* 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. [00:00:03] 22. AND I'M MAYOR PRO TEM DAVE MARTIN ON BEHALF OF MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER. 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 RECOGNIZES MAYOR SYLVETA TURNER FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE US NAVY. NO, NO. SECOND, I'M SORRY. MAYOR. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL [PRESENTATIONS] MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS FOR A PROCLAMATION TO MS. LAURA GUMP TO CELEBRATE AS THE FIRST LATINA TO LEAD A KROGER DIVISION. WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM. UM, I HAVE THE HONOR OF RECOGNIZING TODAY, UM, LAURA QUIA GUMP, YOU CAN COME ON UP, PLEASE. WE ARE SO EXCITED YOU'RE HERE. I'VE, I FIRST CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF YOU JUST DAYS AGO AT THE, UM, HOUSTON HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UM, ANNUAL EVENT, AND WHEN THEY INTRODUCED YOU, THERE WAS THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE, , AND HOW HOUSTON HAS EMBRACED YOU, HOW EXCITED WE ARE THAT YOU'RE HERE. AND SO VERY, VERY PROUD OF YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO THE PROCLAMATION SAYS LAURA IS, IS ORA GUMP, UM, SERVES AS PRESIDENT OF KROGER HOUSTON, THE DIVISION OF THE KROGER COMPANY BASED IN SHENANDOAH, TEXAS. LAURA BEGAN HER CAREER IN THE GROCERY RETAIL INDUSTRY IN 1989 AND JOINED KROGER IN 2020 AS VICE PRESIDENT OF MERCHANDISING IN THE HOUSTON DIVISION. PRIOR TO JOINING THE KROGER COMPANY, SHE WAS THE REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT OF THE STORE OPERATIONS FOR LOWE'S COMPANY, INCORPORATED IN HOUSTON. LAURA SPENT 29 YEARS AT HEB GROCERY, UM, COMPANY, WHERE SHE HELD A VARIETY OF POSITIONS, INCLUDING GROUP VICE PRESIDENT OF STORE OPERATIONS FOR THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD DRUG DIVISION, BORDER REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, DISTRICT MANAGER AND STORE MANAGER. LAURA EARNED A BACHELOR'S IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS EL PASO IN 1989. IN 1999, LAURA EARNED AN MBA IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FROM OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. IN 2001, LAURA COMPLETED CORNELL UNIVERSITY'S FOOD INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM LOCATED IN ITHACA, NEW YORK. IN 2012, SHE GRADUATED FROM HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL ADVANCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. HER PHILANTHROPIC EFFORTS AND SERVICE TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER HOUSTON, ALONG WITH HER POSITION AS THE CHAIR OF THE LATINO LEARNING CENTER BOARD PROVE SHE IS A TRUE WOMAN OF SERVICE. LAURA IS MARRIED TO TIM GUMP FOR OVER 25 YEARS, AND THEY HAVE TWO WONDERFUL CHILDREN, AIDEN AND SOPHIA, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, COMMENDS LAURA ON HER EXCEPTIONAL WORK AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS AND ALL HER FUTURE ENDEAVORS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND SO THEREFORE, IOR TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 11TH, 2022. THAT'S LAURA DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS, LAURA. MAYOR TURNER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AT CITY COUNCIL, WE, I, WE AT GROVE APPRECIATE OUR RELATIONSHIP AND, UH, LISTEN, I, I JUST, I'VE BEEN WITH IN HOUSTON FOR TWO YEARS AND I TELL PEOPLE THAT THE CITY HAS EMBRACED ME FROM THE DAY I LANDED IN HOUSTON. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. HOLD ON A SECOND. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. VICE MAYOR PROAM, MARTHA CASTEX, TATUM, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS PROCLAMATION FORWARD. ANYTIME WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE ANOTHER WOMAN IN UPPER MANAGEMENT, WE DEFINITELY WANNA DO SO. AND THAT'S COMING FROM A COUNCIL WITH A SUPER MAJORITY OF WOMEN. SO, UH, KROGER IS A PHENOMENAL PARTNER FOR US IN DISTRICT K AND THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED RELATIONSHIP IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. BEST WISHES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS. AND, AND MAYOR, UH, PORT, LEMME JUST ADD, UH, KROGER HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND, UM, WE'VE HAD, UH, SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THIS POSITION. WHEN LAURA CAME, SHE, SHE STEPPED RIGHT IN. THE RELATIONSHIP HAS HAS BEEN SEAMLESS. UH, SHE HAS BEEN FRONT AND CENTER, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE CITY'S EFFORTS AND VERY, VERY EASY TO WORK WITH. AND THEN OF COURSE, WHEN WE IN, UH, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, UH, SHE IS A PROUD LATINA WHO IS JUST, UH, CONTINUING THAT LEADERSHIP AND, UH, UH, SHOWCASING, UH, JUST HOW IMPORTANT AND, UH, INVALUABLE, UH, WOMEN ARE IN LATINO, WOMEN ARE IN NOT ONLY THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT ACROSS THIS STATE. SO, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. NOW, DO YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WITH YOU THAT [00:05:01] YOU WANNA DO ACKNOWLEDGE? YEAH. WHAT? COME ON NOW. ACKNOWLEDGE, HAVE THE CORPORATE TEAM WITH YOU. YEAH. ACKNOWLEDGE. OH, YOU WANT THE TEAM? ACKNOWLEDGE. OKAY, SURE, SURE. WHO'S WITH YOU? COME ON UP, FOLKS. THIS WHILE THEY WALK UP HERE, WOULD YOU MIND INTRODUCING 'EM TO US? YEAH, YOUR TEAM. ABSOLUTELY. YOU GOT YOUR CARD. SO THIS IS JUANA. SHE IS ONE OF OUR ASSISTANT STORE MANAGERS AT ONE OF OUR STORES. THE TOUGHEST JOB IS RUNNING STORES, RIGHT? MM-HMM. AVILA, COME ON. UH, SHE IS PART OF HUMAN RESOURCES ASSISTANCE. EDUARDO IS, UH, ONE OF OUR ASSISTANT STORE MANAGERS. UH, HR IS ALBERT, AND ELLE IS ALSO ONE OF OUR ASSISTANT STORE MANAGERS. WE HAVE, UH, JORDAN AND THE POWERFUL DUO, THERESA DICKERSON, OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS TEAM HERE. SO THEY, THEY DO THE HEAVY LIFTING. I HAVE THE FUN JOB OF LEADING THIS TEAM, BUT THEY'RE AN INCREDIBLE TEAM. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. YEAH. HOLD ON A SECOND. OKAY. HOUSE MEMBER, WHY DON'T YOU COME HOUSE MEMBER, ANYTIME WE NEED SOMEBODY TO TAKE US ON AN EMERGENCY OR SOMEWHERE SPECIAL, WE CALL ON PATRICK. HE'S A GREAT FRIEND. THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR THE NEXT PROCLAMATION. UM, TODAY IS THE UNITED STATES NAVY'S 247TH BIRTHDAY. AND IN HONOR THAT IN, IN, UM, I SEE WE ALREADY HAVE, UM, UH, CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER OF ROBERT DEMBO, UH, CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER FOUR, ROBERT DEMBO HERE. AND, UM, UM, ALSO JOINING, I THINK WE'VE GOT CAPTAIN THERESA FERRY, COMMANDING OFFICER, NAVAL OPERATIONAL SUPPORT CENTER OF HOUSTON IN ELLINGTON, FIELD CAPTAIN, UM, UH, TIAN TTU, COMMANDING OFFICER, PROFESSOR OF NAVAL SCIENCE AT RICE UNIVERSITY IN OUR OTC, UM, COMMANDER, PAUL HENDO, HENDERSON COMMANDING OFFICER, NAVY TALENT ACQUISITION GROUP OF HOUSTON. AND, AND, AND I THINK WE DON'T HAVE, BUT ANOTHER IMPORTANT PERSON TO RECOGNIZE IS SENIOR CHIEF JASON MUHLENBERG FROM, UM, N-R-O-T-C, TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY. IS HE HE'S NOT HERE. OKAY. UM, SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HOW PROUD I AM TO GET TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION. I AM A NAVY BRAT. WHEN, UM, IN 19, UM, 46, MY FATHER WAS 17 YEARS OLD, AND WITH THE PERMISSION OF HIS MOTHER, SHE SIGNED THE DOCUMENTS THAT ALLOWED HIM TO ENLIST THE NAVY WHERE HE SERVED FOR 30 YEARS. AND HE, HE, UM, RETIRED AS A CAPTAIN. SO, I MEAN, IT WAS A WONDERFUL LIFE FOR HIM. IT WAS A WONDERFUL LIFE FOR OUR WHOLE FAMILY. UM, AND BY THE TIME I GOT TO COLLEGE, WE HAD, UM, BEEN TO 10 DIFFERENT DUTY STATIONS TRAVELING ALL OVER, YOU KNOW, THE PERIMETER OF THE NATION. AND, UM, UH, I, I, BOTH MY BROTHERS, UH, FOLLOWED HIM INTO THE NAVY AND I CAME SO CLOSE, I TALKED TO A RECRUITER. I ALMOST WENT INTO THE NAVY MYSELF AND I, WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. , WE'RE HIRING, YOU'RE HIRING, THEY'RE HIRING. UM, SO, BUT I CHOSE ANOTHER PATH, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT MY OWN SENSE OF PUBLIC SERVICE IS SO DEEPLY GROUNDED AND, AND GROWING UP IN A NAVY FAMILY AND, AND MODELING ON MY DAD. SO, SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TO HELP US CELEBRATE THIS BIRTHDAY. I DID ALSO WANNA JUST PUT IN A PLUG, THE BLUE ANGELS WILL BE HERE FOR THE AIR SHOW THAT'S COMING UP IN A COUPLE WEEKS, THREE WEEKS. SO, . SO WHEREAS THE UNITED STATES NAVY TRACES ITS ORIGINS TO THE CONTINENTAL NAVY, WHICH THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS ESTABLISHED ON OCTOBER 13TH, 1775, BY AUTHORIZING THE PROCUREMENT FITTING OUT MANNING AND DISPATCH OF TWO ARMED VESSELS TO CRUISE AND SEARCH OF MUNITION SHIPS SUPPLYING THE BRITISH ARMY IN AMERICA. AND WHEREAS THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES RATIFIED IN 1789 EMPOWERED CONGRESS TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN A NAVY ACTING ON THIS AUTHORITY, CONGRESS ORDERED THIS CONSTRUCTION AND MANNING OF SIX FRIGATES IN IN 1794 USS CONSTITUTION. ONE OF THE FIRST SIX FRIGATES REMAINS [00:10:01] A COMMISSIONED WARSHIP TODAY AND IS HOME COURTED IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. AND WHERE HAS, IN 1972, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, ADMIRAL ELMO R ZUMWALT, AUTHORIZED RECOGNITION OF OCTOBER 13TH AS THE NAVY'S BIRTHDAY. SINCE THEN, EACH CNO HAS ENCOURAGED A NAVY WIDE CELEBRATION OF THIS OCCASION TO ENHANCE A GREATER APPRECIATION OF OUR NAVY HERITAGE AND TO PROVIDE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE TOWARD PRIDE AND PROFESSIONALISM IN THE, IN NAVAL SERVICE. AND WHEREAS DEPLOYED GLOBALLY, THE US NAVY HAS MAINTAINED FREEDOM OF THE SEAS, PROTECTED THE OPEN EXCHANGE OF GOODS, AND PROMOTED AMERICAN VALUES OF FREEDOM AND LIBERTY. ROUGHLY 90% OF ALL WORLD TRADE IS CONDUCTED ON THE SEAS, AND HAVING A STRONG CAPABLE FORCE IS ESSENTIAL TO OUR ABILITY TO PROTECT SHIPPING LANES. AND WHEREAS SIX US PRESIDENTS HAVE SERVED IN THE NAVY, JOHN F. KENNEDY, LYNDON B JOHNSON, RICHARD, AND NIXON, GERALD R. FORD, JIMMY CARTER, AND GEORGE HW BUSH. AND WHEREAS TODAY IT IS THE LARGEST AND MOST CAPABLE NAVY IN THE WORLD, WITH THE HIGHEST COMBINED BATTLE FLEET TONNAGE. THE NAVY ALSO ENCOMPASSES THE WORLD'S LARGEST AIRCRAFT CARRIER FLEET, OVER 300,000 ACTIVE PERSONNEL AND 100,000 IN THE AND READY RESERVE. AND WHEREAS IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 247TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, HOUSTONIANS WILL PROUDLY RECOGNIZE THE SAILORS WHO HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL OF DUTY TO PROTECT THIS NATION, BOTH IN TIMES OF PEACE AND WAR. AND THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER MAYOR CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 13TH, 2022 AS THE UNITED STATES NAVY 247TH BIRTHDAY DAY. UH, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH AND EVERYONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, FOR RECOGNIZING THE US NAVY. UH, THIS YEAR. OUR THEME FOR THIS YEAR IS ON WATCH 24 7 FOR 247 YEARS. SO WE HAVE BEEN ON WATCH ANSWERING THE CALL SINCE THEN. I AM THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE NAVY RESERVE CENTER, SO I AM ALSO HONORED TO LEAD 1000 CITIZEN SAILORS. SO THAT, THOSE ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOUR POLICE OFFICERS, YOUR FIREFIGHTERS, THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT KROGER AND, UH, ELSEWHERE THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHO COME IN ALSO WORK FOR THE US NAVY ONE WEEK IN A MONTH, TWO WEEKS, A YEAR, SUPPORTING OUR DEFENSE. SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. GO NAVY BEAT ARMY COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY KAMAN. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS FOR THIS. AND, UH, DR. DEBO, I KNOW YOU GOT A LITTLE BIAS, UH, OVER HERE TODAY. UH, MAYOR, IF I MAY, REALLY QUICKLY, I SEE A, A FEW OTHERS IN THE AUDIENCE. UM, IF, IF YOU ARE IN THE NAVY OR PREVIOUSLY SERVED, WOULD YOU MIND STANDING? UM, MY, MY CHIEF OF STAFF SERVED IN THE NAVY. UH, I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT SERVED DURING WORLD WAR II. UM, I DON'T HAVE THE STRONG TIES THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS DOES, BUT IT MEANS THE WORLD TO US THAT WE HAVE YOU ON WATCH 24 7 PROTECTING AND SERVING OUR COUNTRY. THANK YOU. JOINING US VIRTUALLY, COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, THANK THE US NAVY. I WAS IN, UM, GREAT LAKES FOR MY GRANDSON'S GRADUATION THIS YEAR, AND IT WAS A VERY EMOTIONAL TIME. MY BROTHER HAD SERVED IN THE, UH, ON THE USS KITTY HAWK IN THE, UH, BAY OF TONKIN DURING THE VIETNAM WAR. AND, UH, I'M SO PROUD OF MY GRANDSON. HE GRADUATED AT THE SAME NAVAL, UH, TRAINING CENTER AS MY BROTHER DID, UH, SOME, UH, 50 YEARS BEFORE. GOD BLESS YOU. AND THANK GOD FOR THE NAVY. AND AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS. OKAY. AROUND, [00:16:23] YES, SIR. CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON FOR A PROCLAMATION TO HIMSELF TO HONOR HIS 56TH BIRTHDAY TODAY. , OH, I'M SORRY. CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE HOUSTON CCS ALLIANCE TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR ITS EFFORTS TO HELP SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS IN THE HOUSTON REGION. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, AND, UH, APPRECIATE THAT. UM, WANNA THANK MY STAFF, UH, BUT WE'VE GOT A GREAT OCCASION HERE. AND MAYOR, IF YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE BEING JOINED BY A NUMBER OF EXECUTIVES AND LEADERS IN THE ENERGY SECTOR. I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY. UH, THIS IS AN AUSPICIOUS OCCASION, AND WE'VE HAD A CONFERENCE DOWNSTAIRS TO CELEBRATE ENERGY AWARENESS MONTH, UH, WHICH IS OCTOBER THIS YEAR, 2022. AND AS YOU KNOW, MAYOR WITH THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND RESILIENT HOUSTON, WE'RE TWO YEARS INTO THE CITY'S COMMITMENT FOR A MORE CARBON NEUTRAL CITY, UH, TOWARD THAT 2050 GOAL OF CARBON NEUTRALITY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND SO WITH THAT AND THE 2022 ENERGY AWARENESS MONTH AND HOUSTON CCS ALLIANCE COLLEAGUES, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, WHEREAS ON SEPTEMBER, 1991, PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH FIRST DECLARED OCTOBER AS NATIONAL ENERGY AWARENESS MONTH, ENCOURAGING GOVERNMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY MANAGING THE NATION'S ENERGY RESOURCES. AND IN 19, IN 2022, THE CITY CELEBRATES BY RECOGNIZING THE HOUSTON CCS ALLIANCE AS A WORLD LEADER IN ADVANCING OUR REGION'S CARBON CAPTURE TECHNOLOGIES TO MEET AMERICA'S GROWING ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL NEEDS IN A SUSTAINABLE MANNER. AND MAYOR. WHEREAS THE HOUSTON CCS ALLIANCE IS A COORDINATED EFFORT AMONG SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST INNOVATIVE ENERGY, PETROCHEMICAL AND POWER GENERATION COMPANIES, INCLUDING AIR LAKI, BASF, CALPINE, CHEVRON DOW, EXXON MOBIL IN A LINDY LIONVILLE, BASSEL, MARATHON PETROLEUM, PHILLIPS 66, AND SHELL. TOGETHER, THESE COMPANIES ARE WORKING TO MAKE HOUSTON THE MODEL FOR AN EMERGING LOWER EMISSIONS WORLD THAT SUPPORTS JOBS, ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY. AND WHEREAS ON OCTOBER 11TH, 2022, THE HOUSTON CCS ALLIANCE IS RECOGNIZED FOR ITS EFFORTS TO HELP SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS IN THE HOUSTON REGION. THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS THE HOUSTON CCS ALLIANCE AND ITS MEMBER COMPANIES FOR HELPING TO REIMAGINE THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD AND BRING OUR CITY CLOSER TO ACHIEVING CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2050. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER MAYOR CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM, UH, RECOGNIZED OCTOBER AS ENERGY AWARENESS MONTH AND PROCLAIMED TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11TH, 2022 AS HOUSTON CCS ALLIANCE DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THANK YOU, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR VOTE. THANK YOU, CITY COUNCIL, AND THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER FOR THIS. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU. THESE COMPANIES REPRESENT SOME OF THE LARGEST ENERGY AND PETROCHEMICAL COMPANIES IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE WORKING TOGETHER NOW AND IN THE YEARS TO COME TO [00:20:01] REIMAGINE THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD AND MAKE THE CITY OF HOUSTON A WORLD LEADER IN CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE TECHNOLOGY. THANK YOU. YOU WANNA JUST, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, IF YOU YEAH, IF, IF WE, WE COULD PERHAPS, GENTLEMEN, IF YOU COULD COME AND JUST SAY A VERY BRIEF WORD OF WHO YOU AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO EVERYONE, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF. ABSOLUTELY. I'LL, I'LL, I'LL STEP IN AND GO. FIRST, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TODAY. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE RECOGNITION. I'M HEATH DRE. I WORK FOR PHILLIPS 66 AS VICE PRESIDENT OF OUR RENEWABLE FUELS DIVISION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HI, GOOD AFTERNOON. BOB BRINKMAN. I'M WITH THE AIR LAKI. I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR OUR LARGE INDUSTRIES BUSINESS UNIT IN THE AMERICAS. THANK YOU. UM, YEAH, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME'S FRED MORRISON. I'M THE SITE MANAGER AT FREEPORT FOR BASF. THANK YOU. HI, LEANNE. ARM PRIESTER, GENERAL MANAGER OF CCUS AT CHEVRON NEW ENERGIES. THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION TODAY. THANK YOU. CHEVRON, PLEASE. HI, I'M KAREN BEETLE, ENVIRONMENT SOCIAL GOVERNANCE VICE PRESIDENT WITH MARATHON PETROLEUM. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PARTNERSHIP AND THE RECOGNITION TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, YES, THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION. MY NAME IS ED GRAHAM, I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF EXXONMOBIL'S LOW CARBON SOLUTIONS DIVISION. THANK YOU. I THANK YOU EVERYONE, REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT IN THIS ENDEAVOR. I'M CALEB STEVENSON FROM CALPINE CORPORATION. WE'RE WORKING TO MAKE FIRM DISPATCHABLE POWER GENERATION RESOURCES THAT ARE ALSO LOW CARBON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AS THE MR. TURNER HOUSTON ENERGY RESOURCES U SF . YES, MAYOR AS THE GLOBAL CLIMATE MAYOR, UH, CHAIR. I WONDER IF YOU HAVE A WORD OF RECOGNITION. DO YOU FEEL LIKE, UH, SAYING AN APPRECIATION? NO, I'M JESSICA. I'M JUST EXCITED TO SEE ALL OF THESE COMPANIES, UH, IN FACT, WE HAVE THE WORLD ECONOMIC, UH, COUNCIL HERE, UH, THIS WEEK, ABOUT A HUNDRED PERSONS ALL LOOKING AT LOW EMISSIONS DECARBONIZING AND LOOKING AT HOW WE ARE DOING IT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY, WHETHER CCUS, WHETHER IT'S CLEAN HYDROGEN, YOU NAME IT, IT'S BEEN DONE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT. VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THESE COMPANIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN Q BEFORE WE DO THAT. UM, AS A FATHER OF A PETROLEUM ENGINEER GRADUATE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WHO WORKED FOR CHEVRON, AND A GUY WHO LIVED TWO HOUSES DOWN WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID FROM CLARENCE KALO IN ALGIERS, LOUISIANA, AND OUTSIDE OF NEW ORLEANS, I'M PROUD TO CALL ON COUNCIL MEMBER CARBON CAPTURE ABBY CAYMAN . THANKS, MAYOR PRO TEM. UH, I, IF THIS DOESN'T CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT HOUSTON IS THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, I DON'T KNOW WHAT DOES, AND MAYOR, WHETHER IT'S THE, UM, AFRICAN ENERGY SUMMIT YOU JUST HOSTED OR TODAY, UM, OR THE FACT I ACTUALLY WAS JUST IN DENMARK. I KNOW OTHER DIRECTORS HAVE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE, LOOKING AT ALL OF THE ENERGY TRANSITION TECHNOLOGY THAT WE ARE BRINGING HOME TO HOUSTON. UH, BUT YOU ALL REPRESENT THE LEADERSHIP THAT IS REQUIRED FROM OUR ENERGY SECTOR AND OUR BUSINESSES. SO THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP. UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING A PARTNER IN TACKLING THIS ISSUE WITH US. COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR POAM, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I ATTENDED THE PANEL THIS MORNING AND LEARNED A LOT ABOUT CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE. IT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE ALL NEED TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT. IT'S THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY. I THINK, UH, THE CALPINE GUY WHO WAS ON THE PANEL SAID, THIS IS LIKE THIS CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE TECHNOLOGY IS GONNA BE LIKE TO HOUSTON, WHAT THE TECH WAS TO THE SILICON VALLEY. IT'S, IT'S TOTALLY OUR FUTURE. WE HAVE THE ENGINEERING TALENT HERE. WE HAVE THE ENERGY KNOWHOW. IT'S THE OBVIOUS PLACE. I LOVE THE TAGLINE, RE-IMAGINING THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND WE'RE ALL EXCITED TO, TO HELP YOU OUT IN ANY WAY WE CAN. VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. UH, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND WHAT WE HAVE, UM, BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, UH, WE ARE A LEADER ON SO MANY FRONTS. I MEAN, THE TRADE MISSION TO PARIS, WE MET WITH EXECUTIVES FROM AIR LAKI, UM, THE ENERGY, UH, SUMMIT WE HELD WITH AFRICA AND TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THE NEEDS AROUND THE WORLD. UM, IT'S GOOD TO SEE SO MANY OF THESE COMPANIES, AND I I SAY THIS ALL THE TIME, THAT THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE ISSUE MOST OF THE TIME CAN FIND THE SOLUTIONS. SO TO HAVE THESE, UH, COMPANIES REPRESENTED, IT REPRESENTED, I KNOW THAT WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO REACH OUR GOAL OF CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2050. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE AND HELP, UH, HOUSTONIANS AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONTINUE TO BE A LEADER IN THIS SPACE. COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS. UM, I JUST, IT'S HARD TO ADD ANYTHING TO WHAT'S BEEN SAID. I, I, I, BUT I JUST SO APPRECIATE, UM, ALL OF YOU AND, AND THE, AND THE [00:25:01] COMPANIES THAT YOU REPRESENT. UM, IT'S, IT'S SO TRUE. I MEAN, YOU, YOUR, YOUR INVOLVEMENT, YOUR ENGAGEMENT WITH US HERE REALLY DOES POSITION HOUSTON TO BE THE, THE LEADER, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE WORLD. UM, I SAT IN ON THE PANEL DISCUSSIONS AT THE, UM, THE HOUSTON AFRICA, UH, SUMMIT AND, AND HEARING THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY HAVE AND HOW, HOW DESPERATELY THEY'RE LOOKING TO THE EXPERTISE THAT EXISTS IN, YOU KNOW, IN, IN YOUR, YOUR ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, TO SOLVE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT THAT WILL NOT JUST EXTRACT THE OIL, BUT THAT WILL REALLY, UM, IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIVES. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S A, WE'RE ALL GLOBAL CITIZENS HERE AND, AND IT'S A, IT'S A WORLDWIDE PROBLEM. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY INTERNATIONAL CITY. AND, UM, SO WE ARE, YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. AND, AND I'M JUST DELIGHTED TO SEE HOW ENGAGED YOU ARE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ED POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. UH, AND TO ALL THAT IS REPRESENTED HERE. I WANT TO JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN YOU'RE THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, AND YOU'RE THE LEADER IN THAT SPACE, IT COMES DOWN TO LEADERSHIP. AND LEADERSHIP DICTATES THE POLICY. AND WE LEAN ON YOU, YOUR LEADERSHIP, TO EDUCATE US AS LEADERS, UH, AND AS POLICY MAKERS ON WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO KEEP OUR RESIDENTS, UH, SAFE AS WELL, TO PUSH OUR CITY FORWARD. AND SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, YOUR COMMITMENT, UH, YOUR EFFORTS. I KNOW IT'S A SACRIFICE FROM YOUR FAMILIES, UH, BUT WE TRULY APPRECIATE IT. SO THANK YOU ALL. AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU. AS YOU KNOW, AS YOUR COMPANIES GO, SO GOES THE CITY OF HOUSTON NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. SO, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THESE FINE FOLKS IN FRONT OF US. AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE LAST WORDS. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT IS, UH, OF GREAT IMPORTANCE. I THINK AS ALL OF, UH, THE SPEAKERS HERE HAVE RECOGNIZED. I WANNA SAY THAT IT, IT'S A PLEASURE. AND MAYOR PROTE, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THAT IT IS A BIRTHDAY. ONE WISH FOR THAT DAY WOULD BE THAT WE COULD LIVE INTO THE, THE FUTURE THAT OUR MAYOR HAS DESCRIBED, UH, THAT'S CAPTURED IN THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND RESILIENT HOUSTON. AND IF I HAD ONE OTHER WISH, IT WOULD SOLELY BE TO GO ASTROS . I, CLIMATE MAYORS CHAIRMAN, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER FOR SEVERAL PROCLAMATIONS FOR HISPA HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARD WINNERS TO CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. THANK, THANK YOU. UM, UM, MAYOR PROAM AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, THIS WILL BE THE, UM, THE THE LAST SET OF AWARDS, UH, GIVEN TO DURING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. AND IN THIS FIRST CATEGORY DEALING WITH HEALTHCARE. UH, THERE ARE TWO, UH, HONOREES. AND LET ME BRING UP, UH, THE FIRST ONE IS, IS, UH, DR. FLO MUNOZ. HOW ARE YOU? OKAY. AND THEN, OF COURSE, UM, UH, LENORA POOLMAN AND ROLAND GARCIA OF THE TWO CO-CHAIRS OF THE MAYOR'S, UH, UH, HISPANIC, UH, GROUP. AND THEY HAVE JUST PROVIDED OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP. SO WE APPRECIATE, UH, THESE TWO AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, WHO'S HERE. UH, SO LET ME START BY PRESENTING THIS PARTICULAR PROCLAMATION TO DR. MUNOZ. UH, DR. FLORA MUNOZ IS THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2022 MAYOR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE HEALTHCARE AWARD. SHE HAS DEDICATED OVER 20 YEARS OF HER CAREER TO THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND THE STUDY AND PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. DR. MUNOZ IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS AND THE SECTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE AT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND DIRECTOR OF TRANSPLANT INFECTIOUS DISEASE AT TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. UH, SHE IS A CLINICIAN INVESTIGATOR WITH VARIOUS RESEARCH PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE N-I-H-C-D-C-B-M-G-F AND INDUSTRY FOCUSING ON VACCINES, THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS, AND HEALTHY AND MMO, UH, UH, COMPROMISED [00:30:01] HOST AND THE EVALUATION OF SAFETY AND GENICITY OF VACCINES IN PREGNANT WOMEN, CHILDREN AND TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS. SHE WAS ONE OF THE LEAD RESEARCHERS FOR COVID-19 VACCINE, UH, TRIALS IN CHILDREN. AND IN HOUSTON, QUITE FRANKLY, BAYLOR HAS LIVED THE WAY IN THIS ENTIRE SPACE. SHE HAS PUBLISHED EXTENSIVELY ON TOPICS RELATED TO INFLUENZA RASV VACCINES AND MATERNAL IMMUNIZATION. DR. MUNOZ IS A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS COMMITTEE ON INFECTIOUS DISEASES, THE CDC D'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON I IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES, INFLUENZA AND TUSS WORKING GROUPS, AND THE AMERICAN COLLEGES OF, OF OBSTETRICS AND GENEOLOGY IMMUNIZATION EXPERT WORK GROUP. DR. MUNOZ SERVES AS CHAIR OF THE INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD AT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND IS A MEMBER OF VARIOUS ACADEMIC SOCIETIES, INCLUDING THE PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE SOCIETY, AND THE, AND THE IS THAT PITTS TRANSPLANT PITTS, YEAH. PITTS TRANSPLANT COMMITTEE, THE SOCIETY FOR PEDIATRICS RESEARCH, THE RESEARCH COMMITTEE OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF PEDIATRICS, INFECTIOUS DISEASES, AND THE INFECTIOUS DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA, WHERE SHE HAS TIME TO DO ANYTHING ELSE. I JUST DON'T KNOW. , UM, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON SALUTES AND COMMENDS DR. FLO MUNOZ FOR HER OUTSTANDING EFFORTS AS THE LEADER AND EDUCATOR IN THE AREA OF HEALTHCARE AND WISHES HER CONTINUED SUCCESS IN ALL OF HER FUTURE ENDEAVORS. THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY HONOR DR. FLO MUNOZ WITH THE MAYOR OF HISPANIC HERITAGES HEALTHCARE AWARD AND PROCLAIM OCTOBER 11TH, 2022 AS DR. FLO MUNOZ DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS, DR. MOZ CONGRAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, MAYOR. THANK YOU CITY COUNCIL. AND, UM, THIS IS A REAL HONOR FOR ME. I VERY MUCH ADMIRE YOUR WORK AND WHAT EVERYBODY DOES, AND THANK YOU FOR THIS, UM, VERY SPECIAL RECOGNITION. I FEEL A LITTLE STRANGE BEING HERE BY MYSELF, , AND HAVING, SEEING ALL THESE PEOPLE COMING IN GROUPS BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ME. UM, I HAVE TO THANK OF COURSE, UH, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL BECAUSE THEY HAVE PROVIDED ME WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK THAT I DO AND THE WORK THAT MY COLLEAGUES DO. AND IT HAS REALLY BEEN AN HONOR TO BE ABLE TO STEP UP, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC ESPECIALLY, AND USE ALL THESE MANY YEARS OF, UH, WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THIS WONDERFUL CITY AND MEDICAL CENTER, AND, UH, PUT IT TO GOOD USE. AND, UH, LASTLY, I DO WANT TO THANK, UM, OUR COMMUNITY, THE FAMILIES, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME AND BE PART OF THIS, UM, THIS EFFORT, THIS EXPERIENCE IN TRYING TO BRING NEW TREATMENTS, NEW VACCINES FOR OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES IN COMBATING THIS PANDEMIC. SO THANK YOU. IT'S A REAL HONOR FOR ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. SO I WASN'T PLANNING ON SPEAKING. I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO CRY. LENORA GOT ME GOING EARLIER, . UM, THE REASON I'M HERE NOT WEARING A MASK TODAY IS BECAUSE OF DR. MUNOZ. UH, SHE, MY SON WAS ENROLLED IN THE COVID I CLINIC UNDER DR. MUNOZ. AND THE COMPASSION, THE CARE THAT YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM, CHRIS, AND, UH, PLEASE EXTEND MY PERSONAL APPRECIATION, BUT FOR ALL OF THE FAMILIES, UH, AND THE LIVES THAT YOU IMPACT THROUGH FURTHERING SCIENCE, THANK YOU. TRULY FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, WE, WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO MEET DR. MUNOZ WHEN, UM, WE WERE DOING A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH TEXAS CHILDREN'S FOR ONE OF THEM, AND WE CONNECTED. AND YOUR BREADTH OF KNOWLEDGE, UH, IS EXTRAORDINARY. UH, NOT JUST THROUGHOUT COVID, BUT ALL OF THE PANDEMICS AND ENDEMICS. SHE'S THE ONE, UH, BEHIND A LOT OF THE RESEARCH AND STUDIES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. SO MY GRATITUDE TO YOU, TO TEXAS CHILDREN'S, UM, AND I WILL SAY IN ALL OF OUR TIME WE'VE SPENT TOGETHER, IT'S BEEN A LOT OF HOURS. UH, DR. MUNOZ HAS JUST COME TO LOVE HOUSTON BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF CITY THAT WE ARE. UM, AND THEY, AND YOU'VE TOLD ME IT'S ALMOST LIKE FAMILY, AND I COMPLETELY AGREE, BUT YOU HELP CREATE THAT FAMILY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DR. MUNOZ. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE. YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE IMMEASURABLE. UM, YOU DESERVE THIS RECOGNITION AND SO MUCH MORE, AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HISPANIC ADVISORY BOARD JOINING YOU TODAY. LENORA ROLAND. SOPHIA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND OF COURSE, OUR OWN COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, IS STANDING WITH YOU FOR THIS, UM, RECOGNITION. CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES. THANK YOU, [00:36:08] UH, TO DR. MARIA ELENA BATI. UH, SHE IS NOT HERE, PROBABLY IN INDIA, MAYBE, UH, SHE'S OUT OF THE, SHE'S OUT OF THE COUNTRY, UH, BUT DR. MUNOZ WILL ACCEPT ON HER BEHALF. UH, DR. MARIA ELENA BATI IS A RECIPIENT OF THE 2022, UH, MARY'S HISPANIC HERITAGES HEALTHCARE AWARD. SHE'S A CO-RECIPIENT. SHE'S AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SCIENTIST IN TROPICAL MEDICINE, INFECTIOUS AND EMERGENT DISEASES, MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNO IMMUNOLOGY, UH, VACCINOLOGY, AND A GLOBAL HEALTH ADVOCATE. AFTER I'M FINISHED READING THESE PROCLAMATION, I'M GONNA NEED TO GET A DOCTORATE . UM, DR. MARIA ELENA PATI HAS BEEN A CONTRIBUTOR TO SCIENCE AND BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY IN A VACCINE DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY THAT, UH, SHE HAS BEEN BUILDING FOR LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES. SHE ALSO SERVES AS THE CO-CREATOR OF A PATENT FREE COVID-19 VACCINE. SHE HAS PIONEERED THE ADVANCEMENT OF A ROBUST INFECTIOUS DISEASE VACCINE PORTFOLIO, TACKLING DISEASES THAT AFFECT THE WORLD'S POOREST POPULATIONS. AS A GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADER, SHE HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS, CATALYZING POLICIES, AND DISSEMINATING SCIENCE INFORMATION TO REACH A DIVERSE AUDIENCE. DR. MARIA ELENA VITALI IS AN ASSOCIATE DEAN OF THE NATIONAL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, AND DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY, WACO, TEXAS. ALONG WITH DR. PETER HOTEZ. DR. BATI RUNS THE TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL HOSPITAL CENTER FOR VACCINE DEVELOPMENT. THE CENTER DEVELOPS VACCINES FOR NEGLECTED TRO TROPICAL DISEASES AND OTHER EMERGING AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES. WITH THE ONSET OF COVID PANDEMIC, DR. PATI AND DR. HAR HOTEZ HOTEZ SECURED FUNDING TO DEVELOP A VACCINE THAT WAS ABLE TO BE DISSEMINATED TO DECREASE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. THE CITY OF HOUSTON SALUTE AND COMMENCE DR. MARIA ELENA PATSSI FOR HER OUTSTANDING EFFORTS AS A SCIENTIST AND A PIONEER IN THE AREA OF HEALTHCARE AND WISHES HER CONTINUED SUCCESS. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER MAYOR CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY HONOR DR. MARIA ELENA PATSSI WITH THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC HERITAGE HEALTHCARE WARD, AND PROCLAIMED OCTOBER 11TH, 2022 AS DR. MARIA ELENA BATASI DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I WANNA CONGRATULATE HER PERSONALLY FOR ALL SHE'S DONE. SHE'S OUT OF THE COUNTRY, UH, BUT DR. MUNOZ WILL ACCEPT ON HER BEHALF. YES, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW DR. BAZI WANTED TO BE HERE. UM, SHE'S VERY BUSY TRAVELING, AND SHE DOES A LOT OF WORK THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. UM, SHE AND I ARE, ARE FELLOW, UH, CO CENTRAL AMERICAN, UH, OF ORIGIN. AND, UH, SHE DOES A LOT OF WORK ALSO FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, OF WHICH SHE'S VERY PROUD OF. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN ON HER BEHALF. THANK YOU, SIR. APPRECIATE YOU. OKAY. OKAY. AND THEN, UM, THE FINAL TWO AWARDS, THESE WILL BE CO HONOREES. ONE WILL BE GIVEN POSTHUMOUSLY, UH, THE FIRST AWARD. LEMME DO THIS ONE. UM, I TELL YOU WHICH ONE SHOULD DO FIRST, LET ME PRESENT THIS, UH, LIFETIME OF TREATMENT AWARD. IS THAT TOO DOWN? YES. DID I GET THAT RIGHT? YES. ADAM AAN ANO. UM, AND THIS IS A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, AND IT'S QUITE FRANKLY, THE BIO AND, UH, SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. DR. UH, AAN ANO IS THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2022 MAYORS HISPANIC CARRIAGES, LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. AAN PETRAN ANO IS A FOOD AUTHOR, CHEF, AND FILMMAKER WHOSE ARTISTIC WORK IN HOUSTON CONTINUES TO ENRICH THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AND THE ENTIRE CITY. MR. PITANO HAS AUTHORED TWO [00:40:01] AWARD-WINNING COOKBOOKS AND CREATED INNOVATIVE TEXAS MEXICAN FOOD EXHIBITIONS IN THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON MECCA AND OTHER VENUES. HIS WORK AS A FILMMAKER CULMINATED THIS YEAR WITH A DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE HOME, UH, COOKING C CAMITA RA. DID I GET THAT RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT. UH, SEE, VERY GOOD OF THE MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF TEXAS TITLE, TRULY TEXAS MEXICAN. THE FILM WAS SHOT IN HOUSTON AND THROUGHOUT TEXAS, AND HAS WON BEST, UM, UN DOCUMENTARY AT THE NEW YORK, UH, CINEMA AWARDS AND CONTINUES TO GUN ADDITIONAL AWARDS. THE FILM IS BASED ON HIS BOOK, TRULY TEXAS MEXICAN, A NATIVE CULINARY HERITAGE AND RECIPES, WHICH RECEIVED THE BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST AWARD FROM, FOR FROM THE FORWARD REVIEWS CONSIDERED A SEMINAL WORK. IT WAS REVIEWED WITH A CLAIM BY THE NATIONAL MAGAZINE, SPRUCE EATS, AND LISTED IN THE EIGHT BEST MEXICAN COOKBOOKS TO READ IN 2021 IN THE OPENING CHAPTER OF HIS MOST RECENT COOKBOOK. DON'T COUNT THE TORTILLAS, THE ART OF TEXAS MEXICAN , THE ART OF TEXAS MEXICAN COOKING. UM, MR. BOTANO FEATURES HOUSTON'S OWN DONYA MARIA RESTAURANT SHINING A NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT ON THE HOME COOKING OF HOUSTON'S EAST END, MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. MR. BOTANO SPENT 23 YEARS WORKING IN THE ART PHILANTHROPY FIELD AS A, AS A GRANT MAKER. ADDITIONALLY, DURING HIS TRAVEL, HE RECOGNIZED THE CULTURAL IMPORTANCE OF FOOD, AND THAT IS WHY HE PLACES HIS FOCUS ON THE RICHNESS OF TEXAS MEXICAN CUISINE AND CULTURE. DUE TO HIS WORK, HE WAS INVITED TO MOSCOW BY THE US AMBASSADOR TO RUSSIA, PRE COVID, 2019. AS A FEATURED CHEF OF AMERICAN CUISINE, HE ALSO VOLUNTEERED AS A CHEF OF HOUSTON'S CONSEQU DIEGO SHELTER FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES, A PIONEER IN THE ARTS. MR. BOTANO IS THE FOUNDER OF THE NATION'S FIRST AND NOW LONGEST RUNNING 45 YEARS LATINO FILM FESTIVAL AT SAN ANTONIO CINEMA FESTIVAL. HE HAS SERVED ON THE BOARD OF THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE AS SECRETARY SERVED ON THE BOARD OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO ARTS AND CULTURE. AND IN HIS EARLIEST, UH, EARLIER CAREER, WAS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS TO A SIX YEAR TERM AS A COMMISSIONER ON THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS. HE HAS LECTURED ABOUT FOOD AND CULTURE AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND SHOWCASE HIS REST RECIPES WORLDWIDE. HOW OLD ARE YOU, ? UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS ADAM ANO FOR HIS OUTSTANDING DEDICATION AS A LEADER IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, AND WISHES SOME CONTINUED SUCCESS IN ALL OF HIS FUTURE ENDEAVORS. THERE'S NO QUESTION WHILE YOU'RE RECEIVING THE LIFETIME AWARD. SO, THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON HEREBY HONOR ADAM ANO WITH THE MAYOR OF HISPANIC HERITAGE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, AND PROCLAIM OCTOBER 11TH, 2022 AS AAM ANO DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. WELL DESERVED, WELL DONE. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, THIS IS WONDERFUL RECOGNITION FROM YOU CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE, ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC ADVISORY BOARD. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS, A TRUE LEADER OF THE ARTS. ALSO MAYOR, IT, IT MEANS ESPECIALLY A LOT TO ME BECAUSE I FOLLOWED YOU AND YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND I CONSIDER YOU A VISIONARY LEADER. SO THAT'S AN ICING ON THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYONE. BYE. OH, AND I, IS IT A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, BUT, UH, MY BEST WORK IS YET TO BE YES. THAT LOVE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, AS I WAS LISTENING TO YOU, AND JUST FIRST OF ALL, YOU, YOU WERE JUST SUCH AN, THE EPITOME OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, FOR, FOR A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, BUT I WAS, AS I WAS LISTENING TO YOU LISTENING OFF ALL THE DIFFERENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND, AND ACHIEVEMENTS YOU'VE MADE, UM, I WAS REMINDED OF A BUMPER STICKER I SAW ONE TIME THAT SAID, BEYONCE HAS THE SAME NUMBER OF MINUTES IN THE DAY THAT YOU DO. AND I THOUGHT IT COULD SAY, A, A DON MADANO HAS THE SAME NUMBER OF MINUTES IN THE DAY AS YOU DO, BECAUSE IT'S THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE AN INSPIRATION IN HOW MUCH YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED. AND, AND, UM, AND I THINK THAT INSPIRES ALL OF US. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS, MR. PITANO. UH, THIS LIFETIME AWARD IS DEFINITELY, UM, YOU ARE WORTHY OF IT FOR YOUR LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT. AND I LOVE WHAT YOU JUST SAID. YOUR BEST WORK IS YET TO BE DONE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOU WILL DO NEXT. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. NO, THANK YOU. [00:45:30] THANK YOU. THIS NEXT ONE IS PERSONAL QUESTIONS. OKAY. AND THIS NEXT AWARD IS GIVEN POSTLY, UH, TO SOMEONE THAT WE ALL, UH, DEEPLY REMEMBER, RESPECTED AND ADMIRED, LOVED. UM, AND SO THIS ONE, UM, THIS ONE IS PERSONAL ON, ON SO MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS. NOW, I ALWAYS, I ALWAYS SAID CHRISTIAN NAVARRO. SO HELP ME, UM, . YES. YEAH, I LIKE THAT. . I'M GONNA HAVE TO ADD THAT TO MY MIDDLE NAME. UH, BUT THIS, THIS, UH, LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IS BEING PRESENTED TO CHRISTIAN CUOMO NOVARO HOUSTONIAN EXTRAORDINAIRE. CHRISTIAN GU NAVARRO WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED FEDERAL CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY, A MEMBER OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT PANEL FOR THE HOUSTON GALVESTON DIVISION OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS. AND A GIFTED, AND I UNDERSCORE GIFTED COMMUNITY ADVOCATE. CHRISTIAN GAVE HIS TIME AND INTELLECT TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OTHERS, INCLUDING AMONG MANY, SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSTON SHOES FOR KIDS, PROVIDING OVER 30,000 PAIRS OF SHOES TO CHILDREN IN THE EAST END, THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC ADVISORY BOARD, AND THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF MEXICAN-AMERICANS, INCLUDING SERVING AS CO-CHAIR OF AMMA'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION. HE WAS INSTINCTIVE, INSIGHTFUL, AND INSPIRED, ALWAYS DELIVERING WITH GRIT, GRIND, AND GRAVITAS. CHRISTIAN WAS HOUSTON PROUD, AND A HOUSTON STRONG LEADER. CHRISTIAN WAS ALSO THE OWNER OF VILLA, OUR COAST RESTAURANT, AND A MEMBER OF THE YOLANDA BLACK NAVARRO MIDDLE SCHOOL, SDMC CHRISTIAN LEARNED HIS LIFE LESSONS FROM HIS MOTHER, HOUSTON TRAILBLAZER, THE LATE YOLANDA BLACK NAVARRO, THE NAMESAKE OF THE YOLAND, YOLANDA BLACK NAVARRO MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THE YOLANDA BLACK NAVARRO BUFFALO BAND NATURE PARK. CHRISTIAN SPENT HIS EARLY YEARS IN THE EAST END, ATTENDED ST. THOMAS MOORE PARISH SCHOOL, AND GRADUATED FROM ST. THOMAS HIGH SCHOOL. WHILE AT ST. THOMAS, HE WAS NAMED A TEXAS BLUE CHIP SENIOR AS ONE OF THE TOP GOALKEEPERS IN THE STATE, AND WAS AWARDED MULTIPLE ACADEMIC COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS. CHRISTIAN WAS A GOALKEEPER FOR THE UNI UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO'S MEN. A LOBO SOCCER TEAM GRADUATED EARNING DEGREES IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND HISTORY. CHRISTIAN CONTINUED HIS EDUCATION AND EARNED A JURIS DOCTORATE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN AUSTIN. HE THEN RETURNED TO HOUSTON TO HELP MANAGE THE FAMILY RESTAURANT VILLA ACOS, AND BEGAN HIS SUCCESSFUL LAW PRACTICE. HE WAS PASSIONATE, AND I UNDERSCORE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE EAST END ITS CULTURE AND PEOPLE. AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY, HE WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR WEEKS WITH, UH, TEAMMATES AND FRIENDS, UH, REMEDIATING HOMES. CHRISTIAN IMP EPITOMIZED LATINO LEADERSHIP WITH HIS SENSE OF AMELIA, HIS ADORATION FOR HIS, UH, WIFE AND GIRLS, AND HIS INCLUSION ALWAYS OF OTHERS WITH LONG LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS BENEFITING OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY FOR DECADES. CHRISTIAN'S RESUME AND LIFE TRAJECTORY, OR A NARRATIVE OF A CONSUMMATE LEADER, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND ALL THEIR CITIZENS, APPRECIATE THE BREADTH AND SCOPE OF CHRISTIAN'S REACH AND IMPROMPTU. AND BEFORE I READ THE LAST, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS. THEY LIVE A LONG TIME, THEY RUN MANY DIFFERENT LABS. AND THEN THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE BORN SPRINTERS. THEY'RE NOT INTENDED TO LIVE LONG, BUT THEY DO A LOT IN THE SHORT PERIOD OF LIFE IN WHICH HE WAS THERE. CHRISTIAN WAS A SPRINTER AND A GOOD ONE AT THAT. SO, THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER MAYOR, CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 11TH, 2022 AS CHRISTIAN QUANTUM NAVARRO DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE HAVE, YES, RENEE NAVARRO. AND THIS IS ROSALIE NAVARRO. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION. [00:50:02] OKAY. AND WHO, ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, JILL, YOU WANT SAY THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER? WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF Y'ALL ARE DONE. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. I, I SIMPLY WANNA SAY THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR THIS RECOGNITION. THANK YOU TO THE, THE, THE BOARD FOR, FOR NOMINATING CHRISTIAN. THIS IS, THIS IS JUST PROFOUNDLY BEAUTIFUL AND, AND, AND, UM, HOW MUCH WE MISS HIM, AND HOW, HOW DEEPLY, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY RESPECTED HIM AND VALUED HIM. AND HE WAS SO, HE WAS SO IMPORTANT TO SO MANY PEOPLE. AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE THE THREE OF YOU UP HERE TODAY. YOU KNOW, WE, WE LOVED HIM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. IF YOU ALL JUST TURN AROUND AND, OKAY. AS WE PREPARE NOW TO TRANSITION TO THE, UH, TO THE PUBLIC SESSION, AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY. THE [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCILMAN MCC CAMAN FOR THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO, UM, BRING UP REVEREND ELMO JOHNSON, UH, FOR INVOCATION. REVEREND ELMO JOHNSON. COME ON DOWN, MAYOR. WE JUST SEEN A . GET RIGHT BEHIND. YEAH, THERE YOU GO. , WE'VE JUST SEEN A DEMONSTRATION OF A GREAT CITY AND YOU GETTING US READY FOR THE FUTURE. IT'S A WONDERFUL TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU ALL FOR IT. DEAR FATHER, WE JUST THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN HOUSTON, HOUSTON, TEXAS. THANK YOU LORD FOR OUR MAYOR AND ALL OF OUR CITY COUNCIL THAT WORK HARD TO BRING THIS CITY FORTH AS WE PLUNGE TOWARD THE FUTURE. LORD, WE HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE BECAUSE OF THESE THAT ARE SITTING AROUND THIS TABLE. THANK YOU, FATHER. NOW, LORD, WE JUST ASK THAT YOU WOULD BLESS THEM WITH WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE, AND UNDERSTANDING AND INSIGHT AND FORESIGHT, THAT THEY MAKE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT SO MANY PEOPLE LIVES. THANK YOU, FATHER, THANK YOU FOR OUR MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE RECIPIENTS THAT RECEIVED HONOR THIS DAY. THANK YOU, FATHER, YOU ARE GREAT GOD, AND WE LOVE YOU, AND WE HONOR YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, OUR LITTLE SISTER, FLO COOPER. THANK YOU LORD, AS SHE SITS HERE AND WAIT ON HER TIME. IN JESUS' NAME. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. YOU RISE FOR THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. UM, IF NOW [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] YOU, IF YOU ARE PREPARED TO UNMUTE YOURSELF, IF YOU ARE, UH, WITH US, UH, REMOTELY, UH, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR TURNER HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN, PRESENT ONLINE. [00:55:02] COUNCILOR MCMAN, PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABA. HERE, COUNCILMAN MARTIN. COUNCIL THOMAS PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN CISNEROS? HERE. COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS? HERE. COUNCIL POLLARD. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCILMAN KNOX WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. COUNCILMAN KOSH HERE. COUNCIL PLUM HERE. AND COUNCILMAN ALCORN HERE. WE NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE CAYMAN. SECOND MOVE. AND SECOND TO DELAY THE MINUTES. AND OBJECTION, CHAIR NONE. MOTION GRANTED. UH, IF YOU, TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE ON LINE, IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE MEETING, PLEASE, UH, TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW. UM, STATE YOUR NAME WHEN MAKING A MOTION, OR SECOND IN ONE. UH, FOR THOSE JOINING VIRTUALLY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW. WE'LL BE MONITORING THAT AND WE'LL CALL ON YOU. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU MUST BE VISIBLE ON CAMERA WHILE YOU ARE SPEAKING FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] WHO ARE HERE TODAY. AND THOSE ALIGNED THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS. IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE ABOUT 3:00 PM YESTERDAY. AND WE WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGNED UP WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED. IF YOU ARE HERE IN PERSON, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM, GET BEHIND ONE OF THOSE TWO MICS, AND THEN YOU CAN PROCEED. IF YOU'RE CALLING IN, PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF. AND IF YOU ARE APPEARING ON CAMERA, CLICK ON THE MICROPHONE ICON AND THE CAMERA ICON, AND THEN YOU CAN PROCEED. YOU'LL HAVE THE ONE, TWO, OR THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DESIGNATED WHEN YOU HEAR THE BELL RING. UM, THAT MEANS THAT YOUR TIME IS UP AND YOU MUST COME TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP. UH, AND YOU MAY ONLY SPEAK WHEN YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. HAVING SAID THAT, ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? COUNCILMAN MCCAIN? THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I RESPECTFULLY MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD, UH, REVEREND ELMO JOHNSON AND MS. PRISCILLA GRAHAM TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA LIST, ELMO JOHNSON, PRISCILLA GRAHAM SECOND BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR? NONE. MOTION IS GRANTED. OKAY. ANY OTHER PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? CHAIR HERE? NONE. MADAM SECRETARY, YOU PROCEED TO CALL THE ROLE. I MEAN, CALL THE, UM, SPEAKERS LIST. KATHLEEN OWEN, B KATHLEEN OWENS BE TO BE FOLLOWED BY SHONDA JOHNSON. GOOD TO SEE YOU, KATHLEEN. I'M HERE. OKAY, . UM, SO MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR, UM, HAVING ME HERE TODAY. I'M ACTUALLY HERE TO THANK Y'ALL, UM, FOR YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT IN, UM, THROUGH YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS. AND I THINK ALMOST EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER HERE HAS GIVEN FUNDS FOR SPARK PARKS IN YOUR DISTRICT. AND I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR MORAL SUPPORT, UM, BY COMING TO OUR DEDICATIONS WHEN WE CELEBRATE THE PARKS IN YOUR DISTRICT. UM, WHEN YOU GET BACK TO YOUR OFFICE, YOU WILL HAVE OUR SCHEDULE FOR SPARK WEEK, UM, WHICH IS NOVEMBER 14TH THROUGH THE 18TH, WHICH IS THE FULL WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING WEEK. WE'RE DEDICATING EIGHT SPARK PARKS. AND, UM, I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT OUR 2023 CALENDAR IS AT THE PRINT SHOP. AND THEN SPEAKING OF 2023, THAT'S THE 40TH YEAR OF SPARK. AND SO EXPECT LOTS OF SPARKS IN 2023. THANKS, KATHLEEN. UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TATU. KATHLEEN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. EVERY TIME I SEE YOU, I'M REMINDED OF DONALD PERKINS. HE WAS ON THE BOARD OF SPARK PARK, AND HE LOVED, LOVED, LOVED SPARK PARK. SO, UM, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW SPARK PARKS THAT ARE COMING TO DISTRICT A AND WANT TO JUST SAY HOW VALUABLE THESE ARE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. I KNOW WE'VE ALL GONE THROUGH COVID AND WE REALLY, UM, REALIZE HOW MUCH OUR PARK SPACE IS NEEDED IN OUR COMMUNITIES FOR OUR MENTAL WELLNESS, AND, UM, JUST FOR US TO GET OUTSIDE AND, UH, PLAY AND HAVE SOME FRESH AIR AND, UM, ENJOY THE GREEN SPACE. UH, SO ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO AT SPARK, AND EVERYONE WHO PLAYS A PART, WE APPRECIATE IT AND LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE SPARK PARKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. OKAY, THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, KATHLEEN. AND, UH, WANNA THANK YOU AND THANK YOUR MOTHER AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING IN HER VISION IN REGARDS TO BRINGING, UH, GREEN SPACES INTO NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, THAT ARE NEEDING, UH, GREEN SPACES AND PARKS. UH, SO, UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, IN MY TIME AT CITY COUNCIL, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF, OF, UH, SPONSORING SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN SPARK PARKS. LOTS OF LOTS, UH, IN DISTRICT. I, UH, AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL I LEAVE OFFICE. UH, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO YOUR MOM FOR HAVING THIS VISION. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. [01:00:02] KATHLEEN, I PROMISE WHEN THIS ITEM CAME UP, I WOULD, UH, WITHOUT HESITATION, SAY A FEW AMAZING WORDS JUST ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP IN THE DISTRICT. WE WERE JUST AT SINCLAIR, UM, FOR A RIBBON CUTTING. I KNOW MEMORIAL ELEMENTARY'S NEXT. UH, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. BUT THANK YOU FOR THE JOY THAT YOU BRING, NOT JUST TO THE SCHOOLS AND THE CHILDREN IN THOSE SCHOOLS, BUT TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UM, SURROUNDING IT. AND I HOPE, IF FOLKS DON'T KNOW, UM, WHY DON'T YOU, JUST FOR THE RECORD, FOR PUBLIC LISTENING, SAY, WHERE PEOPLE CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SPARK PARKS IF THEY'RE INTERESTED. WELL, OUR WEBSITE IS WWW.SPARKPARK.ORG, AND WE WORK WITH 17 SCHOOL DISTRICTS. UM, WE HAVE 158 ACTIVE SPARK PARKS. AND SO, UM, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND GIVE US A CALL. THANKS, COUNCIL MEMBER CI NEROS. THANK YOU, KATHLEEN. I, I CAN'T BELIEVE 40 YEARS. THAT'S AMAZING. I'M SITTING HERE THINKING, WHAT WOULD, UM, ELEANOR THINK? , YOU KNOW, I MEAN, TO, TO, TO SEE WHAT SHE STARTED, HOW IT'S GROWN. I MEAN, IT WAS A, A REALLY A, A REVOLUTIONARY VISIONARY MOVE ON HER PART TO ADVOCATE AND CONVINCE PEOPLE THAT THIS WAS A GOOD THING. YOU KNOW, TURNING, UM, UH, PLAYGROUNDS ON SCHOOLS THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, UNUSED, YOU KNOW, REALLY, AND, AND TURNING 'EM INTO PUBLIC PARKS, YOU KNOW, AFTER SCHOOL HOURS. THAT WAS, IT WAS SUCH FORWARD THINKING. AND IT'S, IT'S JUST HAD SUCH AN TREMENDOUS IMPACT, NOT JUST ON OUR CITY, BUT SPARK HAS MOVED INTO OTHER, OTHER, UM, COMMUNITIES TOO. AND, AND, UM, I THINK SHE WOULD JUST BE, UM, REALLY PLEASED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, KATHLEEN. AND LOOK, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE, UH, IN YOUR OWN RIGHT. I MEAN, YOU'VE CARRIED ON THE LEGACY, BUT YOU'VE CARRIED IT ON, UH, WITH THE PASSION AND THE ZEAL. SO VERY, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. NEXT YEAR WILL BE THE 40TH YEAR. 40TH YEAR. THAT'S GONNA BE A VERY GOOD YEAR. THAT'S, UH, I TURNED 40 NEXT YEAR, SO , WE BOTH GONNA BE 40 . SO ACTUALLY IN THE CALENDAR, YOU'LL, UM, WANNA SEE THE BACK PAGE. WE FOUND AN ARTICLE THAT WAS IN THE HOUSTON POST, UM, IN 1985, AND IT HAS MOTHER'S PICTURE MM-HMM . UM, BACK IN 1985. AND, UM, IT HAS HER IN FRONT OF A PIECE OF PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AT GREGORY LINCOLN, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE FIRST FIVE, UM, SPARK PARKS. SO, THANK YOU. GOOD DEAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. SHARONDA JOHNSON. SHARONDA JOHNSON. SHARONDA HERE. WE HAD A PERSONAL EMERGENCY. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. ZION ESCOBAR. ZION. ZION ESCOBAR. HERE. ZION IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELMO JOHNSON. ALL RIGHTY. IS THIS ONE ON? YES. GREETINGS EVERYONE. GREETINGS MAYOR TURNER, COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M VERY DELIGHTED TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY. UM, AND I KNOW IT'S, IT'S MAYBE A BIT REDUNDANT THAT EVERYONE'S GOTTEN UP AND HAD SUCH PRAISE AND, AND GRACIOUS THANKS TODAY, BUT I ACTUALLY WANT TO THANK YOU AS WELL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE FUTURE. UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, WITH THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, WE'VE BEEN HERE IN FRONT OF YOU BEFORE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S AT STAKE WITH, UH, FRIEDMAN'S TOWN. AND, UH, THAT SPARK PARK THAT WAS JUST MENTIONED IS IN FRIEDMAN'S TOWN. IT'S THE, UH, ONLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEFT IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, UM, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH THERE ARE ABLE TO ATTEND. SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS HERE IN THIS COUNCIL REALLY DOES AFFECT OUR DISTRICT. I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE HISPANIC HERITAGE. UH, IT, AT THIS TIME, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT COMMONLY KNOWN, BUT FREEDMAN'S TOWN, A PREVIOUSLY BLACK, UH, FOUNDED COMMUNITY, HAS A HISPANIC HERITAGE AND WE RESPECT, UM, OUR HISPANIC NEIGHBORS. WE RESPECT THEIR DESIRE FOR WHAT THEY WANNA SEE HAPPEN IN THEIR COUNCIL DISTRICTS. UM, AND I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT PART OF THE ORIGIN OF OUR DESIRE TO STAY IN DISTRICT C IS OUT OF RESPECT, OUT OF HONOR, AND OUT OF INSPIRATION FOR WHAT THOSE IN, UH, RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT H HAVE REQUESTED. AND SO, I WANNA SAY ONE THAT WE HONOR AND RESPECT THE HISPANIC LEGACY IN FRIEDMANS TOWN, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE INTEND TO PUSH FORWARD FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AGAIN, FRIEDMANS TOWN REPRESENTS HOUSTON'S HISTORY. WE DON'T WANT TO, UM, PERCEPTIVELY OR IN ACTUALITY COMPROMISE ANY, UM, TALLYING OF VOTES OR REPRESENTATION IN DISTRICT H NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. AND SO, JUST WANT TO ONE, PAY RESPECT, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE FUTURE. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY WE WERE KIND OF SAYING, HEY, WE, WE SHOULD STAY PUT IN ADDITION TO THE INCREDIBLE SERVICE, THE PARTNERSHIPS, BEAUTIFUL PROJECTS WE HAVE GOING ON TO OTHER, UH, HONOR OTHERS IN FREEMANS TOWN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ONE SECOND. UM, YOU KNOW, I'M I, YOU SAYING THAT, BUT I WAS, I'M REMINDED OF THE FACT THAT BOOKER T WASHINGTON THAT'S [01:05:01] RIGHT. STARTING IN FREEMANS TOWN MM-HMM . RIGHT. BUT IT IS NOW A VITAL PART OF INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS. MM-HMM . INDUSTRY AGE. MM-HMM . ABSOLUTELY. SO, IT, SO THERE ARE POSSIBILITIES. , I I, I JUST WANT, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT NOW, BUGGER T WASHINGTON STARTED IN FREEMAN'S TOWN. YES. BUT IT HAS BEEN HONED IN INDEPENDENT HIKES FOR A LONG TIME. THE HISTORY DOESN'T CHANGE JUST BECAUSE THE GEOGRAPHY SHIFTS, BUT THE HISTORY FLOWS AND CONTINUES. SO THE PATH OF THAT HISTORY, THOSE WHO CAME FROM GALVESTON, WHO MIGRATED, WHO CAME DOWN, CAME DOWN NORTH, LANDED IN FREEMAN'S TOWN, FOURTH WARD, AND THEN MIGRATED TO INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS, SOME WENT OVER TO THIRD WARD, THE TREY, THAT HISTORY IS NOT DIMINISHED. AND THEY HAVE HAD MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM ONE DISTRICT TO THE NEXT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UH, THANK YOU VICE, VICE MAYOR PROAM CA THANK, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. DO YOU, ARE YOU REPRESENTING A GROUP YOU'RE REPRESENTING YOURSELF? OR IF YOU WOULD SPEAK TO THAT? YES. YES. AND MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT, UM, STATING THAT FORMALITY, I AM THE, MY NAME IS ZION ESCOBAR, UH, EMPHASIS ON THE ESCOBAR AND THE RESPECT FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE AS WELL, AND THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THAT. UM, AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON FRIEDMANS TOWN CONSERVANCY, WHICH IS THE STEWARD OF THE HERITAGE DISTRICT, HOUSTON'S FIRST HERITAGE DISTRICT IN FRIEDMANS TOWN. AND SO, IF I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY, YOU ARE PETITIONING TO REMAIN IN DISTRICT C CORRECT. AND NOT BE MOVED TO DISTRICT H. THAT IS A DESIRE. IT'S, IT'S A PREFERENCE. AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY ABOUT SUPPORT. IT'S REALLY ABOUT REPRESENTATION AND HAVING A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBER. HOWEVER, WE'VE ALSO DISCUSSED REALISTICALLY AS, AS, UH, MAYOR TURNER JUST REITERATED THAT THE HISTORY DOESN'T CHANGE BECAUSE A DESIGNATION AND A LETTER ON A PAPER CHANGES. HOWEVER, WE UNDERSTAND THAT LEADERSHIP WILL BE CHANGING SOON IN DISTRICT H, YOU KNOW, JUST NATURALLY. AND WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO STAY PUT BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF GAME CHANGING, UH, UM, OPPORTUNITIES AND UNITY THAT'S UNPRECEDENTED. AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET WHEN WE START OVER. ALTHOUGH ELECTIONS MATTER, REPRESENTATION MATTERS, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE HERE REITERATING TO EVERYONE. SO EVERYONE KNOWS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT DISTRICT WE'RE IN, WE NEED YOUR ADVOCACY. WE NEED YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? THANKS, ARIA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PASTOR J ELMO, JOHNSON JOHNSON BE FOLLOWED BY PRISCILLA GRAHAM, ONE OF THE FATHERS OF FREEMAN'S DOWN FORT WARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, MAYOR, WHEN THEY MIGRATED FROM BOOKER T WASHINGTON, THEY CAME TO A ACRES HOME. YES. THAT'S WHERE WE ARE FROM. KINS HOME. YES. FREEDMAN TOWN MEAN MUCH TO THE PASTORS AND THE PEOPLE OUT THERE. IT'S THE OLDEST BLACK COMMUNITY IN HOUSTON. AND WE HAVE BEEN WELL REPRESENTED BY A MAYOR AND CERTAINLY BY OUR CITY COUNCIL. AND WE WANT TO STAY IN DISTRICT C TO BE A, A PART OF THAT, A QUARTER THAT GOES DOWN WEST GRAY ALL THE WAY TO RIVER OAKS. WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT. WE WANNA STAY A PART OF THAT. UH, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE TO COME AND, UH, I REPRESENT THE PREACHERS AND THE CHURCHES OUT THERE, OF COURSE. AND, UH, MAYOR HAVE DONE GREAT WORK IN FOURTH WARD. HE'S, UH, COME DOWN AND, AND, AND REDID SOME OF OUR STREETS AND REALLY SUPPORTED, AND NOT JUST FOURTH WARD, BUT HOUSTON, WE HEARD EARLIER WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND YOU'VE GOTTA SET UP FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE. AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT AND I THANK YOU CITY COUNCIL FOR THAT. BUT PLEASE MA'AM, AND PLEASE, SIR, UH, LET US STAY THERE WHERE WE ARE. WE ARE AWARE, REPRESENTATIVE, SHE MAYOR, SHE REALLY TAKES CARE OF, UH, THE THINGS THAT MATTER TO THE HISTORY OF FOURTH WARD, MS. ABBY CANAN. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU PERSONALLY FOR THAT. THANK, THANK YOU PASTOR JOHNSON. AND YES, SIR, APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP, SIR. THANK GOD, APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP. YOU HAVE BEEN NAME, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. YOU'VE BEEN A STRONG FOUNDATION. THANK YOU, SIR. AND CONTINUE TO BE A STRONG FOUNDATION IN THAT AREA. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, MAN. OKAY, THANKS. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. PRISCILLA GRAHAM. PRISCILLA GRAHAM, THE HISTORIAN. THE PHOTOGRAPHER. . [01:10:01] WHERE'S THAT CAMERA? UM, WELL, MAYOR, I DECIDED TO LEAVE IT TODAY. UM, AND I CAME IN SUPPORT OF FREEMAN'S TOWN TODAY. I THINK THAT PEOPLE OFTEN FORGET THAT THE PEOPLE ARE THE CITY. PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HISTORIC FREEMAN'S TOWN, BUT HISTORIC FREEMAN'S TOWN IS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES THAT BLACK PEOPLE COULD BE WHEN THEY CAME HERE. SO IT WAS A THOUSAND PEOPLE THAT WAS IN FREEMAN'S TOWN, AND IT BECAME 11,000 IN A SHORT TIME. THAT'S WHY THEY BRANCHED OUT TO THE OTHER PLACES WHERE WE TALK ABOUT ACRES, HOMES, INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, AND ALL THOSE OTHER PLACES. SO THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY AND EVERYBODY AROUND THIS TABLE REPRESENT THE PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU WAS ELECTED TO THAT POSITION. SO I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO KEEP HISTORIC FREEMAN'S TOWN IN DISTRICT C. NOW, I'VE BEEN TO MANY, MANY, MANY COUNCIL MEETINGS WHERE I THINK WE CAME FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS FOR COUNCIL MEETINGS. AND THE PERSON THAT OCCUPIED THAT SEAT BEFORE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN NEVER GAVE 2 CENT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. NOW SHE HAS BEEN ACTIVE AND PRESENT WITH US, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. WE DON'T NEED WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN FREEMANS TOWN FOR THE LAST PROBABLY A HUNDRED YEARS OR MORE. WE NEED SOMEONE THAT'S CONCERNED ABOUT THE PEOPLE, THE PLACE, AND TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT WESTERN PART OF FREEMANS TOWN THAT Y'ALL DECIDED TO REDISTRICT AND PUT IN DISTRICT H. THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S BEEN NEGLECTED THE MOST BECAUSE THEY TOOK EVERYTHING ON EASTERN SIDE. AND WE'RE SITTING ON THE EASTERN SIDE RIGHT NOW, AND THERE'S NOTHING LEFT, BUT ANTIOCH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH OVER THERE. EVERYTHING ELSE IS GONE. IT'S VERY LITTLE THAT'S LEFT ON THE EASTERN SIDE. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MOVING 2000 PEOPLE INTO ANOTHER DISTRICT, 2000 PLUS. AND I THINK THE VALUE OUTWEIGHS THE MOVE. SO AS YOU SIT HERE AND REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY, I ASK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND VOTE TO KEEP FREEMAN'S TOWN IN HISTORIC DISTRICT C. THANK YOU. LEMME MAKE SURE I UNDER, LEMME MAKE SURE I I GOT IT NOW BECAUSE PRISCILLA, PRISCILLA T GRAHAM, SIR, MS. GRAB. YES, SIR. YOU, YOU ARE ADVOCATING TO STAY IN DISTRICT C. YES. BUT WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAYING IS THAT IN LARGE PART, YOU'RE ADVOCATING TO DO THAT BECAUSE YOU LIKE THE REPRESENTATION OF THE CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBER. I'M SAYING THAT, SIR. BECAUSE WE WANT REPRESENTATION. I GOTCHA. I GOTCHA. AND SO WE'RE GONNA, YOU WANNA MOVE US TO DISTRICT H? DISTRICT H STRUGGLES ALREADY. THERE'S MORE RESOURCES IN DISTRICT C, SO IT MAKES, IT MAKES SENSE TO KEEP THEM IN DISTRICT C BECAUSE ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE GOING BE GOING ON, YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, ALMOST ALL INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS IS GONE EXCEPT FOR VERY LITTLE THAT'S THERE. WE DON'T WANT OUR HISTORY TO BECOME A MURAL ON A BUILDING. I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT ALMOST ALL YOUR HISTORY IN FREEMAN'S TOWN IS GONE TOO. THAT'S WHY WE ARE WORKING THE WHOLE LONG TO WHAT REMAINS. THE ONLY POINT THAT I'M MAKING IS THAT THERE IS NO QUESTION AGREE THAT THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT, UM, YOU HAVE AN EXCEPTIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT C MM-HMM . BUT UNFORTUNATELY, UH, NONE OF US ARE GOING TO BE HERE PASSED AT MOST WELL UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM EIGHT YEARS. AND THEN SOMEBODY ELSE IS GOING TO BE OCCUPYING THESE SEATS. SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE REDISTRICT, WE, WE REDISTRICT FOR 10 YEARS. SO IT CANNOT JUST BE BASED ON, UM, AN EXCEPTIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER. AND YOU HAVE AN EXCEPTIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER. THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. UM, SO JUST BEAR, JUST BEAR THAT IN MIND. YES, SIR. AND IT CAN'T BE JUST BASED ON ETHNICITY ALSO. AND SO WHEN YOU SAID THAT EVERYBODY WILL BE GONE, THE PEOPLE ARE SITTING, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ELECT THE PEOPLE THAT'S HERE. AND SO THE PEOPLE, AND THIS MESSAGE IS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT'S OUT THERE, THAT'S WATCHING, YOU HAVE TO PUT PEOPLE IN THE SEAT THAT YOU, THAT'S GONNA REPRESENT YOU AND THAT HAVE YOUR BEST INTEREST AT HEART. I AGREE. AND, AND THAT, THAT IS WHAT IT IS. SO I'M JUST SAYING NOW, TAKING PART OF HISTORIC FREEMANS TOWN AND PUTTING IN DISTRICT C AND THEN TAKING THE OTHER PART AND PUTTING H THAT'S BREAKING IT UP. IT'S BEEN DIVIDED FOR SO LONG. AND NOW YOU'RE, YOU'VE COME UP WITH THIS GREAT THING THAT IS GONNA BE THIS BIG HISTORIC DISTRICT, HERITAGE DISTRICT, AND YOU'RE GONNA TAKE PART OF IT AND LEAVE AND C AND THE OTHER PART AND PUT AN H WELL, I THINK IT'S OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT WHOLE. WELL, I, I AGREE WITH YOU, BOB. WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU AS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS IS HISTORIC AND OF ITS NATURE. INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS WAS THE FIRST INNOCENT BLACK CITY IN THIS, IN THIS CITY. INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS IS HISTORIC. I REPRESENTED INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS FOR 27 YEARS. BOOKER T 1927 CAME FROM FREEMANS TOWN, TWO INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS, THE SYMMETRY OF INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS, FREEMANS [01:15:01] TOWN, THIRD WARD, FIELD WARD, AND ACRES HOME. THERE'S SYMMETRY THERE, THERE'S SYMMETRY THERE. AND I AGREE, REPRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT IN EVERY ONE OF THESE DISTRICTS. AND YOU CAN STATE WHERE YOU ARE AND HAVE BAD REPRESENTATION AND YOU HAVE BAD REPRESENTATION. SO I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I'M JUST SAYING WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT. AND YOU ARE A HISTORIAN. I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU, YOU ARE A, YOU ARE A HISTORIAN BY PHOTOGRAPHY. I COULD, I COULD LITERALLY TAKE YOUR PICTURES AND TELL THE STORY OF THE PERSONALITIES AND THE PLACES AND THE CHURCHES IN THIS CITY. THERE IS NO ONE THAT COVERS THE HISTORY BETTER THAN YOU DO. SO I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I'M, WE ARE HAVING JUST A CONVERSATION. YES, MAYOR POINTS WELL TAKEN. OKAY. LET ME STOP. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU PRISCILLA. YOU KNOW, I NEVER KNEW THAT THE PERSON BEHIND THE CAMERA WAS JUST SO IN INVOLVED AND ENGAGED IN WHAT'S GOING ON. AND YOU'VE CERTAINLY HAD A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT, UH, IN FRIEDMANS TOWN. AND SO WHEN YOU SPEAK JUST SO PASSIONATELY, I AM CERTAINLY LISTENING. CERTAINLY YOU'RE NOT SAYING THAT DISTRICT H DOES NOT HAVE A GOOD REPRESENTATIVE, BUT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF SOMEONE THAT YOU HAVE HAD A CONSISTENT RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT HAS, UH, SERVED YOUR COMMUNITY WELL. SO I AM LISTENING AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU COMING FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I JUST BECAUSE MS. PRISCILLA IS THE LAST ONE, I BELIEVE, FROM FORTH WORTH, FREEMANS TOWN TODAY. I JUST WANTED TO THANK ALL THE SPEAKERS. AND I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITIES, UM, AS YOU SAID, IT'S ABOUT WHAT RESIDENTS ARE ASKING FOR, WHAT OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE ASKING FOR. UM, AND MAYOR, YOU HAVE DONE SO MUCH FOR THE AREA, SO I, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT AS WELL. UM, I WILL JUST FOR THE RECORD, AS IT RELATES TO INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, BECAUSE WE HEARD DURING THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS FEEDBACK FROM THAT ENTIRE AREA THAT ENCOMPASSES THE HEIGHTS. AND DISTRICT C REPRESENTS A MAJORITY OF THE HEIGHTS AND INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS ITSELF REQUESTED TO GO INTO DISTRICT C BECAUSE OF THE HISTORY AND THE TIES WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE HEIGHTS ITSELF. NOW, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE IN C WE CAN'T ADD POPULATION, BUT I DID WANNA SAY FOR THE RECORD AND RECOGNIZING INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, THE SPECIFIC REQUESTS OF RESIDENTS TO GO INTO DISTRICT C. AND IT WAS EVEN, UM, STAFF FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT THAT SAID IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE IN DISTRICT C, BUT WE CAN'T MAKE THAT WORK. SO I, AGAIN, ONLY BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE AREA, THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, NOT JUST TO THE WEST OF INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS AND GREATER HEIGHTS SOUTH OF THAT AS YOU GO INTO FOURTH WARD, REMENS TOWN, BUT ALSO THE NEXUS IN THAT AREA OF PRECINCT 30, UM, GOING SOUTH INTO MONTROSE IN THAT HISTORY AS WELL. THANK YOU. AND I THINK FOR THE, LET ME GET TO COUNCILMAN POLLY FIRST. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MS. GRAHAM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING IN YOUR COMMENTS, PASTOR, AND TO EVERYONE WHO'S HERE ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE HEAR YOU. I WANT I WANT YOU TO LEAVE HERE KNOWING THAT THE, THE EFFORTS YOU CAME TO BE HERE AND TO STATE WHAT YOU'RE STATING HAS BEEN HEARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER, PRISCILLA ARGUETA PRIS. PRISCILLA ARGUETA IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY YVETTE. ARIANA, IS IT ALL RIGHT IF I USE MY LAPTOP TO READ? YES. ALRIGHT. I'M HERE WITH THE GROUP, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS OF 65 AND 82. OKAY. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. CAN THEY TAKE A SEAT? NO, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO STAY, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO STAY SEATED WHERE YOU WERE. TAKE A SEAT. OKAY. AND YOU CAN STAND UP, BUT WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE. OKAY. AND WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU . YEAH, THANK YOU. AND YOU CAN, YEAH, THAT'S FINE. YOU'RE GOOD. YOU'RE GOOD. TAKE MY MASK OFF SO YOU CAN SEE ME A LITTLE BETTER. OKAY. CAN I START? SURE. ALRIGHT. MY NAME IS PRISCILLA ARGUETA. I AM AN IDENTIFYING MYSELF AS A WOULD-BE AFFECTED VOTER IF THE PROPOSED BOUNDARIES TO DISTRICT I ARE ACCEPTED. I REQUEST COUNCIL RECONSIDER AREAS REMOVED PRECINCT 69 AND 5 3 0 TO STAY WITHIN DISTRICT I BOUNDARIES AND REMOVE AREAS ADDED PRECINCT 6, 7, 5, 5, EXCUSE ME, TO DISTRICT E AND PRECINCT 1 64 TO B. THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, SECTION TWO PROHIBITS MINORITY VOTE DILUTION. AS SUCH, THE CURRENT PROPOSAL BOUNDARIES WOULD WEAKEN OUR EXISTING MAJORITY HISPANIC MINORITY DISTRICT, [01:20:01] WHICH DEVIATES US FROM THE REDISTRICTING CRITERIA. ALRIGHT. UM, SO UNDER THE, UM, LET'S TALK HOUSTON WEBSITE. THERE'S A FEW BULLET POINTS, RIGHT, THAT HELP US BUILD WHAT A REDISTRICTING IS. SO, UM, PRESERVING INCUBATE CONSTITUENCY RELATIONS WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL CHALLENGE AS WE DO NOT SHARE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, HOUSE DISTRICT, SENATE DISTRICT JUSTICE OF THE PEACE AND CONSTABLES WITH THE PROPOSED DISTRICTS OF 7, 5 5 AND 1 6 4. UM, THE GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES PRECINCT 1 6 4 IS UNIQUE. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT CONTENTIOUS WITH OUR COMMUNITIES AS A MAJOR WATERWAYS. WATERWAY SEPARATES US. PRECINCT SEVEN FIVE ALSO DOES NOT REFLECT A CONTENTIOUS BOUNDARIES AS IT IS DIVIDED BY THE TWO DIFFERENT SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS AND IS SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF DISTRICT I BY THE I 45 SOUTH GULF FREEWAY. AND I'D LIKE TO NOTE PRECINCT 7 5 5 IS SPLIT INTO TWO SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, 79 EDGEBROOK AND 80 SOUTH BELT ELLINGTON. UH, I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT THE ENTIN, UH, PRECINCT OF 7 55 IS 33% HISPANIC AS OPPOSED TO 69 AND FIVE 30 OR 96% HISPANIC. UM, AND MY LAST POINT, MAINTAINING AREAS OF INTEREST LIKE MAGNOLIA PARK IS VITAL AS IT IS CURRENTLY AN ACTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD UNDER, UH, MAYOR TURNER'S COMPLETE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE, A PROGRAM THAT WE REGARD AS A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM THAT HELPED US ACTIVATE OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, THE SIMILAR, THE SIMILARITIES IN INCOME, EDUCATION, HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND POLICY ISSUES MUST BE PRESERVED IN MAGNOLIA PARK AND NOT DILUTED WITH THE DENSELY GENTRIFIED DISTRICT H, WHICH HAS 6.1 LESS DOCUMENTED HISPANICS. AND I DO HAVE A TABLE AND I AM WILLING TO SHARE, UM, ALL OUR TALKING POINTS WITH, UM, ALL OUR REPRESENTATIVES HERE TODAY. THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER GUY. HE GOES, THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU PRISCILLA, FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. MS. TERRELL, THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING SMITH EDITION. I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, MAGNOLIA PARK, UH, MANCHESTER, UH, SMITH EDITION ARE IN A, UH, NEW ORGANIZED SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, AND ALSO IT'S A COMPLETE COMMUNITY. UH, MAGNOLIA PARK IS ONE OF THE OLDEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, IT Z DOES HISPANIC NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, WE ALREADY SPLIT BETWEEN SECOND WARD AND THE REST OF THE EAST END. UH, BETWEEN H AND I, UH, IT DOES NOT BENEFIT THE EAST END. IT DOES NOT BENEFIT MA MAGNOLIA PARK SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD OR THE COMPLETE COMMUNITY BY ALSO SPLITTING MAGNOLIA PARK. UH, I KNOW I'VE, UH, SPOKEN WITH THE MAYOR. I'VE, UH, UM, I MENTIONED THAT I WILL BE PRESENTING AN AMENDMENT TOMORROW. UH, SO HOPEFULLY WORKING WITH THE MAYOR TO TRY TO, UH, RESOLVE THIS. UH, AGAIN, IT, IT, IT MAKES NO SENSE SPLITTING MAGNOLIA PARK, UH, SPLITTING THE BOYS, SPLITTING THE BOAT. UH, SO AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. UH, AND UH, THAT'S WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT HAVING A COMPLETE COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT HAVING A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, HAVING VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS HERE, UH, TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, KNOWING THAT YOU'RE THE RESIDENTS. YOU LIVE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. UH, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? UH, THESE MAPS JUST RECENTLY WERE POSTED, UH, A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AGO, THE NEWLY REVISED ONES. AND OUR COMMUNITY WASN'T INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATION. AND SO WE'D LIKE TO INQUIRE, UM, HOW THAT WENT, ABOUT TO SUGGEST THE PRECINCTS OF 69 AND FIVE 30 TO BE CONSIDERED, UH, TO BE REMOVED. WELL, WELL, I, I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING THAT, PRISCILLA. 'CAUSE I'M THE COUNSEL. I SAID, I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING THAT QUESTION. I'M THE COUNCIL MEMBER. I'M THE ONLY LATINO SITTING AROUND THIS HORSESHOE, AND I WAS NOT EVEN INFORMED ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING TWO WEEKS AGO UNTIL AFTER THEY'RE TELLING ME THAT THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE, THE, THE, THE, UH, REVISED MAP. OKAY. UH, SO TRUST ME, I'M CONCERNED, JUST LIKE YOU. ALL RIGHTY. THANK YOU. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? NO. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, YVETTE ARIANO. YVETTE ARIANO, THANKS. IS HERE. MY NAME IS YVETTE ANO AND I LIVE IN MAGNOLIA PARK IN PRECINCT 69, AND I AM PART OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 65 AND 82. WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR DISTRICT IS FACING A POPULATION DECLINE DUE TO THE GENTRIFICATION, BUT BELIEVE THAT THIS IS BECAUSE NEARBY PRECINCTS HAVE BEEN MISSED. OUR RENTS ARE SKYROCKETING, AND MORE AND MORE INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN DISPLACED TO AREAS THAT ARE MORE AFFORDABLE. AS A CURRENT RESIDENT OF DISTRICT I IN PRECINCT 69, [01:25:01] I WOULD BE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THIS REDISTRICTING PROPOSAL. NOT ONLY WOULD MY CITY COUNCIL MEMBER CHANGE, BUT SO WOULD MY ABILITY TO VOTE TO IMPROVE MY NEIGHBORHOOD PRECINCT 69 AND FIVE 30 SHOULDN'T REMAIN IN DISTRICT. I, I ADVOCATE ON ISSUES OF AIR POLLUTION AND TOXICS FROM NEIGHBORING FACILITIES LIKE THOSE WHO WERE HERE PRESENT EARLIER TODAY. AND THOSE ISSUES FOLLOW THE SAME ISSUES FACED IN MANCHESTER, IN SMITH EDITION, AND IN OUR NEIGHBORS NEIGHBORHOODS IN MEADOW, MEADOW CREEK, MY NEIGHBORHOOD MAGNOLIA PARK WILL BE SEPARATED INTO DISTRICT H AND I, I HAVE VOLUNTEER TIME AND EFFORT IN HELPING FORM THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 65 AND 82 TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES IN OUR ENVIRONMENT. OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND CIVICALLY ENGAGED OUR COMMUNITIES BY SPLITTING UP OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. IT DILUTES OUR POWER AND OUR, AND IT WOULD PUT AN UNDUE BURDEN ON US TO COMMUNICATE, NOT WITH ONE, BUT TWO CITY COUNCIL OFFICES. SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AT 65 AND 82 IS THE LARGEST AND THE NEWEST SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD WITH BOTH HISTORICALLY BLACK AND LATINO NEIGHBORHOODS. WE FORMED THIS BODY TO HELP IMPROVE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WE'RE DOING THAT HERE TODAY. WE PROPOSED DISTRICT I KEEP PRECINCTS FIVE 30 AND 69 AND ABSORB PRECINCTS 5 27 180 1, 2 21, AND 30 AND 3 29, AS IT WOULD HELP IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY COHESION AS WE ALREADY SHARE RESOURCES FOR THOSE STUDENTS LIVING IN THOSE ADDITIONAL PRECINCTS ACCESS OUR CHAVEZ HIGH SCHOOL. IN FACT, THE HISD CITY OF HOUSTON INFORMATION SHEET REFLECTS THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE SERVICES FOR CHAVEZ STUDENTS ARE IN DISTRICT I, INCLUDING THE MAGNOLIA PARK WIC PROGRAM, THE MAGNOLIA PREVENTATIVE HEALTH CENTER, MELCHER LIBRARY, PARK PLACE, REGIONAL LIBRARY, AND MAGNOLIA MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, HELP US KEEP OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD TOGETHER AND FURTHER UNIFY OUR INTERESTS WITH OUR NEIGHBORS. AS A DIRECTLY AFFECTED RESIDENT, I REQUEST PRECINCT 69 AND FIVE 30 STAY IN DISTRICT I AND SUPPORT ABSORBING PRECINCTS 5 27 180 1, 2 21, AND 3 29. THANK YOU. UM, ONE SECOND. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN GALLOS. THANK YOU MS. ANO FOR BEING HERE FOR YOUR TIME. AGAIN, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AGAIN, IF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WOULDN'T WORK IN A SILO, Y'ALL WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. BEING THE ONLY LATINO IN THIS CITY COUNCIL SEAT PLANNING DEPARTMENT SHOULD HAVE CAME TO ME AND SAID, THIS IS OUR PROPOSAL. BUT NO, THEY, THEY WANNA DIVIDE OUR VOTE. THEY WANNA DIVIDE OUR VOICE, AND IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. AND THAT'S WHY THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IS HERE TODAY. EACH ONE OF US REPRESENTING MANCHESTER, HARRISBURG, MAGNOLIA PARK, AND SMITH EDITION, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, STEVE RIVA, TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOHN RINUS. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. IT'S, UH, SHIV, SHAVA. I COULDN'T SAY IT RIGHT TILL THIRD GRADE, SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. UM, SO MY NAME IS SHIV SHAVA AND I'M THE POLICY RESEARCHER, UH, FOR FENCELINE WATCH AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION BASED IN MAGNOLIA PARK. I'M A PART OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 65 AND 82, AND I SUPPORT THE NEED TO PRESERVE DISTRICT I BY KEEPING PRECINCT 69 AND FIVE 30. AND TO EXPAND IT TO INCLUDE 5 27 180 1, 2 21, AND 3 29. THESE PRECINCTS HAVE A SHARED CULTURAL BACKGROUND AND FACES SIMILAR, UH, THREATS FROM ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM, CONCERNS, AND HAVE AN OVERALL COMMUNITY COHESION WITH MAGNOLIA PARK, MANCHESTER, HARRISBURG, AND SMITH EDITION. CURRENTLY, DISTRICT E SPANS FROM CLEAR LAKE TO KINGWOOD AND IN BETWEEN ARE MEADOWDALE, ABROOK, AND MEADOW CREEK VILLAGE. UNLIKE THE MAJORITY OF DISTRICT E, THAT IS 43.4% WHITE NON-HISPANIC. THESE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE MAJORITY MINORITY LATINO COMMUNITIES. THEY HAVE MORE IN COMMON WITH MAGNOLIA AND MANCHESTER THAN THAT OF CLEAR LAKE OR KINGWOOD. THE MEDIAN INCOME HOUSEHOLD FOR DISTRICT E IS $84,000, WHEREAS THE MEDIAN INCOME FOR THE COMMUNITIES OF MEADOWBROOK ALLENDALE IS 58. THE DISTRICT E MAP IS ESSENTIALLY COMPRISED OF A WEALTHY, PRIMARILY WHITE, NORTHERN HALF AND WORKING CLASS, PRIMARILY MINORITY SOUTHERN HALF ONE. LOOK AT THE DISTRICT E MAP SHOWS, IT FALLS WELL SHORT OF THE AIMS OF REDISTRICTING AS STATED BY THE CITY TO QUOTE, MAINTAIN COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST SLASH NEIGHBORHOODS AND BE COMPACT AND CONTIGUOUS. AS OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE NOTED, THE [01:30:01] PROPOSED REDISTRICTING MAPS WOULD REQUIRE OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD TO SPLIT OUR RESOURCES BETWEEN TWO CITY COUNCIL OFFICES. WE WERE JUST CHARTERED. YOU KNOW, IT TAKES TIME TO ACTUALLY GET FOLKS TO COME OUT TO SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS. IT TAKES TIME TO GET PURCHASED IN THE COMMUNITY, AS YOU PROBABLY ALL KNOW, IT'S ELECTION SEASON. UM, AND FOR US TO THEN ALREADY TRYING TO BUILD OUR RESOURCES, THEN HAVE THEM SPLIT UP BY THESE MAPS IS UNFAIR TO US. AND IT'S ALSO UNFAIR TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAMS THAT THE CITY IS TRYING TO PUT FORWARD AND THE EFFICACY THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO ACTUALLY OPERATE IN. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, I APPRECIATE THE WORDS THAT YOU'VE SAID THUS FAR TO MY COLLEAGUES AND MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL, BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY IT DOES SEEM LIKE THIS WAS DONE IN A SILOED MANNER. UM, OUR JOB AT THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IS TO NOT BE A THORN IN YOUR SIDE, BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRANSPARENT ARE KEPT TRANSPARENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND TO ADVOCATE FOR IT. AND SPLITTING US IS NOT THE MOVE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO ADVOCATE. WE ARE UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET STRONGER. AND WE WOULD HOPE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO MAINTAIN THE STRENGTH THAT WE HAVE AND CONTINUE TO ALLOW US TO STRENGTHEN SO WE CAN BE GOOD PARTNERS TO YOU AS A CITY TRIES TO IMPROVE ALL OF US COLLECTIVELY, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MAGOS. THANK YOU MAYOR THA THANK YOU SCHIFF FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND, UH, I ACTUALLY BRINGING IT TO MY ATTENTION ALSO IN REGARDS TO WHAT WE DON'T NEED IS MAGNOLIA PARK SPLIT IN HALF, UH, WHEN WE'RE BEING IMPACTED BY THE PORT OF HOUSTON, BY THE RAILROADS, BY THE PETROCHEMICAL PLANTS. AND WE DON'T NEED TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO FIGHT THIS FIGHT. WE NEED A UNIFIED NEIGHBORHOOD. WE NEED A A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT'S GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND IS GOING TO FIGHT. WE DON'T NEED TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS OR SPLITTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE NEED TO BE UNIFIED TO WORK ON THESE ISSUES. THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE IMPACTING US EVERY SINGLE DAY IN MAGNOLIA PARK IN THE EAST END. UH, AND AGAIN, I WANNA THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT SPEAKER, NEXT SPEAKER, JOHN REUS. JOHN REUS. HI, MY NAME IS JOHN RAINES AND I LIVE IN PRECINCT 69 IN DISTRICT I AND WOULD BE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE REDISTRICTING PROPOSAL. I'M ALSO PART OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 65 AND 82, WHICH INCLUDES AS MENTIONED, MAGNOLIA PARK, MANCHESTER, HARRISBURG, AND SMITH EDITION. I UNDERSTAND THE DISTRICT GUY'S POPULATION IS IN THE DECLINE AND THERE IS A NEED TO ADJUST, BUT IT'S ALSO BECAUSE OF GENTRIFICATION AND SKYROCKETING RENTS THAT'S FORCING PEOPLE TO MOVE OUT, THAT'S CAUSING THE DECLINE IN POPULATION. I SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO KEEP MY PRECINCT 69 AND FIVE 30 IN DISTRICT I, AND ALSO ABSORB PRECINCTS 5 27 180 1, 2 21, AND 32 WITH THIS REDISTRICTING PROPOSAL. MAGNOLIA PARK WOULD BE DI WOULD NOT, UH, WOULD BE DIVIDED. AND MAGNOLIA PARK, A HISTORIC LATINO NEIGHBORHOOD HOME TO ALGO PARK, CESAR CHAVEZ PARADE, THE FIRST MEXICAN AMERICAN MUTUAL AID GROUPS AND LAELA MEXICANA. IF OUR NUMBERS, IF OUR NUMBERS ARE IN DISTRICT, I, I AGREE WITH ABSORBING 5 27 180 1, 2 21 AND 3 29. AS MEADOWBROOK, MEADOWBROOK, ALLENDALE AND MEADOW CREEK ARE ALREADY PRIMARILY HISPANIC AND KEEPING THEM IN DISTRICT E ONLY SERVES IN DILUTING THE LATINO VOTE FURTHER. PLEASE HELP US KEEP, SORRY. HELP US KEEP OUR COMMUNITY COHESION AND DON'T PUNISH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WITH MORE BUREAUCRATIC TAPE. PRESERVE DISTRICT I AND KEEP PRECINCT 69 5 30 AND STRENGTHEN OUR DISTRICT BY BRINGING IN PRECINCTS 5 27 180 1, 2 21, AND 3 29 TOGETHER WITH US. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. COUNCILMAN GALLOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, JOHN, FOR TAKING YOUR TIME AND, AND BEING HERE TODAY. IN REGARDS TO THEM STATING THAT WE'VE LOST POPULATION, I FEEL THAT WE HAVE NOT LOST POPULATION. AND THERE'S A BIG UNDER COUNT DUE THE FACT THAT THERE WAS FEAR, UH, YOU HAD THE PANDEMIC, YOU HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE AFRAID, UH, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND, AND WHAT HE WAS PLANNING TO DO IN REGARDS TO CITIZENSHIP. UH, AND, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A MAJOR HISPANIC NEIGHBORHOOD. SO AGAIN, UH, BY SPLITTING THIS NEIGHBORHOOD MAKES NO SENSE IN REGARDS TO THE DEFORMITY, UH, AND, AND, AND FIGHTING FOR THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH EVERY SINGLE DAY. AGAIN, THE CHEMICAL PLANTS ON THE EAST SIDE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, THE PORT OF HOUSTON AND THE RAILROADS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, [01:35:01] ETHEL TERRELL. ETHEL TERRELL IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY RHONDA JONES. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ETHEL TERRELL. I LIVE IN SMITH EDITION PRECINCT SIX DISTRICT I IN THE HISTORIC END OF HOUSTON. AND IN PART OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 65 AND 82. WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR DISTRICT IS FACING A POPULATION DECLINE DUE TO GENTRIFICATION, BUT BELIEVE THIS IS BECAUSE NEIGHBORING PRECINCTS HAVE BEEN MISSED. IF REDISTRICTING IS ACCEPTED AS PROPOSED, MY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD BE DIVIDED INTO DISTRICT H AND I PLACING A BURDEN ON OUR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITIES. SMITH EDITION, MANCHESTER, HARRISBURG, AND MAGNOLIA PARK. SPLITTING UP OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD WILL MAKE US WORK TWICE AS HARD AS OTHERS TO COMMUNICATE WITH TWO CITY COUNCIL OFFICES. DISTRICT H AND I, WE PROPOSE DISTRICT I INSTEAD TO ABSORB PRECINCTS 5 27 180 1, 2 21, AND 3 29 BECAUSE WE FACE SHARED HEALTH CONCERNS FROM THE AIR WE BREATHE TO THE SCHOOLS WE SEND OUR CHILDREN TO. ALSO, PRECINCT 5 27 IS HOME TO THREE PETROCHEMICAL PLANTS THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT US IN SMITH EDITION, BUT THEY'RE OUTSIDE OF OUR DISTRICT AND DISTRICT E. THESE SAME FACILITIES AFFECT COMMUNITIES IN PRECINCT 180 1, 2 21, AND 3 29. THE COMMUNITIES OF MEADOWBROOK ALLENDALE AND MEADOW CREEK VILLAGE KEEP OUR COMMUNITY UNITED BY NOT REMOVING PRECINCT FIVE 30 AND 69 AND CONSIDER SUPPORTING DISTRICT I IN ABSORBING PRECINCTS. 5 27 180 1, 2 21, AND 3 29. WE FORMED THIS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD TO HELP STRENGTHEN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE ARE DOING SO HERE TODAY AS A COMMUNITY LEADER AND ACTIVE RESIDENT FROM SMITH EDITION. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. COUNCIL GALLS, GUY ANGLES. MR. TERRELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO IN SMITH EDITION. AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO IN THE EAST END. AS, AS YOU KNOW, THE EAST END AND THAT PART OF THE EAST END HAS A RICH HISTORY, UH, HARRISBURG, THE OLD HARRISBURG SETTLEMENT, UH, IS THERE ON THE OLD SMITH EDITION AND IN HARRISBURG NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, THE, UH, HARRISBURG JACKSON CEMETERY IS THE OLDEST, IF NOT ONE OF THE OLDEST AFRICAN-AMERICAN CEMETERIES THERE OFF OF LAWNDALE AND BROADWAY. EVEN THE, UH, BODY SERVANT OF SAM HOUSTON IS BURIED THERE. BLUE, UH, THIS IS A RICH HISTORY THAT WE HAVE IN THE EAST END AND WHAT WE DON'T NEED IT IS FOR IT TO BE DIVIDED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. NO CLAPPING, PLEASE. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. RHONDA JONES. RIGHT HERE UNDER JONES TO BE FOLLOWED BY RAY THOMPSON. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSEL. MY NAME IS RHONDA JONES AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF SOUTHWEST CROSSING, UM, SUBDIVISION, WHICH MY, UH, SHIRT EXPLAINS IT ALL. TAKE A LOOK. MY QUESTION TO YOU, MAYOR, AND TO YOU MARTHA, UH, WITH THE TWO PLANTS THAT ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER, DO YOU, DO YOU AGREE THAT THAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE QUESTION? DO YOU BELIEVE IT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE TO THAT, TO THAT AREA? MAY IAM MS. MS. JONES? I THINK THAT THE, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT I BELIEVE IT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE IS, IS A DIFFICULT ONE BECAUSE WHY? UM, I'M GONNA TELL YOU. OKAY. BECAUSE, UH, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED, UM, ENERGY AND WE NEED THE ABILITY TO GET ENERGY TO OUR HOMES. UM, IF THE WINTER STORM YURI SHOWED US ANYTHING, IT SHOWED US THE NEED FOR NATURAL GAS. UM, NOW WHAT I DO BELIEVE IS THAT, UM, WE MAYBE SHOULD HAVE PLACED THOSE [01:40:01] SOMEWHERE ELSE. I WOULD'VE LIKED FOR THEM TO BE PLACED SOMEWHERE ELSE. UM, ONE OF THOSE PROPANE, UH, UH, NATURAL GAS FACILITIES IS VERY NEAR MY, MY MOTHER'S HOUSE IN THE CHURCH THAT I GO TO. UM, AND YOU ARE VERY WELL AWARE BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION THAT THE MAYOR AND I HAVE HAD, UH, LENGTHY CONVERSATIONS WITH CENTER POINT ENERGY TO, UM, ASK IF THAT, UH, FACILITY COULD BE MOVED. UM, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT MOVE THE FACILITY. WHICH ONE? WHICH ONE? THE SOUTHWEST CROSSING? NO, THE, THE ONE THAT WAS JUST BUILT THE SOUTHWEST CROSSING. OKAY. WELL THEY CAN MOVE IT. YOU CAN, LET ME, LET ME LEMME TELL YOU. THEY TOLD US THAT THEY WOULD NOT MOVE IT. THEY OKAY, BUT LISTEN TO THIS. OKAY? WHEN, WHEN, WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, I PRAYED THAT, THAT THAT PLANT WOULD NOT OPEN UP. THAT PLANT IS NOT FUNCTIONAL YET. 2021. OKAY? CENTER POINT MAY HAVE MONEY, BUT GUESS WHAT? SOUTHWEST CROSSING AND ALL OF US IN DISTRICT K, WE GOT GOD. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT THAT PLANT IS NOT FUNCTIONAL RIGHT NOW. AND SO THEY NEED TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO WITH IT AND MOVE IT FROM OVER THERE. I BELIEVE IT'S IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL JU INJUSTICE TO THAT AREA. WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE EVERYTHING DUMPED IN IT. AND IF YOU BELIEVE WE, WE, WE, WE DO NEED, I HAVE ELECTRIC, SO I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT NO PROPANE. UH, I DON'T HAVE GAS. OKAY? BUT THE SOUTHWEST CROSSING HAVE TO PROVIDE PROPANE FOR THEM. AND ALL THE PEOPLE OVER IN CYPHER, WHY COME THEY CAN'T TAKE IT, MOVE IT. I DECLARE DECREE THIS DAY, THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT STARTED AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET IT STARTED BECAUSE THEY'RE BIG. BUT WE ARE SMALL AND WE BELIEVE IN THE ALMIGHTY MAYOR. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE? LET PUT IT, LET ME, LET ME RESPOND TO YOU, MS. JONES. IF I HAD MY, IF I HAD MY BROTHERS, I WOULD NOT, I WOULD NOT WANT TO SEE, UH, THESE FACILITIES CLOSE TO NEIGHBORHOODS. IF I HAD MY, IF I HAD MY BROTHERS, IF YOU WERE ASKING ME, OR IF ANYBODY WAS ASKING ME ABOUT WHERE TO PLACE THIS FACILITY, THESE PROPANE TANKS, I WOULD NOT HAVE PLACED THEM, UH, IN THAT, IN THAT AREA. OKAY? SO IF I HAD MY BROTHERS, UM, BUT WHAT WE ALL RECOGNIZE IS THAT THE PERMITTING IS GRANTED BY THE TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSION. SECONDLY, RIGHT, THEY'RE NOT GRANTED BY THE CITY OF GRANITE VALLEY. SOME OF 'EM WERE 20 OF 20. ONE OF 'EM WERE, UM, UM, CAME THROUGH THE, CAME THROUGH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? UH, THE, WHERE YOU GET THE PERMITTING. PERMITTING, YEAH. THEY WAS SEPARATE PERMITS, BUT THEY WERE SEPARATE ONES. THE PERSON THAT WAS OVER IN THAT PERMITTING DEPARTMENT WITH THAT PLANT OVER ON HAR CLARK BEING THERE, THEY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN TO NOTIFY YOU ALL THAT THAT ONE WAS GOING UP. AND THAT WOULD'VE GAVE US A, YOU KNOW, A HEADS UP. THAT'S WHY THEY HAVING MY TIME IS UP. YES, MA'AM. BUT LEMME JUST SAY TO YOU THAT, THAT THERE APPEAR TO BE MULTIPLE ISSUES HERE. YOU HAVE THE, YOU HAVE THE, UH, UH, THE PROPANE FACILITIES, AND THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER ISSUE OF EASEMENT. SO THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THAT ARE GOING ON HERE AT THE SAME TIME. UH, I WILL SAY TO YOU, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU'RE LIVING IN A CITY WHERE THERE'S, IN THE ABSENCE OF ZONING, IT CREATES, IT CREATES A WHOLE LOT OF PROBLEMS. BUT WE DON'T RUN THAT. I'M SORRY. WE DON'T I KNOW IT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT SERVICE STATIONS EVERYWHERE, RIGHT? IF YOU HAD ZONING, IT WOULDN'T BE THE PROBLEM. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY EVEN IN AUSTIN, THEY SAY IF YOU HAD ZONING, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE SERVICE STATIONS POPPING UP EVERYWHERE. WELL, WELL, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE ZONING. YEAH. WHY? BECAUSE THE VOTERS SAID NO. OH, THEY DID. THEY SAID IT TWICE. OH, OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU MS. JONES. OKAY. MM-HMM . Y'ALL DONE WITH ME? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. RAY THOMPSON. RAY THOMPSON. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS RAY THOMPSON AND I AM A HOMEOWNER IN THE SOUTHWEST CROSSING SUBDIVISION FOR THE LAST 28 YEARS. I'M HERE TODAY TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION. AT CENTER POINT ENERGY HAS BUILT ANOTHER [01:45:01] DANGEROUS PEAK SHAVING FACILITY AND OUR ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY OF COLOR. THERE IS ANOTHER ONE LESS THAN FOUR MILES FROM OUR SUBDIVISION, WHICH IS COMMUNITY OF COLOR ALSO. AND WE ARE HERE TO THE DANGER VOICE, OUR DISCERNMENT ABOUT THIS DANGEROUS FACILITY THAT'S RIGHT IN MY BACKYARD. AND THEY DID NOT NOTIFY US IN TIME ENOUGH FOR US TO PROTEST THE BUILDING OF THIS FACILITY. AND WE FEEL THAT CENTER POINT ENERGY DOES NOT TAKE OUR LIVELIHOOD NOR SAFETY IN MIND WHEN THEY'RE PUTTING THESE TYPE OF FACILITIES IN THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. AND WE WANT TO ADVISE US THAT WE DO NOT WANT THIS FACILITY TO BE ACTIVATED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WE WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE THERE SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, GAS STATIONS, AND EVERYTHING IS RIGHT NEAR THIS FACILITY THAT HAS BEEN BUILT. AND I FEEL UNSAFE BECAUSE IT'S IN MY BACKYARD AND IT'S BRINGING DOWN THE VALUE OF MY HOME AND MY SAFETY. AND I AM A HOMEOWNER. I'M NOT RENTING OR ANYTHING. I OWN MY HOME. AND I WORKED VERY HARD TO OWN MY HOME. AND I'VE BEEN THERE 28 YEARS. THIS IS AN ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY THAT THEY CAME IN AND DIDN'T NOTIFY US EVEN IN TIME. AND I, FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, I'VE HAD TO HEAR THE DIGGING AND THE NOISE FROM THE MACHINES. 'CAUSE BACKS UP TO MY BACKYARD. MY BEDROOM IS RIGHT. I CAN LOOK AT IT AT THIS FACILITY EVERY DAY. AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE. THEY HAVEN'T GIVEN US ANY SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ABOUT IF TIME HAS EXPIRED. SO, ONE SECOND. UM, VICE MAYOR TIM CADO. MS. HOUSE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I KNOW THAT YOU, UM, LIVE CLOSE TO THE PEAK SHAVING FACILITY, BUT, UM, ARE YOU ONE OF THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE, UM, HAVE BEEN ISSUED THE LETTER FOR THE EASEMENT? NO. OKAY. UM, I KNOW THAT THE CENTER POINT HAS A REPRESENTATIVE HERE. UM, THEY ARE HEARING YOUR COMMENTS. UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE, UM, FROM CENTER POINT. WE'VE HAD SOME ZOOM MEETINGS WITH THE RESIDENTS IN SOUTHWEST CROSSING SO THAT YOU CAN SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE RES, UH, TO THE REPRESENTATIVES AT CENTER POINT TO SHARE YOUR CONCERNS. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, RESIDENTS FEEL UNSAFE. UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT CENTER POINT IS, UM, GOING TO SHARE ALL OF THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR THAT FACILITY WITH THE RESIDENTS. UH, HOWEVER THEY ARE HERE AND THEY ARE LISTENING TO YOUR CONCERNS. AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M, I'VE, LIKE MS. JONES, I I HAVE FAITH TOO. AND IF THE FACILITY CAN BE MOVED, THEY, THEY HEAR YOUR PLEA. OKAY. WELL, WE HAD A MEETING AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP OUR CENTER A REPRESENTATIVE TO THAT MEETING. WELL, I'M, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, LIKE I I TOLD Y'ALL IN THE LAST MEETING, WE HAD AN ORIGINAL MEETING PLANNED WITH ALL OF THE CENTER POINT EXECUTIVES AND THE RESIDENTS IN SOUTHWEST CROSSING WANTED TO CANCEL THE MEETING. SO WE CANCELED THE MEETING, AND THEN THE RESIDENTS SET UP A DIFFERENT MEETING AND THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM CENTERPOINT WERE UNABLE TO MAKE THE MEETING. SO I THINK IT'S, UH, WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE OUR, OUR FACTS STRAIGHT BECAUSE I SET THE FIRST MEETING UP AND THE RESIDENTS IN, IN SOUTHWEST CROSSING ASKED TO CANCEL THAT MEETING. AND SO THE, UH, NEXT MEETING, THE RESIDENTS IN SOUTHWEST CROSSING SET IT UP. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM CENTER POINT COULDN'T COME. BUT WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM CENTER POINT, UM, VIA ZOOM. AND I KNOW THAT THEY'VE MADE INDIVIDUAL CONTACT WITH THE RESIDENTS, UM, DEALING WITH THE EASEMENT ISSUES. AND SO WE ARE WORKING AS A, AS A COUNCIL OFFICE AND AS A CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE WITH THE CENTER POINT REPRESENTATIVES ARE HAPPENING. UM, AND, AND THERE IS A CENTER POINT REPRESENTATIVE HERE TODAY, IF RESIDENTS WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH HIM. WELL, YES. WE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THEM BECAUSE, OKAY. THIS IS UNFAIR TO OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU VERY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. THOMPSON. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. MARILYN RAYON. MARILYN RAYON. SHE'S HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY KEITH BLAZE. . GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MARILYN RAYON AND I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY. BUT MY CIRCUMSTANCES ARE VERY, VERY, VERY BAD. AS YOU KNOW, CENTERPOINT HAS PLACED A [01:50:01] FACILITY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WHEN YOU LOOK OUT YOUR BACK DOOR WINDOW, YOU LOOK ONTO A VERY UGLY FACILITY THAT YOU, WE'VE BEEN THERE 30 YEARS. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS. IF THAT, WHEN THEY, IF THEY EVER GO IN OPERATION AND WE PRAY THEY DON'T, IF THEY HAVE BURN OFF, THERE WILL BE FLARES BURNING IN THE SKY. HOW FAR AWAY IS IT FROM YOUR HOME? YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT? NO, I MEANT HOW FAR AWAY IS IT FROM YOUR HOME, FROM YOUR BACK DOOR? FROM, FROM MY FRIEND'S BACK DOOR. IT'S LESS THAN 500, 500 FEET. LESS THAN 500 FEET, LIKE BETWEEN ME AND YOU. SO IT'S NOT FAR AT ALL. BUT WHAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, THE SAFETY OF IT, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT PERHAPS IT HAVING A LEAK AND FINDING A SOURCE AND GOING INTO FLAMES AND THINGS OF THIS NATURE. WE ARE NOT ABLE TO RUN AND MOVE. WE WON'T KNOW IT'S HAPPENING UNTIL MAYBE WE'RE UNFORTUNATELY UNDER CONCRETE OR SOMETHING. SO WE, WE HAVE TRIED OUR BEST TO TALK TO THEM. WE DID DO A ZOOM MEETING, AND CENTERPOINT DID NOT RESPOND TO MANY OF OUR QUESTIONS. THEY WOULD SAY, WELL, WE'LL GET BACK WITH YOU. BUT THEY'VE NEVER GOTTEN BACK WITH US. SO WE, WE ARE VERY, VERY CONCERNED. ON THE BACK OF OUR T-SHIRTS, IT'S WRITTEN CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS, PLUS 300,000 GALLONS OF PROPANE GAS EQUALS A DISASTER. THE REASON WHY WE HAVE THAT IS BECAUSE THERE'S 10 SCHOOLS WITHIN A TWO MILE RADIUS OF THE FACILITY. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE FONDANT ELEMENTARY, WHICH IS A 0.4 MILES AWAY FROM THE FACILITY. BUTLER STADIUM. A MAJOR ENVIRONMENT FOR SPORTS IS ONE IN ONE HALF MILE FROM THE FACILITY. THE HISD BUS BARN IS ALSO ONE IN ONE HALF MILE FROM THE FACILITY. FOSTER ELEMENTARY IS ONE AND ONE HALF MILE FROM THE FACILITY. HEZ CALDWELL ELEMENTARY, 1.5 MILES WESTBURY, 1.9 MILES ANDERSON ELEMENTARY, TWO MILES. AND KIPP MOSAIC 0.9 MILES, ALMOST A MILE. THERE'S ACCELERATED INTER INTERMEDIATE ACADEMY, 1.3 MILES MEYER PARK CHARTER SCHOOL, 1.5 MILES. AND THE SOCCER CITY COMPLEX IS LESS THAN IT'S BRAND NEW FACILITY THAT CITY'S BUILT FOR SPORTS. IT'S HALF A MILE, LESS THAN A HALF A MILE. WELL, ACTUALLY ONE FOURTH OF A MILE. SO WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THAT NOT ONLY ARE WE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHILDREN BECAUSE IF ANYTHING HAPPENS DURING THE DAYTIME, WHAT, HOW COULD THEY GET AWAY? HOW COULD THEY BE SAVED? WHAT WOULD, HOW WOULD, WE, WOULD FEEL HORRIBLE IF WE DIDN'T COME UP AND TELL YOU THAT WE'RE CONCERNED. ANY TIME HAS EXPIRED. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. ANA. MM-HMM . NEXT SPEAKER. KEITH BLAZE. MAYOR, I APOLOGIZE, BUT WE WANTED YOU GUYS TO HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY. OKAY. AND THE THINGS WE STATED, WE MAY YOU PASS 'EM TOO. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. HELLO EVERYONE. MR. BLAZE, IF YOU'LL GET RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC. HELLO EVERYONE. OF COURSE, I'M HERE. SAME SUBJECT. SO I DON'T LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SOUTHWEST, BUT I'M, I'M IN THE NEXT NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT BASICALLY I'M A CHEMICAL ENGINEER. I'VE WORKED IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY FOR MANY YEARS. UM, UH, I'M ALSO A EXPERT ON THE SAFETY SYSTEMS. UH, I'VE HAD TO TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD AND BE A CONSULTANT. SO BASICALLY WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY AND GAS LEAKS, BASICALLY. UH, IF THAT GAS IS RELEASED, YEAH, THEY HAVE A FIRE AND GAS SAFETY SYSTEM THAT'S GONNA DETECT THAT IT IS RELEASED. BUT ONCE THE GAS IS RELEASED, IT'S RELEASED. THERE'S NO WAY TO PROTECT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES. YOU CAN'T REALLY TAKE A SAFETY CREDIT FOR A, UH, FOR A FIRE AND GAS SAFETY SYSTEM. 'CAUSE THIS IS JUST AN ALERT. BASICALLY, YOU GET AN ALERT AND YOU NEED TO SHELTER IN PLACE OR YOU NEED TO RUN. SO THAT FIRE AND GAS SAFETY SYSTEM THAT THEY WANT, THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE NOT EVEN CONCERNED ABOUT IT. SO I'VE WORKED IN THE INDUSTRY LONG ENOUGH THAT MOST OF THE EXPLOSIONS AND THINGS, AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THESE FACILITIES. THERE WAS A SAFETY SYSTEM IN ALREADY IN PLACE. THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN DURING MAINTENANCE, TAKING SHORTCUTS, UH, INSTRUMENTATION PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE SEEN WHERE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED AND PEOPLE HAVE DIED. SO WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THEIR SAFETY SYSTEM. IT'S NOT GOING TO PROTECT US. AND BASICALLY THE ENGINEER SAID IT PROTECTS THEIR FACILITY, THEIR ASSET. SO BASICALLY WHEN THERE IS AN ALARM, AN ALERT, WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO IS CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO PROTECT US, SUPPOSED TO PROTECT US. BUT ONCE THAT GAS IS RELEASED, THEY CAN'T CONTROL WHERE THAT GAS IS GOING. NOW, LAST, I MEAN, ONLY JESUS CAN MAKE THE AIR MOVE AND THE WATER MOVE AND BEHAVE. BUT NOT THE FIRE, NOT NOT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, SO [01:55:01] THAT, THAT SYSTEM IS, IT DOES NOT PROTECT US. IT PROTECTS THEIR ASSET. THEY WILL SHUT IT DOWN, CLOSE IT IN, PROTECT THEIR ASSET, BUT IT DOESN'T PROTECT US. YOU ARE, YOU ARE AWARE THAT THEY'RE REGULATED BY THE STATE, NOT BY THE STATE. OIL AND GAS IS REGULATED TOO. I'M SAYING YOU BY OSHA. YEAH, BY OSHA. YEAH. THEY'RE REGULATED BY THE STATE. THE, IT DOESN'T MATTER. WHAT I'M SAYING IS THERE'S HUMAN ERROR. YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND TOTALLY. YOU CAN'T TOTALLY MITIGATE AND REMOVE ALL SAFETY HAZARDS. YOU CAN REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF SOMETHING HAPPENING, BUT YOU CAN'T TOTALLY REMOVE THE HAZARD BECAUSE LPG IS DANGEROUS. I IT WILL BE RELEASED AND IT WILL FLOAT ON THE GROUND. IT WILL NOT GO INTO THE AIR. IT WILL FLOAT ON THE GROUND. YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR ME? LET ME JUST ASK. AND SO WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE YOU ASKING OF? WHAT ARE YOU ASKING OF US? WE'RE JUST SAYING THAT WE'RE, UH, OKAY. WE, WE DON'T WANT IT THERE. WE, WE NEED IT TO BE REMOVED. WE, WE DON'T NEED THESE FACILITIES TO BE BUILT BY A NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU CAN BUILD IT IF IT'S NEEDED BECAUSE OF GAS SUPPLY, WHATEVER, WHICH I DON'T REALLY BELIEVE THAT, BUT DON'T BUILD IT BY A NEIGHBORHOOD. BUILD IT IN A MORE REMOTE AREA. I GOT YOU. AND WHAT I'M ASKING, WHAT ARE YOU ASKING OF US? WE DON'T REGULATE IT. YOU CAN BE THE LIAISON FOR OUR VOICE TO TALK TO THE STATE. WE'VE ALREADY SAID THAT IF IT WAS UP TO US, WE WOULD NOT HAVE PUT IT THERE. OKAY. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU, ASKING YOU TO DO. IF IT WAS UP TO US, WE WOULD NOT HAVE PUT IT THERE. SO BASICALLY, AND I, I'VE, WELL, MY TIME IS UP. OKAY. ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I, I HEARD YOU SAY THAT THERE'S TWO ISSUES. I'M JUST GETTING BROUGHT UP TO SPEED ON THIS ONE. WE HAVE THE FACILITIES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN BUILT. AND THEN, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU REFERENCED THERE'S ALSO AN EASEMENT ISSUE. I'M HOPING THAT SOMEONE WILL BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT. UM, I KNOW THAT YOUR, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR TURNER, BECAUSE I, I'VE SPOKEN WITH VICE MAYOR PRO TEM ABOUT THIS MM-HMM . UM, IS, IS ADVOCATING FIERCELY FOR Y'ALL. UM, AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE SHE'S TALKING WITH US ABOUT IT TOO, AND HOW FRUSTRATED WE ALL ARE. MAYOR, I I AM REMINDED OF, UM, WATSON FEW, UH, WEEKS INTO OUR TERM, UH, IN DISTRICT A AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT WAS A SEPARATE AND INDIVIDUAL, UM, SCENARIO WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CHEMICALS THAT'S NOT THIS. BUT I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE FACILITIES. MAYOR Y Y'ALL ARE SAYING THAT A NEWER ONE WAS JUST RECENTLY BUILT, I'M ASSUMING IN THE PAST YEAR OR SO. WHAT WAS THERE PREVIOUSLY? NOTHING. IT WAS, IT WAS RAW LAND. THIS LAND. SO IT WAS DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS, RIGHT? IT'S, IT WAS CENTERPOINT'S LAND AND THEY BUILT THE FACILITY. OKAY. AND, UM, AGAIN, I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE ALL LISTENING TODAY AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PATIENCE. BUT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER HAS BEEN ADVOCATING FIERCELY. AND WE ALL WILL CONTINUE TO, WHETHER IT'S, UH, IN DISTRICT A, WHETHER IT'S IN OTHER DISTRICTS. WE HAVE THIS ISSUE WHERE BECAUSE OF NO ZONING, UM, WE HAVE FACILITIES BEING PUT UP NEAR NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND, UM, IT'S A HUGE CHALLENGE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO THEY DID SEND THE LETTERS OUT THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT. HOWEVER, DURING THAT TIME, 'CAUSE I ALSO OWN A UPS STORE. U-U-S-P-S WAS STRUGGLING WITH PEOPLE. UH, THEY WERE NOT FALLING INTO PROTOCOL FOR CERTIFIED MAIL. THEY WERE NOT SENDING, HAVING YOUR SIGNATURE. THEY PUT IT IN THE MAILBOX. AND ALSO THINGS WERE BEING SHIPPED OUT LATE. SO THEY HAD 18 DAYS TO RESPOND. THEY RECEIVED THREE LETTERS. ONE THEY SAID WAS DONE INCORRECTLY AND THE OTHER TWO THEY RECEIVED, BUT THEY WERE LATE. AND, AND HE'S, HE, HE'S REFERENCING, UM, THE, UM, RAILROAD COMMISSION. RIGHT. SO WHEN THE ORIGINAL LETTERS WENT OUT TO TELL THE RESIDENTS ABOUT THE PEAK SHAVING FACILITY MM-HMM . YOU'RE SAYING THE MAIL WAS, WAS DELAYED. USPS WAS STRUGGLING WITH PEOPLE. THEY WOULD, AND THERE WAS AN 18 DAY WINDOW TO RIGHT. OBJECT TO THE FACILITY BEING BUILT. RIGHT. UM, OUR OFFICE SENT A LETTER IN AND WE CALLED, UM, TO EXPRESS OUR DISPLEASURE WITH PUTTING THE FACILITY THERE. AND WE WERE TOLD THAT, UM, THEY RECEIVED THE LETTER. UM, HOWEVER, THE RAILROAD COMMISSION GRANTED THE PETITION FOR THE PEAK SHAVING FACILITY TO STILL BE BUILT. SO, UM, WE, WE HAVE ASKED, UM, WE HAVE SENT LETTERS. WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH CENTER POINT. UM, I DO KNOW THAT THEY DID PAUSE CONSTRUCTION TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES. UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY CAME BACK AND SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT PLANNING TO MOVE THE FACILITY. UM, IN OUR POSITION. AND WITH YOUR EXPERTISE, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD RECOMMEND THAT, UH, CENTER POINT COULD DO AT THE FACILITY? UM, BECAUSE YOU HAVE SEEN, UM, THESE FACILITIES UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL AS FAR AS ADDITIONAL [02:00:01] SAFETY MEASURES. IF THEY DO NOT MOVE THE FACILITY, THEY WOULD HAVE TO PUT FIRE, GAS DETECTORS ALL THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY NEED TO PUT ALARMS SO THAT WE CAN KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON OVER THERE. BUT WE CAN'T DEPEND ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THEY WOULD HAVE TO DID YOU SAY FIRE, GAS? FIRE, GAS DETECTION SYSTEM. DETECTION SYSTEM? YEAH. THAT'S THE SYSTEM THEY'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT WHEN THEY SAY, WELL, WE HAVE A SAFETY SYSTEM LIKE MONITORS. YEAH. BUT WITH THIS FACILITY, YOU HAVE A LOT MORE BELLS AND WHISTLES AND EQUIPMENT INSTRUMENTATION WHERE SOMETHING CAN HAPPEN AND THAT GAS GET OUT OF THERE. AND THE THING WE SAY IN THE OIL AND GAS, UH, INDUSTRY, KEEP IT IN THE TANKS AND KEEP IT IN THE PIPE. 'CAUSE YOU, YOU ARE OPERATING DANGEROUS PRODUCTS. COUNCIL AND P*****K. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU SIR FOR COMING FORWARD AND EVERYONE FROM THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD. MY, MY FATHER LIVES IN SOUTHWEST CROSSING, SO I KNOW THE ISSUE WELL. UM, I KNOW YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT JUST NOW THAT YOU ARE KIND OF AN EXPERT IN THIS FIELD, UM, AND HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED IF YOU WERE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH CENTERPOINT, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE FACILITY, UH, MEASURES THAT YOU WOULD PUT IN PLACE THAT YOU THINK WOULD, UH, BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE AND EACH INDIVIDUAL RESIDENT THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE, UM, A ACT FROM THEIR PART BEING A GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNER TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER POINT AT ONE POINT, AND IT WAS AN EMAIL THAT, UH, MARTHA TATUM HAD SENT OUT. CENTER POINT SAYS THEY DON'T WANT TO TALK TO US BECAUSE OF CONFIDENTIALITY. MOTION TO EXTEND SECOND, MOVE TO SECOND. OBJECTION. MOTION GRANTED. SO, UH, THEY, UH, WE HAD ONE, I WANTED TO TALK TO THEM FACE, TOTO FACE ON TECHNICAL. BUT MY QUESTION, BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, HAVE YOU, WITH YOUR EXPERTISE, BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY MEASURES THAT IF YOU COULD TALK TO THEM, YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD PROPOSE AS SAFETY MEASURES FOR THE COMMUNITY? MY MAIN THING IS IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE NEXT TO A RESIDENTIAL AREA WHERE I'M, I'M USED TO WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY WHERE THERE'S INDUSTRY DOOR TO NEXT DOOR, NEXT DOOR THAT'S NOT HOUSES BEHIND IT. 'CAUSE THE RISK IS TOO STRONG TO HAVE TO BUILD THOSE FACILITIES NEXT TO A NEIGHBORHOOD. UNDERSTOOD. THAT'S MY OWN, THAT'S MY ONLY RECOMMENDATION. IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THERE. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ALCO? SIR, DO YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT IS THE STATE REGULATION? MAYBE SOMEBODY KNOWS ABOUT HOW FAR AWAY FROM A RESIDENCE DO WE, DO WE KNOW THAT? DO YOU KNOW THAT? I THINK IT WAS 500, 500 FEET. I THINK IT WAS 500 FEET. YEAH. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT PICTURE. CAROLYN HALEY. CAROLYN HALEY IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY BRITTANY. ICK. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. AND PASTOR ME, SORRY , THINKING ABOUT MY PASTOR . THAT'S OKAY. MAYOR TURNER, YOU ELEVATED. MY NAME IS CAROLYN HALEY. I'M A RESIDENT AND A HOMEOWNER IN SOUTHWEST CROSSING. MY CONCERN TODAY THAT YOU'VE HEARD MY OTHER NEIGHBORS HAVE SAID ALREADY CONCERNING ABOUT HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO THAT FACILITY, IT'S VERY UNSAFE TO US. WE HAVE A LOT OF HEALTHY ISSUES. MY HU I DO. MY HUSBAND DOES. AND NOT ONLY JUST MYSELF, BUT OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THE 26 YEARS WE'VE BEEN THERE, WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. AND I KNOW THINGS CHANGE, BUT AS THEY CHANGE, WHY DOESN'T SAFETY CHANGE FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL? AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT WE ARE HAVING THAT. WE DONE BEEN TO A WHOLE LOT OF MEETINGS AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. WE ARE A COMMUNITY AND A RESIDENT AND HOME SCHOOL, CHURCHES, GAS STATION AND EATERY ESTABLISHMENT. WE DO NOT WANT TO LIVE AROUND A POTENTIAL HAZARD. WE HOPE THAT CENTER POINT WILL RECONSIDER THEIR LOCATION AND MOVE AWAY FROM OUR RESIDENT. AS YOU SEE THE CHURCH THAT WE ARE WEARING TODAY, I'M JUST SIMPLY SAYING CENTER POINT, REMOVE THE DANGEROUS PROPANE TANKS FROM DISTRICT A. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY. NEXT SPEAKER, BRITTANY STREEK TO BE FOLLOWED BY KENNETH BURGESS. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND LISTENING TO OUR CONCERNS. UH, MY NAME IS BRITTANY STREEK. I'M ALSO A RESIDENT AT SOUTHWEST CROSSING. I GREW UP IN SOUTHWEST CROSSING. UM, IT'S MY HOME. UH, WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS FACILITY, THE FIRST THING I DID WAS RUN DOWN HERE, UH, [02:05:01] TO SEE DID ANYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS? IT'S VERY SERIOUS. YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD US SPEAK AND WE DID PASS OUT THE PAMPHLETS. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THIS. UH, IT DOES SUMMARIZE VERY CLEARLY AND VERY CONCISELY, UH, THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE. ALSO, UH, SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT MIGHT BE MORE IMPACTFUL TO YOU AS YOU WORK, UM, FOR THE CITY, YOU KNOW, UH, ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THAT WE POSSIBLY COULD DO. UM, WE'VE TALKED TO YOU, MARTHA, WE'VE TALKED TO YOU, UH, MAYOR TURNER. WE'VE EVEN TRIED TO SPEAK WITH CENTERPOINT AND I DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT CENTERPOINT HAS GIVEN US CORRESPONDENCE, BUT NOT IN THE WAY THAT'S NECESSARY. IT'S KIND OF A WRITE OFF. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT REALLY LISTENING. OKAY? UM, IT'S ONE THING TO SIT DOWN WITH US. THEY HAVE NOT DONE THAT. UM, AND ALSO I WANT TO, UM, ADDRESS THE FACT THAT WE'VE REACHED OUT TO, TO THE OFFICES HERE LOCALLY AT THE STATE LEVEL AND ALSO A NATIONAL LEVEL TO TRY TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. UH, BUT REALLY THE CONCERN IS NOT ACTED UPON UNLESS THERE IS AN INCIDENT WHICH NEEDS TO CHANGE. AND SO IF YOU DO OBSERVE IN THIS PACKET THAT WE'VE GIVEN YOU, YOU ASK US MAYOR TURNER, WHAT SPECIFICALLY WE'RE ASKING FOR. YES MA'AM. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE JURISDICTION, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE TRULY POWERLESS. AND SO IF YOU CAN LOOK, WE HAVE ALSO TALKED TO BORIS MILES. WE'VE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO AUSTIN TO TALK, UH, AT THE TEXAS, UH, SUNSET COMMISSION TO TALK ABOUT THESE REGULATIONS, THESE PERMITS THAT ARE BEING GIVEN OUT. UH, THERE'S LOTS OF COMMUNITIES. IT'S NOT JUST OUR COMMUNITY. WE'RE JUST ONE THAT'S SITTING NEXT TO PROPANE. IT'S IF A GAS, UM, LEAKS OUT OF THE PROPANE, THERE'S A GAS STATION SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO IT. AND ACROSS THE STREET, AS YOU'VE HEARD, 500 FEET FROM OUR HOMES, IF THERE'S ANYTHING OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF, UH, EXPLOSION. AND THEN WE, WE JUST TALKED TO KEITH ABOUT THAT. SO THAT'S REALLY THE CONCERN. THAT'S WHAT DROVE ME DOWN TO CITY HALL THAT DAY WHEN I FIRST FOUND OUT ABOUT THE FACILITY. YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE NEAR AN EXPLOSION. A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AS MENTIONED, THEY'RE DISABLED, THEY'RE OLDER. CENTER POINT IS NOT MENTIONED, A SAFETY PLAN. HOW DO YOU EVACUATE? WHAT DO YOU DO? THEY HAVE NOT COMMUNICATED A SAFETY PLAN TO US. AND SO IN THAT CASE, SOMEBODY COULD BE SEVERELY BURNED IF IT REACHED THEM. PEOPLE PASSING DOWN THE STREET, KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL. THERE'S A SCHOOL JUST BUILT THEIR KIPP PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING ON THOSE STREETS. SO, UM, IF TIME HAS EXPIRED, MS. MS. STRAT, LET ME YES. LEMME MAKE, LEMME MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING. YES, I I UNDERSTAND YOUR SITUATION. I UNDERSTAND, UH, THE FACT THAT, UM, UM, FROM THE COMMUNITY POINT OF VIEW, I WAS CROSSING, THIS IS NOT A, A GOOD PLACE FOR THESE, FOR THESE, UM, FOR THIS FACILITY. I GOT THAT. AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT THE FIRST ASK, THE FIRST, UH, REQUEST WOULD BE FOR IT NOT TO BE BUILT. YOU DON'T WANT IT BUILT THERE. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. BUT IT'S ALREADY BUILT AND IT'S JUST WELL, YOU KNOW, ACTIVE, IT'S NOT ACTIVE. IT'S BUILT BUT NOT ACTIVE. UNDERSTOOD. BUT, BUT YOUR FIRST REQUEST, IF YOU HAD YOUR OTHERS, WOULD BE FOR IT NOT TO BE ACTIVATED. NOT TO OCCUR. I GOT THAT. YEAH. UM, I'M LOOKING THROUGH THE PACKET HERE. IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME TO JUST ELABORATE, I CAN QUICKLY JUST GO THROUGH IT. WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE OF POINTS HERE. I KNOW, BUT LEMME JUST ASK SO I KNOW WHAT THE FIRST REQUEST IS. SO WHAT IS THE SECOND REQUEST? OKAY, SO, AND WE'VE, WE'VE ALSO MENTIONED THIS TO BORIS MOUSE. SOME OF THESE PROPOSALS, THESE ARE FOR LEGISLATION. OKAY. UM, AND WHAT, SINCE I DIDN'T GET TO FINISH WHAT WE'RE ASKING OF YOU ALL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, NOT JUST FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT FOR THE MANY THAT HAVE BEEN HERE TODAY, WHO ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT THINGS. WE JUST HEARD ABOUT FIFTH WARD C THERE NEEDS TO BE INCREASED NOTIFICATION. THERE NEEDS TO BE DISTANCING, DISTANCING, INCREASED SAFETY, UM, PRECAUTIONS FOR THESE FACILITIES. UM, THE DISTANCE FROM THE FACILITIES NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED AND ALSO THE CITY SHOULD BE NOTIFIED WHEN THESE THINGS ARE GONNA COME INTO OUR COMMUNITIES. IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO HELP US. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. AND SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU IS FOR THE INFLUENCE THAT YOU HAVE AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO USE THAT TO THE HIGHEST EXTENT. I DON'T CARE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT NO, I MEAN, YOU, YOU HAVE THAT. I MEAN, ONE, IF WE HAD OUR BROTHERS, IT WOULD NOT BE THERE. OKAY. THAT'S NUMBER ONE. OKAY. NUMBER TWO, IF IT'S IN, IN TERMS OF THE LEGISLATION, AND OF COURSE THE LEGISLATURE STARTS MEETING IN JANUARY, 2023. AND ALL OF THE NOTICE PROVISIONS, THE SAFETY PROVISIONS, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR IN YOUR LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE, YOU KNOW, WE AGREE [02:10:01] WITH AND WE CERTAINLY CAN UTILIZE AND WILL UTILIZE THE CITY'S INFLUENCE ON THAT PROCESS. UM, SO WITH REGARDS TO YOUR REQUEST, THE ANSWER IS YES. I MEAN, WE, WE, WE ARE NOT AT ODDS AT ALL. WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT. I'D REALLY LOVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU GUYS ABOUT THIS. THIS IS A, SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A YEAR, WHICH COMPARED TO OTHER COMMUNITIES IS NOT LONG AT ALL. BUT SINCE THIS IS HAPPENING, NOT JUST IN HOUSTON, BUT IN TEXAS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. OH, LET ME SHOW YOU. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS, NUMBER OF PLANTS, WHETHER SEAMEN, CRUSHING PLANTS, YOU NAME IT, THAT ARE BEING BUILT IN COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY SHOULD NOT BE BUILT. UM, AND AGAIN, BUT THEY'RE ALLOWED, UH, BY THE STATE OF TEXAS. RIGHT? AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE CITIES ARE PREEMPTED, UH, BY THE STATE ON THESE MATTERS. SO WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. I JUST, THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT A POINT OF DISAGREEMENT, RIGHT? BETWEEN YOU ALL AND THOSE OF US WHO ARE SITTING AROUND THIS TABLE. OKAY, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. UH, VICE MAYOR, PRO CAST, STATE TABLE. BRITTANY, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. AND I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN A FIERCE LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY AGAINST THIS ISSUE. UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE THIS PACKET BECAUSE THE VERY FIRST MEETING THAT I HELD WITH THE RESIDENTS IN SOUTHWEST CROSSING, UM, MY SUGGESTION WAS WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE LEGISLATION. UM, BECAUSE THE CITY DOES NOT REGULATE THESE PEAK SHAVING FACILITIES AND THE RAILROAD COMMISSION DOES. I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, SENATOR MILES. HE IS HAPPY TO CARRY LEGISLATION. UM, AND MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT I JUST FINISHED MY TERM AS THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE PRESIDENT. UM, SO HAPPY TO BE IN AUSTIN WITH YOU SUPPORTING THE CHANGE IN LEGISLATION BECAUSE THE CITY DID NOT, UM, GET A LETTER TO, TO KNOW THAT, UH, THIS PEAK SHAVING FACILITY WAS GOING TO BE BUILT. CENTER POINT WAS NOT REQUIRED TO LET THE CITY KNOW. THE WAY OUR OFFICE FOUND OUT WAS FROM A RESIDENT. AND I ASKED THE RESIDENT TO SEND THE LETTER TO ME AND THEN REACHED OUT TO THE MAYOR AND TO CENTER POINT. AND THAT'S HOW WE GOT THE BALL ROLLING. SO THERE DEFINITELY IS A NEED FOR LEGISLATION. THE LEGISLATURE, UM, STARTS JANUARY 10TH. UM, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH SENATOR MILES. HE'S WILLING TO CARRY LEGISLATION TO GET SOME OF THIS CHANGE, BUT WE NEED RESIDENTS TO GO AND SPEAK, UM, TO THE COMMISSION. THERE IS, UH, THE RAILROAD COMMISSION IS ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER. THE PEOPLE THAT WE WILL VOTE FOR, THEY WILL BE ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER. I LOOKED AT MY SAMPLE BALLOT YESTERDAY AND SAW SOMEBODY IS, UM, RUNNING TO BE A NEW PERSON ON THE RAILROAD COMMISSION. UM, SO THOSE ARE THE ACTIONS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE TO GET THIS KIND OF CHANGE TO HAPPEN. UNFORTUNATELY, FOR SOUTHWEST CROSSING, UM, THAT FACILITY IS BUILT. UM, I'M LIKE MS. JONES, I HAVE FAITH, BUT I'M ALSO REALISTIC TO KNOW THAT FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. AND IF WE WANNA CHANGE THIS AND PRINT, PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN IN OUR AREA OR IN OTHER AREAS, WE HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THE SYSTEM THAT WE LIVE IN AND CHANGE THIS LEGISLATION. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY, UM, YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT, A OFFICE. UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THIS TOGETHER. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, I TOO WILL JOIN MY COLLEAGUE, THE VICE MAYOR PRO TEM. UH, AND GOING TO AUSTIN AND FOLLOWING HER LEADERSHIP, UH, AND THE SENATORS AS WELL WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, PROPOSALS THAT WE PUT BEFORE THE STATE. UM, AND I THINK THAT'S GREAT FOR THE FUTURE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO FIGURE OUT THE PRESENT, RIGHT? THE, THE FACILITY IS THERE. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, YOU SAID YOU'VE HAD COMMUNICATIONS WITH CENTERPOINT, BUT HAVE BEEN GETTING LIKE A LACKLUSTER RESPONSE AS NOT TRUE ENGAGEMENT AND REAL DIALOGUE AND COMMUNICATION THAT YOU BELIEVE WILL BE FRUITFUL. ARE THERE CERTAIN MEASURES THAT YOU HAVE PROPOSED OR PUT FORTH ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU WANT CENTER POINT TO ADDRESS? ARE THERE WAYS IN WHICH YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED, UH, CERTAIN THINGS THAT COULD BE PUT IN PLACE THAT WILL GIVE MORE CALM TO THE COMMUNITY OR BRING MORE PUBLIC SAFETY TO EACH INDIVIDUAL RESIDENT THERE? THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I THINK NEED TO BE DISCUSSED. AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS I THINK WE, AS YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, CAN TRY TO USE OUR INFLUENCE IN COMMUNICATING THOSE AND FINDING WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN DO ALL THAT WE CAN NOW THAT THE FACILITY IS THERE TO TRY OUR BEST TO ENSURE THAT THAT COMMUNITY REMAINS SAFE. AND YOU ALL KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY MUCH BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE. SO THE MEASURES AND THE PROPOSALS IN WHICH TO KEEP IT SAFE NEED TO COME FROM YOU. THINGS IN WHICH YOU BELIEVE, AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE WHO MAY BE EXPERTS IN THIS AREA WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY, NEED TO [02:15:02] GIVE THOSE ASK TO US. AND IF CENTERPOINT FOR WHATEVER REASON, IS NOT, UM, ENGAGING WITH YOU ALL IN THE MANNER THAT YOU THINK IS FRUITFUL, I BET THEY WILL COMMUNICATE WITH US. AND, BUT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ASK ARE AND WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN ADVOCATE ON YOUR BEHALF IF INDEED THE FACILITY STAYS THERE AND IT GETS ACTIVE SO THAT WE CAN DO ALL WE CAN TO AT LEAST PUT MEASURES IN PLACE, UH, THAT WILL TRY TO KEEP YOU ALL SAFE. BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I, I, MY FATHER LIVES IN THAT COMMUNITY. WE TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE REGULARLY. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, THE WELFARE OF YOU ALL, UM, AS WELL. UM, BUT I DO WANT TO TRY TO FIND WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE NOW AS OPPOSED TO JUST LOOKING AT LEGISLATION FOR THE FUTURE. OKAY. AM I ABLE TO RESPOND TO WHAT YOU JUST SAID? SURE. UM, JUST TO REITERATE, THE SAFEST THING FOR US IS THAT THE FACILITY IS NOT THERE. OUTSIDE OF THAT, IF SOMETHING WAS TO HAPPEN AGAIN, THAT THE TANKS ARE SITTING NEXT TO A GAS STATION AND WHEN THE GAS LEAKS, THEY TELL YOU NOT TO START YOUR CAR OR SOME, YOU COULD IGNITE SOMETHING. SO THERE, CENTERPOINT HAS NOT COMMUNICATED ANY SAFETY PLAN. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR PLAN IS. IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCY, WE DON'T KNOW THE IMPACT. WE WEREN'T GIVEN AN IMPACT STUDY. I CONTACTED THE TCEQ, NO IMPACT STUDY THAT WAS GIVEN. SO I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN THAT. BUT AGAIN, SINCE WE HAVE OLDER PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THERE NEEDS TO BE A WAY FOR THEM TO EVACUATE, TO BE ABLE TO MOVE SAFELY OR TO BE ABLE TO SHELTER SAFELY. AS MR. KEITH MENTIONED, WHEN YOU'RE IN THAT KIND, UH, TYPE OF, TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT, UM, THAT, THOSE ARE YOUR OPTIONS. OKAY. THE BILL HAS FRAME MOTION ON MOTION TO EXTEND. SECOND. BEEN MOVED A SECOND TO EXTEND. ANY, ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR? NOT MOTION GRANTED. THANK YOU. OKAY. UM, FINAL COMMENT ON WITH THE SPEAKER, UH, VICE MAYOR PROAM, CAST TAYLOR MAYOR, I WANTED TO ASK THE ATTORNEY, UM, A QUESTION AND I I, I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS, UM, LISTENING TO BRITTANY SPEAK. UH, I KNOW IN THE LAST CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD ON THE ZOOM MEETING, CENTERPOINT COMMITTED TO A SAFETY PLAN AND HAVING A SAFETY MEETING WITH THE RESIDENTS IN SOUTHWEST CROSSING. IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN, BEFORE THE FINAL PERMIT IS GIVEN, MAKE SURE THAT A SAFETY PLAN IS IN PLACE? OH, THEY'LL DO IT. I MEAN, AT, AT A MINIMUM BEFORE THEY'LL DO IT, WE GIVE THE FINAL PERMIT, THEY'LL DO IT. I, I KNOW IT'S NOT I WHAT YOU WANT, WHICH IS FOR IT TO BE MOVED. UM, BUT AT A MINIMUM, IF WE COULD NOT HAVE THE FINAL PERMIT BEFORE A THOROUGH SAFETY PLAN IS IN PLACE, I THINK THAT MAYBE COULD BRING SOME SOLACE. WELL CONSIDER IT DONE. SENATOR PAUL WILL DO IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU, BRITTANY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER. KENNETH BURGESS. IF YOU, IF YOU'RE APOLOGIZE. MY NAME IS KENNE BURGESS. THIS IS MY VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE. I'M HERE BECAUSE I SPENT 36 YEARS IN THE CHEM CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. I LIVED, I SURVIVED THE EXPLOSION WE HAD IN, IN, UH, 1989 AT PHILLIPS 66 AT, AT THAT TIME. AND, UH, OCTOBER 23RD. SO I, I KNOW THE, UH, HAZARDS OF THE CHEMICALS IN, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. PLANTS ARE VERY, THE, THE, THE VERY, THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME FOR A PLANT IS WHEN THEY DO GOING THROUGH, UH, MAINTENANCE. MAINTENANCE, A VERY DANGEROUS TIME. BECAUSE YOU GO, WHEN YOU IN THE SHUTDOWN, YOU GOT, YOU GOT THINGS GOING ON THERE IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE GONNA MAKE MISTAKES. PEOPLE ARE, HUMAN MISTAKES ARE GOING TO HAPPEN. SO THE THE PLANT DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO PROTECT THE EMPLOYEES OUT THERE. BUT YOU CAN'T STOP EVERYTHING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. PEOPLE ARE GONNA MAKE THESE MISTAKES. AND THESE, WHAT WE CALL NEAR MISSES, NEAR MISSES HAPPEN BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE MAKING MISTAKES. AND IF YOU HAVE A HIGH NEAR MISS RATE, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA LEAD TO AN EXPLOSION. OUR PLANT HAD A HIGH NEAR MISS RATE WHEN WE HAD THE 89 EXPLOSION, AND WE LOST 23 OF MY COWORKERS. SO, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT CENTER PORT CAN DO TO MAKE IT, TO MAKE IT SAFE. THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO. THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN. THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN. YOU, YOU CANNOT STOP IT AS, AS LONG AS WE, AS LONG AS WE ALIVE, LONG AS WE HUMAN, WE'RE GONNA MAKE MISTAKES. WE HAD A MISTAKE AT MY PLANT THE YEAR BEFORE I RETIRED. WE, WE, WE HAD PPP [02:20:01] STAR RATED. YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE DID A LOT TO TRY TO IMPROVE THINGS OUT THERE. BUT, BUT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T, YOU, YOU CAN'T GET EVERYTHING. YOU CAN'T BREACH BREACH YOUR GOALS. YOU CAN ONLY DO YOUR BEST TO KEEP IT FROM HAPPENING. BUT IT, IT'S JUST, IT'S ONLY A AMOUNT OF TIME THAT, THAT, WHEN, THAT, THAT PLAN IS GONNA REQUIRE MAINTENANCE AFTER SO MANY YEARS AS, AS IT AGES, IT'S GONNA REQUIRE MAINTENANCE. AND WHEN THAT, WHEN THAT MAINTENANCE IS PERFORMED, THERE ARE GONNA BE MISTAKES MADE. YOU CAN'T STOP IT. IT, IT IS GONNA, IT IS GOING TO AGE, PIPES ARE GOING TO DETERIORATE, TANKS GONNA DETERIORATE. AND, AND SOMEBODY GONNA HAVE TO COME THERE AND, AND, AND PERFORM MAINTENANCE ON IT. AND WHEN YOU COME, COME IN AND PERFORM THAT, PERFORM MAINTENANCE, SOMETHING IS GONNA GO WRONG. EVERY TIME WE HAVE A MAIN, A TURNAROUND, WE HAVE AN EVENT, WHAT YOU CALL IT, NEAR MISS. WE HAVE AN EVENT WHERE SOMETHING GO WRONG. SOMETHING IS ALWAYS GOING WRONG. AND IT, AND I, I I, I WAS BLESSED IN MY PLANT. GOD TOOK CARE OF ME. THE THE THREE EXPLOSIONS I THAT I WAS IN AT MY PLANT, I SURVIVED IT. BUT YOU, YOU CANNOT STOP IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. THANK YOU. FLORIDA COOPER. HELLO. BE FOLLOWED BY CHARLES SAVAGE. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M NANA FLORIDA COOPER, I'M WITH HANGING TOUGH, EVEN WHEN THE ROAD IS ROUGH. WE'VE HAD SOME TOUGH TIMES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH THE COVID AND WITH CANCER. OH MY GOD. BUT I BROUGHT THIS LITTLE DEMONSTRATION HERE BECAUSE I WANTED TO THANK PUBLICLY DR. LETICIA PLUMMER, ROBERT GALLEGOS. AND I TELL YOU, MR. KOSH, WHEN, WHEN OUR SURVIVORS NEEDED CARE PACKAGES, WE HAD EVERYTHING. 'CAUSE SOME OF THEM DIABETIC, SOME OF THEM HAVE ARTHRITIS, AND WE JUST HAD EVERYTHING FOR THEM. EVERY TIME THEY GOT A LITTLE WOMB, WE HAD THE, UH, AVERA . BUT, AND WE ALSO HAD MASKS. SO I'M JUST GRATEFUL. I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE WANTING TO HELP US OUT. SO WE'LL HAVE, YOU'LL HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY THIS YEAR BY SPONSORING A SURVIVOR. WE'RE GONNA DO A SURVIVOR LUNCHEON. OUR SURVIVORS RUN FROM THE AGES OF 63 TO 92. SO, YOU KNOW, GOD IS GOOD. AND I'M A LIVING, WALKING TESTIMONY. AND THEY ARE TOO. 'CAUSE WE'RE STILL AROUND BECAUSE WE'RE ENCOURAGING OTHERS. YOU CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THE STORM. BUT, UH, I AM JUST GRATEFUL. AND WE ALSO HAVE A PILLOW FOR YOU THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND MAYOR, I'VE ASKED A COUPLE OF YOUR STAFF MEMBERS TO GET IN YOUR EAR TO TRY TO HELP US OUT WITH SURVIVORS. SO HOPEFULLY THEY WILL PASS ON THE WORD. AND WE ALSO HAVE A PILLOW FOR YOU TOO. A HANGING TOUGH PILLOW. GOD BLESS YOU. AND KEEP YOU, AND YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM ME. THANK YOU. FLOW. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK FLOW. OKAY. THANK YOU. SPEAKERS. OH, I'M SORRY, MS. COOPER. HOLD ON. COUNCILMAN, UH, COUNCILMAN VIN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, MS. COOPER. AND, AND, AND CAROLYN, YOU HELPED US BEFORE THE COVID, BUT YOUR STAFF MEMBER JUST SAID THAT THERE WAS NO POTENTIAL FOR US DURING THE COVID. SO FOR 2021 AND 22, UH, THOSE WERE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAD STAFF MEMBERS LIKE CC UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN MS. COOPER WHY YOU LEFT ME OUT. I'M GOOD, . OKAY. I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY, ON SUNDAY, I THOUGHT YOUR EVENT WAS THIS PAST SUNDAY. OH, OKAY. AND I WENT LOOKING FOR IT. UH, BUT, UH, ONE OF OUR MUTUAL FRIENDS GAVE YOU A CALL TO FIND OUT IF IT WAS GOING ON. BUT CERTAINLY I ALWAYS TRY TO SUPPORT THIS EFFORT. AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL BE IN TOWN THAT PARTICULAR WEEKEND, BUT I CERTAINLY WILL, UH, SEND A FIN SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT. THANK, AND I THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO AND HAVE DONE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. 33 YEARS. YES, MA'AM. I KNOW WE WERE WORKED WITH THE NAACP TOGETHER, AND I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND YOU'VE BEEN SUCH AN INSPIRATION AND YOU'VE WORKED SO HARD IN THE COMMUNITY. AND THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND IF YOU, YOU CAN STILL GIVE ME, SO MY BIRTHDAY IS THURSDAY. BYE. THANK YOU, . OKAY. JUST, JUST KIDDING. COUNCILMAN PLUMBER. THANK YOU MAYOR NANA, THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU KNOW, I, I I WATCH YOU AND I KNOW SOMETIMES YOU DON'T FEEL WELL, AND SOMETIMES YOUR, YOUR MEMBERSHIP DOESN'T FEEL WELL, BUT Y'ALL ALWAYS ARE GIVING SOMETHING TO SOMEONE ELSE, WHETHER IT BE A TOKEN OF LOVE OR APPRECIATION OR JUST WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. BUT I JUST WANT GOD TO CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU. AND, UM, AND I KNOW THAT ALL OF THE GOOD THING, THE THINGS [02:25:01] THAT YOU DO FOR CANCER SURVIVORS IS SO CRUCIAL. THANK, SO THANK YOU. AND I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILMAN GALLOS. THANK YOU. MS. COOPER, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UH, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU ALL THESE YEARS. AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I REALLY ADMIRED YOU. UH, I ADMIRE EVERYONE THAT WORKS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION. UH, AS YOU KNOW, UM, MYSELF, LOSING MY THREE OLDEST SIBLINGS AND MY MOM FROM CANCER, UH, MEANS A LOT WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE DOING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I APPRECIATE THE PILLOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, FLO. ALRIGHT. OKAY. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. CHARLES SAVAGE. CHARLES SAVAGE. MR. CHARLES SAVAGE. HELLO, MAYOR. HEY, MAN, MR. MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS TIME TO COATTAIL ON TO THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THE GREAT SERVICE TO THIS CITY THAT FLO COOPER AND HANGING TO GORDONS HAS PROVIDED. I WANT TO GIVE YOU ALSO, NOT ONLY THOSE THINGS THAT SHE'S ACCOMPLISHED OVER THESE PAST THREE, THREE YEARS, BECAUSE THREE, THREE YEARS IS ONE HECK OF AN ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR ANY NONPROFIT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT PROVIDES THESE KIND OF SERVICES. WE ALSO WANT TO GIVE YOU A FACE OF A CANCER SURVIVOR THAT SHE HAS NOT ONLY HELPED, BUT WHO HAS SUPPORTED DOWN THE PATHWAY OF WHAT SHE REFERS TO AS THAT STORM OF CANCER. WHAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, I WAS A MEMBER OF THIS ORGANIZATION LONG BEFORE I REALIZED THAT I WOULD BE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. IN 2011, I HAD THE ONE CALLED THE KILLER, THE A ML, THE ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA. AND AS YOU CAN SEE TODAY, I'M NO LONGER, I'M CANCER FREE, BUT WITH THE HELP OF FLOW AND THIS ORGANIZATION AND PEOPLE LIKE HER WHO WALKED DOWN THAT PATH WITH ME, AND NO ONE WITH CANCER SHOULD EVER WALK THAT PATH ALONG. IT IS A, IT IS A HORRIBLE, IT'S A HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. AND ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD IS NEVER ENOUGH TO HELP YOU GET THROUGH IT. BUT I GOT THROUGH IT. AND I KNOW THAT HANGING TOUGH GARDENS FOR 33 YEARS HAS PROVIDED THAT KIND OF SUPPORT PRIOR AS QUILTS, PILLOWS, JUST SOMEONE WHO SAID, HEY, I'M HERE. I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, AND YOU'RE IN MY PRAYERS. SO I'M JUST HERE TO PUT A FACE ON SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT FLOW CONTINUES TO SERVE AFTER 33 YEARS. AND JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW HOW APPRECIATIVE OF HER I AM. AND OF YOU ALSO TO HELP A NONPROFIT. AND MR. MAYORS, YOU KNOW, I WAS A-E-C-E-O AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF A NONPROFIT IN FIFTH WARD FOR 25 YEARS AND NEVER CLOSED ITS DOORS TO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND YOUTH, YOUTH CLIENTS IN THAT AREA. AND I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO RUN A NONPROFIT WHEN YOU ARE BASING ALL YOUR INCOME ON THE PHILANTHROPY AND THE GIVING OF OTHERS. SO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN HELP THIS ORGANIZATION, PLEASE DO. BUT ALSO MOST IMPORTANTLY, BECAUSE CROW FLO IS A CHRISTIAN, KEEP HER IN YOUR PRAYERS BECAUSE HER WORK IS STILL GOING ON. AND RIGHT NOW I KNOW SHE IS STILL DEALING WITH THE VERY THING THAT SHE'S SUPPORTING OTHER PEOPLE WITH. AND THAT'S THIS THING THAT WE CALL CANCER. SO AGAIN, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME. THANK YOU. THANK HONOR. THANK YOU CHARLES. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE, MAN. FIFTH WATER ENRICHMENT CENTER. I MEAN, YOU'VE JUST, I MEAN, YOU, YOU'VE BEEN A TROJAN HORSE, SO, UH, THANK YOU. AND THEN, UH, UM, AND THEN IN, IN, IN YOUR OWN BATTLE, YOU KNOW, SO CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING CANCER FREE, YOU KNOW? THANK YOU, SIR. YOU LOOK GOOD, MAN. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN AND MR. SAVAGE, I WAS, I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR ADDRESS AND I DIDN'T KNOW THIS AND I SHOULD HAVE THAT. YOU'RE A DISTRICT C RESIDENT, SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SUPPORT FLO, BUT ALSO FOR JUST YOUR STRENGTH, SHARING YOUR PERSONAL STORY, UM, BUT ALSO SPEAKING OUT ON BEHALF OF OTHERS. IT, IT'S BEAUTIFUL. I ADMIRE YOU, I RESPECT YOU. AND I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU. COUNCIL LE THANKS CHARLES. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, RACHEL RE, RACHEL RE TO BE FOLLOWED BY STEVE WILLIAMS TO AUTOMATICALLY TURN ON. YES. UM, I WAS TOLD TO REACH OUT AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, UM, TO ASK FOR, TO BE REINSTATED WITH HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AS A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC. I'M SORRY, JUST A LITTLE BIT LOUDER. . I WAS ASKED TO REACH OUT TO, UH, REQUEST TO BE REINSTATED AS A, UH, FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC FOR THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND I WAS TOLD TO GO, COME HERE AND ASK YOU AND TO BE REINSTATED, I'M GONNA NEED JUST [02:30:01] A, YOU WERE, YOU WERE WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT ONE POINT, RIGHT? AND YOU RESIGNED, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. AND NOW YOU'RE SEEKING TO BE REINSTATED AND YOU'VE GONE TO THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT TO SEEK REINSTATEMENT? YES, SIR. UM, AFTER A YEAR, I HAD PUT IN REQUEST TO BE REINSTATED AND HR SAID THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REACH BACK OUT TO ME AT A LATER POINT IN TIME. UM, THEY THEN WAITED MONTHS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS FROM COVID OR WHAT HAPPENED, THAT IT CAME TO, THEY SAID THAT I HAD TO REAPPLY AND THE CONSTITUENTS OF HAVING TO REAPPLY, YOU COULD NOT HAVE ALREADY REACHED YOUR 37TH BIRTHDAY, IN WHICH I HAD SINCE THEY HAD WAITED THAT TIMEFRAME. UM, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE UNDER THE MILITARY, BECAUSE I'M ALSO MILITARY, HAS A CONSTITUENT WITHIN IT, THAT IF SOMEONE SERVES THEIR FULL 20 YEARS BECAUSE OF PENSION BEFORE THEIR 57TH BIRTHDAY, THAT THERE CAN BE A BREAK IN SERVICE SINCE I ALREADY HAVE FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE AND I TOOK A BREAK, EVEN THOUGH I DID TRY TO GET REINSTATED SINCE THEN. EVEN IF YOU DO REINSTATE ME AT THIS POINT, I WILL STILL GAIN THE FULL 20 TOWARDS MY PENSION BEFORE THE AGE OF 57. I'M NOT GREAT AT MATH, BUT, OKAY. OKAY. 'CAUSE I'M LOOKING AT SOMETHING HERE. IT SAYS A PERSON MAY NOT TAKE AN INTEREST EXAMINATION FOR A BEGINNING POSITION AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EN, UNLESS THE PERSON IS AT LEAST 18 YEARS OF AGE, BUT NOT, UH, 36 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. CORRECT. AND I TAKE IT THAT YOU FALL OUTSIDE OF THAT CATEGORY. CORRECT. BUT THAT WAS WHEN MY ORIGINAL REQUEST WAS MADE. IT WAS THE AGE OF 37 WAS WHAT I WAS SENT THROUGH EMAILS. AND SINCE HAVING TO GO THROUGH SEVERAL PEOPLE IN HR, THEN BRING IT UP TO SENIOR CAPTAIN, UH, SHELBY WALKER AND CHIEF WEST, UM, THEY TOLD ME TO COME HERE. ALRIGHT THEN. I'M, I'M GONNA NEED, UH, I'M JUST GONNA NEED MORE INFORMATION. OKAY. AND, UH, AND LET ME, LET ME REFER TO, UH, LET ME REFER TO LEGAL TOO, BUT I NEED MORE INFORMATION. I, I'M NOT IN A POSITION TO MAKE A DECISION. AND THEY TOLD YOU TO COME YES, SIR. TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO COME SPEAK. OKAY. WELL NOW THAT YOU'VE COME TO ME, LET ME, LET ME SEEK SOME ASSISTANCE FROM LEGAL TO MAKE A DETERMINATION. I MEAN, IF YOU FALL WITHIN THE, IF YOU FAIL WITHIN THAT BRACKET, THEN YOU HAVE EVERY REASON TO APPLY. IF YOU, SO LET ME, I JUST NEED MORE INFORMATION. IT, IT'S NOT TO APPLY TO REAPPLY, IT'S TO BE REINSTATED TO RE TO BE REINSTATED. I, UH, I UNDERSTAND. UH, ALRIGHT. I JUST, LEMME GIVE MORE INFORMATION. YES, SIR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN AND OH, HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT GETTING THAT INFORMATION? UH, ONE, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AS A COUNCILS MEMBER. I CAN'T SPEAK TO YOUR SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES AND I KNOW THE MAYOR WILL LOOK INTO THAT. BUT MAYOR, ONE THING THAT JUST STOOD OUT TO ME, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S, I'M ASSUMING SOME REASON FOR THIS, BUT AN AGE LIMIT ON WHEN YOU CAN APPLY, UM, AT 37 STANDS OUT AS A LITTLE CONCERNING TO ME. UM, IF, IF YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS ABOVE A CERTAIN AGE THAT ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, UH, AND ABLE TO MEET THOSE STANDARDS, I'M, I'M JUST ASKING THE QUESTION. IT'S SOMETHING I NEED TO DO MY, MY DILIGENCE ON. BUT, UM, HAVING AN AGE LIMIT LIKE THAT ON WHO CAN OR CANNOT APPLY, UH, JUST STANDS OUT TO ME. AND I'M JUST POSING THE QUESTION AS CHAIR. WELL, I KNOW THERE'S, I KNOW THERE, THERE ARE AGE BRACKETS ON THE, ON, IN, IN STATE PROVISION, MR. STATE LONG. AND, UM, AND THEN THEY MAY, THAT MAY AGE BRACKET HERE LOCALLY. UM, BUT LET ME, LET ME LET US TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND, UH, LET ME ASK GP AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT. AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM, WE'LL GO FROM THERE. SO, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION AND, AND I'M SURE WE DO. WE DO, WE DO WE HAVE IT? WE'LL REACH OUT TO YOU. UH, WOULD THAT BE VIA EMAIL OR A PHONE CALL? UH, PROBABLY. SORRY, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN PLAYING THIS GAME FOR A YEAR AND THEY PUT ME OFF, SO THAT'S WHY THE ESCALATION. NOW I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE AT, . WELL, IF, IF THEY WERE TRYING TO PUT YOU OFF, THEY NEVER, THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE SENT YOU TO ME, . UH, SO, UM, NO. IT'LL BE PROBABLY BOTH EMAIL AND, UM, AND, AND PHONE CALL. BUT WE WILL REACH, WE WILL REACH OUT TO YOU SOON THIS WEEK, MAR. GREAT. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. CERTAINLY. THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS, STEVE WILLIAMS, STAR SIX. STEVE WILLIAMS. STAR SIX. STEVE WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER. TOMMY WHEELER. TOMMY WILLER. TOMMY WILLER. HERE. TOMMY, ME, WILLER. TOMMY NEXT, NEXT SPEAKER. JOE TODO. [02:35:01] JOSH JOE, I'M SORRY, JOE TODO, IF YOU'RE PRESSED STAR SIX. JOE TODO. STAR SIX. VIRTUAL. I'M VIRTUAL. I'M SORRY, HE ON SCREEN. LITTLE BIT LOUDER. I'M OH, I SEE YOU. I'M VIRTUAL. OKAY, I SEE YOU. ALRIGHT, THANKS. THANKS MAYOR. THANKS. CITY COUNCIL. UM, I, UH, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HAVING SOME CHALLENGES WITH, UH, SOME HOMELESS FOLKS AROUND MY PROPERTY. I OWN A 51 YEAR I APARTMENT COMPLEX IN, UH, DISTRICT H. SO I, MAYBE THIS SPECIFICALLY GOES TO, UM, COUNCIL NUMBER CISNEROS, BUT I, I HAD A TENANT THAT CALLED THE POLICE, UM, EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT ABOUT THAT TIME EARLY IN SEPTEMBER FOR SOME HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT CAME ON THE PROPERTY. AND AGAIN, EARLY THIS MONTH. AND THE POLICE WEREN'T ABLE TO SHOW UP. THIS ISN'T ABOUT BASHING THE POLICE. I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE PRIORITIES AND STUFF, BUT, UH, MY CONCERN IS SOME OF THESE HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE AREA ON CROSS TIMBERS, UM, THEY'RE, THEY MAY BE HOMELESS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO PREDATORS. SO I'VE GOT, I CONSIDER THEM PREDATORS, SOME OF THEM BECAUSE THEY GO AFTER TENANTS OF MINE THAT HAVE HAD A STRUGGLING ISSUE, STRUGGLING WITH RENT, STRUGGLING WITH HEALTH CONDITIONS. AND THEY ENDED UP LITERALLY TRYING TO GET INTO MY APARTMENTS BREAK. AND THEY DO BREAK INTO MY APARTMENTS AND COME ONTO THE PROPERTY. AND I'VE GOT SOME GROOVY PICTURES OF SOME INTERESTING CHARACTERS THAT COME ON THE PROPERTY. I CALL THIS GUY SKELETOR. BUT THESE GUYS COME ONTO MY PROPERTY. I'VE GOT A TRESPASS AFFIDAVIT AND I'M REALLY JUST GET A PROGRAM TOGETHER OR TRY TO WORK WITH THE POLICE, UH, TO, TO TRY TO GET MORE VISIBILITY. 'CAUSE I WANNA SEND A MESSAGE TO THESE FOLKS THAT COME ON MY PROPERTY ILLEGALLY AND, AND GET INTO AND DESTROY ACTUALLY MY PROPERTY. THAT'S A, I HAVE TWO WARRANTS OUT, UH, ON FOLKS THAT, AND, UH, I'M, I WAS TOLD EARLY THIS MORNING, MS. EMILY, UH, CHIEF OF STAFF WITH MS. ROS, UH, CIRO, EXCUSE ME, UH, REACHED OUT TO ME. WE HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION. SHE DIRECTED ME TO THE DRT TEAM DIFFERENTIAL, UH, RESPONSE TEAM, I BELIEVE. AND, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE AN, UH, STEP, BUT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO MAKE THAT, I'M PUTTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF MY PERSONAL MONEY TO TRY TO MAKE THAT A BETTER PLACE FOR MY COMMUNITY. AND SO I'M JUST LOOKING FOR SOME, WHAT YOU GUYS CAN DO OR MAYBE WHAT MS. CISNEROS CAN HELP ME GET FOCUS, UH, ON, ON, UH, THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT, IT IS, IT IS DANGEROUS AT TIMES. I HAVE TENANTS THAT COMPLAIN. THEY'RE FEARFUL OF SOME OF THESE, OF THE HOMELESS PEOPLE, SOME OF THEM THAT COME IN, COME THERE DOING GOD KNOWS WHAT, YOU KNOW, DRINKING IN MY APARTMENTS, UH, WHEN THEY CAN GET INTO ONE. UH, BUT THAT'S IT. OKAY. I, UM, LEMME JUST SAY, I KNOW THAT THE SERGEANT OF THAT NORTH DIVISION HAS SENT OUT AN ALERT SLIP FOR THAT LOCATION, UM, MAKING ALL, UM, THE OFFICERS IN THAT AREA AWARE OF THE, OF, OF, OF YOUR CONCERNS. UM, AND THEY WILL BE CHECKING THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX, UH, SPECIFICALLY ONE 13 PERIODICALLY THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. AND, UH, THEY DID EVENTUALLY SHOW UP. UM, BUT THEY, BUT THEY HAD PUT OUT ANOTHER SLIP FOR, UH, FOR THAT, UM, FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR APARTMENT COMPLEX. MM-HMM . OKAY. WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT. THEY DID SHOW UP THE NEXT MORNING, BUT THEY DID. THE PEOPLE HAD LEFT BY THEN. SO THE IDEA IS TO CATCH 'EM IN THE ACT AND THROW 'EM IN JAIL AND HAVE 'EM BE THERE FOR A WHILE, IT HAS TO BE MORE PAINFUL, PAINFUL FOR THEM. UH, AND DISCOMFORTING FOR THEM TO, TO, UH, COME ONTO MY PROPERTY IN THE FUTURE. THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE SENT. OKAY. SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS HELPING, CERTAINLY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, THANK YOU. UM, AND THANK YOU MR. RADO. I'M, I'M, I'M GLAD THAT WE WE'RE CONNECTED NOW AND THAT, UM, I, I KNOW THAT EMILY WAS TELLING YOU THAT, UM, THAT, THAT SHE WOULD, ON MY BEHALF, WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH, WITH HPD NORTH TOO, THAT THE DRT JUST TO REITERATE AND TO, TO HELP, UM, FOCUS MORE ATTENTION ON THIS. UM, SO PLEASE ALSO CONTINUE, UM, TO, TO, TO CONNECT WITH ME, UH, UM, BECAUSE WE CAN SHINE A LIGHT AND JUST, AND, AND ASK QUESTIONS AND SEE HOW THINGS ARE GOING. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I, I LEARNED YOU SAID WAS THAT THERE HAD BEEN, UM, UH, REPORTS OF UNEVEN ENFORCEMENT OF THE RE TRESPASSING AFFIDAVIT THAT YOU POSTED. YES. SO, THANK YOU FOR POSTING THAT. NOT EVERYONE DOES, BUT THAT DOES GIVE THE, UM, THE, THE POLICE SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN ACT ON. BUT, UM, BUT, BUT WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THAT. BUT JUST AS THINGS HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, AND YOU REPORT THEM AND THAT'S, YOU'VE BEEN DOING THAT, THE, THE RIGHT THINGS. BUT YOU CAN ALSO, YOU CAN ALSO THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, CONTACT ME AND, AND, AND GIVE US THE SR NUMBER FOR [02:40:01] THAT. AND WE CAN JUST FOLLOW UP AND JUST BE ANOTHER SHINING A LIGHT ON THE ISSUE. YEAH. THE, THE POLICE ARE GREAT. IT'S JUST CONSISTENT ENFORCEMENT. 'CAUSE I'VE GOTTEN, YOU KNOW, PUSHBACK ON, ON THAT A LITTLE BIT. UM, BUT I APPRECIATE THAT AND I'M GLAD TO PROVIDE DONUTS . SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER, KELLY TODD. KELLY TODD IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY SHELLY SHELBY BOBOWSKI. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS KELLY TODD, AND I'M A VETERAN WHO SERVED WITH THE UNITED STATES ARMY AND I WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED. I'M COMING WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND HOW THEY FAILED TO SERVE ME AT EVERY TURN. I HAD A VOUCHER THAT WAS ISSUED TO ME ON JUNE 23RD, AND I VIEWED AN APARTMENT WITH COWER GARDENS ON THE AFTERNOON OF AUGUST 22ND. THE VOUCHER EXPIRED ON AUGUST 30TH, 2022. I COMPLETED THE APPLICATION TO BECOME A TENANT WITH MR. ROCCO AND DURHAM. I COMPLETED AND SIGNED THE VOUCHER ALONG, AND MR. SAMURA TURNED IN THE REQUESTED INFORMATION THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY NEEDED TO HIM, AND WE EMAILED IT TO THE, UM, THE PERSON WHO PROCESSES THE VOUCHERS FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. HOWEVER, ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2020 SECOND, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY REACHED OUT TO BOTH OF US STATING THAT THEY HAD, WERE MISSING OUR SIGNED AND COMPLETED VOUCHER, AS WELL AS TAX AND PAYMENT INFORMATION, WHICH WE THEN EMAILED THEM AGAIN WITH THE INFORMATION. AND ALSO MY, UM, HUD CASEWORKER, MS. DASH, PRINTED OUT THE SAME INFORMATION AND HAND CARRIED IT INTO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, EVEN THOUGH ALL THREE OF US TURNED IN THOSE DOCUMENTS. ON 15TH OF SEPTEMBER, 2022, THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES CONTACTED ME SAYING THAT THEY HADN'T RECEIVED ANY DOCUMENTS FROM ANY OF US. AND THEN, UM, I AGAIN PROVIDED THEM WITH THE DOCUMENTS THAT THEY REQUESTED AND BY, UM, FORWARDING THEM AN EMAIL THAT I HAD ALREADY SENT TO THEM ON THE 1ST OF SEPTEMBER. AND THEN, UM, ONE OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WAS MS. JONES REALLY DIDN'T WANNA HELP ME OUT BY GIVING ME THE DIRECT EMAIL FOR THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WA WAS PROVIDES FOR THE CONTRACT INFORMATION. WE HAD BEEN USING A LINK THROUGH THE WEBSITE, BUT AFTER ARGUING WITH HER FOR ABOUT FIVE OR 10 MINUTES, SHE PROVIDED ME WITH THE M EMAIL INFORMATION FOR MR. WYNN. I EMAILED MR. WYNN DIRECTLY, MR. REAGAN WYNN DIRECTLY WITH THE EMAIL FOR MY VOUCHER, ALONG WITH, UM, SANDRA JONES, LAS STACEY BROWN, FERGUSON, AISHA TRE, AND MR. DARWIN PEDIGREE. AFTER GIVING THIS INFORMATION FOR THE FORMS OF THE FORWARD EMAILS, I, I DIDN'T GET ANY INFORMATION FROM ANYONE FROM HOUSING UNTIL THIS MORNING UNTIL I SAID THAT I WAS COMING BEFORE YOU GUYS TO SPEAK WITH THE CITY COUNCIL. AND I TURNED EVERYTHING IN AT THE END OF THE, THE LAST WEEK OF AUGUST, DESPITE MY BEST WORK FROM MYSELF, MY LANDLORD, MY CASEWORKER, AND AS IT'S LIKE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS JUST GENERALLY REFUSING TO DO THEIR JOB PER THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES REGULARIZATION RULES AND REGULARIZATION. AND I QUOTE, SPECIAL TARGETED VOUCHERS WHEN HOUSING HOOD AUTHORITIES ASSISTANCE FOR SPECIFIC CARD FAMILIES ON THE WAITING LIST. I'LL LET YOU GO ON AND FINISH ON THE WAITING LIST, ARE CAREFULLY SELECTED FOR ELIGIBLE FOR SKIP ON THE WAITING LIST, VETERANS AFFAIRS, SUPPORTIVE HOUSE BADGE, HUD V RECIPIENTS TWO, WHETHER THE FAMILY HAS A REASONABLE, A COMBINATION OR DISABILITY, AND A COMMON LITIGATIONS FOR FYI 2016 AUTHORITY ESTABLISHED. AND PER HOUSING RULES, I AM ALSO A TOP PRIORITY GIVEN THE FACT THAT I'M A HOMELESS VETERAN. I'M ON DISABILITY, I'M STAYING IN A SHELTER, AND I'M FLEEING FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. DESPITE ALL OF THESE RULES AND REGULATIONS, THEY HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO SERVE ME AS A CUSTOMER AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. NOW, IF THEY CAN DO THIS TO ME, AND I'M A VETERAN, HOW, WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITH THE REST OF THE CITIZENS WHO DON'T HAVE HALF OF THE ISSUES THAT I HAVE? AND IT REALLY, IT REALLY BOTHERS ME CONSIDERING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SERVES THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING INTO A SUSTAINABLE HOUSING, AND THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING MY HOMELESS SITUATION EXTENDED. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ENDING IT. AND I, IT REALLY BOTHERS ME THAT IT, IT SEEMS LIKE NOBODY AT CITY COUNCIL [02:45:01] WAS EVEN AWARE OF THIS UNTIL I BROUGHT IT UP. I AM BOTHERED BY EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID THAT YOU'VE SAID, AND I AGREE WITH YOU. OKAY. SO, UM, MR. DEMBO, DIRECTOR DEMBO, IF YOU WILL, WALK HER THROUGH AND, UM, IF YOU WILL LET THE DIRECTOR KNOW AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AT THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY NOTE THAT, UH, I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH THEM. OKAY? AND THEY NEED TO, UH, NOT JUST ADDRESS HER SITUATION, BUT ANYBODY ELSE THAT'S COMING THROUGH THERE. AND THIS SHOULD BE THE LAST TIME THAT SOMEBODY COME BEFORE TO ME, JUST FINISH ALSO MY CASEWORKER MS. QUEEN DASH. SHE HAS ANOTHER VETERAN WHO HAS THE EXACT SAME SITUATION THAT I HAVE. WELL, THAT'S, I'M JUST SAYING. SO THIS SHOULD BE THE LAST TIME THAT SOMEONE SHOULD COME BEFORE US, UH, ESPECIALLY A VETERAN OR ANYBODY WITH DISABILITIES. UH, THIS SHOULD BE THE LAST TIME THEY SHOULD COME TO, TO US TO RESOLVE SOMETHING THAT THEY SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES. SO, UM, IF YOU'LL GET WITH DIRECTOR DEBO, UM, HE WILL TAKE CARE. I MEAN, HE WILL ADDRESS IT AND THEN JUST TELL THEM THAT, UM, UM, NO, I'LL TELL THEM MYSELF. I GET, I GIVE THEM A CALL WHEN, WHEN I LEAVE AWAY FROM HERE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU MA'AM FOR COMING FORWARD. UH, AND I'M, I'M GLAD YOU CAME FORWARD, UH, BECAUSE YOU HAVING ISSUES WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY GETTING BACK TO YOU. I'M EVEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY GETTING BACK TO ME. I KNOW MY COLLEAGUE HERE IS HAVING ISSUES GETTING THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO GET BACK WITH HER. WE, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE LEADERSHIP THERE WHEN IT COMES TO RESPONSE. IF THEY'RE NOT ADDRESSING A VETERAN, IF THEY'RE NOT ADDRESSING A COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I DON'T UNDER, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE NEEDS TO BE DONE OTHER THAN TO THE NEW. THERE'S A NEW EXECUTIVE RE REEVALUATE. THERE'S A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THAT'S OVER THERE NOW AND, UM, UM, I THINK HE GETS IT. UM, BUT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD SHOULD ALSO GET IT AS WELL. SO, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, SO IF YOU'LL GET WITH, UH, DIRECTOR DEMBO, HE'S A VETERAN, AND, UH, AND, AND WE'LL GET YOU SQUARED AWAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. SHELBY KY, BE FOLLOWED BY GLORIA ZINO. GOOD MA'AM. AFTERNOON. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS SHELBY BOBOWSKI AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS HUMANE LEGISLATION NETWORK. WE ARE A 5 0 1 C FOUR ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO HELPING ANIMALS AND ANIMAL RESCUERS THROUGH EDUCATION, LEGISLATION, AND ADVOCACY. I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF OUR PARTNER, HOUSTON PET SET, AND THE THOUSANDS OF OUR SUPPORTERS AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO LIVE IN HOUSTON TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE HUMANE PET STORE ORDINANCE. IN 2021, I WORKED ALONG AND I WAS PRIVILEGED TO WORK ALONGSIDE SALLY ELKHORN, COUNCIL MEMBER ELKHORN AND OTHERS TO DRAFT A HUMANE PET STORE ORDINANCE. THE ORDINANCE WAS PART OF THE CHAPTER SIX UPDATES, AND IT REQUIRES PET STORES THAT SELL DOGS AND CATS TO ACQUIRE THOSE ANIMALS FROM HUMANE SOURCES, NAMELY SHELTERS AND RESCUES. THE ORDINANCE PASSED ON JANUARY 18TH, 2022 WITH THE UNANIMOUS COUNCIL VOTE, AND IT WILL BE IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT IN 90 DAYS. LAST WEEK, YOU HEARD FROM SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO DIRECTLY BENEFIT FROM THE SALE OF PUPPIES AND RETAIL STORES ASKING EITHER TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE, ADDING REGULATIONS, OR TO BE GRANDFATHERED IN. AND THIS IS ALL AN ATTEMPT TO CONTINUE SELLING PUPPIES. I AM HERE TO RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT WE LISTEN TO BARK LEADERSHIP, SHELTER EMPLOYEES, AND THE THOUSANDS OF RESCUERS ADOPTERS AND FOSTERS SOME IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY TO KEEP THE HUMANE PET STORE ORDINANCE AS IS WHEN UPDATING THE ANIMAL RELATED ORDINANCES IN HOUSTON BARK. AND MANY OTHERS THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO END THE SALE OF PUPPIES AND RETAIL PET STORES. WHY? 'CAUSE ONCE THOSE PUPPIES AND KITTENS LEAVE THE STORE, THEY ARE NOT SPAYED OR NEUTERED. AND ULTIMATELY ADD TO THE OVERPOPULATION OF DOGS AND CATS IN HOUSTON. PUPPIES SOLD IN RETAIL STORES ARE TOO YOUNG TO BE SPAYED AND NEUTERED AND WITHOUT BEING FIXED. IN SOME CASES, THOSE PETS REPRODUCE WITHOUT THE OWNER INTENDING FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. BUT IN ADDITION, UM, THE DOGS BOUGHT AT RETAIL STORES FUEL BACKYARD BREEDING AS THE PURCHASER TRIES TO RECOUP ON THEIR INVESTMENT BY SELLING THEIR PET'S PUPPIES. HOUSTON HAS A MANDATORY SPAY NEUTER ORDINANCE THAT MUST BE ADHERED TO BY ALL CITIZENS, INCLUDING OUR CORPORATE CITIZENS AS WELL. THERE'S NO REGULATION THAT ENSURES THAT THE PUPPIES LEAVING THE STORES WILL BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED. AND EVEN IF THE STORE GIVES A VOUCHER FOR FREE SPAY OR NEUTER, THERE'S NO WAY TO PLEASE WHETHER OR NOT THAT VOUCHER WILL EVER BE USED. ONE WITNESS SAID LAST WEEK THAT REGULATIONS ARE [02:50:01] THE ANSWER, BUT BARK DOESN'T HAVE THE TIME OR RESOURCES FOR REGULATIONS AT THE BARK. TOWN HALL IN MAY BARK REPRESENTED THAT THEY ARE DOWNFIELD OFFICERS BY 21% BECAUSE OF CONTINUOUS DANGEROUS DOG CALLS IN HOUSTON. WOULD THE FIELD OFFICERS THEN HAVE TO DIVERT TIME AND ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF THE ITS CITIZENS ENFORCEMENT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE AND AN ACCOMPANYING FISCAL NOTE FOR INSPECTIONS WOULD BE NEEDED. UM, OKAY. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. WE'LL COME BACK. UH, COUNCILMAN MARICO? THANK YOU, MAYOR. PLEASE CONTINUE. THANK YOU. IN HOUSTON, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 36 PET STORES AND ONLY A HANDFUL OF THOSE ARE SELLING PUPPIES TO BURDEN OUR CITY SHELTER BECAUSE ONLY A HANDFUL OF STORES WANNA SELL PUPPIES IS NOT SOUND POLICY, ESPECIALLY WHEN ALL THE OTHER STORES ALREADY FOLLOW A HUMANE PET STORE MODEL. IN SUMMARY, THIS IS A SOLID ORDINANCE. IT WAS VOTED ON UNANIMOUSLY AND 13 OTHER CITIES IN TEXAS, INCLUDING MOST RECENTLY, PASADENA, UH, HAS PASSED THIS ORDINANCE. ALL HOUSTON STATE REPRESENTATIVES VOTED IN FAVOR OF SIMILAR LEGISLATION IN THE 2021, UM, LEGISLATIVE SESSION AT THE STATE CAPITOL. AND SO WITH THAT, WE ARE HOPING THAT YOU CAN PLEASE KEEP THE ORDINANCE AS IS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK THANK YOU SHELBY, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND, AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVE COME TO JOIN YOU AND FOR PET SET AND GLORIA MANY ANIMAL WELFARE ADVOCATES WHO HELPED, UM, DO THE REVISIONS, WHICH PASSED UNANIMOUSLY MAYOR, UM, LAST YEAR, UH, FOR THIS, FOR THE CHANGES TO CHAPTER SIX, WHICH INCLUDED MANDATORY MICROCHIPPING, UH, THIS HUMANE PET STORE SOURCING OF ANIMALS WAS A BIG PART OF THE ORDINANCE THAT WE PASSED. UH, MANY SPEAKERS CAME AT THAT TIME AND MANY SPEAKERS GOT ON BOARD BECAUSE WE INCLUDED THAT IN THE ORDINANCE. IT WASN'T AS SOME SAID AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OR WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. WE DEFINITELY KNEW THAT WE WERE PASSING AN ORDINANCE WHERE, WHERE, WHERE, UM, ANIMALS WOULD HAVE TO BE SOURCED FROM HUMANE, UM, PLACES. WHAT I'M ASKING YOU, SHELBY, DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS MORE OF THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE IN ANIMAL WELFARE, THAT THESE ORDINANCES EXIST THAT WOULD BE ALMOST AN OUTLIER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO HAVE ANY EXCEPTIONS? CORRECT. IT IS THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE. WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH BETWEEN 10 AND 50 CITIES, UM, RIGHT NOW TO GO AHEAD AND PASS THESE SIMILAR ORDINANCES. AND WE BELIEVE SUCH LEGISLATION WILL BE BROUGHT UP NEXT YEAR, UM, AT THE LEGISLA AT THE NEXT GREAT. AND, AND 13, UM, TEXAS CITIES AND SEVERAL CITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. UH, DO I AM I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP KIND OF THE BANDWIDTH OF BARK. IT'S YOUR OPINION THAT BARK DOES NOT HAVE, AND IT WOULDN'T JUST BE AN EXCEPTION FOR MAYBE THE SPEAKERS THAT CAME LAST WEEK. IT WOULD BE AN EXCEPTION FOR ANYONE WHO WANTED TO SELL PUPPIES. SO DO YOU THINK BARK HAS THE BANDWIDTH OR THE RESOURCES TO CHECK ON EVERY BREEDER THAT THEY ARE SOURCING, UH, THEIR ANIMALS FROM? THEY DO NOT. THEY DO NOT. THEY'RE DOWN 20%. OUR STATE IS STRUGGLING IN EVERY SHAPE WAY IN FORM. THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY DOGS AND CATS AND NOT ENOUGH ADOPTER ADOPTERS FOSTERS, UM, AND RESCUES AND WE'RE JUST STRUGGLING. SO THEY DO NOT HAVE THE BANDWIDTH. AND, AND IS IT YOUR OPINION AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TEXAS HUMANE LEGISLATIVE NETWORK THAT THE SELLING OF PETS IN PET STORES CONTRIBUTES TO THE OVERPOPULATION OF ANIMALS IN OUR CITIES? CORRECT. BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY TO GET THEM SPAYED OR NEUTERED BEFORE THEY LEAVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WAS NOT HERE LAST WEEK, BUT I DID, I DID. I DID HEAR FROM A DISCUSSION THAT TOOK PLACE LAST WEEK, UM, WHERE THERE WAS AN, THE OWNER OF COMPANY CAME AND SAID THAT WE, WERE WE EFFECTIVELY PUTTING THAT BUSINESS OUT OF BUSINESS? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT I THAT'S WHAT I HEARD FROM LAST WEEK. I WAS NOT HERE. YES, SIR. CAN I GET A RESPONSE TO THAT? ARE WE PUTTING, ARE WE PUTTING A BUSINESS OUT OF BUSINESS? MAYOR, THERE ARE PET LANDS IN ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THERE ARE PET LANDS WHERE THIS SIMILAR SITUATION HAS HAPPENED THAT ARE NOT OUT OF BUSINESS. THERE ARE PET STORES ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT DO NOT SELL PETS THAT ARE NOT OUT OF BUSINESS. THERE IS PLENTY MONEY TO BE MADE IN, OUT IN OTHER PET THINGS THAT ARE OFFERED THERE AS PET FOOD. PET SUPPLIES, PET EVERYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH PETS. WHEN YOU AND I WERE GROWING UP, MAYOR, THERE WAS A, THERE WERE THE PET STORES. I MEAN, WE WENT TO GO LOOK AT THE PETS IN THE PET IN THE WINDOWS. THEY, WE WENT TO SHOPPING AT PET STORES, UM, TO BUY A A A DOG OR CAT THAT HAS, HAS SLOWLY BUT SURELY BEEN GOING AWAY AS CITIES LIKE HOUSTON ARE COMPLETELY OVERRUN WITH STRAY ANIMALS. [02:55:01] AND WE REALIZE THAT THE BETTER WAY TO GO IS TO ADOPT STRAY ANIMALS TO NOT ADD TO THE OVERPOPULATION, BUT TO ADDRESS THE POPULATION THAT'S ALREADY HERE. LEMME SO LEMME JUST ASK AND AGAIN, UH, SO IF WE REQUIRE A BUSINESS TO SPAY AND NEUTER, DOES THAT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM OR DOES IT NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM? THE ANIMALS ARE TOO, UM, YOUNG. THEY'RE PUPPIES AND KITTENS THAT WOULD BE LEAVING THE STORES AND THEY'RE TOO YOUNG TO HAVE THAT. AND SO ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS, WELL, WHAT ABOUT A VOUCHER? BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO POLICE THAT. THERE'S, THERE'S SIMPLY NO WAY TO POLICE A VOUCHER TO BRING IN THE ANIMAL BACK IN BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GO AHEAD AND START BREEDING, UM, THESE PUPPIES OR KITTENS TO MAKE MONEY AND BACK ON THEIR INVESTMENT. CAN YOU EDUCATE ME HOW YOUNG IS WHAT, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE AGE TO BY WHICH, UH, AN ANIMAL CAN BE SPAYING NEUTERED? OH, SO I'M AN ATTORNEY. I'M NOT A VETERINARIAN, BUT I WOULD SAY THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, DISCUSSION ON HOW TOO YOUNG IS YOUNG. IF THEY HAVE PUPPIES ANYWHERE BETWEEN, UM, SIX AND 10 WEEKS, THAT'S, UM, DEFINITELY TOO YOUNG. RIGHT? AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT OUR HOTLINE GETS CALLS WHEN A PUPPY IS SPAYED OR NEUTER TOO YOUNG. THEY COME BACK THREE YEARS LATER WITH SERIOUS INCONTINENCE ISSUES BECAUSE IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE TAKING APART A PUPPY, UM, IN ORDER TO FIX THOSE ORGANS. I WILL SAY, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION EARLIER, GREAT EXAMPLE IS ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THEY PASSED A HUMANE PET STORE MODEL THERE, I BELIEVE IN 2010. AND THEIR PETLAND IS STILL OPEN. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER GLORIA, GLORIA SANTANO TO BE FOLLOWED BY JUDY HARDING. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON. COUNCIL MEMBERS. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW ME, MY NAME IS GLORIA CENTENO. I'M THE FOUNDER OF BARRIO DOGS AND ALSO A BOARD MEMBER FOR UNITY FOR SOLUTION. I, TOO AM HERE TO ASK TO KEEP THE HUMANE PET STORE ORDINANCE AS IS. I WORKED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER AL KORN AND OTHERS TO PASS A HUMANE PET ORDINANCE IN 2021. I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU ALL THAT YOU VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE HUMANE PET STORE ORDINANCE BACK IN JANUARY OF 2022. THIS IS A GOOD ORDINANCE. WE NEED IT NOW MORE THAN EVER. HOUSTON IS BEING OVERRUN BY STRAY AND HOMELESS DOGS. I KNOW THIS FIRSTHAND. I KNOW THIS JUST FROM THIS MORNING, GOING FROM HOME AND TO WORK. I'M ALSO HERE ON BEHALF OF THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF RESCUERS THAT SEE THIS HUGE. THEY, THEY, THEY SEE THIS AS A HUGE SETBACK IF WE ARE ALREADY DROWNING IN DOGS AND CATS. AND THIS IS NOT JUST ON THE STREETS. I CHECKED OUR CITY SHELTER BARKS INTAKE JUST THIS MORNING, AND THEY HAVE 331 HIGHLY ADOPTABLE DOGS AND CATS. THIS NUMBER DOESN'T EVEN ACCOUNT FOR THE ONES THAT HAVE HOLDS WITH FOSTERS AND AN EVALUATION PERIODS. I WOULD ALSO BE SAFE TO SAY THAT THE COUNTY SHELTER HAS VERY SIMILAR ON THE STREETS AND IN THE SHELTERS. WE ARE NOT ONLY SEEING THE MIXED BREEDS, WE ALSO SEE THE SMALL AND FLUFFY BREEDS. EVEN THE FRENCHY PURE BREADS THAT THEY SELL IN PET STORES. AGAIN, THIS IS A GOOD ORDINANCE GOING BACKWARDS ON THIS PO POLICY WOULD BE TRULY REGRESSIVE. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CANNOT ENSURE THAT BREEDERS ARE SENDING HEALTHY PUPPIES TO RETAIL STORES. AND STATE OVERSIGHT HAS SEVERAL LOOPHOLES IN IT. SMART CITIES HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT AT THE LAST DEFENSE AGAINST PUPPY MILL CRUELTY AND PUPPY BROKERS. IF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL DOESN'T STAY STRONG TO PROTECT HOUSTONIANS AGAINST THIS BAD BUSINESS MODEL, WHO WILL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. THANKS GLORIA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SPEAKERS. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, JUDY HARDING. JUDY HARDIN, SIX STAR SIX. JUDY HARDIN, STAR SIX. JUDY HARDIN. STAR SIX JUDY, SHE JUST UNMUTED. JUDY HARDEN. HELLO? SIX. HELLO. YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. UM, I'M CALLING BECAUSE OF, THERE WAS A PROPERTY LOCATED AT 24 49 GARAN STREET THAT I REPORTED TO 3 1 1 BACK ON AUGUST THE 29TH. UM, THE PROPERTY IS STILL SITTING THERE, ABANDONED, DANGEROUS, AND SNAKE INFESTED. UM, I'VE REPORTED IT, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN. THE CITY HAS ONLY BEEN OUT THERE ONCE, UH, TO DO ONE THING AND THAT'S TO PUT A SIGN UPON THAT PROPERTY. THE PROPERTY IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CHURCH. WE'VE HAD POLICE OUT THERE TWICE TO GET THE, MY DOOR [03:00:03] FRONT PORCH, THE POLICE THAT HOME THE SECOND TIME FROM THIS SNAKE INFESTED BUILDING. THE PROBLEM THAT I'M HAVING IS THAT WHEN I REPORTED TO THREE, ONE, I KNEW THE CURRENT OWNER OF THE PROPERTY. I ASKED THE YOUNG LADY, I GIVE HER THAT INFORMATION. SO WHEN THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD RECEIVED THE REPORT, THEY WOULD KNOW EXACTLY WHO TO SEND THE NOTICE TO. SHE TOLD ME NO, I COULD NOT DO THAT BECAUSE THEY HAD THEIR OWN STANDARDS. WHEN THE DEPART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD RECEIVED THE REPORT, THEIR STANDARDS ARE THE SAME AS IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO, EVEN BEFORE YOU BECAME MAYOR. THEY SEND THOSE NOTICES OUT TO WHOEVER THEY SEE ON HA. THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE DEAD. THEY SEND THE NOTICES OUT AND THEY'RE OUT THERE ONCE A WEEK. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, FOR OUT THERE FOR A WHOLE WEEK. THERE'S NO RESPOND. AND THEY SEND 'EM A SECOND NOTICE. THEY'RE CONSTANTLY SENDING THESE NOTICE TO THE DECEASED, WHICH IS DELAYING THE PROCESS OF HAVING THESE DANGEROUS HOMES REMOVED AND HAVING THESE OVER WEEDED LOTS CUT THE LOT, THE PROP, THE PROPERTIES, WEEDS ARE OVER TWO FEET NOW AND IT'S COVERING EVEN THE CITY SIGN THAT WAS PLACED ON THERE. SO I'M TRYING TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE TO STOP THEM FROM SENDING THESE NOTICES OUT TO THE SEAT AND ACTUALLY LOCATE THE CURRENT OWNERS BEFORE THEY SEND THE NOTICES OUT. PERIOD. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU JUDY, FOR SPEAKING TODAY. UM, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT HARD TO HEAR YOU. I DIDN'T GET THE, UM, ADDRESS THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, THAT YOU'RE HAVING AN ISSUE WITH. AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE, UM, IN DISTRICT A BUT CLOSE TO DISTRICT B. SO I, I COULDN'T HEAR IF THE ADDRESS WAS IN A OR B, BUT MY OFFICE WILL CONTACT YOU AFTER THIS, UM, TO GET THE ADDRESS IN MORE DETAILS TO ASSIST YOU WITH THAT. YES, THE ADDRESS IS IN DISTRICT B. IT'S 24 49 GARRAHAN STREET. ALRIGHT, TH THANK YOU MS. HARDING. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS ARE LOOKING INTO THIS IN REGARDS TO TRYING TO FIND THE, UH, UH, THE OWNERSHIP OF, OF, OF, OF THIS, UH, ADDRESS. UH, SO, UH, ONCE THAT'S DETERMINED, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, WE'LL LOOK FURTHER INTO THIS, UH, AND OFF IN REGARDS TO ALSO THE, UH, CITATIONS. OKAY. THEY ALREADY HAVE THE OWNERS BECAUSE THEY, THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN A DEED. THIS WAS DONE ON SEPTEMBER 19TH. THEY AC THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE DEED OF THE CURRENT OWNERS ON FILE SO THEY KNOW WHO THE CURRENT OWNERS ARE. OKAY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GIVE THIS ALSO TO YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, AND WE'LL LOOK, UH, THAT WAY THEY'LL WORK WITH YOU, UH, IN REGARDS TO THIS COUNCIL. PECK STATED SHE WOULD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK HAS ALSO STATED THAT SHE WOULD, UH, LOOK INTO IT AS WELL. SO THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE NOW HAVE, UH, GEORGE GEORGE LEBRAUN. NEXT SPEAKER IS GEORGE LEBRAUN. GEORGE LEBRAUN, NO IS NOT PRESENT. NEXT SPEAKER DE ELAINE ALLEN. DEBORAH LANE. ALLEN, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX. MS. ALLEN, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX. NO, NO. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE. LEAH ANGLE. LEAH ENG. LEAH ENGLE, IF NOT PRESENT. LOWER WILLIAMS TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAMES HOLTON. BOY, I NEED TO BE PUT ON THE CLOCK. I TELL YOU WHAT, I'M TIRED. ANYWAY, UH, I WAS HOPING THAT THE MAYOR WAS HERE. UH, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD SITE CONTAMINATION SITE IN FIFTH WARD IN CASHIER GARDEN . OKAY. DID, DID YOU HEAR THE FIRST PART OF IT? I, I'LL SAY IT AGAIN. IT'S JUST ABOUT THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD CONTAMINATION SITE IN FIFTH WARD IN . DO ANYBODY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? IS THIS THE FIRST TIME Y'ALL HEARD ANYTHING LIKE THAT? BECAUSE I'VE CALLED THE CITY AND NO ONE KNEW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. AND SO I WANTED, REALLY WANTED THE MAYOR HERE. AND SO [03:05:01] AS A COMMU PERSON IN THAT COMMUNITY, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT I SHOULD BE CONCERNED OR NOT. AND THE HISTORY OF IT WAS, IS THAT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, I WENT TO A MEETING AT WHEATLEY HIGH SCHOOL OVER ON MARKET STREET AND PHIL WARD, WHERE THEY HAD SOME PEOPLE THERE, UH, INTRODUCING THIS SITUATION ABOUT THE RAIL SITE. AND SO BETWEEN THAT TIME AND NOW I'VE HEARD NOTHING BUT CRICKETS, PEOPLE DYING OF CANCER. BUT I'M, I'M HEARING NOTHING FOR, BUT CRICKETS FOR TWO YEARS. OKAY. SO THE OTHER PART OF THIS IS, IS THAT, IS IT A CONCERN TO MY COMMUNITY IN FIFTH WARD? IN CASHMERE GARDEN ABOUT THIS SITE? WELL, ABOUT LAST WEEK I HAD THE, I GUESS, UH, IT WOULD BE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT PUT OUT A, SOME INFORMATION AND I WAS THERE TO RECEIVE IT. AND WHAT THEY WERE SAYING IS, IS THAT THEY HAD A SITE AROUND THE SAME SOUTHERN PACIFIC AREA THAT THEY HAD FOUND THE IS NOT, AND THAT WHAT I NEEDED TO DO ABOUT THIS DINU. AND IT SOUND TO ME LIKE THE COWS HAVE LEFT THE, THE PEN AND SOMEBODY GOES AND CLOSE THE DOOR. WHAT, WHAT AM I GONNA BE ABLE TO DO NOW? WHAT AM I GONNA DO TO PROTECT MYSELF NOW? BUT I HEAR CRICKETS. AND SO THE OTHER PART OF IT IS, IS ALSO IS THAT IN MY COMMUNITY, IT IS BUSINESS AS USUAL OR BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL BECAUSE IF THIS DIE NOT IS IN THE AREA, THE COMMUNITY IS MOVING, THE BUSES ARE MOVING, THE CARS ARE MOVING, THE PEOPLE ARE MOVING, THE DOGS ARE MOVING, THE CATS ARE MOVING. AND HOW DO YOU CONTAIN IT? YOU HAVING PEOPLE BUILDING HOUSES. YEAH. TIME HAS EXPIRED. MS. MR. WILLIAMS. WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GRAVES. I KNOW, UM, MAYOR TURNER ISN'T HERE AND I DON'T REPRESENT THE AREA, BUT I CAN SAY, UM, WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT NOT ONLY THE ISSUES WITH UNION PACIFIC, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN FIFTH WARD. UM, THE ISSUES AROUND THE CANCER CLUSTERS, THE TOXICITY. UM, AND I, AGAIN, I KNOW MAYOR TURNER ISN'T HERE, BUT HE HAS BEEN BRINGING IT TO THE FOREFRONT, I BELIEVE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, UM, THE COUNTY AND THE CITY HAVE, UH, STEPPED FORWARD TO ACTUALLY LITIGATE, UM, AND SUE UNION PACIFIC OVER THIS. UH, IT'S, I KNOW CONGRESSWOMAN JACKSON LEE HAS BEEN OUT THERE. I MEAN, IT IS A FULL COURT PRESS IN ADDRESSING THIS. AND YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, UM, COUNCILOR GALLEGOS, WHO WAS JUST BEFORE CONGRESS IN DC TESTIFYING, UM, ON THESE ISSUES. SO AGAIN, I DON'T SPECIFICALLY REPRESENT THE AREA, BUT I I KNOW YOU HAVE WAITED EXTREMELY PATIENTLY TODAY. SO I WANTED TO JUST CHIME IN SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL, LISTEN, NOT JUST LISTENING, UH, BUT WE ARE WITH YOU, UH, WITH THE CONCERNS, WITH THE INJUSTICE, WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE. AND THAT IS NOT A ANSWER FOR YOU 'CAUSE YOU ARE LIVING WITH THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY. BUT I DIDN DIDN'T, I LOST A BROTHER AND A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO YEAH. FROM CANCER. YEAH. AND IT'S UNACCEPTABLE. AND SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT BUSINESS AS USUAL, I I DID NOT SAY THAT. I DID NOT SAY THAT AT ALL. NO, NO. MR. WILLIAMS, UH, I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER CA IN HAD STATED THAT COUNTY AND, AND THE CITY ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO ADDRESS THIS WITH UNION PACIFIC. UH, UNFORTUNATELY THE, UH, RAILROADS, THEY JUST HAVE TOO MUCH POWER IN THIS COUNTRY. I KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND STATED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND I WERE IN DC UH, WE SPOKE IN FRONT OF THE SERVICE TRANSPORTATION BOARD, UH, BECAUSE ONLY TO ADD TO THE PROBLEM, UH, YOU'VE GOT CANADA PACIFIC AND KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN THAT ARE GOING TO, ARE TRYING TO MERGE. UH, AND IF THAT HAPPENS, YOU'RE ALSO, UH, LOOKING AT AN INCREASE OF EIGHT TO 14 TRAINS IN THE HOUSTON AREA PER DAY. UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY, AND ALSO STATE REPRESENTATIVE REYNOLDS SPOKE ON THIS, UH, VIRTUALLY THERE IN, IN DC UH, [03:10:01] AND OUR, OUR ARGUMENT OR OUR FRUSTRATION, UH, WITH THE SERVICE TRANSPORTATION BOARD, UH, WHICH COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND I AND, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE REYNOLDS BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION, UH, IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IMPACTED IF THIS MERGER HAPPENS. UH, AND NOT ONE PUBLIC MEETING WAS HELD HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THE NEAREST ONE WAS IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS. UH, AND THEREFORE I THINK WE DID GET THEIR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE SENDING REPRESENTATIVES TOMORROW. UH, AND COMMISSIONER ELLIS, I BELIEVE IS GOING THERE TO THE INGLESIDE YARD, UH, TO POINT THOSE ISSUES OUT TO THE SERVICE TRANSPORTATION BOARD. UH, AND I WILL ALSO BE MEETING WITH THEM IN THE AFTERNOON IN REGARDS TO THE IN EAST END AND ISSUES THAT WE WERE HAVING WITH THE RAILROADS. UH, UH, AGAIN, THE, UH, COUNTY AND THE CITY IS WORKING ON THIS, UH, IN, IN REGARDS TO TRYING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE THERE AT THE INGLE ENGLE INGLESIDE YARD IN REGARDS TO THE CRE CRE. SO, UH, BUT UH, AGAIN, TO ADD TO THE PROBLEM, YOU'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY MORE TRAINS EVEN COMING INTO OUR CITY. UH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS AS WELL. WELL, I HAVE A RAIL YARD AT MY FRONT DOOR. MM-HMM . AND PROBABLY THE MOST DANGEROUS CHEMICALS IN THE UNITED STATES PROBABLY GO DOWN THOSE SAME RAIL LINES AND THE PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY DYING. AND YOU TELL ME, BUSINESS AS USUAL, NO. AGAIN, NO ONE HAS SAID BUSINESS AS USUAL. WHAT WE HAVE SAID IS THAT WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST AS A COUNTY AND THE CITY TO WORK AND TO ADDRESS IT. UH, AGAIN, I AND COMMISSIONER ELLIS WENT TO DC TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD, UH, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ISSUES IN REGARDS TO RAILROADS AND THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF A MERGER BETWEEN CANADA PACIFIC AND KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN, WHICH WILL ONLY INCREASE THE PROBLEM HERE IN THE CITY OF THE HOUSTON, UH, BY BRINGING IN POSSIBLY EIGHT TO 14 MORE TRAINS TO IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES. UH, SO NO, WE ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, UH, AND WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS IT. UH, AND WE CAN REACH OUT TO THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT SO THEY CAN GIVE YOU AN UPDATE. I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE SPOKEN WITH YOU, UH, TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE TO WHERE WE ARE AT AT THIS TIME. OKAY. NOT ONLY THAT IS THAT I DID HEAR SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE JUST PURCHASED SOME NEW HOMES THAT HAD NO IDEA THAT THAT AREA WAS IN THAT PARTICULAR SITE. AND SO, UH, WHAT DO YOU TELL A PERSON THAT BUILDS A HOUSE THAT LATER ON FINDS OUT THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE SITE WHEN NOBODY'S TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND LET THESE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? AND, AND, AND, AND, AND AGAIN, MR. WILLIAMS, THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY IS TRYING TO DO TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS. UH, IN REGARDS TO, LIKE YOU STATED, IF SOMEONE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE ISSUES IN THE AREA, BUT YET THEY BUILT THE NEW HOME. UH, SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY IS TRYING TO DO TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS. AND TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT, UH, AGAIN, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, IT WILL BE MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD TOMORROW, UH, THERE AT THAT SITE, UH, TO LET THEM KNOW THE ISSUES WE ARE HAVING. AND HERE, HERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT BRINGING IN EIGHT TO 14 MORE TRAINS PER DAY. SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. WE NEED A MOTION TO EXTEND. YEAH. CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO EXTEND? MOTION TO EXTEND. SECOND. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UH, THANK YOU. I ALSO JUST WANTED TO ADD, SO ONLINE, UM, THERE'S A MESSAGE POPPING UP. I CAN'T FULLY READ IT, BUT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, HAS ALSO BEEN A FIERCE ADVOCATE ON THIS. SHE IS TRYING TO TALK ONLINE. HER COMPUTER WON'T LET HER. SHE'S SAYING SHE CAN'T. IS THAT CORRECT? MARTA, BUT, UM, I KNOW THAT IF YOU REACH OUT TO HER OFFICE, SHE'S SAYING, UM, HER STAFF IS IN CHAMBERS AS WELL, RIGHT BEHIND YOU. SO, UH, WHEN YOU LEAVE THE PODIUM, THEY WILL GET WITH YOU. BUT COUNCILLOR JACKSON HAS BEEN ALL OVER THIS AS WELL. OKAY. COULD I JUST HAVE ONE, ONE THING TO SAY? I KNOW MORE ABOUT THE BORDER AND THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION AND THE PRESIDENCY IN DC AND IN UKRAINE AND THE QUEEN DID NOT DO OF MY OWN COMMUNITY. AND I'M A NATIVE ESTONIAN, FOUR GENERATIONS NATIVE ESTONIAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MI MR. WILLIAMS. MR. WILLIAMS. UH, TOMORROW, UH, IF YOU CAN REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE, WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING A ROUND TABLE WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD. UH, SO IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE, UH, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE TIME AND THE PLACE SO YOU CAN COME AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY [03:15:01] SPEAK TO PEOPLE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REGARDING THE ISSUES WE'RE HAVING IN THE CITY, ESPECIALLY IN YOUR COMMUNITY. OKAY? UH, DO YOU HAVE, HEY, YEAH, JUST CALL MY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S OFFICE WILL GIVE YOU OUR CONTACT INFORMATION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, JAMES HOLTON. JAMES HULIN IS NOT PRESENT. RYAN YARBOROUGH IS NOT PRESENT. WILLIE PORTER IS NOT PRESENT. KIMBERLY EKI. KIMBERLY EKI, PLEASE PRESS SIX. KIMBERLY A ZIGGY, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX. NEXT NAME. KATHY GUNNER. KATHY GUNNER. HI. YES, I'M HERE. CAN YOU SEE ME? YES, GO AHEAD. OKAY. I'M HERE TODAY, A COUPLE OF REASONS. I'M HERE TODAY, UH, REPRESENTING HOUSTON GARDEN CIVIC ASSOCIATION, AS WELL AS, UH, THE HOUSTON TRINITY GARDEN AREA. UH, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO MY COUNCIL, LADY COUNCILWOMAN TASHA JACKSON. WE DO HAVE A NEW RED LIGHT AT THE CORNER OF BENNINGTON AND HOMESTEAD. THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF ACCIDENTS AND EVEN SOME LIVES LOST AT THAT LOCATION. AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND HATS OFF TO THE COMMUNITY. AND WE WORKED ON THIS PROJECT FOR OVER FIVE YEARS, SO WE GOT IT DONE. UH, AND, AND I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THAT THAT IS SOMETHING WE NEEDED BECAUSE THE SPEEDING THERE IS VERY, IS, IS, IS TOO HIGH. UH, ALSO, I'M HERE TODAY TO, UH, CRYING OUT ABOUT THE, UH, CONCERNS OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AS FAR AS HEAVY TRASH PICKUP AND CODE ENFORCEMENT. UM, 85, 85 0 2 AND 8,700 BURWOOD HAVE ALL THE WAY FROM THE 87 8200 BLOCK TO THE 9,000 BLOCK. IT'S JUST FULL OF TRASH AND DEBRIS BECAUSE IT WAS MISSED IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST, JULY WAS THE LAST TIME THEY PICKED UP THE, UH, HEAVY TRASH. SO NOW IT'S COMBINED WITH TREE DEBRIS AND HEAVY TRASH ALL THE WAY DOWN. AND I WOULD LOVE, UH, FOR, FOR THE, FOR US TO COME TOGETHER WITH A, WITH A SOLUTION BECAUSE THIS IS A REPETITIOUS PROBLEM THAT WE KEEP HAVING IN THE COMMUNITY. AND AT 87 15 BURWOOD, I'M ASKING THE MAYOR TO JUST STOP THE PERMIT AND DO NOT GIVE THEM AN OCCUPANCY PERMIT. IF THEY VIOLATING ALL THE CITY ORDINANCES, THEY DON'T NEED A PERMIT TO GIVE THEM PERMISSION TO GO AHEAD AND OCCUPY THE BUILDING AND KEEP BUSINESS GOING AS USUAL WHEN WE ARE CRYING OUT FOR THEM TO JUST CLEAN UP THE PLACE AS THEY DO THEIR CONSTRUCTION. SO THIS, THESE ARE MY, UH, THIS IS MY PLEA TO THE MAYOR AND TO THE, AND TO THE COUNCIL TO PLEASE HELP US RESOLVE THIS ONGOING ISSUE AND ALSO TO WORK WITH US AS IT RELATES TO, UM, HEAVY, UH, NOT BEING MISSED DURING THOSE TIMES. THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THE HEAVY TRASH PICKUP AS WELL AS THE TREE DEBRIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. GUNTER. I KNOW THAT, UH, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON IS, UH, UH, JOINING AS VIRTUAL AND SHE IS LISTENING AS WELL. NEXT SPEAKER, LY MONYA REVIS. SHE SAYS SHE'LL FOLLOW. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I DON'T HAVE AN EVICTION IN PLACE, BUT I'M HERE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT MY NEIGHBORS. RECENTLY THEY KNOW THAT I COME TO CITY HALL. I TOLD THE OFFICE THAT THEY'RE WELCOME TO SIGN UP. THEY'RE RETALIATED WITH EX ONCE SATURDAY, I CAME HOME AND THERE WAS A BUNCH OF EGGS. I, UH, POSTED A NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR AND I ALSO CALL HPD. UH, SOME OF THE MOTHERS ARE NOT FEEDING THEIR CHILDREN, AND I LIKE TO ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO DO THEIR PART, ALSO TO DEFEND FOR THEIR CAUSES. BUT I'M NOT WILLING TO TOLERATE ABUSE NOR VA, UH, ALLOW EVEN HPD TO COME INSIDE THE APARTMENT. AND I LET THEM KNOW THAT SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN I PASS BY WITH THE GROCERIES, THE KIDS COME KNOCKING ON MY DOOR DOORS AND NOT SOLICITING SIGNS SAYING THAT THEY'RE NOT WILLING, THEY'RE NOT WELCOME TO KNOCK ON MY DOOR BECAUSE THEIR MOTHERS ARE NOT FEEDING THEM. SO THERE IS NO EVICTION IN PLACE. UH, WE HAVE NEW MANAGEMENT. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. RONNIE WOODS. [03:20:03] RONNIE WOODS IS NOT PRESENT. CHINA GREG IS NOT PRESENT. JUAN CARDOZA QUENDA IS NOT PRESENT. THELMA SCOTT IS NOT PRESENT. THIS COMPLETES THE LIFT TO SPEAKERS. WE [RECESS] STAND IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 AM THANK YOU. $7,267,755 AND 38 CENTS. AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH TOTAL CONTRACTING LIMITED FOR FY 2019 ROADWAY REHABILITATION PACKAGE NUMBER TWO, ITEM SIX, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $1,849,415 AND 33 CENTS. AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH RAY CHECK CONSTRUCTION RESOURCES, INC. FOR WATERLINE REHAB AND REPLACEMENT PROJECT. ITEM SEVEN, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FILING CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $1,978,203 AND 59 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE WORK ON CONTRACT WITH THE DL ELLIOT ENTERPRISES, INC. FOR WATERLINE WRAP REPAIRS. ITEM EIGHT, AMEND MOTION. 20 21 2 20 PAST MAY 5TH, 2021 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY FROM $1 MILLION AND NO CENTS TO 1 MILLION. $400,000 AND NO CENTS AWARDED TO RECO LLC FOR RENTAL AND LEASING OF HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITION SYSTEMS THROUGH THE NA NATIONAL COOPERATIVE PURCHASING ALLIANCE CONTRACT FOR THE GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. ITEM NINE, JAMES M OR DBA TEXAS PRIDE MARKETING FOR APPROVAL OF SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PURCHASE OF AUTOMOTIVE SHOP EQUIPMENT THROUGH THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASING COOPERATIVE BY BOARD FOR THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. ITEM 10, INTERNATIONAL NAME PLATE SUPPLIES FOR PURCHASE OF VEHICLE DECALS AND DECAL MATERIALS FOR THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. ITEM 11 FRASER, LTD FOR 21. COMPLETE AMBULANCES, CABS AND CHASSIS MOUNTED WITH ULAR BODIES THROUGH THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR CORPORATE PURCHASING WITH THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. ITEM 12, A DS INC. FOR APPROVAL OF SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR THE PURCHASE OF PORTABLE BACK PACKABLE X-RAY SYSTEMS THROUGH THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION. MULTIPLE AWARDS SCHEDULED FOR THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. ITEM 13 ORDINANCE OF MANY ARTICLE FIVE OF CHAPTER 32 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS RELATING TO THE CREATION OF 26 NATURAL PRESERVATIONS WITHIN CITY OF HOUSTON'S PARKS. ITEM 14, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING SUBRECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND WEST HOUSTON ASSISTANCE MINISTRIES INC. ITEM 15 ORDINANCE DENYING APPLICATION OF ENERGY, TEXAS INC. ITEM 16 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY FOR ELECTION SERVICES. ITEM 17, ORDINANCE APPOINTING PRESIDING AND ALTERNATE JUDGES FOR EARLY VOTING BALLOT BOARDS, CENTRAL COUNTY STATION AND VOTING PRECINCTS FOR CITY OF HOUSTON ELECTION TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 8TH, 2022. ITEM 18, ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING CITY OF HOUSTON ELECTION PRECINCTS AND DESIGNATED POLLING PLACES FOR CITY OF HOUSTON ELECTION TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 8TH, 2022. ITEM 19, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF FY I'M SORRY, ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDING, EXCUSE ME, THROUGH THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR FEMA FY 2021. ASSISTANCE TO FIREFIGHTERS GRANT PROGRAM. ITEM 20 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FULL AND FINAL SETTLEMENT INDEMNITY AGREEMENT AND RELEASE BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CARESOFT TECHNOLOGY COURT. ITEM 21, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $204,000 AND NO CENTS FROM EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION CONSOLIDATED FUND FOR PLANNED MCDC, SMART INFRASTRUCTURE MIGRATION FOR HOUSTON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES. ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ENTER LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM. ITEM 23, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ANY LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION. ITEM 24 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF MIDTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER TWO, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS MIDTOWN ZONE ITEM 25, [03:25:01] ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY TO ELECTRONICALLY SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR SUB-RECIPIENT GRANT ASSISTANCE AND EXECUTE AND ACCEPT SUBRECIPIENT GRANT AGREEMENTS WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR RELATING TO THE FY 2022 HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM. ITEM 26, ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FOR THE FY 2022 PORT SECURITY GRANT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FY 2022 PORT SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM. ITEM 27, ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY TO ELECTRONICALLY SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FOR THE FY 2022 REGIONAL CATASTROPHIC PREPAREDNESS GRANT PROGRAM. ITEM 28, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE FOR THE FY 22, MATTHEW SHEPHERD AND JAMES BYRD HATE CRIMES PROGRAM. ITEM 29, ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR THE FY 22 PROSECUTING CODE CASES USING DNA GRANT. ITEM 30 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR THE FY 23 BULLET RESISTANT SHIELD GRANT PROGRAM. ITEM 31 ORDINANCE AMENDED ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 18 6 9 9 4 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT AND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND SPARK INC. ITEM 32 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITIONAL OF 79.83 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 4 93. ITEM 33, ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 8.90 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 4 1 8 ITEM 34. ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 32.68 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 1 5 8 ITEM 35. ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 18.1 19 ACRES OF LANTER SPRING CREEK UTILITY DISTRICT. ITEM 36 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $525,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION D-D-S-R-F AND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TRAFFIC ENGINEERS INC. ITEM 37, ORDINANCE ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $670,800 AND NO CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND COSTELLO INC. ITEM 38, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $308,718 AND 94 CENTS OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND AT RO TAX AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND GAGE ENGINEERING LLC ITEM 39. ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $3,579,061 AND NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT TO LOPEZ UTILITIES CONTRACTOR LLC ITEM 40. ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $4,991,858 AND NO CENTS OUT AWARDING SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT TO VORTEX SERVICES LLLC. ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,459,426 AND 12 CENTS OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND AT VALOREM TAX APPROVING. AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND GUNDA CORPORATION. ITEM 42, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $749,960 AND 20 CENTS OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND, VALOREM TAX APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CP AND Y INC. ITEM 43 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND ADOPTING A REDISTRICTING PLAN FOR CITY OF HOUSTON BASED ON THE 2020 CENSUS DATA, ESTABLISHING THE BOUNDARIES OF ALL SINGLE MEMBER COUNCIL DISTRICTS FROM WHICH DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ELECTED. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN AND THOMAS. THIS WAS ITEM 35 ON AGENDA OF OCTOBER 5TH, 2022. ITEM 44, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT AND RESTATING AND IN THE LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND FORT BEND COUNTY FOR ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS. 2007 MOBILITY BOND PROJECT NUMBER 7 0 1 7 5 8 AND 7 6 6. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN ALCORN. THIS WAS ITEM 45 ON AGENDA OF OCTOBER 5TH, 2022. ITEM 45 IS A PUBLIC HEARING RELATING TO THE BOND ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH, 2022, REGARDING THE ISSUANCE OF [03:30:01] PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BONDS AT 6:00 PM THIS EVENING. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 12TH, 2022. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULE. BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF OUR FORMER CITY SECRETARY, MS. ANNA RUSSELL. SHE ALWAYS SAID, DRIVE SAFE, DRIVE FRIENDLY, AND HAVE A NICE DAY. IN THE WORDS OF OUR CURRENT CITY SECRETARY, MYSELF, PAT JEFFERSON DANIEL, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. MORNING. IT IS 9 0 6 ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12TH, 2022. I'M MAYOR, SPECIAL ATTORNEY. I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO WATER. [MAYOR'S REPORT] ALL RIGHT, LET ME MAKE A FEW COMMENTS SINCE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE THIS, UH, THIS MORNING. UH, LET ME GO DIRECTLY TO THIS GROUP FIRST. UH, THIS IS NATIONAL CODE COMPLIANCE MONTH, NATIONAL CODE COMPLIANCE MONTH AND OCTOBER IS, UH, WHEN WE RECOGNIZE, UH, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND PROFESSIONALS FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT THEY DO YEAR AROUND, UH, IN OUR CITY. AND THIS MORNING, MANY OF THE CITY CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE HERE, ALONG WITH, UH, THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, UH, DON, DIRECTOR TO ASHA FRANCIS, PUBLIC WORK DIRECTOR CAROL HADDOCK, UH, UH, HOUSTON FIRE CHIEF SAMUEL PENA AND ASSISTANT FIRE MARSHAL, UH, RICHARD GAVAN. UH, ALSO SEE THE HEAD OF PERMITTING. I THINK THAT'S CHRIS BUTLER OVER THERE, UH, AS WELL. UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS INSPECTORS CARRY OUT AN AVERAGE OF 48,000, 48,000 INSPECTIONS EACH YEAR ON SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS CONDUCT INSPECTIONS, ISSUE PERMITS FOR MORE THAN 30,000 PROJECTS ANNUALLY. THE HOUSTON FIRE MARSHAL OFFICE LIFE SAFETY BUREAU CONDUCTS OVER 27,000 INSPECTION ACTIVITIES EACH YEAR AND SUPPORT H UH, PWS PLAN REVIEW PROCESSES, UH, SAFETY SYSTEMS. UH, AND SO, UH, LEMME JUST CALL ON ALL RESIDENTS TO CONTINUE TO HELP IN THIS EFFORT BY REPORTING SUSPECTED CODE VIOLATIONS TO 3 1 1. AND ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, I WANT TO INVITE OUR COLLEAGUES TO JOIN ME. BUT BEFORE WE GET THAT AND THANKING THEM, UH, LET ME, LET ME ASK, UH, IF, IF, UH, DIRECTOR ASHA FRANCIS IS HERE, IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD. OKAY. AND, UH, FIRE CHIEF PENA AND WHO'S REPRESENTING PUBLIC WORKS TODAY IS DIRECTOR HADDOCK HERE. CHRIS, CHRIS BUTLER OVER ING IS HERE. 'CAUSE I JUST DON'T WANT TO JUST GLEAM OVER, OVER, OVER THESE INSPECTORS VERY QUICKLY. UM, OFTENTIMES THEY DON'T GET THE, UM, THE ATTENTION THAT THEY RIGHTFULLY DESERVE. IF YOU ARE AN INSPECTOR, A CODE INSPECTOR HERE THIS MORNING, JUST LEMME HAVE YOU TO STAND IF YOU ARE A CODE INSPECTOR THIS MORNING. SO CERTAINLY WANT TO APPRECIATE YOU. AND JUST A FEW COMMENTS AND IN REFERENCE TO THE, TO THE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR YOU. UH, ASHA FRANCIS, DIRECTOR FRANCIS, LET ME START WITH YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. FIRST OF ALL, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR TAKING A MOMENT TO, UH, NOT ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE MONTH, BUT WHAT YOU DO YEAR ROUND TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, AS WELL AS ALL MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW PROUD I AM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, ONE MONTH IS NOT ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK THAT THESE MEN AND WOMEN PUT IN EVERY SINGLE DAY IN OUR COMMUNITIES WHEN THEY'RE GETTING OUT OF THEIR CARS. THEY'RE DODGING VAGRANTS, THEY'RE DODGING DOGS AND ALL KINDS OF SITUATIONS TO GO AND LOOK AT PUBLIC NUISANCES IN OUR COMMUNITY, SOMETIMES TWO OR THREE TIMES WITHIN A YEAR. AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT THEY DO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SAFE AND CLEAN. IT'S A DIRTY JOB, BUT SOMEONE'S GOT TO DO IT. AND I'M HAPPY TO BE WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT NOT ONLY DO IT, THEY DO IT HAPPILY AND THEY DO IT WELL, THANK YOU FOR THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, AND I WANNA THANK THEM FOR ALL THAT THEY DO. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR CHIEF PENA. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. [03:35:01] UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU. AND I WANNA THANK COUNCIL FOR, UH, FOR THE RECOGNITION, BUT MOST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK THESE, UH, MEN AND WOMEN THAT, UH, WORK DILIGENTLY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A LOT SAFER. THEY'RE REALLY THE UNSUNG HEROES, UH, OF OUR COMMUNITY AS FAR AS SAFETY GOES. AND, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE DILIGENT WORK THAT THEY DO IN, IN ENSURING CODE COMPLIANCE. SO FOR THAT, THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHRIS BALLOR. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. UH, AS DR. UH, DIRECTOR TASHA FRANCIS STATED, CO COMPLIANCE IS A DIFFICULT JOB. NOBODY LIKES TO DO IT. UH, HOUSTONIANS DON'T LIKE IT WHEN WE COME ON THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY AND TELL 'EM THAT SOMETHING'S OUTTA COMPLIANCE, BUT WE'RE THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE BUILDINGS ARE SAFE FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE, PLAY AND WORK. SO IT'S A JOINT COLLABORATION WITH THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SPACES ARE SAFE FOR US TO OCCUPY. SO, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU CITY COUNCIL FOR TAKING THE TIME TO RECOGNIZE THESE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN THAT GO OUT EVERY DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PLACES ARE SAFE FOR US TO OCCUPY. MM-HMM . THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND, AND BY A SHOW OF HANDS, LEMME JUST SEE FROM THE EMPLOYEES, HOW MANY HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY, UM, FOR, LET ME SAY, FOR, FOR 15 YEARS OR MORE, IF YOU'VE BEEN JUST YOUR HANDS. OH, WELL, LEMME, LEMME, LEMME RAISE IT UP A LITTLE BIT HIGHER. HOW MANY, HOW MANY HAVE BEEN WITH, HOW MANY HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY? LET'S SAY, UM, 25 YEARS OR MORE. ALRIGHT. LEMME RAISE IT UP A LITTLE HIGHER. HOW MANY, HOW MANY, HOW MANY HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY? UH, 30 YEARS OR MORE? ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA NARROW THIS NUMBER. HOW MANY HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY? 35 YEARS OR MORE? NINE. DID I SEE? DID I SEE? IS THAT ONE HAND BACK THERE? YEAH. 30. WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T YOU COME UP 35 YEARS OR MORE? LONG, LONG, LONGEVITY HAS ITS PRIVILEGES. . YES, SIR. SO 30, 35 YEARS, 36 YEARS. YES SIR. 36. YES, SIR. WELL LOOK, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY, NUMBER ONE, GIMME YOUR GIVE GIMME NAME. RICHARD GALVAN. YES, SIR. RICHARD, LET ME, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU AND ON BEHALF OF EVERYBODY ELSE UNDER YOU, UH, FOR, FOR YOUR SERVICE AND FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO BE WITH, UH, THE CITY. SOME 36 YEARS. YES, SIR. YOU KNOW, UH, SPEAKS, SPEAKS VOLUMES. IT'S, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR WORK WORKING HERE. IT'S BEEN AN HONOR WORKING WITH THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE EAST DEPART DEPARTMENT. WELL, THANK YOU. SO 36 AND FOR THOSE, AND THEN LAST, HOW MANY HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY UNDER, MAYBE UNDER FIVE YEARS? OKAY, SO WHAT, YOU'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY UNDER FIVE, OR YOU'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY OVER 35, UH, OR IN BETWEEN. VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I DIDN'T WANT TO EMBARRASS YOU. NO, THAT'S OKAY. BUT WHEN YOU, BUT WHEN YOU SERVE THAT LENGTH OF TIME, UH, YOU ARE DESERVING OF THE RECOGNITION. UH, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ALRIGHT. I HAVE A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON IN THE QUEUE. MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO, I WANNA COME IN BEHIND YOU AND THANK ALL THE INSPECTORS. THANK THE CHIEF, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, DIRECTOR BUTLER AND, UH, CHIEF FRANCIS FOR ALL THE WORK THEY DO AS, UH, HAS POINTED OUT WITH THE EXPERIENCE. THERE'S AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF EXPERTISE IN THIS ROOM, BUT THERE'S ALSO A GREAT AMOUNT OF LEADERSHIP, YOU KNOW, AND KNOWLEDGE. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO NOT ONLY GO OUT AND DO THE HARD WORK, SHOW THE COURAGE, SHOW THE TENACITY THAT IT TAKES, UH, TO DO THE HARD WORK THAT WE'RE DESCRIBING, BUT ALSO STAY UP WITH THE CODE MAYOR. AND, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WE, WE MOVED FROM THE 2012 CODE TO THE 2015 CODE. AGAIN, THIS YEAR WE'RE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT MOVING PAST THE 2018 TO COME INTO THE 20, UH, 21 SET OF CODES AND ORDINANCES. THIS IS INCREDIBLE WORK YOU ALL ARE DOING TO STAY UP ON TOP OF YOUR GAME AND, UH, MAKE HOUSTON A BETTER PLACE. WE'RE ALL, UH, SO GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK YOU DO, WHETHER WE'RE A DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER OR AN AT LARGE ACROSS THE CITY, UH, YOU ARE OUR SUPERSTARS IN THE TIP OF THE SPEAR. SO MY HAT IS OFF TO YOU, AND THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. MAYOR, UH, IS ONE OF THE DISTRICTS THAT, UH, USES ALL OF YOU A LOT, UH, IN DISTRICT CI WANTED TO THANK EACH OF YOU [03:40:01] FOR NOT ONLY WORKING WITH MY OFFICE, BUT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, OUR BUSINESSES, DAY IN AND DAY OUT. UM, WE CANNOT HAVE SAFETY WITHOUT YOU. SO MY GRATITUDE, MY APPRECIATION, AND THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I APPRECIATE OUR FIRE CHIEF, UM, CHIEF PENA, WE APPRECIATE YOU AND ALL YOUR STAFF, AND I KNOW THAT Y'ALL GO THROUGH A WHOLE LOT. AND, UH, MAYOR, I APPRECIATE MR. CHRIS BUTLER. EVERY TIME I'VE HAD A PROBLEM, IF I GO THERE, HE'LL, HE'LL MEET WITH ME, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. OF COURSE, UH, I, EVERY, EVERYBODY HAS THEIR FAVORITES, BUT I, I'VE KNOWN REGGIE HARRIS, I GUESS, FOR 25 YEARS, AND, AND I APPRECIATE REGGIE, UH, WITH DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, REGGIE, FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE OVER THE YEARS AND, AND YOU'RE ASSISTING ON KEEPING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SAFE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I APPROACH TIM, MARK. YES, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN FOR WHAT YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY. AND THANK YOU, DIRECTOR BUTLER. IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE GET CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS TALKING ABOUT INSPECTIONS AND PERMITS, IT'S ALWAYS, THE CITY DID THIS. WHEN WE START DIGGING INTO THE INFORMATION, IT'S THE CONTRACTOR AND THE ARCHITECTS THAT HAVE THE FAULT. AND I LOVE THE ABILITY. IT'S LITERALLY 90% OF THE TIME WHEN WE FIND OUT, RIGHT, DIRECTOR BUTLER, THAT IT WAS SOMETHING ON THEIR END, NOT OUR END. SO IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO BE ABLE TO REITERATE THAT POINT TO 'EM WHEN WE CALL 'EM BACK AND LET 'EM KNOW THAT THEIR ARCHITECT AND THEIR CONTRACTORS ARE LATE GIVING US THE NECESSARY INFORMATION WE NEED. BUT THE PATIENCE THAT YOU SHOW AND THE DILIGENCE THAT YOU SHOW EACH AND EVERY DAY IS BEYOND REPROACH. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND GOD BLESS COUNCIL MEMBER PAC. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. IT'S TOUGH WORK, BUT NECESSARY WORK. AND IN DISTRICT DAY, WE REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL. UH, HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, IF WE HAD AS SHOW TICKETS TO GIVE AWAY, I WOULD GIVE AWAY, GIVE 'EM TO ALL OF YOU, . BUT, BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT, WHETHER, IF YOU DON'T GO IN PERSON, ENJOY WATCHING IT ON TELEVISION. BUT, UH, BUT AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL, QUITE FRANKLY, ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY, UH, LET ME THANK YOU, UH, FOR WHAT, FOR WHAT YOU DO, AND ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR LONGEVITY WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, COUNCIL MEMBERS, GIVE IT UP AGAIN TO THESE CODE INSPECTORS NOW. TAKE THE NEXT, UH, 10 MINUTES OFF AND THEN YOU CAN GET BACK TO WORK. . THANK YOU ALL. ALL RIGHT, LET ME, UH, LET ME TURN, UM, TO JUST A FEW OF THE MATTERS AND WE'LL BE DONE. THIS SATURDAY, HOUSTONIANS HAVE SOMETHING NEW TO ENJOY, H TOWN FAMILY PALOOZA FEATURE, LIVE MUSIC STREET OLYMPICS, AND THE NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR FAM JAM ACTIVITIES, GAMES, GIVEAWAYS, AND A CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY PHOTO OPPORTUNITY. H TOWN FAMILY PALOOZA IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND COUNTY TO CELEBRATE A DAY FILLED WITH MUSIC AND FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. ALL ACTIVITIES WILL BE FREE WITH FOOD AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. SO JOIN US SATURDAY FROM 10:00 AM TO 1:00 PM AT EL FRANCO LEE PLAZA, 1201 CONGRESS STREET. IN FACT, SATURDAY IS JUST GOING TO BE JAM PACKED WITH STUFF ALL DAY LONG. LEMME JUST GIVE A GOOD SHOUT OUT TO THE ASTROS. UM, YEAH, YEAH, GIVE IT, GIVE IT UP TO THE ASTROS. I TELL YOU, NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE HEART OF CHAMPIONS. UH, SO COMING FROM BEHIND, WINNING EIGHT TO SEVEN, UH, YOU KNOW, CAN'T SAY ENOUGH FOR THEM. THEY PLAY AGAIN ON THURSDAY. SO, UH, HOPING, WISHING FOR THE VERY BEST. UH, THIS PAST SATURDAY IN COUNCIL DISTRICT FA LEAF AREA, UH, WE HAD THE SECOND, UH, OH, UH, GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM AS A PART OF THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON INITIATIVE. LET ME START OFF BY THANKING COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, UH, YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND YOUR, UH, THE PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THE DIVINE NINES, SORORITIES, AND FRATERNITIES. UH, WERE JUST EXCEPTIONAL. UH, AND PUTTING ON THAT EVENT, COULDN'T HAVE PICKED A BETTER LOCATION. IT WORKED PERFECTLY. AND AS A RESULT, UH, WE BELIEVE WE HAD THE LARGEST SINGLE DAY GUN BUYBACK IN THE COUNTRY. UH, ON SATURDAY COMING OUT OF AILEY, MORE THAN 1200 GUNS WERE GIVEN, IF, TO GIVE YOU SOME IDEA, THE FIRST ONE, UH, WE COLLECTED OVER 800 AND PAID OUT ABOUT 95,000 UH, DOLLARS. IN THIS ONE, WE ELIMINATED ALL GHOST GUNS, NO PROPERTY MANUFACTURED GUNS AT ALL. UH, WHAT WAS IN THIS QUEUE, UH, THE LINES CONTINUED TO BE LONG ALL DAY. AND WE ENDED UP PAYING OUT, UH, $200,000, [03:45:03] UH, AND COLLECTING ALL REVOLVERS 368 SEMI-AUTOMATIC HANDGUNS, 279 SHOTGUNS 243 RIFLES, 227 RIFLES, SEMI SEMI-AUTOMATIC, 91, UH, BUT 12 1,208 GUNS. AND THAT'S BEFORE WE HAD TO CUT OFF THE LINE, UH, CUT OFF THE LINE. AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE WOULD'VE EXCEEDED THAT NUMBER. SO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, LET ME JUST SAY THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH, UM, ON, ON A HISTORIC DAY, UH, WHICH WAS A GOOD DAY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND THEN WE'LL DECIDE WHERE THE THIRD ONE WILL WILL BE. SO WANNA THANK YOU ON THAT. WANNA THANK THE COUNTY? UH, I DO WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS, PRECINCT ONE. HE'S BEEN A, A, A STRONG AND RELIABLE PARTNER WITH US IN REPRESENTING THE COUNTY, UH, IN THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE. WANT TO THANK CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON, LEE, CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN, ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, UH, FOR MAKING THIS, FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN. AND WHILE I'M ON SAFETY, WELL, I'M ON SAFETY. LET ME JUST SAY THIS. UH, THERE IS A COMMERCIAL, AND I'M SAYING THIS BECAUSE IT'S JUST INACCURATE. THERE'S A COMMERCIAL THAT'S BEING RUN AGAINST DEMOCRATIC JUDGES, OKAY? AND IT SAYS IN THAT COMMERCIAL, UH, THAT HOUSTON HAS MORE MURDERS THAN CHICAGO. THAT IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE, OKAY? THAT'S JUST AN OUTRIGHT LIE. AND I DON'T USE THAT TERM OFTEN, BUT THAT COMMERCIAL NEEDS TO COME DOWN BECAUSE AS OF LAST WEEK, UH, CHICAGO HAD MORE THAN 180 MORE MURDERS THAN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, MORE THAN 180. OKAY? SO TO RUN THAT COMMERCIAL, AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT A POLITICAL COMMUTATION 'CAUSE THIS IS A FACTUAL ONE. AND SO WHETHER YOU, WHETHER IT'S COMING FROM THE PULPIT OR COIN ON TELEVISION, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA TAKE THE ISSUE WITH IT WHEN IT'S, WHEN YOU'RE LYING AND THAT COMMERCIAL IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE, IT IS FACTUALLY NOT TRUE. AND THE REASON WHY I'M TALKING ABOUT IT, BECAUSE PEOPLE HEAR THIS STUFF AND THEY BELIEVE IT, AND REPEAT IT AND REPEAT IT, IT IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE, OKAY? AS OF LAST WEEK, CHICAGO HAD 180 MORE MURDERS THAN THIS CITY. AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE STATIONS NEED TO EITHER PULL IT DOWN OR THEY NEED TO PUT FORTH A STATEMENT AND A DISCLAIMER, AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THESE ARE POLITICAL ADS. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO, AND YOU SHOULDN'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE HEARING IN THESE ADS. SO WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TO GO TO THAT EXTENT TO TRY TO MAKE THEIR POINT, THEN I QUESTION THEIR OWN INTEGRITY. BUT THAT IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE. SO I WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT, UH, IN THE, IN THE STRONGEST OF TERMS. UH, HAVING SAID THAT, UH, I THINK THAT IS ALL I INTENDED TO COVER TODAY. CAYMAN COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, COLLEAGUES. UM, WE HAVE SOMEONE VERY SPECIAL IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY THAT I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE. UH, JAMIE, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND? UH, JAMIE BIRD IS, UH, NOT ONLY COMMITTED TO, UH, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT IS SERVING ON HPD, SHE IS ALSO, UH, PROUDLY, UH, THE DAUGHTER OF JAMES BYRD JR. AND ON THIS ITEM, ON ITEM NUMBER 28 TODAY, THERE'S, IT'S A VERY SPECIAL ITEM. UM, IT'S A GRANT, THE SOLIDARITY, SOLIDARITY AGAINST HATE PROJECT THAT HELPS BUILD TRUST BETWEEN AND AMONG LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTION, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND THE PUBLIC. AND IT DOES A HOST OF THINGS. UM, BUT THIS IS SPECIAL BECAUSE JAMIE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE, UM, INVOLVED IN THIS PROGRAM, HELPING TO RUN IT. AND IT IS A DIRECT RESULT OF HER FAMILY'S WORK AND ADVOCACY IN HONOR OF HER FATHER, UM, WHO WAS MURDERED, UH, BASED ON, UH, RACIAL PREJUDICE. IT WAS A HATE CRIME. AND I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE YOU, JAMIE, AND YOUR FAMILY, FOR, UH, YOUR COMMITMENT, NOT ONLY TO THIS CITY, BUT THIS COUNTRY. THANK YOU. AND I THINK THAT'S CHIEF HATCHER THAT'S SITTING, THAT'S SITTING, UH, RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. AND SO, UM, UH, LET ME ALSO ADD TO WHAT COUNCILMAN HAD TO SAY. VERY SPECIAL DAY. THANK YOU FOR BEING PRESENT. AND I TELL YOU WHAT, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MC CAMAN, IF YOU WILL, UM, IF YOU'LL MAKE A MOVE TO TAKE ITEM 28, UH, OUT OF ORDER AND WE'LL DO IT. NOW. I MOVED TO, UH, BRING ITEM 28 UP TO THE TOP OF THE AGENDA. SECOND, THEN MOVED. AND SECOND, UH, DISCUSSION. [03:50:01] ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR HEARS NONE. MOTION IS GRANTED. UM, MADAM SECRETARY, IF [28.  ORDINANCE approving and authorizing submission of an electronic application for and acceptance of the U. S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS, BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE for the FY22 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Program Grant (“Grant”); declaring the City’s eligibility for such Grant; authorizing the Police Chief of the City of Houston Police Department (“Chief”) to act as the City’s representative to accept such Grant Funds, and to apply for and accept all subsequent awards, if any, pertaining to the program ] YOU'LL CALL THE ITEM, ITEM 28, IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE ON ITEM 28, DISCUSSION ON 28, DISCUSSION ON 28. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED, GRANTED ON 28. THANK YOU ALSO VERY, VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT, MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCIL. ALRIGHT, COME, COME, COME. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL FOR UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS GRANT INITIATIVE. WHAT A PROUD DAY TO BE A HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF HATCHER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M, I'M REALLY JUST HERE TO SUPPORT OFFICER BIRD AND ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT SHE'S DONE IN THE COMMUNITY. WHAT AN HONOR IT IS FOR ME TO STAND HER WITH HER AND SUPPORT HER AS SHE CONTINUES TO, UH, PROGRESS THE GREAT WORK OF HER FAMILY. UM, NOT ONLY PERSONALLY, BUT ALSO PROFESSIONALLY WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH. OKAY. THANK YOU. BYE-BYE. ALRIGHT, LET'S [CONSENT AGENDA] PROCEED WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA. UM, MADAM SECRETARY, UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEMS ONE AND TWO, JUST NEED A MOTION, CASTEX TELL YOU TO MOVE. SECOND, ROBINSON BEEN MOVED IN SECOND ON NINE ERS ONE AND TWO. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED. AND IF YOU [1.  REQUEST from Mayor for confirmation of the appointment or reappointment of the following individuals to the BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE HOUSTON RECOVERY CENTER, LGC: Position Two - BURNELL JONES, reappointment, for a term to expire 9/30/2025 Position Four - CATHRYN G. TAYLOR, appointment, for an unexpired term ending on 9/30/2024 Position Five - MICHELLE ALEXANDER, appointment, for a term to expire 9/30/2025 Position Nine - RANDALL C. (RANDY) HOUSTON, reappointment, for a term to expire 9/30/2025 ] ARE HERE ON NUMBER ONE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD. UH, THIS IS TO THE, UH, THE HOUSTON, UH, BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE HOUSTON RECOVERY CENTER. UH, POSITION TWO IS BURNELL JONES. FOUR IS CATHERINE G. TAYLOR, FIVE IS MICHELLE ALEXANDER, AND NINE IS RANDALL. UH, UH, HOUSTON, I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE, OKAY. IT'S, YES, PLEASE COME FORWARD. MM-HMM . IS THAT BURNELL OR RANDALL? BURNELL JONES. BURNELL JONES. WELL, LOOK, THANK, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR CONTINUING SERVICE ON THE HOUSTON RECOVERY CENTER. VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. Y'ALL DO SOME INCREDIBLE AND SOME INCREDIBLE WORK, UH, FROM ITS INCEPTION. AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT HAS EXCEEDED, UH, ALL OF OUR EXPECTATIONS. SO THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER KASH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE. WHEN THE RECOVERY CENTER, UH, OPEN YEARS AGO THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, HOW IT OPERATE, BUT I HAVE FOUND IT TO BE A VERY COMPASSIONATE, CARING FACILITY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ADDICTIONS. AND, UH, I GREATLY APPRECIATE, UH, I THINK THAT THIS IS, UH, IT'S, UH, KINDA LIKE WE'RE DOING GOD'S WORK HERE BY HELPING PEOPLE. THANK YOU. AND, UH, I HOPE YOU SEE IT THAT WAY. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. AND WE DO AND, AND THANK THE MAYOR AND, AND THE CITY FOR, UM, SUPPORTING US IN OUR ENDEAVORS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, RENE. LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. OKAY, NEXT ITEMS UNDER THE SEVERAL CATEGORY, ITEMS THREE THROUGH SEVEN. NEED A MOTION. TATUM MOVE. SECOND. ROBINSON MOVED AND SECONDED ON ITEMS THREE THROUGH SEVEN. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF B IS CATEGORY ITEMS 10 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS 8, 9, 11, AND 12 CASTEX MOVE SECOND, ROBINSON, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECOND ON 8, 9, 11, AND 12. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANTED UNDER THE ORDINANCE CATEGORY. ITEM 13 HAS BEEN RECEIVED, [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION OR 13, 16, 23, 28, 36, AND 38. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 13, 16, 23, 28, 36, AND 38. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED. 28. WE ALREADY VOTED ON 28. WHILE I GET TO THAT, WE GET TO IT. YES. ITEM 28 HAS PASSED. NOT YET TWICE. DOUBLE VOTED ON, NOT YET. IT WAS FULL OF SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ONLY VOTED ITEMS [10.  INTERNATIONAL NAME PLATE SUPPLIES for purchase of Vehicle Decals and Decal Materials for the Fleet Management Department - 3 Years with 2 one-year options - $996,828.55 - Fleet Management Fund ] MOVE SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM 10 NEEDS A MOTION. WE ON ITEM 10, CASTEX TATUM, MOVE SECOND ROBINSON. DISCUSSION ON ITEM 10. DISCUSSION ON 10. DISCUSSION ON 10 IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 10. ITEM 13 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. WE ON ITEM 13, DISCUSSION ON 13. DISCUSSION ON 13. DISCUSSION IN [03:55:01] FAVOR. OPPOSE, GRANTED, LEMME JUST SAY ON ITEM 13, THIS IS ABOUT, UH, PRESERVING THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF AND GROWTH OF OUR, OF MANY OF OUR PARKS. SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS, HOUSTON PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR KENNY ALLEN, THAT WHOLE TEAM, UH, FOR WORKING TO, TO DO THIS. AND THIS WILL, THIS WILL REALLY HELP, UH, TO MAINTAIN THE NATURAL GROWTH AND BEAUTY, UH, OF OUR PARK. SO I'M VERY, VERY EXCITED AND VERY PLEASED WITH THIS ITEM. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. I WANNA THANK YOU MAYOR, SO MUCH FOR THIS AND, AND THE HOUSTON PARKS RECREATION FOR DOING THIS. AND ALSO IN TERMS OF PRESERVING BEAUTY, IT'S ALSO GONNA HELP WITH RESILIENCY. YES, THANK YOU. BUT THANK YOU FOR THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT ITEM. ITEM 16 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. WE ON ITEM 16, DISCUSSION ON 16. COUNCILMAN COOPER, WATCH ON ITEM 16. MAYOR IS, UH, SO THIS IS THE COST OF US. UH, HAD WE NOT PUT THE BONDS ON THE, UH, FOR ELECTION THIS TIME, UH, WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD ANY COST OR WOULD THERE HAVE BEEN ANY COST FOR AN ELECTION? I THINK THERE PROBABLY STILL WOULD'VE BEEN A COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT SINCE, UM, ALL OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON FALLS WITHIN THE COUNTY. SO I THINK WE STILL WOULD'VE HAD A COST. AM I CORRECT? AM I INCORRECT? UH, UH, ATTORNEY MICHELLE? WELL, WE'D HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT IN ORDER FOR IT. IT'S A, IT'S PRO RATA SHARE IS THE ENTITIES THAT THAT PARTICIPATE. SO IN THE ABSENCE OF THE BONDS, WOULD WE HAVE HAD A COST? NO, I DON'T BELIEVE SO. I'LL CONFIRM THAT, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WE WOULD. YOU, YOU'RE CORRECT. IN THE ABSENCE OF THE BOND, THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A COST CONST MEMBER KOSH. I I I REMEMBER WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, THE CHARTER AMENDMENT THAT WE PUT ON 2023, WE DID SO 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T WANNA SPEND THIS MONEY. SO, UM, JUST WANNA MAKE NOTE OF THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. OKAY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 16? DISCUSSION ON 16. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 16. ITEM 23 IS AN ORDER. JUST NEED A VOTE TAG ROBINSON. WHEN ITEM 23, ITEM 23 HAS BEEN TAGGED BY ROBINSON. ITEM 28 HAS ALREADY BEEN PASSED. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. ITEM 36 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 36. DISCUSSION ON 36. DISCUSSION ON 36. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED ON 36. ITEM 38 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ONE ITEM 38, DISCUSSION ON 38. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION ON 38 IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRAND ON 38. [NON CONSENT AGENDA] ITEM 43 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. WE ARE ITEM 43 AND WE HAVE SEVERAL AMENDMENTS ON ITEM 43. UH, WHY DON'T WE FIRST TAKE, UH, HUFFMAN, WE'LL START OFF WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN WHO HAS, WHO HAS AN AMENDMENT. I THINK YOU ALL HAVE THE AMENDMENT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. YES. EVERYBODY HAS THE AMENDMENT. OKAY, EVERYBODY HAS IT. WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. YES. CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN ON HER AMENDMENT TO ITEM 43. UH, I JUST MOVED TO, UM, AMEND ITEM 43 BY MOVING PRECINCT 2, 7 4 AND 7 3 0 FROM DISTRICT A TO DISTRICT G. THAT AREA IS CONSIDERED PART OF MEMORIAL. IT IS NORTH OF THE BAYOU. UM, AND THE RESIDENTS WOULD LIKE TO STAY IN DISTRICT G. OKAY, SO THE, THE REQUEST IS THROUGH THE AMENDMENT IS TO MOVE 2 74 AND SEVEN 30 FROM A TO PLACE IT INTO G. UH, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME IDEA OF WHAT THAT WOULD DO? I MEAN, I, JERRY CAN YOU SPEAK TO IT? I'M SORRY. THE AREA NORTH OF THE BIO MOVING IT FROM, WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S? UH, YES. UH, MAYOR. UH, THE, THE, THE PROBLEM WITH MOVING, UM, THE AREA IN QUESTION, THE NEAR SECTION, THE VOLUME. AM I NOT A LITTLE, A LITTLE MORE VOLUME? TRY TRY THIS ONE. THIS, I KNOW THIS ONE'S WORKING. UM, THE PROBLEM WITH, UM, MOVING THAT ENTIRE AREA IS THAT, UH, THE POPULATION OF DISTRICT G WOULD GO TOO HIGH. OKAY, SO THAT WOULD TAKE IT OUTSIDE? YES. YES SIR. THAT WOULD INCREASE IT. INCREASE THE NUMBER IN DISTRICT G. YES SIR. OUR RANGE, A RANGE WOULD BE TOO HIGH. OKAY. [04:00:01] UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PACK. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I JUST WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN FOR PUTTING THIS AMENDMENT FORWARD. I KNOW THAT, UM, WE BOTH GOT PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS ABOUT THIS. UM, AND THE REASON WHY MANY OF THE PEOPLE WANTED TO STAY IN DISTRICT G AS OPPOSED TO MOVING TO DISTRICT A IS BECAUSE THEY FELT LIKE, UM, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE A SAY IN WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH BUFFALO BAYOU IF THEY MOVED TO A, BUT I JUST WANNA REMIND ANYONE WHO'S WATCHING THIS THAT BUFFALO BAYOU IS, UM, IT'S UNDER, UM, HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT IN HARRIS COUNTY. SO CHANGING THIS COUNCIL DISTRICT WOULDN'T AFFECT ANY KIND OF FLOODING MITIGATION PROJECTS THAT IT'S ALREADY IN THE QUEUE FOR BUFFALO BAYOU. UM, AND ALSO, AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE POPULATION, UM, ISSUES AND HOW IT WOULD AFFECT DISTRICT A, I AM OPPOSED TO THE AMENDMENT. BUT I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN FOR WORKING WITH, UM, WITH THE CONSTITUENTS THERE ON THIS AMENDMENT. OKAY. AND LET ME JUST, COUNCILMAN KNOX? YES, MA'AM. I HAVE A, I HAVE ANOTHER AMENDMENT THAT I WANNA OFFER. SHOULD I WAIT TILL WE'RE DONE WITH? YEAH, WE'RE STILL ON. WE'RE STILL ON THIS AMENDMENT. UM, AND LEMME JUST SAY TO THAT, THIS WILL, THIS WILL THROW THE MAP OUTTA WHACK, UH, AND THEN WE'LL END UP HAVING TO ADJUST OTHER AREAS IF THE AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED. AND IF THE CONCERNS IS ABOUT WHAT'S CONCERN ABOUT BUFFALO BAYOU, UH, THEN THAT IS A HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL ITEM, AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO, THE SERVICE THERE IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE. UH, SO COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THE ADMINISTRATION WILL HAVE TO BE OPPOSED TO THIS AMENDMENT. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS AMENDMENT BEFORE WE VOTE? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? OPPOSED, OPPOSED, OPPOSED, OPPOSED. OKAY. THE AMENDMENT FAILS. OKAY. ANYONE IN FAVOR? WHO'S IN FAVOR? COUNCIL MEMBER? IT'S IN FAVOR. IN FAVOR. OKAY. THE AMENDMENT FAILS. COUNCIL. OKAY, MAYOR, CAN YOU CLARIFY WHO VOTED FOR IT AND WHO VOTED AGAINST IT? IT WAS KIND OF, OKAY, LEMME JUST SAY, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE ALL IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT, RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT, RAISE YOUR HAND IN FAVOR, SHOW COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. AND COUNCIL IN FAVOR. AND COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH IN FAVOR, OPPOSED TO THE AMENDMENT? ALL THE REST, THE AMENDMENT FAILS. ALRIGHT, UH, LET'S TURN NOW TO, LET'S TURN NOW TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS AND THANK COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, I WAS PROPOSED TO SUBMIT AN ANOTHER AMENDMENT, UH, BUT DUE TO THE FACT THAT YESTERDAY WE HAD RESIDENTS FROM DISTRICT, UH, I, UH, IN MAGNOLIA PARK CONCERNED THAT MAGNOLIA PARK WAS GOING TO BE DIVIDED, UH, THEREFORE I'VE SUBMITTED THIS AMENDMENT I, IN REGARDS TO, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU MAYOR FOR, UM, KEEPING MAGNOLIA PARK WHOLE. UH, IT'S THE OLDEST MEXICAN AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD, THE LARGEST MEXICAN AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, AND THEY HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY STAY UNITED SO THEY CAN ADDRESS THESE ISSUES THAT IMPACT THEIR COMMUNITY. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, WE HAD SEVERAL SPEAKERS COME UP AND STATE THAT THEY FEEL THAT WE ARE NOT, THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS NOT BEING REPRESENTED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I WAS HOPING THAT WE COULD HAVE A SOLUTION, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I DID NOT GET THE SUPPORT OF COUNCIL DISTRICT B OR COUNCIL DISTRICT H. SO THEREFORE, I HAVE NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE. BUT TO SUBMIT THIS AMENDMENT BRINGING 69 AND FIVE 30 REMAINING IN DISTRICT I AND MOVING PRECINCT EIGHT 90 IN DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS OVERWHELMING, OVERWHELMINGLY ANGLO. AND IN TIME IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, WE'LL DILUTE THE HISPANIC VOTED DISTRICT H. BUT I'M WILLING TO SUBMIT THIS AMENDMENT AND I ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. AND LEMME JUST SAY, UH, IN REFERENCE NUMBER ONE, COUNCIL MEMBER GAVE THIS, LET ME THANK YOU. UH, UH, CERTAINLY ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR ADVOCACY, UM, AND WANTING TO DO EVERYTHING, UM, YOU CAN IN ADVOCATING FOR GREATER HISPANIC REPRESENTATION IN AS MANY OF THESE COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICTS AS POSSIBLE. SO, UH, CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, AND YOUR SENSITIVITY AND PASSION. AND QUITE FRANKLY, UM, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO WHAT WE CAN TO ENHANCE REPRESENTATION, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD. MAKE IT REFLECTIVE OF THE CITY IN TERMS OF ITS DEMOGRAPHICS. UH, THE SPEAKER WHO CAME YESTERDAY, UH, WERE VERY POIGNANT IN THEIR PRESENTATION OF WANTING TO MAINTAIN MAGNOLIA, UH, PLACE AND THE SMITH EDITION. UM, AND THEY POINTED OUT IT IS A PART OF OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES. AND, AND THAT AREA IS THANKS TO, UH, YOUR PUSHING OF THAT. UH, SO WE DO WANT TO KEEP, UH, MAGNOLIA PLACE [04:05:01] AND SMITH EDITION TOGETHER. YOU'VE MADE THAT VERY CLEAR AND I CERTAINLY GET IT AND UNDERSTAND IT AND APPRECIATE IT, UH, IN TRYING TO WORK THIS OUT. SO REDISTRICTING IS A VERY, HOW CAN I PUT IT? UM, IMPRECISE SCIENCE IN SO MANY WAYS, PRECISE IN SO MANY OTHER WAYS. UM, BUT, UH, KEEPING EIGHT 90 IN IN DISTRICT H, WE STILL WOULD HAVE, UH, UH, IN DISTRICT, I IN DISTRICT AGE. AND JERRY AND, UM, WALLACE AND DIRECTOR BROWN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THEY WILL STILL, STILL BOTH BE AT ABOUT 70%, UH, HISPANIC POPULATION. YES, SIR. UM, I ABOVE 70 AND, UM, H JUST BELOW 76, 69, 60 9%. SO I I, I DON'T JUST WANT TO GLOSS OVER IT. I DO WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS, UM, AND HE'S BEEN, UH, UH, A STRONG ADVOCATE. UH, SO I I I APPRECIATE HIS WORK IN THIS EFFORT. THE ADMINISTRATION, THE ADMINISTRATION DOES SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT, UH, BY OF MOVING PRECINCT A 90 FROM DISTRICT REGARD TO DISTRICT H AND MOVING PRECINCT 69 AND FIVE 30, WHICH REPRESENTS THE MAGNOLIA PLACEMENT EDITION, UH, FROM DISTRICT H TO DISTRICT, I, THE ADMINISTRATION DOES SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I ALSO SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT. UM, AND I, I GUESS I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE COMMENT COUNCIL MEMBER THAT YOU MADE ABOUT DISTRICT H BEING NOT COOPERATIVE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS. UM, DISTRICT H HAS TO GROW IT. WE ARE FEDERALLY MANDATED TO GROW, AND I, I WOULD PREFER US NOT TO HAVE TO GROW AT ALL. SO THE, THAT, THAT, THAT COMMENT DIDN'T SEEM APPROPRIATE TO ME. UM, I AM NOT ADVOCATING FOR, YOU KNOW, UM, MAGNOLIA PARK BEING PART OF AGE. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND AND, AND YOU KNOW, AND REALLY BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE NEED TO BE AS RESPECTFUL OF COMMUNITIES THAT ARE INTACT AS POSSIBLE. AND, AND I THINK THIS IS, IS A GOOD THING TO DO THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THAT YOU WANTED TO KEEP EIGHT 90 IN PRECINCT HIGH. UM, THE CONCERN YOU RAISED ABOUT THAT OVER TIME IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS AFTER THE NEXT, UM, CENSUS, THAT IT WOULD BE, UM, MORE ANGLO AND THAT WOULD HURT DISTRICT H UM, IT WOULD HURT DISTRICT. I, BOTH DISTRICTS ARE OPPOR HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS. AND, AND SO YOUR CONCERN FOR H BECOMING MORE ANGLO THERE IS THAT WOULD ALSO AFFECT DISTRICT I, SO, BUT I DO THINK THIS IS THE BETTER SOLUTION TO KEEP MAGNOLIA PARK IN TECH AND I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. POINT OF INFORMATION ON THIS AMENDMENT, UM, BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN SUCH CHALLENGE RELATED TO H WITH POPULATION AND MAKING SURE THAT H'S POPULATION IS WITHIN THAT 10%, UM, VARIANCE THAT WE HAVE. WHAT WOULD THIS AMENDMENT DO IN TERMS OF TOTAL POPULATION FOR H IT IT, IT BASICALLY BALANCES COUNCIL MEMBER THAT THEY'RE NOT EXACTLY THE SAME POPULATION, BUT THEY'RE CLOSE TO THE SAME POPULATION. AND SO IT, IT DOES, UM, IT, IT TAKES US BACK TO THE STATUS QUO ANTE WHERE , SORRY, IT TAKES US BACK. CAN YOU SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME? IT TO THE STATUS QUO ANTE? THE, THE, THE PLAN THAT, UH, AS IT EXISTED WHEN IT WAS FIRST PROPOSED, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE EXACT NUMBERS BEFORE YOU AND THE MAYOR I'M ASKING, IS BECAUSE THAT CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON, UH, THE POTENTIAL OF OTHER AMENDMENTS BEING CONSIDERED. AND THERE MAY BE, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW WHEN WE'RE VOTING ON SOMETHING, WHAT THE ACTUAL POPULATION CHANGE IS GOING TO BE, RIGHT? BUT THIS, THIS MAY, THIS WILL KEEP US WHERE WE NEED TO, WHERE WE NEED TO BE IN TERMS OF THE REQUIREMENTS. UM, AGAIN, UH, H IS, UM, H IS ONE OF THOSE, UH, DISTRICTS, UH, THAT LOST QUITE A BIT OF POPULATION THAT NEEDED TO INCR THE POP, THE POPULATION NEEDED TO INCREASE. AND SO, UH, THIS KEEPS US, UM, RIGHT WHERE WE NEED TO BE. NOW, IF THERE ARE OTHER EMIS COMING FORWARD, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THAT CHANGES THAT, THEN YEAH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF, OF THOSE AMENDMENTS, RIGHT? AND THAT, AND AGAIN, I, I, I TRUST THE NUMBERS. I'M NOT QUESTIONING THAT AND I KNOW WE'LL BE WITHIN THAT RANGE, BUT EVEN A 300 PERSON CHANGE OR A 500 PERSON CHANGE CAN HAVE AN IMPROVEMENT. UM, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO GET THAT INFORMATION RIGHT. OKAY. WE'RE DOING THE MATH RIGHT NOW FOR YOU. OKAY. WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, MAY I PRO TIM MARTIN? YEAH. SO WHILE YOU'RE DOING THE MATH, CAN YOU LET US KNOW WHAT CITY CHARTER OBLIGATES US TO DO WHEN WE REDISTRICT? I KNOW THERE IS A REDISTRICTING PLAN EVERY, I THINK IT'S 10 YEARS OR WHATEVER IT IS, AND WE HAVE TO DIVIDE THE 11 SINGLE MEMBER COUNCIL DISTRICTS BY AN EQUITABLE FASHION. SO ROUGHLY 200 AND SOME ODD [04:10:01] THOUSAND PER DISTRICT. SO AS I LOOK AT THE NUMBERS NOW, MAYBE A FOLLOW UP TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S POINT. WE HAVE DISTRICTS A AND C WITH ROUGHLY 220,000 PEOPLE AND F AND J WITH ABOUT 200, AND THAT'S ABOUT A 10 OR 11% DIFFERENTIAL. SO WHAT ARE WE OBLIGATED TO DO BY CHARTER ON REDISTRICT? AND AS FAR AS POPULATION, WE ARE OBLIGATED TO MAINTAIN THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SMALLEST AND THE LARGEST COUNCIL DISTRICT, NOT BE MORE THAN 10%. AND I WILL DEFER TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AS TO WHETHER THAT IS SPECIFICALLY CHARTER OR FEDERAL LAW. IT IS, UM, IT'S THE CASE LAW RATHER THAN THE CHARTER. OKAY. OKAY. SO 10% DEVIATION BETWEEN THE SMALLEST AND THE LARGEST. THAT LEAVES US APPROXIMATELY, THAT LEAVES US A MEAN NUMBER OF 2 0 9, 5 0 7 AS PROPOSED. THE MAPS IN FRONT OF YOU, UM, THE, THE DIFFERENCE IS 9.49% BETWEEN THE SMALLEST AND THE LARGEST. SO WE ARE, WE ARE WITHIN THE MARGIN, BUT MUCH CHANGE, YOU KNOW, I DEFER TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS QUESTION A LITTLE BIT IN THAT YES, A LITTLE BIT OF CHANGE COULD BE, COULD, COULD BE A LARGE DIFFERENCE. AND AROUND THE, THE, THE, THE AMENDMENT AS PROPOSED WOULD LOWER DISTRICT H'S POPULATION TO ABOUT 200,700, WHICH IS, IT WOULD STILL NOT BE THE LOWEST POPULATION. SO IT STILL FALLS WITHIN THE RANGE TO LOWEST POPULATION BEING DISTRICT J AT THIS TIME. YOU WANNA STAY RIGHT AROUND 209,000 WITH A DEVIATION OF 10% ON EITHER, ON EITHER END. IT, IT REMAINS INSIDE THE DEVIATION. OKAY. SO THE AMENDMENT THAT BEEN, THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED KEEPS US WITHIN THAT 10% RANGE? YES, SIR. YES. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OH, I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN MC, MAYOR PRO COUNCIL GALLEGOS. THANK YOU MAYOR. IN, IN REGARDS TO DISTRICT H AND DISTRICT I, THEY ARE BOTH UNDERPOPULATED. SO TRYING TO SWITCH PRECINCTS WITHIN THESE TWO DISTRICTS MAKES NO SENSE. THEREFORE, THAT'S WHY I WAS SUBMITTING AN AMENDMENT, BRINGING IN A PRECINCT FROM ANOTHER DISTRICT INTO H UH, WHICH IS VAST MAJORITY IS HISPANIC, WOULD BRING THEIR POPULATION UP. IT WOULD PROTECT DISTRICT H IN THE FUTURE TO CONTINUE BE BEING AN HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY COUNCIL MEMBER, OUR COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, IS CONFUSED. DISTRICT H IS AN HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT, AND WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO PROTECT THAT. SO THAT'S NOT CLEAR ENOUGH. I'LL TRY TO EXPLAIN IT AGAIN. OKAY. DISTRICT I IS 73.8% HISPANIC 60, UH, DISTRICT EIGHT DISTRICT AGE IS 67.7% HISPANIC. EVERYBODY IS LISTENING OR PAYING ATTENTION TO THE PERCENTAGES, BUT YOU HAVE MANY HISPANICS THAT ARE NOT VOTING AGE. YOU HAVE MANY HISPANICS THAT ARE NOT DOCUMENTED, SO THEREFORE THEY CAN'T VOTE. SO BY JUST SAYING YOU HAVE 73% IN DISTRICT DIE DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE 73% OUT THERE THAT ARE GONNA GO OUT AND VOTE, OR YOU HAVE 67% IN DISTRICT AGE THAT ARE GONNA GO OUT THERE AND VOTE. NO, YOU HAVE QUITE A FEW THAT ARE UNDERAGE WHERE THEY CANNOT VOTE YET. AND YOU HAVE MANY THAT ARE UNDOCUMENTED. SO THAT'S WHY I WAS PROPOSING BRINGING IN A PRECINCT FROM ANOTHER DISTRICT THAT IS VASTLY, THE MAJORITY IS HISPANIC. IT WOULD RAISE THE POPULATION IN DISTRICT H SO THAT WAY THEY HAVE THAT POPULATION THAT'S NEEDED. PLUS THE VAST MAJORITY WOULD BE HISPANIC, PROTECTING IT FOR THE FUTURE IN REGARDS TO 20, 20 30. WHEN, WHEN, WHEN, AGAIN, WE WILL BE DOING THIS. BUT AGAIN, I'VE SUBMITTED THIS AMENDMENT, AND AGAIN, MAYOR, I THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING MAGNOLIA PARK AND KEEPING IT WHOLE. AND, UH, MY AMENDMENT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED. THANK YOU. AND LEMME JUST MAKE SURE THAT I'M COACH JERRY, WHAT IS THE HISPANIC POPULATION UNDER THE AMENDMENT IN DISTRICT H, UH, AFTER THE AMENDMENT? YES. I, YEAH. I BELIEVE THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S, UH, NUMBERS WERE CORRECT. OKAY. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. TO BE CLEAR, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE AMENDMENT THAT'S BEFORE ME. ARE ARE NOW I HEAR [04:15:01] YOU TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER DISTRICT. IS, IS, IS IS THIS A, ARE YOU AMENDING YOUR AMENDMENT? BECAUSE I, I I THINK WHAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO WAS YOUR, UM, NOTION ABOUT TRANSFERRING GREENSPOINT MALL AND FROM DISTRICT B INTO DISTRICT H. ARE YOU CHANGING WHAT YOU GOT BEFORE US? NO, THE ONLY, THE ONLY AMENDMENT BEFORE US, JUST THE, IS THE AMENDMENT THAT, UH, THE TABLE AMENDMENT THAT IS BEFORE US. MM-HMM . WELL, I AM, I HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED MY SUPPORT FOR WHAT'S BEFORE US. OKAY. SO I THANK YOU. I'M, I'M OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT, UH, BEING PUT FORTH BY COUNCILMAN MAG GALLOS? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? COUNCILMAN ROBINSON? THE AMENDMENT REFERS TO AN EXHIBIT B. CAN WE, IS THAT IN FRONT OF US? IS THERE A DIAGRAM? EXHIBIT B, IT'S THE EXHIBIT B OF THE ORDINANCE. IT'S THE ACTUAL, UM, IT'S THE ACTUAL PRECINCT LISTING. IT IS THE ACTUAL PRECINCT LISTING IN, IN YOUR, IN YOUR PACKET. IT'S ABOUT 15 PAGES. IT'S IN THE ORDINANCE DOCUMENT ITSELF. OKAY. AND IT'S JUST THE LIST OF THE PRECINCTS WITH THE DISTRICTS? YEAH, JUST THE LISTING OF THE PRECINCTS. THANK YOU. OKAY. IN THE OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT IN FAVOR, OPPOSED, GRANTED THE AMENDMENT PASSES. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. VERY MUCH. OKAY, NOW WE TURN NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S AMENDMENT. AND THE AMENDMENT IS BEFORE YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE, MY AMENDMENT IS NOT AN EASY AMENDMENT. UM, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO LISTEN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT COME BEFORE US, AND WE HAVE HEARD OVERWHELMING PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, WEEK AFTER WEEK, STARTING BACK WITH THE FIRST DISTRICT C TOWN HALL, UM, FROM PRECINCT 30, UH, FOURTH WARD FRIEDMANS TOWN REQUESTING TO REMAIN IN DISTRICT C. UH, THE CHALLENGES THAT THE CENSUS HAS PRESENTED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CIRES HAS BEEN VERY GRACIOUS IN EXPLAINING A LOT OF WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE. UH, JERRY WOOD AND THE DEPARTMENT HAVE AS WELL. UH, WE HAVE IT, WHATEVER, REGARDLESS OF AN UNDERCOUNT, WE ARE BIND, BOUNDED BY THE CENSUS, AND WE HAVE TO DO THAT. AND DISTRICT H HAS AN, UH, A MUCH LOWER POPULATION IN DISTRICT C, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO IT, UH, HAPPENS TO HAVE ONE OF THE LARGEST POPULATIONS. AND THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICT, WE ARE SEEING IN DISTRICT C, UM, THE UNFORTUNATE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT, WHICH IS LOSING, UH, DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DISTRICT IN SEVERAL AREAS. WHAT MY AMENDMENT DOES IS IT'S A REQUEST THAT IS NARROWLY TAILORED, UM, TO BRING FORTH WARD FRIEDMANS TOWN PRECINCT 30 BACK WITHIN DISTRICT C, AGAIN, BASED ON THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY. UM, THAT HAS BEEN OVER OVERWHELMING IN ASKING THAT. UM, IT'S A SLIGHT MODIFICATION TO THE CURRENT PROPOSED MAP. UM, IT EX IT'S A POPULATION EXCHANGE, UH, IN THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF DISTRICT C THAT WOULD MOVE TO DISTRICT H IN ITS PLACE. THE AMENDMENT WOULD MOVE PRECINCT 30 FROM DISTRICT H TO DISTRICT C. IT WOULD MOVE PRECINCT 73 FROM DISTRICT C TO DISTRICT H. IT WOULD ALSO MOVE TWO ADDITIONAL AREAS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE POPULATION IN DISTRICT H. UM, IT WOULD MOVE THE AREA THAT IS BOUNDED BY PINE MOUNT DRIVE ON THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY, BRINKMAN STREET TO THE EAST, CANDLELIGHT LANE TO THE SOUTH AND ALBO ROAD TO THE WEST. THOSE ARE WITHIN PRECINCT 3 24. AND THAT WOULD MOVE TO DISTRICT H, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE PRECINCT WOULD BE ASSIGNED TO DISTRICT C. IT WOULD ALSO MOVE AN AREA THAT IS BOUNDED BY WEST 43RD ON THE NORTH ALBO ROAD TO THE EAST, THE RAILROAD TRACK TO THE SOUTH, AND GULF DRIVE TO THE WEST. THAT IS WITHIN PRECINCT 9 27. AND THAT WOULD MOVE INTO DISTRICT H, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE PRECINCT IS ASSIGNED TO DISTRICT C. MY AMENDMENT WOULD ALSO AMEND THE TABLE AND IN THE APPENDIX TO THE EXHIBIT B, UH, TO CONFORM TO THE AMENDMENT. AND I WOULD SAY AT THE OUTSET, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS A REALLY, REALLY HARD AND DIFFICULT AMENDMENT FOR ME, BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA LOSE ANY PART OF MY DISTRICT. I LOVE IT ALL. AND IN FACT, IN SOME OF THE AREAS THAT THIS PULLS OUT, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE LOOKING TO RELOCATE THERE. UM, BUT I HAVE AN OBLIGATION, AND I GAVE MY WORD TWO CONSTITUENTS THAT [04:20:01] IF THEY CAME FORWARD AND SPOKE OUT PUBLICLY, THAT, UM, I WOULD FIGHT LIKE HELL FOR THEM. SO THAT IS WHAT THIS AMENDMENT DOES. UM, I LAY IT BEFORE YOU MAYOR. I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THE DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSE OR YOUR RESPONSE. AND LET ME SAY THAT I, I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH THE, WITH, UH, JERRY WOODS IN REFERENCE TO THE AMENDMENT. UM, AND THEY'RE NOT IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT, BUT FOR THE ANALYSIS, UH, JERRY, LEMME TURN TO YOU. UH, MAYOR, UH, THE, THE PROPOSED EXCHANGE INVOLVING GUARD OAKS AND FOURTH WARD, UH, ESSENTIALLY IS A WASH AS FAR AS THE, UM, THE EFFECT ON THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY'S AB ABILITY TO ELECT REPRESENTATIVE THEIR CHOICE IN DISTRICT H. BUT, UM, AND IT DOES MAINTAIN CONSTITUENT RELATIONSHIPS, UH, WHICH IS PART OF THE CRITERIA THAT ARE SET UP BY COUNCIL. HOWEVER, IT DOES DISRUPT CONSTITUENT RELATIONSHIPS IN, WITH REGARD TO THE GARDEN OAKS AREA, IT ALSO SPLITS UP TWO NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE GARDEN OAKS AREA. GARDEN OAKS AND CADILLAC PLAZA. AND IT ALSO USES LOCAL STREETS INSTEAD OF MAJOR THOROUGHFARE OR OTHER CLEARLY IDENTIFIABLE BOUNDARIES. UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S ANOTHER PROBLEM, AND THAT IS THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT DOESN'T, UH, ON THE CENSUS NUMBERS, IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE TOTAL PERCENTAGE OF HISPANIC POPULATION IN DISTRICT H SIGNIFICANTLY IS BECAUSE THERE'S A, THERE'S AN AREA THAT'S IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO SHEPHERD DRIVE, UM, THAT HAS HAD A, HISTORICALLY, HAS HAD A, A VERY HIGH HISPANIC POPULATION. IN 2010, THAT POPULATION WAS 75% OF THE, OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. IN 2020, IT HAD DROPPED TO 59% BECAUSE THE AREA IS RAPIDLY GENTRIFYING. UM, WE USE THE CENSUS INFORMATION, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE DYNAMICS OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS AS WE TALK ABOUT THEM. AS COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS WAS POINTING OUT ABOUT, UH, DOWNTOWN, UM, THE, THE AREA THAT PROVIDES THE BULK OF THE HISPANIC POPULATION IN JUST IN THE GARDEN OAKS AREA IS BEING, UH, THE, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES, UM, TRAILER PARKS AND SMALL HOMES ARE BEING REPLACED BY, UM, $400,000 NEW HOMES. AND THAT NEW POPULATION IS OVERWHELMINGLY ANGLO. SO THE, THE EQUIVALENCY IS EVAPORATING AS THE AREA BECOMES INCREASINGLY, UM, UM, ANGLO UNDER, UH, GENTRIFICATION. THE REMAINING AREA IS BASICALLY AN UPPER MIDDLE CLASS, UM, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AREA, UM, WHICH I DON'T ANTICIPATE AS TIME GOES BY THAT WE'LL SEE A GREAT CHANGE IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THAT AREA. SO MY CONCERN IS THE DECLINING HISPANIC POPULATION IN THE AREA THAT WOULD GO INTO DISTRICT H. OKAY. LET ME, LET ME ALSO SAY, UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I CONSISTENTLY HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO CAME FROM FREEMAN TOWN COUNCILMAN MC CAMAN, UM, IS THAT THEY APPRECIATED AND APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR REPRESENTATION. AND I THINK THAT THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES. UM, AND THERE IS NO QUESTION, UH, THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED STELLAR LEADERSHIP, UH, FOR, FOR PRECINCT THREE. AND THAT WAS SAID OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. BUT I WILL CAUTION EVERYBODY IN THIS PROCESS, IS THAT REDISTRICTING SHOULD NOT BE TIED JUST TO A PERSONALITY. OKAY? BECAUSE PERSONALITIES WILL CHANGE. OKAY? COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN WILL NOT BE, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT C FOREVER. UH, NEITHER NO ONE, NOT ONE OF US WILL BE HERE FOREVER. AND UNDER THE TERM LIMITS, THINGS WILL CHANGE. UH, AND THE REALITY IS, IS THAT THESE KEY ASSETS ARE HISTORICAL AREAS, UH, IN LARGE PART WILL CONTINUE TO BE WHERE THEY ARE IN LARGE PART. UH, AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE MEANINGFUL AND QUALITATIVE REPRESENTATION. UM, AND SO WHETHER A PROPER, OR WHETHER AN AREA REMAINS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN DISTRICT C OR GOES TO DISTRICT H OR SOMEPLACE ELSE, THE GOAL IS THAT THAT REPRESENTATION WILL, WILL BE THERE. SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO BEAR IN MIND. REDISTRICTING IS NEVER EASY. WE TRY TO BALANCE THINGS. UH, AND WITH, WITH DISTRICT C, DISTRICT C HAD A BIGGER POPULATION AND, AND IT WAS GOING TO LOSE POPULATION. [04:25:01] AND ON ONE END WE HAD RICE UNIVERSITY AREA. Y'ALL REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION? OH, YEAH. RICE UNIVERSITY. YES, SIR. AND ON THE OTHER AREA WAS FREEMANS TOWN. AND WITH RICE UNIVERSITY, IT WAS IN DISTRICT D, YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CAROL AND SHABAZZ. AND, AND, AND THERE ARE HARD CHOICES IN ALL OF THIS. I'VE DEALT WITH THIS IN LEGISLATIVE PROCESS FOR THREE REDISTRICTING SESSIONS. OKAY? AND SO, UM, THE RICE UNIVERSITY AREA STAYED WITHIN DISTRICT C CAME OUTTA DISTRICT D. UM, BUT FREEMAN'S TOWN PRECINCT 30 CAME OUT AND WENT TO DISTRICT H. AND, AND I KNOW IN THE BEST OF OUR WORLDS, WE WANT TO KEEP IT TOGETHER, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT AND YOU GOTTA GET SOMETHING, SOMETHING'S GOT TO, SOMETHING'S GOT TO GO, GOTTA GET CARVED DOWN. UM, AND SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE, AND I'M LISTENING TO WHAT, UH, TO WHAT JERRY'S HAVING TO SAY. UM, EVEN IN TERMS OF GARDENS, OAK, OAK, SPLITTING NEIGHBORHOODS, SPLITTING LOCAL STREETS, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS, UH, EVEN RIGHT NOW GOING DOWN IN TERMS OF HISPANIC POPULATION GOING DOWN RIGHT NOW, UH, I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE THOSE ELEMENTS INTO ACCOUNT. SO THESE ARE TOUGH DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATIONS STAYING WITH THE MAP. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, LET'S CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION. MAY I RESPOND TO JERRY AND ASK SOME QUESTIONS OF MY OWN? OKAY. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. AND THEN WE, I'M GONNA COME RIGHT BACK TO YOU. UM, MAY I FOR TIM MARTIN? YES. THANK YOU. I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN WITH SPLIT IN TWO NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, BUT MINE GOES BACK TO THE NUMBERS QUESTION AGAIN. SO, DISTRICT C IS THE LARGEST POPULATION DISTRICT THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH ROUGHLY 221,000. AND THEN MY CONCERN'S ALWAYS WITH DISTRICTS, J AND F AND, AND SOMEWHAT, UH, A LITTLE BIT ON I, SO IF WE ADD POPULATION COUNCIL MEMBER CALLED IT POPULATION EXCHANGE, IF YOU ADD POPULATION INTO C IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT DID THE NEW NUMBERS LOOK LIKE? AND DOES THAT PUT US OVER THE 10% PERCENT THRESHOLD? UH, THEY DO NOT BECAUSE OF THE AREA GOING OUT OF C AND INTO H UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CAYMANS, UH, HAS THE, THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS, UM, 'CAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO GO DOWN TO THE BLOCK LEVEL TO FIND THE POPULATION. UM, AND, AND HER, HER AMENDMENT IS CRAFTED IN ORDER TO BALANCE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE POPULATION IN FOURTH WARD AND THE POPULATION OF THE GARDEN OAKS AREA. SO I'M LOOKING FOR YOU FOR THE NUMBERS. NO OFFENSE TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, I'M LOOKING FOR YOU FOR THE NUMBERS ON THE POPULATION. IS IT STAYING AT 221,000? WELL, I CAN ELABORATE THE PERCENTAGE RIGHT NOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. I CAN'T ELABORATE THE NUMBERS THEMSELVES, BUT CURRENTLY AS PROPOSED WITHOUT THE AMENDMENT THAT YOU'VE JUST VOTED FOR, SO IT'S GONNA BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WITH THAT. UM, THE DEVIATION IS 9.49% WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S PROPOSAL, THE DEVIATION WILL BE 9.93%, THE DEVIATION BETWEEN THE LARGEST 0.9393. SO JUST BELOW THE 10%. JUST BELOW THE 10%. AND IS THAT INCLUSIVE OF TURN, TURN IT, IT'S, IS THAT INCLUSIVE OF WHAT WE DO? NO, IT IS NOT. I I CAN, IT, IT, IT, IT, IT, IT DOESN'T INVOLVE H OR I AND THEREFORE IT, IT, THE CHANGE WITH H AND I DOESN'T AFFECT THAT. OKAY. IT'S BETWEEN C AND J. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN MR. CISNEROS? THANK YOU. UM, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN, I, I DO WANNA JUST RECOGNIZE THAT THE STELLAR SUPPORT YOU'VE GIVEN TO, UM, PRECINCT 30 INTO, UM, THE, THE FREEMAN'S TOWN AND FOURTH WARD. AND IT IS CLEAR. THEY LOVE YOU, THEY WANNA KEEP YOU. UM, BUT I, UM, I, UH, AND I, AND I, I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO, TO KEEP COMMUNITIES WHOLE. THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING I'VE HEARD THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, THAT COMMUNITIES WANT TO STAY CONNECTED. THEY DON'T WANNA BE CHOPPED UP. THEY DON'T WANNA BE SPLIT UP. THEY DON'T WANNA BE SERVED BY TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, AND I, AND TO THAT POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO, TO JUST, YOU KNOW, SHARE SOME APPRECIATION TO, UM, THE, THE, THE TEAM THAT'S PUT THIS TOGETHER IN TERMS OF H UM, YOU KNOW, THAT BONITA GARDENS IS NOW WHOLE IN DISTRICT H. THAT'S A BIG PLUS THAT, UM, EAST TEXAS JENSEN IN H HAS BEEN COMBINED, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM B BUT THAT, THAT, THAT MAKES 'EM MORE COMPLETE COMMUNITY. UM, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY GOOD. UM, I, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF, OF, UM, UM, UH, THE, THE AMENDMENT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS DID TODAY TO KEEP THE, THE COMMUNITY THERE, MAGNOLIA PARK INTACT. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. [04:30:01] UM, BUT WE ARE IN A, IN A, IN A PICKLE HERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO GET BIGGER. WE HAVE TO GET BIGGER. AND I HOPE EVERYONE AT THIS TABLE IS HEARING THAT, THAT NO ONE WANTS H TO GET BIGGER, YOU KNOW? AND SO, SO LET'S, SO LET'S, UM, THE, THE I, I AM NOT IN SUPPORT OF, OF, OF, OF COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S AMENDMENT. AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY. WITH THE, THE SAME DEGREE OF CARE THAT SHE'S NURTURED THERE, UM, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE AFFECTED, UM, CHOPPED UP PART IS I HAVE NOT BEEN ENGAGED AT ALL. AND, UM, I STUMBLED ON THAT FACT TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN I WAS AT A MEETING AND I ASKED THEM, SO WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK ABOUT THIS? AND THEY HAD NOT HEARD ABOUT IT. SO I SHARED THAT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. AND TWO WEEKS LATER, THEY STILL HAD NOT HEARD ANYTHING BECAUSE ALL OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED EMAILS THIS MORNING FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE, UM, GARDEN OAKS CIVIC CLUB, AND FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD THERE AND SAYING THAT THEY HAVE JUST LEARNED ABOUT IT LAST NIGHT. AND THEY ARE, THE, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT SPOKE TO ME THAT WERE FROM IN GARDEN OAKS, CANDLELIGHT PLAZA, SHEPHERD PARK PLAZA, THEY WERE SAYING, PLEASE DON'T CHOP US UP LIKE THIS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP THAT I WAS PROVIDED BY, UM, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A VERY JIG, JAGGEDY, YOU KNOW, MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK KIND OF SECTION THAT, THAT JOGS THROUGH THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. IT, IT SPLITS TWO VOTING PRECINCTS INTO PIECES. IT'S, IT'S, I HAVE NOT TALKED TO ANYONE UP THERE WHO IS SUPPORTIVE OR EVEN KNEW ABOUT IT UNTIL LAST NIGHT. SO I AM, I AM, YOU KNOW, I, I REGRET TO, TO SAY I DON'T SUPPORT THIS. I, I WISH THAT I, I COULD, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAD, IF, IF THEY WERE SAYING YES, WE'RE OKAY WITH THIS, BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT I'M SEEING. AND, UM, I AM AT, AT LEAST, AT LEAST, UM, FREEMANS TOWN GETS TO STAY INTACT, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE AT THE EXPENSE OF ANOTHER COMMUNITY. I, I HOPE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WHOEVER COMES NEXT, THAT THEY, THEY WILL TAKE AS GOOD CARE OF, OF, UM, FREEMAN'S TOWN AS YOU HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UM, BUT IT'S, IT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GERRYMANDERING, YOU KNOW, FOR, UM, FOR, FOR OTHER REASONS. I MEAN, IT SHOULD NOT BE PERSONAL. IT NEEDS TO BE, UM, IT NEEDS TO BE WHAT'S BEST FOR THIS CITY. THANK YOU. MAYOR. MAY I RESPOND? WE'RE COMING. WE'RE COMING BACK. WE'RE COMING BACK. I KNOW, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO KACK CATO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANTED TO ASK, DO WE HAVE A NUMBER FOR FREEMAN'S TOWN? WHAT'S THE POPULATION IN FREEMAN'S TOWN? IT'S ABOUT 5,700 PEOPLE. AND WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE, THAT'S PRECINCT 30. UH, WHAT'S THE ETHNIC BREAKDOWN IN FREEMAN FREEMAN'S TOWN PRECINCT THIRTIES? UH, ETHNICITY IS AT THIS TIME, UM, IT IS, UM, ABOUT 18% HISPANIC. UM, WHAT I'M LOOKING AT DOESN'T HAVE THE EXACT, UH, PERCENTAGES. UM, IT IS ABOUT 40% ANGLO AND ABOUT ONE THIRD AFRICAN AMERICAN. SO ABOUT 30% AFRICAN AMERICAN. YES, MA'AM. BECAUSE I, I GUESS I'M TORN WITH THIS BECAUSE THE, THE PREDOMINANT, UM, POPULATION THAT HAS COME TO TALK ABOUT FREEMAN'S TOWN HAS BEEN AFRICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO ARE ASKING TO REMAIN IN DISTRICT C. AND I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF THAT HAPPENED, WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN, IN FREEMAN'S TOWN? UH, WELL, IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT REPRESENTATION. IT REMAINS SAME. IT WOULD STAY THE, IT WOULD STAY THE SAME IF THEY WERE MOVED TO, WHAT WOULD, IF FREEMAN'S TOWN MOVED TO H IF THE, WITH THE AMENDMENT, WHAT WOULD BE THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION? WOULD THERE BE A SHIFT IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION? UM, IN THE, IN DISTRICT C DISTRICT C'S AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION, PARDON ME, WOULD, WOULD RISE SLIGHTLY. IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN A 220,000 POPULATION DISTRICT. UM, AND AT THE SAME TIME, DISTRICT H H'S, UM, AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION WOULD DECLINE SLIGHTLY, YOU SEE, BECAUSE IT HAS A HIGHER AFRICAN-AMERICAN PERCENTAGE IN PRECINCT 30 THAN IN EITHER OF THE DISTRICTS. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLOS? YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, IN, IN, IN REGARDS TO FRIEDMANS TOWN, IS THAT PRECINCT 30? YES. OKAY. IN PRECINCT 30, IT SHOWS, UM, TOTAL POPULATION [04:35:01] IS 5,736 1081 OR HISPANIC, NON-HISPANIC WHITE, OR 2,232 AFRICAN AMERICAN, OR 1,675. AND THAT, AND THAT, AND THAT AGAIN, IS MY CONCERN. IF YOU'RE MOVING THAT INTO DISTRICT DATES, YOU'RE MOVING 2,232 ANGLOS, WE JUST VOTED ON MOVING PRECINCT EIGHT 90 AND DOWNTOWN, WHICH AT THAT TIME, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS DIDN'T CARE THAT THE DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS WERE BEING SPLIT. UH, THAT'S 2002 21 ANGLOS. SO THAT'S A TOTAL OF 4,253 ANGLOS GOING INTO DISTRICT H. AND IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS WITH GENTRIFICATION, THAT IS ONLY GOING TO INCREASE. AND THAT IS MY CONCERN THAT DISTRICT H WE'RE GOING TO LOSE IT AS AN HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT. WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER, THE, THE FIGURES YOU'RE CITING WITH REGARD TO PRECINCT 30 ARE NOT, NO ONE ANTICIPATES THAT CHANGING SIGNIFICANTLY. AND COUNCIL MEMBER, PLEASE, IF I MAY, BUT THE AREA IN WHICH THE PROPOSAL IS TO SUBSTITUTE FOR PRECINCT 30 HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO GENTRIFY, AND IT WILL HAVE A HIGHER ANGLO PERCENTAGE IN THE FUTURE. YES. SO THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU IS AN AREA THAT IS RELATIVELY STABLE AS OPPOSED TO AN AREA THAT IS INCREASINGLY ANGLO MAYOR? MAN, WE'RE ON THE AMENDMENT. YES. THAT'S, THAT'S THE QUESTION. AND, AND THAT'S WHY I WILL NOT SUPPORT IT GOING INTO H BECAUSE AGAIN, UH, WITH, WITH GENTRIFICATION, YOU'RE ONLY GONNA BE INCREASING THE ANGLOS INTO DISTRICT H DILUTING THE HISPANIC VOTE. YES, SIR. YES. THANK YOU. LEMME MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. COUNCILMAN GATES, ARE YOU SUPPORTIVE OF COUNCIL MEMBER KAMS AMENDMENT OR NOT? THAT'S WHAT I'M CON I'M CONFUSED. I'M SORRY. ARE YOU FOR COUNCIL MEMBER KAMS AMENDMENT OR NOT AGAINST, SIR, I'M, I'M IN SUPPORT OF NOT ALLOWING DISTRICT OR, UM, FOURTH WARD OR THIS PRECINCT TWO, UH, 30, UH, GOING INTO DISTRICT EIGHT. SO YOU, FOR THE AMENDMENT OR NOT FOR COUNCIL MEMBER KING'S AMENDMENT. THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. CAN YOU RESTATE YOUR AMENDMENT? YES. UM, I'M RESTATING THE AMENDMENT PER THE REQUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. SO IT WOULD MOVE PRECINCT 30 FROM DISTRICT H BACK INTO DISTRICT C, WHERE IT AT PRESENT RESIDES THE PROPOSED MAP THAT WE ARE VOTING ON REMOVES PRECINCT 30 AND MOVES IT INTO DISTRICT H. SO IT BRINGS IT BACK IN AND AS A EXCHANGE, IT WOULD THEN FROM DISTRICT C IN THE NORTHEASTERN PART, MOVE PRECINCT 73 OVER INTO H AND THEN AN AREA IN PRECINCT 3 24 IN AN AREA IN PRECINCT 9 27. JUST AS WE HAVE DONE SIMILARITY IN OTHER PRECINCT SPLITS, INCLUDING PRECINCT THREE, THAT'S A SPLIT BETWEEN, AGAIN, DISTRICT C AND DISTRICT H PRECINCT 5 0 7, WHICH IS A SPLIT BETWEEN DISTRICT F AND J AND ACTUALLY LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO AMENDMENT A, THIS AMENDMENT, EXCUSE ME, PRECINCT 1 52, WHICH IS A SPLIT BETWEEN B AND H AS IS PRECINCT 180 5, ANOTHER PRECINCT SPLIT BETWEEN PRECINCT 1 47, WHICH IS A SPLIT BETWEEN B AND H AND PRECINCT 5 36, WHICH IS A SPLIT BETWEEN D AND I. AND WHAT I AM HEARING FROM THE DEMOGRAPHER FOR WHAT, AND WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THE DEMOGRAPHER OKAY, IS THE COUNCIL, WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THE DEMOGRAPHER IS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S DISTRICT, UH, AMENDMENT IS INCLUDING AREAS THAT ARE WHERE THE ANGLO POPULATION IS INCREASING AND THE HISPANIC POPULATION IS DECREASING. THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING ABOUT COUNCILMAN MCCAIN'S AMENDMENT. NOW, IF I'M, IF I'M INCORRECT, YOU ALL TELL ME. NO, NO, SIR. THAT'S, THAT IS WHAT JERRY SAID. THAT FREEDMANS TOWN, WHICH IS 30, IS A RELATIVELY STABLE POPULATION THAT IS NOT TRANSITIONING VERY, REALLY AT ALL. BUT THAT THE GARDEN OAKS, C CANDLE, CANDLELIGHT PLAZA AREAS THAT THE, THAT THE AMENDMENT PROPOSES TO MOVE INTO H ARE TRANSITIONING AND HAVE BEEN TRANSITIONING. AND SO OLDER, THE, OVER THE YEARS, IT WILL BE MORE ANGLO POPULATION IN H BY MOVING THAT INTO H INFORMATION EARLIER. KELLY. OKAY. HOLD ON. STATE ONE SECOND. WE GOTTA GET TO EVERYBODY. UH, WILL YOU FINISH? OKAY, NOW WE'RE BACK AT COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, FOLLOWED BY COUNCILMAN PLUMMER, YOU MAYOR, UM, FIRST TO YOUR POINT [04:40:01] DIRECTOR, WHAT COUNCILMAN, UH, EXCUSE ME, WHAT JERRY HAD SAID. AND FIRST I SHOULD SAY, I HAVE PROFOUND RESPECT FOR JERRY AND THE SKILL THAT THIS TAKES, AND NO MAP IS PERFECT. AS SOMEONE THAT HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN REDISTRICTING, UH, LITIGATION, IT'S MESSY, IT'S NOT CLEAN, AND IT'S NOT PERFECT. AND I COMMEND THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE JOB THAT THEY'VE DONE THUS FAR. UM, HOWEVER, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HYPOTHETICALS AND PREDICTION. SO MY FIRST QUESTION, MAYOR, UM, WOULD BE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, UH, THERE ARE LEGAL STANDARDS AS IT RELATES TO HOW WE CALCULATE, UM, COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST AND WHAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND WHAT STANDARDS WE LOOK AT. SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, IS HYPOTHESIZING ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT TRANSITION, UM, IS THAT A STANDARD TO WHICH WE HAVE FOLLOWED IN OTHER DISTRICTS THUS FAR? WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS POSSIBLY TRANSITIONING. WE HAVE DEVELOPMENT TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WAS THAT CONSIDERED THE HEIGHT, THE POSSIBILITY OF DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS CHANGING IN DRAWING OTHER DISTRICTS? I'LL ASK THAT OF YOU, BUT I ALSO AM ASKING THAT OF THE CITY ATTORNEY BECAUSE OF THE IMPLICATIONS ATTORNEY, MICHELLE, LEGALLY FOR THE STANDARD. I THINK THE COUNCIL MEMBER WAS DIRECTING THE QUESTION TO YOU. WOULD YOU REPEAT THAT TO MAKE SURE I HAVE IT PRECISELY? YEAH. SO THE DEPARTMENT HAS SAID THAT THEY ARE CONCERNED THAT ONE AREA IS IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS GOING TO CHANGE. MM-HMM . WE HAVE CHANGED THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN EVERY DISTRICT, AND NEIGHBORHOODS ARE CHANGING. SO IS IN TERMS OF WHEN WE ARE DRAWING MAPS FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE AND THE STANDARDS THAT WE APPLY IN DETERMINING DEMOGRAPHICS, IS THAT A LEGAL STANDARD THAT A COURT OR OTHER BODIES WOULD LOOK TO? WELL, A COURT WOULD ALWAYS LOOK AT THE, AT THE DATA AT THE TIME THAT THE PLAN IS IN, UH, IS ADOPTED FOR PURPOSES OF LEGAL COMPLIANCE. BUT THAT DOESN'T PROHIBIT, UH, THE ANTICIPATION OF HOW THINGS MAY CHANGE IN THE FUTURE AND TRYING TO ADJUST FOR THAT. BUT A COURT WOULD LOOK AT A, THE SPECIFIC POINT IN TIME UNDER THE CURRENT DECENNIAL CENSUS DATA. THANK YOU. AND YOU KNOW, JERRY, TO YOUR POINT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PREDICTIONS, AND I'M NOT CHALLENGING WHAT THE ASSUMPTION IS, BUT THAT'S A VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT, WELL, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THIS ONE'S NOT GONNA SHIFT AND CHANGE OR OVERHEAR IN, YOU KNOW, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS THE CASE. DISTRICT J MAY CHANGE OR F MAY CHANGE, WAS THAT LOOKED AT IN OTHER DISTRICTS CONSISTENTLY, AS FAR AS OTHER DISTRICTS WERE CONCERNED, THE AREAS THAT CHANGED WERE EITHER BEING EXCHANGED BETWEEN, UH, TWO DISTRICTS WITH ANGLO MAJORITIES OR THE, UH, POPULATION INVOLVED WAS, UM, SUFFICIENTLY LARGE MINORITY POPULATION THAT, THAT THOSE CHANGES WERE NOT NECESSARILY MATERIAL. SO THE, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, BECAUSE OF THE, THE, THE RAPID CHANGE IN THE ONE HEAVILY HISPANIC PORTION OF THE AREA, UH, IN THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING TO MOVE TO DISTRICT AGE, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT IT'S MOVED FROM 75% TO 59% IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. AND THAT WE KNOW THAT IT IS CONTINUING TO CHANGE. UM, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE KNOW HAVE HAPPENED AND ARE CONTINUING TO HAPPEN, COUNCILMEMBER. AND, BUT AGAIN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PRECINCT 30, IT IS NOT A LARGE HISPANIC POPULATION. TO THE CONTRARY, IT'S AN EXTREMELY SMALL HISPANIC POPULATION. YES. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. AND JUST TO COLLEAGUES ADDRESS, MAYOR, I REALLY APPRECIATED YOUR WORDS. UM, AND I DO WANNA EMPHASIZE THOUGH, THIS IS NOT ABOUT PERSONALITIES. THIS IS NOT ABOUT WHERE I AM OR SOMEONE ELSE IS. THIS IS ABOUT RESIDENTS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US, TESTIMONY AFTER TESTIMONY, AFTER TESTIMONY ON THE RECORD THROUGH THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS IN GOOD FAITH. SO REMEMBER STARTING AT THAT FIRST TOWN HALL AND THEY CAME AND SAID, PLEASE KEEP US IN. AND THEN WHEN THE MAPS WERE PROPOSED, THE FIRST ITERATION, THEY SAID, PLEASE CHANGE IT. AND THEN WHEN THE SECOND ROUND WAS PUT OUT, PLEASE CHANGE IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION [04:45:01] TO RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENTS MADE, AND THAT IS WHAT THIS AMENDMENT DOES. UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WILL POINT OUT AGAIN IS THAT THERE ARE OTHER MOTION TO EXTEND. WE'LL COME BACK, UH, COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, WHICH PRECINCT IS CANDLELIGHT? SHEPHERD PLAZA AND THEN GARDEN OAKS? IS THAT, CAN YOU, CAN YOU HELP ME? YES. UM, THE AMENDMENT WOULD MOVE ALL OF 73 PRECINCT 73. OKAY. A PORTION OF 3, 2, 4, AND A PORTION OF 9, 9 79, 2 7. SO, SO, BUT SO, SO THOSE THREE COMMUNITIES ARE KIND OF SPLIT BETWEEN ALL OF THOSE PRECINCTS, IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, THE, THE PRECINCTS DON'T NECESSARILY ADHERE TO NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARIES. OF COURSE, OF COURSE. BUT, UM, AND SPECIFICALLY THE NEIGHBORHOODS INVOLVED HERE ARE GARDEN OAKS IS SPLIT, AND CANDLELIGHT PLAZA IS SPLIT. OKAY. BUT ONCE AGAIN, BUT THEY'RE SPLIT, THEY'RE SPLIT IN, IN WHICH ONE? 3, 2, 4, AND NINE. THREE. TWO FOUR INCLUDES CANDLELIGHT PLAZA AND, UH, 73 AND NINE 70 INCLUDE, UM, GARDEN OAKS. GOTCHA. PERFECT. OKAY. AND THEN PRECINCT 73, WHAT'S THE POPULATION OF THAT ONE? UH, THE POPULATION OF PRECINCT 73 IS, IT'S OKAY. 3,305? YES. OKAY. AND THEN WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE HISPANIC IN THAT COMMUNITY, THAT PRECINCT, THE HISPANIC POP, UH, PERCENTAGE IN THAT IS, IS ALMOST 40%. IT'S FOUR. IT IS THE PRECINCT THAT INCLUDES THE AREA THAT I'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THAT HAS, IS IN DECLINE AS FAR AS HISPANIC POPULATION IS CONCERNED, IS IN DECLINE. IT IS IN DECLINING. IT USED TO BE, IT USED TO BE A HIGHER PERCENTAGE IN THAT PRECINCT. IT'S DECLINING BECAUSE THAT AREA IS GENTRIFYING. GOTCHA. BUT IT'S STILL AT 40% THOUGH, IN A CENSUS IN 2020. OKAY. GOT IT. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK TO A, A STATEMENT WE'VE HEARD A NUMBER OF TIMES TODAY FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN ABOUT AN OBLIGATION TO LISTEN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL AT THIS TABLE HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THE EMAILS THAT CAME IN THIS MORNING TO YOU, BUT, UM, I, I'LL READ A FEW LINES FROM THE, THE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE GARDEN OAK CIVIC CLUB, WE HAVE HAD NO OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE INPUT INTO THIS PLAN. EVERY PUBLISHED PLAN PREVIOUS TO THIS DID, DID NOT DIVIDE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO WE HAVE NOT SPOKEN AT PUBLIC HEARINGS. WE HAVE STAYED INFORMED AND GIVEN INPUT TO THE CITY AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBER STARTING BACK IN JULY WITH ONLY ONE REQUEST. DON'T DIVIDE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WE ARE A HISTORIC SUBDIVISION ESTABLISHED IN 1937 WITH AN ACTIVE CIVIC CLUB. I, UM, AND THEN FROM THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT WHO WROTE THAT, HE JUST LEARNED ABOUT IT DURING THE NINTH INNING AT THE ASTROS GAMES YESTERDAY, HE SAID, UM, THAT THAT'S WHEN YOU FIRST LEARNED ABOUT THE PLAN TO CARVE OUT DONUTS FROM TWO LONG ESTABLISHED COMMUNITIES, GARDEN OAKS AND CANDLELIGHT PLAZA. BUT UNLIKE THE ASTROS, THESE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 12 NEIGHBORHOODS DON'T GET TO BAT IN THE NINTH TO DEFEND THEMSELVES. WE HAVE HAD NO OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE INPUT ONTO THIS PLAN. PRIOR TO THIS 6:15 PM TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11TH NOTIFICATION, EVERY OTHER REDISTRICTING PROPOSAL, THE MEMBERS OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 2012 SAW DID NOT DIVIDE THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. CARVING OUT ORPHAN HOLES WOULD HURT THE HARD CIVIC WORK THESE NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE ACCOMPLISHED BY ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS WITH SINGLE MEMBER, UM, SINGLE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO I BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE RESPECTFUL OF ALL COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST A FAVORED ONE. I MEAN, THIS, THEY ALL MATTER. AND I, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO'VE COME, YOU KNOW, TO, TO SPEAK TO ALL OF US ABOUT WANTING TO STAY INTACT. AND I THINK THAT, UM, THAT A COMMUNITY THAT THAT WASN'T MADE AWARE OF, OF PLANS TO, TO CHANGE THEM AND HOW IT WOULD BE EFFECT, THEY ARE JUST AS DESERVING. UM, I'M, I AM VERY, VERY SYMPATHETIC, YOU KNOW, AND EMPATHETIC TO THE, THE REQUEST FROM FOURTH WARD. I UNDERSTAND. UM, I WISH IT COULD BE DIFFERENT, BUT I DON'T SEE THAT THIS IS A GOOD SOLUTION. THEY SHOULD NOT BE THROWN UNDER THE BUS, YOU KNOW, BE, YOU KNOW, UM, THE, THE, THIS OTHER COMMUNITY THAT ARE SPLIT AND, AND IN A RAGGED KIND OF WAY THAT IT, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT FAIR TO THEM. THANK YOU. LET ME, LET ME ASK THIS FOR, FOR CLARIFICATION. UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S AMENDMENT, HIS COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S AMENDMENT SPLITTING NEIGHBORHOODS YES. ALONE, NEIGHBORHOODS, STREETS. NOW I UNDERSTAND MAJOR STREETS. IT, [04:50:01] IT, BUT LET ME, JUST SO I'M CLEAR. SORRY. SORRY. MAYOR, IS THE AMENDMENT DRAWING LINES WITHIN NEIGHBORHOOD ALONE? NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS? YES, MA'AM. SO UNDER THIS AMENDMENT, CAN SOMEBODY BE LIVING ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD AND HAVE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER AND THEN THEY'VE BEEN ON ACROSS THE STREET AND HAVE ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER? YES, MA'AM. YOU SEE, AND I CAN'T GO WITH THAT, Y'ALL, I'M SORRY. MAYOR, MAY I RESPOND? COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. THANK YOU. SO ONE, UH, THE REASON WHY YOU CANNOT HAVE NECESSARILY, UNLESS I'M TOLD DIFFERENTLY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I SUBMITTED THIS TO THE DEPARTMENT SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, ONLY A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THIS, DID I RECEIVE A RESPONSE BACK FROM THE DEPARTMENT. AND ONLY AS OF THIS MORNING DID I RECEIVE DIFFERENT, UH, REASONS WHY IT WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE. SO TO SAY THAT YOUR CHARACTERIZATION IS NOT ACCURATE. AND THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER EXAMPLES WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN PRECINCT SPLITS AND NEIGHBORHOOD SPLITS IN OUR MAP. AND THAT IS UNFORTUNATE, AND I DO NOT LIKE IT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, JERRY, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE ONLY TOOK PRECINCT 73 AND PRECINCT 3 24 AND MOVED THOSE INTO H IN EXCHANGE FOR PRECINCT 30 AS A WHOLE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE PRECINCT? I'M TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHY WE CANNOT TAKE NECESSARILY AN ENTIRELY FULL PRECINCT FROM ANOTHER AREA IN ADDITION TO PRECINCT 73 AND WHY IT HAS TO BE NARROWLY TAILORED TO SUIT THE NEEDS OF DISTRICT H AS SPECIFIED THAT WE ARE BOUND BY WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS SPECIFICALLY, IT, IT WOULD STILL HAVE THE EFFECT OF SPLITTING GARDEN OAKS. UM, MY CONCERN HAS BEEN THE SPLITTING OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, NOT SPLITTING OF PRECINCTS BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE SPLITTING OF PRECINCT SO FAR. UM, BUT IF YOU'D LIKE, I CAN LOOK AT THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS WITH REGARD TO THAT. YEAH, THAT'D BE GREAT. BECAUSE AGAIN, MY POINT IS THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 12, WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS RAISE THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE SPLIT, IT IS ALREADY SPLIT. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WERE AWARE OF THAT, BUT IT IS ALREADY SPLIT. GARDEN OAKS COVERS A LARGE AREA, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. UH, THE NORTH OF SIX 10, THERE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE WIDE. THERE ARE ALSO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE CONSOLIDATED, BUT IN THE MAP, AS IT WAS LAID OUT BY THE DEPARTMENT, THERE ARE ALSO EXAMPLES OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS AMENDMENT. AND I AM NOT SAYING I LIKE IT. THIS IS UNCOMFORTABLE. IT IS NOT THAT I DON'T LIKE ONE AREA OR ONE AREA IS FAVORED OVER ANOTHER. AND I DO NOT APPRECIATE THAT CHARACTERIZATION EITHER. BUT WE HAVE HAD OVERWHELMING TESTIMONY COMING BEFORE US. EVERY SINGLE AREA HAS SAID WE WANT TO STAY IN DISTRICT C AND SOMETHING HAS TO GO. BUT IN LOOKING AT WHO HAS COME FORWARD TIME, AND AGAIN, AS A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST AND LAID OUT WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO STAY WITHIN DISTRICT C, I AM OBLIGATED TO DO THIS. AND I THINK WE ARE OBLIGATED TO RESPOND TO IT. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, I, I'M, I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY THAT THIS IS, THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS. UM, I'LL GO BACK AGAIN TO, JUST TO SAY THAT WE, WE HAVE TO GET BIGGER AND IT NEEDS TO BE FAIR. IT NEEDS TO BE RESPECTFUL OF COMMUNITIES. AND, AND, AND ISN'T IT WONDERFUL THAT, THAT THAT FREEMAN'S TOWN, YOU KNOW, WAS SO, SO IN COMMUNICATION WITH YOU AND THEY WERE ABLE TO COME AND ADVOCATE? AND ISN'T IT SAD THAT, THAT THE, THAT THAT THE PARTS THAT WERE VOTING ON RIGHT NOW DID NOT HAVE THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY? YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY EXPRESSED THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, UM, THIS SUMMER TO YOU THAT THEY WANTED TO REMAIN WHOLE. AND, AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN HAD THE, THE BENEFIT OF KNOWING ABOUT THAT. AND, AND IT WAS A SURPRISE TO ME. I, I THOUGHT I, I WAS, I WAS SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WOULD'VE KNOWN AND JUST KIND OF INNOCENTLY ASKED, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? AND, AND, AND, AND THEY WEEKS HAVE PASSED SINCE THEN, AND THEY STILL ARE JUST LEARNING, YOU KNOW, THE, AS, UM, LAST NIGHT THAT THIS IS THE INTENTION. AND SO, SO TO GO BACK TO TALK ABOUT HOW, HOW ENGAGED ONE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN, IT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY, IT'S SO NOT FAIR TO THE OTHER [04:55:01] COMMUNITY THAT DID NOT HAVE THE, THE SAME BENEFIT OF, OF, OF THE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU. SO I'M, I AM NOT SUPPORTIVE AND I HOPE OTHERS AROUND HERE WILL ALSO, UM, NOT SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT POINT OF INFORMATION. THE ENTITY THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS IS REFERRING TO IS HISTORICALLY A BUSINESS ORGANIZATION THAT IS ALREADY SPLIT BETWEEN DISTRICT C AND DISTRICT H. AND IN A LETTER SUBMITTED FORMALLY TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, REQUESTED REUNIFICATION. AND THIS AMENDMENT ACTUALLY MOVES A LARGER PORTION OF THAT INTO DISTRICT AGE. I RESPECT OUR OTHER CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I AM FRIENDS WITH THEM IN GARDEN OAKS. I WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM. I GO TO THEIR SCHOOLS. I UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS AND NOBODY LIKES ANY OF IT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT, AND QUITE FRANKLY, COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU HAVE SAID MULTIPLE TIMES, I'M GONNA HAVE TO HOLD YOU ON TALK TO, I UNDERSTAND MARY, BUT TO HAVE SOMEBODY SAY MULTIPLE TIMES THAT THEY DON'T WANT AN AREA, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA GO INTO 1 0 1. WE ARE GONNA FOLLOW THE PROCESS. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS WAS THROUGH, NOW WE GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER. AL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, AND YEAH. AND LEMME JUST SAY THIS, YOU ALL ADDRESS, ADDRESS, ADDRESS THE CHAIR. YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, BANG ON ME, YOU KNOW, NOT EACH OTHER. AND I GOT MY LITTLE STRESS BALL RIGHT IN HERE, . BUT, UH, REDISTRICTING IS ALWAYS TOUCHY, TOUCHY, TOUCHY, TOUCHY, OKAY. ALWAYS. I DON'T CARE, STATE, CITY. BUT BEAR IN MIND, WHEN WE FINISH THIS DISCUSSION, WE STILL GOTTA WORK TOGETHER NEXT WEEK. MM-HMM . OKAY. SO BE EASY. NOW, BE PASSIONATE, BUT NOT PERSONAL. DON'T BE PERSONAL. TOMORROW WE'LL HAVE TO WORK ON SOMETHING ELSE, AND THEN THERE'LL BE ANOTHER GROUP MAD AT EACH OTHER. OKAY? SO ADDRESS THE CHAIR, BE PASSIONATE, GUIDE IT, BUT DON'T MAKE IT, DON'T MAKE IT PERSONAL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I GUESS I NEED A BETTER UNDERSTANDING 'CAUSE I AM TOO, SEEING THE EMAILS FROM GARDEN OAKS AND CANDLELIGHT PLAZA ABOUT WHAT? AND, AND I'M CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT'S ALREADY SPLIT IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, OR IF THAT WANNA BE TOGETHER. AND ALSO A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THE, UM, THE, THEIR LACK OF OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON THIS. IS THIS A GUN TO OUR HEAD DAY THAT WE HAVE TO APPROVE? COULD THIS SPECIFIC THING COULD, UM, I HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAG, BE, DELAY. OKAY. UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITIES OF IMPACTED BY THE AMENDMENT. UM, BUT I, I JUST WANT, I, I WANT A BETTER UNDER UNDERSTANDING OF GARDEN OAKS AND CANDLELIGHT PLAZA AND THE SPLIT THAT EXISTS CURRENTLY, THERE IS NO SPLIT CURRENTLY. THERE IS NO SPLIT CURRENTLY, NO. THEY'RE ENTIRELY A DISTRICT C. OKAY. AND LET ME DISCOURAGE TAGGING THIS ITEM. LET ME DISCOURAGE THAT NOW. OKAY? IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE. OKAY? PEOPLE EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS TO YOU IN EMAILS AND ALL OF THAT. LET'S DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE TODAY. LET'S DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE TODAY. BUT LET'S NOT DELAY. IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE. I'VE BEEN AROUND THIS PERSON LONG ENOUGH. WHEREVER PEOPLE ARE, THEY'RE ONLY INTENSIFY AND THEY JUST COME AND REPEAT THEIR POSITION. SO, HARD DECISIONS OR HARD DECISIONS, BUT YOU GOTTA MAKE IT, YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA DECIDE DECISION. LET'S PUT THIS ISSUE TO BET. OKAY? OKAY. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PALMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY, SO THE CURRENT POPULATION AS IS RIGHT NOW IN DISTRICT C IS WHAT? THE, PRIOR TO ANY CHANGES MM-HMM . UH, 240,000? WELL, NO, NO. I MEAN UNDER THE PLAN THAT YES, THAT'S BEFORE YOU, THE POPULATION IS, UM, 220,538. OKAY. AND THEN, AND OUR CAP IS, I'M SORRY, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT NUMBER DO WE HAVE TO BE BELOW? WELL, IT IS, WELL, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE ANY WIGGLE ROOM IN THERE? NO, THERE ISN'T VERY MUCH ROOM COUNCIL MEMBER. THE, THE RANGE HAS TO BE WITH BETWEEN THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST, AND C IS THE HIGHEST, AND J IS THE LOWEST. AND THE RANGE RIGHT NOW IS 9.5, 9.49. AND IT CANNOT GO MORE THAN 10%. UH, AND THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED BY CASE LAW LAWSUITS. SO THERE'S NO WAY MAY I ADD THAT THIS PROPOSAL MAKES IT 9.93%. OKAY. SO THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN KEEP PRECINCT 30 AND C MOVE 73 AND THEN KEEP 33, 24 [05:00:01] AND 9 27 WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW. THAT WOULD NOT, THAT WOULDN'T MAKE THE CUT. NO, BECAUSE YOU'D BE, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BUST THE CAP. YEAH, IT WOULD TAKE, IF YOU, IF YOU DID ANYTHING LESS THAN WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN, WAS PROPOSING IT WOULD TAKE US BEYOND THE 10% RANGE. OKAY. POINT OF INFORMATION ON A PREVIOUS QUESTION BACK. I'M BACK TO YOU, YOU MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S POINT IN MY INITIAL, UH, ONE OF MY PREVIOUS QUESTIONS, AND I DON'T THINK WE GOT AN ANSWER, JERRY, ON THIS. I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT GOING BACK AND FORTH. UM, IF WE MOVED PRECINCT, UH, 73 OVER AND THE WHOLE OF PRECINCT 3 24 4 OVER, WHAT WOULD THAT DO TO DISTRICT H TO MAINTAIN A WHOLE PRECINCT, WHICH AGAIN IS WHAT WITH PRIMARY MAJOR THOROUGHFARES, AND THESE ARE PRECINCT LINES. MOVE BOTH OF THOSE PRECINCTS OVER. AND THE REASON I ASK IS, UM, FROM GARDEN OAKS, WHEN I HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, I'VE ALL, THERE'S DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS IN DIFFERENT PRECINCTS AND THE ONES TO THE NORTH UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE DOING THIS. AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO MOVE, UH, PRECINCT 9 27, BUT IN ORDER TO GET THE POPULATION MM-HMM . I HAVE TO, AND IT NEEDS TO BE NARROWLY TAILORED. SO MY QUESTION IS FOR THE FOLKS THAT WOULD BE MORE UNDERSTANDING OF WHY WE HAVE TO DO THIS AS TO PROTECT A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST IN PRECINCT 30, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO MOVE, UH, 73 IN ITS ENTIRETY AND 3 24 IN ITS ENTIRETY? THE DIFFERENCE IN POPULATION, UH, IF YOU HAVE JUST 73 AND 3 24 AND NOTHING OUT OF 2, 9 27, UH, IT WOULD BE 700 PEOPLE. FEWER WOULD BE LEAVING YOUR DISTRICT. THAT WOULD BRING UP YOUR, THE RANGE OF, UM, FROM TOP TO BOTTOM UP TO 99. UH, I MEAN, 9.96 OR SEVEN, DEPENDING ON, THAT WAS A ROUGH CALCULATION COUNCIL MEMBER. SO YOU'LL HAVE TO FORGIVE ME, BUT IT WOULD STILL BE WITHIN THE 10% CAP. IT WOULD STILL BE WITHIN THE 10%. IT WOULD STILL SPLIT UP GARDEN OAKS. IT, IT WOULD BE AN ENTIRE PRECINCT. AND IF IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, THE LEADERSHIP THAT I SPOKE TO WAS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THAT WORKED BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING AND, AND KEEPING A COMMUNITY INTEREST IN PRECINCT 30. SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS IT WOULD STAY WITHIN THE POPULATION CAP IF WE MOVED 73 AND, UH, 3 24 ONLY. YES. THAT, THAT, THAT WAS A ROUGH CALCULATION COUNCIL MEMBER. BUT YES, MY CALCULATION WAS IT WOULD STILL BE WITHIN THE RANGE. SO MAYOR, I WOULD, I WOULD MOVE TO AMEND THE AMENDMENT. AND I SECOND IT SECOND. WE ARE DOING WHAT AGAIN? NOW. I'M SORRY. WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO RESTATE FOR THE RECORD, I WOULD MOVE TO AMEND THE AMENDMENT AT THIS TIME TO DO WHAT? I MEAN, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKING SURE I GET MY LANGUAGE CORRECT. MOVE PRECINCT 30 FROM DISTRICT H TO DISTRICT C, MOVE PRECINCT 73 FROM DISTRICT C TO DISTRICT H AND MOVE PRECINCT 3 24 FROM DISTRICT C TO DISTRICT H IN ITS ENTIRETY. WE'RE REMOVING THE, UM, LAST TWO BULLET POINTS AND REPLACING THAT THIRD BULLET POINT WITH BY MOVING PRECINCT 3 24 FROM DISTRICT C TO DISTRICT H. AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON 9 27? REMOVING IT FROM THE AMENDMENT, LEAVING IT ALONE, FURTHER REQUEST OF RESIDENCE. AND WHAT IS THAT DOING DEMOGRAPHICALLY? UM, COUNT, UH, MAYOR, I DON'T HAVE A A, A SPECIFIC NUMBER. UM, THE, THE HEAVILY HISPANIC NEIGHBORHOOD I WAS DESCRIBING BEFORE WOULD BE MOVED IN THIS PROCESS. IT WOULD HAVE 700 FEWER PEOPLE. IF ANYTHING, IT WOULD BE SLIGHTLY MORE HISPANIC THAN, UH, THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL. UM, IT WOULD, BECAUSE IT'S 700 PEOPLE FEWER, IT DOES BRING US CLOSER TO THE RANGE. AND MY QUICK CALCULATION INDICATED WE WOULD STAY WITHIN THE 10% RANGE. YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE HISPANIC POPULATION WOULD BE STRONGER IN DISTRICT H NOW? WELL, STRONGER BY COMPARISON TO THE, THE EARLIER VERSION BECAUSE [05:05:01] THE, THE CONCENTRATION OF HISPANIC POPULATION WOULD BE MOVED, BUT THERE WOULD BE 700 FEWER PEOPLE ALTOGETHER WHO WOULD MOVE. AND THEREFORE THE PERCENTAGE OF HISPANIC POPULATION AT THIS WOULD BE SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN IT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL. BUT AGAIN, THOSE NUMBERS ARE RELATIVELY SMALL IN THE AREA IN QUESTION. OKAY. REPEAT THAT. IT WAS GENTRIFIED. SO REPEAT THE AMENDMENT TO ME ONE MORE TIME. SO I'M SURE. UM, I MOVED TO AMEND ITEM FOUR. I MOVED TO AMEND THE AMENDMENT BY MOVING PRECINCT 30 FROM DISTRICT H TO DISTRICT C BY MOVING PRECINCT 73 FROM DISTRICT C TO DISTRICT H, AND BY MOVING PRECINCT 3 24 FROM DISTRICT C TO DISTRICT H. AND I WOULD ADD THAT THIS WOULD ALSO ACCOMMODATE, UM, MY COLLEAGUES REQUEST THAT THEY NOT HAVE MORE INDIVIDUALS IN THAT DISTRICT. SO IT WOULD INCLU REDUCE THAT POPULATION PER PER DESIRE. AND YOU'RE DROPPING THE LAST BULLET POINT. YES, CORRECT. AND, AND SO GARDEN OAKS AND CADILLAC PLAZA ARE NOT BEING SPLIT? NO. GARDEN OAKS IS SPLIT. CADILLAC PLAZA MOVES ENTIRELY IN SHEPHERD PARK PLAZA MOVE ENTIRELY. BUT GARDEN OAKS DOES REMAIN SPLIT AND YOU STILL HAVE LOCAL STREETS AS BOUNDARIES. IT, IT'S ALREADY, I'M GONNA MOVE TO VOTE ON THAT. OKAY. YOU'VE HEARD THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT A SECOND. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. THE SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN A SECOND. ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, I'M PREPARED TO DISCUSS THE, AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE, BUT I'M SPEAKING TO THE AMENDMENT. TO THE AMENDMENT. OKAY. SO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. YOU OWN THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER? NO, I THINK THIS IS, I THINK THIS IS PERFECT. I THINK THAT IT SUPPORTS WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S WANT. I BELIEVE THAT FREEMAN TOWN SAYS WHERE IT IS. I THINK THAT IT'S INCREASING THE SPAN OF POPULATION IN H WHICH IS WHAT WE WANT. I THINK IT'S A GREAT COMPROMISE AND I SUPPORT IT. COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. JERRY, IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO ME REGARDING THE BREAKDOWN OF HISPANICS BY MOVING 73 INTO H, HOW MANY HISPANICS? 73. UH, YOU, YOU WANT AN EXPLANATION? I'M SORRY. OF WHAT? I'D LIKE YOU TO BREAK IT DOWN. UM, IN REGARDS TO HOW MANY HISPANICS ARE BEING MOVED FROM PRECINCT 73 INTO H ACCORDING TO THIS, IT'S 1,522, CORRECT? YES, SIR. AND, AND ALL. ALL RIGHT. SO THEN, UH, PRECINCT 3 24, UH, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 826. COUNCIL MEMBER 3 24, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 2,467. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER. UH, IN 3 24, THE HISPANIC POPULATION IS 8 26. I THINK YOU WERE LOOKING RIGHT, RIGHT. I'M, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ANGLO POPULATION. IT'S 2,467, CORRECT? UH, UH, YES. COUNSEL, UH, WILL NON-HISPANIC WHITE 2 4 2 2 4 6 7. YES, SIR. RIGHT? AND THEN NOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT WE JUST VOTED ON IN REGARDS TO THE DOWNTOWN PRECINCT. GOD, THAT'S PRECINCT EIGHT 90. PRECINCT EIGHT 90. THAT'S ANOTHER 2021. ANGLOS CONSTABLE G DOING THAT. I GUESS THE QUESTION IS WITH THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT MM-HMM . DOES THAT MAINTAIN OR ENHANCE THE HISPANIC POPULATION IN DISTRICT AGE? BASED ON WHAT WE HAD DONE, WHAT WE DID EARLIER, ACCORDING TO THE THAT, SO THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 6,010 NON-HISPANIC ANGLOS GOING INTO H, CORRECT? RIGHT. UH, ASK COUNCILMAN GOERS, I'LL COME BACK. UH, UH, THE, THE EFFECT OF THOSE THREE PRECINCTS IS WHAT YOU'VE JUST DESCRIBED. YES, SIR. RIGHT. WHICH IMPACTS, AGAIN, DISTRICT DATES, BUT WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE? YEAH. IS THE HISPANIC POPULATION WITH THIS AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, IS THE HISPANIC POPULATION REMAINING THE SAME, GOING UP OR GOING DOWN? THAT'S THE, THAT IS THE ISSUE. OKAY. THE, THE HISPANIC PERCENTAGE IN DISTRICT H UNDER THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, WOULD BE SOMEWHAT HIGHER THAN IT WAS BEFORE THE AMENDMENT WAS PROPOSED TODAY TO TODAY BEFORE THE BEFORE [05:10:01] COUNCIL AMENDMENT, BEFORE ANY OF THE AMENDMENTS WERE PROPOSED, THE, THE PLAN THAT WAS ON THE TABLE. OKAY. SO THAT, THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S THE QUESTION. BY ADOPTING THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT GENTRIFICATION, ARE YOU ALL SAYING TO US THAT THE HISPANIC POPULATION IN DISTRICT H WILL BE GOING UP? YES. BY A SMALL AMOUNT? I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC NUMBER. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S, THAT'S THE QUESTION. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? COUNCIL MEMBER, GALLEGOS, ARE WE GOOD PERCENTAGE? ANYTHING ELSE FROM YOU? NO, NO. I, I, I'M, I'M JUST CONCERNED IN REGARDS TO, IT INCREASES THE HISPANIC, SUPPOSEDLY INCREASES THE HISPANIC POPULATION, UM, SLIGHTLY. OKAY. UH, BUT THESE, THESE ARE AREAS THAT ARE BEING GENTRIFIED. AND AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT 10 YEARS, UH, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT TOMORROW. I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER. I WAS DISTRACTED FOR A MOMENT. OKAY. MY, MY CONCERN AGAIN IS 6,010 ANGLOS ARE GOING INTO DISTRICT H, WHICH AGAIN, IN MY OPINION, THAT HELPS DILUTE THE HISPANIC VOTE IN DISTRICT H. YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF MORE HISPANICS, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT TOMORROW. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NEXT 10 YEARS. AND THERE THESE AREAS ARE BEING GENTRIFIED, CORRECT? YES, SIR. OKAY. SO THEREFORE, THIS NUMBER OF 6,010 ANGLOS GOING INTO H WILL ONLY BE INCREASING IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS WITH REGARD TO THE, UH, GARDEN OAKS AREA. I, I BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE. YES. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER, I MEAN, SORRY, MAYOR I PRO TIM MARTIN. YES. AS I THINK 90% OF THE PEOPLE OUT THERE UNDERSTAND NEIGHBORHOODS, NOT PRECINCTS. WALK ME THROUGH THIS. SO BEFORE WE WERE GOING TO ADD FOURTH WARD INTO DISTRICT C, AND THEN WE WERE GONNA TAKE GARDEN TO DISTRICT H, SIR. MOVING IT FROM C TO H. C TO H. OKAY. FOURTH WARD. CH. YES, SIR. THEN WE WERE GONNA SPLIT GARDEN OAKS AND CANDLELIGHT. WELL, UH, THAT WAS NOT OUR PROPOSAL. IT WAS THE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S PROPOSAL, CORRECT? YES, SIR. OKAY. SO NOW WHAT DO WE DO BY MOVING PRECINCT 30 FROM H TO C PRECINCT? 73 FROM C TO H, AND THEN HAVING PRECINCT 3 24 TO DISTRICT H. GIVE ME THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE PRECINCTS, SO I CAN UNDERSTAND IT CERTAINLY A LITTLE BIT BETTER. UM, THE, THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT STILL SPLITS GARDEN OAKS. SO GARDEN OAKS, A PORTION OF GARDEN OAKS WOULD GO INTO DISTRICT H STILL SPLITS ACROSS THE STREET NEIGHBORS TO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, CORRECT? YES. YES. OKAY. UH, BUT IT DOES MOVE ALL OF CANDLELIGHT PLAZA AND ALL OF SHEPHERD PARK PLAZA INTO DISTRICT. UM, H SO ANOTHER QUESTION, DO WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON DISTRICTS THAT ARE SPLIT NEIGHBOR ON THIS SIDE OF THE STREET NEIGHBOR ON THAT SIDE OF THE STREET AND OTHER DISTRICTS? YES, WE DO. WE DO. YES, WE DO. SO IT'S NOT A NEW PRECEDENT. IT IT'S NOT AN UNKNOWN SITUATION. OKAY. SO GIMME YOUR OBJECTION TO COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S. IT'S, IT'S A NEW SITUATION. IT'S CREATING A SITUATION WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT BEFORE. UM, WE HAVE THE ALTERNATIVE OF PRECINCT 30 MOVING AS A WHOLE AND PRECINCT. AND, AND AGAIN, WE'RE NOW TALKING ABOUT THESE PRECINCTS MOVING AS A WHOLE. I RECOGNIZE THAT. BUT WE ARE GOING FROM A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE A CLEAR BOUNDARY AND A FULL NEIGHBORHOOD MOVING, AND WE'RE GOING TO A SITUATION WHERE A NEIGHBORHOOD'S BEING SPLIT AND IT HAS NO NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE 10% RULE. WELL, UH, IT BECOMES VERY CLOSE. COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I HAD TO MAKE A ROUGH CALCULATION. AND SO I, I TELL YOU WHAT, DO THIS, YOU ALL FIGURE OUT THE NUMBERS. YES. ACCURATE. BECAUSE IF WE ARE OVER 10%, WE'RE GONNA BE IN, IN TROUBLE. WE STAND IN RECESS FOR 15 MINUTES. WE'LL COME BACK. WE STAND IN RECESS FOR 15 MINUTES. LET'S GET THIS DONE. OKAY. SIT DOWN SOMEPLACE. IT DOESN'T MATTER. LET ME ASK, UH, JERRY WOODS AND MARGARET WALLACE BROWN TO ASSUME THEIR POSITIONS WE ARE ON STILL ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, UH, PROPOSED BY COUNCIL MEMBER I, KAMAN AND, UH, UM, AND THEN ME S UM, UH, JERRY WOODS AND DIRECTOR OF MARGARET WALLACE BROWN, UH, AGAIN, TO GIVE US YOUR ANALYSIS [05:15:01] OF THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT. OKAY. UM, MAYOR, WE DID SOME CALCULATIONS. UM, THE, UH, THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT FALLS WITHIN THE RANGE OF, UM, 10%. IT ACTUALLY IMPROVES IT. UM, I WAS REVERSING NUMBERS AND I APOLOGIZE, THINKING ON THE FLY SOMETIMES GETS ME DOWN. AND, UH, UH, BUT IT DOES FALL WITHIN THE RANGE, UM, OF ALLOWABLE RANGE OF 10%. UM, AND I, I'M, WHAT WAS THE OTHER QUESTION? OKAY. AND THEN GIVE ME THE, UH, GIVE ME THE IMPACT TO THE, UH, HISPANIC COMMUNITY AS IT RELATES TO DISTRICT H. OKAY. THE HISPANIC POPULATION UNDER THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS 67.7% IN TOTAL POPULATION. UNDER THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, IT GOES TO 69.4%. OKAY. AND THEN TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS. AND TELL ME WHO WE ARE MOVING INTO DISTRICT H AND THE IMPACT THAT IT WILL HAVE ON DISTRICT H IN TERMS OF THE HISPANIC POPULATION IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, LET'S SAY WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, I BELIEVE THAT THE, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN EROSION IN THE NUMBER THAT, RIGHT, THAT CAUSES THE, UH, HISPANIC PERCENTAGE TO RISE. AND I BELIEVE THAT EROSION WILL CONTINUE INTO THE FUTURE. AND THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THAT IN MAKING ANY CHANGES THAT BRING IN A LARGELY ANGLO UPPER MIDDLE CLASS SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD INTO DISTRICT H. AND THE EROSION WILL TAKE PLACE OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TIME? YOU GOTTA, I MEAN, BE AS PRECISE AS YOU CAN. SO WE DON'T HAVE ALL INFORMATION. WELL, WE, WE KNOW THAT IT WAS DEC HISPANIC PERCENTAGE WAS DECLINING AT 1.6% A YEAR DURING THE PREVIOUS DECADE. IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS. SO IF WE JUST DO A STRAIGHT LINE THAT'S 3.2%, THAT, THAT BRINGS IT DOWN TO MID FIFTIES, AND OVER THE REMAINING PERIOD OF TIME, IT WILL TAKE THE HISPANIC PERCENTAGE IN THAT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS A LARGE HISPANIC CONCENTRATION TO LESS THAN 50% BECAUSE OF THE NEW HOMES BEING CONSTRUCTED IN THE $400,000 RANGE. SO THE QUESTION THAT I'M, THE QUESTION IS, DOES THIS MAKE THIS, UM, MORE OF A HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT OR LESS OF A HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT? NUMERICALLY IT APPEARS TO BE MORE OF A HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT. I THINK EFFECTIVELY IT IS LESS, SAY IT ONE MORE TIME. 'CAUSE WE'RE REFERRING TO THE AMENDMENT. TO THE AMENDMENT. SO SAY IT ONE MORE TIME. DOES THIS MAKE, THIS, DOES THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT MAKE THIS MORE OF HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT OR LESS HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT? THERE THERE IS MORE HISPANIC POPULATION ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS TODAY, AS, AS THE CENSUS COUNTED IN 2020, IT, IT INCREASES HISPANIC POPULATION IN DISTRICT H. IT SHALL I ELABORATE? WELL, YOU GOTTA GIVE US SHARING EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THIS. MAY I SIR? MAY I, SIR. ACCORDING TO THE 2020 CENSUS NUMBERS, WHICH WE ARE USING THE, THIS, THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT WILL IMMEDIATELY INCREASE THE HISPANIC POPULATION IN H HOWEVER, WHEN YOU LOOK AT CENSUS TRENDS AND YOU LOOK AT DEVELOPMENT TRENDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE BELIEVE THAT WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, IT WILL NO LONGER BE CONTRIBUTING TO H BEING A, AN OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT. ALRIGHT? TWO YEARS OR 10 YEARS LESS THAN 10, WITH 1.6%, 1.6% A YEAR. IT, IT HAD BEEN DECLINING AT 1.6% PER YEAR ALL THROUGH THE PREVIOUS DECADE. AND, AND THOSE TRENDS HAVE CONTINUED. OKAY. 67. ALRIGHT, THAT'S IMPORTANT AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME. OKAY. AND, UH, AS I'VE INDICATED TO COUNCIL MEMBER MC, UH, CAYMAN, YOU KNOW, I CANNOT SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CIRO, THANK YOU. UM, I WANNA GO BACK TO A POINT THAT, UM, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM MARTIN MADE, UM, THAT NEIGHBORHOODS KNOW THEMSELVES AS NEIGHBORHOODS, NOT, UM, PRECINCTS. AND, UM, I WANT TO REFER ALL OF YOU BACK TO THE, THE, THE LETTERS THAT HAVE COME IN LAST NIGHT AND TODAY, NONE OF THEM ACTUALLY, UM, REFERENCE OF A PRECINCT NUMBER. UM, JUST READING FROM THE, UM, THIS LETTER FROM, UM, TONY KNUTH, UM, SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT SHE, SHE COPIED ALL OF US ON A LETTER TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER [05:20:01] CAYMAN AS GARDEN OAKS CIVIC CLUB PRESIDENT. I STRONGLY APPROACH ANY REDISTRICTING EFFORT THAT WOULD DIVIDE THE SUBDIVISION OF GARDEN OAKS. AND THEN SHE WENT ON TO SAY THAT SHE'D HAD ONLY LEARNED ABOUT IT YESTERDAY EVENING. SHE SAID, I WOULD REQUEST THAT THE AMENDMENT NOT INCLUDE A DIVISION OF GUARDIAN OAKS, OR THAT THERE BE TIME FOR MEANINGFUL INPUT BY THE RESIDENTS OF THIS HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS BEEN UN A UNIFIED SUBDIVISION SINCE 1935. AND SO WHAT I ALSO UNDERSTOOD YOU TO SAY, UM, IS THAT, THAT IT'S, THAT, THAT, THAT THE, THE, THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT STILL DIVIDES GARDEN OAKS, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, IT DOES. OKAY. SO THE, ALL ALL THE, THE LETTERS THAT I'M HAVE IN FRONT OF ME SAY, PLEASE DON'T DIVIDE GARDEN OAKS, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, SHEPHERD PARK PLAZA AND CANDLELIGHT PLAZA WOULD NO LONGER BE SPLIT. UM, GARDEN OAKS STILL IS SPLIT. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHO I'M, I'M I'M LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO HAVE, HAVE SAID THAT THEY, THEY REALLY DON'T WANT TO BE SPLIT. SO, UM, SO I, I'M, I'M NOT IN SUPPORT. COUNCILMAN POLLACK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, MY, MY QUESTION IS FOR ONE, FOR, FOR JERRY, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. UNDER THE CURRENT PROPOSED MAP REGARDING WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING RIGHT NOW, THE HISPANIC POPULATION IS 67.7%. YES, SIR. WITH THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, IT INCREASES TO 69.4%. YES, SIR. MY NEXT QUESTION IS FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY, BASED ON THE CRITERIA THAT WE'VE GIVEN TO BE ABLE TO, TO DETERMINE WHERE WE PUT JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARY LINES FOR PURPOSES OF DRAWING A MAP, ARE WE TO CONSIDER THE CURRENT CENSUS DATA FROM 2020 AND MAKING THAT DETERMINATION? UH, THE CRITERIA ADOPTED BY COUNCIL DIDN'T REALLY, UM, GO TO THE ISSUE OF WHETHER YOU LOOK AT TRENDS OR NOT. IF THERE'S A CHALLENGE TO WHAT WE HAVE, THERE'S A PRESUMPTION THAT YOU RELY ON DECENNIAL CENSUS DATA AND IT WOULD BE UP TO ONE OR BOTH PARTIES TO PROVE DIFFERENCES IN IT. IT'S A, THERE ARE CASES THEY GO, THEY GO BOTH WAYS ON THAT. IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, DOES THAT MEAN WE ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT THE 2020 CENSUS NUMBERS FOR PURPOSES OF DRAWING THE MAP? WELL, THAT'S WHAT YOU BEGIN WITH. BUT IF WE'RE CHALLENGED, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, A GROUP THAT SAYS IT'LL CHALLENGE US. IF THEY GO IN THERE AND THEY ATTEMPT TO SHOW THAT THERE'S A, UH, THE NUMBERS ARE DIFFERENT. THERE'S AN UNDER COUNT, THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THEY'RE GONNA BE ALLOWED TO PRESENT THAT DATA AND WE'D HAVE TO PRESENT DATA IN RESPONSE. AND WHETHER A COURT WOULD ACCEPT IT OR NOT IS GONNA BE VERY FACT SPECIFIC. SO ALL THAT IS SPECULATION. WELL, IT, IT'S, THERE'S A PRESUMPTION THAT YOU RELY ON DECENNIAL CENSUS DATA. YEAH. WHICH MEANS THAT THE CURRENT 2020 NUMBERS ARE WHAT WE RELY ON FOR A, FOR A, FOR A BASELINE. YOU, YOU, YOU RELY ON THOSE, BUT YOU'RE NOT PROHIBITED FROM TAKING TRENDS INTO ACCOUNT. THANK YOU. WELL, YOU CAN'T BLIND YOURSELF TO THE REALITIES OF, OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S OCCURRING. RIGHT? NOW, I'VE REPRESENTED, I REPRESENTED, UM, GARDEN, GARDEN OAKS GARDEN, THAT AREA FOR 20 SOME YEARS. WHEN YOU PUT MORE OF THAT POPULATION INTO DISTRICT AGE, AND IT'S AN ANGLE POPULATION IN PART, THEN YOU ARE MAKING DISTRICT AGE MORE VULNERABLE FOR HISPANIC REPRESENTATION. YOU CANNOT IGNORE THAT. YOU MAY, YOU'LL HAVE A SLIGHT BUMP INITIALLY, BUT AS JERRY HAS INDICATED, YOU'RE PUTTING IN AREAS THAT ARE ALREADY TRENDING DOWN. THEY'RE ALREADY TRENDING DOWN. AND LET ME JUST BE VERY DIRECT. I MEAN, THERE ARE CERTAIN DISTRICTS THAT WE HAVE CAREFULLY LOOKED AT FOR DISTRICT H, DISTRICT GUY, DISTRICT J, AND THERE HAVE BEEN IN WITH RESPECT TO AREAS EVEN IN DISTRICT J, IF YOU ALL CAN RECALL, UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD, I THINK YOU AND COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN WERE LOOKING AT TRADING SOME AREAS AND I SAID NO, BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING THAT EVEN MORE OF A, UM, OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT. AND NOW WE'RE DEALING WITH AGE AND GOTTA BE SENSITIVE TO THAT. SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THE NUMBERS ARE, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE TRENDS. MAY I PRETEND, MARTIN? YES. THANK YOU. AND AS A PROFESSIONAL DEMOGRAPHER, WHAT YOU'RE TELLING US RIGHT NOW IS DISTRICT EIGHT IS H IS 67.7% HISPANIC, AND WITHIN A YEAR IT'LL BE AT 69.4. HOWEVER, THERE IS A 1.6 PER YEAR DOWNWARD TREND IN [05:25:01] DISTRICT H IN THE HISPANIC POPULATION. SO THIS GOES INTO EFFECT NOVEMBER OF 2023. SO YOUR OPINION AS A PROFESSIONAL DEMOGRAPHER THAT 67.7 WILL GO BELOW THE 60.7 0.7 IF THE 1.6 DECLINE IN HISPANIC POPULATION CONTINUES IN ONE YEAR. SO WHEN THIS GOES INTO EFFECT WITH THE NEW MAPS, THEORETICALLY THE 67.7 WILL NOT GO UP TO 69.4. IT'LL BE DECREASED BY 1.6% EACH AND EVERY YEAR AFTER THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M SORRY, I GAVE YOU THE IMPRESSION THAT THAT WAS DISTRICT WIDE, THAT REFERRED TO, UH, THE, THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT AREA, THE 1.6% DECLINE. SO ACCORDING TO THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, IT'LL DECREASE 1.6% EVERY YEAR IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PRECINCTS THAT ARE GOING INTO H WHAT ABOUT THE OVERALL IN H BECAUSE HERE'S WHAT I LOOK AT, LULAC COMING IN AND COMPLAINING ABOUT MANY THINGS AND THIS BEING CHALLENGED IN A COURT OF LAW, GIVEN THE FACT THAT YOU'RE GONNA DILUTE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE, THE HISPANIC POPULATION IN DISTRICT H OVER THE LONG PERIOD OF TIME. THAT IS MY CONCERN. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST A QUICK, A CLARIFYING QUESTION. WHAT'S THE MINIMUM THRESHOLD FOR US TO DEFINE HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY? UM, BECAUSE IF WE'RE, SO I'M HEARING 66%, 69%, AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THAT DECREASING, WHAT'S THE THRESHOLD THAT WE'RE TRYING NOT TO GO BELOW? YOU WANNA ANSWER THAT? PERCENTAGE WISE? WHAT I, FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, THE WAY I'VE LOOKED AT IT, UM, IT DEPENDS ON THAT VOTING AGE. UM, IT DEPENDS ON THE, ON THAT TREND. UH, WHEN YOU START GETTING TO AROUND 67, 60, 60, 66, 67 AND IT BEING MAINTAINED AND IT BEING MAINTAINED, WHEN YOU START TO SEE SOME SLIPPAGE, THEN I THINK THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE HAVING, THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE HAVING THAT IMPACT. AND THE REASON, AND THE REASON WHY THE NUMBER IS SO HIGH, BECAUSE THERE'S A NUMBER OF THAT POPULATION THAT'S NOT ELIGIBLE. YOU, I DON'T TELL YOU ON THAT. THAT'S NOT ELIGIBLE VOTE OR THEY'RE NOT OF AGE TO VOTE. UM, AND, AND SO THE QUESTION IS WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAINTAIN HISPANIC DISTRICTS OR HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS AND NOT, AND NOW ERODE THAT? UM, AND SO THAT'S, THAT BECOMES THE DELICATE QUESTION. AND IN, IN, IN THE CITY, YOU HAVE CERTAIN DISTRICTS, UH, WHETHER IT IS, UH, A HIJ FOR EXAMPLE, NONE OTHERS WHERE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES, IT DOESN'T SAY PEOPLE CAN'T RUN IN THOSE DISTRICTS. BUT I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAINTAIN, UH, OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS FOR HISPANICS BASED UPON THE DEMOGRAPHICS, UH, OF OUR CITY OBJECT. JERRY, DID YOU, DID YOU WANT TO ADD OR CORRECT ME IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM? I WAS JUST GONNA SUGGEST IT. IT, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF THE COMMUNITY, OF THE DISTRICT. YEAH. UM, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS DID THAT, DOES THAT ANSWER THE CLOUDED CONFUSED? I'M JUST TRYING TO BE CLEAR ABOUT HOW I VOTE. 'CAUSE WE'RE STILL AT THE AMENDMENT OF THE AMENDMENT AND THEN PRESERVING THE INTEGRITY OF A HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT THAT HAS A HISTORY OF ELECTING HISPANIC REPRESENTATIVES. RIGHT. AND SO IF THE, UH, THE DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE A VOTING AGE POPULATION IN DISTRICT H SAYS THAT 66.2% OF THE HISPANICS THAT CURRENTLY LIVE THERE ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE. THEY'RE VOTING THE POPULATION. JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T GO BELOW THAT THRESHOLD, BECAUSE THE CONVERSATION, I THINK I'M HEARING AND INTERPRETING IS THAT OVER TIME, THAT TREND WILL CHANGE IF WE ADOPT THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, WHICH, BECAUSE THOSE PRECINCTS ARE, UM, THEY'RE ANGLO AND THEY'RE THE GENTRIFICATION. RIGHT. IS THAT, HOW AM I INTERPRETING THAT CORRECTLY? YES, COUNCIL MEMBER. OKAY. AND THAT, AND I WILL TELL YOU, AND THAT IS MY CONCERN. THAT IS, THAT IS, THAT IS, THAT IS MY ONLY CONCERN WITH THIS AMENDMENT. IF, FOR EXAMPLE, WE WERE MOVING INTO MOVING AREAS INTO, INTO THE DISTRICT THAT WAS STATIC PRETTY MUCH. AND THAT'S, THAT'S A PRECINCT 30. PRECINCT 30 IS PRETTY MUCH STATIC. BUT WHEN YOU START MOVING IN PORTIONS, LET'S SAY, UM, IT'S A GARDEN OAKS, WHEN YOU START MOVING IN PORTIONS OF GARDEN OAKS, THEN THAT IS A VOTING, I MEAN, THAT'S A VOTING AREA, AND THAT'S NOT STATIC. AND IN, IN THAT GARDENS AREA, WHICH IS ON THE NORTH SIDE, WHICH IS AN AREA I'M QUITE FAMILIAR WITH, YOU ARE, THEY ARE BUILDING HOMES AND THEY'RE MORE EXPENSIVE HOMES. AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A, THAT'S A PRIMARILY GRO POPULATION, POPULATION THAT'S COMING INTO THAT, INTO THAT QUADRANT. SO YOU CAN LOOK AT IT [05:30:01] NOW AND SAY, OKAY, THESE ARE THE NUMBERS. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN THAT AREA IN REAL TIME, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME SHIFTING, LIKE THE LOVE IT. THAT'S WHAT'S GOTTA BE HAPPENING. UH, VICE MAYOR FOR TIM, CAST TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I GUESS THE, THE STRUGGLE THAT I'M HAVING IS IF THE INCREASE OF HISPANICS IS WHAT WE GOT FROM THE CENSUS, WHY WE WOULDN'T JUST USE THAT INFORMATION FROM THE CENSUS TO MAKE OUR DECISION, BECAUSE IS THAT NOT THE REASON WE DO THE CENSUS EVERY 10 YEARS? IF WE ARE USING ASSUMPTIONS, WE COULD CHANGE THE ENTIRE MAP BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS. WE CAN LOOK AT NUMBERS AND WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING HOUSES AND MAKE ASSUMPTIONS IN DISTRICT K WHO GOT NO CHANGES. HOWEVER, I THINK IF THE INCREASE IN THE HISPANIC POPULATION IS TRENDING UPWARD WITH THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, IT SHOULD BE A WIN. AND WE ALSO KEEP PRECINCT 30 WHERE THEY HAVE OVERWHELMINGLY ASKED TO STAY IN DISTRICT C. UH, I, I RECOGNIZE WE'RE MAKING SOME ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE TRENDS AND THE HOMES THAT ARE BEING BUILT, BUT THOSE ARE JUST ASSUMPTIONS IN MY OPINION. AND I THINK AT THE NEXT CENSUS, WHEN WE COME BACK AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE DATA, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER CENSUS TO LOOK AT TO MAKE ADDITIONAL CHANGES. BUT FOR ME, THE CENSUS SAYS WE INCREASE THE HISPANIC POPULATION, WHICH SHOULD BE A BENEFIT TO MAINTAINING THAT AS A HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT. AM AM I READING THIS CORRECTLY, COUNCIL MEMBER? THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT WE HAVE TO USE THE CENSUS, UH, IN ALL OF THIS. IT, IT IS THE BASELINE INFORMATION, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A TREND LINE OF WHAT HAS BEEN OCCURRING IN THE AREA, IN THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT. AND THAT TREND LINE HAS BEEN CLEAR FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS AND, AND EXTENDED INTO THE LAST 12 YEARS, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SINCE 2010, THAT WE HAVE SEEN A DECLINE. IT'S NOT JUST SAYING, OH, THEY'RE BUILDING HOUSES. AND SO WE THINK THERE'S GONNA BE DECLINE. WE HAVE SEEN THE DECLINE OCCUR, AND WE, THERE'S NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT IT WILL NOT CONTINUE AS THEY CONTINUE TO BUILD HOMES. AND THEY'RE ANNOUNCING THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW HOUSES IN THAT AREA ALL THE TIME. SO IT IS, IT ISN'T SIMPLY A, A GUT FEELING. IT'S BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW TO BE, UH, HAVE HAPPENED AND IS CONTINUING TO HAPPEN. AND VICE MAYOR PROAM, I AGREE WITH YOU. I WOULD READILY ACKNOWLEDGE, I AGREE WITH YOU. AND IN MOST DISTRICTS, I WOULD NOT BE TAKING THIS POSITION. I AGREE WITH YOU. AND I WOULD ALSO SAY, YEAH, THAT I AM BEING VERY SENSITIVE TO MAINTAINING AGE AS A HISPANIC DISTRICT. SO I, I, I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I CANNOT DISAGREE. AND IN MOST CASES, I WOULD SAY JUST LET'S LOOK AT THE CENSUS AND KNOW MORE. BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE AN, AN ADDITIONAL STEP AND MAINTAINING H AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AS A HISPANIC BETWEEN DISTRICT. SO YEAH, THEN I'M, SO I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THE CENSUS, AND THEN I'M, YEAH, I'M, I'M GOING ANOTHER STEP. AND IN MOST DISTRICTS, I WOULD NOT BE GOING. SO I, I READILY ADMIT, I READILY ADMIT THAT WHAT I'M DOING, I, I I DON'T DENY THAT. AND I HAVE HEARD WHAT THE PEOPLE IN PRECINCT 30 HAVE SAID. I I GOT THAT. I UNDERSTAND THAT. YEAH. IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE. SO I, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT, UM, I BELIEVE WITH THE AMENDMENT THAT WE PREVIOUSLY SUPPORTED THAT WAS PUT FORWARD BY COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, IT REVERTED IT BACK. AND ACTUALLY, PER THE CENSUS DATA LOWERED, UM, THE HISPANIC POPULATION SLIGHTLY, THIS AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT STRENGTHENS THAT AND BRINGS IT BACK UP. THIS AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT ALSO, I BELIEVE, AND JERRY, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BASELINE THAT WE'RE OPERATING UNDER OF THE CURRENT MAP THAT EXISTS BETWEEN CNH, NOT THE PROPOSED MAP, BUT AS IT IS TODAY, WE ARE CONTINUING TO STRENGTHEN H AS A HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICT. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT AS IT STANDS TODAY, WHAT H LOOKS LIKE, WE ARE STRENGTHENING [05:35:01] THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST IN H THE, THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT DOES RAISE THE TOTAL HISPANIC POPULATION IN DISTRICT H AND IT, OKAY. AND THAT FOLLOWS ON TO OTHER, UH, CHANGES IN DISTRICT H THAT HAVE ALSO RAISED ITS HIS HISPANIC POPULATION. CORRECT. AND I ALSO JUST RELATED TO THE AMENDMENT, TO THE AMENDMENT, UM, WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WHEN I SPOKE WITH NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS, UM, I WAS TRYING TO AVOID USING NAMES, BUT ANOTHER COLLEAGUE MENTIONED ONE, I'M GONNA REFRAIN FROM THAT. UM, THEY RESIDED IN PRECINCT 9 27 AND ASKED 9 27 TO REMAIN WHOLE. THIS IS A SOLUTION TO WHAT THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA ASKED FOR AS WELL. UM, SO I, I DO THINK IT AGAIN, IS A WIN. UM, IT MAINTAINS THE 10% WITHIN THAT 10% DEVIATION. IT'S RESPONSIVE TO THE OVERWHELMING COMMENTS BROUGHT TO US, UH, BY A COMMUNITY ASKING TO BE RETAINED. AND IT STRENGTHENS, UM, THE HISPANIC POPULATION IN DISTRICT HI CANNOT SPEAK TO THE HOUSING MARKET TRENDS. WE HAD A PANDEMIC. WE NOW HAVE INFLATION AND HOUSING PRICE MARKETS ARE RISING. WE HAVE OTHER AREAS THAT WERE BROUGHT INTO DISTRICT H THAT ARE ALSO CHANGING. WE HAVE AREAS THAT ARE CHANGING THROUGHOUT, UM, THE CITY. AND I RECOGNIZE THAT. AND WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE, WHAT THE BEST THAT WE CAN AND THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, BASED ON THE LANGUAGE YOU ARE USING, THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE ARE HOPING TO CREATE IN STRENGTHENING THAT COMPARED TO THE WHAT THE DISTRICTS LOOKS LIKE TODAY AND WHAT THE PROPOSED MAP THAT WE WERE TO CONSIDER LOOKS LIKE. THIS STRENGTHENS THAT MORE. AGAIN, MY PERSONALLY, I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE BEST INTERESTS OF DISTRICT C, ALL OF WHICH THESE NEIGHBORHOODS RESIDE IN CURRENTLY. ALL OF THESE ARE IN DISTRICT C. AND MAYOR, TO YOUR POINT, SOMETHING HAS TO SHIFT, UH, IN MOVING MIDTOWN FULLY INTO DISTRICT D. WE ACTUALLY GAVE UP A LARGER POPULATION THAN WITH RICE UNIVERSITY. AND THAT HELPED FOR THE GREATER GOOD, THE GREATER CAUSE. UM, THIS IS HARD, BUT THIS I THINK IS A GOOD SOLUTION THAT WILL STRENGTHEN, UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD'S FURTHER. AND I WOULD, I WOULD RESPECTFULLY CALL THE VOTE ONCE EVERYONE'S DONE IN QUEUE. OKAY. THOSE, YOU GOT THOSE IN THE QUEUE, AND WE'RE GONNA FINISH IT UP, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THIS AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, AS I'M LOOKING AT THE REPORT THAT YOU PROVIDED, UH, DISTRICT A WOULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED A HISPANIC, UH, OPPORTUNITY COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY'RE 55%. AND, AND THEN YOU GOT, UH, DISTRICT H 69, DISTRICT I 72, DISTRICT J 63. UH, THE ONLY DISTRICT THAT SHOWS TO HAVE A, UH, UH, A NON-HISPANIC WHITE, LARGER THAN 50% WAS ACTUALLY DISTRICT C. SO I'M, I'M JUST, UH, I, I'M JUST SOMEWHAT CONFUSED BY THAT, BUT NONETHELESS, UH, UH, I'M READY TO VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER KAREN . THANK YOU, MAYOR. I GUESS, UH, WHAT I'M LOOKING AT THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT TRENDS UP TO 69%. CORRECT. AND EVEN IF THE 1.6 BRINGS IT DOWN, IT STILL MAKES IT A MAJORITY, UH, HISPANIC SITUATION. IF, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE ARE DEALING WITH SPECULATION, UH, IS THERE AN ASSUMPTION THAT THERE WILL BE NO DEVELOPMENT IN DISTRICT H THAT CAN ATTRACT THE HISPANIC POPULATION? UH, OR ARE WE JUST LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW THAT'S PERHAPS IS ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW? WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER, I WAS SPEAKING TO THE, THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT AND WHAT THE ALTERNATIVE IS, WHICH IS LEAVING 30 IN DISTRICT C. OBVIOUSLY THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF THINGS CHANGING ALL OVER DISTRICT H, BUT IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A SPECIFIC CHANGE, AND THAT IS THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, IT HAS A CENSUS INFORMATION EFFECT OF RAISING THE HISPANIC PERCENTAGE. THE 1.6% DECLINE IS A TREND LINE, AND IT'S NOT JUST 1.6%, IT'S 1.6% OVER TIME. SO DURING THE LAST DECADE, UH, FROM 2010 TO 2020, THE HISPANIC POPULATION IN THAT AREA THAT'S PROPOSED TO MOVE, HAD DECLINED FROM 75 TO 59% [05:40:01] AT 16 PERCENTAGE POINTS. AND SO IT'S A 1.6% DECLINE. AND THERE'S, THERE, WE DO KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT THERE HAS BEEN CONTINUED GENTRIFICATION GOING ON IN THAT AREA. THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT IT TO THE COUNCIL'S ATTENTION. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. THOMAS. THOMAS. OH, THOMAS IT, ME. OH, THANK YOU. IT'S, I'M SORRY. I'M LOOKING AT HER. IT JUST WOULDN'T BE ME IF I DIDN'T NOTE THIS. THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION BY JUST BY DEMOGRAPHIC, THERE'S NO SUPER MAJORITY DISTRICT. THERE'S NONE IN THIS CITY. SO, UH, D IS BARELY AT A 50%, B IS BARELY AT 48%. UM, I JUST WANTED THAT TO BE NOTED. UH, THANK YOU COUNCILOR MEGOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, LISTEN TO ALL MY COLLEAGUES HERE. I MEAN, AGAIN, WE GET IT. HISPANICS ARE ALMOST 50% OF THE POPULATION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE, WE, WE GET THAT, BUT EVERYONE KEEPS THROWING OUT THE PERCENTAGES. YOU HAVE MANY, MANY THAT ARE NOT A VOTING AGE. THEY WILL REACH THAT SOON, AND THEY WILL BE VOTING. YOU HAVE MANY THAT ARE NON-CITIZEN, BUT THEY'RE ALL GROUPED IN THE PERCENTAGE. THEY ARE ALL GROUPED IN THIS PERCENTAGE. AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, I DID NOT WANT TO SUBMIT THAT AMENDMENT IN REGARDS TO MOVING EIGHT 90 AND TWO H, BUT I HAD NO CHOICE. MY SOLUTION WAS BRINGING NINE 70 FROM DISTRICT B, WHICH WOULD'VE SOLVED THAT PROBLEM. BUT OF COURSE, I DIDN'T HAVE THE SUPPORT FROM DISTRICT B, SO THAT'S WHY I HAD TO SUBMIT THAT AMENDMENT. LULE HAS COME HERE TO THIS COUNCIL CHAMBER STATING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FOLLOW A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY BECAUSE WE ARE NOT BEING REPRESENTED LIKE WE SHOULD BE REPRESENTED AROUND THIS HORSESHOE WITH 50% OF THE POPULATION BEING HISPANIC. DISTRICT H IS AN OPPORTUNITY HISPANIC DISTRICT. BY DOING THIS, WE'LL DILUTE THE VOTE OF HISPANICS IN DISTRICT H IN TIME. DISTRICT H WILL NO LONGER BE IN HISPANIC DISTRICT. BY SUPPORTING THIS, YOU WILL HAVE LULAC COMING BACK, AND THEY WILL HAVE AN ARGUMENT THIS TIME. THEY WILL HAVE AN ARGUMENT. THIS TIME I WAS HESITANT TO SUPPORT THEM, BUT NOW I WILL HAVE TO SUPPORT THEM. SO AGAIN, I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO VOTE FOR THIS, BECAUSE IT WILL DILUTE THE HISPANIC VOTE. DISTRICT H OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. AND THEN WE'RE GONNA VOTE. MR. CISNEROS, THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT. UM, THE GAR GARDEN OAKS NEIGHBORHOOD DOES NOT GET TO STAY INTACT, AND THAT'S WHAT THEIR LETTERS HAVE BEEN ABOUT. THEY DO NOT GET TO STAY INTACT. UM, IT DOES NOT CHANGE, UM, FREEMAN'S TOWN IN TERMS OF STAYING INTACT. FREEMAN'S TOWN GETS TO STAY INTACT WITH, WITH ALL THESE VARIATIONS. THEY JUST MOVE FROM ONE LETTER TO ANOTHER LETTER FROM ONE DISTRICT TO ANOTHER. THEY GET TO STAY INTACT. WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE WITH THIS AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, AND EVEN TO THE ORIGINAL AMENDMENT, IS, IS SPLITTING UP A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT REALLY DOES NOT WANNA BE SPLIT UP. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE, THE COMMUNICATIONS YOU ALL HAVE RECEIVED, I WILL NOT BE IN SUPPORT. ROLL CALL HAS BEEN ASKED FOR ROLL CALL. GRANTED. MAYOR, SECRETARY CALLED THE ROLE AND I IS FOR THE AMENDMENT. A NOTE IS AGAINST THE MAYOR TURNER. NO. COUNCILMAN PEG? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? YES. COUNCIL MC KAMAN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. YES. COUNCILMAN MARTIN? NO. COUNCIL THOMAS? YES. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN? YES. COUNCILMAN CISNEROS? NO. COUNCIL MC GALLEGOS? NO. COUNCILMAN POLLARD? YES. COUNCILMAN CASTEX TATUM? YES. COUNCILMAN KNOX? NO. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON? NO. COUNCIL? YES. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER? YES. COUNCIL ALCORN? YES. THE AMENDMENT PASSES. OKAY. NOW WE ARE BACK ON THE AMENDMENT AS AMENDED. READY TO VOTE? [05:45:01] YEAH. WE ON THE AMENDMENT AS THE WE ON THE AMENDMENT AS AMENDED. AS AMENDED. ROLL CALL. UH, ROLL CALL ON THE AMENDMENT AS AMENDED. MAD SECRETARY. YOU CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL. I MEAN, MAYOR TURNER. COUNCILMAN PICK? YES. COUNCILMAN JACKSON? YES. COUNCILMAN MCMAN? YES. COUNCILOR EVAN SHABAZZ. YES. COUNCILMAN MARTIN? NO. COUNCIL THOMAS? YES. COUNCIL HUFFMAN? YES. COUNCILMAN CISNEROS? NO. COUNCIL MAG GALLEGOS? NO. COUNCIL POLLARD? YES. COUNCIL CASTEX TATUM? YES. COUNCILMAN KNOX? NO. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON? NO. COUNCILMAN KUBA? YES. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER? YES. COUNCILMAN ALCORN? YES. OKAY. AND NOW WE'RE ON THE, UH, MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED ON THE MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED. ALL IN FAVOR? I'M SORRY. KNOX HAS COUNCILMAN OH, I'M SORRY. COUNCILMAN KNOX. DO YOU HAVE AN AMENDMENT? UH, YES. YES, MA'AM. IF YOU DON'T MIND. I, I HAVE A LITTLE QUICK, HOPEFULLY THIS WON'T BE A BIG DEAL. BUT, UH, , I'D LIKE TO AMEND, UH, ITEM 43 BY AMENDING EXHIBIT B OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE BY MOVING THE PORTION OF PRECINCT 1 6 77 NORTH OF RICHMOND AND SOUTH OF WESTHEIMER TO DISTRICT G AND THE REMAINDER OF PRECINCT 1 77 TO REMAIN IN DISTRICT C. UM, THESE ARE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE CONTACTED ME QUITE A BIT LATELY ABOUT WANTING TO REMAIN IN DISTRICT G. THE TOTAL PRECINCT IS 3,300, UH, PEOPLE THERE. UM, IT'S NOT GONNA HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON EITHER DISTRICT, AND, UM, IT'LL JUST MAKE A NEIGHBORHOOD HAPPY. UM, AND I'M IN FAVOR OF THAT. SO, UH, BASICALLY WE, IT DOES NOT CHANGE THE PRECINCT SHAPE OF ANY, ANYTHING. IT JUST, UH, THE LOCATION OF THE, UH, THE HOMES, IT'S ACTUALLY TWO NEIGHBORHOODS. HIGHLAND VILLAGE AND LIN PARK WILL BE PULLED OUT REMAINING G THE REST OF IT SOUTH OF RICHMOND. SO WE'RE USING MAJOR THOROUGH AFFAIRS. WE'RE NOT, UH, DIVIDING, WE'RE USING MAJOR THOROUGH AFFAIRS AS A DIVIDING LINE. SO IT'S, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WANTS TO REMAIN IN G AND I'D LIKE TO VOTE FOR THAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'LL SECOND IT ONLY SO WE CAN GET SOME DISCUSSION AND HEAR FROM THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER. I'LL SECOND IT. SO, UM, JERRY, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT, UH, WHAT WE, WHAT, WHAT, YEAH, WHAT, WHAT'S WHAT? I DON'T HAVE. SURE. UH, MAYOR, UM, THE AREA IN QUESTION IS BOUND BY THE RAILROAD TRACKS THAT CUT ACROSS THE WEST SIDE, UH, ON THE WEST SIDE OF RIVER OAKS. AND, UH, UM, THAT'S ON THE WEST, ON THE NORTH, IT'S WESTHEIMER. ON THE EAST, IT'S WESLEYAN, AND ON THE SOUTH IT'S RICHMOND. SO THERE'S TWO SUBDIVISIONS IN THAT AREA, AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER WAS SAYING HIGHLAND PARK AND, UM, LIN PARK. UM, THE, UH, THE AREA SOUTH OF RICHMOND, WHICH IS IN 1 77, HAS A VERY SMALL POPULATION. AND WHICH DI AND WHICH DISTRICT IS IT? I'M SORRY. WHICH DISTRICT IS IT? IT'S CURRENTLY IN THE PLAN. IT'S BEING MOVED FROM G TO C. AND WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS PROPOSING IS TO KEEP IT NG RATHER THAN MOVING IT TO C. WHAT? 77. SORRY, CLARIFICATION POINT OF INFORMATION. I JUST, IF WE COULD GO THROUGH THE DESCRIPTION ONE MORE TIME. THIS IS THE FIRST I'M HEARING OF IT, AND IT HAS AN IMPACT ON DISTRICT C. SO I JUST WANNA BE, UH, VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE STREETS ARE. AND I, I JUST AM NOT AWARE. THIS IS THE FIRST I'M HEARING OF IT. OKAY. SO WE'RE MOVING. THE PROPOSAL IS TO MOVE SOME AREA FROM DISTRICT C TO DISTRICT G? NO, NO. FROM C TO G. NO. RIGHT FROM C TO G IN THE CURRENT PLAN, IT IS LOCATED IN DISTRICT C. AND COUNCIL KNOX'S AMENDMENT WOULD MOVE IT IN, WOULD MOVE A PORTION OF IT INTO DISTRICT G. THE PORTION NORTH OF RICHMOND, I BELIEVE. YES. NORTH OF RICHMOND, SOUTH OF WESTHEIMER. THAT, THOSE TWO LITTLE NEIGHBORHOODS RIGHT THERE. YEP. RICHMOND THERE. CURRENTLY THEY'RE IN G RIGHT NOW. AT THE TIME OF THE LAST ELECTION, THIS PRECINCT WAS IN G UNDER THE PLAN, IT WAS MOVED TO C AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS PROPOSING THAT THE BULK OF IT, MOST OF THE POPULATION REMAIN IN G. OKAY. WHAT DOES IT DO? DOES IT DO ANYTHING? I MEAN, WHAT? GIMME YOUR, GIMME YOUR ANALYSIS. SAY WHAT, WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF IT? ARE THE COUNCIL, ARE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN AGREEMENT? IS COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN HALFMAN. AND COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN? UH, I'M, I'M IN FAVOR OF [05:50:01] THIS PORTION STAYING IN DISTRICT G, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCAIN. UH, MAYOR, MY QUESTION IS, 'CAUSE WE'RE NOW SPLITTING A PRECINCT. WE'VE DONE THAT A LOT TODAY. I NO, I, I I KNOW THAT I'M JUST, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH CAUTION. I'M NOT SAYING I'M OPPOSED TO IT. I AM TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, AGAIN, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME AT THE TABLE THAT I AM HEARING OF THIS. SO I AM SIMPLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT SO WE CAN MAKE THE BEST DECISION. I'M NOT NECESSARILY OPPOSED, OR IT, OKAY, SO I'LL EXPLAIN IT AGAIN. WE HAVE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WANNA REMAIN INTACT IN G SO WE'RE NOT SPLITTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE'RE NOT SEPARATING, WE'RE, WE'RE KEEPING THE NEIGHBORHOOD TOGETHER. THEY WANNA REMAIN IN G THE REMAINDER OF, OF DISTRICT ONE OR PRECINCT 1 77 AS APARTMENT COMPLEX IS LOCATED SOUTH OF RICHMOND THAT ARE, UH, THAT WERE IN G THAT WILL COME TO YOU AND, AND SEE. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST A WILL OF THE PEOPLE KIND OF THING. I, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT UH, TO THE DEPARTMENT'S QUESTION, BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE POPULATIONS, IT WAS NEGLIGIBLE. I'VE TALKED TO JERRY, AND THERE'S A NEGLIGIBLE IMPACT ON EITHER DISTRICT. IT'S NOT GONNA HAVE A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IMPACT EITHER WAY. NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE INVOLVED. THE, THE POPULATIONS OF THE TWO DISTRICTS WILL REMAIN WITHIN RANGE. THERE'S NOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT. THE, UM, POPULATIONS IN QUESTION N 1 77 IS MAJORITY ANGLO. IT DOESN'T HAVE AN APPRECIABLE EFFECT ON THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF EITHER DISTRICT. AND DO WE, I UNDERSTAND YOU'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS. THEY HAVEN'T DO, DO WE HAVE A RECORD OF THAT? HAS THERE BEEN ANY SUBMISSION? HAS THERE BEEN ANY COMMENT ON THAT? I'VE GOTTEN PHONE CALLS. THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE. AND IS THERE ANY, UM, TO, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NOT BEEN ANY DOCUMENTATION THROUGH OUR PROCESS. MAY I ASK IF THE ADMINISTRATION HAS A POSITION ON THIS? I'M SORRY. MAY I ASK IF THE ADMINISTRATION HAS A POSITION ON THIS? I DON'T. I DON'T. IT'S THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL. NO, DON'T PUT, DON'T PUT THIS ONE ON ME. . THE ADMINISTRATION HAD A POSITION ON THE LAST ONE. IS THERE. AND I'M SORRY, ONE OTHER QUESTION IS, NO, I DON'T CARE. ONE OTHER QUESTION. IS THERE A REASON WHY YOU WOULDN'T JUST MOVE IF IT'S NEGLIGIBLE THE ENTIRE PRECINCT BACK INTO G, WHY ARE YOU SPLITTING THOSE, THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS? WOULD THAT CALS, ARE YOU ASKING ME? WELL, THE REASON IS I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM ANYBODY SOUTH OF RICHMOND. THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN WHETHER THEY'RE IN C OR G. THEY DON'T CARE. THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE IN THOSE TWO NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE BEEN CALLING ME AND THEY'RE INTERESTED IN REMAINING IN, IN G. AND WOULD IS THERE AN IMPACT IF THE ENTIRE PRECINCT IS MOVED BACK IN? IS THERE AN IMPACT TO WHAT IF THE ENTIRE PRECINCT IS MOVED? NO, I, I, I'M WORKING OFF OF THE 33 26 NUMBER FOR THE TOTAL POPULATION. UM, AND THAT DOES NOT APPRECIABLY AFFECT EITHER DISTRICT. OKAY. GOOD. COUNCILOR HUFFMAN. GOOD. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN? YOU GOOD? OKAY, THEN WE'RE READY. ANY OTHER COUNCILMAN KNOX, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? WE'RE READY TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? OKAY, WE'RE GETTING READY TO VOTE. ROLL CALL. WE'RE GETTING READY TO VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT PUT FORTH BY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX AND JERRY, WILL YOU STATE IT AGAIN? I'M SORRY. IT'S HOW MANY PEOPLE? 3,326. OKAY. IN THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, BUT ONLY ABOUT ABOUT 2,800 OF THEM OR SO ARE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. YEAH. I WASN'T ABLE TO GO AND LOOK AT, I WAS BROUGHT, THIS WAS BROUGHT UP TO ME TODAY, SO I WASN'T ABLE TO LOOK AT BLOCK LEVEL. BUT THE TOTAL POPULATION IS THIR 3,326. IT DOES NOT, THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TO AFFECT EITHER DISTRICT IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY. OKAY. AND THEN REPEATED THE, THE, UH, WE ARE REMOVING FROM G THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. I MEAN, WE WERE MOVING FROM C PLACING IT INTO G. YES, SIR. WHICH THEY WERE ORIGINALLY. WHICH THEY WERE WHERE THEY WERE ORIGINALLY. YES, SIR. WHERE IT'S TODAY, RIGHT? RIGHT FROM G TO C. AND, OKAY. AND SO NOW WE ARE VOTING IN E WE VOTE. AYE IS IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT. VOTE NO IS OPPOSED TO THE AMENDMENT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? GRANTED. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS ON THIS REDISTRICTING PROCESS? IS THERE ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS? GOOD JOB. ALRIGHT. I DO HAVE ONE LAST AMENDMENT THOUGH, MYSELF. OH, MOTION. OH, BEFORE WE DO IT, A [05:55:01] MOTION TO EXTEND PAST NOON. I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION BEEN MO ALTHOUGH I'M STARVING RIGHT THIS MORNING. IT'S MO MO IT'S, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY OBJECTIONS? NONE. OKAY. AND SEE, LET ME, WHERE IS MY AMENDMENT? ON THE AMENDMENT? I THINK IT WAS TO TAKE, I THINK IT INFECTED FIVE, FIVE DISTRICTS. WE, WE WERE ACTUALLY GONNA TAKE ALL OF CLEAR LAKE AND MOVE. YEAH, I THINK WE MOVING INTO ACRES. HOME DISTRICT. WE MOVING ACRES HOME TO RIVER OAKS. . ALL RIGHT. IT IT WHERE MADAM SECRETARY? WHERE, WHERE, WHERE DO WE GO NEXT? MR. ITEM 44 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 44. I HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO THAT. WELL ON ITEM 44. NO MORE MEMO AND VOTES. DISTRICT K, ITEM 44. DISCUSSION. NO SIR. DISCUSSION ON 44. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED. JERRY, UH, DIRECTOR MAR MORALES BROWN, LET ME THANK YOU ALL VERY, VERY MUCH. OKAY. APPRECIATE IT. GOOD JOB. GOOD JOB. THAT'S FINE. OKAY, MADAM SECRETARY, NEXT ITEM. THAT COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. OH, HOW, ALRIGHT, HERE, WE'RE GOING TO POP OFF NOW. I KNOW Y'ALL DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY TO TODAY. ALRIGHT, LET ME, LET ME JUST GO DOWN THE LIST. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON, WE START WITH YOU. MAYOR, ALL I WANNA SAY IS I WANT MY BIRTHDAY WISH AGAIN. GHOST STROSS THURSDAY AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KUBA. GHOST STRO. GHOST STRO PASSED. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, I'M NOT PASSING TODAY, Y'ALL. UM, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER FOR THE GUMBY BACK. EXTRAORDINARY DAY, PERFECT WEATHER, AS YOU SAID. AND THANK YOU TO, UH, CRYSTAL FER. ASHLEY CAMPBELL, HER TEAM, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 25, 1 OF THE BEST SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS TO DO IT. APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR EFFORT AND SUPPORT. UM, ALSO ON SATURDAY, UM, WE HAD THE FALL FESTIVAL WITH THE INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, SUPERIOR LEADERSHIP. PLENTY OF VENDORS SUCH AS THE ALE, A A RP. THEY HAD OVER 300 KIDDOS, OVER A HUNDRED FAMILIES. IT WAS A GREAT DAY. THE WEST PARK EXPANSION PROJECT IS HERE. UM, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF, UM, PUBLIC MEETINGS WITH, UM, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. THEY'VE DONE AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB PREPARING THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT TO EXPECT. THIS PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO TAKE 630 DAYS WEATHER PERMITTING, SO YOU CAN EXPECT ON WEST PARK. UM, IT FROM WILCREST TO DAIRY ASHFORD, IT'S EXPANDING FROM TWO LANES TO FOUR. SO I'M ASKING RESIDENTS TO TAKE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE. AND IF YOU WANT ADDITIONAL DETAILS, PLEASE VISIT ENGAGE HOUSTON.ORG. DETAILS HAVE BEEN POSTED ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA AND IN MY NEWSLETTER, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO, TO DO SO. I WANNA THANK THE MIDWEST HPD FOR SHUTTING DOWN THE TASTE OF PRIVACY. ONE OF THE AFTER HOUR CLUBS IN DISTRICT F AND THE 900, 950 BLOCK OF RICHMOND. IT'S OFFICIALLY CLOSED. THEY'VE BEEN EVICTED. UM, AND THIS WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN HPD. Y'ALL AIN'T LISTENING TO MY POP OFF, HUH? BECAUSE SEE, 'CAUSE AIN'T NOBODY LISTENING AND I'M GIVING Y'ALL GOOD STUFF IN THE WEST. OKAY, THIS PAST UHHUH. THIS, THIS WAS A COLLABORATIVE . THIS WAS, THIS WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN COLLABOR AND THEN SHUT IT DOWN. YOU WANT IT? SEE? YOU WANT IT. THE TASTE OF, OF SOMETHING I CAN COUNT ON YOU IS A TASTE OF PRIVACY. THE TASTE OF PRIVACY. AND SO THIS WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. I WANNA THANK HPD MIDWEST, TANGO WILD RESIDENTS AND THE PROPERTY MANAGER. SPECIAL THANKS TO SENIOR INSPECTOR SHANAHAN, INSPECTOR ALMER, SERGEANT WAGNER, AND THE DRT TEAM. GOOD NEWS ABOUT THAT LOCATION. THE SPANISH GROCERY THAT'S RIGHT NEXT DOOR HAS INQUIRED ABOUT EX EXPANDING THEIR BUSINESS TO THAT SPACE. UM, SO HOPEFULLY THEY CAN TAKE OVER THAT, UH, THAT, UH, UH, LOCATION AND EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS, WHICH IS ALWAYS A GOOD THING. JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT WHAT WE'RE DOING AROUND ILLEGAL DUMPING. Y'ALL PLEASE HELP US. UH, JUST WEEK, LAST WEEK ALONE, 200 POUNDS OF TREE WASTE, 10 MATTRESSES, 25 PIECES OF FURNITURE, 200 POUNDS OF TRASH DEBRIS, FIVE SHOPPING CARTS, AND 150 BANDIT SIGNS. PLEASE CALL 3 1 1 AND HAVE THIS DOCUMENTED. TAKE A PHOTO AND SEND IT TO THE OFFICE. HELP CLEAN DISTRICT F CLEAN. I KNOW WE HAVE DONE A, A, A WONDERFUL JOB OF HIGHLIGHTING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, BUT THIS IS ALSO FILIPINO HERITAGE MONTH. I WANNA SHOUT OUT, UM, THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN DISTRICT F. WE HAVE, UM, WE ARE HOME TO SEVERAL FILIPINO INFLUENCE RESTAURANTS AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES SUCH AS THE ALE ART HOUSE. MORE WILL BE IN OUR NEWSLETTER AND SOCIAL MEDIA, AND I HOPE TO PRESENT A PROCLAMATION, UH, ADD TO THE CONSULATE IN THE PHILIPPINES AND DISTRICT F. LASTLY, DISTRICT F RESIDENTS, PLEASE STOP BUYING CHICKENS AND PUTTING THEM IN YOUR BACKYARDS. HMM. UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE LEARNED, UM, NO, IT'S A THING. UH, SO WE'VE LEARNED OF THIS THROUGH NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AND A COUPLE OF CALLS, UH, PEOPLE ARE BRINGING THEIR CHICKENS. UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ROAMING THE STREETS. BARK HAS PICKED [06:00:01] THEM UP. UM, BUT THEY'RE ALSO HOUSING THEM IN THEIR BACKYARD. SO WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT. IF YOU SEE THAT, PLEASE CALL 3 1 1. IF YOU HEAR IT, CALL 3 1 1, TAKE A PICTURE OF THE CHICKEN AND ROOSTER AND THEN WE WILL GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S A REAL THING. SO THEY SHOULD THEY BE IN THE FRONT? THEY SHOULD BE IN THE VA. THEY IN THE FRONT TOO. THEY WALK THE STREET. THEY IN THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE. THEY IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE. THE, YOU TALKING THE CHICKENS? YOU TALKING ABOUT CHICKENS? THE CHICKENS? MM-HMM . OH, WOW. WELL, IF WE FIND 'EM IN ACRES HOME, THEY'RE GONNA BE IN THE PAN. . THEY WALK THE STREETS IN DISTRICT THOUGH. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN LUM. COUNCIL MAYOR. COUNCILMAN P. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, WITH THE RECENT NEWS ABOUT THE, UM, YARD WASTE SUSPENSION, UM, I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP AGAIN, DELAY. NO SUSPENSION. THAT WAS MISSED. THAT WAS A MISPRINT. OKAY. WELL, NO SUSPENSION ACCORDING TO THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT'S, UM, FACEBOOK PAGE AND TWITTER PAGE, IT, I THINK THAT THEY CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT TERMINOLOGY THAT THEY USED, BUT THAT'S KINDA THE POINT THAT I'M BRINGING UP HERE, IS THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S GONNA BE DELAYS, THERE'S GONNA BE PERIODS WHERE THERE'S JUST ISSUES THAT COME UP, RIGHT. BUT THE COMMUNICATION TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING, IT STILL DOESN'T, IT'S NOT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. OKAY? UM, PEOPLE HEARD SUSPENSION, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR YARD WASTE RIGHT NOW. THEY DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS JUST A LITTLE DELAY OR INDEFINITELY A MONTH. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR YARD WASTE. THEY'RE CONTACTING MY OFFICE. WE ALSO DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL THEM EXACTLY. UM, AND SO JUST BETTER COMMUNICATION WHEN STUFF LIKE THIS HAPPENS. I THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE DELAYS AND ISSUES, BUT WE HAVE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING AND IF IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG DELAY, AND THEY SHOULD JUST PUT THEIR, UM, THEIR TRASH OR THEIR, UM, YARD WASTE INTO THE REGULAR TRASH. UM, IT'S JUST SITTING OUT ON PEOPLE'S CURBS AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. LET, LET US CLARIFY THE MESSAGE TODAY AND GET IT TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO THAT CLARIFICATION WILL COME OUT TO YOU TODAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, GOT, I HAVE A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS. THIS SATURDAY WE'LL BE HAVING OUR DISTRICT B MONTHLY BRIEFING AT 10:00 AM DURING THIS BRIEFING, WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THE, UM, BE SUCCESSFUL JOBS INITIATIVE. IT'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS AND DISTRICT B TO GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED. SO IF YOU WANT THE LINK, CONTACT OUR OFFICE AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9 TO GET THE ZOOM LINK. ALSO NEXT WEEK. UM, THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER TRAINING IS KICKING OFF ON MONDAY, OCTOBER THE 17TH THROUGH FRIDAY, OCTOBER THE 21ST. THERE ARE STILL SOME, UM, SPACES AVAILABLE, SO IF YOU INTERESTED IN BEING A CREDIBLE MESSENGER AND WANT TO GO THROUGH THE TRAINING, PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9. I'LL GO REGISTER ON THE BE SUCCESSFUL.ORG WEBSITE. AGAIN, THE TRAINING START ON MONDAY, SO IT'S TIME TO REGISTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND COUNCILMAN KAMAN, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES FOR A, UH, ROBUST DIALOGUE. AND, UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO DR. RUTH ELLISON, WHO HAD A GLOBAL PEACE AND PROSPERITY, THE WOMEN'S INITIATIVE ON SATURDAY AT HER CHURCH, THE BAH LAND COMMUNITY CHURCH. AND IT WAS A, A GREAT ENGAGEMENT, UM, AND I WAS HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE ON TOMORROW OCTOBER THE 13TH. I WILL HAVE THE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE MY BIRTHDAY WITH A KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT TODAY'S YOUTH TOMORROW'S LEADER'S BREAKFAST. THIS WILL BE THEIR INAUGURAL FUNDRAISING BREAKFAST. TODAY'S YOUTH IS A 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT SERVING YOUTH IN SUNNYSIDE THIRD WARD AND KATY, TEXAS. MY DISTRICT D SCHOOLS THAT ARE REPRESENTED ARE CULLEN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THOMAS MIDDLE SCHOOL. ALSO ON, UH, OCTOBER 15TH, THERE WILL BE HILL AT SIMS FAMILY FUN FEST SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS. IT'LL BE SATURDAY AT THE CLOVER LAND PARK, 38 15 HICKOK ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER THE 15TH AT 11:00 AM SO COME ON OUT AND JOIN US FOR SOME FAMILY FUN. ALSO, ON NEXT SATURDAY THE 22ND, UH, THERE WILL BE A FRESH PRODUCE MOBILE MART AT THE TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FROM 10:00 AM TO 1:00 PM IN THE CHURCH PARKING LOT, WHICH IS 2,600 HOLMAN STREET. AND I, AND I WANNA SAY ALSO, MAYOR, THAT WE REALLY NEED TO ENFORCE THE NOISE METERS AND THE NOISE ORDINANCE RATHER, BECAUSE I'M GETTING COMPLAINTS THAT IT IS REALLY OFF THE CHAIN IN DISTRICT D IN OUR, UH, AREAS OF, UH, ALAMEDA. AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE THE NOISE METERS AND WE HAVE THE ORDINANCE THAT HAS TEETH. SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO MAYBE MAKE SOME EXAMPLES OUTTA SOME OF THESE CLUB OWNERS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT [06:05:01] THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR CITIZENS IN THOSE AREAS. AND THAT SHOULD CONCLUDE MY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM, UH, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CIS. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, AND THANK YOU EVERYONE. IT WAS A ROBUST CONVERSATION TODAY. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WORKING TOGETHER TO, TO COME, YOU KNOW, TO SOME CONSENSUS ON, ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD IS WHAT WE DO. UM, I RECEIVED A, A LETTER IN AUGUST FROM, UM, REPRESENTATIVE PENNY MORALES SHAW THAT WITHIN THE LETTER SHE MENTIONED THAT SHE WAS PROUD TO REPRESENT ALMOST 180,000 CONSTITUENTS IN HER, IN HER STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 180,000 CONSTITUENTS. OUR DISTRICTS ARE, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER THAN THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU KNOW HOW THE STATE OPERATES, BUT, UM, BUT IT WAS SURPRISING TO ME TO HEAR THAT COUNCIL DISTRICTS ARE LARGER THAN, THAN THE STATE REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT BY SIGNIFICANTLY, IF THE AVERAGE THAT WE WERE AIMING FOR IS 2009 500 PEOPLE, THAT IS, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE. AND OUR DISTRICTS ARE CURRENTLY JUST TOO LARGE. AND THAT, I THINK HAS, IS PART OF THE, THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE PLAYING OUT TODAY. WE'RE SO BIG, YOU KNOW, THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO, TO REALLY HAVE, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIED COMMUNITIES VERY CLEARLY AT ALL. AND SO AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STRUGGLING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, HISPANIC OPPORTUNITY DISTRICTS AND THEY'RE, THEY'VE GOTTA BE PART OF SOME, SOMETHING SO MUCH LARGER. IT'S, IT'S NOT WORKING. WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD SYSTEM RIGHT NOW. DISTRICT H YOU KNOW, STRETCHES FROM, UM, SUPER FAR NORTH, ALMOST TO GREENS POINT MALL. WE DON'T INCLUDE GREENS POINT MALL, BUT THEN ALL THE WAY TO, UM, 45 SOUTH AT SIX 10. AND THERE'S A, A LOT OF DISCONNECTED COMMUNITIES IN BETWEEN. UM, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF YOU TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE, UM, THE SECOND LARGEST COUNCIL DISTRICTS IN THE NATION ONLY, UM, UM, ONLY LA HAS MORE THAN WE DO, BUT I, I JUST, FOR INSTANCE, IF, IF WE DID, IF WE DID HAVE MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS, SAY IF WE HAD 16 COUNCIL MEMBERS INSTEAD OF 11, EACH DISTRICT WOULD SERVE 144,000 MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE. THAT'S A, A DIFFERENCE OF, YOU KNOW, 65,000 PEOPLE A PIECE. BUT AS A DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, I CAN TELL YOU IT IS, IT IS A CHALLENGE. AND IT'S, IT, IT IS A GROWING CHALLENGE BECAUSE OUR CITY IS GROWING. WE'RE GETTING BIGGER, WE'RE NOT SHRINKING, WE'RE GETTING BIGGER. AND AS WE'RE LOOKING TO WHAT'S COMING NEXT THERE, THERE IS NOTHING IN PLACE AT THE MOMENT THAT GUIDES WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. HOW, HOW WILL WE DEAL WITH THIS? YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE, THERE AT LEAST NEEDS TO BE A WILLINGNESS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT, A PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD THAT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE. THANK YOU. OKAY. BEAR IN MIND, WE'RE GONNA STAND IN RECESS UNTIL SIX O'CLOCK TODAY. SO, SO PLEASE, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE HERE, BUT PLEASE, UM, THEY ALL HAVE A TEAM INVITATION, UH, TEAMS INVITATION. SO, UH, FORM, YEAH. SO IF YOU WILL SIGN IN A, A, A, A FEW MINUTES BEFORE SIX SO WE CAN ESTABLISH A QUORUM, AND THEN THAT'LL GET US, YOU KNOW, GET US OUT OF HERE. SO NO ONE SIGNED UP SO FAR, SO, RIGHT. WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP, BUT YOU DO, WE DO NEED A QUORUM. SO PLEASE HELP US OUT. UH, SO TODAY WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL 6:00 PM UH, THIS AFTERNOON. THANK YOU ALSO VERY MUCH SHOWING 6:00 PM ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5TH. IS IT OCTOBER 5TH? NO, NO, I'M SORRY. OCTOBER 12TH. OCTOBER 12TH. OCTOBER THE 12TH. I WAS ABOUT TO SAY, I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. THAT'S OKAY. ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER THE 12TH, 2022. AND I'M MAYOR, SPECIAL ATTORNEY, AND I'M RECONVENING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. MADAM SECRETARY, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR TURNER? HERE. COUNCILMAN PECK? HERE. COUNCILMAN JACKSON? HERE. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. PRESENT ONLINE. COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABAZZ . COUNCIL CHURCH. COUNCILMAN MARTIN? PRESENT. COUNCILMAN THOMAS? PRESENT. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN. COUNCILMAN CISNEROS? HERE. COUNCIL MC GALLEGOS? HERE. COUNCILMAN POLLARD? [06:10:01] HERE. COUNCILMAN CASTEX TATUM? HERE. COUNCILMAN KNOX? HERE. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. COUNCILMAN KOSH? HERE. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER HERE. AND COUNCILMAN ALCORN HERE. GOOD. WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A STRONG CORN. AND, UH, I WILL TELL YOU, LOOKING AT PEOPLE, LOOKING AT PEOPLE ONLINE, THIS IS LIKE HOLLYWOOD SQUARES. . , I TELL YOU. ALRIGHT, YOU'RE DATING YOURSELF. YEAH. AND COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, JOIN. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON IS JOINING. I I LOVE HOLLYWOOD SQUARES. AND COUNCIL MEMBER AND COUNCIL MEMBER AND COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN IS NOW ON. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL. OKAY. [MATTERS HELD] UH, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL ITEM 45. ITEM 45 IS A PUBLIC HEARING RELATING TO THE BOND ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH, 2022. THANK YOU. THIS IS THE SECOND OF TH OF THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR THE UPCOMING BOND ELECTION IN NOVEMBER. UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE IN FRONT OF ME SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE? HEARING IS SAYING NONE. UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING? I MAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING. COUNCILMAN, I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY, VICE. I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A, A COMMENT, MAYOR, THAT, UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, DIRECTOR WILL JONES DID A PRESENTATION TO THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ON MONDAY. AND, UM, WE GOT GOOD FEEDBACK AND I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE SHARED THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOND, UM, ELECTION. AND THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT PRESENTATION, DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR JONES. UH, THEY WERE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. THANK YOU. AND HE HAS SAID TO ME THAT HE'S WILLING TO GO OUT IF THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, UH, TO DO THAT. HE REALLY, REALLY ENJOYED THAT. SO, UH, THANK YOU DIRECTOR JONES FOR GRACIOUSLY AGREEING TO GIVE YOUR TIME. UH, NOW COUNCILMAN KNOX. I'LL ACCEPT THAT MOTION. OKAY. SECOND, MAKE THAT MOTION. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND TO CLOSE THE HEARING. ANY DISCUSSION? ANY OBJECTION? HEARINGS NON GRANTED THAT PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED NOW. NEXT WE NEED TO REVISIT ITEM 43, UH, WHICH IS THE REDISTRICTING ITEM. I'VE BEEN NOTIFIED THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO CHANGE THEIR VOTES. AND SO, UH, THIS THAT'S CUTE. I HEARD THAT FROM HOLLYWOOD SQUARES THAT ARE IN FRONT OF ME. OKAY, NOW WE NEED TO REVISIT ITEM, UH, 23, WHICH IS THE REDISTRICT ITEM 43 40. 43. 43 EARLIER TO 43, RIGHT? MM-HMM . 43. OKAY. EARLIER TODAY WE SKIPPED ITEM 43 AND INSTEAD VOTED ON ITEM 44. UH, MOST OF US THOUGHT WE VOTED ON ON 43. IN FACT, I THOUGHT WE VOTED ON 43. I, NO. UH, BUT ANYWAY, UH, WE NOW NEED, WE ARE NEEDING TO CONFIRM, UH, WITH A FORMAL VOTE. UH, SO MADAM SECRETARY OF VIEWER, PLEASE CALL I THE, UH, CALL THE ITEM ITEM 43. ITEM 43 AS AMENDED. OKAY. SO THIS IS THE MAIN ITEM. THIS IS THE MAIN ITEM. THE REDISTRICTING, AN ITEM AS AMENDED, UH, THAT WE ARE VOTING ON. ANY DISCUSSION? ANY DISCUSSION? ROLL CALL, VOTE. MAYOR. ROLL CALL HAS BEEN ASKED FOR. ROLL CALL IS GRANTED. MADAM SECRETARY OF YOU'LL CALL THE ROLL MAYOR TURNER. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN? YES. COUNCILOR EVAN VO. COUNCILOR MARTIN? NO. COUNCILMAN THOMAS? YES. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN? YES. BUT I'M HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES AND I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL CAN SEE ME. COUNCILMAN CISNEROS? YES. COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS? NO. COUNCILMAN POLLARD? YES. CONSTABLE CASTEX TATUM? YES. COUNCILMAN KNOX? YES. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON? YES. COUNCILMAN KASH? YES. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER, YOU'RE STILL MUTED. YOU, YOU YES. YES, YES, YES. COUNCILMAN ALCORN? YES. VOTE BEING 14 TO TWO. 14 TO TWO. THE ITEM PASSES WITH ONE PERSON. ABSENT. WITH ONE PERSON ABSENT. OKAY. ALRIGHT, NOW THAT WE ARE ALL HERE, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO WE'RE GOING BACK 44 THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS. DO, DO WE NEED TO CONFIRM? 44. DID WE NEED TO TAKE UP THE OTHER I TO REAFFIRM 44? ARTURO'S GONNA ASK YOU TO HONOR MAYOR, TO THE EXTENT PEOPLE WERE CONFUSED AND THOUGHT THEY WERE NOT, THEY WERE VOTING, REDISTRICTING WHEN THEY VOTED. 44. UH, [06:15:01] COUNCIL CAN RATIFY 44. SO THERE'S NO QUESTION IN THE RECORD THAT IT APPROVED 44. OKAY. SO WE CAN JUST CALL FOUR FOUR, UH, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL ITEM 44. ITEM 44 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE, UH, ON 44 ROUND. QUESTION. QUESTION. YES. WHAT IS, WHAT IS, WHAT IS 44? SO I DON'T MISS THIS ONE. OH YEAH, THIS WAS THE ITEM THAT WAS TAGGED LAST WEEK. THIS IS THE ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING A SECOND AMENDMENT. AND RESTATING AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE FORT BEND COUNTY FOR ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS IN DISTRICT K IN FOUR. IN DISTRICT K. YOU'RE FOR THAT. OKAY. ARE WE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE? WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE VOTING FOR ON, UH, IN ITEM 44. OKAY. IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED. UH, ON ITEM 44, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO, TO DISCUSS, UH, THIS EVENING? ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? WELL, NOW THAT I HAVE YOU, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO, TO BOND. YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST TAKE, LOOK, LOOK TO THE PERSON TO THE LEFT OF YOU AND JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, HELLO AND HOW YOU DOING? AND THEN LOOK TO . OH, EXCUSE ME. OKAY. WE GONNA SAY GOODNIGHT TO THE HOLLYWOOD SQUARES. YOU KNOW, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK, SAME TIME, SAME PLACE. WE THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. SAME BAT. * 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.