[9:00 AM - ROLL CALL]
[00:00:02]
AND, UH, LET ME GET A SCRIPT.I'M MAYOR VESTER TURNER, AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL, UH, TO ORDER AS AN IN-PERSON AND HYBRID MEETING, UH, THIS MORNING.
UH, FIRST WE'LL HAVE THE, UH, INVOCATION AND PLEDGE, AND WE'LL BE LED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ.
BOW HEADS CHURCH SECRETARY WILL LEAD US AT PRACTICE THAT YOU HAVE TO STAY READY, MAYOR.
FATHER GOD, WE COME TO YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR MERCY AND FOR YOUR GRACE, WE LIFT YOU UP AND PRAISE YOU.
AND WE MAGNIFY YOUR NAME BECAUSE YOU ARE SO WORTHY TO BE PRAISED.
FATHER, WE ASK THAT YOU COVER THIS BODY, FATHER GOD, AND HELP US TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO ALL.
LORD, WE ASK FOR A HEDGE OF PROTECTION AROUND US.
ALL OUR HEALTH, OUR STRENGTH, OUR FAMILIES, AND OUR FINANCES.
IT'S IN YOUR SON'S PRECIOUS NAME WE PRAY.
IF YOU PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL THE ROLE MAYOR TURNER.
AND CONSTABLE ALCORN HERE NEED A
[ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING]
MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF MAY 3RD AND FOURTH MOVE.AND SECOND OF THE ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENT.
ANY DISCUSSION? ANY OBJECTION SHARING? NONE IN THE MINUTES OR ADOPTED? UH, A COUPLE SPEAKERS? OKAY.
[MAYOR'S REPORT]
COMMENTS.IN REFERENCE TO THE MAYOR'S REPORT.
UM, THIS MORNING, THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED THAT CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS SIX MONTHS OLD ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR A COVID-19 VACCINE AT ANY OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S.
AND NONE OF THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CDC CLOSE TO 20 MILLION CHILDREN SIX MONTHS THROUGH FIVE YEARS OF AGE MAY RECEIVE THEIR FIRST DOSE OF EITHER THE MODERNA OR THE PFIZER VACCINE.
AND HOUSTON HEALTH WILL ALSO OFFER THE VACCINE AT MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS ON A ROTATING SCHEDULE.
SO VISIT HOUSTON HEALTH.ORG OR CALL 8 3 2 3 9 3 4 2 2 FOR INFORMATION.
SO, AS A REMINDER, COVID-19 VACCINATION AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT SITES, UH, IS FREE AND DOES NOT REQUIRE INSURANCE OR PROOF OF RESIDENCY.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU GOT A KID, UM, AS YOUNG AS SIX MONTHS OLD, UH, THEY ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR THE C COVID-19 VACCINE.
UM, IN TERMS OF OUR DROUGHT, UH, YESTERDAY WHEN THE CITY ACTIVATED IS, UH, DROUGHT CON, UH, CONTINGENCY PLAN, UH, IT IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO DRY.
UM, AND WE HAVE HAD, UM, NORMALLY HIGH, UH, TEMPERATURES.
UH, SO IT IS, UM, IT'S PHASE ONE OR STAGE ONE OF THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN, VOLUNTARY ASKING PEOPLE TO WATER THEIR GRASS, FOR EXAMPLE, TWICE A MONTH, UH, AND BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 7:00 PM AND 5:00 AM 7:00 PM AND 5:00 AM SO THIS IS, THIS IS STAGE ONE.
AND THEN, UM, HOPEFULLY IF WE START TO GET MORE RAIN, UH, THEN WE CAN, UM, EVEN COME OUT OF THAT.
BUT IF WE DON'T, IF WE REMAIN DRY, UH, AND THE HEAT REMAINS HIGH, UH, AND THEN IF THE WATER CAPACITY SHOULD DROP, WE COULD BE, WE COULD GO TO STAGE TWO, WHICH WOULD BE MANDATORY, BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S VOLUNTARY.
[00:05:01]
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION VERY CAREFULLY.OVER THE WEEKEND, WE HAD A NUMBER OF WATER MAIN LEAKS.
UH, SO I MEAN, IT IS VERY, THE SOIL IS VERY DRY AND THINGS START TO SHIFT.
SO, UH, IF YOU, IF THERE'S A WATER MAIN LEAK, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ARE AWARE OF IT, YOUR CONSTITUENTS MAKE YOU AWARE OF IT, PLEASE MAKE US AWARE, AND THEN WE WILL, WE WILL, UH, WORK TO ADDRESS THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, THIS MORNING, THERE'S A CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, ANNUAL CABRIO JOB FAIR OR FAIR.
IT IS TAKING PLACE AT EXHIBIT HALL E OF THE GEORGIA BROWN CONVENTION CENTER TODAY FROM 9:00 AM TO P TO 2:00 PM SEVERAL CITY OF HOUSTON DEPARTMENTS ARE CONDUCTING ON THE SPOT INTERVIEWS FOR VARIOUS POSITIONS FROM ENTRY LEVEL TO FRONTLINE MANAGEMENT.
SO, UH, PLEASE, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, UH, UH, PLEASE, UM, YOU CAN GO TO HOUSTON TX.GOV/JOBS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
BUT THAT ANNUAL CAREER JOBS FAIR IS TAKING PLACE TODAY FROM 9:00 AM TO TWO AT THE, UH, GEORGIA BROWN CONVENTION CENTER, EXHIBIT HALL E.
UM, AGAIN, WANT TO CONGRATULATE EVERYBODY THAT PARTICIPATED IN, UH, GETTING THE WORLD CUP TO BE PLAYED HERE IN 2026.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
SO, TO CHRIS CANNET, TO JOHN ARNOLD, UH, TO JANICE BURKE, AND EVERYBODY WHO WAS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, UH, LET ME CONGRATULATE THEM.
EVEN ME AND PATEL DAVIS, SHE SPEARHEADED THE PIECE IN THE PROPOSAL DEALING WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
SO REALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER, BUT EVERYBODY, LABOR ORGANIZATIONS, UH, WHO PARTICIPATED, LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE GAMES AND THE BENEFITS STARTS FLOWING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AS OF RIGHT NOW, BUSINESSES WILL BE SCALING UP BUSINESSES, UH, THAT DON'T EVEN EXIST TODAY, UH, WILL BE IN EXISTENCE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS AND ANTICIPATE IN ANTICIPATION OF THE, UH, FIFA WORLD CUP.
UM, UM, AND THEN WITH RESPECT TO THE I 45 PROJECT, LEMME JUST SAY THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH CONVERSATION ON THIS PROJECT AT ALL.
HOWEVER, UM, T DOC IS, UH, UH, ACQUIRED, UH, THE LOSS AT THE BALLPARK, UH, AND IN THEIR, IN THEIR PROPOSAL THAT THEY PUT FORTH, UH, THE F THE FEIS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT STUDY, YOU KNOW, THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE ONLY GONNA NEED LIKE A HUNDRED OF THOSE UNITS.
UM, BUT THEY END UP HAVING, END UP TAKING THE ENTIRE COMPLEX AND, AND, UH, PLANNING ON DEMOLISHING, UM, ALL OF THOSE UNITS, WHICH IS ABOUT 300 AND SOMETHING.
I THINK IT'S A VERY, VERY, UM, IT'S NOT A MOVE THAT WOULD GENERATE ANY GOODWILL BY T STOCK.
UM, THEY COMPLAIN, UH, WHEN, UM, AS A CITY AND OTHERS HAVE, UM, OFFERED, UM, MADE SUGGESTIONS TO THEM THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD TAKE THEM OUTSIDE OF THE FEIS AND THE RECORD OF DECISION.
AND NOW THEY'RE DOING THE VERY SAME THING THAT THEY WERE SAYING TO OTHER FOLKS.
AND AGAIN, YOU CAN'T TAKE MORE THAN WHAT'S NEEDED.
AND AT A TIME WHEN AFFORDABILITY IS A CRITICAL QUESTION, THE HOUSING STOCK, UM, IS IN SHORT SUPPLY.
UM, AND TECH STOCK IS NOW TAKING MORE HOUSING UNITS THAN THEY NEED, EVEN IF THE GREEN LIGHT WAS GIVEN ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TECH STOCK WAS THINKING OR IS THINKING.
IT'S JUST NOT, IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING TO GENERATE GOODWILL.
NOW, IT IS IMPORTANT, UM, AND THE, UH, FH, UH, WA, UM, MAY BE, UM, AND I'VE TALKED TO, UH, TALKED TO, UM, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FHWA YESTERDAY.
UH, THIS IS A, OF COURSE, THIS, THIS, UM, THE LOSS IS A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.
AND, AND, UH, SUPPOSEDLY THE PURCHASE, UM, TOOK PLACE BEFORE, UH, THE FHWA PUT A PAUSE ON IT, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE CHECKING THE DOCUMENTATION TO SEE IF IN FACT, THAT'S THE CASE.
BUT SINCE IT'S A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, SINCE THE PURCHASE ACQUISITION TOOK PLACE PRIOR TO FHWA, PUTTING A PAUSE ON IT, AND SINCE THEY'RE USING STATE DOLLARS AND NOT FEDERAL DOLLARS, UH, THEN FHWA SAYING, THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO, TO STOP IT.
NOW, MY QUESTION TO THEM IS THAT THEY MAY NOT BE USING FEDERAL DOLLARS TODAY, BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF FEDERAL DOLLARS DO COME IN? CAN THEY THEN SUBSTITUTE THE STATE DOLLARS FOR FEDERAL DOLLARS? AND SO THEY'RE HAVING TO GO AND TAKE A SECOND AND LOOK AT THAT.
UH, BUT THE POINT THAT I WANT TO MAKE IS THAT, UM, UM, TECH STOCK HAD ALWAYS SAID THAT THEY WANTED TO STAY WITHIN THE FEIS AND THE RECORD
[00:10:01]
OF DECISION.WELL, WITHIN THEIR OWN DOCUMENTATION.
THEY NEVER SAID THAT THEY NEEDED THE ENTIRE, UM, STOCK ALL ALL OF THOSE UNITS.
AND, AND THEY HAVE YET TO MAKE, AT LEAST I HAVE NOT HEARD A DEFINITIVE STATEMENT FROM THEM, THAT FOR WHATEVER UNITS THAT THEY ARE TAKING OUT, THAT THOSE UNITS THEY'RE GOING TO WORK, UH, ENSURE THAT THOSE UNITS ARE REPLACED.
UH, SO THAT WE HAVE NET ZERO HOUSING LOSS.
THAT'S A PART OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THAT I PUT FORTH, UH, TO TDO THAT EVEN IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS, OF I 45 WERE TO OCCUR, THAT WE WOULD HAVE NET ZERO HOUSING LOSS.
AND EVEN NOW, IF WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THEM, THEY NEED TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR, UH, THAT THERE WILL BE NET ZERO HOUSING LAWS.
A FAILURE TO DO THAT IS A SETBACK FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
YOU MAY BUILD THE ROAD, BUT IT, IT DOES REDUCE THE AFFORDABILITY.
IT DOES REDUCE OUR INVENTORY, AND IT GOES CONTRARY, UH, TO THE REPRESENTATIONS THAT THEY HAVE MADE, AND IT CAUSES EVEN FURTHER DISTRUST, UH, BY PEOPLE AND STAKEHOLDERS IN OUR CITY.
SO DISAPPOINTING WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
UM, AND, AND, AND IT ALSO REFLECTS A LACK OF SENSITIVITY ON THE IMPACT OF, OF, OF, OF THIS PROJECT ON THE LOCAL UNIT OF GOVERNMENT.
OKAY? BECAUSE YOU SIMPLY CANNOT TAKE MORE HOUSING THAN IS, THAN IS NEEDED AND NOT MAKE A VERY STRONG COMMITMENT THAT THERE WILL BE NET ZERO HOUSING LAWS.
SO, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO FOLLOW IT, UH, VERY, VERY CAREFULLY TO SEE WHERE THIS GOES.
UM, LET ME GET YOU WANT THOSE PAGES BACK, JUST A FEW MORE COMMENTS.
AND THEN, UH, WITH RESPECT TO, UM, THE BIPARTISAN GROUP AND, AND THE SENATE IN DC ON GUN REFORM, UH, LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING.
UM, UH, ALL OF THE SENATORS, UH, SENATOR CORNY IS, IS, IS PROVIDING LEADERSHIP, UH, ON THE SENATE SIDE, UH, AND OF COURSE FROM, FROM FROM TEXAS.
SO LET ME GIVE A, A SHOUT OUT TO TO THEM ON WHAT IS TAKING PLACE.
AND IN THIS BIPARTISAN, UM, PROPOSED BILL, IT WILL ENHANCE BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR GUN PURCHASES YOUNGER THAN 21.
IT'LL MAKE IT EASIER TO REMOVE GUNS FROM PEOPLE THREATENING TO KILL THEMSELVES OR OTHERS, AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMITTED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
IT CLARIFIES WHO NEEDS TO REGISTER AS A FEDERAL FIREARM DEALER.
IT CLOSES THE BOYFRIEND LOOPHOLE BY DEFINING ONGOING ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS.
IT CRACKS DOWN ON THE ILLEGAL GUN TRAFFICKING, INCLUDING SO-CALLED STRAW PURCHASES, WHEN THE ACTUAL BUYER OF A FIREARM USES ANOTHER PERSON TO EXECUTE THE PAPERWORK.
UM, AND THE LEGISLATION INCLUDES $11 BILLION FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND $2 BILLION FOR COMMUNITY-BASED ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAMS. ALL OF THESE INITIATIVES AND MORE, I THINK WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
HOPEFULLY, UM, THEY WILL, UH, BE ABLE TO PASS IT BEFORE THEY LEAVE FOR THE INDEPENDENCE, UH, HOLIDAY BREAK.
AND THEN ON, UM, THE OTHER DAY, UH, THE BIG CITY MAYORS, AND THIS IS A BIPARTISAN GROUP, A BIG CITY, TEXAS MAYORS.
'CAUSE ANYTIME YOU CAN BRING IN FORT WORTH, AMARILLO PLANO, UH, HOUSTON, DALLAS, AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO, IT SPEAKS VOLUMES.
AND THE BIG CITY MAYORS ARE ASKING THE GOVERNOR TO CALL A SPECIAL SESSION NOW AND NOT WAIT FOR, UH, THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN JANUARY.
SCHOOL STARTS IN THE FALL, AND THE LEGISLATURE IN TEXAS NEEDS TO ACT NOW.
AND BASICALLY IT SAYS, THE LETTER SAYS, CALLS FOR UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS.
YOU CALLS FOR RAISING THE AGE FROM 18 TO 2021 RED FLAG LAWS.
AND IT SAYS, SINCE SO MANY TIMES PEOPLE SAY, THE PROBLEM IS WITH MENTAL HEALTH, WHERE IF YOU'RE GONNA SAY THE PROBLEM IS WITH MENTAL HEALTH, THEN YOU SHOULD EXPONENTIALLY SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, BECAUSE MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IS STILL IN THE BOTTOM 10% OF THE COUNTRY.
SO IF YOU'RE GONNA USE THAT AS THE, AS ONE OF YOUR JUSTIFICATIONS, THEN THEY NEED TO SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE FUNDING FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND, AND ESPECIALLY FOR COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH BEHAVIORAL INITIATIVES.
SO, UM, AGAIN, UM, THEY NEED TO CALL A SPECIAL SESSION AND THEY NEED TO CALL A SPECIAL SESSION, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, CERTAINLY WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
AND THEN LASTLY, I KNOW THAT WE HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS EVEN DURING THE, UH, THE BUDGET PERIOD ABOUT VARIOUS PROJECTS, UH, IN YOUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS.
UH, I AM GOING TO BE, UH, UM, RECOMMENDING THAT WE TAKE $20 MILLION FROM OUR FUND BALANCE, $20 MILLION, AND SPECIFICALLY ADDING TO OUR SWAT, UH, INITIATIVE.
SO RIGHT NOW, WITHIN THE BUDGET, THERE'S $20 MILLION
[00:15:01]
FOR SWAT PRO PROJECTS.UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOUBLING THAT AMOUNT FOR 40 MILLION, TWO $40 MILLION, WHICH MEANS WE'LL BE ABLE TO BE DOING MORE PROJECTS IN YOUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS, UH, THAN WE HAD, UM, UH, PLANNED.
AND THAT'S SPECIFICALLY IN RESPONSE, UH, TO THE COMMENTS, THE FEEDBACK, UH, THAT I WAS GETTING FROM YOUR ROUND THE TABLE DURING THE BUDGETARY TIME.
SO IT'S COMING FROM THE FUND BALANCE, UM, AND IT WILL, UM, AND WE CAN MOVE THOSE PROJECTS ALONG, UM, MUCH QUICKER SO EVERYONE GETS AN EQUAL DISTRIBUTION WITHIN YOUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
I HOPE THAT WILL, UM, UM, MEET WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR APPROVAL.
UM, AND I THINK THAT DOES IT FOR ME.
UH, COUNCILOR MAGOS, THANK YOU MAYOR, I, I I JOIN YOU IN, IN, IN YOUR CONCERN REGARDING TXDOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING AND KNOCKING DOWN THE LOFTS AT THE BALLPARK.
I MEAN, INITIALLY, LIKE YOU STATED, THEY WERE ONLY GOING TO DO, I BELIEVE IT WAS ONE BUILDING, AND NOW I BELIEVE IT'S A TOTAL OF THREE BUILDINGS.
UM, SO THAT'S CONCERNING BECAUSE THEY WERE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY SAYING, THIS IS HOW MUCH OF PROPERTIES WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING.
WELL, IF THEY'RE ALREADY DOING THIS NOW, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO MAYBE LATER.
IN, IN, IN THE MOU, IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY WHERE IF, IF FOR SOME REASON THIS PROJECT DOES NOT MOVE FORWARD, AND HERE YOU ARE TXDOT YOU OWN THIS LAND NOW WHERE YOU CAN WORK WITH THE CITY, HOPEFULLY TURN THAT INTO A GREEN SPACE, UH, FOR, FOR, ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU'RE RIGHT THERE AT PNC STADIUM AND AT THE BALLPARK.
YOU KNOW, WE PUT FORTH, UH, THE MOU, UH, I SIGNED IT, BUT THEY DID NOT SIGN THE MOU.
SO THERE'S, THERE IS NO MOU THE STOCK COMMISSION DID.
YEAH, THE TECH STOCK, THE COMMISSIONERS FROM, UH, TAX DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THEY DID NOT SIGN.
UH, AND QUITE FRANKLY, SINCE RIGHT NOW THEY ARE USING STATE FUNDING TO PURCHASE THAT COMPLEX, IT'S PRETTY MUCH IN THEIR DISCRETION.
IT'S UP TO THEM ON HOW THEY USE IT.
SO, SO IF FOR SOME REASON THIS PROJECT DOES NOT MOVE FORWARD, THERE'S NO WAY THAT THE CITY CAN SAY NOW, OKAY, IF THIS DOESN'T MOVE FORWARD, THEN, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE THE FIRST PEOPLE YOU COME TO TO PURCHASE MAYBE THIS PROPERTY TO TURN INTO.
I THINK WE CAN, THE, I THINK WE CAN CERTAINLY CONTINUE TO HAVE, WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM ON HOW IT SHOULD BE USED.
UM, BUT THERE ARE NO, UM, UH, HOW CAN I PUT IT? WE CAN STIPULATE, UM, MM-HMM
UM, THE ONE THING THAT I, ONE THING I WOULD ASK A TEXTILE THOUGH, SINCE THEY ARE PURCHASING THESE HOUSING UNITS, I MEAN THESE UNITS, UH, FOR HOUSING, UH, THAT THEY MAKE THE COMMITMENT THAT THERE WILL BE A ZERO LOSS IN HOUSING UNITS MM-HMM
SO AS THEY, AS THEY PURCHASE AND SEEK TO DEMOLISH, THEY ALSO NEED TO, UH, PROVIDE THE ASSURANCE, UH, THE COMMITMENT, NOT ASSURANCE, BUT MAKE THE COMMITMENT THAT THEY WILL PROVIDE SUFFICIENT FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL HOUSING TO BE BUILT TO MAKE UP FOR THE HOUSING THAT THEY ARE TAKING.
NOW THAT I DID INCLUDE IN MY, UH, MOU, UH, THAT AS IF, IF THIS PROJECT WERE TO MOVE FORWARD, THAT THERE WOULD BE ZERO HOUSING LOSS BASED ON WHAT THEY ARE ARE DOING.
THEY'RE PUTTING US FROM A HOUSING POINT OF VIEW AND, AND, UM, IN, IN A WORSE SITUATION, UM, AND NOT A BETTER SITUATION.
AND AS WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE PEOPLE FROM OUR STREETS AND PREVENT HOMELESSNESS, THIS DOES NOT, THIS DOES NOT HELP.
'CAUSE I KNOW MARK LAST WEEK, UH, ADDRESSED COUNSEL AND STATING THAT THEY WERE IN NEED OF 800 HOUSING UNITS.
UH, AND HERE WE ARE WITH THREE BUILDINGS BEING TAKEN DOWN BY TXDOT.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU WOULD THINK TEXTILE WOULD JUST PUT THAT ON A HOLD UNTIL TO SEE IF THIS PROJECT MOVES FORWARD.
IF IT DOESN'T MOVE FORWARD, THEN HEY, WE CAN RENOVATE, HOPEFULLY THE, THE THREE BUILDINGS AND OFFER SOME MORE HOUSING AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
THEY COULD HAVE TAKEN, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ONE BUILDING THAT THEY SAID THEY NEEDED.
WE COULD HAVE USED THE OTHER TWO FOR HOUSING THE HOMELESS.
OR JUST PROVIDING HOUSING TO OTHER PEOPLE.
THEY CAN STILL DO THAT, MAYOR.
AND THEY, AND THEY STILL CAN DO THAT.
AND THAT IS, THAT IS, THEY CAN STILL MAKE THAT THOSE OTHER BUILDINGS AVAILABLE.
UH, VICE MAYOR, UH, PRO TE CAST TATUM.
I WANTED TO JUST, UM, AMPLIFY THE, UM, MESSAGE OF THE ADDITIONAL SWAT DOLLARS.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE, UM, SWAT TEAM AND NU AND, AND HER LEADERSHIP HAS JUST BEEN EXTRAORDINARY IN THAT, UM, AREA.
[00:20:01]
UM, TIMES ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE SWAT PROJECTS THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN IN OUR INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS.BUT, UM, TO BE ABLE TO GO FROM APPROXIMATELY 1.8 TO 3.6, UM, IS GOING TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND WE HEAR FROM RESIDENTS EVERY WEEK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE OPEN DITCHES AND THOSE PROJECTS THAT COULD BE TAKEN CARE OF WITH THOSE SWAT DOLLARS.
AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS ADDITIONAL, UM, FUNDING BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS TRANSLATES TO OUR PROJECTS BEING DONE QUICKER, UM, MORE EXPEDITIOUSLY AND CITIZENS SEEING, UM, THAT THEIR, UM, TAX DOLLARS ARE AT WORK, THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE BEING PROTECTED, AND THAT THEIR, THEIR CITY COUNCIL IS, AND, AND THE MAYOR IS WORKING ON THEIR BEHALF TO MAKE SURE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE IS, IS STELLAR IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT ADDITIONAL, UM, FUNDING FOR OUR SWAT PROJECTS.
I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE IT'S ON ALL OF OUR SOCIAL PLATFORMS, BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN DEFINITELY HAPPEN IN THEIR COMMUNITIES NOW.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR GETTING THAT FEE, TAKING THAT FEEDBACK FROM, UM, THE BUDGET CYCLE AND REALLY, UM, PUTTING OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS.
COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN PLUM.
MAYOR TURNER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT FOR THE COMMUNITIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, FLOODING IS, IS, IS HUGE AND THE RESILIENCE FOR THE CITY IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I ALSO WANTED TO COMMENT, GO BACK TO THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT I 45.
UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT.
AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE ADVOCACY GROUPS THAT ARE OUT THERE REALLY FIGHTING, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE LOOKING AND WATCHING WHEN PERMITS ARE BEING PULLED, UM, AND, AND REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE HOLDING TXDOT ACCOUNTABLE.
SO THANK YOU FOR ACTING SWIFTLY ON THAT AND MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
UM, BECAUSE AFFORDABILITY AND HAVING HOUSING IS CRITICAL FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND I JUST WANT TO ECHO MY COLLEAGUES AND THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, FOR THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR OUR SWAT PROJECTS, UM, IT'S, WE CAN DO A LOT WITH THAT WITHIN OUR DISTRICT.
JUST ONE PROJECT ALONE IS 1.2 MILLION, AND SO THE ADDITIONAL DIAL DIAL GONNA HELP US MOVE FORWARD.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND FOR MOVING FORWARD ON THAT.
AND, UM, AND FOR, UM, I MEAN, YOU MADE THAT VERY CLEAR AND THE NEED FOR IT.
SO, UM, UM, AND OTHERS HAVE RAISED CONCERNS AROUND THE TABLE.
UM, WE DO HAVE A HIGH FUND BALANCE.
I HOPE IT WILL CONTINUE TO BILL, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, UM, WE WILL, WE WILL TAKE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF IT AND PUT ON THE, UM, PUT ON THE SWAT INITIATIVE.
SO, UM, I'M JUST, UM, THANKFUL THAT WE ARE IN A POSITION TO DO IT AND WITHOUT HAVING TO REDIRECT THINGS WITHIN THE PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET.
'CAUSE WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU'RE TAKING FROM SOMETHING AND PUTTING ON SOMETHING ELSE.
SO AS I INDICATED TO A DIRECTOR HADDOCK, UM, THIS IS IN ADDITION TO NOT TAKEN AWAY FROM.
UH, COUNCILMAN MCCOSH MAYOR, I, I HEARD YOU SAY WE HAD, YOU KNOW, A, A RISE IN OUR FUND BALANCE.
UH, I'M WONDERING HOW MUCH OVERTIME ARE WE GIVING OUR HPD OFFICERS TO, UH, COMBAT THIS CRIME? AND WHERE ARE WE ON THIS, UM, BUYBACK PROGRAM AND HAS, HAS THAT, HAS THAT BEEN IMPLEMENTED AND HAS IT? THE BIPA PROGRAM? AND WE'RE WORKING AT, UH, NOW WE'RE WORKING OUT THE DETAILS WITH HPW THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE NEXT MONTH IN JULY.
SO THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE AT, UM, IN JULY.
AND WE ARE ON TRACK OF MOVING THAT FORWARD WITH RESPECT TO, UM, POLICE AND, UM, AND, UM, OUR OVERTIME INITIATIVE, WE'VE ADDED ANOTHER $5 MILLION TO POLICE FOR OVERTIME.
SO IN, IN THE INITIAL AMOUNT UNDER ONE SAFE HOUSTON, IT WAS 5.7 MILLION.
THAT WAS FOR ABOUT A 90 DAY PERIOD.
UH, SINCE THEN I'VE ADDED ANOTHER $5 MILLION.
UM, AND THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE IS WORKING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED BEFORE WHEN THE NUMBERS OF HOMICIDE DROPPED AND, AND THEN THEY KIND OF TICKED UP A LITTLE BIT.
I SAID I WOULDN'T MENTION IN AGAIN.
UH, BUT, UM, EVEN AS OF TODAY, THE HOMICIDE NUMBERS ARE BELOW WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR.
IN FACT, IN ALMOST EVERY CATEGORY OF VIOLENT CRIME WILL BELOW WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR.
SO ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE, UM, FROM, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, UM, IS WORKING, BUT WE HAVE ADDED MORE.
AND, UH, AND THEN WE ARE MAXIMIZING, UH, CHIEF FEDERER AND HPD WOULD BE TRYING TO BRING IN A FULL, UM, UM, A NUMBER OF CADETS IN ALL OF THE CADET CLASSES TO TRY TO GET THAT NUMBER UP
[00:25:01]
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.SO WE WANT TO ADD MORE BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN REAL TERM IN TERMS OF BY THESE PEOPLE.
AND THEN WE ARE, UH, SUPPLEMENTING THAT THROUGH THE USE OF OVERTIME BY AN ADDITIONAL $5 MILLION.
AND I JUST GAVE THEM PERMISSION ON THAT A FEW WEEKS AGO.
MAYOR, IS THERE A PLACE ON THE WEBSITE, THE CITY WEBSITE, WHERE A CITIZEN CAN GO AND SEE WHAT THE VALUE OF THEIR GUN IS? I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS BUYER YEAH.
IF THEY WILL GO TO, UM, CHRIS CRYSTAL, AGORA FOUR IS OVERSEEING THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON AND PUTTING THINGS ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, IN FACT, I'LL HAVE, AND I'M SURE CRYSTAL IS LISTENING TO ME NOW.
UH, I'LL HAVE HER REACH OUT TO YOU.
AND, UH, SHE, SHE'S WORKED, SHE WORKS UNDERNEATH ARTURO, MICHELLE.
SO ARTURO, IF YOU COULD, AND THAT WAY YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE IN REAL TIME WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHERE WE ARE ON THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVES.
UM, LEMME DO THIS BEFORE WE GET TO NINE THIRD AND GO TO THE PUBLIC SESSIONS.
MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU COULD BRING UP THE FIRST FEW ITEMS DEALING WITH THE APPOINTMENTS, ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR.
[MISCELLANEOUS]
MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR, NEED A MOTION CAST TATU, MOVE SECOND ROBINSON.ON NINE ONE, YOU'VE BEEN MOVED IN SECOND ON NINE ONE DISCUSSION ON ONE DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSED GRANTED.
AND THIS IS TO THE HOUSTON ZOO, UH, BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
AND IF YOU ARE HERE, JUST PUT, PLEASE STAND UP.
POSITION ONE, JIM POSTAL GYM HERE.
AND POSITION SEVEN IS, IS CHRIS SHA SHALU.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THESE TWO ON THE HOUSTON ZOO, UH, BOARD.
NEXT ITEM, ITEM TWO NEEDS A MOTION.
ROBINSON BEEN MOVED AND SECOND, SECONDED ON ITEM TWO.
ON ITEM TWO, DISCUSSION ON TWO, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED ON ITEM TWO.
AND ITEM TWO IS TO THE HOUSTON SPACEPORT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
AND IF YOU ARE HERE, IF YOU ARE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD IF YOU ARE HERE.
POSITION ONE IS MARIO'S C DIAZ.
POSITION THREE IS EDWARD HAM II, POSITION FIVE IS EBONY.
OH, EBONY, IF YOU COME FORWARD AND POSITION SEVEN IS ARTURO MACHUKA.
WELL, EBONY, YOU'RE GONNA HOLD DOWN THE FLOOR TODAY.
UM, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
EBONY WILL BE SERVING ON THAT HOUSTON SPACE FORCE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND IT IS OFF AND RUNNING.
I MEAN, A LOT OF THINGS ARE TAKING PLACE THERE WITH, UM, UM, AXIOM THERE AND, UM, INTUITIVE MACHINE.
AND WHAT'S THE THIRD ONE? COL, COLLINS AEROSPACE, COLIN COLS, COLLINS AEROSPACE.
SO LOOK, VERY, LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH YOU.
UM, AND YOU WANT TO TELL US JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? SURE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING HERE, HAVING ME HERE.
UM, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE MY WORK WITH THE HOUSTON SPACE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
I BORN AND RAISED AND GREW UP IN ACRES HOME.
I WENT TO, UM, HIGH SCHOOL FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONS, ER, T WASHINGTON, GRADUATE OF PRAIRIE VIEW A AND M UNIVERSITY WHERE I MAJORED IN ENGINEERING.
SO I CURRENTLY WORK IN OIL AND GAS.
UM, WENT INTO THE INDUSTRY WORKING AT NASA FOR LOCKHEED MARTIN.
AND I AM A MOM AND, UM, AN ENGINEER.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR, UH, STEPPING UP AND PARTICIPATING ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT THAT'S TAKING PLACE IN SOUTH, IN SOUTH HOUSTON, VICE MEMBER TEMP CASTEK.
I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, BEING WILLING TO SERVE ON THIS, ON THIS BOARD.
THIS, THIS SPACEPORT IS TRANSFORMATIVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, WE TALK ABOUT IT IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS, AND WE, WE'VE, WE'VE GONE TO THE GROUNDBREAKING, UM, CELEBRATIONS OF AXIOM AND ALL THAT'S COMING THROUGH OUR, TO OUR CITY AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO HOUSTONIANS AND PEOPLE THAT LIVE AROUND HOUSTON FROM THE SPACEPORT IS GOING TO BE TREMENDOUS.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE, UM, YOU SERVING ON THIS BOARD.
IT, IT SPEAKS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY IN THIS SPACE.
UM, AND I'M VERY, UM, EXCITED THAT YOU ARE EXCITED TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD.
SO CONGRATULATIONS, UH, FOR BEING APPOINTED TO THE BOARD.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ALONGSIDE YOU AND THE OTHER MEMBERS ALONG WITH, UH, DIRECTOR DIAZ AS HE, UH, LEADS THIS BOARD.
[00:30:01]
OVERJOYED BY THANK YOU, UM, YOUR EXPERIENCE AND WHAT A ROLE MODEL YOU ARE FOR, UM, MANY AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUNG GIRLS THAT, UM, COME FROM EDGAR'S HOME AND FROM OTHER AREAS IN OUR CITY TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION IS OUR PASSPORT TO THE FUTURE.AND FOR YOU TO SHARE YOUR, YOUR STORY AND YOUR EXPERIENCE, UM, SPEAKS VOLUMES AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ALONGSIDE YOU AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
UH, EBONY, I WANTED TO ADD MY WORDS TO, UH, YOU CONGRATULATE YOU ON THIS GREAT, UH, HONOR, AND YOUR POST PRINCIPALLY BECAUSE YOU'RE AN ENGINEER.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL ON THE, ON THIS BOARD AND WHAT YOU WILL BRING.
I KNOW I'M LUCKY TO HAVE TRAVELED, UH, TO MEXICO WITH THE MAYOR IN MARCH, UH, ALONG WITH, UH, DIRECTOR DIAZ TALKING ABOUT THE SPACEPORT AND THE INTEREST INTERNATIONALLY WAS SO GREAT THAT WE WERE SENT BACK.
UH, GOT TO TRAVEL WITH TWO OF YOUR, UM, RISING BOARD MATES, MARIO DIAZ AND ARTURO MACHUKA.
AND I JUST WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION BOTH AS AN ENGINEER AND AS A MOM OF THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION WITHIN THE SPACEPORT BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FACILITY THERE THAT WOULD FOCUS A CONSORTIUM OF UNIVERSITIES ON A PROGRAM THAT WOULD EDUCATE PEOPLE, UH, OUR CHILDREN, UH, AND THE NEXT GENERATION FOR LIFE WITH, UM, WITH SPACE.
SO JUST WANTED TO CHARGE YOU WITH THAT.
AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND CONGRATULATIONS.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
ALRIGHT, NEXT ITEM, ITEM ITEM THREE NEEDS A MOTION CAST.
NEXT, A MOVE, SECOND, ROBINSON MOVED.
DISCUSSION ON THREE DISCUSSION.
UM, UM, IN FAVOR, OPPOSED GRANTED ON NINE THREE.
THIS IS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
IF YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD.
POSITION SIX IS PETER LA G**O, A G**O JUNIOR.
UH, SEVEN IS JOHN R. HOLMES JR.
NINE IS RAJ, UH, AND 90 AND 10 IS BLUE.
AND 11 IS FRANK W DUNLEY THE THIRD.
ALRIGHT, SO I HAVE STANDING BEFORE ME IS PETER.
AND AND THEN WE HAVE FRANK, FRANK.
UH, NUMBER ONE, LET ME THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AND WE DO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ON THE, UH, ON THE SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE, UH, TO THE NEW APPOINTEES AND THE REAPP APPOINTEES OF THE SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
CONGRATULATIONS TO FRANK AND PETER BOTH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THANK YOU FOR WILLING TO VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME AND SERVE.
THE SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IS VERY DENSELY POPULATED AREA TOWN.
WE HAVE SHARPSTOWN AND NOW ANNEXED INTO, UH, THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IS THE RICHMOND CORRIDOR BETWEEN HILLCROFT AND CHIMNEY ROCK.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, THE SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT HAS REALLY PUT A STRONG COMMITMENT TOWARDS PUBLIC SAFETY, I BELIEVE PETER U CHAIR, THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY, FRANK BIN ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR YOUR AREA FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS THAT HAVE COMMITTED WITH OUR OFFICE TO THE LICENSE PLATE READER CAMERAS.
UH, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO TRY TO GET THOSE INSTALLED.
UM, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, UM, MAYOR JUST CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR OFFICE AND THIS MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO ENSURE THAT THE INITIATIVES AND THE, THE PROJECTS THAT WE PUT FORWARD, LIKE THE LICENSE PLATE READER CAMERAS, UH, WE CAN GET UP AND RUNNING.
I THINK ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT THEY'VE BEEN FACING IS CHALLENGES WITH PERMITTING AND TRYING TO WORK WITH THE PERMITTING DEPARTMENT TO GET THE LICENSE PLATE READERS, UH, APPROVED AND INSTALLED.
SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO EXPEDITE THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
UM, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE AND THROUGH YOUR ADMINISTRATION, WE COME UP WITH ALL THESE IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE OUR CONSTITUENTS, ESPECIALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND OUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, UH, WHICH ARE VOLUNTARY ASSESSMENT PAYERS, UM, TAKE THE TIME TO INVEST IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND WE NEED TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO SUPPORT THEM.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL, UH, FOR COMING THIS MORNING AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE DAYS AHEAD.
ALICE LEE IS SOMEWHERE, UH, THERE.
SHE IS, UH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR CONTINUED, UH, ENGAGEMENT WITH DISTRICT
[00:35:01]
J AS WELL.THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN THOMAS, IT'S ON THE SCREEN.
COLLEAGUES, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BOARD APPOINTEES AND OF COURSE, A, A BIG THANK YOU TO ALICE LEE FOR HER LEADERSHIP.
I'VE TAKEN A VERY SMALL PIECE OF, UH, THE SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, BUT THAT PIECE IS A VIBRANT AND MIGHTY AND A WONDERFUL PARTNER IN ANY TIME.
THEY ARE FIRST ON THE SCENE, AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE SAME TYPE OF CONTRIBUTION FROM THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS, UH, TO SUPPORT DISTRICT J AND DISTRICT, UM, F WITH OUR INITIATIVES.
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
CASTEX TATUM, MOVE SECOND, ROBINSON IN.
MOVED IN SECOND ON ITEM FOUR, DISCUSSION ON FOUR.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED.
IF YOU ARE HERE, IF YOU'LL STAND AND COME FORWARD.
THIS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE FORT BEND COUNTY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 24.
UH, THREE IS SCOTT LEAF, FOUR IS IRENE CRUDEN, AND FIVE IS JEFF D TINO.
AND STANDING BEFORE ME IS SCOTT LEAF.
LOOK FORWARD TO, TO WORKING WITH YOU.
AND THIS IS A REAPPOINTMENT, SCOTT FOR, FOR YOU AS WELL.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE FORT BEND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 20.
AND, UM, YOU WANT TO TELL US JUST, UM, UH, JUST GIVE US A, A LITTLE SHOUT OUT THIS MORNING, SCOTT, A LITTLE SHOUT OUT THIS MORNING.
IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD FOR, UH, THE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE WE GOT GOING.
THIS IS A, UH, 42 ACRE MIXED COMMERCIAL, UH, LAND USE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS PRETTY MUCH FULLY BUILT OUT NOW.
AND, UM, WE STARTED CONSTRUCTION BEFORE 2018.
AND, AND IT'S BEEN, UH, IT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL AND HAS BEEN A, A SIGNIFICANT BOON TO THE, TO COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE, UH, WALMART IS AN ANCHOR TENANT AND A NUMBER OF, UH, MID BOX TYPE TENANTS.
SO IT'S BEEN, UH, IT'S BEEN, UH, REALLY A PLEASURE TO SEE THIS ALL COME TOGETHER.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
THAT TAKES CARE OF THE APPOINTMENTS AND I THINK IT'S TIME FOR THE PUBLIC SESSION.
[9:30 AM - PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
NOW TO THE PUBLIC SECTION SESSION.A FEW COMMENTS BEFORE WE GET STARTED.
IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A PUBLIC SPEAKER, YOU HAD TO SIGN UP WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE ABOUT 3:00 PM YESTERDAY.
AND WE WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGNED UP WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED.
IF YOU ARE IN HERE IN PERSON, IF YOU'RE HERE IN PERSON, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM.
IF YOU ARE CALLING IN, PRESS SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
AND IF YOU ARE APPEARING ON CAMERA, CLICK ON THE MICROPHONE ICON AND THE CAMERA ICON.
YOU WILL THEN HAVE THE ONE, TWO, OR THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK FOR WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED.
AFTER YOUR TIME, UH, HAS EXPIRED, THE BELL WILL RING.
AND ONCE THAT BELL RINGS, YOU MUST COME TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU PROCEED TO CALL, CALL THE FIRST, UM, PUBLIC SPEAKER.
IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX, YOU CAN PROCEED.
HENRY GUILLORY AS HENRY HENRY IS HERE.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, ATTORNEY, AND EVERYONE.
I LIVE AT 35 18 COP STREET, AND WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH A, A TREE THAT I HAD CUT DOWN AND A FEW, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE, UM, WE CONTACTED, UH, MS. MS. LEE, UH, ADMINISTRATION
[00:40:01]
AND THEY CAME, LOOKED AT IT AND TOLD US THEY COULDN'T CUT IT BECAUSE IT WAS, THE TRUNK WAS ON OUR PROPERTY, SO I SAVED UP SOME MONEY.UM, WE, WE MET THIS, THIS GENTLEMAN, AND HE'S IN THAT BUSINESS AND HE CAME TO CUT THE TREE AND HE STACKED IT WHERE IT, WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE STACKED.
AND WHEN THE HEAVY TRASH CAN, THEY DIDN'T PICK IT UP.
SO WE CALLED AGAIN AND THIS WAS, UH, THIS WAS THREE MONTHS AGO.
AND, UH, UM, THEY CAME A SECOND TIME WE CALLED.
THEY CAME A SECOND TIME AND THE GUY TOLD ME THAT, UM, THEY WASN'T GONNA PICK IT UP.
SO THIS THIRD TIME, THEY CAME ON THE 17TH OF THIS MONTH.
AND I WENT OUT AND SPOKE WITH THE GENTLEMAN AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS BECAUSE, UH, IT WAS OVER, UH, FOUR, I THINK HE SAID FOUR LINEAR YARDS, THAT THEY WASN'T GONNA PICK IT UP.
BUT THEN WHEN I CALLED 3 1 1 AND THEY, UH, THEY TOLD ME THAT PRECINCT ONE WAS GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
SO I CALLED AND THEY TOLD ME IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE EIGHT LINEAR YARDS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FOUR NOR EIGHT.
I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY KNOW THE ORDINANCE, THE CITY ORDINANCE FOR A TREE, BUT IT'S ONE TREE.
AND I'M, I'M SAYING, YOU KNOW, MAN CAN'T HELP US OUT HERE AND GET THE TREE REMOVED BECAUSE NOW PEOPLE IS DUMPING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET AND IT'S RIGHT BY THE HOUSE AND THEY THINK IT'S A DUMP.
NOW THEY PICKED UP THE TRASH THAT THE PEOPLE DUMPED THERE, BUT THEY WON'T GET THE TREE.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
I'M HUN LET ME, YOU GOT A PICTURE? LEMME SEE.
BECAUSE THERE IS A LIMIT ON HOW MUCH CAN BE PICKED UP IN HEAVY TRASH.
HE TOLD ME IT WAS FOUR LINEAR YARDS.
AND THEN PRECINCT ONE TOLD ME IT'S EIGHT LINEAR YARDS.
BUT I'M, I ASKED HIM, HOW ARE YOU MEASURING THIS TREE TO BE WHAT FOOTAGE IT IS? BUT HE DIDN'T GIVE ME AN ANSWER.
UM, LET ME SEE WHAT YOU, LEMME SEE WHAT YOU GOT.
DO YOU HAVE A PICTURE? I, I JUST HAVE THE CONTACT WITH THE GUY, COULDN.
OKAY, THEN I'LL TELL YOU WHAT THEN, UM, WE'LL JUST HAVE SOMEONE, SOMEBODY THEY HAD TO TAKE IT AWAY AND, UH, YEAH.
'CAUSE I, I WILL TELL YOU IF IT'S, IF IT'S ABOVE A CERTAIN LIMIT, THEN SOLID WASTE IS NOT GOING TO PICK IT OUT.
IF IT, IF IT'S, IF IT'S, IF IT'S MORE THAN, AND I CAN'T RECALL WHAT, WHAT THAT LIMIT IS RIGHT NOW.
I, I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER, UM, ELISE COFFEE SAYING IT'S THE SIZE OF THE TRUCK BED.
SO IS IT, IS THIS, IS IT, IS IT A LARGE, IS IT A LOT? IT'S A LARGE TREE.
SO IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S ONE TREE OR TWO OR THREE.
IF IT, IF IT EXCEEDS THAT LIMIT, THEN, THEN NO, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT GONNA PICK IT UP.
THE MAYOR, IIII THOUGHT THAT IF YOU HIRE, OH, I'M SORRY.
I, I THOUGHT IF YOU HIRED SOMEBODY TO, UM, DO WORK AT YOUR HOME, THE PART OF THE COST THAT YOU SHOULD BE PAYING WAS FOR THEM TO CARRY IT AWAY.
UM, SO I KNOW THAT WE TELL OUR CONSTITUENTS IN THE DISTRICT, IF YOU HIRE SOMEONE TO CUT A TREE IN YOUR YARD, THEY SHOULD ALSO, UM, HAUL THAT AWAY AND DISPOSE OF IT.
UM, AS OPPOSED TO THEM CUTTING IT AND PUTTING IT OUT FOR SOLID WASTE TO PICK IT UP.
PART OF THEIR SERVICE SHOULD ALSO BE TO HAUL THAT TREE AWAY.
BUT WE HAD THE TREE CUT DOWN A WHILE BACK AND SEE, YOU KNOW, HEAVY TRASH PICKED IT UP.
YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
AND, AND, AND THE, THE PROBLEM IS, IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US TO KNOW, UM, IF YOU CUT IT DOWN OR IF YOU HIRED SOMEBODY TO CUT IT DOWN.
WELL, I HAVE THE CONTRACT, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT'S NOT EXCEED THE, THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT CAN PICK UP.
WELL, THE WAY YOU'LL KNOW THAT I HAVE THE CONTRACT RIGHT HERE, THE GUY THAT CUT THE TREE, RIGHT.
IF YOU HIRED SOMEONE TO CUT THE TREE DOWN MM-HMM
THEY SHOULD HAVE ALSO HAUL, HAULED IT OFF FROM YOUR PROPERTY.
BUT I'M SAYING THIS SAME GENTLEMAN CUT THE TREE DOWN FOR US A WHILE BACK AND CITY OF HOUSTON HAULED IT OFF.
AND I MEAN, THAT WAS A BLESSING FOR YOU BECAUSE THAT'S TYPICALLY NOT HOW THAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN IF YOU HIRE SOMEONE TO CUT THE TREE DOWN, THEY SHOULD ALSO HAUL IT AWAY.
SO WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HEAVY TRASH? I'M SORRY? HEAVY TRASH.
WHAT DO THEY PICK UP THEN? DON'T THEY PICK UP TREES? YEAH, THEY DO.
THEY PICK UP TREES THAT YOU CUT DOWN.
NOT THAT YOU HIRED A SERVICE TO CUT DOWN.
IF YOU WENT IN YOUR YARD AND YOU CUT A SMALL TREE DOWN AND YOU STACKED IT THE PROPER AND IT WAS THE PROPER SIZE, UM, FOR THEM TO PICK UP, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE HAULED THAT AWAY.
SO, YOUNG LADY, WE ON A FIXED INCOME, WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS TREE NOW? WELL, LEMME, IT'S OUT THERE.
WELL, LEMME JUST, AGAIN, AND HEAVY TRASH IS NOT GONNA, YOU CAN'T UNLOAD YOUR WHOLE HOUSE ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET.
AND, AND SOLID WASTES WILL PICK IT UP.
THERE, THERE IS A LIMIT ON WHAT THEY SHOULD BE PICKING UP.
[00:45:01]
SAY TO THEIR CREDIT, UH, THAT THEY'VE BEEN PICKING UP A LOT MORE THAN WHAT THEY, UH, UH, SUPPOSED TO.BUT LET ME, YOU KNOW, LET ME JUST SAY TO THE, TO THE, TO EVERYBODY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU CANNOT, YOU CANNOT PUT OUT JUST EVERYTHING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR SOLID WASTE JUST TO PICK UP.
THAT IS SLOW, THAT IS SLOWING THEM DOWN.
UH, AND IN, BUT IN MANY CASES THEY ARE PICKING UP WHAT'S OUT THERE IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.
AND I, AGAIN, I I, I DON'T HAVE A PICTURE BEFORE ME, SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, IF IT'S A BIG TREE AND THEY'RE BIG LOGS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
THEY PROBABLY GOING TO PASS THAT UP.
WELL, THEY, THEY CAME WITH THE, THE BIG TRUCK ENOUGH TO PICK IT UP AND THE EQUIPMENT, HE JUST DIDN'T DO IT.
IT, IT JUST, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT YOU JUST CAN'T PUT OUT ANYTHING OUT THERE FOR THEM TO PICK, FOR THEM TO PICK UP.
AND, UH, THANK YOU MR. GUILLORY.
UH, YOU REALLY AREN'T VERY FAR FROM MY HOME, SO I'LL PASS BY AND I'LL TAKE A PICTURE OF THE TREE.
BUT I WOULD, UH, RECOMMEND THAT YOU MAYBE HAVE THE TREE CUT SMALL AND SMALLER PIECES AND PERHAPS YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET IT, UH, HAULED OFF.
BUT IF IT'S BEYOND THE LIMITS, THE CITY'S NOT GONNA PICK IT UP.
AND SO I DON'T, I THINK YOU SAID SOMEBODY CUT IT FOR YOU, ASK THEM TO COME BACK AND CUT IT SMALLER.
UH, THAT MAY BE HELPFUL AS WELL.
BUT, UH, HERE AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO PICK UP, UH, TREES FOR PEOPLE THAT YOU HIRED.
BUT I WILL PASS BY YOUR HOME, UH, AND, AND TAKE A PICTURE OF IT TO SEE IF IT'S SOME WAY THAT WE CAN HELP YOU TO FACILITATE THAT.
I HAVE A PICTURE OF IT IN MY PHONE, BUT I MEAN, OKAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, I THINK YOU'VE SPOKEN WITH STEVEN IN MY OFFICE ALREADY.
UH, AND SO I WILL ASK HIM TO CALL YOU AND PERHAPS YOU CAN, UH, SEND THAT PICTURE, UM, AND, AND THEN WE'LL SEE HOW WE CAN HELP YOU FACILITATE IT.
LET'S CONTINUE TO WORK ON THEM.
BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, IF IT DOESN'T FIT IN THE BACK OF A PICKUP TRUCK, THEN NO, THIS ONE WON'T.
IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIGGER THAN, UH, TO PUT IN A PICKUP TRUCK.
THIS, SEE, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, THAT, THAT KIND OF GIVES, SETS THE PARAMETERS ON WHAT THEY ARE AUTHORIZED TO PICK UP.
IF, IF IT, IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIT IN THE BACK OF A PICKUP TRUCK AND THEY WILL.
GENERALLY SPEAKING THOUGH, THEY, THEY PICK UP A LOT MORE THAN THAT.
UM, BUT WE'LL JUST HAVE TO, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
IF YOU'RE PRESS STAR SIX, YOU CAN PROCEED.
IS JERRY MONROE HERE? JERRY MONROE? I DON'T SEE HIM.
UM, AS OF YESTERDAY, UH, I WENT BACK TO THE COUNCIL MINUTES, UH, AND THE LAST ONE IS MAY 3RD.
SO I DON'T KNOW, FORGIVE ME IF I'M REDUNDANT ON SOME POINTS, BUT, UM, UM, I THINK THERE WAS A DIVALDI MEMORIAL HERE LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE.
UH, KIND OF ADDRESSING THAT IN CALIFORNIA, UH, NEW YORK, CONNECTICUT, NEW JERSEY, MARYLAND, HAWAII, ALL THE ASSAULT WEST WEAPONS AS DEFINED BY THE STATE, UH, MUST BE REGISTERED.
UH, NEW YORK, WASHINGTON DC NOT ONLY THE ASSAULT ARREST RIFLE, ASSAULT RIFLE REGISTRATION, BUT ALSO HANDGUN REGISTRATION.
UM, AND I'D KINDA LIKE TO SEE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, BAN ASSAULT RIFLE SALES.
UM, I MEAN, YOU'VE BANNED CIGARETTE SMOKING AND BARS AND RESTAURANTS AND SUCH, AND I DON'T SEE WHY YOU CAN'T, UH, DO THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I DON'T, THERE'S NO REAL GOOD REASON.
I CAN'T, I MEAN, I CAN'T THINK OF ONE GOOD REASON FOR CIVILIANS TO OWN AN ASSAULT RIFLE.
UM, THERE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GO SHOOT A FLOCK OF BIRDS WITH AN AUTOMATIC WEAPON.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON I CAN SEE THAT.
I CAN'T SEE ANY GOOD REASON, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT BANNED.
UM, AND IF NOT, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST HAVE A WAITING PERIOD HERE IN HOUSTON.
[00:50:01]
WE, WE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF A PROGRESSIVE CITY OR TRYING TO BE, I DON'T SEE WHY WE CAN'T, UH, LEAD THE, LEAD THE STATE IN HAVING A WAITING PERIOD, FOR INSTANCE.UH, SURE YOU HAVE A WAITING PERIOD AND PEOPLE MAY GO TO OTHER AREAS OR OTHER CITIES TO BUY WEAPONS, BUT AT LEAST YOU WOULD GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO THINK ABOUT IT AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, HAWAII HAS A 14 DAY WAITING PERIOD.
RHODE ISLAND HAS SEVEN, UH, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 10 DAYS.
I KNOW THAT CNN UH, WAS BROADCASTING ABOUT, UH, AUSTIN, CITY OF AUSTIN HAVING A, UM, RAISING THE AGE LIMIT TO BUY ASSAULT WEAPONS TO 21.
UM, IN BACKGROUND CHECKS, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT FROM AGE 20, UH, 18 TO 21, MAKING IT MORE SERIOUS.
BUT THOSE AREN'T USUALLY THE SHOOTERS.
THEY'RE NOT USUALLY THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
UM, AS A RULE GENERAL, GENERALLY AS A RULE.
SO I JUST, UH, WONDER WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
THE, THE QUICK RESPONSE, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU MADE REFERENCE TO AUSTIN, UM, BUT THE QUICK RESPONSE IS THAT, UM, THE STATE DOES NOT ALLOW, UH, CITIES AND COUNTIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO IMPOSE, UM, RESTRICTIONS, UH, ON GUNS IN TERMS OF WHO YOU CAN USE THEM OR VENUES WHERE THEY CAN BE, UH, CARRIED.
BUT THE STATE HAS PREEMPTED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS LIKE HOUSTON, QUITE FRANKLY, LIKE AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO AND DALLAS, UM, AND COUNTIES FROM IMPOSING RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF GUNS.
WE DO NOT, WE DON'T HAVE THAT AUTHORITY.
SO EVEN IF WE WANTED TO, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T.
BUT I TELL YOU WHAT, IF YOU GO RIGHT DOWN TWO 90, OR YOU CAN TAKE I 10 AND YOU'LL LAND RIGHT THERE AT THE CAPITAL.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE.
BUT, UH, BUT WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THAT AUTHORITY.
UM, JOHN, AS A DISTRICT C RESIDENT, UM, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR VOICE AND I, I, UM, AGREE WITH YOU ON MANY OF YOUR POINTS.
AS THE MAYOR SAID, UM, THE STATE HAS PREEMPTED US, UM, PRETTY MUCH EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, INCLUDING, UM, JUST SIMPLE THINGS LIKE CLOSING THE GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE, RIGHT? THE STATE HAS PREEMPTED THE CITY.
THERE ARE THINGS THOUGH, UM, MAYOR, IF I MAY, UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, THAT THE CITY IS DOING AND ITS CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
IF YOU GO TO SOME OF OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS, WE'RE DOING PRESENTATIONS AND TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE EFFORTS THAT THE CITY IS DOING.
UM, THIS SUMMER, UH, HPD IS LAUNCHING A GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM THAT'S TO ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERS IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL GUNS LYING AROUND THE HOUSE, UM, THEY CAN SAFELY SELL THOSE SO THAT THEY DON'T GO TO SECONDHAND STORES, ET CETERA.
UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT GUNS IN HOMES THAT ARE EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO CHILDREN, LOVED ONES CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS.
UM, WE'VE DONE A HUGE PUSH AS IT RELATES TO, UM, GUNS AND CARS.
AND I'M ACTUALLY THROUGH DISTRICT FUNDS, GONNA BE FUNDING A GUN SAFE PROGRAM, UH, FOCUSED ON SAFES IN CARS BECAUSE SO MANY CAR BREAK-INS THOUSANDS, AND THAT'S JUST WHAT'S REPORTED, UM, OF GUNS ARE TAKEN FROM CARS EVERY YEAR IN HOUSTON.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT THE CITY IS DOING, UM, TO SUPPORT THESE TYPES OF EFFORTS AND TAKING A STRONG STAND ON GUN SAFETY, UM, THAT IT IS NOT A BLANKET RIGHT TO WHEEL THE GUN, THAT THERE SHOULD BE COMMON SENSE, UH, MEASURES PUT IN PLACE, UH, TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE.
AND I KNOW THAT HPD AND EVEN OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICES, UM, HAVE EVEN TESTIFIED IN AUSTIN, PERMITLESS CARRY WAS NOT SUPPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE OF WHAT IT DOES.
UM, AND WE ARE SEEING, AGAIN, WITH INCREASING VIOLENT CRIME, RIGHT? THE MAJORITY OF THOSE CRIMES ARE WITH A GUN.
UM, SO I, I WANNA ASSURE YOU, AS YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO TACKLE THIS ISSUE HEAD ON.
UM, DESPITE, UH, THE STATE'S ATTEMPTS TO PREVENT US EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE, IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF US.
AND I TOO, JOHN, WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE AND, UH, SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS WITH US.
UH, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S CONTROLLED BY THE STATE AND WE DON'T HAVE NO AUTHORITY
[00:55:01]
ON THIS.UH, BUT IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT NEED TO SPEAK UP, SO, AND, AND YOU'RE DOING THAT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT AND COMING AND, AND COMING HERE THIS MORNING.
GO WRITE, EMAIL, TEXT, CALL ALL OF THE ABOVE.
COUNCILMAN CISNEROS, I DO WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING AND, AND PLEASE, PLEASE KEEP SPEAKING UP.
PLEASE GO TO AUSTIN AND, AND, UM, LET THEM HEAR FROM YOU TOO.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU NOT JUST TO LET PEOPLE FOCUS ON MASS SHOOTINGS, BECAUSE THAT'S ACTUALLY A SMALL PART OF IT.
YOU KNOW, GUN DEATHS IN CHILDREN NOW IS THE, THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH OF CHILDREN.
IT USED TO BE MOTOR VEHICLE, UM, ACCIDENTS.
AND, AND THAT THE, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE DEATHS ARE HAPPENING NOT IN MASS SHOOTINGS.
AND, UM, JUST TO THE POINT THAT THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN WAS MAKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE HIGH NUMBER OF GUNS THAT ARE STOLEN EVERY DAY OUT OF CARS IN HOUSTON OVER 10 A DAY ARE STOLEN.
SO, HPD REPORTS SAID THAT'S 3,700 GUNS EVERY YEAR THAT ARE STOLEN OUT OF CARS THAT ARE OUT IN, IN THE SYSTEM THAT CRIMINALS HAVE.
SO I APPLAUD THE EFFORT YOU JUST MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, TO ADDRESS, UM, GUN SAFETY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND NOT LEAVING GUNS UNSECURED IN CARS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REGISTER IN THE UNITED STATES.
THERE'S NO NATIONAL GUN REGISTRY FOR SMALL ARMS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PROCEDURE, UH, CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN FOR A PROCEDURAL MOTION.
UH, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD MRS. JACKIE BOSTICK, GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER OF JACKIE YATES AND MR. RAMON MANNING, UH, BOARD PRESIDENT OF THE EMANCIPATION PARK CONSERVANCY TO SPEAK NICKS FOR TWO MINUTES.
SECOND, ROBINSON, EACH THANK YOU.
IF YOU ARE NOW, CALL ON MS. BOSTICK FIRST, JACKIE BOSTICK.
GOOD MORNING, MS. BO HERE AND COUNCIL, I SEE YOU'RE HERE AFTER, UH, YOU PARTIED ALL NIGHT AND ALL WEEKEND LONG.
I, YOU KNOW, YOU STAYED FOR THE FINAL, FOR THE FINAL ACT.
UM, I HAD TO WAVE YOU GOODBYE, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, SO I SEE THAT AFTER PARTYING ALL NIGHT AND ALL WEEKEND, YOU, YOU, YOU STILL, YOU'RE STILL HANGING.
SO, UH,
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU FOR REALLY, UM, HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EMANCIPATION POPULATION.
SO LET ME, LET ME YIELD TO YOU THOUGH, WELL, UH, GOOD MORNING AGAIN, TO EVERYONE.
JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR HELPING TO MAKE SURE THAT JUNETEENTH WAS CELEBRATED AND IT EVERYTHING CAME TOGETHER FOR OUR CITY TO HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME AND TO ALSO TO LEARN MANY THINGS ABOUT JUNETEENTH AND WHAT IT MEANT TO EVERYBODY.
BUT WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT WITHOUT ALL OF YOU PROVIDING THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO IT.
SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR TRULY, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAD A WONDERFUL JUNETEENTH, UH, CELEBRATION FOR EVERYONE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ, THANK YOU MAYOR.
AND MRS. BOST HAS BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE, UH, FOREVER AND THE JACK GATES FAMILY, AND EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW I LOVE
[01:00:01]
JACK GATES, RIGHT? BUT THE FAMILY IS SUCH A PHENOMENAL FAMILY, AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A PLEASURE TO BE IN YOUR PRESENCE.UH, SHE'S ALSO A SOLOIST, UH, WHO HAS BLESSED US ON MANY OCCASIONS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, BUT I GUESS FORTUNATELY SHE'S THE DELTA, BUT CERTAINLY SHE
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT THAT EVENT YAM TIFFANY THOMAS, I SEE YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, YES, UH, BUT CERTAINLY I HAVE TO GIVE MY ACCOLADES TO RAMON MANNING AND THE EMANCIPATION PARK CONSERVANCY.
UH, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, I'VE BEEN TO MANY, MANY PARTIES AND CONCERTS.
AND IT GOES AT THE VERY TOP OF MY LIST, UH, FOR EVENTS THAT I AM SO GLAD THAT I WAS ABLE TO PARTAKE OF.
AND SO CERTAINLY I THANK YOU BECAUSE I MEAN, YOU ARE RENOWNED IN YOUR OWN RIGHT WITHOUT BEING THE, THE GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER OF JACK YATES.
SO YOU HAVE BEEN A PHENOMENAL PERSON THAT HAS MADE COUNTLESS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY, AND THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND SISTER BOSTIC.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP, YOUR CONTINUED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, FOR ME AS SOMEONE WHO, UH, HAS ALSO KNOWN YOU ALL MY LIFE, UM, FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE TO TEACH.
AND THAT'S WHAT I, I I THINK ABOUT SO MUCH WHEN IT COMES TO YOU.
YOU REMAIN A PERSON WHO STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING EDUCATION AND TEACHING THOSE WHO ARE COMING AFTER YOU.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS LIKE JUNETEENTH AND WHY IT'S, UH, WHY WE CELEBRATE IT AND WHAT IT REPRESENTS.
AND SO I LOOK AT YOU AS A PERSON WHO, UH, HAS HELPED ME GET TO WHERE I AM TODAY.
AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND YOUR EFFORTS HAVE GONE A LONG WAYS IN LEADING MYSELF AND COUNTLESS OTHERS, UH, THAT HAVE COME THROUGH THIS CITY AND SPECIFICALLY ANTIOCH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH.
SO THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN ON THE SCREEN.
COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN CAYMAN TO MY RIGHT.
UH, MS. BOSTIC, THERE'S NOTHING THAT I COULD SAY THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN SAID, BUT I DID, UM, WANNA, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE TO THANK US, BUT AGAIN, IT'S REALLY YOU THAT WE ALL ARE AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO THANK, UM, FOR WHO YOU ARE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, YOUR VOICE, ALL OF YOUR WORK.
SO, AGAIN, I, I, I KNOW WE ALL SAY IT, BUT I, I DON'T WANNA PASS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD MY VOICE TO THAT.
UM, JUST SINCERE AND PROFOUND GRATITUDE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER.
I LIKE THE OTHERS MENTIONED, UH, YOU RAISED ME TOO
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION.
UM, I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT YOU'RE STILL IN HERE MAKING THINGS HAPPEN.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, TO EVERYTHING THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE DONE FOR EVERYONE.
AND MS. MOS, THANK YOU FOR COMING THIS MORNING.
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN YOU AT CHURCH ON SUNDAY MORNING.
AND JUST HEARING THE STORY, IT JUST TOOK ME BACK TO MY CHILDHOOD.
MY, UM, GRANDMOTHER, EVERY JUNETEENTH THAT WAS OUR BIGGEST CELEBRATION.
NEVER KNEW WHY WE WERE CELEBRATING.
I JUST KNOW WE HAD SOME GOOD BARBECUE, UM, CAKE, WATERMELON,
IT WAS JUST A GREAT, UM, FEST ATION, AND YOU JUST REMINDED ME ON WHY WE WERE CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP AND FOR EDUCATING US AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ALL APPRECIATE THE DAY OF JUNETEENTH.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, AND SHE IS ON THE SCREEN.
AND THEN GOOD MORNING TO THE LEADERS OF THE CONSERVANCY THAT ARE IN THE CHAMBERS.
THIS PAST WEEKEND WAS A HUGE FAMILY REUNION, AND IT WAS PHENOMENAL.
AND FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAVE CELEBRATED JUNETEENTH, AND IT WAS NOT A NEW THING FOR US, IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EDUCATE THE CITY AND OUR REGION, UM, ABOUT OUR HISTORY AND OUR PRIDE.
AND I JUST THANK YOU AND THE REST OF THE LEADERS AND CULTURE BEARERS THAT HAVE BEEN CARRYING THE TORCH IN THE CITY, AND THANK THE MAYOR AND THE, UH, PARKS DEPARTMENT AND ALL OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT SUPPORTED THE EFFORT.
I MUST HAVE DANCED ALL NIGHT, UH, ALL NIGHT.
AND, UH, IT WAS JUST GREAT JUST TO SEE PEOPLE, UM, TO SEE ALL OF THE VENDORS, TO SEE PEOPLE DOING BUSINESS WITH EACH OTHER, LEARNING ABOUT DIFFERENT RESOURCES.
WE HAD, UM, VACCINATIONS ON SITE, VOTER
[01:05:01]
REGISTRATION, AND SO WE WERE CELEBRATING, BUT WE ALSO WERE GETTING WORK DONE, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY.SO I JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISION.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, KEEPING THE, THE, THE DREAM ALIVE AND, AND THAT WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE TOGETHER.
OBJECTION TO A MOTION TO EXTEND HEARING NONE.
UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM CAST TATUM.
MS. BOSEK, I COULD NOT LET YOU COME INTO THE CHAMBERS WITHOUT TELLING YOU.
UM, FOR MANY OF US, WE'VE BEEN CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH FOR YEARS, AND, UH, THE FACT THAT JUNETEENTH IS ONLY A NATIONAL HOLIDAY FOR THE SECOND, UH, YEAR, UM, THIS WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO AMPLIFY WHY WE CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH, UM, AND EDUCATE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT REALLY DIDN'T KNOW THE, UM, MEANING OF JUNETEENTH AND WHY WE ACTUALLY CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH.
BUT I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE LEGACY, YOU ARE HISTORY, YOU ARE AMAZING.
UM, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND WE HONOR YOU.
AND WE THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR FAMILY'S HISTORY, YOUR HISTORY, AND ALL THAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU FOR HELPING US TO MAKE JUNETEENTH SUCCESSFUL IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
FOSTER, I GIVE YOU THE LAST WORD ON ALL OF IT.
WELL, I JUST WANT TO THANK AGAIN ALL OF YOU.
AND AS SOME OF MY CHILDREN WHO ARE NOW SITTING ON COUNCIL HAVE SAID THAT I'VE KNOWN EVER SINCE THEY WERE LITTLE BITTY BABIES, AND NOW THEY'RE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I'M SO PROUD OF THEM AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THEY BRING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR THIS IS OUR CITY.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THE THINGS THAT WILL HELP OUR CITY TO GROW AND BE PROSPEROUS AND CONTINUE TO WORK AS A CITY WHERE WE ALL WORK TOGETHER.
I'M SO PROUD OF HOUSTON AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO EVERY DAY FOR OUR CITY.
AND AS LONG AS I'M ABLE TO, I'LL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT I CAN FOR OUR WONDERFUL CITY.
AND THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. MANNING.
I FIRST WANTED TO JUST, JUST SAY THAT, UM, SERVING AS BOARD CHAIR, UM, FOR THE EMANCIPATION PARK CONSERVANCY HAS BEEN AN HONOR, BUT SUCH A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
I WEAR THAT TITLE, BUT PLEASE DON'T BE CONFUSED.
THE WHEELCHAIR IS RIGHT HERE TO MY LEFT
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT INITIALLY I WAS THINKING, YOU FORM THIS CONSERVANCY, YOU PUT A BOARD TOGETHER, YOU RAISE A LITTLE MONEY, JOB DONE.
THIS IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT, AND IT'S SO MUCH MORE MEANINGFUL FOR WHAT THIS PLACE REPRESENTS FOR THIS CITY AS AN ASSET TO THIS CITY.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, I REALLY, THIS WAS NEEDED BEING STUCK AT HOME THE LAST TWO YEARS.
THIS WHEN I, PEOPLE LITERALLY COMING UP IN TEARS SAYING, OH MY GOD, THIS IS WONDERFUL.
I JUST WANTED TO TELL Y'ALL HOW MUCH I REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT.
BUT ALSO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, KENNETH ALLEN, THEY, THEY STOOD TALL, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS DID A PHENOMENAL JOB.
CHIEF FINNER IN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAD A PHOTOGRAPHER JUST AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW ON POINT THEY WERE.
HE FORGOT TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT SENDING HIS DRONE UP.
HE BEGAN TO TRY TO SEND HIS DRONE UP.
AND BETWEEN CHIEF FINNER AND THE FBI, THEY SHUT HIM DOWN IMMEDIATELY.
HE WAS, I THINK HE'S STILL SHAKING IN HIS BOOTS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU GUYS.
AND LAST POINT, I WAS QUITE ANNOYED BY WHAT I SAW ON CNN IN LOS ANGELES.
SO AS A CHALLENGE TO ALL OF YOU, LET'S LOCK ARMS AND MAKE THIS BIGGER AND BETTER AND SUCK ALL THE OXYGEN OUT OF THE ROOM BECAUSE JUNETEENTH IS TEXAS AND LET'S NOT EVER FORGET THAT.
LET ME, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU.
LET ME THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UH, CERTAINLY WE'VE ACKNOWLEDGED AND THANKED MS. BOSTICK AND, UH, FOR EVERYTHING THAT SHE
[01:10:01]
HAS DONE, CONTINUE TO DO HER FAMILY AND EVERYONE ELSE.UH, BUT LET ME ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THIS WAS NOT A SMALL PROJECT AT ALL, AND, UM, CERTAINLY COULD HAVE GONE IN MANY, MANY, MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
AND, UH, IT WENT, IT, UH, WENT OVER WELL.
UM, PEOPLE ENJOYED THEMSELVES.
IT WAS A VERY SAFE, FA, FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT.
IT WAS A VERY SAFE, FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT AT EMANCIPATION PARK, UH, IN THIRD WARD IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, RIGHT THERE IN THE HEART.
SO, UH, IT WENT, UM, I A LOT OF KUDOS, UH, TO YOU AND TO YOUR LEADERSHIP AND TO YOUR ENTIRE TEAM.
AND YOU ALL MADE US HOUSTON, HOUSTON PROUD.
I WILL ADD TO WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BECAUSE QUITE, YOU KNOW, AS I, UM, UH, WAS WATCHING TELEVISION AND WATCHING, YOU KNOW, CNN, UM, AND THEN, UH, THE REPEATED REFERENCES AND THE AIRING OF THE EVENT IN, IN CALIFORNIA, IN, IN HOLLYWOOD, UM, AND IT, IT DID, UM, UM, I HAD MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THAT.
UH, AND, AND I'VE EXPRESSED MY THOUGHTS TO OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS, UM, BECAUSE, UM, UM, GENERAL GRANDEUR CAME TO GALVESTON AND MANY OF THOSE ENSLAVES, UM, PEOPLE WHO WERE ENSLAVED WENT NORTH AND WENT TO FREEMAN'S TOWN, FOURTH WARD, THIRD WARD FROM YATES, PURCHASED THE 10 ACRES RIGHT THERE IN THIRD WARD, EMANCIPATION PARK.
SO IT IS A, AND THEN PEOPLE MIGRATED ALL OVER THE WORLD, OKAY? UM, AND IF IT WERE AN EVENT THAT, LIKE THAT, THAT TOOK PLACE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IN LA AND HOUSTON WAS DOING A CELEBRATION, THEY WOULD NOT PICK THE STORY UP FROM HOUSTON WHEN THE STORY, THE HISTORY ORIGINATED IN LA AND IF IT ORIGINATED IN NEW YORK CITY AND HOUSTON WAS DOING THE CELEBRATION, THEY WOULD NOT COME TO HOUSTON TO COVER WHAT ORIGINATED FROM A HISTORICAL POINT OF VIEW IN NEW YORK.
BUT IF THEY WANTED TO DO THAT IN LA AND, AND THAT'S FINE.
THEY CERTAINLY COULD HAVE, UH, SHOT AWAY TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT EMANCIPATION PARK, WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN GALVESTON AND ANY OTHER PLACES.
SO I THINK THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, SENSITIZING EVEN PEOPLE IN THE MEDIA WORLD ABOUT THE HISTORY.
'CAUSE IF YOU'RE GONNA TELL THE HISTORY, TELL IT, RIGHT? YES.
BUT IT DIDN'T START IN LA OKAY? IT WASN'T A HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD FESTIVAL.
YOU KNOW, THIS WAS ABOUT PEOPLE THAT WERE ENSLAVED WHO THEN MIGRATED ALL OVER THE WORLD.
SO I SHARE YOUR SENTIMENT, BUT AGAIN, IT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY FROM WHAT YOU ALL DID.
UM, AND WHAT A FANTASTIC, AND NOT JUST ON THE WEEKEND, BUT LEADING UP TO THAT, WE TELLING THE STORY, REMINDING PEOPLE OF THE SACRIFICES THAT WERE MADE AND THE LEGACY THAT WAS BUILT.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO, TO YOU AND TO, TO THE WHOLE TEAM.
AND I SHARE WITH YOU FROM THE CITY DEPARTMENTS, AND EVERYONE, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THEM.
THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR AND RAMON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, THAT WAS A FIRST CLASS EVENT, UH, THIS WEEKEND.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, SHE HAD TO MOVE ME OUT THE WAY BECAUSE SHE, I WAS IN HER SPACE AND SHE WAS TRYING TO DANCE, AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOM NEXT TO ME, SO I HAD TO EVEN MOVE.
THAT'S HOW, HOW, HOW GOOD OF A TIME SHE WAS HAVING.
AND I SAW THE MAYOR AT THE FRONT, EVEN HE WAS DOING HIS TWO STEP.
AND IT WAS JUST, IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE COMMUNITY COME OUT, UM, AND CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH IN A BIG WAY.
AND TO HAVE BIG MAJOR NA NATIONAL ACTS COME TO HOUSTON TO CELEBRATE.
UM, AND I BOUNCED IT OFF OF WHAT WE DO FOR 4TH OF JULY, RIGHT? WE PUT ALL THIS EFFORT INTO THE 4TH OF JULY, AND TO SEE US DO THE SAME FOR JUNETEENTH, UH, WAS NECESSARY.
AND, UH, I LIKE THAT YOU SAID THAT YOU WANT TO DO IT EVEN BIGGER AND BETTER NEXT YEAR.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FIREWORKS IN THE SKY.
I WANT, I WANT THE WHOLE CITY TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DOING THIS.
UM, AND SO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
IT WAS A GREAT TIME, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
I, I WORKED HIM ALL THE WAY UP TO FRANKIE BEVERLY, UH, TEXTING HIM.
I SAID, THIS MAN IS TOO BUSY FOR ME TO BE DOING THIS.
[01:15:01]
RESPONDING AND I WANTED TO TELL YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH.AND YEAH, WE DID SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER UP IN THERE, UP IN THERE.
AND I, AGAIN, I'VE ALREADY EXPRESSED THAT.
I MEAN, IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, NO LESS.
BUT, UM, AND YOU ALL COME BACK NEXT YEAR.
THANK YOU'ALL VERY MUCH, AND TELL EVERYBODY ELSE YOU SAID THANK YOU.
MADAM SECRETARY, NEXT SPEAKER.
AND IF YOU EXPERIENCED, TECHNICALLY WE ARE EXPERIENCING, I THINK, SOME TECHNICAL PROBLEMS. SO, UH, YOU CAN WATCH US ALSO ON HTV, FACEBOOK ON HTV, FACEBOOK.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
WE HAD A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS THAT ARE NOW PRESENT.
MARIA SIDA, MARIA, PITA MARIA PER, OH, SHE'S COMING.
MS. BAR WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS THAT SHE WOULD LIKE A LIBRARY CARD TO BE USED AS A FORM OF, UH, IDENTIFICATION.
UM, SHE, SHE SAYS THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR MOTHERS WHO AREN'T ABLE TO OBTAIN A STATE ID TO USE A LIBRARY CARD AS A FORM OF ID, UH, WHETHER THEY'D BE DRIVING OR PICKING UP THEIR CHILDREN FROM SCHOOL, OR MAYBE EVEN BEING ABLE TO USE IT AT, AT, AT A BANK AS A FORM OF, UH, FORMAL ID.
SO SHE'S, SHE'S ASKING COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT THAT COULD HAPPEN.
WE'LL, WE'LL, LIKE TAKING A LOOK AT IT.
SO WE, WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT IT.
ID SHE'D LIKE TO EXPRESS THAT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT HELP FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T ABLE TO OBTAIN ANOTHER FORM OF IDENTIFICATION, UM, THAT THEY'D BE ABLE TO USE THE LIBRARY CARD AS A FORM OF IDENTIFICATION.
[01:20:10]
MS. BE SHE, SHE BROUGHT UP A GOOD INTERESTING POINT, WHICH I DIDN'T EVEN THINK OF.UM, AS YOU KNOW, WITH THE SECURITY AT THE SCHOOLS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO INTO A SCHOOL, YOU NEED TO PRESENT AN ID.
SO THEY'RE SAYING THAT THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE AN ID TO EVEN GO PICK UP THEIR KIDS.
THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER REASON FOR US TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
TO SEE WHAT, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND, AND THEN ALSO, SHE DIDN'T POINT OUT, LIKE I HAD MENTIONED TO YOU, UM, THE ISSUE IN REGARDS TO OPENING A BANK ACCOUNT.
THEY NEED AN ID TO OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT.
AND MANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE UNFORTUNATELY KEEPING MONEY IN THEIR HOMES, AND THEN THEY'RE GETTING ROBBED.
SO, NO, I FIND, I FIND THE REASON'S COMPELLING.
IM ONE SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER CAME.
UM, I WANTED TO, UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SPEAK AND COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS FOR CONTINUING TO KEEP THIS ISSUE AT THE FOREFRONT.
AND I, I, I KNOW SOME OF OUR OTHER SPEAKERS TODAY ARE LIKELY TO DO SO AS WELL.
UM, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ON TOP OF ALL OF THE NEEDS.
UM, THE STATE HAS MADE IT EVEN HARDER FOR INDIVIDUALS TO GET A STATE ISSUED PHOTO IDENTIFICATION.
UM, AND ALL OF THE HURDLES THAT THEY'VE PUT IN PLACE TO DO THAT HAVE MADE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, ALL THE MORE NECESSARY.
UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THIS ISSUE, UH, FRONT OF MIND AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THE LOGISTICS AND THE LEGALITIES OF WHAT THE CITY CAN CONTROL IN TERMS OF WHAT TYPES OF IDS ARE ACCEPTED, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF THE CITY ITSELF.
COUNCIL, MOTION TO EXTEND? ANY OBJECTION TO MOTION TO EXTEND JERRY STAND? GRANT, COUNCILMAN POLL.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND I, I, TOO SHARE THE SAME SENTIMENT.
SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE WITH HER THAT I KNOW SHE'S A DISTRICT J RESIDENT.
I WANT TO THANK HER FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME DOWN, UH, TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND SPEAKING WITH US DIRECTLY.
I KNOW SHE'S BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OUR OFFICE, SO PLEASE STAY ENGAGED WITH US AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
I JUST ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN, UM, TO SHARE THIS CONCERN.
I KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE, UM, THAT THE FOLKS AT TOP HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, UM, ON ID, SO JUST LET, JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I SUPPORT, UM, WHATEVER YOU GUYS ARE PUSHING AND, UM, WISH Y'ALL OF LUCK.
PARKING SPACES WERE VARIOUS CARS.
I'M A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT, AND I AM HERE, UH, TO ASK MAYOR TURNER AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SUPPORT A NEW ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
LAST YEAR, OUR MEMBERS ADVOCATED AND WON FUNDING, UH, AT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UH, TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM IN THE COUNTY.
[01:25:01]
HAVE THIS PROGRAM IN THE 27 LIBRARIES IN THE COUNTY.UM, THIS NEW ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD, UM, AND I'M GONNA SHARE WITH Y'ALL, HAS A PICTURE, UH, BIRTH DATE AND ADDRESS, AND INCLUDES GENDER AS WELL.
AND IT IS WITH THE PURPOSE THAT IT CAN SERVE AS A METHOD OF NON-TRADITIONAL FORM OF ID FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT ABSTAIN A STATE ID.
UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES LIKE THE FORMERLY INCARCERATED IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESS, AND ALSO, UM, FOR THOSE, UH, COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NOT ABLE, LIKE COMMUNITIES WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, WE ALWAYS SAY THAT HOUSTON IS A WELCOMING CITY, BUT IN ALL HONESTY, WE DEPORT, UH, MILLIONS OF FAMILIES EVERY YEAR DUE TO THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN ICE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
MANY OF THESE ARRESTS END UP THAT END UP IN DEPORTATION HAPPEN DURING INTERACTIONS WITH HPD OFFICERS DURING TRAFFIC VIOLATION STOPS.
HOUSTON POLICE CHIEF TROY FINNER HAS MENTIONED THAT HE'S WORKING WITH FIVE CONSULATES TO ACCEPT THEIR MATRICULA AS FORM OF IDS.
BUT THERE ARE MORE THAN 80 CONSULATES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND NOT MANY OF THEM HAVE A MATRICULA PROGRAM OR PASSPORT ACCESSIBLE TO THEIR CITIZENS.
WE ARE NOT TRYING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL.
UM, THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AS WELL, AND IT'S ACCEPTED NOW BY THE POLICE, UH, DEPARTMENT IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE HAVE HAD PRETTY, UH, MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, POLICE CHIEF TROY FINNER IN THE PAST, AND HE MENTIONED THAT HE WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
BUT NONE OF THOSE PROMISES HAVE COME THROUGH.
WE HAVE TRIED TO SCHEDULE SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH HIM, AND HE HAS NOT BEEN RESPONSIVE TO OUR CALLS.
WE KNOW THAT HE'S EXTREMELY BUSY.
UH, WE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY AND THE PUBLIC LEVERAGE JUST LAUNCHED THIS PROGRAM HERE, HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO DECREASE THE DEPORTATION, THE ARREST, DEPORTATION PIPELINE, AND ALSO RACIAL PROFILING.
I KNOW HOW IT FEELS NOT TO HAVE AN IDENTITY.
I'M A DACA RECIPIENT, AND EVERY TWO YEARS I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY RENEW MY WORK PERMIT IN ORDER FOR ME TO HAVE A TEXAS ID BEFORE DACA, I WAS COMPLETELY IN THE SHADOWS AND IN FEAR OF DEPORTATION.
I KNOW MY COMMUNITY IS, IT'S FEELING A LOT OF FEAR RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE, UH, IMPLEMENT THE SAME PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND ASK, UH, CHIEF TROY TO HELP US ACCEPT THIS AS A FORM OF NON-TRADITIONAL ID.
AND THANK YOU MS. GONZALEZ FOR BEING HERE.
AND THANK YOU ALL THE MEMBERS FOR TOP FOR BEING HERE.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S, UH, IMPACTING OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, BUT OTHER COMMUNITIES, UH, HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT DON'T HAVE IDS.
UH, LIKE YOU STATED, THIS WILL HELP THOSE THAT ARE HOMELESS, UH, TO HAVE A FORM OF ID ALSO FOR THOSE THAT WERE INCARCERATED AND BEING RELEASED BY THE COUNTY JAIL.
UH, SO THAT THAT WAY THEY CAN ALL TOO HAVE AN ID.
UH, I KNOW SHERIFF, UH, GONZALEZ IS ACCEPTED AND APPROVED THIS ID FOR THE, FOR THE COUNTY.
UH, AND I'M ASKING CHIEF FINNER TO DO THE SAME FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
MAYOR, PRIOR TO 2000 AND I BELIEVE 12, UH, PEOPLE COULD GET A, AN ID, A TEXAS ID.
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT? I DO VOTED FOR IT.
AND, AND, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STOPPED.
WAS IT THE LEGISLATURE THAT TOOK IT AWAY? A A SUBSEQUENT LEGISLATURE TOOK IT AWAY.
YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE.
IT WOULD SEEM AS IF WE WOULD WANT TO KNOW, UH, BE ABLE TO DOCUMENT WHO'S HERE AND, AND TO KNOW WHO IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE NOT TO HAVE AN ID.
AND I JUST, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MENTALITY IS.
IT JUST DOESN'T, UH, I, I KNOW THAT I HAD SEEN MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE, UH, THAT WERE WHAT WE WOULD CALL, THEY, THEY WERE ALIENS.
THEY, THEY WEREN'T RESIDENTS, UH, LEGAL RESIDENTS ACCORDING TO OUR LAWS.
BUT THEY, THEY HAD A TEXAS ID AND I, I KNOW I, I WAS BEFORE A JUDGE ONE DAY, AND HE SAID, UH, IF THEY DON'T HAVE A A TEXAS ID, THEN HOW CAN THEY HAVE INSURANCE? AND I SAID, WELL, YOUR HONOR, THEY, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT, THAT, THAT THERE'S INSURANCE COMPANIES THAT WOULD INSURE SOMEBODY THAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, UH, THAT DOESN'T HAVE AN, A DRIVER'S LICENSE.
AND, AND HE SAID, WELL, WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT? I SAID, WELL, YOUR HONOR, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE AN ACCIDENT WITH SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T HAVE INSURANCE? THAT'S ILL, THAT'S NOT
AND, AND, AND HE LOOKED AT ME AND HE SAID, WELL, I, I GUESS IF I'M GONNA HAVE AN ACCIDENT, I'D RATHER I'M HAVE INSURANCE.
REGARDLESS IF THEY'RE HAVE AN ID OR LEGAL OR HERE NOT.
SO, UH, HOW, HOW CAN WE AS A CITY BEGIN A PROCESS MAYBE TO TO, TO HELP TO GET THIS DONE
[01:30:01]
SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE AN IDEA? IT ONLY MAKES SENSE.AND THAT'S WHAT THIS CONVERSATION IS ABOUT.
IT'S ABOUT THE CITY COMING UP WITH A, A MUNICIPAL FORM OF ID THAT, UH, THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL ACCEPT.
UM, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS WILL ACCEPT.
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING LOCALLY.
YOU TALKING ABOUT WITH THE LIBRARY? YES.
SO I DON'T HAVE A NEW LIBRARY CARD, SO IF I GO GET A NEW LIBRARY CARD, 'CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN TELLING ME I NEED A NEW LIBRARY CARD, IT'S GONNA HAVE MY PICTURE ON IT.
WELL, WE, WE ARE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND TRYING TO WORK THROUGH AND SEE, UM, WHAT WOULD WORK FOR, FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR PIECES.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO IN TERMS OF A LIBRARY CARD? DOES THE THUMBPRINT GO ON IT? UH, THAT I DON'T KNOW, BUT I DO KNOW THE COUNTY HAS DONE, HAS, UM, PUT FORTH, UH, ITS VERSION, ITS CARD, UH, THAT I BELIEVE IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT.
AND NOW WE'RE TRYING TO SEE IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING SIMILAR, UH, THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE ON THIS, ON THIS SIDE.
WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE ISSUES NOW.
MS. GONZALEZ, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD AS WELL.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH MY OFFICE.
I THINK THE POINTS THAT YOU HAVE MADE ARE VALID.
UH, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER, UH, QUESTION MAYOR, WHEN IT COMES TO THE COUNTY CARD, SO THAT WE'RE NOT MAYBE REINVENTING THE WHEEL.
UH, WE'RE WITHIN THE COUNTY, FINDING A WAY THAT WE CAN UTILIZE THE COUNTY CARD, BUT JUST HAVE IT TRANSLATE INTO, UM, CITY SERVICES OR CITY, UM, CONCERNS, UH, IS SOMETHING I THINK WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT AS WELL.
SO, UM, THE POINTS THAT YOU'RE MAKING ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE TAKEN WELL.
AND, UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN IN YOUR ENTIRE, UM, AND THE REST OF YOUR COLLEAGUES FOR COMING IN PERSON AND SPEAKING WITH US.
UH, AGAIN, THE, UH, COUNTY HAS LED THE WAY IN REGARDS TO THIS ID A PUBLIC LIBRARY ID THAT'S BEING ACCEPTED FOR, UH, THOSE THAT WANNA OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT, UH, FOR THE HOMELESS THAT NEED IDS FOR THOSE THAT ARE BEING RELEASED FROM, FROM THE COUNTY JAIL, SO THAT WAY THEY CAN HAVE AN ID.
UH, AGAIN, SHERIFF GONZALEZ, UH, HAS ACCEPTED IT AS AN ID FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND AGAIN, I'M ASKING CHIEF, CHIEF FINNER TO DO THE SAME.
UM, AND, AND, AND MAYOR, AGAIN, LIKE I HAD MENTIONED TO YOU, IF, IF THERE'S A WAY WHERE WE CAN UTILIZE THIS CARD TO BENEFIT IN, IN REGARDS TO MS. BOONE.
UH, BASICALLY A UNIVERSAL CARD, UH, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE RESTAURANTS ACCEPT IT, OFFERING SOME KIND OF A DISCOUNT.
I KNOW THAT OTHER, OTHER CITIES HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT.
UH, SO SINCE, UM, THE COUNTY HAS LED THE WAY, I THINK WE CAN HOPEFULLY WORK WITH THEM TO TRY TO IMPROVE IT TO, TO, TO, UH, UH, FOR THE B CYCLE AND FOR METRO AND WHAT HAVE YOU AND OTHER AGENCIES.
UH, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO WORK WITH A BANK THAT WILL ACCEPT IT.
UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S THE BIGGEST FEAR.
UH, THOSE THAT ARE WORKING AND THEY GO CASH THEIR CHECK AND THEY HAVE TO TAKE THEIR MONEY HOME.
UH, AND THEY'RE BEING ASSAULTED.
UH, ROBBED, MURDERED, UH, BECAUSE INDIVIDUALS KNOW THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE TAKING THEIR MONEY HOME BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A BANK.
AND THE REASON WHY THEY DON'T HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT IS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE AN ID.
UH, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON.
AND AGAIN, I'M ASKING CHIEF FINNER TO ACCEPT THIS AS A FORM OF ID FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX WESLEY CARTER STAR SIX.
I CAME TO TALK ABOUT SUNDAY SIDE, BUT I HAVE MY WIFE WITH ME.
WE JUST GOT THROUGH CELEBRATING 47 YEARS OF MY PASTORING.
I'VE BEEN TO THIS PLACE MANY, MANY TIMES.
I WAS A PIECE OF WORK, BELIEVE ME.
SHE TOLD ME SOME THINGS I GONNA RUN INTO AND I DIDN'T REALLY BELIEVE IT.
SHE WAS NOT A PROPERTIES, BUT SHE WAS
[01:35:01]
A PREDICTOR.AND GOD WOULD PUT MANY PEOPLE IN MY LIVES THAT WOULD HELP ME TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
YOU WIN MORE FRIENDS IN TWO MINUTES WITH KINDNESS THAN YOU CAN TWO YEARS WITH NCE IN SCIENCE.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE PASSED FAILURE ON OUR WAY TO SUCCESS? MY WIFE AND I STILL LIVE IN SUNNYSIDE BY CHOICE.
I THINK THE BIGGEST DISAGREE DISAGREEMENT WE EVER HAD WAS, I WANT TO MOVE TO PARADISE.
SHE SAID, ARE YOU CRAZY? SHE RAISED UP IN CENTER SIDE, THE CHURCH, YOUNG PASTOR.
NOW WERE BAPTIZED IN THAT CHURCH WHEN I WAS 12.
WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT THAT COMING FROM SUNDAY SIDE, I'M WOULD BE A PART OWNER OF APARTMENT COMPLEX OF AFU WAY NAMED AFTER ME, ST.
I BOUGHT A MOTEL AND HAD IT TORN DOWN AND DONATED EVERYTHING TO HABITAT.
WHY DID I DO ALL THIS STUFF? IT'S NOT FOR ME, BUT IT'S FOR MY GRAND AND GREAT GRAND.
I DID NOT JUST PASS THE HOUSTON.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS A LONG TIME.
IT'S NOT ABOUT ACCOLADES, BUT I WON'T TALK ABOUT ME AND SUNNYSIDE.
I GOT A CALL ONE DAY FROM A MAN NAMED MIKE KUBY.
HE SAID HE'S GONNA RUN FOR OFFICE AND ASKED ME TO SUPPORT SUPPORTING MY WIFE.
AND I MET HIM AT PAPA'S AND WE SPOKE.
AND A COUPLE DAYS LATER, HE CALLED ME ABOUT ANOTHER POSITION.
I SAID, WELL, I'LL SUPPORT YOU.
HE'S A FRIEND, A GREAT FRIEND OF MINE.
PITY A MAN THAT DOESN'T HAVE FRIENDS.
IF HE FALLS DOWN, HE HAS NO ONE TO PICK HIM UP.
I DISCOVERED THAT TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS REQUIRED.
I STAY IN SUNNYSIDE FOR A REASON.
AT BEEN TIME, I DROVE ALL OVER SUNNYSIDE AT NIGHT MONITORING.
I STILL DO THE SAME THING AT MY AGE.
BUT THIS MAN CAME TO ME AND I DEVISED A PLAN.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH POLICE OFFICERS AND CHIEFS FOR A LONG TIME, BUT A COUNCIL FOR A LONG TIME.
I DEVISED A PLAN ABOUT PUTTING A BILLBOARD.
IT BOTHER ME, YOUNG KIDS BEING BURIED, PEOPLE BEING INNOCENTLY HURT AND HARMED.
YEARS AGO I DID, THIS IS MY TIME UP,
I HAD THOSE PEOPLE GO PICK UP ONE, THE FIRST ONE TO REACH OUT TO 'EM AT MY CENTER.
WHAT I DID, I HAD 'EM GO AND PICK 'EM UP, BRING 'EM TO THE CENTER, LET 'EM TAKE SHOWERS AND ALL THAT.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS STUFF A LONG TIME.
I KIND OF GET THE SAME REACTION NOW THAT I GET MOST TIME WHEN JESUS SAID I CAME TO MY OWN, BUT MY OWN RECEIVED ME NOT CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MY MOTHER INSPIRED ME.
TOLD ME THAT YOU GONNA BE VILIFIED.
YOU BE TALKED ABOUT DENIGRATED, BUT DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT.
HE CAME UNTO HIS OWN AND HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT.
IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A JOKE TO SOME PEOPLE.
I'VE WORKED MY BUTT OFF OF THIS CITY.
MY WIFE, WE'VE BEEN MARRIED NOW 65 YEARS.
WE STILL WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT MY THING IS, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A GIVE.
I GOT A CALL THIS MORNING FROM A YOUNG LADY AT SUNNYSIDE PARK.
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE EVENTS THIS WEEKEND.
THEY WANT 60 BARBECUE SANDWICHES.
SO I REACHED OUT TO MY FRIEND, BUZZ MEAT COMPANY, AND WE GOING TO HAVE 'EM THERE THE OTHER DAY.
I TOOK A YOUNG MAN IN MORNING SOME SUITS.
I WANT THESE YOUNG MEN LEARN HOW TO DRESS.
GET OUTTA THESE RAGGED JEANS ALL THE TIMES.
YOU NEVER KNOW THIS, BUT MY FRIEND AT SUIT MAR, WE SENT TWO BIG PALTS, A FEMALE CLOTHING TO
WE HAD 25,000 FEMALE PIECES IN THE STORE.
AND ALL YOU HAD TO GO INTO THE STORE, PICK FIVE OR SIX PIECES, GO UP TO THE COUNTER, THAT WAS IT.
BUT THE STORY IS THIS YOUNG MAN HERE, I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GONNA DO THIS.
I BOUGHT A PLAQUE FOR HIM, FOR THE WORK, THE LEADERSHIP YOU GIVE FOR MY FRIENDSHIP.
BUT NOT ONLY THAT, THAT WAS ANOTHER SEAT ON THIS COUNCIL.
I PRAY ACTUALLY, THAT GOD WILL PUT SOMEBODY IN THAT SEAT THAT WILL COME TO SEE ABOUT US WHEN WE NEED MISSISSIPPI RIGHT
[01:40:01]
HERE.I ACTUALLY PRAYED FOR THAT SEAT.
WHY? BECAUSE I WANTED SOMEBODY, THE DISTRICT COUNCILMAN AND ALSO AT LARGE WORKED TOGETHER.
WE SENT HUNDREDS OF CASES OF WATER TO LAKE CHARLES.
PAPER TOWELS AND TOILET TISSUE.
I DIDN'T REACH OUT TO THE CITY.
NEVER ONE OF THE GREATEST, I GUESS, UH, COMPLIMENTS I HAD FOR MY NIECE, PARKER ONE TIME.
PASTOR NASH NEVER COME DOWN HERE BEGGING FOR MONEY.
I'LL NEVER DO THAT, NEVER WILL DO THAT.
I WANT TO LEAVE A LEGACY FOR MY KIDS AND MY GRANDKIDS THAT I DIDN'T JUST PASS THROUGH HERE.
NOW LET ME SAY THIS BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS NOT GOING TO GO WELL.
I'M NOT INTO THIS BLACK AND WHITE STUFF.
I'M INTO GETTING ISSUES SOLVED NO MATTER REPUBLICAN DEMOCRATS.
I'M NOT INTO THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND TOO OFTEN THAT BRINGS UP MORE CONFLICT.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A PERSON TO DO THAT.
AND I THANK GOD FOR FRIENDSHIPS.
UH, I DON'T KNOW I'M GONNA DO THIS MAYOR, BUT I WANT TO PRESENT THIS PLAQUE TO HIM AND ALSO TO THIS LADY.
BUT BEING MY FRIEND LEADERSHIP, THAT, THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME.
WHEN I CALL YOU, YOU COME, YOU WORK TOGETHER.
YOU ACCOMPLISH MORE TOGETHER THAN YOU CAN DIVIDE IT.
CAN SHE COME UP HERE? I'VE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH SEVERE HEART DISEASE AND ALSO LUNG DISEASE.
WHEN YOU GET OLDER THAN ME, YOU LEARN.
THIS IS NOT A LAUGHING MATTER.
IT'S STILL DOING THE SAME THING.
SOMETIME YOU HAVE TO GIVE BACK.
IT'S NOT ALL THE TIME RECEIVING.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE.
YOU ARE BLESSED WHEN YOU GOT ELECTED TO THIS COUNCIL.
FEMALES HAVE GO TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER.
WHY? BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS.
WHEN THE YOUNG MEN, SHE PUT MY COURT AT ME.
BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO.
DON'T LET ANYBODY DENIGRATE YOU, NOBODY, NO MAN DENIGRATE YOU.
BE THE WOMEN THAT GOD NEEDS YOU TO BE.
HE GAVE YOU THE ABILITY TO BRING LIFE INTO THIS WORLD.
CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING? MOST OF YOU DIDN'T HAVE HATERS.
SO SISTER, YOU GOING TO TELL MY SUIT,
BUT ANYWAY, I THANK GOD FOR ALL OF YOU.
AND I'M HERE TODAY TO DO THIS.
LEE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, YOUR LEADERSHIP.
WHEN I CALL YOU, THINK ABOUT IT.
WE DO MORE TOGETHER THAN WE CAN DIVIDE IT.
THE LORD, WE BE MY FRIEND HILL.
CERTAINLY COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCIL.
AND YOU KNOW, I CAN'T EXPRESS HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS.
YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IT GETS A LITTLE DIFFICULT, YOU KNOW, CARRYING PEOPLE AND TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING DONE.
AND SO SOMETIMES GOD JUST ORCHESTRATES PEOPLE TO COME INTO YOUR LIFE THAT ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE YOU.
AND, AND PASTOR AND MRS. NASH HAVE BEEN THOSE PEOPLE FOR ME.
IT'S TIMES WHEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW.
BUT THE SPIRIT MOVES HIM TO CALL ME AND SAY, WELL, HOW YOU DOING COUNCIL LADY? I'M DOING WELL, PASTOR NASH.
AND HE'LL SAY THINGS TO ME AND I COINED A PHRASE, ACTUALLY THAT I'M GONNA SHARE.
UM, YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID ABOUT HATERS? YOU DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE HATER WHEN YOU KNOW THE CREATOR.
AND THAT'S HOW I, I TRY TO LIVE BECAUSE IT DOES GET HEAVY.
I'M NOT COMPLAINING 'CAUSE I LOVE WHAT I DO.
AND SO I WANNA THANK THE NASH FAMILY FOR COMING FORWARD AND WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH.
I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, AND I SEE WHERE HE GETS HIS PREACHER
UH, AND AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
MAYOR, THIS IS, UH, UH, AN UNEXPECTED
[01:45:01]
DAY.AND, UH, UH, PASTOR NASH HAS, UH, HAS ALLOWED MY RELATIONSHIP WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ TO REALLY, REALLY GROW SINCE, UH, SHE'S BEEN, UH, A COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL SHE HAS DONE AND, AND WORKS WITH, UH, THE PASTOR.
AND, UH, I, I APPRECIATE, UH, THE WORK THAT HE AND SISTER NASH STELLA HAS DONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
GOD BLESS YOU AND THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR TAKING THIS SPECIAL TIME FOR US.
OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, KEITH DOWNEY.
MR. DOWNEY, IF YOU'LL PRESS STAR SIX.
I'M SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT FOR CASHMERE GARDEN.
AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR AND, UH, FOR INCREASING THE SWAT OF PROJECTS.
FUNDING IS VERY IMPORTANT IN OUR COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT WE ADDRESS FLOODING.
THERE ARE OTHERS, BUT TWO MAJOR ISSUES, CRIME AND FLOODING.
AND SO I BRING THAT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT'S TAKING PLACE IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON WITH PUBLIC WORKS ADDRESSING DRAINAGE IN SOME COMMUNITIES, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE OTHERS AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, AND OTHERS WILL COME FORTH IN STATE.
UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE ADDRESS FLOODING BECAUSE WE GET THOSE CALLS AS COMMUNITY LEADERS.
UM, YOU KNOW THAT I CAN VOTE FOR A BOND AND I CAN HELP THE COMMUNITY AND THE REGION, BUT HOW DO YOU GET WATER OFF OF MY PROPERTY? AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE TO TAKE EACH RESIDENT ONE BY ONE TO TRY TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS.
AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE IN THAT HORSESHOE FOR DOING SO.
UH, AND TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY, ALWAYS WORK TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.
MAKE SURE IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT AT WHATEVER YOU GIVE EVERY DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND THAT BEING SAID, UM, ALSO I WILL SPEAK ABOUT NOT ONLY KME GARDEN.
WE HAVE A STREET THERE, MINDEN, M-I-N-D-N, THAT IT'S ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM THE $100 MILLION WORK THAT'S TAKING PLACE, UH, WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL.
I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE HAD A YEAR SINCE THE RAINSTORM HAS OCCURRED, BUT THE FACT IS THAT BACK IN, UM, APRIL, WE HAD A RAINSTORM THAT THE NEXT MORNING THE DITCHES WERE FULL.
AND THIS IS ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM THE BAYOU THAT WAS NOT DRAINING.
AND IT'S PARALLEL WITH THE BAYOU ITSELF.
AND THAT BEING SAID, IF ANYBODY IN THOSE ENGINEERING IN CASHMERE GARDEN, THE TOP OF BANK OF HUNTING BIO IS REALLY THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE WATER TRAVELS INTO THE COMMUNITY, DOWN TO CRANE STREET, CRANE AND LOCKWOOD IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN IT HAS TO RUN ITS WAY BACK TO THE BIO ITSELF.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE CLEAR DRAINAGE CHANNELS TO ADDRESS THAT.
SO THIS SWAT PROJECT FUNDING IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT ONLY SPREAD IT IN KASHMERE, WE SPREAD TO, UH, VERDE FOREST, WE SPREAD IT TO OTHER COMMUNITIES IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON.
I WANT TO THANK, UH, COUNCILWOMAN TASHA JACKSON.
I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY IN THAT HORSESHOE BECAUSE THESE ARE COMMUNITIES HAVE, WE KNOW, HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY NEGLECTED AND YOU HAS ALL HAVE RE OF OTHERS WORK BEFORE YOU.
SO THAT BEING SAID, THAT PLEASE HELP RESIDENTS WHO ARE LOOKING TO YOU FOR LEADERSHIP, AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN JACKSON.
AND THANK YOU MR. DOWNING, UM, FOR YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP, UM, OVER IN CASHMERE GARDEN AND THROUGHOUT DISTRICT B.
UM, IT'S JUST AMAZING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE CIVIC CLUBS AND SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS COME TOGETHER AND BUILD A COALITION AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER ON THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES.
SO, UM, I KNOW YOU HEARD THIS MORNING THAT THE MAYOR HAS ADDED AN ADDITIONAL $20 MILLION, UM, TO THE SWAT PROJECT.
SO WE WANT TO THANK HIM AGAIN, YOU KNOW, FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST MAKE UNDERSTANDING AND RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE, UM, OF FLOODING WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU AND I WILL CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, WORK CLOSELY WITH ALL OF THE RESIDENTS AND THE LEADERS THROUGHOUT, UM, DISTRICT B TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PROJECTS ARE MOVING FORWARD.
THEY'VE BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB WITH COLLABORATING AND, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEPING US INFORMED.
UM, I KNOW WE HAD A MEETING WITH THEM LAST WEEK.
UM, THEY'RE GETTING US A CALENDAR ON
[01:50:01]
WHEN THESE PROJECTS WILL ROLL OUT, AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE, UM, ALL THE LEADERS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT HAVE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.AND THANK YOU MR. DOWNEY FOR COMING AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY FOR DRAINAGE FIXES IN YOUR AREA.
MAYOR, I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH.
I MEAN, YOU HEARD US LOUD AND CLEAR.
THAT'S MORE MONEY THAN OUR AMENDMENTS.
I MEAN, I WENT TO ALL, YOU KNOW, 11, OUT OF THOSE 12 MEETINGS, PEOPLE CARE ABOUT FLOODING, FLOODING, FLOODING, ALSO CRIME.
MR. DOWN, YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
AND IT IS ALL COMING FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
I MEAN, THIS, THE REASON WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AROUND THE HORSESHOE AND OFFERED AMENDMENTS TO ADD MORE MONEY FOR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS WAS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS, WAS FROM, FROM PUBLIC SPEAKERS, WAS FROM THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. DOWNEY.
BILLY GURA, IF YOU OPPRESSED NO IN PERSON BILLY COUNCILMAN AND WOMEN.
AND, UH, MAYOR, I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF BILLY.
HE, UM, WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT OVER TODAY, SO HAVE A PREPARED SPEECH.
I'M SORRY, YOU, YOU'RE NOT BILLY.
I'M, I'M NOT BILLY, BUT I'M SPEAKING ON HIS BEHALF.
SO WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
THERE'S A MOTION TO SUSPEND HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
MOTION TO SU SUSPEND THE RULES TO ALLOW THE SPEAKER TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF BILLY GUA.
NOW YOU GOTTA GIVE US YOUR NAME.
MY NAME IS FELIX KAPO, UH, AND I REPRESENT THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTOR.
UM, I'LL READ A PREPARED STATEMENT FROM BILLY RIGHT NOW.
MY NAME IS BILLY GUEVARA AND I'M WITH THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE.
I'VE BEEN LIVING IN DISTRICT B FOR OVER 30 YEARS, AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD RESILIENCY TASK FORCE SINCE ITS INCEPTION.
THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY FLOODING FROM HURRICANE HARVEY LED TO SEVERAL OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS LOSING THEIR LIVES.
AND BOTH MINE AND MY MOTHER'S HOUSES WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED FROM THE STORM.
SINCE THE DAY THE WATER RECEDED OFF OF MY STREET IN LAKEWOOD, I HAVE COMMITTED MYSELF TO ENSURING HOUSTON GOVERNMENTS START PUTTING ATTENTION AND RESOURCES TOWARD FLOODING MITIGATION.
SO I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY TO EMPLOY DISTRICT B.
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND PUBLIC WORKS TO COME TOGETHER TO APPROPRIATELY FUND A DRAINAGE AND DITCH MAINTENANCE PROGRAM FOR DISTRICT B.
I LIVE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS HALLS BY YOU RUNNING STRAIGHT THROUGH IT.
MOST OF THE HOUSES R RESIDE WITHIN AT LEAST THE 500 YEAR FLOODPLAIN AND MANY WITHIN THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN.
I LIVE ON A STREET WITH NO STREET DRAINAGE ON IT AT ALL.
HOW DOES ANY COUNCIL PERSON IN THIS CHAMBER EXPECT MYSELF, MY ELDERLY MOTHER, OR ANY OF MY NEIGHBORS, TO SURVIVE ANOTHER CATASTROPHIC STORM WITHOUT ADEQUATE CARE OR SUPPORT? 88% OF ALL OPEN DITCH DRAINAGE IS IN MAJORITY BIPOC NEIGHBORHOODS AND IN MY AREAS, SPECIFICALLY, THE AREAS WITH OPEN DITCH DRAINAGE ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE BECAUSE THEY ALSO HAVE A CONCENTRATION OF SEWAGE LEAKS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.
HOW IS IT THAT I CAN SEE THE INEQUITY THAT LIES IN THIS, BUT THIS CHAMBER CAN'T? I CONTINUE TO DO MY PART AS AN ADVOCATE FOR DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR NORTHEAST HOUSTON AND FOR MY NEIGHBORHOOD LAKEWOOD.
I HELP FORM A STRONG COMMUNITY GROUP, HAVE BEEN A PART OF MULTIPLE PROJECTS AND SURVEYS, HIGHLIGHTING THE INEQUITIES I LIVE IN AND SERVE COUNT THE COUNTY IN HELPING CREATE A REAL EQUITABLE FRAMEWORK FOR THEIR FUTURE FLOOD PROJECTS.
I ASK THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE PUBLIC WORKS AND DISTRICT B NOW DO THEIR JOB.
THERE MUST BE A FULL DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE, PLANTS MAINTENANCE PLAN IN PLACE BEFORE THE NEXT STORM ARRIVES.
I EAGERLY AWAIT AN EQUITABLE OUTCOME AND BILLY WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT TODAY, AND HE'S ALSO ANOTHER BLIND RESIDENT.
UM, SO THAT WAS HIS PREPARED SPEECH.
ALLISON HAY, IF YOU'RE PRESSED STAR SIX, YOU OH, GEEZ.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME TO, UH, ALLOW US TO SPEAK TODAY.
I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR HOUSTON HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
WE ARE A NONPROFIT WORKING IN HOUSTON TO BUILD AND REPAIR HOMES FOR OUR LOW INCOME, UH, NEIGHBORS FOR OVER 35 YEARS.
UM, I AM SO PLEASED TO HEAR ABOUT THE INCREASE IN THE SWAT FUNDING TODAY BECAUSE IT'S A, A PASSION OF OURS TO BE ABLE TO REPAIR HOMES ONCE AND NOT TO REPAIR THEM AGAIN.
UM, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, UM, DISTRICT B IS AN AREA THAT WE WORK IN, UH, CONSIDERABLY.
[01:55:01]
HAS A LOT OF ZIP CODES THAT HAVE FREQUENTLY, UM, BEEN HARMED DUE TO FLOODING.THE OPEN DITCH, UH, DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM WOULD HELP US AT SPECIFICALLY IN THE NORTHEAST.
SO MY OBSERVATIONS TODAY ARE FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT REPAIRS THE HOMES.
UM, I'M A, UH, A LITTLE NERVOUS.
IT'S THE FIFTH YEAR AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY.
SO I'M, UH, HOUSTON HABITAT'S HYPER-FOCUSED ON TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HOMES THAT WE REPAIRED, UH, STAY RESILIENT.
SO MY FOCUS IS IN THE NORTHEAST, OUTSIDE OF THE SIX 10 LOOP, WHERE MANY OF OUR HARDWORKING LOW INCOME AND MAINLY BIPOC CITIZENS LIVE HOUSTON HABITAT HAS REPAIRED OVER 850 HOMES THAT WERE DAMAGED BECAUSE OF FLOODING DUE TO HURRICANE HARVEY.
AND MOST OF THOSE ARE IN THE NORTHEAST AREA, UH, 7 7 0 2 8 2 9 20 26 44, JUST TO NAME A VIEW OF ZIP CODES.
OPEN DITCH MAINTENANCE LEAVES THAT COMMUNITY VULNERABLE TO REPEAT FLOODING OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS, BECAUSE WE ALL WORK AS A COLLABORATIVE IN THE NORTHEAST, UH, SBP AND WEST STREET RECOVERY, WE ALL CONTINUE TO HELP OUR HOMEOWNERS TO RECOVER FROM THAT HISTORIC FLOODING EVENT AND THE IMPACTED AREAS OF THE ENTIRE NORTHEAST AREA.
UM, AND PARTLY DUE TO LACK OF REGULAR DRAINAGE, INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE, AND ONE OF THE AREAS THAT, UM, IS OVERLOOKED BUT DEEPLY LOVED ASCETIC GAS.
HOUSTON HABITAT KNOWS FIRSTHAND THAT OPEN DITCHES NOT MAINTAINED BLOCK THE FLOW OF HIGH WATER FROM REGULAR RAIN, BUT ESPECIALLY THROUGH FLOOD WATERS.
FROM REACHING THE MAIN DRAINAGE SYSTEMS. SILT OVER TIME, UH, FROM HEAVY VEHICLE USE, LIKE, UM, IN SETAS, THERE'S SOME, UH, BUSINESSES INSIDE OF SETAS, THESE HEAVY TRUCKS, AND THEY RUN THROUGH OUR STREETS, BUT THEY, THEY GET THE AIR POLLUTION AND THE SILT FALLS INTO THE DITCHES.
THEY FEEL THE DITCHES MAKING THE WATER FLOW STOP AND THE WATER FLOWS INTO THE YARDS AND INTO THE HOMES OF THE RESIDENTS LEAVING HARDWORKING FAMILIES AND HARM'S WAY AGAIN AND AGAIN.
THE OPEN DITCH DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE ALSO WOULD HELP US REDUCE HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS.
THERE'S A, A LOT OF DUMPING, UM, UH, MOTOR OIL, EVEN THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN, UH, MAINTENANCE WOULD ALSO HELP US REDUCE, UH, FREQUENT SEWER LEAKS.
THE OPEN, UH, DITCH DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE WOULD BE RESILIENT HEALTHY ACTION THAT THE CITY CAN TAKE TO REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE FLOODING IN OUR MOST VULNERABLE AREAS.
UH, WE'D LIKE TO CONSIDER THAT ACTION.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SWAP FUNDING.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR COUNCILWOMAN, UM, JACKSON FOR HER SUPPORT AND, AND WE, UH, EAGERLY AWAIT TO SEE THE CALENDARIZATION OF THAT TYPE OF MAINTENANCE.
COUNCIL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.
AND I KNOW YOU'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT DRAINAGE ALLISON, BUT I REALLY, REALLY WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP, UH, IN DISTRICT D FOR OUR SENIOR HOME REPAIR.
YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ANGELS ALL OVER THE CITY, AND I CERTAINLY JUST REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
I, I KNOW MY SISTER ANGELA BIRCH COX ALSO, UH, WORKS VERY HARD.
UH, BUT YOU ALL'S HEART IS IN THIS AND IT'S SO EVIDENT FROM THE WORK THAT YOU PRODUCE.
AND MS. HAY, THANK YOU AGAIN IN PARALLEL TO COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABAZZ.
YOUR, YOUR EARS MUST BE BURNING THIS WEEK BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE WE THINKING ABOUT YOU WITH THE RECENT ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, UH, CELEBRATING OUR APPROACH TO HOMELESSNESS, BUT YOUR, UH, COMMENTS TODAY SPOKE SPEAKING NOT ONLY ABOUT THE, UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOU'VE ADOPTED AND CHOSEN AS YOUR HOME FOR SO MANY IMPORTANT UNITS, BUT WE'RE WE'RE, UH, WE'RE WITH YOU.
UH, I KNOW, UH, CHAIR OF OUR HOUSING COMMITTEE, TIFFANY THOMAS AND I, WERE THERE TO HEAR FROM DIRECTOR BYNUM LAST WEEK WHEN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE STATED OUT LOUD THAT WE KNEW NEED MORE DEVELOPMENTS LIKE YOURS, UH, FOR THIS CITY TO INCREASE THE VOLUME.
AND NOW YOU'VE ADDED A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL ISSUES WITH YOUR POINTS TO TOWARDS, UH, REDUCING POLLUTION AND AUGMENTING OUR APPROACH TO SOLID WASTE.
YOU'RE IN THE THICK OF THINGS WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, WE ARE HERE FOR YOU AND JUST KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK.
AND, UM, ALLISON, I TOO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP, UM, WITH US IN DISTRICT B.
UM, ALTHOUGH THE DIS DITCH MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE DIDN'T, UM, PASS, UM, DURING THE BUDGET, UM, I HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH AND TALKING, SPEAKING CLOSELY WITH, UM, SOLID WASTE AND I NOT SOLID WASTE PUBLIC WORKS.
THEY HAVE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF, UM, THEY HAVE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF, UM, PEOPLE IN THE, THE, THE, THE, I GUESS THE SCHEDULE FOR THE DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE OVER IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON.
AND I'VE ALSO COMMITTED TO USE SOME OF MY DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO LIKE CREATE OUR OWN INTERNAL, UM, DITCH MAINTENANCE, UM, SCHEDULE TO WHERE WE CAN LIKE FILL IN THE GAPS.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT, UM, PLAN, UM, UM, UM, COMPLETED YET, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE IT LIKE OUTLINED
[02:00:01]
WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO SO THAT WE CAN START MOVING FORWARD ON THAT.BUT I WILL KEEP, YOU KNOW, CONSTANTLY, UM, KEEPING CONSTANT CONTACT WITH YOU GUYS AND EVERYBODY OVER IN THE, UM, FIFTH WARD AREA IN THE EAST HOUSTON AREA AND KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR WITH, THAT'S COMING FROM WITHIN OUR OFFICE.
UH, YES, UH, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR HEARING ME SPEAK TODAY.
UM, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU THAT I APPRECIATE THE INCREASE OF THE SWAP MONEY AND THERE ARE, UH, SOME THINGS I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT.
UM, I'M ONE OF THE RECIPIENTS OF ONE OF THE HOMES THAT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BUILT AND MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT'S THE OUTSIDE AREAS THAT I WORRY ABOUT THAT FLOOD MY AREA.
I HAD TO WAIT A FULL YEAR BEFORE I COULD RECEIVE MY HOME BECAUSE IT HAD FLOODED IN THAT AREA PRIOR, BEFORE ME SIGNING AND CLOSING THE WHOLE TOTAL DEAL ON MY HOME.
AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN MOVE SWIFTLY ON THE DITCH MAINTENANCE PROJECT BECAUSE AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN HURRICANE SEASON AND THANKFULLY NOW THAT THERE'S NOT NOTHING BREWING OUT IN THE GULF, THAT'S ONE OF MY STRESSORS IS THIS STORM GONNA BE THE ONE THAT FLOODS MY HOUSE AGAIN.
AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN MOVE FAST AND, UH, MRS. JACKSON CAN COME UP WITH THE SCHEDULE FOR THE DITCH MAINTENANCE PROJECT BECAUSE IT'S A VERY HIGH STRESSOR FOR ALL OF US WITHIN THE NORTHEAST.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LOT MORE TRANSPARENCY, NOT JUST FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, BUT FROM MRS. JACKSON'S OFFICE AS WELL, TO LET US KNOW ABOUT WHEN PROJECTS START, WHEN PROJECTS FINISH, AND MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE NOT JUST FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND THE BLIND, BUT THE HEART OF HEARING AS WELL.
BECAUSE THERE IS A HIDDEN COMMUNITY WITHIN THE NORTHEAST.
THE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS A HIDDEN COMMUNITY WITHIN THE NORTHEAST, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGHT FOR NOW, IS THE 3 1 1 DOESN'T WORK, LIKE WE'VE ALREADY SAID BEFORE, WE CALL, WE REGISTER.
I'VE REGISTERED THE LAST SEVEN YEARS AND I'VE NEVER GOTTEN A CALL AND WE'VE HAD HOW MANY STORMS WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, THANK YOU MR. BROADWAY FOR COMING IN AND SHARING YOUR CONCERNS.
UM, AND WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SWAT PROJECTS ARE MOVING FORWARD WITHIN YOUR AREA.
UM, I'VE CREATED, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL AVENUES FOR RESIDENTS TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON WITH, UM, THE SWAT PROJECTS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER.
UM, WE HAVE A, IF WE HAVE A DISTRICT DEBRIEFING ONCE A MONTH, UM, THAT'S EVERY THIRD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH.
AND SO WE MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE, UM, ALWAYS MY DOOR'S ALWAYS OPEN TO SIT DOWN WITH THE LEADERS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT TO KEEP YOU UPDATED ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THESE PROJECTS.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MY, I HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT AND I WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED.
OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, ROBERT CAMPBELL.
IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX, YOU CAN PROCEED.
ROBERT CAMPBELL, STAR SIX ROBERT CAMPBELL.
IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX DANTE ANDERSON.
[02:05:01]
YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.UM, SO THE ISSUE THAT I'M CALLING ABOUT IS, UH, THE GYM ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME.
UH, LEVEL ONE FITNESS AT 1-803-CLEBURNE.
UH, FOR THE PAST 15 MONTHS, THEY HAVE BEEN BLASTING EXTREMELY LOUD, EXPLICIT MUSIC THAT HAS BEEN SO LOUD AT POINTS THAT IT WAS ALMOST DEAFENING.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ANY MOMENT OF QUIET.
AND THEIR BASS IS SO LOUD THAT IT, UH, SHAKES MY APARTMENT.
CAUSES, UH, PHYSICAL ILLNESS IN THE FORM OF NAUSEA, DIZZINESS, HEADACHE, VERTIGO, UH, LIKE HAVING TO FEEL LIKE I'M ABOUT TO VOMIT AND PASS OUT IS A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE.
AND IT, IT'S SO INTENSE THAT THEY'VE PRESSURIZED MY SHOWER STALL LIKE AN AIRPLANE CABIN AND I LITERALLY HAVE TO POP MY EARS TO TAKE A SHOWER.
NOW, UM, AFTER HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS, DOZENS OF POLICE VISITS, UH, THEY'VE LOWERED THE VOLUME, UH, GENERALLY, UH, DURING THE WEEK ON THE WEEKENDS, WHATEVER, THEY STILL EXCEED THE 75 DECIBEL LIMIT OF THEIR PERMIT.
AND THEY'RE VIOLATING THEIR PERMIT IN MULTIPLE WAYS BY, UH, AMPLIFYING THEIR MUSIC AS EARLY AS 5:00 AM.
UH, CREATING SUCH INTENSE SYMPATHETIC VIBRATION THAT IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE MY BED IS MOVING AND, UH, EXCEEDING 75 DECIBELS.
NOW, UH, IN 15 MONTHS, I HAVE MANAGED TO CONVINCE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE THREE CITATIONS.
TWO CITATIONS WERE GIVEN, UH, IN THE PAST APRIL AND MAY.
AND IT HAS SHOWN TO HAVE SOME EFFECT.
BUT WHEN THE POLICE AREN'T SO BEHAVING SO DISGUSTINGLY TOWARDS ME THAT I LIKE CONSIDER, UH, FILING A COMPLAINT WITH, UH, INTERNAL AFFAIRS, THEY STILL REFUSE TO ISSUE CITATIONS AND TREAT ME AS A NUISANCE FOR HAVING TO CALL MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY WHEN THEY WON'T DO THE ONE THING THAT IS PROVEN TO HAVE ANY EFFECT.
NOW, WHILE IT'S HAVING AN EFFECT, THE VOLUME OF CITATIONS REQUIRED TO PUT THIS TO A STOP, IS IT, IT IT RENDERS THE WHOLE SYSTEM MOOT BECAUSE IT TAKES LIKE FIVE TO 10 CITATIONS, WHICH IT REQUIRES 30 TO 40 CALLS BECAUSE IF THE POLICE RESPOND TO THE NOISE COMPLAINT, THEY MIGHT NOT GET THERE WHEN THE, UH, THE MUSIC IS ACTUALLY PLAYING BECAUSE WHILE IT GOES ON FOR LIKE 16 HOURS, THERE ARE BREAKS IN BETWEEN AND IT'S THIS CAT AND MOUSE GAME THAT'S SO FRUSTRATING.
AND THEN WHEN THEY GET THERE, THEY'RE NOT LIKELY TO ISSUE A TYPE CITATION AGAIN, I'VE ONLY GOTTEN THREE CITATIONS AND I HAD TO BEG FOR THOSE TO BE ISSUED IN ONLY THREE IN 15 MONTHS.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS THEY ARE IRRESPECTIVE OF ANY LAW AND THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM, THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE BEING A CE TO THE, THE COMMUNITY, LIKE THEY'RE A PUBLIC NUISANCE AND THEY SEEM TO RELISH THE FACT THEY DON'T CARE THAT THEY'RE VIOLATING THE, THE NOISE ORDINANCE.
THEY DON'T CARE THAT THE POLICE ARE IN THEIR ESTABLISHMENT MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK, SOMETIMES MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.
AND SO WHEN THE NEW LAW TAKES EFFECT, THE MEASLY AMOUNT OF CITATIONS THAT THEY'RE GETTING MIGHT NOT EVEN BE ENOUGH TO GET THEIR PERMIT REVOKED.
AND YOUR TOM HAS EXPIRED REVOK.
THIS IS THE, WHAT THIS IS, THIS IS THE LEVEL ONE 50.
SO LEMME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
YOU'RE COMPLAINING OF THE NOISE WHEN IN THE MORNING DURING THE DAY.
ALL DAY LONG, THEY HAVE WOKEN ME UP AS EARLY AS 5:00 AM WITH THEIR BASE.
AND THEN AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, THEY GET LOUDER AND LOUDER.
ON SATURDAYS IT'S THE LOUDEST LIKE THE POLICE HAVE.
I I, I'M JUST, I'M JUST TRYING, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET SOME INFORMATION.
SO HOW, HOW LONG HAVE YOU, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING IN THE AREA? SINCE LAST APRIL AND THE ISSUE STARTED, UH, LIKE A MONTH AFTER I MOVED IN.
BEFORE, LIKE FOR A WHOLE MONTH THERE WAS NO ISSUE.
I, I, I, I'M, I'M JUST ASKING.
AND, UM, WERE THEY, WERE THEY ALREADY THERE WHEN YOU MOVED IN? YEAH, THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
UH, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY NOT KNOW I DID, UH, PURCHASE NOISE METERS, SO WE NEED THE POLICE TO GO OUT AND USE THESE METERS.
WE'VE WORKED VERY HARD, HARD ON THIS, UH, NOISE ORDINANCE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN CAYMAN AND I, ALONG WITH THE MAYOR.
AND SO IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF COMMANDER JOHNSON, AND WE WILL WORK TO ABATE THAT, UH, NOISE NUISANCE FOR YOU.
AND SO I THINK YOU'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH STEVEN JAMES IN MY OFFICE, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE YOU SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO WORK THIS SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE QUIET ENJOYMENT OF YOUR PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, MAYOR, IT WOULD BE GOOD IF THE, UH, REALTORS WERE REQUIRED, UH, ARE, ARE THOSE WHO ARE LEASING THE PROPERTIES, WOULD, WOULD BE REQUIRED TO AT LEAST, UH, INFORMED, UH,
[02:10:01]
THE RESIDENTS THAT THERE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, AFTER HOUR NOISE, BECAUSE I KNOW, UH, I, THE FIRST HOME I EVER BOUGHT, UH, I WAS SO HAPPY, YOU KNOW, WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE, WE WENT TO SEE IT, THE DAYTIME, WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE, AND THEN THAT, THAT NIGHT, FIRST NIGHT IN THE HOUSE, UH, A TRAIN WENT BY.NOW I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THERE WAS A TRAIN TRACK
NOW, AFTER A WHILE, I DIDN'T HEAR IT.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU LIVE NEAR THE TRAIN AFTER A WHILE, YOU, IT DOESN'T WAKE YOU UP.
BUT, UH, HEARING THAT LOUD NOISE, UH, AT NIGHT, UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT LOOKING FOR AN APARTMENT AT MIDNIGHT.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT SIGNING CONTRACTS AT THAT HOUR OF THE NIGHT, AND, AND YOU JUST, I, I THINK THE RESIDENTS JUST ASSUME THAT IT'S GONNA BE QUIET LIKE IT IS NOW.
SO PERHAPS THE REALTORS NEED TO BE REQUIRED TO DO THAT.
PERHAPS THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I ASKED THOSE QUESTIONS, BECAUSE IF THE BUSINESS HAS BEEN THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND YOU'RE MOVING, YOU'RE MOVING INTO THOSE, INTO THEIR SPACE.
SO, AND THIS IS A FITNESS CENTER.
THIS IS NOT, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A CLUB.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A FITNESS CENTER.
SO IF THEY'RE ALREADY THERE AND YOU MOVING INTO THEIR SPACE MM-HMM
MEAN THIS HAS TO BE A BALANCE.
BUT THIS IS, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A NIGHTCLUB HERE.
IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX, CHRISTOPHER JENKINS, I'M HERE.
UH, MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER JENKINS, UM, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER.
UH, MY CAMPAIGN IS FOR SUSTAINABILITY FEED HOOD ORGANIZATION, SOCIALLY, ECONOMICALLY, AND ENVIRONMENTALLY.
UM, I WAS RAISED IN ACRE HOME BY MY GRANDPARENTS.
UH, BOTH OF 'EM ATTENDED ANTI OR MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH FOR DECADES.
I ALSO HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS, A COMMUNITY OF FAITH.
UH, MY GRANDFATHER, HE RETIRED FROM EXXON PUMPING GAS, AND HE WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF MARVIN ZENDER.
UH, HE HELPED START, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FIRST ONES TO BE IN A SENIOR CITIZEN EXXON, SENIOR CITIZEN CLUB.
AND THROUGH THOSE YEARS, YOU KNOW, RAISED BY MY GRANDPARENTS, I ATTENDED THOMPSON DEN JUNIOR AND MCAR, AND I DEN ISD BECAUSE OF REDISTRICTING.
AND THROUGH THAT PROCESS, I WAS ABLE TO GET WITH YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES UNLIMITED FOR A SUMMER JOB, THE TECH PREP PROGRAM.
I WORKED FOR KOC RIGHT THERE ON ELLA BOULEVARD, TRAINING MANY STUDENTS IN MY SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, HOW TO COOK CHICKEN AND COUNTER REGISTER.
I'VE BEEN A TEAM, A TEAMSTER, STEVEN MASON SINCE 98.
BEEN THROUGH SEVERAL HURRICANES IN ACRES, ACRES HOME, NEVER REALLY GOT ANY HELP, YOU KNOW, UH, FROM THE HOUSTON REBUILD PROJECT, YOU KNOW, BUT I STILL HELP PASS BONDS FOR H-I-S-D-H-C-C METRO.
AND I'VE WORKED WITH MANY ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, UH, VETERANS, SENIORS AT RISK YOUTH PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.
I'VE EVEN BEEN PART OF GOLDMAN SACHS, HUNDRED THOUSAND INITIATIVE, SMALL BUSINESS CLUBS.
I'VE BEEN ON DAVID MURAL WITH BRINGING JOBS BACK TO AMERICA WITH SHERIFF JOHN FOR PROGRESS HABITAT, HABITAT REBUILDS WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
BUT AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY WITH A GOOD IN THE SYSTEM OF HARRIS, UH, COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT, AND NO HELP FROM THE CITY, I END UP BEING HOMELESS.
AND SO NOW I'M ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE.
I'VE BEEN HERE THREE YEARS, AND EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, YOU KNOW, I WENT THROUGH CORONAVIRUS AND THE FREEZE, AND I'VE, THEY TRIED TO EVICT ME TWICE.
AND WHEN I SAY TRIED THE FIRST TIME, I DISMISSED UNDER THE CARES ACT, AND THE SECOND TIME I'M STILL GOING THROUGH IT.
UM, AND I HAD TO FILE A RHYTHM, MAN, DAMON, ON AN ATTORNEY.
I'M HERE A SPEECH TODAY ABOUT HOUSING.
YOU KNOW, I, I SEE EVERYBODY'S GOING CRAZY ABOUT CRIME RATE GOING UP AND THIS AND THAT, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT GOT PUT OUT THEIR HOMES WHEN THEY WERE PART OF A PROGRAM THAT WAS ABOUT AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THROUGH THE TEST SUPREME COURT, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST TOOK THESE PEOPLE MONEY AND TOOK THEM OUT OVER HERE.
JUSTICE, UH, OF THE PIECE, PRECINCT FIVE, PLACE NUMBER ONE, JUDGE GARCIA, AND THEN MY RID OF MANDAMUS.
I HAD TO PUT IN A PERMANENT INJUNCTION IN A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER.
I'M LUCKY OTHER PEOPLE GOT PULLED OUT.
LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN A PART OF A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS.
I'VE BEEN UNION MEMBERS SINCE 98.
AND SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH MY RISK ASSESSMENTS AND RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND EVERYTHING WITH THIS I DON'T CARE ATTITUDE.
AND SOME OF THESE AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN POLLARD? COUNCILMAN POLLARD.
AND, UH, THANK YOU MR. JENKINS FOR, UH, COMING FORWARD.
[02:15:01]
J RESIDENT.MY OFFICE HAS BEEN, UH, IN CONTACT WITH YOU, BUT DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC ASK OF US OR MY OFFICE OR, UM, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FURTHER ON THAT YOU WANT US TO GIVE YOU A, A FOLLOW-UP CALL ON? WELL, BECAUSE MY CASE IS STILL OPEN AND THE APPEALS, YOU KNOW, IT IS REALLY NOTHING YOU GUYS CAN DO ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW TILL THAT CASE IS CLOSED.
BUT IT'S COMMUNICATION, IT'S A BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION.
I'VE CALLED EVERYBODY OFF, I DID THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT LAST WEEK.
JUDGE GAVE ME 53 SECONDS, A WHOLE 53 SECONDS TO TALK.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA SHY AWAY FROM A PROBLEM AND POINT FINGERS.
UH, IT'S LIKE, THAT'S NOT MY DEPARTMENT.
THIS, I DON'T HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
AND, AND IT JUST SEEMS REALLY CARELESS AND DANGEROUS.
UH, SO AT THIS POINT, I JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME ABLE TO TALK TO SOMEONE.
AND SO I GUESS, I GUESS YOU ARE DOING WHAT I WANTED YOU TO DO.
WELL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE AND, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO LEND A EAR AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
JUDY HARDEN, AND IF YOU'RE, PRESS STAR SIX.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
MOST OF MY ISSUES HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE CITY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT THERE WAS ONE ISSUE THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON THAT I WANTED TO SEE IF MAYBE WE'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
AND THAT'S CALLING IN ABOUT THE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS.
AND I KNOW WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THE PORT, BUT EVERY TIME WE DIAL IN NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER, NO ONE EVER SHOWS UP.
AND I WAS DISCUSSING THAT WITH THE OFFICER THAT'S HELPING ME NOW.
AND I WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME OTHER NUMBER WE SHOULD BE CALLING OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING TO HAVE SOMEONE TO LOOK INTO THE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? NO, IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER, I THINK, I THINK YOU HAVE THAT NUMBER, MS. HARDEN.
YEAH, WE, WE CALL THAT NUMBER, BUT NO ONE EVER SHOWS UP.
UM, IT, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THE SITUATION IS.
BUT, UH, IF IT'S A NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER SITUATION AND THEY'RE RESPONDING TO OTHER CALLS, YEAH, THEY, THEY MAY OR MAY NOT, UH, SHOW UP, BUT THERE MAY BE OTHER WAYS YOU CAN REPORT YOUR, YOUR PROBLEM.
UM, AND THANK YOU MS. HARDEN FOR CALLING TODAY.
YOU ARE IN THE NORTH DIVISION FOR HPD, AND WE HAVE PUT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OVERTIME FUNDING, UM, IN WITH THE NORTH COMMAND.
AND I KNOW THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE OUT, UM, ON 4TH OF JULY AND AROUND 4TH OF JULY.
AND FIREWORKS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY, UM, DO COME OUT TO ENFORCE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WITH SO MANY PEOPLE SHOOTING OFF FIREWORKS, THEY AND THEIR RESOURCES ARE LIMITED.
SO, UM, THEY GET TO AS MANY PLACES AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN, BUT WE WILL LET HPD KNOW THAT IT IS A PROBLEM IN YOUR AREA SO THAT THEY CAN, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN THAT AREA AROUND 4TH OF JULY.
UH, MORNING CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, THE REASON WHY I'M HERE, I DID SOME, UH, RESEARCH ABOUT THE SITUATION, THE EVICTION, AND I FOUND OUT SOME PEOPLE CREATED ACCOUNTS, UH, IN THE PROPERTY TAX WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT OFFICE.
UH, I HAVE A, THE DELINQUENT BALANCE WITH THE PROPERTY MANAGER, UM, UH, COOPERATING AS MUCH AS I CAN.
UM, UM, THE, I HAVE A NOTICE TO VAC FOR JULY 1ST, 2020 SECOND.
I'M TRYING TO MAKE A DECISION TO SEE IF WE CAN NEGOTIATE, UH, WITH, UH, DOLLAR AMOUNT.
I HAVE OFFERED THE PROPERTY $2,000 IN, UH, UM, UH, AND THEY DECLINED.
UM, UH, AND THE, UH, APARTMENTS, I JUST GAVE MR. RE RE A FOLDER.
UH, BASICALLY THEY CREATED THE, UH, THE ACCOUNTS ARE PAYING TAXES LIKE THEY WERE HOMES OR TOWN HOMES.
I DID THE, UH, DISCOVERY AND, UM, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
OKAY? UH, WE HAVE THE DOCUMENTS OF MS. RIVA, SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THEM.
UH, NOW I'LL REACH OUT TO YOU, MR. KUBE, UH, AFTER THIS MEETING.
[02:20:01]
THANKS, SPEAKER.NATIONAL STEWARD IS NOT HERE NEXT WEEK.
THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
TURN TO THE, TO THE REMAINING AGENDA.ITEMS FIVE ON THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PURCHASING TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY.
ITEM 11 HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
CASTEX TATUM, MOVE SECOND ROBINSON.
ON ITEM 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, AND 12.
DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANITE UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY.
SINCE YOUR LIST HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED, ITEM 21 HAS BEEN RECEIVED, ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 13, 21, 22, 25, AND 41.
DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANITE ITEMS REMOVED
[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANT ON FIVE.
CASTEX TA MOVE SECOND, ROBINSON ON ITEM 11.
I'D LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY TAG THIS ITEM.
MR. S BEING TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
I'LL JOIN THAT TAG MAYOR, FOLLOWED BY COUNCILMAN ALCO, WHO, TECH AND ALCO.
ITEM 13, COUNCILMAN ALCO ON ITEM 13.
CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE ACTION PLAN.
JUST WANNA BRING UP A COUPLE THINGS.
WE HEARD A LOT DURING THE, UH, DURING THE BUDGET HEARINGS ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE DON CODE INSPECTORS.
UM, THERE IS THERE CDBG MONEY PAYS FOR 40 OF THESE INSPECTORS.
I THINK THAT, UM, IF THERE'S A WAY TO GET MORE CDBG, THERE'S CERTAINLY A NEED ACCORDING TO DON FOR, TO COVER THE CDBG AREAS.
IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S A WAY TO POSSIBLY FUND ADDITIONAL, UM, CODE INSPECTORS WITH CDBG MONEY.
ALSO OTHER CITY USE SOME C-D-G-B-C-D-B-G MONEY IN PUBLIC FACILITIES FOR SIDEWALKS.
UM, IF THERE IS, UH, AND, AND I KNOW, UM, HCDD I'VE ASKED, AND THEY ARE OPEN TO CONSIDERING SOME USE OF CDBG FUNDS FOR SIDEWALKS AND COMPLETE COMMUNITIES AREAS.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PUBLIC WORKS KIND OF APPLYING FOR THOSE FUNDS.
SO JUST WANT THAT TO BE A CONSIDERATION ALSO.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 13? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 13 ITEM 20, ITEM 21 IS AN ORDINANCE.
UM, ITEM 21 IS, UM, A CONTRACT AGREEMENT FOR CONTRACT COMPLIANCE MONITORING FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WITH OBO.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS KIND OF KEEP MY EYE ON, UH, MWBE, UH, CONTRACTS AND, UH, VENDORS.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, I KNOW IT'S FOR, TO CONTRACT WITH A VENDOR TO HELP WITH CONTRACT COMPLIANCE.
I WAS ASKING OBO, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS AS, AS A DEPARTMENT, AS A OFFICE, UM, SINCE WE ARE LOOKING FOR OUTSIDE VENDORS, AND THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED WAS OBO IS BUDGETED FOR SEVEN COMPLIANCE OFFICERS TO MONITOR 1,200 PLUS CONTRACT LOAD OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
OBO HAS EXPERIENCED AN 85% ATTRITION RATE FOR ITS COMP COMPLIANCE OFFICERS.
MANY OF THESE LOSSES WERE TO THE PRIVATE SEC SECTOR.
OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS OR OTHER PUBLIC ENTITIES WHOSE SALARIES MAY BE MORE COMPETITIVE.
UM, WHICH IS WHY I THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING THAT WE ARE GETTING OUTSIDE VENDORS TO BE ABLE TO CONTRACT AND HELP OBO, UH, WITH THEIR COMPLIANCE NEEDS.
BUT THIS ALSO BROUGHT UP A QUESTION THAT I HAD, UM, PREVIOUSLY, AND IT'S FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY, UM, ATTORNEY MICHELLE, WHEN IT COMES TO CONTRACTS
[02:25:01]
OR EMPLOYEE CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY, ARE WE ABLE TO PUT IN NON-COMPETE CLAUSES? ARE WE ABLE TO PUT IN STATE CLAUSES TO WHERE IF WE HIRE EMPLOYEES AND WE TRAIN THEM THAT THEY CANNOT LEAVE, UM, WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME? JUST FROM MY OWN GENERAL KNOWLEDGE, 'CAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A HIGH ATTRITION RATE ACROSS THE BOARD, IT SEEMS LIKE WITH HIRES AND, AND, AND RESIGNATIONS.DO WE HAVE A NON-COMPETE? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS PERMISSIBLE? UH, I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHETHER WE HAVE IT OR NOT.
NOW, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING IN OUR COURT OR CHARTER THAT WOULD PROHIBIT THAT.
I THINK THE BIGGEST CONSTRAINTS WOULD BE, UH, THE, THE COMMON LAW ON THAT BECAUSE IF THE IT, THE COURTS TEND TO RESTRICT, UH, UM, LIMITATIONS ON COMPETITION, BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF A BAR AGAINST IT, FRANKLY, COUNCILMAN POLLAN, WE DON'T PAY 'EM ENOUGH TO PREVENT THEM FROM COMPETING.
UM, THE ONLY RESTRICTION THAT THAT WE DO PUT IN PLACE IS ON OUR DIRECTORS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ITEMS SUCH AS THIS, THAT IF WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PRIVATE ENTITIES THAT CAN SUPPLEMENT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UM, AND MAYBE TO CONSIDER GOING FORWARD, HOW ELSE CAN WE UTILIZE OUTSIDE VENDORS IF WE'RE NOT BEING ABLE TO STAY COMPETITIVE FROM A SALARY STANDPOINT, BUT PRIVATE ENTITIES CAN SUPPLEMENT AND DO THE WORK, THEN THAT MAY BE A WIN-WIN ON BOTH SIDES, RIGHT? AND WE ARE, WE ARE UTILIZING, WE ARE, THIS, IT IS STAFF AUGMENTATION.
I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ON THAT.
UM, QUITE FRANKLY, WE ARE LOOKING, UM, FIERCELY TO TRY TO, UH, BRING MORE EMPLOYEES INTO OBO.
UM, THIS IS A TEMPORARY MEASURE HERE, BUT, UM, WE NEED, WE'RE TRYING TO HIRE.
AND SO EVEN WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO BRING IN MORE EMPLOYEES, IF THEY COME IN AND COME OUT, UM, FOR A OFFICE LIKE OBO WHO HAS TO OVERSEE SO MANY DIFFERENT CONTRACTS, THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE THIS SYSTEM TO EVALUATE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE MAY CONSIDER DOING EVEN IN THE FUTURE.
UH, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR PRO TE CASH TATUM.
I WANTED TO, UM, JUST MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ABOUT ACTUALLY ITEM, UH, 21 AND 22, UM, THROUGH MY WORK WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
YOU KNOW, I, I WORK CLOSELY WITH THE DIRECTOR MURRAY, AND IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, UM, OUR LAST BUDGET CYCLE, UM, ONE OF MY BUDGET AMENDMENTS WAS FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO HELP THEM WITH THE, UH, CONTRACT COMPLIANCE.
AND MAYOR, YOU COMMITTED TO DOING THAT.
UM, THIS BUDGET CYCLE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOW AT A POINT WHERE WE CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER TO GET SOME ASSISTANCE.
THERE ARE SEVEN, UM, CONTRACT COMPLIANCE POSITIONS IN OBO.
SO WE MUST, UM, GET SOME ASSISTANCE FOR THAT DEPARTMENT IF WE ARE GOING TO HOLD THE OBO OFFICE TO A STANDARD OF MAKING SURE THEY ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK AND MAKING SURE THESE CONTRACTS ARE IN COMPLIANCE.
WE'VE GOTTA GET THEM SOME HELP BECAUSE EVERY DAY THEY START OFF BEHIND AND THEY CAN'T CATCH UP WITH THREE PEOPLE OUT OF SEVEN ON STAFF.
AND SO IT'S A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH.
WE HAVE TO GET THEM SOME ASSISTANCE TO GET THEM CAUGHT UP AND THEN ALSO SIMULTANEOUSLY WORK TO HIRE SOME MORE PEOPLE IN THAT DEPARTMENT AND LOOK TO GET THEM, UM, AT A, A SALARY THAT'S COMPETITIVE.
SO IT IS MY HOPE THAT THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD SUPPORT THIS ITEM SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR OBO OFFICE HAS, UM, THE ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMPLIANCE ON THESE CONTRACTS IS HAPPENING.
I LIKE THE WAY WE DIVIDED THESE UP WITH, UM, CONSTRUCTION AND NON-CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS.
I THINK, UM, IT WAS VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT.
SO THAT THERE IS ACCOUNTABILITY, THERE ARE SPECIFIC CONTRACTS ASSIGNED TO SPECIFIC VENDORS.
UM, SO I'M ASKING COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, ON BEHALF OF, UH, THE OBO OFFICE TO, UM, PLEASE SUPPORT, UH, ITEM 21 AND 22.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 21? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED GRANTED ON 21? NEXT ITEM, ITEM 22 IS AN ORDINANCE HERE.
DISCUSSION ON 22, DISCUSSION ON 22.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSE GRANTED ON 22.
[02:30:06]
ITEM 25 IS AN ORDINANCE JUST IN A VOTE.WE ON ITEM 25, 25, DISCUSSION ON 25, DISCUSSION ON 25.
JUST NEED A VOTE ALL THE WAY TO ITEM 41.
DISCUSSION ON 41, DISCUSSION ON 41.
DISCUSSION ON 41 IN FAVOR, OPPOSE GRANTED ON 41 CHAIR.
RECOGNIZE COSMO ROBINSON TO SPEAK UP.
PARTY WHAT? MAYOR, I'M GONNA SPEAK ON THIS, THAT I THINK IT'S JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND IT'S TIME TO DO IT.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU AND EVERYONE, UH, ACROSS THE CITY FOR, UH, SUPPORTING THIS PROJECT, ESPECIALLY THE RESEARCH THAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE AT THE SPEED CENTER AT RICE.
UM, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE PROJECT.
IT'S AN AWARD-WINNING PROJECT FROM THE TEXAS SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTS.
UH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS AN AMENITY WHILE IT PROVIDES INCREDIBLE PROTECTION FOR THE GULF COAST AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE COMMUNITIES ALONG THE WEST RIDGE OF GALVESTON BAY.
SO MY TO YOU MAYOR, AND CERTAINLY TO THE MAYOR PRO TEM, HIS CONSTITUENTS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO THIS STORM.
SO IN THIS CASE, I APPRECIATE, UH, SUPPORT AND I BELIEVE THIS IS, UM, THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT.
OKAY, IF WE ALREADY VOTED FOR IT.
[MATTERS HELD]
IS AN ORDINANCE.WE ON ITEM 42, DISCUSSION ON 42.
OPPOSED, GRANTED ON 42, THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
[NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
UH, WITH, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER FROM DISTRICT F, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMASGOOD MORNING, UM, FROM VIRTUAL WORLD AND THE LAWN MAN JUST FINISHED.
SO I'M SO EXCITED THAT I'M NOT INTERRUPTED, BUT I ONLY HAVE TWO, UM, QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS.
ONE, TONIGHT I'M INVITING, UM, MY AT LARGE COLLEAGUES AND OFFICES AND THE RESIDENTS AND DISTRICT F TO JOIN US FOR OUR SECOND ANNUAL DISTRICT F PUBLIC SAFETY TOWN HALL WITH CHIEF NER.
AND WE HAVE OTHER GUESTS THAT WILL BE JOINING US.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, REVISITING THE, UH, CONCERNS FROM LAST YEAR, PROVIDING AN UPDATE AND ALSO RESOURCES, UM, A A VARIETY OF RESOURCES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'LL BE AT SIX O'CLOCK AT THE TRACY G COMMUNITY CENTER RIGHT THERE IN THE HEART OF WESTCHASE.
AND WE WILL ALSO BROADCAST LIVE OFF OF FACEBOOK.
UM, AND THEN TODAY WE PASSED AN ITEM THAT HAS COME BEFORE US A FEW TIMES, I BELIEVE ITEM NUMBER 25 WITH THE EXTENSION, WITH, UM, UH, THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR THOSE, UM, JOB PLACEMENT CONTRACTS.
JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE THEM TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DISTRICT OFFICES AS WE WORK TO GET OUR RESIDENTS BACK TO WORK.
UM, I KNOW I'M PLANNING MY, UM, SECOND ANNUAL JOB FAIR IN AUGUST, AND WE'LL LOVE TO HAVE THEIR PARTICIPATION SO WE CAN GET HOUSTONIANS BACK TO WORK IN THE MIDST OF THE GREAT RESIGNATION.
AGAIN, THANKS FOR THE SWOT ANNOUNCEMENT.
AND ON THE FLOODING FRONT, CONGRATULATIONS TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON AND OTHERS ON THE GALVESTON BAY, UM, PROJECT.
AND ALSO, I'M PRETTY EXCITED TO GET ON THE TUNNEL TRAIN.
I MEAN THAT, THAT HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL STUDY OF THE, YOU KNOW, 130 MILES WORTH OF TUNNELS.
I MEAN, WE DO THINGS BIG IN TEXAS AND BIG IN HOUSTON, AND I THINK THIS IS A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT AND I HOPE THAT, THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOWARDS ONE DAY SEEING SOME OF THOSE TUNNELS, UM, IN HOUSTON.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO ADD CAPACITY TO, TO OUR EXISTING CHANNELS.
UM, THE PERMITTING PANEL IS TOMORROW, TOMORROW MORNING, STARTS AT SEVEN 30.
UM, THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON FOR JOINING WITH ME.
WE HAVE 200 REGISTRANTS FOR THAT EVENT, SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GREAT TURNOUT, COVERING A LOT OF THE, UM, UPDATES AND, UM, ON ACTIVITIES AND INITIATIVES AT HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER AND ADDRESSING A LOT OF THE, THE APPLICANT'S COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT IN THE MORNING.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER.
UM, I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE, UM, THAT THE IN-PERSON TCEQ PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE PROPOSED LANDFILL EXPANSION ON TANNER ROAD IS HAPPENING NEXT TUESDAY, JUNE 28TH, UM, AT 7:00 PM AT THE STERLING BANQUET HALL, AND WANT TO ENCOURAGE, UM, ALL THE AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO JOIN ME AT THAT MEETING, UM, TO STAND WITH THE COMMUNITY IN OPPOSITION, UM, FOR OF THE LANDFILL IN THE WAY THAT IT CURRENTLY, UM, IS BEING PROPOSED.
AND THEN FINALLY, I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO SERGEANT HICKS WITH
[02:35:01]
HPD.HE HAS BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT 30 YEARS TODAY AND HAS BECOME AN EXPERT IN ALL THINGS RELATED TO, UM, VEHICLE MOTOR THEFTS AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS AND ALL THOSE FUN TOPICS.
UM, AND HE SPOKE AT THE, UM, NORTHWEST PIT MEETING LAST NIGHT, AND I THINK THAT HE GAVE, UM, SOME REALLY GREAT TIPS TO EVERYONE AS FAR AS, UM, HOW TO MINIMIZE, UM, THE RISK FOR THEIR VEHICLES GETTING BROKEN INTO AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT.
SO, UM, JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO SERGEANT HICKS.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS, SHABAZZ, YOU'RE UP NEXT.
UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANNA THANK SEVERAL PEOPLE FOR THE HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS AND RESOURCE FAIR AT THE SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER ON THURSDAY.
UH, LINDSEY WILLIAMS FOR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
ALLISON HUDSON, OEM, TASHA FRANCIS DON, DIRECTOR MEYER HIPPOLITE, SENIOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR IS DON MONICA ROBERTS, THE FACILITY MANAGER AT SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER, AND CERTAINLY TO MY STAFF, UH, ESPECIALLY STEPHEN JAMES, WHO LED THIS EFFORT.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, MY STAFF IS PHENOMENAL, UH, WITH MY CHIEF OF STAFF, AKA, AKA UH, MY NEXT, UH, OF COURSE I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE HOW BUSY IT WAS IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, UH, THIS WEEKEND.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT EMANCIPATION PARK, BUT THERE WAS ALSO AN OUTSTANDING EVENT AT THE MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER ON SUNDAY EVENING.
I ALSO, UH, ENGAGED WITH THE MAYOR OF SUNNYSIDE AT HER FAIR, AS WELL AS THE PARADE AND THE HOUSTON SUN, UH, PUBLISHER, DORIS ELLIS, WHO ALSO HAD A PARADE.
UH, JUST A REALLY, REALLY BUSY WEEKEND.
NOW COMING UP, UH, THERE WILL BE A THIRD WARD BIKE RIDE, UH, THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF HOUSTON BIKE SHARE, WHICH WILL BEGIN ON THIS SATURDAY AT 9:00 AM AT EMANCIPATION PARK.
AND YES, I WILL BE RIDING MY ELECTRIC BIKE, MY NEW BIKE.
UM, AND THEN VERY, VERY, UH, A VERY IMPORTANT EVENT, UH, ON SATURDAY, WHICH WILL BE THE DISTRICT EXPUNGEMENT EVENT, WHICH WILL, UH, ACTUALLY TAKE PLACE AT THE JONES MEMORIAL, UMC, THE CRESTMONT PARK CAMPUS, UH, AT 1 1 5 0 3 MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD.
UH, WE NEED PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND, UH, SEE IF WE CAN HELP YOU TO REMOVE SOME OF THOSE ITEMS ON YOUR RECORD SO THAT YOU CAN GET A FRESH START AND MOVE FORWARD, UM, BEING GAINFULLY EMPLOYED OR WHATEVER YOU ASPIRE TO DO, UM, FROM THIS POINT FORWARD.
ALSO, UM, THERE WILL BE A, A, A RIBBON CUTTING AT THE FIRM FOUNDATION EARLY LEARNING CENTER, UH, WHICH WILL BE AT 12 NOON AND 37 38 GRIGGS.
AND SO I PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
ALSO, UH, THERE WILL BE A A I A INCORPORATED, UH, AA ALPHAS ON TWOS BLACK BIKERS VOTER REGISTRATION EVENT, WHICH WILL BE, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT GROUP AND FAITH IN ACTION, WHICH WILL BE AT FACES AT 54 51 0 4 ALAMEDA AT 1:00 PM SO COME OUT AND JOIN US FOR THAT.
AND THEN NEXT WEEK, PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR, THE HUMANE SOCIETY PET PANTRY EVENT IN DISTRICT D, WHICH WILL BE FROM NINE TO ONE ON THURSDAY, JUNE 30TH, AT THE SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, 93 14 CULLEN BOULEVARD.
AND THEN IN MY, MY LAST PART OF THIS, I WANT TO THANK, UH, COMMANDER CAROL ETTA JOHNSON AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL POLICE WHO WENT OUT TO MCGREGOR PARK THIS WEEKEND.
UH, THERE WAS A NORMAL PARK DAY.
I HAVE ACTUALLY PURCHASED SOME ATVS FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET IN THOSE SPACES THAT MAYBE A POLICE CAR CAN'T.
BUT I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE HEARD THEM AND THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN GO AND HAVE A GREAT TIME AT THE PARK IN PARTICULAR, UM, THE PARKS AND DISTRICT D.
AND SO, UM, THAT CONCLUDES WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
UH, NEXT IS COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS.
I WANNA GO BACK AND TALK ABOUT JUNETEENTH AND ALL THE CELEBRATIONS BIG AND SMALL THAT HAPPENED ACROSS HOUSTON THIS LAST HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
MY GRANDSON, MY OLDEST GRANDSON IS SIX YEARS OLD.
HE JUST FINISHED KINDERGARTEN AND HE IS LEARNING A LOT OF NEW THINGS.
UM, THIS LAST WEEKEND I WAS TELLING HIM ABOUT, UM, JUNETEENTH EVENTS THAT I WAS PART OF, AND I EXPLAINED TO HIM THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
[02:40:01]
JUNETEENTH.I TOLD THEM THAT A LITTLE OVER 150 YEARS AGO, ON THIS DATE, JUNE, 1865, THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN SLAVES IN GALVESTON FINALLY LEARNED THAT THEY WERE FREE PEOPLE.
I EXPLAINED THAT SLAVERY USED TO BE ALLOWED IN THE UNITED STATES, THAT IT USED TO BE LEGAL FOR PEOPLE TO OWN OTHER PEOPLE.
AND HE SAID, AND HE'S SIX, HE SAID, WHY WOULD ANYONE EVER THINK THAT WAS OKAY? I WAS SO PROUD OF HIM.
AND HIS COMMENT JUST GIVES ME HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.
I WANNA CONGRATULATE AGAIN EVERYONE WHO WAS PART OF THE, UM, ORGANIZING AND PARTICIPATING IN THE, THE SUCCESSFUL JUNETEENTH EVENTS ALL ACROSS OUR CITY.
I AM PROUD OF OUR CITY AND THE DIVERSITY THAT IS US.
AND THEN ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FAMILIES WITH PRIDE EVENT WILL BE HELD ON THIS SATURDAY.
SHE IS THE 2021 PRIDE HOUSTON ALLY, GRAND MARSHALL, AND IS HOSTING AN INAUGURAL MORNING EVENT THIS SATURDAY FROM 9:00 AM TO 1:00 PM AT LEVY PARK.
THERE WILL BE FACE PAINTING, ARTS AND CRAFTS, MUSIC AND GAMES, A PRIDE PUPPY PARADE, FOOD TRUCKS, CIVIL RIGHTS, HISTORY WALK, AND LOTS OF OTHER FUN ACTIVITIES.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL ALSO BE OFFERING FREE VACCINES.
PLEASE STAY SAFE, HYDRATED AND FOLLOW CITY GUIDANCE ON WATER CONSERVATION.
UH, HER SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT IS, UH, COVID VACCINES ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR CHILDREN SIX MONTHS AND UP TEXAS CHILDREN'S IS OFFERING APPOINTMENTS, AS IS OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
OR YOU CAN GO TO SEE YOUR PEDIATRICIAN FOR THOSE VACCINES.
AND I DID NOT WANT TO END WITHOUT WISHING COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON SUNDAY.
AND THEN, UH, I WILL GIVE THE ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR DISTRICT K.
I WANT TO GIVE A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT ATTENDED OUR RECEPTION AND GATEWAY PARADE LAST WEEK.
WE ARE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS BRAND NEW PROJECT IN DISTRICT K.
WE DID HAVE A COUPLE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO JOIN US.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHAZ, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, WERE IN ATTENDANCE.
UM, IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE ELIMINATION UNDER OUR FIVE GATEWAYS ALONG HIGHWAY 90, TAKE A RIDE AND CHECK IT OUT AT NIGHT.
UM, ALONG, UH, HIGHWAY 90, I THINK YOU REALLY ENJOY IT.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE COLORS OF THOSE LIGHTS IN RECOGNITION OF CELEBRATIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THIS WEEK WE ARE ALSO CELEBRATING WASTE AND RECYCLING WORKERS WEEK.
UM, SO WE HAD A PROCLAMATION FOR THE HONEY BROWN HOPE FOUNDATION, WHO'S LEADING THE CHARGE ALONG WITH DR.
WIL IN OUR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE ARE REALLY ENCOURAGING CITIZENS TO SALUTE OUR ALLIES ON THE FRONT LINE IN SOLID WASTE.
LET'S SHOW OUR APPRECIATION TO OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO OUR CITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO OUR TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE BOARD DINNER ON THURSDAY AT NASA.
UM, THE TML SUMMER MEETINGS ARE HELD IN THE PRESIDENT'S HOMETOWN.
SO THIS, UH, MEETING WILL BE HELD HERE IN HOUSTON, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIGHLIGHT, UH, NASA AND HAVE A REALLY GOOD, UH, BOARD VISIT.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE CONFIRMED ATTENDANCE.
UM, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN AT ATTENDING, JUST LET US KNOW.
WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU THERE, UM, THIS THURSDAY AT NASA FOR THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE BOARD DINNER.
BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, YOU'RE NEXT.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VICE MAYOR PROAM.
AND I'D LIKE TO, UH, WITH YOU CELEBRATE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S BIRTHDAY.
IT IS CONCURRENT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA PLUMMER'S BIRTHDAY.
SO WE HAVE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO CELEBRATE THIS WEEK AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BOTH OF YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO CELEBRATE THE WONDERFUL SET OF EVENTS THAT OCCURRED THIS WEEKEND, UH, HISTORICALLY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON SURROUNDING, UH, JUNETEENTH AND OUR EMANCIPATION PARK.
TRULY A PHENOMENAL, UH, SET OF EVENTS AND SO GLAD THAT WE COULD CELEBRATE THAT RIGHT HERE, UM, IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
UH, AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO TELL A COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, CIRO'S THAT STORY ABOUT HER, HER GRANDSON IS, IS REALLY TOUCHING AND NICE AND, AND GRATEFUL TO HEAR THAT, UM, AS A POINT AND TO HER CONCERN AND FOCUS ON CHILDREN.
I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, UH, SOME YEARS AGO TODAY IN 1967, ON THIS DAY, ON JUNE 21ST, HOUSTON
[02:45:01]
ISD VOTED TO DESEGREGATE, WHICH IS SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE ON, UM, OR AT LEAST TO ACKNOWLEDGE HERE ON THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER.AND ALSO JUST LIKE TO CELEBRATE WHAT WE WILL BE RECOGNIZING, UH, THIS SATURDAY COMING UP AS THE PREMIER EVENT OF PRIDE SEASON, UH, IN THE PRIDE PARADE AND WITH WISHES TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, UM, FOR HER, UH, EVENT ON SATURDAY MORNING.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AS WELL AS, UH, BEING IN THE PARADE ON SATURDAY.
SO WITH THAT VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, THAT'S ALL FOR ME.
AND THAT CONCLUDES, UM, OUR POP-OFF.