* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:07] TODAY IS [PRESENTATIONS] A VERY IMPORTANT DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 'CAUSE THIS GUY GOT THIS VERY DAY. IT'S HIS 39TH ANNUAL 30TH BIRTHDAY. ANYTHING ELSE FOR EMPLOYEE THAT WE WANTED TO ASK? SO FOR THAT CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES THE GREATEST CHIEF OF STAFF IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND, AND THE MOST WONDERFUL DIRECTORS WHO I'M GOING TO HAVE. EVERYBODY PLEASE COME FORWARD. I'M GONNA HAVE THEM ALL COME FORWARD RIGHT NOW. ALL DIRECTORS COME FORWARD. I THINK, I THINK THAT WE WERE TALKING MOST OKAY. VERY IMPORTANT. MOVE AROUND AROUND. OKAY. ONE MORE THAN YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. CHEESE. CHEESE. THANK YOU. LET'S PULL THAT ONE RIGHT BESIDE. PULL THAT ONE RIGHT BESIDE. PUT IT RIGHT BESIDE. OKAY. OKAY. AS YOU CAN SEE, MAYOR, WE ACTUALLY DID SURPRISE YOU. MA'AM. MA'AM, MA'AM, IF YOU COULD PLEASE SPEAK BEHIND THE MIC. OH, DO YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW? OKAY. SO MAYOR, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE WERE ABLE TO SURPRISE YOU ALL DAY. HE'S BEEN ASKING, IS THERE SOMETHING GONNA HAPPEN TODAY, ? SO, SO WE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO PULL THIS OFF. AND SO ALL OF THE DIRECTORS ARE HERE TODAY. AND YES, THEY ARE TAKING SOME TIME OFF TO COME AND WISH YOU A VERY, VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. AND WE'RE GOING TO SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. AND THEN, AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO PRESENT YOU WITH GIFTS. AND WE JUST WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH WE LOVE YOU, HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY, AND HOW PROUD WE ARE TO BE A PART OF TEAM TURNER. SO WITH THAT, AND I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO KEEP US IN TUNE, BUT WE'RE JUST GONNA START SINGING. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. READY, AND ONE AND TWO. YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. OKAY. SO FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE A WONDERFUL CAKE THAT HAS PICTURES OF EVERY YEAR, KIND OF A SIGNATURE PHOTO OF EVERY YEAR THAT THE MAYOR HAS BEEN IN OFFICE. SO THAT'S HERE. AND WE ALSO HAVE BUNK CAKES FOR EVERYONE, INCLUDING COUNCIL AND OUR DIRECTORS. AND THEN WE HAVE A WONDERFUL GIFT OR GIFTS FOR THE MAYOR. YEAH. OKAY. MAYOR. EXCUSE. DON'T WANT TO OPEN THEM RIGHT NOW. DO YOU, DO Y'ALL WANT HIM TO OPEN THEM? NO, NO, NO, NO. THEY SAY NO. NO. THEY SAY NO. NO. MAYOR ON THE ADVICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL, DON'T OPEN THEM BECAUSE WE MAY BE ON CHANNEL TWO NEWS. OKAY? OKAY. WELL, DON'T OPEN THEM. THANK YOU. BUT THEY ARE VERY, VERY NICE. AND THE DIRECTORS, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF STEPPED UP. I HAD TO TELL THEM TO STOP GIVING YES. COMING TO YOU. OKAY. SO SAY SOMETHING ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, MAAM. WELL, BEFORE HE DOES THAT CHIEF OF STAFF, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE. OKAY. AWESOME. SO, AS WE ALWAYS DO, MAYOR, YOU'RE LOOKING GOOD. YOU LOOK GOOD ON YOUR BIRTHDAY. YOU DON'T LOOK A DAY OVER 68 . BUT YOU'VE BEEN, IT'S BEEN A HELL OF A NUMBER OF YEARS, UH, SPECIFICALLY THESE LAST SIX MONTHS. AND YOU'VE BEEN A WARRIOR. YOU'VE BEEN A, YOU'VE NEVER MISSED A BEAT. YOU'VE BEEN HERE EACH AND EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY. AND YOU LEAD THIS CITY WITH VIGOR AND VITALITY, AND YOU LEAD IT WITH YOUR HEART AS FRONT AND CENTER. AND FOR THAT, WE'LL BE EVER GRATEFUL AND HAVE A BLESSED BIRTHDAY. YOU DESERVE IT. AND, UH, WITH THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, ABBY CAYMAN, HOW DID I GET FIRST IN THE QUEUE? MAYOR, FIRST OFF, I THINK IT'S A REFLECTION OF, UM, WHO YOU ARE NOT ONLY AS THE LEADER OF THIS CITY, BUT WHO YOU ARE TO THIS CITY THAT ALL OF YOUR DIRECTORS ARE STANDING BEHIND YOU TODAY. [00:05:01] UM, IT IS AN HONOR TO SERVE WITH YOU. I, THIS IS OUR, FOR SOME OF US, OUR FIRST ABILITY TO CELEBRATE THE MAYOR'S BIRTHDAY ON THE BACK END OF COD. SO THIS IS KIND OF THAT FIRST CELEBRATION WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN TO ALL BE TOGETHER FOR IT. AND I WOULDN'T WANNA MISS IT. UM, TO HAVE A MAYOR LIKE YOU THAT LOVES THIS CITY WITH EVERY FIBER OF HIS BEING AND STANDS FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, AND JUST FOR HOUSTONIANS, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOU. AND IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH YOUR TEAM THAT IS A REFLECTION OF YOU. SO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WE LOVE YOU. KEEP GOING. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY D. THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MAYOR, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER. UM, I WISH YOU NOTHING BUT MIRACLES, ABUNDANCE, UH, I THOUGHT YOU WAS GONNA TAKE ANOTHER BREAK WEEK. 'CAUSE I WAS WAITING FOR IT. I WAS, WAS LIKE, HE NEEDS A BREAK. WE ALL NEED A BREAK. MAYOR TURNER, GO ON VACATION, PLEASE. BUT JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR VISION. I MEAN, YOU'LL CONTINUE TO HEAR THAT AND YOU'VE HEARD THAT, BUT NOT JUST AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I'M PROUD TO BE A, A HOUSTONIAN BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU ARE AT THE TOP. UM, I KNOW THAT WHATEVER HITS THIS CITY, WHATEVER WE'RE MET WITH BECAUSE OF YOUR VISION, UM, BECAUSE OF YOUR INTERNATIONALLY COMMITMENT TO PEOPLE WILL BE OKAY. WHATEVER THAT MAY BE. SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR LIFE WITH US, SHARING YOUR VISION WITH US. UM, AND I'M, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT I GET TO, UM, SERVE THE CITY WITH YOU, UM, FOR THESE FOUR YEARS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAYOR. ATTORNEY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTE. MAYOR, UM, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THIS IS SUCH A SPECIAL DAY, MY FELLOW LIBRA, WELL BALANCED UNJUDGMENTAL, YOU KNOW, FAIR, IMPARTIAL MAYOR, BIPARTISAN MAYOR, YOU KNOW, ALL THE GOOD THINGS YOU'RE LEADING THIS CITY. SO WELL, WHAT AN HONOR TO BE YOUR COLLEAGUE ON THIS COUNCIL. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FEW OF US THAT WILL GO OUT TOGETHER NEXT YEAR, MAYOR. AND, UH, I KNOW I'M PROUD OF THE WAY THAT YOU'VE LED, UH, THROUGH YOUR TWO TERMS AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO SERVING UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE OF THIS TERM THAT WE SHARE TOGETHER. VERY PROUD TO HAVE SERVED WITH YOU AND SERVING WITH YOU RIGHT THROUGH THE END. AND, UH, OF COURSE, I LIKE TO REMIND YOU ON YOUR BIRTHDAY THAT THIS IS ALSO MY DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY. SO WE LOVE TO HAVE THAT TOGETHER, MAYOR. SO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANKS GUYS. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR , JUST, UH, WANT TO ALSO JOIN MY COLLEAGUES AND SAYING IT'S, UM, I'VE, I'VE REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH YOU. UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON WILL BE WALKING OUT THE DOOR THE SAME DAY. UH, BUT IT'S BEEN VERY EN EN ENJOYABLE WORKING WITH YOU TO SEE YOUR PASSION AND YOUR LOVE FOR THIS CITY, UH, AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE LIVING IT BETTER, UH, THAN HOW YOU CAME IN. SO, UH, IT'S AN HONOR WORKING WITH YOU. AND I JUST WANNA WISH YOU A VERY, VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CIRO. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M, I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU. I, IT'S BEEN SUCH AN HONOR FOR ME TO, TO GET TO SERVE WITH YOU. UH, I, I CAN'T IMAGINE A, A A BETTER FIT FOR ME WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH YOU AS MAYOR BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN SO SUPPORTIVE OF THE WORK I'VE REALLY TRIED TO FOCUS ON WITH CHILDREN. AND YOU, YOU MORE THAN MOST PEOPLE, REALLY UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF INVESTING IN CHILDREN AND HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR CITY. SO, UM, GOD BLESS YOU, MAYOR. UM, LOVE YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LOVE YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KUBOSH. WELL, MARY, UH, RONALD REAGAN SAID, IF YOU, UH, AGREE WITH SOMEBODY 80% OF THE TIME, THEY'RE YOUR FRIENDS. WELL, I THINK I VOTE WITH YOU ABOUT 95% OF THE TIME, . SO I'M DEFINITELY YOUR FRIEND. AND I WISH YOU THE VERY BEST AS THE OLDEST COUNCIL MEMBER HERE ON COUNCIL. I, I, I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE MANY MORE YEARS TO GO. THANK YOU. BLESS YOU. THANKS, COUNCIL. SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THE MAYOR HAD A FULL HEAD OF HAIR UNTIL THAT 5% CAME ALONG, , AND IT'S THAT 5% THAT MADE HIM LOSE ALL THAT HAIRY HEAD ON TOP OF HIS HEAD. COUNCIL MEMBER, SALLY ALCORN. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAYOR. YOU'RE THE HARDEST WORKING MAYOR I EVER DID KNOW. SO, CONGRATULATIONS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANKS, COUNCIL. HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A WONDERFUL DAY AND A WONDERFUL NEXT YEAR. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED TO WISH YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR DAY, AND MANY GREAT BIRTHDAYS TO COME. I ENJOY WORKING WITH YOU, ESPECIALLY THIS WEEK WHEN WE HAVE DISTRICT DAY PROJECTS ON THE AGENDA. YOU MUST JUST BE FEELING SO GENEROUS BECAUSE OF YOUR BIRTHDAY , BUT REALLY JUST WANTED TO WISH YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU. AND, AND MAYOR, BEFORE WE LET YOU HAVE THE LAST WORDS, UH, I JUST PRAY THAT MY LORD AND SAVIOR AND YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, THAT HE GIVES YOU ANOTHER 68 YEARS TO DO THIS. UH, YOU'VE BEEN A BLESSING TO ALL OF US, [00:10:01] UH, TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON. YOU CONTINUALLY DO A GREAT JOB, AND WE PRAY FOR YOUR CONTINUED GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING. SO, GOD BLESS YOU. THANKS. WELL, LOOK, LET ME, LET ME JUST SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I KNEW THAT, UH, SOMETHING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN , UH, TODAY. I, I, I, BUT I FIGURED IT WOULD BE IN SOME CONFERENCE ROOM, YOU KNOW, UH, TODAY. SO, UH, THIS ONE, THIS ONE DID GET PAST ME. I WASN'T ANTICIPATING THIS. UH, SO, UM, LET ME SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED TO MAKE IT, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, UH, TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, LET ME JUST SAY, UH, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE AN HONOR TO SERVE, UH, WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE LEARNED FROM EACH OTHER. WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER WITH ONE ANOTHER. WE WORKED THROUGH STUFF. AND, UM, AND IT'S JUST, IT'S BEEN A DELIGHT. I TOLD SOMEBODY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, UH, THAT THIS HAS JUST BEEN THE BEST GIG THAT I'VE EVER HAD. AND SO, UM, SO LET ME THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE SAID. IT MEANS A GREAT DEAL, UH, TO ALL OF THE DIRECTORS AND MY STAFF. I CAN'T, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH FOR, FOR, FOR ALL OF YOU, THE DIRECTORS, THE MEMBERS OF MY STAFF, PEOPLE WHO I'VE COME TO WORK WITH, UH, QUITE A BIT ON MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE LEVELS. UH, PEOPLE WHO MAKE SURE THAT I'M WELL FED, YOU KNOW, AND SEEN AFTER. SO, LEMME SAY, AND LEMME SAY THANK YOU. I WON'T, I WON'T BE ALONE. 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE GOT PROCLAMATIONS TO ISSUE OUT TODAY. UM, BUT THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I DIDN'T THAT, WHEN I DIDN'T SAY MY AGE, YOU KNOW, I SAID I WAS 50 FOR THE, THE 10TH TIME OR THE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, WHATEVER. UM, BUT NOW I PROBABLY SAY 68. AND, UH, AND, UH, AND I, AND I VALUE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF, OF THOSE YEARS. BUT THIS ONE IS SPECIAL. THIS ONE IS SPECIAL, UH, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN VERY BLESSED HEALTH WISE. AND WHEN SOMETHING HITS YOU ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT, UH, AND, AND FORCES YOU TO STOP, UH, THEN THAT YOU, YOU REALLY, YOU REALLY HAVE TO STOP AND REF AND REFLECT. UH, SO WITH MY MEDICAL CHALLENGE AND WAS OUT, THE CITY NEVER CLOSES. THE CITY IS 24 7. THE COUNCIL MAYOR, PRO TIM, VICE MAYOR, PRO TIM, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATE, UM, MARTY LEADERSHIP PATH LEADERSHIP THAT YOU ARE PROVIDED BECAUSE CITY COUNCIL MOVED FORWARD. THE TRIPS MOVED FORWARD INTERNATIONALLY, COUNCIL MEMBER CIRO'S. UH, SO THAT DIDN'T STOP. AND THAT WAS REASSURING. UH, AND THEN THE SERVICES, THE DEPARTMENTS NEVER CLOSED, AND THE PEOPLE'S NEEDS CONTINUED TO BE MET. AND THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE DIRECTORS AND THE LEADERSHIP. SO WE HAVE A STRONG BENCH, AND IT'S, AND, UH, IT'S NOT PREDICATED ON ANY ONE PERSON. SO EVEN WHEN I WAS DOWN AND OUT OF POCKET, THINGS KEPT MOVING, MOVING FORWARD. AND FOR THAT, I'M VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE AND GRATEFUL BECAUSE WHAT IT SAID TO ME ON A PERSONAL NOTE IS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN PLACE WHO KNOW HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS, AND THEY KNOW HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS WITHOUT ME HOVERING OVER THEIR BACKS. AND, UH, AND THAT GAVE A SENSE OF COMFORT. AND QUITE FRANKLY, AFTER BEING OUT, UH, A FEW DAYS, THEN I DECIDED, LET ME STOP TEXTING PEOPLE. . YEAH. BUT I WILL. BUT I WILL MAKE, I WILL SAY CONFESSION. 'CAUSE, UH, PEOPLE KNEW I WAS OUT. PEOPLE DIDN'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL. AND SO, UH, , SO, UH, WHEN I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, AND NURSES WOULD COME IN AT 11 AND 12 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT AND ASK ME, WHAT, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING ? AND, UH, I SAID, I'M, I'M TEXTING MY FOLK TO TELL 'EM WHAT, UH, KIND OF CHECK IT TO SEE WHAT, WHAT'S BEEN DONE, YOU KNOW, GET A STATUS REPORT. AND, UM, AND THEN, AND THEN IT HIT ME, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT DOWN, YOU KNOW? AND AS ONE NURSE SAID TO ME, THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN YOU'LL PUT YOUR HEALTH FIRST. AND, UH, AND THAT'S WHEN I PUT MY PHONE DOWN. SO, UH, SO WHEN THINGS COME, ALL OF A SUDDEN, WHEN YOU'RE NOT EXPECTING IT, UH, THAT'S REALLY WHEN YOU PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE. AND [00:15:01] THAT AFFORDED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE. SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY. I APPRECIATE THAT. I APPRECIATE THE CAKE AND, UM, AND ALL THAT THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT, BUT MORE, BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, I SIMPLY APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF RELATIONSHIPS, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THINGS THAT, UM, ARE RARE AND DON'T COME VERY OFTEN. I APPRECIATE THE RELATIONSHIPS, I APPRECIATE THE FRIENDSHIP, I APPRECIATE THE WORK WE DO AND HOW WE GET IT DONE. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, LET ME JUST CLOSE BY SAYING THIS. MY TERM DOESN'T END AT THE END OF THIS YEAR. SO I GOT, I GOT ONE MORE BIRTHDAY AS MAYOR. I GOT ONE MORE BIRTHDAY AS MAYOR. SO WHATEVER YOU HAVE DONE THIS TIME CANNOT BE LESS THE NEXT TIME. AND BECAUSE OF COVID, COVID CAME FOR TWO YEARS. YOU KNOW, MY TERM HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY EXTENDED FOR TWO MORE YEARS. . SO, SO ALL OF US WHO WERE PLANNING TO GO OUT IN TWO YEARS, OUR TERMS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED FOR TWO MORE . LET'S, BUT THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. AND LOVE YOU ALL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE HAD, WE HAD SOMEONE WHO WAS TARDY AND JUST CAME IN. I WON'T CALL OUT ANY NAMES, BUT IT'S VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM UH, MAYOR TURNER. I KNOW THAT EVERYONE HAS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU ALL OF THESE ACCOLADES FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY. AND I, I COULDN'T SIT HERE AND NOT TELL YOU THAT, UM, FROM THE VERY FIRST MEETING THAT WE HAD WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED, AND WE PROBABLY SPENT 15 MINUTES TOGETHER. AND YOU SAID VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, UH, UH, YOU SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER, TELL, TELL ME WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WANNA DO IN YOUR TERM. AND WE HAD A 15 MINUTE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE, THE PROJECTS AND WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME AT DISTRICT A. AND I LEARNED MORE IN THAT 15 MINUTE TIME SPENDING WITH YOU, UH, ABOUT YOUR HEART FOR SERVICE AND YOUR HEART FOR PEOPLE. AND IT HAS BEEN AN EXTREME PLEASURE TO WORK ALONGSIDE YOU ON BEHALF OF HOUSTONIANS. AND I PRAY THAT YOUR 68TH BIRTHDAY IS YOUR BEST ONE YET. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU. AMEN. AND, AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE COUP IS OFFICIALLY OVER. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. HAPPY. I DON'T KNOW. I THOUGHT BIRTHDAY TO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HAPPY BIRTHDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU. GET A PICTURE. OKAY. THE CITY IS STILL OPEN. AND, UH, A PICTURE. YES, YOU DIRECTOR, GET ONE PICTURE WITH Y'ALL. JUST ONE PICTURE, PLEASE. OKAY. GO AROUND THERE. GO AROUND THERE. AND IF THERE'S SOME EXTRA CAKE, PASS IT OUT TO THE PEOPLE. AREN'T THERE EVERY DIRECTORS, PLEASE, UH, GO AROUND THE HORSESHOE, PLEASE FOR A QUICK PHOTO OP. YEAH, RIGHT IN HERE. THIS HERE. WOULD YOU LIKE A SPOON? NO, SAVE IT. NO, I KNOW. HORSESHOE, RIGHT? THE [00:22:56] LET'S GO [00:26:23] DIFFERENT DAYS. SURE. THAT AND THEN BEFORE SURGERY. YEAH. THANKS, DANNY. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. IT IS 1:58 PM ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. GOOD AFTERNOON. IT IS 1:59 PM ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2022. I AM NOT MARIEL VESTA TURNER. AND I AM NOT 68 YEARS OLD, BUT I AM DAVE MARTIN, 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. CHAIR NE NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN FOR A PROCLAMATION CELEBRATING NATIONAL FALLS PREVENTION AWARENESS DAY. THANK YOU MAYOR POTE, AND THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU KNOW, WE'RE BOTH GETTING UP THERE. YES, WE'RE BOTH GETTING UP THERE. I HAVE A BIG BIRTHDAY NEXT WEEK, AND, UM, WE MIGHT FALL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A NATURAL OCCURRENCE WHEN YOU GET OLDER TO FALL DOWN. AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THANKS TO MY GOOD FRIEND HERE. BILL CASE AND I DO THIS EVERY YEAR. WE HAVE A FALSE PREVENTION AWARENESS DAY. WE USUALLY DO THIS PROCLAMATION IN ADVANCE OF THE EVENT, BUT WE HAD IT LAST THURSDAY, UM, SEPTEMBER 22ND IN COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS DISTRICT IN DENVER HARBOR. WE HAD OVER A HUNDRED SENIORS THERE. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN PULLING THIS OFF. WE ALSO GOT TO BE ON HOUSTON LIFE TV SHOW. IT WAS VERY EXCITING TO TALK ABOUT FALLS PREVENTION. SO I HOPE WE PREVENTED DEVASTATING FALLS BY SOME SENIOR OUT THERE WITH ALL THE GOOD INFORMATION THAT WAS GIVEN SO QUICKLY, I'LL RUN THROUGH IT. WHEREAS FALLS PREVENTION AWARENESS DAY WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2008 BY THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING ON THE FIRST DAY OF FALL, GET IT FIRST DAY OF FALL, FALL AS A NATIONAL EFFORT TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND SUPPORT AND EXPAND INTERVENTIONS THAT HELP OLDER ADULTS FIGHT BACK AGAINST FALLS. THE NUMBER OF STATES OBSERVING FALLS PREVENTION AWARENESS DAY GREW FROM 11 IN 2008 TO 48 IN 2015. I DON'T KNOW WHO THOSE TWO OTHER STATES ARE. WHEREAS FALLS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF BOTH FATAL AND NON-FATAL INJURIES AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ONE FOURTH OF PEOPLE 65 AND OLDER, UM, WILL FALL EACH YEAR, EVERY 11 SECONDS. AN OLDER ADULT IS TREATED IN AN EMERGENCY ROOM FOR A FALL. AND WHEREAS FALLS CAN LEAD TO DEPRESSION, LOSS OF MOBILITY, AND LOSS OF FUNCTIONAL INDEPENDENCE, THE FINANCIAL TOLL FOR OLDER ADULT FALLS IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE AS THE POPULATION AGES AND MAY REACH $101 BILLION NATIONALLY BY 2030. AND WHEREAS INJURIES FROM FALLS ARE A LARGELY PREVENTABLE COMMUNITY HEALTH PROBLEM, EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS REDUCE FALLS BY UTILIZING COST-EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES, SUCH AS EXERCISE PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE BALANCE AND STRENGTH, MEDICATION MANAGEMENT, VISION IMPROVEMENT, REDUCTION OF HOME HAZARDS, AND FALL PREVENTION EDUCATION. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS FALL PREVENTION AWARENESS AND ITS FOUNDER BILL CASE FOR WORKING TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THIS ISSUE, PROMOTE MULTIDISCIPLINARY STRATEGIES TO PREVENT FALLS, AND ENCOURAGE CITIZENS TO TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT THOSE WHO ARE AT INCREASED RISK OF FALLING. AND SO THEREFORE, OUR SYLVESTER TURNER MAYOR, CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2022 AS FALLS PREVENTION AWARENESS DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU AND [00:30:01] TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EFFORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YES. UH, I'M AN OLDER ADULT AS WELL, AND IT'S A STATE OF MIND, BELIEVE ME, JUST AS A STATE OF MIND. UM, I'M VERY HONORED TO ACCEPT THIS FALSE PREVENTION AWARENESS PROCLAMATION. IT WAS ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO WHEN I PRESENTED THE IDEA OF FALSE PREVENTION AWARENESS TO COUNCILMAN COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, WHO AT THE TIME WAS THE STAFFER FOR COUNCIL MEMBER STEVE COSTELLO. THE CITY OF HOUSTON AGREED THIS WOULD BE AN ASSET WHILE EXPANDING HOUSTON'S OLDER ADULTS FALLS RESOURCES TO THEIR SENIORS. THUS THE FIRST FALLS PREVENTION DAY. TODAY'S PROCLAMATION ACKNOWLEDGES THE ALARMING OLDER ADULT FALL STATISTICS, AS WELL AS THE NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN OF OLDER ADULT FALLS, WHICH AFFECTS EVERYONE, EVERY MEMBER, EVERY DAY. LAST WEEK'S FALLS PREVENTION AND AWARENESS EVENT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. IT WAS COMPLETE WITH LINE DANCING EXERCISES, FOOD DRINKS, SHOTS FOR COVID, FLU SHINGLES, AND IT INCLUDED A DIVERSITY OF MANY LOCAL SPONSORS, PARTNERS, SHARING THEIR INFORMATION AND RESOURCES WITH THE GOAL TO PREVENT FALLS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS BEEN HOSTING THE FALLS PREVENTION AWARENESS DAY OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. AND EACH YEAR THIS EVENT HAS PRODUCED AN INCREASE OF PARTICIPANTS, SPONSORS, AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, WHICH HAS BEEN FULL OF ENTHUSIASM AND GENEROSITY, MAKING THIS A VERY SPECIAL DAY. I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY COUNCIL, LOCAL SPONSORS, PARTNERS, AND THE MEDIA, HAVE BEEN A REMARKABLE ASSET FOR THIS EVENT WITH THEIR INFORMATIVE MARKETING, EDUCATIONAL INFLUENCE, AND PROMOTION OF FALSE PREVENTION. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO HELPED MAKE THIS WEEK'S LAST WEEK'S EVENT SO SUCCESSFUL. I SAY BAKER RIPLEY, A A RP, HARRIS COUNTY AREA AGENTS AGENCY ON AGING, HOUSTON METHODIST MEMORIAL, HERMAN HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATIONAL DEPARTMENT, HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND TO ALL THE LOCAL SPONSORS AND PARTNERS. ALSO, I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER MARIANNE HUFFMAN FOR ATTENDING AND SHOWING HER SUPPORT AS WELL AS STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CIRO CISNEROS AND LETICIA PLUMBER'S OFFICE. I DO HAVE A PERSONAL SHOUT OUT TODAY FOR SH FOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, NO, SALLY, UH, WHO HAS BEEN A COMMITTED SPOKESPERSON FOR FALSE PREVENTION FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, SALLY'S COMPASSION AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE OLDER ADULT IS EVIDENT AS SHE AND HER STAFF HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY WITH THE CITY AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPLETE, COMPREHENSIVE AND SUCCESSFUL FALSE PREVENTION EVENT. IRONICALLY, RECENTLY, SALLY AND I BOTH LOST A PARENT TO A FALL. BOTH FALLS WERE TRAGIC, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY WERE PREVENTABLE. I BELIEVE EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO PREVENTING FALLS. BASICALLY TO PREVENT FALLS. ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ARE THE FALL RISK FACTORS SUCH AS HAVING YOUR EYES CHECKED ANNUALLY, HAVE YOUR MEDICATIONS REVIEWED WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN, MAKING YOUR HOME SAFE WITH MODIFICATIONS AND DAILY EXERCISE. EXERCISE NOT ONLY IMPROVES YOUR STRENGTH, BALANCE, FLEXIBILITY AND POSTURE, BUT IT ALSO KEEPS YOU MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY, AND SOCIALLY ACTIVE. MY TRUE PASSION AND FOCUS IS TO KEEP ONE PERSON FROM FALLING. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE GOAL IS TO REMAIN ACTIVE AND INDEPENDENT. INDEPENDENT. SO LAST WEEK'S FALL, PREVENTION AND AWARENESS DAY WAS A HUGE SUCCESS BECAUSE THE ONE TAKEAWAY FROM EACH SPEAKER THAT WAS THERE THAT WAS THERE WAS FALLING IS NOT A NATURAL, IS NOT A NATURAL PART OF THE AGING PROCESS. IT'S PREVENTABLE. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS IN Q COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS, COUNCIL MEMBER. I WANNA THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS EVERY YEAR. UM, I WAS NOT ABLE TO GO MYSELF THIS YEAR. IT'S, IT WAS IN DENVER HARBOR IN DISTRICT AGE. UM, I HAD JURY DUTY, BUT I'M GLAD I HAD A, UM, STAFF THAT WAS ABLE TO BE THERE. I HEAR IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED, AS IT ALWAYS IS. AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN PREVENT FALLS, IF WE CAN PREVENT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE REALLY, UH, BAD OUT OUTCOMES OF FALLS, YOU KNOW, LOSING PARENTS. AND WE, WE ALL KNOW PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN CHANGED WHEN THEY'VE HAD A FALL. IT'S OFTEN, YOU KNOW, DOWN DOWNHILL FROM THERE. SO, SO THANK YOU FOR THIS, THIS WORK EVERY YEAR, AND, UM, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU AS PART OF THAT. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH. MAYOR. YOU KNOW THAT, UH, SEPTEMBER THE FIRST, 2020, I FELL AND BROKE MY LEG. PEOPLE SAY, HOW'D YOU DO THAT? I SAID, REAL FAST, . THAT'S EXACTLY HOW YOU DO IT. IT HAPPENS REAL FAST. AND AS A SENIOR WHEN I FELL, I, I, NO ONE WAS AROUND ME. I WAS OUT IN THE PARK AREA. AND I, IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET TOGETHER AND TO GET, COULDN'T FIND MY PHONE AND TO GET TO WHERE I WAS GOING. I WANNA SAY THIS TO ALL, ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE ELDERLY PARENTS, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE HANDRAILS AND, AND THINGS THEY CAN HOLD ON INTO ON THEIR, IN THEIR BATHROOM, AND MAYBE EVEN IN AROUND THE KITCHEN AREA. MM-HMM . BECAUSE IT, IT HAPPENS FAST. AND THE PEOPLE THAT THINK THEY DON'T NEED HANDRAILS, I CAN ASSURE YOU, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT REALLY NEED THEM THE WORST. AND SO, UH, I DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO, TO BE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. MY WIFE SAYS, YOU'RE WALKING SLOW [00:35:01] AND STEADY LIKE AN OLD MAN. I SAID, WELL, MAYBE THAT'S 'CAUSE I AM. BUT I APPRECIATE, UH, SALLY ALCORN. YOU HAD ME OUT WHEN WE WERE OUT AT MEMORIAL PARK A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS, UH, TO PEOPLE'S ATTENTION BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, SALLY, IT HAPPENS SO FAST AND WITHOUT WARNING. AND SO, UH, PROTECT YOURSELF. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ABEY KAMAN, THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER, I WANTED TO THANK YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEPARTMENTS MAYOR TURNER AND OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY. FAR TOO OFTEN, OUR SENIORS ARE OVERLOOKED. UH, AND YOU ARE BRINGING A SPOTLIGHT TO IT. AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, AGAIN, DOESN'T GET ENOUGH ATTENTION AND IT SHOULD. SO FROM A PREVENTATIVE PERSPECTIVE, THANK YOU FOR LOOKING OUT FOR OUR SENIORS. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. I KNOW THIS IS VERY PERSONAL TO YOU, SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND THANK YOU FOR SPONSORING. I'LL GIVE YOU THE LAST WORDS. NO THANKS EVERYBODY. IT WAS, IT'S, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT. AND, AND THANKS TO BILLY WHO REALLY, WHO REALLY GOT THIS STARTED IN HOUSTON. SO THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAYOR, YOU GET, YEAH, GET WITH THE MAYOR. THE MAYOR. IT'S THE MAYOR PROCLAMATION. NOBODY WANTS ME TO HOLD IT. MAYOR TWO THREE, DON'T FALL DOWN. WE CALL IT DON'T FALL DOWN. DAVE, THANK CARLOS CISNEROS FOR A PROCLAMATION FOR SEGUNDO BARRIO CHILDREN'S CHORUS IN CELEBRATION OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. THANK YOU. IT IS SUCH A PLEASURE TO BE INTRODUCING, UM, THE SEGUNDO BARRIO CHILDREN'S COURSE, UM, FOR AS PART OF OUR CELEBRATING, UM, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. UM, BUT I WANTED, BEFORE WE GET TO THE PROCLAMATION, I WANTED TO, TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNEW WHO, UM, JORGE GARZA IS, BECAUSE HE IS JUST GOT AN AMAZING STORY. UM, HE'S STANDING HERE WITH HIS SISTER BLANCA AND HIS PARTNER ALEX AND, UM, BLANCA SOME YEARS AGO. UM, SHE, AND, AND, AND JORGE GREW UP IN THE SECOND WARD, AND, UH, SHE CAME BACK HOME AND SHE, UM, BUILT A, A, A LITTLE COMMERCIAL BUILDING AND SHE CONVINCED HER BROTHER JORGE TO COME BACK FROM NEW YORK, WHERE HE WAS A PROFESSIONAL OPERA SINGER TO COME HOME JUST BLOCKS FROM WHERE THEY GREW UP. AND HE OPENED A MUSIC STUDIO THERE. AND NOW HE HAS DONE THIS AMAZING THING OF BEGINNING THE SEGUNDO BARRIO CHILDREN'S CHORUS. SO, WHEREAS SAO BIO CHILDREN'S CHORUS IS HOUSTON'S FIRST AND ONLY BILINGUAL CHOIR FOR CHILDREN, I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL OF IT. I'LL, I'LL PUT SOME DEFINITE HIGHLIGHTS HERE. WHEREAS SEGUND BIO, CHILDREN'S CHORUS AND ITS MEMBERS SERVE AS PROUD AMBASSADORS OF THE LATINO HISPANIC COMMUNITY. THEY CHAMPION BILINGUAL PROGRAMMING THROUGH A ROBUST SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCES AT COMMUNITY AND CITYWIDE EVENTS, WHILE RAISING AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS, CULTURE, EDUCATION, AND LATINO REPRESENTATION ACROSS ALL ARTISTIC INSTITUTIONS IN HOUSTON. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS THE SEGUNDO BIO CHILDREN'S COURSE ON ITS PASSION TO CELEBRATE THE DIVERSITY CULTURE, LANGUAGE, AND TRADITIONS OF SECOND WARD IN EAST END AND THE LATINO HISPANIC COMMUNITY, AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES ON ALL UPCOMING PERFORMANCES THERE. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2022, AS SAO BOW, YOUR CHILDREN'S CHORUS DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU NEW YORK. AND YEAH, COME ON. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST ON BEHALF AS THE FOUNDER AND ON BEHALF OF, UH, MY, MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS , UM, I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS HOW, HOW GRATEFUL, HOW PROUD WE ARE FOR THIS RECOGNITION. I WANT TO, UH, SINGLE OUT, UH, OUR, ARE SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE TO US FROM, FROM OUR INCEPTION, INCLUDING, UH, DISTRICT H UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ROS DISTRICT, DISTRICT I, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS, UH, SALLY ELKHORN, UH, UH, AT LARGE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND, UM, ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT HAVE, UH, BEEN PRESENT FOR OUR INAUGURAL CONCERT FOR, UM, SUPPORTING US, INCLUDING, UH, CHRISTINA MORALES, OUR OUR, UH, AND, AND, UH, US CON CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA AS WELL, WHO'S, WHO'S JUST BEEN THERE, UM, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AS WELL. SO, UM, [00:40:01] YOU KNOW, MY, MY COMING BACK FROM, FROM BEING AWAY WAS, WAS SPECIAL FOR ME BECAUSE, UH, IT ALLOWED ME NOT JUST TO RECONNECT WITH MY FAMILY, BUT WITH MY COMMUNITY, UM, AND IT, IT WAS JUST FELT, I FELT COMPELLED TO SHARE WHATEVER EXPERIENCES I HAD AS, AS A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, UH, TO BRING THEM HOME AND IMPART THEM AND CREATE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BENEFIT, UM, CHILDREN LIKE MYSELF GROWING UP IN, IN SECOND WARD AND IN A COMMUNITY, UH, PREDOMINANTLY, UH, OF IMMIGRANTS AND, AND BILINGUAL HOUSEHOLDS. SO, UM, AS, AS COUNCIL, UH, MEMBER CISNEROS MENTIONED, OUR MISSION IS NOT JUST ARTS EDUCATION, BUT IT IS REPRESENTATION IN THE ARTS, IN THE GREATER ARTS SCENE OF HOUSTON FOR THE CHILDREN OF SEGUNDO BARRIO AND, UH, AND, UH, EAST END. THE GREATER EAST END. SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU, UH, FOR THIS, UH, AMAZING RECOGNITION. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS. YES, THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS FOR THE RECOGNITION. UH, AND OF COURSE, CONGRATULATIONS, JORGE AND ALEX AND, UH, BLANCA. UH, AND LIKE IT WAS STATED BY THE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TO KNOW THAT YOU, Y'ALL ARE RAISING IN SECOND WARD IN THE EAST END, AND Y'ALL ARE COMING BACK AND, UH, AND MAKING THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE COMMUNITY A LOT BETTER. UH, AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THESE CHILDREN. UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, THIS PAST SUNDAY Y'ALL PERFORMED THERE AT TBH WITH THE, WITH HP D YES. UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH. SO THAT WAS REALLY GOOD. UH, THAT, THAT Y'ALL WERE OUT THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS ONE OF Y'ALL'S FIRST PERFORMANCES, UH, PERFORMANCE CORRECT. PERFORMANCE, CORRECT. THAT, THAT WAS JUST ONE OF OUR FIRST, UH, COMMUNITY EVENTS. UM, WE REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE, THE CHOIR TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY BUILDING THROUGH THE ARTS AND CULTURE. AND, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THAT. MM-HMM . UM, SO YES. AND YOU'RE BEING A LITTLE MODEST 'CAUSE YOU DID PERFORM ALSO AT THE BOTANIC GARDEN, MARY, DO YOU RECALL BACK IN OCTOBER WHEN THAT'S RIGHT, ALMA MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN REGARDS TO THE HISPANIC CULTURE ARTS CENTER. THAT'S RIGHT. AND YOU WERE THERE AND YOU PERFORMED AND, UH, GOT A BEAUTIFUL VOICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM. AND, AND CONGRATULATIONS, . THIS IS SO EXCITING. THANK YOU. S I'M A BIG FAN OF THIS GROUP, AND WENT TO, I SAW, SAW HIM AT THE BOTANIC GARDEN THAT NIGHT, AND THEN AGAIN AT YOUR CONCERT AT YOLANDA BLACK MIDDLE SCHOOL. YES. AND OH MY GOSH, THAT WAS SO GOOD. THEY'RE REALLY GOOD, YOU GUYS. THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY GOOD. AND, UH, THAT, THAT YOU'RE GIVING THESE KIDS AN OPPORTUNITY AND A CAMP TO GO TO, LIKE YOU DID THIS SUMMER AND, AND EVERY, EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING, IT'S, IT'S JUST A GREAT THING. AND WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE BACK IN HOUSTON. THANK YOU. YOU, AND IT'S BEEN GREAT TO MEET ALEX TOO. AND BLANCA, Y'ALL NEED TO EAT AT BLANCA'S CAFE, MAN. IT'S GOOD. YEAH, IT'S GOOD TOO. OKAY, THANKS. CONGRATS. THANK YOU, SALLY, AGAIN. IT'S A GREAT HONOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU FOR ABBY CAYMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO OVERCOME IN CELEBRATION OF THEIR 10TH ANNIVERSARY HIGHLIGHTING OVARIAN CANCER TEAL TALK DAY. IS IT ON? OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO BE STANDING HERE, UH, WITH RUEY SIN, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF OVERCOME, AS WELL AS BETH PATTERSON, WHO IS ONE OF MANY, UH, BRAVE AND RESILIENT SURVIVORS OF OVARIAN CANCER. IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE WITH YOU BOTH. UM, OVERCOME WAS FOUNDED IN 2012 BY RUEY AFTER HER MOTHER PASSED AWAY FROM OVARIAN OVARIAN CANCER. AND, UH, OVERCOME IS BASED IN HOUSTON, BUT HAS AN INTERNATIONAL REACH, UH, RAISING AWARENESS, ADVANCING RESEARCH, AND PROVIDING RESOURCES TO PATIENTS IN NEED. UH, THEY PARTNER WITH MANY OF OUR LEADING HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS, HOUSTON METHODIST, MD ANDERSON, MEMORIAL HERMANN. I'M GONNA MISS A BUNCH, BUT THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. UH, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH COUNCIL, UM, THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY IN 2022. SO THIS YEAR, UM, PROJECTS THAT ABOUT 19,880 WOMEN WILL RECEIVE A NEW DIAGNOSIS OF OVARIAN CANCER, AND 12,810 [00:45:01] WOMEN WILL DIE FROM IT. UH, IT ALSO, THIS TYPE OF CANCER RANKS FIFTH IN CANCER DEATHS AMONG WOMEN ACCOUNTING FOR MORE THAN ANY OTHER CANCER FOR OUR FEMALE, UH, REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS. SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO, SAVING LIVES. UH, AND WITH THAT, I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ THE PROCLAMATION. WHERE OVERCOME IS AN OVARIAN CANCER FOUNDATION WITH THE MISSION TO RAISE GLOBAL AWARENESS, FUND RESEARCH IN SEARCH OF A CURE, AND PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO UNDERSERVED OVARIAN CANCER PATIENTS IN NEED. IT WAS FOUNDED BY ZI SEN IN 2012 IN MEMORY OF HER MOTHER. THOUSANDS OF WOMEN AND FAMILIES ACROSS THE NATION HAVE BENEFITED FROM EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT, PROVIDED BY OVERCOME THEIR ABILITY TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THIS DEADLY DISEASE THAT CURRENTLY HAS NO SCREENING AVAILABLE. SEVERAL WOMEN HAVE BEEN THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE OVER CARE PATIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT OFFERS LIFESTYLE PACKAGES AND GRANTS TO OVARIAN CANCER PATIENTS IN NEED. ON SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2022, OVERCOME HOSTED TEAL TALK DAY TO HONOR ALL WOMEN DIAGNOSED WITH OVARIAN CANCER. DURING THIS AWARENESS MONTH, TEAL TALK DAY WAS CREATED TO ENGAGE A LARGER AUDIENCE IN COMING TOGETHER TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR OVARIAN CANCER BY TALKING TO THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS IN HOSTING EVENTS, FURTHERING THE ALTRUISTIC MOVEMENT OF GOODWILL AND SAVING LIVES THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS OVERCOME, AND ALL OTHERS INVOLVED IN THIS EFFORT TO SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT OVARIAN CANCER AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR SUCCESSFUL OBSERVANCE OF OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIMED SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2022 AS OVER COME TILL TALK DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. SI CAME IN AND, UH, MAYOR TURNER, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UM, FOR GIVING US THIS PLATFORM TO TALK ABOUT OVARIAN CANCER. AS SHE ALREADY MENTIONED, IT'S THE, UH, DEADLIEST OF ALL GYNECOLOGIC CANCERS, YET IT HAS NO SCREENING. SO IN THE ABSENCE OF A TEST, AWARENESS IS OUR BEST BET, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO AS AN ORGANIZATION TO RAISE GLOBAL AWARENESS OF OVARIAN CANCER AND ALSO HELP OUR WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH OUR, UM, PACKAGES, OUR, OUR PROGRAMS THAT WE DO. SO WE ALL URGE YOU TO GIVE THIS SILENT DISEASE. IT'S CALLED A SILENT DISEASE BECAUSE THE SYMPTOMS ARE VAGUE AND NONSPECIFIC. SO WE CAME UP WITH, UH, THIS, THIS CARD, WHICH IS THE SYMPTOM CARD. IT'S CALLED BEACH. SO EVERYONE LOVES BEACH, RIGHT? SO WE CAME UP WITH THIS ACRONYM, WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE FIVE TOP SYMPTOMS OF OVARIAN CANCER. AND I'M HAPPY TO, UH, SHARE A FEW WITH YOU SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT THESE SYMPTOMS ARE SO YOU CAN, UH, MAKE OTHERS AWARE. UM, AND, UH, THIS WAY WE CAN TOGETHER COME TOGETHER TO RAISE AWARENESS ON THIS DEADLY DISEASE. AND SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE VOICE. THANK YOU FOR GIVING YOUR VOICE TO THIS SILENT DISEASE THAT IS OVARIAN CANCER. AND MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUALLY SUPPORTING US OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEARS, AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS DAY SO SPECIAL ON YOUR SPECIAL DAY. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND ALSO, WE ARE CELEBRATING 10 YEARS THIS YEAR OF OVERCOMING, AND SO IS OUR SURVIVOR, BETH, SHE IS ON OUR LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, AND SHE IS, SHE IS CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF OVERCOMING FROM OVARIAN CANCER. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. AND CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU. THANK YOU, MR. TURNER, FOR A PROCLAMATION TO DOSE RECIPIENTS OF THIS YEAR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARDS. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR PRO, TIM, VICE PRESIDENT TIM, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND EVERY SINGLE YEAR, WE LOOK FORWARD TO [00:50:01] THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. UH, THIS IS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, AND THESE ARE HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARD, UH, RECIPIENTS. UH, THERE ARE SIX, SIX OF THEM, SIX OR SEVEN. SO I THINK ONE CATEGORY. THERE ARE TWO. AND, UH, SO WE, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF SIX, BUT ONLY TWO TODAY. ONLY TWO, YEAH, TWO TODAY. AND, UH, THESE TWO WE WANNA GIVE US VERY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO. AND, UH, CERTAINLY I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ROLAND GARCIA AND THEN LE PULLMAN, WHO ARE THE CO-CHAIRS OF THE MAYOR HISPANIC COMMITTEE, ADVISORY BOARD. SO TODAY WE'RE GONNA BE PRESENTING, THE FIRST ONE WILL BE JOSE LONGORIA, AND THIS IS IN THE AREA OF THE ARTS, ARTS IN THE COMMUNITY. SO, THANK AND LEMME TELL YOU, UM, AS I READ, READ THROUGH, UM, THE, UH, I GUESS YOU CAN SAY THE FINALISTS IN THIS CATEGORY, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST SOME OUTSTANDING, EXCEPTIONAL, UH, PERSONS IN EACH ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES, SO YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG. UM, AND THE FACT THAT, UM, UM, JOSE, YOU KNOW, HAS THIS OUTFIT THAT SAYS, UH, ON IT DIDN'T PREJUDICE ME AT ALL, UH, BUT, UH, THE MARIACHI GROUP IS JUST TERRIFIC. SO LEMME GO. JOSE LONGORIA IS THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2022 MAYOR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE ARTS AND THE COMMUNITY AWARD. AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE MARIACHI PUMAS, MR. LONGORIA BRINGS TRADITION AND PASSION INTO THE DEVELOPMENT AND CULTIVATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON MARIACHI PROGRAM, BORN AND RAISED IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. LONGORIA IS A THIRD GENERATION MARIACHI WHO HAS BEEN PERFORMING SINCE THE AGE OF SEVEN. HIS FATHER, ADRIAN LONGORIA, IMMIGRATED TO HOUSTON IN THE EARLY 1970S, SEVENTIES, MAKING A LIVING AS A BUTCHER CONSTRUCTION WORKER IN MARIACHI. IN THE 1980S, ADRIAN LONGORIA FOUNDED MARIACHI IMPERIAL, AN INCREDIBLY TALENTED BAND. AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL, JOSE LONGORIA INHERITED THE BAND AND MARIACHI IMPERIAL WENT ON TO PERFORM AROUND THE WORLD. MARIACHI IMPERIAL RECENTLY FINISHED RECORDING THEIR FOURTH ALBUM. LONGORIA CONTINUES TO HONOR HIS FAMILY'S HERITAGE BY BEING THE PROUD PARENT OF A FOURTH GENERATION MARIACHI, AS WELL AS BRINGING THE PEDAGOGY OF MARIACHI MUSIC TO OUR SCHOOL'S CLASSROOMS. LONGORIA HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO BECOME A MUSIC TEACHER. AFTER EARNING HIS BACHELOR'S IN EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON DOWNTOWN, HE BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A MATHEMATICS TEACHER AT PATRICK HENRY MIDDLE SCHOOL. WHILE BEING ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION AND COUNSELING THROUGH THE ARTS MECCA DURING HIS FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING, IT WAS QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT LONGORIA WAS THE MARIACHI. HE WAS SOON APPROACHED BY THE DISTRICT WITH THE IDEA TO CURATE THE FIRST MARIACHI PROGRAM WITHIN PATRICK HENRY MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND UR MET WITH THE PRINCIPAL TO START THE PROCESS ENROLLMENT IN UR MARIACHI PROGRAM BALLOON. AND HE BEGAN TO WORK WITH SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL TO CREATE A MARIACHI PROGRAM THERE. TODAY, JOSE LONGORIA LEADS THE MARIACHI BAND AT BOTH CAMPUSES WITH ENROLLMENT REACHING OVER 240 STUDENTS. LONGORIA IS GRATEFUL FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SUPPORT IN PROVIDING VALUABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS, MUSICIANS. ADDITIONALLY, HE RELISHES HIS OWN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THE EDUCATION OF HIS STUDENTS WHO REPRESENT THIS EXEMPLARY INSTITUTION. LONGORIA TAKES PRIDE IN THE PUMA AND ACKNOWLEDGES HOW FORTUNATE HE IS TO COMPOSE RIGHT MUSIC AND PASS HIS EXPERTISE, EXPERTISE ON TO HIS TALENTED STUDENTS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMANDS JOSE, UH, JOSE LONGORIA, FOR HIS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS IN, IN PRESERVING LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE AND HISTORY, WHICH TRULY CAPTURES HIS UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THE LATIN COMMUNITY LOCALLY AND BEYOND, AND IS TRULY INSPIRING. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TERM MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY HONOR JOSE LONGORIA WITH THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC CHARACTERS ARTS AND COMMUNITY AWARD, AND PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2022, AS JOSE LONGORIA DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO EVERYONE PRESENT TODAY. UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, CHRISTINA MORALES FOR HER NOMINATION AND ALWAYS, UH, UH, CITY COUNCILMAN. UM, ALSO MR. ROBERT GALLOS. I REALLY WANT TO THANK, UM, THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS REALLY INSPIRED ME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN, IN, IN MY, WITH MY PASSION, THROUGH MY PASSION OF MARIACHI. UM, SO THE 21 YEARS THAT I SERVED AT SAM HOUSTON AND PATRICK HENRY MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHERE OUR, OUR, SOME, SOME OF THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE, THAT WAS MY SECOND HOME. [00:55:01] UM, AND I WANT TO THANK THE, THE LEADERS OF, UH, THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITIES, ALL OF THE STUDENTS THAT REALLY, UH, JUST MADE THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT THE PERSON I AM. UH, AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK, UH, PROBABLY THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE OF MY LIFE, WHICH IS MY IN-LAWS JUAN PATINO, HOVITA PATINO, AND MY WIFE VERONICA LONG. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND MAYOR, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT A RENDITION OF, OF A BIRTHDAY, SO I HAVE TO SING THE, THE MEXICAN MANITA. ALL RIGHT, PLEASE BEAR, PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT, UH, MY BIRTHDAY GOES THROUGH THE REST OF OCTOBER TWO . CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. AND MAYOR, WHAT A GREAT WAY TO HONOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, UH, DENOMINATION FROM OUR REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTINA MORALES, CONMAN REPRESENTATIVE IN LADA, ISD. UM, I LIKE THE IDEA A MONTH OF YOU TRAVELING WITH YOUR ENTOURAGE, AND WE GOT JOSE GOING ALONG, SINGING IT ALL THE WAY. SO, UH, THANK YOU ALL AND GREAT, GREAT JOB WITH THE SONG. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS. THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE AWARD. UM, I TEACH A CULTURAL HERITAGE COURSE, AND I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN, UM, COMMUNITIES SHIED AWAY FROM PUBLICLY DISPLAYING LANGUAGE, PUBLICLY WEARING A CULTURAL CLOTHING. AND NOW WE'RE ENTERING A TIME WHERE WE ARE AMPLIFYING THAT. AND WE'RE SEEING THAT IN THE CITY, OF COURSE, TO COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS AND THE MAYOR'S VISION AROUND THE PARADE AND ALL, AND ALL OF THE CELEBRATION. BUT YOU ARE AN EXAMPLE OF, OF TAKING YOUR GENIUS AND BRINGING IT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. YOU DIDN'T GO TO UHD LEARN EVERYTHING YOU LEARNED AND THEN YOU LEFT. YOU CAME BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND YOU SOLD IT. AND SO YOUR TREE, I'M SURE YOUR TREE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS LARGE AND WIDE OF ALL THE YOUNG MINDS THAT YOU IMPACTED. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR BEING WHO YOU ARE. AUTHENTIC. UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER HAVING PAYMENT. CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS AND CONTINUING TO LIFT UP HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. UH, IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY CONTINUES TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE THAT WE REPRESENT, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, I REALLY JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU LIKE SO MANY OTHERS HAVE FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO YOUTH AND PASSING ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS HERITAGE AND ALSO THAT GIFT THROUGH MUSIC, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S BEAUTIFUL IN AND OF ITSELF, BUT ALSO TO OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS. YOU HAVE AMAZING PEOPLE LIFTING YOU UP AS WELL, UM, THAT ARE STANDING BEFORE YOU AND BEHIND YOU. SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED WORK. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROL AND EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, UM, MAYOR FOR TIM. AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR BRINGING, UH, THIS COMMENDATION FORWARD. I SEE JUST SOME WONDERFUL PEOPLE STANDING HERE, LENORA PULLMAN, WHO I'VE KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS, AND I KNEW HER WONDERFUL HUSBAND. AND CERTAINLY WHEN WE ALWAYS HAVE THE HONORABLE, UH, CHRISTINA MORALE IS HERE, IS ALWAYS WONDERFUL. BUT ALL OF YOU PEOPLE, YOU ARE A VERY SMART MAN TO RECOGNIZE YOUR WIFE AND YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER-IN-LAW, . UM, BUT I WANNA SAY ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, MAYOR, I THINK YOU NEED TO GO AND EXCHANGE OUTFITS. UH, I THINK YOU WOULD CUT A MEAN FIGURE, UH, IN THAT, AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU AS WELL. AND THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMING. COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERTO GALLEGOS, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA CONGRATULATE THE, THE, UH, MAYOR'S HISPANIC ADVISORY BOARD AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTINA MORALES WITH THE RECOGNITION OF JOSE LONGORIA, [01:00:01] UM, HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WHEN YOU THINK OF MARIACHI MUSIC, YOU ALSO THINK OF JOSE LONGORIA, UH, BECAUSE HE'S BEEN DOING THIS, LIKE THE MAYOR HAS STATED IN THIS PROCLAMATION FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF MEETING JOSE WAY BACK WHEN, WHEN I USED TO WORK FOR FORMER COMMISSIONER SYLVIA GARCIA. AND THIS WAS BACK WHEN YOU WERE AT PATRICK HENRY. UH, AND TO SEE HIS PASSION BACK THEN, UH, AND TEACHING THE, THE, UH, STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL IN REGARDS TO THE CULTURE AND THE HISTORY OF THE MARIACHI MUSIC, UH, AND TO SEE HIM TODAY LEADING, UH, THE GROUP THERE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, UH, AND STILL INVOLVED IN THIS COMMUNITY IN REGARDS TO MARIACHI MUSIC. UH, AND ALSO IN REGARDS TO THE MEREDITH SAY THAT AS A GENERATION, I UNDERSTAND HIS SON ALSO IS PLAYING IN MARIA WITH MARIACHI MUSIC. SO, SO JUST CONTINUES AND CONTINUES. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU JOSE LONGORIA FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO, UH, IN REGARDS HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND MARIACHI MUSIC. THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS. I JUST WANTED TO, TO, UH, HAVE A CHANCE TO JUST SAY HOW IMPORTANT, UM, THE YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE LIVES YOU'VE TOUCHED OVER THE YEARS. WHERE ARE YOU? IT'S BEEN JUST SO PROFOUND. ONE OF THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE WAS MY SON, THAT WHEN HE WAS AT MECCA, UM, THE MULTICULTURAL ARTS AND EDUCATION, UM, UH, YOU WERE ONE OF THE INSTRUCTORS. AND, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT HOW, UM, HOW THAT HELPED SHAPED HIM AND THE CONFIDENCE THAT, THAT BEING ON A STAGE AS A MARIACHI, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT GIVES YOU AS A PERSON THAT HE'S CARRIED WITH HIM HIS WHOLE LIFE. HE CAN BE IN FRONT OF ANYBODY ON A, ON A BIG STAGE AND BE ABSOLUTELY COMFORTABLE. BUT THAT COMES FROM PERFORMING, YOU KNOW, AND THE, AND THE RIGOR AND THE DISCIPLINE IT TAKES TO BE A MUSICIAN. UM, DAVID PLAYED A VEELA MM-HMM. AND HE STILL LOVES MUSIC, AND THAT ALSO CAME FROM, FROM HIS, HIS, UM, CONNECTIONS TO YOU. SO I WANTED TO, TO THANK YOU AND FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOUR, YOUR LONG SERVICE. I, I VISITED, UM, UH, SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL A NUMBER OF TIMES FOR THE PERFORMANCES THERE. AND IT'S BEEN STELLAR. AND, AND I'VE HEARD YOU NOW PERFORM AT THE AS. UM, YOU'RE ON THE, THE MARIACHIS FOR UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, AND IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER. SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR HAVING SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR CITY. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOSE. THANK YOU AGAIN. AND CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO, UH, THE SECOND, UH, HISPANIC CHARACTER AWARD THAT WE ARE GIVING TODAY, OR WE'LL BE GIVING TO SOMEONE THAT ALL OF US KNOW AND HAVE LOOKED TO, PARTICIPATED WITH HER AT VARIOUS EVENTS. SHE'S AN EDUCATOR, COMMUNITY LEADER, ADVOCATE, UH, AND THAT IS NONE OTHER THAN DR. ADRIANA THOMAS. THANK YOU. LOOK, THESE, UH, THESE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONAL, UM, AWARD RECIPIENTS. AND THEY HAVE, THEY'VE, THEY'VE EARNED THE RIGHT, UH, TO BE RECOGNIZED. UH, DR. ADRIANA TEMA IS THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2022 MAYOR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE EDUCATION IN THE COMMUNITY AWARD. DR. TEMA IS A DEDICATED ADVOCATE FOR EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES. HER FAN QUOTE, , THESE ARE HER PEEPS. , NO, NO. THERE'S NO REASON TO BE SORRY. [01:05:01] THE REALITY IS, IS THAT, UH, THE WORK WE DO, WE DON'T DO IT ALONE, RIGHT? AND WE ALL HAVE OUR SUPPORT SYSTEMS, UH, AND PEOPLE THAT REALLY, WHEN WE ARE DOING THIS WORK, UH, THERE COMES EVERY MOMENT IN TIME WHEN WE NEED TO BE ENCOURAGED OURSELVES. 'CAUSE THE WORK WE DO IS NOT IT NOT EASY. UH, DR. TEMA BEGAN HER CAREER AS A BILINGUAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT MARIO GALLEGOS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. SHE THEN SERVED AS THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON'S COLLEGE OF EDUCATION. IN 2005. SHE WAS SELECTED AS THE HISD CENTRAL REGION SUPERINTENDENT, AND LATER JOINED THE REGION FOUR, THE EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER IN 2010, DR. MET TAMAZ IS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE TIHANNA CENTER FOR COMMUNITY CONCERNS AND ITS OPEN ENROLLMENT CHARTER SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE RAUL YAGAR SCHOOLS FOR SUCCESS. DR. TAMMA SERVED AS THE FIRST DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AT THE RAUL YES. GARY MIDDLE CHARTER SCHOOL FOR SUCCESS BEFORE BECOMING THE PRINCIPAL AT RUFUSS CAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND PROJECT, UH, CHRYSALIS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HISD, QUITE FRANKLY, I COULD STOP THERE , AND THAT WOULD, UH, SHE'S EARNED THE RIGHT, SHE SERVED AS A CONSULTANT AT YES, GARY SCHOOLS FOR SUCCESS, AND WORKED TO FURTHER THE DEVELOPMENT IN HOUSTON SOUTHEAST COMMUNITY IN 2017. DR. TAMEZ WAS SELECTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TCCC TO SERVE AS INTERIM PRESIDENT, CEO, AND LATER, SOON WROTE THE ROLE PERMANENTLY. SHE ALSO SERVES AS THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE RAUL YES, GARY SCHOOLS FOR SUCCESS. DR. TAMES WAS UNANIMOUSLY, UH, ELECTED TO SERVE ON THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS IN 2019. FOR HER LOVE OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY, DR. TAMEZ DECIDED TO RUN FOR OFFICE AND SERVE IN HIGHER EDUCATION TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN EARLY CHILDHOOD AND HIGHER EDUCATION. IN 2013, SHE WAS ELECTED TO SERVE ON THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD, UH, OF TRUSTEES, DISTRICT THREE, WHERE SHE HAS HELD NUMEROUS POSITIONS. DR. TAMER SERVES AS CHAIR OF THE CHANCELLOR EVALUATION COMMITTEE. DR. TAMER IS A HIGHLY RESPECTED COMMUNITY LEADER WHOSE MISSION IS TO HELP DEVELOP EDUCATION, SOCIAL HEALTH, AND COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS TO EMPOWER FAMILIES TO TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES. THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS COMMENDS DR. ADRIANA TEMAS FOR HER OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION IN THE COMMUNITY, AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS IN ALL HER ENDEAVORS. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY HONORED DR. ADRIANA MZ WITH THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE EDUCATION IN THE COMMUNITY, ABOARD AND PROCLAIMED SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2022, AS DR. ADRIANA DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS. I'M VERY EMOTIONAL BECAUSE I WISH MY DAD WAS HERE. HE'S NOT. WELL, HE'S OLDER AND I DIDN'T THINK I'D GET EMOTIONAL, BUT MY PARENTS INSTILLED IN US AT A VERY YOUNG AGE. THERE WERE FIVE OF US, FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN. MY DAD WORKED WITH HOUSTON BELT AND TERMINAL, I'LL NEVER FORGET, COME HOME. HOT, BURNED, LIGHT SKINNED, I MEAN, BURN, BURN. MY MOTHER WORKED TWO JOBS AND THEY ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT EDUCATION. THEY ALWAYS INSTILLED ABOUT GIVING BACK. AND SO WE ALL UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION, NOT NECESSARILY THE ACADEMIC ROUTE. GET TRAINING, GET A CERTIFICATION. IF YOU WANNA GO TO COLLEGE, GO TO COLLEGE. IF YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, GET A CERTIFICATION, BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE COMING HOME LIKE WE DO EVERY NIGHT. YOUR MOM WORKING TWO JOBS, ME COMING HOME TIRED, THIS WILL NOT BE WHAT I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES FOR. IT'S FOR MY FAMILY TO, TO GET AHEAD. AND SO MY ENTIRE LIFE, OVER THREE DECADES, I DON'T WANNA SAY HOW OLD I AM, HAS BEEN DEDICATED, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING I DO ALONE. YOU'RE CORRECT, MR. MAYOR. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO CONNECT THE DOTS, TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE, TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES, THEIR SKILLS, THEIR ABILITIES, SO THAT THEY TOO CAN, CAN, CAN DREAM AND, AND MAKE THOSE DREAMS A REALITY. AND SO I CONTINUE TO BE COMMITTED TO, TO DOING THAT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I WILL NOT STOP. AND SO, UH, I DO ACCEPT THIS AWARD AND I THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL TO MY STATE REPRESENTATIVE WHO NOMINATED ME. THAT ALONE TO ME MEANS THE WORLD BECAUSE I LOVE AND I ADMIRE THIS LADY. SO THANK YOU FOR THE NOMINATION AND TO THE ADVISORY, THE HISPANIC, THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC, UH, UH, HERITAGE ADVISORY BOARD. THANK YOU FOR SELECTING ME. AND I, [01:10:01] I ACCEPT THIS AWARD AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY, MY SIBLINGS, MY FRIENDS, MY PROFESSIONAL COLLEAGUES, EVERYONE, DR. CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ, UH, AND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO, UH, TOGETHER WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN, MR. MAYOR. AND MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU WITH HEALTH AND HAPPINESS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, SIR. THANK YOU. AND LEMME JUST SAY, UM, AND LEMME JUST SAY, WHILE YOU WERE SPEAKING, UH, YOUR FATHER, YOUR FATHER IS HERE IN HIS SPIRIT, IS VERY MUCH PRESENT. YEAH. , THANK YOU. AND ALL THAT HE PUT IN YOU THANK YOU. IS NOT RADIATING OUT OF YOU. THANK YOU. SO HE'S VERY MUCH PRESENT. THANK YOU. I JUST WISH THEY WERE BOTH HERE, BUT THEY'RE NOT. AND YOU'RE RIGHT. THEIR SPIRIT IS HERE. YEAH. SO THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I HAVE TO JUST SAY, I DON'T WANT TO CRY TOO, BUT MY FORMER COLLEAGUE, MY FOREVER FRIEND, I LOVE HER DEEPLY. SHE HELPED ME TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, HER PASSION FOR THE STUDENTS EVERYWHERE THAT I HAVE KNOWN HER TO BE, WHICH WAS AT HISD AS WELL. UH, SHE'S JUST A PHENOMENAL PERSON. SHE'S A DEDICATED DAUGHTER AND LOVING DAUGHTER, AND JUST A WONDERFUL FRIEND. SHE ACTUALLY BLEEDS EDUCATION AND MAYOR, YOU KNOW, SHE GREETED YOU IN SPANISH. I WAS GONNA DO IT, BUT I LET HER GO ON AND TAKE THAT. UM, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ROLES THAT SHE PLAYS IS THE MOTHER TO ADAM. AND SHE'S A PHENOMENAL MOTHER. HE HAS RIDDEN IN PARADES WITH HER, WITH HER, AND WE KNOW ABOUT THE FOFO YEAH. THAT WE RODE ON IN THE PARADE. AND SHE KEPT LISTENING TO ME TALKING ABOUT THE FOLK FO THE FA . BUT AT ANY RATE, I LOVE HER AND I HONOR HER, THE HONORABLE DR. ADRIANA TAMES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY. THANK YOU. AND JUST REALLY QUICKLY, AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, DR. TOMEZ. UM, EMOTION IS NEVER A SIGN OF WEAKNESS. IT'S A SIGN OF YOUR HEART, YOUR PASSION, AND YOUR GIFT. SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WITH US. AND MAYOR, THANK YOU. UM, AND OF COURSE, STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE NOMINATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU. STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTINA MORALES FOR THE NOMINATION AND MAYOR FOR THE RECOGNITION. UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PASSION HERE AND LOVE, UH, IN REGARDS TO HER COMMUNITY. SHE'S A PILLAR IN THE EAST END. SHE'S SOMEONE, WHEN SHE CALLS MY OFFICE, YOU CAN JUST FEEL THAT PASSION AND LOVE KNOWING THAT SHE'S WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY EVEN BETTER. UM, WITH THE TEJANO CENTER, UH, WITH PROJECT GRAD, UH, ALSO WITH NO AVIDA AS A SENIOR APARTMENTS COMPLEX THERE IN THE EAST END. UH, THESE ARE THINGS, A FEW THINGS OF MANY THINGS THAT SHE HAS BEEN DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. AND I JUST PERSONALLY WANNA THANK HER. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY BETTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU AGAIN, AND CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] [01:16:31] CHAIR. NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK FOR THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. TODAY IS THE SECOND DAY OF ROSH HASHANAH, THE JEWISH NEW YEAR IN WHICH GOD JUST INSCRIBES US IN THE BOOK OF LIFE. IN NINE DAYS, YUM, KIPPER OR THE DAY OF ATONEMENT, GOD SEALS US INTO THE BOOK OF LIFE. IT IS DURING THESE DAYS THAT WE TAKE THE TIME OF REFLECTION. HAVE I BEEN A KIND GOOD PERSON LIVING UP TO GOD'S EXPECTATIONS? IT IS ALSO A TIME FOR US TO PRAY NOT ONLY FOR OUR LIVES, BUT ALSO FOR OTHERS AS WELL. AND I PRAY FOR EACH AND EVERY MEMBER OF COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR FOR A WONDERFUL YEAR AHEAD IN SERVICE TO ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS. NEXT WEEK, RIGHT BEFORE THE BOOK OF LIFE IS SEALED, WE SAY THE ANU PRAYER. I'M SHORTENING IT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY LONG, BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE RELEVANT LINES. GOD BLESS US WITH A GOOD YEAR. PARDON AND FORGIVE ALL OUR, OUR INEQUITIES. SEND A COMPLETE HEALING TO THE SICK. INSCRIBE US IN THE BOOK OF REDEMPTION AND DELIVERANCE, INSCRIBE US IN THE BOOK OF LIVELIHOOD AND SUSTENANCE INSCRIBE US IN THE BOOK OF MERITS, INSCRIBE OF US IN THE BOOK OF PARDON AND FORGIVENESS. FILL OUR HANDS WITH YOUR BLESSINGS. FILL OUR STOREHOUSES WITH PLENTY. HAVE COMPASSION UPON US AND UPON OUR INFANTS AND CHILDREN. BE GRACIOUS TO US AND ANSWER US. FEEL CHARITABLY AND KINDLY WITH US AND DELIVER US IF YOU JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE. NEXT [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] WILL BE ROLL CALL COUNCIL MEMBERS. PLEASE PREPARE TO ANSWER THE ROLL CALL BY UNMUTING YOURSELF. IF YOU'RE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY. MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. MAYOR TURNER. COUNCILMAN PICK HECK PRESENT HERE. COUNCILMAN JACKSON? HERE. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABA? HERE, COUNCILOR MARTIN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN THOMAS? PRESENT. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN? PRESENT? COUNCILMAN CISNEROS? HERE. COUNCIL GALLEGOS. HERE. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. HERE. CONSTABLE CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCIL KNOX. HERE. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. HERE. CONSTABLE ASH. HERE. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER HERE. AND COUNCILOR ALCORN. HERE. WE NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES. CASTEX. TA MOVE. SECOND. ROBINSON. MOVE. SECOND IN FAVOR OPPOSED. MOTION GRANTED. NOW WE'LL REVIEW THE PROCEDURAL MOTIONS FOR CONDUCTING THIS HYBRID PUBLIC SESSION MEETING FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. JOIN VIRTUALLY REMEMBER TO SPEAK SLOWLY AND CLEARLY. IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE MEETING, PLEASE TYPE THAT INTO THE CHAT WINDOW AND THEN HANG UP. THIS WILL REMOVE YOU FROM THE MEETING AND GIVE US A RECORD OF WHEN YOU LEFT. STATE YOUR NAME WHEN MAKING A MOTION, SECONDING OUR TAGGING. FOR THOSE JOINING IN VIRTUALLY, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE TYPE THAT INTO THE CHAT WINDOW. THE AGENDA DIRECTOR WILL BE MONITORING THE CHAT AND WE'LL ADD YOUR NAME INTO 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 OFFICE BY 3:00 PM YESTERDAY. WE WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN THE ORDER WHEN YOU SIGNED UP, WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED. IF YOU ARE [01:20:01] HERE IN PERSON, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM. IF YOU ARE CALLING IN, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF. IF YOU ARE APPEARING ON CAMERA, CLICK ON THE MICROPHONE ICON AND THE CAMERA ICON. YOU WILL THEN HAVE EITHER ONE, TWO, OR THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. AFTER YOUR TIME, THE BELL WILL RING AND 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, WE WILL MUTE, MUTE YOU, AND IF YOU SPEAK AGAIN, WE WILL REMOVE YOU FROM THE WE MEETING. ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? CHAIR RECOGNIZES, COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO, UM, MOVE CHINA CRAIG UP TO THE, UH, TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON-AG AGENDA LIST. SO JOHN, CRAIG, UP TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE MOTION. SECOND. WE NEED A SECOND. AND SECOND. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. NEED A SECOND? SECOND MOTION. SECOND IN FAVOR OPPOSED. MOTION GRANTED. COUNCIL MEMBER ABEY CAYMAN. THANK YOU. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD ZION ESCOBAR. UM, FOLLOWING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ASH'S CHINA, UH, TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST, ZION ESCOBAR, KOSH FOLLOWING ANAYA. GREG. MOTION. AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OPPOSED? MOTION GRANTED. ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? MADAM [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER. FIRST SPEAKER. RAY JORDAN. RAY JORDAN? YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M JUST CALLING, UH, CALLING IN TALKING ABOUT 800 MIDDLE STREET AND THE, UH, PROPOSED PROJECT THAT'S BEING BUILT ACROSS THE STREET FOR ME. I ACTUALLY LIVE ON MIDDLE STREET, AND I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE, THE CONTAMINATION AND THE SOIL, THE LEAD, THE HEAVY METALS THAT STILL EXIST IN THAT, THAT SOIL ACROSS THE STREET. YOU INTEND TO PUT 400 TO 800 FAMILIES AND CHILDREN ON THAT, ON THAT LOT OF LAND. I THINK THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. I AM VERY MUCH OPPOSED TO THAT. AND THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC THAT WILL BE, UM, FUNNELED REALLY THROUGH OUR LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S A TINY LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THERE'S ABOUT 5,000. I BELIEVE THE, THE CITY SHOULD DO A TRAFFIC STUDY TO DETERMINE HOW MANY CARS WILL ACTUALLY BE FLOWING THROUGH OUR LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD. I THINK IT'S, UH, WE NEED A BETTER PLAN, UH, AND I THINK THE CITY NEEDS TO STUDY THIS ISSUE A LITTLE BIT MORE. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS. UM, HELLO. I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE YOU DID UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT A CITY OF HOUSTON PROJECT. IT'S A HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY. AND, UM, UH, SO, SO THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW. IT'S, IT'S, UM, SO, UH, LAUREN SNOWDEN IS THE, IS THE, THE BEST POINT OF CONTACT AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. UM, AND, UH, I KNOW THAT OVER TIME THERE'S BEEN, THERE, THERE'VE BEEN SOME TRAFFIC STUDIES. UM, AND, UH, THEY, THEY, THEY HAVE THAT INFORMATION. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD CONNECTION FOR YOU. UM, WE HAVE YOUR CONTACT INFO AND CAN PROVIDE THAT, UM, AND, UH, FOR YOU AND HAPPY TO DO THAT. THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, JOHN LINDER. JOHN LINDNER. NEXT SPEAKER, CHARLES MCCULLOUGH IS PRESENT TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHINA. GREG, GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CW MCCULLOUGH AND I LIVE AT FOUR 40 HARVARD STREET AND HEIGHTS WITH MY WIFE AND THREE DAUGHTERS. WANTED TO TAKE TWO MINUTES TO VOICE MY SUPPORT OF THE CHANGES HAPPENING ON 11TH STREET. MY DAUGHTERS, UH, ATTEND HAR UH, HELMS ELEMENTARY ON WEST 21ST STREET, ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILES FROM OUR HOUSE. AND EVERY MORNING WE CAN, WE RIDE OUR BIKES THERE WITH THEM. THE HEIGHTS IS A GREAT PLACE TO DO THIS. THERE ARE MANY BIKE TRAILS THAT ALLOW US TO GET THERE, INCLUDING NICHOLSON THAT TAKES US TO THE FRONT DOOR OF HELMS. HOWEVER, HAVING TAKEN THIS ROUTE DAILY NOW FOR A FEW YEARS, I CAN SAY THAT CROSSING 11TH STREET IS THE MOST TERRIFYING PART OF AN OTHERWISE PLEASANT AFTERNOON WITH MY KIDS. FOR US, THE OBSTACLES, BOTH THE SPEED OF THE CARS AND THE NUMBER OF LANES, OFTENTIMES AS WE APPROACH ONE OR TWO OF THE LANES, OF THE FOUR LANES WILL STOP WAVING US INTO THE INTERSECTION WHILE OTHER CARS AND OTHER LANES BARREL THROUGH. SO OF COURSE, WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS PROJECT FOR THE MANY YEARS NOW. IT'S BEEN PLANNING AND WE'RE EXCITED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION TO START SOON. I KNOW THERE'S SOME VOCAL OPPOSITIONS STILL EVEN AFTER THE MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENT, SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL ARE AWARE THAT MANY OTHER FOLKS SUPPORT THIS CHANGE. [01:25:01] FINALLY, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO COMMEND MR. FIELDS AND HIS TEAM AS THEY'VE MADE COUNTLESS DESIGN CHANGES IN THE NAME OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. THEIR WORK TO DATE HAS BEEN EXCEPTIONAL AND REFLECTS VERY WELL ON THE CITY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAME IN. HOLD ON, HOLD ON. MR. MCCULL, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING AS A DISTRICT C UH, RESIDENT AND YOUR FAMILY. WE'VE ACTUALLY HEARD FROM A LOT OF FAMILIES AND PARENTS FROM HELMS ELEMENTARY, UH, THAT DO USE THEIR BIKES OR WALK TO SCHOOL. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE LONGER THAN NORMAL, UH, PROCLAMATION SCHEDULE. BUT APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. THANK YOU, MR. MCCULLEN. NEXT SPEAKER, CHINA GREG, BE FOLLOWED BY ZION ESCOBAR. GOOD AFTERNOON. SCOOT TO TO YOUR, OH, I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CHYNA GREG. I'M THE OWNER OF ROOFING DESIGNS BY J-R-L-L-C, UM, A FORMER M-W-S-B-E CERTIFIED COMPANY. I COME TO YOU TODAY TO DISCUSS EGREGIOUS BEHAVIOR AND ABUSE OF POWER BY DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THIS MORNING, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED DOCUMENTS THAT I FORWARDED TO ALL OF YOU REGARDING AN IMPROPER DEVIATION PROCESS THAT OCCURRED AFFECTED MY COMPANY LAST YEAR IN 2021. IT IS VERY CLEAR BY YOU REVIEWING THOSE DOCUMENTS THAT THE M-W-S-B-E FIRM, MY FIRM, WAS WRONGED AND RAILROADED. THE OBO WAS COMPLETELY AWARE OF THE ILLEGITIMATE DEVIATION AND DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO CORRECT THE WRONGS COMMITTED BY THE HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, HCD BY ADHERING TO SECTION 15 CODE OF ORDINANCE. IT PROTECTS MW SBE, BUT ALSO PROTECTS THE PRIMES TO AVOID VIOLATING THIS CITY ORDINANCE. IF YOU REFER TO DR. MURRAY'S APPEAL RESPONSE, THE LAST SENTENCE, FIRST PARAGRAPH, UM, IT STATES, AND I QUOTE, AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, I FIND THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S MINORITY WOMEN, AND SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAMS POST AWARD REQUEST WAS NOT FOLLOWED AS A RESULT. HCDD AIRED IN ITS APPROVAL OF ROYAL AMERICANS DEVIATION REQUEST. THE OBO FAILED TO INVESTIGATE. THEY FAILED TO REVERSE THE ILLEGITIMATE DECISION AND FAILED TO SANCTION THE PRIME FOR VIOLATING M-W-S-B-E GOOD FAITH EFFORTS. THE CITY SHOULD HAVE DEESCALATED MATTERS INSTEAD OF ESCALATING THEM. THE CITY AND COMPLIANCE INVOLVEMENT CLEARLY SHOWS AN ABUSE OF POWER AND FAILURE TO ABIDE BY SECTION 15, CODE OF ORDINANCE AND THE CITY'S MWSB POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AS IT RELATE TO MW SBE. NOT ONLY IS MY FIRM CURRENTLY IN A HUGE LEGAL BATTLE, BUT ANOTHER M-W-S-B-E IS ALSO IN A LEGAL BATTLE WITH THE SAME PRIME CONTRACTOR. NOW WE HAVE TWO MW SBE IN FEDERAL COURT WITH THE SAME PRIME CONTRACTOR WHO WAS AFFORDED FAVORABLE TREATMENT BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND A PARTICULAR COMPLIANCE VENDOR. COMPLIANCE CONSULTANTS ARE HIRED TO EXPLAIN CITY AND FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS GUIDELINES, CITY ORDINANCES, AND MAKE SURE WE ALL ADHERE TO THOSE. BY NOT GUIDING US PROPERLY, A COMPLIANCE CONSULTANT CAN SERIOUSLY AFFECT THE BUSINESSES OF PRIMES AND SUBCONTRACTORS ALIKE. HONESTLY, I DO NOT THINK WE WOULD BE IN THIS LEGAL BATTLE IF THE CITY WOULD'VE FOLLOWED M-W-S-B-E PROTOCOL. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH. THANK YOU, MS. CHINA. MS. CRAIG, UH, DID YOU EVER CONTACT THE CITY TO SEE, TO GET A HEARING, UH, OR AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT YOUR SIDE TO THE CITY IN THIS MATTER? YES, I DID, AND I HAD THE YES. AND WHAT WAS NOTIFIED MANY TIMES. UM, I REQUESTED AN EMAIL AT LEAST FIVE TIMES AND I CAN PROVE THAT, AND I RECEIVED A HEARING WITH OB AND, AND TO, TO THIS DATE. HAS THE CITY EVER TAKEN ANY STEPS TO ADDRESS THE FAILURE OF THE CITY OR, UH, OR OURSELF OR, OR OUR STAFF TO FOLLOW THESE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES? ABSOLUTELY NOT. YOU CONTACTED ME OVER A YEAR AND A HALF AGO IN REFERENCE TO, UH, SOME, UH, DISCRIMINATION, SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION AND SOME THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON AT A JOB SITE. WAS THIS THE PRIME THAT THAT WAS, THAT, THAT WAS ON THAT OVER THAT JOB? NO, SIR. THIS WAS ACTUALLY A DIFFERENT PRIME, BUT ANOTHER HARVEY CITY RELATED PROJECT. SO, UM, OUT OF THREE PROJECTS THAT I'VE BEEN ON, TWO PROJECTS I'VE HAD TO RETAIN ATTORNEYS. SO AS [01:30:01] AN M-W-S-B-E IS, IS REALLY, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S REALLY TO AN ADVANTAGE OF A LOT OF PEOPLE. WELL, TO THIS DATE, UH, HAS THE CITY TAKEN ANY STEPS THAT YOU KNOW OF TO ADDRESS THE PRIME CONTRACTORS' FAILURE TO FOLLOW, UH, THE CITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES? NO, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE. UM, MS. GREG? YES, SIR. YOU, YOU HAVE BEEN, UM, PUTTING FORTH THE TERM ABUSE OF POWER. YES. CAN YOU ELABORATE? WELL, THE ABUSE OF POWER THAT I FEEL THAT HAS OCCURRED, FOR INSTANCE, CRYSTAL BOYS WORKS IN COMPLIANCE, CONTRACT COMPLIANCE WITH HCD. HOWEVER, UM, A COMPANY CALLED HILL DAY SUBMITTED A DEVIATION REQUEST TO HER AND SHE APPROVED IT. I HAVE REVIEWED OTHER DEVIATION REQUESTS, AND THAT'S A JOB THAT THE OBO USUALLY HANDLES, BUT CRYSTAL BOY DID THIS, NEVER AT ANY TIME DID MY COMPANY EVEN WAS RECEIVED A NOTICE OF A DEVIATION. THAT'S, THAT'S THE ATROCITY OF THIS MATTER. I WASN'T EVEN NOTIFIED. MY COMPANY WASN'T NOTIFIED. NONE OF US WAS NOTIFIED. THE CITY NEVER SENT US ONE DOCUMENT SAYING THIS WAS GOING ON. EVERYTHING WAS BEHIND OUR BACK. AND THE, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT YOU JUST READ FROM THAT FIRST PARAGRAPH, IS THAT BASED ON AN APPEAL PROCESS, DID YOU APPEAL THE DEVIATION? YES. AND THAT WAS THE NOTICE THAT YOU RECEIVED BACK? YES, FROM THE OBO. OKAY. AND DID YOU, UH, SEEK FOR INDEPENDENT, UH, REVIEW THROUGH THE CONTRACT COMPLIANCE COMMISSION? UH, NO, BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW THE PROCESS, UM, AT ALL. EVERYTHING WAS DONE BEHIND OUR BACK, AND MS. MARSHA MURRAY DID NOT INFORM ME OF OUR RIGHTS. UM, IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY COMPLICATED SITUATION BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE AND WE WERE NOT EVEN AWARE WE WERE TERMINATED FROM THE JOB WITHOUT CAUSE AND THEN THEY FILED THE DEVIATION PAPERWORK BEHIND OUR BACK. SO EVERYTHING WAS DONE COMPLETELY BACKWARDS. OKAY. I'LL, I'LL, MY OFFICE WILL LOOK INTO IT AND WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KASH. MAYOR. I'VE KNOWN MISS GREG FOR ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS NOW, AND I, I FIND HER TO BE A, A CREDIBLE PERSON. I, I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT, THAT PERHAPS THIS ISN'T WORKING. ARE YOU IN FEDERAL COURT RIGHT NOW OVER THESE ISSUES? YES, SIR. I'VE BEEN IN FEDERAL COURT FOR OVER A YEAR. A LOT OF MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT AND WE'RE STILL SPENDING MONEY. MY SURETY COMPANY IS SPENDING MONEY, MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS SPENDING MONEY. UH, IT'S A LOT. THERE'S BEEN PROBABLY OVER $250,000 IN LEGAL FEES THAT HAVE BEEN EXERTED IN OVER A YEAR. WELL, I'M VERY SORRY THAT THAT'S HAPPENING. I, I WISH THERE WAS A BETTER WAY. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. DIANE ESCOBAR? YES, I'M HERE. CAN YOU HEAR ME CLEARLY? YES. CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. WONDERFUL. UM, MY NAME IS ZION ESCOBAR AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON FRIEDMANS TALENT CONSERVANCY, AND WE ARE LOCATED WITHIN DISTRICT C AS YOU KNOW. UM, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK DURING THIS, UH, PORTION OF THE AGENDA. AND I, I SIMPLY WANT TO REITERATE A PREVIOUS REQUEST AND A SET OF STATEMENTS THAT MYSELF AND, UM, A HALF A DOZEN OR MORE OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM FRIEDMANS TOWN SPOKE UP ABOUT, ABOUT THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS. WE'D LIKE TO REITERATE OUR SUPPORT FOR REMAINING IN DISTRICT C, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. WE'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU ALL, UM, UH, OF THE VALUE OF THE STORY, UM, THAT WE ARE SHARING ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND TO REMIND YOU ALL ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH COUNCIL AND, AND HOW PRODUCTIVE THINGS CAN BE. WE WANNA RE REITERATE OUR SUPPORT FOR THE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT ABBY CAYMAN HAS BEEN PROVIDING TO FRIEDMANS TOWN AND ALL OF HER CONSTITUENTS THERE, AND WOULD LIKE TO REMAIN IN DISTRICT C. I'LL TAKE, UM, I'LL, I'LL TAKE, I'LL, I'LL GET BACK THE REST OF MY TIME, BUT I, I WANTED TO STRONGLY REITERATE THAT I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF DECISIONS TO BE MADE. WE'VE DONE OUR RESEARCH, WE'VE LOOKED AT THE MAPS, AND I AGAIN, REQUEST THAT, THAT YOU ALL HELP US IN FINDING OTHER LOCATIONS TO, TO SHIFT, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, AND THAT YOU ALLOW OUR PRECINCT TO STAY INTACT AND REMAIN IN DISTRICT C. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND ZION, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR [01:35:01] SPEAKING AND TAKING THE TIME, UM, AS WELL AS FOR ALL YOU ARE DOING, UH, THROUGH THE CONSERVANCY AND THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS IN THE AREA. UM, AS I'VE SAID, I'LL CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN, UH, TO FIND A SOLUTION, UM, AND LISTEN TO THE REQUESTS OF CONSTITUENTS IN THE AREA THAT HAVE COME FORWARD. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT, NEXT SPEAKER. THAT FAR TO HEAR, S TO BE FOLLOWED BY SHAHEED AL. WOW. GOOD AFTERNOON. WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT SIX DECADES, LATE AGO THAT I, WHO WAS BORN IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN IN AN URDU SPEAKING FAMILY, WOULD BE STANDING HERE AS A PROUD HOUSTONIAN, AS AN APPOINTED OFFICIAL SHOWCASING URDU LANGUAGE AS WE CELEBRATE URDU DAY TODAY IN HOUSTON. MAYOR, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR TURNER ESTEEM, MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL APPOINTED OFFICIALS HONORED GUEST. IT'S MY HONOR TO OUTLINE A SUBJECT MATTER THAT I WILL BE FOLLOWED BY OTHER SPEAKERS. THE WORD DU COMES FROM TURKIC MONGO LANGUAGES AND MEANS THE LANGUAGE OF THE CAMPS SUB CONTINENTAL IN GENERAL AND NORTHERN AREAS OF THE SUBCONTINENT, WHICH IS NOW PAKISTAN. AND INDIA IN PARTICULAR, IS STRETCHING FROM KABUL TO RANGOON WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST MELTING PARTS ON THIS EARTH. MELTING CULTURES, LANGUAGES, RELIGIONS, AND ETHNICITIES. URDU EVOLVED AT THE CORE OF THIS REGION IN DELHI AND AGRA IN NORTHERN INDIA, PART OF INDIA NOW AND LAHORE, PAKISTAN WITH THE PARTITION OF INDIA AND MASS MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE. MY BIRTHPLACE, THE CITY OF KARACHI, EMERGED AS THE NEW HOME AND CENTER OF URDU LANGUAGE. PAKISTAN ADOPTED URDU AS ITS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE. HOWEVER, URDU HAS PATRONAGE ALL OVER THE SUBCONTINENT WITH INDIA RECOGNIZING THIS LANGUAGE AS ONE OF ITS OFFICIAL LANGUAGES. THE POETRY OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN, THE TRADITIONS OF THE REGION AND ABOVE ALL THE MOVIES THAT YOU ALL SEE OF MADE IN BOLLYWOOD OR THE TV SERIES THAT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WATCH EVERY NIGHT MADE MADEN, INDIAN AND PAKISTAN HAVE DU WRITTEN ALL OVER THEM. IT IS THE UNIVERSALITY OF DU THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE AMONG OTHER LANGUAGES. IT'S SCRIPT IS ARABIC, IT'S FOUND FOUNDATION IS INDO-EUROPEAN PERSIAN LANGUAGE, BUT IT'S DNA IS TURKIC MONGOL. BUT IT IS SPOKEN IN A VERY SEAMLESS AND INTERCHANGEABLE MANNER THROUGHOUT THE SUBCONTINENT WITH INDIAN HINDI AND HINDUSTANI. URDU IS THE MOST PREVALENT LANGUAGE ON THE STREET, AND IT'S WIDELY UNDERSTOOD MORE THAN ANY OTHER LANGUAGE, EXCEPT FOR ENGLISH AND CHINESE. FROM NEPAL TO SRI LANKA, FROM KARACHI TO TIBA, FROM KABUL TO RANGOON. IT IS THE LINGUA FRANCA OF SOUTH ASIA. HOWEVER, MIGRATION FROM THE SUBCONTINENT RESULTED IN UK BEING THE NEW HUB OF THE URDU LANGUAGE IN THE WESTERN WORLD. MAYOR, THE MOTHER, TONGUE OF THE MAYOR OF LONDON, WHO WE MET IN OUR OFFICIAL TRIP. SAUDI KHAN IS URDU WITH THE IMMIGRATION TO MIDDLE EAST, DUBAI, AND GULF STATES SOON EMERGED AS THE HOME OF DU AND NOW YOU CAN FIND DU PREVALENT ON THE STREETS OF DUBAI, DOHA AND JHA US AS THE MOST. YEAH, TIME HAS EXPIRED. UH, I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER MINUTE AS THAT. UH, US AS A MELTING POT IS ACTUALLY NOW LEADING THE WAY WITH HOUSTON AT THE CENTER OF BEING THE ADVOCATE OF URDU MAYOR HERE TODAY. WE HAVE ACADEMIA FROM NEW YORK UNIVERSITY. WE HAVE ACADEMIA FROM UT WE HAD THE COUNCIL GENERAL OF PAKISTAN. WE HAVE TEACHERS, WE HAVE EMPLOYEES, AND ABOVE ALL, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO PASSIONATELY BELIEVE IN URDU. WHY IS URDU IMPORTANT FOR HOUSTON? BECAUSE URDU IS ONE LANGUAGE THAT CAN TRANSCEND VARIOUS ETHNICITIES. IF OUR EMS, IF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, IF OUR CITY SERVICES ARE MORE, UH, IN TOUCH WITH OU, THEY CAN REACH OUT TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THIS COUNTRY AND ESPECIALLY IN HOUSTON. UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE THREE DEPARTMENT MAYORS UNDER YOU, THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, THE OFFICE OF THE NEW AMERICANS, AND THE OFFICE OF TRADE AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FOR TAKING PART IN THIS CELEBRATION. I THANK MR. ANDY IKIN. AND ALSO, UH, I WANT TO THANK LAST, BUT NOT THE LEAST, COUNCIL MEMBER, DAVID ROBINSON, WHO ACTUALLY STEPPED FORWARD AND SAID THAT HE WILL HELP US WITH CELEBRATION OF THIS DAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL [01:40:01] MEMBER ROBINSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, FOR BRINGING ATTENTION TO THIS IMPORTANT DAY. UH, FOR THE CONS GENERAL FOR BEING HERE, UH, URDU DAY IS IMPORTANT IN ALL THE WAYS THAT YOU HAVE SPOKEN. UM, THE DIVERSITY OF THIS CITY WOULD NOT BE NEARLY WHAT IT IS WITHOUT PEOPLE OF PAKISTANI DESCENT AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN. AS YOU'VE EXPLAINED, UH, YOUR EXPLANATION REALLY DOES GO A LONG WAY TO UNDERSTAND AND HELP US, UH, TO BE WITH YOU IN, IN BEING, UH, UH, COGNIZANT OF THE IMPORTANCE, UH, THAT URDU SERVES IN THIS GREAT CITY. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, COMMISSIONER, BEFORE WE GET TO THE OTHER SPEAKERS. HOW DO YOU SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAYOR IN URDU? MAYOR SAL MUBARAK, UH, AGAIN, SALGAR AND MUBARAK COMBINED WORDS FROM SO MANY LANGUAGES. URDU IS REALLY A MELTING POT OF SO MANY LANGUAGES. MAYOR SAL MUBARAK. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, I'M SORRY, ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN MAYOR CAME. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF SPEAKERS THAT ARE GONNA SPEAK TO THIS, BUT THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE AWARENESS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DAY. UM, YOU SPOKE ABOUT, UM, YOUR TIES TO PAKISTAN, AND, UH, I ALSO WANTED TO EXPRESS, UH, MAYOR, AS YOU HAVE DONE THROUGH YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, OUR, NOT ONLY CONDOLENCES, BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING ATTENTION ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PAKISTAN WITH THE FLOODS, WITH, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN THAT ARE SUFFERING ESPECIALLY, BUT THE, IT'S A LONG, IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG HAUL WITH THE CROPS THAT ARE DYING. SO AS IT, THE LANGUAGE IS A MELTING POT, HOUSTON IS A MELTING POT. AND I KNOW THAT TOGETHER WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP ATTENTION ON ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE IN NEED RIGHT NOW. BUT THANK YOU FOR, UH, TALKING ABOUT THIS IN THE BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE THAT URDU IS, UH, PAKISTAN AND URDU ARE TIED TOGETHER, BUT URDU IS BEYOND PAKISTAN. URDU IS A LANGUAGE THAT IS UNDERSTOOD IN SEVERAL PLACES. AND TALKING OF FLOODS, I REALLY APPRECIATE CITY OF HOUSTON STEPPING UP. UH, PAKISTAN IS AT THE FRONTLINE OF CLIMATE CHANGE. WHAT IS HAPPENING IN PAKISTAN WILL HAPPEN EVERYWHERE ELSE. PAKISTAN HAS THE MOST AMOUNT OF ICE OUTSIDE ANY COUNTRY IN THE, SO, IN THE POLAR REGIONS. SO, UM, I WISH THAT WE CAN ALL DO SOMETHING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND PAKISTAN IS THE ONE THAT'S PAYING THE PRICE. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MENTIONING THAT. DANIEL ONE, COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MR. TAHIR, GREAT TO SEE YOU AS ALWAYS. THANK YOU. UM, I WANNA JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR OVERALL LEADERSHIP, NOT ONLY IN, UH, CELEBRATING THIS DAY, BUT IN YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS IN VARIOUS AREAS AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. BEING ABLE TO BRING FORTH URDU IS, AM I SAYING IT CORRECTLY? YES. UM, IT, IT GOES A LONG WAY IN HELPING US, UH, STAY A VERY WELCOMING CITY AND HIGHLIGHTS OUR CULTURAL DIVERSITY. AND SO YOU'VE GONE A LONG WAYS IN DOING THAT AND REPRESENTING YOUR COMMUNITY, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD AND DOING THIS AS WELL. AND SIDE NOTE, I'VE BEEN KNOWING MR. TAHIR SINCE, UH, LAW SCHOOL, ONE L YEAR OF, UH, THURGOOD MARSHALL SCHOOL OF LAW. SO ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN WITHOUT A PLATFORM IN THIS ARTS COUNCIL CAME FORWARD AND, AND CONVINCED ME THAT THEY'RE CAPABLE OF TAKING ON THIS HUMONGOUS TASK OF ADVOCACY OF DU AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR TURNER. UM, THANK YOU FOR THE LESSON AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY. AND I REMEMBER DURING, UM, EARLY COVID RESPONSE, AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE PEAK OF OUR RENT RELIEF PROGRAM, IT WAS IMPERATIVE THAT WE HAD MATERIALS IN URDU. IT WAS IMPAIRED. IT WAS VERY CRITICAL, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD TRANSLATORS AVAILABLE. EVEN OUR CENSUS MATERIALS, MAYOR TURNER, I BELIEVE OUR CENSUS MATERIALS, WE, THEY WERE ALSO AN URDU, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY COMMUNITY WAS COUNTED. AND WE HAD VOLUNTEERS THAT SPOKE THE LANGUAGE AND, AND WE HAD SUCH A LARGE RESPONSE FROM THAT COMMUNITY THAT WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND RECEIVE RENT RELIEF. AND I BELIEVE THAT IF WE DID NOT HAVE THE PARTICIPATION, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCESS, UM, VERY CRITICAL FUNDS TO KEEP THEM AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE HOME. AND SO, JUST THANK YOU FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY THAT SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE AND MAKING SURE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THAT WE, UM, PRODUCE OUT OF THE CITY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, BY THE WAY, DU IS NOW OFFICIALLY ON THE BALLOT PAPER IN HARRIS COUNTY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL ROS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, ZAS, GOOD TO SEE YOU. UM, YOU KNOW, EARLIER TODAY, I, I MENTIONED MY SON, UH, WHO WAS A MARIACHI STUDENT OF JOSE LONGORIA, WHO, UM, WAS HONORED WITH THE PROCLAMATION. THAT SAME SON MARRIED A GIRL WHOSE FAMILY'S FROM PAKISTAN, AND THEY, THEY ALL SPEAK URDU AND, AND, [01:45:01] UM, AND, UH, THAT THEIR LIFE NOW IS HERE. YOU KNOW, MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, HER FATHER HAS JUST RETIRED FROM LOS ANGELES AND RELOCATED TO THE HOUSTON AREA. HER SISTER HAS COME. UM, AND SO I'M LEARNING ABOUT URDU, BUT I LEARNED A LOT FROM YOU TODAY. AND I JUST SENT, UM, HER A TEXT MESSAGE WISHING HER HAPPY URDU DAY. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS URDU TODAY. SO THANK YOU FOR, UM, FOR EDUCATING ME. I APPRECIATE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW YOUR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW. UM, UH, WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT DU DU BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP TO PROPAGATE DU AND MAKE HOUSTON THE NEW HOME OF DU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT BAKER, NEXT SHA AL, UM, BE FOLLOWED BY PROFESSOR TAHIRA. QUI. GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE COUNCIL, MY FELLOW HOUSTONIANS. MY NAME IS SHA IKAL, AND I'M THE CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF IN ARTS COUNCIL, A NON-PROFIT 5 0 1 C3 TAX EXAM, NON-RELIGIOUS, NON-POLITICAL ORGANIZATION. UM, DU INDEED IS A GLOBAL LANGUAGE. AND I'LL JUST GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE OF A MIDDLE EASTERN GENTLEMAN WHO CAME HERE FROM MEDICAL TREATMENT. AND AFTER HIS TREATMENT, THE DOCTOR RECOMMENDED FOR HIM NOT TO TRAVEL FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. GUESS WHAT HE DID IN THOSE COUPLE OF MONTHS? HE LEARNED URDU IN HOUSTON BECAUSE ALL HIS COWORKERS IN SAUDI ARABIA SPEAK URDU. SO I JUST CAN'T SAY ENOUGH THAT, UM, HIS COURSE OF MULTICULTURAL MARRIAGES, JUST AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, HAVE, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT UP THE URDU CONVERSATION IN, IN THERE. BUT MOST OF THESE, UH, MULTICULTURAL COUPLES ALSO LEARN URDU TO UNDERSTAND SUFISM. AND SUFISM IS ONE OF THAT, UH, AREA THAT IS WIDELY AVAILABLE IN URDU LANGUAGE RESPECT TO COUNCIL MEMBER. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A COUPLE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HERE TODAY. MR. RAY ROMERO. HE'S A SPANISH, UH, PROFESSOR FROM UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN DOWNTOWN, BUT ALSO KNOWS URDU, HINDI AND MANY OTHER LANGUAGES. AND ALONG WITH HIM ALSO, MR. BENJAMIN SIMINGTON, WHO IS LEARNING, LEARNING URDU TO, UH, TO CONNECT HIMSELF WITH A COMMUNITY OF AFRICANS WHO MOVED TO INDIA AND PAKISTAN BACK IN THE DAYS. THE SECOND PART OF MY TALK TODAY WOULD BE BRINGING THE ATTENTION TOWARDS A SMALL, BUT A MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION BY UNDER ARTS COUNCIL TO CITY OF HOUSTON. AND SINCE 2014, WE HAVE BROUGHT MORE THAN $700,000 FROM FEDERAL, STATE, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, EMPLOYING TEACHERS, BENEFITING STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES AT LARGE, ALL PARTS OF HOUSTON, ALL GREATER HOUSTON AREA. WE ARE ALSO RECIPIENT OF THE HOUSTON ART ALLIANCE INCUBATOR PROGRAM, AND WE WERE ALSO, UH, VERY BLESSED TO RECEIVE A GRANT TO DO A TRUCK ART EXHIBITION IN 2019 PRE PANDEMIC. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, THROUGH OUR INCLUSION IN THE FEDERALLY FUNDED STAR TREK PROGRAM BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, WE HAVE REPRESENTED HOUSTON AMONG THE BEST OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE INSTITUTIONS ALL OVER THE US AND WHEREVER WE GO, WE TAKE HOUSTON WITH US. LASTLY, BUT NOT LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, OUR LATEST COLLABORATION WITH GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES. WHAT WITH WAS WITH DISTRICT ATTORNEY BRIAN MIDDLETON, UH, HIM AND I, WE WORKED ON A SUMMER CAMP FOR DU AND TRUCK ART, AND WE HAD 65 KIDS AND 12 STAFF MEMBERS FROM ALL ETHNICITIES AND BACKGROUNDS. VERY PHENOMENAL SUCCESS ON THAT. SO A DECADE AGO WE STARTED WITH A ONE CLASS AT ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF GREATER HOUSTON BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. ONE, ONE SECOND. TOM HAS VICE VICE MAYOR PRO TIM CASTEK, TATUM SHA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING FORWARD TODAY AND, UH, FOR ALL THAT INFORMATION. UM, I, I HEAR YOU WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE A RECIPIENT OF THE HOUSTON, UM, ARTS ALLIANCE GRANT. UM, AND THAT MADE ME HAPPY BECAUSE WE HAVE AT AS A COUNCIL BEEN, UM, TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THOSE GRANTS ARE DIVERSIFIED AND THAT ARE, THOSE GRANTS ARE GOING TO DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE A DISTRICT, A RESIDENT, AS IS A COUPLE OF OTHER OF THE SPEAKERS TODAY. SO I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND LET YOU KNOW THAT ENGAGEMENT IS A TWO-WAY STREET AND YOU HAVE DEFINITELY, UM, BEEN ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY, HAS ENGAGED YOU BACK. UM, SO BEST WISHES TO YOU AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO, UM, TO HELP FURTHER THE CAUSE IN THE DISTRICT K OFFICE, DO NOT HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO US. AND I MAY HAVE ANOTHER MINUTE IF YOU WANNA FINISH YOUR COMMENT. YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I THINK YOUR OFFICE WILL BE THE NEXT STOP NEXT WEEK, . SO, UM, JUST FINISHING THAT THOUGHT THAT STARTING WITH ONE CLASS WITH ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF GREATER HOUSTON 10 YEARS AGO HAS NOW RUSHED US [01:50:01] WITH, UH, PROGRAMS AT IL ACADEMY AND ART INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL. AND WITH THAT EXPERIENCE OF TEACHING AND TRAINING, WE ARE WAY MORE THAN READY TO COLLABORATE WITH GOVERNMENTAL, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AS HOUSTON IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE THE SECOND HOME OF DU LANGUAGE. THANK YOU. THANKS, SHAHEEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MAYOR. MM-HMM. SAL MUBARAK, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PROFESSOR TAHIRA NAQUI TO BE FOLLOWED BY ETTE AWAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, SALAM. MY NAME IS AND I'M CLINICAL PROFESSOR OF URDU LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY. WHA WHAT AM I DOING HERE IN HOUSTON? WELL, UH, I TEACH URDU TO UNDERGRADS AND SOMETIMES GRADUATE STUDENTS. AND I HAVE BEEN TEACHING FOR 20 YEARS, AND WHEREVER URDU IS, WHEREVER URDU CALLS FROM, WE GO. AND SO I'M HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT THE INDUS ARTS COUNCIL AND TO PRESENT THE IDEA THAT URDU IS A LANGUAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT TO NOT JUST STUDENTS OF PAKISTANI ORIGIN, BUT ANYBODY WHO IS INTERESTED IN EXPANDING THE HORIZONS IN TERMS OF LANGUAGE. I HAVE NON-HERITAGE STUDENTS AND I HAVE HERITAGE STUDENTS IN MY CLASSES, AND I HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE OF PAKISTANI ORIGIN AND WHO KNOW ABSOLUTELY NO DU AND I HAVE STUDENTS WHO COME FROM PAKISTAN WHOSE URDU IS REALLY WEAK AND WHO HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN URDU PROPERLY BACK HOME. AND THEY COME TO NEW YORK AND THEY'RE AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY AND THEY LEARN URDU HERE. SO I FEEL VERY INVESTED IN THE CAUSE OF URDU. UH, ALSO, I WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, AS WE SPEAK URDU, AND THIS IS WHAT I TELL MY STUDENTS ALL THE TIME, THAT WHEN WE SPEAK URDU, LET'S SAY WE READ A, A PARAGRAPH OF URDU, OR WE SPEAK A PARAGRAPH, UH, SPEAK A FEW SENTENCES OF URDU, WE'RE ACTUALLY ENGAGING A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER LANGUAGES. WE ARE, UH, SPEAK, WE ARE USING WORDS THAT ARE FROM THE BASE OR THE STRUCTURE OF THE GRAMMAR GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE IS INDIC. AND THEN WE HAVE WORDS FROM PERSIAN, FROM ARABIC, FROM TURKIC AND ENGLISH. SO I CAN SPEAK A SENTENCE IN URDU AND USE THREE ENGLISH WORDS, AND I'M GRAMMATICALLY ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. SO THIS IS HOW WE BEGIN WITH OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE COMING TO US WITH ENGLISH. WE GIVE THEM THIS BASIS AND THEN THEY BUILD ON THAT. SO I, I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF URDU. IT'S ALSO A CULTURE. SO WHEN YOU TEACH A LANGUAGE, YOU TEACH CULTURE ALONG WITH IT. IT'S NOT JUST WORDS STRUNG TOGETHER. UH, THERE IS A CULTURE AND THERE IS A HUGE REPOSITORY OF LITERATURE. THERE IS POETRY, THERE IS FICTION, THERE IS DRAMA AND HISTORY. SO WHEN A STUDENT STUDIES A PARTICULAR LANGUAGE, IN THIS CASE, URDU, HE OR SHE IS STUDYING EVERYTHING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND TO BE IN HOUSTON? THANK YOU. HOW LONG DO YOU, HOW LONG WILL YOU BE IN HOUSTON? OH, SORRY. HOW LONG WILL YOU BE HERE? OH, I AM GOING TO, UH, BE HERE UNTIL TOMORROW. NO, THURSDAY MORNING. THURSDAY. WELL, WELCOME, WELCOME TO WELCOME TO THE CITY. OKAY. GLAD TO BE HERE, AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER TO LET AWAY LET AWAI BE FOLLOWED BY SIMON. SAY GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, UH, MY NAME IS AND I AM THE LANGUAGE PROGRAM DIRECTOR WITHIN THE SOUTH COUNCIL. I HAVE BEEN WITHIN SOUTH COUNCIL FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS, AND I HAVE ABOUT 30 PLUS YEARS OF, UM, EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. I HAVE TAUGHT URDU IN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT HOUSTON, INCLUDING TI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN COATS HIS CODE, TELL ME AND I FORGET, TEACH ME AND I MAY MEMBER INVOLVE ME. AND I LEARN. OUR ORGANIZATION FIRMLY BELIEVES IN THIS CODE, AND THEREFORE [01:55:01] OUR CURRICULUMS AND LESSONS ARE DESIGNED TO INVOLVE STUDENTS AT EVERY STAGE. WE HAVE 12 YEARS OF LANGUAGE TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND HAVE OBSERVED THAT MORE, MORE TEACHING, MORE STUDENTS ARE INVOLVED, MORE LANGUAGE THEY LEARN. WE TAKE PRIDE IN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED A PLATFORM TO THE COMMUNITY WHERE TEACHERS ARE TRAINED IN TEACHING U AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. THE QUALIFICATIONS WE SEEK IN OUR TEACHERS ARE THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE, THEY SHOULD BE NATIVE UDU LANGUAGE SPEAKERS, AND ABOVE ALL, HAVE A PASSION FOR THE, AND THE CULTURE THAT LANGUAGE REPRESENTS. TEACHERS WITH DIVERSE EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS HAVE APPROACHED US FROM ACROSS HOUSTON. NONE OF THEM HAVE BEEN LANGUAGE TEACHERS. THEY HAVE TAUGHT SUBJECTS LIKE MATH, SCIENCE, COMPUTERS. WE HAVE TRAINED THEM TO BE EFFECTIVE LANGUAGE TEACHERS, AND THEY BRING TO OUR CLASSROOMS THEIR TEACHING EXPERIENCES AND LANGUAGE TEACHING SKILLS THAT WE TEACH THEM AND MAKE OUR CLASSES SUCCESSFUL. AND OUR STUDENTS LIFELONG LANGUAGE LEARNERS, WE NEED CITY SPORT TO TAKE ALL THE LANGUAGE INTO STREAMLINED SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OFFER IMMERSION WITH LANGUAGE PROGRAMS TO ALL AGE GROUPS. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT OUR STRONG FRAMEWORK OF CURRICULUM LESSONS AND TEACHERS WILL MAKE THIS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PATIENT LISTENING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, SIMON. I WELCOME. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL, RIA, WHICH IS THANK YOU IN URDU FOR RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF URDU AND IN HOUSTON, AND MAKING HOUSTON THE NEW HOME AND HUB OF URDU. HONORING URDU HELPS ELEVATE HOUSTON'S VALUE NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY. MY NAME IS SIMON SEER. I AM A U OF H ALUMNI, AND I'VE HAD AN INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM BASED IN THE RICE VILLAGE FOR OVER 20 YEARS. THE NAME OF MY COMPANY, ALIMA DESIGNS ALONE MEANS SCHOLAR AND DESIGN. SO I'VE INCLUDED THAT IN MY OWN COMPANY. I'M A SECOND GENERATION AMERICAN, BORN WITH MY HERITAGE BASED IN BOTH PAKISTAN AND INDIA, AMONG OTHER COUNTRIES. MY PARENTS STRONGLY BELIEVED IN MAINTAINING OUR LANGUAGE CULTURE, HERITAGE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING BI ARE MULTILINGUAL. MY CHILDREN AND NIECES AND NEPHEWS BORN HERE HAVE BEEN HIGHLY INFLUENCED BY, IN THIS ARTS COUNCIL, UM, THEIR URDU CAMPS AND THEIR ART PROGRAMS. IT HAS SHOWED, SHOWN THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNIVERSAL APPEAL OF URDU, WHICH IS AN INDO-EUROPEAN BASED LANGUAGE, AS YOU HAVE HEARD EARLIER, AND IT ENCOMPASSES MULTI INTUITIVE LANGUAGES AND CULTURES. UM, MY SON RECENTLY MARRIED A PALESTINIAN, UM, HERITAGE GIRL, AND SHE, SHE IS NOW LEARNING URDU, ALSO URDU CONNECTS PEOPLE AND, UM, GLOBAL COMMUNITIES AS A WHOLE WITH URDU PROGRAMS AT IAC. UM, WHAT THEY HAVE CREATED, UM, A SECOND LANGUAGE OPTION IN THE HAVING A SECOND LANGUAGE OPTION IN THE FUTURE FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOLS IN HOUSTON, WOULD CREATE A MEANINGFUL CONNECTION FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND CREATE MORE DIVERSITY IN THE LANGUAGE PROGRAMS. AND IT WILL DEFINITELY SET A TONE NATIONALLY FOR OTHER K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS. UH, I KNOW THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME AND MY KIDS. WE HAD MANY LANGUAGE OPTIONS. I LIVE IN SUGAR LAND IN FORT BEND. WE HAD ARABIC, CHINESE, SPANISH, FRENCH, LATIN, UM, AND THEY CONSTANTLY ASKED FOR HOW COULD WE GET URDU ON THE PROGRAM. UM, I KNOW THAT IN THE SCHOOLS THAT WE WERE IN, THEY HAD URDU WRITTEN AMONG OTHER LANGUAGES ALL THROUGHOUT THE WALLS, ET CETERA. AND I, I SEE HOUSTON AS A PLACE THAT WE COULD BRING IN A PILOT PROGRAM LIKE THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED. I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, AND I WANTED TO SAY RA MUBARAK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, MAHA AZIZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY CINDY SORORITY. HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HEARING ME TODAY. I WANNA WISH MAYOR TURNER HAPPY [02:00:01] BIRTHDAY REAL QUICK. AND THANK ALL Y'ALL FOR Y'ALL SERVICE TO THE CITY THAT WAS REALLY TEXAN. ALL Y'ALL , I WANT TO EXPLAIN, MY NAME IS MAHA. I WANT TO EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE URDU LANGUAGE TO ME AS A DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS FROM PAKISTAN WITH A LARGE FAMILY, I HAVE BEEN AROUND URDU MY WHOLE LIFE. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE THAT SOUNDS LIKE POETRY AND RADIATES HOSPITALITY AND LOVE. I'M PROUD TO BE A SPEAKER OF IT. HOWEVER, MANY OF MY PAKISTANI FRIENDS OR FRIENDS WHO ARE ALSO CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS HAVE LOST TOUCH WITH THEIR NATIVE TONGUE. THE REASON FOR THIS CAN GO BACK A LONG TIME. ALTHOUGH AMERICA WAS DESCRIBED AS A MELTING POT IN OUR HISTORY CLASSES, PART OF AMERICAN HISTORY WAS ASSIMILATING INTO THE NEW CULTURE OF THE NEW LAND. WHEN THE COUNTRY IS A MELTING POT. WHAT DOES ASSIMILATION REALLY MEAN? IT WAS SOMETHING THAT MAY HAVE SEEMED HARMLESS AT THE TIME, BUT TURNED INTO WIDESPREAD ERASURE OF CULTURES DEEMED INFERIOR BY THOSE IN POWER. AND THIS EFFECT HAS TRANSCENDED GENERATIONS. THIS MANIFESTS IN SCHOOL WHERE CULTURAL FEATURES LIKE FOOD AND LANGUAGE ARE BULLIED INTO SUPPRESSION. AS COUNCIL PERSON THOMAS ALLUDED TO EARLIER, BECAUSE OF THIS, KIDS CAN GROW UP DISTANCE FROM THEIR LANGUAGE. THEIR PARENTS ARE CONFUSED. WHY ARE MY KIDS SHUNNING ME? ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY'RE FACING A NOT AMERICAN ENOUGH FROM ONE SIDE AND A AND A TOO WESTERNIZED ON THE OTHER SIDE. IT'S CONFUSING AND REALLY FRUSTRATING. MANY OF THEM REGRET PUSHING THEIR CULTURE AWAY ONCE THEY'RE OLDER. BUT THIS IS NOT THEIR FAULT. THEY'RE VICTIMS OF A SYSTEM THAT TOLD THEM THINGS WILL GET BETTER WHEN THEY'RE NOT PERCEIVED AS OTHER. THAT IS WHY TAKING URDU CLASSES AND PERFECTING MY NATIVE TONGUE IS A CORNERSTONE OF MY EDUCATION AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE. NOT ONLY DOES SPEAKING MY NATIVE LANGUAGE HELP ME CONNECT WITH MY FAMILY BETTER AND ALSO HELPS ME IN MY REAL ESTATE BUSINESS BY MAKING THE HOME BUYING OR SELLING PROCESS MORE COMFORTABLE FOR URDU SPEAKING CLIENTS WHO ARE INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. BUT MERGING MY LIFE HERE IN AMERICA WITH MY NATIVE CULTURE IS ESSENTIAL TO MY IDENTITY AND MY FUTURE. I INTEND TO TEACH MY KIDS URDU AND MAKE SURE THEY KNOW TO BE PROUD OF THEIR HERITAGE AND ALSO TO BE INSPIRED AND INTRIGUED BY THE HERITAGE OF OTHERS. I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO BENEFIT FROM THE SUPPRESSION OF HISTORICALLY PURPOSELY IGNORED COMMUNITIES TO RECOGNIZE AND CALL OUT BEHAVIORS THAT ARE HARMFUL AS WELL AS TEACH THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT THOSE EFFECTS. TRUE FREEDOM IS BEING ABLE TO BE YOUR FULL AUTHENTIC SELF, AND THAT'S WHAT AMERICA SHOULD BE ABOUT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO, UH, TALK ON BEHALF OF INDUS ARTS COUNCIL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILMAN COUNCILMAN KAMAN. ONE SECOND. OH, SORRY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST REALLY QUICKLY, MAHA IS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C. I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY. THANK YOU. GREAT TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU. AND LET ME THANK EVERYBODY WHO'S COME TO SPEAK, UH, WITH RESPECTING THE DU LANGUAGE. REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THE EMPHASIS THAT YOU ALL ARE PLACED ON, AND WE'LL CERTAINLY DO OUR PART ON THIS END. OKAY, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. CINDY SATI. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAR. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. RIGHT. THANK YOU. RIGHT, THERE YOU GO. GOOD AFTERNOON, MARIN. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. AND HELLO, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS CINDY CRATE AND I LIVE IN CHAMBERS COUNTY. AND I'VE COME HERE TODAY TO BRING SOME ATTENTION TO THE GEORGE BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT AND ITS ENTIRE ENTITIES THAT PERTAIN TO ITS OPERATION THAT ARE CRUCIAL FOR ITS EXISTENCE. THURSDAY, AUGUST THE FOURTH, MY MOTHER'S LUGGAGE WAS STOLEN IN SECONDS RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES ON THE TRAM. FOR HOURS, WE WENT THROUGH MUCH UNNECESSARY CHAOS IF ONLY EXACT PROCEDURES HAD BEEN IN PLACE WITH PROFICIENT WORKERS ON HOW TO HANDLE AN EMERGENCY AND EXECUTE PROTOCOL QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY. STARTING WITH THE CAROUSELS, BECAUSE WE OBSERVED THERE WAS NO PERSON OR EMPLOYEE THERE TO HELP THE TRAVELERS TO ENSURE THEY PICKED UP THEIR ONLY THEIR OWN LUGGAGE, THE TRAM, THE DOORS OPEN AND CLOSE ENTIRELY TOO FAST. WITH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, IN ITSELF IS A BIG SAFETY HAZARD. MY MOM AND I WERE TOLD THERE WERE VERY LIMITED CAMERAS IN THAT AREA. WATCHING PASSENGERS ENTERING AND EXITING THE TRAM WAS NO, WITH NO STAFF OR SECURITY ON DUTY IN THAT AREA. ANY EMERGENCY THAT TAKES PLACE COULD BE UNNOTICED FOR A WHILE. THE HPD, WHEN WE FINALLY FOUND THE PLACE TO REPORT OUR EMERGENCY, THE TWO DUTY OFFICERS DID NOT EVEN KNOW EXACTLY WHAT PROTOCOL TO EXECUTE. THE GENTLEMAN TOOK MY PERSONAL INFORMATION ON A SMALL TORN PIECE OF PAPER ALONG WITH MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, WHILE MY MOTHER WROTE DOWN HER INFORMATION ON AN ACCIDENT REPORT. AND TO THIS DAY, NO REPORT CAN BE FOUND. UH, RECENTLY AN OFFICER HAS REACHED OUT PRIVATELY TO AND HAS CALLED MY MOTHER ASKING FOR INFORMATION IN PICTURES OF HERSELF. [02:05:01] AND THE AIRPORT SYSTEM HAS REACHED OUT TO ME AS WELL WITH NO REPORT TO BE FOUND. WE WERE INFORMED THAT DAY WITH THE ACCIDENT REPORT NOT BEING FILED. HPD WAS NOT ALLOWED TO EVEN PULL UP THE LIMITED CAMERAS IN THE AREA TO HELP RETRIEVE ANY INFORMATION THAT COULD HAVE POSSIBLY HELPED US. THAT DAY. HOMELAND SECURITY WAS CALLED IN AND HAD TO ACTUALLY TELL HPD EXACTLY HOW MANY TRIMS THEY HAD RUNNING THAT DAY. BETWEEN HPD HOMELAND SECURITY, WE WERE ALSO INFORMED THAT THE AIRPORT CAMERAS, THE SYSTEMS WAS ANTIQUATED AND THE CAMERAS WERE NOTHING MORE THAN A DETERRENT BECAUSE LICENSE PLATES WERE NOT BEING RECORDED IN AND OUT OF THE EXITING AND COMING OF THE AIRPORT WITHOUT ANY CAMERAS IN THE PARKING LOTS OR GARAGES. ALSO, IT LEAVES PEOPLE AND THEIR PROPERTY VULNERABLE TO ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. AFTER NUMEROUS HOURS SPENT WITH DEALING WITH HPD, HOMELAND SECURITY AIRPORT EMPLOYEES 9 1 1 AND LOST AND FOUND, WE STILL WERE UNSUCCESSFUL TO RETRIEVING ANY OF MY MOTHER'S LUGGAGE. HOPEFULLY THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL CONCENTRATE MORE ON THE SECURITY AT IAH CONSIDERING AS ONE OF THE TOP 10 AIRPORTS IN THE WORLD, TRANSPORTING PEOPLE THAT ARE OVER 43 MILLION PASSENGERS PER YEAR. INTERRUPTIONS WILL HAPPEN, BUT FOR THE SAFETY OF AND THE BELONGINGS OF YOUR PASSENGERS, SOME IMPROVEMENTS NEED PUT ON, MAKE YOUR FINISH NEED TO TAKE PLACE. REMEMBER, AN AIRPORT WITHOUT SECURITY IS DETRIMENTAL TO ALL. AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ONE SECOND, ONE SECOND. UH, COUNCILMAN MAYOR. I'LL GO. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING. THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO HEAR OBVIOUSLY. I I, I DO REMEMBER MAYOR, BACK IN THE DAY, THEY WOULD CHECK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WOULD GET YOUR LUGGAGE, THEY WOULD, SOMEBODY WOULD CHECK YOUR, YOUR CLAIM FORM. AND I'VE NOTICED PROBABLY FOR YEARS THAT THAT'S KIND OF NO LONGER THE PRACTICE ANYMORE. AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT, WHERE THAT STEMS. UM, WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THESE ISSUES UNTIL SOMEONE LIKE YOU BRINGS THEM TO US. SO THERE ARE SEVERAL LAYERS OF, YOU KNOW, POLICE AND THE TRAM AND ALL, ALL CAMERAS AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS YOU BROUGHT UP. SO THANK YOU. AND, AND I'M SURE MANY PEOPLE ARE LISTENING AND, AND WE CAN, UM, IMPROVE PROCESSES WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS. THANK YOU. AND LEMME JUST ONE SECOND. I AM A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED IF YOU'RE SAYING TO ME THAT, UM, ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE THE CAMERA SYSTEM WAS NOT WORKING OR THEY SIMPLY COULD NOT, HPD COULD NOT ACCESS THE CAMERA SYSTEM? WE WERE TOLD BASICALLY UNLESS THE ACCIDENT REPORT WAS FILED, THEY WOULD NOT PULL UP ANY CAMERAS. AND THEY SAID THAT THE CAMERAS THAT WERE ACTUALLY IN THE TRAM AREA WERE VERY LIMITED AND THERE WAS NO CAMERAS ON THE TRAMS. AND THEN BASICALLY, WHEN IT ALL WAS ALL SAID AND DONE, THEY ALL, BETWEEN EVERYONE SPEAKING, EVERYBODY WAS FRUSTRATED. EVERYBODY DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO DO. THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT PROTOCOL. EVERYBODY WAS AS HELPFUL AS THEY POSSIBLY HAD INFORMATION TO DEAL WITH IT, BUT NOBODY HAD PROTOCOL. AND IN TERMS OF THE REPORT THAT YOU, THAT YOU MADE, UM, ARE YOU SAYING THAT THEY JOTTED IT DOWN JUST ON A, SOME SORT OF LITTLE PIECE OF PAPER? NO ACTUAL FORM? YES, SIR. THEY JUST, WHEN WE, WHEN WE WENT IN THERE, THE MAN DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE INFORMATION, I GUESS THE SHEETS OF PAPER WERE. SO HE JUST SAID, HERE, WRITE YOUR INFORMATION ON THIS. AND WHEN I QUESTIONED HIM TO ASK HIM WHY I'M PUTTING THAT ON THERE, HE SAID, WELL, I'LL JUST TAKE CARE OF IT LATER. I'LL FILL, I'LL FILE EVERYTHING FOR YOU. AND THAT WAS KIND OF SCARY, BUT HE, THAT'S WHAT HE INSISTED FOR ME TO DO. OKAY. AND, UH, AND WHEN DID THIS TAKE PLACE? AUGUST THE FOURTH. OKAY. AND WHEN YOU SAY WHEN YOU TALKED TO THEY, WAS IT, WAS IT A POLICE OFFICER THAT YOU TALKED TO OR WAS IT, UH, AIRPORT, UM, PERSONNEL. IT WAS IN THE HPD OFFICE. THEY CALLED, WE WENT THERE, WE FINALLY FOUND THAT AREA. WHICH TERMINAL? WHICH TERMINAL WERE YOU? UH, IT WAS DELTA. DELTA, YES, SIR. SO IT WAS THERE AND THEN THEY REALLY WAS, WASN'T FOR SURE THE TWO PEOPLE AND THEN THEY CALLED HOMELAND SECURITY AND THEN THEY WEREN'T, THEY WEREN'T. OKAY, GOTCHA. THEY DIDN'T KNOW EITHER. AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THE LUGGAGE WAS IN THE BAGGAGE CLAIM AND NO, SIR, I'M SORRY. IT WAS ACTUALLY ON THE TRAM. LIKE THE, THE PERSON, THERE WAS ONLY A FEW PEOPLE OTHER THAN US. AND WHEN YOU WATCH THOSE JAMES BOND MOVIES WHERE THEY JUST TAKE IT AND YOU'RE LIKE, BLINDSIDED, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. SO Y'ALL WERE ON THE TRAM WITH YOUR LUGGAGE? YES, SIR. AND WHOEVER EXITED TOOK YOUR MOM'S LUGGAGE? YES, SIR. I'M SORRY. YES. OKAY, I GOT THAT. THAT HELPS ME. THAT HELPS ME OUT. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. UM, THANKS FOR COMING UP HERE AND SHARING. THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO ONE OF MY STAFF MEMBERS THIS SUMMER IN JULY, AND HE JUST, UM, I THINK CLOSE TO $4,000 OF STUFF WAS STOLEN. AND ONLY LUCKILY FOR HIM, THE CRIMINALS DROPPED IT OFF AT AN AIRPORT, UM, EXCUSE ME, AT A HOTEL IN AN AIRPORT LIKE THE HOLIDAY INN OFF OF 59 AT BUSH. AND THE HOTEL CONTACTED HIM AND ALL OF HIS STUFF WAS RUMMAGE THROUGH AND GONE. SO IT IS A THING, UM, UM, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, HE WAS TRAVELING, UH, FOR SUMMER CONFERENCES, SO, UH, THANK [02:10:01] YOU FOR, FOR RAISING THIS. UM, HE WAS MET WITH THE SAME FRUSTRATION, PEOPLE WHO WERE WILLING TO ASSIST BUT DIDN'T HAVE THE INFORMATION TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, RESOLVE HIS ISSUE. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING AGAIN. THANK YOU. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. OH, OH, I'M SORRY. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. UH, AGAIN, I ECHO EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR COMING. UH, REALLY QUICKLY, YOU MAY HAVE SAID IT AND I MAY HAVE MISSED IT. WHAT TIME OF DAY WAS IT? OH, NO, NO MA'AM. I SURE DIDN'T. IT WAS ACTUALLY AROUND LIKE 1115 IN THE MORNING. YES. OKAY. I JUST WAS WONDERING IF IT WAS NIGHTTIME WHEN IT MIGHT BE SHORTER STAFF. UM, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING UP THE ISSUE ABOUT SECURITY CAMERAS, MAYOR. UM, WE INVEST A LOT AND WE EXPECT THE AIRPORTS TO, BUT IF CERTAIN AREAS AREN'T COVERED, EVEN FROM A SIMPLE HOMELAND SECURITY PERSPECTIVE, UM, I I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT TO REVIEW. YEAH. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU. LET ME, THANK YOU. LET ME FOLLOW UP ON THAT. UM, YOU, UM, YOU WOULD EXPECT THAT OUR AIRPORT SYSTEM WOULD PROBABLY BE THE MOST SECURE AND THAT CAMERAS WOULD BE EVERYWHERE FROM THE MOMENT PEOPLE ENTERED INTO THE AIRPORT UNTIL THE TIME THAT THEY ACCESS. SO LET ME, UM, LET ME, LET ME FOLLOW UP ON THAT. OKAY. I'M A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED BY WHAT I'M, BY WHAT I'M HEARING. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. VICE P TIM CASH, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY AND I APPRECIATE YOU RAISING THIS INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN, UM, WORK WITH OUR AIRPORT, UM, STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT SOME BETTER PROCESSES IN PLACE. AND I DO WANT TO MENTION MAYOR, THAT MAYOR URI IS, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE. SO IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK WITH MAYOR AND GIVE HER YOUR INFORMATION AS WELL, UM, SO THAT AS THEY FOLLOW UP, IF THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THEY CAN GET IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH YOU. OKAY. SO WE WILL DEFINITELY FOLLOW UP ON THIS SITUATION. OKAY. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. SYLVIA BLAIR. SYLVIA BLAIR. SYLVIA BLAIR. HERE. SYLVIA BLAIR. NEXT SPEAKER. AMIR. AND, SORRY, AMIR. AND SORRY AMIR. AND SORRY AMIR, SORRY. NEXT SPEAKER. KIT PAULSON. KIT PAULSON, IF YOU OPPRESS STAR SIX KIT PAULSON. STAR SIX. KIT PAULSON. STAR SIX. NEXT SPEAKER. STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. HERE. STEVE WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER. JESUS MENDOZA. HERE. JESUS, I'M HERE. I'M HERE. I'M HERE. WHO, WHO IS THIS? I'M HERE. THIS IS STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. I'M STEVE WILLIAMS. OKAY, WE CAN HEAR YOU. HELLO WILLIAM. IN PERSON. YEAH. OKAY. WELL, UH, I, I AM AARON LAW SAYS THE WHERE TO BEGIN. THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT NEED TO BE SAID. LOTS OF CRIME EMANATING FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE AMBULANCE DEPARTMENT AGAINST STEVE WILLIAMS. BUT I WANNA GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT I SAID TO THE PERSON IN THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE WEEKS AGO. I PROMISED YOU ALL THAT THERE WILL BE A DOUBLE SET OF DOUBLE HOMICIDES OF BLACK FEMALES. I TOLD YOU THEY WOULD BE UP UNDER THE AGE THAT THEY, THAT THE STATE IN WHICH THEY WOULD BE MURDERED IN ONE OF THOSE SETS OF MURDERS HAVE OCCURRED ALREADY. THERE ARE THREE OTHER SINGLE MURDERS THAT HAVE OCCURRED, BUT THE, THE DOUBLE HOMICIDE WAS ENCOUNTERED TO ALLIED UNIVERSAL, WHICH IS AN HEB CONTRACTOR, ALLIED UNIVERSAL. AND, AND, AND, UH, WHAT IS IT CALL A ELITE AND SOME OTHER THINGS THEY'RE ADDING TO IT BECAUSE THE ACTIVITY HAS GONE ON WITH THAT. BUT ALSO THOSE SINGLE MURDERS THAT HAVE OCCURRED TO BLACK FEMALES IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THIS COUNTRY, ALL OF THEM ACROSS STATE LINES, NONE OF 'EM WILL OCCUR IN TEXAS, IN FACT. 'CAUSE YOU GOTTA CROSS STATE LINES TO EV VOTE THE FEDERAL JURISDICTION. THOSE OCCURRED IN CAL WHATABURGER. LEMME SAY TO THIS YOUNG WOMAN NAMED, UH, WHAT IS HER NAME? MEGAN THE STA I THINK IT IS. YOU SHOULD DISASSOCIATE YOUR NAME WITH WHATABURGER. 'CAUSE YOUR NAME IS ULTIMATELY GONNA BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MURDER OF JEWISH PEOPLE AND THEIR BABIES. SOME JEWISH MOTHERS, HER CHILDREN GONNA GET SLAUGHTERED BEHIND WHATABURGER AND A AND HPD, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, I'VE TOLD YOU, THE CENTRAL PATROL DIVISION, THE SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION, THESE ENTITIES ARE TOTALLY CORRUPTED. I MEAN, IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SO LITTLE. I I CAN'T EVEN, I'M GONNA PREPARE A LITTLE BITTY HANDWRITTEN LAWSUIT ON AN EIGHT AND A HALF BY 11 PIECE OF PAPER AND FILE IT JUST TO BE ABLE TO GIVE IT FOR A JUDGE. I WANNA ASK THAT ALL THE 18 OF YOU APPEAR THERE. UH, SO I DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH FILLING OUT ALL THESE SUBPOENAS AND STUFF BECAUSE I THINK YOU SHOULD WANT TO HEAR, AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA SUE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. I DON'T THINK I CAN WIN, EVEN THOUGH I'M 110% OF THE RIGHT. SO I WANT YOU TO SEE AND HEAR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON WITH THIS, WITH THIS HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT STUFF. THE US ATTORNEY IS JUST AS MUCH RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DUE SINCE THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'VE ERASED TAPES, MINIMIZED COMPLAINTS. THEY'VE DONE THIS IN AND OUT OF 33 YEARS AND THEY KNOW THAT. AND, AND, AND, AND THE WHITE FEMALE WHO RUNS, I RARELY USE THAT PHRASE, BUT I'M PURPOSELY USING THE WHITE FEMALE WHO RUNS THE US ATTORNEY IS A CRIMINAL. THIS LADY'S BEEN THERE A LONG TIME AND SHE HAS TO HAVE HEARD, HAS TO HAVE KNOWN OF SOME OF THE CRIMINAL STUFF THAT HAS GONE ON IN THAT ENTITY AGAINST STEVE WILLIAMS. SHE HAS TO HAVE KNOWN, THERE'S NO WAY AROUND IT. OKAY. AT RATE, MR. MIKE CLARK, FORMER HEAD OF THE CRIMINAL DIVISION ON THE GAY NELL JONES, UH, CEDRIC BERT, SOME OF THESE MURDERS COULD ENTAIL MURDERING PEOPLE AND ENCOUNTERED YOU [02:15:01] ALL BECAUSE YOU ALL SHOULD BE THE ONES TO STEP UP AND REALLY STATE SOME OF THE TRUTH. SO PEOPLE CAN SEE CLEARLY THE PATTERN OF CONDUCT THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED THAT STEVE WILLIAMS EXPERIENCED, ESPECIALLY FROM GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY, AND IN FACT, MANY PEOPLE IN, IN DEEP ASSOCIATION WITH ME, SUCH AS MY MOTHER, WHAT SHE SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF A QUASI GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY, UH, COLUMBIA, HCA HOSPITAL. AND THE THINGS THAT WERE, THAT, THAT WAS DONE AGAINST HER, AT ANY RATE, HAD A PROBLEM LAST NIGHT, UH, WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. I DON'T EVEN WANNA GO INTO THE DETAIL IN A PUBLIC WAY, UH, ABOUT WHAT, WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT. BUT I DO WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW I'M GONNA ASK THE JUDGE AND THE COURT TO JUST, IF THEY COULD DO SOMETHING IN CHAMBERS WITHOUT JUST BEING PUT OUT THERE, BUT BECAUSE THIS NEEDS TO BE KNOWN WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN WHATABURGER, I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE THAT A FIREMAN AND A PERSON DRIVING A FIRE TRUCK SAID SOMETHING TO ME TRYING TO ARGUE WITH ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, NEXT SPEAKER. JESUS MENDOZA. HEY, JESUS, MENDOZA STAR SIX. JESUS MENDOZA, STAR, I THE MAYOR. UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. IS THIS JESUS? YES, THIS IS ME. YES, SIR. OH, OKAY. WE CAN HEAR YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, CITY COUNCIL. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR OFFICE TO DIRECT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, TO INVESTIGATE AND REFER FOR PROSECUTION, THOSE WHO ARE PROVOKING CHILDREN TO VIOLENCE OR TO THREATS OF VIOLENCE ON THE GROUND, THAT INVESTIGATION AND PRO PROSECUTION OF BULLYING AS DOMESTIC TERRORISM BE A STRONG DETERRENT TO PREVENT MORE TRAGEDIES IN SCHOOLS. I HAVE BEEN HOMEBOUND FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS WITH LIFE THREATENING ELECTRO SENSITIVITY EHS, WHICH WAS CAUSED AND AGGRAVATED BY THE SAME MICROWAVES AND RADIATION SURVEILLANCE REACHING CHILDREN IN SCHOOL. EVEN THOUGH LEVELS OF RADIATION AGGRAVATE MY EHS, I HAVE BEEN VIOLENTLY ILL SEVERAL TIMES. I'M SLEEP DEPRIVED AND IN PAIN ALL THE TIME. THIS IS A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE. MY EHS HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY FEDERAL AND ESTHETIC AND BY COURT AS A PHYSICAL MEDICAL CONDITION AND AS A DISABILITY BECAUSE MOST DOCTORS ARE IN THE DARK ON DENIAL OF EHS. MILLIONS OF CHILDREN ARE BEING MISDIAGNOSED AND MISTREATED WITH HARMFUL FOR DRUGS AND BASIC PROCEDURES AND DAILY PAINKILLERS. THE HARM CAUSED BY THE MICROWAVES AND RADIATIONS SURVEILLANCE AT SCHOOL, A SPECIFIC COMPLETED AND UNDISPUTED MEDICAL, SCIENTIFIC AND LEGAL EVIDENCE ON THE RECORD, HAS PROVEN THAT THOSE IN CHARGE OF EDUCATING AND PROTECTING THE CHILDREN COMMITTED FRAUD, THE COURSE TO CONCEAL THAT THE CHRONIC COMPULSORY AND UNNECESSARY EXPOSURE TO MICRO WAVES AND RADIATION SURVEILLANCE AT SCHOOL ARE CAUSING CHILDREN EHS AND OTHER CATASTROPHIC, REVERSIBLE AND DEADLY HARM AND DISABILITIES THAT DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION. TO CONCEAL THAT GOVERNMENT SPONSOR HATE GROUP BULLYING, WHICH INCLUDES THE SCHOOL OFFICIALS, TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS ARE PROVOKING CHILDREN AND THEY MENTALLY DISABLED TO COMMIT MASS CHILDREN TO JUSTIFIED UNDER THE FABRICATED EXCUSES OF NATIONAL SECURITY, THE MASSIVE POWERFUL AND HARMFUL FOR MILITARY GRADE SAFETY AND WIRELESS RADIATION, SURVEILLANCE OF SCHOOLS, OF THE WORKPLACE, AND EVEN HOMES. AND TO CONCEAL THAT THE EXCUSES OF NATIONAL, THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN AND THE FUTURE OF COUNTRY AND NATIONAL SECURITY ARE BEING SOLD TO THE $300 WIRELESS BIG PHARMA MEDICAL CARTELS AS DETAILED BY THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT TO SPECIAL PRO PROSECUTION DIVISION IN AUSTIN, ON AND BY THE MOTION TO RECUSE THREE FEDERAL JUDGES AND BY THE REQUEST TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. SUBMITTED TO TEXAS SENATOR ROLAND GUTIEREZ AND POSTER ON THE CASE LAW SECTION OF JEREMY MENDOZA HAVE WIRELESS WATCH BLOCK THAT ORG. BECAUSE FEDERAL AND STATE OF POLICE COURTS AND YOU AND THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA ARE ATTEMPTING TO CONCEAL CRIMINALIZING BULLYING AS DOMESTIC TERRORISM CAN SAVE IMMENSE PAYMENT CHILDREN'S LIVES. A COPY OF THE REQUEST TO SEND IT TO WAS SUBMITTED TO YOUR OFFICE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. RESPECTFULLY, THANK YOU AGAIN, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, DEREK MOTEN. DEREK MOTEN, UH, STAR SIX DEREK MOTON. STAR SIX. DEREK MOTON. STAR SIX. HE JUST UNMUTED. DEREK MOTON, STAR SIX. NEXT SPEAKER, MARK CARTER. I'M HERE. OKAY. I'M SORRY. HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE. WHO'S HERE? IS THAT DEREK? YES. UH, THIS IS DEREK. I KEPT UNMUTING MYSELF. OKAY, WE CAN HEAR YOU. THIS IS, UH, DEREK MO. YES, SIR. I'M CALLING TO FOLLOW UP FROM MY LAST CALL ON SEPTEMBER 2ND, UH, UH, EAST POLICE DEPARTMENT. I FILED A RETALIATION COMPLAINT IN REFERENCE TO SERGEANTS BEING AT MY HOME. I WAS ON SCHEDULED VACATION THAT DAY. THEY WERE HERE AND MY PROPERTY WAS SEARCHED AND DAMAGED. UH, THAT'S POLICE MISCONDUCT. I DID FILE MY RETALIATION COMPLAINT IN JUNE AND NO ASSIGNED INVESTIGATOR, NO ONE HAS CONTACTED ME, NOTHING. WHILE AS AN OFFICER, I DID FILE A SIMILAR COMPLAINT ABOUT POLICE MISCONDUCT INVOLVING, UH, IT WAS A CIVIL RIGHTS CLASS, ONE CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT AGAINST MY IMMEDIATE SERGEANT. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS [02:20:02] HIGH PRIORITY CALLS TO BE DOWNGRADED TO LOWER PRIORITY CALLS. AND I WAS ASSIGNED, THOSE CALLS WOULD BE HELD IN QUEUE WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE GONE OUT AS LIKE A CODE TWO OR A CODE ONE. THOSE CALLS WOULD BE HELD IN QUEUE AND ASSIGNED TO ME AT A, YOU KNOW, LATE IN MY SHIFT. THAT WAS THE BASIS OF THAT COMPLAINT. ONE INCIDENT INVOLVED AN 8-YEAR-OLD GIRL. BY THE WAY, THIS PRIMARILY AFFECTED AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALES. IT WAS ONE CALL AN 8-YEAR-OLD GIRL, A SEXUAL ASSAULT CALL. IT WAS CODED FOR WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TWO. SHE WAS, UH, SEXUAL ASSAULTED FIVE DAYS. FIVE, FIVE DAYS. AND I GET THERE. I DID ADVISE DISPATCH, WHY IS THIS A FOUR INSTEAD OF A TWO? SHE SAID IT WAS DELAYED WHILE I GET THERE. THIS YOUNG GIRL HAD TO WAIT 45 MINUTES AS I, ON THAT CALL SET, 45 MINUTES. SO I WAS SENT THERE. 'CAUSE I WAS ON MY BREAK. THE CALL WAS JUST HELD FOR ME. THAT WAS A BASIS OF COMPLAINT. I HAVE NUMEROUS INCIDENTS, THE SAME THING, ONE INVOLVING THIS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WITH INJURY. I HAD TO CALL THE DISPATCHER OUT ON THAT ONE, BUT MY IMMEDIATE SERGEANT INTERVENED OVER THE AIR NOT ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. I, UM, I FILED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS SINCE THEN, NO INVESTIGATION. THEY'RE IMMEDIATELY CLOSED. AND THE CURRENT ONE IS ALMOST THREE MONTHS OLD. AND I'VE HEARD NOTHING FROM ANYONE. I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY I AM NOT ABLE TO SPEAK EVEN AS AN OFFICER, NOT EVEN NOW NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK AND I'M NOT BEING HEARD. I FOLLOWED POLICY 200 DASH THREE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I COMPLETED THAT REPORT FOR THE JUVENILE FEMALE. I, IT'S VERY DISTURBING. SHE HAD TO SIT AND WAIT 45 MINUTES. THE OTHER CORRECT, THE OTHER CASE, FEMALE, SHE WAS ASSAULTED. SHE HAD A BLOODY NOSE CALL, SIT THERE, CODED ONE WAY ON 10 O' WE'RE CLOSE TO 10 O'CLOCK. I GET THE CALL, I'M HAVING TO ADVISE THEM WHY ARE THEY WAITING SO LONG, BUT I DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, MARK CARTER. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING PANEL IN THE MAYOR. THE MAIN CONCERN IS SOUTHWEST HOUSTON, WHERE PROSTITUTION IS VERY, VERY BAD. AND, UH, THE YOUNG LADIES, THEY DRESS HALF NAKED. WHEN THE PATROL OFFICERS COME OUT, IT TAKES THEM A RESPOND TIME OF 35 MINUTES OR BETTER. AND THEY'LL WATCH THESE YOUNG LADIES AND DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. UH, I KNOW YOU CAN GET THEM FOR DECENT EXPOSURE. HALF OF 'EM ARE VIOLENT AND THE OFFICER DOES NOT ANYTHING ABOUT IT. IT'S, THAT'S AT 9,800 CENTRAL PARKWAY. AND, UH, IT'S VERY TOUGH OVER THERE WHEN YOU HAVE, UH, OFFICERS THAT COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THEY CLAIM WHEN THEY GET 'EM DOWN TO FILE CHARGES ON THEM, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY WON'T ACCEPT CHARGES AND THEY BOAST AND SAID, WELL THEN THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO NOTHING TO US. WE GONNA BOND OUT. WELL THEN MY THING IS THAT WHY ISN'T IT SO MUCH TIGHTER IN THAT AREA OVER THERE IF CRIME IS SO BAD OVER THERE AND TRAFFICKING, THEY'RE MINORS, SOME OF THEM. AND, UH, I DON'T SEE WHY THE FEDERAL LAW DON'T STEP IN BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE MINORS AND THE PROSTITUTES, THEY JUST PARADE UP AND DOWN THE SIDEWALKS. I DO COMMISSION SECURITY IN THAT AREA. AND, UH, ONE YOUNG LADY WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO JAIL FOR CRIMINAL TRESPASSING, BUT THE, UH, OFFICER THAT WORKS THAT BEAT, HE DID NOT TAKE HER TO JAIL. AND I'M WONDERING WHY ALL THESE VIOLATIONS AND CRIMES ARE COMMITTED. WHY ARE THEY ABLE TO DESTROY THAT? IT'S NOT A RESIDENTIAL AREA, IT'S A BUSINESS AREA. AND IT'S VERY TOUGH. IT'S LIKE THEY'RE WORKING WITH SOME OF THOSE YOUNG LADIES BECAUSE I KNOW THEY HAVE WATCH OUT PEOPLE AND EVERYTHING, BUT YET STILL, YOU JUST DON'T DO IT LIKE THAT. I MEAN, LIKE, THEY KNOW WHEN THE OFFICERS ARE COMING AND EVERYTHING. IT JUST DOESN'T PAN OUT. AND I'M JUST WONDERING WHY YOU CAN'T HAVE A UNIT TO COME OVER THERE AND SIT IN THAT AREA TO CLEAN THAT AREA UP. I MEAN, BECAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA GO AWAY. THE GIRLS ARE NOT GONNA GO AWAY. SO I'M JUST ADDRESSING MYSELF AND MY CONCERNS AS MUCH MORE. BUT I DON'T WANNA WASTE YOU ALL TIME. I JUST WANT TO [02:25:01] TOUCH THE BASICS. AND THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO TELL YOU ALL TODAY. THANK YOU, MR. CARTER. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD POLLARD. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIMMON. THANK YOU MR. CARTER FOR COMING FORWARD. UH, I SHARE YOUR CONCERN AND YOUR FRUSTRATION, UH, WITH THIS ISSUE, WHICH IS A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE BECAUSE IT DEALS NOT ONLY WITH, UH, PROSTITUTION AS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE, BUT ALSO, UM, MENTAL ABUSE, UM, UM, ALSO SUBSTANCE ABUSE, MENTAL ILLNESS AND OTHER THINGS. BUT AS IT PERTAINS TO JUST THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PIECE, UH, WHAT I HAVE STRESSED, UM, TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, IT IS FOR US TO WORK AS A COLLECTIVE. HPD ONLY CAN DO, BUT SO MUCH. BUT WHEN YOU ADD IN HPDA, EAF, ISD, METRO, YOU KNOW, CONSTABLE PRECINCT FIVE FIVE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ON HOW WE CAN INCREASE PRESENCE AND PATROL AND AT THE SAME TIME, WORK WITH OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES THERE TO, UM, BE ABLE TO TAP INTO THEIR, UM, SECURITY FEEDS, BUT ALSO PUT MORE, UM, SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS UP IN THE AREA SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE EYES ON WHAT'S HAPPENING. UM, RECENTLY LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE PASSED A, UH, A LAW THAT TACKLED, UM, SOLICITATION. SO IT MADE SOLICIT SOLICITATION OF A PROSTITUTE, A FELONY. AND WAIT, WE DID THAT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO START FOCUSING ON THE JOHNS AND CUT OFF THE MONEY SOURCE. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE VERY CREATIVE IN FINDING WAYS NOT ONLY TO ADDRESS THE PROSTITUTES THAT ARE OUT THERE, BUT FIND WAYS TO GET THEM THE HELP THAT THEY NEED AS WELL. SO IT'S A, IT'S A, A BIG ISSUE. MY OFFICE IS TRYING TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO ADDRESS IT. YOU ARE RIGHT WHEN YOU HEAR THAT THEY, THEY GET ARRESTED AND THEY'RE BACK ON THE STREET TOMORROW. THAT'S A DA ISSUE SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES A JUDICIAL ISSUE. AND WE'RE JUST THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SO WE ONLY CAN DO BUT SO MUCH. BUT I WILL PASS YOU MY CARD SO THAT YOU CAN STAY IN TOUCH WITH MY OFFICE BECAUSE WHAT WE NEED ARE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE AREA TO BE ABLE TO GIVE US IDEAS AND SOLUTIONS AS WELL. AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. THANK YOU. AND, UH, AND THANK YOU MR. MR. CAR AND, AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S POINT. OKAY. UM, IT WAS HOUSE BILL, I THINK IT'S 1540 THAT MADE, UH, SOLICITATION OF A PROSTITUTE A FELONY CRIME AS WELL. COUNCIL MEMBER ABEY CAMAN THAT A SECOND DEGREE FOR THOSE, A SECOND DEGREE FELONY FOR THOSE YOUNG LADIES IN THE FIRST DEGREE FOR THE LONG JOHNS. IT, IT IS NOT ANY, IT IS NOT A FELONY FOR THE WOMEN. IT ONLY FOCUSES ON THE, UH, THE, THE JOHN SOLICITATION, THE SOLICITOR. AND, AND JUST TO ADD ONTO THAT, I MEAN, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, YOU NAILED IT. UM, THE FOCUS AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND I WILL SAY THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS ON THOSE SOLICITING THE BUSINESS AND THE PIMPS AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BRINGING THESE WOMEN, UM, INTO THE, AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THESE WOMEN. AND YOU SPOKE A LOT ABOUT, UM, SEX TRAFFICKING AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING. AND AS WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THAT, UM, FOR THESE WOMEN WHO ARE ALSO VICTIMS, UM, IT'S GETTING THEM WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND HELP, BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH IF THEY WON'T ACCEPT SOME, ACCEPT SOME OF THAT SUPPORT. BUT AGAIN, THE FOCUS CONTINUES TO BE ON, UM, SUPPORTING OUR BUSINESSES WHILE ACTUALLY ADDRESSING THOSE THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. SO IT'S, IT'S AGAIN, A HIGHLY COMPLEX ISSUE. I APPRECIATE YOU COMING, SPEAKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION. SAY JUST ONE MORE TIME. YOU SAID THAT PRECINCT FIVE AND METRO POLICE AND HPD WAS TO COME TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER. NOW THEY, THEY DON'T WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE THE SHELTER BELONGS TO METRO AND HPD WILL SEE THEM. IN OTHER WORDS, NOBODY'S GONNA DO OTHER WORK. YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE, THE BUCKETS GONNA BE PASSED TO THE OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND THAT THEY'RE NOT WORKING TOGETHER. BUT IF WE DO WORK TOGETHER, THAT'S GONNA BE THE ONLY WAY IN WHICH WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL PUSH. OKAY. YES, SIR. APPRECIATE TIME. HOLD ON. MR. CARTER. MR. CARTER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS. YES, MA'AM. HI, I'M WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND, AND I KNOW YOU, UM, I BELIEVE YOU LIVE IN DISTRICT, IS IT KJ IN DISTRICT J? YOU LIVE IN J SOUTHWEST? IT'S SOUTHWEST HOUSTON. AND JAY, THAT'S YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER. SO RIGHT THERE, BUT LEMME TELL YOU. SO I, UM, I LIVE IN ALE AND I TAKE THE BELTWAY AND THE FREE EXIT OFF OF BINET TO GET HOME EVERY DAY. AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF TIMES HALF DRESSED WOMEN WALK ACROSS PAST MY CAR AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE BELTWAY THREE TIMES A WEEK. AND I'M ALWAYS IN AWE THAT IT'S 3:00 PM OR 5:00 PM OR 1:00 AM AND THIS IS THE ACTIVITY THAT'S HAPPENING. BUT I [02:30:01] WILL TELL YOU, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE RAISING CONCERN ABOUT, UM, THE PROSTITUTES OR THOSE THAT MAY BE TRAFFICKED ON LABOR DAY WEEKEND, I RECEIVED MORE TEXT MESSAGES FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVED OFF OF CLUB CREEK. 'CAUSE IT WAS AN EXTENDED, IT WAS AN EXTENDED WEEKEND. THEY GOT PAID AND THEY WAS ON CLUB CREEK AND BINET, AND THERE WAS A LINE OF CARS, ALWAYS LINE OF CARS, RIGHT? AND SO ALSO, WE HAD A, THERE WAS A PEAK IN THAT AREA WHEN THE STIMULUS CHECKS CAME, THEY GOT THEIR MONEY AND THEY WAS BACK ON THE STREET. SO WE, WE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE WOMEN, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE, UM, UH, THOSE THAT ARE PURCHASING THIS PRODUCT, UM, THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY CANNOT COME INTO THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND CONTINUE TO DO THIS BECAUSE IT IS DANGEROUS. AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER MOTION SIX IN. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU. UM, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD EARLIER LAST YEAR DID BRING DIFFERENT GROUPS TOGETHER, SCHOOL DISTRICT, METRO COUNTY, TO REALLY HAVE MORE OF A PUBLIC FACING CAMPAIGN AROUND THIS. BUT IT IS A REAL ISSUE. AND WE DO NEED THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS NOT TO BE AFRAID, UM, TO, UM, TALK ABOUT THIS AND TO HELP US CONTRIBUTE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS NOT HAPPENING. 'CAUSE WE DO NEED EVERYONE TOGETHER. BUT IT'S, IT'S MULTI-PRONGED AND, BUT IT'S A REAL ISSUE. IT, IT'S A REALLY, REALLY ISSUE. I JUST, JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR COMMENTS 'CAUSE I LIVE IN THAT AREA AND I SEE IT EVERY DAY. UM, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THERE IS A LOT THAT HPD HAS DONE. THERE'S A LOT THAT, UM, COUNCIL OFFICE HAS DONE. THERE'S A LOT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAS DONE IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THIS. BUT WE REALLY HAVE TO JUST KEEP OUR FOOT ON THE GAS. THANKS AGAIN. OKAY. THANKS. NEXT SPEAKER, VICTOR REED TO BE FOLLOWED BY JESSE ESCALANTE. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. HELLO. MY NAME IS VICTOR REED, AND, UH, I'M TRYING TO BRING THE GREEN TO HOUSTON. YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, IT'S DIFFERENT THINGS THAT'S GOING ON WITHIN THE CITY THAT HAD WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. BUT THERE'S ONE THING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. IT'S GREENING OUR CITY. YOU KNOW, I I I, I CAME FROM AUSTIN, AND THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING, THERE NEEDS TO BE DONE HERE. WE NEED TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN ON WHAT THE GREEN IS ALL ABOUT. AND THAT'S GOING TO THE SCHOOLS, WHICH I CAN BE DOING WITH BLACK ECONOMIC TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION. AND, UH, IT'S GONNA BE DONE. SECONDLY, I CAME INTO THE CITY HALL LAST WEEK, AND THEM, PEOPLE WOULD NOT LET ME IN WITHOUT ID, I DON'T THINK THAT'S RIGHT, TO A CERTAIN DEGREE AS JUST LIKE JIM CROW. YOU GOTTA HAVE AN ID TO VOTE. WHAT KIND OF MESS IS THAT? YOU GOTTA HAVE AN ID TO COME INTO THIS PLACE TO VERIFY WHAT THEY WANT DONE. AND WHEN YOU SEPARATE THE PEOPLE LIKE THAT, IT'S NOT A GOOD THING. IT'S, IT IS A PREJUDICE THAT'S GOING ON WITHIN OUR CITY, WITHIN THIS CITY. AND I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD GET DONE LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, I FEEL FOR THE CITY, AND I FEEL FOR THE CITIZENS THAT'S GOING ON IN THIS CITY. IF THEY CAN'T COME IN HERE AND HAVE A COMPLAINT, IF THEY CAN'T COME IN HERE, VOICE THEIR OPINION, THIS IS WHAT THIS PLACE IS ALL ABOUT. IT'S ALL ABOUT HAVING THE COMFORT, THE COMING TO THIS PLACE AND TO PROTEST OR TO DO ANYTHING THAT THEY WANT TO DO EXCEPT HURT SOMEBODY. AND, UH, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING IN HOUSTON. I, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THAT HAPPENED TO ME. BUT, UH, THINGS ARE GONNA CHANGE. THINGS ARE REALLY GOING TO CHANGE IN THIS. AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, JESSE ESCALANTE TO BE FOLLOWED BY SIRA PAGE. EXCUSE ME, ONLY ONE PERSON. UM, YEAH. YES. SIT DOWN. THANK YOU. HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON. HOW Y'ALL DOING? CITY COUNCIL MAYOR, THANK YOU. HEY, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR FOR THE CAKE. , BLESS YOU. ANYWAY, WE LOVE YOU. HEY, THANK YOU. GOOD TO BE HERE. UH, I AM JESSE ESCALANTE, MR. MAYOR, UH, MR. UH, REVEREND REVEREND CLARK. HE'S REAL, PERSONALLY, HEART TO ME. WE GO TO INSPIRE CHURCH. HE JUST WANTED TAKE, WANT ME WHAT I TELL YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TELL YOU, AND MUCH BLESSINGS. AND, UH, JUST ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, WE, UH, BURIED MR. UH, OMAR. ER I [02:35:01] REMEMBER DEPUTY, UM, UH, OMAR. WE BURIED HIM IN INSPIRED CHURCH. AND, UH, UH, WOW. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL, UH, GOING HOME. AND, UH, IT IS JUST SO THAT, UH, WITH THE CRIME WAS GOING ON. AND IT WAS A ROAD RAGE SITUATION THAT WE FOUND OUT. AND I WOULD THANK HOUSTON TOGETHER. HOUSTON'S NOW KICKING CRIME. AND, UH, THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT IT IS, UH, I, I, I'VE CAME ACROSS HERE ABOUT A FEW MONTHS AGO AND, UH, AND I CAME UP WITH A PLAN. IT WAS JUST OUTTA RESPECT TO CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR, UH, TO COME UP WITH THESE POSITIVE MESSAGES. I HAVE OVER A HUNDRED BILLBOARD SIGNS THAT, UH, IT JUST, IT, WE KNOW IT, IT'S COST, IT COSTS MONEY TO PUT THESE UP, BUT THE, THE MESSAGES ARE SO, I MEAN, IT, THEY'LL GET TO YOUR HEART. 'CAUSE IT'S THINK, UH, THINK-HOUSTON.ORG. UH, THE FACT OF THE MATTER, IF YOU PULL THE TRIGGER, ONE WILL LIVE, ONE WILL DIE, ALL WILL CRY. THESE ARE JUST MESSAGES THAT GET TO YOUR MIND. AND WE HAVE TO SOW THE SEED OF GREATNESS IN PEOPLE'S HEARTS. ESPECIALLY WHAT HAPPENED OVER HERE AT THE HEIGHTS THE OTHER DAY WHEN, UH, THE, THE WHOLE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS DOWN THERE, BASICALLY. SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE CONSTANTLY, UH, BEING ABLE TO, UH, SOW THESE SEEDS OF GREATNESS, I HAVE A, UH, A CURRICULUM FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLERS, UH, AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH IS 12 BOYS. WE ALL REMEMBER DARE, RIGHT? DARE, UH, UH, MS. REAGAN PUT THAT TOGETHER. WE, WE, UH, CYBER BULLY, UH, BULLYING, UH, WE HAVE, UH, ALSO A CADILLAC CUTTING. THESE ARE JUST BOARDS OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS TO PUT THIS IN THEIR MIND. UH, I'M SURE SOME OF Y'ALL REMEMBER THE BOOK, UH, BY, UH, JAMES ALLEN, UH, AS A MAN THINKETH, WE MADE A CURRICULUM STRAIGHT FOR THE SENIOR HIGH AND ALSO FOR THE, UH, THE, THE, THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. IT'S CALLED STOP SURRENDER, YOUR THOUGHTS OFFENDING PEOPLE AND PARENTS. YOU SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. WE GOTTA CATCH THESE LITTLE GUYS AT A YOUNG AGE. AND THE SAD THING ABOUT IT IS WHEN YOU HAVE A LITTLE FOURTH, UH, FOURTH GRADE THROWING OBJECTS AT THEIR PARENTS OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, IT BREAKS MY HEART TO SEE THAT. SO, UH, THE, SO THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT IT IS, UH, GETTING INVOLVED. AND, UH, I KNOW ELECTION TIME IS COMING A GREAT TIME TO GET INVOLVED IN SOMETHING. GREAT. I KNOW THAT THE HISD DID REACH OUT TO ME, BUT I REACHED OUT TO THEM AND I NEVER GOT ANY FEEDBACK FROM IT. BUT, UH, I'M JUST, UH, IT'S ALL ABOUT BASICALLY JUST SOWING THE SEED OF GREATNESS AND TO THE FREEWAY. I HAVE IT IN SPANISH AND TOO, I HAVE SPANISH BILLBOARDS THAT HAVE TO GO UP. UH, THEY CAN GO UP TO, BECAUSE WE AT WHAT, 48% HISPANICS KEEP, UH, HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, SOLE THE SEED OF GREATNESS INTO HISPANIC PEOPLE TOO. 'CAUSE, UH, MOST OF THESE, UH, KILLINGS ARE DONE BY HISPANICS AS WELL. SO, I MEAN, I, MY NAME IS JESSE ESCALANTE HERE TO SERVE HOUSTON. AND WE CAN, UH, IF THERE'S ANY GRANT GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR, UH, FOR THANK HOUSTON, I'D LOVE TO SEE IF I CAN, UH, DEFINITELY BE ABLE TO LATCH INTO THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ESCALANTE. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANTI-VIOLENCE, UH, MESSAGES. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. THANK Y'ALL. Y'ALL HAVE A NICE HERE. YOU, THIS IS FOR THE EXPO. WE HAVE, UH, THIS WEEKEND AT THE INSPIRE CHURCH. RENEE WILL GIVE, GET THAT DISSEMINATED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. ENJOY Y'ALLS DAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS. BLESSINGS. YES. NEXT SPEAKER. RAZZI PAGE. ZA PAGE. NEXT SPEAKER. MARY EDWARDS. MARY EDWARDS. NEXT SPEAKER MAN. ECKERS MAN, SIR. ECK EDWARD. NEXT SPEAKER. QUA DAWSON. QUA DAWSON. NEXT SPEAKER. MOHAMED ANI. HELLO, I'M HERE. IT'S, WE CAN HEAR YOU. YES. MS. DAWSON? YES. MOHAMED SANI, CORRECT. THIS QUA I HERE? NO, THIS MS. DAWSON DAW DAWSON, CAN I SPEAK? GO AHEAD, MS. DAWSON, WE CAN HEAR YOU. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU TO, UH, APPRECIATE CITY COUNCIL AND HAVE TO GO DAM MAYOR TURNER. SO, MY REASONS FOR PRESENTING ENLIGHT YOU ALL TODAY IS WHO'S WATCHING, WHO OVERSEEING DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS THE CITY OF HOUSING AND GRANT PROGRAMS LIKE THE CITY OF HOUSTON HARVEY HOPE PROGRAM. I'VE BEEN IN THIS PROGRAM SINCE THE END OF 2017. AND THIS HAS NOT BEEN A PLEASURE FOR ME. IT'S BEEN OVER FIVE YEARS, AND THINGS IN BLOCKADES HAVE BLOCKED ME FROM PROGRESSING THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. MS. KENISHA LONDON, ALL THROUGH THIS PROGRAM HAVE SENT ME TO 12 DIFFERENT PEOPLE, IGNORED MY CALLS AND COMMUNICATION ALL THE WAY TO THE FACT THAT I HAD TO FILE COMPLAINTS TO THE GLO TO GET SOME TYPE OF RESOLVE. I EVEN HAD A TITLE ISSUE ON MY HOME, WHICH THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHOLE HEALTH PROGRAM REFERRED ME TO MR. BARNES, WHO STATED HE COULD NOT HELP ME EVEN THOUGH HE HAD THE $6 MILLION TO CLEAR TITLE ISSUES. SO THEREFORE, HE STATED THE CITY WAS NOT RESPONDING TO HIM. [02:40:01] FAST FORWARD, UNFORTUNATELY, SUPPORT WAS COMMITTED ON MY NAME AS WELL AS MY DEED. I HAD TO HIRE ATTORNEYS TO CLEAR A HUNDRED PERCENT OWNERSHIP OF MY HOME AS WELL AS MY NAME. I WENT THROUGH ALL THE TIER ONE, TIER TWO PROCESS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHO STATED ONCE MY TITLE GOT CLEARED, I WOULD BE WELCOME BACK IN THE PROGRAM. THEY REFERRED ME TO THE TIER THREE APPEAL WITH GLO, WHO STATED I HAD A HUNDRED PERCENT OWNERSHIP OF MY HOME CLEAR TITLE LOAN, UH, WITH A LETTER FROM THE GLO. MS. KENISHA, ALONG WITH HER STAFF, STILL DENIED MY REQUEST OF A HUNDRED PERCENT OWNERSHIP TO CONTINUE IN THE WHOLE HAT PROGRAM, ALTHOUGH THE GLO APPROVED ME TO CONTINUE IN THE PROGRAM. MY QUESTION HERE TODAY, WHO IS RUNNING WHO ALL WE REQUESTED WAS A LETTER FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT CERTIFIED THAT I HAD A HUNDRED PERCENT OWNERSHIP OF MY HOME. AND TO ALSO VALIDATE THE GLO, UH, TIER THREE APPROVAL LETTER, THE OWNERSHIP OF THE A HUNDRED PERCENT OWNERSHIP OF MY HOME. WE EVEN MET WITH MR. KEITH BY, WHO DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ANY RESULTS. WHO MET MS. CHE LONDON ONE, THE PROGRAM. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU, CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR HOUSTON, WHO IS WATCHING OVER THE CITY OF HOUSTON DEPARTMENT HOUSING DEPARTMENT PROGRAM, AND HE IS ALSO MONITORING THIS HARVEY HOPE, UH, RECOVERY MONEY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, I AM GOING TO PASS YOUR EMAIL ON TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, UH, TIFFANY THOMAS. I KNOW SHE'S REALLY INTERESTED, BUT ALSO THE, UM, MY STAFF, STEVEN JAMES IS GOING TO REACH OUT TO TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN HELP YOU RESOLVE THIS. I MEAN, 2017 TILL NOW IS JUST UNFATHOMABLE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS. AND SO CERTAINLY I KNOW IT'S SOMETIMES VERY DIFFICULT FOR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE TO THE POINT OF RESOLUTION. BUT WE ARE GONNA TRY TO HELP YOU WITH THAT. AND, UH, I'M GONNA FORWARD THIS, UH, TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, BECAUSE SHE'S REALLY PHENOMENAL, UH, IN HER CAPACITY. AND WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO, TO TRY TO HELP YOU. AND I, I, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS FORWARD, AND I, I HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED THAT TO YOU. AND SO I THANK YOU AND JUST LOOK TO HEAR FROM EITHER COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, OR FROM STEVEN JAMES, MY CHIEF OF STAFF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES, SPEAKER. THANK YOU DR. SHABAZZ. I DID HEAR FROM, UH, YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF. MR. JAMES. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. DAWSON. NEXT SPEAKER, MOHAMMED SANI. MOHAM. SANI. NEXT SPEAKER, PATRIC. FORTIORI. GOOD AFTERNOON, FOLLOWED BY RONNIE WOODS. THANK YOU. UH, CITY COUNCIL. UH, MY NAME IS PATRICK FORTIORI. I AM A SUPERVISOR IN THE, UH, SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. UH, THIS IS THE SOLID TRASH TRASH DEPARTMENT. IN, UH, 2019, THE MAYOR COMMISSIONED A REPORT, UH, BEHIND THE TRASH MINGLING SCANDAL IN THE, UH, SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. ONE OF THE ITEMS OF THAT, ONE OF THE ITEMS OF THAT REPORT SAID THAT THE FIRST LINE SUPERVISORS ARE SUFFERING QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES IN REGARDS TO THE NUMBER OF HOURS IN WHICH WE ARE WORKING. IN MARCH OF 2020, UH, EXECUTIVE ORDER ONE DASH 61 CAME OUT, WHICH WAS TO ADDRESS EXEMPT EMPLOYEES, ARY TIME EMPLOYEES, UH, PAY GRADE 26. UH, AND UNDER SINCE THEN, I AND MY 23 OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE WORKED NO LESS THAN 80 HOURS EVERY WEEK. LEMME MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT. 80 HOURS EVERY WEEK, DESPITE EVERY ONE OF US, 80 HOURS WITHOUT ANY OF THE BENEFITS OF THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER, ONE DASH SIX ONE, WHICH, UH, SUPPOSED TO SUPPLY US WITH, UH, COMP TIME AND PAYMENT OR TIME, AND TO FORCE THE DIRECTOR OF THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT TO INSTITUTE ALTERNATING SCHEDULES TO GET US CLOSER TO SOMETHING APPROPRIATE. 50 HOURS. 60 HOURS. SO I'M HERE TO ASK YOU, WHY AM I WORKING 80 HOURS A WEEK? WHY ARE MY COLLEAGUES WORKING 80 HOURS A WEEK IN THE PRESENCE, IN THE PRESENCE OF THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER, ONE DASH SIX ONE, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO SUPPLY US RELIEF? DO YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE SUPERVISORS WORK 80 HOURS A WEEK? NOT TWO WEEKS A WEEK? DO YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISORS WORK 80 HOURS A WEEK? WE DO THINK ABOUT IT AS SUPERVISORS. IF WE ARE OUT THERE 80 HOURS A WEEK, GUESS [02:45:01] WHAT? OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE DRIVING THESE BLUE TRUCKS AND GREEN TRUCKS, THEY'RE ALSO OUT THERE WORKING 60, 70 HOURS A WEEK. DIFFERENCE IS THEY GET PAID OVERTIME. WE GET NO RECOGNITION. SOME OF THEM ARE MAKING $90,000. I'M MAKING 60. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UM, OUR NOTES ARE TELL US THAT YOU'RE REPRESENTING A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE EXEMPT EMPLOYEES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. AND MYSELF, CHIEF IN, IN EXEMPT EMPLOYEES BY LETTER OF CITY ORDINANCE LAWS, WHATEVER, ARE NOT OVERTIME ELIGIBLE. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. THE EXECUTIVE ORDER ADDRESSES NOT THE PAYMENT OF OVERTIME, BUT THE IMPLEMENTING OF A SYSTEM OF COMPENSATE, UH, COMPENSATORY TIME. RIGHT. SO, NUMBER ONE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR WORK. WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE IN SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. WE'VE HAD A, UM, A LOT OF ISSUES RELATED TO SOLID WASTE IN THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT PEOPLE ARE WORKING. BUT, UM, IT'S A $3 MILLION BACK PAY FOR YOUR ACCUMULATED, UH, COMPENSATORY TIME AS AN EXEMPT EMPLOYEE THAT GOES RIGHT TO CITY OF HOUSTON ORDINANCE. AND BECAUSE OF THAT ORDINANCE, YOU AND OTHER EMPLOYEES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR OVERTIME PAY. THAT IS CORRECT, BUT AGAIN, THE EXECUTIVE ORDER IS NOT, UH, TO PUT, UH, OVERTIME PAY IS, BUT TO SET A STRUCTURE FOR THE COMP, UH, COMPENSATORY TIME. AND THIS DEPARTMENT HAS NOT PUT THAT STRUCTURE IN PLACE. THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN WITH HUMAN RESOURCES TO SAY THAT WE'VE HAD THAT. SO IF THAT STRUCTURE WAS IN PLACE, WE WOULD AT LEAST HAVE THE OTHER ITEMS OF THE ORDER, WHICH WAS, UH, TO IMPLEMENT, UH, ALTERNATING SCHEDULES. HOW IS DIRECTOR WILFORK WITH THAT POSITION THAT YOU'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH WORKING WITH HR? ANY? YES. UM, I STARTED HERE IN JULY OF 2020 AND I JUST FOUND THE ORDER SIX MONTHS AGO. UH, AT THE, UM, RECOGNITION OF THE ORDER, I APPROACHED THE DIRECTOR AND ASKED THEM TO OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZE THE ORDER. UH, HE SAID THAT HE CAME TO CITY HALL TO IMPLEMENT SOME OTHER FORM OF, UH, OF AN AGREEMENT TO WHERE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT CAN FUNCTION. UH, HIS WORDS TO ME WAS THAT, UH, HE WAS TOLD THAT HE HAS AN EXECUTIVE ORDER AND HE NEEDS TO FOLLOW IT, AND THAT HAS NOT BEEN DONE. UH, AND SO WE ARE STILL ON THIS SCHEDULE OF WORKING EIGHT HOURS. OKAY. AND I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT, UH, MYSELF, JUST FOR ME, I'M AT OVER 3000 HOURS, OVER 40 HOURS. I DO NOT ACCUMULATE. WE DO NOT ACCUMULATE VACATION TIME PAST 40 HOURS. WE DO NOT ACCUMULATE SICK TIME PAST 40 HOURS. WE DO NOT GET, UH, THIS IS THE CONVERSATION IN WHICH I WAS HAVING WITH THE DIRECTOR. SURE, WE DO NOT GET COMPENSATE, UH, COMP TIME OFF OR COMP TIME PAID. AND I ASKED HIM FOR AN AUDIENCE WITH THE MAYOR TO BRING THAT TO THE ATTENTION OF, UH, CITY COUNCIL. UH, HE SAID THAT IF THAT WAS SOMETHING I WANTED TO DO, THEN I NEEDED TO DO THAT. AND SO HERE I AM TODAY. OKAY. UH, WE DISCUSSED, AND UNFORTUNATELY THE MAYOR'S LEFT, BUT I WILL GET THAT MESSAGE TO THE MAYOR. WE APPRECIATE, UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN Q. WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU AND THE OTHERS ARE DOING. UNFORTUNATELY, AS A COUNCIL BODY, WE ARE OBLIGATED AS WE TAKE AN OATH AND OATH OF OFFICE TO FOLLOW. CITY OF HOUSTON ORDINANCE. AND CITY OF HOUSTON ORDINANCE WILL NOT ALLOW US TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT I PROMISE YOU I WILL TAKE IT TO THE MAYOR AND DIRECTOR FR AND SEE EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE IN THAT PROCESS AND WHAT CAN BE DONE. LET ME RE IF YOU DON'T MIND, LET ME RESPOND JUST TO THAT, JUST REALLY QUICKLY. OKAY. REAL QUICK, AND THEN I HAVE TO GO TO THE COUNCIL NUMBER. THE EXECUTIVE ORDER YOU ARE CORRECT, IS IN CONFLICT WITH WHAT THE CITY POLICY SAYS. CORRECT. BUT IF THE EXECUTIVE ORDER OF THE POLICY WAS ENFORCED IN MARCH OF 2020, THEN WE, THERE IS SOME, UH, REMEDY OF RELIEF IN THERE. UH, AND THAT REMEDY OF RELIEF IS THAT IT SAYS THAT THE CITY ORDINANCE SAYS THAT YOU CANNOT TAKE ANY MORE THAN 40 HOURS OF COMP TIME, UH, PER QUARTER IN, IN A YEAR. AND THEN AFTER THAT QUARTER, YOU EITHER USE IT OR YOU LOSE IT. SO THERE IS A CONFLICT BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE ORDER AND THE CITY CODE. BUT EVEN IF WE WENT BY THE CITY CODE, EVEN IF THE EXECUTIVE ORDER DID NOT EXIST AND THAT STRUCTURE FOR COMP TIME WAS IN PLACE, THERE ARE THINGS THAT SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED. NUMBER ONE, WE WORKED ON MLK DAY, RIGHT? MM-HMM . THE CITY CHARTER SAYS THAT ON MLK DAY, ON, ON HOLIDAYS OF CITY COUNCIL, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET PAID COMP TIME. NOT JUST HOLIDAY TIME, BUT COMP TIME. GOT IT. NUMBER TWO, UH, EVEN WITHOUT THE EXECUTIVE ORDER, THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED IN THE CITY CODE, WE SHOULD BE GETTING A MAXIMUM OF 40 HOURS OF COMP TIME. SO WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN THAT EITHER. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ, FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY [02:50:01] ALCORN. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. THANK YOU. UH, MR. URI. YES. UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE A LAWYER, BUT YOU CERTAINLY HAVE MISSED YOUR CALLING IF YOU'RE NOT, BECAUSE YOU'RE MAKING A VERY GOOD CASE. AND I CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION WITH THE MAYOR AND THE, UH, MAYOR PROTI TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION OF THIS ISSUE. AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING FORWARD, AND I'M SURE YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR YOU TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF. AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, BUT WE WANT YOU TO FEEL APPRECIATED, AND I REALLY DO. THANK YOU. OKAY. JUST A RESPONSE TO THAT. WE DID MEET ON THE, UH, ROUTE ONE DAY. REMEMBER? UH, WE HAD THAT ISSUE IN THIRD WARD, AND WE, WE, WE SPOKE YES, MA'AM. YES, MA'AM. YES, MA'AM. WE WERE IN TEXAS, SOUTHERN, I THINK TEXAS, MA'AM? YES. I'M A GRADUATE OF TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, AND I DIGITIZED THE ARCHIVES OF, UH, FORMER CONGRESSMAN MICKEY LELAND. YES. ALSO, I RECALL CONVERSATION COUNCIL, YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN. THANK YOU, SIR, VERY MUCH FOR COMING. THIS IS A COMPLETELY UNSUSTAINABLE MODEL. ABSOLUTELY. AT THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. COMPLETELY UNSUSTAINABLE. NOBODY CAN WORK LIKE THIS. UM, I WILL REVIEW THE, THE EXECUTIVE ORDER AND, AND GET WITH, YOU KNOW, ASK QUESTIONS OF CITY LEGAL AND WHAT ARE, WHAT POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THE MAYOR WILL TOO. UM, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT FAIR , IT'S NOT FAIR WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO US. UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE. SO, UH, IT'S VASTLY UNDER-RESOURCED. I'M ON RECORD AS SAYING WE'VE GOTTA GET SOME RESOURCES OVER THERE, THE FORM OF A FEE OR HOWEVER IT COMES, BUT WE CANNOT, THIS IS AN UNSUSTAINABLE MODEL THAT WILL NOT, WE CAN'T EXPECT OUR EMPLOYEES TO, TO GO ON LIKE THIS. IT, IT'S HAVING A, UM, DISASTROUS EFFECT ON US, UM, AS FRONTLINE PEOPLE WORKING THESE TYPE OF HOURS. UM, WHAT'S YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE, OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDER? IS IT, IS IT HOUR FOR HOUR OR IT'S JUST YOU GET, YOU GET TO ACCUMULATE 40 HOURS OVER THE, OVER THE COURSE OF A OVER THE A QUARTER? WELL, I'LL, I'LL READ IT TO YOU. I HAVE IT HERE. IT SAYS THAT, UM, UM, EXEMPT EMPLOYEES ARE EXPECTED TO WORK AT LEAST 40 HOURS PER WEEK TO PERFORM THEIR REGULAR DUTIES. 4.2 IS EXPECTED. IT IS EXPECTED THAT AN EXEMPT EMPLOYEE WILL WORK ADDITIONAL HOURS TO COMPLETE THEIR REGULAR JOB DUTIES. 4.3. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS SHALL AUTHORIZE FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULES FOR EXEMPT EMPLOYEES TO ADDRESS ADDITIONAL HOURS WORKED DURING THE WORK WEEK. 4.4 EXEMPT EMPLOYEES ASSIGNED TO PAY GRADES 26 AND BELOW, WHICH IS THE SUPERVISOR AND SUPERINTENDENTS IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A COMPENSATORY TIME, COMPENSATORY TIME ON A STRAIGHT TIME, HOUR FOR HOUR BASIS UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE EMPLOYEE'S DIRECTOR AND THE APPROVAL OF THE HR, UH, DIRECTOR, SUBJECT TO THE CRITERIA AUTHORIZED BY THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. UM, I KNOW THIS VERY WELL BECAUSE I ASKED FOR, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. SO IT'S OUR, IT'S OUR FOLLOW, UH, THERE ARE SOME CONFLICTS WITH THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER IN THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. GOT IT. UH, AND I REVIEWED THIS. I ASKED FOR SOME, UH, GUIDANCE ON THE OUTSIDE, UH, FROM, UH, SOME LEGAL GUIDANCE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PRECEDENCE HERE. MM-HMM . RIGHT. AND, UH, THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN BACK, UH, WITH ME, THE DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR ANY TYPE OF, UH, RELIEF IN THIS PARTICULAR WAY. WELL, WE CAN CERTAINLY ASK QUESTIONS OF, OF THE, ABOUT THE CONFLICT WITH THE ORDINANCE AND THE POLICY, AND I INTEND TO, AND LASTLY, I'M, I'M COMPELLED THROUGH TRANSPARENCY TO SAY THIS. I, UH, ELEVATED THIS ISSUE, UH, WITH THE, UH, DEPARTMENT, UH, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. AND I GOT THE EMAIL ON YESTERDAY THAT THEY HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE THIS CASE AS A CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATION. SO ON THIS EVENING, AT SIX O'CLOCK, I WILL BE MEETING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ON THE VIOLATION OF OUR CIVIL RIGHTS. IN THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, THEY HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE THIS ON HERE. SO, UH, I'M VERY SERIOUS ON THIS. AND, UM, UH, THAT WILL BE THIS EVENING AT, UH, AT SIX O'CLOCK. UH, THAT'S SOMETHING I WAS SURPRISED BY THAT ON YESTERDAY. BUT THEY HAVE DECIDED TO, UH, LOOK INTO THIS MATTER ON IT. AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. I, UM, I HEARD YOU, I BELIEVE I'LL TALK TO AS ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF MY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE MAYOR IN THE MORNING, UH, FOUR THREE AND 4.4. EXTREMELY VAGUE. MY OPINION, I'M NOT A LAWYER, BUT THEY'RE EXTREMELY VAGUE WHEN THEY SAY MAYBE THEN THEY SAY MAYBE FOR A REASON. AND 4.3 JUST MEANS THAT AS EXEMPT EMPLOYEES, IF YOU WORK 20 HOURS ONE DAY, YOU KNOW, AND YOUR SUPERVISOR'S A SMART PERSON, THAT PERSON SHOULD SAY, HEY, DON'T COME IN IN THE MORNING. TAKE YOUR TIME OFF. WE GOT IT. YOU WORKED REALLY HARD LAST NIGHT. SO COMMON SENSE SHOULD BE THE RULE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE, [02:55:01] UM, WE'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES. AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR, YOUR MEETING TONIGHT AT SIX. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, RONNIE WOODS TO BE FOLLOWED BY NICK PATEL. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR ACTUALLY LETTING ME HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. UH, MY NAME IS RONNIE WOODS. LIKE I SAID, I AM A OWNER OR FOUNDER OF A COMPANY CALLED WOODS GUARDIAN, ANGEL, VA FOSTER CARE. I'VE HAD A VA FOSTER CARE HOME FOR THE LAST FOUR AND A HALF YEARS. LAST SEPTEMBER, I HAD A DEATH SITUATION. ALL THREE OF MY DEBT, UH, MY VETERANS DIED IN A WEEK'S TIME PERIOD, APART OF NATURAL CAUSES, AT LEAST I THOUGHT. UH, AND THAT TIME I DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW I WAS GOING TO TAKE IT. I HAVE BEEN TAKING CARE OF THESE VETERANS FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME. AND YOU DON'T KNOW HOW YOU ARE GONNA EXPERIENCE DEATH WHEN YOU HAVE THREE DEATHS THAT HAPPEN LIKE THAT. AND THAT PERIOD OF TIME OF MY GRIEVING, I WENT TO THE FUNERALS TO GET SOME CLOSURE AND, UH, IT KIND OF SET ME BACK IN MY LIFE. AND AS I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS LAST PAST YEAR, UH, IN JULY 20TH, I HAD A SITUATION THAT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY COULD PROBABLY OVERCOME. AND GOD PUT ME IN THIS SITUATION FOR A REASON. I FOUND MY CALLING IN LIFE. AND WHEN YOU FIND YOUR CALLING, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS. BUT I ACTUALLY HAD MY ONE THROUGH SEVEN VERTEBRAE REPLACED IN MY NECK, HAD SURGERY IN HIS NECK. I HAD TO TURN AROUND ONE THROUGH SEVEN. I'M SORRY, I HAD TO TURN AROUND. IT'S A PART OF THE WAY GOD IS GUIDING ME TO SAY. BUT I HAD ONE THROUGH SEVEN VERTEBRAE REPLACED IN MY NECK. I FELL IN THE BACK OF MY HOT TUB. I SEPARATED MY SIX AND SEVEN VERTEBRAE. AND THEN THAT, UH, I SUFFERED FOR ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE I ACTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET THAT PORTION OF MY NECK FIXED WHEN I SUFFERED AGAIN, WHEN A CAR RAN IN THE BACK OF MY CAR AND WE HIT FOUR OTHER CARS WHEN IT PINNED MY ONE THROUGH FIVE TO MY SPINAL CORD, ALONG WITH THE SIX AND SEVENTH VERTEBRAE, UH, I HAD IT FIXED AT BEN TOP. THERE'S THREE SUBJECTS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO COVER. AND THE SUBJECT MATTERS ARE FIRST, MY CIVIL RIGHTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED BY THE CITY OF HUMBLED. AND I KNOW THIS IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT IT ALL TIES IN TOGETHER. IF YOU WOULD JUST GIMME A MINUTE, I WAS TOLD I ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT WHAT I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT. BUT THIS IS THE POINT THAT I'M MAKING. I AM A HOMELESS MAN. I WAS PUT IN A POSITION TO BE HOMELESS ON JULY 20TH WHEN I WAS THROWN IN THE BACK OF A POLICE CAR WHEN I CALLED 9 1 1 WHEN I THOUGHT MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER. AND I WAS PUT ON A 24 HOUR DETENTION AND I WAS FED TO BE, UH, BODILY HARM TO MYSELF AND A DANGER TO OTHERS. AND WHEN I WAS SENT DOWN TO AU MPC, IT'S WHERE I WAS HELD. I'VE ONLY BEEN, I'VE BEEN TO AU MPC, I'VE BEEN TO KINGWOOD, MPC, I'VE BEEN TO, UH, SOUTHWEST GESNER. PC YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED AND I COULDN'T EVEN COMPLETE ANYTHING I HAD TO SAY, BUT I HOPE THAT CAN START AGAIN. I'LL GIVE YOU A MINUTE OF MY TIME IF YOU JUST TAKE THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO SUM UP, WHERE ARE YOU NOW? WITH, WITH I, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE GIVE, GETTING A CALL IN, IN LIFE. UH, WHERE ARE YOU TODAY? I'M HOMELESS. I'M AT THE BEACON. I WAS TOLD THAT, YES, HERE IN HOUSTON, I'VE BEEN HOMELESS FOR THE LAST 70 DAYS, IS HOW I'VE BEEN IN THIS SITUATION. AND I'M IN, I HAD A JOB, I HAD AN APARTMENT, I HAD MY LIFE. AND BEFORE ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED FOR A SIMPLE DETENTION FOR ME TO GO TO, FOR ME TO LOSE MY LIFE AND MY LIVELIHOOD. 'CAUSE A POLICE OFFICER DECIDED HE WANTED TO TAKE IT IN HIS HANDS AND THROW ME IN THE BACK OF HIS TRUCK. I DON'T FEEL IT'S FAIR. AND RIGHT NOW, I DON'T HAVE A DIME TO MY NAME. I DON'T HAVE MY, MY FAMILY PUT A RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST ME 'CAUSE THEY THINK I WAS GOING TO COME OUT AND KILL THEM. 'CAUSE MY LIVELIHOOD HAS BEEN TAKEN. AND ALL I'M HERE TO DO, SIR, IS TRY TO GET MY LIVELIHOOD BACK AND GET BACK INTO SOCIETY. I HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE AND I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. AND, UH, SO, SO A QUESTION FOR YOU. UM, WE HAVE A PHONE NUMBER FOR YOU. IT STARTS WITH 3, 4, 6. IS THAT THE WAY YOU 3, 4 6. GOT IT. YES. OKAY. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO CONTINUE THE NUMBER? NO, LET, LET ME TALK WITH DIRECTOR EICHENBAUM AND SEE EXACTLY. APPARENTLY ARE YOU, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NO LONGER AT THE BEACON, CORRECT? NO LONGER AT THE BEACON. I'VE BEEN STAYING ON THE STREETS LAST NIGHT. I [03:00:01] WAS THREATENED WITH A KNIFE. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AT THE BEACON. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON DOWNTOWN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MEDICAL CENTER. I'VE WENT TO THE MEDICAL CENTER OVER 35 TIMES AND THE LAST PAST MONTH AND A HALF I'VE WENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM JUST TO SEEK SHELTER. 'CAUSE SHELTER, I'M SORRY, BUT BECAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE IN HOUSTON THAT THEY CLAIM THE RESOURCES THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AT STAR OF HOPE. THEY DON'T DO ANY INTAKE ON THE WEEKENDS. THEY DON'T DO ANY INTAKE DURING THE WEEK EXCEPT FOR EIGHT TO ONE. AND THERE'S NO RESOURCES. I'VE BEEN CALLING THESE PEOPLE. THANK YOU MR. WOODS AND I, UH, APPRECIATE THE POSITION YOU'RE IN. LET ME TALK WITH DIRECTOR EICHENBAUM AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET BACK WITH YOU AT THE NUMBER THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED TO US. I THANK YOU FOR THAT. YOU SPEAK SIR. THANK YOU. GOD BLESS. GOD BLESS YOU. THANKS. NEXT SPEAKER, NICK FATEL. NICK PATEL. BLESS YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. ZACHARY AYERS TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANTHONY ROBERSON. BLESS YOU SO FAR. 'CAUSE I'M TIRED. IS IT READY OR MUST I PRESS THE BUTTON? GO AHEAD. ALRIGHT. TO THE BELOVED OF THE CITY COUNCIL, MY HONOR, BEING HONORED WITH THE SERVICE OF STATE, BUT WITH THE SUBSTANCE OF FREEDOM OF THE BEHAVIORAL OF THE POLICE OFFICER, I DO WISH TO BRING FORTH THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE EDUCATION AND THE MENTALITY OF THE POLICE OFFICER DURING PROTECTION OF THE HOUSEHOLD RATHER THAN PROTECTION OF SLAVERY. UM, THEY USED TO BE CALLED WATCHMEN. UM, BOTH THE STATE AND THE CITY ARE SEGREGATED KINGDOMS THAT MUST BE COMBINED SO THAT THE SURVIVAL OF THE POLICE OFFICER TO BE POSSIBLE. INSTEAD OF ATTEMPTING TO SOLVE BOTH THE ISSUE OF STATE AND CITY, WE SHOULD COMBINE THE TWO TO ENSURE THE SURVIVAL OF ALL PERSONS WITHIN THE EMPIRE OF HARRIS COUNTY. MORE SPECIFICALLY, OUR MISDIAGNOSIS OF THE PURPOSE OF THE POLICE OFFICER SHOULD BE IN THE OLD RELIC OF THE PAST. A COMMON TERMINA TERMINOLOGY FOR THE SYSTEM THAT WORKS TO EXIST AS BOTH A STATE AND A CITY HAS BEEN OBTAINED. THE PHRASE PEACEFUL DYSTOPIA IS NOT THE DESCRIPTION OF A STATE NOR CITY, BUT OF EXISTENCE OF AN EMPIRE, MANKIND TO CHIEF PERFECTION. SO IT'D BE LIKE, UM, EMPIRE OF HARRIS COUNTY. UM, UH, LET'S SEE. THE EMPIRE OF MANKIND SHALL ONLY REMAIN PERFECT BECAUSE OF ITS MENTAL GROWTH AND ITS CAPACITY TO LEARN AS THE PEACEFUL ENGINEER OF HARRIS COUNTY, OURS SHALL FIGHT WITH BE THE PEOPLE FOR THE REACTIVE TREATMENT OF THE POLICE OFFICER, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR COMING. NEXT SPEAKER ANTHONY ROBERSON. UH, NEXT SPEAKER. CHARLIE JONES. I DIDN'T HEAR YOU. IS MR. JONES ONLINE? STAR SIX. MR. JONES. IF YOU'RE ONLINE, YOU CAN PUSH STAR SIX TO UNMUTE NEXT SPEAKER. ILI MONTOYA REVIS. HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM. GO AHEAD. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M SORRY I COULDN'T BE THERE TODAY. I WANNA WISH A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. PHYLLIS , UH, TO, UH, MAYOR, UH, SYLVESTER TURNER. UH, I WANNA TELL HOUSTON THAT, UH, I'M A HAPPY, UH, UH, SHE WAS BORN NINE TWENTY TWO, UH, 22. SO I'M, UH, VERY HAPPY ON, UH, OTHER SUBJECTS. I DON'T HAVE AN EVICTION. THAT'S MY TOPIC. UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, I HAVE BEEN CALLING HPD TO THE APARTMENT COMPLEX. SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS GOT UPSET BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME, UH, PEOPLE KICKING, UH, LADIES, UH, SOME, UH, DRUG DEALERS. UM, THAT'S MY UPDATE. AND RECENTLY I GOT A JOB AT THE AIRPORT AND WITH ONE OF, UH, THE COMPANIES IN CARGO. AND ALSO I CALL, UH, ON A WELFARE CHECK TO THE EXHUSBAND HOUSE FOR SOMETHING, UH, IRRELEVANT THAT HE DID. I WANNA THANK THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE CITY OFFICIALS, AND ALSO MAYOR TURNER FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE, UH, FOR ME, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS, UH, DIFFICULT SITUATION. I DO NOT HAVE COMMUNICATION WITH MY MOTHER BECAUSE, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, MR. UH, ROSERO AT ONE POINT, HE GOT, HE HAS A DRINKING PROBLEM. YOUR TIME HAS [03:05:01] EXPIRED. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU MS. RIVAS. WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. THANK YOU. SEE, THANK YOU MS. RIVAS. IS SHE? YES, MA'AM. THAT YOU HERE. HEY, I JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR JOB. THAT'S EXCITING. OH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES. IT SEEMS LIKE YOU CAME ON YOUR WAY, SO WE MISSED YOU HERE TODAY, BUT WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. THANK YOU. I, UH, THANK YOU MA'AM. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. OKAY. YOU HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER, THOMAS, CONGRATULATIONS MS. VIS, ON YOUR JOB. UM, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON BECOMING A GRANDMOTHER. YOU DON'T LOOK A DAY OVER 25. YOU LOOK GOOD. WE MISSED YOU TODAY, BUT WE GONNA SEE YOU NEXT WEEK AND CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, BE MESSING. ANGELA BOOKER. MS. BOOKER DOESN'T SEEM TO BE HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. GAYHEART GAY HART. MS. HAR IS HERE, BE FOLLOWED BY ANGEL CORTEZ. SHALOM. SHALOM. THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, PRAYER. BY THE WAY, THIS MOR THIS AFTERNOON. SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF, SORRY. UH, THIS IS JOURNEY WE, GOD, SO DOWN. UM, I CAME IN, UH, AUGUST AND GOT TO SHARE A JOURNEY WITH GOD. UH, MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE A MINISTRY THAT, UH, WE'RE PRAYER WARRIORS AND WE'VE COME INTO THE CITY. WE'VE GONE ON AUSTIN STREET TO THE HOMELESS, UH, FEEDING, UH, WHERE THE CHURCH HAS COME ON SATURDAYS AND A LOT OF THINGS WE'VE INVOLVED OURSELF WITH. AND I CAN SEE BY STAYING ALL DAY AS LONG AS WE'VE BEEN HERE, UM, WHAT Y'ALL HAVE TO GO THROUGH DAILY AT YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. AMEN. SO ALL I'M GONNA DO IS GIVE YOU SOME PEACE AND READ SOMETHING, UH, PEACEFUL FOR YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR SPIRITS. AND THIS IS MAX LATO GRACE FOR THE DAY. AMEN. AND THIS IS OUR LIFE CALLING OUR LOVING PROTECTOR. FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD RANGE THROUGHOUT THE EARTH TO STRENGTHEN THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE FULLY COMMITTED TO HIM. TWO CHRONICLES 16, NINE. LET US NEVER THINK, THINK THAT WE HAVE DRIFTED OUT OF THE SPHERE OF GOD'S LOVE. WE READ IN HIS LIVING WORD THAT HIS EYES RANGE THROUGHOUT THE EARTH IN ORDER TO HELP THOSE WHO PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIM. THE LORD ALWAYS KNOWS, WHO KNOWS WHO PLACES THEIR EXPECTATIONS IN HIM, HE SHELTERS THEM IN TIMES OF DANGER HAS EXPIRED. THAT WAS THREE MINUTES. THAT WAS THREE MINUTES. ONE MINUTE. WHY ONE MINUTE. WE'VE BEEN HERE ALL DAY. WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. I'M, I'M NOT THROUGH AM I? THAT'S FINE. WE, WE ONLY WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER AT THE MICROPHONE. THANK YOU, SIR. OH, I'M SORRY. AM I THROUGH? LEMME JUST FINISH. CAN I YOU YOUR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. UM, HOWEVER, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, THAT'S THREE MINUTES. NO, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. YOU WERE SIGNED UP FOR ONE MINUTE AGENDA TODAY. OH, NO ONE TOLD ME THAT COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU MA'AM. AND THANK YOU FOR THE, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE READING. UM, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE. I GIVE YOU MY TIME. OH, WELL LET ME FIND IT AGAIN. THANK YOU . IT'S JUST TO GIVE Y'ALL PEACE OF HEART AND SPIRIT. AMEN. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I APPRECIATE IT. WHAT A BLESSED PRIVILEGE IT IS TO HAVE SUCH A GOD AS OUR PROTECTOR. WHEREVER WE FIND OURSELVES WHILE LIVING WITHIN HIS WILL, WE CAN REST ASSURED THAT HIS EYES KEEP A LOVING WATCH OVER US AND IT IS READY TO HEAR WHEN WE CALL TO HELP WHEN WE NEED HIM. WE PRAISE YOUR GREAT NAME GOD BECAUSE YOU NEVER FORSAKE US AND WE ALWAYS TRUST IN YOU. AMEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. HAR WE'LL. AMEN. NEXT SPEAKER ONE ANGEL CORTEZ. THAT'S HEL HEL HEL CORTEZ TIME. MR. YOUR TIME IS RUNNING. I HAVEN'T STARTED YET. SHALOM. UH, ONE THING WE CAN'T FORGET IS THAT OUR IDENTITY IS STILL SPIRIT IN THE BODY. ALL THIS TOOK PLACE HERE WAS BEAUTIFUL. ALL OUR ETHNICITIES ARE GREAT, BUT IF WE LOSE OUR INTENTION OF TRUTH AND SPIRIT, WE'RE FORGOTTEN. AND THIS TURNS INTO A BABYLON ALL OVER. SO WHAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER IS THAT WHEN WE IGNORE GOD'S WORD TO BE OUR ETHICAL, MORAL PURPOSE OF HUMANITY, TO REMAIN AS HIS GLORY, WE'RE LEFT TO TAX COLLECTORS OF REGULATION IN THE NATION THAT WE NOW ARE BECOMING TO BE. SO LET US NOT FORGET THAT OUR INTENTIONS OF HUMANITY ARE GREAT AND HEALING OURSELVES, BUT WE'RE BEING TRAUMATIZED BY ALL THIS PHARMACA [03:10:01] STUFF THAT IS BEING PITCHED THROUGH ALL THIS TRANSHUMANISM THAT IS GOING ON. AND IF WE FORGET WHAT AN OUR INTENTION ARE AND IN WHAT IS HIS WORD THAT GAVE US CLARITY OF IS THAT WE ARE TO HOLD FIRST TO THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH. THANK YOU FOR THE PRAYERS OVER HERE. THERE ARE MANY PRAYERS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER MR. COR. I THINK IT'S SAD THAT WE WOULD JUST WATCH THE WHOLE BIRTHDAY TAKE PLACE. I THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY AND OVER TIME THAT WAS JUST WASTED. AND THE FACT THAT THIS MAN, MAN IS OVER THERE AND HURT THINGS TO BE DONE DECENT AND SUPPORT, I THINK IT'S REALLY SAD. WE'RE WATCHING OUR NEXT SPEAKER, KIMBERLY EKI. MISS EKI, IF YOU ARE ONLINE YOU CAN PUSH STAR SIX TO UNMUTE NEXT SPEAKER. TAWANA BRYANT. MS. BRYANT STAR SIX TO UNMUTE. NOPE, SHE'S NOT HERE. THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. [RECESS] OKAY, WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW AT 9:00 AM ITEM 36, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN ANDERSON AND KRIEGER LLP ITEM 37 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN AIKEN GUMP, STRAUS HOWARD AND FAILED LLP ITEM 38 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $50,000 IN NO CENTS OUT OF PARKS CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO EXISTING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WITH PROGRESSIVE AQUATICS INC. ITEM 39 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PARK AND LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS LANDLORD AND SHEPHERD 10 OWNER LLC AS TENANT ITEM 40 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 22 6 29 TO AMEND THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE RECOGNITION SERVICES BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND FLOCK GROUP INC. ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND WORK QUEST JANITORIAL SERVICES. ITEM 42 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $658,028 AND 57 CENTS OUT OF CONTRIBUTION FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HR GREEN INC. ITEM 43 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF ST. GEORGE PLACE. REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER ONE, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS ST. GEORGE PLACE ZONE ITEM 44 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF OLD SPANISH TRAIL ALAMEDA CORRIDOR RE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER SEVEN, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. OLD SPANISH TRAIL SLASH ALAMEDA CORRIDOR ZONE. ITEM 45 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF LAKE HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 10, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS LAKE HOUSTON ZONE ITEM 46, ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY OF HOUSTON. ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 21 10 54 RELATING TO RESCHEDULING OR POSTPONEMENT OF CERTAIN CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS TO POSTPONE THE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25TH AND WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 26TH, 2022. ITEM 47 ORDINANCE TO RE REMAIN THE ENTIRETY OF UNAPPROVED FOLEY STREET TO MARIN PARKWAY. ITEM 48, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING DEVELOPMENT CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND CONCESSION AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, AND BUFFALO. BIO PARTNERSHIP ITEM 49, ORDINANCE AMENDING PORTIONS OF CHAPTER 40, CHAPTER 32 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES BY ADDING SECTIONS RELATED TO RELATING TO BUFFALO BIO EAST PARK AND AMENDING PORTIONS OF CHAPTER 26 RELATING TO THE SAME. THIS ITEM SHOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM 48 ABOVE ITEM 50 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FY 2022 BURN DISCRETIONARY COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING GRANT ITEM 51 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR THE FY 2022 LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIME GUN INTELLIGENCE CENTER INTEGRATION INITIATIVE GRANT ITEM 52, EXCUSE ME, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION [03:15:02] FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, I'M SORRY, ITEM 52. ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES COPS FY 2022 COPS HIRING PROGRAM GRANT ITEM 53 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FY 2022 MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, HIGH PRIORITY GRANT. ITEM 54 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR THE FY 2022 HUMAN TRAFFICKING RESCUE ALLIANCE OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS. GRANT ITEM 55 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 56 ORDINANCE RELEASING CER CERTAIN TERRITORY CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY 25.01 ACRES OF LAND IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS AND WALLER COUNTY, TEXAS LOCATED AT 21 50 21 5 54 MARKET 360 2 WALLET, TEXAS, EXCUSE ME, 7 7 4 8 4 FROM THE EXTRA TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AND RELEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CITY OF WALLER IMPOSING A FIVE YEAR TIME PERIOD FOR THE CITY OF WALLER TO COMPLETE ANNEXATION OF THE RELEASE TERRITORY INTO ITS MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES. ITEM 57 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 28.04 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 5 5 8 FOR INCLUSION IN THIS DISTRICT. ITEM 58 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 0.1452 ACRES OF LAND TO PORTER MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT FOR INCLUSION IN THIS DISTRICT. ITEM 59 ORDINANCE IS CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 4.8670 ACRES OF LAND TO PORTER MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT FOR INCLUSION IN THIS DISTRICT. ITEM 60 ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 1.860 ACRES OF LAND TO PORTER MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT FOR INCLUSION IN THIS DISTRICT. ITEM 61 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND ASSESSMENT FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT KNOWN AS THE FOURTH MAIN FROM SAGEMONT LIFT STATION TO SOUTHEAST WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN FOR THE FLOW DIVERSION PROJECT. ITEM 62 ORDINANCE. FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF A MORE OR LESS 7,243 SQUARE FOOT PORTION OF EXCESS RIGHT OF WAY ADJACENT TO MEMORIAL DRIVE. ABANDONING THE EASEMENT TO CASTLE HILL, A TX NUMBER ONE LLC ITEM 63 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING FOR $840,000 AND NO CENTS. ITEM METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION D-D-S-R-F APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND A GEARY AND FIELDS LLP FOR STREET REHABILITATION PROJECTS. CONTRACT NUMBER ONE ITEM 64 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING 1,000,005 $500,000 IN NO CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY HOUSTON AND OUR CONSTRUCTION. CIVIL L-L-C-D-B-A-R CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOR KIRKWOOD PAVING AND DRAINAGE FROM BUFFALO BIO TO BRI FOREST DRIVE. ITEM 65 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,593,940 AND NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND WATER AND CONTRACT TO RELIANCE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LP FOR NEW FRONT EASEMENT RECONNECTIONS. ITEM 66 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $3,790,687 AND NO CENTS OUTTA METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION D-D-S-R-F AWARDING CONTRACT MAIN LANE INDUSTRIES LTD FOR WINFERN ROAD, CLAY ROAD TO WICK FOOT WING FOOT ROAD ITEM 67 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,489,251 AND 32 CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARD AND CONTRACT TO GRAVEL LLC FOR WILLOW MEADOW LIFT STATION REHABILITATION. THIS IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. NON-CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 68 TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE IN CONNECTION WITH THE BOND LEXINGTON BE HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH, 2022, [03:20:01] AT WHICH INTERESTED PERSONS WILL BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD ON THE PROPOSED PROPOSITIONS REGARDING THE ISSUANCE OF PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BONDS AND DIRECTOR CITY SECRETARY TO POST THE VOTER INFORMATION DOCUMENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW. HEARING DATES WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5TH AND 12 20 22 AT 6:00 PM AND WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 19TH, 2022 AT 9:00 AM MATTERS HELD. ITEM 69, ORDINANCE ADOPTING SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM GUIDELINES FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. TAG BY COUNCILMAN JACKSON. THIS WAS ITEM 12 ON AGENDA OF SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2022. ITEM 70, ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AND APPROVING A FORM OF MASTER CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT FOR CITY OF HOUSTON NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. THIS WAS, THIS SHOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER THE PASSAGE OF ITEM 69 ABOVE. THIS WAS TAB BY COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THIS WAS ITEM 13 ON AGENDA OF SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2022. ITEM 71 IS ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING. $15,600,000 AND NO CENTS, EXCUSE ME, OUT OF AIRPORT SYSTEM CONSOLIDATED. I TRIP A MT CONSTRUCTION FUND FOR PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES AGREEMENTS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON AVIATION ALLIANCE, A JOINT VENTURE IN PARSONS AND HJ RUSSELL, IAH TEAM, A JOINT VENTURE FOR THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. THIS WAS ALSO TAB BY COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THIS WAS ITEM 16 ON AGENDA OF SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2022. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE CONSULT SESSION OF SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2022. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULE. BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE ROOSEVELT FORMER CITY SECRETARY, MS. ANNA RUSSELL. SHE ALWAYS SAID DRIVE SAFE, DRIVE FRIENDLY, AND HAVE A NICE DAY IN THE ROOSEVELT CURRENT CITY SECRETARY PAT JEFFERSON. DANIEL, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. THANK YOU MADAM SECRETARY. THANK YOU. MY NUMBER ONE THING. WE ARE GONNA TRY TO BE FINISHED BY TWO, UH, TWO O'CLOCK TODAY. ALL [RECONVENE] RIGHT. IT IS, IT IS 9:00 AM ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 28TH, THE DAY AFTER SEPTEMBER THE 27TH. 2020, 69 2022. I'M HERE. IT'S THE BEST ATTORNEY. I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER. OKAY, IS EVERYBODY ACCOUNTED FOR? BECAUSE THE FIRST ORDER OF ITEM WILL RELATE TO THE CALENDAR YEAR 2022 TAX RATE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND WE HAVE THREE ITEMS FOR, FOR THIS, UH, THE PUBLIC HEARING. FIRST, UM, ORDINANCE AND THEN A MOTION. [1.  9:00 A.M. PUBLIC HEARING relating to the Proposed 2022 Tax Rate of $0.533640/$100 of value ] UM, SO MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PLEASE CALL THE PUBLIC HEARING. ITEM ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING RELATED TO THE PROPOSED 2022 TAX RATE, UM, ON THE PUBLIC HEARING. UH, I DON'T SHOW ANYONE HAVING SIGNED UP, UH, TO SPEAK MA'AM. SECRETARY, DO YOU KNOW OF ANYONE THAT SIGNED UP FOR NO ONE SIGNED UP? UH, BUT IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE TAX RATE? WHO'S HERE FOR AGAINST ON SEEING AND HEARING? NO ONE. IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING? CASTEX TATU MOVED TO CLOSE THE HEARING. SECOND ROBINSON BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND TO CLOSE THE HEARING. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING? HEARING NONE IN FAVOR, OPPOSE AND GRANTED. UH, NOW WE'LL [2.  ORDINANCE providing for the assessment, levying and collection of ad valorem taxes for the City of Houston, Texas for the Year 2022 ] TURN TO ITEM TWO. MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PLEASE CALL ITEM NUMBER TWO. ITEM TWO IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. NOW WE'RE ON ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE ORDINANCE, UH, ON THE TAX RATE. UH, UH, CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX ON ITEM NUMBER TWO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IS THIS A NON TAGABLE ITEM? UH, THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLY HAVEN'T DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF LETTING THE PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT THEIR TAX RATE. AND AS EVIDENCED BY THE LACK OF ATTENDANCE IN THE HEARING TODAY, I THINK IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO GIVE AN EXTRA WEEK, UH, TO LET PEOPLE DIGEST WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DO WITH THEIR TAXES. SO, UNLESS THIS IS AN UNT TAGABLE ITEM, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND TAG THE ITEM TILL NEXT WEEK. [03:25:01] WHEN IS THIS? THIS IS, IS THIS BY OCTOBER 28TH? IT IS A TAGABLE ITEM. UM, COUNCILMAN MANOCK TAX ITEM NUMBER [3.  RECOMMENDATION from Director of Finance that Council adopt a motion in conformance with the requirements of Section 26.05(b) of the Texas Tax Code This item should only be considered after passage of Item 2 above ] TWO, TAG THREE TOO. BECAUSE I'LL TAG TWO AND THREE. MAYOR, I'LL TAG TWO AND THREE AS WELL. AND ITEM NUMBER THREE IS BEING TAGGED. UM, OKAY. ITEM NUMBER TWO AND ITEM NUMBER THREE, I'M BEING TAGGED. AND [CONSENT AGENDA] NOW WE MOVE TO MADAM SECRETARY OF REVIEW CALL ITEM NUMBER FOUR. ITEM FOUR IS, HMM, ITEM FOUR NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE SECOND, ROBINSON. WE MOVED IN SECOND ON ITEM FOUR, AND THIS IS FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF WILLIAM JONES AS DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE. UH, DISCUSSION ON ITEM FOUR, DISCUSSION ON FOUR. YOU WANNA PULL THIS ONE? UH, IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED. ON ITEM FOUR, LET ME, UH, LET ME, LET ME BRING UP WILL, UH, WILLIAM JONES. I'VE HAD THE, UH, THE, THE PRIVILEGE AND THE PLEASURE OF SERVING, UH, WITH, UH, WITH, UH, DIRECTOR JONES SINCE I, SINCE I BECAME MAYOR. HE WAS HERE, UH, UM, BEFORE, AND THEN, UH, I WORKED WITH HIM FOR THE, PRETTY MUCH THE LAST SEVEN YEARS VERY CLOSELY. AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUDGETARY PROCESS, TO THE FACT, TO THE ACTUAL BUDGET, UH, HE'S BEEN LIKE THE POINT PERSON ON, ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE BUDGETS THAT, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, SUBMITTED AND YOU HAVE VOTED ON OVER THE LAST, OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. UH, AND WE HAVE DEALT WITH SOME TOUGH, TOUGH BUDGETARY CHALLENGES OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. $160 MILLION DEFICIT IN THE FIRST PENSION. CHALLENGES ALSO IN THE FIRST, UH, DEFICITS IN THE SECOND AND THE THIRD, UM, AND THE FOURTH. UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, UM, AND THE FIFTH. SO YEAH, IN THE FIRST FIVE WE WERE UNDER, WE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERWATER. UM, BUT I WILL TELL YOU IN EACH ONE OF THOSE, UM, UM, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, UH, WILL, BEING THE POINT PERSON ON THE BUDGET ITSELF, WE STARTED AT, UM, THE DAY A AFTER THE BUDGET WAS PASSED, AND WORKING ON THE NEXT, ON THE NEXT BUDGET. AND A PART OF THAT WAS A, UH, WORKING TO BUILD UP A FUND BALANCE AS HIGH AS WE COULD, UH, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DRAW DOWN FROM, UH, TO REDUCE THAT, TO REDUCE THAT BUDGET. UH, THERE'S NO QUESTION IN MY MIND, UH, THAT WILL, HAS PROVEN TO BE HIGHLY, HIGHLY PROFICIENT, UH, TECHNICIAN, UM, VERY CAPABLE AND HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN NAVIGATING THIS CITY THROUGH SOME VERY, VERY TOUGH TIMES. AND THEN OF COURSE, WE DEALT, UH, WITH COVID AND THE REVENUE LAWS, UM, UH, YOU NAME IT. UM, BUT WE HAVE FACED TOUGH CHALLENGES AND HE'S, HE'S RISEN TO THE OCCASION. WHEN I ASKED WILL TO ASSUME, UH, AFTER TANGER EMO, UH, LEFT FOR A BETTER OPPORTUNITY, I ASKED WILL, IF HE WOULD, UH, CONSIDER BEING THE INTERIM DIRECTOR. UH, HE AGREED TO BE THE INTERIM DIRECTOR. I ALSO THEN ASKED HIM TO ASSUME, TO TAKE THE POSITION OF THE PERMANENT FINANCE DIRECTOR, HESITATED, UH, FOR A MOMENT. SO, UM, UH, HE WAS NOT SOMEONE WHO JUST JUMPED AND SAID, OKAY, UH, BUT DID ASSUME THE INTERIM POSITION, UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, OPERATED AND FUNCTIONED IN THE INTERIM AS IF HE WAS THE PERMANENT, AND NAVIGATED US THROUGH SOME TOUGH [03:30:01] CHALLENGES. UM, AND SO, UM, UH, ASKED HIM AGAIN, AND, UH, THEN HE CAME FORTH AND SAID, SAID YES. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE WANTED TO DO BEFORE DECIDING TO BE THE PERMANENT WAS TO MEET WITH HIS OWN, HIS OWN PEOPLE IN FINANCE, AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT HE HAD THE SUPPORT OF THE PER OF THE PERSONS IN FINANCE, WHICH I, WHICH I DEEPLY RESPECTED. AND HE SPOKE VERY, VERY HIGHLY OF THE FINANCE TEAM, UH, THAT HE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH AND WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH AND RELY ON. SO, UH, FOR ALL THE PEOPLE AND FOR ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE, THE FINANCE TEAM, IF YOU ARE A MEMBER, IF YOU ARE A PART OF THE FINANCE TEAM, LET ME ASK YOU JUST TO STAND UP IF YOU BROUGHT THE WHOLE TEAM AND LET ME, AND LET ME, LET ME JUST, NO, CONTINUE TO STAND. AND, AND, AND LEMME JUST SAY, UH, THIS IS A, THIS IS A STELLAR GROUP. WE DON'T OFTEN SEE THEM ALL AT ONE TIME. UH, BUT THIS IS A STELLAR GROUP, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH MULTIPLE THINGS ALL AT THE SAME, AT THE SAME TIME. AND, UH, AND THEY HAVE DONE AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB. AND I CAN ATTEST TO THAT, UH, PERSONALLY AND FIRSTHAND, UH, OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. SO LET ME, LET ME THANK THIS GROUP AS A WHOLE, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE, CONTINUE TO DO, WILL DO. AND, UM, AND THIS TEAM. AND, UH, AND WILL, I, I JUST, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SUPERLATIVES TO, UH, DESCRIBE, UH, YOU AND, UM, AND YOUR PERFORMANCE LEVEL, UH, AND THE CONFIDENCE THAT, UM, UH, THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS IN YOU. SO HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, YOU ALL CAN BE SEATED. NOW, . UH, HAVING SAID THAT, LET ME FIRST, LET ME TURN TO, UH, COUNCILMAN KOSH, I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THIS POSITION. WILL, YOU'VE ALWAYS HAD A, A VERY KIND DEMEANOR WHEN YOU COME TO COUNCIL. YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALWAYS, UH, WILLING TO LISTEN AND, AND, UH, YOU ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD RESPONSE. AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT MORE WE COULD ASK FOR, UH, A DIRECTOR OF OUR FINANCE. AND I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, UH, TO HEAR FROM OTHERS THAT MAY NOT BE E EXACTLY IN LINE WITH WHAT, UH, YOU'RE HAVING THE TASK TO DO. BUT I APPRECIATE IT. LOOKING FORWARD TO OPEN FINANCE, FINALLY GETTING ON BOARD. THANK YOU, . THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILWOMAN CAYMAN. WELL, SO WELL DESERVED. AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOUR SMILE UP HERE SAYS IT ALL. UM, AGAIN, TO ALL OF THE STAFF, UH, IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO. AND I, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU HAVE, UH, BEHIND YOU THE LITTLEST, UH, ON THE FINANCE TEAM THAT HAS ALSO JOINED US, ALONG WITH MELISSA. SO IT'S, IT'S WONDERFUL TO HAVE BOTH OF YOU HERE FOR THIS SPECIAL TIME. UH, AND MELISSA, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. BUT WILL, UM, SO WELL DESERVED YOU CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR OFFICES, UM, NOT ONLY ON A PROFESSIONAL CALIBER, BUT SO RESPONSIVE, UH, AND THAT ALLOWS US TO DO OUR JOB AND GET BACK TO CONSTITUENTS. SO THANK YOU, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN YOUR OFFICIAL THANK YOU. NEW CAPACITY. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN MAYOR ALCO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WILL, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. UM, IN THE CITY, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, . SO YOU'VE GOT THE MONEY AND YOU HAVE BEEN SO RESPONSIVE, AND SO ALL YOUR WHOLE TEAM, AND I ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND EVERYBODY'S SO, SO GREAT ABOUT GETTING BACK TO ME AND, AND WALKING ME THROUGH STUFF. UM, AND I THINK, UH, MAYOR WILL JONES IS ABOUT THE ONLY PERSON OTHER THAN ME THAT'S SO EXCITED ABOUT OUTCOME BASED BUDGETING. THAT'S CORRECT. HE'S GONNA BE A BIG CHAMPION OF THAT, AND REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND AS EXCITED AS I AM FOR YOU, I'M EVEN MORE EXCITED TO SEE MELISSA'S BABY. SO WELCOME, MELISSA. TAKE CARE. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR PRO, TIM MARTIN. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND CONGRATULATIONS DIRECTOR JONES. BUT YOU'LL ALWAYS BE WILL OF THE THRILL. TO ME, WE'VE HAD 10 YEARS TOGETHER TO WORK ON BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS MEETINGS. AND WHAT I'VE ALWAYS ADMIRED ABOUT YOU IS, NUMBER ONE, AS EVERYBODY SAYS, YOUR POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND YOUR SMILE, I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN YOU IN A BAD MOOD EVER. AND YOU ALWAYS COME IN, YOU PROBABLY HAD 'EM , BUT YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T EXPRESS IT TO US WHEN YOU COME IN. UH, I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED WORKING WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BRILLIANT MIND AND YOUR FINANCIAL ACUMEN IS OFF THE CHARTS. UM, IT'S GONNA BE AN INTERESTING TIME FOR YOU BECAUSE, UH, AS THE MAYOR HAS BROUGHT UP AND WE CONTINUE TO BRING UP, WHEN WE GO TO FISCAL YEAR 2025, WHICH WILL BE JULY 1ST OF 24, WE'RE GONNA HIT SOME REALLY HARD TIMES THAT PEOPLE [03:35:01] BETTER BE COGNIZANT OF AND PEOPLE BETTER BE AWARE OF, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO MORE ARPA FUNDS, THERE WILL BE NO MORE CARES FUNDS. AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET THROUGH THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH, UH, WITH SOME FEDERAL ASSISTANCE. SO, UH, TO ALL THE FOLKS IN, IN FINANCE, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY. UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CHALLENGE IN FRONT OF US, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING THROUGH THAT CHALLENGE, OR A LOT OF THESE FOLKS, NOT ME. WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING THROUGH THOSE CHALLENGES WITH YOU EACH AND EVERY DAY. AND, UH, YOU HAVE A GREAT LEADER. UH, HE'S A GREAT GUY. HE'S A GREAT MAN. HE'S, UH, INTELLIGENT. HE'S ALL THE ATTRIBUTE, HAS ALL THE ATTRIBUTES THAT YOU WANT IN A FINANCE DIRECTOR. AND JUST A NOTE OF CURIOSITY, HAS THERE EVER BEEN AN AFRICAN AMERICAN FINANCE DIRECTOR IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON? DOES ANYBODY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT? 'CAUSE I WAS THINKING BACK AND THE CHIEF AND I WERE JUST TALKING, I CAN'T RECALL ONE. SO THIS MAY BE HISTORY MAKING THAN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND NO BETTER PERSON TO CARRY THE BATON THAN WILL JONES AND MELISSA, CONGRATULATIONS. I SAW YOU SNEAK IN. THANKS. OH, I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. UH, I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THAT IN 186 YEARS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, AND IF THAT IS THE CASE, I'VE HAD THE, UH, PRIVILEGE OF, UH, OF APPOINTING THE FIRST ASIAN, UH, AS FINANCE DIRECTOR AND ASIAN FEMALE AS THE FINANCE DIRECTOR. AND THEN I WOULD'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF APPOINTING THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN AS THE FINANCE DI DIRECTOR. UM, IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, . AND I DO HAVE, AND I DO HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MELISSA BACK THERE. YEAH. UH, BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS HAD THREE PEOPLE. UH, TAN MO CAME, UH, WILL JONES CAME, AND MELISSA DEBOSKY CAME AS WELL. SO, UM, MELISSA, GOOD TO SEE YOU. UM, ARE YOU BACK TO WORK OR YOU JUST CAME TO SUPPORT WILL THIS MORNING? ARE YOU NOT BACK TO WORK . OH, THAT PAPER. SHE'S GOT THAT. OH, OH, THAT, THAT PAPER, THAT PAPER TURNER THAT LEAVE. IS THAT RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WE DO PROVIDE IN-HOUSE CHILDCARE, . LET, LEMME STOP THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S GOOD TO, IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU. UH, OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND CONGRATULATIONS, DIRECTOR JONES, UH, FOR YOUR DILIGENT AND CONSISTENT SERVICE. THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM. AND I CERTAINLY AM VERY GLAD THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO TAKE ON THIS GREAT RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE IT IS A OVERWHELMING RESPONSIBILITY. AND MAYOR, I THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT CONFIRMATION AND APPOINTMENT, ESPECIALLY ON THE 28TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER AFTER THE 27TH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MCC, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. Y'ALL GET THAT ON THE WAY HOME. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CONGRATULATIONS, DIRECTOR JONES. UH, JUST WANTED TO, UH, CONGRATULATE YOU AND OF COURSE, YOUR TEAM FOR EVERYTHING. THIS IS AN EXCITING TIME. UM, DIRECTOR JONES AND I FOUND OUT THAT WE ACTUALLY ATTENDED COLLEGE AT THE SAME TIME. YES. WE WERE THERE AT THE SAME TIME. AND WE HAVE, UH, YEAH, WE WERE SWAPPING NOTES, UH, ON WHICH PARTIES WE ATTENDED. AND SO, UM, I KNOW BECAUSE WE, UM, MATRICULATED AT SAM HOUSTON STATE THAT THE GRIT THAT YOU DEVELOPED AND THE TRAINING, UM, UH, IS SERVING THE CITY VERY WELL. SO THANK YOU. AND I APPRECIATE YOUR ORANGE TIE. I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO, I DID IT FOR THE BEAR CAST , YOU DID IT JUST FOR THAT. ALRIGHT. UM, BUT I APPRECIATE, I, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. VICE MAYOR PRO, TE K TATUM. CONGRATULATIONS, UH, DIRECTOR JONES, WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU AND FOR HOUSTONIANS. UM, SO MANY TIMES PEOPLE ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE FINANCES OF THE CITY. AND, UM, AS WE MOVE THROUGH, UH, HAVING A TRANSPARENT, UH, DEPARTMENT, UM, THERE IS NO BETTER PERSON TO BE AT THE HELM OF OUR FINANCES THAN YOU. YOU HAVE DEFINITELY PROVEN YOURSELF TO BE, UM, THE PERFECT PERSON FOR THIS ROLE AT THIS TIME. SO JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AS YOU LEAD US, UM, THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT TIMES AHEAD. UH, BUT I'M PROUD TO KNOW THAT WE WILL HAVE SOMEONE WE CAN ALL DEPEND ON AND WORK ALONGSIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FINANCES ARE THE BEST THAT THEY CAN BE FOR HOUSTONIAN. SO, THANK YOU TO YOU AND THIS ENTIRE TEAM. AND COUNCILMAN POLLACK. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. CONGRATULATIONS, DIRECTOR JONES. THANK YOU. UM, YOU KNOW, SERVING AS THE VICE CHAIR OF BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS, WHENEVER YOU COME FORWARD, WHAT I ALWAYS RECOGNIZE IS YOUR ABILITY TO BREAK DOWN COMPLEX ISSUES, UH, IN A WAY IN WHICH WE CAN UNDERSTAND, IN A WAY IN WHICH THE EVERYDAY PERSON [03:40:01] WHO'S TUNING IN CAN UNDERSTAND. AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME, UH, WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH THE BUDGET OF $5 BILLION AND BEING ABLE TO, UH, EXPLAIN WHY WE'RE GOING A CERTAIN WAY IN A, IN A WAY IN WHICH WE CAN EASILY RETAIN IT IS A, IS A BIG PLUS FOR ME. AND, UM, IT SHOWS THAT YOU TRULY HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL TO BE ABLE TO LEAD US FORWARD. SO I WANT TO, UH, CONGRATULATE YOU AND THEN THANK YOUR ENTIRE TEAM BECAUSE, UH, YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM IS REALLY WHAT, UH, MAKES EVERYTHING GO. AND SO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, AND CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OH, WILL, UH, WE'VE BEEN MAKING A LOT OF COMMENTS. LEMME TURN IT OVER TO YOU, . NO, WELL, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND TO COUNCIL MAYOR FOR YOUR, YOUR SUPPORT AND MENTORSHIP THROUGHOUT, UH, YOUR, YOUR TIME HERE. UM, I'VE LEARNED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT, UM, TO THIS COUNCIL BODY FOR YOUR SUPPORT CHIEF HUNTER. UM, IT, IT, IT MADE THE DECISION A LOT EASIER, NOT ONLY KNOWING THAT I HAVE THE SUPPORT OF, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL AND, UH, JUST THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN GENERAL, BUT MY DEPARTMENT, FOR THEM TO SHOW UP LIKE THIS IS COMPLETELY OVERWHELMING FOR ME. SO I'M VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THEM. UM, AND I WANT TO SHOW THEM, AND I'VE BEEN TELLING THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FIRST IS WHERE I WANT US TO FOCUS. UM, THAT FINANCE, IT WILL, IT'S GONNA BE WHAT IT'S GONNA BE, BUT IF WE TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER, EVERYTHING ELSE WILL WORK OUT. SO I, I'M SO, SO PROUD OF THAT DEPARTMENT. UM, I SPENT MOST OF MY CAREER IN FINANCE. AND, UM, AGAIN, TO SEE THIS TURNOUT IS, IS, IS OVERWHELMING. UM, AND SO IT TELLS ME THAT I'M, I'M WHERE I SHOULD BE AND THAT I HAVE THE SUPPORT I NEED TO, TO CARRY THIS TORCH. SO THAT IS, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING. UM, AND TO, YOU KNOW, MY FAMILY BACK HOME WATCHING STREAMING, I SENT THEM ALL THE LINKS SO THEY CAN WATCH IT. MY DAD, MY GRANDMA, MY SISTERS THAT ARE, UM, EDUCATORS AND COULDN'T TAKE OFF. UM, BUT I, I DO HAVE, UH, SOME FAMILY AND FRIENDS HERE THAT I WANT TO ASK THEM TO STAND. PLEASE, . THANK YOU. AND I, I, I ESPECIALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, YOU KNOW, TWO PEOPLE, MY SISTER, UH, CRYSTAL, RAISE YOUR HAND, . UM, IF I WERE TO GO DOWN HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WE WOULD BE HERE ALL DAY, . UM, AND I KNOW IF NO ONE ELSE HAS MY BACK, SHE HAS MY BACK AND IT'S THE SAME FOR ME. UM, AND I ACTUALLY GONNA CALL THIS OTHER PERSON UP. SHE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE MAD AT ME AND GIVE ME A WHOOPING, BUT I HAVE MY MOM HERE. UM, SHIRLEY, IF YOU CAN PLEASE COME FORWARD, MAMA . SO I WANTED HER TO COME FORWARD BECAUSE I WANTED TO GIVE HER HER FLOWERS LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY. UM, . OKAY. SO I, I WANTED TO DO THIS BECAUSE I COULDN'T STAND HERE BEFORE YOU, IF SHE HADN'T STOOD FOR ME ALL THOSE YEARS, THEY CONTINUE TO STAND FOR ME. UM, AND SO I WANTED HER TO BE SEEN, AND I WANTED YOU GUYS TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHERE MY FOUNDATION CAME FROM. SO I REALLY LOVE AND APPRECIATE HER FOR EVERYTHING SHE'S DONE, AND MAYOR, YOU SHOULD KNOW, EVERY TIME YOU'RE ON CNNI GET A PHONE CALL. I SAW YOUR MAYOR ON TVS . UM, BUT AGAIN, I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS. I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT ON THE AGENDA TODAY. UM, JUST TO, I GUESS ANYONE LISTENING, UM, WATCHING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THAT DOUBT ABOUT WHERE YOU SHOULD BE OR, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AROUND THE TABLE AND YOU DON'T SEE PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE YOU AROUND THE TABLE, OR YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THAT MASTER'S DEGREE OR I DON'T HAVE THAT, BUT THERE'S EVIDENCE THAT PROVES YOU SHOULD BE WHERE YOU ARE. PLEASE LISTEN TO THAT EVIDENCE, PUSH THROUGH THAT DOUBT. UM, YOUR MIND CAN PLAY TRICKS ON YOU, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS YOU ARE WHERE YOU SHOULD BE. AND PUSH THROUGH THAT DOUBT AND THE GROWTH WILL BE TREMENDOUS. SO IF A, A LITTLE COUNTRY BOY LIKE ME FROM HEARN, TEXAS CAN BE THE FINANCE DIRECTOR OR THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY, THEN YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO. JUST PUSH THROUGH THOSE DOWN. MAYOR. LEMME JUST SAY, UM, YEAH, WE'RE DONE. WELL, LEMME JUST SAY THERE, UM, UM, I'VE HAD, UH, SOME EXCITING DAYS, UM, BEING [03:45:01] MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. IN FACT, I'VE HAD MANY EXCITING DAYS, UM, AND, UM, AND, UM, CHALLENGING DAYS. UM, BUT ON A, ON A DAY LIKE TODAY AND DIRECTOR JONES AND LISTENING TO YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST SAY, UM, HEY, UM, GOD PLACES US AT CERTAIN TIMES FOR CERTAIN REASONS, AMEN. AND, UM, THIS WAS A, THIS WAS A SPECIAL MOMENT. SO, UH, FOR YOU NOW TO BE THE FINANCE CHAIR FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT. AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH FOR THIS DEPARTMENT, UM, TO SHOW AND, AND BE SUPPORTIVE OF ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE WE ALL, WE ALL DO NEED EACH OTHER. VERY, VERY PROUD OF THIS DEPARTMENT. UM, I WISH I COULD CALL EACH ONE OF YOU BY NAME. UH, SEVERAL OF YOU I WORK WITH DIRECTLY ON VARIOUS PROJECTS, WHETHER THEY'RE STORM RELATED OR GRANT RELATED, UH, BOND RELATED, ALL OF THAT. SO, VERY, VERY PROUD OF THIS DEPARTMENT AND TO YOUR FAMILY. UH, THAT'S HERE. UM, YOUR MOM, YOUR SISTER, THE OTHERS, UM, BUT ANYBODY THAT ACKNOWLEDGES HIS MOM, UH, THE WAY THAT YOU'VE ACKNOWLEDGED YOUR MOM, UM, HEY, WE LOVE IT. UM, I'M GONNA LET YOU STAY AWAY FROM WORK UNTIL AFTER LUNCH, AND THEN YOU CAN , THEN YOU CAN RETURN TO LUNCH AND GET BACK AT IT. BUT ANYWAY, WELL DONE. CONGRATULATIONS. LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYBODY AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. OKAY. UM, WE ARE GONNA TAKE A FEW, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A FEW THINGS OUT OF ORDER. UH, SO, UH, UH, COUNCIL COUNCILMAN MCG GALLEGOS FOR A MOTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO TAKE ITEMS 47, 48 AND 49. NEXT SECOND, ROBINSON, IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND TO TAKE ITEMS 47, 48 AND 49, UH, OUT OF ORDER. UH, IT'S BEEN SECONDED. ANY OBJECTION, CHERRIES HERE? NONE. AND THE MOTION IS GRANTED. JUST GIVE JUST ONE MINUTE. SHE LOOKS GOOD. OKAY. UM, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL, THEN YOU CALL THE ITEM, ITEM 47. ISN'T ORDINANCE, JUST NEED A VOTE? WE, WE, ON ITEM 47, ITEM 47, UH, DISCUSSION ON 47. DISCUSSION ON 47 IN FAVOR, OPPOSE, AND GRANTED. AND 47 WAS SIMPLY THE, UH, THE RENAMING OF THE STREET. MM-HMM . NEXT ITEM, ITEM 48 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST SAY THE VOTE ON ITEM 48 ON THE VOTE ITSELF. AND LET ME JUST SAY BEFORE I, BEFORE I YIELD, UM, THIS ITEM 48 IS AN AGREEMENT, UM, BETWEEN US, THE COUNTY, UH, THE BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP, UM, THE KINDER FOUNDATION, UH, WHICH IS A HISTORIC, HISTORIC INVESTMENT, UH, IN THE GREATER EAST END AND THE FIFTH WARD COMMUNITY. UM, I WOULD TELL YOU IT WAS, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE ABOUT EIGHT OR NINE MONTHS OR SO, UH, WHEN THE, UH, KINDERS, UH, CAME AND VISITED, UH, WITH ME AND MY TEAM IN REFERENCE TO AN INVESTMENT THAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE, UH, THROUGH THE BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP FOR THE GREATER EAST END AND THE FIFTH WARD AREA. UM, AND THEIR INTENT WAS TO INVEST A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, UH, AND TO BBP, UM, AND WANTED TO DO IT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. UM, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INTENT, UH, CONVERSATIONS, NEGOTIATIONS, UH, WITH ALL, WITH ALL THE PARTIES. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE A, UH, A GREAT DEAL OF CREDIT TO ANDY. HE CAN, UH, TO GUY HASAD WITH THE KINDER FOUNDATION, UH, TO THE COUNTY, THE CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT, ARTURO AND THE COUNTY LEGAL DEPARTMENT. ALL OF THESE ENTITIES WORKED TOGETHER OVER THE LAST SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS, UH, TO TRY TO GET THIS IN A POSITION WHERE WE COULD, WHERE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. UH, THIS [03:50:01] GIFT REPRESENTS THE LARGEST GIFT, UH, TO ANY PARK IN THE HISTORY OF THIS CITY. UH, IT WILL RE, IT WILL TRANSFORM, UH, THAT GREATER EAST END AND THE FIFTH WARD COMMUNITY. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PROVIDING ADDITIONAL CONNECTIVITY IN THAT AREA TO PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES. UH, UH, IN THAT, IN THAT AREA THAT CONNECTS FIFTH WARD IN THE, IN THE EAST END, UH, NEW PARKS, NEW TRAILS. YOU GOT THE EAST RIVER DEVELOPMENT THAT SOUTH THERE, UH, THAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE, UM, UM, MIXED INCOME HOUSING, UM, THAT WILL BE OUT IN THAT AREA AS WELL. UM, UH, YOU HAVE, UM, UH, THE PARK, THE PARK THAT I'M THINKING OF, MARONE PARK THAT WILL DOUBLE IN SIZE FROM 19 ACRES TO 40 ACRES. UM, BUT IT WILL, THE INVESTMENT WILL CARRY OVER INTO, UH, TWO HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, FIFTH WARD AND THE GREATER EAST END. AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S THE LARGEST INVESTMENT, UH, ON THE EAST SIDE. AND, AND I, IF I COULD BORROW WHAT, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SVIA GARCIA SAID, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS VERY POIGNANT, SHE SAID, THE WEST HAS BEEN CONQUERED THE EAST NOW IS READY FOR DEVELOPMENT. AND, UH, AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT SUM, THAT SUMMED IT, THAT SUMMED IT UP. UM, AND WHAT IS SO INSTRUMENTAL IS THAT THE KINDERS WE INVESTED A GREAT DEAL IN MEMORIAL PARK TO THE WEST, ARE NOW MAKING EVEN A GREATER INVESTMENT, UH, IN THE GREATER EAST END AND FIFTH WARD TO THE EAST. AND HOPEFULLY, UH, THIS WILL SPUR EVEN ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENTS, UH, AS WE MOVE, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON EVEN DEEPER INTO THE SECTOR, UH, BECAUSE THAT REMAINS, UH, WHAT I CONSIDER UNC TERRITORY OR UNDEVELOPED T TERRITORY. SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL SPUR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT. BUT THOUGH IS NO QUESTION, THIS IS A TRANSFORMATIVE, UM, AGREEMENT, TRANSFORMATIVE INVESTMENT. UM, AND SO I, I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT WILL TRANSPIRE, WHAT WILL TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS. AND LET ME YELL, UH, TO COUNCILMAN GUY EAGLES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. EXCITED ABOUT THE, AGAIN, EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEWS. I WANT TO ECHO WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID. UH, THIS WILL BE TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT, NOT ONLY FOR FOLKS IN THE EAST END AND FIFTH WARD, BUT FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS. I CERTAINLY WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK RICH AND NANCY KINDER FOR THEIR GENEROSITY AND THEIR LOVE FOR HOUSTON. THEY HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL PARTNERS AND THEY HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS TOWARD BETTERING HOUSTON'S QUALITY OF LIFE. I ALSO WANNA THANK THE BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP, ANN OLSON AND HER TEAM FOR ALL THEY HAVE DONE TO PRESERVE AND ENHANCE THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF OUR BUFFALO BAYOU. I WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER ZELDAS AND COMMISSIONER GARCIA FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP AND IN OUR INVESTMENT IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED. THIS PROJECT WILL NOT ONLY INCLUDE BEAUTIFUL GREEN SPACES AND TRAILS AS OUTLINED IN THE EAST SECTOR MASTER PLAN, BUT ALSO INCLUDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO THOSE THAT WERE RAISED AND LIVE IN THESE COMMUNITIES CAN CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THESE COMMUNITIES, WHICH IS CRITICAL AND CULTURAL DESTINATIONS, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND AMENITY AMENITIES WITHIN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. AND WHILE THERE'S MORE PLANNING TO BE DONE, WE EXPECT THE SITE WILL ALSO BE HOME TO A SPECIAL COLLECTION, HISPANIC HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER AND LIBRARY, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY SERVE AS AN ANCHOR AND CENTERPIECE FOR A FUTURE HOUSTON LATINO ART AND CULTURE CENTER. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP, AND THANK YOU COUNTY. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU RICH AND NC KINDER. THANKS. AND, UH, AND GOD, JUST STAND UP. I KNOW YOU, EVERYBODY PROBABLY KNOWS YOU, BUT I WANT TO THANK, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING LIKE THE TECHNICIAN ALONG, WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH ANDY. I DON'T KNOW IF ANDY IS IN HERE. I KNOW YOU SOMEWHERE BACK THERE. UH, BUT GOD, LET ME THANK YOU. AND, AND I KNOW YOU WORK, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE KIND FOUNDATION, BUT WITH YOU AND LEGAL AND ANDY, UM, JUST WAS ABLE TO GET IT, GET IT DONE, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AND, UH, THE COMMISSIONER. SO THANK YOU, SIR, VERY, VERY MUCH. UM, [03:55:01] OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, I, I'LL DEFER TO COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS IF SHE'S IN Q FIRST. WELL, SHE'LL BE COMING. OKAY. UM, MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU. UM, AS YOU SAID IN THE WEST AND PRIMARILY IN DISTRICT C, UM, WE HAVE SEEN THE BENEFITS OF ALL OF THIS FOR YEARS AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CONNECTIVITY FOR A LARGER PART OF THE CITY, ADDING GREEN SPACE, FLOOD MITIGATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND, UM, UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. UH, AS I SAID TO ANDY BEFORE, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE PLANS AND HE SAID, BY NO MEANS IS THIS SECOND CLASS. AND I RESPONDED BACK, NO, THIS IS WORLD CLASS. UH, SO HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CITY, TO RESIDENTS FOR WHAT'S ABOUT TO BE ACCOMPLISHED TODAY. I DUNNO HOW THIS DEAL WAS PUT TOGETHER. I SAY SO QUICKLY. I KNOW IT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR SOME TIME, BUT I MEAN, IT REALLY PICKED UP IN THE SPAN OF MY UNDERSTANDING IS A YEAR. UH, SO TO PUT ALL OF THOSE PIECES TOGETHER, ANDY ANNA, UM, I SEE SHELLY ARNOLD AS WELL WITH THE MEMORIAL PARK CONSERVANCY GUY. I MEAN, ALL OF THE PARTNERS COMING TOGETHER. AND OF COURSE THE KINDERS. UH, THIS IS JUST BEAUTIFUL. SO CONGRATULATIONS. IN FACT, LET ME ASK Y ANDY GUY. AND, AND OLSEN, IS ANDON OUT THERE? SHE THERE? YES. OH, Y'ALL, COME ON ON. COME ON, COME UP. 'CAUSE THESE ARE THREE OF THE INSTRUMENTAL PERSONALITIES TO HELP PUT ALL THIS TOGETHER. AND, UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, ROSENBERG, IAN ROSENBERG, IT'S OUT THERE, BUT I'LL TELL YOU, EVERYONE, EVERYONE AFFILIATED WITH THIS, WITH THIS DEAL. YEAH, COME ON UP. WE HADN'T, WE HADN'T VOTED YET, BUT I MEAN, WHEN WE STILL THE, THE PRESSURE'S ON NOW, YOU KNOW, BUT I, BUT I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, ALL OF YOU, UM, AND ANN, YOU THE EXECUTIVE, UH, DIRECTOR FOR THE BUFFALO, UH, BAYOU PARTNERSHIP. AND THE GIFT, OF COURSE WILL BE FLOWING FROM THE, WILL BE FLOWING THROUGH YOUR ORGANIZATION, AS WE NOTED, NOT LARGE, BUT HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AND IMPACTFUL. SO YOU JUST WANT TO JUST WANT TO JUST KIND OF SAY WHAT THIS MEANS, UH, BRIEFLY. WELL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION TO RECEIVE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR PRIVATE GIFT. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING IS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE IT WITH AN ADDITIONAL $210 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT THANKS TO THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. SO, UM, I THINK IT'S BEEN A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE CITY AND THE COUNTY WORKING TOGETHER. I THINK IT'S GONE RATHER SMOOTHLY. UM, IT'S TAKEN A LONG TIME. BUT, UH, THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR. THANK YOU TO ANDY AND BRIAN CRIMMINS, WHO'S ALSO BEEN REALLY INSTRUMENTAL. YES. UH, KENNETH ALLEN WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND LUCY. UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY BEEN A TEAM EFFORT. AND, UH, OF COURSE, COUNCIL MEMBERS, CISNEROS GALLEGOS AND JACKSON ALSO HAVE LENT AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT. SO THANK YOU. I KNOW SO MANY OF YOU HAVE COME TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS, AND PLEASE KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE STILL GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE A LOT MORE. SO YOU'LL BE OUT THERE ON THE BAYOU, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, ANDY. MAYOR. LEMME ADD ONE THING. UH, YEAH, I, I'VE BEEN PART OF, UH, SEVERAL OF THESE AGREEMENTS. IT GOES BACK TO BAYOU GREENWAYS, MEMORIAL PARK AND BUFFALO. THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT YES, THEY TAKE A LONG TIME, AND YES, IT IS A VERY DETAILED AGREEMENT. I'M GONNA SAY THAT THE DISCIPLINE THAT HAS FORCED ON US AS THE CITY, AND WE WOVE TOGETHER PROJECTS THAT YOU HAD ALREADY APPROVED IN COUNCIL HERE. BUT WHAT THIS FABRIC OF THIS AGREEMENT IS, IS IT DISCIPLINE US A 10 YEAR PLAN AND REALLY CONTINUITY WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR. MIDWAY PLAYED A GREAT PART IN WHAT WENT ON IN THE EAST RIVER PROJECT ON THAT, BUT IN THE END, IT PROVOKES US TO DO DETAILS, PAGE BY PAGE, AGREEMENT BY AGREEMENT. AND WE HAVE WHAT I COULD DESCRIBE AS A BLUEPRINT FOR A PLAN HERE AND THE RESOURCES NOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. GUY, YOU WANNA, WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, ON BEHALF OF RICH AND NANCY, THEY COULD NOT BE HERE THIS MORNING. UM, THEY ARE SO APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE PARTNERSHIPS, UH, THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON OVER THE YEARS. WE'RE THRILLED THAT HARRIS COUNTY IS NOW, UH, IN THIS DEAL FOR THE FIRST TIME. UH, I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THAT, UH, RICH AND NANCY ARE LOOKING FOR, UH, WORK THAT HAS TRANSFORMATIONAL IMPACT ON THE CITY. AND, UH, I THINK THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT, THAT THIS ONE DOES, BUT THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN PULL IT OFF. AND, UM, BUFFALO BILE PARTNERSHIP HAS [04:00:01] DEMONSTRATED TIME AND TIME AGAIN, UH, THAT DESPITE A SMALL STAFF, UH, THEY, THEY CAN REALLY GENERATE BIG WINS, UH, FOR ALL OF US. UH, THE LAST THING I WANNA MENTION IS THAT, UH, SOME OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS, BUT WHEN I FIRST MET ANNE IN THE EARLY 1990S, SHE WAS WORKING IN THE EAST END. AND, UH, THIS HAS BEEN A DREAM OF HERS FROM THE BEGINNING. THIS WAS NOT AN AFTERTHOUGHT. THIS WAS NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF AFTER BUFFALO BALLPARK ON THE WEST SIDE BECAUSE ANN DOESN'T CARE AS MUCH ABOUT THE EAST SIDE. SHE CARES DEEPLY ABOUT THE EAST END AND THE EAST SIDE. AND I THINK THIS IS REALLY, UH, THE CULMINATION OF A DREAM OF HERS THAT THAT'S BEEN THERE FOR DECADES. UH, SO I WANT TO COMPLIMENT ANNE ON ACTUALLY PULLING THIS OFF. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. , UM, I'LL, I'LL KEEP IT REALLY BRIEF. I WAS JUST TOLD NOT TO MESS IT UP. SO THANK YOU FOR APPROVING THIS TODAY, HOPEFULLY, AND ALLOWING US TO GET STARTED ON REALLY MOVING EVERYTHING FORWARD. AND YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT AMAZING, THE CITY. I MEAN, I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH ANDY SINCE HE WAS AT THE MEDICAL CENTER AND, AND ANN, I'VE WORKED WITH HER FOR 15 YEARS AND GOD DOESN'T LIKE TO ADMIT IT, BUT, UM, I'VE CHASED HIM AROUND TOWN FOR PROBABLY THE LAST 25 YEARS FOLLOWING A LOT OF HIS EFFORTS. AND HE IS BEEN TREMENDOUSLY SUPPORTIVE. SO WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS TEAM IN PLACE, A LOT OF HISTORY, A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, A LOT OF OUR PROJECTS ARE IN PLACE. THIS WE'RE LOOKING FOR. UH, I WOULDN'T SAY THIS IS THE BLUEPRINT I'D SAY IS THE BEGINNING. WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO PIECE INTO THIS AND A LOT MORE TO DO. HOPEFULLY THIS ALLOWS US TO MOVE A LOT OF OTHER PROJECTS FORWARD AND REALLY TURN THIS INTO SOMETHING EVEN BIGGER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU ALL. APPRECIATE YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THIS NEW FOUR MILE, UM, SECTION OF THIS PROJECT FROM GUADALUPE PARK TO THE TURNING BASIN, UH, COMBINED WITH THE OTHER INVESTMENTS DOWNTOWN AND TO THE WEST ALONG BUFFALO BAYOU, UM, REALLY CREATE SOMETHING SO SPECIAL THAT HOUSTON WILL BE KNOWN FOR. IT WILL BE PART OF OUR IDENTITY. WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOUSTON, THEY'LL TALK ABOUT, UM, ABOUT THIS, THE, THE, ALL THE, THE, THE WONDERFUL, UH, RESOURCE. AND, UM, THIS, THE STRENGTH OF, OF THIS, THIS WHOLE PROJECT. UM, IT'S SO MUCH MORE TOO THAN ABOUT, UM, BEAUTIFICATION. IT'S NOT PLANTING FLOWERS. IT'S SO MUCH MORE. IT'S, IT'S REALLY ABOUT CONNECTIONS AND SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONNECTIONS, YOU KNOW, CONNECTING, UM, LEVERAGING RESOURCES WITH, WITH PARTNERS, UM, LINKING NEIGHBORHOODS WITH EACH OTHER, CONNECTING NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE BAYOU. YOU KNOW, HOUSTON'S MOST SIGNIFICANT NATURAL RESOURCE CONNECTING HOUSTON'S PAST AND, AND, AND ALSO LOOKING TO OUR FUTURE. NOT ALL THE PAST WAS GOOD, YOU KNOW, WE, BUT, UM, ALONG THIS, THIS WATERWAY, YOU KNOW, UM, CONFRONTING UNPLEASANT, UM, THINGS THAT, THAT ARE PART OF OUR HISTORY TOO. AND, AND YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW, FOR INSTANCE, THE, UM, THE MURDER OF, UM, JOE COMPASS TOURS CHANGED THE CITY. AND WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTEN BETTER BECAUSE OF IT. UM, LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ENVIRONMENT TO, TO CLEAN UP, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS REALLY INITIALLY AN INDUSTRIAL, UM, UH, START TO THE, TO THE BAYOU. NOW WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT WANNA LIVE THERE, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE, ALONG THIS WATERWAY HERE NOW, YOU KNOW, WILL, WILL HELP SPUR THAT. WE STILL HAVE THINGS WE NEED TO CLEAN UP. WE NEED TO IMPROVE THE AIR QUALITY. AND, AND, AND THIS WILL, THIS WILL HELP US, UM, CONNECTING TO THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, WITH THE PROJECTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THAT WILL SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THIS MEANS JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE EAST END RESIDENTS. UM, AND, AND, AND DEFINITELY SIGNIFICANT QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS ALL ALONG THIS WAY. UM, YOU, YOU SPOKE ABOUT, UM, WHAT A, WHAT A, UM, MAGNIFICENT TEAM. THIS IS. IT, IT JUST TRULY IS. AND I JUST, I HAVE SUCH TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR EACH OF YOU, FOR ALL OF YOU AND, AND THE COMBINED EFFORTS TO, TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. UM, AND JUST, I, I LOVE THE BRIDGE FROM, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK SO FAR, YOU KNOW, VISIONING WHAT THIS CAN BE, HOW IT'S, IT'S MOVED OVER ACROSS MULTIPLE ADMINISTRATIONS, HOW WE'RE LOOKING FAR INTO THE FUTURE. NONE, NO ONE AT THIS TABLE WILL BE HERE AS, YOU KNOW, IN 10 YEARS. AND SO, UM, IT'LL BE ALL NEW PEOPLE, BUT, BUT WITH A PLAN, WITH A VISION, WITH A MASTER PLAN THAT'S SO STRONG, AND WITH, WITH THE, THE COMMITMENT OF, YOU KNOW, OF, OF, OF, UM, PHILANTHROPISTS LIKE THE KINDERS AND WITH THE, THE COUNTY AND WITH, WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S NO END TO WHAT CAN BECOME WHAT CAN COME AFTER THIS EVEN. THANK YOU EVERYONE. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN ALCO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, AND, UM, WHAT A GREAT DAY AT CITY HALL. LIKE THE BEST ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY A DIRECTOR, I THINK OF [04:05:01] ALL TIMES, RIGHT? WILL JONES, AND NOW THIS GREAT PROJECT ON THE EAST END, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN YOU'VE BEEN AROUND CITY HALL AND YOU SEE THESE MASTER PLANS ROLL OUT, UH, MEMORIAL PARK, THE BUFFALO BAYOU PARK, THE BUFFALO BAYOU EAST, AND YOU THINK, OH GOSH, THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY COOL IN LIKE 30 YEARS OR SOMETHING, OR LONGER. AND THEN THE KINDER FOUNDATION STEPS UP AND YOU, YOU ACTUALLY GET TO DRIVE THROUGH THAT TUNNEL AT MEMORIAL PARK. I MEAN, YOU, I MEAN, I REALLY DIDN'T THINK I WOULD DO THAT. AND, AND SO THANK YOU. JUST THE GENEROSITY GUY. I MEAN, THIS IS, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING. AND, AND WHAT A GREAT TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT. AND, AND WE KNOW WHEN THE KINDER FOUNDATION GETS INVOLVED, THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE OF THINGS. AND THIS AGREEMENT HAS $13 MILLION GOING INTO AN ENDOWMENT FOR MAINTENANCE. AND I'VE BEEN JUST PERUSING THE AGREEMENT. AND IT IS DOWN TO THE DETAIL ON THE MAINTENANCE, WHICH FLOWERS, WHICH TYPE OF PLANT GET WATERED, HOW MANY TIMES A WEEK, UM, HOW OFTEN THE BATHROOMS ARE CLEANED, THE TRASH CANS TAKEN OUT. I MEAN, EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY THING, GRAFFITI'S HANDLED. I MEAN, EV I DON'T, I DON'T, I JUST COMMEND CITY LEGAL, BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIP, EVERYBODY WHO WORKED ON THIS AGREEMENT, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THERE'S A SITUATION THAT HASN'T BEEN, BEEN HANDLED IN THIS, IN THIS AGREEMENT. SO, UH, KUDOS TO CITY LEGAL. I KNOW THIS WAS A BIG, UH, BIG LIFT FOR THEM. AND, AND LIKE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN SAYS, IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE STAYING IT SO LONG, I THINK WOW, TO GET THIS KIND OF THING IN, IN, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A YEAR, THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING. SO THANKS TO EVERYBODY. THANKS. AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANDREA TAYLOR, WHICH SAID, LEGAL UNDER A STANDUP. CASSANDRA WAS THE ONE WHO CAME AND EXPLAINED IT TO ME IN TERMS OF THE DETAILS. SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HANDS ON, UH, AND HELPING TO NAVIGATE US THROUGH. AND, UM, AND I DO WANT TO GIVE JUST A SHOUT OUT IN THE GENERAL TO, TO LEGAL ARTURO, CHERYL, AND YOUR TEAM, BECAUSE THESE STILL, THE TYPE OF AGREEMENTS ARE NOT PUT TOGETHER IN A VACUUM. AND IT DOES TAKE PEOPLE WITH EXPERTISE AND A HISTORY OF THAT, OF WORKING ON PROJECTS OF THIS KIND. SO ANDREA, THANK YOU, UH, IN YOUR, IN YOUR, AND FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN YOUR TEAM. UH, AND LET ME JUST SAY, UH, THESE THINGS ARE NOT JUST IN A VACUUM, BECAUSE THIS INVESTMENT WILL TIE INTO OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES. WE FOCUS ON UNDERSERVED OUR COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT. AND THE INVESTMENTS ON THIS WILL BLEED RIGHT INTO THE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES. SO IT IS IN ALIGNMENT THERE AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THOSE INVESTMENTS, UH, IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED AND UNDER-RESOURCED. UH, AND FOR THAT, I DO WANT TO THANK, UH, THE KINDER FOUNDATION AND RICH AND NANCY FOR BEING VERY FOCUSED AND VERY INTENTIONAL IN PLACING A SIGNIFICANT TRANSFORMATIVE INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME. AND THEN I WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE $83.5 MILLION OF THIS 310 AGREEMENT WILL COME FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THOSE, SOME OF US WILL NOT BE HERE, UH, WHEN THE HISPANIC RESEARCH AND ARCHIVE CENTER IS BUILT WITH A PART OF THIS AGREEMENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, COUNCIL MEMBER, GUY , UM, AND THE CITY COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, BUT I KIND OF, UH, SINGLE THEM OUT BECAUSE THAT IS WITHIN THE CIP PLACED IN THE CIP, UH, BY THOSE OF US WHO CHAMPION THAT. SO IT WILL BE BUILT ON SOMEBODY ELSE WATCH, BUT THE SEEDS WERE PLANTED IN THIS WATCH, AND THAT IS A PART OF THIS OVERALL AGREEMENT IN 83.5 MILLION, UH, DOLLARS COMING FROM THE CITY, FROM YOU ALL. UH, THAT'S A PART OF THIS OVERALL INVESTMENT. SO I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UH, HAVING SAID THAT, UM, IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION AS WE PREPARE TO VOTE? UM, HEARING AND SEEING NONE IN FAVOR, OPPOSED? AND GRANTED, THANK YOU ALSO VERY, VERY MUCH. UM, I HAVE ONE MORE, AND THEN WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM RELATED TO IT. MADAM SECRETARY, YOU'LL CALL THE NEXT ITEM. ITEM 49 IS AN ORDINANCE. THIS NEED A VOTE. UM, AND ON 49, THIS A ALLOWS DEPART DEPARTURE DEPARTMENT TO DELEGATE SOME OF THE MAINTENANCE TO BPP. OH. AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, AND I'M SORRY, I'D BE REMISS, DIRECTOR KENNY ALLEN FROM PARKS AND REC, EXCUSE ME, OVER DIRECT OVERSIGHT ON MY PART. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE PARKS AND REC AND DIRECTOR KENNY ALLEN, UH, FOR, HE'S NOT HERE, BUT LUCY PEREZ. WHERE'S LUCY? LUCY HERE. IF YOU'RE STANDUP LUCY, MY OVERSIGHT, BECAUSE YOU ALL, UH, WORKED VERY CLOSELY ON THIS AND WAS TIED INTO THIS. AND OF COURSE, PARKS AND REC IS, IS REALLY AT THE HEART AND CENTER OF THIS. UH, SO LET ME EXTEND MY THANKS ONTO TO DIRECTOR ALLEN, LUCY, UH, TO EVERYONE OF, UH, WITH PARKS AND REC, UH, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THESE PROJECTS. THESE ARE PARKS AND GREEN SPACES AND TRAILS, AND, UH, AND YOU CAN'T DO ONE WITHOUT THE WHOLE TEAM BEING A PART OF THIS ECOSYSTEM, [04:10:01] UH, THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED HERE. SO I CONGRATULATIONS AND APPRECIATION AND RESPECT, UH, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT AND ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES AND STAFF OVER THERE. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. OKAY, ON ITEM 49, ANY DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSE, AND GRANTED ON 49. OKAY, THAT'S IT. THAT TAKES CARE OF THOSE THREE. UH, NOW WE'LL GO BACK TO THE FRONT AND, AND, UH, JUST, UH, JUST SOME BRIEF COMMENTS. I'VE BEEN TALKING AS WE'VE BEEN MOVING ALONG. SO I'M GONNA ABBREVIATE THIS MAYOR'S REPORT. UM, I THINK YOU HAVE IT OVER THERE, PAPER. WE DIDN'T DEAL WITH THE TAX MATTER TODAY, BUT LEMME JUST SAY TO YOU, UM, THE TAX, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS COMING FOR YOU. WE'LL LOWER THE TAX RATE AGAIN. UM, SO YOU'LL BE DEALING WITH THAT. UH, WE'LL BE DEALING WITH THAT ON NEXT, ON NEXT WEEK. UM, UH, LET'S SEE, UH, THE GUN, THE NEXT SECOND GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM WOULD BE SATURDAY, OCTOBER THE EIGHTH. LET ME HIGHLIGHT THIS. THE SECOND GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM WOULD BE OCTOBER THE EIGHTH. AND THE AMOUNT THAT WILL BE GIVEN AGAIN, CAN GO FROM $50 TO 150 TO $200. UH, THIS IS A VOLUNTARY GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM, OCTOBER THE EIGHTH FROM 8:00 AM TO NOON, UM, IN THE METRO WEST CHASE PARK AND RIDE AT 11 0 5 0 HARWIN DRIVE IN COUNCIL DISTRICT F. UH, AND THAT'S COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS. UH, THE CITY'S ALSO PARTNERING WITH CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN, OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, UH, ELLIS METRO, UH, OF SORORITIES AND FRATERNITIES WHO ARE PUTTING UP DOLLARS TO HELP MARKET THE EVENT. CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM. AND THEN FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET TO AT THE FIRST COMEBACK BY PROGRAM, WHO GOT 150 PASSES TO COME TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE AT THE SECOND ONE, PLEASE, UH, PLAN TO, UH, COME AND ATTEND. SO THE SECOND GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM WILL BE OCTOBER THE EIGHTH, SATURDAY FROM 8:00 AM TO NOON. LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE, EVERYONE THERE. UM, DO WANT TO AGAIN ACKNOWLEDGE ARCHBISHOP FIZA, UH, ONE OF THE THREE AMIGOS, UH, ONE OF THE THREE MAJOR PILLARS IN THIS COMMUNITY. UM, WITH BETWEEN ARCHBISHOP, UH, RABBI KARP AND PASTOR LAWSON. UH, THOSE THREE OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS HAVE JUST BEEN INSTRUMENTAL, UM, IN PROVIDING A GREAT DEAL OF WISDOM, INSIGHT, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO, UM, WE WILL CERTAINLY MISS ARCHBISHOP LORENZA. UM, AS INDICATED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, THE GOOD LORD SENT US, SENT HIM TO US AS AN AMBASSADOR, AND, UH, NOW HE HAS TO RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CALL HIM HOME. AND HE HAS SO, UM, UH, NO VISITATION, UM, OR HIS VIEWING, UH, WILL BE ALL DAY TODAY. AND THEN OF COURSE, THE MASS WILL BE TOMORROW AT TWO, AT TWO O'CLOCK. UM, AND SEE, UH, THEN I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE TWO MAJOR EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE, UH, LAST WEEK. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE NATIONAL NONPARTISAN VOTER RIGHTS. UH, CONFERENCE WENT EXCEPTIONALLY WELL LAST, LAST WEEK, UH, WITH MAYORS COMING FROM ACROSS THE CO ACROSS THE COUNTRY, RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THAT WAS A VERY ROBUST AND INVIGORATING CONVERSATION. AND THEN ON THAT ENDED ON WEDNESDAY, ON THURSDAY, WE PICKED UP WITH THE AFRICAN ENERGY SUMMIT. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE MINISTERS OF ENERGY, THE AMBASSADORS, THE PRESIDENT OF NIGER AND AFRICA THAT CAME, AND THAT WAS WELL, UM, ATTENDED. CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR EXECUTIVES FROM OUR ENERGY COMPANIES THAT PARTICIPATED AND HELPED SPONSOR AND UNDERWRITE THAT EVENT. UM, WE ARE ALREADY PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR FOR THE SECOND AFRICAN ENERGY CONFERENCE, UH, WITH THE GOAL OF INVITING, UH, THE, THE HEADS OF STATE OF THE 54 AFRICAN COUNTRIES, UH, TO BE HERE NEXT YEAR IN THE SECOND AFRICAN EN, UH, ENERGY SUMMIT. AGAIN, PLANNED FOR THE FALL OF NEXT YEAR. SO, UM, I, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED AT WHATEVER LEVEL SHOWED UP, UH, FOR THAT, FOR THAT EVENT. UM, AND THEN HOUSTON'S MAG JUST PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE FEATURING FIVE WOMEN CHANGING HOUSTON'S ART SCENE. IT HIGHLIGHTED, HIGHLIGHTED NICOLE IRVING OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS FOR HELPING TO ADVANCE GRANT AND PUBLIC ART OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS IN HOUSTON. SHE HAS ALSO HELPED STRENGTHEN THE CITY'S CIVIC ART PROGRAM, CONNECTED ARTISTS WITH COMMUNITIES, AND BUILD STRUCTURES TO BETTER SUPPORT HOUSTON'S MUSIC COMMUNITY. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO NICOLE AND THE OTHER WOMEN WORKING TO ADVANCE ART IN HOUSTON. AND THEN I WANT TO WISH A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO OUR FRIENDS IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY WHO CELEBRATED RAJ HASHANAH. UH, AND SO REALLY WANT TO THANK THEM. YOU CAN ALSO SAY WHAT SHANA [04:15:01] TVA, UH, WHICH MEANS GOOD YEAR IN HEBREW. SO FROM THE EVENING OF SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 25TH THROUGH YESTERDAY, EVENINGS. I WISH YOU ALL, UH, JUST A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR FOR EVERYONE. AND THEN LASTLY, JOINED WITH COUNCILMAN POLL, UH, IN HIS, UH, HOW WOULD YOU SAY, 100, UM, 100 FOOD PANTRIES IN 100 DAYS. YEAH, 100 FOOD PANTRIES IN 100 DAYS, UH, WHERE WHIRLPOOL, UH, HAS, UH, GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO DONATE 250 REFRIGERATORS, UH, FOR THESE PANTRIES WORKING WITH THE FOOD BANK, UH, WHICH WAS, UH, UM, AGAIN, DRESSING, FOOD INSECURITIES, UH, AND AGAIN, IN OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES. SO REALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, THERE ARE ABOUT OVER 700,000 PEOPLE IN OUR CITY, UH, THAT HAVE STILL FACED FOOD INSECURITIES, EVEN IN THE CITY, LIKE THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO CERTAINLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO THAT, UH, THAT WOULD DO IT. LET ME THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, ALL OF THAT. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, STILL ACCEPTING BIRTHDAY WISHES, UH, FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH. SO IF YOU DIDN'T GET THAT IN, UM, YOU KNOW, 68 YOUNG, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. THAT DOES IT FOR ME. UH, NOW WE'LL TURN TO THE REST OF THE AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEMS FIVE THROUGH 12. WE NEED A MOTION. CASTEX TAYLOR MOVED SECOND, ROBINSON MOVED IN SECOND ON ITEMS FIVE THROUGH 1212. UH, DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSE, AND GRANTED, DO YOU WANT READ? AND ON FIVE, UH, THIS IS THE, TO THE HARRIS COUNTY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 10, THAT'S THE SUNNYSIDE DISTRICT. UH, ONE IS RASHARD CAVE. UH, TWO IS KIMBERLY DIXON. DUDLEY THREE IS RODNEY JONES, FOUR IS LEROY WEST JR. AND FIVE IS MELANIE YOUNG. WE LOOK FORWARD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO THANK EACH OF THEM FOR, UH, THEIR SERVICE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO RENDER. I HAVE WORKED WITH EACH OF THEM IN SOME CAPACITY, AND I, THIS IS A VERY STRONG APPOINTMENT FOR, UH, SOME VERY STRONG COMMUNITY PEOPLE. AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, AND THEN ON SIX, THE REAPPOINTMENT OF RHONDA MICHELLE PRINCE, UH, WHICH IS THE HID REPRESENTATIVE TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE REINVESTMENT ZONE. NUMBER 18, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FIFTH WARD. AND THEN ON NUMBER SEVEN, UH, AGAIN, RON MICHELLE PRINCE, UH, WHICH IS HD'S, REPRESENTATIVE TO THE FIFTH WARD, REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR A TERM, UH, AS WELL. AND THEN ON EIGHT, UH, THE APPOINTMENT OF SAMANTHA KE KE LOHA TO POSITION ONE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TAX REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 24, WHICH IS THE GREATER HOUSTON ZONE. OKAY? OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MADAM SECRETARY. ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY ITEMS 13 THROUGH 16. JUST NEED A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE SECOND. ROBINSON HAS BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND ON ITEMS 13 THROUGH 16. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANTED UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. ITEM 17 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX, TATUM, MOVE SECOND. ROBINSON MOVED. AND SECOND ON ITEM ON ITEM 17. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF B CATEGORY. ITEM 18 THROUGH 24 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX, TATUM, MOVE SECOND. ROBINSON MOVED. AND SECOND ON ITEMS 18 THROUGH 24. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANTED, SINCE YOUR LIST WAS DISTRIBUTED, ONE ITEM HAS BEEN ADDED. WE'LL GET TO THAT. ITEMS 19 AND 25 HAVE BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ARE, ONE SECOND. DID YOU SAY 19? YEAH, WE JUST VOTED. I THOUGHT WE VOTED ON IT. I'M SORRY. 25 THROUGH 67, 25 THROUGH. NOW, WHAT DID I SAY? HOLD ON, LET'S START OVER. HOLD ON, LET'S GO BACK. LET'S GO BACK UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS 29 AND 55 HAVE BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. 29, 29 AND 55 HAVE BEEN PULLED AND IT WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. OKAY, ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. 30, 31, 34, 37, 41, 42. WE'VE ALREADY DONE 47 THROUGH 49, 50 AND 51. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 30 AND 31, 34, 37, 41, 42. [04:20:02] WE'VE ALREADY DONE 47 THROUGH 49, 50 AND 51. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANTED, [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] I REMOVE FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM 30 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 30, DISCUSSION ON 30, DISCUSSION ON 30. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANITE. ITEM 31 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 31. DISCUSSION ON 31, DISCUSSION ON 31 IN FAVOR OF POST GRANITE. ITEM 34 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 34. DISCUSSION ON 34, DISCUSSION ON 34 IN FAVOR. OPPOSED. ITEM 37 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 37, COOPER. COUNCIL MEMBER COOPER WASH ON 37. MAYOR, THIS IS ON THAT, UH, LET ME SEE. IS THIS ON THE, THE ONE WHERE THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS, IS, UH, TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE TRASH IN THE COMMUNITIES? YES, SIR. THIS IS ON THE ILLEGAL DUMPING ISSUE WITH DOJ. SO, SO IT'S, IT'S ALREADY GONNA COST US $285,000 OUT OF POCKET TO, TO REPRESENT US ON THIS MATTER. UH, IT CAN COST US UP TO 285. HOPEFULLY IT WON'T. THAT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING. WE COULD USE THAT MONEY TO PICK UP THE TRASH. WELL, I AGREE, I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. I, I, HOPEFULLY IT WILL NOT, AND HOPEFULLY, UH, THIS MATTER WILL GO AWAY. WILL GO AWAY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY HOPE. BUT IT'S, THIS IS UP TO, AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T HAVE TO GET THERE AT ALL. OKAY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 37? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 37, ITEM 41 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ITEM 41, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN ON 41. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, IN THE SPIRIT OF HAVING SUCH A FEEL GOOD, UH, COUNCIL SESSION THUS FAR. TODAY I WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THIS ITEM. IT IS FOR, UM, SEVERAL POSITIONS UNDER A DISABILITY WORK PROGRAM AND TRAINING PROGRAM UNDER PUBLIC WORKS. AND MAYOR, NORMALLY, UM, WITH SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS, YOU CAN SEE LOW PAY, NOT ENOUGH BENEFITS, ET CETERA. BUT WHEN I INQUIRED WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT, UM, THE MINIMUM WAGE IS GONNA BE $14 AN HOUR, INCREASING TO $15 AN HOUR. IT'S GONNA INCLUDE A MEDICAL STIPEND BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ALREADY HAVE, ARE IN MEDICAL CARE PROGRAMS AND HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS WITH THAT. SO THIS IS ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR THAT. TRANSPORTATION BENEFITS, HOUSING ALLOWANCE, AND LIFE SKILLS TRAINING. SO I WANTED TO JUST SPOTLIGHT THIS ITEM. WE WERE JUST AT WEST GRADE THE OTHER NIGHT, UM, CITIES CONTINUING TO LEAD THE WAY AS IT COMES TO, UM, DISABILITY SERVICES AND SUPPORT, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO CONGRATULATIONS AND CONGRATULATIONS YOU TO PUBLIC WORKS ON THIS. THANK YOU. AND I WILL TELL YOU ON THIS DEAL, IT DIDN'T USED TO BE THAT WAY. EIGHT ONE, MAKING MIKE EIGHT, EIGHT, AND 10 PEOPLE WHO WERE DISABLED DOING THIS WORK, BUT THAT, UH, THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE. SO THIS DEAL HAS BEEN REWORKED. UH, SO I DO WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THAT, UH, RAISING THE ISSUE AND THEN ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. SO THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT. OKAY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 41 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 41, ITEM 42 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ONE ITEM 42. COUNCILMAN NOX 1 42. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THIS ONE DISTURBS ME A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE IT'S, I THINK IT'S PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE. AS I UNDERSTAND THIS, THE, UH, TUR THE TWO LOCATIONS THAT WERE CHURCH 17 IS LOOKING AT DOING THESE, UM, DRAINAGE PROJECTS IS A BALL FIELD IN SPRING THAT'S OWNED BY THE SPRING BRANCH MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND A PIECE OF PROPERTY OWNED BY METRO NATIONAL OVER BY THE, UM, THE MALL OVER THERE. NEITHER OF THEM HAVE INDICATED AS FAR AS I'M AWARE THAT OF, OF AN INTEREST IN SHARING THOSE PROPERTIES WITH US. NOW, I DID SEND A QUESTION AND MR. AIKEN DID, UM, RESPOND AND SAID THAT SPRING BRANCH IS NOW INTERESTED. BUT, UM, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING IN THE BACKUP PAPERWORK ABOUT AN MOU OR ANY OTHER KIND OF THING. THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF ME DESIGNING A HOUSE ON MY NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT [04:25:01] IF I LIKE THE DESIGN, I CAN JUST GO BUY THAT PROPERTY. UM, SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SPENDING THIS MONEY ON A PROJECT THAT'S BASICALLY, AT THIS POINT, AN IMAGINARY PROJECT DOESN'T, I MEAN, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO END GAME. I GUESS THE END IS IF WE DECIDE WE LIKE ONE OF THESE SITES, WE'RE GONNA ENGAGE THE SPRING BRANCH, UH, INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT OR METRO NATIONAL. UM, BUT IS OUR END GOAL TO GO AHEAD AND CONDEMN THE PROPERTY AND TAKE IT, UH, FOR, FOR PUBLIC USE? OR, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S OUR LEVERAGE ON THIS? WELL, THE END GOAL IS TO HAVE DETENTION THAT WILL MITIGATE FLOODING IN THAT AREA. AND BEFORE YOU CAN, IT IS AN IDEA. UH, BUT WHAT THIS ITEM DOES IS THAT IT IS HAVING THE STUDY DONE, WHICH WOULD QUALIFY, UH, TO RECEIVE $30 MILLION FROM TECH, UH, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FROM THE STATE. IN THE ABSENCE. I'M JUST SAYING IN THE ABSENCE OF DOING THIS, THEN YOU DON'T EVEN, YOU DON'T EVEN QUALIFY FOR THE 30 MILLION. BUT THE END GOAL, THE END GOAL IS TO ASSESS THE, THAT AREA, UM, UM, TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WHAT IS BEST SUITED FOR THE DETENTION, WHICH WOULD HELP TO MITIGATE FLOODING. AND YOU CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO, UH, JUST GO THUMBS DOWN ON 30 MILLION WITHOUT IT AT LEAST GOING THROUGH THE PRELIMINARY STEPS. AND THIS IS ALLOWING US TO GO THROUGH THE PRELIMINARY STEPS. I GUESS MY CONCERN THOUGH IS, I MEAN, WE, WE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST GOTTEN SOME SORT OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OR SOMETHING FROM THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY THAT INDICATES THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH US AND NEGOTIATING A DEAL FOR THE PROPERTY FOR US TO BUILD ON. WELL, I THINK THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE. AND, AND SO IF WE, IF WE DO THIS AND, UM, SPRING BRANCH ISD AND METRO NATIONAL DON'T WANT TO GIVE US OR SELL US THE PROPERTY, UM, WE STILL CAN'T GET THE $30 MILLION. 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO PUT THE DESIGN. AND THESE DESIGNS ARE NOT GENERIC. I MEAN, THEY, THEY HAVE TO BE SITE SPECIFIC, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO DO THE ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER ONE OF THOSE SITES WOULD BE APPLICABLE. YOU HAVE TO DO THIS, THIS, THIS IS THE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT. IT MAY COME TO THE POINTING IN VIEW THAT THEY MAY NOT BE THE MOST APPROPRIATE SITES, BUT IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THE $30 MILLION FROM THE STATE, FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO, TO TAKE THIS STEP. SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE THIS STEP IN ORDER TO MAKE THE ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE WHAT IS BEST SUITED. I, I JUST, I MAYOR, I JUST AGREE. I, I, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING OUT THERE WITH THE, WITH WITH THE FLOODING ISSUE. I HAVE NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. I JUST THINK IT'S SORT OF ARROGANT ON OUR PART TO GO AHEAD AND DO AN ASSESSMENT ON SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROPERTY WITHOUT AT LEAST TALKING TO THEM AND GET 'EM AGREEMENT THAT THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HELPING US WITH THIS PROJECT. WELL, WE HAVE TALKED TO THE MEMORIAL CITY IS, IS SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE ARE DOING. WE HAVE TALKED TO, WELL, I TALKED TO METRO NATIONAL YESTERDAY AND THEY SAID THAT THE, THE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THEM AND CHURCH 17 HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED. WELL, THEN YOU, WE'LL TALK TO THEM ABOUT THIS PRELIMINARY STEP, STEP YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING LATER DOWN THE ROAD, WHICH, WHERE WE ARE NOT AT THIS POINT, BUT IN TERMS OF MAKING THE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OR DOING THE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THE MOST, UM, THE, THE BEST SITE, SO TO SPEAK, FOR DETENTION THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE NOW. SO WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE SEVERAL STEPS FROM WHERE YOU ARE, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, BUT THIS IS THE STEP THAT WE MUST TAKE IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THE $30 MILLION FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. SO AM MIGHT, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THE ADMINISTRATION, THE SPRING BRANCH, ISD AND METRO NATIONAL HAVE AGREED TO LOOK AT THIS AS A POTENTIAL PROJECT FOR THE FUTURE. I THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTIVE OF DOING A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT. NOW, WHETHER OR NOT THE PARTIES THEMSELVES IN THE END WOULD DECIDE, OKAY, YES, LET'S MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEP. WE ARE NOT THERE YET. SO WE'VE COMMUNICATED WITH THEM AND THEY'RE AWARE THAT WE'RE DOING THIS. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE'RE DOING WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE. THEY'RE AWARE, THEY'RE AWARE OF THIS ITEM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED UNDERGROUND, AN UNDERGROUND DETENTION BASIN. AND THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. IT'S TAKEN SO LONG THAT THE RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT G AND IN THE AREA HAVE STARTED TO LOSE FAITH THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD ACTUALLY EVER HAPPEN. UM, SO I KNOW THAT THE DISTRICT G RESIDENTS THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS PROJECT MOVE FORWARD AND THEY WANNA SEE IT HAPPEN SOONER THAN LATER. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KASH. THANK YOU. MAYOR IS ALL THIS PROJECT IN DISTRICT G THIS IS IN DISTRICT J ALL OVER. OKAY. [04:30:01] AND, UM, LET'S JUST SAY, MAYOR, THAT, THAT WE DO THIS STUDY AND WE FIND THAT, UH, THAT WE CAN GET THE GRANT MONEY, UH, AND THEN THAT THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO LET US DO IT. WOULD WE EXERCISE EMINENT DOMAIN AT THAT POINT? UH, I'M NOT, I'M NOT EVEN, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A RESPONSE THAT THE SUPREME COURT WOULD GIVE YOU. THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S A HYPOTHETICAL, NOT BEFORE ME. SO I CHOOSE NOT TO ADDRESS IT AT THIS TIME. . BUT, BUT, BUT MAYOR, IT, IT IS WITHIN THE REALM OF THE POSSIBILITY. WELL, I'M, I'M GONNA DEFER TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN SAID. I THINK PEOPLE, NUMBER ONE, PEOPLE WANT US TO MITIGATE FLOODING, RIGHT? OKAY. AND, UH, AND THIS IS AN ISSUE DIRECTLY IMPACTING PEOPLE IN WEST HOUSTON. I THINK AT LEAST WE NEED TO DO THE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS DETENTION IN THAT AREA. AND THIS GETS US, THIS IS ANOTHER STEP FORWARD. AND, AND IT WILL CERTAINLY HELP US TO DRAW DOWN $30 MILLION FROM, FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. NOW, WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT? I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO, BUT I, BUT THIS IS A PRELIMINARY STEP THAT MUST HAPPEN IN ORDER FOR US TO GET TO DETENTION, MAJOR DE UNDERGROUND DETENTION, WHICH IS WHAT MY UNDERSTANDING AND WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD IS MOST OF THE PEOPLE OUT IN THAT DISTRICT WANT. OKAY. I'LL DEFER TO MY DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN? UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. NO, I WAS GONNA SAY, I, I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S, UH, PERSPECTIVE ON THIS AND WHAT THE RESIDENTS WANT. UM, THIS IS PRETTY, FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T AS FAMILIAR, THIS IS A PRETTY STANDARD PROCESS. UH, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE SAME THING AS IT RELATES TO TURKEY GULLY. THERE ARE RESIDENTIAL AREAS THAT ARE AT RISK OF FLOODING AND COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S, THEY'RE ALREADY FLOODING. UM, AND THERE ARE PROPERTIES THAT THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT AND THE CITY NEED TO LOOK AT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT'S EVEN FEASIBLE TO PUT DETENTION THERE. SO, AGAIN, IN ORDER TO EVEN LOOK AT THE PROJECT, EVEN TO DO THE CITY'S PORTIONS, NOT EVEN THE PURCHASING OF MAJOR LAND AND DETENTION, BUT ALSO FLOW TO THOSE, THE STUDIES HAVE TO BE DONE. UH, AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SO THAT WE CAN PLAN AHEAD AND PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM FLOODING, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO DO. ANY END OF DISCUSSION ON ITEM? UH, 42? 42. 42 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 42, ITEM 50 IS AN ORDINANCE. ITEM 50, DISCUSSION ON 50. COUNCIL MEMBER MC CAMAN ON 50. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE'RE ABOUT TO TAKE UP A, A HOST OF ITEMS RELATED TO GRANTS, UM, THROUGH THE DOJ AND OTHERS FOR HPD, UH, MAYOR. THIS ONE IS, UH, TO IMPLEMENT, UH, AN ADVOCATES FOR VIOLENT CRIME VICTIMS PROGRAM. UH, SO I WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THIS. I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE A REQUEST THAT, UM, WHEN READY, IF WE DO RECEIVE THE GRANT, UH, AND THE PROGRAM HAS MORE DETAILS, THAT IT COME BEFORE COMMITTEE SO THAT COUNCIL CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT IT, UM, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A NEW AND IMPORTANT ASPECT OF WHAT HPD IS WORKING ON. UM, WE ALSO HAVE, AND I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME ON ITEMS, SO I'LL JUST RUN THROUGH IT. UM, A A BIG ITEM ON 51, IT'S AN A TF PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, AND HPD HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT AS IT RELATES TO GUN CRIMES AND GUN SAFETY FOR QUITE SOME TIME. UH, FUNDING FOR NEW FULL-TIME POLICE CADETS, 50 AND 50 CADETS. AND THEN ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING. SO AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT WE HAVE A SLEW OF ITEMS HERE AS WE CONTINUE TO FUND, UM, EFFORTS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR RESIDENTS, NOT JUST IN THE CITY, BUT FOR THE REGION AS A WHOLE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 50? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 50. ITEM 51 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE ON ITEM 51. DISCUSSION ON 51. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED GRAND ON 51. [NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS] ITEM 68 IS A MOTION TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE. THE SUGGESTED HEARING DATES ARE OCTOBER 5TH AND 12TH AT 6:00 PM AND OCTOBER 19TH AT 9:00 AM UH, CASTEX MOVED TO SET THE HEARING DATE OCTOBER 5TH FOR OCTOBER 5TH AT 12TH 12TH, 2022 AT 6:00 PM AND WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19TH, 2022 AT 9:00 AM SECOND ROBINSON BEEN MOVED IN SECOND ON 9 68. DISCUSSION ON 68. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANTED [MATTERS HELD] MATTERS HELD. ITEM 69 IS AN [04:35:01] ORDINANCE, UH, UH, ON ITEM 69. DISCUSSION ON 69. COUNCILMAN JACKSON ON NINE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, I TAGGED THIS LAST WEEK. I JUST WANTED TO GET A OP, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW, UM, THE AMENDMENTS TO THE, UM, ORDINANCE. AND SO I DID CONSULT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, THOMAS. THANK YOU. UM, SO I'M OKAY ON THIS ITEM. CHAIR. OKAY. THE ON ITEM 6 69. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 69? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED? GRANTING ON 69. ITEM 70 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 70. DISCUSSION ON 70. DISCUSSION ON 70 IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTING ON 70. ITEM 71 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ITEM 71, DISCUSSION ON 71. DISCUSSION ON 71 IN FAVOR OF POST GRANT ON 71. THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] AGENDA. VICE MAYOR PRO TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS. UH, THE CRIME PREVENTION THREE DAY WORKSHOP, CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN CONTINUES THIS WEEK. UH, WE HAD GREAT REPRESENTATION FROM OUR DISTRICT K LEADERS, UM, VERY EXCITED THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE. UH, THE GROUPS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, RESIDENTS, AND PROPERTY MANAGER ARE ENGAGED IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN APPROACH TO CRIME PREVENTION. AND THAT, UM, WORKSHOP IS BEING FACILITATED AT THE FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER AND WILL CONTINUE TODAY FROM NINE TO FOUR. AND WE'LL CONCLUDE ON TOMORROW FROM NINE TO TWO. AGAIN, THAT'S AT THE FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER AT 1 4 0 8 3 SOUTH MAIN STREET. NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IN TEXAS IS OCTOBER THE FOURTH. THE BEST WAY TO BUILD A SAFER COMMUNITY IS TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS AND YOUR SURROUNDINGS. IF DISTRICT K RESIDENTS ARE PLANNING TO, UM, DO SOMETHING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES ON NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, WE WANNA KNOW ABOUT IT. IF YOU'LL SEND AN EMAIL TO JOE GATSON@HOUSTONTX.GOV, OR DISTRICT K@HOUSTONTX.GOV, WE'D LOVE TO CELEBRATE WITH YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, AND PRESENT CERTIFICATES TO YOUR CIVIC CLUBS OR HOAS. AND ALSO, BECAUSE THIS DOES FALL ON A, UM, JEWISH HOLIDAY, WE ARE ASKING RESIDENTS IF THEY HAVE RESCHEDULED THEIR NATIONAL NIGHT EVENTS, UM, TO PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN PARTICIPATE IN THOSE EVENTS AS WELL. UH, DISTRICT A RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO GET ENGAGED IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. RECEIVE INFORMATION ON UPCOMING COMMUNITY VIRTUAL MEETINGS, AND FOLLOW THEIR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. HELP DISTRICT K WIN THE TITLE OF ENGAGE HOUSTON CHAMPION 2022 WITH YOUR PARTICIPATION. UH, COUPLE OF OTHER, UM, ANNOUNCEMENTS. IF YOU AREN'T REGISTERED TO VOTE, THE VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS OCTOBER THE 11TH. BE PREPARED AND READY FOR THE NOVEMBER 8TH, 2022 GENERAL ELECTION EARLY VOTING STARTS OCTOBER 24TH THROUGH NOVEMBER 4TH. MAKE YOUR VOTING PLANS TODAY, VISIT VOTE TEXAS.GOV FOR MORE VOTING INFORMATION. IF YOU AREN'T RECEIVING OUR DISTRICT A NEWSLETTER, SEND US AN EMAIL AT DISTRICT K@HOUSTONTX.GOV. WE'D LOVE TO ADD YOU TO OUR DISTRIBUTION LIST. BE KIND TO EACH OTHER. HAVE A SUPER DAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON. UH, MAYOR, I'M, UH, REPORTING HERE JUST ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, WHO'S GIVEN ME A STATEMENT. UH, HE HAS LEFT US THIS MORNING TO GET ON A PLANE AND GO TO WASHINGTON DC THERE IS A MERGER BEFORE CONGRESS, UH, AND A HEARING, I BELIEVE WITH, UH, UH, THE MERGER OF CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILROAD AND KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, UH, WILL BE TESTIFYING BEFORE THE FEDERAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD ABOUT A LOOMING MERGER BETWEEN TWO RAILROAD COMPANIES, CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILROAD, AND KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN. UH, THE MERGER IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TRAFFIC THROUGHOUT THE RAILROAD SYSTEM AND COULD POTENTIALLY BRING EIGHT TO 14 ADDITIONAL TRAINS PER DAY THROUGH HOUSTON. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, LIKE MANY OF US AROUND THE HORSESHOE, IS DEEPLY CONCERNED BY THIS EXPECTED MERGER AND RELATED IMPACTS, UH, IN THE INCREASE IN FREIGHT TRAFFIC THAT WE COULD EXPERIENCE, UH, PARTICULARLY HOW IT COULD EXACERBATE THE ISSUE OF BLOCKED CROSSINGS AS THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND I EXPERIENCED YESTERDAY ON OUR WAY TO THE BUFFALO BIO, UH, EVENT IN THE EAST END. AND THOSE IMPACTS HAVE HAD, UH, REAL RADICAL IMPACT ON OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES AND MOBILITY AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. SO, MAYOR, I, UH, I'M AWARE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS EQUALLY CONCERNED BY THE PROPOSED MERGER AND IMPACTS IT COULD HAVE ON COMMUNITIES ACROSS HOUSTON, AND IS SUPPORTIVE OF COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS EFFORT. THIS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. HE IS, UH, HEADED TOWARD THE DISTRICT WITH, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER ELLIS FROM HARRIS COUNTY, AS WELL AS, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA THERE WAITING FOR HIM IN WASHINGTON. SO, WITH THAT MAYOR, I THINK, UH, WE WANNA WISH, [04:40:01] UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, GOOD LUCK WITH HIS EFFORTS AND ON RELATED TOPICS OF TRANSPORTATION. UH, THIS IS COMMUTE SOLUTIONS MONTH. UH, SO JUST A BRIEF RECAP ON THAT, MAYOR, ON SEPTEMBER 16TH, I SPOKE ON YOUR BEHALF AT THE ION WITH METRO AND TDOT LAUNCHING OF THE CONNECT SMART APP, UH, WHICH I THINK WAS A BIG SUCCESS BY ALL MEASURES, AND WE'RE EAGER TO SEE HOW THAT CAN CONTINUE TO CATCH ON AND HELP HELP PEOPLE MAKE EXCELLENT CHOICES ABOUT, UH, TRANSPORTATION MODALITY AND, AND HOW TO GET OUTTA THEIR CAR. UM, THERE WAS A BIKE RIDE THIS PAST FRIDAY FROM, UH, THE TRANSPORTATION POLICY COUNCIL MEETING AT THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL, WHERE, UH, PLANNERS AND, UH, REPRESENTATIVE FROM LINK HOUSTON AND I JOINED TO CYCLE FROM THAT VENUE HERE TO CITY HALL. UM, AND LASTLY, TODAY, METRO IS HOSTING A GET TOGETHER AT SIX 11 WALKER ON THE GROUND LEVEL AUDITORIUM. IT IS IN ICE CREAM, SOCIAL WITH FREEBIES. UH, SO SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT IMPROVING YOUR COMMUTE WILL BE TAKING PLACE THERE. MAYOR, IF YOU NEED SOME ICE CREAM TO GO ALONG WITH YOUR CAKE FROM THE PARTY YESTERDAY, ENCOURAGE YOU TO STOP BY. THANKS. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. UH, KOSH. WELL, MARY, IT WAS YOUR BIRTHDAY YESTERDAY, AND YOU, WE, YOU GAVE US A CAKE AND, AND, AND I, I DIDN'T HEAR ANYBODY TALK ABOUT JELLY CAKE, BUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I, I, IT FINALLY DAWNED ON ME YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS EATING THE CAKE I, THAT MY MOTHER USED TO MAKE LIKE A CAKE ROLL AND PUT JELLY IN IT. IS THAT WHAT, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? JELLY CAKE. IT'S A, IT'S A VARIATION. UH, BUT I PUT THE JELLY ON TOP OF, UH, THERE ARE THREE LAYERS, AND I PUT THE JELLY ON TOP, LIKE, WELL, WELL, I, IT HAD A, HAD A MEMORY OF MY MOM, EVEN AGAIN TODAY. IT, IT WAS PRETTY EMOTIONAL TO WATCH HIM GIVE THE FLOWERS TO HIS MOTHER WHEN WILL DID THAT. I, I FIND MYSELF SOMETIMES GETTING SO EMOTIONAL WHEN I THINK ABOUT MY MOM AND THINGS TRIGGER IT, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT, THAT JUST, UH, CATCHES ME OFF GUARD SOMETIMES. UH, I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, ADOPTING DOGS AND RESCUING DOGS, UH, AND, AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, UH, RESCUE A CHILD, BECOME A FOSTER PARENT, I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A GREAT NEED FOR FOSTER PARENTING. GOD BLESS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO I WANNA REMIND MY COLLEAGUES AND THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING, UH, THAT WE HAVE A RESCHEDULED HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY AT 2:00 PM WE ARE COVERING A SERIES OF ITEMS AND AMENDMENTS TO PUBLIC SERVICES. UM, SO SEE YOU ON TEAMS AND IN CHAMBERS AT TWO O'CLOCK TONIGHT. THE DISTRICT F TEAM WILL BE AT IMPERIAL POINT AT 6:00 PM FOR COMMUNITY POP-UP. WE WILL HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND ALSO WEST SIDE HPD. THIS IS A LONG TIME COMING, SO IF YOU'RE IN THE COMMUNITY, PLEASE JOIN US. UM, AS MAYOR TURNER ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING, AND AS THE PRESS CONFERENCE RELEASE, WE ARE, WE WILL BE IN A LEAVE ON OCTOBER 8TH. AND I JUST WANT TO ADD, BECAUSE OF THAT PRESS CONFERENCE, UM, I SENT AN ASK OUT TO THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO, UM, OFFER UP SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND THE ALPHA KAPPA OMEGA CHAPTER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY. UM, AND THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT IS ACTUALLY A DISTRICT F UH, MEMBER. UM, THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING TO COVERING THE REFRESHMENTS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT MON THAT THAT MORNING. UM, MY DISTRICT F MEMBER, I HAD TO CALL IN MY PEOPLE AND THEN TO MY BARBARA QUATRO. SHE'S ALSO PERSONALLY CONTRIBUTING, UM, FUNDS. AND WE'LL DELIVER THE, UH, THE REFRESHMENTS THAT MORNING. UM, AND AS BARBARA SAYS, YOU KNOW, SHE'S DOING THIS WITH MAYOR. WHEN SHE SEE YOU, YOU KNOW, SHE GONNA ASK YOU ABOUT THOSE TREES, . SO JUST BE READY. I'M READY WHEN YOU SEE HER ON THAT MORNING. SO I AM JUST GRATEFUL TO THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT THAT COMMUNITY, UM, IS SHOWING UP AND THEY'RE SUPPORTING OUR CITY AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC SAFETY. UH, THIS WEEK, UH, AS OF, UH, SEPTEMBER 21ST, THE DISTRICT F OFFICE, WE RECEIVED 386 CONSTITUENT CASES, 3 1 1 CALLS, UM, NUMBER ONE, WASTEWATER WATER LEAK, WATER BILL, UH, SECOND TRAFFIC SIGNAL MAINTENANCE. NUMBER THREE, MISSED GARBAGE, HEAVY TRASH RECYCLING. NUMBER FOUR, NU NUISANCE ON PROPERTIES, PARTICULARLY COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES LIKE WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING ON BINET AND KIRKWOOD. AND LASTLY, CONTAINER PROBLEMS. REPAIR, REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. NO POTHOLES. NO POTHOLES. THANK YOU. PUBLIC WORKS FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK. UM, AND LASTLY, I WOULD JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UH, DEBORAH STERLING WEATHERSPOON ON HER 70TH BIRTHDAY. SHE LOOKS ALL OF 45. UM, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU DEAR FAMILY FRIENDS FROM NEW ORLEANS, AND, UM, ALSO TO MY UNCLE WHO'S GETTING MARRIED ON SATURDAY. UM, CONGRATULATIONS TO HIM AND HIS NEW BRIDE, MS. GWEN HACKNEY. OH, AND OH, AND I'LL ALSO BE WALKING IN THE NIGERIAN INDEPENDENCE PARADE SATURDAY. [04:45:01] UM, I THINK THEY SAY IT STARTS AT EIGHT, BUT MY GOOD NIGERIANS, YOU KNOW, WE GONNA BE THERE ALL DAY LONG. , SO ALL DAY LONG. SO I'M EXCITED TO DO THAT. I'M INVITING MY STUDENTS. AND SO AS WE CELEBRATE NIGERIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY, PLEASE COME OUT AND JOIN US DOWNTOWN CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE. I BELIEVE SHE'S THE, UM, WHAT DO THEY CALL? SHE'S THE GRAND MARSHAL. SO WE HAVE A BUNCH OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS OUT THERE. SO COME CELEBRATE YOUR, YOUR NEIGHBORS, AND LET'S HAVE SOME GOOD TIME AND A GOOD WEATHER. THANK YOU. GOOD. Y'ALL WILL BE MARCHING THROUGH SUNDAY. , UM, . COUNCILMAN . I'LL PASS MAYOR. ALRIGHT. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON AN AMAZING ENERGY CONFERENCE. OH, THANKS. I MEAN, IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY, IT WAS REALLY PHENOMENAL. AND, UM, AND I THINK I LOVE THE HONESTY AND I LOVE THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'VE ALREADY CREATED, AND WE'RE GOING TO, UM, TO, TO MAKE LARGER AND BROADER. SO CONGRATULATIONS. WELL, I MEAN, JUST WELL DONE. THANKS. WELL DONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND WHILE YOU ALL ARE STILL HERE, I CERTAINLY WANT TO INVITE ALL OF YOU TO THE CONSULATE BALL ON OCTOBER THE EIGHTH, IF YOU CAN MAKE IT TO THE COUNCIL LAB BALL. SO PLEASE PUT THAT ON YOUR CALENDAR AND LET, UH, CHRIS OLSON AND HIS TEAM KNOW, UH, THAT YOU ARE COMING WITH A GUEST OR WITHOUT A GUEST, HOWEVER. BUT THAT'S TO THE COUNCILOR BALL ON OCTOBER THE EIGHTH. COUNCILMAN PAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANT TO ANNOUNCE TWO UPCOMING EVENTS. THE FIRST IS FALL MOVIE NIGHT THAT WE ARE HOSTING WITH COMMISSIONER KAGEL. WE, UM, WILL BE SHOWING ZOOTOPIA AND IT WILL BE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7TH, UM, CRAFTS AND POPCORN AT 6:30 PM AND THEN THE MOVIE STARTS AT DUSK. IT WILL BE AT SPRING SPIRIT BASEBALL ON PITNER ROAD, AND HPD WILL BE THERE, THE PAL PROGRAM WILL BE THERE. WE'RE STILL TRYING TO WORK ON BUILDING COMMUNITY RELATIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE LIVING ON PITNER AND HPD, BUT THIS IS OPEN TO ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WANTS TO COME. WE WILL BE HAPPY TO HAVE EVERYONE THERE. UM, AND THEN SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR ANNUAL PUBLIC SAFETY TOWN HALL MEETING, WHICH WILL BE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29TH. IT'LL BE AT THE WHITE OAK CONFERENCE CENTER AT 7 6 0 3 ANTOINE DRIVE. UM, 11:00 AM IS THE TOWN HALL, 1145 WILL BE THE FOOD. AND, UM, CHIEF FINN AND CHIEF PENA WILL BE THERE. UM, FREE FOOD, FAMILY FRIENDLY. WE HOPE EVERYONE WILL ATTEND. AND MAYOR, UM, I DIDN'T SQUARE THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA, BUT I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE, UM, ITEM WIN, UM, UM, WINFERN FROM, UM, CLAY ROAD TO WINGFOOT. I ALMOST SAID WINGFOOT, BUT, UM, WINFERN. UM, IT'S A HUGE PROJECT FOR, UM, PEOPLE IN CARDALE AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS THAT MOBILITY IS VERY CRUCIAL. SO THANK YOU MORE THAN WELCOME. THANK YOU. UM, YES, COUNCILMAN JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, TOMORROW, SEPTEMBER THE 29TH, I WILL ANNOUNCE A NEW PROJECT TO TACKLE POVERTY AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND DISTRICT B, UM, WITH A COMPREHENSIVE COM COMMUNITY DRIVEN INITIATIVE. UM, JUST 35%, OR ACTUALLY 37% OF HOUSEHOLDS IN DISTRICT B EARN LESS THAN $25,000 PER YEAR. UM, OUT OF 195,000 HOUSEHOLDS, THAT'S 72,000 HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE IN POVERTY. UM, DISTRICT B ALSO TRAIL CITY OF HOUSTON IN EDUCATION AND HOME OWNERSHIP. AND SO THE BE SUCCESSFUL INITIATIVE WITH TRANSFER DISTRICT B BY TAKING ON FIVE CHALLENGES, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, COMMUNITY, ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE. UM, THE BE SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVE, IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH THAT WILL HIRE AND TRAIN 25 COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO CONNECT RESIDENTS WITH TRAINING, WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND JOB AND THE JOBS THAT THEY NEED WITH COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN MEET THOSE NEEDS WHILE BUILDING UP ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY ESTABLISHED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE HAVE ALSO RECRUITED AND TRAINED 25 CREDIBLE MESSENGERS TO CONNECT WITH MENTORS, UM, CONNECT WITH AT-RISK YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS. INCREDIBLE MESSENGERS ARE NATURAL LEADERS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATED THEIR OWN PRIOR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM OR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THEY SHARE SIMILAR LIFE EXPERIENCES WITH CUR, UM, WITH THESE CURRENT INVOLVE YOUTH, AND THAT'S INVOLVED WITH THE SYSTEM, AND THEY ARE OPPOSED TO HAVE A TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT ON AN INDIVIDUAL FAMILY AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY RESIDE IN. THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE IN DISTRICT B IS THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES. AND BEST WAY TO HELP THE DISTRICT THRIVE IS BY HELPING PEOPLE GET CONNECTED TO GOOD PAYING JOBS SO THAT THEY CAN RAISE THEIR FAMILIES, UM, AND STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ALREADY BUILDING UP OUR COMMUNITIES AND CONNECT OUR YOUTH WITH MENTORS WHO, MENTORS WHO THEN, WHO HAVE RELATED EXPERIENCES. I'M ALSO EXCITED ABOUT FINDING RESOURCES FOR OUR PARKS AND BRINGING NEW BUSINESSES TO BUILDINGS THAT HAVE SET VACANT FOR DECADES IN DISH IN DISTRICT B. I KNOW THIS IS AN AMBITION PLAN, BUT IT CAN, UM, TAKE PLACE. OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, I HAVE MET WITH CORPORATIONS, GOVERNMENT OFFICES, COMMUNITY [04:50:01] ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY AND FAITH LEADERS, LABOR UNIONS, EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO FORGE A PARTNERSHIP THAT WILL BE THE FOUNDATION OF THIS BE SUCCESSFUL INITIATIVE. SOME OF OUR PARTNERS INCLUDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, ONE SAFE HOUSTON. I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT. THEY'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF GREAT WORK WITH US. AMAZON UNION PACIFIC, A-F-L-C-I-O, HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, UM, LONE STAR COLLEGE, ASTROS FOUNDATION, ANHEUSER-BUSCH, SOLID WASTE METRO, UM, JUVENILE PROBATION, JOSEPH HOUSE, HOUSTON ENDOWMENT, LISC. AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. AND SO WE WILL BE LAUNCHING THIS INITIATIVE ON SATURDAY WITH A COMMUNITY RESOURCE FAIR, JOB FAIR, AND THE, UM, THE INITIATIVE, THE FAIR WILL TAKE PLACE AT HCC AT NORTH FOREST. UM, NORTH FOREST, HCC, LOCATED AT 60 10 LID YARD. UM, OF COURSE THE PRESS CONFERENCE WILL BE IN THE LEGACY ROOM TOMORROW AT 11:00 AM IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE, I HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US. I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A WHOLE YEAR. UM, BUT WE GOT EVERYONE POSITIONED. THE ORGANIZATIONS ARE ANCHORED ACROSS THE DISTRICT. UM, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 10 ORGANIZATIONS THAT THESE COMMUNITY RESOURCE NAVIGATORS AND CREDIBLE MESSENGERS WILL BE HOUSED, SO THE RESIDENTS CAN GO TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE NEIGHBORHOODS TO GET THE SERVICE AND GET CONNECTED TO THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED, UM, ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE. , AND YEAH, AND THANK YOU MAYOR. YOU KNOW, WITH THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER, YOU ALLOCATED RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, $3 MILLION FOR THE, UM, PROCURED VIOLENCE AND CREDIBLE MESSENGERS, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. UM, IN JULY, WE WERE ABLE TO PASS THE $500,000. UM, THAT'S FOR THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S COVERING THE OVERHEAD FOR, UM, THE, UM, UM, COMMUNITY RESOURCE NAVIGATORS. AND OF COURSE, I WILL CONTINUE TO RAISE MONEY TO FUND, UM, THE REST OF THIS INITIATIVE. IT'S, UM, THE TOTAL COST IS 9.3 MILLION, BUT I KNOW WE WILL GET THOSE, UM, RESOURCES. ALSO, I WANT TO THANK, UM, THE, UM, HOUSTON ASTROS FOUNDATION. THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO ACTUALLY TAKE OVER ONE OF OUR PARKS, SMOKEY JASPER PARK. UM, I WENT TO THEM ASKING FOR 500,000, BUT ONCE THEY SEE THE PRICE TAG TO UPGRADE THAT PARK, THEY'RE GONNA SEE US ALMOST 2 MILLION. BUT I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. AND SO I'M REALLY EXCITED AND THANK YOU JUST EVERYONE FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST YOUR SUPPORT. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN HEARING ME FOR THE PAST YEAR TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT WE'RE FINALLY REALIZING THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS INITIATIVE. SO I'M EXCITED. YES, THANK YOU. DISTRICT B, DISTRICT BB BOLD BOUND US AND BEAUTIFUL. CONGRATULATIONS. THAT'S RIGHT. DON'T HATE . CONGRATULATIONS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH YOU. BUT THE LEADERSHIP, LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS AND YOUR PASSION. AND, UH, THE DOLLARS WILL COME, YOU KNOW, UM, BECAUSE, UM, IN MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES, UH, WE NEED TRANSFORMATIVE INVESTMENTS IN THE HEART OF THESE COMMUNITIES. SO, UH, THE DOLLARS WILL COME. AND I JUST BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE, COMPANIES OUT THERE, UM, WHO ARE WILLING TO MAKE TRANSFORMATIVE INVESTMENTS INTO THE HEARTS OF THESE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR AND YOUR LEADERSHIP. LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU VERY CLOSELY. ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN, IT, IT'S TOUGH TO FOLLOW THAT ONE. AND HUGE CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. I MEAN, YOU SAID YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR A YEAR, BUT YOU HAD THOSE SEEDS WAY LONGER THAN THAT, SO REALLY CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, I AM SO EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE OFFICIALLY, UH, RESIDENTS MET WITH US. OUR AVID PICKLEBALL PICKLEBALL PLAYERS CAME TO US. AND MAYOR, THANKS TO THE HELP OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, KENNETH ALLEN, UM, AND SOME OF OUR LOCAL PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATIONS. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE FIRST EVER PROFESSIONAL PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT HOSTED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO IT'S THE, UH, A PP SUN MED HOUSTON OPEN. IT WILL BE AT MEMORIAL PARK, OCTOBER 19TH THROUGH 23RD. UH, THE PIP PICKLEBALL FRENZY DOESN'T STOP THERE. WE'RE ALSO INVESTING AS A COUNCIL, UH, OFFICE IN RE-PIPING MANY OF OUR COURTS THROUGHOUT, NOT ONLY THE DISTRICT, BUT I KNOW PARKS IS A, IS EXPANDING THAT THROUGH THE CITY. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED. I HOPE EVERYONE WILL ATTEND. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO REMIND COUNSEL, WE WILL HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE MEETING TOMORROW AT 2:00 PM TO DISCUSS CHANGES TO, UH, OUR SOUND ORDINANCE UNDER CHAPTER 25. MAYOR, UNDER YOUR DIRECTION, UM, THE CITY HAS BEEN LOOKING AT THIS IN ORDER TO ADDRESS OUTDOOR LIVE MUSIC, UH, SHOWS THAT ARE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. IT'S A SIGNIFICANT DRAIN ON OUR PUBLIC SAFETY RESOURCES. UH, IT'S A DRAIN ON THE ADMINISTRATION IN TERMS OF HAVING TO PROCESS PERMITS, VET THINGS VERY QUICKLY, UM, AND OFTENTIMES IT'S A RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY. SO WE WILL BE TAKING THAT UP TOMORROW AT [04:55:01] 2:00 PM. UM, I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT AT THE SAME TIME IT WILL BE, UM, ARCHBISHOP FIZA, UH, FUNERAL SERVICE. UH, BECAUSE THIS IS COMING SO QUICKLY, IT'S UNAVOIDABLE. BUT I, I DID WANT TO, UH, EXTEND MY APPRECIATION TO WHAT, UH, ARCHBISHOP FIZA HAS DONE FOR OUR CITY. UH, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH THE THREE AMIGOS WHILE, UM, WORKING FOR THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE. UH, THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING FORWARD THE CREATION OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE FOR THE, THE COUNTY. UH, THEIR WORK GOES FAR BEYOND THAT, BUT WITHOUT THEM, WE WOULD NOT HAVE, UM, THE IMPACT THAT THE INTERFAITH COMMUNITY HAS ON OUR CITY. SO I JUST, I RECOGNIZE HIS LIFE HAS BEEN A BEAUTIFUL GIFT TO US. UM, I DID ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, OCTOBER 1ST IS THE START OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH. UH, SO THERE'S A LOT OF EVENTS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND RECOGNITION OF THAT. AND FINALLY, UM, IS IN THE JEWISH YEAR. UH, WE JUST CELEBRATED ROSH HASHANAH, WHICH IS THE NEW YEAR, AND NOW WE GO INTO AN ENTIRE WEEK OF, UM, REFLECTION THAT ENDS WITH YOM KIPPUR, WHICH IS THE HOLIEST DAY IN THE JEWISH CALENDAR. THAT WILL BE NEXT WEDNESDAY. UH, SO UNFORTUNATELY WE WILL NOT BE AT COUNCIL FOR THAT, OR I WILL NOT BE. UM, BUT I'M WISHING EVERYBODY WHO'S OBSERVING AN EASY FAST. UH, AND SHANA TOVA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILMAN POLL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME YESTERDAY, UH, FOR OUR PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE THE 100 FOOD PANTRIES AND 100 DAYS INITIATIVE, UH, THAT'S LED BY THE HOUSTON FOOD AND SECURITY BOARD, UM, IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH WHIRLPOOL, WHO WILL BE DONATING UP TO 250 REFRIGERATORS TO HELP START AT LEAST 100 LOCAL PANTRIES AROUND THE CITY. UH, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, LAST YEAR I WAS APPROACHED BY THE MINETTE FOUNDATION TO ADVOCATE FOR THE CREATION OF A FOOD INSECURITY BOARD WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. FOOD INSECURITY IS WHEN A PERSON LIVES IN AN AREA THAT DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO QUALITY OR HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS. THIS MEANS THEY ARE IN AN AREA WITHOUT A QUALITY GROCERY STORE, AND THEY DO NOT HAVE THE MEANS OR TRANSPORTATION TO EASILY GET THEM TO AN AREA WITH EQUALITY OR HEALTHY FOODS. SO THEY HAVE TO RELY ON FAST FOOD, CONVENIENCE STORES OR GROCERY STORES THAT LACK CONSISTENT FOOD OPTIONS. I ALSO LEARNED THAT OVER 500 PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON LIVE IN FOOD DESERTS, AND OVER 700,000 PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE EASY ACCESS TO QUALITY IN HEALTHY FOODS. IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS ABOUT 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE. SO ALMOST ONE THIRD OF HOUSTONIANS ARE FACING FOOD INSECURITY. UM, THE BOARD HAS BEEN WORKING CONSISTENTLY WITH COMING UP WITH A STRATEGY THAT THEY WILL PRESENT THE COUNCIL NEXT YEAR ON HOW TO MAKE OUR CITY MORE FOOD SECURE. AND AS THEY WORK ON THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THEY'RE ALSO COMING UP WITH PROJECTS ALONG THE WAY THAT CAN HELP ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY IN THE SHORT TERM. AND ONE OF THESE PROJECTS IS THE 100 FOOD PANTRIES AND 100 DAYS INITIATIVE. UH, SO I WANT TO THANK WHIRLPOOL FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT AND, UH, AND DONATION. UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE HAD SO MANY FOOD DISTRIBUTION DRIVES, UH, ALL OVER THE CITY. AND ONE THING I NOTICED IN DISTRICT J IS THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS SO DIVERSE. THEY WERE SHOWING UP TO THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION DRIVES, AND THEY WERE GETTING THIS GENERIC BOX OF FOOD THAT'S ALREADY ASSUMING THAT EVERYONE EATS THE SAME TYPE OF FOODS. AND MANY PEOPLE WERE HAPPY TO RECEIVE THE FOOD, BUT THEY UNDERSTOOD, UNDERSTOOD DUE TO THEIR DIETARY CONSTRAINTS, THAT THEY MAY NOT EVEN BE ABLE TO EAT THE FOOD. SO WHAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON IS BEING ABLE TO HELP, UH, START UP LOCAL PANTRIES. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NONPROFITS AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS HAVE THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, UM, THE KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO HAVE A SUSTAINABLE LOCAL FOOD PANTRY. AND WHIRLPOOL HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB OF PARTNERING WITH US TO PROVIDE THOSE REFRIGERATORS. AND I WANT TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO, UH, THE CITY'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND DIRECTOR OF STEVEN WILLIAMS BECAUSE, UH, RIGHT NOW UNDER CITY ORDINANCE, WE ONLY FOCUS ON THESE BIG, UH, COMMERCIALIZED FOOD PANTRIES. BUT IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A LOCAL SMALL FOOD PANTRY, SOMETIMES IT'S HURDLES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND SO THEY'RE FINDING WAYS TO STREAMLINE THAT. SO I WANT TO THANK NOT ONLY HIS OFFICE, BUT SHANNON BUGS AND JEREMY LOGAN WITH, UH, COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, UH, SHAR ANI WITH THE, UM, MINETTE FOUNDATION, WHO ALSO CHAIRS THE, UH, FOOD INSECURITY BOARD AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS. BUT I WANT HOUSTONIANS TO KNOW, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE AND HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE, UH, PLEASE GO TO HOUSTON TX.GOV/FOOD INSECURITY. UM, SHOUT OUT TO BOB NOACK, WHO IS OUR WEBMASTER. [05:00:01] HE ALWAYS TELLS ME IT'S SLASH SO LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN. HOUSTON TX.GOV/FOOD INSECURITY, AND YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION THERE. SO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT EFFORT. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. UM, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'LL BE SURE TODAY I'LL BE BRIEF. UH, I'VE, I'VE WANTED TO, UH, SAY THAT I HAD THE HONOR OF PRESENTING MS. MELODY ROBINSON WITH A SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR BEING SELECTED AS MISS TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY 20 22, 20 23 FOR HER SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGH SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP, SISTERHOOD, AND FINER WOMANHOOD. THAT WAS A RECEPTION FOR HER AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ON SUNDAY, AND SHE REIGNED SUPREME. I ALSO WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT NEXT TUESDAY WILL BE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, UM, AND I WILL ATTEND AS MANY AS I POSSIBLY CAN. ONE I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, AT THE CUNY HOMES, WHICH WILL BE A NIGHT OUT BLOCK PARTY, IT WILL BE FROM FOUR TO SEVEN 30. UH, WE WILL HAVE FOOD DISTRIBUTION FOR 400 FAMILIES, MUSIC LINE DANCING FOR YOU, MAYOR, UH, AND CERTAINLY THE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS. AND SO CERTAINLY I HOPE THAT EVERYONE THAT CAN ENGAGE IN THE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT FESTIVITIES WILL DO SO, SO THAT YOU CAN KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS. AND THIS WILL HELP US IN PREVENTING SOME OF THE CRIMES AND CERTAINLY BEING ABLE TO REPORT THEM IF THEY DO TAKE PLACE. AND SO COME AND JOIN US FOR NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AT THE CUNY HOMES, UM, AND OTHER PLACES WITHIN DISTRICT D. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. IS THAT IT? ? I GOT. I GOTTA FLU THE CATCH. ALRIGHT, . OKAY. THANK YOU MAYOR. SO I'M, I WANT EVERYBODY TO GET EXCITED BECAUSE THIS YEAR I AM THE CHAIRMAN FOR THE COMBINED MUNICIPAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TEAM, RIGHT? SO THIS YEAR IT'S GONNA BE BENEFITING CHILDREN'S SAFE HARBOR. IT'S A CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER AND THEY WORK TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE LIFE OF EVERY CHILD WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH TO BATTLE PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE. THEY'RE COMMITTED TO HEALING THE MIND AND BODY OF THESE CHILDREN AND THEN PROSECUTE THE OFFENDERS OF OUR YOUNGEST AND MOST VULNERABLE VICTIMS. SO DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, WE'RE GONNA BE RAISING MONEY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE FOOD, DRINK, TREAT SALES. SO PLEASE BRING CASH WITH YOU DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. UM, ALSO WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE BOXES WITH EACH COUNCIL MEMBER'S NAME ON THEM. IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR, YEAR BECAUSE THE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO GET THE MOST MONEY PUT INTO THEIR BOXES, THEY'LL BE THE ONES TO KISS THE CRITTER FROM THE HOUSTON ZOO. SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE ONE OF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS OR THE MAYOR TO KISS THE CRITTER, PUT THE MOST MONEY IN THE BOXES OF THE PEOPLE YOU WANNA, AH, YES. WAIT A MINUTE. YES, YOU GET TO PUT MONEY IN EACH PERSON'S BOX. AND SO WHO, THE TOP THREE WILL KISS THE CRITTER. YOU PICK THE CRITTER, THE ZOO PICKS THE CRITTER, I BELIEVE. I DON'T KNOW, YOU PUT THE MONEY. ALSO, UM, PART OF THIS WILL BE AN ONLINE AUCTION. AND, UH, THE ONLINE AUCTION, THEY'RE ACCEPTING EVERYTHING. ELECTRONICS, BOOKS, NEW OR GENTLY USED. COUNCIL MEMBER CIS HAS, UH, GENEROUSLY DONATED A WATERCOLOR PAINTING FOR, UM, EACH OF THE AUCTIONS. AND SO IF YOU HAVE NEW OR GENTLY USED ITEMS, YOU CAN BRING 'EM TO MY OFFICE BY FRIDAY, OR AT LEAST TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE WILLING TO DONATE. UM, AND THEN EVERYTHING CITY COUNCIL DONATES, WE'LL GO BACK TO CHILDREN'S SAFE HARBOR. AND THEN FINALLY MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR OCTOBER 27TH AT 5:00 PM THERE'S GOING TO BE, UH, A BOWLING TOURNAMENT. NOW THERE'S 16 TEAMS. AND GUESS WHAT? THERE'S 16 OF Y'ALL. SO I EXPECT EVERY DISTRICT AND AT LARGE MEMBER TO HAVE A TEAM OF FOUR FOR THIS BOWLING TOURNAMENT. UM, YOU NEED A TEAM NAME AND THERE'S GONNA BE A COSTUME CONTEST INVOLVED WITH YOUR TEAM. YOU GOTTA DRESS UP. AND SO WE'LL BE SENDING OUT THOSE REGISTRATION FORMS SOON. THIS IS A GREAT CAUSE CITY COUNCIL DID NOT HAVE A GOOD SHOWING LAST YEAR, SO WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THAT. I KNOW Y'ALL ARE BUSY, BUT WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THAT. AND I'M REALLY EXCITED. , WHAT DATE? OCTOBER 27TH? YES, AT 5:00 PM WHERE'S IT GONNA BE? IT'S GONNA BE AT THE, UH, BOLERO OFF OF I 10 AND, UH, BUNKER HILL IN SOMEBODY'S DISTRICT. IN MY DISTRICT . GOOD DEAL. SO YOU PUT THE MONEY, WHOEVER COMES UP WITH THE MOST MONEY, THE TOP THREE. THE TOP THREE KISS THE CREATURE. YEAH. SO I'M PUTTING ALL MY MONEY IN YOUR BOX. MAYOR, PUT IT IN BO'S BOX. MAYOR TURNER. IT'S KUBA. WE PUTTING IT IN HIS BOX? YEAH, WE . WE GONNA PUT IT IN HIS BOX. HE GONNA KISS IT. WHAT IF IT'S ANICK? YEAH, WE GOING, I'M PUTTING MY MONEY UP RIGHT THERE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. I, I ALREADY GOT THE, I GOT THE GAME PLAN. . [05:05:01] THANKS. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN. COUNCILMAN CISNEROS. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, ONCE AGAIN, UM, NATIONAL, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IS THIS COMING TUESDAY ON THE DISTRICT H NEWSLETTER. WE'LL HAVE A LIST OF THE ONES THAT WE KNOW ABOUT THAT AND THAT WILL GO OUT TOMORROW MORNING. SO IF YOU ARE A DISTRICT H RESIDENT AND YOU HAVE NOT LET US KNOW ABOUT YOUR, YOUR EVENT, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH US. UM, SEND AN EMAIL OR, OR MAKE A CALL TO THE DISTRICT AGE OFFICE AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE, WE PROMOTE YOUR EVENT AS WELL. UM, THIS SATURDAY I WILL BE TRAVELING TO, UM, TO COLLEGE STATION FOR THE TEXAS A AND M VETERINARY JOB AND EXTERNSHIP FAIR. UM, BARK WILL ALSO BE THERE. THEY'LL HAVE A BOOTH. UM, AND, AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT, UM, UH, NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE VETERINARY SCHOOL AND, UM, EXPLORING, UM, OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CITY. AND, UM, MAYOR, I WANTED TO TO JUST SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE HOUSTON AFRICA ENERGY SUMMIT AND HOW IMPRESSED I WAS. I SAT THROUGH ALL THE, THE PANEL DISCUSSIONS ON FRIDAY MORNING, AND IT WAS SO INTERESTING, UM, TO LEARN SOME THINGS. I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MEDIAN AGE IN AFRICA IS 19 YEARS OLD, THAT 44% OF THE POPULATION IS UNDER 14. THAT 600 MILLION AFRICANS STILL HAVE NO ACCESS TO POWER. NO ACCESS TO POWER. AND SO WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT ENERGY, THEY'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT TURNING THE LIGHTS ON, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT LIFTING PEOPLE'S LIVES. AND, UM, BECAUSE THEY SAID WITH WITH NO ELECTRICITY, THERE ARE NO JOBS. THERE'S REALLY NO FUTURE OR HOPE. AND SO, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK THAT THEY KEPT COMING BACK. I MEAN, TO THE, THE, UM, THE, THE QUALITY OF OF LIVES AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE VAST RESOURCES THAT ARE PRESENT IN AFRICA AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SO RICH IN RESOURCES. AND THEN JUST THE, THE LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE TO, TO ACCESS THE RESOURCES AND THEN TO DELIVER THEM TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THEM. SO, UM, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A WIN-WIN AND NOT JUST BE EXPLOITED. THERE'S A A A, I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE, WITH THE MINISTERS AND ALL THAT MADE THE PRESENTATIONS. IT WAS WONDERFUL. UM, AND THE, THE WHOLE POINT THAT THAT, THAT THEY ARE GLOBAL CITIZENS AND, AND, AND WE ARE TOO. AND HOW, HOW INTERCONNECTED WE ARE. IT, IT JUST BECAME VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS THERE WILL AFFECT WHAT HAPPENS HERE. SO I APPLAUD YOU FOR, FOR THIS INITIATIVE. IT IS AMAZING. I MEAN, THIS IS A CITY DOING, LEADING THIS EFFORT. IT'S NOT THE A FEDERAL INITIATIVE, IT'S, IT'S THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND IT'S YOU MAYOR. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM. THANK YOU MAYOR. THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST, I GUESS I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE ROMINA SAGOON. ROMINA. STAND UP PLEASE. ROMINA IS OUR INTERN FOR THE FALL SEMESTER. SHE'S A JUNIOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, AH, MAJOR IN IN ECONOMICS WITH THE MINOR IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. ROMINA WAS BORN IN GUADALAJARA, MEXICO AND MOVED TO HOUSTON WHEN SHE WAS JUST FIVE YEARS OLD. SHE'S ALSO HOPING TO LEARN THE INNER WORKINGS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BY SPENDING THE FALL SEMESTER WITH THE SMARTEST AND BEST LOOKING CITY COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO HER FAVORITE THING TO DO IS TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD. SHE'S ALREADY VISITED NEARLY A DOZEN COUNTRIES SPANNING ACROSS EUROPE, SOUTH AMERICA, AND ASIA. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU RAMINA. TWO QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS ON THE NORTH SIDE. THE KINGWOOD MONTHLY RECYCLE AND EVENT WILL HAPPEN THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1ST FROM NINE TO THREE O'CLOCK OR WHENEVER THE TRUCKS ARE FILLED, THEY'LL MOVE OUT AT THE KINGWOOD METRO PARK AND RIDE. AND IN THE SOUTH BELT ELLINGTON AREA, THE EDGEBROOK NEIGHBORHOOD RESILIENCE PLAN IS HOLDING THEIR SECOND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT MEETING ON OCTOBER 1ST AT 2:00 PM ONCE AGAIN, OCTOBER 1ST, 2:00 PM AT THE BIBLE WAY BAPTIST CHURCH ON FRY ROAD. ALL EDGEBROOK RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT, LET'S TALK HOUSTON.ORG/EDGEBROOK AND HAVE A BLESSED DAY. THANK YOU. AND LET ME ENCOURAGE EVERYONE, IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN YOUR, UM, YOUR BOOSTER THAT ADDED SHOT, PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE AND GET THAT BOOSTER SHOT. UH, I GOT MINE THE, UH, COUPLE OF DAYS AGO AND HAD HAD NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. SO, UH, IF YOU HADN'T DONE IT, PLEASE DO IT. SO THAT'S TO EVERYONE. BUT I WANT TO SPECIFICALLY HIGHLIGHT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR BECAUSE THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT LAG, UH, WITH COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. SO LET ME ENCOURAGE, UH, UH, HISPANICS, AFRICAN AMERICAN ASIANS TO REALLY, UH, GET THE, GET THE BOOSTER SHOT AND, UH, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS THROUGH YOUR NETWORKS, UM, EMAILS, UH, IF YOU WOULD ENCOURAGE THE PEOPLE IN YOUR RESPECTIVE [05:10:01] DISTRICTS, UH, TO GET THE, UH, UH, TO GET THE, UH, THE BOOSTER SHOT. AND THEN IT'S ALSO WE'RE APPROACHING FLU SEASON WHERE WE ALREADY PRETTY MUCH, UH, TO GET THAT AS, AS WELL. SO, UM, IF WE'LL DO THAT, UH, UH, THE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO GO DOWN ON COVID IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH IS GOOD, BUT THE POSITIVITY RATE IS STILL HIGHER THAN WHAT WE WOULD LIKE. SO PLEASE DO THAT, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. AND HAVING SAID THAT, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS, WE ARE ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.