* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] UH, IT'S 1 55. LET'S GET STARTED. UM, AND I THINK WE HAVE, WE [PRESENTATIONS] HAVE ONE PRESENTATION TODAY. AND SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH, THERE YOU GO. FOR A PROCLAMATION TO GABRIEL ESP SPAZA, RECOGNIZE HIM FOR HIS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I'M GONNA ASK COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, GALLEGOS TO JOIN ME IF HE WOULD. HOW YOU, OKAY. 3, 2, 1. OKAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. TODAY, UH, IT'S MY HONOR TO, UH, RECOGNIZE GABRIEL ESPARZA. 30 YEARS OF PUBLISHING. 30 YEARS OF AGO, KAY ANDA, THE MAGAZINE OPENED ITS DOORS IN HOUSTON, TEXAS WITH A DREAM TO BECOME THE MOST SUCCESSFUL HISPANIC PRINT MEDIA SOURCE IN TEXAS. TODAY, THE MAGAZINE IS THE LEADING HISPANIC NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT PUBLICATION IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, COVERING FIVE OF THE TOP 10 HISPANIC MARKETS. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, KEDA MEANS, WHAT'S UP, ? SO, UH, UH, GABRIEL ESPARZA IS THE PUBLISHER OF THE MAGAZINE, WHICH IS FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED. THE PUBLICATION COVERS NATIONAL AND LOCAL NEWS, SPORTS, FASHION, LOCAL RESTAURANT REVIEWS, REAL ESTATE, TRAVEL, MOVIE PURVIEW, PREVIEWS, AUTOMOBILES, LEGAL ISSUES, POLITICS, THANK GOD FOR POLITICS, LATIN CONCERTS AND EVENTS, MUSIC, HEALTH, AND MORE. AS PUBLISHER, MR. ESPARZA HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE HOUSTON ASTROS, HOUSTON DYNAMO, AND MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER AND PROMOTIONAL EVENTS. HE'S WORKED WITH MANY RECORD LABELS IN PROMOTING THEIR ARTISTS AND HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN MANY IMPORTANT LATIN EVENTS, INCLUDING THE LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS. LATIN BILLBOARD AWARDS, UNIVISION AWARDS, MTV LATIN VIDEO AWARDS. OKAY. MAGAZINE HAS BEEN THE EXCLUSIVE HISPANIC PRINT MEDIA SPONSOR, AND EACH OF THE MARKETS OF GLORIA ESTEFAN, MARK ANTHONY, RICKY MARTIN, AND MANY OTHER LATIN LOCAL CONCERTS AND SPORTS EVENTS IN HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, DALLAS, AND FORT WORTH. MR. ESPARZA HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS AWARDS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. HE WAS APPOINTED TO SERVE ON THE HOUSTON READ COMMISSION BY MAYOR ANISE PARKER DURING HER TERM IS MAYOR AND OF HOUSTON, AND HAS ALSO SERVED ON THE MAYOR'S HISPANIC ADVISORY BOARD. MR. ESPARZA IS A MEDIA MEMBER OF THE HOUSTON ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC MEDIA AND PROFESSIONALS MAYOR, RIGHT HERE. AND I AM HONORED TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN KASH, FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD. AND SO THEREFORE, I SUGGEST THE TURNER MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 2ND, 2023 AS GABRIEL TO SPONSOR TODAY, THE 30TH YEAR OF PUBLISHING. YES, SIR. IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS, MA'AM, FOR WHAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ALL COUNCILS MEMBERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. UH, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, GALLEGOS, MAYOR TURNER, UH, COUNCILMAN KASH. AND ALSO WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I, I BROUGHT THE FOUNDER, THE FOUNDER OF KEDA MAGAZINE, WHICH IS MY MOTHER, LIVIA ESPARZA. SHE'S THE FOUNDER OF THE MAGAZINE. AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR 30 YEARS, AND WE IN FIVE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH IS HOUSTON, DALLAS, SAN ANTONIO, AND AUSLEY. AND WE ALSO OPENED THE, UH, MONTEREY, MEXICO ABOUT A YEAR AGO. SO NOW WE ARE NOT JUST A LOCAL PAPER, WE AN INTERNATIONAL PAPER. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TELL EVERYONE IS THAT WE'RE IN THE PEOPLE BUSINESS. WE JUST HAPPEN TO SELL ADVERTISING, BUT WE ALWAYS DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS. WE ALWAYS INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY. WE GET INVOLVED WITH CITY ISSUES. UH, AND, AND IT'S, IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH YOU GUYS. I ALSO BROUGHT MY BROTHERS, MY SON, MY BROTHER, UH, JORGE, MY BROTHER WILLIAM, MY SON MICHAEL. UH, AND, UH, LIKE I SAID, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE, UH, BE ACKNOWLEDGED BY ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY. [00:05:01] UH, AND I'LL SAY SOMETHING FOR MY MOM. ESP WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S AN HONOR FOR ME, UH, TO HAVE THIS, UH, UH, CREDIT TO MY, TO MY SON. AND, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. SHE'S, SHE'S 88 YEARS OLD. SHE'S STILL TELL ME THINGS. . YES. UH, UH, I, I RUN THE BUS, UH, NDA MAGAZINE FOR 20 YEARS. I WAS 59 YEARS OLD WHEN WE STARTED THIS BUSINESS, AND NOW HE'S IN CHARGE . SO, THANK YOU. LIKE I SAID, ON BEHALF OF, UH, OF NDA MAGAZINE, THE ESPARTO FAMILY, AND, UH, MS. MS. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH YOU. APPRECIATE IT. YOU, FIRST OF ALL, IT, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE STANDING HERE WITH GABRIELLE. UH, HE'S A GAME CHANGER HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN REGARDS TO, UH, SPANISH MEDIA. UH, HE HAS SOME GREAT IDEAS. UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, UH, FUTURE PROSPECTS THAT HE'S LOOKING AT MAYBE DOING HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT. UH, SO AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO ENO ESPARZA, UH, AND TO GABRIELLE, UH, AND TO THE WHOLE FAMILY OF NDA MAGAZINE, UH, THAT BRINGS THE CIRCULAR, UH, OUT TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND TO OTHER CITIES HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. SO, THANK YOU AGAIN, GABRIELLE. OH, AND ALSO I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT HE DID START, UH, THE, THE HANO MUSIC, UH, DANCING, UH, BACK IN FEBRUARY, BRINGING THE HANO MUSIC BACK, UH, TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, I, I, UH, PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST ONE THAT THEY HAD. THEY'RE HAVING IT ONCE A MONTH. THE FIRST ONE WAS, UH, FOR VALENTINE'S DAY. UH, THEY'RE HAVING THEIR THIRD THIS COMING FRIDAY, UH, AT BAYOU PLACE, UH, CELEBRATING THE SECO DE MAYO. UH, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE GO AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU GABRIELLE, FOR DOING THAT AS WELL. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN Q. GO AHEAD, GABRIEL. I, I, I WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UH, UH, BRINGING THAT THE HANDLE DANCES BACK TO HOUSTON. WE CALL IT THE HA WITH CLASS. WE'RE AT THE H TOWN. WE DO DANCES ONCE A MONTH, BUT WE'RE ALSO INVOLVED WITH THE CINCO DE MAYO PARADE. UH, KEDA MAGAZINE GETS INVOLVED IN A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS. WE TRY TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY. WE KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS, UH, UH, NOT AWARE OF A LOT OF LAWS IN THE STATE, IN THE UNITED STATES. SO WE DO A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS. WE WORK WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY DA'S OFFICE. WE WORK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE WORK WITH, UH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, HPD, TO TRY TO EDUCATE OUR SPANISH COMM, SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE NOT AWARE ABOUT THE LAWS. SO, OKAY. THAT'S WHAT NDA MAGAZINE DOES. THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I SAID THAT WE'RE IN THE PEOPLE BUSINESS. UH, AND WE JUST HAPPENED TO SELL AN ADVERTISING COUNCIL MEMBER, CARLOS CISNEROS. UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU TWO 30 YEARS. IT'S SUCH A PLEASURE TO, TO, UM, TO MEET THE FOUNDER, YOUR MOTHER. YES. UM, AND THAT THIS IS A FAMILY BUSINESS, UM, THAT'S A LOT TO BE PROUD OF. AND, UH, I WANTED TO, TO THANK YOU. UM, YOU ARE, YOU ARE, UM, AS YOU SPOKE ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, JUST HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT THAT, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU. YOU'RE A COMMUNICATOR, YOU'RE A CONNECTOR, YOU'RE AN EDUCATOR. AND, UM, AND, AND, UM, WE ALL APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM. GABRIELLE, CONGRATULATIONS. THIS IS, UH, AN INCREDIBLE HONOR FOR YOU, FOR YOUR MOM. AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, FIRST OF ALL, MAYOR, YOU KNOW, IS SORT OF A HIP. IT'S, IT'S KIND LIKE WHAT'S GOING DOWN, WHAT'S UP, WHAT'S HAPPENING? LIKE, WHAT'S HAPPEN, WHAT'S HAPPENING? LIKE TO SAY, HI, HELLO. HOW ARE, WHAT'S UP? WHAT'S GOING ON? THE WORD NDA IN, IN MEXICO AND IN SOUTH AMERICA IS, IS AN EVERYDAY VOCABULARY WORD, RIGHT? IT'S LIKE YOU SAYING, WHAT'S UP? WHAT'S HAPPENING? SO THAT'S WHY WE USE THAT, THAT THE PHRASE OF , BECAUSE IT RELATES TO PEOPLE. YEAH. IT'S A VERY COMMON WORD. IT'S USED ON A DAILY BASIS. AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO ASK. SO WE JUST ADVERTISING ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS. THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO ASK YOU, GABRIEL, THAT'S, UH, IT'S AN AMAZING NAME. IT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THE SPIRIT AND NATURE OF THE MAGAZINE. AND, UH, AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS. IT ADDS SO MUCH TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX . SO, [00:10:05] OKAY. IT IS, UH, UM, SO LET ME JUST SAY THIS. UM, BEING IN THE PRINT BUSINESS IN TODAY'S WORLD IS A CHALLENGE, AND I COMMEND YOU HIGHLY. Y'ALL ARE BEEN BUSINESS YES. IN THE AGE OF TECHNOLOGY WHERE EVERYBODY'S ONLINE DOING ALL THIS STUFF, AND YOU GUYS STILL ARE PRODUCING A PRINT MAGAZINE AND YOU'RE BEING SUCCESSFUL AT IT, WHICH SPEAKS A GREAT DEAL TO ME ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS ACUMEN AND YOUR ABILITY TO OPERATE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT. YES. AND GOD BLESS YOU FOR DOING THAT. THAT'S A, AN OUTSTANDING, UH, KIND OF THING THAT I WANTED TO ALSO HIGHLIGHT TODAY. THANK YOU, GABRIEL, FOR ALL YOU DO FOR HOUSTON. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCILMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER ED POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM GABRIEL, THANK YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY. CONGRATULATIONS. 30 YEARS IS A BIG DEAL, AND I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT YOU ALL REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THE LOCAL ISSUES, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AT CITY HALL, BUT FOR THAT, A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE AS ENGAGED IN THOSE ISSUES. SO I APPRECIATE THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS AND, AND TAKE CARE. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, GABRIEL. AND MOM, I KNOW THAT YOUR SON'S IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE MICHAEL, MICHAEL COME, YOUR SON, YOU KNOW, THE THIRD GENERATION IS GETTING READY. HE'S THIRD GENERATION. UH, MICHAEL IS THE ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER WHO'S GONNA BE TAKING OVER WHEN I GO PLAY TENNIS, , I SAY, SAY SOMETHING, SIR. UM, WOW. I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GONNA BE ON THE SPOT TODAY, BUT WELL, YOU ARE. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES. UM, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THIS HONOR. IT'S BEEN IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS 30 YEARS. I'VE BEEN WITHIN THE BUSINESS WITH THE LAW OVER THE LAST FIVE TO SIX YEARS NOW, AND LEARNING A LOT FROM HIM, AND HEARING STORIES FROM, YOU KNOW, MY GRANDMA AND EVEN REMEMBERING TIMES WHEN I WAS IN THE OFFICE AS A KID, YOU KNOW, WAITING, YOU KNOW, TO GO HOME, PRINTING HIM PAPERS FROM THE FAX MACHINE AND ALL THESE THINGS LIKE THAT. SO, BUT 30 YEARS NOW AND LOOKING FOR 30 YEARS MORE AND MANY MORE AFTER THAT. AND JUST LIKE I SAID, THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THIS. UM, IT'S BEEN A LOT OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION AND, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT HE'S DONE. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE LAST WORD, COUNCIL MEMBER, KOSH AND GABRIEL. THERE'S NEVER AN EVENT WHERE WE DON'T SEE YOU. YOU'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE. SO IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE AND AN HONOR TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU, APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU DO. MY, MY FATHER REST IN PEACE ALWAYS TOLD ME TO. UH, HE ALWAYS TAUGHT US TO GO TO THE EXTRA MILE AND ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS, TAKE CARE OF YOUR CLIENTS, TREAT 'EM LIKE BABIES, EVEN WHAT THEY WANT. AND I'VE ALWAYS FOLLOWED MY PARENTS' ADVICE. UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, MR. MAYOR, SOMETIMES WE SEE EACH OTHER THREE, FOUR TIMES A DAY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO. WE ALWAYS GO THE EXTRA MILE. AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IS ON THE PRINTING SIDE, WE WERE ABLE TO, TO, TO, TO CROSS THAT, THAT THE, THE PANDEMIC HARVEY, ALL THOSE THINGS WERE, THEY WERE HARD, MR. MAYOR, THEY WERE REALLY, REALLY HARD. BUT WITH, WITH ALL THE ADVICES THAT MY PARENTS GAVE ME, UH, GO THE EXTRA MILE, DO THE THING, DO THE RIGHT THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE MADE MISTAKES JUST LIKE ANY OTHER ONE. BUT I TRY TO DO, FOLLOW MY PARENTS' ADVICE AND USE A LITTLE BIT OF MY KNOWLEDGE. UM, I BRING A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN THE, IN THE INDUSTRY. MY SON BRINGS A LOT OF DIGITAL EXPERIENCE, AND I THINK COMBINED, WE CAN, WE CAN, WE CAN DO THIS. WE CAN REALLY DO THIS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, GUYS. CONGRATULATIONS, AND LOOK FORWARD TO ANOTHER 30. THANK YOU, SIR. APPRECIATE THAT. [00:16:05] I TELL YOU WHAT, WE'LL GET STARTED, [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] AND THEN THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER INTRODUCTION, UH, BUT CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS FOR THE INVOCATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS. HEAVENLY FATHER, ASSIST WITH YOUR SPIRIT OF COUNSEL AND FORTITUDE, THE LEADERS OF THIS GREAT CITY. LORD, YOUR SPIRIT HAS GUIDED THE PIONEERS AND OUR PAST LEADERS TO MAKE THIS A VERY HABITABLE PLACE FOR LIBERTY, PROSPERITY, AND THE GOOD THINGS OF LIFE. AND TODAY, WE AGAIN, ASK FOR YOUR ENLIGHTENMENT AND WISDOM ON THIS COUNCIL. MAY YOUR DIVINE LIGHT FILL THESE MINDS AND HEARTS WITH NEW IDEAS, NEW WAYS TO MAKE THIS CITY MORE PEOPLE FRIENDLY, BUSINESS FRIENDLY, MORE COMPASSIONATE AND ACCEPTING. ENABLE US TO LEAD OUR CITY WITH COMPASSION, HONESTY, AND INTEGRITY. WE MAY ALWAYS SEEK THE WAYS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, JUSTICE, AND MERCY. OPEN OUR HEARTS SO THAT WE MAY SEE ALL PEOPLE AS REFLECTIONS OF YOU, OUR CREATOR. LORD, YOU LOVE US ALL UNCONDITIONALLY, AND WE KNOW ALL JUSTICE AND GOODNESS COMES FROM YOU. WE PLACE ALL OUR HOPE IN YOUR BLESSING TODAY AND ALWAYS. AMEN. AMEN. PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND, [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] UH, MADAM SECRETARY, MAYOR TURNER. HERE, CONSTABLE PICK, COUNCILOR JACKSON, COUNCIL MCMAN PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. HERE, COUNCILMAN MARTIN. PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS PRESENT, COUNCIL HUFFMAN PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. HERE. COUNCIL MC GALLEGOS. HERE. COUNCILMAN POLLARD? HERE. COUNCILMAN CASTEX TATUM? HERE. COUNCILMAN KNOX? HERE. COUNCIL ROBINSON. HERE. CONSTABLE KOSH. HEY, I'M CONSTABLE PALMER WILL BE AFTER CONSTABLE ALCORN. HERE. WE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 21ST AND 22ND. PASS. TATUM, MOVE SECOND. ROBINSON, YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION. ANY OBJECTION, SHERRY'S NOT IN THE MOTION IS GRANTED. UM, BEFORE WE PROCEED, UH, AS YOU KNOW, ON LAST WEEK, UM, THERE WAS A TRADE MISSION, TRADE AND INVESTMENT MISSION TO, UH, BRAZIL, UH, WITH, UH, THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP AND WITH THE BRAZIL, UH, TEXAS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UH, THAT WAS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL. WE WERE, THEREFORE, FOR, UH, FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK. AND, UH, THE HOSPITALITY WAS GREAT. WE HAD ABOUT 20 MEETINGS, UH, WHILE WE WERE IN BRAZIL. THE FIRST STOP WAS IN RIO DE JANERO. AND, UH, AND I WILL TELL YOU, UM, UM, I CANNOT THANK THE PEOPLE IN BRAZIL, UH, ENOUGH FOR THEIR HOSPITALITY. NOW, TODAY WE HAVE TWO OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HERE. THEY'RE PART OF A MUCH LARGER BRAZILIAN DELEGATION THAT'S HERE FOR THE OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE. AND IN FACT, WE HAVE THE LARGEST PRESENCE OF PEOPLE FROM BRAZIL AND BUSINESSES FROM BRAZIL, UH, THAN WE HAVE EVER HAD AT THE OFFICER TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE. AND LAST NIGHT, THERE WAS A RE A RECEPTION THIS MORNING, THERE WAS A BREAKFAST, UH, WITH ABOUT 600 PEOPLE TOTAL. UH, TODAY WE HAVE TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT HOSTED US, UH, WHILE WE WERE THERE. AND I'M, I'M GOING TO JUST ASK THEM TO COME, UH, FORWARD. UM, AND LET ME FIRST, UH, INTRODUCE, UH, THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY AND OCEAN ECONOMY. SECRETARY, WHY DON'T YOU COME FORWARD? UH, HUGO AL, UM, WHO WAS, UM, UH, HE IS THE CURRENT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ENERGY AND OCEAN ECONOMY OF RIO DE JANEIRO. [00:20:01] HE'S BEEN MARRIED FOR 33 YEARS AND HAS TWO KIDS. HE MOVED TO RIO, AND WHEN HE WAS 18, TO STUDY, UH, A BACHELOR DEGREE IN LAW, UH, IN ECONOMICS, UH, HE TOOK OVER THE CHAIR OF THE STATE DEPUTY FOR THREE MONTHS. IN 2005, HE WAS ELECTED FEDERAL DEPUTY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2006. AND HE IS CURRENTLY IN HIS FIFTH TERM AFTER BEING, RE BEING REELECTED IN 2022. UH, AND I WILL TELL YOU, UM, WHEN WE MET WITH THE MAYOR OF RIO, UH, HE WAS THERE. AND WHEN WE MET WITH THE GOVERNOR OF RIO, UH, HE WAS THERE AND WAS VERY, VERY GRACIOUS. ALONGSIDE OF HIM IS THE DEPUTY UNDERSECRETARY OF ENERGY, UH, WHO IS ALSO PRESENT, DANIEL LA MASA. UM, AND, UM, AND HE TOO WAS VERY, VERY HELPFUL, UH, WITH US. BOTH OF THEM, UH, WERE VERY, UM, UH, HELPFUL, UH, TO THE ENTIRE DELEGATION OF ABOUT 25. AND I WANT TO, UM, SECRETARY, I WANT TO THANK YOU, UM, UH, AND THE DEPUTY SEC AND THE SECRETARY, UH, FOR, UH, GREETING US VERY GRACIOUSLY. I WANNA WELCOME YOU TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, FOR THE OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE, AND JUST HOPE THAT Y'ALL HAVE A VERY PRODUCTIVE STAY AND A WONDERFUL TIME, UH, IN, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, SO WELCOME AND BEFORE YOU ALL SPEAK, I'M GONNA CALL ON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVE ROBINSON, WHO WAS ALSO ON THAT TRIP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR AND, UH, SECRETARY, DEPUTY SECRETARY. UM, ALSO AS A MEMBER OF, UH, THE PARLIAMENT IN BRAZIL, UH, WE KNOW WHAT A LONGSTANDING OFFICE HOLDER LIKE YOU HAS DONE, THE SACRIFICE OF YOUR LIFE AND COMMITMENT, UM, TO ENERGY AND THE MARITIME ECONOMY AS THE MAYOR AND I LEARNED, UH, SO MUCH ABOUT RIO, YOUR CITY, YOUR HOME, THE GREAT STATE OF RIO WHERE WE JOINED YOU. UM, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, BUT IT'S ALSO A VERY RICH IN NATURAL RESOURCES. AND, UH, WE'RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE, UH, VISITED YOU THERE. BUT ALSO WHAT YOU BRING NOW WITH THE INTERNATIONAL, UH, CULTURE AND ECONOMY OF BRAZIL HERE TO HOUSTON, THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE BOTH INVESTED AND COMMITTED TO THE ENERGY TRANSITION OF OUR ECONOMIES. AND MR. DEPUTY SECRETARY, YOUR LEADERSHIP AND HELP ALONG THE WAY, THEY'RE ALL GREATLY APPRECIATED. SO OUR, OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO YOU. WE WELCOME YOU TO HOUSTON. WE KNOW IT'S ALREADY BEEN A PRODUCTIVE CONFERENCE, UM, BUT WE EXTEND THE BEST OF TEXAS AND HOUSTON'S HOSPITALITY TO YOU AND RIO AND BRAZIL. SO THANK YOU. THANK, AND MR. SECRETARY AND THE SECRETARY, FEEL FREE, IF ANY, ANY REMARKS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE. MR. TURNER, MAYOR IN THE HOUSTON, THE COUNCIL, I'M SPEAKING IN PORTUGUESE. THIS IS THE GUARANTEE. THIS TRANSLATED OKAY. YES. UH, MR. MAYOR, UH, TH UH, WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR THE MUNICIPALITY HERE IN HOUSTON. UH, WE THANK YOU FOR THE GOVERNOR CASTRO, THE GOVERNOR FOR REGIONAL STATE, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UH, WE HOPE YOU AND OTHER CITY COUNCIL GO TO RIO DE JANEIRO IN THE, IN THE NEXT, IN THIS YEAR TO THE OOTC IN OCTOBER. UM, I'M REALLY PROUD TO BE HERE, NOT JUST AS A SECRETARY OF ENERGY, BUT WITH A CONGRESSMAN IN MY FIVE, UH, TURN AS CONGRESSMAN, AS A CONFERENCE, OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE, BRAZIL PRESENTS THE KEY OLOGY TECHNOLOGY OFFSHORE. THERE ARE MORE THAN 55 BRAZILIAN COMPANIES FOR THAT WORKS THE OFFSHORE INDUSTRY. THEY ARE HERE IN THE OTC BRAZIL. UM, MOST OF THESE COMPANIES, THEY ARE BASED ON ENGINEER STATE. BECAUSE WE ARE THE BIGGEST PRODUCER OF OIL AND THE BIGGEST PRODUCER OF NATURAL GAS, [00:25:22] WE ARE VERY JOYFUL TO BE HERE. AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WE ARE PLEASED AND WELCOME YOU TO, UH, STRENGTH OUR, UH, CLOSE RELATIONSHIP, NOT JUST WITH UNITED STATES, BUT WITH THE TEXAS STATE AS WELL. AND WE ARE, WE ARE COMING BACK. SO VISIT FOOTBALL, AND THE NEXT TIME YOU GO TO MORANO STADIUM, WE HAVE TO WATCH A FOOT, UH, SOCCER GAME AND GO TO THE CARNIVAL . WELL, THANK YOU. LOOK, UM, THE TIMING FOR THE TRIP WAS PERFECT. UM, GOING TO BE, GOING TO SEE THE, UH, SOCCER STADIUM WAS A HIGHLIGHT. AND OF COURSE, I'M, I'M WEARING THE BRACELET FROM ONE OF THE NETS, UM, UM, AT THE SOCCER STADIUM. YES. UH, SO, UM, UH, LOOK, WE WANT YOU TO HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, AND IF YOU NEED ANYTHING, UH, WHILE YOU ARE HERE, DON'T HESITATE TO, TO REACH OUT, TO REACH OUT TO US, OKAY? BUT ENJOY, ENJOY YOUR TIME IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND THANK YOU FOR THE HOSPITALITY. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. AND, UH, CHRIS. OKAY, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UH, ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS BEFORE WE PROCEED? HEARING SCENE? NONE, UH, [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] MADAM SECRETARY OF YOU PROCEED TO CALL THE ROLE FIRST SPEAKER. OH, I'M SORRY. THERE IS A PROCEDURAL MOTION. OH, I'M SORRY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. THAT'S OKAY. UM, I WILL MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE OUR FRIEND JACOB CLEMENTE, TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE AGENDA. OKAY. OKAY. FOR ONE MINUTE? YES. OKAY. YOU'VE HEARD THE MOTION. SECOND. SECOND. BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR? NONE. MOTION GRANTED. OKAY. ANY OTHER PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? OKAY, MADAM SECRETARY DAVID ESPINOZA. DAVID ESPINOZA IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB CLEMENTE. OH, YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OH, OKAY. OKAY. HELLO, MR. MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MY NAME IS DAVID ESPINOZA. I AM A MEMBER OF NORTHEAST, OR A RESIDENT OF NORTHEAST, AND A MEMBER OF THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I AM WANT TO SPEAK ON A SOMETHING BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE GOING OVER THE BUDGET, UH, THIS YEAR FOR THIS YEAR. BUT I MEAN, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, UH, OUR GROUP HAS COME TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT, UH, AFFECTED RESIDENTS NORTH HOUSTON BY THE RESIDENTS AFFECTED BY FLOODING, AND JUST THE LACK OF INVESTMENT OR IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND WHAT WE DISCOVERED, OR AT LEAST, UM, SOME OF OUR RESEARCHERS HAVE DISCOVERED WAS THAT WE'VE BEEN MAKING A FEW DEMANDS. AND THEN ONE OF THEM WAS TO PUT IN THAT TENS OF MILLIONS THAT WERE DIVERTED FROM OUR PROPERTY TAX. I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER EXACTLY, BUT WE KNOW THAT MONEY HAS BEEN DIVERTED FROM, UH, DRAINAGE, A DRAINAGE FUND TO PUT IN THE CITY BUDGET. AND WE WERE JUST ASKING THAT, THAT MONEY, THAT, UM, I THINK IT'S ABOUT WE'RE ASKING FOR 20 MILLION, UH, TO PUT IT INTO SWAT AND LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS, PLUS ANOTHER 20 MILLION FOR PUBLIC WORKS, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, PRIMARILY PUT MONEY INTO EQUIPMENT AND STAFF PLUS OFFER A BIT MORE. HOPEFULLY, AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I'M PERSONALLY THINKING, IS OFFER MORE PAY FOR THE THOSE WORKERS, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE IN THIS CITY TO LIVE. BUT OVERALL, I THINK I, I'M JUST A BIT DISAPPOINTED WHEN I GO OUT TO MY NEIGHBORS STREETS, [00:30:01] MY STREETS TO SEE HOW MUCH WATER JUST PULLS UP JUST ON REGULAR FLOODS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. HOPE HAVE SOMETHING DONE SOON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, JACOB CLEMENTE. HI GUYS. HELLO, JACOB. OKAY. IS A FRIEND OF MINE, AND HE SAID, WHEN I ASKED HIM WHAT DO HE WANT, WHAT HE WANTS IN MY, FOR THE COUNCIL, HE SAYS, GET THEM IN FAVOR OF SCHOOL CHOICE AND TAXES. AND WHAT I WANT TO SAY NOW IS COLONEL WANTS, AGAIN, TO BE HONORED WITH A STREET NAME HERE IN, UM, HOUSTON, BECAUSE AFTER ALL, WE HAVE SO MANY LATINOS COMING IN AND, UH, THEY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT, UH, TEXAS HISTORY, ABOUT HOW, ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, HELPED US FORM THE, THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS. AND SO, UH, I, UM, I WANTED TO MENTION TO DAVID ROBINSON AND FOR THE, THE DEBO SEX OR FORTH IN THE, THEIR DIVISION, BUT AT LEAST THEY'RE ONE GAME AHEAD OF THE YANKEES, THE DREADED YANKEES. THANK YOU. THANKS, JACOB. UH, COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS. THANK YOU, JACOB. I'M SURE YOU'RE EXCITED THAT THE ASTROS ARE PLAYING AGAIN, AND YOU'RE GONNA BE WORKING THERE AT MINUTE MA PARK. SO, UH, UH, HAVE FUN AND GOOD LUCK ON, ON, ON, ON, ON THE ASTROS, UH, HOPEFULLY GOING BACK, UH, TO THE WORLD SERIES. UM, AND, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP IN REGARDS. I KNOW YOU AND I JUST HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION YOU WERE ASKING ME ABOUT THAT, REGARDING, UH, NAMING A DOWNTOWN STREET AFTER A DENO COLONEL ONCE AGAIN, I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MAYOR TURNER, UH, UH, IN, IN, IN REGARDS TO NOT ONE DOWN, DOWN STREET, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS NAMED AFTER TEJANO. UH, ALL THE STREETS IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON ARE NAMED AFTER, UH, ANGLOS THAT ARRIVED, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT THEY WEREN'T EVEN, UH, TEXANS. THEY WERE ACTUALLY IMMIGRANTS AT THAT TIME. UH, BUT YET COLONEL, ONCE AGAIN, WHO'S A THIRD GENERATION HANNO, UH, SOMEONE THAT I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS ACTUALLY AT BOTH BATTLES IN THE ALAMO AND IN SAN JINO. UH, BUT YET HE'S NOT WORTHY ENOUGH TO HAVE HIS NAME ON A DOWNTOWN STREET. UH, SO AGAIN, I'VE MENTIONED IT TO MAYOR TURNER. HOPEFULLY SOMETHING CAN BE DONE BEFORE HE LIVES LEAVES OFFICE AS THE MAYOR AND I LEAVE OFFICE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU, JACOB. YOU CAN GO ASK US. THANK YOU. I GOTTA GET TO WORK, SO BYE. OKAY, THANK YOU, JACOB. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. DAVID CONTRERAS. DAVID CONTRERAS, AND DAVID IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOHN HUMPHREY. GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, HONORABLE, UH, MAYOR TURNER AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS DAVID CONTRERAS, AND I'M HERE WITH MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE, MILLIE, REPRESENTING THE NATIONAL LULAC OFFICE, THE LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS AS THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES COORDINATORS, AND THE, AND I, AS THE TEXAS STATE HISTORIAN, I'VE DEDICATED ABOUT 10 YEARS AND ABOUT 15,000 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER WORK TO DEVELOP LULAC AND LATINO DIGITIZED ARCHIVES, MANY OF WHICH ARE LINKED TO THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, HISPANIC AND LATINO HISTORY COLLECTIONS. I'M MAKING FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TODAY REGARDING VITAL RESOURCES FROM THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY THAT BENEFIT LATINO COMMUNITY IN HOUSTON. FIRST, IN OCTOBER OF THIS, OF LAST YEAR, THE HOUSTON ENDOWMENT AWARDED $500,000 TO THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY TO SUPPORT A SERIES OF ARCHIVAL PRESERVATION PROJECTS. OF THAT FUNDING, $250,000 HAS BEEN EARMARKED FOR THE HISPANIC COLLECTIONS. I'M RECOMMENDING THAT AN ADVISORY OVERSIGHT GROUP BE ESTABLISHED, COMPRISED OF EXPERTS IN HOUSTON, LULAC AND LATINA CULTURAL AND HISTORY, TO IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE SIGNIFICANT COLLECTIONS THAT SHOULD BE SCANNED, DIGITIZED, AND ARCHIVED ON THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY WEBSITE. THE MOST PROMINENT COLLECTIONS WOULD, THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY, IN MY OPINION, ARE THE ARCHIVES OF HENRY SANCHEZ, FELIX BOLES, AND LEONEL CASTILLO. ALSO, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OF VIVO MAGAZINE, WHICH WAS AN INSERT TO THE HOUSTON POST LU AT COUNCIL 60 AND THE LITTLE SCHOOL OF THE 400, WHICH WAS A PRECURSOR TO PROJECT HEAD START. SECONDLY, I'M RECOMMENDING THAT THE COMMUNITY BE UPDATED ON THE STATUS OF INTERVIEWS THAT WERE REMOVED FROM THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR. THESE FILES ARE COMPRISED OF LARGE COLLECTIONS OF AUDIO AND VIDEO, ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS, MANY OF OF WHICH ARE DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY, INCLUDING CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS AND WORLD WAR II VETERANS. I RECOMMEND THESE INTERVIEWS BE RETRIEVED AND MADE AVAIL AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY WEBSITE. IF [00:35:01] THE INTERVIEWS HAVE BEEN LOST, I RECOMMEND THAT FUNDING BE ALLOCATED TOWARDS CONDUCTING NEW INTERVIEWS FOR OUR HISTORY. NEXT, I RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON UPDATE THE COMMUNITY ON PROGRESS ON THE $19 MILLION HISPANIC RESEARCH CENTER AND LIBRARY. RECENT MEDIA REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE LIBRARY WILL BE LOCATED AT 58 0 7 NAVIGATION AND WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 50,000 SQUARE FEET. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE TIMELINE OF THE RIBBON CUTTING THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE OPENING DATE OF THE FACILITY. LASTLY, I RECOMMEND THAT THE HOUSTON, UH, I RECOMMEND THAT THE HISPANIC AND LATINO HISTORY WEBSITE PAGE WILL BE PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED ON THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY WEBSITE AS IT WAS PRIOR TO CHANGES MADE ON, IN, ON APRIL THE 19TH. THE WEBSITE IS THE ONLY SPECIAL HISTORY COLLECTION THAT CANNOT BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY RESEARCH TAB. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION. COUNCIL MEMBER CIRO. UM, THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, DAVID, DON'T GO, DON'T GO, COME BACK. . UM, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTFUL, UM, SUGGESTIONS. UM, WE'VE SHARED THEM, MY OFFICE HAS SHARED 'EM WITH THE LIBRARY AND, UM, AND, AND ASKED FOR SOME ANSWERS. UM, AND WHAT WE DID GET BACK, AND REALLY THE ONLY THING I'VE GOTTEN BACK SO FAR IS THAT REGARDING, UM, YOUR, YOUR REQUEST FOR AN UPDATE ON, ON TO THE COMMUNITY, ON PROGRESS ON THE HISPANIC RESEARCH CENTER AND LIBRARY, UM, AND THE NEWS THAT YOU, THAT'S FILTERED OUT INTO THE PUBLIC, UM, WHAT WE GOT BACK SAYS THAT NEGOTIATIONS ARE ONGOING REGARDING THE PROPERTY AND COST FOR THIS PROJECT, THE TARGET, THE TARGET IS TO COMPLETE THIS PHASE AND ENTER A CONTRACT FOR THE, UM, FOR THIS, UH, HHRC, THIS SUMMER. COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, MARY. REALLY QUICKLY, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU, DAVID, FOR, UM, ALL THE WORK ON BEHALF OF LULAC, UH, CAPTURING THE HISTORY, UH, THAT IS HOUSTON HISTORY, IT'S TEXAS HISTORY, AND ITS AMERICAN HISTORY. UH, I, I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE, UH, PROUDLY THAT, UH, LULAC, THE COUNCIL 60 CLUBHOUSE IS IN DISTRICT C AND THAT THOSE PRESERVATION EFFORTS THAT ARE ONGOING, UM, ALSO ENCOMPASS THE HISTORY. UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S LIVING HISTORY AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK, AND PLEASE PASS ALONG OUR APPRECIATION. THANK COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS, DAVID, ON YOUR, UH, POSITION AS NATIONAL ARCHIVES COORDINATOR FOR LULAC. UH, AND ALSO THANK YOU AND TO YOUR WIFE, MILLIE, FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO, UH, WITH LULAC, UH, HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, I KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY CONCERNING FOR ME. I KNOW THIS WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, UH, ON THE LAST TWO YEARS OF MERE PARKER'S ADMINISTRATION. UH, AND I MET WITH DR. LAWSON BACK THEN, UH, THAT THE, UH, UH, THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, UH, WAS RUNNING OUTTA ROOM FOR HISPANIC ARCHIVES, UH, WORK WITH, UH, MAYOR PARKER AND ALSO WITH MAYOR TURNER. UH, AND I WANT TO THANK BOTH OF THEM IN REGARDS TO THE $19.5 MILLION. UH, THAT IS IN THE CIP FOR AN HISPANIC ARCHIVE CENTER. I KNOW THAT TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE CELEBRATING IN ALMA, UH, WHICH IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS FORMED TO RAISE MONEY FOR AN HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER, UH, THAT'S WHERE MAYOR, UH, TURNER ALSO ANNOUNCED IN 19.5 FOR THE HISPANIC ARCHIVE CENTER. UH, WHICH OUR, OUR VISION IS FOR IT TO BE A CAMPUS, UH, WITH THE HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER, ALONG WITH AN HISPANIC ARCHIVE CENTER. UH, HERE WE ARE EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE I LEAVE OFFICE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, AND THE MAYOR LEAVES OFFICE AS THE MAYOR. UH, AND I'M STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM DR. LAWSON, UH, WITH AN UPDATE. I REACHED OUT TO HER AT LEAST TWICE ASKING FOR UPDATES, AND I'M STILL WAITING FOR AN UPDATE. AND NOW I'M HEARING THAT SOMETHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN MAYBE THIS SUMMER. WELL, THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH BECAUSE AGAIN, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THE LAST TWO YEARS OF THE PARKER ADMINISTRATION. AND I HAVE EIGHT MONTHS LEFT, AND I KNOW MAYOR PAR, UH, MAYOR TURNER AND MYSELF, WOULD LOVE TO DO A GROUNDBREAKING, AT LEAST I WAS HOPING TO DO A RIBBON CUTTING, BUT I'M HOPING, BUT, BUT I'M HOPING NOW WE CAN AT LEAST DO A GROUNDBREAKING, WE'RE NEARLY HALF OF THE POPULATION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT YET WE'RE RUNNING OUTTA ROOM. WE RAN OUTTA ROOM AT THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, WHICH I WAS TOLD THIS AGAIN ON THE LAST TWO YEARS OF THE PARKER ADMINISTRATION, AND I'M STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM DR. LAWSON. I'D LIKE AN UPDATE AS TO WHERE WE'RE AT, AND ALSO TALKING TO DR. LAWSON. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT BIBLICAL PRESS IS IN THE CONVERSATION IN REGARDS TO THE DESIGN AND [00:40:01] WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THAT ARCHIVE CENTER. I KNOW DI NICOLAS CANELLOS, I MET WITH HIM A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND HE WAS ASKING THAT HE WANTS TO BE A PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN THE HISPANIC ARCHIVE CENTER. SO, I, I, AGAIN, I'M ASKING DR. LAWSON TO PLEASE CONTACT ME AND GIVE ME AN UPDATE. OKAY. THANKS A LOT. AND, AND I'LL BE, UM, UM, FOLLOWING, UM, A VERY DETAILED RESPONSE FROM DR. LAWSON. UM, AND WE, WE'LL GET IT TO YOU, UH, DAVID AND EVERYBODY ELSE. UH, WITH REGARDS TO THE HOUSTON ENDOWMENT FUND, UH, SHE PROVIDES A, A DETAILED RESPONSE, THE ADVISORY OVERSIGHT GROUP TO DETERMINE WHICH COLLECTIONS ARE DIGITAL DIGITIZED. UH, SHE HAS RESPONDED TO THAT, THE DIGITIZATION OF VEEVA MAGAZINE. UM, THERE WAS NO DONOR AGREEMENT. AND, AND THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY IS IN THE PROCESS OF, OF OBTAINING DIGITAL ACCESS TO THE HOUSTON POST THROUGH A THIRD PARTY NEWSPAPER DATABASE. UH, THE STATUS OF THE ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS THAT WERE REMOVED IN 2022. UM, SHE, UM, PROVIDES A RESPONSE TO THAT IN TERMS OF THEY WERE MOVED FROM A DIFFERENT ONLINE PLATFORM IN 2022. AND, AND, UM, TALKS ABOUT WHAT'S BEING DONE, UH, THE HISPANIC HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER. UH, SHE DOES NOTE THAT NEGOTIATIONS ARE ONGOING REGARDING THE PROPERTY AND COST FOR THIS PROJECT. AND THE TARGET IS TO COMPLETE THIS PHASE AND ENTER A CONTRACT FOR HHRC THIS SUMMER. AND THEN SHE TALK, AND THEN SHE ADDRESSES THE HISPANIC AND LATINO HISTORY WEBSITE. I'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE, UH, ALL OF THESE PAGES, UH, TO YOU AND TO ALL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU, SIR. MAY I MAKE ONE LAST POSITIVE COMMENT? MM-HMM . UH, TWO YEARS AGO, WE WORKED WITH MIKA AI, WHO WAS THE ARCHIVIST OF LATINA COLLECTIONS, AND SIGNIFICANT, SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WAS MADE, AND THEY ACTUALLY CREATED A WEBSITE PAGE WITH THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTIONS THAT EXIST IN THE UNITED STATES. UH, AND I CAN SAY THIS, UH, FROM THE HEART IS THAT, THAT THE EASTERN PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC AND LATINO COLLECTIONS THAT EXIST. AND I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN MAKE IT EVEN BETTER IN THE GROW THOSE COLLECTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MAG GALLEGOS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT TO MAYOR. MOTION EXTEND. NO OBJECTION. GRANTED, ONCE AGAIN, MAYOR, I, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT UPDATE, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR AS THE ONLY LATINO ON THIS HORSESHOE. I HAVE TO HEAR AN UPDATE THAT YOU'RE GIVING TODAY AFTER I, AGAIN, I'VE REACHED OUT TO DR. LAWSON, SAID, DR. LAWSON, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME AND GIVE ME AN UPDATE AS WELL. UM, ANYONE ELSE? NEXT, NEXT SPEAKER, JOHN HUMPHREY. JOHN HUMPHREY IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOSE . I'M HERE TODAY, UH, ON THE BEHALF OF SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT NAME'S JOHN HUMPHREY. I'M WITH THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT FOR, UH, THREE YEARS I'VE BEEN MEDICALLY SEPARATED. UH, AND THROUGHOUT MY TIME OF BEING OFF, I WAS AT WRESTLING BACK AND FORTH WITH THE DOCTORS, AND THEY CAME TO ME WITH THE MEDICAL SEPARATION FOR LIKE NINE MONTHS TO, TO A YEAR. I HAVEN'T RECEIVED NO TYPE OF PAY AT ALL. AND WHEN I DID FILE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT, THEY TOLD ME I WAS STILL EMPLOYED WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND, UH, I WAS WORKING 16, 17 HOURS A DAY, PICKING UP TWO OR THREE ROUTES A DAY. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I COULDN'T BE ACCOMMODATED THROUGHOUT MY TIME OF, OF, OF, OF WORKING, YOU KNOW, NEVER WAS LATE TO WORK. AND, UH, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND. I LOST THE WORDS AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHY I COULDN'T BE ACCOMMODATED WORKING, DOING SOMETHING UNTIL I GOT, UNTIL I GET BACK BETTER WITH MY HEALTH, WHICH IT WAS A SPRAIN IN MY, IN MY, UH, LEFT SIDE TRYING TO RETRIEVE A CAN OUT OF THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. AND, UH, MY VOICE WASN'T HEARD AT THE TIME, AND THE DOCTORS, YOU KNOW, WAS GETTING ME THE RUN AROUND. SO I'M HERE TODAY TRYING. I WANNA WORK. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY, GOT MY GRANDBABY HERE TODAY. CAN'T EVEN PAY FOR HER TO GO TO, UH, DAYCARE, ANYTHING. ME AND MY WIFE IS AT ODDS, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M LOST RIGHT NOW. LET ME JUST ADD, AND I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO DEEP INTO YOUR, INTO YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS, UM, BUT IT IS NOTED THAT, UH, YOU SUFFERED AN [00:45:01] INJURY ON DUTY, UM, AND THAT YOU HAVEN'T WORKED SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2021. AND YOU RECENTLY SUBMITTED AN UPDATED MEDICAL QUESTIONNAIRE, WHICH STATES THAT DUE TO YOUR MEDICAL IMPAIRMENT, UM, THAT THERE'S LIMITED ABILITY TO PERFORM, UM, THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB. UM, AND THERE ARE NO, BASED ON YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS, AND, AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA GET TOO DEEP INTO THAT, THAT THERE IS NO REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, UH, FOR YOU. UM, AND THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UH, HAS PROVIDED THE MEDICAL SEPARATION, MEM MIRANDA, UH, FOR, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR WRITES REVIEW. SO, UH, YOUR SITUATION IS UNDER REVIEW BY BOTH LEGAL AND HR, AND QUITE FRANKLY, UM, FROM OUR VANTAGE POINT, THAT'S THE BEST, THOSE ARE THE BEST TWO DEPARTMENTS TO HANDLE YOUR, YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION. BUT IT IS UNDER, IT IS UNDER REVIEW. OKAY, ONE SECOND. COUNCIL MEMBER COUNTY AND MR. BARNES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, MR. HUMPHREY. I THINK YOU HAVE SPOKEN WITH INGRAM IN MY OFFICE, AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO TRYING TO SEE YOU THROUGH THIS SITUATION. I CAN'T IMAGINE, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH, UH, REGARDING YOUR FAMILY AND BEING ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, BUT OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO DO WHAT THEY CAN, BUT WE ARE GONNA TRY TO HELP TO NAVIGATE YOU TO SOME OTHER SITUATIONS AS WELL. AND SO, UH, SHE DID UPDATE ME, AND WE WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU, OKAY? OKAY. THANK, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. MR. HUMPHREY, SIR, COME BACK. WE HAVE ONE MORE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, MR. HUMPHREY. GOOD, GOOD AFTERNOON. FIRST OFF, UM, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY. UH, I SAY IT TIME AND AGAIN, OUR SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT WORKERS ARE SOME OF THE HARDEST WORKING, UH, DEDICATED EMPLOYEES WE HAVE AT THE CITY. Y'ALL ARE ON THE FRONT LINES DURING DISASTERS, UM, THE HOURS YOU WORK, THE STRENUOUSNESS OF THAT WORK. UH, SO I JUST, I WANNA THANK YOU FIRST OFF, UH, AND COUNCILOR AND SHAVA, YOU'RE IN GREAT HANDS WITH. UM, I DID WANNA ASK THOUGH, ARE YOU, UH, CURRENTLY WORKING WITH OR REPRESENTED BY, UM, HOPE THE CITY EMPLOYEES UNION? OKAY. I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO ALSO CONNECT WITH THEM. UH, THEY'RE ANOTHER TOOL TO HELP SUPPORT YOU IN ADVOCATING FOR, UM, WHAT YOUR RIGHTS MAY BE, DEPENDING ON YOUR SITUATION. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M SURE YOU HAVE THEIR CONTACT INFO, BUT WE'RE ALSO HAPPY TO SHARE THEIR INFORMATION WITH YOU. BUT I WOULD ALSO REACH OUT TO, TO YOUR CITY EMPLOYEES UNION. OKAY. AND THANK YOU. AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME YOU SPEND TAKING CARE OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL GRANDDAUGHTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, JOSE, YOU ATIA, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TIM, I JUST WANT TO REALLY QUICKLY ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, HISD, TRUSTEE KENDALL BAKKERS IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL. HI, I STOP BY MAYOR AND COUNCIL. HELLO. GOD BLESS YOU. I GOT YOU BACK TO THE KIDS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. NEXT SPEAKER, JOSE UIA. JOSE, NEXT SPEAKER, LAURA GALLAGHER. LAURA GALLAGHER. HELLO, LAURA. SHE FOLLOWED BY SCOTT CARTER. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME. UM, FIRST I WANNA SAY I SUPPORT ALL OF THE REQUESTS I'VE HEARD SO FAR. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TO ADDRESS YOU. MY NAME IS LAURA GALLAGHER. I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN LIVING IN THE HEIGHTS. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BECAUSE OF A SPECIFIC ENCOUNTER I WITNESSED. I WANNA START BY SAYING I'M NOT ANTI-POLICE. THE QUESTION OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY CHOSE ME NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. I'M ASKING YOU TO ADVOCATE FOR A MINOR TWEAK TO THE LAWS RELATING TO POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY. I WITNESSED ABOUT A DOZEN HPD OFFICERS DOING SOMETHING THAT CONCERNED ME. SO I REPORTED IT TO THE CITY'S OFFICE OF POLICE REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY. OPRAH, MY COMPLAINT WAS INVESTIGATED AND I RECEIVED A REPORT THAT TOLD ME SIMPLY THAT THE ALLEGATIONS WERE SUSTAINED AND THE OFFICERS WERE DISCIPLINED. I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS OF WHAT I WITNESSED. WHAT WAS IMPROPER POLICING? WHAT SORT OF DISCIPLINE DID THEY RECEIVE? DID ANY OF THE DOZEN OR SO OFFICERS EMS WORKERS OR DISPATCHER REPORT WHAT I HAD WITNESSED? I FOLLOWED UP WITH MS. OCO FOR AND OPRAH, BOTH BY EMAIL AND AN IN-PERSON MEETING, SENDING HER MY QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE. THE [00:50:01] ONLY INFORMATION SHE WOULD DIVULGE IS THAT THE OFFICERS WERE DISCIPLINED FOR USE OF FORCE AND IMPROPER POLICE PROCEDURE. SHE WOULD NOT TELL ME WHAT PROCEDURES WERE NOT FOLLOWED, WHAT SORT OF DISCIPLINE WAS GIVEN. AND IF ANY OFFICERS REPORTED THIS USE OF FORCE OR IMPROPER POLICE PROCEDURE. ABBY CAYMAN TOLD ME THAT OPRAH WAS THE PROPER CHANNEL, BUT I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I WITNESSED, WHAT I SAW THAT DAY SCARED ME. I PASSED BY THAT INTERSECTION OFTEN, AND I RELIVE IT EVERY TIME. I DON'T WANT THAT DONE TO PROTECT ME, AND I DON'T WANT IT DONE TO ME. I WANNA KNOW WHAT PARTS OF WHAT I SAW WERE OUTSIDE THE BOUNDS OF RESPONSIBLE POLICING. I WANNA KNOW WHETHER THE OTHER POLICE REPORTED, BECAUSE I WANNA KNOW WHETHER IT WOULD'VE BEEN OF INVESTIGATED IF I HADN'T WITNESSED OR REPORTED IT. IF IT HAD BEEN JUST ONE OFFICER, MAYBE IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT. THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A WITNESS LIKE ME TO REPORT IT. IN THIS CASE, IT WAS A LOT OF OFFICERS. AND IF THEY ALL THOUGHT THAT, WHAT I SAW WAS OKAY, WE HAVE A LOT TO WORRY ABOUT. I'VE READ THE DISCIPLINE PORTIONS OF CHAPTER 1 43 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AND THE MEET AND CONFER AGREEMENT. NOTHING IN THEM PROHIBITS ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS, SO LONG AS THEY DON'T GIVE NAMES. THE PUBLIC ME, THE COMPLAINANT COULD BE TOLD, WHAT WERE THE INFRACTIONS? WHAT SORT OF DISCIPLINE WAS GIVEN? AND IF ANY OFFICERS REPORTED THE INFRACTIONS, IF DIVULGING, THIS INFORMATION IS ILLEGAL UNDER CURRENT LAW, I'M ASKING YOU TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND WHOEVER NEGOTIATES THE POLICE UNION CONTRACT. I HAVE A COPY OF MY EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT AND THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED FROM OPRAH THAT I'M HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU NOW, OR I'LL EMAIL IT TO YOU WHEN I GET BACK. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU, MS. GALLIA, FOR YOUR CONCERNS. I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE HAD, UM, CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND, UH, WITH MS. OKAFOR. UM, SERGEANT HERNDON IS ALSO HERE, UM, AND HE CAN, UH, HELP YOU WITH ANY ADDITIONAL, UH, ASSISTANCE THAT YOU WOULD NEED. OKAY, HUFFMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING TO COUNCIL. UM, AND I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFICS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE, BUT YOU KNOW, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, WHENEVER AN OFFICER USES FORCE ON SCENE THAT A SUPERVISOR REVIEWS THE BODY CAMERAS AND THEY GO BACK. AND IF A SUPERVISOR SEES SOMETHING THAT MAY BE QUESTIONABLE OR MAYBE THEY CAN'T DETERMINE FROM WATCHING THE BODY CAMERA, THEN AN INVESTIGATION WILL BE INITIATED. UM, HOPEFULLY THAT WAS DONE IN THIS CASE, AND HOPEFULLY IT DIDN'T TAKE YOU REPORTING IT. UM, BUT BESIDES JUST HAVING THE SUPERVISORS REVIEWING EVERY USE OF FORCE THAT, UM, HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICERS ARE REQUIRED TO FILL OUT A USE OF FORCE FORM AND, UM, BUT THEY ALSO DO RANDOM BODY CAMERA AUDITS TOO, OF THE OFFICERS ON SCENE. SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC INCIDENT, BUT THERE ARE SOME GOOD, YOU KNOW, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES SET OUT TO MAKE SURE THINGS LIKE THIS AREN'T OVERLOOKED. MAY I REPLY, MS. OCO FOR, MADE ME AWARE OF ALL OF THOSE PROCEDURES, BUT MY QUESTION IS, I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I WITNESSED BECAUSE THE INFORMATION I GAVE ME WAS VERY VAGUE. THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME, WAS VERY VAGUE. AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT OF, WHAT I SAW WAS A VIOLATION OF POLICE PROCEDURE. I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IN THIS CASE WHAT, HOW THE INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED. AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, I'D UNDERSTAND WHAT PROCEDURES ARE, BUT EVIDENTLY SOME WERE, WERE VIOLATED THAT DAY. SO MAYBE THEY WERE VIOLATED ALSO IN THE INVESTIGATION. I DON'T KNOW. WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS VERY VAGUE AND ONLY, UH, A LITTLE BIT REASSURING AND A LITTLE BIT FEELS LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO ME. AND YOU KNOW, THE THING TOO, TO REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, NO USE OF FORCE LOOKS GOOD. WHETHER IT'S JUSTIFIED OR WHETHER, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUSTIFIED, UM, IT NEVER LOOKS GOOD. AND TO SOMEONE IN THE PUBLIC WHO, YOU KNOW, HASN'T BEEN THROUGH THE ACADEMY AND SEEN THINGS LIKE THAT, SOMETIMES IT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, CONCERNING WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW WHAT IS REALLY WITHIN POLICY, WHAT'S NOT. SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR CURIOSITY. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL GET SOME ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, MS. HEY, MS. GALLAGHER, UH, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU ONE, NOT ONLY FOR COMING TO COUNCIL TODAY, UM, TO EXPRESS YOUR CONCERNS IN TRYING TO FIND THE INFORMATION THAT YOU WANT, UH, BUT ALSO WORKING WITH MY OFFICE. UM, I APOLOGIZE I MISSED THE BEGINNING OF YOUR REMARKS. I WAS OUTSIDE HELPING ANOTHER RESIDENT, BUT, UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU, UH, TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY AS YOU NAVIGATE, YOU KNOW, THE RULES, THE GUIDELINES, AGAIN, BEING BOUND. UM, I KNOW SOME INFORMATION IS PROHIBITED FROM BEING SHARED, [00:55:01] UH, UNDER CHAPTER 1 43 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE AND OTHER THINGS THAT BIND, UM, THE OIGS OFFICE FROM SHARING CERTAIN INFORMATION. IF YOU'RE NOT THE INDIVIDUAL, I KNOW THAT YOU REPORTED, BUT YOU'RE NOT THE INDIVIDUAL THAT, UM, HAD THE INTERACTION WITH HPD, I'M NOT JUSTIFYING THAT YOU CAN'T ACCESS THAT INFORMATION. UM, I DO KNOW, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS EXPLAINED TO YOU, THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO, UM, FILE A-T-P-I-A REQUEST, UM, TO THE DEPARTMENT. AND THAT MAY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IF YOU WANNA TAKE THAT COURSE AS WELL. AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO THE DETAILS HERE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING, UH, TO ADVOCATE AND TO, UH, NOT ONLY SHARE YOUR CONCERNS, BUT DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR CONCERNS. MAY I REPLY? SO, ABSOLUTELY. MS. KORA FOR TOLD ME THAT THE, THE AUTHORITY THAT TOLD HER SHE COULDN'T SHARE ANY INFORMATION WITH ME WAS HPD ITSELF. AND THE TPIA IS A REQUEST FROM HPD TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH ME THAT MS. KOOR WAS ALREADY TOLD WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO ME. SO I OPTED NOT TO, UH, TAKE UP TAXPAYER RESOURCES TO GO THAT ROUTE. AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. THIS, THAT, THIS WAS MY NEXT STEP. NOW I UNDERSTAND TPIA IS NOT, UH, NECESSARILY TAXPAYER RESOURCES. IF IF THERE ARE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE PROVIDED, YOU ARE ABLE TO, UH, PAY FOR THOSE. UM, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS UNDER TPIA THAT YOU CAN HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, THAT WAY AS WELL. AGAIN, I DON'T, I CAN'T GET INTO THE SPECIFICS, BUT THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE TOLD IS ANOTHER AVENUE FOR YOU. AND I KNOW, UM, OUR, ONE OF OUR OFFICERS IS IN THE BACK END, UH, WAITING, I THINK TO SPEAK TO YOU AS WELL. YES, HE CALLED ME YESTERDAY. GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. SCOTT CARTER. SCOTT CARTER. SCOTT CARTER. NEXT SPEAKER, REBECCA MCELWAIN. REBECCA MCELWAIN. REBECCA IS HERE, SHOULD BE FILED BY A JUANITA EARNEST MAYOR COUNCIL. HI. THANK YOU. MY NAME'S REBECCA MCELWAIN. I'M A RESIDENT OF HOUSTON DISTRICT. I, I'M SPEAKING HERE IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE DEMANDS OF THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. SPECIFICALLY, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS. ON THE BLOCK WHERE I LIVE, THERE WERE NUMEROUS POTHOLES IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE THAT WERE VERY SPEEDILY AND ADEQUATELY FILLED, UM, JUST DAYS AFTER CALLING 3 1 1. SO WE WERE THRILLED WITH THAT RESULT UNTIL WE REALIZED THAT IT REALLY DIDN'T SOLVE THE LARGER PROBLEM. THE WATER WAS NO LONGER POOLING IN FRONT OF MY, OUR LITTLE, OUR DRIVEWAY, BUT, UM, THERE WAS STILL STANDING WATER ALL THE WAY DOWN THE REST OF THE BLOCK, STARTING AT MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE, A LOT OF WATER THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN DRAW MOSQUITOES, BUT PERHAPS OTHER HEALTH DANGERS. BUT ALSO NOT TO MENTION THE, THE DAMAGE IT'S DOING TO THE ROAD ITSELF WITH HEAVY RAINFALLS. AND THIS IS AFTER ONLY MODERATELY HEAVY RAINFALLS. I ONLY RECENTLY MOVED HERE TO HOUSTON JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO. UM, BUT I HAVE TONS OF FAMILY HERE, HAVE LIVED, HAVE VISITED HERE OFTEN. MY POINT BEING, I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHERE I LIVE ONCE HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE. AND WE'RE GETTING SOME OF THOSE REALLY HEAVY RAINFALLS. SO AFTER WE SAW THAT THERE WAS STILL STANDING WATER, WE CALLED 9 3 1 1 AGAIN FOR ASSISTANCE. AND SOME GENTLEMAN CAME OUT AND LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THAT IT WAS A LARGER DRAINAGE ISSUE, THAT THE WHOLE STREET NEEDS TO BE RELEVELED OR SOMETHING. I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS SAYING, BUT THAT THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. THEY COULDN'T ADDRESS IT. AND SO THAT LEFT US WITH NO OTHER RECOURSE, NO OTHER COURSE OF ACTION THAT, THAT WE COULD SEE IN HOW TO ATTEND TO FIX THESE, UM, THIS PROBLEM. SO WHILE I LOVE 3 1 1 AND BEING ABLE TO FIX POTHOLES LIKE THAT, THAT'S A VERY EFFECTIVE SYSTEM. IT ALL, THERE NEEDS TO ALSO BE A BROAD APPROACH FOR LONG-TERM DRAINAGE SOLUTIONS AND FOR A WAY FOR CITIZENS TO INFORM THE CITY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. WHEN I HAPPENED TO MEET SOME FOLKS FROM THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE, I WAS DELIGHTED TO LEARN ABOUT THEIR WORK. AND AS I REALLY HEARD WHAT THEY WERE ASKING, IT MADE A LOT OF SENSE TO ME AND FULLY SUPPORT THEIR PROPOSAL FOR SOLUTIONS THAT ARE A SOLID COMMON SENSE APPROACH FOR EQUAL PROTECTION FROM FLOODING ACROSS ALL OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, A JUANITA ERNEST, A JUANITA ERNEST TO BE FOLLOWED BY ROBERT ALEXANDER. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS A JUANITA EARN. THANK YOU, UH, CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR TURNER FOR [01:00:01] ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK ON TODAY. I LIVE IN A DISTRICT B AREA OF THE RIVERWOOD ESTATES SUBDIVISION. I'VE BEEN THERE FOR 23 YEARS. I'VE LIVED IN DISTRICT B FOR 62 YEARS. MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOW KNOWN, HAS SO MANY SENIORS AND VULNERABLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN FOR AND NEGLECTED FOR A LONG TIME. I'VE TAKEN A CHALLENGE TO REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY FOR 24 YEARS. I VALUE MY COMMUNITY, BUT WE ARE NOT RECEIVING A LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS. WHEN I CALL AND INQUIRE ABOUT, INQUIRE ABOUT A DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT WITH THE LOCATION, THE TIME, AND THE PICTURES OF THE HIGH RISE IN WATER, I WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE COUNTY AND THE COUNTY WILL DIRECT ME BACK TO THE CITY. SO EVERYBODY IS MOVING BACK AND FORTH. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. CAN'T WE JUST WORK TOGETHER AND STOP THE FLOODING THE AREAS, THE SIGNS ON THE STREETS, AND THE HIGHWAY SAYS, TURN AROUND. DON'T DROWN. THE NORTHEAST HAVE NOWHERE TO TURN THE RESIDENTS AND RIVERWOOD A ESTATE AND THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD. 49 50 RESIDENTS WE'RE DROWNING EVERYWHERE. OUR HOMES ARE FLOODING WITH A SNEEZE OF RAIN. FLOODING OUR COMMUNITY IS A CONSTANT CONCERN AND RISK. WE NOW, WE KNOW THAT THE RAIN IS GETTING HEAVIER AND THE FLOODING IS GROWING MORE COMMON NORTHEAST ONLY IMPROVING THE INFRASTRUCTURE CAN PROTECT THE COMMUNITY THAT I HOPE THAT ONE DAY WILL BE MINE IN THE DECADES TO COME. TODAY I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE BUDGET GOALS FOR THE NORTH WITH THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. I AM HERE TO ASK THE CITY TO INCREASE THE BUDGET TO TWO $20 MILLION FOR THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS. THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS WILL MAKE IT SO EASY THAT THE HOUSTON, THAT THE CITY CAN ADDRESS THE WORST PROJECTS. FIRST, THE CITY CLAIMS TO ADDRESS WORST PROJECTS. AND INCREASING THE LDP PROJECT WILL MAKE IT SO EASY THAT THE CITY CAN FOLLOW THROUGH ON THIS PROMISE. THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR OF 2023 HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE THE POSITIVE LEGACY FOR INCREASING LDP SPENDING, PROTECTING BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES IN HELPING US TO STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LET ME, UH, LET ME REMIND EVERYONE THAT THERE IS $20 MILLION PUT IN THE BUDGET EVERY SINGLE YEAR. AND IF YOU ALL CAN RECALL, I ADDED ANOTHER 20 TO THAT. AND IF YOU CAN RECALL THE ADD, THE COUNTY ADDED ANOTHER 20 INCH WIDE PROJECT PROJECT. SO INSTEAD OF 20, THERE'S $60 MILLION IN THERE. LET ME ALSO REMIND EVERYONE THAT AFTER HARVEY, UH, HUD AWARDED THE STATE OF TEXAS $4.3 BILLION, THAT'S WITH A B FOR CDBG INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND HUD, THE GLO, THE STATE, INSTEAD OF GIVING THE CITY OF HOUSTON, JUST A FEW HUNDRED MILLION GAVE THE Z CITY TO ZERO ZERO. THOSE WERE INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS FOR DRAINAGE. AND LET ME JUST ADD FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. SO LET, AS, AS MUCH AS I WELCOME YOU HERE, LET ME ALSO TELL YOU, SUGGEST TO YOU THAT THE PEOPLE, THE PLACES WHERE YOU NEED TO BE GOING, THE STATE OF TEXAS, GLO MM-HMM . AND HUD MM-HMM . OKAY. BECAUSE THAT WAS $4.3 BILLION INTENDED FOR COMMUNITIES THAT CONSISTENTLY FLIED OVER THE YEARS. AND OF THAT 4.3 BILLION THE STATE HAS GIVEN. HOUSTON ZERO BRENHAM, TEXAS GOT MORE MONEY THAN THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I DON'T DISAGREE. WE ARE DOING AS MUCH AS WE CAN. UH, INSTEAD OF IT JUST BEING 20 MILLION IN THE BUDGET, WE ADDED ANOTHER 20 ON TOP OF THAT. AND THEN THE COUNTY ADDED ANOTHER 20 ON TOP OF THAT FOR SWAT PROGRAM PROJECTS ALONE. SO WE HAVE RESPONDED, BUT IT CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN BENEFICIAL IF THE CITY OF HOUSTON COULD HAVE GOTTEN UP THAT $4.3 BILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS POST HARVEY. IF WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN JUST $500 MILLION OF IT, WE, IT WOULD'VE BEEN PUT. NOW WHAT HUD SAID IS THAT THE STATE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN HOUSTON, BUT HUD HADN'T TAKEN ANY STEPS TO ENFORCE HIS FINDINGS. AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE THAT CLAIMS TO BE PROTECTIVE OF CIVIL RIGHTS HAS REFUSED TO TAKE ANY ACTION. OKAY? SO LET ME ENCOURAGE [01:05:01] ALL OF YOU AND THAT AND OTHERS TO REACH OUT TO THE STATE GLO, TO HUD AND TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE THAT IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYS THEY WANT TO PROTECT CIVIL RIGHTS AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND JUSTICE 40 AND EQUITY, THEN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NEED TO ENFORCE HERS FINDING OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. THOSE DOLLARS WOULD GO A LONG WAY IN ADDRESSING THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS IN NORTHEAST AND OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THIS CITY. MM-HMM . THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION. SO I'M IN TOTAL, I'M IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH YOU, BUT THE CITY CAN'T DO IT ALL BY ITSELF. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION, MARY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'LL CONTINUE ON OUR JOURNEY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, ROBERT ALEXANDER. ROBERT ALEXANDER, ROBERT. NEXT SPEAKER, VANESSA SOTO. VANESSA SOTO IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ARIS BROWN. ALL RIGHT. HELLO, MY NAME IS VANESSA TOGAN. I LIVE IN DISTRICT C REPRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. I'M AN URBAN PLANNER WITH EXPERIENCE IN FLOOD RESILIENCE, POLICY AND PLANNING. I HAVE A MASTER'S IN CITY PLANNING FROM MIT. AND IN MY MOST RECENT POSITION, I ACTUALLY SERVED AS SENIOR FLOOD RESILIENCE PLANNER FOR THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, HELPING TO CREATE A REPORT WITH A FOCUS ON EQUITY. AND I'M HERE TODAY AS AN ALLY OF THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE AND THEIR RESIDENT LED EFFORTS TO REDUCE FLOODING IN THE NORTHEAST HOUSTON. NOW YOU ALREADY HAVE THE FACTS AT HAND. UH, I THINK AS MAYOR TURNER, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT FLOODING IS A WIDESPREAD PHENOMENON HERE IN HOUSTON, BUT THAT THE SEVERITY, THE FREQUENCY, AND THE IMPACTS OF FLOODING ARE NOT EVENLY DISTRIBUTED. YOU'RE AWARE THAT NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE NORTHEAST HOUSTON, WHERE THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS ARE BLACK AND BROWN AND LOW INCOME, BUT THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS WERE BUILT WITH INADEQUATE DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE. AND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN VERY LITTLE IMPROVEMENTS TO FIX THAT. FLOODING OCCURS HERE OUTSIDE OF THE FLOODPLAIN BECAUSE THERE'S AN INADEQUATE LEVEL OF SERVICE AND OR NORTH STORM WATER DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE AT ALL. AND YOU'VE HEARD TIME AND TIME AND TIME AGAIN FROM THE RESIDENTS WHO FACE THESE IMPACTS OF FLOODING ABOUT THEIR LIVELIHOODS, THE YEAR SPENT REPAIRING HOMES WITH LIMITED RESOURCES, THE CONVERGENCE OF THESE FLOOD HAZARDS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS, AND EVEN HOW THEY EXPERIENCE LOWER LIFE EXPECTANCY. SO REALLY, THIS ISN'T REALLY ABOUT THE FACTS, IT'S ABOUT THE WILLINGNESS TO TAKE ACTION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS COUNCIL OF YOU, MR. TURNER, AS YOU LEAVE YOUR LEGACY BEHIND IN A POST HARVEY HOUSTON TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT. LUCKILY, THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE IS ALREADY LAID OUT FOR DEMANDS TO HELP WITH THIS LOCAL STRATEGY. STRATEGY TO PUT MONEY WHERE IT'S NEEDED. THERE'S FOUR DEMANDS. ONE, YOU CAN INCREASE FUNDING TO TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. YES, YOU'VE ALREADY PUT MORE MONEY INTO SWAT, AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A PERMANENT INCREASE TO THAT PROGRAM. TWO, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS BY $20 MILLION SO THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT CAN DO CONSTRUCTION READY PROJECTS TO INSTALL AND IMPROVE THE CAPACITY OF STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, WHERE PROBLEMS ARE THE WORST. AND THIS IS A KEY POINT. PROBLEMS HA, OR THE MONEY CAN'T JUST BE SPENT WILLY-NILLY. THERE HAS TO BE EQUITY GUIDELINES AND A PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY GETS WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO. AND YOU CAN FUND THESE INCREASES BY ENSURING THAT THE BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD ORDINANCE ACTUALLY ALLOCATES THE CORRECT PERCENTAGE, 18.47% OF THE TOTAL TAX REVENUE TO SERVE AS PAST DRAINAGE, DEBT, AND PAY FOR NEW DRAINAGE PROJECTS. SO COUNSEL AND MR. MAYOR, YOU HAVE THE FACTS. YOU HAVE THE TOOLS AT YOUR DISPOSAL. CAN WE COUNT ON YOU TO TAKE ACTION? THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, ARIS BROWN. ARIS BROWN. ARIS BROWN IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY STEPHANIE VADE. HELLO, MAYOR TURNER. HELLO. HELLO, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ERIS KEON BROWN. I'M A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT H. I WAS RECENTLY APPOINTED AS THE HOUSTON POET LAUREATE FOR 2023 TO 2025 BY MAYOR TURNER. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH OF YOUR OFFICES MORE INTIMATELY TO SHARE MY LOVE FOR POETRY, FOR CREATIVE SELF-EXPRESSION AND COLLECTIVE EXPRESSION, AND FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS IT RELATES TO THE BRILLIANT FUTURE OF THIS CITY. [01:10:01] I WAS APPOINTED FOR MY DEDICATION TO MY COMMUNITY AND FOR MY ADVOCACY AS IT RELATES TO LANGUAGE JUSTICE AND THE CULTURAL ARTS. EACH OF YOU HAVE INDICATED YOUR DEDICATION TO THE CULTURAL ARTS, WHICH AT THE ROOT IS A WAY THE COMMUNITY EXPRESSES ITSELF. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LISTENING TO POETRY AT AN EVENT AND LISTENING TO PUBLIC COMMENT IS WHETHER YOU ALLOW YOURSELVES TO BE MOVED BY THE PEOPLE SPEAKING MOVED INTO ACTION WHEN THE COMMUNITY EXPRESSES THEIR NEEDS, WHETHER OR NOT IT COMES IN THE FORM OF A METAPHOR, I ASK THAT YOU ALL BE MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO COMMUNITY EXPRESSION, TO PUBLIC INPUT INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PROCESS BY ENSURING ALL EACH OF OUR VOICES HAVE MATERIAL IMPACT BY ACTUALLY CHANGING POLICY THROUGH YOUR POWER OF YOUR POSITION. I COME AS AN ADVOCATE ALONGSIDE THE NORTH NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE AS THEY IMPLORE YOU TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS FOR PROPER, SUBSTANTIAL, EFFECTIVE DITCH MAINTENANCE ON BOTH THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND CITY LEVEL. THERE IS ADVOCACY OCCURRING ON ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, I ASSURE YOU, BUT I ADVOCATE FOR THEIR DEMANDS ON THE CITY LEVEL. WE HAD ASKED THAT THEY INCREASE, THAT Y'ALL INCREASE BOTH SWAT AND LDP FUNDING BY 20 MILLION THAT WILL FUND MAINTENANCE PROJECTS THAT ARE KEY TO EQUITY. I'VE SEEN THE POLICE BUDGET GO UP BY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS EVERY YEAR WHILE BLACK COMMUNITIES COME IN DAY IN AND DAY OUT ASKING FOR PROPER DITCH MAINTENANCE. WE ALSO ASK TO INCREASE THE FUNDS FOR PUBLIC WORK STAFF MAINTENANCE CREWS AND MACHINERY. MAINTENANCE IS ESSENTIAL FOR OPEN DITCH SYSTEMS THAT ARE CONCENTRATED IN BIPOC POPULATED AREAS. WE ALSO ASK THAT YOU FOCUS ON EQUITY WHEN IT COMES TO CHOOSING DRAINAGE PROJECTS AND INVESTMENTS. THE CITY MUST PROVIDE EASY TO ACCESS AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND PROJECT SELECTIONS, PROJECT CRITERIA, PROJECT TIMELINES, AND STATUS UPDATES. AND, OF COURSE, END THE DIVERSION OF DRAINAGE MONEY FROM THE A VALOREM TAX DRAINAGE TAX. THE CITY OF HOUSTON MUST HONOR THE BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD ORDINANCE BY USING 18.47% OF TOTAL TAX REVENUE TO SERVICE PAST DRAINAGE, DEBT, AND PAY FOR NEW DRAINAGE PROJECTS, ALL OF WHICH YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS OF NAC. I'LL BE HERE FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS AS HOUSTON POET LAUREATE, AND I'LL BE HERE LONG AFTER. I WOULD LOVE TO SAY THAT I WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH EACH OF YOUR OFFICES TO ENSURE THE COMMUNITY NEEDS WERE HEARD AND HAD SUBSTANTIAL MEANS FOR SELF AND COMMUNITY EXPRESSION WITH BOTH POEMS AND POLICY TO PROVE IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. THANKS. SPEAKER STEPHANIE VALDEZ. STEPHANIE VALDEZ TO BE FOLLOWED BY DELMA CANDA. LEONES. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR TURNER. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE VALEZ AND I'M THE WATER JUSTICE ORGANIZER FOR SR. WE ARE A COALITION OF 27 ORGANIZATIONS ADVOCATING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY AND RESILIENCE. I'M HERE TODAY IN SOLIDARITY TO URGE YOU TO TAKE ACTION TO ADDRESS THE CRITICAL ISSUE OF FLOODING CAUSED BY THE DRAINAGE IN OUR CITY. IT'S GREAT TO HEAR THAT MAYOR TURNER HAS STARTED TO TAKE ACTION TO ADDRESS DRAINAGE INEQUALITIES, BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, FLOODING CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND DISPLACEMENT, PARTICULARLY IN HISTORICALLY IMPACTED COMMUNITIES THAT CONTINUE TO BE DISINVESTED IN. HOWEVER, THE IMPACT OF FLOODING GOES FAR BEYOND PROPERTY DAMAGE. IT ALSO INCREASES THE RISK OF HARMFUL CHEMICALS MOVING AROUND IN THE SOIL, POSING A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO OUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING BY PRIOR PRIORITIZING LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS OR LDPS. IT IMPACTED COMMUNITIES. WE CAN PREVENT FURTHER HARM TO OUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING. HOWEVER, INVESTING IN LDPS ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH. WE MUST ALSO INVEST IN THE STORM WATER ACTION TEAM SWAT PROJECTS TO ADDRESS THE IMPACTS OF FLOODING. BUT WE NEED TO EMPHASIZE THAT SWAT PROJECTS ALONE ARE NOT SUFFICIENT. THESE COMMUNITIES NEED BOTH LDPS AND SWAT PROJECTS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SAFE, INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES WHO ARE ALWAYS IN THE FOREFRONT OF NATURAL DISASTERS. IT'S NOT JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO. IT IS ALSO THE SMART THING TO DO. WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO IGNORE THE STRUGGLES, ESPECIALLY IN THE FACE OF SUCH URGENT ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. BY INVESTING IN LDPS AND SWAP PROJECTS IN THESE COMMUNITIES, WE CAN CREATE A MORE JUST EQUITABLE AND RESILIENT CITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION, AND I URGE YOU TO TAKE ACTION NOW TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF DRAINAGE IN OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY. THANK YOU. AND, AND AGAIN, CAN I, CAN I GET YOU ALL TO REACH OUT TO HUD AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE? WE HAVE, YOU HAVE, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY CITY B-G-M-I-T. SO, WELL, I KNOW, BUT YOU ALL ARE COMING BEFORE US EVERY SINGLE WEEK. I MEAN, I'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU, LOVE TO HEAR YOU, BUT THE BUT HUD AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NEED TO HEAR YOU. OKAY. SO THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT YOUR COMMUNITIES [01:15:01] NORTHEAST AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE CITY NEED MORE MONEY, MORE DOLLARS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE TO MITIGATE THE RISK OF FLOODING. NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. AND THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THERE ARE INEQUITIES THAT EXIST. NO QUESTION. BUT LET ME ENCOURAGE NAT AND ALL OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WITH THIS GROUP AND THE, I CAN'T THINK OF THE NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION, TEXAS THE LEGAL, IS IT TEXAS LEGAL? THE, UM, LONG STAR LONESTAR, BECAUSE LONG STAR TEXAS LONE STAR KNOWS WHERE HUD AND DOJ ARE LOCATED. OKAY, LET ME, LET ME ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO REACH OUT TO HUD AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND TO INC. AGGRESSIVELY ASK THEM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON HUD'S FINDING THAT THE STATE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE $4.3 BILLION AFTER HARVEY. THEN THESE COMMUNITIES WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE DOLLARS TO WORK WITH. THE CITY WOULD HAVE MORE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR, Y'ALL COMING TO US, BUT YOU ALL REALLY NEED TO BE LASER FOCUSED ON HUD AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. DON'T LET THEM OFF THE HOOK. WE ARE ON THE BA WE ARE ON THE LOWER END. OKAY. WE ARE ON THE LOWER END. WE ARE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN FINANCIALLY AND BUDGETARY WISE, BUT PLEASE, PLEASE ALLOW YOUR VOICES TO BE HEARD BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND HEARD. THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD ASK. THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER. AND I ASSURE YOU, WE ARE MOBILIZING IN EVERY END STATE LEDGE. HUD GLOW NAC IS ACTUALLY THE REASON WHY THE TITLE SIX LAWSUIT WAS FILED AND THE COUNTY WAS ABLE TO GET $750 MILLION. SO I HOPE THAT WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THE CITY TO PARTNER, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU GO THERE. NO, THAT AIN'T THE REASON'S. ONE OF THE MAIN NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. THAT, NO. YOU GOT THE 750 BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOME PE COMMISSIONERS AND OTHERS WHO WERE YELLING AND SCREAMING OF COURSE UP AT, UM, UH, GLO AND THEY JUST DECIDED ARBITRARILY TO CUT THAT DEAL AND GIVE THE COUNTY $750 MILLION. I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S WHAT THEY DID. THAT WAS, THAT WAS A, THAT WAS, THAT WASN'T ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BRINGING NO PRESSURE ON THAT END. OKAY. THAT THAT WASN'T THE CASE. UM, BUT WHAT, SO LET'S NOT, LET'S NOT GO THERE, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT, JUST LIKE YOU ALL COME BEFORE US, AND YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO COME BEFORE US ON A WEEKLY BASIS. NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. MY ONLY ASK IS THAT YOU ALL CONTINUE TO BE PERSISTENT IN RAISING YOUR VOICES TO HUD AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO ACT ON HUD'S FINDING THAT THE STATE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE $4.3 BILLION. BECAUSE I'M TALKING TO THEM ALL THE TIME, AND I'VE GOT THE LETTER THAT HUD AND HUD DIDN'T FORWARD THE LETTER TO DOJ ON THIS ISSUE UNTIL APRIL LAST MONTH. AND IN TWO OR THREE DAYS, DOJ RESPONDED THAT THEY WEREN'T GONNA TAKE ACTION ON IT. SO THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, THERE'S A DISCONNECT. OKAY. AND THOSE ARE DOLLARS THAT SHOULD BE COMING DOWN TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE NORTHEAST COUNCILMAN MAYOR CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND I WANTED, AS A DISTRICT C RESIDENT, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF OTHER COMMUNITIES. AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONE DISTRICT, RIGHT? RIGHT. THE LINES DON'T STOP. IT'S EVERYWHERE. AND SO TO BE ADVOCATING FOR THOSE IN NEED ACROSS THE CITY, I REALLY APPRECIATE, AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, IN DISTRICT C, WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST REPETITIVE FLOODING IN THE ENTIRE REGION, IF NOT THE STATE HARDEST HIT BY MULTIPLE FLOODS. AND THIS IS AN ISSUE WHERE, MAYOR, I WAS WITH YOU AND COUNCILMAN ROBINSON WHEN WE HAD THE FEDERAL INQUIRY WHEN GLO ANNOUNCED $0, AND WE WERE ADVOCATING ON THAT. AND WE HAVE THE CHAIR OF TPC AND I SERVE AS AN ALTERNATE ON TPC WITH HGA. SO MAYOR, YOU'VE MENTIONED GLO, UH, HUD, D-O-J-H-G IS ANOTHER ONE WHERE THE CITY HAS BEEN COMPLETELY [01:20:01] SHORTED. I THINK THAT THERE IS, THE REASON YOU HEAR A LOT OF SILENCE UP HERE IS NOT BECAUSE WE DISAGREE, IT'S THAT YOU'RE ALSO PREACHING TO THE CHOIR AND WE'RE FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE ASK THAT ARE BEING MADE. WE NEED MORE FOR DRAINAGE, WE NEED MORE INVESTMENT IN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WE ARE GETTING COMPLETELY SHORTED WITH EXTREMELY LIMITED RESOURCES FOR 650 MILES THAT WE HAVE TO COVER IN AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED HISTORICALLY FOR FAR TOO LONG. SO AGAIN, I WANT TO JUST AS A DISTRICT C RESIDENT, THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR USING YOUR VOICE. I KNOW WE HAD ANOTHER DISTRICT C SPEAKER SPEAK AS WELL, BUT MAYOR, TO YOUR POINT, WE GET IT AND WE'RE ALIGNED, AND WE NEED Y'ALL'S HELP IN Y'ALL'S VOICE. AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY ON CDBG, MIT, BUT THAT'S SEPARATE. THAT'S NOT WHAT THE MAYOR IS TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. I JUST, AGAIN, WANNA CONVEY HOW, I MEAN, WE ARE FIGHTING FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE CAN RIGHT NOW FOR THIS VERY ISSUE. THANK YOU. AND WE ARE ALSO MOBILIZING AROUND HG. SO THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT. THANK YOU, MAYOR TURNER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, DELMA CANA. LEONIS DELMA. LEONIS DELMA. NEXT SPEAKER, ALICE LUU. ALICE LOU IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY WILLARD WILSON. YES, ALICE. HI, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. WE UNDERSTAND THAT $40 MILLION FOR DRAINAGE IS NOT A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO ASK FOR MAYOR TURNER WHEN YOU ASK US TO GO TO THE GLO. WE TRUST YOU HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN THAT THE NAC WAS THE GROUP THAT FILED THE TITLE VI AGAINST THE GLO IN THE FIRST PLACE TO HELP THE CITY GET THAT FEDERAL MONEY. TEXAS HOUSERS AND THE NAC WERE THE GROUP THAT CARRIED OUT THE INITIAL RESEARCH, PAID THE LAWYER FILED THE TITLE VI AND HAS LED COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF TWITTER STORMS. WE HAVE WRITTEN OPERAS, WE HAVE TALKED TO MEDIA GIVEN INTERVIEWS TO NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS, AND WE HAVE RALLIED PUBLIC PRESSURE TO TRY TO REDISTRIBUTE THOSE FUNDS. SO WE'RE ABSOLUTELY WITH YOU WHEN YOU SAY THAT WE NEED TO GET FEDERAL MONEY TO THE PLACES AND THE CITIES THAT NEED IT THE MOST. BUT THAT'S NOT WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY. UM, WE WORK WITH CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN, WHO CALLS US REGULARLY STRATEGIZING ON HOW TO PRESSURE HUD AND THE DOJ. SO MAYOR TURNER, WHEN YOU TELL US THAT WE'RE PUTTING PRESSURE IN THE WRONG PLACE, WHEN WE COME TO THE CITY, WE CALL BS ON THAT. WE ARE HERE BECAUSE THE CITY ISN'T SPENDING ITS OWN MONEY HOW IT SHOULD BE. IN FACT, TAXPAYERS ARE ALREADY PAYING FOR ABOUT $22 MILLION A YEAR OF DRAINAGE TAX MONEY THAT IS NOT ACTUALLY BEING USED FOR DRAINAGE. ONE OF OUR DEMANDS IS ASKING THE CITY TO END THE DIVERSION OF DRAINAGE MONEY FROM THE AVALOR DRAINAGE TAX. MAYOR TURNER, YOUR ADMINISTRATION RELEASED AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT PUBLISHED IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE THAT SAYS THAT TRANSFERRING THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE DRAINAGE TAX WOULD MEAN CUTS TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES LIKE POLICE, FIRE, SOLID WASTE, AND OTHER SERVICES, AND THAT YOUR ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T SUPPORT THAT. BUT WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT DRAINAGE IS ONE OF THOSE ESSENTIAL SERVICES. AND THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON CERTAINLY THINK SO WHEN 74% OF VOTERS APPROVE THE PROPOSITION TO FUND THE DRAINAGE TAX WITHOUT OUR OWN MONEY. AND ACCORDING TO A REPORT FROM THE, UH, HOBBY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, FLOODING IS THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN FOR RESIDENTS. UH, FLOODING IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. FLOODING IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, AND IT'S TIME FOR THE BUDGET TO ACTUALLY REFLECT THAT. THIS MORNING, AN ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE TITLED MOST OF HOUSTON'S OPEN DITCHES ARE IN MINORITY NEIGHBORHOODS, AND POOR MAINTENANCE PUTS THEM AT RISK. THE ARTICLE STATES THE DRAINAGE ISSUES FACED IN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES LIKE NORTHEAST HOUSTON HAVE BEEN SHAPED, SHAPED BY GENERATIONS OF POLICY DECISIONS. BUT HOW DO THESE POLICY DECISIONS TRANSLATE TO ACTUAL FLOOD RISK IN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE NORTHEAST HOUSTON? 50 YEARS LATER, A REPORT THAT WILL BE PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES TOMORROW SHOWS THAT FLOODING IS HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF THE FLOODPLAINS. MEANING IT RE IS, IT IS A RESULT OF LOCAL STREET LEVEL INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURES THAT ARE UNDER THE CITY'S JURISDICTION. THINGS LIKE BLOCKED DITCHES, COLLAPSED CULVERTS, OR NON-EXISTENT DRAINS. SO WE, WHEN WE COME, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED AND I'M, AND I'M, AND I'M VERY MUCH UNDERSTANDING OF THE 18%. THE REASON WHY THAT PERCENTAGE HAS GONE DOWN IS UNDER REVENUE CAP. AS WE LOWER THE TAX RATE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, IT PROPORTIONATELY GOES DOWN. YOU CAN'T KEEP IT UP AT THAT HIGHER LEVEL, OR YOU'RE GONNA TAKE AWAY FROM OTHER AREAS, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HURT OTHER PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES AND, AND MANY THE SAME PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THESE COMMUNITIES ARE [01:25:01] GOING TO BE HURT. I'M FULLY UNDERSTANDING OF THAT. AND THAT'S WHY BASED ON THE REVENUE RECEIVED, WE ADDED ANOTHER 20 MILLION ON TOP OF THE ANNUAL 20. THE COUNTY ADDED ANOTHER 20 MILLION ON THAT. SO WE, THE FUNDING FOR SWAT HAS TRIPLED. BUT LET ME GO BACK TO HUD AND DLO. I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE SAID, BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO THAT HUD FORWARDED ITS REQUEST TO DOJ. OKAY? HUD JUST FORWARDED THE REQUEST AND THREE DAYS LATER, DOJ WROTE BACK TO HUD AND SAID, UH, CONTINUE YOUR INVESTIGATION AND TRY TO SEEK VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE FROM THE STATE. GIVE ME A BREAK. GIMME A BREAK. AND THE POINT THAT I'M MAKING, HUD AND DOJ NEED TO ENFORCE ITS ACTIONS ON THE STATE. IF HUD SAYS THAT THE STATE IS DISCRIMINATED AGAINST COMMUNITY OF COLORS, THEN THE DOJ THAT TALKS ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS AND EQUITY NEED TO FOLLOW SUIT. AND IF THE DOJ IS EAGER TO COME AGAINST THE CITY ON ILLEGAL DUMPING, SURELY DOJ OUGHT TO BE PREPARED TO FIGHT AND TO DEFEND HUD'S CLAIM THAT THE STATE HAS DISCRIMINATED AGAINST COMMUNITIES OF COLOR LAW. SO YOU MEAN DOG GONNA FILE A LAWSUIT OR GONNA TAKE LEGAL ACTION ON THE CITY ON ILLEGAL DUMPING BY A THIRD PARTY. BUT WHEN THE STATE DISCRIMINATES AGAINST COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND DOESN'T PROVIDE ONE DIME OUT OF 4.3 BILLION ON CDBG MINT, SOMETHING'S A LITTLE WRONG. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR ADVOCACY. I LOVE YOUR ADVOCACY. AND WE ARE NOT DISAGREEING. WE ARE NOT DISAGREEING. I'M SIMPLY SAYING, UH, LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR POSITION, UH, WITH HUD AND DOJ. BUT WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE NOT IN DISAGREEMENT. CAN I, CAN I RESPOND? OKAY. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND I, WE'RE JUST AS ANGRY AS YOU ALL ARE, UH, IN TERMS OF HOW THE GLO AND HOW THE DDOJ HAS FAILED TO REALLY ENFORCE THIS TITLE SIX FINDING. UM, WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE LEVEL OF CRISIS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND DRAINAGE IN HOUSTON MEANS THAT WE NEED TO BE SPENDING THE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE. AND THE CITY ALSO NEEDS TO BE SPENDING THE MONEY THAT THE VOTERS HAVE ALREADY ALLOCATED TO GO TOWARDS DRAINAGE, RIGHT? SO THIS, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE AS UPSET AS YOU ARE THAT WE HAVE TO BE FIGHTING, UH, THE STATE. WE HAVE TO BE FIGHTING HUD. AND HONESTLY, SO FAR, WE'VE HAD TO PUSH THE CITY PRETTY HARD AS WELL IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY MAKING DRAINAGE EQUITABLE. SO, UM, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP COMING IN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. WELL, LET'S FIGHT TOGETHER AND LET'S, LET'S, LET'S DECIDE WHERE, WHERE WE NEED TO BE DIRECTING OUR ENERGIES. UH, BUT YOU AND YOUR ORGANIZATION AND THE CITY LET US BE FIGHTING TOGETHER AND ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. BUT APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTS, APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENCE. THANKS. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER WILLARD WILSON. WILLARD. WILLARD WILSON. NEXT SPEAKER, STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS, STEVE. NEXT SPEAKER JORGE ARRADONDO. JORGE ARRADONDO. JORGE ARRADONDO. NEXT SPEAKER, ANDY ESCOBAR. ANDY ESCOBAR IS, IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY PAL RAY MOORE. YES, SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, SO IT'S MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING AT CITY HALL, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. UM, MY NAME IS ANDY ESCOBAR AND I'M THE SENIOR CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR WITH SEER, UH, THE COALITION FOR ENVIRONMENT EQUITY AND RESILIENCE. AS YOU HEARD FROM MY COLLEAGUE, UH, SEER IS MADE UP OF 27 ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING TO RAISE AWARENESS BETWEEN THE CONNECTIONS OF POLLUTION PLACE AND OUR PUBLIC'S HEALTH. AND WEST STREET RECOVERY, WHO'S WORKING WITH THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE IS ONE OF OUR MEMBERS. AND I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TO SUPPORT THEM, TO SUPPORT COLLABORATION. I'M ALSO REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL REALLY CARES ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND WANT TO FURTHER REINFORCE WHY SO MANY OF US IN THE COMMUNITY CARE ABOUT THIS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HEARING ME. YOU KNOW, I WANNA SHARE THAT I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN UNINCORPORATED NORTHWEST HOUSTON, WHERE MY FAMILY STILL LIVES. UM, BUT IT'S AN AREA THAT WE NEVER DEALT WITH FLOODING OR ANY SORT OF DRAINAGE ISSUES, RIGHT? UM, BUT IN 2020, I ACTUALLY MOVED TO SOUTH UNION AND DISTRICT D, AND MY HOME HAS FLOODED AT LEAST THREE TIMES. MY BEDROOM ITSELF, AND I KNOW IT'S DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE LACK OF THE DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE IN MY COMMUNITY ACROSS SOUTH UNION. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT MY NEIGHBORS AND I ARE CONSTANTLY FEARFUL OF, BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN JUST MINIMAL KIND OF HEAVY RAIN, RIGHT? IT HASN'T BEEN THE CATASTROPHIC FLOODING AND THE HURRICANES THAT WE KNOW ARE POSSIBLE. SO I JUST WANNA REALLY EMPHASIZE THAT I KNOW THAT WE ALL AGREE [01:30:01] THAT, YOU KNOW, BLACK AND BROWN IMMIGRANT, DISABLED, AND LOW INCOME PEOPLE SUFFER THE MOST FROM THESE ISSUES. AND WE KNOW THAT HOUSTONIANS DESERVE TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT SEEN AS DISPOSABLE, RIGHT? ESPECIALLY NOT FROM GLOW AND HUD AND ALL THESE OTHER AGENCIES. SO I'M HERE IN SOLIDARITY, UM, TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. UM, AND AGAIN, LET'S, LET'S GET MORE FUNDING FOR THESE DRAINAGE PROBLEMS, UM, SO WE CAN FIND VALUE IN ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU COUNCILOR EVAN SHIBA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, MR. ESCOBAR. I'VE NEVER, UH, BEEN MADE AWARE OF EXTENSIVE FLOODING IN THAT AREA. I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT IT. AND SO CERTAINLY I WILL ASK MY CONSTITUENTS, UH, DIRECTOR TO REACH OUT TO YOU BECAUSE, UH, HERE AGAIN, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF AN EXTENSIVE PROBLEM IN THAT AREA, AND I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH THAT YOU'RE BRINGING IT TO MY AND THE CITY'S ATTENTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PAL, RAY MOORE, PAL RAY MOORE, PAL. RAY MOORE. NEXT SPEAKER, KATHY GUNNER. CAPTAIN GUNNER IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY IVORY LIONS. HEY THERE. UM, I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVE A, UM, A, UM, A MARKER THAT WAS SPRAYED ON, AND I HAVE PICTURES TO SHOW. UH, THEY SPRAYED ONLY OUR MARKER. THEY DIDN'T SPRAY ANY PART OF THE ESPLANADE, ANY OTHER TREES, BUSHES, NOTHING, JUST SPRAYED AROUND THERE WITH THE WEED KILLER. AND, UH, IT'S VERY, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY DISTASTEFUL AND, AND DIS AND SPITEFUL FOR THEM TO DO IT. I DON'T, I THINK IT WAS DONE PURPOSELY AND MIS MALICIOUSLY. BUT, UH, MORE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, UH, I TALKED TO, UH, MR. SHANIE TODAY, WHICH IS THE, UH, I GUESS ONE OF THE SUPERVISORS FOR PARK AND RECREATION. AND HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT WE DON'T HAVE, UH, HE SAID WE DIDN'T HAVE A PERMIT, AND THEY'RE GETTING READY TO TAKE THE SIGN DOWN. SO WHAT I ALSO PROVIDED YOU IS A APPLICATION THAT I FILLED OUT BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2021. UH, I SUBMITTED ALL OF MY, UH, INFORMATION AND I, IT SAID WE WILL ISSUE A PRELIMINARY APPROVAL AS SOON AS A REVISED APPLICATION. SO I REVISED THE APPLICATION, ATTACHED IT, AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I COMPLAINED TODAY ABOUT WHEN THE CONTRACTOR COMES OUT, HE WON'T EDGE BECAUSE HE SAY YOU HAVE A THREE MAN CREW. AND THE EDGE, THE PERSON THAT'S EDGING CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE PERSON THAT'S MOWING THE ESPLANADE. SO BY THE TIME HE'S AT SIX 10, THE MORE THE PERSON THAT'S MOURNING IT IS WAY DOWN AT LANGLEY. SO HE CAN'T KEEP UP. SO THAT'S THE REASON, THE EXPLANATION THEY GAVE FOR NOT EDGING OUR, UH, ADE. SO I'M JUST VERY DISAPPOINTED. I'M ASKING THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL TO POLICE CONSIDER GIVING US ANOTHER CONTRACTOR. IT'S NOT EVEN A BIG STRETCH OF AREA, BUT IF THEY CAN'T DO THE JOB, THEN WE NEED ANOTHER CONTRACTOR. SO, UM, THAT'S MY COMPLAINT. OKAY. HAVE YOU, WELL, HOPEFULLY Y'ALL GOT A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE PICTURE. OKAY. THANKS. VERY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, WE'LL LOOK INTO IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, I'M SORRY. UH, MARK, UH, VICE MAYOR CAST TATE, WHO, WHO PUT THE WE KILLER DOWN. WAS THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT? YES, THAT WAS THE, UH, THE, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UH, MR. SHANIE. UM, HE SAID THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE RIDE, UH, RIDE AWAY. SO SOME OF 'EM, A DIFFERENT PERSON DO RIDE AWAY, UH, AND DIFFERENT PERSON DO PARKS, SO THEY WON'T EVEN CUT THE, THEY SAY THEY ONLY CUT THREE TIMES A YEAR. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT, BUT, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE GIVEN. BUT I WANNA KNOW WHAT THEY DOING BETWEEN NOVE BETWEEN NOVEMBER AND MARCH. WELL, IT, IT'S A BIG CITY AND THERE'S A LOT OF GRASS. THERE'S NO, BUT THERE'S NO GRASS IN BETWEEN DECEMBER AND MARCH, AND NOTHING GROWS. UH, THERE'S A LOT OF GRASS ANYWAY. UM, BUT LET ME, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I KNOW THAT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER'S NOT HERE, BUT, UM, I DO THINK THAT EVEN IF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DID PUT THE WEED KILLER DOWN, THAT WE COULD BE A LITTLE MORE COGNIZANT OF NOT GETTING IT ON THE SIGN. UM, SO, UH, LET US, LET US AT LEAST REACH OUT TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND TALK ABOUT THE, AND THEY KNOCKED THE TRIM OFF OF IT, TOO. I DID BRING THAT UP. IT'S A CHEAP SIGN. YEAH, BUT I MEAN, IS THE, IS THE TRIM THERE? NO, THEY KNOCKED THAT OFF. THEY KNOCKED THAT OFF THREE TIMES. REPLACED IT THREE TIMES. RIGHT. JUST SO WE DON'T HAVE THE TRIM TO PUT IT BACK ON. NO, NO. THEY, WE THREW IT AWAY. OKAY. THEY KNOCKED IT OFF THREE TIMES. I MEAN, COME ON NOW. OKAY. WE, WE HEAR YOU. AND WE THANK YOU. WE WILL DEFINITELY, UM, ASK IF WE COULD BE A LITTLE MORE, UM, COGNIZANT OF THAT, BECAUSE WE, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF ISSUES WITH THE, THE TREES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, AND, AND THEY ARE DOING THEIR VERY BEST WITH LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE. UM, [01:35:01] BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S WORTH HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, NOT TRYING TO BE CAREFUL WITH THE SIGNAGE THAT'S OUT THERE. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TAYLOR. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER IVORY, RELIANCE IVORY LYON IVORY LYONS. NEXT SPEAKER, JOSIAH WEGNER. JOSIAH WEG, UH, WEGNER, FOLLOWED BY EDWARD PULASKI. UH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ESTEEM, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE. MY NAME'S JOSIAH WEGNER. I WAS RAISED IN HOUSTON AND LIVE HERE. NOW, MAYOR TURNER, FIVE YEARS AGO, YOU SAID, WE MUST LEAP NOT STROLL INTO THE FUTURE. WE MUST SPRINT, NOT JOG. UH, UH. IT WILL BE THIS CITY THAT WILL BE THE SMART CITY OF THE WORLD. AND AS A BUSINESSMAN, NATIVE HOUSTONIAN THAT LOVES THIS CITY, I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO EDWARD PAWLOWSKI, WHO WILL BE SPEAKING AFTER ME, THE CEO OF OWL CENTURY. HIS TECHNOLOGY WILL HELP HOUSTON BECOME THE SMART CITY OF THE WORLD. BUT FIRST, HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. TWO, ACTUALLY TERMITES AND RODENTS. IN 2022, HOUSTON WAS RANKED AS THE 13TH MOST TERMITE INFESTED CITY, AND THE 22ND MOST RAT INFESTED CITY IN THE US AND AS HOUSTON INFRASTRUCTURE AGES AND THE POPULATION. WHERE IS THAT COME FROM? I NEVER, I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT. OR ORKIN ORKIN OR, OR, OH, THEY SELLING . I GUESS THEY, WELL, I, I I'M NOT DONE BECAUSE AS THE, AS THE POPULATION REACHES 10 MILLION BY 2050, AS SOME PROJECTIONS SAY, WE CAN EXPECT THAT THIS WILL BECOME A BIGGER AND NASTIER PROBLEM. DUMB. UM, AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT, UH, THE NEWS IN NEW YORK, I DON'T WANNA SEE THAT HAPPENING WITH HOUSTON AND YOUR FACES AND RATS GOING VIRAL ALL OVER THE INTERNET. SAY AGAIN? SNAKES. YEAH. RIGHT. AND CATS. AND THERE'S ADAPTION FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY FOR SNAKES. ACTUALLY, I'M SERIOUS. UM, I PERSONALLY HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. BOUGHT MY FIRST HOUSE, MOVED IN TERMITES, 500 BUCKS LATER, THEY'RE GONE FOR NOW. BUT THEN I'M GOING TO SLEEP. AND WHAT DO I HEAR? SPEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK. OH, AND THERE'S NOTHING MORE ANNOYING THAN TRYING TO SLEEP AT NIGHT, HEARING SQUEAKS. AND THEN I'M JUST ABOUT ASLEEP, AND MY WIFE ROLLS OVER AND SAYS, WHAT IF THEY GET OUR SON, OUR LITTLE, OUR 2-YEAR-OLD SON? WHAT IF THEY GET OUR SON AND LIKE A GOOD HUSBAND? I SAY, WELL, HE LOVES TOM AND JERRY. I'M SURE HE WILL LOVE TO MEET JERRY. JUST LET HIM BE RIGHT AND ROLL OVER AND GO TO SLEEP. A FEW THOUSAND BUCKS LATER, THE RATS ARE GONE. THEY COME BACK, OR MONEY LATER. . NOW, HOPEFULLY THEY'RE GONE FOR GOOD. HOWEVER, EDWARD AT OWL CENTURY HAS A SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY'VE CREATED PEST CONTROL DEVICES THAT UTILIZE THE LATEST, LATEST ADVANCEMENTS IN AI AND SENSOR TECHNOLOGY TO DETECT, TRACK, AND ENSURE THAT PESTS ARE ELIMINATED. BEFORE HOUSTONIANS WOULD PAY PEST CONTROL COMPANIES FOR ACTIVITIES LAY DOWN TRAPS, BRAVE FOR TERMITES, AND PRAY THAT THAT WORKS. BUT NOW, HOUSTONIANS CAN PAY PEST CONTROL COMPANIES FOR RESULTS. NO RATS AND NO TERMITES GUARANTEED. AND HERE'S WHERE WE NEED YOUR PARTNERSHIP. ALLOW OWL CENTURY TO RUN A SMALL, VERY SMALL SCALE PILOT PROGRAM TO TEST THESE TRAPS IN HOUSTON, UH, DURING THE MONTH OF JULY, FOR THE MONTH OF JULY, OWL CENTURY WILL PAY FOR THE PILOT. IT'LL BE FREE TO THE CITY ON THE CONDITION THAT IF THE PILOT'S SUCCESSFUL, YOU WILL RECOMMEND THIS TECHNOLOGY TO HOUSTON PEST CONTROL COMPANIES AS A WAY TO BRING HOUSTON INTO, UH, TO BECOME SMART CITY. TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK. THANK YOU, JOSIAH. UM, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND JOSIAH, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. IF YOU WOULD, UH, FORWARD MY OFFICE, UH, THAT PROPOSAL, UH, WE LOOK AT IT AND GET IT OVER TO, UH, GSD AND SEE, UM, HOW WE CAN ENGAGE AND WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES MAY BE. THANK YOU. PERFECT. AND I LIVE IN YOUR DISTRICT, SO THANK YOU. YES, SIR. APPRECIATE IT. THAT'S VERY NICE OF YOU. . NEXT SPEAKER, NEXT SPEAKER. EDWARD. EDWARD POLOWSKI. EDWARD POLOWSKI, EDWARD PO. THANK AND GENTLEMEN, ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. AS JOSIAH SAID, I LIKE TO SHOW YOU OUR RAT TRAP. MAYBE I WILL LIKE PUT HERE, UH, LOOKS PRETTY FAMILIAR, I GUESS. AND I, I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN HOW IT WORKS, EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS IT PROVIDES, AND ANSWER QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. WELL, HOPEFULLY THAT IS NOT A RAT. RODENT WAIT. STATIONS PERFORMS TWO TASKS. IT'S COLLECTING THE INFORMATION, AND OF COURSE, ERADICATION. AS ALWAYS, IT'S EASIER TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM WITH [01:40:01] THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM. THE COLLECTING OF INFORMATION TAKES ON THIS TRADITIONAL, LET'S SAY, TRADITIONAL DEVICES. UM, IT TAKES PLACE USUALLY IN SEVERAL WEEKS, SOMETIMES MONTHS, AND IT'S, UH, WHEN A TECHNICIAN COMES, OPENS, IT LOOKS, WHAT'S, WHAT'S INSIDE. AND JUDGES IF IT'S A BIG PROBLEM OR MAYBE A SMALL PROBLEM, WELL, THE DELAY IS HUGE. INAC INACCURACIES ARE UNBELIEVABLE. IT'S LIKE ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY. THAT'S WHY WE, UH, DEVELOPED A DEVICE, ELECTRONIC DEVICE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET USING AI TO GATHER ALL THE INFORMATION IN REAL TIME WITHOUT ANY INACCURACIES. SO TO MAKE, TO MAKE IT SIM UH, SHORTER. OUR SYSTEMS SYSTEM GATHERS PRECISE DATA, REAL TIME WITHOUT HUMAN INVOLVEMENT AND ANALYZE IT AUTONOMOUSLY. SO MOST OF THE WORK IS DONE FROM THE CITY PERSPECTIVE. IT MAKES HUGE DIFFERENCE. FIRST OF ALL, IT GIVES THE CITY REAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE SITUATION WITH RODENTS. IF YOU ARE WINNING OR LOSING THIS YEAR, IS THIS YEAR BETTER OR WORSE THAN THE LAST YEAR? IS THE, THE CONTRACTOR, WHICH CONTRACTORS ARE BETTER, WHICH ARE WORSE, WHICH ARE CHEATING US BECAUSE WE ARE PAYING AND THEY, THEY ARE NOT EVEN VISITING THE DEVICES. AND SECOND, HAVING, IT GIVES THE CITY A TOOL TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ERADICATION, WHICH MAKES A CITY ABLE TO PAY FOR EFFECTIVENESS. SUMMARIZE, WE CAN HELP THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO HELP ERADICATE DRUGS FASTER AND, UH, FASTER AND CHEAPER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. I LOOK FORWARD TO RUNNING OUR PILOT PROGRAM WITH PARTNERSHIP IN JULY AND SEEING HOUSTON BECOME THE SMART CITY OF THE WORLD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, UM, VICE MAYOR TIM, UH, CASTEK TATUM, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY. I THINK IT'S INTRIGUING, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UM, FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE A RODENT PROBLEM, UM, THEY DEPEND ON THE CONTRACTORS TO COME OUT AND PUT THESE BOXES OUT, AND THEN THEY COME OUT AND LOOK AT 'EM. AND, YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE DON'T EVEN WANT TO WANNA DEAL WITH THEM. BUT TO SEE THAT THERE IS SOME TECHNOLOGY THAT COULD GIVE YOU REAL TIME, UM, ACTIVITY IN THOSE BOXES, I, I THINK IS, UH, UH, GOOD TECHNOLOGY. THANK YOU. UM, I'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE, SEE HOW IT WORKS. UM, AND IF THERE IS A, A SPACE THAT WE COULD PILOT IT, I, I'D BE INTERESTED IN, IN WORKING WITH YOU TO PILOT IT BECAUSE, UM, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T, DON'T WANT THE RODENTS AROUND. AND IF, IF WE CAN PREVENT THAT, UM, THAT SOLVES A PROBLEM, UM, FOR PEOPLE. SO, UM, IF YOU COULD, UH, PROVIDE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION FOR MY OFFICE, WE, WE'D LIKE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS IT FURTHER. I'D LOVE TO. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UH, MAYOR PROTE MARTINEZ. YES. JUST A QUICK QUESTION. HOW WOULD AI ERADICATE RODENTS? IT WON'T BECAUSE, UH, WHAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON IS GATHERING INFORMATION. LOOK ABOUT ERADICATION THE TECHNICIAN CAN USE AS HE PLEASE, OR SHE OBVIOUSLY. SO IT'S, IT, WE ARE NOT INTERFERING, INTERFERING WITH ERADICATION. BUT WHAT WE ARE CHANGING IS NOW WE KNOW, UH, HOW MANY RATS, UH, IS THE PROBLEM GROWING OR, UH, MAKING BIGGER OR SMALLER? UM, UH, IF THE, THE COMPANY IS DOING WELL, LET'S SAY THEY, THEY, UH, AGREED TO VISIT A STATION ONCE A WEEK, LET'S SAY. SO IF THEY'RE EVEN DOING IT OR NOT, NOW WE KNOW, UM, MAYBE THEY AGREED TO MAKE SURE, UH, THE BAIT IS NEVER LIKE EATEN BECAUSE IT, IT SHOULD BE RIGHT. UH, RIGHT. SO NOW WE KNOW IF THEY, UH, IF, UH, THEY, UM, MAKE IT, UH, FULL OR NOT FULL OF, UH, BAITS OR POISONS. SO, AND, AND FORGIVE ME MY ENGLISH, UH, MANY MORE USEFUL INFORMATION BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE I'M SOME CRAZY INVENTOR. I WAS LOOKING FOR THE PROBLEM AND, AND LOOKING FOR THE BEST POSSIBLE SOLUTION. THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. WE ARE PROVIDING, AND ALSO WE HAVE STARTED JUST TODAY, WE HAVE STARTED SIMILAR PILOT PROGRAM IN SAFF, WHICH IS THE THIRD BIGGEST CITY IN, UH, POLAND, UH, WITH THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, UH, AUTHORITIES OF RAFF. [01:45:01] SO LIKE, WE ARE DOING IT AND WE ARE INVITING HOUSTON OR, OR WELL HOPE TO BE INVITED BY HOUSTON CITY TO DO SAME HERE. UH, COUNCILMAN POLL IS INTERESTED IN THE TECHNOLOGY. THANK, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I AM, AND EDWARD, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. IT LOOKS LIKE BASICALLY THE AI TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU HAVE IS JUST AN ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURE TO ENSURE THAT THE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE COMING OUT ARE DOING WHAT THEY SAY, AND THAT YOU'RE GETTING THE SERVICE THAT YOU PAY FOR. AND BY DOING SO, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY SOLVE THAT PARTICULAR PERSON'S, UH, ISSUE MUCH QUICKER. AND SO, UM, I, I'M INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE. I HAVE, UH, A CARD HERE THAT I'LL PASS TO YOU. UM, IF YOU WANT TO JUST SEND US YOUR INFORMATION FOR US TO, UH, DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER AND SEE WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE, UM, MY OFFICE WILL DO. SO. THANK YOU. IT'S ALL YOU SAID. AND WAY MORE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY THE CONTROL ON EMPLOYEES OR TECHNICIANS, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT CONTROL ON THE SITUATION. BECAUSE IF WE KNOW THAT THE PROBLEM IS GROWING, WE CAN ACT ON, ON THE INFORMATION. THANK YOU, SIR. VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, BRO DAVIS. BRO DAVIS TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHRISTINA CRUZ. GOOD DAY, EVERYONE. UH, WE'RE A LITTLE NERVOUS DOING THIS, BUT I GO BY BRO. DAVIS AND HARRIS COUNTY'S DONE A GREAT JOB AT KEEPING ME IN THE SYSTEM. SO I COULDN'T ACTUALLY FIGURE OUT WHO I WAS. UH, I WAS TOLD THAT MY MOM DIED OF A MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASE HERE AT HERMAN HOSPITAL. SO LIKE, I STARTED DIGGING A LITTLE DEEP, UH, AND UNCOVERED A GUY BY THE NAME OF DEREK ARSENAL. UH, FATHER IS ROBERT ARSENAL. UH, AND IN THIS, THESE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE DOCUMENTS, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF ENTITIES, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, HOSPITALS, LIFE FLIGHT HELICOPTERS, TAX INFORMATION. UH, THERE WAS A TRUST THAT WAS DESIGNED AROUND ME AND MY SIBLINGS, BUT I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND WHO'S OVER THIS TRUST. UH, IT HAS TO BE A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL. UH, THESE PAPERS, SOME OF THESE PAPERS DON'T EVEN HAVE SIGNATURES FROM JUDGES. UH, SOME OF THESE DOCUMENTS ARE FORGED. UH, SOME OF THESE ATTORNEYS THAT'S LISTED ON THERE DON'T EVEN EXIST. I'VE, I'VE, I'VE DONE A LOT OF DIGGING, UH, IN A WAY I BELIEVE I MAY NOT BE FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS. SO I'VE WENT TO HPD, I'VE DONE THE MISSING PERSONS THING. I'VE DONE EVERYTHING TO TRY TO IDENTIFY MYSELF. UH, I CLEARLY KNOW THAT I'M NOT BRO DAVIS. UH, THAT'S JUST THE NAME THAT THEY GAVE ME, MAYBE HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY. UM, SO I'M HERE, LIKE, I'M HERE TRYING TO SEE HOW COULD I IDENTIFY MYSELF? I, I KNOW THE CENSUS WELL, I, I'VE DONE THE CENSUS THING AND CAME UP WITH DEREK ARSENAL. HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE AGE OF TWO BY TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. I BELIEVE THAT'S WHO I AM. I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY PRONOUNCE HIM DEAD. HE'S RIGHT HERE. UH, IF YOU KNOW ROBERT ARSON OR YOU KNOW THE CASE, YOU KNOW THE SITUATION, BUT I'M HERE TRYING TO IDENTIFY MYSELF. I'VE DONE IT ON SO MANY LEVELS. SO THIS IS THE LA LIKE THIS IS, I BELIEVE I'M A GOVERNMENT ENTITY MYSELF FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY, AND I NEED TO IDENTIFY THAT NO ONE HA THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT'S NOT GONNA HELP. THE CASE IS SO OLD, IT'S GROUND CODE, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW, SO I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU SOME RESOURCES. FOR EXAMPLE, CONTACTING LONE STAR LEGAL AID OR AT SOME OF THE LAW SCHOOLS. I'VE DONE THAT. THE CLINICS THERE. I'VE DONE THAT. OKAY. THANK [01:50:01] YOU VERY MUCH. AND, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRY TO ASSIST YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GREAT. OKAY, SPEAKER, NEXT SPEAKER. CHRISTINA CRUZ. CHRISTINA CRUZ. CHRISTINA CRUZ IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY KAREN M. SMITH. HELLO? YES, MA'AM. COUNSEL AND SYLVESTER TURNER. SO MY ISSUE HERE IS TODAY, UH, A LITTLE BIT OFF THE SCALE. UM, MY NAME IS CHRISTINA CRUZ, AND I WANNA, UH, ADDRESS, UH, A STATUTE, LIKE A LEGISLATIVE ISSUE. UM, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS CAN ASSIST ME WITH THAT, BUT, UM, I AM ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE LEGISLATORS. THEY HAVE A CERTAIN TIME THAT THEY'RE IN, UH, SESSION. AND I BELIEVE THAT SESSION HAS ENDED, UH, JUST LAST MONTH. AND WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO RAISE A STATUTE OR A BILL OUT OF RECESSION, YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR, UH, SPECIAL RECESSION THROUGH THE LEGISLATORS. AND SO THE, I'M ASKING YOU GUYS TO, IF YOU CAN PLEASE HELP ME, UH, HAVE MY VOICE HEARD, WHERE I CAN, UM, HAVE THIS, UM, STATUTE AMENDED AND OR REWRITTEN. UM, THIS STATUTE IS REGARDING, UH, PARENTS' ADOPTION AND CHILDREN WITH, UM, THE STATUTE, UH, IS TEXAS FAMILY CODE 1 6 1 3 0 2, AND IT COVERS ALSO TEXAS FAMILY CODE 1 6 1 3 0 3. BUT I'M SPEAKING ON, UM, TEXAS FAMILY CODE 1 6 1 3 0 2. AND I SUBMIT THAT THE, THE, UM, THE BILL, THE STATUTE FOR THIS IS CONSTITUTIONAL. I'M SUBMITTING THAT THE, THE SUBSECTIONS DOWN IN THE STATUTE ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL WITH THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THIS, OF THIS BILL. SO TO, IT'S REGARDING REINSTATEMENT OF PARENTAL RIGHTS. SO I WAS, I AM ALSO AFFECTED BY THIS BILL, MYSELF, AND MANY OTHERS MAYBE. BUT THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THIS BILL IS IF A PARENT WAS ABUSING SUBSTANCE ABUSE, I AM NOT A PERSON THAT ABUSED SUBSTANCE ABUSE. AND IF THE CHILD WAS SUBJECT TO ADOPTION OR AN ADOPT ADOPTION SAFE PLACE IN AGENCY THAT YOU COULDN'T QUALIFY FOR THIS, UH, THIS, UM, REINSTATEMENT OF PARENTAL RIGHTS. SO THEY, THE LEGISLATORS, I'M ASKING FOR AMENDMENT OR A BILL OR A CHANGE OF, OF THE, THE SUBSECTIONS. UM, SO I'M GONNA READ IT IN ITS ENTIRETY. AND IT STATES A SUMMARY STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND THE EVIDENCE THAT THE PETITIONER BELIEVES DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FORMER PARENT WHOSE PARENTAL RIGHTS ARE SOUGHT TO BE REINSTATED HAS THE CAPACITY AND WILLINGNESS TO PERFORM PARENTAL DUTIES UNDER SECTION 1 5 1 0 1, INCLUDING STEPS THE FORMER PARENT HAS TAKEN TOWARD PERSONAL REHABILITATION SINCE THE ADDITION OF THE ORDER TERMINATING PARENTAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE, TREATMENT, EMPLOYMENT, OR OTHER PERSONAL HISTORY AND DEMONSTRATE REHABILITATION. SO HOW DOES THIS BILL APPLY TO A PERSON? AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING, UH, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. OKAY, THANK YOU. I WILL SAY TO YOU THAT THE LEGISLATURE IS STILL IN SESSION MM-HMM . AND WILL BE IN SESSION FOR MOST OF MAY. SO THEY ARE STILL IN SESSION. OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. I CALLED OVER THERE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE NOT. THANK YOU. NO, THEY'RE, HOLD ON. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. MA'AM, MA'AM, COME BACK. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. YEAH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THE MAYOR'S RIGHT THERE STILL IN SESSION, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THIS MONTH. UH, YOU'RE SPEAKING TO YOUR CITY COUNCIL, WHICH ARE THE, UH, THE LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT THE STATE LEGISLATURES, UH, ARE A DIFFERENT BODY. AND SO BASED ON YOUR ZIP CODE, YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND SEE WHO YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE IS, AND THEN CALL THEIR OFFICE AND THEN ARRANGE FOR A WAY IN WHICH THEY CAN GET THE INFORMATION FOR YOU. OR IF YOU'RE ABLE TO, UH, GET TO AUSTIN, UM, YOURSELF TO DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING BY TESTIFYING IN PERSON, YOU MAY HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL. BUT YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO GET IN FRONT OF YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND NOT YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS PERTAINING TO THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. BECAUSE I, I CALLED AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE OUT OF SESSION, SO I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. AND THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO REQUEST A SPECIAL SESSION. NO. YEAH. GO ON GOOGLE, SEE WHO YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE IS. I KNOW WHO THAT IS. ALRIGHT, CALL THEIR OFFICE AGAIN. LET 'EM KNOW THAT THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ASKED YOU TO CALL THEM BACK. AND THEY'RE IN SESSION UNTIL MAY TO THE END OF MAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN THOMAS. THANK YOU, MAYOR TURNER. I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT, UH, EVEN IF YOU'RE UNABLE TO MAKE IT TO AUSTIN, YOU CAN PROVIDE WRITTEN STATEMENT AND, UM, BASED ON YOUR ZIP CODE, YOU HAVE, [01:55:01] UH, 7 7 4 0, RIGHT? YOU HAVE REP, REPRESENTATIVE LACEY HOLE, REPRESENTATIVE JARVIS JOHNSON, AND REPRESENTATIVE PENNY MORALES SHAW. I WOULD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEND A LETTER, UM, TO ALL OF THEIR OFFICES AND YOUR STATE SENATOR, UM, AND EVERYONE ON THE COMMITTEE THAT THIS ISSUE FALLS TO. SO YOU'RE DOCUMENTED ON RECORD THAT YOU CAN GET THAT, UM, GET YOUR CONCERN SUBMITTED. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY KIND OF WAY I CAN, YOU CAN WRITE THOSE NAMES DOWN. SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME. IS THERE ANY KINDA WAY YOU CAN WRITE THOSE NAMES? SURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER, KAREN SIM SMITH. KAREN SIM SMITH IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY RHONDA BURNETT. GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. MY NAME IS KAREN SIMS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE GETS SMITH FROM, BUT HOWEVER, I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, UH, SPEAKING ABOUT THE SAME TOPICS. UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS KAREN SIMS. I AM A LICENSED CHILDCARE PROVIDER. I'M A FOSTER PARENT. I AM A LICENSED STATE LIFE INSURANCE AGENT. I AM A LICENSED, UM, SKINCARE AND BEAUTY CONSULTANT. I ALSO RUN A NONPROFIT. I'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS SINCE 1994. AND I, FIRST AND BIGGEST CONTRACT WAS THE 1996 OLYMPICS IN ATLANTA, IN WHICH I RECRUITED AND SUPERVISED OVER 250, UH, YOUNG ADULTS AND TEENAGERS. WE GROSSED OVER A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS THAT YEAR. AND SINCE THEN, I HAVE, UH, RAN SEVERAL AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA, IN THE CITY OF MIN, MINNEAPOLIS, AND MINNESOTA. AND IN THE CITY OF, UM, CITY OF, UM, PHOENIX, ARIZONA. SORRY. UM, AND WITH THAT SAID, UM, I HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES SINCE 2008 ABOUT THE, UH, ABDUCTION AND THE KIDNAPPING OF MY CHILDREN. AND SINCE THEN, I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING AND DOING SEVERAL, YOU KNOW, RESEARCHES ABOUT THE REMOVAL AND THE, UM, TERMINATION OF PARENT RIGHTS FOR BLACK AND BROWN WOMEN AND FAMILIES. AND I'M ONE OF THAT. AND OF COURSE, AS MS. CRUZ IS ANOTHER ONE, I MET HER IN THE, UH, LAW LIBRARY YESTERDAY. UH, I'M HERE NOW. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING REINSTATEMENT FOR PARENTAL RIGHTS IN WHICH, UH, THEY WERE NEVER EVEN TERMINATED ACCORDING TO THE DOCUMENTATIONS I HAVE AND THE ATTORNEYS I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH. UM, AND HOPEFULLY ON MAY 23RD IN THE 3 0 9 COURT, THIS WILL BE RESOLVED BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I HAVE A DAUGHTER IN, IN, UH, PHOENIX, ARIZONA, IN A GROUP HOME. SHE'S A STRAIGHT A STUDENT. I HAVE A SON THAT NO ONE HAS SPOKEN TO IN OVER YEARS. AND, UM, I'M, I'M TIRED OF MEETING COUNTLESS WOMEN'S AND FAMILIES THAT ARE, ARE, THEY'RE SUBJECT AND THEY'RE VICTIMS OF CPS. IT HAS TO STOP. ACTUALLY, I CAME UP WITH ANOTHER SOLUTION ABOUT THE CHILDREN THAT ARE AGING OUT THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. SINCE I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH CHILDREN, I HAVE THE EXPERTISE AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF DEALING WITH, UH, PRE-TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS. I SEE THE NEED FOR A SHELTER SYSTEM FOR CHILDREN AGING OUT THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. WITH THAT SAID, I'M, I'M REQUESTING A BUILDING DOWNTOWN. THERE'S SO MANY EMPTY BUILDINGS DOWN THERE DOWNTOWN TO AID, UH, AND ASSIST WITH THESE CHILDREN, UH, BEING ABLE TO LIVE A PRODUCTIVE LIFE. UM, I WOULD LIKE ALSO, UM, FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, I KNOW YOU TOLD ME MR. POLL LAST TIME THAT Y'ALL HAVE, YOU'RE NOT THE OFFICE TO BE CLIMB A TREE WITH, BUT ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT. I MEAN, IT'S LIKE ASSOCIATION BY ASSOCIATION. SO I'M ASKING IF YOU ALL STILL CAN, CAN LOOK INTO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE FAMILY COURTS AND THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM AND WHAT CAN I DO TO GET A BUILDING YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. CAN'T HELP YOU ON THAT ONE. AND WHO CAN WELL, CAN YOU DIRECT ME TO WHERE I AND GO TO ASSIST? I CAN'T HELP YOU ON THAT ONE. CAN'T HELP YOU ON THAT ONE. YEAH. A BUILDING. A BUILDING. UH, THE BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN ARE, THERE'S SO MANY THAT ARE EMPTY. OH, WELL, MAYBE MS. CAM KIM, IS IT KIMMA CAYMAN? MAYBE SHE, SHE'S, I THINK SHE'S MORE INTERESTED IN THAT. MAYBE SHE CAN ANSWER IT AND SAY, WHAT I CAN DO TO, TO MAKE, MAYBE START SOMETHING POSITIVE IN HOUSTON WITH THE CHILDREN THAT THEY HAVE DESTROYED. WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT UM, IN THE ABSENCE OF GETTING SOME SORT OF REAL ESTATE AGENT, I, WELL, I'M, WELL, I'M SAYING I'M A NONPROFIT. MY BUSINESS UNDERST BALANCE FOR YOUTH IS NONPROFIT. I UNDERSTAND. AND WITH THAT SAID, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, OBTAIN ONE OF THOSE BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN. SO WHERE DO I START TO ADDRESSING WHOM I NEED TO TALK TO, UH, WITH THOSE BUILDINGS? I, COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU MAYOR. MANY OF THOSE, AND THANK YOU, MA'AM, FOR COMING. UH, YOU ARE WELCOME. MANY OF THOSE BUILDINGS THAT YOU SEE THAT ARE DOWNTOWN, ARE PRIVATELY OWNED. OKAY. AND SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE OUTSIDE THE PURVIEW OF, UH, CITY COUNCIL. OKAY. AND SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT THE, UH, THE PROPERTY OWNER DIRECTLY. OKAY. MANY OF THOSE PROPERTIES THAT ARE ABANDONED DOWNTOWN ALSO HAVE LOTS OF ASBESTOS [02:00:01] AND OTHER ISSUES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO AH, YEAH. UH, UH, REMEDIATE BEFORE YOU COULD EVEN, UM, EITHER, UH, REDEVELOP OR MM-HMM . OR TEAR DOWN MM-HMM . BUT WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS COULD NOT TELL A PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER, UH, WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR ABANDONED BUILDING. I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND SO MY, MY ADVICE TO YOU IS TO IDENTIFY ONE AND SEE IF YOU CAN REACH OUT TO THEM AS A NONPROFIT AND SEE IF YOU ALL CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT TOGETHER. OKAY. WELL, I HAVE DONE THAT. I JUST THOUGHT THAT MAYBE SINCE, YOU KNOW, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OVERSEE CERTAIN, CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE CITY THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE SOME TYPE OF IDEA OF WHAT I NEED TO DO TO GET A BUILDING. SO I JUST THOUGHT, THROW IT OUT THERE. BUT THANK YOU, SIR. YEAH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. HAVE A GOOD DAY. OH, I SAW YOU, UH, IN A LEAF A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. GOOD LINE DANCE. GOOD SEEING YOU. THANK. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. NEXT SPEAKER. RHONDA BURNETT. RHONDA BURNETT IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED. RYAN HIDALGO. THANK YOU. AS A FORMER TEACHER, THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THE PAPERS. BUT, UM, YES, A CONTINUATION ON, UH, THE HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION THAT I WAS SHARING WEEK BEFORE LAST, UH, PER RELATIVE, THAT'S MILITARY. THE TRACKING ADVISOR THAT WAS PLACED IN ME WAS AUTHORIZED BY TRUMP. AND, UH, MY PHONE, AS I STATED, WAS HACKED. AND A VETO LEFT WHEN HE HEARD OVER THE HACK PHONE THAT DUE DILIGENCE WASN'T PERFORMED. NOBODY QUESTIONED ME. NO ONE, NO ONE KNEW THAT I'M HYPERSENSITIVE TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUBSTANCES. THEY CAUSED ME TO RAMBLE. I'VE SEEN THAT WHEN I AM AROUND THEM, UM, ANTIPSYCHOTICS, I WAS MISDIAGNOSED OR PSYCHOTIC INDUCING. THEY DO, THEY PROVIDE THE SAME EFFECT. AND WHAT I TRY TO SHARE WITH SOME OF YOU IS THAT, UH, PER THE SUPREME COURT, I AM SUPPOSED TO HAVE IMMUNITY. UM, IT WAS IN THE PACKET LAST TIME. I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TARGETED IN OUR SURVEILLANCE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. OKAY. WELL, I'M HOPING THAT YOU'LL, UH, WORK WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN ASSISTING ME WITH JUSTICE. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN P*****K. ARE YOU IN THE QUEUE? I'M SORRY. I, I THOUGHT I SAW YOU IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, RYAN HIDALGO. RYAN HIDALGO, ELLIE MONTOYA, REVIS. NEXT SPEAKER. DAVID SHERMAN. DAVID SHERMAN. NEXT SPEAKER. MARIAN WRIGHT. MARIAN WRIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER. REINE ATMORE. REINE. ATMORE. NEXT SPEAKER. ANNIE LEE. ANNIE LEE. HALLELUJAH. OKAY. SHAKING AWAY. GRANDKIDS. ALRIGHT MS. HOW Y'ALL DOING THIS EVENING? DOING FINE, MR. LEE. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR AND ALL THE REST OF THE CONSTITUENTS, THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE. I'M STILL TRYING TO GET CUSTODY OF MY GRANDDAUGHTER. I'VE TALKED TO COUNCILMAN POLL. YOU ASKED ME TO. I I EMAILED YOU, BUT I NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE. AND, UH, WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE CPS AND THE, UH, MISSING PERSON UNITS DROPPED THE BALL BECAUSE THEY WERE TALKING TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAD CUSTODY OF CASEY. UM, I NEVER SEEN THESE PEOPLE BEFORE, BUT THIS CASE IS STEP GRANDMOTHER OR SOMETHING. AND, UH, AND HER FATHER, CHRISTINA LEE, MY GRANDDAUGHTER WAS MURDERED. SHE, UM, BROKE UP A RELATIONSHIP WITH HER BOYFRIEND AND HE WENT IN HER HOUSE AND SHOT HER SIX TIMES. MM-HMM. SHE WAS A DENTAL ASSISTANT GOING TO SCHOOL FOR PHARMACY TECH AND SHE WAS WORKING FOR EPIC THEATERS ON WESTHEIMER. HER DAUGHTER HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS, WHAT SHE'S GOING THROUGH. SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE A STATISTIC. THESE PEOPLE THAT HAS CASEY, THE, THE DAD HAS 40 CHARGES, THE STEPMOTHER HAS 26 CHARGES, AND THE MOM THAT JUMPED ON ME HAS 60 CHARGES. YOUR TIME HAS CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ? NO, MAYOR. I PUSHED THAT. I WANTED TO SPEAK AFTER HER. OH, OKAY. BUT I DO HAVE PRIMARY CUSTODY. ALRIGHT. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND YES, MA'AM, I DID RECEIVE YOUR PACKET THAT WAS DELIVERED TO MY, UH, OFFICE AND I BELIEVE MAYBE ONE OF MY STAFFERS REACHED OUT TO YOU. I AM GOING THROUGH THAT PACKET. UH, I, I SEE ALL THE, UH, LEGAL DOCUMENTATION THAT YOU PROVIDED. IT IS PRETTY THOROUGH FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN THUS FAR. UH, I ACTUALLY, UH, WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AFTER THIS. 'CAUSE I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU REGARDING WHAT I'VE READ BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE LIKE TWO PAPERS. I UNDERLINED THAT I AM PRIMARY, THE BABY HAS TO LIVE WITH ME. YEAH. I'VE SEEN ALL THAT. AND EVERY, AND AND, AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, EVERYTHING THAT YOU SUBMITTED THUS FAR LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE TAKEN EVERY APPROPRIATE STEP. I'M TRYING TO DO MY BEST BECAUSE I'M LIKE THE MOTHER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. MM-HMM . I'M FROM DISTRICT K, I'VE BEEN THERE 33 [02:05:01] YEARS. THESE PEOPLE HAVE MOVED 30 SOMETHING TIMES. YES MA'AM. AND THIS BABY IS ON THE MOVE. SHE'S TWO YEARS OLD AND I DON'T WANT HER TO BE A STATISTIC. MALIA DAVIS, A LOT OF OTHER KIDS HAS DIED IN CPS CUSTODY. CPS INFORMED ME THEY SHOULD HAVE WENT AND GOT THE BABY FROM INGLESIDE. WHEN THE BABY WAS TAKEN FROM ME AND I WAS JUMPED ON, THE DA DID NOT PRESS CHARGES. IT DOESN'T MATTER WITH ME WITH THAT. UH, ALL I WANT IS THE BABY'S SAFETY. UNDERSTOOD. AND THE BABY. OKAY. SHE'S TWO YEARS OLD, SHE'S LOOKING FOR HER MOM. I KNOW YOU HAVE GRANDCHILDREN. I KNOW YOU HAVE GREAT GRANDCHILDREN AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR YOUR MOM AND LOOKING FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LOVE YOU, YOU DON'T, THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE TAKING YOU FROM PLACE TO PLACE AND HIDING IN ROOMS IN THE HOUSES, THIS BABY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS. HER MOM HAS JUST GOTTEN MURDERED SIX SHOTS. AND WHEN HE SHOT HER THE FIRST TIME SHE FELT THAT SHE BLED OUT AT HERMAN HOUSE. SHE BLED OUT AND, AND, AND, AND, AND I'M JUST, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION. OKAY. ALRIGHT. I'M ALSO A AUTHOR. I, I DO CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND I DO BOOKS TO GO IN PRISON. I DONE WENT IN PRISONS. I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE DOWN HERE IN CITY COUNCILMAN AND I'M CONSTANTLY COMING. I GOT FIVE OTHER GRANDKIDS, ONE GETTING READY TO GRADUATE FROM STERLING AND, AND UH, UH, UH, VARANT STADIUM AND ALL THIS. AND I'M A MOTHER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN GLEN IRIS. I HELP KIDS PICK UP CHILDREN. THE GUY THAT MURDERED MY GRANDDAUGHTER, I PICKED HIM AND HIS BROTHER UP FROM MADISON HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PRACTICE. YES MA'AM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M VERY SORRY TO HEAR THAT. AND LIKE I SAID, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED THUS FAR, UH, HAS HELPED ME GIVE A, GIVE ME MORE CLARIFICATION ON WHAT'S GOING ON. YOU DID TAKE ALL THE APPROPRIATE STEPS AND SO I'LL TALK WITH YOU AFTER THIS. UH, YES. 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN ON THE NEWS AND THE ONLY THING IT IS THE MISSING PERSON UNIT WAS TALKING TO HER AND THEY DID NOT JUST TELL HER TO BRING THE BABY, BUT THEY ASKED, ASKED DID I TALK TO HER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, NEXT SPEAKER, THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. SURE. THANK YOU. UH, JUST A, I'M SORRY. OH, I'M SORRY MAYOR, BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT, I JUST WANTED TO WISH A HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. DR. CRUMPTON YOUNG. THANK YOU. OH GOOD. OKAY. 21ST BIRTHDAY FIRST. AND THEN LEMME JUST REMIND, UH, LEMME JUST SAY, UH, CHIEF CHIEF NER AND HIS EXECUTIVE TEAM WILL BE HERE TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 AM CHIEF FENNER AND HIS EXECUTIVE TEAM WILL BE HERE TOMORROW MORNING JUST TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON CRIME STATS TOMORROW MORNING AT NINE. SO WE'RE GONNA START PROMPTLY AT NINE 'CAUSE WE, UM, SEVERAL THINGS WE NEED TO DO TOMORROW MORNING. [RECESS] OKAY. HAVING SAID THAT, WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL TOMORROW MORNING AT NINE. GOOD MORNING. I'M COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM THE ANNUS OF COUNCIL CHAMBER. I'M ABOUT TO READ THE DESCRIPTION, OUR CAPTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE WEEK, MAY 3RD, 2023. ITEM ONE, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD. ITEM TWO, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF REAPPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OLD SPANISH TRAIL ALAMEDA CORRIDOR ZONE TERRA NUMBER SEVEN. ITEM THREE, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF REAPPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OLD SPANISH TRAIL, ALAMEDA CORRIDORS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. ITEM FOUR, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF MICHAEL. A ROAR TO POSITION THREE OF THE REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER ONE, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ITEM FIVE, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF MICHAEL, A ROYAL TO POSITION THREE OF THE ST. GEORGE PLACE, REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. ITEM SIX, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF JAY RANDALL POWERS, HISD REPRESENTATIVE TO POSITION EIGHT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 16. ITEM SEVEN, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF JAY RANDALL POWERS, HISD REPRESENTATIVE TO POSITION EIGHT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE UPTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. ITEM EIGHT, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY AND DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON APPLE SYSTEM TO SET DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GOALS FOR D-O-T-F-A-A CONTRACTS FOR THE PERIOD OCTOBER 1ST, 2023 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025 IN COMPLIANCE WITH DBE ORDINANCE 99 8 93 AND D-O-T-F-A-A MANDATED REQUIREMENTS AS REFLECTED IN 49 CFR PART 26. ITEM NINE, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $3,034,897 AND 28 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH SPECIALIZED MAINTENANCE SERVICES, INC. ITEM 10, US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR FUEL CARDS AND RELATED SERVICES THROUGH TEXAS STATE COUNCIL ON COMPETITIVE GOVERNMENT CONTRACT THROUGH THE STATE OF TEXAS COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM. ITEM 11, AMEND MOTION 29 20 18. [02:10:01] SIX 16 PASSED NOVEMBER 28TH, 2018 TO INCREASE SPENDING AUTHORITY FROM $28,132,253 AND 94 CENTS TO $28,707,389 AND 69 CENTS TO SMAS INDUSTRIES INDUSTRY INC. FOR WATER METERS AND WATER METER REPLACEMENT PARTS. ITEM 12, WAHA PIERCE INDUSTRIES LLC FOR PURCHASE OF A GENERATOR THROUGH THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AGREEMENT WITH BOB BOARD FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM 13, DENALI WATER SOLUTIONS LLC FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL PAYMENT FOR EMERGENCY SLUDGE PROCESSING. ITEM 14, MIDDLETON AND BROWN LLC FOR APPROVAL OF SPRINGING AUTHORITY FOR EMERGENCY WATERLINE INSPECTION SERVICES. ITEM 15, PLANTED CELLULAR INC FOR PURCHASE OF RATCHET LOAD BINDERS. ITEM 16, PATRICIA TECH SUPPLY AND SERVICES PER FOR PURCHASE OF ALUMINUM SIGNAL. ITEM 17, EXCUSE ME. ITEM 17, TRANSEX TRANSPORTATION PRODUCTS FOR PURCHASE OF THERMOPLASTIC COMPOUND THROUGH THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AGREEMENT WITH THE TEXAS AND A LOCAL PURCHASING SYSTEM. TIPS FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM 18, RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTING THE FISCAL YEAR 2024. JULY 21. JULY 1ST, 2023 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2024. BUDGET SCHEDULED FOR THE CITY BUDGETS ITEM 19, RESOLUTION, APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING NOMINATION OF ATTILA FORMER CORPORATION, LOCATED AT 1 6 4 1 6 NORTH CHASE DRIVE, ITEM 20, RESOLUTION, APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING NOMINATION OF DEAN N LP, LOCATED AT 74 0 2 NORTH ELRIDGE PARKWAY. ITEM 21, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF THE ACTION PLAN FOR DISASTER RECOVERY 2021. WINTER TO STORM TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT. ITEM 22, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING BINDING MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND CITY OF HOUSTON. ITEM 23, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,433,227 AND 50 CENTS OUT OF AIRPORTS RENEWAL REPLACEMENT FUND, AWARDING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT TO FMG CONSTRUCTION GROUP, LLC ITEM 24, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT NUMBER 4 6 0 0 0 1 7 4 BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND GEOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH RESEARCH INSTITUTE, ITEM 25, ORDINANCE DE APPROPRIATING $15,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK CONTRACT WITH SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC BUILDINGS AMERICA INC. ITEM 26, ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 22 5 0 3, PAST JUNE 22ND, 2022 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND IMPACT STRATEGIC CONSULTING LLC ITEM 27. ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 22 5 0 4, PAST JUNE 22ND, 2022 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HILL DAY PUBLIC RELATIONS. ITEM 28, ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 81 POINT 53 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 4, 9 5 ITEM 29, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. ITEM 30, ORDINANCE AWARDING CONTRACT TO TYCON GROUP, INC. FOR CONCRETE AND ASPHALT RESTORATION. ITEM 31, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,107,698 AND NO CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT SPECIALIZED MAINTENANCE SERVICES, INC. FOR SANITARY SEWER CLEANING AND TELEVISION INSPECTION IN SUPPORT OF REHABILITATION. ITEM 32, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,737,627 AND NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT SPECIALIZED MAINTENANCE SERVICES, INC. FOR SANITARY TOOL CLEANING AND TELEVISION INSPECTION IN SUPPORT OF REHABILITATION. THIS COMPLETES THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MATTER SALE CATEGORY. ITEM 33 WAS A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER CASTEX TATUM, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS TO A DIRECT RECOMMENDATION FROM CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER TO AWARD TO OMEGA ENGINEERS INC. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KUBO. THIS WAS ITEM EIGHT ON AGENDA OF APRIL 26TH, 2023. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE COUNCIL SESSION OF MAY 3RD, 2023. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF THE CITY SECRETARY PAT JEFFERSON. DANIEL, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. THANK YOU MADAM SECRETARY. THANK YOU. MY NUMBER ONE FAN. IF EVERYBODY CAN COME AND TAKE A SEAT. NOISY POLICE OFFICER. [RECONVENE] IF EVERYBODY CAN TAKE YOUR SEATS, PLEASE. [02:15:42] OKAY. I AM SHOWING NINE O'CLOCK. LEMME SAY GOOD MORNING. TO, TO EVERYONE. UH, THIS IS, IT'S NINE O'CLOCK ON WEDNESDAY, MAY THE THIRD, 2023. I'M MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER. I'M CALLING THIS MEETING WITH HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. DOY, UH, THIS IS HOW WE'RE GONNA PROCEED THIS MORNING. WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH A REPORT BY CHIEF NER AND HIS TEAM. UH, THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE AGENDA, DO MISCELLANEOUS, AND THEN WE'LL DO TAKE UP APPOINTMENTS IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER. OKAY. AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE FROM THERE. UM, BUT I KNOW, UH, CHIEF, THAT YOU, THERE'S A LOT PLANNED FOR TODAY. UH, NATIONAL POLICE WEEK. SO A LOT OF, UH, ACTIVITIES. SO WANTED TO GIVE YOU AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE TO KIND OF GO THROUGH, UM, THE NUMBERS AND THE ANALYSIS AND WHERE WE ARE. I DO THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO HEAR, UH, WHERE WE ARE, WHETHER OR NOT CRIME IS GOING UP, WHETHER OR NOT CRIME IS GOING DOWN. UM, ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT CRIME EVERYWHERE, NOT JUST IN THE CITY, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, TO KEEP PROVIDING PEOPLE, UH, WITH THE INFORMATION, GOOD, BAD, OR INDIFFERENT. SO, UM, UH, WHY DON'T WE, UM, WHY DON'T WE GET STARTED? AND CHIEF FON, LEMME TURN IT OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, IT'S ALWAYS AN HONOR TO COME BEFORE OUR GRADE, UH, COUNCIL, UM, UH, TALK ABOUT IT ALL, ALL AROUND THE NATION. UH, THE SUPPORT WE HAVE, UM, HOW WE HAVE A MAYOR THAT'S, UH, TOUGH AND SMART ON CRIME, AND HOW WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE TOUGH AND SMART ON CRIME. AND, AND IT MEANS SO MUCH. UH, IT IS POLICE WEEK AND, AND WE DO HAVE THE, UH, PRAYER AT 10 O'CLOCK. UM, BUT I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND, AND, AND LET PEOPLE KNOW AND ASK THAT THEY COME OUT AND PARTICIPATE FRIDAY, UH, EVENING. AND WE'LL SEND OUT THE EXACT TIME. UM, THAT'S OUR MEMORIAL CEREMONY. 121 OFFICERS, UH, IN THE HISTORY OF OUR AGENCY HAS PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE. AND WE GO OUT AND HONOR THEM EVERY YEAR. AND WE'LL DO THAT FRIDAY NIGHT. AND, UM, THERE A LOT OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS ARE THERE, SO WE WANNA SUPPORT THAT. BUT, UH, WE'RE HERE TO, UH, PRESENT THE FIRST QUARTER, UH, REPORT ON CRIME. UM, AND I WANNA SAY THIS TOO. I, I, I REALLY WANT TO APPLAUD THE GREAT WORK OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN, IN UNIFORM AND I'LL SUPPORT STAFF, UH, BECAUSE ALL THAT WE'RE UP AGAINST. UM, AND YOU'LL SEE IN, UH, JUST HERE SHORTLY WHEN WE GO OVER THESE NUMBERS, I WANT TO COMMEND THEM. AND NOT ONLY, UH, THE HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS, EVERYBODY IN OUR, UH, REGION, UH, YOU'LL SEE, UM, THE LOCAL, THE STATE, THE FEDERAL, UH, PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE, AND ALSO THE DECISIONS THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE MAKING, UH, BETTER DECISIONS BECAUSE IT TAKES US ALL TO REDUCE CRIME. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE, UH, THAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN, IN THE CITY. WE'LL MOVE TO THE FIRST, UH, SLIDE DURING THE FIRST QUARTER. UM, THANKS AGAIN FOR ONE. SAFE HOUSTON. UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. NOW, THANK YOU. UM, DURING THE FIRST QUARTER, UM, WE HAD A, UH, A FEW EVENTS. UM, THE RODEO, FINAL FOUR, EVERYTHING WENT EXCEPTIONAL. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THAT, UH, RECRUITING. UH, OUR ACADEMY CLASSES ARE FULL. MAYOR COUNCIL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING A $10,000, UM, UM, INITIATIVE, UM, UH, SIGNING INITIATIVE TO, UH, CADETS COMING IN. UH, THAT'S HELPING. UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD AND GET THOSE, UH, UM, UH, ACADEMY CLASSES FULL. NEXT SLIDE. WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UH, ONE, SAY HOUSTON REAL QUICK. AGAIN, EVERYBODY KNOWS WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, BUT MAYOR, UM, THE BEGINNING OF LAST YEAR, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CRIME NUMBERS WERE AND YOU INSTITUTED ONE SAFE HOUSTON, AND I WON'T GO DOWN EVERY BULLET POINT ON THERE 'CAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WHERE WE TOUCH ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS BUY, GUN BACK, UM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND, AND GETTING ALL CITIZENS AND, AND EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN FIGHTING CRIME. AND, AND WE'VE SEEN THE DIVIDEND AND SOME, I KNOW, UH, WE HAVE A, A GUN BUYBACK, UH, SCHEDULED FOR SOME TIME THIS SUMMER. WE, WE WILL STAY ON [02:20:01] THAT. BUT, UM, NEXT SLIDE AGAIN. UM, THE HARD WORK AND THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE AS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. UM, I DO WANT TO TOUCH ON, UM, REALLY QUICKLY. UH, YOU'VE SEEN OVER THE, THE PAST, UH, FEW MONTHS, I THINK, IN MY OPINION, UH, MORE COORDINATION AND MORE COMMUNICATION WITH OUR, UH, CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY. AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE THE JUDGES TALKING MORE AND THE DA'S TALKING MORE AND THE POLICE OFFICERS ARE TALKING SOLUTION BASED. SO THAT'S WHAT YOU, UM, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING. BUT ALSO I WANT TO, UH, GIVE SOME, UH, UH, THANKS TO OUR US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, SOUTHERN DISTRICT, UH, AND THOSE PROSECUTORS WHO HAVE COME INTO OUR AREA. UH, WHEN WE PUT PEOPLE, UH, IN FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS AND BRING FEDERAL CHARGES ON THEM, IT SENDS A MESSAGE TO A LOT OF CRIMINALS IN, IN, IN OUR, IN OUR CITY. AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. UH, NEXT SLIDE. LET'S GET INTO THE STATS. UH, THESE STATS FOR ON, ON THIS PAGE, UH, APRIL IS INCLUDED. THERE WILL NOT BE THE OFFICIAL STATS. THEY STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH STAFF REVIEW. UH, ONCE, UH, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF MARTIN GOES OVER THE, UH, UM, THE, THE DISTRICT STATS AND EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER OF THOSE ARE THE FIRST QUARTER. AND THAT GOES FROM, UH, JANUARY, UM, TO, UH, MARCH. BUT, UM, THESE ARE, UM, APRIL IS INCLUDED. UM, I ALSO WANT TO JUST PAUSE AND AND YOU DON'T SEE HER UP HERE, BUT MELISSA COMMONS IS OUR DATA GOVERNANCE AND, UH, UH, PLANNING. UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, PLEASE STAND IF YOU CAN, IF YOU DON'T MIND, RIGHT QUICK. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK. UH, SOMETIMES WE, YOU DON'T SEE THE UNIFORM, BUT THAT IS A DEPUTY DIRECTOR WITH OUR AGENCY AND THEY WORK EXTREMELY HARD. AND I WANT TO THANK HER FOR CRUNCHING NUMBERS AND DOING, KEEPING US GOING AND KEEPING US INFORMED. UH, ALSO, UH, MY TEAM, MY EXECUTIVE TEAM IS BEHIND ME. I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM FOR THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO. SO LET'S GET INTO THE NUMBERS RIGHT QUICK. UM, WE HAD, UH, TWO HOMICIDES LAST NIGHT, AND I KNOW THE NEWS IS, IS REPORTING ON IT. SO I WANT TO INCLUDE THOSE. UM, SO IF YOU ADD THOSE NUMBERS, WE 111 INSTEAD OF 28%, THAT DROPS US TO 27% IN MURDERS. RAPE IS DOWN 6%. ROBBERY IS DOWN 10%. AGGRAVATED ASSAULT IS DOWN 12%. KIDNAPPING IS DOWN 19%. HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS DOWN 23%. OVERALL, VIOLENT CRIME IN OUR CITY IS DOWN 12%. IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, PROPERTY CRIMES, THE AUTO THEFT IS UP 14%. BURGLARY IS UP 2%, THEFT IS DOWN 10%. NONVIOLENT CRIME OVERALL IS DOWN 5% GRAND. TOTAL OF ALL CRIME IN OUR CITY IS DOWN 6%. AND I WANT TO SAY THIS BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO, UH, CHIEF MARTIN, WHEN I LOOK AT THE STATS AND I LOOK AT EACH DISTRICT, EACH COUNCIL MEMBER, OVERALL CRIME IS DOWN AND THAT IS TO BE COMMENDED. NOW I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING WE UNDERSTAND, JUST LIKE IN ANY COMPETITION, THIS IS JUST THE FIRST QUARTER. AND I ASK THAT WE CONTINUE TO GET SUPPORT FROM EVERYBODY AROUND IN THIS ROOM AND ALSO OUR CITIZENS. WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE SMART DECISIONS. WE STILL HAVE TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS OUT. SUMMER IS COMING AND WE GOT A GROUP TOGETHER, EITHER STRONGER BECAUSE WE AND I INTEND, AND MY FOCUS AND MY GOAL AND THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT AND EVERYBODY IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THOSE NUMBERS DOWN. BUT WHEN I SEE IN EACH MEMBER, EACH COUNCIL MEMBER'S DISTRICT, THOSE NUMBERS ARE DOWN. UH, THAT'S TO BE CELEBRATED FOR A QUICK MOMENT. BUT WE ARE GONNA STILL BE, AND WE'RE STILL GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK HARD IN THIS CITY. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU MA'AM. CHIEF MARTIN AND CHIEF MARTIN FORD. BEFORE YOU MOVE FORWARD, I JUST WANT TO AGAIN, EMPHASIZE THAT IN THE VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORY, CHIEF, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL, UH, GUIDE IT AND UNDERSTAND IT. THE MURDERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AT LEAST FROM UH, JANUARY THROUGH THE END OF APRIL, THAT HOMICIDES ARE DOWN 27%. 27%. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK CHIEF MARTIN. ALRIGHT. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE. UH, AGAIN, TO REITERATE WHAT THE CHIEF SAID, WE APPRECIATE, UH, ALL OF Y'ALL'S EFFORTS ON OUR BEHALF. UH, A LOT OF WHAT WE DO COULDN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT THE SUPPORT THAT WE GET. UH, SOME OF THE RECENT INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY HAS REALLY BENEFITED US. AND, AND SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND ALSO TO REITERATE THAT WE COULD NOT DO ANYTHING THAT WE DO. AND NONE OF THESE NUMBERS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS CITY. UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S 2.2 MORE, MORE THAN 2.3 MILLION [02:25:01] PEOPLE IN THIS CITY. AND WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT AND WITHOUT THEIR EFFORTS, UH, TO HELP KEEP THE CITY SAFE, THE 5,000 OF US COULD NOT DO IT. ALRIGHT, LEMME GET INTO THE COUNCIL, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT NUMBERS. UH, AS THE CHIEF SAID, THE, THE OVERALL NUMBERS FOR THE CITY, THAT WAS FOUR MONTHS. THAT WAS THE MONTH OF APRIL, INCLUDED. THE COUNCIL DISTRICT NUMBERS ARE ONLY JANUARY THROUGH MARCH. UH, THAT IS THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE BREAKDOWN. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE NUMBERS ADDED UP, THEY'RE NOT GONNA EQUAL WHAT WAS ON THAT TOTAL PAGE BECAUSE THAT'S FOUR MONTHS. THIS IS THREE MONTHS. BUT FOR EACH DISTRICT, UH, THERE'S A THREE MONTH BREAKDOWN. SO THAT, THAT WILL BE THE ONE DIFFERENCE IF I'M GONNA USE COUNCIL DISTRICT A TO GO OVER A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT, UH, GENERALITIES HERE, YOU'LL NOTICE A COUPLE OF, MATTER OF FACT. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, TO GET THE COUNCIL DISTRICT NUMBERS UP. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ONE MORE, GO TO DISTRICT A. OKAY. IF YOU LOOK, THERE'S A COUPLE OF RED NUMBERS ON HERE. WE SAW ALL GREEN ON THE CITYWIDE NUMBERS, BUT WHEN YOU BREAK IT DOWN DISTRICT BY DISTRICT, THE NUMBERS BECOME SMALLER AND WE SEE SOME DIFFERENT PERCENTAGE CHANGES. UH, THE ONE THING YOU'RE GONNA SEE VERY CONSISTENTLY IN SOME DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND IS GONNA BE A NUMBER, UH, A RED NUMBER NEXT TO THE RAPE CATEGORY, AND A RED NUMBER NEXT TO THE AUTO THEFT CATEGORY, UH, PRETTY CONSISTENTLY IN SOME OF OUR DISTRICTS. UH, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT THANKFULLY, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR CITIZENS, THOSE, UH, THE, THE RAPE CATEGORY IS SMALLER THAN A LOT OF OUR VIOLENT CRIME. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE VICTIMS IS EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT TO US. IT'S SOMETHING WE PUT EXTREME AMOUNT OF EFFORT INTO. UH, YOU KNOW, MURDERS, RAPES, ANYTHING THAT IS VIOLENT AND AFFECTS OUR CITIZENS, WE TAKE WITH UTMOST SERIOUSNESS. SO WE WENT AND LOOKED AT THE RAPE NUMBERS BEFORE WE CAME IN HERE TODAY. I HAD OUR SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT LOOK AT THIS BECAUSE SEVERAL COUNCIL DISTRICTS ARE GONNA SEE THAT NUMBER IS UP. THERE IS NOT A SPECIFIC PATTERN THAT WE'RE SEEING AROUND THE CITY. UH, WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST A FLUCTUATION BASED ON TIME, BUT THERE IS NOT A SPECIFIC PATTERN, A SPECIFIC SERIAL OFFENDER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE CITY. UH, THE NUMBERS TEND TO BE BETTER THAN 50% KNOWN PARTIES. THOSE PEOPLE ARE JUST AS MUCH A VICTIM AS ANYONE ELSE. AND SO WE HAVE TO INVESTIGATE THOSE CRIMES AS WELL. BUT YOU SEE CHILD MOLESTATION ISSUES, YOU SEE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUES, UH, AND WE'RE SEEING A LOT. AND, AND TO GET INTO, WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING SOME PUBLIC SERVICE INFORMATION OUT RE SOON. WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF CASES WHERE PEOPLE MEET IN A CHAT ROOM OR SOMETHING ONLINE OR MEET THROUGH SOME TYPE OF DATING APP. AND THEN WHEN THEY MEET UP IN PERSON, AN ASSAULT OCCURS. SO WE'RE GONNA TRY AND PUT SOME SAFETY INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC TO TRY AND PUT A DENT IN THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT A LITTLE BIT. AND WHILE THOSE ARE, THOSE FALL INTO THE STRANGER CATEGORY OF RAPES 'CAUSE THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT PERSON. UH, IT'S STILL AN ACQUAINTANCE AS SOMEBODY THAT THEY MET, SOMEBODY THAT THEY KNOW AND THEY WENT TO MEET AND THEN SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED TO THEM. AND SO WE'RE GONNA TRY AND PUT SOME INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC TO TRY AND HELP KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. SO WE HAVEN'T SEEN A SPECIFIC PATTERN, BUT YOU ARE GONNA SEE SOME DISTRICTS WHERE THOSE NUMBERS ARE UP. UH, AGAIN, THE PERCENTAGES LOOK WORSE THAN THE RAW NUMBERS. IF YOU LOOK AT DISTRICT A, IT'S 25%. THAT'S AN INCREASE IN FOUR OVER THE FIRST QUARTER OF LAST YEAR. THAT'S FOUR. THAT'S TOO MANY. BUT THAT'S AN INCREASE IN FOUR INCIDENTS. BUT IT'S A 25% INCREASE BECAUSE IT'S A TOTAL OF 20, UH, FOR THE DISTRICT. LAST YEAR IT WAS 16. SO THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE. UH, THANKFULLY IT'S, IT'S NOT, UH, MASSIVE, BUT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE CRIMES IS IMPORTANT AND IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH. LOOKING AT AUTO THEFT. GO A LITTLE BIT INTO THAT. YOU'RE GONNA SEE CONSISTENTLY ACROSS SOME DISTRICTS, YOU'RE GONNA SEE AUTO THEFT NUMBERS BEING UP. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING IS WE MAY BE A LITTLE BIT A VICTIM OF OUR, OF SUCCESS WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS. 'CAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER SOME OF THE PREVIOUS TIMES WE WERE UP HERE, WE TALKED ABOUT THEFT NUMBERS BEING UP SIGNIFICANTLY, AND THOSE THEFT NUMBERS WERE BEING DRIVEN HEAVILY BY CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS, BURGLARIES OF MOTOR VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, GUNS BEING STOLEN FROM CARS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. THAT WAS WHAT WAS DRIVING THOSE THEFT NUMBERS. WELL, YOU'RE GONNA SEE ACROSS THE BOARD THAT THEFT NUMBERS ARE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGH LEGISLATIVE CHANGES FOR CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS, MAKING THE PENALTIES MORE SEVERE. AND THE FACT THAT THE COST OF THE PRECIOUS METALS THAT ARE IN THOSE HAS COME WAY DOWN SO THAT THERE'S NOT AS MUCH REWARD FOR THE RISK, BUT WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE INSTEAD OF THEM JUST STEALING THE WHOLE CAR. SO, UH, TECHNOLOGY IS PLAYING A PART IN THAT. WE'RE SEEING KIAS AND, UH, AND HYUNDAIS HIGH ON THE LIST THAT WHERE THEY'VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE BECAUSE THE CRIMINALS HAVE LEARNED TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO STEAL THOSE CARS, UH, IN SOME WAYS. AND THEY'RE USING TECHNOLOGY TO STEAL OTHER MAKES AND MODELS AS WELL. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE ALWAYS STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH. THEY'RE, THEY'RE REPROGRAMMING THEIR OWN KEYS. THEY'RE SEAL THESE IN, IN WAYS, VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IT WAS WHEN I WAS A YOUNG OFFICER ON THE STREET WHEN THEY JUST BROKE THE WINDOW AND BROKE THE COLUMN AND DROVE OFF WITH IT. SO TECHNOLOGY IS WHAT THEY'RE USING TO DRIVE THOSE NUMBERS. ALL RIGHT, NEXT SLIDE. UH, DISTRICT B, AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN SEXUAL ASSAULT NUMBERS AND AN INCREASE IN AUTO THEFT. THAT'S AN INCREASE IN FIVE OVER LAST YEAR. UH, ONE THING THAT IS GOOD NEWS IN DISTRICT B IS WE DID HAVE, UH, OH, YEAH, YEAH. OH, GOOD POINT. DEFINITELY. I, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE BAD NEWS AND SHE'S [02:30:01] 0.9. IT'S ABOUT NEWS. I WAS, I WAS GONNA SAY, I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU LOOK AT DISTRICT WOULD TO FOCUS ON THE GOOD NEWS, LET, LET ME POKE. YEAH, I WANTED HIM TO, UH, EXPLAIN AT, AT THE FRONT END, UH, SO WE CAN GET THROUGH THE SLIDES BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS GONNA SEE, UH, THE SEXUAL ASSAULT AND, AND GOOD OR BAD, YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN THAT. BUT I ALSO WANT US TO, TO, TO LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON GOOD. AND HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT. SO MAKE SURE THAT WE GO OVER THE WHOLE THING REAL QUICK AND GET, UH, SLIDES THROUGH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO TO, TO GO BACK TO DISTRICT A MURDERS ARE DOWN 43%. SO, UH, TO COVER THE GOOD NEWS AS WELL AS THE BAD MURDER'S DOWN 43% AND OVERALL VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN 7% AND OVERALL CRIME'S DOWN 6%. NOW, NEXT SLIDE. ONE BIT OF GOOD NEWS HERE ON THE, ON THE THE RAPE NUMBER IS WE DID HAVE, UH, A SUSPECT THAT WAS ARRESTED VERY RECENTLY THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, MORE THAN ONE, UH, RAPE IN THIS PARTICULAR DISTRICT. SO THAT HOPEFULLY WILL PUT A DENT IN THOSE NUMBERS, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING. BUT MURDERS ARE DOWN 27%. AGAIN, OVERALL VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN 12%. AND OVERALL CRIME IN THE DISTRICT IS DOWN 14%. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. DISTRICT SEES ONE OF THE DISTRICTS WHERE WE DID NOT SEE AN INCREASE IN RAPES, BUT WE DID SEE AN INCREASE IN AUTO THEFTS, JUST LIKE WE'RE SEEING IN A LOT OF PLACES. BUT AGAIN, 13% OVERALL DECREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME AND A 4% DECREASE OVERALL IN CRIME IN GENERAL. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. DISTRICT D UH, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER SHIRAZ IS GONNA BE VERY, UH, HAPPY TO SEE THAT THERE'S A GREEN ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORIES. IN IN DISTRICT D, UH, EVERY, EVERY VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORY SHOWED A DECREASE WITH A DECREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME OF 21%. UH, WE DID SEE AN INCREASE IN AUTO THEFTS, UH, WHICH AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING IN DIFFERENT PLACES AROUND THE CITY. BUT THERE'S AN OVERALL DECREASE IN CRIME IN DISTRICT D OF 15%. DISTRICT E COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN. UH, THIS IS KIND OF AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT I TALKED ABOUT WITH THE PERCENTAGES. YOU SEE SOME HIGHER PERCENTAGES UP IN THE VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORIES, AND YET OVERALL VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN 28%. IN DISTRICT E, UH, YOU SEE AN 18% INCREASE IN RAPES. THAT'S A, THAT'S A TOTAL OF THREE MORE THAN LAST YEAR. SEE A 2% INCREASE IN ROBBERY, WHICH IS A TOTAL OF ONE MORE THAN LAST YEAR. YOU SEE A 78% DECREASE IN MURDERS, WHICH IS FANTASTIC. UH, IT'S SEVEN FEWER THAN LAST YEAR IN, IN THAT DISTRICT. SO AN OVERALL CRIME DECREASE OF 17%. AND DISTRICT F. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THERE YOU GO. DISTRICT F WE, WE, AGAIN, SEE THAT SLIGHT INCREASE IN RAPES. IT'S AN INCREASE IN THREE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. BUT A 29% DECREASE IN MURDERS, AN OVERALL 30% DECREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME AND AN OVERALL DECREASE IN CRIME IN THE DISTRICT OF 21%. ALRIGHT, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. DISTRICT E. THERE WE GO. ALRIGHT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN DISTRICT, AGAIN, WE SEE A 75% DECREASE IN HOMICIDES, WHICH IS GOOD. WE ACTUALLY SAW A 56% DECREASE IN RAPES IN HER DISTRICT. UH, THAT'S, UH, A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DROP 'CAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 15 CASES DIFFERENT OVER LAST YEAR TO THE NEGATIVE SIDE, AGAIN, WE SAW THE SLIGHT INCREASE IN AUTO THEFT, BUT WE SEE A 10% DECREASE IN OVERALL VIOLENT CRIME AND A 12% INCREASE DECREASE IN CRIME OVERALL. THIS COUNCIL DISTRICT H WE SAW A 53% INCREASE IN RAPES HERE, HERE WAS WHERE THE NUMBERS WERE A LITTLE HIGHER. WE SAW A 10, WE SAW 10, UH, IN EXCESS OF LAST YEAR FOR THE SAME TIME PERIOD. WE BROKE THAT DOWN. AND I LOOKED AT THOSE AND THEY ARE HEAVILY KNOWN PARTIES, HEAVILY DOMESTIC, YOU KNOW, CHILD, ADULT PREDATOR, WHO KNOWS THE CHILD, UH, PEOPLE WHO KNEW EACH OTHER. AND THEN WE DID HAVE SOME OF THOSE, LIKE WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE MET UP WITH SOMEONE THAT THEY HAD JUST BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH AND THEN WERE VICTIMIZED. UH, BUT THERE WASN'T A SPECIFIC PATTERN THAT REALLY JUMPED OUT AS TO WHY THOSE NUMBERS WERE HIGHER. BUT AGAIN, WE SAW THAT 20% DECREASE IN HOMICIDES, A 4% DECREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME, AND AN OVERALL 2% DECREASE IN CRIME. IN THE DISTRICT, DISTRICT GUY COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, WE SAW A 17% DECREASE IN HOMICIDES. WE SAW A 29% INCREASE IN THE RAPES. THAT WAS A COUNT OF SIX. AGAIN, WE LOOKED AT THOSE, BROKE 'EM DOWN, LOOKED AT THE DIFFERENT, UH, CASES AND WHAT THE MO WAS. AND THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING SPECIFIC THAT REALLY JUMPED OUT AS A PATTERN. IT WAS, IT WAS JUST AN INCREASE OVER THE PRIOR PERIOD. UH, WE SAW THAT 20% INCREASE IN HO IN AUTO THEFTS AGAIN, BUT STILL HAD A 16% DECREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME AND A 4% DECREASE IN OVERALL CRIME FOR THE DISTRICT GOING. DISTRICT J COUNCILMAN POLLARD, UH, WE SAW A 14% DECREASE IN HOMICIDES, HAD A 12% DECREASE IN RAPES. HERE WE SEE THAT 67% INCREASE IN KIDNAPPINGS. IF YOU REMEMBER LAST TIME WE DID THIS PRESENTATION, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT KIDNAPPINGS FOR ALMOST EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT. UH, AGAIN, GETTING INTO THAT KIDNAPPING CAN BE SOMETHING AS AS SIMPLE AS YOU HAVE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE WHERE THE OFFENDER REFUSES TO ALLOW THE OTHER PARTY TO LEAVE. THEY, THEY DETAIN THEM. THEY DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO LEAVE THE LOCATION. IT GETS ADDED AS A KIDNAPPING. SO IT, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY KIDNAPPING, [02:35:01] KIND OF BRINGS TO MIND CHILDREN BEING SNATCHED. AND IT, IT'S MORE, YOU GET A LOT OF CHILD CUSTODY ISSUES. YOU GET DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUES WHERE PEOPLE ARE DETAINED. THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE. SO IT'S AN INCREASE IN OF SIX, WHICH IS MORE THAN YOU WANNA SEE. BUT THERE WASN'T A SPECIFIC PATTERN. AGAIN, THERE WAS A 14% DECREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME AND AN OVERALL 8% DECREASE IN CRIME IN GENERAL. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW PLACES WHERE WE SAW A DECREASE IN AUTO THEFT OF 10%. UH, IN THAT DISTRICT, DISTRICT K, UH, WE SAW AN INCREASE IN MURDERS IN THIS DISTRICT. IT WAS AN INCREASE OF ONE OVER THE PRI OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. UH, ANY HOMICIDE IS TOO MANY HOMICIDES. BUT WE HAD A ONE, ONE COUNT INCREASE IN INCIDENTS OVER LAST YEAR. HAD A 30% INCREASE IN RAPES. THAT'S A COUNT OF SIX. AGAIN, THERE WAS NO PATTERN AND THEN HAD THE SAME INCREASE WE'VE BEEN SEEING IN AUTO THEFTS. HOWEVER, THE POSITIVE INFORMATION IS STILL THAT 18% DECREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME OVERALL AND AN OVERALL DECREASE OF 11% IN CRIME FOR THE DISTRICT. AND THEN WE GET BACK TO KIND OF, UH, GET BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED. THESE ARE THOSE FOUR, FOUR MONTH NUMBERS FOR THE CITY. THE CHIEF TALKED ABOUT THE 28. NOW, 27% DECREASE IN IN MURDERS. IF YOU REMEMBER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR FOR HOMICIDES WAS HORRENDOUS IN OUR CITY. WE, WE WERE PLAYING CATCH UP FOR THE WHOLE REST OF THE YEAR. WE WOULD START THE YEAR BAD THE MONTH OF JANUARY, AND THEN WE'D PLAY CATCH UP THE REST OF THE YEAR TO TRY AND GET BACK WHERE WE STARTED. UH, WE HAVE THE BENEFIT THIS YEAR OF STARTING OFF GOOD. UH, AND WE WANT TO KEEP THAT GOING. UH, THE CHIEF'S ALWAYS FOND OF SAYING SUMMER IS COMING, BUT, UH, WE WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO KEEP DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING. UH, WE, WE THANK THE RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO KEEP THEMSELVES AND THEIR NEIGHBORS SAFE. 'CAUSE WITHOUT THEM, WE COULD NOT DO IT. AND, UH, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEE THESE NUMBERS GET BETTER AND BETTER AS MONTHS GO BY. THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU. UM, CHIEF, UM, JUST WANT TO KEEP OUR MOMENTUM, UH, HERE AT THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND I, I THINK THAT MAYOR AND AND COUNCIL SHOULD BE PROUD. UM, WE DON'T FUDGE NUMBERS, WE TELL THE TRUTH. AND, UH, YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND THE TRUTH SPEAKS. PEOPLE ARE COMING TOGETHER, WE'RE SAFER THAN WE WERE LAST YEAR, UM, AND, AND WE'RE NEVER SATISFIED. BUT ONE THING I, I'LL ASK AND, AND, AND WE'LL, WE'LL OPEN UP, UM, PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR OUR MEN AND WOMEN ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. UH, NOT ONLY OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR WHOLE REGION, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT TRAUMA THAT PEOPLE SEE AND THEY'RE EXPOSED TO. AND EVEN OUR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS, THINGS THAT THEY'RE HEARING, UM, OUT WHEN THEY'RE DISPATCHING CALLS, UM, TO KEEP OUR CITY SAFE. SO PRAY, UH, FOR THEM. AND I ACTUALLY, WE PRAY FOR OUR VICTIMS OF VIOLENCES AS WELL. UM, BUT THAT COMPLETES OUR REPORT. UM, I, I'M, I'M REALLY PROUD ABOUT IT. I'LL SAY SUMMER IS COMING, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M PROUD FOR THIS MOMENT. BUT JUST LIKE ANY GOOD SPORTING GAME, YOU START STRONG, YOU FINISH STRONG. AND I INTEND TO FINISH STRONG WITH THE SUPPORT OF GREAT MAYOR AND A GREAT CITY COUNCIL. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK Y'ALL AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND WHAT Y'ALL DO FOR OUR CITY. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN MCCAMMON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, FIRST OFF, CHIEF TO ECHO WHAT YOU SAID, UM, MY HEARTFELT IN SINCEREST DEPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE TO HPD AND ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS. UM, YOU ALL ARE ON THE FRONT LINES EVERY SINGLE DAY. SO WE ARE SITTING HERE 100% BEHIND YOU, MAYOR, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH ONE SAFE HOUSTON FUNDING OR THE OTHER INITIATIVES THAT YOU HAVE LED THE CHARGE ON, WE'RE UP TO, I THINK, SE OVER $70 MILLION UNDER ONE SAFE HOUSTON. BUT AGAIN, PLEASE, UH, CARRY THE MESSAGE BACK OF OUR APPRECIATION. IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. AND MELISSA, YOU DO AN AMAZING JOB. I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW. I MEAN, IT'S A ONE TO TWO PERSON SHOP PULLING, LOOKING AT ALL OF THE DATA, AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE GETTING THAT RMS SYSTEM IN AS NEW SYSTEM IN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE THAT WILL HELP US. UM, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO INCLUDE THE 2021 NUMBERS AND THOSE COMPARISONS, BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE IN THERE. SO MUCH HIGHER COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC. SO TO LOOK AT THE CHANGE POST PANDEMIC AND WHERE WE ARE, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. FOR EXAMPLE, UM, IN 21 IN DISTRICT C, THERE WERE 35 MURDERS. WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS NOW, WAY LOWER. UM, LEMME JUST SAY ON THAT NOTE, UH, COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. AND WHEN YOU COMPARE THE HOMICIDES TO 20, 21, 33 FEWER MURDERS AT THIS POINT THAN IN 2021. RIGHT? SO HAVING THAT THAT WE CAN SHARE OUT, UM, GIVES US A BROADER PICTURE OF THAT TREND AS WELL AS INCLUDING, I WOULD RECOMMEND TOTAL POPULATION COUNTS. DISTRICTS SEE, [02:40:01] UH, CENSUS DATA REPRESENTS 240,000 PEOPLE. I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY CLOSER TO A QUARTER MILLION. SO OUT OF 200 AND LET'S SAY 40,000 ON RECORD COMPARED TO WHAT THESE NUMBERS ARE. UH, I GIVE THE EXAMPLE IN DISTRICT E ONE OF THE, OUR SAFEST DISTRICTS, WHICH IS GREAT, THAT 200% DROP, UH, INCREASE AS YOU POINTED OUT. BUT IT'S A COUNT OF TWO. SO BEING ABLE TO SHOW THAT POPULATION IS VERY, VERY HELPFUL. UM, I WANTED TO ALSO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SAFE STORAGE CAMPAIGN. UH, THE LOCK IT UP SAFE, I THINK IS WORKING. THAT MESSAGE IS BEING PICKED UP BY THE MEDIA. UM, AND WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO WITH THAT. UH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A WAY I NOTICED THOSE AUTO THEFT, UH, AND THEFT. UH, WE DO NOT HAVE A WAY RIGHT NOW. WELL, FIRST I'LL ASK, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER WAS LAST YEAR FOR HOW MANY FIREARMS WERE TA STOLEN OUT OF VEHICLES? I DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL GET IT, WE'LL GET IT TO YOU AND WE'LL GET IT TO EVERY MORNING. YEAH, I DO KNOW THAT FOR THE FIRST, FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER, BUT I, I DID CO CORRESPOND WITH AUTO THEFT BEFORE WE CAME IN HERE. AND FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THE YEAR, THOSE NUMBERS ARE DOWN. SO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, UH, THE NUMBERS MONTH OVER MONTH WERE DOWN SLIGHTLY AS FAR AS, UH, FIREARMS STOLEN FROM VEHICLES. SO IF WE CAN KEEP THAT TREND GOING, THAT'D BE FANTASTIC. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE YEAR TO DATE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE THOUGH. OKAY. BUT I KNOW MONTH OVER MONTH THEY WERE DOWN FOR THE LAST MONTH. OKAY. THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. I THINK LAST YEAR IT WAS 2,400 REPORTED, WHICH IS WAY, I MEAN, THAT'S MORE THAN 11 A A DAY, UH, BEING STOLEN OUT OF VEHICLES WITH THE AUTO THEFT. IS THERE SOMETHING OCCURRING RIGHT NOW AS TO WHY AUTO THEFT IS HIGHER? I'VE SEEN DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE NEWS ABOUT NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT? UH, A LOT OF IT IS TECHNOLOGY THERE. THERE'S TECHNOLOGY THAT'S MADE IT EASIER FOR 'EM TO STEAL THE CARS IN A WAY THAT THAT MAKES IT LESS OBVIOUS. UH, A LOT OF THESE CARS ARE ACTUALLY LEAVING THE STATE, LEAVING THE COUNTRY. THEY'RE BEING STOLEN FOR A PURPOSE. UH, WE DID SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ONLY SPECULATE IF THE DIFFERENCE AND, AND THE DECREASE IN A LOT OF THOSE NUMBERS AS FAR AS CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS AND BMVS HAS RESULTED IN SOME OF THOSE SAME INDIVIDUALS SIMPLY STEALING THE CAR AS OPPOSED TO STEALING PARTS OF THE VEHICLE. UH, WE JUST DON'T HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC THING TO GO ON. WE DID JUST RECENTLY HAVE RODEO AND FINAL FOUR, WHICH FINAL FOUR IS KIND OF AN EXTRA ADD-ON, UH, VERSUS RODEO RODEO'S THERE EVERY YEAR. SO FOR FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR, WE ALWAYS HAVE RODEO, WHICH IS ALWAYS A SPIKE IN AUTO THEFTS AND BURGLARIES AND MOTOR VEHICLES AROUND THAT REGION. BECAUSE TO BE HONEST, THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT KNOWS THAT THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE COMING IN FROM OUT OF TOWN WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO LOCK THEIR STUFF UP 'CAUSE THEY DON'T LIVE HERE. RIGHT. UH, AND SO IT'S, IT'S A PRIME TARGET ENVIRONMENT. WE SEE A LOT OF FIREARMS STOLEN, PEOPLE COMING IN FROM OUT OF TOWN, GET THINGS STOLEN OUT OF THEIR VEHICLES. UH, BUT THEN THE FINAL FOUR WAS AN EXTRA ADD-ON EVENT, WHICH CONTRIBUTED EVEN FURTHER TO THAT, UH, IN, IN THAT PART OF TOWN, BRINGING IN A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE FOR AN ENTIRE WEEKEND, 3, 4, 5 DAY PERIOD. AND WE HAD A LOT OF EXTRA PEOPLE, A LOT OF EXTRA PEOPLE IN. AND THAT CAN DRIVE THOSE NUMBERS UP. GREAT. AND THE, UM, THE RATE NUMBERS ARE CONCERNING. I THINK ONE THING THAT'S TELLING, REGARDLESS OF WHAT DISTRICT, WE SEE THE SAME TRENDS, RIGHT? WE'RE SEEING EACH OF THOSE NUMBERS BY AND LARGE WHERE THERE'S AN INCREASE. IT'S HAPPENING IN EVERY DISTRICT, WHICH GOES TO THE POINT THAT THIS HAS TO BE A CITYWIDE APPROACH AND A HOLISTIC APPROACH. THE, UM, LET ME, CAN I SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICK ABOUT THAT? I'M SORRY MAYOR. 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, AND, AND CHIEF HIT ON IT, BUT, UM, WE WANT TO EDUCATE MORE. WE'RE IN A, UM, A POINTING OFF SOCIETY WHERE DATING IS ONLINE. YEAH. YOU DON'T DO IT TRADITIONALLY. LIKE SOMEBODY WILL INTRODUCE YOU TO SOMEONE AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS A GOOD GUY, THIS IS A GOOD GIRL. THEY'RE DATING ONLINE. AND THEN YOU'RE MEETING SOMEBODY IN PRIVATE AND YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW 'EM. AND, AND, AND SO WE REALLY HAVE TO PUT THAT EDUCATIONAL PIECE OUT THERE ON THAT. AND I WANNA WORK WITH EVERYBODY. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT EVEN WITH OUR PIO AS EARLY AS, AS LAST WEEK. WE WANT TO PARTNER UP WITH THAT. GREAT. I'M SORRY. NO, AND I WAS GONNA SAY, MAYOR, I, UH, RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT WE DO A PRESENTATION AT PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE ON, UM, THE SEXUAL ASSAULT TRENDS THAT WE ARE SEEING AND WHAT WE ARE DOING WHEN YOU ALL ARE READY, UM, FOR THAT INFORMATION CAMPAIGN, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REALLY TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AND BROADCAST THAT AS LOUDLY AS POSSIBLE. I WANT US TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE I THINK WHAT THEY INDICATED IS THAT THERE WAS NO SORT OF CONNECTION, UH, AND IN SOME DISTRICTS THERE WAS NO RAPE OCCURRING IN SOME OF THE DISTRICTS. SO I WANT US TO BE VERY CAREFUL, UH, THAT WE NOT OVER HIGHLIGHT THAT AND THEN DOWNPLAY THE GOOD NEWS, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE ARE SO CAUGHT UP IN THIS NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW THAT IT'S LIKE, WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR GOOD NEWS, [02:45:01] WE JUST WANT TO HEAR WHAT'S NEGATIVE. AND THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD HERE, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE A CONVERSATION ON THAT. YEAH. AND, AND ALL I'M SAYING IS FROM A EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? PEOPLE POST PANDEMIC WANT TO GET OUT MORE PEOPLE ARE DATING, THEY'RE USING THESE APPS. SO THE EDUCATION COMPONENT, I THINK IS WHAT, UM, I HOPE WE CAN LIFT UP FURTHER REGARDING THE, UH, DATA COLLECTION. WE DO NOT KNOW RELATED TO VIOLENT CRIME. WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY RIGHT NOW OR CAPABILITY TO IDENTIFY, UM, HOW MANY WERE WITH A FIREARM OR HOW THOSE FIREARMS WERE OBTAINED. SIMILARLY, WHAT WAS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RELATED OR NOT. DO WE, ARE WE ABLE TO BREAK THOSE DOWN? WE CAN BREAK IT DOWN TO YOU. WE WILL GET, UM, THERE ARE, UH, LIMP SOME CHALLENGES WITH RMS AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S JUST TAKE A LOT OF, UM, KIND OF FOOTWORK AND WE WILL GET IT. AND THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS EASIER BECAUSE WE DO, WE DO TRACK THAT PRETTY, PRETTY STANDARDLY AS LONG AS THE OFFICERS, UH, INDICATE IN THE, IN THE REPORT THAT IT WAS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UH, USE OF A FIREARM, WE CAN FIND SOMETIMES THE ACTUAL ORIGIN OF THE FIREARM IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT. OKAY. GREAT. AND, UM, TWO LA TWO FINAL QUESTIONS. ONE BUDGET SEASON IS COMING UP. UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT US TO BE AWARE OF? I KNOW WE'LL HAVE OUR HPD PRESENTATION, BUT, UM, HPD IS THE LAR, RIGHT? PUBLIC SAFETY IS THE LARGEST PORTION OF OUR BUDGET. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT? YES. UM, BUT I, I WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE BUDGET. UH, WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, SOME MEETINGS THIS WEEK AND ALSO NEXT WEEK TO MAKE SURE, UM, I PRIORITIZE WITH THE TEAM, UM, BEFORE, BECAUSE THINGS ARE TIGHT AND THEN EVERYBODY KNOW, UH, WE OVER BUDGET, UH, OVER A BILLION DOLLARS ON OUR BUDGET. UH, WE WANT TO BE SMART AND RESPONSIBLE, UM, TO, UM, ASK FOR THOSE THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED. AND WHERE THE CITY, NOT ONLY OUR DEPARTMENT, IS GONNA GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE BUCK. SO I, I'D RESPECTFULLY LIKE TO WAIT UNTIL OUR, OUR PRESENTATION. NO PROBLEM. AND THEN LASTLY, MAYOR, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW HOW WE ARE COMPARING TWO OTHER CITIES. I KNOW THAT HOUSTON IS HOUSTON AND WE NEED TO FOCUS ON HOUSTON, BUT I THINK THESE NUMBERS SPEAK TO HOW WE ARE LEADING THE WAY, UM, AND THE WAY THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING VIOLENT CRIME AND CRIME GENERALLY, AND PUBLIC SAFETY HOLISTICALLY. SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, OTHER TEXAS CITIES AND JUST TO KNOW WHAT THOSE TRENDS ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY'RE STILL TRENDING HIGHER THAN WE ARE, IT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT WITH THE CAVEAT, HOUSTON IS HOUSTON. UM, WE HAVE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES. WE HAVE MORE MILEAGE THAT OFFICERS HAVE TO COVER, UH, THAN CHICAGO OR NEW YORK. WE HAVE FEWER OFFICERS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. YET WE ARE STILL SEEING PHENOMENAL PROGRESS. ONE VIOLENT CRIME IS TOO MUCH, BUT WE ARE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, UM, IN MY APPRECIATION FOR THAT. THANK YOU. AND WHAT I CAN SAY TO YOU, IN TERMS OF HOMICIDES, WE ARE BETTER THAN CHICAGO, NEW YORK, UH, PHILADELPHIA. UM, IN FACT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WHOLE NUMBER OF CITIES IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF FEWER HOMICIDES AT THIS CASE, 40 42, UH, WE LEAD MOST OF THE CITIES IN TERMS OF, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF HOMICIDES THAT HAVE DROPPED IN COMPARISON TO 2022, UH, I SEE THOSE NUMBERS EVERY ON THE COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES EVERY WEEK. AND THE NUMBERS RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, I SEE EVERY, EVERY MORNING, AND I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, WE ARE COMPARING, UH, TO 22 IN THESE NUMBERS. BUT EVEN WHEN WE COMPARE TO 2021, UM, WE ARE TRENDING BETTER. SO, UH, I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT THIS TREND STARTED AFTER WE INSTITUTED ONE SAFE HOUSTON, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE YEAR IN 2022, THE CITY OF HOUSTON LED EVERY METROPOLITAN REGION IN THE VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. UM, AND WHAT'S GOOD, WHAT'S WHAT WE ARE SEEING HERE IS THAT THAT TREND CONTINUES TO COME DOWN. AND I THINK THAT'S THE KEY. WE ARE NOT, NOBODY'S CLAIMING MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, UH, CERTAINLY NOT DOING THAT. BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN I TWEETED OUT THAT WE HAD 43 FEWER HOMICIDES IN COMPARISON TO LAST, UM, YEAR, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY HOMICIDES THIS WEEKEND, PEOPLE FIND IT INCREDULOUS TO BELIEVE. AND THEN PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WHY ARE YOU, WHY ARE YOU TWEETING ABOUT NO HOMICIDES THIS WEEKEND? AS IF YOU'RE CELEBRATING, NOBODY'S CELEBRATING. BUT IT DOES APPEAR THAT PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR THE NEGATIVE NEWS AND DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE GOOD NEWS. AND IF THE ONLY THING YOU'RE HEARING IS THE NEGATIVE NEWS AND YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE GOOD NEWS, THEN YOU WOULD, YOU ARE NOT GIVING, UM, PROPER RESPECT TO THE MEN AND WOMEN ON IN HPD WHO ARE WORKING HARD LAW ENFORCEMENT, HARD TO THE COMMUNITY, AND ESPECIALLY TO THE COMMUNITY, TO OUR CITIZENS HERE WHO ARE WORKING HARD. SO I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO BE, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO HEAR ALL, BOTH SIDES AND THEN TO LET, AND THEN WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER. LOOK, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. [02:50:02] YES. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. UM, I WANNA TALK THAT, TALK ABOUT DISTRICT F UM, , YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE WERE TALKING A LOT OF HEAVY TALK, BUT I WANT TO, UH, BRING SOME GOOD NEWS ON THE WEST SIDE. SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING ON THE WEST SIDE AND THAT 21%. AND ALTHOUGH IT'S, ALTHOUGH IT'S FOR THE FIRST QUARTER, IT'S MEANINGFUL. BUT I WANNA BRING YOUR ATTENTION. I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT OFFLINE ABOUT SHOT SPOTTER. THAT'S ANOTHER TOOL THAT WE'VE USED AND ALSO THE BENEFITS OF LPR CAMERAS. UM, ON THE WEST SIDE, WE WERE THE FIRST TO HAVE THEM, UH, IMPLEMENTED. AND I THINK MYSELF, OTHER COLLEAGUES AND JAY AND A AND G. UM, SO CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE SUCCESSES AND HOW THAT'S SHOWING UP IN THE TRENDS OF OUR 21% DECREASE OVERALL ON THE WEST SIDE? THANK YOU. MUCH PROUD COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO TECHNOLOGY, IF, IF IT'S HOT SHOT SPOTTER, IF IT'S LICENSE PLATE READER, IF IT'S FLOCK, UH, WE NEED MORE, UH, IT HELPS, UH, WHENEVER YOU CAN, UH, PUT TECHNOLOGY OUT HERE. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO DONATE FUNDS, BUT, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A CITYWIDE CAMPAIGN, UM, OF, OF BUSINESSES, UM, PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, EVERYONE. I WANT THIS CITY TO BE A CITY. AND, AND I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CALL IT HOUSTON EYE, HOUSTON WATCH, WHATEVER WE CALL IT. LET'S GET THAT TECHNOLOGY UP AND ROLLING. UM, THE GOVERNMENT, UH, THE CITY GOVERNMENT CANNOT FUND IT ALONE. UH, YOUR COUNCIL POCKETS CAN'T FUND IT ALONE. UH, IT HAS TO BE A, A COORDINATED, UH, COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT, UM, BECAUSE I WANT CRIMINALS TO KNOW YOU DO SOMETHING IN THE CITY, UH, SOMEBODY'S WATCHING YOU. AND, UH, WE CAN GO BACK TO THAT FOOTAGE. AND IF IT'S A LICENSE PLATE READER, IF IT'S A, UH, A RECORDED CAMERA, WHATEVER IT IS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAPTURE, AND THEN OVERALL ARCH ARCHING IT, IT'S A DETERRENT. PEOPLE KNOW YOU COME TO THIS CITY, UH, WHERE WE'RE WATCHING YOU. OKAY? SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS. THANK YOU MAYOR. FF FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU, CHIEF, AND THANK YOU TO THE, UH, COMMAND STAFF AND, UH, HPD CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES. THANK YOU. UH, AND ALSO, OF COURSE, HPD POLICE OFFICERS. UH, I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, DUE TO THE FACT THAT IN DISTRICT I VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN 16%, I WANT TO THANK THE EAST SIDE DIVISION, SOUTH, CENTRAL, SOUTHEAST, DOWNTOWN IN THE NORTHEAST, UH, FOR DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB AND BRINGING, FILING CRIME DOWN IN DISTRICT. I, I KNOW THAT IT WAS MENTIONED, UH, IN, IN REGARDS TO HPD ONLY HAVING 5,100 OFFICERS. UM, AND I MENTIONED THAT AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY I GET IN REGARDS TO, UM, RESIDENTS THAT ARE WANTING TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE REGARDING HPD, AND EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT WE HAVE 5,100 OFFICERS SERVING 645 SQUARE MILES. AND THEN WHEN I TELL 'EM THAT 5,100 OFFICERS IS DIVIDED AMONGST THREE SHIFTS, AND THEY'RE LIKE, WOW. YOU KNOW, SO THEN THEY REALIZE, YOU KNOW, THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE WITH HPD, UH, AND THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN BEST THAN YOU CAN DO, UH, WITH, WITH, WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. UH, I WAS AT AN EVENT THIS WEEK AND SOMEONE RAISED A HAND AND WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE DEFUNDED THE POLICE. UH, I KNOW THE MEDIA'S HERE, UH, AND LIKE THE MAYOR HAS STATED, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PUT OUT THE TRUTH. YOU KNOW, WE DID NOT DEFUND THE POLICE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, WE DID, UH, INCREASE THE SIGN ON BONUS AT $10,000, UH, WHICH HAS HELPED TO GO OUT TO OTHER CITIES TO RECRUIT GOOD QUALIFIED CADETS. UH, I KNOW ATTENDING THE, UH, GRADUATION CLASSES AT HPD, UH, WHEN THEY CALL OUT THE NAMES TO HEAR INDIVIDUALS FROM OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE ACTUALLY JOINED HPD, I'M SURE WE HAVE OTHER CITIES HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, THAT ARE TRYING TO TAKE GOOD QUALIFIED CADETS FROM US TO THEIR CITIES. UH, BUT NOW WITH A $10,000 SIGN ON BONUS NOW, NOW WE'RE ABLE, AND WE'RE COMPETITIVE, UH, TO KEEP THOSE THAT ARE HERE IN HOUSTON AND HOPEFULLY GET OTHERS FROM OTHER CITIES AS WELL. UH, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT JOHN DELIA ARE DOING, AN OUTSTANDING JOB. THANK YOU, COUNCIL. THANK YOU. AND IT WAS, IT WAS JUST TEXT ME. UM, AND THIS GOES, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAME INTO, UH, WHAT YOU ASKED ABOUT, UH, OF THE 27 MAJOR CITIES, UM, UH, IN THE REPORT COMPARING TO OTHER CITIES, UH, HOUSTON HAS HAD THE LARGEST DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HOMICIDE VICTIMS BY FAR. OKAY. UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, CISNEROS, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I LIKE CELEBRATING GOOD NEWS AND I'M, YOU KNOW, GLAD TO SEE OVERALL THE WHOLE CITY THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD NEWS. THERE'S NOT SO MUCH TO CELEBRATE IN DISTRICT AGE. WE ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF, UM, THE, THE NUMBERS FOR RAPE. WE ARE AT THE BOTTOM FOR THE NUMBERS OF AUTO THEFTS. SO THIS, THE CHANGE IN RAPES, THE NUMBER THIS YEAR WENT UP, UM, BY 10. SO WE ARE 53% INCREASE. THE NUMBER FOR AUTO THEFTS WENT UP BY 128 [02:55:01] STOLEN CARS. WE ARE UP 39%. SO THOSE NUMBERS, AND GIVE US AN OVERALL, I MEAN, A, A NONVIOLENT CRIME DECREASE OF 1%, THAT'S NOT THAT MUCH TO CELEBRATE. UM, AND, AND IN VIOLENT CRIME, IT GIVES US, UM, A 4% DECREASE. THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TO, TO REALLY HAVE A CELEBRATION EITHER. SO I HOPE, I HOPE YOU WILL HELP ME, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO PREVENT CRIME. UM, I'VE ALREADY SENT TO, I KNOW, TO MY STAFF, I WANT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN DO WITH, UM, WORKING THROUGH THE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF DOMESTIC OF VIOLENCE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN, WHAT RESOURCES, WHAT ADVICE, GUIDANCE WE CAN GIVE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS OF HOW TO PREVENT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DOMESTIC CRIMES. YOU KNOW? AND, AND, AND I KNOW THAT YOU SAID THERE'S NOT PATTERNS. IF THERE'S, THERE'S, YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL THINGS. PREDATORS, WHO KNEW THE CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, PEOPLE THAT LIVE TOGETHER, PEOPLE THAT ARE MEETING ONLINE. I WANNA ATTACK ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND, AND PREVENT THAT FROM, TO THE BEST WE CAN FROM HAPPENING AT ALL. UM, AND THEN THIS SAME THING. I, I, I DON'T KNOW AS MUCH WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO WE DO TO HELP PEOPLE, UM, PROTECT THEIR VEHICLES FROM BEING STOLEN? AND, YOU KNOW, A A 39% INCREASE IN THAT IS JUST, THAT IS JUST NOT OKAY. YOU KNOW, AND I, I, I KNOW LESS ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, PLEASE HELP ME. YOU KNOW, WE WANT, WE, WE WANT THE SAME GOOD NUMBERS THAT OTHER DISTRICTS ARE SEEING. WE WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. THANK YOU. AND COUNCILWOMAN, NO ONE, NO ONE IS CELEBRATING. UM, THE ONLY THING WE ARE DOING IS REPORTING WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE, BUT NO ONE IS CELEBRATING. IF THAT'S, IF THERE'S ONLY ONE CRIME IN THE CITY, IT'S ONE CRIME. TOO MANY. BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT MURDERS IN DISTRICT AGE HOMICIDES IS DOWN BY 20%. THERE WERE TOO FEWER MO MURDERS. THERE WAS TWO. WELL, I, I, I UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTAND. BUT ROBBERY IS DOWN 13%. AGGRAVATED ASSAULT IS DOWN TWO, KIDNAPPING IS DOWN 13. UH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS AT ZERO. SO I DO UNDERSTAND IF IT'S ONE TOO MANY, THERE'S ONE TOO MANY PEOPLE BREAKING INTO CARS. THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S ONE. TOO MANY. I GOT, I GOT THAT. AND, AND THE NUMBER FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS INCORRECT BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY SHOWS AN INCREASE OF TWO AND IT SHOWS 0%. SO THAT'S REALLY NOT, THAT'S NOT ACCURATE. THAT'S WRONG. RIGHT? THIS IS JUST THE FIRST QUARTER REPORT FOR, FOR THE DISTRICT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AND CHIEF AND, UH, ALL YOUR TEAM. I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, THE TRENDS ARE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO WITHOUT ANY FURTHER, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT'S GOING ON. YOU'LL RECALL THAT, UH, ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AGO WHEN WE WERE HERE IN JANUARY, I WAS A STATISTIC WITH MY TRUCK JUST HAVING BEEN STOLEN. AND, UM, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT THAT IS NOT ON THIS CHART RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOUR FORCE HELPED, UH, GET THAT TRUCK BACK. AND THERE WAS SOME TRULY EXEMPLARY LAW ENFORCEMENT GOING ON THERE. SO I WANNA SALUTE YOUR TEAM FOR THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, FROM THE INVESTIGATIONS, THE CAMERA WORK THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, THEY KNEW, UH, WHERE MY TRUCK WAS THE DAY BEFORE. THEY KNEW THAT MY CHRISTMAS TREE WAS GOING TO BE RECYCLED 'CAUSE IT WAS STICKING OUT OF THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. UM, IT WAS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE, THE LEVEL TO WHICH YOU ALL CAN TRACK AND TRACE AND UNDERSTAND. SO AGAIN, THE NUMBERS IN THAT ONE CATEGORY DO APPEAR TO BE UP. AND THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE ALL NEED TO DO, UM, UH, AGREE WITH OUR COLLEAGUES WHO WANT TO HELP, UH, UH, SUGGEST WAYS TO AVOID THAT. AND CHIEF, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, UM, ALREADY. SO, UM, I DO WANNA FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON SOME STATISTICS. I THINK MY COLLEAGUE JUST POINTED OUT ONE, UH, SMALL CLERICAL ERROR HERE. AND, UH, WE DO WANNA FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THAT, MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR NUMBERS ARE SCRUBBED EXACTLY CORRECT. UM, SO I'LL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH A LETTER TO YOU AND THE MAYOR, BUT THANKS TO EVERYONE, CIVILIAN OFFICERS, SPECIAL INVESTIGATORS, UM, THE WORK IS PAYING OFF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WE NEED TO KEEP A GOOD EYE ON YOUR TRUCK. WE DON'T WANT ANY REPEATS. OKAY. EXCELLENT. POLICE WORK. THANK YOU, SIR. UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR PROTEAM, CAST TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND TO CHIEF AND THE ENTIRE HPD TEAM, WE APPRECIATE THE DILIGENCE AND THE HARD WORK THAT YOU, UM, ARE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITIES. VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE VIOLENT CRIME IN DISTRICT CASE SPECIFICALLY IS DOWN 18%, UM, FOR THIS FIRST QUARTER. BUT WHAT I WANTED TO, UM, SAY, UH, CHIEF IS REALLY TO ENCOURAGE, UM, CONSTITUENTS TO CONTINUE TO ATTEND THOSE P PIP MEETINGS. UM, BECAUSE MONTHLY WE ARE DISCUSSING, UM, OUR CRIME STATS, UM, WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER AS A COMMUNITY, UM, HOW TO NOT BE VICTIMIZED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND WE HAVE FOUND [03:00:01] THAT TO BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. UM, THE, THE TEAMS THAT ARE BRINGING THESE PIMP MEETINGS TO OUR COMMUNITIES ARE DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB. THE ABILITY TO IMMEDIATELY DISCUSS WITH THE OFFICERS THAT ARE WORKING IN YOUR COMMUNITY, GET TO KNOW THE OFFICERS THAT ARE WORKING IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS A TREMENDOUS BENEFIT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SO I'M HOPING THAT RESIDENTS WILL SEE THAT AS A CONTINUED BENEFIT AND CONTINUE TO ATTEND THOSE PIP MEETINGS IN OUR DISTRICTS. AND I SEE THE CORRELATION OF THE ADVICE. UM, WE'VE HAD PIP MEETINGS WHERE OFFICERS ACTUALLY GO OUT IN THE PARKING LOT AND LOOK IN PEOPLE'S CARS AND SAY, UM, LICENSE PLATE NUMBER, SO AND SO, YOU WOULD BE VICTIMIZED BECAUSE I SEE GROCERY BAGS, OR I SEE A, A, A SHOPPING BAG, AND THEY GIVE REPORT CARDS. OUR MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS ARE GIVING REPORT CARDS TO PEOPLE IN THE PARKING LOT JUST TO EXPLAIN TO THEM HOW NOT TO BE VICTIMIZED, UH, AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO PARK THEIR CARS IN THEIR GARAGES, TAKE THAT STUFF OUT AND NOT STORE ALL THE THINGS YOU DON'T USE IN YOUR GARAGE AND PUT YOUR VALUABLE CAR IN YOUR GARAGE TO PREVENT BEING VICTIMIZED, UM, WITH AUTO THEFT. SO I FIND THESE PIP MEETINGS TO BE HIGHLY VALUABLE. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THOSE. THAT ENGAGEMENT IS CRITICAL. AND I THINK IN ADDITION TO SHOT SPOTTER AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE INDIVIDUALLY, HAS COLLECTIVELY BROUGHT US TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THESE DOWNWARD TRENDS, ESPECIALLY, UM, IN OUR VIOLENT CRIME. SO KUDOS, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT WANTED TO JUST THANK YOU FOR THAT INTIMATE ENGAGEMENT IN OUR INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN KASH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHIEF. AND THANK YOU FOR FINDING MY GRANDSON'S TRUCK AFTER IT WAS STOLEN. YOU KNOW, YOU FOUND IT WITHIN 48 HOURS. GEEZ. YOU REALLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, HOW YOU DID THAT, BUT IT DIDN'T HAVE A GPS LOCATOR ON IT, BUT I WOULD'VE THOUGHT IT WOULD. AS QUICK AS YOU FOUND IT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE YOU, THAT WE WERE ON ALERT FROM THIS MURDERER UP IN, UH, UP IN SAN JACINTA COUNTY. AND, AND, UM, MY, MY SON, ONE OF MY SONS AND HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN LIVE, UH, NOT FAR FROM THERE IN, IN CLEVELAND. AND, UH, IT WAS VERY DISTURBING. AND WHEN I BEGAN TO SEE THE MASSIVE SEARCH, I BEGAN TO THINK OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND THE DANGER THEY'RE IN WHEN THEY'RE HUNTING THEM FOR A MAN THAT, THAT IS, UH, THAT HAS TAKEN THE LIVES OF FIVE PEOPLE. AND, AND, AND I'M, I'M AMAZED THAT WE CAUGHT HIM WITHOUT ANY OTHER LOSS OF LIFE. THANK GOD FOR THAT. AND, AND WE PRAYED FOR THOSE OFFICERS AND, AND ALL OF YOU. 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS GONNA COME UP, COME TO HOUSTON OR NOT. UH, BUT, BUT WHO KNOWS? UH, I JUST, I JUST PRAY FOR THAT FAMILY AND ALL OF THOSE THAT HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES. UH, ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS, IS THAT WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN REPORTED. UH, YOUR REPORT IS BASICALLY A REPORT ON WHAT'S BEEN REPORTED AND, AND IT'S NOT ON HOW MANY ARRESTS, HOW MANY CONVICTIONS. AND, AND, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT CONVICTIONS, UH, ON, ON MURDERS, OF COURSE IT COULD TAKE, IT COULD TAKE MANY YEARS TO, TO, TO, TO DIGEST ALL THOSE NUMBERS. 'CAUSE TRIALS COULD GO ON FOR 10, 10 YEARS. I MEAN, IT COULD. SO, UH, MY FEELING IS, IS THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING DURING COVI. UH, WE, WE CLOSED OUR, OUR PLACES OF WORSHIP, OUR, OUR CHURCHES, OUR SYNAGOGUES, OUR MOSQUES. AND, AND THAT'S THE STANDARD AGAINST, AGAINST EVIL. AND, AND YET, UH, CRIME ROSE, UH, AND SPIKED. AND AT THE SAME TIME, UH, THE, THE VIOLENT, UH, UH, HABITUAL OFFENDERS WERE, WERE BEING RELEASED BY OUR, OUR JUDGES ON LOW OR NO BONDS. AND, AND AS A RESULT, UH, THE MURDER RATE SPIKED. AND, AND I'M, I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT, THAT, UH, THAT OUR CITY, UH, EVEN THOUGH I, I'M THANKFUL FOR, FOR THE NUMBERS LOOKING BETTER, BEING BETTER, IT'S JUST THAT I, I WANNA BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE TO THOSE WHO'VE LOST LOVED ONES. 'CAUSE THEY, IF YOU'VE BEEN A VICTIM OF CRIME, THESE NUMBERS MEAN NOTHING TO YOU BECAUSE YOU, YOU, YOU ARE THE NUMBER. AND, AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HURT EVERY TIME THERE'S SOMEBODY, UH, KILLED OR VIOLATED, UH, IN A VIOLENT CRIME. THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF VICTIMS THAT, UH, THERE'S VICTIMS, UH, FOR THE PERPETRATOR'S FAMILY. THERE'S A VICTIM FROM ALL, ALL OF THE SOCIETY. WE'RE ALL VICTIMIZED BY IT. AND, AND IT JUST CREATES, UH, SUCH A, A, AN EVIL, UH, PRESENCE. AND YOU, POLICE OFFICERS ARE THE STANDARD THAT WE HAVE TO PROTECT US AND AGAINST THESE EVIL PEOPLE. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE CHIEF. UH, YOU'VE ALWAYS TAKEN MY CALLS. I, I APPRECIATE YOU AND, UH, THE MAYOR MADE A GOOD CHOICE WHEN HE PICKED YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL, COUNCIL [03:05:01] MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. AND I WON'T, UH, BELABOR THE POINT, BUT, UM, I WAS WATCHING A, UM, BLACK FATHER'S INSTAGRAM VIDEO AND THE MAN, WE WERE, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. SO I KNOW WE, AS WE INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY INTO BEING EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE, I JUST WANT US TO BE SENSITIVE. ONE OF THE THINGS HE SAID IN THE VIDEO WAS THAT, UM, YOU CAN TAKE MY VOICE AND, UH, ADMIT TO A CRIME, AND THEN PEOPLE WILL SAY, IT'S ME. BECAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY IS SO SOPHISTICATED, THE SPAM WE RECEIVE IS SO SOPHISTICATED. UM, AND SO AS WE PUT THOSE MEASURES IN PLACE AS A CONSIDERATION, UM, FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM, HOW Y'ALL, HOWEVER Y'ALL CHOOSE TO DEPLOY, UM, TECHNOLOGY TO BE SENSITIVE TO THAT. YES. UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING ALL TYPES OF THINGS WITH AI, UM, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT, UM, UH, DOING HARM UNNECESSARILY WITH THAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT ON THE RECORD. THANK YOU MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR. AND I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU. UM, THIS IS, THIS IS GOOD. WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND I, I DO BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE IS REALLY CRITICAL. WE ALL PLAY A PART IN THIS. EVERYONE DOES. AND SO IF WE ALL DO OUR PART THE RIGHT WAY, UM, THEN I KNOW THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE A DOWNWARD TREND IN EVERYTHING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. AND MAY, MAY I PRO TIM MARTIN? YES. THANK YOU CHIEF. AND THANK YOU, UH, CHIEF MARTIN. UH, APPRECIATE THE MEN AND WOMEN OF HPD EACH AND EVERY DAY. UM, AS WE PREPARE FOR BUDGET SEASON, UM, I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A LITTLE BIT. YOU DON'T NEED TO GIMME AN ANSWER, BUT, UM, IS THERE ONE THING THAT IS NOT IN YOUR PRESENT BUDGET THAT YOU COULD USE THAT COULD PREVENT CRIME, AN ADDITIONAL CRIME IN THE CITY? UH, WHETHER IT'S ADDITIONAL FLOCK CAMERAS, SHOT SPOTTERS, THINGS LIKE THAT. UH, AS WE GO INTO BUDGET, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR IDEAS AND CONCEPTS AND BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ASK YOU THAT QUESTION. UM, MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, GREAT NUMBERS. THE TWO OUTLIERS I LOOK AT IS RAPE. THAT WAS UP IN SEVEN OUT OF 11 COUNCIL DISTRICTS. AND I THOUGHT THE FURTHER AWAY WE MOVED FROM CID, THE LESS WOULD HAVE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND RAPE, EVEN IF THOSE THINGS DON'T GO HAND IN HAND. AND THE SECOND COMPONENT WAS NINE OUT OF 11 DISTRICTS IS AUTO THEFT. SO WHILE A GREAT REPORT IN 95% OF IT IS GOOD, THOSE TWO OUTLIERS CAUGHT MY ATTENTION THE OTHER DAY. I WAS, WENT TO GO RUN DOWN, UM, UH, BUFFALO BAYOU, AND THERE'S A STREET THAT I PARK ON, AND THERE'S NOTHING BUT GLASS ON THAT STREET. I FORGOT THE NAME OF THE STREET. AND I WAS ASKING SOMEBODY ABOUT IT, AND THEY SAID, THAT'S BECAUSE EVERY DAY PEOPLE PARK THERE AND WHEN THEY GO RUN, THEY GET THEIR CAR, THEIR WINDOWS SMASHED. AND I'M LIKE, WHY CAN'T WE HAVE SOMEONE SITTING OUT THERE A LITTLE BIT OR PASSING AROUND THERE MORE OFTEN? SO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS WITHIN THAT SHORT DISSERTATION. SO WITH, WITH REGARDS TO THE, UH, UM, BURIAL MOTOR VEHICLES, UM, WE SIMPLY HAVE TO HELP PEOPLE AND, AND THEY GOTTA FOLLOW THROUGH. YOU GOTTA HELP US TO HELP YOU. UM, YOU CAN'T GET OUT AND GO JOG AND YOU LEAVE A COMPUTER IN A CAR. IF YOU LEAVE A BAG IN A CAR, IF YOU LEAVE A PURSE IN A CAR. AND I'M NOT, WE WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR REDUCING CRIME, AND I DON'T STEP ASIDE ON THAT, BUT YOU GOTTA HELP US. AND WHEN WE GOTTA EDUCATE PEOPLE AND WHEN WE DO, 'CAUSE I KNOW EVERYBODY'S HEARD IT, BUT WHEN OUR OFFICERS GO TO MAKE THE REPORT, AND MA'AM, WHAT DID YOU LEAVE IN THE CAR? OH, OFFICER, I LEFT MY PURSE AND I LEFT THAT BAG IN THERE. WE CAN'T DO IT. AND ANOTHER THING, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, YOU BROUGHT IT UP. WE GOTTA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE YOUR GARAGE. OKAY? THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HOUSTON THAT NEED THINGS. I CAME UP NEEDING A LOT OF HELP WITHOUT A LOT OF RESOURCES. CLEAN SOME OF THAT STUFF OUTTA YOUR GARAGE. GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY. IF IT'S A, A LITTLE BIT OF A VALUE, TAKE YOUR CAR AND PUT IT IN THE GARAGE. THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GARAGES, OKAY, THAT'LL HELP US. SO COMMON SENSE THINGS AND, AND, AND, AND I, I'M ALWAYS HERE TO LISTEN AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER, BUT WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AND, UH, IT, IT'S GOOD NEWS TODAY. BUT LIKE COUNCILWOMAN SAID OVER THERE, WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. ONE VICTIM, UH, OF, OF VIOLENT CRIME IS TOO MANY. AND AS WE CELEBRATE, THERE'RE ALWAYS IN OUR PRAYERS AND IN IN OUR AND OUR THOUGHTS. AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER. THEN WE'RE GONNA JUST TAKE A FEW MORE, 'CAUSE I PROMISE HIM I WILL HAVE THEM OUT OF HERE TO GET OVER PRAYER TO THE, TO THE PRAYER SERVICE. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. THANK YOU BOTH FOR THE PRESENTATION. UH, THIS, THIS IS A SIGH OF RELIEF, UH, FOR ME. UH, LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS IN DISTRICT JI THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES MAYOR THAT I'VE SEEN, UH, OUR NUMBERS, UH, THIS LOW. AND IT'S, UH, A TESTAMENT TO ALL THE HARD WORK OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE, THE, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. BUT OF SOME OF THE CREATIVE IDEAS THAT WE'VE BEEN COMING AT WHEN, WHENEVER YOU ALL APPROACH OUR OFFICE WITH IDEAS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY OR INITIATIVES THAT YOU BELIEVE WOULD, UH, HELP, WHETHER IT'S GOING TO THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND HAVING BOOTHS SET UP OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, [03:10:01] SOMETIMES YOU THINK IS, IS ANY OF THIS EVEN WORKING? RIGHT? IS THIS ENGAGEMENT WORKING? ARE THESE TOOLS THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE WORKING WHETHER THESE NUMBERS KIND OF SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. AND SO TO HAVE EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT TO BE DOWN FOR THE FIRST QUARTER IS SOMETHING TO BE HIGHLIGHTED. UH, THERE MAY BE A FEW BLIPS ON HERE THAT, THAT TALK ABOUT THE INCREASES, BUT THE, THE DECREASES ARE SIGNIFICANT. AND TO BE IN EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT TO BE, UH, ACKNOWLEDGED AND FOR DISTRICT J TO HAVE THESE NUMBERS ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, VIOLENT CRIME DOWN 14%, THAT'S HUGE. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL IN THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT, AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, UH, CONTINUING ON THIS TREND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. YES. SORRY MAYOR. REALLY QUICKLY, BECAUSE WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT CAR, UM, BREAK-INS AND, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM MENTIONED, RIGHT? WHEN CARS ARE LINING STREETS, DO YOU ALL SEE, OR COULD YOU GET BACK TO US ON WHEN YOU HAVE MORE STREET PARKING, RESIDENTS, PARKING ON STREETS, AGAIN, NOT USING GARAGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IF THAT CREATES MORE OF A RISK? YEAH, WHENEVER THERE'S MORE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANNA WORK, UH, WANNA VICTIMIZE PEOPLE THERE, THERE'S GONNA BE AN INCREASE OF, UH, OF CRIME. BUT WE SIMPLY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE. UH, AND WE ALSO HAVE TO PUT OFFICERS WHERE, UH, UH, WE NEED TO PUT 'EM. UH, IT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE. UM, BUT I DON'T BACK DOWN FROM THAT RESPONSIBILITY. BUT OVERALL, UH, BUR OF MOTOR VEHICLES, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, THE GREAT MAJORITY OF 'EM ARE PREVENTABLE. THEY REALLY ARE. IF EVERYBODY DOES A, A BETTER JOB OF NOT LEAVING VALUABLES IN A CAR, AND WHEN I SAY VALUABLES IN A CRIMINAL'S MIND, YOU GOTTA THINK LIKE THEY THINK. IT MAY NOT BE NOTHING IN THIS SPORTS BAG, BUT SOME DIRTY TENNIS SHOES THAT'S WORTH $5. BUT IF YOU LEAVE THAT BAG THERE, THEY'RE GONNA BREAK THE WINDOW. AND THAT STILL GOES AGAINST US AS, AS A THEFT. SO, UH, WE JUST GOTTA WORK TOGETHER. I APPRECIATE IT. AND AGAIN, THAT WE FOCUS A LOT ON THE WINS, AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE DOING THAT. AND I THINK THOUGH, THIS IS ALSO A WIN FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR THE CITY, BUT FOR RESIDENTS AS WELL. YES. AND THAT WE NEED THE BUY-IN FROM RESIDENTS. THE, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING, REPORTING EDUCATION, KEEPING THINGS OUT OF CARS, ALL OF THAT. SO I THINK ALSO THE MESSAGE, YOU KNOW, TO BE CARRIED AWAY, WHETHER IT'S FROM US OR THE MEDIA, IS WE NEED EVERYBODY'S BUY-IN INTO THIS AND RESIDENTS DOING THEIR PART AS WELL. BUT AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THE FLEXIBILITY, THE INNOVATION THAT YOU ARE BRINGING, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, ME WORKING WITH CHIEF SATTERWHITE TO START GETTING GOING ON, LOCK IT UP SAFE, AND THEN THE DEPARTMENT CARRYING THAT. UM, WHETHER IT'S NEW TECHNOLOGY, ALL OF THE THINGS Y'ALL AREN'T AFRAID TO TRY, SOME THINGS WORK, SOME THINGS DON'T. BUT IT IS WORKING. AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY. AND THE FINAL IS, UH, COUNCILMAN PALER. THANK YOU, MAYOR TURNER. LAST COMMENT. I, YOU KNOW, HOW ACTIVE I AM IN TERMS OF APARTMENTS. AND SO ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO, I MEAN, MY DREAM RIGHT, IS TO GET EVERY SINGLE APARTMENT COMPLEX BLUE STAR RATED. I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING. AND I KNOW THAT IT CONTRIBUTES TO CRIME. I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DATA THAT, BUT, BUT CLEARLY WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT DOES. SO ANYTHING THAT MY OFFICE CAN DO TO ASSIST TO, UM, FOR, FOR APARTMENT COMPLEX IS TO DECREASE CRIME, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. AND, UH, CHIEF, UH, FELLON, LET ME THANK YOU, MR. CHIEF MARTIN, THE ENTIRE COMMAND TEAM, UH, THE 50, ROUGHLY 5,200 POLICE OFFICERS OUT THERE. I MEAN, THANK YOU. BUT IF WE STOP THERE, THAT WOULD MISS. SO I WANT TO THANK THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN ALL OF THIS, ALL OF THESE DISTRICTS, ALL OF THE PEOPLE, THE PARENTS, THE, UM, KIDS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, ACTIVISTS, BECAUSE IT TAKES ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRE, THE DESIRE ZONE. THESE NUMBERS ARE JUST SNAPSHOTS, AND IT HELPS EVERYBODY TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AND WHERE YOU SEE THE RED, THOSE AREAS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AS WE CONTINUE, CONTINUE TO, TO ADDRESS THOSE AREAS WHERE IT'S GOING DOWN. BUT WHAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WORKING, AND BEAR IN MIND, WE REPRESENT, WE ARE AT THE, WE ARE AT THE LOWER END BECAUSE WE ARE IMPACTED BY WHAT HAPPENS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. WE ARE IMPACTED BY WHAT HAPPENS AT THE STATE LEVEL. AND IT ALL FLOWS DOWN. THE OTHER THING IS THAT WHEN WE ARE ARRESTING AND JUST LIKE, I SAW A STORY THE OTHER NIGHT AND PEOPLE ARE CARRYING MACHINE GUNS AND ALL OF THAT OTHER STUFF, JUDGES HAVE TO KEEP THEM THERE LONGER. YOU CAN'T PUT 'EM BACK ON THE STREET. OKAY? THAT WORKS AGAINST OUR, THAT WORKS AGAINST EVERYBODY. SO IT TAKES THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM WORKING TOGETHER. BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WORKING WHAT I WOULD SAY TO PEOPLE OUT IN THE WORLD, IF YOU HAVE OTHER IDEAS ON WHAT WE CAN DO, PLEASE LET [03:15:01] US KNOW. IF YOU'VE GOT OTHER IDEAS ON HOW WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER, LET US KNOW. BUT WHAT WE DON'T NEED IS THAT PEOPLE KEEP TALKING ABOUT CRIME, CRIME, CRIME, CRIME, AND THERE THEY OFFER NO SOLUTIONS BECAUSE THAT JUST BECOMES RHETORIC. BUT ONE SAFE, HOUSTON, I WILL SAY ONE SAFE HOUSTON IS WORKING AND IT'S NOW BEEN IN EFFECT FOR MORE THAN ONE YEAR. AND THE NUMBERS ARE REFLECTIVE, BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. I'M NOT GONNA HOLD YOU ANY LONGER. APPRECIATE YOUR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M GONNA GO GET SOME PRAYER. WE'RE GONNA PRAY FOR Y'ALL AS WELL. THANK YOU. PRAYER WORKS. OKAY, MADAM, UH, SECRETARY, WE'RE GONNA TURN, UH, QUICKLY NOW TO THE, UM, APPOINTMENTS. SO CATEGORY, SO IF YOU'LL CALLED THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEMS ONE THROUGH EIGHT, JUST NEED A MOTION CAST. MOVED SECOND ROBINSON, THEN MOVED IN SECOND. AND ON ITEMS ONE THROUGH EIGHT, DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED. AND GRANTED, IF YOU ARE HERE, LET ME ASK YOU TO COME FORWARD ON ITEM NUMBER ONE IS THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD, UM, FREDERICK, FRED MAXEY, RACHEL HAAS, RANDY ABRAMS, COURTNEY KO, CHANCE, AND IS THAT RU VA VARA, FLORENCE CHING, AND WALTER TELON LAWSON. I THINK IF I MISSED YOUR NAME, MISPRONOUNCE MY APOLOGY. IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD, AND IF YOU'LL JUST GIVE US YOUR NAMES ONE MORE TIME. FREDERICK MAXEY, RANDY ABRAMS. AND LET ME THANK YOU ALL FOR AGREEING TO SERVE ON THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OVERSIGHT BOARD. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. UM, AND I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE TALKED TO YOU, IT DOES REQUIRE A LOT OF TIME, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT. UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, UH, TO SERVE, UH, ON THE INDEPENDENT POLICE OFFICER BOARD. COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU, MAYOR. REALLY QUICK, I WANNA THANK BOTH OF YOU ALL FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AS WELL. MR. ABRAMS. I KNOW WE HAD SPOKE ABOUT THIS A WHILE BACK, AND YOU GAVE US SOME CONSIDERATION, AND GLAD TO SEE THAT, UH, YOU WENT FORWARD WITH IT AND YOU WERE SELECTED. THANK YOU ALSO VERY, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, THANK YOU. OKAY. ON ITEM NUMBER TWO, UH, IF YOU ARE HERE, AND IT'S TWO AND THREE, SAME PERSON. IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD. POSITION ONE, WELL, IT IS ANITA SCOTT DAVIS. THIS IS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OLD SPANISH, UH, TRAIL, ALAMEDA CORRIDOR ZONE, TUR NUMBER SEVEN, ALAMEDA. SCOTT DAVIS, HEXTER J HOLIDAY, I SECOND SONTA, BERNIE, UH, BRIAN SMITH, LAUREN HALLER, FONTAIN, AND MICHAEL RO WILLIAMS. OKAY, IF YOU ALL WILL STATE YOUR NAMES, WE'LL HAVE THEM. HI, MEL JANITA. SCOTT DAVIS. I'M EXTRA HOLIDAY. I'M BRIAN SMITH. AGAIN, UH, LET ME THANK YOU ALL. AND I, I THINK, UH, ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN SERVING ON, UH, REAPPOINTMENTS TO THE BOARD. SO LET ME THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. AND, UM, OF COURSE, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT, UH, TOURS AND ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. SO THANK ME. LET ME THANK ALL THREE OF YOU ALONG WITH THE OTHERS, UH, FOR AGREEING TO SERVE COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I'M TELLING YOU, THIS IS THE CAVALRY. I AM SO VERY HONORED THAT THEY HAVE AGREED TO SERVE AND CONTINUING THEIR SERVICE ALONG WITH LAUREN AND MICHAEL WILLIAMS. I MEAN, WHEN I SEE THESE, UH, PERSONS REPRESENTING AND FOR DISTRICT D, IT JUST, IT GIVES ME SO MUCH CONFIDENCE AND PRIDE, AND I WANNA PUBLICLY THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE AND ALL THAT THEY ARE DOING AND HAVE DONE FOR THE DISTRICT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LOOK, AGAIN, LET ME THANK ALL THREE. AND I KNOW YOU BRING A LOT OF, UM, HISTORY, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERTISE TO, TO, UH, TO THIS PARTICULAR TO AREAS. SO THANK YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER, CONGRATULATIONS. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE. I APPRECIATE IT. THANKS, . THANK YOU ALL. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. AND THEN ON FOUR, IT'S A REAPPOINTMENT OF MICHAEL, A ROA, UH, TO THE REINVESTMENT ZONE, NUMBER ONE. UH, IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE STAND. AND FIVE AND S AND AND FIVE, UH, AND MICHAEL ROA. ALSO, THIS IS THE ST. GEORGE PLACE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. MICHAEL, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU, UH, AGAIN, ON ALL OF THESE BOARDS. THEY'RE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. YOU ARE KIND OF LIKE AN EXTENSION OF US. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UM, VOLUNTEERING TO SERVE AND GIVE UP YOUR TIME AND YOUR TALENT, UH, TO THIS PARTICULAR REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. SO THANK YOU, SIR. VERY, VERY MUCH. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR [03:20:01] MICHAEL, I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR STEPPING UP AND, UH, FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. MAYOR MICHAEL DOES A TREMENDOUS JOB OF KEEPING OUR OFFICE ENGAGED AND A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT ISSUES OUT IN THE, UH, THE DISTRICT. AND, UH, HE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND TO SERVE. UM, AND SO THANK YOU, MICHAEL. APPRECIATE YOU MISS, MY HONOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND ON POSITION SIX AND SEVEN, UH, JAY RANDALL POWELLS, UH, HIHD REPRESENTATIVE, AND ON TO POSITION EIGHT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE REINVESTMENT ZONE. OKAY, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM AS WELL ON SIX AND SEVEN. ALRIGHT, UH, NOW THE, UM, MAYOR, I PRO TIM FOR A MOTION TO PULL UP AN ITEM. YES, MAYOR, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO TAKE ITEM NUMBER 22. NEXT, SECOND CAST. NEXT ITEM, IT MOVED. AND SECOND TO TAKE UP ITEM 22, UH, DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSING GRANTED. MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL ITEM 22. ITEM 22 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE, UH, DISCUSSION ON 22, DISCUSSION ON 22, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSE AND GRANTED. UM, AND THIS IS AN ITEM I WILL TELL YOU INVOLVING, UH, TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. UH, QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S GOING DOWN TO ELTON FIELD, UM, AND BUILDING OUT THE AVIATION CENTER. AND THIS IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND TEXAS SOUTHERN. UM, THE GOAL, QUITE FRANKLY, IS TO MAKE CONTACT SOUTHERN, UH, THE SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY WHEN IT RELATES TO AVIATION. SO, UH, IT'S LIKE 30,000 SQUARE FEET THAT'S BEING BUILT OUT THERE. UM, OH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PILOTS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH THERE. UH, TEXAS SOUTHERN WOULD HAVE THE LARGEST, LARGEST CHUNK OF THAT. UH, IT IS A, IT IS, UM, A VERY DYNAMIC, UH, ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN, BETWEEN THE TWO THAT I THINK WE CAN BE VERY, VERY PROUD OF. AND THIS IS ONE IN WHICH WE, UH, UM, SO PROUD OF THE STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS AT TEXAS SOUTHERN, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, UH, FOR PARTNERING WITH THEM. IN FACT, LET ME GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM FOR REACHING OUT AND GIVE A GRADE OF CREDIT, CREDIT TO TEXAS SOUTHERN FOR ALREADY HAVING A PROGRAM THERE THAT IS SIMPLY BEING EXPANDED. UM, AND I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, DID WE ALREADY VOTE ON IT? WE DID VOTE, RIGHT? MM-HMM . UM, AND I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, A COUPLE OF THE BOARD OF REGIONS THAT ARE HERE, UH, REGION, IS IT BENHAM AND REGION JOHNSON. UH, AND THEN THE AVIA AND THE AVIATION ADVISORY BOARD ARE ALL, ARE ALL HERE. SO IF YOU ALL, IF YOU ARE AFFILIATED WITH TSU AND THE BOARD OF, UH, THE REGENT HAMMOND T JOHNSON AND THE AVIATION ADVISORY BOARD, WHY DON'T YOU JUST COME FORWARD RIGHT QUICK. TERRENCE FONTAIN I SEE COME. SO JUST A QUICK POINT OF CLARIFICATION. I BELIEVE WE VOTED ON THE MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD. WE DID NOT VOTE ON THE MAIN ITEM ITSELF. WE VOTED ON, WE VOTED ON 22 ITEM. WE DID. OH, WE DID. GOTCHA. OKAY. I STAND CORRECTED. FIRST TIME VICE. ALRIGHT. UH, VICE MAYOR TIM CASTEK TATUM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THIS IS SUPER EXCITING. I WILL TELL YOU, UM, RECENTLY I WAS COMING THROUGH THE AIRPORT AND I SAW ALL OF THE TSU WRAPPING THAT IS IN THE AIRPORT. AND I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT ABOUT, UH, THE UNITED TRAINING FACILITY THAT WE WENT TO MAYOR, AND THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW MANY PILOTS THAT WE WILL NEED AS OUR, UM, AIRPORTS ARE EXPANDING AS OUR SERVICES ARE EXPANDING, NOT JUST IN HOUSTON, BUT AROUND THE COUNTRY. THE NUMBER OF PILOTS THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO AND FROM OUR AIRPORTS, UM, IS GOING TO BE TREMENDOUS. AND SO TO KNOW THAT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY IS PLAYING A TREMENDOUS PART IN MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH, UM, PILOTS TO FILL THESE POSITIONS IS, UH, PHENOMENAL, UH, TO SEE YOU STANDING HERE, UH, BEFORE US. I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS. I SEE, UM, MS. LELE MCKELVY AND, UH, RHONDA ARNOLD. UM, THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING IS OUTSTANDING. UM, THE NEWS IS REPORTING THE TREMENDOUS SUCCESS. AND WHEN WE READ ABOUT, UM, THERE WAS A PARTICULAR, UH, STUDENT WHO WAS, UH, WORKING IN THE AIRPORT AND THEN, UH, WENT THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND IT IS NOW A PILOT, UM, IS A, IS A PHENOMENAL SUCCESS STORY. UH, AND, AND PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN HOUSTON AND TEXAS SOUTHERN IS, IS DEFINITELY MAKING, UM, THEIR FOOTPRINT IN THE COUNTRY AND EXPANDING AVIATION THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND THE COUNTRY. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS. VERY HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS WORK. UM, AND I'M SUPER EXCITED FOR THE WORK THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO. THANK YOU. AND JUST BEFORE WE GO FORWARD, JUST, JUST, JUST GIVE US YOUR NAME AND POSITION SO WE, WE KNOW THE REGION. I'M JAMES BENHAM. [03:25:01] I'M ON THE BOARD OF REGENTS, UH, RECENTLY RERECORDED BY GOVERNOR RHONDA ARNOLD, CHIEF COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICER FOR THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. LEO MCKELVY ELLIS, COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND INCLUSION FOR MANHATTAN CONSTRUCTION. XAVIER SAMUELS, UH, CHAIR OF THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE HOUSTON DEPARTMENT. RICHARD JOHNSON, THE BOARD OF REGENTS, TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. UH, TERRENCE FONTAINE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE AVIATION PROGRAM. THANK YOU. OKAY, LET ME GO NOW TO, UH, COUNCILMAN PALMER. THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER. I HAVE TO BRAG. SO MY GRANDFATHER WAS IN THE FIRST CLASS AT THURGOOD MARSHALL FOR LAW SCHOOL, BUT HE WAS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FOR THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, AND I KNOW HE IS SHINING DOWN WITH A BIG OLD SMILE ON HIS FACE RIGHT NOW. THIS IS SO AMAZING. THIS JUST WARMS MY HEART. AND IT IS GONNA BE SO NICE TO SEE MORE PEOPLE OF COLOR IN AVIATION AS PILOTS, UM, MORE WOMEN AS PILOTS. THIS IS JUST, I'M JUST SO WARM ON THE INSIDE AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, FOR, UM, THE FORESIGHT, FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR OUR MAYOR, FOR THE, UM, FOR OUR, UM, OUR AIRPORT SYSTEM TO REALLY FIND THIS UNION THAT IS SO IMPORTANT AND SO CRUCIAL, UM, AND ESPECIALLY WITH AN HBCU. SO CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST OF LUCK IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN HELP, UH, PUSH US FORWARD. PLEASE LET US KNOW. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. UM, FIRST OF ALL, TO TSU, THANK YOU FOR PARTNERING. I ALSO WANNA CONGRATULATE YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM NOT ONLY IS IN THIS, IN YOUR DISTRICT, YOU HAVE BEEN SO INSTRUMENTAL IN CARRYING A LOT OF THIS THROUGH, SO CONGRATULATIONS. UH, WE DON'T JUST HAVE AN AVIATION SCHOOL, WE HAVE A SPACEPORT SCHOOL. AND THAT IS SOMETHING, UH, THAT I THINK WE ALL CAN BE VERY, VERY PROUD OF. SO THANK YOU FOR THE CONTINUING PARTNERSHIP, THE LEADERSHIP THAT TSU IS PROVIDING AS WE BRING, KEEPING THE JOBS HERE, BUT ALSO EXPANDING THAT INDUSTRY. UM, AND I'LL DO A SPECIAL PLUG AS IT RELATES TO THE SPACEPORT SCHOOL. UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT AVIATION, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT TECHNICAL SKILLS AND BUILDING AND ENGINEERING, UH, ALSO THE IMPORTANCE, AND I'VE SPOKEN MAYOR WITH, UH, DIRECTOR DIAZ ON THIS, UH, AS WE COME UP WITH POLICY, UH, PARTNERING WITH OUR LAW SCHOOLS AS WELL, TO CREATE THOSE PROGRAMS. THERE'S ONLY ONE SPACE LAW PROGRAM IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, AND IT'S NOT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. SO THAT'S THAT OTHER REALM WHERE IF WE WANNA KEEP THE JOBS HERE, WE WANNA KEEP THAT INDUSTRY GROWING, WE NEED TO HAVE A HAND IN THAT POLICY WORK AS WELL. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL. THIS IS SO EXCITING. THANK YOU. UM, MAYOR PRO TEM MARTIN. YES, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, AS VICE MAYOR PRO TEM WAS WALKING THROUGH THE AIRPORT, I ALSO DID, BUT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY MAN, DR. TERRANCE FONTAINE , THIS THING HAS REALLY BLOWN UP. I MEAN, WHAT YOU STARTED YEARS AGO AND WHAT IT'S BECOME IS EARTH SHATTERING. AND THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS TRANSITIONING OVER THE NEXT NUMBER OF YEARS. PEOPLE HAVE HEARD ME SAY THAT WE'RE MOVING AND WE'RE BETTING ON AVIATION AND AERONAUTICS AND TS U'S A BIG PART OF THAT. I WAS LISTENING TO CNBC LAST WEEK, AND THEY HAD ON THE CEO OF UNITED AND SOUTHWEST, AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, PILOT SHORTAGES, SAID, WHILE WE HAVE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES WITH PLANES, BUT OUR BIGGEST NEED IS PILOTS. AND I THINK THIS PROGRAM AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN AND AROUND SPACEPORT, UH, LEADS TO THAT INITIATIVE. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF COMPANIES THAT WE'RE PRESENTLY TALKING TO TODAY, NOT AXIOM, NOT INTUITIVE MACHINES, NOT COLLINS, NOT NASA, BUT THE NUMBER OF COMPANIES THAT ARE INQUIRING WHAT IS GOING ON AT SPACEPORT IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THE FUTURE HAS. IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU, DR. FONTAIN AND ALL YOUR BOARD MEMBERS AND AIRPORT SYSTEM PLAY A VITAL PART IN THE MOVEMENT TOWARDS FULFILLING THE NEED OF AERONAUTICS AND AVIATION, NOT ONLY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT IN THE UNITED STATES. SO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AND KEEP ON DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, SIR, ESPECIALLY PAYING YOUR DAUGHTER'S TUITION AND GIVING HER MORE MONEY WHEN SHE NEEDS IT. COUNCILMAN MAYOR AUCOIN. THANK YOU MAYOR AND JUST MAYOR PRO TEM. THIS, I, I TELL EVERYBODY THE MOST EXCITING THING GOING ON IN HOUSTON, TEXAS IS WHAT'S GOING ON OUT AT THE SPACEPORT. IT IS SO EXCITING. I HAD A BUNCH OF OUT OF TOWN COMPANY IN TOWN RECENTLY. ALL THEY WANTED TO DO WAS GO OUT TO NASA. THEY WANTED TO, THEY, I MEAN, WE'RE STILL KNOWN FOR THAT AND WE'RE JUST BUILDING ON THAT. SO PROUD OF TSU, GLAD YOU'RE GONNA BE OUT THERE. I'M BRAGGING TOO, I'M BRAGGING THIS TIME ON MY SON. HE WENT BACK AND GOT A SEC, SECOND UNDERGRAD DEGREE IN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING JUST BECAUSE OF ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, HYPE ABOUT, ABOUT AEROSPACE AND AVIATION. SO IT, IT'S ALL VERY EXCITING. HE DIDN'T GO TO TSU DARN IT, . BUT, UM, BUT, UH, ANYWAY, IT'S JUST, IT'S SUCH A GOOD STORY FOR HOUSTON AND THIS IS JUST BUILDING ON [03:30:01] THAT REALLY GOOD STORY. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND WE'RE GONNA BE CHEERLEADERS FOR THIS FOR A LONG TIME. THANK YOU. SORRY, COUNCILOR EMMA SHABAZZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I KNOW THIS IS A DISTRICT D ITEM. I MEAN DISTRICT E ITEM, BUT LET THERE BE NO DOUBT THAT THIS IS DISTRICT D AT ITS FINEST. I TOLD DR. FONTAIN YEARS AGO WHEN I FOUND OUT HE WAS A PILOT. I MEAN, HE WENT WAY, WAY UP THERE. AND I HAVE KNOWN SOME OF THESE, UH, DISTINGUISHED PEOPLE FOR MANY YEARS. I AM SO PROUD OF THE TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, THIS AVIATION PROGRAM. UH, RHONDA NAVIGATED ME THROUGH THE AIRPORT JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AND I'M JUST SO, SO VERY THANKFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE. AND I MEAN, DISTRICT D IS SOARING AND WE ARE JUST CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITY OF LOVE IN DISTRICT E AND WE THANK YOU FOR RECEIVING US AND HELPING US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR FANTASTIC PROGRAM. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. REGION JOHNSON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. AND, UM, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION HAS MOVED FORWARD WITH MORE DESTINATION VENUES. THANK YOU. OKAY, THEN LASTLY, BECAUSE THIS, I MEAN, THIS IS, UM, A MAJOR, MAJOR INITIATIVE, UH, FOR BOTH THE AIRPORT AS WELL AS PROTECTED SOUTHERN, AND QUITE FRANKLY, UM, FOR OUR HOST, I MEAN, FOR THE STATE. UM, WHO WANTS TO SPEAK TO IT, TO SPEAK TO IT FIRST, IF YOU RAISE THAT MIC, ONE OF THOSE MICS. SURE. JUST GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. HONORABLE MAYOR, THE ESTEEM COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR ALL THESE KIND WORDS. UH, TEXAS SOUTHERN HAS JUST ELATED WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY AND, UH, WE PLAN ON, UH, MAKING IT WORK FOR OUR PEOPLE. UH, MAYOR, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT, UH, THE DESTINATION FOR US IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AT THE PINNACLE OF EDUCATION IN THIS COUNTRY WITH REGARD TO AVIATION. THAT'S OUR GOAL. THAT'S OUR INITIATIVE. THAT'S THE SUPPORT THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE. I WANNA THANK OUR REGIONS, OUR REGENTS, OUR CHAIRMAN. NOW, MYERS OBVIOUSLY COULDN'T BE HERE THIS MORNING. UH, REPRESENTATIVE, UH, EXCUSE ME, REGENT DOWN THIS PAGE. T BENHAM, WHO'S BEEN AN ALLSTAR FOR US REGARDING THE SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAM. UH, REGENT JOHNSON AND THIS FABULOUS AVIATION, UH, ADVISORY BOARD WHO KEEPS ME IN LINE. I THANK THEM ALL AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THANK, UH, OUR PRESIDENT WHO HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT SUPPORTIVE OF US SINCE THE DAY SHE'S ARRIVED IN HOUSTON. AND SO WE, UM, THE, THE STUDENTS ARE WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. AND THESE STUDENTS ARE VERY, VERY HAPPY. UH, THEY SEE THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR US TO HAVE OUR OWN SPACE, NOT ONLY HAVING OUR OWN SPACE FOR CLASSROOMS AND TECHNOLOGY, BUT ALSO TO PROTECT OUR AIRPLANES IN A ENCLOSED HANGAR, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW. SO I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THIS, UH, AND THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. AND, UH, CLOSE BY SAYING, UH, MONTHS AGO, I KNOW, UH, UH, DR. ALICIA CRUMPTON YOUNG CAME AND WE HAD A CONVERSATION ON TWO THINGS. UH, ONE WAS THE AVIATION PROGRAM AND THE OTHER WAS THE CENTER FOR TRANSFORMATIVE HEALTH, UH, THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN HOUSTON AND TSU. UM, SO I DO CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER IN HER ABSENCE, UH, FOR HER, FOR HER LEADERSHIP, UH, IN THIS AREA. AND I KNOW TRUSTEE BENHAM, I THINK YOU ACTUALLY FLY, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. I I THINK I'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, YOU AS WE PASSED EACH OTHER IN THE SKY. UM, , UH, YEAH. YES, SIR. MAYOR, UH, I, I AM A PILOT AND I DO USE THE, UH, ALL OF THE HOUSTON AIRPORTS, UH, FLYING MY OWN PLANES, UH, IN AND OUT OF ALL, ALL THREE OF THE AIRPORTS. I JUST WANTED TO THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH, ESPECIALLY YOU, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS. UH, WE WENT FROM, FROM 18 STUDENTS TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO TO 60. WE WENT FROM TWO AIRPLANES TO SEVEN. AND THAT IS THE TRAJECTORY THAT WE INTEND TO BE ON. WE, WE ARE NOT GOING TO SETTLE FOR BEING BEST IN TEXAS. WE, WE ARE TARGETING EMBRY-RIDDLE. WE'RE TARGETING WESTERN MICHIGAN. WE'RE TARGETING UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA. WE INTEND TO TAKE THE LEADERSHIP ROLE IN AVIATION, AEROSPACE TRAINING IN THE COUNTRY, NOT JUST THE STATE. THANK YOU. EXCELLENT. AND THEN COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN KASH, I'M GONNA COME RIGHT DOWN SO I CAN TAKE THIS QUICK PICTURE. YOU KNOW, MAYOR, WITH ALL OF US BEING BEHIND THIS LIKE THIS, WHY ARE WE CHARGING THEM ANYTHING FOR RENT? WHY DON'T WE REDUCE THIS TO A DOLLAR? COME ON, MAN. YOU KNOW, IF I'D HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, I'D HAVE MADE A MOTION TO DO THAT EARLIER TO AMEND IT . SO, UH, MAYBE WE CAN BRING IT BACK UP AND GET THAT RENT DROPPED. THANK YOU. NOW THE RENT IS IMPORTANT, . THANK YOU, MAYOR. [03:35:12] AWESOME. THANK YOU. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I APPRECIATE, I JUST WANTED TO, TO ALSO WISH, UH, DR. ALICIA CRUMPTON YOUNG, A HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY. UH, I DID IT YESTERDAY, BUT WITH ALL OF TSU BEING PRESENT TODAY AND THEIR FINEST, I WANTED TO WISH HER PUBLICLY A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU. BACK TO THE AGENDA. OH, CJ, SHE'S DOING THE CJ YEAH. UM, THERE'S A PRESENTATION FROM THE, UM, GENERAL, GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT. SO THERE'S CJ UH, CJ MESSIAH, WE'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON THIS MORNING. AND THEN DR. LAWSON IS ALSO PRESENT WITH THE LIBRARY, WHERE THAT'S YOUR MAYOR. SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN GSD. SO I'VE ASKED DR. LAWSON AND DIRECTOR ALLEN TO JOIN ME. SO IF YOU COULD PLAY THE QUICK VIDEO, UM, QUEUE IT UP, A QUICK VIDEO. VERY NICE. EXCELLENT. SO THIS IS THE A LEAF NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER. THIS IS A 70,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY ON 37 ACRES OF WHAT USED TO BE THE OLD A LEAF PARK. IT'S A $58.5 MILLION PROJECT. THIS WAS A TEAM EFFORT. AND WE HAVE WITH US TODAY, REPRESENTATIVES FROM PAGE ARCHITECT AND MANHATTAN CONSTRUCTION. IF YOU WOULD STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED, THESE FOLKS HAVE MADE IT HAPPEN AND WE, WE COULDN'T SEE IT TO THE FINISH WITHOUT. UM, MY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, RICHARD VALA, UH, HIS DIVISION MANAGER, TRINA REDWINE, CHARLES AND DIVISION MAN, UH, DIVISION MANAGER, UH, DMITRI CARAS. THANK YOU. THIS WAS DEFINITELY A, A TEAM PROJECT. AND I LEARNED YESTERDAY, WHEN I SAY TEAM, IT WASN'T JUST GSD, BUT THE COMMUNITY WAS INVOLVED FROM DESIGN TO COMPLETION. AND I FOUND OUT YESTERDAY TOO, THAT ONE OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WAS ACTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS BEFORE SHE WAS EVEN ELECTED TO HER OFFICE. THIS PROJECT, UM, HAS THREE DEPARTMENTS IN IT. IT'S THE FIRST OF ITS KIND STATE OF THE ART. IT HAS LIBRARY HEALTH AND PARKS HEALTH DEPARTMENT. UM, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS COULDN'T MAKE IT TODAY. HE HAD A CONFLICT, BUT THEY HAVE A SENIOR SERVICES PROGRAM THAT IS SECOND TO NONE. I WAS OUT THERE YESTERDAY, AND IT IS GROWING AND IT IS PACKED, AND THE SENIORS ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME OUT THERE. I ACTUALLY SAT DOWN AND TALKED TO A FEW FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR ON THE THINGS THEY DO FROM LINE DANCING TO, UM, ZO CO. YOU NAME IT, THEY DO IT, THE LIBRARY. DR. LAWSON HAS A TEAM, UH, CHILDREN'S AND ADULTS READING PROGRAMS, A PASSPORT OFFICE AND TECH LINK. THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE FAMILY AREAS, PLAYGROUND, UM, ROCK CLIMBING OR WALL CLIMBING, BASKETBALL, SWIMMING POOL, AND MUCH MORE. THERE'S EVEN, EVEN SHARED SPACES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO LEASE OR RENT OUT. THE BUILDING ITSELF IS IN THE LEADED CERTIFICATION, AND OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE IT GOLD, UH, LEAD CERTIFIED. I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE AND TAKE, UH, GREAT CARE THAT WE SAVED THE EXISTING TREES AND PLANTED OVER A HUNDRED TREES IN THE PROJECT. THE HOUSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL LANDMARK AWARD RECOGNIZES REAL ESTATE PROJECTS THAT MAKE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON HOUSTON AND HELP [03:40:01] SCOPE A LOOK, FEEL AN IMAGE OF THE CITY. THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAD TWO FINALISTS IN THIS CATEGORY, THE A LEAF NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER AND THE NEW SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. AND THIS WAS IN THE COMMUNITY IMPACT CATEGORY, AND I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE A EAF NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER WAS THE WINNER OF THE AWARD. AND MAYOR, WE'D LIKE TO MAYOR, WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE AWARD FROM THE HOUSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL. COUNCILMAN THOMAS, COME JOIN ME. COUNCILMAN THOMAS, COME JOIN. MAYOR. ARE WE GONNA INVITE THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WHO BUILT THE FACILITY TO JOIN AS AND THE ARCHITECT? MM-HMM . PAGE MANHATTAN. I, I FORGOT TO MENTION LISA JOHNSON WAS THE DIVISION MANAGER OF PARKS WHO HELD, HANDLED THE PARK PART OF THIS PROJECT. AND JOHN MIDDLETON, WHO CALLED ME SO MUCH . A LET ME [MAYOR'S REPORT] SAY, UH, LET ME THANK, LET ME THANK EVERYONE, EVERYONE WHO WORKED IN THAT, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, THE CONTRACTORS, UM, I MEAN, EVERY SINGLE ONE. UM, AND, AND LET ME QUITE FRANKLY SAY THAT, UM, WHAT HAPPENED IN A LEAVE REALLY SHOULD BE THE STANDARD FOR EVERY FACILITY THAT'S BUILT IN OUR CITY. UM, CAN YOU IMAGINE IF WE HAD THE SAME IN EVERY DISTRICT, UM, IT WOULD JUST, IT WOULD REALLY UPLIFT THE ENTIRE CITY. SO AS WE GO FORWARD, UH, THAT, THAT REALLY SHOULD BE, THAT SHOULD BE THE, THE STANDARD. AND IN YOUR THIRD TERM, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, RIGHT? WELL, THAT IS TRUE , BECAUSE IF I HAD ANOTHER TERM, WE WOULD CERTAINLY BE DOING THAT. AND THEN WE WOULD GET THAT, THE MAJOR CENTER FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES BUILT, BECAUSE THAT NEEDS TO BE A, A VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT AS WELL. UH, I DO WANNA REMIND PEOPLE THAT OTC, THE OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE IS IN TOWN, UM, ABOUT 30, 40,000 PEOPLE IN TOWN FROM ALL OVER, ABOUT A HUNDRED COUNTRIES REPRESENTED, UH, AT, UM, SO PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, UM, OTC, BEING IN TOWN AT THE GEORGIA BROWN CONVENTION CENTER. SO THAT'S, THAT'S MAJOR. UM, AND THEN DON'T FORGET, UH, THIS FRIDAY, CINCO DE MAYO, THE HOUSTON CHAPTER OF LULAC DISTRICT EIGHT IS HOSTING THE CITY'S CINCO CINCO DE MAYO PARADE. UH, AS IT MAKES THIS RETURN AFTER THREE YEARS, THE PARADE WILL BE ON MAY THE SIXTH AT 10:00 AM AND START AT TEXAS STREET AT HAMILTON. UM, SO I INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN, UM, ME AND OTHERS AT THE DOWNTOWN PARADE. UM, AND SO CINCO DE MAYO PARADE TOMORROW, STAR WARS DAY. UH, TOMORROW IS STAR WARS DAY. YEAH. UM, MAY THE FOURTH. MAY THE FOURTH YEAR WITH YOU? YES, ABSOLUTELY. UH, OKAY. I THINK THAT'S GONNA DO IT FOR ME, FOR THE, FOR THEM, FOR THE MAYOR'S REPORT. WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HEARD QUITE A BIT THIS MORNING, SO, UH, WE'LL PICK IT UP AT ANOTHER TIME. HAVING SAID THAT, [CONSENT AGENDA] LET'S GO BACK. LET'S GO BACK TO THE AGENDA, MADAM SECRETARY, UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY, ITEM NINE HAS BEEN REMOVED. SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BS CATEGORY. ITEMS 11, 13 AND 14 HAVE BEEN REMOVED. SEPARATE CONSIDERATION NEEDED MOTION FOR [03:45:01] ITEMS 10 12 15 THROUGH 17. CASTEX TM MOVED. SECOND ROBINSON, MR. MOVE MOVED. AND SECOND IN DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSING GRANITE UNDER THE RESOLUTIONS CATEGORY. ITEMS 18 THROUGH 20 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY SINCE YOUR LIST HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED. ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION ARE 21 THROUGH 27. WE'VE ALREADY DONE 22, 21 THROUGH 27, 30 THROUGH 32. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 21 THROUGH 27, 30 THROUGH 32. WE ONLY NEED A VOTE FOR ITEMS 28 AND 29 APPOINTED. QUESTION. MAYOR, I HAVE A QUESTION. YES, SIR. UH, COUNCILMAN K? UH, I HAD, UH, REQUESTED TO TAG, I MEAN, NOT TAG TO SQUARE 26 AND 2027. FORGIVE ME, I THOUGHT SHE SAID SOMETHING THAT 28, 29 UP THE VOTE. I, I DON'T KNOW. WHEN YOU DO THAT ONE THROUGH SOMETHING, IT KIND OF CONFUSES ME. THANK YOU. UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY, I REMOVE SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. R 21 THROUGH 27, 30 THROUGH 32. WE ONLY NEED TO VOTE FOR 28 AND 29. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? COUNCILMAN GANG? YEAH, I'M SORRY. AM I ABLE TO DISCUSS, UH, ITEM NUMBER 23? IT SQUARED. IT SQUARED WHEN WE GET BACK TO, ALRIGHT. SWEAR, WE NEED TO GET SOME MORE COFFEE. OH, OKAY. WE'LL DRINK SOME MORE COFFEE. WE TOGETHER. OKAY. DISCUSSION. WE ARE, WE ARE ONLY CONSIDERING 28 AND 29 TOGETHER. 28 29. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANTED ON 28 AND 29. OKAY, MADAM SECRETARY, BACK TO THE BEGINNING. ITEMS [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM NINE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM MOVED. SECOND ROBINSON. TAG POLLARD. MAYOR, I'M SORRY, WHAT DID I HEAR? POLLARD ITEM NINE IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN POLLARD AND COUNCILMAN KASH. OKAY, NEXT ITEM. ITEM 11 NEEDS A MOTION TAG. MA'AM, CAN I KASH? ITEM 11. MS. PEN TAGGED WITH COUNCILMAN KASH. ITEM 13 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX, TATU MOVE. SECOND. ROBINSON MOVE. AND SECOND ON ITEM 13. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED AND GRANTED. ITEM 14 NEEDS A MOTION. MA THE MOTION FIRST WE NEED TO GET THE MOTION OUT FIRST. SECRETARY, MOVE SECOND. ROBINSON BEEN MOVED A SECOND. AND NOW TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN MC KOSH. ITEM 18 IS A RESOLUTION. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 18. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED, GRANITE. OPPOSED. WHO? WHO ELSE, WHO'S OPPOSED? COUNCILMAN KUBA VOTING. NO. ITEM PASSES. ITEM 19 IS A RESOLUTION. JUST NEED A VOTE. ITEM 19 IS BEEN TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. ITEM 20 IS A RESOLUTION. JUST NEED A VOTE. WE ON ITEM 20, DISCUSSION ON 20. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 20. ITEM 21 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. WE ON ITEM 21. DISCUSSION ON 21. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 21. ITEM 23 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. WELL, ITEM 23. COUNCIL MEMBER GALL ON 23. THANK YOU, MAYOR. FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA CONGRATULATE AND THANK THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM. UH, THIS IS JUST PART OF THE MANY GREAT IMPROVEMENTS TAKING PLACE AT HOBBY TO ENSURE WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE BEST EXPERIENCE FOR THE FLYING PUBLIC. THE RESTROOM RENOVATION PROJECT WILL COMPLETELY OVERHAUL THE RESTROOMS NEAR GATES 20 THROUGH 32 WITH NEW WALL PANEL SYSTEMS THAT IMPROVE AIR QUALITY LIGHTING AND AIR CIRCULATION ALONG WITH UPDATED PLUMBING FIXTURES. THE WORK WILL BE PHASED, SO NOT ALL RESTROOMS WILL BE WORKED ON AT THE SAME TIME, TO ENSURE MINIMAL INCONVENIENCE TO PASSENGERS, I WANT, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK HAS FOR ALL THEY CONTINUE TO DO TO ENHANCE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE IN AND OUT OF HOBBY AIRPORT. THANK YOU. OH, THANKS MADAM PRO, TIM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGO SAID, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, UM, LIFT UP THAT HAS WAS A AWARDED 4.5 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING FROM THE FAA, [03:50:01] UM, FOR THIS PROJECT. SO THAT COVERS APPROXIMATELY 93% OF THE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS. SO WE, WE APPRECIATE THOSE, UH, UH, GRANT DOLLARS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 30 23? 23 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 23? ITEM 24 IS AN ORDER. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 24. COUNCILMAN MCCAMMON ON 24. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I'M THRILLED TO SEE US IN, UH, CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD ON THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN IN RESILIENT HOUSTON PLAN. UH, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE AND I APPRECIATE THAT WE AS A CITY ARE CHAMPIONING THIS TYPE OF WORK. UM, I HAD A QUESTION RELATED TO THIS ITEM BECAUSE, UH, BACK IN AUGUST AT A TTI COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, I ASKED, UH, DIRECTOR ZACHARIA, UM, FOR A REPORT ON THE SPECIFIC ACTIONS OF THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, THE TIMELINES FOR IMPLEMENTATION. I WAS TOLD DURING THAT MEETING, UM, THAT THEY, THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE A TIMELINE AT THAT TIME, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IT IS A MASSIVE, COMPREHENSIVE THING TO MOVE FORWARD ON. BUT I WAS TOLD THAT, UM, MORE INFORMATION WOULD BE PROVIDED TO US IN THE COMING WEEKS. IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION. UH, I STILL HAVEN'T SEEN THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS CONTRACT HELPS FURTHER THAT, BUT I JUST WANT TO, UH, SEE WHAT WE CAN BE DOING AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO CONTINUE TO MOVE THAT FORWARD. AND THAT INFORMATION IS VERY HELPFUL. UM, JUST KNOWING WHERE WE STAND, WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHAT THOSE TIMELINES ARE. I KNOW WE HAD A PHENOMENAL PRESENTATION FROM DIRECTOR WILL FALK AS IT RELATES TO, UM, WHERE WE ARE IN PROPOSALS FOR MULTIFAMILY RECYCLING WHEN HALF OF HOUSTON RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO RECYCLING. THAT'S A CRITICAL NEED AND A BASIC SERVICE THAT WE CAN BE PROVIDING. SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS, UM, I'LL COME BACK TO THE QUESTION OF IF IT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE AND WHETHER OR NOT THIS CONTRACTOR'S WORKING ON THAT OR NOT, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT WORK AND IT'S PHENOMENAL WORK THAT'S MAKING PLACE, RIGHT? IT WILL BE AND IT WILL ASSIST. I'LL TELL YOU, I'LL HAVE A DIRECTOR ZACHARIA, UM, GET WITH YOU. SHE'S OUT OF THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. UM, UM, MOTHER HAD A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, BUT JUST AS SOON AS SHE RETURNS. WE'LL, WE'LL SCHEDULE THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 24? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR PROPOSED GRANTED ON 24. ITEM 25 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 25, DISCUSSION ON 25. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 25. ITEM 26 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. RIGHT? ITEM MS. BEING TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KASH. ITEM 27 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ITEM 27 BEING TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KASH. AND IF THERE ARE ANY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS YOU ALL HAVE ON THESE ITEMS, YOU CAN LET ME KNOW. 'CAUSE I'M NOT GONNA BE HERE NEXT WEEK AND I KNOW YOU'RE TAGGING THEM, BUT YOU KNOW, WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE A SENSE OF WHY NO QUESTIONS. BUT ANYWAY, NEXT ITEM, ITEM 30 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ITEM 30 BEING TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN KBAS. ITEM 31 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. ITEM 32 IS AN AUGUST. WAIT, WAIT, JUST, I'M JUST DIGESTING ON 32. OKAY. 31 IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN KASH. ITEM 32 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ITEM 32 IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN KASH. [MATTERS HELD] ITEM 33 IS A MOTION, JUST NEEDS A VOTE ITEM. UM, WE ITEM 33, DISCUSSION ON 33. COUNCILOR KOSH, COUNCILMAN MC KUBOSH ON 33. MAYOR, I TAG THIS LAST WEEK. UM, I'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO THIS, UH, UH, EMERGENCY WATER LINE INSPECTION SERVICE FOR THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. UH, I CALLED, UH, JEDI GREENFIELD ABOUT IT. AND THESE ARE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, AND THESE FROM HIM TALKING TO ME, THAT THESE INSPECTIONS ARE NOT, UH, REPAIRS. THEY ARE FOR [03:55:01] INSPECTING THE WORK AFTER IT'S BEEN REPAIRED. AND AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT HE TOLD ME. THAT IS CORRECT. SO, SO NONE OF THIS MONEY'S GOING FOR, FOR ACTUAL REPAIRING OF WATER LINES. THEY'RE GOING FOR INSPECTING THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE. WE HAVE, WE HAD OVER, UM, AT ONE POINT IN TIME COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH OVER 800 WATER MAIN LEAKS. AND WE HAVE HIRED CONTRACTORS TO REPAIR THESE WATER MAIN LEAKS. WE DON'T NEED THE SAME CONTRACTORS WHO ARE REPAIRING TO INSPECT THEIR OWN WORK. SO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK IS DONE PROPERLY. BECAUSE THIS VERY EXPENSIVE WORK, WE HAVE HIRED A TEAM TO GO AND CHECK TO MAKE SURE THE WORK WAS DONE CORRECTLY. IF THE WORK WASN'T DONE CORRECTLY. WE WANNA HOLD THOSE CONTRACTORS ACCOUNTABLE. THIRD PARTY THROUGH A THIRD PARTY. BUT WE ARE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF JUST HIRING PEOPLE TO GO AND SAY THEY FIXED THE WATER MAIN LEAK. AND THEN THREE MONTHS FROM NOW, THERE'S A WATER MAIN LEAK IS OCCURRING RIGHT THEN AND THERE. SO THIS IS A WAY OF AUDITING THE PROCESS THROUGH A THIRD PARTY. SO IT IS A WATERLINE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION. SO YOU GOT 800 WATER, WE HAD OVER 800. WE ARE NOW DOWN TO UNDER 300. UH, BUT WE ALSO, WHAT I'VE SAID TO PUBLIC WORKS, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK IS BEING DONE PROPERLY. AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO INSPECT THE CONSTRUCTION WORK. AND I DON'T WANT US JUST TO RELY ON THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE FIXED IT TO SAY THEY FIXED IT AND WE HAVE PAID THEM MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO GET THIS WORK DONE. WELL, MAYOR, THEY'RE BONDED. THESE, THESE COMPANIES THAT ARE FIXING THESE WATER LINES ARE BONDED. RIGHT? AND, AND, UH, SO WHAT ARE THEY DOING GOING OUT THERE AND DIGGING UP THE WATERLINE TO SEE IF THEY PUT IT DOWN RIGHT? NO, THESE, UM, THESE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE EXPERTS IN THEIR AREA. THEY CAN QUICKLY GO OUT AND INSPECT THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE TO ADVISE US AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE WORK WAS DONE PROPERLY. AND DO, ARE WE GETTING A REPORT BACK ON WHICH OF THESE COMPANIES ARE, ARE NOT PROPERLY FIXING THEM? THAT THESE, UH, INSPECTORS HAVE DETERMINED WERE AN IMPROPER REPAIR? YES. THAT'S A PART OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESS. WELL, MAYOR, WE HAVE OUR, WE HAVE OUR OWN, UH, PERMITTING DEPARTMENT, UH, ONCE THEY'RE DOING THE WORK, UH, DOES PERMITTING GO OUT, UH, AND, AND, UH, INSPECT IT ITSELF? NO PERMITTING? NO PERMITTING IS IN A DIFFERENT AREA THAT'S, THAT'S IN A DIFFERENT AREA. AND, AND LEMME TELL YOU, WE ARE AUGMENTING PERMITTING. SO WE CAN'T BE PULLING PEOPLE FROM PERMITTING TO BE GOING OUT HERE AND DOING THIS WORK. WE'LL GET BEHIND IN THE OTHER AREAS. WELL, MAYOR, IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE ME PUTTING, PUTTING A ROOF ON MY HOUSE AND, AND PAYING $30,000 FOR THE ROOF AND, AND THEN PAYING $30,000 TO HAVE SOMEBODY COME OUT AND INSPECT TO SEE IF THE ROOF WAS PUT ON THEIR RIGHT. THAT'S NOT A PARALLEL. AND AND MAYBE IT'S NOT A GOOD PARALLEL AS, AS YOU SAY, BUT THE THING IS, MAYOR, THERE'S A, UH, WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON, ON INSPECTIONS AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT, UH, UH, THAT, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S BONDS. IF THE WATER LEAK ISN'T FIXED, WE WILL KNOW IT'S NOT FIXED. IT'LL LEAK. I I'M JUST, I MEAN, THIS IS $800,000 AND, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT THERE WERE MORE OF 'EM ON THE AGENDA, UH, TODAY. SO, UH, REACTION. WELL, YOU, YOU CERTAINLY WANT TO, YOU WANT TO INSPECT BEFORE IT START, BEFORE IT BREAKS AGAIN. BECAUSE ONCE IT BREAKS AGAIN, YES, THEY'RE ABUNDANT, BUT THE, THE, THE DELAY THE WATER SPILLAGE, UM, AND, AND THEN THE WATER IS JUST SPILLING AND IT JUST ENHANCES. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE ARE BEING AGGRESSIVE ON THIS COUNCIL MEMBER KASH, IS HURRICANE SEASON IS APPROACHING AND IT'S A PART OF OUR WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM. SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK IS BEING DONE. WE INSPECT ALL OF OUR CONSTRUCTION WORK, ALL OF THEM. THIS IS NOT IN THIS, IN THIS AREA. WE DO IT ACROSS THE BOARD. WONDERFUL. RIGHT. MAYOR, WOULD YOU HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE, THAT, THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, REACH OUT TO HIM AND EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THEY INSPECT THEM? SURE. SURE. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. COUNCILMAN KNOX. UM, COUNCILMAN KNOX. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, SO HISTORICALLY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHEN WE REPAIRED PRIOR TO THIS PROGRAM MM-HMM . UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD REPAIR REPAIRS ON TOP OF REPAIRS. UH, AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE WEREN'T INSPECTING THEM RIGHT. IN THE PAST. AND SO WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS IS WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE SOME, SOME ABILITY TO KNOW THAT WHEN THE REPAIR IS MADE, IT'S GONNA STAY REPAIRED. CORRECT. UM, AND THAT'S I THINK WHY WE, WE'VE DONE THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE. CORRECT. AND I, AND I BELIEVE THE INSPECTIONS OCCUR BEFORE THEY COVER THE MATERIAL UP. I MEAN, THAT'S CORRECT. ONCE THEY, ONCE THEY REPAIR IT, THEY GET AN INSPECTOR OUT THERE TO INSPECT IT BEFORE IT'S COVERED, [04:00:01] SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK OUT THERE AND DIG IT UP AGAIN AND LOOK AT IT. SO, AND WE ARE USING THIRD PARTIES TO DO THAT. AND THEN THAT'S FINE TOO. I I WOULD PREFER THAT WE HAD OUR OWN PEOPLE TO DO IT, BUT I UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T DO THAT. WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE, THE MANPOWER TO DO THAT. CORRECT. SO IT'S NECESSARY TO DO THIS. SO, UH, ANYWAY, I HOPE THAT BRINGS SOME CLARITY TO MY COLLEAGUE. DOES THAT HELP? COUNCILMAN KOOSH? IT HELPS, MAYOR. THANK YOU. WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND PASS IT. I JUST FELT LIKE IT WAS A, UH, WE GO AHEAD AND IT WAS, I FELT LIKE, FROM WHAT I HEARD IT WAS CONSTRUCTION, BUT THIS IS JUST INSPECTIONS NOT REPAIRING ANYTHING. THAT'S CORRECT. RED. SO ROBINSON, COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. WELL, MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT FURTHERMORE, YOU KNOW, THE MATERIALS THEMSELVES, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH ARE UNDER WARRANTY. SO, YOU KNOW, THE MATERIAL FAILURE IS ONE WAY THAT WE HAVE THESE THINGS SAFEGUARDED AND CHECKED ALL PART OF THE CONTRACT. BUT THE INSPECTIONS, I THINK IS COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX SAID ACCURATELY. THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF OUR QUALITY CONTROL, QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM THAT HISTORICALLY HAS PAID HUGE DIVIDENDS FOR THE CITY. AND JUST AS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION TO YOUR POINT ABOUT PAYING $30,000 FOR YOUR ROOF AND $30,000 FOR THE INSPECTION, THIS IS NOT A ONE TO ONE EQUATION WHERE WE'RE PAYING THE SAME FOR THE INSPECTION AS WE'RE PAYING FOR THE INSTALLATION. SO THAT'S NOT EXACTLY PARALLEL MATH. I WOULD SUGGEST WE, UH, YOU KNOW, LET'S GET YOU THE INFORMATION AND THE HELP THAT WE NEED SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS. AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND PASS THESE THINGS SO WE CAN MOVE ON. THESE ARE IMPORTANT CONTRACTS WITH THE EPA AND THE TCEQ. AND, UM, HEAVEN KNOWS WE'VE HAD PARADES OF PEOPLE IN FRONT OF US FOR WEEKS NOW TALKING ABOUT DRAINAGE. AND WE NEED TO GET THESE THINGS FULLY INSPECTED AND OPERATIONAL IN OUR CITY. I THINK IT'S SUPPOSED TO RAIN THIS WEEKEND. SO I, I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO DROP YOUR TAGS AND LET US VOTE. ARE WE ON ITEM 33? YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT? ABOUT THE OTHER ONE? YEAH. WELL, LET'S, OKAY, LET'S DO WHAT ITEM 33 FIRST. UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 33? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED GRANITE? UM, NOW BE MA'AM. SECRETARY, DOES THAT DO IT? THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON YOUR AGENDA. OKAY. BEFORE WE MEET, MOVE TO TOP OFF. IS THERE A MOMENT OF CONTEMPLATION AND REFLECTION? , ANY OF ALRIGHT, ON, ON POP [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] OF, WE START WITH COUNCILMAN POLLETT. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, ON THIS, ON THIS, UH, AGENDA, UH, TODAY I WANT TO REALLY, UH, HIGHLIGHT FIVE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FIRMS THAT WERE PRIMED. UH, SOME OF THE ITEMS WERE TAGGED, UH, SO HOPEFULLY THEY'LL BE SUCCESSFUL IN A WEEK OR SO. BUT IT, IT REMINDS ME OF MY FATHER WAS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. UH, HE HAD A UNIFORM COMPANY AND HE USED TO COME DOWN HERE IN THE EIGHTIES, IN THE NINETIES AND TRY TO GET ON, UH, CITY CONTRACTS. AND HE SAID IT WAS ALWAYS DIFFICULT FOR MWB, UH, MBS AT THE TIME, UH, TO GET WORK. AND IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR MBES TO GRADUATE UP TO BE A PRIME. AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY TO YOUR ADMINISTRATION MAYOR, UH, FOR INCREASING, UH, THE AWARENESS, THE EDUCATION FOR MINORITY VENDORS TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE PRIMES. UH, BUT TO HAVE FIVE AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, UM, COMPANIES ON THE AGENDA TODAY AS PRIMES IS SOMETHING TO BE HIGHLIGHTED. UM, THE MONTH OF MAY IS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER MONTH, AND THIS IS ALSO TAIWANESE AMERICAN HERITAGE WEEK. THERE WILL BE MANY, UH, COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS, UH, GOING ON ALL MONTH THAT MY OFFICE WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN. AND WE WILL INVITE EACH OFFICE TO JOIN US IN SOME OF THOSE FESTIVITIES. UH, THIS PAST WEEKEND, MAYOR, UM, WE HAD ONE DAY HOUSTON, WHICH WAS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAME TOGETHER TO GET VOLUNTEERS, UH, TO DO SERVICE PROJECTS. UH, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 50,000 VOLUNTEERS ALL OVER THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, DOING EVERYTHING FROM BEAUTIFYING THEIR COMMUNITIES, UH, TO DOING FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS. UH, AND THEY MADE AN INCENTIVE FOR THESE VOLUNTEERS THAT IF YOU CAME OUT AND YOU DID SERVICE WORK OVER THE WEEKEND, YOU WOULD GET A FREE TICKET, UH, TO THE TOYOTA CENTER FOR A CONCERT TO SEE NATIONAL ACTS. UM, I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST, UM, TIME THAT WE'VE HAD SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN THE CITY WITH THIS PARTICULAR, UM, ENTITY. SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE THEM A HUGE SHOUT OUT AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE MORE INITIATIVES LIKE THIS TO KIND OF BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. AND, UH, FINALLY, MAYOR, I WANT TO GIVE A BIG, BIG SHOUT OUT TO ALEXIA AGUILAR WHO'S IN THE, UM, AUDIENCE WITH ME IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY WITH US. UH, PLEASE STAND ALEXIA. SHE IS MY [04:05:01] U OF H INTERN. SHE HAS, UH, WORKED REALLY HARD OVER THE PAST, UH, SEMESTER. UH, SHE'S BEEN A POINT PERSON ON OUR DISTRICT J JOBS.COM, UH, PROJECT, AND SHE'S HELPED WITH THE, THE GUN SAFES INITIATIVES AND MANY OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN THE OFFICE. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK. UH, WISH WE COULD KEEP YOU A LITTLE LONGER, BUT I KNOW THAT THE INTERNSHIP IS ENDING. BUT WHATEVER MY OFFICE CAN DO TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR ENDEAVORS, UH, PLEASE LET US KNOW. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THAT, UH, WRAPS UP MY, UH, COMMENTS, BUT THANK YOU ALEXIA. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN. EVAN SHABAZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THIS PAST WEEKEND IN DISTRICT D UH, WE HAD SOME ENGAGING AND INSPIRING EVENTS THAT, UH, SHOWCASED THE SPIRIT OF OUR COMMUNITY. STARTING EARLY SATURDAY MORNING, THE SISTER NETWORK WALK FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS, UH, UNITED PEOPLE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THIS DEVASTATING DISEASE RAISING BOTH AWARENESS AND FUNDS FOR THE CAUSE. AFTER THE WALK, THE URBAN LEAGUE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS UNIVERSITY WAS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION HOSTED A WELL ATTENDED EVENT AT THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN REGISTERING THE, THE YOUTH FOR THE HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH PROGRAM. AND THESE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE OUR FUTURE. AND I WANNA EXTEND GRATITUDE TO PARKS AND RECREATION FOR HAVING STAFF ON SITE TO INFORM STUDENTS ABOUT POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. LATER, THE LEAGUE OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN CELEBRATED ITS 59TH ANNIVERSARY. I WAS VERY PROUD TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT DYNAMIC GROUP OF WOMEN AND LEADERS. AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, MY OWN STAFF MEMBER INGRAM. ROBERSON MITCHUM, WHO DID A STELLAR JOB OF ORGANIZING AND CARRYING OUT THIS EVENT. AND THEN ALSO MAYOR HAD A GREAT TIME WITH YOU AND SHANNON BUGS AND DIRECTOR WILL FA, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, UH, CC SCOTT AND OTHER CITY OF HOUSTON COLLEAGUES AT THE TSU TIGER BALL CELEBRATING, UH, THE SCHOLARSHIP. IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENT. ON TOMORROW, THERE WILL BE A, UH, FIELD DEDICATION AT THE SUNNYSIDE FOOTBALL FIELD AT 4:00 PM 35 0 2 BELFORT. A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO CENTER POINT ENERGY CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, UH, H PART AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WILL BE AT 4:00 PM TOMORROW AT THE SUNNYSIDE PARK ON TOMORROW EVENING AT THE ALAMEDA GENOA AT FURMAN PUBLIC MEETING, UH, WILL BE AT 6:00 PM AT THE SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, 44 10 REED ROAD. WE ARE HOSTING A COMMUNITY EVENT MEETING TO PRESENT THE LATEST PROJECT DESIGN FOR ALAMEDA AND GENOA AT FURMAN AND ITS GOALS FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND SO PLEASE COME TO THAT VERY IMPORTANT MEETING. THERE WILL BE A SUNNYSIDE CLEANUP ON THIS SATURDAY FROM 9:00 AM TO 1:00 PM UH, AND CERTAINLY WE WANNA COME OUT BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET DISTRICT D AND KEEP DISTRICT D CLEAN AND TO FIGHT THIS ILLEGAL DUMPING. THERE WILL ALSO BE A CLASSIC CAR CONCERT ON, SAT ON, ON MAY THE SIXTH AT 10:00 AM AT THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, SPEARHEADED BY HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEE, DR. PRITA VANDERBILT STALLWORTH. SO COME OUT AND ENJOY THAT. THAT'S ALWAYS A WONDERFUL EVENT. IT'S AT 10:00 AM AND THAT CONCLUDES WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, YESTERDAY EVENING I ATTENDED A-A-T-E-C-Q PUBLIC HEARING, UM, TO COLLECT COMMENTS REGARDING THE APPLICATION FOR A RENEWAL OF AN AIR QUALITY PERMIT FOR A CONCRETE BATCH PLANT AT 3 0 2 2 BENNINGTON. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, UH, PLUMMER WAS ALSO IN ATTENDANCE AND SPOKE AS WELL, UM, BUT IT WAS WELL ATTENDED. AND PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WERE REPORTING THAT THEY'RE SICK, THEY'RE REPORTING THAT, THAT ABOUT DUST THAT THEY CAN SEE. BUT, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S, IT'S ALSO VERY, UM, IMPORTANT TO, TO, TO BE AWARE THAT THE DUST THAT YOU CAN'T SEE, THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN'T BE DETECTED UNLESS IT IS MONITORED IS, IS A, IS A DANGER TO PUBLIC HEALTH. SURELY IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF CONTAINING DUST, THE FINE PARTICLES THAT ARE LINKED TO SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS, SUCH AS ASTHMA AND HEART ATTACKS. UM, DATA ON THE, THE NEGATIVE HEALTH IMPACTS ARE CLEAR AND WELL DOCUMENTED. AND WHILE I SUPPORT THE MOVE, AND A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION YESTERDAY THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO HAVE MORE AIR MONITORS IN PLACE, THE, THE FACT IS WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THE CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS MAKE NEARBY RESIDENTS SICK. SO WE ARE NOW ABOUT ADMIRING THE PROBLEM. YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH MORE INFORMATION DO WE NEED? WE CAN, YOU KNOW, THE MONITORS, YES, I THINK MAYBE, YOU KNOW, HELP GIVE, UM, DATA TO FIGHT WITH, BUT WE ALREADY KNOW THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING. SO A, A FOCUS ON ACQUIRING MORE MONITORS IS, IS REALLY NOT ENOUGH. WE ALREADY KNOW THAT, UM, THE PROBLEM AND THE THREAT [04:10:01] TO PUBLIC HEALTH EXISTS. SO IN STRATEGIZING, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS NOT REALLY A CITY LEVEL THING AT ALL. IT'S AT THE STATE, BUT IN STRATEGIZING AND HOW TO ADVOCATE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT. ANOTHER VERY CRITICAL PIECE OF THIS THAT I'M NOT REALLY HEARING ABOUT IS FOR THE IN INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT AT THE CONCRETE BAT PLANTS THAT WOULD DO A MUCH BETTER JOB OF PREVENTING THE DANGEROUS EMISSIONS, UM, MEASURES TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF DUST CONTROL AT THE, THE CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS. YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT TECHNOLOGY OR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS HAVE THERE BEEN SINCE THIS PLANT WAS, WAS FIRST CONSTRUCTED IN THE 1960S? UM, THERE, THERE ARE SURELY HAVE BEEN DEVELOPMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD DO A BETTER JOB OF RELEASING A FINE PARTICULATE MATTER INTO THE AIR, UM, MITIGATION EFFORTS TODAY RELY HEAVILY ON SPRAYING WITH WATER AND PLACING TALL WALLS AROUND THREE SIDES OF PILES. UM, THIS IS PROBABLY WHAT THE ANCIENT ROMANS DID WHEN THEY WERE BUILDING THE COLISEUMS. YOU KNOW, ISN'T THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, CONTAIN THE, THE, THAT THREAT BETTER? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, AND I'LL MOVE ON TO, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DISTRICT K. ON LAST THURSDAY, WE HAD A GREAT PET AND TREE DISTRIBUTION THAT WE CONDUCTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S OFFICE, UH, THE HOUSTON HUMANE SOCIETY AND TREES FOR HOUSTON. WE WERE ABLE TO SERVICE 56 HOUSEHOLDS WITH 11,520 MEALS FOR THEIR PETS AND DISTRIBUTED OVER 63. SO THANK YOU TO RIDGEMONT COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION FOR HOSTING THE EVENT. IT WAS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL HPD SOUTHWEST COMMAND OFFICERS FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE WITH TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND ALL WHO PARTICIPATED. WE SURELY APPRECIATE IT. UM, AND THEN I WANT TO, UM, THANK OUR DISTRICT, K-H-O-A-P-O, A CIVIC CLUB AND SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE LEADERS THAT ARE WORKING ALONGSIDE US, UM, IN OUR DISTRICTS TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES CLEAN. LAST MONTH WAS KEEP HOUSTON BEAUTIFUL MONTH. UH, WE CELEBRATED THAT WITH A, UH, MEETING ABOARD THE SAM HOUSTON, UM, BOAT TOUR AT THE PORT OF HOUSTON. AND DIRECTOR WILL FALK WAS OUR SPEAKER. HE BROUGHT HIS LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH HIM AND WE WERE ABLE TO DISCUSS THE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON PROGRAM WHILE ON THE BOAT TOUR, WHICH WAS A TREMENDOUS, UM, EXERCISE WITH OUR CIVIC CLUB PRESIDENT. SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, WORKING TOGETHER AND STANDING WITH US AS WE ARE LOOKING TO, UM, KEEP HOUSTON AND DISTRICT K CLEAN AND BEAUTIFUL. UH, THIS IS, UH, NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK. I WANT TO AMPLIFY MS. BRANDY HARLOW. SHE IS A DISTRICT, A RESIDENT, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, AND THE CHAIR OF THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. SHE'S THE CEO OF SOUTH POST OAK RECYCLING. AND BRANDY WAS INVITED TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN AND VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, AS SHE WAS NAMED THE US SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PERSON OF THE YEAR IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. SHE ALSO SERVES ON THE BOARD OF THE HARAM CLARK FORT BEND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TURNS 25 CORNERS. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO BRANDY HARLOW FOR ALL SHE DOES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THE WELL DESERVED AWARD FOR HER MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. UM, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK TO REMOVE THE STIGMA OF MENTAL HEALTH ON MAY 11TH. MY OFFICE IS PARTNERING WITH, UM, JANICE, BILL OF BILL COUNSELING ASSOCIATES AND THE LINKS INCORPORATED MISSOURI CITY CHAPTER FOR A FREE MENTAL WELLNESS, UM, EXERCISE. AND WE WILL SHARE OUR MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE GUIDE, WHICH I THINK, UM, A COUPLE OF YEARS WE'VE PUT OUT THIS RESOURCE GUIDE. IT'S BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE THAT JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN. WE'VE UPDATED THE GUIDE FOR ALL OF THE PLACES THAT PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE'LL BE DISTRIBUTING THE GUIDE AND WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO PUT IT ONLINE IN OUR, OUR NEWSLETTER. UM, SO IF YOU KNOW PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR RESOURCES, WE'LL HAVE A LISTING OF ALL THOSE SPACE PLACES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. SO HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL COME OUT ON MAY 11TH FROM SIX 30 TO 8:00 PM WE ALSO WILL HAVE, UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM HPD THAT WORK IN OUR MENTAL HEALTH DIVISION TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, WE'LL HAVE AN EXERCISE BY, UH, YOGA EXTRAORDINAIRE MITZI HENDERSON. UM, AND YOU CAN REGISTER FOR THAT EVENT OR SHOW UP ON MAY 11TH FROM SIX 30 TO 8:00 PM AT THE FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER. UM, THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DISTRICT K. BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND STAY COOL, STAY COOL. COOL WITH A K UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. GALLEGOS, WHAT'S HAPPENING? THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, FIVE INNOCENT LIVES [04:15:01] WERE BRUTALLY MURDERED EXECUTION STYLE WHILE IN THEIR HOME IN CLEVELAND, TEXAS. THIS PAST WEEKEND AMONG THE MURDERED WAS AN 8-YEAR-OLD CHILD WHOSE LIFE WAS CUT SHORT BECAUSE OF THIS SENSELESS ACT, AND TWO MOTHERS WHOSE BODIES WERE FOUND COVERING THEIR CHILDREN. I CANNOT, I CANNOT EXPRESS JUST HOW DISAPPOINTED AND ANGRY I AM BY GREG ABBOTT'S DISMISSIVE REMARKS AND CALLING THESE VICTIMS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. WOW. A NEW LO FOR THE SUPPOSED LEADER. REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS, RACE, COLOR, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, OR POLITICAL AFFILIATION, CRIME VICTIMS, AND MOST ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, AND THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN MURDERED, DESERVE SUPPORT, RESPECT, AND JUSTICE. ABBOTT IS GASLIGHTING FOR POLITICAL MOTIVES, AND IT'S DISGUSTING. NOW, I WOULD ALSO, IN A GOOD NOTES INVITE EVERYONE FROM DISTRICT I AND ACROSS THE CITY THIS SUNDAY, MAY 7TH TO THE CIGNA DAY IN THE PARK AT MASON PARK. IT'LL BE HELD FROM 12 TO FOUR. UH, THE MAYOR WILL BE THERE. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. THIS COMING SUNDAY, AGAIN, MAY THE SEVENTH AT MASON PARK FROM 12 TO FOUR, AND ALSO THE MAYOR DID MENTION, UH, INVITING EVERYONE OUT TO THE SINK OF THE MAYO PARADE THIS COMING SATURDAY. IT'S THE FIRST SINK OF THE MAYO PARADE SINCE COVID, AN INTERESTING FACT. I KNOW MANY PEOPLE ARE, OR MANY PEOPLE ASSUME THAT CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION IS MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY, WHICH IT'S NOT. INTERESTING FACT, THE CINCO DE MAYO IS RECOGNIZED AND CELEBRATED MORE IN TEXAS THAN IN THE US THAN IN MEXICO. GENERAL IGNACIO OSA WAS AT TEJANO, BORN ON MARCH 24TH, 1829, IN WHICH IS TODAY'S GO TEXAS GENERAL. ZA RAISED AN ARMY OF 600 MEN AND DEFEATED 6,500 INVADING FRENCH FORCES, INCLUDING THE ELITE FRENCH, FRENCH LEGIONNAIRES IN THE BATTLE OF PUEBLA ON MAY 5TH, 1862. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S MORE CELEBRATED HERE IN TEJAS, BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S THE HANO HISTORY. THANK YOU . UH, THANK YOU VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, UH, TOMORROW MORNING AT 10:00 AM HERE IN THE CHAMBERS. MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU AND THE TTI COMMITTEE, UH, THAT WILL TAKE PLACE HERE. WE HAVE FOUR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, INCLUDING CITY UPGRADES TO LARGE VEHICLE RESTRICTIONS, CURBSIDE PARKING PLAN, AND THE VETERANS PARKING PRIVILEGES. THAT'S ITEM ONE, ITEM TWO, PUBLIC SECTOR SERVICES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. THAT'S A CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH OUR HITS DEPARTMENT, THE IT SYSTEM FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. OUR THIRD ITEM WILL BE THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. THIS IS THE DIGITAL ARCHIVES FOR NEWSPAPERS AND OTHER PERIODICALS. AND FOURTH, AND FINALLY ON THE AGENDA TOMORROW IS AN UPDATE WITH TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES ALSO FROM THE HITS DEPARTMENT. WITH THAT, UM, I HOPE EVERYONE WILL TUNE IN, UH, INDIVIDUALLY OR WITH YOUR STAFF. AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, I WANT TO EXTEND CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF, UH, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ IN YOUR OFFICE. AND, UH, HIS FAMILY, HIS FATHER, OF COURSE, DANIEL MARTINEZ SENIOR, UH, PASSED AWAY THIS WEEK. SO OUR PRAYERS AND CONDOLENCES ARE WITH YOU AND YOUR OFFICE, AND DANIEL AND HIS FAMILY, THOMAS. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR. UM, WE HAVE SOME NEW CHANGES IN DISTRICT FI HAVE A NEW CHIEF OF STAFF. HE'S STANDING BEHIND ME. ISAAC IA, I STOLE HIM FROM ALE, ISD, UH, AND THE SUPERINTENDENT AND I ARE NOW, WE'RE STILL SPEAKING, SO ALL IS WELL. UM, HE'S A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT F LIVES IN ALE, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT HIS LEADERSHIP AND OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER. I DID HAVE A SERIES OF, UH, ALL TYPES OF COMMENTS AND UPDATES, BUT I REALLY WANT TO BRING, UM, YOUR ATTENTION AND HOPEFULLY SOMEONE FROM THE MAYOR'S TEAM IS, IS LISTENING TO HOUSE BILL 27 1 20 20 71. UM, THIS IS RELATED TO THE PFCS, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SO, UM, I'M DISAPPOINTED. AND THEN I'M ALSO, UM, ALSO VERY CURIOUS BECAUSE THERE WERE EIGHT AMENDMENTS TO THE BILL FROM THE FLOOR THAT WERE ACCEPTED. UH, ONE AMENDMENT THAT I WILL GIVE OFF, YOU KNOW, GIVE MY TIME TO, IS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE TIME LIMIT OF AFFORDABILITY. THEY LIMITED THE AFFORDABILITY TO 10 YEARS. SO I WANT TO ILLUSTRATE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT MEANS. IF I'M A 5-YEAR-OLD KINDERGARTEN, AND I'M GOING TO SCHOOL BY THE AGE OF 15, THAT UNIT IS NO LONGER AFFORDABLE FOR MYSELF OR MY FAMILY. SO AT ITS CURRENT STATE, THE STATUE ALLOWS FOR THE LIFE OF THE PROPERTY AS LONG AS AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS ARE MET. HOWEVER, [04:20:01] THIS VERY STRINGENT RULE CREATES A HOUSING CLIFF. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE ALREADY EXPERIENCING WITH OUR HOMELESSNESS EFFORTS IS LANDLORDS NO LONGER ACCEPTING THE VOUCHER BECAUSE THE UNIT ON THE MARKET IS MORE VALUABLE THAN THE VOUCHER THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, SUBSIDIZE. AND WE'VE HAD INDIVIDUALS COME TO, UH, PUBLIC SESSION TALKING ABOUT THEIR LEASE NOT BEING RENEWED. SO I'M, I'M, I'M SHOCKED AT THE NUMBER OF STATE REPRESENTATIVES THAT VOTED FOR THIS. ONLY FIVE VOTED AGAINST. SO I'M ENCOURAGING YOU TO REACH OUT TO OUR STATE SENATOR BORIS MILES. THIS IS, UH, THE AMENDMENT CAN BE MADE IN THE UPPER CHAMBER. UM, I'VE ALSO REACHED OUT TO STATE, UH, UH, SENATOR, UH, ROYCE WEST IN DALLAS, UM, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE GONNA SEE IN 10 YEARS, UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, OH, SCHOOLS AREN'T SUCCESSFUL AND, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, CHILDREN ARE NOT STABLE. AND WHAT WE WITNESSED DURING COVID, THE LOSS OF STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY WERE EVICTED, THEY HAD NO PLACE TO GO. WHAT, WHAT ARE WE CREATING IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS FOR HOUSING AND THEN ALSO FOR LEARNING OUTCOMES. SO THIS IS PROBLEMATIC. AND I KNOW SOMETIMES WE GET CAUGHT UP IN, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC CAMPAIGNS AND WE WANT TRANSPARENCY AND ABSOLUTELY. UM, BUT WHAT WE MODEL AT THE CITY, WHAT WE DO, WE DO 30 YEARS AFFORDABILITY. SO IF YOU DON'T WANNA DO IT FOR THE LIFETIME OF THE PROPERTY, DO IT FOR 30 YEARS BECAUSE WE HAVE A 28,000 PERSON WAITING LIST FOR A VOUCHER IN THIS CITY. SO WHAT IS 10 YEARS ON AFFORDABILITY? THAT IS NOT DEEP ENOUGH, IT'S NOT MEANINGFUL ENOUGH. AND SHAME ON ANYONE THAT VOTED FOR THAT AND WAS NOT CLEAR ABOUT THIS. WHEN WE LOOK AT MULTIFAMILY AND AFFORDABILITY, WE CANNOT INFLUENCE WAGE, BUT WE CAN INFLUENCE THE POLICY TO KEEP PEOPLE HOUSED. SO I WANNA BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT. UM, BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN THIS GETS TO THE UPPER CHAMBER, PLEASE SEND SOMETHING ON YOUR LETTERHEAD. UM, ENCOURAGE AN AMENDMENT TO THAT. UM, BECAUSE, UH, IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, I, I, I'M CONCERNED WE'RE GONNA SEE, UH, UH, HOUSING INSTABILITY IN A DIFFERENT WAY. UM, THAT CONCLUDES MY THOUGHTS. THANK YOU MUCH. THANK YOU, CHAIR THOMAS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM. AND JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT TOMORROW'S COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, TTI AND BACK IN JULY, JULY 12TH, 2022, WE HAD PRESENTATIONS AT THE RNA COMMITTEE ON LARGE VEHICLES AND NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLES. PARKING, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIG PROBLEM IN A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, MANY OF YOU BROUGHT THAT TO ME AND THE COMMITTEE, THESE ARE THE, THE, THE WHEELS TURN SLOWLY, BUT NINE MONTHS LATER, WE'RE HAVING A COMMITTEE PRESENTATION ON WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE. SOME THINGS LIKE LIFT FINE, UH, RAISE FINES AND THINGS, BUT YOU'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING TO CURB THIS PROBLEM. SO PLEASE TUNE IN TOMORROW. THIS IS SOMETHING CONCRETE YOU CAN GO BACK TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND TELL THAT THE CITY HAS DONE TO ADDRESS THEIR PROBLEMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT WORK. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR. SO I HAD THE MOST ESTEEMED HONOR TO VISIT THE WHITE HOUSE. IT WAS JUST MIND BLOWING. UM, I WAS INVITED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN TO ATTEND AN EID CELEBRATION AT THE WHITE HOUSE OVER THE, ON, ON MONDAY. AND IT WAS JUST AMAZING. ONE, UM, ONE THING THAT HE SAID IN HIS SPEECH WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT ALL CULTURES ARE ACCEPTED. AND, UM, AND WE'RE DOING THAT. AND IT JUST BEING IN THE WHITE HOUSE, JUST, UM, THE FEELING OF DEMOCRACY AND WHAT IT STANDS FOR WAS AMAZING. SO I'M SO GRATEFUL, UH, FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO BE THERE WITH MY MUSLIM MUSLIMS AND SISTERS, YOU KNOW, CELEBRATING EID, UM, AT PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST SPECIAL PLACES IN AMERICA. UM, IN ADDITION, I, UH, I DID, UH, SPEND MY EVENING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, UM, AT A TCQ MEETING. UH, IN, IN, IN THE SAME VEIN THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS MENTIONED HOUSING, WE'VE GOT A HUGE ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE HAPPENING WITH TCEQ. I WANT TO, UM, UH, ASK PEOPLE TO PLEASE CALL OR, OR SEND A, A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF SB 1 79, WHICH IS ALSO, UM, BEING PUSHED BY SENATOR BORIS MILES. IT IS REGARDING THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF CONTAMINANTS IN COMMUNITIES. AND SO, UM, ONE CEMENT BATCH PLANT MAY BE OKAY, BUT WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THAT THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO TOTAL NUMBER THAT CAN BE DONE. AND WE'VE GOTTA INCLUDE BATCH PLANTS AND METAL AND METAL, UH, FACTORIES AND ALL THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, RAIL YARDS AND ALL THE OTHER CONTAMINANTS THAT ARE AFFECTING THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS NO, UM, STATUE IN TERMS OF PREVENTING THESE, UM, COMPANIES FROM COMING INTO OUR AREA. SO, PLEASE, UM, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, CONTACT YOUR, YOUR STATE SENATOR AND, UM, WRITE A LETTER IN SUPPORT, UM, OF SB 1 79 IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER TCQ FOCUSED, UH, BILLS THAT SENATOR MILES HAS, UM, HAS IN PLACE. AND FINALLY, ON THAT SAME VEIN, UH, WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL CANCER CLUSTER SUMMIT. IT, UM, WE HAD OVER, UH, 200, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND EXPERTS, UM, THAT, THAT ATTENDED. UH, I WANT TO, UM, SEND MOST GRATITUDE, UH, TO DR. UH, STEPHANIE MILES RICHARDSON FROM MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN [04:25:01] THEIR CENTER OF EXCELLENCE, UH, AND WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE BULLARD SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AS WELL. UM, OUR GOAL IS TO DELIVER NINE, UH, 90 DAYS A WHITE PAPER THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT SUGGESTION SOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE DRIVEN NOT ONLY BY THE EXPERTS AND LEGAL DEPARTMENTS, BUT ALSO, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FROM THE COMMUNITY ON HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CANCER CLUSTER THAT'S HAPPENING IN FIFTH WARD. SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND CONGRATULATIONS FOR THAT HONOR. I'M GLAD I SAW YOUR PICTURES. THEY LOOK BEAUTIFUL. GLAD YOU GOT TO EXPERIENCE THAT. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR PERAM. UM, I WANTED TO PROVIDE EVERYONE AN UPDATE A FEW WEEKS AGO. I MENTIONED THAT A DOG, UNFORTUNATELY ATTACKED A 4-YEAR-OLD IN THE DISTRICT. AND BECAUSE OF A LOOPHOLE, UM, WITH OUR ORDINANCE IN STATE LAW, THE, UM, THE JUDGE WAS NOT ABLE TO ISSUE A WARRANT FOR THE DOG. SO WE CHANGED THAT ORDINANCE A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND BECAUSE OF THAT ORDINANCE CHANGE, THE JUDGE WAS ABLE TO ISSUE THE WARRANT FOR THE DOG. UM, AND, UM, CONSTABLE HEAP COLLECTED THE DOG. AND, UM, IT IS NO LONGER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, ROAMING AROUND ABLE TO ATTACK PEOPLE. SO I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT UPDATE TO EVERYONE. UM, REALLY GREAT NEWS THERE AND WANTED TO THANK THE MAYOR. UM, JARED MES FROM BARK, UM, DIRECTOR PAEZ AND CONSTABLE TED HEAP FOR ALL OF THAT. AND THEN FINALLY, I ALSO WANNA THANK VERONICA DAVIS, UM, FOR HER HELP ON FRIDAY, THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS WERE OUT AND ON. BINGO FROM HEMPSTEAD TO TWO 90. UM, NONE OF THE STREET LIGHTS WERE WORKING ALONG TWO 90. UM, I SENT HER A MESSAGE PRETTY LATE THAT NIGHT. UM, AND SHE GOT CREWS OUT THERE TO WORK WITH CENTERPOINT VERY QUICKLY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT CAME BACK UP. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU. UM, I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE AFTER MONTHS OF CONSTRUCTION, THE BROCK EVENT ADVENTURE PARK IS FINALLY OPENING. UM, THIS PARK IS A ELEMENT. THIS PARK ELEMENTS INCLUDE A GOLF COURSE, PLAYGROUND, CROSS COUNTRY, UM, CYCLO COURSE TRACK, AND MUCH MORE. UM, THE IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE RENOVATIONS TO EXISTING CLUBHOUSE AND THE RESTORATION OF THE PORTION OF THE GOLF COURSE, UM, TO THE NINE HOLES. AND SO THIS IS A GOOD, UM, ADDITION TO, UM, THE DISTRICT B COMMUNITY REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT. SO I'M INVITING EVERYONE TO JOIN US ON THIS SATURDAY TO THE ROCK, THE BROCK ROCK, THE BROCK, WHICH IS STARTING AT NOON, LOCATED AT 82 0 1 ROSS JOHN ROSTON STREET. AND ALSO ON SATURDAY, THE MCREYNOLDS MIDDLE SCHOOL WILL BE HAVING A COMMUNITY EXTRAVAGANZA, UM, WHICH START AT 9:00 AM THEY WILL ALSO HAVE A PARADE. THEY HAVE FOOD, DJ, AND A LOTS OF FUN. UM, YOU CAN JOIN THEM. IT STARTS AT 9:00 AM TO 1230. UM, YOU CAN MEET THEM AT 90 59, 10 MARKET STREET. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT MY OFFICE, UM, AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 3 0 0 9. THANKS. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I HAVE A FEW THANK YOUS, UM, TO SHARE. BEFORE I GET, UM, A LITTLE MORE REAL ABOUT, UH, AN ISSUE, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. I REALLY WANNA THANK COLIN LOOPHOLE AND THE HPW TEAM. THEY MET ON SITE, UH, WITH MY STAFF IN GUARD GARDEN OAK CIVIC CLUB, UH, LEADERSHIP THIS WEEK AS WE ADVANCE A CRITICAL SCHOOL SIDEWALK, UM, SAFETY PROJECT NE THAT WILL HELP GARDEN OAKS MONTESSORI STUDENTS, UH, GET TO SCHOOL SAFELY. I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE MY, AND SHARE MY APPRECIATION TO OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT. UH, WE HAD AN AMAZING TC JESTER PARK RIBBON CUTTING. UH, SO MANY FAMILIES CAME OUT AND SAID, THIS IS, THIS MAY BE ONE OF IF NOT THE BEST, UH, PLAYGROUNDS NOW IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, SO TO ALL OF, NOT JUST OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, BUT GSD, UH, SPECIFICALLY DIRECTOR ALLEN, UH, IN PARKS, CHRIS CARROLL, MIKE ICEMAN, ANIKA PETERS, TINA ORTIZ, MARTHA ESCALANTE, AND THEN OF COURSE, UM, DIRECTOR MESSIAH AND HIS TEAM, UH, FOR JUST AN OUTSTANDING JOB. UH, I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE LEGAL, UH, SPECIFICALLY RANDY ZAMORA. UH, THEY, WE HELPED FACILITATE A MEETING, UH, WITH MY OFFICE AND RESIDENCE AFTER A DRIVER PLOWED THROUGH THE CAMP LOGAN NEIGHBORHOOD MARKER, UM, THAT NEIGHBORS HAD, UH, PAID FOR. THEY APPRECIATE THAT DE NOT JUST DECORATION, BUT SYMBOL FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I WANNA ENCOURAGE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, AS YOU ALL SEE DAMAGE BEING DONE, UH, RESIDENTS ARE SPOTTING DAMAGE THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT CAN TAKE ACTION WHEN IT IS ON CITY PROPERTY TO RECOUP THOSE COSTS. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE DRUNK DRIVER PLOWING INTO THAT WALL, THE CITY CAN NOW TAKE ACTION TO RECU RECOUP THOSE FEES SO THAT THE RESIDENTS DON'T BEAR THE BURDEN OF PAYING IT. UM, ON A MORE SOMBER NOTE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, I, I JOIN YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY. UM, AND I THINK WE DO A DISSERVICE WHEN WE DO NOT SPEAK OUT. UH, [04:30:01] SONYA ARGENTINA, GUZMAN, AGE 25. DIANA VELAZQUEZ ALVARADO 21 JULISA MOLINA RIVERA, 31, JOSE JONATHAN CEZ 18. AND DANIELLE ENRIQUE LASSO, NINE YEARS OLD, ALL MURDERED WITH AN ASSAULT STYLE WEAPON. A WEAPON USED IN WARS THAT SHOULD NOT BE ON OUR STREETS, SHOULD NOT BE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE THEM. VELAZQUEZ ALVARADO, EXCUSE ME, DIANA VELASQUEZ ALVARADO AND MOLINA JULI MOLINA RIVERA DIED SHIELDING THREE YOUNG CHILDREN FROM MEETING THE SAME FATE. THEIR BODIES WERE FOUND LAYING ON TOP OF THE CHILDREN THAT SURVIVED, THAT THIS TRAUMA, THAT THIS TYPE OF VIOLENCE CAN, THIS IS NOT ANYTHING NEW. WE ARE SEEING IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN OUR STATE. SO, UM, I CLOSE HONORING AND RECOGNIZING THEM, NO HUMAN BEING IS ILLEGAL. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR POPUP. MAKE IT POP OFF SESSION. MAKE IT A GREAT WEEK. . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.