[00:00:03]
[9:00 AM - ROLL CALL]
I'M SHOWING 9 0 5 ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE SEVENTH, 2022.AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO WATER.
UH, TODAY WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE.
IT IS MY ESTEEMED PLEASURE TO BRING UP A DR UH MURPHY SIMON, PASTOR OF BETHEL, UH, INSTITUTIONAL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH.
MORNING TOTAL ASSEMBLE, BELOVED OF GOD, GRACE BEYOND YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD, OUR FATHER, PASTOR, AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
YEAH, I'VE GOTTA BRAG ABOUT YOU A LITTLE BIT.
YOU INVITE ME TO COME TO WORK.
BUT LET ME BRAG ABOUT YOU A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO DR. SIMON SERVES AS A PASTOR AT BETHEL, IS A INSTITUTIONAL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF HOUSTON FOR 15 YEARS.
UM, HE HAS COMPLETED HIS DOCTOR OF MINISTRY DEGREE AT THE CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS AND MASTERS OF DIVINITY AND MASTERS OF ARTS AND THEOLOGICAL STUDIES.
UM, HE'S A SPIRITUAL EDUCATIONAL PREPAREDNESS, ENABLES HIM TO PROVIDE, GUIDES, PEOPLE, AND IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF GOD'S WORDS.
AND HE EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATES WITH CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND ADULTS.
BUT THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT HIM AS AN ADVOCATE FOR POSITIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DR. MURPHY.
SIMON JR'S COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITMENT CREATED POSITIVE ADVANCEMENT AS HE POWERFULLY ADVOCATED AT THE STATE CAPITOL, RESULTING IN TREMENDOUS UPGRADES IN SOUTHEAST HOUSTON'S HOUSING, INCLUDING VILLA AMERICAN APARTMENTS, UH, SENIOR LIVING FACILITY ON CULLEN AND SUNNYSIDE.
MOST IMPACTFUL WAS HIS DUTY FULL COMMITMENT TO LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO SOUTH PARK, WHICH CAN NOW BE SEEN AS THE POINT OF CRESTMONT APARTMENT TOWN HOMES, A BEAUTIFUL APARTMENT COMPLEX LOCATED AT MLK IN SOLINSKY NEXT TO BETHEL, WHERE HE PASTORS DR.
SIMON'S ACTIONS RESULTED IN THE TOTAL DEMOLITION OF THIS ONCE DILAPIDATED LEAKY ROOFS BUSTED SEWAGE PIPES, RODED RAVAGED BLIGHT OF COMMUNITY, ONCE KNOWN AS CRESTMONT VILLAGE APARTMENTS WERE NOW WHERE, WHERE TENANTS SUFFERED FOR YEARS OF A SLUM LORD'S NEGLECT OF THE POOR, MARGINALIZED PEOPLE.
HE'S MARRIED TO THE FIRST LADY, MS. APRIL SIMON, AND THEY HAVE ONE DAUGHTER, MADISON.
AND MAY I PLEASE INTRODUCE DR. SIMON? THANK YOU.
DR. SIMON, BEFORE YOU START, COUNCILMAN MAVIN SHABA.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH COUNCILMAN PLUMMER FOR BRINGING MY DISTRICT D MAN OF GOD HERE TO PRAY THIS MORNING.
WE ACTUALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, OVER THE PANDEMIC FOR HIM TO COME AND PRAY.
AND SO I KNOW HOW POWERFUL HE IS.
WE WERE PARTNERS IN EDUCATION AT WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE HE, UH, FOLLOWED HIS CALLING.
BUT JUST A WONDERFUL MAN OF GOD.
AND I KNOW IT'S NOT USUAL THAT WE SAY ANYTHING, BUT, SO THANK YOU MAYOR FOR THIS POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
WE WANNA ASSEMBLE BELOVED OF GOD, GRACE UNTO YOU, AND PEACE FROM GOD, OUR FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER FOR INVITING ME TO SERVE TODAY.
UH, I WANNA ALSO ENCOURAGE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US TO LIVE YOUR BEST TODAY, FOR YOUR TODAYS WILL AFFECT YOUR TOMORROWS AND YOUR TOMORROWS WILL SOON BE YOUR YESTERDAYS.
UM, THERE'S A THING THAT WE DO AT BETHEL IN AFFIRMING WHO WE ARE.
WE ARE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING, AND WE ARE A BLESSING BECAUSE WE'RE BLESSED.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR ORDAINING GOVERNMENT AND WE THANK YOU FOR POINTING US AS YOUR SERVANT DECISION MAKERS.
FATHER, I ASKED THIS MORNING THAT YOU WOULD GIVE US CLARITY OF MIND AND SPEECH, GOOD INTEGRITY AND THE POWER AND WILL TO DO THAT, WHICH IS RIGHT BECAUSE RIGHT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
AND AS WE DEBATE THOSE THINGS HELP US TO SEE OUR FLAGS AND TO REMEMBER THAT THEY WERE ONCE TORN AND TATTERED FILLED WITH THE BLOOD OF THOSE WHO WOULD BE FREE.
THEN LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU'LL CAUSE OUR GAZE TO TURN EASTWARD ON AN UPWARD PLANE AND SEE THE CROSS ON CALVARY'S HILL, AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR SACRIFICE IS THE MELODY OF FREEDOM.
THEN FATHER, AS THE DAY ENDS AND YOU TUCK US IN WITH THE DARK CLOAK OF NIGHT, WE ASK THAT WE HEAR THESE SOOTHING WORDS.
WELL DONE, MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WHO IS THE CHRIST.
[00:05:01]
AMEN.IF YOU ARE, PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC ONE NATION, LIBERTY MADAM SECRETARY OF VIEW, POLICE CALL THE ROAD, MAYOR TURNER.
COUNCIL HUFFMAN WILL BE ABSENT.
[ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING]
WE NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES.IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND TO DELAY THE MINUTES.
JUST A FEW QUICK REMINDERS TO THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO WILL BE COMING A LITTLE BIT LATER ON THIS MORNING.
UH, FOR TODAY'S CONSOLIDATED SESSION.
PUBLIC SESSION WILL HAPPEN LATER IN THE MEETING.
I WILL ANNOUNCE WHEN, UH, WHEN WE GET CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC SESSION, WHICH WE SHOULD BE ABOUT NINE 30.
IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A PUBLIC SPEAKER, YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE BY 3:00 PM YESTERDAY, AND WE WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGNED UP ONCE WE START THE PUBLIC SESSION.
AND 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.
AND IF YOU ARE APPEARING ON CAMERA OR CLICK ON THE MICROPHONE ICON AND THE CAMERA ICON, WE WOULD THEN HAVE THE ONE, TWO, OR THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UH, AND AFTER THE BELL RINGS, UM, THEN THAT MEANS YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
AND PLEASE COME TO AN IMMEDIATE END.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
TO TURNING NOW TO THE AGENDA, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU WILL CALL UP ITEM NUMBER ONE.ITEM ONE NEEDS A MOTION, MOVE SECOND.
ROBINSON THEN MOVED AND SECONDED ON ITEM NUMBER ONE.
DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER ONE.
DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSE, AND GRANTED ON ITEM NUMBER ONE? NO.
SO MAY I PRO TIM, UH, WHO JUST MERRIMENT, UM, A DISCERNIBLE YES THROUGH A NO.
IT'S THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
UM, AND POSITION NUMBER ONE, IF YOU ARE HERE, UH, PLEASE STAND IF YOU'RE HERE.
POSITION NUMBER ONE IS CINDY CLIFFORD.
UH, POSITION NUMBER TWO IS NORMY HUSSAIN.
I KNOW NORMY HUSSEIN WAS GOING TO BE HERE THIS MORNING, BUT CAME DOWN WITH COVID ON SUNDAY.
SO, UH, SO HE'S NOT WITH US THIS MORNING, BUT HE DID, UM, LET ME KNOW THAT, UH, HE APPRECIATE COUNCIL SUPPORT.
AND POSITION THREE IS WILLIE J. ALEXANDER.
AND SO I'M GONNA ASK, UH, UH, IN FACT, I'M GONNA ASK ALL OF THE, UH, PERSONS WHO ARE WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY, IF YOU'LL JUST STEP OUT AND COME FORWARD.
KENNY FREEMAN, THE CHAIR, JANICE BERG, UH, ALL OF THE MEMBERS, ALL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, AND I KNOW THIS IS, I KNOW THIS IS 25 YEARS, UM, UH, FOR THE, UH, HARRIS HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY.
SO, UH, KENNY, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND ALL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS ON 25.
UH, YOU KNOW, STELLAR YEARS OF SERVICE, UH, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED AND ACCOMPLISHED OVER 25 YEARS.
AT ONE POINT IN TIME, IT WAS CREATED, UM, UH, FOR SPORTS VENUES, UH, AND AS I HEARD YOU SAY LAST NIGHT, IT IS GOING BEYOND THAT.
AND SO NOW IT'S MARKETING THE CITY.
UH, AND JANICE, YOU'VE JUST BEEN AN INCREDIBLE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
UH, I MEAN, INCREDIBLE, HUNGRY, AGGRESSIVE, FOCUSED, AND SUCCESSFUL, YOU KNOW, AND VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, AND SO WE ARE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, SOCCER.
I MEAN, WHENEVER YOU TALK ABOUT TABLE TENNIS COMING TO, UH, BACK TO, UM, UNITED STATES AND SPECIFICALLY THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE THAT WE ARE GOING AFTER ALL OF THESE GLOBAL SPORTING EVENTS AND WE ARE BEING VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL AT IT.
AND THEN THE DIVERSITY OF THIS BOARD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
UM, MANY OF, I MEAN, KEY LEADERS
[00:10:01]
THAT ARE STANDING BEFORE US.SO LET ME, LET ME CONGRATULATE YOU ALL ON JUST, UM, ON THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE.
THERE'S A LOT OF WISDOM AND EXPERIENCE, UM, AND YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, ON THIS, ON THIS BOARD.
SOME OF Y'ALL ARE OLDER THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS,
UM, BUT, UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR, FOR YOUR, UM, DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT, UH, TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND, UH, WILLIE AND I HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
UH, AND SO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND, UH, AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO'S HERE.
SO LET ME YELL 'CAUSE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS THAT ARE IN THE QUEUE.
LET ME START OFF WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN.
I, I DIDN'T EXPECT TO BE FIRST, BUT I GUESS I GOT IN, UH, FIRST OFF, UH, TO CINDY AND WILLIE WHO ARE HERE, CONGRATULATIONS.
BUT I REALLY WANTED TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE ENTIRE BOARD FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, HOUSTON IS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AS A SPORTS TOWN, AND WHAT YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, UH, IS INVALUABLE.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
UM, MAYOR, AS WE TALK ABOUT TABLE TENNIS, I'M ALSO GONNA THROW IN PICKLEBALL INTO THAT
BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING AND CONGRATULATIONS.
OKAY, YOU COME ABOUT ONE O'CLOCK.
IN FACT, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, BEFORE I GO TO THE OTHER SPEAKERS, UM, LET'S PRESENT THE PROCLAMATION NOW.
YES, YOU WANNA PRESENT? ABSOLUTELY.
CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES MAYOR PRO, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR PRO TEM SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR
LET ME PRESENT THIS, UH, TO THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY, THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY.
WHEREAS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPORTS COMMISSION IS MADE UP OF OVER 750 SPORTS COMMISSIONS, CONVENTIONS, AND VISITORS BUREAUS, CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGIATE CONFERENCES, EVENT OWNERS AND SUPPLIERS.
THEIR AWARDS PROGRAM RECOGNIZES THE WORK MEMBERS CONDUCTING THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH ECONOMIC IMPACT, LEADERSHIPS AND SPORTING EVENTS, UH, EXPERTISE.
AND WHEREAS THE SPORTS COMMISSION OF THE YEAR AWARD GOES TO AN NASC MEMBER WHO HAS HAD THE MOST OUTSTANDING IMPACT ON THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY THROUGH SPORTS EVENTS.
IN 2016, THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY WAS NAMED THE RECIPIENT OF THE SPORTS COMMISSION OF THE YEAR AWARD GIVEN TO A CITY WITH A POPULATION OF MORE THAN 400,000.
AND WHEREAS THE 2023 NCAA MEN'S FINAL 4, 20 24 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS, 2025 A A U, JUNIOR OLYMPICS, AND 2026 F FOR WORLD CUP WERE ALL EVENTS THAT H-H-C-H-S-A WILL BE BRINGING TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND JANICE, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED SOME THINGS GOING INTO 2030 AND BEYOND, UH, AND I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT I'LL STILL BE MAYOR AT THAT TIME.
AND WHEREAS ON SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2022, THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY WILL CELEBRATE 25 YEARS OF COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, CONGRAT AND COMMENDS, THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY FOR RECEIVING THIS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS.
SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, PROUDLY HERE BACK PRO, PROUDLY PROCLAIMS SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2022, AS THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY, 25TH ANNIVERSARY DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, ON BEHALF OF THE, UH, BOARD WHO'S HERE AND THE BOARD WHO'S NOT HERE, AND LET ME ACCEPT THIS GRACIOUS AWARD.
UH, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING OUR 25 YEARS OF EXISTENCE.
UH, AS THE MAYOR SAID, I THINK WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT DURING THAT TIME.
ON BEHALF OF JANICE AND THE STAFF WHO ARE HERE AS WELL, WHO DO A FABULOUS JOB, LET ME JUST AGAIN SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY FOR ALL OF YOUR COOPERATION OVER THE YEARS.
IT'S BEEN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
TOUCH HER AROUND FOR A SECOND.
CONGRATULATIONS, MR. CHAIR, MS. CEO AND DISTINGUISHED BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, A FEW OF US HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO LAST NIGHT TO THE, UH, TO THE ASTROS GAME, AND I LOVE WHAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE TO THE ENTRANCE TO THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY SUITE,
[00:15:01]
UH, ALL THE PICTURES OF THE PRESENT BOARD MEMBERS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UH, THE TIMELINE OF THE ADVENT OF THE SPORTS AUTHORITY TILL PRESENT DAY.AND EVERYBODY LOOKS AT THAT AND UNDERSTANDS IN 2023, WE HAVE THE NCAA FINAL 4 24, WE HAVE THE NCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, WE HAVE THE WORLD CUP COMING UP.
BUT I LOOK BACK ON SOME OF THOSE TIMELINES, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW CLOSE WE CAME TO BANKRUPTCY.
I MEAN, WE WERE TEETERING ON THE VERY EDGE OF BANKRUPTCY.
AND IF IT WASN'T FOR THE TREMENDOUS WORK OF CHAIRMAN FRIEDMAN, UM, MS. MS. BURS, FOLKS LIKE COACH AND SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS THAT REALLY DROVE US HARD THROUGH THAT TIME.
UM, WE REAP THE REWARDS OF WHAT THE WORK THAT THEY DID IN PREVIOUS BOARDS TODAY.
AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT IT.
AS A FORMER BOARD MEMBER MYSELF, IT'S ALWAYS A JOY, UH, TO SEE WHAT Y'ALL DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
AND NOT ONLY TAKING CARE OF OUR FACILITIES, WHICH WAS THE ADVENT AND THE PURPOSE OF THE SPORTS AUTHORITIES, BUT BRINGING NEW ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS EVENTS TO THE CITY, TO THE TUNE OF WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING.
AND MAYOR MENTIONED BADMINTON ON PING PONG.
TABLE TENNIS, NOT PING P PONG.
BUT, BUT THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE RECOGNIZED ALL OVER THE GLOBE.
MAY NOT BE THAT POPULAR IN HOUSTON, BUT, UH, THE, THE EASTERN BLOCK OF EUROPE REALLY ARE INTO WEIGHTLIFTING MORE THAN THEY ARE INTO ANYTHING ELSE.
SO, GREAT JOB, GREAT TO RECOGNIZE YOU.
IT'S BEEN A HECK OF A 25 YEARS.
WITH THAT, I'LL CALL ON COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ.
AND CERTAINLY I COME FROM A SPORTS BACKGROUND.
UH, MY DAD WAS A HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL COACH AT THE JACK GATES HIGH SCHOOL, AND SO SPORTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE.
AND SO I WROTE UP THE ELEVATOR WITH, UH, MR. ALEXANDER, AND I THINK HE WAS A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK THAT I RECOGNIZED HIM.
I MEAN, YOU WERE, AND STILL ARE ACTUALLY A LEGEND.
AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I MEAN, SHE'S AN ATHLETE EVERYWHERE.
SHE'S DOING EVERYTHING, BOUNCING BALLS UP AND DOWN, TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS.
AND SO I THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
HOUSTON IS A SPORTS TOWN, AND YOU ALL KEEP US IN THE LIMELIGHT AND IN THE STARS.
AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
CONGRATULATIONS TO CINDY AND, UH, WILLIE FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT OR REAPPOINTMENT TO THIS BOARD.
I I, I KNOW THAT THE SUCCESS OF OUR, OUR SPORTING EVENTS RISES AND FALLS ON LEADERSHIP AND, AND, UH, SO THAT, THAT'S YOU.
AND WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
AND, UH, WHEN I GO TO THE FACILITIES AND I SEE THE BEAUTY OF WHAT'S HAPPENED HERE IN HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, I THINK OF YOU.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KNOX.
UM, YOU KNOW, SPORTS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF ANY CITY.
AND AND THE REASON IT'S IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE ARE UNDER A LOT OF STRESS AND THEY NEED SOMEWHERE TO GO AND SOMETHING TO DO THAT TAKES THAT STRESS AWAY, THAT HELPS 'EM FOCUS ON SOMETHING OTHER THAN THEIR OWN PERSONAL ISSUES.
SO THAT'S WHY WE PAY ADULT MEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR TO PLAY KIDS' GAMES SO WE CAN WATCH AND, AND HAVE OUR STRESS REMOVED.
AND YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB OF BRINGING ALL OF THAT IN INTO OUR CITY.
AND I JUST APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH.
UH, THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DID.
AND ALTHOUGH, UH, MR. CRANE CALLED ME LAST NIGHT AND TOLD ME TO QUIT WATCHING, EVIDENTLY WHEN I WATCH THE ASTROS LOSE.
SO, UH, I'VE BEEN TOLD I CAN'T WATCH THE GAMES ANYMORE, BUT I DO.
I I WILL IGNORE THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WATCH IN 10 GAMES.
BUT ANY RATE, THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT 25 YEARS.
AND, UM, WE'LL SEE IT GROW AND CONTINUE TO, TO PROSPER THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND THE IN THE REGION.
BY THE WAY, YOU GUYS DO KNOW THAT YOU AFFECT MORE THAN JUST HOUSTONIANS.
PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE, LOUISIANA, ARKANSAS, WHEREVER, TO COME SEE A GAME IN HOUSTON.
AND AND I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO TO MAKE THOSE VENUES ATTRACTIVE AND TO BRING BUSINESS INTO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, LEMME START OFF WITH KUDOS.
CONGRATULATIONS, UH, 25 YEARS.
UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, IT WAS STATED IN THE CHRONICLE AND AND YOU MENTIONED IT YESTERDAY LAST NIGHT, THAT, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS BACK IN 1997 THAT, UH, HOUSTON WAS ABLE TO, UH, BUILD THREE, UH, SPORTS ARENAS, UH, UH, WITH COSTING LESS THAN WHAT DALLAS WAS ABLE TO DO WITH THEIR STADIUM.
UH, SO THAT, SO THAT'S AMAZING.
UM, AND, AND Y'ALL DESERVE EVERY CREDIT FOR DOING THAT.
Y'ALL DESERVE EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE, UH, TO BRING, UM, MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
[00:20:01]
AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO FOR THE CITY AND FOR HARRIS COUNTY.AND WITH THAT SAID, UH, IN REGARDS TO DIVERSITY, UH, THE HARRIS COUNTY IS, UH, 50% HISPANIC.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS NEARLY 57, 50% HISPANIC.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE BOARD DOES NOT REFLECT THAT.
UH, SO I'M HOPING THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
JOINING US VIRTUALLY, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON.
AND, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU ON THE BOARD.
KENNY, YOU DO AN INCREDIBLE JOB.
AND, UH, THANK TO MR. ALEXANDER AND, UH, TO YOU CINDY.
UM, THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RENOMINATION TODAY.
I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO WITH THE CITY.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TURN, IF I COULD, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, AND TO YOU MAYOR, TO HEAR FROM MS. BURKE.
I'M, I'M SO EXCITED, ELATED ABOUT MY FAVORITE GAME IN THE WHOLE WORLD, UH, WHAT WE KNOW OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES AS FOOTBALL, BUT OF COURSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WORLD CUP, AND I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM JANICE, JUST, UH, IF THERE IS JUST A WORD OR TWO, A BRIEF WORD ABOUT HOW, HOW PLANNING FOR THAT IS GOING AND, AND MAYBE ANY OTHER ANECDOTES ABOUT HER GREAT LEADERSHIP AND, UH, WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE COMING MONTHS.
SURELY THE BIGGEST BID THAT I'VE EVER WORKED ON.
UM, BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR OVER A DECADE.
AS YOU KNOW, IN 1994 WHEN THE WORLD CUP WAS IN THE UNITED STATES, HOUSTON WASN'T EVEN AT THE TABLE OR THOUGHT OF.
AND HERE WE'VE COME SO FAR AS WE'VE CONCENTRATED ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, UM, IN ZURICH KNEW WHO WE WERE AND, UM, KNEW THAT WE WERE A HUGE SPORTS TOWN AND A HUGE SOCCER TOWN.
AND SO, UM, WHEN WE FIRST PUT THE BID IN, WE WERE, UH, 17 CITIES, US CITIES THAT NEEDED TO BE PAIRED DOWN TO 10.
AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, I WENT TO THE BOARD AND SAID, LOOK, WE NEED SOMEBODY WHO GETS UP EVERY SINGLE DAY JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS.
UM, I'VE GOT LOTS OF OTHER EVENTS, AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON EVENTS RIGHT NOW AND GOING ALL THE WAY OUT TO 2031, WHICH IS WORLD CUP RUGBY.
UM, AND SO, UH, I CAME TO THE BOARD, THE BOARD THAT YOU APPOINT, AND I SAID, UM, I'D LIKE TO GO OFFER CHRIS CONNET A POSITION TO WORK FOR US.
UM, HE'S IN THAT SOCCER WORLD, HE'S BEEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE DYNAMO.
AND THEY, WITHOUT HESITATION, THEY SUPPORTED THAT DECISION AND SAID, YEAH, GO FOR IT.
WE DIDN'T BUDGET FOR THAT POSITION.
WE DIDN'T, UM, IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT HAD BEEN PLANNED.
BUT AGAIN, THE SUPPORT, IT COMES FROM THE LEADERSHIP.
AND SO, UM, TO KENNY AND THIS BOARD, UM, THEY ARE PART OF THAT WIN BECAUSE, UH, CHRIS DID A GREAT JOB OF LEADING US TO THE FINISH LINE.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE EXCITING.
PEOPLE SAY, IS IT AS BIG AS A SUPER BOWL? WELL, IT'S ABOUT 10 TIMES BIGGER.
UM, WE WILL HAVE SIX MATCHES HERE OVER A 35 DAY PERIOD, AND IT WILL BRING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT TO HOUSTON.
WE EARNED IT, AND WE WERE, WE'LL SHOW THE WORLD THAT WE ARE THE BEST SPORTS TOWN.
AND I'M JUST SO GLAD THAT THE MAYOR AND I WILL STILL BE SERVING IN 2026.
AND, AND THANK YOU ALL AND THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER FOR TYPICALLY WE DON'T HAVE PROCLAMATIONS ON THE DAY THAT WE HAVE CONSOLIDATED SESSION, BUT THE MAYOR RECOGNIZES THE NEED TO HONOR THE SPORTS AUTHORITY ON THEIR 25TH ANNIVERSARY WEEK.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOU DOING THIS.
MAYOR, I, I THINK YOU ARE BY EVERYBODY'S KNOWLEDGE, THE BEST ATHLETE AROUND THE HORSESHOE
AND, UH, I, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT DO ALL THE WORK AT THE SPORTS AUTHORITY.
UH, MY GOOD FRIEND MR. CHRIS MASSEY.
CHRIS, IF YOU'D STAND UP, WHO'S JOINED BY, I THINK LESTER IS HERE, AMBER AND GRAY.
SO THANK YOU'ALL AND I LEAVE MUCH.
AND I DO WANT TO, UM, TO, TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT THE WORLD TRANSPLANT GAMES, UH, THAT ARE HELD, UM, UH, HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH COMPLIMENTS THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER.
SO IT'S, IT, IT COVERS A WIDE, WIDE SPECTRUM.
AND, UH, SO 25 OUTSTANDING YEARS.
LOOKING FORWARD TO 25 OUTSTANDING YEARS, MORE SO BRING US BACK A SUPER BOWL AND ALL THAT OTHER GOOD STUFF.
[00:26:04]
UH, WHERE ARE MY NOTES? SHE JUST NEEDS TO, DO WE HAVE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTION FOR PUBLIC? ALRIGHT, WE GETTING READY TO[9:30 AM - PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
TURN TO, UH, OKAY.GETTING READY TO TURN TO PUBLIC SESSIONS.
ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? HEARING STAND? NONE.
MADAM SECRETARY, YOU PROCEED TO CALL THE ROLE BEAR MIND, THIS IS A CONSOLIDATED MEETING.
CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER DAVID ESPINOZA.
COUNCIL MEMBER KUBA ON A PROCEDURE MOTION.
MAYOR, I'D LIKE US SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE MARION WRIGHT TO BE THE FIRST SPEAKER ON THE THREE MINUTE, UH, UH, NON AGENDA.
MARIAN WRIGHT, WHERE IS SHE? SHE'S, UH, OKAY.
IS THERE SECOND? SECOND? IS THAT SECOND? UH, SECOND.
THANK YOU MADAM SECRETARY, YOU'LL CALL MR. SPEAKER SAYS DAVID ESPINOZA.
DAVID ESPINOSA, PRESS STAR SIX.
OKAY, I SHOULD BE NOT MUTED ANYMORE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? HELLO? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT B AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE A POINT THAT I WAS DISAPPOINTED EARLIER WITH TEXTILES DECISION WITH THE, UM, TO FULFILL THE I 45 EXPANSION PROJECT, BUT I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT THE, UH, I'M ALSO AWARE THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A DEMOLITION OF THE LOSS AT THE BALLPARK.
I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT THOSE BUILDINGS, UH, I THINK THERE WAS A PROMISE THERE TO NOT DEMO MOSQUE, THE OTHER TWO BUILDINGS AND THOSE WOULD BE TURNED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, JUST 'CAUSE THERE IS ALREADY A SHORTAGE OF HOUSING IN DOWNTOWN.
AND IT'S KIND OF CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE I PERSONALLY, I'M CONCERNED AS A YOUNGER PERSON, I'M REALLY CONSIDERING LOOKING FOR PLACES WITHIN THE CITY, LIKE THE ACTUAL CITY AND, AND I FEEL LIKE NOT AT LEAST NOT FINDING WAYS TO, UH, BUILD MORE HOUSING OR, UH, TO COUNTER THE DESTRUCT, LIKE WHATEVER'S GOING TO BE DEMOLISHED BY THE FREEWAY PROJECT, UM, IS JUST GONNA, UH, INSPIRE MORE SMALL, WHICH I GUESS WOULD IN TURN MAKE A NEED FOR FREEWAYS, WHICH IS SO WEIRD CIRCULAR, LIKE A, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I GUESS LIKE A, A WAY IT, IT'S GIVING A REASON FOR WHO THIS EXISTS AND I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS PLANNING TO DO TO COUNTER IT OR WHAT, WHAT'S THEIR RESPONSE TO THIS EXPANSION? UM, I JUST REALLY CURIOUS WHAT THAT, WHAT'S THAT GONNA LOOK LIKE, UM, FROM YOUR SCRIPT PERSPECTIVE? UM, I THINK I, I, I JUST NEED TO KNOW, KNOW SOMETHING.
ERIC AARON ERICKSON, STAR SIX, AARON ERICKSON.
GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS, HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT SIX AND I AM A PART OF STOP TEXT I 45.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY ABOUT THE DEMOLITION OF PORTIONS OF LOSS AT THE BALLPARK.
IT IS CONCERNING TO ME THAT WHILE THIS PROJECT IS
[00:30:01]
PAUSED FOR A CIVIL RIGHTS TITLE VI INVESTIGATION AND THE PERMITS ON THE DE DEMOLITION WITHHELD THAT THE DEMOLITION COMMENCED, THE FATE OF THE PROJECT IS STILL UNCERTAIN, BUT TXDOT IS ACTING AS IF NOTHING HAS CHANGED.QUALITY HOUSING WAS DESTROYED IN WHAT LOOKS LIKE A FLEX OF POWER BY TDOT.
I URGE THIS COUNCIL TO HELP COMMUNITIES AND OUR NEIGHBORS WHO WILL FACE DISPLACEMENT TO NOT LET TXDOT PAVE OVER OUR CITY BECAUSE THEIR POWER GOES SEEMINGLY UNCHECKED.
I APPRECIATE MAYOR TURNER FOR CALLING FOR NET ZERO HOUSING LOSS DUE TO THE DISPLACEMENT THAT THIS PROJECT GUARANTEES WE NEED TO BE BUILDING MORE HOUSING, NOT DEMO DEMOLISHING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UH, THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AS A DISTRICT C RESIDENT AND MAYOR, WE HAVE A LOT OF DISTRICT C RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE EFFORTS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR CONTINUING, UM, TO KEEP THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE ISSUE.
UH, AND I KNOW I WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT THIS OCCURRED OVER A HOLIDAY WEEKEND, UH, WHEN NOT A LOT OF EYES ARE ON IT BECAUSE IT'S, AGAIN, IT WAS OVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ERIN FOR CALLING IN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
KATIE MEZA, STAR SIX MAYOR, RIGHT? WE HAD MOVED, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, AS FAR AS THE I 45, THE DEMOLITION PROJECT THERE, ROAD 85 PEOPLE, MOST OF THEM FROM HOUSTON THAT WE WERE THERE TO SPEAK, UM, AGAINST IT.
AND THERE WERE MAYORS THAT WERE CONSOLIDATED FROM DOWN AT THE COAST.
THREE DIFFERENT, I THINK IT WAS ALVIN GALVESTON, AND I'M SORRY I DON'T REMEMBER THE OTHER MAYOR, BUT THEY ALL CAME TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF IT.
SO, UM, WE DID GET ONE LETTER FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS ROS, BUT THAT WAS IT FROM HOUSTON, OTHER THAN JUST RESIDENTS THAT WERE THERE TO SPEAK ON THE PROJECT.
BUT IT WAS WELL KNOWN AND THERE WERE 85 PEOPLE THAT DID SPEAK ON IT.
UM, BUT WHAT I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ABOUT ACTUALLY IS THE FIRST RESPONDERS AND HOW THEY ARE NOTIFIED ABOUT PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR CITY.
UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS LATE OCTOBER OF 2021 THAT, UM, RU LOZANO, THE ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF WHO'S RETIRED, BUT I'M SURE Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH WHO HE IS, HE, ALONG WITH VERONICA DAVIS AND DAVID FIELDS WENT AHEAD AND WROTE IT INTO THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT THEY WOULD INTEGRATE THAT FIRST RESPONDERS WERE NOTIFIED AND HAD TO SIGN OFF ON PROJECTS WHEN THEY CHANGED OR MODIFIED STREETS, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
AND I WAS THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY BROUGHT THAT TO THEIR ATTENTION THAT IT WASN'T DONE WHEN, UH, A PROJECT HAPPENED ON STUDIO WOODS.
SO I'M VERY HAPPY THAT THAT WAS DONE.
SO NOW WE HAVE THIS 11TH STREET PROJECT.
SO I CALLED TO CHECK JUST TO SEE WHAT THE FIRST RESPONDERS WERE ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND UM, IT TOOK US A WHILE BEFORE WE COULD GET ANY INFORMATION.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST, SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RIGHT NOW.
BUT WHEN WE DID SEND THIS IN, WE FOUND OUT THAT THE ASSISTANT, UM, FIRE CHIEF JUSTIN WELLS, HE'S THE EXECUTIVE SISTER AND FIRE CHIEF WHO TOOK, UM, MR. LORENZO'S PLACE AND HE'S THE ONE WHO ACTUALLY SIGNED OFF FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR HIS REVIEW ON THE PLANS FOR THE 11TH STREET PROJECT.
WHEN I SPOKE WITH HIM, HE SAID THAT, UM, THE FIRE TRUCK COULD MAKE THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL TURNS THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY COULD DO, THAT THEY COULD NOT, AND HE COULD NOT ANTICIPATE WHAT TRAFFIC WOULD BE.
WE KNOW ON 11TH STREET THAT WHEN WE DECREASE THE LANES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN INCREASE IN TRAFFIC.
AND EVEN MAYOR, WHEN YOU DID YOUR PUBLIC SPEECH ON IT TO SO THAT WE'RE GONNA DO IT, YOU SAID YOU MIGHT MISS A LIGHT.
SO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT TRAFFIC'S GONNA INCREASE.
WE ALSO HAVE THE I 45 PROJECT THAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING AND THERE'S AN I 10 RAISING THE I 10, WHICH IS ALSO GONNA PROBABLY BRING MORE TRAFFIC INTO OUR STREETS.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE TRAFFIC STUDY WAS DONE IN 2016 AND TRAFFIC'S INCREASED SINCE THEN.
SO IS TRAFFIC GONNA INCREASE? PROBABLY.
UM, THE TRUCKS, THE FIRE TRUCKS CAN MAKE THE TURNS, BUT THEY CAN'T ACCOUNT FOR TRAFFIC.
SO THEN I CALLED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SPOKE WITH COMMANDER GOMEZ GOMEZ, AND I BELIEVE YOU CAN READ WHAT HE WROTE RIGHT THERE.
HE WROTE, YEAH, TIME HAS EXPIRED.
COUNCIL MEMBER KASH, UH, I'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT THE, THE OTHER PART? YES, WOULD YOU PLEASE SAY THAT? SO HE WROTE IN THERE, THE FIRE CHIEF WROTE IN THERE, AND YOU CAN READ IT, THAT THEY
[00:35:01]
SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THE CENTER TURN LANES.I MEAN, IF THEY HAVE PROBLEMS. WELL, THE CENTER TURN LANES HAVE BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM HALF OF THE PROJECT, SO NO, THEY CANNOT USE THOSE.
MANY SAID, WELL, WE CAN JUST DRIVE OVER THE ARMADILLOS AND USE THE BIKE LANES.
FIRST OF ALL, THE BIKE LANES AREN'T WIDE ENOUGH.
SECONDLY, THERE AREN'T ARMADILLOS, THEY'RE CENTER CONCRETE POST.
SO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DO NOT HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THIS PROJECT IS.
THIS ISN'T JUST TICKING BOXES AND GETTING YES, WE APPROVE IT.
WE REALLY NEED TO GET FOR LAUREN GROVES OR DAVID FIELDS OR SOMEONE TO SIT DOWN AND TO SPEAK TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND TO SPEAK AND SHOW THEM EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING.
BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING.
I'VE TALKED, I'VE TALKED TO CHIEF NER AND I'VE TALKED TO CHIEF PENA AND THEY ALL SAY THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS FINE FOR THEM.
DO THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T HAVE ARMADILLOS BECAUSE AS OF YESTERDAY THEY DIDN'T, THEY THOUGHT THAT IT WAS ARMADILLOS.
SO WE'RE YEAH, I, I TALKED WITH THEM ON THE 11TH STREET PROJECT AND BOTH OF THEM ARE FINE.
THAT WAS A PART OF MY REVIEW BEFORE I MOVE FORWARD.
AS LONG AS THEY COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND.
COUNCIL FROM K THANK YOU, MAYOR.
MAYOR, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SHINING A LIGHT ON THIS.
OKAY, NOW MEET WITH COUNCILMAN MIN.
MR. WRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.
I APPRECIATE, AS YOU KNOW, I'M, UH, OPPOSED TO THIS PROJECT AS WELL.
UH, I THINK IT'S POORLY PLANNED.
IT'S BASICALLY AN EFFORT TO CREATE, UH, AN ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC PROBLEM WITH THE GOAL OF PUSHING PEOPLE ONTO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
AND WE ARE ESSENTIALLY USING LIVE HUMAN BODIES ON BICYCLES AS TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES TO SQUEEZE THAT TRAFFIC TOGETHER WHEN THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO ONE BLOCK NORTH AND, AND ACCOMPLISH THE SAME GOAL.
SAFER FOR THE BIKE RIDERS, SAFER FOR THE PE, UH, FOR PEDESTRIANS, AND ALSO SAFER FOR MOTORISTS.
SO I, I SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT TO OUR ATTENTION.
UNFORTUNATELY, I'M ONE VOICE OF MANY ON THIS COUNCIL AND THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.
BUT THANK YOU, UH, AGAIN FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN YOUR GOVERNMENT.
WOULD YOU AN IMPORTANT VOICE, COUNCILMAN MCCAIN.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE, AND MS. WRIGHT, MY COMMENTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY DIRECTED TOWARDS YOU JUST AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND YOU WERE CUT OFF.
I JUST WANNA, WHAT'S IN BOLD AGAIN IS THAT HPD HAS DETERMINED THIS PROJECT SHOULD NOT IMPACT PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION THAT THERE HAS BEEN THROW VETTING.
THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING AS THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER FOR PART OF THE PROJECT AS WELL.
THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE ASK.
LIKE ANY MAJOR PROJECT, AT LEAST IN DISTRICT C UH, WE ARE IN COMMUNICATION IN THE DEPARTMENTS, DO A THOROUGH VETTING PROCESS AND ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
IN REVIEWING THIS, EVEN AS IT RELATES TO, FOR EXAMPLE, SPEED CUSHIONS.
I KNOW THOSE PROJECTS ARE ON HOLD, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE GO THROUGH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT THE PROCESS.
AGAIN, I'M NOT COMMENTING ON YOUR UNDERSTANDING OR WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TOLD, AND NO, WE CANNOT GO ONE STREET NORTH ONTO 12TH STREET.
I THINK IT'S A GRAVE MISCHARACTERIZATION TO SAY THAT DEPARTMENT STAFF UNDER MAYOR TURNER'S ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT THOROUGHLY VETTED AND WORKED THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
SO AGAIN, I KNOW THE TIME THAT IS TAKEN OF STAFF AND WORKING WITH MY OFFICE, ANSWERING EVERY SINGLE QUESTION FOR OVER A YEAR AND A HALF ON THIS AND MORE THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, ALL IT, JUST, LET ME REPHRASE.
I WANT TO THANK OUR DEPARTMENTS AND MAYOR YOUR EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS DONE DILIGENTLY AND THE TIRELESS WORK OF SOME OF OUR CITY STAFF.
MAYOR, YOU KNOW THAT I OPPOSED, UH, THIS PROJECT AND AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND KEEPING SHINING A LIGHT ON IT.
I, I, UH, WROTE A LETTER TO, TO SEND WITH YOU TO THE, UH, LEGISLATURE WHEN YOU SPOKE THERE.
I HOPE YOU SUBMITTED IT TO THEM.
AND, UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE ROAD DIES CEASE.
AND UH, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER KATIE MEZA.
I LIVE ON THE NEAR NORTH SIDE IN DISTRICT HA QUARTER MILE EAST OF THE PROPOSED I 45 EXPANSION.
AND I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN ABOUT TECH DOTS DEMOLITION OF ONE OF THE BUILDINGS IN THE LOFTS AT THE BALLPARK HOUSING COMPLEX.
DESPITE THE PROJECT BEING PAUSED FOR CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION AND THE CITY DENYING A DEMOLITION PERMIT, IT'S HARMFUL TO OUR COMMUNITY TO DEMOLISH HOUSING THAT'S IN
[00:40:01]
GOOD CONDITION AND DESPERATELY NEEDED.I'M ASKING THAT THE CITY PREVENT THE DEMOLITION OF THE TWO REMAINING BUILDINGS AND ENSURE THAT THEY'RE CONVERTED INTO PUBLIC HOUSING.
HOUSTON IS ALREADY FAR BEHIND IN HAVING THE AMOUNT OF HOUSING THAT WOULD ALLOW A WALKABLE MIXED USE DOWNTOWN.
AND DOWNTOWN HOUSING REDUCES CAR AND FREEWAY DEPENDENCE BY ALLOWING RESIDENTS TO WALK AND BIKE TO WORK IN OTHER DESTINATIONS AND INCREASING THEIR ACCESS TO EXISTING PUBLIC TRANSITS SUCH AS THE METRO RAIL.
UM, I WANNA THANK MAYOR TURNER FOR HIS SUPPORT OF NET ZERO HOUSING LOSS FOR THE I 45 PROJECT.
UM, BUT I ASK THAT HE AND ALL OF CITY COUNCIL GO FURTHER IN OPPOSING THE EXPANSION.
IF CITY COUNCIL AND OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS DO NOT PUSH BACK THE I 45 EXPANSION WILL DISPLACE PEOPLE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THEY HAVE LIVED FOR GENERATIONS, WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN TORN APART BY PREVIOUS FREEWAY CONSTRUCTION.
KIDS WITH ASTHMA WILL LIVE AND GO TO SCHOOL EVEN CLOSER TO FREEWAY EXHAUST AND FOR NOTHING BECAUSE WHEN INDUCED DEMAND FILLS THE ADDITIONAL LANES, WE WILL ALL STILL BE SITTING IN THE SAME TRAFFIC.
I DON'T BELIEVE THIS PROJECT IS THE BEST OPTION FOR ANY OF US, BUT IT'S CLEARLY DESIGNED WITH SUBURBAN RESIDENTS, NOT LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN MIND.
UM, AND BECAUSE OF THIS, I TRAVELED TO AUSTIN LAST WEEK TO ASK TE TDOT TO REMOVE THE PROJECT FROM ITS UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM.
I WANNA THANK MY COUNCILWOMAN CARLOS CISNEROS FOR YOUR LETTER, WHICH WE READ ALOUD THERE.
BUT I WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED, UM, TO SEE DOZENS OF PUBLIC COMMENTS IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROJECT COMPLETELY DISREGARDED, UM, IN FAVOR OF THOSE WHO STAND TO GAIN FINANCIALLY.
CERTAINLY IT'S NOT A SIMPLE TASK TO SHIFT HOUSTON'S VERY CAR-CENTRIC CULTURE, BUT SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE MADE THROUGH PROVEN PUBLIC POLICY INTERVENTIONS.
UM, BUT THIS PROJECT IS GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
HOUSTON RESIDENTS ARE READY FOR A CHANGE AND WE SIMPLY CANNOT GO ON RESISTING REALITY AND DOUBLING DOWN ON A FAILED STRATEGY OF ENDLESSLY EXPANDING FREEWAYS.
WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE TRAINED BUS, BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN OPTIONS TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO DRIVE LESS AND INCREASE HOUSING AND WALKABLE AREAS, NOT TEAR IT DOWN.
UM, SO AGAIN, I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE USE YOUR INFLUENCE TO PROTECT THE REMAINING LOFTS AT THE BALLPARK BUILDINGS AND OPPOSE TECH.
MAYOR TURNER, IS IT TRUE THAT THE, THE STATE AND FEDERAL PROPERTIES ARE EXEMPT FROM CITY DEMOLITION PERMITS? DO THEY, DO THEY OVERRIDE? SO I KNOW WE PAUSED IT FROM THE CITY FROM A MUNICIPAL LEVEL, BUT BECAUSE TDOT OWNS THAT PROPERTY, DO THEY, DO THEY ONLY FOLLOW THE GUIDELINE OF STATE AND FEDERAL? LET ME, UM, ONTARIO, ARE YOU IN POSSESSION TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION? DO WE NEED TO RESEARCH IT? UH, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I'M NOT SURE, BUT LET ME LOOK INTO IT RIGHT NOW.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE CITY PAUSED IT.
I KNOW WE DID THAT, WHICH I'M GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR.
UM, I KNOW THEY GOT A PERMIT THOUGH TO CUT OFF THE WATER AND SEWER FROM THE CITY, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THAT INFORMATION 'CAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF GUIDANCE IN TERMS OF HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE AN ANSWER FAIRLY SOON.
MICHAEL MORITZ, YOU PRESS STAR SIX.
AND THEN COUNCIL MCCA, I'M JUST SEEING YOU IN THE QUEUE, SO I'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
UM, BEFORE I TALK ABOUT THE I 45 PROJECT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT 11TH STREET REALLY QUICK TO COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX AND KUBOSH WHO WANT TO SEE ROAD DIE CEASE.
DO YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR CONSTITUENTS CONTINUING TO BE KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED AT THE HANDS OF SPEEDING CARS? THIS PROJECT IS NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT BIKES, IT'S ABOUT SAFETY FOR ALL USERS.
PEOPLE DRIVE REALLY FAST ON 11TH AND BOTH THE CITY AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAY THAT IT'S A DANGEROUS STREET RELATIVE TO OTHER FOUR LANE STREETS IN TEXAS.
SO THE LOSS OF THE BALLPARK IS BEING DEMOLISHED AS WE SPEAK.
AND COUNCILMAN PALMER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
AND MAYOR TURNER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND TRYING TO STOP THAT IN JUNE.
MAYOR, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT A NET ZERO HOUSING LOSS, BUT I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR THAT THAT IS NOT A MITIGATION FOR THIS PROJECT.
WE HAVE TO DO MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN ALL OF US WENT TO AUSTIN LAST WEEK, NONE OF Y'ALL SHOWED UP.
ALL WE GOT WAS A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS THAT ONE OF OUR PEOPLE HAD TO READ.
MEANWHILE, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORS FROM ALVIN AND LEAGUE CITY AND KEAH AND CLEAR LAKE CAME TO AUSTIN TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR PROJECT PAVING THE SOUTHWEST HOUSTON PRAIRIE.
UH, AND WE, WE GOT NOTHING FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS OF OUR GENERATION.
AND Y'ALL, SEEMINGLY VERY FEW OF YOU CARE ABOUT IT.
THESE BUILDINGS THAT REMAIN AT THE LOSS OF THE BALLPARK MUST BECOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THEY MUST, AND IT'S NOT AN OPTION ALSO, WHO WANTS TO SHOW OFF A HUGE HIGHWAY EXPANSION AT THE WORLD CUP? WE ALREADY HAVE THE LARGEST ONE IN THE WORLD.
ARE WE REALLY THAT PROUD OF THAT?
[00:45:01]
DO WE WANNA, ARE WE SO PROUD OF IT THAT WE WANNA MAKE AN EVEN BIGGER ONE FOR ALL OF THE WORLD TO SEE WHEN THEY DESCEND ON HOUSTON, THE SUPPOSED WORLD CLASS CITY THAT'S 50 YEARS BEHIND ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? ENOUGH OF THIS, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.WE'RE TIRED OF HAVING TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN, YOU SAID THANK YOU FOR KE FOR US KEEPING THE PRESSURE ON IT.
WE WROTE A PRESS RELEASE AT 7:00 PM ON FRIDAY OF THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
WE CONTACTED ALL OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SHOW UP IN AUGUST AT THE C MEETING WHEN THEY VOTED ON THE UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT ARE THIS MORNING SPEAKING IN REGARDS TO THE DEMOLITION OF THE LOFTS.
UM, I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT, UH, TXDOT DID NOT EVEN REACH OUT TO THE, UH, TO MY OFFICE AS THE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THAT REPRESENTS THE AREA.
UM, AND LIKE I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, MAYOR, I, I I, I, I KNOW WE ARE, UM, KIND OF STUCK IN REGARDS TO KEEPING, UH, TDOT FROM DEMOLISHING THESE BUILDINGS.
UH, BUT WITH THAT SAID, UH, THERE, THERE IS A GARAGE BUILDING THERE ON THAT PROPERTY, AND I THINK IT'S FURTHER EAST FROM THE OTHER TWO BUILDINGS.
UH, IS THERE A WAY WHERE TALKING TO TXDOT AND STATING, YOU KNOW, DO NOT DEMOLISH THAT GARAGE IN CASE IT'S NOT, THAT PROPERTY IS NOT NEEDED FOR THE EXPANSION.
UH, I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT JIM CRANE HOPEFULLY COULD USE FOR PARKING FOR, FOR FANS GOING TO THE ASTROS GAME.
UH, I MEAN, IT, IT'S BUILDING'S THERE, IT'S JUST SITTING THERE, UH, AND FOR THEM TO TEAR IT DOWN AND, AND, AND THERE'S ISSUES IN REGARDS TO PARKING AROUND MINUTE MA PARK, UH, AND YOU'VE GOT A GARAGE THERE.
UH, AND THAT'S GONNA BE TAKEN DOWN AS WELL.
UH, SO HOPEFULLY THERE'S AT LEAST SOMETHING THAT THE CITY CAN GET OUT OF THIS.
UM, I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH TXDOT AND, UH, COMING TO THE TTI COMMITTEE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
UH, AND YOU COULD, I JUST GOT THE IMPRESSION TEXT OUT WAS NOT EVEN REALLY TRYING THEIR BEST TO COMMUNICATE WITH METRO.
UH, METRO, AS YOU KNOW, MAYOR IS TRYING TO BUILD B RTS.
UM, THEY'RE WANTING TO TEAR DOWN THAT CONNECTION THAT COMES FROM I 10 INTO, INTO DOWNTOWN, UH, SO THEY CAN RAISE IT.
UH, AND I ASKED THEM, I SAID, ARE YOU PUTTING SOME LANES IN THERE FOR THE BRT? UH, WELL WE'RE, UH, LOOKING AND, UH, TALKING TO METRO, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T, DIDN'T SEEM SINCERE.
UH, AND, AND, AND IT'S A SHAME THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE WANTING TO WIDEN FREEWAYS AT MORE LANES, UH, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE IN THE SUBURBS AT THE EXPENSE OF RESIDENTS THAT LIVE HERE IN THE CITY.
UH, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THOSE IN THE SUBURBS WANNA COME INTO THE CITY, TAKE A BRT, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE YOU WHITENING THE FREEWAYS TO ADD MORE CARS? UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING.
AND YOU, UH, I WAS REALLY, REALLY, UH, SHOCKED, UH, WHEN I ASKED TEXDOT, ARE YOU TALKING TO METRO? UH, AND IT DIDN'T SEEM SINCERE THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY REALLY, REALLY TRYING TO TALK TO TRY TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO PIGGYBACK ON COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS.
I HAD ASKED SEVERAL QUESTIONS.
AS YOU KNOW, THE INNER KATY PROJECT PROPOSAL TO ELEVATE, UM, IS RIGHT IN THE HEART OF DISTRICT C AND ALL OF OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS THUS FAR HAVE OPPOSED IT.
UM, I HAVE ASKED OF TXDOT WHEN THEY CAME BEFORE US, UM, ONE, HOW QUICKLY DID THE WATERS RECEDE? WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY TRYING TO ADDRESS HERE? AND WHAT, WHAT OTHER ALTERNATIVES HAVE WE BEEN LOOKING AT? UM, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE YET.
THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK INTO THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO RAISE THAT WE ARE ASKING COUNCIL MEMBER GALLOS, TO YOUR POINT, THE QUESTIONS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS AND RELAY INFORMATION BACK TO CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND WE'RE STILL NOT, NOT HEARING ANYTHING.
NEXT SPEAKER, ROBERT ALEXANDER.
ROBERT ALEXANDER IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CATHERINE MORALES.
GET RIGHT BEHIND ONE OF THOSE MICS.
HEY, I'M HERE THIS MORNING TO SPEAK ON, UH, MY BEHALF AND MY NEIGHBOR THAT LIVE ON THE SIDE OF ME AND BEHIND ME ON THIS, UH, OFF ROAD DITCH P 1 18 4 1 4 5 5 DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S IN DISTRICT, UH, I'M IN DISTRICT B.
THE PROBLEM WE HAVING WITH THAT IS THAT DITCH RUNS FROM TIDWELL ALL
[00:50:01]
THE WAY ACROSS PARK AT ADJACENT TO HALLS BY ALL THAT WATER GOES INTO HALLS BAR.WHEN IT RAIN, ALL THAT BACKS UP.
EVERYTHING OUTTA HALLS BOW BACKS UP.
AND WHAT HAD HAPPENED WITH THE CONTRACTORS, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM UNTIL WE STARTED HAVING THEM.
CONTRACTORS COME OUT THERE, CUT THE BAYOU ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE.
AND WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO, THEY PUT TREES AND THEY PUT DIFFERENT STUFF IN THAT DITCH SO THEY CAN CROSS WHERE THE WHEELS ARE CATCHING.
I, I FLOODED IN OH ONE, I FLOODED IN 17.
I CALLED THE CITY, THE CITY SAY, WELL, THEY DON'T BELONG TO US, BUT THEY, THEY HAVE SENT PEOPLE OUT TO TAKE PICTURES.
I KEEP CALLING HARRIS COUNTY, THEY'LL COME OUT THERE AND LOOK AT IT AND THAT'S IT.
NOW I WANT TO THANK MS. JACKSON.
SHE DID BACK IN 21, HER SECRETARY CAME OUT THERE, TOOK ALL KIND OF PICTURES AND SHE SAY, THIS DON'T MAKE SENSE, THIS DISGRACE BACK THERE BEHIND Y'ALL HOMES.
AND WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US BACK IN 17 HARVEY, WE HAD SOME CONTRACTORS WHO CAME OUT THERE AND THEY SAID, IF WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING DONE, WE DON'T LOSE OUR HOMES, OUR HOUSES, THEY DON'T FALL DOWN IN THE BAYOU BACK THERE BECAUSE IT'S NOTHING BEING DONE.
AND I'VE BEEN THERE 35 YEARS AND WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM LONG TIME AGO, BUT ONCE THEY CONTRACTED IT'S IT, NOW THEY DID COME LAST CUT AND THEN PUT A COVERING DOWN.
I TALKED TO THE GUY AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE IN THAT DITCH LIKE THAT.
YOU BLOCKING THE DITCH WITH A WATER.
HE SAY, I'LL BE BACK TO PUT A COVENANT.
THEY DID COME BACK, BUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED WHEN THEY PUT THE COVENANT DOWN, THEY HAD TO KNOCK ALL THE TREES AND ALL THE TREES AND, AND WENT IN THE DITCH AND GOT THE WHOLE DITCH BLOCKED.
OKAY? THIS IS A, THIS IS A DITCH, UH, THAT IS MAINTAINED BY THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL, UH, DISTRICT.
UM, BUT I'M GONNA ASK PUBLIC WORKS TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM.
INSTEAD OF JUST SENDING YOU TO THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, UM, THEY NEED TO, UM, WORK WITH YOU AND WORK WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION.
SO LET US, LET US WORK WITH YOU AND WORKING WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, UH, TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT PARTICULAR DITCH.
AND RENA CAME, 'CAUSE I'M TIRED OF HEARING DIFFERENT PEOPLE SAY, WELL, ONLY WAY YOU GONNA GET SOMETHING DONE.
YOU GO TO THE NEWSPAPER ONCE THE NEWSPAPER COME TAKE PICTURES OF THAT AND PUT IT OUT.
HE SAY, YOU'LL GET SOMETHING DONE THEN, BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO.
I HAVE TO GO TO THE NEWSPAPER TO GET, GET THAT DONE.
THAT'S WHAT WE GOT PEOPLE IN OFFICE FOR TO DO THAT KIND OF STUFF.
I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE CALLING ALL THESE MANY YEARS.
WELL, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND AGAIN, LET ME ASK, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
WHERE IS, UH, CHRIS? CHRIS, ARE YOU HERE? WHERE IS CHRIS? EXCUSE ME.
CHRIS, IF YOU WILL WORK WITH HIM AND CONTACT THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT TO GET THEM TO ACT ON IT AND THEN GET CAUGHT AND THEN GET BACK WITH ME AND LET ME KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
AND, UM, THANK YOU MR. ALEXANDER FOR COMING IN.
IT'S UNFORTUNATELY YOU HAVE TO COME IN, UM, TO, UM, SHARE THE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE AND I'M SORRY THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH IT, BUT I WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, UM, AND HIS REPRESENTATIVE, MY CHIEF OF STAFFERS, RIGHT THERE.
WE WILL FOLLOW UP AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT THIS GETS TAKEN CARE OF AND THEN, NOT JUST RIGHT NOW, BUT LIKE EVEN WITHIN THREE MONTHS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CONSTANTLY GETTING CUT.
OKAY? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S A PROBLEM, AN ONGOING PROBLEM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ADDRESSED AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP COMING IN.
LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, IT'S UH, HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, BUT, UH, MAYOR'S GONNA HAVE PUBLIC WORKS WORK WITH THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT.
BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU IS HAVE, HAVE YOU CONTACTED YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER BECAUSE, UH, THEY OVERSEE THE, UH, HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT.
SO, UH, BY CO COUNTY COUNT, UH, CONTACTING YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, UH, HO HOPEFULLY THEY WILL THEN REACH OUT TO FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT AND ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT, THAT, THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S HAPPENING THERE BY YOUR HOME.
WELL, I TALKED TO A LADY ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO OR LONGER CALLED MS. BLACKWELL AND WHAT SHE WAS TELLING ME, SHE SAID, MR. ALEXANDER, I WANT TO TELL YOU THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO COME THIS FAR.
SHE SAID, ANYTIME YOU GOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM, LIKE YOU GOT BACK, IT DOESN'T MATTER, HARRIS COUNTY OR THE CITY MM-HMM
WHEN YOU GOT A PROBLEM LIKE THAT, THAT Y'ALL HAVING SOMEBODY NEED TO COME OUT THERE AND, AND, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE HAVING THIS PROBLEM THAT LONG BACK
[00:55:01]
THEN WHEN IT RAINED, I USED TO HAVE TO LEAVE MY HOME WHEN IT RAINED LIKE THAT.'CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA WAKE UP WITH WATER.
I HAD THREE FEET OF WATER IN MY HOUSE IN HARVEY.
I HAD THREE FEET OF WATER IN MY HOUSE IN ALLISON.
AND EVERY TIME IT RAINED, THE WATER BACKS UP BECAUSE THE LITTLE DITCHES BLOCKED THAT DITCH WAS PUT THERE.
I'VE BEEN THERE 35 YEARS AND SOMEONE SAID IT WAS THE SUBDIVISION WAS BUILT IN 56.
ANYBODY WITH COMMON SENSE KNOW IF YOU GOT A DITCH.
SO THE LATER YOU GOT TO COME CLEAN IT, YOU GOT TO CLEAN IT OUT.
THE OLD GUYS THAT WORKED FOR FLOOD CONTROL, THEY KEPT THAT.
BUT SINCE THEY CONTRACT, WE HAVING MORE PROBLEM WITH THE CONTRACTORS.
WE DON'T HAVE NO INSPECTOR OUT THERE.
WHEN I GO OUT THERE, I'M TAKING PICTURES.
I GOT ALL KIND OF PICTURES, WHAT THE INSPECTOR.
BUT I, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I, I REGRET IT WASN'T FIXED 10 YEARS AGO WHEN YOU START COMPLAINING MR. START, ALEXANDER.
BUT IF YOU'LL GET CHRIS, IF YOU'LL GET WITH HIM AND THEN YOU ALL WORK WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT AND LET ME KNOW WHAT THINGS ARE, LET THE COUNCIL MEMBER KNOW AS WELL.
NEXT SPEAKER A SIMS. AMA SIMS. IS SIMS. HERE.
JAMES SUTHERLAND, NEXT SPEAKER.
STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS, STAR SIX STEVE WILLIAMS. STAR SIX.
GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I HOPE EVERYBODY HAD A RESTFUL LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT C AND I AM A CO-ORGANIZER WITH STOP TYPE SHAW I 45.
SO, UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY A HUGE THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER MIRO, WHO DID MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO BE THERE.
I KNOW THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY WITH YOUR STAFF.
UM, AND REPRESENTATIVE PENNY SHAW ALSO SENT SOMEBODY TO THE UTP MEETING, UM, AT THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ON AUGUST 30TH.
Y'ALL, IT WAS LIKE SEVEN MAYORS FROM LEAGUE CITY.
PEOPLE ARE SHOWING UP FOR FREEWAY EXPANSION IN THE STATE AND IT IS UNSCIENTIFIC, IT'S DANGEROUS.
AND JUST TO, YOU KNOW, CIRCLE BACK TO A COMMENT MADE EARLIER, I HAVE BEEN FORCED OFF OF MY FEET, OFF OF MY BIKE, OUT OF BUSES AND TRAINS AND INTO A CAR, WHICH AT MY AGE IS THE MOST LIKELY WAY THAT I WILL DIE.
UM, SO WE NEED YOU GUYS, WE NEED YOU GUYS SHOWING UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THAT UTP MEETING WILL BE BACK AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
AND IT'S EVERYBODY'S CHANCE TO SAY, WHY DO FREEWAYS DON'T WORK? WE NEED HOUSING NOT HIGHWAYS.
WE WANT FREEDOM, NOT FREEWAYS.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO INCREDIBLE WORK FOR Y'ALL AND KEEP YOU POSTED ON EVERYTHING AND GIVE YOU AS MUCH NOTICE AS POSSIBLE.
BUT WE NEED Y'ALL OUT THERE SAYING THE RIGHT THINGS AND SAYING THE TRUTH.
UM, RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS VERY HEAVILY WEIGHTED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS ABOUT LOSS OF THE BALLPARK, MAN, YOU LITERALLY JUST SAT THERE JUST NOW AND SAID, WELL, LET'S AT LEAST SAVE THE HOUSING FOR THE CARS.
THERE'S TWO BUILDINGS STILL STANDING AND JUST 'CAUSE THE SEWAGE IS DISCONNECTED DOESN'T MEAN IT CAN'T BE RECONNECTED.
AND YES, I WILL SAY WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING, BUT WHAT WE'RE REALLY ADVOCATING FOR IS BOTTOM UP HOUSING POLICY.
WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT? WHO'S IN FLOODED OUT HOUSING RIGHT NOW? WHERE DO THEY WANNA BE? WOULD THAT BE A GOOD SPOT FOR THEM? SHOULD WE DO SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, QUICK ANALYSIS OF WHERE EVERYBODY'S LIVING AND UNSTABLE HOUSING? I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PRESS AROUND THAT RECENTLY.
SO, UM, WE WANT THIS TO BE BOTTOM UP AND TO FIT PEOPLE'S NEEDS.
WE REALLY PRAISE THE ONE-TO-ONE HOUSING COMMITMENT, BUT WE NEED Y'ALL TO GO HARD IN THE PAINT ON THIS
OBVIOUSLY TEXDOT IS, IS DISRESPECTING YOU GUYS BY SAYING THEY DON'T NEED A PERMIT AND THEN STARTING DEMOLITION ON A WEEKEND, THAT'S NUTS.
YOU GUYS ARE IN CHARGE OF IT, NOT THEM.
SO WE NEED Y'ALL TO GO HARD IN THE PAINT TO SAY HOUSING AND FOR SCIENTIFIC TRANSPORTATION POLICY.
UM, ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT, THAT THE PERSON WHO SOLD LOSS OF THE BALLPARK TO TECH GUT BOUGHT IT SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO OFFERING TO SELL EARLY.
AND IT WAS THEIR FIRST EVER ACQUISITION OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING IN HOUSTON.
WE CANNOT KEEP SELLING OUR CITY TO OUT-OF-STATE, BILLIONAIRE, BILLIONAIRE DEVELOPERS.
UM, IT'S WELL KNOWN NOW THAT TDOT BREAKS PIECES, UM, OF THE PROJECTS APART SO THAT THEY CAN GET A FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
MICHAEL MORITZ DID A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM WORK.
UM, AND MEGAN KIMBALL WROTE A FANTASTIC YEAH, TOM HAD ITS FIRE.
[01:00:02]
MOLLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN.INTO ALL, UM, OF, YOU KNOW, YOUR PARTNERS WHO WENT TO UTP.
I KNOW WE SPOKE, AND I HOPE OTHERS KNOW, UM, WE'VE BEEN SHORT STAFFED, SO THERE WAS NO ONE THAT WE COULD SEND UP FOR THE DATA.
MY MY HOPE WAS THAT UTP WOULD START ACTUALLY ALLOWING PARTICIPATION VIRTUALLY SO THAT YOU ALL WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO AUSTIN.
ELECTED OFFICIALS WOULDN'T, OR STAFF WOULD NOT.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO KEEP ME UPDATED AND OTHERS.
UM, I READ SOMETHING, BUT SINCE YOU WERE THERE, I'D LIKE YOU TO VERIFY THIS.
UM, DESPITE ALL OF THE COMMENTS, I MEAN, I, HOW, ONE, HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME AND WERE THERE, AND HOW QUICKLY DID UTP, UM, VOTE ON ACTION DESPITE THOSE COMMENTS? THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION CHAIR, BRUCE BUG, UM, WHILE THE FINAL SPEAKER, SO WE HAD 50 PEOPLE FROM HOUSTON ON THE BUS.
A FEW MET US THERE, PEOPLE FROM AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO, FORT WORTH, EL PASO, AND DALLAS ALL GAVE COMMENTS AGAINST EXPANDING FREEWAYS, UM, AND IN FAVOR OF MOVING MONEY TOWARD TRANSIT AND WALKABILITY IN THE UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM.
SO, AFTER ALL OF THAT, BEFORE THE FINAL SPEAKER FROM HOUSTON EVEN SAT DOWN CHAIR BUG SAID, YOU KNOW, MOTION TO PASS, SECONDED AND WHACKED THE GAVEL, UH, LIKE HE WAS JUST BORN WITH IT IN HIS HAND.
IT WAS VERY INTENTIONALLY DISRESPECTFUL.
AND THE SHOCK THAT YOU GUYS KEEP DISPLAYING AT TECHOPS BEHAVIOR IS NAIVE DECADES Y'ALL, OF PURPOSEFUL DISPLACEMENT AND HARM IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES AND IN POOR COMMUNITIES.
STOP BEING SURPRISED AND GET WITH US, MAN.
AND MICHAEL'S RIGHT, IT'S A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE TEXAS FOR THE BETTER, AND Y'ALL ARE SITTING IN THE PERFECT SEATS TO DO IT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND MOLLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JUST EVERYTHING.
YOU AND ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF, UM, OF STOP I, I 45 HAVE BEEN IN THIS PROJECT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I STAND WITH YOU.
I APOLOGIZE I WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT, UM, WITH YOU TO TESTIFY, BUT, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE BEEN IN YOUR CORNER.
I'M COMPLETELY AGAINST THIS PROJECT AS WELL.
AND, UM, I'M ASKING A COUPLE QUESTIONS NOW.
SO I WILL LOOP BACK IN WITH YOU, UH, PROBABLY LATER ON THIS AFTERNOON, AND HOPEFULLY I CAN GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS REGARDING THE SPECIFIC DEMOLITION OF, OF THE, OF THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING.
COUNCIL NARRO, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
COUNCIL MEMBERS ON ONE SECOND.
I JUST WANNA SAY ONE SECOND, NOT, I'M NOT MAD AT ANYBODY INDIVIDUALLY.
WE JUST NEED YOU THERE ALL THE TIME.
I JUST, WELL, THANK YOU MOLLY, AND EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN SO, UM, ADAMANT AND, UM, AND ADVOCATING FOR THE T DOING THE RIGHT THING AND, AND FOR, FOR KEEPING US INFORMED AND, AND ENGAGED TOO.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST GIVE A QUICK UPDATE THAT, UM, I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE, UM, ONE SINGLE, UM, LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT, BUT ON I 10, UM, WE ARE NOW AT A, WE'VE RE AND I WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE WHO'S COPIED, UM, ME ON LETTERS THEY'VE SENT TO, TO TDOT.
UM, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN 139 LETTERS OF OPPOSITION, NOT ONE SINGLE ONE IN FAVOR.
AND I WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT ACTUALLY THE DEADLINE IS, UM, THIS FRIDAY DOTS, UM, DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING COMMENTS ON THAT PROJECT IS, IS, UM, SEPTEMBER 9TH, THIS FRIDAY.
HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY? DOING FINE, MR. TURNER.
MRS. NEROS, UH, WE'RE STILL HAVING PROBLEM WITH OUR MEROSE PARK ADDITION OVER THERE.
WE'RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE PARK RANGERS AND TRASH OVER THERE.
YOU KEEP SAYING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING OR YOUR HANDS ARE TIRED OR YOU'RE TOO BUSY.
WHEN DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ASKED YOU TO GIVE YOU A HAND, YOU DIDN'T NEED THEM EITHER, DID YOU? YOU DON'T NEED A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO JUST KEEP LOOKING INTO THINGS, DOING THINGS, TALKING, TALKING, TALKING.
I KNOW IT'S NOT YOUR LAST TERM.
WE, WE KNOW YOUR FRIEND WAS RETIRING BECAUSE OF 12 REASONS.
NEXT THING YOU KNOW, AN HOUR LATER, HE'S UNDER A FEDERAL INDICTMENT.
WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID IN CALIFORNIA, AND NOW YOU'RE DOING IT HERE.
AND LOOK WHAT YOU'RE DOING, OURS, BUT YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
[01:05:01]
JACK MORMON'S GONNA HELP US IN OUR DISTRICT.NEXT SPEAKER, ELLIE MONTOYA, RES MONTOYA RES EVICTION.
THIS MORNING, UH, GOOD MORNING.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT EVICTION.
UH, MY SITUATION HASN'T MOVED FORWARD.
WILL YOU PLEASE, UH, MAYOR TURNER, ASSIGN SOMEONE.
I WAS YESTERDAY AT THE MEXICAN CONSULATE.
UH, UM, I DIDN'T HAVE AN APPOINTMENT, BUT WITH MY MEXICAN PASSPORT BECAUSE I HAVE ALL CITIZENSHIP.
THEY WERE VERY, UH, NICE TO, UH, WELCOME ME INTO THE, EH, CHAMBERS OF THE, UH, UM, TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE ABOUT MY CASE.
SO, UH, BY HAVING HERE MANY TIMES, MAYOR, AND I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD ASSIGN SOMEONE SO, UH, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS SITUATION.
UH, ACCOUNTABILITY, HONESTY, INTEGRITY IS ONE OF THE, UH, UM, THINGS THAT I LIKE TO ABIDE BY.
I HAVE, UH, PROOF THAT I AM IN GOOD FAITH, BRINGING IN PAPERWORK OF MY PERSONAL, UH, UH, LIFE.
MY, UM, OFFICE HAS REACHED OUT TO THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY TO TRY TO GET YOU, I WAS THERE YESTERDAY.
TO TRY TO ASSIST YOU WITH GETTING, UM, HOUSING.
SO YOU DID TALK TO HIM ALREADY? I WAS THERE YESTERDAY.
I COLLECTED MANY FORMS AND, UH, THEY WERE NOT VERY, UH, UH, WELCOMING.
THEY, THEY DIDN'T GIMME MUCH INFORMATION MM-HMM
AND AT THIS POINT, UH, I'M WILL WILLING TO WORK WITH YOUR OFFICE.
UNFORTUNATELY, UH, EVERY SINGLE TIME I CALL YOUR OFFICE, UH, THEY DON'T ANSWER.
I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO MS. MORENO.
AND IF YOU WANT, I CAN MEET WITH HER, UH, AS SOON AS, UH, THIS, BUT YOU HAVE TALKED TO MY OFFICE, RIGHT? MA'AM? YOU SAID? YES, MA'AM.
SO I, I WAS HERE YESTERDAY TOO.
UH, IT WAS TO MY, TO MY AWARENESS THAT THEY WERE GONNA HAVE A, A, A MEETING.
I WAS CHAIR, AND BASICALLY I HAD OTHER MEETINGS.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO HELP YOU FIND HOUSING.
OKAY? SO JUST WANT, AND THE EVS ARE ALREADY, UH, THE PAPERWORK THAT WAS LEFT AROUND THE PROPERTY.
THEY'RE NOT IN PLACE, SO I DON'T, OKAY.
SO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL BE REACHING BACK OUT TO YOU.
COFFEE, L BAY COFFEE L BAY COFFEE BANK.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING, PLEASE? YEAH.
ARE YOU ONE OF THE PERSONS THAT I NAMED? YES, SIR.
WHAT'S YOUR NAME? MY NAME'S ADAM.
UM, IS THIS WHERE Y'ALL LIKE TO BE WHEN JESUS COMES BACK? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
KAREN SIMS. GOOD MORNING, IT'S MELANIE MILES HERE.
KAREN SIMS. KAREN, GOOD MORNING.
UH, I'M, I, I CAME BACK THIS WEEK BECAUSE OF THE, UM, INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED AT DA'S OFFICE ON FRIDAY.
UM, I SPOKE LAST WEEK ABOUT THE, UH, SITUATION WITH, UH, 3 0 9 AND THREE 15 COURT ABOUT THE UNLAWFUL, UM, UM, REMOVAL ON MY CHILDREN AND TO FIND OUT THAT THESE CASE WAS NEVER IN EXISTENCE, AND THEY JUST CARRIED IT ON LIKE IT WAS A CASE.
UH, I, SHE WAS ACCIDENTALLY WHEN I FIRST, WHEN THEY FIRST STOLE MY CHILDREN FROM THE STAR HOPEE SHELTER.
AND NOW, LIKE I SAID, I FIND IT'S NOT EVEN A CASE.
AND I'M STILL FIGHTING FOR MY DAUGHTER NOW IN PHOENIX, BECAUSE THE MONTH THEY PUT MY CHILDREN WITH, PUT MY DAUGHTER IN THE GROUP HOME.
SHE DOES NOT NEED TO BE IN A GROUP HOME.
SHE HAS ADULT SISTER, SHE HAS ME.
UH, I FILED DOCUMENTS ALREADY WITH THE 3 0 9 CORPORATE REINSTATEMENT, BUT IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN, UH, REMOVED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
I NEED SOME, UM, SOME ACTION DONE, ASAP, UH, BECAUSE OF THIS, UH, THIS, THIS RULE, THIS, THIS, THIS TERMINATION.
I CAN'T GET MY CHILDREN FROM THIS MONSTER IN PHOENIX.
I MEAN, IN AND OUTTA GROUP HOMES.
UH, I NEED MY CHILDREN AND I NEED THIS TO BE ADDRESSED.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR TURNER AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
[01:10:01]
TODAY, UH, REGARDING MY OPPOSITION TO THE 17 TOWN HOMES AT 53 26 CALHOUN.AND AS A REMINDER, THIS IS A PROPERTY THAT IS ADJACENT TO MY PROPERTY THAT I WAS NOT PROPERLY NOTIFIED AND ASKING FOR YOUR HELP IN GETTING THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS CASE A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, OUR ATTORNEY, MELANIE MILES, WHO, UH, UNFORTUNATELY GOT PULLED AWAY FOR AN URGENT MATTER, HAS REQUESTED THROUGH OPEN RECORDS ALL PLAT APPLICATIONS.
AND WE ARE NOW BEING TOLD THAT THEY CANNOT RELEASE THEM, THAT THEY HAVE TO BE GIVEN PERMISSION, UH, FROM THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AND WE JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
UH, WE REALLY WANT TO JUST GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE HAVE LEARNED THAT IT IS, PREVIOUSLY HE APPLIED FOR EIGHT TOWN HOMES AND HE CAME BACK FOR 17.
WE'RE STILL SAYING THIS IS NOT A REPL, BUT I'M HOPING THAT YOU ALL CAN HELP ME WITH THIS.
THANK YOU COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN BONDS.
THANK YOU MS. LOVE FOR COMING FORWARD THIS MORNING, AND CERTAINLY MY OFFICE WILL ENGAGE WITH LEGAL TO SEE IF WE CAN EXPEDITE THOSE DOCUMENTS THAT YOU ARE WAITING FOR.
IT'S BEEN THREE WEEKS AND WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD GET THEM, AND WE STILL JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY, UH, IT HAS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
IT JUST, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THAT IS MISSING HERE THAT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR HELP WITH THAT.
RIGHT? WE'LL TRY TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING SO THAT WE CAN CONVEY THAT TO YOU AND THE HOA AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, LEMME TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
UH, MAYOR TURNER, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, I'M SPEAKING ALSO AGAINST THE 17 TOWN HOMES THAT ARE BEING BUILT AT 53 26 AT 53 26, UM, CALHOUN STREET.
UM, WE ALL MET, WE CAME TO THE COURTHOUSE A FEW WEEKS AGO AND WE MET WITH YOU ALL AND WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE WOULD BE GIVEN DOCUMENTATION, KIND OF WHAT, UH, DR. LOVE IS STATING THAT WE WOULD BE GIVEN DOCUMENTATION SO THAT WE CAN PROVE OR DISPROVE THAT THIS WAS A, UH, REPLA OR NOT.
WE HAVE BEEN
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NOT WANT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IT'S BEEN STATED BY SEVERAL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE WANNA GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO PLEASE DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO HELP US IN THIS SITUATION.
AGAIN, LIKE LATANYA LOVE AND JORDAN MORRISON ON THE CALL.
UH, I LIVE AT 50, UH, 53 35 BLYTHEWOOD STREET.
UM, MY LOT BUTTS UP NEXT TO THE LOT, UM, THAT WE'RE CALLING ABOUT, WHICH IS 53 26 CALHOUN.
UH, WE'VE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THE CITY, ALSO, THE NEWS, UM, TALKING CONTINUOUS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
UM, BACK ON AUGUST, THE AUGUST THE 16TH, WHICH IS MORE THAN A MONTH AGO, UH, WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR DOCUMENTS THAT SHOULD BE PUBLIC RECORD.
UM, AGAIN, MAYOR TURNER, WE'VE TALKED TO YOURSELF.
UM, UM, UH, MS. MS. CHABA, WE'VE ACTUALLY TALKED TO YOU AS WELL.
WE'VE RECEIVED NUMEROUS EMAILS, BUT NO ACTION HAS TAKEN PLACE.
UM, THE PROPERTY OWNERS ITSELF HAS BEEN GIVEN A GREEN LIGHT TO BUILD, UH, WHICH, WHICH IT REALLY DETOURS ME BECAUSE THE MAJOR ISSUE IS YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC AND THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AT MCGREGOR PARK, WHICH IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, BUT YET YOU LACK TIME HAS EXPIRED.
AND MR. JOHNSON, IF YOU COULD USE SOME OF MY TIME TO COMPLETE YOUR STATEMENTS.
SO BACK TO THE, AGAIN, THE BUILD OVER, UM, OR THE REDUCTION OF PEOPLE AT MCGREGOR PARK.
HOWEVER, WE, WE ALLOWED AN INDIVIDUAL TO BUILD A 17 UNIT COMPLEX ON A PIECE OF LAND THAT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT FOR AN INDIVIDUAL HOME.
SO IF WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE TRAFFIC, WHY ARE WE LETTING SOMEONE BUILD RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET? THE EXACT SAME THING THAT'S GONNA DETER.
UM, WE HAVE CONTINUATION OF FLOOD.
WE HAVE A CONTINUATION OF POWER OUTAGES.
UH, WE HAVE A MEETING THIS WEEK WITH, UH, WITH RELIANT TO TELL US EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO IF WE CONTINUE TO BUILD, AGAIN IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S SET FOR INDIVIDUAL
[01:15:01]
TOWN, I MEAN INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS, HAVE THIS ISSUE.AND ALL WE WANNA DO FROM
AGAIN, THAT'S THE MAIN REASON, THE PRIMARY REASON I MOVED MY FAMILY OVER HERE.
UM, I'M SPEAKING TO YOU AS A RESIDENT OF THE DISTRICT D.
UM, ALSO IN REGARD TO THE 53 26 DEVELOPMENT, UM, I HAVE GENERALIZED CONCERNS, UH, THAT I SHARE, OBVIOUSLY WITH PEOPLE WHO'VE SPOKEN ALREADY.
BUT I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, UH, THAT THIS WILL HAVE.
I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE EPA BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE CITY IS IN VIOLATION OF ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE CONSENT DECREE FROM 2019 REGARDING THE, UH, DISCHARGE OF MATERIAL, UH, INTO THE, THE BAYOU THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH FAILED REMEDIATION.
AND I THINK THIS IS, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF THE CONSENT DECREES, AN AGGRAVATION OF, UH, OF A SITUATION THAT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DEALT WITH LEGALLY.
BUT I ALSO WANTED TO SPEAK TODAY ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE, THERE ARE NEW REQUIREMENTS AS OF, UH, HARVEY, IN FACT, UH, AS OF, UH, MARCH OF, OF LAST YEAR OR YEAR BEFORE LAST, THAT REQUIRE TRACKS, UH, LESS THAN ONE ACRE TO HAVE AT LEAST 0.75 ACRE FEET PER ACRE OF DETENTION, UH, AS WELL AS DIRECT CONNECTION THAT'S SITTED TO THE STORM SYSTEM.
AND SO, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THAT AN ACRE FITS A VOLUME DESCRIBED BY AN ACRE AND A HEIGHT OF A FOOT.
SO, SO, SO IF YOU TAKE THAT DEFINITION, THE REQUIRED DETENTION FOR AMISH PATEL.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE SOME OF MY TIME TO MR. THOMAS SO HE CAN COMPLETE A STATEMENT.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SHABBAT.
SO, SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THAT THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE, THE, THE PLA THE, THE, THE, UH, PLAN THAT SUGGESTS THAT THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE ORDER OF 250,000 GALLONS WORTH OF DETENTION OR ABOUT A THIRD OF AN OLYMPIC SIZE SWIMMING POOL ON THAT PROPERTY.
AND THAT IS ACTUALLY WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED BY THE COUNTY.
AND SO I JUST THINK THAT THE CURRENT PLAN OF THE 17 UNITS IS DEFINITELY IN VIOLATION OF, OF, UH, THE POTENTIAL PLANS REQUIRED, UH, BY THE COUNTY.
AND I'M CONFUSED AS TO HOW THE CITY CAN ALLOW PERMITTING TO GO ON WHEN THE BASIC SORTS OF, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS HAVEN'T BEEN MET.
I ALSO KNOW THAT RECENT RAIN EVENTS HAVE RESULTED IN SLOUGHING OF UNREMEDIATED TRENCH SOIL FROM THAT RESIDENCE, UH, INTO, UH, COUNT STREET.
I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT URBAN SOILS, UH, WITH HOUSING THAT PREDATES THE EPA ARE FREQUENTLY CONTAMINATED WITH PESTICIDES, PETROLEUM PRODUCTS, ASBESTOS, LED CHROMIUM, ARSENATE, AND CONE.
UM, AND SINCE THE SOIL'S BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY DISTURBED, I, I'D REALLY URGE THE CITY TO TEST, UH, AND TO CONSIDER A CAREFUL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY, UH, IN THE CONTEXT OF LOCAL CODE COMPLIANCE, BUT ALSO IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S FEDERAL OBLIGATION TO ABIDE BY THE CLEAN WATER ACT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
[MAYOR'S REPORT]
TURN NOW TO, UH, UH, MAKE A FEW COMMENTS BEFORE WE TURN ONTO TO THE AGENDA.UM, NINE 11 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 11TH WILL MARK THE ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11, TERRORIST ATTACK THAT KILLED 2,996 PEOPLE.
AND ON SATURDAY, THE NINE 11 HEROES RUN.
5K WELCOMES RUNNERS AND WALKERS OF ALL AGES AND FITNESS LEVELS TO HONOR THE HEROES OF NINE 11.
AND THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED OUR NATION SINCE.
WE WILL ALSO WELCOME SOME OF THE SURVIVORS, ALONG WITH FAMILY MEMBERS OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE HORRIFIC ATTACKS ON AMERICA ON NINE 11 2001, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NEW YORK CITY FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
SO, UM, THAT WILL BE, UH, SUNDAY, OF COURSE, MARCH NINE 11.
AND THEN THE, UH, NINE 11 HERO RUN 5K WILL BE ON SATURDAY.
SO PLEASE, UM, NOTE THAT ON YOUR CALENDARS, UH, ALSO THIS WEEK, IN FACT, TOMORROW, UH, THE VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND THE UNITED STATES ENERGY SECRETARY, JENNIFER GRANHOLM, UH, WILL BOTH BE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THE VICE PRESIDENT WILL BE HERE TWO DAYS TO, AND, UH, SHE WILL ATTEND THE NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTIONS ANNUAL SESSION.
AND THEN THE SECRETARY GRANT HOME WILL TOUR, UH, THE STATE OF THE ART UNION WORKERS, A TRAINING FACILITY FOCUSED ON ENERGY JOBS, AND THEN ANNOUNCING MAJOR NEW GEOTHERMAL ENERGY INITIATIVE.
UH, SECRETARY GRANT, I WILL LATER VISIT THE ION, FOLLOWED BY A ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION WITH GEOTHERMAL
[01:20:01]
INNOVATORS.UM, I WILL BE WITH BOTH OF THEM AT DIFFERENT PARTS TIMES OF THE DAY, UH, ON TOMORROW.
UH, AND THEN I WANT TO TURN TO, WE'VE GOT TWO CHARTS THAT I WANT TO, UH, UH, TO, TO SHOW THIS MORNING AS IT RELATES TO CRIME IN OUR CITY.
UM, I REFUSE TO ACCEPT ANYONE SAYING THAT THIS IS THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY, BECAUSE IT IS NOT.
IT COULD BE SOMEONE FROM THE PULPIT.
IT COULD BE SOME, SOME BUSINESS PERSON.
IT COULD BE SOMEONE IN THE STREET.
BUT I'M NOT GOING TO ALLOW ANYBODY TO TARNISH REPRESENT REPUTATION OF THE CITY.
THE FIRST CHARGE IS A CHARGE THAT IS SENT TO ME FROM HPD, UH, EVERY OTHER, EVERY OTHER WEEK.
AND IT TALK, AND IT, UH, IT'S A MULTI-CITY COMPARISON, UH, THAT IS SENT TO ME FROM HPD.
AND I LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS EVERY OTHER WEEK.
AND IF YOU CAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN BLOW IT UP A LITTLE BIT, UH, BUT IN TERMS OF HOMICIDES, AND I JUST, AND THIS IS NOT TO DISPARAGE OF THE CITIES, I JUST WANNA LOOK AT IT FROM A FACTUAL POINT OF VIEW.
UH, CHICAGO, FOR EXAMPLE, AS OF THIS, THIS TIME PERIOD, YEAR TO DATE, UM, THE, UH, THERE ARE 465 MURDERS IN CHICAGO.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE CITY WHERE THE HOMICIDE RATE IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF HOMICIDES IS 465, WHEN HOUSTON HAS 308, YOU SEE THAT THE, THE HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO IN THAT LAST CATEGORY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF HOMICIDES PER CAPITA, HOUSTON IS 13.36 PER, PER, PER 100,000 CAPITAL.
AND THEN LOOK AT ALL OF THE OTHER CITIES AND WHERE THEY STAND.
CHICAGO IS HIGHER THAN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
INDIANAPOLIS IS AT 16, WASHINGTON DC IS AT 20 POINT 59.
MILWAUKEE IS AT 27.03, AND LANCE IS AT 21.46.
PITTSBURGH IS AT 15.51, AND ST.
WE ARE NOT EVEN IN THE TOP 10.
OKAY? WE ARE NOT IN THE TOP 10.
AND SO THERE IS IMPORTANT FACTS SHOULD STILL MATTER.
FACTS SHOULD MATTER WHETHER YOU'RE IN THE PULPIT OR WHETHER YOU'RE BEHIND.
THIS CHAIR IS THE MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND SO I, FROM A FACTUAL POINT OF VIEW, UH, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT DISAGREE WITH ANYONE WHO CLAIMS THAT THIS CITY IS THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN AMERICA, BECAUSE THAT IS FACTUALLY, FACTUALLY NOT TRUE.
AND YOU CAN PULL YOUR NUMBERS FROM ONLINE, OKAY? BUT THAT DOESN'T GET YOU, AND, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO ESTABLISH YOUR POINT.
BUT THESE, THIS NUMBER, THIS CHART IS SENT TO ME EVERY OTHER WEEK BY HPD.
NOW, ON THE NEXT CHART, GET THE NEXT ONE ON THE, ON THIS CHART, IT TELLS YOU IN COMPARISON OF WHERE, WHERE WE ARE IN RELATIONS TO, UH, UH, THE PREVIOUS YEARS, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND SO, AS OF THIS MORNING, AND I GET THIS, AND LOOK AT THIS, THIS CHART, EVERY SINGLE MON, UH, MORNING, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, AS OF THIS MORNING, UH, WHEN YOU COMPARE WHERE WE WERE TO LAST YEAR, WE ARE 3% BELOW, OKAY? NINE FEWER, NINE FEWER MURDERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAN WE WERE LAST, THAN WE WERE LAST YEAR.
AND WE'RE WORKING EVERY DAY TO TRY TO DRIVE THOSE NUMBERS DOWN.
AND THE IRON, I MEAN, AND, AND, AND, AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, AT THAT BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE WERE 65, 70% ABOVE LAST YEAR.
BUT AS OF THIS MORNING, WE ARE 3% BELOW.
AND THESE ARE NUMBERS AGAIN, THAT HPD SENDS TO ME EVERY SINGLE MORNING, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
THE MULTI-CITY COMPARISON I LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
SO THIS IS WHAT, THIS IS WHAT I DO, UH, AS A MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, WORKING DIRECTLY WITH LAW ENFORCE ENFORCEMENT AND WORKING WITH HPD.
UH, AND SO THIS IS THE LANE IN WHICH I FIND MYSELF IN.
AND SO I AM GOING TO TAKE ISSUE.
IT'S VERY STRONGLY WITH ANYONE, FOR, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY STAND UP AND SAY THAT HOUSTON IS THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN AMERICA.
AND THAT IS FACTUALLY NOT THE CASE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REFUTE THAT BECAUSE IN POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP, OTHER PEOPLE ARE LISTENING, OTHER PEOPLE ARE LISTENING TO THAT.
AND IF YOU ARE IN A POSITION OF LEADERSHIP, AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAD A, IF YOU HAVE A,
[01:25:01]
A WIDE FOLLOWING, THEN OTHER PEOPLE TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND THEY RUN WITH IT, AND THEN THEY GO TELL SOMEBODY ELSE, AND THEN THEY GO TELL SOMEBODY ELSE.AND SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF MISINFORMATION.
AND SO I RESPECT PEOPLE, I RESPECT PEOPLE IN THEIR LEADERSHIP POSITIONS.
I RESPECT PEOPLE WHEN I'M NOT GONNA TAKE ISSUE.
I'LL BE VERY, VERY RELUCTANT TO TAKE ISSUE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF MY PASTOR IN THE PUB, AND HE, AND HE'S DISSECTING THE SCRIPTURE, THAT'S WHAT HE DOES, THAT'S HIS AREA OF EXPERTISE.
AND I WOULD BE VERY RELUCTANT TO STAND UP AND SAY TO MY PASTOR, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, I DISAGREE WITH YOU IN YOUR INTERPRETATION OF THE SCRIPTURE.
AND THE SAME THING TO ANY, FOR EXAMPLE, TO ANY PERSON IN THEIR PARTICULAR POSITION.
BUT IN TERMS OF, UM, CRIME IN THIS CITY AND HOW WE STACK UP AGAINST OTHER CITIES, AND I WILL TELL YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PER CAPITA NUMBERS, WE ARE NOT EVEN IN THE TOP 10.
OKAY? SO FROM A FACTUAL POINT OF VIEW, WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN AMERICA.
AND I WOULD, AND I WOULD HOPE AND PRAY THAT PEOPLE WOULD STOP SAYING THAT I CAN'T STOP PEOPLE FROM SAYING THAT AND PULL AWAY FROM THAT POSITION.
AND THEN NATURALLY, LEMME LEMME JUST SAY THIS.
I THINK AS LEADERS, WE HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL WHEN WE START CHARACTERIZING PEOPLE AND CALLING PEOPLE BOMBS.
OKAY? I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THAT STATEMENT.
I THINK WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL.
AND INITIALLY I WAS GOING TO LEAVE IT ALONE, BUT I KNOW IF MY, IF MY DADDY HEARD ME SAYING THAT ABOUT SOMEBODY, HE WOULD SAY, HOLD UP.
AND SO, I, I, I WOULD HOPE THAT, THAT AS LEADERS, WE STAY AWAY FROM THAT TYPE OF LANGUAGE, THOSE TYPE OF WORDS.
WE CAN DISAGREE, BUT BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, UM, COUNCILMAN PLUM, IF YOU DISAGREE WITH ME, THAT DOESN'T MAKE YOU A BU YOU HAVE THAT, RIGHT? WE CAN DISAGREE, COUNCILMAN, WE CAN DISAGREE, BUT I DON'T HAVE TO CHARACTERIZE YOU OR CALL YOU, UM, UH, SOME NAME BECAUSE WE DISAGREE.
THAT DOESN'T MAKE, THAT DOESN'T MAKE FOR WHAT I CALL A WHOLESOME CITY.
NOW, DISCOURSE IS FINE, OKAY? AND FACTS MATTER.
AND LEADERS HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING FACTUAL INFORMATION.
AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO PROVIDE THESE CHARTS TO YOU THIS MORNING, UM, BECAUSE THE REPUTA REPUTATION OF THIS CITY IS IMPORTANT.
WE REPRESENT THIS CITY, AND THE REPUTATION OF THIS CITY IS IMPORTANT.
SO I WONDER TO THAT, AND NOW I'M, I'M DONE WITH IT, OKAY? AND I'M MOVING, I'M MOVING ON.
UNLESS SOMEBODY TRIES TO COME BACK AND TRIPLE DOWN ON IT, THEN I'LL BE BACK AGAIN,
BUT I WILL TELL YOU ON THIS ISSUE, I SHALL NOT BACK DOWN, AND I'M NOT GONNA BACK DOWN, OKAY? NOT WHEN THE FACTS ARE ON OUR SIDE.
AND I HAVE NO POLITICAL AGENDA OTHER THAN MAKING SURE THAT WE WORK, THAT WE ARE DOING OUR VERY BEST TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE IN THIS CITY.
AND I THINK COLLECTIVELY THAT EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE DOING, OKAY? COUNCIL MEMBER K MAYOR, BACK IN 2017, WHENEVER THE FEDERAL JUDGE, UH, WAS, WAS ACTING ON THIS BAIL, UH, RULING AND RULING, UH, SOME OF THESE THINGS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
I, I MADE QUITE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE BAIL INDUSTRY HAS BEEN A PROVEN SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND THAT, UH, I, I ENCOURAGED, UH, US ALL THAT, THAT WE, WE HAVE TO HOLD PEOPLE WHO VIOLATE THE LAW OR HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH VIOLATING THE LAW ACCOUNTABLE.
AND, AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD, UH, A SPIKE IN CRIME, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS AND EVEN THE MURDER OF ONE OF OUR OFFICERS, UH, HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY.
AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT FROM THE PULPITS, PEOPLE ARE SAYING THINGS, AND AS I LOOK AT THIS, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THEY, THEY SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT HOUSTON IS THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN TEXAS AND NOT IN AMERICA.
WOULD THAT HAVE BEEN FAIR TO SAY?
[01:30:01]
MM, I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD GO EVEN GO THAT, THAT FAR.WE ARE CERTAINLY THE MOST THE LARGEST CITY IN, IN, IN, IN TEXAS, BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I WOULD GO THAT.
I JUST THINK YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU'RE MAKING THOSE, EVEN THOSE CHARACTERIZATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER, WELL, THE PER THE PER CAPITA, UH, WW WOULD'VE BEARED THAT OUT.
BUT, BUT MAYOR, WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS, IS THAT, UH, I, I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE FOLLOWING THE, THE, THE, THE JUDGES ARE FOLLOWING SENATE BILL SEVEN, UH, THAT, THAT SENATOR, UH, WHITMEYER AND OTHERS HAD SUPPORTED, WHERE, WHERE THE JUDGES WOULD SIGN OFF ON, ON THAT.
THEY HAD SEEN THE CRIMINAL HISTORY OF DEFENDANTS.
WHEN, WHEN YOU RELEASE HABITUAL VIOLENT OFFENDERS BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY ON EITHER A LOW OR NO BOND, AND IT'S HISTORICALLY BEEN DONE OVER AND OVER, YOU'RE SENDING A MESSAGE TO THESE FOLKS.
AND, AND EVEN IN THE MISDEMEANOR AREAS, WHEN THEY KEEP GETTING OUT AND DOING THE SAME THINGS, AND THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY.
THAT'S MY CONCERN, THAT WE, WE NEED TO BE SAFE.
I, I DON'T WANT TO CARRY A GUN TO THE STORE.
I DON'T WANT TO CARRY A GUN WHERE I GO.
I THINK THAT WE, WE, WE NEED TO FEEL SAFE.
I THINK OUR PARENTS NEED TO FEEL SAFE.
OUR GRANDPARENTS, LOOK, I'M 71 YEARS OLD, AND, AND I DON'T, I, I DON'T HAVE IT WITHIN ME TO TRY TO FIGHT SOMEBODY AT, AT, AT A PARKING LOT IF THEY TRY TO ROB ME.
YOU KNOW, I, I, I JUST DON'T WANT OUR PEOPLE TO BE UNDER THIS, THIS, UH, THIS FEELING OF, OF FEAR.
AND SO WE NEED TO FEEL SAFE IN OUR HOMES.
WE NEED TO FEEL SAFE IN OUR CARS EVERY DAY.
I READ THESE TRAGEDIES OF SHOOTINGS.
AND, UH, BUT I, I DO, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOW GOT INTO THE PULPITS.
UH, AND MAYOR, I APPRECIATE THESE NUMBERS BECAUSE THESE WILL BE VALUABLE TO ME.
TO THE AGENDA UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY, ITEM TWO HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS THREE AND FOUR, GRANTED MOTION.
SECOND, ROBINSON, IT'S BEEN MOVED.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST CRIME UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF B CATEGORY.
ITEM FIVE HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
NEED A MOTION FOR ITEM SIX? SO MOVED.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POLICY GRANT UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE EIGHT, NINE, I'M SORRY, I SKIPPED RESOLUTION UNDER RESOLUTIONS.
CATEGORY ITEM SEVEN HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ORDINANCES.
CATEGORY ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE EIGHT, NINE, AND 25.
DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR.
[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
IS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.UM, I JUST WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THIS ITEM.
IT'S CITYWIDE, BUT IT INCLUDES A HUNDRED OVER A HUNDRED DISTRICT C LOCATIONS, UM, ADDRESSING SANITARY SEWER REHABS.
UM, OUR DISTRICT CONTINUES TO HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST NUMBERS OF THESE ISSUES, SO I JUST, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THIS ITEM.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON TWO IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON TWO.
ITEM SEVEN IS A RESOLUTION, JUST NEEDS A VOTE.
ITEM SEVEN IS BEING TAGGED, SO SHE CAN BE HERE NEXT WEEK SO THE COUNCIL MEMBER CAN BE PRESENT.
OKAY, ITEM EIGHT IS AN ORDINANCE.
JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM EIGHT.
WITH YOUR PERMISSION, I'D LIKE TO TAG THIS ITEM.
UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I JUST, I HAVE STILL REGARDING, UM, THE 10 MEMBER COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, HOWARD WAS CHOSEN.
AND THEN IF WE COULD AMEND THAT, IF ANY POSSIBLE WAY TO AMEND THAT, UM, HOW THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS ARE BEING HELD, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION FOR THE PUBLIC, UM, THE RFPS THAT ARE CHOSEN.
WE JUST FOUND OUT THAT HARMONY HOUSE WILL BE MANAGING THIS AND JUST KIND
[01:35:01]
OF HOW ARE THEY GONNA DO IT, AND WHAT METRICS ARE WE GONNA PUT IN PLACE.SO JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I WOULD LIKE TO, TO, UM, LOOK INTO.
SO I WILL, I'LL REMOVE MY TAG FOR, FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, I, I'LL JOIN THAT TAG ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER.
I TOO HAD SOME QUE AND I APPRECIATE THE ADMINISTRATION'S THOROUGH RESPONSE.
I, I, I OUTLINED SPECIFICALLY THREE OF THE, OF THE ITEMS IN THE SCOPE OF WORK WHEN WE APPROVE THE LEASE AGREEMENT AND JUST WANT SOME MORE INFORMATION ON COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
I, AS, UH, CHAIR OF REGULATORY NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS, I REALLY TRY TO PROMOTE USE OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A GOOD CONDUIT FOR INFORMATION UP AND DOWN.
I UNDERSTAND THESE MEMBERS ARE, ARE ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY, SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE PART OF IT, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME BROADER PARTICIPATION BY THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL.
WE'LL CERTAINLY GOING TO ESTABLISH SOME ADVISORY BOARD, UH, WHERE OTHER MEMBERS CAN BE ADDED AND PROVIDE THEIR VOICES.
UM, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND I'M GONNA JOIN THE TAG AS WELL.
UM, I'M IN THE PROCESS OF SETTING UP A MEETING WITH, UM, MARK EIKENBERG TO GET, UM, UPDATED ON THE, UM, THE TRANSFER CENTER.
AND SO, UM, THIS IS JUST A COURTESY TAG TO KIND OF GET MORE INFORMATION AND AS WELL AS THE ADVISORY BOARD.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON EIGHT? THIS ITEM IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN PLUMER, ALCO, AND JACKSON.
COUNCILMAN ALCO AND JACKSON AND PLUMER.
JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM NINE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, MAKE SURE RESIDENTS KNOW THIS IS THE THIRD SEGMENT OF A MASSIVE WATERLINE ROAD SIDEWALK REHABILITATION.
UM, IT GOES ALL THE WAY ACTUALLY FROM EMANCIPATION IN THE EAST TO GREENBRIAR IN THE WEST.
WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF WORK IN THAT AREA WITH THE SECOND SEGMENT.
UM, BUT I HAVE BEEN REASSURED AND I APPRECIATE PUBLIC WORKS, IS GONNA BE DOING EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS, STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH AS THIS GOES TO CONSTRUCTION.
SO JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON, UH, DISTRICT C'S RADAR.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 25 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 25? ITEM 26
[MATTERS HELD]
IS AN ORDINANCE.THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
AND I'M GONNA SEGUE OUT AND, UH, MAY I PRETEND WE'LL SEGUE IN
CONGRATULATIONS TO COUNCILMAN MR. SEZ GRANDBABY.
GRAND AND BIRTHDAY COUNCIL MEMBER, MIKE KNOX.
[NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
I THINK I'M JUST GONNA PASS.I'M, I'VE HAD A WONDERFUL MORNING.
WELL, MAYOR PRO TEM DAY MARTIN WILL CONTINUE WITH THAT THEME.
COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH, UH, WHEN YOU ADOPT A A, UH, A, A A DOG OUT BARK, UH, ALSO CONSIDER FOSTERING A CHILD, CHILDREN, UH, NEED.
COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON.
COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY D. THOMAS.
PASSING COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN.
OKAY, I WILL PASS, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY I WAS THERE AGAIN.
AND IT DIDN'T TAKE OFF, BUT GREAT TO BE AT NASA
YEAH, AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU'RE CRAY CRAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER LETICIA PLUMMER.
I JUST WANNA WISH A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JOSIE DAON IN OUR OFFICE, OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY COUNCIL MEMBER TASHA JACKSON.
COUNCIL MEMBER AK ABBY CAYMAN.
IN ADDITION TO RECOGNIZING NINE 11 RICE UNIVERSITY IS ACTUALLY HAVING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE, WE CHOOSE TO GO TO THE MOON SPEECH ON MONDAY.
UH, SO THAT'S, THERE'S ALSO EXHIBITS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, WE HAVE HAD IN DISTRICT C OVER 31 WATER LEAKS IN A TWO MONTH PERIOD.
I WANTED TO THANK PUBLIC WORKS, GRO AND HOUSTON WATER FOR EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE DOING, UM, AS WELL AS STEVEN CAMPANIA, UM, WHO WORKED WITH BUSINESS OWNERS ALONG THE WEST ALABAMA PROJECT TO SAVE TWO HISTORIC LIVE OAKS.
UM, I ALSO WANTED COUNCIL MEMBERS TO LET Y'ALL REMIND Y'ALL WE HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING AT 2:00 PM TOMORROW.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, CENTER POINT RICE UNIVERSITY, UH, AND, UH, OEM
[01:40:01]
DISCUSSING, UH, IN LIGHT OF THE GRID ISSUES THAT WE HAD WITH WINTER STORM URI AND CONCERNS OVER THE SUMMER, UH, WHAT OEM AND OTHERS ARE DOING AS A CITY TO PREPARE WITH EMERGENCY RESPONSE.SO THAT WILL BE AT 2:00 PM TOMORROW.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY, A BIG, BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
CIS, WE ARE SO HAPPY FOR YOUR FAMILY.
AND WHAT A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL BABY COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ PASS.
I, I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE COIN TOSS AT THE JACK CASE MADISON GAME.
I THINK THE WEATHER KIND OF THREW US OFF, AND SO WE KNOW THAT THE OUTCOME WAS NOT ONE THAT I WOULD'VE, UH, LIKED.
UM, ALSO, I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND FOR ALLOWING ME, UH, TO PARTICIPATE YESTERDAY WITH THE SOUND ORDINANCE PRESS CONFERENCE.
UH, WE CERTAINLY ARE, I'M GLAD THAT COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN AND I WERE THERE TO SUPPORT THIS.
AND WE THANK THE COUNCIL FOR APPROVING IT AND HOPEFULLY THE, UH, COMMUNITIES CAN GET QUALITY OF LIFE.
ALSO, I WANT TO SAY THAT I WILL JOIN, UH, THE MAYOR TODAY AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE, FRIENDS IN SOLIDARITY FOR GUN VIOLENCE REDUCTION, AND THAT'S AT 2:00 PM IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION AT LILLY GROVE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH.
ALSO ON THIS SATURDAY, JANICE WEAVER AND ONE BODY NETWORKING NINTH ANNIVERSARY BLOOD DRIVE.
COME BY ON THIS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 10TH FROM NINE TO ONE 30.
UH, IT'S AT THE YOUNG WOMEN'S COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL, 1906 CLEBURNE.
COME AND JOIN US AND DONATE BLOOD.
ALSO ON, UM, NEXT SATURDAY THE 17TH.
UM, I WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN A STAY READY HOUSTON SUCCESS IN BUSINESS AT THE EMANCIPATION PARK.
I WILL BE JOINED BY, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE STATE REP RYAN REYNOLDS AND MY OWN COLLEAGUE, LETITIA PLUMMER.
UH, IT WILL BE ON THIS SATURDAY FROM 10:00 AM TO 3:00 PM IT IS FREE, BUT REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED BY SEPTEMBER THE 15TH AT WWW.STAYREADYHOUSTON.COM.
AND THAT CONCLUDES, UH, WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
AND CONGRATULATIONS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS ON YOUR NEW EDITION TO YOUR FAMILY.
SPEAKING OF COUNCIL MEMBER GRANDMA.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOUR KIND WISHES.
UH, UM, UH, WE ARE SO EXCITED TO WELCOME A NEW GRANDDAUGHTER WHO WAS BORN ONE WEEK AGO TODAY.
UM, AND WE'RE WE, OUR FAMILY COULDN'T BE MORE THRILLED.
UM, UH, HPD CHIEF FENNER WILL KICK OFF THE NEXT CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE MEETING NEXT WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH AT 2:00 PM UM, AS THE COMMITTEE FOCUSES ON SOME OF THE INIT, THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION INITIATIVES UNDERWAY BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR CHILDREN, UM, DIRECTOR STEVEN WILLIAMS WILL SPEND, UM, SOMETIMES SPEAKING ABOUT SOME VERY EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS THAT THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS THAT REDUCE OR PREVENT VIOLENCE.
AND DIRECTOR OLI KOSKA WILL OUTLINE THE CITY'S PRIORITY GOALS FOR THE CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE ACTION PLAN.
SO PLEASE JOIN US NEXT WEDNESDAY.
IT'S A, UM, A HYBRID MEETING, AND SO YOU CAN JOIN US IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY.
UM, THAT'S WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH AT 2:00 PM THANK YOU.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE REPRESENTING US ACROSS THE ENTIRE GLOBE.
AND SO I HOPE THEY HAVE SAFE TRAVELS ON THEIR RETURN BACK.
AND JUST A REMINDER, WE WILL MEET AGAIN NEXT WEEK, BUT WE WILL NOT MEET AS A COUNCIL OF THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 19TH.
SO WITH THAT MEETING ADJOURNED.