[00:00:02]
[PRESENTATIONS]
I AM SO VERY HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY TO COMMEMORATE ONE OF DISTRICT D'S OWN.I ACTUALLY WORKED AT WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL, AND SO THIS IS A PARTICULAR HONOR FOR ME.
AND CERTAINLY WHEN I TOLD PEOPLE THAT I WAS PRESENTING A PROCLAMATION, YOU GET TO HEAR ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL STORIES.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT MY OWN BROTHER WAS SUCH A GREAT FAN.
HE SAID THAT'S WHY HE, HE LOVED THE RAIDERS.
AND THEN MY SISTER, WHOSE HUSBAND PLAYED FOR THE RAIDERS, SHARED WITH ME THAT AL DAVIS ADORED HIM.
AND SO I'M LIKE, WELL, OKAY THEN.
SO I'M GONNA READ THIS IN MEMORIAM CLIFFORD BRANCH.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS DEDICATED TO REMEMBERING INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ENRICHED OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE DEEPLY SADDENED BY THE LOSS OF CLIFFORD BRANCH OF A BELOVED ATHLETE AND NFL HALL OF FAME HONOREE.
CLIFFORD BRANCH WAS BORN AUGUST 1ST, 1948 IN HOUSTON AND PASSED AWAY ON AUGUST 3RD, 2019.
HE ATTENDED WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL WHERE HE WAS A STATE CHAMPION SPRINTER IN TRACK AND FIELD IN THE 100 YARD AND 200 YARD DASH RACES.
THAT AGILITY AND QUICKNESS WAS SOON DISPLAYED ON THE GRID IRON, WHERE HE WAS A STAR RECEIVER IN FOOTBALL.
HE WENT ON TO PLAY SPORTS AT WARDEN JUNIOR COLLEGE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, WHERE HE CONTINUED TO EXCEL IN TRACK AND FOOTBALL.
CLIFF BRANCHES COLLEGIATE EXCELLENCE TRANSITIONED TO THE PROS.
WHEN HE WAS DRAFTED BY THE OAKLAND RAIDERS, HE CAUGHT MORE THAN 500 PASSES, JUST A FEW MORE THAN YOU MAYOR.
DURING HIS STELLAR 14 YEAR NFL CAREER FROM 1972 UNTIL 1986, HE HELPED THE RAIDERS WIN THREE SUPER BOWLS WITH AN IMPRESSIVE 73 RECEPTIONS DURING THE PLAYOFFS.
CLIFFORD BRANCH PASSED AWAY ON AUGUST 3RD, 2019.
ON AUGUST 6TH, 2022, HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY INDUCTED INTO THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME IN CANTON, OHIO.
HIS MEMORY AND IMPACT ON THE NFL WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE ON IN FOOTBALL THROUGH HIS MANY FANS AND THROUGH THE COUNTLESS LIVES HE HAS TOUCHED.
AND GIVE ME GREAT PLEASURE TO SAY THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM AUGUST 30TH, 2022 IN MEMORIAL CLIFFORD BRANCH DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND HERE STANDS HIS SISTER AND HIS MANY FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING.
WHAT A TREMENDOUS HONOR THIS IS FOR OUR FAMILY AND EVERYBODY STANDING HERE IS FAMILY.
WHETHER THEY'RE WORTH FAMILY, FRIENDS, FAMILY OR IMMEDIATE FAMILY.
WE'RE JUST SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS HONOR.
YOU HAVE QUITE A CREW WITH YOU.
IF YOU JUST WANNA QUICKLY SAY YOUR NAMES, WHERE YOU ON THE MIC? YOU CAN, I, UH, I'M WESLEY FORTE.
WE WERE ACROSS THE STREET, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, AND SO WE LIKE FAMILY.
CHERYL HARRISON AND CLIFF CLIFFORD'S YOUNGEST SISTER.
REVEREND CARL HARRISON'S CLIFFORD'S BROTHER-IN-LAW.
I'M KATHY ALLEN CLIFFORD'S COUSIN
I'M CLAYTON CATCHINGS AND I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CLIFFORD BRANCH MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT, WHICH WE ARE HAVING OCTOBER THE 17TH AT QUAIL VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CITY REPRESENT MR. MAYOR.
AND MR. VOZ, WE APPRECIATE YOU.
MY NAME IS CARL DOUGLAS AND I WAS ONE OF THE, UH, UH, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO THROW TO CLIFFORD BRANCH IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND, UH, AND HIGH SCHOOL AT WORTH.
AND SO HE, WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS FOR SO LONG, SO THANK YOU FOR THIS HONOR.
[00:05:01]
MY OZ.I'M VICTORIA CATCHINGS AND I AM CLIFFORD'S CLASSMATE.
GOOD MORNING OVER HERE, THIS BEAUTIFUL LADY.
I'M A FRIEND OF ELAINE'S AND ELAINE AND I WERE IN CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY TOGETHER.
WE WERE SO EXCITED THAT THERE WAS SOMEONE AT THE SAME HEIGHT THAT WE COULD LOOK AT EACH OTHER.
MY NAME IS EVERETT HARRIS SENIOR.
I'M THE PROUD PRINCIPAL AT WORTHING EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, IT'S AN HONOR, UH, JUST TO BE HERE IN THIS PRESENCE.
AND, UH, WE'RE HERE TO REPRESENT.
AND SO, UH, AGAIN, IT'S A GREAT HONOR TO HAVE THIS FAMILY COME DOWN.
AND IF I TELL YOU HOW EXCITED MY BROTHER WAS AND MY SISTER TO KNOW THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING TODAY, AND CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, TO LIFT UP, HE WAS THE PRIDE OF SUNNYSIDE IS STILL THE PRIDE OF SUNNYSIDE.
AND I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING TO PUT A STREET OR SOMETHING.
OR WAS THAT DONE? THERE ARE TWO MARKERS IN THE OH TWO MARKERS.
UHHUH AT THE END OF THE BLOCK WHERE WE LIVED.
I AM A PRODUCT OF JACK YATES, SO I HOPE Y'ALL WILL FORGIVE ME,
BUT THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMING.
AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ, AND MS. ANDERSON.
I WATCHED THE ENTIRE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CEREMONY AND I'VE BEEN TO BENSON STADIUM WHERE THE GAME WAS HELD, THE, THE NIGHT BEFORE THE, UH, OR THE WEEK BEFORE THE, UH, THE CEREMONY.
AND I DID NOT KNOW A LOT OF THIS.
I GREW UP AN OAKLAND RAIDER FAN.
I'M FROM NEW ORLEANS, BUT WAY BACK WHEN I WAS ORIGINALLY AN OAKLAND RAIDER FAN.
AND I REMEMBER 21, AND HE ALSO WORE NUMBER 22 IF I'M 23 AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO.
SO I DID NOT KNOW ALL THE HISTORY, BUT I KNOW THAT HE WON I THINK THREE SUPER BOWLS.
AND, UH, HE WAS THE FASTEST DUDE ON THE FIELD.
ALL HE WANTED TO DO IS SAID, RUN CLIFF RUN AND WE'LL GET IT TO YOU.
UH, THAT'S A HECK OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.
MY QUESTION IS, I KNOW HE PASSED AWAY.
DID HE KNOW THAT HE WAS IN THE HALL OF FAME BEFORE HE PASSED? OR DID HE PASS AFTER? NO, BECAUSE I KNEW THE ANNOUNCEMENTS WERE PRETTY CLOSE.
HE, HE DID NOT KNOW, BUT HE CONTINUED TO SAY, WHEN I GO TO THE HALL OF FAME YEAH.
SO HE KNEW HE WAS ELIGIBLE FOR IT AND ONE DAY HE WOULD, BUT HE NEVER GAVE UP ON HIS DREAM BECAUSE I, I WATCHED THE CEREMONIES WHEN THEY KNOCKED ON THE GENTLEMAN WHO PLAYED FOR JACKSONVILLE AND SPENT A LITTLE BIT OF HIS CAREER HERE.
AND THEN, UH, THE GENTLEMAN, ONE OF MY HEROES THAT PLAYED CORNERBACK FOR THE GREEN BAY PACKERS, WHO GOT THE KNOCK OR HOW DID THAT WORK? I DID NOT GET A KNOCK, BUT I GOT A PHONE CALL.
SO THIS IS STUFF THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF, BUT I, I APPLAUD THE FAMILY.
HE WAS, UH, HE WAS ONE OF MY IDOLS.
SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING US BE A PART OF THIS.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
I THINK WE HAVE ONE PERSON THAT WASN'T AS FAST AS CLIFF BRAND.
I WAS KILLED MAN'S COUSIN AND I KNOW HE WAS FAST
WELL AGAIN, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
AND I'M TOLD THAT AL DAVIS, UM, RECOMMENDED HIM FOR THE HALL OF FAME.
IT WAS MARK, HIS SON, HIS SON MARK, I THINK DID THE YEAH, MARK DID THE, UH, THE, UH, THE CURRENT, HIS FUN.
'CAUSE I WATCHED THAT WHOLE THING.
UH, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
UM, IT'S BEAUTIFUL TO SEE THE BRANCH FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALL TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE CLIFFORD'S LIFE AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT HE MADE WHILE HE WAS LIVING.
BUT IT IS EXTRA SPECIAL THAT YOU ARE HERE TO HONOR HIS MEMORY AND, UH, ALL THAT HE HAS DONE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT, UH, THE MEMORIES WILL LIVE ON AND IT IS MY HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HONOR HIS GREAT LIFE.
UM, GOING, BEING IN THE, IN THE HALL, NFL HALL OF FAME IS, IS NO EASY FEAT.
UH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW FEW OF OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUNG MEN ACTUALLY MAKE IT TO THE NFL AND THEN TO BE IN THE NFL HALL OF FAME, THAT IS SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF.
[00:10:01]
TO THE FAMILY AND THANK YOU FOR HONORING HIS LIFE.AND TO THE PRINCIPAL OF WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WE HAVE READ AND SEEN ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT WORTHING AND WE WISH YOU CONTINUED SUCCESS AS YOU EDUCATE OUR FUTURE.
AND, AND THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ.
AND MY LAST WORDS WILL BE THOSE BRONZE STATUES DO TALK AT NIGHT AND THEY TALK TO EACH OTHER AS YOU KNOW.
AND, UH, I'M SURE THEY'RE HAVING GREAT DIALOGUE AT NIGHT WHEN NO ONE'S AROUND AND TALKING ABOUT THE GREAT DAYS.
SO, AND I BELIEVE IT, SO THANK YOU.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD, I'M GOING TO GET A REPLICA OF THAT BUST.
AND I WANNA OPEN IT UP WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND VIEW IT.
OKAY, SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A PICTURE TURN THIS WAY WAS TO RECOGNIZE THEIR THIRD PLACE WINNING IN THE WHEELCHAIR SOFTBALL WORLD SERIES.
IF, UH, WE CAN GET SOME OF THE PLAYERS TO START COMING UP TO THE FRONT HERE AND THE STAFF OF THE MMSC AND MY STAFF, PLEASE.
WHAT'S GOING ON MY FRIEND? YOU DOING DOING FINE.
OH, JUST YOU'RE GOOD RIGHT HERE.
LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET YOU PERSON THAT WAY WE CAN GET SOME MORE PEOPLE.
YEAH, THAT'S GOOD RIGHT THERE.
[00:15:04]
OKAY.THIS IS THE HOUSTON ROLLING ASTROS.
AND WHERE IS THE NATIONAL WHEELCHAIR SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION WAS FOUNDED IN 1976 AND HAS SINCE SERVED AS THE GOVERNING BODY FOR WHEELCHAIR SOFTBALL IN THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD.
WHEELCHAIR SOFTBALL TEAMS PLAY UNDER THE RULES OF 16 INCH SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL WITH MODIFICATIONS FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS.
AND WHEREAS THE HOUSTON ROLLING ASTROS A ONE 'EM ONLY 35 ESTABLISHED WHEELCHAIR SOFTBALL TEAMS IN THE WORLD AFTER WINNING THREE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TEXAS, THE HOUSTON ROLLING ASTROS ARE THE TOP TEAM IN THE STATE.
THIS CULMINATED IN AN INVITATION TO THE NATIONAL WHEELCHAIR SOFTBALL WORLD SERIES HELD IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, WHERE THE TEAM PLACED THIRD IN THEIR DIVISION.
AND WHEREAS HOUSTON ADAPTER SPORTS CLUB, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION BUILT TO SUPPORT ADAPTER SPORTS IN THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA, HAS SERVED AS A FUNDAMENTAL SUPPORT SYSTEM TO THE HOUSTON ROLLING ASTROS.
AND WHEREAS WHEELCHAIR SOFTBALL PROVIDES PLAYERS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PERSONAL GROWTH AND COMMUNITY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMUNITIES, PLAYERS AND THEIR COACHES FOR THEIR MANY VICTORIES IN THIS SEASON, AND FOR THE ACCOLADES THEY BRING TO OUR CITY.
AND THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIM AUGUST 30TH, 2022 AS HOUSTON ROLLING ASTROS DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, ANGEL.
UM, THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
IT'S A REALLY, REALLY GREAT PLEASURE TO, UH, BE IN FRONT OF ALL OF YOU HERE TODAY.
NOT JUST TO RECOGNIZE, UH, SOME OF THE BEST ATHLETES HERE IN THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA, BUT AMONG THE BEST IN THE WHOLE NATION AS A WHEELCHAIR USER MYSELF, UM, BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED
UM, I'VE ALSO BEEN PART OF PREPARING AND, UH, COMPETING AND BEING IN TOURNAMENTS.
UM, SO I KNOW WHAT THE FEELING IS BEHIND ALL OF THAT, NOT THESE ATHLETES THAT ARE HERE BEHIND BEHIND ME RIGHT NOW.
UM, HAVE TO PREPARE, NOT JUST PHYSICALLY, BUT ALSO HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THEIR MOBILITY DEVICES, LIKE THEIR SPORTS WHEELCHAIRS ARE OPTIMAL FOR PERFORMANCE.
ALTHOUGH I DON'T COMPETE AT ANY OF THE LEVELS THAT THE ATHLETES BEHIND ME COMPETE ON, I WILL SAY THAT I'VE GOTTEN A LITTLE TASTE OF WHAT THAT'S LIKE.
AND MAYOR, I THINK YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN ON A ADAPTIVE WHEELCHAIR IN THE PAST AND PLAYED A SPORT AT LEAST ONCE DURING YOUR TIME.
AND YOU KNOW HOW THAT'S LIKE, RIGHT,
ADAPTIVE SPORTS AND RECREATION NOT ONLY HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES PROGRESS TOWARDS PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE REHABILITATION GOALS, BUT THEY HELP BUILD, BUILD TEAMWORK.
SOMETHING THAT CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED WITH EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS, ENCOURAGEMENT, APPRECIATIVENESS LEADERSHIP.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HERE IS EQUALITY.
AS YOU KNOW, BETWEEN AUGUST 4TH AND SIXTH, THE HOUSTON ROLLING ASTROS DEMONSTRATED THIS AND A LOT MORE AT THE NATIONAL WHEELCHAIR SOFTBALL WORLD SERIES IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.
THIS IS WHY MAYOR, YOUR OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, YOUR DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, WALTER HAMBRICK, THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, ADAPTIVE SPORTS AND RECREATION DIVISION STAFF, CHARLES FRENCH, HANNAH WALKER, AND NOLAN GRIFFIN, BELIEVE THAT THE HOUSTON ROLLING ASTROS AND THEIR COACHES DESERVE TO BE RECOGNIZED WITH THIS PROCLAMATION TODAY.
MAYOR IN THE ROOM WITH US TODAY, WE HAVE ADOLFO, UH GUTIERREZ, NICK DI HEINA, CHRISTIAN GARCIA, BEN MCCULLOUGH, ANDY TOIN, CHARLES ARMSTEAD, ERIC MENDEZ.
WE HAVE COACH JESUS TORRES AND COACH BYRON SOUTHWELL, SUPPORTING STAFF NOLAN GRIFFIN AND TEAM MANAGER HANNAH WALKER MAYOR.
THE COMMITMENT OF THE HOUSTON ROLLING ASTROS THAT THEY PUT INTO TRAINING AND INTO THEIR GAMES IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHY AND DEDICATED AND PASSIONATE THE HOUSTON DISABILITY COMMUNITY IS TO NOT JUST THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT TO HOUSTON SPORTS MAYOR AT THIS TIME.
IF TIME ALLOWS, I'D LIKE TO ALLOW TEAM MANAGER HANNAH WALKER TO JUST SHARE A FEW WORDS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE.
[00:20:01]
LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR REMATCH.MAYOR TURNER, BEFORE YOU GO, IF YOU'D LIKE, UM, FOR ANY OF OUR ADAPTIVE SPORTS PROGRAMS, I WASN'T FEELING THAT WELL WHEN I PLAYED, SO, UH, OKAY.
YEAH, WE
BUT WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU ALL AND YOUR SUPPORT AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH MOPD AND THE NEW LEADERSHIP.
WE'RE JUST SO BLESSED TO BE HERE.
UM, I DID WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAVE A COUPLE OF WIVES IN THE BUILDING TOO.
UM, IF YOU'LL LET US KNOW JUST HOW IMPORTANT WES GRAY IS TOO.
SO WEST GRAY IS THE ONLY RECREATION CENTER OF ITS KIND IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN THE WORLD, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
WE'RE VERY LUCKY, VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THAT FACILITY.
WE HAVE THE HOUSTON ROLLING ROCKETS, WE HAVE WHEELCHAIR SOFTBALL, WE HAVE WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL, WE HAVE WHEELCHAIR RUGBY, THE WHOLE SHEBANG.
SO IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN AROUND, PLEASE COME AND AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT.
AND IF YOU WANNA PARTICIPATE, YOU'RE DEFINITELY WELCOME TO DO THAT TOO.
AND LET US KNOW WHAT TYPE OF IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO BE MADE OF WEST.
I WAS TOLD NOT TO SAY THAT HERE.
SO WE DO NEED SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR BUILDING.
I REALLY WAS SPECIFICALLY TOLD ABOUT THAT, BUT HE GAVE ME PERMISSION AND HE SAW IT.
SO NO, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF LEAKS.
OUR, OUR CEILING, OUR ROOF IS FALLING DOWN.
WE HAVE OUR HVAC UNITS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN REPLACED.
WE'VE HAD TO CANCEL PROGRAMS 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.
AND WE HAVE PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES, QUADRIPLEGICS THAT PHYSICALLY CANNOT PARTICIPATE WITHOUT OUR BUILDING BEING FUNCTIONAL.
SO ANY SUPPORT YOU GUYS CAN THROW OUR WAY FOR WEST GRAY, WE DEFINITELY WOULD APPRECIATE THAT TOO.
AND I, AND I ASKED HER TO SAY THAT, UH, UM, MAYOR VICE P MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE, UM, WEST GRAY IS THE PLACE FOR THE DIS COMMUNITY DISABILITY COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE IN THE CITY.
AND, UH, AND, UH, AND, UH, WE ARE, UH, LOOKING AT PUTTING FORTH A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, UH, TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS FOR WEST GRAY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST BASED ON VENUE, IT'S BASED ON THE NEED FOR THE ENTIRE DISABILITY COMMUNITY CITY.
SO IT'S JUST A, IN SPITE OF, YOU'VE GOT CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYERS WHO ARE THERE AND THEY'RE PERFORMING AND THEY'RE DOING THEIR PART, BUT THE CITY AS A WHOLE NEED TO LOOK AT DOING THIS PART AS WELL.
SO IT'S, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST IMPORTANT TO HEAR FROM, UH, UH, FROM THEM ON THIS.
BUT I DID, I GAVE YOU PERMISSION.
WE HAVE TWO OF OUR VETERANS HERE, CHUCK AND ANDY.
WE HAVE FIVE VETERANS, UH, WOUNDED WARRIORS ON OUR TEAM.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA NEVER GO ALONG WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THEM.
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UH, PLEASE COME OUT, REACH OUT TO ME.
I'M IN OUTLOOK AND THANK YOU MS. WALKER.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN CUBA.
THANK YOU, MR. ANGEL PONSE, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, IF ANYONE THINKS THAT YOU'RE DISABLED AND THAT'S A DISADVANTAGE, THEY SHOULD SEE YOUR GUNS 'CAUSE YOU HAVE PRETTY GOOD GUNS.
AND, UH, AND PROBABLY LIKE A LOT OF FOLKS HERE.
SO NOT AS GOOD AS THE GENTLEMAN SITTING TO YOUR STANDING TO YOUR LEFT.
BUT YOU HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD GUNS.
I'M TRYING TO GET HIM TO GO TO THE GYM WITH ME, BUT
SO ANYWAY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, VIRTUALLY THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO, TEM, AND MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS PROCLAMATION FORWARD AND CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR ROLLING ASTROS.
WE COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF YOU, UH, AS A FORMER SOFTBALL PLAYER.
I WOULD LOVE TO COME PLAY WITH YOU ALL SOMETIME, ALTHOUGH, UM, I'LL PROBABLY GET MY BUTT HANDED TO ME.
UH, BUT I, MAYOR, YOU TOOK ACTUALLY THE QUESTIONS OUTTA MY MOUTH.
UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF WES GRAY, UH, TO THIS TEAM, TO THE FACT THAT, UH, IT SERVES THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
UH, AND QUITE FRANKLY, I DIDN'T KNOW IN THE WORLD IT'S THE MOST UNIQUE OF ITS KIND.
UM, BUT IN THE HEART OF DISTRICT C, UH, WE COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD.
I WANTED TO QUICKLY ALSO RECOGNIZE THE STAFF, UM, AS DIRECTOR PONCE DID OF, UH, WEST GRAY FOR ALL THAT THEY DO.
BUT REALLY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL FOR SHOWING, UH, THE COUNTRY HOW INCREDIBLE YOU ARE.
WE COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD OF YOU.
SO CONGRATULATIONS AND MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR THE RESOURCES THAT ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED FOR WEST GRAY, UH, EVEN GOING BACK BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, UM, HOW BADLY THESE, UH, THESE INVESTMENTS ARE AND HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE.
AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AS THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT C AND WEST GRAY.
I WILL CO-CHAIR WITH YOU AND I'LL STEAL
[00:25:01]
MARTA'S IDEA.WE'RE GONNA START A FRIENDS OF REST, WEST GRAY 5 0 1 C3.
AND WHAT WE WILL DO IS RAISE MONEY FOR THAT FACILITY AND YOU AND I WILL CO-CHAIR IT AND WE WILL HAVE A CHALLENGE SOFTBALL GAME.
WE WILL CHALLENGE, WE AND THE MAYOR WILL CHALLENGE YOU FOLKS IN A GAME OF SOFTBALL.
AND ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE 5 0 1 C3 THAT WE WILL CREATE FRIENDS OF WEST GRAY, WHICH MEANS ALL THE MONEY FEEDS BACK RIGHT INTO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU, WE NEED TO DO.
SO LET'S PUT THAT ON THE CALENDAR.
LET'S MAKE A COMMITMENT TO IT.
AND LET'S GO TO A LOT OF FOUNDATIONS TO RAISE A LOT OF MONEY FOR THIS, BECAUSE THE MAYOR IS CORRECT.
HE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR ABOUT THE LAST TWO YEARS ABOUT WEST GRAY AND UPGRADES ON THE FACILITY.
AND THE BEST WAY TO DO IT IS GO TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE FOUNDATIONS THAT HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT THAT WAY.
SO THERE'S MY CHALLENGE TO YOU ONE, ABBY CAYMAN, LET'S DO THIS.
I'LL GO, I'LL GO PULL MY, UH, GLOVE OUT OF STORAGE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'LL NEXT GO TO JOINING US VIRTUALLY FROM, UH, THE NATION'S CAPITAL COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON.
AND I'M, UH, I'M ON BOARD WITH THAT, UH, CHALLENGE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK YOU GUYS ARE REALLY HITTING THE HIGH POINTS HERE.
UM, MY, MY, MY COUNCIL MEMBER, ABBY, CAME IN AS, AS THE FACT THAT I'M HER COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE AT LARGE CAPACITY.
I THINK I'M THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO LIVES PHYSICALLY CLOSEST TO THE WEST GRAY MULTIPURPOSE AND, AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
AND IT IS NOT ONLY JUST A VITAL ASSET FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, BUT IT'S ALSO OF COURSE, THE HIGHEST VOTING CENTER OF ANY OF OUR, UH, VOTING PLACES AND POLLING STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
IT'S VITALLY IMPORTANT, MAYOR, AND I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU THAT I'VE BEEN THERE WITH YOU SO MANY TIMES AND, AND RECENTLY, UH, OF COURSE WITH THE OUTGOING DIRECTOR OF YOUR OFFICE FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WITH GABE CAS.
BUT DIRECTOR NCEE IS THE GUIDE TO DO THIS NOW FOR US.
AND IT'S SO GOOD, UH, TO BE HERE VIRTUALLY WITH YOU.
I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR IS GONNA BRING HIS A GAME AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN HIM IN A WHEELCHAIR AND, UM, WHILE HE, I DON'T KNOW, DID, WHAT DID YOU SAY, MAYOR? IT'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT YOUR BEST EFFORT.
I, UH, I KNOW YOU'VE GOT GREAT POTENTIAL.
IT'S ALL ABOUT PASSING ABILITY, COLLABORATION, AND TEAMWORK.
AND I WANT TO BE THERE WITH YOU AGAIN.
IT'S, UH, SOMETHING I KNOW WE'RE GONNA RAISE A LOT OF MONEY FOR THIS.
I'M A UTILITY INFIELDER AND MY GLOVE IS READY TO GO AND THE MAYOR AND I ARE READY TO PLAY CATCH AND, UH, AND TURN TWO ON THE INFIELD.
AND DIRECTOR PONTE, WE NEED TO GET THE INFORMATION.
UH, I CAN ENVISION THIS BEING BEFORE THE ASTROS START THEIR GAME.
AND WE'RE GONNA GET MINUTE MAID PARK AND WE NEED TO TALK TO ASTROS FOUNDATION TO SPONSOR THIS, RIGHT.
AND WE'LL RAISE A LOT OF MONEY AND WE'LL HAVE THE GAME, HOPEFULLY ON MINUTE MAID PARK.
AND OUR SHORTSTOP'S GONNA BE EDWARD POLLARD, WHO ALWAYS BRAGS ABOUT HIS ATHLETIC ABILITY, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN IT IN ACTION YET.
SO ANYWAY, I THINK GOT THE BALL ROLLING TO THIS, OR MAYBE THE WHEELS ROLLING TO THIS.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AND WE'LL, UH, GET YOUR INFORMATION AND WE'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND, UH, THE STARTING PITCHER IS GONNA BE THE 2022 CY YOUNG AWARD WINNER, SOME MAYOR SYLVETA TURNER.
ANGELA, ANYTHING ELSE FROM YOU, EVERYBODY FOR LISTENING TO US TODAY? AND WEST GRAY IS JUST NOT ONLY THE, UH, MOST ADAPTIVE FACILITY IN THE NATION, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS THE ONE STOP SHOP FOR THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
AND I GUESS I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET MY OLD SPORTS CHAIR OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE GARAGE NOW AND SHINE IT UP A LITTLE BIT.
I MIGHT JUST SERVE AS THE CHEERLEADER ON THE SIDE, BUT NO WAY.
[00:32:24]
ALL RIGHT, THEN[2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS FOR THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE.UM, EVERYONE BOW YOUR HEADS, PLEASE.
GOD, WE JUST THANK YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE AND NOT WHAT YOU HAVE.
CALM EVERYONE IN THE ROOM, IN THE CHAMBERS AND EVERYONE THAT HAS A HEARTBEAT ON YOUR EARTH.
GOD, GIVE 'EM THE PEACE AND THE MIRACLE THAT THEY'RE STANDING IN NEED OF BLESS OUR LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY, BLESS OUR EMPLOYEES, BLESS THOSE THAT ARE IN NEED, THOSE THAT ARE AT THEIR END, UH, NEEDING SUPPORT FROM ALL OF US.
AND GOD, GIVE US A CLEAR MIND FOR WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO INFLUENCE AND TO DIRECT MILLIONS OF LIVES IN THIS CITY.
GIVE US THE GRACE THAT WE DESERVE, THAT WE DON'T DESERVE.
AND GIVE US THE MERCY THAT RENEWS EVERY DAY IN ORDER TO SERVE YOUR PEOPLE WITH EXCELLENCE AND INTEGRITY.
MAY ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE LISTENING, MAY THIS BE A BLESSING TO THE HEARERS OF MY PRAYER, AND THEN THE DOERS OF YOUR WORD.
PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE, P UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER LIBERTY.
[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING]
THE ROLL CALL COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE PREPARE TO ANSWER THE ROLL CALL BY MUTING YOURSELVES.MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
PRESENT ONLINE COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN VAR.
PRESENT, COUNCIL HUFFMAN PRESENT.
COUNCIL GALLEGOS WILL BE ABSENT.
WE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF JUNE 22ND AND JULY 12TH AND THIRD, I'M SORRY, JULY 12TH AND 13TH.
ROBINSON MOVED, THEN SECONDED ON THE ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENTS.
UH, FOR THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, WHO ARE WITH US VIRTUALLY, IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE MEETING, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW, THEN YOU CAN PROCEED TO HANG UP.
STATE YOUR NAME WHEN MAKING OR SECONDING AN ITEM FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE JOINING VIRTUALLY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW
[00:35:01]
AND WE FAIL TO RECOGNIZE YOU.PLEASE, UH, SPEAK UP AND WE WILL BE GLAD.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU MUST BE VISIBLE ON CAMERA WHILE YOU'RE SPEAKING
[PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS RIGHT HERE TODAY.IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE BY 3:00 PM YESTERDAY.
AND WE WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGN UP WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED.
IF YOU ARE HERE 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 CAMERA ICON.
YOU WILL THEN HAVE ONE, TWO, OR THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK AFTER YOUR TIME.
UH, AFTER YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, THE BELL WILL RING.
AND ONCE THAT BELL RINGS, YOU MUST COME TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP AND YOU MAY ONLY SPEAK WHEN RECOGNIZED.
ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? HEARING THAT, SEEING NONE, MADAM SECRETARY OF YOUR PROCEED TO CALL THE ROLE.
I MEAN THE, UH, THE SPEAKER'S LIST.
BRIDGET MCCOY IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY JUDY HARDIN.
AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MAYOR, I SENT YOU AN EMAIL CONCERNING PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH A NIGHTMARE WITH THEM SINCE 2013 CONCERNING A WATER SUPPLY LINE THAT RUNS UNDERNEATH MY HOME THAT FEEDS THE SUBDIVISION.
DID YOU SAY, I'M SORRY, DID YOU SAY 2013? IT STARTED IN 2013.
I PAID FOR ALL THE REPAIRS AND HAD MY HOME REPAIRED.
THEY BROUGHT IN A PIPE AND REPLACED IT.
2017, OF COURSE, MY HOUSE FLOODED, BUT THEN I FIXED IT AGAIN.
NOW I'M DEALING WITH THE SAME SITUATION.
THEY REROUTED THE WATER, BUT THEY DID NOT DRAIN THE WATER OUT OF THE PIPE THAT'S UNDERNEATH MY HOME.
AND PUBLIC WORKS IS SAYING IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS WORK CASES WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN CALLED OUT AND THEY HAVE REPAIRED SOMETHING IN THE BACKYARD OR THE FRONT YARD OR SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT PIPE, THAT WATER SUPPLY LINE THAT FED PIECES, THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT WHAT THEY DID IS THEY RE-ROUTED THE WATER, BUT THEY NEVER DRAINED THE WATER AFTER THEY RE-ROUTED IT.
I HAVE PICTURES OF ONCE ALL THE WATER DRAINED OUT YES.
THE WHOLE THE, THE WATER DRIED UP.
I, I, I HAVE OVER $82,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE IN MY HOME.
AND WHAT I'M TOLD, MS UM, MS. MCCOY, THAT THEY WENT OUT, THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS A LEAK UNDER MS. MCCOY'S PROPERTY ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
SHE RECENTLY SAID SHE WAS STILL SEEING WATER.
THE CITY WENT OUT, DUG UP THE WATER LINE, AND DETERMINED THERE WAS NO LEAK.
THIS IS A WATER LINE THAT IS NO LONGER USED.
SO THE CITY CAPPED IT ON HER PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY CAPPED IT.
SO THE CITY CAPPED IT ON HER PROPERTY.
SO NO WATER RUNS THROUGH AT, AT THIS TIME.
THIS IS WHAT THEY, THEY'RE SAYING.
THEY, IT RECENTLY, RECENTLY IS WHEN THEY KEPT THAT, I HAVE PICTURES WHERE THEY WERE OUT IN THE YARD DIGGING.
THEY CUT THE PIPE FINALLY IN THE BACKYARD.
I HAVE PICTURES OF THEM DIGGING IN THE FRONT YARD RECENTLY.
WHEN YOU SAY RECENTLY, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN YOU SAY LIKE, WHAT ARE WE IN? UH, AUGUST, AUGUST.
WELL, I'LL ASK FOR THE TIMELINE.
UH, MS. MCCOY, I'LL ASK THEM FOR THE TIMELINE.
BUT THEY, UM, THEY ARE SAYING THAT, UH, THERE ARE, THERE ARE NO OTHER CITY LINES ON YOUR PROPERTY, SIR.
THERE IS A PIPE THAT'S UNDERNEATH MY HOME.
I THINK I EVEN SENT YOU MY SURVEY OF MY HOME SHOWING THAT PIPE UNDERNEATH MY HOME.
WELL LET ME, LET ME ASK THEM FOR A TIMELINE.
LET ME ASK THEM FOR A TIMELINE.
UH, SO BECAUSE THEY'RE TAKING THE POSITION AND THEN OF COURSE THIS IS ALSO COMING FROM CITY LEGAL, BUT THEY'RE TAKING THE POSITION THAT THERE IS NO, THAT THERE IS NO, UH, WATERLINE THAT RUNS ON YOUR PROPERTY.
I'LL ASK THEM FOR THE TIMELINE.
SO LET ME, LET ME, LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
YOU HAVE A SURVEY AND ILLUSTRATION OF THE PIPE THAT FMI CONSTRUCTION CAME OUT TO MY HOME? YES, IT'S THERE.
OKAY, WELL LET ME, LEMME TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
[00:40:01]
MM-HMMAND WHERE IS, WHERE IS 65? OH, WHERE, WHERE IS YOUR HOME? WHICH PART? MY HOME IS LOCATED IN HONEYWOOD SUBDIVISION.
WHERE ARE THE CITY? WE ARE CITY.
I KNOW IT'S OFF OF ITN AND, UM, WELL, WE'RE BETWEEN THE NEW 90 AND VILLE.
IS THAT, IS THAT COUNCILMAN JACKSON? KINDA LIKE, OH, 90 AND NEW 90.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK MAYOR TURNER.
I WANTED TO SEE IF, BY ANY WAY, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS IN DISTRICT B AREA OF CERTAIN PARTS OF ACRE HOMES WHERE THEY'VE BEEN BUILDING WITHOUT PERMITS.
UM, JUST YESTERDAY PUBLIC WORKS WAS OUT DOING SOMETHING WITH THE DITCHES IN THE FRONT ON GARAN STREET.
AND SHE CONTACTED THE CODE ENFORCEMENT TO COME OUT AND RED TAG ONE PROPERTY THAT HAD HAD ALREADY STARTED A DRIVEWAY AND SOME OTHER THINGS BUILDING WITHOUT ANY PERMIT.
I WAS OUT THIS WEEKEND WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT.
WE WERE WALKING THE CHANNELS AND WE WERE AT THE CHANNEL AT THE END OF
AND THIS GENTLEMAN HAS BUILT HALF OF HIS HOUSE AND A FENCE ON THE HARRIS COUNTY PROPERTY.
IT'S ON THE CHANNEL, WHICH IS CAUSING A PROBLEM WITH THE DRAINAGE.
HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PERMITS, BUT THE FENCE AND THE HOUSE IS ALREADY UP.
UM, WE HAVE REPORTED THAT AND THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT IS ALSO LOOKING INTO IT.
I DO KNOW DISTRICT B HAD A MEETING AND I SPOKE WITH NANCY BREWER ABOUT IT.
I WANTED TO SEE IF THEY COULD POSSIBLY START PUTTING SIGNS OUT FRONT SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE BUILDING AGAINST THE ONES THAT ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE BUILDING SO WE CAN REPORT 'EM.
I I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, UH, RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU CALLING IT IN.
AND THEN, UH, CONCERNING WE DON'T WANT ANYBODY BUILDING WITHOUT A PERMIT.
SO LET ME, YEAH, WE'VE CAUGHT LIKE TWO OR THREE.
ME AND MY SISTER, WE'VE CAUGHT THESE TWO OR THREE AND, AND REPORTED THOSE PRIOR TO WHAT WE FOUND OUT THIS WEEKEND AND YESTERDAY.
AND AGAIN, LET US, LET US FOLLOW UP ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AS WELL AND WHAT YOUR REQUEST IS.
KATHY GUNNER, IF YOU'RE, PRESS STAR SIX.
I THANK YOU CITY COUNCILMAN FOR HEARING MY CONCERN.
87 0 5 BURWOOD AND 87 OR 87 15 BURWOOD IS THE SAME, UH, SAME COMPLEX.
UH, IT IS A CALLED BURWOOD ESTATES.
IT'S A FOUR UNIT DUPLEX THAT JUST WAS PURCHASED BY A COMPANY,
AND ANYWAY, THEY ARE WITHIN THE
AND THE POST IS CONCERNING A PUBLIC HEARING THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.
UM, AND IT TOOK 25 EMAILS FROM ME BACK AND FORTH WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO GET IT, TO GET THE CALL ROUTED AND GET THE EMAILS ROUTED TO THE PROPER DIVISION.
SO YOU GOT, YOU GOT YOUR PLANNING DIVISION WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS AND THEN YOU GOT A PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
SO IT'S VERY CONFUSING FOR 3 1 1 TO KNOW WHICH, HOW TO ROUTE IT.
AND SO IT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR US TO GET THIS, UH, THIS INFORMATION TO THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT FOR YOUR, FOR THE CITY TO GET IT TO THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT.
AND SO I WANTED TO BRING THAT TO THE ATTENTION.
I BELIEVE THEY HAVE A PERMIT FOR A DUPLEX, BUT THEY BUILDING A FOURPLEX OR THEY BUILDING A, ANOTHER FOURPLEX A UNIT.
AND SO I JUST WANT THAT TO BE KNOWN AND ON RECORD.
AND THEY RUSHING SO FAST WITHOUT, WITHOUT, WITHOUT GETTING THE PROPER PERMIT.
AND THEN BY, BUT WITHOUT GETTING THE PROPER, UH, AND THEY COME OUT AND DO A INSPECTION.
SO THEY NEED TO REALLY FOLLOW UP AND DO THAT.
THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY.
AND ALSO TRYING TO GET ON THE DOCKET.
LAST WEEK I RAN INTO SOME PROBLEMS WITH WHOEVER YOUR CITY SECRETARY IS THAT SAID, TELL HER TO CALL BACK.
[00:45:01]
I ASKED WHO WAS THAT? UH, I GOT THE RUNAROUND.SO THEY HUNG UP ON ME, HUNG UP IN MY FACE.
I HAD TO, I HAD TO, THEY HUNG UP ON ME THREE TIMES.
SO I PUSHED STAR 67 CALLBACK AND I GOT THROUGH AND I, AND I BLASTED THEM.
YES I DID BECAUSE THAT WAS WRONG.
AND THEN THEY SAID, OH, THEY'RE HAVING PHONE ISSUES.
NO, THEY WEREN'T HAVING PHONE ISSUES.
THEY DIDN'T WANNA TAKE MY CALL AND UH, THEY DIDN'T WANNA PUT ME ON THE DOCKET BECAUSE I WAS CALLING A WEEK EARLY.
AND IF, AND IF THE STAFF MEMBERS ARE GETTING THAT RULED AND DISRESPECTFUL TO ME OR TO ANYBODY THAT CALLED, THEN THEY NEED TO BE SUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY.
THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT.
AND THEY VIOLATING THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
WHO WAS THAT RUDE? WHO WAS, WHO'S THAT? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
AND I JUST WANT YOU, MAYOR, PLEASE, TO TAKE HE, WHEN WE COME TO YOU, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE ARE GENUINE, WE'RE SINCERE, WE ARE HAVING REAL ISSUES.
SO PLEASE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
SHE WASN'T, SHE SAID SHE WAS NOT GONNA SPEAK.
TERRY'S HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY MARIN.
I'M DRESSED LIKE THIS BECAUSE OF THE HOMELESS AND I THINK WE ALL HAD A CHANCE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HOMELESS FIELD, BECAUSE WE LOST ELECTRICITY.
I LIVED DOWN BY GALVESTON AND GALVESTON BACK WHEN I HIT.
IT LOOKED LIKE A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY.
AND I HAVE, MY BACKGROUND IS I HAVE A MASTER'S IN PSYCHOLOGY.
I WORKED IN, UH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT GROUP HOME SETTINGS INCLUDING MENTAL, RETARDED, UH, FOSTER KIDS, ALSO ADJUDICATED DELINQUENTS.
I WORKED WITH KIDS THAT KILLED PEOPLE, DID EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN.
AND I CAN GO INTO MANY OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE FACE IN THIS COUNTRY TODAY.
I'M ASSUMING, BECAUSE YOU ALL PRAYED.
I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT I'M A STUDENT.
MY BIGGEST, I'M A STUDENT OF THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE OF THE SCRIPTURES.
AND JESUS CHRIST, HE GAVE US TWO COMMANDMENTS.
HE SAID, DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.
THE EUCHARIST, AND FEED MY POOR, TAKE CARE OF MY POOR.
WE ARE NOT TAKING CARE OF THE POOR.
I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT'S REALLY GONNA HAPPEN TO THE UNITED STATES, READ REVELATION EIGHT, SEVEN, UM, UM, A, A LAND ON FIRE.
WE'RE THE CLIENT NATION TO GOD, GOD.
UH, JUST TO EXPLAIN WHAT A CLIENT NATION IS, MOSES LED THE FIRST CLIENT NATION, WHICH WAS THE JEWS.
THE JEWS, IF YOU NOTICE, WERE BLESSED AND SEVERELY PUNISHED ALL THE WAY TO THE NEW LAND.
UNITED STATES IS THE CLIENT NATION TO GOD.
AND WE ARE RESPONSIBLE, RESPONSIBLE, HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND THE HOMELESS ARE, ARE NOT BEING TREATED RIGHT.
I HAVE A WHOLE PLATFORM OF HOW TO HELP THE HOMELESS.
FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOMELESS.
YOU HAVE THE MENTALLY ILL, YOU HAVE THE EMOTIONAL DISTURBED BECAUSE OF SOME BAD LUCK OR WHATEVER.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE CON ARTISTS
OKAY? ALL THREE OF THESE ARE ON OUR CITIES, IN OUR CITIES ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY.
AND WHAT HAPPENED IS DURING THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION, 'CAUSE I ALSO WORKED AS A, IN SALES, I PROBABLY WAS IN PROBABLY A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE'S HOMES IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT STATES IN THIS COUNTRY.
SO I KNOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
I WAS IN THEIR HOMES FROM THE RICH TO THE POOR, TO THE MIDDLE CLASS, YOU NAME IT, I BET IN THEIR HOMES AND LEARNING THIS, I LEARNED THAT DURING THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION, THAT THEY RELEASED FUNDING FOR ALL THE MENTAL ILL PEOPLE IN MENTAL INSTITUTIONS.
AND NOW THEY'RE ON THE STREET.
AND WE NEED TO THERE, THERE'S A, IN MINNESOTA THERE'S CALLED AN MMPI MINNESOTA, UM, MULTI-PHASE IN INVENTORY THAT TELLS WHETHER A PERSON IS SEEN OR INSANE.
WE, IF THEY ARE, IF THEY'RE FOUND TO BE INSANE AND THEY'RE ON THE STREET, WE NEED TO SPECIALLY PUT THESE IN DIFFERENT NURSE IN DIFFERENT MENTAL INSTITUTIONS.
I WOULD, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO TALK MORE, BUT ON
[00:50:01]
THIS, 'CAUSE I CAME ALL THE WAY FROM GALVESTON, IS CAN I HAVE SOME MORE TIME, A LITTLE ENCY JUST TO, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING FROM GALVESTON, BUT YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.COUNCILMAN POLLACK TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE MINUTES TO FINISH UP, UH, WITH MY TIME.
UM, YEAH, I, LIKE I SAID, I PUT TOGETHER THIS PROPOSAL OF WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT I BELIEVE IN USING SMALL TOWNS.
WELL, I WORKED FOR A COMPANY OR FOR A COLLEGE ON COC CAREER ORIENTATION CENTER.
WE TOOK KIDS OR PEOPLE THAT COULDN'T SET, WOULD SET THE HOUSE ON FIRE.
THEY COULDN'T BE ON IN, THEY NEEDED INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS.
I HAVEN'T TALKED IN FRONT OF PEOPLE FOR A LONG TIME, SO YOU HAVE TO BEAR WITH ME.
BUT, AND WE, WE DID ALL THESE TYPES OF THINGS FOR 'EM IN, IN, IN THIS, IN THESE SETTINGS.
AND SO I BELIEVE IN THIS SMALL TOWN THAT YOU COULD TAKE A PERSON, UH, WHO'S HAS EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM IN THEIR PAST AND PUT 'EM IN A SMALL TOWN AND THE TOWN KIND OF TEACH 'EM LIKE A FAMILY.
THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH PEOPLE.
AND WE WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THIS.
IT WAS CALLED CAREER ORIENTATION CENTER.
AND, UH, WE CAN DO THAT HERE BY GETTING THE HOMELESS, HAVING THEM TAKE A TEST, FIND OUT WHO'S SAYING WHO'S IN SAINT OR WHO IS INSANE, OR EVEN THE CON ARTISTS.
WE NEED TO GET THEM OFF THE STREET COMPLETELY.
BUT THE THING IS, IS THAT IF WE CAN DO THAT, UH, WE CAN, WE CAN CHANGE THE HOMELESS.
WE CAN START, THIS COULD BE THE MATCH TO MAKE IT SO THAT ALL THE OTHER CITIES WILL DO THE SAME THING.
BECAUSE WE REALLY, REALLY NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR HOMELESS PEOPLE.
THE CHURCHES, IF THEY WOULD START A FUND WHERE THAT THEY COULD HELP, THE HOMELESS PEOPLE WOULD GIVE MONEY TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE WANT 'EM OFF THE STREET.
WE WANT 'EM TO GO BACK IN SOCIETY.
WE WANT 'EM TO HAVE A SKILLED JOB, SKILLED LABOR, WHATEVER, TO GET 'EM BACK INTO SOCIETY AND FIND OUT WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING TO 'EM.
WE, WE, AS WE, WE ARE BLESSED SO MUCH.
PEOPLE DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT WE, WE HAVE FOOD, WATER, SHELTER, AND WE COMPLAIN.
THESE PEOPLE DON'T, THEY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHERE THEIR NEXT MEAL IS COMING FROM.
THEY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IF THEY'RE GONNA GET KNOCKED IN THE HEAD FOR THE FEW TRINKETS THEY HAVE.
BUT FEEL, FEEL FREE TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME YOUR TIME.
FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW UP WITH COUNCILMAN.
IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT ANYBODY HAS FOR ME? COUNCILMAN POLL MAY WANT TO HAVE FUTURE CONVERSATION, WHICH FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW WITH COUNCILMAN POLLARD.
YOU CAN CALL HIM LATER ON THIS WEEK.
MERIDIAN LOFTON IS NOT PRESENT.
DIANE IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY GAY, GAY HEART.
UM, MY, MY FULL NAME IS DIANE MARKS BEAG.
I WANT TO PUT ON THE RECORD A RESPONSE TO ALLEGATIONS OF ANTISEMITISM MADE HERE LAST WEEK REGARDING LYNDEN AND HELGA LAR SCHILLER INSTITUTE.
I HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH LYNDON LAROCHE FOR MOST OF MY ADULT LIFE.
LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND THE, THE COLLUSION OF THE A DL AND FBI IN BEARING FALSE WITNESS REGARDING HIM AND OUR ASSOCIATION.
AND WIKIPEDIA IS MORE THAN WILLING TO BE A CAN, A CONDUIT FOR THEIR NONSENSE.
BUT THE ORIGIN OF THESE SLANDERS WERE REFLECTED IN THE SOURCE OF LAST WEEK'S CHARGE OF ANTISEMITISM SCOTLAND YARD.
ONE OF THE MANY ENFORCERS, THE EMPIRE FACTIONS MALTHUSIAN GENOCIDE POLICY.
THAT POLICY WAS ALWAYS THERE IN EMPIRES, BUT WAS HARDWIRED INTO THE POST WORLD WAR II VERSION WITH THE DEFEAT OF HITLER FOR THE EMPIRE.
FDR WAS THE ENEMY BECAUSE OF HIS COMMITMENT TO A DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE FOR WHAT THEN WERE THE RUINED NATIONS OF EUROPE AND THE SO-CALLED THIRD WORLD.
HIS ADMINISTRATION FORMULATED THAT POLICY IN THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE BRETTON WOODS AGREEMENT AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PLACE FOR SOVEREIGN NATIONS TO MEET AND DISCUSS THEIR NATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONCERNS FOR THEIR POPULATIONS AND RELATIONS.
[00:55:01]
THE UNITED NATIONS.LYNDON LAROUCHE RECOGNIZED THE DANGERS INHERENT WITH THE DEATH OF FDR.
AND FOLLOWING HIS SERVICE IN THE CHINA BURMA, INDIA THEATER RETURNED TO THE US WITH THE INTENT TO CREATE A FORCE FOR F D'S VISION OF OUR NATION AND OUR PEOPLE AS SERVING A ROLE FOR THE COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT AMONG NATIONS.
I THINK THIS SHORT HISTORY SHOULD MAKE IT PLAIN.
WHY THE SO-CALLED INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES HAVE TAKEN SUCH AN INTEREST IN MR. LA ROUGE OVER THE COURSE OF HIS LONG LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS.
THE CURRENT FEROCIOUS FOR FEROCIOUS ATTACK AGAINST THE SCHILLER INSTITUTE BY THE CENTER FOR COUNTERING DISINFORMATION, A GOVERNMENT ENTITY IN UKRAINE FINANCED BY THE US STATE DEPARTMENT AND SUPPORTED BY MANY IN OUR CONGRESS, HAS TAKEN THE FORM OF A BLACKLIST CALLED BY SCOTT RITTER, A HIT LIST OF OVER 70 INDIVIDUALS, OF WHICH THE FIRST 31 NAMES ARE PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SCHILLER INSTITUTE, INCLUDING ITS FOUNDER HELGA ZEP LAROCHE NUMBER TWO ON THE LIST.
THE PEOPLE ON THE LIST ARE BEING CALLED WAR CRIMINALS BECAUSE WE OPPOSE FASCISM AND SPELL OUT THE BLOODY CRIMES BEING COMMITTED BY THE SUCCESSORS OF STEPHAN BANDERA HITLER'S BUTCHER IN UKRAINE, WHO MAKE UP THE CONTROLLING ELEMENT OF THE ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE'S MILITARY.
SINCE THE STATE DEPARTMENT COUP IN 2 20 14, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
COULD I CONCLUDE WITH ONE SENTENCE? ONE SENTENCE? YEP.
THE A DL, THE FBI, OUR NATION'S MEDIA AND OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT HAVE ATTACKED THE LAROCHE MOVEMENT HAVE THUS KNOWINGLY OR NOT DECLARED THEIR COMMITMENT TO THOSE WHO WISH THE US TO BE PART OF THE EMPIRE AS OPPOSED TO THE VISION OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS TO CREATE A NATION DEDICATED TO ENDING EMPIRE ONCE AND FOR ALL.
GAY HEART IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANGEL CORTEZ.
FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO COME.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR WHOEVER SAID THE PRAYER, OPENING PRAYER.
AND, UH, I CAN SEE THAT THE LORD IS PART OF HOUSTON AND I'M THRILLED TO HEAR, HEAR THAT I BROUGHT WORD.
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE A MINISTRY.
WE STARTED, UH, DURING COVID JUNE, 2019.
EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN, INCLUDING CHURCHES.
UH, WE ARE THE CHURCH BY THE WAY, BUT WE WENT ON FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE AND WE READ WORD GENESIS THROUGH REVELATION OUT LOUD.
FOR ANYONE THAT HAS MISSED CHURCH, WE'RE STILL DOING THAT.
STILL, WHAT GOD PUT ON MY HEART DURING COVID WAS, I, I DON'T LIVE FAR FROM 45.
AND YOU HEARD TRAFFIC ALL THE TIME, RIGHT? AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HEARD NOTHING IN 2019, BUT SIRENS WHEN A SIREN WENT BY.
SO GOD PUT IT ON MY HEART, OUR HEART, TO LIFT UP THE RESCUERS IMMEDIATELY.
AND I'VE NOT FORGOTTEN THAT IN THESE MANY YEARS, THREE YEARS, I STILL HEAR SIRENS AND WE STILL PRAY.
DEAR LORD, IF YOU HEAR A SIREN, LIFT THEM UP AND LET THEM GET TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
LORD, PROTECT 'EM BECAUSE SOMEONE'S IN NEED.
AND WE ASK YOU TO LIFT UP AND SEND ANGELS FORTH WITH WHEREVER AND WHOMEVER IS IN NEED.
LORD, WE JUST ASK YOU TO PROTECT 'EM ALL IN JESUS CHRIST'S NAME.
IF WE COULD ALL COME TOGETHER, MATTHEW 18, 20 OR TWO OR MORE, TOGETHER, TOGETHER, HE'S IN OUR MIDST.
AND IF WE COME TOGETHER AND PRAY FOR THOSE SIRENS, THOSE RESCUERS, AND THE PERSON THAT'S IN NEED, WHETHER IT'S FIRE, RAPE, WRECK, WHATEVER HE WILL SEND THOSE ANGELS FORTH WITH BECAUSE WE WILL GATHER TOGETHER AS ONE VOICE FOR OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
AND MAYBE WE WON'T HAVE SO MUCH CHAOS IN HOUSTON.
AND IF IT'S ALL RIGHT, I'D LIKE TO PASS OUR CARDS AROUND.
WE GO OUT TO PARKS, WE DO ANYTHING WE CAN TO LIFT UP AND RAISE HOMELESS.
WE'VE HELPED PART OF THE HOMELESS ALSO FEEDING AND JUST GOING UNDER THE BRIDGES AND BEING PART OF THAT.
SO, UM, WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING WITHOUT THE LORD.
AND IF WE PUT HIM IN CHARGE AND COME IN ONE AGREEMENT, MATTHEW 1820, WE'RE TWO OR MORE TOGETHER.
LEMME RECOGNIZE SISTER VICE P UM, CHAIR CAST.
OH YES, MS. HART, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
PRAYER IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPONS THAT WE HAVE IN ON, ON THIS EARTH.
SO I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRAYERS AND WE KNOW THAT, UH, ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN
[01:00:01]
THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL APPRECIATE.WE FELT TO HELPLESS IN COVID, DIDN'T WE? WE FELT HELPLESS.
SO IF WE GOT PRAYER AND YOU HEAR A SIREN, PLEASE BREAK OUT IN PRAYER.
IT DIDN'T DING YET, DID IT? AMEN.
MY HUSBAND IS FOLLOWING UP, SO I'M GONNA PASS THESE OUT IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU LIVED ANGEL, CORTEZ.
WERE KNOWN AS SOMETHING ELSE HERE IN THE STRIPPER CAPITAL OF HOUSTON.
I WAS JUST KIND OF HERE, UH, INTERCEDING IN RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC.
RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC, BEHIND THE MIC.
AND, UH, REMEMBERING THAT, UH, WORD DEFINITELY REPRESENTED STILL IN THE ACTION OF WHAT WAS SHOWN TO THE PEOPLE.
THIS INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED WITH, UH, MR. ORANGE HAIR.
DONALD TRUMP, THIS MAR ALGO LET US NOT BE FOOLS.
MAR ALGO MEANS WATERS OF PRIDE JUST LIKE THIS MAN SPOKE.
WE ARE AN ABOMINATION NATION THAT THIS, THAT THIS SYSTEM HAS DEVELOPED.
NOW, IF WE CHOOSE TO FOLLOW ALONG, THE SORT OF THAT IS BEING POURED IN FROM QUITE A WHILE AGO, IT'S INVISIBLE.
BUT IF IT DIVIDES US FROM REMEMBERING THAT WE'RE STILL A TRUTH, UH, SPIRIT AND A BODY.
WE'RE NOT MONKEYS OF LEFT OR RIGHT WINGS THAT ARE DRIVEN BY ORDERS.
THERE'S THIS GOD WHO INTERCEDES IN THE NOW IF WE KEEP HIS LIVING WORD.
BUT HE THIS, UH, MAR-A-LAGO IS BASICALLY A RIDDLE TO ALL THOSE WHO WOULD KNOW THAT THE TIMES REVEAL THEMSELVES FOR WHAT THEY ARE.
LADY LIZZIE OVER THERE WHO'S NO LIBERTY TO ME, SHE JUST CELEBRATED THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES.
AND COMMONWEALTH GAMES IS WHAT'S BEEN UNDER HER RULE SHIP.
AND IF WE'RE NOT AWARE OF WHAT HISTORY HAS TOLD US, WE FOLLOW ALONG TO THE SAME THING.
SO HEAR THOUGHTS IN PRAYER KNOWING THAT WE ARE CALLED TO OBEY THE GOSPEL.
IF WE WERE THAT ONE NATION THAT WAS UNDER GOD, THEN WHAT ARE WE FORGETTING? IT IS HIS IMAGE WE WERE CREATED TO BE.
AND WE'RE NOT DRIVEN TO BE SUBJECTED TO WHAT THEY'RE CALLED TO PUT IN US HERE BECAUSE THEY APPROVE SOME PHARMACA STUFF IN A YEAR.
LADY LIBERTY ISN'T WHO THEY TOLD ME SHE IS TO PROVEN TO BE.
LET US KNOW WE ARE THE BODY AS WE WALK AROUND.
WE NEED TO KNOW WHY THE LORD CONSECRATED HIMSELF.
AND HE SAID, IF YOU EAT MY FLESH, WHAT DID HE DO? HE, HE ANNOUNCED HIMSELF WITH TORAH.
HE DIDN'T HAVE A NEW TESTAMENT.
SO WE NEED TO KNOW THE OLD TESTAMENT IS TRUE.
THE LAST 12 DISCIPLES THAT ARE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ARE HOSEA THROUGH MALACHI.
AND WE NEED TO KNOW THOSE ARE OUR 12 APOSTLES FOR OUR TIMES.
'CAUSE THEY SPOKE OF THE END TIMES OF THE NATIONS THAT WERE COMING IN.
THOSE ARE ALL OUR DISCIPLES WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF.
'CAUSE ALL THOSE THINGS THAT THEY WENT THROUGH, THEY'RE POURING THEM OUT ON US BY THIS PHARMACA.
THEY'RE ORCHESTRATING OUR WEATHER.
WE SHOULD ALL KNOW THAT BY NOW THEY HAVE CAPABILITIES AND THEY HAVE ABILITIES BEYOND OUR REALM.
'CAUSE THEY ONLY LET US PLAY WITH WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY MASTERED.
SO WE NEED TO REMEMBER REGULATION AND ALL THESE, UH, PARADES THAT THEY BRING IN WITH, UH, JUNE OVER HERE IN PASADENA WHERE WE RESIDE, SO TO SPEAK, THEY BROUGHT IN, UH, THE PARADES OF THEIR TRANSVESTITES AND ALREADY PARADING THROUGH OUR MISS.
AND WE KNOW THAT IF WE WELCOME THAT THERE, HE'S PRESENT.
HE IS THE IAI GOD, THE EVER PRESENT EVERLASTING FROM THE PAST, PRESENT AND TOMORROW.
SO WE GOT LITTLE HANDOUTS HERE AND AGAIN IN PRAYER, REMEMBERING WE HAVE ANOTHER OBJECTIVE TO NOT FORGET, WE WERE LEFT HERE TO REMAIN AS HIS GLORY.
JOE JENNINGS IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALICIA WHITE.
I'M JOE JENNINGS AND I COME HERE TODAY TO DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO AN EXTREME THREAT TO FREE SPEECH AND SAFETY.
COMING FROM THE SO-CALLED CENTER FOR COUNTERING DISINFORMATION, OSTENSIBLY BASED IN UKRAINE, BUT REALLY A FRONT FOR, UH, NATO'S PROXY WAR AGAINST RUSSIA SUSTAINED BY US TAX DOLLARS.
THE CENTER DEMANDS THAT GOVERNMENTS SILENCE ALL OPPOSITION TO THIS WAR, WHICH COULD STILL GO THERMONUCLEAR.
ON JULY 14TH, THE ACTING HEAD OF THE CENTER, ANDRE AV BRANDED ALL OPPONENTS OF NATO'S WAR NARRATIVES AS INFORMATION TERRORIST WHO HE SAID WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO THE LAW AS WAR CRIMINALS.
HE THEN RELEASED A HIT LIST OF 76 TARGETED INDIVIDUALS TO BE SILENCED BY WHATEVER MEANS.
THE LIST INCLUDED, UH, FORMER DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN TULSI GABBARD SITTING REPUBLICAN CENTER, RAND PAUL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST GLENN GREENWALD,
[01:05:01]
WEAPONS INSPECTOR SCOTT RITTER.BUT, UH, IGNORED IN MOST MEDIA ACCOUNTS AT THAT FIRST 30 NAMES ON THE LIST WERE ALL FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES OF THE SCHILL INSTITUTE.
HAVING SPOKEN AT OUR CONFERENCES FOR PEACE, PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT WITH HELGA LAROUCHE AS NUMBER TWO ON THE LIST.
NOW THOSE OF US WHO OPPOSE RACISM AND ANTISEMITISM SHOULD CONSIDER THAT THE CENTER DEFENDS THE NOTORIOUS ADULT BATTALIONS, WHO IN 2019 WERE RIGHTLY CONDEMNED BY 40 MEMBERS OF THE US CONGRESS, INCLUDING TWO FROM TEXAS AS WHITE SUPREMACISTS AND ANTI-SEMITIC.
THE ASAL BATTALIONS TRACED THEIR LINEAGE BACK TO THE 1940S NAZI OCCUPATION OF UKRAINE.
WHEN HITLER'S PARTISANS IN THAT COUNTRY COMMITTED SOME OF THE VIOLIST ANTI-SEMITIC ATROCITIES.
MOST OF THESE NETWORKS WERE NEVER PROSECUTED AFTER THE WAR, BUT RATHER WERE PROTECTED BY US BRITISH AND NATO INTELLIGENCE SERVICES AS ASSETS AGAINST RUSSIA.
DURING THE COLD WAR IN 2014, WITH SOME $5 BILLION FLOWING IN FROM THE WEST, THESE NETWORKS ORGANIZED THE VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF THE UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT, WHICH HAD SOUGHT AN EVEN HANDED STANCE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST AND ACCORD WITH THE MAJORITY OF UKRAINIANS WHO VOTED IN TWO NATIONAL REFERENDUM FOR NEUTRALITY.
NOW THE SCHILLER INSTITUTE ABHORS RACISM OF ANY SORT, ESPECIALLY THE ECONOMIC RACISM WHICH CONDEMNS MILLIONS IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH TO PERPETUAL HUNGER, POVERTY, AND BACKWARDNESS.
IT CHAMPIONS PEACE THROUGH DEVELOPMENT.
FOR 20 YEARS, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTE WAS MRS. AMELIA BOYNTON ROBINSON, WHO FOR DECADES RISKED EVERYTHING TO REGISTER AFRICAN AMERICAN VOTERS IN SELMA, ALABAMA.
THE BRUTAL BEATING SHE SUFFERED ON THE EDMUND PETTUS BRIDGE ON MARCH 17TH, 1965, SPARKED THE CONSCIENCE OF THE CONGRESS AND PRESIDENT JOHNSON TO PUSH THROUGH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
AFTER THE BERLIN WALL CAME DOWN IN 1989, A MAIL UR JOURNEY TO EAST GERMANY SPEAKING FOR THE SCHILLER INSTITUTE, SHE BROUGHT HER MESSAGE OF NONVIOLENT CHANGE OF EAST AND WEST.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND UH, JOE, I KNOW YOU'RE A DISTRICT J RESIDENT.
WANNA, UH, GIVE MY TIME TO YOU TO FINISH UP YOUR THOUGHTS? IT IS THAT MESSAGE OF PEACE AND NONVIOLENT CHANGE AND COMMUNICATION AND PEACE THROUGH DEVELOPMENT, WHICH THE INSTITUTE SPEAKS FOR TODAY.
FOR DOING SO, WE SHOULD NOT BE BRANDED AS WAR CRIMINALS OR PUTIN PUPPETS OR THREATENED WITH ELIMINATION BY THE AL BATTALION'S FRIENDS IN THE CENTER FOR COUNTERING DISFORMATION.
EVERYONE HERE HAS A CONGRESSMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE SIGNED THAT 2019 LETTER.
SHE'S ON THE, ON THE COMMITTEE FOR HOMELAND SECURITY.
SHE SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS THING.
TWO, I RESPECTFULLY ASKED A COUNCILWOMAN CAME IN TO RECONSIDER THE ILL-INFORMED SLANDER SHE PUT FORWARD LAST WEEK.
AND THIRD, EVERYBODY HERE IS INVITED TO THE SCHILLER INSTITUTE ONLINE CONFERENCE ON THE 10TH AND 11TH OF SEPTEMBER, WORKING THROUGH THE SOLUTIONS FOR THIS VERY CLASSIC MOMENT.
AND IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO BORROW THIS EXCELLENT AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF IL BOYNTON ROBINSON, IT'S HERE FOR THE TAKING.
IT'S QUITE A FASCINATING READ.
ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO BORROW IT? COUNCILMAN POLLARD, YOU'RE A MAYOR.
WE'LL TRY NOT TO, UH, READ IT DURING THE SESSION SO WE CAN STAY FOCUSED ON THE SPEAKERS.
OH, I THOUGHT YOU WERE PULLING OUT DENTURES.
UM, I'M HERE REGARDING DEBRIS AND DAMAGE FROM THE RESIDENCES AT ALLEN PARKWAY.
UM, THIS IS THE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR HALF BILL, HALF HALF BILLION DOLLAR DEVELOPMENT OFF OF, UH, ALLEN PARKWAY AND GILLETTE ACROSS FROM, UM, THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK BUILDING, AND BESIDE ALLEN PARKWAY VILLAGE, WHERE I RESIDE.
THIS IS DESCRIBED AS A LUXURY MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT ANCHORED BY THE THOMPSON HOTEL, AND ELEVATED BY A PRIVATE COLLECTION OF ELEGANT CONDOMINIUMS AND PENTHOUSES EXCLUSIVELY DESIGNED FOR THE MOST COMFORTABLE LIFESTYLE IN HOUSTON'S INNER LOOP IT ON THE WEBSITE.
IT STATES IT HAS 99 CONDOS STARTING AT A MILLION DOLLARS, 16 PENTHOUSES, 24 HOUR CONCIERGE,
[01:10:01]
170 LAVISH HOTEL ROOMS. AND I'M TOLD IT HAS A HELIPAD.WELL, THAT'S VERY WONDERFUL AND VERY GOOD FOR THEM.
BUT, UM, WHEN THE DEBRIS FLIES OVER INTO ALLEN PARKWAY VILLAGE, WHERE I RESIDE, UM, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A NUISANCE.
THIS IS SOME OF THE DEBRIS RIGHT HERE.
THERE'S SOME SHARDS OF GLASS IN THAT CONTAINER THAT ARE PROBABLY BIGGER THAN IN, NO OFFENSE, SOME OF THE STONES ON, UM, THE, AND THE JEWELRY PEOPLE ARE WEARING TODAY.
UM, I'VE CONTACTED A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF BILL BRYANT, AND SOMETIMES MY CALLS HAVE GONE NON-RESPONSIVE.
I'VE CALLED HIM REGARDING DEBRIS.
WHEN THE WINDS AND THE RAINS COME THAT THE, UH, THEIR PLANKS OF BOARD THAT HAVE FLOWN OVER.
UM, THERE'S TRASH FROM THE, UH, GUYS THAT THROW IT OVER THE FENCE.
THERE'S JUST SO MUCH GOING ON OVER THERE.
THEY'VE, UM, MESSED UP THE PROPERTY SO MUCH THAT THEY'VE, UH, NOW ENCROACHED ON THE PROPERTY LINE.
AND NOW THEY'RE WANNA SELL THE, THE RESIDENCE, A, A TWO FOOT INCH, A TWO FOOT INCH, UH, SOMETHING OF THAT SORT TWO FOOT, UH, LINE OF PROPERTY FOR US THERE.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO, UM, THE NEXT ISSUE, THE RAD, UM, DEVELOPMENT OR THE, UM, TRANSITION OVER AT ALLEN PARKWAY VILLAGE.
UM, WE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION, UM, THAT WE'RE GOING INTO SECTION EIGHT FROM BEING UNDER THE HOUSING, UH, HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, UM, ON A TIMELINE.
UM, WE'VE RECEIVED NOTICES AND, UM, IT STARTED BACK IN APRIL.
WE'VE GOT A LETTER FROM OPC IN AUGUST.
WE WERE ADVISED OF, UM, THAT WE WERE GONNA BE TRANSITIONED INTO A PHASE A AND AUGUST 17TH IS WHEN WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER MEETINGS.
UM, A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, AND THIS IS, UH, YOU, YOU ARE LIVING OFF OF WHAT, WHAT STREET? I'M SORRY.
THIS IS AT ALLEN PARKWAY VILLAGE.
LET ME, LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPEAK WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER.
HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER? IT'S HARD TO GET THROUGH.
AND BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A TIME SENSITIVE MATTER, THE, THERE'S VERY LITTLE TIME FOR, UH, RUN AROUND.
WE'RE GONNA GO OVER THERE BECAUSE I'VE DONE THAT BEFORE.
WE'RE TOLD IT'S THIS IS, THIS IS ALL GONNA TRANSITION INTO THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
WELL, I, I THINK YOU DO HAVE TIME TO REACH OUT TO YOUR, YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER.
WE DON'T, BUT, BUT THAT'S JUST IT THERE.
WHEN WE REACH OUT TO PEOPLE, NOBODY HAS ANY DEFINITIVE ANSWERS.
EVERYBODY IS SAYING WE DON'T KNOW NOW BECAUSE HUD IS INVOLVED.
THERE'S PROPERTY AT, THERE'S, THERE'S, UM, BUILDINGS AT THE END OF, OF ALLEN PARKWAY VILLAGE THAT THEY HAVEN'T EVEN ADDRESSED.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID WITH THE IKE MONEY 'CAUSE THEY BUDGETED FOR IKE MONEY.
WELL, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT AND WE ARE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT RIGHT HERE.
THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING YOU TO REACH OUT TO YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER.
ARE ARE, ARE THEY AWARE? I MEAN, BECAUSE I DON'T MIND REACHING OUT.
WELL, THEY CERTAINLY, THEY CERTAINLY CAN TAKE THE TIME AND SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS IT WITH YOU.
WE'RE JUST NOT ABLE TO DO IT RIGHT HERE.
UH, THANK YOU MA'AM FOR COMING FORWARD.
HAVE YOU ALSO, UH, UH, GONE BEFORE THE BOARD OF THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY? THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE WAS A, A, UH, CREW AND I, WHEN I SAY CREW, PROBABLY ABOUT 10 TO, UH, 12 PEOPLE IF NOT MORE, THAT CAME OUT AT THE LAST MEETING THAT WERE PUSHING THE SECTION EIGHT VOUCHERS.
PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THE SECTION EIGHT VOUCHERS.
WHEN WE ASKED THEM WHAT'S GOING ON, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT MOVING US TO, UH, OTHER UNITS AND THEN TO RENOVATED UNITS.
I ASKED THEM, WHO'S GONNA PAY YOU? DID YOU, DID YOU SPEAK BEFORE THEIR I SPOKE TO A, UM, NO, BEFORE CHERYL RIVERS BEFORE THE BOARD.
NO, I HAVEN'T TALKED TO THE BOARD.
I MEAN, BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS, IS TRICKLED DOWN.
AND WHEN YOU GO TO ONE PERSON, THEY'RE LIKE, WE DON'T KNOW.
YOU GO TO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT.
YOU GO TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THEY DON'T KNOW YOU GO TO OPC.
THERE'S SO MANY FACTORS IN THIS EQUATION.
THE MA AS MY DAUGHTER SAYS, MATH AIN'T MATH, BUT, BUT IF YOU WOULD GO BEFORE THE BOARD OF THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THEIR LEADERSHIP, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU SOME DIRECTION.
BUT ISN'T THAT WHAT, WHAT THE DIOCESE COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD BE? NO MA'AM.
AWARE OF OR, OR NO, IT'S A, WE HAVE DIFF DIFFERENT JURISDICTION.
TWO DIFFERENT, THERE'RE TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
IT'S THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THEY'VE GOT THEIR OWN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN BOARD MEMBERS.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN MEETINGS, JUST LIKE WE HAVE OUR MEETINGS.
THEY BEAR THE, THEY BEAR OUR NAME.
WITH THE EXCEPTION I DO APPOINT, UH, THE BOARD MEMBERS OVER THERE NOW.
UH, REGARDING ADDRESS THEM REGARDING THE, THE DEBRIS THAT I'VE BEEN IMPALED WITH.
[01:15:02]
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY GLASS.I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO WITH YOU ON THAT.
I WOULD COMPLAIN TO THE, TO THE COMPLEX.
TO THE PROPERTY MANAGER OVER THERE.
UH, MY NAME IS CONNOR TON AND I'D LIKE TO FIRST THANK CITY COUNCIL FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR ME OUT TODAY.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY ON THE NOTABLE INCREASE OF CASH FREE ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
ESPECIALLY AREAS THAT ARE SEEING AN INFLUX OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT SUCH AS MONTROSE TO THE EAST END.
AND, UH, IF ANY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAPPEN TO HAVE ANY AMOUNT OF CASH ON THEM, I ASK THAT THEY TAKE A GLANCE AT IT.
IT'S CLEARLY STATED THAT THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER FOR ALL DEBTS.
HOWEVER, ARE MANY BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHO REFUSE TO HONOR THAT THERE ARE A GROWING NUMBER OF BUSINESSES THAT PROUDLY DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS CASH FREE.
NOW, THERE ARE TWO REASONS PROVIDED FOR THIS.
ONE, THEY SAY CASH IS QUOTE, UNQUOTE DIRTY.
AND TWO, THAT IT'S UNSAFE TO KEEP CASH ON THE PREMISES.
HOWEVER, IF WE LOOK AT THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES THAT ENFORCE THIS POLICY, A NOTICEABLE PATTERN EMERGES.
AND A SENTENCE TO THIRD REASON MAKES ITSELF KNOWN.
THE BUSINESSES REFUSING TO ACCEPT CASH ARE NOT RETAIL, NOR ARE THEY HIGH-END RETAIL LIKE GALLERIA.
IT'S NOT MECHANICS OR PLUMBERS REFUSING TO TAKE CASH.
AND IT'S NOT BARS, IT'S COFFEE SHOPS, FREE WIFI, AND MIDDLE END RESTAURANTS SUCH AS GIACOMO.
IT'S PLACES THAT HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN KEEPING A CERTAIN CLIENTELE OUT, THOSE FACING INCOME AND SECURITY.
AND THOSE WHO ARE WORKING CLASS AND DEAL PRIMARILY WITH CASH.
IT'S PARTICULARLY PROMINENT IN THE EAST END, WHICH IS THE HOME OF SEVERAL LABORERS, BARTENDERS, AND SERVERS.
AKA PEOPLE WHO GET PAID OUT IN CASH.
THESE BUSINESSES FLOCK THE AREAS LIKE THESE FOR AFFORDABLE LEASES ON THEIR BUSINESS, AND THEN EFFECTIVELY TELL RESIDENTS OF THE AREAS THAT THEY MOVE TO, THAT THEIR MONEY IS NO GOOD HERE.
IT KEEPS THESE HARDWORKING AMERICANS OUT OF THEIR ESTABLISHMENTS THAT THEY CAN GREET AN ENVIRONMENT THAT DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTION, ALLOWING DINERS TO EAT THEIR CROISSANTS AND SIP THEIR LATTES WHILE WORKING REMOTELY WITHOUT HAVING TO SEE A BLUE COLLAR WORKER COME INSIDE.
THERE IS NO FEDERAL LAW STATING THAT TAKING CASH IS MANDATORY.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE STATES SUCH AS NEW JERSEY, MASSACHUSETTS, AND RHODE ISLAND THAT HAVE BANNED CASH FREE AS OF THE CITIES OF SAN FRANCISCO AND PHILADELPHIA.
I IMPLORE HOUSTON'S COUNCIL TO PASS A SIMILAR ORDINANCE.
I BELIEVE FOLKS SHOULD BE REWARDED FOR FEELING THE STING OF SWEAT IN THEIR EYES AFTER HARD DAY'S WORK, AND SPEND THE REWARD AS THEY SEE FIT.
THERE ARE MANY FACTORS TO PREVENT FOLKS FROM HAVING ACCESS TO DEBIT OR CREDIT CARDS, BE IT PAST FINANCIAL MISTAKES, INVOLUNTARY ACCOUNT CLOSURES DUE TO A MISTAKE MADE BY THE BANK, FAILURES OR OBSTACLES PREVENTING THEM FROM ACQUIRING IDENTIFICATION OR EVEN THE INCONVENIENCE OF GETTING TO A BANK IN TIME BEFORE THEY CLOSE.
BUSINESS OWNERS EVEN CUT OUT A POTENTIAL REVENUE STREAM PREFERRING TO THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER INSTEAD OF MAKING MORE FREQUENT CASH DROP.
IF THEY HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR A CUP OF COFFEE OR A PLATE OF PASTA, THEN THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PAY FOR IT IN A WAY THAT WORKS FOR THEM WITH THE MONEY THAT THEY EARNED.
KAREN SIMS. KAREN SIMS IS HERE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
UH, MY NAME IS KAREN SIMS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY TIRED OF COMING AND SPEAKING ABOUT THE SAME ISSUES.
UH, I WANNA TALK ABOUT SOMETHING PLEASANT.
I WANNA TALK ABOUT CREATING PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN.
I WANNA TALK ABOUT THINGS I WANNA DO IN LIFE INSTEAD OF STILL FIGHTING WITH MY CHILDREN.
SO, I WROTE THIS LITTLE POEM IN REFERENCE TO WHAT I'M DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
IT'S CALLED IN THE BEST INTEREST OF A CHILD.
IN THE BEST INTEREST OF A CHILD, IS WHAT THE THREE 15 JUVENILE COURT UNDER THE THEN ORDER OF MICHAEL SNYDER AND THE 3 0 9 COURT ON THE LEADERSHIP OF THEN SHERRY DEAN WOULD SCREAM WHILE BEHIND CLOSED DOOR.
THEY ALONE WITH CPS AL KHAN, MARY VITO, AMY SMITH.
AND MEMBERS ARE ALL A PART OF A RICO TEAM IN WHICH THEY WOULD DO ANY AND EVERYTHING TO DESTROY YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN'S DREAM.
IT DEFINITELY TOOK ME BY SURPRISE THAT THESE SO-CALLED PROFESSIONAL CARE WORKERS WERE FIGHTING TO BE SO EGREGIOUS AND MEAN.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOME MUCH HATE IN YOUR HEART TO REP
[01:20:01]
SUCH A TEAM THAT FOCUSES ON MANIPULATION, FABRICATION, FALSE IMPERSONATION, IMPERSONATION AND FREELY ENGAGING IN UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES JUST TO PROVE WHO'S THE TOUGHEST, ROUGHEST, AND FULL OF NOTHINGNESS ALL ALONG YOU RUN, YOU JUMP, YOU PLAY THAT GAMES.'CAUSE THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE TOLD TO DO, TO REGAIN YOUR FOUR GIFTS THAT GOT ONE WITH ME RIGHT HERE.
BUT NEVER ALLOWING THEM TO INTIMIDATE YOU AND STIR YOUR SOUL.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEY TOLD YOU.
I MEDITATE AND PRAY DAILY TO MY ANCESTORS, HOPING TO INHERIT THEIR STRENGTH THAT THEY ENDURED WHILE THE SEPARATION OF FAMILY.
THEY WERE STILL DEALING WITH THE SAME THINGS TODAY.
I KNOW THAT YOU COULDN'T TAKE IT, THAT WE, MY CHILDREN ARE DEALING WITH TODAY.
I ASKED MYSELF, HOW DO WE GET HERE? YOU SEE, BECAUSE WE WERE ONCE A HAPPY, GIFTED, TALENTED, HAPPY, VEGAN FAMILY.
HA ACTUALLY JULY 18TH, 2008 CHANGED THAT ALL OUR WISHES DAY WOULD NEVER OCCURRED.
I LEARNED THROUGH THIS NIGHTMARE THAT IT IS NOT REALLY IN THE BEST OF A CHILD.
BUT WHAT MORE CAN WE DO TO THIS QUEEN TO MAKE HER BOW DOWN AND MAKE HER HEART BURN WITH SORROW AND PAIN? BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS, IS DESTROY THIS WOMAN WHOSE NAME WE HAVE, SLANDERED AND CHILDREN WE WISH WE HAD.
I WOULDN'T BE HERE POURING MY HEART TO YOU AND HOPING TO SEE MY CHILDREN AND TOLE MY LIFE.
AND LONG-TERM GOALS IN THE BEST IS FOR A CHILD IS JUST A STATEMENT THAT RINGS BECAUSE REUNIFICATION WAS NEVER PART OF THEIR THING.
THIS CORRUPTION, THIS SYSTEM IS CORRUPT, CONSTANTLY WITH FALLEN CHILDREN WHO HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY A LEGAL RING THAT NOT ONLY HAS CHILDREN IN THEIR OFFICE, BUT ADVISE THEM TO DO STREET THINGS.
SO WITH THAT SAID, MR. MAYOR, I'M MAXING YOU NOW.
I'M FIGHTING WITH MARICOPA COUNTY IN PHOENIX.
PLEASE GIMME ONE MORE MINUTE FOR MY DAUGHTER, SONIYA.
MY EX-HUSBAND WHO NOT YOU CPS, PUT IN HIS CARE FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS I'VE BEEN FIGHTING.
SO I HAVE, I DO HAVE A COURT HEARING IN MARICOPA COUNTY ON SEPARATE, 15TH, 14TH, A TRIAL FOR DEPENDENCY BECAUSE OF WHAT I'M DEALING WITH CPS HERE TERMINATING MY RIGHTS FOR NO REASON.
SO I HAVE ALL THESE HANDWRITTEN DOCUMENTS AND ALL, LIKE I SAID, FABRICATION OF EVIDENCE, EXTENDED AND UN UNLAWFUL EXTENSIONS, EVERYTHING JUST TO KEEP ME AWAY FROM MY CHILDREN.
AND NOW WE'RE STILL SUFFERING.
I NEED TO GET HER OUT THIS MESS.
I'VE STARTED THE, THE REUNIFICATION PROCESS ALREADY REINSTATEMENT.
I DID EVERYTHING I CAN DO, BUT I CAN'T DO THIS BY MYSELF.
I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M WEAK, I'M TIRED, AND I NEED HELP.
AND, UH, DO YOU, DO YOU, ARE YOU, UM, DO YOU HAVE A LAWYER? UH, YEAH, ME, MYSELF, AND I.
ALRIGHT, SO YOU DON'T AND YOU IN MARICOPA? WELL, UH, THE CASE RIGHT NOW IS IN MARICOPA COUNTY BECAUSE OF THE CASE HERE IN HOUSTON.
UH, WHEN THEY TERMINATED MY RIGHTS 2013, 2011, WHEN I FILED FOR DIVORCE, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT COULD HAPPEN.
I WAS HERE, DID EVERYTHING I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO.
I KNOW YOU REMEMBER ME AND, AND THIS IS TOO MUCH.
SHE WAS ABOUT VICTORIAN, BARELY GRADUATED FROM WILL WILLOW RIDGE BECAUSE OF ABUSE AND NEGLECTED.
SHE'S ENDURED ALL THESE YEARS BECAUSE OF WHAT? JEALOUSY AND ENVY.
IT'S ABOUT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF A CHILD AND THEY HAVE PRACTICALLY DESTROYED OUR LIFE THAT WE TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER.
MY SON'S 13, MY HUSBAND, MY EX-HUSBAND PUT THEM IN AND OUTTA DIFFERENT GROUP HOMES.
I CAN'T GET TO 'EM BECAUSE EVERYWHERE I GO, OH, YOU'RE NOT THE MOTHER.
AND HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU TRIED ANY OF THE LEGAL AID SERVICES? I HAVE.
I HAVE BEEN, UM, UM, I CAN SAY, UH, TUTORED MM-HMM
AND THAT'S WHERE I'M, WHERE I'M AT TODAY.
UM, SO, UH, THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING.
I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH TO PHOENIX FOR THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF.
I YOU WISH I COULD HELP YOU ON YOU CAN.
AND HOW, HOW DO YOU THINK I CAN HELP YOU? UH, YOU HAVE RESOURCES.
OH, WE CAN'T, THEY HAVE VIOLATED MY RIGHTS.
LIKE, WE CAN'T USE CITY RESOURCES.
WELL, WHAT CAN WE USE? I NEED ATTORNEY SOMEBODY JUST TO GUIDE ME.
WELL, NO, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
UM, ARE YOU AFFILIATED WITH THE CHURCH OF ANY KIND? YEAH.
WE DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT.
ALRIGHT, THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THERE.
[01:25:01]
I HAVE BEEN EVERYWHERE AT NAACP.HAVE YOU TOUCHED THE NATION OF ISLAM? ROBIN MUHAMMAD KNOWS ME VERY WELL.
ERIC, DEREK HAM KNOWS ME VERY WELL.
HAVE YOU TOUCHED BASE? SHE'S ACTUALLY KNOWN ME VERY WELL.
HAVE YOU TOUCHED BASE? THEY ALL KNOW ME VERY WELL.
HAVE YOU TOUCHED BASES WITH THE DEAN OF THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LONG? I HAVE NOT YET.
BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO THAT.
I HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT TO THE LAW SCHOOL IN, UH, ARIZONA.
MARICOPA COUNTY HAS BEEN ASSISTING ME ALSO.
BUT, AND THAT'S ANOTHER PROBLEM.
WHEN YOUR CASE IS OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, THAT CREATES A PROBLEM.
WELL, HE RAN BECAUSE CCP HAS BEEN ING HIM.
WELL, I, I UNDERSTAND INVESTIGATING HIM.
I JUST SEE A MESSAGE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, SHE'S NOT ABLE TO GET ON.
UM, SHE SAID THAT THERE'S A NONPROFIT FIRM THAT THEY COULD REFER YOU TO.
UM, I THINK THE NAME IS DREW WILLIE.
UM, BUT WE CAN GET YOU COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S OFFICE NUMBER.
I'VE MET WITH HER SEVERAL TIMES.
SHE'S SAYING THAT THERE'S A NONPROFIT OKAY.
AND WE'LL GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. STAR SIX STEVE WILLIAMS. SIX.
STEVE WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER ELIE REVIS.
WE ARRANGED THE MIC UP IN FRONT OF YOU.
MR. UH, RO IS PASSING AROUND SOME PAPERWORK.
UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I DID SOME DISCOVERY A FEW DAYS AGO ON SOME OF THE EVICTIONS THAT, UH, THE PROPERTY MANAGER HAS LEFT AROUND, UH, PARK AT HUMBOLDT, LOCATED ON 1960.
UH, THE, UH, THE OWNER IS NOT AVENUE FIVE.
IT'S, UH, PARK AT HUMBOLDT, LLC, THE HAVE LINE.
MRS. UH, GUADALUPE, ALSO THE, UH, UH, MOTHER-IN-LAW OF A TROOPER SAYS YOU, UH, HER WISHES SO YOU CAN RECOVER.
I HAD A REUNION WITH HER IN THE HEIGHTS.
AND ALSO, UH, I PRINTED A LETTER ABOUT THE MOR MORMON CHURCH.
AND THIS IS WHAT I HAVE TO SAY, I DENY ALL ALLEGATIONS.
I WAS NOT AS COMMUNICATED FROM THE MORMON CHURCH.
I WALK AWAY BECAUSE OF THEIR HYPOCRISY.
AND, UH, THERE IS A DIVISION BETWEEN LAW AND RELIGION.
AND, UH, THIS IS WHAT I WANNA SAY BEFORE I SAY UNTO YOU, BECAUSE THIS WAS NEVER HAPPINESS.
OKAY, MS. RES, WE, I'M SURE WE'LL PICK IT UP AGAIN NEXT WEEK.
I'M SURE WE'LL PICK IT UP AGAIN NEXT WEEK.
UM, I, I GUESS, UH, I HAVE TO COME NEXT WEEK,
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT WEEK.
I SAID WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT WEEK.
OH, THERE, HE'S THOMAS SLOCUM.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE COM PARK OVER THERE IN MEROSE PARK ABOUT THE LEGAL DUMPING.
HELLO? YES, WE CAN CAN HEAR YOU.
CAN Y'ALL? UH, WELL, THANK YOU.
I JUST MAKE SURE Y'ALL CAN HEAR ME ALRIGHT.
WE GOT A PROBLEM WITH OUR PARK RANGERS OVER THERE.
NOW, UH, THEY WILL NOT PATROL OUR, THEY KEEP, I'VE CALLED 'EM ULTIMATE ANY MANY TIMES AND I'VE TALKED TO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT OFFICERS, THE DIFFERENT SUPERVISORS, AND WE JUST CANNOT GET 'EM TO COME OVER AND DO IT.
I TALKED TO A SUPERVISOR NAMED JOE BALDWIN.
UH, UM, HE KINDA CALLED ME OFF GUARD.
I WAS
AND WE CANNOT GET HELP PRACTICING FOOTBALL THERE TO KEEP HIM FROM RUNNING FOUR WHEELERS THROUGH PRACTICE.
[01:30:02]
NEXT SPEAKER.JACOB CAN THE COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER ASKING TO BE LAST AT LEAST.
HI, I AM JACOB CLEAGE AND WITH MY EMPLOYMENT WITH AIR MARKET NRG, I HAVE WORKED AT THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO CONCERTS, A SOCCER GAME, AND A TEXAN FOOTBALL GAME.
AND AMARK EMPLOYS ME ALSO AT MEN MAIN PARK, WHERE I HAVE WORKED BASEBALL GAMES AND A CONCERT.
AMARK HAS MY DUTIES AT BOTH NRG AND MEN MAIN PARK AS A SWEEPER AT RESTROOM AND ATTENDANT, AND AN OPERATOR OF A TRASH COMPACTOR AT AMMAR.
THE PERSON THAT HIRED ME WAS CHRISTINA STRINGHAM, AND SHE'S SAID NRG.
AND THAT MINUTE MATE IS SENDING ME HIS, NOW I TURNED IT OVER TO YOU.
COMMISSIONER TURNER ASKED ME ABOUT MY HAT, MY SHIRT, MY PANTS, AND MY SHORTS.
I, I TELL YOU, I GOT THE, THIS JERSEY SHIRT FROM, UH, UH, A FUNERAL DIRECTOR AT, AT VALDI THAT HANDLED THE HANG ON, THAT HANDLED THE, UH, I'M THE UNFORTUNATE TASK OF BURY THE KIDS AND OTHER VICTIMS THAT, THAT DIED IN THE VALDI SHOOTING.
AND I'M WEARING MY TEXTING SHORTS ON RIGHT NOW, AND MY AIRMARK, I MEAN MY, UH, ENERGY CAP AND MY, UH, ASTRO SHOES AND MY SOCKS.
I ALSO HAVE ON THE, SHE'S AN AUTOGRAPH OF, OF, OF, OF, UH, TEAR POLE.
YOU ARE, YOU ARE VERY, YOU ARE VERY WELL DRESSED.
YOU LOOKING LIKE A MODEL? AND GO AMARK AND GO ON IG AND GO C AND SPRING.
AND UM, I, I WAS ASKING THE, UH, UM, CHRISTINA STRING HIM AT NRG.
WHAT, WHAT THINGS SHE COULD GIVE THE CUSTOMER.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU AND SEE YOU.
THIS IS JESUS BROTHER EMMANUEL OF, UH, HOOD NEWS GP ON THE CRITICAL SHOW AT THE INTERNET RADIO STATION HEAT.
AND DURING THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF, UH, HOUSTON HURRICANE HARVEY, I'M HERE TO PETITION TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO HONOR THE CITIZENS AND BRAINSTORM OF THEIR JOINT CONTRIBUTIONS TO EACH OTHER.
DURING HOUSTON 2017, HISTORIC HURRICANE HARVEY, MANY OF THE CITIZENS, MYSELF INCLUDED, RISK THEIR LIVES RESCUED SENIORS AND CHILDREN AMONGST OTHER CITIZENS.
FROM THE RISING FLOOD PARTIES, ED OUR RESIDENTS AS CAN BE SEEN ON FACEBOOK, HASHTAG FOR HELPING PEOPLE.
AFTER RESCUING, THEY JOINED TOGETHER
UH, MANY, MANY FOOD
THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
[RECESS]
UNTIL TOMORROW AT 9:00 AM OKAY.[RECONVENE]
2022.I'M CALLING THE MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO WATER.
[ADMIN REPORT]
THE FIRST ITEM ON THE TODAY'S AGENDA, OF COURSE, WILL BE THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT.SO LET ME ASK, UH, COMPTROLLER CHRIS BROWN AND FINANCIAL DIRECTOR, INTERIM FINANCIAL DIRECTOR, UH, WILL JONES TO COME FORWARD.
[01:35:10]
CHARLIE, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR.COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JULY 31ST, 2022.
IN THE GENERAL FUND, THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 287.2 MILLION FOR FY 23.
THIS IS 57.7 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 114 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% IN RESERVES.
WE HAVE DECREASED OUR REVENUE PROJECTION BY 8.1 MILLION FROM OUR FY 23 TRENDS REPORT.
UH, THE ESTIMATED PROPERTY TAX REVENUE DECREASED BY 8.1 MILLION, AND THAT WAS DUE TO A 0.71% DECREASE IN THE POPULATION FIGURE.
UH, FROM THE MOST RECENT CENSUS NUMBERS, THE MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR REVENUE AND, UH, THAT A FINANCE ARE AS FOLLOWS, INDUSTRIAL ASSESSMENTS ARE 2.4 MILLION.
LOWER SALES TAX IS LOWER BY 46.9 MILLION AS THE CONTROLLER IS USING OUR TRENDS REPORT AS OUR BASELINE FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
OTHER TAXES ARE LOWER BY 743,000.
ELECTRIC FRANCHISE IS LOWER BY 980,000.
TELEPHONE FRANCHISE IS LOWER BY 795,000.
CHARGES FOR SERVICES ARE LOWER BY 2.3 MILLION.
MUNICIPAL COURTS, FINES AND FORFEITS ARE LOWER BY 664,000.
INTEREST INCOME FROM CASH AND INVESTMENTS IS LOWER BY 1.7 MILLION.
AND MISCELLANEOUS AND OTHER INCOME ARE LOWER BY 754,000.
THE EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES ARE UNCHANGED FROM OUR FY 23 TRENDS REPORT.
AND LOOKING AT THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, WE ARE PROJECTING, UH, NO CHANGES IN ANY OF OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
AND FINALLY, IN OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS, THE VARIABLE RATE, UH, ALL OF THAT IS WELL BELOW THE 20% THRESHOLD.
INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR WILL JONES.
THIS IS THE ONE PLUS TWO 11 FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JULY 31ST, 2022.
PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON ONE MONTH OF ACTUAL RESULTS AND 11 MONTH OF PROJECTIONS.
UH, FIRST, JUST TO UPDATE ON FY 22, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS, THE GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS, THE FINAL REVENUES FOR FY 22 WILL INCLUDE REVENUES EARNED THROUGH JUNE 30, ONLY IF THEY'RE COLLECTED BY THE END OF AUGUST.
EXPENDITURES THROUGH JUNE 30 WILL INCLUDE SPENDING INCURRED BEFORE THE END OF JUNE.
THESE EXPENSES CONTINUE TO BE RECORDED AS ACCRUALS TO FISCAL YEAR 2022 UNTIL AUGUST 31ST.
THE CURRENT PRELIMINARY UN-DESIGNATED FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL FUND IS 352.6 MILLION IN FY 22, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 7.8 MILLION HIGHER THAN OUR JUNE MO FAR PROJECTION.
THE RESULTS ARE NOT FINAL UNTIL THE PUBLICATION OF THE FFY 2022 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT.
SO MOVING ON TO FY 23, BOTH OUR REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE PROJECTIONS REMAIN AT BUDGET.
WE ARE CURRENTLY PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 344.8 MILLION, WHICH IS 40.8 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
AND 14.9% OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.
THE FUND BALANCE IS 171.7 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGET AT 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES LESS DEBT, UM, IN THE ENTERPRISE SPECIAL FUNDS WE'RE PROJECTING NO FORECAST CHANGES.
UM, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT.
ANY ANY QUESTIONS TO EITHER THE COMP CONTROL OR TO THE, UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR COUNCIL? MAYOR COUNCILMAN? MAYOR COUNCILMAN, MAYOR KNOX.
UM, AND EITHER ONE OF YOU CAN ANSWER THIS, WHICHEVER ONE'S APPROPRIATE.
UH, WE'VE, WE SPENT, I GUESS, 160 MILLION OF ARPA FUNDS WERE USED TO BALANCE OUR CURRENT BUDGET.
UH, HOW MUCH OF THAT ARPA MONEY IS REMAINING, WHICH WE COULD POTENTIALLY USE FOR BALANCING NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND THEN I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
I WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK ON THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT WE DID USE 139 LAST FISCAL YEAR, AND THEN 160 THIS FISCAL YEAR.
IN TOTAL, WE HAVE ABOUT 600, 601 OR OR SO MILLION.
SO HAVE THE FACTOR IN ALSO OF THE OTHER PRIORITY PROJECTS THAT'S ALSO BEEN USED FOR THE ARPA FUNDS.
AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS, ON PAGE 12 OF THE MO FOUR STATES THAT THERE ARE STILL 448 MILLION IN COMMERCIAL PAPER APPROVED BY COUNCIL, BUT UN ISSSUED AND ANOTHER 690 MILLION AUTHORIZED BY THE VOTERS, BUT ARE UN ISSSUED.
CAN YOU PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION WHY THERE'S SO MUCH BOND MONEY AVAILABLE, BUT IT'S NOT BEING USED? UH, SOME OF THESE ARE PRETTY OLD AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHY SHOULD VOTERS APPROVE THIS, UH, 478 MILLION BONDS, UH, THIS NOVEMBER?
[01:40:02]
WELL, AS YOU KNOW, WE DO, UH, VOTER AUTHORIZED, UH, ISSUANCES PERIODICALLY THROUGHOUT HISTORY.UH, WE'VE USED THAT MONEY TO FUND CAPITAL PROJECTS.
EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE WE BUILD HERE IN THE CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MATCH, UH, THAT DEBT, UH, TO PROJECTS IN THE CIP.
AND AS YOU KNOW, MANY OF THOSE ARE INTO THE FUTURE.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, WE USE, UH, INITIALLY THE COMMERCIAL PAPER WE ISSUE.
AND THEN OVER TIME WE TAKE OUT THAT COMMERCIAL PAPER.
WE FIX THAT, UH, ESSENTIALLY VARIABLE RATE DEBT INTO LONG-TERM BONDS.
SO I THINK A, A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS, UM, MONEY THAT'S, UH, BEEN ENCUMBERED.
UH, IT WILL BE ISSUED VIA CI, UH, VIA COMMERCIAL PAPER.
AND THEN IT'LL BE TAKEN OUT, UH, WITH DEBT ISSUANCE.
UH, AGAIN, LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE AND THE CAPITAL NEEDS, UM, I KNOW MAYOR, UH, THE INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL EXPANSION IN THE AIRPORT, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT THE CITY HAS IN THE FUTURE THAT WILL REQUIRE BONDING CAPACITY.
SO I THINK MAYBE, UH, INTERIM DIRECTOR JONES WOULD COMMENT ON, ON THOSE PLANS.
BUT, UH, AS FAR AS THE EXISTING, UH, THAT WE ESTIMATE THAT THAT WILL BE USED, UH, IN THE FUTURE, AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER, LEMME JUST SAY NUMBER ONE, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH WHAT THE COMMENTARY IS SAYING.
UM, MU MU, MUCH OF THOSE BOND TRI, THOSE BOND FUNDS ARE TIED TO EXISTING PROJECTS.
I'M REMEMBERING ON OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FROM 23 THROUGH 27, WITHOUT THE BOND BEING APPROVED IN NOVEMBER, UH, WE ARE GOING TO FALL SHORT OF FUNDING THOSE PROJECTS.
I THINK IT'S A HUNDRED AND IT'S CLOSE TO 200 MILLION.
SO YOU NEED $200 MILLION OF THAT 450 MILLION, 68 MILLION, UH, THAT WILL BE GOING TO THE VOTERS TO APPROVE THE EXISTING PROJECTS BETWEEN 23 THAT ARE IN THE CIP FROM 23 THROUGH 27 THAT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ALREADY APPROVED.
WELL, MY POINT IS, ON PAPER, IT LOOKS LIKE THE MONEY IS AVAILABLE.
THAT'S A BILLION DOLLARS PLUS OF, OF UNUSED, UH, BOND MONEY THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
AND WE'RE ASKING FOR ANOTHER HALF A BILLION DOLLARS ROUGHLY, UM, UH, COMING UP IN THE FUTURE.
MAYBE THERE'S SOME WAY THAT WE SHOULD BE IDENTIFYING THESE UNUSED FUNDS AND THE FACT THAT THEY'RE ENCUMBERED IN SOME WAY.
RIGHT? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT JUST LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT THIS MONEY AVAILABLE TO US THAT WE JUST HAVE TO ISSUE THE BONDS AND HAVE THE MONEY.
AND BECAUSE WE HAVE PROJECTS ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR THEM.
SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? IT, IT'S HARD FOR THE LAY PERSON OUT THERE TO UNDERSTAND OF WHAT YOU'RE, AND IN FACT, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TIE THOSE, THOSE, UH, THAT ITEM WITH ALL OF THE OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHETHER THEY'RE AIRPORT, UH, WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER PROJECTS IN PUBLIC WORKS, UH, THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN OUR CIP, BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT THOSE DOLLARS HAVE TO BE TIED TO.
MAYBE JUST ADD A WORD UNUSED, BUT, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, VOTED TOO, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME KIND OF WAY TO IDENTIFY THAT WE'VE GOT PLANS FOR THAT MONEY ALREADY AND THOSE PLANS ARE IN STONE OR WHATEVER, AND THAT WE ARE GONNA MOVE FORWARD ON 'EM.
SO IT'S NOT UN UNUSED, IT'S JUST UNNECESSARY.
THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT, WHICH IT'S ENCUMBERED.
THAT, SO MAYBE WE COULD ADD A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, UNUSED AND ENCUMBERED.
SO IT'S NOT YET PULLED DOWN, BUT IT HAS BEEN ENCUMBERED.
KINDA LIKE A HOUSE LOAN WHERE YOU'RE BUILDING A HOUSE, YOU KNOW, AND YOU DRAW A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY.
YOU GOT ALL THIS MONEY IN THE BANK, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY, UH, INTEREST ON IT UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY PULL IT AND USE IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW WHAT THE TOTAL COST OF THE HOUSE IS GONNA BE, BUT YOU BUILD IT IN PHASES OVER TIME.
AND SO YOU DRAW DOWN ON THAT MONEY.
SO YOU MIGHT HAVE $500,000 OF A LUMP, BUT YOU HAVEN'T USED ALL THAT YET.
BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO DO IT.
SO, SO TECHNICALLY I'VE GOT THE MONEY, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.
YEAH, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT ONE UNTIL I GET IT.
SO YEAH, IF THERE'S SOME WAY THAT WE COULD, UH, MAYBE ADJUST OUR REPORTING SO THAT WE CAN SEE THAT ENCUMBRANCE, UH, ALONG WITH THE UNUSED PORTION, GIVE US A CLEARER PICTURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON, I THINK.
UH, COUNCILMAN KASH? YES, MAYOR.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE CONTROLLER, HOW WILL THE FEDS RAISING THESE, UH, THIS, THESE RATES, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE CONSISTENTLY GOING UP.
HOW IS THIS GONNA AFFECT OUR, OUR, UH, BUDGET AND, UH, OUR FUTURE FORECASTING? WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER, AS THE FED CONTINUES TO RAISE, UH, THE SHORT-TERM INTEREST RATES, IT AFFECTS OUR LONG-TERM BORROWING COSTS.
UM, LUCKILY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE'VE BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE, UH, REFINANCING EXISTING DEBT WHILE THE RATES WERE LOW.
UH, WE'VE, UH, REFINANCED OVER THE LAST, UH, SEVEN YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN CONTROLLER, UM, ALMOST AROUND HALF OF THE OUTSTANDING DEBT.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, DO THAT MUCH LIKE YOU REFINANCE YOUR HOME MORTGAGE AT A MUCH LOWER RATE.
SO WE END UP SAVING, UH, THE PRESENT VALUE SAVINGS, UM, I THINK AROUND $600 MILLION
[01:45:02]
IN PRESENT VALUE SAVINGS.SO JUST LIKE YOU'D REFINANCE YOUR HOME MORTGAGE.
SO, UH, UNDOUBTEDLY IT WILL AFFECT US GOING FORWARD.
I THINK, UM, AND I KNOW INTERIM DIRECTOR JONES CAN, UM, ATTEST TO THIS.
THE NEXT ISSUANCE THAT WE HAVE IS PROBABLY IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR.
UH, WE'VE SLOWED DOWN THE AMOUNT OF ISSUANCES, UM, AND I THINK WE, WE, QUITE FRANKLY, WE TRIED TO GET AS MUCH ISSUED AND IN THE PIPELINE PRIOR TO THESE RATE INCREASES.
BUT UNDOUBTEDLY IT'LL AFFECT US.
UH, THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT WILL BE HARD TO KNOW UNTIL WE KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH WE'RE ISSUING AND WHAT THE MARKET IS AT THE TIME.
BUT I WOULD SAY WE ARE PLANNING, UH, IN THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE FOR AN INCREASE IN DEBT SERVICE AS A RESULT OF THE RAISING OF INTEREST RATES.
THE CITY, WE WERE VERY AGGRESSIVE WHEN WE HAD THE, THE LOWER INTEREST RATES JUST FOR THIS REASON.
'CAUSE IT WASN'T GONNA STAY THAT WAY FOREVER.
WE WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
SO, UM, WE DID A GREAT JOB OF REFINANCING AND SAVING THE CITY MONEY WHEN WE HAD LOWER RATES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? TO, UH, THE COMPTROLLER? TO THE FINANCIAL DIRECTOR VICE? MAY I APPROACH HIM FOR A MOTION? NO, I'M SORRY.
I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT DATED JULY 31ST, 2022.
AND SECOND IN THE OBJECTION CHAIR.
[MAYOR'S REPORT]
OKAY, LET'S MOVE NOW TO THE MAYOR'S REPORT.UM, IN VIEW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION, UH, IN TERMS OF WHERE THINGS ARE CRIME WISE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
A LOT OF, A LOT OF THINGS COMING FROM ALL DIFFERENT CORNERS, LEAVING CORNERS COMING, COMING FROM THE PULPITS.
AND, UM, UH, WHICH I JUST TAKE OFFENSE TO, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, I'M NOT A BONE.
AND, UH, WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT HOUSTON IS THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN AMERICA, I TAKE OFFENSE TO THAT.
I REALLY DO, BECAUSE THAT THEN DRIVES FEAR.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE HOMICIDES, FOR EXAMPLE, PER CAPITAL IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE ARE NOT EVEN IN THE TOP 10 IN THE COUNTRY.
SO FACTS I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
AND I ASKED, UH, CHIEF NER AND, UH, HIS TEAM TO COME AND JUST MAKE A PRESENTATION ON WHERE THINGS ARE.
JUST TELL US WHERE THINGS ARE.
UH, AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF NER, UH, FOR THIS NEXT SEGMENT.
SO, UM, CHIEF FINNER, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH, UH, MAYOR.
AND, UH, IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO BE WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, I'D LIKE FOR PEOPLE TO SAY, UH, MY POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SAY MY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THE SUPPORT, IF I MAY, UM, WE LOST, UH, ONE OF OUR BEST OF THE BEST YESTERDAY, UH, SERGEANT KEVIN JOHNSON, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW IN THIS CITY.
AND I JUST WANT TO ASK FOR CONTINUED PRAYERS, UM, FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY.
UM, MAYOR, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THE, UH, NUMBERS AND FACTS RIGHT WHEN WE LOOK AT CRIME IN OUR CITY.
UM, SO LEADERS AROUND OUR CITY COULD HAVE THE RIGHT INFORMATION AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, SO IN LOOKING AT, UH, THE NUMBERS AS COMPARED FROM, UH, 2021 AND 2022, VERY FIRST THING I WANT TO DO.
HOMICIDE NUMBERS ARE DOWN, UH, 1%.
UH, WE ARE TODAY 300 HOMICIDES.
UH, LAST YEAR THERE WAS 304 AT THIS TIME.
OKAY? WE HAVE BEEN REQUIRED BY THE FBI TO NOW REPORT, UH, CRIME IN THE
EVEN THOUGH, UH, 50% OF OTHER AGENCIES ARE NOT THE FBI REQUIRED THAT, BUT THEY DIDN'T, THE GOVERNMENT DIDN'T, UH, PUT THE FUNDING BEHIND IT.
SO A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS COULDN'T.
SO, BUT JUST WANT TO GO WITH SOME NUMBERS QUICKLY BEFORE I TURNED IT OVER FOR, UM, CHIEF MARTIN TO, UH, DIVE INTO THE ACTUAL NUMBERS FOR EACH DISTRICT.
UH, SO TOTAL CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS DOWN 8% TOTAL CRIMES AGAINST PRI UH, PROPERTY ARE DOWN 0.58%.
UM, CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY, I'M SORRY, UH, 3.26% UP OVERALL CRIME IS DOWN, UH, 42%.
[01:50:03]
WE, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE REPORTING ON THE CRIME, UM, I SYSTEM, WE STILL HAVE TO LOOK AT DAILY NUMBERS.AND, UM, SO WHEN I MOVE RESOURCES AROUND, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT.
I KNOW IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PAGE AND IT SHOWS MURDERS 2 76, OKAY, THAT'S BECAUSE WE HADN'T STAFF REVIEWED.
SO THE, THE ACTUAL
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE NUMBERS.
WE COUNT BODIES HERE, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR OUR DAILY REPORTS.
SO THOSE NUMBERS WILL SHOW, BUT WHAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT, YOU LOOK AT 20 21, 2 76, 20 22, 2 76.
SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE PRETTY MUCH FLAT.
BUT WHAT I WANT TO LOOK AT IS THE VIOLENT CRIME.
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT DOWN 10%, HUMAN TRAFFICKING DOWN 37%, KIDNAPPING UP 44%.
NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS.
A LOT OF THAT IS, IS DOMESTICS WHERE A PARENT HAS KIDNAPPED IT.
SO THOSE ARE DRIVING THOSE NUMBERS UP.
MURDER RATE IS PRETTY MUCH FLAT.
I SAID IT'S, IT'S 1%, BUT TO US THAT'S, THAT'S FLAT ROBBERY DOWN 7%.
SEXUAL ASSAULT DOWN 28% GRAND, TOTAL OF VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN 10%.
THE NUMBERS ARE LIE, DON'T, UH, LIE.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA DO.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, CHIEF MARTIN.
BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES WITH EACH OF ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND YOUR DISTRICT.
UH, WE WANNA MOVE AWAY FROM A SYSTEM WHERE WE ARE ACTUALLY GETTING AWAY FROM DISTRICT AND BEATS FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
Y'ALL WORRIED THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN, IN, IN YOUR DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE DID, WE DID WITH THIS REPORT.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
I WANT TO BE MORE PUBLIC FACING, UM, TO NOT ONLY COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT TO OUR GENERAL PUBLIC.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON SOME WAYS TO DO THAT.
MAYOR HAS CALLED FOR ME AND THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BE TRANSPARENT AND WE WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT IN EVERYWHERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO STATS.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON MOVING THAT, THAT, IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND IF WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, AS THE CHIEF TALKED ABOUT, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO PROVIDE BETTER DATA FOR YOU AS COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR DISTRICTS.
UH, OUR STATS, WHEN WE KEEP 'EM IN CRIME, WHEN IT'S TRACKED IN THE CITY, TRADITIONALLY IT'S TRACKED BY POLICE DISTRICT, POLICE BEAT BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE RESPOND.
THAT'S HOW OUR PERSONNEL ARE BROKEN UP.
THAT'S HOW OUR STATIONS ARE ORGANIZED.
AND SO WE TRACK CRIME BASED ON WHAT POLICE DISTRICT HAD OCCURRED IN, WHAT BEAT IT HAPPENED IN.
AND THOSE DO NOT ALWAYS ALIGN, UH, GEOGRAPHICALLY WITH THE BOUNDARIES OF YOUR DISTRICT.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON, AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEP HERE THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU TODAY.
WE'RE WORKING ON A STANDARDIZED REPORTING PROCESS THAT WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH MUCH MORE ROBUST AND MUCH MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IS OCCURRING IN YOUR DISTRICT, WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.
UH, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT THIS IS STEP ONE TODAY TO GET YOU THIS INFORMATION, UH, FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK FOR THAT HERE IN THE COMING WEEKS.
WE WILL BE COMING UP WITH SOME REPORTING FOR YOU BY, BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
THAT SHOULD BE MUCH MORE ROBUST AND MUCH MORE, UH, WHAT YOU NEED.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THESE DISTRICT AT A TIME.
UH, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW.
UH, AS THE CHIEF WAS TALKING ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT AS WE GO THROUGH OVERALL IS ACTUALLY DOWN.
UH, I'VE SAID IN COMMUNITY MEMBER MEETINGS BEFORE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS THOUGH, THAT IF YOU'RE A VICTIM, YOU WANNA KNOW WHY.
YOU'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT HOW FAR IT'S DOWN.
YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WELL OBVIOUSLY AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT, THAT'S SOMETHING WE STAY CONCERNED ABOUT EVERY DAY.
WE WOULD BE WANTING TO ATTACK THAT REMAINING 1% AND SEE WHAT WE COULD DO ABOUT IT.
UH, YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOME NUMBERS THAT ARE UP ON SOME OF THESE.
THE CHIEF MENTIONED KIDNAPPING BEFORE AND THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT KIDNAPPING IS CONSISTENTLY UP THROUGH A LOT OF DISTRICTS.
THANKFULLY IT IS STILL A SMALL NUMBER THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO WHEN YOU DO HAVE A SMALLER NUMBER, YOU'LL TYPICALLY SEE ONE OR TWO CRIMES DIFFERENT WILL MAKE THAT PERCENTAGE BE MUCH LARGER.
SO WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT AND COVER IT.
SO LOOKING AT DISTRICT A, COUNCILMAN PECS DISTRICT, UH, OVERALL VIOLENT CRIME DOWN 14%.
BUT YOU DO SEE THOSE TWO RED MARKS.
YOU'VE GOT KIDNAPPING, YOU'VE GOT HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
THERE RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF DIFFERENCES, BUT THE PERCENTAGES LOOK HIGH.
MOVING TO DISTRICT B FOR COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, AS YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE THERE, IT IS DOWN OVERALL 15% VIOLENT CRIME.
AGAIN, THAT KIDNAPPING NUMBER IS THE STANDOUT, BUT VERY HAPPY TO SEE THERE.
EVEN YOU HAVE A, A MURDER DECREASE.
AND THEN AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS IS SOMETHING WE TRACK VERY CLOSELY.
'CAUSE A LOT OF THOSE INVOLVE SHOOTINGS THAT
[01:55:01]
WERE NOT FATAL, WHERE SOMEONE DIDN'T DIE EITHER FROM THE FANTASTIC EFFORTS OF OUR EMS PERSONNEL OR THE TRAUMA CENTERS HERE IN THE CITY.UH, SOMEONE WAS SHOT, SHOT AT AND DID NOT PASS AWAY, WHICH IS FANTASTIC THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SAVE THAT INDIVIDUAL.
BUT A LOT OF THOSE CRIMES ARE, ARE, UH, I'VE USED TO CALL 'EM MURDERS.
THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE IT WASN'T BECAUSE SOMEBODY DIDN'T TRY.
AND SO WE LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS AND WHEN WE CAN SEE THOSE NUMBERS TRENDING DOWNWARDS, THAT IS A VERY, A BIG POSITIVE AS WELL.
WE ALWAYS FOCUS ON THE HOMICIDES 'CAUSE THAT'S THE ULTIMATE IN, IN VIOLENT CRIME, VIOLENT ACTIVITY.
BUT WE LOOK AT THOSE AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS AS ANOTHER INDICATOR OF HOW WE'RE DOING AS FAR AS OVERALL VIOLENCE LEVEL IN THE CITY.
LOOKING AT DISTRICT C, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S DISTRICT, UH, OVERALL VIOLENT CRIME DOWN 12.
BUT AGAIN, YOU SEE THAT KIDNAPPING NUMBER IS A STANDOUT.
ALRIGHT, DISTRICT D, MY OLD STOMPING GROUNDS WHEN I WAS THE SOUTHEAST COMMANDER DOWN THERE.
UH, OVERALL VIOLENT CRIME DOWN 8%.
UH, YOU SEE A FEW MORE RED NUMBERS ON THERE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHAVA ACTUALLY WINS THE KIDNAPPING NUMBER THERE BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAVE A DECREASE IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA DURING IN DISTRICT D.
HOWEVER, YOU SEE THE SMALL INCREASE IN MURDERS, EVEN ONE IS TOO MANY.
BUT, UH, THE, THESE NUMBERS ARE WHAT WE HAVE FOR RIGHT NOW.
AGAIN, OVERALL DECREASE OF 4%.
UH, THE SAVING GRACE IN, IN THIS DISTRICT IS THE, THE OVERALL NUMBERS OF CRIME ARE A LITTLE SMALLER THAN SOME OF OUR OTHER DISTRICTS WHERE THERE'S MORE ACTIVITY.
BUT YOU DO SEE RED ON THE PAGE HERE.
WE'VE GOT AN INCREASE IN KIDNAPPING.
YOU'VE GOT HUMAN TRAFFICKING UP AND HERE WE SEE THOSE AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS UP.
THAT'S NOT, AND AND MURDER AS WELL.
BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE, WE WANT TO SEE IN ANY DISTRICT.
THE AG ASSAULTS BEING UP 2% AND THE MURDERS BEING UP 67%.
67% IN THIS CASE IS AN INCREASE OF SIX MURDERS.
BUT IN ANY ONE DISTRICT, THAT'S TOO MANY.
SO THAT'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON ON A DAILY BASIS.
ALRIGHT, DISTRICT F, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
WE SHOW AN OVERALL DECREASE OF 10%.
AND AGAIN, YOU SEE THAT KIDNAPPING NUMBER AS AS THE EXCEPTION.
AND DISTRICT G COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN THE OVERALL DECREASE OF 8%.
AGAIN, YOU SEE SOME NUMBERS ON THERE THAT ARE CONCERNING TO US.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE MURDER NUMBER IS UP AND IN THIS CASE THE SEXUAL ASSAULT NUMBER IS UP.
SO UP BY 10 SO FAR ON THE YEAR TOTAL, UH, WHICH EQUATES TO 15%.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THOSE LOCAL STATION COMMANDERS AND OUR, UH, OUR SPECIAL, OUR SPECIAL VICTIMS DIVISION WORK ON EVERY DAY.
THOSE ARE CRIMES OBVIOUSLY THAT ARE HIGH, HIGHEST ON OUR LIST OF THINGS THAT WE, WE APPLY A LOT OF EFFORTS TO.
LOOKING AT DISTRICT H, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS.
AGAIN, KIDNAPPING IS THE OUTLIER, BUT WE HAVE AN OVERALL DECREASE OF 15, OF 13% IN VIOLENT CRIME.
IN DISTRICT I, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, WE SEE AN OVERALL DECREASE OF 8% IN VIOLENT CRIME WITH THE KIDNAPPING NUMBER AGAIN BEING THE EXCEPTION.
IN DISTRICT J, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, UH, WE SEE AN OVERALL DECREASE OF 6% IN VIOLENT CRIME.
UH, AGAIN, THAT MURDER NUMBER IS CONCERNING AND IN THERE WE SEE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN ROBBERIES.
UH, THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE BEEN NOTICING AND WORKING ON.
UH, FORMER CHIEF MCCLELLAN USED TO USED TO SAY A ROBBERY WAS A BAD DECISION AWAY FROM A MURDER.
'CAUSE OFTENTIMES THAT PERSON IS USING A FIREARM.
UH, SO WE TAKE THOSE VERY SERIOUSLY AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING INTO AS WELL.
COUNCILMAN K, DISTRICT A COUNCILMAN CASTEX TATUM.
UH, WE SEE AN OVERALL DECREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME OF 12%.
UH, THE EXCEPTION HERE BEING MURDERS, WHICH ARE UP BY TWO AS AN 8% INCREASE.
THAT'S ACTUALLY THE LAST SLIDE IN THE PRESENTATION.
UH, AND ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANY, ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ABOUT THOSE NUMBERS? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCIL.
COUNCILMAN MCCAIN? THANK YOU MAYOR.
I HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS I'LL PROBABLY NEED TO BE PUT BACK INTO QUEUE.
FIRST OFF, UM, THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE FORCE.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THESE NUMBERS.
I THINK IT'S REALLY HELPFUL IN COMMUNICATING TO RESIDENTS, UM, WHAT THE FACTS ARE.
RIGHT? THERE'S A LOT OF FEAR MONGERING AND MISUNDERSTANDING RIGHT NOW.
UM, TO THAT POINT, UM, COULD ONE OF YOU SPEAK TO, I KNOW LIKE IN DISTRICT C AND YOU POINTED THIS OUT IN SEVERAL SLIDES, WE'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT PERCENTAGES.
AND WHEN WE SEE A RED, WE DON'T LIKE TO SEE THAT RED AND WE DON'T WANNA SEE THAT RED.
WE WANT EVERYTHING IN THE GREEN.
BUT FOR EXAMPLE, KIDNAPPING ONE, YOU SAID THAT THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS, UH, DOMESTIC RELATED.
SO A PARENT THAT MAY NOT HAVE CUSTODY OF A CHILD KIDNAPPING THAT CHILD, IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S DRIVING THE NUMBERS, BUT I WANT TO DIVE DEEPLY INTO IT BEFORE I JUST SAY, UM, UH, THAT IS THE ACTUAL COST FOR AS IT IS DRIVING THE NUMBERS UP.
BUT I, I WANT TO GO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER
[02:00:01]
INTO IT AND I I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THAT WOULD BE GREAT.'CAUSE AGAIN, THAT THAT'S CONCERNING.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, ANY NUMBER IS TOO HIGH A NUMBER.
BUT WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING JUMP, LET'S SAY 63%, IN OTHER DISTRICTS, IT MAY BE AS HIGH LIKE G FOR EXAMPLE, 250%.
BUT IS THAT, I MEAN, TALK, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THAT NUMBER JUMPS UP SO MUCH? YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.
UM, I WAS TRYING TO SEE WHICH ONE WAS, UH, TWO.
YOU WANT ME TO GET THAT ONE? YEAH, YOU CAN GO AHEAD.
BUT IF YOU HAVE ONLY ONE YEAR, IF YOU HAD LIKE TWO MURDERS AND WE'RE JUST USING THAT CATEGORY AND THEN YOU NOW GOT SIX MURDERS, THE NUMBERS ARE JUST FOUR AND ACTUAL INCIDENTS.
BUT FOR PERCENTAGE WISE, IT, IT, IT LOOKS JUST OFF THE CHART.
AND, AND TO YOUR POINT, LOOKING AT COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S DISTRICT WHERE IT WAS, WHERE KIDNAPPING IS UP 250% ON HERE, THAT'S AN INCREASE FROM FOUR IN THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF LAST YEAR TO 14 IN THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.
ANY INCREASE IS SOMETHING WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
ANYTHING THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT.
BUT AN INCREASE OF 10 LOOKS DIFFERENT ON PAPER THAN A 250% INCREASE, WHICH IS VERY CONCERNING AND REALLY JUMPS OUT TO THE EYE.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE LOOK AT THE CHIEF'S CORRECT IN THAT A DRIVING FORCE IN A LOT OF THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, FAMILY ISSUES.
IT, IT'S NOT ALWAYS WHAT YOU ENVISION WHEN YOU THINK OF KIDNAPPING OF SOMEONE BEING SNATCHED AND TAKEN.
UH, WE DID HAVE AN INCIDENT RECENTLY CHIEF SLINKER WAS TALKING ABOUT WHERE, UH, TWO INDIVIDUALS WERE KIDNAPPED AND TAKEN OUT OF THE CITY, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO TRACK THEM DOWN AND RESCUE THEM, UH, PRIOR TO THEM BEING HARMED.
SO YEAH, AND I THINK TO THAT POINT, RIGHT, WE'RE HEARING A LOT IN THE NEWS AND IN HEADLINES ABOUT PERCENTAGES, PERCENTAGES.
BUT CORRECT THE ACTUAL NUMBERS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
SO IF YOU ALL CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE US WITH THAT INFORMATION, WHICH ALONG WITH THE PERCENTAGES, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
UM, I'M, SO I'M VERY RELIEVED TO SEE OVERALL CRIME IS DOWN OVER 5% VIOLENT CRIME DOWN 10%.
UM, CHIEF YOU TALKED ABOUT THE NEED TO, YOU'RE REWORKING HOW WE MANAGE OUR DATA, BUT CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES? AGAIN, I I TALK CONSTANTLY ABOUT OUR RMS SYSTEM, OUR RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND WHAT'S NEEDED THERE AND WHAT THOSE HURDLES MAY BE.
I CAN'T GO TOO MUCH INTO THE RMS WHEN A QUIET SYSTEM, BUT, UM, AS WE TRY CHANGE, UM, EQUIPMENT AND PROCESSES, YOU GOTTA FUND THAT AND, AND, AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON THAT.
UM, BUT YOU GOTTA CHANGE EVERYTHING WITH THAT SYSTEM.
BUT I'M GONNA LET MY EXPERT, UM, SPEAK UP.
WE, WE DO, WE WE'RE WORKING ON A RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT IS, IS OLDER.
IT WENT INTO, IT WENT INTO PRODUCTION IN, UH, EARLY 2013.
AND AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
IT WAS ALREADY THEN, UH, HAD BEEN SURPASSED THE WAY TECHNOLOGY IS, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY BY OTHER PROJECTS.
UH, WE ARE, WE CAN'T TALK SPECIFIC TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT SELECTION PROCESS 'CAUSE IT IS IN, UH, THE SELECTION PERIOD.
AND PURCHASING HAS REALLY STRICT RULES ON THAT.
SO IT CAN'T GO INTO DETAIL, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT REPLACING OUR RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
WHATEVER WE GET, UH, REGARDLESS OF WHO WE END UP GOING WITH, IT WILL BE A MUCH MORE MODERN, MUCH MORE MOBILE, MUCH MORE CONFIGURABLE SYSTEM TO US TO ALLOW US TO LOOK AT DATA IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
UH, AN AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE THE KIDNAPPING AND THE COUNCIL DISTRICT BREAKOUTS.
YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S NO REASON WHY GOING FORWARD NET RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WE CAN'T PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT WOULD IDENTIFY EACH OF THESE CALLS BY WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL DISTRICT THEY OCCURRED IN.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS TO TAKE OUR DISTRICT AND BEAT NUMBERS AND CONVERT THEM OVER TO COUNCIL DISTRICT FIGURES.
BUT IN, IN A FUTURE SYSTEM, IT MAY BE VERY EASY JUST TO TURN ON A SWITCH AND SAY, OKAY, LET'S LOOK AT IT BY COUNCIL DISTRICT NOW.
SO, UH, MOST OF THESE NEWER SYSTEMS, THEY'RE WEB-BASED.
UH, YOU'VE SEEN HOW THE WAY TECHNOLOGY CHANGES IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH PHONES.
IT'S THE SAME THING WITH THESE TYPES OF SYSTEMS. SO, AND SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS A LOT OF WHAT WE ARE HAVING, THE HURDLES ARE ANTIQUATED SYSTEMS THAT WE ARE NEEDING TO REVISE AND REVAMP.
AND TO THAT POINT, CHIEF, I MEAN MAYOR, YOU HAVE INVESTED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE ASKED FOR THAT YOU HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN AT THIS POINT? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
AND I, I BROUGHT UP THE FUNDING PIECE.
THE FUNDING IS, IS THERE, IT JUST TAKES THE PURCHASING PROCESS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I, I MEANT TO SAY.
AND, UH, I THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT, UH, FROM THIS COUNCIL AND, AND THIS MAYOR.
UM, I, I, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT.
AND THIS IS GREAT NEWS AND, AND REALLY, UM, SHOWS THAT THE INVESTMENTS WE'RE MAKING ARE PAYING OFF, ESPECIALLY, UM, WITH VIOLENT CRIME.
UM, WE HEAR A LOT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT CRIME AND IT REALLY STARTED RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING IN 2020.
AND THERE JUST SEEMS TO BE THIS, THIS THOUGHT THAT CRIME, LIKE YOU HAD SAID AT THE BEGINNING, MAYOR IS REALLY OUTTA HAND.
SO WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA PUT ANYBODY TO A BUNCH MORE WORK, BUT WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ME, JUST NOT YEAR OVER YEAR, 21 TO 22, BUT GOING BACK TO 19, KIND OF WHEN THIS CONVERSATION STARTED.
BECAUSE IF THE NUMBERS WERE ALREADY HIGH IN 21,
[02:05:01]
THEY MIGHT STILL BE UP A LITTLE BIT.SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.
WE'LL, WE'LL GET THAT TO YOU AND MAKING THEM EASY TO GET, LIKE THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT.
I, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.
CHIEF MARTIN, CHIEF SLINKER, REALLY EVERY SINGLE POLICE OFFICER, UM, THAT DOES THIS JOB IN OUR CITY, IN OUR COUNTY.
IT'S A JOB THAT MOST OF US WOULD NEVER, EVER SIGN UP TO DO.
AND SO WE APPRECIATE, UM, EVERYTHING.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT DISTRICT G IS THE ONLY DISTRICT THAT DOESN'T HAVE A POLICE STATION OR EVEN A STOREFRONT IN THEIR DISTRICT.
AND SO AT SOME POINT, UM, I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HAVING A STOREFRONT THERE.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING FORTH THESE NUMBERS.
UM, BUT KIND OF LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THIS CONVERSATION GOES BEYOND JUST LAST YEAR.
AND SO IT'S GREAT THAT HOMICIDES ARE DOWN 1%, THAT VIOLENT CRIMES ARE DOWN 14%.
UM, AND IT, BUT WE'RE NOT BETTER THAN WE WERE FOUR YEARS AGO.
AND, AND THAT'S NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING, THIS MAYOR HAS DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB.
HE HAS GIVEN POLICE EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS DOING THEIR JOB.
WE KNOW THAT YOU WERE SHORTHANDED.
UM, SO IT IS NOT FOR LACK OF, LACK OF TRYING, YOU KNOW, OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN HARRIS COUNTY RIGHT NOW IS BROKEN.
UM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUDGES THAT ARE RELEASING VIOLENT REPEAT OFFENDERS OUT ONTO THE STREETS ON MULTIPLE BONDS APPOINTED MAGISTRATES THAT ARE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING.
UM, THE NUMBER OF DEFENDANTS CHARGED WITH FELON POSSESSION OF A FIREARM, UM, HAVE DOUBLED SINCE 2018.
AND SO, WHILE I APPRECIATE THESE NUMBERS, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BACK.
AND LET ME, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HOFFMAN, LET ME AGREE WITH YOU.
BUT LET'S, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S BEAR IN MIND THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WE ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HEAT.
WE CAN NOT TALK ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT STATE GOVERNMENT TOO.
POLICE CHIEFS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS DID NOT ASK FOR HOUSE BILL 1927, PERMANENT CARRY, NO LICENSE, NO TRAINING REQUIRED.
POLICE CHIEFS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS SPOKE AGAINST THAT.
AND THEY WARNED THAT IF IT'S PASSED, THAT CRIMES WOULD INCREASE BY BETWEEN 13 AND 15% IN THIS STATE.
NO ONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT GUNS, BUT MOST OF THESE CRIMES WERE COMMITTED BY PEOPLE CARRYING IN GUNS.
AND NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
THERE ARE MORE GUNS ON OUR STREETS THAN THERE ARE PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE IN THE HANDS OF OUR, OF PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 TO 24.
AND THAT AGE GROUP IS DRIVING THAT, THIS, THESE NUMBERS.
SO I AGREE LOCALLY, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY, BUT WE CAN'T JUST START AND STOP AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
YOU GOTTA LOOK AT THE POLICIES THAT ARE DRIVING THESE CRIMES.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO LET'S HAVE A, LET'S HAVE A VERY, UM, UH, THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATION ON WHAT'S DRIVING THINGS HERE.
NOW, WHAT WE CAN CONTROL IS WHAT WE DO HERE AT CITY COUNCIL.
ARE WE PROVIDING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE OFFICERS WHAT THEY NEED? AND WE ARE, I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE CAN DO.
ARE WE TAKING A HOLISTIC APPROACH? WE ARE DOING THAT.
ARE WE TRYING TO DEPLOY OUR RESOURCES BASED ON WHAT THE DATA IS TELLING US? AND YOU CAN LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS.
WE KNOW WHERE CERTAIN, WHERE WE NEED TO TARGET RESOURCES.
SO ON OUR END, ON OUR END, WE'RE DOING THE BEST.
AND THEN AT THE OTHER THING TOO, AND I DO, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, BUT WE CAN DISMISS THE FACT THAT COVID HIT US IN 2020.
I MEAN, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS AS IF IN THE 1990S WE WERE HERE AND NOW WE ARE HERE AND JUST TOTALLY IGNORE THE FACT THAT COVID DID, DID COME ASHORE AND STAYED HERE AND TWO AND A HALF YEARS AND IMPARTED STILL KIND OF HERE, AND THE IMPACT THAT IT'S HAVING ON PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S NOT THE ONLY FACTOR, BUT IT'S ONE OF THOSE VARIABLES THAT YOU AT LEAST HAVE TO PUT AN ASTERISK BY.
THE REASON WHY I WANTED THIS PRESENTATION THIS
[02:10:01]
MORNING, BECAUSE WHEN WE, WHEN PEOPLE MISREPRESENT THE FACTS, THEY DO A DISSERVICE TO THE MEN AND WOMEN IN BLUE WHO ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY WORKING THEIR BUTTS OFF.AND I THINK WHEN THE, WHEN, WHEN THEY'RE HELPING TO DRIVE DOWN THE NUMBERS, WE NEED TO GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR IT ALONG WITH WHAT THE COMMUNITY AND OTHERS ARE DOING.
BUT IF, WHEN YOU HAVE OUR POLICE OFFICERS WHO WORK IN THEIR NORMAL SHIFTS AND THEN THEY'RE WORKING OVERTIME ON TOP OF THAT, OKAY? AND THEN THEY HAVE THEIR OWN FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES.
WHEN THE NUMBERS, WHEN WE ARE, WHEN WE WAS LIKE THAT HERE AND WE ARE STARTING TO COME DOWN, I THINK WE OWE THEM THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN PART IS WORKING ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
BUT IF WE IGNORE THE NUMBERS AND KEEP SAYING, HOUSTON IS THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN THE UNITED STATES, WHO ARE WE HURTING? I MEAN, IF I LOVE MY HOUSE, I'M NOT GONNA BE SAYING, TALKING AGAINST MY HOUSE WHEN THE FACTS DON'T SUPPORT IT, WHO WILL BE HURTING? AND QUITE FRANKLY, WHEN THE CNNS OF THE WORLD START TALKING ABOUT THESE NUMBERS AND WHERE NUMBERS OUTTA CONTROL, LIKE I SAW THE OTHER NIGHT, THEY DIDN'T MENTION HOUSTON.
THEY MENTIONED NEW YORK, CHICAGO, AND LA.
AND IN LARGE PART, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL NUMBERS OF VIOLENT CRIME, UNLIKE THOSE CITIES, OUR NUMBERS ARE DOWN IN COMPARISON TO LAST YEAR.
NOW WE ARE NOT THERE YET, BUT LEMME GIVE CREDIT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OF YOUR DISTRICTS THAT ARE WORKING IN YOUR OWN DISTRICT'S HEART.
OKAY? SO LEMME GIVE YOU ALL CREDIT BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE DOING YOUR OWN, YOU KNOW, INITIATIVES WORKING WITH POLICE.
THE POINT WAS TO, TO HEAR THE NUMBERS COMING FROM HPD NOT COMING FROM ME.
OKAY? BUT THE NUMBERS COME FROM HPD AND THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT BASH OUR CITY BY INACCURATE INFORMATION.
THANK YOU CHIEF FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO CHIEF MARTIN.
I WANT TO THANK YOU PUBLICLY FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THE LICENSE PLATE READERS WORKING WITH OUR OFFICE ON THAT TO PUSH IT THROUGH.
UM, THAT'S JUST ONE TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX THAT WE'RE ADDING ON.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE, HAVE TO REALLY FOCUS ON PUTTING TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH THAT'S GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE AS MANY TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX AS POSSIBLE.
AND I TOO WOULD LIKE TO SEE A HISTORICAL REFERENCE.
BUT TO GET ANYWHERE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO STEP BY STEP AND TO GET BACK TO WHATEVER, 20 18, 20 17 OR WHATEVER, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE.
AND WHERE WE'RE STARTING IS TODAY TO SEE WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR AND WE'RE LOWER THAN LAST YEAR.
SO THAT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO THEN WE HAVE TO TAKE ANOTHER STEP AND TRY TO GET LOWER THAN THAT.
SO IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE STEP BY STEP.
AND I THINK IF WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY, UH, CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON WAYS IN WHICH TO BE EFFICIENT, AND THEN LISTENING DIRECTLY FROM YOU ALL ON WHAT YOUR DEPARTMENT NEEDS.
WILL HELP US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
'CAUSE I CAN SAY THAT I'M NOT A POLICE OFFICER AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO WALK IN YOUR SHOES, BUT I CAN LISTEN TO YOU AS YOU TELL ME, HEY, YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES, YOU CAN MAKE THE POLICY.
SO MY COMMITMENT IS FOR US TO CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE AND FOR YOU ALL TO STAY IN CONTACT WITH US, TO TELL US, HEY, FOR US TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE NUMBERS DOWN, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED.
AND WHATEVER YOU LET ME KNOW, OUR OFFICE IS COMMITTED TO MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
YEAH, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THAT.
AND, AND TO REFLECT BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THIS ROOM TOO, UH, WITHOUT THE FUNDING THAT WAS PROVIDED, THAT SYSTEM WOULD NOT HAVE GONE FORWARD.
AND, UH, WE ARE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE NOW AND, UH, HOPE TO SEE GREAT BENEFIT FROM THAT INVESTMENT.
APPRECIATE Y'ALL COMING TODAY.
UM, I, I DID SERVE IN YOUR SHOES FOR A WHILE AND I REMEMBER THE EIGHTIES AND I, I, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE CRIME RATES IN THE EIGHTIES WERE AS HIGH OR HIGHER THAN WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH NOW.
UH, SO CRIME IS A CYCLICAL PROCESS AND IT NEVER STOPS.
IT GOES UP, IT GOES DOWN, IT GOES UP, IT GOES DOWN.
WE'RE LIVING THROUGH A HIGH TIME PERIOD RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK THAT HISTORICAL,
[02:15:01]
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE IS IMPORTANT TO SEE WHERE THE LAST HIGH WAS AND HOW LONG WE HAD A LOW, AND THEN WE'RE BACK UP NOW.SO THERE'S, THERE'S MANY REASONS WHY CRIME INCREASES, AND NONE OF IT HAS TO DO WITH ANY PARTICULAR ONE ISSUE.
UH, THE ISSUE ABOUT THE GUNS, FOR EXAMPLE, DID NOT EXIST IN THE EIGHTIES.
THERE WAS ALL KIND OF RESTRICTIONS ON GUNS, AND YET THE HIGH CRIME RATE EXISTED THEN.
SO YOU CAN'T REALLY TIE CORRELATION, AND UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT YEAR TO YEAR, THAT'S GREAT, BUT WHEN WE COMPARE THESE TWO YEARS TO THE PAST SIX YEARS, WE SEE AN UNDISPUTABLE INCREASE IN THE TICKER, IF YOU WILL.
UM, AND WHAT WE NEED TO START SEEING IS MAYBE WE'VE SEEN A LITTLE, MAYBE WE'VE, YOU KNOW, MADE IT TO THE TOP.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE OR NOT, BUT, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE, THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA SEE IS THAT CONTINUED DECLINE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SHARE THIS INFORMATION, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE SHARE, THAT WE SHARE IT IN, IN THE CONTEXT OF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.
UH, AND I THINK THAT GIVES PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT MORE PEACE OF MIND.
THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT WE'VE NEVER DEALT WITH BEFORE.
UH, AS A COUNCIL OR AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S JUST, UH, A MATTER OF WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND DOING WHAT WE, YES.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING RIGHT THERE? YEAH.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, CHIEF SLINKER, MY PARTNER IN CRIME, UH, AND BACK.
THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT ON EVERYTHING, BUT THE HISTORICAL STANDPOINT IS, IT IS IMPORTANT AND, AND WE HAVE PROVIDED, UM, THOSE REPORTS, BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR ON SOMETHING, NO CITY IN THE NATION EXPERIENCED WHAT WE DID WITH HURRICANE HARVEY.
YOU GOT EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN AND THEN HE'LL COME COVID.
SO YOU HAD THREE AND A HALF YEARS OR SO, ALMOST FOUR YEARS WITH EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN, THERE'S GOING TO BE A MAJOR INCREASE AS WE TRY TO CATCH BACK UP.
BUT I WANNA SAY ONE THING THAT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL, AND THAT'S WHY I LOVE THIS, THIS COUNCIL, EVEN IF WE DISAGREE, WE WORK TOGETHER.
I HOPE EVERYBODY IN OUR GREAT STATION, IN OUR STATE AND OUR GREAT NATION DOES THAT.
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF MY ADMINISTRATION, YOU SAW TROY FINN POINT, NO FINGERS.
AND I'M NOT, THIS IS NOT ATTACK ON ANYBODY HERE.
THIS IS JUST HOW I'M FEELING RIGHT NOW AS THE CHIEF IN THIS CITY.
IT IS TIME, HIGH TIME FOR ALL OF US TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE OF FIGHTING CRIME AND AWAY FROM OTHER MOTIVATIONS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE GONNA BE BETTER.
SO WE'LL GET WHATEVER YOU ASK FOR AND, AND, AND, AND WE WANT TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THAT.
BUT WHY WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT IMPRINTING WHERE WE ALREADY KNOW THE CHALLENGES AND NO, WE DIDN'T HAVE THOSE CHALLENGES IN THE 80.
YOU HAD A CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WHERE PEOPLE WORKED TOGETHER FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THAT.
AND THE CHALLENGE IS HOW DO WE GET THERE? HOW DO WE GET IT BACK? HOW DO WE MEND IT BACK TOGETHER IN LIGHT OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT YOU SEE AROUND THE NATION? AND I'LL SAY IT, POLITICS JUST LOST THEIR MIND.
AND THAT'S WHY I DON'T SAY MUCH ABOUT IT.
I LOVE Y'ALL NOT HERE TO PUT ANYTHING DOWN, BUT I, I KNOW THERE'S OTHER BUSINESS AND COUNCIL, BUT HERE IN THIS GREAT CITY, IN THIS GREAT CITY, I HOPE THAT WE COME TOGETHER TO FIGHT CRIME.
I'VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS FOR 30 YEARS, CHIEF, I'VE SEEN A LIE IN 30 YEARS.
BUT I DO KNOW IF YOU DON'T PUSH BACK ON A LIE, IT BECOMES THE TRUTH.
OKAY? A LIE BECOMES THE TRUTH IF YOU DON'T RESPOND.
AND WHAT I ALSO KNOW IS YES, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
IN THIS CITY WE FACE, HARVEY IS SHUT DOWN OUR COURT SYSTEM AND UP THROUGH 2019 HOMICIDES WAS ABOUT 300 OR LESS FROM 2016 TO 2019, AND IT WAS IN 2020 THAT IT JUMPED, AND THEN IN 21 IT JUMPED EVEN HIGHER.
I KNOW THAT FOR A FACT, UP UNTIL 2019, THE END OF 2019 HOMICIDES WAS 300 OR LESS.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT 2020, AT THE END OF 2020, IT JUMPED, SPIKED, AND 21 SPIKED THE EVEN HIGHER.
AND 22 STARTED OFF LIKE IT WAS GONNA SPIKE HIGHER.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE PUT IN ONE SAFE HOUSTON.
AND THINGS HAVE STARTED TRAILING DOWN.
[02:20:01]
22, WHICH WE ARE DOING.YOU GOTTA COME DOWN FROM 21, THEN YOU GOTTA COME DOWN FROM 2020 AND GO BACK.
SO IT'S LIKE, IT'S, IT TAKES TIME.
WATER HAS RECEDES, AND SO YOU HAVE TO RECEDE THE CRIME.
UM, I HEAR FROM MY CONSTITUENTS A LOT THAT CRIME IS BAD AND THE CITY ISN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
BUT I REALLY CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE THAT THE CITY COULD DO THAT YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY PUT THE RESOURCES INTO.
YOU'VE ACKNOWLEDGED THE NEED FOR MORE POLICE OFFICERS, AND WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS THAT DIRECTION.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO COMBATING CRIME, WE'VE SEEN THE DIFFERENCE.
UM, BUT IN DISTRICT A, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S THE SAME FEW PEOPLE COMMITTING THE SAME CRIMES OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND, UM, JUST LIKE WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN SAID AT THE COURT LEVEL, WHEN THE JUDGES ARE LETTING PEOPLE OUT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THEY'RE COMMITTING THE SAME CRIMES OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND I HEAR THIS FROM THE POLICE OFFICERS THAT I TALK TO ON A DAILY BASIS, THAT IT'S THE SAME PEOPLE COMMITTING THESE CRIMES, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT A.
SO DO YOU HAVE STATS ON, UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE COMMITTING SIMILAR CRIMES? BECAUSE I KNOW FOR THE DISTRICT A STATS, LIKE SOME OF THOSE ROBBERIES, IT'S THE SAME PEOPLE DOING ROBBERIES OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S HIGH AND IT IS HIGH.
BUT IF, IF WE COULD JUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE PARTICULAR PEOPLE THAT ARE CAUSING THESE ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE, WE, WE ARE FOCUSING IN ON THAT.
AND WE, UM, WE'LL WORK ON GETTING SOME, UH, REPORTS.
UH, BUT TRADITIONALLY NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
UM, THERE'S A SMALL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT COMMIT A LOT OF CRIMES OF VIOLENT AND PROPERTY CRIMES.
AND IF WE WOULD FOCUS MORE, UM, AND NOT ONLY JUST POLICE, THIS IS A SOCIAL ISSUE PROBLEM AS WELL.
OKAY? UM, IF WE FOCUS IN ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND ESPECIALLY VIOLENCE, 'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT QUALITY LIFE AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE VIOLENT INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND I AGREE WITH EVERYBODY, YOU, IT'S A PLACE FOR 'EM.
AND I'VE SAID THAT, AND I'M NOT APOLOGETIC ABOUT IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AS, AS, AS A COUNTY AND, AND AS, AS A CITY AND AS A NATION FOR THAT.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND, AND, UH, CHIEF FINN AND YOUR TEAM FOR THIS INFORMATION.
I, I, I LOVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, AND I LIKE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO TALK ABOUT HISTORY, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO HPD.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THIS INFORMATION IS GOING TO BE PLEASANTLY RECEIVED BY OUR CONSTITUENTS.
UH, WHEN WE HAVE OUR MONTHLY PIP MEETINGS.
UH, WE LOOK AT, UH, CRIME BASED ON THE BEATS, AND WE HAVE TO OVERLAY IT ON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
BUT THIS IS A REALLY GOOD TOOL FOR US TO BE VERY SPECIFIC IN OUR DISTRICTS.
AND I THINK RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO BE HAPPY ABOUT HAVING THE INFORMATION THAT RELATES TO WHERE THEY CURRENTLY LIVE.
UM, AND SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, PROVIDING IT IN THIS MANNER.
AND I DO THINK IT'S, IT'S DIGESTIBLE AND IT ALSO GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON PINPOINTING AREAS THAT WE CAN WORK ON SPECIFICALLY IN OUR GEOGRAPHIC AREAS.
SO THIS IS VALUABLE INFORMATION AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE WORK THAT WE DO FOR HOUSTONIANS EVERY DAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCILMAN SHAAR.
AND CERTAINLY I WANNA THANK YOU AND YOU KNOW, COMMANDER MARTIN
AND, AND I WANNA GET AHEAD OF EVERYBODY ELSE, UH, ON OCTOBER THE FOURTH.
WE DO HAVE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, UH, IN THE CUNY HOMES.
AND, AND CHIEF FINN, I WANNA INVITE YOU BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE GETS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND JOIN US, UH, FOR NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AND OTHER POLICE OFFICERS, IF THEY COULD COME OUT, UH, INTO THE COMMUNITY, THAT WOULD BE, UM, GREAT.
UM, CHIEF, GOING BACK TO YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON IS DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT AT THIS POINT.
WE'RE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN AT THIS POINT.
UM, I, I ALSO PULLED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING A LOT AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THE RESPONSIBILITY THERE THAT WE ALL HAVE TO BE TOGETHER IN ADDRESSING THIS.
NOT JUST POINTING THE FINGERS.
AND WHEN I LOOK AT, I PULLED UP, UM, SOME CRIMINOLOGIST DATA MOST RECENTLY THAT ASSESSED ALL OF THE MAJOR CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
HOUSTON'S TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST WHEN IT COMES TO THE MURDER RATE RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE, I MAY, I COUNTED AT LEAST 31 MAJOR CITIES WITH HIGHER MURDER RATES PER CAPITA THAN THE CITY OF HOUSTON PER CAPITA.
[02:25:01]
WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE NUMBERS CHIEF, AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LIES THAT ARE BEING TOLD, OR THE FACTLESS COMMENTS THAT ARE BEING STATED ABOUT THE STA STATE OF CRIME IN THIS CITY.AND THE FEARMONGERING, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT TO COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S POINT, THE MORALE AT HPD.
UM, THIS JOB IS HARD ENOUGH AS IT IS WITHOUT ALL OF THE NOISE GOING ON.
UM, ONE, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT AT ALL? BUT ALSO MY ASK IS TO PLEASE TAKE BACK TO EVERY OFFICER OUR APPRECIATION, UH, FOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
AND THE NUMBERS SHOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING RIGHT NOW.
UM, THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT.
'CAUSE IT'S TERRIBLY IMPORTANT WITH MORALE, UH, WITH, WITH OUR OFFICERS.
UM, EVERYBODY SHOULD SAY THANKS.
AND I THINK THE MAYOR SAID THAT, AND, AND I KNOW WE GET A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THIS COUNCIL.
UM, SO WE GOTTA GET THE FACTS RIGHT.
UM, THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT AND I, I DON'T SAY THAT WE DO EVERYTHING RIGHT, BUT WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB HERE WITH THE, WITH THE SUPPORTIVE COUNCIL AND THE SUPPORTIVE MAYOR.
UM, THE NUMBERS SHOULDN'T LIE, THEY SHOULD BE TRUE.
AND, UM, SO PLEASE, UM, WHEN YOU SEE OFFICERS AND I SAY TO Y'ALL PUBLIC, JUST THANK 'EM.
AND IF WE GOT A WIN, UM, IF CRIME IS GOING DOWN IN LIGHT OF EVERYTHING, ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE, DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE CHIEF.
I, I, I'M, I'M, I CAN TAKE IT.
12 MEN AND WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINE AND OUR SUPPORT TEAMS THAT WORK TERRIBLY HARD.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT OUR DISPATCHERS.
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CATERS, PLEASE SAY THANK YOU.
AND, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH AND TAKE A CRITICAL LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO, HISTORICAL STANDPOINTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, LET'S JUST SAY THANKS.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
AND TO ANOTHER POINT, UM, I PUT IN MY NOTES THAT, UH, WE DO NEED TO START, UH, PUBLIC FACING THE CRIME STATS, OUR COMPARISON OF HOMICIDE AND PUT THAT OUT THERE EVERY MONTH.
YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOME CONFUSION ON THAT NATIONWIDE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I ASK, UH, COMMANDER MARTIN, LET'S PUT IT OUT THERE.
WELL, IT IS IMPORTANT TO, WE CERTAINLY WANT THEM, ALL OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND SUPPORT TEAM CIVILIANS INCLUDED, UH, TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, UH, THAT THEIR WORK IS VERY MUCH NOTICED AND THAT THEIR WORK IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
OKAY? UM, AND THAT THERE'LL BE NO MISTAKE, UH, IN THIS CITY.
WE SUPPORT OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN BLUE, UM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE DIFFICULT JOBS ON THE STREETS AND THEN THEY HAVE TO GO HOME.
OKAY? SO WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
SO MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL JACKSON, OKAY.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, CHIEF FINN AND CHIEF, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IT'S VERY ENCOURAGING TO SEE THAT THE DISTRICT B NUMBERS ARE, ARE DOWN, CRIME IS DOWN BY 15%, NEED PEOPLE DOWN.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SHOOTINGS
AS I SAID BEFORE, IT'S TIME AND TIME AGAIN, POLICE CAN DO IT ON THEIR OWN.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I, UM, MENTIONED TO YOU THAT WE'RE GONNA START THE OPERATION OCCUPY CONVENIENCE STORES, WHERE COMMUNITY GONNA START SETTING UP IN SETTING UP AT COMMUNITY STORES WITH, WITH TABLES AND PAMPHLETS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PROGRAMS THAT'S AVAILABLE HERE AT THE CITY, LIKE THE REENTRY PROGRAM, THE JOBS PROGRAM.
AND SO, UM, JUST KNOWING, YOU KNOW, WHERE TO GO IS GONNA BE HELPFUL.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP, UM, WITH YOU AND MAYOR.
THANK YOU FOR JUST THE INVESTMENT, UM, IN THESE PROGRAMS. EVERYONE IS VERY EXCITED AND I JUST KNOW WE ARE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THANKS, COUNCIL MEMBER MCC PLUMMER.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AS WELL FOR ALL THE WORK AND SACRIFICE AND, AND MY SINCEREST CONDOLENCES FOR, FOR KELVIN, A PATIENT FRIEND.
AND, UM, HE'LL BE, HE'LL BE MISSED, BUT I KNOW Y'ALL STEP ON THE LINE EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR US TO PROTECT US, AND I'M INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL.
IF YOU ALL WOULD JOIN ME IN THANKING THE MEMBERS OF HPD, THE POLICE OFFICERS, AS
[02:30:02]
NOW, IF Y'ALL WOULD JOIN ME IN ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR MAYORNAH, EVERY NOW ONE, EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE TO SMILE.
YOU HAVE TO SMILE, AND YOU HAVE TO JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, INHALE AND EXHALE.
SO THANK YOU'ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
ALRIGHT, UM, OH, JUST A FEW QUICK POINTS.
UM, THE TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS YESTERDAY, UH, REAFFIRMED THEIR SUPPORT FOR, UM, UH, THE PENSION REFORMS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE THAT WAS CHALLENGED BY THE HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS RELIEF AND RETIREMENT FUND.
UH, BUT YESTERDAY THE COURT OF COURT OF APPEALS REAFFIRMED THEIR SUPPORT.
I WANT TO THANK, UH, TOURO MICHELLE AND HIS LEGAL TEAM AND ALL OF THOSE WORKING, UH, FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR EFFORTS AND, UM, AND ON THAT DECISION.
SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, UH, TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
UH, COLLINS AEROSPACE TODAY AT ONE 30, UH, MAYOR PROTE, UM, SIR, WILL BE HAPPENING.
YOU ALL OF YOU ARE INVITED TO COLLINS AEROSPACE RIBBON CUTTING AT, UH, HOUSTON SPACEPORT.
THERE WILL ALSO BE AN EXCITING REVEAL OF A NEW SPACE SUIT.
UH, THE COMPANY'S DESIGNING FOR NASA AND COLLINS AEROSPACE IS AN ANCHOR TENANT OF THE HOUSTON SPACEPORT.
AND THEN CONGRAT TO TOUR MACHUKA, DIRECTOR OF ELLERTON AIRPORT AND THE HOUSTON SPACEPORT ON HIS APPOINTMENT BY GOVERNOR ABBOTT TO THE AEROSPACE AND AVIATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, TUS AND I KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN SALLY ALCO, COUNCILMAN ROBINSON AND MAYOR PRO TIMM MARTIN WERE THERE, UH, FURTHER THAN LEFT OFF.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT DIDN'T TAKE PLACE, BUT THEY'RE SCHEDULING IT FOR SATURDAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL WILL BE RETURNING.
COUNCILMAN ALCO WILL BE RETURNING, UH, TO THAT EVENT, SO HOPEFULLY THEY'LL GET OFF AND, AND WE'LL, AND WE'LL MOVE FORWARD.
UH, THE THRILL BURGERS POP OFF, IT DIDN'T TAKE PLACE LAST SATURDAY, UH, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND MBE THRILL BURGERS, WE'RE PROUD TO SHARE MORE DETAILS ON THE UPCOMING BURGER POP OFF AT HOUSTON CITY HALL ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 18TH.
IT WILL BE HOSTED AT CITY HALL, UH, FROM THREE TO 7:00 PM SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 18TH.
THE OFF WILL FIT WILL FEATURE THREE BURGERS FULL OF MENU, INCLUDING THE OG THREE OH BURGER, THE GRILLED ONION BURGER, THE VEGAN SMASH BURGER, AND THE SEASONED FRIES WITH BURGERS FOR SALE ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS UNTIL THEY SELL OUT.
AND THEN IF THEY SELL OUT, UH, UM, NOW WE'LL HAVE A, A, UM, BARBECUE PIT AND BE COOKING SOME OTHER BURGERS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THIS IS THE LABOR DAY CLASSIC WEEKEND PRAIRIE VIEW AND TSU WE'LL DRAW THOUSANDS FOOTBALL FANS AT THE PANTHERS OF PRAIRIE VIEW, A AND M FACED THE TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY TIGERS.
UM, WISH BOTH TEAMS THE VERY, VERY BEST.
AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE HUNDRED 86TH BIRTHDAY OF THE, OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE CITY.
AND THEN I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE, UH, JACKSON MISSISSIPPI IS REALLY UNDERWATER, AND, UH, THEY'RE NEEDING SOME OF EVERYTHING I'VE ASKED JANICE WEAVER, UH, TO WORK WITH COORDINATING A WATER, UH, DONATION FOR JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI.
UH, AND THE GOAL IS TO, IS TO GET THAT WATER TO SENT TO THEM ON FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK.
SO, UH, ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL CAN DO.
BUT JACKSON MISSISSIPPI IS REALLY, IS REALLY UNDERWATER.
AND SO THEY ARE NEEDING, THEY'RE NEEDING A LOT OF HELP.
UH, AND IN FACT, BEAR IN MIND THAT THE MAYOR OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI IS A GRADUATE OF THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LAW.
UH, SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO, AND HE'S A YOUNG, YOUNG MAYOR.
SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO ASSIST, AND THEN OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO THE PAKISTANI COMMUNITY, THEY HAD MASSIVE, MASSIVE FLOODING, UH, WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WHO WERE BEING MISPLACED.
AND I'VE ASKED, UH, UH, CHRIS OLSON OVER THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF TRADE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ALONG WITH JANICE TO ASSIST IN WORKING WITH MUHAMMAD SHAIKH AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE PAKISTANI COMMUNITY IN THEIR RELIEF EFFORTS.
AND THEY, AND THEY, AND THEY ARE IN TREMENDOUS NEED.
UH, SO LET'S JOIN WITH THEM IN, UH, PROVIDING AS MANY SUPPLIES, ASSISTANCE, WHATEVER, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHATEVER YOU ALL CAN DO IN JOINING AND MAKE AND UP PROVIDING SUPPORT, UH, TO THE PAKISTANI RELIEF EFFORT.
AND WE'LL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE PAKISTAN COUNCILOR GENERAL OF HOUSTON, UH, COUNCILOR GENERAL HASHMI, UM, AND I, AND THEN I WANT TO CLOSE TODAY, UH, BY OFFERING OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS TO DEPUTY OMAR UREN, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON EXTENDS CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT THREE, DEPUTY CONSTABLE OMAR UREN.
UM, AND AS YOU KNOW, HE WAS GUNNED DOWN BY PICKING UP JENNIFER, HIS FAMILY, THE MADERA RUN PARKWAY AND TIMBER FOREST CENTER, EDA.
AND SO WE WANNA EXTEND OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS,
[02:35:01]
UH, TO HIS WIFE, TO HIS KID, UH, TO HIS FAMILY MEMBERS, PARENTS, UH, AND JUST, UM, PRAY FOR THEIR COMFORT, UH, AND SUPPORT.UH, HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK THAT DOES IT FOR THE MAYOR'S REPORT.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
UM, MADAM SECRETARY, WE'LL MOVE DOWN TO THE AGENDA.ITEM ONE NEEDS A MOTION CAST ATOR MOVE.
UM, UM, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED ON ITEM ONE.
OPPOSED GRANT ON ONE, UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY, ITEM THREE HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
ITEM TWO NEEDS A MOTION AS SEX MOVE.
SECOND, ROBINSON, IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND.
AND ON ITEM TWO, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANITE GRANTED UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY.
ITEM FIVE HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS FOUR THROUGH 11.
ROBINSON BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSING GRANTED UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 2 17, 18, 22, 24, AND 25.
DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION.
SO, DID I SAY TWO? YEAH, I'M SORRY.
12 AT 12 17, 18, 22, 24, AND 25.
[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
I REMOVE SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.ITEM THREE NEEDS A MOTION AS T MOVE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN ON THREE.
I JUST WANTED TO SPOT THIS ITEM FOR DISTRICT C RESIDENTS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF CDSF FUNDED, UH, ITEMS IN HERE, UH, FOR DISTRICT C 12 PROJECTS, INCLUDING $83,000 WORTH OF DISTRICT C INVESTMENTS IN SIDEWALKS, RAMPS, AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND I, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR, FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UH, THEY HAVE A LOT IN HERE AS WELL.
ADDRESSING A LOT, A LOT IN DISTRICT C.
THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THOMAS.
AND JUST THE SAME, I JUST WANNA SPOTLIGHT THE WORK THAT PUBLIC WORKS IS DOING IN THE DISTRICT, UM, AND TO DIRECTOR HADDOCK'S TEAM, UM, VERONICA DAVIS AND THE SWAT TEAM.
JUST PHENOMENAL WORK AND WORKING WITH THE CITIZENS, MY OFFICE, AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT OUR SIDEWALKS, OUR RAMPS, ALL OF THAT IS GETTING DONE.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS COMES ON THE AGENDA AND WE APPROVE IT, BUT THERE'S A, THIS IS REALLY A LOT OF SUBSTANTIAL WORK THAT'S IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE.
ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM THREE IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON THREE.
WHAT ABOUT FIVE? OH, TURN OVER TOO MANY.
ITEM FIVE HAS BEEN MOVED IN SECOND ON FIVE.
AND AS I SAID YESTERDAY AT THE BUDGET FISCAL AFFAIRS MEETING, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT INVESTMENT IN OUTCOME-BASED BUDGETING.
UH, I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT WE CURRENTLY USE IN OUR, IN OUR BUDGET.
SOME OF THEM ARE LESS MEANINGFUL THAN OTHERS.
UM, ALSO SOME DON'T REPORT YEAR OVER YEAR.
THEY'LL HAVE THE SAME CATEGORY OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES, BUT THEY WON'T PUT IN IT REALLY, IT WILL BE A GREAT INDICATOR.
SOLID WASTE IS ACTUALLY GOOD WITH KEEPING UP WITH THEIRS AND, AND THEY'RE NOT MEETING, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S GOOD FOR SUCH A GOOD WAY FOR US TO KNOW WHERE TO INVEST.
IF YOU'RE NOT MEETING PERFORMANCE MEASURES, IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE OUTCOMES, NOT JUST THE, THE DEPARTMENT ONES, BUT THE PEOPLE ONE, THEN, THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT DOING IT RIGHT.
WHERE, WHERE WE NEED TO IMPROVE IN MEETING OUTCOMES.
AND IF THERE, IF THERE ARE PROGRAMS THAT ARE KIND OF JUST STAGNANT OR, OR NO LONGER SERVING US WELL, OR NO LONGER SOMETHING, THE PROGRAM THE PUBLIC IS REALLY DEMANDING, SCRAP THAT AND INVEST IN SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THEY DO WANT.
SO I THINK THIS IS JUST ONE STEP AND WHAT I THINK IS GONNA REALLY HELP US KIND OF JUST GET OUT OF THE SAME MINDSET OF FUNDING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER, AND REALLY FOCUS WHERE WE NEED, WHERE WE NEED TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE.
IT INTRODUCES MORE ACCOUNTABILITY INTO YOUR BUDGETING PROCESS.
[02:40:01]
NINE 12? DISCUSSION.DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 12.
ITEM 22 IS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
UH, IN LIGHT OF THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING AROUND, UM, ADDRESSING CRIME AND VIOLENT CRIME, I, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM EVERY WEEK ON AGENDA, WE HAVE ITEMS LIKE THIS, BUT, UM, THIS IS A GRANT TO SUPPORT THE AUTO CRIMES TASK FORCE.
UM, IT INCLU THE TASK FORCE INCLUDES HPD METRO AND THE DA'S OFFICE.
AND WHAT I THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS GRANT IS ADDRESSING THE NEXUS WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE USE OF STOLEN VEHICLES AND COMMITTING THOSE CRIMES AS WELL.
SO I THOUGHT THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT ITEM TO SPOTLIGHT AND LET RESIDENTS KNOW ABOUT.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 24 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 24.
SHIFTING TO A DIFFERENT TOPIC, ALTHOUGH, UH, VERY IMPORTANT YOU SPOKE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH FLOODING, UH, NOT JUST IN OUR COUNTRY, BUT AROUND THE STATE AND ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE.
UH, THIS ITEM IS A GRANT APPLICATION THAT YOU'RE PUTTING FORWARD, UM, FOR HABITAT RESTORATION AND COASTAL RESILIENCE, UH, THROUGH NOAA.
AND IT WOULD RESTORE RIPARIAN HABITAT WITHIN THE NINE MAJOR WATERSHEDS LOCATED IN THE CITY, UH, INCLUDING IN DISTRICT C, SPECIFICALLY WITH TONGA PARK, MANGO PARK, TIMBER GROVE, MANOR PARK, TC JESTER PARKWAY, LITTLE THICKET, BRAESWOOD PARKWAY, AND STONECREST PARKWAY.
SO WHILE THESE ARE BIG ISSUES, WE ARE COMING UP WITH LOCAL SOLUTIONS IN ADDRESSING IT AND I APPRECIATE THIS ITEM VERY MUCH.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 25? IN FAVOR? OPPOSE GRANTED ON 25, THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
[NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
BEFORE WE TURN TO THE POP OFF, LET ME, UM, ADJUST FROM ONE LAWYER TO ANOTHER.LET ME CONGRATULATE COUNCIL MEMBER P*****K AND, UM, HUGE, UM, ACHIEVEMENT FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE.
VERY, UM, SUCCESSFUL AWARD IN ONE OF HIS CASES.
AND, UM, WHEN I SAY HUGE, HUGE.
HELL, HELL LUNCH AND DINNER FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
AND DON'T WANNA SAY, UM, HAVE TO, COUNCIL MEMBER CIRE IS OUT BECAUSE, UH, UH, SHE IS, UH, AWAITING THE BIRTH, THE BIRTH OF HER GRANDDAUGHTER.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS IS RIGHT NOW AT THE, AT THE HOSPITAL BIRTHDAY TOMORROW.
AND, UH, AND THEN HER BIRTHDAY IS TOMORROW.
SO WHAT A WHAT A WHAT A BEAUTIFUL GIFT BIRTHDAY.
AND SO, UM, AND I THINK IF, YOU KNOW, THE GRANDDAUGHTER THINKS THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT NAMING THE KIDS.
SYLVIA, AFTER THE MAYOR, I THINK, UM MM-HMM
SO, BUT CONGRATS TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS.
WE'LL START WITH MAYOR PRO PASS.
MAYOR PROTE PASS IS VICE MAYOR PROTE PASS.
COUNCILMAN ROBINSON, COUNCIL MEMBER, LET'S GO FOR A TRIPLE.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
I WANT TO, NO, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
MY CHIEF OF STAFF, I WANNA OFFER CONDOLENCES.
OUR CHIEF OF STAFF LAST WEEK LOST HIS STEPFATHER.
[02:45:01]
OH, UH, TIM WOMACK AFTER A HARD AND BRAVE FIGHT AGAINST AN, A VERY AGGRESSIVE AND QUICK MOVING DISEASE.SO, UH, IN ADDITION TO ADDING OUR CONDOLENCES TO SERGEANT JOHNSON AND OTHERS, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR STAFF AND THEY CONTINUE TO SHOW UP DESPITE, UM, THE LOSSES THAT THEY HAVE WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
SO, UH, MY HEART IS WITH LANCE'S FAMILY TODAY AND ALWAYS THANK YOU.
AND OUR CONDOLENCES AND PRAYERS.
NOW Y'ALL KNOW I JUST CAN'T PASS, BUT I'LL MAKE IT FAST.
UH, I FIRST WANNA START OUT TO SAY THAT I ENJOY THE EVENT ON SATURDAY NIGHT, THE FITTING ALL STAR NORTH SOUTH, UH, BASKETBALL AT THE UNI UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.
MAYOR, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA GET OUT THERE, BUT I KNOW YOU HAD A COUPLE OTHER EVENTS, BUT I DID SEE SUPERINTENDENT MILLET HOUSE THE SECOND, UH, OUT THERE AND HE PAID FOR IT.
HE SAID HIS KNEES ARE HURTING NOW.
BUT, UH, IT WAS TO BENEFIT HISD AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, I ATTENDED THE BACK TO SCHOOL BASH AT THE GREATER ST.
AND I WANT TO SAY A SPECIAL THANKS TO REVEREND GUSTA, BOOKER II, UH, THE HOUSTON SOCIETY FOR CHANGING THEIR BOARD MEMBERS.
MY CLASSMATE, CARL DAVIS, PURNELL DAVIS, CHRIS SPELMAN, AND CERTAINLY, UH, MY VERY INVOLVED CONSTITUENT, MELANIE HUGHES, WHO MADE THIS A HUGE SUCCESS.
ALSO, ON MONDAY I HAD COFFEE WITH COMCAST AND AT THE EMANCIPATION PARK.
AND, UH, WE WERE JOINED BY SOME LOCAL LEADERS AND THEY INTRODUCED THE LIVE ZONE TO EMANCIPATION, WHICH OFFERS FREE WIFI TO ANYONE WHO NEEDS IT.
WHILE THEY ARE INSIDE THE PARKS RECREATION CENTER.
THEY ARE ALSO ANNOUNCING THAT THEY WILL HAVE FREE HOME INTERNET FOR ELIGIBLE FAMILIES.
AND SO WE ARE GONNA SEND THAT INFORMATION OUT IN OUR, UH, NEWSLETTER.
ALSO, THE EMANCIPATION AVENUE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD, UH, WHERE WE ARE NOT JUST PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION AND UTILITIES, BUT IT'S AN INTERACTION BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPACES.
AND CERTAINLY WE WANNA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO JUST NOT PASS THROUGH THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, BUT TO ACTUALLY STOP, UH, IN OUR WALKABLE COMMUNITY.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE A, A A, AN ANNOUNCEMENT, UH, THAT I'M SO VERY PROUD OF.
UH, IF YOU'VE NOTICED THIS GENTLEMAN STANDING BEHIND ME, MR. STEVEN JAMES, WHICH EVERYONE KNOWS AND LOVES, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE HIM AS MY NEW CHIEF OF STAFF AND HE'S NO STRANGER TO CITY HALL.
HE BRINGS A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE FROM ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND RECENTLY DISTRICT D'S, UH, DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GONNA REPLACE THAT PIECE, BUT HE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB WEARING MULTIPLE HATS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UH, AND HE HAS JUST BEEN A TREMENDOUS HELP TO MY OFFICE.
AND I GUESS NOW I HAVE A NEW BOSS.
AND SO THANK YOU STEVEN FOR, UM, ALL OF YOU THAT YOU HAVE DONE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, UH, CONCLUDES WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
THEN BEAR IN MIND THAT MONDAY IS A HOLIDAY, SO WE'LL HAVE A CONSOLIDATED MEETING NEXT WEEK ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE SEVENTH, STARTING AT 9:00 AM.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, WE STAND ADJOINING MEMBER OF DEPUTY SEN MAYOR.