* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          THURSDAY THE 9TH OF FEBRUARY, 
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2023. 
          [Transportation, Technology, and Infrastructure Committee on February 9, 2023.]
IT'S 10:05 AM IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. 
          THIS IS THE CITY'S TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE. 
          I'M CHAIRMAN DAVID ROBINSON, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          UH, I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. 
          THANK YOU OFFICIALLY AND WELCOME EVERYONE, UH, TO THE CHAMBER COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE IN ATTENDANCE ARE INCLUDE COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK, HERE IN PERSON, DR. CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ, WHO IS VIRTUALLY ATTENDING. 
          WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN'S OFFICE WITH US VIRTUALLY. 
          WE HAVE VIRTUALLY, UH, STAFF FROM MAYOR PRO TEM DAVE MARTIN'S OFFICE. 
          WE HAVE VIRTUALLY STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS'S OFFICE. 
          WE HAVE, UH, IN PERSON STAFF FROM VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM OFFICE, AS WELL AS THE VICE MAYOR PRO TEM HERSELF ATTENDING VIRTUALLY. 
          WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX. 
          AND WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAELS ASH'S STAFF WITH US VIRTUALLY AS WELL AS STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA PLUMMER. 
          AND JOINING US AS WE SPEAK IS COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS. 
          WELCOME ALL, UH, STAFF AND COUNCIL MEMBERS TO TODAY'S MEETING. 
          WE HAVE, UH, UH, THREE TOPICS TO DISCUSS TODAY, BUT BEFORE DOING SO, I'D LIKE TO NOTE THAT THE MEETING IS BEING HELD IN HYBRID MODE DUE TO THE DISCONTINUATION OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. 
          THAT'S CHAPTER 5 51, THE PROVISIONS THAT ALLOWED PUBLIC MEETINGS TO BE HELD SOLELY, VIRTUALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC. 
          THE MEETING WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND AS CHAIR AND PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, I AM PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE CHAMBER AND ATTEST THAT WITH, UH, COURT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 51 0.1 27 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE APPLICABLE TO A GOVERNMENTAL BODY THAT EXTENDS INTO THREE OR MORE COUNTIES. 
          ALL OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS. TODAY, WE WILL HAVE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, TO SPEAK. 
          AT LEAST THAT'S HOW MANY HAVE SIGNED UP AS PER 5:00 PM YESTERDAY, WHICH IS THE DEADLINE FOR SPEAKERS TO DO SO. 
          HOWEVER, AS ALWAYS, ANY QUESTIONS MAY BE SENT TO THE AT LARGE2@HOUSTONTX.GOV, UH, EMAIL ADDRESS, AND WE WILL SHARE THEM WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S FOLLOWING THE MEETING IN DISTRIBUTE, UH, ON ANY AND ALL RESPONSES. 
          UM, NOTING THAT STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON HAS, UH, JOINED US AS WELL. 
          I'D LIKE TO MENTION THE TOPICS TODAY. 
          WE'LL BEGIN WITH A PRESENTATION, UH, FROM THE HOUSTON LIBRARY SYSTEM AND LIBRARY, PUBLIC USE HOTSPOTS AND DATA PLANS IS THE TOPIC WE'LL HEAR FROM DIRECTOR DR. 
          RAYA BROWN LAWSON, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE HPL, AS WELL AS RICARDO PERALES, THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, AND PATRICK ATKINS, THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. 
          AND THE NEXT SECOND AND THIRD ITEMS WILL COME FROM OUR HOUSTON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES DEPARTMENT. 
          UH, THE FIRST WILL BE THE DATA CENTER LEASE AGREEMENT, AND PRES PRESENTING TODAY WILL BE BERT CRAWFORD, THE DEPUTY CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE HOUSTON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES DEPARTMENT. 
          AND THE SECOND TOPIC IS THE FISCAL YEAR 2023, CITYWIDE PC REPLACEMENT BERTFORD, THE DEPUTY CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER WILL ALSO BE PRESENTING ON THAT ITEM. 
          SO COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU TO REMAIN ON MUTE AND HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS TO THE END OF EACH PRESENTATION, NOTING THAT WE WILL KEEP AN EYE ON THE QUEUE AND WE WILL, YOU CAN DO THAT OR SEND A MESSAGE IN THE CHAT TO REQUEST TO SPEAK, AND WE WILL GET TO YOU AS SOON AS THE PRESENTATIONS ARE DONE. 
          FOR EACH PRESENTATION, I'D LIKE TO ASK THAT THE SPEAKER INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND ANY STAFF PRESENT FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD. 
          AND WITH THAT, UH, I THINK WE'LL TURN TO THE FIRST ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA. 
          THAT IS, AGAIN, THE LIBRARY PUBLIC USE HOTSPOTS AND DATA PLANS. 
          AND JOINING US VIRTUALLY ONLINE, UH, WE WILL BE BEGIN WITH YOU, DR. LAWSON. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON. 
          AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. 
          THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, UH, IS HERE TODAY, UM, TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO CONTINUE THE DATA PLANS THAT HAVE EXPIRED FOR OUR HOTSPOTS AND CHROMEBOOKS. 
          THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY IS THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF FREE INTERNET ACCESS IN THE REGION. 
          THROUGH OUR MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ACROSS HOUSTON, ONE OF OUR CORE OBJECTIVES IS TO PROVIDE FREE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, TO TECHNOLOGY, AND TO DIGITAL, DIGITAL INSTRUCTION AND OUR EFFORT TO HELP, UH, REDUCE THE 
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DIGITAL DIVIDE. 
          THESE DATA PLANS ARE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CONTINUATION, AND WE ARE HERE TO ASK, UH, YOUR SUPPORT IN HELPING US TO CONTINUE TO OFFER THESE VALUE VALUABLE RESOURCES. 
          SO I'LL TURN THE PRESENTATION OVER NOW TO PATRICK ATKINS. 
          THANK YOU, DR. LAWSON, AND GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. 
          UM, AS DR. LAWSON SAYS, THIS IS A, UH, DEVICE LENDING PROGRAM. 
          WE'RE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT TRYING TO BRIDGE THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE THAT WE SEE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          UH, THE LIBRARY PUBLIC USE HOTSPOTS AND DATA ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. 
          THIS IS THE PROCUREMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT LENDING PROGRAM. 
          UM, JUST SOME HISTORICAL CONTEXT HERE FOR THE PROGRAM. 
          WE STARTED THE HOTSPOT LENDING PROGRAM IN 2017. 
          THROUGH THE YEARS, WE'VE USED VARIOUS SOURCES OF FUNDING. 
          THE NUMBER OF HOTSPOTS THAT WE'VE HAD AVAILABLE TO CHECK OUT TO THE CUSTOMERS HAS, HAS FLUCTUATED WITH THAT FUNDING THE LAST TWO YEARS, CARES FUNDING WAS MADE AVAILABLE AS WELL AS EMERGENCY CONNECTIVITY FUNDS. 
          BOTH OF THOSE FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WAS MADE AVAILABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC. 
          UH, THESE HOTSPOTS ARE JUST LIKE ANY OTHER ITEM WE HAVE AT HPL. 
          ANY HPL CARD HOLDER ANYWHERE IN THE CITY CAN REQUEST THESE ITEMS, HAVE 'EM SENT TO THEIR HOME LIBRARY FOR PICKUP, CIRCULATE FOR THREE WEEK PERIODS AT A TIME. 
          THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON THEM. 
          UH, SO ANYONE WITH A, WITH A CARD CAN COME AND CHECK THEM OUT. 
          THEY DO PROVIDE INTERNET TO UP TO 10 DEVICES AT ANY ONE TIME. 
          UM, 4G OR 5G INTERNET BASED ON THE, THE WIRELESS CARRIER WHERE THEY'RE USING THE HOTSPOT AT THAT TIME. 
          THE CHROMEBOOK LENDING PROGRAM, WE BEGAN LAST YEAR WITH THE EMERGENCY CONNECTIVITY FUNDS. 
          UH, THESE ALSO CIRCULATE FOR THREE WEEK PERIODS. 
          ANYONE CAN CHECK THEM OUT. 
          WE OWN 500 CHROMEBOOKS. 
          THE CONNECTIVITY, WHEN WE HAVE DATA ON THEM, IT'S BUILT IN. 
          SO THERE IS NO NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HOTSPOT OR WIFI CONNECTION. 
          THE, THERE'S A PICTURE RIGHT THERE OF WHAT THE CHROMEBOOK LOOKS LIKE THAT WE CHECK OUT. 
          THEY ARE, THEY ARE, THEY HAVE THE INTERNET JUST BUILT IN, SO YOU CAN JUST TAKE THE CHROMEBOOK AND USE THE INTERNET ALSO 4G OR 5G. 
          UM, OUR LATEST PROCUREMENT, THE EMERGENCY CONNECTIVITY FUNDS, THE DATA ON THOSE RAN OUT THE END OF JANUARY. 
          SO THAT'S WHY, UM, WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS THE PROCUREMENT THROUGH THE ARPA PROGRAM. 
          WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE HERE. 
          UM, SO AGAIN, WHY THE PROGRAM? WE NEED TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. 
          UH, WE SEE THAT THERE, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BEING THE, THE GAP THAT WE SEE BETWEEN THOSE WHO DO HAVE INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY AND THE SKILLS TO USE IT IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THOSE THAT DO NOT. 
          FULL PARTICIPATION, WE ALL KNOW IN 2023 IN SOCIETY REQUIRES EVERYONE TO HAVE A RELIABLE BROADBAND CONNECTION. 
          DATA HAS SHOWN IN RECENT STUDIES THAT 25% OF HOUSEHOLDS IN THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT LACK INTERNET ACCESS. 
          THOSE DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS, UNFORTUNATELY, WITH THE LEAST ACCESS, OFTEN NEED IT THE MOST. 
          INTERNET IS REQUIRED TO ACCESS MANY OF THE BASIC GOVERNMENTAL ASSISTANT PROGRAMS AND INEQUITABLE ACCESS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN TO ELECTRONIC DEVICES. 
          AND RELIABLE HIGH SPEED INTERNET HAS ULTIMATELY A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE OPPORTUNITY ACHIEVEMENT AND EQUITY GAPS IN EDUCATION. 
          WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          SO HERE'S SOME, UH, HISTORICAL CIRCULATION CHECKOUT DATA FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN STARTING IN 2017 WITH THE HOTSPOTS, A LITTLE OVER 2000 CIRCULATIONS ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH THE LAST TWO YEARS, WHERE WE'VE HAD OVER 16,000 COMBINED CHECKOUTS, UH, IN THE CONNECTED CHROMEBOOKS. 
          LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THAT PROGRAM. 
          WE SAW 685 CHECKOUTS OF THOSE. 
          OVER HERE ON THE RIGHT ON THE MAP, THIS IS, UH, 2022 INFORMATION FOR THE HOTSPOT CHECKOUTS. 
          UH, HERE'S THE KEY. 
          AT THE BOTTOM IS COLOR CODED, AND THIS IS BASED OFF THE HOME ZIP CODE OF THE USER THAT'S CHECKING OUT THE, THE, UH, HOTSPOT OR CHROMEBOOK OR THE HOTSPOT IN THIS CASE. 
          UM, SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT EVERYWHERE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, PEOPLE ARE CHECKING THESE OUT AND USING THIS SERVICE TO, TO HAVE INTERNET PROVIDED TO THEM. 
          GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. 
          UH, SO THE PATH FORWARD, LIKE I SAID, THE DATA THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY ENDED AT THE END OF JANUARY. 
          UH, WE NEED TO, WE WE'RE PROVIDED ACCESS TO, TO, UH, APPLY FOR THE ARPA, SOME OF THE ARPA FUNDING. 
          UM, SO WE WORKED WITH SPD OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS TO FOLLOW CITY AND FEDERAL PROCEDURE WITH THE ARPA PROCUREMENT. 
          WE ENDED UP RECEIVING BIDS FROM KAJEET INC. 
          AT AND T, VERIZON AND T-MOBILE. 
          LOWEST BID THAT MET SPECIFICATIONS WAS KAJEET. 
          THAT WAS 1.72 MILLION. 
          WHAT WE ASKED FOR WAS 2000 BRAND NEW HOTSPOTS. 
          THE HOTSPOTS WE HAVE CURRENTLY ARE OLDER AND OUTDATED, SO WE NEED, WE NEED A BRAND NEW HOTSPOT, 2000 OF THOSE WITH DATA FOR FOUR YEARS. 
          WE'VE, IN THE PAST, WE'VE BEEN GOING YEAR TO YEAR, SO WE WANTED TO GET A LITTLE BIT LONGER LINKED ON THIS SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY SO MUCH ABOUT WHERE THE FUNDING WAS GONNA COME FROM. 
          SO 2000 NEW HOTSPOTS OF DATA FOR FOUR YEARS, ALONG WITH 500 DATA PLANS FOR FOUR YEARS. 
          ALSO FOR THE CHROMEBOOKS, THE 500 
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CHROMEBOOKS THAT HPL ALREADY OWNS. 
          UH, WE DID RECEIVE AN MWBE WAIVER ON THE GROUNDS THAT DEVICES AND THESE DEVICES AND DATA ARE NOT DIVISIBLE. 
          UM, AS MENTIONED, WE REQUESTED 2000 HOTSPOTS WITH THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA, FOUR YEARS OF DATA, UNLIMITED 4G OR 5G DATA ON ALL THESE, UH, THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE CHILDREN, INTERNET, INTERNET PRONE PROTECTION, ACT FILTERING, CIPA FILTERING. 
          SO ALL THESE WILL HAVE THOSE FILTERS, UH, BUILT IN. 
          AND ALSO THE ABILITY FOR LIBRARY TO MANAGE THE SERVICE REMOTELY THROUGH A SERVICE PORTAL. 
          THIS IS IMPORTANT IF, IF CUSTOMERS ARE FAILING TO BRING IT BACK, THE, UH, HOTSPOTS WERE ABLE TO, UH, TURN THE SERVICE ON AND OFF REMOTELY. 
          WE ALSO REQUESTED THE 500 DATA PLANS FOR THE CHROMEBOOKS, AGAIN, WITH UNLIMITED 4G OR 5G DATA PLANS, THE CHROMEBOOKS HAVE BUILT IN, UH, MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT. 
          THAT ALSO ALLOWS US TO TURN THE INTERNET ON AND OFF ALREADY. 
          AND ALSO, AGAIN, WITH THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE CIPA CONTENT FILTERED DATA PLANS. 
          UH, IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO RICARDO PERES, OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, TO PROVIDE SOME MORE INFORMATION. 
          SO, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. 
          SO MY NAME IS RICK PERALES. 
          I'M CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT. 
          AND AS PATRICK JUST MENTIONED, UH, WE RECEIVED SEVERAL BIDS AND KAJEET WAS THE LOWEST BIDDER. 
          AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT KAJEET IS THEY'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 20 YEARS PROVIDING MOBILE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS, MAINLY CENTERED AROUND SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES. 
          UH, SO FILTERING, INTERNET FILTERING, UM, IS, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM. 
          AND SO WITH, WITH THIS VENDOR, WE, YOU KNOW, WE GET, WE GET VALUE ADDED SERVICES, OF COURSE, AS INCLUDING THE ONLINE MANAGEMENT PORTAL, THE INTERNET FILTERING, UH, ON THESE DEVICES AND THROUGH THEIR PROPRIETARY PLATFORM. 
          AND ONE OF THE THINGS, AS PATRICK MENTIONED, THAT'S IMPORTANT OF COURSE, IS THE ABILITY TO, TO MANAGE THESE DEVICES IN, IN A UNIFIED PORTAL AND BE ABLE TO TURN DATA ON AND OFF AS NEEDED. 
          UH, THEY ALSO WORK WITH, UH, ALL THE MAJOR CARRIERS, MULTIPLE CARRIERS AND DEVICES. 
          SO AS PATRICK MENTIONED, WE HAVE THE LIBRARY. 
          AL ALREADY OWNS AN INVENTORY OF 500 CHROMEBOOKS. 
          SO IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE FIND A SOLUTION THAT THAT CONTINUES TO LEVERAGE THAT INVENTORY, UH, AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE DATA PLAN FOR THOSE. 
          UH, SO ANOTHER KEY FEATURE HERE IS THAT KAJI IS ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, PACKAGE READY, UH, KITS OF THESE HOTSPOTS, CHARGERS, ADAPTERS AND ACCESSORIES READY TO DISTRIBUTE. 
          THE DEVICES COME PRE ACTIVATED. 
          SO THERE'S VERY LITTLE PROCESSING ON OUR END, UH, THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO. 
          AND THAT'S IMPORTANT CONSIDERING 2000 DEVICES THAT, THAT WE NEED TO HANDLE. 
          AND, UH, SO THE OTHER THING IS WE GET A DEDICATED, UM, ACCOUNT MANAGER, UH, FOR THIS. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HANDLE ALL THE DEVICE SERVICE AND SUPPORT WORK WITH US ON HANDLING WARRANTY RELATED ITEMS FOR, FOR ANY OF THESE DEVICES. 
          UM, THEY HAVE A 24 7, UH, NETWORK OPERATIONS CENTER AS WELL, UH, THAT MONITORS THE, THE SERVICE AND ALLOWS US TO SUBMIT SUPPORT REQUESTS AND TICKETS. 
          AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, RICK. 
          UM, GREAT PRESENTATION, YOU AND PATRICK AND, UH, AND DR. LAWSON ALL. 
          UM, I MAY HAVE A QUESTION, BUT BEFORE GETTING TO ME, I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, AMY PECK, WHO'S FIRST IN THE QUEUE. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          UM, COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. 
          DO WE OWN THE CHROMEBOOKS AND THE HOTSPOTS AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT, OR DOES IT ALL GO BACK TO THE VENDOR? WE OWN THEM. 
          GO AHEAD, RICK. 
          NO, I WAS GONNA SAY WE OWN THEM. 
          THE CHROMEBOOKS WE ALREADY OWN. 
          RIGHT NOW, WE JUST DON'T HAVE DATA PLANS. 
          AND SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS TO, TO ADD THE DATA PLANS TO THE CHROMEBOOKS, BUT WE OWN THE INVENTORY AND THE HOTSPOTS WE WOULD OWN. 
          OKAY. 
          SO FOR THE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY, YOU SAID THAT IT'S OLD AND OUTDATED. 
          WHAT ARE WE, WHAT, WHAT IS THE PLAN FROM THE CITY? UM, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THAT, UM, TECHNOLOGY? ARE WE SELLING IT? ARE WE, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT'S KIND OF REACHED THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE? PATRICK, YOU WANNA MAKE THAT? UM, WE, YEAH, WE PLAN TO SALVAGE THEM. 
          UM, SO WHATEVER THE CITY WOULD DIRECT US TO DO, WE'LL, WE'LL SALVAGE THEM AND SELL THEM IF THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. 
          UM, SO YEAH, WE HAVEN'T REALLY RAN INTO THAT ISSUE JUST YET BECAUSE AS THAT WAS SORT OF OUR FIRST BATCH OF THE HOTSPOT. 
          SO YEAH, WE WILL, UH, WORK WITH, UH, THE CITY AND MAKE SURE WE SALVAGE THEM IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY. 
          AND, UM, FOR THE NEW CONTRACT, UM, AS THINGS BECOME OUTDATED, 
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IS THERE ANY KIND OF RENEWAL PLAN FROM THE VENDOR AS FAR AS, UM, REPLENISHING WITH, UM, MORE UP TO DATE TECHNOLOGY THROUGHOUT THE CONTRACT? THEY'LL BE, I WAS GONNA SAY THAT THE CURRENT HOTSPOTS COME WITH A ONE YEAR WARRANTY. 
          THE NEW DEVICES COME WITH A ONE YEAR WARRANTY. 
          AND THE, THE CURRENT CHROMEBOOKS THAT WE HAVE, WE ALREADY OWN. 
          AND AS PATRICK OUTLINED IN THE PRESENTATION, THEY'RE ABOUT A YEAR OLD. 
          WE STARTED CIRCULATING THEM IN 22. 
          AND SO BECAUSE THOSE DEVICES ARE PART OF OUR ORIGINAL INVENTORY, THEN WE WOULD LOOK TO MAINTAIN THAT INVENTORY AND REPLACE ITEMS AS NEEDED. 
          UH, AS FAR AS THE HOTSPOTS, THE NEW HOTSPOTS THAT WOULD BE ACQUIRING FROM THE VENDOR, AS I MENTIONED, THEY, THEY COME WITH A ONE YEAR WARRANTY AND PASS THAT ONE YEAR WARRANTY, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE PROVISIONS TO REPLACE ANYTHING THAT FALLS OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY. 
          WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IN OUR EXPERIENCE IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY, UM, WITH NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, THEY WILL LAST A GOOD TWO TO THREE YEARS, UH, ON THESE HOTSPOTS. 
          SOME THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE NOW ARE PROBABLY FOUR YEARS OLD. 
          UM, AND SO, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE LOOK AT GOING FORWARD. 
          OKAY. 
          AND MY FINAL QUESTION, UM, IS WHAT IS BEING DONE TO GET THE WORD OUT TO PEOPLE THAT THIS IS AVAILABLE? SO RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE OUR DATA PLANS HAVE EXPIRED, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T DONE MUCH IN TERMS OF GETTING THE WORD OUT, BUT AS SOON AS WE GET AN APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, THEN OUR PLAN IS TO CERTAINLY PUT TOGETHER A PROMOTIONAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN, UH, THROUGH THE VARIOUS CHANNELS, INCLUDING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER OFFICES, THAT, THAT WE HAVE THIS RESOURCE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO USE NOW. 
          AND A LOT OF CUSTOMERS, AS YOU SAW FROM THE MAP, ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR THAT WE HAVE THIS PROGRAM. 
          BUT UNFORTUNATELY RIGHT NOW WE'RE KIND OF AT A, AT A PAUSE, I'M SURE. 
          COUNCIL, YEAH, IT'S ALREADY A POPULAR, IF I COULD ADD, IT'S ALREADY A VERY POPULAR PROGRAM AND, UH, AND, AND A LOT OF RENEWALS, PEOPLE CAN RENEW THEM JUST LIKE THEY CAN RENEW, UH, A BOOK THAT THEY BORROW. 
          IT IS CLEARLY A VERY POPULAR PROGRAM. 
          DR. LAWSON, THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          AND COUNCIL MEMBER, WE CAN PUT YOU BACK IN THE QUEUE IF YOU WANNA FOLLOW UP. 
          NO, THAT WAS IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OBVIOUSLY WE CAN, WE CAN DO SOME HELP AS WELL AROUND THE HORSESHOE WITH NEWSLETTERS AND, AND, UH, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT IN OUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS AND, AND THE CITY AT LARGE. 
          NEXT IN THE QUEUE IS COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. 
          THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          AND, UM, AND THANK YOU, UH, LIBRARY FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          I, I STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM, UM, YOU KNOW, TO GET HOTSPOTS AND CHROMEBOOKS, YOU KNOW, AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR, OUR SCHOOL SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE, UH, HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT TO GET, UM, UH, COMPUTERS AND INTERNET ACCESS TO, TO THOSE, UH, THE FAMILIES OF THE SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN. 
          BUT THERE'S SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE, UH, CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS OF HOUSTON THAT, THAT FALL OUTSIDE OF THAT. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES THIS, UM, A CITY'S PROGRAM LIKE THIS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UM, IT, IT ALLOWS, UM, THOSE WHO ARE PARENTS OF, OF YOUNG CHILDREN, IT ALLOWS OPPORTUNITY YOUTH, IT ALLOWS SENIOR CITIZENS TO ALSO BE ABLE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, EASY ACCESS TO THE INTERNET. 
          UM, TO HEAR THAT THERE'S STILL, YOU KNOW, 25% OF, OF THE, OF THE FAMILIES THAT WERE IN THIS AREA, YOU KNOW, OF, OF THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT, THAT DON'T HAVE WIFI ACCESS. 
          UM, IT REALLY DOES SPEAK TO THE POINT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT HOW IT, IT, UM, IS A HARDSHIP ON, ON, ON THEM, ON YOU BEING ABLE TO, UM, ACCESS MANY BASIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. WE CERTAINLY SAW THAT HAPPEN DURING THE PANDEMIC. 
          AND, UM, SO THIS IS A GOOD THING. 
          UM, I HOPE SOMEDAY THAT WIFI WILL BE UBIQUITOUS ACROSS OUR CITY. 
          UM, YES, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE GOAL. 
          I KNOW SOME OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE THAT. 
          I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WHEN I WENT AND VISITED MEXICO CITY AND JUST WALKING DOWN THE STREET THERE WAS FREE WIFI AND, AND I MM-HMM . 
          YOU KNOW, I HOPE WE CAN GET TO THAT HERE IN HOUSTON. 
          UM, IN THE MEANTIME, UM, I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HELP I'VE GOTTEN FROM, UM, UH, UH, HITS HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, OUR INTERNET FOLKS IN THE CITY AND THE LIBRARY, YOU KNOW, BUT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, TO, UM, TO FUND FREE 24 7 PUBLIC WIFI IN ALL DISTRICT AGE PARK RECREATION CENTERS. 
          AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN, UM, SUCH A BOOST TO THOSE COMMUNITIES. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT THOSE FAMILIES THAT DON'T HAVE WIFI, IT'S JUST ANOTHER LOCATION BESIDES, 
          [00:20:01]
BESIDES A SCHOOL, BESIDES A LIBRARY. 
          YOU KNOW, WE HAVE IT AT, AT ALL OF OUR DISTRICT AGE PARKS, RECREATION CENTERS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          UM, NEXT IN THE QUEUE IS STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX'S OFFICE. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          UM, IT SAYS HERE, THE LIBRARY HAS 500 CHROMEBOOKS. 
          ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO PURCHASE ANY ADDITIONAL CHROMEBOOKS THIS YEAR? NOT, NOT IN OUR, GO AHEAD. 
          UH, PATRICK, UH, NOT AT THIS TIME. 
          NOT AT THIS TIME. 
          YEAH, WE PLAN TO TRY TO GET THESE DATA FOR THESE 500 AND THEN, AND THEN GO FROM THERE. 
          BUT AT THIS TIME, THERE ARE NO PLANS TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SECOND QUESTION. 
          SO, UM, WE ORIGINALLY PURCHASED 500. 
          DO WE STILL OWN 500 OR DID THEY DISAPPEAR? WE, WE STILL OWN THE 500. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          SURE. 
          AND, AND I THINK THAT, UH, FAIRLY WELL EXHAUSTS THE QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL, BUT BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE MAP. 
          IT WAS, UH, SLIDE FOUR IN OUR PRESENTATION THAT SHOWED THE DISTRIBUTION ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON. 
          AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AS PATRICK MENTIONED, IT REALLY DOES SPEAK TO, UH, THE TARGETED NATURE OF THE PROGRAM AND HELPING THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST IN SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          BUT IN TERMS OF UBIQUITY AND, UH, THE COVERAGE ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, CLEARLY WE'RE DOING A, A DARN GOOD JOB HERE, NOTING FOR MY FRIENDS IN, UH, DISTRICT E WE DO OBVIOUSLY HAVE SMALL ONE THROUGH 50 SIZE DOTS IN BOTH KINGWOOD AS WELL AS APPARENTLY IN CLEAR LAKE. 
          SO THAT'S GOOD. 
          AND, UM, FOR THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND HIS DISTRICT AND THOSE FOLKS, THAT'S, UH, EXTENDING THE REACH AS WELL. 
          SO IF THERE, IF THERE ARE CORNERS OF THE CITY THAT NEED HELP, DR. LAWSON AND, AND PATRICK AND RICK, PLEASE LET US KNOW AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU ON THE PROGRAM. 
          BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO THIS COMPANY COUNCIL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, UH, DR. LAWSON, ANY CLOSING REMARKS? JUST, UH, THANK YOU, UM, FOR ALL THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY IS, UH, TRYING TO DO ITS PART IN HELPING TO BRIDGE THIS DIVIDE. 
          WONDERFUL. 
          THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AGAIN. 
          AND WITH THAT, UH, AND PERHAPS APPROPRIATELY, WE'LL TURN TO THE TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FROM THE HITS DEPARTMENT, THE HOUSTON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT, AND BEFORE TURNING IT OVER TO THE PRESENTERS, I'D LIKE TO NOTE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED VIRTUALLY BY STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MARY ANNE HUFFMAN, AS WELL AS, UH, WE'VE BEEN JOINED FROM THE BEGINNING, UH, BY STAFF FROM OUR VICE CHAIR AND AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN. 
          SO, WITH THAT, UH, JOINING US AT THE PODIUM IS, UH, THE DEPUTY CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, BERT CRAWFORD. 
          BERT, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE IN THE CHAMBER. 
          UH, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM YOU FIRST ON DATA CENTER LEASE AGREEMENT, AND THEN FOLLOWED BY PRESENTATION ON FISCAL YEAR 2023 CITYWIDE PC REPLACEMENT. 
          SO TURN IT OVER TO YOU FOR, TO START WITH THE DATA CENTER LEASE AGREEMENT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          AND HOLD ON ONE SECOND. 
          LEMME GET YOUR SPEAKER ON. 
          THERE YOU GO. 
          HEY, GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF WITH ME. 
          I HAVE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER LISA CANT, AS PART OF OUR, THAT RUNS OUR HOUSTON IT SERVICES DEPARTMENT. 
          SO NOW IF WE CAN MOVE TO SLIDE TWO, WE'LL GET INTO A BIT OF THE MEAT OF THE PRESENTATION AND WHAT WE'RE HERE TO REQUEST. 
          SO WE'RE, OUR REQUEST TODAY IS TWOFOLD. 
          ONE IS A CONTRACT AMENDMENT AND TWO IS A SPENDING AUTHORITY CHANGE. 
          THE PURPOSE OF THIS UPCOMING COUNCIL ACTION WILL EXTEND THE CONTRACT TERM, MODIFY THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENTS, AND REQUEST ADDITIONAL SPENDING AUTHORITY TO CONTINUE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO PROVIDE 24 BY SEVEN BY 365 DATA CENTER SERVICES FOR CITY IT INFRASTRUCTURE TO THE ENTIRE CITY. 
          THE CURRENT CONTRACT AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE IS $6,335,817 AND 92 CENTS. 
          THE PROPOSED INCREASE AMOUNT, $4,212,324. 
          OUR REQUEST IS TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL FIVE YEAR TERM TO THE CONTRACT THAT WOULD BEGIN MAY OF 17TH OF THIS YEAR AND RUN THROUGH MAY 16TH, 2028. 
          FROM AN MWB PERSPECTIVE, THIS CONTRACT IS EXEMPT. 
          AND AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS A FOCUS FOR THE ENTIRE CITY FOR PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURE IT SERVICES. 
          SO NOW LET'S PLEASE TRANSITION TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL DISCUSS OUR HITS DATA CENTER STRATEGY AS WELL AS WHAT THIS DATA CENTER SERVICES INCLUDE. 
          SO, PREVIOUSLY HITS HAS BEEN TO THIS COMMITTEE AND TALKED ABOUT OUR DATA CENTER STRATEGY, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE TWO COMPONENTS JUST TO MAKE SURE WE, WE, WE ARE FOLLOWING THROUGH ON WHAT WE COMMITTED TO DO BEFORE. 
          FIRST IS I'VE MENTIONED OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO CONSIDER THE CLOUD FIRST WHERE IT MAKES BUSINESS SENSE. 
          AND SECOND, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO REDUCE OUR 
          [00:25:01]
DATA CENTER FOOTPRINT FOR ON-PREMISE DATA CENTERS THAT WHERE WE HAVE OUR SERVERS. 
          SO WE'RE EXECUTING THAT PLAN, AND THIS IS PART OF THAT PLAN. 
          SO IF WE STEP NOW INTO DATA CENTER SERVICES, WHAT IS THAT? SO BASICALLY WE'RE RENTING SPACE FROM A COMPANY THAT PROVIDES DATA CENTER SERVICES, WHICH IS CALLED CO-LOCATION. 
          SO WE'RE ONE OF MULTIPLE CUSTOMERS THAT USE THIS DATA CENTER CAPABILITY. 
          THEY PROVIDE THE POWER AND THE COOLING, AND WE HAVE OUR EQUIPMENT THAT WE PURCHASE, OUR SERVERS, OUR STORAGE, OUR RACKS, UH, AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE, IT JUST IS A GENERIC DATA CENTER PHOTO, NOT THE ONE OF OURS, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR NETWORK EQUIPMENT. 
          AND WE SUPPORT, IMPLEMENT, SUPPORT, MANAGE AND MAINTAIN THOSE THROUGH THE DURATION OF THE LIFECYCLE OF THAT EQUIPMENT. 
          AND THEN WE REFRESH AND REPLACE WHEN NEEDED. 
          THE, THE COMPANY THAT PROVIDES THE STATE OF CENTER SERVICES TO US STATES, THEIR BUILDING THAT WE'RE IN IS, IS ALIGNS WITH THE TIER THREE LEVEL OF THE UPTIME INSTITUTE. 
          AND WHAT THAT BASICALLY MEANS IN A NUTSHELL IS REDUNDANT POWER AND REDUNDANT COOLING THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY. 
          'CAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP THESE HIGH POWERED AND HOT EQUIPMENT, UH, COOL. 
          AND OF COURSE, HAVING APPROPRIATE POWER TO SERVICE THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          IN ADDITION, WE HAVE NUMEROUS INTERNET CONNECT OUR NETWORK CONNECTIONS TO OUR CLOUD PROVIDERS, TO, UH, OUR MICROSOFT 365 SERVICES AND BACK TO NUMEROUS DATA CENTER CITY BUILDINGS TO PROVIDE THAT ADDITIONAL CONNECTIVITY FROM THE DATA CENTER BACK TO THE CITY TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE. 
          AND FROM A HIGH LEVEL, I'LL DISCUSS SOME OF THE DATA CENTER SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE. 
          SO ONE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS PHYSICAL SECURITY. 
          SO IN ORDER TO GET INTO THE FACILITY ON OUR BEHALF, WE HAVE A LIST OF SECURELY MANAGED SMALL NUMBER OF OF I OF, UH, CITY PERSONNEL THAT CAN GO INTO THE BUILDING. 
          AND IT'S MANAGED BY A BADGE SYSTEM THAT REQUIRES, UH, ALSO A FINGERPRINT TO GET IN. 
          SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE TWO TO GET INTO THE BUILDING. 
          AND THEN WE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAVE OUR OWN SECURE CAGE THAT HAS SAME ACCESS. 
          YOU CAN'T GET IN WITHOUT BADGE AND FINGERPRINT WITH HAVING BEEN GRANTED ACCESS, AND YOU CAN'T EVEN LEAVE THE BUILDING WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS. 
          SO A VERY SECURE FACILITY. 
          UM, AND I, FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, I BELIEVE THAT COVERS THAT SLIDE. 
          WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS MOVE TO THE, THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH WILL COVER THE FINANCIAL BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING, TALK ABOUT THE OVERALL CONTRACT. 
          SO FROM A DETAILED EXPENSE BREAKDOWN PERSPECTIVE, AS I MENTIONED, OUR AMOUNT SPENT TO DATE ON THE CONTRACT IS $6,335,817 AND 92 CENTS WE'RE REQUEST SPENDING AUTHORITY IS AN $4,212,314. 
          THAT BRINGS US TO A NEW TOTAL AMOUNT OF $10,548,141 AND 92 CENTS. 
          SO NEXT I WANNA BREAK IT DOWN INTO THE FIVE YEAR TERM. 
          SO THIS STARTS IN FY 24 AND RUNS THROUGH FY 28. 
          SO FOR FY 24, WE PROJECT TO SPEND $780,060. 
          AND THEN FOR THE FOUR OUTLYING YEARS FOR FY 25, FY 26, FY 27, AND FY 28, WE ANTICIPATE SPENDING IN EACH YEAR $858,066. 
          AND OUR FOCUS ON THAT IS FOR PROJECTED ANTICIPATED GROWTH AND ANY UNEXPECTED COSTS. 
          SO THAT COVERS THE PRESENTATION. 
          IF WE CAN MOVE THROUGH THE Q AND A SLIDES, I'LL BE READY TO ACCEPT ANY QUESTIONS. 
          WELL, MR. CRAWFORD, YOU'VE DONE SO WELL THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS OR STAFF MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE, SO APPRECIATE THE DETAIL, WHAT YOU'VE TOLD US AND WHAT YOU HAVEN'T TOLD US. 
          AND, UH, WITH THAT, I WANT TO THANK YOU AND WE'LL LOOK FOR THAT COMING TO COUNCIL, UH, FOR, UH, UH, LEGISLATIVE HEARING. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND WITH THAT, WE CAN MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR ON THE AGENDA TODAY, THE FISCAL YEAR 2023, CITYWIDE PC REPLACEMENT. 
          OKAY, ROUND TWO. 
          UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING ME. 
          WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 PC REPLACEMENT PROJECT NEXT. 
          AND IF WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ALREADY THERE, WHICH IS GOOD. 
          WE'LL GO INTO THE, AND DIG INTO THE DETAILS. 
          SO OUR COUNCIL ELECTION REQUEST IS FOR A CIP APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS TO, FOR, TO SPAN TO PROCEED WITH THIS PROJECT. 
          SO THE CITY HAS FOUR CONTRACTS WITH COMPUTER VENDORS. 
          THESE FOUR ARE DELL MARKETING, HP INC, SHI, GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS AND NETSY NETWORK SOLUTIONS. 
          THE PURPOSE OF THIS COUNCIL ELECTION REQUEST IS TO REQUEST AN APPROPRIATION OF CIP FUNDS FROM THE APPROVED FY 23 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BUDGET FOR THE CITYWIDE PC REPLACEMENT PROJECT. 
          APPROPRIATING THESE FUNDS WILL ALLOW HITS TO DO AN ANNUAL PC REFRESH FOR CITY EMPLOYEE DEVICES, AND WE DO THIS ON A FIVE YEAR REFRESH CYCLE FOR COMPUTER 
          [00:30:01]
HARDWARE, EQUIPMENT, ACCESSORIES, AND SERVICES. 
          AND PLEASE NOTE, FOR THE FIRST TIME THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS JOINING THIS PROGRAM, UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 23, THE TOTAL APPROPRIATION OF REQUESTED IS 1,000,050 $5,000. 
          THE TERM IS FOR FISCAL YEAR 23. 
          EACH OF THE FOUR VENDORS ON THIS CONTRACT HAVE INDIVIDUALLY A 7% MWBE GOAL TO ACHIEVE. 
          AND THE DEPARTMENT USERS ARE ALL DEPARTMENTS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE AIRPORT SYSTEM AND PUBLIC WORKS AS THEY DO THEIR OWN PC REFRESHES. 
          SO IF WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL TAKE US THROUGH SOME OF THE DETAILS AROUND WHAT IS, WHAT IS CITYWIDE PC REPLACEMENT AND WHAT DO WE GET WITH IT? SO FIRST OFF, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE A FIVE YEAR REPLACEMENT CYCLE FOR EMPLOYEE PCS. 
          WE DO THIS FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS TO STAY AS CURRENT AS TECHNOLOGY WHERE IT MAKES FISCAL SENSE TO PROTECT THE CITY, THE NEWER DEVICES WE CAN PATCH AND MANAGE MORE EFFECTIVELY TO PROTECT FROM CYBER ATTACKS, AND ALSO TO INCREASE THE EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY BY PROVIDING THEM THE DEVICE THAT'S BEST FOR THEM WITH THE PROPER PERFORMANCE TO DO THEIR JOBS. 
          PART OF OUR STRATEGY IS, IS TO TRANSITION TO A MORE MOBILE WORKFORCE WHERE IT MAKES SENSE. 
          IN A NUTSHELL, THIS MEANS WHEREVER POSSIBLE AN EMPLOYEE GETS A LAPTOP AND NOT A DESKTOP. 
          AND THE CONCEPT OF MOBILE WORKFORCE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS WORK WHERE YOU ARE. 
          AN EMPLOYEE COULD BE AT THEIR DESK, THEY COULD BE IN A CONFERENCE ROOM, THEY COULD BE IN ANOTHER CITY BUILDING, THEY COULD BE WORKING OUT IN THE FIELD, OR THEY COULD BE WORKING REMOTELY IN TELECOMMUTING FROM HOME, FOR EXAMPLE. 
          SO OUR, THE SERVICE HERE ENCOMPASSES LAPTOPS AND DOCKING STATIONS, WHICH TIE TOGETHER DESKTOPS AND WORKSTATIONS WHERE THEY MAKE BUSINESS SENSE WHAT'S ADDED. 
          AND IT ALSO INCLUDES DISPLAY ADAPTER CABLES TO CONNECT THE DEVICES TO THE MONITORS. 
          WHAT'S AT A SCOPE FOR THIS PROGRAM ARE THE REST OF THE PERIPHERALS AND ACCESSORIES MONITORS ARE NOT INCLUDED. 
          KEYBOARDS AND MICE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM. 
          THOSE ARE PURCHASED SEPARATELY. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALSO DONE IN THE LAST YEAR, THAT IS A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IS WE HAVE DEFINED WITH OUR OEM MANUFACTURERS, WITH THE CONTRACTS WE'VE DEFINED HERE CITYWIDE PC STANDARDS THAT WE, WE PARTNERED WITH THE OEM COMPANIES TO PICK THE RIGHT MODELS FOR USE AT THE RIGHT TIME THAT HAVE ROADMAPS THAT TRANSITION YEAR OVER YEAR TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT ON US FOR CHANGE, AND HAVE MINIMAL SUPPLY CHAIN CONSTRAINTS WITH CHALLENGES IN THE INDUSTRY. 
          IN ADDITION, THIS HELPS US TO STANDARDIZE ACROSS THE CITY, WHICH ALLOWS SCALABILITY OF SUPPORT. 
          IF, IF DEPARTMENTS AND USERS ACROSS THE CITY ARE USING SIMILAR TO THE SAME DEVICES, IT'S EASIER FOR US FROM AN IT PERSPECTIVE TO SUPPORT THEM AT SCALE. 
          SO THAT'S A HUGE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. 
          AS PART OF THOSE STANDARDS, WHAT WE DID IS WE DEFINED MODELS BASED ON USE CASES OF HOW EMPLOYEES WORK. 
          SO FOR EXAMPLE, A STANDARD KNOWLEDGE WORKER IS AN EMPLOYEE THAT USES THEIR COMPUTER TO READ THEIR EMAIL, TO USE THE MICROSOFT 365 SUITE OF PRODUCTS TO JOIN MICROSOFT TEAMS CALLS, UH, AND TO USE POTENTIALLY SOME SPECIAL BUSINESS APPLICATIONS FOR THEIR SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT. 
          WE HAVE OTHER USE CASES WHERE EXECUTIVES LAPTOPS FOR SOMEONE THAT'S ALWAYS ON THE GO MOVING FROM BUILDING TO BUILDING LOCATION TO LOCATION. 
          AND WE ALSO HAVE HIGH POWERED ENGINEERING LAPTOPS AND WORKSTATIONS FOR DATA CRUNCHERS FOR IT DEVELOPERS, FOR PEOPLE RUNNING LARGE SCALE REPORTS, EITHER USING MANIPULATING DATA WITH EXCEL OR POWER BI AS PART OF OUR MICROSOFT CONTRACT. 
          LOTS OF DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS THERE THAT WE PROVIDE THE POWER FOR THE EMPLOYEES TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND BE PRODUCTIVE. 
          SO NOW AS WE MOVE INTO THE PROGRAM, IT ALL TIES TOGETHER, WHICH MEANS AS WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING, WE HAVE WORKING THROUGH THE INVENTORY OF THE PCS THAT WE RECEIVE AND, AND FROM EACH DEPARTMENT. 
          EACH DEPARTMENT OWNS AND MANAGES THEIR INVENTORY. 
          WE HAVE THEM AND WE PRIORITIZE BASED ON A FIVE YEAR CYCLE. 
          SO ANYTHING FIVE YEARS OR OLDER GETS THE, THE PRIORITY TO BE REPLACED. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT WE FOCUS ON. 
          WE ALSO LOOK AT THAT INVENTORY AND BASED ON THE FUNCTION OF THE PERSON'S JOB AC ACCOMPANYING AND ALIGNING WITH THE STANDARDS I MENTIONED TO GIVE THEM THE DEVICE THAT THEY NEED THAT'S DESIGNED FOR THE WORK THEY DO SO THEY CAN BE PRODUCTIVE. 
          NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS, HOW DOES THIS WORK? SO THE SERVICES INCLUDE THE SETUP AND CONFIGURATION AND INSTALLATION OF THE NEW DEVICE, CONNECTING IT TO ALL THE PERIPHERALS, AND IT ALSO INCLUDES THE DE-INSTALL OF THE OLD COMPUTER, WHICH INCLUDES THE DESTRUCTION TO THE HARD DRIVE AND UTILIZING THE CITY'S CONTRACT WITH COMP CYCLE FOR SALVAGING PURPOSES. 
          SO THAT COVERS THE, THE CONTENT AROUND WHAT PC RE THE PC REPLACEMENT PROCESS IS AND HOW IT WORKS AND HOW IT ALL TIES BACK TOGETHER WITH THE RIGHT MODELS FOR THE RIGHT USERS AT THE RIGHT TIME. 
          WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS MOVE 
          [00:35:01]
TO THE, THE NEXT SLIDE TO TALK ABOUT FUNDING. 
          SO AS MENTIONED, WE ARE HERE REQUESTING 1,000,050 $5,000, AND WE COME HERE ONCE A YEAR FOR AN ONGOING PROCESS. 
          AS MENTIONED, WE REPLACE PCS EVERY FIVE YEARS. 
          SO THIS IS FOR THE FY 23 PERIOD FOR THE CITYWIDE PC REPLACEMENT. 
          AND OUR FOCUS IS SPENDING THIS MONEY ON PC HARDWARE AND ACCESSORIES. 
          SO THAT COVERS THE, THE CONTENT OF THE PRESENTATION. 
          I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO THE Q AND A SECTION NOW FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE NEEDED. 
          THANK YOU, MR. COR, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION WE HAVE AT AT LEAST A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE. 
          AND WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK. 
          THANK YOU, JAR. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT PRIORITIZATION OF THE NEW COMPUTERS AFTER FIVE YEARS. 
          CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? IS IT JUST ALL THE COMPUTERS ONCE THEY REACH FIVE YEARS OR IS IT JUST IF THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE COMPUTER, HOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK? YEAH, SO IT, WE REFRESH EVERY FIVE YEARS BASED ON UTILIZING THE MOST EFFECTIVE USE OF THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS. 
          UH, AND IT INCLUDES A WARRANTY PERIOD OF BETWEEN THREE TO FIVE YEARS, DEPENDING ON WHAT EACH DEPARTMENT SELECTS. 
          AND WE THEN HAVE VENDOR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD. 
          UH, AND FOR, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE BREAK FIX WILL BE DONE BY THE COMPANY WE BUY THE PRODUCT FROM THROUGHOUT THAT DURATION, AND THEN AFTER FIVE YEARS, THE, THE DEVICE WILL BE REPLACED WITH A BRAND NEW ONE AND IT'S FOR ALL CITY EMPLOYEES. 
          UM, AND THEN YOU ALSO TALKED ABOUT, UM, RECYCLING THE OLD MM-HMM . 
          COMPUTERS. 
          DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE COST IS TO RECYCLE THE COMPUTERS? UM, THAT CONTRACT IS FROM A RA, SO WE DON'T, UH, I DON'T HAVE A DIRECT AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AS TO HOW HOW MUCH THE CITY PAYS FOR THAT. 
          THAT IS A CONTRACT THAT A RA PROVIDES CITYWIDE. 
          WE CAN PROBABLY GET IT FOR YOU THOUGH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND DON'T YOU THINK WE CAN MM-HMM. 
          COLLABORATE WITH THEM? ABSOLUTELY. 
          WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO SEE IF WE CAN GET AN ANSWER AND THAT WOULD, WE WOULD BE A SUBSET OF THAT, THE TIRE UM, PRODUCT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN, UM, MY LAST QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANY CHANCE OF SELLING ANY OF THESE COMPUTERS RATHER THAN RECYCLING? I KNOW AFTER FIVE YEARS IT'S PROBABLY NOT WORKING PROPERLY, NOT PROBABLY WORTH ANYTHING, BUT HAS IT EVER BEEN LOOKED AT FOR THE ONES THAT ARE WORKING TO GET ANY KIND OF MONEY OUT OF THAT SOMEHOW? UM, I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT. 
          WE, WE NOT DELVED INTO THAT AREA FOR THE MOST PART. 
          AT LEAST SAY AFTER FIVE YEARS THERE, IT'S TIME TO GO. 
          AND THEY'RE, THE TECHNOLOGY EVOLVES SO FAST, WHICH IS WHY I TIE BACK TO WHAT I SAID EARLIER, WHICH IS WHEN WE WORK WITH THE VENDORS, WE PICK THE RIGHT MODELS THAT ARE CONSISTENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITH A ROADMAP PERSPECTIVE YEAR OVER YEAR, SIMILAR TO WHEN YOU BUY A NEW CAR, WHATEVER IT IS YOU GO FROM YEAR TO YEAR, THEY ENHANCE THINGS AND MAKE IT STRONGER AND BETTER. 
          SO BY THE TIME THE FIVE YEAR COMES, WE'VE, WE'VE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WAY OUT OUTDATED AND, AND IT'S GOOD TO REPLACE 'EM ENTIRELY. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER, WE MAY, UM, BE INTERESTED IN THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING AS WELL WITH THE HITS DEPARTMENT WHERE, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, THERE'S A, A POLICY WHERE WE CONSIDER SOME OF OUR SISTER CITIES AROUND THE WORLD AND WE ACTUALLY DONATE THOSE THINGS AS A PART OF A GOODWILL AMBASSADOR RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH OTHER PLACES THAT ARE LESS AFFLUENT, LESS LIKELY TO GO THROUGH THINGS AS QUICKLY AS, AS WE TEND TO DO HERE. 
          BUT IN ANY CASE, I THINK IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, NEXT QUESTION IS COMING FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS. 
          UM, THANK YOU CHAIR. 
          AND MY QUESTION IS, WAS, UH, SIMILAR ABOUT THE DECOMMISSION COMPUTERS AND, AND GOING TO COMPUS CYCLE CYCLE, IS THAT, I MEAN, ARE THEY REALLY LIKE TAKING THEM APART AND, AND REUSING MATERIALS IN THE COMPUTERS? IS THAT, I MEAN, IT REALLY IS RECYCLING THE, THE DEVICE LIKE THAT, IT'S NOT RECYCLING INTO THE COMMUNITY, IS THAT CORRECT? I'D HAVE TO DO SOME MORE DIGGING ON THAT. 
          I KNOW OUR GOAL IS, AS I MENTIONED, IS TO FOCUS ON THE HARD DRIVE DESTRUCTION, WHICH IS A PRIORITY TO THE CITY TO MAKE SURE OUR DATA DOESN'T GET COMPROMISED. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, BECAUSE, UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S STRIPPED AND WIPED CLEAN. 
          UM, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO JUST TO ASK ABOUT ANOTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED COMPUTE DO THAT I, I HAD HEARD CONVERSATIONS BEFORE ABOUT, UM, UH, COMPUTERS AS WE, ESPECIALLY THE, THE LAP, I MEAN THE, THE DESKTOPS AS, AS THE CITY TRANSITIONS INTO JUST THE, UM, THE MOBILE DEVICES THAT, THAT THERE COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO RECYCLE THEM IN A DIFFERENT WAY, YOU KNOW, BY GIVING THEM TO A, UM, AN ORGANIZATION LIKE COMP COMPUTE DO THAT, THAT REFURBISHES COMPUTERS AND, AND THEN, UM, HAS A LOTTERY OF SYSTEM THAT THAT GETS IN COMPUTERS TO UNDER RESOURCE NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, SO ANYONE WHO APPLIES, YOU KNOW, CAN AND QUALIFIES FOR THAT. 
          AND THAT'S ANOTHER REALLY GOOD PROGRAM. 
          SO, UM, DIRECTOR KEN, YOU'VE JUST COME UP. 
          YOU DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THAT? I, I DO. 
          AND I, HOLD ON, I DO HAVE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND, UM, TO MR. CRAWFORD'S COMMENTS, WE DO NEED TO GATHER SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM A RA, UM, BECAUSE THEY HOLD THE COMPUS CYCLE CONTRACT. 
          BUT WHAT I CAN SAY, UM, JUST RECENTLY I DID ASK, YOU CAN SPEAK UP JUST A LITTLE BIT, DIRECTOR, I 
          [00:40:01]
THINK IT'S NOT PICKING UP QUITE AS WELL. 
          SO I, I DID RECENTLY ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR SOME CLARIFICATION. 
          UM, MUNICIPALITIES, GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS DO HAVE TO FOLLOW THE LAW IN TERMS OF THE, IT'S CONSIDERED A GIFT OF PUBLIC FUNDS. 
          SO WHAT I DO UNDERSTAND FROM COMPUS CYCLE IS THAT IT DOES GENERATE THROUGH THAT AUCTION PROCESS A SMALL AMOUNT OF REVENUE FOR THE CITY. 
          AND SO, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY IS LOOKING INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF SIMILAR TO WHAT HFD DOES WITH SISTER CITIES, FOR US TO POTENTIALLY BE ABLE TO DONATE THOSE DEVICES AFTER THE HARD DRIVES ARE REMOVED AND DESTROYED. 
          UM, WE ARE LOOKING INTO THAT, BUT THOSE ARE THE COMPLEXITIES THAT WE'RE NAVIGATING AROUND IS WHETHER THE LAW WILL ALLOW US TO DO SO. 
          UM, WE HAVE ALSO PARTNERED WITH COMP DO IN, UM, IN FACT WHEN THE CARES ACT DOLLARS WERE, UM, ISSUED TO THE CITY, IN SOME CASES, WE, UM, PARTNERED WITH COMP.IN ORDER TO MAKE, UM, MONEY AVAILABLE SO THAT THEY COULD, COULD, UH, CREATE THOSE MACHINES AND, UH, PROVIDE THEM TO CHARITABLE DONATIONS. 
          UM, WELL, JUST TO BUILD ON THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE POINT YOU WERE MAKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE LAW SAYING WE CAN'T JUST GIVE THINGS AWAY, YOU KNOW, THAT IT HAS TO BE A PUBLIC BENEFIT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST AS WE WERE ABLE TO DIRECT CARE DOLLARS THAT WAY, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DIRECT COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE DOLLARS THAT NEEDED TO, TO, TO COMP ADOPT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT, IT IS A, IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO, UM, THE, THE, THE, A VERY NEEDY PART OF THE PUBLIC THAT, THAT WE WANNA HELP. 
          SO JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER PROGRAMS WE WERE TALKING WITH THE LIBRARY, IT'S VERY SIMILAR. 
          WE'RE RE WE'RE REACHING POPULATIONS THAT ARE IN DESPERATE NEED FOR YES. 
          UM, CONNECTIVITY. 
          SO I'M, I'M DONE. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL AND I, AND I HAVE TO EXCUSE MYSELF, I'VE GOT ANOTHER MEETING WAITING FOR ME. 
          SO GLAD YOU WERE HERE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK, NEXT IN THE QUEUE IS STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX'S OFFICE. 
          THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          YEAH, JUST A THOUGHT FOLLOWING UP ON THAT. 
          MAYBE GIVE THE COMPUTERS TO THE LIBRARY SYSTEM PEOPLE TO CHECK OUT IF THEY NEED, LOOK AT THAT CONSIDERATION AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY OF DONATING THEM TO SCHOOLS. 
          THAT'S A POSSIBILITY. 
          SO I'M JUST . 
          GREAT. 
          ALL, ALL OF THESE ARE GREAT IDEAS AND AGAIN, IT, WE, IT'S NOT THAT WE ARE OPPOSED TO THEM, WE'RE JUST ENSURING THAT WE CAN DO IT IN THE PROPER WAY. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          APPRECIATE TOO. 
          AND, AND KEEP US POSTED ON WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          WELL, WITH THAT, WE HAVE NO FURTHER MEMBERS OF, UH, COUNCIL OR STAFF IN THE QUEUE, SO I WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATIONS FROM HITS TODAY. 
          UH, MR. CRAWFORD AND YOU DIRECTOR KENT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          ALL THE, ALL THE HELP. 
          AND WITH THAT WE'LL TURN TO THE PUBLIC, UH, COMMENT SECTION OF TODAY'S AGENDA. 
          UH, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO'VE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK WITH US TODAY. 
          UH, THREE HERE IN THE CHAMBER, AS WELL AS ONE ONLINE. 
          AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH OUR FIRST SPEAKER. 
          THAT'S OUR FRIEND, DOMINIC MAZO. 
          DOMINIC, NICE TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING. 
          GLAD YOU MADE IT TO CITY HALL. 
          AND IF YOU'D APPROACH, WE'LL GET YOUR MIC GOING AND, UH, SPEAKERS, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES AND COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE THREE. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, WHAT I'LL DO IS, MY NAME IS DOMINIC MAZAK, I AM HERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, START THE CLOCK. 
          UM, I DID COME ON METRO AND GUY HERE FROM I 45 AND, AND PARKER ROW DRIVING TO NORTH SHEPHERD CAME HERE IN 30 MINUTES, 40 MINUTES. 
          SO MY CONCERN IS NUMBER ONE, WELL I GOT A COUPLE. 
          THE THING WITH THE LIBRARY, I THINK IT'S GREAT. 
          I DIDN'T REALIZE WE HAD SUCH A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITHOUT INTERNET ACCESS. 
          NOT ONLY WITH STUDENTS, BUT ADULTS NEEDED TOO. 
          NOT FOR GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS, BUT TAKE LIKE ACRES HOME, IT'S A FOOD DESERT, YOU KNOW, UH, IT'S ONLY JOVI'S BY SHEPHERD AND VICTORY STREETS. 
          THESE PEOPLE, THESE ARE THE TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY NEED HOME SERVICE TO BE FOOD AND STUFF BEING BROUGHT TO THEIR HOUSES. 
          AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A WAY FOR THEM TO GET WHAT THEY NEED. 
          AND THAT WOULD BE A, UM, WAY TO TAKE PRESSURE OFF METRO. 
          BUT EVEN WITH METRO, SAY IN ACRES HOME, THAT WOULD BE A WAY FOR THEM TO CALL UP THE CURB TO CURB 3 44 ACRES HOME SERVICE. 
          SO I THINK, UH, NOT, WE DON'T JUST THINK OF THE CHILDREN, THINK OF THE WHOLE PICTURE ABOUT THIS WITH THE COMPUTER PROGRAMS, UH, YOU WANNA BUY. 
          MY CONCERN IS HOW SECURE ARE THESE SYSTEMS GOING TO BE AGAINST MPS OR ANY OTHER SORT OF TERRORIST ATTACK? I MEAN, IF WE, IF YOU WANNA LOBOTOMIZE THE CITY, ATTACK THE COMPUTER SYSTEM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THIS, UH, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT. 
          AND TWO, I AM GLAD I WAS GONNA BRING IT UP. 
          I DID SEE IT IN THE, IN THE SLIDES THAT, UH, THE CITY 
          [00:45:01]
DOES HAVE A MINORITY WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS, UH, THING, UH, WITHIN THE, UH, WAY OF BUYING THINGS. 
          UH, I WOULD LIKE TO MAYBE DIG INTO THAT DEEPER WITH A COUNCIL MEMBER OR STUFF LIKE THAT. 
          IS THERE A POINT SYSTEM THAT THE CAPE CITY USES? SO WITH THAT, I'LL LEAVE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND, AND, UH, QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, DOMINIC. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          WE'LL SEE YOU SOON. 
          UM, AND OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ONLINE AND ATTENDING VIRTUALLY THAT WOULD BE, UH, MS. LINDSAY WILLIAMS. LINDSAY, I BELIEVE WE'VE SEEN YOU ONLINE. 
          CAN YOU UNMUTE? YEP, I AM HERE. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME? VERY GOOD. 
          YES MA'AM. 
          GO AHEAD, . 
          GREAT. 
          HI EVERYBODY. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TO LET ME SPEAK. 
          MY NAME IS LINDSAY WILLIAMS AND I CHAIR THE TRAINING COMMITTEE WITH THE EASTWOOD CIVIC ASSOCIATION, AND I'M INVOLVED IN THE EAST END RAIL SAFETY TASK FORCE. 
          THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN BEFORE YOU. 
          UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH JACK HANNA, GRIFF, AND THE EAST END RAIL SAFETY TASK FORCE, WHICH HAS BEEN COLLECTING SUBSTANTIAL DATA THROUGH THE PILOT SENSOR PROGRAM. 
          WITH THIS INFORMATION, ALONG WITH THE CAMERA SURVEILLANCE, OUR DATA, OUR CIVIC ASSOCIATION HAS COLLECTED ABOUT THE TRAIN STOPPAGES. 
          WE NOW HAVE AN AUDIENCE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. 
          OUR FINDINGS HAVE BEEN ELEVATED TO THE FRA AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION CHAIR. 
          UNIVERSITIES ARE NOW BEGINNING TO STUDY THE IMPACT OF FREIGHT CONGESTIONS AND ITS IMPACT ON SAFETY, BUT MORE ATTENTION IS NEEDED WITH THE CHANGES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. 
          THE DOORS ARE, COULD BE CLOSING FAST ON REQUESTING BIL FUNDING. 
          THE CITY HAS ONLY REQUESTED TWO GRADES, SEPARATED CROSSINGS. 
          THE CITY MUST REQUEST BIL FUNDING FOR MORE GRADE SEPARATED CROSSINGS WITHIN THE EAST END. 
          WE KNOW THERE ARE PRIORITY INTERSECTIONS ALREADY IDENTIFIED, BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO FILL IN THOSE GRANT APPLICATIONS. 
          AND WE ARE EXTENDING OUR HELP DURING THE JOINT TTI COMMITTEE MEETING ON MAY 12TH WITH THE RAILROADS IN ATTENDANCE. 
          WE ASKED FOR MEETINGS TO DISCUSS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COVERING THE EAST END AND TO DISCUSS PROJECT PRIORITIES. 
          WE HAVE FOLLOWED UP SEVERAL TIMES REQUESTING A MEETING WITH NO RESPONSE. 
          WE'RE LOOKING TO KEEP THIS ON THE CITY'S RADAR AND WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE MORE PRECIOUS TIME SINCE WE'RE FACING A COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF THE RAIL AND ROADWAY SYSTEM IN THE EAST END WITH CONTINUED MULTI-YEAR DELAYS. 
          SO WE'LL BE BACK IN MARCH TO REVIEW IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS, AND SOLUTIONS WITH THE TEAM. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. WILLIAMS. APPRECIATE THAT. 
          AND, UH, AS IT'S NOT REALLY AN AGENDA ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TO KEEP THAT IN FRONT OF US AND, UH, WE'LL, UH, KEEP IT IN MIND. 
          THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE. 
          OUR NEXT TWO SPEAKERS ARE COMING TO US FROM, UH, LIVE BACK HERE IN THE CHAMBER AND WE'LL HEAR FIRST FROM MISS MARIAN WRIGHT. 
          MARIAN IS WITH US AND I THINK ALSO IS SPEAKING OFF AGENDA, BUT ON TOPICS RELATED TO THE 11TH STREET PROJECT. 
          HI. 
          SO, UM, MORNING YESTERDAY WHEN I SPOKE, UM, COUNCIL MARK ROBINSON, YOU HAD SAID THAT YOU DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE METHODS OF HOW I COME ACROSS AND THAT YOU THINK THAT SOMETIMES I COME ACROSS AGGRESSIVE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          WELL, YOU SAID SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. 
          UM, I MIGHT NOT BE QUOTING YOU EXACTLY, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO TRY AND EXPLAIN IS WHY AT TIMES, AND I'M HOPING THAT YOU CAN KIND OF UNDERSTAND THAT THE PEOPLE ARE NOT BEING HEARD. 
          I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. 
          ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD CLUB, KEVIN STRICKLAND WRITES, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE 11TH STREET IMPROVEMENTS. 
          THE CAR PEOPLE IN THE HEIGHTS ARE GONNA COME OUT AND DROVES TO PROS. 
          THE CHANGES LIKE THIS, THEY'RE VERY VOCAL. 
          IN ADDITION, THE COMMUNITY LEADERS AREN'T KEEN ON THE UPDATES AND THE CHANGES IN THE PLANS, HOW THEY'VE BEEN COMMUNICATED. 
          JOE FUTO, WHO IS HEAD OF BIKE HOUSTON, WE ASK PEOPLE THAT HAVE NO EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE OR KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO MAKE PROPER DECISIONS AND TO COME AND DRAW ROUTES. 
          AND WE ASK THE CITY STAFF TO SIT THERE AND BE POLITE AS THEIR RIDICULOUSNESS POURS OUT. 
          WE THEN, UM, GO AHEAD AND, UH, SOMETHING ELSE FROM JOE FRITO. 
          UM, IF YOU ARE IN A TRANSPORTATION ADVOCACY GROUP AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THE DECISIONS, THEN YOU'RE NOT DOING YOUR JOB. 
          HE SAID THAT IN THE RESPONSE OF WHY HE SAT FRONT ROW NEXT TO MARGARET WALLACE BROWN AT A MEETING. 
          OUR COMMUNITY DOES STUFF NOT TO HAVE COMMUNITY MEETINGS. 
          THEY TRY TO SQUASH THINGS SO THAT JUST THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP CAN MAKE THESE DECISIONS FOR US. 
          WHEN I ASKED BRAD SNEAD TO PLEASE HAVE A MEETING SO THAT EVERYBODY COULD TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING, BRAD SNEAD SAYS, I WAS HOPING THAT YOU WOULD GIVE US EXAMPLES AND THAT YOUR TEAM AT ARTS WOULD HELP US. 
          THANK YOU MS. MS. WRIGHT. 
          I, I APPRECIATE IT. 
          I DON'T THINK I KNOW EVERYONE THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED TODAY, BUT I'M FAMILIAR WITH 
          [00:50:01]
A FEW OF THE INDIVIDUALS, SO APPRECIATE YOUR PERSPECTIVE IN BRINGING IT. 
          I I DID VERY MUCH ENJOY THE TOUR THAT I HAD WITH YOU, UH, THIS WEEK AND APPRECIATE ALL YOUR ADVOCACY. 
          I THINK YOU ARE BEING HEARD. 
          SO, UH, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING TODAY AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE COMING. 
          I JUST WISH THAT OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD COME AS WELL. 
          UM, I KNOW THEY'RE HEARING YOU AS WELL, MS. WRIGHT. 
          ARE THEY, I JUST WISH THEY'D COME AND HEAR THE BUSINESS OWNERS AND REALLY SEE, LIKE YOU DID, REALLY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'LL, I'LL REMIND THEM AND IF YOU CAN ENCOURAGE 'EM TO COME, WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HAVE THEM. 
          THANK YOU AGAIN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BYE-BYE. 
          BYE-BYE. 
          NEXT, UH, SPEAKER IS MR. BOB CHOATE, WHO'S HERE, I THINK ALSO IN THIS CASE TO SPEAK ABOUT MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION. 
          MR. CHO, THANK YOU FOR ACCOMMODATING US ON STOP NUMBER ONE OF OUR MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR. 
          THE YOUNGER FOLKS MIGHT NOT GET THAT REFERENCE  OF EVERY COMMITTEE THAT SOMEHOW TOUCHES STREETS MOBILITY AT LIFE IN HOUSTON. 
          TO BE CLEAR, A BARE MINIMUM OF THE COMMENTS THAT I HAVE HEARD OR READ, AND THAT'S NEARLY A HUNDRED CONDEMNED BIKE LANES. 
          WHAT HAS BEEN OPENLY CRITIQUED IS THE PROCESS AT THE RISK OF SARCASM. 
          THIS PROJECT SHOULD BE HERE TO, FOR KNOWN AS PROJECT ZEBRA. 
          AS YOU MAY KNOW, AS ZEBRA IS A HORSE DESIGNED BY A COMMITTEE COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE CAME AND SPOKE ON TUESDAY ABOUT 10 MEETINGS THAT WERE HELD. 
          I'M EAGERLY AWAITING TO LIST AND INFO THAT I HAVE REQUESTED FROM OUR OFFICE. 
          AS I ATTENDED THREE OF THOSE MEETINGS, TWO AT THE VERY BEGINNING AND ONE TOWARD THE END. 
          THE FIRST OF THOSE MEETINGS, IT WAS PAINFULLY APPARENT THAT THE, THAT THE PLAN THE CITY HAD HAD ALREADY DECIDED WHAT WAS TO HAPPEN. 
          COMMUNITY INPUT WAS A RED HERRING. 
          THERE ARE DOZENS OF HOUSTON RESIDENTS WHO WILL APPRECIATE A REEVALUATION OF THIS PROJECT. 
          AND AS A SIDE NOTE, COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH WAS INTERESTED IN THE TRASH SITUATION ON THE WAY HERE. 
          I DROVE DOWN 11TH STREET, COUNTED 25 BINS THAT WERE OUT FOR COLLECTION, PROBABLY ANOTHER DOZEN THAT WERE STILL IN THE YARDS. 
          I GUESS PEOPLE WILL GET 'EM OUT LATER 'CAUSE THEY KNOW THE TRUCK WILL COME LATER. 
          BUT OF THE 25 15 OF THOSE BINS WERE IN THE BIKE LANE, THAT'S A PROBLEM. 
          ALSO, THERE WAS A METRO SERVICE TRUCK CLEANING A BUS STOP TOTALLY BLOCKING THE BIKE LANE. 
          SO THERE'S SOME THINGS NEED TO BE RE REVISITED ON THIS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, MR. CHO, THERE IS A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU AND THAT'S, UH, VIR AND ONLINE AND VIRTUALLY WE HAVE DR. CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ. 
          GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          THANK YOU MR. CHO. 
          UH, WE ARE ON THE SAME SIDE OF THIS ISSUE, UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. 
          THOSE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE DISCUSSED WERE CERTAINLY, UM, THE WAY THAT THE, THIS WAS OPERA, THIS, THIS IS HOW THIS WAS DONE IN MY COMMUNITY WITH NO ENGAGEMENT AND CERTAINLY THE TRASH I ANTICIPATED IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM. 
          AND SO I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHEN A PLAN IS MADE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SAY YOU WANT COMMUNITY INPUT, BUT DOES IT REALLY MATTER, UH, BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY PUT THE PLAN IN ACTION. 
          AND SO IT IS A MAJOR CONCERN TO ME WHETHER THE VOICES OF THE PEOPLE ARE BEING HEARD. 
          YOU KNOW, WE HEAR OUTS ABOUT HOUSING AND CERTAIN THINGS AND PEOPLE NOT WANTING CERTAIN THINGS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THEN WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THIS COMMUNITY WHO WAS NOT ENGAGED, NOT WANTING BIKE LANES, IT'S LIKE, WELL, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. 
          AND SO I HAVE A MAJOR CONCERN REGARDING THAT. 
          BUT OF COURSE, IT TAKES PEOPLE SUCH AS YOURSELF TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK TO THESE ISSUES. 
          AND I DO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. 
          THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. 
          THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS AND, UH, AROUND THE HORSESHOE FOR BEING HERE, STAFF AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. 
          WE APPRECIATE THAT. 
          WITH THAT, WE HAVE COME TO THE END OF OUR AGENDA, BOTH IN PRESENTATION AS WELL AS PUBLIC SPEAKERS. 
          PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL OF THESE PRESENTATIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE. 
          I BELIEVE THEY ALREADY ARE ON THE TTI WEBSITE. 
          THAT'S AT WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV/COUNCIL/COMMITTEES/TTI.HTML. 
          I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR NEXT TTI COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, MARCH THE SECOND. 
          UH, AND THAT ONCE AGAIN WILL BE AT 10:00 AM IN THE YEAR OF 2023. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.