[00:00:06]
OKAY.IT IS ONE 50 ON, UH, TUESDAY, JANUARY 24TH, 2023.
I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER.
[PRESENTATIONS]
RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO LIGHT HOUSE FOR CREATING A SAFE PLACE FOR YOUNG WOMEN EXPERIENCING UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES.UM, I WOULD LIKE, UH, CLAIRE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND G HOUSE, THE DIRECTOR OF INVOLVEMENT AND DONOR RELATIONS, AND THEN THE NAB, THE DIRECTOR OF COUNSELING, UM, AND PROGRAMS TO JOIN ME.
UM, I RECENTLY GOT TO LEARN ABOUT LIFEHOUSE AND THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY DO, UM, AND I COULDN'T WAIT TO SHARE IT WITH ALL OF YOU.
YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT IN ORDER FOR AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, IT TAKES A GREAT BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UM, BUT IT TAKES AN EVEN BETTER DAY-TO-DAY TEAM TO RUN THE OPERATIONS.
SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO LIFEHOUSE FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LIFEHOUSE, GO TO LIFEHOUSE HOUSTON.ORG.
SO, IT'S MY HONOR TODAY, UM, IN 1988, A GROUP OF YOUNG ADULTS, PRAYERFULLY CONSIDERED CREATING A SAFE PLACE FOR YOUNG WOMEN EXPERIENCING UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES.
THE GROUP FOUND A VACANT HOME ONLY A FEW MILES AWAY FROM THE LARGEST PLANNED PARENTHOOD FACILITY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.
A GRASSROOTS FRIEND RAISING CAMPAIGN YIELDED ENOUGH MONEY TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY AND CREATE A SHELTER FOR WOMEN CHOOSING LIFE FOR THEIR UNBOARD CHILDREN.
OVER 30 YEARS LATER, LIFEHOUSE CONTINUES TO CHANGE AND SAVE LIVES TWO AT A TIME.
AN ADDITIONAL HOME WAS PURCHASED IN 2007, DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF BEDS AVAILABLE AND CREATING A BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS.
THE MINISTRY HAS ALSO LAUNCHED THE LIFELINE ALUMNI PROGRAM TO CONTINUE TO WALK ALONGSIDE MOMS AFTER THEY GIVE BIRTH.
WHEN A WOMAN COMES TO LIFEHOUSE, SHE'S WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS BY A CHRISTIAN HOUSE, PARENTS WHO CARE FOR HER PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SPIRITUAL WELLBEING.
THIS FAMILY MODEL OF MINISTRY PROVIDES HER LOVE WITH STRUCTURE AND IS OFTEN HER FIRST EXAMPLE OF A HEALTHY, SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY.
LIFEHOUSE PROVIDES HER WITH A FOREVER FAMILY CENTERED ON CHRIST.
LIFEHOUSE REMAINS ONLY ONE OF TWO MATERNITY HOMES AND A 14 COUNTY AREA OPEN TO MINORS AS YOUNG AS 12 YEARS OLD.
ALL RESIDENTS BENEFIT FROM COST-FREE LODGING, MEALS, PRENATAL CARE, LIFE SKILLS, TRAINING, COUNSELING, DISCIPLESHIP, ACCESS TO WORK SCHOOL, AND GOD'S OVERWHELMING LOVE LIFE HEALTH'S DESIRES TO TURN THE CRISIS OF UNPLANNED PREGNANCY INTO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH FOR A PREGNANT WOMAN, AND TO ENSURE THE LIFE OF HER UNBORN CHILD FROM THEIR MATERNITY HOUSING PROGRAM TO THEIR LIFELINE ALUMNI PROGRAM, LIFEHOUSE WALKS ALONGSIDE WOMEN, NOT ONLY DURING THEIR PREGNANCY, BUT FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
AND IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO SAY, SO.
THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIMED JANUARY 27TH, 2023 AS LIGHTHOUSE DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
CONGRATULATIONS TEACHING EVERY ONE OF YOU.
AND SO I PICKED THAT DAY, JANUARY 27TH, OR REALLY THEY HAVE PICKED THAT DAY, UM, AFTER JAMES 1 27 THAT SAYS RELIGION, THAT GOD OUR FATHER ACCEPTS AS PURE AND FAULTLESS AS THIS, TO LOOK AFTER ORPHANS AND WIDOWS IN THEIR DISTRESS.
SO JANUARY 27TH, SPEAKING, SPEAKING.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MARY NAN FOR, UM, GETTING THIS BALL ROLLING TO US OF LESTER TURNER, UM, OUR GREAT MAYOR FOR JUST BEING WILLING TO BE HERE TODAY TOO.
I KNOW THIS ISSUE IS OFTEN DIVISIVE, BUT I PRAY THAT IT CAN BE SOMETHING THAT OUR, AS A CITY WE CAN STAND AROUND.
OUR WOMEN AND OUR CHILDREN ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM AS THEY GO FORWARD.
UM, AND SO I JUST APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT TODAY, UM, AND ALLOWING US TO BE HERE.
I WANNA THANK, UM, OUR TEAM AS WELL.
OUR ENTIRE TEAM IS HERE TODAY, OUR HOUSE MOMS WHO ARE THERE DAY TO DAY WORKING WITH OUR WOMEN, OUR COUNSELORS, OUR SOCIAL WORKERS, UM, AND SO I JUST APPRECIATE THEM SO MUCH AS WELL.
ANY, ANY, WE DO HAVE, OH, HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE THAT I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR RECOGNIZING THIS ORGANIZATION.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I WAS A CHILDCARE ADMINISTRATOR FOR YEARS OF, OF TWO CHILDREN'S HOMES.
AND I, I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO, TO HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE, THAT ARE HURTING AND ARE, ARE NEEDING LOVE AND APPRECIATION FROM PEOPLE.
AND, AND IT'S, UH, SOMETIMES A THANKLESS JOB, YOU KNOW? BUT I I, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF AND, AND THIS, I'M SURE THIS COUNCIL APPRECIATES WHAT YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE THESE, THESE MOTHERS, THESE CHILDREN ARE, ARE IMPORTANT TO US.
[00:05:01]
AND, AND GIVEN YOUR LIFE TO HELP THEM IS, IS HUGE.AND, AND I STILL BUMP INTO SOME OF THE KIDS FROM TIME TO TIME AT A MALL OR SOMEWHERE.
THEN THEY RECOGNIZE ME, I GUESS.
'CAUSE THEY THINK I LOOK LIKE SANTA.
BUT THE TRUTH THERE IS, IS THAT I, I, I CAN PULL 'EM TO ME AND LOOK IN THEIR EYES RIGHT HERE.
AND SOMETIMES I'LL KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
BUT I HAD 47 CHILDREN AND TWO FOSTER GROUP HOMES, AND I SPENT YEARS WORKING WITH THEM.
AND GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND, AND DON'T EVER FEEL LIKE THE PEOPLE DON'T CARE.
AND YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW IS ISSUE WITH OUR CHILDCARE FOR OUR WOMEN THAT ARE LEAVING OUR HOME.
AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO GET PARTNERED WITH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED PROJECT ONE DAY.
THEY'RE NEW HERE IN THE CITY, BUT THEY OFFER CHILDCARE FOR FREE.
UM, THEY ALLOW THE WOMEN TO WORK ONE DAY, THEY TRAIN THEM IN CHILDCARE, UM, BEST PRACTICE PARENTING, BEST PRACTICES, AND THEN THEY PLUG THEM IN THE OTHER FOUR DAYS OF THE WEEK.
AND I KNOW THEY HAVE TRIED TO GET IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT I'LL COME, UM, ON THEIR BEHALF AND SAY THEY WOULD LOVE TO GET PRIORITY FOR THOSE CHILDCARE VOUCHERS SO THAT WE COULD GET, UM, MORE WOMEN TAKING CARE OF AND BACK TO WORK.
'CAUSE THAT'S REALLY THE GOAL.
WE WANT THE WOMEN TO BE, UM, SELF-SUSTAINING FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
COUNCILMAN ROBBY CAYMAN AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS GROUP AND EDUCATING US ON THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
AND FOR LIFEHOUSE, FOR SO MANY WOMEN THAT CHOOSE THIS PATH TO GROW THEIR FAMILIES, UH, THEY NEED THIS SUPPORT DESPERATELY.
UH, I HAD A QUESTION FOR YOU, JUST FOR MY KNOWLEDGE, ABOUT HOW LONG ON AVERAGE ARE WOMEN AND YOU KNOW, THEIR GROWING FAMILIES UNDER YOUR CARE? YEAH, SO WE HAVE A MATERNITY HOME CURRENTLY.
THEY CAN INSURE INTO THE PROGRAM ANYTIME THEY BECOME PREGNANT.
WE DO, YOU KNOW, IT'S TRUE THAT THEY ARE PREGNANT BEFORE COMING WITH US.
THEY CAN STAY IN THAT MATERNITY HOME FOR UP TO FOUR WEEKS AFTER THEY GIVE BIRTH.
BUT THEN WE HAVE AN AFTERCARE HOME AS WELL.
AND THAT AFTERCARE HOME, THEY CAN STAY FOR 14 MONTHS.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN THE NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE, UM, SOME BETA TEST MONEY TO GO TOWARDS AN APARTMENT UNIT, UM, COMPLEX TYPE SITUATION WHERE WE CAN KEEP THE WOMEN A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
AND THAT'S WHY I THROW OUT THE, THE POD AS WELL, BECAUSE WE'RE HOPING TO PARTNER TO DO THIS KIND OF PRIVATE INVESTMENT INTO THE APARTMENTS AND THEN ALLOW, UM, PEOPLE TO COME ALONGSIDE US AND HELP PROVIDE CHILDCARE AND THE LIKE, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY GET THESE WOMEN ON A PATH, UM, THAT'S MORE SUSTAINABLE.
BECAUSE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WHAT WE SAW OFTEN WAS A CYCLE WHERE WE SOMETIMES SEE WOMEN COME BACK TWO AND THREE TIMES, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT, RIGHT? THAT'S NOT WHAT ANYBODY WANTS.
UM, AND SO OUR HOPE IS THAT WE CAN CREATE STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS BOTH IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT ALSO IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
AND SO I'M SUPER, THAT'S, I JUST SAY I'M SUPER EXCITED TO BE HERE IN THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR AS WELL BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'VE SEPARATED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FOR SO LONG AND WE NEED EACH OTHER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR THESE WOMEN.
SO YOU, RIGHT, AND AGAIN, YOU'RE IDENTIFYING THIS HUGE GAP OF, YOU KNOW, WE DO A LOT OF PRENATAL SUPPORT OR IMMEDIATELY POSTNATAL CARE, BUT THIS IS A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT WE NEED TO BE MAKING IN OUR FUTURE GENERATION.
SO THANK YOU YOU FOR STEPPING UP WITH THAT AND CONTINUING TO WORK.
I KNOW THAT CHILDCARE IS A HUGE, HUGE, HUGE COMPONENT OF THIS.
AND, UH, THE COUNTY IS ACTUALLY DOING A LOT OF WORK LOOKING AT THAT SUPPORT AS WELL.
SO I'D ENCOURAGE YOU WHILE YOU WORK WITH THE CITY, TO ALSO WORK WITH THE COUNTY IN THAT ABSOLUTELY.
BUT THANK YOU ALL, AND AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU FOR SPOTLIGHTING THIS ORGANIZATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD MY THANKS TO AND APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.
YOU, UH, IT'S SUCH A, UM, AN IMPORTANT INVESTMENT, UH, IN HUMAN CAPITAL.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST AN INVESTMENT IN INDIVIDUAL LIVES, IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN, IN IN THE STRENGTH AND OF, OF OUR CITY.
IT'S A, YOU KNOW, AND, AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
ALL IT ALL REALLY BEGINS WITH CHILDREN AND, AND TAKING THE LONG VIEW OF THIS CHILD IS WORTH IT.
YOU KNOW, IT, IT PUTS 'EM ON THE, ON A BETTER PATH FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR SUCCESS.
FOR, FOR EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM AND, AND OUR, ACROSS OUR CITY.
I WENT OUT THERE PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHEN JENNA DWYER, IS SHE NOT THERE ANYMORE? SHE'S NOT THERE ANYMORE.
AND SHE SHOWED ME AROUND AND I REALLY ENJOYED IT.
I MET A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT WERE THERE AND IT REALLY WAS, IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION.
SO, UH, GOD BLESS AND I HOPE EVERYTHING GOES WELL.
[00:11:20]
OKAY, LET'S GET READY FOR NOW FOR THE, UH, COMMUNITY SESSION.[2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS FOR THE INVOCATION AND THE PLEDGE FOR TODAY.COLLEAGUES, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU AND TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, REVEREND DAN JONES.
YOU CAN JOIN US AT THE, UM, I'VE KNOWN DAN AND HIS WIFE KRISTEN FOR GOING ON 20 YEARS.
I WAS COUNTING THE THE LAST TIME.
AND SO, UM, SINCE YOU WERE 14, UH, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, I'VE KNOWN THEM FOR A LONG TIME, CLOSE TO 20 YEARS, AND, UM, DATING BACK TO MY DAYS AT FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH IN WEST CHASE.
AND EVER SINCE I'VE KNOWN THEM, THEY'VE JUST BEEN TRULY COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY GOD'S PEOPLE MISSION WORK.
UH, THEY HAVE EXTENSIVE CREDIBILITY AROUND THAT.
AND WE WERE RECENTLY REUNITED AT THE WEST CHASE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING WHERE HIS WIFE WON AN AWARD FOR HER WORK AROUND, UH, RESETTLING SOME OF OUR AFGHAN, UM, REFUGEES, UH, RECENTLY THIS, THIS PAST LAST YEAR, WHICH IS, SO KRISTEN, UH, OF COURSE SHE WOULD BE DOING THAT WORK.
AND SO HE'S GONNA, UM, UM, OFFER REMARKS AND INVOCATION ON OUR BEHALF TODAY.
JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UH, APPEAR BEFORE YOU AND, UM, I, I'M HERE SIMPLY TO, TO THANK YOU FOR STEPPING INTO THE FRAY IN THESE, IN THESE DAYS, THOSE WHO OFFER THEMSELVES FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.
YOU DESERVE OUR, OUR BEST PRAYERS AND OUR BEST THOUGHTS.
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO, AND WE PRAY THAT YOU'LL DO IT WELL.
UM, WE, WE ARE DEPENDENT ON THIS KIND OF GOVERNMENT AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KRISTEN AND I HAVE DONE IS, UH, IS MISSION WORK ALL OVER THE, ALL OVER THE PLANET.
AND WHILE WE'RE NOT EXPERTS, WE HAVE, UM, A YOUTH MINISTRY IN, IN ST.
AND IN MOSCOW WE HAVE A CHILDREN'S HOME IN MYANMAR AND IN THAILAND.
UM, WE'VE BEEN, UH, HELPED ESTABLISH A CHURCH IN, UH, IN CUBA, UM, MINISTRIES IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.
UM, 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN AROUND THE WORLD.
WE'VE FOUND THAT THE BEST PLACE ON THE PLANET IS RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, THE GREATEST CITY THAT GOD'S EVER MADE.
AND, UH, LIKE THE APOSTLE PAUL, WE'VE FOUND THAT WE CAN COME HOME AND LET THE WORLD COME TO US.
AND SO WE, WE BESEECH YOU, UM, TO HELP US BE UNITED AS A UNITED METHODIST STANDING BEFORE YOU TODAY.
AND WE ARE NOT SO UNITED THESE DAYS.
I ASK THAT YOU DO YOUR JOB WELL, REPRESENT YOUR PEOPLE AND, AND UNITE US.
AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO BLESS YOU, PRAY FOR THE OPENING OF THIS SESSION.
FATHER, REMIND US OF THAT COVENANT WHICH UNITES US AT ITS MOST BASIC CORE OF, OF WHO WE ARE.
THAT WE ARE, WE ARE THOSE PEOPLE WHO HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN AND WOMEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, AND THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS.
AND AMONG THESE ARE LIFE, LIBERTY, IN THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
AND LORD, THAT TO SECURE THOSE RIGHTS THAT GOVERNMENTS ARE INSTITUTED AMONG MEN AND WOMEN WHO DERIVE THEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF THOSE WHO ARE GOVERNED SO ALMIGHTY GOD, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD REMIND US THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US THIS GOOD LAND AND THIS HERITAGE,
[00:15:01]
AND WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD KEEP US EVER MINDFUL OF YOUR GLAD WILL FOR US, WE PRAY YOUR BLESSING THAT THIS LAND MIGHT HAVE HONORABLE MINISTRY, SOUND LEARNING, AND PURE MANNERS.AND LORD, SAVE US FROM VIOLENCE AND DISCORD AND CONFUSION.
AND FROM THE PRIDE OF ARROGANCE AND FROM ALL EVIL, LORD, DEFEND OUR LIBERTIES AND FASHION US INTO A UNITED PEOPLE.
BROUGHT FROM THE MULTITUDE OF THOSE WHO YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO THIS PLACE OF MANY KINDREDS AND MANY TONGUES.
WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD ENDOW WITH YOUR WISDOM, THOSE WHOM WE IN YOUR NAME ENTRUST WITH THE AUTHORITY OF GOVERNMENT.
AND LET THERE BE JUSTICE AND LET PEACE ROLL DOWN LIKE A RIVER.
LORD, WE PRAY THAT IN PROSPERITY YOU WILL FILL OUR HEARTS WITH THANKFULNESS THAT IN DAYS OF TROUBLE THAT WE MIGHT NOT SUFFER, THAT OUR TRUST IN YOU WOULD FAIL.
AND I ASK ALL OF THESE THINGS IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.
PLEASE RISE FOR THE FLESH, THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, THE INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING]
MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PLEASE CALL THE, UH, THE ROLE MAYOR TURNER HERE.COUNCILMAN PECK WILL BE ABSENT.
PRESENT, COUNCILOR EVAN SHABAZZ.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS PRESENT.
COUNCIL HUFFMAN PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS.
COUNCIL CASTEX TAYLOR WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCILMAN KNOX WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCIL PLUMMER HERE AND COUNCIL ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 15TH AND 16TH.
KOSH BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED ON THE ADOPTION OF AMENDMENTS, UH, MINUTES.
UH, AGAIN, JUST WANNA REMIND PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING.
OKAY? UH, AT LEAST UP UNTIL ABOUT FIVE O'CLOCK, FIVE, SIX O'CLOCK TODAY.
AND BE CAREFUL ABOUT DRIVING THROUGH, UH, WATER IN LOWLINE AREAS.
SO, UM, UM, SO JUST, UH, EXERCISE SOME COMMON SENSE.
DON'T DROWN, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, IT WILL, UH, THE STORM IS PASSING OVER QUICKLY, BUT PLEASE BE WEATHER AWARE.
HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, UM, UM,
[PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
WE GO, UH, SEE PROCEDURAL MOTIONS.I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND ADD CHRISTINE BUTLER TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST.
WHITNEY RUSSELL TO THE TOP OF THE TWO MINUTE NON-AG AGENDA LIST.
AND TO ADD SARAH SOLOMON TO THE TOP OF THE ONE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST.
FAVOR? THE MOTION HAS BEEN SECOND.
ANY, ANY OBJECTION? CHAIR IS NONE.
MOTION GRANTED THIS SECRETARY? I'M SORRY.
UH, MAYOR, I WOULD, UH, MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE MR. FRED WOODS FROM THE ONE MINUTE TO THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA.
SECOND, THE BOTTOM TO THREE TO THE TOP, OR THE BOTTOM OF THREE MINUTES TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE OF THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA TO FOLLOW BEHIND.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR NONE.
ANY OTHER PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? HEARING SENT? NONE.
MADAM SECRETARY, YOU PROCEED TO CALL THE SPEAKER'S LIST.
IS SHE HERE IN THE LETTER? OKAY.
MS. RUSSELL IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY GARY MOSLEY.
IF YOU GET RIGHT BEHIND THAT MIC.
[00:20:01]
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES.WOW, THAT'S AN INTIMIDATING GROUP.
UH, SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO COME IN AND SPEAK WITH YOU.
UM, MY COLLEAGUE CHRIS, IS GONNA GIVE SOME ADDITIONAL DETAIL, BUT, UH, AS MENTIONED, MY NAME IS WHITNEY RUSSELL.
I LIVE IN BRIAR GROVE, AND I'VE SO SERVED ON OUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
MANY RESIDENTS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS SURROUNDING THE AREAS OF TANGLEWOOD AND BRIAR GROVE ARE IN STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITIES.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 35 98, 35 82, AND 36 26.
THIS IS FOR THE ACQUISITION AND PLACEMENT OF AFFORDABLE UNITS IN THE DEERWOOD APARTMENTS AND THE ACQUISITION OF AFFORDABLE UNITS AT THE TATE TANGLEWOOD.
THE PRIMARY CONCERN IS HOW THE HHA HAS HAD THE AUTHORITY TO REMOVE SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY TAX REVENUES FROM OUR PROPERTY TAX BASE.
BY REDUCING THE BUDGET, YOU CONTINUE TO STRETCH THE ALREADY LIEN RESOURCES SERVING THIS AREA.
FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SINGLE CALL TO THREE ONE ONE IN THE LAST YEAR THAT THE BRIAR GROVE, HOA DIDN'T HAVE TO ASK FOR THE INVOLVEMENT OF OUR WONDERFUL CITY COUNCILMAN.
WE HAVE COUNTLESS REQUESTS TO REPAIR THE BROKEN MAINLINE WITH WATER RUNNING FOR DAYS, COUNTLESS REQUESTS TO REPAIR BROKEN LIGHTS, LET ALONE TRAFFIC CONTROL LIKE DAY-TO-DAY SPEED HUMPS, AND FURTHER REDUCING THE BUDGET.
WHO'S GONNA MAKE UP FOR THIS DEFICIT? THESE PROJECTS CONTINUE TO PLACE UNDUE PRESSURE ON THE LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
BRIAR GROVE IS WELL BEYOND ITS CAPACITY.
THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE WE FACED IN 2016 WHEN A DIFFERENT HHA SECTION EIGHT HOUSING PROJECT WAS PROPOSED ON FOUNTAIN VIEW.
OUR SCHOOLS ARE OUT THE LIMITS AND THIS SERVICE IS NO ONE.
THE QUESTION IS, IS THERE BUDGET FROM HHA FOR HOW THESE PROJECTS CAN BE PUT INTO PLAY? AND IF SO, HOW MANY OF THESE CAN ALLOW TO BE IN ONE AREA? CURRENTLY THERE ARE TWO ON THE AGENDA WITH 10 OTHER RUMORS.
13 OF THESE PROJECTS WERE ANNOUNCED IN SEPTEMBER WITH AN ENTIRE NOTHER HANDFUL COMING.
WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS FOR SUPPORT OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO SLOW DOWN AND TO PARTNER WITH MAYOR TURNER.
YOUR TIME HAS A GOOD CHANCE TO UNDERSTAND THESE ISSUES.
OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, GARY MOSLEY TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHRISTINE BUTLER.
I'M ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE CREEK GROUP RESTAURANTS, UH, IN THE HEIGHTS.
UH, JUST RECENTLY I, I GOT A VISIT FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYING THAT I COULDN'T, UH, COULDN, CRAWFISH OR STEAK NIGHT.
IT'S, IT'S ON THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU CAN'T COOK OUTSIDE.
NOW THEY SAY WE CAN BUY A PERMIT.
SO I'M ASKING YOU TO SUSPEND THE ORDINANCE AND LET'S GET THIS RIGHT.
UM, STAFF HAS ASKED ME, PLEASE HELP US OUT.
WE NEED YOU DEARLY AND THANK YOU FOR THE COVID KEEPING THOSE DOORS OPEN FOR US.
LEMME MAKE SURE I DISCUSS THIS.
UM, I CHECKED ON THIS ISSUE, UM, AND WHAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAID IS THAT PER ORDINANCE, THEY, UM, UM, ARE REQUIRED TO ASSESS THAT, THAT FEE OF $81 A DAY.
DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THE ORDINANCE HAS BEEN IN PLACE, GARY? NO, I DON'T, I DO NOT KNOW.
I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S A OLD ORDINANCE.
'CAUSE I THINK IT, IT PREDATES, UM, THIS ADMINISTRATION, WHICH HAS BEEN SEVEN YEARS ALREADY.
SO IT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR, FOR, FOR A WHILE.
UM, AND SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE FEE IS TOO HIGH? OR ARE YOU SAYING THERE SHOULDN'T BE A FEE AT ALL? WELL, OR ARE YOU SAYING IT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN YOU HAVE MORE THAN ON MORE THAN ONE RESTAURANT? I MEAN, HELP, HELP US.
I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT, IF YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND YOU GO AND SEARCH RESTAURANTS, PERMITS AND FEES, LOOK AT THE BOARD.
IT LOOKS LIKE A MAP OF THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S SO MUCH FEES AND PERMANENT THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
IT IS A SLOW PERIOD FOR US RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS CAR CRAWFISH COUNTRY TO TELL A RESTAURANT YOU CANNOT DO THAT AND DO HAVE THE PROPER PERMITS FOR THAT LOCATION TO COOK ON THAT PREMISES.
[00:25:01]
NEED IT.I MEAN, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW PEOPLE ENJOY COMING TO STEAK NIGHTS.
CRAWFISH DURING CRAWFISH SEASON.
CRAWFISH SEASON NORMALLY LASTS ABOUT FIVE MONTHS DUE TO MATH.
UH, WE'RE ASKING NOT TO CHARGE US FOR THIS.
WE CAN COME UP WITH SOLUTION DOS AND DON'TS, WHICH WE KNOW WE PAY FOR IT.
UM, AND I'M, I'M PRETTY CONCERNED BECAUSE SOME OF THE RESTAURANTS ARE GETTING TAGGED, SO THEY HAVE TO STOP DOING THE CRAWFISH.
ON THE OTHER HAND, OTHER RESTAURANTS ARE ABLE TO SELL, UH, CRAWFISH.
SO EVERYONE MIGRATES TO THAT LOCATION.
AND HARDSHIP IS STARTED WITH THE OTHER LOCATION THAT COULD NOT SELL CRAWFISH OUTSIDE.
NOW HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS? HAVE, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? I STARTED REGGAE HUTT IN 1997.
NO, NO, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS NOT, UM, ACTING ON THESE PERMITS JUST NOW.
THEY, YOU, YOU, YOU'VE, YOU'VE HAD TO DO THIS IN THE PAST.
I ASSUME THIS IS MY FIRST TIME, MY FIRST VISIT OVER 20 SOME YEARS.
THIS IS MY FIRST VISIT OF SAYING THAT I COULD NOT CUT CRAWFISH OUTSIDE.
NO, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT, DID THE, DID THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT JUST START ENFORCING IT OR HAVE THEY BEEN ENFORCING IT EVER SINCE? YOU, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING THIS OUTDOORS? UH, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
I HAVE GOTTEN TO CALL A COUPLE OF, UH, COLLEAGUES.
THEY HAVE BEEN TAGGED LAST MAYBE FIVE, SIX MONTHS OF COOKING.
WELL MAYBE, OKAY, MAYBE LET ME ASK IT THIS WAY.
IS THIS THE FIRST YEAR THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING THIS OUTSIDE? NO.
I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 20 YEARS.
AND HAS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BEEN ASSESSING, ASKING YOU TO GET THE PERMIT EVER SINCE YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT? ONLY IF WE DO, UM, EVENTS.
WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO GET PERMITS AND WE HAVE DONE THAT.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROBLEM IS GETTING A A $81 FEE PERMIT DAILY WHEN YOU'RE SERVING SOMETHING EVERY DAY.
I'M STILL TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND.
WHAT THEY UM, WHAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS REQUIRING THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF THE ENFORCEMENT.
IT'S NOT ANY DIFFERENT, UH, THAN WHAT THEY HAVE REQUIRED IN THE PAST.
THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO, I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THAT MAYOR.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME BEING TOLD THAT I CANNOT COOK OUTSIDE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
'CAUSE THE ORDINANCE, MY UNDERSTANDING HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR A WHILE.
ARE YOU SAYING THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR IN WHICH THEY ARE ENFORCING THE ORDINANCE? THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
APPARENTLY IT IS BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR A WHILE, I WAS TOLD.
AND UM, LIKE I SAID, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I WAS BEEN TOLD THAT I COULDN'T COOK OUTSIDE UNLESS I GOT A PERMIT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PERMIT WOULD ENTAIL FOR ME TO COOK OUTSIDE, BUT I ALREADY PAY FOR A PERMIT TO COOK ON THAT PREMISES.
BUT I'M SAYING LAST YEAR, DID YOU DO THE SAME THING THAT YOU'RE DOING THIS YEAR? YES.
AND WHERE DID YOU HAVE TO GO AND GET A PERMIT? NO, JUST FOR THE, JUST FOR THE EVENTS.
SO CRAWFISH, COOKOFF, CHILI, COOKOFF, GUMBO, COOKOFF, YOU KNOW, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
BUT THE DAILY OF COOKING, CRAWFISH AND THE COUPLE OF DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK DURING STEAK NIGHT, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUE OF BEING ASKED TO PAY FOR A PERMIT.
WELL, LEMME, ARE YOU DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR THAN WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST? IT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO, IT'S, IT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
NO, I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY.
AND ARE YOU CHARACTERIZING THIS WHEN IT'S AN EVENT YOU PAY, YOU PAY PERMIT ONE TIME? YES.
I I'M JUST GONNA HAVE TO DIG DOWN INTO THE WEEDS 'CAUSE I'M, 'CAUSE CERTAINLY WE WANT, WE, WE WANT THE ENFORCEMENT TO BE CONSISTENT.
UM, AND NOT ARBITRARY, BUT THERE IS ANNOYANCE ON THE BOOKS IN REFERENCE TO A SPECIAL, UM, PERMIT.
SO LET US, LET US DRILL, LET US DRILL DOWN A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT DEEPER.
UH, MAYOR AND GARY, FIRST AND FOREMOST, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE THE CREEKS? UH, I'VE BEEN GOING THERE SINCE I WAS LITTLE.
UH, MAYOR ONE'S RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET IN SHADY ACRES.
WE WERE JUST THERE OVER THE WEEKEND.
MY QUESTION TO YOU, FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU'RE SAYING $81 A DAY.
IS IT $81 AS THE FEE FOR NOT HAVING OR COMPLYING WITH THE PERMIT OR THEY'RE REQUIRING $81 A DAY EACH TIME YOU BOIL CRAWFISH? IS IT THE, THE FEE, $81
[00:30:01]
A DAY PER FOR WHAT? PER, PER BOIL.SO THAT'S WHAT'S NOT ADDING UP FOR ME, MAYOR.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE MAY NEED, AND GARY, I'VE SAID THIS TO YOU PERSONALLY.
I, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING SMALL BUSINESSES, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO HAVE, IF THERE'S OUTDOOR COOKING, A PERMIT THAT ENCOMPASSES THAT POTENTIALLY, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF COOKING AND THE FREQUENCY, ET CETERA.
BUT I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING $81 A DAY.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE IT'S A ONE TIME FEE, BUT YOU MAY BE GETTING FINED.
UM, BUT WE ALL LOVE CRAWFISH AND WE ALL LOVE STEAK NIGHT, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ESTABLISHMENTS.
SO MAYOR, I WOULD JUST APPRECIATE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS TO HOW WE'RE ENFORCING AND WHAT THE, THE RULE ACTUALLY IS.
AND GARY, WE CAN WORK ON, I KNOW THE MAYOR WILL GET YOU THAT INFORMATION AND GO FROM THERE.
UM, BUT I JUST, AGAIN, ALL OF, IF NOT THE MAJORITY OF YOUR ESTABLISHMENTS ARE IN DISTRICT C.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU, UM, FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE.
YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S BEEN THERE AND THINGS HAVE GROWN UP AROUND YOU.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND BEING A COMMUNITY PARTNER.
UM, AND AGAIN, MAYOR, IF WE CAN JUST GET SOME OF THOSE CLARIFICATIONS, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
I THINK ONE ISSUE MAY BE IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE DOING IT OUTSIDE FOR ANY, FOR AN EVENT, THERE'S A ONE, YOU GET THE A ONE TIME PERMIT FEE.
BUT IF THE BUSINESS, AND I'M, I'M, AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND WORK THROUGH IT.
IF THE BUSINESS IS NOW SHIFTING TO COOKING OUTSIDE EVERY DAY, THEN THAT MAY BE WHERE THE ISSUE COMES INTO PLAY.
AND IT'S, ARE YOU, ARE YOU COOKING OUTSIDE EVERY DAY? WELL, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR THE CRAWFISH SEASON, WHICH NORMALLY I GOT THAT, GARY, I GOT THAT.
NO, I'M NOT COOKING OUT DAY OUTSIDE EVERY DAY.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU COOKING OUTSIDE? WELL, STEAK NIGHTS, NORMALLY ONE TO TWO TIMES, UH, A WEEK.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE THERE MAY BE, THERE MAY BE SOME, SOME AMBIGUITY THERE.
BUT ANYWAY, WE'LL HAVE TO DRILL DOWN AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE AND THEN GET WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
BUT I, I THINK, I THINK THERE'S JUST SOME AMBIGUITY HERE.
MAYOR, IF I COULD COUNCILMAN, I'M SORRY IF I COULD RECLAIM JUST A MOMENT IN MY TIME.
'CAUSE AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT RECURRING, WE GOT A LOT OF BARBECUE RESTAURANTS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THEIR SMOKE PITS ARE OUTSIDE.
SO THERE, THERE HAS TO BE SOME WAY TO ENCOMPASS SOME OF THIS IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND MAYBE IT ALREADY DOES AND THEY'RE JUST NOT APPLYING IT TO, TO THESE ESTABLISHMENTS.
I'M GLAD YOU WERE ONE OF THE FIRST.
UM, I ACTUALLY HAVE TO STEP OUT, ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE WEATHER MAYOR, UH, FOR ANOTHER MEETING.
I KNOW WE HAVE SOME OTHER DISTRICT C RESIDENTS, BUT WE'LL BE LISTENING.
BUT GARY, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT HERE IN YOUR TIME.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN KOSH.
THANK YOU GARY, FOR COMING AND TELLING US ABOUT IT.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND, UH, YOUR, YOUR, UH, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND I THINK SHE SAID IT WELL.
UM, THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS AND SEE, BECAUSE THERE'S OUT OUTDOOR PITS THAT ARE COOKING, UH, A BARBECUE AND, AND WE'RE TEXANS, MAN.
AND, AND, UH, I'M, I'M FART CAJUN.
SO, UM, I I'M JUST WONDERING, THE THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF PERMITTING IS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
WHAT ARE THEY REQUIRING YOU TO DO AS A RESULT OF THE PERMIT THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING? I ONLY CAN SPEAK FOR WHEN WE APPLY FOR THE SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT.
NORMALLY THEY WANT TO SEE SOME TYPE OF COVERING.
UH, THEY WANT TO SEE SOME SANITIZING, UH, BUCKETS OF, UH, WATER, UH, BLEACH, UH, HAND SANITIZER, TOWELS.
WELL, I, I'VE BEEN TO YOUR EVENTS AND, AND I I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS ALL THAT WAS REQUIRED.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, UH, I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD JUST SAY THAT IT'S THE CRAWFISH SEASON.
I MEAN THE WHOLE, WHOLE MONTH.
BUT, BUT I'M, I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT, THAT IT, THE PERMITTING IS NOT TO PUNISH ANYBODY.
AND IT'S NOT TO GATHER REVENUE.
IT, IT'S FOR THE PROTECTION OF ITS CITIZENS.
SO I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING, UH, WHAT THEY'RE REQUIRING YOU TO DO.
HA HAVE THEY TOLD YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IN BUYING, GETTING THIS PERMIT MOTION TO EXTEND SO MOVED? ANY OBJECTION? THERE IS NO, GRANTED, THEY, UH, WELL, THEY JUST SAY YOU, YOU, YOU NEED TO GET A PERMIT PRETTY MUCH TO COOK OUTSIDE.
AND WE'RE ASKING, WELL, WHAT DOES THE PERMIT IMPLY? I MEAN, WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE FOR THE PERMIT? WE DO HAVE A PERMIT FOR THAT LOCATION.
[00:35:01]
WE DO KNOW THE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THAT, THAT LOCATION.BUT SOMEHOW, MAYOR, MAYOR, YOU'RE GONNA LOOK INTO THIS.
I THINK THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S SOME AMBIGUITY HERE BETWEEN, UM, AN EVENT DOING IT OUTSIDE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THERE'S SOME AMBIGUITY.
WE JUST HAVE TO WORK THROUGH IT.
I THINK THERE'S SOME CON I THINK THERE'S SOME AMBIGUITY AND SO WE ALL JUST NEED TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE.
IT CERTAINLY, IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ASSESS $81 PER DAY.
SO I THINK IT MAY BE A, A MISUNDERSTANDING OR SOME AMBIGUITIES THAT NEED TO BE CLARIFIED.
AND, UM, AND WE WILL SEEK TO CLARIFY THEM.
THE, THE AMERICAN FIX IT
BUT THAT, THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
NOW IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY ACROSS THE STREET IS ABLE TO COOK OUTSIDE AND THEY ARE NOT REQUIRING $81, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FACT PATTERNS ARE THE SAME AND THAT WE ARE ALL, WE, WE ARE ALL DEALING WITH APPLES AND APPLES AND AP AND, AND NOT APPLES AND ORANGE.
SO I, YOU KNOW, LET US SEEK TO CLARIFY.
MAYOR, I, I WOULD, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF IT, BUT THERE'S NEVER BEEN A DECENT CRAWFISH THAT HASN'T BEEN BOILED OUTSIDE
AND, UH, I WAS KNOWN FOR DOING A CRAWFISH BOIL.
AND WE HAD A TRUCK THAT CAME DOWN THE STREET OUTSIDE AND THEY BOILED CRAWFISH OUTSIDE AND WE SERVED THEM INSIDE OR WHATEVER.
AND I'VE BEEN TO A BUNCH OF BARBECUE RESTAURANTS THAT COOK OUTSIDE MAYBE A CUPBOARD WHERE YOU FROM? CATFISH, FRIES.
SO I THINK THIS IS ONE WHERE YOU JUST GOT CAUGHT AND THE OTHER GUYS DIDN'T GET CAUGHT, GOT CAUGHT.
BUT WHAT MAYOR, TAKE CARE OF IT.
MAYOR ALWAYS CAME TO MY CRAWFISH BOIL, EAT, ATE A LOT OF CRAWFISH, BUT HE LOVED THE BOIL SAUSAGE AS WELL.
THAT WAS DONE IN THE CRAWFISH.
YOU CAN CATCH A WHOLE LOT OF CRAWFISH AND ACRE HOME IN THE DITCH.
SO, UH, AND THOSE ARE THE GOOD ONES.
WE WILL, WE WILL, WE WILL GET THIS CLARIFIED.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN.
AND THE TIME RIGHT NOW IS NOT THE TIME.
I DON'T KNOW WHY Y'ALL, YOU THROW THINGS ANYWAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS CONCERNED CITIZENS, UM, VIEWS AND STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITIES RESOLUTIONS 35 98, 35 82, AND 36 26 FOR THE ACQUISITION AND PLACEMENT OF AFFORDABLE UNITS WITHIN THE DEERWOOD APARTMENTS AND THE TATE TANGLEWOOD.
WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY IS TAKING ACTION WITHOUT ADEQUATE OVERSIGHT, TRANSPARENCY, OR COMMUNITY INPUT ON THESE AND MANY OTHER AFFORDABLE PROJECTS ACROSS HOUSTON.
THESE PROJECTS NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE TAX BASE ON A PERMANENT BASIS AND DO NOT MEET THE NEEDS OF THE LOW INCOME CLIENTS IN AND EFFICIENT MA MANNER.
SPECIFICALLY, THE DEERWOOD PROJECT ALONE REMOVES A $34 MILLION PROPERTY FROM THE TAX ROLLS PERMANENTLY ELIMINATING ABOUT $760,000 OF ANNUAL TAX FUNDING AVAILABLE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, HISD, UH, THE, THE COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT AND HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND OTHER TAXING JURISDICTIONS.
AT THE DECEMBER 13TH, 2022 MEETING ALONE, THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY APPROVED MOVING FORWARD ON 30 OF THESE PROJECTS, WHICH WILL REMOVE 500 MILLION FROM THE TAX ROLLS AND REDUCE ANNUAL TAX FUNDING BY $11 MILLION A YEAR.
RECENT MEDIA REPORTING ESTIMATES THAT THE HOUSTON H HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED REMOVING 1.2 BILLION TO DATE IN PROPERTIES FROM THE TAX ROLLS FOR SIMILAR PROJECTS, RESULTING IN APPROXIMATELY 35 MILLION LOST ANNUAL PROPERTY TAX FUNDING FOR UP TO 99 YEARS.
HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY PROVIDES NO FINANCIAL VISIBILITY INTO THESE PROJECTS, EVEN THOUGH NUMEROUS REQUESTS HAVE BEEN MADE, UH, FOR RECORDS TO BE SHARED.
[00:40:01]
UH, THE PROPERTY OWNERS, PARTNERS OUTSIDE ADVISORS CAN BE ENRICHED AT THE EXPENSE OF THE TAX PAYING COMMUNITY WHO WILL HAVE TO SUBSIDIZE THE LOST TAX REVENUE.UH, HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY COMMISSIONERS ARE APPOINTED BY MAYOR TURNER AND ARE APPROVING THESE PROJECTS WITH LITTLE TO NO OVERSIGHT BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON OR THE IMPACTED NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES.
HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY IS 2023 APPROVED.
OPERATING BUDGET SHOWS THE AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING PROGRAMS WITH A NET CASH DEFICIT OF OVER $7 MILLION, WHICH WILL FURTHER STRESS THE CITY'S ALREADY STRAINED BUDGET.
AND THERE APPEARS TO BE NO MEANS, UH, TO ENSURE THE ADEQUATE UPKEEP OF PROPERTIES IN THESE PROJECTS OR FOR NON-EXEMPT STATUS TO BE REIMPOSED.
SHOULD THERE BE FUTURE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, BUDGET ISSUES, OR LIMITED DEMAND FOR THE REDUCED RENT UNITS IN THESE AREAS.
THE DEERWOOD PROJECT AND THE TATE DO NOT BE BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
LOW INCOME CLIENTS, THESE ARE HIGH RENT AREAS WITH LIMITED MASS TRANSIT AVAILABILITY.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE ALREADY OVER CAPACITY, UM, AND THE AREAS HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER GROCERY AND FOOD COSTS.
THERE ARE LOWER PRICE UNITS READILY AVAILABLE IN THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD, BOTH PRIVATELY OWNED AND ALREADY DESIGNATED AFFORDABLE BY THE HHA, SUCH AS THE CAROLINA VOSS AND THE FOUNTAIN VIEW APARTMENTS ON FOUNTAIN VIEW.
WE REQUEST THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO RECONSIDER THIS DESIGNATION.
MOTION TO EXTEND ONE, ONE SECOND.
WE, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE CITY COUNCIL WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO RECONSIDER THE DESIGNATION OF THE DEERWOOD PROJECT AND THE TATE TANGLEWOOD FOR ACQUISITION AND PLACEMENT OF AFFORDABLE UNITS AND BE VERY INVOLVED, UH, IN THE ONGOING AFFAIRS OF THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THANK YOU MS. BUTLER FOR COMING.
AND THANK YOU ALSO, MS. RUSSELL, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
YOU KNOW, UM, THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, THEY HAVE A REALLY IMPORTANT JOB.
AND THE MAYOR, YOU KNOW, WE TRUST THE BOARD, UM, TO DO THESE PROJECTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT REALLY NOBODY ELSE CAN DO.
UM, THEY HAVE A LOT OF DISCRETION, BUT WE KNOW WITH, YOU KNOW, GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY, BUT I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THE TROUBLE COME COMES BECAUSE PEOPLE AREN'T INFORMED.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S REALLY NO COMMUNICATION FROM THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, NOT JUST TO THE NEIGHBORS, BUT THEY DON'T COMMUNICATE WITH ME EITHER.
YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T RETURN PHONE CALLS.
UM, AND IF I KNEW ABOUT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS IN ADVANCE, I COULD GET IN FRONT OF THE ISSUES.
I COULD GO TALK TO THE HOAS, I COULD COMMUNICATE WITH THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS, YOU KNOW, THEY HEAR ABOUT A DEVELOPMENT GOING IN AND IT'S ALL CONFUSING.
YOU HAVE THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, YOU HAVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH IS A DEPARTMENT, HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
THEY ALL SOUND THE SAME, AND NOBODY REALLY KNOWS WHO DOES WHAT AND WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT OR EVEN WHAT KIND OF HOUSING THIS IS.
AND SO I THINK IF WE COULD GET IN FRONT OF IT, THEN PEOPLE WOULD BE MORE UNDERSTANDING.
UM, BUT THE NEIGHBORHOODS HEAR ABOUT IT AND THEY START SPREADING THE MISINFORMATION.
AND MISINFORMATION SPREADS A WHOLE LOT FASTER THAN CORRECT.
AND SO WE'RE ASKING THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, I THINK, NOT JUST THESE NEIGHBORS, BUT I'M ASKING THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
YOU KNOW, WE ALL LOVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE ALL WANT IT TO BE THE BEST PLACE.
LET ME MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, UM, WHAT THE, UM, CONCERNS ARE.
SO TIM, AGAIN, I I WAS HEARING A LOT IN YOUR PRESENTATION YES.
IS CONCERNED THAT WITH THE ARRANGEMENT THEY, THAT THEY HAVE, AND I THINK YOU CALL IT P IS IT A PFC? IT'S A PFC.
IT'S A PFC ACQUISITION IN WHICH YOU'VE GOT THE, YOU'VE GOT THE, UM, THE HOUSING, UH, DEVELOPMENT ALREADY THERE MM-HMM
SO IT'S ALREADY, IT'S ALREADY THERE.
AND THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY IS PARTNERING WITH THEM, UH, IN THIS SENSE.
AND THEN BY ALLOWING, LET'S SAY, AFFORDABLE, SOME OF THOSE UNITS TO BECOME AFFORDABLE, THEN THEY GET THE, THE TAX DEDUCTION.
SO ARE YOU, UH, ARE YOU COMPLAINING THAT, UM, THE LOSS OF TAX REVENUE IS THE ISSUE OR I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE SURE.
THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMPLAINTS ARE.
YEAH, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE, IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST A REDUCTION IN THE TAX REVENUE, UH, PROPORTIONAL TO HOW MANY ARE, ARE, ARE GIVEN TO LOW INCOME HOUSING.
IT IS A PERMANENT REMOVAL FROM THE TAX RECORDS OF THESE TAX ASSETS FOR UP TO 99 YEARS, WHICH, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT FOR THE CITY AND FOR ALL THE TAXING JURISDICTIONS.
AND I THINK THAT THERE'S NO TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT IN EXACTLY, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY UNITS, THEY'LL GO BACK AND SAY, ALRIGHT, THESE, WE REALLY
[00:45:01]
DID INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS, OR NO, WE DIDN'T.IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY LOW BAR IN MANY CASES IT'S GIVEN AND WHAT WILL QUALIFY AS AFFORDABLE UNITS.
AND THE BAR SEEMS TO, SEEMS TO SHIFT WITH EACH HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY MEETING.
SO I'M JUST VERY CONCERNED WITH WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING.
UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HUGE TAX ASSETS THAT ARE, UM, NO, THIS IS NOT BEING REMOVED FROM THE TAX RECORDS.
NO, THERE'S NO, I MEAN, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WHEN THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY ENTERS INTO AN ARRANGEMENT WITH THIS PRIVATE, SAY THIS PRIVATE OWNER, UM, AND THEY, AND THEY ENTER TO THIS PFC THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET, THE, THE PRIVATE OWNER'S GONNA GET THE TAX DEDUCTION.
IF, IF, IF, IF WE ARE SAYING, IF YOU'RE SAYING, UM, THAT MORE OF THE UNITS SHOULD BE AFFORDABLE IN ORDER TO GET THE TAX DEDUCTION, THAT'S ONE ISSUE.
UM, NOW ALL OF THIS WAS SET UP BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE.
SO THAT, LET'S JUST BE VERY CLEAR.
THE CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF HOUSTON DIDN'T SET UP THIS MECHANISM.
UNDERSTOOD THIS ME, THIS MECHANISM WAS SET UP BY THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE MM-HMM
THEY DIDN'T SEEK APPROVAL FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND SO WHAT THE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS, RIGHT, AND HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY ARE DOING IS SOMETHING THAT IS ALLOWED BY THE LEGISLATURE, THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND BECAUSE IT'S, BUT YES, SIR, I TO I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I'M NOT SAYING THOUGH, IT'S STILL THE MOST EFFECTIVE USE OF TAX FUNDS I WANT I UNDER.
WELL, I, AND THAT IS MY CONCERN.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY TRANSPARENCY IN ANY REVIEW ON THESE PROJECTS AND WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING.
NO, WE NEED A MOTION TO, OKAY.
IT'S BEEN SECOND THE OBJECTION HERE.
NOW, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO.
MAYOR, YOU BROUGHT UP REALLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT WITH THE STATE, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS SET UP BY THE STATE, WHICH YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT NOW THE A HHA AND THESE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS ARE GOING ABOUT, AND IT IS REMOVAL OF THE ENTIRE PROPERTY OFF THE TAX ROLLS, WHICH DOES CAUSE ME SOME PAUSE.
ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A MINIMUM, IF IT'S JUST 10% OF THE UNITS AND, AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE READ AND SOME IS THAT THERE'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THE OVERSIGHT OF THOSE AND HOW LONG THEY STAY AFFORDABLE IS, IT MAY BE WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
SO THAT, THAT CAUSES ME CONCERN TO COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S POINT.
I TOO HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF, OF INFORMATION, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THESE PFCS.
AND I'VE REACHED OUT TO THE HHA HAD A HARD TIME GETTING SOMEBODY, WHEN I DID GET, SOMEBODY ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS, THEY SAID, PLEASE PUT 'EM IN WRITING PROBABLY THREE WEEKS TILL I GOT AN ANSWER.
AND MY ANSWER WAS, THE RESOLUTIONS NOT AN ANSWER TO MY QUESTIONS, BUT THE ACTUAL RESOLUTIONS THAT THEY PASSED, THAT'S IT.
NO VERBIAGE, NO TEXTS, NOT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, HERE'S THE INFORMATION YOU REQUESTED, JUST THE RESOLUTIONS.
SO I'M, I'M WEEDING THROUGH THOSE NOW SO I CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
BUT, UH, I AGREE THAT IT, I THINK A LOT OF THIS COULD BE HEAD OFF AT THE PAST IF WE HAD MUCH BETTER COMMUNICATION, UM, WITH, WITH HHA.
AND I DO THINK THERE IS A BIGGER ISSUE HERE.
AND THAT IS THAT IF THE FULL DEVELOPMENT'S GONNA GET THE FULL TAX CREDIT DEDUCTION, THAT IT DOES NEED TO, UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SPECIFICITY ON HOW MANY OF THOSE UNITS ARE AFFORDABLE.
OKAY? BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF FOR EXAMPLE, ONLY 10 TO 20% OF THOSE UNITS ARE AFFORDABLE, BUT THAT DEVELOPER IS GETTING 100% NOW THAT HAVING TO PAY TAXES, THEN THAT, THAT RAISES SOME SERIOUS ISSUES.
NOW, SOME MAY ARGUE THEN THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IF 60, LET'S SAY 6% OF THOSE UNITS ARE NOW BEING AFFORDABLE, THEN SOME PEOPLE MAY ARGUE, WELL, WE DON'T WANT THAT DEVELOPMENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE NOW 60% OF THOSE UNITS ARE AFFORDABLE INSTEAD OF 30% OF THOSE UNITS BEING AFFORDABLE.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE, AND THAT'S, THAT'S, YES.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING AS WHAT IS BEING CRITICIZED HERE, BECAUSE I TOO HAVE A CALL OUT, UH, TO THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY ON THIS ISSUE.
UH, BECAUSE I WANT TO DISCUSS, UH, WHETHER OR NOT, UH, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE UNITS ARE BEING AFFORDABLE WHEN THE DEVELOPERS GETTING 100% MONEY OF THE, OF THE, OF THE TAX CREDITS.
BECAUSE I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE AT A GREATER PERCENTAGE OF, FOR AFFORDABILITY.
SO, UM, SO I AM PLANNING ON HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMPLAINTS ARE.
THE COMPLAINTS ARE, IS THE COMPLAINTS MADE BEING MADE THAT WE DON'T WANT THE AFFORDABLE DEVELOPMENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? OR AS THE COMPLAINT IS, IF THEY'RE GOING TO, IF THE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT IS GONNA GET 100% TAX CREDIT, THEN THERE SHOULD BE MORE AFFORDABILITY.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN WE ARE GOOD.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMPLAIN IS.
I THINK THERE, THERE'S, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, MULTILAYERED, I THINK FOR ONE THING, UM, THERE SHOULD
[00:50:01]
BE COMMUNITY INPUT.I BELIEVE THE STATE PROGRAM, THE WAY IT WAS SET UP TO GET THE STATE TAX CREDITS DOES ALLOW FOR A LONG TIME OF COMMUNITY, UM, REACTION, INPUT, KNOWLEDGE, SHARING ABOUT THE PROJECTS SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN GET COMFORTABLE AND AGREE THAT THIS IS A GOOD LOCATION FOR ONE OF THESE PROJECTS.
SO I THINK THAT IS ONE WE NEED, UH, COMMUNITY INPUT.
YOU NEED GREATER TRANSPARENCY ON THE PROJECTS AS WELL AS REVIEW ON HOW EFFECTIVE THE PROGRAM IS BEING.
UM, AS WELL AS I DO THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME MECHANISMS SO THAT YOU CAN GO BACK LATER.
MY UNDERSTANDING, THEY'RE TRYING TO PUSH THROUGH A LOT OF PROJECTS NOW BECAUSE THE TEXAS LEGISLATORS TRYING TO CLOSE THE LOOPHOLE THAT WILL NOT ALLOW SOME OF THIS GOING FORWARD.
BUT THESE PROJECTS WERE ALREADY BE IN PLACE FOR UP TO 99 YEARS, THEY'LL BE OFF THE TAX ROLLS.
SO I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I JUST THINK IN GENERAL, WE NEED TO GO IN, I OPPOSE THESE TWO PARTICULAR PROJECTS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT IT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE CLIENTS, PUTTING THEM INTO A HIGH INCOME AREA WITH LITTLE METRO, UM, ACCESS ROUTES AS WELL AS HIGH GROCERY COSTS IN THAT AREA.
SO I DON'T THINK IT'S HELPFUL.
AND I THINK THE TRANSPARENCY ON THESE TWO PROJECTS IN PARTICULAR IS VERY CONCERNING.
THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, EXCUSE ME, I'M MUCH MORE SENSITIVE TO THE TAX CREDIT OF PRIVATE DEVELOPER GETTING 100%.
WE CAN CERTAINLY DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT CLIENT'S BEEN PUT IN THAT AREA IS A DISADVANTAGE TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE, UM, THAT ONE IS A, THAT'S A LOT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A MUCH MORE SENSITIVE ISSUE AND I DON'T WANNA NECESSARILY GET INTO THAT TODAY.
UM, SO LET ME YELL NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
AND, UM, I DO AGREE, I I THINK SOMETIMES THE NARRATIVE WITH THE AFFORDABILITY IS, YOU KNOW, EXTREME POVERTY, BUT, UM, THE INTENTION, BUT WITH AT LEAST WHAT THE CITY IS DOING IN TERMS OF AFFORDABILITY IS MAKING SURE PEOPLE, LIKE MY STAFF MEMBERS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, LIVE IN AN APARTMENT AND HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH INCOME AREAS, RIGHT? SO I, I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT.
BUT TO YOUR VERY POINT, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE SPOT ON AND IN THE LEGISLATURE, UM, I THINK YOUR VOICE WILL BE TREMENDOUSLY HELPFUL BECAUSE THIS IS THE TIME TO ACTUALLY DO THAT.
THE CURRENT STATUTE STATES AT MINIMUM 10% OF AFFORDABILITY.
UH, AND AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO GO THROUGH OUR OWN 9% TAX CREDIT SPECIAL CALL MEETING, UH, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE CITY REMAINS AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE.
AND IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A TOOL LIKE A PFC, UH, THAT, UM, YOU'RE RIGHT THERE MUST SECOND, JUST MOVING SECOND TO MOTION EXTEND GRANTED, THANK YOU, UH, THAT WE MUST HAVE A AFFORDABILITY, WE MUST MEET OUR GOALS, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND SO WE CAN'T KEEP PEOPLE, UM, OUTSIDE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN, UH, HIGH INCOME AREAS, HIGH ACCESSIBLE AREAS.
UM, SO I, I AGREE WITH YOU THERE AND MAYOR TURNER, I MEAN, TO YOUR POINT, AND VICE MAYOR'S NOT HERE, BUT SHE AND I ACTUALLY WERE GONNA GO TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY MEETING TODAY, UM, TO TALK, TALK ABOUT THE DIS THEY CANCELED DUE TO THE WEATHER, UM, BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION.
AND WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS THAT DEVELOPERS ARE DOING 9% DEAL, UM, EXCUSE ME, DOING PFC DEALS WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO THEN, THEN APPLY FOR THE 9% TAX DEALS ON OUR END, RIGHT? SO, UM, WITHOUT REAL COMMUNICATION WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS AND JUST, AND I, AS CHAIR, I'VE EXTENDED PLENTY OF TIMES COME BEFORE COMMITTEE, LET'S SPEAK BROADLY, LET'S GET PROACTIVE.
LET'S, I'VE DONE IT CONSISTENTLY.
AND AT THIS POINT I'M TIRED, SO I WAS GONNA GO TO THEY HOUSE.
WELL, I, I, I CAN GO, I CAN GO ONE STEP FURTHER.
THE REASON WHY I'M CALLING IS TO PUT A HOLE ON IT.
SO I'M CALLING TO PUT A HOLE ON, ON IT FOR NOW TO GET A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
BECAUSE IF, FOR EXAMPLE, A DEVELOPER IS GETTING THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING TAX CREDITS FROM 100% AND ONLY PROVIDING 10% AFFORDABILITY, THAT DOES NOT, I, THAT THAT IS NOT A GOOD DEAL.
SO UNTIL, UNTIL, FOR EXAMPLE, I CAN GET A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHO'S GETTING WHAT AND FOR WHAT, YOU KNOW, I WANT THEM TO PUT IT ON HOLD.
SO I THINK THIS, SO YOU'RE, I THINK ALL OF THIS, YOU'RE GONNA, THESE RESOLUTIONS ON HOLD OR HOUSTON
UM, BUT LET ME JUST SAY UNTIL, UNTIL I CAN GET A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, OF HOW THE PFCS ARE BEING UTILIZED, UM, I, I WANT THEM TO SLOW THE ROLE.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF THE USING HOUSING AUTHORITY CAN PROVIDE BETTER TRANSPARENCY AND BETTER COMMUNICATION, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
MAY I, MAY I PRO TIM MARTIN? YES.
AND I'LL LOOK TO CHAIR THOMAS, MAYBE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS AT ONE OF YOUR HOUSING MEETINGS TO EDUCATE US.
THEY'VE BEEN INVITED FOR FEBRUARY.
'CAUSE I JUST LOOKED AT THEIR WEBSITE AND THE FIRST THING THAT CAME UP WAS THE JANUARY 24TH MEETING
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THAT WAS CANCELED, I GUESS DUE TO THE RAIN.BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY ARCHIVE BOARD MEET MINUTES.
AND I WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS OVER THE WEEKEND, AND AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I WOULD DEFER TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHOSE DISTRICT THIS IS, WHICH IS MARY ANNE HUFFMAN.
BUT I ALSO HEARD SOMEONE SAY THERE ARE 10 OTHER PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
SO IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN GET A LIST OF WHAT, WHERE? OH, THERE'S MANY MORE THAN 10.
10 IN OUR AREA, BUT ONE, ONE, YOU'RE A SINGLE AREA.
SO WHERE DOES ONE GO TO FIND WHERE THESE, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES ARE? I GOT 'EM.
THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WEBSITE IN MINUTES, BUT IT TAKES SOME DIGGING AND READING.
I'D LOVE TO HAVE A LOOK FORWARD TO THE FEBRUARY MEETING.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN? NO.
MR. WOODS TO BE FOLLOWED BY CARL DE HAPPY NEW YEAR.
COUNCILWOMAN, UH, THOMAS FOR THE TIME.
AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON IN HER ABSENCE.
UH, MAYOR, HAPPY NEW YEAR AND TO THE REST OF COUNCIL.
UH, I'M THE INTERIM PRESIDENT OF NORTHWOOD MANOR CIVIC CLUB.
UH, THE NEW YEAR IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD KICKED OFF WITH SOUNDS OF CELEBRATORY GUNFIRE, COMPETING WITH FIREWORKS AND NO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I JUST RETURNED HOME FROM, UH, TWO WEEKS OF BUSINESS TRAVEL LAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO A MURDER HOMICIDE, A FEW STREETS OVER IN RE AND, AND, AND IN RETALIATION, A DRIVE BY SHOOTING IN FRONT OF MY HOME OF THE MANY OFFICERS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE CRIME SCENE.
UH, IT TOOK THREE HOURS FOR A COUPLE POLICE OFFICERS TO COME INVESTIGATE THE DRIVE-BY SHOOTING OUR REQUESTS FOR INCREASED PATROLLING SPEED CUSHIONS, FASTER RESPONSE, MORE FREQUENT COMMUNICATION, A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, CONTINUE TO BE IN VAIN, CONTINUE TO BE IN VAIN.
SO I'M HERE TO REQUEST YOUR ASSISTANCE TO HOLD THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR SAFETY ACCOUNTABLE.
I'VE HEARD THE EXCUSES THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, BUT I CAN'T TELL THAT WE'RE UTILIZING WHAT WE DO HAVE PROACTIVELY, UH, TO PROACTIVELY HAVE A PRESENCE IN HIGH CRIME AREAS.
SOME OF THIS IS BECAUSE PERFORMANCE METRICS AND OR CRIME STATISTICS ARE NOT SHARED WITH ENOUGH DETAIL, UH, TO DRILL DOWN TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL IF AVAILABLE.
WE ARE TRYING TO DO OUR PART WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING, WE SAY SOMETHING OFTEN TO GREAT RISK TO OUR LIVES.
WHERE IS OUR PRESS CONFERENCE SAYING THESE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE OFF LIMITS WHEN REVIEWING APPLICATIONS FOR SPEED CUSHIONS, WHERE IS THE PRIORITIZATION FOR HIGH CRIME AREAS WHERE VEHICLES HAVE BEEN USED FOR DRIVE-BYS OR WHERE SPEEDING HAS LED TO MOTOR VEHICLES IN FRONT YARDS OR ATVS AND LIVING ROOMS OR A LOSS OF LIFE? THESE THUGS ARE BURNING RUBBER UP AND DOWN OUR STREETS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO CONCERN OR REGARD FOR LIFE.
UH, THEY SHOOT IN THE AIR, WHETHER IT'S A HOLIDAY OR NOT.
THEY USE STREET SIGNS, CARS, AND HOMES FOR TARGET PRACTICE.
THERE IS A BRAZEN DISPLAY FOR DISREGARDING THE LAW UP AND DOWN HOMESTEAD ROAD.
WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING MR. WOODS.
AND I THINK, UM, ALL OF US SHARE THE CONCERNS.
UM, BUT, UM, WE DO PROVIDE, UM, ANALYSIS PER DISTRICT.
IN FACT, UH, CHIEF F AND HIS TEAM WAS JUST HERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO DOING EXACTLY THAT.
AND I THINK YOU'RE COMING OUTTA DISTRICT B ONE.
ONE SHOT IS ONE SHOT TOO MANY.
BUT IN TERMS OF JUST FOLLOW CRIMES ACROSS THE BOARD, THE CRIME AND DISTRICT B IS DOWN.
UH, AND IT CONTINUES TO GO DOWN NOW UNTIL IT'S DONE THAT WAY, YOU DON'T HAVE AN INCIDENT AT ALL.
UH, YOU STILL HAVE NOT DONE, UH, ENOUGH, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS GONNA TAKE A COLLECTIVE EFFORT, LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY, AND EVERYBODY ELSE WORKING TOGETHER.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE, UM, IN DISTRICT B AND ACROSS THIS CITY, UH, TO CON TO DRIVE CRIME DOWN IN OUR CITY.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
I DO UNDERSTAND THE CRIME IS DOWN.
UH, WHEN I ASK FOR CRIME STATISTICS, THEY EITHER DON'T HAVE 'EM.
THEY SAY THAT THE CHIEF OF POLICE WON'T ALLOW 'EM TO GIVE THEM UNLESS THEY'RE VETTED.
UM, AND THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF RUNAROUND.
WELL, WHOEVER'S TELLING YOU THAT, GET THEIR NAME AND THEN LET ME KNOW WHO TOLD YOU THAT, AND I WILL DEAL WITH THEM AND THEY'LL FIND ANOTHER JOB TO GO IN AND DO SOMETHING ELSE.
[01:00:01]
SOMEBODY TELLS YOU THAT, GIVES YOU THAT TYPE OF RESPONSE, YOU GET THEIR NAME AND THEN YOU SHARE IT WITH ME.UM, BUT FEEL FREE TO GO TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, SHE CAN PROVIDE A DETAILED ANALYSIS, UH, AND LOOK, WE WANT TO PROVIDE YOU THE PUBLIC WITH AS MUCH INFORMATION AS YOU NEED IN ORDER TO BE TO PARTNER WITH US.
SO IF YOU'LL SEND ME, SEND ME AN EMAIL, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, SPECIFICALLY ASK ME ASKING WHAT YOU, I MEAN, TELLING ME WHAT YOU NEED, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET IT, OKAY? OKAY.
AND WHAT, WHAT'S CIRCULATING IS THE EMAIL THAT I DID COPY YOU.
I HAVE COPIED YOU A NUMBER OF TIMES AND I, BUT I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE I SEND YOU A SENTENCE THEN I'LL MAKE SURE THAT I'LL FOLLOW UP AND GET YOU THE INFORMATION THAT YOU, THAT YOU, THAT YOU WANT.
'CAUSE WE WANT TO EQUIP YOU WITH AS MUCH INFORMATION SO THAT YOU CAN ALSO RELAY THAT TO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE WANNA WORK, LOOK, WE NEED EACH OTHER.
SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET FRUSTRATED BY THE LACK OF INFORMATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO I'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE NEEDING.
AND, UH, THANK YOU, SIR, FOR COMING FORWARD.
UM, AS, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH THE CIVIC CLUBS ON SOME OF THESE SPECIFIC REQUESTS THAT YOU HAVE.
AND ALTHOUGH I DON'T REPRESENT YOUR DISTRICT, UH, SPEAKING WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER ON THE NTMP PROCESS FOR SPEED BUMPS, UH, UNDERSTANDING WHO THE COMMANDER AND SERGEANTS ARE, ESPECIALLY OVER DRT FOR YOUR PARTICULAR SUBSTATION, TO BE ABLE TO COORDINATE AN EFFORT AND A STRATEGY AROUND THE DYNAMICS FOR YOUR PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN AT, UM, FROM A HOLISTIC STANDPOINT, HOUSTON TX.GOV/TRANSPARENCY.
THAT IS WHERE YOU CAN, UM, GO ONLINE IF YOU FEEL AS IF, UM, YOUR ISSUES ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED PROPERLY BY HPD TO PUT FORTH A COMPLAINT OR REPORT, UH, WITH A DETAILED RESPONSE ON WHAT THAT IS.
AND YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, FOLLOW UP AND HAVE SOMEONE INVESTIGATE WHY THAT'S NOT HAPPENING WITHIN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS TO BE ABLE TO GET RELEVANT AND CURRENT STATS AND DATA, UH, THAT ARE PERTINENT TO YOUR PARTICULAR COMMUNITY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT USING THE, THE DASHBOARDS, UH, MAYOR, BECAUSE WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THEM.
UM, BUT HOUSTON TX.GOV, POLICE TRANSPARENCY, UH, WILL ALSO BE A GOOD RESOURCE FOR YOU.
SO I, I, I REQUEST THAT YOU LOOK INTO THOSE AVENUES AS WELL.
SO I, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE, UH, LEVEL OF INCOME OF DISTRICT J, BUT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE INTERNET.
THEY DON'T HAVE THAT, THE, THE RESOURCES TO HAVE THAT, UM, TO GO ONLINE.
UM, I'VE PARTICIPATED IN, UH, IN PIP MEETINGS AND HAVE BEEN VERY VOCAL AND BEEN A PARTNER, UH, WITH DRT WHERE I CAN.
BUT, UH, MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT THEY ARE ONES TO DISCOURAGE.
I'VE BEEN DISCOURAGED FROM GOING TO PIP MEETINGS.
I'VE BEEN DISCOURAGED TO SPEAKING UP.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS RECOMMENDED AFTER EXHAUSTING MANY OTHER AVENUES TRYING TO WORK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO COME HERE BECAUSE THE BUCK STOPS HERE.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED DILIGENCE WITH THAT.
UH, DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE INTERNET ACCESS? YES, I DO.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO HOUSTON TX.GOV AS WELL SLASH TRANSPARENCY.
UH, THIS, I, I HAVE, AND THEN, UH, IF YOU HAVE, THEN I WANT YOU TO EMAIL MY OFFICE AND LET ME KNOW WHAT THE RESPONSES YOU'VE BEEN GETTING AND I'LL DOUBLE TEAM IT WITH YOU.
AND LET YOU AND I STAY IN TOUCH.
IF YOU NEED SOMETHING, UH, JUST, JUST REACH OUT TO ME.
TO BE FOLLOWED BY TINA CHANDLER CENT.
IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS.
HOW YOU DOING, MAN TURNER? I'M, I'M, I'M STILL MAKING MOVIES.
AND YOU LOOK GREAT, BY THE WAY.
I AM, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, I AM AN ACTOR PRODUCER, AND I AM ALSO PART OF THE NORMAL TO BE FIT CHARITABLE FOUNDATION WITH MY WIFE TINA CHANDLER DENA.
WE ALSO HAVE BJ GLAZE AND WADE MCKAY WASHINGTON.
THEY HAVE CEREBRAL PALS AND SCOLIOSIS, AND NOTHING IS STOPPING THESE TWO LOVE THEM.
SO TODAY, CHANTAL CORONADO WAS SUPPOSED TO SPEAK AFTER US.
SHE'S NOT HERE TODAY 'CAUSE OF THE WEATHER, BUT WE ARE HERE TO EXTEND AN INVITATION TO THE MAYOR, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND EVERYONE WATCHING ON HOUSTON TELEVISION TO COME TO THE TEXAS MISS AMAZING PAGEANT AS YOU WERE TEXAS, MISS AMAZING AMPLIFIED EVENT.
AND WHAT IT IS, IT'S AN A PAGEANT TYPE OF SHOW FOR LADIES LIVING WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES.
AND IT GETS THEM TO SHOWCASE THEIR, THEIR STUFF TO GET ON STAGE AND SHOWCASE THEIR ABILITIES.
SO IT'S GONNA BE FEBRUARY 18TH, 2023 AT 1:00 PM JERSEY VILLAGE HIGH SCHOOL.
[01:05:01]
AND AS I WAS SAYING BEFORE, IT IS FOR WOMEN LIVING WITH DISABILITIES.'CAUSE WE WANT THEM TO BUILD LIFE SKILLS, NURTURE SISTERHOOD, INCREASE VISIBIL VISIBILITY, AND WE HELP THEM WITH ALL OF THAT.
WE HELP MOTIVATE THEM, INSPIRE THEM.
SO YOU CAN CONTACT CHAL CORONADO, OUR TEXAS STATE DIRECTOR.
IT'S CHAL CORONADO@MISSAMAZING.ORG.
HER PHONE NUMBER IS (832) 517-6890.
AND I MEAN, JUST IN CASE IF, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN SEE IT, BUT I KNOW THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE THIS.
BUT IF HTV COULD PLEASE ZOOM INTO THIS SO THAT THE VIEWERS COULD WATCH THIS, WE REALLY WANT YOU TO.
OH, I HAVE A MONITOR RIGHT HERE.
BUT, UM, IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL EVENT.
MY WIFE AND I ARE GONNA HOST IT.
AND IT JUST IMPACTS THEM AND IT INSPIRES THEM TO BE THE BEST THAT THEY COULD BE.
AND THESE LADIES ARE INCREDIBLE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ, SHE GAVE A DONATION.
WELL, I MEAN, YOU DIDN'T SHOW UP 'CAUSE YOU HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO DO, BUT YOU GAVE A DONATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, HE SHOUTED US OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A BIG DEAL.
BUT WE WOULD LOVE FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU TO COME OUT AND BE A PART OF IT.
LET'S HELP THEM TO BE THE BEST THAT THEY COULD BE.
'CAUSE ONCE THEY GET THAT FEELING WITHIN THEM, THERE'S NO STOPPING THEM.
YOU SHOULD SEE WHAT BJ IS DOING.
AND, UH, CARL, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD.
UH, I ACTUALLY HAVE THIS, UM, PAGEANT ON MY CALENDAR THIS YEAR, SO I'M GONNA TRY TO MAKE THAT, I'LL ALSO SHOUT YOU OUT AGAIN ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I LIVED IN A HOME WITH A, UH, A YOUNGER SISTER WITH, UH, SPECIAL NEEDS.
AND SO I, I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS, UH, FOR THEIR OWN CONFIDENCE AND, AND TO, AND TO BREATHE LIFE INTO THEM.
MY QUESTION TO YOU, UM, AS A PART OF THIS PAGEANT, ARE THERE ALSO, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENTS WHO ARE LIVING WITH DISABILITY, UH, CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES TO HAVE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESOURCES OR PROGRAMMING THAT COULD HELP THEM AS WELL? IS THAT TIED IN AT ALL WITH THIS PAGEANT TO WHERE PEOPLE WHO ATTEND CAN ALSO, UM, BE ABLE TO BE CONTACTED OR, OR NETWORK WITH PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES FOR KIDS WITH DISABILITIES OR ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES? THAT'S SUCH AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
AND WHAT WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO IS EVERYONE, IT BECOMES A FAMILY.
SO THROUGH THAT FAMILY, YOU ARE ABLE TO, YOU HAVE ANOTHER SISTER, YOU HAVE ANOTHER BROTHER, AND THEN WE HAVE CONTACTS.
WE HAVE CONTACTS TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
LIKE, SAY FOR INSTANCE, MYSELF AND MY WIFE, WE HAVE NORMAL TO BE FIT CHARITABLE FOUNDATION WHERE WE HELP PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS TO, WITH PHYSICAL FITNESS TO WORK OUT TO BE THE BEST THAT THEY COULD BE.
SO WE HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, DIFFERENT COMPANIES, DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
SO, YES, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, ABSOLUTELY.
AND IT WAS MY PLEASURE TO MAKE THE DONATION.
I THINK I SHARED IT LAST YEAR, UH, YEAR BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THESE YEARS PASSING SO FAST THAT I WORKED WITH SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN.
I WAS ACTUALLY, UH, EVALUATION SPECIALISTS, DIAGNOSTICIAN IN A COUPLE OF, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND SO I HAVE A, A CERTAIN LOVE FOR PEOPLE SUCH AS YOURSELVES WHO ARE HIGHLIGHTING THESE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE AND GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE ON THEIR OWN LEVEL.
AND SO I DO PLAN TO GIVE ANOTHER DONATION THIS YEAR.
AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING FORWARD.
APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
DINA FOLLOWED BY CHANTEL CORONADO.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN HERE.
MY NAME IS TINA CHANDLER ANA, AND I'M A PROFESSIONAL BODYBUILDER AND FITNESS COACH AND FOUNDER OF THE NORMAL TO BE FIT CHARITABLE FOUNDATION WHERE WE, UH, TRAIN PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND CHALLENGES TO BE THEIR VERY BEST.
AND WE'RE HERE TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE TEXAS MISS AMAZING AMPLIFY EVENT.
IT'S DONE IN PAGEANTRY, UH, STYLE.
AND I HAVE A VERY PERSONAL STORY CONNECTED TO THIS EVENT.
SO BJ GLAZE, WHO WE BROUGHT WITH US TODAY, SITTING NEXT TO HER HUSBAND, WADE, WHO SHE'S STANDING UP RIGHT NOW FOR YOU GUYS, BECAUSE IT'S A VERY SPECIAL THING.
AFTER ABOUT 20 YEARS, UM, SHE STARTED WALKING WITH THE TRAINING THAT
[01:10:01]
WE PROVIDED.SO, I MEAN, YEAH, LET'S, LET'S PAUSE FOR A PAUSE RIGHT THERE.
RIGHT AFTER SHE SAW THE WORK THAT WE DID WITH WADE, AS HE DID A BODYBUILDING SHOW WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND ALL THE OBSTACLES THAT COME WITH THAT, SHE SAID, OKAY, I THINK I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A SHOT.
YOU KNOW, AND SHE WAS MUCH HEAVIER THAN SHE IS.
SHE WAS A HUNDRED POUNDS LIGHTER THAN SHE IS, I MEAN, HEAVIER THAN SHE IS NOW.
BUT WHEN WE STARTED TRAINING, SHE LOOKED FOR SOMETHING AS A GOAL.
NOW, BODYBUILDING'S A LITTLE OUT OF THE LEAGUE AT THAT POINT.
SHE SAID, I WANNA DO THIS PAGEANT.
I'VE DONE IT ONLINE BEFORE, BUT I WANNA DO THIS IN PERSON FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
AND THIS GAVE HER THE GOAL AND THE COURAGE TO SAY, I WANNA GO TRY THAT.
I'M SCARED TO DEATH, BUT I'M GONNA DO IT.
AND I WANNA WALK THE STAGE WITH MY WALKER.
AND SHE HAD NOT WALKED AT THAT TIME.
SO WE HAD A GOAL AND SAID, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND IN SIX MONTHS OF TRAINING, SHE STARTED WALKING.
SHE GOT ON THAT STAGE, STRUTTED HER STUFF.
AND, YOU KNOW, SINCE THEN, SHE'S DONE BODYBUILDING SHOWS AS WELL, ALONGSIDE HER HUSBAND EVER SINCE.
SHE'S, SHE'S FLEXING BACK THERE.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THE PLATFORM THAT THIS PAGEANT OFFERED, IT, IT, IT UNLOCKED THE POSSIBILITIES FOR HER.
THEY WERE LIMITLESS AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE, SHE GOT HER LIFE BACK.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING CHANGED, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS WHAT THIS EVENT IS ALL ABOUT.
AND, AND, AND IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE MADE LIFELONG FRIENDS.
I MEAN, THE PEOPLE YOU MET IN THIS COMMUNITY, IT'S ALL ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER FOR THE GREATER GOOD.
AND THIS IS BASICALLY THE EPITOME OF, OF ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TOGETHER FOR COMMUNITY.
AND SO, JUST IN MORE DETAILS OF THE EVENT, IT'S A DAY.
IT'S A WHOLE DAY JUST FOR THE GIRLS, GIRLS AND WOMEN.
THE, UH, THE, THERE IS NO AGE LIMIT.
UM, I THINK THE YOUNGEST IS ABOUT FROM AGE FIVE AND UP.
SO IT'S, IT'S ALSO NEVER TOO LATE TO ENTER THAT.
THE ONLY ENTRY FEE IS THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR A BAG OF GOODS FOR WOMEN THAT ARE COMING OUT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CENTER OF ALL THESE LITTLE BRANCHES THAT COME OUT FROM THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION EARLIER WAS ABOUT REACHING RESOURCES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR COMING AND CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL YOUR SUCCESS.
UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, SEEING YOU AT THE PAGEANT.
UM, I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE PASSED OUT THESE, UH, FLYERS.
IF YOU COULD, UH, POSSIBLY EMAIL US THE GRAPHIC, UH, AS WELL, SO WE CAN HAVE AN ELECTRONIC FORM TO, TO PUT OUT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND SO, SO VERY, VERY PROUD OF YOU.
I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU ARE A TRUE CHAMPION, OKAY? AND YOU'RE SMILING FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER.
TRACY SAVOY, JACK TRACY SAVOY JACK IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY PASTOR THERESE COVINGTON.
GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS TRACY SAVOY JACK, AND I'M ACTUALLY A PROUD RESIDENT OF DISTRICT.
I SO PARTICULARLY LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS FOR ALL OF HIS WORK AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY.
I AM BEFORE YOU TODAY, HOWEVER, IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY AS THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY AND PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVES WITH THE UNITED WAY OF GREATER HOUSTON.
AS UNITED WAY NOW EMBARKS UPON ITS SECOND CENTURY OF SERVICE TO GREATER HOUSTON.
WE KNOW THROUGH A NATIONAL RESEARCH STUDY THAT THERE ARE 14% OF HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS GREATER HOUSTON THAT ARE LIVING ON WAGES BELOW THE FEDERAL POLICY POVERTY THRESHOLD.
IN ADDITION, THERE ARE 33% OF HOUSEHOLDS WORKING HARD, BUT STILL CANNOT MAKE ENDS MEET AND CANNOT PURCHASE THE BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE.
COVID-19 AND CURRENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, AS WE ALL KNOW, ARE ADDING A SIGNIFICANT STRAIN TO MANY HOUSEHOLDS.
THE UNITED WAY OF GREATER HOUSTON CONTINUES TO RUN THE STATE'S LARGEST 2 1 1 HELPLINE, MAKING ALMOST 1.3 MILLION CONNECTIONS TO CRITICAL BASIC NEEDS AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
JUST LAST YEAR ALONE, THIS REPRESENTS AN
[01:15:01]
11% INCREASE FROM 2021, THE UNITED WAY.TEXAS 2 1 1 HELPLINE PROVIDES A VITAL RESOURCE TO CITY RESIDENTS AND IS CELEBRATING ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY.
WE INVITE EACH OF YOU AND YOUR STAFF TO JOIN US FEBRUARY 9TH AT 5:00 PM AT THE UNITED WAY OF GREATER HOUSTON AT 50 WA TO LEARN MORE ABOUT 2 1 1 DATA TRENDS FOR 2022, WHERE WE ARE SEEING HOTSPOTS ACROSS THE CITY, HOW WE ARE USING DATA AND TECHNOLOGY TO BE OF BETTER SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, AND HOW YOU AND YOUR STAFF CAN ACCESS 2 1 1 DATA IN REAL TIME TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
INVITATIONS HAVE BEEN SENT TO EACH OF YOU VIA EMAIL.
WE DO HOPE THAT YOU CAN JOIN US, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
AND IN FACT, I'VE, I'VE SEEN, UM, THE INVITATION AND HAVE I RESPONDED.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE.
THANK YOU SO VERY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
PASTOR THERESE COVINGTON, PASTOR THERESE COVINGTON, PASTOR COVINGTON, NEXT SPEAKER.
EMILY HAD NOT EMILY HA NOT EMILY HANA.
ROBERT CHO TO BE FOLLOWED BY STEVE WILLIAMS. GREETINGS, THE THUNDER SEEMS TO HAVE STOPPED A BIT.
I SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ABOUT THE HIGH CRIME RATE, BUT I REALLY SHOULD HAVE SPOKE, UH, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ABOUT HONESTY AND CANDOR.
MR. WOODS WAS A GOOD PREVIEW TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.
WE'RE BEING TOLD THE CRIME IS DOWN, CRIME IS DOWN, CRIME IS DOWN.
AND I GUESS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO CELEBRATE, BUT OF CONTINUALLY GONE TWICE A DAY TO THE HPD WEBSITE TO SEE THE MONTHLY OPERATIONAL REPORT.
AND WHAT EXISTS AS OF 1 55 THIS AFTERNOON WAS THE NOVEMBER REPORT.
WE CAN'T EVEN SEE THE DECEMBER REPORT TO CHECK THE FIGURES.
CRIME AGAINST PERSONS IS DOWN BY A LITTLE LESS THAN 5%, BUT CRIME AGAINST PROPERTY IS UP, IS UP 5%.
NOW IT'S 5% OVER A BIGGER NUMBER.
SO THE CRIME AGAINST PROPERTY THROUGH NOVEMBER WAS UP 6,400 INCIDENTS WHILE CRIME AGAINST PERSONS WAS DOWN 2,800 INCIDENTS.
CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY WAS ALSO UP ABOUT 5% OR 500 INCIDENTS FOR A TOTAL OF OVER 4,000.
THAT'S A 2% INCREASE OVER 2021, WHICH MY UNDERSTANDING WAS A BANNER YEAR FOR CRIME IN THIS CITY, HAVING EXPERIENCED SOME OF IT IN OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD.
A NEIGHBORHOOD I'VE LIVED IN FOR 28 YEARS.
AND WE HAD HAD TWO CARS STOLEN IN 10 YEARS THIS PAST YEAR.
IN A SIX MONTH PERIOD, WE HAD THREE CARS STOLEN, TWO CARS BROKEN INTO, AND ONE CATALYTIC CONVERTER STOLEN.
NOW WE CAN CELEBRATE CRIME AGAINST PERSONS BEING DOWN, BUT THE CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY IS WHAT BEGATS CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS.
AS WE WITNESSED IN OUR AREA IN THE LAST WEEK, SOMEBODY HAD AN INCIDENT AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THE DUMB FOOL GOES OUT AND CHASES THE BAD GUYS AND GETS SHOT AND KILLED IN HIS DRIVEWAY FOR HIS TROUBLE.
JUST THE OTHER DAY, WE HAD SOMEBODY HEAR THEIR NEIGHBOR GETTING BROKEN INTO.
SO HE WALKED OUTSIDE WITH THEIR FIREARM AND SHOT THE BASTARD.
WE SHOULDN'T CELEBRATE THOSE THINGS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AS I SAID HERE BEFORE, A FEW MONTHS AGO, I CARRY NOW AND I HAVE A LOADED SHOTGUN IN MY HOUSE, WHERE THREE YEARS AGO, IF HE HAD SUGGESTED I WOULD BE DOING THAT, I WOULD'VE LAUGHED AT YOU.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO NOW.
BUT ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, AN UPDATED REPORT.
WE ALSO DON'T HAVE THE SPREADSHEET THAT GOES FOR THE YEAR EITHER.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA BELIEVE WHAT Y'ALL ARE TELLING US, BACK IT UP WITH THE DATA, BE A LITTLE MORE FORTHCOMING, PLEASE.
I ALSO, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OF CRIME, I SENT A DETAILED FOYER REQUEST FOR THE EXPENDITURES ON A ONE SAFE HOUSTON PROGRAM DETAILED.
WHAT I RECEIVED WAS, IN ESSENCE, A PETTY CASH LIST OF ABOUT $1,200 SPENT.
I KNOW Y'ALL SPENT A LOT MORE THAN THAT.
AND THE PERSON WHO FULFILLED THE REQUEST WAS, I ASSUME THIS WILL TAKE CARE OF THINGS.
I WROTE BACK SAID, NO, SIR, IT DOES NOT.
SHOULD A CITIZEN HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS MUCH TROUBLE, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED WITH THAT.
BUT I WILL MAKE SOME COMMENTS BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RESPOND.
EVERY TIME PEOPLE SAY CRIME IS UP, CRIME IS UP.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT CRIME IS DOWN IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHERE THE PEOPLE NOW, LET ME FINISH.
I JUST READ THE FIGURES TO YOU, SIR, ARE YOU GONNA LET ME FINISH? ARE YOU GONNA LET ME FINISH? GO AHEAD.
[01:20:01]
IS DOWN FROM, UH, 21 AT THE END OF LAST YEAR IN TERMS OF VIOLENT CRIME IN EVERY CATEGORY WITH EXCEPTION ONE WAS KIDNAPPING, CRIME WAS DOWN BY MORE THAN A VIOLENT CRIME WAS DOWN BY 8%.AS CHIEF NER INDICATED TWO WEEKS AGO.
YES, WHEN IT COMES TO PROPERTY LIKE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, IT WAS UP.
BUT IN TERMS OF, IN EVERY CATEGORY WITH EXCEPTION ONE, KIDNAPPING, VIOLENT CRIME WAS DOWN.
AS OF TODAY, IN TERMS OF VIOLENT CRIME, WE ARE 35% IN HOMICIDES BELOW WHERE WE WERE EVEN IN 2022.
SO THE TRAJECTORY CONTINUES TO BE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, RIGHT? AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, FOR US TO KEEP REMINDING PEOPLE BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND IF IT BLEEDS, IT LEADS.
AND YOU CAN ALWAYS POINT OUT TO INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE CITY.
AND IF IT'S A CRIME AGAINST ONE PERSON, IT IS A CRIME TO MANY.
I KEEP SAYING THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
IF IT'S A CRIME AGAINST ONE PERSON, IT'S A CRIME TO MANY.
NOW CONVERSELY, IF THE NUMBER OF HOMICIDES, FOR EXAMPLE, WERE UP ABOVE LAST YEAR, EVERYBODY WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT CRIME, UH, MURDERS AND ALL BEING UP.
BUT YOU DON'T GET THE SAME COVERAGE WHEN CRIME GOES DOWN, ESPECIALLY IN THIS, IN THE VIOLENT CATEGORY.
SO I'M GONNA KEEP SAYING IT, AS LONG AS PEOPLE KEEP COMING HERE AND KEEP TALKING ABOUT CRIME BEING UP AND UP AND UP AND UP, I'M GONNA KEEP RESPONDING.
BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT IF ONE PERSON IS A VICTIM OF CRIME, IT'S ONE CRIME.
NOW ON GUNS, THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY GUNS IN THIS, IN THIS WHOLE SOCIETY.
AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CARRYING GUNS IN THIS STATE FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS MADE IT EASY FOR EVERYBODY, 18 AND UP AND, AND EVEN YOUNGER, TO CARRY GUNS WITHOUT PERMITS, WITHOUT LICENSE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE BREAKING INTO PEOPLE'S CARS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAD 4,000 GUNS STOLEN FROM PEOPLE'S CARS LAST YEAR BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE BREAKING INTO THEIR CARS BECAUSE THEY ARE LOOKING FOR GUNS.
SO THERE ARE WAY, WAY, WAY, WAY TOO MANY GUNS.
SO, MR. CHOKE, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMING AND EXPRESSING YOUR THOUGHTS, BUT YES, SIR.
VIOLENT CRIME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS DOWN IN COMPARISON TO 21.
AND THE WAY WE ARE LOOKING, UH, RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE ARE, WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO NOBODY IS CLAIMING MISSION ACCOMPLISHED AT ALL.
UM, MR. SHO, THE POLICE CAN ONLY, UH, REPORT TO US WHAT'S BEEN REPORTED TO THEM.
SO IT'S LIKE THE MAYOR SAYS, IF, IF, IF MURDERS ARE DOWN, THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE REPORTED.
UH, MOST VIOLENT CRIMES ARE REPORTED.
VERY SELDOM WILL YOU HAVE A VIOLENT CRIME UNLESS IT'S RAPE.
BUT VIOLENT CRIMES ARE NORMALLY REPORTED.
AND THEN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE, THE PETTY CRIMES ARE THE, THE, THE PROPERTY CRIMES, I HATE TO CALL 'EM PETTY, BUT, UH, IF, IF, IF YOU HAVE YOUR CATALY CONVERTER STOLEN YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKED TO GO, OR YOU, YOU GO ONLINE AND FILL OUT THE FORM.
MANY PEOPLE MAY NOT WANNA DO THAT.
LIKE THE GENTLEMAN THAT SPOKE EARLIER SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE INTERNET IN, IN THAT, UH, IN THAT AREA FOR A LOT OF THEIR CITIZENS.
SO I, I'M OF THE OPINION THAT, THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REPORT CRIMES 'CAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE ANYTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND IF SOMETHING DOES, IT COULD BE BAD REPERCUSSIONS ON THEM.
AND, UH, I SEE, UM, I SEE THAT A, A FAMILY MEMBER WAS ASSAULTED AND, AND A PERSON GOT A DOLLAR BOND OR, AND THEN HE GOT ANOTHER DOLLAR BOND, THEN EVENTUALLY GOT OUT AND, AND, AND DID IT AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND THAT'S SAD.
I, I REMEMBER WHEN THE PANDEMIC PANDEMIC STARTED, YOU KNOW, UH, THE, THE MAYOR PLED TO, TO, HE WAS MAKING A PLEA TO EVERYBODY, BUT REALLY TO THE CRIMINALS, YOU KNOW, GIVE US A BREAK.
AND, AND I, I DON'T THINK THEY HURT US.
AND, AND WHENEVER YOU'RE, WHEN THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY, THERE'S NO RESPONSIBILITY.
AND SO IF WE'RE NOT HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE, EVEN FOR PETTY CRIMES, LIKE, LIKE SHOPLIFTING.
NOW YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS, BUT YEARS AGO, BACK BEFORE 2017, THERE WERE ABOUT 14,000 ARRESTS A YEAR FOR POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA.
SHOULD THEY HAVE BEEN ARRESTED HIM FOR IT? I DON'T KNOW.
IT WAS A MISDEMEANOR, BUT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT TODAY.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE NOT DOING TODAY.
VERY SELDOM IS ANYBODY ARRESTED FOR SHOPLIFTING.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TOLD NOT TO DO THAT AGAIN.
[01:25:01]
THEY TAKE IT AWAY FROM, OR TRY TO GET 'EM TO PUT IT BACK SO THE POLICE ONLY CAN REPORT WHAT'S REPORTED TO THEM.AND IF WE'RE NOT REPORTING THE CRIME, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MEANS THE CRIME IS DOWN.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO VIOLENT CRIMES OTHER THAN RAPE, I BELIEVE THAT MOST ALL OF THOSE ARE REPORTED.
MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD TIME TO REPORT THAT, UH, THE AUTO, MY TRUCK THAT WAS STOLEN TWO WEEK AGO, TWO WEEKS AGO, WHEN, UH, CHIEF FENNER WAS HERE TO REPORT, UM, HPD FOUND IT THIS WEEKEND.
SO I'VE GOT MY, I GOT MY TRUCK BACK.
IT ACTUALLY, SOMEBODY HAD VACUUMED THE CARPETS INSIDE, SO IT WAS BETTER OFF THAN WHEN IT WENT AWAY.
AND UH, BOB, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I KNOW THAT YOU, UH, SAID THAT THE REPORT THAT YOU RECEIVED, UM, ONLINE WAS NOT UP TO DATE.
IS THERE ANY OTHER REQUEST THAT YOU HAVE SINCE YOU'RE HERE TO MAKE OF US, ARE THERE THINGS THAT YOU NEED THAT YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN? UM, AND ANYTHING AS A COUNCIL, EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU HAVE, UH, YOUR DISTRICT AND FIVE OTHER AT LARGES, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED OUR ASSISTANCE WITH TO, TO GET YOU? WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TODAY.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL KEEP THAT IN MIND IF WE'RE DOING SO WELL, YOU WANNA PUT THIS INFORMATION UP, DON'T YOU? IF YOU GET A GOOD REPORT CARD IN SCHOOL, DIDN'T YOU RUN HOME AND HAND IT TO YOUR MAMA AND DADDY? SO THEY PUT IT ON THE REFRIGERATOR.
YOU'RE TELLING US WE'RE DOING BETTER.
WE AS YOUR BOSSES ARE, QUITE FRANKLY, AREN'T BELIEVING YOU.
AND YOU CAN POINT TO ONE HALF, BUT YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE OTHER HALF AS WELL.
'CAUSE I'VE BEEN BLESSED NOT HAVING MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER STOLEN, BUT I UNDERSTAND IT'S A REAL PAIN IN THE BUTT TO GET THAT THING REPLACED.
I THINK I'D RATHER BE SHOT DEAD THAN HAVE TO GO REPLACE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER, QUITE FRANKLY.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S NOW I WILL SAY TO YOU, UH, MR. CHO, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING AS HARD AS THEY CAN, UH, TO RESPOND TO THAT.
SO THE OTHER ONES THAT PUT THAT INFORMATION OUT, AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING AS HARD AS THEY CAN TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAD CHIEF FAMILY AND HIS TEAM BEFORE US AT CITY COUNCIL, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO MM-HMM
UH, TO PROVIDE A DETAILED ANALYSIS TO EACH ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE CRIME, UH, STATS IN THEIR PARTICULAR DISTRICT.
BUT IF HE HAS IT, WHY IS IT ON THE WEBSITE? WELL, I, I, I'M, I'M, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE BAFFLING THING.
IT MAY BE A LACK OF RESOURCES, MR. CHO, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT ALL.
I CAN TELL YOU IN THIS CITY, IN THIS CITY, WE SPEND OVER $1 BILLION ON HPD.
OKAY? SO I DON'T HOLD ANYTHING AGAINST HPD.
I KNOW WE ONLY HAVE 325 OFFICERS ON PATROL AT ANY GIVEN TIME IN THIS CITY COVERING 15,000 MILES OF STREETS.
OKAY? AND WHEN YOU MAKE A CALL, LIKE I HAD TO AT MY HOUSE OF DECEMBER 19TH, 2021, ABOUT SHOTS FIRED, AND WE CAN SEE THE MUZZLE FLASH ON MY RING CAMERA.
AND IT TOOK TWO HOURS AND TWO MINUTES FOR HPD TO RESPOND BECAUSE IT BECAME A PRIORITY FIVE CALL, WHICH NOW AVERAGES, UH, WHERE IS IT HERE? 102.38 MINUTES.
WELL, LET ME JUST SAY THEY ARE, UH, THEY ARE DOING AN, DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
YOU DON'T HEAR ME COMPLAINING ABOUT HPD THEN WHO ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT? MR. CHO, THE CITY ADMINISTRATION.
AND THE NEXT SPEAKER TO YOU, TING ON OUR LEG AND TELL US IS RAINING.
ONE THING I WILL NOT TOLERATE AS MAYOR, I WILL NOT TOLERATE DISRESPECT.
I I THE DOOR AND I'M YOUR BOSS.
STEVE WILLIAMS. LEMME JUST SAY THIS.
I'M NOT TOLERATING DISRESPECT.
I DONE BEEN HERE FOR SEVEN YEARS.
I'VE GIVEN THIS CITY A WHOLE LOT.
I WILL NOT TOLERATE DISRESPECT.
AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH IN THIS COUNTRY TODAY.
IF I BUST MY TAIL TO COME HERE WHEN I'M NOT EVEN FEELING WELL, I'M NOT TOLERATING IT IN 2023.
AND JUST BECAUSE YOU HAPPEN TO BE A CITIZEN OF THIS CITY DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO COME HERE AND BE DISRESPECTFUL.
[01:30:01]
NO TIME IS OFF FOR THAT.AND WE HAVE EXCUSED TOO MUCH OF THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE HEADING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
SO, NO, YOU CAN BE A VOTER AND YOU CAN VOTE FOR WHOEVER YOU WANNA VOTE FOR.
BUT I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU COME HERE IN MY FACE AND BE DISRESPECTFUL.
SO YOU ALL BE NICE TO 'EM AND I SHALL PRAY FOR THEM AND PRAY FOR MYSELF AT THE SAME TIME.
STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS IS NOT HERE TODAY.
SHE IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELLIE MONTOYA RES.
AND IF YOU GET RIGHT BEHIND THAT MIND, THERE YOU GO.
UM, COUNSEL, UM, I'M HERE AGAIN FOR THE CITIZENS ABUSE.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND I'M DEALING WITH CITIZENS ABUSE, WITH MEDICAL AND, UH, IMMIGRATION AND MY MEDICAL WORK, WAGE PAY LABEL LAW AND BENEFITS WITH THE GOVERNMENT IS BEING VIOLATED BY SAME COLOR AND OTHER COLOR.
I'M IN ATOPIC PHILIPP INTO PREGNANCY WAY BECAUSE MY CODE OF CONDUCT OF ME HAVING GOVERNMENT INSURANCE AND MY WORK INSURANCE HAS BEEN VIOLATED WITH IDENTITY, WITH MEDICAL NUMBERS, DOCTORS, PHYSICIANS, NURSES, ALL THE ABOVE.
MY IDENTITY HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY RAW, STOLEN BY IMMIGRANTS, SAME COLOR, AND IT'S A HATE CRIME.
REVIS TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHINA.
UH, MY WAY UP HERE, I WAS TALKING TO MRS. LETICIA PLUMBER AND THE REASON WHY I'M HERE IS ON, ON BEHALF OF MY DOOR.
AND SHE HAS A HEALTH CONDITION.
THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS TIMES THAT I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THE TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL BECAUSE MY EX-MOTHER-IN-LAW, SERIAL ENA, WAS TAKING MY DAUGHTER TO DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT.
SHE SEND US TO THE CANCER CENTER.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOUR, UH, DENTAL OFFICE TO SEE IF YOU CAN, UH, DO ANYTHING TO REVIEW HER, UH, UH, PANEX BECAUSE THEY, UH, SHE NEEDS SURGERY BASICALLY IN HER JAW.
UH, CURRENTLY I DON'T HAVE COMMUNICATION WITH LEANNE ALEXA.
GARROW, UH, ENA, UH, I WILL REALLY APPRECIATE IF YOU CAN TALK TO YOUR FRIEND, STEVE TROOPER OR THE FAMILY OF THE TROOPER SO THEY CAN, UH, GRANT ME THE, UH, RIGHT TO TALK TO MY DAUGHTER.
SO, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, IT SEEMS I'M BEING CONDITIONED TO COME HERE TO SPEAK BEFORE, UH, SEE THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO I'M CURRENTLY LIVING WITH MY MOTHER IN A TASK CITY.
UM, AND WHAT WAS YOUR REQUEST AGAIN? I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
UH, TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL BASICALLY ALLOW SVIA, LETICIA CARDENAS, MIKE'S MOTHER-IN-LAW, AND BASICALLY THE TROOPERS ARE INVOLVED TO TAKE ANDREA TO MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS.
WHEN YOU GIVE A FALSE STATEMENT ON A CHILD, BASICALLY THAT JEOPARDIZES THE, UH, HEALTH OF A CHILD.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO ANDREA.
THEY SENT US TO THE CANCER CENTER.
AND I WAS THEIR PRESENT, UH, NUMEROUS TIMES.
CPS IS INVOLVED BECAUSE I'M, UM, JUST AND TIRED OF THE SITUATION, HOW THE, UH, RISE OF CHILDREN ARE BEING VIOLATED.
IT'S LIKE ME TAKING YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER TO, UH, THE TEXAS CHILDREN.
THEY DON'T CHECK THE ID AND THEY CAN LIE ON THEIR MEDICAL RECORDS AND THEY CAN LIE, UH, ON THE NUMEROUS, UH, SAYING THAT THEY ARE THE PARENT.
THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO, UH, OR THEY HAVE A MEDICAL POWER ATTORNEY.
UM, LEGALLY IS STILL THE MOTHER OF MY DAUGHTER.
I TELL YOU WHAT ONE, IF YOU CAN VISIT WITH RHONDA, RHONDA WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ASSIST.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME ADDRESS YOU ALL AGAIN.
[01:35:01]
LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I WAS ABLE TO GET SOME RESOURCES THAT I WERE ALREADY PRIVY TO.UM, I DO APPRECIATE, UM, COUNCILWOMAN FOR BEING ABLE TO, UM, ALIGN SOME THINGS UP TO WHERE THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME EXTRA STEPS, UM, OUTSIDE OF WHAT THEY WOULD NORMALLY DO.
UM, WHEN I WAS THERE, A YOUNG LADY HAD ASKED ME LIKE, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO GET THROUGH THIS? UM, WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND THERE'S NO HELP.
I LIKE TO TELL YOU GUYS THAT MY CHILDREN IS THE REASON WHY I'VE GOTTEN THROUGH THIS.
UM, BUT I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE EXACTLY WHERE ARE WE AS A SOCIETY HERE IN HOUSTON.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF RESTRICTIONS ON THE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN GRANTED TO A LOT OF THESE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOT BEING UTILIZED TO HELP THE CITIZENS.
HAS IT BEEN THREE IF TIME HAS EXPIRED? ONE.
IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE THREE MINUTES.
'CAUSE I THINK YOU WERE HEARING LAST TIME, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU.
WHAT DID YOU SAY? WHY I WASN'T I ALLOWED TO FINISH MY MEETING.
SO IF YOU'RE HERE THE WEEK BEFORE YOU, YOU ONLY GET ONE MINUTE.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S, IT'S ONE MINUTE UHHUH, BUT WE'RE ON, WE'RE ON MY TIME.
SO I WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, BEFORE THE, THE BELL RINGS ON ME.
SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO VISIT WITH WHAM.
THEY SENT, UH, A REALLY GOOD UPDATE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, COLLEAGUES, I HAD, UH, HAD A, A MEETING WITH THE CEO THAT DAY WHEN SHE SPOKE.
AND WE, YOU, I KNOW YOU HAVE A, UM, THEY PROVIDED ADDITIONAL GIFT CARDS, METRO GIFT CARDS, UM, AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF COVERING THE FUND, THE FINANCIAL COMMITMENT OF YOUR ELECTRICITY.
I'M WAITING, UH, ONCE THAT PROCESS CLEARS, BUT THEY'RE IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT.
UM, WORKING DIRECTLY WITH YOUR CASE MANAGER AND YOU HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, LISTEN, THE CITY HALL BELONGS TO YOU, BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE, UH, TRANSPORTATION CHA CHALLENGES AND COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE METRO RESOURCES ARE USED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN MEET THAT APPOINTMENT.
UM, BECAUSE I, I'VE REQUESTED FOR THEM TO GIVE ME AN UPDATE OF AFTER YOUR APPOINTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ON TRACK WITH YOUR CASE MANAGER.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TO OFFER YOU, UH, THAT CRICKET SERVICE THAT, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH W TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A PHONE.
SO HOPEFULLY IF YOU JOIN US AGAIN NEXT WEEK, IT'S AN UPDATE ON TOMORROW'S MEETING.
YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE SCHEDULED TO BE THERE.
UM, SO YES, I WAS NOTIFIED OF THAT THIS MORNING.
SO AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, BUT THAT IS MY POINT.
IT SHOULDN'T HAVE NEEDED TO BE A SPECIAL CALL OR ANY TYPE OF MEETING WHEN THERE ARE RESOURCES THAT ARE HERE THAT HAVE BEEN GRANTED FOR HOUSTON TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE CHILDREN, THE FAMILIES.
THIS IS GONNA BE A REOCCURRING THING.
IF WE DON'T DECIDE WHAT TYPE OF PEOPLE WE ARE GONNA BE, IF WE DON'T SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUR RESOURCES AND WE'RE GOING TO RECONFIGURE 'EM AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE PROGRAMS AGAIN.
AND WE'RE GOING TO REALLY TRY TO DO SOME DUE DILIGENCE HERE SO THAT OUR SOCIETY AFTER YOU ALL ARE NO LONGER HERE, THE KIDS AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING BEHIND YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO PROPERLY LEAD.
YES, MY LI RESOURCES ARE LIMITED, BUT THEY SHOULDN'T BE.
THERE ARE RESOURCES HERE FOR CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE LIKE MINE FOR DOMESTIC AND FAMILY.
IT SHOULDN'T NEED TO BE A PERSONAL CALL.
I'VE OFFERED MY SERVICES BECAUSE I'M EQUIPPED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK AND HELP WITH PROGRAMS THAT ARE GONNA BE SUITABLE FOR NOT ONLY THE FAMILIES HERE, BUT THE CHILDREN.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE CHILDREN ARE GOING TO BE WHO IS GONNA BE IN CHARGE OF ALL OF US IN JUST A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND WHEN WE HAVE A DISRESPECTFUL COMMUNITY AND A CITY AND A NATION THAT'S ONLY TEACHING THE CHILDREN MORE DISRESPECTFUL, WE HAVE TO TEACH THEM THAT PEOPLE CARE.
AND BY TEACHING THEM, PEOPLE CARE'S.
BY HELPING THEIR MOTHERS AND THEIR FATHERS BE ABLE TO GET STABLE ENOUGH TO WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO HELP THEIR FAMILY GROW AND BE GREAT.
UM, UH, MS. COUNCILWOMAN THOMPSON.
UM, SHE DOES HAVE MY INFORMATION, BUT AGAIN, I DO FEEL LIKE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
THE SAME RESOURCE THAT SHE CALLED, I HAD ALREADY APPLIED FOR THEM A NUMBER OF TIMES.
THIS IS WHAT IS GOING ON WITHIN THESE, I THINK YOU'RE STILL ON MY TIME ORGANIZATIONS.
I THINK YOU'RE STILL ON MY TIME.
I THINK YOU'RE STILL ON MY TIME.
WHAT? WHAT? IT'S NOT A SPECIAL CALL.
AND AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THIS SEAT FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THE AMOUNT OF INFRASTRUCTURE
[01:40:01]
WE'VE BUILT IN THIS CITY FROM PUBLIC SAFE, PUBLIC SAFETY, NONPROFIT PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE WE CAN REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS.IT JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE, I WAS MEETING WITH THE CEO ON THAT DAY AND THEY ARE WELL POSITIONED TO ADDRESS THAT.
I MEAN, TECHNICALLY YOU IN DISTRICT G.
I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SENTIMENTS.
I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO MAKE THAT MEETING TOMORROW.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ENCOURAGE ME.
I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO MAKE THAT MEETING.
I'M GONNA MAKE IT 'CAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT.
IT'S IMPORTANT, RIGHT? DON'T WANT YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD.
WANT THAT MEETING TOMORROW BECAUSE I TOO MANY TIMES CALLS ARE MADE, COURTESIES ARE EXTENDED AND IT'S NOT SHOWN UP.
SO WHEN I GET ANOTHER UPDATE ON WHO? I'M SORRY.
WHO IS NOT SHOWING UP? THE GENERAL.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN A POSITION.
I WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT EMPLOYMENT? YOU WANNA BE EMPLOYED TO DO THIS WORK? WHAT RES WHAT ARE YOU OFFERING? SO I'M OFFERING A, A INSIGHT ON THE WAY THAT THE PROGRAMS ARE BEING RAN.
RIGHT? I'M OFFERING A NEW WAY OF DOING THINGS BASED ON THE STATISTICS BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND TRAFFICKING, WE, WE, WE PROBABLY DON'T WANNA GO THERE BECAUSE IT'S NOT DECREASED.
TRAFFICKING IS DOWN IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS A WHOLE, AS A WHOLE IS DOWN AS OF LAST YEAR.
BUT DOMESTIC AS A WHOLE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, OF COURSE WE CANNOT, UH, MAINTAIN IN-PERSON, IN-HOME PARTNER VIOLENCE.
BUT WHAT WE CAN DO, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT, GENTLEMEN, I THINK YOU'RE STILL ON MY TIME.
LET'S, LET'S DO THIS, LET'S DO THIS.
'CAUSE I, I THINK, UM, WE, YOU STILL CONTINUE THIS, YOU SO GET IT.
DISCONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION YOU OFFER.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND UM, I'M SORRY.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK, THANK YOU.
THIS COMPLETES THE LIFT OF SPEAKERS.
[RECESS]
I'M CALL.WE STAND, WE STAND AT RECESS UNTIL, UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT, UH, 9:00 AM THANK YOU ALL, MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF KATHY EVANS JACKSON TO POSITION SIX OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OLD SPANISH TRAIL, ALAMEDA CORRIDORS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
ITEM THREE, REQUEST FOR MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF MAYA CARROLL TO POSITION EIGHT OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER NINE, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, SOUTH POST OAK ZONE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
ITEM FOUR, REQUEST FOR MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF MAYA CARROLL TO POSITION EIGHT OF THE SOUTH POST OAK REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
ITEM FIVE, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR APPROVAL OF PAYMENT TO THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP.
ITEM SIX, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $775,978 47 CENTS OUT OF THE METRO PROJECT'S CONSTRUCTION, D-D-S-R-F APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND ISI CONTRACTING INC.
ITEM SEVEN, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF CHANGE.
ORDER NUMBERS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR AWARDED TO ISI CONTRACTING INC.
ITEM EIGHT, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CHIEF OF POLICE FOR EXTENSION OF INJURY ON DUTY.
LEAVE FOR OFFICER DAVID DUNNING.
ITEM NINE, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CHIEF OF POLICE FOR EXTENSION OF INJURY ON DUTY LEAVE FOR SERGEANT SAMUEL SAMUEL CLEVELAND.
ITEM 10, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CHIEF OF POLICE FOR EXTENSION OF INJURY OR ON DUTY LEAVE FOR SERGEANT MICHAEL VANCE.
ITEM 11, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH JFT CONSTRUCTION INC.
ITEM 12, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH T CONSTRUCTION.
LLC ITEM 13, COBURN SUPPLY COMPANY, INC.
FOR PURCHASE OF BRASS FITTINGS FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM 14, ABACUS QUALITY SYSTEM SERVICES, INC.
FLEX LINE FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
FOR PURCHASE OF GATE VALVES FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM 16, ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 40 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON BY REPLACING ARTICLE 22 SIDEWALKS IN ITS ENTIRETY.
ITEM 17 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS GENERAL OBLIGATION COMMERCIAL PAPER NOTES SERIES E TWO IN AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPLE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED
[01:45:01]
$100 MILLION FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINANCING CERTAIN AUTHORIZED PURPOSES.ITEM 18 ORDINANCE SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING TO DISCUSS AND REVIEW THE UPDATE OF THE LAND USE ASSUMPTIONS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN AND DESIGNATING THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 3 95 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE ITEM 19 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING LOAN AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND COVENANT HOUSE TEXAS.
ITEM 20 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2021 DASH 3 54 TO SUBSTANTIALLY AMEND THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED UNDER SAID ORDINANCE.
ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $4,850,255 OUT OF THE AIRPORTS RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT FUND AND AWARDING A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT TO FMG CONSTRUCTION GROUP LLC ITEM 22 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF CITY PARK REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 12, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS CITY PARK ZONE.
ITEM 23 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF EAST DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 15, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS EAST DOWNTOWN ZONE.
ITEM 24 ORDINANCE RELATING TO FISCAL AFFAIRS OF SOUTHWEST HOUSTON.
REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ON BEHALF OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 20, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, SOUTHWEST HOUSTON ZONE ITEM 25, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF A GRANT APPLICATION FOR AND ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT FOR THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND.
OUTDOOR RECREATION LEGACY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.
ITEM 26 ORDINANCE, FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF HOUSTON AND CLINTON PUBLIC ROAD FROM CLINTON DRIVE SOUTH TO ITS TERMINUS.
OUT OF THE EZEKIEL THOMAS SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER 73, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS.
ITEM 27 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING A PURCHASE AND SELL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS SELLER AND DECARLO P DAVIS AND MYRA DAVIS PURCHASER FOR THE SALE OF APPROXIMATELY 5,000 SQUARE FEET OF LAND IN THE LUKE MOORE SURVEY.
ITEM 28 ORDINANCE APPROVED IN AUTHORIZING THE CONVEYANCE AND VARIOUS EASEMENTS AND FEE PARCELS TO HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT FOR PLANNING, IMPLEMENTING AND MAINTAINING FLOOD DRAINAGE, RED REDUCTION AND DRAINAGE AS PART OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS ASSET EXCHANGE PROGRAM.
ITEM 29, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING LEASE OF THE WATER RIGHTS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND NORTH FORT BEING WATER AUTHORITY.
ITEM 30, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $396,471 60 CENTS OUT OF THE WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.
CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY AND TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
ITEM 31 ORDINANCE AWARDING OF CONTRACT TO DL GLOVER CLEARING LLC FOR THE FY 2023 MOWING AND LITTER PICKUP CONTRACT.
ITEM 32, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $6,100,000 OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND.
ADD VALOREM TAX AWARDING CONTRACT TO DL GLOVER UTILITIES, LLC ITEM 33.
ORDINANCE AMENDING BUFFERING STANDARDS CONTAINED IN CHAPTER 42 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS RELATING TO SUBDIVISION PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE CITY COUNCIL SESSION OF JANUARY 24 AND 25, 2023.
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM AND IN THE WORDS OF THE CURRENT CITY SECRETARY, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING THE WAY YOU WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED.
HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY.
[RECONVENE]
IT'S NINE.OH IT IS 9 0 4 ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25TH, 2023.
I'M MAYOR S TURNER AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING WITH HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO WATER.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT CHILLY IN HERE TO ME.
IS IT JUST ME? IT'S COLD OUTSIDE
UM, SEE THAT'S GETS THE MAYOR'S REPORT.
[MAYOR'S REPORT]
ME START OFF ON THE MAYOR'S REPORT.UM, LEMME JUST SAY THAT, UM, UM, I REACHED OUT TO THE MAYOR OF DEER PARK YESTERDAY AND SAID TO HIM, UM, YOU
[01:50:01]
KNOW, WHATEVER THE CITY OF HOUSTON CAN DO TO ASSIST THEM, WE MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE.GONNA REACH OUT TO THE MAYOR OF PASADENA AS WELL.
UH, WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE, UH, YESTERDAY.
IN FACT, WE, I'LL SAY WE WERE VERY, WE WERE BLESSED.
STORM WENT PRETTY MUCH AROUND MOST OF HOUSTON.
WE DID HAVE, UM, A COUPLE OF APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT WE IMPACTED ON THAT SOUTHEAST PART.
AND, UM, ABOUT, I THINK ABOUT 50 INDIVIDUALS, WE END UP BUSING TO THE SHELTER THAT THE RED CROSS SET UP IN DEER PARK.
UH, AND I KNOW CHIEF NER IS MAKING HIS WAY OUT THERE THIS MORNING, UH, TO TAKE HIM TO TAKE A LOOK, MAKE AN ASSESSMENT, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING, UH, APPLE PROTECTION TO PEOPLE WHILE, UH, THEY'RE AWAY FROM THEIR, FROM THEIR, FROM THEIR HOMES.
BUT WE WERE VERY, VERY FORTUNATE.
UM, WE HAD A WASTEWATER PLANT THAT WAS DAMAGED IN SOUTHEAST, UH, BUT IT IS FUNCTIONAL.
SO, UH, PLEASED WITH, PLEASED WITH THAT.
UH, SO OVERALL, UM, UM, WE FAREWELL, UH, MOST DAMAGE IN THE HOUSTON OCCURRED IN THE AREAS OF BLACK HAWK FU WAVE SEBO AND BELTWAY EIGHT.
UM, AND WE HAD THREE PEOPLE WHO WERE TRANSPORTED FOR MINOR INJURIES, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE WERE JUST FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS KILLED.
UH, AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, UM, UH, IN FROM WHAT TOOK PLACE ON ON YESTERDAY.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR, FOR EVERYONE AS A REMINDER, WHEN THESE WEATHER ALERTS GO OUT, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S WEATHER AWARE, WEATHER ALERT, STAND IN TOUCH.
UM, BUT WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO ASSIST, UH, PEOPLE IN THAT PASADENA AREA, IN THAT DEER PARK AREA, UH, WE STAND READY TO, UH, TO HELP THEM.
UM, YOU KNOW THAT THE ASTRO, UM, CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY WILL BE ARRIVING, UH, THIS MORNING.
SO, UM, UM, FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO TAKE PICTURES AND ALL OF THAT, WE'LL MAKE TIME FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN MAYOR JIM CAN KENNY, UH, THE MAYOR OF PHILADELPHIA, HE HONORED HIS, HIS, UM, UM, BET, UH, AT THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS LAST WEEK.
AND SO, UM, UH, VERY GRACIOUS, VERY GRACIOUS, UH, SO, UM, UH, THANKED HIM.
AND THEN OF COURSE HIS TEAM, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, UH, UM, STILL IN THE PLAYOFFS FOR THE, UH, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, HE SIMPLY SAID, UH, WELL, WE WON'T BE MAKING THIS BET AGAIN, UH, ON THE FOOTBALL SIDE.
SO WHAT I SAID, NOT NOT THIS YEAR, BUT DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, AND THEN, UM, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SATURDAY.
I PRAY THAT THE WEATHER WILL BE, UH, GOOD AND WILL WORK FOR US, UH, FOR THE SUNNYSIDE, UH, MULTI-SERVICE OPENING IN DISTRICT, UH, D AND SO, UH, UM, WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE SUNNYSIDE AREA TO COME OUT.
UM, WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UH, AGAIN, UH, JUST LIKE A LEAF IS IN ONE OF OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, UH, SUNNYSIDE IS ONE OF OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES.
AND SO, UM, IT'S, THIS IS A BIG DEAL.
THE BUILDING LOOKS VERY NICE, UH, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING AT THE SUNNYSIDE MULTI SERVICE CENTER, UH, FROM 11 TO TWO, RIGHT UP IN THAT AREA, 11 TO TWO.
SO, UM, PLEASE, PLEASE COME OUT.
UH, THE ENTIRE SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY IS INVITED, UH, TO COME OUT AND BE A PART OF IT.
OF COURSE, THE HEALTH, UH, DEPARTMENT HAS A SIGNIFICANT, UH, SPACE IN THERE.
UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE VARIOUS FAMILY PLANNING WOMEN INFANTS AND CHILDREN CLINIC, THE HARRIS COUNTY AREA AGENT ON AGENCY WILL BE THERE.
SO REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
UH, TODAY, LATER ON THIS MORNING, 1130, WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH.
WE'RE GETTING GEARED UP OUR SUMMIT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
UM, AND THE GOAL FOR US THIS YEAR, WE, WE, UH, OUR STRETCH GOAL, OUR STRETCH GOAL IN TERMS OF HIRING KIDS FOR THIS SUMMER, UH, THE GOAL IS 20,000, UM, FROM STAGES OF 16 TO 24.
UM, AND, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S MY FINAL YEAR AS MAYOR, SO MY FINAL YEAR AS MAYOR OF THE HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH PROGRAM.
SO WE ARE GONNA PUSH VERY, VERY HARD, UH, TO GET AS MANY OF THESE KIDS, UM, WITH SUMMER INTERNSHIPS.
AND LET ME ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
SO PLEASE ENCOURAGE, UH, KIDS 16 TO 24 IN YOUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS TO REALLY APPLY, YOU KNOW, TO SIGN UP FOR THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP, PAID SOME INTERNSHIP POSITIONS, AND THEN FOR BUSINESSES, UH, THAT ARE IN YOUR DISTRICT OR BUSINESSES THAT YOU KNOW, UH, PLEASE ENCOURAGE THEM TO MAKE JOBS AVAILABLE, UH, FOR OUR, FOR OUR KIDS.
[01:55:01]
THE HOUSTON SPORTS AWARDS AND THE SIXTH ANNUAL HOUSTON SPORTS AWARD WILL TAKE PLACE TONIGHT.THE STAR STUDY AWARDS SHOW GATHERS HOUSTON'S TOP ATHLETES, ALEX BREMAN OF THE ASTROS, WILL SERVE AS THE EVENING'S HOST.
AND TONIGHT WE WILL HONOR, UH, BRUCE MATTHEWS, CALVIN MURPHY, AND THE BIG E ELVIN HAYES AS HIS SIXTH HALL OF FAME CLASS.
AND SO, UH, THERE WILL BE OTHER HONOREES AS WELL.
IT WILL BE LIVE LIVESTREAM ONLINE AT A BC 13.
UM, AND, UM, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN COME GOING, YOU KNOW, LET US KNOW IF YOU'RE NOT, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY MADE ARRANGEMENTS.
ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 27TH, THE MEMORIAL PARK CONSERVANCY WILL HOST THE URBAN WILDS EIGHTH ANNUAL GLOW IN THE GLAZE.
IT WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE, IN THE GLA FAMILY, EASTERN GLAZE, LOCATED IN THE HEART OF MEMORIAL PARK, AND EVERYONE IS ASKED TO WEAR THEIR COZIEST WINTER WARDROBE.
THAT WILL BE FOOD LIVE, LIVE ICE SCULPTING AND DISCO UNDER THE GLOWING STARS.
AND TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AND PROCEEDS WILL HELP SUPPORT THE CRITICAL DAY-TO-DAY CARE OF MEMORIAL PARK AND THE WORK OF THE CONSERVANCY.
UH, LET US CONTINUE TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE THE LUNAR NEW YEAR, UH, SENDING BEST WISHES FOR THE LUNAR NEW YEAR, WHICH WAS ON JANUARY THE SECOND.
AND MANY OF US CELEBRATED AT THE CHINESE COMMUNITY CENTER LAST SATURDAY, WHICH WAS VERY, VERY, VERY NICE.
AND I THINK WADE LEE'S CELEBRATION, UH, AT HIS PLACE WILL BE THIS COMING SATURDAY, UH, AT 10 O'CLOCK.
SO WE'LL GO FROM, UH, LUNAR NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION AT 10, AND WE'LL HEAD DIRECTLY OVER TO SUNNYSIDE, UH, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER FOR ITS GRAND OPENING.
AND THEN, UM, WELL, BEFORE I GET TO MICHAEL STRAHAN, UM, I KNOW I SAW ON TELEVISION WHERE, UH, THERE WAS, UM, THIS GUY ALONG WITH TWO OR THREE OTHERS, THEY WERE DUMPING THEIR TIRES.
OUT ON THE, UM, ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
UM, HE HAS A, HE HAS A TIRE COMPANY, A TIRE BUSINESS, AND WHERE PEOPLE PAY HIM TO GET RID OF THE TIRES.
AND INSTEAD OF HIM TAKING THEM MAYBE TO THE LANDFILL OR SOMEPLACE ELSE, WHAT HE DID IS THAT, UH, AND I MEAN, A LOT OF TIRES, ABOUT A HUNDRED, HE SIMPLY JUST WENT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND DUMPED THEM AND WAS CAPTURED ON A CAMERA THAT CONSTABLE ALLEN ROSEN HAD SET UP.
AND COME TO FIND OUT, HE HAD DONE IT BEFORE, I THINK ABOUT A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
AND SO, UM, UM, HE'S NOW GOING THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM, AND I HOPE THAT THE COURT SYSTEM, THE JUDGE WILL IMPOSE ON HIM THE MAXIMUM PENALTY ALLOWED.
AND FOR ANYBODY ELSE WHO'S ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL DUMPING, I HOPE THEY GET THE MAXIMUM PENALTY ALLOWED 108 DAYS, TWICE.
YEAH, HE DID IT, HE DID IT TWICE IN EIGHT DAYS.
A HUNDRED TIRES TWICE IN EIGHT DAYS.
UH, SO, UM, IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT ON US WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE, IN THIS CASE, A PERSON WHO HAS A BUSINESS AND INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, DISPOSING OF THEM PROPERLY, HE JUST GOES AND JUST LITERALLY, I MEAN, HE PULLS UP, HAD TWO OR THREE GUYS IN THE, IN THE BACK, AND THEY JUST THROWING THEM OUT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEN THE RESPONSIBILITY FALLS ON THE CITY TO GO AND PICK THEM UP.
UM, SO THAT'S, UM, THAT'S TOTALLY, UM, UNACCEPTABLE.
UM, AND UNTIL WE CHANGE THAT MINDSET, YOU KNOW, IT WILL CONTINUE.
SO IT'S MY HOPE THAT ALL OF THESE CASES THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, THAT THE COURTS, THE JUDGES, WILL NOT BE LIGHT ON THESE INDIVIDUALS AND VIEW ILLEGAL DUMPING AND SAY, OKAY, NOT A BIG DEAL.
IT IS A, BECAUSE IT'S A DEGRADATE DE UH, DERE, IT LOWERS THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THESE RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.
SO I, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THIS MORNING.
AND THEN LASTLY, FOR ME, AND I SEE A COUPLE PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE, UH, MICHAEL STRAHAN, UM, LET ME CONGRATULATE HIM.
HE'S, YOU KNOW, FROM HOUSTON WESTBURY, GRADUATE FROM DISTRICT K, HE'S A WESTBURY GRADUATE FROM DISTRICT K
SO VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY PROUD, YOU KNOW, OF, OF HIM.
UM, WESTBURY HIGH SCHOOL, TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
[02:00:01]
YOU KNOW, WE WERE FORTUNATE TO, TO PLAY FOOTBALL TOGETHER IN THE SAME, UM,UH, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM CAST TATU.
I JUST WANTED TO AMPLIFY WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE ILLEGAL DUMPING.
UH, WHEN I SAW THE STORY ON THE NEWS, UM, I WAS ELATED BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE, UM, UH, ALAN ROSEN'S OFFICE WITH THE CAMERAS.
AND THE CAMERAS REALLY DO TELL A STORY.
WE'VE BEEN, UM, TALKING TIME AND TIME AGAIN ABOUT HOW THE NUMBER OF TIRES THAT WE ARE FINDING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THIS IS NOT FROM AN INDIVIDUAL.
THESE ARE TIRE COMPANIES THAT ARE DUMPING THESE TIRES.
AND IT WAS IRONIC THAT THE TIRE SHOP THAT THIS PERPETRATOR, UM, OWNS WAS ONLY A HALF MILE FROM WHERE HE WAS DUMPING THOSE TIRES.
AND STATISTICS SHOW THAT PEOPLE DUMP ONE TO THREE MILES FROM THEIR HOME OR THEIR BUSINESS.
WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW IS THAT UNFORTUNATELY PEOPLE ARE DUMPING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS OR WHERE THEIR BUSINESSES ARE.
UM, WE HAVE, AGAIN, GONE OUT AND CANVASSED OUR TIRE SHOPS IN THE DISTRICT AND LET THEM KNOW WE HAVE CAMERAS UP.
AND IF YOU ARE OUT DUMPING YOUR TIRES, WE WILL CATCH YOU AND YOU WILL BE PROSECUTED.
SO I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE NEWS CARRIED THIS STORY BECAUSE I WANT THIS TO BE A MESSAGE TO PEOPLE THAT ARE DISPOSING OF THESE TIRES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND CAUSING AN UNDUE HARDSHIP ON OUR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT THAT WE WILL EVENTUALLY CATCH YOU AND YOU WILL BE PROSECUTED.
SO, UM, KUDOS TO THE CAMERAS WORKING IN, UM, UH, CONSTABLE ALLEN ROSEN'S OFFICE AND ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS LIVE IN COMMUNITIES THAT THEY CAN ALL BE PROUD OF.
AND LEMME JUST SAY THE PROCUREMENT.
WE ARE FINISHED WITH THE PROCUREMENT ON A, UH, ACQUIRING ADDITIONAL CAMERAS.
SO, UM, LISA, KEN, SOLID WAYS, UH, THE PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT.
AND I THINK THOSE CAMERAS WILL BE READY TO BE DEPLOYED, UH, NEXT MONTH.
UH, SO, UM, BUT THE CAMERAS ARE, YOU KNOW, THE CAMERAS WORK AND IT, AND IT DOES, UH, HELP US WITH BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN CATCHING THESE OFFENDERS.
SO, UM, EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO, WE NEED TO DO.
COUNCIL MEMBER CIRO, UM, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR, FOR TALKING ABOUT ILLEGAL DUMPING.
UM, WE, WE GET A LOT OF CALLS IN MY OFFICE FOR THAT, AND WE'RE ABLE TO, TO ASSIST, YOU KNOW, THE CONSTITUENTS THAT CALL, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE A PLEA.
IF, IF SOMEONE JUST GOES TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND, AND SAYS, UM, PLEASE HELP, 'CAUSE I GOT IT.
I GOT ONE, UH, THIS WEEKEND LIKE THAT, PLEASE HELP.
THERE'S NO CONTACT INFORMATION, THERE'S NO SITE.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE IT IS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMEWHERE THERE'S ILLEGAL DUMPING, YOU KNOW? UM, I WANNA KNOW.
SO IF, IF, IF YOU'RE IN DISTRICT H, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU ARE CERTAINLY WELCOME TO POST ANYTHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT ALSO CALL, CALL MY OFFICE, EMAIL ME, WHATEVER.
BUT, BUT WE WANNA KNOW TOO, BECAUSE THE, UM, I ALSO HAVE FUNDED SEVEN CAMERAS THROUGH CONSTABLE ROSEN'S OFFICE AND, AND, AND WE MOVE THEM AROUND INTO DIFFERENT HOTSPOTS.
SO IT HELPS, IT HELPS ME TO KNOW THAT, BECAUSE THEN I CAN, I CAN MAKE A REQUEST TO HIM.
WE NEED, WE NEED A CAMERA OVER HERE OR OVER THERE, AND THEY, THEY, THEY EVALUATE, YOU KNOW, THE SEVERITY AND WE MOVE THEM AROUND BASED ON WHERE THE GREATEST NEED IS.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, I, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT PARTNERSHIPS, UM, WITH BOTH MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS AND DISTRICT H, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GREATER NORTH SIDE AND, AND THE EAST END, UM, DISTRICT, AND WHERE I PAY FOR DUMPSTERS AND THEY PICK UP, UM, THE, AS THEY CAN, THEY, THEY PICK UP, UH, ILLEGAL DUMPING, AND THEN I PAY FOR THE DISPOSAL OF, OF WHATEVER THEY'VE PICKED UP.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A DUMPSTERS FOR JUST TIRES AND DUMPSTERS FOR OTHER ILLEGAL DUMPING.
SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO TACKLE IT, BUT, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH JUST TO COMPLAIN.
THERE'S ILLEGAL DUMPING SOMEWHERE IN DISTRICT H.
PLEASE LET US KNOW WHERE AND HOW TO CONTACT YOU SO WE CAN WORK WITH YOU TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
WE HAD A SIMILAR SITUATION WHERE WE HAD FOLKS THAT WERE DISCHARGING SAND AND SEDIMENT INTO OUR RIVERS.
AND WHAT WE DISCOVERED WAS IT WAS LESS EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO DO THE BAD DEED OF DISCHARGE AND SAND AND SEDIMENT THAN TO PAY THE FINES.
SO AS WE'RE IN THE LEGISLATIVE SEASON, WE NEED SOMEONE TO CARRY A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE A PENALTY OF THOUSANDS OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
MAKE IT HURT ON FOLKS THAT DO THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR, BECAUSE I GUARANTEE YOU, MR. JAMAL, SEAN SMITH, MR. JAMAL, SEAN SMITH MADE MORE MONEY BY PICKING UP TIRES FROM RESIDENCE AND HAVING THEM PAY HIM THAN IT IS FOR HIS FINE.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT IS GETTING READY
[02:05:01]
RIGHT NOW TO START FORMALIZING BILLS IS TO PENALIZE FOLKS LIKE MR. JAMAL, SEAN SMITH, SO THAT HE OR SHE NEVER HAS THE ABILITY TO DO THAT AGAIN.THE FINE IS LESS THAN THE MONEY THAT THEY'RE MAKING, WHETHER IT'S ILLEGAL DUMPING, TIRE DISCHARGING, OR PUTTING SEDIMENT INTO RIVERS AND STREAMS. WE NEED THE STATE OF TEXAS TO GET IN FRONT OF THIS AND TAKE CARE OF IT.
PRO TEM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ.
I REALLY, I HAVE TO JUST ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES AND CERTAINLY, AND, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, THEY ARE PAYING, HAVING CUSTOMERS PAY FEES TO DUMP THIS.
SO THEY ARE MAKING MONEY AND THEN DUMPING.
AND SO, AND, AND THE CAMERAS MAYOR, I COULD RUN THROUGH THIS CHAMBER BECAUSE WE REALLY, REALLY NEED THEM, AND I APPRECIATE, I'M GONNA HAVE TO SAY LAST NIGHT, I APPRECIATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT ABOUT THE HORSE.
I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, HIS CURRENT STATUS.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS DUMPED, OKAY, BUT CERTAINLY HE WAS STILL ALIVE AND HOPEFULLY HE WAS ABLE TO, BUT I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, YOU'RE WELCOME.
UM, I AM 24 HOURS, 24 7
OKAY, THAT TAKES CARE OF THE MAYOR'S REPORT.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
MOVE TO THE AGENDA.UM, MADAM SECRETARY, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL CHANGES SINCE YOUR LIST WERE DISTRIBUTED.
CHANGES UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY.
ITEMS ONE THROUGH 10 NEED A MOTION.
CASTEX TATUM MOVE, SECOND, ROBINSON MOVED.
AND SECOND ITEMS ONE THROUGH 10.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSE AND GRANTED, OH, I'M SORRY.
UM, AND THEN ON ON IN NUMBER ONE IS THE, UM, THE REAPPOINTMENT OF KATHY EVANS JACKSON TO POSITION SIX OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OLD SPANISH TRAIL ALAMEDA COURT.
THE ZONE TUR NUMBER SEVEN, UH, TWO IS SAME PERSON,
AND THEN ON THIS, ON NUMBER TWO, SAME PERSON, KATHY EVANS JACKSON, UH, TO POSITION SIX OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OLD SPANISH TRAIL EDA CORRIDOR.
THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS, UH, KATHY EVANS JACKSON HERE THIS MORNING.
THEY DID NOT SAY THEY WERE GONNA BE OKAY.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HER.
AND THEN IN, UM, UM, THEN IN THE C POSITION, EIGHT OF THE REINVESTMENT ZONE.
NUMBER NINE, UH, THE SOUTH POST OAK ZONE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS MAYA CARROLL.
UH, AND THEN THE SAME TO THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, UH, AS WELL, IT'S MAYA CARROLL HERE, VICE MAYOR PROAM CAST TATUM.
UH, MS. CARROLL WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND TODAY.
UH, SHE IS DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING HER SERVICE ON THIS UMTS.
SHE'S BEEN A VALUABLE, UM, MEMBER ON THE TURS LONGSTANDING MEMBER IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, VERY DEDICATED AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK ALONGSIDE HER IN THE COMMUNITY.
OKAY, MADAM SECRETARY, BACK TO YOU UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY, BOTH ITEMS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
ITEMS 11 AND 12 UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BID CATEGORY ITEMS 13, 14, AND 15.
AND SECOND ON ITEMS 13, 14 15.
UM, UM, VICE MAYOR TIM CASTEX, TATUM, NEXT ITEM, I'M SORRY.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY.
ITEM 25 HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED.
[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ARE 1619 THROUGH 22, 24, 30, AND 31.THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 30, AND 31.
NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE DISCUSSION? 24 2 4.
AND, UM, VICE MAYOR CA BEFORE THE VOTE? YES.
OKAY, CHAIR RECOGNIZES, UM, VICE, VICE MAYOR CAST TATUM.
I JUST WANTED TO, FOR THE RECORD, UM, NOTE THAT ITEM 28, UH, THE DRAINAGE CHANNEL BEING EXCHANGED AS PART OF THE ASSET EXCHANGE PROGRAM, THAT CHANNEL C 1 15 7 0 0 0 1 2 IS LOCATED IN DISTRICT K.
UM, PUBLIC WORKS HAS CONFIRMED THAT IT WASN'T LISTED ON THE COVER SHEET.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, THAT IT IS NOTED PROPERLY.
OKAY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THOSE ITEMS? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED ITEM REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION? ITEM 11 NEEDS A MOTION.
[02:10:01]
ITEM 11, DISCUSS TESTT MOVE SECOND, ROBINSON, I'M SORRY, THAT'S BEEN MOVED A SECOND ON ITEM 11.UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TIM ON ITEM 11.
YOU MAY REMEMBER THIS WAS AN ITEM THAT WE REFERRED BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO.
UH, THE WORK ON CHIMNEY ROCK HAS BEEN, UH, REPAIRED, UM, AND IT HAS BEEN, UM, IMPROVED.
AND I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE AGAIN, IF WE COULD LOOK AT THOSE WARRANTIES.
UH, I KNOW THAT THE WORK THAT WE ARE APPROVING HAS THAT ONE YEAR WARRANTY.
I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT I, I THINK WE NEED A LONGER WARRANTY ON THIS WORK.
WE'RE PAYING A LOT OF MONEY FOR THESE STREET REPAIRS.
AND IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT CAN LOOK AT, UH, THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT WE ARE GETTING A WARRANTY ON THESE, ON THESE, UM, SERVICES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
BUT THEY DID GO OUT REPAVE THE STREET THAT, WHERE THE STREET WAS STARTING TO CRUMBLE.
UM, WE'RE HAPPY WITH THE IMPROVEMENT, BUT AGAIN, I WANNA REITERATE THAT I DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE LONGER WARRANTIES ON THIS WORK.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 11? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED ON ITEM 11? NEXT ITEM.
ITEM 12 NEEDS A MOTION ON ITEM 12 T MOVE SECOND, ROBINSON MOVED.
AND SECOND ON ITEM 12, DISCUSSION ON 12.
DISCUSSION ON 12 IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED ON 12.
UH, AND THIS IS THE, UH, SIDEWALK ORDINANCE.
SO THIS IS, UH, PAY IN LIEU OF, UM, AND LEMME JUST SAY ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE ARE DOING THIS IS BECAUSE, UM, UH, UNDER THE CURRENT SYSTEM, UM, PEOPLE HAVING TO BILL SIDEWALKS AND, UM, AND IF YOU LOOK IN CERTAIN PLACES, THEY BUILD A SIDEWALK AND THERE'S NOTHING, THERE'S NO PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO.
AND WE HAVE COINED THE PHRASE A SIDEWALK TO NOWHERE BECAUSE IT IS A SIDEWALK TO NOWHERE.
AND IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
SO, UM, I THINK THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE COMES, TIME COMES A TIME, UH, WHERE YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE SOME COMMON SENSE IN HOW WE GOVERN.
AND SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE SIDEWALKS BUILT, BUT WHERE IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, UM, THEN INSTEAD OF BUILDING THE SIDEWALK, PEOPLE PAY BECAUSE THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLACES WHERE SIDEWALKS NEED TO BE BUILT.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLACES WHERE THEY NEED TO BE BUILT, AND THIS IS, UH, ONE WAY OF ADDRESSING THAT SITUATION.
SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE DOING IT.
AND I HOPE THAT, UM, IT WILL RECEIVE YOUR FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION.
I, I APPRECIATE THE COMMON SENSE APPROACH HERE, UH, WITH AVOIDING, UH, CONSTRUCTING SIDEWALKS.
I JUST DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE PUTTING A FEE ATTACHED TO IT.
UH, AND I'M ALL FOR FEES WHEN IT MAKES SENSE.
BUT IF THE SIDEWALK IS TO NOWHERE, THEN WE'RE BASICALLY TELLING THE DEVELOPER EITHER BUILD A SIDEWALK TO NOWHERE OR DON'T BUILD A SIDEWALK, BUT GIVE US SOME MONEY.
AND I THINK WHEN YOU HAVE THAT, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT MINDSET, UH, IT COULD BE, IT COULD BE PERCEIVED AS BAD GOVERNING, BECAUSE WE'RE BASICALLY SAYING YOU CAN PUT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT THE SIDEWALK THERE, BUT YOU'RE GONNA PUT IT THERE UNLESS YOU PAY US SOME MONEY.
AND SO WHEN THE FEE IS ATTACHED TO IT, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD REEVALUATE WHY WE'RE DOING THAT.
UM, I AGREE THAT SIDEWALKS NEED TO BE BUILT SOMEWHERE AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME MONEY FOR IT.
BUT TO PUT IT A FEE ON AN UNNECESSARY, UH, CONSTRUCTION, IN MY OPINION, UM, ISN'T THE ROUTE TO GO.
WELL, I WOULD TELL YOU WHY WE'RE DOING THEM, BECAUSE THE GOAL IS WE DO NEED SIDEWALKS.
SO THE INITIAL PREMISE IS THAT SIDEWALKS SHOULD BE BUILT WHERE THERE'S DEVELOPMENT OCCURRING BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO NEED THE SIDEWALKS.
BUT IN THIS, WELL LET FINISH ATTENTION.
NOW, WE COINED THE PHRASE THE SIDEWALKS NOWHERE.
THAT'S JUST A MATTER OF EXPRESSION.
IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A JUSTIFICATION AS, OKAY, YOU DON'T, YOU SHOULDN'T PAY AT ALL.
'CAUSE THE SIDEWALK SHOULD NOT BE BUILT.
BUT I DO THINK YOU TRY TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT VARIOUS SITUATIONS AND THEN YOU GOVERN WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING.
UM, BUT THE INITIAL GOAL IS THAT SIDEWALKS SHOULD BE BUILT EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE CITY SO THAT EVERYBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO MOBILITY.
OKAY? SO WHERE, WHERE IT MAKES BETTER SENSE TO IMPOSE, TO SAY TO SOMEONE, OKAY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BILL THAT SIDEWALK THERE, OR YOU DON'T, BUT BUT PAY INTO THE FUND SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD SIDEWALKS IN OTHER AREAS.
I THINK THAT JUST MAKES GOOD SENSE.
AND THAT MEANS EVERYBODY IS CONTRIBUTING.
DON'T BE THE LAWYER ON ME TODAY, OKAY?
[02:15:01]
THOUGH.DON'T, DON'T DON'T, DON'T ARGUE THE OTHER SIDE, YOU KNOW, JUST TO BE ARGUING OTHER SIDE, YOU KNOW? SO DON'T BE THE, DON'T BE THE LAWYER WITH US TODAY.
JUST, I, I HEAR NO, I HEAR, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I'M JUST SAYING IF WE, IF OUR, IF WE KNOW THAT THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY IS NOT NECESSARY AND DEEMED A SIDEWALK TO NOWHERE, THEN THAT MEANS IT'S THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT IT THERE.
IT'S NOT GONNA MAKE ALL THAT BIG OF A DIFFERENCE.
BECAUSE IF IT DID, YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD, IF YOU DID, THEN WE WOULDN'T BE GIVEN THIS, UH, EXCEPTION.
WE'RE, WE'RE ONLY GIVEN THE EXCEPTION BECAUSE IT'S NOT NECESSARY FOR THE SIDEWALK TO BE THERE BECAUSE WE'RE DEEMING IT A SIDEWALK TO NOWHERE BE.
BECAUSE IF A PERSON PAYS A FEE, THEN THE SIDEWALK WON'T BE THERE.
IF A PERSON PAYS THE FEE, THE SIDEWALK WILL NOT BE THERE.
I'M, I'M GONNA YIELD TO YOUR OTHER COLLEAGUES ON THIS ONE.
YOU KNOW, I HEAR WHAT YOU, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT IT'S MORE OF A PROFESSOR.
YOU, YOU'VE BEEN THE PROFESSOR, THE LAWYER.
YOU KNOW, AND YOU'RE GOOD AT IT, YOU KNOW, BUT LEMME GO TO COUNCILMAN KNOX GALLEGOS.
LEMME GO TO COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS.
UH, REGARDING THIS, UH, ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE DOING HERE REGARDING SIDEWALKS.
I MEAN, GRANTED WE NEED SIDEWALKS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO REPAIR OUR EXISTING SIDEWALKS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS NOT GOING TO ADDRESS THAT, UH, DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT'S JUST FOR NEW SIDEWALKS OR SIDEWALK MODIFICATIONS.
SO MY ASK IS, CAN, CAN, CAN THIS BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE, UH, THE, THE, UH, PAR PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBLE REVIEW? I KNOW THAT MY OFFICE, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, USED OUR DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, UH, WHEN A SENIOR OR SOMEONE THAT'S DISABLED CALLS AND SAYS, WELL, I HAVE ISSUES.
I CAN'T EVEN GO OUTSIDE IN MY, ON, ON MY DRIVE, ON MY SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE BECAUSE THERE'S A SECTION THAT'S DAMAGED.
OKAY? SO THEN I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LIST OF MANY OF THESE THROUGHOUT THE CITY THAT THE CITY HAS TO GO AND REPAIR AND HAVE TO REVIEW AND THEN GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND GO AND GET IT FIXED.
AND SO THEN TO AVOID ALL THAT, WE'VE BEEN ADDRESSING IT BY GETTING IT REPAIRED THROUGH DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS.
BUT I'D RATHER USE MY DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO IMPROVE OUR PARKS AND, AND, AND, AND OTHER AMENITIES WITHIN MY DISTRICT.
NOW, IF WE CAN ADD THIS INTO THIS AMENDMENT WHERE, AND WE CAN HAVE LIMITATIONS, LET'S SAY IT'S ONLY FOR A, UH, A SECTION OF 50 FEET, YOU CAN USE IT FOR A SECTION OF 50 FEET.
IF A SENIOR OR SOMEONE THAT'S DISABLED, YOU KNOW, IS, IS COMPLAINING THAT THEY CAN'T EVEN USE THEIR SIDEWALK 'CAUSE THEY'RE ON A WALKER, THEN WHY CAN'T WE GO TO THIS FUND AND SAY, OKAY, LET'S GO REPAIR THAT LITTLE SECTION IN FRONT OF THAT PERSON'S HOME.
BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT 17 SECTORS, 17 SECTORS, IN MY OPINION, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE THAT MUCH MONEY ON IN THIS FUND.
AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MAYBE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS TRYING TO USE THAT LIMITED MONIES.
WE, WE CAN GO AND REPAIR THESE SMALL SECTIONS THAT SOMEONE THAT'S DISABLED, SOMEONE'S A SENIOR, AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR THEIR LITTLE SECTION OF A SIDEWALK TO BE REPAIRED.
UM, SO I'M ASKING CAN THIS BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE PAR, UH, FOR, FOR THESE MINOR REPAIRS? AND, AND THE IDEA IS TO IS TO BUILD NEW SIDEWALKS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, I UNDERSTAND THE REPAIRS COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN HAD PROPOSED THAT AN AMENDMENT, UM, UH, THAT WOULD SAY REPAIRS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
UM, BUT I WILL TELL YOU IT IS MY PREFERENCE TO KEEP THIS CLEAN AND WHAT I'VE INDICATED TO COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN.
AND I'D INDICATE TO YOU, UM, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST AND WHAT I WOULD SUPPORT WOULD BE A BUDGETARY AMENDMENT WHEN IT COMES UP TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, THROUGH, FROM OUR FUND BALANCE FOR THE REPAIR OF SOME OF THESE SIDEWALKS INSTEAD OF PULLING IT FROM HERE.
AND I WOULD SUPPORT, I WOULD SUPPORT HIS BUDGETARY AMENDMENT AT THAT, AT THAT TIME TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COME FROM YOUR FUND BALANCE AND IT KEEPS THIS ITEM CLEAN.
UM, NOW THAT I KNOW WE'LL HAVE YOUR OKAY ON IT,
YEAH, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THE CURRENT LANGUAGE OF THE ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, ONLY ALLOWS FOR NEW SIDEWALKS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE BUILD HOUSES AND UM, BUT WE DON'T NEGLECT THE HOUSES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
[02:20:01]
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN WHILE, WHILE YOU BUILD.AND MAY I ASK CITY LEGAL QUESTION, MAYOR? YEAH.
SO IS THERE A, A LEGAL REASON, UM, WHY REPAIRS SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN THIS LANGUAGE? UH, THERE IS, THIS IS, UH, AKIN TO AN IMPACT FEE.
SO IT'S A CHARGER ASSESSMENT AGAINST NEW DEVELOPMENT TO DEFRAY THE COST.
UH, IF IT DOESN'T RELATE TO NEW DEVELOPMENT, THEN IT COULD, WE'D BE SUBJECT TO THE CLAIM THAT IT COULD BE A COMPENSABLE TAKING.
UH, I THINK THE WAY TO DO IT IS WHAT THE MAYOR OFFERED IS OUT OF THE, OUT OF OUR EXISTING MONIES, WE DEDICATE PORTION FOR REPAIRS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, AND THE WHOLE NOTION IS THE REASON WHY WE ARE DOING THIS IS TO ADD TWO SIDEWALKS.
I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND COUNCILMAN HUT FROM WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
AND COUNCILMAN MCG, YOU HAD MENTIONED IT TO ME BEFORE.
I THINK THE CLEANEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO, UM, SUPPORT A BUDGETARY AMENDMENT COMING FROM YOU WHERE WE ARE PULLING THE DOLLARS FROM THE FUND BALANCE, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE REPAIR OF SIDEWALKS THAT KEEPS IT CLEAN AND ACHIEVE YOUR OBJECTIVES.
WELL I APPRECIATE THAT, MAYOR.
MAYOR KAMAN THERE DISCUSSION OF THE AMENDMENT RIGHT NOW? NO, THERE'S NO AMENDMENT ON THE FLOOR.
OKAY, NOW LEMME GET BACK IN ORDER.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT MY COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING.
I AGREE WITH THEM ACTUALLY ON THIS.
UH, THE THING IS THOUGH, LEMME JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
THERE'S A STREET IN HOUSTON CALLED ATKINS.
WE HAVE, UH, DRAINAGE DITCHES.
THERE WAS SOME NEW CONSTRUCTION, A HOUSE WAS TORN DOWN, NEW CONSTRUCTION, AND THEY HAD TO PUT A SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THIS HOUSE.
THEY ENDED UP ALTERING THE FLOW OF THE WATER FROM THE DRAINAGE DITCH, SHRINKING IT, THAT'S GONNA CREATE A BOTTLENECK FOR WATER IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEY PUT IT RIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
'CAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN A DRAINAGE DITCH ROAD, THE ROAD IS HIGHER THAN THE, THAN THE HOUSES.
SO THEY PUT IT RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD AND, AND THE SIDEWALK GOES FROM THE EDGE OF THE PROPERTY TO THE OTHER EDGE OF THE PROPERTY.
AND THERE IS NOT ANOTHER SIDEWALK IN SIGHT IN EITHER DIRECTION, A SIDEWALK TO NOWHERE.
SO FAR, TWO VEHICLES HAVE HAD TO BE PULLED OUT OF THAT DITCH BECAUSE THEY, THEY SEE THE SIDEWALK AS A PLACE TO PULL OFF ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THEY'VE DROPPED THEIR FRONT RIGHT WHEELS INTO THE DITCH.
AND SO THIS IS CLEARLY AN UNNECESSARY SIDEWALK.
OF COURSE, THE ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WASN'T, WASN'T PRESENT AND THAT THE, THE BUILDER HAD NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER.
NOW, AS FAR AS THE FEES THAT WE'RE CHARGING FOR NEW SIDEWALKS, WELL, UM, HOW MANY NEW SIDEWALKS IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON BUILDING? I DON'T THINK WE'RE, WE'RE NOT DOING CONSTRUCTION AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, EXCEPT FOR THE LAND, THE LAND THING.
BUT THERE'S NOT THAT MUCH GOING ON.
I IT IS TALKING ABOUT BEING CLEAN.
I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY CLEAN TO JUST PUT IN THERE FOR SIDEWALKS, REGARDLESS WHETHER THEY'RE REPAIR OR NEW.
AND THAT PROVIDES A FUNDING SOURCE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DIP INTO THE GENERAL FUND AT THE NEXT LEDGE, AT THE NEXT BUDGETARY PROCESS TO FIND SOME FUNDING FOR THIS, I THINK, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
UH, SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS I WANNA TAG THIS ITEM UNTIL WE CAN REALLY GET TO THE, TO HEART OF THIS.
'CAUSE I THINK THIS IS A GOOD ORDINANCE AND, AND IT'S, I'M NOT AIMING FOR THE PERFECT MAYOR, I'M JUST AIMING FOR BETTER.
UH, THIS IS, IT COULD BE BETTER IF WE ALLOW FOR THE, THE REPAIR OF OLD SIDEWALKS THAT NEED TO BE REPAIRED AND ALSO NEW SIDEWALKS THAT NEED TO BE PUT IN AND GIVE THE BUILDERS A CHOICE OF A FEE IN LIEU OF, UH, FOR THOSE, THOSE SITUATIONS LIKE I JUST DESCRIBED ON ATKINS STREET, UM, WHERE IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO PUT A SIDEWALK THERE.
SO WHAT IT SHOW TAG, THE, ARE YOU RELEASING FOR DISCUSSION? UH, I'LL LEAVE IT OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
WELL, THAT, NUMBER ONE, I WOULD NOT HAVE OFFERED MY SUPPORT FOR A BUDGETARY AMENDMENT IF, IF THE FUNDS WERE NOT THERE.
UM, AND SO THE FUNDS ARE THERE TO DO THAT AND IT DOES KEEP IT CLEAN.
AND NUMBER TWO, YEAH, I THINK WHEN YOU DO SEEK THE PERFECT, YOU END UP WITH EITHER NOTHING OR UNNECESSARY DELAY.
UM, AND HAD THIS BEEN IN PLACE, UM, BEFORE THE PERSON, UH, THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A NECESSITY FOR THAT.
SO THE, THE, THE, THE ORDINANCE THAT IS BEFORE US ADDRESSES THE SITUATION THAT YOU'VE DESCRIBED.
IT ADDRESSES THE SITUATION THAT YOU DESCRIBED.
AND UNTIL THIS ORDINANCE IS IN PLACE, THE CURRENT LAW
[02:25:01]
APPLIES.SO I THINK IT IS SEEKING THE PERFECT IN TERMS OF REPAIRS.
I'VE OFFERED A SOLUTION, UH, TO REPAIR MANY OF THESE SIDEWALKS.
SO WHAT, AND THEN IF YOU START CHANGING IT, AND IF IT GOES BEYOND THE INTENT OF THIS ORDINANCE, THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK AND, AND THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A NEW ORDINANCE BECAUSE IF IT GOES OUTSIDE OF THE INTENT OF THIS ORDINANCE, UM, I'M GOING TO RULE IT OUT OF ORDER AND IT'S NOT COMING BACK TO YOU.
SO YOU ALL DECIDE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER MC KAMINS.
WELL, I'LL, I'LL SAVE MOST OF MY REMARKS I GUESS FOR NEXT WEEK WHEN THIS COMES BACK UP.
UM, I, I WOULD SAY FOR ONCE, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, YOU AND I AGREE, UH, I, BUT I WAS PLANNING ON, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, TO YOUR POINT, I THINK THE DISCUSSION OF JOHN'S TAKING A PICTURE, IT'S A BIG DEAL.
UM, WHEN IT MAYOR, I WAS PLANNING ON HAVING THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN INCLUDE REPAIRS AND WHAT THAT FEE SHOULD COME FROM DURING A BUDGET AMENDMENT DEBATE.
WHETHER IT COMES FROM THE GENERAL FUND, WHETHER IT COMES FROM THE CURRENT FEE.
I THINK THAT'S GERMANE TO DISCUSS DURING A BUDGET AMENDMENT PROCESS.
UM, SO I, AGAIN, I DO AGREE, MAYOR, WE HAVE, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE HEARING AT THE TABLE IS WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE REPAIRS OF SIDEWALKS.
AND I KNOW YOU ARE NOT DENYING THAT WHATSOEVER.
UM, YOU KNOW, HERE IN DISTRICT C, AGAIN, WITH SOME OF THE OLDEST INFRASTRUCTURE, MANY OF OUR SIDEWALKS ARE NOT HORIZONTAL, THEY'RE VERTICAL AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND WE NEED TO HAVE A FIX FOR THAT.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS AND COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, UH, FOR RAISING THAT ISSUE AND COMING UP WITH A SOLUTION AND AN AVENUE FOR WHERE WE CAN ADDRESS THAT.
I WILL SAY JUST, UM, FOR THE RECORD, FOR DISTRICT C RESIDENTS THAT ARE LISTENING, UM, I THINK THAT THIS ORDINANCE STRUCK A REALLY IMPORTANT BALANCE.
I HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS IN DISTRICT C WHERE, UH, THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS AND ONE HOME PUTTING UP A SIDEWALK JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
AND THOSE ARE SOME VERY SMALL NEIGHBORHOODS WITH UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS, WHEREAS THE REMAINDER OF DISTRICT C IS DESPERATE FOR SIDEWALKS, AND THE CITY CANNOT AFFORD SIDEWALKS.
MANY OF US ON DISTRICT, UH, IN OUR DISTRICTS, DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE HEMORRHAGING DOLLARS FOR SIDEWALKS THAT ARE REALLY EXPENSIVE.
UH, AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO DO AS MUCH AS WE NEED TO.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS MOVE FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT I, I DO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF FINDING A SOLUTION TO REPAIR AS WELL.
THE CITY'S LONG POLICY, AND THIS GOES BACK MULTIPLE ADMINISTRATIONS, THIS ISN'T ON MAYOR TURNER OR THIS COUNCIL OF HOMEOWNERS BEING RESPONSIBLE OF MAINTAINING THEIR OWN SIDEWALKS JUST ISN'T WORKING.
AND WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A BETTER SOLUTION.
BUT I, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO VOTING ON THIS.
UM, AND I, I THINK A LOT OF RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT CR AS WELL.
I'M VERY GLAD TO SEE THIS AMENDMENT.
AND IN MY WORLD, I WANT TO THINK THAT, THINK THAT MY CONVERSATIONS WITH PLANNING LAST YEAR WAS THE IMPETUS, BUT IN THE REAL WORLD, I KNOW THERE'S NOT.
BUT CERTAINLY I HAD TWO INCIDENTS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD ACTUALLY, WHERE THEY, THEY CREATED TWO SIDEWALKS TO NOWHERE.
AND I TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT.
AND OF COURSE, AT THAT TIME WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS AMENDMENT.
SO RIGHT NOW, THOSE TWO HOUSES ARE SITTING THERE.
ONE IS A BRAND NEW HOME THAT WAS BUILT BY A BUILDER, AND ANOTHER ONE IS A BRAND NEW HOME BUILT BY GLO.
AND THEY LOOKED AESTHETICALLY, UH, INCORRECT TO HAVE THOSE SIDEWALKS TO NOWHERE.
SO, I'M SO VERY GLAD FOR THIS AMENDMENT.
WHEN I, UH, FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, UM, BACK, UH, NINE YEARS AGO, THIS ISSUE CAME UP IN COUNCIL.
AND, AND, UM, THE RATIONALE WAS, UH, THAT IT, THAT WE, IF WE MAKE IT REQUIRED TO PUT SIDEWALKS EVERYWHERE, THAT ONCE THERE'S CONSTRUCTION, UH, EVENTUALLY EVERYBODY WILL HAVE SIDEWALKS THAT WILL, WE'LL JUST IMPOSE IT ON THEM.
BUT I'VE LIVED IN GLEN LEE SUBDIVISION.
I'VE LIVED IN, UH, TIMBER, UH, UH, LAZY BROOK, UH, AND, UH, NONE OF THOSE HAVE SIDEWALKS.
WHEN MY MOTHER AND DAD, UH, WOULD, UH, WANT TO WALK AROUND THE BLOCK, WE, MY DAD WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR, WE'D HAVE TO PUSH HIM ON THE STREET.
AND, AND IT'S GONNA BE THAT WAY PROBABLY
[02:30:01]
INDEFINITELY.AND SO, UH, I, I KNOW WE'VE KIND OF, UH, GOTTEN, UH, REAL DEEP IN THE WEEDS HERE, BUT IT MAKES SENSE WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER ED POLLARD SAID IN THE VERY BEGINNING, WHY CHARGE THESE PEOPLE A FEE IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA BUILD A SIDEWALK? IT, IT, THAT SEEMS A LITTLE, UH, UH, ERRONEOUS.
SO, UH, I, I, I REALLY SUPPORT THE, THE IDEA OF, OF, OF THIS.
BUT THE FEE PART, UH, BOTHERS ME SOMEWHAT.
I HAD, UH, TWO ISSUES THAT I WORKED WITH, UH, AND I WANTED TO THANK, UH, DIRECTOR, UH, WALLACE BROWN FOR TAKING TIME TO MEET WITH ME ABOUT THESE YESTERDAY.
UM, FOR US, THE NEIGHBORHOODS I REPRESENT, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE SIDEWALK ORDINANCE RECOGNIZES PLANNED COMMUNITIES AS THEY HAVE EXTENSIVE GREEN BELTS AND TRAILS, TO THE EXCEPTION OF SIDEWALKS.
SO THIS GETS US AROUND THAT AND GETS US TO BE COMPLIANT WITH THAT.
IT'S RELEVANT FOR BOTH KINGWOOD AND CLEAR LAKE AS THEY HAVE A LARGE NETWORK OF GREEN BELTS AND TRAILS IN THE AREAS, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE NEED FOR SIDEWALKS AND OTHER AREAS OF DISTRICT E LIKE HUFFMAN AND EDGEBROOK AND NORTH SHORE.
UH, THE OPTION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, TO ADD A PAY AND FEE OF, UH, OF PAY A FEE IN LIEU OF BUILDING THE SIDEWALK COULD BE A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THEN YOUR ABILITY TO HAVE A BUDGET AMENDMENT, UH, WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN IT, IF I'M CORRECT, UH, TO ADDRESS, UH, WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IN SIDEWALK REPAIRS AND SOME THINGS LIKE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO ME.
SO THE TWO ISSUES I HAD, I WORKED WITH DIRECTOR MARGARET WALLACE BROWN YESTERDAY, AND I'M OKAY WITH THIS AS IT IS.
I KNOW WE'LL NOT VOTE ON IT TODAY, BUT I WISH WE WOULD.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER.
AND I'M GONNA GIVE A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
UM, AND I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
I'M BUILDING A HOME ON MY GRANDMOTHER'S HOME ON MCGREGOR.
THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS ON THE WHOLE ENTIRE STREET.
IF THIS ORDINANCE DOESN'T PASS, I'M GONNA HAVE TO PUT A SIDEWALK TO NOWHERE.
THE, THE DEFERMENT LETTER HAS BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M ABLE TO FILL OUT A DEFERMENT LETTER.
THE REASON WHY THAT TWO 50 IS FAIR IS BECAUSE IT CREATES EQUITY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THAT DOESN'T ALL GO TO THAT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S DISPERSED PORTION OF IT GOES TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THE OTHER PORTIONS GO TO AREAS THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO AFFORD SIDEWALKS.
SO THIS IS A PERS THIS IS, YOU KNOW, HAPPENING TO ME PERSONALLY, AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S INCREDIBLY NECESSARY.
AND AS A NEW HOMEOWNER IN THIS COMMUNITY, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT GIVES ME AN ALTERNATIVE TO NOT HAVING TO PUT ONE THERE NOW, BUT IN THE FUTURE, IF OTHER HOMES DO BUILD SIDEWALKS, UM, AND, AND WHEN THEY NEED TO DO THAT, THEN I WILL BE ABLE TO PUT ONE THERE AND THERE WILL BE A, AND THE CITY WILL GIVE ME MONEY TO, TOWARDS ME BUILDING MY SIDEWALKS.
I'M NOT PAYING FOR IT IN FULL, BUT THERE'S A PORTION I'LL HAVE TO PAY AND THE PORTION THE CITY WILL CONTRIBUTE.
SO I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY FAIR.
I'M, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTIVE OF THIS SPECIFIC, I JUST WANNA GIVE A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT ONLY HAPPENING TO, THIS IS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE ON THE COUNCIL TOO.
AND THANK YOU, MAYOR, THANK YOU TO PLANNING FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND REALLY BEING, THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX AND BRINGING THAT FEE DOWN TO WHERE IT'S REASONABLE.
AND AS EVERYBODY'S EXPRESSED, AND AS COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON AND I HAD THAT SIDEWALK SUMMIT LAST YEAR, WE'VE GOT A BIG SIDEWALK PROBLEM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON, ON BIKE LANES AND BIKE PLANS, AND IT'S TIME TO REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO SIDEWALKS.
AND I, I REALLY APPLAUD PLANNING FOR WORKING ON THIS.
THIS IS, WE ARE TRYING EVERY WHICH WAY TO COME UP WITH FUNDS FOR SIDEWALKS.
I KNOW DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE, ARE PAYING MONEY TOWARDS THEM.
I'M TRYING LIKE CRAZY TO GET SOME US TO USE, LIKE OTHER CITIES, SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, PUBLIC FACILITIES, MONEY.
I'M MEETING WITH PEOPLE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, TRY TO FIGURE OUT, WAIT, HOW CAN WE GENERATE SOME FUNDS FOR SIDEWALKS? WE NEED MONEY FOR SIDEWALKS.
THIS IS A WAY TO GET SOME MONEY FOR SIDEWALKS.
POLLARD, TO YOUR POINT, IDEALLY WE WANT TO HAVE A CONNECTED NETWORK OF SIDEWALKS ALL OVER THE CITY.
WE WANNA, MARGARET WALLACE BROWN SAYS, WHEN'S THE BEST TIME TO BUILD A SIDEWALK 20 YEARS AGO, LIKE PLANTING A TREE? WHEN'S THE BEST TIME 20 YEARS AGO? BUT THERE ARE SITUATIONS I'VE BEEN OUT TO GAYWOOD IN, IN DISTRICT G AND I'M STANDING OUT THERE WITH THE GUY AND I'M LIKE, YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS EFFORT TO COME IN AND SAY, OKAY, WHY ARE WE FIGHTING THIS FIGHT WITH THE GAYWOOD RESIDENTS WHEN WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF AREAS IN TOWN THAT NEED THAT MONEY? SO THIS IS A START.
THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK ON THIS, A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED.
I MEAN, THE COM, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, UH, BUILDERS, HOMEOWNERS, HOMEOWNERS, WE'VE TAKEN DOWN THE APPLICATION FEE.
WE BELIEVE ME, MY PHONE BLEW UP WITH THAT APPLICATION FEE OF 14, $1,200.
IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE $1,200 JUST KNOWING THAT THEY'RE EVER GONNA DO ANY, THAT WAS THE CITY TAKING THE MONEY.
[02:35:01]
NOW WE'RE LOWERING THAT, LOWERING THAT SIDEWALK MODIFICATION FEE DOWN TO $250.SO THAT'S SAVING PEOPLE THERE.
AND IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY A WAY TO, TO GENERATE MORE FUNDS.
AND MAYOR, I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMITMENT FOR SIDEWALK REPAIRS.
WE SPEND ABOUT $3 MILLION A YEAR ON THOUSANDS OF MILES OF SIDEWALKS.
WE DO SPEND MONEY WHEN WE RECONSTRUCT A STREET BUILDING SIDEWALKS MM-HMM
WHEN IF WE RECONSTRUCT AN ENTIRE STREET, WE'LL, WE'LL BUILD SIDEWALKS.
BUT ULTIMATELY, I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED LIKE A SIDEWALK BOND.
I THINK WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO, TO THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT THE POLICY WE HAVE, LEAVING IT UP TO THE HOMEOWNERS.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, I THINK PEOPLE, VOTERS WOULD GO TO THE POLLS AND VOTE FOR A SIDEWALK BOND AND, AND WE COULD START MAKING SOME, A REAL DIFFERENCE IN OUR PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT THIS IS A GREAT, THIS IS A GREAT MEASURE AND A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO IT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING IT.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE HEARD OVERWHELMINGLY FROM CONSTITUENTS IN DISTRICT G THAT THEY ARE HAPPY TO PAY A FEE IN, IN LIEU OF, UH, PUTTING A SIDEWALK IN.
AND THIS IS MORE OF JUST A QUESTION.
I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, NO REPAIRS, BUT FOR LIKE THE VERTICAL SIDEWALKS IN DISTRICT C, WOULD A, A REBUILD WOULD FIT INTO THIS BECAUSE A REBUILD IS NOT A REPAIR.
SO IF THEY WERE GOING TO REBUILD SIDEWALKS AND SEE, WOULD THAT FIT INTO THIS? I'LL HAVE TO DEFER.
TOTAL RECONSTRUCTION, YOU MEAN? YEAH.
DID THEY SAY THE PLANNING? SAY YES.
I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK TO THAT COUNCIL MEMBER.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
AND I JUST WANNA GO ON RECORD AS WELL.
I WAS EXCITED TO VOTE ON THIS ITEM.
I'M ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THE ARCHITECTURE COMMITTEE IN THE, FOR THE ASHTON PARK, HOA, BECAUSE THE GLO IS BUILDING A HOME.
NOT ONLY DOES IT NOT FIT THE FOOTPRINT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THEY'RE REQUIRING A SIDEWALK.
AND THAT NEIGHBORHOOD DOES NOT HAVE SIDEWALKS, AND THEN THEY DON'T WANT THEM EITHER.
UM, AND SO WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS.
AND SO, UM, I'M EXCITED THAT THIS COMES BACK SO I CAN REPORT BACK THAT WE HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE, UM, TO AT LEAST SAVE THEM FROM THIS SIDEWALK PIECE THAT WILL DISRUPT THEIR, UH, DISRUPT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WE CAN CONTINUE MOVING ON TO, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGING THE GLO.
BUT, UH, LISTEN, THERE ARE A MAJORITY OF MY MONEY GOES TO STREETS AND SIDEWALKS OF CDSF, MAJORITY OF IT.
AND THERE'S STUFF I CANNOT DO BECAUSE I HAVE PROGRAMS, STREETS AND SIDEWALK PROGRAMS IN THE QUEUE FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR THAT ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR ONE STREET SIDEWALK.
WE ARE A PRO DEVELOPMENT CITY.
AND AS WE ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT TO HAPPEN, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE.
TWO 50 IS BEYOND FAIR AND REASONABLE, BEYOND FAIR AND REASONABLE.
SO, UM, I'M EXCITED FOR THIS TO COME BACK AND I HOPE THIS HAS SUPPORT OF MY COLLEAGUES.
CERTAINLY WANNA WEIGH IN ON THIS AS WELL.
MAYOR, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND I THINK YOU STARTED THE DAY OUT TALKING ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, REALLY HOW THE PRINCIPLE IS ABOUT PUBLIC ACCESS.
AND I THINK FURTHER IT'S, IT'S EVEN MORE FUNDAMENTALLY ABOUT DEMOCRACY AS IN THE WAY THAT OUR PUBLIC REALM PROVIDES ACCESS TO OUR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY IN THE CITY.
AND THAT HAS MADE OUR CITY, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT INCONSISTENT WITH THE PREMISE OF A MUNICIPALITY.
I, I, I THINK FOR ITS LACK OF SIDEWALKS.
AND I KNOW, UH, WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WITH DIRECTOR MARGARET WALLACE BROWN.
I'M THINKING ABOUT YOUR FORMER DIRECTOR, PATRICK WALSH.
AND I'M CERTAINLY THINKING ABOUT MARLENE GAFFER, WHO'S IN THE CHAMBER THIS MORNING, AND THINKING ABOUT THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE ACROSS TRULY GENERATIONS OF THIS CITY WITH, UH, ONE OF MY PREDECESSORS ON THIS COUNCIL, PETER BROWN, WHO WAS ALSO AN ARCHITECT.
AND THIS IS, THIS HAS FUNDAMENTALLY BEEN A HUGE ISSUE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND WE ARE ON THE VERGE OF MAKING A HUGE AND FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE FOR OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, THAT I THINK DO, UH, DESERVE SCRUTINY.
UM, I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS THAT I KNOW I'M GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EX EXTRA WEEK UNLESS YOU REMOVE YOUR TAG, BECAUSE I DO THINK THESE, WE, THESE THINGS CAN BE WORKED OUT AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
I LOVE WHAT THE MAYOR HAS CONCEDED AND REALLY AGREED TO IN PRINCIPLE WITH THE AMENDMENT WITH, UH, MARY ANN HUFFMAN AND HER IDEA AS WELL AS, UH, WHAT ROBERT GALLEGOS HAS AGREED TO BRING FORWARD AS A, AS A BUDGET PROPOSAL AMENDMENT FOR NEXT SUMMER.
THIS IS, THIS IS A GOOD THING TO DO.
WE NEED TO DO IT AS, AS THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY,
[02:40:01]
UNIQUELY WITHOUT ZONING, UH, IMPRESSIVELY WITHOUT, UH, ANY REALLY SUBSTANTIVE, UH, AMENDMENT AND ORDINANCE RELATED TO OUR SIDEWALK AND PUBLIC REALM.WELL, IN THAT CASE, I'LL GO AHEAD AND REMOVE MY TAG.
BUT THE, THE POINT THAT I WANTED TO MAKE HERE IS THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE FUNDING FOR THIS VERY THING THAT WE WANT TO DO RIGHT NOW.
WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT MAY, UH, TO GET OUR BUDGET STUFF DONE.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE PASSING ON IT, AND WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE BUDGET CYCLE.
UM, WE HEAR FROM OUR, OUR CITY CONTROLLER REGULARLY THAT WE HAVE A STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND BUDGET.
AND WE'RE GONNA ADD ANOTHER THING TO THAT, UH, IN THE UPCOMING, UH, BUDGETARY CYCLE.
I'M NOT GONNA BE HERE AFTER THIS NEXT BUDGETARY CYCLE, SO Y'ALL ARE ON YOUR OWN AFTER THAT.
BUT THE POINT THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO, TO PROVIDE FUNDING THAT WILL ALLOW FOR REPAIRS TO SIDEWALK AS PART OF THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
AND WE'RE GONNA PASS ON IT, UH, BECAUSE IT IS A GOOD BILL.
I MEAN, IT, IT IS A GOOD PIECE OF, OF CITY GOVERNANCE.
I'M NOT GONNA VOTE AGAINST IT.
UH, FOR LACK OF THIS FUNDING, I'M JUST WANTED TO MAKE THE POINT THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO MAKE THIS FUNDING AVAILABLE TO THIS PROGRAM.
NOW TO MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD'S POINT.
YEAH, THE FEE IS NECESSARY JUST LIKE WE DO BUILDERS FEES ON ALL KINDS OF THINGS, UH, THAT THEY CAN PAY, PAY US NOT TO DO SO THAT WE CAN DO OTHER THINGS FOR OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE FEE IN LIEU OF, BUT WE HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY AND WE PASSED IT BY.
SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA REMOVE MY TAG AND I GUESS WE'LL JUST VOTE TO DO SOMETHING HALFWAY.
AND, UH, DEFINITELY BEEN LISTENING TO ALL OF YOU ALL'S POINTS.
UM,
THE $250 IS JUST THE APPLICATION THAT THAT'S NOT THE ENTIRE FEE.
TWO, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S POINT, SHE'S BUILDING A NEW HOME IN AN AREA WITH NEW NO SIDEWALKS.
THE AREA PROBABLY WILL NEVER GET SIDEWALKS UNLESS THERE'S A BOND OR SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES SIDEWALKS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD.
MOST NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE NO SIDEWALKS, MAYOR, I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE A SIDEWALK IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET THESE SIDEWALKS TO GO THROUGH ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE OF THIS.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S UNREALISTIC, THAT'S NOT PRACTICAL BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY TWO WAYS TO GET SIDEWALKS IN THIS CITY.
ONE IS NEW CONSTRUCTION, OR TWO, YOU REDEVELOP AN ENTIRE STREET OTHER THAN THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING A SIDEWALK.
SO THESE SIDEWALK TO NOWHERES, WHERE ARE YOU PUTTING THE NEW SIDEWALK? ARE YOU PUTTING THE NEW SIDE? WHAT, WHAT AREAS OF THE CITY ARE THERE GOING TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? THE NEW SIDEWALK? NO.
'CAUSE Y'ALL DON'T HAVE ANY SIDEWALKS AND YOU DON'T, THEY'RE NOT COMING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, MAYOR.
SO WHEN I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE ARE THESE NEW SIDEWALKS THAT WE'RE BUILDING THAT YOU SAY THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ALL THIS CONNECTIVITY, IF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE SIDEWALKS, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO HAVE THEM BECAUSE YOU'RE BUILDING A SIDEWALK TO NOWHERE.
RIGHT? AND THE ONLY OTHER WAY TO GET A NEW SIDEWALK IS A TOTAL RECONSTRUCTION.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE REPAIR WOULD BE ALMOST THE ONLY PLACE TO PUT 'EM.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE THE SIDEWALKS GO.
NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE, THERE ARE SO MANY NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT IOWA CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, I'LL TAKE IT.
THERE, THERE ARE SO MANY NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS OUR CITY WHERE SIDEWALKS FIT IN A NATURAL PLACEMENT.
UH, AND THAT, BUT I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU, IT STILL MUST IN MY TIME THOUGH, BUT NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE PLENTY OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO IF FOR EXAMPLE, AS COUNCIL MEMBER PLUM SAID, MAY NOT BE IN, IN A PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THE DOLLARS WILL GO TO BUILD SIDEWALKS IN OTHER AREAS IN PLAZA.
I'M, LISTEN, LISTEN, MAYOR, I'M JUST TRYING TO ASK A QUESTION.
I'LL A I'LL ASK IT TO YOU MAYOR.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE SIDEWALKS AND YOU DON'T HAVE SIDEWALKS.
I WANNA KNOW WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS SIDEWALKS AND THEN THERE'S, THERE'S PLACES THAT DO NOT COME TO SHADY ACRES.
WELL, LET'S JUST, LET'S JUST, LET'S JUST TAKE YOUR ARGUMENT TO IT, TO THE, TO ALL THE WAY OUT.
ARE YOU THEN SAYING THERE IS NO NEED FOR THIS ORDINANCE? I'M ACTUALLY GONNA VOTE FOR THIS ORDINANCE.
WELL, LISTEN, LISTEN, I'M GONNA, I'M LISTEN, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND VOTE FOR THIS ORDINANCE, BUT I WANT, I DO WANNA, I LISTEN, LISTEN, FOR, FOR THE RECORD, FOR THE RECORD, FOR THE LISTEN, I THINK WE HAVE THE LAWYER BACK.
[02:45:01]
FOR THE RECORD.FROM A PRACTICALITY STANDPOINT IN THE FUTURE, WHEN THIS COMES OUT TO PLAY, THAT THERE AREN'T MANY NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE THESE SPECIFIC GAPS, BECAUSE I ALREADY MENTIONED THE TWO WAYS.
YOU CAN HAVE, YOU CAN HAVE, UH, NEW SIDEWALKS.
SO IT'S STILL GONNA BE A HUGE GAP THERE.
AND SO WE HAVE TO RETHINK ABOUT HOW, IF WE WANT TO CREATE NEW SIDEWALKS IN AREAS LIKE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS NO SIDEWALKS, YOUR HAIR AREA HAS NO SIDEWALKS, AND MANY OTHERS IN YOUR, UH, THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM HAVE NO SIDEWALKS.
HOW IS THIS ACTUALLY GONNA PLAY A ROLE? AND SO, UM, WE CAN, WE CAN VOTE WHEN YOU ALL ARE READY, BUT I, I DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT.
VICE MAYOR PRO TEAM CAST TATUM.
I CAN REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR ARGUMENT.
HOWEVER, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER WITH 96 CIVIC CLUBS AND HOAS, THERE ARE SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE INCONSISTENT SIDEWALKS.
UM, I CAN POINT TO AT LEAST FIVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE CAN START WITH ALAMEDA PLAZA, WHERE THERE ARE SIDEWALKS THAT NEED REPAIR, AND THEN THERE ARE SPACES THAT HAVE NO SIDEWALKS THAT WE NEED THE CONTINUATION OF SIDEWALKS SO PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO WALK ON THE SIDEWALK, THEN GO IN THE STREET AND THEN GO BACK ON THE SIDEWALK AND GO IN THE STREET.
SO WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF NEIGHBORHOODS WITH GAPS THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM THIS AMENDMENT, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT CONTINUITY AND THEY CAN WALK ON THE SIDEWALK THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, UM, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT 70% OF THE POOL OF MONEY WILL STAY IN THAT SPECIFIC AREA, AND 30% WILL GO INTO A POOL FOR, UM, ACCESS AND EQUITY AROUND THE ENTIRE CITY.
IT'S A WELL THOUGHT OUT AMENDMENT.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL SUPPORT IT SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE THOSE GAPS AND NEED THE CONTINUITY OF THE SIDEWALKS TO MAINTAIN SAFETY FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO WALK THROUGH THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO NOW THAT WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THIS, UM, I DO FIRST AND FOREMOST WANT TO THANK MAYOR YOUR TEAM, UH, STARTING WITH DIRECTOR WALLACE BROWN.
BUT GOING ON, YOU KNOW, DAVID FIELDS, UH, MR. FONG, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED ON THIS, COME BACK THROUGH THIS, ANSWERED ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS.
AND THIS, AGAIN, WE HAVE A SIDEWALK PROBLEM IN HOUSTON, AND THIS IS ONE PIECE OF THAT SOLUTION.
UH, WE DO NEED TO DEAL WITH REPAIRS.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AS A COUNCIL, AND IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
BUT SHADY ACRES HAS GAPS IN SIDEWALKS EVERYWHERE.
COTTAGE GROVE, I'M AS WITH CDSF TO FUND ONE STREET OUT OF ABOUT 10 JUST TO GET TO ONE STREET SO THAT THEY HAVE ONE EAST TO WEST SIDEWALK WITHOUT SOME GAPS OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH IN CDSF TO GET THAT EVERYWHERE.
THE REASON THIS MODEL, IN MY OPINION IS SO FAVORABLE, JUST SO THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS IT'S A 70 30 SPLIT, 70% OF THESE FEES WILL FOCUS ON SECTOR REGIONS, NOT DISTRICTS, BUT THAT HOLISTICALLY A LARGER SCOPE OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN 30% IS GOING CITYWIDE TO PLACES THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACCUMULATE A LOT OF THOSE FEES.
SO TO COUNCILS MEMBER POLLARD'S POINT, HOW ARE WE GONNA AFFORD AND PAY FOR ALL OF THIS? IT'S A 70 30 WITH A FOCUS ON SPECIFIC SECTORS WITH THOSE DOLLARS THAT ARE GOING IN, BEING ABLE TO BE INVESTED, LET'S SAY, ONE OR TWO MILES AWAY FROM THERE, WHERE A NEIGHBORHOOD DOES HAVE THOSE GAPS AND WANTS IT.
OUR RESIDENTS ARE ENTHUSIASTIC, AND I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE ARE ONCE IN FOR, WE ARE FINALLY STARTING TO TALK SIDEWALKS AND WE NEED MORE.
BUT THIS IS SO IMPORTANT FOR SAFETY, FOR, UH, MOBILITY, BUT ALSO JUST FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING IT AND MY APPRECIATION, MAYOR, TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF MAYOR, I CALL THE QUESTION, WE JUST HAVE TWO LEFT, TWO LEFT, TWO LEFT.
WE ALL SAID WE'RE GONNA VOTE FOR IT, RIGHT? APPRECIATE 20.
I WAS GONNA, I WAS GONNA, UM, RESPOND BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD.
THIS IS ABOUT BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS ON MY STREET, I KNOW THAT I'M PUTTING 30% BACK INTO COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS.
THEY SEE IT, THEY RECOGNIZE IT.
THIS IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT OUR CITY'S EQUITABLE FROM A, FROM A PEDESTRIAN PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO I'M DOING THIS AND I'M SUPPORTING IT.
ME PERSONALLY, BECAUSE I WANNA BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND I WANNA SEE 30% OF MY MONEY THAT I'M PUTTING INTO IT, GOING TO AREAS THAT COUNT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER VICE,
[02:50:01]
UH, MAYOR PRO, TIM MENTIONED, AND ALL THE OTHER COMMUNITIES AND DEFERRING MONIES THAT MY DISTRICT MEMBERS ARE SPENDING ON SIDEWALKS TO PUT SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE THEY NEED THEM.COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ WILL BE THE LAST SPEAKER BEFORE WE VOTE.
YOU KNOW, MY CONCERN, OF COURSE, UM, THERE ARE HOMES BEING BUILT IN MY COMMUNITY FOR GLO AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING THESE GLO HOMES CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY THIS FEE.
AND SO I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY GOOD ORDINANCE, BUT WHAT I'M FINDING IS THAT GLO IS REPORTEDLY TAKING AWAY FROM THE HOME ITSELF TO BUILD THESE SIDEWALKS.
AND SO MY CONCERN AGAIN IS THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING GLO HOMES, WHICH, YOU KNOW, MEANS THAT BASICALLY THEY'RE IN A POSITION THAT THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT.
SO MAYBE AT SOME POINT WE COULD LOOK AT SOMETHING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM SOME RELIEF SO THAT THEY DON'T GET THE SIDEWALKS TO NOWHERE.
BECAUSE THAT WAS A SITUATION IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, HE COULDN'T AFFORD TO DO THE APPLICATION THAT OF COURSE WAS NOT GONNA ENSURE THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO IT, AND NOW HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE APPLICATION TO STOP IT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A CONCERN FOR ME.
UM, COUNCILMAN KNOX, I APPRECIATE, UH, YOU NOT TAGGING ITEM.
SO THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
AND, UH, WE ARE READY TO VOTE.
WELL, I'M GONNA TRY ONE MORE TIME.
IF I CAN GET A SECOND TO JUST REMOVE THE LAST SENTENCE THAT SAYS, THE FEES COLLECTED IN THE FUND WILL NOT BE USED TO MAINTAIN OR REPAIR EXISTING SIDEWALKS.
LEMME JUST, IT'S ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
ON THE COUNCIL MATERIAL THAT TALKS ABOUT THIS UNDER SIDEWALK FUND.
LEMME JUST SAY BEFORE, BEFORE YOU DO YOUR AMENDMENT, AND, AND, AND I'LL LET YOU, AND I'LL LET YOU PUT FORTH YOUR AMENDMENT.
BEFORE YOU DO IT, LEMME JUST SAY THIS, THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT THAT'S COMING INTO THIS FINAL ANNUAL BASIS IS, IS ABOUT $1.7 MILLION.
YOU START, YOU TRYING TO SUBDIVIDE THAT YOU WORKING AGAINST YOUR INTENDED PURPOSE.
WE'RE WORKING AGAINST OUR INTENDED PURPOSE WHEN WE'RE MAKING IT EASIER TO USE THE MONEY TO REPAIR AS WELL AS COUNCILMAN KNOX.
I'VE OFF, I'VE OFFERED A, A, A, UM, A BUDGETARY AMENDMENT TO ADDRESS REPAIRS, WHICH WE'LL WAIT FOR UNTIL MAY RIGHT THAN THAT.
DISREGARD, I'LL PULL MY, THANK YOU HONOR, THANK, I JUST REALLY THINK WE'RE MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY HERE AND, AND I, IT'S JUST AMAZING TO ME THAT WE CAN'T DO THE FUNDING SOURCE WITH THE ITEM THAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
IT, IT IS JUST SILLINESS IN MY VIEW.
WELL, I'LL JUST, LEMME JUST BE UPFRONT.
MY, MY, MY INTENTION THROUGH THE BUDGETARY AMENDMENT IS TO MATCH WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE WITH DOLLARS COMING FROM THE BOND BALANCE FOR REPAIRS.
SO, WELL, IT'S GOOD INTENTIONS VERSUS ACTION.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ACTION HERE.
WELL, I I CAN ONLY SAY INTENTION BECAUSE Y'ALL GOTTA VOTE ON IT, YOU KNOW.
ANYWAY, I, I, I I GOT WHERE WE ARE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 16? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
YOU READY FOR THE, UH, LEMME SEE JUST HOW MANY MORE WE CAN DO BEFORE WE, LET'S TRY TO FINISH IT UP BEFORE, BEFORE WE BREAK.
WE ON ITEM 19, WE ON ITEM 19, DISCUSSION ON 19.
DISCUSSION ON 19 IN FAVOR OPPOSED GRANTING ON 1919, COUNCILMAN CAYMAN.
I WAS GIVEN, UH, MY COLLEAGUE A HARD TIME AND, AND STARTED TO MISS IT.
I JUST, I WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THIS ITEM, UM, BECAUSE IT'S A CDB JO, CDBG GRANT, UM, FOR COVENANT HOUSE IN DISTRICT C IN MONTROSE.
AND I WAS PROUD TO SUBMIT A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THIS.
UM, TODAY WE'RE AUTHORIZING A LOAN AGREEMENT WITH COVENANT HOUSE, UM, THAT IS INVALUABLE TO THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE THAT THEY SERVE, PARTICULARLY YOUTH, UM, IN NEED OF SHELTER IN HOUSING FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
SO, UM, I REALLY WANTED TO COMMEND THEM.
AND THE CITY FOR THIS PARTNERSHIP IS, UH, WE RENEW THE COMMITMENT TO CREATE A SAFE PLACE FOR HOUSTON'S HOMELESS YOUTH.
[02:55:01]
SAFE PLACE FOR HOUSTON'S HOMELESS L-G-B-T-Q YOUTH, UM, WHO OFTENTIMES FIND THEMSELVES IN NEED OF SHELTER, UM, BECAUSE OF FAMILIAL C CIRCUMSTANCES AND A LACK OF SUPPORT.SO AGAIN, I REALLY APPRECIATED THIS ITEM.
I WANTED TO THANK COVENANT HOUSE FOR ALL OF THE, THAT THEY DO.
UM, AND VERY PROUD TO HAVE SEEN THIS MOVE FORWARD.
IT'S TAKEN A FEW YEARS, SO THIS IS TERRIFIC.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR THE LETTER OF SUPPORT THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
I KNOW THAT THE, AS YOU STATED, THE COVENANT HOUSE DOES TREMENDOUS WORK IN REGARDS TO, UH, PROVIDING HOUSING FOR THE L-G-B-T-Q YOUTH.
UH, DUE THE FACT THAT MANY UNFORTUNATELY, UH, FAMILIES, UH, TELL, TELL THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER WELCOME IN THEIR HOME BECAUSE OF BEING L-G-B-T-Q.
UH, SO THERE'S, AS YOU STATED, THERE'S JUST SO MANY YOUTH IN OUR CITY THAT ARE LIVING ON THE STREETS.
UH, SO THESE ARE 60, 60 UNITS OF HOUSING THAT NOW CAN BE USED, UH, TO, TO, TO, TO, TO HELP THESE INDIVIDUALS.
SO, UH, I OF COURSE WE'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS.
AND WE HAVE ALREADY VOTED ON 19 MM-HMM
21 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED GRANTED ON 21.
DISCUSSION ON 22 IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED ON 22.
DISCUSSION ON 24 IN FAVOR OF POST GRANT ON 24 TAG.
24 OH, YOU'RE ON 24TH OR 23? 24.
24 IS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EMMA SHABAZZ ON 30.
ITEM 30 HAS BEEN TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADJO AND TAG MR. SHABAN AND POLLARD THOMAS WILL JOIN THE TAG JACKSON.
I DO HOPE THIS IS A SYMBOLIC TAG.
SO IT'S EVAN SCH POLLARD, THOMAS JACKSON AND CASTOR.
I DO HOPE IT'S A SYMBOLIC TAG.
DISCUSSION ON COUNCILMAN JACKSON ON 31.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT VOTING ON THIS ITEM.
THIS ITEM INCLUDES, UM, $50,000 OF, UH, MY DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS.
UM, THE PURPOSE IS TO HELP OUR SENIORS AND, UM, DISABLE, MAINTAIN THEY DITCHES, UM, AS PART OF OUR FLOOD MITIGATION, UM, UM, A PROJECT TO TRY TO LIKE MITIGATE SOME OF THE FLOOD FLOODING IN THE DISTRICT.
AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT MOVING THIS FORWARD.
UM, AND THE RESIDENTS ARE WAITING ON IT.
SO I WANT THE FOLKS TO KNOW IN DISTRICT B, WE, WE ARE READY TO MOVE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 31 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED GRANT ON 31.
AND BEFORE WE MOVE TO WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE NEXT ITEM? THE TAG ITEM.
BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM, LET ME, LET ME PAUSE FOR A MOMENT AND BRING UP THE, UH, THE WORLD CHAMPIONS TROPHY FROM THE HOUSTON ASTROS.
OH, WELL WE CAN JUST DO IT IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM.
IT WON'T FIT THROUGH THE DOOR.
SO IF WE ALL MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.
[03:00:05]
OKAY, LET'S GO.[03:12:29]
OKAY.[03:12:29]
THANK YOU ALL.SHOWS, UH, BRINGING THE TROPHY BY.
OKAY, NOW ARE WE GETTING OUR WORLD SERIES RINGS
ALRIGHT, LET'S, UH, THANK YOU OFFICER VERY, VERY MUCH.
LET ME THANK THE ASTROS AGAIN FOR MAKING THE, UH, CONGRATULATIONS, UH, THE TROPHY AVAILABLE.
JIM CRANE, LET ME AND LET ME THANK YOU.
AND SO OF COURSE TO THE PLAYERS, UH, THAT IS ONE TEAM THAT WE CAN CONSISTENTLY COUNT ON, UH, FOR COMING THROUGH.
WELL, I MEAN, I, I WAS THAT SHE RUST BAKER
ALRIGHT, THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU, LET'S START OVER.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT.
I KNOW THAT WAS BAD WORDING, BUT LET, LET ME PULL, LET ME PULL THAT BACK.
LEMME PULL, LEMME PULL THAT BACK.
YOU KNOW, UM, BECAUSE THE, UH, THE, THE ROCKETS AND SIGHTING TEAM TO WATCH, THEY GOT A LOT OF TALENT AND THEY FLY HIGH.
AND, UH, THE TEXANS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SELECTING A NEW COACH.
AND SO WE'RE WISHING THEM THE VERY, VERY BEST.
AND THE HOUSTON ASTROS, LET ME THANK THEM, UH, FOR JUST, UM, UM, UM, FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, UH, DASH FOR THEIR ORGANIZATION.
AND DUSTY BAKER, LET ME GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO, TO, TO HIM.
UH, BACK TO THE AGENDA, MADAM SECRETARY,
[MATTERS HELD]
ITEM 33 IS AN ORDINANCE.UH, CHAIR RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PRO TEM CASH TATOR.
AND, UM, COLLEAGUES, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A, UM, AMENDMENT, UM, ON THIS ITEM.
UH, THE FIRST PART OF THE AMENDMENT FOR ITEM 33 IS JUST TO CORRECT THE NUMBERING FOR THE SECTIONS, UH, OF THE CONSTRUCTION CODE.
UH, THE SECOND PART OF THE AMENDMENT IS TO CHANGE, UH, THE WORDING.
[03:15:01]
QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO, UM, WALK YOU THROUGH, UH, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.BUT THE WORDING IS JUST TO REPLACE SO THAT, UM, AS WE ARE LOOKING AT IMPLEMENTING A LIGHTING ORDINANCE THAT WE AREN'T, UM, MOVING TOWARDS, UM, IMPOSING A NOISY VENTILATION SYSTEM.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING SOME FLEXIBILITY AND CASE BY CASE BASIS, UH, REVIEWS OF THESE, UH, GARAGES FOR THE BUFFERING.
AND I THINK THIS AMENDMENT ALLOWS US TO HAVE SOME OF THAT FLEXIBILITY.
I DID HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ON THE AMENDMENT.
UM, SIMPLY BECAUSE THIS CAME BEFORE US SO QUICKLY, AFTER SUCH A LONG PROCESS, I WANNA MAKE SURE RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT THIS CHANGE DOES.
UH, SO VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD INTO THE DEPARTMENT FOR WORKING WITH THOSE THAT DID RAISE CONCERNS.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, SO ONE, THIS RELATES TO THE GARAGE SCREENING REQUIREMENTS AND, UH, THE LEVEL OF WHICH THAT SCREENING IS AT.
AND THE CONCERN THAT WAS RAISED, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, WAS AT THE FOUR NEW 48 INCH REQUIREMENT, SOMETIMES BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN, IT WOULD REQUIRE THE ADDITION OF A VENTILATION SYSTEM TO CIRCULATE THAT AIR, WHICH IN TURN WOULD CREATE A NEW PROBLEM.
IT'S NOT JUST MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT WOULD CREATE, BE NOISY FOR RESIDENTS AS WELL.
MY QUESTION, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM IS CURRENTLY, I BELIEVE THE RULE, UM, IS AT 42 INCHES.
SO HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT WE'RE NOT JUST HAVING A LOT OF PEOPLE APPLYING FOR THIS EXCEPTION AND THEN WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY IMPROVING THE SCREENING BENEFITS THAT ARE INTENDED IN THIS ORDINANCE? SO, IS THERE THAT, AND THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND I THINK, UH, THE DIRECTOR HAS PROBABLY ANSWERED THAT QUESTION TO EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER THAT SHE'S BRIEFED WITH.
UM, BUT THERE IS A DOCUMENTABLE CALCULATION, UM, AND THE VENTILATION, UH, CALCULATION IS DONE BY THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE.
UM, SO WE EXPECT THAT THIS WILL BE A RARITY, UM, AN EXCEPTION AND NOT THE RULE.
UM, AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS TRUCKS THAT HAVE HEADLIGHTS, THE HIGHEST OF TRUCKS THAT HAVE HAD HEADLIGHTS IS 45 INCHES.
UM, SO THE 48 IS KIND OF THE, A VERY HIGH THRESHOLD.
SO WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AREN'T IMPOSING THE ADDITIONAL FEE, UM, FOR THE VENTILATION WHEN WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO.
AND ALL OF THAT WILL BE CALCULATED, UM, FROM THE IBC, WHICH IS THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE, UM, CALCULATIONS.
SO THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO SKIRT THE RULES.
WE WILL SEE HIGHER SCREENINGS.
THERE'S JUST SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, THE RARE EXCEPTION WHERE IT NEEDS ADDITIONAL, UM, FLEXIBILITY.
THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
AND THANK YOU VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM FOR PUTTING FORTH THIS, THIS AMENDMENT.
THIS IS ESSENTIALLY WHY WE DELAYED THIS MAYOR LAST WEEK FOR THIS TO BE WORKED OUT.
UH, AND I DO, I DID ALSO HEAR FROM RESIDENTS CONCERNED THAT THIS MIGHT BE ABUSED.
I HAVE BEEN ASSURED BY BUILDING CODE ENFORCEMENT PLANNING DEPARTMENT DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL GONNA BE BUILDING, THEY'RE ALL GONNA BE DESIGNING TOWARDS THIS, TOWARDS THE IBC TOWARDS WHAT'S IN THE CODE AND TOWARDS WHAT'S IN OUR CODE, WHICH WILL BE THE 48 INCHES FOR THE GARAGE SCREENING.
IT WILL BE THE RARE EXCEPTION THAT THAT HAS TO COME DOWN AND IT MIGHT HAVE TO COME DOWN A COUPLE INCHES TO AVOID THE, THE VENTILATION.
SO I WANNA ASSURE RESIDENTS THAT WE'LL BE WATCHING THIS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE INTENT AND SPIRIT OF THIS ORDINANCE AT THE 48 INCHES.
'CAUSE WE, WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE, WE KNOW WHAT, WHAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT.
PEOPLE DON'T WANT LIGHTS FROM A CAR FROM THE GARAGE GOING INTO THEIR HOME.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE AIMING TO DO HERE.
UM, AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOMETHING WORSE, WHICH IS THE MECHANICAL VENTILATION.
SO, BUT AGAIN, I HAVE BEEN ASSURED AND I FEEL CONFIDENT IN THE ANSWERS I'VE BEEN, I'VE RECEIVED THAT THIS WILL BE THE, DEFINITELY THE RARER EXCEPTION AND NOT THE RULE.
THIS, THIS CALCULATION THAT THE VICE MAYOR PRO TEM SPOKE OF WILL BE CAUGHT DURING PLAN REVIEW WILL BE ANALYZED DURING PLAN REVIEW.
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS ON THE AMENDMENT? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, IT'S ALREADY IN WRITING IN, UM, TIME TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT IN FAVOR.
OPPOSED? THE AMENDMENT IS ADOPTED.
NOW WE'RE BACK TO THE MAIN ITEM AS AMENDED, UH, DISCUSSION ON THE MAIN ITEM AS AMENDED AND IN DISCUSSION ON THE MAIN ITEM AS AMENDED.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED? GRANTED.
UH, THE ITEM AS AMENDED PASSES.
[03:20:02]
MADAM SECRETARY, THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.[NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
UH, WE BEGAN TODAY WITH COUNCILMAN CISNEROS.I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY TALKING ABOUT, UM, UH, SPEED CUSHIONS.
AND JUST TO SAY THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THAT EIGHT PROJECTS THAT I'VE FUNDED THIS YEAR IN, IN D EIGHT DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS ARE, ARE UNDERWAY.
WE'VE, WE ARE JUST RECEIVING BACK NOW THE COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITIES.
AND SO THERE'LL BE SOME TWEAKING, BUT, UM, IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO, TO SLOW DOWN CARS IN NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, REDUCING SPEEDING SAVES LIVES AND REDUCES THE, UM, SEVERE INJURIES THAT HAPPEN.
UM, CURRENTLY THE FUNDING FOR SPEED CUSHIONS IS, IS REALLY PRETTY MUCH SOLELY COMING FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO, TO RESTATE HOW I FUND THOSE PROJECTS.
I PRIORITIZE THEM USING, UM, DATA LOOKING, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE HELP OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, LOOKING AT THE, ON THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK AND THE SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX.
AND, UM, AND WE SEE WHERE, WHERE THE, WHERE THE, THE PROBLEMS ARE THE MOST SEVERE AND, AND TACKLE THOSE FIRST.
SO A A BRAND NEW APPLICANT COULD BE, COULD BE AT THE TOP.
IT'S, IT'S NOT HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN THERE, IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, WHO'S IN THE, THE WORST SHAPE.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS, UM, THOSE ISSUES FIRST.
SO, UM, WE PUT OUT A PLEA, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, YOU KNOW, IN THE, OUR NEWSLETTER TO, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN APPLYING, THAT'S THE FIRST STEP.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CONTACT MY OFFICE AND WE'LL HELP GET YOU ON THE LIST, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN FIRST.
AND THEN, UM, WE'LL BE EVALUATING THOSE.
I DID ALSO WANNA JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, FEBRUARY IS FAST APPROACHING, AND WITH THAT IT WILL BE LOVE YOUR PET MONTH, WHICH IS SOMETHING YOU'LL BE HEARING A LOT FROM ME ABOUT IN THE, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
BUT I DID WANT TO, TO JUST SAY ONCE AGAIN THAT I AM BRINGING BACK THE EMPTY SHELTER PROJECT TO DENVER HARBOR ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH, AS PART OF LOVE YOUR, LOVE YOUR PET MONTH, AND THAT, UM, THAT YOU, IT IS POSSIBLE NOW TO GO ON, YOU KNOW, ONLINE, UM, GOOGLE LOVE YOUR PET MONTH, AND YOU WILL FIND IT, AND YOU CAN FOLLOW THE LINKS AND, UM, LOOK FOR THE, THE, THE EIGHT ZIP CODES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE, THIS FREE, UM, SPAY NEUTER, SURGERIES FREE, MICROCHIPPING FREE VACCINATIONS.
AND SO THEY'RE SIGNING 'EM UP NOW.
AND SO, UM, SO, SO PLEASE CHECK THAT OUT.
THERE WILL, IF YOU DO MISS IT, THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY IN DISTRICT H, UM, FOR DISTRICT H RESIDENTS.
UM, BUT, BUT THIS ONE IS AN ESPECIALLY LARGE ONE.
THE, THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT WE'VE, UM, WERE ABLE TO, TO ACCOMMODATE A FEW YEARS AGO WAS 504 IN ONE DAY.
SO IT'S, IT'S AN ENORMOUS EFFORT.
AND, UM, JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU KNEW ABOUT THAT.
AND MARY, I ALSO WANTED TO JUST CONCLUDE BY SAYING THAT, THAT I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE ON HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH THIS AFTERNOON, YOU KNOW, AFTER THIS MEETING.
AND, UM, AND, AND, AND I'M SO PROUD OF THE, THE WORK YOU'VE DONE TO, TO REALLY UP THOSE NUMBERS THAT IT WAS A LITTLE OVER 400 WHEN YOU GOT HERE.
AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 20,000 IS THE GOAL.
THAT'S SUPER, SUPER IMPRESSIVE.
I JUST HAVE WANTED TO INTRODUCE TWO NEW EMPLOYEES THAT I'VE GOT RIGHT NOW.
UH, ALAN ROMAN, IF YOU'LL JUST STAND UP.
ALAN IS MY NEW, UH, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR.
HE CAME ONE WITH US LAST WEEK AND HE'LL BE FOLLOWING ME AROUND TAKING PICTURES AND MAKING ME LOOK GOOD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ALAN, FOR THAT.
I, I, I, I, I, UH, AND THE NEXT ONE, WE HAVE A, A, UH, COLLEGE STUDENT, UH, INTERN, UH, UH, ASTHMA, KURT LOW, WHO IS, UH, COMING FROM US, UH, TO US FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON WHERE SHE'S STUDYING POLYSCI UH, UH, POLITICAL SCIENCE.
AND SHE'S A SOPHOMORE THERE, SO SHE'LL BE WANDERING AROUND, UM, GETTING IN EVERYBODY'S WAY, NO DOUBT.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ASMA FOR, FOR VOLUNTEERING.
AND, UH, YOU GOT A BIG JOB TO MAKE HIM LOOK GOOD,
THAT IS A TRUE STATEMENT THAT, YEAH.
ASMA PAY RAISE RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WELCOME COUGAR FROM UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON.
ALL RIGHT, UH, LET ME NOW TURN TO, UM, VICE MAYOR PRO, TEMP CAST TATUM.
UH, TONIGHT WE WILL BE HOSTING OUR HPD SOUTHWEST COM, UM, PIP MEETING.
UM, SO WE ARE ASKING RESIDENTS TO JOIN US AT 7:00 PM AT THE SOUTHWEST COMMAND STATION ON NATA.
UH, WE WILL DO A BRIEF STATE OF THE COMMUNITY ALONG WITH, UM, SAFETY IN THE COMMUNITY BY COMMANDER HASSIG.
SO, UH, THERE'LL BE SOME, UH, LIGHT REFRESHMENTS, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO RESIDENTS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS COMING TO ENGAGE WITH US TONIGHT.
OUR SECOND ANNUAL DISTRICT K COMMUNITY SHRED DAY ON SATURDAY WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.
WE HAD TWO LOCATIONS, WESTBURY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, AND NEW FAITH
[03:25:01]
CHURCH, A HOST OF AMAZING VOLUNTEERS.SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO THE AKAS FROM U OF H WHO WERE PHENOMENAL.
AND AS ALWAYS, THE VOLUNTEERS AT NEW FAITH CHURCH WERE JUST, UH, EXCEPTIONAL.
UM, SO THANK YOU TO, UM, PASTOR COLVIN AND EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED TO MAKE THAT A SUCCESS.
IF YOU MISSED THE SHRED DAY AND YOU REALIZE I'VE GOT A BOX OF STUFF I NEED TO SHRED, WE'VE GOT ONE MORE OPPORTUNITY, UM, AT RIDGEMONT COMMUNITY CENTER ON SATURDAY AT 51 0 7 RIDGE CREEK CIRCLE FROM 9:00 AM TO 12:00 PM WE CAN SHRED YOUR SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS SAFELY.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO SERVING YOU THERE.
UH, MAYOR, THE RESIDENTS IN FORT BEND HOUSTON ARE ECSTATIC ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENTS COMING TO MAYFAIR PARK.
UM, THE THROUGH THE 50 50 PARK INITIATIVE, THAT WORK WILL START THIS MONTH.
YES, THEY'RE GETTING THE NEW TWO TO 5-YEAR-OLD PLAYGROUND WITH A NEW SWING SET, NEW LIGHTING, NEW PARK BENCHES, PICNIC TABLES.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO ACTUALLY SEE THAT, UM, PROJECT COMING TO FRUITION.
IT SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE SUMMER OF 2023, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE A LITTLE GRAND OPENING AND, UH, WE CAN SLIDE DOWN THE NEW SLIDES, UH, IN MAYFAIR PARK.
UM, THE WILLOW WATER HOLE GREENWAY WILL SOON GO THROUGH SOME, UH, CONSTRUCTION PROJECT THAT INCLUDES THE INSTALLATION OF A CUSTOM SAFETY FENCE AND CONCRETE SIDEWALK CONNECTING THE NEW PIER AT WESTBURY LAKE AND LANDSCAPING.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT TO THE WILLOW WATER HOLE LATELY, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE BIG IMPROVEMENT OF THE NEW PIER.
UH, RESIDENTS ARE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
UH, THEY'LL BE FISHING FROM THE PIER PRETTY SOON.
UH, AS SOON AS WE HAVE THE DATES OF THAT COMPLETION, I WILL SHARE THAT WITH THE COUNCIL AND THE RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, I WANT TO WISH OUR DISTRICT K DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES, BARBARA HEIGHT, A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON YESTERDAY.
MANY OF YOU KNOW, I AM THE FOURTH COUNCIL MEMBER THAT BARBARA HAS WORKED WITH.
UH, SHE IS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND SUCH AN INSPIRATION TO SO MANY OF US, AND, UH, A VERY VALUE ADDED MEMBER OF THE DISTRICT K TEAM.
SO, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBARA, BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND MAKE IT A GREAT DAY.
I JUST REALLY WANTED TO MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, UM, WE GOT UP TO THIS WEEKEND.
I'M SAYING YOUR PRESENCE MAYOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST.
THOMAS AT THE TASK FORCE YES, ON EQUITY WAS JUST ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE WITH LARRY PAYNE LEADING A REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, EFFORT, UH, TO LOOK FORWARD TO 2036, WHICH IS THE BICENTENNIAL WILL BE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AS WELL AS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
A VERY INSPIRED GROUP OF LEADERS THERE, DR.
UM, AND OF COURSE, YOUR REMARKS WERE GREAT AND ON TARGET.
SO PLEASED TO BE WITH YOU ON THAT.
DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, THE SUNNYSIDE SOLAR FARM, THE GETTING OPEN THIS COMING WEEKEND.
LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING WITH YOU FOR THAT DR. EVANS SHABAZZ AND, UH, ALL, ALL, ALL THE INCREDIBLE, UH, WORK THAT'S GOING ON AROUND THE CITY, UH, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX SAID, WE DO HAVE TWO INTERNS HERE, MAYOR, THAT ARE GONNA BE JOINING US FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON PROGRAM.
UH, PERHAPS YOU TWO COULD STAND UP.
VINCENT VICENTE ANO IS HERE AND WILL BE SUPPORTING US WITH THE CHIP PROGRAM FROM U OF H, AS WELL AS JACQUELINE OLA AND, UH, JACQUELINE, UH, WELCOME HERE, VICENTE, GLAD YOU'RE GONNA BE WITH US.
LOOKING FORWARD TO INTEGRATING YOU WITH OUR STAFF.
AND I THINK MAYOR OFFICIALLY, THEY START ON FEBRUARY 1ST, SO WE'VE GOT THAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
UM, WELCOME TO YOUR CITY HALL AND BOTH UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON COUGARS.
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
UH, COUNCILMAN THOMAS? I PASS, I'M BLESSED.
JUST QUICKLY, UH, THE SIDEWALK THING WE DID TODAY AND THE BUFFERING THING, BOTH REALLY GOOD MOVES.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO MARGARET WALLACE BROWN, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
DAVID FIELDS, EVERYBODY WHO WORKED ON ON THESE, THEY, THESE DIDN'T JUST COME TO COUNCIL.
I MEAN, THEY'VE BEEN MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS OF WORK, UH, IF NOT YEARS.
AND THE RESIDENTS COUNCIL MEMBER BARRY, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
UM, JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE WHO JOINED OUR, UM, MONTHLY DISTRICT B BRIEFING ON THIS PAST SATURDAY.
AND SO REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, FOLKS FOR SHOWING UP.
UM, AS WE WRAP UP 2022 AND PREVIEW, WHAT'S GONNA, WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON FOR 2023.
AND SO IF YOU, YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND, UM, YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE FACEBOOK PAGE OR WE WILL ALSO ADD THE, UM, THE, THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION OR THE PRESENTATION TO OUR, UM, NEWSLETTER ON THIS SATURDAY OR THIS FRIDAY.
SO IF YOU WANT THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, UM, REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9 AND WE'LL GET THAT TO YOU.
UM, ON THIS SATURDAY, WANNA INVITE EVERYBODY OUT TO JOIN,
[03:30:01]
UM, OUR FUN DAY AT HOLLAND PARK, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 3,400 DESOTO STREET.UM, THAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE FROM 10:00 AM TO 4:00 PM UM, THIS EVENT IS ORGANIZED BY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, SO IF YOU'RE READY TO HAVE SOME FUN THIS WEEKEND, COME ON OUT AND JOIN THE FUN.
IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, AGAIN, REACH OUT TO THE OFFICE.
UM, I'LL START OFF WITH SOME POSITIVE NOTES.
I REALLY WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE.
WE LIKE TO POINT OUT, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES THAT DO AN AMAZING JOB.
AND, UH, MR. ROSWELL WITH PUBLIC WORKS WAS OUT IN THE RAIN YESTERDAY BEFORE THE STORM, UH, JUST ON SOME BASIC 3 1 1 CALLS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
HE WAS LOOKING AT SOME DITCHES.
AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT OFTENTIMES GO UNNOTICED, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
UH, I ALSO WANNA SAY, GREAT JOB.
OUR MONTROSE TOURS HOSTED A GREAT, UH, ENGAGEMENT MEETING WITH THE PUBLIC.
LAST NIGHT ON THE PROPOSAL TO RECONSTRUCT MONTROSE BOULEVARD, WE HAD, I THINK OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE.
UH, THEY ARE JUST PROVIDING INPUT, LOOKING AT THE PLANS, WHICH WAS FANTASTIC.
A REMINDER, WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING TOMORROW AT 2:00 PM THURSDAY.
UH, MAYOR, AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE REVIEWING, IT'S AN ANNUAL REVIEW OF WHAT YOU HAVE IMPLEMENTED WITH OUR FEEDBACK, BUT YOU REALLY TOOK LEADERSHIP IN TERMS OF POLICING AND COMMUNITY SAFETY REFORMS. SO WHETHER IT'S OUR HPD TRANSPARENCY PORTAL, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE SITE AND RELEASE PROGRAM AND WHERE WE STAND WITH THAT, AS WELL AS YOUR EXECUTIVE ORDER, ONE 60, UH, ONE DASH 67.
SO ENCOURAGING EVERYONE, 'CAUSE THIS IS OUR REVIEW OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT.
UM, FRIDAY IS INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY.
UH, AND SETTING ASIDE THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT DAY, UH, I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IS STILL REELING FROM, UH, THIS WEEKEND'S PAST EVENTS.
AND I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO DETAILS AND LIFT UP, UM, THE ACTS OF, UH, ANTISEMITISM, UH, THAT ARE OCCURRING AND HAVE OCCURRED IN THE ATTACKS ON SOME OF OUR CONGREGATIONS AND OUR CHILDREN.
UH, BUT I DO WANT TO LIFT UP THE RESPONSE OF HPD.
UH, I AM SO GRATEFUL TO HPD FOR THEIR RESPONSE, THEIR LEVEL OF NOT ONLY PROFESSIONALISM, BUT TAKING, UM, ACTS OF HATE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S AGAINST THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OR ANY OTHER, UH, MINORITY GROUP.
AND I ALSO WANNA COMMEND, DESPITE THE CHALLENGES IN OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, IN OUR COURT SYSTEM, UH, IN OUR PROSECUTORIAL SYSTEM, AND I WON'T OPINE ON THAT, THIS ISN'T THE PLACE, BUT I DO WANNA LIFT UP ONE ASSISTANT DA, BUT FOR HER ACTS, UM, I DUNNO WHERE WE WOULD BE RIGHT NOW.
SO ERICA WINDOR MY HEARTFELT APPRECIATION TO YOU AND TO HPD FOR THEIR, UM, QUICK ACTS AND VIGILANCE AND RESPONDING TO THE MOST RECENT ATTACKS.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ.
IT'S GONNA BE SO EXCITING AND SUNNYSIDE THIS WEEK, AND NOT JUST WITH THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT, BUT THE CENTER POINT ENERGY FOUNDATION GRANT AND SUNNYSIDE SUPPORTS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO SUNNYSIDE PARK, INCLUDING THE RENOVATION OF A FOOTBALL FIELD TO UPGRADE THE POP QUALITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND SAFETY OF THE PARK.
SO JOIN US IN DISTRICT D FOR THE RIBBON CUTTING, ALONG WITH THE CPE FOUNDATION, WHICH MADE A $2.8 MILLION DONATION TO COMPLETE COMMUNITIES IN 2021, WHICH INCLUDED 600,000 FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF THE SUNNYSIDE YOUTH FOOTBALL FIELD.
SO THE FIELD WAS COMPLETELY REGRADED REDESIGNED AND A SCOREBOARD WAS ADDED.
SO THE RIBBON CUTTING WILL BE FRIDAY, JANUARY 27 AT 4:00 PM AT THE SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER AND PARK, WHICH IS 35 0 2 BELFORT STREET.
AND THEN ON SATURDAY, WE CERTAINLY, UH, ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW YEAR AND THE NEW CENTER.
UH, HOPEFULLY THEY WILL JOIN THE MAYOR AND OTHER COLLEAGUES AND MYSELF AT THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER OPEN HOUSE, WHICH WILL, UH, BE THIS SATURDAY FROM 11:00 AM TO 2:00 PM AND THAT'S 44 10 REED ROAD.
WE WANNA MAKE IT A VERY EXCITING EVENT.
WE WILL HAVE SOME WONDERFUL ENTERTAINMENT, AND WE ARE GONNA JUST TRY TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF MY COLLEAGUE AND HAVE JUST A WONDERFUL OPENING.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, I WANNA SAY IN MEMORIAM, UH, THAT THE STREETS OF HEAVEN DID GAIN A NEW ANGEL WITH MR. CHARLES LEON THOMAS, UH, ON MONDAY.
HE WAS HONORED, UH, AT THE, OF A CELEBRATION OF LIFE.
HE WAS A DEDICATED SERVANT, AND HIS LEGACY AND HIS WORK IN DISTRICT D WILL ALWAYS
[03:35:01]
BE REMEMBERED AND APPRECIATED.AND CERTAINLY ALSO, UH, SADLY, OF COURSE, I DID ANNOUNCE LAST WEEK THAT CAROLYN, UH, PARKER BERRY, UH, UH, DEPARTED AND HER SERVICES WILL BE AT THE WINDOR VILLAGE CHURCH, WHICH, UH, CAROLYN WAS THE PRESIDENT EMERITUS OF THE NAACP AND A LONG, LONG, LONG TIME FRIEND.
UH, THE CHURCH IS LOCATED AT 60 11 WEST ORUM DRIVE.
THE VISITATION WILL BE FROM ONE TO ONE 30 AND THE SERVICES WILL BE AT ONE 30, AND THAT'S GONNA BE THIS SUNDAY, UH, JANUARY THE 29TH.
SO WE ARE GONNA GO AND CELEBRATE HER WONDERFUL LIFE.
I THINK THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
THANK YOU VERY, VERY, VERY MUCH.
UH, LET ME THANK YOU ALL FOR THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD TODAY AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, UH, SOME FRUITFUL CONVERSATIONS AS WE GO FORWARD.
SO HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, WE STAND, ADJOURN.