* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:05] ALL RIGHT. HELLO. IT IS 1 37 ON TUESDAY, JUNE, UH, UH, JULY THE 19TH, 2022. OUR MAYORS BUS ATTORNEY, I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER. THAT'S A HYBRID MEETING WITH SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS JOINING IN PERSON AND SOME USING MICROSOFT TEAMS. UH, [PRESENTATIONS] FOR PRESENTATIONS, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO DR. NEIL STRICKLAND IN RECOGNITION OF HIS 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRACTICING CARDIOLOGY AT TEXAS HEART INSTITUTE ON BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAYOR, AND I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROCLAMATION TODAY. YOU, UH, MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES, DR. ST. STICKMAN AND ALL, YOU CAN COME ON UP AND JOIN US. DR. ST STICKMAN IS A VERY BIG DEAL IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. HE, THIS IS HIS 40TH YEAR TRAINING CARDIOLOGISTS AT THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER. HE'S TRAINED 297 CARDIOLOGISTS THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER. SO THINK OF ALL THE HEARTS HE'S SAVED OVER THE YEARS. THAT'S JUST EXPONENTIAL. AND HE WAS A YOUNG BUCK BACK IN THE DAY OF, UM, COOLEY AND DEBAKEY, AND GOT TO BE WITH THEM. AND HE'S JUST HAD A LONG AND STORIED CAREER, AND HE IS NOT DONE YET. SO WE ARE HONORING HIM HERE WITH HIS FAMILY. DR. EDELMAN, ONE OF HIS BEST FRIENDS. THEY'VE BEEN SERVING TOGETHER FOR 40 YEARS, AND HE PUT THIS ALL TOGETHER. TWO OF HIS EMPLOYEES WHO ARE HERE, WHO HAVE WORKED FOR HIM THE ENTIRE TIME, ALL 40 YEARS. SO THAT'S IMPRESSIVE. SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET THIS PROCLAMATION STARTED. DR. NEIL E ST. STICKMAN. WHEREAS DR. ST. STICKMAN COMPLETED 40 YEARS IN THE PRACTICE OF CARDIOLOGY IN THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER AT TEXAS HEART INSTITUTE AND BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. AND WHEREAS DR. ST. STICKMAN ACHIEVED THE RANK OF CLINICAL PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE AT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND ASSISTED IN THE TRAINING OF HUNDREDS, 297 OF CARDIOLOGY FELLOWS FROM LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES. AND WHEREAS DR. STICKMAN IS A WORLD RENOWNED INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGIST IN THE PIONEERING NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT OF CARDIAC AND VASCULAR DISEASE, THESE ACHIEVEMENTS HAVE ENABLED THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS TO UNDERGO PROCEDURES AT REDUCED RISK WITH FEWER COMPLICATIONS THAN MIGHT OCCUR WITH OPEN SURGICAL PROCEDURES. ADDITIONALLY, HIGH RISK PATIENTS NOT AMENABLE TO TRADITIONAL SURGICAL REPAIR ARE NOW SUCCESSFULLY TREATED BY THESE ADVANCED NON-INVASIVE PROCEDURES. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS DR. NEIL ST. STICKMAN FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO ENHANCING THE LIVES OF PATIENTS BY EXPANDING TREATMENT OPTIONS AND THROUGH PHYSICAL TRAIN, PHYSICIAN TRAINING AND EDUCATION, THE CITY OF HOUSTON EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR A SUCCESSFUL 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND CONTINUED FUTURE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. SO THEREFORE, I SYLVESTER TURNER MAYOR CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIMED JU JULY 19TH, 2022 AS DR. NEIL EMAN DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. CONGRATULATIONS, DR. ST. STICKMAN. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU EVERYONE. I'LL JUST, UH, SAY A FEW WORDS. IT WON'T BE TOO LONG. I WANTED TO, UH, THANK MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND ESPECIALLY SID ELMAN FOR DOING THIS. YOU KNOW, I OWE A LOT OF MY CAREER TO DR. DENTON COOLEY AND DR. ROBERT J. HALL, FOUNDERS OF THE TEXAS HEART INSTITUTE, WHICH I JOINED IN, UH, 1980. UH, I'VE BEEN TRAVELING OVER THE WORLD. I'VE, UH, TAUGHT CARDIOLOGY IN OVER 56 COUNTRIES OUTSIDE OF THE US AND VERY PROUD FOR THE HEALTHCARE I WAS ABLE TO DELIVER TO THOSE, UH, COUNTRIES. OUR GROUP HAS BEEN TOGETHER FOR LONGER THAN ME, AND WE JOINED THE BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, THE ASIG INSTITUTE IN 2016, AND I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT THEM. THANK YOU ALL, DR. ST. STICKMAN. UM, JUST A, A COMMENT, UM, YOU, Y'ALL ALL MAY KNOW THAT WE TOUT, UH, THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER BEING THE LARGEST IN THE, IN THE WORLD, EVERYWHERE WE GO, AND IT IS ONLY BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT MAKE OUR MEDICAL SPACE SO STELLAR IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, WE WANNA JUST THANK YOU AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECOGNITION. IT IS SO WELL DESERVED, AND WE ARE JUST SO HONORED TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY TODAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND DOCTOR, I WANTED TO, UM, PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO INTRODUCE EVERYONE THAT IS HERE TO SUPPORT YOU TODAY. WOULD YOU MIND, UH, JUST SHARING WITH US WHO ALL'S HERE? SO, UH, WITH US HERE TODAY IS, UM, ALICE HAS BEEN MY SECRETARY, LONGER THAN THE 40 YEARS I'VE BEEN THERE. MAC LIKE THE COMPUTER. MY, UH, NURSE [00:05:01] SID , WHO MADE THIS ALL HAPPEN. STEPHANIE AND TIM, MY CHILDREN, KAREN, MY WIFE AND KIT, WHO'S SOMEWHERE HERE WITH US AS WELL. SO THAT'S ALL WITH US TODAY. BEAUTIFUL. WELL, I KNOW, UM, IN ORDER FOR YOU TO SAVE LIVES, YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ENTIRE TEAM AROUND YOU, FROM YOUR STAFF TO YOUR FAMILY. SO MY APPRECIATION TO YOU FOR REPRESENTING THE BEST OF HOUSTON, UH, AND OUR MEDICAL COMMUNITY, UH, BUT ALSO APPRECIATION TO YOUR STAFF, YOUR TEAM, AND YOUR FAMILY FOR THEIR SUPPORT AS WELL. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY. AS COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS FOR A PROCLAMATION TO JOSE LONGORIA OF MARIACHI IMPERIAL DAY AMERICA, TO CELEBRATE OVER 30 YEARS OF TEACHING AND PROVIDING MARIACHI ENTERTAINMENT IN THE US COUNCIL MEMBERS, I HAVE THE HONOR OF, UH, PRESENTING THIS PROCLAMATION. BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTINA MORALES, UH, PROVIDED A, UH, RESOLUTION FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS. UH, ALSO, UH, IT'S SIGNED BY, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE ANNA HERNANDEZ, STATE REPRESENTATIVE MARIANNE PEREZ, AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE ARMANDO LUCIO WALLY. UH, SO CONGRATULATIONS WITH THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WHERE, WHEREAS JOSE LONGORIA STARTED THE FIRST MARIACHI PROGRAMS IN THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND WHEREAS JOSE LONGORIA IS CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF PERFORMING, TEACHING AND PROMOTING MARIACHI MUSIC AS WELL AS ITS HISTORY AND CULTURE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, HE INITIATED A MARIACHI PROGRAM AT ALL LEVELS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL. AND WHEREAS JOSE LONGORIA HAS DIRECTED MARIACHI GROUPS TO REPRESENT HOUSTON WITH PERFORMANCES IN THAILAND, MACEDONIA, INDIA, BEIJING, SHANGHAI, CANADA, ALBANIA, AND ARMENIA. AND WHEREAS JOSE LONGORIA HAS DIRECTED MANY OF HIS MARIACHI GROUPS TO WIN NUMEROUS AWARDS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND WHEREAS JOSE LONGORIA'S MARIACHI GROUPS HAVE ENRICHED THE CITY OF HOUSTON BY PERFORMING WITH MANY LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL STARS AND NUMEROUS LOCAL EVENTS. AND WHEREAS A PROUD HOUSTONIAN, JOSE LONGORIA IS A THIRD GENERATION MARIACHI MUSICIAN PASSING THE LEGACY TO HIS SON. AND WHEREAS JOSE LONGORIA HAS NOW TAKEN ON THE ROLE AS TEACHER AND DIRECTOR FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MY, UH, HOUSTON MARIACHI PROGRAM OF THE GROUP KNOWN AS MARIACHI PUMAS. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER MAYOR, CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIMED JULY 19TH, 2022 AS JOSE LONGORIA DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WANNA, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY FAMILY THAT IS HERE, PRESIDENT TODAY, FOR THEIR WONDERFUL SUPPORT. UM, AND MY DAD, WHO'S IN HEAVEN AND, AND LISTENING TO US. UM, I WANNA THANK MY FRIENDS, UM, ALSO MY COLLEAGUES AT WHERE I STARTED, THE, THE MARIACHI AT PATRICK HENRY MIDDLE SCHOOL CONTINUED TO SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL. UM, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BELIEVED IN ME, UH, INCLUDING NOW PUMA FROM UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, I WANNA THANK, UH, THE U OF H STAFF [00:10:01] THAT IS HERE WITH US PRESENT TODAY. UM, AND I, I, I'M VERY HONORED TO CONTINUE THE LEGACY THAT MY DAD LEFT US. AND, UH, I AM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MANY, MANY YEARS TO CONTINUE TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE, THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY AND REPRESENT, UH, HOUSTON TO THE, TO THE FULLEST. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. CONGRATULATIONS. THIS IS SO EXCITING. UM, I HAVE ENJOYED THE MUSIC FOR YEARS. MY SON WAS A MARIACHI AT MECCA, AND, UM, AND WE FOLLOWED YOUR CAREER. AND, UM, THE, THE, THE LEADER, YOU KNOW, THE WHO, WHO, THE TEACHER WHO WAS THERE AT THAT TIME, WHEN, WHEN DAVID WAS THERE, WAS MR. ALFONSO GUERRA, WHO YOU ARE ON TRACK. YOU WERE FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS, AND YOU WERE GOING EVEN FARTHER. YOU'VE HAD SUCH A PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON OUR CITY AND, UM, OUR NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD. AND I, I HAD A QUESTION FOR YOU. I WANTED TO ASK YOU, HOW MANY YOUNG MARIACHIS HAVE YOU LAUNCHED ? I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT I KNOW IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE A, IF YOU WERE ONE OF MY STUDENTS, UH, PLEASE STAND. OH. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IF I HAD TO SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD PROBABLY SAY A GOOD 600, MAYBE 600 IN THE PAST. UH, I THINK YOU'RE MODEST. I DON'T KNOW , BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON GRACIA, IE GRA. THANK YOU. SENIOR LONGORIA. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR, UH, MUSIC AND MARIACHI, UH, COMMUNITY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS WHERE ARE THE INSTRUMENTS? WE'LL SEE YOU TONIGHT AT THE RECEPTION. OKAY. YOU'LL SEE MANY INSTRUMENTS AND MANY FORMER STUDENTS THAT WILL BE PERFORMING TONIGHT. SO IF YOU GUYS WOULD JOIN US, WE'D BE HONORED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INVITATION. AND JUST, UM, AS WE CLOSE, UH, IN THIS SECTION OF OUR, OUR PROCLAMATION TODAY, UH, I, I LOOK AT YOU AND I LOOK AT ALL THE STUDENTS WHO YOU'VE IMPACTED. AND, UM, IT JUST LEADS ME TO SAY, LEGACY IS NOT WHAT YOU LEAVE IN PEOPLE. IT'S WHAT YOU LEAVE FOR PEOPLE. AND YOU HAVE LEFT A AND ARE LEAVING A LEGACY OF PHENOMENAL MUSICIANSHIP TO ALL OF THESE STUDENTS WHO YOU'VE TOUCHED THEIR LIVES. SO THANK YOU, AND YOUR DAY IS WELL DESERVED. NICE. [00:19:21] HEY, BOY. HEY, BIRTHDAY BOY. COUNCIL MEMBER POLL. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. YOU WANT ME TO SING? YOU WANT ME TO SING? HELLO. [00:21:14] NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO DIRECTOR KENNETH ALLEN AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR DEBORAH LATHAN TO CELEBRATE PARKS AND RECREATION MONTH. THANK YOU. PRO TE, UH, IT'S AN HONOR. TODAY WE ARE CELEBRATING PARKS AND REC MONTH AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, WE ALL HAVE THIS PHENOMENAL APPRECIATION FOR OUR OUTDOOR SPACES. IS THAT BETTER, UH, FOR OUR OUTDOOR SPACES AND FOR OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THAT THEY DO? UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN POSITIVE, POSITIVELY IMPACTING THE DAY-TO-DAY LIVES OF MILLIONS OF HOUSTONIANS, INCLUDING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND CHILDREN. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE Y'ALL, UH, AND THE LASTING LEGACY THAT WE'RE CREATING FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. UH, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A HEAT WAVE, UH, USUALLY DURING HURRICANE SEASON. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FLOODING. OUR PARKS PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN ALL OF THAT. BUT ALSO, AS I LIKE TO SAY, ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROGRAMS AT THE CITY IS OUR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, UH, THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT PROVIDES. UH, IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY SPECIAL. SO I'M HONORED TO, UM, PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TODAY. IT'S A PRIVILEGE MAYOR TO STAND ALONGSIDE YOU, UM, AS WE COMMEMORATE THE MONTH. WHEREAS PARKS AND RECREATION ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY, INCLUDING THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND OUR PARKS AND NATURAL RECREATION AREAS ENSURE THE ECOLOGICAL BEAUTY OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND PROVIDE A PLACE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS TO CONNECT WITH NATURE AND THE OUTDOORS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON RECOGNIZES THE BENEFITS DERIVED FROM PARKS AND REC RESOURCES. HOUSTON HAS 381 NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, BEAUTIFUL SIGNATURE PARKS, AND 39,501 ACRES OF PARKLAND AND GREEN SPACE. IT IS A LOT. PARKS AND REC PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELLNESS, IMPROVING THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEARBY. PARKS AND REC, PROMOTE TIME SPENT IN NATURE, WHICH POSITIVELY IMPACT MENTAL HEALTH BY INCREASING COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AND WELLBEING, AND ALLEVIATING ILLNESS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDERS. PARKS AND RECREATION ENCOURAGE PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES BY PROVIDING SPACE FOR POPULAR SPORTS, HIKING TRAILS, SWIMMING POOLS, AND MANY OTHER ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO PROMOTE ACTIVE LIFESTYLES. PROGRAMMING AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES SUCH AS OUT OF SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMMING, YOUTH SPORTS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ARE CRITICAL TO CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND PARKS AND RECREATION. INCREASE THE COMMUNITY'S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY THROUGH INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES, EXPANSION OF THE LOCAL TAX BASE, INCREASED TOURISM, THE ATTRACTION AND RETENTION OF BUSINESSES AND CRIME REDUCTION, PARKS AND RECREATION ARE ESSENTIAL AND ADAPTABLE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT MAKES OUR COMMUNITIES RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF NATURAL DISASTERS AND CLIMATE CHANGE. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MARY, CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIM JULY 19TH, 2022, WEST PARK AND RECREATION MONTH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER. YOU KNOW, I'M EXCITED BECAUSE I HAVE MY WARRIORS STANDING BEHIND ME, SO THANK YOU GUYS. I WANT TO THANK THE DAY-TO-DAY EFFORTS OF ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, AS WE WORK DAY TO DAY TO DELIVER POSITIVE EXPERIENCES TO CITIZENS AND TO, UH, PEOPLE ALL OVER THE CITY. YOU KNOW, THE NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARKS SEC, THE NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARKS ASSOCIATION HAS SET ASIDE JULY, AS WE RECOGNIZE AND AS WE EXPLAIN TO [00:25:01] PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD, THE BENEFITS OF PARKS, YOU KNOW, FROM SOCIAL EQUITY, IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SPACES TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS, CONSERVATION IN NATURE. THIS IS JUST ONE SECTION OF MANY THAT ARE DELIVERING TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON. ONE THAT I HAVE TO MENTION IS OUR GREEN SPACE, GREEN SPACE SECTION WITH ABEL GONZALEZ AS WE THINK ABOUT CONSERVATION, NATURE, AND PRESERVATION. SO, THANK YOU GUYS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY, AND THANK YOU TO MY WARRIORS AND YOUTH FROM FUNDY RECREATION CENTER RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. SO, THANK YOU ALL. WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE. UH, MAYOR, WE HAVE A COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, AND DIRECTOR ALLEN. AND, AND MS. LATHAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO. THE PARKS, OF COURSE, ARE SO CRITICAL SPEAKING AS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, COMMITTEE AND DIRECTOR ALLEN, FOR WHAT YOU'VE BROUGHT TO THE TTI COMMITTEE RECENTLY, YOUR DEPARTMENT IS DOING SO MUCH, AND IT IS GREAT INDEED TO SEE YOUR WARRIORS HERE TODAY WITH YOU. THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. UH, CERTAINLY IN DISTRICT C WHERE I LIVE, IT'S, UH, IT'S JUST A GREAT PART OF THE CITY 'CAUSE OF THE PARKS AND ALL THROUGHOUT, UH, THE GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON. SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR PARTNERING WITH, UM, WITH OUR MAYOR AND, AND FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO FOR ALL OF US. THANK YOU WARRIORS. THANK YOU DIRECTOR. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. THANK YOU. UM, I JUST AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP, YOU KNOW, WITH, UM, PARKS AND, AND DISTRICT H. Y'ALL BEND OVER BACKWARDS TO WORK WITH ME. UM, I WANTED TO WELCOME THE, UM, THE PARK CAMPERS FROM FONDE. UM, THAT'S, THAT'S IN DISTRICT H. ARE YOU ENJOYING THE TECH CONNECT PROGRAM THAT'S PART OF YOUR DAY? HAVE YOU GOTTEN TO DO SOME COOL THINGS WITH, UM, TECHNOLOGY AND BUILDING THINGS? AWESOME. THAT'S WONDERFUL. UM, DIRECTOR ALLEN, AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CHALLENGES OF SOCIAL EQUITY AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND, UM, CONSERVATION, PRESERVATION, YOU KNOW, NATURE. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S COME TO, TO MY ATTENTION THAT I HADN'T REALLY REALIZED WAS THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A BEEN A, A SHIFT IN, IN, UM, HOW PEOPLE VIEW THE OUTSIDE. AND MANY CHILDREN AREN'T PLAYING OUTSIDE LIKE THEY USED TO. I'M TOLD THAT THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE WITH GETTING LIFEGUARDS. IT'S NOT JUST LIFEGUARDS, IT'S PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN ARE, ARE SPENDING SO MUCH MORE TIME INDOORS NOW THAT THEY DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE, THE VALUE, THE BENEFITS OF THE OUTDOORS. SO THAT'S ANOTHER CHALLENGE. BUT IT, AND IT'S A, IT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE THAT WE, WE RECOGNIZE AND, AND TACKLE TOGETHER. YES, NO, DEFINITELY THE HEAT DOESN'T HELP MUCH, BUT AS, AS A WEATHER, COOL. I MEAN, THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, WE'RE SEEING RECORD NUMBERS OF PEOPLE FREQUENTING OUTSIDE AMENITIES AND ACTIVITIES. SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE HEALTH OF ALL CITIZENS TO GET OUT, GET FRESH AIR TO EXERCISE, AND, UM, PART OF THIS PROMOTION AS PARKS AND RECREATION MONTH WILL HELP US GET THAT MESSAGE OUT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT. [00:30:36] ALL RIGHT. THE [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PRO, TIM MARTHA K TATUM, FOR THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M PLEASED TO INTRODUCE ONE OF THE NEWEST PASTORS TO DISTRICT K MEET, PASTOR ELEANOR COLVIN, IF YOU'LL JOIN US AT THE PODIUM. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. UH, PASTOR COLVIN IS A FOURTH GENERATION METHODIST. SHE IS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN. SHE EARNED A BACHELOR'S IN JOURNALISM FROM TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY, AND LATER WENT ON TO EARN A MASTER'S OF FINE ARTS IN THEATER FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, AND A MASTER'S OF DIVINITY DEGREE FROM WESLEY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN WASHINGTON, DC ON SUNDAY, JULY THE THIRD, WESTBURY, UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WELCOMED PASTOR COLVIN AS THE NEW SENIOR PASTOR. SHE IS HONORED TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY, UM, THAT LOOKS MORE LIKE THE WORLD. UH, I TOOK THAT, UM, FROM HER, HER, HER, UM, BIO. AND I, I LOVE THE COMMENTS THAT SHE MAKES IN HER, UH, STATEMENTS. SHE SAID, WHILE COLVIN HOPES TO IMPACT THE PEOPLE WITHIN THE CHURCH, SHE ALSO AIMS TO REACH THE SURROUNDING CITY. DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM NEHEMIAH'S MODEL OF INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERYONE PLAYING THEIR PART. COLVIN HAS A DESIRE TO EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY, TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY EVEN WHEN IT'S HARD. I LOVE THAT. UM, PASTOR COLVIN, WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU IN DISTRICT K. WE'RE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU BACK IN HOUSTON MM-HMM . UM, AND WE'RE VERY HONORED TO HAVE YOU TO PRAY WITH US TODAY. THANK YOU. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE INVITATION AND THE KIND INTRODUCTION OF MY COUNCILWOMAN. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE STELLAR LEADERSHIP OF OUR MAYOR AND FOR ALL OF YOU, LET'S PRAY. AWESOME. GOD, WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THE GIFT OF THIS DAY. WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THE JOY OF BEING CALLED YOUR CHILDREN, FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING CALLED INTO SERVANT LEADERSHIP IN THIS YOUR WORLD. GOD, I PRAY THAT YOU BLESS THE WORK OF THE LEADERS ASSEMBLED IN THIS SPACE THIS DAY, GOD OF LOVE AND LIGHT. WE GIVE YOU THANKS THAT YOUR WORD SAYS YOUR LOVE IS STEADFAST AND ENDURES THROUGHOUT THE GENERATIONS, ENDURES EVEN IN A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, EVEN IN ECONOMIC CRISIS, EVEN WITH MASS SHOOTINGS WEEKLY. GOD, WE STILL SEE SIGNS OF YOUR LOVE IN THIS WORLD, GOD. AND WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD USE US AS SIGNS AND VESSELS OF YOUR LOVE IN THIS WORLD, GOD OF LIGHT. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE IN THIS CITY AND LET EACH OF US WORK IN WAYS THAT BRING HONOR AND GLORY TO YOUR NAME, ETERNAL GOD, YOU WHO HOLD ALL TIME IN YOUR HAND. WE PRAY THAT YOU BLESS THE TIME SPENT IN THIS ROOM THIS DAY. WE KNOW THAT THERE'S AN AGENDA, BUT WE PRAY THAT YOUR AGENDA IS ACCOMPLISHED FROM THE PROCLAMATIONS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT WILL COME TO THE PRAISES PRESENTED IN THIS ROOM. WE PRAY THAT ULTIMATELY IT ACCOMPLISHES YOUR WILL IN YOUR WAY. BLESS US, LORD GOD, EACH AND EVERY DAY, TO BE BLESSINGS IN THIS WORLD. RESPECTFUL OF ALL THE NAMES PEOPLE USE TO CALL ON YOU. GOD, I PRAY IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. AMEN. AMEN. STAND FOR THE PLEDGE, JESUS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. UH, [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] NEXT WE'LL HAVE THE ROLL CALL, MADAM SECRETARY, MAYOR TURNER. HERE. COUNCILMAN PECK HERE. COUNCILMAN JACKSON. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN EVANS CHABA. [00:35:02] HERE, COUNCILMAN MARTIN. PRESENT VIRTUALLY COUNCILMAN THOMAS. PRESENT, COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN? PRESENT? COUNCILMAN CISNEROS? HERE. COUNCIL MC GALLEGOS. HERE. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. HERE, THE BIRTHDAY MAN. . COUNCILMAN CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCILMAN KNOX WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON HERE. COUNCILMAN KOSH. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER HERE AND COUNCILOR ALCORN. HERE READ A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF MAY 17TH AND 18TH AND MAY 24TH AND 25TH. CASTEX TM MOVED SECOND ROBINSON THEN MOVED. AND SECOND. AND ON ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENTS. ANY OBJECTION? CHAIRS? NONE IN MOTION IS GRANTED. UH, SINCE THIS IS A HYBRID MEETING, PUBLIC SESSION FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE JOINING US ONLINE. RE UH, IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE MEETING, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW THAT WILL REMOVE YOU FROM THE MEETING. STATE YOUR NAME WHEN MAKING OR SECONDING A AN ITEM A MOTION. FOR THOSE JOINING VIRTUALLY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW. AND THE AGENDA DIRECTOR WILL BE MONITORING THE CHAT AND WILL ADD YOUR NAME TO THE QUEUE. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU MUST BE VISIBLE ON CAMERA WHILE YOU ARE SPEAKING [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR TODAY. AS A REMINDER, IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A PUBLIC SPEAKER, WE HAD TO SIGN UP WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE BY 3:00 PM YESTERDAY. AND WE WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN THE AUDIO, WHICH YOU SIGNED UP WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED. IF YOU ARE IN PERSON, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM. IF YOU ARE CALLING IN, PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF. IF YOU ARE APPEARING ON CAMERA, CLICK ON THE MICROPHONE ICON AND THE, AND THE CAMERA ICON. YOU WILL THEN HAVE THE ONE, TWO, OR THREE MINUTES THAT YOU'VE BEEN DESIGNATED TO SPEAK. AFTER YOUR TIME, THE BELL WILL RING AND ONCE THAT BELL RINGS, YOU MUST, UH, STOP SPEAKING AND YOU MAY ONLY SPEAK WHEN RECOGNIZED. ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS FOR TODAY? CHAIR HEARING, SEEING NONE, UH, MADAM SECRETARY, UH, YOU PROCEED TO CALL THE ROAD. DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCILMAN, UH, POLICY, UH, BIRTHDAY IS TODAY, SO I HOPE THAT YOU GOT ALL THE GIFTS, UH, THAT WAS SENT TO YOU AND YOU HADN'T GOTTEN THAT JELLY CAKE YET. THERE'S SO MANY JELLY CAKES SITTING AT THE STORE THAT HADN'T BEEN PICKED UP, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, UH, IT, IT IS ON ITS WAY. IT'S ON ITS WAY. BUT HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UH, TODAY AND ENJOY YOUR BIRTHDAY. OKAY, MADAM SEC. AND THEN, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, UH, AND I'LL SAY AGAIN THIS MORNING, ME THANK, UM, UH, THE MAYOR PRO TIM FOR STANDING IN MY PLACE, UH, FOR THE LAST, UH, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS. WE, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. LET ME THANK VICE MAYOR PRO TIM ON MARTHA CAST TATUM, UH, FOR REPRESENTING AND STANDING IN MY PLACE ON THE TRADE MISSION TO FRANCE. UH, A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS, UH, FROM THAT DID STELLAR A JOB COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, C CI NARROW. LET ME THANK YOU AS WELL FOR REPRESENTING THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THE TWO OF YOU MADE A DYNAMIC TEAM REPRESENTING THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THEN LEMME THANK ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR STEPPING IN AND KEEPING THINGS MOVING AND ROLLING WHILE I WAS AWAY. SAME THING TO MY CHIEF OF STAFF, TO THE DIRECTORS. UH, BUT THINGS CAN CHANGE ON YOU IN, IN A MINUTE. YES. AND SO I WAS PLANNING ON GOING, UH, TO FRANCE, BUT, UM, I THINK I LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW HEALTH FIRST. MM-HMM . SO, UM, BUT I AM, I AM BACK, NOT FULLY BACK, BUT AT LEAST I'M, I'M, UH, I AM HERE. SO LET ME THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR THOUGHTS AND THEIR PRAYER. BUT THAT BEING SAID, MADAM SECRETARY, FIRST SPEAKER CHUCK EMERSON EON. CHUCK EON. IT'S CHUCK HERE. CHUCK EON. NEXT SPEAKER. BRIDGET MURRAY. BRIDGET MURRAY, YOU PRESS STAR SIX. BRIDGET MURRAY, STAR SIX. BRIDGET MURRAY, STAR SIX. NEXT SPEAKER, SAJA. LUU. SON. SON LU. IF YOU'LL PRESSED STAR SIX. SEAN LU. SEAN LU, LIU. NEXT SPEAKER, AMY DEN. AMY, DAN, STAR SIX. AMY. DAN STAR SIX. SHE'S NOT ON EITHER. NEXT SPEAKER. ERICA HUBBARD. ERICA HUBBARD, STAR SIX. ERICA HUBBARD, STAR SIX. NEXT SPEAKER. GLADYS HOUSE L GLADYS HOUSE STAR SIX, GLADYS. PEACE MAYOR. GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK. OH, THANK YOU GLADYS. AND I JUST WANT TO, UM, THANK YOUR COUNCIL [00:40:01] PERSONS, UH, FOR REALLY WORKING. SO MAYBE YOU SHOULD STAY GONE MORE OFTEN, BUT, UH, I WANNA , I WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN FOR, YOU KNOW, GETTING SOME INFORMATION FOR ME ON, SIR. ALTHOUGH THEY DIDN'T, SIR, DIDN'T REALLY GIVE HER ALL OF THE TRUTH 'CAUSE WE WERE LOCKED OUT OF A MEETING. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY, . UM, BUT I'M CALLING 'CAUSE I WANT TO GET THE, I NEED TO GET THE NAMES OF THE CONTRACTORS, UH, ONE WHO'S GOING TO RESTORE THOSE THREE HERITAGE HOUSES IN THE 1400 BLOCK OF ROBIN STREET, AS WELL AS THE CONTRACTOR WHO DID THE RESTORING OF OUR BRICKS BACK IN 2017, UH, AT ANDREWS AND GENESEE. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAD A LOT OF BRICKS LEFT OVER THERE. AND LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE, THE IMPRESSIVE WORK OF 3 1 1 AND MR. WARREN, WHO WORKS WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS WASTEWATER REPAIR, AND HE, UH, REALLY WASTED NO TIME COMING OUT TO, UH, STOP A MAJOR BREACH IN THE WASTEWATER LINE. AND YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. WHAT DO I HAVE 30 SECONDS OR SOMETHING? WAS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? YEAH, . BUT ANYWAY, I, I JUST WANT TO THANK, UM, THE GREAT WORK OF THE CITY SECRETARY AND THE STAFF AND, UM, THE COUNCIL PERSONS, UH, WHO HELPED GET THE, UH, CULVERTS OVER IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON AND 3,600 BLOCK OF HURLEY CLEARED. SO NOW YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET WHEN YOU LOOK THROUGH THE CULVERT. AND, UH, WE WON'T GET AS MUCH FLOODING. SO I, I THINK I HAVE TO GIVE THE CARD TO, UH, MR. CISNEROS AND MAYBE, UH, MS. JACKSON WHO HELPED. I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE PARTICIPATED, BUT I KNOW IT'S IN MR. CISNEROS DISTRICT. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT WAS DONE. THANK YOU, LAIS. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. AND, UH, PLEASE GET THE, GET THE INFORMATION FOR ME, MAYOR ON THOSE CONTRACTORS. OKAY. THANKS, LAIS. THANK YOU. UHHUH . SURE. NEXT SPEAKER. TASHA ROYAL. TASHA ROYAL STAR SIX TASHA. ROYAL STAR SIX DASHA. NEXT SPEAKER. MARISSA QUEZ. PARISA. QUEZ IS HERE. I DUNNO. THIS TRANSLATOR. OKAY. HI, MY NAME IS TERESA VASQUEZ, AND I AM A JANITOR AND A MEMBER OF SEIU TEXAS OF THE HOUSTON. UH, I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARDS THAT WOULD SERVE AS ID CARDS, UH, IN HOUSTON. UH, THE ENHANCED LIBRARY CARD WILL GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY AS IMMIGRANTS TO HAVE A FORM OF IDENTIFICATION IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HAVE THE CONSULATE ID. TURNER, UH, MAYOR TURNER, WE THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT JOIN AS AN ENTITY THAT WILL ACCEPT THE ENHANCED CARDS. MANY OF MY PEERS AND FRIENDS LIVE, UH, WITH THE FEAR THAT THEIR ROLLOVER, UH, THEIR IDS IS NOT SUFFICIENT. THEY WOULD BE DETAINED OR DEPORTED. SO WE WORK VERY HARD TO MOVE FORWARD AND PROVIDE FOR OUR FAMILIES. AND HAVING, UH, AN ID THAT WILL, THAT CAN BE ACCEPTED BY THE COUNTY AND THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE STATE IS A BIG STEP THAT WOULD HELP OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, TALK TO MEMBER GALLS. UH, MAYOR, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE COUNTY ID LIBRARY, ID, I, I KNOW THAT, UH, WE'RE STILL WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THE CHIEF, CHIEF FINNER. UM, THERE, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS OUT THERE THAT ARE LIVING, LIVING IN FEAR. UM, FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S A GENTLEMAN THAT YOU'VE MET AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT, UH, [00:45:01] UH, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I GUESS IT WAS, UH, HE STARTED AS A BUS BOY. UH, THERE, HE'S FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. HE HAS A FAMILY. UH, HE'S NOW A MANAGER AT THE RESTAURANT. AND HE HAS BEEN ASKING ME EVERY TIME I GO IN THAT RESTAURANT, WHAT'S THE STATUS ON AN ID CARD. UH, HE'S, HE'S FEARFUL TO BE OUT ON THE STREET AND TO BE STOPPED BY AN HPD OFFICER. AND HE HAS NO IDENTIFICATION. HE'S A HARDWORKING INDIVIDUAL. HE ACTUALLY HAS A DEGREE IN ENGINEERING, BUT UNFORTUNATELY HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, HE CANNOT USE HIS, HIS DEGREE. SO HE STARTED AS A BUSBOY. HE'S NOW A MANAGER. HE'S A VERY HARDWORKING INDIVIDUAL, AND HE'S, ALL HE'S ASKING IS FOR AN ID. THE COUNTY HAS ONE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT ACCEPTS IT. AND I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY OUR HPD CANNOT ACCEPT THIS ID. UH, IT WOULD BE BEN, VERY BENEFICIAL FOR THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE IN FEAR MM-HMM . THAT GO TO WORK EVERY DAY, AND NOT SURE IF THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES, BECAUSE IF THEY GET STOPPED AND THEY DON'T HAVE A FORM OF ID. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS URGENT, AND WE NEED TO TRY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO RESOLVE THIS. UH, SO THAT WAY HPD CAN ACCEPT THIS FORM OF ID. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I, I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, IT IS BEING SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED. OKAY. BY, BY HPD AND QUITE FRANKLY, ON THIS ONE, UM, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN AWAY, THINGS SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT. UM, BUT IT IS BEING SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED. SO, UH, HOPEFULLY I CAN HAVE AN ANSWER FOR, FOR YOU SOON. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER MCMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL, UM, NOT ONLY FOR REPRESENTING, UM, SEIU TODAY, BUT ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE IMPACTED BY, UM, NOT HAVING ACCESS TO A PHOTO IDENTIFICATION RIGHT NOW, UM, FOR CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. SO THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO BE THAT VOICE. UH, AND, UH, AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK INTO IT, I, I SUPPORT THE MAYOR'S EFFORTS AND COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS EFFORTS, AND WE'LL DO WHATEVER I CAN TO MAKE SURE IT CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . THANK YOU. NEXT BAKER PROOF IS RUFUS JONES. RUFUSS JONES. IF YOU PRESSED STAR SIX RUFUSS JONES, STAR SIX. RUFUSS JONES, STAR SIX. NEXT SPEAKER. GERALD ARLINE. GERALD ARLINE. YES. STAR SIX. GERALD ARLINE. MR. STARLINE. HELLO? YES, I'M HERE. YOU'RE HERE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR. YES. MY CONCERN IS, UH, INDEED RESTRICTIONS VIOLATING FOR, UH, VIOLATION FOR TRINITY GARDEN, SECTION SIX, NAMELY 74 20 HOFFMAN STREET, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 2 8. THIS BUILDER HAS BEEN GIVEN A PERMIT TO BUILD A DUPLEX ON THIS PROPERTY. AND OUR HOMEOWNER'S POLICY, UH, HOA POLICY STATES FIRMLY THAT THERE ARE NO DUPLEXES, TRIPLEXES, OR MULTI-FAMILY HOMES BEING BUILT ON THESE LOTS. WE'VE HAD, UH, MAYBERRY AND A JOINT VENTURE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON COME IN AND DEVELOP THESE VACANT LOTS AND PUT BRAND NEW HOMES ON THEM. AND, UH, WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME HOMES BEING REBUILT BY THE CAP. AND, UH, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THESE 31 LOTS THAT'S STILL VACANT AND BEING BOUGHT. WE, WE WANT THEM TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES OF OUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AND NOT BE A MULTI, UH, FAMILY UNITS ON THESE VACANT LOTS. AND WE WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO STOP THE BUILDING OF THIS PROJECT ON 74 20 HOFFMAN, IF ALL POSSIBLE, AND NOT LET THIS GUY CONTINUE. BECAUSE IF WE LET HIM IN, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME STIPULATIONS. WELL, OTHER BUILDERS ARE GONNA WANT TO BUILD, UH, UH, MULTI-FAMILY HOMES ON THESE PROPERTIES. THAT'S MY CONCERN, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU. AND I, AND I'M SENSITIVE TO YOUR CONCERNS. LET ME DO THIS, UH, BECAUSE LEGAL, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS, UH, TAKING A LOOK AT YOUR, AT THE, UH, SITUATION. LET ME HAVE SOMEONE FROM LEGAL TO REACH OUT TO YOU. OKAY. MR. ALLON. OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO, BE EXPECTING A CALL, UH, FROM, UH, FROM ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS OUT OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON LEGAL DEPARTMENT. OKAY? OKAY. THANKS A LOT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . NEXT SPEAKER, LISA JOHNSON. LISA JOHNSON, IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX, [00:50:01] LISA JOHNSON, STAR SIX. HELLO. YES, MA'AM. HELLO, MAYOR. HOW ARE YOU TODAY? I'M GOOD. GREAT, GREAT. MY NAME IS LISA JOHNSON. I'M FROM A HOMES AREA, THE BIG FOUR FOUR. WANTED TO, UH, MAKE A SUGGESTION FOR THE UPCOMING, UH, CHRISTMAS PARADE THAT'S DOWNTOWN. I HAVE A BOOK OUT THAT'S A CHILDREN'S BOOK. IT'S CALLED A MAGICAL CHRISTMAS STORY MATTRESS. MAC, THE HELPING HERO OF HOUSTON. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CITY ADOPT THAT THEME FOR THE CHRISTMAS, UH, PARADE FOR THIS YEAR. UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN DOING RIGHT HERE IN THE ACRES HOMES AREA, AND I'D LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS SEEING IN THE NEWS, THERE'S SO MUCH VIOLENCE, AND EVERY TIME YOU TURN ON THE NEWS, THERE'S NEVER ANYTHING POSITIVE. SO I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW SOME GREAT THINGS HAS CAME, HAS CAME OUT OF ACRES HOMES, AND I KNOW YOU'RE ONE OF THEM. AND THERE'S SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE THAT'S BEEN DOING GREAT THINGS. AND I WANT PEOPLE, AND KIDS AND PEOPLE TO GET EXCITED ABOUT. LET'S TURN SOME THINGS AROUND. MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A BETTER CITY HERE. UH, THIS, IF YOU GET AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, MY BOOK IS ONLINE. UM, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THERE'S SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT I WANTED TO DO AS WELL. UM, I'M ACTUALLY MAKING AMERICAN BLACK HISTORY. I DEVELOPED, UH, ALSO A HAIR PRODUCT THAT GROWS HAIR IN THREE DAYS. YES. I DO HAVE THE, THE CUSTOMERS TO PROVE THAT IT'S CALLED A MAGICAL, I'M SORRY. IT'S CALLED, UH, FASHIONABLE FAIR, NATURAL HAIR GROWTH CREAM. SO I ALSO DO A LOT IN THE COMMUNITY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU ALL RALLY BEHIND ME AND WORK WITH ME ON SOME DIFFERENT PROJECTS HERE IN THE CITY. OKAY. WELL, CONGRATULATIONS AND HONOR YOUR SUCCESS, AND WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT YOU HAVE ON ONLINE. OKAY? YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. THANK YOU, SIR. MM-HMM . ERICA HARRISON. ERICA HARRISON, IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX, ERICA HARRISON. HELLO. YES, MA'AM, WE CAN HEAR YOU. HELLO? HELLO. YES, MA'AM. YES. HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY? WE'RE DOING GOOD. OKAY. UM, MY NAME IS ERICA HARRISON. UM, I FORMERLY ACTUALLY WAS, UM, BORN IN WASHINGTON, DC AND, UM, RAISED IN BALTIMORE, AN ACTIVIST THAT'S BEEN IN, UM, SYSTEM, BEEN IN THE SYSTEM OF, UM, FOSTER CARE GROUP HOMES. HAD THAT TYPE OF A BACK BACKGROUND. I'VE, UM, BECOME OVER TIME, UM, A PUBLIC FIGURE, A VOICE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH A ABUSIVE SITUATIONS. UM, WHETHER IT BE IN, UM, FOSTER CARE OR, YOU KNOW, THE SYSTEM OF, UM, WE WARFARE AND, YOU KNOW, WELFARE, I APOLOGIZE, WELFARE, UM, AND JUST THE EXECUTORS ALSO AS WELL WITH, UM, CHURCH, UM, THAT HAS, UM, ABUSE THEM, UH, PREDATORS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING AROUND. UM, AND JUST MISHANDLE WOMEN, UM, FORMALLY. SO, UM, I SAID ALL THAT TO SAY IS THAT THE PLACE WHERE I'M AT IN THE POSITION WHERE I'M AT HERE TODAY, EVEN THOUGH I'M NERVOUS IT'S GONNA COME OUT REGARDLESS. UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SITUATIONS THAT, UM, HAS HAPPENED. LIKE I SAID, I'VE, UM, I AM A PUBLIC FIGURE. I HAVE A BOOK CALLED EDEN'S REDEMPTION, THE SECRET PLACE TO HELP WOMEN AND FAMILIES, AND THOSE WHO ARE FOREIGNERS, WHO'S GONE THROUGH SITUATIONS AND THEY'RE NOT BEING HEARD. UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE'S NEEDS THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. UM, OUR SPIRITUALITY, UM, AS FAR AS HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD HAS BEEN, UM, VERY TAMPERED WITH, UM, PSYCHOLOGY, REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY, JUST ALL OF THE, THE WORKS THAT ACTUALLY CAN REALLY PUT PEOPLE IN A VERY MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL UNSTABLE PLACE. SO, UM, WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN ME IS A VISION OF BEING ABLE TO ASSIST THOSE FAMILIES, PERSONS, AND MINISTRY AND, UM, BUSINESS, AND TO BE ABLE TO HELP TO HOUSE THEM, THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ON SECTION EIGHT, ET CETERA. UM, AS I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THIS, I'M GOING THROUGH IT AS WELL MYSELF, UM, DEALING WITH SECTION EIGHT. UM, THEY KIND OF JUST DROPPED US, YOU KNOW. UM, I'VE ACTUALLY GOTTEN IN CONTACT PERSONALLY WITH THE MAYOR OVER IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AND HAVE SPOKEN WITH THEIR, UM, THEIR TEAM, THEIR, UM, COUNCIL, ET CETERA, AND HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THEM TO TRY TO GET, UM, THE HOUSING IN SECTION EIGHT, UM, TO HELP US TO GET OUR PLACE. BUT THEY LITERALLY HAVE DROPPED THIS. WE DON'T HAVE, UM, WE HAVE BEEN STUCK IN A, UM, A PLACE IN A SHELTER RIGHT NOW, ME AND MY [00:55:01] CHILDREN FOR QUITE SOME TIME. UM, AND THROUGH THAT BUILDING A BUSINESS AND MINISTRY, ET CETERA. SO, UM, LOOKING FOR, UM, THE COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO, UM, HELP US TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUR GOAL OF HAVING, UM, UM, THE SUPPORT AND JUST THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR SITUATIONS. THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. STEVE, STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX STEVE WILLIAMS, STAR SIX. STEVE WILLIAMS, STAR SIX. NEXT SPEAKER. EMMANUEL THOMAS. EMMANUEL THOMAS STAR SIX. I'M HERE. YES, SIR. YES. MY NAME IS BROTHER MANUEL, AS Y'ALL KNOW, AND I'M CALLING ABOUT THE, UH, SITUATIONS THAT HAPPENED OUT HERE ON THE NORTH SIDE. NOW, I KNOW THIS IS HARRIS COUNTY THAT THIS HAPPENED AT, BUT, UH, I KNOW YOU GUYS JOINTLY WORKED TOGETHER. WE CAME ON MANY YEARS AGO AND WE TALKED TO FAMILY OF DANNY RAY THOMAS, UH, KEITA THOMAS TALKED AND THE MAYOR. YOU TOLD US THAT YOU COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. BUT AT THE SCENE OF MY SON'S MURDER, I HAVE PICTURES OF HPD AND SHERIFFS THAT WAS OUT THERE, AND I KNOW THE CITY WORKS TOGETHER. SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU, MAYOR, AND MANY OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IS TO, FOR Y'ALL TO TALK TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND SEE IF THEY CAN RELEASE TO THE FAMILY OF ROGER BROOKS THAT, UH, THAT, UH, THE, UH, SURVEILLANCE FROM THE OFFICER THAT, UH, SHOT HIM OVER THE SHOPLIFTING INCIDENT SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE WHAT'S EXACTLY GOING ON, AND THAT THE PROPER PEOPLE CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IF THAT SITUATION WAS NOT HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE. WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE SAFE FROM ROGUE COPS. WE'RE NOT CALLING ALL COPS ROGUE, BUT WE'RE CALLING THOSE THAT KILLED THE CITIZENS UNLAWFULLY ROGUE. AND WE NEED Y'ALL, WHO ARE THE POSITIONS OF POWER TO, UH, SPEAK TO THAT. WE NEED CHIEF FINNER TO MAKE SURE HE SPEAKS TO HIS OFFICERS AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT ISN'T A REFLECTION OF OUR CITY. BECAUSE WE HELD ONE OF THE GREATEST DEMONSTRATIONS OF LOVE FOR GEORGE FLOYD. AND WHILE WE WERE TALKING TO, UH, CHIEF, OUR SURVEYOR AT THAT TIME, AND, UH, UH, CHIEF NEL, WHO WAS JUST THE, UH, CAPTAIN UNDER HIM, WE HAD NO INCIDENCES OF POLICE BRUTALITY, NO CITIZENS BEING HURT NOR KILLED. OUR CITIZENS DON'T NEED TO FEAR BEING PULLED OVER FOR TRAFFIC STOPS, OR FOR WARRANTS OR FOR SHOPLIFTING, LITTLE SMALL MISDEMEANOR CRIMES. AND HAVING SOMEBODY BE SO GUNG-HO AND TAKE THEIR LIVES, OUR LIVES ARE MORE VALUABLE THAN THAT, AND MANY OF 'EM ARE BEING LOST. SO WE ARE JUST ASKING THAT Y'ALL DO THE JOB AND SPEAK AND WORK TOGETHER, BECAUSE WE ALL LIVE TOGETHER. HARRIS COUNTY AND HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT DO WORK TOGETHER. THEY LISTEN TO YOUR WORDS. THEY LISTEN TO YOU AS THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE THE MAYOR FOREVER. SO WE NEED EVERYONE TO LOOK OUT FOR THE FUTURE WHEN SOME OF Y'ALL ARE NOT ON THE COUNCILS ANYMORE, WHO'S GONNA BE THE NEXT ON THE COUNCIL? THERE'S GONNA BE THESE LITTLE KIDS. AND WE DON'T NEED THEM FEARING OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE DON'T NEED THEM WANTING TO, UH, HURT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE NEED THEM BETTER TO RESPECT THEM, BUT WE ALSO NEED THE LAW ENFORCEMENT TO SET THE EXAMPLE. 'CAUSE JUST LIKE CITIZENS THAT ARE AROUND COMPANY OF BAD APPLES, THEY GET PUT INTO THAT LOT. WELL, IF THE OFFICERS ARE HURTING THE CITIZENS AND NONE OF 'EM ARE STANDING UP, THEN THAT'S HOW OUR YOUNGER CITIZENS ARE GONNA LOOK AT 'EM, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE PUT INTO THAT BAD LOT. AND IT'S NOT GONNA MAKE OUR CITY BE LIKE IT'S BEEN BEING FOR ALL THESE MANY YEARS TOGETHER. WE HAVE A DEEP HISTORY OF TOGETHERNESS IN THIS CITY, AND IT COMES DOWN TO ACTION. OUR CITIZENS NEED TO SEE THAT Y'ALL ARE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE NO MATTER WHAT. BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE GET TRAFFIC TICKETS. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T PAY 'EM. AND THERE ARE WARRANTS OUT THERE, BUT THESE ARE CIVIL MATTERS AND THEY SHOULD NOT WARRANT DEBT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. CLAY JORDAN. CLAY JORDAN. IT'S CLAY JORDAN. HERE. CLAY. CLAY JORDAN. NEXT SPEAKER. SYLVIA BLAIR. SYLVIA BLAIR. SYLVIA BLAIR. HERE. SYLVIA. NEXT SPEAKER. MARIAN WRIGHT. MARIAN IS HERE. HI. SO, UM, I WANNA KNOW IF ANY OF Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE I 10 EXPANSION FROM HEIGHTS TO I 45, WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY PLANNING ON RAISING I 10. UM, MAYBE SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE HEARD OF IT. MAYBE A LOT OF Y'ALL HAVEN'T. MR. RA'S OFFICE DID NOT HEAR ABOUT THIS UNTIL I CALLED HER YESTERDAY AND SPOKE WITH VERONICA, AND NOW THEY'RE GONNA PUT IT ON THE CALENDAR FOR THE NEXT PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT THEY'RE HAVING ON JULY THE 28TH. THE REASON THAT I'M HERE RIGHT NOW IS THE TRANSPARENCY OF HOW INFORMATION GOES FROM TDOT OR FROM PUBLIC WORKS OR ANYONE [01:00:01] ELSE FOR A MEETING, AND THEN GETS DOWN TO THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS. I MEAN, I'M JUST A CITIZEN. I, I'M NOTHING. I HOLD NO OFFICES. I, I DO NOTHING. AND YET I'M GETTING CALLS FROM WOODLAND HEIGHTS CIVICS ASSOCIATION. THE, UM, BRAD SNEAD, THE DIRECTOR OF INFRASTRUCTURE, ASKING ME WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUT THIS MEETING? SO THEN I CALL, CALL ASSISTANT MISS COUNCIL MEMBER CIARA'S OFFICE TO FIND OUT. AND THEY HAVE NOTHING ON THEIR RECORDS. THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT. WE NEED TO STREAMLINE THE SYSTEM AND HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE SO THAT WHEN TDOT, OR WHEN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS OR ANYONE ELSE HAS ONE OF THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS, THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE FOR US, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, TO GIVE OUR OPINION AND OUR FEEDBACK WHEN THEY PRESENT STUFF. WE NEED TO KNOW WHEN THEY ARE. AND WE CAN'T DEPEND ON OUR CIVICS ASSOCIATIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING STUFF TRICKLED HERE AND THERE, BUT THEY'RE NOT CONSISTENTLY GETTING IT. THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AREN'T CONSISTENTLY GETTING IT. LIKE, JUST, HOW DO WE DO THIS? HOW DO WE STREAMLINE EVERYTHING SO THAT WHEN THERE IS A PUBLIC MEETING THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE, TDOT HAS TO HAVE THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS. THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS HAVE TO HAVE THESE MEETINGS. THIS IS THE SAME REASON I'VE BEEN HERE SO MANY TIMES. WHEN EVERYTHING STARTED ONTE WOOD WITH THE ISLANDS, NO ONE KNEW ABOUT 'EM. THEY JUST POPPED UP WHEN EVERYTHING STARTED ON 11TH STREET WITH THE, WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. WE NEED TO EDUCATE AND MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON. AND THIS ISN'T ONLY HAPPENING IN THE WOODLAND HEIGHTS, THIS IS HAPPENING EVERYWHERE. BUT THIS IS A HUGE GIANT PROJECT THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING, PUTTING SOME SORT OF THE DETENTIONS POND IN, DOING AWAY WITH STDY PARK, IF THAT HAPPENS. UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S HUGE. IT'S BIG. IT'S NOT LIKE JUST SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA PUT A STOP SIGN IN. HOW DO WE FIND OUT ABOUT THIS? HOW ARE WE, WHAT CAN THE CITY DO TO HELP NOTIFY THE GENERAL POPULATION OF WHAT'S GOING ON SO THAT WE CAN BE MADE AWARE AND BE PART OF THE PROCESS INSTEAD OF BEING BLINDSIDED AS A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE BY THIS MEETING. 'CAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW. THIS IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. THIS MEETING HAS BEEN, IT'S BEEN NOTIFIED BY, IT'S BEEN CALLED BY WHOM? IT'S BEEN, I'M SORRY, I COULDN'T HEAR YOU. THE MEETING HAS BEEN CALLED BY WHOM? BY TECH STOCK. THIS PARTICULAR, OKAY, SO THIS IS THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT. MM-HMM . TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. THIS ONE IS TDOT. YES. BUT IT'S THE SAME ISSUE WE'RE RUNNING INTO OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND THERE HAS TO BE A WAY, IF IT'S THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE CAN CONTROL THAT. WELL, WE CAN CONTROL THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE THOUGH, RIGHT. I'M SAYING IF IT'S THE CITY OF HOUSTON, IF IT'S THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, WE CAN CONTROL THAT. OKAY. IF IT'S THE TEXAS PUBLIC OR PUBLIC, UH, DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY, THAT IS THEIR JURISDICTION. OKAY. BUT IF WE START SOMETHING AND IF WE HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE AND EVERYBODY FOLLOWS IT, AND IF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO THIS, IF IT'S THE, IF IT'S THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UHHUH , WE CAN DICTATE THE NOTICES ON THAT. OKAY. BUT WE'RE NOT. SO HOW DO WE WE DO, YES, WE DO. IF IT'S THE, IF IT'S THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, IF THERE'S ANYTHING RELATED TO THE CITY, IF IT'S ANYTHING BY ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. OKAY. WE CAN DIRECT THAT. WE DO, WE CAN DIRECT THAT. SO THEN WHY ARE WE NOT NOTIFIED OF THESE THINGS? NO, NO. WE ARE TALKING TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. IF IT'S THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY MM-HMM . THAT IS THEIR JURISDICTION. OKAY. AND THEY HAVE CONTROL ON THAT. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPEAK TO YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES, YOUR STATE SENATORS, YOUR GOVERNOR, YOUR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. YOUR SPEAKER, AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. OKAY. THAT'S THE STATE. MM-HMM . WE DON'T CONTROL THAT. OKAY. THAT WE'RE NOT, WAIT, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. WE CAN'T CONTROL OR YOU GUYS CAN'T CONTROL THAT. OKAY. THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS WE'RE NOT BEING NOTIFIED OF MEETINGS THAT THEY'RE HAVING. WHAT MEETING ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THAT THEY HAD, THAT YOU WERE NOT NOTIFIED? WE WEREN'T NOTIFIED FOR MULTIPLE MEETINGS. WE WEREN'T NOTIFIED FOR MEETINGS WHEN THEY WERE HAVING 'EM WAY BACK WHEN. LET'S GO BACK TO THE SPEED BUMPS AND SPEED CUSHIONS AND ALL OF THAT. NO, I'M NOT. THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO POST HOMES. NO, LET'S NOTS. NO, DO THIS. LET'S NOT DO THIS. IF THERE'S A PARTICULAR EXAMPLE, I CAN ADDRESS THAT. BUT WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE TODAY, I THINK PRIMARILY IS THE MEETING THAT'S BEING GIVEN BY THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TRANSPORTATION, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF OF OF TRANSPORTATION. I'M SORRY. OKAY. IS THERE SOMETHING IN PLACE WITH TDOT WHERE THEY FORMALLY HAVE TO NOTIFY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IF THERE'S A MEETING, AND THEN IS THERE A FORMAL, CAN WE PUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN PLACE? YOU'LL HAVE TO, AGAIN, LET ME, I KNOW EVERYBODY COMES TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR AN ANSWER, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE THE CLOSEST TO YOU. BUT LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO YOUR [01:05:01] STATE REPRESENTATIVE OR YOUR STATE SENATOR. THOSE PEOPLE IN THE LEGISLATURE. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE THE JURISDICTION OVER THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. OKAY. FOR THAT. BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. WE DON'T HAVE ANY, YOU SAID WE DO HAVE CONTROL OVER THAT. IS THERE SOME POLICY OR PROCEDURE IN PLACE AND HOW DOES THAT WORK? IF THERE'S ANY NOTICE, ANY MEETING AS IT RELATES TO THE TEXT, AS THE CITY OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, WE CONTROL THAT. OKAY. AND WE CAN ENSURE THAT PROPER NOTICE IS GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO YOU'RE TALKING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE. MM-HMM . AND SPECIFICALLY YOU'RE TALKING TO ME WHEN IT COMES TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. OKAY. IS THERE POLICY AND PROCEDURE OF HOW THAT IS DONE? OR IS IT JUST DONE? I DON'T. OKAY. I THINK WE'RE, I'M JUST GONNA HAVE TO BECAUSE IT'S TOO GENERAL AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET TO IT TODAY. IT'S, WE, WE, IT'S TOO GENERAL. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I, I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS WHAT I THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE INNER KATIE PROJECT WITH TDOT. AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CIS HAS BEEN VERY VOCAL IN EXPRESSING CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PROJECT. AS HAVE I, OUR RESIDENTS, AT LEAST IN DISTRICT C, HAVE BEEN VERY NERVOUS ABOUT WHAT TDOT IS CURRENTLY PROPOSING BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT IT WILL HAVE ON NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, BASED ON THEIR EXPANSION. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR AS IT APPEARS RIGHT NOW. I DON'T WANNA OVER GENERALIZE 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAILS. RIGHT. JUST LIKE YOU DON'T. BUT JUST LIKE THE ISSUES AND THE CONTROVERSY OVER I 45 EXPANSION, WHICH I'M SURE YOU'VE READ ABOUT IN THE CITY UNDER MAYOR TURNER, UH, WITH THE HELP OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, WHO ACTUALLY IS ONE OF THE LEADERS AT THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL MULTIPLE, ALL OF US HAVE BEEN EXPRESSING CONCERN AND OBJECTIONS TO, UM, THE WAY IN WHICH TDOT, UM, HAS PROCEEDED WITH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS. AND THE NEXT ITERATION OF THAT HAS BEEN ALONG I 10, IMPACTING BOTH YOUR DISTRICT AND OUR DISTRICT, UM, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, I KNOW I HAVE MADE CALLS TO TXDOT TO SAY, HEY, CAN YOU PLEASE LET US KNOW WHEN THESE MEETINGS ARE HAPPENING? WHAT MY STAFF DOES, WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CIRO'S STAFF DOES IS JUST LIKE YOU WE'RE ONLINE. AND IF WE GET WORD OF IT, WE'RE TRYING TO POST AND SHARE WITH CIVIC GROUPS OR PUT IT, UM, IN WHATEVER NOTICE AND COMMUNICATION WE HAVE. BUT I, I DON'T WANNA PAINT WITH A BROAD, UM, STROKE IN SAYING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE SHE HAS, AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, I'LL DEFER TO YOU AS CHAIR OF TPC, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH THE HEAVY HAND OF STATE GOVERNMENT, UH, NOT NECESSARILY INVOLVING THE CITY OR DEFERRING TO THE CITY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT WITH SOME OF THESE THAT ARE GONNA HAVE, AS YOU SAID, PROFOUND IMPACTS, UH, ON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. OKAY. WELL, IF Y'ALL CAN ALL GET THE WORD OUT, THE MEETING IS ON THE 28TH, I BELIEVE, IF THAT'S CORRECT. SO IF Y'ALL CAN PLEASE MAYBE MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT WHERE THAT IS AND WHEN IT IS. THAT'D APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, MS. WRIGHT, JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I, I THINK YOU'RE MISSTATING THINGS, BUT THERE, THERE HAS BEEN, UH, QUITE A BIT OF NOTIFICATION ABOUT THIS MEETING. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS IS VERY ALERT TO IT AS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN JUST SAID, UM, WE COULD CERTAINLY GET YOU ON OUR MAILING LIST FOR BOTH THE TTI COMMITTEE THAT I CHAIR FOR THIS CITY. AND AS THE MAYOR HAS JUST SAID, THAT RELATES TO ALL MATTERS IN HOUSTON. UH, PUBLIC WORKS, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS. WE POST THAT. WE CERTAINLY ADHERE TO ALL, UM, STATUTES, UH, THAT RELATE TO NOTIFICATION OF THE PUBLIC. AND WE HAVE A ROBUST MAILING LIST. WE ARE OUT THERE. I, I SPEAK TO MY COLLEAGUES REGULARLY ABOUT THIS. AS FOR SPEED HUMPS AND, UM, ISSUES RELATED TO TRAFFIC CONTROLLING DEVICES. WE ACTUALLY HAD THAT ON OUR AGENDA ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO. UM, SO YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED THAT MEETING, BUT WE'RE HANDLING THESE THINGS. WE PUT NOTIFICATION ON THE FRONT DOOR OF CITY HALL, UM, IN DUE TIME. AND AGAIN, WE CAN HELP YOU GET MORE PLUGGED IN IF YOU'D NEED TO DO THAT. AND SOUNDS LIKE YOU DO. SO WE'D BE HAPPY TO HELP. OKAY. SO THAT'S ALL. THANK, DO I JUST EMAIL YOU TO GET THAT TO PUT ON THAT LIST? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. NAOMI HARRIS. NAOMI HARRIS, STAR SIX, NAOMI HARRIS. NOMI HARRIS, STAR SIX. NEXT SPEAKER. ELLIE MONTOYA. REVIS MONTOYA. VISS. I'M HERE. [01:10:01] I, SORRY. CAN YOU SEE ME? OKAY? UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MAYOR TURNER AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, I'M GONNA SPEAK ABOUT THE EVICTIONS. I RECENTLY GOT A NOTICE, I'M SORRY, I'M NOT IN CITY HALL, UH, ABOUT, UM, FINAL ANNUAL RECERTIFICATION. I PROVIDED THE LANDLORD, UH, WITH MY SIGNATURE THAT THERE IS TWO OCCUPANTS BECAUSE LEANNE RECENTLY MOVED TO OKLAHOMA, MY OLDEST DAUGHTER. AND SHE IS, UH, IN SEVEN WEEKS GONNA, UH, HAVE A BABY. SO BASICALLY I HAVE ASKED MRS. UM, TAMARA CAN CALL TO PROVIDE ME ALL KIND OF COPIES AND DOCUMENTATION FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH HER MINISTRIES, CATHOLIC CHARITIES AND THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER OF HARRIS COUNTY, DRC. HARRIS COUNTY, UH, TEXAS, TX DO GOV. AND SHE'S NOT ONE TO COOPERATE. UH, I'M VERY UPSET. UH, ALSO BECAUSE OF NEIGHBORS ARE KNOCKING ON MY DOOR. I PUT A NOT SOLICITING SIGN. AND MOST RECENTLY, ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS, I WAS WAITING OUTSIDE WHEN I WAS LEAVING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. KATHY GUNNER. MS. GUNNER. HELLO. HELLO. READINGS. I AM, UH, HERE TODAY BECAUSE THERE'S A CERTAIN MEMBER OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT USES HIS OPINION TO NOT ENFORCE OUR DEED RESTRICTIONS HERE IN HOUSTON GARDENS. HE HAD A PREVIOUS CALLER CALLING ABOUT, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS 74 20 HOFFMAN STREET. WE REQUESTED A MEETING WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, AND THAT WAS TWO WEEKS AGO. MAYOR, YOU WAS OUT TOWN. AND WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HIM. UH, WE WENT THROUGH, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, JACKSON'S OFFICE TO MAKE THAT REQUEST AND WE WANTED OUR LEGAL TEAM TO BE THERE AS WELL. WE ALSO, UH, TRYING TO TALK WITH MR. DAMIEN CRENSHAW, WHO'S MAKING, WHO IS REFUSING TO ENFORCE THE ONLY TWO ENFORCEABLE DEED RESTRICTIONS THAT'S IN THE CITY ORDINANCE. UH, 10 50 10 DASH 5 33, WHICH ALLOWS THE CITY ATTORNEY TO ENFORCE THE USE OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY VERSUS COMMERCIAL. AND THE OTHER ONE IS ORIENTATION OF A STRUCTURE. AND THOSE, THAT STRUCTURE THAT'S BEEN PUT YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. MS. CON, WHY DON'T I, YOU SAID YOU'RE SAYING YOU HAVE NOT HEARD FROM ANYONE FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT? WE HAVE. WE HAVE NOT SINCE WE MADE THE REQUEST FOR TO MEET WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. OKAY. THEN LET ME HAVE SOMEONE REACH OUT TO YOU. OKAY. EVAN. OH, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABB. I'M TRYING TO GET MY CAMERA. OH, AM I ON? I THINK I MAY BE. I DON'T. THANK YOU. MAY I DON'T SEE YOU. UH, AND, AND THANK YOU KATHY. UH, ACTUALLY I HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, A WEEK OR TWO AGO. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, UH, REGARDING ENFORCEMENT OF LE OF DEED RESTRICTIONS. IT REALLY DOES NO GOOD TO HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ENFORCED. AND SO I, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS NEEDS TO BE THAT I THINK, UH, MAYBE THE, UM, CIVIC CLUB LEADER, WHOEVER THE PRESIDENT IS OR SOMEBODY NEEDS TO SIGN OFF ON SOME OF THESE THINGS SO THAT, BECAUSE THEY'RE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL TO THESE SITUATIONS. AND SO WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT IT AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AGREED. AND WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT AN IN COMMITTEE. AND SO THANK YOU, UH, KATHY, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. UH, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, AGAIN, IS ON OUR RADAR BECAUSE THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. THANK YOU. AND, UH, JUST FOR THIS FYI, I DID SIGN OFF ON THESE, THIS, THE RESTRICTIONS AND IT TOOK US TWO YEARS TO GET 'EM. SO WE DEFINITELY WANT THEM TO BE ENFORCED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL IMPALA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, MS. GUNTHER, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. JUST WANT TO, UH, EXTEND SOME TIME TO YOU IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU HAD ANY MORE REMARKS. UH, YOU CAN USE MY TIME. THANK YOU. OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, UH, AND MY, MY MAIN CONCERN IS WHY MR. CRENSHAW? DAMON CRENSHAW. UH, THAT'S, THAT'S A SIGN TO OUR AREA. EVERY TIME WE HAVE A SITUATION, HE JUST LOOK AT IT AND SAY, NO, I'M NOT GONNA ENFORCE IT. HE'S NOT SUBMITTING THE, UM, HE'S NOT SUBMITTING IT TO PROPER AUTHORITIES TO SEE IF WE HAVE A VALID CONCERN, WHICH, WHICH I, OUR ATTORNEYS, WE WORK WITH LONE STORY LEGAL AID. THEY TELL US THAT WE DO. SO THAT IS ONE OF MY MAIN CONCERNS AS TO WHY HE'S DOING THAT IN OUR AREA. AND IF HE CAN BE REASSIGNED, IF HE DON'T WANNA WORK IN OUR AREA, 'CAUSE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES, THEN MAYBE THAT HE CAN MOVE TO SOME AND MAYBE WE CAN GET REASSIGNED. AND [01:15:01] WHO IS MR. CRENSHAW? HE'S IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. DAMON CRENSHAW. HE IS THE LEGAL, UH, ATTORNEY THAT, AND SAYS SHE, UH, WORKS IN OUR AREAS AS IT RELATES TO DEED RESTRICTIONS. OKAY. ALRIGHT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. LET US, LET US FOLLOW UP ON THAT. MS. GUNTHER, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. OKAY, THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. MALCOLM PETRI. MALCOLM PETRIS. MALCOLM. HERE. MALCOLM PETRI. NO, NOT HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. I DO SEE MS. HARRIS. UM, MS. NAOMI HARRIS, YOU PRESS STAR SIX. NO, SHE HUNG MS. HARRIS IS NOT THERE. OKAY. THAT [RECESS] COMPLETES THE SPEAKERS FOR TODAY. WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 AM CONTRACT TO MILAM AUTO STORAGE, INC. DBA FAST TOW DBA ZONE ONE AUTO STORAGE. ITEM 17, ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY OF HOUSTON, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 21 10 54 RELATING TO RESCHEDULING OR POSTPONEMENT OF CERTAIN CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS TO POSTPONE THE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 9TH AND WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10TH, 2022. ITEM 18, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF A GRANT APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT. ITEM 19 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO FIRST AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT TO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY FOR HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. ITEM 20 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CITY OF CONROE, TEXAS FOR SERVICES OF CITY OF CONROE POLICE DEPARTMENT RELATING TO INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN TASK FORCE PROGRAM. ITEM 21, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AND ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICE, CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR THE FY 2023 RIFLE ASSISTANT BODY ARMOR INITIATIVE GRANT ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZE THE SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF THE US BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT FOR THE FY 2020 FY 22 BULLETPROOF VEST PARTNERSHIP FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. ITEM 23 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ELECTRONIC GRANT APPLICATION TO THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR THE FY 23 WEST SIDE GANG SAFETY RESPONSE TO VIOLENT CRIME GRANT FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. ITEM 24 ORDINANCE RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE 300 TO 1000 BLOCKS OF PAYTON STREET WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. ITEM 25 ORDINANCE. FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF ELLEN LANE FROM MILE STREET EAST TO ITS TERMINUS. SITUATED IN THE HARRIS AND WILSON SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER 31, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS. ITEM 36. ITEM 36 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT, I MEAN, ITEM 26 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 27, MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE USE OF DESIGNATED GROUNDWATER BENEATH ATTRACTIVE LAND CONTAINING 8.8027 ACRES, COMMONLY KNOWN AS 1 0 3 4 OH WATERVILLE ROAD, HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, SUPPORTING ISSUANCE OF A MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AT THE REQUEST OF SOUTHWEST OIL FIELD PRODUCTS INC. ITEM 28, IT HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 29 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 30, MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE USE OF DESIGNATED GROUNDWATER BENEATH THE ATTRACTIVE LAND CONTAINING 0.1818 ACRES, COMMONLY KNOWN AS ZERO KIM ROCK DRIVE, HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, SUPPORTING ISSUES OF A MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AT THE REQUEST OF EXPLORER PIPELINE COMPANY. ITEM 31, MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE USE OF DESIGNATED GROUNDWATER WITH ATTRACTIVE LAND CONTAINING 1.40 ACRES, COMMONLY KNOWN AS 52 12 CLINTON DRIVE, HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS SUPPORTING ISSUANCE OF MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AT THE REQUEST OF LONE STAR HEAT TREATING CORPORATION. ITEM 32, ORDINANCE MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS RELATED TO THE USE OF APPROXIMATELY 9.76 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BOONE ROAD PARK IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROJECT TO CONSTRUCT [01:20:01] REGIONAL STORM WATER DETENTION AND INSTALL RELATED DETENTION FACILITIES. ITEM 33 ORDINANCE MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS RELATED TO THE USE OF APPROXIMATELY 9.1 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF HACKBERRY PARK. ITEM 34 ORDINANCE, MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS RELATED TO THE USE OF APPROXIMATELY 7.4 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF CAMBRIDGE VILLAGE PARK. ITEM 35 ORDINANCE, MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS RELATED TO THE USE OF APPROXIMATELY 3.75 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF EDGEWOOD PARK. ITEM 36 ORDINANCE, MAKING CERTAIN FINDINGS RELATED TO THE USE OF APPROXIMATELY 2.9 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF EP HILL PARK. ITEM 37 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ANY LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY FOR ANTOINE PAVING AND DRAINAGE WEST HOUSTON, WEST MOUNT HOUSTON TO US. TWO 90 ITEM 38, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING TWO $24,940 AND 27 CENTS OUTTA WATER AUTHORITIES CAPITAL CONTRIBUTE CONTRIBUTION NETL FUND TRANSFERRING $18,562 73 CENTS FROM NETL EXPANSION SWIFT FUND INTO THE H-P-W-N-E-T-L CONSTRUCTION FUND AND APPROPRIATING $18,562 AND 73 CENTS OUT OF H-P-W-N-E-T-L CONSTRUCTION FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO PROFESSIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND STANTEC CONSULTING SERVICES INC. ITEM 39 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $21,884,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT TO BRH GARVER CONSTRUCTION, LLC ITEM 40. ORDINANCE GRANTING TO TORO ROJO INC. DBA ACTION TRUCKING, A TEXAS CORPORATION, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE TO COLLECT, HAUL AND TRANSPORT SOLID WASTE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 39, CODE OF AVOIDANCE CHIEFS IN TEXAS, FIRST TO READING, THIS IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA MATTERS HELD. ITEM 41 WAS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AGREEMENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL PLANNING SERVICES BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND DEBERRY ENGINEERS INC. AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND TETRATECH, INC. THIS WAS TAB BY COUNCILMAN MS. PECK, THOMAS AND ROBINSON. THIS WAS ITEM 15 ON AGENDA OF JULY 13TH, 2022. ITEM 14, ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY INTEREST AUTHORIZING THE ACQUISITION OF FEE SIMPLE OR EASEMENT INTEREST TO TWO PARTS OF LAND REQUIRED FOR RICHMOND PLAZA SOUTH DRAINAGE AND PAVEMENT IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT WITH TWO PARCEL SITUATED IN W BROWN SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER 1 32. THIS WAS TAGGED BY CONSTABLE POLLARD. THIS WAS ITEM 23 ON AGENDA OF JULY 13TH, 2022. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE WEEK JULY 20TH, 2022. STATE 10TH FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS ALL FORMER CITY SECRETARY MS. ANNA RUSSELL. SHE ALWAYS SAID, DRIVE SAFE, DRIVE FRIENDLY, AND HAVE A NICE DAY IN THE REST OF OUR CURRENT CITY. SECRETARY PAT JEFFERSON. DANIEL, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. UH, [RECONVENE] GOOD, I'VE GOT GOOD MORNING. I'VE GOT 9 0 5, UH, AM ON WEDNESDAY, JULY THE 20TH, 2022. I'M MAYOR SPECIAL ATTORNEY AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO WATER. UM, AND WE DO HAVE, UH, ONE TRAVELING COUNCIL MEMBER JOINING, UH, VIA TEAMS, UH, TODAY, I BELIEVE. UM, SO I TELL YOU WHAT, UH, WE'RE GOING TO, UM, MADAM [MISCELLANEOUS] SECRETARY, BEFORE WE BEGIN THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL ITEMS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR. ITEM TWO THROUGH FOUR NEED A MOTION MOVE, ROBINSON, THAT SECOND, SECOND CISNEROS, AND MOVED AND SECOND IT BY. ANY DISCUSSION? ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE MOTIONS ADOPTED. UM, WE JUST APPOINTED A FEW PEOPLE TO THE, UH, ANIMAL SHELTER ADVISORY BOARD AND AS I'LL CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE. UH, PLEASE COME FORWARD. UH, ON POSITION FIVE IS GLYN ELA CRAWFORD. POSITION SIX IS MADELINE GARVIS SMITH. [01:25:01] OKAY, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU BOTH. UM, AND THAT'S GWENDOLYN CONDOLE CRAWFORD, AND THEN, UH, MADELINE, UH, GARVIS SMITH. SO LET ME THANK YOU BOTH FOR AGREEING TO SERVE ON THE ANIMAL SHELTER ADVISORY BOARD, UH, WHICH IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, UH, TO OUR FA OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. SO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH EACH AND EVERY, EVERY ONE OF OF YOU. UM, AND IF YOU LIKE, JUST IF YOU'LL JUST SAY GOOD MORNING TO US, WE'D APPRECIATE THAT. YES, THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. UM, I JUST APPRECIATE HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND HOPING TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON INFORMATION ON SPAYING NEUTERING AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING BARK. AND I'VE BEEN AN ANIMAL ADVOCATE FOR LONGER THAN I CARE TO ADMIT AND WORK WITH THE GERMAN SHEPHERD RESCUE, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO REPRESENTING DISTRICT E AS WELL. THANK YOU. YES. MY NAME IS MADELINE. I'M A MEMBER OF DISTRICT G. I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE DOING THIS. THIS, I HAVEN'T BEEN DOING IT NEARLY AS LONG, UM, AS GWENDOLYN HAS, BUT SOMETIMES ANIMALS ARE BETTER THAN PEOPLE. IT'S GOOD TO GET OUT THERE AND ON THE GROUND, AND I'M SURE YOU GUYS KNOW THAT FOR SURE. SO, UM, I'M VERY EXCITED. IT'S, IT'S FUN FOR ME TO BE ON THE GROUND AND, AND BRING ISSUES, ISSUES TO YOU ALL. SO THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. WELL, NO, THANK YOU BOTH AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU BOTH. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD ONE. AND THEN, UH, UM, ON ITEM THREE, UM, AND THIS ONE IS ALSO TO THE, UM, ANIMAL SHELTER ADVISORY BOARD. UH, THIS, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE COMING FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON POSITION ONE. IF YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD. UH, DR. AMY RUM, POSITION TWO IS JASON CISNEROS ROSE, PHYSICIAN THREE, DR. LORD JARMAN AND PHYSICIAN FOUR IS BECKY, BE MS. BASS AND MR. JARMAN. AGAIN, UH, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AS YOU ALL WORK WITH THE OTHERS ON THE ANIMAL SHELTER ADVISORY BOARD. UM, AND AGAIN, UH, LET ME, IF YOU'LL SAY GOOD MORNING TO US, LET'S START WITH, UH, WITH YOU, MS. BEST. THANK YOU. HI, BECKY. BEST FIRST. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I KNOW MANY OF YOU CARE VERY DEEPLY ABOUT THE ANIMALS AND, AND PROVIDE SUPPORT, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT. I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH, UH, THE MANY PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY WHO ARE INVOLVED IN ANIMAL WELFARE AND HOPEFULLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 'CAUSE, UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE CERTAINLY IN CRISIS AND NEED ALL THE SUPPORT FOR BARK THAT WE CAN GET. THANK YOU, MS. BETH. MR. JARMAN, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LLOYD JARMAN. UM, I'VE BEEN A PRACTITIONER HERE IN HOUSTON FOR 44 YEARS NOW. MY FIRST JOB WAS AT BARK, WHICH WAS, WE CALLED THE DOG POUND THERE. SO IT'S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY FOR ME. THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME AND, UH, WILLING AND READY TO SERVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILMAN MAGOS. THANK YOU. I JUST WANNA THANK Y'ALL, UH, FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE IN THIS IMPORTANT BOARD. AS YOU STATED, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT IN REGARDS TO THE NUMBER OF, UH, STRAY AND FERAL STRAY DOGS AND FERAL CATS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY. UH, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR TAKING TIME AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE OUR SERVE OUR CITY. I ALSO WANNA JUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO CHRIS SAUNDERS. UH, HE'S THE, UH, OR JA FIRST SERGEANT JASON ROS, UH, FROM HPD. HE'S ALSO ON THIS BOARD, UH, THANK YOU FOR, FOR SERVING AS WELL, UH, REPRESENTING, UH, A, AN APPOINTMENT FROM THE CITY, UH, AND ALSO THE FORMER REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CITY, CHRIS SAUNDERS WITH HFD. THANK YOU FOR SERVING ON THIS BOARD. UH, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL AND, UH, WHATEVER I CAN DO ON MY SIDE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. WELL, THANK YOU. MY THANKS TO YOU TOO. THIS IS A BIG COMMITMENT FROM YOU. I KNOW, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. UM, I MADE A NOMINATION THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT, UM, DR. AMY CRUM, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE HER A SHOUT OUT. SHE'S JUST AMAZING. AS A DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE, DR. CRUMB'S EXTENSIVE RESUME, HER EXPERTISE IN SHELTER MEDICINE AND HER PASSION FOR ANIMAL WELFARE WILL MAKE HER ALSO A VERY VALUED, UM, UM, BOARD MEMBER WITH YOU. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY THANK HER FOR HER EXTRAORDINARY COMMITMENT TO SERVING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND EDUCATION AND, UM, AND ENCOURAGING THE NEXT GENERATION OF VETERINARIANS TO PURSUE SHELTER MEDICINE IN, UM, HIGH VOLUME SPAY NEUTER EFFORTS, UM, WHERE THERE IS CURRENTLY A, A MAJOR NATIONAL SHORTAGE OF VETERINARIANS, PARTICULARLY IN, IN LARGE URBAN AREAS LIKE HOUSTON. SO, UM, SO THANK YOU AGAIN. [01:30:01] I, YOU KNOW, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH, WITH, WITH YOUR WHOLE TEAM AND, UM, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH. THANK YOU. UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. OKAY. NOW, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PLEASE CALL ITEM NUMBER ONE. UH, MAYOR. MAYOR, I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. ONE MORE MAYOR. I'M SORRY. ONE MORE MAYOR. OH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ. IT'S COUNCIL MEMBER EVER. SHABAZZ. OH, I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER SHABAZZ. OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M SO SORRY THAT I'M NOT THERE. UH, ACTUALLY, DR. LLOYD JMAN AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FROM MANY YEARS. NOT ONLY A WONDERFUL VETERINARIAN, HE'S A WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING. HE ACTUALLY GOES ON MISSION TRIPS TO TAKE CARE OF ANIMALS IN UNDERPRIVILEGED COUNTRIES, BUT HE'S JUST A MAGNIFICENT PERSON. I AM SO VERY HONORED THAT HE HAS TAKEN ON THIS ADVISORY, UH, COMMITTEE, UH, THIS ADVISORY BOARD. AND I JUST THANK YOU MAYOR AND EVERYONE THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THIS DECISION. AND I THANK THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR SUPPORTING MY NOMINATION. AND I'M SO, AGAIN, I'M SORRY I COULDN'T BE THERE, BUT I HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS THERE VIRTUALLY TO SUPPORT, AND NOT ONLY MY VETERINARIAN, BUT MY FRIEND. AND I THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. ALRIGHT, AND THEN THE OTHER ITEM THAT WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON AND APPROVED, AND THAT IS ITEM FOUR, UH, COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS TO THE HOUSTON LAND, UH, LAND, UH, BANK BOARD. UH, IF YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD. NOW, POSITION SIX IS, UH, IS THAT, UH, TRINA? TRINA RUSSELL, AND POSITION SEVEN IS MARILYN MEAA. LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE TWO OF YOU ON THE HOUSTON LAND BANK BOARD. UH, MS. RUSSELL, YOU WANNA SAY GOOD MORNING TO US REAL QUICKLY? YES, GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS DAWN TRINA RUSSELL. I'M THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GEIA PEARLS WOMEN'S OUTREACH, AND WE SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC ABUSE. AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE DO WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I'M GLAD TO BE APPOINTED IN THIS POSITION BY COUNCILWOMAN, UH, TASHA JACKSON. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE TEAM AND JUST BEING A PART OF, UM, WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS DOING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. AND MS. MONGO. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS MARILYN MUGA, UM, LIFELONG RESIDENT OF THE EAST END AND HOUSTONIAN. UM, I AM VERY HONORED TO BE NOMINATED BY JOAQUIN MARTINEZ AND APPOINTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, UM, FOR THE HOUSTON LAND BANK. I AM LIKE A HUMAN NAVIGATOR, SO I HOPE LIKE, UH, FINDING AND IDENTIFYING PROPERTIES FOR HOUSTON LAND BANK WILL BE A GREAT HONOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND YOU BOTH REPRESENT GREAT APPOINTMENTS TO THE HOUSTON LAND BANK BOARD. LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH YOU. AND I CAN'T, UM, UNDERSCORE HOW IMPORTANT THE HOUSTON LAND BANK IS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABILITY AND PROVIDING HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES. UH, COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT BOARD. UH, AND THANK YOU MARILYN, FOR, UH, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AND, AND BEING THE NOMINEE FOR, UH, DISTRICT. I, UH, AS YOU BOTH KNOW, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT BOARD, A BOARD THAT ACQUIRES PROPERTY. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROPERTIES ARE ACQUIRED THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THROUGHOUT THE CITY, RIGHT? AND THAT WAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING CAN BE PROVIDED FOR HOUSTONIANS TO LIVE THROUGHOUT THIS CITY. SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. MM-HMM . THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH. LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, MADAM [1.  PUBLIC HEARING relative to establishment of Council Member district boundaries as required by Article V, Section 3 of the Charter of the City of Houston, Texas - 9:00 A.M. ] SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL ITEM ONE. ITEM ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING RELATIVE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICT BOUNDARIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BEFORE WE BEGIN, I WANT TO STATE THAT WE HAVE EXTENDED THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE PROPOSED REDISTRICTING PLAN. UH, WE WILL NOW ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENTS UNTIL FRIDAY, UH, JULY 29TH AT 4:45 PM. ASIDE FROM THAT, WE DO HAVE TO REVIEW A FEW LEGAL REQUIREMENTS. UH, FOR THAT, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZE THE CITY ATTORNEY ARTURO MICHELLE. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THE, THE PURPOSE IS TO RECEIVE THE PURPOSE OF THE HEARING TODAY IS TO RECEIVE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC ON A PROPOSED REDISTRICTING PLAN. UM, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE WORD PROPOSED. IT IS A DRAFT. IT'S NOT FINAL. THE FINAL, UH, VERSION FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION WILL BE PRESENTED, UH, LATER THIS YEAR, PERHAPS IN SEPTEMBER. IS THE MONTH BEING TARGETED? UH, CHANGES ARE POSSIBLE BASED ON CONSIDERATION OF THE INPUT, UH, THAT THE PUBLIC PROVIDES. UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A RECORD OF THAT INPUT. SO IF YOU SPEAK, WOULD YOU PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU PROVIDE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION AND A COPY OF ANY PLAN OR DOCUMENT THAT YOU WANT COUNSEL TO CONSIDER? UH, SHOULD YOU NEED TRANSLATION SERVICES, PLEASE GO TO THE TABLE. RIGHT? PASS THE DOORS OUTSIDE CHAMBERS HERE, THEY CAN ARRANGE FOR THAT. UM, I WANT TO JUST VERY [01:35:01] BRIEFLY SET THE STAGE FOR WHAT THE DEMOGRAPHER JERRY WOODS WILL DO. UM, THIS PLAN WAS DRAWN BY MR. WOOD. WHAT HE DID IN CONSIDERING THIS IS THE CRITERIA ADOPTED BY COUNSEL ON MARCH 30TH OF THIS YEAR. THESE ARE BEST PRACTICES THEY'VE BEEN, NOT ONLY IS IT BEST PRACTICE TO APPROVE CRITERIA, BUT THE SPECIFIC CRITERIA APPROVED ARE THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN SUPPORTED BY UNANIMOUS COURT CASES SINCE 1986. AND THE CRITERIA INCLUDE ITEMS SUCH AS TRYING TO MAINTAIN APPROXIMATE EQUAL POPULATION AMONG ALL THE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS. MAINTAIN WHOLE VOTING PRECINCTS WITHOUT SPLITTING THEM, FOLLOWING IDENTIFIABLE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES, THE PRESERVATION OF NEIGHBORHOODS, THE PRESERVATION OF SHARED COMMUNITY INTERESTS, UH, THE PRESERVATION OF EXISTING INCUMBENT CONSTITUENT RELATIONS, AND AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO ELECT CANDIDATES OF CHOICE AS GUIDED, GUIDED BY THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965. AND MR. WOOD WILL ELABORATE ON THE CRITERIA AND PROCESS AS HE GIVES HIS PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ATTORNEY MICHELLE. AND NOW THE SHERIFF CANAL IS JERRY WOODS FOR HIS PRESENTATION. UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THE PLAN, UH, BEFORE YOU IS THE SAME PLAN THAT WE WERE EXAMINING LAST WEEK. IT'S THE DRAFT PLAN. UM, THE PLAN, UH, INITIALLY, UH, LET ME GO THROUGH THE, UH, DISTRICT'S, UH, ALPHABETICALLY. UM, DISTRICT A, UM, THE, THERE ARE THREE CHANGES IN DISTRICT A. FIRST OF ALL, UH, DISTRICT A GIVES UP THE WILLOWBROOK AREA, UH, ALONG WITH THE LIMITED PURPOSE ANNEXATION AREAS SURROUNDING IT, UH, TO DISTRICT B. UM, THIS ALLOWS DISTRICT A BY TRANSFERRING POPULATION OUT TO ACCEPT POPULATION FROM, UH, OVERPOPULATED DISTRICTS, UH, TO THE SOUTH. UM, FIRST OF ALL, IT RE, IT, UH, ACCEPTS, UH, TWO PRECINCTS FROM DISTRICT C IN THE GREATER INWOOD, UM, OAK FOREST AREA, INCLUDING THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS OF FOREST WEST AND, UH, PINE FOREST, UM, THAT IS WEST OF ANTOINE, NORTH OF TWO 90. UM, THE SECOND AREA THAT IT ACCEPTS IS FROM DISTRICT G, UH, WHICH IS LOCATED, UM, SOUTH OF I 10, NORTH OF BUFFALO BIO, BETWEEN LOOP SIX 10 AND, UH, THE CITY LIMITS, UH, WITH HUNTERS CREEK VILLAGE. UM, THE AREA IN QUESTION IS BISECTED BY MEMORIAL DRIVE. UM, MOVING ON TO DISTRICT B. DISTRICT B ACCEPTS THE AREA FROM WILLOWBROOK MALL AND LIMITED PURPOSE ANNEXATION AREAS. UM, AND THEN THAT ALLOWS IT TO SURRENDER TWO GENERAL AREAS OF POPULATION TO DISTRICT H, WHICH WAS THE DISTRICT WITH THE LOWEST POPULATION. THE TWO AREAS ARE SOUTH OF ALDEAN BENDER ROAD AT I 45, AS FAR SOUTH AS WEST ROAD. UM, THE GREENS BIO, UM, NOT GREENS, BIO GREEN BRIAR, NORTH NEIGHBORHOOD. AND, UM, UH, IMPERIAL VALLEY. UH, ABOUT 12,000 PEOPLE, 90% HISPANIC POPULATION. SECONDARILY, UM, IT, UM, INCLUDES THE AREA PART OF THE EASTEX JENSEN AREA, WHERE WE HAD A LOT OF, UM, PEOPLE, UM, EXPRESSING THE DESIRE FOR ALL OF EASTEX JENSEN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE INCLUDED IN DISTRICT H. UH, I WAS NOT ABLE TO DO ALL OF THAT, BUT I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE BOUNDARY NORTH FROM TIDWELL UP TO HALLS BIO. UM, THAT AREA HAS ABOUT 6,000 PEOPLE WITH A POPULATION, WHICH IS JUST UNDER 90% HISPANIC. UM, THE BALANCE, UH, BETWEEN WILLOWBROOK AND, UM, THESE AREAS THAT IT LOST, UH, LEAVES DISTRICT B WITH ABOUT THE SAME POPULATION AS IT BEGAN WITH MOVING ON TO DISTRICT C. DISTRICT C WAS THE DISTRICT WITH THE HIGHEST POPULATION, UM, THAT, UM, REQUIRED THE, A CHANGE IN THE, UM, POPULATION, UH, BY REDUCING ITS POPULATION, UH, BY ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE. UM, STARTING IN THE SOUTHWEST, WE HAD TESTIMONY FROM RESIDENTS OF THE ROBINDALE NEIGHBORHOOD ASKING THAT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, BE REJOINED WITH THE BALANCE OF THE BRAEBURN, UM, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IN DISTRICT J. SO, PRECINCT EIGHT IN 6 85 LOCATED WEST OF HILLCROFT, UM, AND NORTH OF BRASSWOOD, UM, WERE TRANSFERRED OUT OF DISTRICT C AND INTO DISTRICT J. UM, FURTHER IN THE NORTHWEST, THE AREAS DESCRIBED AS GOING INTO DISTRICT A WEST OF ANTOINE, UM, WERE [01:40:01] REMOVED FROM DISTRICT C. THEN IN THE, UH, IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE DISTRICT, UH, ALONG SOUTH MAIN STREET, UH, THE RICE CAMPUS, UH, WAS REMOVED AND PLACED IN DISTRICT D AND THE FOURTH WARD, FRIEDMANS TOWN NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, IN PRECINCT 30, UH, UH, JUST EAST OF DOWNTOWN, WAS TRANSFERRED TO DISTRICT H. UM, THESE CHANGES ALLOWED DISTRICT G TO GIVE UP, UH, PRECINCT 1 77, WHICH IS LOCATED BETWEEN WESLEYAN AND THE UNION. PACIFIC RAILROAD TRACKS SOUTH OF WESTHEIMER TO DISTRICT, UH, C UM, ABOUT 3,300 PEOPLE. AS PART OF THE EFFORT TO REDUCE DISTRICT G'S, UH, POPULATION TO WITHIN THE ALLOWABLE LIMITS, DISTRICT D RECEIVED THE RICE CAMPUS. UH, IT'S ON SOUTH MAINE, AND THEN IT, UH, GAVE UP THREE PRECINCTS TO DISTRICT I. THE THREE PRECINCTS ARE LOCATED, UH, SOUTH OF HOBBY AIRPORT. UM, INCLUDE THE SKYSCRAPER SHADOWS NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, AND EXTENDS DISTRICT I'S, UH, UH, BOUNDARY LINE AS FAR SOUTH AS FUQUA. UM, THE MOVING ON DISTRICT E, DISTRICT E REQUIRED, UH, UH, REDUCTION IN POPULATION IN ORDER TO BE WITHIN THE ALLOWABLE LIMITS AND THE, UH, DIS THE AREA. IT'D BE BETTER IF WE WENT BACK TO THE, YES, THANK YOU. THE AREA THAT, UM, DISTRICT E LOST, UH, GAVE UP TO DISTRICT I IS LOCATED ON EITHER SIDE OF, UM, THE BELTWAY BETWEEN STATE HIGHWAY THREE AND I 45. UH, IT INCLUDES THE OLD GENOA TOWN SITE AND THE SUBDIVISION OF, UM, UH, GULF PALMS, UH, A VERY HISPANIC, UH, MAJORITY NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, MOVING ON TO DISTRICT F, DISTRICT F IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON. UM, DID AN EXCHANGE WITH DISTRICT J, UM, DISTRICT F RECEIVED PRECINCT. UM, UM, I'M SUDDENLY BEREFT OF BY MEMORY. UM, PRECINCT 9 4 3, PARDON ME. UH, THE GLEN SHANNON, UH, SUBDIVISION HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY SPLIT BY THE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT LINES, UH, BY MOVING 9 4 3 FROM J TO F. UM, GLEN SHANNON WAS REUNITED, HOWEVER, IN THE NORTH BECAUSE DISTRICT J REQUIRED ADDITIONAL POPULATION. UM, THE WEST CHASE, UH, A PORTION OF WEST CHASE, SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF WEST CHASE, UM, SOUTH OF RICHMOND TO, UH, WEST PARK TOLLWAY. INSIDE OF THE, THE, UM, BELTWAY, UH, IS TRANSFERRED FROM DISTRICT F TO DISTRICT J. MOVING ON TO DISTRICT G. UH, THE DISTRICT G CHANGES HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PRECINCT FIVE 70, LOCATED JUST INSIDE THE LOOP SOUTH OF THE SOUTHWEST FREEWAY, UM, CENTERED ON NEWCASTLE AND WEST, UH, WEST PARK PRECINCT FIVE 70 WAS TRANSFERRED OUT OF DISTRICT G AND INTO DISTRICT J. UM, ADDITIONALLY, DISTRICT G WAS ABLE TO GIVE UP ONE PRECINCT TO DISTRICT C BECAUSE OF OTHER CHANGES IN DISTRICT C'S BOUNDARIES, AND GAVE UP TWO PRECINCTS IN NORTH OF BUFFALO BIO, UH, JUST OUTSIDE OF LOOP SIX 10 TO DISTRICT A. MOVING ON TO DISTRICT H. DISTRICT H WAS THE DISTRICT WITH THE LOWEST POPULATION. UM, IN ORDER TO BRING ITS POPULATION UP, UH, IT RECEIVED SEVERAL AREAS, UM, IN THE NORTH HAVE DESCRIBED THE, UM, THE GREENBRIAR NORTH AND, UH, IMPERIAL VALLEY NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, SOUTH OF THE BELTWAY AT I 45, UM, AS WELL AS THE PORTION OF EAST TEXAS JENSEN, UM, IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON. UH, IN ADDITION, AS I'VE DESCRIBED EARLIER, THE FREEMAN TOWN, UM, UM, FOURTH WARD NEIGHBORHOOD PRECINCT 30, UH, WAS TRANSFERRED FROM DISTRICT C. AND FINALLY, ONE PRECINCT, UM, IN DOWNTOWN PRECINCT EIGHT 90, WHICH IS LOCATED BETWEEN COMMERCE STREET AND TEXAS AVENUE. UM, WAS TRANSFERRED TO, UM, DISTRICT, UM, H IN ORDER TO BRING ITS POPULATION WITHIN THE ALLOWABLE RANGE. UM, OF THE 3,500 PEOPLE IN THAT PRECINCT, SIX, ABOUT 600 ARE INCARCERATED. UM, MOVING ON TO DISTRICT I DISTRICT, I GAVE UP THE PRECINCT EIGHT 90 TO DISTRICT H AND RECEIVED FIVE PRECINCTS IN SOUTHEAST [01:45:01] HOUSTON, AS DESCRIBED BEFORE. UH, THREE PRECINCTS NORTH OF QUA FROM DISTRICT D, UH, IN THE SKYSCRAPER SHADOWS AREA, AND TWO PRECINCTS, UM, EAST OF I 45 AND WEST OF STATE HIGHWAY THREE IN THE GENOA, UH, GULF PALMS, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, DISTRICT J IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON. DISTRICT J RECEIVE GIVES UP PRECINCT 9 43 TO, TO FA RELATIVELY SMALL POPULATION THERE. IT RECEIVES DIS UH, PRECINCT EIGHT AND 6 85 FROM DISTRICT C IN ITS, UH, SOUTHEAST CORNER. IT RECEIVES PRECINCT FIVE 70 IN THE FAR NORTHWEST CORNER NORTHEAST CORNER FROM DISTRICT G, AND RECEIVES 5 66 IN ITS NORTHWEST CORNER FROM DISTRICT F. UM, AND DISTRICT K REMAINS UNCHANGED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JERRY. UH, WITH THAT PRESENTATION AND WITH THE COMMENTS COMING FROM, UH, ATTORNEY NATO MICHELLE, AND ALSO FROM THE DEMOGRAPHER GERALD WOODS, I THINK WE ARE NOW READY TO PROCEED ON THE, UH, FINAL PUBLIC HEARING, UH, DEALING WITH REDISTRICTING. AND BEAR IN MIND, WE'VE EXTENDED THE PUBLIC COMING PERIOD, UH, TO JULY THE 29TH. UH, UM, FOR YOUR WRITTEN COMMENTS, UP UNTIL 4:45 PM PROCEDURAL MOTIONS. OKAY. UH, LET'S SEE. DO WE HAVE, ARE WE TO ASK QUESTIONS? UM, I'LL TELL YOU, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD PREFER FOR US THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PUBLIC SPEAKERS TODAY. MM-HMM. UM, AND INSTEAD OF US GETTING TOP, UM, BOGGED DOWN WITH A DEMOGRAPHER, UM, OUT OF RESPECT FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S HERE TODAY TO GIVE THEIR COMMIT, IF WE CAN DEFER AND THAT'S BRING THE PEOPLE FORTH FIRST, IF THAT, IF THAT HELPS. I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THAT? NO, IF WE CAN, IF WE COULD, UH, GO DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS, I WOULD PREFER TO DO THAT. WHEN ARE WE GONNA HAVE AN, WHEN ARE WE GONNA HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO QUESTION WHAT'S BEING DONE HERE? WELL, THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS JUST THE, UH, THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION. MM-HMM . THE WHOLE THING IS COMING BEFORE CITY COUNCIL. YEAH. BUT WHEN IT COMES BEFORE CITY COUNCIL, IS THAT WHEN WE'RE GOING TO BE VOTING ON THIS AND, AND DISCUSSING, DISCUSSING IT FIRST, BEFORE VOTING ON IT, BECAUSE I HAVE SOME CONCERNS WITH SOME, SOME OF THESE, UH, PRECINCTS COMING INTO THREE OF THESE DISTRICTS. RIGHT. WELL, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY MM-HMM . TO ASK QUESTIONS TO, TO MICHELLE, TO JERRY WOODS. SO, I MEAN, WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS. YEAH. I, I JUST DON'T WANNA BE ASKING QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'RE VOTING ON IT, AND THEN, AND THEN, AND THEN WE'RE STUCK. NO, NO, NO, NO. THIS IS JUST A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. BUT FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'LL HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCUSS. ALRIGHT. OKAY. I CAN ASSURE YOU OF THAT. OKAY. UM, SHE'S GOT A PROCEDURAL NOW FOR PROCEDURAL, UH, I HAVE A COUPLE PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE FOR PROCEDURAL MOTIONS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX FOR PROCEDURAL MOTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND, MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND ADD THE NAME JOHN BRANCH TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ONE MINUTE LIST. UH, IT'S ALL THE SAME. OKAY. OKAY. YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION. SECOND, SECOND, ROBINSON. OKAY. MOVED. AND SECOND. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR? NONE. GRANTED. UH, COUNCILMAN PLUM PROCEDURAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR TURNER. YES. I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES, UH, TO MOVE TOMORROW. BELL TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA LIST, PLEASE. SECOND ROBINSON. OKAY. MOVE. BILL MOVED IN A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ANY OBJECTION? SHARE NONE. MOTION TO GRANT? ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. MADAM SECRETARY, WANT PROCEED TO CALL THE SPEAKER, PLEASE? OKAY. JUST BEAR IN MIND, WE HAVE A LOT OF SPEAKERS THIS MORNING. LISA APERIA. LISA. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR TURNER. YES, YOU CAN PROCEED. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR TURNER. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR TURNER. GOOD MORNING TO ALL HOUSTON CITY OFFICIALS. IT IS AN HONOR TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU AND TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS. SHE IS WEST HOUSTON ASSISTANCE MINISTRIES PARTNER IN CITY COUNCIL AND FRIEND. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS HAS BEEN A HUGE FORCE OF SUPPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY. WHEN I SPEAK OF COMMUNITY, THIS IS NOT ONLY THE PEOPLE THAT RESIDE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES THE BUSINESSES THAT WE PARTNER WITH, SUCH AS APARTMENTS [01:50:01] AND CHURCHES. BECAUSE OF THE THREE YEARS OF ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE BUILT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, AND THE IMPACT THAT SHE HAS MADE ON THE COMMUNITY, APARTMENTS IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF DISTRICT J HAVE TRUSTED US AND ALLOWED US TO HELP THEIR TENANTS WITH FUNDS FOR RENT AND UTILITIES. A DISRUPTION IN THIS ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP COULD BE HARMFUL TO THE FUTURE HOUSING OF THESE FAMILIES, LEAVING THEM HUNGRY AND HOMELESS BECAUSE OF THE FAMILIES AND THE ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP THAT HAS BEEN BUILT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MIN THOMAS, WHAM IS HERE TO VOICE THAT WE ARE IN OPPOSITION OF THE REDISTRICTING PROPOSED DRAFT ONE, WHICH WILL MOVE PART OF DISTRICT F AND TO DISTRICT J. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. THANK YOU, LISA, FOR CALLING IN AND EXPRESSING YOUR SUPPORT OF KEEPING DISTRICT F WHOLE. UM, AND JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND THE AGENCY'S ROLE AND WHAT YOU DO FOR THOUSANDS OF HOUSTONIANS IN, IN WEST SIDE OF HOUSTON. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONTRIBUTION AS WELL. AND THEN JUST FOR IFICATION, FOR IFICATION, THE OPPOSITION, THE OPPOSITION IS TO WHICH PRECINCT BEING MOVED TO WHERE? 5, 6, 6. TO KEEP. 5, 6, 6. OKAY. FROM JAY, THE SOUTHEAST CORRIDOR. YEAH. 5, 6, 6. THIS WAS PROPOSED TO MOVE TO JAY. OKAY. JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. SONYA PEREZ. SONYA PEREZ. SHE'S COMING. PEREZ. MY NAME IS SONIA PEREZ. I BELONG TO DISTRICT I ONE SECOND, IF YOU CAN SPEAK A LITTLE CLEARER INTO THAT MIC, BECAUSE I'M, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME HEARING YOU. I'M SORRY. OKAY. HER NAME IS SONYA PARIS, AND SHE BELONGS TO DISTRICT E WITH, FROM BELTWAY A AND IT COMPRESSES FROM BELTWAY, A DOWNTOWN AND PART OF DOWNTOWN THAT SHARES MY CULTURE, MY LANGUAGE, LANGUAGE FOR THE GOOD BEING OF MY COMMUNITY, MY CHILDREN, AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, AM PEREZ. AM PEREZ. BUENOS GOOD MORNING. ALLOW ME TO PRESENT MY PROPOSAL FOR DISTRICT E. I CONSIDER THAT IT SHOULD REMAIN COMPACT ARI OUT UP NORTH OF BELTWAY EIGHT. IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED TO RETURN THE PART THAT IS IN THE MIDDLE, AS WELL AS BEING REPRESENTED BY A LATIN PERSON, UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE TO REMAIN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY UNITED. HOLD ON ONE SECOND BEFORE YOU MOVE FIRST, BECAUSE, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M CLEAR. THE DISTRICT THAT WE ARE REFERRING TO IS DISTRICT. A EEI. I'M SORRY. DISTRICT I MM-HMM . DISTRICT. DISTRICT I, I. OH, AND ENGLISH. I. OKAY. THAT'S FINE. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, APOLOGIES. YES. THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER WAS ALSO DISTRICT I. OKAY. SO WE'RE REFERRING TO DISTRICT I MM-HMM . MM-HMM . IN SUCH WAY THAT OUR CHILDREN WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, INHERIT OUR, THEIR GENERATIONS OR USES AND, AND [01:55:01] COSTUMES TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BAKER CASTILLO. EXCUSE ME. MAYOR TURNER. GREETINGS. GOOD MORNING, AL. DISTINGUISHED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS. GREETINGS. MY NAME'S AL CASTILLO. I'M PRESIDENT OF LULAC COUNCIL 60 HERE IN THE CITY. UH, SOME OF, AS YOU, AS SOME OF YOU MAY RECALL, THAT WE ARE THE, UH, UH, A CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 1934. ONE OF OUR MAIN FOCUSES, UH, HAS BEEN TO PROTECT OUR VOTING RIGHTS WHERE THE POPULATION HERE IN THE CITY OF 46%, OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY SHOULD BE PRIORITY, SHOULD BE A PRIORITY IN THE FIGHT FOR THIS FAIRNESS, UH, FOR FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY. UM, WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THIS COUNCIL TO CONSIDER, TO MAINTAIN AND PROTECT THE HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS OF IJ AND H DO NOT DECREASE THE HISPANIC POPULATION IN THESE DISTRICTS. PLEASE HELP PROTECT OUR UNDERREPRESENTED HISPANIC COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE AND, AND MAINTAIN THREE MAIN HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS, HI AND J. WE ARE WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS OFFICE TO HELP WITH THIS REQUEST AND HOPE TO SUPPORT OF YOUR EFFORTS. GOOD TIME BY ONE SECOND. ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. YES, SIR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU AL, FOR COMING HERE. UM, THAT, THAT, THAT WAS MY REASONING TO TRY TO SPEAK TO MR. WOODS, THIS WOOD THIS MORNING. UH, DUE TO THE FACT THAT WHEN HIS EXPLANATION ON PRECINCTS COMING IN, ESPECIALLY TO THE THREE, UH, HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS, WHICH ARE HI AND J, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, UH, IS GOING INTO H UH, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS ABOUT 4,000 VOTERS. MAJORITY ARE ANGLO. UH, AND WHAT I WANNA FIND OUT IS WHAT PRECINCTS OF HISPANICS ARE COMING INTO HI MEAN, YEAH, INTO H UH, BECAUSE IF NOT, THEN 10 YEARS FROM NOW, DOWNTOWN IS GROWING. THEY'RE BUILDING CONDOS, THEY'RE BUILDING APARTMENTS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MORE VOTERS COMING INTO DOWNTOWN THAT WILL NOW BE IN H ARE WE GONNA LOSE THAT DISTRICT? I CAN, UH, LET'S BACK UP A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND BECAUSE IN DISTRICT J, THERE'S A, UM, THOSE PEOPLE LIVE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE LIVE IN THE SHADOWS, SO THEY'RE AFRAID TO COME AND ANSWER ANY OF THE CENSUS WORKERS THAT COME ABOUT. SO IN THE FIRST PLACE, THOSE NUMBERS, I BELIEVE WERE SKEWED. SO IF WE KEEP CONTINUING TO CHIP AWAY AT OUR NUMBERS IN THE HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS, THEN WITH GENTRIFICATION, WHICH IS A REAL AND, UH, PRESENT DANGER FOR OUR, FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, IT, IT CAN HAPPEN. AND THEN IN 10 YEARS, WE'LL BE 10 YEARS FARTHER BEHIND. I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION. WELL, THE SAME, SAME THING I, I ASKED MR. WOOD LAST WEEK WAS, UH, DISTRICT J YOU'VE GOT TWO OR THREE PRECINCTS THAT ARE COMING INTO JI ASKED, UH, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S THE DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN? I ALWAYS TOLD THE MAJORITY IS WHITE. SO AGAIN, WE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOSING OUR, OUR, UH, UH, VOTER VOTE V VOTERS, UH, FROM, FROM THAT DISTRICT AS WELL, UH, IN REGARDS TO IF YOU'RE BRINGING IN THREE PRECINCTS INTO JAY, AND THE MAJORITY IS WHITE. UH, AND, AND THESE ARE THREE HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS. AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING IN PRECINCTS, THEY SHOULD BE, THE MAJORITY SHOULD BE HISPANIC. UH, WITH ALL RESPECT. I REMEMBER HIM SAYING, WHEN YOU ASKED HIM ABOUT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE PRECINCTS COMING IN TO JAY, IT'S LESS THAN HISPANIC. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE I CAN, I CAN GET THAT FIGURED OUT. BUT YES, YOU ARE RIGHT ON THAT. RIGHT NOW, I, THEY'RE BRINGING IN PRECINCTS AND THE MAJORITY IS HISPANIC. WELL, WE'RE ALREADY AT 77%, BUT NOW YOU'RE BRINGING IN MORE HISPANICS, WHICH HEY, THAT'S GREAT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE 70% IN DISTRICT. I ALREADY, BUT YET YOU'RE STILL BRINGING IN PRECINCTS HISPANIC, BUT J YOU'RE BRINGING IN THREE PRECINCTS THAT THE MAJORITY IS WHITE. IN H YOU'RE TAKING OUT SOME OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, WHICH THE MAJORITY IS WHITE PUTTING IT IN H NOW, 10 YEARS FROM NOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MORE CONDOS. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MORE APARTMENTS IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. SO NOW YOU'VE INCREASED THAT EVEN MORE. SO, ARE WE GONNA BE LOSING H IN THE NEAR FUTURE? I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT VERY CAREFULLY. I, I FULLY UNDERSTAND. AND IT'S, IT'S NOT ONLY IS IT, IS IT CONFUSING, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE, WE'RE PROJECTING OUT. WE'RE NOT, UH, EXTRAPOLATING WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. AND I THINK WE NEED TO SLOW DOWN THAT PROCESS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TIME PERIOD IS TO GET THIS ALL DONE SO IT CAN BE VOTED AND RATIFIED. UH, BUT I THINK WE'RE BEHIND THE CURVE HERE. [02:00:04] COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. UH, THANK YOU, SIR, FOR COMING FORWARD. AS IT PERTAINS TO DISTRICT J, AS IT WAS CREATED AS A QUOTE UNQUOTE HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT, UH, IN 2011, IT WAS PURPOSELY DRAWN TO INCLUDE MANY OF THE, UM, VOTING PRECINCTS THAT WERE HEAVILY POPULATED BY HISPANICS AT THAT TIME. SO ALL OF THE AREAS THAT SURROUND DISTRICT J, MOST OF THEM WERE PURPOSELY CUT OUT INITIALLY BECAUSE THEY WERE, UM, THEY DID NOT HAVE AS HIGH OF A HISPANIC POPULATION. NOW WE HAVE TO EXPAND THE BOUNDARY LINES 10 YEARS LATER, AND WE HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE. WELL, IT'S REASONABLY TO ASSUME THAT THE AREAS THAT SURROUND DISTRICT J THAT WERE CUT OUT INITIALLY WILL NOW NOT BE AS HISPANIC. 'CAUSE THEY WERE PURPOSELY CUT OUT THE FIRST TIME. BUT I ALSO WANT TO STRESS THE FACT THAT THE HISPANIC POPULATION, EVEN IN THE MOST CURRENT MAP, IS STILL 20, 30% HIGHER THAN THE POPULATION OF THE SECOND REPRESENTED RACE. SO THE OPPORTUNITY IS STILL THERE FOR THE CONSTITUENTS TO PICK WHATEVER CANDIDATE OF THEIR CHOICE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE. DISTRICT J CURRENTLY HAS NO PREDOMINANTLY BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS. I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND I STILL WON THE DISTRICT. I ALSO UNDERSTAND WHICH, WHICH, WHICH MEANS THAT PEOPLE WITHIN DISTRICT J ARE NOT LOOKING SOLELY AT RACE. AND THE BOUNDARY LINES, NO MATTER HOW YOU DRAW THEM, DON'T AUTOMATICALLY, UM, ENSURE THAT YOU WILL HAVE A CERTAIN OUTCOME. AND I THINK THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE BEAUTY OF DISTRICT J AS BEING THE MOST DIVERSE DISTRICT IN THE CITY. THAT IT ENCOMPASSES ALL PEOPLE AND ALL PEOPLE DESERVE REPRESENTATION REGARDLESS OF RACE, ETHNICITY, OR BACKGROUND. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A VOICE, BUT LET'S MAKE SURE THAT ALL PEOPLE HAVE A VOICE AND NOT JUST FOCUS ON ONE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. I WILL, UM, THIS IS AN ISSUE WE'LL BE DISCUSSING QUITE A BIT, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO, UH, TO MAINTAIN OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS. OKAY. OKAY. SO, UH, IT'S, YOU, YOU HAVE A LONG AGENDA. I MEAN, THIS CAN BE DEBATED, UH, BUT IF I COULD RESPOND, UH, FOR 20 SECONDS, BD AND K ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, UH, OPPORTUNITY ZONES, AND THEY SEEM TO BE PRETTY WELL INTACT. I DON'T HAVE MY NOTES, BUT I DIDN'T SEE THEM. I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SEE THE, THE TRANSFORMATION OR THE CON RECONFIGURATION OF THOSE DISTRICTS. AND YOU CAN ENLIGHTEN ME ON THAT, BUT I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP ANY MORE TIME. I GOTCHA. THERE ARE MANY ELEMENTS THAT WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IN REDISTRICTING. WE DO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A REPRESENTATION OF THAT DIVERSITY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AND TO, UH, TO MAINTAIN OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS THAT IS ALSO IMPORTANT. SO THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT WE TAKE, THAT WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AND, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE CERTAINLY WILL, WE'LL BEAR IN MIND AND BE SENSITIVE TO ALL OF THOSE CONCERNS. SO, OKAY. IF I MAY, I HAVE SOME NOTES AND SOME RESEARCH AS, AS THAT WAS DONE. AND FEEL FREE TO TURN IN WHATEVER YOU MAY HAVE AL TO ANYONE FOR THE, FOR THE RECORD? YES, SIR. THANKS SO MUCH GUYS. THANKS MUCH. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER. SI NARO. THANK, THANK YOU, AL, FOR BEING HERE. I, I, I AGREE WITH YOU. UM, I DO WANT TO JUST SAY AS IT PERTAINS TO DISTRICT H, THERE WERE SOME, UM, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT, AT ONE PRECINCT AND SAYING, THIS IS GONNA BE MORE ANGLO. THE WHOLE PICTURE TELLS A DIFFERENT STORY. AND THE ADDITION OF IMPERIAL VALLEY TO THE NORTH, WHICH IS, I THINK MR. SSO IS 90% HISPANIC, KEEPS THE NUMBERS, THE PERCENTAGES VERY, VERY CLOSE TO WHAT THEY ARE NOW. SO IT DOES NOT, IT DOES NOT CHANGE. IT, IT IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE, IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS, IN THE, IN THE PERCENTAGE OF, UM, HISPANICS IN DISTRICT H NOW AND IN THE FUTURE WITH, WITH THE CURRENT MAP. OKAY, WITH THE PROPOSED MAP. OKAY. ONE MORE, 20 MORE SECONDS. ONE, UH, THE, THE POPULATION DOESN'T, ONE SECOND, ONE SECOND, ONE SECOND. ONE SECOND. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN GALLS? YES, SIR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND F FIRST OF ALL, LET ME MAKE IT CLEAR. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD POLLARD'S DOING A GREAT JOB AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. THIS IS PROTECTING A DISTRICT THAT WAS, THAT WAS, UH, FORMED BACK IN 2010 AND 20 11, 11 TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY HISPANIC DISTRICT. MY CONCERN IS IN DISTRICT J, GRANTED, THE, THE MAJORITY ARE HISPANIC. UH, BUT YOU HAVE MANY THAT ARE UNDOCUMENTED. YOU HAVE MANY THAT ARE NOT OF VOTING AGE. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE VOTER REGISTRATION, UH, IN DISTRICT J, THERE'S 54,159 VOTERS REGISTERED. UH, [02:05:01] 14,844 ARE HISPANIC. 35,098 ARE NON-SPANISH SURNAME, NON-ASIAN SURNAME. UH, SO NOW IF YOU'RE BRINGING IN THREE MORE PRECINCTS THAT THE MAJORITY IS WHITE, YOU'RE JUST BRINGING THOSE VOTERS NUMBERS UP AGAIN. UH, SO, SO THAT'S MY CONCERN. UH, IN DISTRICT DATES, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, RIGHT NOW, THE NUMBERS ARE OKAY, BUT IF YOU'RE BRINGING IN PART OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON IN 10 YEARS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF MORE CONDOS. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF MORE, UH, UH, APARTMENTS BEING BUILT IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, THAT, THAT, THAT THE NORTH PART OF DOWNTOWN, WHICH THERE ARE SEVERAL BRAND NEW ONES THAT HAVE JUST BEEN BUILT WITHIN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS. SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE GONNA KEEP GOING UP IN 10 YEARS. SO THAT'S MY CONCERN, THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING H ALSO IN THE NEAR FUTURE. UH, SO, SO THAT'S WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT THIS AND WE LOOK AT THIS, RIGHT. AND WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THESE DECISIONS CORRECTLY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST FOR THE RECORD. AND AL I HAVE TO SAY, UM, AS A BABY LAWYER, I WORKED ALONGSIDE LULAC WITH THE FIRM I WAS AT. SO I HAVE TREMENDOUS RESPECT, UM, FOR WHAT LULAC STANDS FOR. UH, AND FOR THIS DIALOGUE AND CONVERSATION, UM, I JUST, MAYOR, IF I MAY HAD A QUICK QUESTION FOR OUR CITY ATTORNEY. UM, WE'RE HAVING A, A DIALOGUE ABOUT, UH, PROJECTIONS IN THE NEXT DECADE. AND AS A POINT OF INFORMATION THOUGH, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE ARE BOUND BY IN TERMS OF WHAT WE NEED TO DRAW TODAY, WE ARE BOUND BY THE CURRENT US CENSUS NUMBERS, DESPITE THE UNDER COUNTS. IS THAT CORRECT? SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROJECTIONS, WHAT WE SEE FOR THE CITY, WE CAN'T NECESSARILY, UH, RELY ON THAT EVEN IF WE WOULD WANT TO. IS THAT CORRECT? UH, YES. A REVIEWING COURT WOULD ONLY LOOK AT THE DECENNIAL CENSUS DATA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, COUNCILMAN, MR. CISNEROS? THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, THE, THE, THE AREA THAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IN DISTRICT THAT THAT'S BEING PROPOSED TO MOVE TO DISTRICT H IS CURRENTLY IN DISTRICT I, SO THAT THE ISSUES YOU RAISE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT MAY HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE IF IT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER DISTRICT IT IN, THAT THAT ISSUE WILL STILL BE TRUE. IT WOULD BE TRUE OF DISTRICT I AS WELL. NO, NOT REALLY, BECAUSE THEY, OKAY, HOLD ON. NO, NO, NO. THAT WILL NO LONGER BE IN DISTRICT. I COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AMONGST OURSELVES. ABSOLUTELY. UH, BUT IT IS THE PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THEIR SAY. OKAY. SO LET'S, LET'S RESPECT THEM. ALRIGHT, THANKS AL. ISN'T THIS FUN? THANKS. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PRITI SHARMA, PREACH SHARMA. HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS PRITI SHARMA AND I'M VERY, VERY ACTIVE IN THE INDIAN COMMUNITY. AND I'M A FOUNDER OF TWO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, URBAN KITCHEN COALITION, THAT IS SERVING OVER 32,000 MEALS TO ASTERISK CHILDREN IN HOUSTON AREA. AND I'M ALSO FOUNDER OF, UH, UPLIFT RESOURCES AND COMMUNITY CENTERS THAT BRINGS HEALTHCARE AND OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES, UH, FOR OUR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY. WE SERVE PEOPLE ALL OVER HOUSTON AND MANY IN DISTRICT J. AS YOU KNOW THAT INDIA HOUSE IS ON THE BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN DISTRICT J AND DISTRICT K. I'M HERE TO REQUEST THAT THERE IS NO CONSIDERATION TO MOVE THE INDIA HOUSE, WHICH IS IN PRECINCT 4 89 OUT OF DISTRICT J. WE IN THE INDIAN COMMUNITY REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLAR, AND, UH, WE WANT TO KEEP HIM AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON MANY, MANY PROJECTS WITH HIM, AND, UH, WE DO NOT WANT ANYTHING TO INTERFERE WITH THAT. BASED ON THE CHA UH, CHA CHANGES TO THE MAAM FOR THE CAUSE. KAREN, AND CONCERN, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCILMAN POLL. UH, THANK YOU MS. SHARMA FOR COMING FORWARD. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO IN DISTRICT J, ALL THE SUPPORT AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE. AND IF YOU WANNA WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS, I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF MY TIME. OKAY. JUST ONE LAST SENTENCE. FOR THE CAUSE CARE AND CONCERN FOR OUR COMMUNITY, WE COULDN'T HAVE A BETTER PERSON IN DISTRICT J THAN COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, RAMOND MO, CONGRESSMAN MOMENT. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS RASHMAN MOEN. I'M SHIA ISMAILI, MUSLIM HAN. I AM A DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND HEALTHCARE FOR TWO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. I'M HERE TO TODAY TO SUPPORT OUR HOUSTON COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD POLLARD. FOR DISTRICT J. WE HAVE COLLABORATED [02:10:01] WITH HIM TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY ON MANY DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, AND IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT HIS SUPPORT AND CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY. IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HELP AND SUPPORT OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD PO. WHO CARES FOR THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. JOHN BRANCH. JOHN BRANCH. GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR. RIGHT BEHIND THAT MIC. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR. UH, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY OFFICIALS. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME. IT'S MY FIRST TIME DOING SO. I'M A LITTLE NER, UH, NERVOUS RIGHT NOW. UM, I RESIDE IN, UH, DISTRICT JA COUNCILMAN PAUL'S DISTRICT, AND I LIKE THE LEADERSHIP THAT HE'S DOING. I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT OUR DISTRICT HAS GROWN A LITTLE BIT AS WELL. UM, THERE WAS SOME CONCERNS AND COMMENTS LAST WEEK ABOUT THIS PROCESS BEING RUSHED IN TERMS OF, UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, VOTING SOMETHING THAT'S TOO RASHLY. BUT, UH, UM, I'M GONNA SAY THAT I HOPE AND PRAY THAT THE DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE IN TERMS OF LIKE HOW THESE MAPS ARE, UH, I'M SORRY, ARE, UH, UM, HAVE BEEN DRAWN UP. HAVE DRAWN UP, LIKE I SAID, UP TO THE NEEDS OF ALL THE CITIZENS INVOLVED. AND OF COURSE, I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT LIKE WHAT THE, UM, DRAWINGS LOOK LIKE, BUT I DO HOPE THAT THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OF COURSE YOURSELF, MR. MAYOR, UH, DO TAKE INTO ALL THESE COMMENTS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD AND THAT THE RIGHT DECISIONS ARE MADE. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. ANTONIO GARCIA. ANTONIO GARCIA. GOOD MORNING CITY COUNCIL MAYOR TURNER. MY NAME'S ANTONIO GARCIA AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON THE DISTRICT DISTRICT PLAN. I'M A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT A AND IS HERE TO REPRESENT MY COMMUNITY AND CONSTITUENTS THAT RESIDE ON THIS DISTRICT THAT DO WANT, DO, DO NOT HAVE A VOICE IN THEIR WORKING CLASS COMMUNITY. I'M HERE TO VOICE MY OPINION ON WHY I WANT TO SEE THINGS IMPROVE AND HAVE EQUAL REPRESENTATION FOR OUR COMMUNITIES LIVING IN DISTRICT A AND THE SURROUNDINGS. ALL WORKING CLASS AND DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES. KNOW THAT EQUAL REPRESENTATION MATTERS SINCE THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND MAKE DISTRICT A A GREAT DISTRICT. MY QUESTION TO CITY COUNCIL IS WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR COMMUNITIES TO BE HEARD WITH AN ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION WITH ANY ECONOMIC OR SOCIAL OBSTACLES? I'LL ALWAYS WONDERED OVER THE YEARS WHY SO MUCH MONEY SPENT ON THE CENSUS, BUT NO END RESULTS SHOWN WHEN THE COMMUNITIES NEED THE RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. I APPRECIATE ALL THE GOOD WORK DISTRICT, DISTRICT A COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HAS DONE FOR MY COMMUNITY, ALONG WITH THE LARGE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I WANT TO END UP WITH THIS SOUTH AMERICAN SAYING, STATING AND SPANISH, WHICH MEANS THAT THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE ALL THE WORKING CLASS COMMUNITIES AND ALL THE CONSTITUENTS THAT DO NOT WANNA SPEAK UP, THEY JUST SEE THINGS AND THEY DON'T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVE THE FEAR OR THEY'RE SCARED AND, AND HOPE TO COLLABORATE WITH YOU, WITH MY DISTRICT, WITH MY CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT MEMBERS TO SEE WHY CAN WE HELP OUR COMMUNITY WORKING CLASS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, NEIL EHEART. NEIL EHEART. GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR TURNER. UH, MY NAME IS NEIL EHEART AND I LIVE IN FRIEDMANS TOWN, WHICH IS CURRENTLY A PART OF DISTRICT C, BUT PROPOSED TO BE MOVED TO DISTRICT H AND I'M ASKING THAT WE REMAIN IN DISTRICT C, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE MUCH CLOSER CONNECTIONS WITH THE REST OF DISTRICT C. UM, AND BECAUSE I, I THINK THERE'S A NEED TO HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE AT THIS HORSESHOE AS POSSIBLE WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN SEEING, UH, DOWNTOWN AND, AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS NEAR IT THRIVE. UM, SO, UH, WITH, WITH RESPECT TO CONNECTIVITY, UH, IF, IF YOU LOOK AT FREEDMAN'S TOWN, WE HAVE 18 STREETS THAT CONNECT TO, UH, THROUGH STREETS TO, UM, MIDTOWN AND MONTROSE, WHICH ARE ALSO PART OF DISTRICT C. AND THE NEAREST PART OF DISTRICT H IS, UH, WELL, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY FAR AWAY. IT'S SIXTH WARD. IT'S NOT THAT FAR, BUT IT'S HARD TO GET TO. UH, WE HAVE TO WALK THROUGH, UH, THE BAYOU FLOODWAY, BUFFALO BAYOU UNDERNEATH MEMORIAL DRIVE AND OVER ACROSS ALLEN PARKWAY, WHICH ARE BOTH PRETTY TREACHEROUS. AND, UM, SO WE, WE JUST DON'T HAVE AS STRONG CONNECTIONS THAT WAY. UM, AND CONSIDERING, UH, ALL THE ACTIVITY THAT'S, THAT'S HAPPENING, UH, IN OUR INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND DOWNTOWN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAME FROM A WARD SYSTEM WHERE THE CENTER OF THE CITY WAS, WAS THE CENTER OF, UH, ALL THE, ALL THE DISTRICTS. IT'S [02:15:01] WHERE ALL THE DISTRICTS STARTED AND THEY WENT OUT IN A PIE SHAPE FROM THERE. UM, THEN A LOT OF THINGS CHANGED WHEN, UH, THE STATE STARTED BUILDING FREEWAYS AND TEARING APART OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, NOW, NOW WE'RE SEEING AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO, TO RECONNECT THOSE COMMUNITIES. MR. MEMBER KING, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR NEIL. I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF SPEAKERS, BUT I SAW YOU ALMOST RUNNING OUTTA TIME. IF YOU JUST WANTED TO WRAP UP, I WAS GONNA GIVE YOU A FEW SECONDS OF MY TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, WHAT I SEE IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE, WE'VE GOT THIS BIG ISSUE WITH THE, THE STATE OF TEXAS TRYING TO BRING THE CATASTROPHE OF THE I 45 EXPANSION TO US AND WORKING TOGETHER, UH, WITH YOUR HELP COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, I, WE'VE ALREADY GOT SOME GOOD CONCESSIONS OUT OF THEM, UM, WITH RESPECT TO MAKING SAFE CROSSINGS. AND, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SOME OF THE ONLY PROFITABLE PLACES IN HOUSTON. UH, THEY ACTUALLY COST LESS TO MAINTAIN THAN THEY BRING IN IN TAXES, WHICH IS AWESOME. AND WE NEED TO BE DOING MORE OF THAT, NOT JUST IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, BUT ALL AROUND. SO, UM, THANK YOU. PLEASE, UH, PLEASE KEEP FREEMANS TOWN AND DISTRICT C THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MM-HMM . NEXT SPEAKER. DARIEN, BUI. DARIEN, YOU ABU. HELLO. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. I AM DARREN BOWIE AND MY FAMILY AND I HAVE HELPED OVERSEE AND PROGRESS AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, LOCATED IN DISTRICT J FOR MANY YEARS. I AM HERE THIS MORNING TO REQUEST THAT THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY CENTER LOCATED IN PRECINCT 5 67 REMAIN IN DISTRICT J. I DO NOT WANT DISTRICT J TO CHANGE FROM IT CURRENT BOUNDARY LINES, BECAUSE THAT MAY CAUSE US TO HAVE A DIFFERENT COUNCIL MEMBER. RIGHT NOW. DISTRICT J IS REPRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, AND WE HAVE, AND WE WANT TO KEEP HIM AS OUR COUNCIL MEMBER, WHATEVER ISSUE WE HAVE AS A COMMUNITY, HE WORKS WITH US AND MAKES HIMSELF AVAILABLE. PLEASE KEEP PRECINCT 5, 6 7 IN DISTRICT J. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. CONSUELA RAMIREZ. CONSUELA RAMIREZ ON RAMIREZ. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS CONSUELO RAMIREZ. I'M A ACTIVIST AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT H. I'M HERE BECAUSE OF YOUR VISION TO EXPAND ON DISTRICT H WITHIN THE MAP. IT'S A WAY TO CONSERVE OUR COMMUNITIES, TO UNITE THEM. IT ALSO GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ELECT OUR OWN REPRESENTATIVE. AND THAT WAY WE CAN UNITE OUR COMMUNITIES TO MEETINGS WHERE WE CAN BE HEARD IN OUR OWN LANGUAGE. IN THIS DISTRICT, I'VE, I'VE BEEN IN THIS DISTRICT SINCE I MOVED, IMMIGRATED TO THIS COUNTRY, AND I KNOW THAT THE NEEDS, UH, WHAT'S NEEDED HERE, SINCE I'VE BEEN GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, I WANNA APPRECIATE OUR REPRESENTATIVE CARLOS ROS. EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T SPEAK OUR OWN LANGUAGE, WE'VE BEEN CONNECTED IN THE WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE OUR NEEDS. [02:20:02] I AND IN EACH, UH, DISTRICT THAT SHE REPRESENTS. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE IMMIGRATION POP, UH, POPULATION TO BE HEARD, TO BE, TO DEVELOP NOW THAT WE CAME INTO THIS COUNTRY, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE WE CAN FLOURISH. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EACH REPRESENTATIVE REACHES OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. WE NEED SO MUCH. AND IT'S GOOD FOR WHEN YOU HAVE THE MAPS TO UNITE OUR COMMUNITIES. AND REMEMBER THAT IN EACH COMMUNITY THAT YOU REPRESENT, THERE IS OLDER PEOPLE, THE OLDER POPULATION, AND EACH ONE OF 'EM HAVE SEEN YOU. YOU'VE SEEN THEM GROW UP AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY ARE ALSO REPRESENTED IN ONE LAST. THANK YOU. JUST A QUESTION FROM ME. SO YOU, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I AM CLEAR. YOU DON'T, IS SHE SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF THE MAP AS IT IS BEING PRESENTED? OR IS SHE SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION TO THE MAP AS BEING PRESENTED? WHAT I'M FAVOR OF IS UNITING OUR COMMUNITIES AND TO ALSO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE THAT REALLY SPEAKS OUT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I GOT YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THEN LEMME JUST SAY TO EVERYONE, IN EVERYONE IN GENERAL, OF COURSE, THESE ARE THE MAPS THAT, UM, THAT, UH, UH, PLANNING HAS PUT FORTH. BUT ANYONE OR ANY ORGANIZATION, UH, HAS AN OP HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT MAPS OF ITS OWN. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THESE MAPS, IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THE MAPS THAT ARE BEFORE US, YOU ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT MAPS OF YOUR OWN, UH, IN TERMS OF HOW YOU THINK A DISTRICT OR DISTRICT SHOULD BE DRAWN. YOU'RE NOT RESTRICTED JUST TO THESE MAPS. SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UH, YOU DO HAVE, YOU DO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY IN THE, IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT WE PROCEED ON WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US. OKAY. ALRIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER. TOMORROW BELL. TOMORROW BELL. GOOD MORNING. UH, MORNING, SLY TURNER. MAYOR TURNER IS GOOD TO SEE YOU. I'M VERY GLAD TO SEE YOU, UH, THIS MORNING. COUNCIL MEMBERS TODAY, I CAME TO PRAISE CAESAR, NOT TO BURY HIM AS I USUALLY COME BEFORE YOU. ALL THE PROCESS THAT YOU ALL DID IN THIS REDISTRICT AND WAS ONE OF THE MOST INCLUSIVE PROCESSES THAT I'VE SEEN YOU ALL DO IN A LONG TIME. AND WHEN I SAY NOT JUST YOU, MAYOR ARTURO, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I GOT LOCKED AND LOADED FOR YOU, DIRECTOR BROWN, WHEREVER SHE IS. THE FACT THAT YOU ALL WENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, YOU ALLOWED THE COMMUNITY TO SPEAK NOT ONLY ON REDISTRICTING, BUT WHY THEY RECYCLING WASN'T PICKED UP WHILE THE POTHOLE WASN'T FILLED, AND WHY THEY PARKS LOOKED THE SAME. THEY WERE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU ALL NEAR THEM WHERE THEY COULD TOUCH YOU BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN ROUGH AND THAT HAS NOT ALWAYS OCCURRED. BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU REITERATED A POINT THAT I WAS GONNA BRING UP. YOU NOT ONLY BROUGHT THE PRESENTATIONS THAT YOU HAD YOUR PEOPLE WORKING ON, BUT YOU TOLD THE PUBLIC, HEY, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, BRING ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO LOOK AT. YOU ALL RARELY DO THAT. AND I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU ALL CONTINUE THIS PROCESS BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE WHOLE, AND ALL THE THINGS, THE IDM CHAPTER 42, THE PARK LANES, THE BIKE LANES, THIS ONE YOU ALL GAVE PEOPLE A, AN A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THE PROCESS AND NOT FEEL PROCESSED [02:25:01] AS MANY OF THE TIMES, THAT IS WHAT OCCURS. SO I WANTED TO APPLAUD YOU ALL AND LET ME BE CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC LISTENING, I AM APPLAUDING THE PROCESS. I AM NOW. I AIN'T LYING. I'M NOT A FAN OF SOME OF THESE MAPS, AND I UNDERSTAND WHY THESE PEOPLE ARE HERE AT 9:00 AM ON A WEDNESDAY, OKAY? BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT FEELING THAT WAY. IT TAKES, YOU GOT A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR FOUR YEARS, YOU ONLY HAD TWO. YOU REALLY GET TO KNOW WHAT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER IS MADE UP OF FOUR YEARS AND WHETHER THEY HEARD YOUR CRIES OR DECRA YOUR PAIN, IT GIVES YOU A DECISION THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE. AND WHEN YOU HAVE A COHESIVE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU DON'T WANNA SEE THAT THREATEN AND CHANGED. BUT EVERY ARGUMENT THAT HAS COME BEFORE YOU THIS MORNING HAS REITERATED WHAT I AND MANY SUPER NEIGHBOR HOOD LEADERS HAVE SAID YOU NEED AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS. BECAUSE AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS DON'T LOOK AT, UH, WHO'S IN THE, THE LITTLE POPULATION IS POPULAR. THEY LOOK AT EVERYBODY. AND SO THAT IS WHY YOU NEED THEM AND THAT IS WHY YOU NEED TO KEEP THEM. I KNOW MANY PEOPLE ARE NEW TO THIS WHOLE POLITICAL PROCESS, BUT THIS IS WHY YOU HAVE THEM, BECAUSE THEY CARE FOR ALL OF THE DISTRICTS EVERYWHERE AND THEY NEED TO STAY IN PLACE. THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. IN ADDITION TO THAT, I KNOW THAT'S NOT MY TOPIC. I KNOW I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT THIS. I WANNA APPLAUD YOU ON THE CAMERAS AT THE CONVENIENCE STORES. YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE CALLED ME ON THE NEWS, YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN ASLEEP, BUT I WENT PUBLICLY AND SAID HOW I THINK THAT IS AN EXCELLENT MEASURE TO DETER CRIME WHERE WE ARE NOW. YOU GOTTA USE EVERYTHING IN THE TOOLBOX. AND THEY WANNA TELL ME, BUSINESS PEOPLE FEEL THEY SHOULD NOT ENFORCE THE LAW. YOU AIN'T ENFORCING THE LAW. YOU ARE ONLY TAKING THE FOOTAGE. AND IF YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH ENFORCING THE LAW, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE AN OCCUPANCY PERMIT. OKAY. BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A COST TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS CITY. AND I, YOUR TIME HAS TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT, UM, UM, YOUR COMMENTS THIS MORNING AND PUT IT ON A VIDEO , AND PLAY IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER ON THE LOOSE. IT SHALL, IT SHALL APPEAR ON SOCIAL MEDIA WITHIN A COUPLE HOURS. HEY, I'M GOOD WITH IT, . OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. NEXT SPEAKER. STEVE BANKS. STEVE BANKS. OH, STEVE BANKS. IF YOU ARE, PRESS STAR SIX. STEVE BANKS. YES. OKAY. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING. UH, I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE MONTGOMERY CHAIR, HOA, AND I AM PROPOSING THAT, UM, MONTGOMERY TERRACE, WELL, MONTGOMERY TERRACE IS CURRENTLY NOW SPLIT BETWEEN TWO DISTRICTS. THE SPLIT HALF OF MONTGOMERY TERRACE IS IN, UM, DISTRICT A AND THE OTHER HALF IS IN DISTRICT B. WE'VE JUST GONE THROUGH AN EFFORT OF SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDING OUR DEED RESTRICTIONS, AND WE HAD TO WORK WITH BOTH AMY PECK AND TASHA JACKSON TO DO SO. SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS THAT WE COMBINE, UM, THAT MONTGOMERY TERRACE BE COMBINED INTO DISTRICT B, UM, SUCH THAT WE ONLY HAVE TO, UM, WORK WITH, UM, JUST ONE COUNCIL PERSON, UM, GOING FORWARD. THANKS. THANKS VERY MUCH. UH, UH, STEVE, AND AGAIN, I WANT TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, ARTURO, MICHELLE AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT FOR WORKING WITH YOU ON, ON THOSE LEAD RESTRICTIONS, YOU KNOW, IN THAT AREA. AND MAYOR, THEY DID A GREAT JOB. WE'RE, WE'RE WE, WE, WE LIKE TO PUBLICLY, UM, THANK AMY AND TASHA, UM, FOR THEIR EFFORTS. UH, COUNCILMAN PAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU STEVE FOR SPEAKING TODAY. I COMPLETELY AGREE THAT, UM, MONTGOMERY TERRACE SHOULD BE IN ONE DISTRICT AS OPPOSED TO BEING SPLIT BETWEEN TWO. UNFORTUNATELY, THE COUNTY, UM, LINES SPLIT THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SO IT WOULD HAVE TO, UM, TAKE MORE OF DISTRICT A INTO B THAN JUST MONTGOMERY TERRACE ALONE. AND ALTHOUGH I WANT TO KEEP ALL OF MONTGOMERY TERRACE IN DISTRICT A, I DON'T KNOW THAT FEASIBLY I WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE NUMBERS IN DISTRICT A, BUT IF THERE'S A WAY TO GET ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN ONE COUNCIL DISTRICT, I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE. I DON'T, I DON'T LIKE SPLITTING ANY NEIGHBORHOOD. IT JUST DOESN'T WORK AS WELL. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY WELL TOGETHER, UM, TO SUPPORT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE WERE ABLE TO DO SPEED CUSHIONS TOGETHER, THAT KIND OF THING. BUT JUST IN GENERAL, IT IS DIFFICULT TO HAVING TO DEAL WITH TWO COUNCIL OFFICES FOR THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD. SO, I COMPLETELY AGREE. OKAY. THANKS VERY MUCH, STEVE. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. LEROY FLOWERS. LEROY FLOWERS, IF YOU OPPRESSED OUR SEX LEROY LEROY FLOWERS. MORNING THERE. HE'S GOOD. GOOD MORNING. LEROY MUTED HIMSELF AGAIN. HELLO? [02:30:01] YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'M, UH, LEROY FLOWERS, PRESIDENT OF THE HORMONAL ASSOCIATION, AND I'M CALLING ALMOST A DITTO OF WHAT MR. BANKS JUST SAID. UH, MONTGOMERY CARE CONSIST OF, UH, NINE STREETS, FOUR AND A HALF IN DISTRICT A AND OTHER FOUR AND A HALF IN DISTRICT B. AND WE ARE APPRECIATIVE OF THE GREAT WORK THAT COUNCILMAN AMY PECK HAS DONE WITH US. BUT, UH, FOR FEASIBILITY AND MORE UNITY, WE PREFER THAT THOSE STREETS AND DISTRICT ARE AB MOVED TO DISTRICT B BECAUSE WE HAVE MANY PEOPLE WHO'VE LIVED IN MONTGOMERY TERRACE OVER THE YEARS, AND THEY STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT DISTRICT THEY'RE IN. SO WE WILL BE A APPRECIATIVE OF, UH, THOSE FOUR STREETS, FOUR AND A HALF STREETS, AND A B MOVED TO DISTRICT B. AND WE THANK YOU AND WE THANK BOTH COUNCILMAN FOR THE GREAT WORK THEY'VE DONE AND THE, AND THE EFFORTS THEY PUT FORTH IN HELPING US IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY. AND THANK YOU A LOT. THANK YOU. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, PAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU LEROY FOR SPEAKING TODAY. UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I WANNA KEEP ALL OF YOU IN DISTRICT A AND IF WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF STREETS, I WOULD FIGHT TO KEEP THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD IN DISTRICT A, BUT WITH THE COUNTY PRECINCT LINES, I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE THAT EASY JUST TO MOVE FOUR AND A HALF STREETS OVER. BUT LEROY, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY. UM, YOU AND STEVE BOTH HAVE DONE SO MUCH, MUCH IN MONTGOMERY TERRACE, AND I JUST WANT TO, UM, TELL YOU MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . NEXT SPEAKER. ELAINE BRITT. ELAINE BRIT. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, MY NAME IS ELAINE BRITT. I AM A RESIDENT OF MEYERLAND, BUT I AM ALSO HERE BECAUSE I REPRESENT THE MEYERLAND COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THAT GROUP. UM, I WANT TO, UM, THANK YOU GUYS FOR LISTENING TO US, THE COMMUNITY. AS YOU'VE HEARD, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY. UM, I KNOW REDISTRICTING IS A HUGE CHALLENGE. UM, NO ONE WANTS ANY CHANGE. UM, AND MR. WOOD, I, I FEEL REALLY BADLY FOR YOU. YOU HAVE A VERY HARD JOB. UM, SO I, I EMPATHIZE. UM, MEYERLAND HAS A RICH HISTORY. WE'VE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF CHANGE RECENTLY. UM, WE'VE BEEN PART OF DISTRICT C FOR OVER 30 YEARS. UM, WE'RE A BIG PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. IT'S NOT JUST MEYERLAND ITSELF, IT'S, UM, MARYLAND ESTATE, BARKLEY SQUARE, MAPLEWOOD, THE WHOLE MEYERLAND AREA. WE ALSO HAVE THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, WHICH REPRESENTS NOT ONLY, UM, A COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE LITERAL SENSE, BUT ALSO IS A COMMUNITY HUB FOR INFORMATION COUNSELING AND OTHER RESOURCES. UM, OUR MEYERLAND, THE AREA ALSO ALIGNS VERY CLOSELY WITH OTHER SECTIONS OF DISTRICT C ALONG BRAZE BAYOU BECAUSE WE HAVE, UM, THEY HAVE ALSO, UM, EXPERIENCED FLOODING, UM, STARTING WITH TROPICAL STORM ALLISON. SO WE SHARE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION WITH THAT GROUP. UM, WE HAVE HEARD SOME RUMORS THAT MEYERLAND MIGHT BE MOVED TO DISTRICT J UM, ON A MAP. IT LOOKS CONVENIENT TO LOP US OFF BECAUSE, UM, DISTRICT C HAS A, A LITTLE BIT OF A FUNNY SHAPE. BUT PLEASE BE AWARE THAT BEL AIR AND WEST U GIVE US THAT WEIRD SHAPE. UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF THAT WERE INCLUDED, THAT WE WOULD SEEM MUCH MORE COHESIVE. UM, ALSO WE'RE VERY SENSITIVE THAT DISTRICT J IS CONSIDERED A HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT. UM, BASED ON THE CENSUS DATA THAT I HAVE. MEYERLAND IS 60% NON-HISPANIC WHITE. UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD SKEW THAT, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND. UM, THE CITY'S DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS HAS WORKED REALLY HARD TO CREATE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS. WE'D ENCOURAGE, UM, ALL OF THE MEYERLAND AREA, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 31 REMAIN INTACT. UM, I AM A RECENT GRADUATE OF THE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES UNIVERSITY. UM, SO HOPEFULLY DIRECTOR FRANCIS WILL BE WATCHING THIS AND KNOW THAT I'M HERE SPEAKING, UM, AND USING THE THINGS THAT SHE HAS, THE SKILLS SHE HAS GIVEN ME TO COME FORWARD. UM, BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE SUPPORT THE CURRENT DRAFT OF THE MAPS AS IS. UM, WE HAVE [02:35:01] AN EXCELLENT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH DISTRICT C, AND WE HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE WITH THAT GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KINGMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, ELAINE, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, FOR ALL THAT MCIA DOES. UH, IT'S A, IT'S INCREDIBLE, UH, WHAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MEYERLAND AS A COHESIVE COMMUNITY AND ALL ALONG THAT BAYOU CORRIDOR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SIX 10 AS WELL. YES. UM, THE RESILIENCE THROUGHOUT THE FLOODS, UH, HAS BEEN REALLY, REALLY INCREDIBLE AND ALL YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH BEYOND THAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU. I JUMPED INTO Q IN CASE YOU RAN OUTTA TIME, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WRAPPED UP. YEAH. UM, BUT I, I DID JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THE, UH, PARTNERSHIP YOU HAVE, NOT ONLY WITH OUR OFFICE, BUT ALL OF THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS ALONG THE BAYOU CORRIDOR. EXACTLY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER, DEBORAH KERNER. DEBORAH KERNER TO BE FOLLOWED BY TERRY KAMINSKI. UH, GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. AND I WANNA SECOND WHAT SHE SAID. I'M DEBORAH KERNER, AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT A DISTRICT C HEARING, AND I WANTED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME DOWN HERE TODAY. I REPRESENT MYSELF, BUT I LIVE IN MAPLEWOOD, SOUTH NORTH, AND AS YOU CAN HEAR, MAPLEWOOD SOUTH NORTH INCLUDES BOTH SIDES OF THE BAYOU. SO I WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I APPROVE OF HOW YOU HANDLED MEYERLAND. AND I WANT US TO SAY STAY IN DISTRICT C. UM, THE NAME OF THE SUBDIVISION INCLUDES BOTH SIDES OF BRAISE BAYOU. THE COMMUNITY IS BOTH SIDES OF BA BRAISE BAYOU. WE CROSS THE BAYOU TO GO TO THE STORE, THE DRUG STORE, UH, SCHOOLS, PARKS, AS SHE SAID, THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER. IT HAS TWO BUILDINGS, ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE BAYOU. PLEASE DO NOT SPLIT MEYERLAND AND KEEP US IN DISTRICT C. SO I THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND I KNOW I DIDN'T USE UP MY FULL TIME. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR KEEPING US INTACT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. DEBBIE, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, BOTH, UM, AT OUR CIP AND REDISTRICTING TOWN HALL, BUT ALSO COMING TODAY AS A, A RESIDENT THAT IS CONSISTENTLY ENGAGED IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, TERRY KAMINSKI TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROY LIRA. HELLO EVERYONE. I'M TERRY KAMINSKI. I AM THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT FOR, UH, 7 31 WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AS OUR FEARLESS LEADER. UM, I AM HANDING OUT A JUST A LITTLE OUTLINE PAMPHLET FOR YOU WITH SOME NOTES AND, UM, A LITTLE MAP THAT I'LL DISCUSS IN A MOMENT. SO THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 31 WAS, UM, STARTED AFTER THE MEMORIAL DAY STORM, WHICH AFFECTED OUR WHOLE AREA, UM, SO SEVERELY BY THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE MEYERLAND, UM, UM, HOA AND THE, UH, JCC, UM, THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, WHICH OF COURSE HAS A STRONG, UH, MEMBERSHIP OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, BUT IS ALSO OPEN TO EVERYONE AND HAS A VERY MIXED, UM, CLIENTELE, UM, HAS BEEN VERY, UM, IMPORTANT IN DISTRIBUTING WATER SUPPLIES. EVERYTHING DURING ALL OF THE STORMS WE'VE HAD, UM, CATERS TO EVERYONE. THEY ARE THE HEART OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, UM, AND THE PLACE TO GO FOR, UM, A LOT OF THE NEEDS THAT HAVE HELPED THE COMMUNITY. UM, UM, THERE'S A FEW ITEMS LISTED HERE. THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE ITEMS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN HAS HELPED US WITH. UM, SHE HAS PUT A BIKE STATION. WE HAVE A BRIDGE THAT CROSSES OF THE BAYOU THAT'S, UM, CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY CENTER TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE BRA WOOD BAYOU. UM, SO SHE HAS DONE THE BIKE STATION. ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT SHE'S JUST STARTED TO HELP US WITH IS TO CREATE A CRIME REDUCTION GROUP. WE HAVE THREE MAJOR APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT HAVE HAD A LOT OF CRIME, UM, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. AND SHE HAS CREATED THIS GROUP OF MAJOR PLAYERS, COMMANDER, POLICE COMMANDERS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE. AND THEY'VE MET WITH KNOB HILL. I WAS OUT OF TOWN THAT DAY, BUT A [02:40:01] LOT OF OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD MEMBERS. AND, UM, SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE MET WITH THE MANAGEMENT TEAM. THERE'S SOME NEW, UM, MANAGEMENT THERE. AND WE'VE HAD, THEY HAD A GREAT FIRST MEETING AND WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A SECOND, SECOND ONE SOON AND THEN GO ON TO THE SECOND COMPLEX. AND SO WE REALLY WANNA STAY TOGETHER AND CONTINUE THAT GREAT EFFORT THAT SHE STARTED. UM, SHE'S DONE SOME, A LOT OF FLOODING WORK IN OUR AREA. UM, AND, UM, THERE WAS SOME RECENT SEWAGE ISSUES IN ONE OF OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AREAS THAT SHE'S, UM, REALLY FOLLOWED UP ON A LOT. A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS WE'VE DONE. I'VE ONLY MENTIONED A FEW OF THEM HERE. UM, ON THE SECOND PAGE, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AREA, UM, THAT DEBORAH JUST KIND OF MENTIONED. AND I HAVE A LITTLE KEY OVER HERE. SO EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT MEYERLAND AS THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. IT IS THE GREATER MEYERLAND AREA. IT CONSISTS OF NINE, UM, SUBDIVISIONS. THERE ARE TWO MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS, MEYERLAND AND MAPLEWOOD. AND AS DEBRA JUST MENTIONED, UM, MEYERLAND ACTUALLY HAS THREE DIFFERENT AREAS. UM, UM, NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE BAYOU AND WEST. YEAH. TOM HAS EXPIRED. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. UM, TERRY, IF YOU WANTED TO USE SOME OF MY TIME TO WRAP UP IN TALKING ABOUT THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, JUST, JUST A COUPLE SECONDS. YES. UM, AND MAPLEWOOD ALSO HAS NORTH AND SOUTH. SO THERE WAS A RUMOR AT ONE POINT THAT YOU WERE GONNA SPLIT MILE IN DOWN BRAISE BAYOU. WE CAN'T SPLIT THE AREA, WE HAVE TO KEEP THE AREA TOGETHER. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE HOAS TO BE ABLE TO CONDUCT THEIR BUSINESS. SO THIS WAS JUST A MAP TO SHOW YOU HOW IMPORTANT AND COHESIVE WE NEED TO BE. AND ALSO JUST TO MENTION THAT MEYERLAND WORKS VERY WELL WITH THE NEXT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD DOWN THE BAYOU SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 32, BECAUSE WE'RE BOTH RIGHT ON THE BAYOU. WE BOTH HAVE SUFFERED TERRIBLY WITH THE FLOODS. WE BOTH ARE NOW REBUILDING AND HAVING NEW CONSTRUCTION. SO 31 AND 32 WORK VERY WELL TOGETHER. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE BRIDGES THAT WERE JUST REBUILT AND THE LIGHTING THAT WE NEED, AND WE REALLY WORK VERY COHESIVELY TOGETHER. SO, AND I ALSO JUST WANNA PUT, UM, A THANK YOU OF COURSE TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN, BUT ALSO TO OUR AT LARGE SALLY, UH, ELKHORN AND DAVID ROBINSON, WHO ARE VERY ACTIVE WITH US AS WELL. SO THANK YOU ALL OF YOU, BUT ESPECIALLY TO THOSE TWO. THANK YOU. AND MAYOR, IF I ATTORNEY COUNCILMAN MCCAIN? SORRY. UM, NO, I JUST, TERRY IS THE PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 31. AND I KNOW YOU WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD GOING AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. UM, I APPRECIATE THE KIND WORDS TOWARDS ME, BUT I ALSO, WHAT STANDS OUT? UM, WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS THE COHESIVENESS OF THAT AREA AND ALSO, UM, AGAIN, ALONG THE BAYOU, UH, TO THE EAST. UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF, COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST ALONG THAT CORRIDOR? I KNOW DEBBIE HAD MENTIONED THE JCC, UM, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF SYNAGOGUES IN THAT AREA. WELL, THAT'S IN MY PRINTOUT. I COULDN'T TALK THE WHOLE THING, BUT THAT WHOLE STRIP FROM HILLCROFT DOWN, DOWN IS THERE, THERE ARE MANY SYNAGOGUES AND CHURCHES. IT'S A VERY FAITH RELATED AREA, THE WHOLE AREA. AND THAT'S ALL IN MY, IN THAT PRINTOUT THAT I GAVE YOU, SO THAT YOU COULD SEE THAT I COULDN'T SAY EVERYTHING, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WELCOME ALL FAITHS, ALL RELIGIONS, ALL TRADITIONS. AND, UM, IT'S JUST A, IT'S A, THE WHOLE STRIPPED DOWN IS A VERY COHESIVE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND WE WANNA STAY TOGETHER AND WE WANNA STAY IN DISTRICT C BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT SO WELL. . THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. ROY LIRA. ROY LIRA TO BE FOLLOWED BY SEMI LYNN. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ROY RA AND I'M THE VICE CHAIR OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE, THE SNA. THANKS, MAYOR TURNER. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, AND OUR CITY DEMOGRAPHER, MR. JERRY WOOD FOR THE TRANSPARENCY AND FAIR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT USED DURING THE FRONT END OF THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS. HAVING, ALONG WITH STACY FAIRCHILD, THE SNA SECRETARY, WE BOTH PERSONALLY ATTENDED NINE OF THE 12 IN PERSON MEETINGS AND THE VIRTUAL MEETING, MAYOR TURNER, OUR DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH OF THESE MEETINGS, EXPLICITLY STATED THAT A DRAFT MAP WOULD BE CREATED ONLY AFTER THE INFORMATION GATHERING PROCESS TO CAPTURE ALL COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. THIS SET THE TONE FOR OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT CONSTITUENTS CONCERNS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEIR DISTRICT DURING THE NEXT DECADE. ADDITIONALLY, EV EVERY PERSON WHO CHOSE TO SPEAK AT EACH MEETING WERE PROVIDED MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES. THERE WERE SOME GROWING PAINS REGARDING TRANSLATORS. AND AFTER A BRIEF HICCUP, DURING AN EARLY MEETING, AGAIN, THIS SERVICE WAS OFFERED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SESSION SO THAT KNOWN TRANSLATORS WERE ON SITE AND AVAILABLE SO THAT EVERY ATTENDEE WAS AWARE OF AND COULD USE THE SERVICE AND ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE. THANK YOU TO DIRECTOR WALLACE BROWN, WHO WITH HER TEAM, COORDINATED THESE MEETINGS IN A RELATIVELY BRIEF PERIOD FOR THOSE WHO CHOSE TO SUBMIT THEIR OWN REDISTRICTING PLAN. THE CITY OFFERED THAT OPTION TWO. IN FACT, I WAS ONE OF THE CONSTITUENTS WHO [02:45:01] CHOSE TO SUBMIT A PLAN. AND WITH THAT OPPORTUNITY CAME ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING WITH RUPE KHI ON HOW TO USE THE SYSTEM, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD FOR ITS PART ALLIANCE. RATHER, UH, COLLABORATED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS DIRECTOR TO KASHA FRANCIS, TO CREATE AND SHARE A REFERENCE GUIDE THAT CONSOLIDATED THIS INFORMATION. AND SHE THEN DISTRIBUTED TO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER TO SHARE WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE CONSTITUENCY, THANK YOU TO OUR LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED THESE SESSIONS IN STATE AFTERWARDS TO SPEAK WITH CONSTITUENTS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND ACCEPT FEEDBACK. YOU'VE EACH CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO IDENTIFYING AND ACTING ON CITYWIDE ISSUES. LISTENING TO DEBATE AMONGST COUNCIL MEMBERS THIS MORNING, WE UNDERSTAND THAT OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, THE DEMO DEMOGRAPHICS IN EACH DISTRICT WILL CHANGE A VALUE OF AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THAT AS THESE DEMOGRAPHICS CHANGE, THERE ARE NO BOUNDARIES FOR AN AT LARGE REPRESENTATIVE. SO THEY WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE POSITIVE IMPACT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. FROM A NEW SAPR, FROM A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE PERSPECTIVE, WE OBSERVED THAT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD CITIES, SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY ARE ALIVE, WELL, AND BOISTEROUS AS A COLLECTIVE. WE APPRECIATE THAT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK WAS LEVERAGED AND THAT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD RECOMMENDATIONS WERE AND ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AS PART OF THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND PLAN, WHICH WAS FAIR, TRANSPARENT, AND NON-DISCRIMINATORY. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? I COUNCILMAN ROBINSON? YES. THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER. AND, AND ROY, JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE TODAY, BUT FOR REALLY YOUR ATTENTIVENESS ON BEHALF OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE. I THINK IT, IT, YOU WERE OUT AT SO MANY OF THE MEETINGS AND YOU AND STACY REALLY, UH, SHOWED SOME EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP FOR THE GROUP. SO I'VE, ONE QUESTION FOR YOU RELATED TO YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH CREATING A MAP. I'M CURIOUS HOW YOU FOUND THAT PROCESS, WHETHER YOU FELT YOU LEARNED SOMETHING IN TAKING IT ON AND, AND NOW THAT YOU'VE SEEN WHAT THE DEMOGRAPHER HAS COME UP WITH AND WHERE WE ARE DISCUSSING THOSE BOUNDARIES TODAY. IF YOU'VE GOT A PERSPECTIVE, AND, AND MAYBE FIRST OF ALL, WHETHER THAT MAP REPRESENTS YOUR OPINION OR SOMEHOW IS THERE A CONSENSUS THAT WILL COME FROM THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE, OR IS THAT, UH, BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE TASK WITH, FOR MY CONVERSATION DATE, IT'S RESPECTFUL TO RESPECTIVE OF THE PROCESS ITSELF, PERSONALLY AND OBSERVING. EACH DISTRICT HAS ITS CHALLENGES AND YOU REQUIRE EXPERTS FOR EACH AREA. THAT'S CLEAR TO SEE. I LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE CITY DURING THE PAST SIX WEEKS THAN I HAVE IN THE FOUR DECADES PLUS OF LIVING HERE. FROM A USAGE PERSPECTIVE, THE CITY WENT A LONG WAY TO GAIN THE, A LONG WAY TO GAINING THE TRUST OF A CONSTITUENTS. AND I THINK THERE'S STILL A LONG WAY TO GO. HOWEVER, BEING OPEN-MINDED AND HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS AS A FIRST STEP FROM A, USING THE SYSTEM TO SUBMIT A PLAN THAT WAS A TIMELY, THAT WAS OVER THREE HOURS TO COMPLETE. SO THAT SYSTEM WITH TECHNOLOGY IS DIFFICULT AND EXPECTING A RESIDENT OR A CONSTITUENT TO GO USE THE SYSTEM FOR THE FIRST TIME, EVEN AS SEX SAVVY AS A PERSON MAY BE, IS TIME CONSUMING. YEAH. BECAUSE REALISTICALLY, I'M NOT AWARE AS A CONSTITUENT OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CI SNES, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S SOME OF THE PRECINCTS WITHIN THAT AREA WHERE THEY BEST LIE. IT'S A BIG CITY, ISN'T IT, MR. LARA? AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I KNOW WHAT, UM, MR. WOOD IS, UM, WRESTLING WITH TO MAKE THIS FAIR AND EQUITABLE. IT DOES COME DOWN TO SOME PRETTY, UM, UH, SPECIFIC CHALLENGES WITH THE PRECINCTS AND THE BOUNDARIES, KEEPING NEIGHBORHOODS INTACT, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT, UH, ATTORNEY MICHELLE OUTLINED AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR HEARING. SO I AGAIN, WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR PAYING ATTENTION AND, AND EMBRACING THAT EXERCISE FOR US. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MEGOS. THANK YOU MAYOR ROY, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR DEDICATION IN THE, UH, SECOND WARD SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND EVERYTHING YOU DO IN THE EAST END AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. THANKS. THANKS ROY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. COUNCILMAN NERO. WELL DONE ROY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS PROCESS AND, AND YOUR WORDS TODAY. REALLY APPRECIATE YOU VERY SO VERY MUCH AND YOUR LEADERSHIP. THANKS. THANKS, ROY. CHEERS. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER SHIMMY LYNN SHIMMY LYNN TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALICE LEE. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR TURNER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. MY NAME IS CHI MELIN. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER. I'M HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED REDISTRICTING MAP. AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU BECAUSE THAT'S A GREAT EFFORT BEHIND FIRST OF ALL, THE CENSUS AND THEN THE REDISTRICTING. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER WILL STAY IN PRECINCT 5 0 7, PART OF THE DISTRICT F THE REASON I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT IN TWO DIRECTIONS, ONE, OF COURSE [02:50:01] IN MY 20 YEARS TENURE WITH, UH, CHINESE COMMITTEE CENTER, WE'RE VERY PROUD AND HONORED TO DEVELOP INTO THE EYE AND HAND OF THIS THREE F WHY IT'S EVIDENCED BY ALL THE DISASTER RELIEF EFFORT. YOU KNOW, IF YOU STILL REMEMBER BACK IN THE KATRINA 2005, CHINESE COMMITTEE CENTER IS ONE OF THE FIRST AGENCIES STEPPING UP HELPING OUT THE 20,000 BOAT PEOPLE DISPLACED FROM LOUISIANA. WHY? BECAUSE THEY WERE CAMPING IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE HONG KONG CITY MALL. AND I WAS DOING THE, DO YOU KNOW THE LONG WEEKEND OF LABOR DAY? WE STEP UP BECAUSE WE ARE EQUIPPED WITH MULTILINGUAL STAFF, AND THEN WE HAVE LOCAL RESOURCE THAT WE MOBILIZE. SO FROM THAT MOMENT ON, WE KNOW WE ARE A CRITICAL PLAYER OF THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY INDUSTRY F BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I STUDY THE MATH CAREFULLY. IF YOU LOOK WEST, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THE DCF IS FOR. AND DCJ WAS SO PLEASED TO SEE THE GROWING AND THE ADDITION OF DCJ, WHICH IS YOU GO EAST, RIGHT? BUT WHY WE SAY WE ARE THE I AND HAND, IT'S A BUILDUP PROCESS AND IT'S A LOT OF LABOR. AND, AND MAYOR TURNER, YOU NEVER SHY OF CALLING CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER WHEN THE CENSUS 7, 7 0 3 6 IS ONE OF THE LOWEST RESPONDING NEIGHBORHOOD. WE RESPOND TO YOUR REQUESTS BECAUSE DURING THE PANDEMIC, EVERYBODY WAS SHELTERING. HOW DO YOU GET THE CENSUS RESPONDING RATE? WE MOBILIZE OUR SOCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND BECAUSE WE'RE ALSO PART OF THE CITY'S EVICTION REDUCTION PROJECT, SO WE BUNDLE THESE SERVICES, RIGHT? WE HELPING OUT THE FAMILIES WHO'S IN GREAT NEED, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE STILL PROMOTE THE CENSUS 2020. THAT'S HARVEY RELIEF. AND WE ACTUALLY RESPOND TO YOUR REQUEST. AND JUST NOW TODAY, WE ARE STILL PART OF THE HA UH, HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE VACCINATION, THE HEALTH EQUITY PROJECT. WE'RE PROMOTING THE VACCINATION. DO WE KNOW WHY? BECAUSE THERE ARE FIVE NEIGHBORHOODS BY ZIP CODES. WE ARE THE LOWEST VA, WE SHOW THE LOWEST VACCINATION RATE, AND WE RESPONDED TO THAT THROUGH THE PROJECT. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU RFI. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND, AND SHARING YOUR SUPPORT, UM, FOR FIVE PRECINCT 5 0 7 REMAINING IN DISTRICT F. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THE CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER IS AN ASSET, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY, AND YOU'RE AN ANCHOR FOR THE WORK THAT YOU MENTIONED AROUND, UM, DATING ALL THE WAY BACK TO HURRICANE KATRINA, BUT THE MOST RECENT WORK WITH OUR RENT RELIEF AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING, ALL OF THE OTHER COLLABORATIONS THAT WE HAVE. UM, AND SO I WANNA THANK YOU AND, AND I I AM ALSO IN SUPPORT OF PRECINCT 5 0 7 REMAINING IN DISTRICT F. SO THANKS FOR COMING THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, ALICE LEE. ALICE BE FOLLOWED BY SHANTE SALISBURY. GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. MY NAME IS ALICE LEE, AND EVEN BEFORE I BECAME THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, I WAS A CONSTITUENT IN DISTRICT F. AND I'M COMING HERE TODAY IN MY PERSONAL CAPACITY, AND THAT IS THROUGH THAT CAPACITY THAT HAS ALLOWED ME TO WORK WITH SEVERAL OF YOU HERE ON CITY COUNCIL. ALTHOUGH CITY COUNCIL, UM, WE HAVE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO REPRESENT SOUTHWEST DISTRICT. WE ARE SO BLESSED TO BE WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD AND THOMAS. WE HAVE BUILT A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WORKING WITH BOTH OF THEM. AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS. THERE IS A SAYING IN AMERICA, IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT. I LIKE TO ADD TO THAT. THE CHINESE WORD IS XI, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS THAT RELATIONSHIPS ARE BUILT THROUGH TRUST AND RESPECT ESTABLISHED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. THAT SAID, I LIKE TO ASK THAT PRECINCT 5 0 7 REMAIN IN DISTRICT F AS IN THE PROPOSED MAP. PRECINCT 5 0 7 INCLUDES CHINATOWN, WHICH DEVELOPED ORGANICALLY OVER TIME. THERE ARE INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS CENTERS, APARTMENTS, TOWN HOMES IN AT LEAST HALF A DOZEN ASIAN OWNED BANKS, MOST OF THEM ALONG BELLOR BOULEVARD, WHICH WE HAVE DUBBED THE ASIAN WALL STREET. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THERE ARE HIDDEN TREASURES IN PRECINCT 5 0 7, MANY OF WHICH HAVE ESTABLISHED GUANGXI WITH THEIR DISTRICT F COUNCIL MEMBER. THE CJI FOUNDATION IS AN INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION, WHICH HAS SERVED THE REGION DURING DISASTERS LIKE HURRICANE HARVEY, WHICH STILL SERVES ABOUT [02:55:01] 300 FAMILIES BIMONTHLY WITH THEIR FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS, WHICH STARTED UP DURING THE PANDEMIC AND HASN'T STOPPED YET. FAMILIES ARE STILL STRUGGLING WITH RISING FOOD, RENT, CHILDCARE, AND MEDICAL COSTS. THERE IS A FOOD DISTRIBUTION THIS SATURDAY MORNING ACTUALLY, AND ALL THE PUBLIC ARE WELCOME. THE TAIWANESE COMMUNITY CENTER MANAGED BY THE TAIWANESE HERITAGE SOCIETY, HAS BEEN IN DISTRICT F SINCE 1992. THEY JUST RECENTLY HELD A VERY ACTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL YES FESTIVAL IN THE DISTRICT. IT WAS SO SUCCESSFUL. THEY ARE HAVING TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER SPACE TO HOLD IT IN NEXT YEAR, THE HAWA FOUNDATION AND THE MYANMAR AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS ALSO LOCATED IN PRECINCT 5 0 7, AS IS THE CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER, WHICH HAS BEEN IN DISTRICT F FOR 40 YEARS LONGER THAN SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE IN THIS HORSESHOE. AS A FORMER BOARD MEMBER AND CURRENT VOLUNTEER OF THE CENTER, I KNOW THAT THE CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER HAS BUILT RELATIONSHIPS OR GU SHE WITH EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT F COUNCIL MEMBER FOR AT LEAST 30 YEARS, STARTING FROM RAY DRISCOLL TO NOW TIFFANY THOMAS. SO IN CLOSING, I LIKE TO ASK THAT YOU KEEP 5 0 7 IN DISTRICT F. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. ONE SECOND. ALICE, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND ALICE, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORDS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR CONTINUED CONTRIBUTION TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. I JUST, I WANTED TO ECHO MY GRATITUDE, ALICE, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, YOUR PARTNERSHIPS SPECIFICALLY IN THE DISTRICTS THAT YOU ARE INVOLVED IN, BUT ALSO, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU HAVE FORMED WITH MANY OF US THAT MAY NOT BE DIRECTLY IN YOUR DISTRICT, BUT THE WORK THAT WE DO TOGETHER. SO I, I REALLY JUST APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILMAN . THANK YOU. I COULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT BETTER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO PRACTICE THAT WORD SO I CAN START, UM, SO I CAN START COMMUNICATING THAT AS WELL. BUT YOU XI WXI WXI XI. WELL, I'M NOT GONNA EMBARRASS MYSELF ON CAMERA, I'M GONNA DO THAT OFFLINE SO I CAN GET IT RIGHT, BUT THANK YOU. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. UM, THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THE CHINESE BUSINESSES MAKE THROUGH OUR 5 0 7 MAKES US A PART OF THE CULTURAL CURRENCY OF THIS CITY. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PERSONAL INVESTMENT IN THE DISTRICT AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AND ALL OF THE PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS. SO I'M EXCITED AND PLEASED THAT 5 0 7 IS PROPOSED TO REMAIN IN DISTRICT F. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, SHANTE SALISBURY. SHANTE SALISBURY TO BE FOLLOWED BY ZION ESCOBAR. GOOD MORNING, ALL. MY NAME IS SHANTE AND I'M HERE WITH BAKER RIPLEY AS WELL AS HOUSTON IN ACTION. UM, AND WITH BAKER RIPLEY, WE DO A LOT OF WORK WITH, UM, WITHIN UNDERREPRESENTED NEIGHBORHOODS SUCH AS GULFTON AND EASTON. UM, AND I AM TESTIFYING TODAY BECAUSE I'M A PROUD RESIDENT OF THE THIRD WARD, WHICH HAPPENS TO FALL WITHIN DISTRICT D. AND I WANT TO ENSURE THAT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST LIKE MINE ARE EQUALLY DISPERSED AND ADEQUATELY REPRESENTED. UM, THE PROPOSED MAP DOES A RELATIVELY GOOD JOB AT DOING SO. HOWEVER, COMMUNITIES SUCH AS EDGAR'S HOME HAS BEEN DIVIDED OR SEPARATED, WHICH DILUTES THE VOTING POWER OF THIS HISTORIC BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD. FOR THIS REASON, I AM ASKING FOR YOU GUYS TO PLEASE REVISE THE REDISTRICTING PLAN USING THE HOUSTON IN ACTION PROPOSED MAP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, ZION ESCOBAR BE FOLLOWED BY TANZIE SMITH. GOOD MORNING MAYOR. GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS. DELIGHTED TO SEE YOU ALL TODAY. UM, THANK YOU FOR THE SPIRITED DISCUSSION. UH, LAST SESSION, UM, LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I ASKED YOU ALL TO MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. UM, SINCE THEN I'VE DONE SOME HOMEWORK TO MAKE IT MAKE SENSE FOR MYSELF. AND THANK YOU MR. WOOD, FOR HELPING ME MAKE SENSE OF SOME OF THE NUMBERS AND OTHERS WHO I'VE SPOKEN TO, TO HELP, TO HELP UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM, THE, THE OVERAGE AND, AND, AND C AND THE NEED FOR H UM, UM, IS, IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT. AND, AND I'M ABOUT THE NUMBERS, RIGHT? WE TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST TIME. WHAT I'M COMING HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU IS TO MAKE IT RIGHT, RIGHT? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. NOW, I UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF WHAT'S, WHAT'S BEING DISCUSSED. I WANT TO SAY THAT ABBY HAS BEEN MAKING IT RIGHT. SHE HAS BEEN HITTING HOME RUNS FOR US. AND ALTHOUGH WE DON'T GET TO CONTROL OR DECIDE HOW THESE NUMBERS WORK OUT, WE UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT DISTRICT H HAS ITS, ITS PROBLEMS AND ITS, ITS CHALLENGES, EXCUSE ME, NOT PROBLEMS. IT HAS A CHALLENGE IN THE NUMBERS, UM, SPACE RIGHT NOW. [03:00:01] DISTRICT I, UM, HAS ITS OWN CHALLENGES. I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT DISTRICT, I ACTUALLY HAS ASSETS AND PARTS OF THE FREEDMANS TOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT, UM, THE HERITAGE DISTRICT, EXCUSE ME, AS IT STANDS TODAY. AND SO I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS RIGHT, NOT ONLY BY KEEPING US IN DISTRICT C, BUT IF THAT CAN'T BE DONE GOING TO DISTRICT H, UM, WHOEVER FOLLOWS IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS. UM, CARLA, WE, WE ASK THEM TO MAKE IT RIGHT. WE ASK FOR OUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE PART OF MAKING IT RIGHT? AND WHAT WE NEED IS POWER IN NUMBERS. AND SO WHETHER WE STAY, WHETHER WE'RE FORCED TO, TO RELOCATE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT WE NEED IS ADVOCACY. AND SAME THING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. UM, YOU HAVE ANTIOCH BAPTIST CHURCH IN YOUR DISTRICT, AND I'VE HEARD THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB IN ENGAGING WITH PASTOR LOU THERE. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN OPTION OF DO WE REUNITE OURSELVES? AND I, AND THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTS WITH I VERSUS H, RIGHT? SO THERE ARE THREE OPTIONS IN FRONT OF US, OF COURSE, WE ENJOY THE, THE BENEFIT AND THE RELATIONSHIP AND THE 15, 20 DIFFERENT, UH, EFFORTS WE HAVE GOING ON WITH ABBY. SHE'S BEEN KILLING IT. WE WANT THAT FROM WHATEVER COMES NEXT. THAT'S OUR EXPECTATION. MAKE IT RIGHT, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, SHOW UP FOR US NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. THAT'S WHAT MY REQUEST IS OF YOU TODAY. AND, UH, THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD TO THAT, THAT'S THE PART OF THE ELECTION PROCESS. YES. SO YES, YOU CAN'T MAKE IT RIGHT RIGHT NOW, NO, BUT THE VOTERS HAVE TO CHOOSE IN THEIR BEST INTEREST. SO OUR JOB IS TO DRAW THE LINES, BUT IT'S THE ELECTION PROCESS THAT TAKES PLACE, UH, IN NOVEMBER OF 2023. MM-HMM . THAT WILL, UM, WELL, YOUR REPRESENTATION WILL BE CHOSEN. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN, I, FIRST OFF, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR NOT ONLY YOUR ADVOCACY LAST WEEK, BUT ALSO FOR COMING BACK. AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING HARD AND TAKING MEETINGS AND REALLY DEEP DIVING INTO THIS. UM, A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS FOR YOU IS THE MAYOR'S BEEN ASKING, UM, WHAT IS YOUR REQUEST? DO YOU HAVE A, WE WE WANT X IF WE CAN'T HAVE X, THEN WE WANT Y CAN YOU STATE JUST FOR THE RECORD, WHAT THAT MAY BE? UM, FIRST PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO NOT DESTABILIZE OUR CURRENT SITUATION, OUR RELATIONSHIPS. I THINK EVERYONE'S GOT UP HERE AND TALKED ABOUT THEIR RELATIONSHIPS AND HOW DIFFICULT IT CAN BE TO BRIDGE YOURSELF BETWEEN MORE THAN ONE COUNCIL DISTRICT AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD BE TO OUR BENEFIT TO KIND OF STAY PUT IF NOT THAT, UM, H YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S CHALLENGES THERE. UM, UM, AND THEN THERE'S I, AND TO ME THAT'S A 50 50, UM, VALUE PROPOSITION AND A 50 50 CHALLENGE ON WHAT THAT MEANS FOR YOUR DISTRICTS AND YOUR DEMOGRAPHICS AND YOUR POPULATION AND THEIR DESIRES. AND SO, OF COURSE, I CAN'T PICK, UH, WINNERS OR LOSERS, AND THERE'S NO WINNERS OR LOSERS. IT. THE HOPE IS THAT WE ALL, WE ALL WIN TOGETHER BY ADVOCATING, UM, ACROSS THE BOARD AND THAT, THAT'S WHAT MY POSITION IS. BUT OF COURSE, STABILIZING OURSELVES, STAYING WITHIN OUR DISTRICT. IF NOT THAT, THEN, UM, IN THE ELECTION PROCESS, ADVOCATING AND CONTINUING TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS SO THAT WE HAVE THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY AND ADVOCACY WE GET OUT OF YOU PRESENT DAY. AND THAT CONTINUES FOR THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. TANZI SMITH. TANGIE SMITH. TANY SMITH. TANY SMITH. NEXT SPEAKER RO GARZA. I'M SORRY. COUNCILMAN GGO. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A PROCEDURAL MOTION BY THE MEADOW. GODDESS, I UNDERSTAND IS TIED UP AT COURT. UH, HE HAS SOMEONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO READ HIS COMMENTS. UH, HER NAME IS DIANE, UH, ALMOS, SECOND ROBINSON. IN ADDITION TO THE LIST, WE ARE ADDING, GIMME, GIMME THE NAME AGAIN. COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M SORRY, HER NAME AGAIN. DIANE OLMOS. DIANE ALMOS. ALMOS IS BEING ADDED TO THE LIST. AND AND THE MOTION IS TO ADD AND BRING UP UP AT THIS TIME? YES. AND, AND SHE'LL READ, UH, BY THE GARZA'S, UH, COMMENTS. OKAY. AND THEN MOTION HAS BEEN SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. ANY OBJECTIONS, JUDGE? NONE GRANTED. SO MS. ALMOS, IF YOU'LL COME. GOOD MORNING. UM, MAYOR TURNER AND THE HONORABLE COUNCILS, UM, WE SPEAK TO YOU TODAY AS TO THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO DISTRICT J, PROPOSED DISTRICT MAP BOUNDARIES THAT WE BELIEVE IS EQUITABLE AND REASONABLE. WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK AS PROVIDED TO US TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THE NEEDS OF ALL CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR COALITION WITH DIFFERENT [03:05:01] GROUPS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. OUR VOICE GROWS IN SEEKING EQUAL REPRESENTATION OF ALL WHO CALL THE CITY OF HOUSTON HOME. UNFORTUNATELY, AS WE CONTINUE TO STUDY AND ANALYZE THE PROPOSED REDISTRICTED CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, WE CAN ONLY BE DISAPPOINTED. FIRST, WE ARE DISAPPOINTED THAT NO 16 SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT MAP WAS PROPOSED. WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES TO QUICKLY PUT TOGETHER A 16 SINGLE MEMBER MAP. YOU HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE CONTINUED TO BRING THE REQUEST TO YOUR ATTENTION. VERY SOON, WE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH OUR PROPOSED MAPS. FOR YOUR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, WE ARE EVEN CONSIDERING A 32 SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT MAP. FURTHER, WE BELIEVE THE NUMBER OF PERSONS REPRESENTED BY A SINGLE MEMBER IS TOO HIGH. WE PROPOSE THAT THE NUMBER OF PERSONS REPRESENTED BY A SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE BE REDUCED BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS. SECOND, THE PROPOSED MAPS CONTINUE THE SAME LACK OF EQUAL REPRESENTATION FOR ALL CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AS A PROPERTY OWNER IN DISTRICT D, WHO ONCE LIVED AT THE 5 0 0 7 ANDREA, THE FLOODING NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF YELLOWSTONE AND MLK IS UNACCEPTABLE. DURING HEAVY RAINS, A LARGE POOL OF WATER SITS IN THE MIDDLE OF YELLOWSTONE STREET. THE PROPOSED MAP MAPS PROPOSED TO KEEP THE STATUS QUO, TO LEAVE THINGS AS THEY ARE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE WORKED EXTREMELY HARD TO GET ELECTED TO THIS COUNCIL AND CITY. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO TRULY SEE HOW THE SYSTEM YOU WORK WITHIN TREATS CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON DIFFERENTLY. THE STREET FLOODING ALLOWED IN DISTRICT D WOULD NEVER HAPPEN IN DISTRICT G. WE CONTINUE TO COME TO YOU TO SHINE THE LIGHT OF TRUTH AB ABOUT THE ISSUE. OUR REQUEST DEMANDS VISION AND COURAGE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IF THERE'S SO, THANK YOU. IF THERE'S PARTICULAR STREET FLOODING IN DISTRICT D, THEN SOMEONE NEEDS TO BRING IT TO MY ATTENTION. IF THERE'S PARTICULAR STREET FLOODING IN DISTRICT D YES, SIR. THAT, UM, WELL, YOU'RE SAYING IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN IN DISTRICT G THEN SOMEONE NEEDS TO BRING IT TO MY ATTENTION. OKAY. OKAY, GOT IT. BECAUSE I'M NOT SITTING HERE IGNORING ONE AREA, UH, AT THE, AT THE, UM, BENEFIT OF ANOTHER. SO I TAKE THAT AS A WELL, LEMME STAY WITH THE ISSUE. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN GGO? YES, SIR. THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, DIANE, WERE YOU ABLE TO FINISH BY THE MEADOWS COMMENTS? IF NOT, YOU CAN HAVE THE REST OF MY TIME TO FINISH HIS COMMENTS. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UM, I SEE WHERE I LEFT OFF. OKAY. VISION TO SEE THE PAST AND INTO THE FUTURE TO SEE THE WRONG THAT HAS BEEN DONE AND CONTINUES TO BE DONE TO PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THE CITY. HOW UNJUST AND UNEQUAL TAXPAYER MONEY IS DIVIDED SPENT, AND WHERE TO LOOK AT THE PRESENT, THE FUTURE AND SEE THE CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED AND WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. THE OLD SYSTEM WILL CURRENTLY HAVE, IT'S THE PAST DE THE PAST DEAD COLD HAND OF WHITE SUPREMACY REACHING FROM ITS COLD GRAVE TO CONTROL THE LIVES OF PEOPLE OF COLOR. IN A WAY, WE FEEL SORRY FOR YOU BECAUSE ONCE YOU WERE OPPRESSED, NOW YOU OPPRESSED. ONCE YOU WERE DISCRIMINATED, NOW YOU DISCRIMINATE. WE ASK ONCE AGAIN, MAYOR TURNER, IT IS WITHIN YOUR POWER TO PUT THE 16 SINGLE MEMBER BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL FOR A VOTE. HAVE THE COURAGE TO ACT FOR ALL OF US. WE ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO RAISE THE ISSUE UNTIL IT IS ON THE AGENDA, VOTED UP OR DOWN. TAKE ACTION. ACTION IS REQUIRED ON YOUR END. IF NOT, YOU WILL BE MARKED AS THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR THAT CHOSE NOT TO ACT AND KEEP A SYSTEM THAT TREATS THE CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON UNEQUALLY. WE SPEAK THE TRUTH FOR ALL, FOR ALL CITY OF HOUSTON CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS. WE ASK YOU TO DO THE SAME. RO GARZA, ESQUIRE AND CO-CHAIR OF THE LULAC REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILMAN GE. THANK YOU DIANE, FOR, FOR SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF BALDO. HE TEXTED ME TO SAY THAT HE, [03:10:01] YOU, YOU WERE GOING TO BE SPEAKING ON HIS REMARKS, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, SERGIO LIRA. SERGIO LIRA TO BE FOLLOWED BY IVAN SANCHEZ. GOOD MORNING, HONOR, BRO. MAYOR, GOOD TO SEE YOU BACK IN THE SADDLE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM DR. HILTA. I AM CO-CHAIR OF THE LULAC REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE, JUST FYI. LULAC HAS OVER 135,000 MEMBERS NATIONALLY. FOR 93 YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING AND ADVOCATING FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND EDUCATION. I LIKE TO RECOGNIZE LULAC MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE, HAVE BEEN HERE THIS WEEK. THEY'RE SITTING IN OUR AUDIENCE. UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANT, I AM A LATINO FATHER. I'M A GRANDFATHER, A LIFELONG HOUSTONIAN, MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE WHO SITS HERE, WHO'S MY PILLAR. WE RAISED TWO BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN. THEY WENT TO COLLEGE IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND WE HAVE TWO BEAUTIFUL GRANDCHILDREN. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, MY CHILDREN HAVE MOVED TO THE SUBURBAN AREA DUE TO THE VIOLENCE IN OUR CITY. AND THAT'S QUALITATIVE DATA, REAL QUALITATIVE DATA. THIS PAST WEEK I HAVE LISTENED TO SPEAKERS AND RESPONSES FROM A FEW OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT SOME SPEAKERS RECEIVED SOFTBALL QUESTIONS AND OTHERS HAD HARDBALL QUESTIONS. SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE TRULY ACTIVELY LISTENING. MRS. ACORN, UM, AND OTHERS, AND OTHERS JUST SEEMED INDIFFERENCE. MAYBE PERHAPS IT DOESN'T AFFECT YOU, AND SOME DID NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT A LATINO OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT IS. HOWEVER, COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS, THE ONLY LATINO HERE, STATED BEAUTIFULLY. YOU ARE ELECTED TO HEAR YOUR CONSTITUENTS, NOT TO ARGUE WITH THEM. AND THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN CISNEROS FOR GOING OUT ON THE LIMB AND SHARING INDISPUTABLE FACTS OF DISTRICT H AND THE NEED FOR PERHAPS CONSIDERING THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF OUR MEMBERS. I ALSO HEARD THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE OF THE TERM HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT. WELL, THAT'S JUST A MODERN POP LEXICON CHANGING. THE NARRATIVE IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED. IT'S THE STARK REALITY OF WHAT'S HERE RIGHT NOW. THAT IS THE NARRATIVE THAT WE CANNOT CHANGE. WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT DISTRICT J TO THE CHANGES THAT ARE GONNA BE PROPOSED IN A MINUTE TO DISTRICT J, DISTRICT H, KEITH FREEMAN TOWN AND FREEMAN TOWN. I WANNA COMMEND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, ARTURO MACIA AND EVERYONE WHO WORKED HERE, ALL THE ATTORNEYS. BUT I WANNA ASK YOU ALL, REMEMBER, THESE ARE TERM LIMITS. ENJOY YOUR TENOR. AS THE EXPERTS HAVE SAID, CITY EXPERTS HAVE STATED THAT THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON IS LATINO. ASK MARK JONES, ASK BOB STEIN BRYCE PROFESSORS, LOOK AT A CITY MAP WITH THE DEMOGRAPHICS, AND YOU'LL SEE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF LATINOS ARE EVERYWHERE. COUNCIL A, B, F, K, KIH. FINALLY, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT I'M HERE TO JUST RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR FAIRNESS AND EQUITY AND DO THE RIGHT THING AND DO NOT DILUTE DISTRICT J AND H. ALSO, LET ME FINALIZE WITH CESA CHAVEZ QUOTE, IF I MAY, YOUR TIME IS, HAS EXPIRED. MAY I FINISH ONE QUOTE? NO, YOU FINISH. YOU MAY FINISH. OKAY, LEMME JUST FINISH WITH CESA CHAVEZ. CESA CHAVEZ, QUOTE, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER. HE SAID, THE PRESERVATION OF ONE'S CULTURE AND COMMUNITY DOES NOT MEAN DISRESPECT FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S COMMUNITY. SO I THANK YOU AND UH, I HOPE YOU CONSIDER WHAT WE'RE SAYING TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANKS, VICTOR. I SANCHEZ CHAZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANTHONY RIOS. GOOD MORNING, HONORABLE MAYORS. GOOD TO SEE YOU DISTINGUISHED COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. MY NAME IS IVAN SANCHEZ. I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING THE LULAC REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE. I'M ALSO THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF HOUSTON MILLENNIALS, AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS NOW MORE THAN 9,000 MEMBERS. I'M A BUSINESSMAN WITH THREE BUSINESSES. AFTER I'VE SERVED THE GOVERNMENT, I'M A COMMERCIAL LENDER, INVESTOR AND DEVELOPER CREATING HUNDREDS OF JOBS ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT J. TODAY, LULAC IS SUBMITTING DISTRICT J'S PROPOSAL AND I WILL ALSO OUTLINE [03:15:01] A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS. I WAS JUST HERE LAST WEEK AND I SAID SOMETHING LAST WEEK. IT WAS KIND OF HURTFUL BECAUSE A LOT OF YOU GUYS ARE MY FRIENDS, BUT IT IS THAT HOUSTON IS THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THE COUNTRY, EXCEPT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS NOW 45% LATINO, AND WE ONLY HAVE ONE HISPANIC ELECTED OFFICIAL IN COUNCIL. AND THOUGH THE CITY HELPED IN 2011 BY CREATING DISTRICT J AS A LATINO OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT, IT'S SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN A 65% OR MORE LATINO POPULATION TO BE THAT STATUS. HOWEVER, THE CITY'S PROPOSAL FOR REDISTRICTING MINIMIZES THE LATINO POPULATION TO 61.1%, THE LOWEST IT HAS EVER BEEN SINCE CREATION IN 2011. IT JUST REALLY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. PRECINCT 9 3 4 IS TAKEN OUT DISTRICT J AT A 70% LATINO PRECINCT. AND WE AT PRECINCTS FIVE 70, WHICH IS 20% LATINO, OUT IN THE GALLERIA SIDE PRECINCT 5 6, 6 8, AND 6 8 5, WHICH ARE ALL WELL BELOW 40% LATINO. THE LULAC REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE SUBMITTAL FOR DISTRICT J REDISTRICTING BOUNDARIES IS MORE INCLUSIVE. THAT IS REASONABLE AND WITHIN COMPLIANCE TO MEET THE 65% HISPANIC THRESHOLD THAT WILL STAY WITHIN THE PLUS OR MINUS 10% POPULATION MEANS BY DOING THE FOLLOWING, BRING BACK PRECINCT 9 43 FROM F TO J, WHICH HOLDS EXACTLY A 69.5 LATINO POPULATION, WHICH WOULD ADD 3015 RESIDENTS TO DISTRICT J SPLIT PRECINCTS 5, 6 6 BETWEEN J AND FA PRECINCT WITH A BIG POPULATION OF 8,161 AT 40% LATINO. IF THE PRECINCT IS CUT BY HALF F WOULD GAIN THE POPULATION LOST OF 4,081 RESIDENTS. AND WE SUGGEST TO LOOP IN AS MANY LATINOS AS POSSIBLE TO DISTRICT J FROM HALF OF 5, 6, 6, TO MAKE UP THE 65% TO SERVE THE OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT. ALMOST DONE. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN MCDONALD, I AM GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE OF MY TIME TO FINISH AND THEN I'M GONNA RESPOND. YES, MA'AM. MM-HMM . TAKE OUT NEWLY ADDED PRECINCTS 5 78 AND 6 85, ALL BELOW 40% LATINO FROM DISTRICT J, WHICH WOULD DECREASE THE POPULATION BY 7,200, UH, 98 TO COUNTER THE LOSS OF POPULATION BY TAKING OUT 5 78 AND 6 85 FROM DISTRICT J PRECINCT 5 0 7, WHICH ARE, WHICH IS A HUGE PRECINCT OF 17,067 PEOPLE WITH A 62% LATINO POPULATION. WE REQUEST TO BRING HALF OF THIS PRECINCT WITH 8,533 RESIDENTS ALL EAST OF CORPORATE DRIVE OR ROCHESTER DRIVE WHERE LATINOS RESIDE, LEAVING THE CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER TO DISTRICT F TO AGAIN TO AT LEAST MAKE UP 65%, UH, LATINO OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT. THIS WOULD SUBTRACT 8,533 PEOPLE, HALF OF PRECINCT 5 0 7 FROM F WE WOULD REQUEST TO ADD PRECINCT TWO, WE WOULD REQUEST TO ADD PRECINCT 2, 7 2 FROM J TO F, WHICH AGAIN HAS LESS THAN 35% LATINO POPULATION ADDING 6,454 RESIDENTS TO DISTRICT F. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THIS PROPOSAL WILL BRING UP THE PERCENTAGE VARIATION OF MEANS FROM ALL DISTRICTS AT DISTRICT J AND ADDITIONALLY MEET THE THRESHOLD OF 65% LATINO OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS. OKAY. SO I'M, I GOTTA USE THE REST OF MY TIME, MA'AM. YES, I WAS GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE, I GOTTA, I WAS JUST GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT. I WAS PRETTY MUCH DONE. OKAY, GOOD. SO, SO THANK IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. SO HERE'S THE DEAL. I UNDERSTAND YOU WANNA PRESERVE DISTRICT J FOR A HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY, BUT I ALSO WANNA REPRESENT THE HISPANICS THAT I, THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. UM, DISTRICT F IS INTERNATIONAL, UH, AND WE HAVE, WE ARE THE CULTURAL CURRENCY. AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY, WE CAN STAY AS A COMMUNITY BECAUSE THAT IS OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO I TAKE OFFENSE TO REMOVING THAT PORTION OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC OUT TO ANOTHER DISTRICT BECAUSE I REPRESENT THEM. AND WE DO RARELY. WE, WE DO GOOD JOB TOGETHER. WE WORK VERY, VERY WELL TOGETHER BECAUSE WE ARE INTERNATIONAL. SO, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE THRESHOLD, WE'RE AT 2 0 4, 200 4,000. THE PROPOSED MAP TAKES ME DOWN TO 2 0 1. WE'RE LANDLOCKED THAT WHAT YOU SEE IN THAT PRECINCT 400, THAT'S A PARK. THAT'S A PARK. SO WE, THERE IS NO PLACE FOR US TO GO. SO WHEN YOU CONTINUALLY ETCH OUT OF DISTRICT F AND REMOVE OUR DIS YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE MAKING OUR FOOTPRINT SMALLER, RIGHT? AND WE HAVE SUCH A HIGHER DEMAND. I COULD TELL YOU, I COULD [03:20:01] PROBABLY PUT MY HAND ON 225,000 PEOPLE IN DISTRICT FI COULD TELL YOU THAT. LIKE WE, WE ARE FULL, RIGHT? SO, UM, TO REMOVE FROM US AND THEN CONTINUE TO SPLIT NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, 5 0 7, WHICH IS A LARGE, UH, PRECINCT, IT'S DISRUPTIVE TO THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE. UM, SO I, I, I UNDERSTAND, BUT CONTINUING TO GO WEST DISRUPTS WHAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED IN AN ALREADY FRAGMENTED DISTRICT, UM, THAT HAS NOT HAD, UM, EQUITABLE AND VALUABLE LEADERSHIP FOR, FOR A SUBSTANTIAL LONG TIME. SO I, I, I WELCOME THAT, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M ON RECORD TO SAYING LEAVE F ALONE. THAT'S WHAT I, I WANNA BE ON RECORD TO, TO SAY THIS HUGE SPOT LATINO. RIGHT? BUT I, BUT HERE'S THE DEAL. I WANNA REPRESENT THEM TOO. I WANT, I WANT YOU TO HAVE EQUITABLE REPRESENT REPRESENTATION. AND JUST BECAUSE I'M NOT LATINO DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T HAVE YOUR INTEREST. EVERYTHING THAT I DO IS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES. UM, WE'RE ON THE STREET, WE'RE ON THE GROUND BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE. YOU CAN CALL MY OFFICE AND SOMEONE WILL SPEAK SPANISH TO YOU. I HAVE 3 1 1 FORMS PRINTED IN SPANISH. WHEN WE GO TO CIVIC CLUBS, YOU CAN WRITE YOUR STUFF IN YOUR LANGUAGE. SO I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT THE IDEA OR THE NARRATIVE THAT BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEE YOURSELF, THAT YOU'RE STILL NOT REPRESENTED, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT F. SO I'M GONNA TAKE CARE OF DISTRICT F'S FAMILY, AND I'M GONNA TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY, MA'AM. AND WE GONNA STAY TOGETHER. LEAVE DISTRICT UP FOR LUNCH. . OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL LIBERTY. THAT'S ALL. THAT'S ALL. OKAY. ANY OTHERS? THANKS VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. ANTHONY RIOS. ANTHONY RIOS TO BE FOLLOWED BY CARMEN NUNCIO. UH, GOOD, GOOD MORNING, MR. MAYOR. AND, UH, GOOD MORNING HONORABLE COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO I AM ANTHONY RIOS AND I'M AN EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER AND REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF TEXAS YOUNG DEMOCRATS. AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL OF IVAN SANCHEZ, WHICH I THINK IS REASONABLE GIVEN SOME FACTS. SO I COMPARED THE CITY MAPS FROM 2011 TO THE MAPS THAT ARE RECENTLY PROPOSED. AND I FOUND THAT EVERY SINGLE HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT HAS BEEN DILUTED, EVEN IN THE AREAS WHERE THE CITY IS CLAIMING THAT THEY HAVE ADDED IN MORE HISPANIC POPULATION. IT STILL DOESN'T MEET THE NUMBERS THAT THOSE DISTRICTS HAD IN 2011, WHICH WERE THE PREVIOUS MAPS THAT WERE PASSED. SO FOR THIS REASON, I SUPPORT ADDING MORE HISPANIC POPULATION TO DISTRICT J BECAUSE DISTRICT J HAS THE LOWEST HISPANIC POPULATION OF ANY OF THE HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS. AND THAT IS PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE TO SAY. SECOND ONE, SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER, KAMAN, ARE YOU IN THE LOOP? ANTHONY, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING. UM, I KNOW YOU ALSO HAVE FAMILY AND DISTRICT C UH, YOU ARE EXTREMELY ENGAGED, UH, IN ALL THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY, SO I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT. AND THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILMAN CA. COUNCILMAN MC GOES. THANK YOU MR. RIOS, FOR BEING HERE. UM, IN, IN REGARDS TO YOUR COMMENT THAT ALL THREE, UH, HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN DILUTED, UH, DISTRICT, I HAS NOT, UH, WE, WE, THEY ARE ADDING MORE HISPANICS TO ALREADY A 70% HISPANIC DISTRICT. UH, MY CONCERN IS DISTRICT H AND DISTRICT J, UH, THAT THAT'S CONCERNING. UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SO, SO, SO THOSE ARE THE TWO DISTRICTS THAT ARE CONCERNING. CAN I HAVE A SECOND TO RESPOND TO THAT? YES. OKAY. SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, THAT IS WHAT THE CITY HAS SAID, AND THE, BASICALLY, IT'S HOW YOU LOOK AT IT. SO THEY ARE COMPARING IT, THEY'RE COMPARING DISTRICT I TO WHAT DISTRICT I IS AT RIGHT NOW. I AM COMPARING IT TO THE PREVIOUS MAPS THAT WERE PASSED BY THE CITY IN 2011. AND ACCORDING TO THAT, COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS MAPS LAST PASS BY THE CITY, IT HAS BEEN DILUTED. IT'S GONE FROM 77 TO, I, I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT IT'S GONE DOWN FROM 77, WHICH IS WHAT IT WAS WHEN THE PREVIOUS MAPS WERE PASSED IN 2011. AND THIS IS ALL BASED OFF CITY INFORMATION, WHICH I'D BE HAPPY TO SEND TO YOU GUYS, ALL BASED OFF CITY NUMBERS. AND, UH, I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. I HAD. I ALSO WENT DOWN AND WORKED WITH THE RUPE KOCHI ON THE MACHINE. AND SO I, I FOUND THAT THE WHOLE PROCESS HAS BEEN EXTREMELY TRANSPARENT, AND I ALSO HAD THE BENEFIT OF ATTENDING SOME OF THE TOWN HALLS THAT YOU GUYS VERY KINDLY PUT TOGETHER FOR US. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER KARMA, NUNCIO NUNCIO TO BE FOLLOWED BY HON EVANS. HERE SHE COMES. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS CARMEN NUNCIO AND I'M HERE, UM, UH, TO DISCUSS THE LACK OF HISPANIC REPRESENT, UH, LATINO REPRESENTATION ON, ON THE CITY COUNCIL. UM, AND TO ASK TO PLEASE, UM, PROTECT DISTRICT H AND DISTRICT J AS A LATINO MAJORITY DISTRICT. UM, I ALSO FEEL THAT, UH, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS SHOULD BE SUPPORTIVE [03:25:01] OF THIS AND HELP US, SOME OF OUR, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS. UNFORTUNATE OR SUPPORT SOME PEOPLE, NOT ALL PEOPLE. AND I UNFORTUNATE THAT IS UNFORTUNATE, AND IT'S NOT JUST HERE IN CITY HALL. I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER WITH HSD FOR 47 YEARS, AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING. UM, WE HAD TO MEET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ASK WHY WE HAD NO LATINO REPRESENTATION AT THE TOP LEVEL. UM, AFTER MEETING WITH HIM OVER AND OVER, HE HIRED FOUR QUALIFIED LATINOS AS, UH, CHIEF OFFICERS AND SSOS WHEN THE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT CAME IN, GOT RID OF ALL FOUR OF THEM. SO HERE WE ARE STARTING ALL, ALL OVER AGAIN, AND IT'S, IT'S HARD TO BE ASKING FOR THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IT'S LIKE WE'RE INVISIBLE. WE'RE HERE, AND WE'RE, UM, WE HAVE A LOT TO OFFER, BUT YET NO, UH, LATINO, HISPANIC, NO LATINO REPRESENTATION. SO WE KIND OF JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, WE ARE TIRED OF ASKING. WE'RE TIRED OF, UM, MAYBE WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD START DEMANDING. BUT, UM, IF, UH, WE DON'T CONTINUE TO COME FORWARD, THEN WE'RE NOT GONNA GET, UH, ANYTHING DONE. THE MAYBE THE NEXT MAYOR THAT WE GET IN THE NEXT, UH, THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS WILL BE MORE SUPPORTIVE TO WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE INVISIBLE. WE'RE, UH, YES, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE REPRESENTED. SO WHY AREN'T WE REPRESENTED? AND MAYBE THE NEXT MAYOR, THE NEXT, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS WILL SUPPORT US AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT INVISIBLE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CARMEN. I CAN'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THAT. CARMEN. CARMEN, OOPS. I'M SORRY. I CANNOT LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THAT. OKAY. I CANNOT. OKAY. THIS MAYOR HAS PLACED HISPANICS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. YOU'VE HAD A POLICE CHIEF AND A FIRE CHIEF HISPANIC ALL AT THE SAME TIME. AND THERE ARE OTHER DIRECTORS, WHETHER IT'S THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, WHETHER IT'S A RA, WHETHER IT'S THE HEAD OF AIRPORTS, ALL HISPANIC, THE DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION, THE FIRST THAT THE CITY HAS EVER HAD HISPANIC FOR YOU TO MAKE THAT COMMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND IF THE NEXT MAYOR CAN DO MORE, THEN THIS ONE HAS THEN POWER TO THAT. MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR TURNER. GOOD MORNING, CITY COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS ROHAN C EVANS. I'M A BOOK AUTHOR OF FOUR BOOKS. UH, THREE BOOKS IS ABOUT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE FOURTH BOOK IS TO PUSH PEOPLE BEYOND TRADITIONAL WAYS OF THINKING. I'M ALSO THE CO-FOUNDER OF THE PURE JUSTICE ORGANIZATION, A GRASSROOTS NONPROFIT, PURE JUSTICE ORGANIZATION IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT PRIORITIZE UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES. ONE OF THE PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS IS CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM. WE WORK TO AMPLIFY THE VOICES OF THOSE THAT'S IMPACTED WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF RESOURCES, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE THE BRIDGES FROM POLITICIANS TO COMMUNITY OR COMMUNITY TO POLITICIANS, BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE TIME, UH, FOR THOSE WITH THE LACK OF RESOURCES, I'M SORRY, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE TIME. UH, THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO AMPLIFY THE VOICES OF THOSE WITH THE LACK OF RESOURCES THAN TO CREATE A ISSUE-BASED MAP THAT FOCUS ON THE MAJOR ISSUES WHILE KEEPING THEM STRATEGICALLY SEPARATED. WHEN WE SPREAD THE RESOURCES THAT CITY COUNCIL HAVE OUT, UH, THE BUDGET COULD BE PRETTY SMALL, BUT IF WE CAN PRIORITIZE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET IN PRIME AREAS, IT CAN GO A LONG WAY. WE NEED MAPS THAT AMPLIFY, YET SEPARATE THOSE THAT HAVE A SERIOUS NEED THAT IMPACTS THEIR LIVELIHOOD OVER THOSE THAT'S LOOKING FOR A TAX BREAK. WE NEED MAPS THAT AMPLIFY, YET SEPARATE THOSE THAT HAVE LIFE-CHANGING NEEDS FROM CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM TO IMMIGRATION REFORM. THERE'S NO REASON WE SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE BOTH. AND I, I THINK WE GOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO, TO, UH, SERVICE EVERYBODY. UM, [03:30:02] WE NEED, BUT IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, WE HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE BY IDENTIFYING THE ISSUES AND REVISING THE REDISTRICTING LINES APPROPRIATELY. I DON'T THINK IT'S, UH, RIGHT THAT POLITICIANS SHOULD BE PUT IN A POSITION TO WHERE THEY FEEL THE NEED TO APPEASE EVERYONE IN ORDER TO KEEP A SEAT. I THINK POLITICIANS SHOULD BE PUT IN POSITIONS TO APPEASE FIXING ISSUES OVER THOSE AT RISK, UH, WITH THE BIGGEST NEED. PEER JUSTICE, WE ORGANIZE AROUND CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, ECONOMIC JUSTICE REFORM, AND RACIAL JUSTICE REFORM. SO I'M ASKING THAT THE PLANNING COMMITTEE INCORPORATE OR JUST TAKE A PEEK AT THE SUGGESTIVE MAP THAT WE BRING FORWARD, BECAUSE ME PERSONALLY, , I'M TIRED OF FIGHTING FOR THE SAME THINGS THAT I READ ABOUT IN HISTORY CLASS FROM WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE BEFORE I WAS EVEN ALIVE. WE WANNA SEE POLICY WINS FOR THOSE THAT NEED MOST. AND IN ORDER TO APPROPRIATELY ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, WE MUST MAGNIFY THE VOICES OF THOSE IN NEED AND NOT BY RACE. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN POLL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND MR. EVANS, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORDS. UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO LOOKING AT THE MAP, UH, THAT YOU ALL ARE PRESENTING. PEER JUSTICE DOES A GREAT JOB OF ENGAGING ALL OVER THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND ADVOCATING FOR THE RIGHTS OF THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE A VOICE. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU. I VICE MAYOR FLO, CAST TAYLOR. MR. EVANS, DID YOU SUBMIT YOUR PLANS TO THE DEMOGRAPHER OR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT? HAVE YOU SUBMITTED THOSE TO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TAKE A LOOK AT? SO WE, THE PURE JUSTICE ORGANIZATION CREATED OUR, UH, ISSUE BASED AREAS, BUT WE ARE WORKING IN COALITION WITH A FEW OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE WE DO WANNA SUBMIT A FULL PROPOSAL, YOU KNOW, AND NOT PARTIAL. THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN FOCUS ON ISSUES, UH, IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS WITHOUT ACTUALLY STEPPING ON ANYONE'S TOES AND TAKING AWAY FROM ISSUES THAT, UH, PEOPLE VOICES NEED TO BE AMPLIFIED. OKAY. LIKE, I DON'T WANNA SEE, UH, PEOPLE FIGHTING OVER CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND IMMIGRATION. I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR THE MAPS. OKAY. SO WHEN YOU GET THE MAPS, WE LOOK FORWARD TO LOOKING AT IT. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER FARMER, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AND TO YOUR VOLUNTEER BASE. THEY'RE AMAZING AND, AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VOICES ARE HEARD AND COMMUNITIES IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE PURE JUSTICE, AND AGAIN, JUST FOR THE, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE MAPS, JUST LIKE I, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT LULAC IS PROPOSING. UM, I'VE ALSO VERY MUCH APPRECIATED THE CONVERSATION AROUND, UM, ECONOMIC NEEDS AND, UH, RESOURCE, UH, DIVISION OF RESOURCES AND ALLOCATION, ET CETERA. UM, JUST FOR THE RECORD THOUGH, AND I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A CITY ATTORNEY IN THE SEAT RIGHT NOW, SO MARY JUST WANTED TO, AGAIN, JUST FOR THE RECORD, RECOGNIZING PURE JUSTICE'S EFFORTS AND EVERYTHING, UM, THE CRITERIA TO WHICH UNDER LAW CITY COUNCIL IS BOUND BY IN DRAWING, UM, DISTRICT LINES, UH, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY IN OUR CONTROL. I DON'T EVEN NECESSARILY, I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT. I ALSO THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE SHOULD HAVE INDEPENDENT COMMISSIONS, UH, DRAWING LINES INSTEAD OF ON PARTISAN BASIS AT THE STATE LEVEL. RIGHT. UH, BUT FOR THE RECORD, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, THE CRITERIA TO WHICH WE ARE BOUND BY UNDER LAW, UH, THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW. UH, I, I HOPE Y'ALL ARE ALSO TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT IN THE MAPS. OF COURSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . NEXT SPEAKER. SYLVIA BLAIR. SYLVIA BLAIR. SYLVIA BLAIR. NEXT SPEAKER. KATHY EASTERLY. KATHY EASTERLY. YES. GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THESE PUBLIC INPUT MEETINGS AND FOR PROVIDING A VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE OF US WHO AREN'T ABLE TO BE THERE IN PERSON TODAY. UM, I'M KATHY EASTERLY. I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE UNIVERSITY PLACE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, THE BOUNDARIES OF WHICH ARE MAIN STREET KIRBY, US 59 AND RAISED BAYOU. THE CURRENT DRAFT PLAN PROPOSES MOVING RICE UNIVERSITY FROM DISTRICT C TO DISTRICT D. WHILE WE REALIZE THAT EVENING OUT THE POPULATIONS OF THE DISTRICTS IS A MAIN PURPOSE FOR REDISTRICTING. THERE ARE AS NOTED IN THE RESOLUTION SECTION THREE IMPORTANT COMMUNITY ASPECTS TO FACTOR IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S WEBSITE. DESCRIPTION OF UNIVERSITY PLACE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD BEGINS WITH UNIVERSITY PLACE IS A GROUP OF NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING RICE UNIVERSITY. RICE UNIVERSITY IS AT THE VERY HEART OF OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S THE NAMESAKE FOR UNIVERSITY PLACE, AND WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE CREATION AND SUPPORT OF OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD'S. PRECURSOR, [03:35:01] THE UNIVERSITY PLACE ASSOCIATION, WHICH BECAME THE MODEL FOR HOUSTON'S SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS UNIVERSITY PLACE NEIGHBORHOODS. SOUTH HAMPTON AND BROAD ACRES WERE LAID OUT BY RICE'S FIRST DEAN OF ARCHITECTURE. THE RICE VILLAGE GREW FROM THE NEED TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE CAMPUS AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS ESTABLISHED AROUND IT. TODAY, RICE UNIVERSITY REMAINS KEENLY ENGAGED IN UNIVERSITY PLACE, ISSUES, PROJECTS, AND GOALS THAT AFFECT THE CAMPUS AND THE COMMUNITY THAT SURROUNDS IT. THE PROPOSED PLAN WOULD SEPARATE RICE FROM DISTRICT C, ITS KEY COMMUNITY OF INTEREST. RICE HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN DISTRICT C AND SHOULDN'T BE SPLIT BY COUNCIL DISTRICT FROM ITS SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. THE RICE VILLAGE AND THE RICE VILLAGE ALLIANCE. INFRASTRUCTURE, PROJECTS, ISSUES, AND BUDGETS WOULD POTENTIALLY BECOME MORE COMPLICATED AS WELL. THE RICE CAMPUS PERIMETER IS CLOSE TO THREE MILES LONG AND RUNS ALONG MAIN STREET, UNIVERSITY, BOULEVARD, RICE BOULEVARD, AND GREENBRIER PUTTING RICE UNIVERSITY AND DISTRICT D WOULD HAVE EACH OF THOSE STREETS IN TWO DIFFERENT COUNCIL DISTRICTS. RICE U WAS AN IMPORTANT COMMUNITY LIAISON DURING THE CITY'S GREENBRIER RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, AND IS THE LEAD LIAISON ON THE UPCOMING UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, BOTH OF WHICH ARE DISTRICT C PROJECTS. ALSO, IF RICE WAS REMOVED FROM DISTRICT C, THE 600 RICE GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO LIVE IN UNIVERSITY PLACE AND OFF CAMPUS, RICE HOUSING WOULD BE IN A SEPARATE COUNCIL DISTRICT FROM THE APPROXIMATELY 2,800 UNDERGRADUATES LIVING ON CAMPUS. UNIVERSITY PLAYS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND ITS CONSTITUENT NEIGHBORHOODS, BUSINESSES AND INSTITUTIONS STRONGLY OBJECT TO MOVING RICE UNIVERSITY FROM DISTRICT C TO DISTRICT D. AND WE HAVE SUBMITTED LETTERS, UH, AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PROAM. KATHY, THANK YOU FOR, UM, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF, UM, OUR CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS AND SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE AREA. UM, I, I, I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU ARE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS, BUT GIVEN THE TIMING OF EVERYTHING, HAVE YOU HEARD FROM OTHER RESIDENTS THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SPEAK, UM, ON RECORD TODAY ABOUT THEIR DESIRES? KATHY, YOU MAY NEED TO UNMUTE. I'M SORRY. YES. UM, I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T HEARD, NOBODY WANTS RICE TO LEAVE UNIVERSITY PLACE. NOBODY WANT, I MEAN, NOT THAT IT'S LEAVING PHYSICALLY, NOBODY WANTS RICE TO LEAVE DISTRICT STATE. THERE'S NOT BEEN ONE PERSON, UM, WHO SUPPORTS THAT, THAT I'VE TALKED TO. AND I TALK TO LOTS OF PEOPLE, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE IN MY JOB. SO YEAH, IT'S, UH, IT'S ACROSS THE BOARD. IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, RICE IS IN THE SMACK MIDDLE OF A UNIVERSITY PLACE, AND I MEAN, IT'S JUST THE CROWN JEWEL AND, AND I'M SO ENGAGED AND INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING UNIVERSITY PLACE. WELL, I, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOU SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF, UM, THE ENTIRE AREA AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, AS YOU POINTED OUT, I WASN'T EVEN THINKING OF THIS BEFORE. I, I DO NOT WANNA, AND I'LL GO ON RECORD, UM, HAVE RICE UNIVERSITY CUT OUT OF DISTRICT C UM, BUT EVEN THE AREA CALLED UNIVERSITY PLACE IS BECAUSE RICE UNIVERSITY LIES AT THE HEART OF IT. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU AND I, I LOOK FORWARD TO READING YOUR, UH, THE ENTIRE, ALL OF THE ENTITIES SUBMITTED TESTIMONY ON THE RECORD. THANK YOU. LEMME MAKE SURE I'M, AND I APOLOGIZE. I APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING TO STEP OUT. WHAT, WHAT IS THE OBJECTION TO RICE MOVING THE, THE OBJECTION? MAYOR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE CONSTITUENT? YEAH, I, BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT WAS THE CON WHAT'S THE CONCERN, KATHY, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND REPEATING THE BASIC REQUEST OF UNIVERSITY PLACE ASSOCIATION AND THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION SURROUNDING THE AREA FOR THE MAYOR. OKAY. RATHER THAN, RATHER THAN GO BACK THROUGH ALL OF THIS AGAIN, I, LET ME JUST, UH, SORT OF ABBREVIATE IT AND, AND POINT OUT THAT RICE UNIVERSITY IS THE UNIVERSITY IN UNIVERSITY PLACE. IT'S THE NAMESAKE, IT'S, IT'S THE MIDDLE OF OUR COMMUNITY. THEY, UM, UH, HAVE BEEN ENGAGED SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING. THEY, THEY WERE THERE TO HELP FORM UNIVERSITY PLACE ASSOCIATION, WHICH WAS, UM, ESTABLISHED I THINK A FULL DECADE BEFORE, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND UNIVERSITY PLACE ASSOCIATION WAS IN FACT THE QUOTE, URBAN VILLAGE THAT, UH, HOUSTON SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM WAS BASED ON RICE'S KEY TO EVERYTHING UNIVERSITY PLACE AND RICE VILLAGE AND RICE ALLIANCE, ALL OF WHICH ARE IN DISTRICT [03:40:01] C. RICE UNIVERSITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN DISTRICT C. IT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT ISN'T JUST A, A PIECE OF THE BORDER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. IT IS FROM MAIN STREET TO GREENBRIER AND FROM RICE UNIVERSITY TO UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD, I MEAN, SORRY, RICE BOULEVARD TO UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD, ALMOST A THREE MILE PERIMETER IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, AND SO JUST EVEN FROM AN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, PERSPECTIVE, HAVING ALL THOSE STREETS THAT SURROUND THAT ALMOST THREE MILE PERIMETER WITH ONE SIDE OF THE STREET IN DISTRICT C AND THE CAMPUS SIDE OF THAT SAME STREET IN DISTRICT D IS PROBLEMATIC. WE, RICE IS SO INGRAINED IN THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT'S BEEN ON THE COUNCIL FROM THE BEGINNING. AND AS PART OF EVERYTHING WE DO IN UNIVERSITY PLACE, UM, THAT WE, WE CAN'T EVEN FATHOM HAVING BEEN IN A DIFFERENT, UM, DISTRICT, FRANKLY. OKAY, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME MEDITATE ON THAT. LET ME MEDITATE ON, BUT I, BUT I WAS GOTTEN SOME FEEDBACK. YEAH, IT'S HER. YEAH. BUT LET ME JUST SAY, WHEN WE START DEALING WITH OUR UNIVERSITIES, WHETHER IT'S UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON OR RICE OR TEXAS SOUTHERN, UH, ST. THOMAS, WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT IS THAT THEY'RE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND NOT DEFINED BY A DISTRICT. AND I'M A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK BECAUSE THE, THE STREETS ARE NOT CHANGING. IT'S JUST WHICH DISTRICT YOU MAY BE IN. BUT THE UNIVERSITIES ARE SO MUCH BIGGER. I MEAN, THEY ARE, THEY'RE NOT TIED TO ANY PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S JUST DURING THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, BUT THEY'RE NOT TIED TO A NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY'RE, THEY'RE MORE TIED TO THE CITY. SO MAYBE, MAYBE I'M MISSING SOMETHING, BUT IT'S, IT WOULD BE LIKE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SAYING, DON'T PULL ME IN AND PUT ME IN ANOTHER DISTRICT. I MAYOR, IF I MAY, AND I'M, I'M AT A LOSS ON THIS ONE. I'M SORRY. UM, MAYOR, IF I MAY RESPOND, UH, WITH SOME OF MY TIME, I, WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM RESIDENTS, AND I CAN SPEAK TO IN TERMS OF, OF, UH, THE EXPERIENCE IN DISTRICT C. RICE UNIVERSITY HAS AN EXTREMELY UNIQUE AND INVOLVED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. IT'S NOT SO MUCH FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF THE UNIVERSITY, WHICH IS AN INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTION THAT WE ALL TAKE PRIDE IN. IT'S THE FACT THAT RICE UNIVERSITY SITS ON THE BOARD OF THE UNIVERSITY PLACE ALLIANCE WITH THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. IT'S THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT THEY WORK ON WITH THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. IT'S THE PARTNERSHIP AND RELATIONSHIP FOR WHICH THE UNIVERSITY, WHEN IT WAS ESTABLISHED FROM WHICH THE NEIGHBORHOODS GREW. AND THE TIES TO THAT. UH, SO AGAIN, I, I'M IN A LISTENING POSITION RIGHT NOW, BUT BASED ON WHAT RESIDENTS HAVE COMMUNICATED TO US, I WANTED TO EXPRESS, UM RIGHT. GOT IT. BUT IS ANY OF THAT CHANGING JUST BY THE FACT THAT THEY WOULD BE IN DISTRICT DDD? RIGHT. IS ANY OF THAT CHANGING? ARE ANY OF THOSE RELATIONSHIPS CHANGING? WELL, SURE. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. I THINK FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT MISS EASTERLY WHO JUST SPOKE IS SAYING IS THAT, UM, THE UNIVERSITY PLACE, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE CIVIC CLUBS THAT ARE SURROUNDING THE UNIVERSITY HAVE BEEN INTERTWINED THROUGH THEIR LEADERSHIP, BOTH WITH THE STUDENTS, FACULTY, MANY OF WHOM LIVE IN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, I BELIEVE WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN IS SAYING IS REITERATING THAT ON BEHALF OF HER CONSTITUENTS, OUR CONSTITUENTS, AND THE FACT THAT BY CARVING OUT THIS IMPORTANT DEMOGRAPHIC THAT MR. WOOD HAS EXPLAINED IS JUST ABOUT RIGHT FOR, UH, THE NUMBER THAT WOULD GO INTO D FROM C. RIGHT. SO IT'S MATHEMATICALLY IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE AND IT'S VERY CLEAN IN SOME WAYS, IN THE WAY THAT IT WOULD GO FROM C TO D. AND I'VE HEARD COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABAZZ AND HER STAFF ANYWAY, TALK ABOUT HOW IT WOULD BE ANOTHER UNIVERSITY IN THE GREAT DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, DISTRICT D, UM, YOU KNOW, TSUU OF H AND POTENTIALLY RICE AS AN ALUM. I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN FOR MY UNIVERSITY, WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN FOR MY FRIENDS, UH, FOR THE BOARD I SERVE ON. AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE WAY THAT I'M AN AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER, I CAN'T SEE TOO MANY DOWNSIDES. UH, AS MUCH AS I ADMIRE BOTH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABAZZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, UM, UH, I DO HEAR MS. EASTERLY WANTING TO HOLD HER SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY TOGETHER. AND THAT MAY [03:45:01] BE THE ONE DIFFERENCE WITH, I THINK WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY, MAYOR, IF YOU KNOW UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND ITS SURROUNDING COMMUNITY, THERE IS A SORT OF A ONE-TO-ONE RELATIONSHIP BEING IN THE SAME DISTRICT. AND RICE, IF IT WERE CARVED OUT TO BE IN D IT WOULD BE A PART IN SOME WAYS OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER AND THE CULTURE, ALL THE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE BOUND BY THOSE BOUNDARIES. AND SO I'M, UH, I THINK I'M STILL, UM, THINKING ABOUT IT AS WELL, MEDITATING ON THIS IS WHAT YOU SAID. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PLACE FOR US. LET US ALL CONTINUE TO MEDITATE ON ALL OF THIS. BUT I WILL, I WILL TELL YOU THAT IT'S NOT, AND, AND LET ME GET AWAY FROM, LEMME GET AWAY FROM RICE. LET ME JUST TALK ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH I AM A PRODUCT OF UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. YEAH. I DON'T CARE WHERE UNIVERSITY DISTRICT, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON IS. MM-HMM . I'M A UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON ALUM AND I'M IN ACRE HOME. AND I DON'T DEFINE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON BY BEING PHYSICALLY LOCATED IN DISTRICT D. I'M A COUGAR AND COUGARS ARE ALL OVER. AND COUGARS ARE NOT DEFINED BY A DISTRICT. I WOULD THINK OURS ARE THE SAME. WHO, WHO? SO LET ME MEDITATE ON SOME OF THIS . UH, ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. HUMAN'S BACK IN THE QUEUE. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. AND, BUT I, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION THOUGH. NO, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AND AGAIN, MAYOR, UM, I THINK WHERE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICTS HERE ARE COMING FOR FROM IS MORE SO THE, UM, WORK THAT IS BEING DONE IN THE SURROUNDING AREA THAT IS INTEGRAL WITH RICE UNIVERSITY, UM, AS A CORE AND CRITICAL COMMUNITY PARTNER IN THOSE EFFORTS, AS WE LOOK AT THE ENTIRE UNIVERSITY PLACE, AREA, GOING ALL, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SO MUCH, I HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT AND, AND, UM, FOR RICE AND APPRECIATION FOR EV EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE DONE. AND QUITE FRANKLY, I, I JUST, MY PERSONAL TAKE, I JUST DON'T BRING IT TO THIS LEVEL. I, I SEE RICES UP HERE. I MEAN, THEY'RE IN THE, I THEY'RE, THEY'RE A D IN THE, I THEY'RE IN FRANCE. THEY'RE IN FRANCE, RIGHT? AND FRANCE, DISTRICT D IS NOT IN FRANCE YET. COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN SHABAZZ. SO ANYWAY, THAT'S THAT. WHAT, THAT'S MY BELL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, CHARLES GOFORTH TO BE FOLLOWED BY JUAN CARDOZA. ODA NDA. OKAY, MR. GO FOR IT. GREETINGS ALL. I THINK IT'S BEEN, UH, EIGHT YEARS SINCE I FIRST SPOKE BEFORE COUNCIL. AND BACK THEN I DIDN'T NEED MY READING GLASSES AND PROBABLY KEPT MY NOTES IN MY POCKET. SO, UH, THINGS HAVE BEEN CHANGING. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I, I THINK I COULD THANK EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR SOMETHING TODAY. UH, BUT THIS WEEK VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR A FABULOUS PRESENTATION THIS PAST WEEKEND OUT AT THE WILLOW WATER HOLE, WHEN THE COMMUNITY HELD A DEDICATION CEREMONY FOR ANNE LEE. ANN IS SOON TO BE 93. SHE'S STILL CHUGGING ALONG AND, AND IS A GREAT INSPIRATION TO MANY OF US, INCLUDING ME, AND WAS THE FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE BRA BAYOU ASSOCIATION AND ITS FIRST PRESIDENT BACK IN 1983. SHE AND THE REST THAT EARLY GANG ARE LARGELY, LET ME CHANGE THAT TO, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE $500 MILLION PROJECT BRAISE ENDEAVOR. I'M NOW HONORED TO CURRENTLY HOLD THE POSITION OF PRESIDENT OF THE BRAISE BAYOU ASSOCIATION, AND OUR MISSION STATEMENT IS TO REDUCE FLOODING IN THE BRAISE BAYOU WATERSHED. THAT BEING SAID, LEADS ME TO THIS HEARING. NO AREA IN HOUSTON OR POSSIBLY THE ENTIRE US HAS BEEN MORE IMPACTED BY REPETITIVE FLOODING THAN ABRASED BYYOUYOU WATERSHED AND THE BULLSEYE OF THAT REPETITIVE FLOODING FOR DECADES, GOING BACK LONG BEFORE ANYONE HAD HEARD OF ALLISON OR HARVEY, HAS BEEN THE MID REACH OF THE BRAISED WATERSHED. THE MID REACH SECTION IS A CORRIDOR EXTENDING FROM THE MEDICAL CENTER UPSTREAM OUT WEST NEAR HILLCROFT. UM, THIS IS ROUGHLY A SEVEN MILE STRETCH THAT STRADDLES BRAISE BAYOU. IT'S ENTIRELY CONTAINED IN DISTRICT C, LARGELY TO THE NORTH AND TO THE SOUTH, UH, DISTRICT K. SO WE'VE GOT THESE TWO WONDERFUL DISTRICTS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH AND REALLY COMBAT OUR COMMON ISSUES. ALTHOUGH WE'VE WON AN IMPORTANT BATTLE AS THE COMPLETION OF PROJECT BRAZE NEAR, WE HAVE BY NO MEANS WON TO WAR AGAINST REPETITIVE FLOODING. IT IS THE BRAISED BAYOU ASSOCIATION'S WISHES THAT COUNCIL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES AS PROPOSED IN THE JUNE 30TH, 2022 DRAFT FOR THIS AREA, BE MAINTAINED. AS I STATED, THIS SEVEN MILE STRETCH, WHICH INCLUDES SUBDIVISION SUCH AS OLD BRAESWOOD, NORWOOD VILLAGE, BRAZE HEIGHTS, WOODSIDE, WILLOW [03:50:01] MEADOWS, MEYERLAND, MARYLAND ESTATES, THE MAPLE WOODS, AND OTHER SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. WE ALL FACE A COMMON LIFE ALTERING THREAT OF REPEAT FLOODING ON A LARGE SCALE. AND THE COMFORT OF KNOWING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME DISTRICT REPRESENTATION THAT HAS BEEN THERE WITH US DURING SO MANY TRYING DECADES IS A HUGE FACTOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY, I'M SORRY. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, CHARLES, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU, UH, NOT ONLY FOR YOUR TESTIMONY, AGAIN, JOINING OTHER RESIDENTS AND, UM, WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS PRESERVING IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF DISTRICT C, UM, THE PROPOSAL AS IS, BUT ALSO, UM, YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH BOTH OF OUR DISTRICTS. UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, YOUR PARTNERSHIP IS INVALUABLE, UH, YOUR WORK VIA MCIA, UH, BRAS BIO ASSOCIATION, AND EVEN IN, UM, ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU DO, UH, IT'S, IT'S A PRIVILEGE AND A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU. THANK YOU. THAT MEANS A LOT COMING FROM YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, JUAN CARDOZA, NDA. JUAN ZANDA, MAYOR TURNER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU. MY NAME'S JUAN CARDOZA ODO, AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND ELECTIONS AT HOUSTON. AND ACTION. HOUSTON IN ACTION IS A NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE, THAT PROMOTES COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND BREAKS DOWN BARRIERS, SPECIFIC PARTICIPATION. OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, SOME OF WHOM YOU'VE HEARD FROM TODAY, WORK ON A HOST OF ISSUES, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, IMMIGRANT RIGHTS AND INCLUSION, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE HOUSING, LGBTQ PLUS RIGHTS, JUST TO NAME A FEW. AND OUR MEMBERS THAT COUNT ON THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES THAT COUNT ON ON YOU TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON THESE ISSUES. FOR THIS REASON, LIKE RASHAN MENTIONED WITH WITH PEER JUSTICE, WE'VE COME TOGETHER TO MAP DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST, COMMUNITIES THAT SHARE COMMON ISSUES. AND WE'RE WORKING ON A, UH, MAP PROPOSAL THAT W WE WILL, WE HOPE TO SUBMIT TO YOU ON NEXT WEEK. WE'RE REALLY PLEASED THAT THE DEADLINE WAS EXTENDED 'CAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME. Y Y'ALL ARE WRESTLING WITH COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST AND THE NUMBERS WE'RE DOING THE SAME, UH, WITH OUR MEMBERS. UM, WE'RE PLEASED WITH SOME ELEMENTS OF THE CURRENT PROPOSAL. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN GENERAL, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON ARE KEPT IN DISTRICT F AND DISTRICT J, THE EAST EX JENSEN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IS ENTIRELY WITHIN DISTRICT H WHERE I WAS DIVIDED, WHERE AS IT, WHERE AS IT WAS DIVIDED BEFORE. ALSO, THE BEAR CREEK AREA, WHICH, UM, IS HOME TO MANY DIFFERENT MOSQUES, UM, IS ALL KEPT IN DISTRICT A. THOSE COMMUNITIES ALSO SHARE A LOT OF THIS, A LOT OF THE SAME INFRASTRUCTURE CONCERNS. UM, SOME DIFFERENCES, SOME REVISIONS THAT I LIKE TO PROPOSE IS, FIRST THAT DISTRICT J BE EXTENDED SOUTH TO INCLUDE BRA, THE BRAEBURN AND BRAYS OAKS SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS. RIGHT NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE SPLIT UP. WE ALSO PROPOSE THAT DISTRICT B BE EXTENDED WEST TO INCLUDE PRECINCT FOUR 50. THAT COMMUNITY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT AS WELL DEFINED AS ACRES HOMES, OR A MORE HISTORIC COMMUNITY, UM, WE HAVE LEADERS IN, IN THAT COMMUNITY. AND THEY THINK THAT IT, IT REALLY SHARES A LOT OF SAME ISSUES THAT, UM, FOLKS IN ACRES HOMES FACE. AND I ALSO WANT TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE PROCESS. SO FIRST, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT THERE'S SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION AVAILABLE FOR THESE HEARINGS THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT IN A CITY OF MORE THAN 140 LANGUAGES. AND I WOULD LOVE FOR THAT SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION OF YOU ALL'S DISCUSSION TO BE AVAILABLE AT ALL COUNCIL MEETINGS. THERE WAS ALSO SOME DIFFICULTY WITH SOME OF THE SPANISH SPEAKERS THAT YOU HEARD FROM EARLIER IN REGISTERING YESTERDAY. AND YOU KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE WORK FULL-TIME JOBS, TWO TO THREE JOBS. THERE SHOULD BE NO, THAT PROCESS SHOULD BE SEAMLESS, EVEN IF YOU SPEAK SPANISH, IF YOU SPEAK CHINESE, VIETNAMESE, OR ANY OF OUR OTHER LANGUAGES. SO FINALLY, I WANT TO URGE YOU ALL TO CENTER THE INTERESTS AND VOICES OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AS YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, AS YOU APPROVE A REDISTRICTING PLAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. APRIL AGUIRE. APRIL AGUIRE. APRIL A NEXT SPEAKER. EVELYN CR CRUDE. TRUDY EVELYN, CRUDE STAR SIX. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. EVELYN CRUDE. HI. CAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNSEL FOR HOSTING THESE HEARINGS AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. MY NAME [03:55:01] IS EVIL ANDIE AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSITY PLACE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL NUMBER 28. I'LL TRY TO REPEAT EVERYTHING THAT MS. EASTERLY JUST SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO, BUT I SECOND HER COMMENTS REGARDING THE REMOVAL OF RACE FROM THE DISTRICT. WE ASK YOU TO KEEP OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, INCLUDING RICE AND WITHIN THE DISTRICT C BOUNDARIES WE RESPECT AND RESPECTFULLY WE BEG TO DISAGREE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF RICE TO DISTRICT C AND TO OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. WE DO HAVE A UNIQUE AND SMALL PARTNER WITH RICE AND WOULD APPRECIATE HAVING THAT PRESERVED. OUR INTACT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IS A CLEAR COMMUNITY OF INTEREST. THIS GEOGRAPHIC AREA WAS RECOGNIZED AS A WHOLE COMMUNITY I CITY CAPITAL IN 2000 WHEN IT CREATED THIS NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM. THERE'S A LONGTIME PRECEDENT FOR KEEPING THIS AREA TOGETHER. BRYCE IS ENCIRCLED BY FIVE OF THE SIX MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS COMPRISING OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALONG WITH THE RICE VILLAGE. RICE IS NOT A BORDER PROPERTY, IT IS THE CENTER OF A LARGER NEIGHBORHOOD. AND WITH MAIN STREET AS THE HISTORIC EASTERN BOUNDARY OF DISTRICT C FOR OVER 100 YEARS. MOVING RIGHTS TO ANOTHER COUNCIL DISTRICT IS COUNTER TO THE LONG-TERM CONSTITUENCY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT C OFFICE, WHICH HAS BEEN WELL SERVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND HER PREDECESSORS. THIS RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE THE LETTER DISTRICTS WERE CREATED IN THE 1920S. RICE IS TIES TO THE COMMUNITY AND DISTRICT C ARE MANY. ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING RICE GREW UP, UM, BECAUSE OF AND IN RELATION TO THE UNIVERSITY. AND HISTORICALLY THE MAJORITY OF UNIVERSITY PLACE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN AFFILIATED WITH RICE EITHER THROUGH WORK OR STUDENTS OR ALUMS. THERE ARE OWLS EVERYWHERE, BUT THERE ARE A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER IN UNIVERSITY PLACE. AND EVEN A FEW OF US ON CITY COUNCIL, I'M NOT ON CITY COUNCIL, BUT I KNOW THAT SOME OF MY FELLOW ALUMS ARE RICE HOSTS. REGULAR COMMUNITY MEETINGS WITH ITS NEIGHBORS TO DISCUSS SHARED INTEREST AND GOALS. THE UNIVERSITY WORKS CLOSELY WITH ITS SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS, INCLUDING HOUSES OF WORSHIP AND OF COURSE THE RICE VILLAGE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT ON A VARIETY OF MATTERS. RICE HOSTS OUR BIANNUAL DISTRICT C CANDIDATE FORUM WITHOUT RICE. THERE IS NO UNIVERSITY IN UNIVERSITY PLACE. AT A HEARING LAST WEEK, JURY WOODS STATED THAT RICE IS PROPOSED FOR REMOVAL FROM DISTRICT C FOR THE NUMBERS. AND YET OTHER AREAS WITH SIMILAR POPULATIONS ARE PROPOSED TO BE ADDED TO DISTRICT C WITHOUT RESPECT TO CLEAR GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES OR COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST AND POSSIBLY IN CONFLICT WITH THE CRITERIA TO AVOID PACKING AND CRACKING. WE APPRECIATE THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS PROCESS AND THE HURDLES THAT YOU MUST OVERCOME TO BALANCE THE DISTRICTS. WE THANK YOU FOR EXTENDING THE DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE. THANK YOU. MEMBER . THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, EVELYN. AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING TODAY ON BEHALF OF BOULEVARD OAKS, UM, AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING OTHER AREAS, NEIGHBORHOODS AND PARTNERS AND FOR YOUR, UH, YOUR LEADERSHIP IN ALL THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. STACEY FAIRCHILD. STACEY FAIRCHILD, STAR SIX. STACEY FAIRCHILD. GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. OKAY, WONDERFUL. MY NAME IS STACY FAIRCHILD. I AM A RESIDENT OF AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CHAIR FOR THE RICE MILITARY NEIGHBORHOOD. I'M ALSO, I AM ALSO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22 WASHINGTON AVENUE COALITION, MEMORIAL PARK, AND THE CURRENT SEC SECRETARY OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE, WHICH IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION CODIFIED IN THE CITY CODE. I SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY INITIALLY ON BEHALF OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22. BUT I ALSO HAVE SOME COM COMMENTS AS IT RELATES TO THE ALLIANCE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22, WHICH IS BOUNDED BY WHITE OAK BAYOU TO THE NORTH WEST LOOP SIX 10 BUFFALO BAYOU TO THE SOUTH AND I 45 TO THE EAST. AND I'M HERE TO SAY WE SUPPORT AND ARE IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSED REDISTRICTING MAPS FOR DISTRICT C DISTRICTS C AND HS PRESENTED. I ALSO SUPPORT MY COLLEAGUES TAMMAR BE ROY LIRA'S COMMENTS AND AGREE THAT KEEPING THE AT LARGE COUNCIL POSITIONS ARE CRUCIAL TO ENSURING OUR 88 SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD VOICES ARE HEARD AND NEEDS ADDRESSED. THE RECENT SOUND ORDINANCE REVISIONS ARE A GOOD EXAMPLE. THEY WERE SPEARHEADED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND HER CHIEF OF STAFF JORDAN FRAZIER. AND SUPPORTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND DISTRICT C STAFF AND NEIGHBORHOODS CITYWIDE WILL BENEFIT FROM THEIR ENGAGEMENT FOR YEARS TO COME. AS ROY SAID EARLIER, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF ATTENDING MOST OF THE REDISTRICTING MEETINGS AND TWO AT LARGE MEMBERS WERE CONSISTENTLY PRESENT FOR THE FULL TWO HOURS AND BEYOND ENGAGING RESIDENTS. SO [04:00:01] THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS, ROBINSON AND ALCORN FOR SPENDING YOUR EVENINGS WITH US. WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THIS THOROUGH, FAIR AND EQUITABLE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROCESS LED BY DIRECTOR MARGARET WALLACE BROWN AND HER PLANNING DEPARTMENT, EXCUSE ME, AND HER PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. AND I COMMEND THE DEMOGRAPHER JERRY WOOD FOR LISTENING SO INTENTLY AT EACH OF THESE MEETINGS AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO DIRECTOR FRANCIS, TASHA FRANCIS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS FOR ORGANIZING EACH MEETING. AND MAYOR, I JUST WANNA SAY I SUPPORT YOUR PREVIOUS COMMENTS ABOUT RAISING HISPANIC REPRESENTATION IN LEADERSHIP IN LEADERSHIP ROLES. THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE HAS DONE THE SAME WITH VOTING AND OUTGOING, OUTGOING CHAIR JUAN ANTONIO SOTO, WHO'S STILL A MEMBER OF OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND REPRESENTS THE UNDERSERVED AREAS OF NORTHEAST HOUSTON. AND CURRENTLY OUR VICE CHAIR, ROY LIRA, WHO REPRESENTS SECOND WARD, ALSO AN UNDERSERVED AREA OF HOUSTON. THERE ARE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES, I JUST WANNA SAY THIS, THERE ARE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP NEXT YEAR TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL AT LARGE IN DISTRICT POSITIONS AND EVEN MAYOR. SO I ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO FEELS UNDERREPRESENTED TO GET INVOLVED IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD, YOUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE ALLIANCE AND RUN FROM COUNCIL , YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. ONE SECOND. ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER KALIN. UM, STACEY, I HAD A FEW COMMENTS, BUT DO YOU WANNA WRAP UP WITH A FEW, A LITTLE BIT OF MY TIME? UM, SURE. I I JUST WANTED TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WHO, WHO REALLY FEEL THAT THEY'RE REP UNDERREPRESENTED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPLORE THE PATHS THAT ARE OUT THERE. THERE ARE POSITIONS, THERE ARE PATHS AND THERE ARE PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP ROLES THAT, LIKE MYSELF AND ROY AND TOMORROW AND JUAN, THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, HELP GUIDE THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO FEEL UNDERREPRESENTED, UM, INTO POSITIONS TO WHERE THEY CAN SPEAK ON BEHALF OF, YOU KNOW, UM, WHOEVER IT IS THAT THEY ARE LOOKING TO REPRESENT. AND AS A SIDE NOTE, I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN YOUR CONTINUED, UM, LEADERSHIP IN DISTRICT C AND FOR CONSISTENTLY HOLDING MEETINGS WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF DISTRICT C SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS SINCE YOU WERE ELECTED. AND I, I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THE CONTINUED DIALOGUE, UM, BY YOU AND YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF LANCE GILLIAM AND THE DISTRICT C TEAM BECAUSE I TRULY BELIEVE IT'S BENEFICIAL TO KEEPING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS INFORMED. AND I ENCOURAGE ANY AND ALL DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT DOING THIS, UM, EXERCISE, UH, TO DO THE SAME. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND I APPRECIATE THE EXTENSION. UH, COUNCILMAN MAY I'M CALLING. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU STACY, AND THANKS TO YOU AND ROY, JUST LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON SAID EARLIER FOR ATTENDING SO MANY OF THE CIP REDISTRICTING MEETINGS, IT WAS SUPER IMPORTANT, UM, THAT YOU WERE THERE AND APPRECIATED YOUR COMMENTS AND LEADERSHIP AND ALSO, UM, NOTICED THAT YOU WERE REALLY TRYING TO GET PEOPLE MORE ENGAGED, UM, IN THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD KIND OF SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE. THERE ARE A LOT OF INACTIVE GROUPS AND THIS IS REALLY OUR BEST WAY AS YOU KNOW, MAYOR, TO GET INFORMATION DOWN THE CHAIN AND THEM TO GET INFORMATION UP. SO APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP THERE AND, AND FOR BEING SO ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS. THANK YOU. OKAY. I'M SORRY COUNCILMAN KAMAN. NO PROBLEM AT ALL, MAYOR. UM, STACY, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, NOT ONLY WITHIN THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD BUT ALSO WITH THE ALLIANCE AND TO ALL OF OUR LEADERSHIP AT THE ALLIANCE. UM, VERY QUICKLY FOR THE RECORD, 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU SAID A FEW THINGS, UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE DISTRICT C PROPOSED MAP, BECAUSE WE HAVE OTHER RESIDENTS IN OTHER AREAS COMING BACK WITH, UM, SOME PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS. ARE YOU, UM, IN SUPPORT IN FAVOR OF KEEPING SN 22 WITHIN THE MAP AS PROPOSED THE WAY IT IS? I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY WHAT YOU WERE SAYING YOU SUPPORTED. YES. SN 22 AS PROPOSED. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND DISTRICT C. DISTRICT C AND H. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. AND OH, MAYOR, I'M SO SORRY 'CAUSE IT'S THE LAST DISTRICT C SPEAKER. I DID WANNA RECOGNIZE THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF, UM, CONSULTANTS. UH, JERRY HAS BEEN LITERALLY HANDING OUT HIS CARD TO EVERY SINGLE, UM, PUBLIC SPEAKER, UH, PRETTY MUCH THAT HAS COME FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT HE'S GETTING THEIR FEEDBACK AS WELL. SO, UH, AS NUMEROUS UH, SPEAKERS HAVE SAID WHAT YOUR ADMINISTRATION HAS TO DO IN TERMS OF DRAWING THESE MAPS, UM, IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND NUANCED AND, UH, I APPRECIATE THEIR EFFORT. SO I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. TAMMY RODRIGUEZ. RODRIGUEZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY A ZOO, YUSEF. [04:05:11] GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. I WROTE EVERYTHING DOWN 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT THIS RIGHT TO DERAIL MY SPEAKER. UH, GOOD, GOOD MORNING, UH, MAYOR'S COUNSEL. MY NAME IS HAM RODRIGUEZ. UM, I'M KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL AND I'M SURE THAT Y'ALL HAVE, UH, HEARD OF ME. I AM A VERY BIG ADVOCATE OF GULFTON. I HAVE BEEN 32 YEARS ADVOCATING FOR GULFTON, UH, THIS YEAR. SO I'M VERY EXTREMELY PASSIONATE. MY CHILDREN SAY I'M ANGRY, BUT IT'S PASSION. UM, I AM VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE RESIDENTS AND THE PEOPLE IN GULFTON. UH, AND WITH THAT SAID, I CAN SAY ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS AND THE STAKEHOLDERS, ENG GULFTON, WE HAVE FOUND A TRUE ALLY IN COUNCIL. MEMBER POLLARD. NOT ONLY DOES HE ENGAGE WITH EVERYBODY, HE DOES NOT HOLD ANYBODY'S RACE OR THEIR BACKGROUND. HE ENGAGES WITH EVERYBODY. HE IS THERE FOR US, HE SERVES US, AND HE SERVES AS WELL. NOT ONLY DOES HE ENGAGE WITH EVERY ETHNICITY, HE ALSO INCORPORATES THE DISABLED. NOW I'M GONNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ON THAT. YOU KNOW, THAT THE, UH, GULFTON IS THE MOST DIVERSIFIED NEIGHBORHOOD, I WOULD SAY IN HOUSTON. WELL AT ONCE SAID MAYBE IN HOUSTON, BUT MAYOR, YOU QUOTED ONE TIME SAYING IT MAY BE IN THE STATE. UH, SO IT, BUT THAT SAID, I EVEN SAY THAT THERE'S OVER MORE THAN 80 LANGUAGES JUST ENGULFED IN ALONE THAT ARE BEING SPOKEN. AND MOSTLY THAT AREA IS HIGHLY HISPANIC. NOW, TO MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES THAT I THINK MOST OF THEM LEFT THE ROOM, OUR HISPANICS, THE HISPANICS HAS ALWAYS, I WAS A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, PRESIDENT FROM 2001 TO 2014. I HELPED CREATE THE ALLIANCE AND THE LOGO AND IT'S, AND, AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I REALLY TOOK TRUE TO HEART. NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO WANT TO EXPRESS TO YOU IS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A VOICE. AND IT WASN'T JUST HISPANICS, IT WAS ALL, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU HEARD A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS THAT CAME HERE. WELL, I'M GONNA BE REALLY HONEST WITH YOU. IT'S NOT ONLY THAT WE REPRESENT JUST THE, THE AREA, BUT YOU HAVE SOMEBODY INTERPRET WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE. AND HAVING THE STAFF, THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AND I APPLAUD YOU, YOU HAVE A GREAT STAFF, FRANCIS AND DAVID. I MEAN, THEY HEAR ALL HISPANICS. SO THERE'S NO, UH, LANGUAGE BARRIER THERE. AND WE GET IT DONE. SO I'M GONNA SPEAK ON SOMETHING THAT I KNOW VERY DEAR TO MY HEART. I USE THE WORD EMPOWER. I'VE EMPOWERED MY DAUGHTER TO BE SPECIAL, NOT DISABLED. SO I AM EMPOWERING, YOU KNOW, GULFTON AND I FOUND MY ALLY IN COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU TAMMY. UM, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND TAMMY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP AND ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. I KNOW YOU MAY HAVE SOME MORE COMMENTS, SO I'LL YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME TO YOU. THANK YOU. SO , SO IT BEING EMPOWERED, IT'S, IT IS USUALLY NOT USED CORRECTLY. SO IN USING THE WORD EMPOWER, WE WERE EMPOWERED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD ENGULFED IN TO RISE IN HOUSTON AND TAKE OUR PLACE. WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT TYPE OF EMPOWERMENT SINCE HE CAME ON BOARD. AND I WILL TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN HERE NEAR BROWN, WHITE, UH, PARKER, EVERYBODY SAT ON THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC ADVISORY BOARD AND NEVER HAVE BEEN SO ENGAGED. SO TODAY WAS THE FIRST TIME OR THE SECOND TIME THAT I'VE EVER SEEN IVAN, UH, ENG ENGULF IN AT THE END OF MY MARCH, UH, FOR CRYING AND LULAC, I KNEW ABOUT IT, BUT MY SISTERS WERE INVOLVED. SO I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYBODY ENGULF IN OR REACH OUT TO ME. SO I, I WAS JUST WANTED TO COMMENT. THERE ARE, I DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED TO MISS WITH COUNCIL OR AT OUR, OUR AT LARGE, WE NEED TO EMPOWER THE HISPANICS TO TAKE A STAND, RISE UP AND VOTE. BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T VOTE AND HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE, THEN HOW DO WE EXPECT TO BE REPRESENTED? SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A VOICE FOR THE ONES THAT ARE IN OFFICE, THEN SHAME ON YOU. [04:10:01] BUT WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO DO. WE, I LIVED AND WORKED IN F NOW I LIVE IN F AND I WORK ENGULFING AND JI HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT MY STRONG REPRESENTATION AND F AND DON'T MESS WITH IT. YES. AND IN J WE STILL GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT DARN IT, I FEEL GOOD TODAY OF WHO WE HAVE FOR US BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY HISPANICS, IT'S EVERYBODY. AND IT'S NOT ONLY HISPANICS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, NON-IMMIGRANTS, IT IS DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE IN THERE THAT COMES FROM DIFFERENT COMPANIES. AND NOW WE HAVE CUBANS THAT ARE FILLED ALSO IN THAT AREA, HAVE PAKISTANIAN FRIENDS THAT ARE ALSO IN THAT AREA. SO WE ARE ALL REPRESENTED. AND DON'T GET ME WRONG, I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT HISPANICS, BUT WE GOT A LONG ROAD TO DO. I HAVE BEEN IN A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND I'VE BEEN AT IT ALONE AND I HAD, IT IS BEEN VERY HARD TO GET OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY ENGAGED. SO THE NUMBERS IN THE CENSUS IS COMPLETELY WRONG. BEING IN THE DEPARTMENT INDUSTRY, I CAN TELL YOU WE'RE 30,000 LESS. SO WE WANNA START SOMEWHERE, EMPOWER THEM TO BE A VOICE WITH THEIR VOTE. AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK NEEDS TO HAPPEN. AND FOR ALL OF Y'ALL TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND TO GIVE YOU, AND TO EMPOWER YOU THROUGH COMMUNICATION AS TO THE NEEDS THAT WE NEED. IF NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET NOTHING DONE. THANK YOU. OH, BY THE WAY, HAPPY LADY BIRTHDAY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS AND POLLARD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, COUNCIL TAR. WONDERFUL. UH, TAMMY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING. UM, I GET A LITTLE, I GET TO TAKE A LITTLE CREDIT FOR YOU 'CAUSE YOU LIVE IN DISTRICT F BUT YOU DO A TREMENDOUS JOB SERVING THE RESIDENTS IN ENGULFING. AND I GET TO WITNESS AND, AND WITNESS THAT FROM AFAR. AND SO, UM, I GET TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT. AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, UH, WE HAVE SUCH A DIVERSE COMMUNITY AND WE DO OUR VERY BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER THE ISSUE, WHATEVER THE CONCERN, AND MATTER OF FACT, THE REASON WHY FIRE STATION 73 IS RECEIVING A GATE AND THAT INVESTMENT IS BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN AN EXTRA SET OF EYES AND EARS SAYING THIS FIRE STATION NEEDS SOME SUPPORT AND WE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WITNESSING AND WE'RE GETTING THEM THE RESOURCES BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU. THANK YOU. SO, UM, EVERYONE HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND NOT JUST A SEAT, BUT A PLATE, A FORK AND FOOD. SO WE'RE ALL EATING TOGETHER AND YOU'RE AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. THANK YOU. THANK SO MUCH FOR COMING. THANK YOU. AND THANK COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, TAMMY'S LEADERSHIP IN GOFTON AS SHE'S THE CHAIR OF THE, UM, GOFTON MANAGEMENT DISTRICT MAYOR. THE GULFTON MANAGEMENT DISTRICT WAS CREATED OVER A DECADE AGO, BUT IT HAD 2006. YEAH. BUT IT IS, IT IS SET DORMANT AND NON-ACTIVE FOR OVER A DECADE BASED ON TAMMY'S LEADERSHIP AND OTHERS. THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE NECESSARY SIGNATURES, UH, TO ACTIVATE THE GULFTON MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. AND NOW SHE SERVES AS THE CHAIR OF THAT BOARD. AND NOW SHE'S ABLE TO USE HER VOICE WITH DOLLARS AND HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ASSESSMENTS COME INTO THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO GOFTON FOR BEAUTIFICATION, FOR PROJECTS, FOR SAFETY, PUBLIC SAFETY. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS IN DOING THAT BECAUSE THAT IS A LONG TIME COMING AND WE KNOW THAT IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICTS AND ADDITIONAL DOLLARS, UM, IT'S ONLY BUT SO MUCH WE CAN DO FROM THE GENERAL FUND. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR CONTINUED EFFORTS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE DAYS AHEAD. YEAH, STAY TUNED TO THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING THERE. THANKS TAMMY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH. ALRIGHT, UH, MOTION. MOTION TO GO PAST, UH, NOON TO MOVE ROBINSON. BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR? NONE GRANTED. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. ISAIAH YUSUF. ISAIAH YUSUF. GOOD MORNING MAYOR. I'M SURE YOU CAN HEAR ME. UM, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS XAVIER UF AND I AM A COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER AND A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WHO FOCUSES ON THE RESIDENTS WITHIN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON, ESPECIALLY DISTRICT JI AM PROUD IMMIGRANT FROM ETHIOPIA. THE AFRICAN COMMUNITY IS HEAVILY POPULATED IN DISTRICT J AND COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD HAS BEEN REMAINING A STRONG VOICE IN SUPPORTER OF OUR ISSUES. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A COUNCIL MEMBER ELECTED IN HOUSTON THAT WAS BORN IN AFRICA. HOWEVER, WE TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE REAL REPRESENTATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. DISTRICT J IS VERY DIVERSE WITH PEOPLE FROM SO MANY PLACES. THAT TAKES SOMEONE WHO'S GENUINE CARES FOR ALL PEOPLE AND NOT JUST THOSE WHO HAVE HIS BACKGROUND TO GIVE, TO GIVE A STRONG REPRESENTATION. AS YOU CONSIDER THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MAP, PLEASE KEEP THE ORIGINAL AREA OF [04:15:01] DISTRICT J ALTOGETHER AND NOT CONSIDER SPLITTING IT. WE WANT TO KEEP, UH, THE REPRESENTATION WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN GO. WE SPEAK, UH, DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. UM, GOFTON ALMOST REPRESENT 54 AFRICAN COUNTRIES. AND THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND ISAIAH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, WAITING ALL OF THIS TIME. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG HEARING AND YEAR TOWARDS THE END OF THE LIST, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR WAITING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO DISTRICT J. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND NEXT SPEAKER, DEBORAH CHAN. DEBORAH CHAN, DEBORAH. YES. THANK YOU. UH, MY NAME IS DEBRA CHEN. I'M WITH OCA GREATER HOUSTON, A SOCIAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION. AND I WANT TO, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HOLDING THESE, UH, HEARINGS AND EXTENDING THE HEARING DATES. UH, IT'S BEEN A VERY TRANSPARENT PROCESS, UH, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE IN THE PAST. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE TO MAKE THIS A MORE TRANSPARENT PROCESS AND TO ALLOW, YOU KNOW, THREE MINUTE, UH, TESTIMONY WHERE, UH, ONE MINUTE TESTIMONY OFTENTIMES AT THE STATE LEVEL, UH, JUST NOT REALISTIC. AND, UH, WE SUPPORT HAVING, UH, INDEPENDENT COMMISSIONS. SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING FOR THE CITY TO CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE AS WELL. UH, BUT I'M HERE TO TESTIFY TODAY REGARDING, UH, CHINATOWN. CHINATOWN IS CURRENTLY SPLIT IN HALF. IT'S IN THE SOUTHWEST SIDE, UH, ALONG THE BELL BEL AIR CORRIDOR. UH, AND WE ASK THAT CHINATOWN BE UNIFIED. UH, I WANT TO ALSO SAY THAT WITH UNITY, WE ARE A PART OF THE UNITY MAPPING PROCESS WITH HOUSTON IN ACTION AND ARE A VERY HAPPY MEMBER OF THAT COALITION. UH, CHINATOWN IS NOW CURRENTLY SPLIT BETWEEN DISTRICT F AND DISTRICT J IN PRECINCT 5 0 7 AND PRECINCT THREE 11, UH, 5 0 7 BEING ON THE NORTH, UH, SIDE OF BEL AIR. AND THEN THE SOUTH SIDE BEING SPLIT INTO DISTRICT A. WE HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD, UH, A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH BOTH COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS AND POLLARD'S OFFICE. AND FRANKLY, THAT'S BEEN THE LUCK OF THE DRAW, RIGHT? UM, BUT HAVING CHINATOWN SPLIT IN HALF WHERE, UH, IT'S RESIDENTS, IT'S BUSINESSES, IT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THINGS TO GET DONE. IT, IT DOUBLES THE TIME AND FIGURING OUT, YOU KNOW, WHO DO WE ACTUALLY CONTACT? AND ESPECIALLY FOR LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT RESIDENTS, IT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT, UH, VERSUS HAVING EVERYTHING CONSOLIDATED IN A DISTRICT F FOR INSTANCE. THIS IS, I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THIS IS IN NO WAY A DISPARITY AGAINST, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, WHOSE OFFICE HAS BEEN FANTASTIC WORKING WITH US. THE ISSUE THAT WE SEE IS BY NOT HAVING A UNIFIED CHINATOWN, IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT IN THE FUTURE WHEN MAYBE WE'RE NOT QUITE SO LUCKY TO HAVE AS RESPONSIVE OF A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WE HAVE IN COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. SO WE ASKED FOR CONSIDERATION FOR CHINATOWN TO BE UNIFIED BY SPLITTING THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN TWO DISTRICTS. THE CITY IS DOUBLING THE WORK OUR COMMUNITY MUST DO TO ACCESS THE SAME SERVICES. WE MUST REACH MULTIPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GET OUR ROADS FIXED, ACCESSING BUSINESS SUPPORT AND ADDRESSING CRIME. WE'RE ALSO, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED COMMUNITY WITH LARGE. YES MA'AM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ONE SECOND HEARING UP TODAY. HOLD ON ONE, ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS THIS MORNING. OKAY. ALRIGHT THEN. NEXT SPEAKER. THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. OKAY, WE HAVE NO ONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. IS THERE ANYONE HERE, UH, HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE REDISTRICTING MAPS? ANYONE HERE HEARING AND SEEING NONE? IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING CAST STATE A MOVE. SECOND. ROBINSON MOVED AND SECOND TO CLOSE THE HEARING. ALL IN FAVOR OPPOSED? AYES HAVE IT AND THE HEARING IS CLOSED. AGAIN, LEMME REMIND EVERYONE, UH, THAT THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 4 44 40 5:00 PM ON FRIDAY, JULY THE 29TH. THAT'S FOR YOUR WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS. HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO CAME AND PARTICIPATED IN THE PROCESS AND HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD. AND NOW, IF YOU WILL, BE BEST PREPARED TO TURN, UH, BACK. THANK JERRY. AND AGAIN, LET ME THANK, UH, JERRY, UH, THE DEMOGRAPHER, JERRY WOODS. LET [04:20:01] ME THANK YOU JERRY, UH, FOR BEING AT ALL OF THE HEARINGS, BEING ATTENTIVE AND TAKING THE NOTES AND ALL THE MAPS AND, AND THE WORK THAT STILL LIES AHEAD. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LET ME THANK, UH, PLANNING AND EVERYONE AFFILIATED, THE WHOLE STAFF, MARGARET WALLACE BROWN, THE DIRECTOR, AND ALL OF THOSE, UH, WITHIN THAT, UH, DEPARTMENT THAT WORK WITH IT. AND LET ME THANK LEGAL, UH, ARTURA, MICHELLE, THANK YOU, AND THE WHOLE LEGAL TEAM, UH, WHO WHO HAS HELPED, UH, ON THIS MAMMOTH UH, PROJECT. ALRIGHT, UH, LET ME JUST KEEP MY NOTES. ALRIGHT, [MAYOR'S REPORT] A FEW, A FEW A FEW COMMENTS, UM, FROM, FROM ME. UM, ON SATURDAY, JULY THE 30TH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL HOLD A GUN BUYBACK EVENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT. ONE COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS, OF COURSE, ALONG WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE. WANT TO THANK, UH, THE CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY HOMELAND SECURITY, ABBY CAYMAN FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM THAT WILL BE SCHEDULED ON JULY THE 30TH. UH, AND ALL OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND BE A PART OF IT. OUR GOAL IS TO GET AS MANY OF THESE UNWANTED AND DANGEROUS GUNS OFF OF OUR STREETS. UH, PEOPLE CAN TURN, UH, THESE GUNS IN NO QUESTIONS ASKED IN EXCHANGE FOR A GIFT CARD OF VARYING AMOUNTS. AND THE AMOUNT OF THE GIFT CARD WOULD VARY DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF GUN. THE GUN BY BACK WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 8:00 AM UH, TO NOON AT WHEEL AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH, LOCATED AT 38 26 WHEEL AVENUE. NOW LET ME JUST NOW, UH, LEMME JUST, UM, BRING SOME CONTEXT TO THIS. THIS WAS A PUT FORTH IN THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON PROGRAM. I, I ASKED FOR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS BEFORE WE PUT FORTH THAT ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE. THIS IS JUST ONE PART OF IT. UM, IT IS A, AT THIS POINT, ABOUT $52 MILLION PROGRAM. MOST OF THOSE DOLLARS ARE COMING FROM OPERA FUNDING. UH, AND YOUR LARGEST AMOUNT, UH, IS OVERTIME FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, POLICE OFFICERS. THE INITIAL AMOUNT WAS 5.7 MILLION 425 ADDITIONAL OFFICERS. AND OVERTIME, WE'VE SINCE ADDED ANOTHER 5 MILLION TO THAT. SO, UH, 10 POINT, UH, $7 MILLION OF THIS AMOUNT IS ON POLICE OVERTIME. SO I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT. 'CAUSE SOME PEOPLE WILL SAY, OH, MAYOR, INSTEAD OF PUTTING THEM A MILLION DOLLARS ON THE GUN, BIPA PUT MORE MONEY IN POLICE, WE ARE PUTTING MORE MONEY IN POLICE. AND THEN BEAR IN MIND, ANOTHER $23 MILLION IS ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES. AND, AND, AND, UH, AND AGAIN, MANY OF THOSE DOLLARS ARE GOING TO THE POLICE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAVE. UH, WHEN THEY'RE RESPONDING, UH, CLOSE TO $10 MILLION IS ON DOMESTIC ABUSE. OKAY? SO, UH, AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS ON THOSE WHO ARE COMING OUT OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE REENTRY PROGRAM AND OUR NUMBERS ON RECIDIVISM ARE BETTER THAN ON THE STATE AVERAGE. UH, SO THAT'S A MILLION DOLLARS THERE. AND THEN THERE'S, UH, $3 MILLION THAT'S GOING TO THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER TO DEAL WITH THE BACKLOG. SO I, I WANT PEOPLE TO VIEW THESE THINGS IN CONTEXT. THIS IS JUST ONE PIECE OF MANY DIFFERENT PIECES. I AM NOT PRESENTING THIS AS THE PANACEA, BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH THE, THE, THE, THE VIOLENCE, THE GUN VIOLENCE THAT IS EXISTING IN OUR CITY AS WELL AS OTHERS, I THINK IT DOES REQUIRE A HOLISTIC APPROACH. AND HOPEFULLY COLLECTIVELY WE WILL SEE POSITIVE RETURNS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT FROM WHERE WE WERE IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, THE HOMICIDE RATE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS FLAT. IN COMPARISON TO LAST YEAR, YOU'RE NOT DEALING WITH 65, 70% ABOVE LAST YEAR. RIGHT NOW, IT'S FLUCTUATING CAN BE 1% BELOW AS OF THIS MORNING, 1% ABOVE. SO IT'S FLAT AND ON IN OTHER CRIME CATEGORIES, THE NUMBERS ARE DOWN. SO WE ARE SEEING POSITIVE RESULTS, BUT IT TAKES A HOLISTIC APPROACH, OKAY? SO DON'T VIEW THE GUN BI PROGRAM AS JUST THIS ONE ELEMENT ALONE. PLEASE CONSIDER IT AS A PART OF EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE DOING. AND I CAN TELL YOU NO OTHER CITY IS BEING AS HOLISTIC AND COMPREHENSIVE AS WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE, RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUT FORTH THAT EFFORT. AND THEN AGAIN, AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS, $3 MILLION ON OUR COMMUNITY, UM, UH, WHAT I CALL IT, UM, MESSENGER CURE MESSENGERS PROGRAM [04:25:01] THAT COUNCILMAN NATASHA JACKSON HAS BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN ADVANCING. AND THEN, UH, JUST BEAR IN MIND, EVEN WITH RESPECT TO OUR SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAM, 16 TO 24, WE HAVE NEARLY, WE HAVE NEARLY 14,000 KIDS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN OUR SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT IS THAT THE AGE GROUP THAT'S DRIVING IN LARGE PART CRIME IN OUR CITY IS BETWEEN 16 AND 24. WHERE THE AGE GROUP OF THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IS 16 TO 24. SO IT IS A, IT IS A HOLISTIC APPROACH. AND QUITE FRANKLY, UH, IF WE GET ONE GUN OFF THE STREET THAT COULD HAVE BEEN USED IN COMMITTING A CRIME, THEN THAT'S ONE GUN REMOVED. BUT IT IS NOT THE PANACEA ON JULY THE 30TH. UH, WE ANTICIPATE PROBABLY ABOUT UTILIZING ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. UH, AND WE WILL MEASURE TO SEE HOW SUCCESSFUL WE ARE. UH, BUT, UH, BUT I, WHAT I WILL SAY TO YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COLLECTIVELY, UM, WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION. AND I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT COMING FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. NOW, AS OF TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK, THE ORDINANCE THAT WE PASSED, UH, WHAT, SIX MONTHS AGO, 180 DAYS AGO, UH, DEALING WITH, UH, LIGHTING AT CONVENIENCE STORES, CAMERAS FOR CONVENIENCE STORES, NIGHTCLUB, STRIP CLUBS, BARS, YOU NAME IT, HAS NOW GONE INTO EFFECT. SO LET ME JUST SAY TO BUSINESSES THAT FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY, THEY SHOULD BE ADHERING TO THAT, TO THOSE PROVISIONS. SO WHETHER WE ARE DEALING WITH CAMERAS AND LIGHTING FOR BARS AND CLUBS, CONVENIENCE STORES, WHETHER WE ARE DEALING WITH ON THE MEASURE THAT WE PUT IN PLACE, DEALING WITH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, WHETHER WE, UH, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL OVERTIME FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS PROVIDING $1.9 MILLION FOR PARK RANGERS, OKAY? UH, DOING ALL OF THAT, THE UTILIZING A MORE TECHNOLOGY WITH POLICE, OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, UH, OUR EMPHASIS ON DOMESTIC ABUSE RESPONSE TEAMS, UH, THE, UH, THE RECIDIVISM PROGRAM, THE COMMUNITY MESSAGES PROGRAM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS COLLECTIVELY, UH, I BELIEVE ARE SHOWING DIVIDENDS, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO STAY AT IT. OKAY? WE JUST HAVE TO STAY AT IT. UH, BUT THE REALITY IS THERE ARE A LOT OF GUNS THAT ARE ON OUR STREETS, A LOT OF THEM. SO, UM, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WANTED TO DO THIS INITIATIVE, UH, BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS, IS TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE GUNS OUT THERE. MM-HMM . OKAY? THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE WANTED TO DO IT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS, BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU, I DON'T KNOW, I KNOW CAN'T SPEAK FOR YOU FOR ANYBODY ELSE, UH, BUT SINCE I'VE BEEN RECUPERATING, YOU KNOW, YOU GET A CHANCE TO WATCH A WHOLE LOT OF TELEVISION, UH, MY HEART JUST BREAKS FOR THOSE FAMILIES IN UVALDE. UH, IT BREAKS. AND NOW PEOPLE WANNA KNOW. FAMILIES WANNA KNOW, OKAY, WHAT DID, WHAT ARE Y'ALL GONNA DO TO MINIMIZE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN? OKAY, WELL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS POLICY MAKERS AND ELECTED OFFICIAL SERVANTS TO TRY TO BE AS PROACTIVE AS POSSIBLE. YOU CAN CRITICIZE ANY SOLUTION, BUT TO BE CRITICAL AND OFFER NO ANSWER, NO NOTHING IS NOT A RESPONSE. OKAY? SO I CAN COME UP WITH AN IDEA AND THEN PEOPLE CAN SHOOT, YOU KNOW, CRITICIZE AND SHOOT. BUT IF YOU'RE NOT OFFERING ANY IDEAS OR DOING SOMETHING, THEN THE PROBLEM REMAINS. AND THIS COUNTRY, AND CERTAINLY MEMBERS SAY, IN THIS CITY, WE CAN DO MORE. WE NEED TO DO MORE. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FAMILIES AND OUR CHILDREN ARE SAFE. AND I AM HEARTBROKEN WHEN I SEE 16 YEAR OLDS WITH GUNS SHOOTING AND KILLING ONE ANOTHER. I'M HEARTBROKEN, ESPECIALLY THAT GROUP BETWEEN 16 AND 24. SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ON THAT, ON GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM, AND AGAIN, IT EMPHASIZES TOO MANY GUNS OUT THERE, AND THERE'S WAY TOO MANY GUNS IN THE HANDS OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. UM, HOPE TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL RESPONSES WITH RESPECT TO THE, UM, MONKEYPOX. WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH DIRECTOR WILLIAMS AND WITH DR. PERS. WE'RE WORKING WITH CDC AND TO THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE NEED MORE VACCINES, UH, IN THE CITY. AND SO WE'RE GONNA KEEP PUSHING AND PUSHING AND PUSHING TO GET MORE VACCINES, UH, INSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, I'M GONNA REDUCE THIS BECAUSE WE ALREADY PASSED NOON AND MY STOMACH IS DEMANDING A RESPONSE. UM, AND THEN OF [04:30:01] COURSE, UH, TRADE DAY TRADER TRUTH, UM, WHO'S JUST BEEN VERY HELPFUL ON SO MANY FRONTS. HIS DAY IS COMING UP ON SATURDAY, UH, FROM THREE TO EIGHT O'CLOCK, UH, ON JULY 23RD. UH, AND, UH, I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE CON, WHAT HE CONTINUES, WHAT HE CONTINUES TO DO. UH, COUNCILMAN CISNEROS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS TO HELP EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THE GUN BUYBACK PROBLEM, UM, PROGRAM IS JUST, UH, ONE SMALL PART OF THE, OF A BIGGER PLAN. UM, I WENT TO A, A COMMUNITY MEETING, A CIVIC CLUB MEETING THIS WEEK, AND I WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT, AND I GOT THE QUESTION, WHY, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? AND THEY, THEY WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, CRIMINALS AREN'T GOING TO, YOU KNOW, TURN IN THEIR GUNS. AND I SAID, JUST, AND WHAT YOU'VE TOLD US BEFORE IS THAT THERE ARE CLOSE TO 4,000 GUNS THAT ARE STOLEN FROM VEHICLES EVERY YEAR. IT IS MORE THAN 10 A DAY THAT ARE STOLEN OUT OF CARS. AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THOSE ARE. THAT IS A LOT OF GUNS. AND SO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IT'S YOUR RIGHT TO OWN A GUN, BUT MAYBE YOU DON'T NEED A GUN. MAYBE YOU DON'T REALLY EVEN WANT IT AND YOU'RE KEEPING IT IN YOUR CAR. YOU TURN IT IN, TURN IT IN. UM, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING PROGRAMS LIKE HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH. THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT ALSO HAS A NUMBER OF, OF, OF PROGRAMS THAT WILL BE COMING BEFORE THE CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE MEETING IN SEPTEMBER TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THOSE EFFORTS TO, TO CATCH CHILDREN THAT FALL BETWEEN THE CRACKS AND TO REDIRECT THEM INTO PRODUCTIVE LIVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M SORRY I RAN OUT FOR A QUICK SECOND WHILE YOU, UM, HAD STARTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS. BUT, UM, FIRST OFF, ON THE SUBJECT OF GUN VIOLENCE AND YOU TALK, WE TALK ABOUT VALDI. UM, I WANTED TO BRING ATTENTION. I KNOW IT'S BEEN IN THE NEWS RECENTLY, AND THIS ACTUALLY JUST CAME TO LIGHT FOR A LOT OF US. UM, WHAT SERGEANT KENDRICK SIMO AND A SECURITY GUARD DID AT THE GALLERIA, UM, POTENTIALLY SAVING HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN'S LIVES, UH, AT THE WESTIN. AND, UH, I, I KNOW THAT WE WILL HOPEFULLY, I HOPE AND KNOW THAT WE WILL BE RECOGNIZING THOSE HEROIC EFFORTS. BUT, UM, THE INDIVIDUAL THAT THEY STOPPED CAN ONLY BE CITED FOR A MISDEMEANOR BECAUSE HE DID NOT SHOOT ANYONE. AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW AS A CITY, UH, WITH THE VIOLENT CRIME NUMBERS. I'M SO GRATEFUL THEY ARE GOING DOWN AND I ATTRIBUTE THAT TO, UM, WHAT WE AS A CITY UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP ARE DOING. BUT WE STILL CONTINUE TO FACE THIS ISSUE AND WILL CONTINUE TO WHEN WE HAVE, UM, THE TYPE OF INSANE LAWS THAT WE'RE FACED WITH RIGHT NOW, INCLUDING A MAN THAT WENT IN WITH OVER, I THINK A HUNDRED, 120 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION TO A HOTEL IN THE GALLERIA WHERE CHILDREN WERE. UM, THAT BEING SAID, TO YOUR POINT, YOU ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN UNDER ONE SAFE HOUSTON IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL OF US. SO THANK YOU FOR THE PARTNERSHIP ON THE GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM, WHICH I KNOW OUR RESIDENTS IN SEA REALLY APPRECIATE. UM, THE GUN LOCK EFFORTS THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH, WITH HPD, UM, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY, WITH COMMISSIONER ELLIS, UH, EVERYONE IS ALL IN ON ALL OF THESE EFFORTS USING EVERY TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX. UH, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM, UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, TO YOUR POINT AS WELL, UH, THE EFFORT IS NOT ADDRESSING NECESSARILY, UM, THE VIOLENT CRIME PER SE. WE ARE USING OTHER TOOLS FOR THAT. THIS IS AN EFFORT TO SAFELY REMOVE GUNS FROM HOMES FOR RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERS THAT MAY HAVE GUNS, THAT THEY'VE INHERITED, GUNS THAT THEY HAVE COME INTO OWNING, OR PERHAPS THEY HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN NOW AND DON'T NECESSARILY WANT THOSE GUNS IN THEIR HOME ANYMORE. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS FOCUSED ON AND BRINGING ATTENTION TO THE FACT, UH, ABOUT RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP. THERE WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE MEETING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. UH, WE HAD AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAM AT THE LAST PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING. UH, TOMORROW AT TWO WILL BE A RUN THROUGH OF THE ACTUAL PROGRAM, THE LOGISTICS FOR ANYONE INTERESTED, HOW THE TRAFFIC IS GONNA WORK, THE LOCATIONS, ET CETERA. UM, BUT I, I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP IN ALL OF THIS. AND THE ROLE THAT IS, WE LOOK TO WHAT WE CAN EACH DO AS INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS OF A CITY. WE LOVE WHAT WE CAN BE DOING, AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE WAYS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFELY SECURING YOUR FIREARMS. UH, WITH THAT MAYOR, I JUST, AGAIN, WANTED TO APPRECIATE AND RECOGNIZE THE WAY IN WHICH YOU HAVE WORKED WITH EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT HAS WANTED TO PARTICIPATE AND WANTED TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS. UH, YOU HAVE DONE THAT AND BEEN GOOD TO YOUR WORD ON THAT, SO THANK YOU. THANK [04:35:01] YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILMAN POLL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I, I TOO, JUST WANT TO APPLAUD YOUR EFFORTS AND IDEAS ON THAT ONE. SAFE HOUSTON, WHEN IT COMES TO THE GUN BACK BY, UH, PROGRAM OR ANYTHING ELSE, UM, I WANT TO CAUTION THE PUBLIC NOT TO BE CRITICAL BEFORE THINGS EVEN START, BEFORE WE EVEN INITIATE, BEFORE IT EVEN, UH, GOES INTO PRACTICE. UM, BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF OPINIONS ON WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK BEFORE IT EVEN GOES INTO EFFECT. AND SO WE HAVE IDEAS AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS ISSUES, ESPECIALLY PERTAINING TO PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT BE SUPPORTIVE OF THOSE IDEAS. LET'S ALL WORK TOGETHER TO TRY TO SEE IF THEY CAN BE TRUE SOLUTIONS BEFORE KNOCKING IT DOWN, BEFORE IT EVEN GETS STARTED. SO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS. THANK YOU. I KNOW I HEARD ONE CRITICISM SAYING, WELL, UM, THE CITY NEEDS TO BE PUTTING THAT MONEY ON POLICE. WELL, WE ARE PUTTING MONEY ON POLICE. WE HAVE NOT, WE HAVE NOT DENIED POLICE $1 THAT THEY HAVE ASKED FOR, NOT ONE. WE ARE GIVING THEM THE OVERTIME. WE ARE HIRING MORE POLICE THROUGH THE CADET CLASSES. WE ARE PROVIDING MONEY FOR TECHNOLOGY. WE'RE PUTTING MORE MONEY ON PARK RANGERS. YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT, WE ARE NOT DENYING THEM. LET ME PUT IT IN AN AFFIRMATIVE. WE ARE GIVING THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE, THE 52, 5300 POLICE OFFICERS, THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED, NOT ONLY TO THEIR JOB, BUT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES WHILE THEY ARE DOING THEIR JOB. WE'RE NOT DENYING THEM ANYTHING. WE'RE NOT DENYING THEM ANYTHING. BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT WE ARE NOT DOING. WE'RE NOT JUST SITTING ON OUR, ON OUR BEHINDS DOING NOTHING. OKAY? WE ARE NOT LOWERING THE AGE WHERE PEOPLE CAN BUY GUNS FROM, FROM 21 TO 18 AND ONE, ONE SAFE. HOUSTON IS A COLLECTION OF THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO VIEW IN TANDEM, AND NOT JUST IN ISOLATION, BUT I'D RATHER DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO REDUCE THE VIOLENCE IN OUR CITY THAN NOT TO DO ANYTHING AT ALL. YOU KNOW? SO, LET'S CONTINUE TO WORK. LET'S CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER. IF YOU HAVE OTHER IDEAS OF THINGS WE NEED TO DO, CAN DO, UH, YOU KNOW, LET ME KNOW. YOU KNOW, LET ME KNOW. AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT WE ARE DOING THINGS FOR OUR KIDS, THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THEM WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THEM WITH THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY NEED AND PROVIDING THEM HOPE. ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. OKAY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT'S ENOUGH ON THAT. UH, [CONSENT AGENDA] LET'S TURN TO THE AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY. ITEMS TWO THROUGH FOUR HAVE BEEN ALREADY BEEN DONE UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. ITEM FIVE NEEDS A MOTION CAST TAX. TAYLOR MOVE. SECOND, ROBINSON MOVING. AND SECOND ON ITEM FIVE. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANT UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF B CATEGORY. ITEM SIX NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM MOVED. SECOND, ROBINSON MOVING. AND SECOND ON ITEM SIX. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANITE UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS 26, 28 AND 29 HAVE BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ARE 11 14, 23, 30, 31, AND 37. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 11 14, 23, 30, 31, AND 37. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION AND FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED. OKAY, [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] ITEM 11 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. NO. ITEM 11, DISCUSSION ON 11. DISCUSSION ON 11 IN FAVOR OF THOSE GRANTED. ITEM 14 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 14. COUNCILMAN FOLLOWED ON 14. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THIS ITEM IS, UH, REQUESTING THAT WE AMEND A 2014 ORDINANCE THAT WE ALSO VOTED ON IN 2019, UH, TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT IN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND VIRTUAL GROUP CORPORATION FOR PROFESSIONAL [04:40:01] INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CYBERSECURITY CONSULTING SERVICES. UM, WHEN YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE MWBE PARTICIPATION VIRTUAL GROUP CORPORATION IS ACHIEVING 2.82 PARTICIPATION TOWARDS THEIR 24% MWBE GOAL. NOW, IN THE BACKUP, IT SAYS THAT THIS WAS AN ASPIRATIONAL GOAL AT THE TIME, AND I KNOW NOW WE'VE MOVED TO CONTRACT SPECIFIC GOAL PARTICIPATION. UM, BUT WHEN WE'RE MAKING THESE AMENDMENTS, AND MY QUESTION IS IF WE CAN AMEND THE CONTRACT WHEN IT COMES TO PRICE, WHEN IT COMES TO SCOPE, WHY CAN'T WE AMEND WHEN IT COMES TO PARTICIPATION OF MWBE GOALS? BECAUSE THIS DOES NOT REFLECT WELL ON THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO PROVIDE, UM, OPPORTUNITY TO SMALL AND MINORITY BUSINESSES WHEN THEY SEE THESE, WHEN THEY SEE US VOTING ON CONTRACTS WHERE A VENDOR IS, UM, NOT ACHIEVING ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THE PROPOSED GOAL. AND I KNOW THIS PROPO AND I KNOW THIS VENDOR IS A, IS A MINORITY BUSINESS, AND I KNOW THIS VENDOR HAS DONE GREAT WORK FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT IT DOES NOT REFLECT WELL IN OUR STATS WHEN YOU SEE A VENDOR THAT HAS A 24% MWBE GOAL ONLY ACHIEVING 2%. AND THEN IT BEGS THE QUESTION, WHEN THIS VENDOR INITIALLY MADE THE BID AND THEN AND, AND PUT IN MWBES TO REPRESENT THE 24%, THE WORK THAT THEY WERE RELYING ON THAT THEY NEVER WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE. SO I WANT TO FIND WAYS OR ASK THE QUESTION, ARE WE ABLE TO AMEND THESE ORDINANCES WHEN THEY COME BACK BEFORE US? IF WE SEE THAT IT WAS AN ASPIRATIONAL GOAL THAT CANNOT BE REASONABLY, UM, ATTAINED, CAN WE AMEND THAT PORTION OF THE CONTRACT AS WELL, LIKE WE SOMETIMES DO WITH PRICE AND SCOPE? WELL, I THINK THAT'S ONE REASON WHY OBO PROVIDED THE DETAILED EXPLANATION. THIS CURRENT CONTRACT WAS ORIGINALLY AWARDED IN 2014, AND IT WAS ASPIRATIONAL. IT WAS ASPIRATIONAL WHEN IT WAS AWARDED IN 2014. WE HAVE SINCE MADE THE CHANGE WHERE WE'RE NOW DEALING WITH CONTRACT SPECIFIC GOALS, WHICH I THINK WILL CORRECT THE SITUATION. UM, AND, AND I AND, AND WHICH IS THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR BE ABLE TO GO. WHEN THIS CONTRACT CAME UP, IT WAS NOT DIVISIBLE, IT WAS TRULY, BUT I DON'T EVEN WANNA SAY ASPIRATIONAL. IT WAS UNREALISTIC FROM DAY ONE. AND WHICH MEANS THAT WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH IT RIGHT NOW, IT DOES. UM, HOW CAN I PUT IT? IT DOESN'T REFLECT WELL. SO I, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I THINK WITH O, WITH MARSHA MURRAY, DIRECTOR AND OBO SHIFTING TO A CONTRACT SPECIFIC GOAL, I THINK THAT WILL CORRECT IT AS, AS WE GO FORWARD. UH, THAT'S THE, THAT WOULD BE MY RESPONSE TO YOU, COUNCILMAN MCCAIN AND FOLLOWED BY VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, I, I APPRECIATE YOU RAISING THE ISSUE. I THINK GENERALLY SPEAKING, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. UM, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, AND I DON'T KNOW THE ACTUAL SPECIFICS WITH THIS ONE MAYOR, BUT, UH, GIVEN IT'S FOR CYBERSECURITY CONSULTING, WHICH IS A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED FIELD, I KNOW SOMETIMES THAT ALSO FALLS UNDER CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS OF NEEDS. UM, I I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT INTO THE MIX. I FULLY RECOGNIZE AND SUPPORT EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. I JUST, ON THIS ITEM SPECIFICALLY, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS AN EXCEPTION ALSO BECAUSE OF THE HIGHLY SPECIALIZED NATURE AND SENSITIVE, UM, PROTECTION THAT IS REQUIRED AS A CITY AT THE MOMENT. AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S A PART OF IT. IT JUST WASN'T DIVISIBLE. IT, IT, IT, IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE GONE OUT WITH A 24% FIGURE ON IT, QUITE FRANKLY. I MEAN, IT WAS, IT WAS AN ERROR FROM DAY ONE AND NOW COMING UP TO US NOW WE ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT, BUT, UH, IT SHOULD NOT HAVE, IT SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE OUT THAT WAY IN THE FIRST PLACE. MM-HMM . UH, VICE MAYOR FOR TIM CASH. DICTATOR, THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THAT, AND THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY COMMENT, THAT FROM 2014, THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE, UM, NO LONGER ALLOW US TO MAKE THESE GENERIC GOALS. UM, WE'VE MOVED TO THE CONTRACT SPECIFIC GOALS, AND DIRECTOR MURRAY IS VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE GOALS ARE NOT JUST PIE IN THE SKY AND THAT WE DO HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO MEET THE GOALS, UM, AND THAT WE ARE, UM, HAVING REALISTIC GOALS, UM, ON THESE CONTRACTS. THIS ONE. NOW, IF WE WERE TO, UM, PUT THIS OUT AGAIN, THE VENDOR WOULD ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO SELF-REPORT THEIR WORK AND MEET AND MEET THE GOAL. SO I THINK THE CHANGES AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE IN THAT DEPARTMENT, UM, NULLIFIES KIND OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST WITH THOSE KIND OF BLANKET GENERIC GOALS. A POLL. AND I AGREE WITH ALL THAT. MY, MY MY SPECIFIC QUESTION THOUGH, AND MAYBE THIS IS FOR [04:45:01] THE CITY ATTORNEY, IS ARE WE ABLE TO AMEND THE LANGUAGE WHEN IT COMES BACK BEFORE COUNCIL? IF IT'S, IF THE LANGUAGE HAS, UH, BEEN DRAFTED BASED ON AN OLD PROCESS OR AN OLD WAY OF THINKING, WE'RE ALREADY AMENDING THIS CONTRACT RIGHT NOW. WE'RE AMENDING IT AS IT PERTAINS TO PRICE AND, AND, AND EXTENSION. SOMETIMES WE MEND AMEND WHEN IT COMES TO SCOPE OF SERVICES. THE QUESTION IS, CAN WE AMEND WHEN IT COMES TO THE MWBE PARTICIPATION, IF WE SEE THAT IT WAS UNREALISTIC FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND NOW WE HAVE A DIFFERENT PROCESS IN, UM, PROJECTING WHAT THE PERCENTAGE SHOULD BE. I MEAN, YELL, LET ME YELL TOO, UH, TOO TO MICHELLE. I THINK YOU CAN, YOU CAN AMEND IF BOTH PARTIES AGREE TO DO IT, WHICH IN A CIRCUMSTANCE LIKE THIS WOULD SEEM POSSIBLE, THERE MAY BE OTHER INSTANCES IN WHICH IT WOULD CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS, BUT THERE'S NOTHING INHERENT ABOUT, UH, PREVENTING THE AMENDMENT OF A CONTRACT. AND I ASK MAYOR THAT WE START TO LOOK, WHEN WE SEE THESE, UM, TYPE OF CONTRACTS THAT COME BEFORE US, THAT WE KNOW WE CAN'T MEET THE PARTICIPATION GOAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY SET, THAT WE DO SPEAK TO THE VENDOR AND SEE IF WE CAN HAVE A MEETING OF THE MINDS TO AMEND. THANK YOU. FAIR ENOUGH. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 14? 14? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 14? ITEM 23 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON 23. DISCUSSION ON 23. DISCUSSION ON 23 IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED ON 23. ITEM 30 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 30, DISCUSSION ON 30, DISCUSSION ON 30 IN FAVOR POST RYAN. ITEM 31 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. VICE MAYOR PRO TEMP CAST ON 31. UH, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO TAG ITEM 31. UH, 31 IS TAGGED BY VICE MAYOR PRO TEMP. ITEM 37 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. WE ON ITEM 37. COUNCILMAN PAT ON 37. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM. IT'S THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH HARRIS COUNTY FOR THE ANTOINE PAVING AND DRAINAGE PROJECT FROM WEST MOUNT HOUSTON TO TWO 90. THIS IS GOING TO BE SUCH A GREAT PROJECT. I'M SO EXCITED. IT'S PARTIALLY IN DISTRICT A AND PARTIALLY IN DISTRICT C, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT ISSUE OF THE FOUR LANES VERSUS SIX LANES. I KNOW THAT EVERYONE REALLY WANTS THE FOUR LANES AND SO OF THE SIX LANES, AND I KNOW THAT'S STILL BEING WORKED OUT, BUT WHEN THIS PROJECT IS DONE, IT'S GONNA BE SO AMAZING FOR THAT WHOLE ENTIRE AREA. SO THANK YOU. TOTALLY. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER AND GAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I ECHO COUNCIL MEMBER PECK'S COMMENTS. I ALSO WANTED TO THANK HER AND HER OFFICE FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP ON THIS BECAUSE IT DOES, UM, OVERLAP BOTH OF OUR DISTRICTS, INCLUDING SOME AREA THAT MAY ACTUALLY BE GOING TO A, IN THE PROPOSED REDISTRICTING PLAN. UM, I AS WELL WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THE NEED. CURRENTLY, ANTOINE IS AT FOUR LANES AND THE DISTRICT C PORTION, UH, IT IS PROPOSED TO GO TO SIX LANES. NOBODY WANTS THAT. UH, I'M NOT HOLDING UP THIS ITEM BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY THE INTERLOCAL WITH THE COUNTY, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD, TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS, UH, TO GET THE FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY THAT IS NEEDED. UH, IN TERMS OF THE STATUS THOUGH OF GOING FROM SIX LANES TO BACK TWO, FOUR LANES, UH, WHICH IS SAFER FOR EVERYONE, UH, THERE'S STILL A SIGNIFICANT PROCESS THAT IS NEEDED. UH, ALL OF IT HAS TO BE RESUBMITTED TO HGAC AND COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, I KNOW YOU ALSO HAVE EYES ON THIS AS WELL. UM, BUT IT, IT'S GOING TO BE A SLOW PROCESS AND I JUST DON'T WANNA LOSE ATTENTION ON THE NEED. AGAIN, WE NEED THIS PAVING AND DRAINAGE PROJECT DESPERATELY. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED TO GO TO SIX LANES IN THE DISTRICT C PORTION, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HAS BEEN MODIFIED TO BACK TO FOUR LANES IN THE A SEGMENT OF THIS. SO I APPRECIATE THIS ITEM. I APPRECIATE THE PROJECT. IT'S NOT ON THE CITY. UH, WE ARE PUSHING AN ADVOCATING FOR THAT REDUCTION OF LANES AND I, AGAIN, THE PARTNERSHIP HAS BEEN INVALUABLE. UM, BUT WE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT STAYS ON EVERYONE'S RADAR. OKAY? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 37, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANT? [MATTERS HELD] ITEM 41 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 41. DISCUSSION ON 41, DISCUSSION ON 41 IN FAVOR OF POST GRANT 41. ITEM 42 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ITEM 42, DISCUSSION ON 42. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANT ON 42. THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. ALRIGHT, BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO ME, I ALSO CONGRATULATE AGAIN RON TREVINO FOR 40 YEARS ON KHOU CHANNEL 11. UH, UH, THAT'S A MILESTONE. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO RON TREVINO. 40, 40, 40 YEARS AT ONE TELEVISION STATION, KHOU CHANNEL LEVEL. [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] I, HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, LET ME START WITH [04:50:01] COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, VERY QUICKLY, TODAY'S KIND OF A, A DAY OF GRATITUDE FOR POPOFF. I WANTED TO THANK LNI VARNEY, BRIAN GROP, AND THE REST OF THE STORMWATER OPERATIONS GROUP. UM, OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS, TWO LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS, UH, ONE IN UPPER KIRBY AND ONE IN MONTROSE, UH, THAT ARE HAPPENING AFTER A CULMINATION OF OVER A YEAR OF OUTREACH FROM DISTRICT C RESIDENTS. THESE ARE REALLY SMALL SINGLE BLOCK PROJECTS THAT, AGAIN, DON'T ALWAYS MAKE THE NEWS, BUT ARE CRITICAL TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE MY STAFF. WE HAD, UM, SOME FOLKS, UH, ONE RESIDENT IN, UH, FOURTH WARD, FRIEDMAN'S TOWN, UH, CALL BECAUSE HER LANDLORD, UH, IN ONE OF OUR APARTMENT COMPLEXES THERE, UH, HAD NOT REPAIRED HER AC FOR MONTHS AND, UH, WAS REFUSING TO DO SO. UH, MY STAFF GOT INVOLVED AND AS SOON AS IT WAS MENTIONED THAT COUNSEL, UH, WAS, UH, FOCUSED ON THIS ISSUE, THE LANDLORD REPAIRED THE AIR CONDITIONING WITHIN A DAY. UH, BUT GIVEN THE HEAT, GIVEN THE DANGERS THAT OUR HEATWAVE IS PRESENTING, I JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF AIR CONDITIONING, UH, FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS. UH, AND THAT A NOTICE AND REMINDER TO THOSE IN MULTIFAMILY, UH, PROPERTIES THAT THE CITY'S MULTIFAMILY MINIMUM PROPERTY STANDARDS REQUIRE LANDLORDS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN WORKING AC UH, FOR ALL RESIDENTS. THAT BEING SAID, UH, WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING TOMORROW AT 2:00 PM UH, ON THE GUN BUYBACK EVENT. AND MAYOR, I FORGOT TO MENTION EARLIER WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING GUN VIOLENCE, I WANTED TO CREDIT HPD. UH, A NEW PARTNERSHIP IS COMING WITH A TF, UH, THAT I THINK IS REALLY ALSO GOING TO HELP IN TERMS OF GUN, UH, VIOLENCE DATA. UH, THAT IS, SO THERE'LL BE AN UPDATE ON THAT. UH, WE ALSO HAVE IN DISTRICT C, OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP MEETING TODAY. UH, AND I WANTED TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU, MAYOR TO YOU, UH, YOUR DEPARTMENTS. UH, BUT I WAS HONORED FOR, UH, TO JOIN FIRE DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP UNVEILING A NEW COMMEMORATIVE SIGN TOPPER, HONORING THE LIFE OF, UH, FIRE ARSON INVESTIGATOR, UH, LAMO DJ BRUCE, UM, AT 18TH AND SEAMUS NEAR STATION 62 COLLEAGUES, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, UM, HE LOST HIS LIFE, UH, DUE TO GUN VIOLENCE. HE WAS MURDERED WHILE INVESTIGATING AN ARSON, A STRING OF ARSON ATTACKS. UH, I THINK THIS WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT MOMENT TO PAY TRIBUTE TO HIS LEGACY. I'M GRATEFUL THAT HIS FAMILY WAS THERE. I, THERE WILL BE A MORE FORMAL, UH, RECOGNITION OF THE MEMORIAL THERE IN OCTOBER ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF HIS MURDER. UH, BUT HUGE THANKS TO CHIEF PENA, UH, CHIEF MCLEOD MARTINEZ, AS WELL AS FABIO, UM, AT PUBLIC WORKS. THEY SPECIALLY CRAFTED A NEW SIGN TOPPER TO HONOR HIM. SO IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE CITY, UH, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'M GONNA START OUT, UM, DISCUSSING A MEETING THAT WE'RE HAVING TONIGHT. WE'RE ACTUALLY PRECINCT ONE IS HAVING A MEETING TONIGHT AT 6:30 PM IT'S AN IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSE AT CLOVER LAND CHURCH OF CHRIST, BECAUSE WE WANNA SEE IF THE INPUT FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS IS BEING REFLECTED AND THE PLAN DESIGNED FOR TRANSFORMING THE HILL AT SIMS DETENTION BASIN INTO A PRECINCT ONE PARK. SO THE MEETING STARTS AT 6:30 PM WITH A WELCOME AND PRESENTATION BY HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT ONE. SO PLEASE, UH, TRY TO ATTEND THAT MEETING. YOU CAN RSV P HE AT BITY SLASH H, ILL AT S IMS SEVEN DASH 20. THAT'S BITY SLASH HIL AT SIMS SEVEN DASH 20. ALSO ON, UM, NEXT ON ON AUGUST THE SECOND FROM 68, 6 TO EIGHT, THE GRIGGS LONG MACAU ROAD RAIL SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. WE'LL HAVE A MEETING AT THE HOUSTON TEXANS YMCA FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS HAS BEEN VERY INVOLVED WITH THE TRAINS AND HOW THEY ARE PRESENTING SUCH A PROBLEM FOR, FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS, BEING ABLE TO NAVIGATE, GET TO WORK ON TIME AND SUCH. AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING. UH, LET ME SKIP BACK, UH, TONIGHT, THERE WILL BE A GREATER OST UNION COMMUNITY HYBRID MEETING, UM, VIOLENCE PREVENTION, AND THAT WILL BE FROM SIX TO 7:00 PM AT THE SHRINE OF THE BLACK MADONNA, 53 0 9 MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD. AND YOU CAN COME IN PERSON OR YOU CAN JOIN ONLINE AGAIN. UH, MAYOR, YOU DID MENTION THE GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM, WHICH WILL BE IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION AT WHEELER [04:55:01] AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH. I BELIEVE, UH, ANY EFFORT TO HELP US IS A GOOD EFFORT. UH, AND SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT. AND THAT CONCLUDES WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. AND WELCOME BACK, MAYOR. I REALLY DID MISS YOU, AND GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU'RE BACK WITH US. AND, UH, ON A, ON A SAD NOTE, I DID GET A MESSAGE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TARSHA JACKSON, WHO INDICATED TO ME THAT HER YOUNGER BROTHER PASSED. UH, SO I'M SURE SHE WILL PROVIDE DETAILS TO US, UH, REGARDING HIS SERVICES. AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, AND YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT WEEK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, I DID REACH OUT TO HER ON LAST NIGHT AND, UH, EXPRESS OUR CONDOLENCES IN OUR PRAYER AS WELL. SO THANK YOU, UH, VICE MAYOR FOR THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, CAST. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA JUST START OFF BY SAYING, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO SPIRIT AIRLINES. YESTERDAY WE JOINED, UH, DIRECTOR MARIO DIAZ AT UH, BUSH, UH, INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO CELEBRATE THEIR NEW MAINTENANCE HANGAR. UM, AND ALSO THE ADDITION OF OVER 500 CAREERS THAT WILL BE ADDED TO OUR WORKFORCE. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO, UM, SPIRIT AIRLINES. THEIR 10TH ANNIVERSARY WAS A GREAT TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS NEW HANGAR AND THE ADDITIONAL, UM, FLIGHT ATTENDANTS AND PILOTS AND TECHNICIANS THAT WILL BE ADDED TO OUR WORKFORCE TODAY IS OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, AT TWO SHORTLY, UM, WE WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION BY DEPUTY DIRECTOR GWEN TILLSON ON OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES FOR OUR 2023 TURS BUDGET SCHEDULE. UM, A PROPOSAL TO CONSIDER A TAX ABATEMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE AND AGREEMENT FOR A FULFILLMENT FACILITY. UH, THERE WILL ALSO BE A PROPOSAL FOR AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH MONTGOMERY COUNTY. UM, SO IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING, IT WILL TAKE PLACE TODAY AT 2:00 PM PUBLIC IS INVITED AND YOU CAN CONTACT OUR OFFICE IF YOU, UM, NEED THE LINK TO JOIN. UH, TOMORROW I WILL BE JOINING THE HOUSTON FOOD BANK AND NEW FAITH CHURCH FOR OUR GROCERY, UM, DISTRIBUTION, UH, FROM 8:00 AM TO 10:00 PM AND THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AT NEW FAITH CHURCH AT 43 15 WEST FE WAY. UM, WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE WE'RE HELPING HOUSTONIANS TO STRETCH THEIR DOLLARS. AND THEN FINALLY, OUR SECOND OF 3D RESTRICTION ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RICE AND RICE AND MARSHALL MANAGEMENT WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY FROM NINE TO 11:30 AM UH, THIS WEEK IT WILL BE AT THE HPD SOUTHWEST COMMAND STATION CONFERENCE ROOM, AND THAT'S LOCATED AT 1 3 0 9 7 NAIDA STREET. WE ARE ASKING OUR HOAS CIVIC CLUB MEM MEMBERS TO PLEASE ATTEND. UM, LAST UH, WORKSHOP WE HELD, THERE WERE TWO HOURS OF QUESTION, TWO AND A HALF HOURS OF CON CONSISTENT QUESTIONS ABOUT DE RESTRICTIONS AND HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE THEIR DIS DE RESTRICTIONS, STRENGTHEN DE RESTRICTIONS. UM, SO IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE ON SATURDAY FROM NINE TO 1130, IT WILL BE THE SECOND OF OUR 3D RESTRICTION, UM, ROUND TABLES. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, AND GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS TIME, UH, RIGHT ON TIME. UH, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK. MAYOR TURNER, WE HAD A GOOD SUBSTITUTE. UM, IN YOUR ABSENCE, UH, WE DID NOT THROW SPITBALLS ADAM, BUT IT'S GOOD, UH, FOR YOU TO BE BACK. UM, I'M GONNA MINIMIZE MY, UM, POP OFF TODAY. I JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE MY GRADUATE ASSISTANT, ISIS THOMAS. SHE'S IN THE AUDIENCE. UM, SHE'S A DISTRICT K, RAISE YOUR HAND TO THE AMERICAN C. THERE SHE GOES. UM, SHE IS GRADUATING, FINGERS CROSSED, UH, PRAYERS UP FOR HER IN AUGUST. UH, AND SHE'S A DISTRICT K RESIDENT AND SHE WAS SO INTRIGUED OF THE PROCESS AND A LOT OF THE WORK SHE'S DOING, UM, WITH OUR OUTREACH IN WALLER COUNTY IS ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY. SO TODAY WAS A, IT WAS MAKING THE CONNECTION FOR SO MAYOR, IF YOU WOULD OBLIGE A PHOTO AFTER POP-OFF ABSOLUTELY WITH HER, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. SHE HAS HER UNDERGRAD AT, FROM PRAIRIE VIEW IN COMMUNICATIONS. SHE ACTUALLY WAS, SHE'S A, A BENEFACTOR OF YOUR SUMMER YOUTH, UM, INTERN. SHE WORKED AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS LAST SUMMER. SHE DIDN'T WANNA WORK WITH ME. UM, SHE WAS LIKE, NAH, I'M GOING TO IT . BUT SHE, AND SO NOW SHE'S WITH ME AS A GRADUATE ASSISTANT. SO EXCITED THAT SHE, UH, JOINED US IN CHAMBERS TODAY. EXCELLENT. EXCELLENT. OKAY. LOOK FORWARD TO, TO BEING WITH YOU IN A LITTLE BIT. COUNCILMAN ALCO. THANK YOU MAYOR AND WELCOME BACK. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE. UH, I'M JUST GONNA REMIND EVERYBODY, AND I KNOW I'VE EMAILED EACH OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY ABOUT TOMORROW'S, UM, PUBLIC HEARING ON THE, UH, HGAC, UH, METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION FOR THAT $488 MILLION. IF YOU WANT ANY GUIDANCE ON REMARKS, WRITTEN OR ORAL, I'M HAPPY TO HELP. I DON'T WANNA DO A GENERIC LETTER. I WANT EVERYBODY TO HAVE SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO SAY ABOUT POSSIBLY PROJECTS [05:00:01] IN YOUR DISTRICT OR THE NEED IN YOUR DISTRICT. UM, SO ANYWAY, APPRECIATE MAYOR, YOUR, UH, PARTICIPATION AND EVERYONE THAT'S COMING TO THAT. WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP ON SWINGING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THAT. THANK YOU. THANK COUNCILMAN P THANK YOU MAYOR. AND ALSO WELCOME BACK. UM, ON MONDAY I WENT TO THE FUNERAL FOR FIREFIGHTER WALTER GRAVES JR. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WAS THERE AS WELL, AND I JUST REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HIM. HE WAS A FIREFIGHTER, A POLICE OFFICER AND WAS IN THE MILITARY AS WELL. SO CLEARLY VERY DEDICATED TO SERVICE AND JUST SOUNDED LIKE SUCH AN AMAZING PERSON. AND I HOPE HIS MEMORY IS A BLESSING TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THIS SATURDAY, JULY 23RD IS THE BACK TO SCHOOL VACCINATION EVENT. IT WILL BE AT THE SPRING BRANCH FAMILY DEVELOPMENT CENTER, 8 5 7 5 PITNER ROAD. IT'LL BE FROM 9:00 AM TO NOON FREE IMMUNIZATIONS FOR REQUIRED FOR SCHOOL, AND ALSO A FREE BACKPACK WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. THAT'S ALWAYS A REALLY BIG EVENT IN SPRING BRANCH, BUT IF YOU MISS THIS ONE, THEY'RE DOING A SECOND EVENT ON AUGUST 20TH. AND THEN FINALLY, MAYOR, LAST NIGHT I WENT TO THE NORTH DIVISION'S POSITIVE INTERACTION PROGRAM, MEETING THE PIP MEETING AND COMMANDER BRYANT TALKED ABOUT THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON PLAN AND THE OVERTIME FUNDING AND IT SPECIFICALLY HOW IT HAS IMPACTED THE NORTH DIVISION. AND IT WAS JUST REALLY GOOD TO SEE THE IMPACT IN MY COMMUNITY AND SPECIFICALLY WHAT IS HAPPENING IN DISTRICT A WITH THAT MONEY. AND SO I JUST ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO ATTEND YOUR PIP MEETINGS SO YOU CAN HEAR, UM, EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THAT MONEY AND THE OVERTIME. THEY TALK ABOUT THAT AT THE NORTHWEST PIT MEETINGS ALL THE TIME AS WELL. HOW THE OVERTIME MONEY IS REALLY HELPING THEM TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY MORE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT MONEY TO BOTH OF THOSE DIVISIONS. WELL, THANK ALL OF YOU. UH, THANK ALL OF US. I MEAN, PUT IT THAT WAY. UH, LOOK, THANK YOU. LET ME THANK YOU FOR YOUR WELL WISHES. APPRECIATE THAT. AND AGAIN, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU FOR STANDING IN AND REPRESENTING US. AND LEMME THANK THE MAYOR PRO TEM, EVEN IN HIS ABSENCE. APPRECIATE HIM AND LET THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, UH, FOR HELPING TO MOVE THE CITY FORWARD. WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE STAND ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.