[PRESENTATIONS]
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I AM VICE MAYOR PROTE, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER AS A HYBRID MEETING WITH SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS JOINING IN PERSON AND SOME USING MICROSOFT TEAMS. UH, FIRST ON OUR LIST OF PROCLAMATIONS FOR TODAY, UH, I WILL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO SAN JOSE CLINIC IN HONOR OF UPCOMING SAN JOSE CLINIC CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION ON OCTOBER 7TH.AND I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROCLAMATION TODAY.
IF I COULD ASK THE SAN JOSE CLINIC PEOPLE TO COME ON UP AND THERE'S A BUNCH OF 'EM.
UM, THIS IS SUPER EXCITING YOU GUYS.
AND I KNOW OUR COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, USED TO WORK AT SAN JOSE CLINIC, AND IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE HOW MUCH GOOD THEY DO.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING ON THEIR ADVISORY BOARD AND REALLY JUST CARING FOR THE INDIGENT AND PEOPLE WITHOUT HE HEALTH INSURANCE IN OUR CITY, WHICH, WHICH IS JUST AN UNBELIEVABLE CALLING AND BLESSING.
AND THEIR BIG HUNDRED YEAR ANNIVERSARY GALA, EVERYBODY CAN CHIP IN, UM, IS OCTOBER 7TH, SO WE'RE DOING THIS EARLY, BUT OCTOBER 7TH, THE ACTUAL DAY.
SAN JOSE CLINIC, THE ORIGINAL SAFETY NET CLINIC IN HOUSTON HAS GROWN INTO A LEADING PROVIDER OF QUALITY HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AND NOW FORT BEND COUNTY.
AREAS WHO STRUGGLE THE MOST WITH ACCESSING CARE.
THE CLINIC BEGAN WITH THE VISION OF MONSIGNOR WALSH, A DONATION OF $50 FROM THE CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN AND VOLUNTEERS FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO CAME TOGETHER WITH THE HOPE OF REMOVING BARRIERS TO HEALTHCARE FOR THE UNDERSERVED.
100 YEARS LATER, SAN JOSE CLINIC PROUDLY UPHOLDS THE LEGACY OF THEIR FOUNDERS BY CONTINUING TO PROVIDE HEALTHCARE FOR THOSE WHO NEED A HEALTH HOME THE MOST.
WITH SERVICES, INCLUDING PRIMARY AND SPECIALTY MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE SERVICES, AS WELL AS VISION LABORATORY AND PHARMACY SERVICES.
SAN JOSE CLINIC WORKS AS A FOUNDING AND FOREVER PARTNER WITH THE CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN, A UNITED WAY AGENCY, A TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER MEMBER INSTITUTION, AND A MINISTRY OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON HOUSTON, GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY INDIVIDUALS, CORPORATIONS, AND FOUNDATIONS, SAN JOSE CLINIC HAS PROVIDED CARE TO OVER 1.2 MILLION HOUSTON AREA NEIGHBORS.
IN 2021, NEARLY 500 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED A COMBINED 24,000 HOURS EQUIVALENT TO OVER 900,000 IN, IN-KIND VALUE.
SAN JOSE CLINIC CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE UNDERSERVED AND UNINSURED OF THE GREATER HOUSTON AND SURROUNDING AREAS, CULMINATING IN THE FOREVER HEALING CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION ON OCTOBER 7TH.
ON THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS PLEASED TO CONGRATULATE AND COMMEND THE SAN JOSE CLINIC FOR ITS MANY SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO ITS PATIENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY, AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR MANY MORE YEARS OF CONTINUED SUCCESS.
THEREFORE, I VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM ON BEHALF OF SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 7TH, 2022 AS SAN JOSE CLINIC DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
OKAY, I'D LIKE TO INVITE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MAUREEN SANDERS TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OUR STAFF WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY, IN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS THAT SAN JOSE CLINIC HAS SERVED SINCE 1922.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THIS MILESTONE OF OUR 100TH ANNIVERSARY.
MANY OF US HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT DOWNTOWN HOUSTON MUST HAVE LOOKED LIKE IN 1922.
I'M PERSONALLY THINKING IT WAS PROBABLY PRETTY SWAMPY.
HOWEVER, JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
SAN JOSE CLINIC WAS BORN OUT OF A NEED TO SERVE IMMIGRANTS, PRIMARILY WOMEN AND CHILDREN COMING TO SEEK A BETTER LIFE AND WHO HAD NO ACCESS TO CARE.
SAN JOSE CLINIC HAS REMAINED FAITHFUL TO THIS VISION FOR 100 YEARS BY PROVIDING MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE, ACCESS TO PHARMACY, AND A HOST OF OTHER HEALTHCARE SERVICES WITH THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE GREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY.
MANY OF YOU WHO ARE IN THIS ROOM TODAY, WE WILL FOREVER HEAL THOSE LESS FORTUNATE, WELL BEYOND ANOTHER 100 YEARS.
WE DO HAVE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER, BRENDA Q.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
I HAVE, UM, I HAVE A BROTHER RIGHT NOW THAT THAT HAS, UH, CANCER AND, UH, HE'S IN CHEMO AND I COULD ONLY IMAGINE, UH, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF
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HE DIDN'T HAVE INSURANCE AND IF HE DIDN'T HAVE A SUPPORT GROUP WITH HIM.SO, UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE AN EXTENSION OF GOD'S HANDS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING AND NEED HELP.
THERE'S NOTHING GREATER THAN BEING ABLE TO HELP OTHERS IN THEIR TIME OF NEED.
I REMEMBER WHERE JESUS SAID I WAS SICK AND YOU CAME UNTO ME.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO REMEMBER THAT, UH, THAT OTHERS THAT ARE, THAT DON'T HAVE THE MEANS, STILL NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF, WE'RE ALL EQUALLY IMPORTANT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, IS THERE SOMEONE WHO CAN INTRODUCE THE STAFF THAT'S WITH US TODAY? OR DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE GREAT.
UM, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE FROM BEHIND ME HERE, BUT LET'S SEE.
WE HAVE, UH, KIMBERLY CLARK CLARKSON, SHE IS OUR CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER.
WE WIN WHO IS ON OUR COMMUNICATION STAFF.
CARRIE COTTINGHAM, WHO IS OUR GRANT WRITER, ALYSSA HEADLEY, WHO IS OUR VOLUNTEER MANAGER, UH, WHICH AS YOU HEARD IN THE PROCLAMATION, WE HAVE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS.
UH, GLADYS, WHO IS IN OUR DEVELOPMENT STAFF, LEE RODRIGUEZ, WHO'S IN QUALITY SISTER PAULINE TRU, WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY, WHO ACTUALLY MANAGED THE CLINIC FOR MORE THAN 50 OF THE 100 YEARS WOW.
IS ON OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND IS JOINING US TODAY.
WE HAVE OUR WONDERFUL, UH, VISTA, UH, WHO HAS JOINED US THIS YEAR.
SANJANA, AMY, WHO IS OUR DENTAL CLINIC MANAGER.
NEVIS, WHO'S OUR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS.
JILL, WHO'S ON OUR DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
EDLE EID, WHO'S OUR CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER.
I'M LOOKING KIMBERLY GUERRERO, WHO'S PATIENT ACCESS, UM, A WHO TRAVELED FROM FORT BEND COUNTY.
SHE IS, UM, AT OUR FORT BEND SITE.
AND JOHANNA, WHO IS IN OUR MEDICAL TEAM.
LET'S GIVE EVERYBODY A, DID I MISS ONE? YEAH.
REMEMBERING EVERYBODY'S NAMES ON THE SPOT.
I'M KIND STOP WITH THE LAST NAMES 'CAUSE IT WAS, THERE'S LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND YOU KNOW, ALL THE DOCTORS THAT COME AND, AND SERVE THERE ARE VOLUNTEERS.
THEY COME FROM THE MED CENTER AND VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT ORGANIZATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO FOR PRESENTING SAN JOSE CLINIC.
AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE SO MANY FAMILIAR FACES.
AND I HAVE MY RING ON FROM THE, UH, CHARITY GUILD STILL TODAY.
WE HAVE NO OTHER COMMENTS IN THE QUEUE, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY AND YOUR HISTORY.
CHAIR, LIKE TO RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH FOR PROCLAMATION TO THE US AIR FORCE REPRESENTATIVES AND CELEBRATION OF THEIR 75TH BIRTHDAY.
UM, I'D LIKE TO HAVE, UH, MASTER SERGEANT ANTHONY BULLOCK, US AIR FORCE COME.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE, UH, DIRECTOR DEMBO COME BEFORE WE STARTED TODAY, I GOT TO TALK TO THESE YOUNG PEOPLE HERE.
AND IT WAS A VERY EMOTIONAL MOMENT TO BE ABLE TO, TO SHARE WITH THEM SOME STORIES THAT, THAT I HAD AND TO, AND TO APPRECIATE OUR, OUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY.
TODAY WE RECOGNIZE THE 75TH BIRTHDAY OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, WHICH HAS THE MOST ADVANCED FLEET OF AIRCRAFT IN THE WORLD, AND MOST SKILLED PILOTS TO OPERATE THEM.
AND I'D LIKE TO SAY, THANK GOD THE US DEPART WAR
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DEPARTMENT CREATED THE FORERUNNER OF THE US AIR FORCE AS A PART OF THE US ARMY.IN 1907, THE NATIONAL SECURITY ACT OF 1947, SIGNED BY PRESIDENT HARRY S TRUMAN ESTABLISHED THE DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AS ITS OWN BRANCH OF THE MILITARY.
BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL SEPTEMBER THE 18TH OF 1947, WHEN THE FIRST SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE WAS SWORN INTO OFFICE THAT THE AIR FORCE WAS OFFICIALLY FORMED AS AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE BRANCH.
SO SEPTEMBER THE 18TH IS RECOGNIZED AS THE BIRTHDAY OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE.
THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE US AIR FORCE INCLUDE THE ACTIVE DUTY AIR FORCE, UH, FORCES, AIR FORCE RESERVES, TRAINING CORPS.
WHY DON'T YOU STAND UP, PLEASE? AND IT'S NAMED, IT'S NAMED AFTER THE AFRICAN AMERICAN BRIGADIER GENERAL IN THE UNITED, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN BRIGADIER GENERAL IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, LOCATED IN THE ALDEN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM ARE TO INSTILL VALUES OF CITIZENSHIP, DEVELOP PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND PROMOTE A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.
IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, THE RED TAILS AND FIGHTING FALCONS DRILL TEAMS ARE A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED UNIT WHO HAVE CONSISTENTLY REACHED THE ALL SERVICES NATIONAL DRILL COMPETITION.
AND DOTA DO THEY DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA.
THIS YEAR'S MISSION IS TO MATCH OR IMPROVE OVER LAST YEAR'S FOURTH PLACE FINISH NATIONALLY AFTER THE PROCLAMATION.
THESE OUTSTANDING STUDENTS ARE GONNA HAVE TO, THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE A DEMONSTRATION OF THEIR AWARD-WINNING DRILLS IN THE FRONT OF CITY HALL.
AND OF COURSE, YOU ARE GONNA BE HERE WITH ME.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE OUT THERE SEEING IT.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ASSISTANCE OF, UH, ROBERT DEBO AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERANS, UH, AFFAIRS, WHO HELPED MY STAFF IN PLANNING THIS SPECIAL DAY.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ONE OF MY STAFF MEMBERS, MS. SHIRLEY KING, WHERE YOU AT? SHIRLEY? THERE SHE IS.
WHO, WHO IS A VETERAN OF THE AIR FORCE AND ALSO OUR COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX.
I CALLED HIM EARLIER TODAY AND HE'S AT SOME, UH, PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE GOVERNOR.
AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON EXTENDS SINCERE THANKS TO THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED OUR NATION.
AND, AND THERE'S, UH, OTHER, UH, VETERANS HERE.
UH, WOULD THE VETERANS PLEASE STAND IF YOU'RE A VETERAN, UH, OF THE AIR FORCE? ANYBODY ACTIVE DUTY? ABSOLUTELY.
AND, UH, WE HAVE ACTIVE DUTY HERE.
THAT'S, THAT MAKES ME FEEL REAL PROUD.
SO, MAYOR, THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM ON BEHALF OF SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2022 AS THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE DAY 75TH BIRTHDAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? I THINK THEY'RE GONNA SAY SOMETHING FIRST.
YEAH, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA SAY SOMETHING FIRST.
WE WANNA HEAR FROM YOU FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL DO THANK YOU.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME OUT AND BE A PART OF THIS MAGNIFICENT DAY.
UM, THE BIRTHDAY OF ANY INDIVIDUAL OR ANY ORGANIZATION IS, IS A GREAT THING AND SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE CELEBRATED.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO KIND OF DISPEL THE MYTH OF JLTC BEING A RECRUITMENT TOOL FOR THE MILITARY.
MOST PEOPLE COME AND THEY HAVE THAT, THAT MINDSET THAT YOU JOIN THE JLTC AND YOU'RE GONNA JOIN THE MILITARY.
UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY ONE OF THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOLS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA FIND.
AND I LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE SOME OF MY GREATEST LEADERS AND I FEEL LIKE ONE OF THE GREATEST PROGRAMS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND SO, UM, I LIKE TO START WITH MY CORE COMMANDER, WHICH, UH, WHERE SHE STAND, WHICH IS CADET CALDERONE.
UM, MY COMMAND CHIEF IS CADET SEGOVIA.
THE DRILL TEAM OPERATIONS IS CADET LAR.
MY APOLOGIES, YOU LOOKING AT ME FUNNY IS, AND CADET GARZA.
AND THEN OF COURSE, ALL THE OTHER CADETS THAT YOU'LL SEE PERFORM TODAY WITH Y'ALL, PLEASE.
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AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU AND, UH, AS I'M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO AND NOT JUST GAME CHANGERS IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT I THINK THEY'RE GONNA BE WORLD CHANGES AS WE MOVE IN THE FUTURE.COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THE AIR FORCE AND FUN FACT.
UM, I'M A PROUD PRODUCT OF THE AIR FORCE JUNIOR, ROTC, TX 9 47 AT A LEAF ELSIK.
I WAS THE SECOND ROTC CLASS AND SERGEANT BENJAMIN MCADAMS, WHO'S NO LONGER WITH US.
UM, MIKE MCLAUGHLIN NO LONGER WITH US LIEUTENANT COLONEL MAJOR, STEVE HEBER AND COOKIE JOHNSON.
THEY ARE THE REASON I'M SITTING IN THIS SEAT TODAY.
UM, THEY INVITED ME ON A, UH, A STUDENT LEADERSHIP.
UH, I HAD NO IDEA THEY HAD US RUNNING MILES EVERY MORNING AND CLIMBING WALLS.
BUT, UM, I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I WAS WEARING THAT UNIFORM EVERY TUESDAY AT ALE ELSIK.
I ENDED UP BEING SECOND IN COMMAND OF OUR STUDENT GROUP, UM, AND BACK IN 1998.
AND IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THOSE, UH, MY MASTER SERGEANTS AND LIEUTENANT COLONEL LAUGHLIN SAYING, HEY, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DO THIS? I WOULD NEVER, I WOULDN'T BE IN THIS SEAT TODAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THANK YOU.
AND I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE ACKNOWLEDGE DR. JONES FOR YOUR WORK AND YOUR JUST CONSISTENT COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE THAT THE ARMED SERVICES STAYS BEFORE THE CITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO, REAL QUICK, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HONOR, UH, OUR AIR FORCE VETERANS AND OUR ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS.
BUT THERE'S A FEW PEOPLE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE.
UH, WE HAD, ONE IS ACTUALLY, SHE'S STILL PARKING.
SHE HAS SERVED 28 YEARS AND SHE'S NEARING THE END OF HER HER CAREER.
SHE'S TRAVELED THE WORLD, SHE'S STARTED ACROSS THE WORLD AND SHE'S MOVING RIGHT BACK HOME TO HOUSTON AFTER 28 YEARS OF SERVING IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE.
AND IF YOU SEE HER COMING IN, THAT'S HER.
UM, BUT THERE'S SOMEONE SPECIAL THAT WE, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE SOMEONE WHO SHOULDERS THESE AIR FORCE, ROTC, THOSE WHO ARE SERVING NOW, THEY'RE SHOULDERS THAT WE STAND ON A VIETNAM VETERAN AIR FORCE.
MR. RALPH COOPER, PLEASE STAND.
AND CHIEF PEN'S NOT HERE, BUT OF COURSE OUR CHIEF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF OPINION IS AIR FORCE AS WELL.
WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT WORK RIGHT HERE AT CITY HALL, RIGHT HERE AT PUBLIC WORK, CJ MESSIAH, RITA BALLARD, MELISSA CHESLER, STILL, STILL WORKING FOR THE AIR FORCE, STILL IN, STILL STILL SERVING.
AND ALSO THESE TWO ACTIVE DUTY MEMBERS THAT ARE NOW RECRUITING OUR YOUNG, UH, MEN AND WOMEN.
IF THESE TWO CAN PLEASE STAND UP, THEY'RE ACTIVELY SERVING RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE CAKE, UH, AFTERWARDS, AND THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR TAKING TIME TO HONOR OUR AIR FORCE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK.
WE GONNA TAKE A PICTURE? Y'ALL WANNA GO INSIDE? WE GONNA BRING THEM ALL UP.
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AS IN OUTSIDE.AND NOW THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO CRIME STOPPERS OF GREATER HOUSTON IN REMEMBRANCE OF HOMICIDE VICTIMS. ARE THEY? DO THE NEXT ONE? THEY'RE NOT HERE.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR AT CRIME STOPS OF HOUSTON.
AND IS DAVID SCHWARTZ HERE? YES, WITH Y'ALL.
KAITLYN FRY IS TAKING PLACE OF NICOLE AL.
HE'S WITH THE PARENTS OF MURDERED CHILDREN AND SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS OF HOMICIDE ON SEPTEMBER 25TH, CRIME STOPPERS, ALONG WITH PARENTS OF MURDERED CHILDREN, WE'LL BE HOSTING A, UH, DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AT CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON.
FROM SIX TO EIGHT, EVERYONE IS ENCOURAGED TO COME, BUT TODAY, WHEREAS IN 2007, A NATIONAL DAY WAS DESIGNATED TO HONOR VICTIMS OF HOMICIDE CONGRESS NAMED SEPTEMBER 25TH AS A NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR HOMICIDE VICTIMS, RECOGNIZING THAT ONE CRIME CAN HAVE MANY VICTIMS. AND WHEREAS ON THIS DAY, ADVOCATES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMM COMMEMORATE MURDER VICTIMS AND HONOR THE WORK OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE COUNSELING AND ADVOCACY SERVICES FOR FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS, AND COMMUNITIES COPING WITH HOMICIDE RELATED DEATHS.
LOVED ONES GATHER TO SHARE THEIR HEARTBREAKING STORIES, DETAILING PAIN AND SUFFERING, WHICH IN TURN TELL THE REMARKABLE STORIES OF HEROISM, HEALING, AND INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEYS TOWARDS JUSTICE.
THESE STORIES PROVIDE A GREAT DEAL OF SUPPORT PROMPTING US TO KEEP FIGHTING BECAUSE THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE IS NEVER OVER.
AND WHEREAS THE HOUSTON CHAPTER OF PARENTS OF MURDERED CHILDREN AND SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS OF HOMICIDE ALONG WITH CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON, REMIND US THAT WE HAVE A RIGHT TO LIVE IN PEACE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE VALUE OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR HOPES FOR A LIFE OF OPPORTUNITY THAT IS FREE FROM VIOLENCE.
AND WHEREAS THE HOUSTON CHAPTER OF PARENTS OF MURDERED CHILDREN AND SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS OF HOMICIDE AND CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON CONTINUE TO WORK TO EMPOWER VICTIMS TO RECOVER AND HEAL.
AND WHEREAS WE STAND WITH FAMILIES AND HONORING THE MEMORIES OF HOMICIDE VICTIMS AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE OVERWHELMING IMPACT THEIR MURDERS HAVE ON OUR COMMUNITIES.
THEREFORE, I MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, ON BEHALF OF MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2022 AS NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR HOMICIDE VICTIMS' DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
I'M ANDY CONN, DIRECTOR OF VICTIM SERVICES, VICTIM ADVOCACY CRIMES, DOCTORS OF HOUSTON.
HOUSTON, UH, WAS AT CITY HALL FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO BE BACK HERE AND APPRECIATE, UH, BEING RECOGNIZED BY CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR ON BEHALF OF PARENTS OF MURDER CHILDREN AND SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS OF HOMICIDE AND CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON.
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I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 30 SOME ODD YEARS AND IT, IT DOESN'T GET EASIER AND RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT GETTING EASIER.AND THAT'S JUST THE HARSH FACTS AND REALITY.
PARENTS OF MURDER CHILDREN MEETS THE SECOND TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT CRIME STOPPERS, WHICH MEANS WE WILL BE MEETING THIS EVENING FROM SEVEN TO 9:00 PM EVERYONE IS ALWAYS INVITED AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, A COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE, SALLY ALCORN WAS THE FIRST CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TO ACTUALLY ATTEND A PARENT'S OF MURDERED CHILDREN MEETING IN OVER 25 YEARS.
EVERYONE, LIKE I SAID, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO JOIN US AND SUPPORT HOMICIDE SURVIVORS.
I'M GONNA ASK SOMEBODY TO PASS OUT A LITTLE FLYER AND LEAFLET.
ALL OF YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE.
THESE ARE EVENTS THAT ARE BEING HELD THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY TO COMMEMORATE SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS, MURDER VICTIMS, AND TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR THE PLIGHT OF HOMICIDE SURVIVORS.
WE EXPECT PROBABLY THIS YEAR TO BE THE MOST ATTENDED EVENT FOR OBVIOUS REASONS THAT I DON'T HAVE TO DISCUSS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND IN HARRIS COUNTY.
BUT AGAIN, EVERYONE IS INVITED AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND.
I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER PECK WAS THERE LAST YEAR AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S OFFICE ALSO ATTENDED.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR HOMICIDE SURVIVORS TO KNOW THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS TRULY CARE ABOUT THEIR WELLBEING, THEIR DUE PROCESS IN PUTTING THEIR LIVES BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF CRIME STOPPERS AND PARENTS AND MURDER CHILDREN.
AND IF I CAN JUST HAVE DAVID SCHWARTZ JUST SAY A FEW WORDS AS AN ACTUAL SURVIVING PARENT OF A HOMICIDE VICTIMS, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST INDULGING.
THEN WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE FOR REMARKS.
UH, MY 20-YEAR-OLD SON DOUGLAS WAS SHOT AND KILLED APRIL THE 11TH OF 1994.
THE PERPETRATOR WAS ON THE RUN FOR OVER 20 YEARS, LONGER THAN MY SON WAS ALIVE.
UH, LUCKILY THEY FOUND HIM EXTRADITED AND BACK TO HOUSTON.
UH, HE WAS TRIED AND CONVICTED AND HE'S NOW CURRENTLY IN, IN HUNTSVILLE.
AS SOMEONE SAID EARLIER, NOT ONLY AFFECTS JUST ME AND MY WIFE AND MY, MY SURVIVING SON, BUT COUSINS, AUNTS, UNCLES, FRIENDS.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS PROCLAMATION AVAILABLE TO THE NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN REDUCE SOME OF THE STRESS ON ANDY AND, UH, EVERYBODY IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BY GETTING SOME OF THESE PERPETRATORS BACK WHERE THEY BELONG.
WE DO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER PECK BEFORE SHE GOES.
LET ME JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SHARING YOUR STORY.
DEATH IS DIFFICULT FOR ALL OF US, BUT ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HAPPENS BY HOMICIDE.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE, UM, MADE A DIFFERENT DECISION AND BE QUIET AND MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE AND MOVE ON WITH YOUR FAMILY, BUT YOU ARE TAKING A POSITION OF ADVOCACY AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF US HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALL OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, FOR BRINGING THIS PROCLAMATION FORWARD.
AND ANDY AND EVERYONE AT CRIME STOPPERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
IT'S SUCH IMPORTANT WORK AND REALLY DIFFICULT WORK, AND I'M JUST REALLY APPRECIATIVE FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
UM, MAKING SURE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS IN THE FOREFRONT OF EVERYONE'S MIND.
THE INFORMATION THAT, UM, YOU HAVE, THE SERVICES THAT YOU HAVE FOR, UM, FOR THE FAMILIES OF VICTIMS. JUST REALLY THANK YOU.
I KNEW THAT, UH, ONCE WE SAW YOU MOVE OVER TO CRIME STOPPERS, THAT YOU WOULD ELEVATE THE, UH, THE DIALOGUE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND YOU HAVE.
AND, UM, THIS IS A, UH, A SAD EVENT IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.
I PASTORED A CHURCH FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND I, I SAW THE TRAGEDY OF HUMAN LIFE, PEOPLE FACING GREAT TRAGEDIES, UH, MURDERS, SUICIDES, DRUG OVERDOSES.
AND, AND, UH, IT STILL DOESN'T, IT STILL ISN'T EASY.
AND WHEN I HEARD YOU SPEAK MR. SCHWARTZ, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE PAIN YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE GONE THROUGH.
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I CAN SAY IS, MAY GOD COMFORT YOU.BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP THESE BAD ACTORS OFF THE STREETS AND, UH, AND PROTECT OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR PUBLIC.
THAT'S THE FIRST DUTY OF GOVERNMENT IS TO PROTECT ITS CITIZENS.
AND IT, I, I MEAN, I, IF THE STREETS AREN'T OKAY, WELL THAT'S ONE THING, BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP THE PEOPLE SAFE.
GOD BLESS YOU AND THANK YOU, ANDY.
MR. SCHWARTZ, THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.
AND I, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT AN WHAT A SENSELESS LOSS, AND I'M SO SORRY FOR THAT LOSS.
ANDY, YOU OFTEN SAY THAT THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE THE ONLY UNWILLING PARTICIPANTS IN A CRIME.
AND WHEN I DID ATTEND THAT MEETING, LET ME TELL YOU THE, THE PAIN IS RAW.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT HAPPENED 20 YEARS AGO, 30 YEARS AGO LAST WEEK.
THE STORIES PUT A REAL FACE, UM, A FAMILY, AN EXTENDED FAMILY THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY A HOMICIDE.
UM, FOR, FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
I THINK A FACE AND A STORY, IT'S WORTH SO MUCH.
I MEAN, WE SIT HERE AND SET POLICY AND BUDGETS, BUT TO SEE HOW CRIME REALLY AFFECTS PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR LITERALLY DECADES, UM, IS, IS QUITE SOMETHING.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORD.
AGAIN, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN FOR, FOR DOING THIS.
AND SHE'S BEEN A CHAMPION, UH, VICTIM'S RIGHTS AND VICTIM ADVOCACY.
AND I'M HOPING AGAIN TO SEE ALL OF YOU ON SEPTEMBER 25TH FOR THE NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE.
[2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE.AND SINCE WE HAVE SAN JOSE CLINIC IN THE HOUSE, I THOUGHT I WOULD ASK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MAUREEN SANDERS TO COME AND SAY OUR PRAYER TODAY.
GIVE US HEARTS THAT LISTEN FOR YOUR WORD.
LET US IMITATE THE GOOD SAMARITAN WHO DOES NOT TURN AWAY FROM SUFFERING.
MAY WE LISTEN TO THOSE WHO STRUGGLE DAILY FOR DIGNITY.
LET US HEAR YOUR VOICE IN THE STORIES OF THOSE ON THE MARGINS.
HELP US ALWAYS TO SEE WHAT BINDS US TOGETHER.
AS SISTERS AND BROTHERS, HELP US TO HEAL.
MAY WE BE WILLING TO STAND IN THE PLACE OF OTHERS.
LET US BE OPEN TO DIFFERENCE THAT WE MAY ARRIVE AT UNDERSTANDING.
HELP US TO SEEK REFLECTION AND RECONCILIATION THAT OUR WORLD MAY REFLECT JUSTICE.
MAY OUR FAITH MOVE US TO ACTION IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE.
LET US WORK WITH OTHERS OF GOODWILL.
HELP US EXERCISE POLITICAL CHARITY, SEEKING THE COMMON GOOD AND DIGNITY FOR ALL.
LORD, GIVE US THE COURAGE TO TRUST IN YOUR HAND GUIDING US.
GIVE US THE COURAGE TO RESPOND LIKE THE GOOD SAMARITAN, SETTING ASIDE DIVISIONS TO ATTEND TO THE NEEDS OF THE OTHER.
MAY WE KNOW AND SEE YOUR LOVE PRESENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES, MADE REAL IN THE WAYS WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
I PLEDGE P TO THE FLAG OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC, REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
[00:35:02]
WE'LL[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING]
MOVE TO THE ROLL CALL COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE PREPARE TO ANSWER THE ROLL CALL BY UNMUTING YOURSELVES.MADAME SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL BE ABSENT.
COUNCIL MARTIN, PRESENT VIRTUALLY.
AND COUNCIL ALCO HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF JUNE 28TH AND JULY 6TH, THOMAS SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? ANY DISCUSSION? IF NO DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? ITEM PASSES.
NOW WE'LL REVIEW THE PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING THIS HYBRID PUBLIC SESSION.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS JOINING VIRTUALLY REMEMBER TO SPEAK SLOWLY AND CLEARLY.
IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE MEETING, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW AND THEN HANG UP.
THIS WILL REMOVE YOU FROM THE MEETING AND WILL GIVE US A RECORD OF WHEN YOU LEFT.
STATE YOUR NAME WHEN MAKING A MOTION, SECONDING OR TAGGING.
FOR THOSE JOINING VIRTUALLY, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW.
THE AGENDA DIRECTOR WILL BE MONITORING THE CHAT AND WILL ADD YOUR NAME TO THE QUEUE.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU MUST BE VISIBLE ON CAMERA WHILE YOU ARE SPEAKING FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
LET ME REMIND YOU THAT IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A PUBLIC SPEAKER, YOU HAD TO SIGN UP WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE BY 3:00 PM YESTERDAY.
WE WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGNED 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 THE CAMERA ICON.
YOU WILL HAVE ONE, TWO, OR THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
AFTER YOUR TIME, A BELL WILL RING.
ONCE THAT BELL RINGS, YOU MUST STOP SPEAKING.
YOU MAY ONLY SPEAK WHEN RECOGNIZED.
IF YOU SPEAK DURING THE MEETING AND I HAVE NOT RECOGNIZED YOU, UNFORTUNATELY, WE WILL MUTE YOU AND IF YOU SPEAK AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE TO REMOVE YOU FROM THE MEETING.
ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? IF NONE, MADAM
[PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER.INGRID ROBINSON STAR SIX TO UNMUTE NEXT SPEAKER.
HI, MR. GALVAN IS PRESENT TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALEXANDER CARRANZA.
MS. CITO, HOW YOU DOING? MY NAME IS JESUS GALVAN.
I'M THE PASTOR OF SAVING GRACE MINISTRIES.
I'M COMING HERE TO YOU, BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION OF THE CRIME IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
I'M AN EX-CONVICT AN EX-DRUG DEALER AND AN EX GANG MEMBER.
I'M NOW A PASTOR FOR FOUR YEARS, AS OF AUGUST THE 11TH.
BEEN SERVING THE LORD NOW FOR 16 YEARS.
I SEE OUR YOUNGER GENERATION JUST OUT THERE COMMITTING SO MANY CRIMES, NOT KNOWING WHAT'S IN FRONT OF THEM, NOT KNOWING WHAT'S IN PRISON.
THE PEOPLE IN OUR CONGREGATION, MY CHURCH IS AT MY HOUSE IN THE BACKYARD, IN THE PATIO.
I STARTED MY MINISTRY BACK IN 2018, AUGUST THE 11TH.
AND AT MY STREET AND AT MY HOUSE IN FRONT OF MY STREET OFF OF A TRAILER.
I'M HERE TODAY ASKING THE CITY IF THERE'S ANYTHING THEY CAN DO TO HELP US.
WE ARE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIND ANY PROPERTY FROM STRUCK DOWN, UH, PROPERTIES OR ANYTHING THAT MAY BE THERE THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO BE DONATED TO OR PAY A SMALL PORTION OF, UH, FOR TO BUILD OUR CHURCH.
I, THEY SAID THEY WOULD HELP US BUILD.
I'M TRYING TO FIND A LOCATION SO WE CAN HELP.
I HAVE SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO ARE WILLING TO STOP WHAT THEY'RE DOING ON THE WEEKEND TO COME AND HELP US SET UP A COMPUTER AREA TO WHERE WE CAN TEACH THE YOUNGER GENERATION RESUMES.
I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BECOME FROM A BROKEN HOME.
GOD HAS A CHANCE FOR ALL OF US.
MR. CITO, I SPOKE TO YOU ABOUT A YEAR AGO ON ZOOM ABOUT ALL OF THIS, UM, JUST HERE TODAY ASKING IF THERE'S ANYTHING, ANYTHING THAT Y'ALL CAN HEAR FROM MY HEART TO HELP THESE YOUNGER KIDS WHO ARE GOING TO PRISON AND WASTING THEIR LIVES.
[00:40:01]
NEED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.I KNOW THE MAYOR HAS SAFE OF HOUSTON.
EVERYBODY IN MY CHURCH, THERE'S EITHER DRUG ADDICT, EX-DRUG ADDICTS, EX-CONVICTS, BUT WE'RE ALL SERVING THE LORD.
WE'RE ALL WORKING, WE'RE ALL DOING THE RIGHT THING.
WHAT IMPACT WE CAN MAKE IN A YOUNG MAN OR WOMAN'S LIFE KNOWING THAT THEY BEEN THERE.
THEY KNOW WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH.
THEY KNOW THAT MY HOME IS BROKEN.
JESUS CHRIST IS THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING.
IT TOOK ME 35 YEARS TO GET IT.
I DON'T WANT THE NEXT GENERATION TO GO THROUGH WHAT I DO, WHAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH COMING FROM A BROKEN HOME.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? WHAT CAN I ASK COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PLEASE JUST HEAR MY HEART, HEAR MY WORDS.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP US, IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
NUMBER TWO, I HAVE SOME FLYERS HERE.
WE'RE HAVING A REVIVAL ON, UH, ON SEPTEMBER THE 24TH, RIGHT HERE OFF OF 89 11 IRVINGTON BOULEVARD.
I BROUGHT SOME FLYERS ASKING IF I CAN JUST GIVE SOMEONE TO PASS OUT TO Y'ALL, IF YOU CAN SHOW, SHOW UP TO SEE.
WE HAVE ON THE FLYER, YOU WILL SEE THESE GENTLEMEN HERE TEACHING.
MR. GALVAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TODAY.
AND, UM, YOU, YOU DEFINITELY ARE LETTING YOUR LIGHT SHINE.
GOD'S GRACE AND MERCY IS SUFFICIENT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.
UM, YOU CAN GIVE THOSE FLYERS TO RENEE, OKAY? AND HE'S HAPPY TO PASS THOSE OUT.
AND WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHA THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR PROAM, I WAS GONNA DEFER TO THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND YOU FOR TURNING YOUR LIFE AROUND BECAUSE YOUR TESTIMONY IS SOMETHING THAT CAN PULL SOMEONE ELSE OUT.
AND MORE OR LESS, WE HAVE THIS CRIME ALL OVER THE CITY.
AND I, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ARE IN MY DISTRICT, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THEM AS IN REGARDS TO WHAT WE CAN DO.
YOU KNOW, WE SAY WE HERE, WE ARE HERE TO HELP, AND WHAT WE, WHAT CAN WE DO? AND THIS AND THAT.
BUT WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT IS YOU CAN DO.
AND YOUR REVIVAL IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
BUT I'M GONNA DEFER TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS SO THAT SHE CAN, UH, DISCUSS THIS FURTHER.
THANK YOU PASTOR GALVAN FOR COMING TODAY.
AND, AND, UM, I HAVE A STAFF MEMBER WHO WILL BE ATTENDING THE REVIVAL THIS WEEKEND.
UM, I'M, I HAVE A CONFLICT AS YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY DISCUSSED THAT, BUT I CAN'T MAKE IT.
BUT I'M SENDING A SOMEONE IN MY BEHALF.
UM, AND I TOO WANT TO JUST REITERATE HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU AND HOW YOU CARE ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE AND MAKING SURE THEY GET ON THE RIGHT PATH.
AND THERE'S SO MANY TEMPTATIONS TO NOT DO THAT, UM, REGARDING THE CITY GIVING YOU PROPERTY, I DON'T THINK WE JUST, WE JUST, THE CITY DOESN'T DO THAT.
UM, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, UM, OF LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITY, I MEAN, YOU CERTAINLY HAVE AND, AND BEEN VERY RESOURCEFUL IN CREATING YOUR, UM, A A PLACE OF WORSHIP AT YOUR HOME AND OPENING IT UP TO, TO SO MANY.
UM, I'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU AND DO AS MUCH AS I CAN TO HELP SUPPORT YOU.
AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
SIR, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOUR CHURCH IS SET UP AS A 5 0 1 C3 OR IF YOU HAVE AN ARM THAT COULD BE A 5 0 1 C3.
UM, IF SO, I WANT TO DIRECT YOU TO CASE FOR KIDS.
IF YOU HAVE AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM, UM, THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO RECEIVE DOLLARS, UH, FOR SERVICES THAT WILL GO TOWARDS ENRICHMENT FOR THOSE YOUTH IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UM, I'M SURE YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER HAS SOME INFORMATION SHE CAN SHARE WITH YOU ON THAT.
AND THAT'S A WAY IN WHICH YOU CAN APPLY AND, UH, POSSIBLY RECEIVE SOME SERVICES.
NEXT SPEAKER, SHEILA HENDERSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALEXANDER CARRANZA.
GOOD AFTERNOON, IF YOU CAN SPEAK BEHIND THE MICROPHONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. HENDERSON.
DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE HONORABLE MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
UH, I'M HERE BECAUSE I WAS DISPLACED BY HURRICANE HARVEY FROM, UM, 2100 MEMORIAL DRIVE AND I AM NOW RESIDING AT AVENUE STATION APARTMENTS.
UH, AVENUE CDC AND THE INTERFAITH MINISTRY.
I AM BEING DISPLACED AGAIN BECAUSE IT IS BEING REMODELED.
[00:45:01]
FACADE OF THE BUILDING IS BEING REMODELED.UH, THE WINDOWS ARE BEING REPLACED AND THE, UH, BALCONIES ARE BEING REPLACED.
THE INTERIOR OF MY UNIT PASSED INSPECTION EARLIER THIS YEAR, BUT IN JULY I WAS NOTIFIED THAT BY SEPTEMBER 30TH I HAVE TO MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE.
HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, WHICH I UNDERSTAND THE COUNCIL HAS LIMITED, UH, UH, JURISDICTION OVER, UH, IS I BELIEVE THE REASON WHY I'M BEING DISPLACED.
I HOLD A HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER AS A RESULT OF WHAT TOOK PLACE AT 2100 MEMORIAL.
UM, AVENUE STATION IS MAINTAINING.
THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY IS ALLOWING THEM TO MAINTAIN AND TO CONTINUE TO RENT TO TENANTS WHO WILL PAY INCREASED MARKET RENT, BUT, AND TAX CREDIT.
BUT THEY WILL NOT ALLOW THOSE OF US TO REMAIN WHO HOLD THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS THAT WERE GRANTED THROUGH A LEGAL PROCEEDING, UH, BEFORE, UM, THE NEW BUILDING WAS, UH, AND, UH, GROUND WAS BROKEN.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, I HAVE CONTACTED YOUR OFFICE.
I HAVE, SPEAKING TO YOUR DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, EMILY HAYNES.
I SINCERELY APPRECIATE THE WORK ON, UM, WHAT SHE'S DOING ON MY BEHALF.
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT THAT I'D LIKE TO BRING TO THE COUNCIL IS NOT ONLY AM I BEING DISPLACED, YOU MUST FIND I MUST FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO LIVE.
I HAVE A LIMITED TIME TO DO IT.
IF I DON'T DO IT IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME, THEN I WILL LOSE MY VOUCHER.
AND I CANNOT GET AHOLD OF MR. NORTHERN, UM, MS. DIXON OR MS. HAWKINS WHO HAVE REPLACED A MR. TEAL.
I CANNOT GET AHOLD OF MR. SNOWDEN.
I CANNOT GET AHOLD OF ANYONE WHO IS AT THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY TO TAKE CARE OF THIS.
THE CASEWORKER AND THE PORTS AND MOVES.
UM, DIRECTOR CANNOT HANDLE IT.
SO I AM BEING FORCED OUT, DISPLACED.
WHAT IS ALSO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IS, MR. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THAT AREA IS RAPIDLY INCREASING IN VALUE.
SO THE HOMES ARE $500,000 AND, UH, A MILLION DOLLARS AND THE POOREST OF US ARE BEING FORCED OUT.
THAT'S GEN, GENTRIFICATION AND DISCRIMINATION.
THANK, THANK YOU MS. HENDERSON.
UM, THANK YOU MS. HENDERSON FOR COMING AND TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
YOU'RE NOT THE FIRST PERSON THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM, UM, THAT THIS HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE.
I MEAN, IT REALLY IS TERRIBLE.
I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION WITH TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I TOO HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND, UM, AND UNTIL RECENTLY, UH, THEY RETURNED MY CALL, BUT SET UP A MEETING TOWARDS THE END OF SEPTEMBER, UM, SO WE COULD MEET THE NEXT HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY MEETING IS ON SEPTEMBER 20TH AT 3:00 PM AND I PLAN ON ATTENDING THAT MEETING.
UM, I'LL REACH OUT TO YOU AFTER THIS, UM, AFTER THIS AND, UH, TALK WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
ALRIGHT, MS. HENDERSON, WE ALSO HAVE A, UH, NOTE HERE SAYING THAT, UH, SOMEONE FROM THE HOUSING, UH, AUTHORITY WILL REACH OUT TO YOU.
AND THEN OUR COUNCIL LIAISON, ROXANNE LAWSON, WILL ALSO REACH OUT TO YOU FOR ASSISTANCE.
WELL, THAT'S WISHES TO YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
NEXT SPEAKER LATONYA LEWIS HINES.
[00:50:04]
HELLO, MR. KAHAN.HOW ARE YOU? DOING WELL, THANK YOU.
BEFORE YOU TURN ON THE CLOCK ON, WILL THIS MEETING BE RECORDED? SO, THE AMERICAN HERE, IT IS RECORDED.
AND NOW YOU CAN START THE CLOCK.
UM, MANY OF YOU ALREADY KNOW ME AND, UH, I'M COMING TODAY.
MAINLY, I DON'T EXPECT TO ACCOMPLISH MORE THAN JUST MAKING EVERYONE AWARE OF THIS COUNCIL OF THAT, UH, IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT HOUSTON HAS A PROBLEM DEALING WITH THE CRIME AND SO FORTH.
I HAVE TALKED, I'M IN VERY CLOSE CONTACT WITH, UM, TWO OF MY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON, COUNCILWOMAN PLUMMER.
IN FACT, I'M IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AS WELL AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'VE EXPRESSED MY CONCERN EVEN IN SOME MEETINGS HERE, THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT PEOPLE THINK.
UH, WHAT I INTEND TO DO AS IS, AND I CAME TO HOUSTON ACTUALLY ABOUT 11 YEARS AGO BECAUSE I JUST WANTED TO WORK HARDER.
I HAD NO IDEA HOW MUCH WORK REALLY NEEDED TO BE DONE.
BUT WHAT IN, IN ORDER FOR ME TO PROCEED WITH MY MISSION, TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT PEOPLE THINK I'M ADDRESSING EVERYTHING THAT'S EVEN THAT I BELIEVE IS EVEN REMOTELY CONNECTED TO THE CRIME AND THE PROBLEMS IN HOUSTON.
EVERYTHING, NO MATTER HOW SMALL ANYBODY ELSE MAY THINK IT IS, I'M DEALING WITH EVERYTHING.
I'M DEALING WITH THE ABSENT FATHERS.
I'M DEALING WITH ADOLESCENT, UH, FORNICATION.
I'M DEALING WITH THE SALE OF TOY WEAPONS OF CHILDREN, GIVING CHILDREN THE IMPRESSION THAT KILLING PEOPLE IS A GAME THAT IS FUN.
I'M DEALING WITH, UM, UNDERAGE SMOKING, IN FACT SMOKING OF ANY AGE.
I'M DEALING WITH EV I'M DEALING WITH DOMESTIC ABUSE.
I'M DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO INVEST IN BUSINESSES AND MOVE INTO THE POOR NEIGHBORHOODS.
MANY OF THE POOR AFRICAN AMERICAN, HISPANIC NEIGHBORHOODS AND SELL THEIR GARBAGE.
BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO LIVE AROUND US.
I'M DEALING WITH THAT AS WELL.
I'M DEALING WITH THE, UM, THE UNNECESSARY VIDEO GAME, VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES THAT PARENTS ARE BUYING THEIR CHILDREN AND THAT CHILDREN, UH, ARE LOOKING AT ON THEIR PHONES.
I'M DEALING WITH PEOPLE, PARENTS WHO GIVE THEIR BABIES SIX YEARS OLD AND FIVE YEARS OLD AND SEVEN YEARS OLD CELL PHONES WITH, WITH ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.
I'M DEALING WITH THAT WHICH, WHICH, UH, WHICH CONTRIBUTES GREATLY TO THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING THAT, THAT HOUSTON IS, UH, INFAMOUS FOR.
SO ALL OF THESE THINGS, IF I APPROACH YOU ONE AT A TIME, YOU WILL SAY THAT, WELL, WE GOT BIGGER ISSUES.
WE HAVE BIGGER PROBLEMS. BUT I PROMISE YOU THAT EVERYTHING CON CONTRIBUTES TO THE BIG PROBLEM.
THE, THE, THE, THE VIOLENCE IN HOUSTON, THE GUNS AND ALL OF THAT.
IF GUN CONTROL IS IMPORTANT, PLEASE DON'T GET ME WRONG.
GUN CONTROL IS IMPORTANT AND THE DRUGS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT EVERYTHING THAT I MENTIONED CONTRIBUTES TO THE PROBLEMS AND THAT'S WHY I'M GONNA ADDRESS EVERYTHING.
SO, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER 30 SECONDS PLEASE.
UH, YOU CAN HAVE 30 SECONDS OF MY TIME.
LET ME, LET ME CONCLUDE WITH THIS.
EVERYTHING CONTRIBUTES, AND I DON'T, AND IF I CON AND IF I APPROACH ANY OF YOU WITH ANY PARTICULAR SPECIFIC THING, ALL I REALLY EXPECT YOU TO SAY, TO SAY AND RESPOND IS YES, IT MAKES SENSE.
I DON'T WANNA PUT ANYBODY ELSE TO WORK.
I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW HOW I'M WORKING.
I HAVE LITERALLY MADE AN OATH TO GOD THAT I LITERALLY INTEND TO WORK MYSELF TO DEATH TO MAKE HOUSTON A BETTER PLACE.
THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TODAY.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CITY.
NEXT SPEAKER, GLADYS HOUSE L GLADYS HOUSE STAR SIX.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, MA'AM, GO AHEAD.
UM, DISTRICT C UH, SHARON FLETCHER FOR PROVIDING SOME, UH, TENTATIVE ANSWERS TO MY CONCERNS.
I, I STILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, IF THERE ARE ANY SPECIFICS ON WHO THE CONTRACTOR IS AND THE TIMETABLE WHEN THEY'RE GONNA START RENOVATION.
UM, ON THE THREE HOUSES LOCATED IN THE 1400 BLOCK ROBIN STREET, THIS IS GOING ON FOR AT LEAST THREE YEARS NOW.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION, I'M STILL TRYING TO GET THE NAME OF THE CONTRACTOR AND HIS CONTACT INFORMATION, UH, WHO HAD DONE THE BRICK REPLACEMENT AT THE INTERSECTION OF ANDREWS AND GENESEE STREET.
AND THREE, I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION TO PROVIDE COUNSEL REGARDING THE HELICOPTER PAD ISSUE.
AND, UH, THAT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE
[00:55:01]
MAY.ALL I COULD DO IS TAKE A PICTURE OF THE POST-IT SIGN AND PASS IT ON TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU ALL TO CONTACT, UH, YOUR DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS PUBLIC WORKS AND ENGINEERING TO GET MORE, UH, INFORMATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, SINCE MAY AND NOW IT'S BEEN A LOT OF TIME FOR YOU ALL TO DO SO.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO GIVE YOU.
THAT'S WHY I SUBMITTED IT TO YOU ALL TO GET SOME ANSWERS.
AND LASTLY, ON THE LOOK, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A TIMETABLE ON THE CEMETERY.
THE UNMARKED GRAVES NEXT DOOR TO EIGHT 15 CROSS STREET IN FREEMANS TOWN.
AND THE CITY HAS BEEN IN POSSESSION OF THAT CEMETERY NOW FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
BUT, UM, IF THERE IS NO SIGN, NO RESPECTFUL SIGN, UH, WE'D LIKE TO SEE A CEREMONY HELD TO HONOR, UH, THOSE IN THE, UM, THE CEMETERY, UH, UNMARKED GRAVES.
SO, UH, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, AND I KNOW COUNCIL IS PROBABLY VERY BUSY, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S TAKEN MONTHS AND YEARS TO ADDRESS SOME VERY SIMPLE REQUESTS.
AND I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF, UH, COUNCIL CAN KIND OF STEP UP AND HOLD, UH, THESE DEPARTMENTS ACCOUNTABLE.
'CAUSE I, I KNOW DISTRICT C SAID THAT, UH, IT WAS STILL WAITING ON, UH, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO RESPOND AND THEY SHOULD NOT MAKE ANY COUNCIL MEMBER WAIT, YOU KNOW, YEARS TO GIVE A RESPONSE OR EVEN MONTHS.
BUT ANY EVENT THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, UH, UP TO YOU ALL TO HANDLE THAT.
BUT I, I DO APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION THAT, UM, WAS PROVIDED BY SHARON FLETCHER OF DISTRICT C AND, UM, THE SUPPORT GIVEN BY, UH, SALLY ALCORN'S OFFICE AS WELL.
AND, UM, JUST, UH, APPRECIATE, UM, THE EFFORT.
JUST WANNA TRY TO REALLY GET MORE ANSWERS, UH, BECAUSE TIME IS OF THE ANSWER, UH, OF THE ESSENCE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CALLING IN.
UM, I DID HEAR YOU SAY YOU RECEIVED THE RESPONSES BACK FROM YOUR, UH, DISTRICT C COUNCIL MEMBER.
I, I HAVE AN EMAIL WITH THOSE RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU POSED TO THE COUNCIL TODAY.
SO IF YOU, ARE YOU STATING THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED THAT COMMUNICATION? I, YES MA'AM.
UH, MAYOR, BUT I WAS CONCERNED THAT THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, COMPLETE FULL ANSWERS OR TIMETABLES.
SO REALLY I'M KIND OF STILL AT THE BEGINNING STAGE 'CAUSE I STILL DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFICS ON ANYTHING.
SO I'M JUST URGING YOU KNOW THAT FROM COUNSEL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CALLING MS. HO.
AND WE'LL HAVE THE, UH, COUNSEL OFFICE TO CIRCLE BACK WITH YOU.
NEXT SPEAKER ANGELA BOOKER TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELLIE MONTOYA.
HOW ARE YOU ALL? I'M WELL, THANK YOU.
I'M, HOW ARE YOU ALL TODAY? UM, I'M A NEW RESIDENT HERE IN, IN TEXAS.
I JUST MOVED HERE MAY 8TH OF LAST YEAR.
I WANTED TO COME INTO, I WAS HOPING THAT THE MAYOR WAS GONNA BE HERE, BUT YOU ALL SAID THAT IT IS GONNA BE RECORDED SO HE COULD HEAR.
I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SHELTERS AND ROOM IN BORTON WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE AND STUFF.
AND I WAS ROBBED FROM EVERY LITTLE PIECE OF CLOTHES THAT I HAD.
SO I, UM, I'M VERY UPSET ABOUT THE SITUATION AND STUFF BECAUSE I'M STILL TRYING TO GET MYSELF TOGETHER AS FAR AS IN CLOTHING WISE AND STUFF.
UH, THEY JUST GAVE ME A HOUSING VOUCHER TO, UM, HAVE AN APARTMENT.
SO I HAVE AN APARTMENT RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M DEALING WITH MINOR PROBLEMS WITH THAT TOO AS WELL.
SO I GOTTEN UP OUT MY LEASE WITH THAT AND HOPING THAT THEY CAN, SOMEONE CAN, UH, SPEED UP THE PROCESS SO I CAN MOVE FROM A, IN THE AREA I'M OVER IN THE AREA OF TIDWELL AND THE BUSES OVER THERE STOP AT A CERTAIN TIME.
I DID NOT COME HERE, YOU KNOW, EMPTY HANDED.
I HAVE DEGREE IN PRIVATE INVESTIGATION.
I ALSO HAVE A DIPLOMA IN GRAPHIC DESIGN.
I ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF DIPLOMAS FOR, TO WORK WITH KIDS THAT HAD HEAD INJURIES.
'CAUSE MY, I HAVE A YOUNGER SON THAT HAD A HEAD INJURY BACK IN 2014.
AND THIS IS FOR ME TO, TO GET MYSELF TOGETHER.
I'M NOT TRYING TO RETURN BACK TO MICHIGAN OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THAT I DEALT WITH THERE.
AND IT'S LIKE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS HAVE ISSUED HERE AND I'M NOT TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, BE, I DON'T, I'M NOT THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT BE A BURDEN ON NOBODY.
THAT'S WHY I LIKE TO DO THINGS ON MY OWN.
SO I HAD TO COME HERE AND SHOW YOU ALL MY FACE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH A
[01:00:01]
LOT OF THINGS.I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS TOWN IS A NICE TOWN TO LIVE IN AND I LIKE IT.
AND I DO NOT WANT TO GO BACK TO MICHIGAN.
AND I'M NOT ABOUT TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO FORCE ME AWAY FROM HERE BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE DOING TO ME.
IF I FEEL, IF, IF I FEEL INTIMIDATED TO THEM OR WHATEVER, BECAUSE THEY, PEOPLE LOOK, THEY SEE, THEY KNOW NEW PEOPLE WHEN, WHEN THEY COMING IN.
I'VE BEEN APPROACHED BY SOME OF THE BUS DRIVER THAT SAID, OH, YOU'RE NOT FROM HERE.
'CAUSE OF THE WAY I WAS DRESSING AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, I I TRY TO DRESS MYSELF PROFESSIONAL AND STUFF BECAUSE OF THE BACKGROUND THAT I HAVE AND THE THINGS THAT I HAVE CAME FROM.
AND I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE DEALT WITH.
'CAUSE I'VE BEEN TREATED LIKE CRAP IN SOME OF THE SHELTERS.
I'VE BEEN, UM, I'VE BEEN OVER IN SALVATION ARMY.
I'VE BEEN OVER IN LOAVES AND FISH.
I'VE BEEN TO THE, UM, ONE OF, ON REED ROAD, WHICH IS STAR OF HOPE.
THEY TREAT YOU LIKE YOU, YOU'RE NOT HUMAN.
AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A SHELTER, BUT THEY WAS FORCING ME.
CAN I JUST PLEASE HAVE 30 MORE SECONDS PLEASE WITH THIS? THE TIME HAS EXPIRED.
THANK YOU MS. BOOKER FOR COMING FORWARD.
I'LL GIVE YOU SOME TIME TO FINISH UP WITH MY TIME AND THEN I'LL HAVE A RESPONSE FOR YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT ABOUT THE SITUATION OVER AT LOWS.
I MEAN, UH, STAR OF HOPE IS THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A SHELTER, BUT THEY TREAT YOU LIKE YOU, I GUESS, UH, SUPPOSED TO BE IN REHAB OR WHATEVER IT IS.
NOT THAT IT'S, IT IS THEY NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT TO YOU AND STUFF.
I'VE NEVER BEEN ON DRUGS BEFORE A DAY IN MY LIFE.
AND THAT'S HOW THEY WAS TREATING ME OVER THERE AND STUFF.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT TO WHERE YOU ALL NEED TO TRY TO GO INTO THESE SHELTERS AND TRY TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT THE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT AND TRY TO CORRECT SOME OF THE STUFF BECAUSE THEY MAKE PEOPLE FEEL REAL, REALLY BAD.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO TALK AND STUFF TO AS WELL.
UH, MS. BROOKER, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU MY CARD.
UM, I WORK WITH A COUPLE NONPROFITS THAT MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL ADDRESS OKAY.
AS WELL AS POSSIBILITY, UH, TO LOOK AT JOB PLACEMENT.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU MY CONTACT, YOU REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE AND WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO ASSIST.
NEXT SPEAKER TO BE FOLLOWED BY ARIAN WRIGHT.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, VICE MAYOR.
UH, THERE'S NO REALLY UPDATE ON MY CASE ABOUT THE EVICTION.
I HAVE BEEN MAKING PHONE CALLS.
IT SEEMS THAT WE HAVE A SITUATION WITH THE MASON LODGE IN NUMBER.
UH, I WAS ALMOST TAKEN BY ONE OF THE MASON LODGE IN A PARKING LOT.
THERE WAS SEVERAL VEHICLES A FEW DAYS AGO.
AND I HAVE A MEETING WITH THE, UH, ORDER OF EASTERN STAR IN FEW DAYS.
UM, I, UH, CONTACT, UH, HOUSING AND I WILL BE INTERESTED TO ATTEND IF IT IS A PUBLIC MEETING WITH, UH, IF MS. MARY NON HOFFMAN HAS THE INFORMATION ABOUT HOUSING.
I WAS PHYSICALLY AT THAT BUILDING AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY'RE NOT RETURNING EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS.
I THINK THE PROBLEM, UH, AT THIS POINT IS ALSO WITH TWIN SOORIE.
I, I'M NOT A MEMBER OF THE, UH, ORDER OF EASTERN STAR.
UH, UH, I WAS AROUND ROTARY MEMBERS AS WELL AS A 33 DEGREE RANK AGNOSTIC.
SO BASICALLY I WILL APPRECIATE, UH, AND I WILL ASK, UH, HOUSTON TO PLEASE STOP STALKING ME.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
NEXT SPEAKER I USED HAVE A QUESTION SPEAKER ABOUT THE 20TH.
UM, NEXT SPEAKER, MARIAN WRIGHT TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB CLEMENTE.
I SPOKE LAST WEEK AND MAYOR TURNER SAID THAT HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE POLICE CHIEF, UM, PINA ACTUALLY THE FIRE CHIEF PINA AND THE POLICE CHIEF THINNER WERE AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON ON 11TH STREET.
AND THEY WERE OKAY WITH THE PROJECT.
THE PROBLEM IS THEY'RE NOT THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO SIGNED OFF ON THE PROJECT.
UM, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT I SPOKE WITH THAT DID SIGN OFF ON THE PROJECT, WERE NOT AWARE OF THE DETAILS OF THE PROJECT.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THEY WERE NOT.
HAVE ANY OF Y'ALL SPOKEN TO 'EM? IF NOT, I SUGGEST THAT YOU DO.
SO, UM, THEY'RE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE THAT THIS WON'T CAUSE INCREASED RESPONSE TIME.
THEY'RE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE THAT IT WON'T CAUSE TRAFFIC CONGESTION OR FATALITIES AS A RESULT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING, MS. CIRO'S, MAYOR'S NOT HERE.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY NEED TO BRING TO HIS ATTENTION.
AND I SUGGEST THAT YOU'LL SPEAK TO COMMANDER GOMEZ AND ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF JUSTIN WELLS, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
THANK YOU MR. WRIGHT FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
[01:05:01]
TAKE THOSE, UH, COMMENTS UNDER ADVISEMENT.THE NEXT SPEAKER, JACOB CLEMENTE.
TO BE FOLLOWED BY KAREN SIMS. THIS SPEECH IS REALLY PARTICULARLY INVOLVED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN AND COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS.
SHE A MEETING SOME OF THE HARRIS COUNTY SLASH CHIEF SPORTS AUTHORITY DIRECTORS WAS PHENOMENAL.
HAVING MY PICTURE TAKEN WITH CITY COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS WAS GREAT.
I NOT ONLY WORK AT MAN MAIN PARK, BUT ALSO IN ENERGY STADIUM.
ABOUT THE ONLY TROUBLE I HAVE IS WHEN THE HUM TEAM LOSES AT THE HUM GAME FOR THE TEXANS.
HE WAS REAL NICE AT MAN MAIN PARK.
I MET THIS OTHER COWORKER NAMED DION, COWORKERS OF MINE AT BOTH MEADE PARK AND NRG CITY.
THIS MAN NAMED, NAMED TOM ENGLISH WITH THE ACTUAL ORGANIZATION SAYS I'M A VERY EFFICIENT, HARD WORKER.
THIS FAN AT THE MEADE PARK AND THE RESTROOM.
THANK ME FOR DOING A GOOD STUPENDOUS JOB.
JACOB, THANK, THANK YOU FOR COMING THIS AFTERNOON AND, UH, KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AT MINUTE MA PARK.
CAN I, UH, READ TWO MORE LINES.
FINISH, GO AHEAD AND FINISH, FINISH UP, THEN FINISH UP.
MAG MACK HAS GIVEN ME GREAT WORKER ADVICE WHERE HE WOULDA WILL SAVE YOU MONEY.
THANK YOU JACOB FOR BEING HERE.
KAREN SIMS. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? THIS IS KAREN SIMS. YES MA'AM, GO AHEAD.
UH, MY NAME IS KAREN SIMS AND I HAVE, UM, ADDRESSED THE, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR, UH, IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, UH, CONCERNING, UH, THE 3 0 9 COURT AND THREE 15 COURT.
UH, MAINLY THE FORMAL JUDGES, UH, MIKE SNYDER AND SHERRY DEAN.
I HAVE DISCOVERED SEVERAL, SEVERAL UNLAWFUL DOCUMENTS.
HANDWRITTEN FAKE COURT DOCUMENTS, WHICH, WHICH, UH, STEAM FROM MY CHILDREN BEING REMOVED FROM ME.
AND I'M STILL FIGHTING RIGHT NOW FOR MY CHILDREN.
I'VE ASKED BEFORE, WHAT CAN I DO? WHAT CAN BE DONE? UH, I DID SEND THESE DOCUMENTS TO THE DA KIM OG ON LAST FRIDAY.
UH, BUT SOMETHING HAS, THIS HAS SOMETHING HAS TO BE ADDRESSED HERE.
UH, I HAVE ALL THESE DOCUMENTS WITH THESE JUDGES AND THESE ATTORNEYS ARE, UH, SENDING THESE CASES UNLAWFULLY, GETTING KICKBACKS, UM, UH, UNLAWFUL EXTENSIONS, A REMOVAL OF CHILDREN UNLAWFULLY THEY DID MY CHILDREN.
AND WE'RE STILL SUFFERING, MA'AM.
SO SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE, CAN BE DONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CALLING IN MS. I KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE.
CAN, CAN I ASK THE QUESTION, PLEASE? WHAT CAN BE DONE? WHAT CAN I DO? AND MS. S WHAT CAN BE DONE? I THINK EACH TIME THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE ADDRESSED THE COUNCIL, UM, WE'VE, WE'VE SUGGESTED THAT YOU GET AN ATTORNEY, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, MA'AM I HA MA'AM, WHAT'S THE ATTORNEY GONNA DO FOR ME IF THIS ATTORNEY HAS GOT ME IN A SITUATION WE'RE IN NOW? THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE IN THIS SITUATION.
NOT IN THIS SITUATION NOW, IS BECAUSE OF ATTORNEYS.
LIKE I JUST SAID, ATTORNEYS SUPPOSED AS JUDGES, I LOST EXTENSIONS.
IT, IT, IT SEEMS THAT, IT SEEMS SO AGAIN, MA, WHAT THE CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE MA'AM, ARE NOT CONCERNS THAT WE CAN ADDRESS AS A, AS A CITY COUNCIL BODY.
WHY NOT THIS? THESE, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE COURT SYSTEM.
THIS IS SHOWING CHILDREN'S AND MOTHER'S LIVES.
WHY, WHY DON'T, UH, MS. SIM, WE, WE GET SOMEONE TO REACH OUT, OUT TO YOU TO TALK TO YOU ONE-ON-ONE.
ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? THAT'S IT.
COMPLETE THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
[RECESS]
AT RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW.[RECONVENE]
LET'S GET GOING.IT'S 9 0 5 ON, UH, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 14TH, 2022.
I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO WATER WITH, UM, MOST COUNCIL MEMBERS APPEARING IN PERSON AND TWO JOINING ONLINE.
[MAYOR'S REPORT]
[01:10:01]
A FEW COMMENTS FROM, UH, ME.UM, I WAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE YESTERDAY FOR UM, THIS, UM, CELEBRATING THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT.
UM, AND THEN I, UM, WHICH WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN DC HOT, BUT BEAUTIFUL DAY.
AND THEN I GOT THE, I STOLE MY PHONE.
PHONE STARTED BUZZING, UH, AT ABOUT 2 45 ISH.
THE PROGRAM WAS SCHEDULED TO START ON THE ALARM AT THREE.
UH, AND, UH, ABOUT THE, WELL, WHEN I GOT IT, THE SHOOTINGS AT, UH, HIKES, UM, HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO, UM, IN FACT, I WAS THERE AND CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA WAS PASSING, AND SHE OVERHEARD ME TALKING.
SO SHE STOPPED, STARTED GETTING ON HER PHONE.
AND THEN CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE WAS CLOSE BY, AND SHE STOPPED, STARTED, STARTED GETTING ON HER PHONE.
UM, AND THEN, UM, WE WERE ALL CALLING TO TRY TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE COULD, WE COULD RECEIVE.
UM, WHAT WAS HAPPENING, UM, AT THE SCHOOL, THE STUDENTS, THE TEACHERS, THE FACULTY, THE PARENTS, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT, CHIEF PENU CALLED SEVERAL TIMES, TRIED TO REACH CHIEF, UH, FINNER, BUT CHIEF FINNER WAS ALREADY CLOSE TO THE SCHOOL WHEN THESE CALLS CAME IN.
SO HE WENT DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL.
HE WAS, SO I WASN'T ABLE TO TALK TO HIM, UH, BUT REACHED OUT TO SOME OTHERS.
AND THEN MY DETAIL WAS DOING THEIR BEST TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, IN THE END, THE FACT THAT IT WAS A PRANK CALL, UM, NO, WAS CERTAINLY A PLUS.
THAT NO ONE, UH, NO SHOTS, NOBODY INJURED OR KILLED.
ALL OF THAT'S GOOD NEWS, BUT THE TRAUMA MM-HMM
IS THE TRAUMA FOR THE STUDENTS.
AND THE PARENTS, AND THE PARENTS AND THE TEACHERS.
UH, AND QUITE FRANKLY, EVEN FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRST RESPONDERS, POLICE, FIRE, THE, THE, UM, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, OF, UH, MANPOWER WOMAN POWER THAT WAS OUT THERE, UH, TO PROTECT THE, THE KIDS AND THE FACULTY AND THE STUDENTS.
UM, THAT JUST DOESN'T GO AWAY BECAUSE IT'S A PRANK CALL.
YOU KNOW, IT JUST DOESN'T GO AWAY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, STAYS RIGHT THERE IN THE MINDS OF THOSE KIDS TEACHERS.
UM, AND I JUST SAID, WHAT, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S, IT'S A SHAME.
WE ARE LIVING IN THIS TYPE OF WORLD RIGHT NOW WHERE PEOPLE WOULD BE SO SINISTER EVEN TO MAKE THOSE TYPE OF CALLS.
IT'S MY HOPE THAT, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICE, FBI, OTHERS WILL DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO LOCATE THE PERSON PERSONS WHO MADE THOSE, UM, PRANK CALLS.
AND IT WAS NOT JUST IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT IN OTHER PLACES, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL.
UM, BUT WE DO, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UH, FIND THOSE PERSONS AND TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, UH, IN A MAJOR, MAJOR WAY.
SO, UM, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S PRAY FOR OUR, ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
AND I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE IF I WAS A PARENT, WHAT WOULD BE GOING THROUGH WHAT AT THAT TIME, GOING THROUGH MY HEAD.
I CAN'T EVEN, UM, I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE.
AND, UH, OH, DANA, YOU, YOUR KID WAS A STUDENT.
PAT'S GRANDDAUGHTER AND PAT YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER.
I CAN'T, I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE HER SON.
YEAH, IT IS JUST, IT'S JUST RIGHT.
BUT THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE TIME IN WHICH WE ARE IN.
AND, UH, BUT COLLECTIVELY, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO, UM, WORK THROUGH IT.
UM, TRY TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, UH, TO MINIMIZE A DANGEROUS SITUATION EVEN BEFORE IT GETS TO THAT POINT AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
UM, BUT A VERY, A VERY, UM, UNSETTLING, UH, SITUATION ON YESTERDAY.
[01:15:01]
UH, FIRST RESPONDERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, HPD, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE FIREFIGHTERS FOR HOW THEY DID RESPOND ON YESTERDAY.VERY PROMPT, UH, VERY RESPONSIBLY, SETTING UP PERIMETERS GOING IN, I'D HESITATING GOING IN, UM, ONCE LING, YOU KNOW, CHIEF CENTER WAS RIGHT THERE.
UM, WHO WENT IN AS WHAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
SO I WANT TO THANK LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR, FOR DOING THEIR, FOR DOING THEIR JOBS AND FOR DOING THEIR JOBS WELL.
UM, AND THE SITUATION IN THAT KIND, YOU KNOW, IF I'M A PARENT, I WANT, I WANT INFORMATION NOW, YOU KNOW, RIGHT THERE.
BUT IN AN ACTIVE SITUATION WHEN IT'S OCCURRING, UH, THEY DID SET UP A PLACE FOR, FOR PARENTS.
UH, BUT STILL, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S JUST UNSETTLING FOR PARENTS.
BUT TO, UH, TO THE MEMBERS OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, TO MEMBERS OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND TO OTHERS WHO JOINED IN, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, LET ME THANK YOU FOR BEING VERY RESPONSIVE, UM, AND RESPONDING IN A WAY THAT, UM, UH, PROTECT THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AND FACULTY AND JANITORS, YOU NAME IT, WHO ALL, UH, WORK AT OUR WORK AT OUR SCHOOLS.
AND THEN LET US PRAY THAT, UH, OR UH, UH, THAT WE CAN, AND IF ANYBODY KNOWS ANYBODY WHO, WHO KNOWS THE PERSON, THE PERSON WHO MADE THOSE CALLS, LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO TURN THEM IN, BECAUSE YOU JUST DON'T DO THIS AND REMAIN SILENT.
SOMEBODY KNOWS THE PERSON, A PERSON WHO MADE THOSE CALLS, AND LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO, UM, TO TURN, TO TURN THEM IN.
UH, SO, UM, AND THEN, UH, LET ME, UH, GIVE CREDIT TO HISD, UH, TO THEIR, UH, TEACHERS AND, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND OTHERS WHO WERE VERY RESPONSIVE.
SO LET ME THANK, UM, SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE AND ALL OF HIS PEOPLE, UH, FOR HOW, FOR HOW THEY RESPONDED.
AND I'LL, I'LL BE VISITING WITH HIM A LITTLE BIT LATER ON, UH, TODAY.
SO AGAIN, UH, UH, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SAY ON THAT, UH, UH, COUNCIL.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADD MY GRATITUDE.
I, I WENT ON SITE AS SOON AS IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO AND NOT BE IN THE WAY OF WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS DOING.
UM, HPD AND HISD POLICE'S RESPONSE, UH, WAS EXTRAORDINARY.
UH, THEY WERE THERE WITHIN MINUTES, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY, AS YOU MENTIONED AND INFERRED, UH, COMMAND STAFF, EXECUTIVE LEVEL STAFF GOT ON SCENE FIRST AND WENT IN WITHOUT HESITATION.
UH, IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WOULD WANT TO SEE IN ONE OF THE, UH, WORST CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU CAN THINK OF.
UM, I WILL SAY THE IMPACT ON PARENTS, UH, WAS VISIBLE.
UH, WE HAD, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE STAFF.
WE HAD, UH, ONE OF OUR ASSISTANT CHIEFS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO WAS ON SITE, HIS DAUGHTER WAS IN THERE.
UM, I SAW WHEN THEY WERE REUNITED, WE HAD PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, GRANDMOTHERS GOING TO PICK UP THEIR GRANDSONS.
UH, I DID ASK HISD SPECIFICALLY, UH, WHO WAS ON SITE, UH, THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE GETTING TRAUMA COUNSELORS INTO THE SCHOOL.
SO WHEN YOU, YOU'RE MEETING WITH SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE, I WOULD JUST ASK THAT THAT BE CONVEYED AS WELL.
BUT, UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE TRAUMA FROM THIS IS FELT THAT I WANTED TO JUST EXPRESS MY, UH, SINCERE APPRECIATION TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, TO THE TEACHERS.
THEY DID EVERYTHING THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO, THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, UH, AND THEY WERE PUT IN A SITUATION THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAD TO HAVE BEEN PUT IN.
AND THAT CALL SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN MADE TO ACT THAT WAY.
UH, SO MAY I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP.
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT WE AS A CITY ARE DOING TO ADVOCATE, TO END GUN VIOLENCE, UM, TO END SCHOOL SHOOTINGS.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WAS ALL TOO REAL.
UH, AND, UH, I'M JUST, I'M GRATEFUL THAT EVERYONE IS SAFE, BUT THE TRAUMA REMAINS WHEN I'M ASKING LAW ENFORCEMENT TO, TO EXPEND WHATEVER RESOURCES THEY NEED TO TRACK DOWN THE PERSON TO PERSONS WHO MADE THESE CALLS.
UH, YOU GOTTA HOLD THESE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.
YOU CAN'T ALLOW PEOPLE JUST TO MAKE THESE CALLS AND WE NOT, UM, DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO TRACK THEM DOWN.
SO, UM, THAT, UH, FOR US AS TODAY, MOVING FORWARD, THAT'S THE EMPHASIS, IS TO UTILIZE
[01:20:01]
OUR RESOURCES TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, UH, TO TRACK THEM DOWN AND TO HOLD THEM, TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.WE TAKE THESE THINGS VERY SERIOUSLY.
BUT LEMME SAY TO OUR KIDS, STUDENTS, WE LOVE YOU.
WE'RE STANDING WITH YOU AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WISHING YOU THE VERY BEST.
AND JUST, JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE, WE ARE HERE FOR YOU TO THE PARENTS, TO THE GRANDPARENTS AND RELATIVES AND FRIENDS.
UM, KNOW THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE PREPARED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP YOUR CHILDREN AND LOVED ONES SAFE.
OKAY? SO, UM, UH, SO THAT'S, UH, MY MOM WILL SAY TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER THAN TODAY.
UM, AS I SAID, I WAS ON THE, UM, UM, WHITE HOUSE SALON, BUT WITH THAT, IT, IT, EVERYTHING WAS KIND OF SECONDARY.
UM, 'CAUSE I WAS GETTING READY TO LEAVE TO CATCH AN EARLIER FLIGHT TO RETURN.
UH, BUT IT WAS A, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL, UH, CEREMONY.
AND OF COURSE, THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WAS IN TOWN ON MONDAY, ANNOUNCING THE $40 MILLION TO THESE THAT'S BEEN, HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE AIRPORTS.
AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO FLOW INTO THE CITY FROM THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT.
UH, AND THEN THE, UTILIZING THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, UH, RESOURCES ON NEXT WEEK.
UH, I AM HOSTING TWO, UM, CONFERENCES NEXT WEEK, STARTING ON MONDAY.
IT'S THE NATIONAL NON-PARTISAN CONVERSATION ON VOTER RIGHTS.
IT, UH, WAS IN DENVER LAST YEAR.
UH, THIS, THIS WEEK IT IS BEING HOSTED BY, WELL, MYSELF, UH, THE MAYOR OF DENVER, MAYOR HANCOCK, UM, UH, THE MAYOR OF OKLAHOMA CITY, MAYOR HOLTE, UH, MAYOR RAMIREZ, OUT OF, UH, ARIZONA, UM, MAYOR GILES MESA, UH, ARIZONA, AND MAYOR CORN WARREN OUT OF CALIFORNIA.
UM, IT'S A BIPARTISAN, SIX MAYORS, THREE DEMOCRATS, THREE REPUBLICANS, UM, AND THEN A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SPONSORING THIS EVENT THAT WILL BE RECEPTION MONDAY EVENING, I THINK, AT THE HILTON AMERICAS, OR THE GEORGIA BROWNS, ONE OF THE OTHERS.
YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME TO THE, TO THE RECEPTION.
AND THEN, UH, ALL THESE PANEL DISCUSSIONS WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY.
UH, AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO INVITE OTHERS TO COME, UH, ON TUESDAY.
UH, AND THEY WILL GO ALL DAY TUESDAY.
UH, AND THEN I THINK ANOTHER RECEPTION TUESDAY EVENING, AND THEN WE'LL CLOSE ON NOON ON WEDNESDAY.
SO THAT'S THE NATIONAL NONPARTISAN CONVERSATION ON VOTER RIGHTS.
AND IT IS, AND, AND I DO WANNA EMPHASIZE IT'S NONPARTISAN WITH PEOPLE FROM BOTH PARTIES HAVING A CONVERSATION.
AND I THINK WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION AND, UH, AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION WITHOUT BEING, UM, UH, ANTAGONISTIC.
SO THAT'S ON, THAT'S STARTING ON MONDAY WITH RECEPTION MONDAY EVENING.
IF NOTHING ELSE, COME GET THE FOOD AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SHAKE HANDS AND THEN SAY GOODBYE.
AND THEN ON TUESDAY, PLEASE COME TO THE PANELS.
UH, AND WE ARE INVITING DIFFERENT GROUPS FROM THE ME HISPANIC ADVISORY GROUP, THE LGBT COMMUNITY, THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY, UH, YOU NAME IT TO COME.
AND THEN ON THURSDAY, UH, WE ARE HOSTING THE FIRST, THE INAUGURAL AFRICA, AFRICA, UH, ENERGY SUMMIT.
AND THIS IS WITH AFRICA AND AFRICAN HEADS OF STATES AND MINISTERS OF ENERGY FROM A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT.
AND WE ARE CONNECTING THEM WITH CEOS AND HIGH LEVEL EXECUTIVES OF OUR ENERGY SECTOR.
IT IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND AND, UH, THAT'S BEING HOSTED BY US, UM, UH, HERE IN THE CITY.
AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND THAT.
IN FACT, THERE'S A, UH, GALA BANQUET ON FRIDAY NIGHT, AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME, UH, TO ATTEND THAT, NO COST TO ANYBODY.
UM, AND WE'LL GET YOU ALL THE ATTENDANT, EVERYTHING AS RELATES TO THE AFRICAN SUMMIT.
BUT WE HAVE HEADS OF STATES THAT ARE COMING, MINISTERS OF ENERGY AMBASSADORS THAT ARE COMING.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR ENERGY COMPANIES.
AND I, I WANT TO THANK THEM 'CAUSE THEY HAVE REALLY STEPPED UP.
UH, YOU KNOW, UM, CHEVRON IS THE TITLE SPONSOR.
HALLIBURTON IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR.
I, SHE, ON AND ON AND ON AND ON.
SO, UM, UH, PLEASE PUT THOSE IN YOUR CALENDARS IF YOU CAN MAKE IT.
YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO ATTEND.
AND AGAIN, ON THE NATIONAL NONPARTISAN CONVERSATION, FEEL FREE TO INVITE OTHERS TO COME AS WELL.
MONDAY, IT'S AT THE HILTON AMERICAS.
HILTON AMERICA IS THE RECEPTION.
[01:25:01]
UM, AND THEN ON, UH, TOMORROW, UH, AS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR ADULT LITERACY, UH, BREAKFAST, UH, AT THE HOUSTON PUBLIC, THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY WILL HOST THAT, UH, A SALUTE TO ADULT LITERACY TOMORROW MORNING, HOUSTON, NASHVILLE MANAGER, DUSTY BAKER IS THE HONORARY CHAIR.AND THE EVENT WILL RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS THAT ARE PARTNERED WITH US TO IMPROVE LITERACY.
WE ARE THE ONLY CITY IN THE COUNTRY WITH THE, UH, MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ADULT LITERACY THAT, UH, UH, IS SET UP IN THIS WAY.
AND SO, UH, I WANT TO THANK THE BARBARA BUSH, OUR LITERACY FOUNDATION FOR BEING VERY, UH, INSTRUMENTAL.
AND, UH, WE CREATED THE, A ADULT LITERACY IN HOUSTON IN 2019 UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DIRECTOR FEDERICO SOLACE ADE AND HIS TEAM.
SO I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR, WITH JOB DUN BUM BEEF.
THREE OF BURGERS WILL BE THIS WEEKEND.
THEY'LL MAKE THEIR WS CITY HOME.
SO WE ARE PARTNERING WITH LOCAL ENTERTAINERS AND BUSINESSES AND BUSINESSMAN BUM BEEF FOR A BURGER POPUP, UH, WHERE YOU CAN BUY AND TRY THE THRILL BURGER.
SO, UH, THIS, THERE WILL BE OTHER FOOD STANDS AND ENTERTAINMENT AVAILABLE.
UH, THE EVENT WILL BE HELD, IS IT TRT, TRILL? WHAT DID I SAY? THRILL.
IT'S TRILL, BUT BIG TRILL THRILL
WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M MISSING SOME TEETH OUT HERE.
SO,
SO IT WILL BE, THE EVENT WILL BE HELD SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH FROM 3:00 PM TO 7:00 PM SO M BE TRILL BURGERS.
UH, WE'RE POP AT THE, AT THE RODEO HOUSTON AND HIS BURGERS WON FIRST PLACE FOR BEST BURGER IN AMERICA ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ALL THAT 'CAUSE I THINK I MAKE A PRETTY GOOD BURGER MYSELF.
SO
ON THIS COMING SUNDAY AT 3:00 PM UH, AND THEN, UH, UH, I KNOW HOUSTON FIRST IS GONNA BE MAKING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT LATER ON TODAY.
HOUSTON RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF AMERICA'S BEST CITIES IN 2022.
SO WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT, EXCITED ABOUT THAT ANNOUNCEMENT.
SO ANYWAY, WENT ON A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY THAT KIND OF, EH, YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE, PEOPLE JUST NEED TO BE BETTER, BETTER FOLK.
STOP TRYING TO CREATE A WHOLE LOT OF CHAOS.
UM, VICE MAYOR, CAST DICTATOR.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD ON TO YOUR, UM, INAUGURAL SUMMIT WITH, UM, THE HEADS OF STATES FROM AFRICA.
LAST WEEK I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL TO CAMEROON, AFRICA FOR THE KABE CONFERENCE, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL AFRICAN, UH, BUSINESS ENERGY FORUM.
AND THE MINISTERS THERE ARE SO LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING TO HOUSTON.
THERE WAS A HUNGER FOR INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR ENERGY SECTOR AND THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND TO SEE FIRSTHAND, UH, THESE COMMUNITIES THAT GO MONTHS WITHOUT ENERGY WAS HEARTBREAKING.
SO MANY, UM, PEOPLE THERE ARE SUFFERING AND LIVING IN POVERTY.
AND YOU THINK ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS THERE AND I, I, I SAW PEOPLE LIVING IN TYPES OF, UH, SHANTIES.
AND, UM, THERE'S SUCH A DICHOTOMY OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MONEY AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, ARE, ARE LIVING IN POVERTY.
AND I THOUGHT ABOUT US DURING WINTER STORM URI AND HOW WE WERE SO, UM, CHALLENGED, UM, BECAUSE OF OUR ENERGY CRISIS AND THE GRID.
AND WHEN I WAS IN CAMEROON AND THE PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT BEING WITHOUT ENERGY FOR TWO AND THREE MONTHS, I COULD NOT IMAGINE, UM, US LIVING WITHOUT ENERGY FOR TWO AND THREE MONTHS.
UM, BUT AT THE FORUM, THE MINISTERS IN IN AFRICA ARE LOOKING FOR A, A PIPELINE TO RUN THROUGH CENTRAL AFRICA.
UM, AND THEY WERE INTRIGUED AND VERY INTERESTED IN, UM, ENERGY TRANSITION AND HOW THEY CAN HAVE RELIABLE ENERGY IN CENTRAL AFRICA.
AND SO THEY ARE CLAMORING TO BE HERE NEXT WEEK.
VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT INAUGURAL SUMMIT.
SO I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT SUCCESS BECAUSE OUR ABILITY TO PUT THEM AT THE TABLE WITH PEOPLE WHO CAN TRANSFORM THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CENTRAL AFRICA IS GOING TO BE A BIG HIT.
SO THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THAT SUMMIT.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT IT, IT WILL CHANGE LIVES.
[01:30:01]
FORWARD TO IT.THEY WANT AMERICAN COMPANIES TO HAVE A GREATER PRESENCE ON THE CONTINENT, AND WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO, UH, AND THEN ON THE WAY HOME LAST NIGHT ON THE APP, ON THE AIRPLANES, UH, WELL, I KIND OF STUBBORN MUCH OF THE WAY AND, AND THIS OTHER LADY SLEPT MOST OF THE WAY AND 'CAUSE THE PLANE WAS FREEZING.
AND I HAD PUT MY SUIT COAT BACK ON AND HAD MY HANDS IN MY POCKET AND PUT MY CAP ON AND PUT AN EXTRA MASK ON.
'CAUSE 'CAUSE I WAS JUST FREEZING.
AND THEN WE GOT CLOSE TO HOUSTON, WE STARTED TALKING, UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, UH, UH, FEMALE.
AND COME TO FIND OUT SHE'S ON THE BOARD OF SHANIA ENERGY.
AND THEN JESS GOT PUT ON THE BOARD OF OCCIDENTAL.
SO WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT ENERGY.
AND I SAID ON HER WAY TO HOUSTON.
JUST, JUST, JUST, JUST AMAZING, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE YOU RUN INTO.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ENOUGH ON THAT.
[MISCELLANEOUS]
OKAY.UM, BEFORE WE BEGIN WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, LET ME ASK THE MADAM SECRETARY TO CALL THE ITEMS ONE AND TWO.
DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION ON ITEM ONE IN FAVOR, OPPOSED GRANTED ON ITEM ONE.
AND PROCEED WITH ITEM TWO AS WELL.
CASTEX T MOVE SECOND, ROBINSON, IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND.
OH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ, AFTER, AFTER THE VOTE.
DISCUSSION IN, IN, SAME THING WITH YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN, AFTER THE VOTE.
UH, IN FAVOR, OPPOSED, GRANTED.
NOW, COUNCIL MEMBER, OH, AND LET ME, LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, THIS IS TO THE HOUSTON MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD POSITION ONE.
AND IF YOU ARE HERE, IF YOU STAND, UH, FOR ME AND COME FORWARD.
POSITION THREE IS MARK AUSTIN.
POSITION FIVE IS ERIC JIMENEZ.
KDL DID I GET THAT RIGHT OR CLOSE? CLOSE
AND ONTO POSITION THREE IS LUPE RE JR.
AND THIS, UH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IS THE HOUSTON MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD.
AND, UH, NORMALLY WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH MUSIC, UH, THEY PROVIDE US WITH A RENDITION,
ALRIGHT, LET ME THANK YOU ALL.
THIS IS THE FIRST, AND YOU ALL ARE THE FIRST TO HOLD THESE POSITIONS.
AND, UH, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, NICK, UH, HA NICOLE.
SO YOU WANNA COME AND STAND WITH THEM AS WELL, WAS THE DIRECTOR OF MAYOR'S OFFICE AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
UH, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
YOU CERTAINLY REPRESENT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY, AND SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH YOU.
NOW, LET ME YELL, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, OH, EVAN SHABA.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE POINTING TO ME AS A CHOIR DIRECTOR OR SOMETHING.
UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
I WAS SO HONORED TO NOMINATE, UH, DR.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL KNOW DR.
SHE FORMED THE SCOTT JOP JOPLIN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA AS WELL AS THE WILLIAM GRANT STEEL STREAM QUARTET.
AND SHE, UM, ACTUALLY WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE TO CONDUCT THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY.
BUT ACTUALLY, SHE AND I ARE LONGTIME FRIENDS.
UH, WE ACTUALLY PLAYED IN THE BAND TOGETHER IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL ON THE DIRECTION OF, UH, MR. JAMES HARRISON.
AND HER BELOVED MOTHER WAS ONE OF MY INSTRUCTORS, MS. FANNIE LUNDY.
SO I'VE KNOWN HER FOR A LONG TIME.
AND SHE ALSO ACCOMPANIED BEYONCE.
UH, I TRIED, BUT THEY WOULDN'T LET ME.
MAYOR
SO THIS WAS CERTAINLY AN HONOR TO, UH, NOMINATE HER.
SHE'S ALSO CURRENTLY THE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY MUSIC CENTER OF HOUSTON.
AND CERTAINLY THEY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PARTICIPATION IN DONATIONS.
AND SO SHE'S JUST A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY PERSON, AND IT WAS JUST AN HONOR TO NOMINATE DR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN,
[01:35:02]
I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS GROUP, UH, THE DIVERSITY THAT YOU ALL REPRESENT AND THE MUSIC THAT YOU REPRESENT THAT IS SHAPING NOT JUST OUR CITY, BUT THE ENTIRE WORLD, UH, IS EXTRAORDINARY.SO, CONGRATULATIONS, DIRECTOR IRVING GRACIE, YOUR ENTIRE TEAM.
UM, I MEAN, JASON, WE GOT THE RODEO REPRESENTATION, UM, HENRY SWISH A HOUSE.
UH, YOU ALL SHAPED A LOT OF MY, MY CHILDHOOD IN HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, TRACY, UH, I HAVE TO RECOGNIZE AS A DISTRICT C UH, REPRESENTATIVE AND A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, MARK AUSTIN, UM, WHO IS JUST A BADASS IN THE MUSIC SCENE.
NOT AS BIG OF A BADASS AS YOUR WIFE, RACHEL, WHO'S ALSO HERE, UM, TO SUPPORT YOU.
BUT AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU.
UH, I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD, UH, TO THE WORK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
WE ARE ALREADY, UH, A BEACON OF MUSIC INFLUENCE FOR THE WORLD, BUT IN ORDER TO GET THAT RECOGNITION AND BE THOUGHT OF THAT REAL WORK, I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, AND THIS IS GOING TO FURTHER THAT, UH, EVEN MORE SO, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU, UH, MAYOR, THIS IS ONE OF THE COMMITTEES I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU, ESPECIALLY JASON WOODS.
POSITION NUMBER ONE, JASON AND I GO WAY BACK FROM UNDERGRAD AT SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY.
YOU KNOW, THE INSTITUTION'S MOTTO IS THE MEASURE OF ONE'S LIFE IS ITS SERVICE.
AND SO TODAY YOU'RE EXEMPLIFYING THAT, UM, JUST WATCHING YOUR ENTIRE CAREER AND HOW YOU'VE EVOLVED OUT OF THE DAN RATHER SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS, FROM CAPTURING STEELS IN THE BLACKOUT ROOM TO CAPTURING HOUSTON'S CULTURE FROM THIRD WARD IN WHAT YOU'RE IN YOUR WORK YOU'RE DOING NOW.
I'M JUST SO EXCITED THAT YOU ARE APPOINTED TO THIS BOARD AND THAT ALL OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE.
AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR IRVING, FOR SELECTING A STELLAR LIST.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, ALL THE FREE ENTERTAINMENT THAT Y'ALL ARE GONNA OFFER US.
BUT JUST CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU AND THANK YOU FOR C YOUR COMMITMENT TO SERVING.
FIRST OF ALL, I KNOW THAT HOUSTON IS RECOGNIZED AS THE, UH, HAVING THE LARGEST MEDICAL CENTER IN THE WORLD, HAVING THE LARGEST PORT OF FOREIGN TONNAGE, THE SECOND LARGEST PETROCHEMICAL, UH, FACILITY IN THE WORLD, AND THE NATION'S HOME OF SPACE EXPLORATION.
BUT THE CITY IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN THIS NATION.
AND THIS BOARD SHOWS THAT MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, WHEN NOW, NOW WE CAN SHARE THE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, THE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC FROM VARIOUS CULTURES AND DI THE, THE DIVERS D DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY.
AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR AN OUTSTANDING BOARD.
THANK YOU'ALL VICE MAYOR PRO, JIM KACK TATUM.
I, I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOARD.
UH, I, I SAT DOWN LAST NIGHT AND I WAS READING THE BIOS OF THE PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD, AND THE MUSIC SCENE IN HOUSTON IS SO DYNAMIC.
AND WHEN I READ THESE BIOS, I THOUGHT, THESE ARE GREAT PEOPLE TO GET US STARTED WITH THIS, UM, FIRST, UH, STEP IN THIS, IN THIS, UH, BOARD.
AND IT BRINGS ME GREAT JOY TO SEE YOU STANDING HERE BECAUSE MUSIC IS MY FAVORITE LANGUAGE.
IT IS A LANGUAGE OF HAPPINESS.
IT IS A LANGUAGE THAT CAN BRIDGE SO MANY BARRIERS.
AND FOR US TO HAVE SUCH A STRONG MUSIC SCENE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND TO STAND, SIT HERE AND LOOK AT THE DIVERSITY OF THIS GROUP, I KNOW WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
MS. LUNDY, MY SISTER, PLAYED THE VIOLIN AND THE YOUTH ORCHESTRA MANY YEARS AGO, UH, WITH YOU.
UH, SO VERY HAPPY TO, TO SEE YOU HERE.
AND THERE ARE SO MANY CONNECTIONS TO EACH ONE OF YOU, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU WILL DO TO KEEP HOUSTON AT THE TOP OF EVERYONE'S MIND IN THE MUSIC SCENE.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF YOU.
UM, I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT, UM, THIS NEW BOARD.
MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
UM, HOUSTON IS A MUSIC CITY AND AND YOU ALL REPRESENT THAT.
AND I HAVE A REQUEST OF YOU PLEASE, PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH WITH, WITH, UM, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, SOMETIMES YOU MAY THINK THAT WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT WE, MAYBE WE WON'T.
AND, AND IF WE DO, WE CAN HELP PROMOTE, YOU KNOW, EVENTS AND, AND SPECIAL THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING OR THAT, THAT NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT.
I MEAN, INDIVIDUALLY OR TOGETHER.
UM, WE CAN HELP, YOU KNOW, SPREAD YOUR, YOUR, UM, AMPLIFY YOUR VOICE.
LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.
[01:40:01]
YOU.AND I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE YOUR FIRST MEETING, UM, THIS MORNING.
SO I TELL YOU WHAT, UH, UH, MS. VIN DERVIN, YOU WANNA COME AND JUST SAY A FEW WORDS ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE BOARD.
NUMBER ONE, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, WE WOULD NOT BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITHOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE CREATIVE ECONOMY IN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ARTS AND CULTURE.
UM, AND A PART OF THAT WORK IS MUSIC.
UM, AS WE'VE HEARD THIS MORNING, HOUSTON IS A MUSIC CITY.
WE HAVE THE HISTORY, WE HAVE THE CREATIVITY, WE HAVE THE MUSICIANS, WE HAVE ALL OF THE GENRES.
UM, YOU NAME IT, IT IS HERE WE ARE THE INFLUENCERS.
UM, AND SO HAVING THIS FIRST HOUSTON MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD MAKES A VERY STRONG STATEMENT ABOUT HOW WE THINK ABOUT MUSIC IN OUR CITY AND HOW WE THINK ABOUT MUSIC AND HOW HOUSTON'S MUSIC IN INFLUENCES THE WORLD.
AND I WANT TO SECONDLY THANK EACH OF THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE STANDING, UM, BEHIND ME, UM, FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE.
UM, IT TAKES A SPECIAL PERSON TO DO THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, SAY, I AM WILLING TO SERVE.
AND EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE, HAVE MADE THAT COMMITMENT.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT OUR MUSIC OFFICER.
AND SO FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS FOCUSED IN THAT SPACE.
AND SO GRACIE CHAVEZ HAS BEEN DOING THIS WORK, UM, IN OUR OFFICE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND SEEING THIS DIVERSITY OF INDIVIDUALS, MEN AND WOMEN, THE MULTIPLE HATS THAT THEY WEAR ACROSS GENRES ACROSS THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, WHICH HOUSTON HAS.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN.
MUSIC INDUSTRY, BECAUSE WE ARE A PART OF THE ECONOMY, UM, IS A BIG THANKS TO GRACIE.
AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.
YOU WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS? GOOD MORNING.
UH, I WANNA START BY SAYING THANK YOU TO, UH, MAYOR TURNER AND, UH, ALSO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, WE OWE A DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL.
UM, THE CONFIRMATION OF THIS ORDINANCE WILL ALLOW MYSELF AND THE, UH, UH, INAUGURAL BOARD TO START THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN NEEDED IN OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY AND TO OUR, UM, MY, I GUESS OUR INAUGURAL BOARD.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH ONE OF YOU AND, UH, TO OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.
AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO, TO THAT.
AND, UM, JUST IRONIC, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, WITH, UH, ONE OF THE KEY STAFFERS, ONE OF OUR, UM, MAJOR ARTISTS THAT GREW UP IN THIS CITY.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY BEFORE, UM, BEFORE MY TERM IS OUT, UM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SALUTE, UM, UM, SEVERAL OF OUR ARTISTS, UM, IN THE CITY IN A MAJOR, MAJOR, MAJOR WAY.
SO, UM, UM, UH, 2023, I WANTED TO BE A VERY SPECIAL, A VERY SPECIAL YEAR.
AND WE HAVE OUTSTANDING ARTISTS FROM HOUSTON THAT ARE NOW ALL OVER.
AND, UH, MY, MY VISION IS TO SALUTE, UH, SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN A MAJOR, IN A MAJOR WAY.
SO, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU NEED TO GET TO WORK.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR AGREEING TO SERVE.
OKAY, MAYOR, DID YOU TELL HIM HOW MANY INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY? YOU KNOW, IT VARIES.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ON A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL OR LAURA
[CONSENT AGENDA]
ALL RIGHT, MADAM SECRETARY, WE'RE BACK WITH YOU.UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEMS THREE AND FOUR.
JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM THREE, DISCUSSION ON THREE.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANITE.
AND SECOND ON ITEM FOUR, DISCUSSION ON FOUR.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANITE
[01:45:01]
UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY OF BOTH ITEMS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION B CATEGORY.ITEMS EIGHT AND NINE HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
NEED A MOTION FOR ITEM 17 AND 11 AS TATUM MOVED SECOND ROBINSON MOVED.
DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
12, 13, 16, 19, AND 2025 AND 26.
THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 12, 13, 16, 19, AND 2025 AND 26.
DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED,
[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
I HAD REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION FOR ITEM FIVE.ROBINSON MOVED AND SECONDED ON ITEM FIVE, DISCUSSION ON FIVE.
CASTEX T MOVE SECOND ROBINSON.
AND SECOND ON ITEM SIX ON DISCUSSION.
LET ME, LET ME JUST TALK ABOUT ITEM SIX AT FIRST.
UM, 'CAUSE I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE, UH, CONTRACT ON ITEM SIX.
I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR IT, BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THIS CONTRACTOR ACHIEVED OVER 50% ON HIS MWBE AND SMALL BUSINESS, UH, PORTION, THIS CONTRACTOR DID NOT USE THE SUBS THAT WERE ASSIGNED, UM, OR THE SUBS THAT, THAT WERE ON THE CONTRACT WITH HIM, WITH THIS ENTITY.
AND, UM, AND NO REAL REASON WAS GIVEN.
SO THIS CONTRACTOR HAS RECEIVED AN UNSATISFACTORY RATING FROM OBO.
UM, AND I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED, EVEN THOUGH YOU ACHIEVE OR EXCEED THE GOALS, WHEN THERE ARE CON SUBS THAT ARE WITH YOU THAT YOU WORK WITH AND PUT THEM ON THE DEAL, THEY DO EXPECT TO DO THE WORK THEY DO.
AND YOU JUST DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF DECIDING YOU DON'T WANNA WORK WITH THEM.
AND SO YOU GO GET YOUR OWN WITHOUT GOING BACK TO OBO AND EXPLAINING AND PROVIDING A RATIONAL REASON WHY YOU ARE DOING THAT.
AND IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE CONTRACTOR JUST DUMPED THE SUBS AND, UH, WENT AND GOT SOME OTHER SUBS MET AND EXCEEDED THE MWBE REQUIREMENTS AND SMALL WOMEN REQUIREMENTS.
SO OBO GAVE THIS CONTRACTOR AN UNSATISFACTORY RATING.
AND OF COURSE, IF YOU GET TWO UNSATISFACTORY RATINGS IN THREE YEARS, YOU GET DEBAR DE YOU GET, UH, DEBARRED, YOU HAVE OPTIONS AND THAT, YEAH, YEAH, THERE ARE, YOU CAN GET B UP TWO OF THE OPTIONS.
SO IT IS ON THE AGENDA GOING TO VOTE FOR IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE, WE, WE, WE HAVE THE PROCESS IN PLACE, BUT DID, DID WANT TO VOICE MY DISSATISFACTION WITH HOW THE CONTRACTOR CONDUCTED HIMSELF ON, ON, ON THIS DEAL.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND I'M GLAD YOU, UM, TALKED ABOUT THIS ITEM.
UM, FIRST I WANT TO SAY THAT I DID HAVE A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR MURRAY ABOUT OUR CON, UM, COMPLIANCE, UM, HELP THAT WE ARE PROVIDING TO OBO THAT WE ALL VOTED FOR.
AND, UM, SHE SAID THAT THAT COMPLIANCE, UM, ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN A GAME CHANGER FOR OBO.
UM, AND SO I'M VERY HAPPY THAT THEY FEEL THAT ASSISTANCE IS HELPING THEM.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HIGHLIGHT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO, UM, SET A PRECEDENCE.
UM, I KNOW THAT THINGS HAPPEN IN THESE CONTRACTS AND, AND THE SCOPE CAN CHANGE, BUT TO NOT COMMUNICATE IS, IS NOT THE WAY TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.
BASICALLY, THE CONTRACTORS PERFORMANCE FAILED TO MEET THE INTENT AND THE SPIRIT OF THE CITY'S M-W-S-B-E PROGRAM.
SO I KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE WHERE IF YOU HAVE, UM, TWO UNSATISFACTORY RATINGS IN A THREE YEAR PERIOD,
[01:50:01]
UH, THE DIRECTOR IS AUTHORIZED TO RECOMMEND SUSPENSION, UM, FOR A PERIOD UP TO, BUT NOT TO EXCEED FIVE YEARS.THIS IS THEIR FIRST UNSATISFACTORY RATING.
AND WE DID A LOOK BACK OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, SO THIS IS THEIR FIRST ONE.
UM, BUT I DO THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO RAISE THIS ISSUE AND LET THE OTHER COMPANIES KNOW THAT OUR COMPLIANCE IS TIGHT, UH, AND WE WILL BE MAKING SURE THAT THESE CONTRACTORS ARE UTILIZING THE SUBS THAT THEY HAVE ON THESE CONTRACTS.
AND THE VICE MAYOR'S, UH, POINTS, UM, ANSWERS MAJORITY OF MY QUESTIONS, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT, UH, THE, THE LEVEL OF THE IMPACT, LIKE THEIR EGREGIOUS NATURE OF NOT USING THOSE SUBS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S THEIR FIRST VIOLATION, IS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION TO SAY, YEAH, IT'S YOUR FIRST, BUT IT MAKES A, A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT, UM, HONORING THE CONTRACT, THE AGREEMENT THAT YOU AGREED TO BETWEEN THE CITY AND WITH THESE SUBCONTRACTORS? IS THERE ANY WAY, I MEAN, IS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION TO LOOK AT SCALING THAT? SO EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE THEIR FIRST ONE, UM, I MEAN WE, OR IS IT GOING TO BE OUR PRACTICE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE IN A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MOVE IT FORWARD? WE'RE JUST NOTING THAT THEY'RE UNSATISFACTORY.
WE CAN ALWAYS MODIFY OUR PROCESSES AND WE CERTAINLY CAN TAKE A, A DEEPER DIVE IN WHETHER OR NOT TO PARTICULARLY LOOK AT SPECIFIC INSTANCES, LET'S SAY LIKE THIS, RIGHT? SO EVEN THOUGH IN A GENERAL SENSE TO UNSATISFACTORY IN THREE YEARS CAN CAUSE YOU TO BE SUSPENDED.
UM, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS TAKE A LOOK TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT WITHIN THAT TWO YEARS ON A SITUATION, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THIS KIND, WHETHER OR NOT, UH, THE, THE PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE GREATER.
RIGHT? AND I, I'M CERTAINLY OPEN AND, UH, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, UH, CAST TATUM UNDER YOUR COMMITTEE, YOU CERTAINLY CAN TAKE A LOOK IN INTO THAT WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT, UM, WE SHOULD SCALE THINGS UP DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THE INCIDENT.
RIGHT? AND I THINK THE COMPLIANCE PIECE WAS, IS SIGNIFICANT AS WELL, WHICH PROBABLY GETS US TO UNDERSTANDING THIS INFORMATION MORE.
BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, UM, CONTRACTORS ARE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY CONTRA SUBS THAT CAN DO THE WORK.
AND SO SOMETIMES THAT MIGHT DING THEM.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IN CASES LIKE THIS, I THINK IT WOULD, I'LL BE MORE THAN WILLING IF YOU'RE WILLING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL TO HOW WE CAN SCALE THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
'CAUSE THE ONLY THING THEY HAVE TO DO IS, IS TO COMMUNICATE WITH OBO.
SAY THAT THE SUBS, THEY ORIGINALLY HAD EITHER COULDN'T DO THE WORK, DIDN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES, DA, DA DA, BUT NOT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AT ALL.
AND THEN JUST TO, IN A SENSE, DUMP YOUR SUBS AND THEN GO AND GET AT SOME OTHERS, EVEN THOUGH YOU MEET AND EXCEED, UM, IT'S JUST UNFAIR TO THOSE, TO THOSE, TO THOSE SUBS ORIGINAL, UH, SUBS.
SO I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IT TO LET YOU KNOW WE'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT IT, THAT'S THE REASON FOR THEM UNSATISFACTORY RATING.
UH, BUT THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, IT REQUIRES TWO, UH, WITHIN A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M ASKING YOU TO MOVE FORWARD IN, IN SUPPORTING THE ITEM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO.
SO THE, THE SUBS WERE ON THEIR BID, CORRECT? THAT THEY'RE NOT, WE DON'T HAVE TO ACTUALLY CONTRACT WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THE CONTRACT WITH THEIR SUBS, BUT THESE ARE JUST THE, THE SUB, THE SUBCONTRACTORS THAT WERE ON THEIR BID? THAT'S CORRECT.
BECAUSE OFTEN LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS SAYS, I HEAR ABOUT LIKE SOMEBODY, THEY HAD THEM ON THEIR BID, BUT THEN THEY COULDN'T DO THE WORK.
BUT I'M ASSUMING THESE SUBS COULD DEFINITELY HAVE DONE THE WORK.
BECAUSE THEY CHOOSE THEIR OWN SUBS.
SO THEY CAME WITH THE, WITH THOSE SUBS, RIGHT.
AND THEN DEVIATED FROM THOSE SUBS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ASH ON THE SCREEN.
AND, AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, IT WOULD STILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL, UH, FOR US TO BORROW THEM FOR FIVE YEARS, ISN'T THAT CORRECT? YEAH.
ANY CHANGES WITH THE PROCESS WILL COME BACK FOR US TO FINALIZE THE PROCESS, BUT, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE ONE, IF THEY GET TWO, THEY'RE NOT BARRED, BUT IF THEY GET THREE, IT WOULD COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR COUNCIL TO REVIEW IT AND BEFORE THEY'RE ACTUALLY, AND COUNCIL WOULD MAKE THE DECISION TO BAR THEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, I'LL HAVE TO DEFER THAT TO LEGAL.
YOU'LL HAVE TO DEFER THAT TO LEGAL OR IS IT A, IS IT A BUREAU? IS IT A BUREAUCRATIC DECISION? SOMEBODY IN IN THE DEPARTMENT WOULD DO IT.
WELL, I THINK IT'S, IF YOU GET TWO IN THREE YEARS, YOU ARE SUBJECT TO BEING SUSPENDED.
UM, WHEN THESE PRIMES, UH, DON'T LIVE UP TO THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE CONTRACT, DO
[01:55:01]
WE HAVE ANYTHING THAT, UM, WILL NOTATE THAT IN THE GRADING CRITERIA OF ANY SUBSEQUENT, UM, BID OR PROPOSAL THAT THEY PUT IN FOR THE CITY? SO WHEN THERE'S BIDS THAT ARE PUT OUT AND ALL THESE VENDORS ARE APPLYING FOR THAT CONTRACT, WE NEED SOMETHING IN THE GRADING CRITERIA THAT INDICATES THAT THIS PARTICULAR PRIME HAS AN UNSATISFACTORY SO THAT THEY CAN NOTATE THAT AND BE, BE A PART OF THE GRADING CRITERIA ON WHO GETS THE BID.I KNOW WE HAVE, UH, THIS TWO UNSATISFACTORIES WITHIN A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD, AND YOU MAY BE SUBJECT TO X, Y, Z, BUT IN THE DETERMINATION OF IF YOU EVEN GET ANOTHER BID, IT NEEDS TO BE IDENTIFIED THAT THIS PARTICULAR VENDOR ON THEIR RECORD DOES HAVE AN UNSATISFACTORY.
AND THAT DOES NEED TO GO INTO THE DETERMINATION IF THIS PARTICULAR VENDOR GETS, UH, A CERTAIN GRADE AS THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE CRITERIA OF ALL OF THE VENDORS THAT HAVE APPLIED.
SO THE FACT THAT THEY GOT AN UNSATISFACTORY NOW SHOULD STILL PLAY A ROLE IN DETERMINING IF THEY GET ANOTHER CONTRACT WITH THE CITY.
IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING THERE THAT INDICATES THAT THIS PARTICULAR SUB, I MEAN THIS PARTICULAR PRIME HAS AN UNSATISFACTORY ON THEIR RECORD.
YOU TALKING ABOUT LIKE IN THE BIDDING PROCESS, WHEN THEY BID THE RATING CRITERIA.
I THINK THAT I DON'T, LET ME DEFER TO YOU ON NO ARTURA, 'CAUSE I DON'T, UH, MAYOR THE CITY IN OUR CODE.
AND, UM, ALSO BY STATUTE, AND THIS IS TRUE OF ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, UH, PAST EXPERIENCE IS A STANDARD CRITERION.
AND THAT'S WHERE IT WOULD FACTOR IN.
SO WHEN YOU DO A GOOD JOB AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE BEFORE, IT HELPS YOU IF YOU FAIL, FAILED.
AND TO SOME DEGREE, THAT'S GONNA COUNT AGAINST YOU.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S ALREADY BEING DETERMINED IN THE GRADING CRITERIA RIGHT NOW? YEAH, IT, IT'S SET UP THAT WAY NOW.
LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE, AND FRANKLY, OUR DEPARTMENTS AND OBO DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF BRINGING TO BEAR WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
BUT, UH, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT'S REITERATED TO EVERYONE.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX.
I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THIS IS A $24 MILLION CONTRACT AND WE'VE GOTTA, WE'VE GOTTA STOP THE GAMING THAT'S GOING ON, I THINK.
AND SO IN OTHER WORDS, THIS COMPANY COULD EVERY FOUR YEARS DO THIS AND WE HAVE NO MECHANISM TO DEAL WITH THAT.
SO MAYBE WE NEED TO TAKE A BETTER LOOK AT SOME OF OUR CRITERIA.
AND BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE ENCOURAGING GAMING OF THE SYSTEM AND, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT STOP.
SO WE WANT PEOPLE TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO DO GOOD QUALITY WORK.
WE WANT THEM TO HONOR THEIR CONTRACTS.
I KNOW WHEN I ENGAGE IN A CONTRACT AND WHEN ANY OF US INDIVIDUALLY ENGAGE IN CONTRACTS, WE EXPECT THE CONTRACT TO BE MET.
AND WHEN IT'S NOT MET, THERE'S LAWSUITS INVOLVED AND PENALTIES AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE INVOLVED.
AND, AND PERHAPS WE MIGHT CONSIDER AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE AS PART OF OUR CONTRACT, IF YOU FAIL TO MEET YOUR OBO REQUIREMENTS OR YOU FAIL TO USE YOUR, UH, LISTED COMPANIES, OR YOU STOP COMMUNICATING WITH OBO, THAT YOU HAVE TO RETURN THE MONEY THAT WOULD'VE BEEN SPENT TO THOSE, THOSE CONTRACTORS, UH, AS A PAYBACK OR AS A PENALTY.
SO THERE, THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT, THAT I THINK WE, WE PROBABLY SHOULD DO BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HAVE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS, NOT JUST IN THIS ADMINISTRATION BUT PREVIOUS ONES AS WELL, IS WE'VE CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE CONTRACTORS CAN GAME THE SYSTEM.
IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE OF A MIND TO DO THAT, THANKFULLY MOST OF THEM DON'T.
MOST OF THEM ADHERE TO THEIR CONTRACTS OR THEY TRY TO AT LEAST.
SO, BUT WHEN WE HAVE A FEW LIKE THIS, UH, WE NEED TO TAKE SOME STRONG ACTIONS, SEND A STRONG MESSAGE FOR FUTURE CONTRACTORS AND FOR THIS ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE'RE NOT GONNA LET YOU GAME OUR SYSTEM, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO FIX THAT TODAY.
BUT, UH, PERHAPS IN THE FUTURE WE CAN CONSIDER, UH, CHANGING THE WAY WE SET UP OUR CONTRACTS TO ALLOW FOR SOME ACTUAL PENALTY, EITHER FINANCIAL OR SOME OTHER PENALTY, UH, THAT WOULD DISCOURAGE THIS SORT OF GAMING.
AND COUNCILMAN KNOX, I'M OPEN TO ALL OF THAT.
VICE MAYOR, UH, VICE MAYOR, CAST TAYLOR.
I THINK WHAT EVERYONE HAS SAID IS WHAT WE CAN DEFINITELY MOVE TOWARDS.
NOW THAT WE HAVE THE ASSISTANCE WITH THIS COMPLIANCE.
OUR DATA WILL BE SO MUCH STRONGER NOW, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE HELP TO MAKE SURE WE ARE COLLECTING THE COMPLIANCE DATA.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT DATA AND DETERMINE HOW WE CAN PREVENT, UM, PEOPLE SKIRTING THE SYSTEM AND MAKING SURE, UH, THE, THE RATINGS ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
I I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE A BIG IMPROVEMENT NOW THAT WE HAVE THE ASSISTANCE WITH THE COMPLIANCE.
[02:00:01]
ITEM SIX? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED POLL? NO.THOMAS? NO SHALL THOMAS VOTING? NO.
VOTING NO SHALL JACKSON VOTING? NO.
SO COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABAZZ VOTING? NO, WE GOT IT.
ALRIGHT, NEXT ITEM, ITEM, ITEM EIGHT NEEDS A MOTION.
SECOND ROBINSON, WE ON ITEM A? UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
DISCUSSION ON ITEM EIGHT? DISCUSSION ON EIGHT.
ON EIGHT IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED.
UM, ON THE PREVIOUS ITEM, WE JUST, UH, APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF 42 ELECTRIC, UM, BOARD TRUCKS, UH, FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
THIS ITEM IS FOR, UH, HPD INTERCEPTORS.
UM, I I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THIS QUESTION ON MONDAY.
MAYOR, I'M NOT GONNA VOTE AGAINST THIS OR TAG THIS, BUT, UM, I'D, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY WE'RE ONLY DOING 21 HYBRID INTERCEPTORS VERSUS 204 OF THE SAME VEHICLE, BUT GAS POWERED.
I I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE QUESTION ON MONDAY, BUT IF SOMEONE IN THE DEPARTMENT COULD GET BACK TO ME ON THAT, I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
I'LL HAVE THE DIRECTOR REACH OUT TO YOU.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM NINE? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR.
ITEM 12 HAS BEEN TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, JACKSON.
ITEM 13 IS BEING TAGGED BY I JACKSON.
PLEASE GIVE A COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS
ITEM 16 IS AN ORDINANCE NEED VOTE.
YOU GOT ITEM SIX, UH, 16, RIGHT.
COUNCIL MEMBER, JACKSON COUNCIL.
UM, ITEM 16 HAS BEEN TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
WE ON ITEM 19, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PAYMENT ON 19.
I JUST WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THIS ITEM.
WE ARE MOVING ONE STEP CLOSER TO OUR CAD, UM, UPGRADE.
SO BIG THANKS TO HITS ON THIS ITEM.
UH, AGAIN, UH, MUCH, MUCH NEEDED, DESPERATELY NEEDED, UH, TECHNOLOGICAL UPDATES, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND FIRST RESPONSE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 19 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 19.
ITEM 20? WAIT A MINUTE, I'M SORRY.
UM, JUST, THIS'LL BE A GREAT STEP FOR PERMITTING.
WE NEED TO UPGRADE THE TECHNOLOGY HERE.
WE HAD A GOOD COMMITTEE MEETING ON THIS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON.
UM, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WE DO IS MOVING TOWARDS THAT GOAL OF REVIEWING TWO.
THAT'S THE BIG KIND OF MOONSHOT GOAL OVER THERE TO MAKE SURE NOBODY, EVERYBODY GETS THEIR STUFF DONE INTO REVIEWS.
SO HOPING THAT THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL HELP THAT.
WE ARE HOPING THAT THIS WILL MOVE THE PROCESS ALONG IN A POSITIVE WAY.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 20 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 20.
ITEM 25 WAS THE APPROVAL OF THE MEMORIAL HEIGHTS TS BUDGET.
AND THIS ITEM IS TO APPROVE, UM, OUR MONTROSE TOURS.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK BOTH OF OUR TOURS BOARDS.
UM, THEY ARE TERRIFIC EXAMPLES OF, UH, TOURS IN ACTION INVESTING IN NOT JUST OUR MAJOR THOROUGHFARES BUT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, WITH SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS.
I HAVE PAGES OF THE PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON AND I JUST WANNA THANK THEM FOR THE PARTNERSHIP.
UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 26 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 26.
[02:05:02]
ITEM 32[NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS]
NEEDS A MOTION.UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED AND IT'S TO SET THE HEARING.
IT'S SET A HEARING DATE FOR SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2022.
ALL RIGHT, MOVE TO SET THE HEARING DATE FOR SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2022.
AND SECOND TO SET THE HEARING DATE.
I DO WANT TO SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS BEFORE WE VOTE ON IT.
'CAUSE AS YOU CAN SAY, UM, UNDER OUR REVENUE CAP, THIS WILL LOWER OUR TAX RATE DOWN TO, UH, 0.5 3 3 6 4 0.
UM, STATE LAW SETS, UM, PUT JUST FORTH, PUT FORTH DETAILED REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROCESS OF SETTING AVALOR TAX RATES, INCLUDING PUBLIC HEARINGS, NEWSPAPER, NEWSPAPER, PUBLICATIONS, AND ACTIONS OF THE GOVERNING BODY.
UH, WE HAVE TO PLACE THE PROPOSED TAX RATES ON THE AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2022.
WE SET THE PUBLICATION DATE OF THE TAX RATE NOTICE ON SEPTEMBER 16TH OF THIS YEAR IN THE CHRONICLE.
AND WHEN WE SET THE PUBLIC HEARING DATES, UH, SECTION 26.05 OF THE TAX SCOPE PROVIDES A TAX UNIT MAY NOT ADOPT A TAX RATE THAT EXCEEDS THE LOWER OF THE NO NEW OR REVENUE TAX RATE AND THE VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE UNTIL THE GOVERNING BODY HAS HELD THEIR PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THEN THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE SEPTEMBER 28TH, UH, 2002, 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY.
ASSUMING YOU, UH, VOTE FOR THIS MEASURE, UM, THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.533640 PER $100 OF VALUATION IS LOWER THAN THE CURRENT TAX RATE OF 0.5 5 0 8 3 0 PER PER 100 EVALUATION BY 1.70 CENTS.
OR ABOUT THREE POINT 12% LOWER THAN THE CURRENT RATE.
SO IT IS LOWER THAN WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
THE PROPOSED TAX RATE OF 0.5 3 3 6 4 0 PER 100 EVALUATION IS THE RATE NEEDED TO COLLECT THE FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGETED AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE OF 1.27 BILLION.
SO THAT'S THE AMOUNT NEEDED TO, UM, MEET WHAT, UH, THE BUDGET THAT WE PUT FORTH AND PASS.
UH, AND IT WAS, THIS IS, UH, SET IN AT THE PROPOSITION ONE LIMITATION.
ANY REDUCTION IN THIS RATE WOULD REQUIRE REDUCTION OF THE BUDGET.
THE REVENUE CAP IMPACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 IS $332.7 MILLION.
CAN YOU SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME? THE REVENUE CAP IMPACT ESTIMATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 IS $332.7 MILLION.
TOTAL IMPACT SINCE FISCAL AND THE TOTAL IMPACT, THAT'S THE REVENUE CAMP THAT WE OPERATE ON.
WE ARE LOWERING THE TAX RATE, WHICH MEANS THAT THE IMPACT OF US NOT USING REVENUE THAT WE COULD BE GETTING IF WE REMAIN AT THE CURRENT RATE IS 332.7 MILLION.
AND THE TOTAL IMPACT SINCE THE REVENUE CAP HIT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN 2015 IS ESTIMATED AT $1.489 BILLION.
SO BECAUSE OF OUR SELF-IMPOSED REVENUE CAP SINCE 2015, UH, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF UTILIZE, UH, APPROXIMATELY $1.489 BILLION FOR EVERY 1 CENT OF TAX RATE.
THAT'S $23.7 MILLION OF REVENUE THAT'S GENERATED.
NOW, BEAR IN MIND THAT THE CITY HAS LOWERED THE TAX RATE EIGHT OUT OF THE LAST NINE YEARS SINCE WE HIT THE REVENUE CAP IN FISCAL YEAR 2015.
SO EIGHT OF THE NINE YEARS, SIX OF THE SEVEN SINCE I'VE BEEN MAYOR, NO.
YEAH, SIX OF THE SEVEN WE HAVE LOWERED THE TAX RATE AND THIS WILL BE THE SEVENTH ONE WHERE WE ARE LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
UM, WE HIT THE TA, WE HIT THE CAP IN 2015, FISCAL YEAR 2015.
AND TO GIVE YOU SOME SENSE OF WHERE WE ARE, THE TAX RATE PRIOR TO THAT WAS 0.6 3 8 7 5 0.
SO WE ARE GOING FROM 0.6 3 8, 7 5 0 TO 0.5 3, 3 6 0.40
[02:10:01]
NOW, AND I KNOW PEOPLE SAY THE APPRAISALS ARE GOING UP, SO MAYOR, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SO YEAH, YOU LOWERING THE RATE, BUT THE, THE RATE, THE APPRAISALS ARE GOING UP, I GOT ALL OF, I GOT ALL OF THAT.UM, BUT YOU GOT A WHOLE LOT OF DOLLARS COMING INTO THE STATE TOO.
THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SITTING ON A $27 BILLION, UH, RAINY DAY FUND.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT CUTTING BACK.
THEY'RE NOT LOWERING THOSE TAXES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
AND THEN I WANTED YOU TO, I WANTED TO NOTE, AND I I MEANT TO HAVE HAD THE CHART BECAUSE FOR THE, EVER SINCE I HAVE BEEN MAYOR, THE MONEY THAT WE PUT, FOR EXAMPLE IN HPD HAS GONE UP EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
THERE'S NOT ONE SINGLE YEAR WHERE WE'VE GIVEN, FOR EXAMPLE, HPD LESS THAN WHAT WE GAVE THEM THE YEAR BEFORE.
IT HAS GONE UP EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW IT COSTS TO PAY FIRST RESPONDERS, POLICE, FIRE, IT COSTS SOLID WASTE WORKERS.
I CAN'T GO TO, WE CAN'T GO TO POLICE AND FIRINGS THAT WE ARE CAPPED AND EVERY SINGLE YEAR THAT BUDGET GOES UP.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT NEEDS TO GO UP.
WE NEED THEM SOLID WASTE, WE NEED THEM.
AND WHEN YOU ARE IN A LABOR SHORTAGE AS WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW, YOU GOT TO PAY TO KEEP THEM BECAUSE OTHERWISE THEY WILL GO SOMEPLACE ELSE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS AND UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE WILL VOTE TO LOWER THE TAX RATE.
WE WILL, WE WILL DO THAT AGAIN.
EIGHT OUT OF THE LAST NINE YEARS, WE WILL VOTE TO LOWER.
BUT FOR PEOPLE WHO KEEP SHOUTING ABOUT WHAT WE ARE NOT DOING, THERE ARE REASONS FOR WHY WE ARE NOT DOING STUFF.
I WAS TALKING TO, UM, SOME CEOS NOT TOO LONG AGO AND I ASKED THEM, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE Y'ALL CAPPED Y'ALL REVENUE? NO.
PRIVATE CORPORATIONS DO NOT CAP THEIR REVENUE.
OKAY? SO, BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S, UH, IT'S WHAT WE OPERATING UNDER AND UH, AND WE, UM, KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
BUT I WILL PUT THIS CAUTIONARY NOTE.
WE BUILT UP A PRETTY GOOD FUND BALANCE, UH, AND GRATEFUL TO THE OPERA FUNDING, UM, FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT HAVE COME IN THE REVENUE REPLACEMENTS.
WE BUILT A FUND BALANCE SALES TAX ARE, ARE EXCEEDING PROJECTIONS.
YOU KNOW, BUT I WILL SAY FOR THE, FOR DOWN THE STRETCH COULD BE THREE YEARS DOWN THE STRETCH COULD BE FOUR YEARS DOWN THE STRETCH.
OKAY? UM, THESE LIMITATIONS ARE GONNA MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE NEXT MAYOR AND THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE THIS IS A FORMULA FOR SHORTAGES, OKAY? IN A GROWING CITY.
AND PEOPLE WANT, THE PEOPLE ARE WANTING AND DESERVING OF THE SAME SERVICES THAT THEY GET FROM SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES.
THEY'RE ENTITLED TO THAT, THEY'RE ENTITLED TO THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THE SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES OR COMMUNITIES OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON OPERATING ON A REVENUE CAP LIKE THIS ONE HERE.
THEY WANT THE AMENITIES, THEY WANT QUALITY NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOUSTONIANS DESERVE THE SAME.
OKAY? SO ANYWAY, THAT'S THAT'S MY, UM, MAY I HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
OH, COUNCILMAN KNOCK YOU UP FIRST.
[02:15:02]
THANK YOU MAYOR.SO THAT'S VERY DEPRESSING NEWS.
UM, BUT I'M CURIOUS, DO WE HAVE ANY NUMBERS? YOU KNOW, THIS PROPERTY TAX RATE IS A FUNCTION OF THE COUNTY INCREASING THE PROPERTY VALUES.
AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS, UH, DECRYING THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING THE MONEY THAT WE COULD HAVE GOT IF WE'D HAVE GOT A RAISE NEXT YEAR.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THE PROPERTY VALUES CONTINUE TO INCREASE, WHICH CAUSES OUR TAX RATE TO GO DOWN.
SO WE DON'T BUST THAT 3.5%, UH, INCREASE THAT WE HAVE EVERY YEAR.
SO MAYOR, I'M CURIOUS, DO WE HAVE ANY NUMBERS ABOUT HOW MUCH OF TAX REVENUE FROM PROPERTY THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO GET IN ADDITION TO THE PROPERTY TAX WE GOT LAST YEAR? IN OTHER WORDS, PROPERTY VALUES HAVE GONE UP, TAX RATE GOES DOWN, BUT WE STILL GET AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 3%.
SO HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE ACTUALLY GETTING MORE THAN WE'RE GONNA GET THAN WE GOT LAST YEAR? AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT, WELL, DO YOU HAVE THOSE NUMBERS RIGHT THERE? BECAUSE THE, THE TAX RATE THAT IS BEING, THAT IS BEING PROPOSED IS, IS, IS, UM, THE TAX RATE NEEDED TO BRING IN THEM MONEY FOR THE BUDGET THAT WE APPROVED AND NOT, AND NOT PAY ANYMORE.
AND IT FALLS UNDER THE PROPERTY TAX CAP, RIGHT? YES.
SO, BUT, BUT HOW MUCH ANTICIPATED REVENUE ARE WE GOING TO GET IN ADDITION OR MORE REVENUE THAT WE'RE GONNA GET NEXT YEAR THAN WE ANTICIPATED OR THAN WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED THIS YEAR? OKAY.
SO, UM, IT'LL BE ABOUT 27 MILLION MORE BASED ON THE PROP ONE CALCULATION, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO GROW IT BY CPI PLUS POPULATION OVER PRIOR YEAR'S CAP.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUALS FROM LAST YEAR, COMPARED TO THE BUDGET NO.
OR THE, THE PROP ONE CALCULATION OF THIS YEAR, IT'S ABOUT 27 MILLION.
SO WE'RE GETTING A RAISE AT $27 MILLION OVER LAST YEAR ON PROPERTY TAXES.
WE'RE GONNA COLLECT 27 MILLION MORE BASED ON THE PROP ONE CALCULATION.
AND ANOTHER SOURCE OF OUR REVENUE IS THE TAX FOR GOODS AND SERVICES.
ISN'T THAT CORRECT? IS THAT CAPPED AT ALL TO MY SALES TAX? YEAH.
SO WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE MORE MONEY NEXT YEAR THAN WE HAVE THIS YEAR.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW THE FEW RIGHT NOW WE HAVE INFLATION AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, SO WE DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW THE ECONOMY'S GONNA RESPOND TO THINGS RIGHT NOW.
SO I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE REVENUE THAN WE HAVE THIS YEAR.
IT'S TOO MANY FACTORS UNKNOWN.
BUT WE CAN SPECULATE THAT BECAUSE THE WHOLE BUDGET IS A SPECULATION ANYWAY.
'CAUSE WE, WHEN WE DO THESE BUDGETS, WE DON'T KNOW RIGHT HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA BRING IN OR NOT.
THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO OPERATE.
SO WE'VE GOT OUR BUDGET, THIS IS GONNA MEET THE BUDGET.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO, TO FUNCTION, RIGHT? YES.
BUT LET ME JUST ADD $27 MILLION MORE COMING IN.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS PUBLIC SAFETY.
OKAY, WE'LL EXPEND WHATEVER WE NEED TO KEEP DRIVING DOWN THESE NUMBERS.
I'M COMING TO YOU SOON TO DIP INTO THE FUND.
AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DIP INTO THE FUND BALANCE.
NOW, DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES, DIRECTOR OF WIL SAID TO ME THAT THE EXISTING DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES NEED TO BE ENHANCED.
THAT'S NUMBER ONE BECAUSE OF LIMITED CAPACITY.
SO I'M GONNA COME TO YOU TO SAY WE NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE.
THE POINT IS, IS THAT YES, WE'LL HAVE MORE COMING IN FROM PROPERTY TAX, 20 SO MILLION, BUT LEMME TELL YOU, WE GONNA EAT THAT UP REAL SOON.
SO THOSE ARE THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS IN THE, IN, IN, IN THE BUDGET THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS AND WE WANT TO MAINTAIN AS MUCH AS PROBABLY, UH, A VERY HEALTHY FUND BALANCE FOR FUTURE YEARS.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THESE STRUCTURAL BARRIERS NOW, IF THE LEGISLATURE WANTS TO TAP, WANTS TO CAP APPRAISALS, THEY OUGHT TO DO THAT CAP.
OKAY? THAT'S THE LEGISLATURE CAP THE APPRAISAL.
BUT THEY HAVE NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER DONE THAT
OKAY? BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA TOUCH THAT.
'CAUSE THAT HELPS THEM ON THE STATE LEVEL.
THEY HAVE NEVER CAPPED APPRAISALS.
BUT LEMME TELL YOU WHAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN AFRAID TO DO.
OKAY? BECAUSE THEY WANT US TO STRUGGLE, BUT THEY'RE NOT STRUGGLING.
THEY'RE SITTING ON $27 BILLION FUND BALANCE FROM OIL AND GAS REVENUE KINDS OF MONOS THAT HAS FILLED THEIR, THEIR COFFERS OVERFLOW
[02:20:02]
WITH MILK AND HONEY, THEIR COUGH IS OVERFLOW.AND LEMME TELL YOU, YOU FIND OUT HOW MANY DOLLARS THE STATE HAVE SENT TO US FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TALKING ABOUT SUPPORTING LAW ENFORCEMENT.
FIND OUT HOW MANY DOLLARS THE STATE HAS SENT TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON OR ANY OTHER CITY ON LAW ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE THERE ARE COFFERS OVERFLOW.
SO PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO NOT DEFUND WHAT HELL, HOW MUCH ARE YOU FUNDING HURRICANE RELIEF WHEN THERE ARE COFFERS OVERFLOW WITH MILK AND HONEY AND THEY'RE CAPPING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
BUT WE ARE GOING TO FUND, UTILIZE OUR RESOURCE TO FIND OUR PRIORITIES.
UM, DO WE KNOW WHAT OUR, UM, REVENUE WOULD BE IF WE WERE AT THE STATE CAP? OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE STATE CAP, THAT'S, SO WE ARE BELOW THE, THE VAR RATE, UM, BY ABOUT 1.20 CENTS.
AND WE ARE ABOVE THE NNR RATE BY 0.09 CENTS.
IF THE STATE HAD THEIR PURPOSES, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, THEY WOULD LOWER OUR TAX RATE DOWN TO 0.5 2 4 4 5 4.
THE STATE REVENUE CAP WOULD BE MORE STRINGENT THAN OUR REVENUE CAP.
AND THEY, AND THEY FORCE US TO PUT IN THE, IN THE PAPER THE CHRONICLE, BECAUSE WE, OUR PROPOSED TAX RATE IS 0.5 3 3 6 4 0, RIGHT? THEIR REVENUE CAP WOULD BE 0.5 2 4 4 5 4.
SO THEY FORCE US TO PUT IN THE PAPER THAT WE ARE RAISING OUR TAX RATE ABOVE THEIR PROPOSED, THEIR RATE THAT THEY WERE PUT IN PLACE, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE LOWERING OUR RATE FROM THE EXISTING ONE.
THAT'S THE GAMES THAT WE ARE PLAYING.
AND MAYOR, JUST TO BE CLEAR, SO WE HAVE THE, THE VR RATE, THAT'S THE ONE STATEMENT.
I WAS GONNA SAY THE VAR RATE, WHICH, UH, WE ARE BELOW THAT RATE.
THAT'S THE ONE WHERE THE STATE REDUCED THE M AND O FROM 8% TO 3.5%.
SO WE HAVE TO CALCULATE TWO SEPARATE RATES, THE VAR, UM, WHICH AGAIN IS WHERE THEY DECREASE THE M AND O FROM 8% TO THREE POINT HALF PERCENT.
AND THEN THE RATE, THE MAYOR WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT THE NNR RATE, WHICH IS, UH, WE ARE ABOVE THAT RATE.
AND SO BECAUSE WE'RE ABOVE THE NNR, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, SO COUNCILMAN MAYOR, COUNCILMAN GALLS.
I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, LAYING OUT THE FACTS THERE IN REGARDS TO HOW, HOW ALL THIS BOILS DOWN.
I KNOW THAT, UH, IT'S A LITTLE FRUSTRATING WHEN THEY'RE TRY TO BLAME THE COUNTY, BUT YET YESTERDAY THE COUNTY TRIED TO VOTE ON THEIR BUDGET, BUT TWO COMMISSIONERS, BOYCOTTED COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AND THE COMMISSIONERS WERE GONNA BE LOWERING THE PROPERTY TAX.
UH, SO IT, IT'S, I KNOW THAT MAYOR PRO TEM MARTIN EXPLAINED NOT TOO LONG AGO, UM, UH, VERY CLEARLY HOW ALL THIS OPERATES IN REGARDS TO THE STATE.
AND IT'S THE STATE THAT, THAT WE ARE HAVING TO LISTEN TO IS THE STATE THAT ACTUALLY IS CONTROLLING OUR PROPERTY TAXES.
AND, AND, AND, AND, AND IF THEY WANNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, THEY CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
UM, AND MAYOR, THIS INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED IN REGARDS TO THE MONIES THAT WE HAVE LOST TO, TO THE REVENUE CAP, I'M HOPING THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU'LL BE GETTING IT, YOU'LL BE GETTING IT, UH, EITHER DURING THIS MEETING OR RIGHT AFTER.
BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WE NEED TO PUT OUT THERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO PUT OUT THERE IN OUR NEWSLETTERS.
UH, BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE RESIDENTS ASKING, WHY ARE WE NOT HIRING MORE POLICE, ASKING WHY THEIR TRASH IS NOT BEING PICKED UP ON TIME, ASKING WHY WE CAN'T FILL THE POTHOLE ON THEIR STREETS, ASKING WHY THEIR SIDEWALKS ARE BUSTED.
AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR THOSE SIDEWALKS.
WE NEED TO SHOW THIS INFORMATION.
IT'S A REVENUE CAP THAT WAS PLACED BY THE STATE ON US.
AND IT'S THE STATE TO BE BLAMED.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE THAT PERFECTLY CLEAR.
AS WE, WE TALK ABOUT THE STATE, WE TALK ABOUT HOW BUSINESSES OPERATE, WE TALK ABOUT HOW MUNICIPALITIES OPERATE OUT OF ALL OF THAT.
[02:25:01]
IS THE ONLY ONE THAT ONLY PASSES A BUDGET ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS.I DON'T KNOW ANY SOUND BUSINESS MODEL THAT WOULD ONLY REVIEW THEIR BUDGET EVERY TWO YEARS.
UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS WE COULD, WE ARE GONNA BE BRINGING IN 27 MILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS, BUT THAT'S COMPARED TO A LOSS OF 332.7 MILLION THAT WE COULD BE BRINGING IN.
AGAIN, TO COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS POINT, I HAVE WATER MAIN BREAKS ALL OVER DISTRICT C AND THEY'RE TAKING WEEKS TO REPAIR RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, JUST BASIC THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO BE ADDRESSING.
UM, MAYOR, I HAD ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION FOR YOU.
WE KNOW HOW MUCH WE'RE LOSING IN REVENUE AND THAT'S NOT EVEN TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE RISING PRICES, THE MATERIAL SHORTAGES, INFLATION.
WELL, I THINK YOU MENTIONED INFLATION, RIGHT? SO 27 MILLION DOESN'T EVEN BEGIN TO COVER THAT.
UM, WHAT IS THE REVENUE CAP CITY IMPOSED SAVING THE AVERAGE PERSON TAXPAYER, RIGHT? SO WE, WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOSING AS A CITY, BUT WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE RESIDENTS ACTUALLY GAINING FROM THIS? DO WE KNOW YOU HAVE THAT DIRECTOR JONES? THE AMOUNT, WHEN WE LOWER THIS TAX RATE, HOW MUCH EACH, UH, INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNER WOULD BE SAVING PER YEAR? UM, NOT FROM THE LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
I, I MEAN, I HAVE FROM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE EXEMPTIONS THAT WE INCREASE, HOW MUCH THE BENEFIT, BUT NOT FROM LOWERING THE TAX RATE.
UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, WITH THE, UH, INCREASE IN VALUATIONS, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW, HOW WE'RE CAL WE'RE SHOWING THE SAVINGS.
UM, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT FROM OUR TAX RATE, IT'S FROM THE, UH, ASSESSED VALUES GROWING.
UM, BUT I, I CAN GO BACK AND SEE IF I, IF WE HAVE THAT, WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN CALCULATE THAT.
MAYOR, JUST IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING TO RESIDENTS, UH, MY ASSUMPTION IS THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY SAVING THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER THAT MUCH IN DOLLARS, BUT THE COST TO THE CITY AND TO THE COST IN TERMS OF THE SERVICES THEY'RE NOT RECEIVING IS A LOT MORE.
I THINK ANOTHER POINT YOU JUST NEED TO ALSO BEAR IN MIND IN YOUR, IN YOUR, IN YOUR NOTES WHEN YOU CAN, UH, COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS, THIS TAX RATE WOULD'VE BEEN, WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN LOWER IF WE DID NOT INCREASE THE, UH, THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
SO BEAR IN MIND, IN ORDER TO, FROM KEEPING THE, FROM LOWERING THE TAX EXEMPTION EVEN MORE ACROSS THE BOARD, WE INCREASED THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FROM 160,000 TO 260,000.
AND THAT'S A SAVINGS TO, LET'S SAY ON AN AVERAGE $300,000 HOME.
THAT'S A SAVINGS OF A, OF ABOUT $440 A YEAR.
SO IF WE HADN'T INCREASED THAT EXEMPTION FROM ONE 60 OR TWO 60, THIS TAX PROPOSED TAX RATE WOULD'VE BEEN EVEN LOWER.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE WORKING WITH.
UH, IN THE BUDGET IT SAID WE USED A A A 4.828, UH, PERCENT, UM, INFLATION RATE.
IS THAT HOW WE CALCULATED IT? WHAT INFLATION RATE DID WE USE? HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
I I THINK IT WAS THREE DA YEAH.
THAT WAS IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND THAT ONLY YOU CAN GET BACK TO ME.
THAT ONLY INCLUDED CPI, BUT I CAN, I CAN GET BACK TO YOU.
AND THEN IT'S 0% POPULATION GROWTH, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO THIS YEAR, BASICALLY WHAT I HEARD YOU SAYING, MAYOR, IS WE ARE, WE WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER OFF, UH, WE ARE BETTER OFF USING THE VOTER IMPOSED 2004 VOTER IMPOSED TAX RATE THAN THE STATE.
USUALLY IT'S THE OPPOSITE, CORRECT? BE, YEAH.
WELL, WITH THE STATE CAP HA, IF WE WERE ABLE TO USE THE STATE CAP, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO COLLECT, UH, 29 MILLION MORE.
SO WE ARE BELOW THEIR, THEIR BR RATE.
SO WE, AGAIN, OUR VOTER IMPOSED ONE WAS IS IS MORE STRICT.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT IT, THAT'S WHAT IT'S BEEN KIND OF THE LAST RIGHT.
NOW WE'RE STARTING TO GET A LITTLE CLOSER TO IT.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL UNDERNEATH THEIR, THEIR, UM, CAP.
SO, AND, AND AS AND AS THE STATE LEGISLATION READ, WE HAD, WE CAN'T, WE HAVE TO USE OUR OWN WHAT? WHATEVER'S, WHATEVER MAKES US GET LESS.
WE'LL, WE'LL CERTAINLY HAVE MORE CONVERSATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO LAY THAT OUT.
UM, SO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON SETTING THE PROPOSED, UH, HEARING DATE FOR SEPTEMBER 28TH? UH, IS THAT AT 9:00 AM IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED.
[MATTERS HELD]
33 IS THE RESOLUTION.WE'RE GONNA PULL THIS FROM THE AGENDA.
[02:30:01]
ON ITEM 33, UH, THIS IS ON THE RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE NOMINATION OF COUNCIL MEMBER VICE MAYOR PORTELLO, MARTHA CASTEK TATUM TO THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS.UM, LEMME JUST TELL YOU THAT THE, UH, UH, THE VICE MAYOR CHAIR HAS SERVED WITH DISTINCTION AS PRESIDENT OF THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.
I'M WANT TO THANK HER FOR ELLA, FOR HOST STELLAR STELLA SERVICE.
SHE HAS REPRESENTED, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON EXCEPTIONALLY WELL.
I'VE GOTTEN A NUMBER OF COMMENTS FROM OTHERS ACROSS THE STATE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HER LEADERSHIP, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, NOW THERE'S A SPACE ON THE, ON THE BOARD OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES.
UH, ON THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES IS ONE OF THE SPONSORING ORGANIZATION WITH US ON THE NATIONAL NONPARTISAN, UH, VOTER CONFERENCE FOR NEXT WEEK.
SO THEY'LL BE IN TOWN, CLARENCE, UH, UM, THE, THE CEO AND PRESIDENT.
UH, BUT THEY'RE COORDINATING, COLLABORATING WITH US.
SO, UM, JUST, JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR LEADERSHIP.
AND THIS IS NOW THE PLACE ON THE BOARD OF THE NATIONAL LEGAL CITIES, UH, VICE MAYOR TIM, CAST TAYLOR.
UM, UH, COLLEAGUES, FOR THE PAST 16 MONTHS, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.
NEXT MONTH, I WILL TRANSITION OUT OF THE PRESIDENCY, UH, AT THE CONFERENCE IN SAN ANTONIO, WHICH I HOPE SOME OF YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, WHEN I TRANSITION FROM, UH, PRESIDENT TO IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT, UM, I AM PLANNING TO APPLY FOR A POSITION ON THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES BOARD.
THERE ARE FIVE MEMBERS OF TML BOARD, CURRENTLY VYING FOR THREE POSITIONS ON THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES BOARD.
UH, WE DO, AS PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS, HAVE TO HAVE A VOTE FROM OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, AND, AND MAYOR TO INCLUDE IN OUR APPLICATION PACKET, HENCE ITEM 33.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, AND ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT SO THAT I CAN MOVE FORWARD IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS, UM, FOR ONE OF THOSE THREE POSITIONS.
AND THEN AFTER THE CONFERENCE, I WILL MOVE INTO THE IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT'S ROLE AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THERE WILL BE AN OPENING ON THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, SO IF THERE IS A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT IS INTERESTED IN TAKING MY POSITION OR TAKING THAT HOUSTON POSITION ON THE TML BOARD, UM, MAYOR, I GUESS THEY COULD LET YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE A, A SEAT OPEN ON THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE BOARD.
BUT I AM ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT AS I MOVE FORWARD IN THE PROCESS FOR A BOARD POSITION AT THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES.
THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN, UM, CAYMAN, THANK YOU MAYOR.
AND, UM, I'M SO EXCITED TO VOTE FOR YOU FOR THIS.
I KNOW THAT YOU WILL, UM, YOU ARE NOT ONLY THE BEST CANDIDATE VYING FOR ONE OF THESE LIMITED SPACES, UH, ON THE BOARD, BUT I KNOW THAT YOU'LL GET IT.
UH, I SERVE, AS YOU KNOW, AND MARY, AS YOU KNOW, I'M THE E-N-R-E-E-N-R COMMITTEE.
AND TO HAVE MORE HOUSTON REPRESENTATION AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP, UM, NOT ONLY DOES A GREAT SERVICE TO, UH, OUR CITY, BUT TO THE COUNTRY.
UH, SO AGAIN, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, ONE, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SERVICE AT TML.
YOU HAVE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB, BUT ALSO, I'M SO EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT YOU FOR THIS.
I HAVE TO SAY LAST WEEK WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN, TAGGED THIS ITEM, I THINK EVERYBODY CUT THEIR EYES AT HER LIKE, WHAT, WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON? BUT CERTAINLY WE REALIZED THAT THE, UH, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM WAS NOT HERE TO HEAR HER ACCOLADES.
AND SO CERTAINLY SHE HAS SHOWN SUCH STELLAR LEADERSHIP ON THIS COUNCIL, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, ALL THAT SHE DOES AND THAT SHE POURS INTO ME AS A COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND SO I CERTAINLY SUPPORT THIS NOMINATION, AND I LOOK FOR HER TO CONTINUE TO SOAR.
READY TO VOTE? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, LES, FIRST OF ALL, I TOO WANNA JUST SAY TO VICE MAYOR PROTI, UM, THE OUTSTANDING JOB THAT SHE DOES AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER IN HER DISTRICT, UH, ALSO AS CHAIR OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND ALSO REPRESENTING THE CITY ON THE LEAGUE.
SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO, AND I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO SUPPORT YOU ON THIS AS WELL.
UM, THANK YOU MAYOR AND I TOO, UM, WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS AND I SUPPORT THIS ITEM.
UM, I GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, JOIN VICE TIM AND PANAMA, UM, ON THE TRADE MISSION AND JUST WATCHING HER NAVIGATE AND JUST THE LEAD, I MEAN, JUST THE LEADERSHIP.
IT WAS LIKE SHE WAS THE MAYOR,
AND SO, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO YOU.
JUST CONTINUED SUPPORTING YOU AND, UM, SAYING YES ON THIS ITEM.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MR. CISNEROS.
[02:35:02]
I JUST WANTED TO, TO ADD TO THE ACCOLADES.I, I GOT TO SEE VICE MAYOR PRO TEM IN ACTION IN PARIS WHEN THE MAYOR WASN'T ABLE TO, TO BE THERE.
AND MAYOR, YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN SO INCREDIBLY PROUD OF HER, YOU KNOW, THAT SHE REALLY REPRESENTED YOU, REPRESENTED THE WHOLE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH SUCH GRACE AND WISDOM AND STRENGTH AND EVEN HANDEDNESS.
AND I'M, I'M, I'M VERY PROUD TO SUPPORT HER AND, AND WHATEVER SHE WANTS TO DO.
WELL, I, I APPRECIATED THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN MR. SNE AND QUITE, THAT HAS CONVINCED ME TO VOTE FOR THIS ITEM.
I
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED.
WELL, ON ITEM 34, DISCUSSION ON 34.
AND, AND, AND I WANNA THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR MARK EICHENBAUM AND THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS, UH, FOR, FOR THIS NAVIGATION CENTER.
UM, I KNOW THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, WENT TO SAN ANTONIO TO TOUR THE HAVEN OF HOPE.
UH, I KNOW THIS IS, UH, A SMALLER SCALE, UH, BUT, BUT THE HAVEN OF HOPE IN SAN ANTONIO WAS VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE IN ADDRESSING THEIR HOMELESS SITUATION.
I KNOW JUST RECENTLY, I, UH, WENT TO PORTLAND, OREGON, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, AND LOS ANGELES.
UH, AND TO SEE THE PROBLEMS AND ISSUES THAT THEY ARE HAVING WITH THE HOMELESS IN REGARDS TO THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS, WHICH IS VERY SAD TO SEE, UH, SLEEPING IN, YOU KNOW, CARDBOARD BOXES AND, UH, THE, IN LOS ANGELES ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THEY HAVE BROKEN DOWN RVS THAT PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN.
UH, SO, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, I'M VERY PROUD THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, IS ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE IN REGARDS TO THE HOMELESS.
UH, AND, AND THE NAVIGATION CENTER IS JUST GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF, THAT WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING AND TRYING TO FIND HOUSING FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS.
AND LEMME JUST SAY, UM, UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW THIS IS A, THIS IS THIS ONE OF THOSE SENSITIVE ISSUES.
UM, A LOT OF CONVERSATION HAS BEEN HAD OVER THIS ISSUE.
UM, AND REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU SIT, I THINK EVERYBODY, UM, IS SUPPORTIVE OF THE NEED TO ADDRESS THE HOMELESS SITUATION.
PEOPLE MAY HAVE VARIOUS OPINIONS, BUT I THINK THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREEMENT, UH, THAT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO ADDRESS THE HOMELESS SITUATION.
I THINK THE QUESTION IS ALWAYS, HOW DO WE DO IT? AND WHERE DO WE DO IT? UH, AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN TOUCHING WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT WHERE DO YOU PUT A NAVIGATION CENTER? IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A TOUCHY, TOUCHY ISSUE.
UH, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING IN SOMETHING IN DISTRICT A AND IT'S WORKED VERY, IT'S WORKED VERY, VERY WELL.
UH, AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO GO OUT AT THE PRINCE COUNCILMAN JACKSON.
WAS THAT ABOUT, WAS THAT ABOUT, YEAH, SEVERAL, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
AND, UM, AND COUNCILMAN MIN THINKS YOU WENT OUT THERE TOO, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WHERE THE PRINCE GYM, WE HAD A, A TOWN HALL MEETING ON THIS NAVIGATION CENTER AND HAD A CHANCE TO, TO, TO LISTEN TO, UM, THE COMMUNITY PEOPLE OUT THERE, UH, VOICE THEIR CONCERNS AND VOICE THEIR SUPPORT, UH, FOR THE NAVIGATION CENTER.
AND, AND PEOPLE WERE NOT SHY IN VOICING THEIR, VOICING THEIR VIEWS.
UH, THE COMMITMENT I MADE TO THEM WAS THAT WE, WE WANTED TO ENHANCE THE AREA, NOT PULL DOWN THE AREA, AND THAT WE WOULD, IT WOULD NOT JUST BE ABOUT THE NAVIGATION CENTER, BUT THE CITY WAS COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING CONCERNS IN THAT, IN THAT QUADRANT, IN THAT AREA.
FOR EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE USING A FIELD AS A PARK, AND IT JUST WASN'T UP TO PAR.
WE SAID WE WOULD ADDRESS THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
UM, COMMIT TO IMPROVING AND ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN, IN THAT, IN THAT QUADRANT.
AND THEN CONSTANTLY REMINDING PEOPLE, THIS WAS NOT A SHELTER.
THIS IS FOR WHERE PEOPLE WOULD BE UP TO ABOUT, I THINK, 60, 90 DAYS WHERE STANDING THEM UP ON THEIR FEET, AND THEN THEY WOULD BE, UH, UH, THEY WOULD BE, UH, GOING TO A, AN, LET'S SAY AN APARTMENT ANYWHERE IN THE CITY.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE COMING, THEY'RE GONNA BE STAYING THERE.
THIS STANDS THEM UP, PROVIDES THEM WITH THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO STAND THEM UP ON THEIR FEET, PUT 'EM IN A BETTER POSITION, AND THEN THEY GO TO AN APARTMENT, UH, SOMEWHERE THROUGHOUT THIS,
[02:40:01]
THROUGHOUT THE CITY.UH, BUT IT WAS A NEED FOR THIS NAVIGATION CENTER IN ORDER TO GET PEOPLE OFF OUR STREET, UH, AND TO PUT THEM THROUGH THIS, THIS CENTER.
WHAT ALSO THE COMMITMENT, I THINK COUNCILMAN JACKSON, IF YOU CAN RECALL, THE COMMITMENT THAT I MADE TO THEM IS THAT WE WOULD, THE TIME PERIOD FOR EVALUATION WOULD BE ONE YEAR.
AND THAT IF I FELT AT THE END OF THAT ONE YEAR THAT THE CITY HAD NOT LIVED UP TO ITS COMMITMENT INTO ITS PROMISE, THAT I WOULD SHUT THIS NAVIGATION CENTER DOWN MYSELF.
AND THAT'S WHY I PUT ONE YEAR FACTOR ON IT, BECAUSE I WOULD STILL BE MAYOR.
AND BECAUSE I WAS ASKING THEM TO SAY YES TO THIS NAVIGATION CENTER, I ASSUMED THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT IF IT DID NOT WORK, IF THE CITY DID NOT FULFILL ITS COMMITMENT, ITS PROMISES THAT BEFORE I LEFT BEING MAYOR, I WOULD SHUT IT DOWN BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE AN ADDED BURDEN ON THIS COMMUNITY THAT HAS GONE THROUGH SO MUCH.
OKAY? BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT MANY, THAT, UM, MANY, IF NOT MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, THEY, THEY NEED THE HELP.
SO THE CITY'S COMMITMENT IS THAT, NUMBER ONE, UM, WE WILL PROVIDE THE 24 HOUR SECURITY TO THIS.
WE WILL PROVIDE EVEN COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE FOR, YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN, UH, HOMELESS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, HEALTHCARE SERVICES THROUGH HARRIS HEALTH FOR THE COMMUNITY ITSELF, THAT WE WILL BE PUTTING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES INTO THAT QUADRANT TO BUILD IT UP, TO ENHANCE IT.
UH, AND THAT THIS IS NOT A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN JUST WALK IN.
IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THAT TYPE OF PLACE.
THEY WOULD, WE WOULD HAVE TO BRING THEM THERE, BUT YOU JUST CAN'T WALK IN.
UM, AND SO, UM, THAT'S THE COMMITMENT THAT WE HAVE MADE WITH RESPECT TO, YOU HAVE THE ADVISORY BOARD.
AND WHAT I'VE ALSO SAID IS THAT PEOPLE FROM THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COULD CERTAINLY WORK ON, BE A PART OF THE WORKING GROUP, AND WE WILL FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT COMMITMENT, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO BE A PART OF THE WORKING GROUP SO THAT THEIR VOICES COULD BE, UH, HEARD AND, UH, AND THAT THEY WOULD FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY AND NOT, AND NOT BEING EXCLUDED.
I'VE ALSO SAID, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THAT RESPECT TO THE JOBS NAVIGATION PERSON, UH, THAT THAT PERSON WOULD BE AT THE CENTER AS WELL.
SO WE, THE COMMITMENT IS TO MAKE THIS WORK FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE, AND TO CONTINUE WORK TO REDUCE OUR HOMELESS POPULATION AND STAND THEM UP ON THEIR FEET, UH, TO MAKE THE CITY EVEN BETTER.
UH, AND WE ARE GOING TO, AND WE ARE GOING TO DO THAT.
SO I, I WANTED TO KIND OF, KIND OF PUT THAT CONTEXT IN, UH, SO PEOPLE WOULD KNOW THIS IS NOT JUST, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA PUT THERE AND PUT IT THERE AND THE CITY'S GONNA MOVE ON.
YOU KNOW, QUITE FRANKLY, IT IS A ONE YEAR TRIAL TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE ADHERE AND FOLLOW THROUGH ON OUR COMMITMENTS.
AND IF NOT, UH, I WILL FOLLOW THROUGH ON MY COMMITMENT, AND THAT IS TO CLOSE IT.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS AN EMOTIONAL CONVERSATION.
AND SO I THINK THE FRUSTRATION THAT WE SEE FROM THE COMMUNITY IS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU OR THIS ADMINISTRATION OR THE HORSESHOE.
IT'S REALLY ABOUT JUST BEING OVERLOOKED SO MANY TIMES.
AND SO WE SEE THEM COME UP HERE, THEY JUST KIND OF LOSE IT.
AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING WRONG, IT'S JUST THAT THEY'VE JUST HAD TO DEAL WITH THE PIECES AND THIS, YOU KNOW, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE SEE.
UM, I DID HAVE A GOOD CONVERSATION, UM, AND I, I KNOW THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMITMENT IN, IN THE YEAR.
THE, UM, THE UNCERTAINTY THOUGH DOES MAKE ME A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE WE, UM, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE CLEAR METRICS OF SUCCESS.
I KNOW THAT WE WANT IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT THE, THE METRICS ARE NOT REALLY LINED.
UM, THE CURRENT RFPS HAVE TO BE DISTRIBUTED OR PUT OUT BASICALLY BY HARMONY HOUSE, AND THEY HAVEN'T DONE THAT YET.
UM, I'M GRATEFUL THAT HARRIS HEALTH IS GONNA BE, UM, A PART OF THE MEDICAL, THE MEDICAL, UM, SUPPORT OF THE FACILITIES.
I THINK WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, AND I'M HESITANT TO NOT SUPPORT IT BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND I KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA BE REALLY GOOD.
AND SO MY LACK OF SUPPORT IS NOT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE A SUCCESSFUL, AND YOUR GOALS ARE SUCCESSFUL.
OUR DESIRE TO MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL IS HUGE.
UM, I STILL THINK THAT WE'RE VOTE, WE CONTINUE TO VOTE ON ISSUE, UM, ON IMPORTANT PIECES OF COMMUNITY WITHOUT REALLY PUTTING OUT THE WHY, THE HOW, UM, TO COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT JUST GIVES THEM A LITTLE BIT OF PAUSE.
[02:45:01]
AND SO, UM, I'M GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING.I THINK WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE MOVING FORWARD, IF WE CAN GIVE THEM METRICS, MORE CLEAR DEFINED METRICS SO THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THE INTENTION IS THERE AND THAT THE ACCOUNTABILITY IS THERE.
I BELIEVE THIS IS GOING TO, THIS, THIS PROCESS WILL BE A LOT MORE SUCCESSFUL.
AND I AGREE, THIS IS LIKE, THIS IS A CUMULATIVE EFFECT OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED, UNDERSERVED, THEY'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
THEY'VE DEALT WITH THEIR ILLEGAL DUMPING.
UH, THEY'VE DEALT WITH SUBSTANTIVE HOUSING.
SO IT'S, IT IS JUST ONE ISSUE ON TOP OF ANOTHER.
OKAY? SO THEY'RE VERY DISTRUSTFUL, RIGHTFULLY SO.
AND THEN THEY SAY, OKAY, HERE WE GO AGAIN.
NOW YOU'RE ASKING US TO BEAR THE BURDEN OF DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO, UH, WHO THEY CARE FOR, BUT THEY, SOMEBODY, THE SAME MALE.
WHY US? AGAIN, I, I, I GOT THAT.
SO I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION AND I TELL EVERY AND, UH, UH, UH, TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU COME FROM THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU FEEL WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
IN MANY WAYS, THEY COME BEFORE US, UH, WITH A GREAT DEAL OF EMOTION BECAUSE THEY'VE PLACED SO MUCH TRUST IN US.
IN MANY CASES, WE LOOK LIKE THEM.
WE COME FROM THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THEY'RE SAYING, REALLY? SO I, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
OKAY? AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH AREAS WHERE THERE'S CANCER CLUSTERS, PEOPLE ARE DYING.
QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S A CONVERSATION I'M GONNA BE HAVING THIS WEEK.
BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT COME FROM THE SAME COMMUNITIES AND THEY NEED A, THEY NEED THAT SECOND AND THIRD CHANCE.
AND IF WE DON'T GIVE IT TO THEM, WHO WILL? BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THOSE OF US, MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND I TAKE IT AS A, AS A CEO OF THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THE HELP TO THESE PEOPLE ON THE, ON THE STREET, BUT WE ALSO DON'T DEGRADE OR PULL DOWN THE COMMUNITIES THAT'S PROVIDING THAT HELP
SO WHAT I'VE SAID TO MY DEPARTMENTS, YOU MAKE SURE IN A VERY CONCENTRATED, INTENTIONAL WAY, THAT YOU ALL ARE PROVIDING THE SERVICES IN THESE COMMUNITIES TO LIFT THEM UP.
BECAUSE NOW WE ARE ASKING THEM TO SHOULDER ANOTHER BURDEN.
OKAY? SO PEOPLE ARE DISTRUSTFUL, RIGHTFULLY SO.
I, I, I, YOU KNOW, I, I GET IT.
WILL YOU, WILL YOU FINISH? YEAH.
MAYBE WHAT WE COULD DO IS IN THE NEXT 30 OR 60 DAYS, AND NOT BOXING US INTO A SPECIFIC TIME PERIOD, BUT GIVE THEM THE METRICS.
HOW DO, IN YOUR MIND, HOW DOES THE ADMINISTRATION LOOK? WHAT, WHAT IS GONNA MAKE YOU, UM, OR HOW WOULD YOU CONSIDER CLOSING THIS DOWN? WHAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN FOR IT NOT TO HAPPEN? AND I THINK THAT MAYBE IF WE COULD GIVE THEM SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN, 'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY TRUST US.
I MEAN, THEY VOTED FOR US, AND SO THEY DO EXPECT US TO DELIVER, RIGHT? AND SO MAYBE IF WE COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD GIVE THEM, THAT WOULD PUT, GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT OF EASE.
'CAUSE THEN THEY HAVE A CHECKLIST OF SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR SPACE.
AND I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I, I INTEND TO BE VERY HANDS-ON ON THIS PARTICULAR NAVIGATION CENTER.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
YOU KNOW, THAT THE COMMUNITY IS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TRUST LEVEL IS VERY, VERY LOW.
UM, DEALING WITH A LOT OF SITUATIONS, UM, IN, UM, THE FIFTH WARD, COMMUNITY COUNCIL CLUSTER AND SO FORTH.
UM, I TAGGED THIS LAST WEEK BECAUSE I WANTED TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ADVISORY BOARD TO INCLUDE AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S INCLUSIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITY IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION, AND ALSO THE PROGRAMS THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTED TO SEE MOVING FORWARD, THAT IT'S MOVING FORWARD ON THE INITIATIVE.
I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU, YOU ASSURED ME, UM, THAT IF THIS CENTER BECOMES A BURDEN TO THE COMMUNITY, WE WILL SHUT IT DOWN.
AND SO, UM, AND I'M HOPEFUL ONCE THIS, THE ADVISORY BOARD COME TOGETHER, WE CAN LIKE, START TALKING ABOUT THIS MATRIX AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE WANT TO SEE THIS, UM, TRANSFER CENTER TO LOOK LIKE AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF OTHER ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, AROUND THE AREA.
I KNOW WE'RE GONNA PUT A NAVIGATOR, JOBS NAVIGATOR THERE, SO JUST GONNA START WORKING WITH, UM, RESIDENTS AND DISTRICT B AND
[02:50:01]
IN FIFTH WARD, UM, CONNECTING THEM TO JOBS.UM, AND SO JUST TO SEE HOW, HOW IT, IT, IT COMES ALONG.
SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS ITEM.
UM, 'CAUSE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ALREADY, SO LET'S SUPPORT IT AND, UM, JUST CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS GETTING EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED AND IT'S NOT A BURDEN TO THE COMMUNITY.
COUNCILMAN P? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, I THINK EACH NAVIGATION CENTER THAT THE CITY OPENS WILL COME WITH ITS UNIQUE SET OF CHALLENGES TO WORK THROUGH.
BUT I CAN SPEAK FOR THE ONE IN DISTRICT A THAT IT HAS BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE, UM, IN DISTRICT A.
NOW OURS IS KIND OF UNIQUE BECAUSE IT'S REMOVED FROM NEIGHBORHOODS, SO IT'S NOT REALLY IMPACTING ANYONE AROUND THEM.
BUT WE'VE HAD NO ISSUES, UM, FROM THE ONE IN DISTRICT A, IT'S BEEN RUNNING SMOOTHLY.
ALL OF THE, UM, ISSUES AND CONCERNS I THINK THAT WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED THROUGH WITH ANYONE IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND IT HAS BEEN A REALLY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE.
UM, AND OTHER CITIES ARE LOOKING AT THIS AS THE BLUEPRINT AND MODEL FOR WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO IN THEIR CITIES AS WELL.
UM, THE CITIES OF AURORA AND DENVER ARE HERE TODAY ACTUALLY, TO LOOK AT THAT AND SEE HOW THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING SIMILAR.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE HOW THIS ONE WILL WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, HOW IT WORKS FOR DISTRICT B.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO INCLUDE THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND SOME OF THESE WORKING GROUPS AND THE THINGS THAT WILL INVOLVE THE OVERALL FIFTH WARD SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
ANY OF DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? PLUMBER? PLUMBER? NO.
SHALL COUNCILMAN P PLUMBER VOTING? NO.
THANK YOU ALSO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
NEXT ITEM COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
JUST SO, JUST A REMINDER THAT WE DO NOT HAVE COUNSEL NEXT WEEK, AND SO WE'LL BE BACK IN SESSION ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE MY BIRTHDAY.
YOU KNOW, SO WE'LL BE BACK ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH AT ONE 30.
[NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
BEGIN WITH MAYOR PRO TEM MARTIN.HE, HE PASSES ASK
JUST, JUST A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UM, MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING WILL COMMENCE ON TOMORROW, SEPTEMBER THE 15TH AT 2:00 PM HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM DIRECTOR MARIO DIAZ AND EXECUTIVE PROGRAM MANAGER STEVEN ANDERSON, WILL PRESENT AN UPDATE ON THE IAH TERMINAL REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT CAN SIGN UP TO DO SO BY 5:00 PM TODAY.
OR CALL THE DISTRICT K OFFICE AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 1 6.
UH, ALSO THE CITY OF HOUSTON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HOPES THAT YOU WILL JOIN A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING FOR RECAP OF PROGRESS OVER THE SUMMER FOR AN UPDATED DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE.
AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON PLANS TO DEVELOP NEW HOMES AT 1 0 3 0 1 STELLA LINK IN DISTRICT K.
UH, THEY WILL BE SOLD AT AFFORDABLE PRICES TO RESIDENTS AND THAT MAKE UP A VARIETY OF INCOMES.
THE VIRTUAL MEETING WILL BE ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 19TH, UH, FROM 6:00 PM TO 7:00 PM VISIT THE NEW HOMES FOR STELLA LINK WEBPAGE, UH, TO REGISTER TO ATTEND THAT MEETING.
AND FINALLY, UH, MAYOR, WE'VE GOT MORE WORK COMING TO FORT BEND HOUSTON.
WE'VE BEEN DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB OF PANEL REPLACEMENTS AND SIDEWALKS AND UPGRADING THE STREETS, AND, UM, REALLY TRYING TO TRANSFORM, UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN FORT BEND HOUSTON.
UH, SO WE HAVE CONSTRUCTION THAT HAS BEGUN TO REPLACE PANELS IN RIDGEMONT COMMUNITY.
CONCRETE PANELS WILL BE, UH, REPLACED ALONG COURT ROAD FROM BUNKER RIDGE ROAD TO SOUTH POST OAK, AND THAT WORK IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN DECEMBER OF 2022.
AND AGAIN, COLLEAGUES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF MY NLC BOARD CANDIDACY, AND I'LL KEEP YOU ALL POSTED ON HOW IT GOES.
TOMORROW, SEPTEMBER 15TH IS THE START OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.
IT STARTED HISPANIC HERITAGE WEEK FIRST PROCLAIMED BY PRESIDENT JOHNSON IN 1968, WHERE THE PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION, NATIONAL HISPANIC HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH WAS FIRST PROCLAIMED BY PRESIDENT GEORGE HW BUSH, BACK ON AUGUST 17TH, 1988.
TODAY, WE PROUDLY CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGES MONTH, SEPTEMBER 15TH THROUGH OCTOBER 15TH, WITH THE LANDING OF THE CONES ON THE SHORES OF THE AMERICAS CAYMAN U ETHNICITY, WITH A MIXTURE OF RICH CULTURES, EUROPEAN, AFRICAN, AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, WHICH WE PROUDLY CELEBRATE TODAY DURING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.
I INVITE YOU ALL TO JOIN THE VARIOUS CELEBRATIONS
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THROUGHOUT THE MONTH.COLLEAGUES, I INVITE YOU TO JOIN THE MAYOR AND I TOMORROW NOON IN THE LEGACY ROOM, WHERE THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC ADVISORY BOARD WILL ANNOUNCE THIS YEAR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARD RECIPIENTS.
AND AGAIN, HAPPY HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.
I KNOW, UH, I WAS OUT OF TOWN FOR A COUPLE WEEKS, STARTING WITH THE WOULDBE LAUNCH OF THE ARTEMIS ROCKET AT CAPE CANAVERAL WITH MAYOR PRO TEM AND OUR INTREPID SALLY ALCORN, WHO MAY GO BACK FOR THE THIRD ATTEMPT
UH, BUT WITH THAT MAYOR, I ALSO, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, HOLD OUT HOPES FOR THAT.
WE, WE ALSO SPEND A LITTLE TIME IN WASHINGTON, DC AND MET WITH THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS HAD, UH, EXCELLENT MEETING WITH THE, UH, DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, THAT'S JENNIFER MITCHELL, WHO WAS, UH, VERY POSITIVE AND REASSURING WITH, UH, OUR TEAM ON THE LINE.
AND THINKING ABOUT, UH, APPLICATIONS FOR GRANT MONIES THAT ARE COMING AS PART OF THE, THE PRESIDENT'S INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, AND JOBS ACT.
AND, UH, LOTS OF GOOD CONVERSATIONS AS WELL, UM, WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, NOT ONLY WITH SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG HERE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS IN THE GREAT MOONSHOT EVENT AT RICE ON MONDAY AFTERNOON.
BUT, UM, WE'VE HAD A CONVERSATION, MAYOR, AS YOU AND I DISCUSSED WITH CHRISTOPHER COES, WHO IS THE UNDERSECRETARY, UH, TO SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG.
SO, VERY PROMISING FOR SOME MOVEMENT ON IMPORTANT ISSUES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION.
AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT, MAYOR, TO THE DELEGATION, UH, THAT WE SENT TO BOSTON, SOMERVILLE AND CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, UH, WHERE YOU SPENT SOME TIME.
BUT, UH, LAST WEEK WAS THE, UH, ANNUAL MEETING BACK ON TRACK FOR NTO, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CITY TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS.
A GREAT TEAM OF HOUSTONIANS LED BY OUR INCREDIBLE VERONICA DAVIS.
AND, UM, MEMBERS OF BOTH THE PUBLIC WORKS AND PLANNING DEPARTMENTS WERE THERE FOR US.
LOTS OF, UM, REASONS TO BE PROUD.
PETER ECKLES DID A WONDERFUL JOB IN PRESENTING, AS DID VERONICA AND, UH, UH, SOME GREAT MOMENTS AND PROMISING THINGS COMING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND THEN MAYOR, JUST EVERYTHING YOU SAID AT THE OUTSET IN THE MAYOR'S REPORT ABOUT THE COMING EVENTS OF NEXT WEEK, UH, WITH THE VOTER RIGHTS EVENT AND YOUR ADVOCACY FOR THAT.
I DON'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT, UH, COLLEAGUES.
I BELIEVE YOU'VE ALL RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO ANOTHER EVENT THAT'S ON TUESDAY NIGHT.
AND THAT IS, UH, AN EVENT AT THE JULIA IEN LIBRARY FOR THE DR. JAMES AND BETTY KEY MAP ROOM.
IT IS THE FIRST ARCHIVAL, UH, MAP ROOM THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE AT OUR, UH, DOWNTOWN SPECIAL LIBRARY, THE JULIA IEN.
IT'S GONNA BE A BEAUTIFUL ROOM.
AND IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT ON TUESDAY, 'CAUSE ALL THE MAYORS GOINGS ON, UH, COME TALK TO ME AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT A SPECIAL TIME FOR A TOUR.
THEY FEATURE SOME UNIQUE, UH, EXAMPLES OF OUR OWN HERITAGE WITH, UH, IN PARTICULAR THE FRONTIER BETWEEN TEXAS AND MEXICO.
SO, REALLY FASCINATING STUFF COMING TO A LIBRARY DOWNTOWN NEAR YOU.
UM, TODAY MY REMARKS ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON OUR CONSTITUENT SERVICES THAT ARE ONGOING IN THE DISTRICT.
SO THIS MONTH WE HAVE CLOSED 477 CONSTITUENT REQUESTS, OUR TOP FIVE CONSTITUENT REQUESTS THAT WE'RE RECEIVING IN THE OFFICE.
NUMBER ONE, IT'S SEWER AND WASTEWATER.
NUMBER TWO, TRAFFIC SIGNAL, THREE MISSED GARBAGE, FOUR NUISANCE, FIVE POTHOLES.
OUR TOP ZIP CODE 7 7 0 7 2, WHERE I LIVE.
UH, AND BARBARA QUATRO LIVES THERE TOO.
SO I THINK BARBARA QUATRO IS PROBABLY 90% OF THOSE CALLS, UH, 7 7 0 9 9 0 82, 42, AND 36.
I AM WELL AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING ON BISSETTE AND KIRKWOOD.
WE HAVE RECEIVED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF, UM, CALLS FROM RESIDENTS AROUND WHAT'S HAPPENING, BUT IT'S ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO WE HAVE LIKE, NOT A TENT CITY, BUT A TENT STREET GROWING IN THAT AREA, LOITERING CRIME.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH WEST SIDE TO ADDRESS THAT, THAT'S IN PROGRESS.
UM, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE WORKING IN TANGLE WILD.
UM, WE HAVE INVESTORS THAT ARE PURCHASING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND THEN THEY'RE MAKING THEM INTO MULTIFAMILY HOMES.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S, UH, SO ONE WE'RE WORKING WITH CITY LEGAL WITH THEIR DEED RESTRICTIONS, BUT OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIMITED THAT WE CAN DO.
BUT I ALSO THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HAR, UM, TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT, TO ASSIST US IN PRESERVING SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO THE, THESE LANDLORDS AND INVESTORS CAN'T POST THEM ON THE SITE FOR PURCHASE.
'CAUSE THEY ACTUALLY, IT WAS POSTED AND THAT'S HOW THE RESIDENTS WERE MADE AWARE.
SO THAT'S IN PROGRESS, AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE, TANGLE WILD HAS NO HOA, THEY'RE ONE OF, THEY'RE ONE OF THREE NEIGHBORHOODS IN DISTRICT F WITH NO HOA, JUST DEEP RESTRICTIONS.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON THAT.
AND THEN THEY'RE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CLUBS, AGAIN, ON RICHMOND.
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ARE, THEY'RE SHOOTING IN THE PARKING LOT, SHOOTING INSIDE OF THOSE PARKING, UH, THOSE POKER CLUBS.SO WE'RE WORKING WITH MIDWEST WITH THAT.
SO I JUST WANNA LET RESIDENTS KNOW THESE ARE ACTIVE CASES.
IT'S TAKING US SOME TIME, BUT THESE ARE IN PROGRESS, UH, MIDWEST, THEY'RE FOCUSED ON THAT AFTER NIGHT ACTIVITY.
AND SO JUST, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND, UM, WE'LL HAVE SOME SUBSTANTIAL UPDATES AND WE'LL COMMUNICATE THOSE WHEN WE HAVE THEM.
WHEN YOU SAY POTHOLES, ARE YOU SAYING, ARE THESE POTHOLES OR STREET REHABILITATION POTHOLES THAT THEY'RE CALLING IN AND NOT GETTING REPAIRED BY? WELL, THEY GET REPAIRED, LIKE ONE WE RECEIVED THIS MORNING, IT WAS REPAIRED PROBABLY FOUR DAYS AGO, BUT THEN IT'S THE CONDITION, IT'S JUST POOR.
UH, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY NEEDED MORE TIME TO COME BACK AFTER THEY INVESTIGATED AND THEN THEY HAVE TO COME BACK TO FIX, WHICH IS A POSSIBILITY.
BUT THE TOP FIVE, THOSE ARE OUR TOP FIVE POTHOLES WITH STREET RE REHAB, WE HAVE ALREADY HAVE THOSE IN QUEUE AND ALMOST SCHEDULED FOR CONSTRUCTION WITH CDSF FUNDS.
BUT JUST POTHOLES, WE HAVE AGING STREETS LIKE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BUT THOSE ARE THE TOP FIVE.
IN, IN MY NEVER ENDING QUEST TO SEEK, UH, CDBG FLOOD MITIGATION MONEY, UH, I'M ASKING ALL MY COLLEAGUES IF YOU CAN SEND A BRIEF EMAIL.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LONG TO HARRIS COUNTY.
THOSE COMMENTS ARE DUE BY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH.
UM, WE ALL KNOW THEY'RE GETTING $750 MILLION.
WE WANT OUR OWN BILLION DOLLARS, BUT WE STILL NEED A PORTION OF THAT, AT LEAST 35%.
THAT'S WHAT WE GOT UNDER THE 2016 DR.
ALLOCATION FROM, FROM HARRIS COUNTY.
SO WE'D LIKE TO FOLLOW SUIT WITH THAT.
SO JUST A BRIEF EMAIL TO THAT EMAIL ADDRESS I SENT OUT, UM, SAYING, PLEASE GIVE, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE MOD.
I THINK IT WOULD MAKE AN IMPACT TO HEAR FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE COUNT, UM, FROM THE CITY.
UH, NEXT WEEK WE'LL BE BREAK WEEK, BUT, UM, WE'RE HAVING, IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF FALL, SO I'M DOING MY ANNUAL FALLS PREVENTION DAY, UM, TOGETHER WITH HARRIS COUNTY AREA AGENCY ON AGING AND, AND HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION.
WE'RE GONNA BE AT DENVER HARBOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS DISTRICT, AND WE HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED PLUS SENIORS COMING.
I'VE INVITED ANDY ICKEN TO COME TO FALLS PREVENTION.
WE ALL NEED TO REALLY, UH, BE THERE.
UM, THIS IS PERSONAL THIS YEAR FOR ME, OF COURSE, SINCE MY MOTHER HAD A DEVASTATING FALL.
AND, UH, VERY IMPORTANT HEALTH ANNOUNCEMENTS AND TIPS YOU CAN DO AS A SENIOR TO MAKE SURE TO PREVENT FALLS.
IT'S THE LEADING CAUSE OF HOSPITALIZATION FOR OLDER ADULTS.
ONE OUT OF FOUR, WE'LL HAVE A SERIOUS FALL EVERY YEAR.
SO, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
ALSO, YESTERDAY, MAYOR, WE HAD A GOOD MEETING ON DEED RESTRICTIONS, KIND OF WHAT THE CITY CAN ENFORCE, WHAT THEY CAN'T ENFORCE, WHAT WE LOOK AT AT PERMITTING AND PLANNING WHEN IT COMES TO DEED RESTRICTIONS.
I KNOW MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE ENGAGED IN THE CONVERSATION AND WANNA SEE PERHAPS SOME CHANGES IN, IN POLICY OR, AND, AND I'D PLEASE ASK YOU TO GET THOSE TO ME, UM, BECAUSE WE WANNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT DEEPER DIVE INTO WHAT WE CAN DO, UM, TO ENFORCE DE RESTRICTIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER P THANK YOU, MAYOR.
TO KICK OFF HISPANIC, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH THIS FRIDAY, UM, COMMISSIONER KAGEL AND I ARE HOSTING A MOVIE NIGHT.
WE'RE FEATURING THE MOVIE IN CANTO.
WELL, THE MOVIE, THE ACTIVITY STARTS AT SIX 30.
IT'LL BE AT FREED PARK ON SHADY VILLA, AND THERE'S AN OPTIONAL SHUTTLE FROM THE SPRING BRANCH FAMILY DEVELOPMENT CENTER, COMPLETELY FREE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THE FOOD IS BEING SPONSORED BY THE SPRING BRANCH MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND ALSO MAYOR.
UM, YARD WASTE IS, PICKUP IS BEHIND RIGHT NOW, NOT JUST IN DISTRICT A, BUT I UNDERSTAND THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND FOR DISTRICT A, WHAT WE ARE ASKING, THERE'S REALLY TWO ASKS HERE.
FIRST IS THE PRIVATE TRASH PICKUP COMPANY THAT WE'VE HIRED THROUGH COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS.
IF WE COULD ALLOW THEM TO USE THE CITY DEPOSITORY TO PICK UP YARD WASTE AND DISPOSE OF IT AT THE CITY DEPOSITORY, WE ARE READY TO DEPLOY OUR PRIVATE COMPANY TO HELP PICK UP THAT YARD WASTE IN DISTRICT A.
UM, AND THE OTHER ASK IS JUST TALKING TO CONSTITUENTS.
IT SEEMS THEIR FRUSTRATION IS NOT NECESSARILY THAT THERE'S DELAYS.
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THAT, BUT IT'S NOT KNOWING WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE PICKED UP AND NOT KNOWING SHOULD THEY JUST PUT IT IN THEIR TRASH CAN.
UM, WHICH APPARENTLY 3 1 1 OPERATORS ARE TELLING PEOPLE TO DO.
UM, OR IF THEY SHOULD PICK IT BACK UP AND PUT IT OUT ANOTHER TIME.
THERE'S NO CONSISTENCY IN MESSAGING AS FAR AS WHEN IT WILL BE PICKED UP.
SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO TO LET PEOPLE KNOW, YOU KNOW, ON A CERTAIN DATE THEY'RE GONNA BE COMING TO DISTRICT A OR A CERTAIN STREET, I THINK THAT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF THE CONFUSION AND FRUSTRATION OUT OF THE EQUATION.
OF COURSE, I, YOU KNOW, OFFERED THAT BUDGET AMENDMENT TO DO THE APP WHERE IT KIND OF TELLS PEOPLE IN REAL TIME, IF THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, JUST SOME KIND OF COMMUNICATION THAT WOULD ALLOW PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THEIR TRASH.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T KNOW EITHER.
AND SO IT'S HARD TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT TO DO WITH THAT TRASH.
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UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE DISTRICT B RESIDENTS TO OUR FIRST IN PERSON DISTRICT B MONTHLY BRIEFING.
THIS SATURDAY, UM, AT 10:00 AM AT FRANK SALES GYM LOCATED AT TIDWELL PARK.
WE WILL BE JOINED BY OUR VERY OWN CHIEF CENTER WHO WILL PROVIDE US UPDATES ON WHAT HP IS DOING HPD IS DOING TO COMBAT CRIME, UM, IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, CONSTITUENTS CAN SUBMIT QUESTIONS TO CHIEF CENTER AT DISTRICT B@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
UM, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO PLEASE C UM, INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN THIS EMAIL.
UM, YOUR QUESTIONS THAT E QUESTIONS THAT ARE EMAILED WILL GET FIRST PRIORITY.
AGAIN, HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THIS SATURDAY AT 10:00 AM SEPTEMBER THE 17TH AT FRANK SEALS GYM.
FOR INFO MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9.
UH, COUNCILMAN MCCAIN? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UH, AGAIN, I WANNA THANK AND APPRECIATE, UH, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS STUDENTS, UH, AND OF COURSE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, FOR THEIR RESPONSE AT HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL YESTERDAY.
UM, NO PARENT WANTS TO GET THAT CALL.
UH, BUT I, AGAIN, UH, THE FACT THAT OUR EXECUTIVE AND COMMAND STAFF WERE FIRST ON THE SCENE WITHIN MINUTES AND IN, YOU KNOW, BREACHING THOSE DOORS TO GET IN, UH, I THINK SPEAKS VOLUMES TO HOW PREPARED WE ARE AND HOW READY WE ARE.
UH, SO I, I'LL KEEP PUSHING, MAYOR, I KNOW YOU WILL, UM, ON THE ISSUE OF GUN VIOLENCE, BUT NO STUDENT SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT EVER.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, COLLEAGUES, I DID WANNA REMIND EVERYONE, UH, THE FIRST EMAIL WENT OUT.
CYBER CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH STARTS IN OCTOBER.
EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE HAS TO GO THROUGH, UH, CYBERSECURITY TRAINING.
AND I, LIKE EVERY YEAR WE'LL BE MONITORING AND HAVE AN UPDATE ON WHOSE OFFICES HAVE DONE IT, WHOSE OFFICES HAVE NOT DONE IT, AND WE'LL BE SHARING THOSE OUT.
UM, BUT PLEASE REMIND YOUR STAFFS, UH, IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO DO THAT TRAINING.
UH, MAYOR, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON TOTAL NUMBERS.
I KNOW DURING THE DROUGHT WE SAW UNPRECEDENTED WATER MAIN BREAKS, UH, SIMILAR TO WHEN WE HAD THE WINTER FREEZE.
I KNOW THERE IS STILL A SIGNIFICANT BACKLOG.
I'M STILL SEEING A LOT TAKING PLACE IN DISTRICT C.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS WE CAN SHARE OUT OR JUST GET UPDATED ON.
I'M ASSUMING IT'S STILL PRETTY BAD AND WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF THOSE EVERYWHERE.
UM, BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, KAREN, KAREN HADDOCK DOES TO HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.
YEAH, AND I JUST, I WANNA ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS, UM, TO HAVE PATIENTS.
I KNOW IT'S FRUSTRATING WHEN YOU'RE SEEING WATER JUST LEAKING OUT.
CREWS ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN.
AND MY APPRECIATION TO PUBLIC WORKS CREWS FOR, UH, I MEAN, PRETTY MUCH AROUND THE CLOCK WORK RIGHT NOW, STILL FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
AND FINALLY, UH, GREAT GAME FOR THE TEXANS.
I KNOW WE TIED, BUT IT WAS BETTER THAN A LOSS.
UH, BUT GO TEXANS AND I, I THINK LEVY'S DOING A GREAT JOB, SO WE'LL, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.
AS YOU KNOW, FOR THE PAST WEEK AND A HALF, I WAS IN SOUTH AFRICA LEADING A HOUSTON DELEGATION ON A TRADE MISSION WHERE WE VISITED CAPE TOWN AND JOHANNESBURG.
WE WERE ABLE TO MEET MANY INTERNATIONAL ENTITIES LOOKING FOR DEVELOP, LOOKING TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE US, SPECIFICALLY HOUSTON, AND WE REPRESENTED VERY WELL.
I CAN TELL YOU THOSE IN SOUTH AFRICA WERE EXCITED TO HAVE US.
AND THAT WAS PRIMARILY BECAUSE YOU LEFT, YOU LEFT A GREAT IMPRESSION ON THE COUNTRY WHEN YOU FIRST VISITED.
WE WERE HOSTED BY CONS, GENERAL VINCENT SPRA, CAPE TOWN, ALDERMAN JAMES VOSS, AND WE ALSO GOT TO MEET THE NEWLY APPOINTED US AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH AFRICA REUBEN BRIDY.
UM, WHILE I WAS THERE IN SOUTH AFRICA, I SAW THE, THE WEALTHY GAP, THE EDUCATION GAP, THE CLASS GAP.
UM, PEOPLE WERE EITHER EXTREMELY RICH OR EXTREMELY POOR, AND YOU SAW THE EFFECTS OF POSTA APARTHEID.
IT WAS, IT WAS STILL THERE AND THERE IN EXTREME NEED OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND INVESTMENT, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO ENERGY AND ELECTRICITY.
AND SO I TOO AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE AFRICAN ENERGY SUMMIT THAT'S COMING, UH, NEXT WEEK.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE WILL BE INSTRUMENTAL IN SEEING HOW WE CAN BE A GLOBAL PARTNER, UH, WITH THE COUNTRY.
UH, BUT I WANT TO THANK VAL THOMPSON AND CYNTHIA BLANDFORD, THE ENTIRE HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, AND EACH DELEGATE FOR MAKING THE TRADE MISSION A SUCCESS.
I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO CHRIS OLSON AND THE ENTIRE MAYOR'S OFFICE ON INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FOR PREPPING ME BEFORE THE TRIP AND PROVIDING ME WITH SOME HOUSTON MEMENTOS TO OFFER TO THE DIGNITARIES.
ON A SAD NOTE, I WANT TO REPORT THE PASSING OF FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER RAY DRISCOLL, WHO REPRESENTED DISTRICT F, WHICH IS NOW
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ENCOMPASSING DISTRICT J, UH, FROM 1994 TO 1999.UH, HE WAS A TRUE COMMUNITY SERVANT IN SHARPSTOWN, SERVING AS A SHARPSTOWN CIVIC ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT FOR FIVE TERMS. HE WAS A PROPONENT IN GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED IN PUBLIC SERVICE AND WAS ALWAYS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND ENCOURAGING OF ME.
AND SO MY CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY DURING THEIR TIME OF LOSS.
UH, I FIRST WANNA GIVE A GOOD REPORT FOR A CONSTITUENT WHO I WAS FEATURED ON FOX 26 REGARDING, UH, THE REMOVAL OF A TREE FOR A SIDEWALK.
THE LADY'S BEEN WAITING FOR FIVE YEARS, UH, BECAUSE OF HER DAMAGE AND LIVING IN DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS.
AND SO MY OFFICE WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH THE, UH, URBAN FORESTRY TO WORK ON THE TREE.
THEY HAVE DECIDED THEY CAN SAVE THE TREE, SO THEY'RE TRYING TO, UH, GET THE SIDEWALK AMENDED SO THAT THE TREE CAN BE SAVED AND THEY CAN PROCEED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF HER HOME, UH, WHICH HAS BEEN LONG AWAITED.
AND SO I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THERE IS SOME MOVEMENT REGARDING THAT.
UM, I ALSO, UH, WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, LAST THURSDAY I HAD THE PLEASURE TO CELEBRATE THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE NEW EDGEWOOD PARK PLAYGROUND IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
CERTAINLY THERE IS A LONG WAIT AND AWAITED NEED FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
DID I SAY MUCH NEEDED COMMUNITY CENTER, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
AND DIRECTOR ALLEN, I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR HIS LEADERSHIP ON THAT.
UM, ON SATURDAY, I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE GULF COAST, UH, WELL, THE JANICE WEAVER ONE BODY NETWORKING, UH, AND THE NAACP HOUSTON SPONSORED BLOOD DRIVE.
UM, THE SLOGAN IS, IT'S IN YOUR BLOOD TO SAVE A LIFE.
AND SO CERTAINLY, UH, WITH THOSE BLOOD DONATIONS, IT WAS REPORTED THAT THEY SAVED 126 LIVES.
AND IF YOU STILL ARE SO INCLINED TO DONATE BLOOD, YOU CAN, UH, CONTACT THE GULF COAST REGIONAL BLOOD CENTER, GIVE THE CODE JW 13, AND THAT PARTICULAR NETWORK WILL GET THE CREDIT FOR, UH, PROVIDING THOSE BLOOD DONATIONS.
ON, UH, MONDAY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCOMPANY, UH, BY INVITATION CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, UH, TO TOUR THE WONDERFUL AVIATION CENTER AT THE TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
WE HAD THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION, PETE BUTTIGIEG THERE, AND IT WAS A GREAT, GREAT PERFORMANCE BY THE STUDENTS TO SHOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
LEISHA CRUMPTON YOUNG, THE PRESIDENT, CERTAINLY DR.
TERRANCE FONTAINE, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF AVIATION, AND DR. CAROL LEWIS, WHO IS ALSO THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION, JUST A GREAT, GREAT ENGAGEMENT BEFORE THEY, UH, TRAVELED OUT TO INTERCONTINENTAL.
UH, ON, UH, THIS SATURDAY I WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN A FREE DISASTER RESILIENCE PLAN CREATION WORKSHOP FOR MINORITY WOMEN AND BUSINESS VETERANS OWNERS, UH, UH, GOODWILL PIERRE AND HIS ORGANIZATION HAVE, ARE SPONSORING THIS AT THE EMANCIPATION PARK.
UH, I WILL BE JOINED BY CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, UH, MY COLLEAGUE LETITIA PLUMMER, UM, THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOLANDA JONES, AND CERTAINLY TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE RON REYNOLDS FOR A FREE FIVE HOUR WORKSHOP, UH, WHICH WILL BE FROM 10:00 AM TO 3:00 PM UH, AT 30 18 EMANCIPATION AVENUE.
ON A SAD NOTE, UH, I CELEBRATED LIFE, UH, WITH, UH, WHEELER AVENUE FOR MRS. BERTIA WILLIAMS CHURCHWELL, WHO WAS A BELOVED FACULTY MEMBER AT THE JACK YATES HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, SHE PASSED AND HER SERVICES WERE YESTERDAY.
SHE'S ALSO A VERY PROUD, UH, PRAIRIE VIEW ALUM.
ALSO, UH, NEED TO, UH, INDICATE THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A CELEBRATION OF LIFE TO ACTUALLY ON SATURDAY FOR WILLIAM NAVI MIDDLETON, WHO IS THE FATHER OF PRESTON MIDDLETON, WHO YOU ALL HAVE PROBABLY SEEN A LOT, UH, WORKING AROUND, WORKING HARD IN THE CITY.
THAT WILL BE AT 11:00 AM AT ST.
THEN RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, THERE WILL BE A CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR MR. EDMUND BROUSSARD, WHO, UH, WAS A STELLAR MUSIC EDUCATOR IN THE CITY.
UH, PARTICULARLY I REMEMBER HIM AT RYAN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND THAT WILL BE RYAN JUNIOR HIGH AT THAT TIME, AT, UH, 1:30 PM AT ST.
I ALSO WANT TO WISH MY YOUNGEST SISTER, CHARLOTTE EVANS WILLIAMS A HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON TOMORROW, AND I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
OKAY, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS.
UM, HPD CHIEF THINNER WILL KICK OFF THIS AFTERNOON'S CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE
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MEETING.UM, THIS MONTH, THE COMMITTEE FOCUSES ON SOME OF THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION INITIATIVES UNDERWAY BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR CHILDREN.
SO HOUSTON HEALTH DIRECTOR STEVEN WILLIAMS WILL SPEAK ABOUT SOME HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS THAT REDUCE OR PREVENT VIOLENCE AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION DIRECTOR OLI KOSKA WILL OUTLINE THE CITY'S PRIORITY GOALS FOR THE CHILD FRIENDLY CITIES INITIATIVE ACTION PLAN.
THAT MEETING IS TODAY AT TWO O'CLOCK.
IT'LL BE HERE IN PERSON, IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND ALSO VIRTUALLY, UM, UH, ON MICROSOFT TEAMS AND HTV.
HAVE ANY ANYTHING FURTHER? NO, MA'AM.
JUST A REMINDER THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE COUNSEL NEXT WEEK.
WE'LL BE BACK IN SESSION ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 27TH AT 1:30 PM WE ARE ADJOURNED.