[00:00:19]
SO,[Super Neighborhood Alliance Meeting]
MY NAME IS CINDY CHAPMAN.I AM THE 2022 CHAIR OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE.
UH, I AM SO VERY PLEASED THAT, UH, IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, WE WILL HAVE, UH, MAYOR TURNER AS OUR GUEST SPEAKER, UH, FOR JANUARY.
IT'S BECOME, UH, A WONDERFUL TRADITION TO HAVE THE MAYOR, UH, SPEAK TO THE SUPER NEIGHBOR ALLIANCE IN JANUARY.
WE'RE VERY PLEASED THAT THE MAYOR WAS ABLE TO, UH, FIT THIS INTO HIS SCHEDULE, AND I KNOW ALL OF YOU'RE GONNA BE, UM, LOOKING, UH, FORWARD TO THAT LATER IN OUR AGENDA.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
I, I KNOW THERE'S AN IMPORTANT FOOTBALL GAME GOING ON, SO I APPRECIATE THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE WITH US.
AND, UM, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TO GIVE AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE TO THE MAYOR IS WE'RE GONNA DO ROLL CALL, THEN WE'LL HAVE A QUICK OPPORTUNITY FOR DIFFERENT COUNCILS TO GIVE SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS.
AND BECAUSE THE MAYOR IS OUR SPEAKER, I WANTED TO ALSO LET EVERYBODY, UH, KNOW THAT WE WILL BE DOING THE ELECTIONS NEXT MONTH IN FEBRUARY INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SQUEEZE THAT IN AT THE END OF THIS MEETING.
SO, UH, STACY, ARE YOU READY TO, UH, DO THE ROLL CALL? STACY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU NOW.
I'M GOING TO BE CALLING THE ACTIVE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS THAT HAVE BEEN ACTIVE, UH, THE LAST THREE MONTHS.
AND THEN ONCE I'M FINISHED, IF YOU DO NOT HEAR ME CALLING YOUR, UM, YOUR SN UH, PLEASE SPEAK UP AT THE END.
SO, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD FIVE RICKY'S HERE.
SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 14 SUPER, NEIGHBORHOOD 15.
HELLO, THIS IS PEDRO FROM GREATER HEIGHTS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, 15.
DOUG SMITH AND BARBARA QUATRO.
KATHY EASTERLY FOR UNIVERSITY PLACE.
UH, THIS IS HAROLD EATON WITH SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 31, GREATER MARYLAND.
SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 32, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 36, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 37.
CINDY CHAPMAN HERE IS HERE FOR THE WESTBURY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS IS AMY DEN, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, 64, 68, UH, 88.
SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 66, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 83, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 84, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 86.
BART HARRIS FOR SPRING BRANCH EAST.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE FROM 83 TOMORROW? UHUH? NO.
UH, WE HAVE COMPLETED THE ACTIVE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT
[00:05:01]
HAVE BEEN PRESENT THE LAST THREE MEETINGS.DID I MISS ANYONE? YES, THIS IS PRISCILLA
DEB, PAULA, PARTIAL SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 45.
GINA WHAT? I'M SORRY I DIDN'T HEAR YOU.
GINA L GULF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, AND IT'S AMAZING, UH, HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO DO THAT ROLL CALL.
AND, UH, STACY HAS WORKED TO GET THAT TIME DOWN IN HALF OF WHAT IT TOOK EARLIER THIS YEAR, SO, UH, OR LAST YEAR I SHOULD SAY.
UM, I WANT TO REMIND ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE JOINED US LATE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING OUR, UM, ELECTIONS NEXT MONTH TO GIVE AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE TO OUR GUEST SPEAKER.
UH, BUT WE ARE AT THE POINT OF THE AGENDA WHERE IT'S TIME FOR THE SUPER NEIGHBOR COUNCILS TO MAKE, UH, ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UH, DOUG SMITH, YOUR HAND IS UP FIRST, DOUG.
UM, THERE WAS A FLYER IN THE MEETING NOTICE TODAY WITH A SPECTACULAR PICTURE OF THE NEW ALE COMMUNITY CENTER, AND I JUST WANTED TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT AND LET YOU KNOW THAT THE GRAND OPENING IS THIS COMING SATURDAY AT 11, BETWEEN 11 AND TWO.
UH, AND THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING THANKS TO MAYOR TURNER FOR FINALLY APPROVING IT.
AND THANKS TO THE A LEAF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD WHO HAS FOUGHT FOR THIS FOR 20 YEARS.
UH, IT'S GOING TO HOUSE, UH, A LIBRARY, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION AND, UH, HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
IT'S A NEW CONCEPT WHERE EVERYTHING IS UNDER ONE ROOF.
SO IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE SATURDAY BETWEEN 11 AND TWO, YOU SHOULD COME AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT BECAUSE I THINK YOU'LL BE VERY PLEASED WITH WHAT YOU SEE.
LOOKS LIKE AN AMAZING FACILITY.
UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER IT TOOK US 20.
IT TOOK US 20 YEARS, SO IT'S WORTH IT.
ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? UH, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR GUEST SPEAKER, PLEASE, UH, RAISE YOUR HANDS OR SPEAK UP.
I JUST WANT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW ON FEBRUARY 11TH, UM, FROM NINE, IT'S A SATURDAY FROM 9:00 AM TO 12:00 PM WE'RE GONNA PLANT TREES IN THE CATCHME GARDEN COMMUNITY.
THIS IS CONJUNCTION WITH TEXAS A AND FORESTRY AND, AND ARREST REST FALL, IF I'M SAYING IT CORRECTLY.
AND SO THERE'LL BE, WE ARE PLANTING ABOUT 600 TREES, FIVE TO 15 GALLON TREES, AND WE'RE GIVING AWAY 267 SEED LINKS TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COME AND GET THEM.
LAST MONTH THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, AND I SEE THAT THE STATE, TXDOT AND THE CITY HAVE ENTERED INTO A ME IRAN OF UNDERSTANDING REC.
UH, WITH RESPECT TO THAT, I WONDER IF ANYBODY WHO WAS, UH, TALKING ABOUT THAT LAST MONTH HAS ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT IT, IF THEY REVIEWED IT.
ANYBODY HAVE A ONE MINUTE RESPONSE IF I MIGHT? GREG, I'M PASTOR DEB IN NORTHLINE AREA.
UM, WE ARE GONNA HAVE A MEETING WITH LINK HOUSTON AND STOP THE I 45 COALITION ON THAT.
AND, UM, I'LL DROP MY EMAIL IN THE CHAT AND MAYBE I CAN GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.
[00:10:03]
THANK YOU.I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAD, LOOK, IF ANYBODY REVIEWED THE MOU.
WE HAVE A REVIEW BOARD ON THAT FOR SATURDAY.
I HAD AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ONE OF OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, 65.
I AM SO PLEASED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL THAT WE SUCCESSFULLY PETITIONED A NAME CHANGE REQUEST WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, MS. RHONDA SOUDER AND EVERYONE AT THE MAYOR'S ASSISTANT'S OFFICE HELPED US ADD SMITH EDITION TO OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO NOW WE ARE OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS HARRISBURG, MANCHESTER SMITH EDITION.
I'M GLAD THAT THE CITY WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU ALL.
UH, I HAVE ANNOUNCEMENT, UH, UH, EC CIVIC CLUB, UH, IS GOING TO HAVE ON JANUARY 21ST FROM NINE O'CLOCK TO 2:00 PM A FREE COVID-19 AND FLU VACCINATION EVENT.
ALSO, HARRIS HEALTH WILL BE THERE AT THE SIGN UP.
ANYONE THAT NEED HARRIS HEALTH SERVICES, JANUARY 21ST.
AND WHICH NEIGHBORHOOD IS THAT? THAT'S, UH, EAST HOUSTON CIVIC CLUB.
EAST HOUSTON, UH, UNDER SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 49 50 UHHUH.
WHO IS THIS? HI, THIS IS ARLIN WITH SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 63.
COULD I MAKE A QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT? YES.
I JUST WANTED TO EXTEND AN INVITATION.
UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 63 WILL BE HOSTING A COMMUNITY FORUM ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH.
WE'VE INVITED SEVERAL, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF, UH, DISTRICT H REPRESENTING, AS WELL AS, UH, COUNTY COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA AND, UM, AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, TO BE A PART OF A MODERATED FORUM REGARDING SOME COMMUNITY TOPICS.
UM, IT WILL START AT SIX 30 AND WILL BE HELD AT BAKER RIPLEY OFF OF NAVIGATION.
YEAH, PLEASE SEND THAT, UH, OUT, UH, TO THE SUPER NEIGHBOR ALLIANCE.
UM, AND, UM, STACY, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP.
WITH ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL ANNOUNCEMENTS, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU'RE SENDING THEM TO, UH, THE SNA SO THAT I CAN SHARE THEM OUT ON OUR FACEBOOK GROUP AND IF, I'M SORRY, OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
AND IF THEY ARE POSTED TO YOUR OWN FACEBOOK PAGES, JUST PLEASE SEND ME A NOTE AND LET ME KNOW.
THAT WAY I CAN SHARE THEM WITH SHARE THEM CITYWIDE.
IT, IT'S VERY HELPFUL THAT WE CAN SEND IT IN WRITING.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT IS ALL THE ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE.
UH, DO, UM, THE, UH, BEFORE THE MAYOR GETS ON, I SEE WE'VE GOT CITY COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ALCORN IN ATTENDANCE.
SALLY, DID YOU HAVE OH, AND, UH, SOME OTHER DIGNITARIES.
WE'LL, WE'LL WORK DOWN THE LIST.
I'M JUST HERE TO LISTEN AND, UM, GREAT TO BE HERE.
NEW YEAR, NEW SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE.
AND I THINK ALSO WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, DIRECTOR FRANCIS IS WITH US.
I'M NOT REALLY SURE IF THE MAYOR'S GONNA BE INTRODUCING SOME OF THESE SPEAKERS OR, OR NOT.
UH, DIRECTOR FRANCIS, DID YOU WANNA TALK NOW? UH, SPEAKER NO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY HAPPY NEW YEAR AND, UH, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A YEAR OF EXECUTING AND IMPLEMENTING.
AND I THINK THAT'S MY INTRO TO YOUR GUEST SPEAKER.
UH, HEY, CINDY, CAN I SAY A QUICK, HELLO? COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON HERE.
JUST WANTED TO SAY HELLO TO EVERYBODY.
AND, UH, OF COURSE, I TOO AM HERE TO HEAR THE MAIN SPEAKER AND, UH, SHARE EVERYONE'S GREETINGS FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND LET'S MAKE THIS WONDERFUL.
I KNOW, UH, MAYOR HAS PUT A LOT ON OUR DESKS, SO WE'RE READY TO GO.
UH, IS THE MAYOR READY? UH, CINDY, I AM HERE.
[00:15:01]
AND PLEASURE TO WELCOME MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER TO OUR MEETING.UH, HE, UH, ALMOST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION BECAUSE HE IS BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY OUT AND ABOUT SO MUCH AND SO OFTEN, UH, THIS IS HIS, UH, FINAL YEAR IN OFFICE AS MAYOR.
AND WE ARE JUST LOOKING SO MUCH TO HEARING YOUR COMMENTS, UH, TONIGHT.
MAYOR TURNER, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP AND HAVING WORKED WITH YOU, UH, QUITE CLOSELY OVER THE LAST, OVER THE LAST SEVEN PLUS YEARS.
AND LEMME JUST SAY HELLO TO ALL OF THE, UH, UH, HEADS AND LEADERS AND OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, FROM ALL OVER THE CITY.
UM, I WOULD SAY I, I STARTED, UH, THIS EIGHT YEARS AGO, UH, COMING AND SPEAKING AT THE FIRST MEETING OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE YEAR.
UH, SO THIS IS, THIS IS MY EIGHTH CONSECUTIVE MEETING, UH, WHETHER DONE, UH, IN PERSON OR DONE VIRTUALLY.
UH, AND FOR ME, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WILL BE, WILL BE MY LAST IN TERMS OF COMING BEFORE YOU ON AN ANNUAL, ANNUAL MEETING AS, AS THE MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU ALL AND APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT WE HAVE.
WE'VE ALL DONE IN THE CITY ON SO MANY LEVELS I DIDN'T COME TO, TO, UH, TO SPEAK THE ENTIRE TIME.
SO LET ME, UH, LIFT, LIFT UP A FEW POINTS AND THEN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM YOU, UH, ESPECIALLY AS WE PREPARE TO MOVE FORWARD IN 2023.
I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON, AND THEN OTHERS WHO MAY BE JOINING OR OTHERS EVEN WHO ARE NOT HERE, UH, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN A PARTNERSHIP, UH, OVER THE LAST, OVER THE, OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.
AND THEN I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.
I KNOW DAKASHA FRANCIS IS HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF CAROL HADDOCK OR PUBLIC WORKS, UM, MARGARET WALLACE BROWN FROM PLANNING, UH, UH, UH, MARK, UH, WILFORD FROM SOLID WASTE OR BOARD.
BUT I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF THE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS WHO YOU HAVE WORKED WITH OVER, OVER THE YEARS.
UH, LEMME JUST SAY, UM, A FEW POINTS AND THEN I'LL STOP AND TAKE WHATEVER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM FROM YOU.
UH, I TOLD MY TEAM, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, AT THE FIRST EXECUTIVES MEETING, THAT 2023 IS THE YEAR OF EXECUTION AND IMPLEMENTATION.
IT'S NOT ABOUT TRYING TO COME UP WITH ANYTHING NEW OR GRAND.
IT'S ABOUT, UH, IMPLEMENTING, EXECUTING AND IMPLEMENTING THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY BEFORE US, THINGS WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON.
UM, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE WHOLE FOCUS.
UH, IN TERMS OF, LET'S SAY, IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, I WILL SAY, UH, CHIEF FINNER AND HIS TEAM WILL BE REPORTING TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, THIS COMING WEDNESDAY MORNING, GIVEN THE STATUS ON 2022.
UH, THE NUMBERS FOR 22 WERE DOWN HOMICIDE AND, AND IN ALMOST EVERY VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORY FOR 22 IN COMPARISON TO 21.
UM, NOW WE BEAR IN MIND THAT IF ONE PERSON IS VICTIMIZED AS ONE PERSON, TOO MANY, UH, BUT FROM A STATISTICAL POINT OF VIEW, HOMICIDES WERE DOWN BY 40 FEWER HOMICIDES IN 22 THAN IN 21 AND IN ALMOST EVERY VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORY.
UH, BUT WE ARE STILL NEEDING TO WORK ON, ON THAT IN THAT AREA TO GET IT DOWN BELOW WHERE WE WERE IN 2019.
UH, SINCE I HAVE BEEN MAYOR, UH, WE HAVE, UH, THE CITY HAS HIRED, BROUGHT ON BOARD FROM CADETS TO POLICE, UH, ABOUT 2100 POLICE OFFICERS.
UH, SINCE I HAVE BEEN MAYOR, WE'VE HAD 32 CADET CLASSES, UM, MORE THAN ANY OTHER MAYOR IN PREVIOUS HISTORY DURING THIS TIME, AND BROUGHT ON, UH, A GREAT NUMBER.
BUT WHEN I CAME IN, IN JANUARY OF 2016, UH, THE NUMBER OF POLICE, PERCENTAGE OF POLICE OFFICERS ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE, UH, WHICH MEANS THEY'D WORKED MORE THAN 20 YEARS, PLUS THEY WERE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE RIGHT THEN AND THERE, THAT PERCENTAGE WAS 39% OF THE EXISTING POLICE FORCE.
SO MORE THAN 2000 OF THE 5,200 WERE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE.
WE HAVE SINCE BROUGHT THAT PERCENTAGE DOWN TO 28%, UM, AND CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT DOWN.
SO AS WE BRING ON MORE, WE STILL HAVE SOME WHO ARE RETIRING.
UM, BUT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON.
THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON PLAN THAT WE PUT IN PLACE A YEAR AGO IS WORKING MORE POLICE, MORE, UH, ON, IN TERMS OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND OVER TIME, TECHNOLOGY, UH, WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS, CRISIS INTERVENTION WE'RE STILL WORKING ON.
[00:20:01]
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, UH, DOMESTIC CRIME AND ABUSE, THAT'S ONE OF THE LEADING AREAS IN, UH, THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH.UH, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.
SO THAT'S ON PUBLIC SAFETY, SOLID WASTE.
THAT'S ANOTHER AREA, UH, THAT'S IN, THAT'S HIGHLY IMPORTANT.
AND WE ARE SPENDING QUITE A BIT ON, ON SOLID WASTE WHEN IT COMES TO PICKING UP THE BLACK BINS, THE GREEN BINS, ILLEGAL DUMPING, UM, WHICH IS A, WHICH IS A BIG AREA, UH, THAT WE ARE HAVING TO ADDRESS.
AND JUST IN THIS YEAR ALONE, WE'RE BRINGING ON ADDITIONAL, UM, OUTSIDE VENDORS, UH, TO ASSIST IN THAT, TO ASSIST IN THAT AREA.
UH, AND IT IS COSTING QUITE A BIT.
UH, FORTUNATELY WE ARE WORKING WITH, UH, SOME OF THE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
THOSE DOLLARS WILL RUN OUT IN 24.
AND AGAIN, I WILL SIMPLY TELL YOU THAT WITH MORE PEOPLE MOVING INTO THE CITY, THE ROUTES ARE, ARE BIGGER THAN THEY HAVE EVER BEEN.
IT'S TAKEN THE DRIVERS LONGER.
AND EVEN THOUGH, UH, WE HAVE PURCHASED, WE HAVE REPLACED OVER HALF OF THE SOLID WASTE FLEET, UH, SINCE I HAVE BEEN MAYOR.
UH, THERE'S A MEASURE COMING BEFORE CITY COUNCIL IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS TO PURCHASE EVEN MORE, UH, SOLID WASTE EQUIPMENT.
UH, THIS IS A SYSTEM THAT'S IN THE LONG TERM, NOT SUSTAINABLE.
UM, QUITE FRANKLY, WE ARE THE ONLY CITY, UH, IN THE UNITED STATES AND ON A MAJOR CITY WITHOUT ANY SORT OF GARBAGE FEE.
SO IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE, UH, BUT WE ARE DEALING WITH IT.
AND, UH, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON, ON THAT FRONT.
IN TERMS OF PUBLIC WORKS, UH, THEY ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THEIR, UH, STREET REHABILITATION PROGRAM.
UM, ON, ON THAT FRONT, UH, WE ARE DEALING RIGHT NOW WITH ABOUT EIGHT TO 900 WATER MAIN LEAKS.
UH, THAT NUMBER HAD WAS DOWN TO ABOUT 450 AFTER THE WINTER FREEZE.
RECENTLY, THAT NUMBER HAD SHOT UP TO WELL OVER 800, 900.
WE BROUGHT ON MORE CONTRACTORS, CITY COUNCIL, JUST APPROVING ANOTHER MEASURE, UH, FOR $21 MILLION FOR THOSE CONTRACTORS.
AND THERE MAY BE ANOTHER MEASURE COMING BEFORE COUNCIL MEMBER SOON.
UH, SO WE ARE NEEDING TO ADDRESS THAT.
UH, THE FOCUS REMAINS ON DETENTION MITIGATION.
AND SO, UH, RECENTLY WE PURCHASED THE REFINO, UM, LANDFILL, UH, THAT WAS OWNED BY WEST UI KNOW CINDY, YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
AND OTHERS IN THAT AREA, UH, THAT WILL HELP WITH THE DETENTION BASINS WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, BE AIR AS WELL.
SO WE ARE MOVING FORWARD ON THAT FRONT.
UH, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD ON, IN THE, IN NORTHWEST HOUSTON, ON THE INWOOD, UH, GOLF COURSE, UH, THAT, UH, WE HAVE, WE ARE WORKING WITH TO TURN THAT INTO A MAJOR DETENTION BASIN.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY GONE OUT FOR AN RFP AND HOPEFULLY, UH, CONSTRUCTION CAN START ON THAT PROJECT WITHIN THE NEXT, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UH, EVEN IN THE KINGWOOD AREA WHEN IT COMES TO THE FLOODGATES, UH, THAT PROJECT IS, UM, IS STILL MOVING FORWARD, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY EXPENSIVE PROJECT.
AND SO WE ARE ASKING THE LEGISLATURE TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL MONETARY ASSISTANCE ON THAT FRONT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE DETENTION BASIN IN WEST HOUSTON, WE'LL STILL FOCUS ON.
UM, SO DETENTION, FLOOD MITIGATION CONTINUES TO BE BIG.
UH, PROJECT BRACE IS PRETTY MUCH NOW COMPLETE, SO VERY PROUD OF THAT.
UH, AND THEN WE'VE ADDED ABOUT 400 ACRES OF DETENTION, UH, SO THAT, THAT, THAT IS MOVING FORWARD ON PARKS, THERE ARE 22 PARKS, UH, UH, COUPLE OF PARKS IN EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER'S DISTRICT THAT WE ARE SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVING.
THOSE SHOULD ALL BE COMPLETED, UH, THIS YEAR.
UH, SO THOSE, THOSE, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A MAJOR INITIATIVE THAT IS A HIGH PRIORITY.
AND SO THERE ARE 22 OF THEM, UH, THAT WILL UNDERGO SUBSTANTIAL, UH, IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IN HOUSING.
UH, THE PLAN IS TO BUILD 3000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THE CITY BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
AND SO WE ARE MOVING FORWARD ON THAT FRONT.
WITH REGARDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, THE COST OF FRANCIS IS ON BOARD AND THE IS HERE IN THE FIRST QUARTER.
UH, THE PLAN IS TO DEMOLISH MORE THAN 50 ABANDONED BUILDINGS IN OUR CITY, UH, TO MORE, MORE WELL OVER 350.
UH, WE DID LOTS ALL IN THE FIRST QUARTER, AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE TO ADD TO THAT LIST AS WE GO, AS WE MOVE, AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND THEN, UH, UH, IT WAS DOUG WHO MENTIONED, UH, THE OPENING OF THE A LEAF, UH, MULTIPURPOSE CENTER.
AND DOUG, YOU SAID 20 YEARS, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING ON THAT FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS, UH, IF NOT LONGER.
IT WAS 20 YEARS WHEN I CAME IN, AND I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE NOW FOR SEVEN PLUS.
UH, SO THAT IS A STATE OF THE ART FACILITY.
UH, WE'LL CUT THE RIBBON ON THAT THIS COMING SATURDAY AT 11 O'CLOCK.
AND THEN TWO WEEKS LATER, WE'LL TURN AROUND AND WE'LL CUT THE RIBBON
[00:25:01]
ON THE SUNNY SIDE, UH, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER ON JANUARY THE 28TH AT 11 O'CLOCK AS WELL.AND SO, UH, UH, SO THAT'S JUST IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY.
UH, AND THEN THERE'LL BE SOME OTHER PARK RIBBON CUTTINGS AS WELL, UH, IN THIS, IN THIS MONTH.
AND THEN, KEITH, YOU MENTIONED TREE PLANTING.
LEMME CONGRATULATE KEITH DOWNING, CONGRATULATE WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, 600.
UH, BUT THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, UH, IS TO PLANT 4.6 MILLION TREES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, BEFORE 2030.
AND SO THERE WILL BE A LOT OF TREE PLANNING THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, THIS YEAR AND IN THE YEARS, IN THE YEARS TO, IN THE YEARS TO COME.
AND THEN, GREG, YOU ASKED ABOUT I 45.
I'M QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THE I 45, UH, MOU, UH, THAT HAS BEEN, UH, SIGNED OFF NOW BY THE CITY, AS WELL AS BY THE COUNTY WITH, WITH OC.
AND THAT DEALS WITH CONNECTIVITY THAT DEALS WITH, UH, NET ZERO HOUSING LOSS.
UH, IT DEALS WITH MAINTAINING, UH, OUR TRANSIT OPTIONS, WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH METRO, UH, DEALS WITH, UH, ADDITIONAL PARK AND GREEN SPACE, UH, NOT DISRUPTING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE, UM, PUTTING THAT AT A, AT, AT, AT, UM, MINIMUM DISRUPTION.
ALL OF THAT IS INCLUDED WITHIN THE MOU AND I, I CERTAINLY WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU, UH, TO, TO READ THAT SO THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE ARE PLANNING IN 2023.
UH, LET ME THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE YOUR, UH, YOUR MAYOR.
I CERTAINLY HAVE, UH, ENJOYED, CONTINUE TO ENJOY IT.
AND AS I SAID TO MY TEAM, UH, IT'S NOT ABOUT, UM, WALKING SLOWLY OUT THE DOOR.
WE INTEND ON GETTING THEM DONE, UH, AND THEN SETTING THE BAR HIGH FOR WHOEVER, WHOEVER COMES AFTER USS.
SO, LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU, UH, FOR THE NEXT 11 AND A HALF, UH, UH, MONTH IN 2023.
AND THEN I'M HERE TO TAKE WHATEVER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, UH, QUESTIONS, CRITICISMS THAT ANYONE MAY, MAY HAVE IN 2023.
IT WILL HELP IF I TAKE MYSELF OFF MUTE.
SO NOW THAT I'M OFF MUTE, I CAN RESPOND.
I SEE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY, UH, STARTING TO RAISE THEIR HANDS.
UH, PLEASE, UH, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND, UH, RAISE YOUR HAND.
UH, IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE FIGURING OUT HOW TO RAISE YOUR HAND, UH, SPEAK UP AFTER WE GO THROUGH THIS, GO AROUND.
OUR INTENT IS TO MAKE SURE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE GET A CHANCE TO, TO, UH, EITHER LOVE ON THE MAYOR OR GIVE THE MAYOR A HARD TIME.
HE'S, HE, HE, HE CAN TAKE IT EITHER WAY.
WE KNOW
TOMORROW YOU'RE, YOU'RE ON MUTE TOMORROW.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE QUIETEST I'VE EVER, I'VE EVER HEARD YOU
OKAY, SO NOW YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SUPPOSED TO SAY FIRST TO ME.
SO WHAT YOU SUPPOSED TO SAY FIRST? HELLO.
WELL, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT HAPPY BIRTHDAY
LISTEN, THIS IS, THIS IS MY QUESTION.
NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE WATER MAINS.
UM, AND I TALKED TO SOMEONE YESTERDAY WHO HAS REPORTED THEIRS, UM, WEEKS AGO.
AND, YOU KNOW, WATER BILLS AIN'T CHEAP.
SO WHEN I SEE WATER JUST RUNNING DOWN THE STREET AND MY BILL GOING UP, I GET UPSET.
UM, IS THIS, YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT PRE-EXISTED? THE COLD WEATHER AND THE COLD WEATHER JUST EXACERBATED IT? IS THAT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS? OR WHAT ON AVERAGE, EVERY DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU HAVE ABOUT 400 WATER MAIN LEAKS ON AVERAGE.
AND THEN DURING THE COURSE OF 2022, UH, WITH THE DRY WEATHER, IT HAS SHOT UP TO OVER A THOUSAND.
UH, WE BROUGHT ON SOME ADDITIONAL CONTRACTORS, AND WE BROUGHT THAT NUMBER DOWN AGAIN TO ABOUT 450.
PRIOR TO THE DECEMBER WINTER STORM, WHEN THE DECEM DECEMBER WINTER STORM CAME IN, IT B IT, IT, UM, BOUNCED THAT NUMBER UP TO, AGAIN, TO ABOUT 900.
SO WE HAVE, WE'VE HAD AS MANY AS 280 CREWS OUT, UH, TO ADDRESS THESE WATER MAIN LEAKS.
I TALKED TO DIRECTOR HADDOCK THIS MORNING.
WE GOT ABOUT A HUNDRED AND I THINK 180
[00:30:01]
CREWS OUT NOW.UM, AND SO WE KIND OF, WE KIND OF RANK THEM.
UH, IF IT'S NOT A MAJOR, MAJOR LEAK, UM, THEN WE DON'T GO TO THEM FIRST.
THE MAJOR LEAKS, IF IT'S A MAJOR WATER MAIN LEAK, THAT'S THE ONES THAT WE ATTEND TO FIRST, AND THEN WE TRY TO WORK OURSELVES DOWN.
SO, UH, UM, THEY'VE GOT, THEY ARE MAPPING, THEY HAVE MAPPED OUT WHERE ALL THE REPORTED WATER MAIN LEAKS ARE, AND THE CREWS WILL BE GETTING, WILL BE GETTING TO THEM AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
BUT AFTER THE WINTER STORM, UH, THAT NUMBER JUMPED UP.
BUT ON AVERAGE, EVERY DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THERE ARE ABOUT 400 WATER MAIN LEAKS.
UH, KEITH DOWNEY, YOU'RE NEXT.
MAYOR TURNER, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP OVER THESE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
UH, I THINK THAT, UH, YOU, UM, IT HAS IT BEEN EASY.
UM, BUT THE, BUT THE POINT IS I WANT TO THANK YOU THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS.
UM, I WANNA, I HAD A CALL LAST NIGHT, LATE LAST NIGHT ABOUT LOW WATER PRESSURE OVER OFF OF LIBERTY ROAD AND LOCKWOOD, THAT LOCKWOOD BRIDGE OVER THERE.
AND I THINK THAT THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT FOR FIFTH WARD HAS BEEN ON TELEVISION ABOUT IT THE WHOLE BIT.
I'M NOT WITH THAT, BUT THE POINT IS, I'M SAYING THAT IT'S LOW WATER PRESSURE IN AN AREA OF HOMES IN THAT OVER, OVER THERE, OFF OF THAT, UH, LET'S SAY INTERSECTION.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT, BUT ALSO I WANT TO ASK YOU, WHEN WHEN WILL THE, UH, BUDGET, UH, DISCUSSIONS BEGAN? UH, THOSE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS? UH, THOSE DISCUSSIONS WILL START, UH, FAIRLY SOON.
UH, GENERALLY, I WOULD SAY, UH, PROBABLY THE LATTER PART OF FEBRUARY, GOING INTO MARCH.
UH, AND THEN, WE'LL, WE ARE TURNING TO WHAT WE CALL, UM, OUTCOME BASED BUDGETING.
UH, AND WE ARE, WE ARE INVITING, UH, COMMUNITY INPUT IN THAT OUTCOME, UH, BASED BUDGETING.
IT'S A DIFFERENT SORT OF SYSTEM, BUT ONE THAT I THINK WILL WORK, UH, TO THE BETTERMENT OF EVERYONE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO DRIVE THE DOLLARS BASED ON OUTCOMES.
AND IF THE OUTCOMES ARE NOT THERE, UH, WE NEED TO MAKE SOME, UH, MODIFICATIONS.
BUT THE, BUT THOSE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY INPUT IN TERMS OF THE BUDGETING PROCESS WILL START PROBABLY TOWARDS THE END OF FEBRUARY AND INTO MARCH.
AND, UH, CERTAINLY YOU INVITED, EVERYONE IS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE, UH, IN THOSE CON IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
LEMME SAY, AS IT RELATES TO THAT WATER MAIN, UH, LEAK, UH, THAT'S OUT IN THAT FIFTH WARD AREA, I'M QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
I DID, UH, SEE AND HEAR SOME OF THE COMMENTS ON THAT.
AND THAT HAPPENED DURING THAT FREEZE BECAUSE THAT, THAT IT WAS TOTALLY FROZE OVER.
I WILL TELL YOU, IT IS QUESTIONABLE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S, THAT IS WHAT IS CAUSING ANY WATER PRESSURE, UH, UM, UH, UM, BEING LOW IN THAT AREA.
WE'RE CHECKING THAT OUT 'CAUSE THAT WAS LIKE ON A, ON AN ABANDONED LINE.
UM, BUT WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT IT.
AND LET ME JUST SAY NO AREA IS BEING OVERLOOKED, UH, BECAUSE, UH, THAT AREA MAY BE, UM, UM, ON THE SOCIAL ECONOMICS LADDER, IT MAY NOT BE AS IN RIVER OAKS, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, IF THERE ARE 900 ON AVERAGE RIGHT NOW, 900 WATER MAIN LAKES THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND I CAN ASSURE YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, I AM PUSHING, UH, PUBLIC WORKS ALONG WITH OUR OUTSIDE, UH, CONTRACTORS TO GET TO THEM AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE, THE, THE PLAN IS TO ADDRESS ALL OF THEM.
WE HAVE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S UNDERNEATH.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN IT'S VERY, VERY HOT, LIKE IT WAS IN 2022, YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WHEN IT'S VERY, VERY COLD, LIKE IN DECEMBER OF THE END OF 22, YOU HAVE PROBLEMS. UM, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF LIFE.
UH, BUT WE, UH, BUT WE ARE FEVERISHLY WORKING TO REDUCE THOSE WATER MAIN LEAVES.
BUT THE BUDGETING PROCESS WILL, WILL OPEN UP FAIRLY SOON.
ONE OTHER THING I WANNA MENTION, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE COUNTY ALONG WITH US AT BCI BIO CITY INITIATIVE FOR COMING ON TO TRY TO ADDRESS THAT UNION PACIFIC KOREA ASSAULT SITUATION, UM, THEN WITH THE INTENT TO SUE.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT 'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND WE'RE SITTING DOWN AT THE TABLE NOW, BUT I JUST, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OR WHERE THINGS STAND, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TALKS TO TRY TO CLEAN UP THAT SITE.
AND WE ARE BEING VERY FOCUSED ON THAT, THAT CA UH, THAT CAN CLUSTER IN THE CATCHMENT AREA.
IT'S BEEN LINGERING AROUND WAY, WAY TOO LONG.
AND SO WE ARE AT THE TABLE DISCUSSING IT, UH, WITH UNION SPECIFIC, BUT WE'VE ALSO LET UNION SPECIFIC KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT JUST GONNA BE
[00:35:01]
AT THE, AT THE TABLE TALKING AND THEN JUST EATING UP TIME AND THEN TRYING, TRYING TO WAIT ME OUT, UH, THIS YEAR.SO EITHER SOMETHING STARTS HAPPENING DEFINITIVELY, OR WE ARE GOING, WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE COURTHOUSE.
UM, BUT WHAT, WHAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO IS, IS BE AT THE TABLE AND JUST BE GOING BACK AND FORTH, NOT MAKING ANY PROGRESS.
SO WE'RE GONNA PUT A TIMELINE ON THESE CONVERSATIONS AND EITHER SOMETHING MATERIALLY STEPS FORWARD AND HAPPENS, OR WE ARE GOING TO, UH, GO BACK AND INITIATE THE LITIGATION AGAINST UP.
UH, VICKI MARTIN, UH, GOOD EVENING.
THANK YOU MAYOR FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS.
I'M CALLING ABOUT THE LAKEWOOD COMMUNITY LIBRARY.
THE ADDRESS IS 8 8 1 5 PHELAN, F-E-L-A-N-D.
OUR LIBRARY WAS CLOSED DOWN DUE TO, UH, DISASTERS FROM HARVEY.
AND I CALLED ON MONDAY LAST WEEK TO CHECK THE STATUS OF THE REOPENING, AND WE'RE TOLD THAT NO ONE EVEN KNOWS OUR LIBRARY EXISTS.
SO THAT'S THE LAKEWOOD COMMUNITY LIBRARY LOCATED AT 8 8 1 5 PHELAN.
IT'S OUR EAST HOUSTON CITY GAS LIBRARY.
UH, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE, WE, NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE OPENED SEVERAL OF THE LIBRARIES THAT WERE DAMAGED FROM, FROM HURRICANE HARVEY.
UM, SO LET ME SEE EXACTLY WHERE THIS IS, AND, UH, LOOK, I'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE SOMEBODY GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH YOU TOMORROW, UH, ON THAT, IF YOU KNOW, BASED ON
WE'LL HAVE, I'LL HAVE SOMEBODY GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH YOU TOMORROW.
AND, UH, YEAH, THIS'S THE ONLY ONE WE HAVE IN OUR AREA.
IT'S THE ONLY ONE IN OUR AREA FOR CITY GAS AND E HOUSTON.
DIRECTOR FRANCIS, IF YOU'LL MAKE A NOTE, UH, FOR ME AND SEND A NOTE TO, UH, UH, TO DIRECT, UH, LAWSON AS WELL AND WE'LL GET BACK WITH YOU, UM, TOMORROW.
AND THAT'S VICKI MARTIN WITH SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 49 50.
AND BY THE WAY, UH, JUST ANOTHER REMINDER TO EVERYONE TO PLEASE PUT YOUR, UM, TO GO ON MUTE IF YOU'RE NOT ACTIVELY TRYING TO SPEAK, SO THAT ALL OF US CAN HEAR BOTH THE QUESTION AND THE RESPONSES FROM THE MAYOR.
NEXT UP ON THE LIST IS, UH, SHALANDA TURNER.
HI, MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ATTENDING THIS MEETING.
THIS IS ACTUALLY MY FIRST SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE MEETING, SO I'M SUPER EXCITED TO BE ON HERE.
UM, I FOLLOW UNDER THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD OF 67 FOR THIRD WARD.
I DIDN'T HEAR ANY ROLL CALL FOR THAT, BUT, UM, SO I GUESS ME AND MY NEIGHBORS WHO ARE ALSO ON THIS CALL CAN REPRESENT FOR THAT.
I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE FOR OVER THE YEARS.
WE ARE DEFINITELY GONNA MISS YOU.
I ALSO WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION DAY, AND WE'VE HAD SUCH A GREAT, UM, RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, WITH OUR ISSUE, I'M ABOUT TO DISCUSS WITH THAT.
I WANTED TO GIVE THEM SOME APPRECIATION FOR WHAT THEY'VE BEEN, UM, HELPING US WITH.
I'M A CONSTITUENT WHO LIVES IN THIRD WARD.
I JUST MOVED HERE IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, MY COUPLE, MY NEIGHBORS AND I ARE ON THIS CALL BECAUSE WE ARE HAVING SEVERE ISSUES WITH NOISE, UM, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE NIGHTCLUBS THAT ARE NEXT TO US.
THIS IS KNOWN TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH US.
SO WE, WE, IT'S BEEN, WE'RE WORKING ON IT AND IT, IT'S LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GETTING SOME TRACTION, BUT THIS IS A DAILY OCCURRENCE FOR US, AND IT'S NOT JUST IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THERE WAS ONE OF THEM, AND I KNOW THERE WERE REVISIONS MADE TO LOUD NOISE ORDINANCE, UM, LAST YEAR, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE WORKING BECAUSE WE'RE STILL HEARING BASE IN OUR HOMES FOR SIX TO EIGHT HOURS EVERY NIGHT, UH, SIX TO SIX NIGHTS A WEEK.
UM, IT'S JUST NOT SUSTAINABLE.
I HEARD YOU GUYS MENTIONING ABOUT BRINGING IN NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND BRINGING IN, UM, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE MOVING TO THE CITY.
SO I CAN JUST SEE THIS IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE.
IT'S NOT A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP RIGHT NOW BETWEEN THE NIGHTCLUBS OR ANY NIGHTTIME BAR AND THE RESIDENTS LIVING HERE.
AND SO, FOR OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, OUR PIECE, WE'RE JUST KIND OF CURIOUS WHAT THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAYBE REVISIT CHAPTER 30.
UM, ADD SOME MORE TEETH TO IT, UM, AND MAYBE REVISIT PERMITTING TO NOT ALLOW, I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S NO ZONING, BUT THERE SHOULD BE SOME PREREQUISITES IF A CLUB IS GONNA OPEN 13.3 FEET BEHIND MY HOUSE, THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE TO PUT IN SOME SOUNDPROOFING THAT ALLEVIATES THE NOISE AND THE BASE TRAVELING.
PLEASE, IF YOU'RE NOT SURE, IT'S OKAY.
IT'S A, IT IS A, A VERY DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX, UM, UM, SITUATION, ESPECIALLY IN A, IN A CITY THAT HAS TWICE SAID NO TO ZONING IN A CITY THAT HAS KIND OF GROWN UP WHERE YOU JUST KIND OF, UH, WITH YOUR PROPERTY, YOU DO WHAT YOU WILL AND, UH, AND A CITY THAT IS NOW, UH, GETTING BIGGER AND IS DENSIFYING.
[00:40:01]
YES, WE, WE, UH, RECENTLY PASSED THE MODIFIED THE NOISE ORDINANCE.UH, WE WILL, WE ARE ALWAYS CONTINUE TO EVALUATE AND ASSESS, UH, ON ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND ITS IMPACT.
UH, BUT IT'S, IT, IT IS A, IT IS A COMPLICATED MATTER, UH, AND UNFOR, UH, AND THEN YOU HAVE A SITUATION YEAH.
THAT YOU CAN BE LIVING IN ON, UM, ONE, UH, ON ONE SIDE, AND THEN THERE'S A CLUB ON THE NEXT.
AND THE QUESTION IS, UH, HOW DO WE COEXIST IN SUCH A WAY THAT RESPECT PEOPLE'S PROPERTY RIGHTS AND THEIR RIGHT TO DO WHAT THEY WILL WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR PROPERTY? SO THE NOISE ORDINANCE WAS AN ATTEMPT, UH, TO TRY TO STRIKE SOME SORT OF BALANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN THAT AREA AS WELL AS THE BUSINESSES WHO HAVE ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES IN THAT AREA.
UM, AND IT'S, IT IS, IT IS NOT AN EASY MEDIUM TO, TO, TO REACH, UH, BUT I'M SURE WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO ASSESS ANY AND EVALUATE, UH, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO LEARN TO KIND OF COEXIST, UH, IN THE, IN THE SAME COMMUNITIES.
UM, BUT THAT'S A DIFFICULT ONE.
JUST AS A FOLLOW UP, I THINK THE OTHER ISSUE IS THERE ARE WORDING IN THERE, BUT, UH, WE JUST NEED HPD RESOURCES TO BEING ABLE TO, TO ENFORCE THE, WHAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE, WHAT'S ALREADY EXISTING IN CHAPTER 30.
AND I KNOW THAT THE RESOURCES ARE LIMITED, SO I JUST KNOW THAT THAT'S ANOTHER CONCERN AS WELL.
WELL, WE, UH, AND WE ARE STRETCHING HPD TO THEIR, TO THEIR MAX.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE ARE NEEDING, WE'RE NEEDING MORE POLICE.
UH, AND THERE ARE PRIORITIES THAT, THAT, UM, WE HAVE BEEN PLACED ON, THAT WE HAVE IMPOSED ON THEM.
UH, SO THEY, THEY ARE GOING IN MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THIS IS LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, DAY.
SO I REALLY, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK THEM, EVERY ONE OF THEM, UH, FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR SERVICE.
THEY ARE VERY, VERY COMMITTED.
UM, THEY DON'T, ONE, THEY DON'T WANNA SEE ANY CRIMES BEING COMMITTED IN THE CITY.
THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE THE NOISE ISSUES IN THE CITY.
UM, THEY DON'T WANNA SEE OUR BUSINESSES BEING BROKEN IN INTO THE CITY.
AND THEY CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH ANY SITUATION DEALING WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR GANG VIOLENCE, YOU NAME IT.
SO THEY ARE, THEY ARE, THEY ARE STRETCHED IN MANY, MANY, MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE A CITY, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WHERE WE PRETTY MUCH HAVE SAID, IF IT'S YOUR PROPERTY, YOU CAN DO WITH PRETTY MUCH WHAT YOU WILL.
HOWEVER, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW, DEVELOP, DENSIFY, UH, IT MAKES THINGS A LOT MORE COMPLICATED.
UM, NOW HOW WE, HOW WE NAVIGATE THROUGH THESE WATERS, UH, IS GOING TO BE TRYING, NOT JUST NOW, BUT OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, HOW WE NAVIGATE THROUGH IT.
UM, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ONE AND DONE.
YOU'LL TWEAK SOMETHING, THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO TWEAK IT AGAIN.
UM, BUT IT IS GOING TO BE, IT'S GOING TO BE CHALLENGING OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS AS THE CITY CONTINUES TO GROW, DEVELOP DENSIFY.
I WISH I HAD A BETTER ANSWER FOR YOU, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T, I I WOULD RARELY ADMIT I WISH, I WISH I HAD THE, I WISH I HAD THE ANSWER FOR YOU.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SHUT THEM DOWN, UM, BUT YOU'LL BE IN COURT, UM, AND, UH, YOU CAN TRY TO PUT IN CERTAIN, UM, UM, SEPARATION MARKS, DISTANCE MARKS.
IT'S, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A COMPLICATED ISSUE.
UH, PASTOR DEB FROM SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 45, THANK YOU, CINDY AND MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF BIG WORDS FOR YOU.
YOU'VE GOT HEART AND IT APPEALS TO AN OLD QUAKER.
I'VE LIVED IN NORTHLINE ALMOST 60 PLUS YEAR.
UM, MY LITTLE ISSUE WITH, UM, TONIGHT WOULD JUST BE ABOUT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
UM, IT'S JUST THAT, UM, I'VE GOT A LOT OF HIGH SCORES FOR YOU FOR THE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OFFICE.
UH, WE GET A LOT OF RESPONSE FROM THEM.
UM, WE'RE NOT GETTING MUCH, UM, ASSISTANCE WITH OUR NEED TO TALK TO HARMONY HOUSE OVER AT WOODLAND CHRISTIAN TOWERS.
UH, THEY HAVE THE FORMERLY HOMELESS PEOPLE THERE.
AND BEFORE HARMONY HOUSE WAS IN THERE, UM, OUR COMMUNITY BASED ORG ZELMA, WE WERE OVER THERE DOING GARDENING, ART AND COMPUTER HELPING THE PEOPLE GET A EMAIL ADDRESS.
AND A LOT OF THEM NEED TO ACCESS THE GOVERNMENT AND MEDICAID AND SUCH.
AND, UH, THE DIRECTOR OVER THERE HAS ONE COMPUTER,
UH, SO ANYWAYS, IF YOU COULD TALK TO ME JUST A MINUTE ABOUT, UM, OVER THERE
[00:45:01]
WHERE Y'ALL ARE GONNA DO SOME MORE OF THESE.WE'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT YOU ALL WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER, UM, NEW HOPE HOUSING, I THINK IT IS.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A MULTI-FAMILY, UH, 90 11 MEDALLION.
MY NEIGHBORS AND I WERE NOT GENERALLY OPPOSED TO SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND SROS.
THEY'RE GONNA NEED SOME SUPERVISION.
BUT MAYOR, WHAT THEY NEED IS TO BE INTEGRATED INTO THE COMMUNITY.
THEY DON'T NEED TO SIT UP LIKE INDEPENDENT, UH, HEIGHTS HALL AND LEY AND BE APART, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UH, SO WHAT WE NEED IS THE CHURCHES, THE NONPROFITS, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS.
I WISH I WAS TALKING TO YOU FROM A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'RE STILL TRYING A FEW YEARS IN, THERE'S SOME NEIGHBORS OF MINE HERE TONIGHT, BUT WE'RE 60,000 PEOPLE IN FOUR ZIP CODES AND NO SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.
AND WE'RE TRYING, BUT WE NEED THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, TO REMEMBER THAT WE DON'T HAVE A GROUP.
AND THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD AND ALL OF YOUR RESOURCES STILL NEED TO FIND A WAY FOR EQUITABLE ENGAGEMENT TO TELL THE COMMUNITY WHAT'S COMING.
WE DON'T WANT IT, IT BROUGHT IN HERE AND THEN THEY, 30 SECONDS, THANK YOU.
MAYOR, UH, WE NEED TO INTEGRATE, NOT SOCIALLY RE-ENGINEER.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND GOD BLESS YOU, UH, AND WHATEVER YOU'RE GONNA DO NEXT, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
SO, UM, UH, ARE RECEIVED AND APPRECIATED, AND I AGREE WITH YOU 100%.
UH, IT HAS TO BE, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, AND IT CAN BE LIKE WE ARE COMING IN AND SETTING UP SOMETHING SEPARATE AND APART, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT WON'T WORK, THAT DON'T, THAT WON'T WORK FROM, FOR THE RESIDENTS, AND IT CERTAINLY WON'T WORK FOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I AGREE WITH YOU AND I, AND I'LL FOLLOW UP ON THIS CONVERSATION, UH, WITH MY PEOPLE ON TOMORROW.
UH, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN A BIG SUPPORTER OF HARMONY HOUSE.
WE'VE BEEN A BIG SUPPORTER OF NEW HOPE HOUSING, AND, UH, AND WE DO BELIEVE IN PROVIDING WRAPAROUND SERVICES, BUT IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU PROVIDE WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND JUST ATTEND TO THE, TO THE, TO THE RESIDENTS INSIDE THE WALLS.
THERE HAS TO BE MEANINGFUL, UH, INTEGRATION AND INVOLVEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL FOR IT TO WORK SUCCESSFULLY, OKAY.
FOR, TO BUILD A VERY SUCCESSFUL MODEL.
SO, UM, LET ME, LET ME FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON, ON, ON THAT AND FOLLOW UP WITH MY, WITH MY TEAM AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS ON, ON THAT END.
I WILL TELL YOU, WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, UH, AT HOUSING.
UH, THOSE WHO ARE ON OUR STREETS, THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESS ON OUR STREETS, UH, UH, THE NUMBER NOW IS, UH, IS LESS THAN 3000 AND, AND GOING DOWN.
UH, IT IS MY HOPE AND THE GOAL THAT I HAVE SET FOR MY TEAM IS THAT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, UH, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DECOMMISSION EVERY ENCAMPMENT THAT EXISTS IN THE CITY BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
UH, BUT THAT'S JUST ONE PHASE.
THE OTHER PHASE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THEM WITH THE SERVICES TO, SO THAT THEY CAN STAND UP ON THEIR FEET.
AND THEN THE THIRD IS TO, IS TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW, UH, THAT WE ARE NOT COMING IN, WORKING AGAINST.
WE ARE TRYING, WE WANNA WORK TOGETHER AND WE NEED TO INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY, UH, THE NEIGHBORS, UH, INTO WHAT WE ARE DOING SO THAT THEY'LL KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING.
SO WE CAN DO BETTER ON THAT FRONT.
SO LET ME PLEDGE TO YOU THAT I'LL, I'LL VISIT WITH MY FOLK AND THEN WE'LL WORK, UH, WITH, WITH A PASTOR, LIKE WITH YOU AND OTHERS, UH, TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON WHAT YOU, THANK YOU.
UH, GINA SYLVESTER, YOU NEED TO COME OFF MUTE.
YOU AND I HAVE NOT MET, I HAVE BEEN, UH, PRESIDENT OF ROBINDALE CIVIC CLUB FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
THIS IS MY THIRD AND FINAL YEAR, AND I, THIS YEAR I'M ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE, UM, RAYBURN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
ONE, UH, EDWARD POLLARD CAME TO OUR ROBINDALE BOARD MEETING.
UM, ARE YOU THERE? YEAH, I'M, I'M HERE.
CAME TO OUR ROBINDALE BOARD MEETING MAYOR ANYMORE.
SO MAYBE, MAYBE WHOEVER'S RUNNING THE, UM, THE SCREEN HAS SHIFTED FROM THE MAYOR, SO, WELL, I'LL JUST KEEP TALKING.
HOW'S THAT'S LOOKING, GINA? YES.
UH, EDWARD POLLARD CAME TO OUR, UH, BOARD MEETING LAST THURSDAY FOR ROBINDALE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WE HAVE BEEN SHIFTED INTO DISTRICT J, WHICH, UH, I THINK IS GONNA BE A REAL POSITIVE MOOD FOR OUR AREA.
UM, I, I JUST WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH HIM, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD FOR HIM WAS ABOUT THE PERMITTING FOR REMODELS AND PROJECTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, THAT, UM, THERE IS A LINE ON THE APPLICATION THAT SAYS, HAS THE HOA APPROVED THE APPLICA THE APPLICATION, OR THE PROJECT BEFORE BEING SUBMITTED? AND MOST OF THE TIME, EVERYBODY JUST CHECKS YES.
[00:50:01]
THE CITY IS SAYING, TELLING US THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO CHECK ALL OF THAT.AND SO I SUBMITTED TO EDWARD POLLARD THAT, UH, THAT THE APPLICATION BE AMENDED TO ASK THE HOMEOWNER TO INCLUDE A, UM, A LETTER OR SUBMISSION FROM THE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION THAT THE, THAT THE PROJECT HAS INDEED BEEN APPROVED.
AND HE TOLD ME THAT ACTUALLY THAT IS IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE EDITING THAT.
JUST WONDERED WHEN THAT WAS GONNA BE FINISHED.
MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, I'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT, WHAT YOUR, YOUR, THE, THE CITY PLAN IS FOR FINDING AREAS FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING.
WE'VE JUST BEEN INFORMED THAT THERE IS A LOW, UH, INCOME HOUSING PROJECT, UH, MAYBE FOR OUR AREA.
AND I JUST WONDERED, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT, UH, FINDING THOSE AREAS? DO YOU HAVE AN OVERALL PLAN OF WHERE THAT ALL IS GONNA GO? THE REASON THAT I ASK YOU IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UM, AS, AS ALL NEIGHBORHOODS PROBABLY HARVEY REALLY DEVASTATED THIS NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE WE'RE ACROSS THE STREET FROM RAISED BAYOU.
AND THANK YOU FOR COMPLETING THAT PROJECT, BY THE WAY.
THAT WAS HUGE, UH, A HUGE UNDERTAKING.
UM, BUT WE'RE MAKING GREAT STRIDES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS HERE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON ASPECTS LIKE, UH, MITIGATION OF CRIME AND SO FORTH AND SO ON.
AND SO WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS, THE LOW INCOME HOUSING, UM, BEING BROUGHT TO 30 SECONDS.
JUST WANTED TO, I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT YOUR FEELINGS ARE ABOUT ALL OF THIS.
LEMME TAKE THE FIRST ONE IN TERMS OF HOMEOWNERS PROVIDING, UM, UM, UH, SOME LETTER, A STATEMENT TO PLANNING THAT THEY HAVE REVIEWED THEIR PLANS WITH HOA.
SO, UH, WE'RE NOT RUNNING A FILE OF ANYTHING THAT IS IN THE, THAT IS IN THE WORKS, UH, BECAUSE, UH, LEGAL DOESN'T HAVE THE TIME TO KIND OF GO THROUGH ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND SO, UH, THE QUESTION IS, WHO SHOULD WE PUT THE ON THIS ON? UM, BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE COME INTO PERMITTING AND, AND WE ARE GETTING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF REQUESTS GOING THROUGH PERMITTING, OKAY? UM, SO, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, LEGALISTS REVIEWING, UH, RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF SAYING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING IN SEEKING PERMITS, UH, TO BUILD OR SUBSTANTIALLY DO SOME THINGS DIFFERENTLY, UH, BRINGING US SOME, UH, PROOF, UH, THAT YOU HAVE, UH, REVIEWED ITEMS CONSISTENT WITH YOUR DEED RESTRICTIONS, UH, HOA, UH, GIVE US SOMETHING THAT WE CAN THEN GO ON AND, AND BE A PART OF OUR FILES BEFORE WE ISSUE THE PERMIT AND MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE GET FLOODED WITH PEOPLE, UH, LIKE TAMARA BELL AND OTHERS WHO ARE COMING ON TUESDAY AT AT TWO O'CLOCK AND PREACHING TO US AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, WHY DID Y'ALL ALLOW THIS TO TAKE PLACE? SO WE ARE WORKING ON THAT.
AND COUNCILMAN POLLEN, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
AND OF COURSE YOU GOT COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCON AND DAVE ALCO AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON THAT'S ON HERE AS WELL.
AND THEY FULLY, UH, ARE SENSITIVE TO THIS ISSUE THAT WE HAVE FACED TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
WITH RESPECT TO THE SECOND ISSUE THAT YOU BRING UP.
UH, AND, AND, AND LET ME JUST SAY, IN TERMS OF MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT, UH, WE, WE PRIMARILY, UH, LOOK AT IT IN TERMS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A RELATIVE TERM.
WHEN WE ARE PUTTING IN THESE, UH, DOING THESE MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS, UH, A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THEM ARE MARKET DRIVEN.
IN MANY CASES IT MAY BE WHERE 50% OF THE UNITS ARE MARKET DRIVEN, AND THEN YOU MAY HAVE, UH, LESS THAN 50%, UH, UH, OR LE LESS THAN MARKET DRIVEN, BUT BASED ON WHETHER THEY ARE 60 OR 80% OF THE AVERAGE MEDIUM INCOME.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, A FIREFIGHTER, UH, MAY BE IN THAT CATEGORY OR A TEACHER MAY BE IN THAT CATEGORY.
SO THESE ARE NOT WHAT ONE WOULD CONSIDER LIKE, UM, UM, JUST LOW INCOME HOUSING PROJECTS.
THEY ARE MULTI-FAMILY PROJECTS, UH, WITH, UH, THAT VARY IN TERMS OF THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC DYNAMICS.
AND IT ALMOST IN ALL CASES, WHETHER THE CITY'S INVOLVED, UH, THERE ARE, UM, MANY OF THOSE UNITS ARE AT THE MARKET RATE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THING I WANNA REALLY EMPHASIZE, UH, THAT WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE YOU'RE BUILDING 90 UNITS AND ALL OF THEM ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING 30 TO 60% OF THE AVERAGE MEDIUM INCOME.
SO LET'S TAKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE A VERY CLOSE LOOK.
NOW, HOW DO WE DECIDE WHERE DID THEY GO? UH, QUITE FRANKLY, UH, OUR MULTIFAMILY, UH, DEVELOPMENTS ARE, ARE PUT IN ALL OVER THE CITY, AND WE EVALUATE 'EM BASED ON MANY DIFFERENT FACTORS.
UH, WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOW MANY HAVE BEEN, HAVE GONE INTO A CERTAIN AREA BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA SATURATE
[00:55:01]
ANY PARTICULAR AREA.WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR, AND THE SCHOOLS IN THAT AREA, UH, AND WHETHER OR NOT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE RATING OF THOSE SCHOOLS, UH, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE CAPACITY IS THERE TO HANDLE THAT SITUATION.
WE LOOK AT TRANSPORTATION AND WHETHER OR NOT, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, PEOPLE THERE, UH, UH, THE TRAFFIC, THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS THERE TO SUSTAIN, UH, THESE MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ELEMENTS THAT WE LOOK AT, AT, AND THEN WE, AND THEN WE RANK THEM.
UH, AND THEN FOR EXAMPLE, THEN WE TAKE, AND THEN MANY OF THEM COME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOR APPROVAL.
IF NOT, MOST OF THEM, UH, WILL COME.
AND THAT'S DEPENDING ON WHETHER WHAT THEIR FINANCIAL STRENGTHS, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, UH, ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, BUT THEY ARE PLACED ALL OVER THE CITY.
UM, WITH, WITH, WITH, WITH FEW EXCEPTION.
SO, WELL, THE REASON, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THE REASON THAT I USED LOW INCOME HOUSING IS BECAUSE THE LETTER THAT I RECEIVED LAST WEEK, THAT WAS THE TERM THAT WAS USED ON THAT LETTER, AND IT WAS 90 OUT OF A HUNDRED, UH, APARTMENTS IN THIS, UH, PROPO IN THIS PROPOSAL WAS CONSIDERED LOW INCOME.
WHERE DID IT COME FROM? GINA? WHERE DID, WELL, WHO SENT YOU THAT? OH, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE THE LETTER IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IT'S A COMPANY THAT IS ASKING FOR TAX DOLLARS FOR THIS, FOR THIS, UH, PROJECT.
SO IT JUST, THEY MAY HAVE SENT YOU A LETTER BECAUSE THEY MAY BE ASKING FOR TAX DOLLARS FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY.
AND SO THEY'RE NEEDING, THEY'RE NEEDING SUPPORT EITHER FROM, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION IS IN ORDER FOR THEM TO SCORE HIGH ENOUGH TO GET TAX CREDITS FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
UH, AND THEN TO THE EXTENT THEY GET THOSE TAX CREDITS, THEN THEY COME BACK, UH, TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEY TRY TO GET ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, UH, UH, UH, IN, IN SOME CASES THEY TRY TO GET OUR SUPPORT EVEN BEFORE THEY GO UP, UP THERE.
UH, BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN, I'VE NOT SEEN A DEVELOPMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WOULD BE LIKE 90% OF THEIR UNITS, UH, WOULD BE FOR A CERTAIN CA YOU KNOW, 30% OR 60% OF A MI AVERAGE MEDIA MEN INCOME.
SO IT KIND OF, IT KIND OF VARIES.
UM, BUT THERE'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE WOULD AUTHORIZE IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, AND THEY ARE PLACED ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND WE DO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW MANY ARE BEING PLACED IN A CERTAIN AREA SO THAT WE ARE, WE DON'T INUNDATE THAT COMMUNITY, UH, WITH, WITH THESE MULTIFAMILY DE DEVELOPMENTS.
I WILL TELL YOU MY FOCUS, UH, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, THIS LAST YEAR, MY FOCUS IS BUILDING, UH, 3000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
AND, AND MY TEAM KNOWS THAT'S WHERE MY EMPHASIS IS AS WE FINISH 2023.
AND THOSE 3000 HOMES, ARE THOSE INSIDE THE HOUSTON, THE BELTWAY? ARE THEY INSIDE THE LOOP, OR WHERE ARE THEY JUST, UH, OUT IN THE SUBDIVISIONS? THEY WOULD BE, WELL, INSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SOME WILL BE INSIDE SIX 10, SOME WILL BE OUTSIDE SIX 10.
BUT THE FOCUS, THE FOCUS IS BUILDING 3000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, QUITE A FEW PEOPLE HERE WITH THEIR HANDS UP.
I WILL REMIND PEOPLE THAT WE'VE GOT 30 MINUTES.
SO, UH, SO, UH, I DO WANNA TRY AND GET THROUGH ALL THESE QUESTIONS.
SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU PHRASE YOUR QUESTIONS.
FIRST OF ALL, I APPRECIATE YOU, ME MENTIONING ABOUT THE MOU.
MY QUESTION WAS, BECAUSE IT'S COME UP WITH OTHER GROUPS, UH, IN THE LAST MONTH ABOUT CONCERNS ABOUT IT, AND I WAS WONDERING IF THAT ALLAYED THEIR FEARS ABOUT IT.
SECOND OF ALL, UM, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE DETENTION BASIN IN WEST HOUSTON.
EXCUSE MY IGNORANCE, BUT I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT AREA YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THIRD OF ALL, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED BECAUSE I'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS POPULATION GROWTH, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING, LOOK AT THE SENSE OF DATA THAT ACTUALLY THE CITY OF HOUSTON FROM THE LAST SENSE OF DATA IS LOWER IN POPULATION THAN IT WAS IN 2 20 15.
IN FACT, UH, WE, UH, UH, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING FROM THE NORTHEAST AND WEST THAT ARE MOVING DOWN TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
OUR AREA GREW FASTER THAN, FOR EXAMPLE, NEW YORK OR CHICAGO, UH, LA.
SO, UM, SO WE ARE, WE ARE GROWING THE HOUSTON, HOUSTON IS GROWING AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING AREA.
[01:00:01]
AS WELL.UH, SO, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, LEMME JUST, LEMME JUST DEAL WITH THAT.
THE CITY, THE CITY IS, THE CITY IS GROWING, UH, WITH RESPECT TO, UM, WHAT WAS THAT OTHER ISSUE, GREG? ON MY, WELL, UH, YEAH, THE, I, THE MOUI DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO ADDRESS IT ALL.
I JUST, THAT WAS THE REASON FOR IT.
BUT THE LAST ONE WAS, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT A DETENTION BASIN IN WEST HOUSTON.
AND I DON'T DISAGREE THAT THIS, THE AREA OF HOUSTON, AROUND HOUSTON IS GROWING, BUT THE SENSE OF DATA SHOWS TO ME THAT 2015, IT'S IS HIGHER THEN.
UH, AND THEN I, I WOULD SAY WITH YOU, UM, THERE ARE FOUR HAZARD MITIGATION PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN, UM, LET'S SAY A GREEN LIGHT BY FEMA AS A RESULT OF, UH, HARVEY.
UH, ONE IS IN THE KINGWOOD AREA, ONE IS THE NORTH CANAL, THE THIRD ONE IS THE INWOOD GOLF COURSE IN NORTHWEST HOUSTON.
AND THE FOURTH WITNESS IN WEST HOUSTON.
AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT AROUND DEALING WITH TUR 17.
IN, IN THAT AREA, UH, IS WHERE, THAT IS WHERE THAT, UH, UH, WEST DETENTION BASIN WILL BE.
UM, NOTE THAT, I WON'T SAY THERE'S A DEFINITIVE PLAN, BUT THE ENGINEERS ARE CERTAINLY TAKING A LOOK, TAKING A LOOK AT A MAJOR DETENTION BASIN IN WEST, IN WEST HOUSTON, WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH TUR 17.
UH, STACY FAIRCHILD, MAYOR, I, I HAVE A COUPLE OF THANK YOUS, UH, FOR YOU.
STACY FAIRCHILD, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE SECRETARY AND PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22, WHICH IS WASHINGTON AVENUE COALITION MEMORIAL PARK.
I WANNA THANK YOU, UH, FOR COMING EVERY YEAR TO THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE AND DOING THIS WITH US.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE HEAR FROM YOU DIRECTLY.
WE HEAR YOU, YOU KNOW, ON COUNCIL AND WHATNOT, BUT HAVING YOU ADDRESS US, YOU KNOW, IN PERSON VIRTUALLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE THIS IS A BIG DEAL TO US.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT AND TAKING OUR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERING THEM.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, SAYING YES TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND, UH, PAST CHAIR DR. JUAN SOTO FOR, UH, ALLOWING US TO APPEAR MONTHLY ON HTV, UH, LIVE.
THAT HAS BEEN A BIG DEAL, UH, FOR US IN OUR REACH AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, GATHERING CONSENSUS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO WE, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, HERE IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, YEAR AND A HALF, THE OTHER.
UM, I, I JUST WANT TO, TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND BEING OUTSPOKEN ABOUT IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, CRIME, YOU KNOW, DESPITE WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY, WE, IN SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WE, UM, YOU KNOW, PERCEPTION IS REALITY, RIGHT? SOME OF US DON'T FEEL SAFE GOING TO THE STORE OR EVEN JUST SITTING AT A RED LIGHT IN OUR, IN OUR VEHICLES.
SO, UM, I, I REALLY, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATE YOU BEING VERY OUTSPOKEN ABOUT, UH, YOUR SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, GIVEN WHAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, UM, SOME OF THE, UM, THE INITIATIVES TO, UH, DO THE OPPOSITE NATIONALLY.
UH, ALSO, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LOUD NOISE ISSUE.
CITYWIDE, YOU KNOW, THAT I HAVE, UM, BEEN, OR MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN PARTICULAR IN MY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THIS PROBABLE, SINCE 30 SECONDS, PLEASE, 2008 30 SECONDS.
UM, AND I HAVE, I HAPPEN TO MEET SHALANDA IN MY COMMUNITY GARDEN, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
SHALANDA TURNER, UH, JUST HAPPENED TO WALK UP MY STREET DOWN LESTER STREET FROM SOUTH OF WASHINGTON, AND SHE WAS TRYING TO PASS OUT FLYERS TO SEE IF SHE COULD CONNECT WITH ANYBODY.
'CAUSE SHE HAD SEEN US IN THE NEWS.
AND SO I COMMITTED TO HER, UM, IN HELPING HER WITH HER ISSUE.
BUT ONE, ONE NOTE I WANTED TO, UH, POINT OUT, WE HAVE A, UM, AN ESTABLISHMENT ON WASHINGTON AVENUE THAT HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, A LONG-TERM OFFENDER AND A BAD NEIGHBOR OF, OF, UH, OF OURS.
AND HPD, UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, I WANT YOU TO HEAR THIS TOO.
THEY ACTUALLY CITED THEM FOR BASE RESIDENTS.
UH, THE OTHER NIGHT, IN ADDITION TO LOUD NOISE.
THEY WERE AT 78 DECIBELS WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 58.
AND SO I APPRECIATE HPD, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY NOT PLAY ITSELF OUT IN A COURT OF LAW.
LET ME, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU.
UH, AND LOOK, AND, AND LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU.
LET, THANK THE RESIDENTS, UH, IN THAT AREA.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ALCORN, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER KAREN AND SHABAZZ, UH, HAVE
[01:05:01]
ALL BEEN VERY VOCAL.UM, AND SO LET ME APPRECIATE YOUR, UM, YOUR EFFORTS.
UH, HPD UM, OFTENTIMES FINDS ITSELF IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION, BUT THEY DO CARE.
UH, AND THEY DO WANT TO, UM, THEY DO WANT TO BRING BACK SOME CIVILITY IN THAT AREA.
AND, AND, UM, UM, AND SOME, AND, AND, AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES ARE REAL, WHETHER THEY'RE IN YOUR AREA, WHETHER THEY'RE IN THIRD WARD, WHETHER THEY'RE IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON.
UH, THE QUALITY OF LIFE IS REAL.
AND WE DO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE TO COEXIST.
BUSINESS OWNERS JUST CAME, YOU KNOW, JUST PLAY THEIR MUSIC TO THE HIGHEST AS IF, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CAN.
UM, SO WE, WE DO WANNA PROVIDE HPD AND LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED, AND THEY NEED MORE PEOPLE.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRY TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BE AS IN CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE TO GET ON TOP OF IT.
I WISH I HAD A, I WISH I HAD BETTER RESPONSES FOR YOU.
UM, I KNOW OF THE RESPONSES THAT I'M GIVING TO YOU IN TERMS OF THIS NOISE SITUATION, INADEQUATE, UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AND CONTINUE TO, UH, MAKE WHATEVER MODIFICATIONS WE NEED TO MAKE IN, IN, IN THAT, IN THAT REGARD.
I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU HAD TO MAKE WITH RESPECT TO HTV.
IT'S MY HOPE THAT THE NEXT MAYOR WILL CONTINUE THAT.
UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S, IM IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF ME MEETING WITH YOU ALL.
UH, THE, UH, IT'S YOUR FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY.
IT'S MY HOPE THAT THE NEXT MAYOR WILL DO THE SAME.
UH, IN FACT, UH, WE'LL DO EVEN MORE, UM, THAN WHAT, THAN WHAT I HAVE DONE.
'CAUSE IT, IT IS IMPORTANT, UH, FOR THE MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON TO HAVE TO, UH, BE IN PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH SUPER, WITH THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND ONE OTHER THING I WANNA POINT OUT, UH, THAT'S VERY POSITIVE IS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CHIEF NER, UM, AND, AND THE COUNTY IN TERMS OF, OF GETTING AN MOU TOGETHER TO ALLOW, UM, THE COUNTY CONSTABLES, UH, PARTICULARLY PRECINCT ONE, CONSTABLE ALLEN ROSEN, TO, UM, BACKFILL, IF YOU WILL, UM, IN HIS PRECINCT WHERE, UM, HPD CAN'T, CAN'T ENFORCE, YOU KNOW, LOUD NOISE READILY.
THEY CAN COME IN AND, AND, UH, POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, UM, ENFORCE, YOU KNOW, THE SOUND ORDINANCE THAT WAY.
SO, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT, BUT, UM, I, MY HOPE IS, IS THAT IF WE NEED TO GO THAT ROUTE, THAT WE CAN EXPAND THAT CITYWIDE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'LL JUST HELP EVERYBODY IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT IN TALKING TO CHIEF FINN, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, CREATING A RESERVED FORCE FOR HPD, UH, FOR, UH, POLICE OFFICERS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO HAVE RETIRED, UH, BUT REALLY DON'T WANNA STAY HOME.
MAYBE IT'S NOT AS MANY HOURS, AND THAT WILL HELP TO FREE UP EVEN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, UH, BECAUSE, UH, RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN, CAN MONITOR, UH, THE NOISE ORDINANCE, SO TO SPEAK.
OKAY? UH, THOSE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT CREATIVE WAYS OF REALLY UTILIZING EVEN MORE RESOURCES AND TARGET, AND PUTTING THEM IN, IN, UH, A VERY, UH, SPEC TARGETED AREAS, UH, THAT, WHERE WE CAN SEE SOME IMPACT.
SO, UH, WE'LL LOOK AT, AT THIS AS WELL.
AND, UH, BUT I KNOW IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH CHIEF FENNER, UH, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT HOW DO WE GET CONTROL, UM, OF SOME OF THESE AREAS WHERE, UH, CLUBS ARE OUT OF CONTROL.
HOW DO, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET ON TOP OF THAT? SO, UM, THAT'S A, UM, AND, AND THE CITY LEGAL, UH, ATTORNEY TOLD MICHELLE AND I JUST HAD A CONVERSATION ON, UH, ON SOME OF THESE CLUBS, UH, EARLIER TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
WE REPRESENT THE, UH, CONSTITUENTS OF MAGNOLIA PARK IN THE EAST END MANCHESTER SMITH EDITION.
UM, SO I WANTED TO SPECIFICALLY SPEAK ON, UM, COMMUNITY HUBS.
I KNOW THAT COMMENT WAS BROUGHT UP A FEW TIMES.
UM, SPECIFICALLY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE, UH, RECENTLY WERE IN PREPARATION FOR A CONSTITUENT VISIT WITH CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA, DISTRICT 29.
AND IN PREPARING FOR THAT VISIT, WE IDENTIFIED UNDER HER COMMUNITY GRANT REQUEST, UM, A LETTER SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS SENT BACK APRIL, 2022, REQUESTING $1.5 MILLION TO, UM, WHAT IS IT, TO CREATE, TO CREATE A COMMERCIAL
[01:10:01]
REALIST, A COMMERCIAL SPACE.AND, UM, WE WERE NOT PART OF THAT CONVERSATION WHEN IT WAS SENT TO HER DISTRICT.
UM, SO THE LAST TIME THAT WE WERE ENGAGED BY THE CITY AND COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, AND, UM, USING THE TERM HUBS WAS A WORKSHOP ENTITLED DESIGNING FOR IMPACT.
AND THAT WAS AN ONLINE, UH, WORKSHOP.
SO THAT WAS THE LAST TIME THAT WE TALKED ABOUT ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN WE COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE CITY MOVED FORWARD WITHOUT GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THOSE DESIGNS AND PARTICIPATE IN THOSE DESIGNS.
30, WE HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT, PLEASE.
SO WE'RE ASKING THE MAYOR TO SUPPORT OUR REQUEST TO PLACE THE FUTURE PLANIFICATION THE FUTURE VISION OF THIS PROJECT BACK INTO THE HANDS OF THE RESIDENTS.
GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
AND, AND LEMME TELL YOU WHAT TOOK PLACE ON, ON THAT FRONT.
UM, AND THE MAGNOLIA, MANCHESTER SMITH EDITION IS A PART OF OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES.
AND WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING, UH, IN CONGRESS, THEY, THEY, THEY ARE ABLE TO PUT IN PLACE, UH, THESE COMMUNITY GRANTS, I CALL 'EM, THEY USED TO BE CALLED EARMARKS.
AND WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS THAT, UH, THE CONGRE CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS WILL COME AND THEY WILL SAY, UM, UH, CAN YOU GIVE US, UM, PROJECTS THAT WE NEED THAT WE CAN PUT IN, UH, WHERE WE MAY BE ABLE TO PULL DOWN THESE GRANTS? OKAY? AND, UH, AND SO IN THIS CASE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL GO THROUGH, LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO SEE, WHAT CAN, WHAT, UH, WHAT CAN WE PUT TOGETHER THAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO OUR MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION SO THAT THEY CAN, UH, PUT FORTH THESE EARMARKS OR SEEK THESE COMMUNITY GRANTS.
UM, AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN FOR LIKE A FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT ZONE, UM, THAT WE MAY, WE MAY HAVE LISTED AS A COMMUNITY HUB.
UH, AND THE WAY IT WORKS, IF WE GET THE GRANT, THEN YES, WE DO COME BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND SAY, OKAY, HOW CAN WE DESIGN IT? HOW CAN WE UTILIZE THESE DOLLARS? AND WHAT ADDITIONAL DOLLARS CAN WE PUT WITH IT? SO, UH, WE WILL ALWAYS GO BACK, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY UNDER THE COMPLETE COMMUNITY INITIATIVE IS, IS COMPLETE COMMUNITIES IS ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, THE CITY ITSELF, UH, LET'S SAY A CITY HALL.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T PICK THE PROJECT OR DESIGN THE PROJECT AND SAY, HERE YOU GO, THIS IS YOURS.
SO, COMPLETE COMMUNITIES IS ALL ABOUT WORKING WITH, UH, THE CIVIC CLUBS, SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY, YOU NAME IT IN THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS, UH, TO DESIGN WHAT THAT PROJECT, UH, SHOULD BE.
WE'LL, WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
I, I CAN ASSURE YOU ON THAT, RIGHT? RIGHT.
AND, AND THAT'S SORT OF WHAT I WAS TRYING TO COMMUNICATE.
I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS TALKING TO THE MAYOR
I'M, UH, LOOK, I'M, I'M NERVOUS TALKING TO YOU, SO YOU SHOULDN'T BE NERVOUS.
YOU SHOULDN'T BE NERVOUS TALKING TO ME,
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE LETTER ITSELF DID SPECIFICALLY SAY RE RESIDENTS RANKED AS A HIGH PRIORITY, CREATING AN INVENTORY OF RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL SPACES.
AND, UM, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN PART OF ALL THESE COMMUNITY, COMPLETE COMMUNITY, UM, UH, MEETINGS.
AND, UM, WE, WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO DISAGREE THAT THAT IS A PRIORITY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WOULD'VE LIKED, LIKE MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING HERE TODAY, UM, HOUSING, THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT OF RETAIL.
AND I, WE KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S TOO LATE TO REPHRASE THE REQUEST AS IS.
SO WE, WE JUST WANNA BE PART OF ANY, ANY FURTHER CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE, UM, WE HOLD, WE HOLD OUR COMMUNITY VERY DEAR TO OUR HEART, AND WE JUST WANNA BE PART OF ANYTHING THAT WILL COME FROM THIS COMPLETE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE.
BUT, UH, WE APPRECIATE THE, THE FOCUS AND OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE THANK YOUR TIME SYLVESTER TURNER.
YOU'RE MORE, YOU'RE MORE, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME.
AND, UH, AND LOOK, AND I'LL, I, AND I, AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE SEND YOU BACK, UH, AND WE PUT TOGETHER LIKE THESE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BROCHURES THAT WE GET FROM THESE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES WHERE, WHERE PEOPLE KIND OF INDICATED TO US WHAT IT IS THAT THEY WANT.
UM, 'CAUSE I, I CAN RECALL BEING OUT THERE MYSELF AT THE BEGINNING WITH, UH, I THINK, SAY REPRESENTATIVE DIANA HERNANDEZ WAS THERE, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS WAS OUT THERE.
UH, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF OTHER COMMUNITY LEADERS OUT AT ONE OF THE MEETINGS.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WE PUT TOGETHER IN THESE BOOKLETS, UH, WHAT IT IS THAT PEOPLE WERE ASKING FOR IN THESE PARTICULAR AREAS.
SO I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE, AND, AND AGAIN, UH, DIUS YOU MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WITH SHANNON, UH, TO SEND TO, UH, PRISCILLA, UH, UM, THE BOOKLET THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THAT PARTICULAR AREA OUT THERE.
WE, RIGHT, UH, UH, JUST ONE LAST THING, NEXT QUESTION.
UH, WELL, I WILL SAY, MAYOR, THANK
[01:15:01]
YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING TIME WITH IT.DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME IN YOUR SCHEDULE TO GET THROUGH QUICKLY? THREE MORE QUESTIONS, OR HOW ARE YOU DOING ON TIME? WELL, I, I AM FINE, BUT MY BATTERY IS STARTING TO RUN LOW, SO LET'S DO THE THREE QUESTIONS, AND IF, IF, IF I SHOULD DIS, IF I SHOULD DISAPPEAR, YOU'LL KNOW WHY.
OKAY, PEDRO, QUICKLY,
YEAH, MR. MAYOR, I WANNA SAY, UH, THE FIRST TIME YOU EVER SPOKE TO US WAS OVER AT THE, UH, ANNEX BUILDING OVER OFF OF, UH, WALKER.
AND THE SAME THING I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT TONIGHT IS WHAT I TALKED ABOUT THEN.
BACK THEN, I TALKED ABOUT THE NOISE AT THE WHITE OAK MUSIC HALL.
AND, UH, EIGHT YEARS LATER, NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
YOU STILL HAVE NOISE COMING FROM THAT COMPLEX.
AND NOWADAYS, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND, AND I'M SORRY, I'M WITH THE GREATER HEIGHTS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 15.
NOW OUR NEIGHBORHOOD'S IN, UM, AND, UH, SHADY ACRES AND CLARK PINES ARE INUNDATED WITH BARS AND CLUBS UP AND DOWN 19TH AND 20TH STREET.
UH, I, I DON'T EVEN RECOGNIZE THAT AREA ANYMORE.
AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN LIVING THERE FOR YEARS.
THEY DIDN'T MOVE IN AFTER THE CLUBS CAME IN.
THEY WERE, THEY'RE YEARS BEFORE THE CLUBS MOVED IN.
THE SAME THING I TALKED ABOUT LAST YEAR, MAYOR.
AND THE SAME THING I TALKED ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO.
THE NOISE HASN'T GOTTEN ANY BETTER.
THE ENFORCEMENT HASN'T GOTTEN ANY BETTER.
IT SEEMS LIKE NOTHING HAS CHANGED WHEN IT COMES TO THE NOISE AND THE BRUJA THAT THESE, THAT THESE CLUBS HAVE, THE PEOPLE THAT COME, THEY DON'T LIVE HERE.
THEY LIVE IN SUGAR LAND, THEY LIVE IN KATY, THEY LIVE IN THE WOODLANDS.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE ALWAYS BEND OVER BACKWARDS FOR THESE PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIVE IN THIS CITY.
WHETHER IT'S THESE CLUBS OR WHETHER IT'S THAT 45 PROJECT, OR WHETHER IT'S THE HEIGHT OR THE I 10 RAISING I 10, IT'S ALWAYS LIKE WE'RE BENDING OVER BACKWARDS TO, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T EVEN LIVE IN THIS CITY.
THAT'S THE COMMENT I HAVE, AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT, MR. MAYOR.
WELL, LEMME JUST SAY IF IT FALLS WITHIN THE NOISE ORDINANCE, AND IF THEY'RE OPERATING WITHIN THE NOISE ORDINANCE, THEN THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO OPERATE THEIR BUSINESSES.
UM, LOOK, THE CITY MADE A DECISION YEARS BEFORE I BECAME MAYOR, THAT THEY WERE, THE CITY WAS NOT GONNA HAVE ZONING.
AND WE HAVE, AND IN HOUSTON, LIKE IN TEXAS, WE VALUE PEOPLE'S PROPERTY RIGHTS.
OKAY? NOW, IF, IF, IF, IF PEOPLE IN THE CITY HAVE DECIDED THAT, UH, THEY WANNA CHANGE THINGS, AND FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD WANTS TO, UM, ATTEMPT TO PUT ZONING BACK TO SEE HOW PEOPLE VOTE FOR IT, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD DO.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT IS PEOPLE'S RIGHTS, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO TELL.
CITY LEADERS, UH, DON'T, DON'T ALLOW THESE BUSINESSES HERE, OKAY? WHEN WE DO NOT HAVE ZONING, NOW, WE, WE TRY TO WORK AROUND IT WITH MINIMUM LIKE SIZE, AND WE, THERE'S A BUFFERING ORDINANCE THAT'S COMING FORTH, AND THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING, UH, TO TRY TO TRIM THE TREE, SO TO SPEAK.
UH, BUT PEOPLE IN THIS CITY MADE A DECISION YEARS AGO, AND THEY MADE THAT DECISION TWICE.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO OPERATE WITHIN THE RULES THAT HAVE BEEN SET AND THE POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN SET BY THE PEOPLE IN THIS CITY.
I WISH I HAD A BETTER ANSWER FOR YOU, BUT I DON'T.
UH, THE NEXT QUESTION IS, IS IT TK TK MORGAN? YES.
I SEE THE MAYOR HAS LOST HIS POWER.
IS THE MAYOR STILL THERE? I THINK HE LOST HIS BATTERY POWER.
IS HE COMING BACK IN? I DON'T KNOW.
UM, YOU DON'T GOT, NO, YEAH, I DON'T SEE HIM AS OF YET.
YEAH, I THINK PROBABLY WE'RE LOST FOR THE MEETING.
SO, UH, HE, HE, HE MADE THE GRAND EFFORT,
SO, LEMME DOUBLE CHECK, BUT WE CAN STILL TAKE THE QUESTION AND THE, I WAS GONNA SAY, TAKE THE QUESTION.
IF YOU CAN SUBMIT THE QUESTION TO US IN WRITING, THEN WE WILL, UH, FORWARD THOSE QUESTIONS TO THE MAYOR.
SO DO YOU WANNA FORWARD IT IN WRITING OR DO YOU WANNA TELL IT TO ALL OF US? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU, TELL TO ALL OF YOU GUYS.
UM, I HAD A SOLUTION TO HIS, UM, PROBLEMS PERTAINING TO THE NOISE.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCIL LADY ALCORN SHABAZZ, AND I ALSO WANNA GIVE RECOGNITION TO CORY GLENN, WHICH HE IS ASSISTING, UM, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, SHABAZZ, AND ALSO ALCORN.
AND I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO COMMANDER JOHNSON HERE IN THE GREATER THIRD WARD AREA, AND ALSO SERGEANT BRIAN ALMS FOR HELPING US WITH THE LOUD NOISE SITUATION.
SO, AS FAR AS PERMITTING, UM, WHAT I UNDERSTOOD IS IF I WANT TO OPEN UP A CLUB, OF COURSE THERE'S NO ZONING.
I CAN JUST GO TO THE PERMIT OFFICE, PAY MY MONEY FOR THE YEAR, AND GET A LOT NOISE PERMIT.
THERE ARE NO PREREQUISITE IN ADVANCE
[01:20:01]
FOR THESE BUSINESSES, WHICH IF I DECIDE TO PUT A POOL IN MY BACKYARD, THERE WILL BE 11 INSPECTORS COMING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S DONE CORRECT.WHEN YOU BUILD A HOUSE, YOU HAVE INSPECTORS, YOU GOTTA GET CITY PERMIT.
SO THERE SHOULD BE SOME CHECKS AND BALANCES, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU IN MY HOME, I LIVE TWO BLOCKS FROM MS. TURNER.
I HEAR VIBRATION TWO BLOCKS AWAY.
SHE IS 13 FEET BEHIND A CLUB THAT REALLY DON'T CARE IF HPD COMES OUT OR NOT.
THEY TURNS UP THEIR MUSIC, THEY COME OUT AND VISIT WITH THEM.
THEY TURN IT DOWN, THEY TURN IT BACK UP.
THESE PEOPLE PAY, PAY HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THEIR HOMES.
TWO OF MY NEIGHBORS DOWN THE STREET HAVE COMPLETELY WALKED AWAY FROM THEIR HOMES.
AND SO, AS FAR AS PERMITTING, UH, THERE SHOULD BE SOME PREREC BEHIND, UH, GIVING PERMIT LICENSE VERSUS JUST GIVING LICENSE, GIVING PERMITS TO PEOPLE, AND THEY CAN JUST PLAY THEIR MUSIC HOWEVER LONG THEY WANT.
UM, THERE DEFINITELY SHOULD BE YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS.
SO I SHOULD, I RECOMMEND THAT THEY SHOULD REVISIT CHAPTER 30, UM, TO PUT IN SOME PREREC TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S PROPER SOUNDPROOFING PROOFING, UH, DO SOME TESTING, AND THEN ALSO TOO, MAKE SURE THAT THEY LOOK AT 10 99, 33.
THAT IS THE ALCOHOL TACB RULES, WHICH YOU HAVE TO BE, UH, BEYOND 300 FEET FROM A CHURCH, SCHOOL OR HOSPITAL.
WE HAVE A CLUB THAT'S 43 FEET ACROSS FROM A CHURCH.
SO IF THERE'S RULES IN PLACE, PLEASE, UH, IF THERE'S COMPLIANCE IN PLACE, PLEASE MAKE SURE THE COMPLIANCE ARE, ARE UTILIZED.
THE MAYOR, DID YOU HEAR THAT? UH, DID YOU HEAR THAT BOSS? I DID.
I JUST, I JUST, I SWITCHED TO A CELL PHONE.
WELL, GLAD THAT YOU DID HEAR THAT THEN.
UM, SO, UH, DID YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THAT, MAYOR THEN? UH, NO.
I, I DID HEAR WHAT, UH, UH, WHAT, UH, SHE HAD TO SAY.
UH, I, I THINK THAT WAS THE LAST OF THE QUESTIONS.
VICKI MARTIN? VICKI MARTIN HAS HER HAND UP.
UH, MAYOR, I JUST HAD, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION, THERE'S A APPLICATION FOR A PIT STOP TRUCK STOP AT THE ADDRESS OF 77 55 NORTH WAY SIDE.
IT'S BETWEEN THE EAST HOUSTON AND THE CITY GAS SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, THAT LOCATION IS LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO A RESIDENT, RIGHT NE UH, NEXT TO A GROCERY STORE AND A CHURCH.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO PROTEST, AND WE KNOW THERE'S NO ZONING, BUT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO SEE HOW OUR APPLICATION COULD BE CONSIDERED FOR A TRUCK STOP WHEN WE HAVE, WE ARE HEAVILY INUNDATED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THE, UH, NORTHEAST HOUSTON AREA AND THE EAST HOUSTON AREA.
SO WE HAVE A AIR MONITOR LOCATED AT THAT INTERSECTION, WHICH IS ALWAYS OUT OF RANGE AND HAS GOTTEN ATTENTION TO TCEQ.
SO WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR THE ROADS, FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, FOR THE CLIMB THAT FOLLOWS TRUCK STOPS WHEN THEY'RE PARKED AND SLEEPING OVERNIGHT.
UH, WE ARE JUST ASKING FOR CONSIDERATION TO HAVE THAT REVISITED BEFORE THEY'RE GIVEN A PERMIT TO BILL A TRUCK STOP AT 77 55 NORTHWEST SIDE.
IF YOU'LL WRITE THAT DOWN AND, AND, AND GET THAT WITH ME AND FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, CHRIS BUTLER IN PERMITTING.
WELL, THAT IS THE LAST OF THE QUESTIONS, AND I APOLOGIZE, VICKI, FOR THE CONFUSION.
I GOT A LITTLE, UH, MIXED UP ON WHO WAS SPEAKING.
UH, MAYOR, I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, YOUR GENEROSITY IN ANSWERING SO MANY QUESTIONS.
AND, UH, FOR EIGHT YEARS IN A ROW, SPEAKING WITH OUR ORGANIZATION, UH, I WHOLLY, UH, AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT STACY SAID, UH, ACKNOWLEDGING HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT, UH, UH, WE HAVE THESE, UH, THE ABILITY TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
AND DID YOU HAVE ANY CLOSING REMARKS? MAYOR, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YEAH, LOOK, LOOK, LEMME JUST SAY, NUMBER ONE, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR AND A PLEASURE, AS CHALLENGING AS THINGS MAY BE, IT IS STILL HIGHLY, HIGHLY REWARDING.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, LIKE, UH, MANY OF YOU, I'M, YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN THE CITY, NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, WENT TO SCHOOL HERE, UM, AND STILL, QUITE FRANKLY, STILL LIVE IN THE SAME COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH
[01:25:01]
I WAS BORN AND RAISED.UM, SO, UM, IT IS IMPORTANT, UH, FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, UH, BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE, ARE OUR EYES AND EARS.
YOU ARE CLOSEST TO THE SITUATION, UH, THAN, THAN WE ARE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THE INPUT.
UM, AND AS CHALLENGING AS IT MAY BE AT TIME, WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO WORK THROUGH IT AND TO COME UP WITH, UM, UM, INITIATIVES, UM, STEPS, UH, THAT WILL ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT YOU RAISE.
AND SO, UM, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT.
I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING THE TIME.
MANY OF YOU DO OTHER THINGS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT YOUR SO, UH, JOB, UM, YOUR VOLUNTEERS.
SO THAT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
UH, UH, AND EVEN THOUGH THIS MAY BE THE LAST TIME FOR ME SPEAKING, UH, COMING FOR YOUR FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY, I'M SURE WE'LL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE, UH, ONE ANOTHER THROUGHOUT 2023.
SO IT IS JUST THE LAST TIME ON THIS PARTICULAR NIGHT, UH, BUT NOT THE LAST TIME IN 2023.
AS I SAID TO MY TEAM, THE YEAR IS ABOUT EXECUTION AND IMPLEMENTATION, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA DO.
UM, AND SO I WANNA, I WANNA, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL, LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL, AND, UM, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO ENJOY THE REMAINING, UH, THE REMAINING YEAR.
AND WE WANNA GET THINGS, WE WANNA GET THINGS DONE.
SO, UH, COME 1159 OR 2023, YOU KNOW, I'LL STILL BE WORKING, UH, BEING CARRIED OUT IN MY CHAIR, UH, AT 1159.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH Y'ALL.
MAYOR, BEFORE YOU GO, BEFORE YOU GO MAYOR, BEFORE YOU GO, LET'S ALL GIVE A BIG HAND.
AND ELISE COFFEE HAS BEEN AT WASTED SOLID WASTE FOR DECADES.
SO HER KINDNESS, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, Y'ALL, LET'S GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
EVEN CAN'T SEE EACH OTHER BECAUSE I MEAN, SHE'S BEEN BEAUTIFUL, ELISE.
YES, ELISE COFFEE IS AN ICONIC FIGURE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND ESPECIALLY WITHIN SOLID WASTE.
I'VE DONE IT FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS, AND WE'LL MISS HER, WE'LL MISS HER DEEPLY.
UH, SHE'S BEEN
SO, UH, LOVE HER, AND WE WILL, WE WILL MISS HER.
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU, UH, OVER THE NEXT 11 AND A HALF MONTHS.
AND, UH, IT'S BEEN A GREAT MEETING.
THANK ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
IT'S, UM, 7 59 AND, UH, RIGHT AT EIGHT O'CLOCK.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN AT EIGHT O'CLOCK, THEN ADJOURNED CALL.