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ROLL CALL.[Super Neighborhood Alliance Meeting]
FAIRCHILD WILL CALL OUT THE ROLL CALL AND THEN WE WILL HAVE, UH, A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME WHERE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, WILL BE ABLE TO SPEAK.IF YOU ARE A CANDIDATE, PLEASE PUT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION IN THE CHAT.
UH, AND IF WE HAVE ANY TIME AT THE END, IF YOU'RE A CANDIDATE, UH, YOU'LL HAVE A BRIEF, VERY BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME.
I ALSO WANNA MENTION TO PEOPLE THAT, UM, THIS MEETING IS BEING BROADCAST ON HTV.
I DON'T SEE IT BROADCASTING ON HTV.
IS IT BROADCASTING? RENEE? IT IS.
ALL I SEE IS THE HTV LOGO THERE.
UH, SO IT'S BEING BROADCAST ON HTV AND, UH, WE HAVE KIND OF A HARD AND FAST DEADLINE OF EIGHT O'CLOCK TONIGHT.
SO AS WE GET CLOSE TO THAT TIME, I WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY TO BE, UH, AWARE OF THAT, THAT END TIME THAT WE HAVE.
UH, SO WITH THOSE INTRODUCTIONS DONE, WE'LL DO THE ROLL CALL, UH, BY STACY, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE COMMENTS BY OUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
I'LL START WITH SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD FIVE.
MIKE VAN DUSEN AND STACY FAIRCHILD ARE HERE.
SANDRA RODRIGUEZ, COLTON, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT.
KATHY EASTERLY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
KEITH DOWNEY, PRESIDENT OF COUNTY FLOOR.
SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 57, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 62.
PRISCILLA, ARE YOU HERE? SHE IS 65 AND 82 ARE PRESENT.
SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 66, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 83.
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YOU SAMMY.AND I KNOW TOMORROW IS FAR NORTH.
IS THAT SCOTT? WHO, WHO IS THAT? YEP.
DID I MISS ANYONE? SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 45.
YOU GOT ME, DIDN'T YOU? YES, I DID.
THIS IS RICKY WITH SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD FIVE AS WELL.
DID I MISS ANYONE? LS? UH, I THINK TOMORROW JUST JOINED US.
UH, THIS IS THE POINT IN THE AGENDA WHERE WE WILL HAVE, UH, COMMENTS FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
UM, I SEE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER JACK CAGLE, UH, IS ON THE LINE.
WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND START US OFF AND THEN, UM, UH, AND THEN WE'LL GO ON FROM THERE.
WHAT A DELIGHT IN A PRIVILEGE TO BE WITH YOU.
AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UH, I HAVE ONLINE WITH ME TONIGHT, LILY, WHO, IF YOU'LL DROP COMMENTS, UH, WOULD LIKE TO, WE'VE, WE'RE EXCITED BECAUSE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IS COMING UP AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO DURING NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IS WE TRY TO GET YOUR EQUIPMENT IN PRECINCT FOUR OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THE FOLKS ARE FAMILIAR WITH IT.
IT'S ALSO A TRAINING EXERCISE FOR OUR FOLKS, UH, THAT DRIVE THAT EQUIPMENT.
AND SO WE COME OUT, WE'VE GOT THE LIFTS, WE'VE GOT SOME, UH, WE'VE GOT 10 DUMP TRUCKS THAT HAVE THE LIFTS ON THE BACK THAT WE USE.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE THREE HIGH WATER VEHICLES.
AND SO IF YOU ARE HAVING AN EVENT AND WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HAVING SOME OF YOUR EQUIPMENT, UH, WITH BODIN BRIDGE CREWS FROM PRECINCT FOUR TO BE PRESENT, PLEASE NOTIFY US IN THE COMMENTS WITH LILY.
UH, OR YOU COULD CALL US AT, UH, RENEE WAS TEASING ME EARLIER, BUT EVERYWHERE WE GO, WE'D SAY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S THEIR JOB THAT IF YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY, THEY ARE THERE TO ASSIST YOU.
AND THAT NUMBER IS RENEE, DID YOU WRITE IT DOWN? DO YOU REMEMBER IT? 8 3 2 9 2 7 4 4 4 4.
LILY'S GONNA PUT IT IN THE, IN THE COMMENTS.
UM, WE WE'RE VERY PROUD OF, OF OUR COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE IT'S THEIR JOB TO MAKE, WHETHER IT'S A CITY ISSUE, WHETHER IT'S A COUNTY ISSUE, WHETHER IT'S A MUD ISSUE OR ANY OTHER ISSUE, IT'S THEIR JOB TO TRY TO HELP YOU CONNECT THE DOTS SO THAT YOU CAN BE SERVED, UH, IN THAT ASPECT.
AND SO, UH, I WON'T BE ALONG WITH YOU TONIGHT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE THINGS THAT WILL BE COMING OUT OF YOUR MEETING TODAY.
AND DON'T FORGET, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER.
I AM, UH, LOOKING DOWN THE LIST.
UH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, SALLY ALCORN, YOU'RE GONNA BE ONE OF OUR GUEST SPEAKERS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS YOU WANNA MAKE AT THIS POINT BEFORE YOU GET YOUR PRESENTATION? NOPE.
AND I'M NEARSIGHTED, SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO BRING MY COMPUTER A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO MYSELF.
UH, THIS IS ALSO THE TIME WHERE IF YOU ARE A REPRESENTATIVE OF AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, UH, IT IS TIME TO, UM, MAKE SOME COMMENTS.
UH, I SEE SHERRY CORTEZ HAS HER HAND UP.
UH, WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'LL HELP ME FIND, YOU'LL KIND OF POP YOU UP TO THE TOP OF THE LIST.
THANK YOU, CINDY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING THE HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HERE TONIGHT, UM, AT, AT YOUR SUPER NEIGHBOR ALLIANCE MEETING.
UM, WE WANNA LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT OUR PSA FOR THIS MONTH, OUR PUBLIC PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT IS, UM, UH, HATE CRIMES.
AND, UH, ACKNOWLEDGING THOSE AND GETTING THOSE REPORTED, UM, WE ARE FINDING THAT THEY ARE BEING LESS REPORTED.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE CONTACTING 9 1 1 IF, IF YOU, UH, SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING KIND OF MENTALITY.
UM, AND ALSO WE WANT TO CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO REMIND PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY AND TIME WHEN KIDS HAVE THEIR BACKPACKS IN THE VEHICLES, TO PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR GUNS IN THE CAR OVERNIGHT.
THEY ARE GETTING STOLEN RIGHT AND LEFT AND BEING USED IN AG CRIMES.
UM, THIS IS A VERY HIGH STATISTIC WITH HPD RIGHT NOW.
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THIS IS WHERE THE COMMUNITY CAN ACTUALLY TAKE AN EFFORT HERE AND DO SOMETHING BY NOT LEAVING THOSE GUNS IN THEIR VEHICLES.PLEASE TAKE THOSE IN AT NIGHT.
AND WHO KNOWS, YOU MAY SAVE A LIFE.
UM, SO PLEASE, UH, RE REMIND YOUR COMMUNITIES, PUT THOSE THAT INFORMATION OUT INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF VICE MAYOR PRO, TIM MARTHA TEX DATUM, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT K.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF OF ANNOUNCEMENTS OF SOME MEETINGS THAT ARE COMING UP ON, UH, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH, UH, 6:00 PM TO 7:00 PM THE HOUSTON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WILL BE HOSTING A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING, UM, WHERE THEY WILL PROVIDE A RECAP OF THE PROGRESS, UM, OVER THE SUMMER ON THE NEW HOMES FOR STELLA LINK.
THERE WILL ALSO BE AN UPDATED TIMELINE REVIEWED, AND ALSO A TIME TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AGAIN, THAT MEETING WILL BE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH, 6:00 PM TO 7:00 PM I WILL PUT THAT INFORMATION IN THE CHAT, UM, AS WELL AS THE LINK.
IN ADDITION, I'LL TAG ONTO, UH, COMMISSIONER ELLIS', I MEAN, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER KEGELS.
IF YOU ARE IN DISTRICT K AND YOU ARE HAVING A NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, WHETHER IT BE ON, ON THAT DATE OR A FUTURE DATE, PLEASE CONTACT THE DISTRICT K OFFICE AT DISTRICT K@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
OR YOU CAN PHONE US AT (832) 393-3016.
AND WHEN MORE ANNOUNCEMENT, IF YOU, UH, MISS THE, UH, CIP VIRTUAL MEET, THE VIRTUAL MEETING ON THE CIP UH, WESTRIDGE LIFT STATION PROJECT PROJECT, YOU CAN STILL VIEW THE, THE MEETING VIR, THE VIRTUAL MEETING, UM, FROM THE WEBSITE.
I'LL PUT ALL THIS INFORMATION IN THE CHAT.
UM, AND YOU CAN ALSO REVIEW THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS DONE, UM, LAST WEEK.
AGAIN, THAT'S THE, UM, CAPITAL AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECT ON THE WEST RIDGE REGIONAL LIFT STATION IN FORCE MAIN.
UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR NOW.
UH, LET'S SEE, CHRISTINA, GOSH.
I'M HERE FROM THE OFFICE OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE PENNY MORALES.
SHAW, HAPPY TO BE WITH YOU THIS EVENING.
UH, OUR OFFICE IN, UH, AUSTIN IS GEARING UP FOR THE NEW LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
SO THEY'RE OVER THERE WORKING ON POLICY.
IF YOU HAVE ANY IMPACT, INPUT ON THAT, YOU CAN CONTACT US AT OUR, UM, AT OUR OFFICE.
AND JUST PLEASE DO FEEL RE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO US IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN ASSIST YOU WITH RELATING TO, UM, STATE AGENCIES.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE.
UH, RASHAD CAVE, UH, GREED AND SALUTATIONS.
I, I KNOW THAT MY NAME STILL HAS DAWN ON.
IT JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW MUCH I STILL LOVE THE CITY.
UH, BUT CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW I'M WITH SENATOR WHITMEYER, SENATE DISTRICT 15.
UH, HE WAS NOT ABLE TO GET ON, BUT HE DOES LISTEN, UH, AND HE'LL PROBABLY HOP ON AND HOP OFF.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, UH, THAT WE WERE HERE AND THAT WE WERE PRESENT, AND THAT WE'RE ALWAYS HERE TO SERVE.
AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ONE OF THE BEST COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MS. SALLY ALCO AND HER PRESENTATION TODAY.
CC SCOTT GREETINGS, ALL FROM THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER AT LARGE FOUR.
I'M THE CONSTITUENT SERVICES DIRECTOR HERE TO LISTEN AND LEARN AND SUPPORT YOU GUYS IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE.
WE'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE AT LARGE FOUR, MY INFORMATION'S IN THE CHAT.
PLEASE REACH OUT HERE TO HELP.
UH, LET'S SEE, MIRIAM, LEAKY, LEAKY, UH, LUCKY
I'M A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR FOR HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT ONE COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS'S OFFICE, UH, SPECIFICALLY WORKING IN THE NORTHEAST.
SO I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.
UM, AND IF ANYONE IN THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD HASN'T BEEN CONNECTED YET TO YOUR DESIGNATED COORDINATOR, UM, WITHIN YOUR REGION AND PRECINCT ONE, I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE THAT INTRODUCTION.
SO, UM, I'LL LEAVE MY INFORMATION IN THE CHAT, UM, AND JUST ECHOING SOME OF THE PREVIOUS COMMENTS.
IF THERE'S ANY NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, UM, EVENTS HAPPENING, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE PRESENCE THERE.
UH, GREETINGS FROM HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT TWO.
AS YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER AIDEN GARCIA HAS BEEN HOLDING A SERIES OF PUBLIC SAFETY MEETINGS.
WE HAVE TWO LEFT, UH, ONE THE, TOMORROW WE HAVE ONE AT THE NORMANDY NORTH, UH, CHANNEL AREA AT
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THE CIMARRON ELEMENTARY.AND ON SEPTEMBER THE 22ND IN THE EAST END AT THE MAGNOLIA MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
AND, UH, THAT LOOKS LIKE THAT IS THE LAST OF THE, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
UH, IF YOU ARE A CANDIDATE, PLEASE PUT YOUR INFORMATION IN THE CHAT.
IF WE DO HAVE ANY TIME AT THE END, WE'LL GIVE YOU A BRIEF PERIOD TO SPEAK.
UH, AND BEFORE WE GET TO OUR INVITED SPEAKERS, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS LATER IN THE AGENDA.
BUT I WANT TO MENTION THAT, UM, THE, UH, OFFICERS OF THE SUPER ATIVE ALLIANCE HAVE BEEN, UH, AND WE TALKED BRIEFLY ABOUT THIS LAST MONTH, HAVE BEEN WORKING TO PULL TOGETHER A CANDIDATE FORUM FOR THE, UH, CANDIDATES FOR COUNTY JUDGE.
UH, AND THAT DATE HAS BEEN SET UP FOR OCTOBER THE 18TH.
AND, UH, CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN CONTACTED.
OKAY, I'VE GOT THE CIRCLE AND I CAN'T, I CAN'T UNMUTE.
SO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT, UH, LATER IN THE PROGRAM, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, 'CAUSE I KNOW NOT EVERYBODY MAKES IT TO NEAR THE END, UH, MINUTES OF THE MEETING.
AND WE WILL BE SENDING OUT INFORMATION, UH, ON THAT, UH, TO THE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS AND OUR EMAIL LIST.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE'RE GONNA BE ASKING YOU TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHICH TOPICS AND QUESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE, UH, DISCUSSED AT THAT MEETING.
AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO SAY THAT OUR MODERATOR WILL BE MY PREDECESSOR, UH, JUAN SOTO, WHO I'M PLEASED TO SAY HAS PASSED HIS, UH, DEFENSE OF HIS DISSERTATION AND WILL VERY SOON BE OFFICIALLY DR.
WE'RE VERY PLEASED THAT HE WILL BE, UH, OUR MODERATOR FOR THAT CANDIDATE FORUM.
UH, SO CINDY, IT'S, IT'S DOUG.
UH, SINCE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC, CAN I JUST ANNOUNCE THAT A WEEK FROM TOMORROW NIGHT ON A WEDNESDAY, UH, THERE WILL BE A PRECINCT FOUR CANDIDATE FORUM, EIGHT SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THAT, AND THAT WILL HAVE JACK KEGEL AND LESLIE BRIANIS, AND GREG GRUGEN FROM FOX 26 WILL BE THE MODERATOR FOR THAT.
UH, SO IF PEOPLE ARE IN, UH, PRECINCT FOUR, THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THAT.
SO YOU'LL PUT THAT INFORMATION IN THE CHAT FOR US? UH, UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T GET INTO CHAT.
I'LL GIVE IT TO, UH, I'LL SEND IT TO, UH, STACY.
MAYBE SHE CAN SEND IT OUT TO EVERYBODY, SO, OKAY.
UM, SO AFTER THAT, WE WILL START MOVING INTO OUR PRESENTATION.
I DON'T KNOW, IS RENEE DOING THIS PART OR IS STACY? I, I WILL, I MEAN, IF SHE CAN'T, THEN I CAN, I MEAN, I HAVE IT AVAILABLE.
I JUST WANNA KNOW WHO'S DOING IT.
YEAH, BUT THERE'S SOME INTRO, THERE'S SOME INTRO SLIDES THAT GO BEFORE THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING IF RENEE'S DOING THAT OR IF, UM, GO AHEAD, RENEE.
THIS IS NOT THE LOT SIZE PRESENTATION.
THIS IS THE TRAINING PRESENTATION.
SO I AM, UH, VERY PLEASED TO SAY THAT, UH, THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DIFFERENT COUNCILS WERE SURVEYED.
UH, THEY SPOKE AND WE LISTENED.
AND ONE OF THE VERY BIG LEARNINGS, UH, FROM THIS SURVEY WAS THAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE MORE TIME, UH, DEVOTED TO, UH, INFORMATION AND TRAINING TO IMPROVE, UM, OUR, UM, KNOWLEDGE OF THE PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE WILL BE STARTING WITH, UH, AN OVERVIEW OF, UH, THE CITY ORDINANCE PROCESS AND BEST PRACTICES.
OUR GUEST SPEAKER WILL BE SALLY ALCORN.
AND THEN, UH, KIND OF AN EXPERT, UH, WHO, UH, IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUPER NEIGHBOR COUNCIL WILL BE MIKE VAN.
VAN DUSEN, WHO, UM, HAS, UH, WAS SECRETARY, UM, PREVIOUS TWO YEARS FOR THE SUPER NEIGHBOR ALLIANCE.
SO HE IS VERY, VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE IN A LOT OF THESE ISSUES.
UH, AND JUST TO, AS A LITTLE INTRO TO WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT, UM, UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF CITY ORDINANCES.
UH, THEY COVER, UH, A WIDE VARIETY OF TOPICS.
AND SO THIS DISCUSSION WILL BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS
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THE PROCESS, HOW DO YOU WORK WITH OTHERS, AND, UH, HOW DO YOU, UH, AND WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING A LOT IN THIS MEETING AND IN FUTURE MEETINGS ABOUT HOW TO BECOME, UM, BETTER AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.UM, SO, UM, AGAIN, JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS RELATES TO THE SURVEY THAT WAS PASSED OUT, UH, AND, UM, UH, AN OVERVIEW OF HOW A PROCESS WORKS IN THE CITY, HOW TO BECOME BETTER AT ADVOCACY AND DEVELOPING, UH, LEADERS.
AND WITH THAT, UH, THE LAST SLIDE THAT I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE WE GET TO OUR FIRST GUEST SPEAKER, SALLY ALCORN, UH, IS NEXT SLIDE.
WHERE DO YOU FIND THE CITY ORDINANCES AND, UH, HOW DO YOU COMPARE CHANGES TO DIFFERENT ORDINANCES? SO YOU CAN GO TO, UM, UH, JUST GOOGLE ON THE MUNICIPAL CODE LIBRARY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND, UH, YOU WILL FIND THIS INFORMATION.
AND, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM OUR FIRST GUEST SPEAKER COUNCILWOMAN AT LARGE, FIVE COUNCILWOMAN SALLY ALCORN.
AND WHO'S RUNNING THE SLIDES FOR COMM, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ALCORN.
UH, THIS IS JORDAN, AND I AM, UM, AND I KNOW SHE WAS HAVING SOME TROUBLE HEARING OR SEEING, OKAY.
OH MY GOSH, THAT IS SO EMBARRASSING, YOU GUYS.
I MEAN, THERE I WAS ON THE COMPUTER AND THEN I GOT THE CIRCLE OF DEATH, AND THEN LIKE, COULD NOT DO ANYTHING.
SO I, I APOLOGIZE FOR EVERYBODY WHO WAS WAITING FOR ME.
UM, IT, IT'S ALWAYS AT THE WORST POSSIBLE MOMENT.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SETUP WAS, BUT HERE I AM TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU GUYS SOME ADVICE FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, FROM COUNCIL'S PERSPECTIVE ON HOW TO GO ABOUT SEEKING SOME CHANGES IN, IN CITY ORDINANCES.
I KNOW I'VE WORKED WITH A LOT OF YOU ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE, ON ANIMAL WELFARE STUFF.
UM, AND, AND THERE'S JUST KIND OF, THIS IS JUST MY OPINION.
THIS ISN'T ANY KIND OF OFFICIAL, THIS IS THE WAY YOU HAVE TO DO IT FROM THE CITY.
BUT AFTER BEING KIND OF A CITY HALL VETERAN FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT I SEE AS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO, TO GET THINGS DONE AND TO GET SOME CHANGES MADE.
AND WE, I REALLY AM VALUING MORE AND MORE THE, THE CONTRIBUTIONS THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS MAKE.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY OUR BEST WAY, OUR BEST CONDUIT TO GET INFORMATION DOWN, AND THE BEST CONDUIT TO GET INFORMATION UP.
SO, UH, I REALLY WANNA HELP IN ANY WAY I CAN, UM, MAKE THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS BE AS EFFECTIVE AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
SO, JUST, I'LL GO QUICKLY THROUGH THESE SLIDES.
UM, JORDAN, IF YOU WANNA JUST ADVANCE 'EM, I CAN SEE 'EM HERE.
IDENTIFY A PROBLEM, OR A LOOPHOLE OR A GAP IN THE ORDINANCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH.
YOU CAN JUST GOOGLE WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE NOISE ORDINANCE OR GOOGLE ABOUT 18 WHEELERS IN, IN NEIGHBORHOODS, OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
AND IT'LL TAKE YOU TO THE, THE CHAPTER OF THE ORDINANCE.
AND, AND YOU CAN READ THROUGH THE ORDINANCE AND KIND OF SEE, HEY, WHEN WAS THIS DONE? UH, IS THIS EFFECTIVE? IS THIS, OR IS THIS A, IS THERE A LOOPHOLE IN THIS? IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THIS ORDINANCE? COULD WE STRENGTHEN IT IN ANY WAY? DO WE STILL NEED THIS ORDINANCE? DO WE NEED A DIFFERENT ONE? UM, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO THAT'S KIND THE, THE CODE OF ORDINANCE IS KIND OF WHERE YOU START TO READ ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THE RULES ACTUALLY ARE.
AND IT'S NOT, SOME OF IT'S KIND OF LEGALESE AND DIFFERENT, DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH, BUT YOU'LL FIND THAT MOST, THE ORDINANCES ARE PRETTY, THEY'RE PRETTY, YOU KNOW, THEY START OFF WITH DEFINITIONS AND THEY GO THROUGH IT.
AND IF YOU JUST TAKE A LITTLE TIME, YOU CAN REALLY KIND OF, YOU CAN HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF IT.
GATHER DATA RE REGARDING THE ISSUE AND ALERT.
YOU KNOW, USUALLY YOU'RE PROBABLY, IF YOU'VE, IF YOU'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE, OR IF YOU'RE TO THE POINT WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE ORDINANCE AND HOW TO CHANGE SOMETHING, YOU PROBABLY ALREADY ALERTED YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER.
BUT MAKE SURE YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER KNOWS THAT THIS IS A CONCERN OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'D LIKE TO SEE ABOUT WHAT THE CITY CAN DO TO, TO MAKE THE, OR TO IMPROVE THE ORDINANCE, TO, TO MAKE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE OR WHATEVER THE ISSUE IS BETTER.
I KNOW SO MUCH OF WHAT YOU DO IS ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS AND MONEY FOR, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE AND, AND SIDEWALKS AND FLOODING AND ALL OF THAT.
AND THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TOO.
BUT THIS IS A, ANOTHER, ANOTHER THING YOU CAN DO TO BE AN EFFECTIVE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IS TO REALLY LOOK AT THE ORDINANCES AND SEE HOW YOU CAN CHANGE 'EM.
SO TALK TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT IT.
THEN STEP THREE,
SO I CHAIR REGULATORY NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS.
SO WE HAVE LIKE ALL THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD STUFF.
WE HAVE BARK, WE HAVE ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS, AND YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY, OF
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COURSE HAS POLICE AND FIRE AND, UH, FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER, STUFF LIKE THAT.AND QUALITY OF LIFE HAS PARKS AND HEALTH.
AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE, UH, ON THAT AT THAT WEBSITE, WHICH COMMITTEE HAS, HAS WHAT.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO IMPROVE AN ORDINANCE WITH IT, THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THE PURVIEW OF, OF CERTAIN DEPARTMENT.
YOU CAN SEE WHICH COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, OVERSEES THAT, THAT DEPARTMENT.
I MEAN, YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE OFFICERS OF YOUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, SO THAT'S A GOOD START.
UH, OR ANYBODY THAT'S A HEAD OF A COMMITTEE OR SOMETHING THAT WANTS TO LOOK AT SOMETHING AND, AND KIND OF GATHER A LEADERSHIP GROUP AND THEN ASK FOR A MEETING.
YOU KNOW, ASK FOR A MEETING WITH THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER AND, AND PERHAPS WHO CHAIRS THE COMMITTEE OF THE ISSUE YOU, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEN GET, GET THAT MEETING, GET A, GET A GROUP TOGETHER TO KIND OF LAY IT ALL OUT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER HAS TO, YOU KNOW, GET KIND OF A STAKEHOLDER GROUP TOGETHER WHEN THEY LOOK AT AN IS ISSUE.
SO ADVOCATE, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD HAS A POSITION ON THAT STAKEHOLDER GROUP.
THERE'S NOT THAT MANY STEPS, YOU GUYS.
UH, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, ATTEND THE, DON'T, DON'T SAY YOU WANNA BE ON THE STAKEHOLDER MEETING, THEN THE NOTE COME.
SO MAKE SURE YOU GO TO THE, THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND PARTICIPATE.
YOU CAN, UM, PROVIDE COMMENT AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING YOU SHOW.
SO A LOT OF TIMES, ORDINANCE CHANGES, HAVE A COMMITTEE MEETING.
SO YOU'LL WANNA GO TO THAT MEETING AND PROVIDE COMMENTS.
UH, REMEMBER YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL, YOU'LL WANT FOR SURE TO COMMUNICATE EVERYTHING THROUGH YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER.
YOU'LL HAVE, YOU'LL HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE COMMITTEE CHAIRS.
AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, GO AHEAD AND REACH OUT TO ALL THE DISTRICT COUN, I MEAN THE AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ALSO REPRESENT YOU, AND MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOU THAT I'M SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 31, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
WE WANNA SEE THESE, THESE CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE.
UH, EMAIL MAYOR TURNER AND THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR.
LET THEM KNOW, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS HAVE PUBLIC SESSION TO COME AND TALK ABOUT THE ISSUE.
UH, WHEN I GET A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD OR ANYBODY COMING TO ME ABOUT AN ISSUE, YOU KNOW, MY FIRST STEP, UM, IS TO TALK TO THE ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE I, I KNOW THAT TO, TO ULTIMATELY REVISE AN ORDINANCE, I HAVE TO GET, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION'S HELP.
I HAVE TO, IN A STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
HE'S THE, HE RUNS ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
SO I CAN'T WORK WITH LEGAL OR A, A CITY DEPARTMENT WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HIS GO AHEAD.
SO I USUALLY GO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I HEAR ABOUT AN ISSUE, I'LL GO STRAIGHT TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND SAY, HEY, I WANNA PURSUE THESE, THESE, UH, THESE OBJECTIVES, AND I'D LIKE TO FORM A STAKEHOLDERS GROUP, AND I'D LIKE THEM TO COME TO COMMITTEE, AND I'D LIKE TO WORK WITH YOUR DEPARTMENTS.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE IT ALL STARTS.
SO IT HELPS ME IF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS ARE ALSO TELLING THE MAYOR, HEY, WE WANT THIS DONE, BECAUSE HE'S, THEN, HE'S HEARING IT, UM, FROM MORE THAN JUST, FROM MORE THAN JUST ME.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF SAW THIS PLAY OUT.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY, SO MANY PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED IN THE NOISE ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT JUST KIND OF WORKED ITS WAY ALL THROUGH THE STEPS THAT I'VE JUST MENTIONED.
NOT NECESSARILY IN, IN, IN COMPLETE SYNCHRONIZATION WITH THE, OR WITH THE, WITH THE STEPS I'VE LAID OUT HERE.
UM, EVERY, YOU KNOW, ALL THE COMMUNICATION KIND OF HAPPENED.
IT TOOK A LONG TIME, TOO LONG.
UM, BUT, BUT WE INVOLVED EVERYBODY AND THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE, THE REALLY, THE RESIDENTS REALLY LED THAT CHARGE.
AND WITHOUT THEM BRINGING ALL OF IT TO OUR ATTENTION AND, AND WORKING WITH US THROUGH THE ORDINANCE CHANGES, WE WOULDN'T HAVE GOT 'EM DONE.
RIGHT NOW, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A RECENT MEETING ON 18 WHEELERS AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLES AND IN, IN NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WE HAD, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF GOOD SUGGESTIONS COME OUT OF THAT.
SO I DREW UP A LIST OF SUGGESTIONS FOR THE MAYOR, AND HE'S, YOU KNOW, I, I, I HAVE HEARD HE'S INTERESTED IN, IN CHANGING THE FINES ON THAT.
YOU KIND OF HAVE TO WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE WILLING TO DO OF ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME OUT OF, UH, OUT OF MEETINGS.
STEP SEVEN, BE PERSISTENT THINGS.
TAKE A LITTLE, THE WHEELS TURN, OH, SO SLOWLY AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AS A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, UM, SO DON'T, DON'T GIVE UP.
UM, KEEP ON THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, KEEP ON ME, KEEP ON WHOEVER.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP ON BECAUSE, UH, YOU HAVE TO, YOU, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE PERSISTENT AT THE CITY.
UM, BE SURE AND CHECK IN WITH THE COMMITTEE CHAIRS.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE VICE CHAIRS.
THEY HAVE A VOICE IN ALL OF THIS TOO.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THIS ISSUE IS STILL IMPORTANT AND, AND KEEP IT ON THE RADAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, BASIC KINDNESS.
EVERYBODY, UM, EVERYBODY USUALLY IS RESPECTFUL.
BE UN DON'T BE UNWILLING TO COMPROMISE.
UH, AS, AS YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT
[00:30:01]
PRETTY MUCH IS A COMPROMISE.IF WE DO IT RIGHT, UM, WE HAVE TO WEIGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONCERNS.
AND THERE'S ALWAYS A COMPROMISE INVOLVED.
I DON'T THINK COMPROMISE IS A DIRTY WORD.
SO, UM, HOLD TRUE TO YOUR STANCE, BUT, UH, DON'T BE COMPLETELY UNWILLING TO COMPROMISE AND DON'T LIMIT PARTICIPATION.
YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME IN YOUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, THAT FEEL A DIFFERENT WAY OR, OR HAVE AN OPPOSITE SIDE.
DON'T, DON'T EXCLUDE THEM FROM THE CONVERSATION AND DON'T ALLOW ROADBLOCKS TO FRUSTRATE YOU, BUT THEY WILL.
BUT
AND I THINK THAT IS IT JORDAN, AND, OH, THIS IS JUST, THIS IS, I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT ALL THIS.
THIS IS KIND OF SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE WALKED THROUGH.
I DON'T NEED TO READ THROUGH ALL THIS, BUT BASICALLY THOSE ARE THE STEPS.
I MEAN, IT'S ALL STUFF YOU, I NOTICED FROM YOUR SURVEY, MOST OF YOU HAVE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS A LONG TIME.
YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 10 YEARS OR MORE.
I THINK THAT WAS LIKE 30% OF THE PEOPLE HAD BEEN INVOLVED.
UM, SO YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING NEW, BUT HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP A LITTLE BIT, UM, KIND OF SUCCINCTLY HOW TO GO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING SOMETHING CHANGED AT THE CITY.
SO, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
LET'S SEE, IS MARK, STACY, OR IS MARK? MARK.
SO REALLY QUICKLY, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE ORDINANCE CHANGES, IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO PUT THE ISSUE OR THE, THE PROPOSED CHANGES BEFORE MULTIPLE COMMITTEES? YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING HOW THIS HAS KIND OF PLAYED OUT.
LIKE WE JUST DID THE SIDEWALK CHANGES, AND THAT CAME THROUGH MY COMMITTEE AND WAS THAT TTI, WE DID IT WITH IT.
THE MAYOR SOMETIMES CHANGES UP WHO, WHICH COMMITTEE THINGS GO TO.
UM, WE'VE SEEN A LOT UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP.
WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF JOINT COMMITTEES, UM, TAKE ON AN ISSUE.
I DO THINK THAT IS A WAY TO GET SOME TRACTION.
UM, YOU CAN REC, 'CAUSE A LOT OF ISSUES HAVE KIND OF DIFFERENT FACETS.
YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS ARE NEIGHBORHOODS, SO THAT'S RNA, SIDEWALKS ARE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THAT'S TTI, YOU GET, UM, A LITTLE MORE, BIT MORE PARTICIPATION AND, AND, UM, ENGAGEMENT.
NOW, I, YOU KNOW, JUST MY PERSONAL ASIDE IS, IS I, I WISH, I THINK COMMITTEES COULD BE A WHOLE LOT STRONGER IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE, WE USED TO VOTE IN COMMITTEES.
WE, YOU KNOW, THERE USED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, THEY WERE MORE THAN JUST, UH, MORE THAN JUST INFORMATIONAL.
AND, AND I THOUGHT WE GOT BETTER PARTICIPATION, BUT I DON'T MAKE THOSE RULES.
BUT I, BUT I, I DO, UM, I DO THINK COMMITTEES COULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE IF WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF, YOU KNOW, UH, IF WE WERE, YOU KNOW, REALLY TAKE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT, AND, AND THE VOTES USED TO BE JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, LET'S MOVE THIS TO, TO FULL CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION.
YOU KNOW, WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS READY TO GO AND THAT WOULD BE THE VOTE THAT WE WOULD TAKE OR THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD TAKE.
BUT YEAH, I THINK THE MORE COMMITTEES, THE BETTER THAT KNOW ABOUT IT.
ROY, THANK FIRST THANKS FOR COMING ON WITH THIS COUNCIL MEMBER, ALCORN.
THE QUESTIONS ARE TIED TO THIS AS WE'RE MOVING INTO ELECTION SEASON.
HOW LONG DOES AN ORDINANCE CHANGE, REALISTICALLY TAKE FROM INITIATION TO FRUITION? BECAUSE THE POSSIBILITY FOR SOME OF THESE DISTRICTS ARE THERE WILL BE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE TERMING OUT.
SO AS A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, IS IT EFFECTIVE TO, IS IT EFFECTIVE USE OF THIS CAMPAIGN SEASON TO REACH OUT TO THOSE CANDIDATES ABOUT SOME OF THE ORDINANCE CHANGES THAT WE'RE SEEKING TO TRY TO BECOME A HIGHER PRIORITY FOR THEM, AND OR AS A COUNCIL MEMBER PERHAPS IS DEFEATED TO ENSURE THAT THAT MOMENTUM DOESN'T FIZZLE OUT? I JUST THINK GO, I THINK IT'S A GOOD STRATEGY TO JUST LET AS MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT WHAT YOU WANNA DO AS POSSIBLE, WHETHER THEY'RE IN OFFICE, RUNNING FOR OFFICE, I THINK YOU GET YOUR PRIORITIES OUT AND ORDINANCE CHANGES OUT.
I WOULDN'T LET, I WOULDN'T WAIT, YOU KNOW, UNTIL YOU HAVE MORE, YOU KNOW, OF AN IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, I, I WOULD JUST GO AHEAD AND START WITH WHO YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, START WITH WHO'S IN OFFICE AND IF THEY'RE TERM LIMITED, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE AND TALK TO THE CANDIDATES ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL, YOU KNOW, A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME MEAN WHAT, HOWEVER MANY MONTHS LEFT.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT 14 MONTHS, 16, 18 MONTHS.
I DON'T KNOW, I'M BAD AT COUNTING UP HOW MANY MONTHS, BUT 17 MONTHS, UM, LEFT.
WE STILL GOT WORK TO DO IN THIS, UH, IN THIS SITUATION.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE, AND, AND, AND NO, YOU KNOW, NOISE TOOK WAY TOO LONG.
I MEAN, THAT WAS LIKE, GOT BETTER PART OF TWO YEARS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, ON THIS 18 WHEELER THING, WE'VE ALREADY GOT SOME THINGS COMING FROM THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WE ARE GONNA CHANGE.
SO WE'LL MOVE, WE'LL TRY TO MOVE QUICKLY WITH THOSE.
UM, ANIMAL WELFARE DIDN'T TAKE THAT LONG TO DO MANDATORY MICROCHIPPING AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT, UM,
[00:35:01]
WE WANTED TO SEE, UM, THAT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS CLOSER TO A YEAR.BUT SOMETIMES IT JUST DEPENDS ON, UM, I KNOW, UM, UM, COUNCIL, UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR PROAM WORKED ON THAT DONATION BOX, UH, ORDINANCE DIDI, AND I THINK SHE GOT THAT DONE IN LESS THAN A YEAR.
I MEAN, IT CAN BE, IT CAN BE DONE, AND IF IT'S, IF IT'S RELATIVELY MINOR CHANGES, IT CAN BE A LOT FASTER.
I SEE WE HAVE ONE HAND UP, VICKI.
UH, SALLY, WILL YOU BE ABLE TO STAY WITH US THROUGH THE END OF MIKE MANDU SINCE ANSWERING QUESTIONS? YES.
SO I WOULD PROPOSE, WHY DON'T WE GO TO MIKE BENIN'S PRESENTATION AND THEN, UH, WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS ON, UM, BOTH SPEAKERS.
UH, RENEE, COULD YOU, UH, GET UP MY SLIDE PRESENTATION PLEASE? JUST A MOMENT.
IS THIS THE CORRECT, THE CORRECT ONE? YES, IT IS.
I'D LIKE TO START BY SAYING THAT, UH, THIS IS GONNA BE KIND OF A FOLLOW ON TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S, UH, PRESENTATION ON ORDINANCES.
UM, I'D LIKE TO START OUT BY, UM, MENTIONING THAT WHILE THIS DISCUSSION WILL ADDRESS MINIMUM LOT SIZE DESIGNATIONS, IT'S, I'M NOT GONNA SAY A LOT ABOUT THE DETAILS OF MINIMUM LOT SIZE DESIGNATIONS OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT, UH, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS IN HOUSTON LIVE IN DESIGNATED HOMES.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO, UM, MAY NOT KNOW WHAT LOCK SIZE DESIGNATIONS ARE AND WANNA KNOW MORE, I'D SUGGEST, UH, GETTING WITH SOME OF THE, UH, SNA LEADERS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS IN ORDER TO LEARN, UH, YOU KNOW, BETTER, UM, WHAT THE PROCESS IS ABOUT AND HOW IT CAN BENEFIT YOUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, CONSTITUENTS, LIKE THE FIRST, UH, SLIDE SAYS DESIGNATIONS HAVE BEEN GRANTED IN HOUSTON FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UH, THE FIRST OCCURRING AROUND, UH, 2002, A DESIGNATION IS A TOOL, UH, PROVIDED BY CITY PLANNING CODE IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE, UH, THAT CAN HELP RESIDENTS PRESERVE THE CHARACTER OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, THERE'S A FORMAL PROCEDURE THAT APPLICANTS MUST FOLLOW, UH, IN PREPARING AND, UM, SUBMITTING A DESIGNATION APPLICATION TO THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT DEPARTMENT, UH, CAN HELP RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.
THIS IS A MAP FROM, UM, THE, UM, UH, PLANNING DEPARTMENT WEBSITE.
THAT SHOWS THE LOCATION OF DESIGNATED AREAS IN, UH, HOUSTON.
AND IF YOU'LL NOTE, THERE'S A, UM, CONCENTRATION OF DESIGNATIONS INSIDE SIX 10 LOOP, MOST LIKELY BECAUSE CHANGES IN PLATING CODE, UH, ALLOWS, UH, HIGHER DENSITY DEVELOPMENT INSIDE THE LOOP.
ASIDE FROM THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A DESIGNATION, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IN KEEPING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S PRESENTATION, THAT THIS IS ONE CASE WHERE A GROUP OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS CAN BE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN HAVING THE CITY PASS AN ORDINANCE THAT BENEFITS THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS.
SO, AS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL LEADERS, WHAT CAN YOU DO, UH, FOR YOUR CONSTITUENT COMMUNITIES? FIRST, BEGIN BY LEARNING WHAT A DESIGNATION CAN MEAN FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS IN YOUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
HAS INFORMATION ON THEIR WEBSITE REGARDING LOT SIZE DESIGNATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS.
UH, REACH OUT TO OTHER CITY CO, UH, TO OTHER, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL LEADERS WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
WHEN RESIDENTS SHOW AN INTEREST IN GETTING A DESIGNATION, WORK WITH 'EM TO GET THEIR PROPERTIES, UH, QUALIFIED OR, OR SEE TO IT THAT THEIR PROPERTIES CAN BE QUALIFIED AND THAT THEY HAVE THE INFORMATION REQUIRED TO MAKE THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
OKAY, FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO, UM, UH, SEE NOW FINALLY CONTINUE TO ASSIST THE APPLICANTS AS THEY PROCEED WITH THE APPLICATION.
AND THIS APPLICATION PROCESS CAN BE QUITE LONG.
IT CAN TAKE, UH, THREE MONTHS TO ALMOST SIX, SEVEN MONTHS TO GET THE APPLICATION, UH, SUBMITTED AND SPIN MY CASE.
UM, IN CLOSING, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE ORDINANCE CHANGE PROCESS OUTLINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN IS A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CREATING ORDINANCES.
THIS HAPPENS TO BE A SPECIFIC CASE, UH, THAT IS VERY NARROWLY
[00:40:01]
FOCUSED AND FORMALIZED PROBABLY BECAUSE, UH, MANY ORDINANCES HAVE BEEN PASSED REGARDING MINIMUM LOCK SIZE, AND THERE ARE OTHER CITY CODES AND STATE LAWS THAT HAVE TO BE FOLLOWED AS WELL.SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S KIND OF THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS EXACTLY AN EXAMPLE OF AN ORDINANCE THAT, UH, RECEIVED A LOT OF COMMENT FROM DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES AND THAT CREATED THIS ORDINANCE.
UH, SO I'LL TAKE IT UP FOR A FEW MORE QUESTIONS ON EITHER OF THESE TWO TOPICS.
UH, VICKI, VICKI MARTIN, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP FROM BEFORE? YES.
SHE'S STILL ON THE, THE LINE? YES, I'M HERE.
UM, I WAS CALLING, UH, I WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE STREET METAL FENCING.
THE ORDINANCE IS ALREADY IN PLACE THAT PREVENTS IT, BUT WE ARE HAVING AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON AREA.
AND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SEX TRAFFICKING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE IS PEOPLE ARE BUYING PROPERTIES AND IMMEDIATELY PUTTING UP STREET METAL TYPE FENCING.
AND THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE IS ONLY SAYING, WELL, WE KNOW IT'S ON THE BOOKS, BUT IN THIS AREA WE ARE ONLY GOING TO ENFORCE IT IF IT'S OVER EIGHT FEET.
SO THEY'RE ALREADY DOING A DISTINCTION BECAUSE OF THIS AREA, BUT PEOPLE ARE HIDING A LOT OF THINGS BEHIND THESE SHEET METAL FENCES.
IT PRIVACY FENCE MEANS PRIVACY, BUT THE SHEET METAL TYPE FENCING THAT YOU USE FOR GARAGE SHEDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHAT YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH SAYING IS, I DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT I'M DOING.
SO WE NEED SOME ASSISTANCE WITH THAT.
AND IT'S ALREADY IN ORDINANCE, SO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU CAN YEAH, YOU, YOU, IT, AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF THING I'M TALKING ABOUT.
LIKE, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS WAS AN ISSUE UNTIL RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE.
SO SHE'S TALKING TO THE RIGHT PERSON.
NOW WE DO HAVE A LOT, EVERYBODY COULD KNOWS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ORDINANCES ON THE BOOKS THAT ARE NOT PROPERLY ENFORCED.
SO IF WE NEED TO GO INTO THE ORDINANCE AND CHANGE SOMETHING SO WE GET BETTER ENFORCEMENT OR, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HIGHLIGHT THE ENFORCEMENT OF IT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN'T, WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT UNTIL SOMEBODY TELLS US.
SO I'M HAPPY TO LOOK INTO THAT.
JORDAN'S ON THE PHONE, SHE DOES MY RNA COMMITTEE WORK.
UM, WE'LL ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT AND I APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR TELLING ME ABOUT THAT AND, AND WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK INTO IT AND, AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT AN ORDINANCE CHANGE BECAUSE THE ORDINANCE ALREADY GETS IT, RIGHT? IT'S AN ENFORCEMENT SITUATION AND WE, WE NEED TO, UM, SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
SOMETIMES WE CAN CHANGE DEPARTMENTS OR GET ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT FROM MAYBE ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK AT IN THE ORDINANCE IF WE, IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO THAT.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T LIKE TO HEAR STUFF LIKE THAT, LIKE IT SAYS THIS IN THE ORDINANCE, BUT THAT OUR POLICY IS TO DO, IT SAYS X IN THE ORDINANCE, BUT OUR POLICY IS TO DO WHY TO ME, IF IT'S GOTTA BE IN THE ORDINANCE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE KIND OF CHANGING IT UP.
ALRIGHT, THANK SO MUCH SO YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME KNOW ABOUT THAT.
WHICH SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ARE YOU? IT'S SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 49 50.
AND IF YOUR TEAM REACHES OUT TO ME OKAY.
I WOULD BE ABLE TO REPORT TO PROVIDE ANY DOCUMENTATION OF PICTURES BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT, WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING THIS BATTLE FOR QUITE A WHILE.
I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT WE CAN TAKE THAT UP.
MY QUESTION IS, WITH THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE AND ALL OF THAT, WE TRIED TO GET IT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE WERE TOLD THAT WE COULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE WE HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS.
WHAT? UH, YEAH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, THAT THAT ORDINANCE IS REALLY MORE FOR, FOR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS.
'CAUSE USUALLY THE LOT SIZES AND EVERYTHING ARE DETERMINED BY DOOR DEED RESTRICTIONS.
THE, THE EXCEPTION, UH, SALLY IS THAT IF THE COVENANTS ARE IN PLACE, IF THEY'RE ENFORCEABLE, BUT THEY DON'T ADDRESS LOT SIZE.
LIKE WAS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD EXTENSIVELY, I GOT FIVE SUBDIVISIONS HERE, NONE OF THEM ADDRESS LOT SIZE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE GOT THE DESIGNATIONS.
IF, IF, YOU KNOW, DEED RESTRICTIONS ARE FOUNDED IN STATE LAW AND THE CITY DOESN'T PASS ORDINANCES, COUNTERING STATE LAW AS I UNDERSTAND IT, RIGHT.
IF, IF YOUR DEED RESTRICTIONS DON'T COVER LOT SIZE, YOU, YOU, YOU ARE ABLE TO, TO, TO, UM, EXERCISE THE ORDINANCE.
[00:45:01]
UH, THANK YOU SALLY AND THANK YOU MIKE.UM, THIS ORDINANCE, UH, THE MINIMUM LIFE SIZE WAS ONE THAT THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE PUT THEIR FINGERPRINTS ON.
WE AMENDED THIS, UM, MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN WE SAW THAT THEY WERE BROADENING CHAPTER 42 BECAUSE WE SAW THERE WAS NOT GONNA BE MUCH PROTECTION EVEN IF YOU HAD THE RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE AS MIKE SAID, ESPECIALLY IN THE OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS, A LOT OF 'EM THAT THEY HAD SO MANY SUBDIVISIONS OF 'EM UNDER THEM MINIMUM LOT WAS NOT, UH, SOMETHING THAT WAS ISSUED.
WE HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS, BUT WE HAVE OUR MINIMUM LOT SIZE IN EFFECT.
AND ONE THING ABOUT THE ORDINANCE THAT I LOVE WAS THAT WE PUT IN THERE THAT THE CITY HAD TO HELP YOU FIGHT IT BECAUSE IT WAS A VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE.
SO IT GAVE COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, EXTRA FIGHT LIKE MIKE WHEN YOU ALL HAD JAWS IN EFFECT AND THE GUY STILL WENT AROUND IT AND ATTEMPTED TO TRY TO BUILD THE DEVELOPMENT CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU ALL HAD.
SO THIS IS, I'M TELLING Y'ALL THIS, ONE OF MY FAVORITE CITY ORDINANCES IS THIS MINIMUM LIFE SIZE.
AND I, UH, ADVISING PEOPLE EVERYWHERE GET THIS IN THERE BECAUSE IT'S REALLY LIKE ONLY THING THAT THE CITY WILL HELP YOU ENFORCE.
THEY DON'T ENFORCE DEED RESTRICTIONS.
UM, AND SO IT REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP YOU.
UM, SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, UH, I'M GLAD SALLY'S TALKING ABOUT IT.
YOU ALL NEED TO GET 'EM AND YOU, YOU REALLY NEED TO GET IT, UH, GET IT DONE.
AMY DEN WITH LEGAL AID HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL IN HELPING PEOPLE ON THE NORTH SIDE, UH, UH, UH, WITH THEIR GETTING THEIR DE RESTRICTIONS AND GETTING MINIMUM LOT SIZE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, MIKE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES EVER I SAW SOMEBODY ACTUALLY GO CHALLENGE IT AND THEY LOST, THEY LOST THAT PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND, AND SPEAKING OF DEED RESTRICTIONS, UM, TOMORROW, UH, THANKS.
TOMORROW, THE TOMORROW
SO, UH, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT ALL THIS.
WE, WE, UH, WE DO ENFORCE SOME DEED RESTRICTIONS, BUT THERE'S LIMITATIONS AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF ANGST IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE CITY.
UM, THE CITY'S KIND OF PERCEIVED LACK OF ENFORCEMENT OF, OF CERTAIN DEED RESTRICTIONS.
SO TUNE IN TOMORROW, YOU'LL GET, UM, KIND OF THE LOW DOWN FROM LEGAL AND FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND PLANNING ABOUT DEED RESTRICTIONS.
MAY I SAY THIS? THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO GET PERMITS AND NOT, AND ACT LIKE THEY, THEY SAY THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE DE RESTRICTIONS.
THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN HOLLERING ABOUT FOR YEARS.
THEY FINALLY PUT A STATEMENT, AN AFFIDAVIT ON THE PLANNING APPLICATION THAT THEY HAVE TO SAY THAT THEY'VE CONTACTED THE LOCAL HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION OR CIVIC CLUB AND THEY DON'T, THEY LIE.
AND WHEN WE FIND OUT, YEAH, THAT'S GONNA COME UP TOMORROW, THAT'LL, THAT WILL COME UP TOMORROW.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A MATTER OF RESOURCES AND HAVING ENOUGH PEOPLE TO TRACK DOWN, YOU KNOW, WHO, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT TOMORROW, BUT THAT'S AN ISSUE FOR SURE.
I WANT TO MENTION THAT, UH, THERESA DI KER FROM THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE HAS PLACED A LINK TO THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE ORDINANCE IN THE CHAT.
UH, WE DO HAVE A TIGHT SCHEDULE FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING, SO I'M GONNA TAKE TWO MORE QUICK QUESTIONS.
PLEASE KEEP THEM TO THE POINT AND BRIEF SO WE CAN GET THROUGH THE REST OF THE PROGRAM.
SO NEXT STEP IS LINDA SCURLOCK AND THEN RANDY JONES.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, NO MORE QUESTIONS.
I ATTENDED A PROPERTY MANAGER, A PROPERTY CODE, UH, MEETING, UH, SEVERAL, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE STATE SAYS THAT YOU CAN PUT A FENCE AROUND THE FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE.
IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTOOD FROM THAT MEETING BASED ON PROPERTY CODE FROM THE STATE.
I, I, I JUST HAVE TO KNOW MORE SPECIFICS.
YOU CAN FENCE IN THE FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE, HUH? I DON'T KNOW.
BUT IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY, I MEAN, SOME PEOPLE DO HAVE FENCES, LIKE THEY HAVE GATES AND THINGS IN THE FRONT.
UH, I'VE SEEN THERE, THERE WAS A CHANGE IN THE STATE LAW REGARDING PRI IF YOU, IF YOU FEEL YOU NEED A FENCE IN THE, THAT GOES TO YOUR FRONT PROPERTY LINE, NOT YOUR EASEMENT LINE, BUT YOUR PROPERTY LINE AND, AND YOUR DEED RESTRICTIONS.
LIKE IN MY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, THIRD, UH, 32, MOST OF, UH, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, PROHIBIT A FENCE THAT GOES PAST YOUR EASEMENT.
BUT THE STATE LAW SAYS THEY CAN PUT THEM AT THE PROPERTY LINE IF THEY WANT IT FOR SECURITY.
AND, BUT THERE IS A WAY THAT YOU CAN PUT YOUR, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR DEED RESTRICTIONS, BUT YOU CAN PUT IT IN YOUR ARCHITECTURAL CONTROLS AS TO THE TYPE OF FENCE THAT THEY CAN PUT IN.
I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO GO TO, UM, TALK WITH SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, ONE-ON-ONE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE UP MORE TIME THAN WE GOT TO BE ABLE TO
[00:50:01]
GO IN DETAIL.BUT THE, YEAH, THE STATE LAW DID CHANGE AND, BUT THERE ARE WORKAROUNDS.
YOU KNOW MY LOT MORE ABOUT THAT THAN I DID.
CHERYL, CHERYL, COULD YOU PUT THAT I DON'T HAVE THE CHAT FEATURE ON MY, I WILL PUT IT, I WILL PUT MY CHAT, UH, IN THE CHAT, MY CONTACT INFORMATION.
I CAN'T, I DON'T HAVE THE CHAT FEATURE.
UH, IF YOU COULD SEND THAT TO SALLY AND SALLY COULD SEND IT, SEND IT OUT.
YOU CAN HAVE SOMEBODY IN YOUR OFFICE.
YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WOULD BE INTEREST, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE THE RIGHT PERSON.
WHO, WHO WAS ASKING TO BE CONNECTED? WAS THAT LINDA OR LINDA? THINK IT WAS LINDA.
LINDA, I THINK I HAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
I CAN SEND IT OVER TO JORDAN TOO.
SO STACY WILL SEND CHERYL O'BRIEN'S CONTACT INFORMATION TO LINDA.
UH, LAST QUESTION IS, UH, RANDY JONES.
THIS IS MORE OF A WORD OF ADVICE DEALING WITH THIS SPECIAL MINIMUM OF LOT SIZE PROCESS BY THE ORDINANCE.
UH, NOTIFICATIONS GO OUT TO THE RELEVANT PROPERTY OWNERS THROUGH THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT'S, UH, OWNERSHIP ROLE AND THAT I'M, I'M, I'M SPEAKING FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION EXPERIENCE HERE, WHERE A COUPLE CASES, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME HICCUPS IF YOU DO THAT.
REMEMBER, THERE'S TYPICALLY A DELAY IN OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, UH, YOU KNOW, VERSUS THROUGH A TITLE COMPANY.
AND IF, IF A PARTY EITHER HAS A PIECE OF PROPERTY UNDER CONTRACT OR PURCHASED ONE BUT DIDN'T GET THE LETTER BECAUSE OF THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT'S ROLE, THEN THEY CAN GET OUT AND IT, IT'S NOT A DIFFICULT PROCESS TO GET OUT SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T IN THE NOTIFICATION WINDOW.
SO I JUST SUGGEST SPEND THE MONEY TO GET A TITLE COMPANY TO, TO PRODUCE A TITLE OWNERSHIP RECORD, THEN GO BY THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
UM, SO THAT, THAT DOESN'T COME ABOUT.
UH, I HAVE SUGGESTED THAT TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT THAT IN THE FUTURE WE MAKE THAT CHANGE.
BUT IT'S A, A LIST OF A LOT OF OTHER CHANGES AS WELL IN, IN, YOU KNOW, NUMEROUS PLANNING DEPARTMENT ORDINANCES.
SO AGAIN, JUST A WORD OF ADVICE TO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, DEAL WITH THE TITLE COMPANY ON MORE CURRENT OWNERSHIP RECORDS THAN THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT'S OWNERSHIP RECORD, BECAUSE THERE'S A TIME DELAY THERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD INFORMATION TO KNOW.
SO AGAIN, UH, COUNCILMAN SALLY ALCORN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND EXPERTISE ON, UH, THE PROCESS.
AND MIKE, THANK FOR DISCUSSING A TOPIC THAT IS OF INTEREST TO A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS BOTH INSIDE THE LOOP AND OUTSIDE THE LOOP.
UH, IT'S GREAT PROTECTION FOR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND IF THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT MINIMUM LOT SIZE PROTECTIONS, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS OR YOUR DEED RESTRICTIONS, DON'T TALK ABOUT MINIMUM LOT SIZES.
THIS IS A GOOD TOPIC FOR YOU ALL TO BE INVESTIGATING.
THANK YOU ALL, BOTH VERY, VERY MUCH FOR SPEAKING TONIGHT.
AND, UH, WE DO HAVE A TIGHT SCHEDULE, SO WE'LL MOVE ON.
OH, NEXT STEP IS OUR, UH, MEETING MINUTES.
UH, WE WILL, UH, DO THAT NEXT MONTH.
SO WE WILL GO RIGHT ON INTO THE NEXT, UH, PRESENTATIONS.
AND NEXT STEP WILL BE, UH, MARGARET WALLACE BROWN, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, UH, WALLACE BROWN.
THIS IS MU MU I FORGOT AND I KNEW THAT, AND I
SO, UH, DIRECTOR WALLACE BROWN, UH, ASKED ME TO REPRESENT HER TO, UH, PROVIDE A BRIEF, UH, PRESENTATION FOR THE PROPOSED NU FEED TO EVERYONE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, WILL SOMEONE HELP ME RUN THE SLIDE OR I NEED TO RUN THE SLIDE BY MYSELF? UH, STACY, DO YOU HAVE THAT? RENEE, DO YOU HAVE THAT RENEE? I, I DO NOT HAVE THAT, BUT IF, UH, UH, UH, MS. FANG, IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU WANNA SEND IT TO ME REAL QUICK, I COULD UPLOAD IT OR, OR DO OR DO YOU HAVE IT? UM, PERMISSION.
I, I, I THINK I SEND IT TO YOU ALL A FEW WEEKS AGO, BUT I COULD RUN IT BY MYSELF.
CINDY, DO YOU HAVE TO SHARE THE SCREEN WITH HER? I DON'T HAVE IT.
[00:55:01]
JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A REALLY BRIEF UPDATE ABOUT THE CYBER INDUSTRY.UM, AS YOU, MOST OF YOU KNOW, LIKE IN HOUSTON, WE ARE LIKE LACK OF SIDEWALKS AND POOR CYBER CONDITIONS.
UH, COMMON CHALLENGE IN THE CITY.
UM, SO IN THIS BACKGROUND, THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT SIDEWALK ORDINANCE UNANIMOUSLY IN AUGUST, 2020.
UH, TRY TO KIND OF LIKE, UH, CREATE STANDARD ORDINANCE TO GUIDE THE SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND THEN OVER ALMOST TWO YEARS IMPLEMENTATION, WE REALIZED THAT THE CURRENT ORDINANCE DOES NOT, UM, SUFFICIENTLY TO ADJUST THE CHALLENGE WE ARE EXPERIENCING.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY, UH, BE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WORK CLOSELY WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, THE MASS OFFICE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY TO EXPLORE MORE OPTIONS TO ADJUST THE SIDEWALK, UH, CHALLENGE WE ARE EXPERIENCING.
SO THAT'S WHY WE PROPOSED THE SIDEWALK IN NEW FEE.
UM, FIRSTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A REALLY QUICK, UH, REFRESHER ABOUT THE CURRENT SIDEWALK STANDARDS REQUIREMENTS.
SO IN THE CITY, THE SIDEWALK, UH, IS REQUIRED, UH, BASED ON THE, UM, THE JASON STREET CLASSIFICATION.
UM, SAFETY FOUR FEE SAFETY BUFFER IS REQUIRED ALONG ALL PUBLIC STREETS.
AND THEN, UH, A SIDEWALK WILL BE REQUIRED FOR STREETS WITHIN THE, UH, CPD AND SIX FEET SIDEWALK IS REQUIRED ALONG MAJOR SURFACE FIVE FEET, UH, IS REQUIRED ALONG LOCAL STREET, AND WE HAVE THE, UH, DESIGNATED WALKABLE PLACES, STREET AND TWO DISTRICT.
THOSE SIDEWALK REQUIREMENT IS ESTABLISHED BASED ON THE CONTEXT.
UH, ALL THE INFORMATION ARE AVAILABLE ON THE IDM, THE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN MENU.
SO WHAT THE, THE CURRENT SOFTWARE ORDINANCE REQUIRE IS LIKE ANY, LIKE CERTAIN, LIKE ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENT AND SOME REDEVELOPMENTS, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO MEET THE SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENT.
AND THE CURRENT ORDINANCE HAVE TWO OPTIONS.
UH, WHEN THE CERTAIN DEVELOPMENT, THEY, THEY ARE COMING, THEY'RE REQUIRED.
THE FIRST OPTION IS THEY'RE REQUIRED TO CONSTRUCT A SIDEWALK.
UM, THE, THE OTHER OPTION IS LIKE IF THERE'S CERTAIN SCENARIO IS INFEASIBLE TO CONSTRUCT A REQUIRED SIDEWALK, AND, UM, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SUBMIT A MODIFICATION APPLICATION, UH, TO THE SIDEWALK COMMITTEE.
THE SIDEWALK COMMITTEE WILL REVIEW EACH APPLICATION CASE BY CASE, AND, UH, DECIDE WHETHER THE MODIFICATION WILL BE ALLOWED.
THE MODIFICATION WILL, UH, BE ABLE TO MODIFY THE SIDEWALK WIDTH.
FOR EXAMPLE, ACCORDING TO THE ORDINANCE, FIVE FEET S REQUIRE.
UM, HOWEVER, THERE IS EXISTING POWER POLE IN FRONT OF, UH, MY PROPERTY AND THERE'S NO ENOUGH ROOM FOR ME TO CONSTRUCT THE FIVE FEET SIDEWALK, AND I REQUEST A MODIFICATION TO PROVIDE FOUR FEE SIDEWALK INSTEAD.
UM, AFTER THE FURTHER REVIEW, THE SIDEWALK COMMITTEE TO APPROVE COULD APPROVE THIS APPLICATION.
HOWEVER, THESE TWO OPTIONS ARE NOT SUFFICIENT.
WHAT WE FIND OUT IS BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, I, I SUBMIT THE APPLICATION NOT TO PROVIDE THE SIDEWALK AT ALL BECAUSE MY PROPERTY, UM, IS ALONG THE OPEN DITCH STREET.
THERE'S A BIG OPEN DITCH IN FRONT OF MY PROPERTY.
THERE'S JUST NO ENOUGH ROOM, UH, TO, TO CONSTRUCT A SIDEWALK.
AND ALSO THERE'S NO SIDEWALK AT ALL ALONG, UH, MY STREET.
THEN, UM, I SUBMIT APPLICATION AND THEN THE COMMITTEE REVIEW IT, AND MOST OF THE CASES, THE COMMITTEE WILL APPROVE THE APPLICATION BECAUSE OF THE UNI SITUATION.
SO IN THIS SITUATION, AFTER THE, UM, SIDEWALK COMMITTEE APPROVE IT, UM, THE SIDEWALK IS WA WAIVED AND, AND THEN WE MISS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SIDEWALK, UM, THEN WE WILL KEEP CONTINUING TO CREATE MORE GAPS.
SO GAPS IN, UH, IN THE CITY AND MAKE US, IT'S EVEN HARDER TO CREATE A COMPLETE SERVER NETWORK.
SO IN THIS BACKGROUND, WE, UH, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH OTHER, UH, DEPARTMENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS.
WE THINK IN THIS SITUATION, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE ONE MORE OPTION TO ALLOW THE PRODUCT OWNERS TO PAY THE FEE IN NEW OF SERVER CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO IF, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT I MENTIONED IS, UH, IN HOUSTON THERE ARE LOTS OF EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS, STREETS THEY WILL BUILD WITH SIDEWALKS, AND NOW MORE AND MORE WITH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UH, WE UNDERSTAND SIDEWALK CONNECTED TO NOVA DOESN'T QUITE HELP TO IMPROVE THE STREET NETWORK OR IMPROVE THE
[01:00:01]
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.SO THAT'S WHY THE WE ALLOW IN THOSE SITUATION, UM, AS LONG AS THE DEVELOP IS THE CERTAIN CRITERIA, THEY ARE ABLE TO, UH, PAY THE FREE NEW AUTOMATICALLY INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH, UH, ADDITIONAL PROCESS.
ANOTHER SCENARIO IS LIKE WE AL WE KNOW ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL.
THERE WILL ALWAYS YOU THIS SITUATION, UH, IN THE CITY, UM, MAKE IT IS I FEASIBLE TO CONSTRUCT A SIDEWALK.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEY, UM, THE PROPERTY OWNERS, THEY COULD SUBMIT A REQUEST TO THE SIDEWALK COMMITTEE AND ASK THE SIDEWALK COMMITTEE AUTHORIZE THEM TO PAY THE FEE INNU.
UH, IF THE REQUEST IS APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE, THEN THEY COULD PAY THE FEE.
SO AGAIN, THE, THE SAM FEE, INNU IS JUST ONE MORE OPTION PROVIDE FOR THE PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, THE PROBLEM OWNERS IF THEY THINK THEY, THEY WANT TO CONSTRUCT A, SO THEY'RE ALWAYS WELCOME TO DO SO.
UM, WHAT WE PROPOSE IS, UM, THE, SO CONSTRUCTION, UH, THE, THE, SO IN NEW FEE, UH, BASED ON OUR, UM, COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, THE H UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, UH, THE PROPOSED LIKE, AND THE FEE, THE, THE PURPOSE OF THE SOFTWARE NEW FEE IS REALLY TO COVER THE ACTUAL SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION COST.
AND BASED ON THE DATA PROVIDED BY HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, UH, OUR, THE, THE ACTUAL CONTRACT PRICE AS OF 2022, UH, FOR THE CITY TO CONSTRUCT SIDEWALK ON EVERBRIDGE IS $30 PER SQUARE FEET.
SO THIS COST COVERS LIKE, IS AN AVERAGE OF COST FOR THE SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION ALONG CURB GUTTER STREET, AND OPEN DIGIT STREETS.
AS YOU KNOW, UH, LIKE THE COST ALONG CARBON GAS IS MUCH HIGHER.
THIS IS KIND OF LIKE A FORMULA.
A WEIGHTED FORMULA PROVIDED BY HOUSTON PROPERTY WAS WE COME UP WITH A $30 PER SQUARE FEE.
SO THE PROPOSED FEE IS, UM, WE ARE PROPOSING $12 PER SQUARE FEE FOR THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, UH, HOME RESULT, INCREASING LOW DENSITY LIKE THE ONE, UH, LIKE I DEMOLISHED MY, UH, OLD HOUSE AND BUILD A NEW ONE, OR I BUILD A NEW HOME ON THE VACANT LOT.
I'M NOT SUBDIVIDING, UH, THE, THE PROPERTY.
THEN I'M QUALIFIED FOR THE $12 PER SQUARE FEET.
AND THEN ALL OTHER DEVELOPMENT, THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY $30 PER SQUARE FEET.
UM, SO MAYBE SOMEONE SAY, WELL, I COULD DO IT CHEAPER.
UM, YES, THEN YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO CONSTRUCT THE SIDEWALK BY YOURSELF BECAUSE THIS IS THE COST OF THE CITY.
WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE CERTAIN PROCEDURE AND, AND PAY.
UM, SO THAT JUST TRY TO REFLECT THE COST.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE EXISTING OUR PROGRAM, WE HAVE, EXCUSE ME, UH,
SO, UH, IF YOU WANNA ALLOW TIME FOR A QUESTION OR SO, YOU MAY WANT TO, UH, MAKE SURE YOU HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT YOU REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HEARS TONIGHT.
UM, SO THE CURRENT
UH, THE PROJECTED ANNUAL
UH, THIS IS CALCULATED BASED ON THE SOFTWARE PERMIT WE HAVE ISSUED SINCE, UM, OCTOBER, 2020.
SO, UH, RIGHT NOW I WOULD LIKE TO GO QUICKLY GO OVER THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS ABOUT HOW THE SOFTWARE NEW FEE IS CALCULATED.
SO THE FIRST SCENARIO IS, UM, SOMEONE WANTS TO CONSTRUCT A HOME ON A, UH, EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL LOT.
UH, THE LOT FRONT AND LOCAL STREET.
THERE'S NO EXISTING SIDEWALK, UH, ALONG THE STREET.
AND IT IS QUALIFIED FOR THE, UH, SIDEWALK IN NEW FEET.
IN THIS CASE, THE LOT IS 50 FEET WIDE.
UH, THE REQUIRED SIDEWALK IS FIVE FEET WIDE, SO THE SAMPLE FEE WILL BE 50 BY FIVE BY 12.
SO THE TOTAL AMOUNT IS $3,000.
ANOTHER SCENARIO IS SOMEONE, UH, SUBDIVIDE HIS LOT INTO TWO NARROW LOTS AND WANT TO BUILD ONE HOME ON EACH OF THE NEW LOT.
SO IN THIS CASE, UM, THE, UH, THERE'S SOME EXISTING RESTRICTION IN FRONT OF THE SITE IS INFEASIBLE TO CONSTRUCT THE SIDEWALK.
THIS PROPERTY OWNER GET THE AUTHORIZATION FROM THE SIDEWALK COMMITTEE TO PAY THE FEE, UM, INSTEAD OF THE, UH, INSTEAD OF CONSTRUCTING THE SIDEWALK.
SO IN THIS SITUATION, UH, THE NEW LOT, UH, IS 25 FEET WIDE, AND THE FEE WILL BE 25 TIMES, FIVE TIMES $30 PER SQUARE FEET.
[01:05:01]
WILL BE 37 $50 FOR EACH NEW LOT.AND THEN ANOTHER SCENARIO IS THIS IS A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, IS ALONG A MAJOR SURFACE.
IT HAS 100 FEET FRONTAGE ALONG THE MAJOR SURFACE, UH, THE MINIMUM.
UM, SO THE SALARY FEE REQUIRE, AND, AND AGAIN, THEY GOT THE WHATEVER REASON, THEY GOT THE SIDEWALK COMMITTEE'S APPROVAL TO PAY THE FEE.
AND THE FEE IS 100 TIMES SIX TIMES $30 PER SQUARE FEE, AND THE COST IS 18,000, UH, DOLLARS.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES REMAINING, PLEASE.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST THE, UM, THE PROPOSED SIDEWALK SET MAP.
UH, WE ARE PROPOSING TO, UM, SO THIS MAP IS CREATED LIKE THE BOUNDARIES BASED ON THIS FACTORS POPULATION DEVELOPER, BOTH AREA, ET CETERA.
AND, UH, THE MAIN IDEA IS WE ESTABLISH A CALL CENTER FOR EACH SOFTWARE SERVICE AREA.
AND, UH, LIKE THE COLLECTING SOFTWARE, NEW FEES, 70% WOULD STAY IN THE SAME SERVER CENTER.
30% WOULD, UH, SPEND CITYWIDE TO TRY TO ADJUST THE EQUITY ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND SOME AREAS THEY HAVE LESS, UH, DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, UH, WHICH WILL, MAY GENERATE LESS FUN.
AND THIS 70 30 SPLIT WILL HELP TO ADJUST THE EQUITY ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THE FUND WILL BE MANAGED BY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENTED BY HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
AND, UH, UH, AFTER WE COLLECTED THE FUNDS, THE, UM, CHIEF TRANSPORTATION PLANNER WILL COORDINATE WITH, UM, THE, UH, STAKEHOLDERS AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO PRIORITIZE THE CYBER PROJECTS BASED ON THIS FIVE MAJOR, UH, FACTORS.
AND THEN WE HAVE CONDUCTING MULTIPLE, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS TO, UH, KIND OF PUBLICIZED, UH, THIS, UH, FEE NEW, UH, AMENDMENTS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, UH, FOR THE PROPOSAL.
AND, UM, WE GOT REALLY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC.
UH, YEAH, THAT CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
AND IF PEOPLE, UH, WANT TO LOOK AT THIS INFORMATION, CAN YOU REMIND PEOPLE WHERE IT IS ON, UH, THE CITY WEBSITE? IT IS, UH, UM, ALL THE INFORMATION, INCLUDING MY PRESENTATION, ALL THE, THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE, THEY ARE AVAILABLE ON HOUSTON PLANNING.COM, UH, AND SIDEWALK AMENDMENTS SLASH SIDEWALK AMENDMENTS.
ON THE, UH, PLANNING DEPARTMENT HOMEPAGE, THERE IS A TAB FOR SIDEWALKS.
UM, YOU COULD CLICK THAT, THEN YOU'LL SEE, AND I COULD PUT THE LINK ON THE CHAT.
BECAUSE WE ARE, UM, SHORT ON TIME TONIGHT.
UH, AND THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR, UH, GIVING A SUMMARY OF THE, UH, PROPOSED CHANGES.
UH, I DON'T SEE ANY QUESTIONS, SO I WOULD PROPOSE THAT WE GO AHEAD AND START UP SETTING UP THE PRESENTATION FOR OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
UH, WHO IS, UM, COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
AND I REGRET THAT APPARENTLY MY CAMERA IS NOT WORKING.
SO I WILL, UH, ASK RENEE TO SIT IN AS A YOUNGER AND MORE HANDSOME VERSION THAN I
BUT, UM, I'M HERE AND I'M GRATEFUL, AND, UH, I SEE THAT YOU HAVE THE PRESENTATION GETTING QUEUED UP.
BUT LET ME JUST BEGIN FIRST BY SAYING THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, AND IT'S GREAT, IT'S GREAT.
UH, HARRIS COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE, UH, BUT I AM ALWAYS GRATEFUL, UH, TO SEE HOW YOU GUYS HAVE GROWN THE INCREDIBLE WORK AND INFLUENCE THAT YOU'RE BRINGING INTO THE PROCESS.
AND, UH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A BIG FAN OF.
AND SO I WANNA JUST SAY HELLO TO ALL THE FAMILIAR FACES THAT I SEE ON THE LIST AND, UH, JUST, UH, GRATEFUL FOR, FOR EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATES.
I KNOW YOU DO IT FOR THE MONEY, RIGHT?
BUT LISTEN, UH, IT'S ALWAYS AN HONOR.
AND, UH, RENEE, DO YOU HAVE IT ALL QUEUED UP? YOU'RE MUTED, BUDDY.
CAN EVERYBODY SEE THE PRESENTATION? I'M SHARING MY SCREEN AT THE MOMENT.
UH, AND I APOLOGIZE ABOUT THAT.
LET ME KNOW IF THIS FIXES IT AT ALL.
RENEE, WOULD YOU LIKE FOR ME TO TRY? IF YOU DON'T MIND.
[01:10:01]
IT REALLY QUICK.HOW ABOUT THAT? AH, THERE WE GO.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND, AND BEGIN, UH, CINDY, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU? YES, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND START.
WONDERFUL, AND GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
ADRIAN GARCIA, COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF PRECINCT TWO.
AND AGAIN, IT'S MY HONOR AND PLEASURE, UH, TO, UH, BE WITH ALL THESE GIANTS ON THE SCREEN AND WANT TO, UH, GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, HEARD HER PRESENTATION EARLIER AND, AND TO THE GOOD WORK BEING DONE BY, UH, THE CITY OFFICIALS.
I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE BOND ELECTION THAT HARRIS COUNTY IS BRINGING FORWARD.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON ALSO HAS A SIMILAR PACKAGE, ALTHOUGH A DIFFERENT NUMBER, A SIMILAR PACKAGE OF, AND BOTH OF THESE, UH, BONDS WILL BE ON THE SAME BALLOT.
SO WE'RE RUNNING A UNITED, UM, CAMPAIGN.
IT'S, IT'LL BE EASY FOR THE CITIZENS TO REMEMBER ONE CAMPAIGN RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND PARKS AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
I DON'T KNOW ALL THE, ALL THAT'S IN THE CITY'S PACKAGE, BUT I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU ON THE, UH, $1.2 BILLION PACKAGE THAT HARRIS COUNTY IS BRINGING FORWARD.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, ROAD BONDS AND PARK BONDS ARE A KEY PART OF ANY GOVERNMENT'S, UH, SERVICES, HARRIS COUNTY IN THIS CASE IN PARTICULAR.
AND IT IS, UH, THESE RESOURCES THAT ALLOW US TO RECEIVE, UH, VALUABLE, UH, THE, THE VALUABLE ABILITY TO GET PROJECTS DONE IN OUR RESPECTIVE, UH, PRECINCTS AND THROUGHOUT HARRIS COUNTY.
AND SO THIS PARTICULAR BALLOT, AS I MENTIONED, WILL BE ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
THAT'S WHERE FOLKS WHO ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE THIS NOVEMBER WILL ALSO BE ON THE BALLOT.
I AM SO, UH, EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOND LESSON THAT I WANTED TO SEE IT ON THE SAME BALLOT THAT YOU WILL SEE MY NAME ON.
SO AGAIN, IT'LL BE, UH, ON THIS NOVEMBER BALLOT.
AND I'M NOT ONLY HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE BOND PACKAGE ITSELF, BUT I'M ALSO HERE TO HUM, UH, HUMBLY AND RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF IT.
AND SO THIS IS, THIS SLIDE JUST REALLY, UH, MAKES THE CASE THAT THERE'S NOTHING UNIQUE ABOUT THIS BOND PACKAGE.
UH, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT AND GENERAL GENERALLY GOES TO THE VOTERS, UH, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FIVE TO EVERY SEVEN YEARS, UH, FOR, UH, THE VOTER'S PERMISSION TO ISSUE OUT, UH, DEBT, TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES TO DO, UH, UH, PARTICULAR ROAD AND PARK BOND, UH, PACKAGES AND OR PROJECTS.
IN THIS PARTICULAR PACKAGE, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S FOR 1,000,000,200, UH, MILLION.
AND THIS, UH, GRAPH JUST REALLY KIND OF LAYS IT OUT IN A VISUAL WAY OF WHERE THE RESOURCES THAT THIS BOND PACKAGE WILL, UM, WILL, WILL BE DEDICATED TO.
SO AT THE VERY TOP, YOU'LL SEE A HUNDRED MILLION BEING DEDICATED TO HARRIS COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE INTERLOCALS AND MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
SO IN THEORY, UH, THIS A HUNDRED MILLION THAT IS GOING TO HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN THE, UH, IN THE CASE NEEDED, UH, TO HOUSTON, UH, TO THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
SO, A HUNDRED MILLION TO TOWARDS PUBLIC SAFETY, 300 MILLION TO GENERAL ROAD BONDS, 200 MILLION TO NEIGHBORHOOD DRAINAGE, AND, UH, 200 MILLION TO A ROAD AND DRAINAGE, UH, BOND, UH, FOR PARTNERSHIPS.
AND THAT'S WITH OUR CITIES LIKE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, MUDS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN HARRIS COUNTY.
AND THEN, UH, WE WILL, UH, HAVE A HUNDRED MILLION FOR ROAD REHABIL REHABILITATION.
THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO PROVIDE, UH, THE INVESTMENT IN ROADS TO HELP EXTEND THEIR LIFE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO TOTAL RECONSTRUCTIONS ON EVERY PROJECT, UH, OR EVERY ROAD PROJECT, UH, IN THE, UH, IN THE COUNTY, BECAUSE THEY GET VERY COSTLY IF WE LET 'EM DETERIORATE TO THAT POINT.
AND THEN I KNOW THAT MANY FOLKS ON THIS, UH, ON THIS CALL, ON THIS PRESENTATION ARE ADVOCATES FOR SAFER STREETS, FOR SAFER, UH, HIKING BIKE TRAILS FOR SAFER SIDEWALKS.
[01:15:01]
WILL BE GETTING A DEDICATION OF 50 MILLION SO THAT WE CAN DO, UH, EVERYTHING WE CAN TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PEDESTRIAN AND ROAD RELATED, UH, CRASHES ON OUR RESPECTIVE STREETS.AND THEN, UH, 50 MILLION WILL ALSO BE DEDICATED TO MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION, LIKE HIKING BIKE TRAILS.
UH, WE HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF TRAILS.
I'M PROUD THAT A LOT OF THE, UH, TRAILS THAT I STARTED WHEN I SERVED YOU ON HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL AND DISTRICT H ARE NOW BEING INTERCONNECTED WITH THE COUNTY, UH, LINES AND ROUTES.
AND THEN 200 MILLION TO OUR PARKS, WHICH I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT BECAUSE I'M PROUD THAT, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS ALWAYS HAD THE WEST GRAY MULTIER, UH, SERVICE CENTER AS A, AS A, UH, ESTEEMED PLACE FOR THOSE WITH, UH, PHYSICAL, UH, DISABILITIES.
BUT THE COUNTY NEVER HAS HAD ONE.
WELL, WE HAVE ONE NOW THAT'S IN MY PRECINCT.
I WAS ABLE TO BUILD THAT, UH, BEGINNING WHEN I FIRST CAME INTO OFFICE.
AND IT IS THE FLAGSHIP INCLUSIVE PARK, UH, IN PRECINCT TWO, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN HARRIS COUNTY.
AND I'M EXCITED, UH, THAT WE WILL BE WORKING TO PROVIDE THOSE TYPES OF AMENITIES TO ALL OF OUR PARKS GOING FORWARD.
AND SO, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND I KNOW THAT EVERYONE HERE, IT'LL BE A SHOCKER, BUT WE TEND TO FLOOD AROUND HERE.
AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS TO, UH, PROVIDE FOR A, UH, SWIFT WATER RESCUE TRAINING FACILITY FOR ALL OF, UH, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, BUT IN PARTICULARLY HARRIS COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING TO, UH, PURDUE RADIO UPGRADES, SOMETHING I WORKED ON WHEN I WAS THE CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, UH, UH, AND HOMELAND SECURITY, UH, COMMITTEE WHEN I WAS ON COUNCIL, UH, AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FACILITIES, UH, FOR OUR RESPECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT, FROM THE SHERIFFS TO THE CONSTABLES, UH, AND EVEN TO, UH, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE POTENTIALLY.
AND SO, 900 MILLION IN TOTAL WILL GO TO ROADS, DRAINAGE, AND TRANSPORTATION.
UH, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY, UH, CRITICAL.
WE DID A STUDY IN 2019 TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, UH, WHAT THE, UH, CONDITIONS OF OUR ROADWAYS ARE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF THE COUNTY.
AND, UH, I AM HOME TO THE PORT OF HOUSTON.
AND SO I AM IN FREIGHT TOWN, USA.
SO I KNEW THAT MY ROADWAYS, UH, ON THE EAST SIDE OF HARRIS COUNTY, UH, WE'RE CHALLENGED AND IN NEED OF INVESTMENT AND REPAIR AND RECONSTRUCTION.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY NEED THE SAME TYPE OF INVESTMENT.
AND SO, UH, WE HAVE TO, THIS IS CRITICAL NUMBER ONE FOR, UH, THOSE OF US WHO, UH, YOU KNOW, RUN IN OUR VEHICLES ON A REGULAR BASIS, ON OUR BICYCLES, AS I TRY TO DO.
UH, IT'S GOOD FOR OUR ECONOMY, IT'S GOOD FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, AND IT'S GOOD, UH, TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THOSE AREAS THAT NEED THOSE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS KNOW THAT THEY CAN ANTICIPATE, UH, REPAIR IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
YOU HAVE SEVEN MINUTES REMAINING, PLEASE.
AND SO, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, AND, UH, UH, BYPASS THIS, BUT THIS RIGHT HERE JUST MAKES THE CASE THAT, UH, IN HARRIS COUNTY, OVER 6,000, UH, UH, MILES OF ROADS, WHICH ARE, UH, OF WHICH 588 OF THOSE ROADS ARE IN, UH, POOR OR FAILED CONDITION.
SO THIS IS WHY THIS BOND PACKAGE DEDICATED TO, UH, ROADS IS SO, SO CRITICAL.
AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED, UM, I'VE GOT MANY CITIES IN MY PRECINCT, AND WE HAVE, INCLUDING THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, 36, 35 OTHER, UH, CITIES IN HARRIS COUNTY.
UH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN ABUNDANT NUMBER OF, UH, MUDS AND OTHER, UH, IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
UH, SO WE WANTED TO, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE, AND THIS WAS A PICKER, A PARTICULAR AMENDMENT, UH, OF MINE, TO ENSURE THAT WE DID NOT FORGET OUR PARTNERS.
I'M DOING MORE WORK INSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THAT CAPACITY BUILT INTO THIS BOND PACKAGE.
AND AGAIN, UM, IN, IN MY PRECINCT, AS AN EXAMPLE, HISTORICALLY, PRECINCT TWO HAS DONE AN AVERAGE OF 400,000 LINEAR FEET OF DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE.
AND THAT, UH, THAT'S A TECHNICAL TERM TO SAY, UH, DITCH GRADING.
UH, DURING THE PEAK OF THE PANDEMIC, MY TEAM
[01:20:01]
WAS ABLE TO ACCELERATE THAT TO DO OVER A HUNDRED MILLION LINEAR FEED OF DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE IN 2020.WE HIT IT AGAIN IN 2021, AND WE'RE ON TRACK TO HIT IT AGAIN THIS YEAR BECAUSE IT IS THE FRONTLINE AND FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE FOR MANY NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, TO KEEP THEM FROM FLOODING.
AND I'M SO PROUD SINCE WE STARTED THAT IN 2020, WE HAVE HAD ZERO REPORTED, UH, HOMES FLOODED, UH, IN MY PRECINCT.
NEXT SLIDE, ROAD REHABILITATION.
WE CAN MAINTAIN OUR ROADS AND KEEP THEM FROM, UH, GETTING INTO THOSE POOR OR FAILED CONDITIONS, THEN WE'RE ABLE TO SAVE MONEY AND, UH, AND EXTEND OUR RESOURCES.
NEXT SLIDE, TWO MINUTES REMAINING PLEASE.
AND THEN MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION.
OBVIOUSLY, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS GROWN SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL.
MORE PEOPLE ARE USING THEIR BIKES AS, UH, THEIR PRIMARY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION, AND WE'VE GOT TO RESPECT THAT, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CAPACITY AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THERE, UH, IS THERE TO SUPPORT IT.
AND IF WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT, WE OUGHT TO MAKE IT AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
LOOK, THE PANDEMIC TAUGHT US THAT THE PARKS ARE, UH, ARE CRITICAL TO OUR STATE OF MIND, OUR QUALITY OF HEALTH, BUT ALSO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, AND PARKS AND ADDED GREEN SPACE TO OUR COMMUNITY IS ALSO GOOD FOR OUR ECONOMY.
AND SO THIS IS WHY IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE PARKS, WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEM AND IMPROVE THEM AS NECESSARY.
AND THEN JUST TO MAKE THE CASE THAT THIS IS COST EFFECTIVE, THIS IS JUST A GRAPH TO SHOW YOU HOW WE ARE LOWERING, UH, THE, UH, DEBT SERVICE IN HARRIS COUNTY.
SO WE ARE PAYING OFF OUR, OUR, UH, OUR DEBT SERVICE.
AND, UH, THIS IS ALLOWING US TO MAKE THE CASE.
WE'VE ALSO LOWERED THE TAX RATE IN RECENT YEARS.
I'M PROUD THAT I, UH, CHAMPION THE FIRST THREE CONSECUTIVE, UH, INCREASES IN SENIOR AND DISABLED HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS.
AND SO WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO LOWER THE TAX RATE, UH, SINCE THE PREVIOUS 10 YEARS.
AND THEN, UH, WE ARE IN A STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION.
SO, UM, AS WE ALL UNDERSTAND, UH, THE INFLATION IS UPON US, AND ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO GET IN FRONT OF THAT IS CRITICAL SO THAT WE CAN GET AS MANY PROJECTS IN THE GROUND AS POSSIBLE.
NEXT SLIDE, ONE MINUTE REMAINING, PLEASE.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M GONNA INTERRUPT VERY, VERY BRIEFLY.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PRESENTING TONIGHT.
I WANNA REMIND EVERYONE THAT ALL OF THESE PRESENTATIONS WILL BE LOADED ON THE, UH, SUPER NEIGHBOR HOOD ALLIANCE WEBPAGE ON, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS SITE.
UH, AND WE HAVE JUST A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE GET STATED TONIGHT BEFORE WE GO TO THE QUESTIONS.
SO, STACY, COULD YOU MAKE THOSE ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, BEFORE WE GET TO THE QUESTIONS? YES.
UH, IF YOU ARE PLANNING AN NNO, PLEASE GET WITH YOUR HPD DIVISIONAL PIP UH, COMMUNITY LIAISON AND GIVE THEM THAT INFORMATION.
ALSO, ON OCTOBER 4TH IS, UH, THE CELEBRATION OF YOM KIPPUR.
SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME COMMUNITIES THAT ARE USED ARE, THEY'LL CELEBRATE, UH, NNO ON A DIFFERENT DATE.
UH, THE OTHER THING IS, IS IF YOU HAVE GOT QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT TO SUBMIT, UH, FOR US TO, UH, USE TO DEVELOP QUESTIONS FOR THE COUNTY JUDGE FORUM, PLEASE SEND THAT TO S ACO H@GMAIL.COM.
SAMMY, YOU HAD A QUESTION? SAMMY HUGHES, MY QUESTION IS, HOW ARE THE BIKE LANES THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, PEOPLE USING MORE BIKES, HOW ARE THEY DETERMINED? BECAUSE I'M SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY TO A BIKE LANE THAT GOES DOWN, HUTCHINSON HEADED NORTH, AND THE STREET HAS BEEN CUT OFF AT ALABAMA AND ELGIN, SO YOU CAN'T DRIVE STRAIGHT THROUGH HUTCHINSON TO GET DOWNTOWN, WHICH WAS A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE FOR THOSE OF US WHO LIVE SOUTH OF THERE TO GET NORTH WITHOUT HAVING TO GET ON THE FREEWAY.
WHAT, WHO MADE THAT DECISION, OR HOW WAS THAT DECISION MADE, OR HOW ARE DECISIONS IN GENERAL MADE? SAMMY, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
[01:25:01]
TELL YOU THAT, UH, UM, THIS IS, THIS ROUTE THAT YOU'RE, UH, SPEAKING OF IS IN INSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON.AND WHEN I SERVED ON COUNCIL, UH, NOTHING MADE ME, UH, MORE CRAZIER THAN WHAT I WOULD SEE, UH, SIDEWALK OR A LANE THAT, UH, GOT TO KNOW HERS, UH, OR HAD A UTILITY POLE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
UH, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN BETTER SINCE THEN.
AND THE WAY I, I WON'T SPEAK TO THE CITY'S PROCESS, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN MY PRECINCT, I HAVE AN ENGINEERING, UH, DEPARTMENT IN MY, WITH, UH, WITH MY OFFICE, ASIDE FROM THE COUNTY ENGINEER.
AND THE WAY WE DO IT IS EXACTLY HOW I LEARNED, UH, THAT WE WOULD DO IT INSIDE THE CITY WHEN I SERVED ON COUNCIL.
AND THAT WAS THIS, WE WOULD WORK WITH OUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.
I HAVE DONE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, PROCESSES, UH, WITH ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES TO FIND OUT NUMBER ONE, WHERE PEOPLE BELIEVE, UH, THE ROUTES AND SIDEWALKS AND HIKING BIKE TRAILS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE OUGHT TO GO.
SECONDLY, UM, WE WOULD NOT, WE DO NOT, UH, PLAN A PROJECT TODAY UNLESS I CAN HAVE SOME DEGREE OF PRE, UH, PREDICTABILITY THAT THERE IS ANOTHER LANE SOMEWHERE OUT, OR THAT WE WOULD BE CONSIDERING PLANS TO EXTEND THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE SO THAT THERE IS TRUE CONNECTIVITY OF THE SYSTEM.
AND SO THAT'S THE WAY I APPROACH IT IN MY OFFICE.
UH, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE NORM WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING TO CONNECT THEIR ROUTES.
I HAVE FUNDED, UH, UH, STUDIES INSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN, UH, IN THE EAST END, WORKING WITH THE, UH, THE EAST END, UH, MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
AND, UH, AND SO THE WHOLE, THE, THE WAY IT OUGHT TO BE DONE IS, UH, JUST TO ENSURE THAT NUMBER ONE, IT IS WHERE, UH, THE NEED EXISTS.
IT IS WHERE THE RESIDENTS WANTED TO SEE IT.
UH, IT IS WHERE THERE'S, UH, THERE CAN BE SOME DEGREE OF PREDICTABILITY THAT IT WILL BE CONNECTED WITH ANOTHER SYSTEM, UH, AND THAT IT BRINGS THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, AND, UH, AND, AND EMPLOYMENT CENTERS TOGETHER.
THAT'S THE WAY IT OUGHT TO BE DONE.
DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK OUT PERFECTLY, BUT I KNOW THAT'S WHERE MANY OF THE EFFORTS, UH, ARE, ARE, UH, ARE, UH, EXERTED TO ENSURE THAT THOSE PRINCIPLES, UH, COME TO LIFE.
WE ARE DOWN TO LESS THAN TWO MINUTES.
UH, DOUG, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR ANNOUNCEMENT, BUT, UH, DOUG SMITH, YOU'RE UP NEXT.
UH, THE LAST BOND, IF YOU, THE, UH, COUNTY DID WAS IN 2015, AND YOU STILL HAVE $300 MILLION MILLION LEFT OF THAT BOND ISSUE, WHICH TELLS ME THAT THIS BOND ISSUE YOU'RE PROPOSING IS PREMATURE.
COULD YOU COMMENT ON THAT? SURE.
UH, I WILL TELL YOU THAT NUMBER ONE IN MY PRECINCT, AND, AND YOU GOTTA REMEMBER THAT, UH, OUR PRECINCTS ARE DRIVEN BY THE RESPECTIVE, UH, LEADERSHIP OF EACH OF THOSE PRECINCTS.
BUT IN MY PRECINCT, I HAVE COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED, UH, ALL OF THE, UH, UH, AVAILABLE, UH, BOND, UH, RESOURCES.
BUT THAT, UH, IN TERMS OF THOSE, UH, 300 MILLION FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, UH, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ALREADY HAVE A GREAT DEGREE OF OTHER PROJECTS, UH, PLANNED FOR THOSE RESOURCES.
SO ALTHOUGH IT'S THERE, IT IS IN THE QUEUE, UH, TO BE USED, SOME OF THEM JUST HAVE TAKEN A LITTLE LONGER, UH, TIME TO PLAN THIS.
UH, BUT, UH, KEEP THIS IN MIND, 300 MILLION, IF THAT WAS YOUR MONEY OR MY MONEY, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
BUT ONE ROAD RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, UH, WILL COST APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 40, MAYBE EVEN $50 MILLION.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO WHAT THOSE PROJECTS OR WHAT THOSE RESOURCES GO TO, IT'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY.
WELL, WE ARE RIGHT AT EIGHT O'CLOCK.
THIS IS THE TIME WHERE WE NORMALLY END OUR MEETING, AND THIS IS THE TIME WHEN, UH, THE MUNICIPAL FEED ON HTV ENDS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO, UH, PARTICIPATED TONIGHT FOR MAKING PRESENTATIONS.
AGAIN, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, THANK YOU FOR APPEARING.
WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND AGAIN, ALL THESE, UH, PRESENTATIONS WILL BE POSTED, UH, ON THE WEBSITE FOR THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE.
WE WILL ADJOURN AT EIGHT O'CLOCK.