THE WAY. SO HAPPY, UH, WITH THE VERY CAPABLE CHAIR OF OUR HOUSING COMMITTEE TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS WITH YOU. I DID WANT TO ASK YOU ONE QUESTION 'CAUSE UM, I KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THE QUESTION COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS BROUGHT UP ABOUT MENTAL WELLNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. UM, IT'S CLEAR IN YOUR PRINCIPLE POINT, WE NEED MORE UNITS, BUT THE VULNERABILITIES AND THE VAGARIES OF A YEAR WHERE CONDITIONS CHANGE IN A NUMBER MORPHS, IS THERE A SIMPLE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WE CAN TARGET? YOU DIDN'T SAY ONE YET, AND I'M LOOKING FOR A NUMBER. YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DIFFERENT MODELING SET UP FOR DIFFERENT CONDITIONS. UH, BUT I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING AT, IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS THAT WE DO NEED A GOOD FOUR TO 5,000 UNITS. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, AND THAT IS FOR OUR GOAL TO CUT HOMELESSNESS IN HALF AGAIN. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, I I THINK IT'S A DOABLE, UH, AND WE CAN DO IT. UH, IT'S, IT'S JUST GONNA TAKE ALL OF US AND I'M GONNA USE THIS OPPORTUNITY 'CAUSE I WOULD BE REMISS WITHOUT REALLY THANKING MY COLLEAGUES AT THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS AS WELL AS ALL THE AGENCIES THAT ARE PART OF THE WAY HOME. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE ONES, YOU KNOW, REALLY DOING THE HARD WORK. BUT, UH, WHAT I CAN DO IS I CAN BRING THOSE, UM, DIFFERENT MODELS TO THE MAYOR, UH, AND TO COUNCIL YEAH. MAYBE FOR US TO USE AS GOALS, UH, FOR OUR FUTURE ACTIVITIES. MAYOR, IT MAY BE APPROPRIATE AND WE CAN SPEAK WITH THE CHAIR, CERTAINLY, BUT I THINK THAT THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE WOULD REALLY LOVE TO, UH, BRING THAT FORTH PUBLICLY AS WELL, IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THAT NUMBER YOU JUST GAVE, UM, IF THERE ARE EXAMPLES, OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THE IDEAS PROMOTED, UM, HOTELS ELSEWHERE, IF THERE ARE TOURS THAT YOU WOULD RECOMMEND FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, WE, I'D LOVE TO GET A LIST ABOUT PLACES YOU THINK WE SHOULD GO TO UNDERSTAND THE MODELS. YEAH, FOR SURE. THANKS COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, MARK, INCREDIBLE WORK, UH, YOUR PASSION. I THINK WE ALL SEE IT HERE. IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. UM, REALLY QUICKLY, 'CAUSE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, AND MAYOR, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE HOUSING OR APARTMENT SHORTAGE. WHAT NUMBER, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, WOULD WE NEED TO GET TO, UM, TO HAVE HOUSING FOR THE REMAINDER OF INDIVIDUALS LOOKING FOR HOUSING RIGHT NOW THAT ARE IN ENCAMPMENTS? UH, WELL, IF, IF WE JUST LOOK AT ENCAMPMENTS, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE NEW PEOPLE ARE, [02:45:01] FIND THEM WAY THEMSELVES IN ENCAMPMENTS EVERY DAY. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT AROUND, UH, I THINK WE COULD DO IT WITH AROUND SIX TO 800 UNITS. THAT'S IT. MM-HMM . OKAY. A AGAIN, THAT, THAT'S HELPFUL, MAYOR AS A THRESHOLD, RIGHT? IF, I MEAN, EVEN IN, UH, IF EACH DISTRICT MEMBER TOOK ON 50 AT THAT POINT, YEAH, WE COULD GET THERE. AND, YOU KNOW, AND ONE THING IS, IS IT DOESN'T ALWAYS MATTER HOW MANY UNITS OR HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU HOUSE, IT ALSO MATTERS HOW QUICKLY YOU'RE GETTING THEM RIGHT. UH, SO THAT YOU CAN BE ABLE TO ACT QUICK ENOUGH SO THAT YOU, WE CAN SEE THE VISIBLE, UH, RESULTS AND, AND ACHIEVE THOSE IMPACTS. AND SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE THAT GOES INTO, UH, INTO THE MODELING AS WELL. THANK, MAYOR, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UM, I HEARD SO MUCH POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON THAT ARTICLE YESTERDAY. AGAIN, WE KNOW THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE, THAT IT'S, BUT IT, THE FACT THAT IT'S GETTING NATIONAL ATTENTION THAT IT DESERVES IS, UM, REALLY EXTRAORDINARY. CONGRATULATIONS. THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MGOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR MARK. UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN REGARDS TO ALONG THE GULF FREEWAY. AS YOU KNOW, THAT HAD BEEN A, UH, BIG, BIG, BIG PROBLEM IN REGARDS TO ENCAMPMENTS ALONG THE GULF FREEWAY. WE WERE GETTING CALLS FROM RESIDENTS ALL ALONG THE GULF FREEWAY, AND, UH, IT HAS REALLY IMPROVED. UH, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. UM, MARY, IN REGARDS TO THE CITY'S FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ON, ON THESE DEPARTMENTS OR THE CITY PAYING LIKE THE DEPOSIT AND, AND, AND, AND PAYING THE RENT AND, AND, AND WHAT HAVE YOU, OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? YEAH, SO, SO, SO THE RENT IS CHIEFLY PAID FOR BY EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS OR SECTION EIGHT HOUSING VOUCHERS. UH, AND SO THAT MEANS IT'S, IT CAN BE LONG TERM, UM, AND THEN THE SERVICES ARE PAID FOR, UH, THROUGH FEDERAL FUNDS THAT THE CITY ALLOCATES OR THE COUNTY ALLOCATES, OR THAT OUR HOMELESS SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, RECEIVES. SO THOSE ARE THE, THE PRIMARY WAYS, UH, WHILE THE, UH, RENT ASSISTANCE IS, IS LONG TERM, UH, THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. WE PIECEMEAL TOGETHER. WE, WE WILL GET A COUPLE YEARS, COUPLE YEARS, BUT I WANT TO STRESS WE WILL NEVER HOUSE A PERSON WITHOUT THOSE WRAPAROUND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. THE SERVICES IS WHAT KEEPS THE PERSON HOUSED, AND HOUSING IS WHAT MAKES THE SERVICES EFFECTIVE. UM, AND SO, UH, THERE'S ABOUT A 20 DIFFERENT FUNDING STREAMS THAT ALL HAVE TO BE BRAIDED TOGETHER FOR THE OUTCOME TO ACTUALLY WORK, BECAUSE ALL THE FUNDING STREAMS HAVE DIFFERENT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND RESTRICTIONS AND TIMELINES. UH, AND THAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE HARD WORK THAT THE CITY AND COUNTY WORK ON TOGETHER WITH THE COALITION TO FIGURE OUT THAT BRAIDING ASPECTS. AND, UH, ALSO, I KNOW THAT YEARS AGO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE WENT TO SAN ANTONIO TO TOUR THE HAVEN OF HOPE MM-HMM. FOR HOPE. UH, AND, UH, I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF, UH, WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A TOUR OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN REGARDS TO THE FACILITIES AND, AND, AND WHAT'S BEING PROVIDED OUT THERE. UH, SO THAT WAY WE CAN MAYBE WORK AND TRY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO, IN OUR DISTRICTS TO HELP FIND SOME APARTMENTS AS WELL. FOR SURE. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER ON THE SCREEN. ON THE SCREEN. YEAH. THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR MARK, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. UM, AND I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING OUR, OUR YOUTH THAT ARE AGING OUTTA THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. I KNOW THAT THAT, UM, IS A LARGE, UM, WELL, I'M HEARING THAT THERE'S A LARGE, UM, GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT, UM, THAT JUST DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, THEY'VE AGED OUT. IS THAT, UM, SPECIFICALLY IS THERE, IS THAT SPECIFICALLY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON? ARE THERE SPECIFIC GRANTS, UM, THAT CAN FOCUS ON THAT SPECIFIC POPULATION? OR HOW ARE WE DEALING WITH THAT? YEAH. UM, SO, UH, YOUTH AGING NOW, THE FOSTER CARE, UH, IN CONTEXT OF OUR ENTIRE POPULATION IS A, IS A VERY SMALL, UH, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT REALLY IMPORTANT. UM, AND SO, UM, THERE'S, WE'RE DO, UH, WE RECEIVED A $10 MILLION GRANT, UH, TO DO A YOUTH DEMONSTRATION PROJECT, UH, WHERE WE HAVE, UH, UH, AND WE'RE DOING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES JUST TO RESPOND TO, UH, YOUTH HOMELESSNESS AND ESPECIALLY THOSE AGING OUT FOSTER CARE. ALSO, THE COUNTY, UH, HAS REALLY BEEN, UH, TAKING, UM, THE BATON ON THIS ONE AND WORKING WITH THE HAY CENTERS AND WORKING, UH, TO DEVELOP HOUSING, UM, AND PROGRAMS, UH, TO EXPAND THE CAPABILITIES TO HELP THESE INDIVIDUALS OUT SO THAT THEY DO NOT BECOME HOMELESS, UH, IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO MORE IS BEING DONE ON THAT FRONT NOW, UH, THAN EVER BEFORE. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. AND, UH, MAYOR FOR TIM MARTIN. YES, MARK, UH, LONG OVERDUE PUBLICITY. UH, I'VE BEEN WATCHING YOU FOR NINE YEARS NOW, AND IF PEOPLE ASK ME TO DESCRIBE YOU, I'LL DESCRIBE YOU WITH TWO WORDS, AND THAT IS INTELLIGENT AND COMPASSIONATE. AND THOSE ARE TWO OF THE KEY INGREDIENTS TO HANDLING THE HOMELESS PROBLEM. AND AS YOU KNOW, AS EVERYONE KNOWS, MENTAL HEALTH IS AN IMPORTANT, UH, INGREDIENT TO HOW [02:50:01] WE SOLVE AND CREATE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH ADVANTAGES FOR US. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS ASKED A GOOD QUESTION ON MONDAY, THE, THE 13TH, UH, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, DAVE PHELAN, SENT A LETTER TO DAN PATRICK FOR THE INTERIM SESSION. HIS FIRST CATEGORY WAS MENTAL HEALTH. THERE WAS A LARGE NUMBER OF DOLLARS THAT ARE GONNA BE DEDICATED TO MENTAL HEALTH WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS, MOVING THROUGH THE INTERIM SESSION AND HEADING TO JANUARY. AND WHILE THE PRICE OF A GALLON OF GAS MAY HURT US AT THE PUMP, IT'S A GREAT ADVANTAGE FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND AS MAYOR TURNER CAN TELL YOU, THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS MORE MONEY MOVING INTO THE SESSION IN 23 THAN THEY CAN IMAGINE. ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT SPEAKER OF FEELING IS MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THIS, BUT HIS WIFE KIM, IS ON THE BOARD OF MEADOWS MENTAL HEALTH POLICY INSTITUTE AND ALSO IS A PRESIDENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. SO, AS WE VENTURE INTO AUSTIN, BEGINNING IN JANUARY, MAKE SURE YOU PAY A VISIT TO SPEAKER FEELING'S OFFICE AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT HIS WIFE PRESENTLY WORKS ON, BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN DOING THIS HER WHOLE CAREER. SO WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE IN THERE IN THE SPEAKER'S WIFE. SO, UM, AS WE IN TURN TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES WITH OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES, MAKE SURE THAT WE BRING THAT TO THE FOREFRONT. AND, UM, AWESOME JOB DAY IN AND DAY OUT. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT, UH, TO ECHO COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS POINTS, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID FOR US, UH, ON THE GULF FREEWAY, UH, HEADING TOWARDS THE SOUTH PART OF THE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND, UH, KEEP IT UP AND KEEP DOING THE GOOD WORK. AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK, YOU LOOK AT 5,000 UNITS, WHILE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, IT'S REALLY NOT TO HELP SOLVE THIS ISSUE. AND, UM, I JUST RECENTLY CAME BACK FROM CALIFORNIA THIS PAST WEEKEND AND, UH, IT MAKES US LOOK LIKE, UM, TAJ MAHAL. SO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TIFFANY THOMAS. THANK YOU. AND I HOPE NOT TO, UM, REPEAT THE, THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES, BUT JUST TO SHARE AS A REMINDER TO MY COLLEAGUES AND, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY TO THE WORK OF MAYOR TURNER FOR BRINGING FORTH SIGNIFICANT ITEMS ALMOST EVERY OTHER WEEK TO INVEST IN OUR, OUR HOMELESSNESS EFFORT. AND JUST TO REMIND YOU, EVEN DURING THE PEAK OF COVID, UM, THE COVID DOLLARS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM HU UM, HUD, THE, THAT ALLOCATION, INVESTING BACK INTO THAT POPULATION AND MAKING SURE THEY WERE A PART OF THAT FOOTPRINT IN TERMS OF OUR RESPONSE, OF COURSE, YOU PRESENTING A CITYWIDE ENCAMPMENT STRATEGY, RIGHT? WHICH IS NEW, AND HE'LL BE COMING BEFORE THE HOUSING COMMITTEE SOON TO UPDATE ON THAT IN THE MENTION OF THE NAVIGATION CENTERS AND THEN ALSO THE PUBLIC SERVICES DIVISION WITHIN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT. THERE'S A SERIES OF CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS THAT THEY ACTIVELY WORK TO SUPPLEMENT TO SUPPORT THE OVERALL, UM, ISSUE. 'CAUSE WE CAN'T GET TO THE NEW YORK TIMES BEFORE DOING ALL OF THIS TYPE OF WORK. AND SO ALL OF THE RIGHT TURNS ARE CONSISTENT IN THIS CITY, AND I'M GLAD WE'RE FINALLY GETTING THE ATTENTION BECAUSE THIS WORK DOESN'T GET THE ATTENTION THAT THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER PROJECTS GET. SO, HOWEVER, WE CAN CONTINUE TO HELP CARRY THE VISION TO THE FINISH LINE, YOU HAVE COMPLETE SUPPORT AT THIS HORSESHOE. AND JUST TO REMIND MY COLLEAGUES THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR, UH, VOTES TO SUPPORT THOSE ITEMS ACTUALLY DO FIT THE PUZZLE PIECES, RIGHT? SO THESE ARE NOT ISOLATED CONTRACTS OR DEALS OR ONE-OFFS. IT'S ACTUALLY TO ADDRESS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM IN OUR CITY. AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE LEADING. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. THANK YOU. AND YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED, AND I'VE BEEN REMISS NOT THANK THE CITY'S HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, IF YOU GO UPSTREAM FROM WHEN A PERSON IS HOUSED, IT'S USUALLY BECAUSE 20 PEOPLE IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, UM, DID PROCUREMENT AND DID CONTRACTS AND GOT ITEMS HERE AT COUNCIL. UH, AND THEY OFTEN GO UNNOTICED. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM. AND ONCE AGAIN, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME HIJACK THE MEETING. UH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UH, THANK YOU. I'M JUST AN AGENT OF YOUR VISION AND I APPRECIATE IT. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. UH, UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON? THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I HAVE TO ADD MY THANK YOU. UM, I KNOW AS WE WERE WORKING ON THE, UM, TRANSFER CENTER IN ACRES HOME, MEAN, NOT ACRES, HOME'S, FIFTH WARD, THERE WAS A LOT OF PUSHBACK, UM, ON IT. AND I JUST SO HAPPENED TO GO BY THERE ON YESTERDAY. I SEE THAT, UM, THE DEVELOPMENT IS HAPPENING. I SAW FOLKS PLAYING AT THE, UM, PARK, UM, INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT THE PARK IS UPGRADED. BUT I APPRECIATE THE, UM, ADMINISTRATION FOR INCLUDING, UM, THE COMMUNITY. 'CAUSE THIS IS JUST NOT A TRANSFER CENTER FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT'S, UM, TRANSITION OUTTA HOMELESS, BUT IT'S ALSO A CENTER FOR COMMUNITY TO COME AND GET RESOURCES AS WELL. AND SO I WAS AT THE MEETING, UM, NEAR THE CENTER AND, UM, ONE OF THE, UM, CONSTITUENTS ASKED, WHEN CAN WE GO APPLY FOR A JOB? SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU GUYS AND, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, TOUR TOURING THE CITY AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY, SURROUNDING COMMUNITY IS ON THE FOREFRONT AND SUPPORTING THE EFFORT, UM, TO REDUCE HOMELESSNESS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST PUTTING UP WITH US. I KNOW [02:55:01] IT WAS A TEDIOUS, IT WAS LIKE, IT WAS, WAS, IT WAS CRAZY , IT WAS, ATTENTIONS WAS HIGH. UM, BUT I THINK WE GOT TO A POINT TO WHERE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A SPACE FOR FOLKS TO GO TO THAT NEED IT, UM, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE HOMELESS. SO, THANK YOU. LIKEWISE. THANK YOU. AND COUNCILMAN JACKSON, THAT'S A PART OF THE PROCESS, HAVING THE CONVERSATION, HAVING THE DIALOGUE, WORKING THROUGH, I MEAN, THAT IS, THAT IS A PART OF IT. SO, UM, EVERYBODY WANTS THEIR COMMUNITIES UPLIFTED, NOT PULLED DOWN. AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THESE OPEN, TRANSPARENT, TOUGH CONVERSATIONS. UM, BUT WE, BUT WE WORK THROUGH IT. UM, I DO WANT TO THANK SOLID WASTE TOO. UH, I'LL BE REMISS WITHOUT THANKING SOLID WASTE, UH, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE HELPING TO CLEAN UP THESE ENCAMPMENTS AND, UH, CONTINUING TO DO THAT, UM, WITH THE COVID HOMELESS INITIATIVES. AND SO LET ME THANK, UM, UM, MARK WILL FALK AND ALL OF HIS TEAM, UH, WITHIN, WITHIN SOLID WAYS. AND THEN LET ME THANK HPD, UM, UM, WITH THEIR TEAMS, UH, THE HOT TEAMS, ALL OF THAT. SO LET ME THINK THAT JUST, AND IT JUST POINTS OUT TO THE, TO THE BROADNESS OF THIS ECOSYSTEM, HOW THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. SO NO, IT HADN'T, MEETING HADN'T BEEN HIJACKED. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, UH, TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT HAS BEEN DONE, UH, TO, IN, TO INCENTIVIZE HOPEFULLY OTHERS IF THEY'RE NOT A PART OF THE TEAM, TO BECOME A PART OF THE TEAM. BUT I DO WANT TO CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. UH, IF PEOPLE WANTED TO SEE, AT LEAST SEE THE ENCAMPMENTS DECOMMISSION, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKING UNITS AVAILABLE, ESPECIALLY FROM, YOU KNOW, THE APARTMENT OWNERS AND OTHERS, SINGLE, SINGLE UNITS AVAILABLE, WOULD GO A LONG WAY, UH, IN A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME OF DECOMMISSIONING THE ENCAMPMENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY OUT THERE, WHICH WOULD BENEFIT THE PEOPLE ON, IN THESE ENCAMPMENTS AND THE CITY AS A WHOLE. SO, MARK, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU. AND I'M GONNA LET YOU GET BACK TO, TO YOUR HUGE DEPARTMENT, UH, SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOUR, ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF YOUR STAFF AND STAFF, YOUR TEAM, AND, YOU KNOW, TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO KEEP, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. GREAT. ONCE AGAIN, MAYOR, UM, UH, JUST AN AGENT FOR YOUR VISION AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PATIENCE, UH, ON THIS ISSUE AS WELL. UH, THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING, SO THANK YOU. THANKS. THANKS, THANKS MARK. ALRIGHT, AND BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, AND I FORGOT TO DO IT EARLIER WHEN WE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE INTERNS, UH, REGGIE, JOSEPH, REGGIE STANDUP, REGGIE IS, IS THE CAREER COACH, UH, FOR, FOR ALL OF THE INTERNS. SO REGGIE, THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR WORK AND FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND BEING THE COACH, UH, FOR THESE INTERNS. AND, UH, YOU GOT A WINNING TEAM ALREADY. YOU GOT ALL STARS, YOU KNOW, SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, REGGIE. OKAY. ALRIGHT THEN, MADAM, UM, SECRETARY, THAT'S, THAT'S IT. AND LET'S MOVE DOWN TO THE, UH, REMAINING AGENDA [CONSENT AGENDA] UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY. ITEMS ONE AND TWO, NEED A MOTION MOVE, ROBINSON MARTIN. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND ON ITEMS ONE AND TWO. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION, UH, OPPOSED, ACCEPT GRANTED UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. ITEM THREE NEEDS A MOTION MOVE ROBINSON MARTIN, SECOND MOVE AND SECONDED ON THREE IN FAVOR IS DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY ITEM NINE HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS FOUR THROUGH EIGHT, MOVE ROBINSON, MARTIN. SECOND. MOVING TO SECOND ON ITEMS FOUR THROUGH EIGHT. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. 17, 21, 22, AND 24. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 17, 21, 22, AND 24. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED, ITEM REMOVED [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM NINE NEEDS A MOTION MOVE ROBINSON MARTIN, SECOND. MOVING TO SECOND OH NINE. COUNCILMAN KNOX ON NINE. I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS AFTER WE VOTE ON IT. OKAY, ANY, ANY DISCUSSION ON NINE? DISCUSSION ON NINE [03:00:01] IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON NINE. COUNCILMAN KNOX ON NINE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION. THIS REGARDING THIS MEETING THAT WE HAD THE OTHER DAY REGARDING MANHOLE COVERS. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO BE WORKING ON. THIS 54 INCH PLANT RETURN SEWER LINE WAS ERODED, CAUSING THE MANHOLE TO CRACK IN THE JOINTS AND MISALIGNED CREATING A SINKHOLE AT THE PLANT. THERE'S TECHNOLOGY AS WE DISCUSSED. THERE'S TECHNOLOGY PRESENT NOW WITH SYNTHETIC MANHOLE COVERS THAT CAN WITHSTAND PRESSURES OF UP TO 40 TO 50,000 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH, WHICH WILL PREVENT OUTFLOW. UH, AND THEY'RE ALSO, UM, UH, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY HOLES IN THEM, SO THEY DON'T LET WATER INTO THE SYSTEM. AND I, AND I THINK WE NEED TO START REALLY FOCUSING ON WHEN WE HAVE THESE CONTRACTS REQUIRING THESE KINDS OF MATERIALS TO BE USED IN REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR AS WE GO FORWARD. I SEE THAT AS A, UH, YOU KNOW, LOW HANGING FRUIT IN, IN ORDER TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE, UM, TCEQ ISSUES THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY UNDER A FEDERAL AGREEMENT TO, TO KIND OF REPAIR, RIGHT? AND I JUST THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS MORE ON, UH, INSTEAD OF REPLACING THESE WITH OTHER MET METAL, WE NEED TO GO FORWARD AND DO THAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION AGAIN. AND I'VE, AND I'VE HAD THAT, UM, UH, CONVERSATION WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS SINCE WE HAD, SINCE WE VISITED. THANKS SIR. OKAY, NEXT ITEM, ITEM 17 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 17. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD ON 17. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, LOOKING AT ITEM 17, A NOTICE THAT IT'S A 2018 CONTRACT FOR CONSULTING SERVICES REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. WHEN I'M READING THE MATERIAL, UM, WE'RE ASKING TO CONSIDER APPROVING AN INCREASE IN THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT, ALSO AUTHORIZING A FIRST AMENDMENT TO EXTEND THE CONTRACT TERMS. BUT WHAT STUCK OUT TO ME WAS ALSO REPLACING SECTION ONE SCOPE OF SERVICES IN ITS ENTIRETY. AND USUALLY WHEN WE BRING ITEMS TO COUNCIL AND THERE'S AN AMENDMENT, IT IS TO INCREASE THE, UH, CONTRACT AMOUNT AND EXTEND THE CONTRACT TERMS. BUT RARELY DO I EVER SEE THAT THE SCOPE OF SERVICES IS ALSO BEING CHANGED. AND I BRING THAT UP. 'CAUSE MANY TIMES WITH OLD CONTRACTS THAT COME BACK BEFORE US, WHEN WE'RE EXTENDING THE CONTRACT AMOUNT OR THE TERMS, THE MWBE PORTIONS ARE NEVER REALLY CONSIDERED TO BE CHANGED AS WELL. SO MY QUESTION IS, IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, HOW ARE WE ABLE TO CHANGE THE SCOPE OF SERVICES, UM, IN ITS ENTIRETY, BUT WHERE, BUT WHEN I BRING THIS UP FOR OTHER ITEMS ACROSS THE BOARD, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S ALWAYS, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE NEVER CONSIDER OR NEVER BRING FORTH. SO HOW ARE WE ABLE TO DO IT IN THIS PARTICULAR, THERE ARE SOME DISTINCT, UM, DIFFERENCES. UH, THIS CONTRACT IS A CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR DR. LAURA HOPKINS. SHE IS AFFILIATED WITH RICE. SO PRETTY MUCH THIS IS A, THIS IS AN AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR A PERSONALITY. UM, NEVER PUT OUT FORBID, THE SCOPE HAS NOT MATERIALLY CHANGED. SHE WAS BROUGHT IN TO ASSIST THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR, UM, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE, THE REASON WHY SHE, UH, HAS BEEN, I GUESS YOU CAN SAY WE ARE HAVE CONTRACTED WITH HER. SO NUMBER ONE, SO IT'S FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES WAS NEVER NEEDED TO PUT OUT BID. IT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR HER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. AND THE SCOPE HAS NOT MATERIALLY CHANGED. SO IF THERE'S A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT, UM, IT WILL ALLOW FOR US TO HAVE THE OPTION TO LOOK INTO CONSIDERING WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN CHANGE THE SCOPE OF SERVICES. NO, NOT REALLY, MARY MIND. I'M SAYING THE, THE SCOPE HAS NOT BEEN MATERIALLY CHANGED AT ALL IN THIS AGREEMENT. THIS IS WHAT, THIS IS WHAT SHE HAS ALWAYS, WHAT SHE'S ALWAYS DONE. OKAY. SO THE SCOPE HAS, THE SCOPE HAS NOT MATERIALLY CHANGED. UM, UM, THIS IS SIMPLY A CONTINUATION THEREOF. UM, AND SO IT MAKES IT, THIS MAKES IT QUITE A BIT DIFFERENT FROM MOST OF YOUR OTHER, UH, CONTRACTS OR MATTERS THAT COME BEFORE US HERE. I MEAN, SHE, SHE IS, SHE IS THE PERSON, SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN THE PERSON. UNDERSTOOD. I'M JUST SAYING THE, THE, THE, THE CONTENT THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US, IT SAYS REPLACE SECTION ONE SCOPE OF SERVICES IN ITS ENTIRETY. SO WHEN I READ THAT, IT SEEMS AS IF, YEAH, I THINK THAT IS MORE OF A, LIKE A, A IF YOU CHANGE ONE SECTION AND OR IT'S NOT NEEDED, UH, THEN IT'S NOT A MATERIAL CHANGE IRRESPECTIVE OF WHAT THE, THE, THE, THE WRITTEN STATEMENT MAY BE. BUT FOR THIS PARTICULAR [03:05:01] MATTER, SHE IS THE PERSON AND SHE, AND I'M, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT, YOU SHOULDN'T I SUPPORT THE ITEM? MY, MY BIGGEST THING IS JUST, UM, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. THIS IS NOT A PRECEDENT, THE PROCESS OF IF WE'RE ABLE TO CHANGE THE SCOPE OF SERVICE. I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND WHAT, OKAY. AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT, UH, THIS, THIS WAS A, AN AGREEMENT IN ORDER TO RETAIN HER SERVICES BECAUSE SHE'S AFFILIATED WITH RICE AND IT WAS ABOUT HAVING HER DO WORK FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO IT WAS, IN MANY WAYS YOU CAN SAY PERSON SPECIFIC. AND THAT'S DR. LAURA HOPKINS. THAT'S THE, THAT IS THE ESSENCE. AND SHE WAS RETAINED TO PROVIDE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CITY OF HOUSTON. IF YOU JUST STOP THERE, THEN WE'RE FINE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO ANY FURTHER. THAT'S, THAT'S WHY SHE CAME ON BOARD. SHE'S STILL ON BOARD, STILL DOING ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. ANYTHING UNDERNEATH THAT IS REALLY NOT MATERIAL TO HER, TO OUR, TO OUR DEAL. YOU KNOW, QUITE FRANKLY, IF I WAS IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, I COULD HAVE SAID WE ARE RETAINING THE SERVICES OF DR. LAURA HOPKINS AFFILIATED WITH RIGHTS TO DO, DO CONSULTING WORK FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, PERIOD. ALL THAT OTHER STUFF. F IS IMMATERIAL. SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. OKAY. UM, COUNCIL HUFFMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THIS, IT SEEMS LIKE, AND, AND MAYBE I'M WRONG, THAT THIS MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD TYPICALLY GET A GRANT FOR, BUT THE $360,000 IS COMING OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CUTTING POLICE PATROLS BACK BECAUSE OF GAS PRICES, YOU KNOW, $360,000 COULD BUY A LOT OF GAS. UM, AND SO MY QUESTION IS, UM, WHY SPECIFICALLY, UM, IS THIS COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND, UM, IS THIS SOMETHING WE WOULD TYPICALLY USE GRANT MONEY FOR? YEAH, LEMME TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT. I MEAN, DURING THE, FOR EXAMPLE, DURING THE PANDEMIC, UH, DR. LAURA HOPKINS HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN, UH, IN THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, RICE BAYLOR IN READING THE, UM, THE ANALYSIS FROM THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT COVID, UH, ON COVID, UH, BEING FOUND IN OUR WASTEWATER. UH, AND THAT HAS BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL. IN FACT, OTHER CITIES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, HAVE PICKED UP ON WHAT WE HAVE DONE. SO THAT ANALYSIS AND HER WORK THERE HAS BEEN VITAL, ESPECIALLY DURING, UH, COVID AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE'RE STILL IN COVID. UM, SO THAT PARTNERSHIP HAS BEEN CRITICAL. THE SECOND PART IS THAT SHE'S BEEN VERY, VERY ACTIVE AND INSTRUMENTAL ON THE, UH, CASHMERE GARDEN CANCER CLUSTER. UM, AND, UH, AND FOR YEARS AND YEARS. UH, SO HER WORK THERE HAS BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL AND INSTRUMENTAL. SO, AND SHE'S PROVIDED US WITH A LEVEL OF EXPERTISE THAT DID NOT EXIST. UM, AND SO THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN RICE, UH, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO DR. HOPKINS, HAS JUST BEEN INVALUABLE AND WORTH, UM, EVERY SINGLE PENNY THAT WE HAVE PUT FORWARD. SO IF YOU JUST TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE GAINED FROM OUR COLLABORATION DURING COVID, FROM WHAT WE HAVE GAINED, FOR EXAMPLE, THROUGH A COLLABORATION ON THE CA CASHMERE, UM, CANCER CLUSTER AND ALL THE WORKS SURROUNDING THAT. UM, AND, UH, I, I LET , EVEN AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY, UM, WE PARTNERED AGAIN WITH THROUGH HER WITH RICE AND DOING AN EXTENSIVE SURVEY ON THE IMPACT OF HURRICANE HARVEY ON MANY OF THE, UH, PEOPLE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO SINCE I HAVE BEEN MAYOR, UM, SHE HAS BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL IN PROVIDING A SERVICE THAT THE CITY OTHERWISE WOULD'VE HAD TO GO AND RETAIN AND PROBABLY PAY MORE, UH, ELSEWHERE. AND THAT'S AT LEAST WHILE I HAVE BEEN MAYOR AND THEN SHE'S BEEN, UH, WITH THE CITY, THE COLLABORATION EVEN PRIOR TO, TO MY ADMINISTRATION. SO, UM, I I THAT I, I SEE NO PROBLEMS, UH, WITH THE DOLLARS, FOR EXAMPLE, COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND. AND WE HAVE NOT HAD TO CUT BACK ON ANY COMMITMENT TO HPD OR ANY OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS OR ANY OTHER KEY DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE OF OUR CONTRACT HERE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANKS. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN MCMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, JUST, UH, FOR SOME COLLEAGUES, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS ITEM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE SERVICES WE'RE GETTING. UM, [03:10:01] FIRST OF ALL, DR. HOPKINS BEING ABLE TO UTILIZE THE RESOURCES THAT RICE UNIVERSITY HAS IN AND OF ITSELF IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP. AND I'M, I APPRECIATE RICE'S, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH RICE, BUT EVALUATING AND ANALYZING CITY ENVIRONMENTAL DATA, OVERSEEING HEALTH DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS, INCLUDING WASTEWATER SAMPLING, DATA SCIENCES, UH, REPRESENTING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND NATIONAL COMMITTEES, COALITIONS AND CONFERENCES, UH, FORMULATING AND REVIEWING POLICIES, SERVING AS A CONSULTANT TO THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ET CETERA, UM, ON PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIES, UH, EXPANDING OUR REACH WITH OTHERS IN ACADEMIA. UH, THAT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT ANGLE, BUT IN, ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT, UM, BOTTOM LINE IS DR. HOPKINS SERVES AS OUR IN-HOUSE EXPERT ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PLANNING AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE RESPONSIBILITIES. UH, I DO, MAYOR, YOU MENTIONED WASTEWATER, AND I KNOW DIRECTOR HADDOCK WAS JUST AT A CONFERENCE, UH, AND SHE HAD MENTIONED SHE HAD ASKED A QUESTION DURING THE CONFERENCE ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT OTHER THINGS CAN WE DO IN TERMS OF DATA TRACKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SHE SAID, UH, THE SPEAKER SAID, WELL, YOU'RE FROM HOUSTON, RIGHT? AND DIRECTOR HADDOCK SAID, YES, I REPRESENT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND SHE SAID, WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S DOING WITH WASTEWATER. Y'ALL ARE THE ONES LEADING THE WAY IN THIS. SO I, I ATTRIBUTE A LOT OF THAT MAYOR TO YOUR LEADERSHIP, BUT ALSO THESE TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS. UH, AND THEN DR. HOPKINS HAS ALSO RECENTLY, IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS ALONE, UM, PROVIDED TESTIMONY ON, UH, RELATING TO HEALTH AROUND THE TEXAS PETROCHEMICAL PLANTS. UH, AN EPA PROPOSAL TO EXPAND MONITORING FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS IN NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND MILBY AND, UH, PARK PLACE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PROPOSAL, ASSESSING THE LINK BETWEEN POLLUTION, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND HEALTH. UH, ASSESSMENTS OF THE USE, AGAIN, OF WASTEWATER, UM, BEFORE THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE ENGINEERING AND MATH. SO THE LIST GOES ON. SO, AGAIN, I, I DON'T HEAR ANY OPPOSITION. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON WHAT WE'RE GETTING WITH THESE DOLLARS, WHICH I THINK IS, UH, WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, MAYOR PRO MARK, NOT TO BEAT A DEAD HORSE, BUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S QUESTION WAS RELATED TO SCOPE OF SERVICES. THIS ORIGINAL CONTRACT WAS BEFORE TWO IMPORTANT THINGS THAT DR. HOPKINS IS HELPING US WITH. NUMBER ONE, COVID AND ANALYZING THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND THE PARALLEL BETWEEN THE WASTEWATER AND COVID AND WHAT WE DO IN THE FUTURE. THE SECOND PART WAS A UP CREOLE CANCER CLUSTER IN CASHMERE GARDEN. SO WHEN THE SCOPE OF SERVICE WAS ORIGINALLY DRAFTED, IT DID NOT HAVE THOSE SERVICES IN IT. THUS, WE HAD TO GO BACK AND ADD THOSE SERVICES INTO THAT SCOPE AND MAKE SURE THAT DR. HOPKINS, WHO IS AN EXPERT AT THESE AREAS, HAS THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH US. SO, UH, WHEN I LOOKED AT IT, THAT'S WHAT I SAW WITHIN THE, THE CONTRACT LANGUAGE, THAT THE ADJUSTMENT FOR THE SCOPE OF SERVICES WAS TO INCLUDE DR. HOPKINS BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT WAS PRE COVID AND PRE-CANCER CLUSTER. SO THESE TWO NEW THINGS THAT SHE'S AN EXPERT IT AND WILL HELP US ALONG THAT PATH, BUT THAT WAS A A PERFECT QUESTION. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN MIN OPS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, IT SAYS HERE THEY'RE GONNA REPLACE SECTION ONE AND NOTHING IN MY BACKUP MATERIAL TELLS ME WHAT SECTION ONE IS. UM, I PRESUME THAT WE'RE REPLACING IT, AND THAT'S PROBABLY A BAD THING FOR ME TO DO, BUT, BUT WITH THESE BULLET POINT ITEMS AT THE BOTTOM, UH, OF THE BACKUP MATERIAL, IS THAT CORRECT? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SECTION ONE SAYS IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE GET THIS BACKUP MATERIAL TO INCLUDE SECTION ONE THAT WE'RE REPLACING. I AGREE. LIKE A, LIKE A I AGREE. BLACK LINE KIND OF THING. I MEAN, I'M GOOD WITH IT, BUT, AND I JUST, I'M GUESSING THAT THESE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED AS BULLET POINTS IN MY BACKUP MATERIAL ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE REPLACING SECTION ONE WITH, IS THAT CORRECT? THE FIRST NUMBER IN THE BACK? THIS, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S IN BACKUP. COUNCILMAN MONON? I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT HERE BECAUSE HE'S LOOKING AT THE PUBLIC BACKUP. IT'S NOT PUBLIC BACKUP. YEAH, IT, IT'S NOT THE PUBLIC BACKUP, BUT IT IS. UM, BUT I THINK IT'S THERE IF, IF, WELL I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE HIGHLIGHT IT. SO, OR AT LEAST MAKE A NOTATION THAT IT'S, UH, EXHIBIT IB UNDER WHAT I, WHATEVER. OKAY. SO SOME KIND OF, WHERE, WHERE I CAN GO FIND IT WHEN I GET THIS MATERIAL, I JUST GET THESE, THIS PUBLIC STUFF AND I DON'T SEE IT. I GOTCHA. HE'S ONLY LOOKING. THANK YOU. ATTACHMENT. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 17? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON ITEM 17, ITEM 21 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 21. COUNCILMAN MCCAMMON ON 21. I JUST WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THIS ITEM. UH, MAYOR, IF YOU'LL RECALL, UH, BACK DURING THE BRASS BRIDGE, UH, SAGA PRIOR [03:15:01] TO THE PANDEMIC, UM, WE WERE COMING UP WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS ABOUT HOW TO MAKE IT FEEL MORE LIKE A NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND THE SPUR IN TERMS OF CONNECTIVITY. SO THIS IS ACTUALLY UTILIZING, UH, CDSF DOLLARS, BUT ALSO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, UM, WITH, UH, OUR MIDTOWN TURS, AND IT WAS INSTRUMENTAL COURTLAND PLACE, ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS IN THERE CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA. IT'S A BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT. IT'S A GREEN WALL, UH, THAT, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE CREATING ALONG THE BRIDGE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL TREES, UH, FLOOD DETENTION. SO IT'S A HUGE PROJECT, UH, OVER $50,000. UH, WE'RE GONNA BE DEMOING CONCRETE, PAVING PRESSURE, WASHING WALLS, ADDING TREES, SHRUBS, GROUND COVER, UH, ADDITIONAL IRRIGATION. UM, BUT AGAIN, THIS ALL GOES BACK TO A RESIDENT DRIVEN PROJECT THAT'S TAKEN ALMOST THREE YEARS, BUT WE'RE FINALLY SEEING IT, UH, COME TO FRUITION. SO I WANTED TO THANK CORTLAND PLACE, UH, ESPECIALLY ASHLEY PUTNAM AND MACKEY CAMPBELL, MIDTOWN TURS, UH, MARLON MARSHALL, AND THEN MAYOR ON YOUR TEAM. UH, COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THEM. ANDY, UH, GWEN AND JENNIFER CURLEY, UH, FOR WORKING ON THIS INTERLOCAL. SO AGAIN, UH, IT'S GONNA BE PROVIDING A TREE CANOPY PLANNING SPACES TO REDUCE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS, UH, RETAINING STORM WATER, UH, AND PROVIDING SO MUCH VALUE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TO THAT ENTIRE CORRIDOR. SO WE'RE JUST THANK YOU. EVERYONE'S REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND HAD TO SPOTLIGHT IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 21? DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 21. ITEM 22 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE ON ITEM 22. DISCUSSION ON 22, DISCUSSION ON 22 IN FAVOR. OPPOSED GRANTED ON 22. ITEM 24 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. WE ON ITEM 24. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON ON 24. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, JUST WANT TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A CLOSER LOOK ON THIS. SO FRIENDLY TAG FOR A WEEK, IF IT'S ALL RIGHT. YES. UH, THIS ITEM IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN ROBINSON AND I'LL JOIN THE TAG AS WELL. AND COUNCIL, WHO IS THE, OH, COUNCILMAN PAT. OKAY. NEXT ITEM. [NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS] ITEM 27 NEEDS A MOTION IS TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 13TH. MOVE, UH, TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE, UH, OF JULY 13TH, 2022 AT 9:00 AM ROBINSON SECOND. MARTIN, BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. I'M SETTING THE HEARING DATE. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 27TH. ITEM [MATTERS HELD] 28 IS AN OR I MEAN, I'M, YEAH, ITEM 28 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. UH, CHAIR CAN, NO, THIS MAYOR APPROACH. TIM ON ITEM 28, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO REFER ITEM NUMBER 28 BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION. YOU HEARD THE MOTIONS SECOND. THOMAS SECOND BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN THOMAS TO REFER BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION. COUNCILMAN KOSH? MAYOR. MAYOR, MAYOR. MAY I ASK, UH, WHY THEY'RE WANTING TO REFER IT BACK? UM, NUMBER ONE, THE, OUR, OUR, HOW CAN I PUT IT? UM, OUR INVOLVEMENT ON, ON ITEM 28. IT'S VERY, VERY LIMITED. THE ONLY THING THAT THE CITY CAN DO IS MAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE CALCULATIONS ARE CORRECT. BUT THIS, THIS RATE INCREASE IS GOING, IS WILL GO INTO EFFECT REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE DO, IF WE DO NOTHING. SO IF THE ONLY THING THAT WE CAN DO IS MAKE A DETERMINATION ON WHETHER THE CALCULATION IS CORRECT, THEN THE QUESTION IS WHY DO WE WANT TO VOTE ON THE INCREASED RATES WHEN IT'S GONNA GO INTO EFFECT, WHETHER WE VOTE ON IT OR NOT. I'D RATHER A STATE OUT OF THAT. THE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE THE REVIEW, THE CALCULATION IS CORRECT. SO, SO YOU JUST, YOU'RE JUST PROTECTING US ALL FROM VOTING ON SOMETHING , BECAUSE I THINK IT MIGHT BE PERCEIVED BY SOME THAT US VOTING ON IT YEAH. IS IMPROVING THIS RATE MM-HMM . WHEN THE RATE IS GONNA GO INTO EFFECT, EVEN IF WE DO NOTHING. SO WHY EVEN, WHY SHOULD WE EVEN VOTE ON SOMETHING THAT THAT WOULD APPEAR THAT WE'RE RAISING RATES? THAT IS CORRECT. SO, WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT MAYOR . SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO BRING IT BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON, ON, UH, ON THE MOTION TO REFER BACK? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED, THE ITEM COMES BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION. ITEM 29 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 20. ON ITEM 29. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLL MOVES FOR [03:20:01] UNANIMOUS CONSENT ON, UM, ITEM . THANK YOU. ON 29. YEAH, SO THIS IS, UM, A FIRST AMENDMENT TO AN AGREEMENT FOR CREDIT CARD PROCESSING SERVICES BETWEEN THE CITY AND PAYMENT TECH AND JP MORGAN CHASE BANK. I RECALL THIS ITEM COMING BEFORE US IN 2020. AND I HAD MADE A SUGGESTION THEN THAT WHEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON LOOKS AT, UM, CONTRACTING OUT FOR PROCESS SERVICE FEES, THAT WE LOOK INTO USING OUR LEVERAGE AS THE CITY IN NEGOTIATIONS TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF PERCENTAGE OF THE PROCESSING SERVICE FEE COULD COME BACK TO THE CITY, UM, AS A REVENUE GENERATOR, RIGHT? AND LET'S JUST SAY FOR HYPOTHETICAL, EVERY TIME A HOUSTONIAN USES A A CREDIT CARD AND THEY PUT IN THEIR CREDIT CARD AND THE PROCESS SERVICE FEE IS 3%, IF WE WERE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE, MAYBE WE GET 1% OF THAT, THEN THAT'S GONNA BE A HUGE SIGNIFICANT REVENUE GENERATOR FOR THE CITY. I BRING IT UP BECAUSE OF COURSE, WE ARE ASKING TO AUTHORIZE A FIRST AMENDMENT IN THAT IT SAYS TO AMEND THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT TO MODIFY CERTAIN SERVICE TERMS. SO WHEN I BROUGHT THIS UP IN 2020, MY QUESTION TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT WAS, HAVE WE STARTED TO CONSIDER WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WE WERE TO NEGOTIATE FOR A PERCENTAGE OF THE PROCESS SERVICE FEE TO COME BACK TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON? I KNOW THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE LOOKED INTO DOING THAT AND SOME ARE DOING THAT, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON IF WE ARE ABLE TO USE OUR LEVERAGE AND OUR NEGOTIATION, UM, WHENEVER WE'RE NEGOTIATING ON THESE TYPE OF CONTRACTS TO BE AS CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE TO FIND WAYS INTO BRINGING MORE MONEY INTO THE CITY. NOW, JP MORGAN CHASE MAY NOT WANT TO DO IT, RIGHT, BUT THERE ARE OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS THAT WANT WORK WITH THE CITY AS WELL. AND I THINK WE NEED TO USE THAT, UM, AND BE AS OUTSIDE THE BOX THINKING AS POSSIBLE AND TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO BRING MORE MONEY INTO THE CITY. AND I THINK THIS COULD BE A CREATIVE WAY IN WHICH TO DO IT. AND SO I WANT TO ASK THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND, AND, AND FOLLOW UP MY, WITH MY OFFICE ON THEIR THOUGHTS ON HOW THAT COULD WORK IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY BELIEVE WOULD BE BENEFICIAL, AND ALSO OTHER CITIES THAT ARE DOING IT AND HOW IT'S WORKED THERE. AND I REMEMBER THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD, UH, IN 2020. THIS IS A, THIS IS, UM, UM, A, A CONTRACT FOR THREE YEAR TERM FOR THREE YEARS, AND THEN FIVE ONE YEAR RENEWALS. UH, SO THE BEST TIME TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WOULD BE WHEN IT COMES UP NEXT YEAR, AT THE END OF THOSE THREE YEARS. I KNOW, UH, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING, I REMEMBER THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD, UM, BUT THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE TIME FOR US TO DO THAT. BUT THEY ARE, THEY ARE TAKING A LOOK AT THAT. UM, THIS ONE DEALS WITH, I THINK WE ADDING LIKE THIS SOME SOFTWARE AND MAKING A CORRECTION ON, ON THE PRICE IN TERMS OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UM, SO WE HEAR YOU FINANCE. YEAH, I JUST WANT TO KEEP IT ON THE RADAR. OH, TRUST ME, YOU HAVE KEPT IT . WOO. TRUST ME. I, YES, I REMEMBER THE CONVERSATION. THEY HAVE REMINDED ME OF THE CONVERSATION. YOU KNOW, I'VE GONE BACK AND LOOKED AT THE CLIP. I DO RE I DO, I DO REMEMBER WITH MY, WITH MY MATH. OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. BUT, UH, WHEN IT COMES UP NEXT YEAR WILL BE THE RIGHT TIME TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, IF NOT BEFORE, UH, LEADING UP TO IT. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KASH. YEAH, I, I REMEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PAUL BRINGING THAT UP. I THOUGHT IT WAS AN EXCELLENT, UH, COMMENT AND, AND, UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS TOO, ARE THEY CAPTURING THE, THE DATA, UH, OF THE PURCHASER AND ARE SHARING THAT INFORMATION OUTSIDE OF, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR, IN THEIR DOMAIN, IN THE, IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD. SO I'D JUST LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE THAT OUT TOO, BECAUSE I GET A LOT OF CALLS FROM, UH, UNBELIEVABLE PLACES, YOU KNOW, AND I'M WONDERING WHERE THIS IS COMING FROM. AND I, I CAN'T BLAME CHASE , BUT SOMEBODY'S DOING IT. AND, AND WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT TOO. COUNCILMAN KASH. A LOT OF THESE COMPANIES TAKE THE INFORMATION AND THEY SELL IT, AND THEN YOU GET CALLS FROM IT AND STUFF. BUT WE'LL FACT, WE'LL FACTOR THAT INTO THE TOTAL CONVERSATION. ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 29 29? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSED, GRANTED ON 29? ALL RIGHT, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE. THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. ALL RIGHT. UH, OKAY THEN, UH, [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] BUT WE ARE GONNA START OFF WITH, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, UBA, AND YOU, IF Y'ALL, EXCUSE ME JUST FOR A SECOND, I'M GONNA GO AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH THESE INTERNS AND COME BACK. UM, [03:25:01] BUT WE START OFF TODAY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KASH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS. I, I WANT TO THANK, UH, MY, UH, COLLEAGUE ED POLLARD FOR, UH, IN MY ABSENCE OF GIVING THE PROCLAMATION, UH, TO, TO PARIS. UH, WHAT, WHAT A WONDERFUL GENTLEMAN HE HAS BEEN OVER THE YEARS. AND WHENEVER COUNCIL MEMBER BRADFORD AND I HAD A, A RADIO PROGRAM AT KCOH FOR OVER, I DON'T KNOW, TWO OR THREE YEARS, HE, HE WAS THE MODERATOR AND, AND WHAT A WONDERFUL, UH, HOST HE IS, UH, ON A, ON A RADIO SHOW. HE KEPT IT LIVELY AND MOVING. I, I, I CAN'T, UH, WHEN I TRAVEL, I CAN'T SEPARATE MY, MY BUSINESS FROM MY PERSONAL ALWAYS, BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT THE CITY WHEN I'M GONE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I LEARNED THIS PAST WEEK WHEN I, I WENT TO UP TO WYOMING, SOUTH DAKOTA, UH, COLORADO, I, I DROVE INTO STURGIS, UH, STURGIS, UH, SOUTH DEC, STURGIS, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND I LEARNED THAT, THAT THAT CITY'S POPULATION IS LESS THAN 7,000. AND OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW THAT ONCE A YEAR, THEY HAVE A BIKERS EVENT. THERE, UH, 700,000 PEOPLE ATTEND THAT WITH, WITH A POPULATION OF ONLY SIX, UH, 6,900. AND YOU SAY, WELL, WHY DO YOU BRING THAT UP? BECAUSE THEY BRING IN, UH, ANNUAL REVENUE IN THAT, UH, 10 DAY PERIOD OF $800 MILLION. AND, AND, UH, THAT JUST, THAT JUST BLEW MY MIND AS I WENT AROUND LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT, WELL, WHERE DO THEY STAY? WHERE DO YOU PUT 739,000 PEOPLE IN A CITY WITH A POPULATION OF 6,900? AND THE NEAREST CITY OF ANY SIZE IS RAPID CITY, WHICH IS 28 MILES AWAY, AND, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE THE HOTEL CAPACITY FOR THAT MANY PEOPLE. AND I THOUGHT, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF TAKE A GLIMPSE OF? HOW, HOW CAN WE CAPTURE, CAPTURE THAT, UH, SOME EVENT THAT THAT WOULD COME TO HOUSTON AND REALLY BOOM, OUR ECONOMY, I NOTICED THAT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IN, UH, IN AUSTIN IS A BIG FINANCIAL DRAW. I MEAN, THEY, THEY BRING IN, UM, I THINK A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS A DAY IS WHAT I WAS TOLD BY WHEN THEY HAVE THAT EVENT, UH, INTO THEIR COMMUNITY, I, AND I KNOW THE CITY DOESN'T GET IT ALL, BUT LET ME TELL YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE A CITY OF A POPULATION OF 6,900 PEOPLE AND YOU DROP $800 MILLION, UH, ON THEIR BUSINESSES IN 10 DAYS, THAT'S GOT TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE INCOME OF THE CITY. I MEAN, THAT'S JUST HUGE. AND, AND I CHECKED THE CRIME RATES. AND THE CRIME RATES REALLY WEREN'T THAT ELEVATED DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME. SO THE PEOPLE THAT THEY HAD COMING IN REALLY, UM, REALLY, UH, BEHAVED, EITHER THAT OR THE POLICE COULDN'T GET TO ALL OF THEM THAT WERE BREAKING THE LAW. BUT ANYWAY, I, I, I JUST HOPE WE CAN DO SOMETHING THAT, THAT WOULD REALLY FIND WHAT WOULD ENHANCE, UH, OUR CITY'S, UH, ABILITY TO, TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE. NOW, I KNOW WE TALK ABOUT THE REVENUE CAP A LOT, AND YES, WE HAD, WE HAVE A REVENUE CAP, BUT IT'S A PROPERTY TAX CAP. IT DOESN'T CAP OUR SALES TAX. AND, AND, AND OUR BUSINESSES CERTAINLY NEED A BOOM. SO ANYWAY, I'M TRYING TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A BIKER RALLY HERE, NECESSARILY , BUT I SURE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE 739,000 PEOPLE COME HERE FOR 10 DAYS AND TO ENJOY OUR CITY AND ALL OF OUR RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS. WHERE, WHERE DO THEY STAY? WELL, I FOUND OUT THAT MANY OF THEM STAY, UH, THEY, THEY, PEOPLE JUST EITHER RENT THEIR OWN BUSINESSES, UH, I MEAN, OWN HOMES OR, OR AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS, I THINK 40 SOMETHING YEARS OR, AND, OR THEY'LL RENT THEIR PASTURE AND LET 'EM, LET 'EM, UH, PITCH TENTS OR PUT THEIR CAMPERS OUT IN PASTURES. I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT. THAT'S, THAT'S IT. THINK ABOUT 739,000 PEOPLE MOVING IN ON 7,000 PEOPLE. THAT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE. BUT ANYWAY, UH, THEY HAVE A BIG TIME THERE. I'M, I'M NOT GOING DURING THE FESTIVAL. IT IS IN AUGUST, BUT I JUST WENT BEFORE THAT TO KINDA SCOPE IT OUT. THANK YOU. WELL, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A GOOD ANNOUNCEMENT TOMORROW, AND WE'LL SEE THOSE NUMBERS TIMES 10 FOR THREE WEEKS, UH, IN A NUMBER OF YEARS. COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTE. LAST NIGHT I ATTENDED THE PINEY POINT CIVIC CLUB MEETING, AND I SHARED THIS WITH YOU, UH, LAST WEEK. UH, AMANDA LANE IS A PROPOSED SITE FOR THE MAYOR'S SINGLE FAMILY HOME INITIATIVE, AND REALLY EXCITED TO MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOUSING, IT'S VERY SENSITIVE AND OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD. UM, AND AS I SHARED ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD LAST NIGHT, THEY GOT IT IMMEDIATELY, AND I'M JUST, UH, THEY, THEY WERE EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN COMING BACK TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD TO OWN A HOME. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT, AND I WANNA APPRECIATE CEDRIC LA SAYING, UM, FOR JOINING AND REPRESENTATIVES [03:30:01] FROM THE HOUSTON LAND BANK LAST NIGHT, UH, FOR A WONDERFUL IT, VERY SEAMLESS PROCESS. TONIGHT, I'LL BE IN WEST CHASE AT THE, UH, IN WEST CHASE FOR AN HOA MEETING. WE'LL BE DISCUSSING BARK, PUBLIC SAFETY, PARKING, AND OTHER ISSUES. AND SO IF YOU LIVE IN THE AREA, I LOOK FORWARD TO YOU, UM, SEEING YOU IN PERSON. AND THAT INFORMATION WILL BE IN OUR NEWSLETTER AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR TONIGHT. JUST A REMINDER TO RESIDENTS AND MY AT LARGE COLLEAGUES, WE'RE HOSTING OUR SECOND ANNUAL DIS, DISTRICT F PUBLIC SAFETY TOWN HALL WITH OUR POLICE CHIEF TROY FINNER AT THE TRACY G COMMUNITY CENTER IN WEST CHASE AT 6:00 PM WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE ONE HOUSTON, THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON PLAN, AND SOME OF THE LOCAL INVESTMENTS IN THE DISTRICT F AREA. UH, AND SO I, I REALLY WANT YOUR PARTICIPATION AND YOUR INVOLVEMENT THERE. ALSO, WE HAVE SOME GOOD DISTRICT F NEWS. MY CHIEF OF STAFF, SHERELL DUNCAN, WAS RECENTLY WILL BE AWARDED, UM, BY HER ALMA MATER AT TEXAS A AND M FROM THE BUSH SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT AND SERVICE. AND SHE'LL RECEIVE THAT AWARD, I BELIEVE, ON TOMORROW. SO IF YOU SEE HER IN THE HALLWAY, GIVE HER A BIG CONGRATULATIONS. AND THEN, UM, OUR INTERNS ARE OUT WITH THE MAYOR TAKING A PHOTO AT THE TIME. BUT I WANNA WELCOME BACK TO THE, UH, SEASON, SEASON THREE OF A SUMMER INTERNSHIP IN DISTRICT F, TOMMY, AND SHALIA. THEY WERE WITH US LAST YEAR FOR SEASON TWO. AND THEN I WANNA WELCOME TO OUR CAST, ISABELLA AND FREDERICK. AND SO, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THEIR CONTRIBUTION, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND THEY'VE ALREADY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING FOR DAY TWO AND DAY THREE. AND THEN LASTLY, AS WE CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC MONTH, UH, THIS WEEK, I WANNA SPOTLIGHT MY FAVORITE ARTIST FOR YOU. AND SO THIS WEEK I AM LISTENING TO PRINCE THE DIAMOND AND PEARLS ALBUM. UH, SO, UM, DEFINITELY PUT THAT ON YOUR ROTATION AS WE, UH, SALUTE THE THE KING PRINCE. AND THEN I WANNA CONCLUDE MY COMMENTS IN HONOR OF, UM, THE LATE ISHA BEATTY. UM, SHE WAS, UH, SHE PASSED AWAY. SHE WAS A CITY EMPLOYEE. SHE, UM, RECENTLY WAS MARRIED AND HAD A 1-YEAR-OLD BABY, AND SHE WAS A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE. WE WENT TO COLLEGE TOGETHER WITH SORORITY SISTERS. UH, SHE KEPT ME BUSY ON THE VIRTUAL ZOOM ROOM, SO I'M DEFINITELY GONNA MISS HER AND JUST WANNA SEND PRAYERS OUT TO HER FAMILY. UM, ALL THAT KNEW, LOVED, AND WORKED WITH HER. SO, MY COM MY COMMENTS ARE IN HER HONOR. THANK YOU. AMEN. COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA PLUMMER. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR PROAM. I, I'M ACTUALLY, UM, GONNA PASS TODAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PIT. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM. UM, FIRST I WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT THERE IS, UM, A-T-C-E-Q PUBLIC HEARING. THIS TIME IT'LL BE IN PERSON ABOUT THE PROPOSED LANDFILL EXPANSION ON TANNER ROAD IN CARDALE. THIS WILL BE ON JUNE 28TH AT 7:00 PM AT THE STERLING BANQUET HALL. UM, AND I ENCOURAGE THE AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO COME WITH ME TO OPPOSE THIS LANDFILL IN THE CURRENT FORM THAT IT'S BEING PROPOSED. UM, NEXT I WANNA WELCOME OUR SUMMER INTERN, MADDIE FLORES. MADDIE, IF YOU COULD STAND, UM, SHE ATTENDS SPRINGWOOD HIGH SCHOOL AND WILL BE A SENIOR THIS NEXT YEAR AND IS INTERESTED IN PURSUING THE MEDICAL FIELD AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, UNLESS SHE'S SO EXCITED ABOUT CITY COUNCIL FROM THIS INTERNSHIP THAT SHE WANTS TO GO INTO GOVERNMENT INSTEAD. UM, , HER FAMILY IS SO VERY ACTIVE IN DISTRICT A. HER GRANDMOTHER HAS BEEN THE HEAD OF THE CITIZENS PATROL FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD FOR SO MANY YEARS AND HAS MADE SURE THAT IT'S ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE CITIZEN PATROLS IN DISTRICT A. UM, AND HER DAD IS, UM, THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE CIVIC CLUB AND DOES SO MUCH FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND HER BROTHER HAS ACTUALLY INTERNED WITH US BEFORE. SO VERY ACTIVE FAMILY. UM, THANK YOU, MADDIE. WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU THIS SUMMER. AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO WISH, UM, A HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE FATHERS HERE AND TO MADDIE'S FATHER, WHO I KNOW IS WATCHING AS WELL, AND A SPECIAL HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO MY DAD, WHO'S ALSO WATCHING. SO HAPPY FATHER'S DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AS WE MOVE OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HORSESHOE, UM, YOU'LL NOTICE OUR COUPLE ACCOUNTS MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE SUNLIGHT ALL MORNING, AND COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH AND I WERE EXCHANGING TEXT MESSAGES BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH HAS BROUGHT UP. WE ARE GETTING NEW BLINDS ON FRIDAY. SO YES, THE, UH, THE RAY OF SUNSHINE THAT BLINDS YOU BOTH, UH, WILL BE DISAPPEARING THE SPIRIT. SO, COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON, THANK YOU. AND, UM, GOOD MORNING COLLEAGUES. UM, FIRST I WANT TO ECHO THE MAYOR BY CONGRATULATING, UM, PR PRINCIPAL ROSHONDA COMBA, UM, ON WINNING THE EXCELLENCE IN THEATER EDUCATION AWARD, THE PRINCIPAL, UM, OVER AT CARVER HIGH SCHOOL. SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED WHEN I READ IT, UM, IN THE PAPER LAST WEEK THAT SHE'S AT THE TONY'S AWARD. SO LOOK FORWARD TO HER PROCLAMATION SOON. I KNOW THE MAYOR'S GONNA BE DOING A PROCLAMATION, AND I HOPE WE AND WANNA STAND WITH HIM ON THAT. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO HER. UM, ALSO WANT TO INVITE, UM, CONSTITUENTS IN DISTRICT B OR THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR DISTRICT B PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING THAT'S HAPPENING TOMORROW AT 4:00 PM. UM, TO GET THE ZOOM LINK, REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE, WHICH IS 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9. [03:35:03] WE WILL CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE WILL BE TO, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE CRIME THAT HAS INCREASED WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SINCE WE JUST CAN'T RELY ON POLICE. UM, WE NEED THE COMMUNITY TO STEP UP AND COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESSING THE ISSUES WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND ALSO, LASTLY, I'M GONNA READ, WHICH EVERYONE, A HAPPY JUNETEENTH INVITE YOU OUT TO THE MAYOR'S JUNETEENTH PARADE THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE FOUR FOUR ACRES HOMES NEXT THIS SATURDAY. THIS IS JUNE, UM, THE 18TH, UM, AND THE PARADE STARTS AT THE ACRES HOME MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. AND SO I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL OUT THERE. UM, LASTLY, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE FATHERS. UM, ENJOY YOUR SUNDAY. BE BLESSED. THANK YOU. OUR SECOND RAY OF SUNSHINE COMES MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN. UM, FIRST I WANTED, I KNOW SHE'S OUT IN THE, UH, OUT WITH I THINK THE MAYOR, BUT I WANTED TO WELCOME OUR DISTRICT C INTERN, ARI RAMIREZ MINERA. UH, SHE IS ALREADY HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING. SHE RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN, UH, WITH A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE. SHE'S ALSO ACTUALLY WORKED AT THE CITY PREVIOUSLY IN OUR EMERGENCY CENTER. AND AT 3 1 1, SHE WAS ALSO AN INTERN AT HPD IN THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE HER. UM, I ALSO, WE WANNA QUICKLY REMIND EVERYONE, WE HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TOMORROW AT 2:00 PM WE'LL HAVE HPD IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ON POLICE REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, GIVING AN UPDATE, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, I THINK YOU EVEN HAD ASKED FOR THIS DURING THE BUDGET HEARING, SO WE'RE BRINGING IT BACK AN UPDATE ON ONE SAFE HOUSTON THAT YOU ASKED FOR. AND ON GUN SAFETY INITIATIVES, UH, WE'LL HEAR FROM OEM ON HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ON INCIDENT COMMAND. PROCEDURE, UH, JUNETEENTH, AS WE ALL KNOW, IS THIS WEEKEND, UH, DISTRICT C WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN, UH, MANY IMPORTANT EVENTS OVER THE WEEKEND, SPECIFICALLY CENTERED AROUND FRIEDMANS TOWN. UH, WE WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO THE GREGORY SCHOOL, FRIEDMANS TOWN CONSERVANCY, DESCENDANTS OF OLIVE WOOD CEMETERY, AND MANY MORE FOR HONORING THE LEGACY OF FRIEDMANS TOWN, WHICH IS HISTORICALLY INEXTRICABLE, UH, FROM THE STORY OF JUNETEENTH. AND WE'RE, WE'RE SO PROUD OF THE WORK BEING DONE THERE. UH, ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO PLANNING FOR THEIR HELP, UH, GETTING OUR LATEST, UH, SPECIAL MINIMUM LOT SIZE PASS FOR EAST MONTROSE. UM, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE ITEMS ON THE PAST TWO AGENDAS, AND WE'RE JUST SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT. UH, I KNOW OUR RESIDENTS ARE VERY EXCITED AS WELL. UH, AND YESTERDAY, UH, WE RECEIVED WORK AUTHORIZATIONS FOR DRAINAGE, IMPROVEMENTS FOR RESIDENTS IN UPPER KIRBY, WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR OFFICE FOR THREE YEARS TO TRY AND GET A PROJECT FOR THEIR BLOCK. SO, A BIG, BIG THANK YOU TO PUBLIC WORKS, ESPECIALLY LANI VARNEY AND HIS GROUP. UH, THESE SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE. AND LASTLY, UH, FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE FATHERS, UM, AT CITY HALL, SITTING AROUND THE HORSESHOE SUPPORTING THE HORSESHOE, UH, FOR THOSE THAT, UH, SERVE IN A FATHER ROLE, BUT MAY NOT OFFICIALLY BE A FATHER, BUT A SPECIAL HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO MY HUSBAND, UM, ONE OF THE BEST DADS IN THE WORLD. UH, SECOND TO NONE, EXCEPT FOR MY DAD, UH, MARK CAMAN. SO HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD J. POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TIM. UH, LAST NIGHT I WAS SENT A STORY, UH, FROM KHOU, UH, THAT WAS DETAILING THE HIGH NUMBER OF CARJACKINGS IN THE CITY, AND THE TWO MAJOR HOTSPOTS, WHICH WERE IN CHINATOWN AND GULFTON, BOTH WITHIN DISTRICT J. UH, THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT ONLY 14% OF CARJACKING CARJACKING SINCE 2019 HAVE ENDED IN ARREST. IT ALSO FOUND THAT AS OF THE END OF MARCH, 57% OF THESE CASES WERE MARKED INACTIVE WITH ZERO LEADS. AND THIS LED ME TO BE EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I PUT FORTH OVER $100,000, UH, IN FEBRUARY FOR LICENSE PLATE READERS TO BE ALL OVER MY DISTRICT. UM, THESE LICENSE PLATE READERS HAVE ALSO BEEN, UM, IN THE BUDGET OF OUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS WHO'VE REACHED OUT TO THE CITY AND HAVE BEEN HIT WITH HURDLES, WITH PERMITTING, TRYING TO GET THEM INSTALLED. THESE LICENSE PLATE READERS WOULD HELP WITH THE INVESTIGATIONS. THEY WOULD ALSO HELP IN DETERMINE THE CRIME IN THE FIRST PLACE. UM, CHIEF FINNER HAS SAID THAT HE WANTS A COMMITMENT TOWARDS TECHNOLOGY. I KNOW THE MAYOR HAS PUT FORTH HIS ONE SAFE HOUSTON PLAN THAT SPEAKS ABOUT THE NEED FOR THE LICENSE PLATE READERS. AND, YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICES IS 100% BEHIND THAT. AND SO WE'VE MADE OUR COMMITMENT FINANCIALLY. SO MY BIGGEST FRUSTRATION IS HOW SLOW THINGS HAPPEN IN THE CITY. PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED WITH GOVERNMENT BECAUSE IT, THINGS MOVE TOO SLOW. IF THIS WAS THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND WE HAD THE MONEY TO DO SOMETHING, IT WOULD GET DONE. AND SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS FOR US, IF WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, IDEAS [03:40:01] THAT COULD BE SOLUTIONS, AND WE HAVE THE FINANCES THAT ARE PUT FORTH TOWARDS IT, THEN WE HAVE TO GET IT DONE. ALL THE RED TAPE, ALL THE HURDLES, ALL THE BACKROOM CONVERSATIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT NEEDS TO BE PUSHED ASIDE. AND WE NEED TO PUSH FORWARD WITH A LOT OF THESE INITIATIVES AND IDEAS THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE IT COULD GO TOWARDS SOLVING SOME OF THESE PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS AROUND THE COMMUNITY. AND CARJACKING IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEP PEOPLE REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE AND UNSAFE AS THEY TRAVEL, UH, TO AND FROM. THEY'RE GOING TO GET GASSED. THEY'RE STOPPING AT THE BANK. THEY'RE GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE, AND PEOPLE ARE IN FEAR. SO WE NEED TO PUT MORE SURVEILLANCE, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND THESE LPRS WOULD, WOULD BE ABLE TO DETAIL AND TAKE A PICTURE OF EVERY SINGLE CAR THAT COMES THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION OR THAT STREET, AND THAT WOULD AID HPD AND THE INVESTIGATIONS. AND SO THE MONEY'S THERE. I'VE SENT EMAILS, I'VE MADE CALLS, I'VE TALKED TO STAFF. UH, I'M ASKING FOR THESE LICENSE PLATE READERS TO BE INSTALLED, AND I WANT US TO MAKE IT A PRIORITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM. UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO, UH, GIVE KUDOS TO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, UH, FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH DISTRICT D FOR, FOR, FOR PROVIDING HOME REPAIR TO OUR SENIORS. THAT WAS A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS. AND, AND THE SPOTS WENT LIKE FREE BEYONCE TICKETS, REALLY. UM, I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT THERE WILL BE A HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS RESOURCE FAIR ON TOMORROW EVENING AT THE SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER, 35 0 2 BELFORT AVENUE, AND THAT WILL BE FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM PLEASE COME OUT. THEY WILL DISCUSS HURRICANE EVACUATION ROUTES AND OTHER, UH, THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE TO KEEP US SAFE ON, UH, THIS SATURDAY. OF COURSE, WE WILL HAVE A JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION IN SUNNYSIDE AT THE SUNNYSIDE PARK COMMUNITY CENTER. THANK YOU TO MAYOR SANDRA HINES. UH, 35 0 2 BELFORT, AND, UH, IT WILL, THERE WILL BE A PARADE AT 10:00 AM AND IT WILL CONCLUDE AT 4:00 PM ALSO IN, UH, THIRD WARD. THERE WILL BE A, UH, HOUSTON SUN JUNETEENTH PARADE, WHICH WILL BEGIN AT INNOCENT WHEELER AND TRAVEL TO EMANCIPATION AND STEWARD. AND THAT WILL BEGIN AT 2:00 PM ALSO IN, UH, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION WILL BE THE EMANCIPATION JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE ON BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. UH, WE WILL HAVE A HEADLINER ENTERTAINMENT AND, UH, ALSO THERE WILL BE BDD BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. WE'LL BE GIVING OUT FREE HOTSPOTS, UH, SO COME OUT AND ENJOY A GREAT TIME. ALSO ON, UH, WHAT IS IT? ON THE 25TH, THERE WILL BE AN EXPUNGEMENT WORKSHOP, UH, AT THE CRESTMONT PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, UH, FROM 11 TO ONE 30 TO COME OUT AND REMOVE THE CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS FROM YOUR RECORD. ALSO ON, UM, JUNE THE 23RD, UH, OUR OWN DISTRICT D CONSTITUENT, RASHAD CAVE, WHO IS THE MATCHING, UH, COORDINATOR FOR GRANTS FOR THE CITY, WILL HOLD A WORKSHOP FROM SIX 30 TO SEVEN 30 HERE AT, UH, NINE 900 BAGBY AT THE ANNEX CHAMBER. ALSO, I WANNA SAY, UH, BEFORE I CLOSE OUT, WE'VE HAD A TREMENDOUS, UH, WE'VE HAD TREMENDOUS DIFFICULTY WITH THINGS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE IN THE PARK ON SUNDAYS. WE CERTAINLY WANT PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND ENJOY THEMSELVES, BUT I WANNA PUT THOSE ON NOTICE THAT ARE COMING TO DISTRICT D WITH UNPERMITTED ACTIVITIES AND UNPERMITTED VENDORS. IT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. YOU WILL BE TICKETED, YOU WILL BE RECEIVE CITATIONS. WE WANT YOU TO COME OUT, BUT WE WANT YOU TO BE ON GOOD BEHAVIOR SO EVERYONE CAN STAY SAFE. AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO WISH, UM, A HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL FATHERS IN WHATEVER CAPACITY YOU SERVE. AND CERTAINLY HAPPY JUNETEENTH. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. UM, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 105,000 CHILDREN LIVING IN HARRIS COUNTY, AGE ZERO TO THREE WITH WORKING PARENTS HAVE NO AFFORDABLE OPTIONS FOR, FOR CHILDCARE. WHAT HAPPENS THEN IS THAT ONE PARENT IS FORCED TO STAY HOME, PREVENTING THEM FROM ENTERING THE WORKFORCE AND COSTING FAMILIES LOST WAGES. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE HARRIS COUNTY ON THE PASSAGE YESTERDAY AT COMMISSIONER'S COURT OF THE $48 MILLION INVESTMENT OF ARPA FUNDING IN CHILDCARE. THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS CURRENTLY REVIEWING AND, AND EVALUATING HOW BEST THE CITY CAN INVEST OUR ARPA DOLLAR FUNDING TO COLLABORATE IN THIS EFFORT TO HAVE TO IMPROVE CHILDCARE OPTIONS, UM, FOR WORKING FAMILIES. SO THERE WILL BE MORE ON THAT LATER, BUT, UM, STAY TUNED. [03:45:01] I WANT TO ALSO JUST ADD THAT IN ADDITION TO HOW AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE HELPS PARENTS BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO WORK, INVESTING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS HAS ONE OF THE STRONGEST RETURNS ON INVESTMENT OF ANY TYPE OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM, DAVE MARTIN. NO, NO, . JUST A QUICK, UM, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE DADS OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY THE DADS THAT WE WORK WITH EACH AND EVERY DAY. THE DADS OF CITY COUNCIL. ALSO, ALL THE FOLKS THAT ACT AS SURROGATE DADS OR ROLE MODELS OR MENTORS TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY. UH, I WISHING ALL THEM A HAPPY FATHER'S DAY AS WELL. UH, I ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE AND WELCOME OUR INTERN, ABIC PRAP. ABIC IS A JUNIOR AT TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY MAJOR IN E ECONOMICS WITH A MINOR IN FINANCE. HE WAS BORN IN HOUSTON, GREW UP IN SUGAR LAND, AND HE LOOKED FORWARD TO LEARNING HOW ECONOMIC POLICIES ARE DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTING THEM AT A LOCAL LEVEL. HE ENJOYS WATCHING FOOTBALL, ESPECIALLY THE AGGIES OVERPRICED, UH, COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM AND BASKETBALL GAMES, AND CONSIDERS HIMSELF A FOODIE AND IS ALWAYS LOOKING TO TRY NEW DISHES. SO, UH, WELCOME ABOARD AND WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU FOR THE SUMMER COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM. AND I'M ACTUALLY GONNA PRESENT SOME ITEMS FOR OUR DEAR COLLEAGUE, THE VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM OF DISTRICT K, AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH, UH, AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE HONEY BROWN HOPE FOUNDATION UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MISS TAMMY LANG CAMPBELL IS CHALLENGING AMERICANS TO GIVE KUDOS, UH, TO THEIR WASTE WORKERS BY JOINING IN THEIR QUOTE, NO TRASHING TRASH WORKERS CAMPAIGN. AND THAT'S AN OBSERVATION OF THE QUOTE, WASTE AND RECYCLING WORKERS WEEK. THAT'S COMING UP JUNE 17TH THROUGH JUNE 24TH. DID YOU KNOW, UM, THAT IS A THING. WASTE AND RECYCLING WORKERS WEEK COMING UP. AND AS PART OF THE HONEY BROWN HOPE FOUNDATION'S, WE LOVE AMERICA HEALTHY AND CLEAN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP INITIATIVE, THE NO TRASHING TRASH WORKERS CAMPAIGN WAS BORN. IT'S DESIGNED TO SPARK AWARENESS ABOUT VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF WASTE WORKERS AND RECYCLING WORKERS WHO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AND TO INSPIRE ACTION BY ENCOURAGING COMMUNITIES TO HONOR THESE ESSENTIAL WORKERS FOR DETAILS, PLEASE VISIT THE WEBPAGE, HONEY BROWN HOPE.ORG/NO TRASHING TRASH WORKERS. UH, THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 18TH, BEGINNING AT 9:00 AM THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT SOUTHWEST COMMAND INVITES YOU FOR HPD SOUTHWEST COMMAND JUNETEENTH FATHER'S DAY COMMUNITY BIKE RIDE THAT'S AT 13 0 97 NA TILDA, AND, AND IN HOUSTON. AND JOIN IN FOR A SIX MILE LEISURE RIDE. FEEL FREE TO INVITE YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND NEIGHBORS AND THE MORE THE MERRIER. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT OFFICER JOHNS AT 8 3 2 3 9 4 0 4 6 9, OR PRESIDENT BRUCE ALLEN AT SEVEN SAYS HERE, 7 0 3 2 7 8 2 7 8 7. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE. AND THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, THE DON WILL GIVE AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING ON THE, ON THE DON 2023 MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM THAT'S HOSTED BY COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR RASHAD CAVE ON THURSDAY, JUNE THE 23RD FROM SIX 30 TO 7:30 PM AT THE CITY ANNEX CHAMBERS, 900 BAGBY ON THE SECOND FLOOR. DON'T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW YOUR COMMUNITY CAN QUALIFY FOR THE 2023 MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM. FOR MORE INFORMATION, EMAIL RASHAD DOT CAVE@HOUSTONTX.GOV. AND NOW MAYOR PRO TEM. WITH YOUR PERMISSION, COUNCIL MEMBER D ROBS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON REPORTING HERE. NOW FOR THE AT LARGE TWO OFFICE, UH, I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT, UH, THIS FRIDAY MORNING AT 10:00 AM WE HAVE A SPECIAL CALL MEETING OF THE TTI COMMITTEE, TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE. AND THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CONVENED TO UPDATE THE PUBLIC ON THE NEXT STEP IN ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS AND THE INDUSTRY SURROUNDING BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND CODE MODERNIZATION PROCESS. THIS OPT UPDATE IS PART OF, UH, ONGOING AND CONTINUOUS DISCUSSIONS. UH, TWO COMPONENTS TO THE PRESENTATION ON FRIDAY, THE HOUSTON NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE, UH, REGARDING LOW VOLTAGE AND, UH, STAKEHOLDER UPDATE. YOU'LL RECALL HOW MUCH FUN WE HAD LAST YEAR, TALKING ABOUT LOW VOLTAGE MATTERS OF ELECTRICAL USE, AND THEN ALSO AN UPDATE ON JENSEN HUGHES. IT'S OUR NEW CODE CONSULTANT ON THE MODERNIZATION PROGRAM, UH, THAT WILL ENGAGE THE CITY TO BRING FORWARD THE 2021 SET OF CODES SOMETIME WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF. SO THAT'S HUGE. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR ENJOYING BREAKFAST THIS MORNING. UH, THIS IS APPARENTLY, UH, SUSTAINABLE. GASTRONOMY [03:50:01] DAY IS JUNE 18TH. AND, UH, ALL THOSE PASTRIES AND YUMMY THINGS IN THE BACK, I WANNA THANK MY CHIEF OF STAFF, DIANA SDO AND OUR TEAM FOR BRINGING IT FOR ALL OF YOU. AND I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED IT. AND, UH, WITH THAT, I DO WANT TO CELEBRATE AS WELL, ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE SPEAKING ABOUT FATHER'S DAY, AND OF COURSE, THE WONDERFUL SET OF EVENTS WE'VE GOT COMING THIS WEEKEND FOR JUNETEENTH. UM, AND FINALLY, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM, JUST ON A SAD NOTE, I, I WOULD LIKE, UH, TO RECOGNIZE THE PASSING AND THE MEMORIAL. UM, THAT WILL BE FOR FORMER CITY COUNCIL STAFF MEMBER ISHA BEATTY, UH, FERER. AND, UH, SHE WAS THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR COUNCIL MEMBER WANDA ADAMS FROM DISTRICT D, BELOVED TO MANY OF US. UH, SHE WENT ON TO WORK AT PUBLIC WORKS AND HITS. SHE PASSED AWAY AFTER A BATTLE. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE HER AND WE MISS HER, AND, UM, WE WILL REMEMBER HER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ED POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIMM. AND I WANTED TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO OUR HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH SUMMER INTERN, MR. CAMERON MUD. THIS IS HIS SECOND YEAR IN OUR OFFICE. UH, HE'S A RISING JUNIOR AT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY, AND WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE HIM BACK. THANK YOU. SO WE WILL RECESS OR ADJOURN TODAY, UH, IN HONOR OF ALL THE DADS, ESPECIALLY MY TWO FAVORITE DADS. MY FATHER EDWARD L. MARTIN, WHO'S IN HEAVEN, AND ALSO MY SON DAVID, WHO'S CELEBRATING HIS SECOND FATHER DAYS, FATHER'S DAY. AND ALSO TO, UM, ADJOURN IN MEMORY OF RASHE BEATIE FERER RESHA BEATTY, FERER. MAY SHE BE GRANTED ETERNAL ARRESTS, MEETING ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.