* 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. [00:00:04] ON TUESDAY, MAY 16TH, 2023. I'M MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO WATER. UM, THE CHAIR [PRESENTATIONS] RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON FOR A PROCLAMATION TO THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS IN RECOGNITION OF THE 63RD ANNUAL NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON? YES, SIR. OKAY, DIRECTOR. YES. YOU'RE TAKING YOUR CUE. THANKS FOR COMING UP. UM, AND THANK YOU TO THE PUBLIC WORKS FOLKS WHO ARE HERE WITH US, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR SPENDING, MAYOR. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU, UH, TAKING THIS MOMENT, UH, TO ALLOW US TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK. AND, UH, I AM NEXT WEEK. NEXT WEEK. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. AND OBVIOUSLY I'M YOUR CHAIR THAT GETS TO LOOK OVER THE TTI COMMITTEE FOR TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE MAYOR PRO TEM. IF I MAY READ FROM THE PROCLAMATION, UH, TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE GOOD WORKS OF OUR FELLOW HOUSTONIANS THAT WORK FOR THE CITY, UH, FOR NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS, WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE PROFESSIONALS WHO FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE, FACILITIES, AND SERVICES THAT ARE OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES AND TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH, HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELLBEING OF THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON. AND WHEREAS THESE INFRASTRUCTURE, FACILITIES, AND SERVICES COULD NOT BE PROVIDED WITHOUT THE DEDICATED EFFORTS OF PUBLIC WORKS PROFESSIONALS, ENGINEERS, MANAGERS, AND EMPLOYEES AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REBUILDING, IMPROVING, AND PROTECTING OUR NATION'S TRANSPORTATION, WATER SUPPLY, WATER TREATMENT, AND SOLID WASTE SYSTEMS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND OTHER STRUCTURES AND FACILITIES THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR OUR CITIZENS. AND WHEREAS IT IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST FOR THE CITIZENS', CIVIC LEADERS AND CHILDREN IN HOUSTON TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE OF AND TO MAINTAIN A PROGRESSIVE INTEREST AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC WORKS AND PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES. AND MAYOR. WHEREAS THE YEAR 2023 MARKS THE 63RD ANNUAL NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, CANADIAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, COMBINED THE CITY OF HOUSTON, COMMENDS ALL WHO WORK IN PUBLIC WORKS, AND APPRECIATE EACH OF THEM FOR THE SERVICE THAT THEY RENDER TO THIS CITY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. SO, UM, IT IS MY PLEASURE, UH, TO SAY THEREFORE I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY DO PROCLAIM MAY 21ST THROUGH THE 27TH, 2023 AS NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. AND I THINK, UH, IF DIRECTOR HADDOCK WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS FOR HER DEPARTMENT, FOLKS WHO ARE REPRESENTING US TODAY. I DO. UH, FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER FOR, UH, THE RECOGNITION, UM, NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK IS IS ONE OF THOSE WEEKS THAT WE GET TO PAUSE FOR JUST A MOMENT, CELEBRATE OUR EMPLOYEES FOR WHAT THEY DO ON A DAILY BASIS, UH, AND, AND REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT, THAT WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT COMMUNITIES THRIVE. UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, OUR PURPOSE IS TOGETHER WE CREATE A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR HOUSTON TO THRIVE. UH, THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS IS CONNECTING THE WORLD THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS. AND I BELIEVE WE, WE DO TOUCH PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY IN HOUSTON EVERY DAY, UH, WITH WHAT WE DO. UM, OUR TEAM'S FILL FILLED WITH DEDICATED SERVANTS. UM, MOST, MOST OF WHOM THEY'RE IN HERE, SOME ARE, ARE HERE REPRESENTING OUR LARGER TEAM TODAY. MM-HMM . BUT SELDOM DO WE GO RECOGNIZE. YOU MAY SEE THE YELLOW SHIRT, YOU MAY SEE THE TRUCK. UM, BUT MOST PEOPLE DON'T RECOGNIZE WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS. MM-HMM . WE ALSO WEAR A LOT OF HATS. AND I, AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO SINCERELY APOLOGIZE 'CAUSE I OWE YOU AND I OWE YOU, I GOT OVER HERE WITHOUT MY PUBLIC WORKS. FIRST RESPONDER PINS. UM, SO PUBLIC WORKS, UM, UM, AS DECREED BY, UH, THE, UH, PRESIDENT BUSH, UH, THE FIRST PRESIDENT BUSH ARE ACTUALLY CONSIDERED FIRST RESPONDERS NATIONWIDE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS. UH, WE ARE THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS. WE SUPPORT POLICE AND FIRE IN EVENTS. UH, WE SHOW UP EVERY SINGLE TIME, UH, THAT WE'RE ASKED IN AN EMERGENCY TO DO SO. UH, AND WE, WE ARE, WE ARE PROUD OF WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS. WE'RE PROUD OF HOW WE STEP UP ADDITIONALLY DURING EMERGENCIES. AND SO I WANNA THANK THE TEAM FOR WHAT WE DO. AND, AND I JUST, I WANT ALL OF US TO HAVE A GOOD, UM, PUBLIC [00:05:01] WORKS WEEK NEXT WEEK. AND, AND I'M GONNA CHALLENGE OUR BARBECUE TEAM. WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BRING HOME THE TROPHY NEXT, NEXT WEEK FROM ROSENBERG AND THE, THE, THE REGIONAL BARBECUE COOKOFF. THAT SOUNDS GREAT. DIRECTOR, MAYOR, MAYOR, POT TEM. I KNOW WITH THAT, UH, BARBECUE, THEY'VE ALREADY WON SOME COMPETITIONS FOR THE TASTY WATER THAT WE PRODUCE OUTTA THE WATER. SO THERE'S LOTS OF GOOD THINGS, AS THE DIRECTOR HAS SAID. SO, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT ALL OF YOU THAT ARE HERE TODAY, THOSE WATCHING ONLINE, WE, UH, RECOGNIZE YOU AS FIRST RESPONDERS. YOU RUN AT THE PROBLEMS. WE KNOW THAT, AND WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A FEW FANS. WE HAVE A FEW FANS THAT HAVE SOME COMMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH, THANK YOU MAYOR, FOR, UM, FOR HAVING, UH, DIRECTOR HADDOCK AS OUR DIRECTOR. UH, I, I REMEMBER WHEN YOU APPOINTED HER, SHE CAME FOR COUNCIL, HER HUSBAND'S WITH HER. I REMEMBER YOU KISSING YOUR HUSBAND. AND, AND I REMEMBER THAT, THAT THE FEELING THAT WE ALL GOT WHEN YOU DID THAT. AND EVERY TIME I'VE EVER CALLED YOU, UH, WHETHER OR NOT YOU WERE ABLE TO ANSWER THE PHONE OR NOT, YOU GOT BACK WITH ME. YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS. SOMETIMES I LOVE THE ANSWER, SOMETIMES I DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, BUT HEY, YOU GAVE ME THE, THE ANSWER THAT I NEEDED TO KNOW. AND, AND THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT. AND CITIZENS ARE, ARE, UM, ARE REALLY NEEDING, UH, TO BE ABLE TO TURN THEIR WATER ON. AND IT COMES OUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF THESE SERVICES AND, UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, FOR STANDING UP AND RECOGNIZING THEM. AND APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU FOLKS, BECAUSE I, I USED THE WATER THIS MORNING. AND, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. UH, AND TO KEEP US GOING. IT'LL BE HARD TO FIGHT A FIRE WITHOUT THE WATER PRODUCED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. MAYOR, PRO TEM, UM, DIRECTOR. AS MUCH AS I LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU FOR JUST A SECOND, I'M GONNA TALK TO OUR OTHER EMPLOYEES, UM, WHO'S BEEN HERE MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, MORE THAN 10, 20. AND THE LIST GOES ON. OUR PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES ARE SOME OF THE MOST DEDICATED TO OUR CITY. UH, A LOT OF YOU WORK WITH OUR OFFICE, UH, DIRECTLY, BUT THERE'S SO MANY OF YOU AND DIRECTOR, I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS, THAT WORK BEHIND THE SCENES IN PUBLIC WORKS. AND WITHOUT YOU ALL, THE CITY DOESN'T FUNCTION. SO, UH, CHAIR ROBINSON, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS PROCLAMATION. UH, DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR, UH, LEADING THE DEPARTMENT. BUT MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR, UM, SUSTAINING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE SO COMMITTED TO THE CITY. THEY'VE SPENT THEIR LIVES HERE WITH THEIR FAMILIES HERE. AND MY, MY HEARTFELT APPRECIATION TO EACH OF YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENTS FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KA. AND I DO, I DO WANT TO CORRECT A, A, AN OVERSIGHT. I DID NOT INTRODUCE OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, RANDY MACCO. WE KNOW RANDY AND HE'S STANDING UP HERE, US AND PEOPLE ARE LIKE, WHO IS THIS? SO, UH, HE BEEN HERE FIVE DAYS. HI, I'M RANDY . GOOD TO MEET YOU ALL. WELCOME, RANDY. COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. AND JUST THANK YOU PUBLIC WORKS. I KNOW WE BUG YOU GUYS SO MUCH. , I MEAN, THE BULK OF OUR CALLS ARE PUBLIC WORKS, ESCALATING, PUBLIC WORKS THINGS. YOU ARE LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY THE, THE FOUNDATION OF OUR CITY MAYOR IN YOUR, IN YOUR BUDGET SURVEY AND IN THE BUDGET SURVEYS I'VE DONE, INFRASTRUCTURE'S RIGHT THERE AT THE TOP. I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE WHAT PEOPLE SEE OF THE CITY. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW IT'S SUCH HARD WORK AND WE, WE REALLY KEEP AFTER YOU IN SO MANY WAYS AND Y'ALL ARE VERY RESPONSIVE AND JUST, UH, THANK YOU. WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR RECOGNIZING PUBLIC WORKS AND THANK YOU EMPLOYEES OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. Y'ALL DO A GREAT JOB DAY IN AND DAY OUT AND APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO, UH, NOT ONLY US, BUT THE CONSTITUENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, GOD BLESS. COUNCIL MEMBER. YEAH, MAYOR PRO TEM, I WANNA MENTION TO YOU AND TO MY VICE CHAIR TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN ON THIS DAY WHEN OUR MAYOR HAS PRESENTED THIS HIS EIGHTH BUDGET AND AS PROCLAIMED, UH, THE MOST AGGRESSIVE AND FORWARD-LOOKING FUTURISTIC, HE'S CALLED IT BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I WANNA SALUTE HIM FOR WHAT HE'S DONE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT ONLY IN TODAY'S BUDGET, BUT ON AN ONGOING BASIS, COMMITTED TO THE PIPES, THE ROADS, UH, THE TENDENCY TO FLOOD WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY, MAYOR, AND WITH THESE GREAT PEOPLE BEHIND US, UM, WE ARE FORTIFIED AND WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP, WE'VE TRANSFORMED THIS CITY AND WE ARE GOING TO DO IT INTO THE FUTURE. SO THANK YOU. IF WE COULD HEAR IT FOR THE MAYOR TURNER HERE. THANK YOU CHAIR. ALRIGHT. AND I THINK WITH THAT, IT MAY BE, [00:10:01] UH, TIME FOR A PHOTO. ABSOLUTELY. COME BACK IN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM MAYOR, WE WANNA WELCOME THE HISTORIC BOOKER T WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP DAY AT CITY HALL TO PRINCIPAL, UH, DR. CARLOS PHILLIPS, COACH GRAYSON AND THE ENTIRE BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM. WE WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BEST BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM IN HOUSTON 2023, AND THE ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS, [00:15:02] BOOKER T WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM. THE GOLDEN EAGLES WRAPPED UP A SEASON MAKING 20 22, 20 23 SEASON AT THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP LEVEL. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE SCHOOL'S HISTORY, THE BOOKER T WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM COMPETED IN THE UNIVERSAL INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE STATE TOURNAMENT. AFTER DEFEATING THE SILSBEE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM, 78 TO 70 IN REGIONALS, THE GOLDEN EAGLES WENT ON TO DEFEAT THE BORN HIGH SCHOOL GREYHOUNDS. THEY, THEY PLAYED, UH, THE, IN THE, IN THE ALAMO DOME IN SAN ANTONIO BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE TITLE GAME, MARCH THE 11TH. THAT WAS IN THE ALAMO DOME. TECHNICALLY, THIS WAS WASHINGTON'S THIRD STATE, UH, TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE. IN 1946, THE TEAM COMPETED IN THE PRAIRIE VIEW INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE. AS AFRICAN-AMERICAN PLAYERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO COMPETE IN THE UIL, THE TEAM DEFEATED GALVESTON CENTRAL BY A SCORE OF 40 TO 31. IN 1952, THE TEAM COMPETED AGAINST WHEATLEY HIGH SCHOOL IN ITS SECOND STATE TOURNAMENT WHERE THEY LOST BY A SCORE OF 56 TO 50. MORE THAN 70 YEARS LATER, LONG AFTER TEXAS HIGH SCHOOLS AND THEIR STATEWIDE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONS WERE INTEGRATED WASHINGTON, UH, BOOKER T WASHINGTON RETURNED TO COMPETE IN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP LED BY THEIR HEAD COACH VINCENT GRAYSON. THE BOOKER T WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM FINISHED THIS AMAZING SEASON AFTER SCORING 56 POINTS TO THE OAK CLIFF FAITH FAMILY ACADEMY 70 IN A HARD FOUGHT BASKETBALL STATE FINAL. THE TEAM'S PLACE IN HISTORY IS NOT LOST ON WASHINGTON'S TALENTED GROUP OF TEENAGE PLAYERS. THEY HAVE PROVIDED A RENEWED SENSE OF PRIDE FOR THEIR SCHOOL. HOUSTON, ISD INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS, THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THE CAMPUS IS SITUATED. THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS PROUD TO CELEBRATE THE 20 22, 20 23 WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL, BOOKER T WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM ON ITS HARD WORK, DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO EXCELLING IN THE CLASSROOM AND ON THE COURT. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER KASH. UM, THIS IS A PROUD DAY TO BE HONORING, UM, SUCH AN OUTSTANDING SCHOOL IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, UH, SCHOOL THAT I REPRESENTED FOR 27 YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE. AND NOW TO BE, UH, STANDING HERE, MAYOR AND PROVIDING THIS PROCLAMATION, UH, TO BOOKER T WASHINGTON. LEGALS TO THE TRUSTEE OF HID THAT REPRESENTS HIS AREA, CAPTAIN BUER, DANIEL TO THE PRINCIPAL, TO THE COACH, UH, TO THE PLAYERS. AND THEN ON A DAY WHEN IN A FEW MINUTES WE'LL BE ACKNOWLEDGING ONE OF THE SPORTS LEGENDS ICONS, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, RALPH COOPER. SO HE'S HERE NOT NECESSARILY COVERING THIS EVENT, , BUT, BUT, BUT I KNOW HE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THIS EVENT. AND SO, UM, JUST HONORED. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIMED PROUDLY MAY 16TH, 2023 AS BOOKER T WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. YOU WANNA HEAR FROM THE COACH FIRST OR WHICH ONE? GO AHEAD, COACH. COACH, YOU GO FIRST AND WELL FIRST I WANNA THANK, UH, MAYOR TURNER COUNCIL AND, UH, MR. KUBOSH, UH, IT WAS A GREAT SEASON THIS YEAR AND I'M GLAD WE HERE TODAY, UH, CELEBRATE WITH MR. RAP COOPER, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT'S A LEGEND. I WANNA INTRODUCE MY COACHING STAFF, UH, COACH JESSE SHELTON, COACH MARK , COACH PERRY FREEMAN, COACH VINCE ROBERTS AND COACH LONDON REYNOLDS, JR. WE CAME UP WITH A LITTLE SHORT, WAS A LITTLE SHORT, BUT WE TRIED TO GET IT FOR YOU. THANKS, BERYL. THANK YOU, MAYOR TURNER, AND TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESIDENT. UM, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HONORING US ON TODAY. UM, THIS IS A GREAT SCHOOL TO BE A PART OF. HISTORICAL VALUE, BUT MOST IMPORTANT, THE STUDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH WE SERVE. UH, WE LOVE OUR SCHOOL, WE LOVE OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY. BUT MOST MORE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO BE A PART OF HISTORY ON TODAY. WE APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCILMAN KOSH. THANK YOU ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR RECOGNIZING THESE AWESOME KIDS. 'CAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT US, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE ADULTS, IT'S ABOUT THESE YOUNG MEN. AND WE [00:20:01] WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PARENTS AND THE COACHES THAT HAVE SUPPORTED THEM. THANK YOU FOR OUR ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, OUR HISD DIRECTOR, MR. ANDRE WALKER. HE'S HERE. AND DID Y HAVE TO MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT A LOST TO WHEELIE? ? I'M A WHEELIE. WHEELIE, Y'ALL, IN CASE Y'ALL DIDN'T, Y'ALL DIDN'T GET IT, BUT THEY GOT IT OVER HERE. UM, THIS IS IMPORTANT, UH, ACHIEVEMENT. THIS IS A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. THEY, WELL, THEY CAME UP SHORT, BUT OUT OF ALL THE SCHOOLS IN DISTRICT FOUR A, THEY CAME IN SECOND PLACE. THAT IS A MAJOR, MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT. WE WANNA CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND, UH, UH, WHAT, WHAT, UH, DR. PHILLIPS IS DOING OVER AT BOOK T WASHINGTON WITH THE BOOK T WASHINGTON PLAZA. WE HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HERE AS WELL. SO WE WANNA SUPPORT WHAT THEY'RE DOING OVER AT BOOKER T WASHINGTON IN CREATING A STATUE IN A PLAZA THAT WILL BE ONGOING FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE STUDENTS. WE WERE HOPING THAT WE'D HAVE IT FINISHED AND COMPLETED BEFORE THESE STUDENTS GRADUATED. BUT YANA, WE GOT SOME PROBLEMS OUT AT HISD. SO, BUT, UH, SO JUST ASK THAT YOU ALL CONTINUE TO, TO SUPPORT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. AND I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION ONE THING TO WHAT, UH, WE HAVE FIVE SENIORS RAISE YOUR HAND, SENIORS, FIVE SENIORS THAT WILL BE GOING ON TO COLLEGE, AND WE'LL HAVE, AND THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS WE HAVE 10 MORE PLAYERS RETURNING. SO WE EXPECT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HERE AGAIN NEXT YEAR WITH THE TITLE. SO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND CONGRATULATIONS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE, STARTING WITH OUR POWER FORWARD. NUMBER 23, EDWARD POLLARD. UH, OH, I GOT THE NUMBER RIGHT, DIDN'T I? 25. ALMOST. SAME THING, BUT THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE. AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE. COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, MAYOR FOR THIS PROCLAMATION. UH, TRUSTEE DANIELS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND TO THE COACHES, THE PRINCIPAL, THE STAFF, AND THE BOYS, CONGRATULATIONS ON A GREAT SEASON. I KNOW HOW TOUGH, UH, THAT ROAD DOWNSTATE IS. I REMEMBER JUST OVER 20 YEARS AGO, I WAS PLAYING FOR LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL, AND WE GOT ALL THE WAY TO THE GAME BEFORE THE CHAMPIONSHIP LOST TO WILLOW RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL AT THE TIME, WHO WAS RANKED NUMBER ONE IN THE NATION. AND, UH, THEY HAD, UH, TJ FORD AND DANIEL EWING AND ALL THOSE GUYS. UM, BUT I REMEMBER HOW RU HOW TOUGH THE ROAD WAS TO GET THERE. AND MANY OF THE, THE HISD SCHOOLS DON'T GET THAT FAR EVERY YEAR. SO THAT'S A HUGE TESTAMENT TO YOU ALL. UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS. AND, UH, A SHOUT OUT TO THE, THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, ANDRE WALKER. I SEE YOU BACK THERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS WELL, AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING GREAT THINGS FROM YOU ALL IN THE FUTURE. GOD BLESS. THANK YOU. POINT GUARD TARSHA JACKSON. THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT. I DID PLAY BASKETBALL FOR A DAY AND THEN I . BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU GUYS. UM, MY MOM GRADUATED FROM BOOKER T WASHINGTON IN 1965, AND YES. AND SHE, UM, AND ALL WE DID WAS WATCH BASKETBALL. AND SO OF COURSE, AS I GOT OLDER, MY KIDS PLAYED BASKETBALL AND JUST LOVED THE SPORT. AND SO I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY JUST FROM WATCHING IT, BUT YOU ARE CHAMPS IN OUR BOOK. UM, THANK YOU. UM, TRUSTEE DANIELS, I KNOW YOU REACHED OUT TO OUR, SHE'S VERY PROUD OF YOU GUYS. SHE KEPT REACHING OUT TO MY OFFICE. YES. EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NOT LEGALLY IN MY DISTRICT, YOU ARE FROM MY DISTRICT. UM, I'M DISTRICT B. AND SO, UM, NO, THE FOLKS IN DISTRICT B ARE PROUD OF YOU. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP COACH, PRINCIPAL, MAYOR TURNER. THANK YOU. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. AND FILLING IT UP OUTSIDE THE THREE POINT LINE. LETICIA PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR FOR TIM. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER KBO FOR BRING THIS FORWARD. TRUSTEE DANIELS, MAYOR TURNER. THIS IS REALLY AMAZING, BUT I'M GONNA SKIP OVER THE COACHES FOR A MOMENT. I'M GONNA TALK TO THE BOYS. I'M A MOM OF THREE BOYS AND OUT OF ALL THREE, TWO, PLAY BASKETBALL. AND I KNOW THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT THAT YOU GUYS PUT FORWARD IS PHENOMENAL. AND YOU, I KNOW IT'S JUST DRIBBLING A BALL AND MAKING A BASKET, BUT IT'S LIFE LESSONS THAT THIS, THIS SPORT HAS TAUGHT YOU AND WILL CONTINUE. YOU'LL BE CONTINUING TO PULL FROM AS YOU GUYS MATRICULATE THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. I'M SO PROUD OF Y'ALL. UM, Y'ALL ARE OUR FUTURE. SO IT'S ALL THE THINGS THAT YOUR COACHES, I'M SPEAKING OF COACHES NOW, COACHES, THANK YOU. I MEAN, Y'ALL ARE DOING A LOT. I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT AS MUCH AS PARENTS, BUT YOU'RE WITH THOSE BOYS A LOT AND YOU'RE TEACHING THEM LIFE LESSONS AS WELL. AND I KNOW IT'S TOUGH SOMETIMES, BUT THEY COME TO YOU SOMETIMES MORE BEFORE THEY'LL GO TO ANYONE ELSE. AND SO Y'ALL ARE PULLING THEM THROUGH THE TOUGHEST TIMES OF HIGH SCHOOL. AND [00:25:01] SO I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT ALL OF YOU ARE HERE WITH THESE BOYS, YOUNG MEN, AND, UM, I'M SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU, HONESTLY, AND ATHLETIC DIRECTOR. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND YOUR GUIDANCE JUST IN THE DEPARTMENT AND JUST IN GENERAL. UM, THIS IS, THIS MAKES ME REALLY, REALLY HAPPY AND WARMS MY HEART. I'VE GOT THREE SONS AND I KNOW HOW ROUGH IT IS OUT THERE FOR BLACK BOYS. SO, SO THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. THE BOYS GOING TO, TO, UM, THE MEN GOING TO COLLEGE. BEST OF LUCK. STAY FOCUSED, PLAY HARD. AND, UM, AND THE ONES, UM, THAT THEY'RE HANGING BACK, LET'S WIN THIS CHAMPIONSHIP NEXT TIME. AND WHOEVER SAID IT WAS A LOSS, WE DID NOT FALL SHORT. THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE. AND, UM, AND WE'RE GONNA GET THERE NEXT TIME. CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS. I WANNA ADD MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BOOKER T TEAM TOO. I'M A BOOKER T MOM. MY DAUGHTER CHARLOTTE GRADUATED FROM BOOKER T WASHINGTON SOME TIME AGO. UM, SHE TRIED OUT, SHE'S TALL, SHE'S SIX FEET TALL AND HER BARE FEET. AND, AND THEY SAID, OH, YOU'RE ON THE BASKETBALL TEAM. BUT SHE COULDN'T DO IT. SHE WAS GOING, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME, . AND THAT'S NOT HOW YOU WIN . SO I KNOW YOU GUYS HUSTLE AND YOU, YOU WORK HARD AND IT TAKES PRACTICE AND IT TAKES TEAMWORK. AND THOSE ARE ALL VALUABLE LIFE LESSONS THAT WILL CARRY YOU AS YOU GO ON TO DO WHATEVER YOU DO. UM, I WANNA KNOW WHO'S GRADUATING THIS YEAR. CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE A GRADUATING SENIOR? WELL, BEST WISHES TO YOU. LET'S GIVE YOU A HAND. THERE'S, THERE'S GREAT LEADERSHIP AT THIS SCHOOL. THE PRINCIPAL HAS BEEN AMAZING HOW CONNECTED YOU ARE WITH YOUR STUDENTS AND HOW MUCH THEY LOOK TO YOU FOR INSPIRATION. AND I, AND YOU'VE GOT GREAT COACHES AND TEACHERS. IT'S A STRONG SCHOOL. ONE OF THE BEST THAT I THINK THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY. THANK YOU. AND, AND BEST WISHES TO ALL OF YOU COMING IN OFF THE BENCH. COUNCIL MEMBER, CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ CAME FROM THE LOCKER ROOM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MEMBER KIND. ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, I A COACH'S KID, RIGHT? I, I, MY DAD WAS THE BASKETBALL COACH OF JACK YATES, UH, COACH DOC EVANS MANY, MANY YEARS AGO. SO I KNOW WHAT COACHES MEAN. DID YOU PLAY TO THESE YOUNG STONE, MALE DON'T STONE, I TAKE YOU ONE ON ONE MALE CHEER. I THINK YOU ONE ON ONE. ANYWAY, CHEERLEADER. MY DAD WAS A BASKETBALL COACH AT YATES, BUT MY MOM WENT TO BOOKER T AND SO THERE WAS ALWAYS A BIG BATTLE IN MY HOUSE WHEN YATES PLAYED BOOKER T. AND SO ANYWAY, I'VE ALWAYS LOVED BOOKER T MAYBE NOT AS MUCH AS, UH, MY JY UH, LIGHT 'CAUSE I'M A JY GRAD, OKAY? BUT AT ANY RATE, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT Y'ALL WERE DOING, I WALKING WHEN I WALKED IN HERE, BUT I SAW KATHY BLUE FOR DANIELS, RIGHT, , AND I KNEW IT WAS SOME GOOD STUFF GOING ON, EVEN THOUGH SHE WENT TO WHEATLEY. UM, BUT WE'RE GOOD. BUT CERTAINLY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL. I MEAN, THAT IS QUITE A FEAT. UH, I SEE YOU OVER THERE, JOHN. UM, THAT IS QUITE A FEAT TO GET TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. IT'S WITH ALL THE COMPETITIVENESS. IT'S IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND SO BE VERY, VERY PROUD OF YOURSELVES. YOU HAVE A GOOD FOUNDATION. THE COACHES HAVE MADE A WONDERFUL IMPRESSION ON YOU BECAUSE I'M GONNA TELL YOU, THESE COACHES MAKE OR BREAK THESE GUYS. AND SO CERTAINLY MY HEART AND MY ACCOLADES GO OUT TO YOU AND CERTAINLY TO YOU. AND SO I'M GONNA GO BACK ON THE BENCH, UH, MAYOR TIM. UH, BUT THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, ONE ON ONE MAYOR, JUST YOU CALL IT, CALL IT THAT DAY. WE'LL, WE'LL GO FOR IT, OKAY? ALRIGHT. THANKS EVERYBODY. AND CONGRATULATIONS GUYS. AND, AND WE CAN ALL TELL YOU THAT THE OLDER WE GET, THE BETTER OUR HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CAREER WAS. SO I WENT FROM BEING JUST A REGULAR GUY TO ALLSTATE. NOBODY KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE. SO GOD, GOD BLESS IN THE FUTURE COMES MEMBER KOSH. COUNCIL MEMBER. ONE LAST THING, AND AS FROM ONE CHEERLEADER, ONE, WE LEAD CHEERLEADER TO ANOTHER JACK YATES CHEERLEADER. BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT. IT'S NOT ABOUT US, IT'S ABOUT BOOK OF T WASHINGTON TODAY. BUT I JUST WANTED TO ANNOUNCE, UH, OUR SENIORS ARE ANDRE WALKER. KENNETH LEWIS, RAISE YOUR HANDS. ANDRE WALKER, KENNETH LEWIS, DAVIDSON SMITH, DAMIAN MITCHELL, JACOBY BRANTLEY. AND THESE ARE OUR GRADUATING SENIORS. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. CONGRATULATIONS. IS THAT THE ANDRE WALKER, THE SON OF THE ANDRE WALKER FOR HISC? YES, THAT WOULD BE HIM. OKAY. ALL RIGHT THEN I WANT, I WANTED TO SAY AND WRAP UP HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD, UH, MEMBER FROM THE HISD IS HERE WITH US. I'VE KNOWN KATHY BUFORD DANIELS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND I'M SO GLAD SHE'S HERE. AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA COME INSIDE AND TAKE A PICTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, [00:34:09] MAYOR. NOW RECOGNIZES PROCLAMATION TO MR. RALPH COOPER, THE VOICE OF HOUSTON, TO CELEBRATE HIS YEAR SERVICE. THAT'S FOR CHAPTER. LOOK, LEMME JUST, LEMME JUST SAY, UM, I AM, I'M HONORED TO PRESENT, UH, OF THIS PROCLAMATIONS TO SOMEONE WHO TRULY, UM, HAS EARNED IT. HE'S BEEN THE VOICE OF, UH, SPORTS MEDIA FOR, FOR, FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS. AND, AND ONE WHO, UM, IS DESERVING OF SO MANY, UH, ACCOLADES. I'M JUST HONORED, UM, TO BE PRESENTING THIS PROCLAMATION TO, UH, THE RALPH COOPER HOUSTON'S LONG TIME ON OUR PERSONALITY AND SPORTS [00:35:01] RADIO LEGEND, AND THAT, UH, HE IS, RALPH COOPER BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A JOURNALIST AT THE HOUSTON FORWARD TIMES NEWSPAPER, COVERING COMMUNITY ISSUES, HARRIS COUNTY COURTS, THE JAILS, AND EVENTUALLY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS. AND WHILE FORGING HIS JOURNALISM CAREER, THE FORWARD TIMES COOPER DESIRED TO COVER SPORTS. AFTER TAKING ON ASSIGNMENTS TO COVER THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, IT TOOK APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS BEFORE HE COVERED SPORTS. THE SUCCESS HE EXPERIENCED AS A REPORTER AT THE FORWARD TIMES CATAPULTED HIM INTO A BROADCASTING CAREER THROUGH THE RELATIONSHIP HE BUILT IN THE INDUSTRY. IN 1973, THE HOUSTON NATIVE AND WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE ENTERED INTO RADIO AT KYOK, WHERE THEIR PROGRAM DIRECTOR RICK ROBERTS, TOOK COOPER UNDER HIS WINGS AND MENTORED HIM. AND IN 1984, COOPER MOVED TO HIS NEW RADIO HOME AT KCOH 14:30 AM WHERE HE HAS BEEN A STABLE VOICE WITH A HUGE FOLLOWING EVER SINCE. AND I INCLUDE MYSELF IN THAT NUMBER. WITHIN TWO YEARS OF BECOMING A BROADCAST JOURNALIST, COOPER WAS INTERVIEWED SOME, SOME GIANTS IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS. OVER THE COURSE OF HIS ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER, HE HAS INTERVIEWED MANY HIGH PROFILE LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FIGURES, SUCH AS WILLIE MAYS, SATCHEL PAIGE, HANK AARON, ROBERTO CLEMENTS, KENNY HOUSTON, KENNY BURROUGHS, JESSE OWENS, MUHAMMAD ALI, GEORGE FOREMAN, JOE LEWIS, WILMA RUDOLPH SUGAR, RAY ROBINSON, EVANDER HOLYFIELD, ERIC DICKERSON, EARL CAMPBELL, CLYDE DREXLER, ZENA GARRISON, MIKE SINGLETARY, SYLVESTER TURNER, AND MANY MORE. HAD HAD TO THROW THAT ONE IN. , YEAH. HE ALSO INTERVIEWED THE NOUN, HOUSTON POLICE CHIEF TROY NER, WHEN HE ATTENDED WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL AND THE LATE GEORGE FLOYD. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WANTED THE BOOKER T WASHINGTON PLAYERS TO STICK AROUND BECAUSE ONE OF THESE DAYS, UH, AS THEY CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, WELL, IT'S COVERING THEM NOW BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S NOT ABOUT TOMORROW. THEY'RE MAKING IT HAPPEN TODAY. AND WE ARE PROUD OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. IN NOVEMBER, 2020, COOPER WAS INDUCTED INTO THE TEXAS RADIO HALL OF FAME AND COOPER JOINS HIS FELLOW LOCAL BLACK RADIO COHORTS, DON SAMUEL MICHAEL HARRIS, SKIPPER LEE FRAZIER, WASH ALLEN IN THE TEXAS RADIO HALL OF FAME. RALPH COOPER CAN BE FOUND HOSTING HIS LONGTIME POPULAR RADIO SHOW SPORTS RAP EVERY MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM FIVE TO 7:00 PM ON KCOH SATURDAY MORNING. AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS, UH, DEAR TO THE HEART OF RALPH COOPER IS THE STAR OF THE FUTURES PROGRAM THAT HE FOUNDED IN 1983. AND HE HAS KEPT IT ALIVE AND GOING. THIS PROGRAM HAS TOUCHED THE LIVES OF OVERDID THIS 20,000 ATHLETES, ENCOURAGING THEM TO STAY IN SCHOOL WHILE PROVIDING THEM WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED FOR COLLEGIATE PREPARATION. HE IS MARRIED TO BRENDA HUDSON COOPER AND HAS ONE DAUGHTER, SIDNEY TAYLOR COOPER, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, COMMENCES JOURNALIST EXTRAORDINAIRE RALPH COOPER ON HIS CONSISTENCY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE WORLD OF MEDIA, ALONG WITH HIS PASSION TO EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATION OF SPORTS JOURNALISTS. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER MAYOR CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROUDLY PROCLAIM THIS DAY, MAY 16TH, 2023, AS RALPH COOPER DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK I, UM, THIS IS A TOUCHING THING, AND I CRAWL ALL THE TIME. YOU GETTING THE RALPH COOPER THAT YOU DON'T SEE ON THE RADIO. ON TV. HE CRIES. HE CRIES ON HIS WAY HOME. HE CRIES ABOUT HIS DAUGHTER, HE CRIES ABOUT HIS WIFE, [00:40:01] HE CRIES ABOUT HIS CITY. AND, AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU AS I GO AROUND THE ROOM. I WANT TO THINK EDWARD POLLARD. EDWARD POLLARD'S FATHER DONNA POLLETT PLAYED FOOTBALL AT WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL. HE WAS ONE OF MY MENTORS, ONE OF MY EARLY HEROES. WE DIDN'T HAVE ESPN, WE DIDN'T HAVE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AT THAT TIME, BUT WE HAD EDWARD PAUL'S FATHER, DONALD POLLARD. WE HAD OTIS TAYLOR, WHO SHOULD BE IN THE HALL OF FAME. WE HAD CLIFFORD BRANCH, WE HAD A HOST OF OUTSTANDING PEOPLE. WE HAD DAVID LATIN WHO PLAYED ON THE TEXAS WESTERN BASKETBALL TEAM THAT BEAT KENTUCKY. THESE PEOPLE WERE WALKING AROUND WORTHING HIGH SCHOOL. AND I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE DOES FOR MY YOUTH PROGRAM, STARS OF THE FUTURE. HE'S ONE OF THE SPONSORS. CAROLYN SHABAZZ EVANS. I KNEW HER FATHER. HE USED TO CALL ME ALL THE TIME TO COME TO INTERVIEW HIS PLAYERS. WHEN I FIRST STARTED TO COME TO YATES, TO INTERVIEW COACH, TO TO GET THE TELEPHONE CALL FROM HIM WAS A GREAT THING TO ME. THAT WAS LIKE GETTING A CALL FROM HIM. JOHN WOO. AND I, I WANT TO THANK HER FOR WHAT SHE DOES FOR DISTRICT D, THE DISTRICT I GREW UP IN. HE'S FROM THE FOUR FOUR I'M FROM NOW, THINK ABOUT THIS. THIS MAN IS FROM ACRES HOME. I'M FROM SUNNYSIDE. I'M FROM REED ROAD, ALITO STREET, BE CREST. I WAS OUT THERE WHEN CULLEN WAS ATED BY YOU AND IT WAS MUD. IT WAS A TWO WAY MUDDY, MUDDY STREET. THE MAYORS LOUIS RE DEWEY WELCH, THEY CAME OUT ELECTION TIME, CLEAN THE DITCHES UP, CLEAN THE DITCHES UP, ET CETERA. AS I GO AROUND, MIKE KNOX, A FRIEND, ALSO A RELATIONSHIP. SOMETIMES PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT MAKEUPS DON'T KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE A FRIEND. JUST A FRIEND. THAT'S RIGHT. I REMEMBER WHAT HIS FAMILY WENT THROUGH. AND BECAUSE OF MY KNOWING HIM AND KNOWING HOW MUCH HE LOVED HIS FAMILY, I HEARD ALSO DAVE MARTIN. I KNOW ALSO A GREAT MAN. THIS CITY THAT WE HAVE IS SO DIVERSE. SEE, I'M ONE CAN WHO CAN REMEMBER WHEN MY MOTHER HAD TO DO THE POLL TAX. YOU GOT TO PAY POLL TAX. AND YOUR MOTHER SAY, WHEN YOU ARE OLD ENOUGH TO VOTE, MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS TO PAY PAUL TAX. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I TRY NEVER TO MISS VOTING BECAUSE OF WHAT MY MOTHER, SO WHAT MY MOTHER WENT THROUGH, MICHAEL KUBOSH, HE SUPPORTS MY YOUTH PROGRAM ALSO. I WANT TO THANK HIM. I WANNA THANK RON JACKSON FOR WHAT HE DOES FOR HIM. AND I'M, THIS MAN CAME TO THE RADIO STATION WITH HIS MOTHER ONE DAY, AND HIS BROTHER, HE THOUGHT, I FORGOT. AND HIS MOTHER STOLE THE SHOW. I'M LOOKING FOR THAT TAPE ALSO. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? YOUR MOTHER STOLE. YEAH, I KNOW. YES. I GO AROUND THE ROOM. I WANT TO, I DON'T THINK MY, UH, MY FAMILY ENOUGH BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A GUY WHO LOVES WHAT HE DO. I LOVE IT. I SEE PHOEBE BROWN. HE'S 88 NOW, 88 YEARS OLD, STILL HUMPING, STILL WORKING. PEOPLE COME UP TO ME SOMETIMES AND SAY, HEY MAN, WHEN YOU GONNA RETIRE? I'VE BEEN RETIRED. I'M ON VACATION. I RETIRED YEARS AGO. MY DAUGHTER SET UP. I'M MY DAUGHTER AND MY WIFE SET UP THESE, THE TWO PEOPLE. MY MOTHER'S GONE. MY GRANDMOTHERS GONE. MY AUNT WAS GONE EXCEPT ONE. I HAVE ONE UNCLE LEFT MY DAUGHTER, I GUESS SHE SAID I STARTED LATE, RIGHT? . BUT THIS IS MY GREATEST. I'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS INTERVIEWING ALI FOREMAN, WILMA RUDOLPH. THIS IS MY GREATEST KID. WELL, I HAD HELP. I HAD HELP HELPED. AND I, MY DAUGHTER'S A MY DAUGHTER. I WANTED MY DAUGHTER TO GO TO RICE, TEXAS A AND L, PRAIRIE VIEW, TEXAS, SOMEWHERE AROUND HERE. MY [00:45:01] DAUGHTER WANTED TO GO TO HOWARD, NEVER BEEN AWAY FROM HOME. 800 WHAT? MILES? SHE'S A, SHE'S A JUNIOR NOW, ABOUT TO BE A SENIOR. AND SHE'S A WARRIOR IN HER OWN WAY. THIS IS A ARI, THIS IS A TAURIST AND A CANCER. I'M A CANCER, THIS IS GEMINI AND CANCER. I'M A CANCER AND A WHATEVER. SO WE GOT ALL THIS MIXED UP IN THERE. SO I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR WHAT THEY DO FOR ME. A LOT OF TIMES I DON'T TELL THEM I COME, THEY KNOW WHAT I DO WHEN I GET HOME. AND, BUT THEY, I THINK THEY KNOW THAT I LOVE THEM. AND WITHOUT THEM AT THIS STAGE IN MY LIFE, I WOULDN'T BE AS INSPIRED AS I'M, THANK YOU. NOW THIS I MENTIONED THE BEST TURNER HAS ALWAYS RECORDED MY PROGRAM ALSO TO STARTED THE FUTURE. WE STARTED IN 1983. WHEN I WENT TO REGISTER NAME, I HAD THE INDIVIDUAL WITH, MAN, YOU WON'T, YOU WON'T BE DOING THIS 10, 15 YEARS FROM NOW. WELL, THAT MAN RIGHT THERE HAS BEEN WITH ME ALL THE TIME. IN 1983 WHEN WE STARTED, IT WAS FOUR OF US MADE PAUL WRIGHT AND ARTIST C BOY, ONE WHO SHOULD BE UP HERE. YEAH, YEAH. BOBBY WRIGHT. BOBBY WRIGHT. PAUL WRIGHT, BOBBY WRIGHT, ALLRIGHT. BUT HE HAS ALWAYS WORKED WITH ME, WITH OUR, AND WE'RE DOING IT AGAIN THIS YEAR, 1980. FROM 1983 TO 2000, WHATEVER, 23. IT'LL BE 40 YEARS. ANDRE COACH WALKED THE AD OF THE HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, PLAYED IN MY TOURNAMENT, STAND UP AND TELL HIM WHAT YEAR YOU PLAYED IN . AND NOW HE GOT, THINK ABOUT THIS, HE'S THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR OF THE HISD. HE PLAYED IN MY TOURNAMENT, IN OUR TOURNAMENT WHAT YEAR? 85. 86. YEP. 85, 86. AND LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED. YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU'RE HEADED. THAT'S RIGHT. YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU'RE HEADED. AND AS I, AS I, I WANT TO THANK THE PEOPLE WHO CAME OUTTA HERE. I SEE MANY OF YOU ARE RUNNING, MANY OF YOU ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE. SOME OF YOU KNOW ABOUT KCOH. SOME OF YOU DON'T. IT'S TIME THAT YOU LEARNED. WE CAN HELP YOU. IF YOU DON'T THINK SO, ASK THE MAYOR. HE'S BEEN HERE. HOW MANY YEARS YOU'VE BEEN HERE, MAYOR? OKAY, ASK MR. KOSH, RIGHT? OKAY. AND ASK MR. PAUL AND ASK MRPA, MR. PLUMMER, WE CAN HELP YOU. OUR DOORS OPEN. WE HAVE PROGRAMS. WE HAVE PARIS ELY IN THE BACK. STAND UP. PARIS MAN. GOT 70 YEARS ALREADY. THIS, THIS WILL NOT BE HAPPENING. I'M GETTING INDUCTED INTO ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT ACTIVATIONS. THAT'S OKAY. IF THAT MAN THERE HAD NOT STEPPED UP, IT MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED. AND I THANK HIM VERY, VERY MUCH. HE, HE SUPPORTED MY PROGRAM FROM THE START. ALSO. THIS IS THE SEVENTH, SEVENTH YEAR OF KCOH. THINK ABOUT THAT. I'M, I'M OLDER THAN THAT. I'VE BEEN BLESSED. I DON'T MIND CHILDREN MY AGE. I'M 74. I'LL BE 75 NEXT MONTH. I CAN STILL DRIVE, EAT, EAT AND EVERYTHING. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW ANYMORE. MR. JACKSON SAYS, KEEP HOPE ALIVE. I'M KEEPING HOPE ALIVE. OKAY. AND, UM, AS WE PEOPLE FROM K-K-C-O-H LISTENERS, IF ANY OF YOU HERE, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND UP, PLEASE? BIG JEFF. BIG JEFF. BIG JEFF'S NEPHEWS. ONE OF 'EM PLAYS FOR BOSTON. JASON TATU AND BIG JEFF IS A BOOKER T WASHINGTON PRODUCT NAME IN THE BACK. THREE, THREE. WANT TO THANK YOU NAME IN THE BACK? BRUCE. BRUCE. SO WE WANT TO THANK, THANK THEM. YEAH, WE WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE LISTENERS AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU 12:30 AM 12:30 AM MR. HELP. OKAY. I'M, I'M DONE. THANK YOU. MR. COOPER, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WANNA ADDRESS YOU BEFORE YOU TAKE PICTURES AND ROD OFF INTO THE SUNSET. OH, YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. OH, NO PROBLEM. COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD J. POLLARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. AND, UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS PROCLAMATION FORWARD TO MR. COOPER AND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY. CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS HONOR. UH, I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING MY FATHER. YOU KNOW, MY FATHER, [00:50:01] WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, HE USED TO TELL ME ALL THESE STORIES ABOUT HOW GREAT OF AN ATHLETE HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL. AND HE GOT, HE GOT DRAFTED INTO THE VIETNAM WAR RIGHT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. SO HE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO FURTHER HIS, UH, ATHLETIC CAREER. BUT HE ALWAYS USED TO TALK ABOUT HOW GOOD HE WAS AT FOOTBALL AND TRACK AND BASEBALL. AND I, I USED TO BE LIKE, YEAH, OKAY. BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL ONE DAY MR. COOPER TOLD ME, YOU KNOW, HE SAID, YOUR DAD WAS, WAS ALL EVERYTHING IN SPORTS. AND IF, IF, IF WE WOULD'VE BEEN ESPN BACK THEN, HE WOULD'VE BEEN ON ESPN. AND THAT'S WHEN I KNEW THAT MY DAD HAD SOMETHING GOING BECAUSE OF HIS, UH, HIS, UH, ABILITY TO TELL ME THAT. AND I APPRECIATE YOU, UM, ALWAYS BEING THERE FOR ME, ALWAYS BEING THERE FOR MY FAMILY. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR RADIO SHOW, OUTSIDE OF JUST SPORTS, IT COVERS CURRENT EVENTS, A LOT OF LOCAL ISSUES, AND SOME PEOPLE GO TO NPR AND THEN SOME PEOPLE GO TO RALPH COOPER. AND SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY, YOUR WORK WITH THE YOUTH, UH, BRINGING ME ONTO THE SHOW AND EXPOSING, UH, SOME OF YOUR LISTENERS TO THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF TOWN. AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF TOWN , BUT, UH, DON'T HATE. BUT NO, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE YEARS OF SUCCESS. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN AZZ. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. AND I'M GLAD YOUR, YOUR DAD HAS A TESTIMONY. WE STILL WAITING ON NEW PEOPLE. SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE MAYOR . ANYWAY, DON'T THROW A SHADE. NOW, DON'T THROW A SHADE. OF COURSE, KYOK AND KCOH USED TO BE THE ONLY RADIO STATIONS THAT WE LISTEN TO. AND SO THAT YOU ALL ARE STILL CARRYING THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE IS JUST PHENOMENAL. UH, CERTAINLY I'M VERY HONORED THAT YOU DID FINISH FROM A DISTRICT D INSTITUTION AT EE WORTHING, THE COLS. UH, AND CERTAINLY I'M THANKFUL TO PARIS E LEON, RON JACKSON, WHO HAVE GIVEN MY COMMUNITY A VOICE. BUT CERTAINLY RALPH COOPER IS THE LEGEND. I MEAN, THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, IF, IF RALPH COOPER, COOPER DIDN'T SAY IT, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY. AND SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE KIND WORDS ABOUT MY DAD, YOU KNOW, BUT RALPH COOPER DID FOR HOUSTON SPORTS. WHAT MUHAMMAD ALI, WHAT HOWARD COSELL DID FOR MUHAMMAD ALI, HE PUT US ON THE MAP. AND CERTAINLY, AND ANOTHER THING, I MET MUHAMMAD ALI AT KCOH WHEN THEY WERE ON THE CORNER OF WICHITA AND ALAMEDA. AND SO, CERTAINLY, UH, YOU ARE JUST A LEGEND. I TELL YOU THAT ALL THE TIME. A WONDERFUL PERSON. AND YOU KEEP DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU DO. YOU KNOW, AND YOU CAN TELL US WHAT YOU DO IF YOU WANT TO TELL US WHAT YOU DO. BUT, BUT WE ARE GONNA BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAY. BUT AT ANY RATE, , THANK YOU. IT'S A HONOR TO, TO MEET YOUR WIFE AND YOUR DAUGHTER. AND YOU ARE PHENOMENAL. AND I WANNA SAY THAT PUBLICLY AND THAT THE EVANS FAMILY REALLY APPRECIATES ALL THE KIND WORDS YOU SPOKE ABOUT MY DAD, WHEN HE WAS IN THE POSITION OF, UH, COACH AT THE JACK GATES HIGH SCHOOL. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOOSH. RALPH, WE THANK YOU. AND MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING RALPH FORWARD. UH, THE TEARS I ARE, ARE REAL. AND, AND WHEN YOU BROUGHT UP MY MOM, I ALMOST, UH, DID THE SAME THING, YOU KNOW, AND I, I DO REMEMBER THAT SHE STOLE THE SHOW, DIDN'T SHE? YES. AND PARIS, I, I APPRECIATE YOU BEING THERE WHENEVER, UH, UH, CHIEF BRADFORD AND I HAD THAT SHOW TOGETHER FOR, FOR YEARS. IT, IT WAS A, IT WAS A PHENOMENAL TIME IN, IN MY LIFE TOO. I'LL SEE IF HE CAN, HE AND I CAN GET BACK TO IT. BUT, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RALPH. UH, THANK YOU. THE NO NONSENSE APPROACH TO, TO EXPLAINING, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING. IT, IT'S, IT'S VERY APPRECIATED. GOD BLESS YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN. THANK YOU. AND MR. COOPER, WHAT A PLEASURE. BUT THANK YOU FOR ALSO BRINGING FORWARD YOUR FAMILY, UM, SOME VERY BEAUTIFUL, STRONG WOMEN THAT I KNOW YOU WOULD NOT HAVE THE CAREER THAT YOU HAVE WITHOUT THEM. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT FATHERS AND MY DAD IN HIGH SCHOOL, UH, LOOKED UP TO YOU. HE ACTUALLY TRIED IN HIGH SCHOOL TO BE A SPORTS JOURNALIST AND SNUCK INTO A HOTEL WHERE MUHAMMAD ALI WAS STAYING AND GOT AN INTERVIEW WITH THEM. BUT MY QUESTION, YOU KNOW, FOR YOU, YOU'RE, YOU ARE LIVING HISTORY. IS THERE AN INTERVIEW, UM, THAT YOU DID THAT TRANSFORMED YOUR LIFE THAT STANDS OUT? PROBABLY, UH, WILMA RUDOLPH, THE, THE, UH, THE HERO, ONE OF THE HEROES OF THE 1960 OLYMPICS. HE HAD THE INTERVIEW AT THE HOUSTONIAN HOTEL, NINE O'CLOCK ON A SUNDAY MORNING. SHE CALLED ABOUT SEVEN SOMETHING. COULD YOU GET OVER HERE ABOUT, ARE YOU GONNA DO THE INTERVIEW? AND, UH, SHE HAD BEEN YOUR HERO, ONE OF YOUR HEROES. UM, YOU MENTIONED SHABAZZ MENTIONED MUHAMMAD ALI. [00:55:01] MUHAMMAD ALI TRIED TO DATE HER WHILE THEY WERE IN ROME FOR THE OLYMPICS. SHE TOLD HIM HE WAS TOO YOUNG. AND SO YOU REMEMBER THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT THE, THE, THE INTERVIEW AT NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, SHE WAS AS, UH, FIRED UP AS SHE PROBABLY WAS ABOUT WHEN SHE WAS ABOUT TO RUN AN EVENT. AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT SHE SAID, WHICH ARE HAPPENING NOW, SHE SAID, GUYS, LIKE YOU HAVE TO GIVE MORE TIME TO THE WOMEN IN SPORTS. YOU HAVE TO GIVE MORE TIME TO THE WOMEN IN SPORTS BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED. THAT INTERVIEW WAS AROUND 1990 SOMETHING, OR 1980 SOMETHING. AND LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED. SO, UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE ONES. AND JESSE OWENS, JESSE OWENS DRUNK, HE WOULD DRINK COFFEE AND SMOKE CIGARETTE CIGARETTES EARLY IN THE MORNING. HE WANTED YOU TO INTERVIEW HIM AT SIX 30 IN THE MORNING. SO YOU HAD TO GET TO THE, HE WOULD BEAT YOU TO THE RADIO STATION. A LIMO WOULD BRING HIM, MAYOR, HE WOULD ALREADY BE THERE. AND HE WAS JUST AS BRIGHT OUT. HE WOULD TALK ABOUT HITLER AND BERLIN. AND 1936, THE NAZIS, JUST LIKE HE WAS THERE. SO THOSE ARE, UH, TWO THAT REALLY STAND OUT. IN THE OTHER ONE WAS SATCHEL PAGE. I MET HIM IN THE ADON. AND, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW HE HAD WRITTEN A BOOK, SO I GET A CHANCE TO GET AN INTERVIEW WITH HIM. AND HE, UH, SAID, HEY, AFTER ABOUT THREE QUESTIONS, HE SAID, HEY, SON, WHO ARE YOU? HE SAID, I SHOULD HAVE HIRED YOU. I SHOULD HAVE, I WISH I HAD KNOWN YOU EARLIER. I WOULD'VE HIRED YOU TO HELP ME WRITE MY BOOK. AND THE LAST ONE IS THIS ONE. THIS ONE TOOK SOME CONNIVING. I WAS TRYING TO GET AN INTERVIEW WITH WILLIE MAYS. SO WE HAD THE ASTRODOME BACK IN THE DAY, AND THE, AND MY BACK WAS TURNED TO THE STANDS, AND HE WAS A SINGLE MAN. AND HE WAS LOOKING AT ONE OF THE USHERS AND HE SAID, UH, YOU WANT TO INTERVIEW ME? I SAID, YES, SIR. HE SAID, IT'S A LADY IN THE USHER'S UNIFORM BACK THERE. REMEMBER THEY WORE THOSE SPACE SET DEALS. HE SAID, DON'T TURN AROUND RIGHT NOW, BUT IT, WHEN YOU TURN AROUND, LET ME KNOW IF YOU KNOW, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TAKE HER OUT TO EAT. SO I TURNED AROUND AND I TURNED BACK TO HIM, AND I DID SOMETHING POLITICIANS DO AT TIMES, USH. AND I SAID, OH, YEAH, I KNOW IT. SO HE SAID, GO, GO GIVE, GIVE HIM A ROOM NUMBER AND, UH, COME BACK DOWN. AND I DO THE INTERVIEW. SO I GO UP THERE AND I TOLD THE LADY THE TRUTH. I TOLD HER, HEY, I'M TRYING TO GET AN INTERVIEW WITH WILLIE MAYS. AND HE SAID, IF I GET, IF I GIVE YOU HIS ROOM NUMBER AND YOU AGREE TO CALL THEM AND GO TO DINNER WITH HIM, I CAN GET THE INTERVIEW. SHE SAID, REALLY? AND SHE WAS LOOKING DOWN ON THE FIELD. I SAID, YES, REALLY? SHE SAID, HE'S NOT MARRIED, RIGHT? I SAID, NO, HE'S NOT MARRIED. SHE SAID, UH, HOLD ON A MINUTE. AND BY A MINUTE SHE COMES BACK, SHE SAID, HERE, SHE PUTS HER NUMBER ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND GIVES IT TO ME TO GIVE TO HIM. AND TWO DAYS LATER, I GAVE, TWO DAYS LATER, WHEN I COME OUT, UH, THE LATE JIMMY WIN. AND, AND, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER ASTROS JR. RICHARD, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ME. THEY SAY, HEY, HEY, MAN, WILLIE WILLIE MAYS WANNA SEE YOU? I SAID, UHOH JUST BACKFIRED. HE SAID, OH, HEY, I WANT TO THANK YOU. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE INTERESTING INTERVIEWS, OVER THE YEARS. ONE MORE. I'LL TELL SOME. THERE'S SOME OTHERS I TELL WHEN I WRITE MY, WHEN I RELEASE MY BOOK, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE FOLLOW THAT UP. BUT MIKE PROCLAMATION. MIKE COX. SO I, I WASN'T ACTUALLY GONNA SAY ANYTHING. I WAS GONNA TRY TO CATCH YOU IN THE HALLWAY, BUT AFTER HEARING THAT STORY, LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT. SO YOU BROKERED A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WILLIE MAYS AND SOME UNKNOWN WOMAN, SO THAT YOU COULD GET, UH, AND, UH, YOU ARE RIGHT. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BOTH BECAME GREAT FRIENDS. BOTH, BOTH. THREE OF YOU BECAME GOOD FRIENDS. YEAH, BECAUSE LET'S NOT GO THERE. WHATEVER THEY DID, THEY REMEMBERED ME. . SO YOU SEE, YOU HAVE ALL KIND OF STUFF, I MEAN, ALL KIND OF STORIES. ANYWAY, I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR OUR FRIENDSHIP OVER THE PAST SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS. AND YEAH. AND I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB OUT THERE. AND JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU. I WAS GONNA TELL YOU ALL THIS IN THE HALLWAY AFTER YOU WERE DONE, BUT I JUST COULDN'T RESIST THAT STORY. I MEAN, RIGHT. AND I, I JUST, GOOD THING MONEY DIDN'T CHANGE. CHANGE. NO, NO MONEY. YOU'D BEEN IN REAL TROUBLE THEN. 1, 1, 1 LAST THING. I WANT TO SAY THIS, BOB ALLEN IS NO LONGER WITH US. THE LATE BOB ALLEN OF CHANNEL 13, TELL IT LIKE IT IS. AND I WAS PART OF THAT PROGRAM WITH BOB ALLEN, TIM MELTON, AND BOB SLOVAK FOR 20 SOME ODD YEARS. AND WHEN WE STARTED THAT, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO ONLY BE ON FOR ONE YEAR. AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU ALL WHO MADE THAT PROGRAM A HUGE SUCCESS. AND MANY PEOPLE SAY, WHY DIDN'T YOU, YOU DIDN'T WANNA BE ON TV. I WANTED TO DO PROGRAMS LIKE THAT. THAT WAS THE KIND OF PROGRAM I LIKE, I ENJOYED DOING. AND IT WAS A PART OF HOUSTON THAT I REALLY ENJOYED. AND AGAIN, I CRY EVERY, I CRY ALL THE TIME. I'M, [01:00:01] I CRIED ONE NIGHT ABOUT ANDRE, BILL. ANDRE, HE'S GOING TO TEXAS A AND I, HE CALLED TO TEXAS A TEXAS A AND M KINGSVILLE, NOW GREAT SCHOOL. DARRYL GREEN, THAT SCHOOL, DARRY GREEN, DOUGLAS OUTTA WENT TO THAT SCHOOL. SOME GREAT ATHLETES WILL COME OUTTA THAT SCHOOL. SO I WISH HIM THE BEST IN GOING TO TEXAS A AND M KINGSVILLE. YOU COME ON THIS SIDE, . HOLD THAT. YOU GOING, COME CLOSE. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. GREAT DAY. AND WE'RE GONNA GET, UH, TURNED NOW TO THE COMMUNITY SESSION. UM, OKAY. THANK YOU ALL I DO, WE, I DO THINK WE HAVE A, UM, UM, MAYOR'S TEAM VERSUS CITY COUNCIL BASKETBALL TEAM COMING UP SHORTLY. UM, YOU BETTER DO IT IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. I THINK IT'S IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. Y'ALL BEEN SAYING THAT FOR TWO YEARS. WELL, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GIVE Y'ALL TIME TO GET READY. YOU KNOW, WE WANT COMPETITION . ALL RIGHT. UH, SEE, WE'RE KOSH, OH, THE [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILMAN MCCOSH FOR THE INVOCATION. MAYOR. MAYOR, I, I HAVE, UH, ONE OF MY FORMER EMPLOYEES AND, AND CONSTITUENTS DIRECTOR HERE. UH, REVEREND JOHN GIBBS IS GONNA COME AND LEAD US IN PRAYER. IT'S GOOD TO SEE JOHN GIBBS, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, HE WAS A GRADUATE FROM THE, UH, BOOKER T WASHINGTON. HE WAS, UH, HE ALSO, UH, UH, HIS TEAM, UH, PLAYED IN THE ROSE BOWL, 1976. UH, SO IT'S GOOD TO HAVE JOHN HERE WITH US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GET BEHIND ONE MIC. YES. NO BETTER , UH, VOICE KIND OF, UH, I WANNA THANK YOU COUNCILMAN KUBOSH FOR THIS, THIS PRIVILEGE. AND THEN I WANNA THANK THOSE WHO ARE HERE IN THE HORSESHOE AND THOSE WHO I WORKED WITH IN THE PAST. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UH, IT'S BEEN A, A JOY AND A, A PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH YOU IN THE COMMUNITY. ALSO, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UH, BOOKER WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL IS CELEBRATING 130 YEARS AS A SCHOOL. THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS BORN IN 1873. BOOK OF WASHINGTON WAS BORN WITH THE SCHOOLS 1893. SO 30 YEARS AFTER EMANCIPATION, A SCHOOL WAS SET UP FOR COLORED PEOPLE, FREED SLAVES IN FREEMAN'S TOWN. AND 130 YEARS HAVE GONE BY. AND WE ARE CELEBRATING THE, WE ARE STARTING WITH THIS. UH, WE HAVE A, I THINK I GAVE A PLACARD OUT TO EVERYBODY. WE HAVE A, A CONCERT BISHOP DIXON'S CHURCH. LET'S PRAY. OKAY, LET'S PRAY. FATHER GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR LIFE, HEALTH AND STRENGTH. FATHER GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF PRAYER. AND LORD, WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR OUR, OUR MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCILMEN WHO SERVE THIS CITY IN A GREAT WAY. THANK YOU FOR THE STELLAR BUDGET THAT THE MAYOR'S GONNA PRESENT TO THE CITY. THE LORD, WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL GIVE THEM WISDOM TO CONTINUE TO TO FOLLOW IN THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. WE PRAY IN OUR LORD THAT THE WORDS OF OUR MOUTH AND THE MEDITATIONS OF OUR HEARTS WILL BE ACCEPTABLE IN THY SIGHT, OH LORD, OUR STRENGTH AND OUR REDEEMER. SO THAT WE SUBMIT THIS PRAYER, THE MANOUS IN THE MAJESTIC NAME AND THE MERCIFUL NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. AND FOR HIS SAKE, WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. AND WE WILL BE THERE AT THE EVENT. THANK YOU. OKAY. [01:05:01] PLEASE RISE FOR THE P LEDGE. YOU ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE BRAWL. THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR. MADAM SECRETARY, [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] CALL THEONE MAYOR TURNER. HERE, CONSTABLE PECK WILL BE ABSENT. CONSTABLE JACKSON, CONSTABLE KAMAN. PRESENT. CONSTABLE EVAN SHABAZZ. HERE. CONSTABLE MARTIN. PRESENT. CONSTABLE THOMAS. PRESENT. CONSTABLE HUFFMAN. PRESENT CONST CISNEROS. HERE. CONSTABLE GALLEGOS. HERE. COUNCILMAN POLLARD. HERE. CONSTABLE CASTEX WILL BE ASKING COUNCILMAN KNOX. HERE. COUNCILMAN ROBINSON? HERE. CONSTABLE KOSH. HERE. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER HERE. AND CONSTABLE ALCORN. READ THE MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES. MOVE ROBINSON THOMAS. SECOND, BEEN MOVED AND SECOND TO DELAY. ANY OBJECTIONS? HERES NONE. MOTION IS GRANTED. UH, THERE ARE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS. COUNCILMAN JACKSON? NO, SHE WAS JUST HERE. ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? ANY PROCEDURAL? OKAY, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU PROCEED [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] TO CALL THE SPEAKER'S ROLE, LET'S KATHLEEN, O ONE B. KATHLEEN OWENBY IS HERE BY DEANDRA BOY. GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, JUST WANT Y'ALL ALL TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE EIGHT SPARK PARK DEDICATIONS COMING UP. UM, ONE DOWN THIS MORNING. COUNCIL MEMBER GOGOS WAS WITH US AT, UM, BRISCOE THIS MORNING. THAT SCHOOL IS 102 YEARS OLD. AND, UM, WE HAD A GREAT, UM, TIME WITH, UM, FUNDERS AND STUDENTS, CHEERLEADERS, UM, THE ARTIST. UM, AND SO THANK YOU FOR COMING AND ALWAYS SUPPORTING SPARK. UM, WE HAVE, UM, I THINK ALMOST EVERYBODY IS GONNA BE AT ONE OR MORE . YEAH. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN IS GOING TO BE WITH US AT MEMORIAL ON THURSDAY, AND THEN ALSO THE NEXT FRIDAY AT SINCLAIR. UM, LET'S SEE. PARDON? YEAH. DIEGOS IS GOING TO BE WITH US, UM, AT DIDI AND GOLF CREST AND CASICK TATUM IS GOING TO BE WITH US AT BILLY REAGAN. ALL OF THE LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME. WE WILL INTRODUCE YOU, UM, YOU DON'T GIVE MONEY, BUT UHUH, WE WILL STILL INTRODUCE YOU AND, UM, BE PROUD THAT YOU'RE THERE. AND, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND MAYOR, I HEARD THAT YOU'RE COMING TO ONE. YES, I WAS LOOKING AT, UM, THE LIST. I THINK THERE ARE, WHAT, SEVEN MORE? YES, WE GOT SEVEN MORE CHANCES. I WAS LOOKING AT THE LIST, UH, EARLIER TODAY. YES. AND I GOT SOME THAT YOU'RE COMING TO BROWNING. I THINK. SO, UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. UM, AGAIN, THIS IS OUR 40TH YEAR AND WE APPRECIATE ALL OF EVERYBODY PARTICIPATING. THANK YOU. THANKS. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. KATHLEEN, IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU IN HERE. NORMALLY WE'RE OUTSIDE AT CELEBRATING AT OUR PARKS FOR THE PUBLIC THAT'S LISTENING THAT MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THE AMAZING WORK THAT YOU AND SPARK PARKS DO. CAN YOU JUST SHARE REALLY QUICKLY WHAT THIS IS? WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE AND SUPPORT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE RESIDENTS ALSO UNDERSTAND THE GIFT THAT YOU ALL ARE GIVING, NOT JUST FOR STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL, BUT AS WE ADDRESS, UM, WHAT WE'RE CALLING NOW, KIND OF PARK AND GREEN SPACE DESERTS, UH, THE NEED AND THE GAP THAT YOU'RE FILLING. DO YOU MIND JUST SHARING REALLY QUICKLY? SO, UM, TODAY WE'RE WORKING WITH 17 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN HARRIS COUNTY AND FORT BEND COUNTY. UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 160 ACTIVE SPARK PARKS ALL ACROSS THE WORLD. AND, UM, WE WORK WITH SCHOOLS AND HELP THEM DEVELOP THEIR PLAYGROUNDS INTO COMMUNITY PARKS. OUR ONE RULE IS THAT THE PARK NEEDS TO BE OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY AFTER SCHOOL ON WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS. AND WE HAVE, UM, AT, AT BRISCOE THIS MORNING, ACTUALLY, THE HISD BOARD PRESIDENT DANNY HERNANDEZ WAS THERE. SHE GREW UP ACROSS THE STREET FROM BRISCOE. UM, SHE STILL HAS FAMILY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, AND HER MOTHER AND DAD USED TO BE, HAVE THE KEY TO OPEN UP THE, THE, UM, GATE AFTER SCHOOL AND ON WEEKENDS, UM, AT BRISCOE. SO IT WAS FUN FOR HER TO BE THERE, ESPECIALLY. UM, SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, UM, WE NOW HAVE FUNDING, MAJOR FUNDING FROM THE KINDER FOUNDATION, HOUSTON ENDOWMENT, BROWN FOUNDATION, AND POWELL FOUNDATION TO WORK ON SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN PARK DESERT AREAS. THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S NOT ANOTHER CITY, COUNTY OR SPARK PARK WITHIN A 10 MINUTE WALK OR HALF MILE. AND SO THOSE ARE THE SCHOOLS THAT WE'RE REALLY CONCENTRATING ON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, THANK YOU KATHLEEN FOR, UH, EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AND YOUR STAFF DOES. AND, UH, ONCE AGAIN, UH, YOUR MOTHER HAD A VISION, [01:10:01] UH, AND, AND, AND THAT VISION WAS TO PROVIDE AS MANY PARKS AS POSSIBLE, UH, IN COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED. UH, COMMUNITIES, LIKE YOU STATED, THAT ARE PARK DESERTS. UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, LAST WEEK WE, UH, DID, DID A, UH, CELEBRATION IN FOR A NEW REPAR OF A SPARK PARK. LIKE AT, UH, WE, WE ACTUALLY WENT TO PICK UP A CHECK MM-HMM . FROM THE SCHOOL. WE'RE JUST NOW STARTING ON REVITALIZING AT CORNELIUS. RIGHT. UM, AND THAT WE GIVE EVERY SCHOOL A GOAL OF RAISING $5,000. AND SOME SCHOOLS WORK REALLY HARD ON THAT. UM, COLLECTING PENNIES AND SELLING POPCORN AND DOING NUMEROUS THINGS. AND THEN SOME SCHOOLS CAN HAVE A HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL AND RAISE, UH, RIGHT. LOTS OF MONEY. AND, AND THIS MORNING THERE WAS ACTUALLY A TEACHER THERE AT BRISCOE THAT, UH, ACTUALLY WHEN SHE WAS ATTENDING BRISCOE AS A STUDENT, UH, THEY ACTUALLY DEDICATED THE FIRST SPARK PARK, I BELIEVE IT WAS 1994, IF I'M MISTAKEN. UH, AND HERE SHE WAS TODAY EXCITED THAT, UH, THEY WERE DOING BRAND NEW, YOU KNOW, DEDICATING A BRAND NEW SPARK PARK. UM, SO, SO THE ONES THAT I HAVE ATTENDED, IT'S ALWAYS A JOY TO BE THERE TO SEE THE, UH, FACES AND THE EXCITEMENT OF THE KIDS, UH, TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL PARK THAT THEY CAN ENJOY DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. UH, BUT WHAT'S SO, WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT IS ALSO IS THE, UH, KIDS THAT LIVE IN THE AREA, UH, THAT CAN GO AND ENJOY IT IN THE EVENINGS AS WELL AS IN THE WEEKENDS. SO IT GIVES THEM A SENSE OF PRIDE, UH, KNOWING THAT THERE'S A BEAUTIFUL PARK DOWN THE STREET, UH, THAT THEY CAN DO, GO AND ENJOY. UH, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR STAFF, FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KATHLEEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO. OKAY. NERA BOYD, NERA BOYD NERA BOYD TO BE FOLLOWED BY GALIA JOHNSON. STEP OVER IN FRONT OF THE MIC. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR TURNER AND THE COUNCILMAN. UM, MY NAME IS NERA BOYD AND, UH, I LIVE IN EAST SUNNYSIDE, DISTRICT D. AND, UH, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, SYLVESTER TURNER FOR THE 20 MILLION FOR THE BUDGET, FOR THE SWAT. NOW WE ARE ASKING, UH, THE MAYOR TO MAYBE INCREASE THE LDT BY 20 MILLION. I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT THE BUDGET, UM, THE BUDGET FOR THE DRAINAGE PROGRAM IS BEING INCREASED. IS BEING INCREASED. OKAY. SO, UH, THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE AMENDMENT, UH, FOR THE AMENDMENT FOR THE LDT, THERE'S NO AMENDMENT REQUIRED. IT'S THE, UH, THE INCREASES BUILT INTO THE PROPOSED BUDGET. OKAY. BUT ISN'T THE SWAT IT'S FOR THE DISTRICT AND THE LDT? IT'S JUST FOR, UH, SPECIAL PROJECTS? WELL, THE, THE FUNDING FOR THE DRAINAGE PROGRAM IS GOING UP FROM, I WANT SAY, 70 SOMETHING OR 80 SOMETHING MILLION, UP TO ABOUT 124 MILLION. IF I'M, IF I'M, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT. SO THERE IS WILL BE MORE FUNDING FOR DRAINAGE PROGRAMS IN THE PROPOSED, UM, UM, BUDGET. OKAY. BECAUSE I KNOW THE DRAINAGE DEPARTMENT, UH, HAS SAID THE IMPORTANCE OF INCREASING THE LDT PROJECT, UH, DEPENDING ON THE PROJECTS THAT'S NEEDED IN THE CITY. MM-HMM . OKAY. THERE'S MORE FUNDING IN THE BUDGET FOR DRAINAGE PROGRAMS. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILMAN, UH, EVAN SHAVA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU MS. BOYD. UH, I ACTUALLY HAD A MEETING THIS MORNING WITH THE TOD, AND I'LL GET MY STAFF TO REACH OUT TO YOU TO SEE IF ANY WAY WE COULD, YOU KNOW, WORK SOMETHING IN THE BEHALF OF SOUTH UNION AND WHAT'S GOING ON. AND SO, UM, MY STAFF MEMBER WILL, WILL REACH OUT TO YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. I PASSED SOME PICTURES OVER TO THE OFFICER OF SOME PICTURES OF SOME FLOODING IN THE COMMUNITY IN DENVER HARBOR AND THE EAST SUNNY SIDE. THE PAST RAINS WE HAD IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU ARE WELCOME. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON FOR A PROCEDURAL MOTION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, MY MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO ADD, UM, KASIM KAHN TO THE TOP OF THE THREE MINUTE LIST. OKAY. TO MOVE. MOTION. SECOND. THANK. SECOND. ANY OBJECTION? CHAIR'S NOT GRANITE. PAT ALREADY HAS IT. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. GALIA JOHNSON. GA JOHNSON [01:15:03] STATE TO BE FOLLOWED BY KATE. SOME CON YOU HAVE MOVE PEOPLE. I'M SO HONORED, HONORED TO BE HERE. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE PLEASE GET IN FRONT OF THE, I'M SORRY. OKAY. UHHUH. , I'M HONORED TO BE HERE AND I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I AM REPRESENTING NORTHEAST DISTRICT B, UM, COALITION. UM, I'M HERE TO LET YOU KNOW, AND I GOT A COUPLE LITTLE PROPS, IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND. I'M HERE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT OUR AREA IS IN SO MUCH BONDAGE RIGHT NOW AND IS IN BONDAGE BECAUSE OF WE LIVING OUT THE, THE, THE, THE DEEDS. ONE OF THE DES IS BEING DEPRIVED. WE WILL LOVE IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON TO BE REPRESENTED JUST LIKE THE PEOPLE IN THE WOODS AND THE LANDS. I'M TALKING ABOUT SUMMER WOOD AND, AND, AND PARA LAND AND SUGAR LAND BECAUSE WE ARE HARDWORKING CITIZENS. WE TAXPAYERS AND WE REALLY, REALLY CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES. THE NEXT DAY IS DECEPTION. IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON, WE ARE EXPERIENCING DECEPTION. AND UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE, UM, THERE IS PEOPLE, UM, THAT'S POLITICIANS THAT SAY THAT THEY'RE GONNA HELP, SOME OF THEM DO. AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF THEM DON'T. AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE ARE BEING DECEIT, WE ARE EXPERIENCING DESTRUCTION. UH, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS WITH THE RAIN, JUST, JUST A COUPLE OF 15 MINUTES OF RAIN IN OUR NORTHEAST HOUSTON. IT'S FLOODING AND IT'S TERRIBLE. IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE HAVE TO MAINLY INVEST IN BOATS. AND IT'S SO SAD. AND BECAUSE OF THIS DESTRUCTION, WE EXPERIENCED DANGEROUS SITUATIONS BECAUSE THE FLOOD, THE, THE WATER FLOODS. AND SO NOW WE HAVE CONTAMINATION, UH, UH, WE HAVE DEBRIS AND IT'S NOT SAFE. SO WE'RE REALLY, REALLY ASKING FOR SUPPORT. WE THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR, FOR THE SWAT, UM, THE 20 MILLION, UM, FOR THE SWAT. BUT WE ALSO ASKING YOU ALL TO LOOK AT THE LDP TWO. AND THANK YOU BECAUSE I KNOW TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER. GOD BLESS Y'ALL. COUNCILMAN JACKSON. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER CASE. K KASIM KH TO BE FOLLOWED BY CAROLYN RIVERA. WHAT ABOUT OLEUM? THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON. APPRECIATE IT. UH, DON'T START THE CLOCK YET. UH, BEFORE I MAKE MY PRESENTATION, UM, UH, SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I SPOKE BEFORE COUNCIL, UH, I REMINDED EVERYONE ABOUT A STATEMENT THAT, UM, MAYOR TURNER HAD MADE IN AN EVENT WE HAD A COUPLE YEARS AGO. YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD ALL MAKE IT LEAVE THE CITY, UH, A LITTLE BIT BETTER. IT WAS WHEN WE FOUND IT, WHEN I REFLECTED ON WHAT HE SAID AND HOW, AND HOW PROPHETIC IT WAS, IT GAVE ME AN IDEA TO PUT TOGETHER A CO A COLLECTION OF STATEMENTS THAT PEOPLE SAID TO ME OVER THE YEARS. SO I PUBLISHED A BOOK AND I INCLUDED HIM, AND I QUOTED HIM A COUPLE TIMES IN THIS BOOK. SO I WANT TO THANK MAYOR TURNER FOR GIVING THE IDEA FOR THIS BOOK. THE BOOK JUST CAME OUT. I WANNA, UM, HERE IS A COPY FOR YOU. I ALREADY AUTOGRAPHED IT, HAVE THE OFFICERS TAKE IT TO HIM. AND THEN TWO OF THE COUNCIL PEOPLE THAT I WORK CLOSEST WITH, COUNCILWOMAN PLUMBER AND COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON. I HAVE A COPY FOR THEM AS WELL. THANK YOU. SHE'S WAY OVER THERE. I'LL GET AROUND. OKAY. NOW YOU CAN START THE CLOCK. WELL, IT'S BEEN AS I AS I AS, AS I, AS I MENTIONED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE HAD A SPECIAL EVENT. IT WAS A UNIQUE EVENT WHERE WE PUT TOGETHER SIX OF THE, UM, PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO HONOR THEM. NOT SO MUCH PERSONALLY BECAUSE OF THEIR PERSONAL, BUT BECAUSE OF THE OFFICE THAT THEY REPRESENT, HOW, HOW CAREFULLY AND HOW WELL THEY, THEY, UM, DO THE WORK IN THEIR PARTICULAR OFFICE. SO I WAS REALLY SALUD IN THE OFFICE AND, AND ALSO GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT EVERYONE SHOULD PLAY A, A MAJOR ROLE, DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO TRY TO MAKE HOUSTON BETTER, AND DON'T JUST WAIT FOR THE NEWS TO COME ON AND SUCK OUR TEETH ABOUT HOW, HOW TERRIBLE THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, BUT ACTUALLY TRY TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN, UM, TO DO WHATEVER WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. AND MUHAMMAD ALI WAS MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES AS I WAS SITTING HERE. UH, I USED TO BE DO SECURITY FOR HIM YEARS AGO. I USED SECURITY WHEN I LIVED IN PITTSBURGH. AND HE USED TO SAY, HE SAID, FRED, WE SUPPOSED TO DO WHATEVER WE WE CAN DO. AND, UH, AND I, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO WHATEVER WE'RE ABLE TO DO. AND SO IN LIGHT OF THAT, WHAT I WANTED, WHAT I CAME UP WITH THIS BRIGHT IDEA, AND I WAS PRAYING THAT ALL OF THOSE SAME SIX HONOREES THAT WE HAD WOULD, WOULD HAVE A REUNION. SO THAT BE WHILE MAYOR TURNER'S STILL IN OFFICE, AND WHILE WE STILL HAVE TROY NER AS A CHIEF TO, TO, TO COME TOGETHER AGAIN. BUT THIS TIME I WANT TO EXTEND THE INVITATION TO [01:20:01] THE ENTIRE COUNCIL. AND PLEASE DON'T JUST BE POLITICALLY CORRECT AND SAY, OKAY, I'LL BE THERE. NOW, HERE'S THE INVITATIONS. I NEED THE OFFICER TO COME UP AGAIN. PASS THESE INVITATIONS AROUND WHAT I HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH. THIS TIME I'M PLANNING TO MAKE A STATE OF THE HOOD ADDRESS. IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE COMMENTED ON BY, UH, OUR DEAR, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, GOD WILLING, UH, WHO IS ALSO ONE OF THE HONOREES FROM BEFORE, WHERE THIS IS A REUNION TO BRING EVERYBODY BACK TOGETHER TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. AND EVERYBODY THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO IN THEIR OWN, IN THEIR OWN WAY TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE SOMETHING BETTER FOR CLE, UH, FOR, FOR HOUSTON. UH, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO AT LEAST TRY. THAT'S WHAT MY MOTHER TOLD ME, UM, WHEN SHE SAID, SHE SAID, SHE SAID, YOU CAN'T SAVE THE WORLD, BUT THERE'S NO HARM IN TRYING. SO I'M VERY, VERY, VERY SERIOUS ABOUT DOING WHATEVER I CAN. AND WITH THE HELP AND SUPPORT OF THOSE WHO ARE LIKE-MINDED, I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT. NOT ONLY THE TWO COUNCILWOMEN THAT I WORK CLOSE WITH, BUT I REALLY DO BELIEVE, I DON'T KNOW THE REST OF YOU THAT WELL. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE BEST INTENTIONS, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD AT LEAST TRY. SO I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE WHO'S ABLE TO, UNLESS YOU HAVE A PRESSING EVENT, TO, TO READJUST YOUR SCHEDULES, TO MEET US ON JUNE 4TH, UH, AT, AT THE ENCHANTED COURTYARD, WHILE WE NOT JUST SALUTE THESE, THESE SIX PEOPLE. CAN I GET ANOTHER 30 SECONDS? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. I CAN GIVE YOU, I CAN GIVE YOU ANOTHER 30 SECONDS. THANK YOU. NOT JUST SALUTE THEM, BUT, BUT, BUT SALUTE THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING HOUSTON A LOT BETTER. AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT MY EFFORT IS. JUST DO WHAT WE CAN. I, I PLAN, I PLAN TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH EVERYONE. AND I HOPE THAT IF WE CAN, GOD WILLING, I, I'M DOWN TO 26, 6 26 SECONDS NOW TO ACTUALLY MAKE AN IMPROVEMENT. JUST LIKE MAYOR TURNER SAID, WE SHOULD DO. LET'S MAKE THE CITY A LOT BETTER. I HOPE THAT I MADE MY POINT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. CAROLYN RIVERA. CAROLYN RIVERA TO BE FOLLOWED BY MOLLY COOK. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR TURNER AND CITY COUNCIL. I AM A MEMBER OF NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. MY NAME IS CAROLYN RIVERA. I HAVE LIVED IN CITY GAS, NORTHEAST HOUSTON, DISTRICT B FOR 44 YEARS AND REARED FIVE CHILDREN THERE. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE MAYOR TURNER FOR TAKING ACTION TO SAVE OUR LIFE, OUR SOIL, OUR HOME AND PERSONAL PROPERTY FROM FUTURE FLOODING AND CONTINUED CONTAMINATION. THANK YOU FOR GIVING US GUIDANCE AND ADVICE. COUNCIL TARSHA JACKSON, MAYOR PROTE, DAVE MARTIN AT LARGE CITY COUNCIL ROBINSON, VERONICA DAVIS, LETICIA PLUMMER, AND EACH COUNCIL MEMBER AND DEPARTMENT HEAD WHO MET WITH US. WE APPRECIATE YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT, GUIDANCE, PATIENCE, AND SUPPORT. WE ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT WE SEE THAT THE 2024 BUDGET WILL INCLUDE INCREASES FOR DRINKING WATER AND SEWERS. THIS IS MUCH NEEDED. IT HAS NOT BEEN THE FOCUS OF OUR CAMPAIGN, BUT WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS MUCH NEEDED INVESTMENT. IT IS JUST A START ON ENDING THE INFRAS STRUCTURE IN EQUALITY. BUT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WE SEE AND APPRECIATE IT. IT HAS BEEN RESEARCHED AND PROVEN THAT NORTHEAST HOUSTON AND LOW MODERATE INCOME MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES HAVE NOT RECEIVED STORM WATER DRAINAGE SYSTEM NEEDED TO PREVENT SEVERE FLOODING. WE STRONGLY REQUEST, AND THANK YOU IN ADVANCE, THAT THAT WILL BE A PERMANENT INCREASE. AND SWAT AND LDP AND SELECT FIRST, THE COMMUNITIES THAT CONSISTENTLY FLOOD WITH MINOR RAIN PROVIDE COMMUNITIES LIKE SET GAS, THE NORTHEAST HOUSTON WITH FAIR AND EQUITABLE SERVICES, SO THAT LIVES AND PROPERTY CAN BE SAVED FROM FLOODING. WE KNOW THAT THE FISCAL YEAR [01:25:01] 24 BUDGET INCREASES. BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD. DO THESE INCREASES, ENHANCE THE SWAT AND LDP PROGRAMS. WE NEED THE CITY TO LEAD US IN PROVIDING LONG TERM AND CONSISTENT ENFORCEMENT AND FLOOD PREVENTION EDUCATION. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ALCO. YES. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR COMING AND THANKS TO ALL OF THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY STRONG ADVOCATES FOR MORE DRAINAGE MONEY. AND MAYOR, I HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR TODAY, SAY THAT THERE'S 47 MILLION MORE DOLLARS GOING FROM THAT PORTION OF THE VALOREM TAXES AS OUR, AS WE PAY DOWN THAT DEBT. AND WE PAY DOWN $1.8 BILLION OF DEBT SINCE 2011. SO WE'RE GOING FROM TRANSFERRING FROM JUST THAT FUND, $76 MILLION TO 123, YES, MILLION DOLLARS, $47 MILLION INCREASE. AND THOSE GO TOWARDS PROJECTS LIKE THE LDP, THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS, THE SWAT PROJECTS, ALL THE DRAINAGE RELATED PROJECTS. AND THAT'S NOT EVEN COUNTING THE DRAINAGE FEE MONEY OF ANOTHER A HUNDRED AND SOME MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. SO THERE IS AN INCREASE AS THAT DEBT GOES DOWN. THERE IS AN INCREASE. NOW, I KNOW THERE ARE SOME LEGAL WRANGLINGS ABOUT THE AMOUNT THAT HAS THAT IS GOING TO PAY DOWN DEBT AND TOWARDS PROJECTS. I'LL LET THE LAWYERS FIGURE THAT OUT. BUT, BUT THAT, BUT I AM ENCOURAGED BECAUSE OF YOUR ADVOCACY AND BECAUSE THAT DEBT IS GOING DOWN, THAT WE ARE INDEED PUTTING MORE MONEY TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE, MORE MONEY TOWARDS DRAINAGE. PLUS THE FUNDS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THE, THE, UM, HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GETTING, UM, SOME CDBG MONEY FROM PREVIOUS FLOODS BEFORE HARVEY THAT WE'RE GETTING, THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY SINCE HARVEY THAT'S GOING TO FLOOD. IT'S, IT'LL NEVER BE ENOUGH. IT'LL NEVER BE ENOUGH. I ALSO HEARD THE MAYOR TALK TODAY ABOUT LOOKING AT POLICIES ABOUT LEAVING THINGS UP TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS LIKE DITCH. AND LOOKING AT THOSE POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN, I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SIDEWALKS A LOT. SAME POLICIES. WE LEAVE EVERYTHING UP TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS. WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE POLICIES. WE'RE LOOKING TO GET MORE PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN THIS MUCH NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE. SO I REALLY COMMEND ALL OF YOU FOR REALLY COMING AND HAMMERING THIS POINT HOME. UM, WE'RE HEARING YOU, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A NEED AND IT'S NOT JUST THE NORTHEAST PART OF TOWN. I MEAN, WE'RE HEARING IT FROM ALL OVER. I, I'M AT LARGE, I GO ALL OVER THIS CITY AND EVERYBODY WANTS INVESTMENT IN THIS. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING. AND, AND I WANNA ASSURE YOU, BASED ON WHAT I HEARD TODAY AND WHAT I'VE SEEN WITH MY OWN EYES IN THE BUDGET, THERE'S A LOT MORE MONEY, MONEY TOWARDS DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE. THANK YOU. AND I HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT MONEY SPENT FAIRLY AMONG THE POOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THANK YOU COUNCILOR MALCON. I COULDN'T SAY IT BETTER. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, MOLLY COOK, WE FOLLOWED BY CHRIS VALDEZ. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR TURNER. AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, FOR THE RECORD AND THOSE WHOM I'VE NOT MET, I'M MOLLY COOK. I USED TO SHARE HER PRONOUNS. I'M AN ER NURSE, I'M A PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE, AND I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE. SO I'M HERE TODAY FIRST TO THANK AND CONGRATULATE Y'ALL ON WHAT LOOKED LIKE FROM HTVA VERY BALANCED BUDGET, UM, AND A REALLY GREAT PRESS CONFERENCE. SO THANK YOU GUYS. UM, ALSO TO REITERATE ALL OF NA'S DEMANDS AND THEN ASK FOR A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY TODAY, WHICH I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT. UM, I DID WANNA SAY FIRST, LAST WEEK, COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD ASKED A COUPLE OF REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PUBLIC WORKS FUNDING. UM, LIKE WHAT IS NEXT'S VISION TO ENSURE PRO PRODUCTS DON'T GET STALLED, THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO USE IT. UM, AND I REALLY JUST WANNA PAUSE AND SAY THANK YOU FOR ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS, UM, IN REAL TIME. 'CAUSE THEN WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO EACH OTHER AND THINK TOGETHER, UM, ABOUT HOW TO SHAPE THIS, UM, AND, AND HELPS THE ORGANIZERS. UM, PUBLIC WORKS IS PLANNING TO FOLLOW UP DIRECTLY WITH YOU IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY. BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE REST OF COUNCIL HEARD. UM, NAC IS IN CONVERSATION WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND THEY INTEND TO USE EVERY DOLLAR, UM, THAT THEY'RE GIVEN. AND THE INCREASE LAST YEAR MEANT THAT NEARLY EVERY DISTRICT, IF NOT EVERY DISTRICT, WAS ABLE TO PUSH FORWARD A DRAINAGE PROJECT, UM, THAT WE THINK BODES WELL. AND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS OFTEN USED TO MAKE EXISTING PROJECTS DEEPER AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE, WHICH MEANS THAT A MARKET IMPROVEMENT HAPPENS WITHOUT TOO MUCH OF AN INCREASE ON THE WORKLOAD. UM, WE'RE NOT AWARE OF ANY STALLED PROJECTS AT THIS TIME, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ACROSS THE BOARD SEEM HAPPY. SO WE THINK THAT THAT, UM, IS A GOOD SIGN. UM, OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF FLOOD INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, AND SO I JUST WANNA ALSO SAY THAT NAC IS PARTNERING WITH A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS ON ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS THAT WILL SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS CONCERNS AROUND CAPACITY, LIKE ADDING, [01:30:01] UM, FILLING A HUNDRED CURRENT VACANCIES IN THE FRONTLINE WORKER POSITIONS. SO WE KNOW THAT HOW MUCH YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, POLLARD, AND WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE THINKING CRITICALLY THROUGH THESE THINGS, AND WE WELCOME A MEETING WITH YOUR OFFICE TO TALK ABOUT. YOU MAY BE SUPPORTING THOSE AMENDMENTS. UM, IT WOULD BE SUPER, SUPER EXCITING. SO THANK ALL OF Y'ALL FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS. I DO WANNA CLOSE WITH ONE QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION. UM, MAYOR TURNER, YOU ANNOUNCED EARLIER, YOU'VE SAID IT A COUPLE TIMES, THERE WILL BE A PERMANENT INCREASE TO LIKE OVERALL DRAINAGE. WE SEE THE PERMANENT INCREASE TO SWAT FUNDING SPECIFICALLY. UM, WILL THERE ALSO BE AN INCREASE TO LDP FUNDING? SO TALKING ABOUT LIKE A LINE ITEM THAT SAYS 32 MILLION FOR LDP, UM, NAC AND THE DRAINAGE DEPARTMENT, UM, HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNDING BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THE MOST FLEXIBILITY AND ALLOWS US TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF EQUITY THAT YOU'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN, UM, FROM PEOPLE COMING. SO JUST HOPING TO GAIN A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY ON THAT. YOU'RE THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE AMOUNT GOING TO DRAINAGE WILL BE INCREASING EACH AND EVERY YEAR AS YOU PAY DOWN ON THE DEBT. UM, THEN THAT WILL FREE UP MORE MONEY TO GO TO THESE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS WHERE WE STARTED AT $2.4 BILLION. UH, WE ARE NOW DOWN TO, LET'S SAY LESS THAN 700 MILLION EVERY YEAR. AS WE PAY DOWN, THE DEBT GOES DOWN AND AS THE DEBT GOES DOWN, THERE'S MORE MONEY THAT'S GOING INTO YOUR DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT WILL CONTINUE. SO IS IT, ARE YOU CONSTRAINED BY LIKE AN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP THERE OR ARE YOU ABLE, ARE YOU FLEXIBLE TO ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL LDP FUNDING? YES. I MEAN, AS THE, AS THE DEBT GOES DOWN, THE, THE PAY YOU GO SYSTEM WORKS, AS THE DEBT GOES DOWN, MORE DOLLARS ARE MADE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR, FOR THE ACTUAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS. SO THAT AMOUNT WILL EXPONENTIALLY INCREASE. AND IS ANYONE ABLE TO TELL ME THE NUMBER TO LDP RIGHT NOW? UM, I'LL, I'LL HAVE TO SHOW YOU THE, THE CHART AS YOU PAY DOWN THE DEBT AND IT GOES UP. UH, WE SHOWED A LITTLE BIT OF THAT. WE SHOWED THE CHART TODAY. SO THE CHART IS ONE OF THE SLIDES. YOU CAN LOOK AT THE SLIDES THAT WE, THAT I PRESENTED EARLIER TODAY. COOL. OKAY. OKAY. THAT'S ALL. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU. CHRIS VALDEZ. CHRIS VALDEZ IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CARLA MCKINNEY. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL. UH, CONGRATS ON RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC IN FRONT OF THE MIC. CONGRATS ON THE RELEASE OF THE BUDGET TODAY. UM, GOT NEW BRAND, BRAND NEW BUDGET, UH, 50 MILLION FOR BUILT HOUSTON FORWARD, INCLUDING AN INCREASE TO THE AD VALOREM, TRANSFER TO NEW DRAINAGE PROJECTS. SO THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S GREAT. GREAT TO HEAR. UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON THE THEME OF THE DAY, WHICH IS THE BUDGET AND IN PARTICULAR HOW PROPERTY TAXES ARE SPENT. UM, AND MAYBE SOME OF THE LEGAL WRANGLING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN MENTIONED A SECOND AGO. AS YOU ALL LIKELY KNOW, BACK IN 2010, VOTERS DECIDED THAT ABOUT 18.5% OF PROPERTY TAXES SHOULD BE DEDICATED TO DRAINAGE AND OTHER ON AND OFF STREET PROJECTS. SOME WILL KNOW THIS AS THE 11.8 MILLAGE RATE IN 2012. WE GOT PRETTY CLOSE, UM, TO THAT 18.5, ALMOST 18.4%. HOWEVER, SINCE THEN, CONTRARY TO THE VOTER MANDATE AND CONTRARY TO WHAT'S STATED ON THE BUILD HOUSTON FORWARD WEBSITE TODAY FOR AT LEAST THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THIS NUMBER HAS FALLEN SHORT OF WHAT VOTERS DECIDED, UM, CLOSER TO 15 AND 16% OF THE PROPERTY TAXES SPENT ON THE WORK THEY WERE MEANT FOR. UH, THAT'S ROUGHLY $20 MILLION OR SO EACH YEAR, MISSING FROM THE DRAINAGE BUDGET, AT LEAST FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS FROM OUR CALCULATIONS. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE MY FRIENDS AT NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE AND MYSELF HAVE BEEN COMING UP TO CITY HALL NOW FOR, UH, SOME WEEKS AND WE CAN'T SEEM TO GET A CLEAR ANSWER ON THIS PARTICULAR QUESTION. SO I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR SOME CLARITY ON THE NEW BUDGET AND THAT THOSE $20 MILLION EACH YEAR THAT HAVEN'T BEEN GOING TO DRAINAGE PROJECTS. UM, AND I'M MOSTLY FOCUSED ON ONE QUESTION, WHICH IS WHO CAN SHOW US, UM, WHERE THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, UM, WILL REFLECT THAT 18.5% OF PROPERTY TAXES GOING TO DRAINAGE DEBT AND PROJECTS SO THAT WE CAN GET THESE PROJECTS THE MONEY THAT THEY DESERVE. IT'S GOOD, OF COURSE, THAT THE AD VALOREM TRANSFER IS INCREASING, BUT IF THIS IS JUST BECAUSE THE DEBT PAYMENT HAS DECREASED, THE ORDINANCE IS NOT BEING FOLLOWED, WE'D LOVE TO SEE THE TWO NUMBERS TOGETHER TO SEE THAT THE 18.5% IS BEING MET. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GOOD THAT YOU DO FOR THE CITY AND HER RESIDENTS, UM, AND FOR THE DUTIES YOU'VE FULFILLED SO FAR. UM, I'LL SEED MY REMAINING TIME TO THE RESPONSES ABOUT THE 18.5% TO DRAINAGE. WELL, WHEN YOU FOCUS ON THE 18.5%, YOU'RE GONNA MISS THE EQUATION. IT IS TRUE THAT THERE'S GONNA BE MORE DOLLARS FLOWING INTO, UH, PROJECTS BY LOWERING THE DEBT. IT IS TRUE THAT THAT'S SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE DOLLAR SPENT ALLOCATED TO THE SWAT PROGRAMS. BUT IF YOU ARE ASKING WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE GOING TO HOLD ON TO THAT [01:35:01] 18 POINT PERCENT, EVEN WHEN THE REVENUE CAP IS PRESSING US DOWN, WHICH IS THE ANSWER IS NO, YOU, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. UH, BECAUSE WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING, YOU'RE TRADING ONE FOR THE OTHER BECAUSE IF YOU HOLD TO THAT 18.5%, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT THAT YOU PUT ON POLICE, FIRE, UH, SOLID WASTE, ALL OF THESE OTHER SERVICES, AND YOU'LL HAVE PEOPLE COMING UP LINING UP AT THE MIGHT, UH, TAKING THE CONVERSE POINT OF VIEW. SO, UM, YOU REMOVE THE REVENUE CAP, YOU GOT A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION. SO THAT ISSUE SHOULD BE MORE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS TO HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE REVENUE CAP. BUT AS LONG AS THE REVENUE CAP IS IN PLACE AND WE ARE FORCED TO REDUCE OUR TAX RATE BECAUSE OF THE REVENUE CAP, THAT IS GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON EVERYTHING ELSE, INCLUDING THAT 18 POINT, 18.5%. SO THE NUMBERS I MENTIONED BEFOREHAND, UH, ARE REFLECT A REDUCTION IN REVENUE DUE TO THE REVENUE CAPS. UM, UH, THE ORDINANCE STATES THE AMOUNT EQUIVALENT TO PROCEEDS FROM 0.118 OF THE CITY'S AVALOR TAX LEVY MINUS AN AMOUNT EQUIVALENT TO DEBT SERVICE FOR DRAINAGE IN STREETS FOR ANY OUTSIDE BONDS OR NOTES. AND SO IT'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE HOW THE CITY IS CALCULATING THAT EQUIVALENT AMOUNT. THAT IS A, THAT'S A LEGAL QUESTION, AND WE CAN GO BACK AND FORTH, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THE POSITION OF THIS ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS OTHERS, IS THAT WHEN THE REVENUE CAP REDUCES, EVERYTHING ELSE REDUCES AS WELL, PROPORTIONATELY? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. THAT'S NOT WHAT'S REFLECTED IN THE PUBLIC, THE INFORMATION THAT'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE. I'M SORRY, THAT'S NOT WHAT'S REFLECTED IN THE, IN THE, UH, IN THE FINANCE INFORMATION THAT'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE. WELL, I, I CAN'T SAY WHERE YOU ARE PULLING THAT FROM, BUT I'M TELLING YOU THE WAY WE ARE, WE ARE OPERATING, IT'S FROM THE CITY'S WEBSITE. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. CARLA MCKINNEY. CARLA MCKINNEY. NEXT SPEAKER WILL HILL. WILL HILL NEXT SPEAKER. KENNETH, I'M SORRY, IS WILL HILL HERE BE FOLLOWED BY KENNETH WARD? GOOD AFTERNOON. YEAH. RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC, PLEASE. RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC, HUH? RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I KNOW YOU PROBABLY TIRED OF SEEING ME AND, UM, I AM TIRED OF COMING, BUT AT THIS TIME I HAVE TO COME BECAUSE I SPOKE WITH SHEILA JACKSON LEE AT LAURA PARKER CENTER, AND I TOLD YOU I WAS DEALING THE CASE I WAS DEALING WITH. I'VE BEEN TO FEDERAL COURT WHERE I WAS SENT TO THE POST OFFICE WITH THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. UM, I EVEN MET WITH SHEILA JACKSON LEE AT UNITY BAPTIST CHURCH, AND THEY WERE WITNESSES. BIBLE TELL IN THE MIDST OF THREE WITNESSES. UH, IT'S GOTTA BE TRUE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THIS IS YOUR PAPERWORK HERE THAT I GOT SEALED FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE MARTHA, UM, NANCY PELOSI OFFICE. SHEILA JACKSON HAM, SEND ME THAT. UM, I HAVE OTHER DOCUMENTS HERE IN THIS BOOK WHERE I'VE COME DOWN HERE SEVERAL TIMES AND SPOKE WITH YOU ALL. UM, I DO KNOW FOR A FACT THAT, AND THIS IS THE ONE FROM MEMORIAL HERMAN HOSPITAL, UH, MR. HUGHES WROTE ME A LETTER, UH, ABOUT THE DRUGS THAT THEY GAVE ME, UM, AND THE ANXIETY DRUGS AND ALL OF THAT. UH, THEY DID SEVERAL, UH, THEY DID SEVERAL DRUG SCREENS ON ME. I THINK IT'S LIKE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 DRUG SCREENS. UH, AND DID A, A RHYTHM STRIP AFTER THAT. AND, AND THIS IS WHEN? TWO, UH, 12 15 0 4. OKAY. BUT THIS THING HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR, FOR A WHILE WITH WENT TO SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE AND WITH WORKERS' COMP, AND THEN THEY TAMPERED WITH MY, MY PLUMBING COMPANY, WHICH IS FIVE STAR PAY LESS PLUMBING. UH, I'VE TALKED TO MY INSPECTOR SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THEM STUDY, TRYING TO GIVE ME ANY ID. UH, I HAVE BEEN HARASSED BY THE POLICE. THEY, THEY CLAIM I HAD DRUGS ON MY PLUMBING VEHICLE WHILE I WAS GOING TO PASADENA TO ONE OF MY, UH, DAUGHTER'S BASKETBALL GAMES. SO THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE. UH, I HAD LIKE, WHAT, FOUR RENT HOUSES AND, UM, RAKU MARTIN, WHATEVER HIS NAME WAS, MY HOUSE, MY BUSINESS WAS TOLD DOWN WHAT I WAS REDOING RIGHT THERE IN WEST MONTGOMERY. SO I'VE BEEN A MASTER PLUMBER FOR OVER 30 YEARS IN HOUSTON. NOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT JAMBO AND A RS, MY BUSINESS HAVE BEEN TAKEN DOWN AND DOWN FURTHER DOWN, I'VE SPOKE WITH [01:40:01] MY, UH, DIRECTOR DOWN THERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, MS. LISA HILL, AND I TOLD HER ABOUT THE ONGOING CONSPIRACIES. I HAVE KIDS JUST LIKE YOU ALL, I'VE BEEN AN UPSTANDING CI CI CITIZEN IN HOUSTON, OKAY? AND I HAVE CALLED RECENTLY TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AGAIN, TO RESOLVE THE MATTER. I SPOKE WITH SHEILA JACKSON LEE. SHE ASKED ME, WHAT DO YOU WANT? SHE ASKED ME THAT RIGHT HERE WHEN HER AND YOLANDA JONES WAS HERE. I I TOLD HER 40 MILLION AND SETTLE. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'LL PASS THAT ON TO HER. OKAY? THANK YOU. OKAY. CAN I CALL YOU AT YOUR OFFICE? I'LL PASS IT ON TO HER. DO I NEED TO GO ON FLY TO WASHINGTON? I'LL, I'LL ASK HER WHAT SHE THINKS. OKAY. OKAY. WELL, I HAVE THIS BOOK HERE OKAY. AND EVIDENCE THAT Y'ALL ALL ARE WITNESS. OKAY? THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY, THEY FILED A HOMICIDE ON ME AND I AIN'T DEAD. I UNDERSTAND. EVEN IF THEY CHANGED THE, THE RECORDS. OKAY. I'VE TALKED TO, UH, NATION OF ISLAM ON OLD SPANISH TRAIL. OKAY? SO LET'S, LET'S GET THE BUSINESS DONE. OKAY? THANKS FOR BEING HERE. OKAY. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. KENNETH WARD. KENNETH WARD. KENNETH NEXT SPEAKER. CHRISTOPHER FIELDS. CHRISTOPHER FIELDS IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM IC. IC. IC. WELL, I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE. I THANK YOU. UH, MR. JACKSON, MS. CANON. MR. POLLARD, UH, MR. UM, DR. SHABAZZ. EXCUSE ME. UH, MS. RO, IS THAT I PRONOUNCE THAT CORRECT? ALRIGHT, PERFECT. UH, MS. DANIEL MSHO, CORRECT. PERFECT. THANK YOU. UH, THE HONORABLE MR. SYLVESTER, DOCTOR SYLVESTER TURNER, UM, MR. ROBINSON, UH, MS. THOMAS, UH, MS. ALCORN AND MS. PLUMMER AND AS WELL AS MR. MICHAEL? CORRECT. ALRIGHT, PERFECT. AWESOME. I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE FIRST AND FOREMOST, HAPPY, UH, MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH, UH, NATIONAL POLICE WEEK, AND ALSO, UH, I KNOW CHIEF JOHN NER IS GONNA SEE THIS. SO I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART AND MY SOUL. HAPPY NATIONAL POLICE WEEK. UM, HE PAID FOR THIS BOOK. HE INVESTED IN MY DREAMS. AND I WANT THE WHOLE WORLD TO KNOW THAT I'M THE SUCCESS STORY OF THOSE WHO TRULY WEAR THE BADGE ON THE LEFT SIDE ON THEIR HEART, BECAUSE THEY HAVE COMPASSION AND THE HONESTY OF THEIR HEART TO TRULY IMPACT THE COMMUNITY POSITIVELY AND DEEPLY. UM, I WANT EVERYONE LOOKING AT THIS, WHO'S GONNA LOOK AT THIS TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE WHAT'S INSIDE OF YOU TO LEAVE A MONUMENTAL LEGACY AND AN IMPACT TO THE YOUNG MEN WHO I MENTOR AND COACH TO EVERYONE WHO LISTENS TO ME, TO EVERYONE WHO KNOWS MY STORY, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN LEAVE A POSITIVE AND INDELIBLE IMPACT IN THE WORLD BECAUSE IT IS NOT THE LENGTH OF LIFE, IT'S THE DEPTH OF LIFE THAT MATTERS MOST. EACH AND EVERY PERSON HERE IS HERE BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE A FOUNDATION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON SO THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE OUR DREAMS IN THE CITY OF DREAMS. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US ARE STANDING ON THE BACKBONE OF OUR ANCESTORS WHO WORK SO DEEPLY HARD SO THAT WE COULD BE HERE. AND TODAY WE HAVE MORE POWER WITHIN US THAN ENTIRE GENERATIONS THAT CAME BEFORE US. AND SO, AS ANYONE WHO KNOWS ME, WELL, THEY KNOW. AND I'LL SAY IT IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE WORLD, I, UH, LEARNED A SPELLING LESSON THAT I'LL NEVER FORGET AND I WANNA SHARE WITH THE WORLD KEEP YOUR H-E-A-D-U-P AND NEVER G-I-V-E-U-P BECAUSE U-N-I-T-Y IS ALL WE NEED TO GET OUR R-E-S-P-E-C-T . AND THAT'S THE HONESTY OF MY HEART. AND MY HEART IS FULL OF HONESTY. AND TO THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, THE HONOR, WILL SYLVESTER TURNER'S STORY OF PERSEVERANCE, GOOD AND DETERMINATION, IT IS AN HONOR TO STAND HERE, UM, AS YOU TRANSITION TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE, KNOWING THAT YOU WERE AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO BELIEVED THAT YOU COULD DO WHAT YOU BELIEVED WAS YOUR IN YOUR DREAMS. LET THIS BE THE EVIDENCE TO EVERYONE WATCHING ME WHEN THEY ROLL BACK THIS FILM, THAT THAT IDEA THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HEAD AND YOUR SOUL, IT'S NOT JUST A FANTASY, BUT IT'LL SOON BE A REALITY. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO IS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE OFFICERS, THE, UM, INVESTIGATORS, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE DESIGNERS, AND THE PROCLAMATION OFFICE AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR THE PROCLAMATION FOR CHIEF NER, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PROCLAMATION FOR CHRISTOPHER ALEXANDER FIELDS DAY ON MAY 26TH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. WILLIAM ZIK. WILLIAM Z ZAK. YES, SIR. HEY, HOW WE DOING? WE'RE DOING FINE. IF YOU GET RIGHT BEHIND THAT MIC, YOU HAVE TO EXCUSE ME. I AM NOW WEARING A HEARING AID. I'M TRYING TO GET USED TO IT SO I WON'T BE OVERLOOKING YOU. I JUST CAN'T HEAR YOU. THIS HERE IS FOR BROWNS LAKE. IT IS 21 ACRES. THE LAKE IN ITSELF, [01:45:01] 13 OF THE ACRES IS ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF THE WATER. THE WATER IS ONLY RAIN FED. IT IS NOT ANY OTHER KIND OF, UH, IT IS RAIN FED. IT IS NOT SPRING FED. SO WHATEVER THE WATER COMES IN, THAT IS IT. WE HAD A NEW BOARD TAKE OVER ABOUT 15 MONTHS AGO THAT CAME UP WITH THESE WORD IDEAS. NUMBER ONE, TWO HOURS A MONTH IS WAY TOO MUCH TIME TO TAKE 'EM AWAY FROM THEIR TV. THEY SWITCHED IT TO QUARTERLY MEETINGS. THE TWO OF 'EM, THE PRESIDENT AND THE, UM, THE ONE THAT WRITES OUT THE CHECKS ARE UNDER DIFFERENT NAMES, BOTH WITH THE SAME ADDRESS. THEY WILL NOT SAY IF THEY ARE MARRIED OR WHAT, BECAUSE THAT WILL DISQUALIFY 'EM TWO PEOPLE FROM THE SAME HOUSE. THE LAKE, WE HAVE THREE SIDES OF IT, EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE, AND THE SOUTH SIDE BELONGS TO LAKEWOOD COVE. THE OTHER SIDE BELONGS TO ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, ANOTHER ORGANIZATION ON THE OTHER SIDE, WHICH IS FOREST COVE. IT IS COMPLETELY TWO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS NOW. BOTH SIDES HAPPEN TO BE RUN BY THE SAME STERLING ASSOCIATES. NOW, HOW CAN YOU RUN BOTH SIDES OF THE LAKE FROM ONE ASSOCIATE HAVING YOUR, YOUR, UH, COMPLAINTS HANDLED? DOESN'T WORK ON THAT SIDE. WE HAVE THE EAST, WEST, AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE LAKE. THEY HAVE THE OTHER SIDE AS WHICH THEY HAVE ONE PERSON WHO IS VERY WELL TO DO, THINKS HE OWNS THE LAKE. HE HAS FROM THE FENCE LINE, COMMON GROUND'S ABOUT 30, 40 FEET DOWN. HE PUT A FENCE INTO THE WATER SO THE PEOPLE CANNOT WALK AROUND THE LAKE WITH THEIR KIDS. IT IS RESTRICTED. EVERY OTHER COMMUNITY I'VE GONE TO, EVERY OTHER STATE I'VE GONE TO, THERE WAS ALWAYS 10 FOOT SURROUNDING AT THE LAKE. WELL, EVERYBODY HAS EQUAL ACCESS TO IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. YOU GET THAT FAR WITH YOUR KID. THANK YOU VERY MUCH ABOUT FISHING. AND YOU GOTTA TURN AROUND AND WORK YOUR WAY BACK. YEAH, I CAN'T. SO FOR, AND THEY WANT TO PUT IN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. , THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. FOUR. THE PHOTOS I GAVE YOU IS BECAUSE I CANNOT VISUALIZE IT. YES. GOT 'EM ON THE BACK OF THE NUMBER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER. STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER DEBORAH ELAINE ALLEN, DBO, DBO. ELAINE ALLEN, DEBORAH ELAINE, ADAM. NEXT SPEAKER TRACY RILEY. TRACY RILEY IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY DESMOND WALEY. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS TRACY RILEY. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE TIMBER GROVE MANOR CIVIC CLUB. I COME HERE TODAY JUST TO EDUCATE YOU ON SOME RECENT HAPPENINGS, SOME LONG MEMORIES. YOU'VE SEEN ME HERE BEFORE, NOT THE SAME ISSUE, SOMETHING NEW. UM, BASICALLY TODAY I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION SOMETHING THAT I KNOW. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN ROBINSON CAYMAN, WE'VE WORKED ON, UM, DEED RESTRICTIONS, VIOLATIONS IN REGARD TO PERMITTING. I'VE SEEN SO MUCH RECENTLY THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK DONE BY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT DEED RESTRICTIONS IN THEIR ENHANCEMENTS IN COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT THOSE NEIGHBORS, WHICH IS AMAZING. UM, I HAVE BEEN THE DEED RESTRICTIONS CHAIR IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD FOR EIGHT YEARS. IT IS A TOUGH JOB. AND NOW THAT I'M PRESIDENT, I'M SEEING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE TOO, HOW LITIGIOUS IT HAS BECOME WITHIN THE CITY. SO I CHALLENGE YOU TODAY TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT DEEPER IN YOUR DISTRICTS AND KNOW THAT YOU CAN DO THIS WORK FOR DEED RESTRICTIONS, BUT THERE'S NO ENFORCEMENT AT PERMITTING. IT'S ALL FOR NOTHING. UM, I HAVE DONE THIS FOR SO [01:50:01] LONG. I THINK I'VE WORKED ENHANCED OUR COMMUNITY AND ADDED FAIL SAFES, WHICH I THOUGHT WERE GONNA BE MORE SUCCESSFUL. THEY'RE NOT. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FALSIFICATION OF AFFIDAVITS THAT ARE HAPPENING DAILY AT PERMITTING. AND COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABAZZ, YOU STUCK IN MY MEMORY, THIS IS SO LONG AGO, BUT IN 2020, YOU ALL ROBINSON AND ALCORN HAD CALLED A MEETING THROUGH THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE AND YOU WERE ON THE CALL AND WE HAD LEGAL FROM THE CITY. AND THEY SAID, WELL, WE DON'T DEAL WITH THAT. WE DON'T DO DEED RESTRICTIONS. AND MY TIME DOING THIS, I'VE REALIZED YOU'RE RIGHT. WE HAVE NO AVENUE FOR ENFORCEMENT OUTSIDE OF PERMITTING. WHEN WE CHECK A BOX IS A DESIGN PROFESSIONAL OR A CONTRACTOR, AND WE SAY, YES, I'VE DONE WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO. THE ONLY REMEDY THAT WE HAVE AS COMMUNITIES WITH DEED RESTRICTIONS, I CALL 3 1 1 RIGHT NOW AND IMMEDIATELY MY CASE IS CLOSED. AND RIGHT THERE, YOU WOULD HOPE THAT WE SAY SOMEBODY LIED. LET'S TRY TO FIX THAT. AND THAT WE TRUST AS A TOOL, OUR 3 1 1 SYSTEM. BUT PERMITTING'S COMING BACK TO US, THIS COMMUNITY MEMBER SAYING, UH, NOPE. THEY HAVE A PERMIT. THEY'RE LEGAL. LIKE, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING. THEY FALSIFIED THEIR AFFIDAVIT. AND HEARING MEMBERS OF COUNSEL WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND WHO HAVE A LEGAL BACKGROUND SAYING, WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DON'T DO THAT? SO AGAIN, BACK TO MY CHALLENGES THAT KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK OF TRYING TO ADD THE DEED RESTRICTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY MINOR FROM 1960. SOME OF 'EM ARE GREAT, SOME OF 'EM AREN'T. AND THE STATE ONLY LETS US DO WHAT WE CAN. BUT WE DO NEED TO DIG DEEPER. AND I WOULD ASK THAT WE CAN COME BACK TO THE TABLE TO YOU AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHOMEVER IT IS, THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE A DIALOGUE WITH PERMITTING TO CLOSE THAT LOOPHOLE. I'M PRETTY BIG. I HAVE A LOT OF COURAGE. I'VE GIVEN BIRTH TO FOUR CHILDREN. I'M OKAY GOING TO A JOB SITE AND HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEBODY. I ALSO TRY TO FOLLOW THE GOLDEN RULE THOUGH, AND SAY THAT MAYBE SOMEBODY DIDN'T KNOW, MAYBE THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME DOING THIS AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE HAD NEED RESTRICTIONS. WE PUT EVERYTHING ON THE WEB. WE'VE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS, AND EVEN IN OUR BEST EFFORTS, WE STILL NEED THE SUPPORT OF 3 1 1. WE STILL NEED THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY ENFORCEMENT TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I BELIEVE YOU WE'RE NOT COMING AT THIS FROM, TO TRY TO TELL OUR NEIGHBOR WHAT TO DO OR WHAT NOT TO DO. IT'S A GUIDEPOST FOR US. AND FLOODING MATTERS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP OUR NEIGHBORS FROM FLOODING. JUST TRY ONE SEC. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN CAYMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND TRACY, I JUST WANTED YOU TO FINISH UP. HAVE SOME TIME TO FINISH UP YOUR, YOUR REMARKS BEFORE I ASK YOU A QUESTION. THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO ADD, WE ARE A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS 30% OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT'S FLOODED. SO 1,257 HOMES THAT ARE REPRESENTED AS PRESIDENT FLOODED IN HARVEY, FLOODED IN THE TAX DAY, FLOOD FLOODED IN. I, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK IN OUR CITY TO SUPPORT THAT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT SETBACKS. WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE GIVE OUR NEIGHBORS THE CONFIDENCE THAT WHEN THEY'RE GONE TO PERMITTING, THEY'RE ALSO AT KEEPING THOSE SETBACKS AT BAY, WHICH HELP TO PREVENT THAT FLOODING, FLOODING MEMORIES ARE LONG, YOU GUYS, IT'S NO FUN. RIGHTFULLY SO. UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ADVOCATING FOR FLOODING. I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS HERE AND IT'S A CITYWIDE ISSUE. UM, TRACY, YOU ARE SO INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN THE SCHOOL FROM, I MEAN, HOW MUCH TIME FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? I KNOW A LOT OF US ARE DOING DEED RESTRICTION WORKSHOPS AND TRYING TO GET MORE PROTECTIONS, BUT ON THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE, HOW MUCH TIME IS IT TAKING YOU AND WHAT IS THAT BURDEN THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE SPEAKING TO RIGHT NOW? UM, I PROBABLY SPEND ABOUT 20 HOURS A WEEK OF VOLUNTEER UNPAID TIME GOING THROUGH. WE USED TO HAVE A TOOL AT PERMITTING THAT TOLD US BY ZIP CODE ALL OF THE PERMITS WENT THROUGH. SO PROBABLY IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS WE'VE HAD A 180 AND I, MY HEART GOES OUT. WE'RE VERY EDUCATED. I CAN GIVE THAT VOLUNTEER TIME. BUT OUR COMMUNITIES THAT YOU ALL ARE ENHANCING THAT ARE FRESH TO THIS GAME, IT, IT'S NOT EASY. WE NEED TO DO BETTER. WE USED TO DO BETTER WHEN WE HAD A LOT OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE. AND NOW WHEN PEOPLE COME TO ME AND SAY, I KNOW PEOPLE AT PERMITTING, IT'S FINE. WE'LL PUSH IT THROUGH. I'M LIKE, WHOA, WHOA. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE. YEAH. SO, AND I, I HEAR YOU ON THE RIGHT. IT'S TAKING SOMEONE TO MONITOR DEED RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE UP TO 20 HOURS A WEEK ON TOP OF ALL THE THINGS YOU DO WITH YOUR CHILDREN'S SCHOOL ON TOP OF BEING A CIVIC CLUB LEADER. THERE'S A BURDEN, RIGHT? EACH ONE. UM, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. REALLY QUICKLY SINCE YOU'RE HERE, AND I KNOW WE HAVE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE, UM, WHEN WE TALK, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FLOOD SAFETY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS. AND YOU ALL JUST DID A REALLY INCREDIBLE EFFORT WITH SINCLAIR, UM, WITH CHILD SAFETY GETTING TO SCHOOL. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? 'CAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT, UM, TRANSIT SAFETY RECENTLY, AND I JUST, SINCE YOU'RE HERE, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? UH, YEAH. I THINK WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR ANYONE'S SAFETY ON OUR STREETS. AND I THINK OUR CITY'S DONE AN AMAZING JOB TO, UH, A LOT OF HEARTACHE OVER THE YEARS THAT WE CONTINUE TO PUSH FORWARD. UH, MY KIDS DID PARTICIPATE RECENTLY IN A BIKING EVENT. I LIVE OFF OF TC JESTER ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE BAYOU. MY CHILDREN RIDE THEIR BIKE TO SCHOOL. BUT I HOPE, NO MATTER THE TRANSPORTATION MODE THAT WE CREATE SAFE SPACES FOR OUR, OUR HOUSTONIANS. THANKS. THANK YOU, MA'AM. COUNCILMAN ALCO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU TRACY. ALWAYS A REALLY EFFECTIVE, UH, SPEAKER. MAYOR, THIS IS A TOUGH ISSUE. I AM COUNCIL MEMBER [01:55:01] PECK AND I THROUGH, AFTER OUR COMMITTEE MEETING, HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH LEGAL ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS THIS SITUATION. WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE CHECK THE BOX AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE DO, IT'S, IT'S TOUGH BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T HAVE THE PERSONNEL IN PERMITTING TO RESEARCH EVERY, YOU KNOW, DEED RESTRICTION. I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S ONE TOUGH ASPECT. WE ARE WORKING, I KNOW I SPOKE WITH NEAR RE AND LEGAL THIS WEEK ACTUALLY ABOUT THIS VERY THING, AND, AND THEY ARE WORKING ON SOME KIND OF SYSTEM WHEREBY DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN GET SOME NOTICE ABOUT PROJECTS IN THEIR DISTRICT WHERE, AND, AND THEY'RE IN TUNE TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR DISTRICT SO THEY CAN MAYBE HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE ONES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A PROBLEM. AND THEY'RE FIGURING OUT, SHE'S WORKING WITH PLANNING AND PUBLIC WORKS MAYOR TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT. IT'S NOT ESCAPING US. UM, WE'VE BEEN REALLY POUNDING ON 'EM TO LIKE, LET'S, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT ARE REALLY WORKING ON THIS, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING TO ADDRESS IT WITHOUT BOGGING DOWN OUR SYSTEM, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT, WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS EVERY PERMIT, THEN EVERYTHING, EVERY SINGLE APPLICATION BECOMES THIS RED FLAG. AND EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IS LIKE, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, DON'T DO ANYTHING. WHEN WE'VE GOT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION SAYING PERMITTING NEEDS TO SPEED UP. SO WE WE'RE IN A, IT'S A REALLY TOUGH SPOT AND, AND I TRUST THAT OUR CITY LEGAL IS, IS WORKING WITH PLANNING AND PUBLIC WORKS TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS THIS. SO, SO WE'RE, WE'RE MEETING EVERYONE'S NEEDS AS BEST WE CAN. AND I APPRECIATE THAT AND I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE TREMENDOUS WORK NOT TO STIFLE PROGRESS. AND I THINK FOR OUR COMMUNITY, KNOWING BECAUSE WE HAVE FLOODED, WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE NEW CONSTRUCTION. WE JUST HAVE TO PROTECT ALL CITIZENS THAT LIVE IN A THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT HOME OR A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT HOME. THE PROCESS HAS TO WORK FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST PROGRESS ON A FAST PACE BECAUSE FINANCES ARE INVOLVED. UM, I WOULD SAY TOO, IF YOU'RE IN A DEED RESTRICTED COMMUNITY, WHEN THE, IT'S SIMPLE AS A BOX CHECK, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD SAY, I DO OR I DON'T. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HAVE WE EVER PROSECUTED ANY OF THESE FALSIFICATION OF AFFIDAVITS? THESE ARE DESIGN PROFESSIONALS. THESE ARE PEOPLE MAKING TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY, WHICH GREAT, IF THAT'S YOUR BUSINESS, DO IT THE RIGHT WAY. BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR IS WHAT WE ASK. I AGREE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. ONE SECOND COMES MAYOR POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR AND TRACY, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. I THINK IT'S AN EASY ISSUE. I, I THINK SOMETIMES WE, WE AT THE CITY, WE MAKE THINGS SO COMPLICATED AND MAYBE IT IS A, A DEEPER LEGAL ISSUE THAT THE COURTS WILL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT DOWN THE LINE. ME, I COULD SAY CARE LESS ABOUT THE COURTS. LET'S JUST PUT CERTAIN THINGS IN PLACE HERE AND LET THEM FIGHT IT OUT IN COURT. BUT IT WOULD SEEM LIKE THIS WOULD COME DOWN TO JUST PURE NOTICE. IF YOU'RE A DEED RESTRICTED COMMUNITY OR HAVE SOME TYPE OF HOA OR CIVIC CLUB DEVELOPERS HAVE TO GIVE SOME TYPE OF NOTICE TO THEM ON WHAT, WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED. JUST TO SAY THAT THEY'VE SEEN IT. LET THE, THE HOA OR THE CIVIC CLUB BE ABLE TO RESPOND BACK TO PERMITTING ON YES, WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, REGARDLESS IF IT'S VALID OR NOT. AT LEAST THEY'RE PUT ON NOTICE AND CAN START THEIR FIGHT BEFOREHAND. AND EVEN IF, EVEN IF THERE ARE CERTAIN PARAMETERS THAT PUT IN PLACE RIGHT NOW THAT MAKE THAT A HURDLE OR OBSTACLE, LET'S JUST PUT FORTH THE POLICY ANYWAYS AND, AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. AND SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION. THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS PUT FORWARD. I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO NOTICE AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIGURE A WAY TO, TO IMPLEMENT THAT. THANK YOU. MOTION, JUDGE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU ALL. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. DESMOND WALEY. DESMOND WADLEY. DESMOND. NEXT SPEAKER. EMMANUEL THOMAS. EMMANUEL THOMAS. EMMANUEL THOMAS. NEXT SPEAKER AJ ALL GAR. ME, AJ ALL GAR. ME AJ. NEXT SPEAKER MATEYA RIVAS. I MATEO REVIS. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MAYOR, UH, SYLVESTER TURNER. UM, MAYOR PROAM, DAVE MARTIN AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, I HAVE IN COMMUNICATION WITH MR. RUIZ. UH, WE SOME DOCUMENTS TO THE OFFICE. HE HAS THEM. UH, THE REASON, UH, WHY I'M HERE, I JUST RECENTLY GOT EMPLOYED, UH, FOR BUS AIRPORT. THIS IS MY BADGE. WE STILL KEEP HAVING, UH, PROBLEMS WITH THEM. THEY HAVEN'T ISSUED ME A PARKING PASS. UM, UM, IS ABOVE MY PAY GRADE. I CAN, I GUESS, COMMUNICATE WITH, UH, RE ABOUT THIS SITUATION. THE OTHER SITUATION IS WITH PRE-NEED. I, I HAVE A LICENSE. THEY SAID I COULDN'T COME HERE. SOME COMPANY THEY WON WANT ME AROUND TIME BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE A LICENSE. UH, PRENEED LICENSE IS AND LICENSE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND I HAVE FILED THREE EOC COMPLAINTS, [02:00:01] SO I'M JUST WAITING FOR THEM TO REACH OUT TO ME BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT YOUR CITY IS NOT VERY WELCOMING WITH IMMIGRANTS WHO HAVE AN ACCENT WITH FEMALES, WITH MINORITIES, UM, COOPERING. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE, THE, YOUR EXPIRED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE'LL PICK IT UP NEXT WEEK. AND I WOULD APPRECIATE IF I COULD TALK TO, UH, DAVE MARTIN. UH, THEY'RE BULLYING ME IN DISTRICT E SURE. HE'S AVAILABLE ON WHEREVER HIS OFFICE IS. JUST GIVE HIM A CALL. I HAVE TO SLEEP. UH, BASICALLY FEAR BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON, SIR. YEAH, JUST GIVE HIM HIM A CALL. ELI, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SURE. NEXT SPEAKER. ANNIE LEE. ANNIE LEE. ANNIE LEE IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB MENTIS JACOBSON. MY NAME IS ANNIE LEE THISOR. YES. I JUST WANTED, I'M COMING BACK AGAIN ABOUT MY GRANDDAUGHTER. MY, UH, MY GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER. I'M SPEAKING FOR HER. AND I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR. AND TO ALL THE, UH, CITY COUNCILMEN. I THANK GOD FOR, UM, THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO HELP ME GET CASEY HOME BECAUSE I'M A GRANDMOTHER AND A GRANDMOTHER AND A AUNT. AND, UH, I'VE TAKEN CARE OF 20 KIDS. I'VE RAISED, UH, AND, UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY SLEEP. MY FAMILY DON'T HAVE ANY SLEEP. CASEY, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE IS. AND I'M PRETTY SURE SHE'S NOT SLEEPING. SHE HAVEN'T SEEN HER MOM IN 10 MONTHS. THIS BABY IS DEPRESSED. SHE'S, SHE NEEDS TO SEE A PICTURE OF HER MOM. SHE NEEDS TO SEE US BECAUSE CHRISTINA WAS ALWAYS WITH US. UH, SHE DIDN'T HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HER DADDY SHOOTING CHRISTINA SIX TIMES. SHE WAS A DENTAL ASSISTANT, LIKE I EXPLAINED, AND WAS GOING TO SCHOOL FOR PHARMACY. AND SHE WAS WORKING AT EPIC THEATERS ON WESTHEIMER. WE NEED HELP. ONE SECOND. UH, COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. MS. LEE, UH, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO COME UP HERE AND PUSH THE ISSUE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HPD, I HAVE SOME UPDATES FOR YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE AFTER THIS. THANK YOU. AND THEN ANO ANOTHER, UH, IDEA THAT I CAME UP WITH AS WELL, UM, BASED ON SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU PROVIDED. SO AFTERWARDS, I, I'LL SPEAK WITH YOU. OKAY. 'CAUSE CALVIN MURPHY'S DAUGHTER CALLED ME. SHE, JUAN CHRISTIAN WAS FRIENDS AND SHE WANTS TO HELP WITH CASEY. OKAY, WE'LL SPEAK RIGHT AFTER THE MEETING. OKAY? THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. JACOB CLEMENTE. JACOB CLEMENTE. JACOB IS NOT HERE. NEXT BAKER. STEPHANIE VALDEZ. STEPHANIE VALDEZ IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY RODNEY UNDERWOOD. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR TURNER AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE VALEZ AND I'M THE WATER JUSTICE ORGANIZER FOR SR. WE'RE THE COALITION FOR ENVIRONMENT EQUITY AND RESILIENCE. WE REPRESENT 27 ORGANIZATIONS AND WE ARE WORKING TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE CONNECTION BETWEEN POLLUTION PLACE AND PUBLIC HEALTH. HAPPY TO BE HERE IN SOLIDARITY WITH NAC TO ADDRESS THE PERSISTENT ISSUE OF INADEQUATE DRAINAGE IN OUR CITY. IN 2014, THE CITY RECOGNIZED THIS AS AN IMPEDIMENT TO FAIR HOUSING, BUT LITTLE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE SINCE THEN. A STUDY REVEALED THAT 40% OF OPEN DRAINS IN OUR CITY FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THIS ISSUE GOES BEYOND PROPERTY DAMAGE. IT DIRECTLY IMPACTS SAFETY, HEALTH, AND WELLBEING. I WANT TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR TURNER FOR KEEPING THEIR PROMISE OF ALLOCATING 20 MILLION TO PRIORITIZE SWAP PROJECTS. BUT WE ASK THAT YOU STILL ADD 20 MILLION MORE FOR LDP PROJECTS THAT WILL ADDRESS THE DRAINAGE CRISIS IN OUR CITY. OUR COMMUNITIES DESERVE SECURITY IN THEIR HOME HEALTH AND FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. RODNEY UNDERWOOD. RODNEY UNDERWOOD IS HERE. GOOD AFTERNOON. AFTERNOON. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UH, I WAS ABLE TO COME TO THAT MEETING THIS MORNING AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW THE CITY WORKS AND UH, I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HOW IT GOES. I'M LEARNING SO MUCH JUST BEING AROUND YOU GUYS. NOW THE ONLY THING I HAVE IS LIKE, ON COMMUNICATION. WE HAVE A PROBLEM SOMETIME AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, IS THERE EASIER WAY TO GET IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT POSITIONS? BECAUSE MY PHONE IS CRAZY. IT DON'T RING HALF THE TIME. IF IT DOES RING HALF THE TIME, I DON'T KNOW WHO I'M TALKING TO AND ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. BUT OTHERWISE THAN THAT, I JUST WANT TO, UH, COMMEND, UH, MS. SHABA, UH, SHE, UH, HEARD, HEARD WHAT MY MESSAGE LAST WEEK AND [02:05:01] SOMEBODY TOLD ME ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AND I LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT HOW THIS OPERATION WORKS AND I'M VERY IMPRESSED IN THE WAY THAT YOU REACH OUT TO ALL OF US. THANK YOU. YOU THANK YOU. LET ME ASSIGN MS, UH, SHABAZZ TO YOU. UM, SHE WOULD BE THE DIRECT PERSON TO REACH OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBER. CAROLYN, EVAN SHABA. I'M GOING TO ASSIGN HER TO YOU. OKAY? SO FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO HER. THANK YOU. WE CAN ALWAYS FIND THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION . ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. THAT'S [RECESS] A GOOD POINT IN WHICH TO, UH, RECESS FOR TODAY. WE STAND IN RECESS SET TOMORROW MORNING AT 9:00 AM THANK YOU ALL. 2022 DASH 5 95 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT FOR SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER, INC. ITEM 27 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING CHANGE ORDER NUMBER ONE TO ENTER GOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL ITEM 28, ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AND ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICE, CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR THE POLICE VALIDATION AND INTEGRITY PROGRAM. ITEM 29, ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICE, CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR THE FFY 2024 GENERAL VICTIM ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. ITEM 30 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF AN ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AND ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICE, CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION FOR THE FY 2024 RIFLE RESISTANT BODY ARMOR INITIATIVE GRANT ITEM 31 ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF A GRANT APPLICATION TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR THE FY 24 INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN GRANT PROGRAM. ITEM 32, ORDINANCE OF RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EAST AND WEST SIDE OF THE 1500 BLOCK OF ARLINGTON STREET. ITEM 33 ORDINANCE RENEWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EAST AND WEST SIDES OF THE 1200 BLOCK OF ARLINGTON STREET WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A SPECIAL MINIMUM BUILDING LINE REQUIREMENT. BLOCK ITEM 34 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES OF THE 800 THROUGH 1000 BLOCK OF CANADIAN STREET BETWEEN IRVINGTON BOULEVARD AND ROBERTSON STREET WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AS A SPECIAL MINIMUM BUILDING LINE BLOCK ITEM 35, ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2020 DASH 1 75 TO INCLUDE THE ACQUISITION OF FOUR ADDITIONAL PARCELS FOR FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS AT VARIOUS WELL SITES AND RE PUMP STATIONS. PACKAGE THREE, PROJECT ITEM 36, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $3,047,800 OUT OF THE WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND KU O AND ASSOCIATES, INC. ITEM 37 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $1,063,838 16 CENTS OUT OF THE WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND KU AND ASSOCIATES INC. ITEM 38 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL MATERIALS ENGINEERING LABORATORY AGREEMENTS BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND B TWO Z ENGINEERING. LLC QUARTET ENGINEERING, PLLC, UNITED CONSULTING GROUP, LTD, DOING BUSINESS AS UNITED CONSULTING MATERIALS ENGINEERING TESTING SERVICES. ITEM 39 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $6,100,000 OUT OF THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND. A VALOREM TAX AWARD AND CONTRACT OF GRAVA LLC FOR 2023 STREET AND DRAIN DRAINAGE. REHABILITATION CONTRACT NUMBER TWO, ITEM 40. ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $4,132,248 13 CENTS OUT OF THE METRO PROJECTS CONSTRUCTION D-D-S-R-F AWARDING CONTRACT TO TRAFFIC SYSTEMS CONSTRUCTION INC. FOR TRAFFIC SIGNAL WORK ORDER FY 23. NUMBER ONE, ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,185,608 [02:10:02] OUT OF THE WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING A CONTRACT TO RELIANCE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LP FOR NEW FRONT EASEMENT RECONNECTIONS. ITEM 42, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $3,545,092 OUT OF ORDER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING A CONTRACT TO VORTEX SERVICES LLC FOR WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM REHABILITATION AND RENEWAL. ITEM 43. ITEM 43, ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERTS, INC. DOING BUSINESS AS CXE INC. FOR MYSTERY SHOPPING SERVICES FOR THE AIRPORT SYSTEM. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX AND WAS ITEM 24 ON THE AGENDA OF MAY 10TH, 2023. ITEM 44, ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 2022 DASH 3 0 4 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND OLSON AND OLSON, LLP. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS POLLARD AND KUBOSH AND WAS ITEM 27 ON THE AGENDA OF MAY 10TH, 2023. ITEM 45, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $78,750 OUT OF THE DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND DRAINAGE CHARGE AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND A VILLAGE ENGINEERING CORPORATION FOR DR 15, SWAT FOUR A NORTHSIDE NORTHLINE DRAINAGE AND PAVEMENT IMPROVEMENTS. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX AND WAS ITEM 38 ON THE AGENDA OF MAY 10TH, 2023. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE CITY COUNCIL SESSION OF MAY 16TH AND 17, 2023. AND AS I CLOSE, I LEAVE YOU WITH THIS IN THE WORDS OF THE CITY SECRETARY, PAT JEFFERSON, DANIEL, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. AND WITH THAT, HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTA DAY. AMEN. THANK YOU. SENIOR SECRETARY. NOW WE, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 9. [RECONVENE] OKAY, WE GOT A CALL. ALL RIGHT, LET'S, UH, LET'S GET STARTED. GOOD MORNING, UH, TO EVERYONE AND, UM, LET ME MAKE A FEW COMMENTS. UH, [MAYOR'S REPORT] AND I WANNA FIRST, UH, START OFF BY TALKING ABOUT, UM, LEMME SEE. I'M SORRY, I GOT YOU. I WANNA FIRST OFF, BUT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, UH, THE BUDGET EVERYONE, UH, SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THERE. THE BINDER, UH, WITH REGARDS TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET, UM, THAT WE WILL BE, UM, DISCUSSING OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. AND I KNOW THE HEARINGS OF THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS START TODAY, UH, WITH RESPECT TO, UH, TO THE, TO THE BUDGET, UM, THAT, UM, YOU ALL WILL BE TAKING A LOOK AT. I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT AGAIN FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE JUST TODAY AND FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, UH, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE, UH, BEST BUDGET THAT WE ARE PRESENTING TO YOU IN EIGHT YEARS. UM, AND, UM, LEMME JUST LET JUST HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THOSE THINGS, UH, IN THIS BUDGET THAT WE ARE PRESENTING TO YOU. UM, UH, IT IS ANOTHER CON UH, CONSERVATIVE BUDGET THAT'S COMING. UM, BUT WE ARE ALSO MEETING THE PRIORITIES, UH, FOR THE CITY, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, THE FUND BALANCE FOR THIS BUDGET IS GOING TO BE, UH, RIGHT AT 16.6%, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST FUND BALANCE IN RECENT, IN RECENT HISTORY. UM, THAT WAS NOT NOTED BY THE MEDIA AND I, SO I JUST WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, UH, 16.6%. AND WHAT THAT EQUATES TO, UM, IS ROUGHLY 400, OVER $400 MILLION BEING PLACED IN THE, IN THE FUND BALANCE, UM, WHICH IS, WHICH IS HIGHLY, HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT. UH, IN FACT, IT'S 401, UH, IN THE FUND BALANCED. AND THAT EQUATES TO 220 MILLION ABOVE THE 7.5%. OKAY. 220. SO [02:15:01] I DO, I WANT TO, I WANT TO HIGHLY AT NUMBER ONE, AND THEN I WANNA SAY THIS. SO SINCE THIS IS, YOU KNOW, MY FINAL YEAR, UH, WHEN I CAME IN AS MAYOR, UH, ONE OF THE WAYS, ONE OF THE KEY WAYS THAT I PUT FORTH THE BUDGET WAS TO BUILD UP THE FUND BALANCE. UM, THAT'S, THAT IS A PART OF THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE UTILIZED IN BALANCING THE BUDGET. SO YOU DON'T SPEND EVERYTHING YOU HAVE, YOU TRY TO HOLD THE LINE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR. YOU BUILD UP THE FUND BALANCE, RECOGNIZING THAT YOU, UH, MAY HAVE A GAP, OR IN CITY'S CASE, IN MOST CASES, WILL HAVE A GAP. AND THEN YOU DRAW DOWN FROM THAT FUND BALANCE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. THAT'S THE APPROACH, UH, THAT I HAVE TAKEN EVERY SINGLE YEAR. SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO ASSUME, OH, YOU GOT A FUND BALANCE, AND WHY YOU EVEN PULLING FROM IT? WELL, THAT'S A PART OF BALANCING THE BUDGET. YOU, AND, AND YOU WORK ON IT 12 MONTHS, OKAY? 12 MONTHS IN A YEAR. UM, SO THE FUND BALANCE IS SIX, 16.6%, AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT COULD BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, UH, BY THE, BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING OFF OF NUMBERS THAT GO, WE DON'T HAVE THE SALES TAX PROJECTIONS FOR APRIL, MAY, JUNE. WE'VE KIND OF, UM, PUT, UH, ASSUMED A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, BUT CONSERVATIVE CONSERVATIVE, YEAH, CONSERVATIVE. UH, SO THE NUMBER COULD, THE NUMBER COULD BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER WITH RESPECT TO THE FUND BALANCE. UM, NOW CERTAINLY WITHOUT THE OPERA FUNDING, WE WOULD'VE BEEN IN DIFFICULT SHAPE IN FISCAL YEARS 22 AND FISCAL YEAR 23. BUT I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING ELSE. AND, AND THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, I TRY TO LOVE THE MEDIA, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, BUT ANYWAY, UM, LET ME SAY THIS. EVEN WHEN THE ABSENCE OF OPERA FUNDING, THIS BUDGET WOULD BALANCE WITHOUT OPERA FUNDING, BECAUSE THE FUND BALANCE IS SIGNIFICANT, IT'S HIGH ENOUGH. SO FOR PEOPLE WHO REPORT, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE OPERA FUNDING. NO. IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, EVEN IF WE DIDN'T ONE DRAW DOWN, DRAWING DOWN 160 MILLION FROM OPERA FUNDING, THIS BUDGET WOULD BOUNCE. OKAY? AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IS BECAUSE THE DEBT IS GOING DOWN. UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT PAYING THREE, $400 MILLION ANNUALLY, UH, FOR, UH, PENSION COSTS, WHICH WOULD COME OUT OF YOUR ANNUAL BUDGET. UH, AND BASED ON THE PENSION REFORMS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE, THE COST AVOIDANCE IS ABOUT $1.7 BILLION SINCE 2018. THAT'S SIGNIFICANT. THE COST OF GOING DOWN AND THE DEBT, UH, FOR BILL HOUSTON FORWARD, OR REBUILD HOUSTON, HOWEVER YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT, A DEBT THAT STARTED OUT AT $2.4 BILLION IS NOW DOWN TO UNDER 700 MILLION. SO, AND THE DEBT SERVICE IS GOING DOWN, AND AS THE DEBT SERVICE GOES DOWN, YOU CAN MORE MONEY'S BEING ADDED TO THE PROJECTS. SO WHEN YOU KNOW PEOPLE ARE COMING UP AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR MORE MONEY INTO DRAINAGE, MORE MONEY IS BEING PUT INTO DRAINAGE BECAUSE THE DEBT IS GOING DOWN. SO WHEN YOU HAVE THE FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS HIGH, AND THE DEBT GOING DOWN, UM, THAT MAKES A, THAT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN IT COMES TO TRYING TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET. THE OTHER DEAL IS THAT, UH, THANKS TO, UM, MEMBERS LIKE THE MAYOR, PRO TEM, COUNCILMAN , UH, PUSHING FOR TRUST FUND IN THIS BUDGET, WE ARE ESTABLISHING A TRUST FUND. WE ARE PUTTING $10 MILLION INTO THE TRUST FUND. AND AS EVERY YEAR, YOU KNOW, THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO PUT MORE INTO THE TRUST FUND, BUT THAT CAN REDUCE THAT UNFUNDED LIABILITY ON THE O. OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FROM WHAT INITIALLY WAS PROJECTED AT 9.1 BILLION OVER 30 YEARS, IT COULD BRING IT DOWN TO 1.1 BECAUSE WITH THE REFORMS WE'VE ALREADY PUT IN PLACE, WE'VE, UH, CREATED A SAVINGS OF ABOUT 4.6 BILLION. SO THERE WERE TWO STRUCTURAL, UH, WELL, THERE WERE THREE IN PARTICULAR, BUT TWO THAT THE CREDIT RATING AGENCIES HIGHLIGHTED. ONE WAS PENSIONS. WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT. THE OTHER WAS THE OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT. THE THIRD ONE IS THE REVENUE CAP. SO IT IS WHAT IT IS, IS, IS IT IS WHAT IT IS. SO, YOU KNOW, SO YOUR DEBT IS GOING DOWN. THE FUND BALANCE IS HIGHER THAN IT HAS BEEN IN RECENT HISTORY. THE BUILDING STABILIZATION FUND IS IN [02:20:01] THE BUDGET THAT'S BEFORE YOU IS, UH, FULLY FUNDED BASED ON OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES. THAT'S COVERED. AND WE ARE PUTTING, UH, ADDITIONAL DOLLARS INTO THE MAINTENANCE FUND. AND COUNCIL MEMBER, ALCOM, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT ON YESTERDAY. SO YOU'VE GOT $11 MILLION GOING INTO A TOTAL OF ABOUT 40 MILLION THAT'S GOING INTO YOUR MAINTENANCE FUND. ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE TAKING PLACE WITH THE FUND BALANCE STILL BEING ABOVE 16%. THERE ARE NO DEFERRALS, THERE ARE NO LAND SALES THAT WE ARE RELYING ON. UM, SO IT IS, IT IS A, IT IS A SOLID BUDGET. AND EVEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LONG-TERM PROJECTIONS, LET'S SAY FOR LIKE, FOR NEXT YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 25, ASSUMING, UH, THAT THE NEXT MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL EXERCISE PRUDENT, UM, MANAGEMENT, UH, FISCAL YEAR 25 WILL BALANCE. IT'LL BALANCE. SO WHOEVER THE NEXT MAYOR IS, THE CITY COUNCIL COMES IN, UM, FOR AT LEAST THAT FIRST YEAR, 2025, IT WILL BALANCE. AND, AND, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A LOT OF CALLS FROM EMPLOYEES 'CAUSE THEY SAW A HEADLINE SAYING, ADDING RAISES FOR EMPLOYEES. AND WE GOT A LOT OF CALLS. LOOK, WE DIDN'T ALREADY NEGOTIATED TO PAY RAISES FOR THE MUNICIPAL WORKERS AND POLICE. WE'VE BEEN, YEAH, WE'VE BEEN PAYING ON THAT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. THAT, THAT'S NOT NEWS. THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR FOR THE, UH, THE FIGHTING PAYMENT FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS FOR 6%. WE'VE ALREADY PROVIDED A PAY RAISE FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS OF 12. THOSE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING, RIGHT? THIS IS THE THIRD FOR 18% PAY RAISE FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS. SO WE, IN TERMS OF RAISES FOR THE EMPLOYEES, WE DID THAT IN FISCAL YEAR 22 AND FISCAL YEAR 23, WE'VE ALREADY DONE, I MEAN, WE ARE DOING THAT. THAT'S, THAT'S BUILT INTO THE BUDGET. BUT WHAT IS DIFFERENT IS WHEN YOU HAVE A FUND BALANCE OF OVER 16% AND IN TOTAL A RESERVE OF MORE THAN $400 MILLION, AND YOU'LL FULLY FUNDED THE BILL, DO YOU, UH, UH, THE STABILIZATION FUND, AND YOU'RE PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO YOUR MAINTENANCE AND YOU'RE REDUCING YOUR DEBT. YOUR DEBT, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO OPE AND, AND CREATING A TRUST THAT'S NEW. MORE MONEY IS GOING TO DRAINAGE. THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT IN MY VIEW. AND EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE OPERA, YOU COULD STILL BALANCE THE BUDGET WITHOUT THE FEDERAL DOLLARS. SO ANYWAY, I SIMPLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IT. UM, I KNOW YOU ALL WILL BE GOING THROUGH IT AND TALKING TO THE VARIOUS, UH, DEPARTMENTS, UM, BUT I APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR INPUT BECAUSE WE TRIED TO FACTOR INTO YOUR INPUT INPUTTING TOGETHER THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET. UM, SO I PRESENTED TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSIONS, UH, AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD. UM, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE ON THE BUDGET THAT I WANTED TO WANT. OH, I DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT ON PUBLIC SAFETY. UM, REALLY THEY DIDN'T EVEN, NO ONE NOTED FOR THE FIRST TIME HPD IS GETTING MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THIS CITY. AND THAT BECOMES IMPORTANT. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU'VE HEARD LOT OF PEOPLE DEFUND, POLICE DEFUND, POLICE DEFUND. WE'VE NEVER DONE THAT. WE'VE NEVER DONE THAT. WHAT WE HAVE DONE EVERY SINGLE YEAR IS THAT WE PROVIDE FUNDING FOR AT LEAST FIVE CADET CLASSES EVERY SINGLE YEAR GOING DOWN. AND CRIME IS GOING DOWN. AND IN TERMS, IF PEOPLE JUST WRITING TO YOU AND SAY, WHY AREN'T YOU ALL HIRING MORE POLICE? THERE IS ONLY ONE MAYOR IN RECENT HISTORY THAT IS HIRED MORE POLICE THAN WE HAVE AS A COUNCIL. THAT WAS CATHERINE J WHITMEYER . AND SHE HIRED MORE BECAUSE SHE WAS IN OFFICE 10 YEARS. SHE HIRED ABOUT 2,600. WE HAVE HIRED ABOUT 2200, AND THE YEAR IS NOT OVER YET. WE'LL GET CLOSE. OKAY. SO WHEN IT COMES TO POLICE LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE HAVE SUPPORTED THEM WITH [02:25:01] OUR DOLLARS AND OUR SUPPORT. ONE SAFE HOUSTON, WE'VE DONE THAT. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT SOME OF THE KEY COMPONENTS OF ONE SAFE HOUSTON ON CRISIS INTERVENTION, THAT'S HOW WE'VE USED THE OPERA FUNDING BECAUSE WE ARE PAYING FOR THE CRISIS INTERVENTION, MENTAL, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, DOMESTIC ABUSE, UM, UH, WHAT'S THE OTHER ITEM? I CAN'T THINK OF IT. . YEAH. BUT WE ARE USING THAT TO PAY FOR NEXT YEAR AS WELL, AND THE YEAR AFTER THAT'S FUNDED. THE CRISIS INTERVENTION PORTION. TECHNOLOGY, YEAH. TECHNOLOGY, ALL OF THAT'S MOVING FORWARD. OKAY. AND ONE CLEAN HOUSTON, THE ILLEGAL DUMPING PIECE, WE ARE PROVIDING, PAYING FOR THAT THROUGH OPERA FUNDING. AND WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES. BUT THE POINT IS, UM, I HOPE YOU WILL FEEL, UM, PROUD OF THAT FACT. UM, AND WE'LL, UH, WE'LL LOOK AT THE BUDGET FAVORABLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, UH, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO, UH, TO REACH, TO REACH OUT, UH, TO ME. AND, UH, AND I, AND I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU. 'CAUSE I WOULD TELL YOU ON A PERSONAL NOTE, UM, I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT AS I, I'M PREPARED TO SEGUE OUT, UM, THE NEXT MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL WILL NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH MANY OF THE BIGGEST ITEMS THAT WE HAD, THAT WE HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT FOR PEOPLE LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX AND MAYOR PRO, TIMM AND ROBINSON, AND GUY, HE GOES, UH, I SAYS, NARROWS. I MEAN, WE, WE WERE HERE GOING BACK TO WHEN I CAME IN IN 2016. UM, AND WHAT WE CAN SAY AS WE SEGUE OUT, UM, IS THAT WE WILL BE HANDING, UM, THE CITY OVER FROM A FINANCIAL POINT OF VIEW TO THE NEXT CREW IN BETTER FISCAL SHAPE THAN WHAT WE INHERITED. THAT WE, WE, WE MAY HAVE HAD OUR DISAGREEMENTS, BUT THEY'VE BEEN THOUGHTFUL. YOU KNOW, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, IS A PURIST AND JUST ONE OF THE DRAINAGE MONIES JUST SPENT ON THOSE PROJECTS. I KNOW WHERE HE'S COMING FROM. I RESPECT HIM FOR HIS VIEW. WE'LL HEAR ABOUT THAT AGAIN LATER. I KNOW I WAS TRYING TO PREEMPT YOU. I WAS TRYING TO GET AHEAD . BUT THE POINT IS, AS WE GET READY TO SEGUE OUT, UM, WE CAN SAY WE DIDN'T DUCK THE, THE TOUGH ISSUES BECAUSE WE DIDN'T. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOOD MORNING, COLLEAGUES. I, UM, AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE, I, IT WAS AN INTERESTING POINT ABOUT THE, UH, REVENUE CAP AND THE POTENTIAL BILLIONS OF DOLLARS LOST BECAUSE OF THAT. AND I HAD WHISPERED TO MAYOR PRO TEM, THAT IF YOU TAKE THOSE FUNDS, EACH REGION WITHIN OUR CITY COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT WOULD BE DEVELOPED AND OPERATED. YOU COULD ESSENTIALLY DESIGNATE FUNDS FOR MAINTENANCE, OPERATIONS DEVELOPMENT, UM, TO REVITALIZE NEIGHBORHOODS ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THOSE FUNDS. AND SO IT'S, UH, IN PERSPECTIVE, IT, IT, UH, SOMETIMES WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SHARE NUMBERS, BUT JUST IN CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO WITH THOSE FUNDS, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, AND THE, THIS GOES ON. BUT I, I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY, UM, UM, NOTEWORTHY THAT WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR THE COUNCIL THAT'S MOVING FORWARD ON HOW WE REALLY ATTACK THAT PROPERTY TAX CAP. THANK YOU. BECAUSE THE KEY IS TO, UM, UM, KEEP THE CITY IN POSITION, KEEP MOVING, MOVING FORWARD IN A VERY POSITIVE WAY. UM, AND, UM, OF COURSE, YOU HAVE TO MANAGE IN A FISCALLY SOUND WAY, BUT YOU NEED ALSO THE REVENUE IN ORDER TO DO A LOT OF THESE KEY THINGS, BECAUSE THERE ARE CERTAIN CORE THINGS THAT ARE NOT GONNA CHANGE. PUBLIC SAFETY, POLICE FIRE, SOLID WAYS, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS ARE, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST BUILT IN. THAT'S JUST BUILT IN. UH, BUT MAINTENANCE IS ALSO A KEY COMPONENT TOO, BECAUSE THINGS KEEP BREAKING DOWN AND YOU'RE GONNA PAY MORE JUST TO PUT 'EM BACK IN SHAPE. SO THAT BECOMES A KEY COMPONENT. UM, AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, UM, I'M JUST, I'M, I'M VERY, UM, APPRECIATIVE TO ALL OF YOU BECAUSE WE, WE BUILT SOME, SOME VERY NICE FACILITIES ALONG THE WAY. AND ON THE COVER, THAT'S WHY YOU, YOU SEE ON, ON THE COVER, AILEY, THEY WAITED FOR THAT FOR HOW LONG? 20 SOMETHING. YEAH. SO SUNNY SIDE, SAME THING. WEST GRAY, WEST GRAY, WEST GRAY. AND THEY'RE STILL WAITING BECAUSE THAT CENTER REPRESENTS THE, [02:30:01] UH, A VENUE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FROM ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY. YEAH. SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE NEED TO WORK ON. COUNCILMAN MCCAIN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, PUTTING INTO, YOU KNOW, REAL CONTEXT WHAT THE IMPACT OF THE REVENUE CAP DOES, RIGHT? IN TERMS OF WHAT THE CITY IS ABLE TO DO OR NOT DO. MAYOR, I KNOW THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL TALK ABOUT THE NEED TO POTENTIALLY LIFT THE REVENUE CAP AND REVISIT THAT. AND I KNOW, UM, AS YOUR TERM COMES TO AN END, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY NOT BE FEASIBLE. HAVE WE LOOKED AT IT ALL? UM, REVISITING THE PUBLIC SAFETY EXCEPTIONS TO THE REVENUE CAP? UM, I MEAN, CERTAINLY WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ON THAT, AND I THINK THE CONVERSATION WILL CONTINUE TO BE HAD ON IT. UM, BECAUSE, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO PUB, AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY, POLICE AND FIRE AT THE VERY TOP, AND AS WE INDICATED, UH, THE POLICE BUDGET RIGHT NOW IS MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS. UM, BUT THE MONEY IS BEING WISELY SPENT. ABSOLUTELY. IT'S BEING WISELY SPENT. UM, YOU, WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THAT BECAUSE THE REALITY IS, AS YOU BRING ON MORE POLICE, THEY ARE NOT FREE AS A COST ASSOCIATED WITH IT. SO AS THE ATTRITION RATE GOES DOWN IN TERMS OF THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE, AND THEN YOU BRINGING ON NEW CADETS, THAT'S WHEN THE NUMBER CAN START TO REALLY GROW. AND THAT'S GONNA COST. SO, UM, WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO FIND WAYS TO ADD TO THE REVENUE STREAM, AT LEAST FOR THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, WHICH IS PUBLIC SAFETY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONE, THAT'S THE CONVERSATION THAT, UH, AS YOU ALL ARE TALKING TO PEOPLE IN YOUR DISTRICT, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET A SENSE FROM THEM ON HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THIS, AT LEAST THAT EXCEPTION. YEP. AS YOU, AS YOU'RE HAVING TOWN MEETINGS AND DISCUSSING PIP MEETINGS AND OTHER MEETINGS THAT YOU'RE HAVING IN YOUR DISTRICT, OR AS YOU GO ABOUT AT LARGE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BECAUSE IF IT'S GOING TO CHANGE, IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A GROUNDSWELL COMING FROM THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AT LEAST ON AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC SAFETY. YEP. THANKS. THANKS, COUNCILMAN ROBINSON. MAYOR, JUST A QUICK NOTE. I, UM, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY, I THINK, UH, WENT REALLY WELL. AND, AND I WANNA ALSO SALUTE THE MAYOR PRO TEM, AND AS YOU POINTED OUT, THE FINANCE TEAM FOR ALL THAT THEY'VE DONE TO HELP GUIDE US, YOU KNOW, NOW IN THE, THE PART OF THE TERMINOLOGY WE'RE USING IS THE OUTCOME BASED BUDGETING AND HOW THAT'S FORWARD LOOKING. UM, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENTARY, EDITORIAL REMARK. 'CAUSE, UM, WHILE THE FUND BALANCE IS THERE, AND A RECORD AGAIN, WHAT IS THE NUMBER, MAYOR? 16.6. OKAY. $401 MILLION IN THE RESERVE. RIGHT? AND IN SO SOME WAYS, I MEAN, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT THE, THE RELATIVELY BALANCED NATURE OF THE BUDGET AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO DEDICATE FUNDS. AND I HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT ARPA YESTERDAY, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT ANY OF THE SEVEN FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTERS THAT HAVE COME TO THE CITY IN THE TIME THAT YOU'VE BEEN THE MAYOR. UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE DE THE, UH, FUND BALANCE, IN SOME WAYS, IT'S LIKE A RAINY DAY FUND, WHICH, AS YOU KNOW, THIS STATE HAS AN ABUNDANT RESOURCE IN THAT CATEGORY, RIGHT? AND WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY OF THAT MONEY EITHER, MAYOR, YET WE'RE BUILDING FORWARD. AND AS YOUR BUDGETARY BUDGET BOOK SHOWS WITH THE PICTURES OF THE NEW RESOURCES FOR SUNNYSIDE FOR A LEAF, THESE ARE REMARKABLE STRUCTURES. AND WHAT WE DON'T SEE UNDERGROUND IS BUILDING BACK THIS CITY IN A WAY THAT'S FISCALLY, AS YOU'VE SAID, CONSERVATIVE, PRUDENT, AND FORWARD LOOKING FUTURISTIC, IS WHAT YOU SAID, RIGHT? SO I JUST WANNA SALUTE YOU ON ALL OF THAT AND SAY WHAT WE'VE DONE WITHOUT APPROPRIATE HELP FROM THE STATE, HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE. AND, AND THAT, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK, UH, YOU ALL MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, UH, BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL AND VERY HELPFUL IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS. SO A LOT OF, A LOT, A LOT OF THANKS. UM, AND THEN WHAT I'M GONNA DO, UH, AND THEN YOU CAN USE THEM, KEEP 'EM, DISCARD THEM. UM, BUT THE, UH, NOTES THAT I USED IN PRESENTING THE BUDGET ON YESTERDAY, UH, I'M GOING TO GET, I'M GONNA SEND IT TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. 'CAUSE YOU, IT IS ONE THING TO GO THROUGH THAT BUDGET. THAT BUDGET IS ANOTHER THING TO USE AT CLIFF NOTES . SO, UM, SO WHAT I HAVE, UH, I'M GONNA SEND TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, AND THEN YOU CAN SHARE IT, UH, IN WHATEVER WAY YOU CHOOSE TO THE PEOPLE IN, IN YOUR DISTRICT. I THINK THIS WILL AT LEAST GIVE THEM A STARTING POINT, RIGHT? SO, UH, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS TO EACH AND EVERYONE. ALRIGHT, [02:35:01] ONE FEW LAST THINGS, AND I'LL BE DONE. OF COURSE. THIS IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK. AND, UM, UM, AND WE ARE TRYING TO DRAW DOWN AS MUCH AS WE CAN FROM THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE. BILL CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK, UH, DIRECTOR CAROL HADDOCK AND HER ENTIRE TEAM. UM, AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING, I MEAN, THEY, WHEN YOU TAKE, WHEN, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT POLICE, FIRE, SOLID WASTE, PUBLIC WORKS, UM, THE CALLS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RESPONDING QUITE A BIT. UH, SO I WANT TO THANK THEM AND THEIR FOCUS AS WE FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE MOVING FORWARD. UH, POLICE CHIEF FENNER, UH, AND OTHERS ARE IN DC FOR THE NATIONAL POLICE WEEK. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER, UH, THE POLICE OFFICER, UH, SERGEANT KENDRICK SIMO, WHO HELPED PREVENT THE, UM, I THINK IT WAS, UH, THE SHOOTING OF THE, AT THE GALLERIA, UH, NOT TOO LONG AGO, UM, WHERE HE IS IN DC AS A PART OF THE NATIONAL POLICE LEAGUE, AND HE'S RECEIVING THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF VALOR FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE YEAH. FOR HIS ACTIONS IN PREVENTING A POSSIBLE SHOOTING INCIDENT AT THE GALLERIA MORE THAN A WEEK AGO. AND SO, UM, WOULD LIKE TO BRING HIM BACK, BACK HERE AND ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AS WELL. UM, BUT HE'S RECEIVING THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF VAL, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO HPD, SERGEANT KENDRICK SIMO AND CHIEF FINNS UP THERE, UH, WITH HIM. UH, SO, UH, KUDOS TO HIM AND THANK YOU. UM, AND THEN THIS MORNING, UH, THERE WILL BE A GROUNDBREAKING FOR THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER EMERGENCY SUPPORT HOUSING. UH, THAT'S THIS MORNING. UM, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON CONTRIBUTED $15.85 MILLION TO THAT PROJECT. SO, UM, UH, SO ONCE CONSTRUCTED, THE FACILITY WILL HAVE A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS WING, FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER, A LICENSED CHILDCARE CENTER, AND AN INDUSTRIAL KITCHEN TO PROVIDE FULL, UM, MEAL SERVICE FOR ALL RESIDENTS. SO THAT IS THIS MORNING, AND IF YOU CAN, I HOPE YOU WILL ATTEND. UM, REMEMBER FRIDAY IS BIKE TO WORK DAY. UM, THAT'S ON FRIDAY. AND THEN FRIDAY IS ALSO OUR ANNUAL AFRICA DAY 2023 RECEPTION. UM, AND SO THERE, THERE'LL BE FOOD, MUSIC, A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE. AND WE EXPECTING ANYWHERE BETWEEN SIX TO 800 PEOPLE. UM, AT, UH, OUR ANNUAL AFRICA DAY 2023 RECEPTION. AND SATURDAY IS MY 15TH ANNUAL FAMILY DAY IN THE PARK. UM, THAT IS THIS COMING SATURDAY FROM 2:00 PM TO SIX, UH, OFF OF WEST LITTLE YORK. AND, UH, JAY PAUL JR. AND THE ZYDECO NEW BREEZE WILL BE PERFORMING OUT THERE. AND THEN LASTLY, ON A SATURDAY NOTE, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNEW EDA CROCKETT, UM, EDA WAS A COMMUNITY POLITICAL ACTIVIST OUT IN THE, UH, LIVED IN THE OUT IN ACRES HOME AREA. UH, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST VERY COMMITTED, UH, TO, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. WHEN I STARTED, UH, AS A GREEN, DIDN'T KNOW MUCH. IT WAS PEOPLE LIKE ED CROCKETT AND ERNESTINE G AND DORIS HUBBARD AND BEAH SHEPHERD, UH, THAT REALLY KIND OF, UH, TOOK ME UNDER THEIR WINGS. ED WAS THE YOUNGER VERSION OF THAT. AND, UM, AND SO I LOOK BACK, ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE NAMED, THAT I NAMED HAVE ALL TRANSITIONED. AND SO EDNA'S FUNERAL IS, UH, TOMORROW, UM, AT GOD'S GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH. UM, AND I THINK THE FUNERAL IS AT 11 AND VIEWING IS I THINK FROM NINE TO 10 AND NINE TO 11. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL MISS THAT. BUT CERTAINLY WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, HER CONTRIBUTION. THAT THAT'S IT FOR ME. UH, AND NOW, UM, MADAM SECRETARY, LET'S PROCEED [CONSENT AGENDA] WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY. ITEM NUMBER ONE NEEDS A MOTION. KAT MOVE. SECOND. ROBINSON MOVED. AND SECOND. AND ON ITEM ONE, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE ACCEPTABLE CATEGORY. ITEM THREE HAS BEEN REMOVED, SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM TWO NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE SECOND. ROBINSON MOVED. AND SECOND OF ITEM TWO. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. ITEM FOUR HAS BEEN REMOVED. SEPARATE CONSIDERATION UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF B CATEGORY. ITEMS FIVE THROUGH 15. NEED A MOTION CAST. T MOVE. SECOND ROBINSON MOVE. AND SECOND ON ITEMS FIVE THROUGH 15. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE RESOLUTION CATEGORY. ITEM 16 IS JUST A RESOLUTION. JUST NEED A VOTE. DISCUSSION ON [02:40:01] ITEM 16. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY. ITEM 25 HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED. IF IT IS RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING, I REMOVE SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. R 17 THROUGH 20 26, 28, 29 THROUGH 28 THROUGH 31 AND 40. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 17 THROUGH 20 26, 28 THROUGH 31. AND ITEM 40 NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE. DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OR OPPOSED GRANTED ITEMS [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] REMOVE SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM NUMBER THREE NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE SECOND. ROBINSON MOVED IN SECOND ON ITEM THREE. UH, COUNCILMAN PLUMMER ON ITEM THREE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, WE HAD REACHED OUT TO FIND OUT, UM, WHY THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE MWVE GOAL. DO, AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET A CLEARANCE. SIR, LET ME, LET ME SEE IF I CAN HELP. UM, THE, THE GOAL ON THAT WAS 11 AND SEVEN. THEY ACHIEVED NINE AND SEVEN INSTEAD OF 11 AND SEVEN. AND THE REASON OF BEING IS THAT, UM, THE MWB UH, WASN'T ABLE TO DO SOME OF THAT WORK. IT WAS MORE, I GUESS YOU CAN SAY TECHNICAL IN NATURE. IT WAS THE MWBE THAT THEN CONTRACTED WITH A NON-CERTIFIED FIRM TO GET THE WORK DONE. AND THAT'S THE REASON. SO IT WASN'T THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR NOT USING MWE, THEY BROUGHT ON THE MWBE AND DOING THE WORK. MWBE COULDN'T DO IT ALL. SO THE MWBE THEN CONTRACTED WITH A NON-CERTIFIED TO GET IT DONE. OKAY? SURE. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM THREE? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON THREE ITEM FOUR NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TAYLOR, MOVE SECOND ROBINSON. I MOVE. AND SECOND ITEM FOUR. COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER ON FOUR. OH, I'M SORRY. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON FOUR? ANY ANY DISCUSSION ON FOUR IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON FOUR. ITEM 17 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE THE ITEM 17. DISCUSSION ON 17. DISCUSSION ON 17 IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 17. ITEM 18 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. WE ON ITEM 18. DISCUSSION ON ITEM 18. DISCUSSION ON 18 IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 18. ITEM 19 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 19. DISCUSSION ON 19. DISCUSSION ON 19 IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED ON 19. ITEM 20 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE BILL ON ITEM 20. DISCUSSION ON 20. DISCUSSION ON 20 IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 20. ITEM 26 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 26. DISCUSSION ON 26TH. COUNCIL A MEMBER CAYMAN ON 26TH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I JUST WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THIS ITEM AND CLARIFY A FEW THINGS. WE ARE, WE ORIGINALLY ALLOCATED TO THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER, $3 MILLION OF ARPA FUNDING. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE'RE ALSO, UM, RE NOT REDIRECTING, BUT REORGANIZING THAT ALLOCATION TO FIT, MAKE SURE THAT WE COMPLY WITH ARPA. 'CAUSE THAT WAS THE FUNDS THAT WERE USED. SO I WANTED THAT TO BE CLEAR ON TOP OF THAT, WHICH I, I REALLY WANTED TO EMPHASIZE IS WE'RE ADDING AN ADDITIONAL 1.95 MILLION TO THAT ALLOCATION FOR ADDITIONAL NEEDS. AS THE COURTS ARE MOVING, WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THE, THOSE NEEDS PICK UP. AND, UH, SO I I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE, WE'RE NOW UP TO, I BELIEVE, $4.95 MILLION ALLOCATED TO THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER, WHICH REALLY IS WHAT IS THE CITY WE CAN HELP SUPPORT AND CONTROL, RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THE COURTS, WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER WHAT THE COUNTY OR THE STATE DOES. BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UH, WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON TO MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS AND, AND, UH, MAKE AN IMPACT. THAT IS CORRECT. AND, UM, I'VE SAT DOWN AND TALKED WITH DIRECTOR STOUT AT THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER AND SPECIFICALLY ASKED, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ALL NEED, UH, TO IMPROVE YOUR SITUATION? AND, UM, AND OUT OF THOSE MEETINGS, UM, ALMOST $5 MILLION HAVE COME FROM OPERA TO THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER. WHAT HE IS ALSO [02:45:01] SAID, UH, TO ME AND OTHERS, CHIEF AND AND OTHERS WERE IN THE ROOM, IS THAT EVEN IF WE PROVIDED HIM WITH MORE MONEY, EVEN IF WE GAVE HIM MORE, THEY COULD NOT SPEND IT. YEP. EVEN WITH MORE. AND SO, UM, BEAR IN MIND THEIR, THEIR, THEIR BASE BUDGET IS $28 MILLION. WE ARE GIVING THEM PRETTY MUCH AN ADDITIONAL 5 MILLION ON TOP OF THAT 28 MILLION. SO WE ARE DOING, WE ARE DOING OUR PART TO PROVIDE THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. YEAH. AND I'LL, I'LL, UM, BRING ATTENTION TO, WE ACTUALLY HAD A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, WHERE DR. STOUT PRESENTED TO CLARIFY RIGHT. SOME OF THOSE NEEDS THAT WE'RE HEARING. BUT AGAIN, UM, DON'T FALL NECESSARILY WITHIN THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTERS EITHER CAPACITY RIGHT NOW OR ARE OUTSIDE FACTORS THAT, UM, ARE UNRELATED TO THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER'S WORK. I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PERSONNEL CHALLENGES AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, ALL PANDEMIC RELATED AND THE THAT'S STARTING TO, UM, THE WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE THERE. UH, BUT AGAIN, TO YOUR POINT, MAKING SURE IT'S CLEAR THAT WHAT THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER HAS ASKED FOR TO MEET THEIR NEEDS WE'RE CONTINUING TO FUND. RIGHT. UM, AND THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE FORCES AND FACTORS THAT, UH, ARE NOT, UH, DIRECTLY CORRELATED OR RELATED TO THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER. THAT'S CORRECT. AND WE'VE ALSO SAID IF, IF IT'S, UM, UH, IF THERE'S A CHALLENGE WHICH YOU'RE NOT HAVING, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PERSONNEL, UH, IN CERTAIN AREAS OUTSOURCE, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT IS A LEGITIMATE COST. UH, SO OUTSOURCE, AND I THINK IN, IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS, THEY'VE DONE JUST THAT. BUT WHEN WE SAT DOWN AND, UM, I MADE SURE THAT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, UH, DIRECTOR WAS THERE, STYLE, CHIEF NER WAS ALL THERE. AND BASICALLY MY QUESTION WAS, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU NEED? TELL ME. 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO SAY THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS NOT DOING ITS PART. SO TELL ME WHAT IS IT THAT YOU NEED AND WHAT HE INDICATED TO US, NOT JUST TO ME, UH, BEYOND WHAT WE ARE GIVING, THAT EVEN IF YOU GAVE US MORE, WE COULD NOT SPEND IT. WELL. UM, SO IN TERMS OF THE TOTAL, UM, THAT WE ARE GIVING, THAT WOULD, UH, THROUGH OFFER THAT IS THAT $4.95 MILLION ON TOP OF THE 28 MILLION, UH, THOSE OTHER ELEMENTS, AS YOU INDICATED OUTSIDE OF THE CITY'S CONTROL. OKAY. COUNCILMAN MCCOY? THANK YOU, MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN COVERED MOST OF WHAT I WANNA SAY. THIS IS IMPORTANT FUNDING. I MEAN, IT IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE WHEN GO AROUND TOWN AND PEOPLE TALK ABOUT CRIME, WE'RE LIKE, THIS IS WHAT THE CITY CAN DO. WE CAN PROVIDE MANPOWER AND RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY TO HPD. AND WE HAVE THE, THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER. AND, UH, I READ THOSE WEEKLY UPDATES FROM, FROM PETER STOUT, AND HE'S TOLD ME THE SAME THINGS. YOU KNOW, EVEN OUTSOURCING'S A PROBLEM. I MEAN, ALL OF THIS IS, THERE'S SUCH A, A LIMITED POOL OF PEOPLE THAT CAN DO THIS WORK AND THE TRAINING, IT CAN TAKE FOUR YEARS TO GET SOMEBODY UP TO SPEED, LIKE ON BALLISTICS TRAINING AND ALL THAT. SO IT'S A REAL PROBLEM. BUT THIS WILL CERTAINLY HELP. AND IF THIS IS WHAT HE ASKED FOR TO MAKE IT RIGHT, THIS IS, THIS IS GOOD. SO THANK YOU FOR THIS FUNDING. NOW, WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL? UM, 'CAUSE FIGHTING CRIME IS EVERYBODY'S RESPONSIBILITY, UM, IS FOR THE STATE TO AUGMENT WHATEVER WE ARE DOING. I MEAN, FIGHTING CRIME, FIGHTING CRIME, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NUMBER OF, WITH PEOPLE BRINGING IN FENTANYL. AND WE'VE HEARD THE STATE TALK ABOUT FENTANYL AND THE DRUGS WELL, BUT ALL OF THE MONEY THAT THE STATE HAS AND RESOURCES PARTNER WITH, LIKE THE HOUSTON CENTER, BECAUSE FENTANYL IS COMING ACROSS INTO THE STATE OF TEXAS AND INTO OUR CITIES AND COUNTIES. SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE DOING, WE ARE DOING OUR PART, BUT I THINK THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS FROM A BROADER PERSPECTIVE THAT THE STATE AND OTHERS CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. MAYBE PERSONNEL, UM, MAYBE THEY'RE ABLE TO DO WHAT THE HOUSTON FORENSIC CENTER CAN'T DO. UH, MAYBE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, YOU GOT ALL THE DAS ACROSS THE STATE. MAYBE THERE CAN BE SOME SORT OF COLLABORATIVE FORMED, UH, WITH THE FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTERS ACROSS [02:50:01] THE STATE THAT CAN BETTER MEET THE OVERALL DEMAND. I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER. UM, BUT IF, IF, IF WE ASK WHAT IS IT THAT YOU NEED? AND WE GIVE YOU WHAT YOU ASK, THEN I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, WHATEVER, HOWEVER, TO ADDRESS THAT. AND COUNCILMAN MCCAIN, AND MAYBE THROUGH YOUR COMMITTEE YOU CAN CONTINUE TO PROBE AND, AND SEE WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. AND NOW THE AREAS FROM THE STATE, FROM THE FEDS, FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, FROM, YOU KNOW, UM, DA'S OFFICERS AND YOU NAME IT. I, I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER FOR IT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON WHICH ITEM IS IT? 26. 26. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 26. ITEM 28 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ITEM 28, COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN ON 28. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, JUST WANTED TO ALSO POINT OUT 28 THROUGH 31 ARE IMPORTANT GRANTS THAT HPD IS SEEKING THAT WE'RE AUTHORIZING. I SAY THIS ESPECIALLY AROUND BUDGET TIME, WHERE, UM, GRANTS MAKE UP ONLY 5% OF HPDS TOTAL, UM, BUDGET GIVE OR LESS 91% OF HP'S BUDGET. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW BIG, HOW MUCH SPENDING THERE IS, 91% OF HP'S GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS PERSONNEL. AND SO THESE TYPES OF GRANTS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DRAW DOWN ON ARE CRITICAL TO THE TYPES OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT HPD IS PROVIDING. SO, UH, IN THIS PACKET, AND WE HAD SOME LAST WEEK, WE HAVE THE POLICE VALIDATION AND INTEGRITY PROGRAM THAT REDUCES FRAUD, UH, FROM PEOPLE IMPERSONATING LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE GENERAL VICTIM ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM, UH, THE, THERE'S SAFETY, UH, GEAR FOR OFFICERS FACING GUNFIRE, AND THEN, UH, INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH WE KNOW, UM, HAS BEEN VERY MUCH SO ON THE RISE, UH, IN LIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC AS WELL. SO I JUST, I WANTED TO SPOTLIGHT THOSE BECAUSE, AND GIVE CREDIT TO MAYOR U AND HPD FOR BEING SO AGGRESSIVE WITH SEEKING OUR GRANTS THAT WE'RE DEPENDENT ON, BECAUSE OUR BUDGET CAN'T COVER EVERYTHING. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 28? IN FAVOR, OPPOSE GRANTED ON 28TH? ITEM 29 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. DISCUSSION ON 29. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF HOST GRANTED ON 29. ITEM 30 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 30, DISCUSSION ON 30. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED ON 30. ITEM 31 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 31. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANT ON 31. ITEM 40 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 40. DISCUSSION ON 40. DISCUSSION ON 40 IN FAVOR OF OPPOSE GRANTED ON 40. ITEM 43 [MATTERS HELD - NUMBERING] IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 43. COUNCILMAN MINX ON 40 ON 43. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I TAGGED THIS ITEM LAST WEEK BECAUSE I WANTED TO CHECK ON AND HOW THIS PROGRAM WORKS AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, RESULTS WE GET, UH, BACK FROM THE PROGRAM. AND I WAS DELIGHTED TO DISCOVER THAT THEY JUST COMPLETED THEIR 2023, UH, MYSTERY SURVEY OF ALL THE RESTAURANTS IN INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT AND HOBBY AIRPORT. AND TURNS OUT THE BEST BAR WAS PAPA CTO'S BAR. THE BEST FULL SERVICE RESTAURANT WAS PAPA DO'S. AND THE BEST QSR, WHICH IS QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANT WAS CHICK-FIL-A, ALSO A MEMBER OF THE FOUR FAMILIES GROUP WHO WERE NO LONGER GOING TO BE THERE. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION THAT, UH, I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. IT'S A WAY TO KEEP OUR BUSINESSES THAT ARE OPERATING IN THE AIRPORT, UH, UP TO SNUFF, IF YOU WILL. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHO WINS NEXT YEAR. UH, GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE BRING EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE SO THEY CAN GET A TASTE. , UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 43? DISCUSSION ON 43 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 43. ITEM 44 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 44. COUNCILMAN POLL ON 44. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. I TAGGED THIS ITEM LAST WEEK, UH, BASED ON THE MWBE INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED, SHOWING THAT THIS CONTRACT WAS AWARDED WITH A 24% GOAL. UM, BUT CURRENTLY, UH, IT'S ONLY ACHIEVING 13.55%. I HAVE SPOKE TO, UM, THE CITY ATTORNEY AND HE GAVE ME SOME CLARIFICATION ON A PLAN GOING FORWARD TO HOPE, HOPEFULLY, UM, ACHIEVE THIS GOAL AND WANT TO, UM, ASK YOU ATTORNEY MICHELLE, IF YOU CAN GIVE US SOME, SOME INSIGHT ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. UM, YES, UH, UH, WHAT OCCURRED HERE IS THERE WERE SOME CASES WE THOUGHT WOULD GO TO TRIAL THAT [02:55:01] THAT DIDN'T, WHICH IS A GOOD THING, BUT I THINK WE CAN ACHIEVE THE, THE GOAL BY ASSIGNING SOME OF THESE, THESE ARE TORT CASES DIRECTLY TO THE MWBES. AND I THINK THAT WAY WE CAN MANAGE IT SO THAT WE CAN MEET THE GOAL AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE CONTRACT. AND SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, UH, SOME OF THESE CASES ARE BEING SETTLED AND NOT HAVING TO GO TO TRIAL AND B AND BASED ON THAT, THIS FIRM THAT WAS ANTICIPATED TO HAVE TO DO SOME OF THE, UH, THE TRIAL WORK, UH, THAT IS NOT THE CASE. AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE RESHIFTING AND ALLOCATING DIFFERENT, UH, DIFFERENT CASES OR DIFFERENT DUTIES TO THEM, RIGHT? RATHER THAN JUST BEING ASSISTING, THEY'LL TAKE DIRECT CONTROL OF THE CASES. THAT WAY I THINK WE HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO MEET THE GOAL. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 1944? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? I OPPOSE GRANTED ON 44, ITEM 45 IS AN ORDINANCE THIS NEED A VOTE. COUNCILMAN KNOX ON 45. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THE, UH, YOU ALLUDED TO IN YOUR MAYOR'S REPORT ABOUT MY CONCERN ABOUT HOW WE SPEND THESE MONIES, AND LET ME JUST, I JUST, I'M DISTURBED BY THE CAVALIER ATTITUDE THAT WE, WE USE WHEN WE TELL THE PUBLIC ONE THING AND WE JUST GO AHEAD AND DO WHATEVER WE WANT. I GOT A RESPONSE BACK FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. IT SAYS, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS THAT THIS IS A DRAINAGE PROJECT FUNDED BY D-D-S-R-F DRAINAGE CHARGE HPW IS UTILIZING D-D-S-R-F DRAINAGE CHARGE FOR ALL ASPECTS OF DELIVERING THIS PROJECT. WHEN WE PASSED THE DRAINAGE FEE, WE TOLD THE PUBLIC THAT WE WERE GONNA ONLY GONNA USE THIS FOR WORK THAT'S BEING USED TO ACTUALLY PUT PROJECTS IN THE GROUND. I HAVE NO PROBLEM USING THE DRAINAGE FEE FOR PURCHASING, UH, EQUIPMENT SUPPLIES, IF YOU WILL, OR MATERIALS, BUT THE TESTING OF THOSE MATERIALS NEEDS TO BE PAID FOR OUT OF ONE OF THE OTHER THREE UNRESTRICTED BUG UH, BUDGETS OF THE DDSR RF FUND. THIS IS THE REASON WHY WE SEPARATED THE FOUR BUCKETS, UH, IN OUR FINANCING RIGHT NOW. SO WE COULD TELL WHICH MONIES WERE COMING FROM WHICH POT AND WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD HERE IS IF IT, IF THEY DECIDE THAT D-D-S-R-F DRAINAGE IS GONNA PAY FOR IT, THEY PAY FOR ALL OF IT, AND THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE TOLD THE PUBLIC WE WERE GOING TO DO. THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T PULL MONEY FROM THE METRO FUND OR THE BUILDER'S FUND OR THE METRO, UM, UH, OR THE THIRD OF THE, THE, UH, AVALOR AND TAX FUND TO PAY FOR THE TESTING OF THE MATERIALS AND USE THE DRAINAGE CHARGE TO PUT THE MATERIALS IN THE GROUND. I'LL BE VOTING NO ON THIS AS A, IT'S GENERALLY JUST A PROTEST VOTE BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD PROJECT, IT NEEDS TO BE DONE. I HAVE NO PROBLEM USING D-D-S-R-F TO DO IT. WE JUST NEED TO USE THE APPROPRIATE BUCKETS OF MONEY FOR THE APPROPRIATE PORTIONS OF THE PROJECT. AND I, THIS IS A HEADACHE THAT WE CREATED WHEN WE PUT THE, THE, THE THING BEFORE THE VOTERS IN ORDER TO GET THEM TO VOTE FOR IT, WE PROMISED THAT THIS, THIS MONEY WOULD ONLY BE SPENT TO PUT PROJECTS IN THE GROUND. AND HERE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, PAYING FOR DESIGN WORK, WE'RE PAYING FOR ENGINEERING, WE'RE PAYING FOR TESTING OF MATERIALS, EVERYTHING RELATED TO THE PROJECT BECAUSE THAT'S ASSIGNED TO THAT PARTICULAR FUND. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE PROMISED. AND I'LL BE VOTING NO ON THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. UH, MAYOR, QUICK CLARIFICATION. WITHOUT ENGINEERING DESIGN, WITHOUT THE TESTING OF MATERIALS AND CHAIR ROBINSON, MAYBE YOU CAN SPEAK TO THIS. CAN ANY PROJECT BE PUT INTO THE GROUND? UM, COUNCILMAN ROBINSON, YOU WANNA TAKE THAT? I'M SORRY. I THINK I NEED TO HEAR THAT AGAIN. YES. WITHOUT ENGINEERING DESIGN WORK. YES MA'AM. WITHOUT TESTING OF MATERIALS THAT ARE GOING INTO THE GROUND, IS IT EITHER A SAFE PRACTICE OR COULD YOU EVEN FEASIBLY PUT ANY PROJECT INTO THE GROUND OR ACCOMPLISH ANY DRAINAGE PROJECT WITHOUT THE PROCESS? NO, IT'S WHAT, IT'S WHAT WE WOULD CALL NOT SHOVEL READY? YEAH. UH, TO BE SHOVEL READY TO GET IN THE GROUND, YOU'VE GOTTA DESIGN IT. YOU'VE GOTTA ESTIMATE IT. THERE ARE CALCULATIONS, UH, I THINK STRAIGHTFORWARD WORK THAT I THINK THE DIRECTOR MAY BE MAKING A CASE THAT THAT'S PART OF WHAT OUR COLLEAGUE IS, UM, TRYING TO DIFFERENTIATE IN TERMS OF SOURCE FUNDING. UM, YOU KNOW, SO APPRECIATING HIS POINT, I THINK YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA DESIGN IT BEFORE YOU CAN BUILD IT. AND THERE'S A LOT OF STEPS IN BETWEEN THE MOMENT THAT IT, UH, THAT IT COMES FORWARD FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND WHAT THEY'VE GOTTA DO TO GET IT SHOVEL READY INCLUDES A NUMBER OF PHASES. AND SO I DEFER TO THE DIRECTOR AND, UH, TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR HOW THEY THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE ADMINISTERED. UM, AND [03:00:01] YOU KNOW, I CAN HEAR COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX POINT WHILE I AGREE WITH THE ITEM AND WE WILL VOTE FOR IT. COUNCILMAN M THANK YOU MAYOR. MAY I ADDRESS MY COLLEAGUE? SURE. COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE? WHERE ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT THE DESIGN, THOSE FUNDS COME FROM? I, I MISSED THE EARLIER PART OF YOUR WELL, THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION. SO THE DDSR RF FUND IS A WHOLE FUND. IT, IT, IT CONSISTS OF FOUR BUCKETS OF MONEY. A VALOREM TAX IS PART OF IT, A METRO, THERE'S A PIECE OF METRO MONEY IN THERE AND THE, THE, UH, THE BUILDERS PUT IN A, AN IMPACT FEE KIND OF THING IN THERE. SO THERE'S MONEY, THERE'S THREE OTHER BUCKETS THAT ARE UNRESTRICTED. WE CAN USE THEM FOR ANY PURPOSE. THE, THE DRAINAGE FEE WAS SOLD TO THE PUBLIC AS ONLY TO BE USED TO PUT PROJECTS IN THE GROUND. SO THE DESIGN FEES, THE, UH, ENGINEERING, THE, ALL THAT NEEDS TO COME FROM ONE OF THOSE OTHER THREE BUCKETS, OR A COMBINATION OF THOSE OTHER THREE BUCKETS. AND THEN WHEN THE, ALL THE TESTING IS DONE, ALL THE ENGINEERING IS DONE. WHEN IT'S SHOVEL READY, THEN WE USE THE MONEY FROM THE DRAINAGE FEE TO PUT IT IN THE GROUND. AND THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. THIS IS WHY I WAS ADAMANT ABOUT SEPARATING THE FOUR BUCKETS, BECAUSE PRIOR TO THAT SEPARATION, THEY WERE ALL IN ONE BUCKET AND NO ONE COULD SAY WHAT MONEY WAS COMING FROM WHICH PILE TO PAY FOR THE PROJECT. SO WE AGREED TO SEPARATE THE, THE BUDGET SO WE COULD KEEP TRACK AND FULFILL OUR PROMISES TO THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON THAT WE MADE YEARS AGO WHEN WE PASSED THIS, UM, THIS DRAINAGE FEE CHARGE. AND IT'S, IT'S A HEADACHE. I UNDERSTAND THAT. YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOTTA SAY, OKAY, WELL THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA TAKE THIS PART OF THE PROJECT AND USE THIS MONEY AND DIFFERENT PART OF PROJECT. I UNDERSTAND, BUT THAT'S A HEADACHE THAT WE CREATED IN ORDER TO GET PEOPLE TO AGREE TO THAT DRAINAGE FEE. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. POINT OF ORDER. MAYOR, MAYOR, JUST, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YEAR WE PASSED IT, JUST FOR REFERENCE WHILE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC? I THINK IT'S BEEN LIKE 10 OR 12 YEARS AGO. I DON'T, IT IS A LONG TIME AGO. SALLY'S GOT IT. SORRY. THE REALITY IS I THINK IT WAS 2010, LET ME JUST SAY THE, JUST, UH, 12 YEARS. YEAH. SO, AND THE REALITY IS, IS THAT IF YOU JUST HAVE A, LET'S SAY YOU JUST TAKE A PROJECT BY ITSELF, JUST TAKE A PROJECT BY ITSELF. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE DESIGN AND THE ENGINEERING AND THE INSPECTION, THE PROJECT DOESN'T GET DONE. WELL, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE, WE DON'T DO THE DESIGN, WE JUST PAY FOR IT OUT OF A DIFFERENT SECTION. KNOW I I'M JUST SAYING, I'M JUST, I'M JUST, IF THE PROJECT, IF YOU HAVE A DRAINAGE PROJECT, IN ORDER FOR THE PROJECT TO THE, THE DRAINAGE PROJECT TO GET DONE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE DESIGN AND THE ENGINEERING FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT. IT ALL GOES TOGETHER. AND SO THE COST FOR THAT PROJECT SHOULD COME OUT OF THE SAME POT. OTHERWISE YOU HAVE ALL THESE THREE OTHER FUNDS TAKING CARE OF ALL THE OTHER NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE. SO YOU'RE PULLING FROM THEM. THESE ARE DRAINAGE PROJECTS, D-D-S-R-F AND THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE PARTICULAR PROJECTS ARE COMING OUT OF THE SAME FUND. WE ARE LIVING UP TO OUR COMMITMENT, BUT IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW YOU WANNA VIEW IT. OKAY. YOU CAN TAKE A VERY NARROW VIEW, WHICH MEANS ONLY WHEN YOU ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE PROJECT, DIGGING A HOLE, LEMME JUST USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE. YOU ONLY PULL THE MONEY FROM THE D-D-S-R-E-F WHEN YOU'RE DIGGING THE HOLE. OKAY? BUT ON ALL OF THESE PROJECTS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS. SO WE'RE GONNA GO AND PULL THE MONEY FROM SOME OTHER POT FOR THE D-D-S-R-F PROJECT. THAT DOESN'T, THAT DOESN'T MAKE, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, THAT'S A VERY, UH, YOU KNOW, I RESPECT COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX POSITION. HE'S JUST TAKEN A VERY NARROW POSITION, MUCH, MUCH NARROWER THAN POSITION. THE ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC WORKS TAKE IS TAKEN. AND SO PUBLIC WORKS HAS TAKEN THE POSITION, WHICH I SUPPORT MAYOR, BUT FOR THESE ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS, THE PROJECT COULD NOT GET DONE. AND THAT'S WHEN THEY SAT DOWN. AND WHEN I SAT DOWN AND TALKED TO THEM, THAT IS WHAT I USE. BUT FOR, IF ANYTHING ELSE, IF, UH, IF IT CAN BE DONE AND NOT NEEDED FOR THIS PROJECT, IT SHOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE D-D-S-R-F. BUT, BUT FOR THE INSPECTION, BUT FOR THE DESIGN [03:05:01] AND THE ENGINEERING, THIS PROJECT COULD NOT BE DONE. THEN I, THEN THE DOLLAR SHOULD COME OUT OF THE SAME POOL. THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WHEN THEY TALK, WHEN I TALK TO THEM, THAT'S HOW I CRYSTALLIZED IT IN MY MIND. ANYTHING ELSE SHOULD BE PAID BY OTHER SOURCES. THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT. AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. SO IT JUST DEPENDS ON YOUR POINT OF, ON YOUR POINT OF VIEW. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS? I STILL, IS IT COUNCIL MEMBER? I WANT, OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I THINK BOTH OF YOU ALL MAKE STRONG POINTS. IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT PERSPECTIVE YOU'RE LOOKING FROM, BUT I THINK WE ALWAYS NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE LEGISLATIVE INTENT OF, OF WHAT WE WERE PUTTING FORTH TO THE PUBLIC. I THINK THE PUBLIC JUST WANTED TO GET PROJECTS DONE. UM, ALL OF THE SMALL DETAILS WITHIN HOW IT'S GOING TO GET DONE, UH, MAYBE BE FOR US TO DISCUSS, BUT THEY WANT PROJECTS DONE AND PROJECTS DONE QUICKLY. AND I THINK AS LONG AS WE'RE ABLE TO SHOW THAT THE DOLLARS THAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR GO TOWARDS THAT PROJECT, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY DIGGING THE HOLE OR THE DESIGN OR THE ENGINEERING OR THE INSPECTION, ULTIMATELY, UH, IF THE PROJECTS ARE BEING DONE, HOPEFULLY THEY'RE SATISFIED WITH THAT. NOW, IF WE WERE SPENDING THAT MONEY ON SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF THOSE PROJECTS GETTING DONE, THEN I THINK, UH, WE'D HAVE HAVE AN ISSUE. BUT TO TAKE A MORE, A BROAD APPROACH TO IT TO ENSURE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALLOCATE CERTAIN DOLLARS TO CERTAIN PROJECTS AND GET THINGS MOVING QUICKLY. AS LONG AS WE'RE DOING THAT, HOPEFULLY THE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WE DID NOT SELL THEM A FALSEHOOD AND THEY'RE, UH, GETTING WHAT THEY'RE PAID FOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER. ALCON. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, YOUR SEPARATING THE DRAINAGE FEE WAS REALLY SMART. I MEAN, WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT FROM THE GET GO. THE CAMPAIGN FOR THIS WAS DURING 2000, AFTER IN 2010, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHEN IT, THAT'S WHEN IT PASSED. THAT'S WHEN IT GET GO, GETS GOING. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD, WHAT YOU SAID IS CORRECT. WHAT WAS SOLD TO THE PUBLIC IS WE'RE GONNA DO, USE THIS MONEY FOR DRAINAGE. AND WE CANNOT BY LAW, BY CHAPTER 5 52 OF STATE LAW USE THAT MONEY FOR ANYTHING THAT'S NOT DRAINAGE RELATED. WE SET UP THE FEE BASED ON CHAPTER 5 52, AND WE'RE FOLLOWING THAT. WHAT I AM GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR, BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE AD VALOREM AND THE REVENUE CAP AND THAT SITUATION, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY'RE LIKE, YOU'RE SPENDING MONEY ON OTHER THINGS. I CAN ASSURE PEOPLE, BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE SEPARATING THIS FEE, WE ARE NOT, WE ARE NOT SPENDING ANY OF THIS DRAINAGE FEE MONEY. NOW WE CAN GET DOWN TO BRASS TACK ON, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, YOU'RE DIGGING THE HOLE, BUT SOMEBODY'S GOTTA DIG THE HOLE. AND SO HOW MUCH IS THE SHOVEL? AND THEN THERE'S WHERE DO YOU STOP AND YOU HAVE TO TEST THE MATERIALS. ALL THIS IS ALLOWABLE BY STATE CO, BY THE STATE CODE. ALL OF THESE CHARGES ARE ALLOWABLE. WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO 'EM IF THEY WEREN'T ALLOWABLE. UH, I THINK WE DID NOT MISLEAD THE PUBLIC ON THE DRAINAGE FEE EXPENDITURES BY PUTTING, BY DOING TESTING WITH IT. UM, I WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN ALL OF THAT WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO THE PUBLIC AND, AND IT WAS ABOUT GETTING DRAINAGE PROJECTS ON THE GROUND. SO IF PUBLIC WORK SAYS THESE ARE ALL THE NECESSARY COSTS TO GET A DRAINAGE PROBLEM IN THE GROUND, I'M FINE WITH THE DRAINAGE FEE BEING, BEING SPENT ON THOSE FUNDS. BUT I DO CREDIT YOU, BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROGRAM WITH METRO DOLLARS THAT WERE BEING USED FOR HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS. AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE, AH, I'M PAYING MY DRAINAGE FEE AND IT'S GOING TO A HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL. SO THAT WAS ALSO NECESSARY. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR DILIGENCE ON THIS, BUT I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE IN TOTAL COMPLIANCE ON, ON, WITH STATE LAW AND EVERYTHING ELSE ON, ON, UH, PUTTING THESE, THE $78,000 FROM THE DRAINAGE FEE TOWARDS TESTING. COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME, MAYOR. I APPRECIATE IT. BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE THIS POINT. THIS ISN'T MONEY COMING. WE'RE NOT, I'M NOT ASKING FOR MONEY TO COME FROM A DIFFERENT PART OF THE BUDGET. THIS IS ALL COMING OUT OF THE D-D-S-R-F, WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF THE FOUR PIECES. AND WHETHER WE SPEND, UH, YOU KNOW, A PERCENTAGE OF, OF THE VALOREM OR, OR THE METRO FUND OR THE BUILDER'S FEE, UH, AND PAY FOR THE INSPECTIONS. IT'S ALL COMING OUT OF THE D-D-S-R-F. UH, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE MO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING SOMETHING, UH, FROM SOME OTHER PART OF THE BUDGET. ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT WE, WE NEED TO BE CONSCIOUS OF WHEN, WHEN GOVERNMENT MAKES PROMISES TO PEOPLE AND THEY DON'T FULFILL THOSE PROMISES, IT CREATES A FEELING THAT WE'RE NOT LISTENING TO OUR PUBLIC. WE'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION, WE'RE JUST DOING WHATEVER THE HECK WE WANT. WE'LL GET YOU TO VOTE FOR SOMETHING AND WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE A SITUATIONAL AWARENESS THAT CHANGES OUR MIND AFTER, AFTER WE GET YOUR MONEY. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S ALWAYS DISTURBED ME ABOUT GOVERNMENTS. ONE OF THE REASONS I GOT INTO, UH, POLITICS IS TO TRY TO BRING INTEGRITY AND HONESTY AND TRANSPARENCY BACK [03:10:01] TO GOVERNMENT. AND I JUST THINK THIS IS AN EXAMPLE. AND I, I, I KNOW THAT I'M GONNA BE THE LONE NO VOTE ON THIS. AND I, AND I'M OKAY WITH THE PROJECT AND THEY'RE DEFINITELY, THE MATERIALS NEED TO BE TESTED BEFORE THEY PUT IN THE GROUND. I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT. I JUST HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HOW WE ARE USING, UM, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TO CHANGE THE, THE VIEW AND LOOK AT IT A CERTAIN WAY THAT THAT FITS OUR GOAL AND MAKES IT EASIER FOR US WHEN WE PROMISED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THAT'S THAT, THAT'S MY ONLY COMMENT. I'M READY TO VOTE WHEN Y'ALL ARE. THANK YOU. OKAY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON, ON, UM, ON ITEM 45. 45? ANY DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED NO SHOW COUNCILWOMAN KNOX VOTING? NO. THE ITEM PASSES MADAM SECRETARY VOTE 25. ITEM 25 HAS BEEN RECEIVED. IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 25. ITEM 25, DISCUSS 25. DISCUSSION ON 25. DO WE NEED A MOTION? NO, NO, JUST A OKAY. UH, IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED ON 25. OKAY. NOW ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? MADAM SECRETARY, THIS COMPLETES THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. OKAY. AND BEFORE WE, UM, MOVE TO THE FIRST PERSON ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN HUFFMAN, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE TWO THINGS. UM, FIRST YOU SEE THE FLOWERS IN FRONT OF COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. COUNCIL. COUNCIL. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON GRADUATED FROM TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ON SATURDAY MORNING, MAGNUM MAGNUM C*M LAUDE. SO CONGRATULATIONS, UH, TO YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, JACKSON. AND THEN, UH, I THINK A FEW DAYS AGO, I KNOW I WAS LOOKING ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SAW WHERE COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN AND COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS RECEIVED THE BOLD ADVOCACY AWARD FROM THE F-L-C-I-O, UH, FOR WORKING FAMILY. SO, CONGRATULATIONS, THE COUNCIL MEMBER KING INFORMATION. REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. ALRIGHT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] HUFFMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN PASSES. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS ROS. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND CONGRATULATIONS COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, UM, ALSO I'D LIKE TO WELCOME THE BASIS ACADEMY FOLKS WHO ARE BACK IN TOWN. AS YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR, THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE BEZOS ACADEMY STRUCK A PARTNERSHIP TO CREATE FOUR NEW, HIGH QUALITY EARLY CHILDCARE CENTERS SERVING THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLDS IN UNDER-RESOURCED NEIGHBORHOODS. THREE OF THOSE CENTERS ARE NOW, UM, UP AND RUNNING, AND THOSE CHILDREN ARE THRIVING. THE FOURTH SITE IS, IS DUE TO OPEN LATER THIS SUMMER. UM, BEZOS FOLKS ARE BACK IN TOWN TODAY, UM, WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WHAT WE HOPE WILL BE THE FINAL STEPS TO APPROVE THE NEXT FOUR SITES. SO FINGERS CROSSED ABOUT THAT. UM, AND ADDITIONALLY, THE CITY, UM, THROUGH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF EDUCATION HAS ALREADY IDENTIFIED, UM, FOUR MORE SITES FOR CONSIDERATION. SO WE'RE QUEUING THEM UP TOO FOR, UM, TO, AND HOPE WE, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO JUST, UM, SAY HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE INTERNATIONAL INTEREST THAT THE EASTON MAKER HUB IS ATTRACTING. UM, THERE'S A THEN A SECOND DELEGATION FROM THE IVORY COAST WHO VISITED THEM THIS WEEK. THEY ARE VERY INTERESTED IN THIS MODEL, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT, THAT THE EASTON MAKER HUB IS USING TO, TO TRAIN, UM, PEOPLE, NEIGHBORS THAT YOU KNOW, THAT LIVE IN THE AREA TO, UM, OPERATE, UM, EQUIPMENT TO TO BE MANUFACTURERS, AND THEN HOW, HOW THIS, UM, THIS MODEL THEN ALLOWS ENTREPRENEURS TO, TO TAKE CONCEPTS TO DEVELOPMENT AND BECOME, UM, REAL LA REAL JOBS. SO IT'S, IT'S A VERY EXCITING, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR THEM TO, TO BE GETTING THIS ATTENTION FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD. I THINK WE MAY BE SEEING MORE OF THAT, BUT, UM, BUT UH, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THEM. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, COUNCILMAN NOXIOUS, UM, UH, VICE MAYOR PROTE, KEN STATE TATUM. THANK YOU MAYOR. JUST WANTED TO, UH, THANK EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE ON MONDAY. UM, THIS IS, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK AND THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES WAS HERE WITH US AND WE WERE IN DISTRICT I AT SEVEN 11 MILBY, UM, DISCUSSING TRAIN DERAILMENTS IN BLOCK CROSSINGS. UM, WE HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS CLOSE TO GETTING LEGISLATION PASSED FOR RAILWAY SAFETY. I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO SENATORS VANCE AND BROWN FROM OHIO. THEY'VE INTRODUCED THIS LEGISLATION. UH, IT DID PASS THROUGH THE COMMERCE COMMITTEE. UM, THEY VOTED TO ADVANCE THIS, UH, RAILWAY SAFETY LEGISLATION. SO WE ARE HOPEFUL [03:15:01] THAT OUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES WILL GET THIS LEGISLATION TO THE PRESIDENT'S DESK AND WE CAN GET A SIGNATURE BEFORE WE HAVE ANY OTHER TRAGEDIES LIKE IN PALESTINE. SO, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, THANK YOU FOR, UM, BEING THERE. YOU'VE BEEN A CHAMPION ON THE, UH, RAILWAY SAFETY AND, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO PUSH, UM, AND GET THIS RAILWAY SAFETY ACT AND THE DON'T BLOCK OUR COMMUNITIES ACT PASSED. UM, THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO SIGNED ON TO THE LETTERS. I THINK THAT WE, WE GOT SOME GOOD LOCAL PRESS. WE GOT SOME REALLY GOOD NATIONAL PRESS. UM, SO I'LL SEND THOSE OUT TO EVERYONE. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE WORK THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO AND THE ADVOCACY IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE. SO WE'RE HOPEFUL TO GET THAT LEGISLATION TO PRESIDENT BIDEN'S DESK. AND THEN THE EDISON ARTS FOUNDATION WILL HAVE THEIR TU TUBES IN TEXAS FUNDRAISING GALA ON SATURDAY, UH, MAY 20TH AT 7:00 PM AT THE FUTURE SITE OF THE EDISON CENTER, WHICH IS 7,100 WEST FUKE WAY. UH, THIS IS IN THE COMPLETE COMMUNITY AND SOME NOTABLE HOUSTON ARTISTS WILL BE HONORED. UH, YOU MAY REMEMBER WHEN THE CHOIR CAME WITH RASHONDA JONES CUMBA, UH, AND THEY SANG HERE IN THE CHAMBER. WE ARE HONORING HER AT THE EVENT KENDRICK SAMPSON AND, UH, DR. ANN LUNDY. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS, YOU CAN CONTACT THE DISTRICT KAY OFFICE AND WE SHARED THAT INFORMATION OUT ON EMAIL YESTERDAY. WE ARE CONTINUING TO ACKNOWLEDGE MAY AS, UH, MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. UH, IF YOU HAVE INTEREST, THERE IS A FREE MENTAL HEALTH EXPO ON SUNDAY, MAY 21ST AT THE HPD SOUTHWEST COMMAND STATION. UH, THERE WILL BE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES ON SITE, UM, FOOD PRIZES AND GIVEAWAYS. YOU CAN CONTACT KAISHA CLARK AT THE UH, STATION FOR MORE INFORMATION. UH, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER SPARK PARK DEDICATION IN DISTRICT A AT BILLY REAGAN, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UH, AT 48 42 ANDERSON ROAD ON MONDAY, MAY THE 22ND. WE DID USE, UM, OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS. IT WAS A GREAT COLLABORATION WITH, UH, THE COUNTY AND OTHER PRIVATE BUSINESSES THAT DONATED DOLLARS TO MAKE SURE THE PEOPLE IN THAT AREA OF THE DISTRICT HAVE A SAFE PARK THAT THEY CAN ENJOY IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO AGAIN, THAT'S ON MAY 22ND AT 10:00 AM IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN US FOR THAT SPARK PARK DEDICATION. IF YOU ARE NOT RECEIVING OUR NEWSLETTER YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON ALL THE GOOD INFORMATION WE PUT OUT IN DISTRICT K. UM, SO CALL US AND GET ON OUR DISTRIBUTION LIST. HAVE A SUPER DAY AND BE KIND TO EACH OTHER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, COUNCILMAN MAGOS? THANK YOU, MAYOR. FIRST OF ALL, LET ME START OFF BY ALSO CONGRATULATING CONGRESS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. SO CONGRATULATIONS. I WANT, I WANNA, AGAIN, THANK YOU MAYOR, AS WELL AS MAYOR PRO TEM DAVE MARTIN, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM COUNCIL MEMBERS CAME IN IN ALCORN FOR COMING TO THE EAST END ON MONDAY TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEED FOR CONGRESSIONAL ACTION AS IT RELATES TO RAIL SAFETY. I APPRECIATE VICE MAYOR PRO TEMS WORK AND ADVOCACY THROUGH THE NATIONAL LEAGUES OF CITIES AND ALL THEY'RE DOING TO PUSH CONGRESS TO PASS THE RAILROAD SAFETY ACT OF 2023. RAIL SAFETY AND IMPROVING MOBILITY ARE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE MANY COMMUNITIES ADJACENT TO TRACKS, CROSSINGS, AND RAIL YARDS. AND I WANT TO THANK ALL THE RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT DIE THAT HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE IN REGARDS TO BEING STOPPED BY TRAINS. NOT FOR MINUTES, BUT FOR HOURS. I KNOW THAT MY OFFICE HAS TIME AND TIME AGAIN, HAVE PLACED IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO PLEASE NOTIFY THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION. AND GRANTED, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE PROUD OF, BUT 1,300 OF THE STATE'S, 2,800 RAILROAD COMPLAINTS CAME FROM HOUSTON EAST SIDE. SO WE GOT THE ATTENTION OF THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION. AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE AGAIN FOR TAKING THE TIME TO REPORT A TRAIN THAT HAS BEEN THERE SITTING FOR HOURS WITHIN HOUSTON CITY LIMITS ALONE. WE HAVE OVER 700 ACTIVE AND BUSY GRADE CROSSINGS. MANY OF THOSE ARE LOCATED IN MY DISTRICT ON THE EAST SIDE, WHERE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WE HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN RAIL TRAFFIC THAT HAVE IMPACTED SAFETY MOBILITY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. OVERALL, OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, WE NEED ACTION AND MEANINGFUL CHANGE. AND WITH ONLY CONGRESS IS ABLE TO MAKE RAIL SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, WE SUPPORT CONGRESSIONAL [03:20:01] ACTION TO KEEP COMMUNITY SAFE AND TO KEEP RAIL MOVING EFFICIENTLY. THE RAILROADS ALSO NEED TO DO MORE TO IMPROVE OPERATIONS AND SAFETY AND REDUCE IMPACTS ON ADJACENT COMMUNITIES. AND AGAIN, MY THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR COMING TO THE EAST END AND FOR YOUR WORK AND ADVOCACY ON THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY. APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. I MEAN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND IN ADDITION TO INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK AND NEXT WEEK WITH PUBLIC WORKS WEEK, UH, MAYOR, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IT'S, UH, THINGS RELATED TO PUBLIC WORKS AND OUR VISION ZERO CAMPAIGN WITH TRANSPORTATION. IT IS UN GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK AS WELL. AND REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS AWARENESS ABOUT ROAD SAFETY ISSUES, INCLUDING RAIL CROSSINGS, UH, TO STIMULATE AND ADVANCE RESPONSES IS APPROPRIATE FOR THESE THINGS. OBVIOUSLY, THE ONGOING WORK OF TTI AND RELATED, UH, TRANSPORTATION MATTERS, UH, WILL KEEP THIS IN OUR FOCUS. I WANT TO SHOUT OUT TO DAVID FIELDS, OUR CHIEF TRANSPORTATION OFFICER, AS WELL AS VERONICA DAVIS AND HER GREAT WORK FOR PUBLIC WORKS PLANNING AND PUBLIC WORKS ARE DOING AN INCREDIBLE, UM, SET OF SERVICES FOR THE CITY. AND, UH, THIS FRIDAY, OF COURSE IS AS YOU MENTIONED, MAYOR, THE BIKE TO WORK DAY. SO I IMAGINE YOU'VE GOT TO GET UP EARLY TO RIDE IN FROM ACRES HOME. YES. YEAH. UM, I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A LONG TRIP FOR YOU. YEAH, WE'LL GET IT DONE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. I HEARD THAT. THAT'S GOOD. UM, YOU KNOW, AS HOUSTONIANS ARE CHALLENGED TO RETHINK HOW WE COMMUTE TO PLACES WE LIVE, I HOPE EVERYONE WILL THINK OF A SAFE WAY TO GET THERE ON A BIKE, IF YOU CAN THIS FRIDAY. UM, AND WITH THAT, THE, UH, THE OFFICIAL RIDE OF THE DAY STARTS IN IDO, UM, AT THE IDO BIKE COMPANY AT NINE 12 ST. CHARLES STREET AND WILL END AT CITY HALL, AND THE RIDE STARTS PROMPTLY AT SEVEN 30. UM, ALSO ON BIKES THIS WEEKEND, MAYOR, YOU AND I WERE OUT AT, UH, MCGREGOR PARK. YES. IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, HAVING A NICE TIME WITH THE ANNUAL ART BIKE AND BRAID AND FESTIVAL. IT WAS AMAZING. UH, A LOT OF KIDS INVOLVED WITH HISD RIDING, DECORATING THEIR BIKES MARE. UH, SO THAT WAS WONDERFUL. AND I GUESS WITH THE KIDS IN MIND, I WANT TO, UH, SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE GRADUATES, ESPECIALLY OUR COLLEAGUE TARSHA, OUR MAGNA C*M LAUDE. THAT'S REALLY AMAZING. THAT'S JUST SO, SO AWESOME. UM, AND, UH, MAYOR, I'M PROUD BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER IS GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE ON FRIDAY, SO I'M GONNA BE, BE CONGRATULATIONS WITH ALYSSA ROBINSON. HERE'S TO YOU, SWEETIE. AND SHE IS IN AN HONORS SITUATION, UH, TOMORROW AS WELL, TAKING AFTER TARSHA JACKSON CONGRAT. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. THANK YOU. AND TO HER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. UH, JUST A REMINDER TO RESIDENTS THAT ON SATURDAY MAY 20TH AT 10:00 AM UH, WE HAVE A HEALTH FAIR, WHICH IS POWERED BY THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND, AND MAYOR, I, UM, CAN'T TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF DETAIL AND LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE THAT THE TEAM IS WORKING ON. I ACCIDENTALLY HOPPED ON A TEAMS CALL THAT WAS ON MY CALENDAR, BUT IT WASN'T FOR ME. BUT I, I WAS ABLE TO HEAR, UM, PARTICULARLY JUAN AND, UH, CYNTHIA WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE LEVEL OF DETAIL AND HOW STRATEGIC THEY WERE JUST TALKING AMONGST THEMSELVES ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, THE, THE EVENT. AND SO, JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT. IT'S A FULL HOUSE. UH, VENDORS ARE, UH, WE, THE VENDORS LIST IS CLOSED, SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, SATURDAY ON MAY 20TH. UM, AND THEN JUST AN UPDATE THE LAST DAY THAT WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE BLAKE'S BARBECUE ON JUNE 29TH. I BELIEVE THAT DATE IS IN YOUR, IN YOUR OFFICE. AND SO COUNSEL, UM, THAT INFORMATION WILL GET TO YOU AS WELL. HE IS EXCITED, UM, TO DO THIS AND WOULD LOVE TO SHARE THIS MOMENT AS WE GO INTO THE 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND. UM, CLOSING OUT AND CELEBRATING A, A HISTORICAL, UM, UH, BUSINESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. UH, AND THEN JUST LASTLY ON, ALSO ON THE 20TH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE, UM, ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH. AND WE WILL BE, UM, AT THE SIGNATURE MANOR HONORING KATHERINE CHANG. SHE WROTE A BOOK, UM, JUST HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE, UH, GENIUS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. AND THEN LASTLY, UH, SOME SAD NEWS. MY UNCLE PASSED AWAY THIS MORNING, SO I WANNA TO DEDICATE, UH, MY POPOFF TO UNCLE PERNELL. UH, PERNELL THOMAS IS THE YOUNGEST OF, UH, THE FIVE, UM, OF MY GRANDPARENTS, ELEANOR AND WILBUR THOMAS. AND SO, UH, ALL IS WELL. BUT HE, HE PASSED AWAY. HE WENT TO HOSPICE 10 DAYS AGO, SO, UH, UH, EVERYBODY KNOW HIM AT THE GAS STATION AS UNCLE P. SO, UH, , RIGHT? HE WAS A CHARACTER. AND SO HE USED TO, UH, PASS OUT MY CAMPAIGN SHIRTS, UH, TO PEOPLE WHO, UH, UH, NUMBER ONE I KNOW DID NOT VOTE. UH, I, I KNOW FOR A FACT. UH, AND THEY WOULD SHOW UP AT THE HOUSE SAYING, UH, [03:25:01] P DOWN, BUT HE, THEY GOT MY SHIRT ON. SO THEY WERE GREAT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. HE WAS THE NEIGHBORHOOD MAN. AND SO, UH, UH, WE'RE GONNA MISS HIM. HE DEFINITELY WAS A CHARACTER. BUT, UH, SHOUT OUT TO UNCLE PERNELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILMAN MAYOR ALCO. THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO TARSHA JACKSON AND TO ABBY CAME IN FOR YOUR AWARD. THIS IS ALL VERY EXCITING, MAYOR. WE HAD THE FIRST, UH, REVOCATION OF A NOISE PERMIT, UM, LAST THURSDAY. A AN ESTABLISHMENT, THE STANDARD, I'LL CALL 'EM, OUT ON WEST DALLAS, 90 PLUS CITATIONS FOR NOISE SINCE DECEMBER OF 22. THIS LO, THIS BAR WAS FORMERLY LOCATED ON WASHINGTON AVENUE. ONE OF THE OWNERS TOOK IT AND MOVED TO WEST DALLAS. I WENT TO THE ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING, AND THIS WAS SOMETHING WE PUT IN WITH THE CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE. THE OFFICERS WERE SO GOOD. THEY, THEY CITED FOR BASE NOISE, THEY CITED FOR DECIBEL LEVEL. WE HEARD FROM SEVERAL RESIDENTS IN, IN THE, UM, IN THE HEARING, YOU KNOW, MIGRAINES AND BABIES WAKING UP AND, YOU KNOW, CAN'T, ONE OF 'EM WAS A CITY EMPLOYEE. AND SHE SAID, THIS GOES ON ALL DAY SUNDAY. I KEPT TO GET UP AND GO TO WORK ON MONDAY TO MY CITY JOB. IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT. SO, AND THE, THE STANDARD DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP TO THE HEARING. SO THAT PERMIT WAS REVOKED. SO THAT'S THE FIRST ONE. AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO. WE WEREN'T TRYING TO CAUSE ANY PROBLEMS FOR BUSINESSES, BUT EXCEPT FOR THE REPEAT VIOLATORS THAT JUST COMPLETELY FLAWED THE LAW. SO NOW THEY CAN PLAY AMPLIFIED SOUND AFTER 10:00 PM ON WEEKDAYS, OR 11:00 PM ON WEEKNIGHTS ATTORNEY, MICHELLE. LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THAT REALLY HAPPENS BECAUSE, UM, WITH THAT, WITH THAT REVOKED, THEY CAN PLAY MUSIC. I MEAN, WE'RE NOT SHUTTING 'EM DOWN. THEY CAN PLAY MUSIC UP UNTIL 10 AND 11, BUT AFTER THAT, WITH, WITHOUT A PERMIT THERE, THEY CAN'T DO THAT. AND THEY CAN PLAY AT A CERTAIN LEVEL. SO REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT. AND, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE RELIEF FOR NEIGHBORS. AND WE WILL, WE ARE KEEPING TRACK OF THE, OF THE NIGHTCLUBS THAT WE HEAR ABOUT. AND WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT A RA HAS ALL THAT INFORMATION. SO IF ANOTHER ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING IS NEEDED, WE DID ANOTHER ONE IN DISTRICT D THAT THEY PRESENTED SOME SOUND MITIGATION PLAN. I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF IT. WE'LL WORK WITH YOU. THIS IS A WAY, I MEAN, STANDARD DIDN'T EVEN COME. AND THEY OBVIOUSLY DON'T WANNA WORK WITH ANYBODY WITH 90 PLUS CITATIONS. BUT, BUT, UH, THIS OTHER BAR CAME IN TO WORK WITH US, AND, AND I DIDN'T GO TO THAT ONE, BUT I UNDERSTAND THEY PRESENTED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA DO SOME SOUND WALLS, WE'RE GONNA DO THAT. SO I KNOW IT WAS SLOW COMING TO MANY NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT, BUT THIS IS GOING TO, THIS IS GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT, AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT. SO THAT'S GREAT NEWS, MAYOR, ON THE BUDGET, MAN, YOU HIT IT. YOU HIT ALL THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, AND WE'VE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT. THE OPE TRUST IS HUGE. THE FACT THAT OUR OPE LIABILITY IS MORE THAN OUR PENSION LIABILITY, RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S JUST CRAZY. I MEAN, WHEN YOU CAME IN, THAT PENSION LIABILITY WAY, OVERSHADOWED THAT. SO THAT'S A, A BIG WAY TO GET RID OF, UH, GET ON THE OPEP THING. ALL OF THE STRUCTURAL IMBALANCES, THE OPEP, THE PENSIONS, THE, THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ON CITY EMPLOYEES THAT YOU'RE PUTTING MONEY ON. AND I, FOR ONE WHO HOPED TO BE HERE ANOTHER FOUR YEARS, REALLY APPRECIATED. AND IT WASN'T JUST THIS YEAR THAT WE COULD HAVE BALANCED THE BUDGET WITHOUT THE ARPA MONEY EVEN LAST YEAR. AND I TELL PEOPLE THAT BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN SALES TAX REVENUES AND KIND OF THE OVER PROJECTED, I MEAN, IT REALLY COULD HAVE BALANCED. UM, BUT REALLY GRATEFUL THAT YOU ARE SETTING THINGS UP TO NOT THOUGHT ALL THESE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THIS CLIFF THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AT THE END OF 2024. THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. THE CLIFF IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THIS BUDGET. NOW, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL GONNA DIG ALL INTO IT. I KNOW, AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA STILL LOOK AT EVERYTHING I KNOW, AND THIS IS AN OUTCOME BASED BUDGET. ANOTHER THING I'VE BEEN WANTING FOREVER. SO I'M LOOKING PRIMARILY THIS TIME ON MEANINGFUL PERFORMANCE MEASURES, IF IT'S STILL, THERE ARE SOME, THERE ARE SOME LIKE PERFORMANCE MEASURES BY DEPARTMENTS THAT I, I'M INTERESTED IN WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS TO SEE ON A PERFORMANCE MEASURES. SO, UM, WE'LL BE LOOKING STRONGLY AT THAT AND WE'LL BE DIGGING INTO IT. BUT, UM, ON, ON THE WHOLE MAYOR, THIS IS A REALLY GOOD CONSERVATIVE BUDGET WHERE YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING TO, UH, PROTECT, UH, THE THANK YOU, THE FUTURE OF HOUSTONIANS. SO I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PLUMMER. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCILMAN JACKSON. UM, MY SON ALSO GRADUATED, OH, HARRISON GRADUATED FROM EPISCOPAL HIGH SCHOOL, SO I WANNA GRADUATE ALL OF THE EHS, UM, KNIGHTS FOR 2023. HE'S ON HIS WAY TO A SU, SO I'M REALLY PROUD AND NOW OFFICIALLY EMPTY NESTER . I, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M GONNA DO MYSELF IF I'M GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF GOOD TROUBLE, . SO THANK YOU. CONGRATS. COUNCIL MEMBER PACK. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, TODAY I JUST WANTED TO THANK BOTH YOU AND THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, UM, FOR OUR NEW LIBRARY LOCKER IN THE CARDALE COMMUNITY CENTER. THIS IS SO GREAT, UM, BUT SO LONG OF TALKING ABOUT HOW CARDALE IN PARTICULAR [03:30:01] DOESN'T HAVE ANY ACCESS REALLY TO ANY LIBRARY THAT'S CLOSE BY, AND THAT WE NEEDED SOME CREATIVE SOLUTION THERE. SO NOW THERE IS A NEW LIBRARY LOCKER, UM, AT THE CARDALE COMMUNITY CENTER, SO PEOPLE CAN, UM, REQUEST BOOKS AND ACTUALLY PICK THEM UP AT THE CARDALE COMMUNITY CENTER. SO IT'S REALLY EXCITING. UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE RIBBON CUTTING JUNE 6TH AT 11:00 AM TO KIND OF SHOW PEOPLE HOW TO USE IT, BUT REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, THANK THE GRADUATE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, AS MAYOR MENTIONED, I GRADUATED FROM TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ON SATURDAY WITH HONORS, UM, MY BACHELOR OF SCIENCE, BACHELOR'S OF ARTS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. AND SO I'M REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF, YOU KNOW, SO MANY DAYS I WANTED TO JUST SAY, FORGET IT. UM, BUT I, I KEPT GOING, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR JUST BEING THERE TO HAND ME MY DIPLOMA. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. YOU KNOW, MY FATHER COULDN'T BE THERE. NOT SAYING THAT I, YOU'RE OLD ENOUGH TO BE MY FATHER, , BUT YOU WERE THERE, SORRY. AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU, YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, YOU KNOW, JUST SUPPORTING ME. I'M ABOUT TO TEAR UP BECAUSE ALL OF YOU GUYS SUPPORTED ME THROUGH THIS WHOLE JOURNEY. TIFFANY THOMAS, THANK YOU FOR THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND ALWAYS THE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. AND OF COURSE, SHE'S ALWAYS HAD, SHE HAD THESE LIKE FLASHY WORDS ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW, THAT'S INVALUABLE. AND THIS ONE RIGHT HERE, UM, MIRACLES ARE FOR EVERYONE, INCLUDING YOU. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU, THANK YOU JUST FOR BEING THERE AND BEING A FRIEND AND JUST MAKING ME, SHE ALWAYS SAY, YOU GOTTA DO IT. YOU GOTTA KEEP GOING. YOU CAN'T GIVE UP. YOU GOTTA DO IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND TO FORM A CONSTANT MEMBER, UM, WANDA ADAMS, JUDGE ADAMS, SHE'S AL SHE WAS ALWAYS INSPIRING ME AND JUST PUSHING ME. UM, WHEN THEY SAID THAT I HAD TO GO ON CAMPUS, AND I WAS LIKE, I CAN'T GO ON CAMPUS ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS BECAUSE I COUNT, GOT COUNSEL. SHE SAID, YOU GOTTA FIGURE IT OUT. YOU KNOW, AND WE FIGURED IT OUT. UM, JUST THE SUPPORT OF THE PROFESSORS, THE ADMINISTRATION, THE JUST EVERYONE AT TSU WAS GREAT. THANK YOU COLLEAGUES FOR SHOWING UP TO THE AFTER PARTY OF THE GRADUATION. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND MY FAMILY. IT'S JUST, I'M, I'M, I'M EXCITED AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE. I'M GONNA KEEP GOING. UM, I'M GONNA ACTUALLY EN ENROLL IN THE, IN THE SPRING IN THE DUAL, UM, MPA AND JD. SO WISH ME LUCK. I'M FIRED UP NOW. AND SO THANK, JUST, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. CONGRATULATIONS. UM, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UM, THIS SATURDAY WE WILL HAVE OUR BE SUCCESSFUL SECOND CHANCE JOBS FAIR. UM, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. JOBS FAIR. IT'S GONNA BE AT THE FRANK SILLS GENIUM, UM, AT TIDWELL PARK. WE HAVE SO FAR WITH 200 PEOPLE, UM, HAVE REGISTERED. SECOND CHANCE FOLKS IS LOOKING FOR, UM, JOBS. UM, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF EIGHT HIRING COMPANIES. SO A FEW COMPANIES THAT HIRE SECOND CHANCE. WE ONLY WANT COMPANIES THAT HIRE SECOND CHANCE, UM, TO BE PRESENT. AND WE HAVE A TOTAL OF NINE, UM, COMMUNITY RESOURCE, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING TWO EXPUNGEMENT, UM, SERVICES GONNA BE AVAILABLE TO HELP PEOPLE EXPUNGE THEIR RECORDS. SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, YOU NEED A JOB SHOW UP AT TIDWELL PARK THIS SATURDAY AT, UM, 10:00 AM MAYOR. I KNOW IT'S AT THE SAME TIME THAT YOU'RE HAVING YOUR FAMILY THERE IN THE PARK, BUT WE'LL GET PEOPLE OVER THERE AS WELL. UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND MY STAFF FOR JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY SHOWED UP. I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM, UM, FOR THEIR SUPPORT DURING THIS WHOLE TIME. SO THANK YOU. GOD BLESS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I, I DID WANNA JUST PIGGYBACK ON COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, UH, TO TALK ABOUT SEEING ALL THE HARD WORK COME TO FRUITION. SO, MAYOR, WITH YOUR SUPPORT, THE RESIDENTS INVOLVEMENT, HPD LEGAL A RA, UM, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT WORK PAY OFF AND IT HAS BEEN A SLOW PROCESS. BUT AGAIN, WE, UM, THIS ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING, UH, AGAINST THE STANDARD BAR, THIS IS A BAR THAT NOT ONLY HAD 90 CITATIONS, TABC PREVIOUSLY PULLED THEIR LICENSE. UH, SO THERE'S MORE WORK TO DO, INCLUDING, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE BRINGING UP THE BYOB ORDINANCE AS WELL. UM, SO I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION ON BEHALF OF OUR RESIDENTS FOR THAT. UH, MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING, UH, THE AWARD I RECEIVED FOR WORKING FAMILIES, BUT I ALSO, AT THAT E ON THAT EVENING, RECOGNIZE THE WORK OF COUNCIL IN YOU AND MOVING THE BALL FORWARD FOR ALL FAMILIES IN THE CITY. UH, AND TO THAT END, I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE YOU. UH, IT HAS NOT BEEN, UH, SPOTLIGHTED AS MUCH AS I WOULD HOPE, BUT IT'S A REALLY BIG DEAL THAT HR JUST, UH, RELEASED THE WORK AND THE POLICY RELATED TO REMOTE, UH, WORKING. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO I, I DID WANNA LIFT UP THAT BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT WITH HR AND OTHERS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. UH, ON AN EXCITING NOTE, SOME OF OUR DISTRICT SEE PICKLEBALL COURTS ARE DONE. UH, THEY'RE THE FIRST COURTS FUNDED BY A DISTRICT OFFICE. THEY'RE COMPLETED AT CARL YOUNG AND WEST GRAY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. THERE'S MORE TO COME, BUT I DID WANNA SPOTLIGHT THAT. [03:35:01] IT WAS FUN TO GET OUT THERE OKAY. ON THE COURTS WITH SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR THAT. LASTLY, I WANT TO WELCOME, SHE COULDN'T BE HERE 'CAUSE I THINK SHE'S, UH, GETTING HER BADGE RIGHT NOW. UH, OUR NEWEST STAFFER, AALIYAH, UH, OTTE, UH, THIS IS HER FIRST IN-PERSON DAY. SHE GRADUATED LAST WEEKEND FROM TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY, WHERE SHE WAS PRESIDENT OF STUDENT GOVERNMENT. UH, WE'RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE HER BACK IN HOUSTON AND KNOW SHE'S GONNA BE UP TO REALLY GREAT THINGS FOR DISTRICT C. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. COUNCIL MEMBER P*****K, I HAVE ONE THING TO SAY. OH, SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PECK HAD SOME FLOWERS DELIVERED TO ME, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I RECOGNIZE THAT I DON'T HAVE MY GLASSES ON, SO I MISSED THE NAME. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR, FOR THE FLOWERS. . THANK YOU. , NO, THAT, THAT, THAT NEEDED TO BE SAID. IT NEEDED TO BE SAID. YEAH. ALRIGHT, UH, MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO, UH, CONTINUE TO SPOTLIGHT THE, UM, THE UNVEILING OF THE HOUSTON VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE, UH, NEXT FRIDAY, MAY 26TH AT 11:00 AM AT CLUB CREEK PARK, THE NEW CLUB CREEK PARK. AND, UH, IT'S GONNA BE A WELCOME HOME CEREMONY FOR ALL VIETNAM VETERANS FROM THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA WHO HAVE SERVED, UH, A WAY IN WHICH WE CAN PAY OUR RESPECTS TO THEM. MANY CAME BACK FROM THE WAR AND WERE MET WITH DISRESPECT, WITH RIDICULE, UH, AND A LACK OF APPRECIATION FOR THEIR SACRIFICE AND SERVICE. AND SO, UH, MY, MY FATHER SERVED IN THE VIETNAM WAR. I HEARD FROM HIM AND MANY OF, OF THOSE WHO SERVED WITH HIM, THAT THEY WISHED THEY HAD A MEMORIAL OR SOME TYPE OF MONUMENT THAT WOULD SPEAK TO THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, TO THEIR SACRIFICE. AND OUR, UM, VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL WILL GIVE A UNIQUE HOUSTON PERSPECTIVE TO THAT. AND SO I WANT TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO TERRORIST 20. UH, THEY PARTNER WITH OUR OFFICE AND, UM, PUT FORTH THE BULK OF THE FUNDING FOR THAT MEMORIAL, YOUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, THE OFFICE OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND THEN THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY WHO'S WORKED WITH OUR, OUR OFFICE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE PROPERLY RECOGNIZED AS WELL. SO I THINK IT'S GONNA BE, UM, MORE THAN PEOPLE EXPECT WHEN THEY GET THERE. I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE BLOWN AWAY WHEN YOU SEE IT. UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE INVITING ALL TO COME OUT NEXT FRIDAY, THE 26TH AT 11:00 AM OUR OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO, UM, PUT FORTH THOSE DETAILS AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, AMONG MIN OCCASION AND FINALLY SAYING, WELCOME HOME TO THOSE VIETNAM VETERANS. NICE. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN EVANS CHABON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, OF COURSE, UH, CONGRATULATIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. I LOVE THE VENUE. IT WAS ALMOST IN DISTRICT D, BUT IT WAS REALLY CLOSE, BUT REALLY ENJOYED IT. . UM, I WANNA SAY THAT THIS PAST WEEKEND WE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL CIVIC LEADERS AND SMALL BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM AT THE ION. IT WAS AMAZING. I WANNA THANK, UH, STEVEN JAMES, MY, UH, CHIEF OF STAFF, COREY GLENN AND INGRAM MITCHUM. THEY WERE OUTSTANDING, AS WELL AS CAMILLA WALKER FROM THE HOUSTON AREA URBAN LEAGUE, AND DERA SMITH, WHO WAS ONE OF MY STUDENTS WHEN I TAUGHT AT FLEMING MIDDLE SCHOOL, SHE CAME AND VOLUNTEERED. I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS AMAZING. UH, AND SO WE HAD, UH, LEADERSHIP TOOLS GIVEN TO THE CIVIC LEADERS AND CITY INFORMATION AND SMALL BUSINESS TOOLS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES TO ENGAGE IN C CITY AND GOVERNMENT BUSINESS. I HAVE TO TAKE THE TIME TO THANK OUR SPONSOR, TRUIST BANK AND KAY CHAMBERS, AND CERTAINLY OUR CITY EMPLOYEES RIDGE, ELDRIDGE PUGH FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, MARGARET WALLACE BROWN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, MARK WIL FALK FROM SOLID WASTE AND OUR OWN MARTA WHO CAME AND, AND KEPT US ON TRACK, UH, AND REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATED. AND CERTAINLY TO ERIC GOODY OF THE HOUSTON AREA URBAN LEAGUE, WHO CAME OUT AND GAVE A VERY INFORMATIVE, UH, DISCUSSION. ALSO, UH, WE ARE HAVING THE GROUNDBREAKING, WHICH IS NOW IN DISTRICT D AND I'M GONNA SAY DISTRICT D HAS A LOT OF PROPERTY. DISTRICT C HAS A LOT OF HEART AS WELL. AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE LOVE YOU AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT. UH, AND THAT'S GONNA BE TODAY AS THE MAYOR SAID AT 11:00 AM. UM, AND IF YOU CAN JOIN US, THEN COME ON OUT. UH, AND BECAUSE WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR THIS EMERGENCY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, ALSO TONIGHT, THERE WILL BE THE SUNNYSIDE STORIES, WHICH IS A FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION FROM 68 TO 8:00 PM AT THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER. [03:40:01] UH, THAT'S GONNA BE WONDERFUL WHERE THERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE STORIES AND THE HISTORY OF SUNNYSIDE. ALSO, TONIGHT, THERE WILL BE A COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION PROGRAM AT GREATER ST. MATTHEWS, 77 0 1 JULIN STREET FROM SIX 30 TO EIGHT 30. THANK YOU TO PASTOR AUGUSTA BOOKER III. OKAY. FLIPPING MY PAGES BACK AND FORTH. OKAY. THEN ON TOMORROW I WANT TO JOIN REVEREND LESLIE SMITH, THE FOUNDER OF CHANGE HAPPENS, CDC FOR A RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE CITADEL 33, 31 ELGIN ON TOMORROW FROM ONE 30 TO THREE. THERE ARE 74 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS FOR SENIORS IN THE THIRD WARD. AND SO WE ARE VERY, VERY EXCITED. IF YOU KNOW WHAT THAT AREA USED TO LOOK LIKE, YOU WOULD SHOUT, UH, IT WAS REALLY A CRACK ALLEY. AND SO IT'S GONNA BE A BEAUTIFUL CEREMONY AND A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO START A NEW LIFE ON TOMORROW, ON SATURDAY, THE US ARMED FORCES DAY CELEBRATION WILL BE, UH, FROM 11 TO THREE AT OUR PARK, WHICH IS RIGHT THERE BY THE SHAPE COMMUNITY CENTER, 38 15 LIVE OAK. UH, THE ADULT PROGRAM IS 11 TO THREE, THE NOON, THE YOUTH PROGRAM IS NOON TO FOUR. THANK YOU TO BISHOP FRANK RUSH. ALSO, I HAVE TO CONGRATULATE MY BEAUTIFUL NIECE, RAVEN CATHERINE WILLIAMS, WHO IS ALSO GRADUATING THIS WEEKEND FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA. SO I WON'T BE ON, ON SITE IN HOUSTON THIS WEEK. I WILL BE THERE CONGRATULATING AND CELEBRATING MY WONDERFUL NIECE. AND I THINK THAT OUGHT TO CONCLUDE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR . THANK YOU VERY, THANK YOU. VERY MAYOR. I FORGOT, I FORGOT TO MENTION THIS. UM, I'M SORRY, I FORGOT TO MENTION THIS. UM, THANK YOU MUCH. UH, THE, UH, BYOB ORDINANCE THAT'S COMING THROUGH. UM, I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT, UH, SINCE DISTRICT F SHOWS UP IN DISTRICT CA MAJORITY IN THAT HEAT MAP. MY, MY QUESTION IS, FOR THE POKER CLUBS THAT OPERATE O THROUGHOUT AFTER 2:00 AM THAT ALLOW FOR, UH, ALCOHOL ON PREMISES, HOW ARE WE DEFINING THEM BECAUSE OF THE, UH, POLICE CASES THAT WE GET WITH CER CERTAIN ONES, RIGHT? THERE'S SOME THAT HAVE A LEVEL OF SECURITY, THERE'S SOME THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE BUSINESSES. BUT FOR THOSE THAT HAVE INCREASED CRIME, UH, MOTOR MOTOR VEHICLE MURDER, LIKE HOMICIDES, WHAT'S IN, HOW DOES THAT BYOB INCLUDE THOSE POKER CLUBS TO ALLOW HPD THEN TO GO IN, UM, WITH SOME LEVEL OF REGULATION? UM, NUMBER ONE, LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU FOR, FOR RAISING THAT ISSUE. LET ME GET WITH CITY LEGAL SURE. SEE HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE I THINK, I THINK BROADLY THE ORDINANCE CAN POSSIBLY INCLUDE THAT MY CONCERN IS A, A LOOP BECAUSE IT'S NOT, THERE'S, THERE'S NO DEFINITION OF OUTSIDE OF ALLOWING ALCOHOL ON PREMISES WITHOUT TABC. AND SO FOR, UM, UH, ESTABLISHMENTS OR, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE TABC LICENSES WHERE THERE'S GAMING, THAT HAPPENS, THAT'S A DIFFERENT DEAL. THAT'S NOT WHAT'S INCLUDED. I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN THOSE THAT ARE NOT. UM, UH, THERE'S NO, I GOT YOU. YEAH, I GOT, LET ME GET WITH, UM, CITY LEGAL AND THEN, UH, WE'LL GET BACK WITH YOU BEFORE. BEFORE. OKAY. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S SCHEDULED TO BE ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK. NEXT WEEK. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER KAON. THANK YOU MAYOR, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS HAS BEEN VERY VOCAL ON THIS ISSUE, AND WE'VE SUBMITTED THE QUESTION ALSO TO A RA, UM, AFTER WE HEARD IT AT COMMITTEE COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD HAS ALSO RAISED A LOT OF CONCERNS AROUND, UM, SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES. AND AGAIN, I THINK B WE ONE BYOB IS A SPECIFIC, UM, FOCUS OF A SPECIFIC NEED. BUT I THINK THAT IT CAN ALSO, UM, ENCOMPASS SOME OF THESE, UH, BUSINESSES THAT ARE, UM, CAN, EXCUSE ME, CAN FALL UNDER THAT. BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR ON WHAT IT DOES SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WHEN WE ARE ADDRESSING THE POLITICAL ROOMS, WE ARE ADDRESSING SOME OF THE PROBLEM AREAS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD IS RAISING. SO MAKING SURE, OBVIOUSLY STAYING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF BI WELL BYOB AND THE INTENT OF THAT, BUT MAKING SURE IT'S CLEAR ENOUGH SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE AS INTENDED. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MAGOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. SINCE WE'RE DISCUSSING ALL THIS IN REGARDS TO HOUSE BILL 21, 27, I MEAN, MEAN, HOW IS THIS GOING TO RELATE TO THAT? I, IN REGARDS TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE BYOB, UH, THE SOUND ORDINANCE THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HAD MENTIONED EARLIER? [03:45:02] UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE WERE ELECTED TO REPRESENT OUR CONSTITUENTS, UH, AND TO KNOW THAT THE STATE IS LIMITING WHAT WE CAN DO TO BETTER OUR CITY, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALARMING. UH, THAT'S ALARMING. AND I, I JUST WONDER WHERE, WHERE WE STAND ON THAT. WELL, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT, I'M GLAD YOU RAISED IT. AND QUITE FRANKLY, I MEANT TO TALK ABOUT, UH, HB 2127 BEFORE LEAVING BECAUSE, UH, WHEN THE, WHEN THE BILL WENT OVER TO THE SENATE, UH, SENATOR CREIGHTON, UM, FROM THE HARRIS COUNTY, UM, WHICH HE'S, HE'S THERE AUTHOR OF THE BILL, UM, HE AMENDED 2127 AND, UH, ON THE FLOOR, HE TOLD THE SENATORS, I'M AMENDING 2127, UH, TO, UM, REMOVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, COMMISSIONERS, LOCAL OFFICIALS FROM BEING SUED. THAT WAS THE REPRESENTATION THAT HE GAVE ON THE FLOOR. AND THE AMENDMENT WAS ACCEPTED. BUT WHAT THE AMENDMENT DOES IS THAT IT DEALS WITH PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM BEING, IT PREVENTS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM PREVENTING, PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM BEING EVICTED. IT GOES WAY BEYOND WHAT HE REPRESENTED. UM, SO 21, 27 GOT EVEN BROADER. UM, UM, YEAH, WE, WE'LL WORK, WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT IT NOW BECAUSE IT DOES APPEAR THAT 21, 20 7 MILLION UP, YOU KNOW, GOING TO THE GOVERNOR FOR HIM TO SIGN IT. SO, BUT, BUT MAYOR, WHAT'S THE CURE FOR THAT IN THE SENATE? IF HE SUBMITS AN AMENDMENT THAT, UH, BUT HE READ SOMETHING DIFFERENT ON RECORD ON THE FLOOR, THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF CURE BECAUSE IT'S NOT RIGHT. IT'S UP TO THE, BUT THE, IT'S UP TO THE WELL SENATE PASSED THE BILL, IT'S NOW GOING TO CONFERENCE TO RECONCILE THE DIFFERENCE. AND THE HOUSE COULD, COULD SAY, WE DON'T NOT AGREE TO THE AMENDMENT, OR THEY COULD SIGN OFF TO THE AMENDMENT. THIS WAS A BILL THAT WAS, THAT WAS STUCK IN COMMITTEE. HE ADDED HIS BILL THAT WAS STUCK IN COMMITTEE AND WAS NOT MOVING, AND HE ADDED HIS BILL ONTO 2127, WHICH BROADENED THE RE THE REACH OF 21 27, 21 27 ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING NOW COULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF PREEMPTING US. SO AS WE TALK ABOUT BYOB AND ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS, UM, I MEAN, WE ARE, WE ARE PROCEEDING, BUT, UM, THE BILL DOES GIVE, UH, THESE ESTABLISHMENTS AND OTHERS THE POWER TO COME BACK AND SAY TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU DID NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY IN THE 2127. SO, SO, SO, SO READING THE, READING ALL THIS ON MEDIA, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE, OF COURSE WHAT THEY'RE TRYING, THE LEGISLATURE'S TRYING TO DO IS LIMIT THE BLUE CITIES, BASICALLY. SO, SO MIKE ASKED MY QUESTION IS ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS IN THIS LAW, UH, STATE LAW WHERE IT, IT'S ONLY GOING TO APPLY TO MUNICIPALITIES THAT MAYBE HAVE 150,000 MORE AND HIGHER. SO THEREFORE THE RURAL COMMUNITIES CAN DO WHATEVER THEY HAVE. AND I THEY WANT, ACTUALLY, DO YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE, UH, THEY HAVE, UM, WHAT YOU CALL IT, UM, DRAFTED THIS BILL? SO IT DOES YES. BRACKETED THIS BILL SO THAT IT DOESN'T APPLY TO REAL RURAL CITIES AND TOWNS. NO, THEY HAVEN'T DONE THAT. BUT WHAT IT APPLIES TO IS HOME RURAL CITIES, OF WHICH THERE ARE 300 SOME IN TEXAS, AND THAT'S A, ANY, UM, MUNICIPALITY WITH 5,000 OR MORE INHABITANTS CAN, UH, HAVE AN ELECTION TO BE HOME RULES WHERE THE REACH IS PRETTY BROAD. IT'S INTENDED TO REALLY, AND, AND IT FLIPS THE, UM, IT FLIPS THE WAY TEXAS OPERATES ON ITS HEAD. YOU KNOW, TEXAS, UH, TWO CENTURIES AGO DECIDED THAT THE WAY MUNICIPALITIES SHOULD NOT HAVE TO COME TO AUSTIN TO HAVE LAWS THAT THEY WANT IN THERE. SO A HOMEROOM MUNICIPALITY CAN HAVE THE LAW THAT IT, THAT IT WANTS. SO LONG AS IT DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH STATE LAW, WHAT THIS DOES, IT TURNS ITS ON ITS HEAD AND SAYS, YOU CAN'T OPERATE UNLESS YOU COME TO US. WE'VE GONE BACK TO THE 18 HUNDREDS IN EFFECT, IN EFFECT, 2127 SAYS THAT AUSTIN WILL BE YOUR CITY COUNCIL. THAT'S WHAT IT, THAT CENTURY. THAT'S WHAT HE SAYS. SO WE'RE TAKING A VERY DEEP LOOK AT IT, AND I'M GLAD YOU STATED THAT BECAUSE ALSO, EVEN THOUGH YOU SAY IT'S AUSTIN, IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES, WELL, IT'S GONNA BE OUR STATE SENATOR. YES. THAT, THAT, THAT IF, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE A, A HOUSTONIAN AND YOU HAVE AN ISSUE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU HAVE AN ISSUE THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE SAYING, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHY AREN'T YOU DOING THIS? WELL, NO, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO NOW TO YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO TO YOUR STATE SENATOR RIGHT. TO TRY TO GET THIS PASSED THROUGH THE STATE EVERY OTHER EE EVERY OTHER YEAR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT AND ASK YOUR STATE REP, YOUR STATE SENATOR TO GO GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF BECAUSE YOUR, YOUR CITY COUNCIL'S [03:50:01] MEMBER'S HANDS ARE GONNA BE TIED. I THINK NEXT WEEK WE'LL HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE ON WHERE THIS THING IS GOING, BUT IT DOES APPEAR THAT 2127 IS, UH, EN ROUTE TO THE GOVERNOR FOR HIS SIGNATURE. ONCE THE FERRES WORK THINGS OUT. AND, AND I'M SURE THEY, THAT THEY WILL, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION ON THIS. UH, IN CLOSING, LEMME JUST SAY THIS, UH, LEMME SAY THIS TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH REGARDS TO THE BUDGET, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY, LET'S SAY YOU'RE CONTEMPLATING, UM, WHETHER OR NOT YOU SHOULD FILE AN AMENDMENT, WHAT HAVE YOU, YOU KNOW, PLEASE COME AND SEE ME. YOU KNOW, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE BILL, THAT WHAT I PRESENTED IS PERFECT, BUT I THINK IF WE HAVE A CONVERSATION, I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN KIND OF WORK SOME THINGS OUT IF, IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS. SO FEEL FREE TO COME SEE ME AND, UH, AND YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS. I'LL TELL MY, MY MY STAFF IS LISTENING TO ME NOW, SO PLEASE COME AND SEE ME. I, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT YOU TO FEEL LIKE YOU JUST HAVE TO BE COMPELLED. I MEAN, IF YOU END UP HAVING TO FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO DO IT, OKAY, I GOT YOU. I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S YOUR RIGHT. UM, BUT UM, IN DRAFTING THE, THE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WE TRIED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THINGS THAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM YOU OVER THE PAST YEAR MM-HMM . SO PLEASE COME AND SEE ME. HOW MUCH MONEY YOU GONNA STAY ON A. * 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.