* 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. [Press Conference: "I-45 Expansion"] [00:00:18] A GOOD AFTERNOON, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE. AND, UH, I WELCOME YOU, UH, TO THE 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. UH, AND, UH, I AM, UM, GRATEFUL FOR EVERYONE THAT IS STANDING HERE, EVERYONE THAT, UH, HAS JOINED, UH, THE ADMINISTRATOR IN HIS TIME, UH, IN, UH, HOUSTON AND TEXAS. I'M VERY GLAD TO NOTE, UH, THAT THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION HAS HAD A FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. UH, HE IS HERE TO REAFFIRM AND TO SPEAK OF THE POWER OF ENFORCEMENT, UH, AND TO APPLAUD THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR THEIR MOU THAT TOOK, UH, VERY LONG TO DO, BUT WITH INTENSE WORK. UH, JUDGE YAGO AND THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT WITH COMMISSIONER ELLIS WITH INTENSE WORK, UH, AND THE WORK OF THEIR COUNTY ATTORNEY, MR. MENIFEE. UH, AND OF COURSE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS WHO, UH, AT SOME POINT FELT THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS NECESSARY TO BE ENGAGED. THIS PROJECT STARTED AROUND 2000 AND THE 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT AND MYSELF HAVE BEEN ENGAGED FROM THE VERY START. I WANTED THIS TO BE A PROJECT, WHETHER IT WAS BRICKS, UH, CONCRETE, AND SOME SAY BRICKS AND MORTAR FOR THE PEOPLE AND FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE MS. DAVIS AND OTHERS WHO HAVE LIVED THROUGH PROJECTS TAKING AWAY NEIGHBORHOODS. I PROUDLY ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE, ALWAYS SPEAK OF HOUSTON, THE CITY OF NEIGHBORHOODS. AND OUR MAYOR, SYLVESTER TURNER, HAS BROUGHT THAT BACK TO REINFORCE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT LIZA PAUL IS HERE. SHE KNOWS THAT WE'VE HAD SOME, UH, TOUGH ENGAGEMENT, AND IT IS ONLY NOT BECAUSE OF NOT WANTING TO USE FEDERAL DOLLARS AND TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO WORK WITH NEIGHBORHOODS. AND SO I WANT TO, UM, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A SIGNING OF THE AGREEMENTS OF BETWEEN, UH, THE CITY, UH, AND THE COUNTY. AND NOW WE HAVE THE SIGNING, UH, AND THE, UH, EFFORTS OF THE US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. UH, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. PRESIDENT BIDEN'S MESSAGE INDICATED THAT HE WANTED EQUITY IN TRANSPORTATION. UH, SECRETARY BUDES WANTS EQUITY IN TRANSPORTATION. I WAS ABLE TO USE THAT, UH, TO, UH, IF I MIGHT SAY, UH, WATCH , UM, PROVIDE INFORMATION TO OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT A TITLE VI FILING. UH, WE ARE NOT USED TO THAT HERE IN HOUSTON. UH, WE'RE MANY TIMES IN THIS STATE HAVE RECEIVED WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US WITHOUT THE IDEA OF THE FIGHT. I'M SO GLAD OF THE NEW COMMISSIONER'S COURT, THE MAYOR OF THIS CITY THAT RECOGNIZED A FIGHT WAS NECESSARY. AND ALL OF YOU ACTIVISTS, WE ARE GRATEFUL. AND SO TODAY, UH, THE ADMINISTRATOR JOINED ME, UH, AT CLAYTON HOLMES, UH, KNOCKED DOWN OR EVACUATED TOO SOON. DIDN'T NEED TO BE THAT SOON. I SAY THIS IN THE BACKDROP OF GREAT APPRECIATION FOR THIS AGREEMENT WITH TDOT, AND THE ADMINISTRATOR WILL SAY THAT, BUT I'M GONNA JUST LAY, UH, THE FRAMEWORK, UH, FOR WHAT WE WERE DEALING WITH. THAT WAS TOO SOON. AND WE'RE DEALING WITH ABANDONED PROPERTY NOW AND LOOKING FOR HOUSING, OR WORKING TO GET HOUSING. WE WENT TO THE LOSS AT THE BALLPARK. I HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE THERE SOME MANY MONTHS AGO SAYING, DON'T TEAR THIS DOWN. BUT THIS ACTION ALLOWED FOR A PAUSE. AND I WANNA THANK TEXDOT. WE LOST SOME OF THE UNITS BECAUSE THE OWNER SOLD IT IMMEDIATELY. BUT WE HAVE THE LOFTS AT THE BALLPARK. BUT THOSE HOMES WILL BE RESTORED AND PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO BE LIVING IN THOSE HOMES THAT WERE SAVED AND WERE NOT TORN DOWN. THEY WILL BE HOUSING. UH, WE WENT ON TO A HISTORIC CHURCH THAT IS OVER 110 YEARS OLD. GREAT AMOUNT OF OLIVE OVER IN THE INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS. THEY WERE APPROACHED IN 2018. THEY'RE STILL THERE. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING THAT WAS BUILT BY THE PASTOR WITH HIS OWN HANDS. [00:05:01] AND WE'RE HOPING WE CAN FIND RELIEF FOR THEM, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE TOLD TO GO IN 2018. WE THINK TXDOT WILL HAVE A WONDERFUL RESPONSE TO SOME NEW IDEAS FOR THAT CHURCH. IT'S NOT TORN DOWN, IT'S JUST STILL THERE. WE WENT TO THE WONDERFUL BRUCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I KNOW WE HAVE ANOTHER STORY TO TELL ABOUT HISD, BUT BRUCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, A MAGNET ART SCHOOL RIGHT IN THE CRUX OF THE I 45 CONSTRUCTION. WE THINK THIS AGREEMENT IS GOING TO HELP US, ONE, PROTECT THOSE CHILDREN AND TWO, UH, PROTECT KELLY COURTS, UH, WITH A NEW APPROACH. UH, YOU'LL HEAR THE ADMINISTRATOR SAY THAT ALL THESE PROJECTS, ALL THESE AREAS ARE NEEDED. AND WE AGREE, BUT WE WANNA KNOW IF THE FOOTPRINT HAS TO BE THE SAME. AND THAT'S WHERE THE ENFORCEMENT AND HOW POWERFUL THIS DOCUMENT IS SIGNED BY TDOT AND THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATOR, ADMINISTRATOR BAT, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, WHO CANNOT BE WITH US AT THIS TIME, WAS WITH US ON THE ROAD AND EXPLAINED ABOUT LIONELLE CASTILLO, THAT CENTER AND THE LAND THAT HAD TO BE TAKEN THERE. AND WHETHER OR NOT ALL THAT LAND NEEDED TO BE TAKEN. WE KNOW THERE'S A DESIGN, WE KNOW THEIR AGREEMENT SIGNED, BUT BECAUSE OF THIS AGREEMENT, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS. AND I WORK WITH MS. PAUL. I WILL NOT PUT HER ON THE SPOT, BUT I WILL SAY SHE'S A REASONABLE NEGOTIATOR, AND SHE'S GONNA HEAR ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS THAT WE THINK CAN BE IN THE FOOTPRINT OF THIS DOCUMENT. I'VE READ THIS DOCUMENT, UH, AND I'M VERY HAPPY. UH, I THINK THERE ARE POSTER BOARDS, UH, SHOWING, UH, WHERE WE'VE BEEN, THE LOFTS AND WHAT THEY COULD HAVE WOUND UP BEING. THEY COULD HAVE WOUND UP, UH, BEING, UH, JUST ANOTHER TEARDOWN. AND WE'VE TRIED TO SAVE THE TEARDOWNS METRO IS HERE. THEIR CONVERSATIONS WERE A LITTLE STRAINED BECAUSE IT'S A NEW DAY. IT HAS TO BE MULTIMODAL AND METRO NEEDED TO BE INCLUDED, UH, IN THEIR PLANS. AND AS WE WERE TRAVELING, UH, THE CEO OF METRO WAS TELLING US WHERE INNOVATIVE, UH, BUS STRUCTURES AND BUS, UM, STOPS. AND, UH, VARIOUS TECHNOLOGY FOR SAFETY WILL BE IN PLACE. THAT HAS TO BE ENGAGED WITH THIS WHOLE NEW REFORM OF I 45. I JUST WANNA MAKE THIS POINT AS I BRING OUR MAYOR UP. THIS DOCUMENT INCLUDES REDUCING THE N-H-H-I-P FOOTPRINT, DEALING WITH THE DESIGN. THAT MEANS WE HAVE ROOM TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE EXPANSIVENESS THAT CAN BE DONE DIFFERENTLY. DO WE NEED 78 UNITS GOING FROM, UH, KELLY COURT WHERE PUBLIC HOUSING IS NEEDED? THIS DISPLACEMENT LOCATION HOUSING? UM, IT SPEAKS SPECIFICALLY. DO WE HAVE WATER? WE'LL GET YOU SOME WATER. SUSAN, UH, RELOCATIONS HOUSING COMMUNITY IMPACT. UM, IT LOOKED AT THE CLAYTON HOLMES IN PARTICULAR. I WANNA READ THIS WHOLE DOCUMENT TO YOU, BUT I WON'T. IT LOOKED AT KELLY COURTS. THE VERY FACT THAT ALL THESE NAMES ARE HERE. THIS GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY. SO I WANT FLOODING AND THE MITIGATION OF FLOODING. UH, AND THAT IS AROUND KELLY COURTS AND IS ALSO AROUND THE LEONEL CASTILLO FACILITY. DOES THE DESIGN HAVE TO BE NOT YET IN CONCRETE, BE AS IT IS? CAN WE LIVE TOGETHER AS HUMANS AND WITH PROGRESS? THAT'S BEEN MY CAUSE. AND I WILL CONTINUE, UH, TO FIGHT THIS. CAUSE ONE OF THE MAJOR ONES, AIR QUALITY, UH, AIR ALLIANCE WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL, UH, IN LETTING US RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE 30 SCHOOLS IN THE AREA. AND HOW WILL THESE CHILDREN BE IMPACTED? WE KNOW ASTHMA IS RAGING IN OUR MAJORITY MINORITY COMMUNITY, OF COURSE, GREEN SPACE. AND, UM, NOT WITH HUMOR, BUT WITH SERIOUSNESS. I WANT THE ADMINISTRATOR TO KNOW THAT WHEN I READ HEADLINES, I'M GONNA SAY, THE JURISDICTION IS THERE. PARKS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SAVE OUT PARKS. UH, AND SO I WANT TO, AGAIN, THANK ADMINISTRATIVE BACK SECRETARY BORE AND THE PRESIDENT WHO HEARD ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT I 45. HERE'S OUR DOCUMENT WITH THE MOU OF THE CITY, WITH THE MOU OF THE COUNTY, WITH THE WORK OF THOSE WHO PROCEEDED, UH, TO, UH, MOVE ON WHAT WE CALL A TITLE VI COMPLAINT. THAT'S WHAT DEMOCRACY IS. [00:10:01] UH, AND THAT'S WHAT OUR CITIZENS DO. UH, WE KNEW THAT THIS MIGHT HAVE TO BE THE ROUTE. UH, AND I CAN'T SAY THAT WE WERE NOT EXCITED, UH, WHEN, UH, WE PROVIDED THE INFORMATION AND OUR CITIZENS TOOK UP THE CAUSE LEGITIMATELY AS THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO. SO, PLEASE BE REMINDED THAT THIS TITLE VI PROCESS REALLY HELPED SAVE OUR LIVES. AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE ALL ENGAGED. WE NOW HAVE A STRUCTURE OF WORKING WITH TDO AND MS. PAUL, WHO HAS ALWAYS COME WHEN WE'VE ASKED HER, OUR COMMISSIONER AND CHAIRMAN. BUT LET'S WORK IN A DIFFERENT WAY, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL PROVIDE THAT KIND OF STRENGTH THAT WE NEED. LET ME NOW BRING UP, UH, MAYOR TURNER, UH, WHO I HAVE BEEN GRATEFUL TO WORK WITH, UH, CLOSELY WITH HIS TEAM. AND HE HAD A MASSIVE TEAM WORKING ON IT AND WORKING ON IT FOR A GOOD WHILE. UH, AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, HIS ELEMENTS MOVING FORWARD AS WELL. THANK YOU, MAYOR TAR. THANK YOU, CONGRESSWOMAN. LET ME THANK THE CONGRESSWOMAN AND LET ME BE VERY BRIEF. I DO WANT TO, UH, SHE'S THANKED EVERYBODY ELSE. LET ME THANK HER. UH, UM, MR. ADMINISTRATORS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THE CONGRESSWOMAN, YOU KNOW, SHE'S BEEN THERE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, DURING AND EVEN AT THIS POINT. SO I WANT TO THANK HER FOR HER, UH, REPRESENTATION, NOT ONLY OF THE 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, BUT THE CITY AS A WHOLE. AND SO, THANK YOU CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA. GIVE IT UP TO CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JOHNSON. THANK YOU, MR. ADMINISTRATOR. LET ME, LET ME WELCOME YOU TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND I'M GLAD YOU'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF GO AROUND TO SOME OF THE LOCATIONS. UH, APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. AND QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK IN ALL OF THE AGREEMENTS, THE MOUS BY THE CITY, THE COUNTY OF THE WORK, OF THE COMMUNITY, ACTIVISTS AND SO MANY OTHERS, METRO, UH, I THINK WE TRY TO EM EMBODY THE PRINCIPLES, UH, THAT THE, UH, SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION, SECRETARY GIET HAS SPOKEN ABOUT. AND THAT IS, UH, BUILDING SOMETHING THAT'S FUTURISTIC, THAT'S CONNECTING RATHER THAN DIVIDING, CONNECTING COMMUNITIES, UH, ADDRESSING SOME OF THOSE PAST INEQUITIES WHERE WE BUILT FREEWAYS JUST FOR CARS AND TRUCKS AND, UH, PRETTY MUCH NO ONE ELSE. AND SO WE BUILT THE CAPACITY SE SEPARATING NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, AND NOW AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE OF THE MOUS OF THE CITY, OF THE COUNTY, I WANNA THANK THE COUNTY A GREAT DEAL. THE COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS FOR COMING UP WITH SOMETHING. AND THEN THE AGREEMENT THAT WAS SIGNED BETWEEN T STOCK AND THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION. ALL THESE AGREEMENTS, I THINK REPRESENT LIVING DOCUMENTS, UH, THAT IN MANY CASES WILL OUTLIVE US. THIS PROJECT IS A 10 YEAR PROJECT, AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE, UH, NOT JUST COME UP AND SIGN THE DOCUMENTS, BUT WE LIVE OUT THE TRUE MEANING OF THESE DOCUMENTS. MM. ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE IN NEIGHBORHOODS. SO, I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT, UH, EVERYTHING THAT THE CONGRESSWOMAN SAID. UH, IT IS ABOUT NET ZERO HOUSING LOSS. UH, IT IS ABOUT, UH, NOT TAKING MORE THAN WHAT YOU NEED AND DESTROYING HISTORICAL NEIGHBORHOODS OR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE ADJACENT THERE TOO. IT IS ABOUT WORKING WITH METRO TRANSIT, THAT THERE ARE PARTNERS, UH, AND NOT, UH, WORKING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. IT IS ABOUT PARKS AND GREEN SPACE. UM, ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, THE ENVIRONMENT. AND IF WE DO IT RIGHT, AND IF WE STAY TRUE TO ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS, THEN I THINK WE CAN BUILD SOMETHING THAT WILL BE TRANSFORMATIONAL AND WILL BENEFIT EVERYONE. SO, UM, LET ME THANK, UH, TEXT. ELIJAH POWELL AND I HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A LONG TIME, UH, AND HAVE WORKED, UH, UH, QUITE WELL WITH ONE ANOTHER. RAQUEL, WHO IS, UM, WITH TDO AS WELL. METRO CHANCE. TOM, THANK YOU. AND THEN TO ALL OF THE COMMUNITY GROUPS, LET ME THANK ALL OF YOU BECAUSE YOUR ADVOCACY AND WHAT YOU HAVE SAID AND DONE, I THINK HAVE HELPED TO GET US TO THIS POINT. AND OF COURSE, LET ME THANK, UM, THE COUNTY, UH, COMMISSIONER S AND JUDGE LINA OGO, ALL OF THEM, UH, UH, THE PARTNERS AT THE HARRIS COUNTY. I APPRECIATE THE RELATIONSHIP AND OF COURSE, WORKING WITH THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND SO MANY OTHERS. HAVING SAID THAT, LET ME STOP 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE GOT A HARD STOP LATER ON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE GREATLY AND, UH, ALL OF YOUR CITY PERSONNEL. I, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE I ACKNOWLEDGE RAQUEL. WE HAVE WORKED ON SIGNAGE AND OTHER SPECIAL PROJECTS AND MADE THINGS BETTER THAN THEY WERE, AND WE APPRECIATE IT. AND LIZA, FORGIVE ME FOR ABBREVIATING IT. I DO THAT ALL THE TIME. WE KNOW ELIZA, BUT, UH, I LIKE LIZA, BUT YOU STOP ME WHEN I NEED TO BE STOPPED. ALL RIGHT, , WE DO, WE DO HAVE A HARD STOP, BUT I WANT COMMISSIONER ELLIS, UH, TO PLEASE COME. UH, AND THIS IS THE ORDER THAT WE'RE GONNA DO COMMISSIONER ELLIS. AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET, UM, UH, THE CEO OF, UH, LINKS, UM, AND THEN SUSAN, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE AL JANINA WITH, UH, PEYTON AND ALL WILL BE ONE PERSON, UH, DOING THAT. THE ADMINISTRATOR WILL [00:15:01] COME, HOWEVER, AFTER COMMISSIONER ELLS, AND THEN I'LL, UH, SUPPORT GROUPS THAT WILL BE IN A ONE MINUTE CAPACITY. ALRIGHT. ? YES, MA'AM. ALRIGHT. BUT WE WANTED YOU ALL TO BE HERE. YOU'RE SO INSTRUMENTAL IN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. COMMISSIONER ELLIS, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. THANK, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ADMINISTRATOR. IS THIS YOUR FIRST TRIP TO HOUSTON? OH, NO. I'VE BEEN HERE MANY TIMES. WELL, YOU PROBABLY END UP STAYING NIGHT BECAUSE I KNOW THE CONGRESSWOMAN HAS LOADED UP A SCHEDULE FOR YOU. BUT LOOK, I, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING. YOU HAD BROUGHT TOGETHER A, A LOT OF OLD FRIENDS, AND WE HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN SMILING, UH, LIKE WE ARE TODAY. UH, WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY. UH, CONGRESSWOMAN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR DILIGENCE AND YOUR COMMITMENT ON THIS EFFORT. IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY. IT, BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND MY JUDGMENT HAS DONE MORE FOR EQUITY EQUITY THAN ANY ADMINISTRATION IN RECENT YEARS. IN FACT, BY THE TIME IT'S OVER WITH THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THAT TERM, WILL LIKELY RIVAL WHAT LBJ DID WITH THE GREAT SOCIETY. UH, AND WHAT YOU HAVE DONE WITH THE AGREEMENT THAT WE'VE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO MAYOR. THANK YOU. UH, THE MAYOR AND I SERVED IN THE LEGISLATURE TOGETHER. AND THE CONGRESSWOMAN, I REMEMBER TELLING HER, YOU KNOW, THE BAD THING ABOUT THIS BUSINESS IS YOU ASKED FOR WHAT YOU WANT. MM-HMM . AND THEN YOU TAKE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN GET. AND THEN YOU ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU AGREED BEFORE YOU GOT ALL YOU COULD. AND YOU NEVER KNOW. THE ACTIVISTS, YOU ALL WERE ANGRY. YOU WERE RAISING CANE. IT HELPED A LOT AS A REASON WHY WE, ONE OF THE MORE SEGREGATED CITIES IN AMERICA, IN GOOD PART IS BECAUSE OF HIGHWAYS. AND HERE'S WHAT THEY USED TO SAY WHEN I WENT ON CITY COUNCIL. YES, SIR. CONGRESSWOMAN , THEY'D SAY IS OUR WAY OR THE HIGHWAY. AND THAT MEANT SHE CAN'T TURN DOWN THE MONEY. MM-HMM . WHATEVER IT TAKES YOU GO AND DO IT. AND THAT WAS WRONG THEN. AND IT'S BEEN WRONG NOW, MAYOR, YOU DID A GOOD JOB, CONGRESSWOMAN. WHAT YOU DID WAS TAKE WHAT THE COUNTY DID BY GOING TO COURT. MM-HMM . IT WAS UNPRECEDENTED. I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF MR. MENIFEE AND HIS TEAM, UNPRECEDENTED IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA, FOR A COUNTY TO SUE THE STATE OVER A PROJECT LIKE THIS. IT WAS BOLD. Y'ALL WERE CLAPPING. WHEN WE DID IT, WE KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE A CHALLENGE, BUT THE DISCOVERY WOULD BRING OUT THINGS WE THOUGHT THAT PEOPLE WOULD WANNA CHANGE. BUT WHAT YOU DID, AN ADMINISTRATOR AND THIS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WAS REALLY GET MORE THAN WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN FROM THE MAYOR'S EFFORTS ON HIS AGREEMENT. THE LAWSUIT, WHICH ADDED A BIT TO THE MAYOR'S AGREEMENT. BUT WE HAD TO DO BEST EFFORTS. DO WHAT YOU CAN. YOU ALL CAME IN AND PUT IN A MECHANISM WHERE THERE BE A CLAWBACK CLAWBACK. YOU BREATHE LIFE INTO TITLE VI. AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. UH, I WANNA APOLOGIZE, UH, TO ANY OF OUR FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY. IF WE SAID SOME THINGS THAT HURT YOUR FEELINGS, THEY WERE TRUE. BUT SINCE NOW WE ARE ON THE SAME PAGE, I'M SORRY THEY HAD TO BE SAID. UH, BUT WE OUGHT TO LEARN FROM THIS AND IT OUGHT TO NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH. WE ARE GOING TO, JUST, JUST BEFORE, UM, ADMINISTRATORS HOLD A MINUTE, I'M GONNA GIVE, UH, DAVID NORTHERN SINCE HE WAS ON THERE, UM, UH, A 30 SECONDS TO JUST COMMENT ON HIS STRUGGLES AND THAT WE WERE THERE. AND THEN THE ADMINISTRATOR AND TOM, IF YOU WILL, THEN WE'LL DO THE ADMINISTRATOR. AND, UH, WE'LL HAVE MS. PAUL, UH, KEEPING ON TIME. SO, DAVID, THANK YOU FOR BEING TRAVELING WITH US. YOU A GREAT INSIGHT. AND AS YOU DO THAT, LET ME THANK, UH, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AS YOU DID EE. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. UH, WE KNOW HE'S, UH, BURIED IN OTHER WORK, BUT THANK YOU AGAIN. AND DAVID, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. WELL, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY HERE. THIS IS IMPORTANT. THIS IS ABOUT COMMUNITY AS PRESIDENT C OTA HOUSTON HOUSE AUTHORITY, WE SERVE THE MOST VULNERABLE CLIENTS TO SPEAK. WE SERVE YOUNG PEOPLE, AND WE LOOK AT DISRUPTION IN FAMILY AND COMMUNITY AS SOMETHING THAT'S UNNECESSARY. WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS GROUP DID HERE. OUR GREAT POLITICAL LEADERS, OUR CONGRESSWOMAN, YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT ALLOWED US TO FIGHT HARDER AND THIS AGREEMENT TO COME TO FRUITION. SO, I'M EXCITED ABOUT TOMORROW, BUT WE HAD TO FIGHT YESTERDAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. VERY MUCH. MITCHELL. I, I WANT TO THANK THE CONGRESSMAN AND THE ADMINISTRATOR, BUT I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR OF THE COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER'S COURT. AND I MAY BE VERY BRIEF. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT MULTIMODAL OPPORTUNITIES. YEAH. FOR PEOPLE TO MOVE IN THIS REGION. ONE, WHETHER IT'S WALKING, BIKING, TRANSIT, SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT NEED TO DRIVE A CAR, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO TRAVEL WITHOUT LIMITATION. TRAVELING OPTIONS PROVIDE INDEPENDENCE. IT GIVES PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO GO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO. IT ENHANCES QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY. IT KEEPS PEOPLE THAT WE WANT TO KEEP IN THIS COMMUNITY AND SERVES THOSE THAT WE WANT TO BRING IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO, CONGRESSMAN, I WANT TO THANK YOU. I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR, THE COMMISSIONER, AND A JUDGE, UH, MR. ADMINISTRATOR, [00:20:01] THANK YOU FOR COMING. WE SEE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, AND I WANT TO ECHO WHAT'S BEEN SAID ABOUT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. WE'VE RECEIVED MORE FEDERAL FUNDS THUS FAR, HISTORICALLY THAN WE HAVE. WE PLAN ON PUTTING THAT TO GREAT USE TO MAKE SURE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THIS COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO IMPROVE FOR THOSE THAT NOT ONLY LIVE HERE TODAY, BUT COME TO THIS COMMUNITY TOMORROW. SO, CONGRESSWOMAN, THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH. WE START OUT BY SAYING THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT. I'M VERY GLAD TO SAY THAT. UH, IN ADDITION TO SECRETARY BUTCH'S, WHO HAS A STRONG COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, THEY FOUND A FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATOR WHO IS WELL VERSED IN TRANSIT AND MULTIMODAL TRANSIT. HE HAS DONE TRANSIT, AND HE IS DONE HIGHWAY. HE'S DONE IT IN DELAWARE. HE'S DONE IN COLORADO. TWO DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT STATES AS TRAINED, UM, AS A ENGINEER. UH, AND IF HE'S NOT, I'M GONNA CLAIM IT JUST ON TV, . UH, BUT HE HAS LEARNED, UH, THE ROPES VERY QUICKLY. HE PUT HIS HANDS ALL OVER THE WORK OF HIS STAFF, AND I WANT TO THANK THEM VERY MUCH. UH, AND JUST AS I BRING HIM UP ADMINISTRATIVE BACK, UM, I'M JUST GONNA SHOW THE LEGITIMACY OF THIS DOCUMENT THAT I HAVE HERE. UM, I TOLD THEM TO SEND IT TO ME AS QUICKLY AS THEY COULD. LET'S NOT LOSE THE PAGE. LET'S FIND THE PAGE. I BRING 'EM UP. UH, IT'S EVEN BLUE INK. I'VE GOT THE BLUE INK ONE . I'VE GOT THE BLUE INK, THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATOR BACK, AND THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE CEO, MR. WILLIAMS BLUE INK, REAL . AND IT COVERS ALL OF OUR CONCERNS. WE'RE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME YOU TO THE PODIUM, MR. ADMINISTRATOR. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR LEADERSHIP. UH, CONGRESSWOMAN MAYOR, I KNOW THAT WE, UH, I THINK YOU'RE AT THE RODEO WHEN WE, UH, CALLED YOU TO, TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS AND TO THE COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE. I THINK, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS. UH, I, I I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I THINK, UH, FROM THE MOMENT THAT THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION CAME IN, THEY SAID THAT, UH, I THINK THE PRESIDENT OFTEN TALKS ABOUT HE WANTS TO TRANSFORM, UH, AMERICA THROUGH INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE. THAT'S THE, HAVE THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW. UH, BUT WHEN THE PRESIDENT OR THE VICE PRESIDENT AND THE SECRETARY GO OUT, THEY TALK ABOUT DOING IT DIFFERENTLY AND MAKING SURE THAT THE OUTCOMES THAT WE GET TO, AND I OFTEN THINK ABOUT OUTCOMES, RIGHT? THAT'S, WE WANNA SEE, WE WANT TO SEE OUTCOMES WITH THIS HISTORIC SPENDING. THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE NOT BUILDING HIGHWAYS AND INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE WE DID IN THE 1950S. AND THAT'S NOT A TEXAS THING THAT'S ACROSS THE COUNTRY. UM, THE CONGRESSWOMAN NOTED MY BACKGROUND. I WAS THE SECRETARY OF DELAWARE. HE WENT FROM 31ST TO THIRD IN BICYCLE FRIENDLY STATES. I RAN TRANSIT THERE. NO, I, I, I, I ONLY SAY THAT. AND, BUT I STARTED MY CAREER AS A PLANNER. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY MY, UM, MY, I'M NOT AN ENGINEER. I ACTUALLY COME FROM THIS FROM A COMMUNITY PLANNING GROUP. AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS SO GREAT TO SEE SOME OF THE ACTIVISTS OUT THERE. YOU KNOW, HOW I MAKE PEOPLE WHAT THEY'RE NOT, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT. YEAH. . YEAH. WELL, YOU KNOW, SO TODAY TO GO TO A CHURCH, UH, TO GO TO A SCHOOL THAT'S PRETTY REMINISCENT OF THE SCHOOL THAT MY SEVEN AND 9-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTERS GO TO, UH, TO SEE HOUSING IMPACTS, I THINK SOMETIMES IN TRANSPORTATION, PEOPLE WHO MAKE DECISIONS AREN'T THE ONES WHO ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE IN THAT, WHETHER IT'S IN TRANSIT OR IN HOUSING, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND I WILL SAY, AS A FORMER STATE, DOT OFFICIAL, IT IS HARD TO MAKE SOME OF THESE DECISIONS, RIGHT? WE'RE, WE'RE CONSTANTLY MAKING TRADEOFFS. BUT I THINK WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS THAT TRANSPORTATION IS SOMETHING WE DO WITH PEOPLE, NOT TO PEOPLE. AND IT'S NOT ABOUT MOVING CARS AND TRUCKS. IT'S ABOUT MOVING PEOPLE, UH, AND, AND BUILDING COMMUNITIES THAT WE, UH, THAT WE LIVE IN. AND SO, I AM, I AM, I AM HOPEFUL, I THINK WOULD BE THE WORD THAT I WOULD SAY. AND, AND, UH, THAT ONE, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS VRA BETWEEN TDOT AND THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, I, A MEETING WITH THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP OF TXDOT YESTERDAY. AND I DO WANNA THANK THE CONGRESSMAN FOR HER LEADERSHIP, UH, IN THE, IN THESE EFFORTS. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T ABOUT SIGNING THE AGREEMENT. IT'S ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE PROJECT. YEAH. AND WE'RE GONNA BE AROUND TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S THE, THE WEBSITE THAT NEEDS TO GO LIVE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF THE AGREEMENT TO THE, UH, UH, LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, UH, ELEMENTS THAT ARE IN THERE. SO WE COULD COMMUNICATE TO PEOPLE IN THE LANGUAGES THAT THEY SPEAK, UH, TO THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT WILL HAPPEN OVER THE COMING DECADE. THIS IS GONNA BE A LONG PROJECT. AND, UH, A LOT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS GOING TO BE NECESSARY. I AM, I PROBABLY WON'T BE THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATOR WHEN THIS IS DONE FOR THE RIBBON CUTTING. MM-HMM . BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY I GET TO COME BACK AND, UH, UH, AND SEE A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN BUILT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, UH, ALL BOATS HAVE BEEN LIST LIFTED BY THIS INVESTMENT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ELIZA PAUL IS OUR REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR FOR TEXA. PLEASE COME AND SAY AWARE. WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT YOU ARE HERE. THANK YOU SO VERY [00:25:01] MUCH. WE'RE ALMOST CONCLUDING. THANK, THANK YOU. I WON'T TAKE TOO MUCH TIME, BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK THE CONGRESSWOMAN. MM-HMM. UH, MAYOR TURNER, UH, HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, ADMINISTRATOR BACH. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK STOP BY 45 AND , YOU KNOW, FOR WORKING WITH ALL OF US TEXTILE AND BRING ALL THE ISSUES THAT ARE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITIES TO TEXTILE. SO WE ARE AWARE OF IT. IT HAS BEEN A LONG JOURNEY FOR US. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS JOB FOR PROBABLY OVER 10 YEARS NOW. SO, UH, WITH THIS, UH, PRESS CONFERENCE HERE, IT SHOWS THAT WE ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER IN COLLABORATION TO TRY AND MAKE THESE PROJECTS THE BEST WE EVER WOULD BE. AND WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. TEXTILE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STARTING THE PROJECTS. WE APPRECIATE IT. WE, WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND ADDRESS A LOT OF THE ISSUES. I'M NOT GOING TO NAME THEM. THE, THE, THE CONGRESSWOMAN HAS NAMED A LOT OF THEM ALREADY. SO WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH EVERY, UH, EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY AND ALL THE AGENCIES TO WORK THROUGH THIS AGREEMENT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS ALL THE ISSUES THAT ARE SET UP, APPOINT, AND AGREE TO POINT IN THE AGREEMENT AND, AND MAKE THIS PROJECT TO BE THE BEST PROJECTS THAT HOUSTON DESERVE. SO, THANK YOU. WE THANK YOU. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. I'M JUST GONNA SHAKE YOUR HAND BECAUSE WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT THAT WE CAN GET DONE. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. FROM COUNTY TO CITY. UM, AND, UH, SO LET, LET US, UM, FIRST HAVE SUSAN, UM, AND, UM, UH, I MET HER OUT ON THE GRASSY KNOLL. UH, WE DON'T LIKE TO USE THAT TERMINOLOGY, BUT THE GRASS, UH, UH, THE GRASS BEHIND LIONELLE CASTILLO, UH, SHE'S NEVER STOPPED WORKING. I LOVE GRASS. I LOVE GREEN SPACE. UM, AND EVERYWHERE THAT WE CAN TRY TO MAINTAIN THAT, AND SUSAN WAS TRYING TO MAINTAIN NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE QUALITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SUSAN, WOULD YOU COME PLEASE? AND WE'RE FOLLOWED BY LINK. AND WE ARE, WE ARE SHORT ON OUR TIME, BUT WE ARE NOT GONNA LET YOU NOT HAVE A WORD. YOU HAVE BEEN TOO POWERFUL, UH, AND A, UH, ADVOCATE, WE THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. WE REALLY DO. THANK YOU ALL. THE TEAM THAT YOU REPRESENT, THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, UH, STOP TEXAS AT I 45, AND WE GOT IN THIS UMT, UH, IN THIS TRANSPORTATION BUSINESS BECAUSE WHEN THE FIRST N-H-H-I-P PLANTS CAME OUT THAT WE SAW AT OUR CIVIC CLUBS AND OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, THE PEOPLE THAT WERE GONNA BE MOST IMPACTED BY THIS PROJECT WERE LEAST REPRESENTED AT THE TABLE. AND WE WANTED THE PEOPLE THAT WERE GONNA BE MOST IMPACTED BY THIS PROJECT. WE WANTED IT AT THE TABLE. HAVE WE SUCCEEDED A HUNDRED PERCENT AT THAT GOAL? NO. BUT WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE FHWA, WITH CONGRESSWOMAN LEE, WITH SYLVESTER, MR. MAYOR TURNER, WITH MR. LAMBERT, AND MAKING SURE THAT WHAT'S IN THIS AGREEMENT IS DONE. AND MAYBE MORE, WE ALWAYS ASK ACTIVISTS, WE ASK FOR MORE, LIKE RODNEY, COMMISSIONER ELMAN SAID, AND, UH, SO WE WILL BE HERE. WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. AND WE'LL BE, UH, I LOVE IT. SHOWING UP YOU SO MUCH. I LOVE IT. UH, GABE, GABE WAS OUT WITH US. HE, THE, THE WHOLE LINK TEAM CAME OUT WITH US, UH, OVER AT THE, UH, LOFTS AT THE BALLPARK. GABE, YOU HAVE BEEN, UH, A CHAMPION WITH YOUR TEAM, AND WE ARE GRATEFUL TO YOU. AND YOU'RE ON AND RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE MIC. AND, UH, THE ADMINISTRATORS STANDING RIGHT BEHIND YOU, SO HE'S GONNA HEAR YOU. WELL, THANK YOU. THANK KIND CONGRESS. OFF TO YOUR SIDE. . UM, I, I SHOULD SAY, BEFORE I GIVE MY BRIEF REMARKS, UH, HOUSTON IS HOME. AND I AM FORTUNATE THAT MAYOR TURNER BROUGHT ME BACK HOME IN 2019. . I WAS PART OF HIS STAFF. UH, NOW I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO LEAD LINK HOUSTON AS ITS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. AND I'LL JUST BE VERY CLEAR, UH, THIS PROJECT HAS TAKEN A LOT OF WORK FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE AND LINK HOUSTON, AND I THINK OUR COLLEAGUES AT STOP TECH AND AIRLINES, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE BEING THE WATCHDOGS OF THIS PROJECT, DEMANDING BETTER SO THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE NOT RE RE-EXPORTED BY PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. UM, I, UM, JUST WILL INTRODUCE, UM, ALGER AND SCOTT DAVIS WITH MIDTOWNS. BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE IN GIVING IMPORTANT HISTORY, UH, AND, UH, SHOWING US, UH, THE NEXT STEPS ON, UH, ADDING BRIDGES. I'LL, I'LL JUST SAY TO SUMMARIZE HER, HER THOUGHTS AND, AND HER IMPORTANT MESSAGE. UH, THOSE OF US WHO HAVE LIVED IN HISTORIC COMMUNITIES FROM FIFTH WARD, FOURTH WARD, UH, ACRES HOME, UH, NORTHEAST, UH, THIRD WARD, HAVE HAD EXPERIENCES OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS BEING DIVIDED, UH, BY FREE THE EAST END, UH, AND OTHER PLACES DIVIDED BY FREE, UH, FREEWAYS, GOLFING, AND OTHERS GOING OUT, UH, SOUTHWEST. AND SO, UH, WE ARE REMINDED OF [00:30:01] THE BEAUTIFUL BRICK HOMES IN THIRD WARD THAT 2 88 TOOK. UH, WE'RE REMINDED OF THE BEAUTIFUL FIFTH WARD THAT 59 TOOK. AND EVEN TO THE POINT WHEN I WAS IN CONGRESS THAT THERE WAS NO EXIT AT 59, THAT WE HAD TO FIGHT TO GET AN EXIT THAT WOULD EXIT OUT INTO THE 15, INTO THE FIFTH WARD AREA. I 45 NOW COMES, WHICH, UH, MOST HOUSTONIANS WILL SAY IS A PERENNIAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON I 45 FOR MAYBE 50 OR A HUNDRED YEARS. IT MAY BE LONGER THAN THAT. UM, BUT IN ANY EVENT, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO LIKEWISE, UH, EVEN DIVIDE EVEN MORE. AND SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR JANINA, SCOTT DAVIS, ARGENTINA, JAMES AND HILDEN, KATHY PEYTON, AND FIFTH WARD REDEVELOPMENT, WHO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE, UH, PATHWAY OF, UH, NEGOTIATION AND CONVERSATION, UH, EARLY ON, UH, TO AT LEAST LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN FOR US. IF THEY HAD NOT BEEN THERE, THE DOOR MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN OPEN AT ALL. SO WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL THAT, UH, THEY KEPT THE DOOR OPEN, UH, AND, UM, WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL THAT, UH, LINK AND, AND AIR ALLIANCE AND STOP 45. UH, WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE. LET'S KEEP GOING BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING HERE NOW TO WORK WITH. UH, YOU'VE GOT SOME WRITING AND SIGNATURES TO WORK WITH, AND YOU HAVE A COMMITMENT, UH, THAT GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE BOARD, UH, CHAIRMAN BUGS, UH, COMMISSIONER RYAN, UH, THAT WE MUST WORK WITH AND MAKE THIS ABOUT PEOPLE. UH, AND TRANSIT, NOT ABOUT TRANSIT AND MAYBE THE PEOPLE, BUT PEOPLE AND TRANSIT. SO, I, I DON'T, WE ARE CLOSING. DO YOU WANT ANY, UH, MS. PEYTON? ANYONE WANNA MAKE A FINAL WORD HERE? I'M FINE, THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE SPECIFICS OF THE FEDERAL AGREEMENT IS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO COOPERATE IN TXDOT AND THE FHW ARE GONNA WORK TOGETHER ON REDUCING THE RIGHT OF WAY. BUT IT ALSO COMES WITH THE CAVEAT THAT THAT FALLS WITHIN TDOT'S ABILITY TO STILL BUILD THE PLANNING PURPOSE NEED. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT LANGUAGE, WHO ARBITRATES OR DECIDES IF THOSE TWO, AS THOSE TWO SIDES WORK THROUGH THAT. LIKE, HOW'S THAT PROCESS GONNA GO? AND IF THERE IS DISAGREEMENT, WHO DECIDES? WELL, I'M GONNA YIELD TO HIM, BUT I AM GONNA GET, UH, MY, UM, UH, MORE THAN 1 CENTS, BUT 2 CENTS IN . UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT IS WHAT CREATED THE SPARKLE IN MY EYE. UH, AND THE SITES THAT WE VISITED. CLAYTON, OF COURSE, IS GOING TO BE, UM, COMPLETELY, UH, DEMOLISHED. UH, BUT, UH, THE BRUCE ELEMENTARY AND KELLY COURT STILL, UH, BEING SUGGESTED THAT 78 UNITS WOULD GO, UM, THE, UH, LOFTS AT THE BALLPARK PRESERVED, UH, NOT HAVING TO GO DEEP DEEPER INTO THAT, UH, AREA. UM, LEON CASTILLO WAS DESCRIBED TO US BY COMMISSIONER GARCIA. I'VE BEEN OVER THERE MANY, MANY TIMES. UH, WE PUT THAT ON THE RECORD, UH, AS SAYING WHY DOES THE FOOTPRINT HAVE TO BE THAT LARGE, UH, INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS? WE PUT, WHY DOES THE FOOTPRINT HAVE TO BE THAT LARGE? UH, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THIRD WARD. SO I, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, UM, THE COMMUNITY IS GONNA PUT THESE ON THE TABLE, UH, AND, UH, UH, WE THINK THAT THE AGREEMENT GIVES A LATITUDE. I'M GONNA YIELD TO THE COMMISSIONER ON THE LOGISTICS AND PROCESS, UH, BECAUSE IT WILL BE BETWEEN, UH, THE TDOT UNDER THIS PLAN AND THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION. YEAH. SO, UM, JUST TO, I THINK, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, I THINK THE WAY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS WORKS IS, YOU KNOW, YOU COME UP WITH ALTERNATIVES. THERE'S A NO BUILD ALTERNATIVE. THERE'S ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT DESIGN ELEMENTS. AND I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW MUCH, UH, TXDOT HAS IN TERMS OF FINAL DESIGN, BUT YOU GET TO 30%, THEN YOU GO THROUGH OTHER ELEMENTS. AND SO I THINK WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING IN ALO, ZI IS OUR DIVISION ADMINISTRATOR HERE IN TEXAS WORKS CLOSELY, UH, WITH TDOT. AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILT GOOD. UH, AND SO I THINK THAT, THAT THIS WILL BE AN ITERATIVE PROCESS AS WE GO THROUGH. UH, AGAIN, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS IN THE VRA THAT WE WILL, UH, BE SURE TO ENFORCE IS THE, UH, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, MEETINGS THAT NEED TO TAKE PLACE TO A YEAR IN ANY OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING DESIGNED OR CONSTRUCTION WORK IS TAKING PLACE IN. SO I WOULD SAY THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING EFFORT. UM, I DON'T WANNA PUT A LAWYER HAT ON AND DECIDE WHO HAS, UH, ULTIMATE AUTHORITY, BUT I THINK TXDOT HAS COMMITTED THAT THEY'RE GONNA MAKE EVERY BEST EFFORT TO REDUCE THE FOOTPRINT, RECOGNIZING THAT IT IS NOT A SMALL THING TO TAKE SOMEBODY'S HOME. UH, IT IS NOT A SMALL THING TO IMPACT SCHOOLS AND GREECE SPACE. UH, AND, UM, I THINK THEY WANNA BE GOOD STEWARDS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS AS WELL. ANY OTHER QUESTION? CAN, CAN I ANSWER THAT ON, ON MOST AGREEMENTS, AT LEAST THREE OF US UP HERE, UH, LAWYERS MM-HMM . ON MOST AGREEMENTS. IF THERE'S A QUESTION AS TO WHO ENFORCES SOMETHING AND YOU DON'T AGREE, IT WAS A CLOSE VOTE. THREE, TWO VOTE. HIDALGO, GARCIA, AND [00:35:01] ELLIS TO GO TO COURT. YOU ALWAYS HAVE AT THE LA AS A LAST RESORT TO COURTS. AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS US TO END UP BACK THERE. THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT POINT. WE'VE COME TO A POINT NOW, UH, . IT'S BECAUSE I SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. I LIKE SHOW AND TELL. WE'VE COME TO THIS POINT, . WE NEED TO BE GUIDED AND GET THE JOB DONE. WE NEED TO SIMPLY GET THE JOB DONE. UH, SO WE ARE APPRECIATIVE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WE ARE RUSHING TO VIEW SOME OTHER PROJECTS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. UM, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT HISD, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. UM, CATCH ME. ARE YOU WITH A CAMERA? UH, NO. NO. JUST, YEAH, JUST CATCH ME MO MOVING OUT. OKAY. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. UM, ANY, ANYONE ELSE? I'M TRYING THIS MOVING. WE, WE WANNA LET HIM GO. YOU WANNA LET HIM SEE KIDS? CAN WE JUST COME UP AND GET THE PICTURE? COME ON, MR. SURE. COME. JAMES, I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE. COME ON UP. YOU CAN STAND RIGHT BY HIM. YOU FRONT ME A LITTLE TALLER THAN YOU GET RIGHT THERE BY THE CONGRESSWOMAN. TALLER THAN YOU. * 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.