* 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. OKAY. HELLO. IT'S [00:00:01] 1 33 ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH, 2022. I'M MAYOR S TURNER. I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER. IT'S A HYBRID MEETING, UH, WITH SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS MEETING, UH, JOINING US IN PERSON AND SOME USING MICROSOFT TEAMS. UH, [PRESENTATIONS] LET ME START OFF. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN TO CELEBRATE THEIR 100TH ANNIVERSARY. VICE MEMBER DO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE CHARITY GUILD MEMBERS HERE. THEY'RE NOT A HUNDRED MAYOR, IT'S JUST THE, IT'S JUST THE CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN THAT ARE A HUNDRED. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO CELEBRATE THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION. I'M ELIZABETH JORDAN. THIS IS ELIZABETH JORDAN, WHO'S THE PRESIDENT AND SEVERAL MEMBERS. WONDERFUL. SO I'LL START BY READING. THE CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN IS CELEBRATING THEIR 100TH YEAR. THE GROUP TRACES ITS ROOTS BACK TO A GATHERING OF 59 WOMEN OF VISION IN 1922 WITH A DOLLAR COLLECTION FROM EACH WOMAN. THE GROUP ESTABLISHED A CHARITY FUND TO HELP THE GROWING POPULATION OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN IN HOUSTON. THEIR EFFORTS DID NOT STOP WITH THE CHARITY FUND. AS LATER, THE CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN WAS ASKED FOR A DONATION, WHICH ESTABLISHED FOR A FREE CLINIC OR CLINICAL GRATA, WHICH HELPED ADDRESS HIGH INFANT MORTALITY RATE AMONG THE PARISHIONERS. THEY NOT ONLY GAVE MONEY, BUT THEY STARTED SOWING ETTES TO DISTRIBUTE TO THE MEXICAN FREE CLINIC, NOW KNOWN AS THE SAN JOSE CLINIC, ALSO CELEBRATING ITS HUNDREDTH YEAR. CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN OFFICIALLY OPENED IN 1952 ON WESTHEIMER ROAD. IN 1960, THE CHARITY GUILD DONATED $9,000 TO CHARITIES THAT AIDED CHILDREN. IN 1981, THE GUILD COMMITTED TO ANNUAL GRANTS OF $50,000 TO SAN JOSE CLINIC AND 10,000 TO THE MATERNAL PROGRAM AT ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL. THE CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN CONTINUES TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS AS 153 UNIQUE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE RECEIVED GRANTS OF MORE THAN $6 MILLION, AND THEY REALLY DIDN'T START RAISING THIS MONEY TILL LIKE THE LATE NINETIES. SO THEY'VE GIVEN LIKE, IT'S ACTUALLY OVER $7 MILLION, I BELIEVE SHE JUST TOLD ME. AND THEY'RE GONNA GIVE OUT LIKE 1,000,002 THIS YEAR. THE GUILD'S MISSION STATEMENT IS TO DEDICATE THEIR NAME TO HELPING CHILDREN WHO LACK ACCESS TO FOOD, HOUSING, HEALTHCARE, CLOTHING, EDUCATION, AND RESTORATIVE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE. THE FRAMEWORK OF THE GUILD HAS REMAINED STRONG FROM THE DAYS OF NEEDLE WORK AND MONETARY DONATION IN 1922 TO THE 610 VOLUNTEERS TO TODAY WORKING DILIGENTLY TO AID THEIR COMMUNITIES. CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK TOWARD THE FUTURE WHILE HONORING THE PAST, THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS THE CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN FOR THEIR BENEVOLENCE AND SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES ON THIS 100TH ANNIVERSARY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 5TH, 2022 AS CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS WHAT YOU DID. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECOGNITION. IT'S AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO ACCEPT THIS AWARD FROM, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN DURING THIS OUR CENTENNIAL YEAR. OUR STORY, AS SHE MENTIONED, BEGAN A HUNDRED YEARS AGO WHEN OUR FOUNDER, KATE CARROLL, AND 58 OF HER FRIENDS ANSWERED MONSIGNOR WALSH'S CALL FROM ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC CHURCH TO START A FREE CLINIC FOR IMMIGRANT FAMILIES. THEIR SEED MONEY OF $59 WOULD GROW INTO WHAT TODAY IS SAN JOSE CLINIC. TODAY, CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN IS 600 MEMBERS STRONG SINCE 1996. WE'VE GIVEN OVER $7.1 MILLION TO CHILDREN'S CHARITIES IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. THIS YEAR, COMBINED WITH LAST YEAR, WHICH IS OUR CENTENNIAL YEAR, WE WILL BE GIVING A TOTAL OF $1.2 MILLION TO CHARITIES IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. WE CONTINUE TO STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE AS WE HONOR OUR MISSION OF SANCTIFICATION, OF OUR MEMBERS, AND RENDERING ASSISTANCE TO CHILDREN IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. WE INVITE YOU TO VISIT OUR SHOP, THE CHARITY GUILD OF CATHOLIC WOMEN CHARITY GUILD, SHOP AT 1 2 0 3 LOVET BOULEVARD. SHAMELESS PLUG, WE KNOW WE BELIEVE THAT YOU WON'T GO AWAY DISAPPOINTED, AND WE KNOW THAT YOU WON'T GO AWAY EMPTY HANDED. , THANK YOU AGAIN, UH, FOR THIS SINCERE HONOR FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS. IT'S ALL FOR THE CHILDREN. [00:05:02] THANK YOU VERY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, I JUST WANTED TO THANK Y'ALL AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND MAYOR FOR THE, THE RECOGNITION OF THE WORK YOU ALL DO. I WILL DO A SHAMELESS PLUG AS WELL, THAT YOU ALL ARE IN DISTRICT C IN THE HEART OF THE DISTRICT DOING EXTRAORDINARY WORK. SO MY DEEPEST APPRECIATION, THANK YOU TO YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU. AND ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, CONGRATULATIONS ON A HUNDRED YEARS. ANYTHING THAT LASTS A HUNDRED YEARS AND CONTINUES TO GROW DESERVES TO BE CELEBRATED. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LET'S GET A LITTLE CLOSER. I'M GONNA COME IN A LITTLE BIT CLOSER. RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON FOR A PROCLAMATION TO AKERS HOME BARBER COLLEGE TO CELEBRATE THEIR 30TH BIRTHDAY. YAY. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, COME ON. ACRES HOME, BARBER COLLEGE, , YOU MARRIED. UM, SO TODAY WE'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE ACRES HOME BARBER COLLEGE. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROCLAMATION. UM, THIS COLLEGE IS DEAR TO MY HEART, THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, UM, JUST EXCITED TO HAVE THEM HERE. SO I'M GONNA READ THE PROCLAMATION, THE LEGENDARY ACRES HOME. BARBER COLLEGE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1992 IN THE COMMUNITY OF ACRES HOMES IN HOUSTON, TEXAS ACRES HOME. BARBER BARBER COLLEGE PRIDES ITSELF IN PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO STUDENTS AND IN SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, THE A ACRES HOME. BARBER COLLEGE IS THE OLDEST FAMILY OWNED STATE LICENSED SCHOOL WITH ORIGINAL OWNERSHIP. AND THE MISSION OF THE LEGENDARY ACRES HOME BIBLE COLLEGE IS TO OFFER QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM THAT EN ENABLES STUDENTS TO DEVELOP THEIR POTENTIAL AND CONTINUE TO MAKE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS WITHIN SOCIETY. THE COLLEGE HAS BEEN ABLE TO ENROLL FORMER CRIMINAL OFFENDERS, OFFERING THEM A SECOND CHANCE TO ADD SUCCESS IN A POSITIVE CAREER AND PROMISING FUTURE. FORMER STU FORMER STUDENTS HAVE GONE ON TO OWN THEIR OWN SALONS AND BEAUTY SCHOOLS, WHILE OTHERS HAVE HAVE BECOME PLATFORM EDUCATORS AND CELEBRITY BARBERS FOR BARBER SHOWS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THIS SCHOOL HAS ALSO PRODUCED WIDELY RECOGNIZED STATE INSTRUCTORS AND INSPECTORS ACRES HOME. BARBER COLLEGE HAS A HEART FOR ITS COMMUNITY AND THRIVES ON GIVING BACK. OVER THE YEARS, THEY HAVE HOSTED BACK TO SCHOOL DRIVES THAT INCLUDE FREE HAIRCUTS, CLOTHING, IMMUNIZATION BACKPACKS. THEY HAVE, THEY ARE WIDELY KNOWN FOR THEIR SAFE AND WARM HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PRECINCT ONE, CONSTABLE ALLEN ROSEN AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FOR PROVIDING OVER 400 HOODIES, COATS, CANDY, AND SPECIALIZED HAUNTED HOUSE, ET CETERA. DURING THE HOLIDAYS, ACRES HOME, BARBER COLLEGE IS KNOWN FOR DELIVERING THANKSGIVING BOXES AND CHRISTMAS BASKETS ALONG WITH BIKES, TOYS FOR CHILDREN IN THE ACRES HOMES COMMUNITY. IN THE SPRING, THEY ALSO HOSTED A EASTER COMMUNITY CELEBRATION AND ARE THE FIRST TO HOST A CENSUS JOB FAIR IN THE ACRES HOMES AREA. ANNUALLY, THE SCHOOL HOSTS THE JUNETEENTH BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS POPUP SHOP AND HELPS PROMOTE LOCAL BUSINESSES, UM, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ACRES. HOME. BARBER COLLEGE HAS ENROLLED STUDENTS AS YOUNG AS 15 YEARS OLD AND HAS PROVIDED OVER 200,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS. THEY BELIEVE IN PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH AN ATMOSPHERE FOR SUCCESS BY OFFERING THE LOWEST TUITION IN THE STATE AND LOW MONTHLY PAYMENT PLANS, THUS ALLOWING THEIR STUDENTS TO GRADUATE DEBT-FREE. THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH GOODWILL AND TEXAS WORKFORCE HAS HELPED INCREASE AN ALUMNI CAREER PLACEMENT, AND ALUMNI OVERSEES OVERALL SUCCESS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENCES THE ACRE HOME BARBER COLLEGE ON THEIR OUTSTANDING WORK IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR ABILITY TO CHANGE TO THE TRAJECT TRAJECTORY, EXCUSE ME, OF SO MANY LIVES THROUGH THEIR EFFORTS. MAYOR OH, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, AND VERY PROUD TO, UH, TO ADD TO THIS, UH, PROCLAMATION, UH, NEGRO ON BARBER COLLEGE, WHICH IS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. FROM WHERE I WAS BORN, READ, AND STILL LIVE. AND SO THEREFORE, I SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM NOVEMBER 15TH, 2022 AS [00:10:01] THE ACRE HOME BARBER COLLEGE DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. WE PROUDLY ACCEPT OUR DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I'M DOROTHY WAGNER, THE OWNER OF ACRES HOME BARBER COLLEGE. UM, OF COURSE WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR 30 YEARS IN THE MAYOR'S HOME, A NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I WANT TO DEEPLY THANKED, UH, COUNCILWOMAN TASHA JACKSON FOR RECOGNIZING THE HARD WORK THAT WE DO IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. WELL, UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON FOR BRINGING THIS, UM, TO SHARE WITH US. UM, AND AND CONGRATULATIONS TO LAKERS HOME BARBERS COLLEGE. UM, MAYOR, I WANTED TO KNOW, IT'S DOWN THE STREET FROM YOU. ARE THESE YOUR BARBERS? I CALLED THEM ALL. IT TAKES A TEAM. RIGHT. WELL, CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMUNITY SERVICE AND ALL THAT YOU DO TO MAKE, UM, HOUSTON A BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYBODY. CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. UH, MS. WAGNER, THANK YOU FOR INVESTING 30 YEARS IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, 30 YEARS IS, IS IN, IN BUSINESS IS LIKE A LIFETIME. UM, BUT HEARING THE PROCLAMATION, WE HEAR THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE THAT YOU DO. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE BUSINESS, BUT ABOUT TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES. I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I USED TO TAKE MY YOUNG SON TO THE BARBERSHOP AND IT WAS ALWAYS COMMUNITY IN THE BARBERSHOP. AND YOU EXHIBIT THAT TODAY. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND CONGRATULATIONS ON 30 YEARS. YEAH, THANK YOU. NICE MAN. FOR TIM, LET ME JUST ADD, I MEAN, RIGHT THERE ON WEST MONTGOMERY IN FERGUSON. MM-HMM. UH, DOROTHY HAS JUST BEEN VERY FOCUSED, VERY DIRECTIONAL IN WHAT SHE'S DOING. UH, PROVIDING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR A LOT OF FOLK, UH, PROVIDING THEM, UH, WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO SET UP SHOP NICE AND TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND TO BE ENTREPRENEURS. UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, DOROTHY'S BEEN VERY UPFRONT IN MEETING A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY NEEDS OUT THERE. MM-HMM . SO I, I CAN'T THANK, UH, COUNCILMAN NATASHA JACKSON ENOUGH, UH, FOR RECOGNIZING 30 YEARS OF POSITIVE SERVICE. UM, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE, BUT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ON ITS OWN. RIGHT. SO, DOROTHY, DOROTHY, THANK YOU FOR JUST BEING VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY FOCUSED. AND, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNITY ACTIVISM, UH, SHE'S ALSO OUT THERE ON THE FRONTLINE AS WELL. SO VERY PROUD OF HER. VERY PROUD OF ALL OF THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, UM, THANK YOU, WHO ARE JUST, UM, ENTREPRENEURS IN THEIR, IN THEIR ALL RIGHTS. SO THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE JUST LAUNCHED THE BE SUCCESSFUL JOBS INITIATIVE. AND SO ACRES HOME, BARBER COLLEGE IS A ANCHOR. UM, IN FACT, WE HAVE ONE OF OUR JOB NAVIGATORS HERE RIGHT NOW IN THE BACK. UM, WELL, WE ARE GONNA BE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING PEOPLE NOT JUST CONNECTED TO JOBS, BUT IF THEY WANNA BE A BARBER, WANNA BE ENTREPRENEURS, THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE. SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE PARTNERSHIP, UM, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR FUTURE TOGETHER. THANK YOU. OKAY. CONGRATULATIONS. HERE. DO, CAN WE GET IT? CAN WE, DON'T YOU COME GET RIGHT NEXT TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER. NEXT, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS FOR A CO PROCLAMATION TO HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS TO CELEBRATE, IMAGINE A DAY WITHOUT WATER, A NATIONWIDE DAY TO COMMUNICATE THE VALUE OF WATER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELL, IT IS MY HONOR TODAY TO, UM, DRAW ATTENTION TO AN EVENT THAT WE HAD RECENTLY HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. ACTUALLY, IT'S [00:15:01] AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT THAT, UM, FOCUSES ON THE, THE PRECIOUSNESS, THE, THE, THE VALUABLE NATURE OF WATER. YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT NOT EVERYONE HAS THE BENEFIT OF LIKE WE DO HERE IN CITY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON CELEBRATES THE EIGHTH ANNUAL US WATER ALLIANCE, IMAGINE A DAY WITHOUT WATER, A NATIONAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGN THAT BRINGS TOGETHER DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS TO HIGHLIGHT HOW WATER IS ESSENTIAL IN VALUABLE AND IN NEED OF INVESTMENT. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S WATER SYSTEM SPENDS FOUR COUNTY AREAS MAKING IT ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX WATER SYSTEMS IN THE NATION. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON COVERS A 670 SQUARE MILE SERVICE AREA AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OPERATING AND MAINTAINING OVER 7,000 MILES OF DRINKING WATER PIPELINES, 6,100 MILES OF SEWER PIPELINES, 3,800 MILES OF STORMWATER DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND PRODUCES AND DISTRIBUTES 145 BILLION GALLONS OF WATER PER YEAR. AND WHEREAS HOUSTON'S 2021 WATER USE PER CAPITA DAY WAS 116, WHICH IS 16 GALLONS ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. AND WHEREAS THE PUBLIC WORKS CURRENTLY EMPLOYS OVER 4,000 DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS, INCLUDING DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER PROFESSIONALS, ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS, FACILITY OPERATORS, AND MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS COMMITTED TO PROTECTING AND CONSERVING WATER, THE CITY CONTINUES TO INVEST IN OUR DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS THROUGH INTEGRATED PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION FOR LONG-TERM RESILIENCE, MEETING BOTH COMMUNITY AND ECOSYSTEM NEEDS, AND PROVIDING A SECURE, BRIGHT AND PROSPEROUS FUTURE NOW AND FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. AND WHEREAS CITY RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONSERVE WATER ON AN ONGOING BASIS BY REDUCING OUTDOOR IRRIGATION, REPAIRING INDOOR AND OUTDOOR WATER LEAKS AND INSTALLING WATER EFFICIENT PRODUCTS. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON INVITES HOUSTONIANS TO PARTICIPATE EACH YEAR IN THE LOCAL, IMAGINE A DAY WITHOUT WATER EVENTS SUCH AS WALK FOR WATER, THE FALL RAIN BARREL SALE, AND THE TIKTOK CONTEST. THEREFORE, MAYOR THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. SO THEREFORE, I VESTER TURNER MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 20TH, 2022 AS IMAGINE A DAY WITHOUT WATER 2022 IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN CISNEROS. UM, ON BEHALF OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, UM, WE THANK YOU FOR THE PROCLAMATION. UM, SINCE 2019, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN A PROUD PARTNER OF THE US WATER ALLIANCE, UH, JOINING WATER UTILITIES ACROSS THE NATION TO CELEBRATE US AT, SORRY, TO CELEBRATE THE VALUE OF WATER CAMPAIGN. UM, IMAGINE A DAY WITHOUT WATER. THE CAMPAIGN IS INTENDED TO RAISE AWARENESS AND THE VALUE OF WATER AND RECOGNIZE THAT LIFE WITHOUT IT WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE. UM, IN 2022, ORGANIZATIONS FROM 40 STATES ACROSS THE NATION PARTICIPATED IN THIS CAMPAIGN. UM, THIS YEAR, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS CELEBRATED IMAGINE A DAY WITHOUT WATER BY HOSTING ITS VERY FIRST TIKTOK CONTEST. UH, THE CONTEST WAS OPEN TO THE ENTIRE HOUSTON COMMUNITY AND ASKED PARTICIPANTS TO CREATE A TIKTOK VIDEO INSPIRED BY THE VALUE OF WATER AND HASHTAG THE VIDEO HASHTAG VALUE WATER. HOUSTON SUBMISSIONS HAD TO BE ALL ORIGINAL CONTENT AND COULD NO LONGER BE FROM 45 SECONDS. UM, IN LENGTH. THE WINNERS WERE SELECTED BY A PANEL OF HOUSTON WATER STAFF WHO SCORED THE VIDEOS BASED ON THEIR STYLE ORIGINALITY, DIFFICULTY TO CREATE ENTERTAINMENT VALUE AND DEPICTION OF THE THEME. UM, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE WINNERS AND TO THANK THEM FOR BEING A PART OF IMAGINE A DAY WITHOUT WATER 2022. SO IF I WOULD, I'M GOING TO, UH, NOW CALL UP. OUR THIRD PLACE WINNER IS HOLDEN ADAM , UM, AT HOLDEN HOLDEN, UH, THEIR TIKTOK FEATURED OF VIDEO COMPILATION OF LOCATIONS AROUND HOUSTON THAT HIGHLIGHTED WATER AND DECLARED JUST HOW MUCH THEY ADORE IT. WE WOULD LIKE TO AWARD YOU WITH CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVE ACHIEVEMENT AS WELL AS A $250 GIFT CARD. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CONGRATULATIONS. ALRIGHT. UM, THE SECOND PLACE WINNER IS GABRIELA GONZALEZ AT NOT ABLE TWO CREATE THEIR TIKTOK FEATURED AN ANIMATION OF ALIENS VISITING EARTH AND WHAT WERE TO HAPPEN IF WE RAN OUT OF WATER. UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO AWARD YOU WITH THIS CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT AS WELL AS A $500 GIFT CARD. OH, OKAY. GOOD. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION. AND FINALLY, [00:20:01] UM, OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER, UNFORTUNATELY COULD NOT JOIN US TODAY. UM, SHE WAS UNAVAILABLE AND OUTTA THE COUNTRY. UM, SO SHE WILL BE, UM, AWARDED HER CERTIFICATE AND HER A HUNDRED DOLLARS GIFT CARD. UH, THE FIRST PLACE WINNER IS MIMI DELUNA AT MIMI DE LUNA. UM, THEIR TIKTOK FEATURED AN ORIGINAL WRAP THAT REMINDED US OF THE WATER IS PRICELESS WITHOUT WE'RE LIFELESS. THE LYRICS URGED HOUSTONIANS TO CONSERVE WATER BY TURNING OFF THE TAP WHILE BRUSHING THEIR TEETH, WASHING THEIR HANDS, AND CLEANING DISHES. UM, SHE DID SEND IN A THANK YOU VIDEO TO THE CITY, WHICH WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE, UM, AT A LATER POINT IN TIME. UM, AND IT COULD ALSO BE SEEN AT MIMI UNA. UM, WE WOULD LIKE ALSO TO RECOGNIZE THE SUBMISSIONS THAT WERE RECEIVED, UM, HONORABLE MENTIONS AND AWARD YOU WITH A CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT AS WELL. UH, THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE KYLA JAMES. IS KYLA HERE, YOUR HONOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE HAVE PROMETHEUS AND TI. HOW YOU DOING? I'M HERE. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. IS THIS. WOW. OKAY. AND THEN, UM, CHELSEA TIMMONS IS AN EXPLORER TO SCIENCE, UH, TEACHER AT TH ROGERS MIDDLE SCHOOL. SHE IS HERE, UM, TO PICK UP SEVERAL OF HER STUDENTS WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO HAND THOSE AND SHE WILL DELIVER THEM INDIVIDUALLY. THANK. OKAY. AND THEN, UM, MICKAYLA, AJ AND MICHELLE, UH, AJ ARE ALSO HERE. WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING THEM UP FOR HONORABLE. YOU STAY UP OKAY WITH THAT. UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR COMMITMENT TO LEARNING. ONE MORE. OH, I'M SO SORRY. IS CADEN VO OR EVAN VO HERE TODAY? THEY'RE OKAY. PLEASE COME UP AGAIN. HONORABLE MENTION TO CADEN VO AND EVAN VO. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. I TELL YOU WHAT, COME BACK SOON. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO LEARNING AND EDUCATING OTHERS, UH, REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER. HERE IN HOUSTON, WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING ACCESS TO CLEAN DRINKING WATER. HOWEVER, FOR MANY AMERICANS, LIVING A DAY WITHOUT WATER IS AN UNFORTUNATE REALITY, NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE IMAGINED. HOUSTONIANS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE CARE OF AND PROTECT OUR WATER FOR POLLUTION, PRACTICE WATER CONSERVATION, AND GET INVOLVED IN LOCAL WATER ISSUES. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE CONTESTANT, PARTICIPANTS FOR CELEBRATING IMAGINE A DAY WITHOUT WATER WITH US. AND TOGETHER WE CREATE A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR HOUSTON TO THRIVE. OKAY, THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE HOUSTON AREA COALITION CHAPTER OF OMEGA SCI-FI FRATERNITY TO CELEBRATE THEIR 111TH FOUNDER'S DAY ARE, [00:25:05] IF I CAN CALL UP THE BROTHERS OF OMEGA SCI-FI, THEY ALREADY STARTED WALKING UP BEFORE I EVEN INVITED THEM, BUT HERE WE ARE. WE SEE YOU NHA. CONGRATULATIONS BROTHER. HEY, GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. ANY A COME ON UP HERE. COME ON UP. ALL THESE KIDS IN THE HOUSE. THEY ARE IN THE HOUSE. THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR AND COLLEAGUES. FACE THIS WAY. TURN THIS WAY. SO WHEREAS THE OMEGA SCI-FI FRATERNITY INCORPORATED WAS FOUNDED ON THE CAMPUS OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY BY THREE BRILLIANT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, FRANK COLEMAN, EDGAR LOVE, AND OSCAR COOPER, AND THE FACULTY ADVISOR, DR. ERNEST, JUST ON NOVEMBER 17TH, 1911. AND WHEREAS THE OMEGA SCIFI FRATERNITY HAS INITIATED OVER 300,000 MEN INTO ITS EXTE ESTEEMED MEMBERSHIP, WHICH CONSISTS OF POLITICIANS, LAWYERS, ACADEMICS, DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS. WHEREAS THE OMEGA SCI-FI FRATERNITY INCORPORATED HAS CHARTERED OVER 750 CHAPTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT HAS IMPACTED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF COMMUNITY THROUGH THEIR MANDATED PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON YOUTH MENTORSHIP AND ENTHUSIASM. WHEREAS THE OMEGA SCI-FI FRATERNITY INCORPORATED FOR 111 YEARS HAS SHINED A LIGHT ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES AND LARGE COMMUNITIES THROUGH PROJECTS WHILE EXEMPLIFYING THE PRINCIPLES OF MANHOOD, SCHOLARSHIP, PERSEVERANCE, AND UPLIFT. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS IS HOME TO THE HOUSTON AREA COALITION OF CHAPTERS OF OMEGA SCI-FI FRATERNITY CONSISTING OF GRADUATE CHAPTERS, NEW PHI THETA RO ROSE, RO BETA BETA, NEW, NEW, NEW AND ALPHA MU MU AND UNDERGRADUATE CHAPTERS TAU EPSILON, RO THETA, OMEGA THETA, AADA U, AND NEW DELTA DELTA. WHEREAS THE COALITION HAS PARTNERED WITH THE CITY AND BOTH SOCIAL AND POLICY ENDEAVORS, NAMELY THE HISTORIC YWCA THANKSGIVING MEALS ON WHEELS, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS GOOD NEIGHBOR INITIATIVE PROGRAM, THE MAYOR'S POLICE TASK FORCE ON REFORMS AND THE ADOPTION PROCESS, AND WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST UNDERWRITERS FOR THE MOST RECENT GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM SUPPORTING MARKETING INITIATIVES. ALSO, THE MAYOR'S BACK TO SCHOOL FESTIVAL, ALL WHICH CONTINUE TO MAKE HOUSTON A SAFE AND UNIQUE CITY TO CALL HOME. AND WHEREAS OMEGA SCI-FI FRATERNITY HAS INITIATED CLEAR THINKING AND ENTHUSIASTIC MEN THAT HAVE ASSISTED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY THROUGH EDUCATION LAW BUSINESS, SUCH AS THE LATE BROTHER JOHN CHASE, BROTHER ROBERT HAYNESWORTH, BROTHER TERRY, WILL WILLIAMS, EXCUSE ME, BROTHER LAWRENCE ALLEN JR. BROTHER WENDELL VAN SMITH, BROTHER JAMES DOSS BROTHER LON O' BRYANT, AND BROTHER SHELLY STEWART. AND WHEREAS THE BROTHERS OF OMEGA SCI-FI FRATERNITY HAVE WORKED INTIMATELY IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS ALL SPECTRUMS, DEVOTING THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE IN THE SPIRIT OF DUTY SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY TO THEIR FELLOW MAN AND WOMAN FOR A GREATER FUTURE. AND WHEREAS ON NOVEMBER 17TH, THE OMEGA PSY FIVE FRATERNITY WILL CELEBRATE 111 YEARS OF ITS FOUNDER'S DAY ANNIVERSARY, HONORING BRIDGE BUILDERS THAT HAVE TRAILBLAZED THE WAY FOR A GREATER COMMUNITY, A GREATER FRATERNITY, AND A GREATER BROTHERHOOD. MAYOR TURNER, THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MEMBER. AND BEFORE I READ THIS LINE, LET ME SAY HOW PROUD I AM OF THESE BROTHERS OF OMEGA SCI PHI 111 YEARS, AND THEY HAVE SERVED HOUSTON, UH, WITH THE GREATEST DEGREE OF SERVICE AND DISTINCTION. AND, AND, AND THIS IS COMING FROM SOMEONE OF ANOTHER FRATERNITY . BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT LET ME, BUT LET ME SAY, IN MY SEVEN YEARS AS MAYOR, UH, THE MAYOR SCI PHI FRATERNITY HAS STEPPED UP OVER AND OVER IN TIME AGAIN. AND I I APPRECIATE YOU EACH AND EVERY ONE APPRECIATE THE FRATERNITY AS A WHOLE. AND SO I AM HONORED TO SAY THEREFORE I, SYLVESTER TURNER MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM NOVEMBER 17TH, 2022. THAT'S HOUSTON AREA COALITION OF CHAPTERS OMEGA SCIFI FRATERNITY INCORPORATED DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS BROTHERS. THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER, COUNCIL MEMBER AND COUNCIL. UH, ON BEHALF OF THE SEVEN GRADUATE CHAPTERS AND FIVE UNDERGRADUATE [00:30:01] CHAPTERS, WE ABSOLUTELY THANK YOU FOR THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY. UH, WE LOOK FORWARD FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY. UH, I WILL SAY THAT THIS IS ONLY JUST THE BEGINNING, BUT AS YOU HEARD, WE'VE BEEN WORKING IN, IN, UH, IN THE CITY FOR A LONG TIME. AND SO NOW, UH, MAYOR TURNER, IT IS TIME FOR US TO LEVEL UP. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING TO DO MORE AND GREATER THINGS. AND SO WHEN THINGS COME ACROSS YOUR DESK THAT, UH, AFFECT THE LAST, THE LOST AND FORGOTTEN ABOUT, I KNOW YOUR FRATERNITY BROTHERS HAVE YOUR BACK, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE MEN OF OMEGA SIDE FIVE STAND AT ATTENTION AND READY TO RECEIVE ORDERS AND HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE THIS COMMUNITY AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU SO MUCH. VERY GOOD. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. ANYTIME WE CAN CELEBRATE THE, ANY OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE DIVINE NINE, THE CITY COUNCIL IS, IS HONORED TO DO SO. UH, YOU'VE GOT 300,000 INITIATES. TWO OF THOSE ARE VERY DEAR TO ME, MY BROTHER AND MY NEPHEW, SO I KNOW THE CALIBER OF INITIATES IN OMEGA SCI-FI. AND I WILL TELL YOU, SINCE COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS HAS TAKEN ON THE HELM AT DISTRICT F, WE'VE SEEN MORE OMEGA CELEBRATIONS IN IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FROM THE, THE, THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA. THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT. AND WE'RE SO HAPPY TO SEE IT. WELCOME TO YOUR CITY HALL. YEAH. AND CONGRATULATIONS ON 111 YEARS OF STELLAR SERVICE TO OUR CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK, AND IF I CAN JUST, AND IF I CAN JUST ADD, I WORE PURPLE SHOES JUST FOR THE OCCASION, AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE ONE OF MY STAFF MEMBERS, SHAW EDWARD SENIOR. UH, HE'S A, A STAFF MEMBER OF DISTRICT F VERY ACTIVE WITH THIS ORGANIZATION AND ALSO SERVES IN A DISTRICT LEVEL POSITION. SO WE APPRECIATE HIM AND ORGANIZING ALL THE OMEGAS TODAY. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS, RECOGNIZES MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER FOR A PROCLAMATION TO HOUSTON ROCKETS ELVIN HAYES TO HONOR HIM ON THE RETIREMENT OF HIS JERSEY ON NOVEMBER THE 18TH. THANK YOU, SIR. THANKS VERY MUCH. AND LET ME ASK, ASK BIG E TO COME FORWARD, . HE'S HERE. HERE, SHE'S HERE. GRETCHEN. I DON'T HAVE ANY POPCORN. ALRIGHT. BIGGIE. DON'T, DON'T COME START IN NO TROUBLE WITH ME. THIS, THIS AFTERNOON. LOOK, UH, WHAT A WHAT AN WHAT AN HONOR. WHAT? YEAH, WHAT A LEGEND. WHAT AN ICON. AND I KNOW GRETCHEN SHEARER IS ALSO PRESENT. GRETCHEN, WHY DON'T YOU COME UP HERE AND STAND. BUT, UM, THE BIG E UM, I ALWAYS GO BACK TO THE ASTRODOME. AND IN THAT, IN, IN THAT BIG GAME, UH, AT THE ASTRO DOME, I WAS RIGHT IN THERE. OH. SO, UM, THIS IS A SPECIAL TREAT. UH, EVAN HAYES, UM, THE HALL OF FAMER, EVAN HAYES IS BELOVED AS ONE OF THE GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY AND A FAVORITE OF BASKETBALL FANS WORLDWIDE. ON NOVEMBER 18TH, 2022, THE HOUSTON ROCKETS WILL RETIRE NUMBER 44 IN HONOR OF HAYES. DURING HALFTIME OF THE ROCKETS GAME AGAINST THE INDIANA PACERS HAYES WILL BECOME THE SEVENTH ROCKETS PLAYER TO HAVE HIS NUMBER RETIRED. JOINING CLYDE DREXLER, MOSES MALONE, CALVIN MURPHY, HAKEEM WAN, WHICH IS HIS SIDE BYSIDE SEAT BUDDY AT, AT THE GAMES, UH, RUDY, TOM JANOVIC AND YING. ON THE SAME NIGHT IN CELEBRATION OF THE FRANCHISE 55TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON, THE ROCKETS WERE DEBUTED THEIR GREEN SAN DIEGO HARDWOOD [00:35:01] CLASSIC JERSEY MADE POPULAR BY HAYES AND CALVIN MERCY MURPHY THE 12TH TIME ALL STAR JOINS A SHORT LIST OF NBA PLAYERS TO HAVE THEIR NUMBER RETIRED BY MULTIPLE TEAMS WITH WASHINGTON HAVING RETIRED HIS NUMBER, NUMBER 11 ON NOVEMBER 20TH, 1981. HAYES ALSO HAS HIS NUMBER. 44, RETIRED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON GO COGS. AND DURING HIS CAREER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, COUGARS HAYES WAS A TWO TIME CONSENSUS. ALL AMERICAN. AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR AS A SENIOR IN A GAME PLAYED IN FRONT OF 52,000 FANS AT THE HOUSTON ASTRODOME. I WAS ONE OF THOSE 52,000. ON JANUARY 20TH, 1968, UH, HAYES LED THE COUGARS TO A 71 69 WIN OVER UCLA, SNAPPING THE BRUINS 47TH GAME WINNING STREAK. THE BROADCAST OF WHAT BECAME KNOWN AS THE GAME OF THE CENTURY, LEGITIMIZES COLLEGE BASKETBALL'S POTENTIAL ON TELEVISION AND LAYS THE GAME, THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND THE EVOLUTION OF MARCH MADNESS. AFTER HELPING THE COUGARS REACH THEIR SECOND STRAIGHT FINAL FOUR, HAYES WAS ELECTED WITH THE FIRST OVERALL PICK BY THE SAN DIEGO ROCKETS IN THE 1968 NBA DRAFT. HE AVERAGED A LEAGUE HIGH OF 28.4 POINTS IN HIS FIRST SEASON, AND IS STILL THE LAST ROOKIE TO HAVE LED THE NBA IN SCORING. HAYES WAS THE ROCKET'S LEADING SCORER AND REBOUNDED DURING THE TEAMS INAUGURAL SEASON IN HOUSTON IN 1971 AND 72. ACROSS HIS FIRST FOUR SEASONS, HAYES AVERAGED 27.4 UH, POINTS PER GAME. AND 16.3 ARE RPGS FOR THE ROCKETS. YOU, YOU, A BAD BOY HAVE TO DO IT, JAMES, YOU A BAD. IN JUNE OF 1972, HAYES WAS TRADED TO THE BALTIMORE BULLS, UH, TO TEAM WITH FELLOW HOUSTON HALL OF FAMER WEST UNTIL THEY FORMED ONE OF THE MORE FORMIDABLE FRONT CORE COMBINATIONS IN LEAGUE HISTORY AND AT WASHINGTON TO THREE FINAL APPEARANCES, INCLUDING THE FRANCHISE FIRST AND ONLY CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1977 AND 78. HOUSTON REACQUIRED HAYES FROM WASHINGTON IN JUNE OF 1981, AND HE SPENT HIS FINAL THREE SEA SEASONS WEARING NUMBER 44 AS A ROCKET, RETIRING AFTER THE 19 83 19 84 CAMPAIGN. IN 16 SEASONS, HAYES AVERAGED 21 POINTS PER GAME AND 12.5 RBGS JOINING EL ELGIN, BAYLOR, WILT CHAMBERLAIN AND BOB PETIT AS THE ONLY PAID PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY WITH CAREER AVERAGES OF AT LEAST 21, UH, PPGS AND 12 RPGS. HAYES WAS NAMED ALL NBA FIRST TEAM, UH, THREE TIMES ALL NBA SECOND TEAM THREE TIMES, AND ALL DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAMS TWICE. HAYES NEVER PLAYED FEWER THAN 80 GAMES IN A SINGLE SEASON, AND WAS THE NBA ALL TIME LEADER IN GAMES AND MINUTES AT THE TIME OF HIS RETIREMENT. HE ALSO RANKED THIRD IN SCORING AND REBOUNDING WHEN HIS CAREER CONCLUDED AND STILL RANKS 11TH AND FOURTH RESPECTIVELY. THE BIG E WAS NAMED ONE OF THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY IN 1996 AND TO THE NBA'S 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM. IN 2021, HE WAS ENSHRINED INTO THE NA BIG BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME. IN 1990, THE CITY OF HOUSTON JOINS THE HOUSTON, UH, ROCKETS. IN RECOGNIZING EVAN HAYES BIGGIE OUTSTANDING CAREER AS A WELL RESPECTED AND LEGENDARY NBA PLAYER AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR HIS CONTINUED SUCCESS. SO THEREFORE, I SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM NOVEMBER 18TH, 2022 AS ELVIN HAYES. BIG DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YOU ARE A BAD, BAD, THANK YOU. , GRETCHEN. THIS OVER THERE TO THE OTHER SIDE. YEAH. R YOU WANT COME OVER HERE? [00:40:01] YEAH, WE GOT THIS FOR YOU, MAYOR. OH, IS THAT FOR ME? IT IS, BUT I THINK IT'S BETTER WITH SOME INK ON IT. OH MY GOD. YEAH, GO AHEAD ON. AFTER I GET IT, I'M GONNA RETIRE. OH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND GRETCHEN, BEFORE HE SPEAKS, YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING US TODAY. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND OF COURSE, THANK THIS GUY AND HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE RNA, WHO IS BACK HERE SOMEWHERE HIDING. THERE SHE IS. THERE SHE IS. SO, UM, ONE IMPRESSIVE, UH, HUMAN BEING HERE. SO, VERY IMPRESSIVE BASKETBALL PLAYER, EVEN A MORE IMPRESSIVE PERSON THAT I HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW, UM, OVER A VERY LONG TIME. UH, MAYOR. SO GRACIOUSLY READ ALL OF HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON THE COURT. I WILL DO A LITTLE BIT OF STORYTELLING, UM, ON BEHALF OF TILLMAN FERTITA AND THE TITA FAMILY, VERY RARELY DO YOU HAVE AN OWNERSHIP OF A FRANCHISE WHO GREW UP AS A HOMETOWN KID WHO GOT THE DREAM TO OWN THEIR CHILDHOOD FRANCHISE AND WHO THEY WERE FANS OF. UM, BUT THE ROCKETS WEREN'T AROUND IN HOUSTON EARLY ON, BUT U OF H BASKETBALL WAS, AND TILLMAN AS A CHILD, UH, FELL IN LOVE WITH U OF H BASKETBALL. AND HIS FAVORITE PLAYER WAS ELVIN HAYES. AND THEN ELVIN HAS THE GAME OF THE CENTURY. YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE TIPPING POINTS THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER WHERE WHAT HE DID FOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL, WHAT HE DID FOR THE NBA, HE'S PLAYING FOR THE SAN DIEGO ROCKETS AND A FRANCHISE AND SOME OWNERSHIP IN HOUSTON DECIDE THEY WANT AN NBA TEAM. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF OPTIONS AND THEY CHOSE THE ONE IN SAN DIEGO BECAUSE THERE WAS A HOUSTONIAN THERE. AND RUMOR HAS IT, THEY THOUGHT IT'D BE A LITTLE BIT BETTER FOR BUSINESS IF ELVIN HAYES CAME BACK TO HOUSTON. SO NOW YOUNG CHILD, TILLMAN FERTITA, UM, GETS TO WATCH HIS FAVORITE PLAYER WHO WAS U OF H FO BECAME A ROCKETS FAN IN SAN DIEGO, NOW PLAYING FOR THE HOUSTON ROCKETS. UM, HE STARTED, HE WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN LAYING THE FOUNDATION OF WHAT THE HOUSTON ROCKETS ARE IN HOUSTON TODAY. SPENT A GOOD BULK OF HIS MBA CAREER IN WASHINGTON, BUT AS SOON AS HE HAD A CHANCE TO COME BACK TO HOUSTON, HE DID THAT. AND SO NOW, UM, THIS LITTLE KID WHO LOVED ELVIN HAYES AS A PLAYER AND NOW AS A VERY DEAR FRIEND OWNS THE FRANCHISE AND IS VERY PROUD AND VERY HONORED, UH, TO RETIRE THIS JERSEY SO THAT IT WILL HANG IN THE RAFTERS SO THAT EVERY GENERATION COMING AFTER THIS KNOWS WHO CAME BEFORE, WHO LAID THE GROUNDWORK, ALL OF THE HARD WORK AND ALL OF THE COMMITMENT THAT PLAYERS LIKE ELVIN HAYES DID, AND HUMAN BEINGS LIKE ELVIN ELVIN HAYES DID TO MAKE COLLEGE BASKETBALL IN HOUSTON ROCKETS WHAT THEY ARE TODAY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND WE'RE VERY HONORED TO HAVE YOU ON FRIDAY NIGHT, AND WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL ALL JOIN US . THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, SIR. WELL, TO COUNCIL AND TO THE MAYOR, UH, I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW THE MAYOR OVER, OVER A LITTLE WHILE, , HE'S A JOY. AND, UH, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME DOWN HERE TODAY AND LET ME SHARE THIS MOMENT OF MY CAREER AND ALL THE THINGS WHICH I HAVE ACHIEVED IN THE GAME OF BASKETBALL. I REALLY WANT TO SAY I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT BEING ABLE TO COME DOWN AND TO BE ABLE TO STAND BEFORE YOU AND SAY THANK YOU ALL. AND TO THE MAYOR, I, WE ALWAYS VISIT WITH EACH OTHER AND I REALLY ENJOY THE MAYOR AND I REALLY ENJOY THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF HOUSTON. I CAME FROM LOUISIANA, BUT ALSO I HAD TO END UP GROWING TO UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND GROWING UP AND BEING PART OF THE MAYOR'S, UH, OFFICE AND ERNA GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET ERNA AND, UH, BEST PART. YEAH. AND, AND, AND TO BE ABLE TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, THIS CITY TOGETHER WITH HER AND OUR KIDS. AND I REALLY JUST WANT TO SAY I THANK YOU AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND, AND IT'S A WONDERFUL THING MAYOR AND I WILL TREASURE THIS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PRO TEM. I I'M ALMOST SPEECHLESS BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN A HOUSEHOLD NAME. UH, AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. MY DAD WAS COACH DOC EVANS AT JACK YATES HIGH SCHOOL. YEAH, RIGHT IN THE SHADOWS OF UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. THAT'S RIGHT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN A [00:45:01] LOT OF TALL GUYS PASS BY. RIGHT. BUT, BUT YOU ARE SO AWESOME AND JUST, I, I THINK DIDN'T YOU DO A COMMERCIAL ONE WITH WITH THE YELLOW CAB OR SOMETHING? YEAH. AND YOU GAVE THEM SOME PROSTITUTE BECAUSE IT'S ON HAYES STREET. SEE, I REMEMBER THAT. SEE? SO I'M A LONG TIME FAN. OH YEAH. BUT YOU ARE JUST PHENOMENAL. AND LIKE YOUR WIFE SAID, SHE'S THE BEST PART. BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US THANK YOU. THE OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE BROUGHT MUCH HONOR TO HOUSTON THANK YOU. AND THE HOUSTON ROCKETS. THANK YOU. WELL, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MA MAYOR, I JUST WANT SAY, UH, AS A, AS A FORMER BASKETBALL PLAYER, WHEN YOU READ OFF ALL THOSE ACCOLADES, I GOT TIRED BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO SNAG 16 REBOUNDS IN A GAME AND TO PUT UP 28 POINTS AND, AND 21 POINTS A GAME. AND TO PLAY 80 GAMES, UH, A SEASON THAT, THAT TAKES A, A BIG TOLL ON, ON YOUR, ON YOUR BODY AND ON YOUR PSYCHE. SO I, I KNOW HOW STRONG AND HOW MUCH PREPARATION THAT TOOK. YEAH. SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FROM ONE FORMER BASKETBALL PLAYER TO ANOTHER FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU. AND WHAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE, HAVE DONE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHAT YOU DID FOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL, THANK YOU. AND FOR PROFESSIONAL SPORTS AND JUST BEING A STELLAR STANDUP PLAYER IN OUR CITY. WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND YOU ARE WELL DESERVING OF THIS HONOR TODAY. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, COME ON AND TURN AROUND. WE ALSO WANNA WELCOME CLUTCH TO THE CHAMBERS AND THE ROCKETS DANCES ALSO FOR BEING HERE TODAY. OKAY. GET, GET THE PICTURES. GET THE PICTURES. DID Y'ALL GET HERE? HERE'S MONITOR. RIGHT HERE. GET THE PICTURES. THIS ONE RIGHT HERE. COME ON. SORRY. HOLD ON. MARTA RIGHT HERE. STRAIGHT. OH, OKAY. HI. [00:50:01] 3, 2, 1. THERE WE GO GUYS. PERFECT. OKAY. GOT IT. THERE WE GO. HERE YOU GO. CLUTCH. RIGHT HERE. RIGHT HERE. . GOT IT. NICE. OKAY, WE GOT THROUGH BUT A MINUTE. OOPS. ALL THANK YOU, CLUTCH. THANK YOU MAN. ALRIGHT. UH, COUNCIL [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] MEMBER CISNEROS. YES. UH, UH, LET ME RECOGNIZE YOU FOR THE CONVOCATION AND THE PLEDGE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, IT'S MY, UH, PLEASURE AND HONOR TO WELCOME, UM, PASTOR DORN TO THE PODIUM. REVEREND MICHAEL DORN HAS SERVED FOR 18 YEARS AS THE SENIOR PASTOR OF TRINITY DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, A CONGREGATION THAT HAS SERVED OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1879. HE'S THE FOURTH GENERATION IN HIS FAMILY TO BE A LUTHERAN PASTOR AND HAS SERVED IN THAT OFFICE FOR 31 YEARS. PASTOR DORN SHARED WITH ME JUST BEFORE THIS MEETING THAT, UM, HE IS NOT JUST HERE DELIVERING TODAY'S INVOCATION, BUT THAT HE AND HIS CONGREGATION PRAY FOR US ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO THANK YOU FOR HOLDING US IN YOUR PRAYERS, PASTOR, AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, JOINING US TODAY. YEAH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS FOR THE INVITATION AND THE INTRODUCTION TO BE HERE. UH, MAYOR TURNER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE AND TO LIFT YOU AND YOUR WORK UP IN PRAYER. UH, WE ARE ONE OF THE CLOSEST CONGREGATIONS TO THE CITY HALL. IN FACT, OUR PROPERTY ADJOINS EACH OTHER. I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE WE'VE GOT GREAT NEIGHBORS. WE'RE RIGHT NEXT TO THE MUNICIPAL COURTS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE GOT GREAT NEIGHBORS. AND, UH, SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO PRAY FOR YOU TODAY. WOULD YOU PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS WITH ME RIGHT NOW? HEAVENLY FATHER, YOU RULE OVER ALL THINGS AND PROMISE TO LEAD AND GUIDE YOUR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHOM YOU'VE APPOINTED TO POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP. THIS AFTERNOON, WE LIFT UP TO YOU, OUR MAYOR, SYLVESTER TURNER, AND EACH COUNCIL MEMBER, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD GUIDE THEM IN THEIR WORK, THAT THERE WOULD BE COLLABORATION AND DECISION MAKING, AND THAT THE ITEMS THEY ADDRESS WILL BE A BLESSING TO THE PEOPLE WHO CALL HOUSTON THEIR HOME. LORD, ON THE AGENDA TODAY ARE MATTERS RELATED TO TAXATION ORDINANCES THAT MUST BE MADE TO MAINTAIN ORDER, BIDS TO REVIEW AND CONTRACTS TO APPROVE THE FOR WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND REAPPOINTING JUDGES WHO WILL PRESIDE OVER OUR LOCAL LAWS. THESE ARE IMPORTANT DECISIONS. AND SO GRANT WISDOM AND INSIGHT TO EACH MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL AS THEY DELIBERATE OVER THESE MATTERS. LORD, WE GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THESE PEOPLE AND FOR THEIR WORK TODAY. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE CITY YOU HAVE GIVEN US. WE LIFT UP TO YOU ALL OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHOSE DUTIES ARE DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS, PROTECT AND DEFEND US ALL FROM EVIL AND BRING PEACE AND UNITY TO OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY. ALL THESE THINGS WE BRING BEFORE YOU, KNOWING THAT YOU HEAR AND ANSWER OUR PRAYERS ACCORDING TO YOUR WILL. AND JESUS NAME, AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. AND GOD BLESS YOUR DAY BEYOND BELIEF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, PASTOR. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE. PLEASE STAND, RISE FOR THE PLEDGE. PLEASE P TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH YOU STANDS. ONE NATION GOD. UH, UM, MADAM [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] SECRETARY, IF YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR TURNER. HERE. COUNCILMAN PECK. HERE. COUNCILMAN JACKSON? HERE. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABAZZ. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN. WE WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN CISNEROS? HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCILMAN KNOX. HERE. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. [00:55:01] AND COUNCILMAN KOOSH. HERE. CONSTABLE PLUMMER HERE. AND CONSTABLE ALCORN HERE. WE NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES. SO MOVED. SECOND MOVE, AND SECOND TO DELAY. ANY OBJECTION? CHAIRS? NONE IN THE MOTION IS GRANTED. UM, NOW JUST FOR, UH, THIS COMMUNITY, FOR THIS PORTION OF CITY COUNCIL, UH, LET ME JUST ASK IF, UH, IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THIS TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE ON, UH, WITH US ONLINE. UH, IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE, UH, THE MEETING, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW AND THAT WE'LL REMOVE YOU. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME WHEN MAKING OR SECONDING A MOTION. AND ALSO FOR THOSE JOINING VIRTUAL, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE TYPE THAT IN THE CHAT WINDOW AND WE WILL BE MONITORING THAT [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO ARE HERE TODAY. THIS IS FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS. UM, PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS THE PUBLIC SPEAKER, YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE BY 3:00 PM ON YESTERDAY. AND WE WILL CALL YOUR NAME IN THE ORDER THAT YOU SIGNED UP, UH, WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED. IF YOU ARE HERE IN PERSON, PLEASE STEP UP TO THE PODIUM, GET BEHIND ONE OF THOSE MICS, AND THEN, UH, YOU'LL BE GIVEN THE ONE, TWO, OR THREE MINUTES AT WHICH YOU'VE BEEN DESIGNATED. IF YOU ARE CALLING IN, PRESS THE STAR SIX. PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF. AND IF YOU ARE APPEARING ON CAMERA, CLICK ON THE MICROPHONE ICON AND THE CAMERA ICON. AFTER YOUR TIME IS, HAS EXPIRED, YOU'LL HEAR THE BAIL. AND WHEN YOU HEAR THE BAIL, YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY COME TO AN END. AND YOU MAY ONLY SPEAK WHEN RECOGNIZED. ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS, ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS, HEARING AND SEEING NONE, MADAM SECRETARY, YOU PROCEED TO CALL THE SPEAKER'S LIST. CRAIG GREENBERG. CRAIG GREENBERG. IT'S CRAIG GREENBERG HERE. CRAIG CRAIG IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY PETER FRIEDMAN. I, MR. GREENBERG, GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MY NAME IS CRAIG GREENBERG. I WORK WITH LAND HOME FINANCIAL AND I'M HERE TO TALK ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST TODAY. UH, WE STARTED WORKING WITH THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IN 2019. THIS WAS OUR FIRST COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AND WE STARTED WORKING WITH THEM, UH, AND, AND DUE TO THEIRS AND OUR SUCCESS, MY COMPANY'S NOW WORKING WITH SEVEN COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. COMMUNITY. COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS ARE A MODEL THAT HELPS PROMOTE HOME OWNERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED THE MOST HELP. ALL OF OUR HOUSTON, CLT HOMEOWNERS ARE AT OR BELOW THE 80% AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME FOR THE AREA, AND MOST OF OUR HOMEOWNERS ARE AT THE LOWER END OF THAT SCALE. AT THE BEGINNING, WE WERE WORKING WITH THE HOUSTON CLT AND THE HOUSTON LAND BANK TO ASSIST THOSE IN NEED IN THE AC ACRES HOME COMMUNITY. THE LAND BANK HOME SOLD QUICKLY AND WE WERE ABLE TO HELP A NUMBER OF FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS BECOME HOMEOWNERS WHEN PREVIOUS, WHEN THEY PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE. AS THE PROGRAM GREW, THE INVENTORY COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH DEMAND. AND THE CLT EVOLVED INTO THE HOME BUYER CHOICE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE TODAY. TO DATE, LAND HOME HAS BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST 86 OF THE HOUSTON CLTS MEMBERS BECOME HOMEOWNERS. THOSE HOMEOWNERS COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, FROM YOUNGER INDIVIDUALS AND COUPLES LOOKING TO START OUT TO MORE MATURE HOMEOWNERS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO RETIRE AND EVENTUALLY PASS DOWN TO THEIR TO THEIR FAMILY. THE HOUSTON CLT MODEL, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE HOUSTON CLT MODEL IS A NECESSITY FOR THOSE IN THE LOW INCOME SPACE. WITH TODAY'S HOME PRICES AND INTEREST RATES, PURCHASING A HOME CAN BE OUT OF REACH FOR THOSE MAKING 80% OR LESS. IN MY YEARS OF WORKING WITH THE HOUSTON MARKET, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST CUSTOMERS UTILIZING THE HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AS WELL AS THE CLT. AND I KNOW THE HAT PROGRAM IS NO LONGER AN OPTION, BUT FOR MANY OF OUR HOME BUYERS, THE $30,000 HAT PROGRAM JUST DID NOT BRIDGE THE GAP TO OWNING A HOME. THE GRANT, THIS GRANT PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST HAS BEEN THE WAY TO HELP MANY CITIZENS OF HOUSTON ACHIEVE THEIR HOME OWNERSHIP GOAL. WITHOUT THESE FUNDS, NEARLY ALL OF THE APPLICANTS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PURCHASE A HOME FROM THE BEGINNING, MYSELF AND LAND HOME HAS LOVED SERVING THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON THROUGH THE CLT PROGRAM. I REMEMBER AS WE FIRST BEGAN THIS JOURNEY AT MAYOR TURNER, YOU SPOKE TO THE CROWD AT THE MULTICULTURAL CENTER IN A ACRES HOMES. THE MESSAGE WAS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PROGRAMS LIKE THIS AND HOW THEY HELP KEEP COMMUNITIES TOGETHER AND KEEP HOUSTON STRONG. YEAH. TIME HAS EXPIRED. LET ME JUST, LEMME JUST MAKE SURE. SINCE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA TO SPEAK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, THEY MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ISSUE, WHAT THE ISSUE IS. UM, BECAUSE, UH, WE SET ASIDE A LITTLE OVER $50 MILLION FOR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S FOR HOUSING TO PUT PEOPLE IN HOUSING, OKAY? NOT JUST TO SET TO BANK ROAD OR TO SET SOMETHING 50 MILLION AND PUT IT ON THE SHELF. WHERE [01:00:01] WE FIND OURSELVES IS THAT UNDER THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST PROGRAM, UM, THEY'VE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR ABOUT, LET'S SAY FIVE PEOPLE PER MONTH. OKAY? DOING FIVE PEOPLE PER MONTH, IT'S NOT GONNA GET THERE. AND THEN IN, IN ORDER FOR A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST TO BE SUCCESSFUL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE INVENTORY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE HOUSING. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE HOUSING UNIT, THEN THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST PROGRAM IS NOT SUCCESSFUL. UM, IT IS MY INTENT, UH, TO PUT AS MANY PEOPLE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOUSING, UM, CERTAINLY BEFORE THE END OF 2023. OKAY? SO WE WILL SET ASIDE, UH, AS MUCH MONEY AS THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST CAN HANDLE, BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO LEAVE 50 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS ON THE SHELF FOR THE NEXT FOUR TO FIVE, SIX YEARS. WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT. SO WHATEVER COMMUNITY LAND TRUST CAN HANDLE THOSE DOLLARS WILL BE SET ASIDE. THE OTHER DOLLARS ARE GONNA BE PUT TO BILL HOUSING. OKAY? BUT WE ARE NOT GONNA LEAVE DOLLARS ON THE SHELF WHEN PEOPLE NEED HOUSING. AND RIGHT NOW, THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST HAS ONLY BEEN ABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE HOMES HOUSING FOR LET'S SAY ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE PER MONTH. THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. OKAY? THEY DO MORE. THEY GET MORE, OKAY. BUT WE ARE NOT GONNA, WE, WE'RE NOT GONNA BANK, WE'RE NOT GONNA JUST HOLD DOLLARS BACK FOR THE NEXT 5, 6, 7 YEARS. I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT. UNDERSTOOD. THAT'S WHERE WE FOUND OURSELVES. OKAY. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, ALSO WHAT THE ITEM 15 THAT'S BEFORE COUNCIL, UM, IS JUST OUR, UM, YEARLY ALLOCATION FROM TS. AND SO WE RECEIVE, UH, THE DOLLARS THAT THE MAYOR IS REFERENCING TO THE LAND TRUST FROM OUR 2021 TS BOND THAT WE BONDED IN JANUARY, 2021, 124 MILLION OR SO. SO THIS ITEM IS NOT RELATED TO THE CONVERSATION, RIGHT? THAT'S HAPPENING, RIGHT? SO, UM, THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. UH, THIS ALLOCATION, OFTS SUPPLEMENTS, UM, PROGRAM DOLLARS THAT THE GLO REFUSES TO REIMBURSE THE, THE CITY WITH THAT ALSO SUPPLEMENTS, UH, STAFF THAT SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE UNABLE TO COVER. THIS ALSO SUPPORTS HOMEOWNER, UH, DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANT AND SINGLE FAMILY ACTIVITIES. SO THAT'S WHAT ITEM 15, THAT'S WHAT'S UP FOR COUNCIL FOR US TO VOTE ON TOMORROW, BUT I HEAR YOU AND I AGREE WITH YOU. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CHAIR THOMAS, I SHOULD SAY, UM, FOR CLARIFYING A LOT OF THAT. SO IF WE VOTE AGAINST THIS ITEM TOMORROW, WE ARE OUT AS A CITY A HUNDRED. WE'RE LOSING $125 MILLION FOR CURRENT PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT THAT IS BEING PROVIDED. IS THAT OKAY? AND AGAIN, I KNOW WE HAVE A LONG LIST. I APPRECIATE EVERYONE COMING. WE'LL BE LISTENING. I JUST, I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION. 'CAUSE THE VOTE TOMORROW IS GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR MAKING SURE WE ARE ABLE TO GET THOSE DOLLARS WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. PETER FREEMAN. PETER FREEMAN. UH, IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX PETER FREEMAN, STAR SIX, UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU AND SEE YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. I APPRECIATE IT. UH, MY NAME'S PETER FRIEDMAN. I'M WITH AGAPE DEVELOPMENT MINISTRIES AND AGAPE HOME, CDC. WE ARE ALSO A PARTICIPANT IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. UM, I LIVE AND WE WORK HERE IN, UH, OST SOUTH UNION AREA, AND THAT'S WHERE, UH, WHERE WE'RE BUILDING THESE HOMES. UM, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU KIND OF AN UPDATE ON THE AFFORDABILITY OF HOMES RIGHT NOW AND HOW THAT KIND OF RELAYS TO THE LAND TRUST. UM, RIGHT NOW, OUR THREE BEDROOM, UM, HOMES, OUR MOTTO, AVERAGE COSTS ABOUT $160,000 IN HARD COSTS. THAT'S LABOR AND MATERIALS. THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE SOFT COST, UM, FOR LAND INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, AND, AND WE'RE BLESSED TO HAVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TO HELP US WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE PIECE OF THAT. UM, WITH THAT WE CAN, WE CAN PRODUCE A THREE BEDROOM HOME AT OUR COST FOR ABOUT $230,000. UM, THAT'S LEAVING OVER $50,000 OF VALUE IN THAT HOME FOR OUR, FOR OUR AFFORDABLE BUYERS. UM, THE, THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW IS WITH 7% INTEREST RATES, UM, AND A DEBT TO INCOME FRONT END RATIO OF 28%. A BUYER IS TO BUY AND AFFORD THAT HOME, WHICH SOUNDS, SOUNDS VERY AFFORDABLE, NEEDS TO BE AROUND A HUNDRED PERCENT A MI. UM, FOR PERSPECTIVE OF THAT, THE SAME HOMES LAST YEAR AT 5% INTEREST. SOMEBODY 80 OR 90 OR EIGHT BELOW 80 OR 90% A MI COULD AFFORD THOSE HOMES. SO LOOKING AT OUR, LOOKING AT OUR COMMUNITY AND REALLY WHO WE ARE BUILDING FOR, WE HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT MAKE BETWEEN 30 AND [01:05:01] $50,000. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE ONLY OPTION THEY REALLY HAVE IS, IS A LAND TRUST. WE WISH, UH, WE WISH THERE WAS OTHER, OTHER FUNDS COMING IN FROM THE STATE, BUT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STUCK WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. SO LOOKING AT, LOOKING AT OUR SITUATION, JUST WANTED TO MAKE IT, MAKE IT, UH, VERY CLEAR THAT THE LAND TRUST IS A, IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME OF OUR BUYERS. AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR THAT, THAT THERE ARE SOME FUNDS THAT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE IF WE HAVE HOMES THAT WE'RE GONNA PRODUCE, BECAUSE WE DO, WE DO PLAN ON, ON BUILDING 80 PLUS HOMES IN THE NEXT YEAR. AND I DO KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE, SOME OF THESE FAMILIES REALLY COULD USE THOSE FUNDS. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT WEEK, PAULETTE WAGNER. PAULETTE WAGNER IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY AUGUSTINE CANALES. GOOD AFTERNOON. AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. OKAY. TO MEMBERS, UH, TO THE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS PAULA WAGNER AND I'M A 40 PLUS YEAR RESIDENT OF OST SOUTH UNION AND INNER CITY COMMUNITY LOCATED IN DISTRICT. THE DISTRICT DESTINATION, RIGHT? OKAY. MM-HMM . I'M ALSO A BOARD MEMBER OF AGAPE DEVELOPMENT, AND I CHOSE TO BE PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION BECAUSE OF ITS COMMITMENT TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING, NOT ONLY FOR POTENTIAL HOMEOWNERS, BUT FOR RENTERS. I FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR HOMEOWNERS AND POTENTIAL RENTERS IS DIFFICULT AND REQUIRES COMMITMENT AND CREATIVITY. THAT'S WHERE THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST COMES IN FOR PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY. SO WHAT I'M ASKING, OH, I NEED TO ADD THAT IN OST SOUTH UNION, THE AVERAGE, A LOT SIZE HAS SOLD FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. AGAPE WAS NEGOTIATING TO GET MORE AND WE LOST OUT BECAUSE THE BUYER WAS WILLING TO PAY MORE. I MEAN, DIRT IN HOUSTON IS EXPENSIVE. WE ALL KNOW THAT. I HAVE TWO REQUESTS FOR MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS THE BE ALL END ALL. BUT WHAT I AM REQUESTING IS THAT YOU INVESTIGATE THE POSSIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR FOUNDATIONS IN HOUSTON. WE HAVE A ROBUST GROUP OF FOUNDATIONS THAT HAVE FUNDED EVERYTHING FROM PARK IMPROVEMENTS, SOCIAL SERVICES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE'LL, IT WILL TAKE EVERYTHING WE HAVE TO ENHANCE AND SECURE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S OKAY. I'LL STOP THERE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. MM-HMM. UH, ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO. THANK YOU. PAULETTE, YOU WANNA FINISH UP? NO, I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM IS CRITICAL TO SO MANY RESIDENTS IN OUR CITY, AND I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE US GET FULLY BEHIND THIS EFFORT, BUT THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, PAULETTE. UM, FUN FACT EVERYBODY. UM, PAULETTE WAGNER WAS MY FIRST BOSS AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YEAR THIS, SHE HAS DECADES OF EXPERIENCE AT, IN THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. SHE RAN THE HOUSING PLANNING SECTION AND A MILLION OTHER THINGS. AND, AND SHE WAS A GREAT BOSS AND SHE HAS BEEN REALLY DEVOTED TO THIS COMMUNITY IN, IN, UM, HER AREA. AND WITH AGAPE AND PAULETTE. WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING IS THE, FROM, FROM BEING ON THE BOARD OF AGAPE IS KIND OF THE, THE, THE REASONING FOR WHY IT'S SLOW OR YOU'RE SAYING FIVE, I HEAR SOMETIMES THREE TO FIVE A MONTH, MONTH THREE TO FIVE A MONTH. I MEAN, IN YOUR OPINION AS A BOARD MEMBER, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE SOME OF THE REASONS THAT, THAT IT'S TAKES LONGER? AND, AND, AND IT COULD BE, I KNOW MAYOR, WHEN WE WERE DOING THE GLO HOUSES, YOU KNOW, THE WHAT THE VERY LOW INCOME ARE OFTEN IT'S HARD DOCUMENTATION, RIGHT? I MEAN, IS THAT PART OF THE, THE SITUATION? PART OF IT IS WE'RE WE'RE SERVING RESIDENTS WHO REALLY HAVE MEAGER RESOURCE. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY CAN'T BE HOMEOWNERS, SUCCESSFUL HOMEOWNERS, IT JUST MEANS WE HAVE TO BE CREATIVE HOW WE STRUCTURE THE DEAL, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO SET THEM UP FOR FAILURE WITH COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. WE WENT THROUGH, EXPLAINED TO RESIDENTS WHO QUALIFIED, YES, YOU CAN GET THIS HOUSE, BUT YOU DON'T OWN THE LAND. CAN YOU IMAGINE [01:10:01] HOW THAT WENT OVER? YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLY HAD TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT GETTING INTO THE HOUSE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST WOULD ALLOW THEM TO BUILD EQUITY. BUT FOR ME, THE BIGGEST BENEFIT IS THAT WHEN THAT HOUSE IS EVENTUALLY SOLD TO A NEW, ANOTHER QUALIFIED BUYER, IT KEEPS IT AFFORDABLE. AS I SAID BEFORE, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN AVERAGE LOT BEING SOLD FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, IT JUST, IT JUST BLOWS YOUR BUDGET. SO THAT'S WHAT APPEALS TO ME ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM. BUT ALSO, I'M NOT JUST CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL HOMEOWNERS, IT'S RENTERS IN MY COMMUNITY, OST SOUTH UNION, SOME PEOPLE ARE PAYING LIKE 1800 A MONTH FOR RENT. I WON'T EVEN TELL YOU WHAT MY LATE HUSBAND AND I PAID FOR OUR LITTLE HOUSE WHEN WE PURCHASED IT OVER 40 YEARS AGO. IT WOULD MAKE YOU GAG. BUT THE FACT IS THAT THE EFFORT TO SERVE OUR RESIDENTS, TO ALLOW THEM WHO WANNA STAY IN THE COMMUNITY, TO REMAIN IN THE COMMUNITY, IS WHY I'M SO DEVOTED TO THIS PROGRAM. THANK YOU. AND, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR SUGGESTION FOR PARTNERSHIPS. I MEAN, WE DO HAVE A HUGE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY THAT, UM, THIS IS A WORTHY DISCUSSION WITH THEM. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT SUGGESTION. AND BEFORE I GIVE UP THE MIC, I JUST WANNA SAY HELLO TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO I SUPERVISED MANY YEARS AGO, THE MAYOR'S CHIEF OF STAFF WHO'S STANDING BEHIND YOU GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR. THANK YOU. AND WHAT I, WHAT I WOULD ALSO ADD, PAULETTE, IS ONE OF THE OTHER INVITATIONS IS THAT IN ORDER FOR COT, UM, TO WORK, YOU HAVE TO HAVE INVENTORY. YEAH. WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE INVENTORY, CAN'T DO ANYTHING, WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE TO BUILD HOUSING. RIGHT. AND THAT'S WHY, BECAUSE I WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND YOU CAN'T HOLD BACK 50 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS AND PUT IT ON THE, PUT IT ON THE SHELF AND THEN DO THREE TO FOUR HOUSING. UM, IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY LAND TRUST PER MONTH, THOSE DOLLARS WILL BE SITTING ON THE SHELF FOR A LONG TIME. MM-HMM . BUT IF YOU CAN TAKE THOSE DOLLARS, IF YOU CAN SET ASIDE WHAT'S NEEDED FOR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AND AT THE SAME TIME UTILIZE THOSE DOLLARS AND START BUILDING MORE INVENTORY, THEN THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST PROGRAM CAN WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY BECAUSE YOU GOTTA HAVE, YOU NEED THE INVENTORY AND THAT'S WHAT WE FACING. OTHERWISE YOU CAN HAVE THE DOLLARS NOT USE THEM, AND THE COST OF HOUSING JUST KEEPS GOING UP AND UP AND UP AND UP. YOU GOTTA BUILD THE INVENTORY, RIGHT. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I AGREE, UH, THAT COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE MAKING AT THE 30 TO 4% A MI. UM, BUT WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, UH, COUNCILMAN EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MS. WAGNER FOR YOUR STELLAR LEADERSHIP IN THE OST SOUTH UNION AREA. AND CERTAINLY JUST THE OTHER DAY I WAS SAYING HOW PEOPLE WANT TO STAY IN DISTRICT D. AND SO I DON'T WANT, AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT IT BE SAID THAT I DID NOTHING TO HELP THEM TO STAY THERE. AND SO CERTAINLY, UM, I KNOW THAT HOME OWNERSHIP IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE PRIDE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR COMMUNITIES UP. AND SO CERTAINLY, UM, I AM VERY MUCH IN FAVOR. I'VE BEEN IN THESE WONDERFUL HOUSES AS WELL. AND SO, AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE HAVE TO GET THE INVENTORY UP SO THAT WE CAN SERVE MORE PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING TO TALK TO US TODAY. THANK ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU. THANKS. THANKS, MYAM. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. AUGUSTINE CANALES. UH, AUGUSTINE CANALES. AUGUSTINE CANALES. IF YOU'RE PRESSED STAR SIX. AUGUSTINE AUGUSTA, AUGUST AUGUSTINE. AUGUSTINE CANALES, STAR SIX. AUGUSTINE CANALES, STAR SIX. NEXT SPEAKER, JUAN GRANADOS. JUAN GRANADOS IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALAN WATKINS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON. EVERYONE. GET RIDE BEHIND. YEAH, EITHER ONE. MY NAME IS JUAN GRANADAS. I AM A REALTOR, AN IMMIGRANT REALTOR, UH, WHO UNFORTUNATELY HIS MOTHER COULD NOT GET A HOME. UH, SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING PEOPLE HERE IN HOUSTON TO USE THE LAND TRUST TO GET THEIR FIRST HOME. UM, WE HAVE, WHEN WE LEARNED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AGO, UH, DARREN WENT INTO OUR BROKER AND MADE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE COTI IMMEDIATELY GRABBED ONTO IT AND, UM, MADE CALLS TO DARREN AND WANTED TO GET INVOLVED. IN THE [01:15:01] LAST, UM, I WOULD SAY FOUR MONTHS, WE WERE ABLE TO PLACE FIVE PEOPLE, UM, COUPLE OF THEM IN NEW HOMES AND ANOTHER ONE IN HOMES THAT WERE REBUILT. 99. WELL, ACTUALLY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THESE PEOPLE WERE REJECTED BY FINANCIAL INSTITUTION BECAUSE THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE MEANS. SAME THING AS MY MOTHER DID, UM, WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. SO, TO SEE THIS PEOPLE HAVE THEIR FIRST HOME, I MEAN, THAT SMILE IN THEIR FACE IS JUST PRICELESS. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, FOR HAVING THIS PROGRAM. I WISH MY MOTHER WOULD'VE BENEFITED BEFORE. UM, SO I'M HAPPY THAT EVEN THOUGH SHE COULDN'T BENEFIT FROM THIS, THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE BENEFITING. SO I URGE YOU, AND I THANK YOU FOR THE CLT AND, AND THE, UM, LEADERSHIP AT THE CLT PROGRAMS. UM, THE LENDERS AND, AND EVERYONE INVOLVED HAD MADE THIS, UH, PROCESS, UM, A LOT MORE SMOOTH. IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS A LITTLE CRAZY BECAUSE WE, HISPANIC BELIEVED THAT, UM, WE GOTTA OWN THE LAND. SO IT TOOK US A PROCESS IN WHICH WE WENT ON TO COMMUNITY CENTERS AND TALKED TO THEM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, ALAN WATKINS. A ALEX ALAN WATKINS TO BE FATHER BY CAS SANDRA PETERS. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL. EXCUSE ME. UH, I'M STILL, I'M STILL REC CLAMPED FROM, UH, UM, BIG E BEING IN THE, IN THE BUILDING. I WANNA TALK TO YOU, UH, REALLY QUICKLY ABOUT, UM, AGAIN, ABOUT THE CLT WORK. UM, AGAIN, UM, COUNCILMAN THOMAS, THIS IS NOT ABOUT, UM, ITEM 15, UH, TS, UM, BUT ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS ARE JUST HERE TO SUPPORT, UM, THE WORK OF THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN, UH, PROVEN SUCCESSFUL. AND MAY I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM ABOUT, ABOUT, UH, THE RATE OF HOUSES THAT ARE BEING BUILT MONTHLY, UH, ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE RATE THAT, THAT, THAT NEED WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. UM, YOU'RE SAYING THREE TO FIVE. THREE TO FIVE, UM, PER MONTH. PER MONTH. UM, IF WE WERE AT, IF WE, UM, AND I DIDN'T INTRODUCE MYSELF, UH, I'M WITH THE HOUSTON, UH, HOUSING COLLABORATIVE, UH, AND WE HAVE OVER 60 MEMBERS. UM, AND MORE THAN THAT, UH, TRIPLE THAT, UH, IN TERMS OF PARTICIPANTS WHO, WHO, WHO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. AND IF WE, IF, IF WE AS A COL COLLECT, AS A COLLECTIVE, AS A COLLABORATIVE, UM, WERE TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST TO, TO INCREASE THE RATE OF HOUSING, UH, WOULD THAT BE OF BENEFIT? MR. MAYOR? THAT IS MY QUESTION. CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, OF COURSE IT WOULD BE A BENEFIT, BUT JUST BEAR IN MIND, YOU'RE GONNA BE LIMITED BY THE LACK OF INVENTORY. YOU GOTTA HAVE THE HOUSING UNITS OUT THERE ON IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL. ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST CURRENTLY IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UH, ORGANIZATIONS. UH, FIFTH WARD, CRC, UH, AGAPE, UH, THAT WAS HERE, THAT WAS MENTIONED, UH, ROBINS LANDING, WHICH IS OWNED BY, UH, HOUSTON HABITAT. UH, AND, AND THERE IS IN, THERE'S CONVERSATIONS THAT THE, THAT THE, UM, COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS IN, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, THE CITY, UH, WITH THE THREE PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING BUILT, CITYSCAPE, HARDY YARDS, AND, UH, AND STELLA LINK. UH, AND SO THOSE HOMES ARE CURRENTLY, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. UH, IF, IF I MAY, MR. MAYOR, I'M, I'M, I'LL GIVE YOU EXTRA TIME. UM, IF, IF I MAY, UM, THOSE HOMES AND THOSE PROJECTS ARE CURRENTLY IN, UH, IN PROCESS, UH, AND SO THAT IS, UH, CURRENT READY RE READY INVENTORY RIGHT NOW, UH, THAT COULD BE, UM, THAT COULD HELP TO INCREASE THE RATE OF HOUSING PER MONTH FOR THE CLT. AND, BUT BEAR IN MIND, COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS ONE TOOL. IT'S NOT THE SOLE TOOL FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN OWN THEIR HOME AND THE LAND. THAT'S PREFERABLE TOO. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. SO IF YOU LOOK AT COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AS THE ONLY TOOL, THEN WE ARE MISSING THE MARK. IT'S, IT IS ONE TOOL OF MANY. WE WANT TO SERVICE THOSE WHO ARE AT 30% OF 30, 40% OF A MI. WE ALSO WANT TO BE ABLE TO SERVICE PEOPLE WHO HAD 60 TO 80% OF A MI WE WANNA BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND IF WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT IF PEOPLE WHO ARE SAYING, MAYOR, TAKE ALL OF THIS MONEY AND JUST KEEP IT HERE, DON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE WITH IT, THEN I'M NOT RECEPTIVE TO THAT ARGUMENT. AB ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY NOT. MAYOR. SO WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CAN OWN THEIR HOME AND THE LAND AND NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE [01:20:01] WANNA PROVIDE THAT TOO. OKAY. AGREED. SO IT IS ONE OF SEVERAL TWO AGREED, BUT NOT THE ONLY TOOL. AGREED. RIGHT. AND FOR THIS PARTICULAR TOOL, WE ASK THAT, THAT IF THE MONIES ARE THERE, IF THE INVENTORY IS THERE WITH ALL THESE VARYING DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE BEING BUILT, WE ASK THAT THE FUNDS BE REINSTATED FOR SURE. BUT THE MONEY IS THERE FOR, FOR THE COT PROGRAM. I'M SIMPLY NOT GONNA ALLOW IT TO SIT ON THE SHELF FOR, FOR 3, 4, 5, 6 YEARS. I THINK THERE'S A PLAN WE ARE BUILDING, WE ARE GOING TO BUILD 3004, UH, HOMES BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF NEXT YEAR. CORRECT. AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE WILL FUND THE CLT PROGRAM, BUT WE'RE NOT JUST GONNA LEAVE DOLLARS ON THE SHELF. ONE LAST THING, MR. MAYOR, IF I MAY, IS, IS THAT, IS THAT, IS THAT, YOU'RE RIGHT. UM, THE COT PROGRAM IS ONLY ONE, SEVERAL DIFFERENT ARROWS IN A QUIVER. THAT'S TRUE. BUT ONE, ONE THING THAT IS IMPORTANT, TWO THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT ABOUT THE COT ONE IS THAT IT, IT, IT PROVIDES LONG-TERM AFFORDABILITY. SO ONCE, ONCE A HOME IS SOLD, IT, THEN IT, IT THEN IS BEING SOLD TO ANOTHER, UH, FAMILY IN THE SAME, IN THE SAME, UH, HOUSEHOLD CRITERIA. SO THAT'S ONE. THE OTHER THING THAT IT DOES IS THAT IT ALSO HELPS WITH, UM, WITH, WITH TAXES IN TERMS IT HELPS TO MITIGATE AND REDUCE THE TAXES. ON PARTICULAR, I AM SOLD ON THE BENEFITS OF CT. YOU, YOU, YOU GOT IT, MR. MAYOR. YOU GOT IT. YOU GOT IT. WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT TAKING ISSUE WITH THAT. I AGREE. YES, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SAYING. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SELL ME ON CLT. OKAY, I'M SOLD ON CLT, BUT I'M ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT THERE SHOULD BE SEVERAL CHOICES FROM WHICH PEOPLE CAN CHOOSE. IF PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO, FOR EXAMPLE, OWN THEIR HOME AND THE LAND, AND WE CAN MEET THEIR NEEDS, WE NEED TO PROVIDE THAT OPTION TOO. OBVIOUSLY THAT IS IDEAL IN THE CURRENT, IN THEIR CURRENT, I'M SORRY, MR. MAYOR, BUT IN THE CURRENT HOUSING CRISIS WHERE WE ARE, WE, WE, IT'S, IT'S A CHALLENGE THAT, THAT THERE ARE SO LITTLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUPPLY TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING HOUSEHOLD. THAT, AND THAT'S WHY WE WANNA BUILD 3000 AFFORDABLE HOMES BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR. YES, SIR. I, I'M WITH YOU. YES, SIR. BUT, BUT YOU, BUT, BUT WE ARE DEALING WITH THE CIRCLE OF ARGUMENT. I'M DONE. I'M DONE. LEMME LEMME GO TO COUNCILMAN MA AND SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I JUST WANNA SAY, MR. WATKINS, YOU ARE SOMEWHAT OF A GURU OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING YOU AND YOUR EMAILS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING FORWARD BECAUSE I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT FOR YOU AND WHAT YOU ARE BRINGING TO THE TABLE. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR CASSANDRA PETERS TO BE FOLLOWED BY DARREN BLAKEMORE, EITHER ONE. HI, GOOD EVENING, AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CASSANDRA PETERS, AND I AM THE WOMEN'S AND CHILDREN'S MINISTRY DIRECTOR AT AGAPE DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY. I WANNA SHARE FOUR WORDS WITH YOU ON TODAY. THOSE WORDS ARE, I'LL DO IT MYSELF WHEN SOMEONE SAYS I'LL DO IT MYSELF. THEY USUALLY MEAN WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, UH, FROM ANYONE OR ANYTHING. THE SINGLE MOM SAYS IT WHEN SHE FINDS HERSELF HAVING TO RAISE HER KIDS BY HERSELF. THE GRANDMOTHER WHO SAYS IT WHEN SHE RECEIVES CUSTODY OF HER GRANDCHILDREN, THE HUSBAND WHO TAKES ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WORKING WHILE HIS WIFE STAYS HOME TO RAISE THE FAMILY. THEY SAY, I'LL DO IT MYSELF, NOT OUT OF PRIDE. BUT THE SITUATION FORCES THIS STATEMENT, NO MATTER THE FAMILY SIZE, NO MATTER THE FAMILY'S DEMA, UH, DEITY, NO ONE IS AN ISLAND, UH, TO THEMSELVES. WE ALL NEED HELP TO CONTINUE TO DO WHATEVER THE IT IS. AND THAT IS WHAT THE CLT IS FOR THE FAMILIES AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS PURSUING HOME OWNERSHIP IN OST SOUTH UNION AREA, WE STRIVE TO TRANSFER OUR NEIGHBORS. AND ONE WAY WE DO THAT IS BY DEVELOPING INDEPENDENT LEADERS WHO HAVE SACRIFICED AND SAVED TO OWN THEIR OWN HOME. AND THE CONTINUED FINANCIAL BACKING AND SUPPORT OF THE CLT WILL ASSURE THAT WE CAN CHANGE THE PHRASE FROM, I'LL DO IT MYSELF TO ALLOW AND PROUD I DID IT WHEN THEY UNLOCKED THE DOORS TO THEIR NEW HOMES. THIS IS MY PLEA TODAY, NO NEIGHBOR LEFT BEHIND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, DARREN BLAKEMORE. DARREN BLAKEMORE TO BE FOLLOWED BY BRIDGET MURRAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS DARREN [01:25:01] BLAKEMORE. I AM THE, UH, DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE OPERATIONS HERE AT THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST MAYOR. CERTAINLY, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR BEING A ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. WHAT I'D LIKE TO BRING TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION IS WE SERVE THOSE INDIVIDUALS UNDER 80% A MI AND WHEN I SAY 80% A MI, I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ONLY CAN AFFORD A MORTGAGE OF SEVENTY, EIGHTY, NINETY ONE HUNDRED, ONE HUNDRED AND TEN, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN, $120,000 LOAN. OF COURSE, IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO PURCHASE A PROPERTY FOR THAT AMOUNT AT ALL. AND OF COURSE, THAT'S WHERE THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST COMES INTO PLAY. WE TAKE THAT PERSON WHO IS ONLY APPROVED FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, ADD $150,000 ONTO IT. NOW THAT INDIVIDUAL IS ABLE, WILL HAVE THE BUYING POWER UP TO $250,000. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS, IS POSES A PROBLEM IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, IS THAT IT'S CHALLENGING TO FIND A PROPERTY LESS THAN $250,000. AND ULTIMATELY THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS VITAL FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO, UH, PURCHASE A PROPERTY. WHEN WE SPEAK OF PROPERTY THAT SAYS 200 8290 $300,000, THESE PEOPLE CERTAINLY CANNOT AFFORD THAT PROPERTY AT ALL. SO AGAIN, MAYOR, CERTAINLY THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR BEING AN ADVOCATE. UM, YES, INDEED, YOU MADE SOME STATISTICS ABOUT, UH, TYPICALLY WE'VE ONLY CLOSED ABOUT THREE OR FOUR IN THE PAST. YES, THAT IS MORE CERTAINLY TRUE. AND THE REASON FOR THAT MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL IS BECAUSE THERE WERE STAGNANT AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE HAD TO SEND OUR FILES TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO GET FINAL APPROVAL. AND FOR MANY TIMES, THOSE FILES WOULD SIT AT THE CITY FOR 2, 3, 4 MONTHS. BY THE TIME THEY WERE LOOKED AT BY AN INTAKE INDIVIDUAL AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEIR FILES WERE AGED. SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE REACHED BACK OUT TO ONE OF OUR INTAKE INDIVIDUALS AND ASK FOR UPDATED FIRES TIME. WOULD YOU ALLOW ME JUST FOR 10 OR 15 MORE SECONDS? MAYOR, I'M, I'LL GIVE YOU THE TIME. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH INDEED. SO WHAT HAPPENED ULTIMATELY IS FIRST THE APPLICANT GOT TIRED, FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEIR FILE HAS BEEN HUNG UP SOMEWHERE WITH THE CITY FOR FOUR OR FIVE, SIX MONTHS. SECONDLY, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS THEY HAD TO, WE IN TURN HAVE TO RESUBMIT DOCUMENTS AS WELL. AND SO FINALLY WE WERE GETTING 'EM AN OPPORTUNITY THE 1ST OF SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR TO START CERTIFYING OUR FILES, OUR APPLICANTS IN HOUSE. NOW, SINCE THAT TWO MONTHS AGO HAS HAPPENED LAST THIS MONTH, WE'RE CLOSING ABOUT SEVEN TO EIGHT, UH, APPLICANTS HOMEOWNERS NO, NO, NO CLAMPING AS WELL. I CERTAINLY SEE THAT IN THE FUTURE AS WELL. MAYOR, WHAT WE'RE JUST HEAR TODAY IS WE QUESTIONING IS THAT, AS YOU HAVE STATED IN THE PAST FEW MINUTES, THAT THESE FUNDS WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. UM, IT'S VITAL THAT WE HAVE THESE FUNDS. YES, INDEED. WE'RE NOT ASKING THAT THEY SET ASIDE FOR THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. OUR UNDERSTANDING, THESE FUNDS NEED TO BE USED UNTIL THE END OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2023. WE'RE JUST SOLELY ASKING, WE HAVE THE FUNDS AVAILABLE, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. BUT NO ONE HAS SAID THAT THE FUNDS ARE NOT GOING TO BE AVAILABLE EVEN IF YOU DID 10 A MONTH, YOU'RE MORE CERTAIN. CORRECT. OKAY. YES, SIR. THAT'S, SIR, THAT'S 120 FOR, THEY SAY ALL OF, UM, 2023. YES, SIR. AND YOU GOT THE, AND YOU'VE GOT THE FUNDS FOR ALL OF THEM. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, MAYOR. BUT, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. SO WHO'S SAYING TO YOU THAT THE FUNDS ARE NOT GONNA BE VAILABLE? THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED IS THAT OUR FUNDS WILL BE LIMITED. WELL THEN WHOEVER TOLD YOU THAT, YOU GO BACK TO THEM AND TOLD, TELL THEM THAT THIS MAYOR SAID, WELL, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. NO, NO, NO. LET ME FINISH. YES, BECAUSE I LISTEN, WHOEVER TOLD YOU AND THE REST OF YOU THAT YOU TELL 'EM THAT THAT INFORMATION IS NOT TRUE, IF YOU DO 10 HOMES MORE THAN WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. YES, SIR. THEN THE DOLLARS ARE THERE FOR THOSE 10 HOMES. THANK YOU. OKAY. BUT THAT'S 120 HOMES IN ORDER OF 23. YES, SIR. OR EVEN IF YOU DID 15 A MONTH. CORRECT. THE DOLLARS ARE THERE. OKAY. BUT THE REST OF THOSE DOLLARS ARE GONNA BE SPENT TO BILL AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND, AND UNDERSTOOD. AND ONLY OUR SOLE REASON, AGAIN, IS TO MAKE SURE AND ENSURE THAT THOSE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED FOR US. WELL, WHOEVER, WHOEVER'S BEEN TELLING YOU ON WHATEVER. OKAY. 'CAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF MISINFORMATION THESE DAYS. OKAY. SO PLEASE HEAR FROM ME WHETHER YOU CAN DO FIVE OR WHETHER YOU CAN DO 10 OR WHETHER YOU CAN DO 15. THE DOLLARS ARE THERE. WONDERFUL TO HEAR THIS AFTERNOON. OKAY. BUT THE REMAINING DOLLARS SURE. ARE GOING TO BE ALLOCATED [01:30:01] TO BAIL HOUSING. UNDERSTOOD. YOU'RE $3,000. YES, INDEED. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME FOR YOUR COMMENTS THIS AFTERNOON AND REASSURING US FOR THOSE FUNDS. THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, BRIDGET MURRAY. BRIDGET, HELLO. I'M HERE. OH, BRIDGETTE IS ON THE SCREEN ON SCREEN. BRIDGET, WE CAN HEAR YOU. THANK YOU. AND SEE YOU. SO THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 24, THE UNIVAR MSD. UH, BEFORE I GET INTO MY COMMENTS, AGAIN, I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU WHO WERE ABLE TO CELEBRATE WITH THE PLEASANTVILLE COMMUNITY REGARDING THE HISTORICAL DESIGNATION, DESIGNATION, AND MARKER INSTALLATION. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR HISTORY IN THIS COMMUNITY. WITH THAT THOUGHT IN MIND, NOT ONLY SHOULD WE CELEBRATE OUR PAST, BUT OUR PRESENT AND OUR FUTURE REMAINS VULNERABLE. UNIVAR IS JUST ONE OF MANY ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE LAST TIME, UM, I PARTICIPATED, UH, IN THIS DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNCIL REGARDING MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATIONS, I WITNESSED COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON PROPOSING REVISITING THE MSD ORDINANCE. BUT I HAVE A QUESTION. WAS THERE ANY PROGRESS IN THIS AREA? WAS THERE ANY COMMUNITY INPUT IN THE ORDINANCE? I POSED THESE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE MSD ORDINANCE BECAUSE THE INFORMATION I WAS TOLD, THE COPY I HAD, LET ME SAY IT THAT WAY, WAS NOT CURRENT. BUT TO DATE, WHERE IS THE CURRENT ORDINANCE? IF THE COUNCIL IS PREPARED TO APPROVE THESE MSDS, WHEN WILL RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON HAVE ACCESS TO THE CORRECT DOCUMENT OR THE CURRENT DOCUMENT THAT GOVERNS THIS PROCESS? WHERE'S THE TRANSPARENCY? WHERE'S THE EQUITY? I HAVE A FEELING THAT THIS PROCESS IS BROKEN, AND I WANTED TO SHARE THOSE COMMENTS TODAY REGARDING MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATIONS. THANK YOU. THANKS BRIDGET. AND WHATEVER INFORMATION THAT, UH, THAT YOU, UH, SEEK OR ANYONE SEEK WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU. AND WHAT, WHAT I'M TOLD, EVEN IF WE TURN, TURN IT DOWN, UH, THE PEOPLE WILL SIMPLY APPEAL TO THE STATE LEVEL AND THE STATE CAN APPROVE IT WITH FAR FEWER CHECKS, THEN THE CITY WILL IMPOSE. SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS THAT IF THE CITY SAYS NO, AND THEN THEY GO AND THEY CERTAINLY WOULD GO TO THE STATE, UH, THEN THE, UH, PROTECTIONS THAT WE PROVIDE AND THE THING, THE THINGS THAT WE CAN OFFER, UH, WILL NOT, WILL NOT BE THERE. BUT WHATEVER INFORMATION, WHATEVER INFORMATION THAT YOU OR ANYONE ELSE REQUEST, UH, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER. I THANK YOU FOR I'M SORRY, BRIDGET. MS. MARK, I'M SORRY, GO ON. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE. NO, I'M MR. THAT I DID MAKE, I DID MAKE A REQUEST DIRECTLY TO MR. WOOTEN WITH NO RESPONSE. SO I'M HAPPY TO CONNECT WITH ANYONE THAT YOU FORWARD, FORWARD YOUR REQUEST. FORWARD YOUR REQUEST TO ME, BRIDGET. ALRIGHT, I WILL. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. THANKS. UHHUH. . NEXT SPEAKER. JOSH MICAH JO. JOSH MICAH. PRESS STAR SIX. JOSH MICAH. OH, THERE HE IS. WE SEE YOU. HI, MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, MY NAME IS JOSH MICAH, YOU SEE HIM PRONOUNS. I'M HERE ALSO ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. I AM A NEW HOMEOWNER AND A RESIDENT WITH THE HOUSTON COUNTY LAND TRUST. I BOUGHT MY HOME THROUGH THEM, AND I ALSO SIT ON THE BOARD WITH THE HOUSTON COUNTY LAND TRUST. AND I AM THE TREASURER FOR THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD FOR THE ACRES HOME, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD DEPARTMENT. SO I'M, I'M VERY INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND I JUST WANNA THANK THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR, UM, YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. WITHOUT, WITHOUT THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, THERE'S NO WAY THAT I WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD MY WHOLE, I'M HERE TALKING TO YOU FROM MY HOUSE. SO, UM, THAT I OWN. THAT IS AMAZING. I I JUST WANNA REALLY SAY THAT, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK MAYOR THAT YOU HAVE SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU'RE VERY COMMITTED TO US. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR, UM, PARTNER. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH SEVERAL OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE, UM, BUFFALO BAYOU AND, UM, AVENUE 360, AS WELL AS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY. SO THESE ARE SOME ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH, BUT IT'S ALSO GONNA IMPROVE OUR ABLE TO, UM, BE TO, TO GET NEW HOUSES INTO NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO IT'S A LONG-TERM SOLUTION. I KNOW IT'S A, IT'S A SLOW PROCESS, BUT HOUSTON IS ACTUALLY THE FASTEST GROWING CLT IN THE NATION. SO THAT IS SOME PROPS FOR HOUSTON. I MEAN, WE ARE, WE ARE FA WE ARE GROWING FASTER THAN ANY OTHER CLT THAT'S EVER HAPPENED. I MEAN, THE HI, THE HARRIS COUNTY CLT HASN'T EVEN STARTED HAVING [01:35:01] THEIR HOUSES, EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE ONE, ONE PERSON YET. AND WE ALREADY HAVE ALMOST A HUNDRED. SO WE ARE HOPING TO ACTUALLY HAVE LIKE, MAYBE DOUBLE THAT BY NEXT YEAR. IF WE CAN CONTINUE WITH OUR PARTNERS. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE OVER A HUNDRED HOMES, UM, NEXT YEAR JUST WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP. THAT DOESN'T EVEN INCLUDE WHAT WE CAN DO OUR INDEPENDENTLY. WE JUST REALLY NEED CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR TO REALLY STAND BEHIND US. AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU GUYS CAN DO. AND AGAIN, MY NAME IS JOSH, MY GUT, AND I WILL WON'T TAKE ANY MUCH OF YOUR GUYS' TIME. THANKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SPEAKER. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. LINDA BLUE. LINDA BLUE. IS LINDA BLUE HERE? YES, SHE IS. TO BE FOLLOWED BY KIRK CRAIG, LINDA BLUE FIRST. HOW ARE YOU TODAY? DOING FINE. SO I WAS WANNA SPEAK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, BUT SINCE YOU'VE CLARIFIED IT, YOU COULD HAVE MY THREE MINUTES BACK. OKAY. , OH, YOU SO KIND. . THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. REALLY APPRECIATE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL AND BLESSED DAY. THANKS. TAKE CARE. ALL RIGHT, BYE-BYE. KIRK CRAIG, NOT KIRK, TO BE FOLLOWED BY ASHLEY. ALLEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL, MAYOR, DISTRICT D THANK YOU. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND FOR THE TIME, I GOT TO SPEAK EARLIER THIS MORNING TO THE COMMITTEE, UM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UH, FOUNDER OF AGAPE DEVELOPMENT AND AGAPE HOMES, CDC. AND, UH, I REALLY AM EXCITED TO HEAR THAT THEIR FUNDING WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE LAND TRUST BECAUSE WE, THOSE OF US WHO PARTNER WITH THE LAND TRUST WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE FUNDING HAD BEEN CLOSED AND ENDED. AND, UM, MS. PETERS WHO SPOKE UP HERE, PLANS TO USE IT IN THE COMING YEAR TO YOUR, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT INVENTORY. I THINK THAT'S SO TRUE, MAYOR. UM, OUR PROGRAM, OUR GRANT WITH THE CITY THAT WAS APPROVED ON THE 19TH AT COUNCIL IS TO DELIVER HOMES OF THIS EXACT PRICE POINT TO GET THAT INVENTORY THERE. AND, AND WE HAVE SLATED HERE, I KNOW I CAN'T HAND ALL THESE OUT, BUT WE HAVE 58 NEIGHBORS FROM OUR COMMUNITY UNDER 80% A MI THAT CAN AFFORD THE PRODUCT THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT ON THE GROUND. UM, AND SO IT'S SO CRUCIAL THAT THE FUNDS BE THERE WHEN THEY'RE READY BECAUSE IT, IT'S A PROCESS TO GET SOMEBODY THE EDUCATION, ALL THE REQUIREMENTS AND GET READY. AND SO THAT PIPELINE OF PRODUCT AND THE PIPELINE OF BUYERS, IT'S COMING. AND I THINK IN 2023, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF THOSE DEALS HAPPEN. AND WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, AND WE'RE THRILLED. I THINK WE'RE REALLY THRILLED TO HEAR THAT THE FUNDING WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF THOSE BUYERS BECAUSE THE PRODUCT IS THERE. WHEN I LOOK ON MY PHONE, WHEN I GO TO ZILLOW AND I SAY, WELL, WHAT ARE THE HOMES THAT ARE 250,000 OR UNDER SO THAT THE CLT WOULD GET THEM TO THE AFFORDABILITY? THERE'S LESS THAN 10 RIGHT NOW IN MY ZIP CODE IN 7 7 0 2 1 DISTRICT D DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TWO 50 TO THREE 50 OR 400, THERE'S THREE AND FOUR TIMES THAT JUST ON THE MARKET TODAY. AND SO JUST THINKING ABOUT THE ABILITY FOR FOLKS TO AFFORD THE HOMES, THAT THERE IS PRODUCT AVAILABLE IN THE TWO 50 TO $400,000 RANGE. THERE IS NOT PRODUCT AVAILABLE UNDER TWO 50. AND SO IS DIFFERENT. OUR, OUR PROPOSAL WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOME DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM DOES DELIVER THAT PRODUCT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, THE INVENTORY THAT YOU WANT. WE JUST WANT THE FUNDS TO BE BE AVAILABLE BECAUSE MS. PETERS AND OTHERS, UM, THEY'RE WORKING HARD AND THEY WANT, THEY WANT THEIR SPOT SAVED. SO, AND IT'S COMING ON THIS NEXT YEAR. WHEN I DROVE HERE TODAY, I DROVE PAST FOUNDATIONS AND FRAMING GOING UP, THE PRODUCT IS GONNA BE THERE. AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND, UM, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE, WITH THE DEPARTMENT, WITH DIRECTOR BYNUM. WE WANT THOSE SOLUTIONS. I KNOW WE'RE ALL HEADED FOR THE SAME THING. WE JUST, IT'S, IT'S A RELIEF TO HEAR THAT. AND SO, UM, YEP, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT THAT. COUNCIL SHABA, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, KURT. AS I EXPLAINED TO YOU WHEN I READ THAT ARTICLE IN THE CHRONICLE, IT, IT GAVE ME PAUSE. AND SO MAYOR, I THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION, UH, REGARDING THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION GOING FORWARD. SO THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SPEAK TO US TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR READING AND TAKING THOSE WORDS. COUNCILMAN, YOU SHOULD HAVE COME AND ASKED ME. SHE COME AND ASKED ME, OH, I KNOW, UH, COUNCILMAN . THANK YOU KIRK, AND THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO IN THE OST SOUTH UNION COMMUNITY. SO THE 58 HOMES THAT ARE COMING ON BOARD, THAT THAT MONEY'S THERE FOR THAT FOR THOSE BUYERS FROM THE, FROM THE TRUST AND FROM THE CITY'S, WHAT WE'VE VOTED ON A FEW WEEKS AGO, WHAT WAS VOTED ON BEFORE IS SO THAT WE CAN DELIVER THEM AT THAT PRICE. GREAT. AND THEN THE THOSE THAT ARE, UM, THAT NEED [01:40:01] THE LAND TRUST THAT THEY CAN, THEY CAN GET ALL THE WAY DOWN TO WHERE THEY'RE NOT HOUSING BURDENED WITH THEIR MONTHLY PITI WITHOUT THAT, THOSE, IT SHIFTS TO FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE, UM, 80 TO 1:20 AM I RANGE. OKAY. AND IT'S AFFORDABLE FOR THERE. AND AS MY COLLEAGUE PETER FRIEDMAN SAID, IN THE INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE WERE IN SIX MONTHS AGO, IT COULD HAVE BEEN AFFORDABLE FOR SOME OF THOSE. BUT WITH TODAY'S MARKET, TODAY'S PRICES WITH EVERYTHING AND WITH AGAPE FOREGOING ALL OF OUR PROFIT TO DECREASE THE PRICE OF THE HOME, THAT'S WHO LOSES OUT WITHOUT THE LAND TRUST. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, THANK YOU. AND I JUST WANT TO REITERATE IT WAS, IT'S NEVER BEEN THE INTENTION OR WHATEVER THE STORY IS THAT THE, THE CITY WAS ABANDONING THE LAND TRUST, UH, THE CITY COMMITS ANNUALLY AND AUTHORIZATION OF A MILLION TO COVER OPERATIONS IS STILL COMMITTED TO THAT. IT'S STILL A PART OF THE FABRIC. IT'S NEVER BEEN A DISCUSSION AT A COMMITTEE LEVEL OR FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, UM, TO DO THAT. AND I, I, I BELIEVE IF I UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, THE ASK IS TO MOVE THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ALREADY VETTED THROUGH THE PIPELINE TO GET THEM TO THAT HOME. BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, WE MUST DEVELOP THAT INVENTORY. SO JUST FOR INSTANCE, AND YOU WERE AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, THAT TURNS ALLOCATION, THIS ITEM 15, WE'RE APPROPRIATING 1.6 MILLION. WITHIN THAT 1.6 MILLION THERE'S DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. RIGHT. SO WE HAVE TO DO MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES FOR FOLKS ON THAT ENTIRE A MI SPECTRUM. YEAH. AND SO THAT'S ONLY 1.6. YEAH. IT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY. SURE. RIGHT. AND SO, UM, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE GLO CUTTING THAT IN HALF, UM, NOT A LOT OF MONEY. I KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN VERY FOCUSED ON LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN INCREASE THAT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE TO GET IT FROM 30 TO 50,000 SO PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY GET IN THOSE HOMES. BUT I, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THOSE WHO ARE LISTENING, READING THE CHRONICLE IN THE CHAMBERS TODAY AND WORKING IN THIS SPACE, IT'S NEVER BEEN THE IDEA TO ABANDON THE LAND TRUST OR THE MODEL. IT'S ONE PIECE OF A 360. YEAH. IT'S ONE PIECE. AND SO WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WITH WHAT WE HAVE BY THAT PERIOD OF TIME. AND I THINK ALL OF US ARE STILL COMMITTED TO THAT TO DO THAT. I THINK THE THING THAT, UM, RAISED MY EARS IS THAT DEVELOPERS ARE UNABLE TO MEET WHEN THOSE AFFORDABLE HOME PROGRAMS COME BEFORE THE HORSESHOE AND WHEN WE VOTE THAT THEY'RE UNABLE TO MEET THEIR A MI GOALS WITHOUT THE LAND TRUST, BECAUSE I'M UNDER THE IMPRESSION BY THE TIME THEY GET TO US TO VOTE. ALL OF THOSE, THOSE PROCESSES HAVE BEEN VETTED OUT. YEAH. UM, AND, AND SO, AND WE'VE HAD THAT CONVERSATION, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THAT. BUT THE, THE CITY IS WILLING TO DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP WITH THE LAND TRUST AND HAS DONE THAT, UM, SINCE THE CREATION AND CONTINUES TO DO THAT WITH MONEY. YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I THINK THERE, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A MIX, UH, A WRONG SIGNAL OR OR INCORRECT MESSAGE. WE WERE WORRIED THAT WHEN THESE BUYERS IN THE PROGRAM GOT THERE, THAT THE, THE, THE COFFERS WOULD BE EMPTY IN, IN THIS NEXT YEAR. SO WE'RE, WE ARE RELIEVED. WE'RE BACK THERE, UH, RELIEVED. AND SO THANK YOU MAYOR FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THAT AND FOR YOUR STRONG WORDS OF SUPPORT AND, AND EVERYBODY'S HARD WORK ON THIS. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I REALLY DO. THANKS. SPEAKER ASHLEY ALLEN TO BE FOLLOWED BY JASMINE ALI. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS DR. ASHLEY PAGE, ALLEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. I WANNA START BY SAYING THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE FOR THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AND BUYERS UNDER 80% OF AREA MEDIA INCOME IN HOUSTON. AS SOMEBODY WHO EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS ON AND OFF FOR 10 YEARS AS A YOUTH, HOUSING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME. AND I GET EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL WHEN WE'RE HAVING TO COME AND FIGHT ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST. WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE MONEY THAT HAS COME SO FAR. WHERE THE CONFUSION HAS COME IN IS BECAUSE MONEY WAS ALLOCATED AT 52 MILLION, WE STARTED TO CREATE PARTNERSHIPS AND BRING IN A PIPELINE OF PEOPLE. AS DARREN PREVIOUSLY STATED, THAT PIPELINE WAS HELD UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT I WANNA SAY THANK YOU AGAIN TO HCDD FOR ALLOWING US TO DO OUR OWN ELIGIBILITY, WHICH HAS SPED UP AND INCREASED OUR PRODUCTIVITY SIGNIFICANTLY. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 20 BUYERS UNDER CONTRACT TODAY, AND IT'S INCREASING BY THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE EVERY WEEK. SO WE HAVE DEFINITELY SEEN A, AN INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERN, MAYOR TURNER. NOW, WHERE THE CONFUSION CAME IN IS BECAUSE WE WERE ABRUPTLY TOLD THAT OUR FUNDING WAS GONNA BE REDUCED FROM 52 MILLION TO 15 MILLION. THAT THAT CREATED PANIC BECAUSE WE HAD ALL THESE PARTNERSHIPS IN PLACE ALREADY. WE HAD TO TURN OFF OUR [01:45:01] APPLICATION WITHOUT WARNING ON OCTOBER THE 14TH BECAUSE WE COULD NOT HAVE PEOPLE START APPLYING WHEN WE WERE NOT CONVINCED, OR WE WERE NOT ASSURED THAT THE FUNDING WOULD BE THERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE SAW IT WAS ALREADY BEING ALLOCATED TO THESE OTHER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, INCLUDING A LOT OF OUR, UM, PROGRAM PARTNERS. SO THAT IS WHERE THE CONFUSION CAME IN. I WILL SAY THAT TODAY I RECEIVED AN EMAIL SAYING THAT THE FUNDING HASN'T BEEN INCREASED TO $21.6 MILLION. AND SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL FOR THAT. BUT AS YOU KNOW, AGAIN, OUR APPLICATION IS CURRENTLY CLOSED AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE SHOWING UP AT OUR OFFICE JUST SHOWING UP SAYING, HEY, CAN I, THE APPLICATION ONLINE IS CLOSED, CAN YOU HELP ME? WE HAVE REALTORS CALLING US. WE HAVE TITLE COMPANIES AND OUR LENDERS CALLING US SAYING, I HAVE PEOPLE IN THE PIPELINE THAT NEED THE CLT. AND SO THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION, THE CLT, AND I WANNA JUST SAY OUR STAFF, THANK YOU STAFF, IF Y'ALL CAN STAND UP. WE HAVE BEEN HUSTLING, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE THROUGH BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE MONEY IS, IT NEEDS TO BE SPENT. WE GET THAT. WE DON'T WANT YOU TO KEEP MONEY ON THE TABLE, BUT IT WON'T BE. THERE ARE BUYERS, THERE ARE PIPELINES. AND NOW THAT WE HAVE REFINED THE PROCESS AND WE ARE ABLE TO DO OUR OWN ELIGIBILITY, IT IS SPEEDING UP. AND WITH OUR GREAT PROGRAM PARTNERS SUCH AS AGAPE, SUCH AS THE BUFFALO BAYOU PARTNERSHIPS SUCH AS ROBINS LANDING, THERE WILL BE INVENTORY THERE, BUT THEY NEED THE CLT SO THAT THEY CAN MEET THAT AFFORDABILITY OF UNDER 80%. A MII KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE, ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO BUILD NEW HOMES, BUT THEY'RE NOT AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE UNDER 80% A MI. AND WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM. BUT RIGHT NOW THERE IS NOT, THERE'S NO TOOL RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS NOT FUNCTIONING TO HELP PEOPLE UNDER 80%, I DO BELIEVE WE CAN HELP THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM. I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD HELP ME BECAUSE MY PROPERTY VALUE'S GOING UP TOO. RIGHT. LEMME, TIME HAS EXPIRED. LEMME JUST BE VERY CLEAR. CLT IS ONE OPTION. DOUBT. OKAY, I SAID THAT. SO DON'T PRESENT IT AS THE ONLY OPTION. NO, NO. FOR UNDER 80%. FOR UNDER 80%. WELL I'M STILL SAYING EVEN WITH ROBIN'S LANDING, IT WASN'T, IT'S NOT JUST BEING BUILT JUST FOR CLT. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT. I KNOW. SO LET ME, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT YOU TO PUT THAT IN THAT, BUT NO, NO, NO, NO. BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST BEING BUILT JUST FOR CLT. NO. BUT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO WANT TO ACCESS ROBIN'S LAND UNDER 80%, I WANT PEOPLE WHO, PEOPLE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THERE ARE MANY TOOLS FOR THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD TO OWN THEIR HOME AND THE LAND. I WANT THAT OPTION AVAILABLE FOR THEM. RIGHT. FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT, WE NEED TO PROVIDE THE TOOLS FOR THEM. AND THAT'S SEAL. BUT IT IS ONE TOOL, NOT THE ONLY TOOL. I, AND YES, AND I AM GLAD, LEMME JUST SAY THIS, SAY THIS. UM, NOW PEOPLE ARE MOVING WITH THE GREATEST DEGREE OF URGENCY. THAT'S TRUE. AND THAT'S A GOOD THING. THANK YOU FOR THAT. OKAY. TRUE. WELL THAT'S, WELL THAT'S WHEREVER THE BLAME FALLS . OKAY. THAT IS A, THAT IS A GOOD THING. BUT I, I HEAR YOU. SO CAN I ASK, SINCE YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE MONEY WILL BE THERE, IS IT, ARE WE ABLE TO OPEN BACK UP OUR APPLICATIONS? I NEVER TOLD YOU TO CLOSE IT. WELL, WE HAD TO CLOSE IT BECAUSE THEY SAID THERE WAS A LIMITED NUMBER OF FUNDING. NO, WHO'S THEY? WHO WE DIDN'T TELL YOU TO CLOSE IT, BUT, BUT IF WE HAD LEFT IT OPEN, WE WOULD'VE NOT HAD THE MONEY THAT WE WERE TOLD WE HAD WAS 15 MILLION. NO, NO. OUR PIPELINE WAS ALREADY, IF IF, IF YOU, IF YOU ARE PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO SIX OR TO EIGHT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COST IS ON THAT. EVEN IF YOU WENT UP TO 10, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COST IS ON THAT. IF WE WERE, WE TOLD, WE WERE TOLD WE HAD 15 MILLION BASED ON WHAT WE HAD IN OUR PIPELINE AT THAT GIVEN TIME, THAT 15 MILLION WOULD HAVE BEEN GONE OR IS GONE. ACTUALLY, IT'S, IT'S DONE. IT'S DONE FOR, WE HAVE 20 THAT ARE UNDER CONTRACT. WE HAVE ANOTHER 28 THAT ARE CURRENTLY HAVING THEIR, UM, APPLICANT. YOU SAYING YOU'RE SAYING 15 MILLION WILL SERVICE HOW MANY PEOPLE? 15 MILLION. ABOUT, WELL, WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE 15 MILLION? 'CAUSE THERE WERE SOME THAT WAS ALREADY SPENT AT THAT MOMENT WHEN WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WERE ABOUT WE, WE COULD SERVE A ADDITIONAL 52 PEOPLE. THAT WAS WAY BEYOND WHAT WE HAD. UH, WE HAD MORE THAN THAT IN OUR PIPELINE. WAIT, ARE YOU, SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE APPLICATION ON NOW AS YOU'RE SAYING, 15 MILLION SERVICE, HOW MANY PEOPLE? 15, 15 MILLION WAS GOING TO SERVICE ABOUT A HUNDRED PEOPLE. BUT WE HAD ALREADY USED UP SOME OF THE MONEY. SO WHEN WE WERE TOLD WE HAD 15 MILLION, WE HAD ALREADY SPENT ABOUT, I THINK THEY SAID 6.9 OF THAT. SO THEREFORE WE ONLY HAD A LITTLE OVER SEVEN LEFT. SO WE COULD NOT KEEP THE APPLICATION OPEN IF WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THERE WAS GONNA BE MONEY THERE TO SERVICE PEOPLE. I THINK THAT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE TO KEEP AN APPLICATION OPEN, GIVING PEOPLE HOPE. THEN I'M CONFUSED. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR SOMEBODY TO GO THROUGH YOUR PIPELINE? UM, IT'S, WELL NOW THAT WE DON'T, DON'T HAVE TO DO , WE'RE DOING OUR OWN ELIGIBILITY ABOUT ABOUT TWO MONTHS. 'CAUSE WE HAVE TO DO THE EDUCATION PIECE AS WELL. SO IT'S NOT JUST YOU DO THE APPLICATION, THEY HAVE TO TURN IN THEIR DOCUMENTS. WE HAVE TO REVIEW THEM. I UNDERSTAND. TRAIN THEM. I GOTCHA. SO ABOUT TWO MONTHS. SO YOU'RE [01:50:01] SAYING IT TAKES TWO, YOU CAN SEND A PERSON THROUGH FOR TWO MONTHS? NO. SO FROM APPLICATION UNTIL THEY ARE PROCESSED AND READY TO GO SHOPPING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO MONTHS. YES. AND THEN TO GO AND THEN TO GO FIND THE HOUSE, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GO FROM THE BEGINNING TO BY FINDING THAT HOME? IT VARIES PER PERSON. SO WITH MS. PETERS, SHE ALREADY HAD A HOME. SO AS SOON AS, NO, I'M ON AVERAGE. I, OKAY. SO LET'S SAY ABOUT, LET'S SAY THREE AND A HALF MONTHS BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING ABOUT ONE AND A HALF TO TWO MONTHS TO PROCESS AND EDUCATE AND THEN ABOUT ANOTHER MONTH AND A HALF TO FIND A HOME. SO LET'S SAY ABOUT THAT. SO IN, IN THIS MARKET WITH LIMITED INVENTORY, YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT IT TAKES ABOUT THREE MONTHS FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING TO ME? YEAH. ABOUT, WELL DEPENDING ON IF THEY COULD GET, IF THEY CAN FIND A HOME, YES. NOW THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER, BUT THEY ONLY HAVE A FOUR MONTHS TOTAL TO FIND A HOME THAT IS A CITY POLICY. SO THEY HAD THREE MONTHS, 90 DAYS IS THEIR LETTER IS GOOD FOR, AND IT CAN BE EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS. WE TOOK ON THAT SAME POLICY THAT IS A CITY POLICY, NOT OURS. SO WE TOOK THAT POLICY ON WITH OUR OWN ELIGIBILITY AS WELL. SO WE GIVE PEOPLE UP TO 120 DAYS TO FIND A HOME. BUT BECAUSE WE KNEW THE FUNDING IS LIMITED, WE HAVE BEEN ON PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT MORE AND THE MARKET IS SOFTENING JUST A LITTLE BIT COMPARED TO WHEN WE WERE AT IN JUNE OR JULY WHEN PEOPLE WERE PUTTING OVER ASKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO AGAIN, WE HAVE PROGRAM PARTNERS THAT ARE ALSO PUTTING INVENTORY AND HOMES ON THE GROUND. SO THEREFORE IT'S NOT AS HARD BECAUSE WE THEN NOW HAVE PEOPLE THAT WE CAN DIRECT PEOPLE TO AND WE WORK WITH DEVELOPERS FOR PROFIT AND NON-PROFIT AND REALTORS. I'M, I'M WITH YOU ON IT. JUST LET'S JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE, I CAN GIVE YOU THE FINAL, I'LL GO THROUGH EACH PERSON AND GET THE FINAL NUMBER OF HOW LONG IT HAS TAKEN THEM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE THAT. AND WE CAN GO AND, AND WE CAN ASSESS THAT. BUT YES, WE HAVE SEEN A DEFINITE INCREASE IN BEGINNING TO, TO END AND A LOT LESS TIME BECAUSE THE MARKET IS SOFTENING. AND BECAUSE WE HAVE REFINED OUR PROCESS. AND LET ME INCLUDE, WE WERE TOLD FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, ONE OF THE ISSUES PEOPLE HAD WITH THE LAND TRUST WAS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD WHAT THEY WERE GETTING THEMSELVES INTO. SO WE TAKE A VERY, WE ARE VERY, VERY METICULOUS IN THE AMOUNT OF TRAINING AND ORIENTATIONS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO BEFORE THEY ARE ABLE TO EVEN GO SEARCH FOR A HOME. I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THAT. I GOT ALL OF THAT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANKS A LOT. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . JASMINE ALI. HI. YES MA'AM. WE CAN HEAR YOU. OH, OKAY. I AM RECENTLY JUST BECAME A HOMEOWNER AS OF, UH, THIS LAST SEPTEMBER. I BASICALLY JUST WANTED TO TELL MY TESTIMONY ABOUT HOW APPRECIATIVE I AM TO ALL PARTIES INVOLVED, INCLUDING MY REALTOR FACIAL STAR, LINDA CRAIG GREENBERG, HOME BUYER SPECIALIST, GLENDA OR SOTO NOVELLA BEAN DIRECTOR DARREN BLAKEMORE AND THE AVENUE LIFT TEAM PROGRAM. UM, UH, THIS PROGRAM TEACHES YOU TO HAVE PATIENCE, TIME MANAGEMENT, AND HOW TO MANAGE YOUR CREDIT AND ALSO BE OPEN-MINDED TO REFERRALS AND SUGGESTIONS. AND IF YOU DON'T, THEN YOU DON'T LISTEN, THEN YOU MISS OUT. AND DURING THAT TIME, I WAS TRYING TO PURSUE MY MASTER'S CAREER, BUT THEN MY GPA HAD FELL BELOW 3.0 AND HONESTLY I BELIEVE THAT I WAS, AND THEN I WAS WITHDRAWN BY THE UNIVERSITY. SO I BELIEVE THAT I WAS BEING PREPARED TO WORK HARD TOWARDS RECEIVING THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST GRANT. SO YAHWEH HAS ALWAYS GUIDED MY FOOTSTEPS ALL THROUGHOUT MY LIFE. BUT THIS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HAS REALLY SHOWED ME THE ATTRIBUTES OF INTELLIGENCE, WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, BEAUTY, LOVE, JUSTICE, FOUNDATION, POWER, STRENGTH AND KINGDOM. AND THIS, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR OWN HOME IS VERY IMPERATIVE. MOST INDIVIDUALS WOULD RATHER OWN THEIR OWN HOME THAN THROWING MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN AND PAYING RENT, BEING ABLE TO MOLD YOUR OWN HOME AND PUT ALL THE LOVE INTO WHATEVER YOU WANT INTO IT IS JUST THE BEAUTY. BEAUTY. IT WAS SUCH AN AMAZING FEELING AND BLESSING TO RECEIVE THAT $150,000 GRANT AND THE 150, I MEAN, AND THE 15,000 GRANT TOWARDS THE DOWN PAYMENT AND THE CLOSING COSTS AND TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY CLOSE ON MY HOME. UM, THIS PROGRAM HAS ALSO GIVEN MY DAUGHTER AND I THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN A QUIET, SAFE, WELL KEPT NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I'M ALSO HOPING THAT MY PARENTS CAN BE A PART OF THIS PROGRAM AND ANY FUTURE OTHER, UH, HOMEOWNERS THAT, I MEAN, THAT ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE BECOMING TO LOOK HOMEOWNERS IN THE FUTURE. AND THE PROGRAM HAS REALLY, TRULY BEEN A BLESSING. AND [01:55:01] UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OTHER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OUT THERE THAT CAN BEAT THAT. I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN MENTIONING OTHER ONES, BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. AND THEN YOU GUYS, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE INVENTORY, I'M LIKE, WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE GOOD, UH, RESALES THAT ARE ON THE MARKET? THOSE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE INVENTORY BECAUSE I RAN INTO A BEAUTIFUL ONE IN A BEAUTIFUL AREA. I WASN'T LISTENING TO MY LENDER AND I FINALLY DID BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA BE IN THAT AREA TOO FAR AWAY FROM WORK. I WENT OVER THERE AND FELL IN LOVE WITH IT AND I JUST FEEL LIKE I JUST HIT THE JACKPOT. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, JOSIE ANDERSON. JOSIE ANDERSON IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELIJAH JACKSON. HELLO. THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU COUNCIL FOR HAVING US TODAY. MY NAME IS JOSIE ANDERSON. I AM WITH VALERA TITLE. WE ARE MINORITY OWNED TITLE COMPANY. WE'RE ACTUALLY THE TITLE COMPANY THAT WORKED HAND IN HAND WITH THE HOUSTON LAND BANK AND THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TITLE THAT WAS BEING PREPARED FOR ALL OF THE, UH, BUYERS WAS PROTECTING EVERYONE, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, GETTING INTO THE PROGRAM. WE WORKED ON THAT FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF WITH OUR COUNCIL AND WITH THE COUNCIL OF THE, UH, CITY AS WELL. SO, UM, I KNOW THAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR VERIFYING THAT THE FUNDS ARE THERE. I KNOW THAT WE WERE ALL WORRIED ABOUT THAT, MAYOR, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, I WON'T TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS BEEN SAYING 'CAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN HEARING THAT. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SEEING EVERYBODY AT THE CLOSING TABLE, RIGHT? WE HAVE TEACHERS THAT ARE TAKING, UM, THAT ARE USING THE PROGRAM AND ABLE TO CLOSE ON HOMES. WE HAVE SINGLE MOMS WITH THREE KIDS THAT ARE ABLE TO CLOSE ON HOMES WHEN THEY COME TO THE CLOSING TABLE. THERE'S NOTHING LIKE SEEING A MOM THAT HAS A CONTRACT WRITTEN UP FOR HER KIDS TO SIGN. I PROMISE TO CLEAN MY ROOM, I PROMISE TO DO MY CHORES. AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT THESE KIDS TAKE PRIDE IN. AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE ARE BUILDING SOMETHING IN THIS, RIGHT? UM, THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, THEY'RE ABLE TO LEAVE THE PROPERTY BEHIND. SO THEY ARE BUILDING WEALTH, RIGHT? WE ARE CLOSING THE WEALTH GAP THERE WHERE THEY WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO INHERIT, UM, WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS DOWN THE LINE SO THEY'RE ABLE TO PASS IT DOWN. UM, SO ONCE AGAIN, UM, I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING ON AND ON. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING TO ALL OF US. I TRULY, TRULY APPRECIATE EVERY ONE OF YOU. AND THANK YOU MAYOR ONCE AGAIN FOR VERIFYING THAT THOSE FUNDS ARE THERE. IT MEANS A LOT TO US. COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING. HOW YOU DOING? I'M GOOD. HOW ARE YOU? DOING FINE. UM, WHAT, UH, WHAT TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY IS UNDERWRITING THESE, UH, IS INSURING THESE PROPERTIES THE SAME? I'M WITH VALERO'S TITLE AND THE ONE THAT IS UNDERWRITING FOR US RIGHT NOW IS AGENT'S TITLE. SO THEY'RE DOING MOST OF THEM? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, ELIJAH JACKSON. ELIJAH JACKSON IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELAINE MORALES. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO US. I'M ALSO SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF, UH, HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, CLARIFYING THAT THOSE FUNDS ARE THERE. I DO HAVE QUESTIONS THOUGH ABOUT OTHER AVENUES. YOU'VE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT THE ONLY ONE, NOT THE ONLY TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX. I AM CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT ELSE IT IS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST HAS IN JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, PUT 108 PEOPLE IN HOMES. UH, ONLY 30% OF THOSE WERE ACTUALLY NEW BUILDS. UH, OVER 70% ARE HOMES THAT ARE ALREADY BUILT. I KNOW MY HOME THAT I JUST MOVED INTO OVER ON ALVIN STREET, BEAUTIFULLY REDONE, UH, NICE LITTLE HOUSE IN SUNNYSIDE, UM, BUILT IN 1950. SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S THERE. BUT I DO WANNA KNOW, UH, WHAT ARE THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS? BECAUSE IF ALL $52 MILLION ARE AVAILABLE, UM, BY MY MATH, THAT'S ONLY ABOUT ANOTHER 250 HOUSES AT MOST, UM, HOW ELSE ARE WE GOING TO GET TO THAT 3000 HOME MARK THAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR BY THE END OF 2023? UM, ASSUMING THERE ARE MULTIPLE OPTIONS, THE TERRA BONDS WE, THAT WAS ISSUED THE CHARGE DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING IN FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND AT THE SAME TIME THERE'S NO, YOU, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE YEAR THAT'S LEFT MM-HMM . AND IF YOU, IF YOU'RE STANDING BEFORE ME SAYING THAT IN ONE YEAR, ALL $52 MILLION ARE GONNA BE SPENT ON CLT, I FIND THAT VERY DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE. WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE ISSUES IS THE SLOWNESS OF THE RESPONSE. I KNOW MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WAS THAT I SUBMITTED MY APPLICATION IN OCTOBER AND HCLT PASSED IT ON TO THE CITY IN NOVEMBER AND I WASN'T APPROVED UNTIL APRIL. UM, SO I THINK STREAMLINING THAT PROCESS COULD BE A BIG PART OF, UM, MOVING [02:00:01] IT FORWARD. BUT ALSO I THINK THERE'S A REAL LACK OF AWARENESS. UM, I ONLY FOUND OUT BECAUSE I WAS ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF BUYING A HOME AND SOMEONE FORWARDED ME THIS RESOURCE AND WE WERE ABLE TO FOLLOW IT. BUT EVERY TIME I MENTION IT, UH, THE FOLKS THAT I SPEAK WITH HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT. UH, SO WHAT, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO RAISE AWARENESS PROGRAM THERE? PROGRAM SOME, BUT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WANNA OWN THAT MAY 80% OR 100% AFFORDABLE. A MI THEY MAY THEY MAY WANNA OWN THEIR HOME AND THE DIRT. WELL THAT'S FAIR. WELL, YOU CAN'T JUST CHANNEL COST THE AVERAGE HOME COSTS. YOU CAN'T JUST CHANNEL EVERYBODY INTO ONE DIRECTION. I BELIEVE SOME PEOPLE THAT'S BELIEVE THERE ARE SOME, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WANNA OWN THEIR HOME AND THE DIRT I WOULD LIKE TO AS WELL. OKAY. AND IT'S NOT A VIABLE OPTION FOR ME AND IT ISN'T FOR MOST PEOPLE. UH, THE AVERAGE HOUSE IN HOUSTON JUST HIT $410,000 INCOME AVERAGE IS HOUSE IS ABOUT THREE INCOME, IT'S ABOUT THREE 50, IT'S ABOUT THREE 50 REGARDLESS, IT'S OUT OF REACH FOR MOST FOLKS. UH, YOU HAVE TO MAKE ABOUT $110,000 A YEAR TO AFFORD THAT. AND THE AVERAGE INCOME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS 53,000. SO REGARDLESS OF WHAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE, I THINK THE REALITY IS FOR MOST FOLKS THAT THIS IS PREFERABLE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD IT AT ALL. AGAIN, IF YOU'RE PRESENTING CLT AS THE ONLY OPTION, THEN YOU'RE NOT GONNA, I'M NOT. WELL, IF YOU JUST PRIMARILY I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. YES, SIR. BUT ALSO HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. AND IF YOU'RE PRESENTING CLT AS THE ONLY OPTION, THEN WE ARE NOT GONNA BE ON THE SAME PAGE. YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE TURS BONDS, UH, HOW MANY HOMES DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WILL PROVIDE? OKAY, THE TIME IS OUT. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S YOUR, IT'S YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, BUT THE TIME HAS EXPIRED. ALRIGHT. OKAY. WELL I APPRECIATE YOU AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR REAFFIRMING YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE PROGRAM. YEAH, BUT I ALSO WANT IT DONE RIGHT. I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO GO RUSH JUST TO TRY TO COME UP AND PRESENT SOMETHING TO US AND SAY IT'S COMMITTED THERE. SEE, THAT'S, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT, THAT'S WHY I WAS TALKING TO THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER. LET'S DO IT. RIGHT. NOT JUST COME WITH SOMETHING TO SAY. OKAY, I GOT IT COMMITTED. THAT DOESN'T WORK EITHER. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO NEXT SPEAKER. ELAINE MORALES BE FOLLOWED BY OMAR ENRIQUEZ. ELAINE MORALES. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, MY NAME IS ELAINE MORALES. I'M A PUBLIC INTEREST DESIGNER, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND JUST DISASTER RECOVERY ADVOCATE. I'M ALSO A DISTRICT EYE RESIDENT AND I'M HERE TODAY SPEAKING IN MY CAPACITY AS BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEMBER OF THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AND THE HOUSTON LAND BANK. UM, AS WE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS DISCUSSED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE CELEBRATED A WIN OF 52 MILLION TOWARDS THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. WE WERE NOT THE ONLY COMMUNITY LAND TRUST CELEBRATING THAT WIN. PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY CELEBRATED THAT HOUSTON WAS INVESTING IN A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AND WE HAVE GROUNDED SOLUTIONS CELEBRATING THAT AS WELL AS A PUBLISHING BOOK THAT IT'S JUST COMING UP. AND WE WERE VERY CONCERNED TO HEAR THAT WE WERE GETTING 15 MILLION. UM, AND THAT SACRIFICED THE CURRENT PIPELINE AS WELL AS A LOT OF ONGOING PROJECTS WITH PARTNERS, UM, THAT THEIR DEALS WOULDN'T WORK WITHOUT THAT SUBSIDY THAT THE CLT WAS BRINGING TO THE TABLE. AS OTHERS ALREADY HAVE MENTIONED, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS, BOTH IN OUR RENTAL AND HOME OWNERSHIP HOUSING STOCK. THE HOUSTON REGION IS SECOND IN LINE IN THE COUNTRY WITH THE MOST SEVERE SHORTAGE OF RENTAL HOMES, UM, TO EXTREMELY LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS WITH SEVERE COST BURDENS AND ALSO MIDDLE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS STRUGGLE TO FIND MEDIUM PRICED HOMES THEY CAN AFFORD FOR LOW INCOME RENTERS. HOME OWNERSHIP IS UNVIABLE WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC SUBSIDY. WITH THE CURRENT MEDIAN SALES, LIKE THE MAYOR MENTIONED, 350,000. AND LIKE TIFFANY, UH, YOU MENTIONED DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE COULD BE ANOTHER TOOL, UM, TO, TO SOLVE THAT. WE ALL AGREED THAT WE NEED TO BUILD MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT ALL PRICING POINTS. UM, BUT PUTTING UNITS ON THE GROUND WITHOUT ADEQUATE AFFORDABILITY PROTECTIONS, IF WE LOSE THAT STOCK IN FIVE YEARS, WE ARE LOSING. OUR PUBLIC INVESTMENTS ONLY CONTRIBUTES TO OUR AFFORDABILITY CRISIS FUNDING. THE CLT IS REALLY A LOVE LETTER TO ALL OF YOUR COMMUNITIES, PUTTING PUBLIC DOLLARS TO GOOD USE FOR PERPETUITY, SERVING LOW INCOME FAMILIES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. IT IS AN INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY CARE, RACIAL JUSTICE, AND UPWARD MOBILITY. THE COT IS ONE OF THE TOOLS IN THE TOOLKIT THAT IT'S PROVIDING HOME OWNERSHIP ACCESS AND STEWARDSHIP TO LOW INCOME FAMILIES AT BELOW EIGHT 80% A MI, MOST OF THEM AT 50% A MI, THE MAJORITY BEING FAMILIES OF COLORS. SOME FIRST HOMEOWNERS IN GENERATIONS. [02:05:01] THE CLT IS JUST GETTING STARTED. THE HOME BUYER CHOICE PROGRAM IS BECOMING A MODEL IN THE COUNTRY. IT'S A VENUE FOR THE HOUSTON LAND BANK'S MISSION OF PUTTING LAND IN PRODUCTIVE USE AND FOR COMMUNITY BENEFIT. AND THE CLT AND PARTNERS ARE PILOTING THIS MODEL ALSO FOR REHABS AND FOR FORECLOSURE PREVENTION. SO THE POSSIBILITIES WE KNOW ARE ENDLESS AND WE CAN TEST A MORE NEW, MUCH, MANY NEW THINGS THAN THE HOME BUYER CHOICE PROGRAM. SO WE JUST HOPE YEAH, TO HOPE HAS ITS BUYER, HOPE THE MONEY IS THERE TO COMPLETE ALL THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, OMAR ENRIQUE TO BE FOLLOWED BY LABOR MOORE. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MR. MAYOR AND UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS OMAR ENRIQUE. I'M HERE WITH, FROM, UH, REPRESENTING AM ENERGY BANK AND I'M PART OF THEIR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TEAM THERE. I JOINED THAT TEAM IN 2014. UH, EXCUSE ME, I BEG YOUR PARDON. IN 2018, AND I'VE BEEN WITH THEM FOR FOUR YEARS. UM, I, I CAME FIRST OF ALL TODAY TO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR DEDICATION TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SPACE. UH, I'VE BEEN ORIGINATING LOANS AND IN BANKING SINCE 2004 AND, UM, I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD A MAYOR THAT IS EQUAL TO THE DEDICATION THAT YOU'VE AND THE RESOURCES YOU'VE GIVEN US. SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, I'M ALSO VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT, UH, THAT THERE'LL BE CONTINUED RESOURCES FOR THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU, MR. MAYOR. THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST ISN'T THE EXCLUSIVE WAY TO REACH OUT TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, COMMUNITY OR THE ABILITY TO COMPLETE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRANSACTION. UM, AT OUR BANK, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN TRANSACTIONS THAT OUR TEAM HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS RESOURCES YOU'VE AFFORDED US, WHETHER IT BE HAP OR HARVEY, ET CETERA. AND, UM, IN OUR BANK, UH, AS A, I GUESS AS A CONTR CONTRIBUTION HAS CREATED PORTFOLIO PRODUCTS THAT WOULD MAYBE ADDRESS A BORROWER THAT NEEDED US TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, TAKE A SPECIAL CONSIDERATION IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO THOSE. SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, WE WERE, WE GOT STARTED LAST YEAR. WE COMPLETED ABOUT THREE OR FOUR TRANSACTIONS BECAUSE WE WERE NOT ONLY ACCLIMATING THE REAL ESTATE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO WITHIN OUR BANK. WE WERE THE ONLY LOCAL BANK TO STEP UP FOR, UH, STEP UP TO DO THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST TRANSACTION. I BELIEVE, UH, LAND HOME HAS WORKED A LITTLE MORE NATIONALLY AND THERE HAVE BEEN TWO OTHER LOCAL BANKS THAT HAVE JOINED THAT LIST SINCE THEN. BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S HELPED A LOT OF FOLKS AS A, UH, CONSTITUENT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, THERE'S NOTHING LIKE GOING TO CLOSING AND HEARING SOME OF THE FOLKS WHEN WE AFFECT THEIR LIVES POSITIVELY. BUT, UH, WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE FOR THE RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN. AND, UM, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO MOVE FORWARD TO HELP YOUR INITIATIVES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MAYOR. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER? YES. HELLO. HELLO. I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO AMEE BANK, YOU KNOW, FOR STEPPING UP AND FOR YOUR RESOURCEFULNESS AND SUPPORT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN CREATIVE WAYS. OH, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN. UH, AS A BANKER AND ALSO AS ONE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS I LIVE IN, UH, NEAR NORTHSIDE. SO WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. THANKS A OMAR. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. LABOR MOORE. LABOR MOORE. LABOR MOORE. MR. MOORE. NEXT SPEAKER, MYRA BUN. MYRA BON TEMPS. IF YOU PRESS STAR SIX IS THAT BON TEMPS? BON BON BON BON MYRA BONS STAR SIX. SHE'S UNMUTED. MYRA, ANTE. MYRA. NEXT SPEAKER. AMY, DEAN AMY, DEAN, AMY DEN. STAR SIX. AMY. MAYOR, THIS IS MYRA. OH, THAT'S, HI, MYRA. OKAY. MYRA ANCE. OKAY. THOMAS. YES, SIR. THANK YOU SO MUCH MAYOR. AND APOLOGIES FOR THE CONFUSION ON THE, ON THE MUTE BUTTON. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION. UM, PROVIDED BY MAYOR TURNER AND COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, AND FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO BUILDING, UH, 3000 HOMES BEFORE THE END OF 2023. I'M THE CHIEF REAL ESTATE OFFICER AT FIFTH WARD COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UM, A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION AND HUD CERTIFIED HOUSING COUNSELING AGENCY FOR OVER 30 YEARS. UM, WHERE WE PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED LAND AND BUILD HOMES, UH, AT AFFORDABLE PRICES. WE ARE NOW CHALLENGED BY THE INCREASED PRICE OF LAND, CONSTRUCTION, COST AND OVERALL GROWTH IN FIFTH WARD, WHICH WE ARE, ARE HAPPY TO SEE. UM, BOTH LONGTIME RESIDENTS AND BUYERS OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOMES ARE THREATENED BY ESCALATING TAXES THAT THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD IN A FEW YEARS. THE THREAT, THE THREAT [02:10:01] OF DISPLACEMENT, CAN EASILY BE MITIGATED, UM, BY THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, UM, WHICH WE FEEL IS A STRONG TOOL FOR THOSE OF US WORKING IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARENA. IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO NOT ONLY SERVE AS AN ASSET FOR NEW SINGLE FAMILY, UH, NEW CONSTRUCTION, BUT ALSO FOR EXISTING OWNERS AND AFFORDABLE, UM, MULTI-FAMILIES, UH, STRUGGLING WHERE RESTRICTED RENTS CANNOT KEEP UP PACE WITH THE RISING TAXES. WE APPRECIATE THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ASK THAT WE ALL WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AS YOU, AS YOU SHARED MAYOR. UM, WE KNOW THAT, THAT THIS IS ONLY ONE TOOL OF MANY, UH, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES. UH, BUT KNOW THAT IT THAT THERE, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SERVE, UM, AND REACH A LOT MORE, UH, THAN, THAN WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING DONE AND LOOK FORWARD TO POSSIBLE CONTINUED GROWTH OF THE LAND TRUST. UM, WITH THAT, UH, I APPRECIATE THE TIME, UM, AND, UH, UH, AM DONE AT THIS POINT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. AND IS THIS NOW AMY, DAN IN DEN? HI, MY NAME IS AMY DEN. I'M THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TEAM MANAGING ATTORNEY AT LONE STAR LEGAL AID. AND WE REPRESENT, UH, PLEASANTVILLE AREA SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 57. AND WE'RE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE UNIVAR MSD APPLICATION, WHICH IS, UH, NUMBER 24 ON THE AGENDA. BRIDGET MURRAY SPOKE ABOUT IT EARLIER. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THESE MSD APPLICATIONS IN THE CITY'S APPROVAL OF THEM WITHOUT RESPONDING TO EXPERTS HIRED BY THE COMMUNITY, RAISING SPECIFIC CONCERNS ON THE UNIVAR APPLICATION. WE HIRED ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS IN 2020 TO REVIEW THE APPLICATION, AND THEY MADE WRITTEN RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY FOR FURTHER STUDIES WHICH HAVE BEEN IGNORED. SPECIFICALLY, THOSE EXPERTS ASKED FOR FURTHER VERTICAL DELINEATION OF THE CONTAMINATION, GIVEN THE IMPORTANT AQUIFER UNDER THE SITE, AND TO ENSURE FIC SUFFICIENT TESTING FOR ALL CONTAMINANTS OF CONCERNS HAVE BEEN DONE. AND PRIOR LETTERS TO COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE'VE PROVIDED COPIES OF THESE REPORTS TO THE CITY. THE COMMUNITY CARES ABOUT SAFETY. SUPER 57 HAS GONE WITH THE TROUBLE TO HAVE THESE TWO EXPERTS REVIEW THE APPLICATION AND ISSUE THESE REPORTS. THEY'VE SAID THAT THIS APPLICATION SHOULD NOT BE MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE RAISED, ANSWERED BY THE CITY. AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT APPROVING THIS APPLICATION AS IS, IS GONNA BE SAFE FOR THIS COMMUNITY. ALTHOUGH WE DON'T DRINK THE GROUNDWATER, THIS WATER IS PART OF THE ENVIRONMENT, AND IF IT'S CONTAMINATED, THERE ARE LONG-TERM PATHWAYS THAT CAN RESULT IN FURTHER CONTAMINATION OF SURFACE WATER, WHICH IS A SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER. WE NEED TO PROCEED WITH CAUTION IN THESE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE OVERBURDENED. IN LIGHT OF THESE EXPERT OPINIONS PROVIDED TO THE CITY ABOUT THE CONTAMINATIONS AT THIS SITE. AT VARIOUS TIMES IN THIS PROCESS, UNIVAR R'S MISSTATED THAT THE TCEQ HAS APPROVED THEIR TESTING ALREADY. HOWEVER, THE COMPANY NEEDS THE CITY'S APPROVAL ON THIS APPLICATION, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE TCEQ HAS REVIEWED OR APPROVED TO DATE. THE CONCERNS THAT ARE RAISED ABOUT THIS MS, THE DE APPLICATION THAT ARE BROUGHT UP BY OUR EXPERTS, HAVE NOT BEEN REVIEWED BY TCQ, AND WE'RE ASKING THE TC THE CITY TO REVIEW THEM AND MAKE THE APPLICANT DO MORE WORK ON THIS APPLICATION. AND IMPORTANTLY, IN RESPONSE TO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID EARLIER, THE CITY'S APPROVAL IS REQUIRED TO GET AN MSD AT THE STATE. THE TCEQ CAN'T SIGN OFF WITHOUT THE CITY. WE WANT THE CITY TO BE SURE IT'S NOT RUBBER STAMPING THESE APPLICATIONS, BUT ADDRESSING THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS HERE, EVALUATED BY EXPERTS IN THIS FIELD. THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT THE CONTAMINATION AT THE SITE, AND THE SITE'S BEEN TESTED FOR NINE YEARS, BUT, AND THERE'S NO URGENCY IN APPROVING THIS APPLICATION UNTIL WE KNOW IT'S SAFE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR PROAM. AND THANK YOU AMY, UM, FOR YOUR CONTINUED DILIGENCE ON THIS. UH, I DID HEAR MAYOR TURNER SAY EARLIER THAT, UM, SHOULD THIS NOT BE APPROVED BY THE CITY, THEN IT WOULD DEFINITELY BE APPROVED BY THE TCEQ. I JUST WONDERED IF YOU, I I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT BRIEFLY IN YOUR REBAR, AND IT WOULD BE APPROVED BY THE TCEQ WITH LESS, UM, EYES ON IT WITH LESS, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WITHOUT THE CITY'S, UH, YOU KNOW, ABILITY TO, UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY HOW HE PHRASED IT. WHAT, LIKE, WE WOULD HAVE MORE, MORE LEVERAGE WITH THIS IF THE CITY APPROVES IT, THEN IF WE JUST KICK IT TO THE TCEQ. CAN YOU JUST GO OVER THAT PROCESS? 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE EVERY IN AND OUT OF THIS MSD, AND THIS HAS BEEN MY PROBLEM WITH THIS ALL ALONG. IT'S THEIR EXPERTS AGAINST OUR EXPERTS, AND, [02:15:01] YOU KNOW, IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY BAFFLING IF YOU'RE SITTING IN THIS CHAIR. SURE. I UNDERSTAND. THIS IS THE TECHNICAL THING, , AND THAT'S WHY, UH, THE CITY, THE COMMUNITY ENLISTED EXPERTS TO HELP INFORM, UH, THIS PROCESS. UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THIS APPLICANT IS PART OF A VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM, WHICH DOES REQUIRE APPROVAL BY THE TCEQ. SO THAT PROCESS CAN MOVE FORWARD AS PART OF THEIR VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM INDEPENDENT OF AN MSD. AN MSD APPLICATION IS A SEPARATE APPLICATION THAT, UM, BASICALLY RELIEVES 'EM OF THE RI UH, THE REQUIREMENTS TO CLEAN UP GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION AT THE SITE. UM, BUT IT DOES UNDER THE TCQ STATUTE REQUIRE CITY APPROVAL. UM, AND THAT'S WHY THE CITY, IF THEY'RE, THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO DOING MSDS, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT PROCESS, AND THAT PROCESS IS, IS BUILT IN SO THAT THERE CAN BE THIS COMMUNITY COMPONENT AND A COMMUNITY CONCERNS CAN BE RAISED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL ABOUT THIS CONTAMINATION THAT IS KNOWN TO EXIST AT THESE SITES. AND SO THAT IF IT IS OF A CONCERN, IT CAN BE ADDRESSED AND MAYBE NOT APPROVED. THEY CAN GET THEIR VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD AND, AND GET THAT SIGNED OFF BY THE TCQ. DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY HAVE TO ALSO GET AN MSD APPLICATION OR APPROVAL BY TCQ IF THAT HELPS. THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE PROCESSES, BUT DEVELOPMENT CANNOT OCCUR WITHOUT THE, WITHOUT THE MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION. CORRECT. I MEAN, THEY CAN, THEY CAN CONTINUE THE VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM JUST WITH THE TCEQ, BUT, BUT ISN'T THE MSD REQUIRED FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT? WELL, THAT, THAT WOULD DEPEND. I MEAN, I, THAT WOULD DEPEND ON WHAT THE TCQ IS WILLING TO SIGN OFF ON. RELATED TO THE VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM. SOMETIMES THERE CAN BE RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON THE PROPERTY AS FAR AS THE EXTENT OF REDEVELOPMENT. AND THAT, AGAIN, WE'RE GETTING IN A VERY TECHNICAL SPACE OF WHAT THE TCQ WILL AGREE TO OR NOT. THEY CAN PUT RESTRICTIONS ON THE PROPERTY USE AS RESIDENTIAL VERSUS COMMERCIAL, AND THOSE ARE, UH, DOCUMENTED THROUGH LAND USE RESTRICTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, LESLIE ESPINOZA. LESLIE ESPINOSA. LESLIE ESPINOSA. NEXT SPEAKER, SABRINA GRAY. SABRINA GRAY. NEXT SPEAKER, TIMOTHY FELDER, FIELDER TIMOTHY FELDER. NEXT SPEAKER, SHARONDA FLETCHER. SHARONDA FLETCHER STAR SIX TO UNMUTE SHARONDA FLETCHER. NEXT SPEAKER WALTER VIDAL. WALTER VIDAL, STAR SIX TO UNMUTE WALTER VIDAL, DO YOU WANT NEXT SPEAKER? LOUIS DARLING. LOUIS DARLING. HELLO? HELLO. THERE HE IS. THAT'S LOUIS DARLING. YES, MA'AM, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU COUNSEL AND MAYOR FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. MAYOR. TWO YEARS AGO, I CAME TO YOU WITH A PROBLEM ON MY STREET. EVERY DAY I HAVE 36 TO 55 CARS, PARKING IN A NO PARKING ZONE. I REACHED OUT TO YOU TWO YEARS AGO. YOU TOLD ME MONTGOMERY STATION IN HOUSTON. IAD POLICE. WERE GONNA WORK ON MY STREET. I REACHED OUT TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER. I REACHED OUT TO HOUSTON, IAD POLICE. I REACHED OUT TO DART, LEFT ALERT SLIPS AT MONTGOMERY STATION FROM NOVEMBER, I'M GONNA SAY NOVEMBER 1ST TILL MARCH 1ST EVERY MORNING, SEVEN TO EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. CALL IT NOT EMERGENCY NUMBER. WHY? BECAUSE I HAVE PEOPLE PARKING IN NO PARKING ZONE. THIS WAS TWO YEARS AGO. I'VE BEEN ARRESTED BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. I'VE BEEN PUT IN A CRAZY HOME BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. WHEN I CALLED THE CHIEF OF POLICE, HE DOESN'T RETIRE MY CALLS. HE DOESN'T, HE AIN'T RETURN. MY CALLS IS ONE I USED, REACHED OUT TO EVERYBODY. AND I STILL HAVE THE SAME SITUATION GOING ON. TWO YEARS AFTER HE TOLD ME MONTGOMERY STATION, HE'S DEEP POLICE, WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THE STREET. MONTGOMERY STATION OFFICERS NEVER COME OUT. ME CALLING FROM NOVEMBER 1ST TILL MARCH 1ST WHEN I FINALLY GAVE UP EVERY MORNING CALLING NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER FOR WHAT? POLICE NEVER TO SHOW UP. THEY SHOW UP AFTER EIGHT O'CLOCK, [02:20:01] SEVEN TO EIGHT. I HAVE A ISSUE WITH PEOPLE PARKING IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE ALL DOWN MY STREET. IT SAYS SEVEN TO NINE, TWO TO FOUR, NO PARKING. THE SCHOOL IS PART OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE A GATE OPEN. THEY, THEY OPEN UP IN THE MORNING RIGHT BEFORE YOU PULL UP TO THE GATE TO DROP OFF YOUR KID. IT SAYS NO PARKING AFTER THE GATE, BEFORE THE STOP SIGN. THERE'S ANOTHER SIGN THAT SAYS NO PARKING. IT HAS TOW TRUCKS UNDER, IT HAS ARROWS UNDERNEATH IT. SO WHY HAVE THIS NOT BEEN FIXED? WHEN YOU TOLD ME TWO YEARS AGO THAT THIS WAS GONNA GET FIXED, I REACHED OUT TO YOU TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED AND I END UP THE PROBLEM. WELL, I END UP IN TROUBLE BECAUSE I REACHED OUT TO YOU AND NOTHING GOT FIXED. HOUSTON ID POLICE, THEY DON'T DO NOTHING. MONTGOMERY STATION, THEY CAN'T EVEN CALL, THEY CAN'T EVEN DISPATCH A CARD. THIS PROBLEM'S BEEN GOING ON FOR THREE YEARS. WHEN DOES IT STOP? WHEN DOES, WELL, I CALLED 3 1 1. I REACHED OUT TO, UH, PARKING DIVISION. SAME SITUATION. I GOTTA WAIT THE 21 DAYS FOR THEM TO TURN AROUND, COME OUT HERE WHEN THEY COME OUT HERE TO COME OUT HERE AT THE WRONG TIME. I TURNED AROUND SEVEN TO EIGHT. I CALL, I TRIED TO CALL 3 1 1. TELL 'EM, HEY, WE GOT PEOPLE PARKING IN, NO PARKING EVERY MORNING, SEVEN TO EIGHT SCHOOL DAYS. I'LL FIND 36 TO 56 CARS IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. AND THAT ONE HOUR, IT SAYS NO PARKING ALL THE WAY DOWN THE STREET. SO WHY ARE THESE PEOPLE PARKING? I ASKED THE TEACHER, THE PRINCIPAL, YOU GOT PEOPLE WALKING INTO YOUR SCHOOL. WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A TEACHER SAYING, HEY, WHY ARE YOU PARKING IN NO PARKING ZONE? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. YEP. MR. MR. DARLING, UH, WE HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT'D LIKE TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. UM, THANK YOU MR. DARLING, MR. GATE FOR, FOR COMING, UM, INTO THE MEETING TODAY. UM, AND YOU HAVE BEEN INTERACTING WITH MY OFFICE A LOT. AND WE HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT. WE, YOU KNOW, IN PARK HOUSTON AND HPD AND HISD POLICE. AND, UM, AND WHERE THERE IS PARKING, THEY CITATIONS ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE CITED TO UNATTENDED VEHICLES. BUT THE PROBLEM HAS REALLY COME DOWN TO THE PA THE THE PARENTS WHO ARE SITTING IN THEIR CARS TO PICK UP THEIR CHILDREN OR DROP OFF THEIR CHILDREN ARE NOT IN VIOLATION OF ANYTHING. AND, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S FRUSTRATING TO YOU. YOU, YOU ARE UPSET THAT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IN THEIR VEHICLES WHILE THEY'RE WAITING FOR THEIR CHILDREN. AND, AND IN FRONT YOUR, THAT'S NOT, THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN THERE SINCE 1954. AND, AND IT'S A, IT'S A CHALLENGING SITUATION THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S LIMITED ACCESS TO TO OFF STREET PARKING AND THAT IT'S A SCHOOL. SO, UM, I I, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT YOU'RE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT ANSWER. BUT IT IS NOT, THEY ARE NOT PARKED. THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN, IF THEY'RE, THE VEHICLES ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, ARE, IF THE VEHICLES ARE ATTENDED, WOULD YOU WANNA SEE THE CAMERA? THEY'RE NOT IN VIOLATION. YOU WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE CAMERAS OF EVERY MORNING PEOPLE GET OUTTA THE CARS AND WALK INTO THEIR SCHOOL WITH THEIR KIDS THAT'S LEAVING THE CAR IN ATTENDANT. THERE'S NOBODY ELSE IN THAT CART. YOU SHOULD GO. YOU SHOULDN'T, THEY, THEY, YOU SHOULD HAVE A DROP OFF AND PICK UP EVERY MORNING. THEY SHOULD BE DROPPING OFF THEIR KIDS. THE KIDS DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET TO CLASS. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PULL UP TO THE GATE. WELL, IF THE CAR, IF A CAR IS, IS, IS UNATTENDED, THEN THAT IS A VIOLATION. AND PARK HOUSTON AND EVERY MORNING ASSURES US THAT THEY ARE REGULARLY PATROLLING THE AREA AROUND DURY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. NOPE. EVERY 21 DAYS YOU CAN GO 3 1 1 LOOKING, 3 1 1. EVERY 21 DAYS THEY COME OUT, WHEN THEY COME OUT SEVEN TO EIGHT, WHY AM I HAVING THEM OUT HERE AT FOUR O'CLOCK? WHY AM AM I HAVING THEM OUT HERE AT SIX O'CLOCK? WHY AM I HAVING THEM AT 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT? THEY'RE COMING OUT HERE TO TAKE A PICTURE OF WHAT? IT'S SEVEN TO EIGHT IN THE MORNING WHEN I HAVE A PROBLEM. YOU GOT PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING TO THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL TO STAY IN THE LINE AND GO TO THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL, GO INSIDE THE SCHOOL GROUNDS AND GET DROPPED OFF BY THE, BY THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL WITH TEACHERS. YOU ARE COMING UP TO THE SIDE WHERE PARENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO PULL UP, DROP THEIR KID OFF AND DRIVE OFF. NOT PARK YOUR CAR AND WALK INTO SCHOOL EVERY DAY. I HAVE 36 TO 56 CARS. I GOT TIRED OF CALLING THE NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER. WHY? BECAUSE SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, SHIFT CHANGE, EIGHT 30. I'M STILL LISTENING ON THE SCANNER. Y'ALL GOT MR. DARLING WAITING ON MR. DARLING. I APOLOGIZE. MA'AM, WE, WE UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN. UH, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND I ALSO HAVE A NOTE HERE THAT PARK HOUSTON REGULARLY PATROLS THAT AREA AROUND DURKEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. UM, UNFORTUNATELY, I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA SOLVE THIS ISSUE TODAY. ON THE LINE, WE HEAR YOUR CONCERNS. UH, PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO TALK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION [02:25:01] AT THE SCHOOL AND WORK WITH PARK HOUSTON TO TRY TO GET A BETTER RESOLUTION FOR US. WHAT? SO EVERY MORNING I'M SUPPOSED TO, ME AND MY FOUR NEIGHBORS, ALL ELDERLY PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSED TO DEAL WITH THIS EVERY MORNING BECAUSE IT SAYS ALL DOWN THE STREET, NO PARKING. BUT EVERY MORNING SINCE THEY OPEN THAT GATE, WE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH PEOPLE BECAUSE Y'ALL DON'T HAVE A TEACHER CONTROLLING WHO COMES IN AND OUTTA YOUR SCHOOL. BUT I HAVE 30 THANK YOU, MR. MR. DAR. WE, WE ARE VERY WELL AWARE AND WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP ADDRESSING THAT WITH PARK HOUSTON. THANK YOU FOR CALLING IN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. NEXT SPEAKER HAVE ERICA HUBBARD. ERICA HUBBARD, START SIX. TO UNMUTE ERICA HUBBARD. NEXT SPEAKER YOLANDA TURNER TO BE FOLLOWED BY PETER SAMPSON. HELLO, MS. TURNER. HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON. OKAY, QUESTION. IS MAYOR COMING BACK? IS HE COMING BACK AT ALL? UM, NO, HE'S PROBABLY NOT COMING BACK, BUT HE IS LISTENING. OKAY, WELL THAT'S, GO AHEAD. THAT'S GREAT. OKAY. UM, SO MY NAME IS SHALONDA TURNER. I RECENTLY MOVED TO THIRD WARD. UM, I WAS SUPER EXCITED ABOUT MOVING BACK TO THE CITY, ESPECIALLY THAT AREA, HISTORICALLY, BLACK COMMUNITY AND KNOWING ABOUT THE GROWTH THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THAT AREA. BUT I JUST WANNA TAKE A MINUTE AND ASK YOU GUYS TO IMAGINE AFTER A LONG DAY LIKE THIS, YOU'VE SAT IN THIS MEETING ALL DAY, YOU'RE TIRED, YOU'RE EXHAUSTED, YOU DRIVE 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR HOME TO GET HOME. WHEN YOU GET HOME, YOU JUST WANNA REST. YOU GET THERE. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A NIGHTCLUB IN YOUR HOUSE. NOT JUST ONE NIGHT A WEEK, NOT JUST ON THE WEEKENDS, BUT SIX NIGHTS OUT OF THE WEEK. YOUR HOUSE SOUNDS LIKE A NIGHTCLUB. UH, MY NEIGHBORS AND I ARE IN A TOWN HOME COMMUNITY, LESS THAN 15 FEET FROM BE THE BACK OF TRIBECA NIGHTCLUB. AND THE WEEKEND THEY SHARE A BUILDING OVER THERE AT THE CORNER OF EMANCIPATION AND HADLEY, MY NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS SINCE 2021. WE ALSO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AS THE, THE POOR GENTLEMAN BEFORE ME WHO I CAN UNDERSTAND GETTING TO A LEVEL OF CRAZY WHEN YOU CALL 3 1 1 AND THEY DON'T COME OUT FOR HOURS WHEN YOU'RE HEARING YOUR WHOLE HOUSE VIBRATE, YOU WANNA SLEEP. WE DON'T GET A SINGLE DAY OF RESTORATION. UM, WE HEAR DJ YELLING IN OUR HOMES, LOUD NOISE, MUSIC AND BASS ALMOST EVERY NIGHT IN OUR HOUSE, FOUR TO MIDNIGHT OR 2:00 AM TO 2:00 PM TWO 2:00 PM TO 2:00 AM WE REACHED OUT TO COUNCIL, MR. BA, WE SEND MESSAGES. WE DON'T GET ANY RESPONSES. I THINK SHE RESPONDED ONE TIME TO MY NEIGHBOR. UM, I'M RECENTLY MOVED THERE, BEEN BEEN THERE TWO MONTHS, AND IT'S BEEN A NIGHTMARE. UM, MY NEIGHBOR TWO BLOCKS AWAY, HAS TO SLEEP IN HER CLOSET BECAUSE SHE CAN'T GET SLEEP. I WANNA KNOW WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THE LOUD NOISE ORDINANCE, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE HELPING ANYBODY BUT THE BUSINESSES, AND I UNDERSTAND THE CITY CARES ABOUT THE BUSINESSES TO MAKE MONEY, BUT WE'RE ALSO TAX PAYING CITIZENS AS WELL. I PAY PROPERTY TAXES. I PAY ABOUT $3,000 A MONTH FOR MORTGAGE, AND I FEEL HOSTAGE IN MY OWN HOME. I CAN'T SLEEP ON THE THIRD FLOOR BECAUSE THE BASE IS GOING TILL MIDNIGHT. I WORK A JOB FROM LIKE NINE TO FIVE, 6:00 AM SOMETIMES I GOTTA GO INTO WORK AND I GET NO SLEEP. UM, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF MY COMMUNITY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE CITY IS GONNA DO ABOUT THIS. BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST OUR AREA. IT'S RICE VILLAGE, IT'S EVERYWHERE. UM, THE PROBLEM IS THE CITY HAS NO ZONING. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A CLUB COULD GET A LOUD NOISE PERMIT WHEN THEY'RE 15 FEET FROM THE BACK OF MY HOUSE. THAT THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. HOW DID THEY EVEN GET A PERMIT TO DO THAT? SO, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE CITY IS PLANNING TO DO ABOUT THIS. UM, WHEN ARE THE CITY GONNA RECOGNIZE THAT ZONING NEEDS TO HAPPEN? AND THE REASON, ANOTHER REASON I MOVED THERE WAS FOR HOME APPRECIATION. WHO'S GONNA BUY MY HOUSE WHEN I WANNA MOVE OUT THREE, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW? NO ONE, NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE IN A HOUSE WHERE IT'S BASED SIX NIGHTS A WEEK. I'M LITERALLY, THAT'S LIKE IF I SOUND UNHINGED A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SLEPT IN ABOUT SIX NIGHTS. AND PEOPLE WILL TELL ME, YOU'RE IN THIRD WARD. IT'S A PARTY PLACE. YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN WHERE YOU WERE GOING. MOST OF US MOVED TO THE CITY 'CAUSE WE'RE OKAY WITH CITY NOISE. WE DIDN'T MOVE THERE TO BE IN A NIGHTCLUB EVERY NIGHT. UM, THE BUILDING, IS IT, IT USED TO BE A FUNERAL HOME. UM, THEY SAY THEY RENOVATE, RENOVATED IT AND PUT SOUNDPROOFING IN THERE. IT'S, IT DOESN'T WORK. AND THE WILD NOISE ORDINANCE, THE NOISE METERS THAT THE COPS COME OUT WITH FIVE HOURS AFTER THE FACT THAT WE CALL IT ONLY PICKS UP NOISE. IT DOESN'T PICK UP BASE. SO THEY NEVER RIDE A CITATION. I'D JUST LIKE TO GET SOME ANSWERS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PROAM, WHAT WHAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. I CERTAINLY WILL REACH OUT TO COMMANDER JOHNSON, UH, WHO IS THE, UH, THE SUBSTATION, UH, NEAR WHERE YOU LIVE. AND LET'S SEE IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. 'CAUSE THAT, I MEAN, I BELIEVE QUALITY OF LIFE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE HAVE. AND I CERTAINLY, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU ONLY GOT ONE RESPONSE FROM MY OFFICE, BUT THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN ANYMORE. WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE ENGAGE WITH YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS TO SEE IF WE CAN ABATE THIS FOR YOU THE BEST THAT WE CAN. BUT OF COURSE, YOU ALSO SAID THAT WE DON'T HAVE ZONING. AND SO THAT'S [02:30:01] WHAT THE MAJOR PROBLEM IS IN THE CITY. THE, THE NOISE ORDINANCE WAS SOMETHING TO HELP US TO, TO, UH, TRY TO DO BETTER WITHOUT ZONING. BUT CERTAINLY IT IS NOT THE, UH, COMPLETE SOLUTION. BUT I AM COMMITTED TO SEEING HOW WE CAN HELP YOU TO HAVE A BETTER NIGHT'S SLEEP. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING FORWARD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO. THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. TURNER. AND I TOO APOLOGIZE FOR, FOR WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WORKED ON IN MY COMMITTEE, REGULATORY AND NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS, ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN TO STRENGTHEN THE NOISE ORDINANCE TO GIVE THE CITY MORE TEETH IN, IN WHAT WE CAN DO. WHAT WE NEED IS DATA. AND WE NEED YOU TO BE REPORTING THIS. I KNOW THAT'S FRUSTRATING. I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THEY CALL THE NON-EMERGENCY LINE AT A TAPE. BY THE TIME THEY GET THROUGH TO SOMEBODY, THE NOISE IS DONE. I, WE UNDERSTAND THOSE THINGS, BUT DOCUMENT THAT, WRITE COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ WITH THAT INFORMATION, MY OFFICE WITH THAT INFORMATION, KEEP CALLING NON-EMERGENCY, UH, HPD. WE NEED THE DATA ON THE PROBLEM BARS. WHAT WE BUILT INTO THE NEW ORDINANCE IS SOMETHING, SOMETHING TO ADDRESS PROBLEM BARS THAT KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH IT. BUT WE HAVE TO BUILD THE CASE. AND THEN A RA AND HPD WILL DECIDE WHO GETS AN ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING. WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS ABILITY BEFORE. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO BRING IN BAR OWNERS AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, YOU HAVE ALL THESE COMPLAINTS. YOU MIGHT HAVE CITATIONS. I HAVE TALKED TO A LOT OF OFFICERS WHO ARE WRITING CITATIONS FOR BASE. IF I SEE A POLICE OFFICER ON THE STREET, I SAY, HEY, YOU CAN WRITE NOISE ORDINANCE, NOISE VIOLATIONS ON BASE. A LOT OF THEM DIDN'T KNOW. THEY KNOW NOW I AM SEEING MORE OF THAT. THEY, THAT IT'S ALREADY IN THE ORDINANCE THAT THEY CAN, THEY CAN WRITE CITATIONS ON THAT. WE NEED THE DATA IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO BRING IN THE PROBLEM BARS. AND THEN THEY MUST MITIGATE, THEY MUST PRESENT US WITH A SOUND MITIGATION PLAN. YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SOUNDPROOF WALLS, THAT KIND OF THING. THEY HAVE TO, WHEN WE BRING THEM IN, THEY'LL HAVE TO SUBMIT A PLAN. THAT PLAN WILL EITHER BE REJECTED OR ACCEPTED BY THE HEARING OFFICER, AND THEN THEY'LL HAVE 90 DAYS TO IMPLEMENT IF IT'S ACCEPTED 90 DAYS TO IMPLEMENT IT. AND IF IT'S NOT WORKING, THEY CAN RE REVOKE THAT PERMIT AND THEY'LL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO PLAY MUSIC AFTER 10 O'CLOCK ON, ON WEEKDAYS OR 11 O'CLOCK ON WEEKENDS. IT'S JUST CAME INTO EFFECT SEPTEMBER 6TH, THIS NEW ONE, WE'RE BUILDING THE EVIDENCE. I, I'LL, WE'VE, WE'VE ADDRESSED THE, THE TWO, THE BARS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. CAN YOU GIVE ME THEIR NAMES AGAIN? UH, TRIBECA EVENT SPACE. OKAY. T-R-I-B-E-C-A. YEAH. AND, UH, THE WEEKEND LOUNGE. OKAY. THEY SHARE THE SAME BUILDING. WE ARE, WE ARE TRACKING, UM, MANY OF THE BARS THAT WE HEAR ABOUT AND, AND THE NUMBER OF CALLS FOR SERVICE AND VIOLATIONS. SO, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN HAVE GOOD DATA. SO MY ADVICE TO YOU, EVEN THOUGH IT'S FRUSTRATING AND I I'VE, I'VE HAD THE CONVERSATION WITH THE MAYOR AND WITH THE PEOPLE AT 9 1 1, UM, AND THE PEOPLE WHO YOU KNOW OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO, YOU KNOW, PICK UP THE, THE NON-EMERGENCY CALLS FASTER. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST, IT'S FRUSTRATING AND I APOLOGIZE, BUT WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO COMPILE THE DATA SO WE CAN GET, GET THE PROBLEM BARS IN AND, AND GIVE YOU A BETTER PEACE OF MIND. OKAY. UM, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. UM, JUST, BUT IS THERE ANY, IS THE ZONING THING A HOUSTON THING OR IS THAT A STATEWIDE? IS THAT WHY THERE IS NO ZONING? I'LL, I'LL, I'LL DEFER. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. OH, HI. UM, SO YOU BROUGHT UP RICE MILITARY, WHICH IS IN MY DISTRICT, BUT I'LL ADD TO THAT. I LIVE TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM WHERE TWO NEW STREETS IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA OF BARS ARE GOING IN. THE REASON BEING ZONING, AND UNFORTUNATELY THE CITY OF HOUSTON CANNOT CONTROL OR DO ANYTHING ON ZONING BECAUSE VOTERS HAVE TURNED IT DOWN HERE IN HOUSTON THREE TIMES. OKAY. SO THAT, THAT, AGAIN, RESPECTING THE WILL, THE VOTERS, BUT LITERALLY IN LAW, WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING TO SAY YOU CAN'T DO THIS. SO WHAT YOU'RE HEARING IS INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR AND HPD AND SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS AND CIVIC CLUBS ALL TRYING TO COME UP WITH A, A PATCHWORK TO MAKE IT BETTER IN A REALLY DIFFICULT AND UNFORTUNATE, CHALLENGING AND VERY STRESSFUL SITUATION. AND AGAIN, I, WE ALL, UH, KNOW, THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW THE WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST SAY IT RIGHT THERE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE SPENT, UM, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO SOUNDPROOF SLEEP IN MOTION TO EXTEND, UH, ARE SLEEPING IN THEIR BATHROOMS BECAUSE OF THIS. SO, UH, PLEASE KNOW, IT'S NOT, NO PUN INTENDED, FALLING ON DEAF EARS. WE HAVE A HUGE CHALLENGE IN HOUSTON BECAUSE THERE'S NO ZONING, BUT THAT'S NOT WITHIN OUR CONTROL, WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHATEVER WE CAN TO USE THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE. AND, UH, THAT, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH A LOT OF THE TIME RIGHT NOW. YEAH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, YOU HAD ANOTHER COMMENT? YEAH, JUST ANOTHER COMMENT, UH, REALLY QUICKLY. I WAS JUST LOOKING, THE TRIBECA IS CLOSED THREE [02:35:01] DAYS AND IT CLOSES AT SEVEN O'CLOCK ON OTHERS. UH, IS THIS ACCURATE? IS THIS THE WEEKEND LOUNGE? THAT, THAT MAY BE THE PROBLEM. SO, SORRY, LET ME CLARIFY. UH, TRIBECA IS AN EVENT SPACE THAT IS ONLY, THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH ONLY OPEN ON THE WEEKEND WHEN SOMEONE HIRES THE VENUE FOR AN EVENT. OKAY. UM, BUT THEY ARE THE WORST BAD ACTOR. THEY'RE THE LOUDER VENUE. BUT TRIBECA ON THE WEEKEND SHARE THE SAME SPACE. THE WEEKEND JUST OPENED LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO. THEY START OFF JUST BEING OPEN ON THE WEEKEND. NOW THEY'RE OPEN MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND THEN TRIBECA COMES IN FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, AND SOMETIMES MONDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT, LIKE TUESDAY MAY BE THE ONLY NIGHT WE GET NO BASS, NO NOISE, NO DJS SCREAMING IN OUR HOUSES. MY WHOLE HOUSE IS VIBRATING. SO THEY SHARE THE SAME VENUE. TRIBECA OWNS THE BUILDING THE WEEKEND RENTS TO TRIBECA. UM, WE'VE TRIED TALKING TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY, WE BROUGHT THEM INTO OUR HOMES TO SHOW THEM WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE. UM, THEY CLAIM THEY'RE DOING THINGS, BUT IT'S NOT WORKING. AND I MEAN, MY NEIGHBORS ARE LIKE OVERDOING ON MELATONIN. I I'M JUST GONNA SAY THAT. WELL, I KNOW MY CHIEF OF STAFF SAID HE DID CALL YOU AND YOU DIDN'T ANSWER. OH, SERGEANT AMMS? MM-HMM. S NO, NO, NO. STEVEN JAMES. HE CALLED YOU. HE SAID HE, YOU DIDN'T GET, THERE WAS NO ANSWER, BUT THAT'S NEITHER HERE NOR THERE. OKAY. I'LL CHECK IN WITH HIM. HOLD ON. I'LL TALK TO ANYBODY. HOLD ON. THAT'S NEITHER HERE NOR THERE. THE, THE POINT IS, THIS NEEDS TO BE ABATED. SO I WILL GET WITH THE COMMANDER AND I WILL PERSONALLY GO TO THE CLUBS MYSELF TO SEE IF WE CAN'T GET THEM TO COOPERATE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN THEY SEE THAT PEOPLE, UH, FROM THE CITY ARE CONCERNED, PARTICULARLY THE POLICE, THEY MAY, UH, CHANGE THEIR, UM, ACTIVITY. AND SO I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I, I DO AGREE WITH YOU AND IT'S TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND I WILL DO EVERYTHING WITHIN MY POWER TO HELP TO ABATE THIS. OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNSEL. OKAY. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT SPEAKER. PETER, PETER SAMPSON. YES, MA'AM. I WANT TO SPEAK A PERSON. YES, GO AHEAD. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS PETER SAM FROM NIGERIA, FORMER CORRECTIONAL OFFICER. UH, LAST YEARS I WAS ARRESTED FOR, OR NO, ANY, THEY, THEY ARRESTED ME FOR ALCOHOL, WHICH I DON'T DID. AND I WAS, THEY DETERMINED FOR 24 HOUR. THEY DRAW, THEY DRAW MY BLOOD, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS THING CAME NEGATIVE. AND, UH, WHEN THE, THE JUDGE FIND THAT THERE'S NO NOTHING IN MY BLOOD AND HE DISMISSED THE CASE. SO I NEED INJUSTICE IN THIS CASE. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, DOES YOU WANNA ADDRESS HIM? THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. AND, UM, THANK YOU, SIR FOR COMING FORWARD. UM, SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR SITUATION. UM, BUT JUST TO GET FURTHER CLARITY, YOU WERE ARRESTED UNDER THE SUSPICION OF DRUNK DRIVING. THEY TOOK YOU IN, DREW YOUR BLOOD, HAD YOU STAY OVERNIGHT, UH, THE RESULTS CAME BACK, DID NOT SHOW THAT YOU WERE INTOXICATED. YES. THEY LET YOU GO AND THE CASE WAS DISMISSED, CORRECT? YES. YES. AND SO, UM, THAT WAS A UNFORTUNATE SITUATION AND I APOLOGIZE THAT YOU HAD TO EXPERIENCE THAT. UM, AS A COUNCIL BODY, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO DO TO ADDRESS IT? SIR? I WANT YOU GUYS TO FOLLOW THE CASE UP. YOU WOULD LIKE US TO DO WHAT? I WANT YOU GUYS TO FOLLOW THE CASE UP. THERE'S NO COMPENSATION. THE DAMAGE ME, THEY STOPPED ME FROM WORKING. THEY SUSPECT MY LICENSE. AND AT THE END OF THE, AND I'M A FAMILY MAN. SO YOU TALK TO, TO STAYING AT HOME FOR A COMPLETE YEAR OF NOT WORKING? NO, I NEED INJUSTICE. OKAY. SO, UH, I KNOW YOU SPOKE WITH SOMEONE IN MY OFFICE EARLIER, UH, REGARDING THIS SITUATION. WE'RE GONNA PERSONALLY FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND SEE WHAT TYPE OF RECOURSE WE CAN PROVIDE. AND, UH, WE'LL STAY IN TOUCH. OKAY? THANK YOU, SIR. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU. MR. S SAMSON. NEXT SPEAKER. DOMINIC MAZAK HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOSEPH NEIL. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME'S MICHAEL MAY, I MEAN DOMINIC NAZA, UH, IN, IN THE ROOM FOR RECORD. ONE THING THAT I THINK MOST OF Y'ALL KNOW, I DO GO TO, OR MAYBE SOME OF THE NEWER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL DON'T KNOW THAT I'LL GO TO METRO MEETINGS, THE TRANSIT AUTHORITY MEETINGS. AND ONE THING THAT METRO IS DOING, AND I WANNA BRING THE SUGGESTION HERE INTO CITY COUNCIL, IS THE IDEA OF METRO IS LOOKING AT HOW DO WE DEVELOP OUR PROPERTIES FOR TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, MAYBE FOR LOW WORKING WITH, SAY THE STATE OF HOUSTON OR SOME OTHER GROUPS HAVE LOW INCOME TYPE HOUSING THAT WE WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER, UH, ACCESSIBILITY TO TRANSIT, ET CETERA. MY THING IS, THAT'S WHY A LOT OF PROPERTY THAT YOU CAN'T DO THAT STUFF WITH, BUT YOU COULD USE IT, THE PROPERTY TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY WITH [02:40:01] SOLAR PANELS OR HOT WATER. AND MY THING IS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S GOT, I THINK, A LOT MORE PROPERTY THAN METRO EVER COULD HAVE. I MEAN, YOU THINK ABOUT AROUND THE AIRPORTS, THE TWO, THE THREE AIRPORTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, ON TOP OF THE TERMINALS OVER, UH, THE ROADS THAT WE HAVE NEAR THE AIR JUST TO THE AIRPORT. AND MY THING IS, IF, I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY HAS A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, I KNOW METRO DOES, AND MAYBE THE THING IS TO SHOW THE CITIZENS AND THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON IT CAN BE DONE. IS THAT FOR THE CITY ITSELF TO SET THE EXAMPLE? AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE SOME, SOME WAY THAT NOW YOU CAN'T, I'M NOT EXPECTING Y'ALL TO COME UP WITH AN YES OR NO TODAY. THAT THAT'S, I'M JUST THROWING OUT IDEAS OUT. OKAY. BUT MY THING IS, WE HAVE TO SHOW, I THINK GOVERNMENTS HAS TO SHOW THE WAY TO EVERYBODY ELSE THAT IT'S POSSIBLE. AND THEN SOME OTHER THINGS. WE CAN'T PUT SOLAR PANELS OVER THE REFLECTION PART OVER HERE, YOU KNOW, PARKS, CERTAIN PARKS. WE CAN'T, UH, THE ARBORETUM IN MEMORIAL CITY. IN MEMORIAL PARK, WE CAN'T. BUT I THINK THOUGH WE'VE GOT ALL THIS CONCRETE THAT'S ACTUALLY CREATES MORE WARMING. WHY AREN'T WE MAKING ELECTRICITY OUT OF IT? AND THEN YOU COULD SAY IT'S COVERED PARKING, UH, SOME STREETS, LET'S SAY, UH, WEST TOWER, IT'S BASICALLY A NINE LANE STREET INCLUDES THE TURN LANE. IF YOU PUT SOLAR PANELS OVER, UH, WESTHEIMER FROM THE GALLERIA ALL THE WAY OUT. I I, AND THEN YOU MAKE IT MORE OF A, A THING OF PEDESTRIANS COULD USE IT AS SUPPOSED TO BE A METRO BOOST QUARTER. I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT NEEDS TO, THIS IS SOMETHING I THINK THE CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO, AGAIN, LOOK AT, SEE HOW IT DOES, DOES THE CITY COUNCIL DO IT? DOES IT, DOES THE CITY, DOES IT ITSELF? DOES IT CONTRACT OUT WITH SOMEBODY ELSE? DOES IT WORK WITH HVAC METRO? I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WOULD WORK, BUT I DO KNOW THAT IN THE, IN THE NATION OF FRANCE, CERTAIN PARKING LOTS OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT HAVE THEIR SOLAR PANELS OVER 'EM. NOW, NOW, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE WAY TO GO. I THINK THE GO THE CITY HAS TO START FIRST, THANK YOU. TIME HAS EXPIRED. DOMINIC, FOR YOUR, UM, COMMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD AND FOR YOUR COMMENTS. I KNOW FROM MY OFFICE'S, UH, DISCUSSIONS WE'RE, WE'RE ACTIVELY TALKING ABOUT THIS NOW AND I KNOW SOME OF THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS' OFFICES ARE DISCUSSING AS WELL. UM, WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE GENERAL GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UM, ON PILOT PROGRAMS, SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. HOW CAN WE USE CITY PROPERTY, UM, TO INCORPORATE MORE SOLAR ENERGY. AND SO, UH, EVEN IN TALKS WITH METRO, UM, AS WELL. SO, UH, YOU'RE SPOT ON. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT IS ON OUR RADAR. UH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE BELIEVE WOULD BE BENEFICIAL AND THAT WE HOPE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SHOW THE PUBLIC SOON. IS THERE A SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE FOR THE CITY? YES. AND WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THAT? HER NAME IS PRIYA ZACHARIA. OH, SHE USED TO WORK AT METRO. I KNOW WHO SHE IS. OKAY. ANYBODY, DID SOMEBODY ELSE WANNA TALK? OH, COUNCIL , UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TE. SO YES, PRIYA ZACHARIA IS THE DIRECTOR. AND I, I WANTED TO POINT OUT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE LARGEST ALREADY URBAN SOLAR FARM IN NORTH AMERICA, UM, GOING UP IN, UH, DISTRICT D. UH, MUCH, MUCH MORE AS NEEDED. BUT I USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE INNOVATIVE AS A CITY AND AS A COMMUNITY. UH, YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT URBAN HEAT. UM, AND THE COMPOUNDING IMPACTS THAT WE HAVE WITH CONCRETE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND I, UM, CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THE NEED, NOT JUST FOR SOLAR, BUT GREEN ROOFS, RIGHT? AND EMBRACING OUR GREEN CANOPY THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO HELP COOL. BUT ALSO HARNESSING THE ENERGY AND ELECTRICITY THAT WE CAN BE PROVIDING. I KNOW METRO'S BEEN A HUGE ADVOCATE OF THAT. UM, WITH OUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS PUTTING SOLAR ON SOME OF OUR METRO SHELTERS, SO MUCH, MUCH MORE IS NEEDED. UH, BUT YOU'RE TALKING A LOT OF OUR LANGUAGE. I KNOW THE BUS STOPS ALONG THE 56 BOOSTER ARE BEING UPGRADED TO THAT. YEAH. OKAY. SO, AND OH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, DID YOU WANT TO ADDRESS? YES, DOMINICK, THANKS. GREAT TO SEE YOU. I'M SURE YOU RODE THE BUS HERE, RIGHT? BUS AND RAIL. BUS AND RAIL HERE. WAY TO GO. UM, YES. JUST WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD WERE SAYING A LOT OF US HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN THAT. I I CAN SHOW YOU EMAILS FROM YEARS BACK WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR CASTELLO WITH CJ MESSIAH OF OUR GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. I REALLY WANTED TO MAKE THAT PART OF CITY HALL A GREEN FOR UP THERE. I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY WAY I'VE BEEN DOWN EVERY RABBIT HOLE ON THAT THING. 'CAUSE IT'S AN HISTORIC BUILDING AND IT'S KIND OF FALLING DOWN IN, IN PLACES. NOT ALL OF IT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SO, SO [02:45:01] IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. THE CITY DOES NEED TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. I KNOW ON GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO, OUR CITY BUILDINGS SHOULD BE THE FIRST ONES TO, TO INCORPORATE THOSE, THOSE ASPECTS. UM, SOLAR OR WHATEVER. SO WE KNEW A GOOD JOB AS A CITY OF USING MUNI, UM, RENEWABLE POWER, BUT MAYBE WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB OF OPTIMIZING OUR BUILDING GENERATING AND, AND POSSIBLY GENERATING IT. SO THANKS FOR ALWAYS COMING TO THE MEETINGS, COMING TO TPC AND HGAC AND METRO AND BEING SO ENGAGED. UH, IF EVERY, IF EVERY RESIDENT COULD BE AS ENGAGED AS YOU. ONE QUICK, ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE ALSO FROM THE PUBLIC RELATIONS STANDPOINT, HOW DO WE GET MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS SPECIFICALLY NOW SINCE WE HAVE ZOOM? I THINK THE, WHEN PEOPLE GET TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN SPEAK HERE, THAT WOULD BE OPENING UP THE GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. NEXT SPEAKER, JOSEPH NIA TO BE FOLLOWED BY MIRANDA. MIRANDA BELU. HELLO EVERYBODY. I AM JOSEPH NIA, AND, UH, I AM TRYING TO HELP ALL THE ORGANIZATION ABOUT THE, THIS, UH, SITUATION WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IN OUR HAND ABOUT OZONE LAYER AND HAVING A HOLE ON THAT LAYER. AND I'M TRYING TO GO AHEAD AND HELP, UH, ALL THE ORGANIZATION, ESPECIALLY THE CITY, TO GO AHEAD AND CONTROL IT. AND WE CAN DO HELP TO GET IT BETTER THAN THIS SITUATION WE ARE AT NOW BECAUSE THIS IS, UH, THIS HOLE IS GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER AND WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. CONTROL OF THE UNITED STATE IS IN THE SUMMER MONTH OF THE OZONE LAYER IS COMING OUT, AND, UH, ALL THE UV IS COMING AND HURT PEOPLE AND SPECIAL CHILDREN. AND, UH, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SUN ANYMORE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ART. TEXAS IS IN THE, THIS HOLE RIGHT NOW MEANS NOTHING IS COVERING BEFORE THAT THE OZONE LAYER WILL CONTROL THE SAND AND UI, BUT RIGHT NOW THEY DON'T. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THERE ANYMORE. WE ARE UNDER THE, THE OZONE LAYER THAT IS GOT A, IT'S NOT THERE ANYMORE. AND WE HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND CONTROL THAT UV TO NOT HURTING US. DOES THAT CONCLUDE YOUR STATEMENT, MR. NIA? EXCUSE ME. DOES THAT CONCLUDE YOUR STATEMENTS? OKAY, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. NIA, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN TODAY FOR, UH, EDUCATING US ON AN ISSUE YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT AND ALSO FOR YOUR PATIENCE. YOU WAITED AN AWFULLY LONG TIME, UH, TO SPEAK WITH US TODAY. SO AS YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, I WANTED TO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. MIRANDA BELU. GO AHEAD, MS. BELU. IT'S PRONOUNCED BAYLESS. HELLO? GO AHEAD. HELLO, WE'RE HERE. OH, OKAY. I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU, I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HEAR ME OR NOT. HI, I AM MIRANDA BAYLESS. I'VE BEEN BORN AND RAISED IN HOUSTON FOR THE PAST 32 YEARS OF MY LIFE. AND I'M BASICALLY HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT POLICING AND COMMUNITY ONE POLICING. I HAVE AN ELDERLY MOTHER WHO HAD A RECENT INCIDENT ON, ON SA SUNDAY. IT WAS AROUND 12 AT MIDNIGHT. I WORKED THE LATE NIGHT SHIFT AND BASICALLY A STRANGE PERSON WE DO NOT KNOW OF CAME TO OUR FRONT DOOR. SHE CALLED THE COPS AND TOLD HER THAT SHE WAS AFRAID. AND THEN SHE ALMOST WAITED LIKE 45 MINUTES, HAD TO CALL THEM BACK AND SAY, I DON'T KNOW WHEN MY DAUGHTER'S COMING BACK HOME. I'M TERRIFIED. HE'S JUST SITTING HERE LAYING HERE. SO SHE CALLED [02:50:01] AND WHEN I GOT HOME, THE GUY WAS STILL LAYING THERE. IT TOOK ABOUT TWO OR THREE HOURS FOR THE GUY TO JUST LEAVE, BUT THE COPS NEVER SHOWED UP. AND THAT CONCERNS ME. I'M LIVING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, GRANTED, I DO LIVE IN FIFTH WARD. IT'S NOTORIOUSLY KNOWN FOR ITS INFLUENCE, BUT THEY ALWAYS CLAIM FOR SOME REASON NOW, THEY DO NOT COME. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, EVEN FOR A WELLNESS CHECK. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A PERSON ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME. THEY NEVER SHOWED UP. I CALLED THEM AT SIX AND NOBODY CAME. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS THE DETAILS OF THE DISTRICT POLICE OFFICERS IN MY AREA, BUT IT CONCERNS ME. AND AS FAR AS COMMUNITIES GOING, I WOULD ASK THAT PEOPLE WOULD NOT, OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE DISAGREEMENTS WITH THE L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITY TO NOT GO. SO AS FAR AS TO THINKING THAT THEY'RE CORRUPTING THE CHILDREN, WHICH THEY'RE NOT. HAMBURGER MARY IS A GREAT BUSINESS AND DOING ALL POSSIBLES TO JUST KEEP INCLUDING AND OPEN AS WELL AS THOSE WHO DO DRAG QUEEN STORY TIMES, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE GREAT FOR KIDS, ESPECIALLY NOW THEY'RE TAKING THE POWER BACK ONCE WAS A NEGATIVE TERM OF USING FAIRY. IT'S NOW POSITIVE TERM BECAUSE I SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I HAVE MOTHER GOOSE, THAT DOESN'T MEAN I WANNA LAY EGGS AND SWAT. SO I THANK OF YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME, AND THIS IS MY FIRST TIME DOING EVERYTHING. SO, SO LOOK TO YOU GUYS. MS. BELOS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UM, ARE YOU STATING THAT THE POLICE DID NOT COME WHEN YOUR MOTHER CALLED? THEY DID NOT COME AT ALL. NO, THEY DID NOT COME. NO, THEY DID NOT COME. THE NOTES THAT WE HAVE SAID THAT YOUR MOTHER CALLED AT 1213, UH, AND AN OFFICER WAS DISPATCHED AT 1 28 AND AT 1 33 THE OFFICERS ARRIVED AT THE PROPERTY AND AT ONE FIFTY FIVE THEY CLEARED THE CALL FOR SERVICE. SO THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED STATES THAT AN OFFICER DID, UH, COME TO THE HOUSE WHEN YOUR MOTHER CALLED. WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHERE DID THEY COME, BUT THEY DID NOT KNOCK, NOR DID THEY LET MY MOTHER KNOW THAT THEY WERE THERE. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, DID YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING TO THE COMMENT? YES. UM, I WANTED TO JUST THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND SHARING YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR CONCERNS. SORRY THAT THAT HAPPENED TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. UM, I'M YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE DISTRICT, UM, TARSHA JACKSON. AND SO ANYTIME YOU HAVING A SITUATION LIKE THIS, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTACT MY OFFICE. UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL PUBLIC COME IN TO, UM, RAISE THE ISSUE OR CONCERN. UM, WE ARE AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME. MY NUMBER IS 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9. THERE ONE MORE. I'M SORRY. I GOT THE 8 3 2, BUT I DIDN'T GET THE OTHER PART. WE, WE'LL REACH OUT. IN FACT, MY STAFF TRIED TO REACH OUT TO YOU. UM, SO WE'LL FOLLOW BACK UP WITH YOU, BUT THEN ALSO WE HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, COMMITTEE, COMMITTEE WITH THE DISTRICT, THE OFFICE. AND SO YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT HAPPEN EVERY SECOND TUESDAY, EVERY SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH. WHAT COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER? SO THIS IS NOT, UM, THE CITY COMMITTEE, IT IS A COMMUNITY COMMITTEE WHILE WE DISCUSS, UM, THESE TYPE OF ISSUES AND CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE DISTRICT. SO, UM, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME, WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SHARING YOUR CONCERNS. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU VICE MAYOR. AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, I KNOW THAT YOUR, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER WILL AND CONTINUES TO, UM, ADVOCATE ON THESE ISSUES AND WAIT TIMES LIKE THAT, I'M SURE VERY, UH, SCARY AND CHALLENGING. AND ALTHOUGH OFFICERS DID RESPOND, UM, ACCORDING TO OUR NOTES, THAT'S CERTAINLY TOO LONG. UH, IF SOMEBODY IS ON YOUR PROPERTY OR IN FRONT OF YOUR HOME, IT WAS HARD TO HEAR SOME OF THE DETAILS, BUT THAT'S WHAT I GOT FROM IT. UM, ONE THING I KNOW THAT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER WILL DO IS, UH, REACH OUT TO, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL'S PATROL DIVISION AND THE COMMANDER THERE, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS THE WAIT TIMES. BUT COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB ADVOCATING ON THOSE ISSUES. UM, I CHAIR PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE FOR THE CITY. UM, AND I ALSO REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING, UH, THIS CONCERN UP. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, KAREN SIMS. KAREN SIMS TO BE FOLLOWED BY STEVE WILLIAMS. ANYTHING ON HER, IT'S CORIN CORIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE SEVERAL TIMES. UM, UM, MY NAME IS KAREN CORINN SIMS AND I AM THE OWNER OF FUL YOUTH AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM. I'M A LICENSED CHILDCARE PROVIDER. I WAS A LICENSED FOSTER NANNY. I'M A LICENSED LIFE INSURANCE AGENT AND A LICENSED AMERICAN CONSULTANT. WITH THAT SAID, ON TWO, ON JULY 21ST, 2008, [02:55:01] MY CHILDREN AND I WERE FALSELY, UH, PULLED OVER ON EMANCIPATION, WHICH, WELL, IT WAS DOWN NOW IT'S EMANCIPATION, UM, UH, ON A STOLEN CAR, MY CAR, UH, WITH THAT, UM, I WAS LURED TO THE, UM, PRECINCT IN WHICH MY CHILDREN AND I WERE SEPARATED AND MY CHILDREN WERE ABDUCTED AND STOLEN FROM THE STAR OF POST SHELTER WHERE WE WERE SEEKING OUR REFUGE. UH, SINCE THEN, CPS, UH, WORKERS MARY VITO, AMY SMITH, SHAILA K IS A, IS A HOST OF THEM, UH, CREATED A CASE IN WHICH MY CHILDREN WERE IN CARE OVER THREE YEARS AGAINST THE STIPULATION OF THE, UH, INVESTIGATION PROCESS OF CPS. SO, WITH THAT SAID, UH, NOW WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH THAT. UH, 12 YEARS LATER, I JUST LEFT PHOENIX, ARIZONA AND I CAME BACK AND TOLD YOU GUYS I WENT TO PHOENIX, ARIZONA TO GET MY DAUGHTER OUT OF A GROUP HOME, A GROUP HOME THAT MY EX-HUSBAND, THAT TEXAS PUT MY CHILDREN WITH, UH, UH, EX-CON AND MY FAMILY, UH, DOCTORS, PROFESSIONALS. UH, I CAN'T NAME HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME IN, IN, IN SUPPORT OF ME AND MY CHILDREN. HOWEVER, WE'RE STILL SEPARATED AND WE'RE STILL SEPARATED TO THIS DAY. UM, I NEED HELP. UH, DECEMBER 1ST, I'M FINALLY GETTING A COURT HEARING IN 3 0 9 COURT IN WHICH IT TOOK ME. DID HARASSED BY THE, UH, CLERK MERCEDES RAMSEY, HARASSED BY THE DA'S OFFICE, UH, OFFICER COL, UH, BELTON AND OFFICER, UM, UH, BENTON, UH, THE, UH, KIM A'S OFFICE, UH, BEING HARASSED AT THE 3 0 9 COURT, TRYING TO CHECK ON MY PETITIONS AND NOW BEING HARASSED AT MY HOME. MY MAILBOX BEEN BROKEN, UH, OVER NINE MONTHS SINCE I'VE BEEN AT THAT FCI AT THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX. MY CAR'S BEEN TAMPERED WITH. EVERYTHING'S BEEN, JUST BEEN, UH, DISCOMBOBULATED BECAUSE OF ME CONTINUING TO FIGHT FOR MY CHILDREN. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. NOW, I I I'VE SUBMITTED ALL THESE DOCUMENTS OF FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES, UH, FAKE COURT, DOCKET SHEETS, HANDWRITTEN, UM, UNLAWFUL EXTENSIONS. AND AGAIN, I'M STILL DEALING WITH THAT. NOW. MY DAUGHTER'S 16 YEARS OLD. SHE'S AN HONOR STUDENT WHO IS NOW IN A GROUP HOME IN THINGS, ARIZONA. MY SON IS NOT, HE'S 14, HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY ANY FAMILY MEMBER IN OVER FIVE YEARS. AND I'M STILL BEING HARASSED AND CAN'T GET TO MY CHILDREN. SO WHAT'S GONNA BE DONE NOW, I HAVE A COURT HEARING COMING UP. THANK GOD THAT, UM, IN SEPTEMBER 21ST, SEPTEMBER, 2021, UH, TEXAS DID FILE, THEY, THEY DID, UM, SUBMIT A LEGISLATION WHERE YOU CAN GO AND REINSTATE YOURSELF IF YOU WERE WRONGFULLY TERMINATED. OF COURSE I DID THAT PROCESS. I'M TRYING TO, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. CONTINUE THAT PROCESS RIGHT NOW, BUT I NEED HELP. UH, MS. SIMS, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU. HI MS. SIMS. AND, UM, HOW ARE YOU? I'M COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. I BEEN BETTER FOR DISTRICT B. AND SO WHAT I CAN DO IS REFER YOU TO MR. DREW. WILLIE. HE'S A LAWYER, UM, THAT WORKS WITH CASES LIKE YOURS. UM, HE'S WITH RESTORING JUSTICE AND SO WE CAN JUST FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND PROVIDE HIS INFORMATION. HE'S A NONPROFIT LAWYER AND HE, IN FACT, HE, MY SISTER HAD A CASE WITH CPS AND HE HELPED HER OUT ON A CASE AND GOT EVERYTHING CLEARED UP. UM, SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN POSSIBLY RECOMMEND UNLESS, YOU KNOW, WELL, I'LL BE GLAD TO HAVE ANY ASSISTANCE. I WILL BE ATTORNEY OF RECORD, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME ASSISTANCE WITH THAT. AND MS. JACKSON, I HEARD A LOT ABOUT YOU. MM-HMM . SO I'M GLAD YOU DID ADDRESS ME TODAY. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I WILL, UH, I WOULD LIKE THIS INFORMATION BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I HAVE, UM, HAVE A COURT HEARING ON DECEMBER 1ST. IT'S A CPS CASE. NO, IT'S IN THE FAMILY COURT, RIGHT? IT'S FAMILY COURT 3 0 9 FAMILY COURT. THE SAME COURT THAT STOLE MY CHILDREN. SO, UH, I GO BACK TO THE SAME COURT. LIKE I SAID, I'VE, UH, SUBMITTED ALL THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS IN REFERENCE TO THIS, BUT I NEED HELP. AND SO WHO'S BEEN REPRESENTING YOU? ME, MYSELF AND I, BUT I DO HAVE ASSISTANCE RIGHT NOW. I PREFER TO SAY WHO, BUT I JUST GAINED THIS ASSISTANCE, UH, ABOUT A WEEK AGO. SO I'VE BEEN REACHING OUT. UH, CONGRESSWOMAN CHU ACTUALLY DID CONTACT ME. I DID SUBMIT THE INFORMATION SHE ASKED ME TO. THAT'S BEEN OVER A MONTH AND A HALF AGO. HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING SINCE THEN. AND I BLAME HER A LOT BECAUSE I WENT TO HER WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED BACK IN 2008. THEY DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BUT BADGER ME, ME, AND, AND STOLE MY CHILDREN. AND NOW MY GIRLS ARE DISCOMBOBULATED AND, UH, WE NEED HELP. OKAY, MS. SIMS, I THINK THAT COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S GONNA BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A, A RESOURCE. SO WE'LL GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU. AND THEN ALSO, COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABAZZ WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU AS WELL. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND ALSO, UM, THE NAACP HAS A LEGAL REDRESS AS WELL. I'LL PASS THAT ON TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. AND MAYBE BETWEEN THE TWO RESOURCES, THEY MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU. WELL, IT NEEDS TO END. I NEED TO GO ON MY LIFE. MY CHILDREN NEED TO GO ON WITH THEIR LIFE. MY CHILDREN WERE A STUDENTS, THEY WERE VALID VICTORIANS AND THEY BARELY GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. NOW MY SON'S BEEN ALL ON. ALL THIS TYPE OF MEDICATION NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, MA'AM. CPS NEEDS TO BE REVAMPED. I'M GONNA DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER [03:00:01] TO STOP THIS OR AT LEAST GET SOME ATTENTION TO IT BECAUSE IT NEEDS, THIS IS RIDICULOUS THAT WE'RE STILL DEALING. I'M STILL, AM I CHILDREN STILL DEALING WITH THIS IN 2022? AND IT HAPPENED IN 2008. THANK YOU FOR COMING MS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU. BEST WISHES TO YOU ON DECEMBER 1ST. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER LY MONTOYA RIVAS. MS. MONTOYA, RIVAS. AYE, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY. I'M SORRY, I'M, UH, A LITTLE BIT TIRED. . I WANNA THANK, UH, MR. RE FOR, UH, HIS SUPPORT BY, UM, COMMUNICATING WITH ME WHEN I WAS IN HERE FOR, UH, THREE WEEKS AND ALSO TO MR. VEH. UH, MY UPDATE TODAY IS THERE IS NO EVICTION. I REACH OUT TO, UH, MR. DARCY JACKSON BECAUSE WE HAVE, HAVE A SITUATION WITH AIRPORT SECURITY. UH, I HAVE BEEN BUMPING HEADS WITH THIS GENTLEMAN FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I HAVE VARIOUS JOBS IN THE AIRPORT SYSTEM, MA'AM. THEY HAVE THREATENED ME TO OPEN MY TRUNK. I CANNOT PARK IN THE OBSERVATION AREA BECAUSE THEY THINK I'M, I MIGHT HAVE A, I DON'T KNOW. UH, I MIGHT DO SOMETHING IN THE VEHICLE I HAVEN'T HARASSED. AND RECENTLY WE HAVE A SITUATION IN CARGO WHERE I HAVE TO CALL HPD BECAUSE MY MANAGER GOT AGGRESSIVE. I WAS BY MYSELF IN THE ROOM. UH, HE GOT AGGRESSIVE AND, UH, I, I, I COULDN'T, UH, TOLERATE, UH, ABUSE. SO I'M REACHING OUT TO YOU TODAY, PUBLICLY BECAUSE, UH, UH, I HAVE REACHED OUT ALSO TO SEIU AND UNITED HERE. THEY ARE THE, THE UNIONS THAT OVERSEE, UH, THEIR PER UH, SYSTEM. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU MS. RES. I KNOW THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON WILL FOLLOW UP. YES, GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. WE WILL. I KNOW MY STAFF SPOKE WITH YOU AND IT WAS SOMETHING ABOUT AN ALTERCATION ON THE JOB. YES. BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WAS BY MYSELF, UH, WITH, UH, MY MANAGER AND SO WE'LL, SO I'LL FOLLOW BACK UP WITH YOU TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, OKAY? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JENNY DUNSTON. JENNY DUNSTON. NEXT SPEAKER ZION ESCOBAR. ZION ESCOBAR STAR SIX TO UNMUTE ZION ESCOBAR. NEXT SPEAKER. THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL [RECESS] MEMBERS, UH, WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 AM HAVE TO READ THE DESCRIPTION OR CAPTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE WEEK NOVEMBER 15TH AND 16TH 2022. ITEM ONE, PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE DESIGNATION FOR THE BRIDMORE FOUNDERS DISTRICT, G-P-L-L-C, REINVESTMENT ZONE FOR TAX ABATEMENT PURPOSES. ITEM TWO, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OR REAPPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING AS ASSOCIATE JUDGES OF MUNICIPAL COURTS FOR A TWO YEAR TERM. ITEM THREE, RECOMMENDATION FROM FIRE CHIEF FOR EXTENSION OF INJURY ON DUTY LEAVE SALARY CONTINUATION FOR FIREFIGHTER EMT VINCENT SANTOS FOR THE PERIOD DECEMBER 16TH, 2022 THROUGH DECEMBER 10TH, 2023. ITEM FOUR, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTLY ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY FAST DEPARTMENT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF A RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT AREA IN THE 500 BLOCK OF AVONDALE. ITEM FIVE, DEER AND COVE FOR VARIOUS FLEX WING MOWER. ATTACHMENTS THROUGH A LOCAL AGREEMENT FOR COOPERATIVE PURCHASING WITH THE TEXAS LOCAL COOPERATIVE BY BOARD FOR THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. ITEM SIX, DAYCO FIRE EQUIPMENT INC. FOR APPROVAL OF PURCHASE OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE VEHICLES THROUGH THE INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT FOR PROPERTY PURCHASING WAS SOURCED WELL FOR THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. ITEM SEVEN, METRO FIRE APPARATUS SPECIALIST INC. FOR APPROVAL OF PURCHASE OF FIREFIGHTING TRUCKS THROUGH THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR CORPORATE PURCHASING WITH THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL FOR THE FLEET MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT. ITEM EIGHT, ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL INC. FOR SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR THE PURCHASE OF CONTINGENT WORKFORCE SERVICES WITH THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL FOR THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. ITEM NINE SCM CONSULTANTS INC. FOR PURCHASE OF MISCELLANEOUS TECHNOLOGY ITEMS FOR THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. ITEM 10, COBURN SUPPLY COMPANY INC. FOR PURCHASE OF VALVE BOXES CASH DOWN FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM 11, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $155,000 AND NO CENTS FROM THE CONTRIBUTED CAPITAL PROJECT FUND FOR THE PLANNED SOLID WASTE FRANCHISE FEE SYSTEM AND NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS PROJECTS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS [03:05:01] DEPARTMENT. ITEM 12, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,843,567 AND NO SENSE FROM THE AIRPORTS IMPROVEMENT FUND FOR ADDITIONAL CITY ENABLING PROJECTS NEEDED TO FACILITATE THE OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOUSTON SPACEPORT AT ELLINGTON AIRPORT, WHOSE DEVELOPMENT WILL BE MANAGED BY AXIOM SPACE INC. AND WHICH WILL BE AUTHORIZED PURSUANT TO THE GROUND LEASE AND USE AGREEMENT BETWEEN AXIOM AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. ITEM 13, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON'S CAPITAL INVESTING IN DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYMENT OF ADULTS INC, EXCUSE ME. ITEM 14, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FOURTH AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND BRENTWOOD ECONOMIC COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, DBA BRENTWOOD COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. ITEM 15, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $14,388,041 AND 69 CENTS IN TERMS AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUNDS FOR SINGLE FAMILY AND DISASTER RECOVERY ACTIVITIES. ITEM 16 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND NO AUTHORIZING AND RATIFYING FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MB ANDERSON CANCER CENTER. ITEM 17 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AND RATIFYING A GRANT CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY AND TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES ITEM 18 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT AND RELEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, JACOB B SILVERMAN, INDIVIDUALLY RON OPPEL INDIVIDUALLY CHRISTOPHER E HEAVEN INDIVIDUALLY AND JOSE GOMEZ. AND THE LAWSUIT ENTITLED JOSE GOMEZ VERSUS CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. ITEM 19 ORDINANCE DE APPROPRIATING $2,350,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF THE EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION FUND PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED TO THE GSD TASK ORDER CONTRACT AND JOB ORDER CONTRACT PROGRAM APPROVED BY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2020 DASH 3 7 6 20 27 81 AND 2022 DASH 16, EXCUSE ME, 22 5 1 4 AND APPROPRIATING $4,300,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF THE EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION FUND AND $996,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND TO STAR SERVICE INC. ITEM 20 ORDINANCE APPROVAL AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND MOTIVA ENTERPRISES LLC FOR THE PURCHASE OF LOW MISSION DIESEL FUEL THROUGH AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE METROPOLITAN AND TRANSIT AUTHORITY. ITEM 21 ORDINANCE AWARD AND CONTRACT TO WILLIAM MARSHALL RICE UNIVERSITY ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPROVING UN AUTHORIZING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS. ITEM 23 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AN INCREASE IN SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR THE LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN NORTH HOUSTON LPS LANDLORD. ITEM 24 MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE USE OF DESIGNATED GROUNDWATER BENEATH ATTRACTIVE LAND CONTAINING 5.035 ACRES, COMMONLY KNOWN AS 84 25 MARCUS STREET, HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS SUPPORTING ISSUES OF A MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AT THE REQUEST OF UNIVAR USA INC. ITEM 25 MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE USE OF DESIGNATED GROUNDWATER BENEATH THE TRACK OF LAND CONTAINING 1.40 ACRES, COMMONLY KNOWN AS 52 12 CLINTON DRIVE, HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS SUPPORTING ISSUANCE OF A MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AT THE REQUEST OF LONE STAR HEAT TREATING CORPORATION. ITEM 26 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF A 6,000 SQUARE FOOT TRACT OF CRACK TRACK OUT OF THE CITY FEE ON LAND BEING 0.1377 ACRES LOCATED AT THE 6,600 BLOCK OF NORWICH STREET BEING PART OF THE JAIL STANDARD SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER 700. ITEM 27 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING FOR ME, $695,809 AND 40 CENTS. ITEM WATER AND SEW SYSTEM, CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO ENTER LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND MEMORIAL HEIGHTS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. ITEM 28, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $396,471 AND 60 CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEW SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVED. WE AN AUTHORIZING AND INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY AND TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. ITEM 29, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,456,052 AND NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND FCM ENGINEERS. PC ITEM 30, ORDINANCE AWARDING CONTRACT DL GLOVER UTILITIES, LLC ITEM 31. ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,086,789 AND 11 CENTS OUTTA METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION. D-D-S-R-F AWARDING CONTRACT TO JFT CONSTRUCTION INC. THAT IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER MATTER SALE CATEGORY ITEM 32. MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE INTERIM CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER TO AMEND MOTION. 2019 DASH 1 95 PASSED AND ADOPTED APRIL 17TH, 2019 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY FROM SIXTEEN MILLION NINE HUNDRED TWO THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY TWO THOUSAND THIRTY ONE CENTS TO $20,850,301 AND 32 CENTS FOR PURCHASE OF FACILITIES, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OP AND OPERATIONS AND INDUSTRIAL [03:10:01] SUPPLIES FROM THE STATEWIDE PROCUREMENT DIVISION, TEXAS MULTIPLE AWARDS SCHEDULED CONTRACT THROUGH THE STATE OF TEXAS PROCUREMENT CONTRACT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF WATER TO WW GRAINGER. THIS WAS TAGGED BY CONSTABLE PLUMMER. THIS WAS ITEM NINE ON AGENDA OF NOVEMBER 9TH, 2022. ITEM 33 WAS AN ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $13,527,312 AND 60 CENTS OUTTA DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND DRAINAGE CHARGE, AND $5,426,481 AND 52 CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARD AND CONTRACT TO JFT CONSTRUCTION INC. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THIS WAS ITEM 31 ON AGENDA OF NOVEMBER 9TH, 2022. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE CITY COUNCIL SESSION OF NOVEMBER 16TH, 2022. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF CITY COUNCIL. SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF OUR FORMER CITY SECRETARY, MS. ANNA ROSA. 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 F FABULOUS DAY, [RECONVENE] EVERYONE. AND, UH, IT IS, UH, 9 0 6 9 0 7 9 0 7 ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH. UH, 2022 A WEEK AND A DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING. UM, I'M MAYOR PROFESS TURNER. I'M CALLING THIS MEETING WITH HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO WATER. ALL RIGHT, THE FIRST THING WE'RE GONNA DO IS, UH, CUDDLE A CRITTER. UM, AKA KISS A SNAKE. . HANNAH. I PRAYED IT WASN'T WASN'T IT'S NOT GONNA BE ME , SO, OH, IS THAT THE NAME? COLONEL MUSTARD COUNCIL. I'M TURNING IT OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER FOR THE CMC AND WE RAISED OVER $5,000 FOR CHILDREN'S SAFE HARBOR CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER. YES, VERY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT. BUT ONE OF THE FUNDRAISING EVENTS THAT WE HAD, UH, WAS PUTTING MONEY IN THE BLUE BOX. AND SO I KNOW THAT, UM, WE'RE HERE WITH OUR FRIENDS FROM THE ZOO AND BEFORE WE ANNOUNCE THE WINNER, DO Y'ALL WANNA SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT ZOO LIGHTS AND ALL THE UPCOMING EVENTS? THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. YES, ABSOLUTELY. FIRST I THINK YOU SHOULD PROBABLY MEET COLONEL MUSTARD. COLONEL MUSTARD IS A BALL PYTHON AND THIS IS NATALIE. NATALIE IS A KEEPER WITH OUR CHILDREN'S ZOO AND SHE'S GONNA TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE KERNEL. YEAH. SO THIS IS COLONEL MUSTARD. HE IS A MALE BALL PYTHON, SO HE'S A LITTLE SMALLER. THE FEMALES DO GET A LITTLE BIT BIGGER, BUT HE'S ONLY ABOUT TWO TO THREE FEET AND HE WEIGHS ABOUT A POUND AND A HALF, BUT HE'S ABOUT 10 YEARS OLD, SO HE IS FULLY GROWN. HE WON'T GET ANY BIGGER. YEAH. UM, AND WHILE HE IS NOT WELL SUITED FOR ZOO LIGHTS, 'CAUSE IT'S A LITTLE CHILLY OUT THERE AND SNAKES ARE COLD-BLOODED, SO THEY HAVE TO REGULATE THEIR BODY TEMPERATURE BASED ON THE WEATHER OUTSIDE. SO HE WILL BE STAYING NICE AND TOASTY INSIDE DURING ZOO LIGHTS, BUT DURING ZOO LIGHTS, WHICH KICKS OFF TO THE PUBLIC THIS FRIDAY. UM, GUESTS CAN COME AND SEE ALL THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER. LAST YEAR WAS OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF ZOO LIGHTS, SO WE REALLY GAVE IT A BIG REFRESH LAST YEAR. UM, NATALIE'S GONNA COME AROUND AND, UH, SO YOU GUYS CAN SEE KER MUSTARD A LITTLE BIT CLOSER. OH, GOOD. COOL. BUT WE, UH, WE'VE ADDED A WHOLE BUNCH OF ANIMAL INFLATABLES, THAT ARE LANTERNS THROUGHOUT THE ZOO. THERE'S AN, UH, A COLORFUL TUNNEL THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY ENJOYING TAKING PHOTOS OF. UH, MY FAVORITE IS THE S'MORE STATIONS THAT ARE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE ZOO. UM, TONIGHT IS OUR LAST MEMBER PREVIEW. TOMORROW WE'RE HOSTING SIP AND SPARKLE, WHICH IS A 21 AND UP ONLY ZOO LIGHTS EVENT TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR THAT. AND THEN WE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON FRIDAY. WE'LL BE OPEN THROUGH JANUARY 8TH FOR ZOO LIGHTS THIS YEAR, AND WE HOPE YOU GUYS CAN ALL COME OUT AND SEE US. WELL, GOOD. I MEAN, AND WHAT'S HIS, WHAT'S HIS NAME? COLONEL MUSTARD. OH, COLONEL MUSTARD. OKAY. YES. HE'S HIGH RANKING. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE HIM A LITTLE TOUCH, WE ASK IF YOU USE TWO HANDS OR JUST A, YOU KNOW, A FEW FINGERS. HE AND A HALF, UH, HE IS A BALL PYTHON. YEAH, WELL JUST WHEN YOU FINISH, JUST PUT HIM ON THE GROUND AND LET HIM ROLL HIM AROUND . AND SO THE WINNER IS OKAY. UNFORTUNATELY IT IS NOT THE MAYOR THIS YEAR. UM, BUT THE WINNER IS SALLY ALCORN. SALLY YAY. BLOW. YOU CAN BLOW HIM A KISS AND THEN WE'D LIKE YOU [03:15:01] TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH HIM AND TOUCH HIM WITH TWO FINGERS. I WASH BECAUSE I PAINT SOME. SO, COLONEL MUSTARD IS ONE OF OUR AMBASSADOR ANIMALS, SO HE IS VERY FAMILIAR. HE GOES TO VISIT SCHOOL CHILDREN, HE PARTICIPATES IN OUR CAMP PROGRAMS. UM, HE IS WELL BELOVED BY ALL OF HOUSTON. SO I WILL GET OUT OF THIS WAY. COME ON. AND COUNCILMAN NOW GETTING YOUR THRILL OUT OF THIS. COUNCILMAN ALCON IS A PROPERLY ADORNED IN THE RIGHT COLORS. I, I DIDN'T EVEN PLAN. WE DIDN'T PLAN IT. COLONEL MUSTARD AND I, OKAY, HERE'S MY KISS TO HIM. ALRIGHT. AH, YAY. CMC. EXCELLENT. VERY NICE. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING US AGAIN. SO, HOUSTON ZOO LIGHTS WILL START WHEN AND GO UNTIL WHEN. IT STARTS ON FRIDAY AND IT GOES TO JANUARY 8TH. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE@HOUSTONZOO.ORG AND WE WANNA WELCOME ALL OF HOUSTON TO OUR ANNUAL EVENT. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL SITE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT GONE OUT. UM, YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS NO, YOU DON'T. IT'S A, IT'S A FANTASTIC EVENT. UM, THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES COME AND VISIT US EACH NIGHT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EVENT AND WE HOPE YOU'LL BE ONE OF THEM. WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING WITH US MAYOR IN DISTRICT D MAYOR. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. IN DISTRICT D . IN DISTRICT D. IN DISTRICT D. IN DISTRICT D, THAT'S RIGHT. THANK YOU. LAST WORD. AND THEN, UH, COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN, I TURN IT BACK TO YOU. LAST STARTS COMING. SO ME THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON IT. GOOD JOB. AND UH, WELL THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR THE ZOO AND HOW MUCH Y'ALL DO. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING UP HERE. THANKS SO MUCH. SO THANK YOU ALL. APPRECIATE IT. ALRIGHT, VENITA, APPRECIATE EVERYTHING. OKAY. CASEY, YOU WANT SAY SOMETHING? UH, ALSO, WE DID NOT MEET YESTERDAY, BUT THAT DID NOT STOP COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX FROM HAVING A BIRTHDAY ON YESTERDAY. SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX. THANK YOU MAYOR. I DON'T FEEL TWO DAYS OVER 64. WELL, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY MORE. UM, OKAY. UH, TO BEGIN TODAY, LET ME ASK, UM, THE SECRETARY, IF SHE WILL CALL UP ITEM TWO. ITEM TWO NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TAYLOR. MOVE. MEET A SECOND. I'LL SECOND. COUNCILMAN SECONDS. UH, DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POSTING. GRANTED, UH, WE HAVE JUST APPOINTED OR REAPPOINTED OUR ASSOCIATE JUDGES AT THE MUNICIPAL COURTS. AND WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE, PLEASE COME UP IF YOU ARE HERE. UM, JUDGE DAVID J. MALDONADO. UH, JUDGE TERRANCE J ANDERSON. JUDGE SCOTT JORDAN SHERMAN, JUDGE GERALD MICHAEL ACOSTA. JUDGE CHRISTOPHER THOMAS GORE, JUDGE CASHMERE. L TERRY JUDGE. JOHN J NA, JUDGE DANA V PERRY DREXLER JUDGE. ER C . I PROBABLY, UM, MESSED UP THAT NAME. UH, DID I, DID I GET THEM ALL? NO, NO. OH, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. OKAY. UH, START WITH SARAH GOLDBERG. OKAY. UH, LET'S SEE. JUDGE SARAH, VC GOLDBERG, JUDGE ANITA BRO JAMES JUDGE DARRELL E SCOTT, JUDGE BREE PERRIN. AND JUDGE HEIDI L WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON. AND OF COURSE THEY ARE ACCOMPANIED BY, UH, THE CHIEF JUSTICE JUDGE ELAINE MARSHALL. SO LET ME, LET ME THANK ALL OF YOU, UH, FOR CONTINUING TO SERVE AND THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN APPOINTED, UH, AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND DEDICATION TO THE CITY AND FOR WHAT AND FOR WHAT YOU DO. I ALSO WANNA, ESPECIALLY THANK YOU AND THE STAFF AND EVERYBODY ELSE, UH, FOR CONTINUING TO WORK OVER AT THE MUNICIPAL COURTS. UH, THAT FACILITY IS, UM, AT POINTS, AT TIMES CHALLENGING, UH, AND, UH, ESPECIALLY SINCE, UH, HURRICANE HARVEY. SO, UH, UH, IT CAN, I MEAN, THINGS ARE ALWAYS HAPPENING OVER AT MUNICIPAL COURTS, SO THE VERY FACT THAT YOU ALL ARE CONTINUING TO, TO SERVE, UH, IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. UH, JUDGE MARSHA, YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING BEFORE I TURN? UH, TURN TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. OH, MAYOR, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UH, THE ASSOCIATES THAT ARE HERE IN FRONT OF ME TODAY HAVE BEEN REALLY WORKING HARD WITH US AND FILLING IN WHERE WE NEED THEM. [03:20:01] THE THREE NEW THAT WE HAVE, WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE THEM ON BOARD. UH, I EVEN KEPT ONE OF THEM'S PARENTS OVER FROM, UH, LOS ANGELES, UH, FOR ANOTHER WEEK TO SEE THEIR DAUGHTER. SO I AM VERY, VERY EXCITED, UH, TO HAVE, UH, TO HAVE THEM HERE AND TO WORK WITH THEM. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. UH, UH, COUNCILMAN MCCAIN? THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, JUDGES. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. UH, AS THE MAYOR ALLUDED AND JUDGE MARSHALL, UH, YOU AS WELL, UH, FOR THOSE BEING REAPPOINTED. UH, IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY, UH, IN THE COURTS. AND MAYOR, I THINK WILL HEAR SOME, UH, GREAT NEWS. WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ON THURSDAY, JUDGE MARSHALL WILL BE PRESENTING. AND I THINK DESPITE ALL OF THOSE CHALLENGES, THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE THEIR DOCKETS HAS BEEN REMARKABLE. AND I THINK WE WILL BE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THOSE NUMBERS. SO I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE YOU ALL. I KNOW SOME OF YOU PERSONALLY, UH, I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU AND JUDGE MARSHALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP, UH, DESPITE THE BUILDING IN MERIT. I'M REALLY HOPING FEMA WILL HAVE SOME NEWS ON FEMA SOON. UM, DESPITE ALL OF THAT, THE PROGRAMS YOU ALL CONTINUE TO RUN, UH, INCLUDING I BELIEVE AMNESTY PROGRAM, UH, LAST FALL DAY IS THIS WEEK, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. SO, UH, BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, VICE MAYOR PROAM. T THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, GOOD MORNING TO THE JUDGES. IT IS EXCITING TO SEE YOU ALL HERE. UH, JUDGE MARSHALL, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT IN THE MUNICIPAL COURTROOM TO FOLLOW A CASE THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT THROUGH OUR DISTRICT, A OFFICE. AND I WILL TELL YOU HOW IMPRESSED I WAS WITH WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE MUNICIPAL COURTS. UM, SO I WANTED TO JUST TELL YOU FIRSTHAND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE REAPPOINTMENTS AND THE NEW APPOINTMENTS, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SERVICE TO HOUSTONIANS AND SPECIFICALLY FOR THE CASES THAT, UM, STEM FROM OUR OFFICE THAT END UP IN THE COURTS, THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING THE TYPE OF ENFORCEMENTS THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WANT AND THAT PEOPLE WANT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS. A SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO DARRELL EAST SCOTT AND HEIDI WILLIAMS, WHO ARE DISTRICT CAPE RESIDENTS. SO, LOVE TO SEE OUR CONSTITUENTS SERVING AND, UM, DOING THE VERY BEST FOR THE HOUSTONIANS THAT WE ALL SERVE. THANK YOU. OKAY. LOOK, REALLY APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU, JUDGE MARSHALL. LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO SERVE WITH YOU AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. ALSO THIS MORNING THERE'S A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BRIT MOORE FOUNDER'S DISTRICT, WHICH IS IN LIKE WEST HOUSTON, COUNCILMAN PECS DISTRICT. UM, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU PLEASE NOW CALL ITEM NUMBER [1.  9:00 A.M. PUBLIC HEARING regarding the designation for the BRITTMOORE FOUNDERS DISTRICT, GP, LLC REINVESTMENT ZONE for Tax Abatement purposes - DISTRICT A - PECK ] ONE. ITEM ONE IS THE PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE DESIGNATION FOR THE BRIDMORE FOUNDERS DISTRICT, G-P-L-L-C REINVESTMENT ZONE. AND THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES DEPUTY DIRECTOR, UH, WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF GWEN TILLISON IS GONNA BE HERE, AND ANDREW BUSKER, UH, WHO WILL BE MAKING THE PRESENTATION THIS MORNING. UH, SO AN, THERE'S, THERE'S GWEN, OH, THAT'S, UH, GRANT TEON, BUT I ENJOYED THE FLOOR. IS THE FLOOR IS YOURS. OKAY, GOOD MORNING. AS REQUIRED BY SECTION THREE, 12.201 AND SECTION 3 12 2 0 7 OF THE TAX, A TEXAS TAX CODE, A PUBLIC HEARING IS REQUIRED BEFORE A TAX ABATEMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE CAN BE DESIGNATED OR AMENDED, UH, AND BEFORE A TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT CAN BE APPROVED OR AMENDED. NOTICE OF TODAY'S HEARING WAS PUBLISHED IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE ON NOVEMBER 7TH. IN 2019, COUNCIL APPROVED A TAX ABATEMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE AND TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT WITH BRIMORE FOUNDERS DISTRICT LLC. SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE BEEN VISIBLE EVIDENCE AND ECONOMIC EVIDENCE OF HOUSTON'S GROWING TECH ECOSYSTEM WITH THE RECOGNITION THAT THE BRIMORE FOUNDERS DISTRICT IS A MAJOR ASSET CONTRIBUTING TO THAT GROWTH. THE FOUNDERS DISTRICT CONTINUES TO FOSTER AND GROW STARTUPS AND SMALL BUSINESSES, INCREASES ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS, AND SPURS INNOVATION IN HOUSTON, THEREBY CONTRIBUTING TO THE CITYWIDE EFFORT TO REVERSE ENTREPRENEURIAL STAGNATION IN THE REGION. TODAY'S HEARING IS THE RESULT OF THE BRIMORE FOUNDERS DISTRICT'S INITIAL SUCCESS AS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATOR. BRIMORE FOUNDERS DISTRICT LLC HAS ACQUIRED ADJACENT PARCELS TO THE EXISTING SITE, ALLOWING FOR AN EXPANDED FOOTPRINT OF THEIR MIXED USE FACILITY, AND CREATING ADDITIONAL ACCESS TO THE DEVELOPMENT. THE FOUNDER'S DISTRICT PLANS TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE COMPONENTS OF THEIR MIXED USE FACILITY DESCRIBED IN THE EXISTING AGREEMENT AND INCREASE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF MANY OF THESE USES. THE NEW SITE PLAN INCLUDES BUILDINGS THAT SPAN ACROSS PARCELS IN THE EXISTING REINVESTMENT ZONE AND NEWLY ACQUIRED PARCELS. THIS EXPANSION OF THE [03:25:01] REINVESTMENT ZONE WILL ALLOW THE FOUNDERS DISTRICT TO DEVELOP A 38 ACRE INNOVATION BUSINESS AND WORKPLACE COMPLEX WITH 90,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL RETAIL AND RESTAURANT SPACE, INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF MODERN OFFICE SPACE FROM 180,000 SQUARE FEET TO 260,000 SQUARE FEET, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING UNITS FROM 250 UNITS TO 300 UNITS, AND CONSTRUCT A SECOND ENTRANCE INTO THE PROJECT AREA FROM CARBO STREET. THE AMENDMENT TO CERTAIN TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT IS NECESSARY DUE TO THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND STAFFING TIMELINES AS DEFINED IN THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT, THE AMENDMENT PROVIDES TWO ADDITIONAL YEARS TO MEET THE $150 MILLION INVESTMENT COMMITMENT AND THE EMPLOYMENT OF AT LEAST 404 PERMANENT EMPLOYEES. MAJOR TERMS OF THE ORIGINAL, ORIGINAL AGREEMENT REMAIN UNCHANGED. THE INVESTMENT AMOUNT REMAINS AT $150 MILLION. THE AGREEMENT TERM REMAINS AT 10 YEARS WITH A 90% ABATEMENT ON REAL PROPERTY. THE 10 YEAR PERIOD WILL END ON JANUARY 1ST, 2030. ALL COMMUNITY BENEFITS BOTH REQUIRED BY ORDINANCE AND AGREED UPON BY BOTH PARTIES IN THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED, INCLUDING THE FOUNDER'S DISTRICT'S COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING COMMUNITY PROGRAMS WITH HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, LONE STAR COLLEGE, SPRING BRANCH, ISD, AND THE 20% AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENT OF THE MULTIFAMILY UNITS IN THIS PROJECT. IN CLOSING, SUPPORTING THE AMENDMENTS TO THIS ZONE AND THE TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT REINFORCES THE COMMITTEE, THE, SORRY, THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO CULTIVATING KEY TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION ASSETS IN HOUSTON. THIS PROJECT HAS THE SUPPORT OF DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK, THE AMENDMENT. UH, THE AMENDED TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE, UH, FOR YOU TO REVIEW PRIOR TO THE COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULED ON DECEMBER 7TH. THERE'S NO ACTION REQUIRED TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. UM, SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PAC. THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS AND ALSO TO THANK THE FOUNDERS DISTRICT FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK IN DISTRICT A. UM, THEY'VE BEEN A GREAT COMMUNITY PARTNER, UM, CREATING SO MANY JOBS IN DISTRICT A AND ALSO WORKING WITH US, UM, AND FOR, TO BECOME A LILY PAD IN THE CASE OF, UM, A HEAVY RAIN EVENT. THEY ARE AVAILABLE AND WILLING TO, UM, BECOME A LILY PAD. AND ALSO WORKING WITH SPRING BRANCH ISC AND HCC. THAT HAS BEEN A REALLY GREAT BENEFIT FOR ALL OF THE STUDENTS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. YES, SIM WANTED TO RE-EMPHASIZE. I MEAN, THIS IS A 38 ACRE INNOVATION BUSINESS AND WORKFORCE COMPLEX, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT. UM, 90,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL RETAIL AND RESTAURANT SPACE. UM, INCREASING THE OFFICE SPACE BY 80,000 SQUARE FEET ON TOP OF WHAT EXISTS OUT THERE. 50 MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS OUT THERE BEYOND WHAT IS ALREADY THERE. UM, SO IT IS A MAJOR INNOVATION, UH, HUB, UH, UH, IN, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I SEE TAMMY OUT THERE, TAMMY DOWN, UM, WHO'S OUT THERE. SO IT'S A, IT'S A MAJOR PLUS. UH, SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND YEAH, I DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. SO LET ME ASK, IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE FOR AGAINST ON HEARING AND SEEING NONE? UM, SO, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING? CASTEX TATU, MOVE TO CLOSE THE HEARING. MOVE SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN KNOX. ANY OBJECTION? CHAIR IS NONE. MOTION IS GRANTED. THANK YOU BOTH SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, [MAYOR'S REPORT] JUST A FEW, UH, BRIEF REMARKS BEFORE WE TURN TO THE AGENDA. UM, ON THE, I THINK THIS WAS THE THIRD ATTEMPT, EMIS, UH, FINALLY LIFTED OFF . UH, SO, UM, THAT'S WHERE, UH, THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCILMAN ROBERTON R UM, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO NASA AND THE JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, UH, THIS MORNING FOLLOWING THE SUCCESSFUL LUNCH OF ARTEMIS ONE OVERNIGHT. UH, AND THIS MARKS THE FIRST TIME THAT NASA SPACE LUNCH SYSTEM ROCKET AND, UH, THE NASA ORIENT SPACECRAFT OF FLYING TOGETHER. SO IT'S A REMARKABLE, REMARKABLE ACCOMPLISHMENT. ARTEMIS ONE BEGINS A NEW CHAPTER IN HUMAN LUNAR EXPLORATION. UH, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABOARD, UH, THEM ON 2024, UH, WHEN WE HEAD TO THE MOON, UH, WILL BE MY LAST ACCOMPLISHMENT, UM, IN MY DREAM. OKAY. UM, BUT WELL DONE. AND THEN, OF COURSE, LIKE I SAID, NEXT [03:30:01] WEEK IS THANKSGIVING. SO PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THE THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE. ON THANKSGIVING MORNING, UH, UH, 50 CENT WILL BE THE GRAND MARSHAL, UH, AT THE, AT THE PARADE. AND IF YOU CAN RECALL, WAS IT, DID I TELL YOU WHAT? COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU MUST HAVE GOTTEN A, A, A FLIGHT ON ARTEMIS AND THEY DROPPED YOU OFF? . PARACHUTED, YEAH. OH, VERY NICE. VERY NICE. PRETTY COOL. UM, BUT IF YOU CAN RECALL, WAS IT LAST YEAR? WHEN DID THE RAIN, THE LIGHTNING STOP, THE PARADE? WAS IT LAST YEAR? LAST YEAR, YEAH. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WE WERE SCHEDULED TO HONOR DR. PETER HOTTA. UM, AND SO, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE PARADE DID NOT GO FORWARD, UH, IN ADDITION TO, UM, THE GRAND MARSHALL CURTIS 50 CENTS JACKSON, UH, WE ALSO BRING HIM BACK, DR. PETER HOTEZ, UM, UM, FOR THE PARADE AS WELL. SO LOOK FORWARD TO, TO SEEING HIM. BUT THAT IS, UH, THAT IS, UH, NEXT THURSDAY AT, UH, NINE O'CLOCK 9:00 AM AND WE ARE INVITING EVERYONE IN THE HOUSTON AREA TO COME AND JOIN WITH US FOR THE HEB, THE HEB THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE. OKAY. DOWNTOWN, UM, SEE THE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES UNIVERSITY. UM, THIS WILL BE THIS EVENING, 33 PARTICIPANTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS COMPLETE COM. UH, UH, COMPLETE COMMUNITIES UNIVERSITY WILL GRADUATE. THEY DO IT EVERY YEAR, DO A FANTASTIC JOB. THE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AN EIGHT WEEK LEADERSHIP TRAINING COURSE WITH A FOCUS ON STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGING RESIDENTS IN CIVIC ACTION, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE TO VITALIZE AND EMPOWER NEIGHBORHOODS. AND SAY THEY ARE FROM NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE CITY, INCLUDING ALL 10 COMPLETE COMMUNITIES. SO THE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES UNIVERSITY GRADUATION, UH, WILL TAKE PLACE, UH, THIS EVENING, UH, AND YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO TO COME. UM, THE SEASON IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, AND HOUSTON FIRST AND CENTRAL HOUSTON INC. ARE JOINING FORCES THIS YEAR TO TRANSFORM HOUSTON, UH, DOWNTOWN INTO THE ULTIMATE HOLIDAY DESTINATION THIS YEAR. SO, DUB CITY LIGHTS, DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY MAGIC, THE FESTIVITIES KICK OFF THIS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, WITH A CEREMONIAL LIGHTING ON THE PLAZA AT VENITA HOUSTON. SO, UH, UH, SO EXPECT DOWNTOWN TO BE LIT UP, UH, THIS YEAR, AND LET ME ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO COME DOWNTOWN TO SEE THE LIGHTS. ALSO, THE ANNUAL ZOO LIGHTS BEGAN FRIDAY AT THE HOUSTON ZOO, AND YOU CAN TAKE IN THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. UM, TOMORROW, UH, SOME OF US, A FEW OF US WILL BE TAKEN OFF TO MEXICO CITY. UH, I WILL BE THERE AS THE BOARD CHAIR OF THE GLOBAL RESILIENT CITIES NETWORK. WE WILL RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE BY CHIEF RESILIENT OFFICERS IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE UNITED STATES. AND THERE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 15, UH, CHIEF RESILIENT OFFICERS AND, UH, FROM OTHER LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES THAT WILL BE THERE. I'M COMING CLOSE TO WRAPPING UP, UH, MY CHAIRMANSHIP AS THE GLOBAL RESILIENT CITY CHAIR AFTER SERVING FOR, UH, ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS. SO LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, MEETING WITH THEM. AND THEN TONIGHT, UH, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON'S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL PLAY TEXAS SOUTHERN, UH, BASKETBALL TEAM AT THE PETITA CENTER. SO THAT WILL BE A CLASSIC BETWEEN UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS SOUTHERN, UH, TEXAS SOUTHERN JUST KNOCKED OFF ARIZONA STATE, WHICH WAS A BIG, WHICH WAS A BIG WIN. SO, UM, AND, UM, YOU GOT TWO OUTSTANDING COACHES ON BOTH. ON BOTH TEAMS. UM, SO, UM, THAT'S GOING TO BE, THAT'S GOING TO BE TONIGHT AT THE PETITA CENTER. UH, PLEASE COME OUT AND CHECK IT OUT. UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON VERSUS TEXAS SOUTHERN TEXAS SOUTHERN VERSUS UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON IN DISTRICT B, ALL IN THE DESTINATION IN, IN DISTRICT D, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE WORLD CUP IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER THIS WEEKEND. UH, SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, AND I THINK THAT DESERT, UM, FOR MY, FOR MY COMMENTS, UH, FOR THIS MORNING. UM, LET'S SEE. MADAM, UH, [CONSENT AGENDA] SECRETARY, NOW LET'S GO BACK TO THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEMS ONE AND TWO [03:35:01] HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. ITEM THREE AND FOUR, JUST NEED A MOTION. CASTEX TITLE, MOVE SECOND. ROBINSON, UH, YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION. AND SECOND ON THREE AND FOUR, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE PURCHASING TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY ITEM SEVEN AND EIGHT HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS 5, 6, 9, AND 10 PASS. SECTION TAYLOR, MOVE SECOND ROBINSON. AND MOVED IN, SECONDED ON 5, 6, 9, AND 10. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSING GRANTED UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY SINCE YOUR LIST WAS DISTRIBUTED. ITEM 25 HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND ITEM 21 WILL BE CONSIDERED IF IT IS RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING. [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. R 14, 15, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, AND 28. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN, ARE 14 AND 15, 18, 20, 21 I SAID IS NOT IN 24, 25, 27, AND 28. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSING GRANTED ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, NEEDS A MOTION CAST. NEXT, STATE MOVE. SECOND. ROBINSON MOVED AND SECONDED ON ITEM SEVEN. DISCUSSION ON SEVEN. DISCUSSION ON SEVEN. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED GRANTED ON SEVEN. ITEM EIGHT NEEDS A MOTION AS TA MOVE SECOND. ROBINSON MOVED. AND SECOND ON ITEM EIGHT. DISCUSSION ON EIGHT. DISCUSSION ON EIGHT IN FAVOR. OPPOSED AND GRANTED ON EIGHT. ITEM 14 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 14, VICE MAYOR PRO TEMP ON, UH, ITEM, UH, 14. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, COUNCIL, I JUST WANTED TO AMPLIFY THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT THE BRENTWOOD COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IS DOING, UM, FOR HOUSTONIANS AND, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE IMPACTED BY HIV AND AIDS. THEY WERE, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST LOCATIONS FOR THIS, UM, TYPE OF HOUSING. UH, AND THEY DO A TREMENDOUS JOB. AND THE ORDINANCE FOR THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TODAY WILL HELP US TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 109, UH, LOW TO MODERATE, UH, HOUSEHOLDS, UH, ASSISTANCE THAT THEY WILL NEED. SO, WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I TALKED ABOUT THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND ASK FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, UM, FOR THE FOUNDATION TO CONTINUE PROVIDING THIS NECESSARY HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY. ANY OTHER THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 14? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED? GRANTED ON ITEM 14, ITEM 15 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. WELL, ITEM 15, DISCUSSION ON 15. DISCUSSION ON 15. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED GRANTING ON 15. ITEM 18 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 18. DISCUSSION ON 18. DISCUSSION ON 18. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED? GRANTING ON 18. ITEM 20 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 20. TAG POLLARD. UH, ITEM 20 IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. ITEM 24 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 24. UM, JACKSON? NO, 9 24. AND I WANNA JUST HIGHLIGHT, 'CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATION ON THESE MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATIONS AND, UH, I ASKED MY STAFF TO KIND OF PULL THE LIST OF HOW MANY WE HAVE APPROVED AND WHERE THEY ARE IN THE DISTRICTS. UM, YOU KNOW, 34 OF THEM HAVE BEEN APPROVED IN DISTRICT C, UH, WHICH HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF, OF THE MSDS. UM, EIGHT OR IN DISTRICT A, UH, NINE IN DISTRICT B, EIGHT ON IN DISTRICT D SEVEN ONF FIVE, ONG, UM, 20 WHEN DISTRICT H 23 AND I 24 AND J AND THEN K IS LIKE THREE AND TWO. UM, SO THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL OVER. UM, AND IF WE DON'T APPROVE, THEN THEY, THEY CAN THEN APPEAL TO TCEQ ON THE STATE LEVEL AND WE HAVE LESS CONTROL. [03:40:01] SO JUST, SO JUST BEAR THAT IN MIND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS. UM, YEAH. UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON? I HAVE A QUESTION. SO, HOW MANY HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED? I'M NOT AWARE, UH, IF, UH, SOMEONE FROM MY STAFF CAN TELL ME HOW MANY HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED, BUT I'M NOT, I'M NOT AWARE OF THOSE THAT WE HAVE NOT APPROVED. UM, SO FOLLOW, GET THE INFORMATION. WE'LL TRY TO GET THAT INFORMATION. OKAY. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, I, I HAD A QUESTION EARLIER, BECAUSE AGAIN, TRADITIONALLY AS A DISTRICT MEMBER, I'LL DEFER TO, UM, OUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR DISTRICT. UM, MY QUESTION WAS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE AT THE HORSESHOE OR MAYOR, YOU CAN ANSWER THIS, OR COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, UM, THE, THE CONTAMINATION THAT WAS THERE, THE MSD WILL CAP THAT AND SEAL THAT OFF. HOWEVER, WHETHER OR NOT THAT LAND IS DEVELOPED OR NOT, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ISSUE REMAINS. SO WHAT IS THE, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE THE BENEFIT OF, FOR THOSE THAT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, VOTING NO AND IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO SAYING NO TO THIS? UH, BECAUSE THAT CONTAMINATION WOULD REMAIN, AND I'M, I'M BA I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT FROM THE COMMUNITY'S PERSPECTIVE AS WE GRAPPLE WITH THIS. I HAVE A SECOND QUESTION. UM, IF IT'S ALL RIGHT, MAYOR, TO THE CITY ATTORNEY AS IT RELATES TO, BECAUSE THE PRESCRIBED RULES WERE FOLLOWED THAT ARE IN PLACE, I DON'T AGREE WITH THOSE RULES. I DON'T AGREE WITH TCEQ NECESSARILY. AND MAYOR, I HOPE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT FROM A, A GI A GOVERNMENT RELATIONS PERSPECTIVE, WE CAN LOOK AT ADVOCATING FOR ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. BUT IF WE DO NOT APPROVE THIS, THE MAYOR MENTIONED THAT IT WOULD STILL GO TO TCEQ AND LIKELY BE APPROVED. IS THE CITY, UH, LIABLE FOR NOT APPROVING SOMETHING IF WE HAVE APPROVED ALL OF THE OTHERS IN THE PAST? OKAY, I HAVE TWO. I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. OKAY. UM, WELL, THERE'S SOME SPECULATION ON LIABILITY, BUT IT WOULD RAISE A, A COLORABLE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAIM IN THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A FAIRLY OBJECTIVE PROCESS. AND I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY IN KNOWING WHEN AN APPLICATION HAS BEEN DENIED IS YOU LOOK, IT, IT, IT ONLY COMES TO THE FORE WHEN THEY HAVE MET THE REQUIREMENTS TO REMEDIATE. AND, AND THE REQUIREMENT INCLUDES THAT THE PLUME BE STABLE, YOU KNOW, THAT IT BE CAPPED OR CONTAINED. AND THEN, UM, PERIODIC MONITORING, YOU KNOW, THEREAFTER. SO, UH, WHAT THEY CAN DO IS THEY CAN GO THROUGH THE VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROCESS, UH, UNDER THE RE THROUGH THE REMEDIATION DIVISION OF T SSEC. I, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, IT'S, IT'S, THAT CAN TAKE LONGER AND BE MORE ONEROUS. AND SO THIS LAW HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE I THINK 2003. AND PART OF IT IS IT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S WA IN THE ABSENCE OF A MUNICIPAL SETTING DESIGNATION, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO MAKE ALL OF THE WATER POTABLE, AND THAT INCLUDES WATER THAT'S NOT EVEN, UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY CONTAMINATED BY MANMADE FACTORS, BUT BRACKISH WATER, FOR EXAMPLE. SO THIS IS A PROCESS THAT IS, IS AN ALTERNATIVE IN ORDER TO CAP IT, BECAUSE WE'VE, UH, GRANTED A NUMBER OF THESE, AND PRACTICALLY ALL OF THEM IN THE STATE HAVE BEEN IN THE DALLAS AND HOUSTON AREA, AND WE FOLLOW OBJECTIVE CRITERIA. SOMEONE COULD BRING A COLORABLE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAIM TO CHALLENGE IT AND WOULD REQUIRE THE CITY TO ARTICULATE WHY IT WAS DENIED. MAY I ASK ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT? WOULD THERE, AND I KNOW THIS IS ALL SPECULATION, UH, BUT IF THE STATE WERE TO APPROVE IT, OR TCEQ WAS TO APPROVE IT, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THIS BODY DID, WOULD THEY STILL HAVE A CLAIM? BECAUSE THERE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE, BE DAMAGES IN THAT? YEAH, IT, THEY COULD HAVE A CLAIM IF, UM, LIKELY THE STATE PROCESS IS GONNA BE MORE EXPENSIVE AND MORE TIME CONSUMING BECAUSE IT'S A, IT'S A COMPLETE CLEANUP AS OPPOSED TO CAPPING AND MONITORING. SO THEY COULD HAVE A CLAIM FOR THE ADDITIONAL COSTS OR, UH, PER PERHAPS DELAY, YOU KNOW, THE CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD ON A PROJECT, UH, UNDER THE TIMETABLE THEY DESIRED. AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, IN, IN RESPONSE TO YOU, UH, TO YOUR QUESTION, AND I DID HAVE IT ON THE SHEET, UM, IN DISTRICT, UH, A ZERO HAVE BEEN DENIED AND DISTRICT B ZERO DENIED AND DISTRICT CD ZERO DENIED AND D ZERO DENIED AND E ZERO DENIED AND F ZERO DENIED G ZERO [03:45:01] AND H ZERO I ONE. UM, AND IN J ZERO DENIED AND IN K ZERO DENIED, SO ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 120 HAVE BEEN APPROVED, ONE DENIED AND 11 ARE UNDER REVIEW. AND CAN, AND IN THIS PARTICULAR, HOLD ON ONE SECOND, LEMME COME BACK TO YOU. VICE RESIDENT, VICE, UM, MAYOR PRO CAST. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MY, MY QUESTION IS TO THE, UM, CITY ATTORNEY ALSO. UM, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT VOLUNTARY CLEANUP, UM, I GUESS THE CONCERN WOULD BE IF SOMETHING IS PLACED ON THIS PROPERTY THAT WE HAVE CAPPED, UH, HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY WILL DO THE VOLUNTARY CLEANUP AND CAN THE CITY ACTUALLY REQUIRE SOME TYPE OF, UM, ONGOING TESTING? I THINK THE, THE, THE CONCERN FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IS WE CAP IT, THEY MOVE ON, SOMEBODY BUILD SOMETHING THERE, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR VOLUNTARY TESTING. BUT IF PEOPLE REALLY DON'T DO THE TESTING, CAN THE CITY PUT AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE OR DO SOMETHING WITH THE MSD TO REQUIRE ONGOING TESTING WHEN THAT PROPERTY HAS BEEN CONSIDERED CONTAMINATION, UH, CONTAMINATED. THE CITY DOES DO THAT. IT'S A REQUIREMENT OF THE STATUTE. THE CITY ALSO HAS THE ABILITY TO IMPOSE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS, AND THERE ARE ALWAYS OTHER REQUIREMENTS FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, IN FACT, I CAN QUICKLY RESPOND VICE MATTER, THAT IS THE VALUE OF THE CITY'S DESIGNATION OF MHD. THAT'S, THAT'S THE VALUE OF US DE MAKING THE DESTINATION BECAUSE THERE ARE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS THAT WE CAN IMPOSE. SO, BUT I, I GUESS THE, THE ISSUE IS ARE WE LAYERING THOSE ON, BECAUSE I DON'T, IN, IN THE MSD PRESENTATIONS THAT I'VE SEEN, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT WE DO ADDITIONAL TESTING. ONCE SOMETHING GOES ON THE PROPERTY. I KNOW THAT WE DO IT PRIOR TO AND AS PART AS OF THE MSD DESIGNATION. BUT IF THERE WAS A DRY CLEANERS THERE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE PUT A, A SMALL STORE THERE, WILL THERE BE A ADDITIONAL TESTING ONCE SOMETHING ELSE GOES ON THE PROPERTY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'VE REMEDIATED IT, IT WAS EFFECTIVE? I THINK TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MOST SIMPLY UNDER THE STATUTE, UH, A MUNICIPALITY CAN IMPOSE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS. OKAY. AND ALSO BEAR IN MIND THAT WHENEVER THERE IS ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO DO ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING ON THOSE PROPERTIES. AS, AS FOR THE ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT? YEAH. THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO THAT. UH, BUT THE VALUE OF US DESIGNATING AS MSDS ARE THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE IMPOSE AND CAN IMPOSE. UH, COUNCILMAN MAYOR POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. MAYOR, YOU HAD STATED ORIGINALLY THAT, UH, IF IT GOES TO THE TCQ, THAT WE, UM, WE HAVE LESS CONTROL. CAN YOU ELABORATE MORE ON THAT? WHAT DOES LESS CONTROL MEAN? UNDER, UNDER OUR ORDINANCE, THERE ARE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THAT WE IMPOSE. OKAY. UH, AS ARTER AS, UH, HAS OUTLINED, THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY AT TCEQ. THOSE ARE OUR REQUIREMENTS BY VIRTUE OF THE ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE. SO WE HAVE GREATER, UM, I GUESS CONTROL OVERSIGHT, OVERSIGHT WILL BE A BETTER WORD. WE HAVE GREATER OVERSIGHT WITH OUR DESIGNATION, MUCH MORE THAN TCEQ. OKAY. AND WHAT WE HAVE FOUND, UH, NOT JUST ON MSDS, BUT ON OTHER THINGS AS WELL. SO YOU GO TO THE STATE, LESS REQUIREMENTS, UM, AND LESS OVERSIGHT, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON MORE, MORE OVERSIGHT AND GREATER AND GREATER CONTROL. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THI THIS ITEM FIRST CAME TO OUR COMMITTEE IN FEBRUARY OF 21. SO THAT WAS QUITE A LONG TIME AGO. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS. I WAS GONNA DEFER IF COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON WANTED TO SPEAK ON THIS FIRST. UM, SO I'VE, I'VE REALLY KIND OF DUG INTO THE ORDINANCE A LITTLE BIT AND, AND, AND INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS AND, AND LIKE THE CITY ATTORNEY TO KIND OF POINT ME TO THOSE. 'CAUSE I, I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE ORDINANCE LAST NIGHT AND, AND BASICALLY, AND THESE ARE USUALLY PERFUNCTORY AND WE ALL KNOW WHY THIS ONE ISN'T. IT'S BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T WANT IT. THE COMMUNITY IS CONCERNED. AND THIS IS A COMMUNITY THAT HAS HAD SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICES PLAGUING IT. WE PASS, WE, WE, WE DEAL THESE WITH A MATTER OF COURSE, AT, AT COMMITTEE. AND, AND THEY USUALLY GO THROUGH WITH THE, WHERE EXCEPTION. AND, AND PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN GREAT ABOUT GIVING THE [03:50:01] EXTRA TIME, THE EXTRA COMMUNITY MEETINGS. AND BASICALLY IT'S PRETTY BLACK AND WHITE FROM THE CITY'S POINT. THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN CRITERIA THAT THEY MUST MEET. THE PLUME MUST BE STABLE. UM, THE PLUME IS DELINEATED TO THE, SOME KIND OF CHEMICAL TERM. THE SIDE HAS BEEN ENROLLED IN A STATE OR FEDERAL CLEANUP PROGRAM. IT ALREADY IS IN THE VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM. THE SIDE HAS BEEN THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED WITH SUFFICIENT DATA AND THE SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION HAS BEEN REMOVED. WHAT'S AT ISSUE IS, UH, OF COURSE THIS, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN PURSUING THIS AND, AND LOOKING INTO THIS FOR SOME TIME. SO THEY HIRE AN EXPERT, UH, OR, AND LONE STAR LEGAL AID GETS INVOLVED. THEY HIRE EXPERTS. AND I'VE READ THEIR REPORT. I'M NOT A CHEMISTRY MAJOR, BUT BASICALLY THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE THREE, THEY KIND OF BASICALLY ARE SAYING THAT THE CITY'S, THE CITY'S, UM, WHAT THE CITY CAME UP WITH THAT, THAT THEY'VE MET THE BASIC CRITERIA. THEY DON'T BELIEVE THEIR EXPERTS THINK THE CITY, THAT THE, THE APPLICATION DOES NOT MEET THE CRITERIA. SO IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR US AROUND THE HORSESHOE TO, TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHO DID WE, DIDN'T WE, WHO, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT, WITHOUT REALLY, I MEAN, AND DIGGING INTO THE DETAILS OF, OF THE, THE, THE CLEANUP, BASICALLY WHAT OUR ORDINANCE SAYS IS, IF IT, AND, AND THE MSD DESIGNATION IS, IS A DESIGNATION BY THE TCEQ, NOT, NOT THE CITY. IT COMES BACK AS IN THE FORM OF VOLUNTARY DEED RESTRICTION THAT THE CITY HAS IN PLACE ON THE PROPERTY. AND THIS PROPERTY, THERE'S ALREADY A, A BUSINESS ON IT. THEY'RE LEASING IT TO A BUSINESS THAT DOES EXPORTS. DRILLING MATERIALS USED TO BE A CHEMICAL, UM, SITUATION. AND WHAT OUR ORDINANCE SAYS IN 47, 7 67 A IF CERTIFIED BY THE TCEQ, THE MSDA MAY LIMIT THE SCOPE OR ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR RISK-BASED SITE INVESTIGATIONS AND ACTIONS AND RESPONSE ACTIONS PURSUANT TO 360 1 8 0 8 OF THE TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE. SO BASICALLY WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY WAS SAYING, THE THE FULL THE FULL THING, THEY CAN'T, YES. SO, SO BASICALLY IF, IF THE MSD IS AWARDED THAT THEY ELIMINATE THAT NEED TO GO THE EXTRA STEP. AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S AT ISSUE HERE. SO IF THE, I, I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHERE IN THE ORDINANCE WE, THE CITY IS ALLOWED TO IMPOSE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AFTER AND AFTER IT COMES BACK TO THIS FROM THE TCEQ AS AN MSD, VOLUNTARY DEED RESTRICTION, WHEREIN OUR ORDINANCE CHAPTER 47, DOES IT THEN SAY WE IMPOSE ADDITIONAL, THE CITY HAS ADDITIONAL, UM, REQUIREMENTS, THE CITY MAY IMPOSE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS. I'M NOT QUITE UNDERSTANDING WHEN YOU SAY WHEN IT GOES BUT UP TO TCEQ. WELL, BUT THE REALITY IS, IS THAT THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO APPLIES TO ALL MSD DESIGNATIONS. OKAY. NOT JUST TO THIS PARTICULAR ONE. RIGHT. BUT TO ALL OF THE ONES, THE A HUNDRED AND APPROXIMATELY 120 THAT WE HAVE REVIEWED, EVALUATED, AND APPROVED. SO IT APPLIES ACROSS THE, IT APPLIES ACROSS THE BOARD. UN UNDERSTOOD. I JUST FOR ANY OF THEM THEN, RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT. FOR ANY OF THEM. CORRECT. AND I UNDERSTAND IF THEY, AND THEY, AND THEY'RE NOT BAD BECAUSE IF, IF WE, WE WANNA REDEVELOP PROPERTIES. CORRECT. AND EVENTUALLY, IF THEY WANNA, IF THEY WANNA REDEVELOP AND, AND THAT PERHAPS MIGHT BE IN THE BUILDING CODE OR IN THE BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS. BUT IS THERE SOMETHING IN OUR, IN OUR, THE CITY'S MSD ORDINANCE, WHICH SHOWS THAT IF, IF WE GRANT THIS APPROVAL TO THE TCEQ AND THEY, THEY GET THEIR VOLUNTARY DEED RESTRICTION ON THIS POTABLE WATER, WHAT WE CAN IMPOSE THESE ADDITIONAL, UM, REQUIREMENTS. THAT'S MY QUESTION. I'LL DEFER, I'LL DEFER TO, UH, TO MICHELLE ON THAT. BUT IF WE WANT TO, IF WE WANT TO SINGLE OUT DISTRICT B AND SAY THERE WILL BE NO DEVELOPMENT OF THIS KIND IN DISTRICT B, THEN I THINK YOU'RE DOING DISTRICT BA DISSERVICE IF, IF THAT IS THE CONCLUSION THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE. OKAY. SO ALL OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH MSDS, WHICH IS JUST THE CASE HERE, SO EVERYBODY ELSE CAN MOVE FORWARD. BUT ON DISTRICT B, NO DEVELOPMENT OF THIS KIND, UH, ON, WE ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW MSDS. UM, IF THAT IS THE, IF THAT IS WHERE WE ARE HEADING, THEN I THINK YOU ALL, UM, MOTION TO DO THAT. UH, OKAY. THIS, I'M TAKING TIME FROM, UH, COUNCILMAN MALCO, SO, SO I'LL EXTEND, I'LL EXTEND YOU MORE TIME. BUT ANYWAY. MICHELLE, DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO COUNCILMAN MALCO? YEAH. UH, I, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S LANGUAGE IN OUR ORDINANCE THAT SAYS WE CAN IMPOSE THE REQUIREMENT. I THINK IT'S THE POSITION OF THE CITY, INCLUDING THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT THAT, UH, REQUESTING ADDITIONAL TESTING [03:55:01] IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR ORDINANCE AND WHAT THE STATUTE PROVIDES. UH, AND BECAUSE THIS COMES BEFORE A COMMITTEE, THE REQUEST CAN BE MADE. AND I THINK YOU'D HAVE TO LOOK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL, UM, MATTER TO SEE WHETHER THERE'S ALREADY A TESTING OBLIGATION. FOR EXAMPLE, IF SOMEONE IS IN A LONGER TERM VOLUNTARY, UM, CLEANUP PROGRAM, UH, THAT WOULD HAVE THOSE REQUIREMENTS. BUT IT'S, TO ANSWER YOUR PRECISE QUESTION, THERE'S NOT LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. SO ARE WE EXPECTING TO BE REQUIRING ADDITIONAL TESTING OF THIS, THIS PARTICULAR ONE? WELL, CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY WHEN THERE IS DEVELOPMENT, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS. AND AS THEY DEVELOP AND DOING THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT EMERGE, THEN THOSE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED OR THE DEVELOPMENT IS NOT GOING TO PROCEED. COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. UH, THANK YOU. I JUST, NOT SPECIFICALLY TO THIS ITEM, BUT JUST SOME CONTEXT AROUND WATER REPORTING. YOU KNOW, IN A LEAF CRANIUM SIX HAS ALWAYS BEEN A, A HUGE ISSUE IN THAT COMMUNITY. UM, AND PEOPLE WHO MOVED THERE IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES OFTEN REACH OUT ASKING, UM, PUBLIC WORKS SINCE I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE, ROUTINELY SINCE, UH, WATER REPORTS, THEY TEST ALL OF THOSE LOCATIONS AND PROVIDE THAT, UH, CONSISTENTLY. SO JUST IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT YOU CAN REQUEST AND WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU, YOU CAN DO THAT. UM, BECAUSE IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A REQUIREMENT, BUT THEY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE, THE SENSITIVE NATURE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, AND THEY HAVE PROVIDED THAT CONSISTENTLY. WE POST THAT TO OUR WEBSITE AND SHARE THAT WITH THE COMMUNITY SO THEY CAN KNOW THE LEVELS AND UNDERSTAND, EVEN THOUGH, UM, OUR WATER REQUIREMENT, THE, WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR IS A FEDERAL ISSUE. LOCALLY, WE'VE BEEN ADDRESSING THAT THROUGH REPORTING AND MONITORING THAT. SO IT IS A AVAILABLE, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOOPHOLE OF THE ONGOING TESTING LOCALLY, WE, WE HAVE DONE THAT. IT'S BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN MY DISTRICT. AND THEN, AND BEAR IN MIND, JUST LIKE WHEN WE ARE DEALING, UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON IN YOUR DISTRICT WITH THE U WITH THE UP ISSUE, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ALSO GETS INVOLVED. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ALSO GETS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS BECAUSE IT IS THE, IT WAS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS WHO DISCOVERED THAT THE PLUME MOVES. OKAY. SO IT'S NOT JUST PUBLIC WORKS, IT'S ALL OF THESE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER. AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT IN THE CASHMAN GARDEN AREA. IT'S THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS, THAT HAS STEPPED UP AND GONE BEYOND THAT HAVE BROUGHT THINGS TO THE ATTENTION, UH, THE TEXAS HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS. UM, COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, I, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THIS DIALOGUE, AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE, UH, EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS, I AT LEAST UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IN DISTRICT C, WE HAVE MOVED THESE FORWARDS. I THINK THE POINT IS WE'VE HEARD SO MUCH COMMUNITY INPUT ON THIS PARTICULAR ONE THAT IT GIVES US PAUSE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS WHAT'S RIGHT IN THAT, FOR THAT COMMUNITY, BASED ON WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS SAYING. MY, WHAT I'M HEARING THE CITY SAY IS THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL TESTING. UH, WHAT I HAD BEEN, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ONE OF THE CONCERNS OF CONSTITUENTS THAT WE HAD HEARD IS THAT ONCE THE MSD IS APPROVED, THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL TESTING DONE. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR. 'CAUSE AGAIN, I LIKE, LIKE COUNCILMAN ALCORN, I'M NOT THE CHEMIST, I'M NOT THE EXPERT ON MSDS. THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL TESTING, UH, OF WATER LEVELS AND CONTAMINANTS IN THE WATER FOR THIS PROPERTY. LEMME ASK, UH, UH, JURY, AM I AUTHORIZED, CAN, CAN I NOT AUTHORIZE ADDITIONAL TESTING ON THIS THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE ORDER OF BOTH PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT? CAN I NOT DO THAT? YOU, YOU CAN REQUEST ADDITIONAL TESTING AND THEY WOULD NEED TO AGREE. IT WOULD PROBABLY DEPEND ON THE SPECIFIC INSTANCE IN TERMS OF, UH, HOW LONG IT'S BEEN TESTED, THE STABILITY OF THE PLUME AND WHETHER THEY WOULD DO IT. BUT THERE'S AN ISSUE AS TO WHETHER IT CAN BE MANDATED, UM, BY THE CITY, BUT IT CERTAINLY CAN BE REQUESTED. AND I, I THINK IN THE PAST WE HAVE DONE, AND TYPICALLY THERE'S VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE. YEAH. SO I'M, I'M VERY MUCH INCLINED THROUGH MY DOING EXECUTIVE ORDER TO REQUIRE ADDITIONAL TESTING, UH, OUT IN THESE PROPERTIES. I KNOW THIS IS A SENSITIVE MATTER, SO I'M VERY MUCH AWARE OF THAT, AND I KNOW WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT WORSENING, UM, THE SITUATIONS OF, UM, OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE AND NOT JUST WORSENING. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IMPROVING, WE ARE ENHANCING. IT'S NOT ABOUT JUST HOLDING THE STATUS QUO, IT'S ABOUT IMPROVING IT. SO I'M VERY, UH, SENSITIVE AND UNDERSTAND THE, THE DELICATE NATURE OF THIS, OF THIS SUBJECT MATTER. UM, AND THE QUESTION IS, [04:00:01] UM, HOW CAN WE, UH, FIND WAYS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO MONITOR THE SITUATION, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THERE ARE NOT ADDITIONAL HEALTH HAZARDS AND THAT WE ARE NOT WORSENING CREATING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, UH, EVEN WHEN THERE'S DEVELOPMENT THAT IS OCCURRING. UM, AND SO I AM, I'M CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH LEGAL, I'M PREPARED TO PUT FORTH AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO, TO REQUIRE ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHT BY MY DEPARTMENTS OKAY. BY THE DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MSDS. SO, UM, UH, I WOULD SAY TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, IF YOU, IF YOU ALL WOULD MOVE FORWARD AND TO HELP DRAFT SOMETHING THAT I CAN, UH, TO SIGN TO IMPOSE EVEN ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHTS, EVEN AS THINGS MOVE FORWARD. UH, BUT I, I FULLY GET IT AND I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE, FROM COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HEAVILY BURDENED, THEY DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE BURDENED AND PUSHED DOWN. SO I THINK WE ALL GET IT. I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT. OKAY. AND, UM, YOU, YOU DON'T WANT DEVELOPMENT ON TOP OF A BAD SITUATION. I THINK WE ALL GET THAT. AND THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO MONITOR THE SITUATION TO ALERT PEOPLE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, UM, HOWEVER WAY WE CAN DO THAT. I'M FULLY, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE AND, AND IF I MAY JUST RECLAIM A FEW SECONDS, MAYOR, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, HELPS US WITH, AT LEAST WITH ME, WITH MY DECISION AND RECOGNIZING ALSO GOING BACK TO WHAT I SAID EARLIER, THE CONTAMINATION LEVEL IS THERE WITH OR WITHOUT THE MSD. SO THE FACT THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO GET ADDITIONAL MONITORING ON TOP OF THAT MAY ACTUALLY BE A, WHAT I WOULD SEE IS, AT LEAST IN MY DISTRICT, A, A BENEFIT THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE TESTING THIS WAY VERSUS NOT A, THE OTHER WAY. AND I, AND I THINK TO THE EXTENT, IN ADDITION TO AN EXECUTIVE ORDER, UH, ON, ON THESE THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY CAN COME BACK AND IMPOSE, UH, THROUGH ORDINANCE ADDITIONAL MONITORING ON OUR, ON OUR END AS IT RELATES TO THESE MSDS. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD. I'M, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT, UH, AS WELL. UM, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, UM, WELL ACROSS THE BOARD, I THINK ANYTIME WE'RE DEALING WITH MSDS, SO I'M NOT GONNA EVEN SINGLE OUT ONE AS OPPOSED TO, UH, OTHER. BUT I DO THINK, UH, AMENDING OUR ORDINANCE TO REQUIRE ADDITIONAL MONITORING, UH, AS THINGS GO FORWARD, I THINK WE'LL PROVIDE IT AT, PROVIDE AN ADDED LAYER, UH, OF ASSURANCE THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROTECTING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF THE PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS. SO I FULLY SUPPORT THAT. AND, UH, AND, AND AGAIN, WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, IN ADDITION TO AN EXECUTIVE BOARD, IF YOU'LL PREPARE AN A, A PROPOSED ORDINANCE THAT WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL MONITORING ON THE PART OF THE CITY ALONG WITH THESE MS. MSDS. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER LUM MAYOR. THANK YOU. I BELIEVE THAT IS REALLY GOOD GOVERNANCE, UM, LOOKING AT THE ORDINANCE AND HOW WE CAN STRENGTHEN IT, UM, TO PROTECT THESE COMMUNITIES. I THINK, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH ATTENTION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THESE DAYS WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH UP AND THE CANCER CLUSTER, AND THERE'S, IT'S THE SAME NEIGHBORHOODS OVER AND OVER AND OVER, AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO GO BACK AND SAY, WELL, WE ALWAYS APPROVE THEM. THEY MET OUR CRITERIA. THEY ALWAYS APPROVE THEM. I MEAN, THEN WHEN THEY GO TO A TIME AND EXPENSE AND GET EXPERTS AND TRY TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY, AND KIND OF CAN COUNTER THAT RIGHT A LITTLE BIT. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE EXTRA MONITORING PART OF, IN, IN THE DOCUMENTS THAT I'VE REVIEWED, PART OF THE, THE CRUX WAS THE WANTING ADDITIONAL TESTING. AND RIGHT NOW THERE'S NO PLANS TO DEVELOP REDEVELOP IT. I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S AN ONGOING, THEY, THEY EXPORT BUSINESS THERE, UM, HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE, OR THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALWAYS WANT DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT. UM, BUT I THINK DOING THAT ACROSS THE BOARD AND REQUIRING THE ADDITIONAL, BECAUSE I, IT'S ALMOST LIKE, OKAY, WE GET THIS MSD, THEN WE CAN JUST, LIKE, WE'RE DONE, WE'RE DONE. YOU KNOW, LIKE, AND OUR ORDINANCE DOES CLEARLY STATE THAT, THAT IT DOESN'T GET YOU OUT OF, I MEAN, IT, IT SAYS IN OUR ORDINANCE THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY GET YOU OUT OF, UM, OF, OF, UH, CITY COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF AN MSD ORDINANCE IN ITSELF DOES NOT CHANGE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OR CLEANUP REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO THE DESIGNATED PROPERTY. BUT THERE IS A LAYER THAT THEY GET, THEY GET OUT OF. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I, I WILL GLADLY, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF EDUCATION TO BE DONE AROUND MSDS AND GLADLY TAKE THAT [04:05:01] ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO THE REGULATORY AND NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, BUT, UM, WANT TO ASSURE THE PEOPLE AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF PLEASANTVILLE THAT WE'RE NOT STOPPING TESTING AT THIS SITE. IF THIS, IF CITY COUNCIL APPROVES THIS, IT GOES TO THE TCEQ, THE MAYOR IS, IS GOING TO, UH, CHANGE BY ORDINANCE AND EXECUTIVE ORDER, UM, ADDITIONAL TESTING. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, MAYOR. I THINK THAT REALLY, REALLY, UH, HELPS. WHAT WAS A MURKY SITUATION? COUNCIL AND PALMER, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND I APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL. I THINK THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS CONVERSATION IS IF WE DO FIND SOMETHING, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT? UM, THE CONCERNS IN JUST THE UP SITUATION IS THAT THE COMMUNITIES ASKED FOR THINGS. THEY'VE ASKED FOR, YOU KNOW, HOSPITAL SCREENING CENTERS. THEY HAVE ASKED FOR TRANSPORTATION TO THE HOSPITAL FOR THEIR TESTING. I MEAN, THEY'VE ASKED FOR CERTAIN THINGS TO HAPPEN TO ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE. AND WE AREN'T UNABLE TO DO THAT, ALTHOUGH WE'VE DONE AN AMAZING JOB IN TERMS OF MONITORING IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. SO I THINK THAT'S A SECONDARY CONVERSATION. UM, IT'S WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE FIND IT, YOU KNOW, AND HOW DO WE SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY? THEN THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE BIGGEST PIECE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE DATA THAT SHOWS THAT THERE'S STILL CONCERNS IN THE CANCER CLUSTER AREA, BUT WE REALLY DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED THERE. SO I BELIEVE THAT'S ANOTHER CONVERSATION THAT NEEDS, NEEDS TO BE HAD. AGREE. AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY, REALLY NEEDS TO HAVE DONE FOR THEM. AGREE. WELL, LET'S, LET'S DEFINITELY MOVE FORWARD TO, TO REQUIRE THE ADDITIONAL MONITORING. UM, I THINK WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT ON, ON THAT, ON THAT PIECE. AND, UH, WE CAN MOVE VERY QUICKLY ON THAT PIECE. I CAN MOVE VERY QUICKLY ON THE EXECUTIVE ORDER EVEN SOONER THAN THAT. 'CAUSE I, I CAN DO THAT LIKE NOW. UM, BUT ON THE ORDINANCE, WE REQUIRING ADDITIONAL MONITORING. THAT'S QUICK TO MOVE ON THAT PIECE. AND THEN OF COURSE, THE ADDED PIECE IS WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER THE FACT? OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON MAYOR, I'M JUST, UH, WANNA MAKE ONE OBSERVATION, WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT A CHEMIST, NOT A LAWYER EITHER. BUT IN THE CASE OF, UM, DEVELOPMENT AS IT COMES FORWARD, UM, FREQUENTLY THROUGH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND THROUGH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THERE IS THE A 1 0 1 FORM THAT IMPOSES CONDITIONS ON DEVELOPMENT. SO LIKE WITH, UH, LIKE WITH PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT AND LAND USE DEVELOPMENT, TALKING ABOUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT A 1 0 1 FORM IS THE, IS THE VESSEL IN WHICH THE DEPARTMENTS CAN REALLY IMPOSE CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS ON THAT. SO WHILE LOVING THE IDEA OF AN EXECUTIVE, UH, DIRECTION ON THIS, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THE ORDINANCE TOGETHER IS A GREAT IDEA. SO, UM, HAVING SOME FLEXIBILITY, KNOWING THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN DISTRICT B ON THIS SITE IN PLEASANTVILLE, THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE ALL INTERESTED IN WAYS THAT THIS CAN BE TAILORED TO BE FLEXIBLE, RIGHT? UH, WHETHER IT IS, UH, A RAIL YARD, WHETHER IT IS, UH, UM, A CLEANER OR, YOU KNOW, A VARIETY OF FACILITIES. SO LOVING YOUR IDEA FOR QUICK ACTION AND, UH, AND SPEEDY REMEDIES. LOOKING FORWARD TO FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN DO THIS AS A MATTER OF COURSE, WITH SOME FLEXIBILITY. OKAY. WE'LL GET THE ORDINANCE DRAFTED, WE'LL SEND IT TO COMMITTEE AND THEN, UM, GET IT BACK IN FRONT OF US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, AGREEING TO MOVE FORWARD IN EXECUTIVE ORDER. UM, ONE OF THE CONCERNS WITH THE COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY HAD WAS CONTINUED TESTING. THEY KNOW ONCE THE MSD IS SET, UM, THERE'S NO MORE TESTING AND KNOWING THAT THERE, THAT GROUND IS ALREADY CONTAMINATED, UM, THAT JUST HAVE THE, THIS CONCERN. AND SO ONE OF THE REQUESTS WAS MORE TESTING. AND SO THIS RIGHT HERE IS JUST GONNA EASE THEIR, THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JUST THE NOT KNOWING WHETHER IT'S, UM, THE, THE CONTAMINATION IS SPREADING OR IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, GETTING SMALLER. BUT THIS RIGHT HERE IS GONNA HELP THE COMMUNITY BE AT EASE. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THIS QUESTION IS FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY. UM, IF WE WERE TO PASS THIS TODAY, BUT THEN AFTER THE FACT COME FORWARD WITH AN ORDINANCE, WOULD THAT ORDINANCE STILL, UH, REQUIRE ALL OF THE PAST MSDS TO STILL, UM, HAVE TO FOLLOW THE, UH, LANGUAGE OF THE ORDINANCE THAT WE PASS IN THE FUTURE? UH, I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO GET VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE FOR THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST, BUT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, THERE COULD BE OTHER TOOLS INCLUDING T SSEC REQUIREMENTS OR EPA REQUIREMENTS THAT COULD, THAT COULD FORCE, UM, SOMEONE'S HAND WHO WASN'T WILLING TO DO IT. BUT, UH, I THINK, UH, MANY DEVELOPERS FOR WHAT THEY WANT, WANT TO HAVE REASONABLE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS, IT IT ENHANCES THEIR PROPERTY. BUT FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY, THE ORDINANCE THAT WE MAY, UH, DISCUSS IN THE FUTURE WOULD NOT, [04:10:01] UM, BE APPLICABLE TO CORRECT. WE'D HAVE TO ASK FOR VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE. THANK YOU. OKAY, COUNCIL, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I APPRECIATE THE ORDINANCE CHANGE AND SUPPORT IN MOVING FORWARD IN THAT DIRECTION. UM, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT THE TCEQ AND THEIR REQUIREMENTS, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE'RE PASSING A STATE DESIGNATION WITH OUR ORDINANCE AND HAVE TO FOLLOW THEIR RULES TOO. SO, UM, I THINK AS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN MENTIONED, LOOKING AT THAT FROM A GOVERNMENT RELATIONS STANDPOINT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO SEE, UM, IF WE CAN CHANGE THIS AT THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL. AND WHILE WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, ALSO CHANGING, UM, THE REQUIREMENTS TO ALLOW CITIES TO DO OTHER MONITORS LIKE AT CONCRETE, CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS, LANDFILLS, THAT KIND OF THING, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY SITUATIONS LIKE THAT WHERE OUR HANDS ARE TIED AND WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES AT THE STATE LEVEL. RIGHT. AND I WILL TELL YOU LEGISLATIVELY SPEAKING, UM, WE'RE ALREADY PLANNING TO BE VERY ACTIVE AND DEALING WITH THESE CONCRETE BASS PLANTS AND ALL OF THOSE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT KIND OF ADD TO THE PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING. UM, SO I'M, I'M IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH YOU ON, ON THAT. COUNCILMAN PALMER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST FOR A CLARIFICATION QUESTION. SO IF WE VOTE TODAY ON THIS, THE EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN PLACE WILL APPLY TO THIS ONE AS WELL. IT'S NOT IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, SO WE VOTE ON IT. UH, NO. WE, WE STILL REQUIRE VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? OKAY, WE'RE ON ITEM NUMBER 24 IN FAVOR. OPPOSED PLUMBER? NO. POLLARD, NO. SHOW. COUNCILMAN, PLUMBER AND COUNCIL TO SNOW? I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS VOTING? NO. JACKSON? NO SHOW. JACKSON? NO. EVAN SHABAZZ? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAS VOTING? NO. ANYONE ELSE? GRANTED, OKAY, ITEM PASSES. WHAT'S THE VOTE ON IT? JUST MAKE SURE I HAVE IT. FIVE NOTES. OKAY. DOWN PASS IS SHOWING, UH, PLUMBER, PILOT, THOMAS, THOMAS JACKSON, JACKSON, EVAN, AND EVAN SHABA. VOTING NO. OKAY. NEXT ITEM, ITEM 25. ITEM 25. DISCUSSION ON 25. JACKSON, NO PLUMBER, NO. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION ON 25. OKAY. UH, PREPARED TO VOTE IN FAVOR OPPOSED JACKSON. SO JACKSON VOTING NO. IN PLUMBER VOTING. NO POLL, NO SHA POLL VOTING? NO. EVAN SHABAZZ, NO. THOMAS SHABAZZ AND THOMAS VOTING? NO. OKAY. OKAY. ITEM PASSES POLL. THOMAS JACKSON, PLUMBER, POLLARD, THOMAS, AND SHABAZZ VOTING NO. OKAY. OKAY. NEXT ITEM. ITEM 27 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 27. COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON ON 27. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS IS, UH, A GREAT PROJECT IN DISTRICT C, AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN KNOWS THAT WE'VE SUPPORTED THIS, UH, AT THE CITY AT TPC, UM, IN A VARIETY OF PLACES. AND WITH EVERY INTENTION TO GO FORWARD. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A, A COMMENT TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER AND REGARDING THE PROJECT THAT, THAT I HAVE HEARD SOME CONCERN ABOUT PROJECT DETAILS ALONG, UH, THE SHEPHERD IN DURHAM, UM, UH, RIGHTS OF WAY AND WANTED TO JUST PUT IN A LITTLE PLUG FOR SOME, UM, SOME OPEN THINKING ABOUT DETAILS BECAUSE OF THE INTERESTING AND UNIQUE TERRAIN ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THOSE STREETS. UH, BUT WHILE I WILL SUPPORT THAT, I WANTED TO AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF THE CORRESPONDENCE I'VE RECEIVED, UM, ABOUT SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE WAY THEY'RE FEATHERING INTO THE NAVAL NEIGHBORHOOD ON BOTH THE EAST AND WEST SIDE OF SHEPHERD AND DURHAM. SO, UM, IN SUPPORT, BUT, UH, WITH A QUALIFIED HOPE THAT WE CAN GO FORWARD WITH SOME GOOD DESIGN THINKING AND, AND POTENTIAL TO WORK THROUGH SOME ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMUNITY. OKAY. COUNCILMAN MCKAY? UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. I THINK, YOU KNOW, ANY AND ALL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS GREAT. THIS IS THE FIRST I'M HEARING OF THAT. UM, SO I KNOW WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION OFFLINE. I DO WANNA POINT OUT, THIS IS A MEMORIAL HEIGHTS TURS PROJECT, NOT THE CITY SEGMENT OF IT. I KNOW WHAT INTERSECTIONS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I LIVE THERE. UM, AND SO MUCH MORE WORK IS NEEDED. MAYOR, I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE TALKED CONSISTENTLY. PART OF THAT CORRIDOR IS SHADY ACRES AND THE INCREASED, UH, TRAFFIC [04:15:02] ALL THE WAY THROUGH INCREASED DEVELOPMENT. UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, THIS PROJECT COMPLETELY TRANSFORMS THAT CORRIDOR, AND THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENTS. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE HIT WE BEING RESIDENTS. EVERYONE HAS HIT, UM, SOME CHALLENGES. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, LINES THAT WERE DISCOVERED JUST LIKE HAVING SOME OF THE OLDEST INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY, UH, THAT ARE CAUSING FURTHER DELAYS, ADDITIONAL, UH, NEEDS. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS AMENDMENT, JUST SO COLLEAGUES ARE AWARE, UPDATES THE SCOPE BECAUSE THERE'S A NECESSARY REDESIGN AND REROUTE FOR FAILING, UH, WASTEWATER LINES. IT'S SELECT CROSS STREETS, WHICH IS, I BELIEVE WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON IS TALKING ABOUT. SO, UH, THE WORK IS IMPORTANT. I WELCOME ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK THAT WE CAN RELATE TO THE TS AS WELL. THEY'RE A TREMENDOUS COMMUNITY PARTNER. AND I DO WANNA JUST POINT OUT, UM, IF THERE IS FEEDBACK AND COUNCIL MEMBER, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOU AMPLIFYING THIS. UH, RESIDENTS CAN GO TO MEMORIAL HEIGHTS TS FIVE.COM AND TO ENGAGE HOUSTON.ORG AND UTILIZE THAT SO THAT THOSE COMMUNICATIONS ARE ALSO GETTING ACROSS. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM IN FAVOR OPPOSED GRANTED ON ITEM 27. NEXT ITEM, ITEM 28 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 28. COUNCIL MEMBER MC, CAROLYN NOMAN SHABAZZ ON 28TH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'M GONNA HAVE TO SAY THAT I, I WANNA PUMP THE BRAKES AND NO PUN INTENDED, BUT, UH, I KNOW THE MASTER AGREEMENT WAS MADE BACK IN 2018. AND SO THAT WAS BEFORE ME. IT WAS CERTAINLY BEFORE THE CURRENT PRESIDENT, DR. CRUMPTON YOUNG, BUT THERE WAS JUST A, A HOMECOMING CELEBRATED AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE ONLY TWO LANES. BECAUSE AS IT STANDS NOW, IF THERE IS AN EVENT AT TSU, WHICH THERE ARE MANY AT PILGRIM CHURCH, THEN THAT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM FOR THE LOCAL TRAFFIC TO GET THROUGH, BECAUSE YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION. ALSO, BLOT IS A MAJOR STREET. AND WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU START BLOCKING A BLOT, THEN YOU'RE GONNA DRIVE THE TRAFFIC TO ROSEDALE, WHICH IS ON THE SOUTH. AND WE HAVE TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AND ON THE NORTH SIDE, YOU HAVE THE CUNY HOMES AND YOU HAVE JACK GATES HIGH SCHOOL. WELL, YOU KNOW, SOME YEARS AGO, UH, OF COURSE THEY CLOSED OFF WHEELER AND THEY CLOSED OFF TILL WESTERN, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SAFETY OF THE STUDENTS. BUT THAT SPACE RIGHT THERE AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO HELP BIKERS, THEY CAN GO STRAIGHT THROUGH TEXAS SOUTHERN TO OR STRAIGHT TO TEXAS SOUTHERN OR STRAIGHT THROUGH TEXAS SOUTHERN TO GET TO UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. STRAIGHT SHOT. AND SO IT'S NOT LIKE THE MS ONE 50 IS COMING THROUGH THERE. AND SO I THINK THAT TO CLOSE THESE, TO NARROW THIS STREET TO TWO LANES WOULD BE A LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE FOR THAT COMMUNITY. AND I LIVED THERE, AND AGAIN, IT, IT WAS BEFORE ME AND I, THERE'S SOME OTHER PLACES IN DISTRICT D THAT THAT HAPPENED THAT I COULDN'T STOP BECAUSE THEY WERE ALREADY IN ACTION BEFORE ME. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS, UH, NOT MOVE FORWARD. AND I'M GOING TO TAG THIS ITEM, UH, BUT I WILL LIFT THE TAG IF OTHERS WANT TO WANNA COMMUNICATE ABOUT IT. BUT I, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT IDEA TO CLOSE OFF THIS TRAFFIC. AND THEN THERE'S A MAJOR EXCUSE, I FORGOT TO SAY, THERE'S A MAJOR CHURCH ON BLOT AND SCOTT, WHICH COULD, YOU KNOW, COULD BOG UP THEIR TRAFFIC, WHICH MEANS THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA DO IT THAT WAY, THEN THE MS ONE, NOT THE MS ONE 50, THE BIKERS WOULD HAVE TO TURN EVENTUALLY ON SCOTT STREET, WHICH IS A VERY BUSY STREET. AND SO I THINK A STRAIGHT SHOT THROUGH TEXAS SOUTHERN WOULD BE THEIR BEST WAY OF GETTING TO UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON OR TO TEXAS SOUTHERN. SO, I, I'D LIKE TO TAG THIS ITEM WELL BEFORE YOU TAG IT. AND JUST, I THINK YOU NEED TO HAVE A VERY IN DEPTH CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNTY BECAUSE YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONER HAS SPENT MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO IMPROVE THE STREETS AND ROADWAY AROUND TEXAS SOUTHERN I, I WELCOME THAT CONVERSATION, MAYOR AND, AND UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT IN THE COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY ARE THESE BIKE LANES. ABSOLUTELY. SO, BEFORE YOU, BEFORE YOU CUT IT OFF, , BEAR IN MIND THAT THE DOLLARS, THE MAJORITY OF THE DOLLARS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE STREETS AROUND TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY [04:20:02] ARE COMING FROM HARRIS. I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND MAYOR HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT, PRECINCT ONE, I WOULD, WE DO WANT THE IRRIGATION. WE, THE NEW IRRIGATION. WE DO WANT THE SIDEWALKS. WE DO WANT THE STREETS. BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, MAYOR, I WANT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN DETERMINE IF THIS IS A FEASIBLE, UH, UM, OPTION FOR THEM. BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE A LOT OF COMMUNITY PEOPLE THAT WILL COME FORWARD TO SAY THAT THEY WANT YOU TO NARROW THOSE STREETS AND CREATE A VEHICULAR NIGHTMARE. AND I CERTAINLY WILL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER, AND I KNOW HE'S AN AVID BIKER, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT WE CAN'T, UM, HAVE A VEHICULAR NIGHTMARE JUST TO HAVE BIKE LANES ALL OVER THE DISTRICT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 28TH BEFORE THE ITEM IS TAGGED? UH, THE ITEM IS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, CAROLYN AND MR. TAGGED POLLARD AS WELL, AND BY POLLARD. OKAY. [MATTERS HELD] NEXT ITEM, ITEM 32 IS A MOTION THAT ALREADY HAS BEEN MADE. THE MOTION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALRIGHT, ON ITEM 32, COUNCILOR PLUMMER, COUNCILMAN PLUM ON 32. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. SO I'VE HAD A LOT OF DIALOGUE, UM, WITH COMMUNITY FROM, WITH, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, WITH OUR PROCUREMENT OFFICER. SO GREAT INFORMATION. I WANTED TO BRING A LITTLE BIT OF ATTENTION TO THIS. THIS CONTRACT WAS AGREED UPON IN 2019, OBVIOUSLY BEFORE MANY OF US WERE HERE. IT'S A CO-OP CONTRACT, WHICH, WHICH MEANT THAT THERE WAS NO, IT WAS AN OPEN BID. THERE'S NO OPEN BID ON THE CONTRACT NOR MWBE REQUIREMENTS. UM, THESE, THESE MATERIALS OR SUPPLIES ARE JUST HARDWARE. I MEAN, THIS IS EVERYTHING THAT YOU COULD BUY FROM A HARDWARE STORE. SO IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT ANYONE PRETTY MUCH CAN GET THEIR HANDS ON. MY MY CONCERN ON THIS, UM, ON THIS CONTRACT IS THAT WE INCREASE IT APPROXIMATELY $4 MILLION, JUST UNDER $4 MILLION. UM, IT REALLY DOES BOX OUT THOSE SMALL TO MID-SIZE COMPANIES THAT ARE ABLE TO SUPPLY THE CITY WITH ALL OF THE SUPPLIES THAT THEY NEED. AND, AND THAT'S REALLY BEEN OUR, OUR LARGEST, OUR LARGEST CONCERN. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT. UM, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ON THIS ONE RIGHT NOW. I'VE ASKED LEGAL, AND I APPRECIATE LEGAL GETTING INVOLVED AS WELL, JUST KIND OF GIVING ME SOME GUIDANCE IN TERMS OF CAN WE INTERJECT TO MWBE REQUIREMENT IN THIS, BUT WHAT AN UNDERSTANDING THIS IS NOT A NEW CONTRACT. UM, BUT WHAT I, WHAT I WOULD LIKE, BUT I WILL SAY TO YOU ON THAT ISSUE, BUT ON THE NEXT ONES THAT ARE COMING THERE, IT WILL BE AN MWB REQUIREMENT. THANK YOU. SO, SO, YES. SO I, SO THANK YOU. BECAUSE WHAT MY REQUEST IS, AND I, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, IS THAT WHEN THESE, UM, CO-OP CONTRACTS COME TO US, ALERTING LBO ALERTING, UM, DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS UNDERSTAND THAT THERE CANNOT BE A WAIVER. YOU HAVE TO BRING SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, UH, TO THE TABLE AND A NO BID. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE, THAT WE'RE REALLY GETTING THE BEST PRICE POINT IF WE'RE NOT BIDDING IT OUT? AND SO, YOU KNOW, UM, I ALSO SPOKE WITH, WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE PROCUREMENT OFFICER, JUST THIS IS JUST FOR, JUST FOR UNDERSTANDING. ANYTHING UNDER $3,000 CAN BE DECIDED AMONGST A PROCUREMENT OFFICER. SO THOSE BIDS CAN GO TO ANYBODY. UM, I ASKED, I ASKED, UM, JED TO PLEASE, LET'S LOOK AT THAT MORE CLOSELY. UH, I THINK IT SHOULD BE ON A REVOLVING SITUATION TO WHERE EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE TYPICALLY THEY JUST CALL THE PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH. I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. UM, I'M ASKING THE, UM, THE COMMUNITIES THAT OUR SUPPLIERS AND VENDORS TO PLEASE LOOK AT THE EBIT SYSTEM. IF YOU NEED SUPPORT ON THE EBIT SYSTEM, WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU ON THAT. AND ANYTHING UNDER THAT $50,000 DOES NOT COME TO US. BUT THE LIST IS VERY LONG. AND, UH, WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE GUIDANCE ON THAT AS WELL. UM, UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T SUPPORT THIS ITEM. I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST, I CAN'T SUPPORT THIS ITEM, BUT I DO APPRECIATE, UM, THE ADMINISTRATION LOOKING AT THIS MORE CLOSELY INVOLVING OUR, OUR, UM, MY MINORITY BUSINESSES TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROCESS. WE CAN ADDRESS IT ON THIS ONE, BUT THE MWB REQUIREMENT, UH, WILL BE INCLUDED ON THE OTHERS. WE GO THROUGH THE CO-OPS. NUMBER ONE, THEY'RE MUCH QUICKER. NUMBER TWO, THEY'RE BEEN BETTER, LIKE ON THE STATE LEVEL. UH, SO WE DO THE PRICING. YEAH. AND WE GET BETTER PRICING ON THEM. SO WE DO IT ALL THE TIME. UM, THERE IS ANOTHER ONE THAT'S COMING THROUGH, I THINK, UM, THE PROCUREMENT OFFICER IS INDICATED, THE RFP, UM, THAT'S COMING BACK THROUGH. AND SO WHEN WE DO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO UTILIZE LOCAL VENDORS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, SO I AGREE WITH THAT. WE DON'T WANNA OVERLOOK OUR LOCAL VENDORS, UH, ESPECIALLY OUR, OUR SMALL ONES, UM, THAT REALLY, [04:25:01] YOU KNOW, UM, ARE PURCHASED BY, FROM US, BY OF THEM CAN REALLY IS A BIG DEAL FOR THEIR BUSINESS. SO WE WANNA, WE WANNA ALWAYS BE SENSITIVE TO THAT. UM, SO I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, THE PROCUREMENT DIRECTOR IS VERY SENSITIVE AND DISCUSS THIS MATTER WITH THE, WITH ME ON IT. UH, SO, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I CAN ASSURE YOU EVEN WITH THE CO-OPS, THE MWB REQUIREMENT WILL BE, WILL BE A PART OF IT. THANK YOU. MAYOR, IF I COULD JUST GIVE YOU JUST ONE MORE COMMENT. THE, THE, THE, UM, THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT BRING OUT OF MONEY, SO TO SPEAK, ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. AND I WANNA COMMEND OUR SMALL BUSINESSES 'CAUSE THEY STEPPED UP AND THEY MADE SURE THAT WE, WHEN WE ORDERED SOMETHING, IT WAS, IT WAS GIVEN TO THEM AT THE SAME LEVEL OF, YOU KNOW, PRICE POINT AT THE SAME LEVEL OF EXPEDIENCY, RIGHT? AND SO AND SO THAT SHOWED THAT WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE THE, UM, THE WHEREWITHAL TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. I AGREE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I AGREE WITH YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN PLUMMER FOR BRINGING THIS UP. UH, WE HAD SPOKE ABOUT THIS PREVIOUSLY. MAYOR, DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOLLECTION ON, ON WHY THIS CONTRACT ORIGINALLY CAME BEFORE THE BODY IN 2019? UM, WITHOUT A-M-W-B-E GOAL? I, I, I DON'T. OKAY. I SIMPLY ASKED THE QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT, UH, WE WERE RESTRICTED FROM DOING IT BY VIRTUE OF THE STATE OR NO. AND, UH, I WAS TOLD THIS MORNING THAT, UM, UH, WE CAN REQUIRE, UH, IMPOSE AN MWBE. AND SO WHAT I'VE INDICATED TO, TO PROCUREMENT IS THAT AS WE GO FORWARD AND WE WILL UTILIZING CO-OPS, UH, TO IMPOSE AN MWBE ON, THANK YOU, MAYOR. OH, IF IT'S NO, IF THERE'S NO DEFENSIBILITY, IF YOU CAN'T DIVIDE IT, DI VISIBILITY THE VISIBILITY, I'M SORRY, WRONG WORD. UM, IF THERE'S NO, MY, MY, MY TONGUE SOMETIMES GET TWISTED, I'M SO SORRY. BUT Y'ALL KNOW WHAT I MEAN. YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN'T DIVIDE IT, THEN THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO MWBE AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS ONE IS DI DIVISIBLE OR NOT. IT'S NOT, NOT THIS ONE, IS IT? THIS ONE IS NOT DIVISIBLE. THAT'S THE REASON THIS ONE IS NOT. WHY WOULD, WHY WASN'T THIS ONE DIVISIBLE? I I DON'T, IT WAS MANUFACTURED DROP SHIFT. THE MANUFACTURER MAKES IT AND DROP SHIFTS AT SO LOCATION. SO THERE WAS NOT DIVISIBILITY ON IT. I MEAN, WE CAN ALWAYS TAKE A LOOK AT IT. I, I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT I'M BEING TOLD THERE WAS NOT, IT WAS NOT DIVISIBLE, BUT IT, WHEN IT IS DIVISIBLE, UH, THEN CERTAINLY WE CAN IMPOSE AN MWPE REQUIREMENT ON IT. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN PAL. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I'M SORRY, I WAS LOOKING THROUGH MY PHONE. THERE WAS, SO YES, YOU'RE RIGHT. THIS WAS NOT DIVISIBLE. BUT I WILL SAY, AND I WISH I COULD CALL THIS COMPANY'S NAME. I'LL FIND IT AND I'LL DO IT AT POPUP. 'CAUSE I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THEM. THERE'S ONE COMPANY THOUGH THAT IS ALMOST AS LARGE AS GRANGER. AND THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, RECOMMENDED TO BE USED BECAUSE THEY STILL REACH BACK. SO EVEN THAT IS NOT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT DIVISIBLE, THEY ARE COMPANIES THAT ARE TEAM PLAYERS AND WILL REACH BACK AND MAKE SURE THAT THESE SMALL TO MID-SIZE BUSINESSES ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS. OKAY. ARE THEY A PART OF THE CO-OP? DO YOU KNOW IF THEY'RE A PART OF THE CO-OP? I, I SPOKE WITH JED. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE, BUT I'M GONNA ADVOCATE FOR THEM FOR SURE. YEAH. THE ONLY WE, WE HAVE TWO OPTIONS, UH, THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, GOING THROUGH THE CO-OP OR DOING THE RFP. AND IF THEY'RE NOT IN THE CO-OP, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T PULL THEM. UM, SO THOSE ARE THE TWO OPTIONS THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM? WHICH ONE IS THIS? 32. 32. 32. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED PLUMBER? NO. SHOW COUNCILMAN PLUM VOTING NOTE POLL. NO. SHOW COUNCILMAN POLL VOTING NOTE IN JACKSON. COUNCILMAN JACKSON VOTING NOTE. DISTRICT OF DESTINATION . THERE GO. OKAY. PLUMBER. PAULA JACKSON. OKAY. KEVIN SHA, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION WAS ASLEEP. OKAY. SHE SAID IT. WE'RE GONNA BLISTER. ALL RIGHT. ITEM PASSES. NEXT ITEM. ITEM 33 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. WE ON ITEM 33 MEAN I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. YEAH, I LIKE, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DELAY THIS ITEM UNTIL THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING MOVED. AND SECOND IS ANY OBJECTIONS? CHAIR. CHAIR HERE. NONE. ITEM IS DELAYED FOR UNTIL AFTER THANKSGIVING. MUST BE, THAT MUST BE JACKET'S YOU SAID. YOU SAID WITHOUT. OH, OKAY. JUST GO AHEAD AND VOTE ANY, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION. OPPOSE. OH, WAIT. IN FAVOR. OPPOSE. GRANTED. THANK. OKAY. THE ITEM IS DELAYED. UH, TILL NOVEMBER 30TH. NOVEMBER 30TH. [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] WHEN EVERYBODY HAVE [04:30:01] HAD THEIR TURKEY DRESSING, THEY'RE IN A GOOD MOOD. . ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. BIRTHDAY. UM, BEFORE YOU STARTED, COUNCILMAN MC GALL EAGLES. YOU HAD A BIRTHDAY? I THINK FRIDAY. VETERAN'S DAY ON VETERAN'S DAY. HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAN. YEAH. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. SO, TWO BIRTHDAY GUYS. ONE, UH, COUNCILMAN MGOS AND COUNCILMAN . DAVE, YOU GOT ONE COMING ON THE 20TH. SUNDAY. WHEN'S YOUR BIRTHDAY? THIS COME SUNDAY. WE DON'T CELEBRATE THEM ANYMORE. OH, YES, WE DO. I CUT 'EM OFF. NO, WE DON'T COME OUT MAYO PRO TIM. BIRTHDAY WILL BE SUNDAY. BIRTHDAYS ARE LIKE ALCOHOL. THE MORE YOU DRINK OR THE MORE YOU HAVE, THE LESS YOU CARE. . AND I'LL LEAVE ON THAT. NOW. I'M GONNA LEAVE. I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE HEARD THAT ONE BEFORE. ALL RIGHT. OH MY. GOOD DEAL. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. ANYBODY ELSE HAS A BIRTHDAY IN NOVEMBER? YOU SENDING MY JELLY CAKE? OH YEAH. JELLY CAKE IS ON OUR TIMUS. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA BE ON HONOROUS. IT, IT, IT BURNT UP. . OKAY. TODAY WE START WITH COUNCILMAN PLUM. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I AM SO EXCITED. UM, AND I WANNA THANK THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THE SUPPORT. UM, I'LL BE TRAVELING TO, UM, THE UNITED AIR EMIRATES NEXT WEEK. UM, THIS IS, UM, ABU DHABI HAS BEEN A SISTER CITY OF, OF OURS SINCE 2002, BUT THERE'S NEVER BEEN ANYONE CITY OFFICIAL, UM, GONE TO VISIT. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. SO I'M SO THANKFUL FOR YOU, MAYOR, FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS. UM, WHEN I GET TO ABU DHABI, I'LL BE VISITING THE CLEVELAND CLINIC IN ABU DHABI. I'LL BE SEEING THE UAE SPACE CENTER AGENCY. AND THAT'S IN PARTNERSHIP CURRENTLY WITH NASA. I'LL BE VISITING THE ART HEALTH FACILITIES, UM, WHICH HAVE BEEN BUILT BY HOUSTON BASED ORGANIZATION CALLED ACOM. UM, I'LL BE VISITING THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE MINISTERS OF HEALTH AND COMMERCE. IT'S GONNA BE AN AMAZING TRIP. THE UAE IS KNOWN FOR ITS GENEROUS, UM, FOR GENEROUS COUNTRY IN THE WORLD AND PHILANTHROPIC WORK, INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING, UM, A, A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. UH, IN ADDITION, THIS JUST CAME OFF THE HOT PRESS. I WILL ALSO BE, BE VISITING WARNER BROTHERS. SO IT'S GONNA BE A REALLY GREAT TRIP. AND, UM, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND WHEN ARE YOU LEAVING? I'M LEAVING ON, UH, SUNDAY, A SATURDAY MORNING. AND, UM, I'LL BE, I'LL BE RETURNING, UM, ON SUNDAY. AND IT'S A FULL PACKED TRIP. EVERYONE'S BEEN INCREDIBLY BUSY, HAS BEEN AMAZING, AND I'M REALLY SUPPORTIVE. WELL, ENJOY, ENJOY THE TRIP AND IT WILL BE VERY POSITIVE AND SUBSTANTIVE. SO, UH, REPRESENTATIVE US. WELL, I KNOW YOU WILL. IT'S REALLY COOL. I WILL. AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING. I KNOW, RIGHT? I'M GONNA, YES. I'M GONNA TAKE YOU UP ON THAT . UM, AND I WISH EVERYONE HAD, UM, MERRICK WAS LORD HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE. I WON'T BE HERE FOR THANKSGIVING THE FIRST TIME. I'VE BEEN AWAY FOR THANKSGIVING SINCE I'VE HAD CHILDREN. OH. SO YEAH. SO MY KIDS ARE LIKE, WHERE'S THE MAC AND CHEESE? I'M LIKE, I'M MAKING IT ON SATURDAY. I MEAN, ON SUNDAY. UM, FRIDAY NIGHT. SO, OKAY. I'LL FREEZE THEIR MAC AND CHEESE. SO THEY HAVE MAC AND CHEESE ON THANKSGIVING. . GOOD DEAL. GOOD. YES. I HAVE LIKE THIS FAMOUS MAC AND CHEESE I MAKE . THANK YOU. OKAY. IN CASE PEOPLE FORGET, UM, WE WON'T BE MEETING TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. RIGHT? OKAY. SO NO, NO MEETING, UH, BREAK WEEK NEXT WEEK. NO MEETING TUESDAY. TUESDAY. NO MEETING ON WEDNESDAY. BUT AGAIN, UH, IF YOU FEEL COMPELLED AND, AND MOVE, MOVE TO COME, JUST COME AND TAKE YOUR SEATS AND JUST, YOU KNOW, ENJOY. COUNCIL MEMBER PAC. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE WILL BE HERE NEXT WEEK. PASSING FLOODING MITIGATION PROJECTS AND DISTRICT . I PASS. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERY, ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN MC JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, GOT AN UPDATE ON OUR BE SUCCESSFUL JOBS INITIATIVE. UM, THIS PAST SATURDAY, WE HAD THE JOBS FAIR, RESOURCE FAIR. UM, WE HAD OVER 34 VENDORS, UM, PRESENT. 200 PEOPLE ATTENDED. UM, 11 PEOPLE WERE HIRED ON THE SPOT, INCLUDING FIVE BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YES, IT WAS GREAT. UM, WE HAD PEOPLE GETTING, UM, ASSISTANCE WITH HOUSING AND UTILITY BILLS. IT WAS REALLY GREAT EVENT. MUCH BIGGER, MUCH BETTER. SO OUR NEXT EVENT WOULD BE THE NEXT JOB. RESOURCE FAIR WOULD BE IN JANUARY, ON JANUARY THE 14TH. UM, WE'LL BE AT HCC IN ACRES HOMES. SO REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, JUST GROWING AND GETTING MORE PEOPLE INTO SOME GOOD PAYING JOBS. UM, I ALSO WANT TO THANK BARK, UM, FOR PICKING UP MORE THAN 19 DOGS, UM, IN THE FIFTH WARD AREA OVER THE PAST TWO DAYS. UM, I APPRECIATE THEM JUST BEING VERY RESPONSIVE. IN FACT, I WAS UP IN DENVER HARBOR AND SAW A FEW DOGS RUNNING AROUND, AND WE CALLED THEM. THEY CAME OUT IMMEDIATELY, UM, TO PICK. IN FACT, WE WERE AT THE, UM, THE TOOL BANK. THEY CAME OUT AND, UM, AND PICKED [04:35:01] UP THE DOGS. AND SO THANK THEM FOR THE, THEIR WORK ON KEEPING, MAKING SURE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE FREE OF THOSE DANGEROUS DOGS THAT'S RUNNING AROUND. UM, AND THIS SATURDAY WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR DISTRICT B MONTHLY BRIEFING. OUR GUESTS WILL BE METRO. UM, THEY'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY CORRIDOR PROJECT. UM, IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, THE THE EVENT, PLEASE CONTACT US AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9, OR EMAIL US TO GET THE LINK DISTRICT B@HOUSTONTX.GOV. AND ALSO, I JUST WANNA INFORM YOU TO SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER TO LEARN ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING IN DISTRICT B. UM, HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING. GOD BLESS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, SO OUR THANKSGIVING POP OFF OF GRATITUDE FIRST, UH, OUR RAIN BARREL ANNUAL RAIN BARREL EVENT. OVER 200 RESIDENTS PARTICIPATED. IT WAS FANTASTIC OVER THE WEEKEND. UM, WANTED TO THANK BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA. THEY HOSTED US THIS TIME. TREES FOR HOUSTON, DONATED FREE TREES TO ANY RESIDENT THAT WANTED TO PICK ONE UP. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS ALWAYS CAME THROUGH IN HELPING US COORDINATE EVERYTHING, WHICH I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE. HPD WAS OUT THERE TO HELP WITH TRAFFIC AND SAFETY. OUR HOPE, UH, EMPLOYEES SHOWED UP IN FULL FORCE TO HELP ACTUALLY LIFTING THE BARRELS, LOADING THEM INTO CARS, AS WELL AS, UH, VOLUNTEER HOUSTON. WE HAD A CHURCH STUDENT GROUP FOUNDRY CHURCH, A BUNCH OF HIGH SCHOOLERS, UH, YOUNG MEN CAME TO HELP AS WELL. SO MY CUP RUN IF OVER AND APPRECIATION FOR ALL OF THEM, MY STAFF. AND THEN MAYOR, I'M NOT SURE, UH, IS PART OF ONE SAFE HOUSTON AND LOCK IT UP SAFE. THE, THE CAMPAIGN THAT WE ARE PUSHING AND HPD IS CONTINUING TO PUSH RELATED TO RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP AND MAKING SURE GUNS DON'T FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THOSE THAT SHOULDN'T. UH, ROUGHLY THREE IN FOUR CHILDREN, AGES FIVE TO 14 WITH, UH, GUN OWNING. PARENTS KNOW WHERE A FIREARM IS STORED. THEIR FIREARM IS STORED WITHOUT THE PARENTS' KNOWLEDGE. AND MORE THAN ONE IN FIVE HAS ACTUALLY HANDLED A GUN IN THE HOME WITHOUT THEIR PARENTS' KNOWLEDGE. UH, THAT'S NOT TO SAY PARENTS DON'T CARE AND WANT TO BE SAFE. UH, SO WE HAVE LAUNCHED IN DISTRICT C IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HPD AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH YOUR EFFORTS WITH ONE SAFE HOUSTON, UM, A FREE GUNLOCK DISTRIBUTION WITH PTOS AND HIC WRAPAROUND COUNSELORS. UH, WE'VE COMMITTED $75,000 OF DISTRICT FUNDS FOR THIS EFFORT. AND THE KICKOFF OF THAT WAS WITH THE CARNEGIE VANGUARD PTO LAST WEEK. UH, PARENTS WERE SO RECEPTIVE TO THE CONVERSATION. EVERYONE IS VERY ENERGIZED TO GET THE WORD OUT AND NORMALIZE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT GUN SAFETY AND DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN. SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY APPRECIATION, UH, TO YOU MAYOR TO HPD, BUT ALSO TO THE PARENTS WHO ARE REALLY STEPPING UP TO ENGAGE ON THIS ISSUE. AND LASTLY, COLLEAGUES. UH, WE HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING THURSDAY, IT WILL BE THE LAST ONE OF THE YEAR. UH, THERE'S GONNA BE A SPECIAL PRESENTATION FROM THE VICTIMS VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION OF HPD. THAT'S WHAT DART DOMESTIC ABUSE RESPONSE TEAM FALLS UNDER. BUT THERE'S A WHOLE NEW DIVISION AS OF TWO YEARS AGO, MAYOR UNDER YEAR IN CHIEF FINN'S LEADERSHIP THAT EXPANDED WHAT WE DO AS A CITY IN SUPPORTING VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS. SO IMPORTANT INFORMATION IS GONNA COME OUT OF THAT. AS WELL AS THE DEPARTMENTS WE OVERSEE, COURTS, FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE, AS WELL AS HECK WILL GIVE THEIR ANNUAL REVIEWS. UH, SO IMPORTANT INFORMATION COMING OUT OF THERE AS WELL, AND WOULD LOVE FOR THOSE THAT CAN TO ATTEND. THANK YOU. HAPPY THANKSGIVING. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER COLONEL SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. ON THIS THURSDAY, THERE WILL BE THE ANNUAL GRANDPARENTS DINNER AT STERLING HIGH SCHOOL, UH, WHICH WILL BE FROM SIX 30 TO 7 31 1 6 2 5 MARTINDALE ROAD. AND I PLAN TO JOIN THEM. ALSO ON THIS SATURDAY, WE HAVE A FEW GIVEAWAYS, THE HOUSTON PRAISE AND WORSHIP CENTER, PRE-THANKSGIVING MUSICAL AND GIVEAWAY, WHICH WILL BE FROM NOON TO FIVE AT OUR PARK, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE SHAPE COMMUNITY CENTER, 38 0 1 LIVE OAK. THERE WILL BE GOSPEL, HIP HOP, TURKEYS, CANNED GOODS CLOSED, AND TOILETRIES. ALSO ON THIS SATURDAY, TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 2,600 HOLMAN IN THE CHURCH PARKING LOT FROM 11 TO TWO, THEY WILL HAVE THEIR FRESH PRODUCE MOBILE MART. SO JOIN THEM AND COME OUT AND BUY SOME THINGS THAT YOU MAY WANT TO EAT FOR THANKSGIVING. ALSO, I WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, THERE WILL BE A, A JACK GATES HALL OF FAME, UH, FIRST ANNUAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME. AND MY FATHER WILL BE ONE OF THE INDUCTEES ALONG WITH SEVERAL, UH, JACK GATES, UH, PROMINENT BASKETBALL PLAYERS. THAT WILL BE SATURDAY NIGHT AT 36 50 ALABAMA, WHICH IS, UH, THE NEW JACK YATES. AND IT WILL BE AT 6:00 PM ALSO. LET'S SEE. I WANNA THANK COUNCILWOMAN THOMAS YESTERDAY FOR [04:40:01] HER ENGAGEMENT WITH HER STUDENTS. IT WAS VERY, VERY, UH, WELL ATTENDED AND WE REALLY ENJOYED THE ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM. I ALSO WANNA THANK, UH, DONNA FU, WHO IS A FACILITY MANAGER AT JUDSON ROBINSON JUNIOR COMMUNITY CENTER FOR 32 YEARS. SHE RETIRED ON YESTERDAY, AND WE WANNA THANK HER FOR HER EXCELLENCE SERVICE. ALSO, MAYOR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO HELP THE PEOPLE WITH THESE WATER BILLS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO EVEN GET THROUGH TO TALK ABOUT IT AS A PROBLEM. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE CAN BE A DESIGNATED EMAIL OR WEBSITE OR SOME WAY THAT THEY CAN ENGAGE BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THAT THEY'RE ON THE LINE FOR A VERY LONG TIME, OR, AND WHEN THEY SOMETIMES GET THEM, THEN, THEN THEY HANG UP OR THE PHONE HANGS UP. I WOULD HATE TO THINK THAT SOMEONE WOULD HANG UP ON THE, THE PERSONS THERE, BUT CERTAINLY I WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING. I'LL PROBABLY SPEND SOME OF MINE ON A BIKE RUNNING DOWN RODNEY ELLIS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT HE BACKS DOWN ON THESE BIKE LANES, BUT I'M WILLING TO DO IT. GOOD LUCK. . I HAVE AN ELECTRIC BIKE. I HAVE AN ELECTRIC BIKE. I, I, I KNOW I CAN'T PE I'LL PEDAL HIM, BUT THAT ELECTRIC BIKE CAN GIVE ME SOME, SOME, SOME MOVEMENT. GOOD LUCK. THAT'S OKAY. I'M GONNA RIDE THAT BIKE AND, AND TRY TO SEE IF I CAN'T CHECK . BUT ANYWAY, YOU ALL, UH, WISH ME WELL. I'LL BE A LITTLE THINNER WHEN I GET BACK, I'M SURE FOR THAT RIDE. BUT THANK YOU EVERYONE, AND YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING. THANK YOU. COS MEMBER CISNEROS. UM, I TOO WANNA WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING. UM, AND I PASSED MAYOR, OH, IS THAT IT? MM-HMM . OKAY. SEE COUNCIL MAYOR PRO TEM MARTIN FROM OTUS. YES. IT WAS A LONG, UH, 18 HOURS. UM, IT WAS GREAT BEING OVER THERE. WE WERE A LITTLE WORRIED BECAUSE, UH, THEY HAD A NUMBER OF ISSUES WITH LEAKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO NAAU ON THIS MOMENTUM ACHIEVEMENT. UM, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT THE NEXT ONE, ARTEMIS TWO, IS MAY OF 2024. AND I'VE NEVER BEEN TO A LAUNCH BEFORE. AND, UH, IT WAS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY FEEL THE SHAKEN OF THE, UH, OF THE GROUND BENEATH YOUR FEET. AND, UH, IT, IT WAS REALLY SPECTACULAR. IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, YOU SHOULD GO. I MEAN, JOHNSON SPACE CENTER IS IN OUR BACKYARD. UM, WE'RE A BIG PART OF IT. AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IN SPACEPORT, UM, I THINK THE NEXT INDUSTRY AND THE NEXT ITERATION OF WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL BE, IS GONNA CAPITALIZE ON AERONAUTICS AND AVIATION. AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF US WON'T BE HERE IN 24, BUT MANY OF US WILL. AND, UM, MAKE SURE YOU GET OVER THERE 'CAUSE IT'S, UH, QUITE INTERESTING. UH, WE GOT IN YESTERDAY ABOUT SEVEN O'CLOCK AND SPENT ABOUT FIVE HOURS, UM, WAITING FOR THE LAUNCH SIGNAL. AND ONCE THEY GOT THE NO CONSTRAINTS TO LAUNCH, UH, WAS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. PEOPLE WERE GOING CRAZY. AND THEN, UH, TO WATCH THAT, THAT THING OF BEAUTY GO UP INTO THE AIR AND KNOW THAT, UM, THE SPACECRAFT MISSION, THEY'RE GONNA ORBIT THE MOON AND THEY'RE GONNA SPLASH DOWN IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN, SPEND 25 DAYS ORBITING AND, AND DOING SOME SAMPLING. AND THEN IN MAY OF 24, UH, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE, UH, WILL BE A PART OF THIS MISSION, WILL THEY GO BACK TO THE MOON? SO IT'S PRETTY EXCITING. AND, AND TO UNDERSTAND AND TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE THIS GREAT FACILITY, JUST 20 YARDS SOUTH OF US IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE. SO, UM, IT WAS A LOT OF FUN. IT WAS, UH, IT WAS ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS THAT I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SEE. IT GOES QUICKLY. BUT, UM, IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE AND CONGRATULATIONS TO, UH, TO ALL THE FOLKS THAT MADE THIS, THIS MISSION POSSIBLE. AND GOOD LUCK, UH, OVER THE NEXT 25 DAYS. UH, ON A SAD NOTE, UH, I WANT TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE LOSS OF A TREMENDOUS PILLAR THAT WE HAVE IN THE KINGWOOD COMMUNITY AS OUR DEAR FRIEND STAN SARON LOST HIS BATTLE TO CANCER LAST WEEK. UH, STAN WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE LAKE HOUSTON TOURS, UH, THE LAKE HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. HE WAS PRESIDENT OF THE KINGWOOD SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL AMONG OTHER ENDEAVORS. AND JUST KNEW AS AN ENGINEER, KNEW MORE ABOUT KINGWOOD IN THE FLOW OF WATER FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AND HOW THAT SHOULD WORK, UH, MORE THAN ANYONE. AND HE'LL BE TRULY, TRULY AND DEEPLY MISSED IN THE KINGWOOD AREA. AND, UH, SAFE TRAVELS. ANYBODY GOING OUT OF TOWN LIKE ME, WE'RE GOING UP TO MADISON, WISCONSIN TO VISIT OUR OLDEST AND HIS WIFE AND OUR GRANDCHILD. AND SHE'S EXPECTING NUMBER TWO, THUS SHE CAN'T TRAVEL. SO WE'RE GOING UP THERE AND, [04:45:01] AND HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE, UH, ABOVE 10 DEGREES BECAUSE I CAN'T STAND COLD WEATHER. BUT SAFE TRAVELS EVERYBODY. HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING. AND REMEMBER WHAT THANKSGIVING IS ALL ABOUT. IT'S ABOUT FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND WORKING TOGETHER AND DOING THINGS LIKE WE DO, UH, AROUND THIS HORSESHOE. YOU KNOW, IT'S A LITTLE DISGUSTING IN MY OPINION, TO WATCH NATIONAL AND STATE POLITICS, BUT IT'S PRETTY EXCITING WHEN WE ALL, UH, GET TOGETHER LIKE WE DID FOR VETERANS DAY AND HEAD OUR ARMS AROUND EACH OTHER AND REJOICE. EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT POLITICAL IDEOLOGY, IT DOESN'T MEAN, UH, THAT WE CAN'T GET ALONG AND WORK TOGETHER AS A BODY, WHICH I THINK WE REALLY DO WELL. SO I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT. I'M THANKFUL FOR THE PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH DAY IN AND DAY OUT, WHICH IS THIS BODY HERE. I'M THANKFUL FOR CONTINUED GOOD HEALTH FOR ALL OF US AND THAT EVERYBODY HAS PEACE AND PROSPERITY AND REALIZE THE MEANING OF WHAT THANKSGIVING IS AND, UM, AND SHOULD BE. SO GOD BLESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, VICE MAYOR PRO, TIM CASTEK TATUM. THANK YOU MAYOR. WE HAVE A LOT TO BE HAPPY ABOUT, EXCITED ABOUT IN DISTRICT A. WE'VE HAD, UM, SOME GREAT ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK. UH, WE HAD THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR THE DR. SHANNON WALKER NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY. IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. WE HAD LOTS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS OUT. UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE AND SUPPORTING THIS GREAT VENTURE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND CAYMAN WERE BOTH AT THE, UH, GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY. ACTUALLY. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HUNG OUT WITH US MOST OF THE DAY IN DISTRICT K. WE HAD TWO EVENTS, UH, THAT DAY, BUT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW LIBRARY COMING ON BOARD. AND THERE WAS A COMMITMENT FROM THE CONTRACTORS MAYOR THAT WE WILL HAVE THAT GRAND OPENING BEFORE THEY, UM, THE END OF 2023, SO THAT YOU CAN BE THERE WITH US FOR THE GRAND OPENING AND RIBBON CUTTING ALONG WITH, UH, DR. SHANNON WALKER. MM-HMM . DR. LAWSON SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GONNA REALLY WORK TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, HAVE THE DATE ON A DAY THAT SHE IS AVAILABLE TO BE THERE. SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. UM, TALKING ABOUT LIBRARIES, WE ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A SNEAK PEEK IN THE LIBRARY AT ANDERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. AND WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE NEW LIBRARIAN AT WESTBURY LIBRARY. SO I FEEL THE IQS AND DISTRICT K JUST GOING UP, UH, . UH, WE ALSO HAD OUR, OUR RIBBON CUTTING AT THE SPARK PARK AT ANDERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WE DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE, UM, SOME OF OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO REPARK THAT, UH, PART. SO THE STUDENTS WERE SUPER EXCITED. THE CHEERLEADERS WERE THERE, THERE, VERY HAPPY TO BE WITH THE PANTHER NATION AS THEY CELEBRATED THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MORE MEMORIES WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AT THEIR SPARK PARK. UH, TODAY I AM LEAVING TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITY SUMMIT. UH, WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. UM, I WILL GO BEFORE THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE TOMORROW AT FOUR O'CLOCK, UH, FOR A POSITION ON THE BOARD OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES. SO I'LL SEND YOU A TEXT WHEN I GET THE FINAL WORD OF OF HOW IT GOES. UH, WANT TO THANK, UH, BE BUSY WELLNESS CENTER. THEY ARE HOSTING THEIR NINTH ANNUAL TURKEY GIVEAWAY, A TURKEY ON EVERY TABLE ON NOVEMBER THE 19TH FROM 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM AT 1 1 5 3 9 SOUTH GASNER ROAD. THE DISTRICT, A TEAM WILL BE THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE AN ENJOYABLE THANKSGIVING IN FORT BEND. UH, RIDGEMONT, CIA WILL BE HOSTING THEIR THANKSGIVING, TURKEY AND HAM GIVEAWAY ON THE 19TH AS WELL AT 9:00 AM AND THAT IS LOCATED AT 51 0 7 RIDGE CREEK CIRCLE. WANT TO THANK, UH, REGGIE LEWIS FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND ALL THAT HE DOES TO MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING. AND THEN FINALLY, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT INVITES DISTRICT A RESIDENTS TO COME GROW WITH US AND JOIN IN THE HIAM CLARK GARDENING DAY. WE ARE REBUILDING THE COMMUNITY GARDEN FOR HEALTHY MARKETS AND EATING AT THE HIRAM CLARK MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AT 38 10 WEST FUQUA STREET, SATURDAY FROM NINE TO ONE. AND YOU CAN CONTACT OSCAR SALAZAR OR CALL THE DISTRICT A OFFICE IF YOU'D LIKE TO VOLUNTEER. FINALLY, HAPPY THANKSGIVING. WE ALL HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR. IT IS, UM, I, I HAVE TREMENDOUS GRATITUDE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ALONGSIDE EACH OF YOU BEST WISHES AND ENJOY YOUR FAMILIES NEXT WEEK. AMEN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MC GALLEGOS. THANK YOU MAYOR. COLLEAGUES, COUNCIL STAFF AND CITY HALL EMPLOYEES. UH, IF YOU HAVE NOT NOTICED, UH, PLEASE MAKE TIME TO WALK THE ANNEX LOBBY FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO BID AND WIN BEAUTIFUL ART PIECES CREATED BY STUDENTS FROM DIDI MIDDLE SCHOOL. THE SPARK SCHOOL PARK PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP [04:50:01] ENCOURAGES EACH SCHOOL TO HELP IN FUNDRAISING $5,000 TOWARDS THEIR PARK, SPARK PARK AS PART OF, AS PART OF DIDI'S FUNDRAISER. THE SCHOOL HAS BROUGHT SEVERAL OF THEIR STUDENTS ART PIECES TO BE AUCTIONED OFF HERE AT CITY HALL ANNEX. AND THE STUDENTS ARE EXCITED TO DISPLAY THEIR ART HERE AT CITY HALL AND TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THEIR PIECES SOWED IN SUPPORT OF THEIR SCHOOL. WE'RE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AND CONSIDER BIDDING ON ONE OF THESE, ONE OF A KIND STUDENT MADE ART PIECES. THE ART WILL CONTINUE TO BE DISPLAYED THROUGHOUT THE COMING WEEK. YOU HAVE UNTIL WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD TO OUTBID YOUR COLLEAGUES. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNCIL STAFF WHO HAVE ALREADY PLACED BIDS GOING TOWARDS DIDI MIDDLE SCHOOL, SPARK PARK ART AUCTION FUNDRAISER. AND THANK Y'ALL EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING. AND THANK YOU FOR THE ARTISTS THAT BROUGHT THEIR ART PIECES HERE AT CITY HALL. THANK YOU'ALL. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN RAMSTEIN. ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA TRY TO ADD TO WHAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR PROAM MARTIN DID. LET'S SEE IF THIS WORKS. THAT THE MAYOR'S WE'RE A COUPLE OF MILES AWAY FROM THE ROCKET. IT'S UP ACROSS THE BAY, IT'S BLAZING INTO THE AIR. THOUSANDS OF MILES AN HOUR INTO THE NIGHT SKY, SHAKING THE EARTH, SHAKING OUR BODIES, SHAKING THE BLEACHERS, STANDING ON THIS WAS INCREDIBLE. THE COUNTDOWN WAS PALPABLE. NO COUNCIL MEMBER OUTGOING. WE HAD YOU THERE WITH US FOUR 20 MILES PER HOUR. JINS WASN'T THERE BACK MAX. THE NEXT MAJOR MILESTONE WILL BE FOR THE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS TO CUT OFF AND JET IN ABOUT TWO MINUTES AND 11 SECONDS INTO THE FLIGHT. SO ABOUT 30 SECONDS FROM NOW. THANK YOU. HAPPY THANKSGIVING. WE'VE GOT SO MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL FOR, MAYOR AND, UH, HAPPY THANKSGIVING. THANK YOU. YES, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS. THANK YOU. UM, SO WE ARE CLOSING OUT THE YEAR IN DISTRICT F AND WE'RE WORKING REALLY, REALLY HARD. AND AS WE CLOSE OUT THE YEAR, WE'VE ALSO CLOSED OUT THE DISTRICT F BUDGET. WE ARE FULLY SUBSCRIBED. UH, WE DON'T HAVE IT. UH, WE ARE PROBABLY LIKE AT 90% OF OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS FOR ALL VERY GOOD REASONS. UH, SEVERAL PANEL REPLACEMENTS FROM CARVER CRESS ALL THE WAY TO IMPERIAL POINT. UM, UH, SIDEWALKS SPEED CUSHIONS AND EXCITING PROGRAMMING WITH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. UH, IN READING WITH THE WRAP, WE'RE GOING TO LAUNCH AND PARTNER WITH HIM IN DISTRICT F UH, WITH HIS STATE INITIATIVE TO FO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON LITERACY. UM, LAST NIGHT I HAD THE PLEASURE OF, UH, ATTENDING KENNEDY ELEMENTARY, SPARK PARK AND THE DISTRICT. WE CONTRIBUTED $15,000 IN COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO THAT. AND THE KIDDOS, THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT THAT THEY ASK IS A $5,000. AND THOSE BABIES RAISE $9,000 IN PENNIES, LOOK AT IN PENNIES. AND SO SHOUT OUT TO THE TEACHERS AND THE ADMINS THAT LUG THOSE PENNIES TO THE BANK, UH, EVERY WEEK AND COUNTED THOSE. 'CAUSE YOU GOTTA MAKE A MOVE. BUT IT WAS A PHENOMENAL DAY, UH, AND I HOPE THAT THEY INVITE ME BACK. THE CHEERLEADER CREW, THEY HAD A, UH, A, A CHEER A A RED HOT, AND THOSE GIRLS WAS GETTING IT. SO, UM, I WANNA BE LIKE THEM ONE DAY. SO, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO WRAP UP, WE ALSO HAVE SOME FINAL CALL OF MEETINGS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU LIVE AND IN THE CITY THAT WORKS TO GOVERN WITH YOU. UH, WE HAVE OUR LAST SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 25 ALE MEETING, WHICH IS ON NOVEMBER 22ND, UM, BEFORE THANKSGIVING. THIS WILL BE AT THE HUNTINGTON VILLAGE COM, UH, UH, HUNTINGTON VILLAGE CLUB ON 9 5 1 1 COOK ROAD. UH, THEY WILL HAVE A SPEAKER FROM THE WEST CHASE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THEIR UPCOMING PROJECTS. AND THEN ON THE 16TH, TONIGHT, THE MIDWEST DIVISION OF HPD, THEY'RE HAVING THEIR PIP MEETING AND THEY'RE FEATURING A FORENSIC SPEAKER ON VICTIM SERVICES. SO PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN THAT. AND THEN LASTLY, I WANNA WISH MY BIG, BIG BROTHER, UM, HIS BIRTHDAY IS ON NOVEMBER 19TH. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TROY DAMMAN THOMAS. AND, UM, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL EAT WELL, SLEEP WELL, SPEND GOOD TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR COUNCILMAN, MAYOR ALCO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK LAST WEEK YOU HAD TO STEP OUT, BUT WANTED YOU [04:55:01] TO KNOW THAT WE COLLECTED 10,000 POUNDS WORTH OF PUMPKINS FOR OUR PUMPKIN COMPOSTING THING. SO, YAY TEAM. UM, THIS SATURDAY I'LL BE IN CLEAR LAKE MAYOR, PRO TEM AT THE EXPLORATION GREEN VOLUNTEERING OUT THERE, UM, PLANTING TREES. UH, ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT BEING AT LARGE, AS YOU KNOW, MAYOR, IS IT'S A GREAT BIG CITY WITH ALL KINDS OF THINGS TO DO ALL OVER THE PLACE. AND TO MY TWO COLLEAGUES, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM AND COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON. MAN, I COULD BARELY SLEEP LAST NIGHT, BUT IT DID FALL ASLEEP BEFORE IT HAPPENED. I'M SO GLAD IT TOOK OFF. I'M SO MAD I WASN'T THERE. . BUT, UH, I'D ALREADY SPENT TOO MUCH MONEY GOING OVER THERE TO FLORIDA. BUT REALLY, REALLY EXCITING AND THRILLED FOR ALL THE, THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS FOR THAT MOMENT. SO THANKS FOR SHARING IT WITH US AND, UH, GODSPEED THERE IN SPIRIT. THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABBAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, THE BUSY BEE WELLNESS CENTER WILL BE REALLY BUSY THIS WEEKEND BECAUSE THEY'LL BE IN DISTRICT A, BUT THEY'RE ALSO PARTICIPATING AT THE HOLMAN STREET BAPTIST CHURCH ANNUAL TURKEY GIVEAWAY, ALSO FROM 10 TO TWO AT 35 0 1 HOLMAN STREET. SO I DIDN'T WANNA LEAVE THAT OUT. AND I WANTED TO SAY THAT I, I AM THANKFUL IN ADVANCE THAT THE COMMISSIONER WILL LISTEN AND THAT MY COLLEAGUES, AND THAT MY COLLEAGUES WILL VOTE NO IF HE DOESN'T, AND THAT MY COLLEAGUES WILL VOTE NO IF HE DOESN'T. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SAYS, NARROWS COUNCIL ASSISTANT. I DO, I DO HAVE SOME SAD NEWS TO SHARE. I WANT TO EXPRESS MY CONDOLENCES TO STEVEN KLEINBERG, WHO YOU ALL KNOW. WELL, YOU KNOW, AS THE, THE FOUNDER AND FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE DIRECTOR OF, OF THE KINDER INSTITUTE, YOU KNOW, FOR URBAN RESEARCH AND, AND, AND WHO'S LED THE KINDER HOUSTON AREA SURVEY. UM, JUST DAYS AGO, HE LOST HIS LIFE PARTNER, PEGGY. AND, UM, THIS SUMMER IN JUNE, THEY CELEBRATED THEIR 60TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. SHE, IF YOU, IF YOU KNOW STEVEN, YOU KNOW PEGGY, SHE WAS ALWAYS AT HIS ELBOW AT EVERY EVENT AND JUST, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS SMILING AND SUPPORTIVE OF HIM. BUT, BUT I WANTED TO, TO LET Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. WHICH IS WITH HIM, UH, UH, AT THE, UM, INTERFAITH MINISTRIES GALA WHERE HE WAS RECEIVED AN AWARD ON SATURDAY NIGHT. SO, UH, LOOK, WE ALL HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR. OUR LIFE IS SO FRAGILE, FRAGILE, FRAGILE. SO APPRECIATE IT. BUT GOING INTO THIS THANKSGIVING SEASON, UH, WE ALL HAVE A GREAT DEAL TO BE THANKFUL FOR. SO IF YOU'RE TRAVELING, BE SAFE, UH, WHEREVER YOU'RE GOING WITH OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY OR, UH, IN THE COUNTRY OR REALLY DOWN THE STREET, SIMPLY ENJOY, ENJOY YOUR TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS. AGAIN, TO EVERYBODY SAID, IF HOUSTON, REMEMBER THE THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE AND THEN SOME OF US WILL BE LEAVING THERE AND HEADING OVER TO THE SUPER FEES AT THE GEORGIA BROWN, UH, AND THEN STARTING OUR THANKSGIVING DAY. SO, ENJOY, UH, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND I WILL SEE YOU IF NOT BEFORE ON THE OTHER SIDE. WELL, DON'T FORGET DECEMBER THE THIRD, WHICH IS THE, THE TREE LIGHTING THE PROGRAM. UH, SO DON'T FORGET THAT AS WELL. HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, UH, WE STAND ADJOURNED. HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYBODY. * 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.