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AFTERNOON.IF WE CAN HAVE YOUR ATTENTION.
[PRESENTATIONS]
IS 1 35 ON TUESDAY, APRIL 25TH, 2023.I'M VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, 2023.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM.
SO THIS IS FOR THE MS ONE 50 TEAM.
SO JUST RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE HERE WITH MS ONE 50.
ALRIGHT, AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME.
IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY HERE TODAY.
SO, AS EVERYONE KNOWS, I'M AN AVID WRITER, A AVID CYCLIST.
I'M NOT GONNA RIDE WITH THESE GUYS THIS TIME, BUT IT IS SUCH AN AMAZING, UM, AMAZING TEAM AND AN AMAZING CAUSE.
SO, UM, I LIKE TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION, THE CITY OF HOUSTON BIKE, MS. TEXAS MS ONE 50 CYCLING TEAM.
WHEREAS MULTIPLE CIRRHOSIS OR MS IS A CHRONIC, UNPREDICTABLE DISEASE, UM, OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, WHICH CURRENTLY AFFECTS NEARLY 1 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES AND NEARLY 3 MILLION WORLDWIDE.
IT IS THOUGHT TO BE AN AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER, MEANING THAT IMMUNE SYSTEM INCORRECTLY ACTS THE PERSON'S ATTACKS, THE A PERSON'S HEALTHY TISSUE, ESPECIALLY THE PROTECTIVE COATING SURROUNDING OUR NERVES.
MS CAN BE BLURRED VISION, LOSS OF BALANCE, POOR COORDINATION, SLURRED SPEECH, TREMORS, NUMBNESS, EXTREME FATIGUE, PROBLEMS WITH MEMORY AND CONCENTRATION, PARALYSIS, BLINDNESS, AND SO MUCH MORE.
WHEREAS THIS YEAR, THE BIKE MS. TEXAS MS ONE 50 WILL BE A TWO DAY FUNDRAISING CYCLING RIDE ORGANIZED BY THE NATIONAL MS. SOCIETY LONE STAR CHAPTER.
HISTORICALLY, THIS RIDE WAS THE LARGEST EVENT ON THIS IN NORTH AMERICA.
THE EVENT HAS TRADITIONALLY RAISED MORE THAN $20 MILLION EACH YEAR FOR MS RESEARCH AND HAS FEATURED OVER 13,000 CYCLISTS SUPPORTED BY 3,500 VOLUNTEERS.
THE RIDE HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE 1985 WHEN 237 RIDERS RAISE APPROXIMATELY $117,000.
SINCE THIS INCEPTION, THE RIDE HAS RAISED OVER $3 MILLION THIS YEAR.
THE RIDE WILL FINISH ON THE, ON THE 50 YARD LINE OF KYLE FIELD AND COLLEGE STATION, AND WILL FEATURE STARTS FROM HOUSTON'S ENERGY CORRIDOR, KATIE WALLER AND AUSTIN, WITH THE FIRST DAY ROUTES ENDING AT LA AT FAYETTE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS IN LA GRANGE.
WHEREAS THE NATIONAL MS SOCIETY USES THE FUNDS RAISED BY THE BIKE MS TO FUEL MEDICAL RESEARCH AND PROVIDE MORE SERVICES THAN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WORLD TO HELP LOCAL PEOPLE THROUGH ESSENTIAL DIRECT SERVICES THAT EMPOWER AND INCREASE INDEPENDENCE, INCLUDING SPECIALIZED MS CLINICS, EDUCATION AND INFORMATION, HOME VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS, EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, MEDICAL SUPPLIES, HOME CARE, SUPPORT GROUPS, AND FAMILY PROGRAMS. WHEREAS APRIL 29TH AND 30TH 2023 WILL BE THE 39TH ANNUAL TEXAS MS FUNDRAISING RIDE.
WERE THE 10TH YEAR PARTICIPATION BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON CYCLING TEAM.
IN THE FIRST NINE YEARS, THE PARTICIPATION, THE CITY OF HOUSTON CYCLING TEAM HAS RAISED $300,000 FOR THE MS ONE 50.
YES, THAT, THAT DESERVES A ROUND APPLAUSE AND YOU CAN STILL GIVE RIGHT NOW
WHEREAS WE COMMEND THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S MS ONE 50 CYCLING TEAM'S MEMBERS FOR THEIR COMMITMENT AND EXTEND OUR BEST WISHES FOR SUCCESSFUL AND SAFE RIDE AND ULTIMATELY CREATION OF A WORLD FREE OF MS. THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, ON BEHALF OF SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 25TH, 2023 AT CITY OF HOUSTON BIKE MS. TEXAS MS ONE 50 CYCLING TEAM DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
UM, THANK YOU TO MAYOR TURNER, UM,
THANK YOU FOR THE TEAM MEMBERS THAT ARE DOING THIS RISE AND AMAZING RISE.
IT'S A GREAT PHYSICAL FEAT, UM, SHOWING WHAT THE BODY CAN ACHIEVE WHEN WE PUT OUR MINDS TO IT.
I THANK YOU FOR OUR WELLNESS TEAM MEMBERS WHO ARE SUPPORTING THE RIDE, UH, WITH OUR CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS OUR CIGNA
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PARTNERS WHO ARE HELPING SPONSOR ELEMENTS OF THE RIDE AS WELL.AND, AND LASTLY, THANK TO OUR, OUR DIRECTOR, UH, JANE CHEEKS, DIRECTOR OF HR.
UM, COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY, BUT UM, WAS ALWAYS THE SUPPORTER OF THE WELLNESS TEAM AND OUR INITIATIVE, SO WE WANT TO THANK HER AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? SURE.
WELL, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MS ONE 50 TEAM.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
YOU ARE ONE OF THE APPROPRIATE MEMBERS TO BRING FORTH THIS PARTICULAR PROCLAMATION.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE AN AVID WRITER.
I SEE THAT WE HAVE A FEW COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE, UH, STARTING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PICK.
I JUST WANNA SAY GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE WHO'S RIDING.
I'VE DONE THIS RIDE BEFORE, IT'S DEFINITELY NOT EASY.
SO JUST WANTED TO WISH EVERYONE LUCK AND, UM, HAVE A SAFE AND EASY TRAVEL.
THANK Y'ALL FOR THIS NICE SHIRT.
SOMEBODY
THAT'S KIND OF YOU BECAUSE I GET SHIRTS SOMETIMES THAT DON'T FIT.
BUT, UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, THIS RIDE IS VERY, VERY CHALLENGING.
AND, UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
UM, Y'ALL BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.
THERE'S SOME REALLY, UH, AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS AND, AND SOME OF THEM ARE JUST NOT REAL FRIENDLY, SO YOU HAVE TO BE WATCHING OUT FOR 'EM ALL THE TIME.
YOU NEVER ASSUME THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE PAYING ATTENTION.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SAFE TRIP.
OKAY, THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER ONCE MORE FOR A PROCLAMATION POSTHUMOUSLY TO MS. SANDRA SMALL'S FAMILY IN HONOR OF HER COMMUNITY ADVOCACY.
IF I COULD HAVE THE MEMBERS OF IMPACT AND THE FAMILY OF SANDRA SMALL, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD TO HAVE YOU.
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THIS IS AWESOME.ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER BRUCE.
SO THIS PROCLAMATION, UM, SO SANDRA SMALL WAS BORN, UM, OCTOBER THE EIGHTH, 1950, AND, UM, PASSED AWAY ON JANUARY THE 25TH, 2 20 21.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS IN RECOGNITION OF HER AND ALL THE GOOD WORK.
AND, UM, AND SANDRA WAS, I'M GONNA READ HER BIO, BUT I WANNA JUST SAY FIFTH WARD HAS BEEN AN AREA THAT SUFFERED FROM ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND SANDRA WAS ONE OF THOSE ROCK STARS THAT REALLY KIND OF LED THE WAY.
AND SO HER FAMILY IS STANDING BEHIND US AND MANY, MANY MEMBERS OF THE FIFTH WARD COMMUNITY, WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT BENEFITS GREATLY FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE COMMITTED TO HELPING FIFTH WARD REMAIN RESILIENT AND EXPERIENCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT GREATER FIFTH WARD WAS CHARGED THAT WAY, UM, TO THINK ABOUT POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, OR AS CURRENT AND FORMER RESIDENTS OF THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS SOUNDING, UM, SURROUNDING LIBERTY ROAD RAIL YARD HAVE BEEN CALLING ON UNION PACIFIC TO CLEAN UP THE CANCER, CAUSING POLLUTION FROM THE FORMER KOREA SOTE OPERATION.
FOR YEARS, THIS ADVOCACY HAS RESULTED IN SOME OF THE FIRST OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED CANCER CLUSTERS IN THE STATE.
THEY ARE, THEY HAVE ELEVATED THE ISSUE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM AND NATIONAL STAGE, AND DEMANDED THAT OUR STATE, CITY, AND COUNTY DO A BETTER JOB PROTECTING OUR HEALTH AND OUR WELLBEING, OR AS IMPACT, UM, IMPACT COULD NOT HAVE ACTED SO SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT THE VISION AND INTEGRITY OF ONE OF THEIR FOUNDERS.
MRS. SANDRA SMALL, WITH AN EYE OF FAIRNESS, SHE ASKED WHY SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS WERE GETTING CHECKS FROM UNI PACIFIC AND OTHERS WERE NOT.
WHEN SHE LEARNED THAT UNION PACIFIC HAD LE LEFT POLLUTION IN THE GROUND WHERE SHE WAS RA, WHERE SHE RAISED HER CHILDREN, SHE SET OUT TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
DESPITE HER PERSONAL STAKE IN THIS INITIATIVE, HAVING LOST HER SON AND HUSBAND TO CANCER AND HAVING OVERCOME SERIOUS HEALTH CHALLENGES OF HER OWN, MS. SMALL ALWAYS REMINDED US THAT THIS CAMPAIGN AFFECTED THE LIVES OF SO MANY.
WHEREAS WITH A HEART THAT ALWAYS SAW BLESSINGS IN THE HARDEST SITUATIONS, MS. SMALL BELIEVED THAT EVEN IF SHE DID NOT PERSONALLY REAP THE BENEFITS OF IMPACTS EFFORTS, HER WORK WAS WORTHWHILE.
IF CHILDREN COULD ONE DAY GROW UP IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THEY COULD SAFELY PLAY IN FRONT OF THEIR HOMES, OR AS WHILE MS. SANDRA SMALL PASSED IN 2021, IMPACT CONTINUES FIGHTING FOR HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS FREE OF CREOSOTE AND CONTAMINANTS, AND FOR THE JUSTICE OF THOSE WHO ARE SICK AND THOSE WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES WHO DIED FROM CANCER.
THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM VICE MAYOR PRO TEM ON BEHALF OF SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 25TH, 2023 AS SANDRA SMALL DAY IMPACT GREATER FIFTH WARD IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
UM, MY SISTER WAS SO WONDERFUL AND I MISS HER DEARLY.
I LOVE MY SISTER AND WE MISS HER DEARLY.
WE USED TO BE WITH HER MANY DAYS ON LIBERTY ROAD, WALKING, KNOCKING ON DOORS, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO SIGN PAPERS.
ME AND MY SISTER FAMILY, WE STUCK WITH HER AND I WAS STUCK WITH HER.
AND WE WOULD, HER FAMILY WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HONORED HER.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, INTRODUCE THE, THE FAMILY AND WHO'S HERE TO CELEBRATE MS. SPA'S LEGACY? I'M HER YOUNGER SISTER, AND THIS IS HER SECOND OLDEST.
I'M AFTER SANDRA, DEBORAH HILTON.
WELL, WELCOME TO YOU ALL CITY HALL.
AND THIS IS, UM, A GREAT DAY TO CELEBRATE A GREAT WOMAN.
WE HAVE, UH, TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, THANK YOU.
UH, THANK YOU FOR AMPLIFYING, AMPLIFYING HER VOICE IN HER LEGACY.
AND EVEN THOUGH SHE'S NOT WITH US, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL RECOGNIZE HER AS LONG AS THE CITY EXISTS.
SHE WILL HAVE HER DAY, WHICH I THINK IS VERY POWERFUL.
AND SHE PROBABLY NEVER THOUGHT OR INTENDED BECAUSE SHE WAS DOING GOOD WORK THAT SHE WOULD HAVE THIS TYPE OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
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BUT I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE Y'ALL AND THANK YOU FOR STANDING WITH HER IN HER SPIRIT.AND THANK YOU FOR ADVOCATING FOR EVERYTHING AROUND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, PARTICULARLY ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN AND WHAT YOU'RE DO, WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, AND WHAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, THANK YOU.
AND I ECHO MY COLLEAGUE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND JUST FOR JUST BEING A CHAMPION FOR THIS ISSUE AND SORT OF SMILES, FAMILY, MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUING LEADERSHIP.
I SEE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GREAT ADVOCATES FROM FIFTH WARD.
I MEAN, WE'VE LOST SO MANY, UM, PEOPLE OVER THE PAST DECADES, UM, DUE TO THIS CANCER CLUSTER AND, AND WE ARE CONSTANTLY LEAVING, LOSING PEOPLE EVERY DAY.
AND BECAUSE OF YOUR ADVOCACY AND KEEPING THIS ISSUE ON THE FRONT FOREFRONT, YOU'VE ACTUALLY PUT, UM, UNION PACIFIC ON THE SPOTLIGHT.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE KNOW WHAT U UP IS ALL ABOUT.
AND SO I THANK YOU, UM, CALDWELL, WE GOT SANDRA BACK HERE.
UM, JUST EVERYONE, JUST FOR YOUR CONTINUED EFFORTS AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT YOU KNOW THESE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE GET JUSTICE, UM, FOR THE LOSSES.
SO THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU.
I WANNA SAY CHAIR, IF I COULD JUST SAY, I, I, I WANNA WELCOME.
UM, DR. MILES RICHARDSON'S, ALL THE WAY FROM ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
SHE IS FROM THE MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.
UM, AND THEY HAVE COME ON BOARD BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT SANDRA MALL HAS DONE.
Y'ALL HAVE REACHED STATE LINES, PAST STATE LINES IN TERMS OF WHAT'S IMPORTANT AND PEOPLE NOW HAVE HEARD WHAT'S GOING ON.
THEY WANNA COME IN AND HELP, AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE EVERYONE STANDING BEHIND ME.
THEY'RE THE ONES, THEY'RE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT MAKE SURE THIS VOICE IS, IS AMPLIFIED AT ALL TIMES.
WELL, FROM A MOREHOUSE MAN TO A MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, YES, WELCOME TO HOUSTON.
ALRIGHT, THANK THIS MIDDLE CHAIR
SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, WHERE WE AT? ALL RIGHT.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD FOR A PROCLAMATION TO MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY MONTH.
WE ALL PROUDLY RECOGNIZE HOUSTON AS BEING THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN AMERICA.
AND I PERSONALLY TAKE PRIDE IN REPRESENTING DISTRICT J, THE MOST DIVERSE AREA OF THE MOST DIVERSE CITY IN AMERICA, MAKING IT THE MOST DIVERSE CITY, THE MOST DIVERSE AREA IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES.
APRIL HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS NATIONAL DIVERSITY MONTH, AND WE HAVE A DIVERSE GROUP OF ORGANIZATIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS WHO SERVICE DISTRICT J WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE.
AND I WOULD LIKE THEM TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED.
EVERYONE WHO'S REPRESENTING AN ENTITY THAT SERVICES DISTRICT JI WOULD LIKE TO CALL ON PRINCIPAL OF
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WISDOM HIGH SCHOOL, MR. KENNETH BRANTLEY, TO COME FORWARD AND ACCEPT THE PROCLAMATION ON EVERYONE'S BEHALF, CELEBRATE DIVERSITY MONTH.WHEREAS IN 2004, CELEBRATE DIVERSITY MONTH WAS ESTABLISHED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND HONOR THE DIVERSITY THAT SURROUNDS US ALL.
AND WHEREAS CELEBRATE DIVERSITY MONTH PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE AND APPRECIATE OUR DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES, WHICH LEADS TO A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF EACH OTHER.
AND WHEREAS RECOGNIZING THE VALUE IN EACH OTHER'S EXPERIENCES, DIFFERENCES, AND UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS ENABLES US TO RESPOND WITH RELEVANCE, EMPATHY, AND COMPASSION.
AND WHEREAS CELEBRATING DIVERSITY NOT ONLY BOOSTS CULTURAL AWARENESS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY CREATES SPACES OF INCLUSION AND FOSTERS BELONGING WHERE PEOPLE FEEL VALUED.
AND WHEREAS HOUSTON, THE MOST CULTURALLY DIVERSE CITY IN THE COUNTRY, IS A WELCOMING PLACE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
AND DISTRICT J IS THE MOST DIVERSE AREA OF HOUSTON AND ARGUABLY THE MOST DIVERSE COMMUNITY IN AMERICA.
AND WHEREAS DISTRICT J IS HOME TO THE MOST DIVERSE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL IN THE STATE, WISDOM HIGH SCHOOL WITH STUDENTS REPRESENTING 53 COUNTRIES IN OVER 80 LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN THE COMMUNITY, WHERE 75% OF RESIDENTS SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH AS THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE.
AND WHEREAS HOUSTON PRIDES ITSELF ON BEING A PLACE WHERE THE AMERICAN DREAM CAN BE REALIZED AND PEOPLE CAN AUTHENTICALLY EXPRESS THEIR CULTURES AND CUSTOMS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS ALL PARTICIPANTS IN DIVERSITY MONTH AND ENCOURAGES ALL HOUSTONIANS TO EMBRACE AND CELEBRATE DIVERSITY OF OUR GREAT CITY AND TO CONTINUE FOSTERING A CULTURE OF INCLUSION AND ACCEPTANCE FOR ALL.
THEREFORE, I, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM ON BEHALF OF SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE THE MONTH OF APRIL AS CELEBRATE DIVERSITY MONTH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO OUR ILLUSTRIOUS COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN POLLARD, UH, WHO IS A TRUE ADVOCATE AND CHAMPION IN DISTRICT J ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT YOU SEE HERE.
ONE THING THAT LINKS US ALL IS THAT WE ARE ALL CHAMPIONS FOR ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY, INCLUDING OUR COUNCILMAN.
HE IS CONSTANTLY PUSHING FOR MORE SUPPORTS, ADVOCATING AND ACTUALLY COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY.
SO I PERSONALLY THANK YOU COUNCILMAN POLLARD FOR YOUR WORK.
AND ON BEHALF OF SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HERE, WE HAVE THE CONNECT COMMUNITY, WE HAVE AL NOR MOSS, WE HAVE THE, UH, GREATER GULFTON, UH, COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE, UH, SO MANY THAT ARE, THAT ARE REPRESENTED HERE.
UH, ON, ON BEHALF OF THEM ALL.
WE WANT TO JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT.
YES, WE ARE A VERY, VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
UH, AT WISDOM HIGH SCHOOL, WE, UH, HAVE A MANTRA.
WE SAY, WELL, THIS IS WHERE THE WORLD COMES TO LEARN.
AND SO HERE IN HOUSTON, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT AND PROVIDE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES, WHETHER IT'S SOCIAL SERVICES, WHETHER IT'S EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES, JUST, JUST GENERAL ACCESS, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY CAN INDEED HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE ALL WANT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING A CHAMPION FOR US.
THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING FOR US HERE AT CITY HALL.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE, UH, GREATER GULFTON SHARPTON AREA, WE SAY THANK YOU.
AND AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THE SUPPORT.
UM, WE DO HAVE A, A COLLEAGUE IN THE QUEUE, BUT BEFORE WE, UH, MOVE ON TO COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, I DO WANNA SHOUT OUT SOME DISTRICT F FOLKS IN THE ROOM.
UH, TODAY IS DEFINITELY, UH, ALRIGHT, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT DAY WHEN YOU CAN PULL THE MAYOR OF CHINATOWN AND CITY HALL.
SO I SEE KENNETH LEE IS IN THE HOUSE.
I SEE TAMMY RODRIGUEZ IS ALWAYS DOING SOME GOOD WORK.
ZAUR CONTINUES TO SERVE, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT WOULDN'T BE A SHOUT OUT WITHOUT DOUG.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOU, DOUG, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND NOT ONLY F BUT IN J COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER, THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
I MEAN, I'M LITERALLY LOOKING IN THE AUDIENCE AND I FEEL LIKE THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HOUSTON LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT YOU SAID IN YOUR PROCLAMATION, INCLUSION AND ACCEPTANCE.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE TWO WORDS THAT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE DIVERSE, IF YOU DON'T INCLUDE PEOPLE AND ACCEPT THEM.
AND I WANNA GIVE SHOUT OUTS TO ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS.
YOU ARE THE REASON WHY PEOPLE ACCEPT YOU, BECAUSE YOU'VE SHARED YOUR CULTURE, YOU SHARED YOUR FOOD, YOUR DANCE, YOUR MUSIC, AND ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS, LANGUAGE AND ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT, UM, THAT MAKE HOUSTON SO INCREDIBLY SPECIAL.
SO CONGRATULATIONS ON A PROCLAMATION OF WELL DESERVED.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS COME FORWARD.
IF YOU ARE A STAKEHOLDER THAT SERVICES DISTRICT J COME FORWARD FOR THE PICTURE, WE'LL GO IN THE HORSESHOE.
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THE[00:31:07]
CHAIR RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM FOR PROCLAMATION TO KAREN FRANKLIN OF WORLD YOUTH FOUNDATION TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION WEEK.AND KAREN FRANKLIN TO JOIN US AT THE PODIUM.
CAN WE CLOSE THE DOORS? SO COUNSEL, TODAY I AM EXCITED TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO NA FOR NATIONAL YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION WEEK.
ANYTIME WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THIS, WE ARE HONORED TO DO SO.
AND THE PROCLAMATION READS, WHEREAS THE WELLBEING AND SAFETY OF HOUSTON'S YOUTH IS ESSENTIAL TO THE HEALTH AND SUCCESS OF OUR CITY.
WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PROMOTING YOUTH HEALTH, PROVIDING YOUTH OPPORTUNITY, AND PREVENTING YOUTH VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND WHEREAS IN OBSERVANCE OF NATIONAL YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION WEEK BEGINNING APRIL 24TH THROUGH 28TH, THE STUDENTS OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, AND THE MY BROTHERS KEEPER, CITY OF HOUSTON YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION COALITION, WHICH IS MADE UP OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, ARE COMING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF YOUTH VIOLENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
THIS INITIATIVE IS PART OF THE SANDY HOOK PROMISE AND HOUSTON PEACE STRATEGIC PLAN TO PREVENT VIOLENCE.
AND, AND WHEREAS THROUGH A SERIES OF VIRTUAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES, THESE STUDENTS ARE WORKING TO RAISE AWARENESS AND EMPOWER THEIR PEERS TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST VIOLENCE.
WHEREAS WE WILL DO ALL WE CAN TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM GUN VIOLENCE BY ENCOURAGING AND SUPPORTING SOLUTIONS THAT CREATE SAFER AND HEALTHIER HOME SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEVASTATING IMPACT OF GUN VIOLENCE ON OUR YOUTH AND COMMUNITIES.
WE COMMIT TO PRIORITIZING SOLUTIONS THAT WILL PREVENT AND REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE IN HOUSTON.
WE WILL WORK TIRELESSLY TO ENSURE THAT OUR CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THEY CAN LEARN, PLAY, AND GROW WITHOUT FEAR OF VIOLENCE.
AND WHEREAS WE RECOGNIZE THAT YOUTH VIOLENCE IS A COMPLEX ISSUE THAT REQUIRES A MULTIFACETED APPROACH, AND WE COMMIT TO WORKING TOGETHER TO PREVENT VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO CREATE A SAFER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE FOR ALL OF HOUSTON'S YOUTH.
THEREFORE, I COUNSEL, THEREFORE I, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS ON BEHALF OF SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 24TH THROUGH THE 28TH, 2023 AS NATIONAL YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION WEEK HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
I'M STEVEN WILLIAMS, THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
OF COURSE, WE ARE THE HOME OF MY BROTHER'S KEEPER.
I REALLY WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE PARTNERS THAT YOU SEE IN SUPPORT, UH, OF THIS PROCLAMATION SUPPORTING YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
YOUTH CHILDREN AREN'T BORN 13, 17 YEARS OLD.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT IN PLACE A LOT OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES SO THAT CHILDREN CAN ACTUALLY HAVE THE LEVEL OF SUPPORTS AND SERVICES THAT THEY NEED SO THAT THEY WON'T BE ENGAGED IN VIOLENCE, NOR WILL THEY BE VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE.
I WANT TO REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF THE, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS THE NONPROFITS AND ADV ADVOCATES WHO HAVE COME TOGETHER TEAMING UP TO
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REALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, REVAMPING OUR YOUTH PREVENTION STRATEGY, UH, THROUGH OUR YOUTH JUSTICE COUNCIL.
AND ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT YOU SEE HERE ARE GONNA BE IN INVOLVED IN THAT EFFORT.
UH, WHAT WE'RE SEEKING TO BE IS A IS IS RECOGNIZED BY THE NATIONAL MY BROTHERS KEEPER, UH, ORGANIZATION, THE OBAMA FOUNDATION.
WE'VE DONE IT ONCE, BUT THEY'VE STARTED OVER THREE TIMES.
AND SO WE AGREED TO KIND OF GO BACK AND, AND DO THAT AGAIN.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS REALLY PUT OUR EFFORTS, OUR ENERGIES, AND OUR RESOURCES BEHIND THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR FUTURE.
DID YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE THE TEAM THAT'S HERE? OH MY GOD.
I CERTAINLY, KAREN, UH, YOU, YOU SEE, WE HAVE THE PRESENCE OF, OF POLICE.
WE HAVE, EVERYBODY IS IS TOGETHER ON THIS THING.
THE THING THAT I LIKE ABOUT, ESPECIALLY OUR YOUTH JUSTICE COUNCIL, IS THAT NO ONE ON HIGH TOLD US TO GET TOGETHER TO DO THIS.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUTTA MEETINGS THAT ARE JUST COMMITTED TO THE CAUSE, COMMITTED TO, UH, CHANGING POLICIES.
AND WE, WE HAVE, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WAS THINKING TODAY, WE WILL PROBABLY COME TO A COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE TO LET YOU KNOW THE SPECIFICS OF WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THAT ARE, ARE JUST NOT, UH, PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND, AND WE NEED TO DO THAT.
SO WE'LL COME BACK AND REALLY CAPTURE WHAT'S HAPPENING, NOT ONLY RELATED TO MY BROTHER'S KEEPER, BUT ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE AFFILIATED WITH OUR YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORT.
WE DO HAVE A, A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
AND, UM, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
UM, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, THANK YOU.
UM, LATASHA AND DONNA AND EVERYONE, UM, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS.
'CAUSE MY BROTHER KEEPER HAS BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UM, BUT I JUST APPRECIATE DIRECTOR WILLIAMS' PASSION AND HIS DEDICATION TO CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR AT-RISK YOUTH AND OUR YOUNG ADULTS.
YOU KNOW, AS A MOTHER WHO HAD A KID THAT GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE SYSTEM AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, UM, BACK IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS WHEN THERE WERE NO PROGRAMS, UM, JUVENILE JUSTICE WAS ON THE BACK BURNER OF ISSUES WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS JUST TO SEE IT NOW IN THE FOREFRONT.
'CAUSE IF YOU HAVE YOUR LEADER THAT CARE ABOUT THE ISSUES, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF MORE PROGRAMS COMING.
AND SO, BECAUSE DIRECTOR, UM, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS IS PASSIONATE ABOUT IT, I MEAN, THE CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH YOU ON THAT.
AND PURE VIOLENCE, WE SEEING MORE.
AND SO I'M JUST THANKFUL TO YOU.
I'M THANKFUL TO ALL OF YOU GUYS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND PARTNERSHIP.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S TO COME DOWN THE LINE, YOU KNOW? SO THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, THANK YOU CHAIR.
AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON TO YOU ALL.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
I THINK DIRECTOR WILLIAMS SAID IT PERFECTLY.
IT COMES DOWN TO EFFORT AND ENERGY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE PROGRAM MAY BE AND HOW MANY TIMES YOU MAY HAVE TO REVAMP OR, OR LOOK AT WAYS IN WHICH TO, UH, STRATEGIZE AROUND IT.
THE FACT THAT YOU ALL ARE PUTTING FORTH EFFORT, PUTTING FORTH ENERGY IS GONNA MAKE AN IMPACT ON, UH, THE YOUTH'S LIVES.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU AND ENCOURAGE YOU, UH, TO CONTINUE IN YOUR WORKS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU.
AND IN ADDITION TO THE EFFORT, THE MONEY, AND IN MAKING SURE THAT Y'ALL ARE FUNDED AND HAVE WHAT YOU NEED, AND I THINK THE DIRECTOR WILLIAMS IS AN AMAZING JOB, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, THAT HE HAS, Y'ALL HAVE THE RESOURCES THAT YOU NEED TO SPREAD THE WORD AND TO KEEP THESE KIDS SAFE.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE HE SAID, THEY'RE NOT BORN AT 13.
I MEAN, THEY REALLY, THEY, THEY, THEY, UM, HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THEIR ENVIRONMENTS AND WE NEED TO GIVE THEM HOPE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT ALL OF YOU'RE DOING, AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR WILLIAMS FOR LEADING THIS CHARGE.
AND BEFORE PHOTOS, JUST TO ADD TO ALL OF THE ACCOLADES, UH, WORLD YOUTH FOUNDATION IS NO SECRET TO THE CITY, LONG TIME, UH, LEADERSHIP AND FOOTPRINT.
AND SO WE JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND, UH, THE MY BROTHERS KEEPER PROGRAM IN HOUSTON, I BELIEVE IS A, UH, HAS BEEN NOTED NATIONALLY.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITH MY BROTHERS KEEPER IS ALSO DRIVING AND INFLUENCING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER CITIES.
AND SO THERE'S SO MUCH THAT'S HAPPENING, UM, UM, IN YOUR WORK.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK AND THANK YOU, UH, DIRECTOR FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF OUR COMMENTS.
AND YOU STAND THIS ONE, MS. KAREN, DO YOU WANT SOME COMMENTS OR NO, MA'AM.
WE, LET'S JUST GO INSIDE AND SHOW EVERYBODY
[00:42:59]
FOR INDULGING US, UH, DURING OUR, OUR FOUR PROCLAMATIONS.[2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE.UH, AND THE, UH, CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE CHAIR, UH,
COUNSEL, I'M VERY EXCITED TO, UH, HAVE RABBI DOVE GOLDSTEIN WITH US TODAY.
UH, A NATIVE OF MACALLEN, TEXAS.
RABBI DOVI GOLDSTEIN WAS ORDAINED IN KAHAR HABAD ISRAEL.
HE IS A DIRECTOR OF HABAD OF WEST HOUSTON, KATIE, CEO OF THE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE OF HOUSTON, AND ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF HABAD OUTREACH OF HOUSTON.
HE HAS SERVED AS THE LEAD RABBI OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SINCE 2005.
HE ALSO SERVES AS CHAPLAIN AT THE RICHMOND STATE SCHOOL, MENNINGER CLINIC FEDERAL CORRECTION COMPLEX IN BEAUMONT IN THE HARRIS COUNTY JAIL.
RABBI GOLDSTEIN IS MARRIED TO MRS. ELISA GOLDSTEIN AND HAS FIVE CHILDREN.
THANK YOU RABBI GOLDSTEIN FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AND WE ARE READY FOR YOUR INVOCATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ALMIGHTY GOD.
WE STAND BEFORE YOU IN PRAYER.
YOU BESTOW YOUR BLESSINGS UPON THE MAYOR, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, AND ALL CIVIL SERVANTS OF OUR GREAT CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE BESEECH YOU MERCIFUL GOD, TO EXTEND YOUR GRACE AND PROTECTION TO EACH AND EVERY MEMBER OF THIS HONORABLE BODY.
AND ESPECIALLY ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE, OUR HEROES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE FIREFIGHTERS, AND AM BESTOW UPON THEM THE JOY OF LIFE, GOOD HEALTH AND PROSPERITY.
BLESS THE DISTINGUISHED INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO MAKE LAWS AND DECISIONS FOR THE CITIZENS OF OUR CITY.
[00:45:01]
GRANT THESE PUBLIC SERVANTS, WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, AND KNOWLEDGE IN THEIR NOBLE PURSUIT OF GOVERNING WITH JUSTICE AND EQUALITY.LET US RECOGNIZE THAT WE MUST UNITE IN HARMONY IN A PEACEFUL PROCESS OF GOVERNMENT, EVEN IF WE ARE NOT ALWAYS IN AGREEMENT FOR, IN THESE CHALLENGING TIMES, TOUGH DECISIONS NEED TO BE MADE FOR THE COMMON GOOD.
AND WE MUST REMEMBER THAT WE ARE ALL BENEFICIARIES OF A DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
AND GOVERNMENT GIVE OUR OFFICIALS GUIDANCE SO THAT THEY WILL STRIVE TO ENACT LAWS WITH HONESTY AND INTEGRITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE UNIVERSAL NOAH HYDE PRINCIPLES OF BUILDING A JUST MORAL AND ETHICAL SOCIETY.
BESTOW UPON OUR LEADERS THE WISDOM TO TURN ADVERSITY INTO OPPORTUNITY, AND TO TRANSFORM THE HARD CHALLENGES WE FACE TODAY INTO THE SEEDS FROM WHICH WE'LL SPROUT THE GROWTH OF TOMORROW.
MAY OUR CITY SERVE AS A BEACON OF LIGHT FOR ALL PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS AND WALKS OF LIFE.
MAY OUR CITY OF HOUSTON HELP ACHIEVE THE GOAL SO POWERFULLY STATED IN OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE OF AM FOR AMERICA TO TRULY BE ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
I CONCLUDE WITH A BLESSING THAT IN OUR TRADITION IS REPEATED DAILY, WHICH MEANS MAY THE ONE WHO MAKES PEACE ON IN THE HEAVENS BEING PRIEST UPON US AND UPON ALL OF HUMANITY.
I PLEDGE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, REPUBLIC FOR WHICH YOU STAND, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU RABBI GOLDSTEIN FOR BEING HERE.
[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING]
NEXT COUNCIL, WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR ROLL CALL.MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR.
COUNCILMAN CAMAN WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCIL MARTIN WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCIL HUFFMAN WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCIL CISNEROS WILL BE ABSENT.
CONSTABLE ROBINSON WILL BE ABSENT.
AND CONSTABLE QUAN WILL BE ABSENT.
WE NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES.
ANY DISCUSSION IF NO DISCUSSION? ITEM PASSES.
UH, ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER.
I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND MOVE HUEY GERMAN WILSON TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE NON AGENDA LIST.
ANY DISCUSSION? ANY DISCUSSION? IF NO DISCUSSION? UH, ITEM PASSES.
UM, I MOVED TO SUSPENDED ROUTE TO MOVE FRED WOODS BEHIND HUEY GERMAN WILSON.
ANY DISCUSSION? ANY DISCUSSION? IF NO DISCUSSION, ITEM PASSES, IF ANY.
COUNCILMAN JACKSON, CAN YOU REPEAT YOUR PROCEDURAL MOTION? MOVE FRED WOODS BEHIND HUGH HUEY GERMAN WILSON.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO BEHIND HER UNDER THE THREE MINUTE MINUTE.
HUH? ARE YOU ADDING OR MOVING? MOVING? HE'S, HE'S CURRENTLY IN THE ONE MINUTE.
[PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
OKAY.MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER, THE FIRST SPEAKER.
ANDREW BARLEY TO BE FOLLOWED BY OLGA MORALES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS ANDREW DESHAUN BARLEY.
I ACT ACTUALLY LIVE IN, UH, DISTRICT GUY, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER
[00:50:01]
ALGO'S, UH, COMMUNITY IN MAGNOLIA PARK.AND TODAY I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE.
UM, IN MY DAY-TO-DAY JOB, I WORK AS A COMMUNITY REBUILD MANAGER FOR WEST STREET RECOVERY.
AND OVER THE LAST FIVE PLUS YEARS, I'VE SEEN THE DEVASTATION THAT THE NATURAL DISASTER HAS ON THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY.
UM, IN PARTICULAR IN THE NORTHEAST COMMUNITIES.
UM, I'VE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN WHAT IT COSTS TO REBUILD THE HOMES IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON.
UH, IN PARTICULAR BEING SOMEONE WHO WORKS DIRECTLY ON THESE HOMES, I SEE WHAT THE COST HAS ON OUR OLDER COMMUNITIES IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON WHO LIVE ON FIXED BUDGETS AND WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO CONTINUOUSLY REBUILD DISASTER AFTER DISASTER, WHETHER IT BE HURRICANE HARVEY OR ICE STORM URI.
UM, THE TOLL OF THESE NATURAL DISASTERS HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR FOLKS.
UM, BUT I'M SPEAKING TODAY TO YOU GUYS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET, THERE IS SOMETHING YOU GUYS CAN DO TO ENSURE THAT OUR FOLKS CAN BE BETTER PROTECTED IN THE EQUITABLE FASHION, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, FLOOD BASED EVENTS.
SO, WITH THAT IN MIND, THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE HAS SEVERAL DEMANDS FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET.
UM, FIRST, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE DEMAND THAT THERE IS A ONE, UH, $20 MILLION INCREASE TO SWAT EXPENDITURES.
SECOND, THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE IS MAKING A DEMAND OF A $20 MILLION INCREASE TO LDP.
UM, NEXT, THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVES IS DEMANDING AN INCREASE FOR MONIES TOWARDS PUBLIC WORK, STAFF, AND MAINTENANCE CREWS AND MACHINERY.
UH, NEXT FOCUS FOCUS ON EQUITABLE PROJECTS WHEN SELECTING DRAINAGE PROJECTS AND INVESTMENTS AND MAKING PUBLIC INPUT A MEANINGFUL IMPACT OF THOSE EQUITABLE PROJECT DECISION MAKING PROCESSES.
UM, AND YEAH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR TODAY.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
NEXT SPEAKER, OGA MORALES TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOSEPH PANZELLA WHEN I START THIS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS OLGA AND I WORK AT HILTON AMERICAS.
AND I'M A MEMBER OF UNITED HERE.
WHILE OUR HOTEL AND THE HOSPITALITY IN, IN INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE HAS LARGELY RECOVERED FROM THE PANDEMIC, SEVERAL AREAS HAVE LAGGED BEHIND THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY, THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY, FOOD AND BEVERAGE DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN MUCH SLOWER TO RECOVER.
THE VOLUME OF WORK IS NOT THERE.
THIS HAS AFFECTED US IN NOT MAKING THE SAME AMOUNT OF HOURS AS WE DID BEFORE.
THIS HAS ACCEPTED, THIS HAS AFFECTED OUR ABILITY TO QUALIFY FOR HEALTHCARE.
HOW DID THE MARRIOT ACROSS THE STREET DEAL WITH THIS? THEY SAT WITH US WHILE WE WERE STILL UNDER CONTRACT TOGETHER, AND WE MADE SEVERAL ADJUSTMENTS TO HELP TO PROTECT THE, THE EMPLOYEE'S HEALTHCARE.
MANY OF OUR EMPLOYERS HAVE DONE THE SAME.
HILTON HAS TAKEN DIFFERENT, A DIFFERENT APPROACH, AND THEY HAVE REFUSED THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT THING, LEAVING MANY OF THEIR WORKERS WITH HEALTH HEALTHCARE IN PERIL.
[00:55:06]
400, 400, UH, EMPLOYEES.UH, WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN TO SIT DOWN WITH THE EMPLOYER AND WORK OUT A FAIR RESOLUTION TO A PROBLEM.
AND THIS CASE HILTON DOES NOT SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO HI HILTON'S REFUSAL TO DO THE RIGHT THING, WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR CAMPAIGN AND PROTECT HEALTHCARE.
UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT YOU HAVE ALWAYS GIVEN US AND WE HOPE TO HAVE IT HERE.
WE ARE FIGHTING TO PROTECT OUR HEALTHCARE.
VICE MAYOR PROAM, UH, LES, YOU KNOW, I, I, I ASKED HER IF, UH, SHE HAD STATED THAT, UH, MARRIOTT DOES OFFER INSURANCE TO ALL OF THEIR EMPLOYEES.
AND SHE CLAIMS THAT YES, MARRIOTT DOES OFFER INSURANCE TO ALL OF THEIR EMPLOYEES.
HILTON, AMERICAS RECEIVING POINT OF ORDER.
MAYOR, WOULD YOU ASK HER TO SPEAK IN SHORT SEGMENTS SO IT CAN BE TRANSLATED? 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S BEING SAID.
UM, I WILL TRY TO, MY BEST TO GIVE YOU WHAT SHE SAID.
WELL, MAYBE SHE'LL DO SHORT SEGMENTS.
AND SIX, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, CAN YOU JUST TRANSLATE WHAT SHE SAID? YEAH,
SHE, SHE, SHE'S STATING THAT THERE'S 400 EMPLOYEES AT THE HILTON AMERICAS AND HER FEAR IS THAT ALL 400 WILL LOSE THEIR INSURANCE.
UH, SO WHAT I WANT TO ASK HER IS THAT I'M BEING TOLD THERE'S MAYBE 24 OR LESS EMPLOYEES THAT MIGHT, THAT ARE NOT GETTING THEIR INSURANCE BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT THEY ARE WORKING.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK HER.
SHE, SHE, SHE, SHE, HER, SHE'S SAYING, OR SHE'S QUESTIONING THAT.
SHE'S SAYING THAT WE NEED TO INQUIRE.
'CAUSE HER FEAR IS THAT SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT WORKING ENOUGH HOURS, SO THEREFORE THEY'RE
[01:00:01]
NOT GETTING THEIR INSURANCE.SO THAT'S WHAT HER FEAR IS, IS THAT 400 EMPLOYEES AT HILTON AMERICA, IF FOR SOME REASON THEY DON'T WORK THEIR HOURS IN THAT MONTH, THEN THEY WILL NOT GET THEIR INSURANCE FOR THAT MONTH.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING FROM.
SO, SO, SO THAT, THAT'S, UH, WHAT, WHAT, UH, HILTON AMERICAS MM-HMM
SHE, SHE'S CLAIMING THERE'S SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT FILLING IN THEIR HOURS FOR THE MONTH IN ORDER FOR THEM TO QUALIFY FOR INSURANCE.
SO, SO THAT, THAT'S, UH, WE, UM, HOUSTON FIRST COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS.
UM, AND FORGIVE ME, 'CAUSE THIS HAS BEEN HARD TO FOLLOW JUST BECAUSE OF MY LACK OF UNDERSTANDING.
UM, AS OUR REPRESENTATIVE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, CAN YOU GO BACK AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH HOUSTON FIRST AND THEN REPORT BACK TO US, UH, OF THE PROCESS? BECAUSE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE'S A CONTRACT IN PLACE AND UNTIL THEY RENEGOTIATE THE CONTRACT, UM, THEN THERE WILL BE A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION WITH THE INSURANCE.
SO, UM, IF YOU WOULD, AS OUR REPRESENTATIVE ON COUNCIL, GO BACK AND REPORT BACK AND LET US KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS WILL BE.
UH, WHAT, WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS THAT THE CONTRACT IS GOOD THROUGH 2025 WITHOUT A MISTAKEN.
SO IF THIS IS A FEAR OF THESE EMPLOYEES, AND THAT'S A FEAR TO REALLY BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
'CAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO YEARS OF POSSIBLY NOT HAVING INSURANCE SEVERAL MONTHS THROUGH THAT TWO YEAR PERIOD IF YOU'RE NOT MEETING YOUR HOURS.
I GUESS, UH, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GO AHEAD? UM, SHE'S SAYING, SHE'S SAYING THAT, THAT THE MARRIOTT HILTON HAS A, A SYSTEM IN PLACE AT THE MOMENT, UM, TO, TO SEE WHO QUALIFIES FOR THE, FOR THE HEALTHCARE, DEPENDING ON THEIR HOURS.
UM, SO THAT'S, HI, THAT'S HILTON.
WELL, SHE'S SAYING THAT MARY, MARY, THAT THAT WOULD BE HILTON.
THAT MARRIOTT HAS A DIFFERENT SYSTEM, UM, UM, THAT IT'S EASIER FOR, FOR THEM TO QUALIFY FOR THEIR BENEFITS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, KASH, I'M SO SORRY THAT I, I'M, I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW THIS.
WHAT IS, WHAT IS HER ROLE? WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR ROLE? CAN, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IS HER POSITION? IS SHE A UNION LEADER OR UNION A LEADER? SHE'S THE LEADER OF THE LOCAL.
SHE SAYS THAT EVERY DAY SHE SEES WHAT HER EMPLOYEES HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UM, UH, AS FAR AS THEIR BENEFITS, DEPENDING ON THEIR HOURS.
WELL, SHE'S DOING THE RIGHT THING BY COMING HERE.
I GUESS MY, MY BIGGEST QUESTION IS TYPICALLY WHEN YOU HAVE BENEFITS, IT DOESN'T CHANGE MONTH TO MONTH.
EITHER YOU HAVE INSURANCE OR YOU DON'T HAVE INSURANCE.
AND INSURANCE COMPANIES WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T HAVE TERMINATION DATES WITHIN THE MONTH.
SO THERE'S DIFFERENT AREAS THAT ARE AFFECTED MORE THAN OTHERS, DEPENDING ON, ON WHAT YOUR ROLE IS AT.
SO THE PEOPLE THAT SHE'S REFERRING TO, ARE THEY DESIGNATED AS PART-TIME EMPLOYEES OR ARE THEY DESIGNATED AS FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES
[01:05:03]
OF, OR FULLTIME.SO IF THEY'RE DESIGNATED FULL TIME, OR ARE THEY CONTRACT EMPLOYEES? YEAH.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS.
'CAUSE IF THEY'RE DESIGNATED FULL-TIME, THEN THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS SHOULD NOT FLUCTUATE.
UM, THEIR WAGES WILL FLUCTUATE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE HOURS, BUT THEIR, THEIR BENEFIT, THEIR HEALTH BENEFIT SHOULD NOT FLUCTUATE.
BUT I WILL, I WILL LOOK INTO IT AND SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE I GET SOME CLARITY OKAY.
BUT SHE SAYS THEY HAVE CHANGED OR THEY WILL.
UM, I WILL LET US LOOK INTO IT.
WE'LL WORK WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GALL TO GET SOME MORE CLARITY.
JOSEPH PANZELLA TO BE FOLLOWED BY HE GERMAN WILSON.
HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY, AND THANK VERY MUCH MR. BENZA.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK HERE TODAY.
UH, MY NAME IS JOSEPH PANZA FROM DISTRICT E AND I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF BY HOUSTON TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
UH, FOR MY DAY-TO-DAY JOB, I'M A DATA ANALYST WITH A RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPER.
UH, AND I BELIEVE THAT DATA ANALYSIS CAN BE AN AMAZING TOOL TO HELP US UNDERSTAND BETTER OUR DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT.
TODAY I WANNA TALK ABOUT THREE STATISTICS THAT TELL A TRAGIC STORY, BUT ALSO A HOPEFUL ONE IF WE ACT ON IT NOW.
AND THOSE STATS ARE 30, 42 AND 35.
AGAIN, IT'S 30 42 AND 35 30 IS THE NUMBER OF BIKERS LIVES THAT HOUSTON IS ON TRACK TO LOSE BY THE END OF 2023.
WHEN I SPOKE HERE JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO IN JANUARY, I CAME WITH A SIMPLE MESSAGE THAT UNTIL WE TAKE BIKER, UH, AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE SERIOUSLY, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO LOSE MORE LIVES.
AND IN THAT SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, WE'VE LOST SEVEN MORE BIKERS LIVES.
NOT TO MENTION THE 50 PEDESTRIANS THAT HAVE ALREADY DIED ON HOUSTON STREETS JUST THIS YEAR.
42 IS THE PERCENT OF HOUSTONIANS THAT BIKE TO WORK EVERY DAY THAT MAKE LESS THAN $25,000 A YEAR.
AND SO I KNOW THAT IT'S EASY TO SAY THAT OUR REQUEST FOR MORE BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE IS JUST AN ASK FOR LEISURE OR JUST ANOTHER AMENITY, BUT THE REALITY COULD NOT BE MORE DIFFERENT.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A WORKING CLASS ISSUE, AND EVERY DOLLAR THAT GOES TOWARDS BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE REALLY DOES HELP THOSE MOST IN NEED.
AND LASTLY, UH, THE MKT AND COLUMBIA TAP TRAILS HAVE SEEN ON AVERAGE 35,000, UH, MONTHLY PEDESTRIAN AND, UH, BIKER VISITORS IN BETWEEN OCTOBER OF 2022 AND MARCH OF 2023.
SO THE APPETITE FOR HOUSTONIANS TO HAVE AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY TO GET OUT THERE, TO WALK TO BIKE IS INCREDIBLE.
AND IT'S REALLY THANKS TO ALL OF Y'ALL'S WORK TO, TO DATE, BUT THE WORK'S NOT DONE.
AND SO IN CONCLUSION, WE'RE SEEING BIKER AND PEDESTRIAN THAT'S INCREASING.
UH, IT'S A WORKING CLASS ISSUE.
I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THIS AND HOPEFULLY GET THE, UH, GET THE HOUSTON INJURIES DOWN OVER TIME.
COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, DID YOU SAY 42% OF THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE LESS THAN $15,000 BIKE TO WORK EVERY DAY? NO.
OF THE PERCENT OF PEOPLE THAT BIKE TO WORK EVERY DAY, 42% OF THEM MAKE LESS THAN 25,000.
WHERE DO YOU GET THIS INFORMATION? IT CAME FROM AN ARTICLE, UH, FROM GOVERNANCE.COM.
I COULD PASS IT TO YOU AFTER THIS IF YOU'D LIKE.
YOU KNOW, I, I'D LOVE TO GET IT.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEND IT TO MY EMAIL, MICHAEL DOT KOSH@HOUSTONTX.GOV.
I, ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO DO, I, I'D LIKE THE CITIZENS TO START SENDING ME PICTURES OF PEOPLE RIDING THE BIKES IN THESE BIKE LANES, BECAUSE ALL I GET IS PICTURES OF PEOPLE RIDING THE BIKES IN THE MAIN LANES AND THE BIKE LANES ARE, I DON'T HAVE ANYBODY IN 'EM.
I MEAN, UH, MY OFFICE IS, UH, OVER BY LAMAR STREET AND I, I'VE YET TO SEE ANYBODY RIDE A BIKE ON LAMAR STREET, AND THAT'S GREEN LANES.
NOW, MAYBE I'M JUST OUT AND ABOUT AT THE WRONG TIME, BUT I HAVE GOTTEN PICTURES FROM PEOPLE RIDING THE BIKES IN THE MAIN LANES DURING AND NOT IN THE BIKE LANES.
SO, UM, IT'S A CONCERN TO OF MINE.
UH, BUT WHEN I HEARD THE 42% OF THE PEOPLE THAT, 'CAUSE I, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY, WHERE, WHERE
[01:10:01]
ARE THEY WORKING, WHERE ARE THEY GOING? 'CAUSE I, I DON'T SEE 'EM.MAYBE I'M NOT OUT DURING WORKING HOURS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I, I DON'T KNOW THE WORD.
WELL, I'M OUT AND ABOUT TO, SO IF YOU'D SEND ME SOME PICTURES OF PEOPLE RIDING THE BIKES IN THE BIKE LANE, EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO STAGE IT, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
I CAN SEND YOU THE ARTICLE ABOUT THAT.
NEXT SPEAKER, HUEY GERMAN WILSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY FRED WOODS.
I'M HUEY GERMAN WILSON, PRESIDENT OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 48 TRINITY HOUSTON GARDENS.
THANK YOU, UH, TO COUNCIL MEMBER LETICIA PLUMER.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR HEARING ME OUT THIS AFTERNOON, AND TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER, TASHA JACKSON.
UM, I'M BEFORE YOU THIS AFTERNOON AS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT, BUT ALSO IN SUPPORT OF NAC ON THE DRAINAGE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.
HISTORICALLY, WE'VE BEEN BEFORE YOU BEFORE.
WHEREVER WE SEE YOU IN THE CITY, WE TALK ABOUT THIS, THE DRAINAGE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE ACROSS NORTHEAST HOUSTON, WHICH ACTUALLY HAPPENS TO BE, UH, THAT STARTS UP SOMEWHERE AROUND THE SHIP CHANNEL IN PLEASANTVILLE, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF THIS GROUP.
AND THEN IT COMES DOWN INTO FIFTH WARD AND CASHMERE GARDENS AND GOES ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE BELTWAY.
OVER 200,000 PEOPLE LIVE IN THIS AREA WHERE WE'VE HISTORICALLY NOT HAD GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE IN TERMS OF DRAINAGE.
AND SO WE'RE ASKING THAT THE CITY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
UH, AND WE'VE BEEN MORE DELIBERATE IN YEARS IN THE, IN THESE RECENT YEARS THAN WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'VE COME BEFORE YOU BEEN PREVIOUS IN ADMINISTRATIONS AND, AND MADE THESE CLAIMS AND, AND ASKED FOR THESE THINGS.
AND, UH, TO BE HONEST, WE'VE SEEN SOME RESULTS BECAUSE OVER THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, THE CITY'S COME IN.
BONITA GARDENS GOT ABOUT $10 MILLION IN RENOVATIONS.
SO WE SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE WHEN THE CITY REALLY PUTS THEIR, PUTS THEIR MIND TO IT AND GETS IT DONE.
BUT, UH, WHEN WE ARE NOW ASKING FOR $40 MILLION TO BE, UH, IN THE DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE AS OPPOSED TO THE $20 MILLION THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS IN THE SWAT, AND THEN $32 MILLION FOR THE LDP ANNUAL FUNDING, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE'RE ASKING FOR THOSE NUMBERS, AND I SAY THAT BONITA GARDEN'S GOT $10 MILLION, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT FOR THE A A AMOUNT OF SPACE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, $2 MILLION HERE AND $2 MILLION THERE ISN'T GOING TO DO A LOT FOR US.
BUT WE ARE ASKING THAT THOSE NUMBERS BE DRAMATICALLY INCREASED IN TERMS OF PEOPLE AND MACHINERY TO GET THESE THINGS DONE, BECAUSE WE MERIT THAT BECAUSE FOR 40 YEARS WE'VE BEEN UNDERSERVED AND UNDER RESOURCED.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE RESOURCES TO COME THROUGH NOW.
UH, AND SO WE WILL, WE'VE BEEN VERY DELIBERATE AND WE APPRECIATE NAC BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN VERY DELIBERATE IN ORGANIZING US AND GETTING US OUT.
SO WE ARE OUT AHEAD OF THE BUDGET, WE'RE OUT AHEAD OF YOU ALL CONSIDERING THAT.
AND AS THE RABBI STATED EARLIER, I WANNA ASK THAT YOU, THAT THE LORD CROWN YOUR HEADS WITH WISDOM AND THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED AND YOU GIVE US WHAT WE NEED.
AS OPPOSED TO US HAVING THIS DISCUSSION EVERY YEAR FOR $2 MILLION HERE AND $2 MILLION THERE, CAN WE GET A SET AMOUNT? $40 MILLION SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY.
BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND JUSTICE 40 THAT SAYS THAT MONEY NEEDS TO COME INTO COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS.
AND WE'RE TALKING INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE'RE ACTIVELY OUT SEEKING THAT.
AND WE ASK THAT THE CITY WORK WITH US ON GETTING THOSE RESOURCES INTO OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE SEE SOME REAL CHANGE AROUND THIS IN THE COMING YEARS.
SO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME OUT THIS AFTERNOON AND HEARING ME OUT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, MS. WILSON, IS THERE A, A SPECIFIC, UH, PROBLEM THAT YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, SAY, IF YOU COULD FIX THIS, THIS WOULD BE A BIG HELP IF WE COULD REMEDY THIS PROBLEM? YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S AREAS I CAN TAKE YOU OVER NEAR LINDE WHERE THERE'S, UH, THERE'S, UH, THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW HOW THESE OLD SAYING BRIDGES TO NOWHERE WHERE THERE'S DITCHES TO NOWHERE? MM-HMM
THESE DITCHES JUST COME AND THERE'S NO PLACE FOR 'EM TO DRAIN.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, DO DO YOU HAVE THINGS LIKE THAT THAT, THAT YOU CAN, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE'VE TALKED, UH, AND WALKED WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON, UH, IN PARTICULAR IS OFF BENNINGTON.
THERE, THERE ARE A SERIES OF STREETS SHOT.
WELL, HOFFMAN AND WALLY VALE THAT DEAD END INTO THE RAILROAD.
AND TODAY, IF IT RAINS MORE THAN THREE OR FOUR INCHES, THOSE HOUSES ARE AT RISK OF FLOODING AGAIN.
SO, SO THERE'S NO DRAINAGE UNDER THE RAILROAD TRACKS.
THERE'S NO DRAINAGE UNDER THE RAILROAD TRACK.
AND YOU GOT THAT IMMEDIATELY, BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE DON'T GET THAT.
SO THEY, THE, THE WATER SYSTEM DRAIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON DITCHES ARE NOT DEEP ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE, AND THEN WHEN THEY DO, THEY CIRCLE AROUND ON EACH OTHER.
SO IS THERE, IS THERE AN AREA THERE THAT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR A DETENTION POND? NO, THE DETENTION IS ACTUALLY ABOUT, UH, THREE BLOCKS AWAY ON HOMESTEAD.
[01:15:01]
THERE.BUT IF IT'S NOT GOING UNDER THE RAILROAD TO THE, TO THE, UH, THE, UH, DRAINAGE DITCH THAT THE COUNTY MAINTAINS TO TAKE IT THERE, THEN HOW WILL IT GET TO THE E EVEN IF THEY PUT A DETENTION IN THERE, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? IT WOULD JUST STAY, IT WOULD JUST, IT WOULD JUST CIRCLE AROUND ON EACH OTHER THE WAY IT DOES NOW.
SO WE'VE HAD, WE HAVE THOSE AREAS ALL ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, ALONG HIRSCH AND, AND LITTLE YORK.
THERE'S STILL STANDING WATER THERE TODAY, AND IT HAS NOT RAINED SUBSTANTIALLY ENOUGH FOR THAT WATER TO CONTINUE TO SIT THERE.
STAGNANT WATER, IT JUST SITS THERE BECAUSE IT HAS NOWHERE TO GO.
SO WE'VE GOT THEM ALL UP, SCENIC WOODS, YOU NAME A NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I CAN ALMOST GIVE YOU A SERIES OF STREETS IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE WATER THAT STANDS.
AND THE, THE HUNTING BAYOU PROJECT ALLEVIATED SOME OF THAT IN CASHMERE GARDENS.
BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE 80% OF OPEN DITCHES ACROSS NORTHEAST HOUSTON.
SO OF THE CITY'S DITCHES, THEY'RE IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON, AND WE CAN'T GET THE PROPER MAINTENANCE FOR THEM, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THE BURDEN OF HAVING THEM.
AND WE DON'T MIND THE OPEN DITCHES BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I LIKE THE ONE IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, BUT IF, IF IT DOESN'T CONNECT CORRECTLY, IF THERE ARE NO CULVERTS, THE CULVERTS AREN'T ALL THE SAME SIZE.
IF THE DRIVEWAYS ARE COLLAPSED, ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT GO WITH THIS, AND THEY'RE NOT BEING MAINTAINED, BUT WE MAINTAIN WHAT'S UNDERGROUND.
WE CAN'T MAINTAIN OPEN DITCHES.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
UM, VICE MAYOR TIM, THANK YOU, HUEY, FOR YOUR, AGAIN, ALWAYS ADVOCATING FOR VARIOUS ISSUES, NOT JUST FLOODING, WHATEVER'S IMPACTING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS, UM, NOT JUST YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THE DISTRICT, UM, THE CITY, YOU, YOU ON THE FOREFRONT.
AND SO, JUST WANNA JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW THAT I WAS IN THE CONVERS, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE KNOCK A WEEK AGO, AND WE ARE WORKING ON BUDGET AMENDMENTS, AND I'LL BE TALKING TO MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT GETTING SUPPORT FOR THOSE AMENDMENTS.
UM, BUT, UM, JUST AGAIN, JUST WANT THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY.
AND THEN ALSO WANT TO ADD, WE DO HAVE, WHAT, 13.5 MILLION? WE HAVE QUITE A FEW, UM, SWAT PROJECTS MOVING, BUT 13.5 MILLION WE'RE, WE'RE NEEDING THOSE RESOURCES TO GET SOME, UM, OF THE OTHER PROJECTS, UM, ON THE BOOK.
SO, UM, YOUR ADVOCACY AND EVERYONE ELSE IS HOW WE'RE GONNA MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
VICE MAYOR PROTI, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND BRINGING ALL THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
UM, I I JUST WANNA START OFF BY THANKING, UM, MAYOR TURNER AND, UH, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER COSTELLO AND THE SWAT PROGRAM BECAUSE, UH, THIS SWAT PROGRAM, UH, HAS DONE INCREDIBLE WORK, UH, IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE, LIKE YOU STATED, HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED.
I KNOW THAT IN DISTRICT, I, WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS CONCENTRATE, CONCENTRATE ON, UH, OFF STREET DITCHES, DRAINAGE DITCHES, AND HAD BEEN NEGLECTED.
UH, I KNOW THAT I USED TO WORK FOR A FORMER COMMISSIONER, COUNTY COMMISSIONER, VY GARCIA.
IT'S ONE OF HER LIAISONS, WAY BACK WHEN, UH, AND I WOULD CALL THE CITY TO SAY, THERE'S THIS DITCH, IT'S BELONGS TO THE CITY.
WE'RE HEARING COMPLAINTS FROM CONSTITUENTS CITY WOULD LOOK AT IT AND SAY, NO, THAT'S NOT OUR DITCH THAT BELONGS TO THE COUNTY.
SO IT'S BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH.
UH, BUT WITH THE SWAP PROGRAM AND WITH THE MONEY FROM THE SWAP PROGRAM, WE, UH, UH, TAKE ADVANTAGE AND GO OUT AND, AND CLEAN OUT THE DITCH.
UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S OVERGROWN, THERE'S, UH, UH, SHOPPING CARTS IN THERE.
THERE'S TIRES, UH, WHICH, WHICH IS TREMENDOUSLY GOING TO HELP.
UH, WITH ANOTHER $20 MILLION, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WE CAN DO IN OUR DISTRICTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
NEXT SPEAKER, FRED WOODS TO BE FOLLOWED BY MODESTA RES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM.
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL, AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
UM, THERE'S A FEW REQUESTS THAT I HAVE, FEW ISSUES THAT OCCURRED THAT I WANNA BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
ONE, UH, RESIDENTS NEED SOME TYPE OF NOTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR ACTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT CONDITIONS.
WE'VE HAD NARCOTICS RAIDS, POLICE CHASES, UH, ISSUING HIGH RISK WARRANTS WITH OFFICERS IN FULL TACTICAL GEAR.
AND I'VE YET TO RECEIVE AN ALERT OR HAVE SOMEONE CALL OR KNOCK ON MY DOOR TO TELL ME OR MY NEIGHBORS TO SHELTER IN PLACE, OR STEP OUT AND MOVE DOWN THE STREET UNTIL THE SITUATION HAS BEEN RESOLVED.
TWO, UH, THIS PAST SUNDAY, I WITNESSED A STREET TAKEOVER, HOMESTEAD AND HOPPER, UH, HOMESTEAD IS ALREADY A DANGEROUS STREET TO TRAVEL BY CAR UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS.
AND THESE STREET RACES ARE OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY IN OUR AREA, UH, BUT MOSTLY ON THE WEEKEND.
UH, WE NEED ADDED ENFORCEMENT DEDICATED TO STREET TAKEOVERS FOR MAJOR THOR THOROUGH AFFAIRS, AND WE DEFINITELY DON'T NEED BIKE LANES.
UH, THAT'S NOT MONEY WELL SPENT.
UH, REPAIR THE STREETS, FIX THE POTHOLES,
[01:20:01]
UH, SO WE CAN SAFELY DRIVE FIRST.OR, UH, AS I'M WEARING YELLOW IN, UM, IN CORRESPONDENCE TO NAC GIVE THAT FUNDING TOWARDS DRAINAGE.
SUNDAY BEFORE LAST, UH, A TRAIL RIDE GATHERED IN A LARGE PARKING LOT.
THEY LEFT THE PARKING LOT AND DECIDED TO PARADE THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, I'M ASKING THAT CITY COUNCIL CONSIDER REGULATING TRAIL RIDES THAT OCCUR OUTSIDE OF HOUSTON RODEO SEASON, UM, THROUGH PERMITTING, UH, MANDATING MANURE BAGS FOR ALL HORSES, UH, BEING WRITTEN ON CITY STREETS.
FOURTH AND I, I ASKED FOR THIS BEFORE I'VE YET TO RECEIVE UPDATED WRITTEN CRIME STATS FOR MY AREA.
I WAS INFORMED JUST LAST NIGHT BY COMMANDER JAMES DALE, UH, THAT HE WASN'T ABLE TO PROVIDE WRITTEN CRIME STATS.
HE COULD DO VERBAL BUT NOT WRITTEN.
UH, AND THOSE HAD TO BE AUTHORIZED BY AND VETTED BY PLANNING AND DATA GOVERNMENTS.
HOW ARE WE TO HOLD LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABLE WITHOUT STATISTICS FOR OUR AREA? UH, SIMPLY GOING TO A WEBSITE AND FUMBLING AROUND WITH 3000 POINTS OF DATA, UH, IS TOO MUCH FOR ANY ONE CITIZEN TO DO BY THEMSELVES.
UH, I'M ALSO, UH, ONE, EXPRESS MY DISAPPOINTMENT THAT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NO LONGER TO, WE NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO SPEAK BEFORE COUNCIL.
VIRTUALLY, I THINK IN THIS DAY AND AGE AND WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE PANDEMIC, THE ADVANCEMENT IN TECHNOLOGY, WE SHOULD HAVE MORE ACCESS AND BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE OUR NEEDS VIRTUALLY.
THERE ARE SOME THAT DON'T HAVE THE, THE TIME OR RESOURCES TO COME DOWN HERE, UH, ON A GIVEN DAY FOR A, A LARGE AMOUNT OF TIME.
UH, AND THEN I, I WANNA INVITE YOU, THE, THE, UH, PAPER THAT'S GOING AROUND THE FLYER IS ABOUT OUR CIVIC CLUB MEETING.
UH, I WANNA INVITE YOU TO COME, WE HAVE ONE TONIGHT.
IT'S ALWAYS THE LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH.
UH, WE WANT YOU TO COME TO HEAR FROM US IN PERSON AS WELL.
WE WANT TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP.
RELATIONSHIP DOESN'T JUST START WITH US COMING TO COUNCIL TO SPEAK ABOUT OUR NEEDS, BUT ALSO FOR YOU COMING TO US AND LISTENING.
SOME OF YOU HAVE, I INVITE OTHERS TO, TO JOIN IN ON THE FIGHT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH
UH, ESPECIALLY THOSE, UH, BAGS FOR THE MANURE, YOU KNOW, ON THE STREETS.
AND, UH, TAKING AWAY THE BIKE LANES SO YOU CAN HAVE TRAFFIC.
I, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA GET, UH, PROPER NOTICE TO PEOPLE WHENEVER THERE IS MAYBE A SWAT ENGAGEMENT IN A NEIGHBORHOOD.
I, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WOULD WORK, BUT, UH, PERHAPS THE POLICE CAN HEAR YOU.
I KNOW THEY MONITOR THIS COUNCIL SESSION.
I, I NOTICED THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A PHONE NUMBER OR AN ADDRESS, UH, GIVEN, UH, UH, WHEN YOU SIGNED UP.
BUT I, I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU IF I, IF I EMAIL THIS NORTH, UH, WOOD MANOR, TEXAS AT GMAIL.
WOULD YOU RESPOND TO THAT FROM ME? Y YES.
AND IF, IF I MAY, UM, SOME OF JUST LIKE A AMBER ALERT OR OTHER ALERTS THAT WE GET, UM, FROM THE CITY, UM, OR FROM THE AREA, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA BE FORWARD THINKING AND USE TECHNOLOGY.
UM, OFFICERS FOR NARCOTICS RAIDS, THERE'S 30 OF THEM.
SOMEONE SHOULD BE TASKED WITH KNOCKING ON DOORS BEFORE THEY DO WHAT THEY GOTTA DO, AND ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE, UH, THE NEIGHBORS THERE IN THAT AREA BE SAFE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
WELL, THE PROBLEM IS YOU GO KNOCK ON THAT DOOR.
AND THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT NEIGHBOR HAPPENS TO BE A RELATIVE OF THE PERSON, YOU'RE GONNA GO TO THEIR HOUSE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD WORK, BUT BY THE TIME THEY'RE THERE, THEY HAVE THE, THE HOME ALREADY SURROUNDED, CIRCULATED, I MEAN, UM, UM, SURROUNDED, UH, THEY'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, TRUST ME.
WELL, OFFICER SAFETY, ALL OF THOSE ISSUES HAPPEN RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME.
WELL, OFFICER SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT.
BUT, BUT YOU DIDN'T RESPOND TO ME.
IF I NOTIFIED YOU AT THIS ADDRESS, EMAIL ADDRESS, WOULD YOU RESPOND TO ME? AND, AND I WAS GETTING THERE.
YOU, UH, YOU, UH, WERE INVITED TO THE FEBRUARY MEETING.
I HAVE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, AND YES, IF YOU EMAIL THAT BACK OR YOU RESPOND TO THE EMAIL THAT I'VE ALREADY SENT YOU, I'D LIKE TO COUNT.
MR. WOODS, THANK YOU FOR COMING AGAIN.
I THINK WE HAD SPOKE LAST TIME, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO COME AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, IT CAME IN KINDA ON THE TAIL END, BUT I DID HEAR YOU MENTION ABOUT THE VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND, UM, WE DISCUSSED THAT AS A COUNCIL AND AS A BODY.
UH, WHAT WE DISCOVERED WHEN WE WERE DOING THAT IS SOME PEOPLE WERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE VIRTUAL SETTINGS, UM, NOT BEING WHO THEY WERE, UH, CALLING FROM PLACES THAT WERE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY AND JUST KIND OF, UM, SCRAMBLING THE PROCESS SOME, UH, AND SO WE HAD TO REALLY REEVALUATE
[01:25:01]
THAT.BUT THE GREAT THING IS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, YOU CAN TOUCH US, YOU CAN EMAIL US, WE CAN COME TO YOU, WE CAN SCHEDULE VIRTUAL MEETINGS WITHIN OUR OFFICES.
AND SO, UM, THERE'S NOT JUST GONNA BE ONE PUBLIC VENUE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS YOURSELF.
UM, BUT WE'LL TRY TO MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE THROUGH DOING VIRTUAL CALLS THROUGH OUR OFFICES OR IN THE EVENT, LIKE YOU JUST MENTIONED, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KUBACH COMING TO YOU IN PERSON AS WELL.
SO WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO ACCOMMODATE.
IF, IF I MAY, AN ADDITIONAL THOUGHT WOULD BE, HAVE SATELLITE AREAS SO THAT, UM, FOR INSTANCE, AT LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGES THAT ARE SET UP WHERE PEOPLE COULD GO AND SPEAK VIRTUALLY TO COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, AND THEN I'M SURE WE CAN COME UP WITH THE VETTING PROCESS FOR THOSE THAT SIGN UP, UH, FOR VIRTUAL COMMENTS.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, SUGGESTION.
THANK YOU MR. WOODS FOR, UM, AGAIN, YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN REALLY PRESSING THIS ISSUE WITH PUBLIC SAFETY FLOODING, LIKE HUEY, YOU GUYS ARE TRUE ACTIVISTS AND ADVOCATES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BUT I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH, UM, UM, COMMANDER DALE AND YOU GUYS HAD A MEETING LAST NIGHT, AND SO THERE WILL BE UP, THEY, THE, UM, HE WOULD HAVE WHAT MARKED PRESENCE, UM, WITHIN NORTHWOOD MANOR, UM, MONDAY, WEDNESDAYS, FRIDAYS, UM, BETWEEN WHAT, OH, 700, 1500 HOURS.
AND THEN HE HAS MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS.
HE'S GONNA HAVE OVERTIME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 1500 HOURS BETWEEN BETWEEN 15 AND 2100 HOURS.
AND THIS WILL BE A MARKED CAR MARKED PRESENCE.
AND THEY WILL ALSO BE AT THE CONVENIENCE STORES.
THEY'RE CONSTANTLY MONITORING THE SHOOTING THAT HAPPENED AT SPOTSWOOD.
SO HE'S GONNA HAVE A PRESENCE THERE DAILY TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, UM, ACHIEVES AND HOPPER, UM, DAILY ILLEGAL PARKING COMPLAINTS.
THEY WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE MONITORING THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND IF WEATHER PERMIT, HE'S GONNA HAVE BICYCLE PATROL OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, HE'S ALSO UPDATED ON OTHER THINGS THAT THEY HAVE DONE.
UM, THERE WILL BE ONGOING PRESENCE AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A ISSUE WITH CRIME AND, UM, THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED.
AND SO, AGAIN, I'M HERE FOR YOU.
I'M HERE, YOU KNOW, YOUR ADVOCATE.
JUST LET ME KNOW WHAT ELSE I NEED TO DO.
UH, YOU'RE DEFINITELY A STRONG ADVOCATE AND I APPRECIATE THE CHIEF AS WELL AS COMMANDER DELL AND ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UM, ONE THING THAT IS, UH, NEEDED IS WITH INCREASE EFFORT, WE NEED A MOTION TO EXTEND.
OH, WE NEED A MOTION TO EXTEND.
VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM AND OTHERS.
UM, IF I CAN'T HAVE STATS MM-HMM
REGULAR STATS, I CAN'T TELL IF THAT EXTRA THAT THEY'RE GIVING IS ACTUALLY WORKING.
AND SO WE ARE HAVING THE CONVERSATION, BUT I WANNA BE ABLE TO HAVE IT ON PAPER THAT I CAN DISSEMINATE THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THE TRENDS.
AND JUST ONE MORE FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, MR. WOODS.
UH, AS SOON AS YOU HAVE A GOOD SUGGESTION.
YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT ALWAYS HAS A, A WAY OF, OF, OF, OF PUTTING UP SOME TYPE OF HURDLE BUREAUCRACY.
BUT I WAS TOLD, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT, UM, WITH YOUR SUGGESTION OF IT BEING AT SATELLITE, UH, LOCATIONS FOR VIRTUAL MEETINGS, THAT IT'S IN OUR CITY CHARTER, THAT MEETINGS MUST BE IN PERSON EXCEPT FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO LOOK INTO.
BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUGGESTION.
LORENZA BUTLER JUNIOR TO BE FOLLOWED BY LARRY NORMAN.
MR. BUTLER, MY COUNCILWOMAN COUNCIL.
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC LANDER PRESS LUNCHEON AND LEARN TUESDAY, MAY 23RD IN THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT, IN ASIAN TOWN AT THE SIX ACRE SOUTHERN CHINESE DAILY NEWS CAMPUS AT THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTER.
I HAVE GIVEN YOU THE INVITATION.
THIS IS OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE THAT HAVE NEVER MET THE KOREAN, THE
[01:30:01]
AMERICAN, THE CHINESE, OR THE VIETNAM MEDIA OUTLETS, OWNERS, PUBLISHERS, AND EDITORS.ONCE AGAIN, THE HOUSTON FORMER FOUNDATION.
I'M LORENZO, PUBLISHER BUTLER OF THE HOUSTON INFORMER FOUNDATION, STEPPING BACK IN TIME.
TEXAS BLACK EXPO IS NEXT MONTH ON THE 18TH THROUGH THE 21ST AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN.
NOT SINCE 1996, AS THE HOUSTON FORMER, HAD A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT EXHIBIT OF A HUNDRED PLUS YEARS OF PHOTOS.
WE DID SO RECENTLY IN THE ROTUNDA FOR 40 DAYS.
BUT WE ARE COMING WITH A FULL BLOWN EXHIBIT SPONSORED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, THEN IN JUNE FOR JUNETEENTH, AND LAST AT THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE BACK AT THE GEORGIA ROUTE.
MY COUNCILWOMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD.
VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM PUBLISHER.
I WANT TO JUST THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO, UH, GIVE A PLATFORM FOR MINORITY COMMUNITIES, UH, THROUGH A API MONTH, AND THEN AGAIN, WITH THE STEPPING BACK IN TIME.
BUT FOR THOSE, UH, INITIATIVES, UH, OUR HISTORY AND OUR CULTURES AND OUR CUSTOMS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE A PLATFORM TO BE SHARED.
AND THE STEPPING BACK IN TIME, UH, EXHIBIT THAT WAS HERE AT CITY HALL, UM, PEOPLE HAVE, ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT IT.
AND IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THAT DISCUSSION AND TO GET MORE EXPOSURE, UH, THROUGH THESE NEXT, UH, FEW EVENTS.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE TEAM, HEB, AND ALL OF THE, UH, THE SPONSORS FOR HELPING PUT IT TOGETHER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THOSE INVITATIONS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, LARRY NORMAN.
LARRY NORMAN TO BE FOLLOWED BY ERICA FRANCIS.
UM, UM, I JUST CAME TO COMPLAIN A LITTLE BIT.
I WAS HOPING THE MAYOR WOULD BE HERE.
UH, IT, IT'S IN ITS OLD NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR ANTOINE, UH, IN BETWEEN TIDWELL AND THE NEXT STREET.
WHAT I'M HERE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IS THAT RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN DRUG DEALING, I'M RIDING MY BICYCLE TO THE STORE TO GET SOMETHING, AND I'M CONFRONTED WITH, HEY, OLD SCHOOL, WE GOT THAT.
AND IT WAS AN INSULT TO ME, BUT I WAS HOPING MAYOR TURNER WOULD BE HERE, UM, TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, COUNCILWOMAN AMY PECK, UH, FOR THE, HOPEFULLY THE INSTALLATION OF THE STREETLIGHT THAT'S, UH, COMING, BUT THE, THE OUTRIGHT OBVIOUS DRUG DEALING THAT'S ON THAT CORNER, ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO, THEY HAD A, UH, ZERO TOLERANCE THING WORKING, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CLEANED IT UP, YOU KNOW, HERE WE ARE BACK AGAIN, SAME THING.
AND I'M 69 YEARS OLD RIDING MY BIKE, AND I'M CON BEING CONFRONTED WITH SOMEBODY TELLING ME, UH, THEY'VE GOT, UH, THE CRACK FOR SALE.
I WAS IN, NOT ONLY INSULTED, I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT IT WAS HAPPENING.
I JUST WANT TO CAME, COME AND COMPLAIN, HOPING THE MAYOR WOULD BE HERE.
THANK YOU FOR MY THREE MINUTES, AND, UH, I'LL GET WITH YOUR OFFICE ABOUT THAT STREETLIGHT, NOT FOR ME, BUT FOR THE WOMEN AND MEN THAT RIDE METRO AND TRAVEL THAT ONE EIGHTH OF A MILE FROM, UH, ANTOINE TO THE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
MR. NORMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER PIT, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I KNOW MY STAFF, UM, SPOKE WITH YOU AND THEY ADDRESSED YOUR CONCERNS WITH THE COMMANDER FOR THE NORTH DIVISION FOR HPD, AND THEY ARE LOOKING INTO IT, AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH YOU TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS.
SO, UM, JUST KNOW THAT HPD IS VERY AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND, UM, THEY ARE WORKING ON IT, AND WE'LL GET WITH YOU ABOUT THAT STREETLIGHT.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK, UH, HOUSTON POLICE OFFICER CORLESS, WHO HAS COME OUT AND TALKED TO APARTMENT
[01:35:01]
MANAGEMENT.THIS IS A, UH, OVER 55 AND OLDER COMMUNITY, WHICH 99% OF THE PEOPLE ARE GREAT OLDER PEOPLE, BUT BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE'VE GOT, I'VE SEEN WITH MY OWN EYES, WE'VE GOT THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE THAT AGE SELLING CRACK.
I GET UP AND HAVE MY COFFEE AT FOUR IN THE MORNING.
THESE PEOPLE ARE COMING INTO THE APARTMENT COMPLEX, HOP THE FENCE OR WHATEVER TO COME IN BY THE, THEIR CRACK COCAINE, AND THEY'RE GONE.
SO, THANK YOU, COUNSEL, AND, UH, WHATEVER YOU CAN DO.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, MR. NORMAN.
WE APPRECIATE YOU EXPRESSING YOUR CONCERNS.
NEXT SPEAKER, ERICA FRANCIS, TO BE FOLLOWED BY LEROY EDWARDS, JR.
MY NAME IS ERICA FRANCIS, AND I CAME FROM DISTRICT D.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT D, AND I HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT TO THE CITY PUBLIC, UM, WORK WELL, THE CITY WATER DEPARTMENT SINCE 2020.
I MOVED INTO THE, MY COMMUNITY IN, I WANNA SAY 2019.
2020 IS WHEN I BEGAN TO HAVE UNUSUAL WATER BILLS.
AND I REACHED OUT TO THE CITY ABOUT IT.
THEY CAME OUT, UM, THEY CHECKED MY METER, THEY DID SOME INVESTIGATION.
THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO, BLESS YOU.
THEY SAID THAT THERE WERE NO LEAKS, NO ISSUES, NO CONCERNS.
UM, I KEPT PAYING MY WATER BILL TO KE TO KEEP GETTING 200, $300 WATER BILLS.
AND IT'S ONLY, I'M A, UM, SINGLE PARENT.
IT'S ONLY ME AND MY CHILD THERE.
SO WE ARE NOT WASHING OR WE DON'T DO ANYTHING OUT OF CHARACTER THAT WOULD CONSULATE MY WATER BILL BEING SO HIGH.
SO AFTER ABOUT FOUR ATTEMPTS, I HAVE THE DATES HERE FROM 2000 ALL THE WAY TO 2023, I'VE HAD, UM, I'VE CALLED, I'VE HAD A WATER BILL OF $238, $438.
AND SO WITH CALLING THE CITY, I FIND OUT THAT THESE, UM, THESE METERS ARE VIRTUALLY READ.
NOBODY IS COMING OUT TO READ THEM.
WHEN I ASKED SOMEONE TO COME OUT AND ACTUALLY READ THE METERS WHEN THEY FOUND THAT THERE WAS A ISSUE WITH THE METER, BUT NO ONE EVER ADDRESSED IT WITH ME, I JUST CAUGHT ON MY CAMERA, THEM COMING, PULL MY METER UP AND REPLACING THE METER.
AND THEN, UM, IT, I ALSO HAD A APPEAL, A METER AC I REQUESTED A METER ACCURACY.
READ THAT IN 2021 THAT I HAVE STILL NOT YET TO FIND, TO GET A FINDING FOR.
I WAS TOLD THAT THIS INFORMATION WAS HANDLED BY A THIRD PARTY, UM, A THIRD PARTY COMPANY, AND THAT THEY WERE STILL WAITING.
EACH TIME I CALL THE CITY REPRESENTATIVE, THE CITY WORKS DEPARTMENT, OR WHERE I PAY MY WATER BILL TO, THEY TELL ME THAT THEY CAN'T SPEAK TO ME ABOUT MY BILL BECAUSE I AM IN AN APPEAL PROCESS.
I'VE BEEN HUNG UP ON, I HAVE NOT BEEN PROVIDED INFORMATION.
AND IT'S GOING ON, LIKE I SAID, ALMOST FOUR YEARS NOW, AND I HAVE A WATER BILL THAT'S REALLY CAUSING ME ANXIETY AND PTSD BECAUSE I WANNA GET IT RESOLVED THERE.
THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF WORK.
LIKE THE OTHER GENTLEMAN WAS SAYING, WE'VE, WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED THESE FOUR AND $500 WATER BILLS.
UM, MY HOA REPRESENTATIVE, DEIDRE RASHEED, SHE'S REACHED OUT, SHE'S REACHED OUT TO, UM, CAROLYN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE ON MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS.
AND WE DON'T, WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING.
I WAS HOPING THAT MS. SHABAZZ WOULD BE HERE TODAY, AND I, SHE'S NOT.
I WASN'T REACHED OUT TO ANYBODY.
I, I GOT A CALL WHEN I SIGNED UP TO BE A SPEAKER HERE TODAY FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, FROM SHABAZZ'S OFFICE, EVERYBODY'S OFFICE.
I HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY OF THOSE CALLS IN THE THREE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN MAKING THESE, YOU KNOW, ASKING FOR THIS HELP.
AND SO I, I'M, I'M, THAT'S WHY I'M HERE, BECAUSE YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR, UM, BEING HERE, MS. FRANCIS.
UM, HOW MUCH WAS YOUR WATER BILL PREVIOUSLY BEFORE YOU STARTED GETTING THE REALLY HIGH WATER BILLS? ON AVERAGE? HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK YOUR WATER BILL? ABOUT 78 80 $8.
AND I WAS ALSO, WELL, GO AHEAD.
I WAS ALSO COMPARING THEM TO THE COMMUNITY ON, SO I LIVE IN A BRAND, NOT A BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION.
MY, MY CONSTRUCTION IS PROBABLY ABOUT SEVEN YEARS, I THINK.
I'M NOT 100% SURE, BUT IT WAS A BRAND NEW BILL, SO I WAS KIND OF COMPARING IT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE SIDE OF US, AND EVERYBODY WAS SAYING, YOUR BILL IS REALLY HIGH FOR YOU TO BE JUST ONE PERSON IN YOUR HOME, AND YOU DON'T WASH, YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE A SPRINKLER SYSTEM.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO GAUGE ON OUR OWN PERSON, LIKE WHY MY BILL WAS THAT I'VE HAD, UM, SOMEONE FROM AN INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT TO COME OUT TO SEE IF I'VE HAD ANY LEAKS.
[01:40:01]
HOME WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY.I'VE HAD, UM, THE BUILDERS COME OUT TO INSPECT FOR ANY LEAKS WITH NO FINDINGS, AND AGAIN, WHICH I CUT OFF.
MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT I'VE CAUGHT ON MY CAMERA, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, PULLING MY METER ON FIVE DIFFERENT ATTEMPTS WITHOUT NOTIFYING ME.
SO CLEARLY THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WHEN YOU SAY THEY WERE PULLING YOUR METER.
THEY, THEY PULLED, THEY TOOK IT, TOOK IT OUT THE GROUND, THEY IT OUT, AND, AND REPLACED IT WITH ANOTHER ONE, UM, ON FIVE DIFFERENT ATTEMPTS.
AND WHEN I CALLED YOU, YOU'RE NOT TELLING ME WHY YOU PULLING MY METER? WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS METER? CLEARLY THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG.
DO YOU HAVE THE CAMERA FOOTAGE OF THE METERS BEING PULLED? I CAN SHARE IT, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME TODAY.
I, I MEAN, SO, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW I, I BROUGHT MY BILLS.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO BE PREPARED FOR.
I REALLY WANTED TO JUST SPEAK TO SOMEONE BECAUSE I WANNA RESOLVE THIS.
I DON'T WANT TO CARRY THIS ON YEAR AFTER YEAR.
ARE YOU CURRENTLY IN AN APPEAL? YEAH, I AM.
DO YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR APPEAL? THE NEXT STEP IS FOR ME TO WAIT, AND I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS.
I'VE SPOKE WITH, UM, THE, WHEN YOU HAD THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, WINSLOW, THIS WAS ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO AGO, I SPOKE WITH HER.
I'VE REACHED OUT TO YOUR NEW DIRECTOR WITH NO RESPONSE.
I MEAN, UM, SHABAZZ'S OFFICE, NO RESPONSE.
AND I'VE REACHED OUT TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, AND ALL THEY CAN TELL ME IS A LIST OF METER OF UNACCURATE INFORMATION, BECAUSE I'M KEEPING MY DOCUMENTATION.
MS. BRANSON, IF YOU WOULD, UM, YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER'S NOT HERE TODAY, UM, BUT I, I WILL WORK WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER TO HELP YOU, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT FOOTAGE IN COMPARISON WITH THE DATES, UM, AND YOUR, UM, THE HOW YOU'VE BEEN BILLED, UM, AND HELP YOU THROUGH THAT APPEAL PROCESS BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, SOMETHING IS GOING ON WITH, WITH YOUR, YOUR METER, UM, WITH THE BILLINGS THAT YOU HAVE.
SAUL IS HERE FROM PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, HE CAN DEFINITELY TALK TO YOU, BUT IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, THAT CAMERA FOOTAGE, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT CAMERA FOOTAGE AND WE CAN TRY TO HELP, UM, TO GET THIS RESOLVED FOR YOU, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME.
AND WE WANNA GO AHEAD AND TRY TO GET THIS RESOLVED FOR YOU.
WHAT I DID LEAVE OUT IS, IS THAT I'VE RECEIVED THREE ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE DOLLAR AMOUNT OF $19 AND 2 CENTS SAYING THAT THERE WAS AN ERROR THAT, THAT I WAS BILLED INCORRECTLY.
AND I HAVE AN ADJUSTMENT OF $19 AND 2 CENTS, BUT MY WATER BILL IS $400.
SO HOW DO I KNOW THAT THAT'S ACCURATE? RIGHT? I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS.
UM, AND WE DO WANNA, UM, TRY TO HELP GET THIS RESOLVED FOR YOU.
UH, SAUL IS IN THE BACK, SAUL, IF YOU WANT TO, UM, MAYBE GET HER CONTACT INFORMATION AND ALL OF THE DOCUMENTATION THAT SHE HAS, BECAUSE I, I REALLY WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN HER APPEAL, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HEARD THESE CONCERNS, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT IS NOT AFFECTING OTHER HOUSTONIANS.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU COMING FORWARD, AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO HELP YOU GET THIS RESOLVED.
MS. FRANCIS, THIS IS, I'M TRYING TO GET TO MY BIKE.
THIS, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST FRUSTRATING THING I'VE DEALT WITH SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR 10 YEARS.
WATER BILLS, TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT, TRYING TO PROPERLY, UH, ADJUST AND TO GIVE PEOPLE THE FAIR PRICE FOR WATER.
WE HAVE A, A REVENUE FUND AND WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT, UH, WITH, UH, OUR BOND HOLDERS, AND THAT'S WHY WE JUST CAN'T STEP IN AND FIX IT FOR YOU.
THIS, THIS THING IS, IS MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN WHAT IT MAY SEEM.
AND COUNCIL'S HANDS ARE REALLY TIED.
ONLY THE MAYOR HAS THE AUTHORITY TO REALLY GET IN THERE AND, AND TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
DID, DID YOU TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS ABOUT WHAT THEIR AVERAGE BILLS ARE? I DID.
AND SO I COME AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR MY COMMUNITY.
I CAN ALSO SHARE THE CONCERNS.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE THEIR BILLS? THEIR BILLS ARE UNUSUALLY HIGH.
SO, AND SO WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO FINISH AND SAY IS WE HAVE A HOMEOWNERS GROUP THAT WE EXPRESS DIFFERENT CONCERNS IN, AND I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT I HAVE ABOUT AT LEAST 25 PEOPLE THAT HAVE COMMENTED ABOUT ME BEING HERE TODAY WISHING THAT THEY COULD COME HERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THESE SAME BILLS.
YOU KNOW? NOW, NOW YOU LIVE ON MUNICIPAL WAY.
AND I LOOKED AT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WHILE I WAS HEARING YOU SPEAK.
AND, AND THOSE HOUSES, UH, UH, LOOK RELATIVELY NEW.
THEY ARE, THIS IS A, A, A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OF SOME SORT.
AND, UM, I'M JUST WONDERING, I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH, WITH MY WATER METER AT, AT MY OFFICE, JUST ABOUT FOUR BLOCKS FROM HERE.
AND, AND, UH, THEY HAD TO CHANGE THE METER OUT.
IT, IT WAS READING ROOM MOTION TO EXTEND.
[01:45:01]
ANY DISCUSSION, IF NO DISCUSSION, GO AHEAD.AND I WILL SAY THIS, THAT, UH, I, I HEAR YOUR CRY.
AND, AND I'M AN AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER, SO TECHNICALLY I'M YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER TOO, BUT I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU GET SOME KIND OF SATISFACTION IN THIS.
IS THIS, IS YOUR PHONE NUMBER HERE LISTED? IS THAT YOUR NUMBER? ALL THE INFORMATION IS LISTED INCORRECT, AND I WANT TO, I WANNA IT IS CORRECT.
WELL, I, I'LL, I'LL REACH OUT TO YOU AS WELL.
AND, AND I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE AMERICA, THE VICE MAYOR PRO, UH, GETTING INVOLVED IN THIS.
I MEAN, UH, HAS ANY OF YOUR BILLS BEEN NORMAL? UH, UNDER A HUNDRED DOLLARS? NOT, NO, NOT IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, NO.
WELL, I, I MEAN, YOU DON'T HAVE A WA YOU DON'T HAVE A, YOU DON'T HAVE A SWIMMING POOL.
YOU DON'T, DON'T HAVE YARDS TAKEN.
I, I WANT ONE, BUT I DON'T THINK I SHOULD
I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'D PUT THE BACKYARD LOOKS TOO SMALL.
SO I WANNA SAY, BECAUSE YOU, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT THE MAYOR.
AND THAT'S WHY I HAVE REACHED OUT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, AND I FEEL WITH THE TAXES THAT I PAY, THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO COME DOWN HERE AFTER THREE YEARS TO GET MY, TO GET HEARD.
I WANNA, I WANNA SAY, UM, COUNCIL JACKSON, I REALLY LIKE HOW YOU HAVE ADVOCATED TODAY FOR YOUR MEMBERS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE AN ISSUE PRIOR TO COMING IN.
AND I'M SURE YOU HAD TO DO THAT BY HEARING THEM BEFORE THEY GOT HERE TODAY.
AND SO, NO DISRESPECT TO MY COUNCIL, BUT I WAS REACHED OUT TO CAROLYN BY CAROLYN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE YESTERDAY.
THEY, ALL THEY WANTED TO KNOW WAS, WAS I COMING TO SPEAK? IT WASN'T WHAT I WAS COMING TO SPEAK ABOUT.
COULD I BE HELP WITH ANYTHING? SO I, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN RESOLVED BEFORE I GOT HERE, YOU KNOW? WELL, I, I WILL TELL YOU THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO GET THIS RESOLVED.
WHAT'S GOING TO BE HELPFUL FOR US IS TO SEE THAT VIDEO FOOTAGE IN COMPARISON TO THE DATES AND THE BILLINGS THAT YOU HAVE.
IT, IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME, AND I KNOW YOU'RE IN THE, IN THE APPEAL PROCESS, SO WE'LL HAVE TO DO SOME WORK WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT TO TRY TO GET THIS RESOLVED FOR YOU.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, YOU DO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WILL WORK ALONGSIDE YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER TO GET THIS RESOLVED FOR YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS.
NEXT SPEAKER, LEROY EDWARDS, JR.
SAUL, IF YOU'LL, UH, RETURN THANK YOU.
NEXT SPEAKER, KAVANAUGH N WAZE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHRIS VALDEZ.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT D, UM, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF, UH, KNOCK, UM, WHICH, UH, IS ON THE COMPLETE SEPARATE, UH, OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CITY.
BUT WE HAVE THE EXACT SAME ISSUES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, TOO.
UM, ACCORDING TO PUBLIC RECORDS, UM, THE CITY HAS BEEN DIVERTING TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM CITY DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, EVEN FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED.
THE FUNDS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED AND SHOULD WAS WE WERE INFORMED THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE RESTRICTED.
I'M HERE TO RE REQUEST THAT WE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE BUDGETS FOR CITY DRAINAGE AND SOCIAL WASTE TO ACCOMPLISH THREE SPECIFIC TASKS.
UH, ONE, TO INCREASE THE BUDGET FOR THE STORM WATER ACTION TEAM AND LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS, UM, BY $20 MILLION EACH.
40 MILLION, 40 MILLION IN TOTAL, THE STORMWATER ACTION TEAM WILL INCREASE, UH, INCREASE, WILL GIVE US MORE MONEY TO, FOR EACH DISTRICT TO HELP WORK THROUGH THE CIP BACKLOG, AND THAT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES ARE FACING THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS WILL HELP US EMPOWER, UH, HELP EMPOWER PUBLIC WORKS TO INVEST IN PLACES WHERE DRAINAGE IS AL IS KNOWN TO BE THE WORST.
WE'RE ECSTATIC FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO OUR BAYOU SYSTEMS, BUT THE WATER IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SITTING STILL, AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO GET TO THESE BEAUTIFUL BAYOU WITH THESE NEW BIKE LANES.
UM, WE NEED YOU TO SUPPORT THE, THE EXPANDING THE, UH, MAINTENANCE BUDGET FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
THE COLORFUL AND ECONOMICALLY DEPRIVED PARTS OF OUR CITY HAVE OPENED DITCH DRAINS AT RATES THAT ARE UNSEEN AND WEALTHIER AND WHITER COMMUNITIES.
HOWEVER, THESE DITCHES ARE TO BE MADE BY RESIDENTS WHEN THE WEALTHIER COMMUNITIES DO NOT HAVE SIMILAR RESPONSIBILITIES.
UM, IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT IN INEQUITABLE DRAINAGE, UM, PLEASE, WE HAVE A PACKET THAT WE'LL GLADLY SEND OVER TO YOU, UM, WITH THE DIVERSION OF THE DRAINAGE TAX REVENUES, UM, AND A DIRECT ENEMY OF PROPER CITY DRAINAGE IS LITTER AND, UH,
[01:50:01]
ILLEGAL DUMPING.I'M HERE TO REQUEST AN, A DRASTIC INCREASE IN SOLID WASTE BUDGET, UH, TO PROMOTE AND INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF PROPER DUMP SITES.
ILLEGAL DUMPING DOESN'T OCCUR HERE IN DOWNTOWN THE GALLERIA, RIVER OAKS MEDICAL CENTER OR THE MUSEUM DISTRICT.
HOWEVER, WHEN THESE ILLEGAL DUMP DUMPS DO COME, THEY DROP THIS TRASH IN CITY DRAINAGE THAT IS RES, UH, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS TO MAINTAIN.
SO THESE ARE MY SPECIFIC REQUESTS IN, IN ADDITION TO THE THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY AND REPEATEDLY BEEN ASKED, UH, BY NAC, UM, IN THIS BUDGET PROCESS.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOME MORE FUNDS TO TAKE CARE OF THESE MATTERS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, WE HAVE HEARD FROM SEVERAL MEMBERS OF NO, AND YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER HAS, UM, BEEN, UH, RESPONDING AND I HOPE THAT, UH, THE MEMBERS HAVE NOTICED THAT.
UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL PROJECTS ON, UH, THE LAST SEVERAL AGENDAS, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UM, DEALING WITH THE DRAINAGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THOSE AREAS.
UM, SO WE HOPE THAT, UM, YOU ARE KEEPING ABREAST OF THOSE.
WE DEFINITELY HEAR YOUR ORGANIZATION, UH, WE'LL BE TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE LOOK AT OUR BUDGET OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, THESE AREAS THAT HAVE FREQUENTLY BEEN PREVIOUSLY BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT IS DISTRICT B.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THE RECORD BE SAID WE THAT THIS IS ACROSS THE BOARD, AND PLEASE GET MY COUNCIL MEMBER ON BOARD TOO, 'CAUSE I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM MY, I WE GOT YOU.
CHRIS VALDEZ, NEXT SPEAKER, LETICIA GUTIERREZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY TRACY WILLIAMS. THIS ONE, RIGHT,
HELLO, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
MY COLLEAGUE, CHRIS VALDEZ HAD TO STEP OUT.
UM, MY NAME IS LETICIA GUTIERREZ AND I AM THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOR AIRLINES HOUSTON.
AND WE ARE HERE TODAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND FRIENDS FROM NAC AND WEST STREET RECOVERY, WHICH IS ALSO A PART OF THE HOME COALITION.
THIS COALITION, THESE COALITIONS AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS WERE FORMED AFTER A HURRICANE HARVEY DISASTER THAT TOOK THE LIVES OF APPROXIMATELY 75 RESIDENTS, AS WELL AS DESTROYED OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND HOMES WITH FLOODING WATERS.
NOT ONLY WERE COMMUNITIES SUBJECT TO FLOOD WATERS, THEY WERE ALSO FLOODED WITH TOXIC CHEMICALS THAT INDUSTRIAL NEGLIGENCE SPEW INTO THE FLOODING WATER, BUT ALSO INTO OUR AIR.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY'S HANDS ARE TIED WHEN IT COMES TO MOST OF THE CHEMICALS THESE INDUSTRIAL SOURCES ARE POLLUTING US WITH.
IT'S THE STATE'S RESPONSIBILITY, BUT WHAT THE CITY CAN DO IS MAKE SURE THAT DRAINAGE PROJECTS, AND THESE ALREADY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES ARE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST AS A PERCENTAGE OF INCOME.
OUR COMMUNITIES PAY MORE INTO THE SYSTEM, BUT GET LITTLE TO NOTHING IN RETURN.
FAMILIES ARE ALREADY STRAPPED AS IT IS, TRYING TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE AND ADD WEATHER DAMAGES TO THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS HAVING TO BE SPENT TO RENOVATE.
AND THIS IS OBVIOUSLY UNFAIR AND UNREALISTIC.
THESE COMMUNITIES SHOULD BE EVALUATED BASED ON THEIR MEDIAN SALARIES.
THE DRAINAGE TAX WAS MEANT FOR DRAINAGE RELATED PROJECTS.
INSTEAD, IT'S GOING TO OTHER THINGS NOT INTENDED TO DO THAT AT A TIME WHERE THINGS ARE INCREASINGLY DEPLETING OUR DOLLARS THROUGH HIGHER BILLS, INCLUDING, OF COURSE, OUR HIGHER WATER BILLS.
BY THE WAY, MY WATER BILL HAS ALSO DOUBLED IN THE LAST YEAR.
THE DRAINAGE TAX WAS ALREADY A REGRESSIVE TAX WHERE SOMEONE IN THE NORTHEAST COMMUNITY IS PAYING THE SAME AS SOMEONE IN THE HEIGHTS.
WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS DUE TO THEIR HOMES HAVING BEEN FLOODED WHEN THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING DONE YEARS BEFORE.
THESE CATASTROPHIC WEATHER STORMS ARE BECOMING THE NORM AND MAKING SURE THAT THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MOST AT RISK, NOT JUST FOR FLOODING, BUT ALSO BEARING THE BRUNT OF ALL OF THE ECONOMIC BURDENS, SHOULD BE AT THE FRONT LINE AS THEY HAVE THE MOST AT STAKE.
I'M ALSO HERE FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY THAT HAS LITTLE TO NO ACCESS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK UP AND THE CITY'S OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT THOSE VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY, AND THANK YOU TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS AS WELL, FOR ALLOWING FOR HIS OFFICE TO REACH OUT TO US, UM, ABOUT MEETING ONE-ON-ONE, AND ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
I KNOW THAT YOU'RE ALSO ADVOCATING AND PAYING ATTENTION TO ALL OF THESE ISSUES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
NEXT SPEAKER, TRACY WILLIAMS. THREE BE FOLLOWED BY JOAN SPENCE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS TRACY WILLIAMS, AND I AM A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN ALSO, UM, GREW, UH, GREW UP IN THE ACRES HOME COMMUNITY.
AND THE REASON THAT I'M HERE TODAY, AND I'M ALSO A ACADEMIC, UM, COUNSELOR FOR HIGH SCHOOL THAT, UM, FEEDS INTO, UM, THE ACRES HOME OR SERVICE SERVICES STUDENTS IN THE ACRES HOME COMMUNITY.
AND SO THE REASON THAT I'M HERE TODAY IS TO JUST BRING, UM, AWARENESS TO SOME OF THESE, UM,
[01:55:01]
DEVELOPING COMPANIES THAT ARE GOING INTO THE HISTORICALLY AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, AND THEY ARE PURCHASING LAND FOR UNDER THE MARKET VALUE, AND THEY ARE ALSO, UM, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OUR, OUR ELDERLY.UM, THE HOME THAT SHE LIVES IN OR WAS LIVING IN OR DID OWN, UM, WAS IN OUR FAMILY FOR 54 YEARS.
MY GRANDMOTHER AND MY GRANDFATHER WORKED, UM, TO BUILD THAT HOME FROM THEIR, FROM THE GROUND UP.
AND, UM, THIS COMPANY, ABUNDANT CAP CAPITAL CAME INTO THIS, UH, HER, HER HOME.
UM, I EVEN TALKED TO THE CO-OWNER ON THE PHONE.
JOSIAH MORGAN TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE NOT SELLING, UM, BUT HE PERSISTED.
HE CONTINUED TO COME AND VISIT MY MOM, WHO IS 82 YEARS OLD AND DEALING WITH THE FIRST STAGES OF DEMENTIA.
AND SO HE CONTINUES TO COME WITH, UH, PROMISES OF GIFTS, UM, DINNERS, FLOWERS.
AND HE EVEN, I FOUND OUT THAT HE EVEN TOOK HER AROUND TO LOOK FOR A SENIOR CITIZEN, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEX TO LIVE IN.
AND SO, UM, IF THAT HAPPENED TO MY MOM, I CAN IMAGINE THAT IT, THAT IT IS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE ALL OVER, UM, THE CITY AND THESE AREAS WHERE NOW THERE'S A LOT OF ATTENTION ON THESE AREAS.
THEY HAVE HAD NOT BEEN A LOT OF ATTENTION, BUT NOW, UH, AREAS IN ACRES HOME, WE KNOW THIRD WARD HAVE BEEN, UM, HIGHLY DEVELOPED.
NOW THEY'RE BEING HIGHLY DEVELOPED.
AND SOME OF THESE HOMES THAT THEY'RE DEVELOPING ON TOP OF THESE, THE LAND THAT THEY'RE BUYING, UM, THEY'RE SELLING FOR LIKE $300,000.
THIS PERSON PURCHASED MY MOM'S HOME FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LESS THAN WHAT IT'S WORTH.
AND SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE THERE BEING MORE CHECKS AND BALANCES ON THESE COMPANIES THAT ARE COMING INTO THESE, UM, COMMUNITIES WHERE SOME PEOPLE ARE VULNERABLE AND THEY'RE, THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT EDUCATED.
THEY DON'T KNOW THE SYSTEM, AND THEY'RE SELLING THEIR HOMES AND THEIR LAND TO THESE, UH, DEVELOPERS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR PENNIES ON, ON THE DOLLAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO ME TODAY.
HOLD ON, MS. WILLIAMS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, THANK YOU MUCH.
I APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR, UM, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.
AND SO, NO, WE DON'T HAVE REALLY ANY AUTHORITY TO STOP COMPANIES, BUT THIS IS THE AUTHORITY WE DO HAVE IS THAT, UM, OUR COMMUNITIES NEED TO BE EDUCATED.
IT MUST TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE TOOLS TO PROTECT OUR ASSETS.
UM, IF THAT HOME WAS IN AN ESTATE OR A TRUST THAT, UM, DEVELOPER WOULD'VE BEEN UNABLE TO DO THAT.
UM, SO, UH, A, OUR BLACK COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BEING CHALLENGED WITH GENTRIFICATION MUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DEED UPON DEATHS.
THEY MUST START ESTABLISHING TRUST AND WILLS AND PROTECTING THE ASSETS THAT YOUR GRANDPARENTS, UM, WORKED VERY HARD TO CREATE THAT WEALTH BECAUSE THAT WEALTH IS NOW LEFT NOT JUST FROM YOUR FAMILY, BUT FROM THAT COMMUNITY.
OUR DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THAT DEPARTMENT PARTNERS WITH, UM, I WANNA SAY THE HOUSTON LAWYERS ASSOCIATION.
AND, AND THEY, THEY OFFER WILL CLINICS AND THEY HAVE THOSE TYPE OF RESOURCES, AND RENEE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN, UM, PARTNERING AND PUSHING OUT BECAUSE IT IS PROBLEMATIC AND IT'S NOT ONLY DEVASTATING TO LOSE A, A FINANCIAL ASSET, BUT THE WEALTH AND THE, UH, FROM THAT COMMUNITY IS NOW GONE.
THE FABRIC OF IT IS NO LONGER PROTECTED.
SO THERE'S A INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY WHERE GOVERNMENT STOPS THAT PEOPLE MUST KICK IN.
AND SO THOSE RESOURCES ARE ACT READILY AVAILABLE, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEM, WE CAN GET YOU ACCESS TO THOSE.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, THOMAS, I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING EVERYTHING TRANS OVER, TRANSFERRED OVER INTO MY NAME.
I WAS GOING TO DO THAT, UH, DURING SPRING BREAK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M WORKING IN A COMMUNITY SCHOOL THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, AT RISK.
AND SO MY TIME IS, IS DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, UH, DEDICATED TO THAT.
AND SO DURING MY BREAKS IS WHEN I DO A LOT OF THINGS WITH MY MOM AND FOR MY MOM.
AND, UM, WE WERE, I WAS IN GONNA DO THAT IN, DURING SPRING BREAK, GET EVERYTHING TRANSFERRED OVER TO MY NAME.
BUT THERE IS A TRACK OF LAND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THAT'S BEHIND THE HOUSE THAT SHE STILL OWNS.
AND THEN I'M ALSO FIGHTING FOR MY GRANDMOTHER'S, UH, PROPERTY.
I, I JUST WANTED TO BRING TO AWARENESS THIS COMPANY, YOU KNOW, BUT I AM DEFINITELY FIGHTING.
I AND, AND VICE MAYOR, IF I MAY ADD THIS, UM, THE, UM, COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR MM-HMM
OFFICE, THERE'S AN EXEMPTION, AN AIR EXEMPTION.
SO NOT ONLY DO YOU CAN YOU HAVE YOUR REGULAR HOMESTEAD, BUT YOU CAN HAVE AN AIR EXEMPTION ON YOUR PROPERTY.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR, AND THEN YOU CAN GET WITH THE, UM, COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE WHERE THAT'S FILED.
THAT'S A RESOURCE THAT'S READILY AVAILABLE TO ANYONE IN HARRIS COUNTY.
SO MAKE SURE YOU DO THAT FOR THAT, THAT THAT ABUTTING PROPERTY.
BEST WISHES TO YOU NEXT SPEAKER,
[02:00:01]
JOAN SPENCE TO BE FOLLOWED BY COFFEE BAY.THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
THANK YOU, UM, FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
AND IT IS A SAD OCCASION WHY I'M HERE BECAUSE, UM, I'M A IMMIGRANT AND, UM, I'M JOAN SPENT, I'M FROM JAMAICA AND, UM, SPENDING $725 TO BE A PART OF THIS GREAT NATION.
I THINK THAT THE AIRPORT, UM, CONTRACTOR, WORKER IS REALLY SHEDDING A VERY BAD LIGHT ON THAT BECAUSE I'VE WORKED WITH G TWO SECURE STAFF SINCE 2014, AND I GOT INJURED 2016 WITH NOTHING FROM, FROM ME BECAUSE I WAS IN THE COMPANY VEHICLE DOING OVERTIME TRYING TO HELP ANOTHER SHIFT WHEN I GOT INJURED.
AND IT'S, I CAN REFER, I CAN REALLY RELATE TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY SAID ELON HURT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO ME FROM 2016 BECAUSE I HAVEN'T WORKED SINCE, SINCE, UM, THE 19TH OF AUGUST WHEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO BACK TO WORK, HERE'S MY BAG.
MY BADGE IS STILL IN THERE AND NOBODY, THIS IS THE HEIGHT OF DISRESPECT THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
I SEE A FEW FACES THAT, UM, THAT I MET DURING THE TIME WHEN I WAS WITH SCIU AND WHO I REALLY DID, UM, ENDORSE.
AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT THEY'RE STILL HERE.
UM, BUT SAYING TO SAY THIS, TO SAY THAT IS THAT WHEN WHENEVER YOU HAVE PEOPLE WORKING FOR YOU AND YOU ARE INJURED, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO SHOW SOME FORM OF RESPECT.
IF YOU'RE GONNA ASK FOR CERTAIN THINGS, DOCTORS NOT, AND YOU GET IT, WHY ARE YOU NOT HONORING IT? THEN YOU HAVE ME, YOU HAVE SENIOR MANAGER IS ASKING ME TO SEND THEM THE DOCTOR'S NOTE THAT THE HR HAVE AND I HAVE TO TELL THEM I AM NOT A PART OF HR BECAUSE OF THAT.
I WAS SENT HOME AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO SEE THE HR WHEN I GOT THERE, SHE IS STILL ON CONFERENCE CALL.
THEY SENT SOMETHING THAT I ACCIDENTALLY SEE OUTSIDE OF MY DOOR.
I TOOK IT TO THE DOCTOR, RETURNED IT BACK TO THEM THE 31ST OF AUGUST.
THEN SHE CALLED ME MAYBE ABOUT TWO, THREE HOURS AFTERWARDS.
OH, I'LL CALL YOU BACK ON TUESDAY.
I TRY REACHING OUT TO THEM BY EMAIL.
I CALL THE ADJUSTER AT THE ED, UM, THE ED OFFICE.
NOBODY, THAT'S THE HEIGHT OF DISRESPECT.
I HAVE A CERTIFICATE IN HOSPITALITY.
I'M NOT WORKING THERE BECAUSE I'M STUPID OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE OF THE COLOR, MY SKIN, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE THINGS.
NOBODY LOOK INTO MY RESUME AND SAID, OKAY, JOAN, YOU GOT INJURED.
I GOT MY, MY, MY SURGERY FROM THE SAME ACCIDENT.
SO THE, THE, MY OPERATION COULDN'T HAVE DONE BECAUSE MILD DOCTOR WAS NOT GOING TO SIGN ME OFF UNTIL EVERYTHING WAS OKAY.
YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED, MS. SPENCE, I'M, I'M, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME FOLLOWING YOU.
IS THIS, WERE YOU ON A, A CITY JOB OR THIS A CONTRACTOR JOB? NO, IT'S A CONTRACT WITH, THEY ARE A CONTRACT WORKER WORKER INTO THE AIRPORT.
AND THIS IS ALL THEY TREAT PEOPLE.
I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON THAT THEY TREAT LIKE THAT.
I KNOW A LADY THAT GOT INJURED INSIDE THE OFFICE WITH HER.
SHE GOT A KNEE REPLACEMENT AND THEY WOULD NOT EVEN HELP HER TO GET THE JOB.
SO IT WAS A, A CONTRACTOR WORKING AT THE AIRPORT? YES.
THEIR CONTRACT WORKERS WITH YOU UNITED AND THE UNITED PERSON WAS THE ONE THAT RUNS INTO THE VEHICLE THAT I WAS IN.
SO IT'S, IT'S A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS BECAUSE I EVEN GO THERE, ASK THEM, CAN I WORK IN THE OFFICE? I HAVE EXPERIENCE DOING THAT.
AND, AND ANOTHER THING IS THAT SHE'S BEEN THE, THE HR LADY, SHE'S RACIST BECAUSE THE ONLY PERSON SHE HIRES THERE IS PERSON THAT SPEAKS SPANISH.
I'M TELLING YOU, WITH NO WATER INTO MY MOUTH.
SO IS THERE A SPECIFIC ASK OF THE COUNCIL OR ARE YOU WANTING YES, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO LOOK INTO THIS BECAUSE I CAN'T REACH OUT TO THEM.
YOU CAN'T EVEN GO INTO THE OFFICE BECAUSE THEY STOP YOU OUTSIDE FROM THE MOVE TO THE NEW PLACE.
THEY STOP YOU OUTSIDE, YOU CAN'T SEE ANYONE.
AND AS I SAID TO YOU BEFORE, SHE'S STILL ON CONFERENCE CALL.
'CAUSE I GUESS SHE DON'T LIVE ANYWHERE.
CAN YOU, UM, GIVE THAT CONTRACTOR INFORMATION TO RENEE, UH, AND THEN THAT WAY WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME AND BEST WISHES TO YOU.
[02:05:01]
MARIAN WRIGHT.HI, UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK TO Y'ALL ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA COME UP PRETTY SOON.
UM, LIVABLE SPACES OR LIVABLE PLACES.
I'M SORRY, I JUST HAD MOUTH SURGERY, SO I'M STILL A LITTLE LISPY.
BUT, UM, WHAT I NEEDED TO LET Y'ALL KNOW IS WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING AND TO MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS SO THAT WHEN THEY DO COME UP TO COUNSEL, YOU REALLY GET A GOOD PICTURE OF WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.
WHAT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT WANTS TO DO IS THEY WANNA MAKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS FOR MORE INDIVIDUALS.
UM, BUT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS THEY'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE LOSING A LOT OF PEOPLE TO URBAN PLATE AND WE DO IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WHAT I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT IS THAT MOST OF THESE LIVABLE SPACES, COMMUNITIES THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO ARE GONNA CATER TO THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE HERE, LIKE RIGHT OUTTA COLLEGE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR LITTLE SMALL, LIKE ONE BEDROOM TYPE DWELLINGS.
AND THEY SAID THAT WE REALLY HAVE AN INCREASE OF PEOPLE THAT WANNA LIVE IN ONE BEDROOM DWELLINGS.
IF YOU LOOK AT A RENTAL MARKET RIGHT NOW, IMPACT NEWSPAPER JUST DID AN ARTICLE ON THIS AND THEY SAID THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN INFLUX OF APARTMENT COMPLEXES, BUT WE'RE REALLY LOSING PEOPLE TO URBAN FLIGHT.
OR ONCE YOU'RE OUT OF COLLEGE AND YOU GET MARRIED AND YOU HAVE A FAMILY, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED.
WE DO, BUT WE NEED IT FOR FAMILIES THAT ARE STARTING IN THEIR FIRST TIME HOMES.
SO WHAT THIS IS GONNA DO IS THIS GONNA TAKE AWAY THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR A LOT OF DEVELOPMENTS AND THEY'RE GONNA ALLOW PEOPLE TO PUT LITTLE SMALL, THINK ABOUT THIS THE RIGHT WAY.
THIS STUDY THAT THEY DID WHEN THEY SAID THAT WE NEEDED MORE SINGLE DWELLINGS WAS DONE IN 2018.
THINK ABOUT HOW MANY APARTMENT COMPLEXES WE'VE BUILT SINCE THEN.
I REALLY, I MEAN, JUST FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I LIVE IN AND WHERE I LIVE, IT'S ONCE YOU START YOUR FAMILY AND YOU WANT A YARD AND YOU WANT A LITTLE BIT MORE SPACE AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE NEWBORN BABIES AND KIDS, MOST OF THEM AREN'T CYCLING AND USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, OUR CITY JUST DOES NOT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THAT.
WHEN YOU HAVE SMALL KIDS, THAT'S WHEN YOU REALLY NEED PARKING SPACES AND YOU NEED CARS TO GET 'EM AROUND.
IF YOU'RE A SINGLE PERSON LIVING IN THE CITY, YEAH, YOU CAN NAVIGATE SOMEWHAT BY BIKES AND BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION A LOT EASIER THAN WHAT YOU CAN ONCE YOU START YOUR FAMILY.
SO JUST REALLY LISTEN TO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING AND REALLY DIGEST WHAT THEY'RE SAYING AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT'S GONNA DO.
IF SOMEONE PUTS AN PLEX ON A PROPERTY NEXT TO YOU, AND IF THAT PLEX HAS TWO BEDROOMS IN EACH OF THOSE UNITS, HOW MANY PARKING SPACES IS THAT TAKEN UP ON THE STREET? NOW, IF YOU'RE A YOUNG KID JUST GETTING OUTTA COLLEGE, JUST STARTING, YOU MIGHT FIND THAT ATTRACTIVE, RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE A CAR, BIG DEAL.
IF YOU HAVE TO PARK AND WALK A BLOCK TO GET TO YOUR HOUSE, NOT A BIG DEAL.
WELL, IT'S A BIG DEAL FOR THE HOUSES THAT YOU'RE LIVING, THAT YOU'RE PARKING IN FRONT OF, THAT YOU'RE TAKING AWAY THEIR PART.
SO JUST REALLY, REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
THANK YOU MS. RYAN FOR BEING HERE.
STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER, JOE TODO.
NEXT SPEAKER, CLIFFORD WILL HILL, SENIOR NEXT SPEAKER, BRO DAVIS RODERICK DAVIS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR
UH, I CHOSE A TOPIC AS MISS, UH, JOHN SPENCE.
UH, AND I WORK FOR G TWO, UH, YEARS AGO.
AND WE WOULD LOVE TO BE IN COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR OFFICE SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH CERTAIN CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE AIRPORT SYSTEM.
UH, MY CONCERN IS THAT MY LAST JOB AT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM WAS FOR WORLD FLIGHT SERVICES.
MOST RECENTLY I WAS IN CARGO AND THEY DENIED ME, UH, THE W2 AND THEY, UH, SLAMMED THE DOOR.
UH, DURING THAT TIME BEFORE I ENTER, UH, THAT MEETING, I CALL, UH, MR. RO AND I LET HIM KNOW THAT I'M VERY, UH, UPSET ABOUT THE SITUATION, THE JOBS THAT I HAVE HAD AT THE AIRPORT SYSTEM.
[02:10:01]
OF THE WORKFORCE SOLUTION, I MET WITH AN OFFICIAL FROM, UM, THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN BASICALLY A BM UH, G TWO AND THE LAST ONE, WORLD FLIGHT SERVICES TIME HAS EXPIRED.SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO IS WILLING TO HELP SO WE CAN RESOLVE THE SITUATION.
MA'AM, MR. I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION, MS. RIVAS? WHAT IS THERE A SPECIFIC ANSWER? MY LAST SUPPORT WAS ROLE FLIGHT SERVICES.
I NEED PROOF OF MY PAY STUBS AND I NEED MY W2.
THEY CANNOT DENY ME THE W2 LEGALLY.
UH, I'M WITHIN THE RIGHT TO GET THE W2 SO I CAN FILE MY TAXES UNDER IRS.
I ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION AND NOTHING IS RAISED RIGHT NOW, UH, FOR AN EXTENSION.
AND THIS COMPANY IS A CONTRACTOR AT THE AIRPORT? YES, MA'AM.
CAN YOU GET THAT INFORMATION AND, AND REACH OUT TO, UM, DIRECTOR DIAZ AND SEE IF WE CAN HELP HER GET A W2.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER ANNIE LEE.
NEXT SPEAKER BENJAMIN BROADWAY.
[RECESS]
NEXT SPEAKER.THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
OKAY, WE ARE IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT NINE.
THE FIRST ITEM WOULD BE OUR FINANCIAL REPORT REPORT FROM CITY CONTROLLER AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION REGARDING THE CURRENT FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE CITY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO A REVENUE EXPENDITURE AND ENC NCE REPORT FOR THE GENERAL FUND, ALL SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS AND ALL ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
AND A REPORT ON THE STATUS OF BOND FUNDS AND A QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT BY THE CITY CONTROLLER.
ITEM ONE, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FILING CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $961,070 AND 9 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH THE CSI CONSOLIDATED L-L-C-D-B-A CLEAN SERVE.
ITEM TWO RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $11,724,296 AND 20 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH CSA CONSTRUCTION INC.
ITEM THREE, METRO FIRE APPARATUS SPECIALIST INC.
FOR APPROVAL OF SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $45,580 AND NO CENTS FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE OF FIRE HOSES FOR THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
ITEM FOUR, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $376,050 AND OH CENTS FROM EQUIVALENT ACQUISITION CONSOLIDATED FUND FOR PLANNED FINANCIAL REPORTING SOLUTION.
REPLACEMENT PROJECT FOR HOUSTON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE.
ITEM FIVE ESOF LLC FOR APPROVAL SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $376,050 AND OH CENTS FOR PURCHASE OF SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES AND CONSULTING SERVICES FOR THE PLANNED FINANCIAL REPORTING SOLUTIONS REPLACEMENT PROJECT ITEM.
THIS ITEM SHOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM FOUR ABOVE ITEM SIX, METRO FIRE APPARATUS SPECIALIST INC.
FOR APPROVAL OF PURCHASE OF RESCUE EQUIPMENT THROUGH THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR CORPORATE PURCHASING WITH THE TEXAS LOCAL PURCHASING CED BY BOARD FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY ON BEHALF OF HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
ITEM SEVEN, FAR WEST ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPLY, INC.
FOR PURCHASE OF EXPLORER LR HANDHELD CHEMICAL IDENTIFIERS THROUGH THE INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT FOR COOPERATIVE PURCHASING WITH THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL FOR THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
ITEM EIGHT, OMEGA ENGINEERS INC.
FOR APPROVAL OF SPENDING AUTHORITY IN AND AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $876,000 AND NO CENTS FOR EMERGENCY WATERLINE INSPECTION SERVICES.
DO Y'ALL HEAR SOMETHING FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS? ITEM NINE, FERGUSON ENTERPRISES INC.
FOR APPROVAL OF PURCHASE FOR REPAIR CLAMPS THROUGH THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AGREEMENT WITH THE NATIONAL COOPERATIVE PURCHASING ALLIANCE NCPA FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM 10 NORTH STAR INDUSTRIES FOR APPROVAL OF PAYMENT FOR EMERGENCY TRANSFER PUMP REPAIR FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM 11 FOR LINE FOR APPROVAL OF PURCHASE OF C 900 PIPE THROUGH THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AGREEMENT WITH NCPA NATIONAL CORPORATE PURCHASING ALLIANCE FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM 12 UNI PACK CORPORATION FOR APPROVAL OF PURCHASE OF LOW DENSITY CAN LINERS THROUGH THE CORPORATE PURCHASING AGREEMENT WITH THE TEXAS INTER-LOCAL PURCHASING SYSTEM.
TIPS FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM 13, COBURN SUPPLY COMPANY INC FOR PURCHAS OF REPAIR CLAMPS AND VALVE KEYS FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
FOR PURCHASE OF TRAFFIC SIGNAL POLE KITS FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
ITEM 15, PATRICIA TECH SUPPLY AND SERVICES FOR PURCHASE OF WATER METER TURNOFF KEYS ITEM 16 RESOLUTION ALLOWING CONSTRUCTION OF NHH GRAY AND
[02:15:01]
AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING PROPERTY LOCATED AT 26 75 AND 26 0 4 GRAY STREET IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.ITEM 17 ORDINANCE MAKING A GENERAL APPROPRIATION OF CERTAIN REVENUES OF THE CITY IN SUPPORT OF ANNUAL BUDGETS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.
ITEM 18 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE HARRIS CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND IDD ITEM 19.
ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO LOAN AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND GALA AT MCGREGOR.
ITEM 20 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING THIRD AMENDMENT TO SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY IN SUPPORT OF THE FY 2021 FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM.
ITEM 22 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR THE FY 2024 PROJECT.
SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS PROGRAM GRANT ITEM 23 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR THE FY 24 FIRST RESPONDER MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM.
ITEM 24 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR THE FY 23 LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIME GUN INTELLIGENCE CENTER INITIATIVE GRANT ITEM 25 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND F NO HFJ GROUP, L-L-C-D-B-A LONE STAR EMERGENCY GROUP, LLC ITEM 26, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AWARDING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND PEPSICO FOUNDATION INC.
ITEM 27 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $3,970,075 AND NO CENTS OUT OF MISCELLANEOUS CAPITAL PROJECTS ACQUISITION CP SERIES E FUND AND ONE THOU $1,267,675 AND NO CENTS OUT OF EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION, CONSOLIDATED FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING A CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND ANSLOW BRYAN CONSTRUCTION, LTD ITEM 28 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING ADDITIONAL FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,813,000 AND NO CENTS FROM SOLID WASTE CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CHRISTENSEN BUILDING GROUP LLC ITEM 29 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT NUMBER C 7 9 4 86 BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS CONTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS.
ITEM 30 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE 800 BLOCK OF T HOR STREET NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE BETWEEN JULIAN STREET AND WAS STREET WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.
ITEM 31 ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE CREATION OF HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 5 86 ITEM 32.
ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE CREATION OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 1 59, EXCUSE ME, ITEM 33, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING 18 MILLION THAT IN NO SENSE OUT OF WATER AND SEW SYSTEM.
CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND FOR THE TRINITY RIVER CONVEYANCE PROJECT OPERATED BY THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY.
ITEM 34, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING THANK YOU ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $61,767 AND 25 CENTS OUT OF METRO PROJECTS NONE D-D-S-R-F CAPITAL FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY KEON AND HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT ITEM 35 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $9,838,670 89 CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.
CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
TEXT DIED FOR RELOCATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF THE SANITARY SEWER FACILITIES AND LIFT STATIONS ALONG BU 90 U.
ITEM 36 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,777,274 84 CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.
CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING ADVANCED FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR RELOCATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF THE EXISTING WATER LINE ALONG BU 90 U.
ITEM 37 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $315,000 IN 0 CENTS OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND DRAINAGE CHARGE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BGE INC.
LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM LDP PROJECTS.
ITEM 38, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING 315,000 THOUSAND NO CENTS OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND DRAINAGE CHARGE APPROVING AN AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY FUTURE AND EJES INCORPORATED FOR FY 2023 LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM LDP PROJECTS.
THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
[02:20:01]
FOR THE WEEK APRIL 25TH AND 26.STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULE TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF OUR, UH, CURRENT CITY SECRETARY, PAT JEFFERSON.
DANIEL, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS.
I FIRST WANNA WISH MY HUSBAND A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY, UH, BUT 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]
EVERYONE.IT'S NINE O'CLOCK ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12TH, 26TH.
I'M MAYOR PRO TEM DAVE MARTIN.
I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR THAT ARE OUT OF TOWN.
UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON ARE IN BRAZIL.
HOPEFULLY THEY'RE HAVING A GOOD TIME, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THAT ARE ON, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MISSION TRIP.
UM, SALLY ALCORN WILL BE OUT TODAY.
HER DAUGHTER, UH, WAS MARRIED THIS WEEKEND, SO I'M SURE SHE'S, UH, STILL ENJOYING THE FESTIVITIES FROM THE WEDDING.
AND THEN WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE ON PERSONAL VACATION AND IN ISSUES.
MARY ANN HUFFMAN, CARLOS CISNEROS, LETITIA PLUMMER.
[ADMIN REPORT]
ORDER OF BUSINESS TODAY WILL BE THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES CONTROLLER CHRISTOPHER BROWN AND DIRECTOR WILL JONES.COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2023.
THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 358.3 MILLION FOR FY 23.
THIS IS 44 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTION, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 183 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% IN RESERVES.
OUR REVENUE PROJECTION INCREASED BY 31.1 MILLION FROM THE FEBRUARY 23 REPORT.
SALES TAX INCREASED BY 30 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED RECEIPTS.
CHARGES FOR SERVICES INCREASED BY 256,000 DUE TO HIGHER FACILITY RENTAL FEES AND CERTIFIED COPY FEES.
INTEREST INCOME INCREASED BY 447,000 DUE TO HIGHER INTEREST RATES.
EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES INCREASED BY 362,000 FROM THE FEBRUARY 23 REPORT DUE TO AN INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR ROLL OFF CONTAINERS FOR SOLID WASTE IN THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
ENTERPRISE, UH, EXPENDITURES FOR THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL METRO FUND DECREASED BY 273,000 DUE TO HIRING DELAYS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS, ALL OF OUR VARIABLE RATE DEBT IS BELOW THE 20% THRESHOLD.
MOVING ON TO THE QUARTERLY INVESTMENT REPORT, AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2023, THE CITY HAD $6.03 BILLION AND INVESTED IN OUR GENERAL INVESTMENT POOL.
FITCH RATINGS REVIEWED THIS POOL AND ASSIGNED THE HIGHEST RATING THAT OF AAA INVESTMENTS ARE 419 MILLION HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR.
AND THIS IS PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD LOAN AND INCREASE IN FUNDING FROM THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND, HIGHER PROPERTY TAX RECEIPTS AND COMMERCIAL PAPER ISSUANCES.
IN THE GENERAL FUND, AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2023, THE GENERAL INVESTMENT POOL WAS YIELDING 2.368%, WHICH IS UP FROM THE 1.787% YIELD IN THE PRIOR QUARTER.
MOVING ON TO THE QUARTERLY SWAP REPORT, UH, WE HAVE TWO, UH, COMPREHENSIVE SWAP POSITIONS.
THE CITY HAD A NET PAID FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED MARCH 31ST, 2023 OF 1.4 MILLION.
THE FAIR VALUE FOR THE SWAPS AS OF MARCH 31ST, 2023 WAS NEGATIVE 120 MILLION.
THAT'S APPROXIMATELY 21 MILLION MORE THAN LAST QUARTER.
AND MR. CHAIRMAN, AS WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY, IN BFA, YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN AN INVERTED YIELD CURVE.
SO THE SHORT END OF THE CURVE, UH, WHERE WE ARE PAYING VERSUS THE LONG END WHERE WE RECEIVE IS ACTUALLY HIGHER, WHICH IS AN ANOMALY, WHICH USUALLY, UH, IS A SIGNAL, A, A LEADING INDICATOR, UH, FOR A RECESSION.
UH, WE HAVE SEEN THIS INVERSION OF THE YIELD CURVE FOR A EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, AND AS A RESULT, WE'VE SEEN NOT ONLY THE NET PAYMENTS FOR OUR SWAPS INCREASE TO A POSITIVE NET PAYMENT, BUT ALSO THE NEGATIVE FAIR VALUE HAS INCREASED.
BUT HOPEFULLY WHEN THAT YIELD CURVE, UH, RETURNS TO NORMAL AND IS NORMALLY STRUCTURED WHERE THE SHORT END IS LOWER THAN THE LONG END, WE WILL SEE NOT ONLY A NET RECEIPTS FROM THE SWAPS, BUT WE'LL ALSO SEE A, A REDUCTION IN THAT NEGATIVE FAIR VALUE.
[02:25:01]
YOU.CONTROL ROUND CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES DIRECTOR WILL JONES.
GOOD MORNING, CHAIR AND COUNSEL.
UH, THIS IS A NINE PLUS THREE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2023.
PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON NINE MONTHS OF ACTUAL RESULTS AND THREE MONTHS OF PROJECTIONS.
AND THE GENERAL FUND, OUR REVENUE PROJECTION IS 83.1 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, AND 30 30.5 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR MONTH.
THE VARIANCE FROM PRIOR MONTH PROJECTIONS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO A 30.4 MILLION INCREASE IN SALES TAX TO REFLECT HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED SALES TAX RECEIPTS.
OUR EXPENDITURE PROJECTION IS 29.3 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET IN 362,000 HIGHER THAN PRIOR MONTH.
THE VARIANCE, UH, FROM LAST MONTH'S PROJECTIONS DUE TO INCREASE IN SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENTS FOR ROLL OFF CONTAINER PURCHASES.
WE ARE CURRENTLY PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 402.3 MILLION, WHICH IS 30.2 MILLION HIGHER THAN LAST MONTH, AND 17.2% OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.
THE FUND BALANCE IS 226.9 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGETED 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT.
UM, MOVING ON, NO CHANGES IN ENTERPRISE FUNDS ON IN THE SPECIAL FUNDS.
A FEW CHANGES IN CABLE TV, UH, EXPENDITURES DECREASED BY 1.7 MILLION, MAINLY DUE TO DELAYS IN EQUIPMENT PURCHASES.
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE FUND REVENUES INCREASED BY 5.2 MILLION DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED REIMBURSEMENT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PROVIDER CHARITY CARE PROGRAM.
AND THE SOLID WASTE, UH, TRANSPORTATION INSPECTION FUND EXPENDITURES DECREASED BY 578,000 DUE TO SAVINGS AND PERSONNEL AND SERVICES.
AND THE SWIMMING POOL SAFETY FUND EXPENDITURES DECREASED BY 1 MILLION DUE TO SAVINGS IN PERSONNEL AND SERVICES AND DELAYS IN VEHICLE PURCHASES.
I MAKE A MOTION TO WAIT BEFORE THAT.
UM, MY, MY APOLOGIES FOR MISSING, UH, BFA YESTERDAY, THANK YOU TO VICE CHAIR ED POLLARD, UH, FOR HEADING UP THAT COMMITTEE.
UH, WE HAD A NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT WERE IN AUSTIN, UH, SPEAKING ON HOUSE BILL 20, UH, 7 26, 7 36, I'M SORRY, UH, AT URBAN AFFAIRS.
AND AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE Q AND A, WHAT SOME OF THE STATE REPRESENTATIVES THAT WERE SITTING THERE, UH, A QUESTION THAT ACTUALLY POPPED UP TO ME WAS THE FISCAL SHAPE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I THINK IN AUSTIN, THERE'S THIS OPINION THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS NOT IN VERY SOLID FISCAL SHAPE.
AND, UH, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS ON THE PENSION AND THE E SIDE, REDUCING FROM 8.2 TO BASICALLY $2 BILLION FROM 18 TO 22.
AND THE SAME THING ON THE OPEP.
UM, AND WHAT YOU'LL SEE, AGAIN, CONTROLLER BROWN FOR ME IS A AMENDMENT THAT TRIES TO ALLOCATE SOME FUNDS THAT WE HAVE IN FUND BALANCE TOWARDS THAT OPE TRUST ACCOUNT THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR SEVEN YEARS NOW.
BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT IT IS, I, I ACTUALLY CHART THE, UH, REVENUE AND EXPENSES, AND THIS IS WHAT MY LITTLE CHART LOOKS LIKE.
AND THE BLUE SIDE IS THE REVENUE SIDE, AND THE ORANGE SIDE IS THE EXPENSE SIDE.
AND AS YOU'LL SEE, THE ARNT SIDED, THE EXPENSES ARE VERY CONSISTENT MONTH AFTER MONTH AFTER MONTH, BUT A STRONG UPLIFT BECAUSE OF GENERALLY PRO UH, SALES TAX REVENUE, WHICH MAKES US, THAT'S WHY WE'RE SITTING AT 227 MILLION ABOVE THE REQUIRED 7.5.
BUT I HEARD SOME COMMENTS FROM CONTROLLER BROWN THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T PLAN FOR THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY TO HAPPEN CONSISTENTLY EVERY MONTH, AND WE KNOW THAT.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'RE GONNA GO INTO FISCAL YEAR 24 WITH A VERY HEALTHY FINANCIAL POSITION, UH, 17.2% FUND BALANCE, UH, 227 MILLION ABOVE.
SO JUST A WORD OF CAUTION AS WE LOOK AT THE STATE OF TEXAS AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE MONEY DOESN'T MEAN YOU NEED TO SPEND THE MONEY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY COMMENTS ON WHAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED YESTERDAY IN SOME OF THE DIALOGUE FROM, I'LL START WITH CONTROLLER BRAND, THEN GO TO DIRECTOR JONES? WELL, I, I WOULD AGREE, UM, LOOKING AT THIS PARTICULAR SNAPSHOT IN TIME, UH, AS I, UH, JUST REPORTED, UH, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 183 MILLION IN, IN MY ESTIMATES OVER THE 7.5%.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU TAKE A SNAPSHOT AND YOU LOOK RIGHT NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FISCAL HEALTH LOOKS GOOD.
WE HAVE SEEN A REDUCTION IN OUR, UH, UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITIES FROM 8.2 BILLION IN 17.
UH, WE WERE ACTUALLY BELOW 2 BILLION, UH, THE PREVIOUS YEAR, BUT I THINK CURRENTLY JUST OVER 2 BILLION.
SO PRETTY LARGE REDUCTION, UH, SOME, YOU KNOW, MINOR CHANGES TO THE, UH, OPEP, UH, BENEFITS THAT HAVE IMPROVED, UH, AND REDUCED THAT UNFUNDED LIABILITY.
AND WE'LL BE, UH, EXCITED AND, UM, ANTICIPATING, UH, YOUR AMENDMENT, UH, AND LOOKING HOW WE CAN FURTHER ADDRESS THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE ISSUE AND WHAT I'VE SAID, THIS IS, UH,
[02:30:01]
UH, NOW, UH, IN MY EIGHTH YEAR AS CONTROLLER, THE STRUCTURALLY IMBALANCED BUDGET, WE, WE USE, UH, MONEY EVERY YEAR TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.AND WHAT WE'VE RELIED ON IN THE PAST, UH, SEVERAL YEARS IS THE FEDERAL FUNDING.
UM, SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR CHART, UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, THERE IS ACTUALLY A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THAT REVENUE IS ONE TIME GRANT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THE FORM OF, OF PRIMARILY CARE, UM, ARPA FUNDING.
SO REALLY THE CHALLENGE BECOMES WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT MONEY RUNS OUT.
AND ADDITIONALLY, UM, I WAS AT THE BOMB BUYER CONFERENCE LAST WEEK, AND, UH, COMPTROLLER GLENN HAGAR WAS THE SPEAKER BEFORE ME.
AND, YOU KNOW, HE SAID, UH, HE TALKED ABOUT HIS SON, UH, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, HAD LIKE, UH, GRAND SLAM IN BASE, UH, IN HIS BASE, UM, BASEBALL HIT, AND, YOU KNOW, WON THE GAME.
AND HE SAID, THAT'S LIKE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME
HE SAID, THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME TYPE EVENT.
HE SAID, WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WE'VE SEEN, AND THAT'S TRICKLED DOWN TO THE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON SALES TAX.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN OVER A, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE DIGIT YEAR OVER YEAR.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE TRACKING ABOUT 10.6 INCREASE, UH, PERCENT, 10.6% INCREASE IN SALES TAX.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THE FEDERAL MONEY HAS A, UH, FINITE LIMITATION.
SO THE REALLY, THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE IN, UH, THREE YEARS I THINK IS WHEN WE'LL SEE THAT FEDERAL MONEY BURN OFF.
AND, UM, AS WE'VE SEEN, WE'VE, WE'VE USED A LOT OF, UH, MONEY FOR REVENUE REPLACEMENT OR FOR, UH, GENERAL SERVICES, UH, GENERAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES AS THEY SAY.
UM, SO YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE QUESTION AND HOW, HOW WE PLAN FOR THAT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, THAT DEFICIT, YOU KNOW, COULD BE BETWEEN 250 AND $300 MILLION.
SO EVEN IF WE HAVE $183 MILLION FUND BALANCE, THAT ENTIRE EXCESS FUND BALANCE IS NOT EVEN GONNA COVER MAYBE ONE YEAR IN 26.
SO THAT, THAT'S REALLY THE CHALLENGE.
UM, I THINK HOUSTON'S NOT ALONE, EVERY GOVERNMENT IS, IS FACING THESE TYPE OF CHALLENGES, BUT I THINK WHAT IS GOING TO SEPARATE, UH, THE GOOD FROM THE BAD IS HOW YOU PLAN FOR THAT.
AND IT, AND IT'S DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW, UH, TRYING TO MAKE DECISIONS WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF MONEY, UH, SAYING, WELL, LOOK, HOW ARE WE PLANNING FOR A POTENTIAL, YOU KNOW, CUTS IN THE FUTURE? IT TAKES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FISCAL DISCIPLINE.
SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT OUR TRENDS, UH, LOOK AT THE FIVE YEAR, UH, REPORT, UH, FROM FINANCE AND, AND LET'S TRY AND PLAN A LITTLE BIT OF HOW, UH, WE, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, ADDRESS THAT, UH, EVENTUAL, UH, BURN OFF OF FEDERAL MONEY AND THE REDUCTION IN, IN SALES TAX.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, UM, ENDING, UH, TERM LIMITS AND WE DON'T WANNA LEAVE, YOU KNOW, A POTENTIAL BAD SITUATION FOR THE NEXT, UH, ADMINISTRATION.
YEAH, AND THANK YOU MAYOR PROTO, I DO AGREE WITH A LOT OF YOUR COMMENTS ON THE CURRENT, UH, WHERE WE ARE AS A CITY.
WE ARE VERY STRONG FINANCIALLY WITH OUR, UH, THE FUND BALANCE, PROBABLY ONE OF THE STRONGEST FUND BALANCES WE'VE, WE'VE HAD PROBABLY EVER
AND, AND I'M VERY AWARE THAT SALES TAX IS NOT GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW AT THAT RATE.
AND WE TAKE A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS, HAS HELPED THE CITY BUILD UP, YOU KNOW, A FUND BALANCE AND THAT WE TAKE A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO HOW WE BUILD THE BUDGET.
UH, WE, WE KNOW SALES TAX IS VERY VOLATILE, SO WHEN WE LOOK IN THE OUT YEARS, UH, WE'RE NOT COUNTING ON THAT TYPE OF GROWTH.
UM, SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO BUDGETING.
UM, AND, AND WE AS WELL, WE KNOW THAT THE, THE FEDERAL FUNDING IS RUNNING OUT.
UM, SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WHILE, AND I DO AGREE WITH, UH, THE CONTROLLER, THAT THIS IS PROBABLY A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT, AND SO WE DO WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THIS FUND BALANCE THAT WE HAVE BUILT UP.
UM, BUT YEAH, AND YOU'LL SEE NEXT MONTH WHEN I PRESENT THE FIVE YEAR, UH, KIND, I'LL GIVE YOU A RANGE OF WHERE WE SEE, UH, THE FUND BALANCE OR THE GAP IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
AND WE'LL TALK THROUGH SOME STRATEGIES ON, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN HELP MITIGATE SOME OF THAT.
AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING, BEING VERY, UM, EFFICIENT WITH THE SPENDING, YOU'LL SEE ON THE, ON THE PERSONNEL ON THE EXPENSE SIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE COME UNDER THE BUDGET EVERY YEAR.
THAT'S NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, BY MISTAKE, A LOT OF THAT IS BY DESIGN TO BE VERY EFFICIENT WITH HOW WE SPEND OUR MONEY.
UM, AND THE POINTS YOU BROUGHT UP ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PENSION AND THE OPEP, THAT IN TERMS OF STRUCTURAL, UH, BALANCE, THOSE ARE HUGE STEPS, UH, THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN UNDER THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION TO REDUCE THAT LONG-TERM LIABILITY.
SO THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION IS NOT GONNA HAVE TO WORK AS HARD ON THOSE LONG-TERM LIABILITIES.
WE, OF COURSE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE CHALLENGES, BUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO REDUCE PENSION LIABILITY FROM 8.2 DOWN TO 2 BILLION, THE FACT THAT OPAB WAS WHAT WE WERE TRENDING TO GO AT 9 BILLION,
[02:35:01]
AND NOW WE'RE AT 4 BILLION.AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT OPTIONS ON HOW, HOW WE CAN AFFORD TO FUND A TRUST FUND AND, AND LOOK AT THOSE TYPE OF OPTIONS TO FURTHER REDUCE THE LIABILITY.
SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT SITTING BACK WAITING FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN TO US.
WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING AND WE ARE PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.
SO, UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN A VERY STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION, AND I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PRESERVE THAT FUND BALANCE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS, UH, WE WILL NEED THAT IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
SO AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT YOUR AMENDMENTS, I HOPE YOU CONSIDER THAT AS WELL.
ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR COMMENTARY AND YOUR INSIGHT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KUBOSH.
YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY WE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE SUPREME COURT HAD KICKED BACK DOWN TO THE TRIAL COURT, THE TWO, UM, COMPETING PROPOSITIONS THAT WERE PASSED DURING THE BILL WHITES ADMINISTRATION.
UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY IS HERE NOW.
CAN YOU GIVE US A TIMEFRAME ON WHEN THESE MIGHT GO TO COURT, OR, UH, IS IT GONNA BE YEARS OR IS IT GONNA BE MONTHS? UM, MOST LIKELY YEARS.
UH, FIRST IT, IT, IT UP, IT FOUND NO ISSUE WITH PROP ONE.
SO PROP ONE WON'T BE AT ISSUE IN THE TRIAL COURT.
WHAT, UM, IT WOULD LOOK AT IS LOOKING AT PROP TWO, AND IT UPHELD THE, WHAT'S A HUNDRED YEAR OLD, UM, INCONSISTENCY CLAUSE WE HAVE IN OUR CHARTER.
AND IT WILL LOOK TO SEE WHETHER THE, THE TWO CAN COEXIST IN SOME FASHION OR NOT.
IF, IF THEY CANNOT, BECAUSE PROP ONE RECEIVED MORE VOTES, ONLY PROP ONE WILL APPLY IF THEY CAN, AND THAT'S SPECULATIVE, THEN THOSE PORTIONS OF PROP TWO WOULD APPLY.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THIS COULD TAKE, UM, REALISTICALLY COULD TAKE THREE TO FIVE YEARS PROBABLY TO MAKE ITS WAY THROUGH THE COURT.
YY IT HAS TO GO BACK DOWN TO THE TRIAL COURT.
THERE WILL BE, UH, SOME OF IT WILL BE ISSUES OF LAW IN TERMS OF THE COURT READING THE LANGUAGE.
THERE MAY BE SOME FACTS THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD RESULT IN A TRIAL, AND THERE COULD BE DISCOVERY.
SO YOUR TYPICAL TRIAL PERIOD, IT MAY BE A LITTLE SHORTER THAN SOME, BUT IT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE APPEALED TO THE INTERMEDIATE APPELLATE COURTS AND THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT AGAIN.
SO IT, IT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK UP COULD, IT'S ALREADY TAKEN I THINK 18 YEARS, SO IT COULD TAKE ANOTHER 10 OR 12 THINK IT'LL PROBABLY BE SHORTER.
THINGS HAVE BEEN NARROWED SINCE THEN, BUT IT, IT WILL BE, UH, I TWO YEARS WOULD BE QUICK.
FOUR YEARS MIGHT BE MORE NORMAL.
VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM.
UH, I WATCHED THE URBAN AFFAIRS, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING YESTERDAY, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THE LEGISLATORS SEEM TO BE, UM, VERY INTERESTED IN KNOWING IS WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE RAISES THAT WERE GIVEN TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS WERE ACTUALLY ARPA DOLLARS.
AND, UH, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT SPECIFIC NUMBER.
ANY OF THE SPEAKERS DIDN'T HAVE THAT SPECIFIC NUMBER, AND I KNOW THAT, UM, WE TOLD THEM THAT WE WANTED TO, UH, GET, GET THAT PERCENTAGE BACK, UM, TO THEM.
SO, UH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE REMEMBERED TO TO YES, TO ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE THEY WERE VERY, VERY CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT WAS COMING FROM ARPA DALLAS.
AND I KNOW THAT'S A COMPLEX THING TO FIGURE OUT, BUT I, FROM WATCHING THE TESTIMONY DURING THE URBAN AFFAIRS, UM, COMMITTEE YESTERDAY, THEY SEEMED FIXATED ON THAT.
WELL, I MEAN, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THE, THE, THE PAY RAISES WERE PAID IN THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW THE OPERA DOLLARS WERE APPLIED, IT WAS PART OF OUR REVENUE LOSS.
UM, SO WHEN IT'S IN THE GENERAL FUND AS PART OF REVENUE LOSS, IT COULD BE USED FOR ANY GENERAL, UM, GENERAL SERVICES ACTIVITIES THROUGH THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, SO THE REVENUE CAME INTO THE GENERAL FUND, UH, BUT ALSO THE SALES TAX INCREASED, OTHER THINGS INCREASED AS WELL, SO THAT THOSE ARPA DOLLARS WERE MEANT TO HELP OFFSET REVENUE LOSS SO THAT THE CITY COULD CONTINUE TO, TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP THE SERVICES AND MAINTAIN WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, UH, EXPENSES THAT WE HAD.
SO, UM, WHILE THE OPERA, WITHOUT THE OPERA DOLLARS, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT.
UM, BUT IT IS A PART OF THE GENERAL FUND IN THE, IN THE SENSE THAT THOSE OPERA DOLLAR REVENUE OR WAS USED TO REPLACE THE REVENUE THAT WAS LOST, IT WASN'T PUT IN A SEPARATE FUND SPECIFICALLY FOR, FOR ARPA.
AND I GET THAT YEAH,
[02:40:02]
GIVE A, A, AN ANSWER TO THAT AS THEY ARE MAKING THEIR DELIBERATIONS, BECAUSE THE WAY THEY UNDERSTOOD IT SEEMS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY, WAY WE ACTUALLY DO OUR BUDGETING.LISTEN, I HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS AFTER THAT.
THEY WERE FIXATED ON THAT QUESTION.
AND, AND IT'S RELATED TO THE 18% THAT WE GAVE TO HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND THEN MOVING INTO FISCAL YEAR 24, UH, MY COMMENT TO THEM WAS TWOFOLD.
UH, NUMBER ONE IS EVERY STATE IN THE, IN THE UNITED STATES RECEIVED ARPA COVID FEDERAL DOLLARS.
THE WAY THEY SPENT IT WAS UP TO THE STATE.
TEXAS HASN'T DONE, UH, AS MUCH SPENDING OF THEIRS.
THEY'RE SITTING ON A LOT OF THIS.
EVERY CITY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES COUNTY, ACROSS THE UNITED STATES RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS AS WELL.
UM, MY COMMENT TO THEM, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS WAS TOTALLY ACCURATE, BUT WE TRIED TO DO THE PAY RAISES VIA THE GENERAL FUND, AND WE TRIED TO DO THE OVERTIME, WHICH WAS ALLOWED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND THEY WILL AUDIT US IF WE DON'T HAVE OUR INFORMATION CORRECT.
WE TRIED TO DO THE OVERTIME THROUGH THE ARPA FUNDS, FEDERAL FUNDS CARES, FUNDS THAT WERE ALLOCATED TO US.
SO FOR THE MOST PART, MOST OF OUR PAY RAISES WERE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AS WE PREPARED FOR 23.
AND NOW AS WE PREPARE FOR 24 USING GENERAL FUND DOLLARS TO FUND 6% FOR FIRE, AND I THINK IT'S THREE AND A HALF PERCENT FOR POLICE THIS YEAR, MAYBE FOUR.
BUT WE TRY TO USE THE PAY RAISE, UH, MONEY OUT OF GENERAL AND THE OVERTIME MONEY OUT OF THE FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND IF I CAN ADD ONE MORE POINT, YES.
SO THE AR ONCE THEY, THEY'RE GONE, THE GENERAL FUND WILL BE COVERING THAT COST, THEY'RE CURRENT COSTS, SO, RIGHT, RIGHT.
BUT THE INTERESTING POINT WAS THAT KEPT QUESTION WAS CONSISTENT, UH, FROM EVERYONE THAT WE, THEY ADDRESSED IT TO MYSELF.
THEY ADDRESSED IT TO ARTURO MICHEL, AND THEY ADDRESSED IT TO CHIEF SIM PENA AS WELL.
AND THE GOOD NEWS IS, YOU LOOK AT THE, THE EXPENSE LINE, OUR EXPENSES, UH, WERE AT THE NINE PLUS THREE FOR THE LAST NINE MONTHS, HAS BEEN VERY CONSISTENT EVERY MONTH.
IT'S BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT WHILE THE REVENUE LINE HAS BEEN INCONSISTENT, MAINLY ZOOMING UP BECAUSE THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS WITH SALES TAX REVENUE.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS THE CONTROLLER THROUGHOUT THE CAUTION FLAG, BE CAREFUL AS WE MOVE INTO 24, UM, BUDGET PREPARATION SEASON TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE FUN BALANCE THAT'S REMAINED HEALTHY, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, FISCAL YEAR 25 AND MOVING INTO 26.
SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, VICE CHAIR OF BFA, EDWARD POLLARD, THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO, TIM.
AND, UH, GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE.
I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT SALES TAXES AND HOW OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO, EVEN LEAVING OUT OF THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, NOW INTO THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE CAN, WE'RE, UM, CONSISTENTLY SEEING INCREASES, RIGHT? AND IT'S JUST THE, THAT, THAT LINE IS JUST THE PROJECTION THAT'S GOING UP.
WHEN DO WE START LOOKING AT THAT AS STARTING TO BE THE NORM? A SHIFT IN BEHAVIOR, RIGHT? SALES TAXES ARE ONLY GOING TO RISE BASED ON WHAT PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE SPENDING MONEY ON.
AND LIFESTYLE CAN BE DIFFERENT.
THE VIEWPOINT OF LIFESTYLE CAN BE DIFFERENT.
WHEN YOU THINK OF THE BIG EVENTS, WHEN YOU THINK OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND PEOPLE WANTING TO MAYBE LIVE THEIR LIFE IN A CERTAIN MANNER WHEN YOU CUT OUT THE FEDERAL DOLLARS, WHEN YOU CUT OUT THE INFLATION, MAYBE PEOPLE ARE JUST IN A, UH, ROUTINE OF SPENDING MORE MONEY, COMFORTABLE WITH SPENDING MORE MONEY, COMFORTABLE WITH GOING OUT, MORE COMFORTABLE WITH BUYING OUT, MORE COMFORTABLE WITH TRAVELING MORE INTO THE CITY.
UM, SO WHEN DO WE LOOK AT A SHIFT IN BEHAVIOR AS MORE SO BECOMING MORE OF THE NORM THAN AN OUTLIER? AND HOW LONG DOES THIS, UM, RECORD NUMBER OF SPENDING GO ON BEFORE YOU ALL START TO MAYBE SHIFT YOUR MINDSET AND SAYING, THIS ISN'T JUST A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OCCURRENCE, BUT IT IS MORE SO THIS IS JUST NOW THE NEW HABIT OF THE, THE, UM, NORMAL HOUSTONIAN OR VISITOR TO OUR CITY? WELL, UM, AS SOMEONE WHO COMES FROM A, YOU KNOW, INVESTMENT BANKING BACKGROUND, AND HAVING WATCHED THE MARKETS FOR 35 YEARS, I CAN SAY WITH ALMOST ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT NONE OF THESE, UM, WHAT I CALL PARABOLIC TRENDS ARE SUSTAINABLE.
UH, WHETHER YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, TWO THOUSAND.COM BOOM, WHERE YOU SAW STOCKS CONTINUALLY RETURN, UH, HIGH, UH, DOUBLE DIGIT NUMBERS OVER A SEVERAL PERIOD OF YEARS, AND THEN ONLY TO SEE IN 2000 A BUST, UH, WE SAW IT AGAIN IN 2007 INTO 2008 WITH THE GREAT RECESSION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN, UH, A PRETTY ROBUST SOCK MARKET IN THE
[02:45:01]
REBOUND OF, OF COVID, UH, ONLY TO SEE THE MARKET FALTER LAST YEAR AND, AND CONTINUE TO HAVE STRUGGLES THIS YEAR.SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK REALLY WHAT'S GOING ON, AND WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THIS, IS, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAVED A LOT DURING COVID.
AND ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A LOT OF FEDERAL MONEY, UH, 6 TRILLION OVER $6 TRILLION.
IT WAS PUMPED INTO THE ECONOMY, AND A LOT OF THAT TRICKLED DOWN TO THE CONSUMER.
UM, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY IN ECONOMIC, UH, THEORY WHEN PRICES RISE, UH, DEMAND FALLS AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING, I THINK IN, IN A LITTLE BIT SURPRISING WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, INFLATION KICKING IN, PRICES ARE GOING UP, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'RE STILL SEEING OUR SALES TAX NUMBERS RISE.
PEOPLE ARE STILL SPENDING, BUT I THINK THEY'RE DOING IT WITH SAVINGS AND OR CREDIT.
SO AT SOME POINT, I THINK, AND I THINK THAT TIME IS PROBABLY SOMETIME THIS YEAR THAT WE START TO SEE AT LEAST A SLOWDOWN WE'RE I, I MEAN, IN 10.6, UH, OVER, UH, LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS OVER 10%.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THAT UP.
SO, UM, I STILL DO THINK IT'S KIND OF A ONCE IN A LIFETIME.
UM, I'M A BIG, UH, BELIEVER IN, IN PROBABILITY THEORY AND, UH, I LIKE TO PLAY GAMES WHERE HEADS YOU WIN TAILS, YOU WIN.
SO, UH, I SAID DURING COVI, I HAD VERY, UH, CONSERVATIVE PROJECTIONS.
UH, WE THOUGHT AT SOME POINT WE COULD SEE A $630 MILLION, UH, SALES RECEIPT, UH, FOR SALES TAX FOR, FOR THE TOTAL YEAR.
WE ENDED UP OVER, I THINK, 700 MILLION.
UM, BUT HAD, HAD, IT HAD BEEN 630 MILLION, UH, FROM A CERTIFYING THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS, WE WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO PAY THE BILLS.
AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS 700 MILLION PLUS, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS $70 MILLION EXTRA FROM THE CONTROLLER'S PERSPECTIVE THAT WE, WE GOT, THAT WE WEREN'T ANTICIPATING.
SO I THINK THAT THE STRATEGY FOR THIS BODY, ESPECIALLY GOING INTO, UH, BUDGET SEASON, IS TO, YOU KNOW, LET'S PLAN FOR, UH, A DOWNTURN, A POTENTIAL RECESSION, A COOLING OFF OF SALES TAX AND OTHER REVENUES.
AND THEN IF WE'RE WRONG, WE HAVE EXTRA MONEY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THAT'S KIND OF PROBABLY WHERE WE'RE HEADED.
I THINK AT SOME POINT THIS YEAR WE'LL SEE A SLOWING OF, OF SALES TAX.
WE'RE AVERAGING 10.6, UH, THIS YEAR.
UM, WE'LL SEE IF THAT CONTINUES.
COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
OH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THAT, UM, TO THE CONTROL'S POINT.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SALES TAX, I THINK THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT TO SEE THE LEVEL OF GROWTH.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT WHERE WE ENDED LAST FISCAL YEAR, IT WAS ABOUT 15% OR SO AHEAD.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE TRENDING ABOUT 10% OR SO AHEAD.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE ALREADY A LITTLE BIT DOWN FROM THE GROWTH WE SAW LAST YEAR.
UM, SO I COULD EXPECT NEXT YEAR MAYBE THE GROWTH WILL START TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S VERY VOLATILE.
SO WE, WE DON'T WANT TO, UM, RELY ON THAT AS A, A, A, A REVENUE GROWTH, UH, PROJECTIONS IN OUR BUDGET.
SO, UM, I DO AGREE WITH THE CONTROL IN THE SENSE THAT WE, WE WANT TO BE CONSERVATIVE AND, AND HOPEFULLY IT CONTINUES TO GO HIGHER.
AND THAT GOES RIGHT BACK TO OUR FUND BALANCE.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, SO YOU ALL HAVE THE APPROACH THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN, THAN, THAN THE AVERAGE SPENDER IN HOUSTON RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE THEY'RE OUT THERE SPENDING EVERY, IF YOU GO TO THE, IF YOU GO TO THE RESTAURANTS, IF YOU GO TO THE NIGHTLIFE SCENE, IF YOU GO TO THE EVENTS ALL AROUND, PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MONEY EVERY DAY.
AND, UH, SO THEY'RE SPENDING, BUT, BUT WE'RE SAVING, BUT, AND I UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DOING SO, I JUST WANT TO GET YOUR, YOUR VIEWPOINT ON IT.
PLEASE KEEP SPENDING AND WE WILL MANAGE THAT MONEY CONSERVATIVELY.
WE WILL SAY, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU BOTH, UM, FOR THE, NOT JUST THE PRESENTATION, BUT THIS IMPORTANT DIALOGUE AS WE HEAD INTO BUDGET SEASON.
AND I HEAR THE MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR ABOUT CAUTIOUS AND CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO HOW WE DEAL WITH, UM, THIS SURPLUS, SO TO SPEAK, THAT WE'RE SEEING.
UM, AND AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, IT'S SIMILAR TO THE STATE IN TERMS OF, UH, I LOOK AT IT CHAIR AS A, YOU KNOW, THE STATE HAS A RAINY DAY FUND, UH, CONTRARY TO WHAT THE STATE HAS DONE, EVEN THROUGH HARVEY, IS THEY HAVE NOT SPENT THAT RAINY DAY FUND.
BUT IS THERE, UM, EVEN WHEN NEEDED, I WOULD ARGUE, BUT AS WE APPROACH THIS AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CAUTION AND THE, UM, EXPENDITURES THAT WE WILL INCUR WITHOUT THOSE FEDERAL, UM, IN, WITHOUT THAT FEDERAL INFLUX, UH, IS THERE ALSO AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP A HEALTHY RESERVE BALANCE? BECAUSE I THINK OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY.
UH, WE DID HAVE THE WINTER STORM, BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD A CATASTROPHIC FLOOD.
AND I SAY YET, UM, AND AS A CITY, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING TO PREPARE, BUT I THINK WE'RE ON BORROWED TIME.
SO AS WE HEAD INTO THE NEXT CYCLE AND BEYOND, IS IT IMPORTANT TO ALSO PROTECT THAT RESERVE AND KEEP IT HEALTHY IN CASE WE NEED TO BE SPENDING IN RESPONSE TO AN EMERGENCY? UH, THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS SOMETIMES TAKE TIME TO COME BACK FOR REIMBURSEMENT,
[02:50:01]
BUT WE'VE ALSO SEEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE STATE AND, UH, THE G-R-O-G-R-O WITHHOLDS, UH, MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WE AS A CITY WERE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE.SO CAN YOU ALL TALK ABOUT THAT FROM MORE OF A EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PERSPECTIVE? YEAH, NO, I WOULD SAY ABSOLUTELY.
UM, EVERY YEAR THAT WE GO INTO THE BUDGET, THAT'S ALWAYS A THOUGHT THAT WE HAVE ABOUT HURRICANE SEASON COMING.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND, BUT THAT 20 PLUS MILLION GOES VERY FAST IN THE EVENT OF A HURRICANE.
SO, UM, BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT FUND BALANCE RESERVE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ALWAYS FOR US.
I WOULD JUST ADD, UH, IF, IF YOU ALLOW ME, MR. CHAIRMAN, THE, THE KEY POINT YOU BROUGHT UP WAS ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, FE UH, FEMA HAS KIND OF MOVED TOWARDS THE REIMBURSEMENT.
YEARS AGO THEY USED TO FRONT A MAJORITY OF THE MONEY.
NOW THEY'RE DOING IT MORE ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE MONEY AVAILABLE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, MANAGE THROUGH THESE, UH, CATASTROPHES.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE PROBABILITY OF A POTENTIAL RECESSION AND A DRAW DOWN OF THAT FUND BALANCE, AND THEN A POTENTIAL, UH, YOU KNOW, HURRICANE.
UH, AND I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE THE RESILIENCY PIECE IS GONNA SAVE US A LOT OF MONEY DOWN THE ROAD.
UH, EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE INVEST TOWARDS RESILIENCY AND IN BUILDING UP OUR INFRASTRUCTURE CAN MITIGATE POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGE IN THE FUTURE.
COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, THE, THE, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED HOW MUCH OF THE FIREFIGHTER ARE THE PENSION? I MEAN, OF THE, OF THE RAISES, UH, WAS GIVEN, UH, OUT OF THE FEDERAL FUNDS AND MAYBE ALL EMPLOYEE GROUPS, DID ANYONE EVER ANSWER THAT QUESTION IN A PERCENTAGE WAY? IF YOU CAN'T DO IT, THAT'S OKAY.
'CAUSE I, I HEARD, I HEARD DIRECTOR WILL JONES SAY THAT WE COULDN'T HAVE GIVEN THE RAISE WITHOUT THE FUNDS.
RIGHT? AND THEN I HEAR THE CHAIRMAN TODAY SAY THAT, UH, WE ONLY, UH, PAID FOR, UH, OVERTIME FROM THE, THE, FROM THE, UH, FEDERAL MONEY.
SO, WHICH IS IT? I MEAN, IF WE ONLY PAID THE OVERTIME, HOW DID, UH, I MEAN, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S GOTTA BE AN ANSWER HERE, AND WE'RE NOT ANSWERING IT.
AND THE NO, NO, O WELL, OVERTIME IS NOT, YOU KNOW, THE SAME AS THE PAY RAISE.
SO I UNDERSTAND THE WITH THE CARES DOLLARS.
AND SO A LOT OF THE, THE, THE INCREASE IN PERSONNEL SPENDING WAS RELATED TO OVERTIME THAT WAS CHARGED DIRECTLY TO THE THE CARES FUND.
OKAY? NOW, WITH THE ARPA DOLLARS, A LOT OF THE MAJORITY OF THE ARPA DOLLARS IS USED TO RECOVER REVENUE THAT WE LOST DURING THE PANDEMIC.
SO THAT REVENUE WAS RECOVERED WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WE BUILD INTO THE BUDGET REVENUE LOSS FROM ARPA DOLLARS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
THE FIRE PAY RAISES ARE ALSO IN THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, BUT THAT REVENUE LOSS COVERS MORE THAN JUST FIRE PAY RAISES.
AND WHEN THAT MONEY IS GONE, GENERAL FUND WILL CONTINUE TO COVER THE FIRE PAY RAISES.
BUT, BUT YOU ALSO SAID THAT, THAT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT ONCE THE FEDERAL FUNDS ARE GONE.
SO I DIDN'T SAY I DIDN'T SAY THAT.
I MEAN, WE, WE KNOW THAT YOU THEN I WAS MISTAKEN.
NOW RECOGNIZES, COUNCIL MEMBER VICE CHAIR ED POLLARD FOR A MOTION.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT, AS WELL AS THE QUARTERLY SWAT REPORT AS PRESENTED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OPPOSED? MOTION GRANTED.
[MAYOR'S REPORT]
A FEW COMMENTS ON THE MAYOR'S REPORT THIS MORNING.UH, THREE IMPORTANT EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN AND AROUND THE CITY FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
UM, WE HAVE OUR ONE CLEAN HOUSTON DUMP DAY TO ALLEVIATE ILLEGAL DUMPING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND IT'S HAPPENING ON SATURDAY, APRIL 29TH FROM 8:00 AM TO 3:00 PM THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE COMMON COMPLIMENTARY DISPOSAL AT TWO OF THE CITY'S LARGEST DISPOSAL FACILITIES, MCCARTY ROAD LANDFILL IN THE BLUE RIDGE LANDFILL.
SO ONCE AGAIN, SATURDAY, THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 29TH FROM EIGHT TO 3:00 PM AT MCCARTY ROAD LANDFILL AND BREW BLUE RIDGE LANDFILL.
ALSO, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS HAVING OUR ANNUAL CAREER FAIR ON MAY 3RD FROM 9:00 AM TO 1:00 PM AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER.
AGAIN, MAY 3RD, NINE TO ONE CAREER FAIR AND NATIONAL BIKE MONTH IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
SO HELP US CELEBRATE THE JOYS AND THE BENEFITS OF TWO WHEEL TRANSPORTATION AT OUR ANNUAL BIKE TO WORK DAY ON MAY 19TH.
WE'LL MEET UP AT SEVEN 15 AT EDO BIKE COMPANY AND RIDE TO CITY HALL, AND I WILL NOT ATTEMPT TO RIDE MY BIKE IN FROM KINGWOOD, TEXAS.
SO, ANYWAY, THAT'S IT FOR THE MAYOR'S REPORT.
[02:55:01]
CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KNOX FOR A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.I HAVE HAD THE HONOR OF, UH, OF WORKING WITH THE YOUNG LADY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS AS A, AS A CHIP, UM, INTERN FROM MY OFFICE, UH, AS ESMA KURT IS, UH, HERE, AND SHE'S, THIS IS HER LAST DAY.
UM, SHE'S A, A VERY INFLUENTIAL PERSON AT THE U OF H CAMPUS.
SHE RAN FOR AN OFFICE WHILE IN CITY, IN THE SCHOOL GOVERNMENT WHILE SHE WAS, WE, WE ENJOYED THAT RACE.
WE DIDN'T WIN, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TRIED REAL HARD.
RIGHT? UH, SHE'S ALSO GOING TO BE COMPLETING HER OR SEMESTER THIS YEAR, AND THEN HEADING TO FRANCE WHERE SHE'S GONNA LIVE WITH A FAMILY IN FRANCE AND ATTEND.
AND EE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TELL ME THE NAME OF THAT UNIVERSITY 'CAUSE I CANNOT PRONOUNCE IT, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SEE, I CAN'T, I COULDN'T POSSIBLY PRONOUNCE THAT.
ANYWAY, WE WISH HER ALL THE BEST.
SHE'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS, UH, INTERN FOR US.
UH, SHE'S BEEN VERY INQUISITIVE AND VERY QUESTIONING AND, AND JUST REALLY PARTICIPATING, UH, REALLY WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE.
WE ALWAYS ENJOY OUR CHIP INTERNS.
WE PROBABLY, I LEARN MORE FROM THEM AS THEY LEARN FROM ME, SO IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT PROGRAM.
AND BEST OF LUCK IN GODSPEED, MADAM
[CONSENT AGENDA]
SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PROCEED NOW WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA.I, THE EXCEPT WORK CATEGORY, ITEM ONE HAS BEEN REMOVED.
NEED A MOTION FOR ITEM TWO, CASTEX TELL YOU TO MOVE.
NEED A SECOND? WHO'S GONNA BE A SECOND? SECOND, CAYMAN SECOND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION GRANTED UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BS CATEGORY.
ITEM EIGHT HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS 3, 5 6 7 9 10 THROUGH 15.
ANY DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
WHAT, WHAT ABOUT ITEM FOUR? SHE SAID ITEM THREE.
IT JUST DID, BUT YOU CAN, THAT WAS UNDER THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM FOUR IS A, JUST NEED A VOTE.
JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM FOUR.
ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM FOUR? IN FAVOR? OPPOSE.
SINCE YOUR LIST WAS DISTRIBUTED, ITEM 16 HAS BEEN REMOVED.
SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ORDINANCES.
SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ARE 21 THROUGH 24 AND 27.
THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 21, 22, 23, 24, AND 27.
NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ANY DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
I MOVE.ITEM NUMBER ONE NEEDS A MOTION CAST.
ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER ONE IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? ITEM NUMBER ONE, CARRIES.
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT NEEDS A MOTION CAST SIX TA MOVE I SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER EIGHT? COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH.
I'VE LOOKED AT THIS AND, UM, OH, WE, WE'VE PAID OMEGA OVER THE YEARS, UH, TO DO, UH, WORKFORCE.
UH, BUT THIS, THIS SAYS INSPECTIONS, UH, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE BACKUP MATERIAL, AND MY QUESTION IS, WITH ALL THE LEAKS THAT WE HAVE, UH, I'M WONDERING WHY.
I MEAN, WE KNOW WHERE 400 LEAKS ARE.
UH, UH, WE'RE DOING INSPECTIONS.
I I'M GONNA TAG THIS SO I CAN GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE WHENEVER PUBLIC WORKS WAS CONTACTED, UH, I DIDN'T CONTACT THEM, BUT I UNDERSTAND THEY WERE CONTACTED BY THE MEDIA.
THEY SAID THIS WAS NOT FOR INSPECTIONS.
THIS WAS FOR, FOR, UH, FOR ACTUALLY CONTRACTED TO FIX THE LEAKS.
SO, UH, I'M JUST GONNA TAG IT FOR A WEEK, TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
MAYBE PUBLIC WORKS WILL, WILL LET ME KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON ON THAT.
[03:00:01]
BY COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH.NEXT ITEM, ITEM 16 AS A RESOLUTION.
ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM 16? COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY D. THOMAS.
I'LL DEFER TO, UM, THE DISTRICT MEMBER FIRST.
THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, UH, THAT THIS IS A VERY, UH, GOOD PROJECT.
I LOVE WHEN WE HAVE SENIOR HOUSING, AND IT'S GONNA BE 135 UNITS WITH SUPPORTED SERVICE, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AND, AND I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THIS RESOLUTION.
UH, MAYOR PROTI AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAZZ FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND COLLEAGUES.
UM, YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS ITEM.
WE, UH, BRIEFED ABOUT THIS IN THIS MONTH'S, UM, HOUSING COMMITTEE.
AND THIS JUST POINTS CONSISTENTLY TO THE WORK WE'RE DOING AROUND, UH, UH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY IN THE CITY.
SO I'M GLAD THAT THIS RESOLUTION MADE IT TO THE AGENDA.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON ITEM 16 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? ITEM 16 CARRIES.
ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM 21? COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
I I WANTED TO POINT OUT THIS ITEM IN THE NEXT ONES THAT WE'RE VOTING ON.
UH, THIS IS A GRANT APPLICATION TO FEMA FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR, UH, SMOKE ALARM AND DETECTION DEVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING.
AND I'VE SUBMITTED A QUESTION AS TO, BECAUSE THIS IS A GRANT APPLICATION AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S GONNA BE GOING INTO HOMES, HOW RESIDENTS CAN LEARN ABOUT THIS AND ASK FOR INFORMATION SO THAT HFD CAN ACTUALLY INSTALL THEM IN THEIR HOMES AS WE TRY TO BRING THOSE PERCENTAGES DOWN.
UM, AND, AND THOSE VULNERABLE AND AT-RISK POPULATIONS THAT TRADITIONAL, UM, SYSTEMS WON'T NECESSARILY WORK WITH.
I ALSO JUST WANTED, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GRANTS TO NOTE, THE NEXT ONES WE'RE GONNA BE VOTING ON ARE HPD RELATED GRANTS.
UH, WE HAD A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING RELATED TO ALL THE HPD GRANTS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SEEING COMING FORWARD.
AS WE TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET, THOUGH, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE 91% OF HP D'S BUDGET, ALTHOUGH IT IS SUCH A LARGE PORTION OF OUR BUDGET, GOES TO PERSONNEL.
AND THESE TYPES OF GRANTS, BOTH FOR HFD AND HPD, UM, ARE CRITICAL TO GETTING THE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, THAT WE ARE ALL SO PASSIONATE ABOUT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THAT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD GRANTS COMING IN.
YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, WE HAD, WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED, WE HAD A LADY THAT LIVED IN CLEAR LAKE THAT WAS DEAF, ELDERLY LADY.
SHE WAS PROBABLY IN HER SEVENTIES.
AND, UH, I WENT OUT THERE WITH, UM, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND WE INSTALLED SOME OF THOSE, UM, SMOKE ALARMS FOR FOLKS THAT DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO HEAR WHEN THE ALARM DOES GO OFF.
SO WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM WE HAVE.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THE FIRST ONE'S RELATED TO FIRE AND THE OTHER THREE ARE HPD.
AND THEY'RE FANTASTIC PROGRAMS THAT ARE, UH, GO A LONG WAY.
SO, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER 21 IN FAVOR? OPPOSE.
ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM 22? IN FAVOR? OPPOSE.
ANY DISCUSSION ON 23 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
ANY DISCUSSION ON 24 IN FAVOR? OPPOSE.
ANY DISCUSSION ON 27? ITEM 27 IN FAVOR, OPPOSE.
[NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.WE WILL START OFF WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
UM, FIRST I, I KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, I'M SURE WILL ALSO TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT THERE'S A JOINT, UM, QUALITY OF LIFE AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE.
WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING UP, UH, AN IMPORTANT ORDINANCE AS IT RELATES TO, UM, BYOB, UH, ESTABLISHMENTS.
IT'S A WAY THAT A LOT OF OUR LATE NIGHT, UM, BARS ARE CIRCUMVENTING THE RULES AND THE LAWS WHEN THEY CAN'T GET CERTIFIED BY TABC.
IT'S CREATING A LOT OF, UM, NOT JUST QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES, BUT SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC SAFETY RISKS.
UH, SO THAT IS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WILL BE TAKEN UP TODAY.
UM, AND I HOPE YOU ALL AND, AND THE PUBLIC WILL TUNE IN.
UH, AND THEN WE DO HAVE, IT'S EXCITING, A TC JESTER PARK, UH, PLAYGROUND OPENING.
FINALLY, UH, THE RIBBON CUTTING IS THIS SATURDAY AT 10:00 AM SO WE HOPE THAT THE, UH, COMMUNITY WILL JOIN US FOR THAT.
AND I'M GRATEFUL TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THEY'RE DOING.
UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, ALTHOUGH I WILL SAY, UH, VICE MAYOR PROTE, I SAW YOUR POST
[03:05:01]
ABOUT, UH, THE GOATS, UH, THAT PUBLIC WORKS IS USING, AND WE'RE SO EXCITED.ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS THAT HAPPENS, UH, IN THE EARLY SUMMER, STARTING MAY 4TH, THE GOATS ARE BACK AT THE HOUSTON ARBORETUM AND EVERYONE CAN CHECK THEM OUT AS THEY, THEY HELP MOW THE GRASS THERE.
LOOKING FORWARD TO MAY 17TH WHEN WE START ALL OF OUR BFA, UM, DEPARTMENT DISCUSSION.
SO THANK YOU FOR SITTING IN YESTERDAY.
AND, UH, REALLY QUICKLY, UM, YOU AND I WILL BE HOSTING THE FORMER MAYOR TAIPEI CITY, UH, MAYOR QUOTE TODAY, UH, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE NOW IN TAIWAN, AND HE'S VISITING, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON JUST TO, UH, STRENGTHEN THE TIES BETWEEN, UM, TAIPEI AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS OUR FIRST SISTER CITY.
AND THEY BECAME OUR FIRST SI SISTER CITY IN 1961.
UH, AND SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT DELEGATION, BEING IN TOWN AND HOSTING THEM, AND THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ.
I WAS HONORED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THE PROCLAMATION TO DIRECTOR HADDOCK ON SATURDAY AT DISCOVERY GREEN, UH, COMMEMORATING THE HOUSTON WATER WORKS FESTIVAL.
UH, OF COURSE, IT WAS HIGHLIGHTING THE CRUCIAL NEED AND WORK THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS DOES TO PROVIDE SAFE AND RELIABLE WATER TO OUR RESIDENTS.
AND IT WAS A, A GREAT SUCCESS.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, THERE WAS EARTH DAY AT THE BLUE TRIANGLE COMMUNITY CENTER, UM, WHICH IS ALWAYS A WONDERFUL EVENT NOW THAT THAT CENTER HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO ACTUALLY USE IT AND ENJOY IT.
AND SO THAT WAS A GREAT EVENT, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN AT THE BLUE TRIANGLE, TRI BLUE TRIANGLE COMMUNITY CENTER.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, THE YOUNG WOMEN'S COLLEGE PREPARATORY DID A TREE PLANTING CEREMONY IN HONOR OF OUR RAH, UH, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, UH, DR.
AND IT WAS JUST A GREAT EVENT TO KNOW THAT SHE WILL BE REMEMBERED IN PERPETUITY AS LONG AS THAT THAT TREE IS THERE GROWING.
UH, SHE WILL BE NURTURING THE GROUND AS SHE DID IN LIFE.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT WAS A, A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
ON THIS SATURDAY, THE HOUSTON AREA URBAN LEAGUE WILL PARTNER, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS, WILL PARTNER WITH THE DISTRICT D OFFICE FOR A YOUNG PROFESSIONALS UNIVERSITY.
UH, THAT WILL BE THIS SATURDAY FROM NINE TO TWO AT THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE CENTRAL CAMPUS.
AND CERTAINLY WE ARE INVITING STUDENTS TO COME OUT.
UH, WE WILL HAVE INFORMATION ON COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS.
THERE WILL BE A HIRING PART OF THE PROGRAM.
AND JUST TO EXPOSE THEM TO, UH, SOME OF THE COLLEGES AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION WILL BE ON SITE TO REGISTER FOR HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH.
SO HOPEFULLY YOU CAN COME OUT FROM NINE TO TWO THIS SATURDAY.
UH, UH, HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE CENTRAL CAMPUS, 1300 OLDMAN ON FRIDAY NIGHT, THERE WILL BE EVENING IN THE PARK AT THE HERMAN PARK AND CONSERVANCY, UH, SUPPORTERS WILL GATHER AT HPCS ANNUAL SPRING GALA AT MOLLY ANN SMITH'S PLAZA, OVERLOOKING THE MCGOVERN LAKE.
THAT WILL BE AT 6:30 PM ON THIS SATURDAY THE 28TH.
UH, ALSO ON THE 29TH, THERE WILL BE THE SISTERS NETWORK WALK, UH, FROM AT 7:00 AM THERE'S A LOT GOING ON, AND AT 7:00 AM FOR FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE.
THEN ON APRIL THE 29TH, THERE'S ALSO A HOUSTON LEAGUE OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON, AND THAT WILL BE AT THE, UH, ON THE 29TH AT 1159 AT THE DOUBLE TREE.
AND THEN THERE WILL BE THE TSU TIGER BALL, UH, ON SATURDAY NIGHT, UH, AT THE GEORGIA BROWN.
UH, JOINED THE CELEBRATION WITH TSU BOARD OF REGENTS, TSU FOUNDATION, BOARD OF REGENTS AND, AND PRESIDENT DR.
LECIA CRUMPTON, UH, CRUMPTON YOUNG.
OF COURSE, SHE WILL BE THE, THE GRANDE OF THE EVENT.
AND IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH THE TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY FAMILY.
AND THAT WILL BE ON THIS SATURDAY AT THE GEORGIA R BROWN FROM NINE TO 2:00 PM.
AND SO, UH, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
SO COME OUT AND JOIN US FOR ONE OF ALL OF THESE EVENTS.
AND, UH, GLAD YOU'RE FEELING BETTER.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM UH, RESIDENTS IN FORT BEND HOUSTON.
UH, WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I AM, UH, PARTNERING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY AL ALCORN ON TOMORROW, ALONG WITH TREES FOR HOUSTON AND THE HOUSTON HUMANE SOCIETY.
WE WILL BE AT, UH, RIDGEMONT COMMUNITY CENTER FROM 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM AND WE WILL BE GIVING OUT PET FOOD AS WELL AS, UM, SEVERAL
[03:10:01]
VARIETIES OF TREES.SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PICK UP A TREE TO PLANT, THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO DO THAT.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PICK UP PET FOOD FOR YOUR, UM, FAMILY PET, UH, K AND FIVE CORNERS TURNS NINE, TURNS 25, AND HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT ONE OFFICE WILL BE HOSTING A COMMUNITY BIKE RIDE ON SUNDAY, APRIL THE 30TH, FROM 2:00 PM TO 5:00 PM AT BLUE RIDGE PARK.
UM, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN RIDING, YOU CAN, UM, CONTACT THE DISTRICT K OFFICE.
THERE WILL BE SOME EXHIBITORS ON SITE, UM, SHOWCASING FUTURE PROJECTS IN DISTRICT K.
ALSO, IF YOU'D LIKE TO, UM, HOP ON A E-BIKE, YOU CAN REGISTER WITH PRECINCT ONE.
UM, UH, FOR THIS RIDE, UH, RESIDENTS IN RIDGE GATE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, ADDITIONAL SIDEWALKS AND DRIVEWAYS THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED FROM 64 0 3 TO 64 19 HEATHER BLOOM DRIVE.
UH, AND THAT PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED AROUND MAY 11TH.
UM, SO WE'RE HAPPY THAT THOSE RESIDENTS ARE, ARE GETTING SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR SIDEWALKS.
UH, ON MONDAY I HAD THE, UH, 150 VISITORS IN DISTRICT A, UH, THEY WERE CUTE LITTLE GOATS
AND WE WERE VERY EXCITED TO WELCOME 150 GOATS TO A TWO ACRE DETENTION POND IN DISTRICT A.
AND THIS PILOT PROGRAM IS TO DETERMINE, UM, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HAVING THESE GOATS GO IN AND EAT THE GRASS AND TREES AROUND THESE DETENTION PONDS.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THESE GOATS WERE A BIG HIT IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IT WAS A ECO-FRIENDLY WAY TO, UM, COME IN AND, UH, EAT THE TREES AND THE, AND THE, AND THE GRASS.
AND I TELL YOU, UM, ONE OF THEIR FAVORITE THINGS THAT THE GOATS LIKE TO EAT IS POISON IVY.
AND WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH SAFER THAT IS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO IN AND TRY TO CUT THE GRASS AND GET INTO THAT POISON IVY.
BUT THE GOATS REALLY ENJOY LEAFY GREENS.
AND THE GOAT HERDER TOLD ME THAT THEY REALLY ENJOY EATING THE POISON IVY.
THESE GOATS EAT ABOUT 10, UH, SQUARE FEET OF, UH, GRASS PER DAY.
THEY CLEARED OUT TWO ACRES OF THE DETENTION POND IN TWO DAYS.
AND IF YOU SEE MY POST WHAT THEY ATE IN TWO DAYS, IT IS AMAZING.
SO I'M VERY INTERESTED TO SEE THE COMPARISON OF THE PRICE.
UM, I THINK, UH, ONE ACRE, UH, TO HAVE 150 GOATS IS $3,000.
UH, THERE WAS A, A PROPERTY IN DISTRICT K THAT I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR AND THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS HAD CUT.
NOW, THE, THE VEGETATION WAS ABOUT 10 FEET HIGH, THAT WE PAID $14,000 TO GET CUT.
UM, SO TO HAVE, TO HAVE THE GOATS GO IN AND EAT AN ACRE OF GRASS FOR $3,000 WAS DEFINITELY A BETTER USE OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
SO VERY HAPPY TO, UH, REPORT ON THAT PILOT PROGRAM.
UM, CHANNEL 13 ACTUALLY RAN A STORY ABOUT THE GOATS THIS MORNING.
UM, DID TOM, DID TOM BRADY SHOW UP FOR THAT? NO.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FUN THINGS HAPPENING IN DISTRICT K AND JUST WANNA REMIND RESIDENTS IF THEY AREN'T RECEIVING OUR NEWSLETTER, UM, TO SIGN UP AT THE DISTRICT K OFFICE ON THURSDAY.
ON TOMORROW, I WILL BE HOSTING OUR PRESIDENT'S ADVISORY COUNCIL, UM, AT THE PORT OF HOUSTON FORD TOUR, AND DIRECTOR WILL FALK WILL BE OUR SPEAKER.
UM, IF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US, WE, WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU OR YOUR STAFF JOIN US.
AND ALONG WITH THE PRESIDENT'S IN DISTRICT K OF OUR CIVIC CLUB SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, WE'LL ALSO BE THERE.
AND, UM, IT'S GONNA BE A GOOD TIME FOR US TO TALK ABOUT SOLID WASTE AND THE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON PLAN, UM, AND REALLY JUST, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
SO, BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND STAY SAFE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS.
UH, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN STATED, UH, PUB, UH, WHO IS THE CHAIR OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
HER AND I WILL BE HAVING A JOINT, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON AT TWO O'CLOCK.
I ENCOURAGE MY DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PLEASE ATTEND.
UH, THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT, UM, QUALITY OF LIFE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING.
I, I, I KNOW THAT, UH, WE HAD A BRIEFING, UH, IN WITH A A RA REGARDING THE BYOB UH, FACILITIES.
UH, THESE, THESE ARE FACILITIES THAT ARE
[03:15:01]
ALLOWING, UH, BASICALLY PARTIES TO HAPPEN, UH, AFTER HOURS, UH, AFTER TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.UH, AND WE'RE TRYING TO PUT SOME REGULATIONS ON THIS.
AND EVEN WITH THOSE REGULATIONS, I STILL HAD SOME CONCERNS, UH, THAT THEY'RE GOING BACK AND CHECKING WITH LEGAL, UH, TO SEE IF AND WHAT WE CAN DO.
UH, THESE ARE GONNA IMPACT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE, THE, THIS IS GONNA IMPACT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO I'M ASKING DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND OF COURSE, AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL.
BUT IT, IT, IT'S GONNA IMPACT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND WE NEED Y'ALL'S INPUT.
UH, WE NEED Y'ALL'S INPUT ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO REGULATE THESE FACILITIES.
I KNOW THAT WE RECENTLY HAVE ONE, UH, NOT FAR FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'VE HAD TWO OR THREE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN CONTACTING ME.
UH, TWO, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT THERE'S, THERE'S PARTIES GOING ON AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, UH, IN A WAREHOUSE.
UH, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PARTICIPATE.
UH, ALSO, UM, AND THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, UH, SHARED BY, UH, UH, CHAIR CAYMAN.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, SOLID WASTE.
THIS IS GONNA BE DISCUSSING RECYCLING, UH, FOR MULTI-FAMILIES.
UM, I WAS SHOCKED TO KNOW THAT, UH, UH, 50% OF RESIDENTS LIVE IN MULTI-FAMILY UNITS HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND MANY OF THOSE ARE NOT EVEN PARTICIPATING IN RECYCLING.
UH, WE HAVE THREE LANDFILLS HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, AND ONE OF 'EM, THE MCCARTY LANDFILL.
UH, I UNDERSTAND WITHIN THE NEXT 15 YEARS OR SO, IT WILL BE CO COMPLETE TO CAPACITY.
UH, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE ENCOURAGE MULTIFAMILY UNITS TO PARTICIPATE IN RECYCLING.
UM, UH, OTHERWISE WE'RE GOING TO BE IN A WHOLE LOT OF TROUBLE IN REGARDS TO FINDING MORE LANDFILLS HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, SO AGAIN, THIS JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING IS AT TWO O'CLOCK TODAY, AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PLEASE ATTEND.
I WAS ENCOURAGED TO HEAR THE GOOD NUMBERS TODAY FROM OUR CONTROLLER AND OUR, UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR CONCERNING THE, UH, UH, SALES TAX.
AND, AND IT MAY CONTINUE TO, TO HOLD WELL FOR THE NEXT, UH, FEW MONTHS BECAUSE OF THE FINAL, THE FINAL FOUR, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, IF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WATCHING, BUT THE ASTROS PACKED THE STADIUM OUT, UH, JUST ABOUT EVERY GAME WHEN I WATCHED THE GAME LAST NIGHT.
AND THEY PLAYED IN TAMPA, TAMPA, NOBODY, UH, IT, IT WAS SCARCELY ATTENDED.
AND, AND, AND THEY WERE A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM AS WELL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, SO, OR THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO.
SO, UH, I, I BELIEVE THAT, UM, UH, THAT, THAT PEOPLE ARE, UH, SPENDING MONEY AND, AND THAT BRINGS UP THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO, UH, FINANCIALLY SECURE THE FUTURE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IS WHAT THE COLLEGES AND THE UNIVERSITIES HAVE DONE, UH, OVER THE LAST, UH, CENTURY AS THEY, UH, OR MAYBE NOT THAT LONG, BUT THEY, THEY'VE CREATED ENDOWMENTS.
UH, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS RIGHT NOW, I THINK HAS THE LARGEST ENDOWMENT OF, OF ANY UNIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
I BELIEVE IT'S SURPASSED HARVARD.
IT'S, IT'S GOT OVER $50 BILLION.
AND, AND AN ENDOWMENT WILL BRING IN, IN A BAD YEAR, MAYBE SIX TO 8%.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY THAT IS, THAT'S, THAT'S HUGE MONEY.
UH, AND I'M LOOKING AT, UH, IF THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAD AN ENDOWMENT, UH, WHERE PRIVATE CITIZENS COULD, COULD LEAVE, UH, MONEY TO THE ENDOWMENT, AND WE COULD ONLY USE THE INTEREST ON THE ENDOWMENT FOR, UH, INVESTMENT IN THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE AND, AND, UH, THE FUTURE OF THE CITY.
AND, AND PERHAPS THE CITY COULD CONTRIBUTE A PERCENTAGE EVERY YEAR INTO THE ENDOWMENT AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, UH, THE ENDOWMENT WOULD, WOULD, UH, WOULD BECOME OUR RAINY DAY FUND.
UH, AND, AND IT WOULD BE, UH, A SUBSTANTIAL ASSET TO THE CITY TO PERPETUATE THE CITY FOR GENERATIONS AFTER WE'RE ALL GONE.
UH, I HAVE CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN IN THIS CITY.
I HAVE AN INVESTMENT IN THIS CITY, NOT JUST IN PROPERTY AND, AND IN A BUSINESS, BUT I, I HAVE INVESTMENT IN, IN CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN.
I MEAN, I GOT FOUR GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, AND I'M WAY TOO YOUNG TO BE A GREAT GRANDPA, BUT, UH, I, I, I, I WANT 'EM TO HAVE A, A VIABLE CITY.
I WANT 'EM TO ENJOY, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
LIKE I'VE ENJOYED IT OVER THE LAST, UH, UH, 70 YEARS.
SO, UH, I, I, I'M LOOKING INTO THAT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR CITY.
UH, I CALL IT A RAINY DAY FUND.
UH, BUT THERE'S A WAY TO DO THIS, AND I'M LOOKING INTO IT.
THANK YOU WHILE YOU'RE CHECKING IT AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE TAX BENEFIT COMPONENT OF IT.
'CAUSE ENDOWMENTS WORK VERY WELL BECAUSE YOU GET TO WRITE
[03:20:01]
IT OFF ON YOUR TAXES IF YOU DONATE IT TO AN ENDOWMENT, TO A UNIVERSITY.UH, AND, UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS FOR RAISING THE POINT AND REMINDING US ABOUT THE BYOB ORDINANCE.
UM, AS I HAVE SHARED WITH THIS BODY, WE ARE INUNDATED WITH THE AFTER HOURS ON THE WEST SIDE, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO FINALLY HAVING SOME TEETH TO SOMETHING SO WE CAN, UM, ADDRESS THIS APPROPRIATELY.
I ALSO WANNA BRING ATTENTION TO AN ISSUE THAT'S HAPPENING IN MIDWEST HOUSTON ON WESTHEIMER AND WHOLE SMITH.
THERE'S A FOOD TRUCK, UM, PARK, AND, UM, FOR THE LAST 20 MONTHS OR SO, UH, THE COMMUNITY, THE HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE NEXT THERE NEXT DOOR, MYSELF, HPD, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
WE HAVE WORKED TO MAINTAIN THOSE DRAINS.
WE'VE CLEANED OUT THE DRAINS, THEY'RE OPEN DITCH DRAINS, AND IT NEVER FAILS EVERY WEEKEND.
IT'S NOTHING BUT TRASH PLATES AND PLASTIC IN THOSE DRAINS.
AND THOSE DRAINS, UH, ARE, UH, ARE, IT'S EXTREME.
THEY'RE DRAINING, EXTREMELY SLOW.
SO THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, CITED THOSE, UH, VENDORS THAT WERE OPERATING WITHOUT PERMITS.
WE HAVE ADDED ADDITIONAL TRASH CANS.
WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD DO, BUT I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS COMES THROUGH YOUR COMMITTEE, UM, WITH QUALITY OF LIFE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS, WHERE THIS LANDS, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE VENDORS AND THE CUSTOMERS AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.
UM, THESE RESIDENTS ARE CLEANING THE DRAINS ON THEIR OWN, LIKE THEY'RE GOING IN AND, AND PULLING OUT THE MUCK.
AND I, I, I JUST THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME RESPONSIBILITY TO THESE, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS AND THESE CUSTOMERS.
I WANNA REMIND HOUSTONIANS AND RESIDENTS AND DISTRICT F THAT WE'RE HOSTING OUR VERY FIRST DEED RESTRICTION WORKSHOP.
I'M EXCITED TO REPORT WE HAVE 91 REGISTRATIONS.
SO WE'RE COUNTING ON YOU, UH, TO SIGN UP TODAY.
UH, WE HAVE, WE WILL HAVE TRANSLATION IN SPANISH AND IN VIETNAMESE.
UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE QUALITY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND, AND, UM, AFTER WE PASSED THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND, AND WHEN WE HAD THE CONVERSATION AROUND HISTORIC PRESERVATION DISTRICTS, A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS WERE SAYING, WE NEED HELP WITH OUR DEED RESTRICTIONS.
AND I WAS NOTICING, UH, THE NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS IN DISTRICT F UH, WITH BUILDING CODE VIOLATIONS.
SO PLEASE GET THERE SATURDAY, APRIL 29TH FROM NINE 30 TO ONE O'CLOCK, AND WE'LL ALSO HEAR FROM FROST FROST BANK.
THEY'RE GONNA TALK TO US ABOUT DISASTER, UH, PREPARATION AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE NOT A VICTIM OF FRAUDULENT CONTRACTORS.
UM, THURSDAY ON APRIL 27TH, TOMORROW, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, WE ARE HOSTING A JOB FAIR TURNAROUND HOUSTON AT THE A LEAF COMMUNITY CENTER.
REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE EFFORT AND THE WORK, THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, UM, HAS PUT INTO THIS EVENT.
AND WE WILL, UM, OFFER, UH, JOBS, ON SITE INTERVIEWS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
ALL OF THE RESOURCES WILL BE THERE, SO DEFINITELY MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO GET THERE.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN DISTRICT F TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS JOB.
I WANNA REMIND COLLEAGUES AND THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING THAT APRIL 28TH AND APRIL 29TH, WE'RE GONNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE FALL OF SAIGON IN ALE.
UH, DIRECTOR DEMBO, UH, WILL BE THERE WITH US ON SATURDAY, APRIL 29TH.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, THE PEOPLE ARE THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THEIR ALLIES, UM, HAD TOGETHER FOUGHT AGAINST THE EXPANSION OF COMMUNISM IN THE WORLD, IN PARTICULAR IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.
SO THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT ACKNOWLEDGING, UM, THE VIETNAMESE, VIETNAM VETERANS, BUT ALL VIETNAM VETERANS IN OUR DISTRICT, IN THE CITY.
SO WE'RE REALLY, UH, EXCITED ABOUT THIS FIRST TIME PARTNERING WITH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY.
WE'RE GONNA DISPLAY AN EXHIBITION AND, UM, UH, UH, TIDBITS AND FUN FACTS AND ARCHIVES FROM, UH, VETERANS THAT, UH, FOUGHT IN THE WAR.
SO THIS WILL BE A GOOD CONVERSATION.
UH, WE WILL ALSO HAVE OUR HEALTH FAIR POWERED BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON MAY 20TH.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE VENDORS THAN THE BUILDING WILL ALLOW, AND SO REALLY, UH, WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT.
LASTLY, UH, SHOUT OUT TO, UH, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT FOR COMMISSIONER BRIANNE FOR HER PARTNERSHIP AND, AND KEEPING THE COMMITMENT OF, UM, PLANTING TREES IN THE ALE COMMUNITY.
THERE WAS A PRESS CONFERENCE LAST THURSDAY, UH, AND WE'RE GONNA, UH, PLANT 1600 TREES ON THE WEST SIDE, UH, PARTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, LOTS OF SEGMENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY, WHICH INCLUDES IRRIGATION, UH, WHICH INCLUDES ALL OF THAT.
AND SO WE DID THAT WITH, UH, MILLER ELEMENTARY, MILLER INTERMEDIATE WITH AILEY FIVE D SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, 25 PRECINCT FOR OFFICE IN MY OFFICE.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE COMPLETION OF THAT PROJECT IN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTO, I JUST WANNA REMIND OUR DISTRICT A CONSTITUENTS ABOUT OUR DITCH MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
UM, IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR THAT PROGRAM, WE ARE JUST ABOUT TO SEND THAT LIST OVER TO PUBLIC WORKS.
SO PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN THAT.
THIS IS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY CONCERNS OR JUST, UM, UNIQUE SITUATIONS WHERE IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE DITCH, UM, THAT IS ADJACENT TO YOUR PROPERTY.
SO WE KNOW THAT IN DISTRICT A SOMETIMES THAT CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
[03:25:01]
SOMEONE'S HOME FLOODING AND NOT FLOODING DURING A HEAVY RAIN EVENT.SO WE'VE PRIORITIZED, UM, DITCH MAINTENANCE IN DISTRICT DAY AND WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE TO PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT PROGRAM.
AND JUST A FEW COMMENTS FROM MYSELF.
UM, YESTERDAY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH OUR COUNTERPARTS IN AUSTIN ON THE TOPIC OF THE LAKE HOUSTON SPILLWAY DAM IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, STEVEN COSTELLO FOR HIS EXPERTISE, IN ADDITION TO THE CITY GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TEAM FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN ARRANGING SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH KEY OFFICIALS IN AUSTIN.
UM, STEVEN COSTELLO HAS BEEN AN, A STRONG ADVOCATE OF THIS PROGRAM, AND, AND HIS EXPERTISE IS, UH, GOES A LONG WAY TOWARDS OUR SUCCESS HERE.
WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS SUPPORTERS, BUT TODAY I WANNA OFFER A VERY THANKS TO THE UPSTREAM PARTNERS, THE SAN JACINTO RIVER AUTHORITY, NORTH HARRIS, NORTH HOUSTON ASSOCIATION, MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMISSIONER, MATT GRAY LAKE CONROE ASSOCIATION, AND THE GREATER EAST MONTGOMERY COUNTER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, THESE UPSTREAM FOLKS WERE YELLING TO STOP THE DROP, WHICH IS THE, AND THE LOWER END OF THE LAKE CONROE, IN ANTICIPATION OF, UH, HURRICANE SEASON.
AND NOW THEY'RE JOINTLY WITH US IN, IN THE PROJECT OF GETTING THE GATE.
SO, UH, THANKS FOR ALL THE UPSTREAM PARTNERS AS WELL AS THE DOWNSTREAM, DOWNSTREAM PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE.
WITH THIS, THIS PAST WEEK, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SITTING DOWN WHEN MEETING WITH COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT TWO STAFF, AS WELL AS OUR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS TEAM TO DISCUSS THE FINAL STEPS LEFT IN COMPLETING THE EL DORADO EXPANSION PROGRAM.
WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO COMPLETE TWO SECTIONS OF THE SIDEWALK REALLOCATING, RELOCATING THE STREETLIGHTS WITH CENTER POINT ENERGY AND PLANTING NUMEROUS TREES.
AND WE'LL ALSO BE DOING A TREE PLANTING ON SATURDAY, MAY 20TH.
LOOK FORWARD TO FINISHING THE EL DORADO PROJECT AND MOVING TO THE NEXT PART IN THE PROJECT WITH PRECINCT TWO, CRENSHAW ROAD, WHICH HAS BEEN THE SINGLE MOST IGNORED STREET IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO CRENSHAW ROAD FOLKS, WERE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE THAT HAPPEN THIS YEAR.
THIS PA PAST WEEKEND WE HAD OUR SPRING BOPA EVENT FOR KINGWOOD, BATTERIES, OILS, PAINTS, AND ACCESSORIES, WHICH WAS A GREAT SUCCESS.
ANTIFREEZE, THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SOLID WASTE FOR ANOTHER GREAT EVENT.
AND, UH, WHILE WE'RE DONATING MONEY, UH, ABBY CAYMAN AND I ARE WORKING ON FRIENDS OF THE WEST GRAY MULTIPURPOSE CENTER, WHICH HAS BEEN A LONG NEEDED, UH, CENTER FOR REPAIRS.
IT'S A VERY WELL USED, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD THE WHEELCHAIR, UH, BASKETBALL TEAM IN HERE.
AND, UH, WHAT'S THAT? BASEBALL, BASEBALL TEAM, OLYMPIC, UH, WHEELCHAIR O UH, BASEBALL TEAM IN HERE.
SO, UH, WE ISSUED THEM A CHALLENGE AND THEY ISSUED US A CHALLENGE.
AND THAT CHALLENGE WAS TO, UH, RENOVATE THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER ON WEST GRAY.
IN WORKING WITH ANGEL PONSE, UH, WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT, SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY MONEY THAT THEY WANT TO ENDOW TO US, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH WILL TAKE THE FIRST CHECK.
BUT GREAT PROJECT AND, UM, AND FRIENDS OF THE WEST GRAY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER WILL SOON BE COMING TO A NEAR MULTI-SERVICE CENTER NEAR YOU.
SO ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? SEE YOU.