* 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. [00:00:03] SEE IF I STILL GOT IT. [PRESENTATIONS] IT'S 1 35 ON TUESDAY, MARCH 28TH, 2023. I'M MS. SYLVESTER ATTORNEY. I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER. WE'RE GONNA START, WE HAVE SEVERAL PROCLAMATIONS, UH, TODAY, AND WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO WALTRIP HIGH SCHOOL BAND TO RECOGNIZE THEIR WIN IN THE BATTLE, IN THE BATTLE OF THE BAND AND SAFE DIVERSITY OLYMPICS EDUCATIONAL SPIRIT DAY AND VICE MAYOR . THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, AND I'LL WAIT TILL YOU GET DOWN HERE. IN THE MEANTIME, UH, CAN OUR ROARING RAMS STAND UP, PLEASE? WE'LL, WE'LL CALL, WE'LL CALL YOU UP FOR A PICTURE IN JUST A MINUTE AFTER I READ THIS PROCLAMATION, BUT Y'ALL JUST STAND BECAUSE YOU, THIS, THIS IS ABOUT YOU, . ALL RIGHT. UM, SO BEFORE I BEGIN AGAIN, I'M SO HONORED TODAY. UM, WALTRIP HIGH SCHOOL IS PROUDLY IN DISTRICT C, AND THE BAND IS BELOVED AND RENOWNED, I WOULD SAY, NOT JUST IN DISTRICT C, BUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND MAYOR, THEY CAN JAM. UH, AND I MEAN THAT, UH, FROM PLAYING DISTRICT CONCERTS WHERE, UH, MY OWN 2-YEAR-OLD HAS ROCKED OUT LISTENING TO Y'ALL, UH, TO SUPER BOWL 51 EVENTS, WINNING NUMEROUS AWARDS AND PLAYING AT SO MANY COMMUNITY EVENTS THROUGHOUT HOUSTON. UH, WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR THIS HONOR, AND I WANNA THANK OUR RECIPIENTS, ESPECIALLY FROM SAFE, UM, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO TO PROMOTE WHAT YOU DO, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT, UH, IN THIS PROCLAMATION. SO, WHEREAS SAFE DIVERSITY COMMUNITIES IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT FOCUSES ON STOPPING THE STIGMA OF BULLYING AND REDUCING THE DROPOUT IN SUICIDE RATE FOR AT-RISK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO ARE EMOTIONALLY AND MENTALLY CHALLENGED. WHEREAS SAFE DIVERSITY COMMUNITY'S MISSION PROMOTES AN ACADEMICALLY ENRICHING SAFE ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWS THE COMMUNITY TO THRIVE AND SUCCEED IN DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND EQUALITY FOR ALL. AND THEY HOST ITS BATTLE OF THE BAND'S EDUCATIONAL SPIRIT DAY, FEATURING A MULTITUDE OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES, PRESENTATIONS, AND COMPETITIONS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONGRATULATES DISTRICT CS WALTRIP HIGH SCHOOL BAND, AND WE SHOULD SAY THE ROARING RED RAM BAND OF WALTRIP ON ITS VICTORY AND COMMENDS SAFE DIVERSITY OLYMPICS EDUCATIONAL SPIRIT DAY FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO EMPOWERING AND EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH AWARENESS AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED, CONTINUED SUCCESS. MAYOR, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SIN OF THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM MARCH 28TH, 2023 AS OP HIGH SCHOOL BANDAID IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, SO WITH ME, I'M GONNA READ OFF A FEW NAMES AND THEN I'M GONNA ASK EACH OF YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AND WHAT YOU KNOW, YOUR INVOLVEMENT IS. BUT WE HAVE THALMAN SCOTT AND JASON MOORE AND RODERICK BROWN. UH, AND THEN FROM WALTRIP, WE HAVE OUR HEADBAND DIRECTOR, BRENDA CORAL SMITH, OUR DIRECTOR HERE, COME ON. AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR ASSISTANT BAND DIRECTORS, AND I'LL LET THE DIRECTOR INTRODUCE THEM. AND OF COURSE, THE STUDENTS OF THE HOUR, OUR, OUR WALL TRIP BAND. CONGRATULATIONS, Y'ALL. DO YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND TAKE THIS ONE? THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'RE JUST SO, SO EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY FOR OUR STUDENTS HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB, BUT WE JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW OUR MAYOR PEARL. YOU MAYOR. OKAY, MAYOR TURNER. I WENT, BECAUSE LAST TIME I THANK MAYOR LAST TIME. DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU PLAYED IN A BAND? I'M OKAY. OKAY. WELL, WELL, YOU, WELL, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THAT LATER. TELL ROGER. OKAY. HE SAID I PLAYED IN A BAND, BUT WE JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO THANK THE MAYOR. I'VE BEEN KNOWING THE MAYOR, I GUESS ABOUT 35 YEARS, YOU GUYS. DOESN'T MEAN WE ARE OLD, RIGHT? SOME YOUNG, YOUNG, 35 YEARS. YOUNG. 35 YEARS YOUNG, ALRIGHT. AND I THANK HIM EVERY YEAR JUST BEING A PART OF, OF THE SAFE DIVERSITY PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO HONOR THESE STUDENTS FOR THEIR WORK. 'CAUSE THESE BANDS, LIKE SHE SAID, THEY BE JAMMING. SO THERE WAS THE WINNERS FOR THE SAFE DIVERSITY OLYMPIC SPIRIT, THAT THERE WAS THE WINNERS. SO THANK THE MAYOR AGAIN FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY, NOT JUST FOR SAFETY DIVERSITY, BUT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO MAKE THE KIDS KNOW THAT THEY'RE SPECIAL. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO OUR SPONSOR, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS TO SPEAK, UH, JASON MOORE. BUT NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR [00:05:01] SPONSOR, MR. RODERICK BROWN. HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON. SO JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST COME AND JUST TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SAFE DIVERSITY. THE ONE THING I JUST WANNA LEAVE WITH EVERYONE IS THAT MARKET CALENDARS FOR OCTOBER 11TH, THAT'S THIS YEAR'S EVENT FOR THE SAFE DIVERSITY OLYMPICS. UH, COME OUT, YOU KNOW, SHARE, SHARE THE OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH THESE KIDS. UH, THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS, IT WAS A BATTLE, BUT, BUT I, I WILL SAY THIS WALL TRIP CAME OUT ON TOP. THEY, THEY REALLY, THEY REALLY PERFORMED. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, UNDER THEIR NEW LEADERSHIP, UH, THAT CHALLENGE TO BE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE THIS TIME, TOO. BUT UPS HAS BEEN A SPONSOR AND WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT THE EDUCATION OF THE KIDS. AND THEN WE HAVE FUN WITH THE BATTLE OF THE BAND. SO PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR OCTOBER 11TH. AND MS. STILLMAN, SCOTT, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS, UH, MILLARD HOUSE, UH, FROM HISD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN AND WOMEN AND MAYOR TURNER. WE APPRECIATE THIS. UM, THANKFUL TO WALTRIP HIGH SCHOOL, UH, FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH, UM, THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS. UH, I'M JASON MOORE. I, UM, LITTLE SHY. SORRY GUYS. YOU'RE GOOD, . BUT, UH, I'M A BOARD MEMBER AT, UH, SAFE DIVERSITY COMMUNITY. I, UH, AM CHARGE OF, UH, DIGITAL MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING. SO I'M BETTER WITH A COMPUTER THAN I AM WITH TALKING , LIKE HIDE BEHIND A COMPUTER. BUT, UH, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO DOING MORE WORK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS WE CONTINUE ON. THANK YOU. WELL, I'M JUST A, A VERY BLESSED, BLESSED, BLESSED, UH, WOMAN RIGHT HERE. I'M A CLASS OF 1996 WALTRIP ALUM, AND AFTER 20 YEARS AT DIFFERENT, AT SHARPSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL AND ELICK HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK TO WALTRIP HIGH SCHOOL. SO I'M SUPER EXCITED, AND I DON'T WANNA TAKE THE THUNDER AWAY FROM ANYBODY, BUT I'M BLESSED THAT MY PREDECESSORS, MR. STEVENS AND JESSE ESPINOZA PUT ME IN THE RIGHT PLACE, UH, WITH THESE AMAZING STUDENTS. AND ALSO, I'M VERY BLESSED THAT I ALSO HAVE A NEW, UH, BOSS MS. RHONDA REY. UM, SHE'S A GREAT PERSON. AND MY TEAM, JOHNNY OLIVARES, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, AND ALSO JAMES ELAM, WE ARE JUST SO THANKS, THANKFUL FOR EVERY PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITY THAT HOUSTON HAS GIVEN US. AND WE ARE ALWAYS VERY WILLING, UH, TO TAKE OUR BAND WHEREVER YOU GUYS ASK US TO GO, BECAUSE THAT PERFORMANCE FOR THE KIDS, THIS IS WHY THEY GO TO SCHOOL. AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE PROVIDE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND ENTERTAIN 'EM WITH THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF MY KIDS BACK THERE ARE ACTUALLY GONNA STUDY MUSIC. AND SO, AND THAT ONLY HAPPENS OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE WE EXPOSE THEM TO THE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES THAT HOUSTON HAS PROVIDED FOR, FOR OUR BAND. SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. HI, GOOD AFTERNOON. RHONDA HONOREE. UM, NEW PRINCIPAL OF WALTRIP HIGH SCHOOL, PROUD PRINCIPAL OF WALTRIP HIGH SCHOOL. THE WALTRIP COMMUNITY IS VERY SPECIAL TO ME. UM, I CAME BACK SPECIFICALLY TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, AFTER BEING THE PRINCIPAL AT FRANK BLACK MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR FOUR YEARS. AND SO I WANTED TO CONTINUE, UM, THE IMPACT THAT I HAVE ON THAT COMMUNITY. AND I WANTED TO SERVE THESE KIDS, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO, RIGHT? OUR KIDS SHINE AND THIS, AND IT IS OUR, UM, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THIS THAT, THAT ALLOWS AND LOTS OUR, OUR STUDENTS TO, TO SHINE. AND SO I AM JUST SUPER, SUPER HONORED AND PROUD, UM, TO LEAD, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE STUDENTS AND, UM, MS. SMITH AND THE BAND DIRECTORS. BUT AGAIN, I'M JUST VERY THANKFUL AND HONORED TO BE HERE. WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN FOR BRINGING, UM, THEM FORWARD. YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO FOOTBALL GAME WITHOUT A BAND, . AND, AND I MEAN, IT, IT, YOU MAKE IT, YOU MAKE IT EXCITING TO GO TO THE FOOTBALL GAME, YOU KNOW, GETTING OUTTA THE CAR AND WALKING TO THE STADIUM AND HEARING THE BAND PLAY. IT, IT JUST, IT'S EXCITING. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TALENT AND YOUR SKILLS AND YOUR DETERMINATION AND, UH, I'M GLAD YOU WON THE BATTLE OF THE BAND. THANK AND TO EVERYONE THAT IS HERE, CONGRATULATIONS. I, UH, A FORMER CLARINET PLAYER RIGHT HERE. AND MY SON IS A MAYOR, WAS CLARINET TOO. CLARINET SECTION FIRST CHAIR, CLARINET SECTION. UH, MY SON IS A FORMER TUBA PLAYER WHO RECEIVED A BAND SCHOLARSHIP TO PRAIRIE VIEW PLAYING THE TUBA. SO, UM, THERE IS OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE MUSICALLY INCLINED, AND I HOPE THAT YOU STICK WITH IT. SO MANY TIMES OUR STUDENTS START PLAYING INSTRUMENTS AND THEN THEY STOP. BUT I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO STICK WITH IT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FOR YOU. AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN HARD WORK, NOT ONLY AT YOUR CRAFT WITH YOUR INSTRUMENT, BUT ALSO YOUR STUDIES, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO KNOW MATH AND YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BUILD GOOD CHARACTER [00:10:01] TO BE IN THE BAND AND WORK AS A TEAM. SO, CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF YOU, AND I KNOW YOU WILL DO GREAT AS YOU CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF THE BAND. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW PRINCIPAL. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR LEADERSHIP AT WALTRIP HIGH SCHOOL AND COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN, IF YOU WANTED. THANK YOU. AND AS WE ASK THE STUDENTS TO COME UP, I'LL JUST ADD, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL ARE HITTING ON THE GIFT OF MUSIC FOR OUR CHILDREN, WHETHER YOU'RE GONNA GO ON TO STUDY IT PROFESSIONALLY OR THE CONNECTION AND NEXUS BETWEEN MUSIC AND SUCCESS IN SCHOOL IN GENERAL. UM, AND THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL GIFT YOU ALL ARE GIVING. AND I I JUST WANNA SAY ALL POLITICS ASIDE, 'CAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT HISD RECENTLY. YES. BUT THIS IS HISD. YES. AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF IT. COME ON UP. IF THE STUDENTS WILL COME FORWARD FOR THE PHOTO, LEMME SAY, COME FORWARD FOR THE PHOTO. LEMME SAY THIS RIGHT QUICK, MAYOR, COME ON UP HERE. I'M LISTENING. MAYOR, I WANNA THANK YOU. HE'S THE FIRST MAYOR THAT EVER SPONSOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THESE STUDENTS, AND I WANT TO THANK HIM, BUT I WANNA LET HIM KNOW THAT, THAT WE HAVE SIX BAND STUDENTS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS THIS YEAR. HE'LL BE LEAVING, BUT HE GONNA STILL BE WITH SAFE, DIVERSE SPONSORED SCHOLARSHIPS. . THANK YOU MAYOR. THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES MAYOR TURNER FOR A PROCLAMATION TO SPD, RECOGNIZING PROCUREMENT PROFESSIONALS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY DURING NATIONAL PROCUREMENT MONTH. THIS IS SPD. YEAH, JUD JUDD HAS THE, ALRIGHT, THIS, UM, THIS IS PROCUREMENT MONTH, JACK WILL, AND WHERE IS THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PROFESSION PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE [00:15:01] IN THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS ABOVE GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS. AND WHERE IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON? STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT DIVISIONS, PROCUREMENT PROFESSIONALS DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO PROVIDING THE BEST VALUE FOR EVERY TAXPAYER DOLLAR AND CONTINUE TO EXPAND THEIR KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES. AND WHEREAS IN ADDITION TO THE PURCHASE OF GOODS AND SERVICES, PROCUREMENT ADDS VALUE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON BY PERFORMING FUNCTIONS SUCH AS ADMINISTERING CONTRACTS, DEVELOPING STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT STRATEGIES, AND CULTIVATING WORKS, WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH SUPPLIERS THAT ARE INCLUSIVE OF MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, CERTIFIED FIRMS, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. AND WHEREAS THE STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT DIVISION AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING HIGH CALIBER STRATEGIC, LOGISTICAL AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT TO ALL DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY, WITH A FOCUS ON DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIPS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. AND WHEREAS THE STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT DIVISION AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON RECOGNIZE SUPPORT AND PRACTICE THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT VALUES AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTABILITY, ETHICS, AND PARTIAL PROFESSIONALISM, SERVICE FAIRNESS AND TRANSPARENCY. THESE VALUES WERE ESTABLISHED BY THE NIGP, THE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AS FUNDAMENTAL TENETS OF THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PROFESSION. AND WHEREAS NIGP HAS PROCLAIMED THIS MONTH OF MARCH AS PROCUREMENT MONTH TO FURTHER EXPAND AWARENESS OF THE PROCUREMENT PROFESSIONAL'S ROLE IN CONJUNCTION WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND THE PUBLIC BUSINESS AND CORPORATE LEADERS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON HONORS AND COMMENDS ALL PROCUREMENT PROFESSIONALS FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION. THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON TO HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH, 2023 AS PROCUREMENT MONTH. PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO ALL OF THESE PROCUREMENT PROFESSIONALS. LEMME START OUT BY THANKING, THANKING THEM. J AND OF COURSE WILL JONES FINANCIAL DIRECTOR. LET ME THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. WHAT YOU DO IS, IS, IS WHAT THEY DO IS NOT EASY WORK, UH, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE DEPARTMENT, UH, THAT DETERMINES WHO COMES IN FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, OR FOURTH. AND, UH, AND WHEN YOU'RE NOT FIRST, EVERYBODY'S MAD AT YOU. OKAY? WHEN YOU'RE FIRST, EVERYBODY IS HAPPY. BUT WHEN, IF YOU COME IN SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH OR FIFTH, NOBODY'S HAPPY WITH YOU. AND THEN PEOPLE TRY TO FIND FAULT IN WHAT YOU DO. BUT THE REALITY IS, IS THAT, UM, UH, THEY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EXERCISING THE PROCESS, FOLLOWING THE PROCESS, DOING THEIR WORK, UM, AND THEY DO IT PROFESSIONALLY AND EFFICIENTLY, UH, ON EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND SO IT'S JUST ONLY APPROPRIATE AND TIMELY, UH, TO RECOGNIZE THEM AND THANK THEM FOR THE PROFESSIONALS THAT THEY ARE AND HOW THEY HANDLE THE SITUATION. UH, WHETHER PEOPLE LIKE 'EM OR DON'T LIKE THEM, THEY STILL DO THEIR JOB. BUT THE REALITY IS, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON APPRECIATES THEM BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, WE SIMPLY COULD NOT FUNCTION. SO ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY, LET ME THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. AND THEN I'M GONNA YIELD TO THE DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IT'S A, IT'S A COMPLETE HONOR FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO, UH, ASSOCIATE WITH THIS WONDERFUL GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS. UM, WE HAVE JOINED WITH US ALSO FROM THE, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND AIRPORT SYSTEM PROCUREMENT PROFESSIONALS WITH US. SO THANK YOU, MAYOR, TO YOUR LEADERSHIP DIRECTOR JONES. UH, WE COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT THAT SUPPORT. UH, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO LEAD THAT, UM, IN OUR MINDS, HOUSTON IS ALWAYS NUMBER ONE, RIGHT? THAT'S ALWAYS THE FIRST PLACE. SO IT'S WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE CITY. AND SO I'M GRATEFUL, UM, TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. I'M GRATEFUL I'VE GOT CAROLYN AND CANDACE, UH, WHO ARE MY RIGHT AND LEFT HANDS AND GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DO. BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST AN HONOR TO WORK WITH SUCH AN AMAZING GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND LET ME HAVE, LET ME HAVE WILL JONES AS HEAD OF FINANCE. OH. OH, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AND SPECIAL THANK YOU TO JED AND, UM, CAROLYN AND CANDACE FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP, FOR THE PROCUREMENT TEAM. I'M VERY PROUD TO STAND. UM, AND IN SUPPORT OF SPD, UM, THE MAYOR SAID IT PERFECTLY LIKE THE WORK THAT THEY DO WITHOUT WHAT, WITHOUT THE WORK THAT THEY DO, THE CITY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OPERATE. UM, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST REAL. LIKE THE, THE SERVICES AND GOODS THAT THEY PROCURE THE CITY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OPERATE. AND I DO WANT TO TAKE TIME TO RECOGNIZE A COUPLE OF EMPLOYEES THAT, YOU KNOW, J MAKE ME AWARE OF THAT. UM, AT THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC PURCHASING, WE HAD SOME STANDOUT EMPLOYEES, SO I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM. SO I WANT TO RECOGNIZE EL NORA SMITH FOR WINNING BUYER OF THE YEAR, . AND I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE DESIREE HEATH FOR WINNING MANAGER OF THE YEAR, . AND, AND, AND THAT, AND THAT'S A HUGE DEAL BECAUSE THAT'S FOR THE REGION. SO, UM, CITY [00:20:01] OF HOUSTON, UH, YOU GUYS REPRESENT US VERY WELL. YOU MAKE US PROUD. AND, UH, AGAIN, UH, I COULDN'T SAY ENOUGH KIND WORDS ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT TEAM. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR RECOGNIZING THEM. UH, I GOT TO REALLY KNOW JEDI DURING THIS LAST PROCUREMENT DEAL, , AND, UH, I WENT OVER THERE MORE THAN ONCE, AS YOU PROBABLY ARE AWARE. AND, AND HE WILL ANSWER HIS EMAILS AND, AND HE WILL TALK TO ME. AND, AND HE'S VERY KIND AND HE'S VERY PATIENT. UH, I DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING I WANTED, BUT YOU WERE VERY KIND IN TELLING ME WHY I DIDN'T GET IT . AND, AND YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE ROUGHER THAN THAT, BUT YOU WERE VERY PLEASANT. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, MAYOR, THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR THE CITY THAT, THAT ARE VERY PLEASANT AND ARE KIND TO ELECTED OFFICIALS LIKE MYSELF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JEDI. I HIGHLY RESPECT YOU AND, AND YOU AS WELL MY FRIEND. THE CFO WILL GOD BLESS. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. I JUST WANTED TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT. UM, I KNOW WE'RE SPEAKING TO BOTH OF YOU AS THE DIRECTORS, BUT THIS GOES TO EVERYONE IN THE DEPARTMENT. UM, THE CALIBER OF PROFESSIONALISM, UH, AND MAYOR UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, THE TYPE OF CULTURE OF THAT PROFESSIONALISM AND TRANSPARENCY. UM, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THINGS COME DOWN IN CONTRACTS AND PROCUREMENT, I DON'T THINK ANYONE CAN QUESTION, UM, YOU ALL AND YOUR INTEGRITY IN THIS PROCESS. SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. AND TO EVERY EMPLOYEE, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR JUST BRINGING THE RECOGNITION. 'CAUSE OFTENTIMES THERE'S SO MANY EMPLOYEES THAT DON'T GET TO SHINE IN THE SPOTLIGHT, BUT THEY REALLY DESERVE IT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCON, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEMAN, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. WE BUY A LOT OF STUFF AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO REALLY WANNA SHOUT OUT EVERYBODY WHO, WHO WORKS ON ALL OF OUR PURCHASING, UM, YOU DO A REALLY GOOD JOB. CAROLYN HANAHAN, UH, I'VE WORKED WITH HER FOR YEARS, MAYOR WHEN SHE CAME IN WITH DAVID FELDMAN AND WORKED IN THE LEGAL LEGAL DEPARTMENT, AND SHE HAS ALWAYS JUST BEEN A JOY TO WORK WITH AND SO THOROUGH AND SO GOOD AT WHAT SHE DOES. SO ANYWAY, THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. I, I WANTED TO SAY TO THE DIRECTOR, BOTH DIRECTORS, UM, YOUR LEADERSHIP, UH, OF THIS ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN STELLAR. AND EVERY TIME I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH, UM, DIRECTOR JED, UH, HE HAS BEEN STRAIGHTFORWARD, UH, FORTHCOMING WITH THE INFORMATION. AND WE APPRECIATE THAT PEOPLE PUT A LOT OF TRUST IN THE WORK THAT YOU AND THE ENTIRE TEAM DOES, AND WE DEPEND ON THE WORK THAT YOU DO. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GENUINE LEADERSHIP. AND ALSO, I, I AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KASH, EVEN WHEN IT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR. YOU'RE VERY KIND AT DELIVERING THE MESSAGE, UH, AND, AND VERY THOUGHTFUL WITH HOW YOU DELIVER IT, UM, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES AND I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT WE HAVE STANDOUTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN THIS REGION. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO HAVE. YOU ALL WILL COME RIGHT UP HERE. [00:28:03] THIS IS THE LAST ONE FOR TODAY, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM. AND FOR OUR FINAL PROCLAMATION TODAY, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES MAYOR TURNER FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE 2023 NCAA IN RECOGNITION OF THE FINAL FOUR TOURNAMENT GAME. KENNETH, Y'ALL LIKE THE BALLS? WE LOVE THE BALLS. YOU SHOULD HAVE GIVEN IT TO MAYOR. HE WAS HITTING HIS THREE POINTS BE A DRIBBLING CONTEST. OKAY. I DON'T THINK, UH, I HAVE TO TELL ANYBODY THAT IS NCAA, UH, MEN'S FINAL FOUR WEEK. AND QUITE FRANKLY, THOUGH, THE GAMES HAVE YET TO START. IT'S ALREADY STARTED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND SO, UH, THIS IS A BIG, BIG, UH, WEEK, UH, FOR THE CITY, FOR THE COUNTRY. UM, AND THIS PROCLAMATION IS PRESENTED TO THE NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR, WHEREAS ON MARCH 28TH, 2023, THE NCAA AND HOUSTON LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE KICKOFF A WEEK OF FESTIVITIES AND PREPARATION FOR THE 2023 NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR IN HOUSTON WITH SEMI-FINAL AND CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES AT NRG STADIUM. AND WHEREAS THE FESTIVITIES SURROUNDING THE GAMES INCLUDE REESE MEN'S FINAL FOUR FRIDAY MEN'S FINAL FOUR FAN FEST PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE MARCH MADNESS MUSIC FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY AT AND T CAPITAL ONE AND COCA-COLA, THE MEN'S FINAL FOUR, [00:30:01] HOUSTON LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEES FOUR MILER, THE MEN'S FINAL FOUR DRIBBLE PRESENTED BY BUICK, AND THE TIP OF TAILGATE PRESENTED BY NISSAN. AND WHEREAS IN ADDITION TO THE FAN EVENTS, THE NCAA ALONGSIDE THE HOUSTON LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE COMPLETED SEVERAL COMMUNITY INITIATIVES THAT WILL LEAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON THE CITY AND LOCAL YOUTH. ONE OF WHICH TOOK PLACE, UH, THIS MORNING AT THE BLUE TRIANGLE, WHICH WAS SIMPLY AN, UH, A FABULOUS EVENT, UH, IN DISTRICT D. AND WHEREAS THESE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE LEGACY PROJECT PRESENTED BY DEGREE, PROVIDING A SIGNIFICANT RENOVATION TO THE BLUE TRIANGLE COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE THIRD WARD, THE READ TO THE FINAL FOUR PROGRAM, WHICH SET AN INCREDIBLE RECORD OF OVER 50 MILLION MINUTES, READ ACROSS 186 SCHOOLS IN 11 DISTRICTS IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. I KNOW THAT'S VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO COUNCIL MEMBER COLLEGE CI AND A COLLEGE COURSE TITLE, THE BUSINESS OF MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS GIVING 60 HOST INSTITUTION STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN HANDS ON EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE HLOC. AND WHEREAS THIS WILL BE THE FOURTH TIME, HOUSTON HOSTS THE MEN'S FINAL FOUR THIS YEAR MARKS A HISTORIC OCCASION OF FOUR UNIVERSITIES ENGAGED AS HOST INSTITUTIONS FOR THE EVENT, THE HOST INSTITUTIONS FOR THIS YEAR'S NCAA, MEN'S FINAL FOUR, UH, HOUSTON CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY, RICE UNIVERSITY, TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, AND UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. TWO OF THOSE UNIVERSITIES HAVEN'T MADE IT TO THE NC A A TOURNAMENT, UH, THEIR, I COULDN'T LEAVE THAT OUT. , THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE HLOC, THEIR STUDENTS, THE COMMUNITY AND THE TOURNAMENT ARE APPRECIATED BY THOUSANDS OF HOUSTONIANS AND VISITORS ALIKE. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON EXTENDS BEST WISHES TO THE 2023 NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR UNIVERSITIES, THEIR STUDENT ATHLETES, THEIR COACHES, AND ALL OTHER INVOLVED FOR A MEMORABLE AND FUN FIELD BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT. THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THANKS, THE NCAA FOR SELECTING HOUSTON AS A WHOLE CITY AND THE HOUSTON LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE FOR ITS GREAT EFFORTS TO MAKE THIS EXPERIENCE FUN, SAVE AND MEMORABLE FOR ALL. AND IF I MIGHT ADD, THE GOAL IS TO MAKE THIS THE BEST NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR AND THE NCAA HISTORY RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM MARCH 28TH, 2023 AS NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. AND SO LET ME, LET ME THANK, UH, EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE, THE HARRIS HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY, UM, THE CHAIRMAN, THE DIRECTOR, THE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, ALL OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NCAA. SOME OF US WERE TOGETHER EARLIER TODAY. UH, BUT LEMME JUST EXTEND A WARM WELCOME, UH, TO EVERYBODY AFFILIATED, UH, TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE. IT'S AN HONOR FOR YOU TO BE HERE. AND I'M NOT GONNA SAY WE'RE GONNA PUT OUR FORTH OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD. UH, WE ARE JUST GONNA BE US. AND I THINK IF HOUSTON IS HOUSTON, YOU ALL WILL HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME, UH, IN H TOWN. HAVING SAID THAT, UH, LET ME YIELD TO THE CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. WE'RE DELIGHTED TO BE HERE. IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO COME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL. WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THE NCAA FINAL FOUR IN TOWN. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE SPORTS AUTHORITY WORKS LONG AND HARD ON BRINGING SPORTING EVENTS TO TOWN, AND WE'RE PARTICULARLY PROUD TO HAVE THE NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR HERE. UH, WE'RE ALSO VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A FABULOUS, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THIS GREAT, THESE GREAT BOARD MEMBERS AND ALSO A TERRIFIC EMPLOYEE IN HOLLY KESTEREN, WHO'S BEEN THE CHAIR OF THE NCAA FINAL FOUR IN HOUSTON. AND I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO HOLLY SO SHE CAN GET THE NCAA REPRESENTATIVES UP HERE AND WE CAN MAKE THIS PRESENTATION TO THEM. HOLLY. THANKS, KENNY. THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. AS WE'VE MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, UM, BUT DEFINITELY COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY WITHOUT YOU AS WELL AS COUNCIL AND ALL THE SUPPORT WE HAVE GOTTEN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AS WE PLAN FOR THIS. AS KENNY MENTIONED, THE SPORTS AUTHORITY IS EXTREMELY PROUD. WE STARTED WORKING ON THIS FINAL FOUR IN 2017, UM, AND IT'S A LONG ROAD TO BE HERE AND NOW AT EVENT WEEK. SO SUPER EXCITED TO BE CELEBRATING BASKETBALL, CELEBRATING ALL THAT HOUSTON HAS TO OFFER FOR THE THOUSANDS THAT WILL BE COMING INTO TOWN OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. UM, WITH THAT, I WANNA THANK JANICE FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AS WE'VE WORKED THROUGH EVERYTHING, KENNY, APPRECIATE YOU AND ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS HERE TODAY. YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN, WITHOUT A DOUBT, EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE. I'D LOVE TO ASK JOANNE SCOTT, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF NCA MEN'S BASKETBALL TO COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS FOR US. SO MY NAME IS JOANNE SCOTT. [00:35:01] I'M A FIRST GENERATION, UM, COLLEGE GRADUATE. UM, REGARDING THE BAND, I WOULD SAY BASKETBALL IS THE SAME WITHOUT A BAND. UM, AND WE SAW THAT WHEN WE, UH, HAD MARCH MADNESS IN A BUBBLE IN 2021 AND THE BANDS WAS VERY MUCH MISSED WHEN IT CAME TO MARCH MADNESS. I WAS A FRENCH HORN PLAYER. SO, UM, EVERYTHING TODAY IS DEAR TO ME AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY. UM, AND IT'S THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF TITLE IX. WE'VE BEEN CELEBRATING FOR THE LAST, UH, YEAR AT THE NCAA AND IN HOUSTON'S OWN WAY, UM, WITH, UM, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY AND IN YOUR OWN WAY, HAVING JANICE AND HAVING HOLLY, RACHEL KWAN, CARLA GOMEZ HAVE BEEN PHENOMENAL FEMALE LEADERS ON A MEN'S FINAL FOUR. AND SO IN YOUR OWN WAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, IT'S BEEN A PHENOMENAL YEAR. I THINK HOUSTON HAS SET THE BAR ON HOW, UH, TO RUN A FINAL FOUR. AND I, UH, JUST WANNA SAY THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANKS AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. I DON'T WANNA LEAVE WITHOUT ONE MORE THING. AND I GET JANICE TO COME UP HERE AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE READING PROGRAM BECAUSE THE READING PROGRAM WAS ACTUALLY BEGUN HERE IN HOUSTON IN 2016 WHEN THE NCAA FINAL FOUR WAS HERE. IT'S NOW DONE EVERY YEAR, UH, WHEREVER THEY SHOW UP. AND WE HAVE OUTDONE OURSELVES ONCE AGAIN ON THAT. THESE ARE THIRD GRADERS WHO ARE READING. SO JANICE, LEMME GET YOU TO TALK ABOUT THAT. YEAH, AND THIS THANKS TO HOLLY AND HER TEAM. WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ENGAGE THESE THIRD GRADERS ALL ACROSS OUR CITY AND AND COUNTY. AND TO HIT 50 MILLION MINUTES, UM, BY ALL OF THESE KIDS IS AMAZING. AND, UH, ONCE AGAIN, WE'VE SET A RECORD. UM, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF FIRSTS, UH, HAVING FOUR D ONE, UH, UNIVERSITIES HERE IN HOUSTON AS OUR, UM, HOST INSTITUTIONS, THAT'S A FIRST, UM, HAVING THIS GREAT PROGRAM THAT AGAIN, HOLLY AND HER TEAM PUT TOGETHER OF LETTING STUDENTS THAT ARE IN SPORTS MANAGEMENT COME TOGETHER AND, UM, WORK ON THE EVENT AND LEARN ABOUT THE EVENT IS A FIRST. SO, UM, GREAT JOB BY OUR TEAM. SUPER PROUD OF THEM. GREAT . YEAH. LEMME JUST QUICKLY INTRODUCE OUR BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE. START START WITH MARTY KENDRICK HERE. UH, AND LYNDON ROSE, WHO ACTUALLY WAS A MEMBER OF FIRE SLAM PAJAMA, AND HE MAY BE THE SECOND MOST DISAPPOINTED PERSON AT THE OF AGE IS NOT HERE NEXT TO OUR MAYOR IS THE FIRST MOST DISAPPOINTED PERSON. AND THEN LAURA MARIA, THE HEAD OF THE HISPANIC CHAMBER IS ALSO ON OUR BOARD AND IT'S GREAT TO HAVE HER AND JOSEPH CALLIER. SO THESE FOLKS DOING A A WONDERFUL JOB, UNPAID VOLUNTEERS TO THE COMMUNITY AND KEEP THE SPORTS AUTHORITY GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND WE'RE JUST PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS NCAA EVENT HERE. SO I HOPE YOU ALL CAN GET IT OUT THERE AND PARTICIPATE. UH, LOTS OF STUFF GOING ON THAT YOU'RE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN. AND, UM, THANKS FOR HAVING US. WE APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. WE DO HAVE SOME COMMENTS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR POT AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR WE ARE ALL SO EXCITED ABOUT THE FINAL FOUR. I MEAN, THIS IS SUPER EXCITING. WE'RE SAD ABOUT YOU EVA. WE'RE SAD ABOUT MY BELOVED LONGHORNS , BUT I GET A BONUS. MY NEPHEW MARRIED, UH, HE LIVES IN SAN DIEGO AND HIS WIFE WENT TO SAN DIEGO STATE AT THE WHOLE FAMILY'S COMING IN AND STAYING WITH US. SO WE'RE ALL AZTEC FANS NOW AT THE, AT THE ALCORN HOUSE. THANK YOU, UM, KENNY AND JANICE AND HOLLY, EVERYBODY THAT'S DONE EVERYTHING. I WAS AT THE BLUE TRIANGLE EVENT WHEN YOU ANNOUNCED THE WHOLE THING AND SAW THE KIDS AND THE READING THING. I'M SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP. THIS IS A GREAT THING FOR HOUSTON. GEORGE HAS TOLD GEORGE HAS HIS TICKETS. HE'S TOLD ME HE'S A ABANDONING ME FOR EVERY OTHER ACTIVITY THAT'S NOT BASKETBALL RELATED THIS WEEKEND. UH, WE'RE ALL SUPER EXCITED AND THANKS FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR BRINGING THEM FORWARD. YOU, WITHOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP, WE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS HERE, UH, PUSHING THIS WITH ALL OF YOU. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, MY GRANDCHILDREN AND I GOT TOGETHER AND WE DO IT EVERY YEAR. WE, WE, WE FILL IN THE BRACKET FOR THE FINAL, FOR ALL THE, THE WHOLE THING. AND, UH, HOUSTON STILL OWN OUR BRACKET, , IN FACT, UH, WE WIN THE THING . SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT MY LITTLE GRANDKIDS STILL THINK THAT WE'RE STILL IN IT. SO, , THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I KNOW HEY, DISAPPOINTMENT, BUT WE GOT HERE. GOD BLESS. COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING THAT REALLY SHOULD BE BROUGHT OUT, UH, IN, IN MORE DETAIL. AND THAT IS THIS MAYOR NOT ONLY HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING SPORTING EVENTS TO TOWN, HE ACTUALLY WENT WITH US TO MAKE THE PITCH TO THE NCAA AND HE WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN OUR SUCCESS IN GETTING THIS HERE. SO HE DESERVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. COUNCIL MEMBER, EVAN SHAMA, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. IT'S A HARD JOB, MAYOR, BUT SOMEBODY HAD TO DO IT RIGHT, . ALRIGHT. ANYWAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. AND I'M JUST SO ELATED FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE I SAW TODAY AT THE, UH, NA [00:40:01] NCAA. I'M SO USED TO THE NAC, THE N NCAA A, A LEGACY PROJECT AT THE BLUE TRIANGLE. WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THAT IS GONNA BE A WONDERFUL PLACE FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO CONGREGATE AND SOME OF THE OLDER PEOPLE AS WELL. AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THAT PROJECT THIS MORNING. AND WE ARE JUST SO ELATED IN DISTRICT D, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, AND WE CERTAINLY MISSED YOU ON FRIDAY NIGHT. LINDA ROSE, WE COULD HAVE USED YOUR SKILLS. YEAH, IN THE BAHAMAS. , WELL SEE YOU ON VACATION AND WE TRYING TO WIN A, UH, GET TO THE CITY, THE NCAA, BUT THAT'S OKAY. ANYWAY, THANK YOU EVERY MUCH. OH, I CAME AND GET IT OUT. THANK YOU EVERYONE AND YOU ALL WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GREAT TIME THIS WEEKEND. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, EVERYONE, THE WHOLE CITY IS ON FIRE AND EXCITED ABOUT THIS BEING HERE. UM, MAYOR, I DIDN'T REALIZE THE BIGGER ROLE YOU HAD PLAYED IN GETTING THIS HERE TO OUR CITY, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. CAN WE GIVE HIM ANOTHER ROUND? I KNOW YOU, YOU'RE ALSO WILLING TO JUMP IN AND BE A PLAYER TOO, IF, IF NEED BE . UM, I'M REALLY, REALLY WANTED TO, TO, UM, JUST ADD SOME COMMENTS AND THANK HOLLY AND HER TEAM FOR THE READING PROGRAM. I WAS A THIRD GRADE TEACHER AND, AND, AND THIRD GRADE IS SUCH A PIVOTAL YEAR, SUCH A PREDICTIVE YEAR OF, OF, OF CHILDREN'S SUCCESS AS THEY GROW TO BE ADULTS, YOU KNOW, SO, SO THANK YOU FOR CONCENTRATING ON THIRD GRADE AND, AND, UM, JUST CHILDREN IN GENERAL. I, I, I REALLY, IT'S, IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS AND YOUR SUCCESS AND, AND MAKING THIS A NATIONAL PROGRAM. NOW. I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT, THAT IT WAS NOW AT EVERY IN, UM, UH, FINAL FOUR EVENT ANYWHERE. HOORAY, HOORAY. HOORAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I REMEMBER IN 2018 WHEN WE WERE OVER AT THE SPORTS AUTHORITY OFFICE AND THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE. AND I REMEMBER THINKING, MAN, 2023 IS A LONG TIME AWAY, . AND HERE WE ARE IN 2023, READY TO CELEBRATE THE FINAL FOUR. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF YOU AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO A PHENOMENAL TIME THIS WEEK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU ALL. ALL RIGHT, AS [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] WE GET READY TO TURN TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, SESSION CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN FOR THE INVOCATION. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UH, REVEREND IRV WHITE IS THE LEAD PASTOR OF ASHFORD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. PRIOR TO ANSWERING THE CALL TO PASTORAL LEADERSHIP IN 2006, PASTOR WHITE ENJOYED 20 YEARS AS AN EMMY AWARD-WINNING TELEVISION NEWS AND SPORTS ANCHOR. AND NINE YEARS AS THE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING FOR WINDSOR VILLAGE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. PASTOR WHITE SERVED 10 YEARS AND AS, AS AN ASSOCIATE PASTOR AT WINDSOR BEFORE TRANSITIONING IN 2018 TO HIS CURRENT ROLE AT ASHFORD. NOW, THE ASHFORD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH HAS BEEN A GREAT COMMUNITY PARTNER FOR DISTRICT G AND WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. SO I'M PROUD TO INTRODUCE REVEREND WHITE TO GIVE THE INVOCATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. UH, WILL THERE BE SOMEONE FOR ME TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH AFTER THIS IS OVER WITH? LET'S PRAY. GOD OF GRACE AND MERCY, GOD OF ALL, SOME POWER, GOD OF ALL CREATION, OUR REFUGE AND STRONG TOWER, WE THANK YOU THAT YOU MADE US IN YOUR IMAGE TO LIVE STRONG IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU AND IN COMMUNITY WITH OUR NEIGHBORS. [00:45:02] LORD, I THANK YOU FOR THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. PLEASE CONTINUE TO COVER THEM WITH YOUR WISDOM, GRACE AND MERCY, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THIS CHAMBER. THANK YOU FOR GIVING COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK, COUNCIL MEMBER TASHA JACKSON, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVE MARTIN, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY D. THOMAS, COUNCIL MEMBER MARY NAN HUFFMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLA CISNEROS, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS, COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD POLLARD, COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEK TATUM, COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH, COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA PLUMMER, COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN, CONTROLLER CHRIS BROWN AND MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER. THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AND LEAD THIS GREAT CITY, GUIDE THEM SO THAT THEIR POLICY DECISIONS ALIGN WITH YOUR WILL FOR THIS CITY. YOUR WORD TELLS US THAT IT IS YOUR INTENTION AND YOUR DESIRE FOR YOUR LAND TO PROSPER SO THAT YOUR PEOPLE PROSPER SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY PROSPERS. WE CALL OUT AGENDAS THAT FAIL TO DO JUSTICE, TO LOVE KINDNESS, AND THAT DO NOT HONOR THE THINGS YOU SAY ARE GOOD. HEAR OUR PRAYER FOR THE GOOD SUCCESS OF OUR CITY, LORD, LET THIS CITY BE KNOWN AS A CITY OF COMPASSION AND RESPECT FOR THE LEAST AMONG US. LET THIS CITY BE KNOWN FOR SCHOOLS THAT PASS AND NOT FAIL. LET THIS CITY BE KNOWN FOR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SAFE AND LOW IN CRIME. LET THIS CITY BE KNOWN AS A CITY WITH HAPPY HOMES. LET THIS CITY BE KNOWN AS A CITY THAT WELCOMES A STRANGER. LET THIS CITY BE KNOWN FOR ITS HOPEFULNESS AND NOT HOMELESSNESS. LET THIS CITY BE KNOWN FOR ITS EASE OF ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE FOR ALL ITS CITIZENS. LET THIS CITY BE KNOWN FOR HOW IT CARES FOR THOSE IN NEED. PLEADS THE CASE FOR THE INNOCENT AND HOLDS THE GUILTY ACCOUNTABLE. LET THIS CITY BE KNOWN FOR ITS TRAFFIC THAT IS FLOWING AND FOR AN ECONOMY THAT IS GROWING. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FORGIVE US FOR DOING ANYTHING THAT IS CONTRARY TO YOUR CHARACTER. AND GUARD US WITH WEAPONS FORMED AGAINST YOUR CHARACTER, THEY WILL NOT PROSPER. THIS IS OUR PRAYER TODAY. AND RESPECTING THOSE OF ALL FAITHS AND TRADITIONS. I HUMBLY SUBMIT THIS PRAYER IN THE AWESOME, AMAZING, MAGNIFICENT, AND MAJESTIC NAME OF MY LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. AMEN. AMEN. HAVE YOU ALL RISE FOR THE FOR THE PLEDGE, A PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] VERY MUCH. PLEASE PREPARE FOR THE ROLL CALL MAYOR TURNER. HERE. COUNCILOR PECK. HERE. COUNCILOR JACKSON. HERE. COUNCILOR KAMAN. PRESENT. COUNCILOR EVAN SHABAZZ. HERE, COUNCILOR MARTIN WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCILOR THOMAS. COUNCILOR HUFFMAN. PRESENT. COUNCILOR CISNEROS. HERE. COUNCIL GALLEGOS. HERE. COUNCILMAN POLL WILL BE ABSENT. COUNCIL CASTEX TATUM. HERE. COUNCILOR KNOX WILL BE ABSENT. CONSTABLE ROBINSON WILL BE ABSENT. CONSTABLE KOSH HERE AND CONSTABLE PLUM WILL BE ABSENT. CONSTABLE ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES. SO MOVE. SECOND. CAST BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND. ANY OBJECTION? CHAIR. NOW ANY MOTION IS GRANTED. UM, SEE ON PROCEDURAL MOTIONS. UH, CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD ZION ESCOBAR TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA. LIST. BEEN MOVED. IS SECOND? SECOND BEEN MOVED? AND SECOND. ANY OBJECTION? CHAIRS? NONE. MOTION IS GRANTED. CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS. MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, ADD PRISCILLA ATA TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LAST PERSON THAT WAS APPROVED. SECOND. YOU FURTHER MOTION HAS BEEN SECOND IN JUN CHAIR. NONE GRANTED. CHAIR RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN KASH. MAYOR, I WANNA SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE FOR TOMORROW. BELL TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA. SECOND, THEN MOVED. AND SECOND. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR? NONE. MOTION IS GRANTED. CHAIR, COUNCILMAN, MEMBER SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD ATTORNEY MELANIE MILES AND, UM, MATTHEW FEA BEHIND TOMORROW. BAIL. [00:50:02] SECOND MOVED AND SECONDING. OBJECTION. CHAIR. NO MOTION. AS GRANT CHAIR, RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO. THANK YOU MAYOR. I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE DOUG SMITH TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ONE MINUTE NON AGENDA SPEAKERS TWO, THEN MOVED. AND ANY OBJECTION, JUROR. NOW MOTION IS GRANTED. ALRIGHT THEN. UM, MADAM SECRETARY OF YOU WILL, WHERE, WHERE DO YOU PUT IN DOUG SMITH AGENDA? OKAY. SHE GOT, WE'RE DONE TOMORROW. MELANIE. MATTHEW TUESDAY. OKAY, I'M READY. [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] OKAY, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PROCEED TO CALL THE SPEAKER'S LIST FIRST SPEAKER OF TOMORROW BELL. TOMORROW BELL IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY MELANIE MILES. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, I AM COMING TODAY. MAKE SURE Y'ALL RECORD THIS. WRITE THIS DOWN. DON'T FORGET IT. I AM COMING TO SUPPORT THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT'S SIX COMMUNITIES THAT THEY'RE STARTING WITH. I WAS, I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. I I DIDN'T HEAR YOU. , CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? REPEAT THAT. SOMEBODY GIMME ONE OF THEM BALLS TO THROW AT HIM. WHAT? I, I, I WANNA MAKE SURE AGAIN, I PAID FOR PARKING. UH, I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO GET MY ID. THE LADY SAID, OH, IT'S YOU. SO I AM HERE AGAIN TO TELL YOU THAT I SUPPORT TANYA BACK THERE. UH, THE OTHER MAGNOLIA PARK. EVERYBODY Y'ALL PICKED, I PRAYED THAT THIS SUCCEEDS. I KNOW SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT IF IT DOES, THEY WANNA DO IT BECAUSE THEY'RE SCARED TO DEATH OF THE PLANS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PIPELINE FOR PLANNING AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PROTECTION. SO I'M REALLY, OUR EYES ARE ON YOU ALL TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WORKS. I MEAN, IT, I'M REALLY, REALLY, REALLY EXCITED TO SEE HOW THIS GOES. NOW THAT WAS NUMBER ONE. NOW, NUMBER TWO, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, WHICH I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH. YOU SAID YOU GOTTA COME AND SPEAK. WE'RE NOT DOING NO MORE ZOOMS. WHY IS THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT STILL ON A AT HOME DAYS AND WORKING SOME DAYS I THOUGHT EVERYBODY HAD TO COME BACK. I WAS CALLING FOR SOMEBODY AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH NO, THEY ONLY WORK THREE DAYS A WEEK IN THE OFFICE. THEY'RE NOT WORKING ALL DAY. THAT'S, IT'S VERY HARD TO DEAL WITH THAT. AND IF WE GOTTA COME BACK AS PUBLIC, OH, I VERIFIED IT THREE TIMES. IT'S STILL HAPPENING. IF WE GOTTA COME HERE IN PERSON TO SPEAK, THEY SHOULD ALL BE BACK AT WORK. 'CAUSE YOU SAID JUNE 1ST, ALL YOUR PEOPLE EITHER GET BACK OR GET OUT, GET OUT. SO CAN YOU PLEASE WORK ON THAT? 'CAUSE THAT'S VERY FRUSTRATING. I, I HEAR YOU. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, MELANIE MILES. MELANIE MILES IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY MATTHEW FEA. UH, GOOD MORNING. UH, OR GOOD AFTERNOON, RATHER. SORRY. HERE. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD A AFTERNOON. UM, LIKE MS. BELL, UH, I CAME BEFORE THIS BODY AND EXPRESSED SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS WITH REGARDS TO THE CONSERVATION EDITION ORDINANCE. UM, SPECIFICALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO INTENT AND THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE LINING UP WITH ONE ANOTHER. UM, I WILL CONCUR WITH, UH, MS. BELL IN THAT I BELIEVE AND APPRECIATE THE MAYOR AND THIS BODY AND THE EFFORTS THAT WERE MADE TO FOCUS THIS ORDINANCE SPECIFICALLY ON THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE REQUESTED IT AND HAVE LOBBIED FOR SO MANY YEARS TO GET A TOOL SUCH AS THIS. I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT IS A WIN-WIN SITUATION. UM, I I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ONE THING. IT, THERE IS NO SPECIFIC DATE ON THE PILOT OF THE ORDINANCE. UM, AND RESTRICTIONS WITH REGARDS TO THE ORDINANCE BEING APPLIED OUTSIDE OF THAT AREA. IT WOULD BE, I GUESS, ICING ON THE CAKE IF THERE COULD BE SOME SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS WITH REGARDS TO THAT. SO, UM, I'M GONNA LEAVE IT AT THAT. IT'S NO POINT IN PATTING YOU ON THE BACK AND THEN SAYING, BUT, SO ANYWAY, I WANNA APPLAUD THE MAYOR AND THIS BODY FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK AND LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT SPEAKER, MATTHEW FESTER. MATTHEW FESTER IS HERE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, IT'S A REAL PRIVILEGE TO BE BACK HERE WITH YOU. UH, AFTER [00:55:01] LAST MONTH WHEN WE HAD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS, AND, UH, AT THAT PUBLIC HEARING, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I GAVE CREDIT TO STAFF AND LEGAL FOR RECOGNIZING THAT THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS GOVERNED BY THE TEXAS ZONING ENABLING ACT. CHAPTER TWO 11 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. AND LEGAL AND STAFF HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB IN TRYING TO REVISE THE ORDINANCE OVER A COUPLE DIFFERENT DRAFTS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. UM, HOWEVER, I STILL HAVE THREE CONCERNS WITH THIS ORDINANCE, AND IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO TALK TO, UH, ATTORNEY MILES AND, UH, OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, TO, TO SHARE CONCERNS. I, I SPOKE AT THE RIVERSIDE HEIGHTS, UM, COMMUNITY MEETING AND THERE WERE SOME, THERE'S STILL SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THIS. UH, AND, AND I'LL JUST LIST THEM AS THREE BECAUSE THIS IS A GREAT WEEK FOR HOUSTON. OBVIOUSLY WE'VE BEEN CELEBRATING WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN HOUSTON, AND WE WANT TO KEEP IT STRONG. SO LET'S KEEP IT STRONG BY MAKING SURE THAT THIS LAW, UM, WORKS IN THE RIGHT WAY IF IT'S GONNA BE PASSED. FIRST OF ALL, PROCEDURAL THERE. UM, MY CON, MY FIRST CONCERN IS THAT THIS, THIS LAW DOESN'T REALLY INFORM THE PEOPLE OF WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE UNDER STATE LAW. THERE ARE, UH, THERE'S NO RIGHT TO APPEAL. THERE'S NO OPT-OUT PROVISION. THERE'S NO EXPRESSION OF THE RIGHT TO AN INDIVIDUAL IMPACT STATEMENT, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW. UH, AND THE 75%, 51%. I JUST THINK THAT'S CONFUSING TO PEOPLE. UH, SECONDLY, SUBSTANTIVE, THE 51%, IF YOU REALLY READ THE LAW, AND THIS IS WHAT I SAID LAST MONTH, AND IT HASN'T CHANGED, IT'S JUST REALLY AN OFF TO THE RACES. ONCE THE 51% THRESHOLD IS MET AND THE PLANNING DIRECTOR HAS DISCRETION TO REDRAW THE MAP, UH, THERE'S A WHOLE MENU OF THINGS THAT CAN GO INTO THE, UH, DESIGN GUIDELINES. AND AS MY OLD ARMY GENERAL TOLD ME WHEN I WAS SERVING ACTIVE DUTY, UM, IF YOU'RE NOT AT THE TABLE, YOU'RE ON THE MENU. SO THERE'S A WHOLE MENU HERE THAT, OF THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO CONSULT ON DESPITE ALL THE ATIONS OF GOOD FAITH. AND WE WANT TO CONSULT WITH THE COMMUNITIES. IT'S NOT THERE ONCE YOU GET 51%, IT'S ALL THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AND YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS YOU WANT, BUT THAT'S NOT IN THE LAW. UH, THIRD OF ALL, UH, AS A MATTER OF POLICY, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS IS GONNA STOP GENTRIFICATION. WE SEEM TO ASSUME THAT IF WE DRAW BOUNDARIES AROUND DISTRICTS AND INCREASE THE COST OF LIVING THERE AND DOING BUSINESS, IT'LL STOP GENTRIFICATION. BUT THERE ARE STUDIES THAT GO THE OTHER WAY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED POINT. LET ME, LET ME JUST SPECIFICALLY RESPOND. YES, SIR. THIS HAS BEEN ASKED BY COMMUNITIES WHO WILL WANT TO STOP GENTRIFICATION. SO IT'S ONLY BEEN BEING MADE AVAILABLE TO THOSE COMMUNITIES WHO ARE ASKING FOR IT. AND THERE'S ALREADY BEEN A LOT OF COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BY THOSE SIX COMMUNITIES. AND THERE WILL BE CONTINUED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. UM, SO THE AUDIENCE TOMORROW ONLY DEALS WITH THOSE SIX COMMUNITIES. OKAY. AND THEN IT GOES BACK TO THOSE COMMUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL, UM, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FOR THEIR VOTE. AND THEN IT COMES BACK TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOR A TWO THIRDS OR THREE FIFTH VOTE. SO, UM, THERE IS A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. UM, SO I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. UM, BUT IT IS ONLY BEING PROVIDED, UH, TO THOSE MADE AVAILABLE TO THOSE COMMUNITIES WHO ARE ALREADY ASKING FOR IT, NOT PLANNING, BUT COMMUNITIES THEMSELVES WHO ARE ASKING FOR IT. AND IT'S PRIMARILY IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT, UM, UM, WHERE A GREAT DEAL OF GENTRIFICATION IS ALREADY OCCURRING. SO I APPRECIATE YOU WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. YES, MAYOR, I JUST WANNA MAKE, I APPRECIATE THAT. JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE VERY, VERY, VERY CLEAR. COUNCILMAN KASH. I, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE THRESHOLD OF 51% IS PRETTY LOW. AND THEN, AND, AND THAT IT WILL START, UH, HAPPENING AFTER THAT 51%. AND I, I'M GONNA BE ASKING FOR, UH, THE MAYOR TO, TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION OF HOW THESE COMMUNITIES HAVE ASKED FOR IT. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A VOTE OR IF IT CAME OUT OF, UH, UH, THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS OR WHAT COMMITTEE GROUP. 'CAUSE I, I MEAN, IT'S, WHEN WE SAY THAT THESE COMMUNITIES ARE ASKING FOR IT, HOW, HOW, [01:00:01] HOW, HOW, HOW DID THEY ASK FOR IT? WAS IT THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER OR WAS IT, I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT WAS THE, UH, METHOD, UH, OF ASKING FOR IT? SO, UH, SO YOU, WOULD YOU BE, UH, MORE INCLINED TO HAVE THE, THE NUMBER SET AT 75% INSTEAD OF 51%? AND IS IT ALREADY IN THE STATUTE THAT IT SHOULD BE 51% AND NOT 75%? MY READING OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS THAT 51% MOVES THE BALL AND THAT 75% HERE NEEDS TO APPROVE IT. 75% HERE, BUT NOT 75% OF THE, OF THE LANDOWNERS. CORRECT. AND THERE IS NO PROVISION IN THE DRAFT ORDINANCE THAT THERE EVEN BE A VOTE BEFORE IT GETS PROPOSED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WELL, LET'S SAY IN, IN A NEIGHBORHOOD FOR AN APPLICATION, LET'S SAY IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I OWN SIX PROPERTIES AND THE ALL THESE LOTS ARE CONTIGUOUS. AND, AND, UH, SO WOULD I'LL GET ONE VOTE OR SIX VOTES. UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT HAS GONE BACK AND FORTH. SO IT LOOKS LIKE I'M GONNA GET ONE VOTE IS WHAT I HEARD. IF IT, IF IT IS CONTIGUOUS, I BELIEVE YOU GET ONE VOTE. IF THEY'RE NOT CONTIGUOUS, THEN YOU'LL GET MULTIPLE VOTES. OKAY? THERE'S CORRECT. AND, AND THAT, THAT'S SOMEWHAT CONCERNING. BUT OKAY, THANK YOU FOR COMING. I APPRECIATE YOU SHINING A LIGHT ON IT. THANK YOU. WELL, LET'S BEAR IN MIND ALSO, YES, THAT IN MANY CASES, I THINK, UH, IT'S COMING WITH THE SUPPORT OF ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHERE THESE AREAS ARE INVOLVED. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AREAS LIKE ARIS HOME, PLEASANTVILLE, FRIEDMANS TOWN, UH, MAGNOLIA SMITH EDITION, UM, INDEPENDENT HIKES. UM, THESE ARE AREAS THAT, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, UM, MANY OF US HAVE BEEN IN OR LIVED IN, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THESE AREAS. UM, YOU ASK FOR US TO TAILOR IT DOWN, WE HAVE DONE THAT. AND SO I WOULD CHALLENGE ANYONE WHO COMES AND SPEAKS. NUMBER ONE, TELL US FIRST, DO YOU LIVE IN THESE AREAS? THAT'S NUMBER ONE. AND LET ME ASK, DO YOU LIVE IN EITHER ONE OF THESE SIX? NO, SIR. OKAY. I'VE LIVED IN 'EM FOR 60 PLUS YEARS. OKAY. SO IF YOU'RE GONNA BE OPPOSED, TELL US NUMBER ONE, WHAT'S YOUR CONNECTION WITH THESE SIX? AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CONNECTION WITH THESE SIX, THEN I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD TRUMP THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE AND WHOSE AREAS ARE BEING GENTRIFIED. AND WITH RESPECT TO ONE, I HAVE A 60 PLUS YEAR CONNECTION BORN IN ONE, AND THIS MAYOR STILL LIVE IN ONE. SO, UM, YOU ASK US TO TAILOR IT TO, TO, UM, LIMIT IT. WE HAVE DONE JUST THAT. NOW THE QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE INTENT? NOW IT DOESN'T APPLY TO ANY, THE SERGEANT DOESN'T APPLY TO ANY OTHER AREAS, BUT THE SIX IN QUESTION DOESN'T APPLY TO ANY OTHERS. SO LET'S, LET'S KEEP MOVING, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU RAISING THE CONCERN. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. OH, AND PINEY POINT WAS THE OTHER ONE. SUSIE HARGROVE. SEE THE HARGROVE IS HERE. BE FOLLOWED BY ZION ESCOBAR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY. UH, WE DO APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE MADE ADDITIONAL REFINEMENTS TO THE ORDINANCE. WE HAVE NO QUALMS WITH THE SIX NEIGHBORHOODS. WE DID ASK YOU TO CREATE A PILOT PROGRAM. YOU HAVE DONE THAT. UM, THE ONE THING I THINK I WILL DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO TODAY IS WE'VE GOT, UM, CONFLICTING INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE AND WHETHER UPON COMPLETION OF THOSE SIX NEIGHBORHOODS BEFORE COMPLETION OF THOSE SIX NEIGHBORHOODS, WHETHER THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT CAN ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FROM OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS. AND WE JUST WOULD LIKE A CLARIFICATION IN THE ORDINANCE THAT THEY WILL COMPLETE. UM, THE SIX, THE PILOT PROGRAM WILL BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT STARTS ACCEPTING ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS. I THINK THE PILOT PROGRAM WILL TELL US A LOT ABOUT HOW THE PROGRAM WILL RUN, WHAT CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE IN THE ORDINANCE, AND HOW THIS WILL, HOW THIS COULD MOVE FORWARD. AND THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO POINT OUT TODAY. WE HAVE SENT A, WITH THE HOUSTON REAL ESTATE COUNCIL, WE HAVE SENT A LETTER TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL WITH A FEW OTHER ITEMS. BUT THAT WAS WHAT I'D LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION. WELL, I CAN ANSWER THAT. UH, THIS IS THE ONLY ORDINANCE THAT THIS MAYOR IS GOING TO BRING DURING HIS TERM. [01:05:01] SO, UH, AND IT ONLY PERTAINS TO THE SIX AREAS, PERIOD. OKAY. NOW, WHAT FUTURE MAYORS AND FUTURE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS DO? I, I CANNOT SPEAK FOR THEM. WELL, THAT'S ALWAYS AN ISSUE, . OKAY. BUT, UH, BUT IN TERMS OF, UM, THIS CONSERVATION DISTRICT, THIS DISTRICTS, IT ONLY APPLIES TO SIX. AND THIS MAYOR, THIS ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T INTEND TO BRING ANOTHER CONSERVATION ORDINANCE, UM, WHILE I'M MAYOR. THANK YOU. WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT IN THE ORDINANCE. OKAY. COUNCILMAN AQUAN. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANKS SUZIE FOR COMING. I, I DID ASK THAT VERY QUESTION, AND I DID GET A RESPONSE FROM ANDY KINSON THAT SAID THAT THERE WOULD NOT BE, UH, IF YOU, IF ANOTHER AREA WAS CONSIDERED, THE ORDINANCE WOULD HAVE TO BE AMENDED. SO THANK YOU. THAT IS CORRECT. IT WILL REQUIRE AN, ANOTHER ORDINANCE OR TO AMEND THIS ORDINANCE IN ORDER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. BUT THE WAY THIS ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN, IT ONLY APPLIES TO SIX. THANK YOU. OKAY. AND I CAN TELL YOU THERE WILL NOT BE ANY AMENDMENTS TO IT, UH, WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION. OKAY. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER KASH. I'M SORRY. SUZIE. UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF HOW THESE SIX, UH, UH, THESE SIX COMMUNITIES WERE PICKED? I, I DON'T, UM, I KNOW JUST FROM BEING A PLANNING DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE, ONCE UPON A TIME THAT THEY'VE LONG HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, FIRST IN THE WAY OF TRYING TO GET THEM TO BECOME A HISTORIC DISTRICT. AND THEN, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S ONLY JUST BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THEIR WORK WITH INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS. SO YOU DON'T KNOW HOW THEY WERE SELECTED. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, ZION ESCOBAR. ZION ESCOBAR IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY PRISCILLA ARGUETA. GREETINGS. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THIS DISCUSSION. UM, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THOSE WHO WERE SELECTED AND THOSE WHO ARE ON THIS LIST. I WANTED TO REINTRODUCE MYSELF. MY NAME IS ZION ESCOBAR AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON FRIEDMAN'S TOWN CONSERVANCY, WHICH ALSO SERVES AS THE STEWARD OF THE FREEDMAN'S TOWN HERITAGE DISTRICT, WHICH, UM, IS A, UH, CITY APPROVED DESIGNATION TO HELP ASSIST WITH PRESERVATION AND ACTIVITIES AND ADVOCACY FOR FREEDMAN'S TOWN. AND SO I WANT TO SAY, UM, THANK YOU FIRST AND FOREMOST. AS YOU HEARD MS. BELL SAY, UM, YOU HAVE BEEN RESPONSIVE TO THE QUESTIONS, THE REVISIONS TO LIMIT THE SCOPE OF IMPACT TO FOCUS ON THESE PILOTS. FRIEDMANS TOWN SPECIFICALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR MORE THAN TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS WITH THE PLANE DEPARTMENT, WITH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER TO WORK ON PRESERVATION AND FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO FIND A HUNDRED DIFFERENT STRATEGIES. AND HONESTLY, WE HAVE A, A DOCUMENT THAT HAS ABOUT 57 DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW TO PROTECT FRIEDMANS TOWN, HOW TO FINANCIALLY INCENTIVIZE IT, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WOULD WORK FOR RENTERS, FOR HOMEOWNERS, FOR INSTITUTIONS, UM, FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC. AND ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT WAS WE NEEDED A TOOL THAT COULD HELP PROTECT THOSE WHO SELF-SELECTED, SELF-SELECTED, NOT THE ADMINISTRATION SELECTED FOR THEM, BUT THOSE WHO SELF-SELECTED AND DECIDED TOGETHER THAT THEY WANTED TO PROTECT THEMSELF. AND SO THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL RESPONSE WITH THE ADDITIONAL EDITS THAT I'M LOOKING HERE. UM, THE 3 23 23 EDIT OF THAT REVISION IS ONE THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THE THINGS THAT EVEN FOLKS IN FRIEDMANS TOWN HAD QUESTIONS AND THEY WERE ADDRESSED. AND SO WE THANK YOU FOR BEING RESPONSIVE TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND FOR ENSURING THAT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS ADVOCACY FROM THIS BODY ARE ACTUALLY RECEIVING IT NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A MATERIAL WAY IN OVER A HUNDRED YEARS. AND SO, JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING VERY RESPONSIVE TO SHOW A FACE TO WHO'S SPECIFICALLY HIS CHARGE WITH PROTECTING AND PRESERVING THESE SPECIFIC BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS. AND TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION OF HOW DOES THIS AFFECT GENTRIFICATION, UH, WE HAVE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE QUITE INTERESTED IN THIS, WHO SAY, I'M AFRAID THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A THREE STORY TOWN HOME NEXT TO MY 100-YEAR-OLD HISTORIC STRUCTURE THAT'S GONNA CAUSE MY PRICES TO GO UP. IT'S GOING TO BE A MATERIAL CHANGE TO THE CHARACTER AND THE VISIBILITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IF THOSE FOLKS CHOOSE TO SELF-SELECT TO BE IN A CONSERVATION DISTRICT, THIS WOULD HELP THOSE FOLKS. AGAIN, THIS IS SPECIFIC TO THOSE WHO WANT IT. THIS IS NOT A BLANKET OVER THE ENTIRE HERITAGE DISTRICT. IT IS SPECIFIC TO THOSE WHO HAVE REQUESTED IT. AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THOSE FOLKS INDIVIDUALLY AND WORKING WITH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS RESPONSIVE. UM, AND IT DOES NOT DUPLICATE. IT DOES NOT NULLIFY OTHER HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCES. IN EFFECT, IT DOES NO HARM. IT ALLOWS FOR OPTIONS FOR [01:10:01] ENHANCEMENT AND FOR PROTECTION. AND WE SUPPORT OPTIONS THAT ENABLE US TO GET ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS. BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, ZION, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE IN THE AUDIENCE WE ALSO HAVE WITH US, UH, SHARONDA JOHNSON AND PRISCILLA GRAHAM, OUR, OUR RESIDENT HISTORIAN. UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE WITHOUT THIS ORDINANCE, AND I'M NOT SAYING THIS ORDINANCE IS A FIX ALL. DO YOU FEEL THAT THERE ARE SUFFICIENT TOOLS TO PROTECT THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF FRIEDMANS TOWN AS IT STANDS TODAY? NO. AND AFTER A TWO YEAR STUDY, UH, WITH THE, HIS HISTORIC PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT, ITS, AND OTHER OFFICERS SEEKING BEST PRACTICES FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE WHEN TRYING TO FIND SOLUTIONS FOR FREEDMAN'S TOWN BECAUSE IT IS A, A BIT OF A QUIRKY SITUATION WHERE YOU, YOU, THERE'S NO PLAYBOOK ON HOW TO DO THIS WELL AND WRITE, UM, WE FOUND THAT THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT'S CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT THE CITY LEVEL. RIGHT. THAT WOULD HELP, UM, ADDRESS THINGS AT THE CITY. PERMITTING, DEMOLITION AND APPROVALS LEVEL, LEVEL, LEVEL. WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT CHANGED FRIEDMANS TOWN'S CHARACTER ORIGINALLY. AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO START, IS FROM THE BOTTOM UP BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE DEMOLITION PERMITS WERE ISSUED, WHICH IS WHAT OVER OVERRODE THE FEDERAL DESIGNATION THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE ENTIRE HISTORIC AREA. SO THIS IS THE LOCAL LEVEL SUPPORT THAT WE NEEDED. AND WE ARE GRATEFUL TO HAVE THIS WITH, WITH THE CHANGES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN HERE. AND THAT'S, THAT'S HELPFUL INPUT. UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S NOT A FIX ALL, BUT THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, MAYOR, YOU KNOW THIS, BUT COLLEAGUES, WE ARE STRUGGLING TO GIVE MEANINGFUL TOOLS TO RESIDENTS FOR WHAT THEY WANT AND THE SAY THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, DO YOU FEEL, ZION, THAT THE, UH, THE WAY IN WHICH IT'S STRUCTURED RIGHT, YOU HAVE 51% TO INITIATE THE PROCESS, BUT AS I READ IT, THERE ARE MULTIPLE, UM, EXIT RAMPS, SO TO SPEAK, ALONG THE WAY. THIS DOESN'T BIND FRIEDMAN'S TOWN AND EVEN WITHIN IT, THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES IF ONE AREA DOESN'T WANT IT, ANOTHER PART OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORHOOD DOES WANT IT, THAT FLEXIBILITY, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH, AGAIN, IT'S NOT A FIX ALL BUT COMFORTABLE WITH THE FRAMEWORK THAT HAS BEEN LAID OUT. I AM, AND IN FACT, UM, JUST AS A POINT OF KNOWLEDGE, THERE WILL BE NO LARGE CONTIGUOUS AREA IN FRIEDMANS TOWN THAT WOULD BE SUBSCRIBING TO THIS. IT WOULD BE PORTIONS OF BLOCKS. 'CAUSE AS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S INCREMENTAL FABRIC THROUGHOUT FRIEDMANS TOWN. AND SO THERE'S A STRIP OF, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ONE IN 10 HOMES THAT ARE ALL IN AGREEANCE AND ALIGNMENT. THERE ARE, UM, ADJACENCIES AND DIAGONALS IN CORE AREAS, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE HISTORIC BRICK STREETS, WHICH ARE PART OF THAT ORIGINAL STORY AND FABRIC. AND THERE'S A BLOCK OF, OF OPPORTUNITIES ALONG THAT CORRIDOR. AND SO WE, WE SUPPORT THIS AND WE SUPPORT THE FACT THAT IT, IT CAN BE, UM, SEVERAL CONTIGUOUS, NON-ADJACENT SECTIONS, AND THAT IT'S NOT INTENDED TO BLANKET THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE. GREAT. I THANK YOU AGAIN. THIS IS VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU, COUNCIL. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR COMING. I'M SURPRISED GLADYS HOUSE IS IN HERE. YEAH. SO, UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE IS CONCERNING THE STREETS AND THE BRICKS, WHAT, UH, HOW, HOW WILL THIS AND ANY WISE IMPACT THAT? BECAUSE DURING, UH, MAYOR, UH, PARKER'S, UH, TENURE AT THE END, UH, THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT THE, THE RE THE INFRASTRUCTURE UNDERNEATH THE STREETS AND HOW THEY WERE GONNA DO THAT, AND THEY WERE GONNA REMOVE THE BRICKS AND, AND THAT WAS JUST A BIG UPROAR. SO, SO THE INTEGRITY OF THAT, UH, UH, OF THOSE BRICKS, UH, ARE SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY OF HOW THEY WERE MADE. SO, UH, WHAT DOES THIS DO TO HELP WITH THE, TO, TO CONSERVE? 'CAUSE I, I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION AS A, ALL THOSE WORDS SOUND SIMILAR, BUT, BUT THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT WHEN YOU START APPLYING IT. SO CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT AT ALL TO ME? YES, SIR. AND I ACTUALLY THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE I THINK THAT EVEN INTERNALLY WHEN WE'RE DOING ENGAGEMENT, WE HAVE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION EVEN FOR OURSELVES, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, TO SAY WHAT IS THE LANGUAGE OF ONE AND HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM ANOTHER SO THAT WE'RE NOT CONFUSING LANGUAGE WHEN CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THE REALITY OF ITS IMPACTS. SO THIS CONSERVATION DISTRICT HAS NO IMPACT ON THINGS IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY. THINGS IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY ARE ACTUALLY PART OF THE JURISDICTION OF ONE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT TWO, THE HERITAGE DISTRICT OF WHICH I MENTIONED THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY THE STEWARD OF. AND SO WE'RE THE STEWARD OF EVERYTHING IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY. SO THAT'S THE HERITAGE DISTRICT, MEANING IT HAS NO IMPACT ON PRIVATE PARCELS WHATSOEVER. THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT IS EXCLUSIVELY ABOUT PRIVATE PARCELS AND THE INDIVIDUALS WHO OWN, RESIDE AND ARE CONNECTED TO THEM OR INFLUENCE THEM. SO THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO VERY [01:15:01] DISTINCT AND SEPARATE THINGS, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE WORKING ON MULTIPLE SECTIONS OF IMPACT, SO THAT COMPREHENSIVELY THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS BEING ADDRESSED AT ALL THE VARIOUS LEVELS OF DECAY, OF NEGLECT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THIS, THIS HELPS WITH THAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL. THANKS VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU ALL. NEXT SPEAKER, PRISCILLA ARGUETA. PRISCILLA, I, GREGOR IS HERE, JUAN. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, I'M GONNA REFERENCE TO MY NOTES HERE. I'M NOT A STRONG SPEAKER LIKE MS. VAR AND MS. BE. UM, MY NAME IS PRIS LATA. I AM A RESIDENT AND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 65 AND 82, WHICH INCLUDE MAGNOLIA PARK, HARRISBURG, MANCHESTER, AND SMITH EDITION. WE ARE IN THE ZIP CODES OF 7 7 0 1 1 AND 7 7 0 1 2. OUR PURPOSE FOR TODAY IS TO COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED PILOT PROGRAM OF THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT. UM, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST, UH, PUBLIC DOCUMENTS BE MADE AVAILABLE IN SPANISH AND ALL PUBLIC HEARINGS PROVIDE TRANSLATION SERVICES AS 94% OF OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IS HISPANIC, WITH 41% SPEAKING ENGLISH, LESS THAN VERY WELL ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES SURVEY. UM, AND I JUST HAD A, A QUICK QUESTION UNDER SECTION, WHAT IS IT? 33 6 0 3. IT DOES SAY CIVIC ASSOCIATION. DOES THAT ALSO MEAN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL? IS IT UNDER THE SAME CATEGORY? I JUST WANTED THAT CLARIFICATION. WE'LL GET THAT CLARIFICATION FOR YOU. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. UM, SO IN CONCLUSION, WE THANK THE MAYOR COUNCIL AND ESPECIALLY OUR COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE OPPORTUNITY IN BEING, UM, IN BEING ONE OF THE CITY'S FIRST CONSERVATION DISTRICTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND ITS PURPOSE DOES ALIGN WITH OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD BYLAWS OF PRESERVING THE CHARACTER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND JUST TO COMMENT ON THE THRESHOLD, UM, PERCENTAGE OF 51%, WE FIND THAT IT DOES, UM, HELP OUR COMMUNITY AS, UM, THE COMPLETE COMMUNITY'S, COMPLETE COMMUNITY'S DATA BOOK DOES SHARE THAT 50% OF THE, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ARE OCCUPIED BY OWNERS AND 50 ARE RENTERS. SO WE FEEL THAT WOULD HELP US, UM, PROCEED FORWARD WITH THE DISTRICT, IF THAT'S WHAT THE RESIDENTS WISH TO DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN GOES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU PRISCILLA. UH, PRISCILLA IS THE, UH, PRESIDENT OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, AND, UH, VICTOR'S STANDING IN THE BACK OVER THERE. HE'S THE PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT OF MAGNOLIA PARK, UH, UH, CIVIC CLUB. SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. UH, LIKE, LIKE THE MAYOR STATED, UH, A LITTLE WHILE AGO, IS THAT, UH, HE KNOWS HIS AREA OF TOWN IN THE SENSE THAT HE WAS BORN AND RAISED AND STILL LIVES IN HIS AREA. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MAGNOLIA PARK, AND I STILL LIVE IN THE EAST END. UH, SO, SO I KNOW MY AREA. UH, AND WE DO HAVE SOME NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE EAST END THAT HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS. SO WE'RE PROTECTED IN REGARDS TO KEEPING THE CHARACTER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE SOME OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE MANOLA PARK, MANCHESTER SMITH EDITION, UH, THAT DON'T HAVE THESE RESTRICTIONS. AND, AND TO GO OUT AND ACTUALLY TRY TO GET THESE RESTRICTIONS IS GONNA BE PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE 'CAUSE OF THE LEGWORK AND THE, AND THE HARD WORK BEHIND ALL THAT. UH, SO THIS CONSERVATION DISTRICT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN HOPEFULLY HELP PROTECT THE CHARACTER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE THE DE RESTRICTIONS, MAGNOLIA PARK, MANCHESTER, UH, SMITH EDITION. UH, BUT, BUT IT ALSO GIVES THE RESIDENTS IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY WHAT YOU WANNA PROTECT, WHAT IN REGARDS TO THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO IT GIVES YOU A SAY SO IN THAT. UH, AND, AND, AND THIS IS AN INSTRUMENT THAT I THINK WILL HELP TO PROTECT, UH, THE CHARACTER OF MAGNOLIA PARKA. UH, LIKE I'VE STATED MANY TIMES HERE AROUND THE HORSESHOE, IS THAT WE STILL HAVE SO MANY OLD WOODEN FRAME HOMES IN, IN, IN, IN, IN THE EAST END, UH, BUT MANY OF THEM ARE COMING DOWN, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND BEING REPLACED. UH, AND THIS IS A TOOL IF THE RESIDENTS CHOOSE TO USE IT, UH, TO PROTECT THE CHARACTER OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THAT'S WHY I, I'M SUPPORTING IT. UH, AND I'M GLAD THAT Y'ALL ARE HERE IN SUPPORT OF THAT AND GIVING THAT THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK FURTHER INTO IT. SO, THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OH, I'M SORRY. ONE SECOND. ONE SECOND, ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN KASH. I A ILLA. UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE ANSWERING THE QUESTION THAT I HAD ASKED EARLY ON WAS HOW WAS THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, SELECTED? AND, UH, BY, BY YOUR TESTIMONY, UH, IT HELPS ME TO SEE THAT, THAT OBVIOUSLY IT IS COMING FROM THE COMMUNITY VERY STRONGLY. AND THE FACT THAT I'VE BEEN OUT TO MANCHESTER A NUMBER OF TIMES IN THAT AREA, AND, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, IF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER IS FOR IT, I, I, I'LL CERTAINLY SUPPORT IT. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, IVY SPA. IVY SPA IS HERE. [01:20:05] IT IS NOT HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. AVA TUCKER. AVA TUCKER IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY NERA BOYD. HELLO. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK AND ADDRESS YOU ALL TODAY. I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF MR. ROBERTS FARMING INITIATIVE PROJECT, CURRENTLY UNDERWAY IN THE SUNNYSIDE AREA. AND I GREW UP IN SUNNYSIDE. MY PARENTS GREW UP IN SUNNYSIDE OFF RICHFIELD LANE. WE ACTUALLY LIVED NEXT TO A LADY NAMED, UM, THAT REMINDED US OF FLORIDA FROM GOOD TIMES. SO I'M VERY, VERY, VERY CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY THERE. AND ONE OF THE INITIATIVES GOING ON RIGHT NOW IS THE FARMING DEVELOPMENT PROJECT THAT I'M IN SUPPORT OF. AND NOT ONLY AM I IN SUPPORT OF IT, I WORK WITH SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN THAT BENEFIT FROM FARMING AND GROWING AND ACCLIMATING WITH THAT. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE ME AND THE PEOPLE THAT I ALSO SERVE, CONNECTING WITH FARMING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. NOT ONLY THAT, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, UM, THE LEADER DIRECTOR, UM, MR. ROBERT AND HIS TEAM WHO HAVE CREATED TECHNOLOGY THAT'S ALREADY CURRENTLY UNDERGOING, UM, THAT'S SUCCESSFUL ALREADY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM LEAD THIS INITIATIVE BECAUSE THEY ALSO LOOK LIKE THE PEOPLE THAT I SERVE AND THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WANNA ADD TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. THANK, THANK YOU. VERY, VERY. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. ONE SECOND. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN MEMBER. MR. BONDS? YES, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU, MR. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. WE ALWAYS LIKE TO HEAR HOW THE COMMUNITY FEELS ABOUT PROJECTS, AND WE KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE, UH, A LOT OF, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AFFORDABLE, UH, ELECTRICAL SERVICES. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING FORWARD AND EXPRESSING YOUR OPINION. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND TO THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, NERA BOYD. NERA BOYD IS HERE, BE FOLLOWED BY GALIA JOHNSON. HELLO, UH, AND THANK YOU, UH, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE MIC. HELLO AND THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER AND THE CITY COUNCILMAN. HI, MY NAME IS NERA BOYD. I AM A RESIDENT OF THE EAST SUNNYSIDE COURT COMMUNITY, AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE NAC. AND I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT AND INVESTMENT. NOW WE DEMAND EQUAL DEFENSE FROM FLOODING AS PART OF OUR RIGHT TO FAIR HOUSING AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FROM THE GOVERNMENT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING US. WE DEMAND A PER, WE DEMAND A PERMANENT 20 MILLION INCREASE TO BOTH THE SWAT AND THE IN AND THE LDP ANNUAL FUND, INCREASING FUNDING FOR IN-HOUSE STAFF AND MACHINERY FOR MAINTENANCE, AS WELL AS COLLECTING DRAINAGE PROJECT USING, UH, LIVABLE, UH, CRITERIA AND CONSIDERING THE PUBLIC INPUT IN MEANINGFUL AND PURPOSEFUL WAY. I MYSELF GREW UP IN THIRD WARD, BUT I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE EAST SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN MAYOR. MS. SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I DON'T KNOW, UH, MS. BOYD, IF YOU GOT A CHANCE TO COMPLETE YOUR COMMENTS, AND I APOLOGIZE, I THINK I RE REFER TO MS. TUCKER AS MS. BOYD, BUT CERTAINLY I WANNA GIVE YOU, UH, SOME OF MY TIME IF YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING ELSE. YES. I MEAN, UH, YOU LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE THERE'S OPEN DIGIT, OPEN DRAINAGE, AND THE KIDS DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, UH, LIVABLE OUTDOOR SPACE TO PLAY. AND LIKE LAST NIGHT, OR ANYTIME IT RAIN, THE DITCHES ARE FILLED UP WITH WATER AND POLLUTION. AND I MEAN, WE LIVING IN WHAT, THE 22ND CENTURY? 23RD CENTURY. I MEAN, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THAT. WE SHOULD HAVE SIDEWALKS. WE SHOULD HAVE A PLACE WHERE OUR KIDS COULD BE PROUD OF. THANK YOU. WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT. UH, WE CAN'T GET ALL THE DITCHES, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, GALIA JOHNSON. GALIA JOHNSON IS HERE. [01:25:06] HELLO. OH, UM, THANK YOU TO THE, TO THE MAYOR AND TO ALL THE CITY COUNCILMEN. UM, MY NAME IS GAY JOHNSON AND I RECITE IN FIFTH WARD, AND I'VE BEEN LIVING IN FIFTH WARD PRETTY MUCH ALL MY LIFE. AND, AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE, THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. I HAVE TO, PLEASE FORGIVE ME 'CAUSE IT'S MY FIRST TIME, SO JUST FORGIVE ME. BUT, UM, WE ARE HERE BECAUSE, UM, OUR COMMUNITIES NEED DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT INVESTMENTS. AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHOULD INCREASE THE SWAT AND THE LLDP BUDGETS BY 20 MILLION EACH IF POSSIBLE. AND ALSO, MY SON LIVES, HE LIVES, UH, AT LOCKWOOD AND NICHOLS WHERE THERE ARE OPEN DRAINAGE THAT BARELY FUNCTIONS EVERY TIME IT RAINS. I WORRY ABOUT WHETHER MY CHILD HAS HIS, MY, MY CHILD AND HIS HOME WILL BE OKAY. BUT IT SHOULD BE, I HAVE TO FIND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR. MS. JOHNSON, YOU CAN FINISH YOUR COMMENTS. OKAY? OKAY. UM, LET'S SEE. BUT, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, MUCH MUST CHANGE THE BUDGET AND IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE KNOW FLOODING IS GETTING WORSE AND IT TAKES TIME FOR THE CITY TO ACT BY INCREASING SWAT AND LDP BY 20 MILLION AT EACH. AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT'S, I REALLY WORRY ABOUT IN THAT AREA. 'CAUSE IT FLOODS REAL BAD AND IT RAINS. AND THANK YOU MS. JOHNSON FOR COMING IN AND SHARING YOUR CONCERNS. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW I'M THE COUNCIL REP, UM, FOR THE AREA, AND WE HAVE QUITE A FEW SWAT PROJECTS MOVING, UM, THROUGHOUT DISTRICT B. AND I JUST RECENTLY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE MAYOR AND HE COMMITTED, UM, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO THESE PROJECTS. AND SO I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I WORK CLOSELY WITH, UM, YOU AND, UM, YOUR LEADER, THE LEADERSHIP OF NO. AND SO I WOULD KEEP YOU GUYS POSTED ON, YOU KNOW, JUST THE PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING TO ADDRESS THE FLOODING WITHIN THE DISTRICT. OKAY? OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING IN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, DOUG SMITH. DOUG SMITH IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELIZABETH LUMIA. GOOD AFTERNOON. IN EARLY FEBRUARY, THE MAYOR MADE A COMMENT AT A COUNCIL MEETING THAT HE WANTED TO PUT A PAUSE TO PRIVATE FACILITY CORPORATION DEALS, BECAUSE IN HIS WORDS, THEY WERE NOT GOOD DEALS. HE MAY HAVE MADE THAT COMMENT IN AN ATTEMPT TO END AN UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, HE DID NOT NOTIFY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF HIS DESIRE. AND THEY'VE BEEN GOING CRAZY SINCE THEN WITH NEW DEALS. AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING, WHICH I ATTENDED, THERE WERE 17 PROJECTS ON THE AGENDA. I SPOKE DURING PUBLIC COMMENT AND LET THEM KNOW THE MAYOR WANTED TO PAUSE THESE DEALS IN TYPICAL FASHION. AT THESE MEETINGS, I WAS COMPLETELY IGNORED, AS WAS EVERY OTHER PUBLIC SPEAKER. EVEN WHEN A COUNCIL CHIEF OF STAFF ASKED A QUESTION, ONCE AGAIN, EVERYONE ON THE HHA BOARD HAD A DUMB LOOK ON THEIR FACE AND IGNORED HIM. THEN AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY MEETING LAST WEEK, THEY APPROVED ANOTHER 32 DEALS, MAKING A GRAND TOTAL OF 49 NEW DEAL NEW DEALS. AFTER THE MAYOR SAID HE WANTED TO PUT A PAUSE TO THEM. IT'S ALMOST AS IF EVERYONE INVOLVED WAS TOLD TO RUSH THROUGH AS MANY DEALS AS POSSIBLE BEFORE THE MAYOR ACTUALLY ACTED, WHICH I'M TOLD HE FINALLY DID LAST WEEK. BASED ON THE AVERAGE APPRAISED VALUE OF PREVIOUS DEALS, THESE 49 DEALS WERE REDUCED THE CITY'S TAX BASE BY NEARLY $2 BILLION. YEAH, TIME HAS EXPIRED ON COUNCILMAN MAYOR KASH. I, I READ THE, THE LETTER THAT THE, THE MAYOR, UH, DIRECTED TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. AND, UH, IT, IT SEEMED, UH, SEEMED PRETTY STRONG. AND, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE HE COULD DO OTHER THAN TO REMOVE THEM. AND I, UH, I I THINK THAT, UH, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING 'CAUSE I, I, I SAW THAT AS MYSELF. SO, UH, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR RECOMMENDATION THAT HE DO WHAT, COULD I FINISH MY COMMENTS OR GO AHEAD AND FINISH YOUR COMMENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. MONEY IS FLYING ALL OVER THE PLACE IN THESE DEALS. FOR EXAMPLE, ON 45 DEALS THAT HAVE ALREADY CLOSED, LANCE GILLIAM AND LEISHA GREEN ELLIS HAVE MADE NEARLY $6 MILLION IN CONSULTING FEES. AND THE COATES ROSE LAW FIRM MADE OVER $7 MILLION IN LEGAL FEES ON 74 DEALS. IF THESE NUMBERS HOLD TRUE, THEN GILLIAM AND ELLIS WILL NET ANOTHER SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. AND COATES ROSE ROUGHLY 4.9 MILLION ON THE RECENTLY APPROVED ONES. ONE WONDERS WHO THESE [01:30:01] ENTITIES MIGHT BE SHARING THEIR WINDFALLS WITH. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE DEALS IS THAT IN MANY CASES, EXISTING APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT ARE PARTIALLY OCCUPIED BY RESIDENTS QUALIFYING FOR WORKER HOUSING SIMPLY BECOME TAX EXEMPT WITH NO ADDITIONAL WORKER HOUSING PROVIDED. ALSO, IS THERE ANYTHING TO STOP AND OWN FROM FLIPPING A PROJECT AND MAKING A HUGE WINDFALL BECAUSE THE PROJECT IS NOW TAX EXEMPT. THIS HAPPENED IN SAN ANTONIO AFTER A DEVELOPER MADE A $10 MILLION FLIP, AND THE CITY MADE MAJOR CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM. ADDITIONALLY, WHAT RIGHT DID THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAVE TO MAKE A PROJECT IN KATY OR THE WOODLANDS TAX EXEMPT? I WOULD BE VERY ANGRY IF I WAS A TAXING AUTHORITY IN ONE OF THOSE ENTITIES. THERE'S SO MUCH MONEY AT STAKE HERE AND SO MANY WAYS TO QUESTION WHERE THAT MONEY FINALLY ENDS UP AND WHO HAS THEIR HANDS OUT FOR A PIECE OF THE ACTION. I WOULD URGE THE FBI AND OR HUD TO CONDUCT A VERY DETAILED AUDIT OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT SINCE THE MAYOR IN EARLY FEBRUARY INDICATED HE WANTED TO PUT A PAUSE ON THE PROGRAM, AND I MADE THIS KNOWN AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY MEETING IN FEBRUARY, THE 49 DEALS THEY APPROVED SINCE THEN SHOULD BE RESCINDED AT THE NEXT HOUSING AUTHORITY MEETING. THAT'S WHAT I AM SUGGESTING SHOULD BE DONE. WELL, BUT THANK YOU, DOUG, FOR YOUR COMMENTS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT WE HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT PEOPLE THAT, THAT, UH, THAT NEED HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THAT THESE APARTMENT COMPLEX, THAT WE'RE GIVING THESE BREAKS TO ACTUALLY DO THAT AND, AND HELP, UH, THE PEOPLE, THAT THAT'S WHAT MADE US VOTE FOR THEM, IS TO HELP PEOPLE TO GET INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. SURE. COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN? UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. I KNOW THAT, UM, MY CHIEF OF STAFF WAS AT THAT YEAH. HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY MEETING. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CONCERNING THINGS WAS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING OF A PROPERTY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ACQUIRE, AND IT HAS THE NAME OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IN DISTRICT G. SO HE WENT UP TO THE MICROPHONE AND SAID, CAN YOU GIVE US ANY MORE INFORMATION? I MEAN, WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE AN ADDRESS. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPERTIES WHEN NOBODY KNOWS WHERE THEY ARE OR WHAT THE ADDRESS IS. YEAH. UM, YOU KNOW, THAT MAKES IT PRETTY DIFFICULT. I WATCHED IT SPEAK AND IT WAS REALLY AMAZING. THE, UH, THE, UH, BOARD MEMBERS KIND OF LOOKED LIKE DEER IN HEADLIGHTS. THEY, THEY KINDA LOOKED AROUND AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A COUNCIL CHIEF OF STAFF, WHAT SHOULD WE DO? AND THEN THEY DID NOTHING. THANK YOU FOR SHINING, SHINING LIGHT ON THIS. HOPEFULLY, DOUG, YOU'LL EXPRESS YOUR, YOUR VIEWS TO THE LEGISLATURE. I'M SORRY. I CAN'T, HOPEFULLY YOU WILL EXPRESS YOUR VIEWS TO THE LEGISLATURE, WHICH ALLOWED THIS VEHICLE IN PLACE. HAVE YOU TALKED TO THE LEGISLATURE? ABSOLUTELY. WELL, THAT'S WHERE THE, THAT'S WHERE YOUR OBJECTIONS NEED TO GO. CITY OF HOUSTON DIDN'T PUT THIS IN PLACE. THE STATE, THE CITY APPROVED IT. UH, LET ME FINISH. YOU'VE MADE YOUR COMMENT. THE LEGISLATURE IS THE ONE THAT PUT THIS VEHICLE IN PLACE. THE LEGISLATURE SET THE RULES, AND THE LEGISLATURE CERTAINLY HAS THE POWER TO CORRECT THEM. OKAY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT SPEAKER, ELIZABETH LUMIA. ELIZABETH LUMIA TO BE FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM PRATHER. HELLO, UM, MY NAME IS BETH LUMIA. UM, I'M A MASTER'S STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, A MEMBER OF THE NAC AND A NEW AND PROUD MEMBER OF HOUSTON. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE CHANGE IN THE SWOT AND LDP BUDGETS. INCREASES IN THE BUDGET WILL PROTECT FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED AND DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN DIVERTING TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AWAY FROM DRAINAGE FROM THE AVALOR TAX, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE RESTRAINED, EXCUSE ME, RESTRICTED. WE WANT, WE WANT THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO INCREASE INVESTMENT IN DRAINAGE IN BIPOC COMMUNITIES, ADEQUATELY MAINTAIN DITCHES AND OTHER DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND MAKE DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MORE EFFECTIVE, TRANSPARENT AND EQUITABLE. TO ME, INCREASING TRANSPARENCY SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD BE A GIVEN. SILENCING THE VOICES OF CONS, CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN SILENCED IS PARTICULARLY DISAPPOINTING. TAKING THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE CONTACT, TAKING THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE CONTACTED YOU ALL COUNTLESS TIMES, DESERVE AT MINIMUM TO HAVE THEIR CONCERNS MEANINGFULLY CONSIDERED. I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR TIME TODAY AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF EQUITABLE DRAINAGE. THANK YOU. AND COUNCILMAN MCMAN. THANK YOU, MARIN. UM, LAST WEEK WE HAD SOME FOLKS COME TO SPEECH AND TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE AND IS SOMEONE THAT REPRESENTS SOME OF THE MOST HEAVILY AND REPETITIVE FLOODED AREAS IN THE ENTIRE REGION. I THANK YOU ALL FOR CONTINUING TO, TO KEEP THE ISSUE AT THE FOREFRONT. RIGHT. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THE NARRATIVE AROUND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH OUR, OUR DRAINAGE [01:35:01] FEE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND I WANNA CAUTION EVERYONE IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE NARRATIVE AND LANGUAGE BEING USED ABOUT IT'S BEING DIVERTED FROM OTHER PLACES. THAT BEING SAID, THERE ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE MORE FUNDING. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU, AND AGAIN, I THANK YOU RIGHT, FOR THIS CONVERSATION, UM, BUT AS A DISTRICT C RESIDENT, UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR SWAT, SOMETHING I'M A HUGE PROPONENT OF, BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OF WHERE THAT MONEY'S GOING TO COME FROM OR WHERE TO, WHAT ARE WE TAKING AWAY IN ORDER TO GET THAT? OR WHAT, WHERE IS THAT MONEY? DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS? SO, AGAIN, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, THE, THE MONEY IS FROM THE VALOREM TAX, UM, IS WHERE IT'S ALL BEING REMOVED FROM. I KNOW THAT YOU SAID THAT, UM, IT WASN'T. UM, BUT I DO, JUST TO REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH MY STATEMENTS AND WITH, UH, MAYOR, UH, TURNER'S STATEMENTS, I DO WANNA KIND OF STEP BACK AND MAKE SPACE FOR BIPOC COMMUNITIES TO KIND OF ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION ON BEHALF OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JACKSON FOR THE, OH, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON FOR PROCEDURAL MOTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I MOVED TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE KATHY GUNTHER TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NONE AGENDA LIST. SECOND. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR NON GRANTED COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR TURNER. MY NAME IS WILLIAM LEE OLIVER. I CAME HERE ABOUT APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AGO, AND I SPOKE TO YOU MAYOR TURNER, ABOUT A ISSUE THAT I'M HAVING IN MY EAR. AND I'VE HAD IT THAT WAY FOR APPROXIMATELY EIGHT YEARS. I WOULD SUPPOSE GOD IS IN MY EAR AND HE'S SPEAKING IN MY TEETH. THE LAST TIME I SPOKE WITH YOU, YOU, UH, TOLD ME TO SPEAK WITH ONE OF YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND GIVE THEM MY PHONE NUMBER AND THAT YOU WILL CALL ME BACK AND I NEVER GOT A CALL BACK. SO THE FIRST THING I WANT TO GET ESTABLISHED IS THAT IF WE GO THAT DIRECTION AGAIN, THAT I WOULD GET A DAY TO CALL YOU BACK TO KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT INFORMATION FROM ME TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO GET THE NATION TO COME TO HEAD. YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A THING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH ME, LIKE I SAID, FOR YEARS, AND I'M PRETTY MUCH AT MY WITS END, GOING IN AND OUT TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, LOOKING FOR GOAL AND NEW WORLD ORDER IS GETTING TO A POINT WHERE I FEEL THAT THE DOVES ARE TIRED OF CRIME. YOU KNOW, I'M TIRED OF THE LIES. I WANT TO DO WHAT I CAN DO TO ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION, TO GET GOD OUT PUBLICLY AND NOT SECRETLY. NOW IT HOW TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. OKAY. OKAY. MY NUMBER, ARE YOU GONNA CALL ME ABOUT IT? DO YOU WANT TO, UH, YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR NUMBER, LOOK FURTHER INTO IT. WELL, WE'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER ON THE, ON THE SHEET. MM-HMM . I WON'T PROMISE THAT I WILL CALL YOU, BUT I CERTAINLY HAVE SOMEONE TO CALL YOU. AND IF I DON'T HEAR BACK FROM YOU, WHEN CAN I CALL YOU BACK AGAIN? I'S THE SAME THING THAT WE WENT THROUGH A, I WON'T, YEARS AGO. I WON'T BE CALLING YOU, BUT I'D HAVE SOMEONE TO CALL YOU AND THE DATE I SHOULD CALL BACK IF I DON'T HEAR FROM THEM. UM, I TELL YOU WHAT, WHY DON'T WE SEE IF YOU CALL THEM, OKAY. IT IS RHONDA HERE. NO, RENEE IS HERE. RENEE, IF YOU'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU CALL, RENEE WILL CALL YOU. OKAY. AND YOU CAN'T GIVE ME A TIMEFRAME THAT I CAN CALL BACK, JUST IN CASE I DON'T HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN. HE, HE WILL CALL YOU. HE'S, HE'S, HE'S, HE'S RIGHT HERE IN THE ROOM. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, CHRISTINA BERG. CHRISTINA ROMBERG TO BE BE FOLLOWED BY ROBBIE VAN DALE. RIGHT BEHIND THAT MIC. THANK YOU. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR TURNER AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CHRISTINA ROTENBERG. I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT C AND STAFF AT BY HOUSTON ON THIS LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH. I'M HERE WITH A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE STATE OF TRANSPORTATION SAFETY, SPECIFICALLY BICYCLE SAFETY IN HOUSTON. SO, FIRST I WANNA THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO VISION ZERO, AND ESPECIALLY REALLY DEDICATING THIS YEAR, 2023 TO THE YEAR OF EXECUTION AND IMPLEMENTATION. UM, TRANSPORTATION SAFETY IS COMMONLY LUMPED INTO THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. THERE'S ENGINEERING, THERE'S EDUCATION, AND THERE'S ENFORCEMENT. AND THIS CITY, AND THIS COUNCIL HAS A LOT TO CELEBRATE WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE ENGINEERING AND EDUCATION PIECES. SO, STREET SAFETY PROJECTS ARE APPEARING [01:40:01] ALL OVER THE CITY RIGHT NOW IN DISTRICT CI AND H IN PARTICULAR, WE ARE SEEING RAISED CROSSWALKS, PEDESTRIAN ISLANDS, AND OTHER SPEED REDUCTION EFFORTS THAT ARE ACTIVELY MAKING OUR STREETS SAFER. UM, I HAVE BEEN SEEING CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR RADICALLY CHANGING ON A DAY-TO-DAY WHERE FINALLY CARS ARE STOPPING FOR PEDESTRIANS AT THESE INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES. SIMILARLY, ON THE EDUCATION FRONT, SIGNS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIAN RIGHT OF WAY AND CROSSWALKS, WHICH ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE LAW. THE LISA TORE SMITH ACT ARE BEGINNING TO BE INSTALLED NOW IN THE HEIGHTS, AND NEXT THEY'LL BE AT THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL. SO BECAUSE OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ENGINEERING AND EDUCATION, UM, REALMS, WE ARE REALLY SEEING SAFE, MULTIMODAL STREETS APPEARING. AND THIS IS REALLY PROVING THAT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING LED BY THE PLANNING AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING. AND I JUST REALLY WANNA APPLAUD THE CITY FOR THIS BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S TAKEN REAL EFFORT. BUT SADLY, THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE NOT ENOUGH. UM, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT WE'VE HAD SIX HOUSTONIANS DIE IN TRAFFIC CRASHES WHILE BIKING. UM, WE'RE AVERAGING RIGHT NOW AT TWO DEATHS PER MONTH. SO THAT WILL BE TRANSLATED INTO 24 DEATHS FOR THE YEAR, WHICH IS TWICE WHAT WE SAW IN 2022. UH, CHRISTINA'S A DISTRICT C RESIDENT, YOU CAN USE SOME OF MY TIME. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, SO WHILE WE SEE AND APPLAUD THE WORK THAT'S UNDERWAY, I DO ASK FOR THE CITY TO DO MORE, TO CONTINUE TO REDUCE SPEEDS AND PROVIDE ROBUST PHYSICAL PROTECTION FOR BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS. WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT OUR VISION FOR HOUSTON IS UTOPIAN AND UNREALISTIC, WHICH IS NOT ONLY A SAD OUTLOOK, BUT IT'S ONE THAT IGNORES ALL OF THE PROGRESS THAT THE CITY HAS MADE. PEOPLE MOVE TO HOUSTON FOR OPPORTUNITY AND CHOICE. AND WE REALLY NEED THAT OPPORTUNITY AND CHOICE TO TRANSLATE INTO OUR TRANSPORTATION MODES. SO COUNSEL, I WANT YOU TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION TO THE CITY'S TRI TRAFFIC SAFETY CRISIS. THANK YOU, CHRISTINA. UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT DEATHS, BUT THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE NUMBER OF INJURIES. IS THAT CORRECT? MM-HMM . OKAY. AND FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UM, I'M NOT GONNA SAY WHERE YOU LIVE IN DISTRICT C, BUT IT'S THE GENERAL AREA OF THE HEIGHTS. SO I TAKING OFF, YOU KNOW, YOUR PROFESSIONAL HAT FOR A SECOND, AS A RESIDENT, UM, ALONG 11TH STREET, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THERE, YOUR EXPERIENCE AND WHAT THE NEEDS WERE, UM, ESPECIALLY ALONG THAT NICHOLSON CROSSING. 'CAUSE YOU TALKED ABOUT PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS. HONESTLY, MY MIND HAS BEEN BLOWN JUST FROM HOW TRANSPORTATION NORMS HAVE SHIFTED, I WOULD SAY IN THE LAST MONTH. AND I, I, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE ASKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT 11TH STREET RIGHT NOW, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND THAT TO THE HEIGHTS GENERALLY. SO THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AT, SAY, WHITE OAK AND MISHO WITH THAT PEDESTRIAN CROSSING ISLAND ALL ALONG, STU WOOD, UM, THE INTERSECTION AT WHITE OAK AND MKT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE IN HU I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT FOR SIX YEARS. UM, I HAVE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER SEEN DRIVERS STOP AT THESE INTERSECTIONS. AND IT'S NOT ONLY THAT DRIVERS ARE NOW STOPPING, THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ETHOS. JUST, UM, I USED TO BE, IF I WOULD STOP FOR A PEDESTRIAN, UM, WHICH I DO BECAUSE IT'S THE LAW ACCORDING TO THE LISA TOY SMITH ACT, UM, PEOPLE WOULD EITHER HONK AT ME OR THEY WOULD DRIVE AROUND ME. THERE'S SO MUCH MORE RESPECT BEING PAID TO PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS, REALLY ALL OF OUR ROAD USERS RIGHT NOW. GOOD. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, KASH, THANK YOU FOR COMING. UH, DO YOU, UH, DO YOU BIKE TO WORK? I DO NOT BIKE TO WORK. UM, BUT I DO BIKE REGULAR. I BI BIKE FROM MIDTOWN TO DOWNTOWN TO E TO EAST DOWNTOWN. I BIKE THROUGH THE HEIGHTS. OKAY. AND AND DO YOU NORMALLY USE THE BIKE BIKE LANES? I DO USE THE BIKE LANES. OKAY. AND, AND THE BIKE TRAILS TOO. I DO THAT. THAT'S WHERE IT'S THE SAFEST. IT IS. AND, UH, UH, WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR THE, THE THREE ELEMENTS, ONE WAS ENFORCEMENT MM-HMM . UH, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU, YOU ASKING FOR THE POLICE TO GET MORE INVOLVED AND ROTTING TICKETS ABOUT THE THREE FOOT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, TO ALLOW THREE FEET BETWEEN A CAR AND, AND A BI CYCLIST. I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THE GREATEST PROBLEM WITH ENFORCEMENT IS SPEED. IT'S, YOU KNOW, COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, THE HIGHER THE SPEED, THE MORE DEADLY IT IS. OH, OH. THERE'S NO DOUBT. AND, AND IN FACT, I'VE, I'VE, I'VE TRIED TO GET US TO THE CITY TO, TO, TO GET THE LEGISLATURE TO ALLOW US TO, TO, TO DROP THE SPEED INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS TO 25 MILES AN HOUR, JUST FOR THAT REASON. DROP IT DOWN. MM-HMM . AND, AND, UH, [01:45:01] BUT WE'RE SO SHORT OF OFFICERS ENFORCEMENT IS, IS, IS REALLY A PROBLEM RIGHT NOW. AND, AND I SEE PEOPLE EVEN ON BICYCLES THAT ARE, THAT DON'T STOP FOR LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS AND, AND, AND, AND WE, WE JUST HAVE TO BECOME A MORE SAFE COMMUNITY. AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT SPEAKER, ROBBIE VAN DALE. ROBBIE. ROBBIE VAN DALE IS HERE. BE FOLLOWED BY DWAYNE MEDLEY. GREETINGS MAYOR. COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. UM, MY NAME IS ROBBIE VAN DALE. MAY I HAVE PERMISSION FROM AN ELDER TO CONTINUE? I AM HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE ACQUISITION OF LAND FOR MR. ROBERT HARDING WITH THE SOLAR, UM, SUNNYSIDE PROJECT. EXCUSE ME. I'M VERY NERVOUS. UM, I AM ONE OF THE COME UP AND COMING ENTREPRENEURS THAT ARE, THAT IS TAKING PART OF THIS PROGRESS. THE ACQUISITION OF THIS LAND WILL ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD IN OUR PLAN, TO BE ABLE TO CREATE SELF SUSTAINABILITY FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THIS COMMUNITY. UM, THE ACQUISITION FOR THIS LAND WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE JOBS AND ALSO TAKE US FROM A LEGACY OF SURVIVAL AMONG PEOPLE TO A, A, A PLACE OF SELF SUSTAINABILITY. AS A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR, I'M NOT A YOUNG PERSON, BUT I'M YOUNG IN MY ENTREPRENEURSHIP. WE'VE INVESTED A LOT. UM, WE'VE PLANNED AND WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER, UM, A, A CO-OP, UM, TO BE ABLE TO FEED, TAKE CARE OF THE NEEDS IN THEIR FOOD DESERTS. UM, ALSO TO BE ABLE TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN IN AG AGRICULTURE. BEING BACK TO FARMING, UM, I WAS INTRODUCED TO FARMING AT IN MY EARLY FORTIES. IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BE A PART OF THIS MOVEMENT SO THAT WE CAN TEACH OUR CHILDREN HOW TO GROW FOOD AND FARM AND BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES. SO WE NEED THE SUPPORT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THIS LAND. WE ALSO NEED ANY OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THIS AND GET TO A PLACE OF SELF, SELF, SELF SUSTAINABILITY. UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I DO WITH MY GIRLS. I HAVE A GIRLS GROUP A, A SELF, UH, DEVELOPMENTAL ASSISTANCE TO BE ABLE TO TEACH THEM ABOUT AGRICULTURE IS A BIG DREAM OF MINE. UM, NOT ONLY HERE, BUT ABROAD AS WELL. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO GIVE US THE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED FOR THIS PROGRAM. IT IS NOT ONLY A DREAM THAT WE HAVE, IT IS NECESSARY FOR OUR PEOPLE SO THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO BE HEALTHY AND WHOLE AS A PEOPLE. AND YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU MS. VAN DALE. I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. HARDING AND HERE ARE, AND I ARE SUPPOSED TO SPEAK FURTHER ABOUT THIS PROJECT AS WELL AS OTHERS. YES. AND SO THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, DWAYNE MEDLEY. DWAYNE MEDLEY. DWAYNE IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM MILLER. GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR. MAYOR TURNER AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. UM, I ALSO AM A MEMBER OF, UH, WE ARE KNOWN AS URGE, WHICH STANDS FOR, UH, URBAN REVOLUTIONARY GAR GARDENERS ENTERPRISES. WE ARE A NONPROFIT THAT FOCUSES ON SUSTAINABLE GROWING THROUGH AQUAPONICS. AND, UM, I'M HERE WITH SUPPORT OF MR. HARDING'S PROGRAM AS ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT SERVES ON URGE. UM, WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABLE LIVING THROUGH, UH, THROUGH GARDENING, UM, AQUAPONICS GARDEN AS WELL AS IN IN GROUND GARDENING. UM, OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS TO HELP THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF, UH, IMPROVING THEIR HEALTH, IMPROVING THE EDUCATION IN TERMS OF WHAT AQUAPONICS WILL DO. AND SO WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. WE HOPE THAT YOU ALL SHARE AND, UM, LOOKING INTO THE PROGRAM FURTHER AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT AND SUPPORTING IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS. NEXT SPEAKER, WILLIAM MILLER. WILLIAM MILLER IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY KATHY GUNNER. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSEL. HI, MY NAME IS WILLIAM MILLER. I AM HERE TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MR. HARDING AND THE AGRICULTURAL IN THE, UH, EDUCATION HUB LEASE. I SPEAK FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. I LIVE IN 7 7 0 2 4 ZIP CODE. OBVIOUSLY I DON'T LIVE IN THE FOOD DESERT, BUT SEVERAL YEARS BACK I FELT A LITTLE UNDER THE WEATHER AND I WANTED TO SEE THE DOCTOR. HE SAID I NEEDED A CHANGE IN MY DIET, SO I STARTED EATING BETTER, [01:50:01] BUT AT THE SAME TIME, MY SON STARTED VARSITY FOOTBALL. AND YOU CAN'T BELIEVE THE WAY THESE KIDS EAT WHEN THEY'RE ATHLETES. SO NOW I AM CATCHING IT FROM ALL SIDES. FOOD IS AN ISSUE NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE. FORTUNATELY, I MET ROBERT HARDING AND JEREMY PEACHES BY CHANCE WHEN I WAS VOLUNTEERING FOR THE MARTIN LUTHER KING CENTER. THERE, I HEARD THEM EXTOLLING THE BENEFITS OF URBAN FARMING AND AQUAPONICS. SO I PURCHASED AN RST AQUAPONIC SYSTEM, AND THEN I PURCHASED A PART OF RST SHORTLY AFTER THE PANDEMIC HIT. AND THEN THE 2021, UH, POWER CRISIS. THE GROCERY STORES WERE BARE. AND AT THIS POINT, THE STORES WHERE I LIVED TURNED INTO A FOOD DESERT JUST THE SAME AS PARTS OF SOUTHEAST HOUSTON. FOOD WAS NO MORE AVAILABLE IN 7 7 0 2 4 AS IS. IT WOULD BE IN 7 7 0 5 1. BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT I LEARNED FROM THESE GENTLEMEN, PUT DIRECTLY TO USE ON OUR PATIO, RST AQUAPONIC SYSTEM ACTUALLY SAVED OUR FAMILY OF FOUR FROM A BRUSH WITH MALNOURISHMENT, THANKS TO MR. HARDING AND THE AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION AND HUB, WE WERE STILL ABLE TO ENJOY FRESH PRODUCE, INCLUDING FRESH LEAFY GREENS, HERBS, TOMATOES, STRAWBERRIES, AND LEMONS THROUGHOUT. HOUSTON'S NOT SO RARE FOOD SHORTAGES. FOR THIS REASON, I'M HERE TO SAY PLEASE BESTOW YOUR SUPPORT AND YOUR VOTE FOR THE AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. HUBLEYS. IT CAN ONLY DO GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, KATHY GUNNER. KATHY GUNNER IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ZAFAR TO HERE. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M COMING FOR YOU TODAY BECAUSE I HAVE, UH, MY COMMUNITY IS INUNDATED WITH UN PERMITTED TRUCK YARDS. WE HAVE OVER 250 OPERATING TRUCK YARDS WITHOUT ANY PERMITS. THE REASON I KNOW THIS, WE HAD A RIDE WITH LONG STAR LEGAL AID THAT HELP CAME IN AND HELPED US TO, UM, IDENTIFY. WE DEVELOPED THE RESTRICTIONS IN 2020 TO STOP THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES FROM BEING TRANSFORMED INTO INDUSTRIAL LOTS. THE FIRST PROBLEM WE RUN INTO IS SOMEBODY IN, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, THE STAFFING DEPARTMENTS DECIDES TO IGNORE THE FENCE ORDINANCE. WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, THEY ONLY WANT THE INSPECTORS COME OUT AND THEY ONLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HEIGHT OF THE FENCE. WELL, ACCORDING TO THE ORDINANCE THAT, UH, WE HAVE, I BELIEVE IT'S 33 DASH 1 21 THROUGH 1 28, AND I PASSED A FEW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GOT THE, UH, HANDOUT, BUT I TRIED TO HIGHLIGHT IT FOR YOU GUYS TO SEE, UM, THE INSPECTORS ONLY WON'T ENFORCE THE HEIGHT OF THE FENCES, AND THEY CHOOSE TO IGNORE ANYTHING ABOUT THE MATERIAL THAT THE FENCE IS MADE OF. SO THAT'S MOSTLY IN, IN ZIP CODE 7 7 0 1 6 AND 7 7 0 2 8 IN WHICH I LIVE. SOME INSPECTORS INFORM THE LANDOWNERS TO PUT UP THE FENCES, AND THESE FENCES ARE MADE WITH CORRUGATED OR 10, AND IT VIOLATES OUR DEED RESTRICTIONS. AND WE HAVE, UH, SO MANY PEOPLE FROM THE DEPARTMENT WHO TRY TO INTERPRETATE INTERPRET THE LAW WITHOUT LAW DEGREE. THEY INTERPRET THE LAW TO US TO TELL US THERE'S NOVA, THERE'S NO DEED RESTRICTION VIOLATION, OR THERE MAY NEED, THERE'S NO PROPERTY CODE VIOLATIONS. SO WE WANT TO KNOW, I GUESS, WHY THAT, UH, THE, THE, UH, INSPECTORS AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE AT THE, UM, UH, SOME OF THE DIRECTORS CHOOSING TO IGNORE THE, UM, THE CITY ORDINANCE AND ALL OF IT, AND NOT JUST THE PART WHERE THE FENCE IS HIGH, BUT THE TYPE OF FENCE. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY. OKAY, THANKS MAYOR PRO TE TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANNA ASK A QUESTION TO THE LEGAL BECAUSE WE'VE, WE HAVE A SIMILAR ISSUE IN DISTRICT K WHERE WE HAVE, UH, THESE PARKING LOTS IN THE, IN THE, UM, FENCES ARE MADE OF JUST SCRAP MATERIAL AND THEY LOOK HORRIBLE. UM, AND THE RESPONSE THAT WE'VE RECEIVED IS WE DON'T REGULATE UGLY. AND, UM, THAT THE, THE ONLY, UM, PART OF THE REGULATION THAT WOULD APPLY WOULD BE THE HEIGHT OF THE FENCE. SO WE ARE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION, AND I WANNA ASK THE, UM, CITY LEGAL, IF THERE ARE SOME DE RESTRICTIONS THAT, [01:55:01] UM, CAN MAKE THESE, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS ABIDE BY THE TYPE OF FENCING THAT IS, UM, REQUIRED IN THOSE DE RESTRICTIONS. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME LEGISLATION THAT, UM, PASSED ABOUT THESE FENCES. UM, BUT FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE THE SAME CONCERN THAT YOU HAVE, WE'VE HAD IN OUR DISTRICT, AND THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN, WE, WE CAN'T, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO REGULATE UGLY. WELL, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHY WOULD IT SAY THAT AND I PULL IT UP IN THE HOUSTON PROPERTY CODE, UH, PROPERTY, UH, TODAY. AND EXCEPT, UH, IT SAYS EXPERT EXCEPT AS MAY OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN CHAPTER 19 OF THE CODE. IT COULD EITHER BE WOOD, CONCRETE, OR MASONRY. IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS THAT, AND THAT, AND THAT'S WHY I WANT TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION FROM LEGAL BECAUSE IF, IF WE CAN GET A, A BETTER RESPONSE, THEN I THINK IT, IT WOULD HELP A LOT OF US IN, IN THE CITY. YEAH. SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, THERE'S, IN TERMS OF DEED RESTRICTIONS, UH, THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF THINGS THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT CAN ENFORCE BY STATUTE. ONE OF THEM IS THE, THE HEIGHT OF THE FENCE, BUT THAT IS DEED RESTRICTION ENFORCEMENT SEPARATE. AND APART FROM THAT, WE DO HAVE WITHIN OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES, UH, SOME RESTRICTIONS ON THE, UH, THE PRODUCTS I GUESS THE DEFENSE CAN BE MADE FROM. SO WHETHER IT CAN BE WOOD OR MASON. UM, AND THAT IS SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE DEED RESTRICTION ISSUE. SO IN TERMS OF DEED RESTRICTION ENFORCEMENT, WE CAN ONLY ENFORCE THE HEIGHT OF THE FENCE. HOWEVER, I DO BELIEVE, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFIC SPECIFICS OF THIS CASE, OBVIOUSLY, THAT WE DO HAVE SOME ORDINANCES THAT REGULATE THE, UH, THE WAY THE, WHAT OFFENSE IS MADE OUT OF, WHICH WOULD BE ENFORCED I THINK, THROUGH ISSUANCE OF CITATION, FOR EXAMPLE. I'D HAVE TO LOOK A BIT FURTHER, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE, THE PROPER WAY TO HANDLE IT, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM DEED RESTRICTION ENFORCEMENT. OKAY. SO THE QUESTION THEN IS HER SPECIFIC PROPERTY, CAN WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE FENCE IS MADE OF AND MAKE SURE THAT WE AREN'T, UM, PASSING UP AN OPPORTUNITY TO CITE THOSE PARTICULAR, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS FOR VIOLATING, UM, WHAT OUR ORDINANCES SAY THEY CAN BE. THOSE FENCES CAN BE MADE UP. YEAH, I CAN GET WITH HER AND FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON. ABSOLUTELY. SURE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER, KOSH MAYOR, MAY I ADDRESS THE CITY ATTORNEY? ABSOLUTELY. UH, ATTORNEY RANDY. UM, I KNOW YOU'VE PROSECUTED A LOT OF CASES OVER THE YEARS IN THE MUNICIPAL COURT, PROBABLY MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY. UH, WHAT, WHAT IS THIS, UH, ACCEPT AS MAY OTHERWISE BE PROVIDED IN CHAPTER 19? YOU KNOW, IT, IT REFERS TO CHAPTER 19, SO I DON'T HAVE THAT PARTICULAR DOCUMENT, SO I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT IT, BUT, BUT IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD LET US KNOW THAT YEAH, I'LL LOOK AT THAT AS WELL. YEAH, I, I, I, 'CAUSE I CAN LOOK IT UP WHEN I GET HOME TO, OR BACK TO MY OFFICE, BUT, BUT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU KATHY FOR, UM, COMING IN AND BRINGING, UM, THIS ISSUE UP, UM, TO THE COUNCIL. I KNOW WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. TALKED TO WALTER. WE JUST RECENTLY DID A TOUR, UM, THROUGH DISTRICT B AND DEFENSES AS WELL AS THE DUMPSTERS, UM, ON THESE, UM, REHAB AND NEW CONSTRUCTIONS, WHICH IS LIKE AIDING TO SOME OF THE, THE DUMPING THAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN THE AREA. WE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, AND I KNOW WE'RE DOING RESEARCH, AND SO I WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP YOU INCLUDED IN THE LOOP. UM, AND OF COURSE, LIKE VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, UM, WHAT SHE MENTIONED, UM, THE QUESTION THAT SHE HAD WITH THE LEGAL, I MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER RESPONSE COME BACK, UM, YOU, YOU INCLUDED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU KINDLY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER ZAFAR TO HERE AFTER HERE, HONORABLE MAYOR TURNER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ASKU AND RAMADAN. KAREEM, UH, WHAT A WONDERFUL HONOR FOR A HOUSTONIAN, MYSELF, A PAKISTANI AMERICANS STAND HERE BEFORE YOU TO LEAD A SERIES OF TURKISH AMERICAN PUBLIC SPEAKERS. WE ARE ALL HERE TO TALK ABOUT HOUSTON AND TURKEY, AND THE DESIRES AND ASPIRATIONS TO, TO CELEBRATE THE GOODNESS THAT TURK IS MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I HAVE THIS UNIQUE HONOR, PRIMARILY BECAUSE YOU APPOINTED ME AS A COMMISSIONER AND A FACE OF HOUSTON FOR SO MANY COMMUNITIES AND CAUSES. THESE CHAMBERS HAVE INDEED ALLOWED ME THE OPPORTUNITY ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS AND MANY CAUSES. BUT THIS ONE IS VERY DEAR TO ME. THE CAUSES OF TURKISH AMERICANS, THE APPEAL OF THE COUNTRY OF TURK, AND WHAT IT EMBODIES IN ITS HISTORY, ITS LEADING ROLE ON THE WORLD STAGE, ITS ECONOMIC MIGHT AND ITS LEADERSHIP OF THE MUSLIM WORLD, IS WHAT PULLS MANY OF THE HOUSTON COMMUNITIES TO [02:00:01] STAND WITH TOK. TODAY I'M HERE WITH A TA, THE AMERICAN TURKISH ASSOCIATION. ATTA IS MOST ESTABLISHED AND THE OLDEST PLATFORM OF TURKISH AMERICANS IN THE US. IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN HOUSTON IN 1979, AND WE ARE HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE PLANS TO CELEBRATE THE CENTENNIALS. YES, 2023 IS THE CENTENNIAL YEAR OF CELEBRATIONS. HOWEVER, THIS IS ALSO THE YEAR WHEN TUR HAS FACED ONE OF THE MOST DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKES IN THE HISTORY WITH WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION AND LOSS OF LIFE. HOUSTON, AS ALWAYS, WAS IN THE FOREFRONT OF SHOWING SOLIDARITY. MAYOR, I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK YOU FOR LIGHTING UP THE CITY HALL INTO TURK COLORS TO SHOW THAT HOUSTON STANDS WITH TOKYO. THUS THE CENTENNIAL IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW BECAUSE WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE TENACITY OF TURKEY. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT LO LOCAL TURKISH COUNCIL GENERAL VARLEY SWAMPED WITH RELIEF ACTIVITIES AND COULDN'T BE HERE. HE IS SUPPORTED IN THIS EFFORT BY THE AMAZING NETWORK AND LOGISTICS OF TURKISH AIRLINES. YES, THE TURKISH AIRLINE HAS BECOME HOUSTON'S INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE. I RESPECTFULLY WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE DOCUMENT THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU. AND I URGE THE COUNCIL TO HELP IN EVERY MANNER POSSIBLE WITH THESE HOUSTON EVENTS. A TA WANTS TO BRING BACK THE TURKISH FESTIVAL TO DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. THE PLACEMENT OF ATKE STATUE IN HOUSTON WILL BE BEFITTING GESTURE BY HOUSTON FOR TIMES TO COME. AND MAYOR, I REQUEST YOU PERSONALLY TO TO BE THE ORY CHAIR OF THE TURK GALA IN OCTOBER. I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK MAYOR PRO TEM, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVE MARTIN FOR SPECIAL INTEREST IN THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION. AND I END WITH THIS FOLLOWING ME WILL BE MY FRIEND I, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF ATAR IN HOUSTON, FOLLOWED BY MICHELLE, WHO IS THE SECRETARY OF ATAR. AND THEN PROFESSOR CHENGE, WHO WILL TALK ABOUT THE STATUE OF UR. UH, MAY I FINISH YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED AND FOLLOWED BY MY FRIEND DOGAN BAISIL, WHO EXEMPLIFIES NOT ONLY THE TRADE WITH HOUSTON, BUT ALSO THE INVESTMENT THAT TURKISH AMERICANS ARE BRINGING TO HOUSTON. THE CLOSING REMARKS, THE SPEAKER WILL BE JUDGE JAKE CALLAHAN, WHO IS A WELL-KNOWN HOUSTONIAN OF TURKISH ORIGIN. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, I SEE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS IN THE QUEUE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO WAIT UNTIL ALL THE SPEAKERS, BUT COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I TOO WILL WAIT, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME OF THE OTHER SPEAKERS. BUT ZAP, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, AND RAMADAN MUBARAK TO YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE CELEBRATING. UM, THE WAY IN WHICH YOU ARE ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, UM, IS A REAL GIFT FOR THE SIGN, I THINK EMBLEMATIC OF WHAT HOUSTON IS. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL SAVE MY REMARKS RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION IN TEKIA, BUT, UM, IT WAS SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO BE WITH YOU WITH THE CONS GENERAL, UM, HONORING, UH, TURK. JUST, I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY, BUT NOW I'M THINKING IT WAS LAST YEAR, RIGHT AT THE, OR MAYBE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. THIS IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE YOU ALL APPOINTED ME TO A POSITION THAT I HOLD, WHICH ALLOWS ME TO INTERACT WITH THESE COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN MAYOR. UM, TELL US ABOUT TURKEY'S ROLE IN HOUSTON AND HOW WE AS A COUNCIL CAN ENHANCE IT. TURKEY PLAYS A, A MAJOR ROLE, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSTON TRADE WITH HOUSTON. PORT OF HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE LARGEST. TURKEY IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PARTNERS OF HOUSTON WHEN IT COMES TO PORT OF HOUSTON. OUR TURKISH AIRLINE CONNECTS HOUSTON WITH ALL OVER THE WORLD. UH, EVEN IF YOU ASK MY JEWISH FRIENDS, THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THE AIRLINE THAT THEY PREFER TO GO TO ISRAEL IS TURKISH AIRLINE. SO, SO TURKEY IN, IN SOME WAYS IS NOT ONLY A LEADER IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD, BUT IT'S A LEADER OF THE MUSLIM WORLD, UH, A STRATEGIC LOCATION. I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO ENHANCE OUR TIES WITH, WITH, WITH TURKEY. WE HAVE A SISTER CITY ORGANIZATION. WE MUST ENHANCE THAT. UH, WE, WE MUST DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ENHANCE CONTACT WITH TURKISH AMERICANS. COUNCIL MEMBER CIRO. THANK YOU. I WANTED TO JUST TO SAY, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, SET HAPPY CENTENNIAL . UM, AND, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE, THE SPEAKERS WHO CAN UPDATE US ON THE, THE REALLY CATASTROPHIC EARTHQUAKE THAT HIT IN IN FEBRUARY. I, I DO SEE THAT THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF OTHER EARTHQUAKES SINCE THEN THAT HAVE ALSO BEEN INTENSE. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE INTERNET SAYS 54,000 DEATHS, BUT, UM, [02:05:01] BUT YOU ALL WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION FOR US THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WITH US. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU ZEF FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AND, UH, UH, YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY, UH, HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, GOOGLING IN REGARDS TO THE, UH, CENTENNIAL, I MEAN, TO SEE THAT THE, UH, PRIOR TO, UH, UH, 1923 WHEN THEY BECAME, UH, INDEPENDENT, I WAS PART OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE, UH, AND FROM 13 HUNDREDS TILL 1922. SO THAT'S AMAZING. THAT'S A RICH HISTORY RIGHT THERE, UH, IN, IN, IN, AND THE, UH, UN RECOGNIZING TURKEY WITH THE OFFICIAL NAME OF TORTILLA. SO, SO THAT'S GOOD AS WELL. AND, UH, BEING THE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT REPRESENTS DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, WHATEVER I CAN DO ON MY END, UH, IN REGARDS TO BRINGING THE TURKEY TURKEY FESTIVAL BACK TO DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, UH, LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE WAS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE LARGEST EMPIRES, BUT THE ENTIRE MUSLIM WORLD KIND OF ACCEPTED THEM AS THE LEADER OF THE ENTIRE MUSLIM WORLD. SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE REMARKS. THANK YOU Z NEXT SPEAKER. I, GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M I AK AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN TURKISH ASSOCIATION HERE IN HOUSTON. AND OUR ORGANIZATION IS DEDICATED TO STRENGTHEN THE TIES AND FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF TURKEY AND THE UNITED STATES. AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BACK IN 1979. WE DO THAT THROUGH ACTIVITIES LIKE CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND EDUCATIONAL, AND WE ARE VERY PROUD OF TO BE PART OF THE, THE COMMUNITY HERE IN HOUSTON. SO THE, THE REASON I'M HERE IS TO PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS OF REPUBLIC OF TURKEY. HOWEVER, BEFORE I DO THAT, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO EXTEND MY HEARTFELT THANKS TO HONORABLE MAYOR TURNER AND HIS TEAM FOR COORDINATING, UH, THE CITY HALL AND LIGHTING UP WITH TURK'S COLORS. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE EARTHQUAKE. IT'S BEEN 50 DAYS SINCE THEN, AND WE ARE STILL WORKING AND DEALING WITH THE AFTERMATH. AND WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE 55, UM, THOUSAND CASUALTIES, AND WE ALSO HAVE 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE LEFT HOMELESS. AND IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE, THE BUDGET, THE TURKISH BUDGET WILL BE HIT AROUND A HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS. THAT'S HUGE. AND I'M SO PROUD OF THE COMMUNITY HERE IN HOUSTON, NOT ONLY FOR THE TURKISH COMMUNITY, BUT WHOLE HOUSTONIANS WHO REACHED OUT TO US FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND TRIED TO HELP US WITH THE IN KIND DONATIONS AND CASH DONATIONS. AND AT HOUSTON ONLY RAISED $135,000 AND, UM, UM, HELP THE EARTHQUAKE RELIEF. SO LET ME TURN OUR ATTENTION BACK TO CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS. UM, 2023 MARKS THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TUR, UH, REPUBLIC OF TURKEY. THIS IS A MAJOR MILESTONE IN OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY, AND IT'S A REALLY PROUD MOMENT FOR THE PEOPLE OF TURKEY HERE IN HOUSTON. SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE PLANNING TO MAKE IT BIG AND IMPACTFUL. AND WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE PLANS OF THE YEAR. WE HAVE SEVERAL, UH, LISTED IN THE DOCUMENTS YOU JUST RECEIVED, BUT WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON ONLY THREE OF THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES TODAY. ONE OF THEM IS THE TURKISH FESTIVAL, WHICH IS THE 27TH ANNUAL TURKISH FESTIVAL. IT'S A BIG EVENT HERE, HERE IN HOUSTON, AND, UH, IT'S GOING TO BE BACK AFTER FOUR YEARS OF HIATUS. AND THE OTHER ONE IS TURKISH REPUBLIC DAY GALA, WHICH IS THE REAL DAY, ACTUALLY. UM, SO IT'S ALSO GOING TO BE A BIG CELEBRATION AND WE'D LOVE TO SEE, UH, HONORABLE MAYOR TURNER AND HIS TEAM JOINING US THAT DAY. AND THE THIRD ONE IS, UH, ALSO AN IMPORTANT ONE AT TURK STATUE PROJECT AT TURK IS OUR FOUNDER OF TURKISH REPUBLIC, AND HE'S NOT ONLY THE GREATEST TURKISH HERO IN THE RECENT TURKISH HISTORY. TOM, I CAN MCC I IF YOU WANTED FINISH UP WITH SOME OF MY TIME, YOU'RE WELCOME TO. OH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HE'S NOT ONLY A GREATEST, UM, HERO IN THE RECENT TURKISH HISTORY, BUT ALSO AN INSPIRATIONAL LEADER IN THE WORLD. AND WE'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THIS PROJECT HAPPENS BECAUSE HOUSTON IS GOING TO BE THE FOURTH CITY WHO HAS A TURK STATUE [02:10:01] IN THE UNITED STATES. SO WE BELIEVE THAT THAT PROJECT IS GOING TO BRING ANOTHER COLOR TO MULTIETHNIC, ETHICAL AND MULTICULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF HOUSTON. SO BASICALLY WE HAVE A LOT OF PLANS, AND TODAY WE KINDLY REQUEST HONORABLE MAYOR TURNER TO LEAD AND GUIDE US THROUGHOUT ALL THESE ACTIVITIES BY BEING THE CHAIR OF OUR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS COMMITTEE AND JOIN OUR CELEBRATIONS DURING THOSE THREE MAJOR EVENTS WE HOPE TO LEAVE SOME LEGACY TO, TO HOUSTONIANS. THANK YOU. THANK VERY MUCH. STAY WITH YOU. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND AGAIN, EBR. AND I ALSO SHOULD SAY MICHELLE, UH, I KNOW WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF SPEAKERS, BUT I WANNA RECOGNIZE YOU ALSO AS A DISTRICT C RESIDENT. UM, ONE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, NOT ONLY BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO KEEP US IN THE LOOP ON ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL EVENTS THAT ARE GONNA TAKE PLACE, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT ALSO SPOTLIGHTING, UM, THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING ON THE GROUND TO LIFT UP ALL OF THOSE IN TEKIA WHO ARE SUFFERING RIGHT NOW. UH, AND THAT WORK I KNOW CONTINUES. MAYOR, THANK YOU. UM, NOT ONLY FOR THE RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT, BUT ALSO, UH, IN THROUGH DIPLOMATIC TIES. AND CHRIS, YOU'VE HELPED WITH THAT A LOT. BUT, UM, THE, THE RESOURCES THAT HOUSTONIANS HAVE GIVEN TOWARDS THIS, THAT YOU HAVE HELPED ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT. UH, BUT ALSO FOR BRINGING ATTENTION TO THE ROLE THAT TOK PLAYS IN THE WORLD. I MEAN, FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, TOK HAS BEEN, UH, AT THE CROSSROADS OF EVERYTHING AND CONTINUES TO BE. SO TO BE ABLE TO LIFT UP OUR HOUSTON, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, IN THAT SAME VEIN, UH, IS VERY SPECIAL. SO, UH, COUNT ME IN AND LET US KNOW. I'LL, I'LL JUST ASK YOU ONE QUESTION. UH, WHAT OTHER WAYS CAN WE HELP RIGHT NOW? SO I THINK, I MEAN, TWO MAJOR, UH, HELP WE CAN TALK ABOUT HERE. ONE OF THEM IS ABOUT THE TURKISH FESTIVAL. SO, LIKE I SAID, WE COULDN'T HOLD IT FOR THE FOUR YEARS, AND NOW IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE IN ITS NEW PLACE, WATERWORKS AT THE BUFFALO BAYOU, AND IT'S LIKE THREE TIMES LARGER THAN WHERE WE HOLD BEFORE. SO WE DEFINITELY NEED TO SPREAD THE WORD AND WE DEFINITELY NEED JUST, NOT JUST TURKISH PEOPLE THERE, BUT THE WHOLE HOUSTONIAN ESTONIAN HOUSTONIANS TO BE THERE. SO WE CAN, UH, TALK ABOUT THE TURKISH CULTURE AND ITS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS. THAT'S THE ONE OF THE MAJOR HELPS WE CAN, UH, ASK. AND THE SECOND PIECE IS ABOUT AT TURK STATUE. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US, AND WE'D LIKE TO DO THAT IN THE CENTENNIAL OF THE TURKISH, UM, REPUBLIC. AND ATTA TURK IS THE FOUNDER OF TURKEY, AND HE'S, HE'S REALLY INFLUENTIAL IN THE RECENT HISTORY. SO WE STARTED THE WORKS AND WE HAD OUR FIRST, UH, MEETING WITH PROAM. UM, SO WE, WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP IN TERMS OF HOW WE CAN BRING THIS TO LIFE, ESPECIALLY OUR, OUR VISION IS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IN HERMAN PARK. CAN YOU, COUNCILMAN HOFFMAN? THANK YOU. UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, THERE IS A LONG ROAD AHEAD FOR RECOVERY AND YOU KNOW, EVEN WHEN AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY HERE HAPPENED IN HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THIS RUSH OF PEOPLE TO HELP AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE HELP KIND OF DIES OFF, BUT THERE'S YEARS AND YEARS OF RECOVERY THAT, THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE. AND I KNOW THAT THE TURKISH CONSULATE GENERAL WAS COLLECTING ITEMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, TO SEND OVER. ARE Y'ALL STILL, UM, COLLECTING ITEMS? WHAT, WHAT DO Y'ALL NEED IN TERMS OF, UM, EARTHQUAKE HELP? THANK YOU. THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST. UH, YOU ARE CERTAINLY RIGHT. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT NOW, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE YEARS. UM, SO WHAT WE CAN DO HERE, BECAUSE THERE IS NO ONE IN THE TURKISH COMMUNITY WHO IS NOT IMPACTED, EITHER A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER, EVERYBODY'S IMPACTED. SO WE ARE STILL CONTINUING OUR EFFORTS IN TERMS OF IN CASH DONATIONS. SO THERE'S A LINK THAT EVERYBODY CAN DONATE AND THE LINK IS STILL OPEN. AND THE SECOND PART IS THE ACTIVITIES FROM THIS YEAR. IF WE MAKE ANY PROFIT, WE ARE PLANNING TO DONATE THE PORTION OF THE PROFITS FROM THIS YEAR'S ACTIVITIES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. SO WE ARE GOING TO DO OUR PART THERE, BUT IF WE CAN SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS LINK THAT EVERYBODY CAN DONATE, THAT WILL BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR US. THANK YOU. UM, BESIDES, YOU KNOW, THE CASH DONATIONS AND ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO COME TO THE FESTIVALS, ARE THERE SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT Y'ALL ARE STILL NEEDING? NO, THEY, WE DON'T EXPECT, UH, WE DON'T ACCEPT THE IN-KIND DONATIONS ANYMORE TO EXTEND ANY OBJECTION. ANY OBJECTION THERE? NO OBJECTIONS. WE WILL, UM, VICE MAYOR PROAM, CAST TATO. MICHELLE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND [02:15:01] FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. UM, MY QUESTION, I, I LOOKED THROUGH THE DOCUMENT THAT WAS HANDED OUT. HA HAS THE LOCATION BEEN DETERMINED FOR THE STATUE STATUE? OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO DO THAT IN HERMAN PARK WITH, ALONG WITH THE OTHER, ACTUALLY JAY ALSO WILL BE TALKING ABOUT, AND JEN IS WILL BE TALKING ABOUT IN DETAIL, BUT OUR OBJECTIVE IS IN THE CENTENNIAL GARDENS WHERE WE HAVE DIFFERENT, UM, STATUES AND BUSTS AVAILABLE. SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR TARGET LOCATION. OKAY. AND WITH THE, UM, TURKISH HOUSE BEING, UH, IN DISTRICT A, WE ARE, UM, SO HONORED TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR CELEBRATION, UH, FOR THE CENTENNIAL. AND PLEASE LET US KNOW ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS ON THESE THREE PROJECTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANKS MUCH WORKING WITH YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. MICHELLE HASKIN, BE FOLLOWED BY ZISMAN. HELLO AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HEARING FROM US TODAY. MY NAME IS MICHELLE HASKIN AND I'M THE SECRETARY OF ATTA HOUSTON, FOR WHICH I'VE BEEN VOLUNTEERING SINCE 2016. I'M HERE TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR LARGEST EVENT, WHICH IS THE TURKISH FESTIVAL. IT'S COMING UP AT THE WATER WORKS AT BUFFALO BAYOU ON SEPTEMBER 23RD TO 24TH. AND THIS WILL ACTUALLY BE THE 27TH FESTIVAL THAT OUR ORGANIZATION HAS PUT ON IN HOUSTON. SO THE FESTIVAL IS A TWO DAY CELEBRATION OF EVERYTHING, TURKISH CULTURE, ART, MUSIC, AND FOOD. THE HEADLINE ACT WILL BE A BAND CALLED YI TURKU. THEY'RE COMING FROM TURKEY. THEY'VE BEEN PLAYING, UH, GLOBALLY, ACTUALLY SINCE THE 1970S. AND THEIR MUSIC IS PERFECT FOR THIS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL BECAUSE IT COMBINES, UH, TRADITIONAL AND MODERN TURKISH INSTRUMENTS FOR A VERY UNIQUE SOUND. IT'S ALSO REALLY UPBEAT AND DANCEABLE. SO TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE POPULARITY OF THIS GROUP, UH, I ONLY LIVED IN TURKEY FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN THEM IN CONCERT AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR OTHER HOUSTONIANS TO SEE THEM AS WELL. ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT IS THE DANCE TROUPE TIJUANA. UH, THEY'VE PERFORMED AT OUR FESTIVALS IN THE PAST AND IN 45 OTHER COUNTRIES. SO THE FESTIVAL IS GOING TO BE A, A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE FOOD VENDORS. UH, WE'LL HAVE A MARKET AREA OR WHAT WE LIKE TO CALL A BAZAAR WHERE, UH, BOTH LOCAL AND TURKISH, UM, ARTISANS CAN SELL THEIR GOODS. WE'LL ALSO HAVE AN ARTS AND CRAFTS AREA. SO THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ATTENDEES TO SEE, UH, THINGS ACTUALLY BEING CREATED AND LEARN A BIT MORE ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THESE TRADITIONAL ARTISTIC TECHNIQUES AND PURCHASE GOODS. AND UNIQUE TO THE TURKISH FESTIVAL, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IS HAVE A WORLD PAVILION. SO IT'S NOT JUST THE TURKISH COMMUNITY WHO WILL BE PARTICIPATING. WE ACTUALLY INVITE OTHER CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITY TO COME AND INTERACT WITH THE AUDIENCE AND EVEN PERFORM ON OUR STAGE. AND IN THE PAST, SOME OF THE 200 PLUS VOLUNTEERS THAT WE'VE HAD FOR THE TURKISH FESTIVAL HAVE COME FROM ALL THE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES THAT MAKE, UH, THE CITY SUCH A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE. UM, OUR 2017 FESTIVAL IN JONES PLAZA ATTRACTED OVER 10,000 ATTENDEES, AND WE'RE REALLY HOPEFUL TO ATTRACT EVEN MORE THAN THAT THIS YEAR. SO IN ADDITION TO HAVING GOOD WEATHER, WHICH IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT IN HOUSTON, UH, THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS FOR THIS FESTIVAL TO BE A SUCCESS ARE ADVERTISING. SO WE CAN GET THOSE ATTENDEES AND SPONSORS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE IT'S A PROFITABLE EVENT. PROFITABILITY, AS YOU'VE HEARD, IS VITAL FOR US THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE DO PLAN TO DONATE A PORTION OF THOSE PROFITS TO EARTHQUAKE RELIEF. AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'LL BE DONATING, UH, PROCEEDS FROM THE FESTIVAL. IN THE PAST, WE'VE DONATED THEM TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S HURRICANE HARVEY RELIEF FUND AND TO THE FOOD BANK. SO WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. SO OUR ABILITY TO DO BOTH OF THESE THINGS TO ATTRACT, UM, ADVERTISEMENTS AND GREAT SPONSORS WOULD REALLY BE BOLSTERED BY THE SUPPORT OF THE MAYOR AND ALL OF YOU AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITY. UM, FOR THE MAYOR TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS COMMITTEE AND, UH, TO COMMIT TO ATTENDING THE OPENING SESSION OF THE FESTIVAL. THAT'S IT, YOU TIME. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME MORE ABOUT THE FESTIVAL I HAVEN'T BEEN BEFORE. UH, HAS IT ALWAYS BEEN AT JONES PLAZA BEFORE THIS OR HAS IT MOVED AROUND? WELL, WE'VE, WE HAVE DONE 27 OF THEM. UM, SO IT WASN'T ALWAYS AT JONES PLAZA, BUT THE PAST FEW YEARS, 2016 TO 2018 WERE THERE. OKAY. OKAY. AND CERTAINLY WE CAN, YOU KNOW, USE OUR NETWORKS TO GET THE WORD OUT AND OUR NEWSLETTERS, EACH OF US HAS A NEWSLETTER THAT GOES OUT TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, UM, TO GET WORD OUT ABOUT SPONSORSHIPS AND, AND PARTICIPATION. SO JUST AS SOON AS THOSE DETAILS ARE FIRMED UP, MAKE SURE AND GET THOSE TO ALL OF US, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO HELP GENERATE, UH, A LOT OF, A LOT OF BUSINESS FOR THE TURKISH FESTIVAL. I THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT OF INTEREST, UM, BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, EARTHQUAKES, PEOPLE WANNA HELP, PEOPLE WANNA FEEL LIKE THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING TO HELP. SO KNOWING THAT THAT MONEY THAT THEY CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THIS [02:20:01] WILL HELP, UM, THOSE IN TURKEY WOULD, WOULD BE GREAT. SO THANKS FOR COMING. THANK YOU. THANKS, MICHELLE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, SUZMAN. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. UH, EVERY OUR PRESENT MADE, UH, SOME OF MY JOBS, SO I DON'T HAVE UNDER TIME PRESSURE. UM, I AM JUST GOING TO THANK YOU ONE MORE TIME BEFORE I START MY TALK ABOUT THE STATUE, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT YOU ARE ALLOWING US TO REALLY VOICE OUR VOICE, OUR, UH, OUR, OUR OPINIONS, AND THEN TO BE PART OF, UH, CITY AFFAIRS. I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST VIRTUES OF REALLY, UM, BEING AN OPEN, UH, AND DEMOCRATIC, UH, AND HEALTH SOCIETY. I, MYSELF, DR. JENGA SIMAN, I'M A PROFESSOR OF HISTORY TEACHING AT UNIVERSAL OF HOUSTON SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE HONORS COLLEGE AND ALSO I AM THE HEAD OF THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT AND A SERVING MEMBER OF TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD. AS INDICATED EARLIER, AMONG OTHERS, WE ARE REQUESTING YOUR HELP, UH, ALL OF YOUR HELP, UH, TO INSTALL THE STATUE OF AKMAL ATTU. THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT GOES ACTUALLY BEYOND, BEYOND OUR CHERISHED, UH, CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION ACTIVITIES AND ITS LEGACY I, WE BELIEVE WILL REMAIN FOREVER WITH THE HOUSTONIANS. WE BELIEVE THAT THE ATTU STATUE IS GOING TO MAKE AN EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE ALREADY MULTI-ETHNIC AND MULTICULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF THE SPHERE OF HOUSTON. AS A HISTORIAN, I CAN DEFINITELY ATTEST THAT AT OR MUSTAF WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST WORLD LEADERS, AND IT HAS BEEN AN INSPIRATIONAL ONE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THEIR INDEPENDENCE IN THE 20TH CENTURY. FROM ASIA TO AFRICA, TO EVEN AMERICAS, WHAT WAS GEORGE WASHINGTON TO UNITED STATES, UH, SIMONE DUBBO INTO BOULEVARD TO LATIN AMERICA, GANDHI TO ASIA. WAS TO THE MIDDLE EAST AND BEYOND. AS JOHN F. KENNEDY ONCE REMARKED, CODE THE NAME OF ATE MINDS, MANKIND OF THE HISTORICAL ACCOMPLISHMENT OF ONE OF THE GREATEST MEN OF OUR CENTURY. THIS CENTURY HAVING AN ORTHODOX STATUE, MOST PREFERABLY AT THE HAWKIN SCULPTURE PARK AT HERMAN, UH, WALK AT HERMAN PARK. NEXT TO THE OTHER GREAT WORLD LEADERS IS GOING TO PROVIDE A PUBLIC MEETING PLACE FOR ALL THE TURKISH AMERICANS AND MORE, WHOSE NUMBERS ARE UP TO LIKE 20,000 IN THESE DAYS. ONCE COMPLETED, THE STATUE WILL BE THE FOURTH STATUE IN THE UNITED STATES. HOUSTON, WE KNOW DESERVES THE BEST, BEST OF EVERYTHING. WE HAVE BEEN CONSULTING WITH SEVERAL RENOWNED ARTISTS AND SCULPTURES TO GET THE BEST POSSIBLE IDEAS FOR THIS PROJECT. I AM PERSONALLY WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH ART HISTORIANS, UM, SCULPTURES AND ARTISTS IN MY UNIVERSITY TO GET THE BEST RESULT ONCE WE GET THE GREEN LIGHT FROM THE CITY COUNCILS. AND, UH, DEAR MAYOR, THE OTHER AND OTHER NECESSARY AUTHORITIES, OF COURSE, A BRONZE STATUE WILL BE CRAFTED, PURCHASED, AND PLACE FREE OF ANY FINANCIAL BURDEN ON THE CITY. AND WE BELIEVE THAT, WE EXPECT THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SUCH A CEREMONY, THERE WILL BE A GREAT MEDIA COVERAGE IN TURKEY AS WELL AS A PROUD TURKISH AMERICAN ESTONIAN, OR EN LARGE, I SHOULD SAY, AS AS PROUD AMERICAN TURK, AMERICAN SONIAN, ONE OF OUR GREATEST DESIRES IS TO SEE THIS PUBLIC COMMEMORATION SITE IN OUR BILAL CITY. ATTU IS THE MOST SINGLE IMPORTANT SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT HISTORICAL FIGURE ON WHOSE NAME EACH AND EVERY TURK AND TURKISH AMERICAN WOULD AGREE. THEREFORE HAS THIS IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT. THANK YOU, SIR. ONE MORE SENTENCE. I'M SORRY, I'M DONE. ARE YOU DONE? JUST ONE MORE SENTENCE. YES. OKAY. IF ONCE REALIZED WE BELIEVE THAT YOUR NAME HE'LL FOREVER BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROJECT, THAT'S WHY MY LESSONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. UH, NEXT SPEAKER, DUGGAN BASIL. WE FOLLOWED BY JAY CARA HAND. GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR TURNER AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS DUAN BASAL. I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF AMERICAN TURKISH ASSOCIATION AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SIBA GROUP OF COMPANIES, SEBA METALS GROUP, HEADQUARTERED IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, HAS BEEN LEADING IMPORTER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF STEEL PRODUCTS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA FOR OVER 40 YEARS. I'M HERE TODAY TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UPCOMING TURKISH REPUBLIC'S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS. [02:25:01] AS MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED, TURK HAS BECOME THE ROLE MODEL FOR MANY NEW REPUBLICS OWING TO ITS PROGRESS IN UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW AND AING STRONG ECONOMY. DESPITE FACING NUMEROUS CHALLENGES, INCLUDING THE RECENT EARTHQUAKE IN CENTRAL TURKEY AND HOSTING MORE THAN THREE AND A HALF MILLION REFUGEES, TURKEY HAS CONSISTENTLY UPLIFTED ITS POPULATION OVER 80 MILLION CITIZENS. IN LIGHT OF THESE ACHIEVEMENTS, WE WOULD BE HONORED IF MAYOR TURNER AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS COULD ATTEND THE CENTENNIAL GALA AT THE RO OAKS COUNTRY CLUB ON OCTOBER 28TH, SEPTEMBER, AND THE TURKISH FESTIVAL AT THE WATERWORKS ON SEPTEMBER 23RD AND THE 24TH. FURTHERMORE, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL REQUEST. WE PROPOSE THE PLACEMENT OF STATUE OF MUSAFA. KAMALA TU, THE FOUNDER OF MODERN TUIA IN HERMAN PARK, ALONGSIDE WITH OTHER REVERED WORLD LEADERS. BY DOING SO, WE HOPE TO RECOGNIZE THE ACTIVE TURKISH COMMUNITY THAT HAS SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTED TO HOUSTON'S GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OVER THE YEARS. WE KINDLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THESE ANDOVERS AND LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR FAVORABLE RESPONSE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER, JAY CARA HAND, J CARA HAND TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROLAND CURRY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR TURNER. COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAY IT PLEASE THIS COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JAY CARA IN TURKEY. THEY PRONOUNCE THE LAST NAME KAHAN. MY FATHER IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES FROM TURKEY IN 1952. MET MY MOTHER IN NEW YORK CITY AND I WAS BORN IN TAMPA, FLORIDA IN 1956. AND I GOT TO HOUSTON AS SOON AS I COULD IN 1979 AND HAVE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE. MY WIFE AND I ARE PROUD RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT C IN HOUSTON, AND, UH, WE HAVE ENJOYED AND, AND LOVED OUR TIME HERE IN HOUSTON. SO I'M HERE TO SORT OF WRAP THINGS UP AND TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M AN EXAMPLE, JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR TURKISH AMERICANS THAT ARE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. MY FATHER CAME HERE WITH A SIXTH GRADE EDUCATION IN A DREAM, MET MY MOTHER, BECAME A CITIZEN HIMSELF, AND I'M THE FIRST PERSON IN MY FAMILY TO HAVE GONE TO COLLEGE. AND THEN I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL, AND THEN I BECAME A FEDERAL AND STATE PROSECUTOR HERE IN THIS CITY. AND AFTER THAT, I RAN FOR JUDGE AND SERVED HARRIS COUNTY FOR 16 YEARS AS A JUDGE IN THIS CITY. DURING THIS TIME, I HAVE BEEN SO PROUD OF MY TURKISH HERITAGE AND HAVE BEEN ASKED ON MANY OCCASIONS TO SPEAK TO YOUNG PEOPLE, TURKS, TURKISH AMERICANS, MAKING THEIR WAY IN THE UNITED STATES. AND I HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY TO, TO SHARE WITH THEM MY EXPERIENCES IN PUBLIC SERVICE AND POLITICS AND HAVE URGED THEM TO DO THE SAME. AND, UH, THEY ARE FAST WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO HOPEFULLY DO AT LEAST SOME OR OR GREATER THAN WHAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN MY TIME HERE. I'M NOW RETIRED. I SERVE ON THE BOARD OF ASSOCIATION OF TURKISH AMERICANS AS VICE CHAIRMAN WITH DOAN. AND, UM, WE LOOK VERY FORWARD TO YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE CENTENNIAL, UH, CELEBRATIONS THIS YEAR. AND I ALSO ASK THAT YOU ALSO CONSIDER VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY TO ALLOW US TO PLACE THE STATUE IN THE HAWKINS SCULPTURE, WALK WITH ALL THE OTHER GREAT LEADERS OF THE WORLD FROM SOUTH AMERICA, SCOTLAND, MEXICO, PHILIPPINES, AND SO FORTH, THAT ARE, WHO ARE THERE AND, AND ARE HONORED BY THEIR PEOPLE HERE IN THIS CITY. KAMAL TU WAS TIME MAGAZINE'S BAN OF THE YEAR IN 1923, AND HE BELONGS AND HAS RICHLY DESERVED A PLACE IN OUR SCULPTURE GARDEN. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY. COUNCILMAN KASH? WELL, JUDGE, IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU COUNCILMAN, MAN. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU, NOT NOT WHERE YOU'RE NOT ON A BENCH HAVING TO RULE ON SOMETHING I'M DEALING WITH, BUT IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. I, I, UH, I, I REALLY, REALLY AM GLAD THAT YOU CAME TO SHINE THE LIGHT ON WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN TURKEY WITH THIS DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE. YOU KNOW, I, I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVER HAD ANY TYPE [02:30:01] OF A CATASTROPHE, EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE TO THIS. I MEAN, NINE 11 AND, AND PEARL HARBOR WERE ABOUT OUR WORST, UH, CASUALTIES. AND HOW, HOW, HOW DO YOU LOSE AND HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH 56,000 PEOPLE, UH, IN TURKEY AND SYRIA ALL AT ONE TIME? IT JUST, IT JUST SEEMS MIND BOGGLING, THE PAIN OF ALL OF THAT. BUT I, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING AT YOU AT, AT THESE EVENTS AND, UH, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU, JUDGE. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. UM, COUNCILMAN KAMAN, VERY QUICKLY, JUDGE, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILMAN JUDGE. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, ROLAND CURRY. ROLAND CURRY. ROLLING. NEXT SPEAKER. WALTER VIDAL. WALTER VIDAL. WALTER IS NEXT SPEAKER, REGINA JOHNSON. REGINA JOHNSON. REGINA IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ELY MONTOYA RES. HELLO. IT IS GOOD. I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, MAYOR SYLVESTER COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT'S A JOY TO BE HERE TODAY. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HERE AND I'M VERY EXCITED. I REMEMBER AS A YOUNG WOMAN, UH, AND VOTING FOR MAYOR SYLVESTER. HE WASN'T A MAYOR THEN, BUT I REMEMBER COMING AND I, I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU THEN AND I'M ROOTING FOR YOU STILL TODAY. THANK YOU. I AM, OF COURSE, UH, WITH THE NAC GROUP AND ALSO A MEMBER OF WEST STREET RECOVERY. WE'RE COMING BEFORE YOU BECAUSE YES, WE ARE COMING TOGETHER TO REPRESENT THE NORTHEAST. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY THINK THAT THEY HAVE NOT SEEN DIFFERENT, UH, WORLD CATASTROPHES, BUT IT'S HAPPENING. I WAS ONE OF THOSE THAT WITNESSED IN OUR AREA, THE FLOODING. I WAS ONE OF THOSE THAT SEEN THE CHILDREN AND THE, THE FAMILIES BEING AIRLIFTED. I WAS THERE. I SEEN THE DESPAIR, I SEEN THE EMOTION. AND I'M COMING BEFORE YOU TO ASK YOU IN REGARDS TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, OR WE KNOW THAT YOU'VE DONATED A LOT OF MONEY. WE'RE ASKING AGAIN FOR $20 MILLION FROM, FOR THE SWAT. WE'RE ASKING AGAIN, FOR $20 MILLION FOR, AND I DO APOLOGIZE, I'M LOOKING AT MY NOTES HERE. THE LDP PROJECTS WE'RE ASKING, AND NOT JUST ON A TEMPORARY BASIS, WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS TO BE PERMANENT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS. MR. WELL, MAYOR SYLVETA, WE THANK YOU. AND I TELL YOU, IT, IT'S REALLY SUCH AN HONOR BECAUSE I'VE WATCHED EVERY LAST ONE, AND I WANT IT TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS COMMUNITY. I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVEN ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. AND LIKE I SAY, GOD IS GOOD. I AM A, A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT OF WOODLAND. I'M OVER 200 PLUS HOMEOWNERS. AND I HAVE TO DECIDE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE. I HAVE TO DECIDE AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THAT ARE DISABLED HAVE AN ESCAPE ROUTE. I HAVE TO MAKE THOSE CHOICES. SO I HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF, ELDERLY, DISABLED. AND I'M ASKING YOU WHEN YOU VOTE ON THAT BUDGET, THAT YOU MAKE SURE THAT THE NORTHEAST IS INCLUDED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, ILI MONTOYA RES ILI MONYA RES IS HERE BE FOLLOWED BY ANTOINE ML. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR TURNER. GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, I CHOSE A TOPIC THAT I CHOOSE NOT TO SPEAK ABOUT VERY OFTEN. UH, MY NAME IS ELY ACRONYM. I LOVE YOU, MARIAN. I GREW UP WITH A 33 DEGREE, DEGREE RANK IN MASONRY. HE INHERITED ME HIS BADGE AS TERRITORY. HIS NAME WAS MARISO RES. I CAME TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, FLEEING A FAMILY FEUD THAT MARIO MORENO, CANTE FRIENDS INHERITED ME. UH, WHEN I WAS A CHILD. I WATCHED HIS MOVIES. I, UH, HEARD ABOUT HIS STORIES. I GREW UP AROUND THERE, UH, [02:35:01] MEXICO CITY, BUT AT ONE POINT I GOT TIRED OF IT. SO I CAME TO HOUSTON WITH, ON HIS PASSING. UM, I WANNA THANK MY MEXICAN PEERS. I WANT THEM TO, UH, FORGIVE ME BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA SPEAK ABOUT WHERE I LIVE IN MEXICO. ABOUT, UH, ABOUT, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK ABOUT, UH, . I DON'T WANNA SPEAK ABOUT THE POLITICAL PARTY THAT IS VERY FAMOUS FOR CORRUPTION. I DON'T WANNA SPEAK ABOUT A NEGRO, UH, RASO. I DON'T WANNA SPEAK ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS THAT WERE PAINFUL FOR ME AS A CHILD. UM, THE, UH, AS I CALL IT, IT SAYS ADDRESS. WE AS FAMILY HAVE GONE THROUGH SO MUCH TO BE HERE IN HOUSTON. I'M A, UM, ME, UH, I'M FROM MEXICO CITY, UH, MY US CITIZEN. I CAME HERE TO AB NOT SU SUBTRACT OR TO TAKE, UH, ANY JOBS, UH, AWAY FROM HOUSTONIANS. I HAVE A HISTORY BACK IN MY COUNTRY. THAT'S WHY THEY WANNA BE IN CONTACT WITH ME. AND I HOPE THAT ONE DAY I CAN COME BACK, UH, TO MEET WITH, UH, MY MASON, UH, FRIENDS, UH, AND THE EASTERN SOURCE. AND TO BE ABLE TO REJOICE ABOUT WHAT I INHERIT. I INHERIT A VALUABLE OBJECT THAT I DON'T SHOW TO ANYBODY, AND I WANNA ATTEND THE PUBLIC. EVERYBODY WHO ATTENDED, UM, THE FUNERAL SERVICES OF MY BROTHER-IN-LAW THAT PASSED LAST WEEK UNEXPECTEDLY, THEY SAY THAT, UM, UM, IN, IN ANOTHER SUBJECT THAT THE COUNTY HAVE HIM. WE DON'T KNOW UNDER, UH, WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES. WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY TOOK HIM. WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY DRUG HIM. WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY KILLED HIM. THEY HAD HIM AND THEY GAVE US HIS BODY BACK. HE'S DEAD. SO, UM, MY CONDOLENCES TO MY, UH, SISTER NATALIA SORIO, AND HE LEFT THREE, UH, YOUNG, UH, CHILDREN. SO WE HAVE A MEETING AS A FAMILY TRYING TO COME TOGETHER. I PULL OUT WHEN I MET MANY OF YOU. I'M NOT AN ORPHAN. I PULL AWAY FROM MY FAMILY BECAUSE I WANTED TO FOLLOW, UH, MY OWN AGENDA, WORK STUDY, WORK STUDY, AND TRYING TO GRIEVE FOR MY HISTORY, MY LINEAGE. AND I THANK THE PUBLIC FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING, HONOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU AGAIN. COUNCILMAN JACKSON. I'M SORRY. COUNCILMAN JACKSON. ONE SEC. I JUST WANTED TO SAY MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES FOR YOUR LOSS. THANK YOU, MA'AM. YOU'RE WELCOME. AND IN THIS, UH, THE, IN TWO MONTHS, WE LOST TWO PEOPLE. OKAY? YES. SORRY FOR, SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. I DON'T KNOW THE WHOLE, UH, MOST OF THE TIME I'M WORKING. I TRY, UH, I DON'T MEAN TO HUN PEOPLE, I DON'T MEAN TO IGNORE PEOPLE, BUT THAT'S MY WAY TO BEST WAY TO COPE. THEY SAID I'M INSENSITIVE. THEY SAID. UM, I HAVE, UH, WHAT IS IT CALLED? UH, EYES IN THE, IN MY BLOOD. NO . I SIMPLY, UH, SOMETIMES IT IS, IT IS BETTER JUST TO WALK AWAY AND NOT TO ADDRESS PEOPLE NOT TO FIGHT. AND, BUT IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO MEET, UH, UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES AT FUNERALS. AND I'M NOT PRE NEED AGENT. I HAVE A LICENSE. SO, UH, I THANK THE PUBLIC FOR EVERYTHING THAT WAS DONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. ANTOINE MICHAEL. MS. PETER, PETER, CONTRERAS. ANTOINE. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR TURNER CITY COUNCIL. I WANNA THANK Y'ALL FOR ALL THE WORK Y'ALL DO ON OUR BEHALF. UM, IUN TO Y'ALL. AS A LAST DITCH EFFORT, UM, FOR RELIEF, I CURRENTLY RESIDE IN DISTRICT HEALTH, UM, IN THE GATED COMMUNITY OF GREENLEAF. UM, I EXHAUSTED ALL AVENUES OF ASSISTANCE. ME AND MY FAMILY AND OTHER FAMILIES IN OUR SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD IS BEING TERRORIZED BY OMEGA FIRE MINISTRIES, UM, WITH LOUD BOOMING MUSIC SEVERAL NIGHTS A WEEK. AND THE WORST BEING ON SUNDAYS. I WAS IN TALKS WITH JONATHAN JOHNSON, THE CONSTITUENT, UM, SERVICES AID FOR COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, TIFFANY THOMAS OFFICE. UM, HOWEVER, THE CORRESPONDENCES, THEY JUST, THEY STOPPED. OFFICER BROOKS FROM HPD WEST SIDE STATION CAME OUT. HE SPOKE WITH ME AND ALL THE NE THE NEIGHBORS. WE ALL INFORMED HIM THAT WE ARE BEING DISTURBED. UM, BUT HASN'T BEEN NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION SINCE THEN. UM, WE CALL HPD, THEY COME OUT, THEY HEAR THE MUSIC, THEY SPEAK WITH THE PASTOR, BUT THEY REFUSE TO CITE HIM. AND SIMPLY THEY SAY THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CITE HIM, BUT AS SOON AS THEY LEAVE, HE TURNS THE MUSIC RIGHT BACK UP. UM, THIS BEEN GOING ON FOR TWO YEARS. I COMPILE SEVEN PAGES OF CALLS FROM HPD FOR SERVICE MYSELF. UM, I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE PASTOR VIA PHONE TEXT, BUT HE REFUSES TO LOWER THE BASS OR TURN THE MUSIC DOWN. MY HOUSE IS OVER. MY HOME IS OVER 300 FEET AWAY FROM HIS ESTABLISHMENT. AND THAT VIBRATING [02:40:01] AND SHAKING MY HOME ALL DAY LONG, UP TO EIGHT HOURS ON SUNDAYS. UM, ME AND MY FAMILY, WE HAVEN'T SLEPT PAST 9:00 AM ON A SUNDAY IN TWO YEARS. AND, UH, I'M JUST, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. NO ONE, NOBODY WANTS TO DO ANYTHING. COUNCIL, MAYOR CO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, SIR FOR COMING AND FOR WAITING SO LONG TO SHARE THIS STORY WITH YOU. I'VE WORKED A LOT ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE AND STRENGTHENING THE NOISE ORDINANCE, SO HAPPY TO WORK OFFLINE WITH YOU AND GET THE DETAILS OF THIS SITUATION AND, AND WORK WITH HPD TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAYBE GET YOU SOME RELIEF. THANK YOU. ARE YOU SAYING THIS IS, THIS IS A RELIGIOUS EVENT? YEAH. UM, IT'S A CHURCH. THEY HAVE A, HAVE A PERMIT FOR AMPLIFIED SOUND, BUT WE'VE RECORDED A READINGS FROM THE NEAREST PROPERTY. IT AS HIGH AS 77 DECIBELS. OKAY. AND AND THE EVENT GOES FROM WHAT TIME TO WHAT TIME? UM, SOMETIMES ON SUNDAYS. UP UNTIL RECENTLY. 'CAUSE I FILED A PETITION FOR AN INJUNCTION IN DISTRICT COURT. NO, I'M SAYING JUST, I'M JUST WANT THE DETAILS. OH, BASICALLY, UM, HE'LL START AT 7:00 AM NOW IT'S NINE AND YOU START AT 7:00 AM OR 7:00 PM NO, 7:00 AM ON SUNDAY. ON SUNDAY. OKAY. SO IT'S A CHURCH EVENT. YES. AND BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. ALL DAY LONG. OKAY. AND, AND LEMME MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THIS. IS THIS A CHURCH OR YOU SAYING THAT, IS THIS A CHURCH AND HE'S IN THE PARKING LOT? NO, THEY'RE INSIDE OF A BUILDING. THEY'RE INSIDE THE BUILDING. YES, SIR. IS THIS A CHURCH? YES. MEGA FIRE MINISTRIES. AND IS AND HOW LONG HAS THE CHURCH BEEN THERE? I THINK HE'S SAID HE'D BEEN THERE SIX YEARS. I'VE BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TWO YEARS. BUT HE SAID THE CHURCH HAS BEEN THERE SIX YEARS. YES. AND THIS IS INSIDE THE CHURCH? YES. IT'S COMING FROM OUT THE BACKSIDE OF THE BUILDING ACROSS THE PARK. WE HAVE A PARK IN OUR COMMUNITY WHERE MY HOME IS AT, AND IT PENETRATES, VIBRATES EVERYONE'S HOMES LIKE WE'RE JUST, AND HOW BIG IT'S IN ROUGHLY ANY IDEA HOW BIG THE CHURCH IS? UH, I THINK HE SAID THE INTERIOR WAS 6,000 SQUARE FEET. I HAVE IN A TEXT MESSAGE. I HAVE TWO YEARS WORTH OF OKAY. MESSAGES FROM HIM. YEAH. I'LL, I'LL GO AND LOOK AT IT, MICHELLE. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK COUNCILMAN KAMAN. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. MAYOR. THANK YOU. I JUST, I, AGAIN, DISTRICT F UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS ISN'T HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF HER OFFICE, BUT I KNOW THAT HER STAFF IS LISTENING AND I'M SURE THEY'LL WORK CLOSELY WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. UM, IN ADVOCATING ON YOUR BEHALF, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A BUNCH OF OTHER RESIDENTS IN MY DISTRICT COMING FORWARD, UH, RIGHT AFTER YOU TO SHARE THEIR ISSUES WITH, UM, AMPLIFIED SOUND, THAT BASE, THAT REVERBERATION THAT IS JUST, UM, UNLIVABLE, UH, DURING THOSE, THOSE HOURS. SO AGAIN, I JUST, I WANTED TO THANK YOU AND AGAIN, BECAUSE COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS ISN'T AVAILABLE TO BE HERE. I KNOW THAT HER STAFF IS LISTENING. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TE CASH. AND THEN I, I DID RECEIVE A MESSAGE FROM, UH, DISTRICT F AND THE CHIEF OF STAFF IS HERE, AND SHE'D LIKE TO SPEAK WITH YOU. SO IF, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION AND SHARE WITH THEM, AND I KNOW THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WILL BE HAPPY TO HELP WORK THROUGH THIS ISSUE. WILL DO. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. PETER CONTRERAS. PETER CONTRERAS, I DUNNO WHERE DISTINGUISHED, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. HONORABLE MAYOR. MY NAME IS PETER CONTRERAS. I LIVE IN RICE MILITARY. I'M HERE WITH A FEW OF MY NEIGHBORS. A BIT ABOUT MY BACKGROUND FOR YOU GUYS TO KNOW. I LIVED A BIT IN COLUMBIA WITH MY GRANDMOTHER EARLY ON, AND AT AGE SIX, SHE TAKES ME ASIDE AND SAYS, PEDRO, REMEMBER YOUR COLOMBIAN ROOTS. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT. WOULD YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC? OH, SORRY. AND I, AND I REMEMBER THINKING, WHY CAN'T SHE JUST SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE? UH, I SHARED THIS JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THE GREAT AMERICAN SYSTEM WE HAVE COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE YOU CANNOT FREELY EXPRESS YOUR OPINIONS AND CONCERNS IN AN OPEN FORUM LIKE THIS IN A SAFE MANNER WITHOUT FEAR OF RETALIATION. WITH THAT SAID, I COME IN SUPPORT OF MY NEIGHBOR'S COMPLAINT OF NOISE POLLUTION. I LIVE A BIT FARTHER AWAY AND DO NOT EXPERIENCE THE SAME NOISE, BUT WILL PROBABLY BE AFFECTED WITH PROPERTY VALUES IF, IF THE SITUATION STILL GOES ON. THE NEIGHBORS THAT LIVE NEAR WASHINGTON AVENUE HAVE REPEATEDLY REPORTED ABOUT NOISE COMING FROM THE BARS ON THE STREET, MANY TIMES VIOLATING THE MAXIMUM DECIBEL MEASURES ALLOWED. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT CAME THIS PAST MARCH 17TH ON AN ALL [02:45:01] SAINTS DAY BLOCK PARTY WHERE THE NOISE WAS SO LOUD, I COULD PERSONALLY HEAR IT FROM BLOCKS ABOUT SIX BLOCKS AWAY ON A BIKE RIDE WITH MY DAUGHTER. IT SOUNDED LIKE WE WERE NEXT TO A STADIUM. I CAN'T IMAGINE HAVING TO TRY AND SLEEP THROUGH THAT NOISE. ALL I ASK IS FOR YOU ALL TO LISTEN TO MY DEAR NEIGHBORS. IT'S LOGICAL, IT'S COMMON SENSE, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. PLEASE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THOSE HAVING TO PUT UP WITH THESE RATTLING HOUSES FROM SOUND WAVES BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS. IT'S A TRUE STORY FROM ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CRYING BABIES THAT CAN'T FALL ASLEEP AND THE MOTHER'S STRUGGLING TO CONSOLE THEM. THAT'S ANOTHER TRUE STORY IN OUR MESSENGER CHAT. TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THOSE OF US THAT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THESE COMPLAINTS, WASTING TIME AND ENERGY, THINGS THAT WE CAN PUT TO GOOD USE, LIKE TAKING NICE NAPS TO COME BACK THE NEXT DAY WITH INCREASED ENERGY TO MAKE THE CITY A A BETTER PLACE. WE HAVE THE BEST COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE COUNTRY. WE HAVE THE BEST MAYOR, WE'VE GOT THE BEST CITY. PLEASE CONSIDER SERIOUSLY THE PETITIONS TO ENFORCE MORE DILIGENTLY THE DECIBEL LEVELS ALLOWED FOR THESE TYPES OF EVENTS, OR INCREASE THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE PERMITS GIVEN OUT FOR THE SAME. WOULD YOU RATHER LOOK AT YOURSELF, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE MIRROR AND PAT TAP YOURSELF ON THE BACK FOR A JOB WELL DONE LISTENING. OR WOULD YOU RATHER LOOK AT NEIGHBORS AND BE SATISFIED THAT YOU HAD AN AUTHORITATIVE IMPACT ON THEIR LIVES? THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT OF THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER? NO, THIS IS IS ON WASHINGTON AVENUE, RICE MILITARY, AND WE HAVE THREE OTHER SPEAKERS ON THIS. OKAY. YOU MENTIONED ALL SAINTS. IT'S A ST. PATRICK'S DAY. IT'S UH, MARCH 17TH. IT'S AN ALL SAINTS BLOCK PARTY, THEY CALLED IT. OKAY. SO THIS EVENT WAS OUTDOORS? YEAH. YES, AMERICAN. IT WAS IN THE PARKING LOT, RIGHT. BUT IT WAS WITHIN A FEW FEET OF, UH, THE NEIGHBOR'S, THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND WHAT TIME OF DAY WAS THIS? ALL DAY. WHAT TIME OF DAY? WHAT TIME? I THINK IT STARTED AT SIX. SIX. MY NEIGHBORS HAVE PM. YEAH, MY NEIGHBORS HAVE MORE SPECIFICS ON THE SITUATION THAT OKAY. ABOUT TO SPEAK. OKAY. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, PETER, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SPEAKING SO ELOQUENTLY. I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE BEEN HERE TO COUNCIL. SO REALLY JOB WELL DONE AND KIND OF CONVEYING AS A NEIGHBORHOOD WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. UH, MAYOR, IF I CAN JUST SET THE STAGE AND GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE BACKGROUND. TOTO SANTOS, UM, IS A BAR ALONG WASHINGTON AVENUE. ALL SAINTS STAY ALSO ST. PATRICK'S DAY. UH, THEY FILED A TEMPER, UH, PERMIT. AND I'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, STACY AND MARK, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ON THIS, BUT THEY FILED A PERMIT FOR A BLOCK PARTY TAKING UP, I THINK OVER 80 SOMETHING PERCENT OF THEIR, 80 OF THEIR PARKING SPOTS. AND THEY WERE PERMITTED THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENTS, UH, TO ALLOW THIS TO TAKE PLACE. HOWEVER, WHAT OCCURRED AND TRANSPIRED DURING THAT BLOCK PARTY THAT WENT INTO THE NIGHT, UM, WAS WE HAVE A LEVEL OF ISSUES ALONG WASHINGTON AVENUE THAT ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE FOR A QUALITY OF LIFE THAT RESIDENTS DESERVE. BUT THIS WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT. THIS SAME FACILITY WAS SHUT DOWN BY OUR FIRE MARSHAL THAT VERY WEEK WHEN, UH, MACHINE GUN KELLY HAD TRIED TO HAVE A CONCERT THERE. AND THE, UH, THEY WERE OVER CAPACITY BREAKING A LOT OF RULES. BUT THIS ENTITY ITSELF HAD ALSO, UM, UNPLUGGED, DISCONNECTED ALL OF THE FIRE SAFETY EQUIPMENT THAT BARS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE GONNA HAVE THINGS THAT WOULD SET THE ALARMS OFF, AND THEY WERE CAUGHT FOR THAT. AND THEN THEY WERE STILL ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. AND THEN THEY WERE PERMITTED FOR THIS. AND I DON'T FAULT, UM, NECESSARILY ANY DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THIS ISSUE IS RELATIVELY NEW WITH THE NEW PARAMETERS THAT WE'VE SET IN PLACE. UH, BUT AGAIN, EARLIER THAT WEEK, I THINK ON A TUESDAY, FIRE MARSHAL HAD TO SHUT THEM DOWN AND THERE WERE VIOLATIONS WHERE THEY INTENTIONALLY UNHOOKED SAFETY EQUIPMENT. AND THEN, UH, YOU FAST FORWARD TO ST. PATRICK'S DAY OR THE ALL SAINT STAY PARTY, AND WHAT YOU'LL HEAR FROM RESIDENTS IS, UM, UNTHINKABLE OR UNIMAGINABLE GIVEN WHAT WE KNOW THEY WENT THROUGH. I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT AND I'LL, I'LL, YOU KNOW, ASK QUESTIONS OF OUR RESIDENTS. BUT I JUST WANTED COUNSEL TO HAVE THE BACKGROUND ON WHAT THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE WAS. THEY DO HAVE A PERMIT, UM, FOR STANDARD OPERATING, BUT THIS WAS A SPECIAL PERMIT THAT WAS ISSUED FOR THIS BLOCK PARTY IN PARTICULAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. [02:50:07] MARK . UH, GOOD. A MAYOR. I'M SORRY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR TURNER. UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE ALLAIN STATE BLOCK PARTY THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS AND HELD FRIDAY, MARCH 17TH FROM 2:00 PM UNTIL 11:30 PM I LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO. THERE'S BOOK SMARTS AND THERE'S STREET SMARTS, OR SIMPLY KIND OF A BOOK SENSE AND REALLY COMMON SENSE. UH, THE BOOK SENSE FOR THIS EVENT MIGHT'VE SUGGESTED THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, ON PAPER IT'S PROBABLY OKAY, BUT A COMMON SENSE ANALYSIS WOULD'VE SAID THAT THIS EVENT SHOULD HAVE NEVER TAKEN PLACE. A SIMPLE ANALYSIS OF THE AREA SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO SAY IT MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE OVER A PARKING LOT, ERECT A PROFESSIONAL SOUND STAGE, 75 FEET FROM THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY, AND HOST AN ALL DAY OUTDOOR CONCERT, BETTER SUITED FOR ELEANOR TINSLEY PARK. WHAT COULD GO WRONG? RIGHT. AS PRESIDENT OF THE RICE MILITARY CIVIC CLUB, I RECEIVED NUMEROUS EMAILS FROM RESIDENTS OVER 500 FEET FROM THE VENUE WHO RECORDED SOUND READINGS MORE THAN 90 DECIBELS ON THEIR BALCONY. THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT TO 105 DECIBELS JUST 75 FEET FROM THIS EVENT. ACCORDING TO THE CDCA HUNDRED, FIVE TO 110 DECIBELS IS THE MAXIMUM VOLUME LEVEL FOR LOUD ENTERTAINMENT VENUES LIKE NIGHTCLUBS, BARS, AND CONCERTS. IT'S NO WONDER RESIDENTS FLED THEIR HOMES THAT EVENING. THEY WERE SIMPLY UNINHABITABLE. ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE EVENT WAS A PARKING PLAN. MOS SPECIFICALLY STATED, ALLOWING PATRONS TO PARK IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WAS NOT A PLAN. I TOLD, I'M TOLD THE PROMOTERS DID SUBMIT A PLAN AND THAT ADVISED THEIR CUSTOMERS, THAT ADVISED THEIR CUSTOMERS TO USE EXISTING PARKING LOTS FROM OTHER BUSINESSES IN THE AREA. THE SHEET YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU SHOWS YOU A SIMPLE BACK OF THE ENVELOPE CALCULATION OF ALL STREET OF OFF STREET PARKING AVAILABLE ALONG WASHINGTON AVENUE. THE YELLOW SHADED AREAS ARE PARKING LOTS WITH A COUNT OF AVAILABLE PARKING IN EACH LOT. THE 12 BARS ALONG WASHINGTON AVENUE SERVICED BY THESE LOTS ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN WHITE. AND THE PINK AREAS ARE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES. FOR REFERENCE, THE GREEN SHAMROCK IS WHERE THE PROFESSIONAL SOUND STAGE WAS ERECTED. THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM OF WASHINGTON AVENUE IS THE LACK OF PARKING CAPACITY. THE PARKING PLAN THE PROMOTER SUBMITTED WAS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED. YOU CAN SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE THAT WASHINGTON AVENUE HAS A DEFICIT OF 175 OFF STREET PARKING SPACES AS REQUIRED BY CHAPTER 26. THERE EXISTS NO EXCESS CAPACITY FOR THE 87TH PACES THAT WERE ELIMINATED TO HOST THIS EVENT. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS EVENT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN APPROVED BASED UPON THIS SIMPLE FACT ALONE. BUT THE REAL ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS WHAT WERE THE HPD SERVICES THAT WERE TO BE PROVIDED BY SERGEANT GLENN WHITEHEAD? SHOULDN'T THOSE HPD SERVICES HAVE INCLUDED ENFORCING THE SOUND ORDINANCE, MAKING SURE NOISE LEVELS NEVER EXCEEDED THE DECIBEL LEVELS LISTED ON THE PERMIT? WHY DID IT TAKE MULTIPLE CALLS FOR SERVICE OVER SEVERAL HOURS TO GET THIS EVENT UNDER CONTROL? SO I'M HERE TODAY ASKING FOR SOME COMMON SENSE. THE LOUD NOISE PERMITS ISSUED TO TOTO SANTOS AND KUNG FU SHOULD BE REVOKED AND THE PROMOTER SHOULD BE BANNED FROM PULLING ANOTHER SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT. THIS DISRUPTIVE OUTDOOR EVENT HAD NO PLACE BEING HELD 75 FEET FROM SOMEBODY'S SANCTUARY. YEAH, TIME, NOT PROVIDING ZERO PARKING AND ZERO POLICE SERVICES. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. THANK YOU, MARK. UM, REALLY QUICKLY, YOU MENTIONED A SERGEANT BY NAME. I DON'T WANNA GO INTO WHO THAT PERSON WAS, BUT WERE THEY ON DUTY RESPONDING ON BEHALF OF HPD? THEY WERE THE PERSON LISTED ON THE PERMIT WHO WAS TO PROVIDE POLICE SERVICES FOR THE EVENT. OKAY. UM, ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. AND YOU, YOU RAISED AN IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT HPD MAYOR. I GOT MULTIPLE CALLS THAT DAY. UM, WE ALL KNOW HOW STRAINED OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES ARE. UM, THERE WERE AREAS WHERE THERE WERE BLOCK PARTIES EVEN OFF OF WASHINGTON AVENUE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN AREAS WHERE I LIVED JUST NORTH OF THERE WHERE, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT COULD NOT GET TO THOSE CALLS AND COMPLAINTS BECAUSE THEY WERE TRYING TO, FOR EXAMPLE, ADDRESS WHAT WAS GOING ON ALONG WASHINGTON AVENUE AND THE STRAIN THAT IT'S TAKING FOR ALL OF THE CALLS FOR SERVICE, THE RESPONSES JUST FOR THESE TYPES OF ISSUES. UM, I, WE HAVE WORK TO DO AND WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING AT. BUT, UH, MARK, CAN YOU SHARE BRIEFLY WITH THE REMAIN REMAINDER OF MY TIME, JUST ONE OR TWO ANECDOTES FROM RESIDENTS THAT WERE LIVING BY, BY THIS AT THAT TIME? WELL, I, I THINK THE, THE SIMPLEST ANECDOTE, I MEAN, I, I HEARD PEOPLE SAYING, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD SHEET ROCK SCREWS COMING ANOTHER WALL. I MEAN, I HAD, I HEARD PEOPLE SAYING THEY HAD, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, DISHES VIBRATING IN THEIR CUPBOARDS. I MEAN, THINGS THAT ANY NORMAL PERSON SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHEN THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO LIVE, YOU KNOW, A PEACEFUL EXISTENCE IN THE SINGLE LARGEST INVESTMENT THAT THEY'VE MADE THAT JUST SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IN A GREAT CITY LIKE THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YEAH. AND, AND MAYOR, I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, AND THANK YOU, [02:55:01] MARK, IS, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT, UM, ARAS MEMO THAT WAS PRESENTED TO COUNSEL AND THEY DO GO THROUGH THE CITATIONS THAT WERE ISSUED BY PARK HOUSTON. SO I APPRECIATE PARK HOUSTON BEING OUT THERE, BUT WE DIDN'T GET ANY INFORMATION FROM HPD OR, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS AS TO INFORMATION RELATED TO THIS SPECIFIC INCIDENT. SO I I JUST, I'M NOT FAULTING ANYONE AT ALL. UM, I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, FLAG THAT IN TERMS OF INFORMATION FOR COUNSEL, THAT THAT'S A CHALLENGE. AND THAT'S ON ME. I, I SHOULD HAVE EMAILED, UM, TO SPECIFICALLY REQUEST THAT. BUT AGAIN, THE, THE SCOPE OF THIS MEMO DOESN'T NECESSARILY TOUCH ON WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR RESIDENTS ARE, ARE DISCUSSING RIGHT NOW. LET ME ASK THIS. DID, DID, DID HPD COME OUT? HPD DID COME OUT, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SUGGESTING HERE. WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS THERE WAS, PER THE PERMIT SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED BY A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL, AND I'M ASSUMING IT'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE, WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS IF THOSE SERVICES WERE BE TO BE PROVIDED AT THAT EVENT, HOW DID THIS EVENT EVER END UP WHERE IT ENDED UP? AND WHY DID WE HAVE TO BRING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM THE CITY IN? BECAUSE TO ME IT SOUNDS LIKE A, A WASTE OF MONEY BY THE CITY. YOU COLLECT A COUPLE OF THOUSAND DOLLARS IN PERMIT FEES AND THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES THAT HAD TO BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THIS TO BRING IT UNDER CONTROL, IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE, RIGHT. WAS THIS THE FIRST TIME THAT AN EVENT OF THIS TIME WAS HELD THERE? UH, THERE'S, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME AN EVENT LIKE THAT HAS BEEN HELD ALONG WASHINGTON AVENUE IN AN OUTDOOR TYPE SETTING. LEMME TAKE A LOOK AT IT. THANK YOU, SIR. ALCORN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANKS MARK FOR COMING. AS, AS COUNCIL MEMBER CAME AND HAS NOTED THAT WE DID GET SEVERAL CALLS THAT NIGHT, EMAILS, UM, ALL KINDS OF, UH, PROBLEMS WITH PARKING AND JUST EVERYTHING THAT GOES ALONG. A, A A NEIGHBORHOOD MAYOR, AN AVENUE MAYOR, A CORRIDOR MAYOR THAT ALREADY HAS PROBLEMS WITH JUST THE INSIDE BARS THAT HAVE MUSIC. I MEAN, THEY'RE ALREADY INUNDATED WITH NOISE. AND SO PERMITS LIKE THIS AND, AND GRANTED, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL EVENTS HAS THEIR CHECKLIST TO GO THROUGH, AND IF IT MEETS ALL THE CHECKLIST, THEY'RE GONNA ISSUE A PERMIT. BUT WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT PAST HISTORY, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN SAID THAT VERY WEEK WE HAD ISSUES WITH CAPACITY AT TOTO SANTOS. UM, THE, THE PART ABOUT THE POLICE SERVICES, I DO DEFINITELY THINK THAT POLICE SERVICES SHOULD INCLUDE THE NOISE ORDINANCE AND ENFORCING THE NOISE ORDINANCE ON, ON A PERMITTED EVENT EVENT. SO, APPRECIATE MAYOR, YOU'RE LOOKING INTO THIS AND, AND WE REALLY WANNA, UM, WE REALLY WANNA SAVE THESE RESIDENTS FROM ANOTHER, UH, NIGHT LIKE ST. PATRICK'S DAY. MARK, YOU PROVIDED THIS, THIS, THAT'S CORRECT. WAS THE EVENT HELD WHERE THE SHAMROCK IS LOCATED, WHERE THE SHAMROCK IS? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. WELL, I NEED TO KNOW THAT. AND, AND THIS OTHER, YOU GREEN, THIS OTHER 'CAUSE THAT'S A PARK, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST OUR LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD. HALF AC POCKET PARK. YEAH. YEAH, IT'S A PARK. OKAY. AND, AND SO THIS IS, SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED IS THAT THIS EVENT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN PERMITTED. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. OKAY. BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PARKING CAPACITY. I GOT IT. FOR CHAPTER 26. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THIS, THIS IS A PARKING STACEY FAIRCHILD, STACY FAIRCHILD IS HERE. THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TO YOU THIS AFTERNOON. UH, FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS STACY FAIRCHILD. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22 WASHINGTON AVENUE COALITION MEMORIAL PARK, AND WHICH IS REPRESENTING 11 NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I'M HERE TO SHARE THE IMPACT OF, UH, TWO RESIDENTS OF THE ALL SAINTS BLOCK PARTY THAT OCCURRED ON WASHINGTON AVENUE ON FRIDAY, MARCH 17TH. I'M ALSO HERE TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP IN PREVENTING THIS TYPE OF EVENT FROM HAPPENING IN A RESIDENTIAL SETTING AGAIN. AND LET ME PREFACE WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY WITH THAT. I APPRECIATE MAYOR YOU, UM, AND COUNCIL, PARTICULARLY COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN AND COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN FOR, FOR JUST HELPING US, UM, GET SOUND ORDINANCE REVISIONS IN PLACE, UH, LAST SEPTEMBER. SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. HOWEVER, THIS EVENT, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST BLEW EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE DONE O OVER THE PAST, CALL IT THREE YEARS, JUST OUT OF THE WATER. AND LET ME BE CLEAR, I AM PRO BAR. I ACTUALLY MET MY HUSBAND IN A BAR IN MIDTOWN IN 2004. [03:00:01] SO IT WAS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR ME. AND, YOU KNOW, MARK AND I ACTUALLY WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ON WEEKENDS WE WOULD GO TO BARS, UM, 'CAUSE THEY WERE A LOT OF FUN. AND THAT'S WHERE WE MET AND IT WAS GREAT. IT, BUT THIS HAS, HAVING THIS EXPERIENCE EVERY WEEK HAS CHANGED THAT WE DON'T GO TO BARS ANYMORE. WE STAY HOME. UM, BUT THIS PARTY WRECKED THE NEIGHBORHOODS ON BOTH SIDES OF WASHINGTON AVENUE, PARTICULARLY RICE MILITARY AND WESTWOOD GROVE. WESTWOOD GROVE COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY. UM, IF FAR SURPASSED ANY TYPE OF SOUND, TORTURE I'VE EXPERIENCED IN MY 20 YEARS OF LIVING HERE, 20 YEARS IN MAY MAYOR, 20 YEARS, THE SOUND LEVELS WERE SO HIGH THAT I WATCHED WILDLIFE LEAVE AND NOT RETURN. RESIDENTS HAD TO END VIRTUAL WORK MEETINGS AND CONFERENCE CALLS AND LEAVE EVE. YOUNG CHILDREN, INFANTS AND TODDLERS WERE AWAKENED FROM NAP TIME AND COULDN'T BE SETTLED. EVEN WITH EARMUFFS, IT'S PROBLEMATIC THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE EARMUFFS FOR OUR CHILDREN TO SLEEP. THE VIBRATION FROM THE BASE RESONANCE SHOOK HOME SO HARD SCREWS CAME OUTTA THE SHEET ROCK. LIKE MARK MENTIONED, DISHES RATTLED AND SOME BROKE PETS WERE UNSETTLED, AND ANYONE WITHIN A TWO BLOCK RADIUS FLED THEIR HOMES BECAUSE IT JUST WASN'T LIVABLE. WE ALSO HAVE PREGNANT WOMEN IN THE AREA ON BEDREST AND PEOPLE, UH, FIGHTING TERMINAL ILLNESSES WHO COULD NOT LEAVE. THIS IS JUST NOT OKAY. AND IT LEFT ME SPEECHLESS, SPEECHLESS THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS WOULD APPROVE THIS TYPE OF AN EVENT BASED ON THE, AND, AND BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CITY RESOURCES DEPLOYED TO THIS, TO BRING THIS EVENT UNDER CONTROL WAS AN EXPENSE NOT JUST TO RESIDENCE, BUT ALSO TO THE CITY. AND I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES. YEAH. TIME HAS EXPIRED FIRED. UM, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS. I MEAN, SO DID HPD DO, DID THEY HAVE THEIR SOUND CHECK? DID THEY COME OUT AND DO THEIR SOUND CHECK? DID HPD COME OUT AND DO THE SOUND CHECK? UM, I, I SAW A DJ DOING A SOUND CHECK AT 2:00 PM RIGHT. SO YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT HPD DID A SOUNDCHECK? DID THEY MEASURE THE NOISE? THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. AT, AT TWO O'CLOCK OR JUST IN, WHEN THEY CAME OUT TO RESPOND WHEN THEY CAME OUT. DID THEY DO, DID THEY MEASURE? I DID NOT SEE THAT. BUT THAT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY DIDN'T. ALRIGHT. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. YEAH. UH, MARY, I DO BELIEVE THAT THEY RESPONDED TO THAT. UM, AND STACY AGAIN, THANK YOU. I KNOW BETWEEN YOU AND MARK, AND WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM DEXTER, WE'RE GETTING A PICTURE OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE. UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, WANNA ADD, WHILE YOU WERE CALLING ME, AND AGAIN, OTHER RESIDENTS WERE CALLING ME AND YOU TALK ABOUT HP'S RESOURCES. I WAS HEARING BASE IN MY LIVING ROOM WHILE MY SICK KID WAS UPSTAIRS FROM ANOTHER BLOCK, EXCUSE ME, BLOCK PARTY IN ANOTHER AREA. AND, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ANOTHER BLOCK PARTY. I JUST GOT WORD OF IN MONTROSE, UH, I THINK OVER THE WEEKEND THAT SHUT DOWN STREETS IN MONTROSE WITH NO WARNING AND RESIDENTS COULDN'T GET THROUGH. RESIDENTS DIDN'T KNOW. AND THAT WAS A HUGE, YOU KNOW, LOGISTICAL PROBLEM. UM, SO I THINK WE'RE SEEING IT MORE AND MORE, AND WE CERTAINLY WANT BUSINESS TO THRIVE. AND STACEY, I LOVE YOUR, YOUR STORY ABOUT MEETING MARK IN A BAR, BUT RIGHT? IN MIDTOWN. BUT WE'RE SEEING THIS MORE AND MORE, AND WE ARE PASSING AS MANY ORDINANCES WE CAN, AND HPD IS DOING WHAT THEY CAN, BUT WE JUST CAN'T KEEP UP. AND, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ADDITIONAL EYES ON THE PERMITS AS THEY'RE GOING THROUGH, UH, OR WHAT ELSE WE CAN BE DOING. BUT AGAIN, I'M, I'M GETTING MORE COMPLAINTS, NOT LESS. AND IT'S HAPPENING ALONG WASHINGTON AVENUE AND WE'VE EVEN PAID FOR OVERTIME THERE AND LOUD NOISE UNITS THERE. BUT I CAN'T KEEP FUNDING WITH DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT ARE CROPPING UP NEAR NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, THERE, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THAT WE CAN DO. SO I THINK IT'S A, A, A QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO BE ASKING RIGHT NOW. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, AND TO YOUR QUESTION, MAYOR, YES, HPD WAS RESPONSIVE. THEY DID GO OUT THERE. I ASKED CHIEF SATTERWHITE IF CITATIONS WERE WRITTEN AND THEY WERE, UM, THEY, CHIEF SATTERWHITE AND OTHER HPD WERE VERY RESPONSIVE. WE EVEN HAD A, A EMAIL FROM, UH, CHIEF FINNER ABOUT IT THAT NEXT DAY. I KNOW THEY WERE RESPONSIVE TO YOU WHEN YOU CALLED. I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF KIND OF TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF IT, MAYOR, UM, ON, ON FESTIVALS AND THINGS THAT ARE PERMITTED. SO, UH, WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE ARE, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA THAT WHOEVER SIGNS THE PERMIT OR WHATEVER DOES DO A SOUND CHECK, DOES GO OUT THERE AND AT, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FESTIVAL WHEN THEY'RE DOING SOUND CHECKS AND SAY, THERE YOU ARE, YOU'RE AT 75, THAT'S AS HIGH AS YOU CAN GO. AND THEN AFTER 10, YOU GOTTA PUT IT DOWN TO 58. YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT SHOULD BE KIND OF, THAT COULD BE KIND OF HOPEFULLY CUT OFF [03:05:01] AT THE BEGINNING IF WE'RE ISSUING SPECIAL EVENTS PERMITS, UM, INSTEAD OF USING THE POLICE RESOURCES AFTER THE FACT TO COME OUT. I MEAN, I'M GLAD THAT CITATIONS WERE ISSUED. UM, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD GET, WHEN WE'RE DOING SPECIAL EVENTS PERMITS, I ALSO HEARD ABOUT THE COMEDY FESTIVAL OR THE WHAT SHUT DOWN IN, UM, IN, IN THIS PAST WEEKEND. UM, JUST GET OUT AHEAD OF SOME OF THESE, UM, THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE ARE, BY VIRTUE OF TAKING THE PERMIT FEE AND ALLOWING THE PERMIT, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MONITORING THAT IN SOME WAY. SO THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION. MAYOR, IF, IF I MAY, UM, I THINK ONE THING THAT WOULD REALLY HELP, UH, PREVENT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE ADDITIONAL HPD RESOURCES AND EVEN PARK RANGERS, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU, THEY, THEY HAD TO COME OUT TO THIS EVENT TO RESPOND TO IT. UM, I, I THINK WHAT WOULD HELP IS IF THE EXTRA JOB OFFICERS THAT ARE ONSITE AT THE VENUE WOULD ENFORCE, IF THEY WOULD ENFORCE THE SOUND ORDINANCE, I DON'T THINK IT WOULDN'T WOULD'VE TURNED INTO WHAT IT DID. 'CAUSE THEY'RE ON THE GROUND. THEY'RE THERE. AND IN TALKING TO, JUST TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF HPD, UM, I COULDN'T EVEN HEAR THEM BECAUSE I, I, I KEPT SAYING, I'LL HAVE TO TEXT YOU BECAUSE I CAN'T HEAR YOU. WE CAN'T EVEN HAVE A CONVERSATION. SO I CAN ONLY IMAGINE AT THE EVENT THAT THE HPD OFFICERS AT THE EVENT AND EVEN THE PATRONS COULDN'T EVEN HEAR THEM, YOU KNOW, HAVE A CONVERSATION. IT WAS SO LOUD. BUT THIS AREA, THE SOUND JUST BOUNCES OFF OF THESE THREE TO FOUR STORY TOWN HOMES AND THE CONCRETE THERE, IT HAS NO PLACE TO GO VERSUS, YOU KNOW, UM, ELEANOR TINSLEY PARK. YOU'VE GOT A WIDE OPEN SPACE AND THE SOUND HAS A PLACE TO GO. BUT THIS WAS ABSOLUTE TORTURE. AND ON TOP OF THAT, THE HPD HAD TO GO IN AND SHUT THEM DOWN AT 1130. I WATCHED THEM DO IT. IT WAS FROM 2:00 PM TO 11 AND HPDI, AND I WANNA SAY I, I THINK IT WAS ON DUTY, HAD TO COME IN AND SHUT THEM DOWN AT 1130. LEMME TAKE A LOOK AT IT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, DEXTER HANDY. DEXTER HANDY TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROBERT HARDING. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON. MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS DEXTER HANDY, LIEUTENANT COLONEL UNITED STATES AIR FORCE RETIRED. I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 22. I WORK, UH, A LOT WITH STACEY AND MARK, AND I'M GOING TO ECHO A LOT OF WHAT THEY JUST SAID, BUT I'LL KEEP IT SHORT SINCE YOU'VE ALSO GOT MY COMMENTS, MY WRITTEN COMMENTS TELL YOU. OKAY, SO THIS IS JUST THE LATEST IN A CONTINUING SERIES OF NOISE, VIOLENCE, TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, AND LITTER. NOBODY MENTIONED THE LITTER THAT WAS OUT THERE, UH, ALONG THE WASHINGTON AVENUE AND THE ADJOINING STREETS THAT CONNECT THE BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS IN THIS OTHERWISE WONDERFUL SECTION OF THE CITY. I REALLY DO WANT TO COMPLIMENT WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE FOR THIS SIDE OF THAT TOWN. THANK YOU ALL. I'M, I'M, I'M REALLY PLEASURE TO LIVE THERE. OKAY. UH, DURING THE DAY, WE'RE NORMALLY OKAY. AT NIGHT, WE'RE STARTING TO LIVE IN FRIGHT BECAUSE OF ALL THE CRAZINESS ON WASHINGTON AVENUE. WE'VE MADE NUMEROUS NOISE COMPLAINTS, AND YOU'VE HEARD THAT, AND WE'VE HAD THE SOUND ORDINANCES PUT IN PLACE, BUT THEY'VE GOTTA BE ENFORCED. THE NOISE CONTINUES BECAUSE NOTHING TO APPEARS TO BE ENFORCED. WE DO APPRECIATE OUR HOUSTON POLICE FORCE AND ALL THE OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS WHO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR NEIGHBORS, BUT PLEASE REMEMBER THIS, OUR FRIENDS IN BLUE ARE IN PLACE TO SERVE, PROTECT, AND ENFORCE THE LAW, NOT JUST SERVE AND PROTECT THEIR OFF-DUTY EMPLOYERS. WE NEEDED TO STOP THE NOISE AND THE LAW LAWBREAKING WHENEVER OCCURS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THE LITTER IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS FROM THE PATRONS OF THESE BARS IS THE MOST RECENT CASE OF AN ONGOING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. BOTTLE, TRASH, DEBRIS, BROKEN GLASS, ALL COLLECTED INTO THE OPEN DRAINAGE DITCHES RIGHT ALONG THAT VENUE OF THE, OF THAT FRIDAY NIGHT. AND THEN IT CLOGGED UP SOME OF OUR FLOOD PREVENTION CAPABILITIES. WE'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CITY STORMWATER ACTION TEAM BY TAKING CARE OF OUR RESPECTIVE DRAINAGE DITCHES. BUT THIS ASSAULT FROM THE PATRONS OF THESE BARS ON WASHINGTON AVENUE WAS EXCESSIVE, RECKLESS, ENVIRONMENTALLY DANGEROUS, AND CONTINUALLY ONGOING WITH NO RESOLUTION. AT THIS POINT, THIS TRASH COLLECTS IN OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEMS AND ALSO FLOWS INTO THE CONNECTING BA CONTRIBUTING TO EXCESSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS, UH, OF OUR WA UH, WATERWAYS AND POSSIBLE FLOODING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO PLEASE TAKE NECESSARY ACCESSORY ACTIONS TO PROTECT NOT ONLY OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO OUR ENVIRONMENT. PLEASE ENFORCE THE LAW. PLEASE KEEP RICE MILITARY AND WASHINGTON AVENUE SAFE. I DO HAVE, UH, AUDIO OF THE RAGE MUSIC THAT PLAYED OUT THERE. I WON'T PLAY THAT FOR YOU GUYS. I WAS IN THE AIR FORCE AND, UH, THIS STUFF WAS LOUDER THAN SOME OF [03:10:01] THOSE JETS I WORKED AROUND. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. OKAY, GOOD. IF YOU'LL SEND IT TO ME, I APPRECIATE IT, SIR. YOU'LL SEND ME WHAT YOU HAVE. OKAY. WILL DO. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. OH, I'M SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER MCCAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND DEXTER, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU. ALSO, SEND ME THE AUDIO AND I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE THE MAYOR, UM, CAN SEE IT AS WELL. BUT I JUST, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ADDING YOUR VOICE, THE SPECIAL SHOUT OUT FOR THE SWAP PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, BUT YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT, UH, TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE THERE WERE IN FACT, UM, OFF-DUTY OFFICERS THAT WERE ON THIS PROPERTY AT THE TIME OF THE PARTY. IS THAT CORRECT? AS I UNDERSTAND IT, UM, UH, AND I, I I'LL QUESTION THAT. I, UM, I'M GETTING THAT SECONDHAND, BUT I, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS IS YOU HAD THE SECURITY, UH, UH, THAT USUALLY WORKS FOR THESE CLUBS WERE OFF-DUTY OFFICERS. AND I MEAN, THAT'S PRETTY STANDARD, RIGHT? YES. THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF OFF-DUTY OFFICERS ALONG WASHINGTON, BUT CANNOT, I CANNOT CONFIRM THAT. NO, I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT YOU RAISED A, AN IMPORTANT POINT. AGAIN, WHEN IT COMES TO RESOURCES, WE HAVE OFF-DUTY OFFICERS THERE, BUT WE'RE STILL HAVING TO DRAW IN. AND IT'S A CONFLICT BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO, UH, WHEN THEY'RE WORKING FOR THEIR OFF-DUTY EMPLOYERS, THEY TEND TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR OFF-DUTY EMPLOYERS AND NOT THE RESIDENTS. AND THEY, THEY'VE GOTTA ENFORCE THE LAW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LET, LET ME GET IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. YES, SIR. I'LL GET IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. THANK YOU, SIR. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT, ROBERT HARDING. MR. HARDING BE FOLLOWED BY IFTA SIMMONS AND RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, WOMEN AND MEN. UH, MY NAME IS ROBERT HARDING, CEO OF RST BIOSCIENCE. WE ARE, UH, A PARTICIPANT IN C 40 REINVENT CITIES, UH, PROGRAM SPONSORED BY MICHAEL BLOOMBERG THAT, UH, IS, UH, THE, ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF THE, THE WHOLE INITIATION TO START THE, UH, SOLAR FARM IN SUNNYSIDE. UH, THE COMPETITION WAS, UH, UH, TO GET THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP A BROWNFIELD. UH, IT USED TO BE A 240 ACRE LANDFILL IN SUNNYSIDE. NOW IT'S NOW BEING TURNED INTO A SOLAR FARM. BUT THE PROJECT, UH, HAS ALWAYS BEEN MORE THAN THAT INITIAL PROPOSAL WAS TO HAVE A SOLAR FARM AND AN AGRICULTURAL HUB. UH, THE AGRICULTURAL HUB WAS REPRESENTED ABOUT 50% IN TERMS OF THE CONTENT OF THE PROPOSAL. AND, UM, UH, AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ACTUALLY FLOW FROM THE AGRICULTURAL PART OF THE, UH, PROGRAM. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE SOLAR FARMERS SUCH, SO MUCH MORE SCOPE, BASICALLY IT'S TAKING PRECEDENT AND, UH, OVER THE, THE AGRICULTURAL PORTION OF THE PRO, UH, PROJECT. BUT WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, GET THAT GOING NOW. AND, UH, WE'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH THE NEGOTIATING THE LEASE TO, TO GET THE LAND TO ACTUALLY PERFORM THE AGRICULTURAL, UH, PROJECT ON, ON SITE. UH, THIS IS PART OF, UH, UH, MY COMPANY'S VERY ENGAGED IN COMMUNITY AND HAS BEEN FOR SOME TIME AND EDUCATION AND AGRICULTURE PROMOTING, UH, AGRICULTURAL ENTREPRENEURS IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, THIS, UH, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE USDA HAS CREATED A WHOLE NEW, UH, DEPARTMENT CALLED, UH, URBAN AGRICULTURE. THERE'S A SHIFT IN AGRICULTURE IN THIS COUNTRY THAT'S GOING, UH, TO, FROM RURAL TO MORE URBAN BECAUSE OF SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, 'CAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES, PANDEMIC ISSUES, ALL THESE THINGS HAVE FORCED US TO GROW FOOD WHERE WE EAT IT IN THE MARKET. THAT MEANS THAT OUR FOOD DESERTS HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THE MOST APPEALING PLACES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE NEW AGRICULTURAL FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE RESIDENTS THERE TO ENGAGE IN ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME URBAN FARMERS. UM, UH, TRYING TO DO MY BEST AS A, UH, ENTREPRENEUR MYSELF TO FACILITATE THE GROWTH OF THESE ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE, THESE COMMUNITIES AND THE SOLAR HUB. THIS AGRICULTURAL HUB AS PART OF SOLAR, UH, PROJECT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PHYSICAL, UH, FACILITATOR TO HELP US FACILITATE THAT. WE, WE ARE GOING FOOD OF COURSE, AND WE'RE GONNA BE SELLING FOOD, BUT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO GROW ENTREPRENEURS IN OUR URBAN CENTERS CREATE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO GAIN WEALTH, WHO ORDINARILY ARE EXCLUDED FROM A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES AND WHO DON'T HAVE, UH, VERY MANY CHANCES TO BE ENTREPRENEURS, UH, IN THEIR, IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES. BUT WE'RE GOING BACK AND WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THEY DO HAVE THAT. NOW, UH, THE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE ALWAYS PLAYED OUR COMMUNITIES IN THE INNER CITIES HAS BEEN, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, BLIGHT AND ABANDONMENT OF PROPERTIES, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, UH, THINGS LIKE THIS. BUT THESE THINGS ACTUALLY CAN WORK TO OUR ADVANTAGE WHILE WE MAKE THIS TRANSITION INTO URBAN FARMING. THE BLIGHT BANNED PROPERTIES COULD, COULD EASILY BE, UH, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCILWOMAN EVAN SHABASH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. MR. HARTING, IF YOU WANNA TAKE A LITTLE OF MY TIME TO COMPLETE YOUR STATEMENT. I WAS JUST, UH, SAYING THAT SOME OF THESE, THESE THINGS THAT HAVE PLEADED, UH, HAVE PLAGUED THE INNER CITIES, UH, [03:15:01] CAN BE ACTUALLY TURNED ON THEIR HEAD TO HELP US OVERCOME THIS FOOD DESERT SITUATION AND CREATE ENTREPRENEURS ON URBAN FARMS WHERE THERE WOULD, UH, ORDINARILY BE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT. NOW WE GOT PEOPLE WORKING. UH, IT'S JUST, IT'S TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SOME THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN A BURDEN AND TURNING THEM INTO AN ADVANTAGE TO HELP REDEVELOP OUR INNER CITIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, I, SIMMONS. SIMMONS IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY JEREMY PEACHES. RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC. RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC. OH, SORRY. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF MR. ROBERT HARDIN, AND I'M HERE WITH THE URGE CO-OP. UM, I'VE BEEN AN URBAN FARMER FOR OVER 10 YEARS, AND I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PROPERTY THAT THEY PUT A, UH, THEY PUT OUT ON A BID, BUT MR. HARDIN AND, AND JEREMY PEACHES, THEY DEVELOPED A PLAN ALREADY FOR IT. THEY CHECKED OFF ALL THE BOXES, AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S ANYBODY ANY BETTER TO LIKE, UH, DEVELOP THAT PROPERTY. UH, WE REALLY NEED THAT PROPERTY BECAUSE WE WANT TO USE IT AS AN URBAN FARM HUB, UH, ENTREPRENEURIAL HUB TO CREATE BUSINESSES AND TEACH THE YOUTH AND ADULTS URBAN FARMING SKILLS. AND, UM, WE JUST FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS, WE JUST REALLY NEED DEVELOP THE PROPERTY IS, IS REAL CENTRAL TO WHAT WE ARE DOING. UM, ALSO WE WANT TO USE IT TO DEVELOP AQUAPONIC SYSTEMS AND JUST BASICALLY TEACH, THERE'S NO REASON THAT WE SHOULD BE BUYING FOOD FROM THE GROCERY STORES. AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES LIKE MR. HARDEN, WE HAVE A WHOLE CO-OP THAT CAN DEVELOP PROPERTY TO THAT DEGREE WHERE NOBODY IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE TO GO AND BUY FOOD. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN CREATE THEIR OWN URBAN FARMING BASED BUSINESSES AND LEARN HOW TO LIVE OFF THE LAND. AND WE HAVE, WE'VE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM IN OUR BLACK COMMUNITIES WHERE OUR PROPERTY AND OUR LAND HAS BEEN BEING GENTRIFIED. SO I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS VERY VITAL TO WHAT WE'RE DOING. THANK VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. COUNCILMAN SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I KNOW WE HAVE A FEW SPEAKERS ON THIS, AND SO THERE WAS A MEETING THE OTHER NIGHT IN THE SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, AND I WANT TO LET, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE WILL ARE PLANNING A FOLLOW-UP MEETING SO THAT WE CAN FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SOLAR, UH, FARM. AND SO WE ARE PLANNING THE MEETING. I THINK IT'S GONNA BE TOWARDS THE END OF APRIL. SO I DO HEAR YOU AND WE WILL TRY TO ENGAGE HOW YOU ALL DOING THE DAY? MY NAME IS JEREMY PEACHES. I'M A GRADUATE OF WORDING HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL AS A HOMEOWNER. AND I OWN MULTIPLE BUSINESSES IN THE SUNNYSIDE AREA. WE'VE BEEN A PART OF THE SUNNYSIDE SOLAR C 40 PROJECT SINCE ITS INCEPTION. THE AGRICULTURAL PORTION OF THE PROJECT IS ACTUALLY WHAT BEAT OUR PARIS, FRANCE, NEW ZEALAND, AND THESE OTHER COUNTRIES. UM, A PART OF US BEING A PART OF THE PROJECT AS WELL AS ON THE COMMUNITY BOARD. WE WERE SOMEWHAT DISCOUNTED FROM THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT FROM COMPLETE COMMUNITIES AS WELL. AND ALSO, UH, FROM WORKING WITH, UH, CERTAIN ADVISORS TO THE, UH, THE PROGRAM. UM, OUR ISSUE IS THAT THIS FIGHT HAS ALL IN AMERICA, HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT LAND. AND WE HAVING THIS SAME CONVERSATION AGAIN ABOUT LAND, WE'RE GONNA CUT DOWN 240 ACRES OF TREES. WE ONLY ASKING FOR SIX ACRES THAT WE DEVELOPED, THAT WE WORKED THE PROJECT, AS WELL AS WE ALREADY HAVE PRIVATE FUNDING FROM THE GOVERNMENT. THE U-S-D-A-N-R-C-S, PRAIRIE AND M UNIVERSITY URBAN AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT HAS ALREADY COMMITTED AND PUT IN THEIR URBAN AGRICULTURE PLAN TO PROVIDE $30,000 FOR THE BETA TESTING OF THIS MODEL. SO IF YOU TELL ME OF THE COMMUNITY A GRADUATE, A PART OF THE TEAM, PUT IN PRIVATE MONEY, AND WE'RE STILL FIGHTING FOR A LEASE, THAT IS TO ME, SOMEWHAT UNETHICAL AND IS ALMOST A DISGRACE OR A SLAP IN THE FACE. SO, UM, I WOULD ASK THAT ONE. WE SIT DOWN AND HAVE A MEETING AS WELL, NOT ONLY WITH THE DEVELOPER, WITH CITY COUNCIL, AND AS WELL AS SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT'S WILLING TO PUT THE FUNDS UP FOR THIS AS WELL. I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO HAVE A CONVERSATION IF WE COULD MAKE A MOTION OR A DISCUSSION WITH THE LEGAL TEAM ABOUT LEASES, UM, FOR OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION OR THROUGH THE, UH, COMMUNITY BOARD. UM, WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT WANT TO BE HERE. WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF TALKING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY IN THIS MANNER, MORE SO WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD. WE WANT TO FIX THIS ISSUE THAT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN OVER THESE LAST HOWEVER MANY YEARS. SO THIS COUNTRY STARTED WITH AGRICULTURE. SUNNYSIDE STARTED WITH AGRICULTURE, IT STARTED WITH THE LAND. AND HERE WE IS AGAIN, [03:20:01] FIGHTING FOR MORE LAND. UM, I LOVE YOU ALL AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO. BUT RIGHT NOW, WE AT A PIVOTAL MOMENT AND A PIVOTAL TIME AT UTILIZING URBAN AGRICULTURE AND SOLAR AS WELL, RIGHT? WITH WE DEALING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE TO SOLVE THESE ISSUES. WE BUILT MOST OF THE FARMS AND GARDENS IN SUNNYSIDE AND ALL YOU ALL'S DISTRICTS, UM, NO MATTER IF IT'S AT ACRES HOMES, UM, YOUR DISTRICT AS WELL. WE JUST BUILT THE LUCILLE'S FARMS AND GARDEN. AT THIS POINT, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER TO GO TO ATLANTA, NEW YORK, OR SOMEWHERE ELSE TO A CITY THAT SUPPORTS THIS. UM, AND, UH, ALSO MORE IMPORTANTLY, POLICY, IT'S SOME POLICY, UH, THE URBAN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT THAT THAT HASN'T EVEN BEEN ENACTED. THIS CITY IS IN PERFECT, IN PRIME POSITION TO UTILIZE THIS POLICY, NOT ONLY TO, UM, CONSERVE THE STATE'S RESOURCES AND LAND AND WATER, BUT ALSO TO BE ABLE TO BACK AND CREATE BONDS AND SUPPORT THESE THINGS LIKE WE'RE DEALING WITH, WITH THELAN CLUSTERS. AND ALL COMPLETE COMMUNITIES IS HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD. SO, CAN WE PUT SOME POLICY BEHIND THIS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILWOMAN SHABASH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MAYOR, DID YOU COMPLETE YOUR STATEMENT? YES, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. BUT WE DO PLAN TO MEET JUST AS YOU'RE REQUESTING, SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO ASSIST WITH MOVING THIS ALONG. OKAY? YES, MA'AM. HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, KENNETH ROGERS, SENIOR TO BE FOLLOWED BY EDUARDO DURAN. TO YOUR HONOR, FROM MAYOR TO THE POWERFUL COUNSEL. YOU GUYS WERE FILLING IN SOME MIGHTY I LOOKED AT THE HISTORY OF HOUSTON WHEN WE ONLY HAD FOUR, UH, TIP WARDS. YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY GROWN INTO A MEGA, MEGA OPERATION. AND ONCE HEARD A ORATOR TO SAY HIS MOTHER TOLD HIM, DON'T SMELL YOURSELF. WHAT I'M ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT IS ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. I'M 73 YEARS OLD AND I WATCHED A LOT OF THINGS CARE BE, BE BROUGHT OUT AND BEING PUT FORTH. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I SEE THAT IS HAPPENING HERE IS THAT YOU GOT PEOPLE THAT WANNA WORK. YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO GET INVOLVED. YOU GOT PEOPLE THAT WANT TO GO TO EVERYBODY'S COMMISSION, UH, COMMISSIONER OR DISTRICT SO THAT THEY CAN FEED THE POOR. IT SAYS IN MATTHEW 15 THAT EVEN THE DOGS CAN AFFORD THE CRUMBS. IT SAYS IN, IN JOHN 21, FEED MY SHEEP, FEED MY SHEEP, FEED MY SHEEP. WE ARE ABOUT, WE WANT TO HELP THIS CITY BECOME SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BY FEEDING THE POOR, DRIVING AROUND AND SEEING HOMELESS PEOPLE. AND WHEN YOU'RE 73 YEARS OLD, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. AND I KNOW YOU GUYS CAN'T DO IT ALL, BUT YOU HAVE A WORKFORCE HERE THAT'S READY TO VOLUNTEER TO GET INVOLVED. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU, ME, IS, UH, A DUPLICATION OF A NEWSPAPER REPORT MADE IN 1895. IN THE BOTTOM PART OF THE NEWSPAPER, IT HAS TURNIP GREEN SEEDS FOR SALE. YOU'LL NEVER SEE THAT IN OUR NEWSPAPERS. OR I DON'T, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT IN OUR NEWSPAPERS. BUT WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT. WE NEED, WE, WE NEED TO GO TO WORK. THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT IT IS. WE NEED TO GO TO WORK IN OUR YIELD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MM-HMM . NEXT SPEAKER. EDUARDO DURAN. EDUARDO DURAN. EDUARDO. NEXT SPEAKER. JAMES GETZ. JAMES GETZ. JAMES. NEXT SPEAKER ANN WESTON. ANN WESTON ANN. NEXT SPEAKER MARILYN LEWIS HOWELL. MARILYN HOWELL IS HERE. HOW Y'ALL DOING THIS EVENING? UH, I THANK Y'ALL FOR LETTING ME SPEAK, UH, AND I HOPE I HAVE YOU GUYS SUPPORT IN ANY WAY THAT YOU CAN HELP ME. I'M COMING FROM A LEAF SCHOOL DISTRICT. I TALKED TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD LAST WEEK. AS FOR THEIR SUPPORT. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE NAME. MADELINE O'HARA. OH, YEAH. WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH HER. MADELINE O'HARA? MM-HMM . NOBODY. OKAY. SHE WAS THE WOMAN BACK IN THE SIXTIES. UH, WE HAD THE LORD'S PRAYER IN SCHOOL. WE WERE DOING GOOD. WE WAS ON THE RIGHT TRACK. UH, SHE CAME [03:25:01] IN, UH, HER SON CAME HOME AND SAID THAT THEY WERE DOING THE LORD'S PRAYER. SHE SAID THAT, UH, NO, THIS IS NOT GONNA WORK. SO, UH, SHE GOT AWAY WITH THE SUPREME COURT. SHE GOT PRAYER OUTTA SCHOOL. IT'S BEEN OVER 60 YEARS SINCE SHE'S DONE THIS. UH, SHE DIDN'T, HER BODY, UH, GOT FOUND. SHE WAS AN AMERICAN ATHEIST. SHE HAD A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. UH, SHE REALLY GATHERED UP A LOT OF MONEY FROM HER PROFIT, HER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. UH, SHE ENDED UP MOVING TO AUSTIN, TEXAS. THEY FOUND HER, HER GRANDSON AND HER GRANDDAUGHTER'S BODIES. UH, HER LIFE DID NOT END WELL AT ALL. UH, I AM TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. IT'S BEEN SCHOOL SHOOTING AFTER SCHOOL SHOOTING. OKAY. I APPLAUD THEM FOR, UH, LOCKING THE DOORS. THAT'S A GOOD THING. UH, SECURITY GUARDS IS A GOOD THING. BUT YOU GOTTA REMEMBER, OUR KIDS GOTTA LEAVE THAT BUILDING EVENTUALLY AND COME OUT. OKAY. WHO'S GONNA PROTECT THEM THEN? WE ARE GONNA BE AN OPEN TERRITORY. SO I'M TRYING TO GET HER EVIL SPIRIT LINGERING OVER ALL THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND TRYING MY BEST TO GET EVERYTHING ABOUT GOD BACK IN SCHOOLS. 'CAUSE WE ARE, AS ADULTS, WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR KIDS. WE HAVE LOST SO MANY CHILDREN TO GUN VIOLENCE. AND I AM TRYING TO GET THINGS CHANGED. 'CAUSE TO ME, WE ARE GOING IN A VERY DANGEROUS DIRECTION BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE GOD HAS TOOK HIS HAND TO PROTECTION OFF OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND LEFT HER EVIL SPIRIT LINGERING. SO THIS IS TO ME, UH, MY LANE. AND I'M GONNA GO ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPREME COURT IF I HAVE TO, BECAUSE WHEN SHE WENT TO SUPREME COURT, YES, THEY AGREED WITH HER TO GET THAT OUTTA SCHOOL. SHE TRIED TO GET ONE NATION UNDER GOD OUT. SHE TRIED TO GET IN. GOD, WE TRUST OFF OUR MONEY. OKAY? THOSE TWO, TWO THINGS DIDN'T WORK, BUT SHE DID GET PRAYER OUTTA SCHOOL. UH, LIKE I SAY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE WERE ON THE RIGHT TRACK WITH PRAYER. WE HAD THE LORD'S PRAYER IN SCHOOL. WE WERE SAYING IT EVERY DAY. AND NOW, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST GOT RELAXED IN THEIR WAY AND SAID, OH, WELL LET SOMEBODY TAKE CARE OF THIS. OH, SOMEBODY ELSE CAN TAKE CARE. YEAH. PAM HAS EXPIRED. THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING TODAY. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. VERONICA ES VERONICA. NEXT SPEAKER. AIDEN REYES. AIDEN REYES A DON REYES. NEXT SPEAKER. BENJAMIN BROADWAY. YES, MR. MR. BROADWAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. BROADWAY. WE'RE READY FOR YOUR COMMENTS. YES. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS BENJAMIN BROADWAY AND I'M WITH THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON THE 20 20 14 BUDGET. AND, UH, THERE'S SOME ISSUES THAT I HAVE WITH THAT. AND IN 2014, THE CITY OF HOUSTON DID A SURVEY ON THE, UH, FAIR HOUSING. AND THEY HAD A BARRIER. AND THE BARRIER WAS A DRAINAGE AND THE FAIR HOUSING. AND THE, THE COUNCIL HAS NOT ADDRESSED THAT ISSUE. AND I HAVE SOME OTHER ISSUES. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF SWAP PROJECTS ALL OVER THE CITY, AND THEN ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT B, I KNOW THAT THERE'S AT LEAST 20 TO 25 SWAP PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW. AND THEY'RE BARELY PULLING IN DRAINAGE ON STREETS, STREETS SUCH AS COLETTE. FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR 40, 60 YEARS, WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE DRAINAGE DOLLARS THAT THEY'VE BEEN PAYING FOR, THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN USING, AND THEY'RE STILL CURRENTLY PUTTING IN DRAINAGE ON STREETS LIKE COLETTE? YEAH, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. MR. BROADWAY, THANK YOU FOR, UM, COMING IN FOR YOUR COMMENTS. UH, WE DO HAVE A RESPONSE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN, MR. BROADWAY. UM, AS ALWAYS, MY OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH, UM, YOUR GROUP KNOCK. UM, WE GOT A LOT OF FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS THAT'S HAPPENING IN DISTRICT B, AS YOU MENTIONED. AND OF COURSE, THE [03:30:01] LINE OF COMMUNICATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN OPEN WITH YOUR GROUP AND, UM, THE, ALL THE CONSTITUENTS IN DISTRICT B. AND SO I'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU UPDATED ON, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECTS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU KNOW YOU NEED FROM ME, JUST LET ME KNOW. OKAY, THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. SO, I STILL HAVEN'T HEARD THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION. FOR THOSE STREETS THAT HAVEN'T HAD DRAINAGE, THEY'RE BARELY GETTING INTO IT NOW. THEY STILL HAVE THE EXCAVATORS THERE. WHAT ARE THEY, WHAT HAVE THEY DONE WITH THOSE TAX DOLLARS? UH, I, I GUESS I'M, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE HERE EARLIER. AND, UM, THE COUNCIL MEMBER SAID THAT SHE IS WORKING WITH THE MAYOR AND THEY, HE'S COMMITTED TO SOME DRAINAGE PROJECTS IN THE AREA. SO I KNOW THAT, UM, SHE CAN KEEP YOU ABREAST OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING. THE, THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED FOR DRAINAGE PROJECTS ARE GOING TO DRAINAGE PROJECTS. AND SO IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC PROJECT THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF, I KNOW THAT YOU CAN TAKE THAT OFFLINE WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. BROADWAY. NEXT SPEAKER. JACOB CLEMENT IS NOT HERE. OGLE VS. OLGA VIEGAS TO BE FOLLOWED BY BLANCA GARCIA. WHEN I STARTED THIS GOOD AFTERNOON, I WAS HERE LAST TIME, I WOULD HAVE LOVE FOR THE MAYOR TO HAVE HERE. SO THEN THAT WAY THEY COULD HAVE PUT PRESSURE TO THE CARING COMPANY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE, UH, THE ONES THAT HEARD LAST TUESDAY. WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANYTHING FROM THEM, AND IT'S ALREADY GONNA BE A MONTH THAT WE HAVE BEEN UNEMPLOYED. OKAY. SORRY, I KIND OF, I KIND OF LOST HER. SO THEY'RE SAYING THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO, UM, THAT, UM, A LOT OF THE, UH, PEOPLE, HER COWORKERS ARE AFRAID, RIGHT? AND, UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO, TO MEET WITH THE, SO THAT WAY THEY CAN SIGN THEIR CONTRACT. THE, THE COWORKERS FEEL PRESSURE, AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY THEY'RE NOT REALLY BEING, BEING HERE. THEY WANNA GET, UH, SOMETHING RESOLVED BECAUSE, UH, SHE'S BY HERSELF. SHE NEEDS, SHE NEEDS HER JOB. AND UPDATE HAS BEEN RESOLVED. THEY WENT THURSDAY. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. AND I'M SURE THAT COUNCILOR GALLEGOS ALSO HAS AN UPDATE. BUT, UM, MS. VIEGAS, I WANT YOU TO MAKE SURE, I WANNA MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD YOU AND WHAT WE HAVE HEARD THUS FAR FROM HOUSTON. FIRST IS THAT, UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE A, AN EMERGENCY CALLED MEETING TO REVIEW THEIR INVESTIGATION OF THE SITUATION. UH, SO THAT SHOULD BE FORTHCOMING VERY SOON. BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THAT WE, ON COUNCIL, HEARD YOU, WE HAVE EACH BEEN MAKING CALLS ON Y'ALL'S BEHALF, UM, SPEAKING WITH HOUSTON. FIRST. WE'RE VERY CONCERNED AND WE'RE WITH YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PRO. UM, YES. UH, IN REGARDS TO AN UPDATE, UH, LAST WEEK I WAS AT THE HOUSTON, UH, FIRST BOARD MEETING. UH, AND IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT, UH, WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING TO DO IS THEY'RE GONNA BE CALLING AN EMERGENCY, UH, BOARD MEETING WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. UH, I KNOW THAT THE, UH, PRESIDENT, CEO UM, HAD STATED THAT, [03:35:01] UM, THEY WERE STILL IN, UH, LOOKING INTO THE MATTER. UM, AND THERE'S SOME LEGAL, LEGAL ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE TO OVERCOME AS WELL. UH, SO THAT'S WHAT THE DELAY WAS. I THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A RESOLUTION LAST THURSDAY, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TOLD LAST MONTH AT LAST MONTH'S BOARD MEETING. BUT DUE TO SOME ISSUES, THEY, THEY'RE WE'RE ASKING FOR AN EXTENSION. SO THE CHAIRMAN ASKED THAT THEY REPORT BACK AND A SPECIAL CALL MEETING WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. SO HOPEFULLY, UH, THIS WILL BE RESOLVED. UM, THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH, THERE WAS A SPEAKER HERE BY THE NAME OF A RE AND HE'S NOT HERE UNFORTUNATELY, BUT HE WAS, HE WAS AT THE, UH, HOUSTON FIRST BOARD MEETING LAST WEEK. UH, AND WHAT REALLY GOT MY ATTENTION WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WAS SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR, IN THEIR WORK. UM, YOU KNOW, THEY TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR WORK THERE AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER, UH, HE SHOWED A CERTIFICATE WHERE THEY ACTUALLY WERE GIVEN A CERTIFICATE TO SHOW THAT THEY HAVE DONE GOOD WORK FROM THE PREVIOUS CONTRACTOR. UH, AND THEN HE SAID, BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHY WE GOT LET GO. SO THEN HE TOOK OUT A PHOTO, AND HE SHOWED A PHOTO WHERE IT HAS FOUR INDIVIDUALS. UH, YOU KNOW, IT HAD OLGA AND IT HAD, UH, BLANCA, IT HAD , AND IT HAD SOMEONE ELSE ON THAT PHOTO SHOWING THAT THEY WERE THERE, UH, REPRESENTING THEIR WORKERS AS UNION REPRESENTATIVES SPEAKING UP. UH, SO, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, THAT'S WHY HE FELT THAT THEY WERE LET GO WAS BECAUSE OF THAT PHOTO. UH, AND AGAIN, THESE INDIVIDUALS, AFTER WORKING A FULL SHIFT, UH, ON THEIR WAY HOME, THEY GET A PHONE CALL FROM MANAGEMENT, FROM CARING, UH, SAYING THAT THEIR SERVICES ARE NO LONGER NEEDED. UH, WHICH IS, IT'S HEARTBREAKING TO KNOW THAT I KNOW BIANCA, UH, OR BLANCA HAS, UH, WORKED AT, UH, GEORGE R. BROWN, UH, FOR 14 YEARS. 14 YEARS. AND WHEN SHE SPOKE, SHE HAD TEARS IN HER EYES TO TELL, TO SAY THAT SHE ENJOYS HER JOB. SHE TAKES PRIDE IN HER JOB, THAT SHE HAS NEVER REALLY DONE ANYTHING TO DESERVE THAT. BUT ON HER WAY HOME, SHE GETS A CALL AND SAYS, YOUR SERVICES ARE NO LONGER NEEDED. UH, IN MY OPINION, IT WAS DUE TO THAT PHOTO. UH, THAT'S MY OPINION. UH, BUT, UH, IT'S SAD TO KNOW THAT, UH, FOR SOMEONE JUST TO SPEAK UP TO SAY THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER GETTING THE BENEFITS THAT THEY DESERVE, THAT THEY FOUGHT FOR, UH, UH, AND JUST FOR SPEAKING UP, SAYING THAT THEY'RE NOT GETTING THOSE BENEFITS, THAT THEY'RE BEING LET GO. UH, SO AGAIN, HOUSTON FIRST IS LOOKING INTO THIS, UH, HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. UH, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A, UH, SPECIAL CALL, MEANING, AND THE ONLY ITEM ON THE AGENDA WILL BE THIS. SO WE SHOULD HAVE SOME, SOME, SOME INFORMATION, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT THAT YOU'RE GIVING US. THANK YOU FOR COMING IN. NEXT SPEAKER, BLANCA GARCIA, CARRIE RICE. HELLO, MS. GARCIA. MY NAME IS BLANC. I'M HERE FOR THE SECOND TIME. I THINK YOU ALREADY RECOGNIZED ME, SOME OF Y'ALL. UM, I WANNA DO A SHORT TIME. I ONLY WANNA SAY THAT WHEN I WAS WITH MIDWEST, UM, I HAVE A RECOGNITION FROM THEM TOO. MY QUESTION TODAY IS, WHY CARING COMPANY, CARING COMPANY TOOK MY JOB AWAY. I HAVE WORKED THERE SO HARD FOR 14 YEARS TO TAKE MY JOB AWAY, AND THEN FOR THEM TO CALL ME AT NIGHT TO TELL ME I DON'T HAVE A JOB ANYMORE. I HOPE THAT TODAY, UH, WE BE, AND LISTEN, UH, WE HOPE TO HAVE ASSISTANCE FROM ALL OF Y'ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND WE HOPE THAT WE GET A CALL 'CAUSE WE NEED OUR JOB. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, BLANCA. AND AGAIN, AS I TOLD [03:40:01] OLGA, UM, WE'RE LISTENING AND WE ARE USING EVERY CHANNEL THAT WE HAVE. SOME, I I CANNOT SPEAK FOR EVERYONE, BUT FOR MYSELF, USING EVERY CHANNEL THAT I HAVE, UM, TO FIGHT FOR YOU AND FIGHT FOR THE OTHER EMPLOYEES THAT ARE THERE, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE DOING TO BEGIN WITH. UM, I WAS IT YOU OR WAS IT OLGA? WHO'S, UH, YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF? YOUR, YOUR FA YOUR PARENT AND YOUR NEPHEW? IS MY GRANDSON. YOUR GRANDSON? HOW ARE THEY DOING? THEY'RE NERVOUS. YEAH. AND I UNDERSTAND IF YOU WOULD, UM, WELL, ONE, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE DON'T JUST HEAR YOU. WE'RE, UM, ADVOCATING ON YOUR BEHALF. AND IF YOU'LL MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE GETS THE UPDATE ON WHAT, UM, HOUSTON FIRST IS DOING BY CALLING THE EMERGENCY MEETING WHAT WE ARE DOING AT THE HORSESHOE, TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, TO KEEP PUSHING FOR RESOLUTION AND FOR JUSTICE ON THIS. UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR WAITING ALL DAY TO BE HERE. UM, AND TO KEEP REMINDING US OF HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS. UH, WE, WE HEAR YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOU KNOW, CONTRACTOR. I, I, I, I HAD MENTIONED THAT, UH, I KNOW THAT, UM, 'CAUSE THEY WERE VERY DISAPPOINTED, UH, THAT THE MAYOR'S NOT HERE. 'CAUSE THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE MAYOR HEARD THEIR, UH, THEIR, THEIR, THEIR CONCERNS. AND, UH, JUST TO ASSURE THEM THAT I WILL CALL THE MAYOR AND, AND, AND TALK TO THE MAYOR AND, UM, TO LET HIM KNOW, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON, WHICH I'M SURE HE'S AWARE OF. UH, SO THAT WAY, UH, WE CAN GET HIS ASSISTANCE AS WELL TO HELP THEM PROCESS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER. CARRIE RICE. CARRIE RICE, NEXT SPEAKER. JASON CONWAY. JASON CONWAY. HE'S NOT HERE. THAT [RECESS] COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. WE ARE IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW AT 9:00 AM AT 9:00 AM THANK YOU, MA'AM. REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD FOR A TERM TO EXPIRED JANUARY 31ST, 2025. ITEM TWO, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF TCO REYNOLDS HOUSEMAN HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE TO POSITION SIX OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER THREE, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS MAIN STREET MARKET SQUARE ZONE FOR A TERM TO EXPIRE. DECEMBER 31ST, 2024. ITEM THREE, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF REAPPOINTMENT OF TICO REYNOLDS HOUSEMAN HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE TO POSITION SIX OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, FORMERLY THE MAIN STREET MARKET SQUARE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR TERM EXPIRE DECEMBER 31ST, 2024. ITEM FOUR, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF MADDIE RES HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE TO POSITION A OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF REINVESTMENTS, HONOR. NUMBER 14, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, ALSO KNOWN AS THE FOURTH WARD ZONE FOR TERM TO EXPIRE JUNE 8TH, 2024. ITEM FIVE, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF MEDI RAYS HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE TO POSITION EIGHT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE FOURTH WARD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR TERM TO EXPIRE JUNE 8TH, 2024. ITEM SIX, REQUEST FOR MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF REINVESTMENT. ZONE NUMBER 20, ITEM SEVEN, REC REQUEST FOR MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE SOUTHWEST REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. ITEM EIGHT, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY OF FAST DEPARTMENT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF A RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT AREA IN THE 1300 BLOCK OF ROSALEE AND THE 3,200 BLOCK OF TAMPA. ITEM NINE, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF THE 2023 OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET FOR THE TRINITY RIVER CONVEYANCE PROJECT OPERATED BY THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY. ITEM 10, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR OF GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $1,565,715 AND 24 CENTS. AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH THE DIRT ON ENTERPRISE LP FOR EDGEWOOD PARK PLAYGROUND. ITEM 11, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEERING TO THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS TO TRANSFER FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,005,958 AND NO CENTS FROM DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET CAPITAL FUND AT RURAL TAX TO HOUSTON AIRPORT, A SYSTEM REVENUE FUND AS [03:45:01] REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TRANSFER OF JURISDICTION AND PARCELS. A Y 21 DASH OH THREE THREE A Y 21 0 3 4 A Y 21 0 3 5 A Y 21 0 3 8, AND TCY 21 0 0 1. LOCATED ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF GREENS ROAD, WEST OF JFK BOULEVARD TO EAST OF LEE ROAD. FROM THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM TO HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS TRAFFIC AND DRAINAGE OPERATIONS FOR THE GREENS ROAD PAVING AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT FROM JOHN F. KENNEDY BOULEVARD TO US 59. ITEM 12, NEIL FISK, INC. FOR PURCHASE OF FLOOR SCRUBBER EQUIPMENT THROUGH THE END OF LOCAL AGREEMENT FOR COOPERATIVE PURCHASING WITH THE TEXAS LOCAL PURCHASING COOPERATIVE H GAG BY FOR THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. ITEM 13 CENTRAL SQUARE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC FOR SOLE SOURCE PURCHASE, 12 MONTH RENEWAL OF SOFTWARE, SOFTWARE LICENSE, MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT FOR HANDHELD CITATION DEVICES FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. ITEM 14, CIVIC INITIATIVES LLC FOR APPROVAL OF SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES THROUGH THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE PROCUREMENT OFFICIALS NASHVILLE VALUE POINT CO COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT FOR A TERM OF SIX MONTHS FOR THE STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT PROCUREMENT DIVISION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. ITEM 15, ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 33 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON BY ADDING A NEW ARTICLE 11 CON CONSERVATION DISTRICTS. ITEM 16 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON SRO HOUSING CORPORATION. ITEM 17 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND AIDS FOUNDATION HOUSTON INC. ITEM 18 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 19 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 20 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING A FULL AND FINAL STATEMENT, SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND RELEASE BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND STAPLES LLC ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND PORTER HEDGES, LLP TO PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES. ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO ENTER LOCAL AGREEMENT PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 15 8 96 BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY. ITEM 23 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND MEMORIAL HEIGHTS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. ITEM 24 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE 1900 BLOCK OF CANTERBURY STREET SOUTH SIDE BETWEEN CAMBRIDGE STREET AND STAFFORD SHOP BOULEVARD WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS HAS A SPECIAL MINIMUM BUILDING LINE BLOCK PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 42 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS. ITEM 25 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE 1000 BLOCK OF OMAR STREET BETWEEN NOR HILL BOULEVARD AND SHAW STREET, BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, AS A SPECIAL MINIMUM BUILDING, SPECIAL MINIMUM NOT SIZE BLOCK. PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 42 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS, ITEM 26 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 27, ORDINANCE CONSENTING TO THE ADDITION OF 42.09 ACRES OF LAND TO FALLBROOK UTILITY DISTRICT FOR INCLUSION IN THIS DISTRICT. ITEM 28 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 3.708 ACRES OF LAND TO DOWDE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT FOR INCLUSION IN THE DISTRICT. ITEM 29 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 0.56 ACRES OF LAND TO RAYFORD ROAD MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT FOR INCLUSION IN THE DISTRICT. ITEM 30 ORDINANCE, FINDING AND DETERMINING PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT KNOWN AS WATERLINE REPLACEMENT ALONG POST OAK BOULEVARD AND WEST COMMON ROAD. PROJECT ITEM 31 HAS BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEM 32, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF TWO APPLICATIONS FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. ITEM 33 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $66,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION, D-D-S-R-F APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. TEX DOT ITEM 34. ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $550,000 AND NO CENTS. ITEM METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION, D-D-S-R-F AND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND KBH TRAFFIC ENGINEERING LLC ITEM 35. ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $550,000 AND NO CENTS OUTTA METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION, D-D-S-R-F AND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ALLY. GENERAL SOLUTIONS, LLC ITEM 36. ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $4,200,000 AND NO SENSE OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND DRAINAGE CHARGE AND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HALF ASSOCIATES [03:50:01] INC. ITEM 37 IS ORDINANCE NUMBER 2023 DASH 200, PAST FIRST READING MARCH 22ND, 2023, ORDINANCE ADOPTING UPDATES TO THE LAND USE ASSUMPTIONS, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN, AND AMENDED DRAINAGE IMPACT FEES IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 3 95 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. THIS IS THE SECOND AND FINAL READING. THIS IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MATTERS HELD CATEGORY. ITEM 38 WAS AN ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $396,471 60 CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM, CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF UNDERGROUND UTILITIES FOR THE ROSEWOOD STREET IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT FROM TIERWESTER STREET TO SCOTT STREET, PURSUANT TO THE HARRIS COUNTY MASTER ROAD LOG AGREEMENT, THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN CHABA. THIS WAS ITEM 32 ON AGENDA OF MARCH 22ND, 2023. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE CITY COUNCIL SESSION OF MARCH 29TH, EXCUSE ME, MARCH 29TH, 2023. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM AND THE WHERE IS ROBERT KERN, CITY SECRETARY PAT JEFFERSON. DANIEL, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. [RECONVENE] OKAY, LET'S GET STARTED. IT'S, UH, GOOD MORNING AND IT'S 9 0 5, UH, AM ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29TH, 2023. AND I'M MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER. I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO WATER. JUST A FEW, UH, COMMENTS. [MAYOR'S REPORT] UM, WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THE DEVASTATION, UH, IN MISSISSIPPI CAUSED BY THE TORNADOES IN MISSISSIPPI. NUMBER OF PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES, FAMILIES, UM, DIRECTLY IMPACTED, AND PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES. PEOPLE ALMOST LOST ALL OF THEIR POSSESSIONS, THEIR HOMES. UM, IT WAS A HORRENDOUS, UM, EVENT. AND SO, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON IS PARTNERING WITH, UM, UH, GALLERY FURNITURE 6,006 NORTH FREEWAY FROM 9:00 AM TO 6:00 PM AND YOU CAN DROP OFF ITEMS THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK. THAT'S GALLERY FURNITURE FROM 9:00 AM TO 6:00 PM. UM, AND THEN THE ASTROS FOUNDATION IS ALSO COLLECTING SUPPLIES TODAY ACROSS FROM MINUTE MAY PARK AT 1800 TEXAS AVENUE UNTIL NOON TODAY. AND ITEMS NEEDED INCLUDE GIFT CARDS AND FLASHLIGHTS AND OTHERS, UH, HYGIENE PRODUCTS, UM, BATHING WIPES, TOOTHBRUSH TOOTHPASTE, SOAP SHAMPOO, SANITARY NAPKINS, ADULT DIAPERS, UH, DEODORANT, UH, BABY ITEMS, UM, DIAPERS, FORMULA, BABY FOOD BOTTLES, BLANKETS, CLOTHES, WIPES. AND YOU CAN FIND A FULL LIST OF THE ITEMS NEEDED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE. SO, UH, SIMPLY ASKING FOR US TO DO WHAT HOUSTON DOES, AND THAT IS TO ASSIST, UH, THE PEOPLE IN MISSISSIPPI, UH, TO GET THEIR FEET BACK ON THE GROUND. UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, UM, WE ALL KNOW BY NOW THE FINAL FOUR, UH, WE'LL BE IN, UH, WILL BE THIS WEEK. UM, THINGS HAVE ALREADY STARTED FOR THOSE WHO WERE AT THE MCDONALD BASKETBALL GAME LAST NIGHT, VERY WELL ATTENDED. UM, THE, UH, THE GIRLS WERE PLAYING, THE BOYS WERE PLAYING. AND, UM, UM, VERY NICE EVENT. UM, THE FINAL FOUR, THE ASTRO SEASON OPENS THIS WEEK, STARTING TOMORROW AS WELL. THE ROCKETS ARE PLAYING, UM, THIS WEEKEND. A NEW EDITION IS PERFORMING THIS WEEKEND. UM, THE HBCU ALLSTAR BASKETBALL GAME IS SUNDAY AT THREE O'CLOCK AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. SO A LOT OF THINGS ARE TAKING PLACE, BUT I DO WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, THE PLAYERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF YUKON, UM, MIAMI, SAN DIEGO STATE, AND FLORIDA ATLANTIC, UM, THAT, UM, ALL EITHER IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON OR TODAY, TOMORROW, COMING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, UM, A LOT OF THINGS TO DO. UM, THIS WEEKEND, THE MARCH MADNESS MUSIC FESTIVAL WILL BE AT DISCOVERY GREEN AND THE FINAL FOUR FAN FEST, UH, WILL BE AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN. UM, AND OF COURSE, TOMORROW NIGHT, THE ASTROS WILL OPEN THEIR 2023 SEASON AT MANY MAID PARK, BE OF THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX. SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN A TIME WHEN WE'VE HAD SO MANY THINGS TAKING [03:55:01] PLACE AT THE SAME TIME, UH, PRETTY MUCH, UM, IN THE DOWNTOWN, IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. SO PLAN HOW YOU'RE GONNA GET THERE, UM, PARKING AND ALL OF THAT. SO PLAN AHEAD WOULD BE, UM, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. UH, TODAY AT, UM, UH, TWO O'CLOCK I'M GOING TO BE, UM, ANNOUNCING THE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON INITIATIVE, SIMILAR TO, UH, LIKE THE ONE SAFE HOUSTON, UM, WHICH HAS PROVEN TO BE, UM, VERY EFFECTIVE. UM, ONE SAFE HOUSTON, BECAUSE AS WE APPROACH THE END OF MARCH, UH, UH, VIOLENT CRIME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS DOWN. IN FACT, IT'S DOWN EVEN BELOW 2021 LEVELS, UH, HOMICIDES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, FOR EXAMPLE, AT THIS TIME, THERE ARE 25 LESS HOMICIDES, UH, AT THIS POINT THAN THERE WERE A YEAR AGO, AND SOME 12 OR 13, LESS THAN 2021. SO IT IS MOVING, THE TRAJECTORY IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. UM, ALTHOUGH AS WE SAY, IF ONE PERSON IS VICTIMIZES, ONE PERSON TOO MANY, UH, SO WE'LL ANNOUNCE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON INITIATIVE, UM, THIS AFTERNOON AT TWO, AT TWO O'CLOCK. UM, AND THEN, LET'S SEE, ON FRIDAY THIS WEEK, UM, UH, CONTINUING THE, THE, UM, THE WHOLE ISSUE DEALING WITH THE, THE, UH, TAKEOVER BY THE STATE OF HISD. THERE WILL BE A CAESAR, UH, CHAVEZ DOLORES HTA MARCH FOR JUSTICE AT CHAVEZ HIGH SCHOOL. UH, THIS COMING, UH, FRIDAY, THE COMMUNITY EVENT IS ORGANIZED BY PARENTS AND OTHERS WHO OPPOSE THE TEA TAKEOVER OF HOUSTON, HISD. THE MARCHES WILL BEGIN GATHERING AT 8:00 AM IN FRONT OF CESAR SVE HIGH SCHOOL, AND THAT'S AT 85 0 1 HOWARD, AND I THINK THE MARCH STARTS, UH, AT 9:00 AM AND THEN TODAY, MARCH 29TH IS THE NATIONAL VIETNAM WAR, VETERANS DAY, A DAY MEANT TO PAY TRIBUTE TO VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM WAR. AND LATER TODAY, I WILL JOIN THE, UH, MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AT AN APPRECIATION CEREMONY, HONORING THOSE WHO SERVE AND THE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE VETERAN'S MEMORIAL PARK. UM, SEE, COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I APPRECIATE YOU TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DEVASTATION IN MISSISSIPPI AND THE HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS THERE. UM, IN LIGHT OF THAT DEVASTATION AND THE PARTNERING THAT WE'RE DOING, UM, AS WELL AS OUR VOICES AROUND SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLING AND EVEN HONORING, UH, OUR WAR VETERANS, UH, AND IT, I THINK WE WOULD BE REMISS IF WE ALSO DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE DEVASTATION THAT OCCURRED IN NASHVILLE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DEVASTATION AND WE TALK ABOUT, UM, WARS, AND WE HAVE MILITARY STYLE WEAPONS BEING USED AGAINST OUR CHILDREN. AND IT WAS NOT LONG AGO THAT THESE SEATS WERE FILLED WITH BACKPACKS. RIGHT? AND YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE HEARING IN SOME OF THE COMMENTARY IS HOW RELIEVED WE ARE THAT OUR, YOU KNOW, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES RESPONDED SO QUICKLY THAT IT WAS ONLY THREE, THAT IT WASN'T WORSE. AND THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH THAT NARRATIVE RIGHT NOW, I THINK IS DEVASTATING. UM, SO I, I WANTED TO RAISE THAT AS AN ISSUE, UH, TO KEEP OUR FOCUS ON IT, TO KEEP OUR ATTENTION ON IT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL GOING HOME AND TALKING WITH OUR FAMILIES, AND I'M GOING INTO SCHOOLS, AND I KNOW OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE, AND SPEAKING WITH PARENTS, AND PARENTS ARE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS AND DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO KEEP THEIR FIREARMS SAFELY STORED. BUT WITHOUT MORE, WHEN IS IT ENOUGH? AND I'M GLAD YOU RAISED THAT POINT BECAUSE, UM, WHEN WE GET TO THE POINT THAT, UM, WE DON'T, UH, TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE, WHERE IT JUST BECOMES LIKE, IT JUST HAPPENS. AND SO IT'S NO LONGER SOMETHING WE SHOULD, UM, TALK ABOUT OR EVEN COMES TO THE FRONT, THEN SOMETHING IS WRONG IN THAT. SO I, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT UP. AND THIS IS, UH, SIX PERSONS WERE KILLED, THREE ADULTS AND THREE CHILDREN, UM, AT COVENANT, UM, UH, SCHOOL IN NASH, IN NASHVILLE. UM, AND THE SAD PART IS THAT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, IT IS BECOMING JUST LIKE ANOTHER EVENT. IT'S NO LONGER NEWSWORTHY. AND IN THAT, IN THAT A STATEMENT ON WHERE AMERICA IS WHEN, UM, CHILDREN CAN [04:00:01] GET KILLED IN SCHOOL, AND IT'S JUST ANOTHER DAY IN THE CITY OF, IN THE, IN THE, UM, IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS A REFLECTION, I BELIEVE ON, ON OUR VALUES AND WHO WE ARE AS A, AS A COUNTRY. AND IT, UM, AND THAT BECOMES DISAPPOINTING, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT ONLY MATTERS IF YOUR CHILD IS IMPACTED. SO IF IT'S NOT YOUR KID, IF IT'S NOT YOUR FAMILY MEMBER, IF IT'S NOT YOUR TEACHER, YOUR PRINCIPAL, UH, SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, THEN IT'S JUST, UM, IT'S JUST AN JUST ANOTHER INCIDENT THAT HAPPENS. UM, BUT I THINK WHAT, UH, WHAT WE ALL SHOULD BEAR IN MIND IS THAT TODAY MAY NOT BE OUR DAY, BUT THERE IS A TOMORROW, TODAY MAY NOT BE MY KID, BUT WHEN YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING, WHEN YOU DON'T MAKE ANY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES, TOMORROW COULD BE YOUR KID. YOU KNOW, THAT'S LIKE, I WAS LISTENING TO ONE STORY THIS MORNING. UM, IN FACT, IT WAS A, IT WAS A, IT WAS A PUBLIC, IT WAS THE, I THINK IT WAS THE GOVERNOR. I THINK IT WAS THE GOVERNOR, UH, WHO SAID THAT, UM, ONE OF THE TEACHERS, I BELIEVE WAS A CLOSE FRIEND OF HIS WIFE, AND THEN HE SAID, WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. DOES IT HAVE TO TOUCH YOUR HOUSEHOLD? BUT IT IS A SAD DAY IN AMERICA WHEN OUR CHILDREN BECOME EXPENDABLE. IT'S A SAD DAY IN AMERICA, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS TO OUR CHILDREN AND WE ARE NOT MOVED TO DO SOMETHING. SO, UM, SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR LIFTING IT, FOR LIFTING IT UP, UM, BECAUSE SEEM LIKE IT'S BECOMING SUCH A COMMON OCCURRENCE THAT IT'S NO LONGER REALLY DESERVING OF THE CONVERSATION. AND, UH, I HOPE WE NEVER, I HOPE WE NEVER GET TO THAT POINT. OKAY. SO, UM, IN FACT, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS, IF YOU WILL BEAR ONE, JUST, UM, BOW YOUR HEADS IN A MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER AND, UM, UM, AND PRAY. PRAY FOR THESE FAMILY MEMBERS OF SIX FAMILY MEMBERS, THE KIDS', PARENTS, STUDENTS', PARENTS, UH, THE TEACHERS, THE CUSTODIAN WHO WAS KILLED. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, IN THE MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER, JUST PRAY FOR OUR COUNTRY. OKAY? AND AMEN. COUNCILMAN ASH. MAYOR, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHILDREN, I WANNA BRING UP A, UH, LITTLE HAPPIER NOTE THAT IS THAT, UH, THE SWIMMING POOLS ARE GONNA BE OPENING UP, UH, RELATIVELY SOON. YES. AND WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO, UH, SECURE THE FACT THAT THEY WON'T BE CLOSED BECAUSE WE HAVE ENOUGH LIFEGUARDS? WELL, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. WE, UH, UH, I GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO PARKS AND RAG. THEY'VE BEEN OUT THERE RECRUITING LIFEGUARDS, SO WE ARE AHEAD OF THE GAME THAN WHEN WE WERE A YEAR AGO. SO WE'LL HAVE ENOUGH. WELL, WE STILL NEEDING MORE. OKAY. BECAUSE YOU, IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO HAVE MORE THAN WHAT YOU NEED IN CASE THOSE WHO SAID THEY WOULD DON'T, DON'T HOW MUCH MONEY. AND I THINK WE ARE, WE ARE PAYING MORE, UH, AS WELL. LET ME GET THAT INFORMATION AND SOMEBODY CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO ME SO I CAN MAKE THAT KNOWN. BUT WE ARE PAYING MORE. BUT YEAH, YOU CAN HAVE THE, UM, THE, UH, FACILITIES, BUT WITHOUT THE LIFEGUARDS, POOLS DON'T OPEN. SO, UM, THIS IS THE END OF MARCH. UM, COUPLE MORE MONTHS. SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED, POOLS WILL OPEN. WE NEED LIFEGUARDS. SO, UM, BUT YEAH, WE ARE, WE ARE PAYING MORE, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO TRAIN? I'LL GET, I'LL GET THAT INFORMATION AS WELL. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY RECRUITING LIFEGUARDS ALREADY. SO I'LL FIND OUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, JUST HOW MANY WE HAVE OR HOW SHARP WE ARE, OR WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH. BUT I DOUBT WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH. WE NEED MORE. OKAY. WELL WE HAVE A LOT OF COLLEGE STUDENTS HERE. YEAH. YEAH. WE NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT TO 'EM. YEAH. AND THESE ARE PAID POSITIONS. AND WE, WE HAVE BOOSTED, BOOSTED THE PAY. [04:05:01] THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. FREE SUNSCREEN, RIGHT? FREE. WE PROVIDE THE SUNSCREEN. YES. WE ALL OF THAT. WE UP, WE JUST NEED THE, WE JUST NEED THE LIFEGUARDS. AND UNFORTUNATELY, I'M NOT A CANDIDATE FOR ONE. I NEED A LIFEGUARD FOR ME, YOU KNOW, , IF I CAN'T WALK IN IT, I DON'T GET IN IT, YOU KNOW. UH, COUNCILMAN MR. SNES? UM, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANTED TO GO BACK TO NASHVILLE AND, UM, JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT AS HORRIFIC AS THAT WAS, AS COMMON AN EVENT THAT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING MORE AND MORE OFTEN, IT STILL MAKES UP FOR A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF GUN DEATHS. AND THAT THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN CHILDREN TODAY IS FROM GUN VIOLENCE. MORE THAN CAR ACCIDENTS, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES IS, IS FROM GUN FATALITIES. AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S HEARTBREAKING WHEN THERE'S A, UH, A MASS SHOOTING AND, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S SO ALARMING AND IT GETS, IT GARNERS ALL KINDS OF NEWS. BUT, BUT THE PROBLEM'S ACTUALLY FAR BIGGER THAN THAT. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHIBA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND TO ADDRESS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, BUT I PUT, UH, MONEY IN MY USE, UH, USED MONEY FROM THE COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO TRAIN LIFEGUARDS AT THE JOHNNY MEANS AQUATICS CENTER. AND SO THAT'S HOW WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS IT ALONG WITH THE MAYOR'S EFFORTS 'CAUSE IT'S A HUGE UNDERTAKING. BUT WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, ENGAGE THE JOHNNY MEANS AQUATIC CENTER TO TRAIN LIFEGUARDS IN DISTRICT D FOR DISTRICT D. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY. ONE ADDED, UM, UH, SPECIAL ITEM TODAY, UM, PRESENTING A PROCLAMATION TO THE HOUSTON, UH, AIRPORT SYSTEM, HAS, UH, FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS. SO I'VE SEEN, UH, MARIO DIAZ AND HIS TEAM, SO IF YOU ALL BECOME, UM, DIRECTOR YOUR PEN, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, UM, THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM AND, UH, HOBBY BEING A FIVE STAR, AND I THINK THERE ARE 16, 17, 16, THERE ARE 16, UM, AROUND THE GLOBE. HOBBY HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THOSE 16, UH, THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY BE PROUD OF. AND SO, UH, THIS IS HOUSTON'S AIRPORT DAY. UH, AND LEMME JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, HOBBY IS A GREAT AIRPORT. INTERCONTINENTAL IS A GREAT AIRPORT, UH, WITH ALL OF THE WORK THAT'S TAKEN PLACE AT BOTH, BUT IN CONTINENTAL, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT, UH, AS PEOPLE KNOW BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC AND THE, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVING TO EXPERIENCE. UM, BUT, UM, BOTH AIRPORTS REPRESENT THE CITY VERY, VERY WELL. AND IF I'M, IF I DON'T, UM, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK IT WAS A WEEK AGO IN TERMS OF THE ART BEING AT THE AIRPORT YEAH. HERE BY THEMORE. YES. YEAH. WAS RECOGNIZED AS WITH THIS, YOU CAN RECEIVE THE PLAQUE. OH, OKAY. ALRIGHT. YES, YES. ALRIGHT. YES. ALRIGHT, WELL, LET ME, LET ME, LEMME DO THIS AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UM, UH, DIRECTOR, UH, DIAZ TO TAKE IT FROM THERE. WHEREAS THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, UH, IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION THAT OPERATES GEORGE BUSH AND THE CONTINENTAL AIRPORT, WILLIAM P. HOBBY AIRPORT AND ELLERTON AIRPORT, HOUSTON SPACEPORT. AND WHEREAS THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM IS A VITAL ECONOMIC ENGINE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND SURROUNDING AREAS. AND ITS MISSION IS TO SERVE A PREMIER GLOBAL GATEWAY THAT CONNECTS PEOPLE, BUSINESSES, CULTURES, AND ECONOMIES OF THE WORLD TO HOUSTON. AND WHEREAS AT THE 2023 WORLD AIRPORTS AWARDS PRESENTED BY SKYRA, A LEADING GLOBAL TRANS, UH, TRANSPORT RATING ORGANIZATION, HOUSTON AIRPORTS, UH, WAS AWARDED BEST ART IN THE AIRPORT. AND WHEREAS WILLIAM, PETE HARVEY AIRPORT WAS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR AS THE ONLY FIVE STAR RATED AIRPORT IN NORTH AMERICA AND AS THE BEST REGIONAL AIRPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. AND WHEREAS GEORGE BUSH, INTER CONTINENTAL AIRPORT WAS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED AS A FOUR STAR AIRPORT FOR A SIX CONSECUTIVE YEAR AND PLACED IN THE TOP FIVE AWARDEES OF THE WORLD'S BEST AIRPORT'S [04:10:01] DINING EXPERIENCE AND TOP 10 AWARDEES OF THE BEST WEBSITE AND DIGITAL SERVICES. AND WHEREAS ON MARCH, WELL, LET ME BACK UP. I RECOGNIZED AS A FORCED DOWN PLAYER FOR SIX CONSECUTIVE YEARS. THAT STARTED WHEN, WHEN DID THIS? 2017. 20 17, 0, 20 17 IS WHEN THAT STARTED. WHEN WE STARTED SKY. OKAY. AND WHEN DID I BECOME TAKEN, BECAME MARRIED . SO BOTH OF THESE, THE ACHIEVEMENTS FOR HARVEY AND CONTINENTAL HAVE ALL BEEN JUST . YOU, MAYOR, YOU MAY, I JUST, I DID, I JUST DIDN'T WANT, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT THAT TO PASS. BUT ANYWAY, WHEREAS ON MARCH 29TH, 2023, HOUSTON AIRPORTS DAY WILL BE OBSERVED IN RECOGNITION OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM'S. REMARKABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. AFTER 2023 WORLD AIRPORTS AWARDS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS THE MORE THAN 1,200 DEDICATED AIRPORT STAFF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM MARCH 29TH, 2023 AS HOUSTON AIRPORT'S DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. GIVE IT UP TO ALL OF THEM. THE EMPLOYEES. MARIO MAYOR, GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBER. I'M REALLY RE WE ARE ALL REALLY, REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE THIS MORNING TO SHARE, UM, SOME NEWS WITH YOU. THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM IS TO GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER EACH AND EVERY DAY. NOT A LOT, JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER TODAY THAN WE WERE YESTERDAY AND A LITTLE BIT BETTER TOMORROW THAN WE ARE TODAY. AND OVER TIME, THESE INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS PRODUCE TRANSFORMATIVE RESULTS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS MORNING. ONE OF THOSE VERY TRANSFORMATIVE RESULTS TEAM HAS JUST COME BACK, AS MAYOR SAID, FROM GLOBAL SCOUT TRACKS AWARDS IN THE NETHERLANDS, UM, AND HAS BRING, BROUGHT BACK THREE PLAQUES AND THREE CATEGORIES OF DISTINCTION, UM, THAT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM HAS, HAS STOOD OUT. THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS RAISED AND POSITIONED THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM AMONG THE TOP AIRPORTS GLOBALLY, AROUND THE WORLD, UM, IN, IN, IN THE FIELD OR IN THE AREAS OF EFFICIENCY, IN THE AREAS OF SAFETY, IN THE AREAS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND EXPERIENCE. OUR PASSENGERS ARE JUST DELIGHTED. UM, WE'RE GETTING OVERWHELMING FEEDBACK, POSITIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY'RE HAVING, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE HUMAN ELEMENT COMPONENT OF THAT EXPERIENCE. AND ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE FRONTLINE WORKERS, THE EMPLOYEES WHOSE ACTIONS AND BEHAVIORS HAVE BEEN SHAPED BY THE NEW CULTURE THAT WE HAVE FINALLY BEEN ABLE TO IMPLEMENT IN THE AIRPORT SYSTEM. WITH ME THIS MORNING, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THE, THE SENIOR AND MIDDLE MANAGEMENT STAFF, PLEASE, EVERYONE, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED AND TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION AND PRE PRESENT THE AWARDS TO THE MAYOR LIANNE RAMBO, CHIEF TERMINAL MANAGER. I TURN IT OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK, THANK YOU FOR, FOR HAVING US, UH, MAYOR, UH, MAYOR PRAM, COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT IS A GREAT HONOR AND PRIVILEGE AND, AND SO MUCH HAPPINESS TO BE HERE WITH YOU TO SHARE THESE ACCOLADES. AND AS THE MAYOR STATED, WHICH YOU TOOK ALL MY POINTS, MAYOR BO, THANK YOU ON THE PROCLAMATION. AND, AND MARIO JUST STATED ALSO AS WELL, UM, IT, IT IS A TREMENDOUS, UM, JUST HONOR TO BE HERE AND BRING ALL THESE ACCOLADES TO YOU ALL. UH, LEMME PREFACE THIS AWARD PRESENTATION BY ITS PRESIDENT, OUR DEEP, DEEP GRATITUDE FOR THE 1200 PLUS EMPLOYEES OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORTS. NOT JUST THE EMPLOYEES, BUT OUR STAKEHOLDERS, OUR FEDERAL, UH, PARTNERS, AS WELL AS THE AIRLINES. EVERY ONE OF THOSE, WHAT WE CALL THE AIRPORTS COMMUNITY AT BOTH AIRPORTS HAVE HELPED US GET HERE TODAY. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE SUPPORT AND THE CLOSE COLLABORATION FROM OUR PARTNERS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR IRVING AND HER STAFF IN THE BACK. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT FOR HELPING US EXPAND THE CITY'S PUBLIC ART COLLECTION AND PROVIDING THE SUPPORT NEEDED TO EXPAND TO SPEND IT AT THE AIRPORTS, AS THE MAYOR SAID. AND, AND, UH, THE DIRECTOR STATED THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM WAS AWARDED THE WORST BEST ART IN THE AIRPORT IN THE IN 2023 SKYRA AWARD. AND SKYRA IS A PREMIER, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE PROBABLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND OR KNOW, IS SKYRA IS A PREMIER INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT RATING ORGANIZATION. AND THESE AWARDS ARE CONSIDERED THE OSCARS IN AVIATION INDUSTRY. THE WIN IS HISTORIC FOR THE HOUSTON AIRPORTS AND THE GLOBAL COMMERCIAL AVIATION INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE. THIS NEW CATEGORY WAS INTRODUCED THIS YEAR, AND WE IN HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM [04:15:01] ARE THE FIRST EVER BEST ARE IN THE AIRPORT AWARD RECIPIENT, AS WAS STATED BEFORE. BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO RESTATE IT AGAIN, UH, FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, HOBBY IS FIVE STARS, THE ONLY NORTH AMERICA AIRPORT TO BE FIVE STARS AND IS IN A SECOND YEAR IN A ROW. MS. DAWN IS THE CHIEF TERMINAL MANAGEMENT FOR HARVEY. THAT'S WHY SHE HAS A BIG GRAIN ON HER, ON HER FACE. UM, AND AS WE SAID AGAIN, GEORGE BUSH AIRPORT FOR THE SIX YEAR IN A ROW, FOUR STARS. UH, WE ALSO GOT, UH, WORLD'S BEST DINING EXPERIENCE ON THE, ON THE TOP 10 RECIPIENT AS BEEN AS, AS WELL AS, UH, BEST WEBSITE AND DIGITAL SERVICE CATEGORY. AND MR. DARL IN THE BACK, HE'S THERE WITH OUR, WITH OUR IT TEAM. SO MAKING SURE THAT, THAT, UH, WE GIVING SOME KUDOS AS WELL. BUT I ALSO NEED TO HIGHLIGHT ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR HOBBY AIRPORT. THIS YEAR IN MARCH, HOBBY AIRPORT WAS RECOGNIZED BY AIRPORTS COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL AS THE MOST ENJOYABLE AIRPORT IN NORTH AMERICA, THIS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD. YES. AND THIS AWARD WAS NOT JUST BY ORGANIZATION. THIS AWARD IS ACTUALLY BY PASSENGERS. PASSENGERS ARE THE ONES THAT VOTED HOBBY TO BE THE MOST ENJOYABLE AIRPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. AGAIN, THIS ATLAS WERE POSSIBLE DUE TO OUR STAFF MEMBERS, OUR PARTNERS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE THOSE FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES, YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF, YOUR CUSTODIAL EMPLOYEES, YOUR MAINTENANCE, YOUR LAND SITE, YOUR OPERATIONS. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE IT HAPPEN. GRANT, GRANTED OUR SENIOR STAFF, WE PROVIDE, UH, THE SUPPORT. WE HAVE AMAZING SUPPORT STAFF ALL NOT JUST AT THE AIRPORTS, BUT AT THE CITY AS WELL. BUT I WILL HAVE TO SAY THAT MUCH GRATITUDE AND RECOGNITION, THIS WILL NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF WE DID NOT HAVE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AN AIRPORT DIRECTOR, THAT PROVIDE US WITH A VISION, A MISSION, AND THE GOAL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE BOTH AIRPORTS TO BE FIVE STARS, BOTH PARA WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE AIRPORT SYSTEM, THE ONLY AIRPORT SYSTEM IN THE WORLD TO BE FIVE STARS. AND WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO DOING THAT. SO WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR PROAM, IT IS AN HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO PRESENT THESE AWARDS TO YOU. AND THIS WILL BE WITH YOU, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND ALL HOUSTONIANS ACCOLADES LIKE THIS. PUT THE SPOTLIGHT ON HOUSTON FOR ALL THE WORLD TO ADMIRE AND COPY US AS WELL. THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AND WE WILL WORK DILIGENTLY TO MAINTAIN THESE STANDARDS IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. LEMME ASK YOU, UM, SINCE OUR COMMITTEE OVERSEES THE AIRPORT SYSTEM, NICOLE AND ANDY COME OVER HERE. YES, MAYOR. OH, OH, WE GOTTA GO THAT WAY. SORRY. WE HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE HAVE, WE HAVE SOME, WE HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WANT TO ADDRESS THAT. YEP. SORRY, SORRY. LET TAKE THE I'M GOOD, I'M GOOD, I'M GOOD. I'M, [04:21:46] AS IS MENTIONED, I ISSUED THE INDIVIDUAL SEATS. UH, WE PLACE ONE OF OUR AIRPORT PINS, SO WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU GUYS TO PLEASE WORD THIS VERY, VERY PROUDLY. UH, WE WEAR OUR AIRPORT PINS ALL THE TIME, SO, UM, MAYOR PORT CUSTOM TATUM JUST SAID THAT SHE'S AN AIRPORT'S NOE, SO SHE, SHE, YOU KNOW, LOOKS AT EVERYBODY DOWN. SO THANK YOU. AND WE ALSO HAVE QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL. OH, I'M SORRY. YEAH. MARIO, YOU WANNA CHECK ONE? NO, GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. COUNCIL, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I FLY IN AND OUT OF ABOUT 20 AIRPORTS A YEAR. AND, UH, HOBBY IS ALWAYS MY, UH, MY DEPARTURE DESTINATION AND ALSO MY RETURN DESTINATION. UH, HOBBY AIRPORT IS WHAT MY WIFE AND I MEASURE EVERY AIRPORT THAT WE LAND IN WITH, HOW IS IT IN COMPARISON TO OUR AIRPORTS? AND I HAVE TO SAY THE CONVENIENCE AT HOBBY AIRPORT FOR PASSENGERS. AND, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID IT'S ABOUT, IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE FLYING PUBLIC AND, AND IT'S, IT'S EXCEPTIONAL. AND, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND, AND ONCE YOU BUILD THAT AWNING, UH, TO WALK OVER, COME COME TO THE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON. AFTERNOON. WE'LL, LISTEN, WE GOT, WE ONCE THAT'S COMPLETED. UM, I, I'LL GIVE IT A SIX STAR. ALRIGHT, . SO, AND REMEMBER IF I FLY IN LATE, HAVE THE RESTROOMS OPEN. GOT IT. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GALLOS MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR, UM, STARTING OFF AGENDA WITH THIS. UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO START ON SUCH A STRONG NOTE. I, THE OTHER NIGHT I WAS TALKING WITH MY HUSBAND ABOUT HOW AMAZING IT IS THAT HOUSTON IS SUCH A HUB, UH, NOT ONLY IN BRINGING PEOPLE IN AND HAVING ACCESS TO ALL THAT WE OFFER AS A CITY, BUT FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO GET, NOT JUST HAVE DIRECT FLIGHTS OUT AROUND THE COUNTRY BUT THE WORLD. SO, CONGRATULATIONS. AND I JUST TOLD MAYOR, I JUST TOLD, UH, DIRECTOR DIAZ, UH, I CAN'T WAIT TILL WE HAVE A FIVE STAR, UM, SPACE STATION WHERE OUR RESIDENTS ARE GOING INTO SPACE FROM HOUSTON , THAT'S NEXT. SO, UH, BUT LOOK, WHETHER IT'S THE ART, AND I EVEN NOTICE, I MEAN, ON OUR WAY, UH, EVEN TO LIKE THE CENTURY AND LOUNGE, RIGHT? IT'S LITERALLY LIKE AN ART GALLERY NOW. YES, THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL. UM, AND I HAVE TO THANK LILIANA, TODD AND LUIS AND DIRECTOR, YOU OF COURSE, THAT ATTENTION TO DETAIL, EVEN ADDRESSING FAMILIES NEEDS IN OUR AIRPORTS. UH, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER AIRPORTS RIGHT NOW THAT OFFER AS MUCH FOR FAMILIES, WHETHER IT'S THE PLAYGROUND AREAS OR THE DIAPERS AND THOSE SMALL LITTLE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR FAMILIES TRAVELING. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PERAM, CASICK TATUM. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, UH, DIRECTOR DIAZ AND, UH, LILI LILIANA AND MAYOR TURNER. THIS IS EXCITING DAY. UH, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT OUR AIRPORTS, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY, WE WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH, ABOUT THE EXPANSION AND THAT OVER HANGING THAT YOU TALK OF, UH, SO MUCH. UH, AND WE WILL ALSO BE TALKING ABOUT [04:25:01] THE ART PROGRAM AND THE DBE, UH, GOALS FOR OUR, UH, HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. SO HOPE THAT YOU WILL TUNE INTO OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AT TWO. AND THEN I WANNA SAY THAT I FLEW INTO HOBBY A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, AND I TELL YOU, WHEN YOU ARE IN THIS SPACE AND YOU DO THIS WORK AND YOU TALK ABOUT AIRPORTS, YOU PAY ATTENTION MORE THAN YOU TYPICALLY WOULD. OH, YES. AS JUST A, A, A FLYING PASSENGER. AND I, I STOPPED INTO THE RESTROOM AND I SAW A LADY ON THE KIOSK WHERE YOU PUT THE HAPPY FACE OR THE SAD FACE. AND SO I TRIED TO MAKE IT AS NON, UM, UNCOMFORTABLE FOR HER, BUT I WANTED TO SEE WHAT SHE WAS WRITING ON THE, ON THE KIOSK. BUT SHE GAVE US A GREAT REVIEW ON THE BATHROOM, AND I THOUGHT, HMM, THAT'S WHY WE'RE A FIVE STAR, UM, AIRPORT, BECAUSE WE PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE DETAILS. AND WHEN YOU GO TO OTHER AIRPORTS AND YOU START LOOKING AT WHAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER IN COMPARISON TO WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS TO OFFER, I SEE WHY WE ARE A FIVE STAR AIRPORT AT HOBBY AND SOON TO BE AT INTERCONTINENTAL. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR DEDICATED WORK AND THE DILIGENCE. UM, WE ARE DEFINITELY HOUSTON PROUD OF OUR AIRPORT SYSTEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE ART AT THE AIRPORTS. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WALKING THROUGH A GALLERY SPACE AND YOU KNOW HOW NICE THAT IS, BUT IT'S NOT JUST NICE FOR THE, UM, THE, THE ADULTS. UM, I HAVE YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN AND THE ART IS WHAT KEEPS THEM MORE ENGAGED AND INTERESTED THAN ANYTHING ELSE. THEY DON'T GO TO THE PLAY AREAS. THEY ARE INTERESTED AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT PIECES MEAN AND, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S, AND NOT JUST THE PIECES THAT ARE ON EXHIBIT, BUT YOU KNOW, THE, UM, THE INVESTMENT THE AIRPORT MAKES IN THE, IN THE, THE CORRIDORS AND THE ARTISTS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE PERMANENT COLLECTIONS OF PERMANENT INSTALLATIONS THERE. BUT, BUT THAT IS WHAT WE, MY FAMILY LOOKS AT. AND, AND, AND IT COMPLETELY ENGAGES THOSE CHILDREN. THEY'RE FIVE AND SEVEN. WOW. SO, UM, SO THEY'RE YOUNG. SO I DON'T KNOW IF, IF, IF YOU REALIZE HOW, HOW IMPORTANT THAT WAS TO, TO YOUNGER CHILDREN TOO. BUT IT IS. THANK YOU. IT'S PART OF THE EXPERIENCE. MM. COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, I JUST HAD TO MENTION SINCE SHE BROUGHT THAT UP, YOU KNOW, THE, WE, WE, WE VOTED FOR THESE HAPPY FACES AND SAD FACES. YOU REMEMBER THAT? YES. I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE CRAZIEST THING IN THE WORLD. . IT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT TOOL THAT WE USE ON A DAILY BASIS. I'M ACTUALLY HOURLY. WE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. UM, YEAH. WE NEED TO PUT THOSE HERE. , YOU KNOW, . SO, SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE TALKING, WE CAN HIT THE HAPPY AND SAD FACE. UH, BUT THE RESTROOMS, UH, ARE, ARE, ARE JUST, YOU HAVE REALLY TAKEN THOSE RESTROOMS UP A NOTCH. AND I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. THAT THANK YOU. THAT HAS REALLY BEEN A, A GREAT, UH, UH, FIXTURE FOR US AS, AS THE RESTROOMS, YOU KNOW. THANK YOU. I MEAN, THERE, THERE'S A, THERE'S A BUSINESS THAT I WON'T SAY THEIR NAME, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S HOW THEY, THEY, THEY DREW IN THEIR CUSTOMERS. WE HAVE CLEAN RESTROOMS UP HERE. MM-HMM . Y'ALL KNOW WHO IT IS. MM-HMM . SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THAT. AND WE LEARNED A LOT FROM THAT CASE STUDY, AS A MATTER OF FACT. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT RESTROOMS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UH, AS PART AS THE EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR ADULTS, FOR FAMILIES, WITH CHILDREN, WITH EVERYONE. SO WE WE'RE TAKING A LOT OF CARE AND PUTTING A LOT OF ATTENTION TO THEM. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR. TIM, I FORGOT TO ADD THAT THE WRAPPED COLUMNS WITH THE TSU PROGRAM IN HOBBY AIRPORT IS PHENOMENAL. MM-HMM . UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S LOTS OF TALKS ABOUT RECRUITING PILOTS AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE UTILIZING OUR AIRPORT TO RECRUIT STUDENTS TO THE TSU AVIATION PROGRAM. MM-HMM . IS GENIUS. AND YOU SAID BOTH THE AIRPORTS, UH, THE ENTIRE TERMINAL IS WRAPPED WITH, UM, HOW PEOPLE CAN APPLY TO GET THE DEGREE FROM TSU TO BECOME A PILOT. UH, WHEN I SAW THAT, I THOUGHT, MAN, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. AND SO THE, UM, WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO RECRUIT PILOTS, AND WE KNOW HOW MANY PILOTS WE WILL NEED IN THE FUTURE AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR AIRPORT. AND IF WE CAN GET THEM, UM, THROUGH TEXAS SOUTHERN, THROUGH THEIR AVIATION PROGRAM AND RIGHT INTO OUR, UM, AIRPORT, IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON WHOEVER CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA. THAT WAS GENIUS. COUNCIL MEMBER PROTE. HOLD THAT THOUGHT BECAUSE WE ARE COMING BACK. . YES, WE'RE WORKING VERY, VERY CLOSELY WITH TAKE SUDDEN UNIVERSITY. I'M REALLY NOT LIBERTY TO SHARE MUCH MORE, BUT, UH, WE WILL BE BRINGING BACK A MAJOR, UM, PROJECT THAT WE WILL BE WORKING ON TOGETHER VERY, VERY SOON. WE DO HAVE AN PROJECT, AND I READ AN ARTICLE THE OTHER DAY THAT ONE OF THE PILOT, THE FIRST, UH, FEMALE PILOTS WHO GRADUATED [04:30:01] FROM THE PROGRAM IS NOW GOING TO BE A PILOT AT SOUTH SOUTHWEST, AND WAS FOUND AT HOBBY IN THE CONCESSIONS. CONCESSIONS. VERY NICE. SOMEONE SAW HER AND SAID, WHY ARE YOU, WHY ARE YOU HERE? YOU REALLY NEED TO BE A PILOT. AND JUST TOOK HER, AND NOW SHE'S A COMMERCIAL, SOON TO BE AN A TP AIR TRANSPORT PILOT. WHAT A GREAT STORY. MM-HMM . IT IS. DIRECTOR, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK YOU IN REGARDS TO THE PRESENTATION EARLIER THIS WEEK ON THE, UM, UH, EXPANSION THERE AT HOBBY. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PRESENTATION THIS AFTERNOON. ALSO, I WANNA THANK ALTON DELANEY FOR, UH, HIS PRESENTATION IN REGARDS TO THE ARTS AND HARMONY IN THE SKY. SO, THA THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANKS. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. BYE-BYE. TWO 50, WHEN YOU SIGNED TWO 50 . OKAY, LET ME, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KUBA, SHE ASKED ABOUT THE, UH, THE LIFEGUARDS. IT'S A $500 SIGNING BONUS. UM, AND THEN IT'S, UH, 200 AT SIGNING. 200, YEAH. 200 IS 250 IN SIGNING AND 250 ONCE THE PROGRAM IS COMPLETED. SO $500, UH, THE, FOR LIFEGUARDS, THE STARTING PAY IS $16 AN HOUR. THE HEAD GUARDS $18 AN HOUR, AND FOR THE AQUATIC CENTER SUPERVISORS, IT'S $20 AN HOUR. AND I HAVE, AND I HAVE FLYERS THAT SAY THIS, IF YOU WANT ME TO FORWARD THEM TO YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, THAT WAS GOOD, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE, UM, SO MUCH HAPPENING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO MANY PEOPLE FLYING INTO THE CITY OF HOUSTON THIS WEEK. IT'S JUST GOOD FOR THEM TO KNOW. UM, I WISH WE COULD GET THIS PRESENTATION IN ALL OF THE HOTEL ROOMS, UH, SO THAT THEY COULD, UH, SEE IT. BUT ANYWAY, THAT WAS GOOD. SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM AND THE 1200 EMPLOYEES. UH, CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE 1200 EMPLOYEES THAT WORK, UH, AT THE, UH, AT THE AIRPORTS IN OUR CITY AND NICOLE'S GROUP THAT WORK. AND, AND THEN LET ME, UM, AND NICOLE IRVIN FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS ON THE ARTS SIDE. UH, LET ME THANK HER AND HER TEAM, UH, FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN THEIR WORK. OKAY. HAVING SAID THAT, THAT, UH, THAT'S A WRAP FOR, UH, FOR THE MAYOR'S [CONSENT AGENDA] REPORT. AND, UM, MADAM SECRETARY, LET'S PROCEED WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY. ITEMS ONE THROUGH NINE NEED A MOTION KAT, MOVE. SECOND. SECOND. BEEN MOVED IN, SECONDED ON ITEMS ONE THROUGH NINE. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANTED. IF YOU ARE HERE, UH, AS I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD. UH, THE FIRST ONE IS TO THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD, UM, UH, STEVEN IVES, UM, WHO IS THE BOARD CHAIR AND, UH, SUGE KALA MADONNA. UM, EMERSON, W GERARDO THE THIRD, SHADA, ROBERT, UH, SCHRIER SCHROER, BELINDA ORTEGA, ISAAC E QUIA, UH, ANNA SEXTON, UH, RHODA CHAAN, UH, CLAMAN. TOBIAS COLE, JOHNNY SOLACE III. AND I KNOW I MESSED UP YOUR NAMES. UH, SO LET ME ASK YOU TO REPEAT YOUR, TO GIVE US YOUR NAME ONE MORE TIME. RHODA CLAYMAN, ISAAC IGEA, IGE ROBERTS, SCHREIBER SCHREIBER. THANK YOU ALL, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR AGREEING TO SERVE ON THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD. UH, AS YOU KNOW, VERY IMPORTANT, VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, THE CITY AS A WHOLE, UH, PEOPLE WHO, UM, WHO ARE COMPLAINING POLICE OFFICERS, THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS. SO IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. I KNOW IT'S TIME CONSUMING AS WELL. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU IN ADVANCE, UH, FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS, FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AND, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALONG WITH THE OTHERS, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS A LARGE BOARD KIND OF DIVIDED UP BECAUSE OF THE WORK. UM, BUT THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU'RE MAKING, I WANT YOU TO KNOW IS, UH, IS VERY IMPORTANT, UH, AND A LOT [04:35:01] OF PEOPLE, UH, RELY ON YOU AND THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING. SO THANK YOU, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING VERY CLOSELY TO YOU. OKAY. AN HONORING PURPOSE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND POSITION TWO, UH, THIS IS TO THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE REINVESTMENT ZONE, UM, AND THE REDEVELOPMENT AND THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, UM, IN THE MAIN STREET MARKET SQUARE ZONE. UH, SO IF YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD. T CODE REYNOLDS HAMAN. UM, AND THAT'S TWO AND THREE. AND THAT'S TWO AND TWO. AND IF YOU STATE YOUR NAME ONE MORE TIME, GO REYNOLDS HOUSEMAN. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. LOOK, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU TOO, UH, FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, TO SERVE AND, AND TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE ON, ON THIS PARTICULAR BOARD. VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH HJSD. UH, SO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AS WELL AS THE OTHERS, UH, AS, AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. AND, UH, WE WILL ALL BE IN, IN TOUCH. UH, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. THANK YOU, SIR. VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY. AND THEN POSITION, UH, ON FOUR, THIS IS, UM, AND FIVE AND FIVE. UM, THIS IS THE, UM, BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR ZONE 14, ALSO KNOWN AS THE FOURTH WARD ZONE. AND IF YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD. THAT'S MEDI RAS, AND THAT'S FOR THE, UM, AS, AS WELL AS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. AND PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME AGAIN. I THINK YOU NAILED IT. ME, MEDI RAS. WELL, MR. REYES, IT'S A PLEASURE. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR AGREEING FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE, UH, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND OTHERS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. UH, LET ME YIELD TO COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR MEDI, IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND I KNOW YOU'RE AN HISD APPOINTEE FOR THIS TS, UM, BUT I MEAN, I'VE WORKED WITH YOU PERSONALLY, UH, NOT ONLY AROUND YOUR, YOUR SCHOOL WITH YOUR FAMILY, WORKING ON INTERSECTION SAFETY, BUT IN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. SO I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT YOUR NAME IS COMING FORWARD FOR INVOLVEMENT, UM, FOR THE ENTIRE AREA. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO FOR OUR FOURTH WARD TURS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, UH, AND OTHER IMPORTANT, UH, THINGS ON TOP OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED. SO, UH, READY, EXCITED TO HAVE YOU, AND THANKS AGAIN FOR STEPPING UP. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. THANKS, MANNY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU. AND POSITION SIX AND SEVEN. UM, THIS IS TO, UM, THE REINVESTMENT ZONE 20, UM, AS WELL AS THE YEAH. AND THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD. UH, POSITION ONE IS DENNIS CORKY FOWLER. UH, POSITION TWO IS WELCOME. WILSON JUNIOR. UH, THREE IS KENNETH LEE. FOUR IS STEVEN LEE. FIVE IS SA SA VALENTINE. SIX IS DALE ADA DAVIDSON. AND SEVEN IS, UH, ROS FRED BAND. OKAY. LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF THEM. UM, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S IT ON THE APPOINTMENTS. AND THAT WAS ONE THROUGH, THAT WAS ONE THROUGH SEVEN. ONE THROUGH SEVEN. OKAY, MADAM SECRETARY, UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY, ITEM 10 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATE, A MOVE SECOND. WE'VE BEEN MOVING THE SECOND ON ITEM 10, DISCUSSION ON 10. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. ITEM 11 NEEDS A MOTION. KAT MOVE. SECOND MOVED. AND SECOND ITEM 11. DISCUSSION ITEM 11, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS. CATEGORY ITEMS 12 THROUGH 14. NEED A MOTION CAST MOVE SECOND, THE MOVED. AND SECOND ON ITEMS 12 THROUGH 14. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANTED UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY ITEMS 18, 19, 26 AND 31 HAVE BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 18, 19, 26, AND 31 HAVE BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ARE 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 30, 33, 34, 35, AND 37. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 15, [04:40:01] 20 THROUGH 23 30, 33 THROUGH 35 AND 37. NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED AND GRANTED, I HAD TO [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM 15 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 15. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KUBA. AND ITEM 15, MAYOR, I'M GONNA BE TAGGING THIS. AND THE REASON IS I, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UH, WHAT, UH, CRITERIA WAS, UH, WAS IT TO SELECT THESE PARTICULAR, UH, SIX, UH, COMMUNITIES. AND, UH, I'M INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW, HOW THEY WERE SELECTED. AND, UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THE, THE STATEMENT HAS BEEN THAT THEY HAVE SHOWN INTEREST. UH, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW THAT WAS DETERMINED. AND I, I'LL RELEASE MY TAG FOR ANY DISCUSSION. OKAY. WELL, I, CONCERNING TANYA, YES, YOU HEARD FROM MINE YESTERDAY, UM, THAT WERE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES WHO CAME IN SUPPORT. AND SO WE CHOSE AREAS WHERE COMMUNITY HAS DEMONSTRATED, UH, CONSIDERABLE SUPPORT. THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE, UM, AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THEMSELVES. OKAY. AND I THINK THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW THE DISTRICT EXTREMELY WELL. SO YOU HAVE, UM, MAGNOLIA, UH, PLACE METHOD EDITION, AND COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS CONCERNINGLY SPEAK TODAY. HE SPOKE TO IT YESTERDAY. AND THEN YOU HAD, YOU HEARD REPRESENTATIVES YESTERDAY, UH, WITH RESPECT TO, UM, FREEMANS TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN IS HERE. YOU HEARD FROM REPRESENTATIVE, UH, FROM FREEMANS TOWN ON YESTERDAY. UH, YOU HAVE, UH, PLEASANTVILLE. AND, UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON IS HERE. WE'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE IN PLEASANTVILLE WHO WANT IT. UH, INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS COUNCIL MEMBER CI IS HERE, DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER. AND YOU'VE SEEN, HEARD FROM TANYA DUBOSE, UH, WHO, WHO THEY, UH, WHO THEY WANTED, UH, DID I LEAVE OUT THE ONE PINEY POINT, PINEY POINT COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS IS HERE. IN FACT, I TOURED PINEY POINT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, MORE THAN A YEAR OVER A YEAR AGO. AND THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT. SO, UM, THAT'S WHY THEY WERE CHOSEN, AND WE HEARD FROM OTHERS AND AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WANTED THIS TO BE MORE NARROWLY DRAWN. AND SO WE HAVE DONE THAT. AND THESE ARE SIX PILOTS, UM, THAT WE, UM, UM, PUTTING FORTH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. AND THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE. AND, AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, MAYOR, IT'S HARD FOR ME NOT TO AGREE WITH, UH, WITH ALL OF THESE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT I KNOW, SUCH AS COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS AND MAGNOLIA PARK AND MANCHESTER, I KNOW HE KNOWS HIS DISTRICT VERY, VERY WELL. UH, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, IS THERE ANY, UH, DATA, EMPIRICAL DATA OTHER THAN THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WANTING TO, TO DO IT, OR THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD? HAS THERE BEEN ANY, ANY, ANY MEASURE OF THE COMMUNITY ITSELF, UH, OVER A PERIOD OF TIME? I, I'M JUST, THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA BE LOOKING FOR, MAYOR. WELL, I WILL, I WILL CERTAINLY TELL YOU THAT THAT'S NUMBER ONE. IT'S A PILOT PROGRAM UTILIZING THESE SIX DISTRICTS, THESE SIX, UH, COMMUNITIES WHERE THE COMMUNITIES HAVE EXPRESSED STRONG INTEREST FOR IT. WE HAVE WORKED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WITH THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS. I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK YOU CAN TALK TO THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS. I THINK THEY KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS QUITE, QUITE WELL. BUT IT IS A, IT IS A PILOT, UM, UM, WITH THE ATTEND OF SUPPORTING THEIR COMMUNITIES, PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL TOOL FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES, UH, WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID THEY DIDN'T WANT. UM, THE CITY FLOODED WITH THESE, UM, UM, REQUESTS. THEY DIDN'T WANT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT GOING OUT THERE AND REACHING AND GRABBING THEM IN. AND SO THESE ARE THE, THE WAY THE ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN, IT ONLY DEALS WITH THESE SIX. THEY DON'T DEAL WITH ANY OTHER COMMUNITIES. WILL THEY STILL, WILL THEY STILL GET TO VOTE? MAYOR? YES. THIS JUST INITIATES THE PROCESS. THIS JUST INITIATES IT. AND SO WE'LL BE, WE WILL CONTINUE THE ENGAGEMENT, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITIES. THEY STILL HAVE TO REACH OUT TO EVERYBODY IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND THEN THOSE, THOSE INDIVIDUALS STILL HAVE TO VOTE. NOTICES ARE GIVEN OUT TO EVERY PROPERTY OWNER IN THE, IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. SO THEY VOTE. IF SOMEONE DOESN'T RESPOND, THAT'S, THAT'S CHARACTERIZED AS A NO VOTE. IF YOU DON'T RESPOND, THAT'S A NO VOTE. UM, AND THEN ONCE THEY VOTE, THEN IT GOES TO HAHC, [04:45:01] UH, FOR A VOTE. UH, AND THEN IT COMES BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOR A THREE FIFTHS VOTE. THAT'S THE PROCESS. THIS INITIATES THE PROCESS. THIS IS NOT THE DONE DEAL. THERE ARE SEVERAL STEPS THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH BEFORE IT COMES BACK HERE. OKAY? COMES MEMBER GALLS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN HERE AT THE HORSESHOE AS LONG AS I HAVE. UH, WE'RE ON OUR 10TH YEAR. WE'VE, WE'VE SERVED UNDER TWO MAYORS. UM, AND I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BEEN BRINGING UP, UH, IN REGARDS TO NEIGHBORHOODS IN OUR CITY, OLD NEIGHBORHOODS IN OUR CITY, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS IN OUR CITY, UH, THAT ARE LOSING THEIR CHARACTER. THEY'RE LOSING THEIR HOUSING STOCK. UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF THESE OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS DON'T HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS, SO THEREFORE, THEY'RE AT A DISADVANTAGE WHERE THEY CAN'T PROTECT THE CHARACTER OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. YOU ASK FOR DATA. THE DATA THAT I CAN GIVE YOU IS THAT I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MAGNOLIA PARK. MY PARENTS MOVED THERE BACK IN THE 1920S WHEN THEY CAME FROM MEXICO. THIS IS A HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS FOUNDED BACK IN THE 19 HUNDREDS. THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WOODEN FRAME HOMES THAT ARE THERE, BUT WE'RE LOSING THOSE HOMES. AND SINCE THESE NEIGHBORHOODS DON'T HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS, I MEAN, THE FUTURE ONLY HOLDS WHERE MANY OF THOSE HOMES ARE GONNA BE TAKEN DOWN. AND THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT A NEIGHBOR IS A NEIGHBORHOOD IS BEING FORCED TO DO. LIKE THE MAYOR STATED, THEY'LL BE GOING TO MEETINGS, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WILL BE PRESENTING, THEY'LL BE GIVING OPTIONS AS TO WHAT THEY CHOOSE IF THEY CHOOSE TO PROTECT THE CHARACTER OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT IT'S A TOOL THAT THESE NEIGHBORHOODS DON'T HAVE NOW. AND I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR FOR INITIATING THIS. AND THIS IS SOMETHING, AGAIN, THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING TO, BEEN TALKING ABOUT HERE AT THE HORSESHOE. WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS? UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOSING THE CHARACTER OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, AND, AND MANY OF THESE, LIKE I SAID, MAGNOLIA PARK FROM THE 19 HUNDREDS. I MEAN, IT WAS PART OF THE HARRISBURG SETTLEMENT WAY BACK WHEN, UH, THAT AREA, WHICH WAS FOUNDED 10 YEARS BEFORE THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR HISTORY. UH, SO THAT'S WHY I DO SUPPORT THIS. IT'S NOT, AGAIN, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S BEING FORCED ON A NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY'LL, THEY'LL BE MEETING WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. PLANNING DEPARTMENT WILL BE EXPLAINING THE PROCESS. THEY'LL BE GIVEN OPTIONS AS TO WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROTECT, IF THEY CHOOSE TO PROTECT. UH, SO IT'S NOT BEING FORCED, BUT IT IS A TOOL, SOMETHING THAT'S DESPERATELY NEEDED. AND THAT'S WHY I SUPPORT THIS. THANK, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I'LL, I'LL COME AT IT A A DIFFERENT WAY. UM, IT'S NOT JUST THE CHARACTER OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT'S BEING PROTECTED, IT'S THE FACT THAT HISTORY IS LITERALLY BEING ERASED IN SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS, AGAIN, MAYOR, AS YOU SAID, IT INITIATES A PROCESS. THE EMPIRICAL DATA IS THE ENGAGEMENT, IT'S THE, UM, SUPPORT THAT COMES IN ON IT. IT'S THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS. AND I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO DIRECTOR, UM, WALLACE BROWN AND HER TEAM, EVEN AT, UH, LAST WEEK AT A SEPARATE EVENT IN FRIEDMANS TOWN. UM, THEY HAD SIGNS UP THERE, THEY HAD HANDOUTS THERE. I'VE BEEN MAKING PERSONAL CALLS. WE HAD RESIDENTS COMING TO SPEAK, UM, EVERYTHING WE CAN TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THIS PROCESS AND GET QUESTIONS ANSWERED. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF EXAMINING. AND MAYOR, WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID IT'S THESE SIX AND IT'S LIMITED, AND IT'S BASED ON THAT DESIRE, BUT THESE ARE ALSO SIX, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS, NOT JUST WITH HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE CITY, BUT FOR THE COUNTRY. UH, SO I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE LOST IN THE CONVERSATION THAT, OH, IT'S JUST THESE SIX NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DO WANT THIS. IT'S ALSO THESE SIX NEIGHBORHOODS WITH HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE THAT WE ARE SEEING, UH, ERASED VERY QUICKLY. UH, I IF, IF IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU, BECAUSE I DID HAVE SOME, UH, QUESTIONS FOR LEGAL ON THIS BASED ON SOME RESIDENT FEEDBACK. IF I COULD INQUIRE BRIEFLY, UM, [04:50:01] CITY ATTORNEY, IT WAS BRAISED YESTERDAY. UM, CONCERN ABOUT THERE MAY NOT BE AN APPEALS PROCESS. IS THERE A FORMAL APPEALS BODY, OR HAS THAT BEEN DETERMINED? UH, IT, IT PROVIDES, I THINK, FOR THE, UH, HISTORICAL ARCHEOLOGICAL COMMISSION TO, UH, ULTIMATELY PASS ON ANY, UH, ANY APPEAL. OKAY. SO THERE IS A FORMAL APPEALS PROCESS. AND, UM, DO WE KNOW IF THIS, UH, ORDINANCE CONFLICTS WITH FEDERAL PROTECTIONS OR PRESERVATION GUIDANCE OR APPROVALS? UH, NO. WE CONSULTED WITH A, UM, UH, UH, A NATIONAL REGISTER EXPERT AND CONFIRM THAT THIS DOESN'T VIOLATE, UH, OR IMPEDE ANY OF THE, OF THE FEDERAL PROTECTIONS. AND IN FACT, WE'RE TOLD THAT THE ONLY WAY TO TRULY PROTECT AND PREVENT DEMOLITION, IT HAS TO BE BY A LOCAL INITIATIVE. SO THIS MAY ASSIST IN THAT EFFORT. OKAY. SO ONE, THE CITY WOULD STILL FOLLOW NATIONAL CORRECT REQUIREMENTS, FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, AND TWO, WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING, WHICH I WASN'T AWARE OF, CURRENTLY, UM, THERE'S NO FEDERAL PROTECTIONS EVEN UNDER THE NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICTS FROM DEMOLITION. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTAND. YEAH. SO THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT THE DEMOLITION OF SOME OF THESE HOMES. IT, IT'LL ASSIST IN THAT EFFORT, YOU KNOW, AND IF I'M INCORRECT HERE, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, AND, AND TOLD AFTERWARDS, I'LL, I WILL LET THE, THIS BODY KNOW. BUT THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTOOD. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE CHALLENGE WE'RE FACING, AND I'M FACING THIS THROUGHOUT DISTRICT C, IS THE BURDEN FALLS SO HEAVILY ON RESIDENTS FOR AN TO CHALLENGE AN INDIVIDUAL SITE RIGHT NOW, UH, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE HAVING TO REACT, PLOT BY PLOT TO THESE ISSUES, AND WE CAN'T KEEP UP WITH IT. AND THINGS ARE FALLING THROUGH. UM, AND THE CHALLENGES WE'RE FACED WITH RIGHT NOW, WE NEED MORE TOOLS. SO, MAYOR, I, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE URGENCY ADDED TO THIS ISSUE. UH, AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING IT. UH, COUNCILMAN KOSH, I, I RESPECT YOUR NEED TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS. UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, WAS VERY MUCH HOPING WE COULD BE VOTING TODAY ON THIS, GIVEN, UM, HOW IMPORTANT A MATTER THIS IS FOR THESE AREAS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. UM, I WANNA PUT ON MY, UH, FACULTY MEMBER HAT, UM, REGARDING CONSERVATION DISTRICTS, BECAUSE I TEACH, UH, IN THE, UH, PROGRAM OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO CULTURAL HERITAGE AND PRESERVATION. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GIVE, UM, AN ACADEMIC CONCEPT. SO THERE'S A, A THEORY, UM, ASSET BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THERE'S NINE PRINCIPLES. ONE OF THOSE PRINCIPLES IS CITIZEN LED. ANOTHER ONE IS, LISTEN, ANOTHER ONE IS TO ASK, TO ASK THE PEOPLE AND TO ALLOW THE PEOPLE TO DRIVE THEIR PRIORITIES. AND THIS IS WHAT WE SEE, WHAT THE IDENTIFIED PILOTS. OVER 20 MONTHS AGO, MAYOR TURNER WAS THE FIRST MAYOR, UH, TO VISIT PINEY POINT, THE ACTUAL NEIGHBORHOOD. WE WALKED EVERY STREET, BEVERLY HILL, JARVIS, CLARK CREST, WE SAW BULLET HOLES IN DOORS. WE SAW LOTS WHERE PEOPLE WERE ATTEMPTING TO BUILD DENTAL OFFICES IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, CAR, UH, MECHANIC SHOPS THAT HAVE, UM, TAKEN RESIDENTIAL LOTS, AND THEY'RE NOW A TIRE SHOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. PINEY POINT ONCE HAD FIVE NEIGHBORHOODS. THOSE FREED SLAVES STARTED A CEMETERY. IT STILL EXISTS. UH, PILGRIMS REST, WHICH, IF WE GO BY THE NUMBERS, IS THE OLDEST CHURCH IN THE, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. BEFORE ANTIOCH, PILGRIM REST WAS JUST IN THE COUNTY. IT WASN'T ANNEXED YET. IF WE KNOW OUR HISTORY THAT STILL EXISTS, PINEY POINT ELEMENTARY, THAT LAND WAS DONATED BY THOSE PEOPLE FOR THAT SCHOOL TO HISD. THIS IS THE HISTORY OF THIS COMMUNITY. SO WHEN WE WANNA TALK ABOUT DATA OR WHERE IT'S COMING FROM, IF YOU LOOK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S GONE. THOSE FIVE NEIGHBORHOODS, PINEY POINT, HARLEM HEIGHTS RIDGE, BLOSSOM HEIGHTS, AND CAR CREST. ONLY TWO EXIST TODAY. 100 WOOD FRAME HOMES, CARVER CREST, AND THE SCATTERED SITES OF BLOSSOM HEIGHTS. THAT'S IT. SO THESE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT SAID, WE WANT CONSERVATION DISTRICTS. WE BROUGHT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT INTO THE CIVIC CLUB 20 MONTHS AGO. WE BROUGHT CITY LEGAL IN, AND WE SAID, HERE ARE YOUR OPTIONS. THEY SAID, WE WANT A CONSERVATION DISTRICT. THIS WORKS BEST FOR US BECAUSE THE ISSUE IS THE ELDERS ARE LEAVING, THE HISTORY IS LEAVING. AND WHEN YOU DRIVE DOWN FONDANT, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT YOU'RE IN A FREEMAN'S TOWN. WHEN YOU DRIVE DOWN DUNVILLE, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THAT IS PINEY POINT BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED. SO THIS IS AN EFFORT FOR US TO ALLOW CITIZEN LED DEVELOPMENT TO HAPPEN. OFTENTIMES IN THE HORSESHOE, WE TALK ABOUT WHAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE DOING, HOW WE SHOULD NOT INSERT, WELL, WE'RE ALLOWING THE PEOPLE TO INSERT, AND WE'RE ALLOWING THE PEOPLE TO LEAD, AND THIS IS WHAT THIS IS. AND SO WHAT WE WANNA DO IS HALT GENTRIFICATION, BUT ALSO EMPOWER THEM TO PROTECT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SO THAT THEIR LOVED ONES CAN COME IN AND NOT SAY, 20 YEARS AGO, THAT USED TO BE PINEY POINT 20 [04:55:01] YEARS AGO, THAT USED TO BE ACRES HOLMES 20 YEARS AGO, THAT USED TO BE MANCHESTER. RIGHT? THEY'LL BE ABLE TO PRESERVE THAT. SO I THINK THE CONVERSATION IS GOOD, BUT I, I WILL SAY THIS. I WAS ON TWITTER, AND I REALLY NEED TO STAY OFF OF TWITTER , BUT I, I, I, BUT I WAS SHOCKED AT THE COMMENTARY OF, OF, OF PEOPLE SAYING, VOTE NO AGAINST THIS. WHEN THEY DON'T LIVE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY COULDN'T PUT THEIR FINGER ON THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY WOULDN'T SHOP IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY WON'T PURCHASE A HOME IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT YET THEY ARE SAYING, VOTE NO. THEY WOULDN'T FIND THEMSELVES IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND SO I, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO, UM, START LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE AND NOT WHEN IT'S JUST CONVENIENT TO US. AND HERE'S THE DEAL. WHEN IT'S THE FLEXIBILITY WITH THIS PROGRAM, IT ALLOWS THEM TO CHOOSE FOR THEMSELVES WHEN MANY TIMES THEY HAVE NOT HAD THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE. MANY OF THESE, UM, ELDERS DON'T HAVE THE LANGUAGE TO COME TO CITY HALL AND UNDERSTAND PERMITTING AND PROCESSING AND ORDINANCE. THEY DON'T KNOW THAT. ALL THEY KNOW IS THAT MAN IS SQUATTING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. ALL THEY KNOW IS THAT SOMEONE HAS PURCHASED UP THESE LOTS AND THEY'RE BUILDING SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T FIT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, COUPLED WITH THE GLO, RIGHT? THAT'S ALL THEY KNOW. AND SO, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THEIR INTEREST, NOT JUST FOR INDIVIDUALS, BUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT FOR WHO WE ARE AS A CITY. SO I, I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO VOTING YES ON THIS WHEN THIS RETURNS. BUT I REALLY WANNA ENCOURAGE US WHEN WE LOOK AT TALKING, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS, TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY. WE ARE EMPOWERING THEM TO TAKE OWNERSHIP. AND THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE MANY TOOLS. THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN KNOX. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I APPRECIATE ALL THESE COMMENTS. I REALLY DO. AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA FOR THIS, UH, THIS PARTICULAR THING. HOWEVER, A 51% APPROVAL RATING, UM, IS A PITTING NEIGHBOR AGAINST NEIGHBOR. THAT MEANS HALF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WANTS IT AND HALF THE NEIGHBORHOOD DOESN'T. WE ALSO HAVE TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF NEIGHBORHOODS IN THIS CITY. WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH DEED RESTRICTIONS, AND WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS WITHOUT. AND UNDENIABLY, IF WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD WITHOUT DEED RESTRICTIONS, THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM. BUT WITH NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DO HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS, UM, THEY COULD ADD TO THEIR DEED RESTRICTIONS WITH 51% GOING INTO THIS CONSERV CONSERVATION DISTRICT. THEY COULD ADD TO THEIR EXISTING, UM, UH, DEED RESTRICTIONS BY REGULATION OF THE CITY, UM, EFFECTIVELY CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADJUST OR CHANGE YOUR DEED RESTRICTIONS WITH 51% OF THE, THE PROPERTY OWNERS, AGAIN, PITTING NEIGHBOR AGAINST NEIGHBOR. I THINK WHEN WE HAVE, WHEN WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT WE INTRODUCE AS PILOT PROGRAMS, WHAT THAT IS, IS THE CAMEL'S NOSE UNDER THE TENT. NOW, THIS PROGRAM IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FOR NEIGHBORHOODS WITHOUT DEED RESTRICTIONS, BUT MAYBE WE ARE, BEFORE WE DO THIS, MAYBE WE ARE TO CONSIDER, UH, DOING A TWO-TIERED SYSTEM WHERE IF YOU HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS, YOU HAVE TO MEET A HIGHER GOAL. ACTUALLY, I'D LOVE TO SEE A 66%, UH, APPROVAL. 'CAUSE IF IT'S THAT POPULAR IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IT SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM TO GET THE, THAT KIND OF STUFF. BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO A PILOT PROGRAM, UH, FOR THESE SIX NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH WILL LATER BECOME THE POLICY OF THE CITY, UM, VERY QUIETLY, I'M SURE, AT SOME FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING. UM, AND THEN WE WILL BE INTERJECTING THIS CONSERVATION DISTRICT INTO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ALREADY HAVE EXISTING DEED RESTRICTIONS, WHO WILL BE ABLE TO ADD TO OR SU SUPPLEMENT THEIR DEED RESTRICTIONS WITH THIS CONSERVATION DISTRICT. I, AND I THINK THAT'S A BAD IDEA. THAT'S A BAD, BAD PUBLIC POLICY. LET'S PULL IT BACK AND LET'S WAIT AND SEE UNTIL WE GET THE ENTIRE THING DONE, UH, WHERE IT'S FAIR TO EVERYONE. UM, THAT'S MY COMMENT. THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, I KNOW THAT, THAT, UM, CONSTITUENTS OF MINE THAT LIVE IN INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED LISTENING TO THIS CONVERSATION, THAT THIS IS BEING TAGGED. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO THEM. AND, AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, THAT THEIR ADVOCACY FOR THIS PREDATES YOUR TERM ON COUNCIL, BECAUSE THERE, IN, UM, IN, IN 2012, WHICH WAS 11 YEARS AGO, THEY WERE PART OF, UM, A GO NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN. THERE WAS A, A 65 PAGE DOCUMENT THAT CAME OUTTA THAT 250 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN IT. AND IT HAS BEEN A GUIDING DOCUMENT FOR INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS SINCE THEN. THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PEOPLE, THE RESIDENTS THERE. THIS IS WHAT THEY HOLD UP AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT FOR US. AND, AND IN THERE, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE, THERE'S A SECTION ON ART, CULTURE AND PRESERVATION, AND THEY, AND THEY, THERE'S A PLACE TO RANK, YOU KNOW, HIGH, UM, MEDIUM, LOW, ALL THE POINTS THERE ARE HIGH, HIGH, HIGH, HIGH. THEY WANT THIS, THEY WANT THIS. THEY, THEY WANT TO PRESERVE THEIR HERITAGE THROUGH HISTORIC PRESERVATION [05:00:01] AND CELEBRATE THE RICH HISTORY AND DIVERSE CULTURE THAT IS ACTUALLY VERY MUCH UNDER THREAT. UM, INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS IS, IS CLOSE INTO DOWNTOWN. IT'S A DESIRABLE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT PEOPLE ARE DISCOVERING AND, AND, AND SNAPPING UP PROPERTIES AND, AND, AND CREATING NEW DEVELOPMENTS THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, DON'T NECESSARILY FIT IN WITH THE CHARACTER OR RECOGNIZE OR, UH, THE HISTORY OR, YOU KNOW, REALLY ERASE THE PAST. THAT THERE, IT'S SLIPPING AWAY. AND, AND IT'S, THEY, WHILE THEY WELCOME, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GROWTH AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND, UM, THERE, THERE'S ALSO A, A HUGE PASSION TO PROTECT THAT HISTORY. AND, AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART. THEY ARE WORKING HARD TO, TO HAVE ENOUGH TO BE, UM, CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE EMANCIPATION TRAIL. THEY WANNA CELEBRATE THAT THIS SUMMER DURING JUNETEENTH. THEY'RE ANXIOUS TO GET GOING. AND, AND THIS IS ANOTHER DELAY THAT I THINK IS VERY FRUSTRATING TO THAT, TO THAT COMMUNITY, JUST SO YOU KNOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN JACK? OH, NO, I, I FORGOT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS IS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN MUNICIPALITY IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS. IT'S AN IMPORTANT COMMUNITY. IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT COMMUNITY THAT DESERVES, YOU KNOW, OUR CONSIDERATION IN PROTECTING IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN JACKSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I TOO ECHO MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE NEED FOR, UM, THIS INITIATIVE. FIRST, I WANNA THANK YOU AND DIRECTOR, UM, BROWN. UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH HER IN THE A ACRES HOMES COMMUNITY, THE PLEASANTVILLE COMMUNITY, THE HOUSTON GARDEN. WE ACTUALLY TRIED TO ADD THE HOUSTON GARDEN, UM, COMMUNITY TO THIS. UM, AS YOU GUYS, UM, KNOW, UM, WHAT LAST YEAR WE WERE FIGHTING THE, THE, UM, HOMES BEING BUILT IN PLEASANTVILLE THAT DOES NOT MEET THE CHARACTER. AND IF YOU GO INTO ACRES HOMES RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE THREE STORY HIGH RISE, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEXES OR HOMES BEING BUILT, UM, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND I GREW UP IN ACRE HOMES. AND WHEN YOU GO THERE, IT IS NOT RECOGNIZABLE. AND SO THIS WILL GIVE THE RESIDENTS A TOOL TO PROTECT THE CULTURE, UM, TO PROTECT THE, PROTECT THE CHARACTER OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND, UM, I SUPPORTED A HUNDRED PERCENT THE CONSTITUENTS SUPPORTED, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT. SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOU MOVING THIS FORWARD. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GEICOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, IN, IN REGARDS TO THE, TRYING TO PUT SOME FEAR OUT THERE THAT, UH, THIS CONSERVATION DISTRICT EVENTUALLY IS GOING TO OVERRIDE DEED RESTRICTIONS, UH, THAT IS NOT TRUE. UH, HOUSTON COUNTRY CLUB PLAYS A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I LIVE IN, WHICH IS THERE IN THE EAST END, NAMED AFTER THE FORMER HOUSTON COUNTRY CLUB, WHICH IS NOW THE GUS WORTHHAM GOLF COURSE DEVELOPED BACK IN 1941. WE HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS, AND IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO GO OUT AND AMEND DEED RESTRICTIONS. AND THAT'S WHY NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE TO COME IN AND TRY TO AMEND THE DEED RESTRICTIONS AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, UH, RUIN THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THIS CONSERVATION DISTRICT WILL NOT OVERRIDE DEED RESTRICTIONS. WHAT IT WILL DO, ONCE AGAIN, IS HELP PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS, THAT WANNA PROTECT THE CHARACTER IN THE HISTORY OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. WE'RE LOSING THE, THE, THE, THESE NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE INNER CITY AND THE HISTORY, AND THIS, AGAIN, IS JUST A TOOL COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, TO PROTECT THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. SO I'M ASKING IF YOU COULD PLEASE DROP YOUR TAG UNTIL WE CAN VOTE ON THIS. AGAIN, THESE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT NEED PROTECTION. AND AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THESE NEIGHBORHOODS WHEN WE ARE BEING ASKED TO DO SO. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON THE DEED RESTRICTION ISSUE AND HOW HARD IT IS IN GARDEN OAKS OAK FOREST, WHERE THEY HAVE DISCRIMINATORY LANGUAGE THAT IS BY LAW FEDERALLY NOT ENFORCEABLE, BUT THE LANGUAGE REMAINED ON THE BOOKS NOT ALLOWING BLACK FAMILIES TO LIVE THERE. IT TOOK THE RESIDENTS, US SUPPORTING THEM, GOING TO THE LEGISLATURE TO CHANGE STATE LAW, TO, FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO AMEND AND REMOVE THAT LANGUAGE, EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T EVEN ENFORCEABLE. THE FACT THAT IT WAS ON THE BOOKS IS UNACCEPTABLE, AND THEY WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. AND THEY HAD TO GET THE STATE LAW CHANGED JUST TO CHANGE THEIR DEED RESTRICTIONS. I HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS IN OTHER PARTS OF DISTRICT C THAT DO NOT ALLOW JEWISH FAMILIES TO LIVE THERE. DEED RESTRICTIONS ARE IN PLACE BECAUSE IT, SPECIFICALLY, AS IT WAS POINTED OUT, SO THAT THEY CANNOT BE CHANGED. THAT'S HOW HARD IT IS. FRIEDMANS TOWN DOES NOT HAVE DEED RESTRICTIONS. SHADY ACRES, WHICH ISN'T INCLUDED, WHERE I HAVE HUN MULTI HUNDRED, [05:05:01] 300 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEXES GOING UP DOWN THE BLOCK FROM ORIGINAL LOG CABINS BUILT FROM HOUSTON FORESTS. AND THAT'S NOT INCLUDED. BUT THE AREAS THAT ARE INCLUDED HAVE BEEN ASKED FOR BY THE RESIDENTS, HAVE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND DO NOT HAVE OTHER MEASURES. AS CITY ATTORNEY POINTED OUT, TO PROTECT AGAINST THE DEMOLITION OF THESE HOMES, WHICH IS HAPPENING. THIS ISN'T JUST PIE IN THE SKY. WE ARE LOSING THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE HISTORY IS BEING ERASED. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. I, I JUST WANT TO, UM, ADD, UM, I HAVE THREE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE HOAS, UH, TANGO OUT WESTMONT AND CARVER CREST, WHICH IS PINEY POINT. AND, UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'M HOSTING A D RESTRICTION WORKSHOP BECAUSE THEY CANNOT UPDATE THEIR COVENANTS. I'M ALSO THE CHAIR OF THE COVENANT COMMITTEE FOR MY HOA AND THOSE COVENANTS HAVE, WERE CREATED IN 1979. AND IT IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO GET THE MAJORITY OF HOMEOWNERS TO RESPOND TO UPDATE OUR COVENANTS. AND I'VE BEEN CHAIR FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. SO I, THAT, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S IT'S NOT REAL. UM, UH, SECONDLY, TO SPEAK TO THE ISSUE OF NEW DEVELOPMENT, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A, A PART OF THE CHALLENGE. SO, ON AMANDA LANE, UH, IN CARVER CREST, WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, DEVELOPING EIGHT TO 10 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. UM, THIS BODY VOTED AND AUTHORIZED THAT FUNDING, UM, TO INFIELD, UM, AREAS TO REPLACE HOUSING. AND THE COMMUNITY IS WELCOMING THAT WITH OPEN ARMS. THEY WANT THE NEW DEVELOPMENT. IT'S ABOUT DESIGN. IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE YOU DON'T TOWER OVER THEIR RANCH STYLE HOMES, UM, THEIR WOOD FRAME HOMES WITH A FOUR STORY TOWN HOME. UM, AND, AND MAYOR, ATTORNEY, YOU'VE BEEN, UM, TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. AND SO THE ISSUE, AND I, I, I KNOW INDUSTRY HAS SENT SOME LETTERS, WE'RE WELCOMING NEW DESIGN. REVITALIZATION IS A PART OF THAT, AND THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THAT, AND THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO RETURN BACK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES WERE LOST. SO I WANNA CHALLENGE THAT IDEA THAT THESE COMMUNITIES ARE NOT WELCOMING NEW DEVELOPMENT. THAT IS A TOOL FOR REVITALIZATION. HOWEVER, WHAT WE ARE ASKING IS FOR THEM TO DESIGN WITH THE COMMUNITY IN MIND. AND THAT IS NOT AN ISSUE ABOUT ZONING, THAT'S NOT A, SOMETHING ABOUT PERMITTING. THIS IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT WHEN YOU COME INTO THESE COMMUNITIES, BE VERY MINDFUL ABOUT HOW YOU'RE DESIGNING AND WHAT YOU'RE DESIGNING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO, LAST THING, LEMME JUST SAY THIS ONLY STARTS THE PROCESS. IT STARTS THE PROCESS. IT'S NOT THE END. THIS GIVES THE GREEN LIGHT TO START. WHAT I DID HEAR FROM THE SPEAKERS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO IS THAT THEY WERE FEARFUL THAT WE WOULD GET ALL THESE APPLICATIONS COMING FROM ALL OVER THE CITY. OKAY? THAT WAS LEGITIMATE. THAT WAS LEGITIMATE. SO I TOLD, TOLD MY TEAM, NARROW THIS ORDINANCE, NARROW IT, AND LET US START AS A PILOT, COUNCIL MEMBER, KN LET'S START AS A PILOT. AND LET'S START IN AREAS WHERE THE COMMUNITY HAS SHOWN CONSIDERABLE INTEREST. AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE DONE. BUT THIS STARTS, THE PROCESS STILL HAS TO BE A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT NOTIFICATION TO THE, TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS. THEN IT GOES TO HHHC, THEN IT COMES BACK TO CITY COUNCIL. IT REQUIRES A THREE FIFTH VOTE. AND WHAT I HAVE SAID IS THAT, UH, THE ORDINANCE IS SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN TO JUST DEAL WITH ONLY THESE SIX, NO OTHERS. AND THESE ARE THE ONLY, THIS IS ONLY WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH DURING MY TERM. THIS IS IT, IT IS NARROWLY DRAWN AND THIS IS IT. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, NO MORE DISCUSSION. YOU'RE INSTITUTING IT. I, I'M, I'M KEEP, OKAY. ALRIGHT. THE ITEM IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN KOSH. I, I'LL HEAR FROM YOU. COUNCIL ? MM-HMM . OKAY. ALRIGHT. NEXT ITEM. ITEM 20 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ITEM 20. DISCUSSION ON ITEM 20. DISCUSSION ON 20. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 20. MAYOR, I HAD A QUESTION ON 20. IF I COULD ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY. SURE. UH, CONCERNING THIS, UH, SETTLEMENT WITH, UH, WITH STAPLES, UH, IS THIS IN REFERENCE? UH, 'CAUSE I'M TRYING TO GO BACK IN, IN MEMORY WHEN I WAS READING ALL THE DOCUMENTS. WAS THIS ON A, ON AN OVERBILLING MATTER THAT WE HAD HAD AT SOME TIME IN THE PAST? UM, [05:10:01] YES. IT RELATES, UM, DURING COVID, UH, WE RENTED, UM, UH, OFFICE EQUIPMENT ESSENTIALLY AND OTHER THINGS, AND WE UNDERESTIMATED THE PERIOD OF TIME WE WOULD NEED IT, AND WE KEPT IT LONGER. AND SO WE INCURRED THESE CHARGES AND SO WE REACHED A SETTLEMENT TO PAY THE AMOUNT THAT, UH, WE, THAT THE AMOUNT DUE FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME WE USED THE, UH, THE, THE GOODS AND MATERIALS. WHAT WERE THEY ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET FROM US? WELL, THEY, THEY WERE RENTING US, UH, UH, OFFICE EQUIPMENT, CHAIRS AND DESKS AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT. AND, UH, WE, WE ARE PAYING THIS PAYMENT WILL REFLECT THE, THE PAYMENT ORIGINALLY CONTRACTED FOR, BUT FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME WE ACTUALLY USE THE, THE ITEMS. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT ITEM. COUNCIL. I'M SORRY. COUNCILOR. MAYOR . THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST TO ADD TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S QUESTION, SO DID WE USE GENERAL FUND MONEY IN THE FIRST PLACE AND BEING, WERE REIMBURSED, WERE USING GENERAL FUND? OR DID WE USE, UM, EITHER COVID RELATED FUNDING? THAT, I'M NOT SURE. I'LL HAVE TO GET THE ANSWER F FOR YOU FOR THAT. I WILL ADD THAT STRATEGIC PURCHASING HAS A NEW SYSTEM IN PLACE AND WILL ALLOW US TO TRACK, UH, EXPENDITURES EARLIER THAN CURRENTLY NOW, WHICH IS WHEN THE INVOICE HITS. THAT SHOULD HELP TO AVOID PROBLEMS LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT, NEXT ITEM, ITEM 21 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ITEM 21. IT'S BEING TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH? YES. NEXT, ITEM 22 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER. OH, DO YOU? WHO'S TAGGED IT? COUNCILMAN K COUNCIL 22 HAS BEEN TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN KOOSH. YOU WANT TAG? NO, I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT IT. 22 IS TAGGED. 22 IS TAGGED BY I'LL COUNCILMAN KNOX. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, SO EVIDENTLY OUR CONTRACT WITH THE COUNTY HAS EXPIRED AND, AND WE'RE STILL NEGOTIATING A FEE FOR THE JOINT PROCESSING CENTER? NO. WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING IS THAT THE, UH, COUNTY WAS, UH, CHARGING US A LOT MORE THAN WE THOUGHT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING. MM-HMM . AND SO, UM, WE REFUSED TO PAY IT AND THEN THEY WENT BACK INTO THE TABLE AND REACHED AN AGREEMENT THAT LOWERED THE AMOUNT THAT THE CITY TO PAY. OKAY. SO WHAT I'M READING HERE ON, ON THE BACKUP MATERIAL HERE OF THAT, UH, IN MAY OF 22, THE FIXED FEE OF 14 MILLION FROM MARCH 1ST, 21 TO FEBRUARY 28TH WAS AGREED UPON. AND THEN A SECOND FIXED FEE OF 14 MILLION FROM MARCH 1ST OF 22 TO FEBRUARY 28TH OF 23, WHICH WAS LAST MONTH. UM, AND SO THE CITY'S IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE COUNTY ON THE PAYMENT TERMS ARE, ARE WE NEGOTIATING A DIFFERENT FLAT FEE OR ARE WE GOING TO GO WITH A PER ARREST KIND OF APPROACH WHEN WE, WHEN WE SEND PEOPLE OVER TO THE JOINT PROCESSING? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE'VE, WE NEGOTIATED THE FLAT FEE AMOUNT, WHICH IS, WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN WHAT THEY CLAIM. WE OWED THEM LESS THAN THE 14 MILLION THAT WE'RE PAYING RIGHT NOW. YES SIR. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THIS ITEM IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH. ITEM 23 IS AN ORDINANCE. THIS NEED OF VOTE ON ITEM 23. COUNCIL MEMBER MCC CAMAN ON 23. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS ITEM RELATES TO IMPROVEMENTS TO LITTLE THICKET PARK. THIS HAS BEEN IN THE WORK, I MEAN, FOR YEARS. THE COMMUNITY IS SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS, UH, INCLUDING NEW WALKWAYS, PLAYGROUND OUT OUTDOOR FITNESS EQUIPMENT, UM, GRADING DRAINAGE DETENTION TO PROTECT THE SURROUNDING AREA. I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT FOR RESIDENTS THAT THERE IS A, A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING TONIGHT, UH, ON THE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. AND IT'S AT 6:00 PM VIA ZOOM. UH, SO JUST WANT THE COMMUNITY TO BE AWARE BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A LONG PROCESS TO GET HERE AND THIS WILL BE AN EXCITING UPDATE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 23 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 23, ITEM 30 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE ON ITEM 30. COUNCILMAN HOFFMAN ON 30. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. I'M STILL WAITING TO GET, UM, SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THIS. SO I'D LIKE TO TAG ITEM 30. ITEM 30 HAS BEEN TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN. THAT'S FINE. I LET THEM KNOW. NOT A PROBLEM. OKAY, NEXT ITEM. ITEM 33 IS AN ORDINANCE. YOU JUST NEED TO VOTE. WE ON ITEM 33, DISCUSSION ON 33. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 33. ITEM 34 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. WE, ITEM [05:15:01] 34 IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN KUBOSH. HE HAS NOW EXCEEDED HIS LIMIT. , REMEMBER BOY SAG THE WHOLE THING. SEVERAL WEEKS IN A ROW IS ALL RIGHT. NEXT ITEM 33. 33. 33 PASSED 34 WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KASH. OH, I WROTE IT ON A LONG, I WROTE ADOPT AND TAG. OKAY, 35 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. I'LL TAG IT. 35 HAS BEEN TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KASH. 37 IS THE SECOND AND FINAL READING IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 37. DISCUSSION ON 37. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 37. [MATTERS HELD] ITEM 38 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. I'M 30, I'M 38. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, I'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY A QUESTION. SURE. UM, I KNOW THIS ITEM ADDRESS ADDRESSES PAYING A BILL, BUT IN NOVEMBER IT WAS TIED TO AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT GIVING THE COUNTY THE AUTHORITY TO CONVERT THE LODGE TO A, TO BIKE LANES. AND IT'S KINDA LIKE WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER, MAYOR, IF YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT IT, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT HAPPENS. AND SO I'M NOT TRYING TO IN ANY WAY EQUATE THE DEVASTATION THAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO, TO THIS ITEM, BUT MY COMMUNITY IS ADAMANT THAT THEY DO NOT WANT THESE BIKE LANES. AND AS COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THOMAS SAID, WE NEED TO INSERT WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT IN THIS PROCESS. AND SO MY QUESTION FOR LEGAL IS, IS AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, UH, APPROVING THE COUNTY TO USE THE CITY RIGHT OF WAY AS REQUIRED BY THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE REQUIRED TO CONTINUE TO COMPLETE THE BIKE LANES? I'D LIKE TO, UH, GET AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IF I COULD. DO YOU HAVE THAT ANSWER? YOUR QUESTION IS, IS THE INTERLOCAL REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE BIKE LANES? IS, IS THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT REQUIRED GIVING THE COUNTY THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT TO USE THE CITY RIGHT OF WAY TO BUILD BIKE LANES WITHOUT COUNCIL APPROVAL? THAT IS MY QUESTION. WELL, I I WOULD ANSWER THAT IN TWO PARTS. ONE, THIS INTERLOCAL DOESN'T PROVIDE AUTHORITY FOR BIKE LANES. UH, IT COULD BE AMENDED IF I KNOW THAT'S CONTRARY TO WHAT YOU WANT. IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, IT COULD ALSO BE DONE BY A SEPARATE AGREEMENT. AND THIS ONE WAS WHEN THIS, UH, APPEARED BACK IN NOVEMBER, WAS ESSENTIALLY A TIMING ISSUE IN HOW WE WERE DOING. THEY'VE BEEN DECOUPLED, SO TO SPEAK. SO IS THERE A YES OR NO? IS IT REQUIRED TO HAVE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT TO GIVE THE COUNTY THE RIGHT OF WAY TO BUILD BIKE LANES WITHOUT COUNCIL APPROVAL? IT IT, IT WOULD BE REQUIRED, WHETHER YOU CALL IT AN INTERLOCAL OR A CONTRACT, IT WOULD REQUIRE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. OKAY. SO IN ABSENCE OF THAT, HOW IS THE COUNTY BEING ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO CONSTRUCT THESE BIKE LANES WITHOUT AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT? LET ME JUST SAY YOU CAN, I'LL LET YOU ANSWER IT, BUT THAT'S TOTALLY OFF. THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO. OH, I KNOW IT'S NOT ON THIS ITEM, MAYOR, BUT I, I, I JUST, IF I CAN GET THAT QUESTION ANSWERED, I'M, I'M JUST REALLY, I'M GONNA LET HIM ANSWER IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M GONNA LET HIM YOU. YOU KNOW HOW I'VE BEEN WELL, I KNOW FIGHTING ABOUT THIS MAYOR. I KNOW THIS IS ABOUT PAYING A BILL AND I GOT GOOD CREDIT. I UNDERSTAND PAYING BILLS, BUT I UNDERSTAND, BUT I ALSO WANNA UNDERSTAND HOW THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN CIRCUMVENTED SOMEWHAT TO ALLOW COUNCIL MEMBER LET ME JUST, LEMME JUST, OKAY, I'M GONNA LET HIM JUST ANSWER THEN. I'M, I'M THROWING MY HANDS UP. I I'M GONNA LET HIM ANSWER. BUT THIS HAS, THAT HAS THE, THE LINE OF QUESTION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS ITEM. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WELL, THEY WERE TIED TOGETHER ORIGINALLY, MARILYN. WELL, WELL THEY, AND THAT'S, I KNOW THEY WERE UNTIED AND DIVIDED AND AT YOUR DISCRETION YOU BROUGHT, BROUGHT BACK PART OF IT. BUT I AM STILL CURIOUS TO KNOW AS I PASS BUDGET EVERY DAY HOW THEY ARE CONTINUING WITHOUT THE, I'M SAYING APPROVAL OF COUNSEL. I'M SAYING, AND WHAT I'M SAYING, COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M GONNA LET HIM ANSWER. BUT THIS, YOUR LINE OF QUESTIONING HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. I DON'T IS WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M, BUT THE ANSWER I STILL NEED, MAYOR, JUST SO I CAN GIVE MY CONSTITUENTS RELIEF, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR INDULGENCE AND I PERFECTLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. OKAY. BUT YOU KNOW, I HAVE [05:20:01] FOUGHT AND FOUGHT AND IF I DON'T TALK ABOUT IT, MAYOR, IT JUST CONTINUES TO HAPPEN AND I DON'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN IN DISTRICT D. BUT COUNCILMAN, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT ANYTIME AN ITEM COMES UP IN DISTRICT D, YOU CAN'T GO TO THE BIKE LANES. IT'S WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU. JUST BECAUSE AN ITEM COMES UP AND TOUCHES ON YOU. WELL, THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. THIS WAS TIED TO BIKE LANES, WHICH WAS ALWAYS THE QUESTION IN MY COMMUNITY AS TO WHY IT WAS IN THE, THE FIRST PLACE. COUNCIL MEMBER, WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU, I'M GOING TO LET HIM ANSWER, THANK YOU. BUT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS ITEM, IS WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU. BUT GO AHEAD. ON, UH, ARTUR. SO BY WHAT AUTHORITY ARE THEY CONTINUING WAS MY QUESTION? OKAY. WITHOUT, IN ABSENCE OF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BEING APPROVED BY COUNSEL, THAT IS MY QUESTION. OKAY. WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE FACTS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. I KNOW THAT THIS AGREEMENT, YOU KNOW, IN AND OF ITSELF DOES NOT PROVIDE AUTHORITY TO, UM, INSTALL BIKE LANES. BUT I CAN GO AND LOOK INTO THE FACTS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND CHECK WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND DIG, DIG DEEPER INTO IT. THANK, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANTED IT A MATTER OF RECORD THAT THAT QUESTION WAS ASKED. I'M, I'M SORRY. AND SO I AM GONNA WAIT ON THE RESPONSE BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO FOLLOW, BECAUSE WHAT WE ARE SAYING TO THE STATE IS WE DON'T WANT THE STATE TO CONTROL LOCAL GOVERNMENT. SO NEITHER CAN HARRIS COUNTY IF THEY CAN CIRCUMVENT GETTING THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT IS NEEDED TO, UH, CONSTRUCT ANYTHING ON OUR STREETS. THANK YOU. I'M I'M FINE, I'M FINE WITH THAT. OKAY. MAYOR KOSH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH ON ITEM 38. MAYOR, I, I CERTAINLY SUPPORT MY COUNT DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER IN HER, IN HER INTERROGATION OF THIS MATTER BECAUSE I, I BELIEVE SHE'S RIGHT AND I CERTAINLY STAND WITH YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALIZE THAT, THAT A LOT OF THINGS, UH, THAT, THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE SAID ARE, ARE, ARE TRUE. THERE WAS SOME DOCUMENT THAT I HAD SEEN WHERE THE, THE FORMER DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEGEDLY HAD, HAD SIGNED SOMETHING, BUT, BUT THAT DOESN'T BIND THE COUNCIL TO DO ANYTHING. SO I, I'M, I'M ALSO THINKING THERE NEEDS TO BE A, A THOROUGH LOOK AT, AT HOW THE, THE COUNTY CAN, UH, SEIZE, UH, OUR STREETS WITHOUT, UH, APPROVAL OF THIS COUNCIL CHAMBER. SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, I I I'D LIKE FOR THAT TO BE BROUGHT BACK UP. I DON'T WANNA LOSE THAT. I THINK THAT YOU'RE RIGHT AND I, I'LL SUPPORT YOU. SO, UH, I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW WHATEVER YOUR VOTE IS ON THIS MATTER. WE'RE ON ITEM 38. ITEM 38 IS A REIMBURSEMENT FOR WORK ALREADY DONE. AND THE WORK WAS DONE ON ROSE ON ROSEDALE. IT IS A REIMBURSEMENT FOR WORK ALREADY DONE ON ROSEDALE. THERE IS NO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT TIED IN ITEM 38. WHO'S THE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE COUNTY? IT'S TO THE COUNTY FOR WORK. ALREADY DONE ON ROSEDALE WATER AND WASTEWATER. NO SIR. ROSEWOOD ROSEWOOD. I'M, I I'M NOT, I'M JUST SAYING IT'S ROSEWOOD. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S MY NEIGHBORHOOD, SO I'M WELL, I LIVE ON ROSEDALE. OH, FOR THE RECORD. OKAY. ON ROSE, ON ROSE ON ROSEWOOD. AND IT IS WATER AND WASTEWATER. AND IT'S WATER AND WASTEWATER REIMBURSEMENT. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 38? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED EVAN SHABAZZ. NO. CUBA? NO. SO CUBA AND, UM, CUBAS VOTING? NO. OKAY. THANKS. NEXT, NEXT ITEM. [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] OKAY. THAT COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. ALL RIGHT. ALRIGHT, START WITH COUNCILOR MAYOR COEN. THANK YOU MAYOR. COLLEAGUES. WE HAD A GOOD MEETING LAST THURSDAY ON THE AIRBNB KIND OF PARTY HOUSE SITUATION. MAYOR, THE MAIN THING THAT CAME UP ON THAT WAS, UH, A LOT OF SPEAKERS FROM DISTRICT C ABOUT AN APARTMENT BUILDING, UM, THAT BASICALLY 24 UNITS THAT ARE ALL BA THAT SOMEBODY BOUGHT IT AND KIND OF TURNED IT INTO AN AIRBNB SITUATION. LIKE ALL THE UNITS I'M LOOKING ONLINE, YOU CAN GET ONE BEDROOM WITH FOUR BEDS FOR EIGHT GUESTS FOR $72 A NIGHT. YOU CAN GET ONE BEDROOM WITH SIX BEDS FOR $54 A NIGHT. UM, THIS IS A HOTEL. I MEAN, THIS IS A HOTEL WITH NO MANAGEMENT. AND WHERE IS THIS? UM, THIS IS IN, UM, MUSEUM AREA AND, AND UM, YEAH, DISTRICT C KIND OF RIGHT IN THE MUSEUM AREA. KIND OF OVER OFF BANKS IN THAT AREA RIGHT THERE, UM, BY POST OAK SCHOOL THERE. SO, AND I THINK THERE'S OTHER APARTMENT BUILDINGS, UM, THAT HAVE SIMILAR SITUATIONS. UH, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT I, AND I'LL BE PREPARING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER PECK A MEMO, UM, TO YOU ABOUT, UH, SOME HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CORRECT THAT. WE'VE LOOKED AT SOME OTHER CITIES [05:25:01] AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE WHERE THEY LIMIT NUMBERS OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS THAT CAN BE SHORT TERM RENTALS. UM, I KNOW PARTY HOUSES, REGULAR OLD PARTY HOUSES ARE ALSO AN ISSUE IN COMMUNITIES. UH, AIRBNB WAS HERE TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO REPORT THOSE THROUGH THEIR PORTAL. UM, ALSO TO, UH, YOU KNOW, CALL AND CALL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO. 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A PARTY BAN, THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ALLOW 'EM. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE APPETITE IS FOR ANY REGULATION OF THESE. I DO THINK THE HOPE, THE APARTMENT SITUATION IS SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT. UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM COLLEAGUES IF YOU WANNA JUST SHOOT ME AN EMAIL OR WHATEVER. IF THIS IS, IF IF PARTY HOUSES OR IF SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE A, A BIG, BIG PROBLEM IN YOUR AREAS, OR IF THERE'S MINIMAL PROBLEM OR DO YOU HEAR A LOT OF COMPLAINTS? I GET PEOPLE CALLING ME, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ONE-OFFS. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW PERVASIVE THAT IS, BUT I DO THINK JUST FROM BY VIRTUE OF THE COMMITTEE MEETING, THIS APARTMENT SITUATION REALLY DOES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE THERE, THESE ARE, THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST COMING IN RENTING IT FOR A NIGHT OR TWO. THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO CRIME TO MESSING UP THE PARK. AND I DO THINK WE NEED TO HAVE EYES ON THAT. SO I'LL BE SENDING YOU SOMETHING ON THAT AND, UM, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR GOOD PARTICIPATION IN THAT MEETING. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN P? THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I AM VERY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE DISTRICT A'S NEW DITCH MAINTENANCE PROGRAM. WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM OFF WITH COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS RECENTLY TO MAINTAIN CITY OWNED DITCHES AND HELP, UM, THE NUMBER OF MOWINGS AND CLEANINGS FOR THOSE CITY OWNED DITCHES. AND NOW WE ARE ROLLING THAT OUT TO DITCHES IN FRONT OF PEOPLE'S HOMES AND BUSINESSES AND DISTRICT A. THIS IS FOR PEOPLE, UM, WHO ARE SENIOR CITIZENS, PEOPLE WITH LIMITED MOBILITY AND IN UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE IT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE TO MAINTAIN A DITCH. FOR EXAMPLE, SOME PEOPLE LIVE OFF OF A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE WITH A FENCE ALL THE WAY DOWN THE, UM, STREET, AND IT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE TO GET AROUND THAT FENCE TO MOW THAT DITCH AND CLEAN OUT THAT DITCH. SO, UM, WE JUST ROLLED THIS OUT YESTERDAY. IF ANYONE IN DISTRICT A IS INTERESTED IN, UM, GOING THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, YOU CAN CONTACT OUR OFFICE AND WE WILL SEND YOU THE FORM FOR THIS PROGRAM. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT TO HELP PEOPLE MAINTAIN THOSE DITCHES. AND A LOT OF TIMES THAT CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, STRUCTURAL FLOODING AND NOT FLOODING. AND SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CLEAN OUT DITCHES AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, LAST WEDNESDAY WE LOST THE PILLAR OF THE DISTRICT B NORTHWOOD MANOR, UM, COMMUNITY. MS. GWENDOLYN CARR, WHO IS ALSO THE MOTHER OF MY FIANCE, ERIC CARR. UM, MRS. CARR GRADUATED FROM CASHMERE HIGH SCHOOL AND SHE LATER RECEIVED A BACHELOR'S, UM, AT, UM, TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, AND WHERE SHE MARCHED WITH, UM, MIC LELAND. UM, I WANT TO TO ASK YOU GUYS TO JUST TO KEEP THE FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYERS, UM, AS WE PREPARE TO LAY HER TO REST. YOU, YOU SAID SOMETHING YOU SAID SOMETHING EARLIER. YEAH. CAN YOU, CAN MY FIANCE? HANG ON, HANG ON, HANG ON. YOU DAMN SAY THAT. YES. YES. I DID GET ENGAGED A COUPLE OF, UM, WEEKS AGO, SO, YES. AND YOU HELD THE SECRET. YES, BUT IT'S OKAY. CONGRATULATIONS. SO, UM, BUT MRS. CARR, UM, HER FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BE HELD THIS SATURDAY, APRIL THE FIRST. UM, THE VIEWING WILL BE AT 10:00 AM SERVICES AT 11. UM, IT WILL BE HELD AT THE CASHMERE GARDEN CHURCH OF CHRIST, UM, AT 43 15 LTY WELL, SO, UM, CONSTITUENTS WHO WANNA PARTICIPATE, UM, REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE AND WE GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KAMAN, AND I CAN FINALLY SAY CONGRATULATIONS PUBLICLY. SO I, I'M SO SORRY, UM, FOR YOUR FAMILY'S LOSS, UH, BUT WE'RE SO EXCITED TO CELEBRATE YOU AND LOVE. UM, AND WE ALSO LOST ANOTHER PILLAR, UH, IN ADA EDWARDS. UM, SO I WANT, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT. UM, LASTLY, JUST VERY BRIEFLY, THERE'S TWO THANK YOUS I WANNA PUT OUT THERE. UM, ONE, UH, AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK AND TALK AT THE LEGISLATURE, UM, DURING SESSION, I WORK, I'VE WORKED THE PAST TWO SESSIONS WITH MY FORMER BOSS, UH, RICHARD RAYMOND, ON A BILL, UH, THIS YEAR IT'S HB FIVE 70. IT'S A STATEWIDE STUDY FOR THE IMPACTS OF DROUGHT AND WILDFIRE THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UM, NEEDS TO CONDUCT SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE COST, RIGHT? MAYOR, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS, THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS, BUT ALSO WHAT IS NEEDED FOR FIRE SAFETY AND OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICES, UH, THIS BILL WILL LOOK AT THAT HOLISTICALLY, UH, SO THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE WE'RE SPENDING THE DOLLARS NECESSARY ON THE STATE LEVEL. UH, DURING THE BASTROP FIRES IN 2011, IT COSTS THE STATE UPWARDS OF A MILLION DOLLARS A DAY TO COMBAT THOSE FIRES. SO AS WE SEE INCREASING WEATHER PATTERNS, THIS IS GOING TO BECOME MORE FREQUENT. SO, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR TO THE GR TEAM FOR, UH, THE CITY'S SUPPORT ON THAT. UH, BUT JUST WANNA ALSO THANK RICHARD, UH, EXCUSE ME, REPRESENTATIVE RAYMOND [05:30:01] FOR WORKING WITH ME ON THAT. AND ALSO COMMISSIONER BRIANIS. UH, THIS WEEK I WAS INVITED TO BE ON ONE OF HER, UH, WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, UH, PANELS THAT SHE'S HOSTING IN THE ROOM WAS PACKED, UH, WITH WOMEN ALL FROM ALL OVER THE CITY AND THE COUNTY THAT ARE HIGHLY ENGAGED. UH, MAYOR, THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE WOMEN'S COMMISSION AND THE WORK THAT THE CITY IS DOING UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP. SO, UH, JUST WANNA THANK BOTH REPRESENTATIVE RAYMOND AND COMMISSIONER BRIANIS BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING THE PARTNERSHIPS WORK. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE HOSTILE BETWEEN DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. AND WHEN WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER, WE ALL GET TO WIN. SO THANK YOU TO THEM AND TO THE CITY FOR THOSE PARTNERSHIPS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN . THANK YOU MAYOR LANES. I'M KIDDING. UH, ARE YOU AVAILABLE? I, ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO SING, UH, AT WEDDINGS? AM I AVAILABLE TO SING AT THE WEDDING? OH, YEAH. I, I CAN DO THAT AND HAVE DONE IT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THANK YOU. THAT'S SOMETHING I'LL BE ASKED TO DO THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA ASK YOU TO DO THAT. OKAY. I WANT TO, UH, EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE AND SINCERE APPRECIATION TO THE VOLUNTEERS WHO WENT OUT TO, UH, CLEAN MCGREGOR PARK ON SATURDAY. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE COMMITMENT AND THE EFFORT, AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO CLEAN UP OUR CITY. I ALSO WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO MARYS, UH, WITH THE ST. FRANCIS WOMEN'S DAY LUNCHEON, WHICH WAS BEAUTIFUL AND VERY SUCCESSFUL. ALSO, THANK PAULA HARRIS AND THE ASTROS FOUNDATION FOR THE, UH, SOUTH CENTRAL SPORTS EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN SUNNYSIDE PARK. AND THEN ON YESTERDAY, THE 2023 NCAA MEN'S FINAL FOUR LEGACY PROJECT AT THE, UM, BLUE TRIANGLE COMMUNITY CENTER WAS JUST FANTASTIC. AND I WANNA ALSO CONGRATULATE THE TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY TIGERS BASKETBALL AND UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON COUGARS, WHICH ARE LOCATED IN DISTRICT D ON SUCH A WONDERFUL SEASON. CERTAINLY WANT TO, UH, GIVE MY CONDOLENCES IN MEMORIAM TO THE HONORABLE ADA EDWARDS. UH, JUST TO KNOW THAT I AM NOW SITTING IN A SEAT THAT SHE FORMALLY OCCUPIED, STRIVING TO DO AS, AS GOOD A JOB AS HER. AND KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, I WILL POSSIBLY FALL SHORT. BUT MY HEART IS THERE TO DO THAT BECAUSE SHE'S WAS SUCH A WONDERFUL PERSON AND AND REPRESENTATIVE. AND I AM JUST REALLY HUMBLED BY THAT. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT A VERY DEAR FRIEND OF MINE, REVEREND DR. ROBERT MCKINLEY GILMORE SENIOR PASSED ON YESTERDAY. HE WAS A NOTED AUTHOR. I THINK HE WAS, HE RAN FOR OFFICE AT ONE TIME. HE WAS A JACK YATES FRIEND AND A COMMUNITY LEADER. HE WILL BE SORELY MISSED, AND HIS WORDS WERE ALWAYS, IT'S A BLESSING, AND HE WAS CERTAINLY A BLESSING TO THE COMMUNITY. ON LATER TODAY, WE WILL HAVE THE NATIONAL VIETNAM VET WAR VETERANS DAY AT SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER FROM FIVE TO 6 30, 44, 10 REED ROAD. THERE WILL ALSO BE THE EL DORADO ROOM GRAND REOPENING ON THURSDAY AT 6:00 PM THAT'S GONNA BE WONDERFUL. MY PARENTS USED TO GO TO THE EL DORADO, AND THAT'S 2310 ELGIN STREET. AND I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. AND I'LL CONCLUDE THAT WITH SAYING BIKE LANES. THANK YOU, MA'AM. , LET'S HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE. , UH, COUNCILMAN MR. CISNEROS. UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO JOINING THE, THE DELEGATION GOING TO AUSTIN ON MONDAY. THANK YOU FOR, UM, FOR ORGANIZING US, A COUNCIL MEMBER, OUR, OUR VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM. I'M I'LL, I'LL SEE YOU ON THAT BUS. THANK YOU. AND WE ARE STILL TRYING TO MEASURE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE SIX. WE HAVE SIX? MM-HMM . OH, GOOD. OKAY. COOL. THANK YOU. UM, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST WANT TO AMPLIFY THE, UM, COMMENDATIONS THAT WERE GIVEN LAST NIGHT AT THE HPD SOUTHWEST COMMAND STATION. UM, THERE WAS A PRESENTATION FOR, UNFORTUNATELY, HOW TO SURVIVE AN ACTIVE SHOOTER. UM, BUT WE ALSO, UM, CONGRATULATED OFFICERS, BARAJAS AND SAYED, WHO WERE RECOGNIZED AS OFFICERS OF THE MONTH, NOT ONLY FOR THE SOUTHWEST COMMAND, BUT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR FEBRUARY OF 2023. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THEM AND APPRECIATE THEIR SERVICES. UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY, IS AT THE SAME TIME AS THE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON PRESS, UM, CONFERENCE. BUT WE WILL, UM, HAVE PRESENTATIONS AS WE DISCUSSED TODAY ABOUT OUR HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEMS, THE ART PROGRAM, UM, AND WORLD AIRPORT AWARD, AND SEVERAL OTHER PRESENTATIONS. SO HOPE TO, UM, CEASE [05:35:01] COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING. IF YOU MISS IT, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE RECORDED ON HTV AND YOU CAN WATCH IT LATER ON TODAY. MAYOR, VERY EXCITED TO HEAR OF THE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON INITIATIVE THIS AFTERNOON. UM, AND WE'LL DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE OUR COMMUNITIES TO WORK WITH KEEPING HOUSTON CLEAN. ON THAT NOTE, KEEP HOUSTON BEAUTIFUL, IS KICKING OFF IN WESTBURY ON APRIL 1ST IN 2020, UH, 2023. AND, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MONTH OF APRIL. UM, WE DO HAVE SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE WORKING ON PROJECTS FOR KEEP HOUSTON BEAUTIFUL MONTH. UM, ONE IN PARTICULAR IS, UH, THE CLEANUP OF THE WESTBURY, UH, BUTTERFLY GARDEN FROM 9:00 AM TO 12 NOON ON APRIL THE FIRST. AND I HOPE THAT OTHER, UM, DISTRICTS AND COMMUNITIES WILL ALSO BE JOINING IN ON KEEPING HOUSTON. BEAUTIFUL. AND WHAT'S THE DATE ON THAT? UH, APRIL 1ST. AND, AND, UM, ACTUALLY THE CLEAN, UH, CITY COMMISSION IS CELEBRATING THE ENTIRE MONTH OF APRIL, APRIL, AND ENCOURAGING RESIDENTS AND NEIGHBORHOODS TO DO CLEANUP PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UH, MAYOR, I WANT TO, UM, SAY THAT, UH, LAST WEEK I ATTENDED THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, UH, CONFERENCE. AND AS A MEMBER OF THE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES COMMITTEE, UH, WE HAD SEVERAL ROUND TABLES. WE HAD A ROUND TABLE ABOUT, UM, RAILWAY SAFETY. AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO HEAR HOW MANY CITIES ACROSS THE NATION ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME STRUGGLES THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. BUT WE DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOME, UM, GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE, UM, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. UM, WE HAD STAFF IN OUR, UM, MEETINGS FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. UM, WE WERE, I WAS ABLE TO TALK ABOUT AND THANK THEM FOR THE RAISE GRANT FOR TELEPHONE ROAD. AND I MEAN, WE PASSED SOME, UM, STUFF TODAY WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. UH, AND HEARING THE ISSUES IN AROUND TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE FROM OTHER CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY, IT, IT REALLY, UM, SOLIDIFIES THE SENTIMENT OF STRONGER TOGETHER BECAUSE NOT ONLY WERE WE ADVOCATING FOR HOUSTON, BUT FOR OTHER CITIES FOR THE SAME ISSUES. AND I THINK THE MESSAGE IS CLEARER WHEN, UM, THEY HEAR IT FROM OTHER PLACES AND NOT JUST ONE PARTICULAR AREA, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME, UM, DIRECT CONTACTS TO, UM, THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THOSE GRANTS. SO IF, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND ANY OF, UH, THE PEOPLE WORKING ON THOSE GRANTS NEED THAT, UM, DIRECT CONTACT, WE HAVE THOSE AS WELL. SO I'M VERY, UH, EXCITED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO REPRESENT THE CITY OF HOUSTON COUNCIL MEMBER. THOMAS AND I, UM, WERE IN A SESSION, UH, A HOUSING SESSION. UM, AND I DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE GLO, UM, HOMES THAT ARE BEING BUILT IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THEY WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, UM, THE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN HOUSTON AND WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. UM, SO WE, WE RECEIVED ANOTHER CONTACT THAT IS WILLING TO HELP US, UH, TO TRY TO COME TO SOME TYPE OF RESOLUTION WITH, WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE. SO WAS THAT BEFORE HU, WAS THAT BEFORE HU HUT? IT WAS THE SENIOR ADVISOR. SENIOR TO HUD? YEAH, TO HUD. UH, AND, AND I WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE POINT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE INFORMATION WE RECEIVED FROM THE GLO IS THAT THEY ARE DOING IT BASED ON HUD REQUIREMENTS, AND HUD IS SAYING THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE. UH, SO THERE, THERE'S A DISCONNECT SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, UH, THAT WE NEED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF. UM, SO, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT TO PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO I'M, I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THESE CONSERVATION DISTRICTS. SO ONCE WE COMPLETE THE PILOT, I ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE SOME COMMUNITIES IN DISTRICT A THAT WILL ALSO WANT TO BE A PART OF, UH, CONSERVATION DISTRICT. UM, AND THEN FINALLY, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND GEORGIE JOHNSON PROPERTIES WILL HOST DON'T SELL IT, BUILD WEALTH WITH IT EVENT ON SATURDAY, APRIL THE FIRST, FROM 10 TO 1230 AT THE COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE, FORMERLY THE POWER CENTER. UH, THERE'LL BE A PANEL OF PROFESSIONALS. SO IF YOU HAVE INHERITANCE PROPERTIES AND YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT AND HOW TO HANDLE IT, THIS WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. BE KIND TO EACH OTHER. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. UH, AND GOOD SEGUE TO, UM, FOR MY REMARKS, I ENJOYED NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES. IT WAS MY FIRST CONFERENCE, UM, SINCE COVID I, AND, UM, SO I FORGOT HOW MUCH ENERGY IT TAKES TO GO UP AND DOWN THESE WORKSHOPS. I WAS EX, UH, BEAT, I WAS EXHAUSTED, BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. UM, SO NOT ONLY WAS NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES HAPPENING, BUT DELTA DAYS AT THE NATION'S CAPITAL WAS ACROSS THE STREET. SO WHAT WE WERE UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH [05:40:01] AT NLC, I JUST WALKED ACROSS THE STREET BECAUSE, UM, AS YOU KNOW, SECRETARY HOOD IS OUR 21ST PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT, AND IT'S EASIER FOR ME TO GET TO HER THROUGH DELTA SOMETIMES THAN NLC. AND SHE HAD, WE HAD A HOUSING BRIEFING AND SHE HAD ALL OF HER DEPUTIES, WHICH WERE SORROWS. AND SO THEY WERE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN HOUSTON. UM, AND I THINK GOOD NEWS IS WHAT THE SECRETARY HAD MENTIONED IS THAT SHE'S WORKING ON GETTING DIRECT ALLOCATIONS, PARTICULARLY FOR DISASTER RECOVERY TO CITIES. LIKE THAT'S THE INTENTION. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE, UM, UM, COMING DOWN THE PIPE AS WELL. AND, AND VICE MAYOR'S ABSOLUTELY CLEAR, I THINK WE HEMMED UP THAT SENIOR ADVISOR, UH, , WE HEMMED THEM UP AND HE WAS LIKE, I GET IT. I GET IT. UM, UM, BUT, BUT, BUT I, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, SO FROM THAT CONVERSATION AND, AND I'M ON THE COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, I RAISED THE POINT IN THAT, THAT OUR FEDERAL, UM, PRIORITIES SHOULD INCLUDE DIRECT ALLOCATION FOR DISASTER RECOVERY FOR THOSE CDBG DOLLARS. UM, AND THE NATIONAL BLACK CAUCUS OF LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS INVITED ME TO SUBMIT A RESOLUTION THROUGH THE CAUCUS FOR THAT TO BE ADOPTED AND ALSO TO DO THE SAME THING THROUGH DELTA SO WE CAN HAVE NATIONAL BODIES MAKING SURE THAT LOCAL CITIES CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE FUNDS TO MOVE. AND I THINK IT REALLY WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE MISSISSIPPI HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE, UH, WHILE WE WERE RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. UH, AND SO, UM, VERY CRITICAL THAT MAJORITY, I THINK HE SAID 95% OF THE CITY WAS GONE. UM, THE MAYOR, UM, UH, OUTTA JACKSON MENTIONED. AND SO, UH, DEFINITELY A PRODUCTIVE MEETING. BUT WHAT I REALIZED IS THAT WE ARE, AS A CITY IN SUCH A GOOD PLACE, AND WHEN, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES WE ARE IN THIS BUBBLE. WE'RE IN OUR VORTEX, AND WE CAN BE CRITICAL OF OURSELVES AND WE SHOULD BE. BUT WHEN YOU WALK INTO A ROOM OF A SMALLER CITY, TOWN AND VILLAGE, AND THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO RESPOND TO WATER MAIN BREAKS, THEY DON'T HAVE IT WHERE THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. I'M LIKE, WE DO THAT ALREADY. RIGHT? AND SO IT WAS, IT WAS GOOD FOR ME TO BE REMINDED OF ONE, HOW LARGE WE ARE, WHAT WE DO HAVE, HOW WE ARE MOVING FORWARD, HOW WE'VE LED WITH ARPA FUNDS. I ATTENDED A WORKSHOP AND MANY CITIES ARE CONCERNED ABOUT A CLAWBACK BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO GET THIS MONEY TO, TO THEIR RESIDENTS. AND IT WAS CONCERNING THAT WE MOVED SO QUICKLY WITH CARES, RIGHT? WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT DOWN TO THE STREET. AND I WAS TELLING THEM ABOUT OUR RENT RELIEF PROGRAM. SO IT WAS JUST REALLY GOOD THAT WE ARE REALLY A MODEL FOR THE NATION. AND I DON'T THINK WE, WE TALK ABOUT THAT ENOUGH. UM, ON SATURDAY WE ARE ROCKING, ROCKING AND ROLLING IN DISTRICT F ON APRIL 1ST AT 10:00 AM WITH MIDWEST HPD, PILGRIM'S REST, UH, AND A FEW OTHERS. WE'LL BE AT RASMUS PARK FOR AN EASTER EGG HUNT. THAT'S GONNA BE AN, AN ALL MORNING CELEBRATION. ALSO ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DISTRICT IN ALIEF WILL AT FROM 11 TO FIVE, WILL BE AT AMITY PARK FOR AN EASTER EGG HUNT. AND THEN BARBARA QUATRO AND SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 25. AND THOSE TREES, UH, WE'LL BE PLANTING THOSE TREES. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WILL BE OUT THERE. SO WE'RE GONNA POP IN AND OUT. AND THEN LATER THAT SATURDAY EVENING, I'LL BE WITH A LEAF EL SIG T TX 9 47 FOR THEIR AIR AIR FORCE JUNIOR, ROTC BANQUET, UM, AN EXCITING DAY. AND THEN MAYOR TURN, I'LL SEE YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE ON SUNDAY FOR YOUR IFTAR DINNER. YES, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THAT ONE, THAT'LL BE MY FIRST ONE. UM, AND THEN PERFECT TIMING. I KNOW YOU'RE HAVING YOUR PRESS CONFERENCE LATER TODAY, BUT KEEP BEAU, KEEP HOUSTON BEAUTIFUL CLEAR CHANNEL IN MY OFFICE. WE, UM, HAVE A BILLBOARD, UH, UNDERSCORING THAT VERY POINT OF ILLEGAL DUMPING ON WEST TIME AND ELDRIDGE, UM, TO KEEP DISTRICT F AND OF COURSE THE CITY CLEAN BECAUSE WE'RE DOING A WHOLE LOT AND SPENDING A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY ON DOING THAT. SO I WANNA REMIND HOUSTONIANS TO CONTINUE TO CALL 3 1 1 AND ALLOW US TO RESPOND TO THAT. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IN CLOSING, I WANNA GO TO SOME STUFF FOR THE NCAA. I I, WE DON'T GET CONCERT TICKETS. WE DON'T GET NONE OF THAT . I WANNA GO SEE MEGAN THEE STALLION, AND, AND I, AND I WANNA KNOW, I WANT TO GO TO THE CONCERTS. AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S AT FOR THE PEOPLE , BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S AT. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S AT. I GET IT. NO, NO, KEEP, BUT I SWEAR I, I WANNA, I WANNA SEE MEG. YEAH. SO I KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY , I KNOW SOMEBODY I KNOW, YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS SOMEBODY. YOU HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM MAD. I DON'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT NOTHING. I DON'T KNOW NOTHING. BUT, UM, I SAW THE PRESS CONFERENCE, IT WAS GREAT THAT IF WANTED GO WELL, I WILL, I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR HAD TO PAY FOR HIS TICKETS. I DON'T, I I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE GANG. NO, I'M JUST, I'M JUST, BUT I WILL FOLLOW UP. YEAH. ALL 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY OTHER, THERE'S SO MANY EVENTS HAPPEN. YEAH. AND THEN GET THIS OUT BECAUSE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN ASKING ME ABOUT TICKETS AND I'M LIKE, I CAN'T GET YOU TICKETS. BUT JUST FOR THEM TO LET US WORK ON THAT TODAY, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING FOR THE PUBLIC. I KNOW THERE'S SOME STUFF AT DISCOVERY GREEN THAT WE'RE GONNA PUSH OUT THE NEWSLETTER, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. OKAY. I GOT IT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, I GOT IT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MC CAYMAN, I THINK SHE'S ALSO, UH, [05:45:01] THROWING THE FIRST PITCH AT THE ASH, UH, SEASON OPENER. MEGAN. MEGAN THE STALLION IS, YEAH. UH, AND MARK WAHLBERG'S GONNA BE HERE TOO, SO THERE YOU GO. SO ASTRO'S FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON? YES. OKAY. ALRIGHT, I WILL FOLLOW UP ON THAT. THANKS . OKAY. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? ALRIGHT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. WE STAND 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.