[00:00:04]
OH SEVEN AND ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH, MAY, OH, MAY 31ST.AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL.
THE WATER, OH, WE'LL START WITH THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE CHAIR.
AND I'M EXCITED TO BRING UP DR.
ALEJANDRA CHO FROM THE YOUNG CENTER'S MIND BODY, INSTI MIND, BODY SPIRIT INSTITUTE.
HE'S THE HUFFINGTON FOUNDATION ENDOWED DIRECTOR.
HE IS ALSO ADJUNCT FACULTY AT UT MEDICAL SCHOOL AND MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER, FELLOW OF THE MIND AND LIFE INSTITUTE.
ALI IS A SCHOLAR, RESEARCHER, AUTHOR, TEACHER, AND EDUCATOR WITH A PHD FROM RICE UNIVERSITY FOCUSED, FOCUSING ON TIBETAN MIND BODY PRACTICES, AN APPLICATIONS IN CONTEMPORARY HEALTH ENVIRONMENTS.
FOR OVER 20 YEARS, ALI HAS RESEARCHED AND TAUGHT MIND BODY TECHNIQUES TO HELP RELIEVE STRESS AND SUPPORT WELLBEING THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING AT MD ANDERSON'S INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE PROGRAM AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL HEALTHCARE AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
HE TEACHES IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH.
HE IS THE AUTHOR OF ONLY 20 ARTICLES AND THREE BOOKS, INCLUDING TIBETAN YOGA FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING.
I'M SORRY, I'M GIVING YOU MY BACK AS I DO THIS.
UM, SO I WAS BORN IN ARGENTINA, VERY CATHOLIC COUNTRY AND IN A JEWISH FAMILY.
WENT TO PRESBYTERIAN SCHOOL, AND, UM, I REALIZED WHAT WAS MY CALL WHEN I MET HIS, SO IS A DALAI LAMA, AND HE SAID, A GOOD HEART IS THE BEST RELIGION.
AND FOR ME, THAT'S WHAT I CARRY WHEN I DO MY MORNING MEDITATIONS, PRAYERS.
AND SO WHAT I THOUGHT I WOULD BRING HERE TODAY IS INSTEAD OF A PRAYER, I'LL DO A SHORT MEDITATION WITH BREATHING.
AND IF YOU WANT TO ENGAGE AS A WAY OF CONNECTING TO THE HEART, MAYBE IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, I THINK OUR GRANDMOTHERS USUALLY TELL US, DON'T DECIDE WITH THE BRAIN.
UM, AND SO MAYBE THIS WILL HELP IN ALL THE INCREDIBLE DECISIONS THAT YOU MAKE.
AND I HEAR THAT YOU'RE DOING A LOT WITH BUDGET.
A LOT NEW PEOPLE ARE COMING TO DIFFERENT POSITIONS.
SO, UH, LET ME DO A, A SHORT MEDITATION FOR YOU.
SO LET ME INVITE YOU, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, TO JUST CONNECT TO YOUR BREATH, AND IF POSSIBLE, BREATHE IN AND OUT THROUGH YOUR NOSE.
AND AS YOU CONNECT THROUGH YOUR BREATH, TAKE FOR A MOMENT, LET GO ALL THOSE THOUGHTS.
I KNOW YOU MAKE A LOT OF DECISIONS TODAY.
SO LET THOSE GO FOR JUST THREE MINUTES AS WE TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
AND IF IT'S COMFORTABLE, BRING A HAND TO YOUR ABDOMEN AS YOU BREATHE, LOWER THERE AND BACK THROUGH THE NOSE.
AND THAT CAN ALLOW YOU TO ELICIT THE RELAXATION RESPONSE.
JUST FOCUS ON YOUR BREATH IN THROUGH THE NOSE, INTO YOUR ABDOMEN, BACK THROUGH THE NOSE, NOTICING YOUR BODY AND HOW YOU'RE SITTING.
NOTICING THE SIT BONES ALL THE WAY TO THE CROWN AND MAYBE ELONGATE THE SPINE.
KEEP ON BREATHING, AND IN EVERY EXHALATION, KIND OF LETTING GO WHAT YOU DON'T NEED IN EVERY INHALATION, BRINGING THAT BREATH AND LIFE FORCE ENERGY.
AND IF IT'S COMFORTABLE, AS WE CONCLUDE, BRING A HAND OR BOTH HANDS TO YOUR HEART OR HEART CENTER, JUST CONNECTING TO YOUR HEART, BREATHING TO ALL YOUR GOODNESS AS YOU MAKE ALL THESE DECISIONS THAT IMPACT THE WHOLE CITY OF HOUSTON, ALL ITS INHABITANTS, ALL THE LAND, ALL THE ANIMALS AND BIRDS.
AND AS WE CONCLUDE, LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GRATITUDE THAT WE ARE HERE TODAY.
[00:05:01]
BE CONNECTED THROUGH THE HEART AND AS WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, CONNECTING HEART TO HEART TO OTHERS, SO THAT OUR ACTIONS OF BODY, SPEECH, AND MIND COME FROM THE HEART.IF YOU ARISE FOR THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC, WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, THANK GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH EVERYTHING OF JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[9:00 AM - ROLL CALL]
SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PLEASE CALL THE, THE ROLE MAYOR TURNER.COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN? PRESENT? COUNCIL CISNEROS.
[ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING]
MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES.[REPORT FROM CITY CONTROLLER AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION REGARDING THE CURRENT FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE CITY including but not limited to, a revenue, expenditure and encumbrance report for the General Fund, all special revenue funds and all enterprise funds, and a report on the status of bond funds]
TURN TO THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT.HONOR, LET ME RECOGNIZE COMPTROLLER CHRIS BROWN AND FINANCE DIRECTOR WILL JONES.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING APRIL 30TH, 2023.
THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 380.2 MILLION FOR FFY 23.
THIS IS 40.3 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 204.8 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% IN RESERVES.
OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS INCREASE BY 21.8 MILLION FROM THE MARCH, 2023 REPORT.
AND THIS WAS DUE TO THE FOLLOWING.
PROPERTY TAX INCREASED BY 8.4 MILLION.
SALES TAX INCREASED BY 10 MILLION.
MIXED BEVERAGE TAX INCREASED BY 1.5 MILLION.
OTHER FRANCHISE FEES INCREASED BY 246,000.
CHARGES FOR SERVICES INCREASED BY 445,000 MUNICIPAL COURTS.
FINES AND FORFEITURES INCREASED BY 884,000.
AND FINALLY, INTEREST INCOME INCREASED BY 375,000.
EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES ARE UNCHANGED FROM THE MARCH, 2023 REPORT.
AND LOOKING AT OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS, THERE ARE NO PROJECTED CHANGES FOR THE ENTERPRISE OR SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
SO MOVING ON TO OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT OUR VARIABLE RATE DEBT, ALL OF OUR VARIABLE RATE DEBT IS WELL BELOW THE 20% THRESHOLD.
THIS IS A 10 PLUS TWO FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING APRIL 30TH, 2023.
PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON 10 MONTHS OF ACTUAL RESULTS IN TWO MONTHS OF PROJECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND, OUR REVENUE PROJECTION IS 101.3 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET, AND 18.2 MILLION HIGHER THAN LAST MONTH.
THE VARIANCE FROM LAST MONTH PROJECTION IS DUE TO 15.5 MILLION INCREASE IN GENERAL PROPERTY TAXES DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED COLLECTIONS.
1.6 MILLION INCREASE IN INTEREST TO REFLECT HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED CASH RECEIPTS AND 1.1 MILLION INCREASE IN MISCELLANEOUS OTHER DUE TO HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED UNCLAIMED PROPERTY OVERPAYMENTS OVER THREE YEARS FOR THE EXPENDITURES.
OUR PROJECTION IS 29.3 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM LAST MONTH.
WE'RE CURRENTLY PROJECTING THE ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 420.5 MILLION, WHICH IS 18.2 MILLION HIGHER THAN LAST MONTH, AND 18% OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.
THE FUND BALANCE IS 245.1 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGETED 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO.
UH, WE'RE PROJECTING NO FORECAST CHANGES IN OUR ENTERPRISE AND SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
COUNCILMAN KOSH, CONTROLLER BROWN, DO WE KNOW, HAVE ANY IDEA FROM THE UH, UH, HARRIS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT, HOW MANY OF, UH, OUR LARGE PROPERTIES MAY BE BEING CONTESTED ON THE APPRAISAL AND WHAT WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS REFUNDING THEM IF, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE INCREASED OUR COMMUNICATION WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY PER DISTRICT AROUND THIS ISSUE OVER THE YEARS.
WE'VE HAD SOME, UH, VOLATILITY IN THE REVENUES WE'VE RECEIVED IN PART BECAUSE OF ALL THESE, UH, CONTESTING OF PROPERTY VALUES.
[00:10:01]
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER.I WOULD SAY JUST IN GENERAL, UM, WE ARE PROBABLY SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, PROTEST I KNOW ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE AND ALSO COMMERCIAL CONTINUES TO, UH, BE QUITE ACTIVE.
UM, SO I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO, UH, PREPARE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE, ESPECIALLY, UM, WITH ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, WITH THE VALUES DECREASING, WE MIGHT SEE SOME REDUCED, UH, APPRAISAL VALUES.
UH, BUT I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER FOR YOU AT THIS MOMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF DIRECTOR JONES HAS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
NO, I MEAN, I AGREE WITH THE CONTROLLER.
COUNCIL MEMBER PILOT FOR A MOTION.
I MOVE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT DATED APRIL 30TH, 2023.
SECOND ROBINSON, IT HAS BEEN MOVED IN SECOND IN DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED.
[1
9:00 A,M,
PUBLIC HEARING on the City Budgets for the time period July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024
]THIS POINT IN TIME, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE NOW TO THE BUDGET HEARING.AND MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU WILL PROCEED TO CALL THE, THE NAMES FOR THE BUDGET HEARING.
IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD.
JADA SMITH IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY JAMES CALDWELL.
UH, AND YOU CAN SIT IN ONE OF THOSE CHAIRS.
HELLO, I'M HERE TO ENCOURAGE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS TO VOTE FOR AN INCREASE IN THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM AND THE STORM WATER ACTION TEAM FUNDING BY $20 MILLION EACH TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF PUBLIC WORKS TO CARRY OUT DRAINAGE NEEDED IN COMMUNITIES SUCH AS THE ONE IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON.
JAMES CARDWELL IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL MORITZ, PASTOR CARDWELL.
UH, I WANT TO ECHO MY, UH, SPEAKER BEFORE ME IN REGARD TO THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL PROTECTING, UH, COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT ARE LESS FORTUNATE.
AND BY UTILIZING THE, UH, LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECT FUNDING OF $20 MILLION, UM, THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT WILL PROTECT, UH, OUR COMMUNITIES AND, AND, AND ALLOW THE CITY TO REALLY BRING ABOUT EQUITY IN THE CITY ITSELF.
SO I'M BASICALLY HERE TO ENCOURAGE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU HERE TO THINK IN TERMS OF TRYING TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS IN, UH, UH, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND COMMUNITIES, UH, LESS FORTUNATE, SUCH AS, UH, THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH I'M SPEAKING HERE.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF, UH, THE COALITION OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, BUT I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF NAC, THE NORTHEAST ACTION COLLECTIVE.
UH, SO WE WANT TO, I'D SAY WE, WE'VE GONE THROUGH HARVEY, WE'VE GONE THROUGH HEIGHT, AND WE'VE SEEN THE IMPACT THAT THAT HAS HAD ON, UH, ON, ON COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON.
SO THIS DRAINAGE PROJECT, UTILIZING THIS $20 MILLION WILL DEFINITELY BE HELPFUL IN ALLEVIATING SOME OF THE BURDEN, THE PAIN, THE MYSTERY, AND THE SUFFERING FROM THESE COMMUNITIES.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE THIS MORNING.
THANK COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN, UH, SHABAZZ.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GREETINGS.
I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN QUITE SOME TIME, BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING.
MR. CALDWELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY.
I KNOW YOU'RE A VERY, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, A VERY STRONG ADVOCATE IN REGARDS TO COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES IN TO REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE THERE AT, UH, LONG BEACH AS WELL WITH OTHERS, UH, A FEW YEARS BACK, UH, ADVOCATING FOR OUR PORT TO DO IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, SO, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN, UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON.
AND, UM, UM, MS. PASTOR CALWELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, FOR COMING IN AND JUST FOR ADVOCACY FOR, UM, THE RESIDENTS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THROUGHOUT DISTRICT B, THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
YOU'VE BEEN, UM, A FIERCE ADVOCATE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AND SO WE JUST APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
[00:15:01]
YOU VERY MUCH.IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE WHO'S WISHING TO SPEAK ON AS RELATES TO THE BUDGET? IS THERE A MOTION TO ON THE BUDGET, ON THE PARTICULAR BUDGET? NOT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE? SO, MOVE ROBINSON BEEN MOVED.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, JACKSON.
IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND IN ANY DISCUSSION.
HEARING THAT MOTION GRANTED NOW WE ARE
[CONSENT AGENDA]
TURNING TO THE APPOINTMENTS TO THE APPOINTMENT.SO, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU COULD CALL ITEMS TWO THROUGH FIVE, TWO THROUGH FIVE.
NEED A MOTION ON ITEMS TWO THROUGH FIVE? MOVE ROBINSON.
IS, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, YES.
AND ON ITEMS TWO THROUGH FIVE.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED ON TWO THROUGH FIVE.
IF YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD ON ITEM TWO.
THIS IS TO THE HOUSTON FOOD INSECURITY BOARD.
UH, POSITION ONE IS ALIA CLACK.
TWO IS BILL, BE ALICIA PIERCE.
SIX IS CHARMAINE LEBLANC, EIGHT IS VIPIN KUMAR, I GET THAT FIRST NAME RIGHT.
IS IT VI OR BIPPING? IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD.
UM, NINE IS, UH, HOA, ER 11 IS KATHY FLANAGAN.
I'LL PROBABLY, UM, BUTCHER SOME OF THOSE NAMES.
SO IF YOU'LL JUST REPEAT YOUR NAME ONE MORE TIME.
MARK, YOU HAVE TO COME CLOSER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE.
AS YOU KNOW, THE HOUSTON FOOD INSECURITY BOARD IS SOMETHING WE KICKED OFF LAST YEAR.
UM, AND WE GAVE OUR BOARD MEMBERS A TWO YEAR, UH, PERIOD TO COME UP WITH SOME STRATEGIES AND POLICIES FOR US TO LOOK INTO OUR FOOD INSECURITY CHALLENGES.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR SERVING AND LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER P THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, SERVING.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, THANK YOU SPECIFICALLY TO MARLON FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO IN THE DISTRICT, A COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, SHE DOES SO MUCH AND I KNOW THAT SHE REALLY HAS A PULSE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH FOOD INSECURITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
ON POSITION THREE, IF YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD TO THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD.
EIGHT IS TAN EMO UH, NINE IS BARON WALLACE, 10 IS NICK TOKIN, 11 IS ANN LENTZ.
12 IS CHRIS GEORGE, 13 IS CULLEN ELLMAN.
UH, 14 IS ANDREW PRICE, 15 IS LAURA SPAN, 16 IS DINA
19 IS JEANIE PHILLIPS AND 20 IS THOMAS BACON.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO LETTER'S.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AND GOOD TO HAVE YOU, UH, ON THIS, ON THIS BOARD.
UM, UM, LOOK, UM, WE SO APPRECIATE THE SERVICE THAT YOU'VE ALREADY GIVEN TO THE CITY, AND I'M SEE THAT YOU ARE CONTINUING, UH, TO SERVE THIS CITY.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU VERY CLOSELY ON THE PARKS BOARD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR.
UH, IT IS MY HONOR TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO, TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TRUST, UH, ON, ON THIS CAPACITY.
THANKS, F THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND ON FOUR, UM, THIS IS TO THE, UM, OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY ADVISORY BOARD.
IF YOU'RE HERE YOURSELF, JAY BERGES, YOURSELF IS, UM, GOOD MORNING.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO, UM, UM, THANK YOU
[00:20:01]
FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE, UH, ON THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
AND IN FACT, TONIGHT IS THE OBO DIVERSITY AND CHAMPIONS AWARD, UH, TONIGHT THAT I HOPE, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL ATTEND AND OTHERS WILL ATTEND AS, AS WELL.
SO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON SOMETHING THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, UH, TO ALL OF US IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
NOW, STATE YOUR NAME SO I MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE IT CORRECT.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE.
AND THEN ON FIVE, UH, IS THE HOUSTON CLEAN CITY COMMISSION.
UH, 16 IS DAN DANA M VASQUEZ, AND 28 IS CHRIS PATTON.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF THEM.
[9:30 AM - PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
NOW WE'RE GOING TO, UM, TURN TO THE PUBLIC SESSION.AND MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALL, UM, IF YOU'LL CALL THE FIRST, UH, SPEAKER BURLEY MCGEE.
MS. MCGEE, WE'RE WAITING GOOD MORNING TO MAYOR TURNER AND TO YOU THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M YOUR FORMER FIRST MS. BLACK HOUSTON.
I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I AM COMING HERE THIS MORNING TO GIVE YOU SOME QUESTIONS AND SOME, I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE ANSWERS.
I HAVE BEEN LIVING AT 29 43 PACEON STREET SINCE I WAS 10 YEARS OLD.
AND WHEN HURRICANE HARVEY CAME, IT WAS A BIG DISASTER FOR ME.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THESE PICTURES, I'VE BASICALLY BEEN LIVING ON THE GRID IN MY OWN HOME, BACK AND FORTH WITH THE TAX DIVISION.
I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE RUNNING BEHIND ON EVERYTHING.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, BY THEM RUNNING BEHIND ON EVERYTHING, NOW I AM BEING FORCED TO HAVE TO SELL MY PROPERTY AND MOVE OUTTA MY PROPERTY.
I JUST WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THESE PICTURES.
THIS IS HOW I'VE BEEN LIVING IN MY HOME SINCE 20 17TH OF AUGUST.
THE TREES THAT HAVE FALLEN ON MY ROOF, I WENT TO THE TOWN MEETING AND HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR MAYOR SYLVESTER, I WOULD NOT HAVE EVER BEEN ABLE TO GET INTO A COUPLE OF THE PROGRAMS IN WHICH THEY WERE PROVIDING.
AND THEN WHEN THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE GLOW TOOK A MANIFESTATION PROCESS AGAINST THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND YOU, THE CITY COUNCIL, IT WAS A SETBACK.
AND THEY MADE ME START THE PROCESS ALL OVER.
SO THAT MEANT PAPERWORK, PAPERWORK, RED TAPE, RED TAPE.
AND AS A RESULT, NOTHING HAS HAPPENED.
AND I'VE BEEN LIVING LIKE THIS SINCE 2017 IN MY HOUSE.
I'VE GOTTEN SICK, MY PETS HAVE GOTTEN SICK, AND AS A RESULT, I HAVE COME TO YOU FOR HELP.
THE TAX DIVISION WANTED ME TO PAY THEM A SUM OF $10,000.
I HAD BEEN TO THE OFFICE AND THEY TOLD ME AGAIN, WE'RE RUNNING BEHIND.
WELL, HOW MUCH IS IT? DO I NEED TO GET ON A PAYMENT PLAN? WELL, IT'S UP THERE.
WELL, WHAT IS UP THERE? I NEED TO KNOW NO ANSWERS.
ALL OF MY QUESTIONS AND NO ANSWERS WE'RE GIVING BACK.
SO I'M ASKING YOU, WHAT IS IT AND WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR ME AS A A CITIZEN OF HOUSTON? WHAT IS IT GONNA TAKE THAT I HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE UNNECESSARY RECIPROCITIES? UM, MS. MCGEE, JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, SIR.
[00:25:01]
YES, YOUR, YOUR FILE, YOUR FILE HAS BEEN WITH THE STATE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE SINCE DECEMBER OF 2020.UM, SO, UM, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROGRAM AND IN YOUR PARTICULAR HOME, UH, IS WITH THE STATE GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
YOU KNOW, THEY ARE THE ONES, UM, WHO HAVE, UM, THE RESPONSIBILITY RIGHT, OF REBUILDING YOUR HOUSE AND BUILDING IT PROPERLY.
UM, WHAT I WOULD SAY TO YOU, UM, MAYBE THE MEDIA WILL COVER IT.
WHEN HOUSTON HAD THIS PROGRAM, THE MEDIA WAS VERY, THEY WERE COVERING EVERY SINGLE CASE LIKE THE ONE THAT YOU PRESENTED.
EVER SINCE GLO HAS TAKEN IT OVER, THE MEDIA HAS LOST INTEREST.
AND SO, UH, MAY, MAYBE THE MEDIA WILL GIVE THE SAME ATTENTION TO GLO THAT THEY GAVE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHEN WE HAD THE PROGRAM.
SO IT IS UNFORTUNATE, BUT YOUR FILE HAS BEEN WITH, UH, GLO SINCE DECEMBER, 2020.
THE PICTURES ARE, ARE JUST DEPLORABLE.
AND SO, AS THE MAYOR SAID IT IS WITH GLO, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER, UM, MY CONSTITUENTS DIRECTOR TO MAYBE HELP YOU TO NAVIGATE TO THAT PROCESS.
IF NOT, LET ME GIVE YOU ONE OF MY CARDS.
AND I THINK SHE DID REACH OUT TO YOU, BUT SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO, UH, REACH YOU.
AND SO I'LL GIVE YOU A CARD AND CERTAINLY YOU CAN, UH, WE'LL REACH OUT TO YOU.
I BELIEVE THIS IS YOUR NUMBER ON HERE AGAIN, BUT CERTAINLY CALL US BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND I CAN'T JUST LOOK THE OTHER WAY AND KNOW THAT MAYBE WE CAN HELP YOU TO NAVIGATE BECAUSE WE DO, UH, TRY TO HELP OUR CONSTITUENTS WHEREVER THEY, UH, MAY NEED THE HELP.
SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND THANK YOU FOR, AND IT, AND IT IS UNACCEPTABLE.
IT IT'S UNACCEPTABLE, UH, FOR YOU TO BE LIVING IN THIS STATE, UH, AND, AND CONDITION IN WHICH YOU ARE LIVING.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, I'LL REACH OUT TO, TO, UH, TO THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HERE TO, TO REACH OUT TO GLO.
UH, BUT YOU'LL GET A BETTER RESPONSE WHEN THE SAME TYPE OF SPOTLIGHT THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHEN WE HAD THE PROGRAM BY THE MEDIA YES.
AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT TICKS ME OFF.
BECAUSE WHEN HOUSTON HAD THIS PROGRAM, EVERY INCIDENT AND EVERY PERSON THAT CAME TO THIS MIC, LIKE YOU WAS ON TELEVISION.
SO THE MEDIA HAD NO PROBLEM COVERING THIS PROGRAM WHEN HOUSTON HAD IT, BUT WHEN THE STATE TOOK IT OVER, IT WAS IF PROBLEM GONE, BUT PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE STILL DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE SAME SORT OF LIME LENGTH THAT WAS PLACED ON THE CITY BY THE MEDIA SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE STATE GLO.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? SO WHY WOULD THE COVERAGE BE ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS IT WAS, BUT NOW NOT ON THE STATE WHEN THEY HAVE NOW THE RESPONSIBILITY.
AND BY THE WAY, THEIR PROGRAM IS OVERSUBSCRIBED.
THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE TAKEN MORE MONEY FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON BECAUSE THEIR PROGRAM IS OVERSUBSCRIBED.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, YOU ARE LIVING IN THIS CONDITION? YES.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL REACH OUT TO THEM AS WELL, UM, AND WE'LL DO, UH, AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO ASSIST YOU.
AND I'LL INSTRUCT, UH, OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO REACH OUT TO THE GLO AND ASK, UH, UH, FOR THEM TO RESPOND TO YOU AND GET BACK WITH YOU ONE SECOND.
COUNCIL MEMBER, KASH, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
HAVE THESE TREES BEEN REMOVED THAT CRASHED INTO THE HOUSE? THE TREES HAVE DISINTEGRATED.
THEY'VE BEEN THERE, AND THEY'RE JUST, FOR EVERY RAINFALL THAT WE HAVE, THEY SHIFT.
SO, SO IS THE, IS THERE STILL A ROOT, A HOLE IN YOUR ROOF? YES, I'VE HAD TO, I'VE DEPLETED MY SAVINGS ON PATCHING HERE, PATCHING THERE, PATCHING HERE, AND HAVING CONTRACTORS TO COME OUT TO PULL IT OUT.
WE MAY HAVE SOMEBODY TO REACH OUT TO YOU FROM, FROM THE HOUSTON HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
BE FOLLOWED BY STEVE WILLIAMS. MR. FALCON, RIGHT BEHIND THAT MIC.
[00:30:01]
WELL, I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH SOME PROBLEMS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD OVER THERE OFF OF 59.AND LITTLE YORK ON NIT STREET ON JANUARY 1ST, I WITNESSED ON, AT NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, A LITTLE GIRL GETS SHOT WITH A DUST SHOTGUN SHELL.
AND I'VE BEEN REPORTING IT SINCE THEN.
AND ONE OF THE HPD OFFICERS SAID, OH, WE CRACKED THAT CASE.
BUT TODAY, THE GIRL, THE THE, THE MOTHER TOOK ANOTHER LITTLE GIRL, BUT SHORTER, THESE PEOPLE CANNOT HAVE KIDS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO UTERUS.
I KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW THE FAMILY.
THEY ARE, THEIR LAST NAME IS THE CROW.
CROW, YESENIA IBARRA RAY REVEREND, I'VE ALREADY GIVEN THIS INFORMATION TO CPS HOMICIDE.
AND THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT, WELL, CPS SAID, I'M NOT RELATED TO THE PEOPLE AND I'M NOT BLACK.
SO WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH ME? THEN? THE OFFICERS ARE TELLING ME, NO, I CAN'T FILE A REPORT.
NOBODY WANTS TO GO AND LOOK AT THAT CAMERA.
AND IT'S GOT A SERIAL CODE, A SERIAL BAR NUMBER.
IF IT GETS SCANNED, IT WILL TELL YOU ABOUT JANUARY 1ST AT NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
THEY HAD LIT A, A FIREWORK THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO IN THE AIR, BUT THEY THREW IT IN THE DITCH.
SHE WAS AGAINST A WOODEN FENCE.
THE WOODEN FENCE FROM THE, THE CORNER POST OVER IS ABOUT 25 FEET.
NOW, THEY CAN CALL ME MHMR, BUT IF THEY GO AND LOOK AT THAT CAMERA, IT'LL SHOW ALL OF THEM HOLDING HER HAND, STANDING THERE WHILE THEY SHOT HER WITH A SMALL SHOTGUN ABOUT THIS BIG, IT, IT, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE FIREWORK.
AND THEN HER FACE STARTED TURNING RED, RED, LIKE BLOOD BEAT RED.
SHE WAS SCREAMING, YELLING AND CRYING.
AND THEN THEY JUST PICKED HER UP, THREW HER IN A SMALL FORD EXPLORER, RED IN COLOR WITH GOLD TRIM.
THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE WINDOWS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, HAD USED TIRES.
NOW THEY'RE SHOWING UP IN A CUSTOM.
IT'S LIKE A 98 99 CUSTOM CHOP.
IT'S THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT CARS, AND THEY HAVE A SMALLER LITTLE GIRL.
THERE'S BLOOD ON THAT WOODEN FENCE, HOMICIDE, CRIME SCENE.
NO ONE WANTS TO GO OVER THERE, INVESTIGATE IT.
THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THAT IT'S HAPPENED IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S A LOT OF MESSED UP STUFF HAPPENING IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE FIRST THING THEY TELL ME IS YOU'RE INM, HMR. BUT I TELL THEM, LOOK, IT'S ON CAMERA.
I EVEN SHOWED THEM PICTURES OF THE CAMERA.
I SHOWED THEM WHERE THE CAMERA WAS AT.
THEY WITNESSED THAT THERE IS A CAMERA.
AND I MEAN, THEY, THEY DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THEY DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING AT ALL.
THIS, THIS STUFF IS ON CAMERA.
I MEAN, I'M, I'M ASKING Y'ALL FOR HELP.
I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, COMING AND BRINGING IT TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND, UH, UH, LET US TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
OKAY? AND THEN, UH, WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE, HAVE, HAVE SAID.
WOULD, WOULD I BE ABLE TO WRITE A PHYSICAL REPORT? THEY'RE SAYING JUST BECAUSE I WITNESSED IT, THAT I CAN'T ACTUALLY WRITE THE PHYSICAL REPORT.
WELL, LET ME, LET, LET US, LET US, LET US TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
BUT I APPRECIATE YOU COMING FORWARD AND PROVIDING US WITH, UH, WITH THIS INFORMATION, AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON IT, OKAY? YES, SIR.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU HAVE GOOD DAY.
STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. STEVE WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER.
HELLO, MY NAME IS KENNETH WARD.
UM, I'M HERE REGARDING A SIDEWALK ISSUE ON A HOME THAT I PURCHASED ON ANITA STREET, UH, THROUGH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, I CLOSED ON THE HOUSE ON SEVEN 20, UM, I'M SORRY.
UM, JULY THE 27TH OF LAST YEAR.
UM, THE SIDEWALK THAT WAS PLACED ON MY PROPERTY WAS NOT PLACED PROPERLY, AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE PICTURES, WHICH THIS HAS CAUSED.
IT WAS THE HOUSE WAS BUILT BY MAYBERRY BUILDERS.
UM, THE ORIGINAL PLAN, I SIGNED A PURCHASE AGREEMENT ON JANUARY THE THIRD OF 22.
AND THEN I FOUND OUT THAT THE ORIGINAL SITE PLAN WAS CHANGED ON SIX THREE OF 22 WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE.
UH, THE SIDEWALK WAS PUT ON MY PROPERTY LINE, UM, WHICH CAUSES PRO ALLOW PEDESTRIANS TO WALK ONTO MY PROPERTY.
UM, AND OPPOSED TO, UH, HIM PAYING THE MONEY TO, UM, NOT PUT THE SIDEWALK THERE,
[00:35:01]
HE WENT AHEAD AND PUT THE SIDEWALK ON MY PROPERTY LINE.NOW HE'S POINTING FINGERS AT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT STATING THAT THEY APPROVED IT.
AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS POINTING FINGERS AT HIM SAYING, WELL, YOU NEED TO GO AFTER THE BUILDER BECAUSE HE PUT THE SIDEWALK ON YOUR AREA.
THE, THE SIDEWALK WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 20 FEET FROM MY GARAGE AND IT'S 15 FEET AND THE OTHER FIVE FEET.
WELL, I'M SUPPOSED TO HAVE 20 FEET OF, OF LIVING SPACE ON MY, UH, ON THE FRONT YARD.
SO THE SIDEWALK IS PUT ON FIVE FEET OF THE PROPERTY OF MY PROPERTY LINE.
SO I'VE BEEN IN THIS HOME SINCE JULY.
I'VE HAD, UH, TWO PACKAGES STOLEN OFF MY, OFF MY FRONT PORCH.
I'VE HAD PEOPLE ACTUALLY WALK IN MY DRIVEWAY TO USE THAT LITTLE PIECE OF WHAT THEY CALL A SIDEWALK.
AND NOT ONLY IS THE SIDEWALK BADLY CONSTRUCTED, IT'S NOT A DA COMPLIANT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE PICTURES, ANYONE WITH A WHEELCHAIR OR A, UH, CRUTCHES COULD NOT USE, UTILIZE THAT SIDEWALK.
OKAY? SO WITH THE CITY STATING THAT A SIDEWALK HAS TO BE IN FRONT OF NEW PROPERTY, THEY ALSO STATE THAT THE, THAT THE SIDEWALK HAVE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE FOR THE PUBLIC AS A BUFFER FOR EVERYONE TO USE IT.
AND THIS IS NOT A DA COMPLIANT, NOT ONLY IS NOT NOT COMPLIANT.
IF I'M PARKING MY CARS, BOTH OF MY CARS IN MY DRIVEWAY, I'M ACTUALLY ON THE DRIVEWAY WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO CANNOT WALK USING THAT DRIVEWAY.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS THAT THE CITY WAIVE THE FEE FOR THE REMOVAL.
'CAUSE I FILED THE APPLICATION WITH THE, WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AND THEY WANT ME TO PAY $1,200 IN ORDER TO PROCESS THE APPLICATION.
YOUR TIME HAS, MAYBERRY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING THAT AND REMOVING THE SIDEWALK.
I HAVE SPOKEN EXTENSIVELY WITH MR. MAYBERRY AND HE HAS ASSURED ME THAT HE WILL REMOVE THAT SIDEWALK AT NO COST TO YOU.
HOWEVER, THE APPLICATION FEE FOR THE WAIVER IS FOR THE APPLICANT, WHICH IS THE HOMEOWNER FOR WHAT YOU WANNA DO IN THE, IN, IN REGARDS TO THE SIDEWALK AT THAT POINT.
BUT HE HAS AGREED, UH, AS RECENTLY AS YESTERDAY THAT HE IS GOING TO REMOVE IT AT NO COST TO YOU.
AND SO, UH, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, WE CAN'T RESOLVE THIS, MEANING WE MEANING THE CITY, BUT I THINK THAT THAT IS A FAIR THING FOR HIM TO DO, TO CORRECT HIS ERA BY REMOVING THE SIDEWALK.
BUT THE APPLICATION FEE WOULD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN YOUR, UH, YOUR COST.
AND SO, AGAIN, HOPEFULLY YOU ALL CAN WORK THIS OUT BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, MISTAKES ARE MADE.
UH, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT HE'S GONNA STAND BY HIS WORD TO REMOVE IT AT NO COST, WHICH WOULD MAKE YOU WHOLE IN REGARDS TO THAT.
BUT ANY FURTHER MOVEMENT WOULD BE AN APPLICATION FEE BETWEEN YOU AND THE CITY, ACCORDING TO WHAT I'M TOLD.
ALRIGHT, LET ME, SO LEMME MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND.
SO THE, SO THE BILL IS WILLING TO REMOVE THE SIDEWALK.
MR. MABERRY, HE HAS ASSURED ME AS RECENTLY AS YESTERDAY THAT HE IS GOING TO REMOVE THAT SIDEWALK AT NO COST TO THE HOMEOWNER.
RIGHT? UM, BECAUSE I DO AGREE THE SIDEWALK DOESN'T WORK.
UM, AND THEN I DON'T UNDERSTAND, I GUESS I GOTTA GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION AS TO WHY, UM, IF WE SIGNED OFF ON, ON THE PROJECT.
I TELL YOU WHAT, IT'S AN, IT IS AN EASY FIX IF THE BILL IS AGREEING TO REMOVE THE SIDEWALK MM-HMM
UM, THEN ON THIS ONE WE WILL WAIVE THE APPLICATION FEE YOU AND BE DONE.
OKAY? THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING FOR.
MAYOR, WHAT? I JUST HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE GONNA, IF THEY REMOVE THE SIDEWALK, YOU'LL WAIVE THE FEE IF THE BUILDER IS WILLING TO REMOVE THE SIDEWALK AT HIS EXPENSE AND, UM, I'M QUESTIONING WHY WE WOULD'VE ALLOWED THIS SIDEWALK IN TO BE BUILT THE WAY IT WAS SO HE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO, UM, PAY THE PRICE FOR IT.
SO IF THE BUILDER'S GONNA REMOVE IT AT HIS COST AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO WAIVE THE APPLICATION FEE.
AND, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS A VARIANCE GRANTED BY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO PUT IT THERE.
WELL, WHETHER IT WAS, WAS OR WAS NOT.
UM, UM, WE ARE GONNA WAIVE THE APPLICATION FEE HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON FOR A PROCEDURAL MOTION.
UM, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES.
MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO MOVE CA SAM CONN K UP IN FRONT OF ANGEL CORTEZ FOR THREE MINUTES.
[00:40:04]
OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER.RICK CURT RICK CUR IS HERE SPEAKING OF SIDEWALKS ON AUGUST 10TH, 2022 AT 5:05 PM I CONTACTED 3 1 1 AND FOR NINE MINUTES AND ONE SECOND.
I SPOKE ABOUT AN ISSUE I ENCOUNTERED ON 19TH STREET IN THE 400 BLOCK DURING THE HEIGHTS WHITE LINEN EVENT A WEEK EARLIER TODAY, I'LL GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION.
I INFORMED 3 1 1 THAT I ALMOST HAD A MISHAP WALKING DOWN A CROWDED SIDEWALK IN THE 400 BLOCK OF 19TH STREET WA THE SIDEWALK HAD A SIX INCH DROP.
I BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF 3 1 1 BECAUSE OF THE SAYING, SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.
I THOUGHT THEY WOULD CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT'S TO REPAIR THE SITUATION.
I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ISSUE IS THE PROPERTY OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THE SIDEWALKS, NOT THE CITY.
WELL, TODAY I FIND THAT INTERESTING BECAUSE AS AN ACTIVIST I HAVE ATTENDED MANY A PROTESTS AND THE POLICE ALWAYS TELL THE PROTESTORS, WHICH INCLUDED ME TO STAY ON THE SIDEWALK AND NOT PRIVATE PROPERTY.
YESTERDAY I HAD NOTICED WHILE RUNNING DOWN SAN PHILIPPE TO TANGLEWOOD, THE SIDEWALKS INCLUDED MANHOLE TOPS FOR UNDERGROUND LINES FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AT T COMMUNICATIONS, NUMEROUS OTHER THINGS.
I GUESS AFTER I GET GOT CLOSER TO SAGE AND SEEN THE CRUMBLED UP SIDEWALK, GUESS THAT WOULD BE THE RANDALL STORE RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THAT SIDEWALK.
AT SAGE IN SAN FELIPPE, WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PICK IS AN OBSTRUCTION FOR ANYONE WITH A DISABILITY IN A WHEELCHAIR TO GET TO DISTRICT 18 OFFICE.
SHEILA JACKSON LEE'S OFFICE OR A SENIOR THAT NORMALLY IS CAUTIOUS, ONE STEPPING DOWN FROM A CURB AND EXPECTEDLY IN A CROWDED SITUATION STEPS OFF HIS, OFF HIS SIDEWALK HARD, WHICH CAN CAUSE NECK OR BACK INJURIES.
WHEN I INFORMED SHEILA THAT THE SIDEWALK THAT LEADS TO HER OFFICE NEEDS TO BE FIXED AND INFORMED HER WHAT 3 1 1 SAID HER RESPONSE WAS, THEY DID, THAT WAS JUST MONDAY, I TALKED TO HER.
SO IT IS, SO IF IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROPERTY OWNER TO FIX THE SIDEWALK ACCORDING TO 3 1 1, WHY HASN'T ANYONE BEEN CITED AND LOOK AT THE PICTURES TO SO BE SOMEONE AND FIX THE SIDEWALKS.
AND THIS IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF DISTRICT EIGHTEEN'S OFFICE IN THE HEIGHTS.
DO YOU KNOW, DO YOU KNOW WHO BUILT THE SIDEWALK? HUH? DO YOU KNOW WHO BUILT THIS SIDEWALK? I GUESS THE CITY DID.
OH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE CASE OR NOT.
WELL, WHO BUILT ALL THE SIDEWALKS BEFORE? YEAH, IT COULD BE THE BUILDER.
JUST LIKE WE JUST DEALT WITH THE SITUATION HERE.
UM, BUT, BUT IT IS NOT A, MY POINT IS IT IS NOT A DA APPROVED.
AND WE HAVE IT ALL OVER THE CITY.
I'M NOT TAKING ISSUE WITH YOU.
UM, BUT WE'LL TAKE WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE CITY BUILT THIS SIDEWALK.
WE'RE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE WITH, WITH DISABILITIES UNDERSTAND.
AND ELDERLY TO WALK OUR SIDEWALKS.
EVEN THE RUNNERS WILL TELL YOU.
WELL, NO, I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A HAZARD.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU ON THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR, UH, UH, BRINGING IT TO OUR ATTENTION.
I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU DON'T LIVE IN DISTRICT C, BUT WE TAKE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER FIXES WE CAN PROVIDE.
WE TRY TO DEDICATE DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO, OR WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
SO IF YOU SEE, UM, DEPENDING ON WHOSE DISTRICT A SIDEWALK MATTER IS IN, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE THIS ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, SO I APPRECIATE YOU, YOU RAISING IT.
THIS IS THE DISTRICT H IN THE HEIGHTS, UH, THAT IT'S DISTRICT C.
UH, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.
I USED TO COME HERE AND TALK ABOUT BANDIT SIGNS ALL THE TIME AND, AND WE'RE ALL OVER BANDIT SIGNS.
I KNOW VICE MAYOR PRO TEM IS FULLY WITH YOU ON THAT.
SO, UH, WE'RE, NOW THAT YOU'VE FLAGGED IT FOR OUR, OUR OFFICE, I KNOW I BELIEVE YOU HAD SUBMITTED AN A 3 1 1 A WHILE AGO, BUT WE WEREN'T AWARE OF THAT.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
WE'LL TRY TO WORK THROUGH OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
[00:45:01]
LEAST NOW WE'RE AWARE OF IT.SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BLAME THE CONGRESSWOMAN OR ANYONE ELSE FOR, YOU KNOW, THE STATUS OF OUR SIDEWALKS.
AND I THINK AS A CITY WE'RE REALLY TAKING A HARD LOOK AT HOW WE DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION THAT WE'VE ALL INHERITED.
YEAH, THERE'S A, THERE'S AN EVENT COMING UP AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, THE WHITE LINEN, THEY ALWAYS HAVE IT IN AUGUST, SO SOMEONE NEEDS TO FIX IT.
GAY HEART IS HERE ILO TO EVERYONE.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'D, UH, LIKE TO TELL EVERYONE THAT WE DO OUR PRAYER WARRIORS TONIGHT, AND THAT Y'ALL ARE LIFTED UP, UH, DAILY IN OUR PRAYERS.
UH, I'M HERE TO DIRECT, UH, MY CONCERNS TODAY.
TODAY, MARTIN, UH, OVER THE CRENSHAW PROJECT AM CONFUSED BECAUSE WE BUILT IN 1995 FIRST STREET CRENSHAW AND, UM, GOT A PASADENA ADDRESS.
WE ALWAYS THOUGHT WE WERE PASADENA.
THEN IT CAME TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND WE, BECAUSE OF BEING ANNEXED, THAT'S THE STORY WE WERE TOLD.
SO, I DON'T KNOW, UM, BECAUSE WE PAY TAXES AND THINGS ARE NOW SPLIT UP BETWEEN TWO CITIES.
SO I HAVE ASKED, I I WROTE DARIEN THIS MORNING.
YOU GOT THAT MESSAGE ABOUT MAYBE A MEET WITH YOU.
BUT MY CONCERN IS, UH, WE CAME HOME LAST WEEK AND A CITY WORKER WAS PAINTING THE FIRE HYDRANT ORANGE.
AND WE SAID, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I MEAN, WHAT IS THIS? YOU KNOW, A CHANGE THAT USED TO BE BLUE? AND HE SAYS, OH, THIS REPRESENTS PASADENA.
SO THE FIRE HYDRANT WATER THAT MIKE PUT OUT, MY FIRE AT MY HOUSE BELONGS TO PASADENA, BUT PASADENA TOLD ME THAT CAN'T CROSS OVER ALL GEN NOR ROAD TO GET TO MY HOUSE BECAUSE IT BELONGS TO HOUSTON.
PASADENA FIRE DEPARTMENT IS TWO BLOCKS AWAY WHERE I USED TO LIVE.
SO, UH, WE'RE, UH, STILL UNCONCERNED AS TO OUR DISTRICT WHO WE BELONG TO.
I, I LOOKED AT THE MAP, IT DOES SAY GRAY IN HOUSTON, BUT I HAVE A PASADENA ADDRESS.
AND, UM, JUST CONCERNED AND TRYING TO GET WHO DO WE BELONG TO? AMEN.
NOW, THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON SPEAKING AND THERE'S THE PERSON AT THE MIC.
IF YOU'RE GONNA PERSIST IN DOING THAT, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO LEAVE.
OKAY? ONE PERSON SPEAKS, THAT PERSON IS AT THE MIC WHEN THE OTHERS ARE AROUND HERE ON THIS HORSESHOE.
THIS IS NOT GROUP PARTICIPATION, OKAY.
SO, UH, THAT IS JUST ONE CONCERN.
AND, UH, THE OTHER IS, UM, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY, I DON'T WANNA CALL THE POLICE.
BUT NOW THAT THE SECOND RETENTION POND HAS BEEN BUILT, WE ARE A DEAD END.
WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN SECLUDED BY TREES NO LONGER.
WE'RE OPEN NOW, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I'VE EVER BEEN IN THIS AREA IN 1995, WE ARE HAVING HOMELESS PUSH BUGGIES DOWN A DEAD END STREET.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE THERE TO HELP THEM AND TRY, WE DID WITH HER.
AND, UH, BUT SHE'S BEEN BACK AND VERY BRAZEN GOING INTO PEOPLE'S YARDS AND IT'S STARTING TO INFLUX US.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED CAMERAS MAYBE OR SOMETHING BECAUSE IT'S OPENED UP AND NO ONE EVEN KNEW WE WERE THERE.
NOW WE'RE OPENED UP TO HIGHWAY THREE AND SHAVER STREET.
SO, I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT MY AREA.
UH, SO MY FIRST COMMENT WOULD BE, WELCOME TO MY WORLD.
'CAUSE I GET CONFUSED ABOUT IT AS WELL, BUT YOU DO LIVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
HOWEVER, THE REASON WHY THEY WERE PAINTING THE FIRE HYDRANTS ORANGE FOR PASADENA IS WE HAVE MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS.
AND I'M GOING TO ASSUME, WHICH IS ALWAYS DANGEROUS, THAT THE MUTUAL AGREE, AIM OF MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT, PREDICATES THAT PASADENA ANSWERS THOSE CALLS.
THUS THEY HAVE THOSE HYDRANTS.
SO WHAT I WILL DO IS I'LL CHECK AND WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU.
I HAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND I THINK WE HAVE YOUR PHONE NUMBER THAT'S LISTED ON HERE THAT ENDS IN NINE TWO.
WE'LL EITHER GIVE YOU A CALL OR AN EMAIL OR BOTH.
YOUR SECOND QUESTION ABOUT THE HOMELESS, UH, WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS IN AND AROUND THE 45 CORRIDOR.
AND, UH, WE DO THE ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS AS OFTEN AS WE CAN.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S JUST THE WORLD OF 2023 THAT WE LIVE WITH.
[00:50:01]
AS SOON AS YOU CLEAN ONE UP, THEY GO RIGHT BACK OUT THERE AND YOU HAVE TO GO CLEAN IT AGAIN.
IT, IT, IT'S A LOT OF CONCERN FOR US AND IT COSTS US, QUITE FRANKLY, A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY TO DO IT THAT WAY.
UH, I DON'T THINK THERE IS AN ANSWER TO IT, AND I DON'T THINK ANY CITY IN THE UNITED STATES HAS FOUND AN ANSWER TO THE HOMELESS SITUATION.
I DO BELIEVE THAT HOUSING IS A BIG PART OF IT, AND THE MAYOR'S INITIATIVE RELATED TO HOUSING WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO PUT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE INTO HOUSING AND PUT THEM INTO STABLE ENVIRONMENTS WITH JOBS AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE'LL CHECK ON THE FIRST ONE.
UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE GOOD ANSWER THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IN THE SECOND ONE.
COULD I ADD JUST A LITTLE TIDBIT, MAYOR? JUST A LITTLE TIDBIT.
UH, SO, UH, WE GOT A CALL, UH, FROM I GUESS THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I'M NOT SURE WHO IT WAS FROM, BUT, UH, THAT OUR TRASH PICKUP FROM HOUSTON IS GOING TO STOP.
AND, UH, ANOTHER COMPANY, WASTE MANAGEMENT.
SO ANOTHER, UH, FRONTIER, FRONTIER MEANS SOMETHING TO YOU, UH, CALLED.
AND SO I CALLED THEM BACK AND SPOKE TO 'EM.
AND, UH, SO TO SAVE YOU GUYS MONEY, UH, THERE, WE'RE NOW GONNA HAVE TRASH PICKUP TWICE.
THERE'S NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE, UH, TWICE A WEEK VERSUS WHAT OUR SCHEDULE WAS BEFORE.
AND THAT SEEMS LIKE IT'S NOT COST EFFECTIVE TO ANY OF US AT ALL.
WE DON'T NEED TRASH PICKUP WITH SO FEW, TWICE A WEEK.
I MEAN, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT CHANGE EITHER.
THAT WAS, UH, WHENEVER YOU GO TO THOSE TYPES OF AGREEMENTS, THEY'RE MADE BY THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
WE HAVE THE SAME THING IN THE AREA THAT I LIVE WITH.
I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER MARIANNE HUFFMAN HAS A LOT OF THESE AS WELL.
WE HAVE TWO DAY A WEEK PICKUP, WE HAVE BACKDOOR PICKUP AND WE RECEIVE $6 BACK TO THE HOA EVERY MONTH FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN LIEU OF THEM PICKING UP OUR GARBAGE.
SO THAT DECISION WAS MADE BY YOUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
UM, YOU DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE, GIVE YOU MY LITTLE ONE MINUTE SPEECH.
WHEN I CAME INTO THIS OFFICE, UM, PEOPLE ALWAYS THINK OF DISTRICT E AS KINGWOOD AND CLEAR LAKE KINGWOOD, CLEAR LAKE, AND THERE WAS ALWAYS, IN MY OPINION, THE FORGOTTEN AREA.
THAT WAS THE SOUTH BELT E ELLINGTON, ARLINGTON HEIGHTS FREEWAY MANOR.
AND I SPENT THE LAST 10 AND A HALF YEARS PUTTING A LOT OF RESOURCES INTO THOSE AREAS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE ARE DOING A JOINT PROJECT ON CRENSHAW ROAD, WHICH IS PROBABLY SIMILAR TO WHAT SHAVER ROAD, UM, LOOKED LIKE BEFORE I TOOK OFFICE.
AND THEN WE REPAIRED THAT ONE, AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL ROAD NOW, BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH COMMISSIONER ADRIAN GARCIA'S OFFICE.
SAME THING WE DID ON EL DORADO BOULEVARD.
AND THAT IS SCHEDULED TO START IN PHASE FOUR PHASES BEGINNING JUNE 12TH.
SO YOU'LL BE INCONVENIENCED A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE MIDDLE OF JULY AND YOU'LL SEE A VAST IMPROVEMENT IN THE CONDITIONS.
UM, ALSO, WE'RE DOING A PROJECT RIGHT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AT FIRST STREET WHERE WE'RE DOING SOME DRAINAGE THINGS.
BET ISSUES BETWEEN TEARING UP THE ROADS YES.
SO, UH, RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE TWO GREAT PROJECTS.
ONE FUNDED BY A JOINT, UH, CITY COUNTY INITIATIVE, WHICH IS A CRENSHAW RECONSTRUCTION, AND THE OTHER ONE BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THERE'S ONLY TWO NEIGHBOR, TWO STREETS, FIRST AND SECOND STREET, BUT, UH, DEBORAH WRIGLEY ACTUALLY LIVES ON SECOND STREET, BUT, UH, THE OTHER, I'M GONNA HAVE TO CUT IT OFF.
NEXT SPEAKER, KASIM K KASIM K TWO, FOLLOWED BY ANGEL CORTEZ.
UH, MY CONSCIOUS IS BOTHERING ME.
SO I CAME HERE TO OFFER A PUBLIC APOLOGY TO COUNCILWOMAN ASHA JACKSON, COUNCILWOMAN LETICIA PLUMMER, UM, POLICE CHIEF TROY FINNER.
MY CONSCIOUS BOTHERED ME BECAUSE A FEW YEARS AGO, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER I PUT ON A HISTORICAL EVENT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS SO FANTASTIC.
UM, WHEN I STARTED PUTTING THE WORD OUT, I, I WAS QUICKLY RESPONDED BY CONGRESSWOMAN SHIELD JACKSON LEE AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE HAROLD DUTTON.
AND SO I THOUGHT I WAS ON A ROLL.
SO I MOVED FORWARD WITHOUT SECURING, UM, UH, CONFIRMATION BY THE, BY THOSE OF YOU.
UM, I, I FEEL, I FEEL BAD ABOUT IT.
I WAS AGAINST PROTOCOL AND I, AND I KNOW BETTER.
UH, AND THE REASON WHY THAT BOTHERS ME, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR SCHEDULES.
UH, I WAS, I WAS ALL THE THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES THAT I FEED THE HOMELESS PEOPLE, THE ALL THE COMMUNITY WORK THAT I DO DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING IF I'M, IF I'M GOING TO OFFEND PEOPLE IN THE PROCESS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THIS SPECIAL TRIP TO APOLOGIZE.
THE LAST TIME I SPOKE HERE WAS TWO DAYS AFTER MY BIRTHDAY.
I KNOW I DON'T LOOK IT, BUT I'M GETTING DESPERATE TO GET SOME THINGS DONE FOR HOUSTON BEFORE IT'S TIME FOR ME TO
[00:55:01]
PUNCH MY CLOCK.AND, UH, AND I HOPE THAT YOU'LL UNDERSTAND, UH, MY AMBITION FOR THE CITY.
YOU DON'T OWE ANYONE AN APOLOGY.
NO ONE IS, NO ONE IS OFFENDED.
DON'T, DON'T, DON'T, DON'T, DON'T EXPAND ANY ENERGY ON THAT.
YOU DO NOT OWE US ANY APOLOGY.
AND FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND JUST FOR THE PARTNERSHIP AND JUST FOR ALWAYS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE UPFRONT AND CENTER, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING OUR SERVICE, OUR, THE SERVICE THAT WE GIVE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER AND HAIL CORTEZ AND, AND COR FOLLOWED BY BRODY, WASHINGTON.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S RULES, BUT WE DON'T, WE DON'T GET OUTTA LINE.
THE REASON WE'RE HAVING THIS ISSUE WITH HOMELESS AND ALL THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF GOD.
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER WE'RE STILL A SPIRIT IN A BODY.
AND SYLVESTER, I'D REALLY LIKE MORE TIME THAN JUST THREE MINUTES.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE, EXCUSE ME.
OH, YOU MEAN MAYOR TURNER? OH MA'AM, I'M SORRY.
THE THOUGHT OF, UH, TRAVIS SCOTT WHEN YOU DESIGNATED A DAY FOR HIM.
AND THEN WITHIN ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO HE BROUGHT A SATANIC RITUAL TO OUR ASTRODOME WHERE NINE DIED.
AND THE LAST ONE THAT DIED WAS A 9-YEAR-OLD BOY WHOSE NAME WAS EZRA.
AND IF WE KNEW SCRIPTURE, WE'D KNOW THAT EZRA WAS A PROPHET OF GOD.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S AT TIMES WE'RE FACING, WE'RE GONNA REVEAL TO YOU A SECRET OF THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL.
IF ANYBODY WOULD CARE TO CARRY GOD'S WORD INTO THEIR HEART, REALLY STILL CARRY AS A SPIRIT OF TRUTH, THIS WILL BE OUR BEST FRIEND.
YOU GET THE BIBLE APP AND YOU TYPE IN THE WORD MYSTERY ON THE SEARCH BAR AND IT'S GONNA GIVE YOU FROM OLD TESTAMENT TO THE NEW TESTAMENT OF WHAT MYSTERY FROM ANCIENT TIMES HE WAS REVEALING TO US.
NOW JESUS GAVE IT TO US BY MAKING HIS TEMPLE RESTORED.
IF WE DON'T RETURN BACK TO OUR IMAGE AND LIKENESS THAT WE WERE BROUGHT HERE TO HOLD MORE, MORE LAWLESSNESS IS GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE WE ALLOW IT.
OUR PARADES ARE PARADING, HOMOSEXUAL TRANSVESTITES AROUND AND OUR ETHICS AND OUR INTEGRITY IS LOST.
SO AGAIN, IN HOSEA, HE SAYS IN CHAPTER FOUR, VERSE SIX, HE SAYS, MY PEOPLE PERISH FOR THE LACK OF WANT OF KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT HIS WORD.
WE'RE SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING.
CHARLIE BROWN, HE MAY NOT SEEM NOTHING TO YOU NOW, BUT ALL THIS SCRIMMAGE CHANGING IS BECAUSE THERE'S A NEW KING IN TOWN AND HIS NAME'S CHARLES, HE INHERITED THIS PLACE 'CAUSE WE'RE STILL A COMMONWEALTH OF THEM.
AND IF WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT, WE REALLY NEED TO WAKE UP THE LETTER OF JOEL.
WE SUGGEST YOU READ IT 'CAUSE IT REVEALS THE AIS THAT ARE GONNA BE CRAWLING INTO YOUR HOMES.
'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA OVERTHROW THIS THING.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE AWARE OF THAT.
ISRAEL IS BENT OVER TO DEMOCRACY AS WELL AND IT'S STILL A MOCKERY TO ME.
SO AGAIN, IN JESUS' NAME, HIS WORD IS IN US.
UNLESS THAT IS TRUE, WE'RE GONNA BE OVER OVERTHROWN.
'CAUSE THEY'RE TRANSING ON THE WRONG SIDE, THE FLESH IS NOTHING.
THE LORD SHOWED US THAT IN JESUS' NAME.
WE GOT A SPECIAL HEART OUT THERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET OUT THERE HERE REAL SOON AND I'LL SAVE MY LAST FIVE SECONDS IN JESUS' NAME.
NEXT SPEAKER, NEXT SPEAKER, BRODY, WASHINGTON.
BRODY, BRODY, WASHINGTON IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY DENNIS BUNICK.
UM, I'M AT A LITTLE BIT OF A CONFLICT.
UH, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU ON THE SIDE IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
UH, I WAS TRYING TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOU.
I TELL YOU WHAT, WHY DON'T YOU VISIT WITH UH, RENEE.
UH, VISIT WITH RENEE RIGHT THERE.
IT GOT RIGHT THERE IN THAT NICE BLUE JACKET.
DENNIS, I'M SORRY, DID MAYOR ON THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER, I JUST WANT TO VOCALIZE WHILE EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO PUBLICLY SPEAK, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THERE WERE, UM, ANTI, THERE WERE REMARKS MADE AGAINST SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY AGAINST THE LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY.
AND IN LIGHT OF THE, UM, ATTACKS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS FALLEN OVER, I JUST WANT TO VERBALIZE TO LISTENERS
[01:00:01]
THAT, UH, MYSELF AND I DON'T BELIEVE ANY COUNCIL MEMBER CANONES THAT THAT TYPE OF LANGUAGE.OKAY? OKAY, MR. BUNICK, HOW YOU DOING MAYOR? I'M DOING FINE.
MY NAME IS DENNIS BUNICK AND MINE ISSUE IS BY THE GULLY THAT'S BEEN FILLED IN.
I THINK I SPOKE WITH, UH, COUNSELOR JACKSON OVER THE PHONE.
I HAVE SOME PICTURES I WOULD LIKE FOR HER TO SEE IF YOU DON'T MIND, MAYOR, ALL OF Y'ALL.
'CAUSE THIS GULLY FLOODS MY PROPERTY AND THE WHOLE STREET SIMPLY BECAUSE A MAN BOUGHT THE PROPERTY ON PROPERTY ON TWO SIDES OF THE GULLY.
AND THEY FILLED THE GULLY INN, WHICH WAS CARRIED BY THE CITY.
AND NOW THEY SAY IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY.
I'M LOOKING FOR THE GULLY TO BE DUG BACK OUT FOR THE WATER, THE FLOOR AGAIN.
I LIVE IN GERON AREA ON MANSFIELD STREET.
I'M QUITE FAMILIAR WHERE YOU ARE.
AND SO LEMME MAKE SURE THE, THE BUILDER CAME IN AND FILLED IN THE DITCH.
HE JUST BOUGHT IT, FILLED IT IN, AND NOW HE'S UP FOR SALE.
YOU ON PROPERTY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE, OF THE GUTTER.
I GOT SOME PICTURES YOU COULD LOOK AT, SIR.
UH, HE OWNED ABOUT A HALF ACRE ON EACH SIDE OF THE GLY.
IF YOU PUT A HOUSE, YOU GOTTA PUT IT SIDEWAYS, THEN YOU WON'T HAVE ROOM FOR THE DRIVEWAY BECAUSE OF THE GLY.
SO HE FILLED IT IN AND THE GULLY GO BACK.
HE FILLED IT IN 575 FEET DEEP.
I KNOW FOR THE FACT, 'CAUSE THAT'S THE LENGTH OF MY PROPERTY FROM THE STREET TO THE END OF OUR PROPERTY, HE FILLED THAT GULLY IN.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE PICTURES, YOU CAN SEE WHERE MY YARD, THE STREET, IT'S JUST FLOODED.
AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS DONE SINCE THE END, LATTER PART OF LAST YEAR.
I'VE BEEN CALLING THREE AND ONE.
IT'S BEEN OPENING AND CLOSING.
OPENING AND CLOSING SIMPLY BECAUSE HE FILLED THAT GULLY IN.
I GOTCHA YOU, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE, UM, THAT THIS MATTER IS IN THE HANDS OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UM, WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO WE ARE AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND LEGAL, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS, IS INVOLVED.
AND SO, UM, LET, UH, LET ME FOLLOW UP JUST TO SEE WHERE THINGS ARE.
UM, AND 'CAUSE THERE'S A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT HE IS INTRUDED UPON OUR, OUR RIGHT OF WAY OR OUR EASEMENT.
SO, UM, SO WE ARE TAKING, WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT IT.
THANK YOU MS. ABUNDANT FOR COMING IN.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN IN CON CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH PJ IN MY OFFICE, AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH YOU AND WORK WITH THE, UM, MAYOR'S OFFICE UNTIL THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED.
BUT THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND BRING, MAKING EVERYONE AWARE OF THIS WHILE I GOTTA DEAL WITH THIS FLOOD
I, I SEE WHAT I SEE WHAT HE DID.
THE, UM, HE CHANGED HOW WATER NATURALLY FLOWED.
HE FILLED IT IN AND, UM, WELL THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE ARE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE, NOT JUST YOUR PARTICULAR ISSUE, BUT IN COMMUNITIES LIKE ACRES HOME AND OTHER COMMUNITIES WHERE BUILDERS ARE COMING IN, UM, WHERE THERE WERE DITCHES FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEY ARE BUILDING AND THEY'RE PUTTING IN A LOT OF DRIVEWAYS THAT ARE SERVING AS DAMS AND, AND, AND WHEN AND WHEN IT RAINS, IT STARTS, IT ENHANCES FLOODING.
AND, UH, AND I'M JUST SAY TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, THERE'S A MATTER THAT'S GONNA BE COMING BEFORE YOU, BECAUSE THIS, I KNOW YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF CALLS FROM BUILDERS, BUT THEY'RE TAKING PROPERTY AND THEY'RE BUILDING A LOT OF DRIVEWAYS ON OUR EASEMENT THAT'S SERVING AS DAMS. AND THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHERE THERE USED TO BE.
UM, YEAH, IT WAS A GARDEN THERE WHERE, WHERE THE WATER WOULD NATURALLY FLOW AND THEY'RE CHANGING IT AND IT'S CAUSING MORE FLOODING.
AND ARISS HOME WAS AN AREA THAT NEVER, THAT VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY SELDOM FLOODED, VERY SEL FLOODED, BUT NOW ARISS HOME IS FLOODING.
COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, WILL YOU FINISH? COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON MAYOR, JUST A LITTLE PUBLIC SERVICE.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION TODAY ALREADY ABOUT SIDEWALKS AND FOR OUR COLLEAGUES TO KNOW AHEAD OF, UH, THE ANNOUNCEMENT A LITTLE LATER ON.
AND, UH, MR. BUNICK, YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED.
UM, TOMORROW MORNING AT 10 O'CLOCK, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A COMMITTEE MEETING THAT IS FEATURING KIND OF HOW TO DO YOUR SIDEWALKS BETTER, UM, PRESENTED BY OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
IT'S A LITTLE LATE IN YOUR CASE, I'M AFRAID, BUT, UM, IN THIS CASE, JUST WANTED TO GIVE A HEADS UP TO SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IT'S NOT GETTING DONE THE WAY WE NEED IT TO, AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU'RE A VICTIM TODAY.
BUT, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
[01:05:01]
WITH YOU, MS. BONING, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.KEVIN WILLIAMS. KEVIN WILLIAMS. KEVIN WILLIAMS. NEXT SPEAKER, MAL BIRTH MOSES MAL BIRTH MOSES MAL MOSES.
RODNEY THOMAS IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHANTEL ROBERSON.
AND COUNCILMAN, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU'ALL, FIRST OF ALL FOR GIVING ME THE TIME TO SPEAK ATTORNEY.
I'VE BEEN IN THE, UH, DISTRICT B AREA FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND, UH, I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE, UH, NAC.
THERE'S TWO, UH, THINGS I LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT.
MY HOME FLOODED IN HARVEY AND ALICE.
I REMODELED MY HOME, AND NOW WE'RE STARTING TO GET MORE WATER BACK IN THERE.
THE PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE, THE LOCAL, THE LOCAL, UH, DRAINAGE PROGRAM WILL HELP MY AREA.
THERE'S DITCHES THAT'S CONSTANTLY FLOODING.
THERE'S BUILDERS AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT'S COMING IN AND BUILDING THAT'S CAUSING THE WATER TO PUSH FURTHER BACK ON US.
AND ALSO IN THOSE AREAS, WE HAVE WATER THAT HAS BEEN STANDING IN THOSE DITCHES FOR OVER TWO YEARS.
I'VE MADE SEVERAL CALLS, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT.
SO THE LOCAL DRAINAGE PROGRAM THAT WE NEED THE $20 MILLION FOR WILL HELP MY HOME AND MY AREA.
WE ALSO HAVE SCHOOLS IN THERE, AND THERE'S KIDS THAT'S CROSSING IN THERE.
WE'RE NEXT TO THE RAILROAD WHERE THERE'S TRAINS DUMPING.
THEY HAVE CHEMICALS COMING OFF OF THOSE TRAINS, THOSE KIDS.
BUT I SEEN YOU ON TV AND I COMMEND YOU, MAYOR, FOR TALKING ABOUT THE KIDS CROSSING THE STREET OVER THE RAILROAD TRACK IN MY AREA.
THE KIDS CRAWL UNDER THE FENCE THROUGH THE DITCH TO GO TO SCHOOL.
SO THOSE PROGRAMS IS ALSO FLOODING IN THE SEWER REMAINS CALLED SEVERAL TIMES.
EVERY TIME IT RAINS, I'M THE ONE THAT GETS FLOODED OUT FROM THE SEWER.
SO THOSE PROGRAMS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT WILL REALLY HELP ME.
I THINK IT'S, UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON AND OUR PLUMBER WHO'S ALSO TRYING TO PUSH THAT A MEMO WOULD REALLY HELP ME.
SO IF YOU CAN FIND ANY COMPASSION IN YOUR HEART TO HELP PASS, I WOULD REALLY BE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, ARE YOU ON THIS ONE? THE LAST ONE? OKAY.
NEXT SPEAKER, CHANTEL ROBERSON.
THREE FOLLOWED BY TASHA WRIGHT.
I'M COMING TODAY BECAUSE I LIVE IN THE HEIGHTS ON, UH, SHERWIN STREET IN KANSAS STREET WHERE IT'S A LOT OF BAD PARKING.
AND MY CAR WAS TO, WAS BOOTED.
AND THE NEXT DAY IT WAS TOWED FROM OVER THERE.
AS THE WOMAN WAS PUTTING THE BOOT ON THERE, I INFORMED HER THAT, UM, I CALLED WHEN THEY PUT A TICKET IN, I SAID, I CAN'T MOVE THE CAR BECAUSE I'VE HAD ISSUES WITH THE CAR.
THE CAR DOES RUN ALL THE, THE STICKERS ON IT, THE TIRES, EVERYTHING IS RUNNING.
I USE THAT CAR, UH, AS MINISTRY.
I USE THE CAR TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA ALL OVER THE CITY.
SOME OF THE MEMBERS ARE, UH, ARE, UH, PEOPLE AT MY CHURCH OF WILL AVENUE AND I HELP PEOPLE WITH THIS CAR.
PREVIOUSLY, I, I HAD SOME TICKETS ON THIS CAR IN 20 20 19.
I WAS HOMELESS AND I SLEPT IN THAT CAR AND I GOT A TICKET AND I WASN'T ABLE TO PAY THIS TICKET.
I WENT DOWN BECAUSE I ASKED THEM WHERE, WHERE DID THEY SEE MY CAR AT? DID THEY SEE IT IN A NO PARKING ZONE? THEY NEVER WOULD PRODUCED A PICTURE.
SO I WENT DOWN AND I JUST, I WAS GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT THEY WAS RIGHT, THAT THEY DIDN'T SHOW ME THE PICTURE OF MY CAR PARKED IN THE PLACE THAT THEY SAID IT WAS AT.
AND LONG STORY SHORT, THEY TOLD MY CAR AND THEY CHARGING A THOUSAND SOMETHING DOLLARS FOR THE CAR.
I SAID, WELL, OKAY, LET ME DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.
I SAID, WELL, CAN I DO COMMUNITY SERVICE? NO, YOU GONNA PAY $400 AND WE CAN GIVE YOU A PAYMENT PLAN BECAUSE SHE OWED $500.
YOU PUT A BOOT ON AND THEN YOU TOW IT, YOU AIN'T GIMME OPPORTUNITY.
[01:10:01]
EMPLOYEE TALKING NASTY TO ME, AND I WAS TRYING TO TELL HER, I CALLED 3 1 1 AND TOLD HER I COULD MOVE MY CAR FROM ONE ONE SIDE OF THE STREET TO THE OTHER.SHE SAID, WELL, IF SOMEBODY CALLED THAT, YOUR CAR WAS IN THIS SPOT MORE THAN A DAY.
AND SO THEY HAVE A LOT OF AIRBNB PEOPLE THAT'S PARKING AND THEY TAKING UP ALL THE PARKING FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT LIVE THERE.
SO I'M COMING DOWN HERE NOW TO SEE IF I CAN GET MY CAR OUT.
THAT CAR IS NOT JUST ANY OLD CAR.
IT LOOK RAGGY, IT LOOK LIKE IT'S A PIECE OF NOTHING.
BUT I DO MINISTRY WITH THAT CAR COUNCIL.
NOW, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I'VE, IF YOU KNOW MUCH ABOUT ME OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW THAT I'VE, I'VE BEEN REAL FRUSTRATED ABOUT THESE BOOTS ON CARS.
I'VE SEEN, UH, HUNDREDS OF CARS BOOTED BY MY OFFICE OVER ON LUBBOCK STREET OVER THE YEARS.
AND, UH, THESE BOOTS ARE PRIMARILY TARGETING, UH, WORKING PEOPLE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT TARGETING, UH, THE WEALTHY.
UH, AND AND THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT, UH, THEY MAKE YOU HAVE TO PAY ALL THIS AFTER THEY CREATE THIS BIGGER PROBLEM BY BOOTING THE VEHICLE.
I, I, I BELIEVE IT'S A, IT'S A VIOLATION OF THE US CONSTITUTION TO SEE, TO SEIZE SOMEBODY'S VEHICLE WITHOUT DUE PROCESS.
AND THAT'S HOW I FEEL, YOU KNOW, BUT EVIDENTLY OTHERS DON'T.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT EVERYTHING BOOTED THAT THEY, THAT THAT'S NOT PROPERLY PUT SOMEWHERE.
WAS THIS DONE? WAS THIS BOOT PLACED ON YOUR VEHICLE IN, ON YOUR PROPERTY? NO, IT WAS OUTSIDE ON THE CITY PROPERTY.
SO, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, I I I JUST GET FRUSTRATED, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I, I KNOW THERE WAS AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA AND YOU PULLED IT, BUT, BUT I BELIEVE, UH, THAT YOU COULD MAYBE MAKE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER, UH, THAT, THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET THEIR VEHICLE BY SIGNING AN AGREEMENT FOR A PAYMENT PLAN OR SOMETHING WITHOUT HAVING TO HAVE ALL THIS SUFFERING.
UH, THEY, THESE, THESE AREN'T WEALTHY PEOPLE.
THESE, THESE ARE WORKING PEOPLE ARE, NO, THESE ARE, THESE ARE THE POOR IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT, AND, AND THEY NEED HELP.
SO, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD ASK YOU TO, TO CONSIDER A, AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO, TO, UH, AT LEAST NOT MAKE 'EM HAVE TO PAY THE WHOLE THING TO GET IT OUT.
MAYBE SIGN AN AGREEMENT AND MAKE PAYMENTS.
UH, BUT LISTEN, I, I HEAR YOU CRY.
I'VE HEARD, I'VE HEARD, NOT ONLY YOURS, I'VE HEARD PROBABLY A THOUSAND.
I'VE SEEN PEOPLE, UH, JUST, UH, JUST THEY JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
AND THEY USED TO COME INTO MY OFFICE AND THEY'D SIT THERE AND USE MY PHONE AND, AND THEY'D BE CRYING AND THEY'D HAVE KIDS WITH 'EM, AND THEIR, THEIR CAR'S BOOTED.
SOMETIMES THEY, THEY'D JUST GO AHEAD AND TOW IT.
AND, AND THEN THEY'D GO STAND WHERE IT WAS TOWED.
KINDA LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, IT'S GONNA COME BACK OR SOMETHING.
I, I MEAN, IT'S JUST A FRUSTRATING THING FOR ME.
AND MAYBE IF I HADN'T SEEN SO MUCH OF IT OVER THE YEARS, I WOULDN'T HAVE THIS OPINION.
BUT I, I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE MOST EGREGIOUS THINGS WE DO TO THE POOR IN OUR COMMUNITY IS TO, IS TO BOOT THEIR VEHICLES AND, AND TOW THEM.
LET ME MAKE, LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
IS THIS, IS THIS THE GREEN HUNDRED THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT? YES.
NOW, IN THE, THE MEMO THAT I'M, THAT I'M READING, SAID THAT THERE WERE SEVEN NOTICES, MAIL, UH, TO THE, THE ADDRESS, SEVEN OF THEM.
AND THEN THERE WAS A WARNING STICKER PLACED ON THE VEHICLE.
AND I TALKED TO THE LADY, WELL, NOT LET ME FINISH.
AND THIS ALL TOOK PLACE FROM AUGUST 19TH, 2019 THROUGH JUNE 17TH, 2022.
SO IS WHAT WHAT THIS IS SAYING IS THAT IN THREE YEARS THEY PROVIDED NOTICES AND THEY PUT A WARNING STICKER AND THEY DIDN'T, THEY, THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
IT WAS NOT UNTIL MAY 18TH, 2023 AFTER PROVIDING THE NOTICES AND THE WARNING STICKER THAT THEY BOOT YOUR VEHICLE.
WELL, THE LADY, WHEN I TALKED TO THE LADY, I TOLD HER, I SAID, LOOK, UM, I DON'T MIND PAYING WHAT I NEED TO PAY.
I HAVE A LONG LIST OF SICK CRIPPLING WITH LUPUS.
SO I TOLD HER, I SAID, LET ME MOVE THE CAR AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
SHE IS LIKE YOU SAID, HE JUST WANNA PUT THE BOOT ON THE CAR? NO, I, I KNOW I GOT THAT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY.
I WAS HOMELESS SLEEPING IN THAT CAR.
SO THEN I, I, I TUSSLED AND TUSSLED WITH, EVEN WITH, WITH, UH, DOCTORS, BUT BECAUSE I WAS NOT TAKING, UH, THE, THE, THE VACCINE, THEY, THEY DIDN'T WANNA GIVE ME A, UH, HANDICAP BECAUSE THEY GAVE ME A TEMPORARY, WELL, I HAVE A LUPUS, LUPUS NOT GOING AWAY.
I I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT GOING AWAY.
SO I WAS EVEN CORPORAL TRYING TO COME HERE TODAY.
[01:15:01]
TICKET, I WENT DOWN THERE.IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS A REAL, IT WAS HORRIBLE DEALING WITH THE, THE, THE GUY THAT, THAT WAS JUDGED.
AND I DON'T WANNA BRING RACE OR NOTHING ELSE IN THERE.
I CAME TO OWN MY STUFF AND I, WHEN I WENT OUT THERE AND I TALKED TO THE LADY, I GOT THE CAMP, I GOT THE VIDEO OF HOW THE LADY IS TREATING HOSTILE STOCK.
SO NO, I WASN'T RUNNING, I JUST DIDN'T HAVE IT.
SO IF I GOTTA PAY FOR LUPUS MEDICINE, THAT WENT FROM $23 AFTER THE COVID OF $423 AND SLEEPING IN MY CAR AND LOOKING AROUND, TRYING TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO TAKE A BATH.
I'M SAYING COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS.
UM, SISTER, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, THERE'S, ACCORDING TO THIS MEMO, THERE ARE TWO CARS IN QUESTION.
THERE'S A GREEN HONDA AND THEN THERE'S A GRAY HONDA.
YEAH, BECAUSE THEY, THEY PUT, HOLD ON, HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
SO TODAY, HOW MUCH HAVE YOU PAID TO RESOLVE THE, THE BALANCE FOR THE TWO CARS THAT WERE BOOTED? NOTHING.
BECAUSE HE WOULDN'T GIMME A A.
BUT I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO POWER.
ASK HIM TO, LEMME PAY A PAYMENT PLAN.
SO WHAT'S YOUR, TO WHAT TOTAL AMOUNT DO YOU OWE TODAY? WELL, HE TOLD ME THE, THE JUDGE TOLD ME I OWED $500 AND ONLY WAY I CAN GET MY CARD IF I PAID 400.
HOW MUCH HAVE YOU PAID TOTAL? NOTHING, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE IT.
BUT YOU SAID YOU HAVE ONE CAR? WHAT? THE TWO CARS? SO NO, NO, NO.
THEY GOT ONE OF MY CARS THAT'S IN THE, THAT'S IN THE POUND.
SO THERE, SO ACCORDING TO THIS, I DON'T HAVE TO PAY THE OTHER ONE BECAUSE I HAVE A, A LEGAL HANDICAP STICKER.
BUT I JUST WANNA GET CLARIFICATION.
'CAUSE YOU SAID YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ONE CAR.
THIS MEMO IDENTIFIES TWO CARS.
IS THAT ADDRESS ON FILE? CORRECT.
UH, WELL, WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT YOUR ADDRESS ON, BUT, UM, WHEN YOU MA'AM, IN YOUR VEHICLE, THAT ADDRESS IS CORRECT, MA'AM.
DID YOU RECEIVE ANY OF THOSE NOTICES? NO, 'CAUSE I JUST MOVED OVER THERE, SO NO, I DIDN'T.
OH, SO THE ADDRESS FROM 2019 TO 2022 IS INCORRECT? YES.
SO THEN THE, UM, WHAT ABOUT THE, UM, ADDRESS FOR THE CAR ASSOCIATED WITH THE GRAY HONDA? IS THAT A CORRECT ADDRESS? YES, MA'AM.
SO YOU RECEIVED THOSE NOTICES, YOU, YOU JUST WERE ON A FINANCIAL BIND? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND SO WHAT ARE YOU ASKING US TO DO TODAY? TO LET MY CAR OUT? LIKE YOU SAY, LET ME PAY A PAYMENT.
SO, UM, THERE'S AN ITEM THAT'S ACTUALLY COMING UP.
THE MAYOR PULLED IT 'CAUSE THERE'S SOME TWEAKING AND IT WILL ALLOW FOR PAYMENT PLANS.
AND SO THAT IS COMING, THAT IS SOON TO COME.
AND, UH, MAYOR TURNER'S GONNA, UH, ADD THIS BACK TO THE AGENDA.
UM, BUT I I BUT I, I, I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT NOW THAT YOU'RE SETTLED IN YOUR HOUSED, TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS ACCURATE.
SO IF THERE'S ANY COMMUNICATION, I'M NOT SETTLED THERE.
I I, I JUST LIVE THERE TEMPORARY.
JUST MAKE SURE, BECAUSE, UM, FROM 19 TO 22, THAT ADDRESS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VEHICLE, YOU'RE SAYING WAS INCORRECT, BUT THEY SENT YOU ALL OF THESE SEVEN NOTIFICATIONS AND THEY PUT A STICKER ON YOUR CAR.
WELL, THE LADY DIDN'T PUT A STICKER ON MY CAR UNTIL I WAS OUT THERE AND I TOLD HER I WAS GONNA MOVE.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING, I JUST WANNA GET CLEAR ABOUT THE TOTAL AMOUNT AND WHAT YOU WERE ASKING US TO DO TODAY.
AND SO, WELL, I WANNA GET MY CAR LET, OKAY, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S MAKE, LET'S MAKE THIS SIMPLE.
I WILL PERSONALLY PAY YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR FINE.
YOU'LL GET YOUR CARD BACK, BUT YOU HAVE TO RESPOND WHEN THESE NOTICES ARE SENT TO YOU.
BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO, FROM THIS POINT ON, YOU'RE GOING EVERYBODY, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PERSONALLY RESPOND.
OR IF YOU ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU CAN'T, YOU HAVE TO LET THEM KNOW AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
UH, COUNCILMAN WHAT? COUNCIL MEGOS.
THANK, THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR.
UH, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ITEM NEXT WEEK AND THE TWEAKS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT, I KNOW THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH HAS, HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HE HAS BEEN SPEAKING UP, UH, FOR YEARS.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVEN BACK ONTO THE, UH, PARKER ADMINISTRATION, IF I'M A MISTAKEN.
UH, SO, AND, AND, AND I'M HOPING THE ITEM THAT COMES TO US NEXT WEEK, UH, WE'LL HAVE A PAYMENT PLAN, UH, AND WE'LL CONSIDER THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HAVING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES.
UH, LIKE YOU STATED, YOU WERE LIVING IN YOUR CAR FOR A WHILE.
SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ALL, ALL THE FACTS.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I MEAN, IF YOU WERE LIVING IN YOUR CAR AND THEY WERE TRYING TO MAIL YOU SOMETHING, MAYBE YOU DIDN'T GET IT BECAUSE YOU WERE LIVING IN YOUR CAR.
SO, SO, SO THIS ALL NEEDS TO BE TAKEN UNDER CONSIDERATION.
THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT BY A RA AND OUR PARKING DIVISION BECAUSE IT, IT DOESN'T HELP WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S IN A FINANCIAL, FINANCIAL SITUATION HAVING PROBLEMS. UH, AND THEN YOU WE'RE ADDING TO IT.
IF THIS PERSON, THESE PERSONS ARE
[01:20:01]
TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING, OR THEY'RE TRYING TO GO TO WORK AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HAVING A HARD TIME.WHAT WE DON'T NEED IS TO PUT A PUT ON THEIR CAR TO KEEP THEM FROM GOING TO WORK OR FINDING A JOB.
SO, SO I'M HOPING IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT NEXT WEEK.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, PAYMENT PLANS AND, AND, AND, AND, AND TO HELP THE INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED TO ADD HOMELESSNESS TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO THEM WHERE THEY CANNOT GO TO WORK.
THEY CANNOT PAY THEIR BILLS BECAUSE THERE'S A BOOT ON THEIR TIRE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA BE LOOKING AT NEXT WEEK WHEN THE ITEM COMES TO THE, TO OUR, TO COUNCIL.
I'M SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, MAYOR, ON BEHALF OF MY CHURCH MEMBER, UH, SHE SAYS SHE'S A MEMBER OF WILLER AVENUE, AND SO THAT'S THE FAVOR.
OKAY, COUNCIL AND MAYOR, I, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR BEING, UH, SO KIND.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
ASHA WRIGHT IS HERE TO FOLLOWED BY WALTER VIDAL.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK THIS MORNING ON, UH, BLACK HISTORY.
UH, MAYBE, UM, MAKING BLACK HISTORY INTO AN ELECTIVE IN SCHOOLS SO THE, UH, BLAME GAME COULD STOP FALLING ON EVERYBODY TRYING TO FORCE THIS BLACK HISTORY UP ON, UH, CAUCASIAN CHILDREN.
I NOTICED THAT ALL THE NATIONALITY, ALL THE DIFFERENT CULTURES ARE FRIENDS WITH EACH OTHER.
EVERYBODY'S INTERESTED IN EVERYBODY'S CULTURE.
I'M INTERESTED IN ALL THE DIFFERENT CULTURES.
AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA IF WE MADE BLACK HISTORY AN ELECTIVE IN SCHOOL WITH A CONSENT OF A PARENT.
SO THAT WAY IF THE PARENT SAYS NO TO THE CHILD, UH, TAKING A BLACK HISTORY IN SCHOOL, THAT LIABILITY WILL FALL ON A PARENT INSTEAD OF THE SOCIETY AS A WHOLE.
UH, I ALSO HAVE ONE MORE OTHER THING I WANNA BRING TO Y'ALL ATTENTION.
I CAME, UH, A WHILE BACK IN FEBRUARY WITH A, UH, HARASSMENT SITUATION.
AND I PRESENTED SOME PICTURES AND I NOTICED THAT Y'ALL, SOME PEOPLE TOOK SOME PICTURES, UH, FOR Y'ALL TO LOOK AT.
AND I LEFT MY PICTURES WITH, UM, AN ASSISTANT.
AND THOSE PICTURES CAME UP MISSING.
AND I NEED THOSE PICTURES 'CAUSE THEY'RE VERY VITAL TO A CASE THAT'S OPEN.
NOW, I HAVE TWO CIVIL LAWSUITS THAT'S OPEN WITH THE MANAGER AND THE ASSISTANT MANAGER.
AND I NEED THOSE PICTURES FOR, UH, COURT FOR OCTOBER 16TH.
OR THE JUDGE WOULD HAVE TO SUBPOENA SOMEBODY FROM HERE AS A WITNESS THAT SEEN THAT, PLEASE.
THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER THIS MORNING.
CAPTAIN S I'M SORRY, MS. WRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS.
THANK, THANK YOU MS. WRIGHT FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AND THANK YOU FOR EXPRESSING YOUR VIEWS THAT BLACK HISTORY SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS.
UH, LIKE LATINO HISTORY SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS, LIKE L-G-B-T-Q, UH, SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN OUR SKILLS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE STATE IS KEEPING ALL THAT FROM US, UH, TELLING US WHAT WE CAN READ AND WHAT WE CANNOT READ.
UH, AND, AND, AND I READ IN THE PAPER THAT, UH, THEY'RE EVEN TARGETING, UH, INDEPENDENT, UH, BOOKSTORES, UH, AS TO WHAT KIND OF BOOKS DO THEY SELL TO TEACHERS.
UH, AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THESE, THESE INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE OWNERS ARE GONNA HAVE TO READ THESE BOOKS TO FIND OUT IF THERE'S INFORMATION OR, OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU IN THESE BOOKS THAT ARE, IS NOT APPROPRIATE BY THE STATE.
UH, SO AGAIN, THEY'RE TRYING THEIR BEST TO KEEP OUR HISTORY AWAY FROM US.
UH, AND IT'S PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT NEED TO SPEAK UP.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE AND SPEAKING UP.
OH, MY MAIN CONCERN IS, IS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT BLACK HISTORY DOES NOT GO AWAY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE OTHER STUFF.
I'M BELIEVE ALL THIS STUFF IS VERY INTERESTING AND VERY IMPORTANT TO EVERYBODY, BUT BLACK HISTORY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND TO MY ANCESTORS.
AND I WANT THAT TO STAY WITH THE CONSENT.
IF THEY TAKE, UH, THE TIME OUT TO CONSIDER THIS WITH THE CONSENT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT IS AGAINST THIS, FOR THE PEOPLE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY DON'T WANT THIS OUT.
IF THEY DON'T WANT IT, IT DON'T HAPPEN.
IF THEY DON'T, UH, HAVE THE CONSENT, LET BLACK HISTORY BE AN ELECTIVE IN SCHOOL, JUST LIKE ART, MUSIC, UH, HOME ECONOMICS WITH THE CONSENT OF A PARENT.
THAT'S AN AUTOMATIC GO WITH US.
WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
BUT FOR THE ONES THAT DO HAVE A PROBLEM, BECAUSE THE OTHER CHILDREN ARE NOT RACIST, THEY'RE NOT GROWING UP RACIST, THEY WANT TO KNOW.
SO THEY MAY HAVE OTHER CAUCASIAN CHILDREN THAT MAY BE INTERESTED IN MY HISTORY.
AND IF THEY'RE INTERESTED, THEY WILL HAVE TO GET THAT CONSENT FROM THE PARENT.
AND IF THE PARENT SAYS NO, THEN THAT LIABILITY DOES NOT FALL ON THE WHOLE SOCIETY AS THE BLAME.
IT WILL FALL ON THE PARENT AND THAT CHILD WILL SEE THE PARENT BEING RACIST OR STOPPING WHATEVER IT IS THAT
[01:25:01]
THEY WANT TO KNOW.AND I WANT Y'ALL TO, UH, PLEASE FIND THOSE PHOTOS FOR ME.
I'M CURRENTLY HOMELESS RIGHT NOW DUE TO THIS SITUATION 'CAUSE NOBODY DIDN'T TAKE MY SITUATION SERIOUSLY.
I JUST WANNA SEE CHANGE WITH THAT AND I WANT Y'ALL TO CONSIDER THAT.
THANK YOU, PLEASE AND THANK YOU.
THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
OH YEAH, SIR ROGER PAGE CAME IN LATE.
UH, THE CORRECTION IS NOT ROGER PAGE.
IT'S UH, SISTER QUEEN CEREBRAL PAGE.
I HAVE TWO GRANDCHILDREN HERE WITH ME.
UH, I'M HERE FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THE POLICE, THE POLICE NEED TO GET OUT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND GET ON 45 FREEWAY AND 59 FREEWAY.
THEY NEED TO START STOPPING PEOPLE.
THAT'S TREMENDOUSLY GOING FAST.
I HAVE A TRAILBLAZER THAT BEEN HIT BY AN 18 WHEELER THAT WAS GOING IMMACULATE SPEED.
HE HIT ME AND KNOCKED OUT MY RIGHT IN MY BACK WINDOW.
UH, I HAVE INSURANCE THROUGH THE, UH, US MILITARY THEY TRY TO USE, WHICH IS LIABILITY.
I DON'T HAVE FULL COVERAGE 'CAUSE I HAVE A 2002.
BUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT NEED TO GET OUTTA ALL OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND DEFINITELY NEED TO BE ON 45 FREEWAY AND 59.
NOW THEY ON BELTWAY EIGHT CAUSING PLENTY OF ACCIDENTS.
WHAT IS THE CITY DOING ABOUT THE POLICE OFFICERS IS NOT GIVING THESE PEOPLE TICKETS.
EVEN SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT'S ILLEGAL.
EVEN SOME OF THE ELDERS CAN'T EVEN DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY.
THAT'S ORIGINALLY FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS.
ALSO, UM, I WANNA GET BACK TO, UM, SECTION EIGHT.
I HAD A SECTION EIGHT HOUSING IN THIRD WARD OFF OF LIVE OAK, WHICH WAS A TWO BEDROOM, UH, HOUSE THAT WAS ON SECTION EIGHT.
THE PEOPLE OF THE OWNERS TOOK ALL MY FURNITURE OUT THE HOUSE AND PUT IT IN ANOTHER HOUSE TO PASS INSPECTION.
I WAS TOLD BY ASSISTANT TO GO AND PICK UP A SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER.
AND I NEVER DID WHEN I WENT THERE, THEY DON'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE ISSUE.
SO NOW I THINK I NEED TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE IF THIS HAPPENED TO ME, HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE IS, THIS IS HAPPENING TOO.
I WAS ON THE PUBLIC HOUSING FOR 33 YEARS.
THEY HAD GAVE ME TO MOVE OVER THERE TO THE CUNY HOMES.
I GOES OVER THERE, THE LADY SAY, WELL, ALL YOUR CHILDREN IS GROWN.
BUT TODAY I DO HAVE GRANDCHILDREN, WHICH I QUALIFY FOR.
TOLD ME TO GO BACK AND PUT MY NAME ON THE LIST.
I DID HAVE PLACED, I WAS PLACED IN A HOUSING PROJECT, BUT THEY ALSO MOVING HOMELESS PEOPLE IN HOUSES THAT IS INFECTED WITH MOLD AND MILDEW.
I BROUGHT THAT TO SEVERAL PEOPLE.
SO I'M HOMELESS BECAUSE I CAN'T LIVE IN A MOLD AND MILDEW PROJECT.
SO ALSO WITH MY TWO GRAND BABIES, THEY, IN ELEMENTARY, THEY NEED TO BE SPEAKING SPANISH TOO BECAUSE MY SON IS IN THE MILITARY AND I HAVE A DAUGHTER'S IN THE MILITARY.
THEY NEED TO LEARN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AS WELL AS THE SPANISH SPEAKING THAT'S COMING HERE AND LEARNING ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
AND WHY IS IT THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON LIBRARIES ARE TEACHING SPANISH PEOPLE ENGLISH AND NOT HAVING THOSE CLASSES FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO LEARN SPANISH? SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY TODAY.
AND TELL THE LITTLE ONE WE SAID HELLO.
SO IS ANY OF MY ISSUES CAN BE RESOLVED LIKE ASAP WITH HOUSING THE POLICE? I'M SORRY.
IS ANY OF MY ISSUES CAN BE ADDRESSED LIKE ASAP? UM, MAYOR PRO.
OR WAS I TALKING TO MAYOR? THIS IS AS PART OF IT.
SECTION EIGHT HOUSING IS A HUD PROGRAM.
SO I THINK IT'S HANDLED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND MAYBE ASK MY COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS.
THAT WOULD BE THE, SO, SO ALL THE PEOPLE FROM OUTTA OUT THE STATES AND GOVERNMENT, RUSSIA IS GETTING HOUSED.
I GAVE YOU THE INDIANS, YOU HOUSING RIGHT THERE IN CU MA.
I MIGHT LIVE IN A PROJECT MA'AM.
MA'AM, I TELL YOU WHAT, I'LL HAVE SOMEONE REACH OUT TO YOU.
THEY REACHED OUT TO ME AND TOLD ME TO GO PICK UP A SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER.
I GO OVER THERE, THEY DON'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT.
HOUSE EVERYBODY BUT YOUR OWN PEOPLE.
YOU GOT PLENTY OF PEOPLE OUT HERE HOMELESS, EVEN IN A HOME.
[01:30:07]
OKAY.IF YOU'RE TALK, IF YOU'LL TALK TO RENEE RIGHT THERE.
THAT COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKER.
OKAY, WE'RE TURNING NOW TO THE AGENDA.
I MEAN, TO BRIEFLY WITH, BRIEFLY
[MAYOR'S REPORT]
WITH THE MAYOR'S REPORT.UH, BEAR IN MIND, UH, THE BUDGET IS NEXT WEEK.
AND LET ME IF IN THE, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE HUMBLEST WAY THAT I CAN, MAY I ASK THAT WE PROCEED NEXT WEEK WITH THE BUDGET
AND I WOULD, I WOULD ASK THAT WE, UH, UH, PROCEED NEXT WEEK.
BEAR IN MIND, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY AMENDMENTS, I THINK THEY'RE DUE BY THE END OF THE DATE, NOT TO DATE.
NOW YOU, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO HAVE THEM NOW.
UH, SO, UH, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S NEXT WEEK.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM WE ANNOUNCED WILL BE, THE NEXT ONE WILL BE ON JUNE THE 10TH SATURDAY AT NRG PARK, THE YELLOW LOT FROM 8:00 AM UH, TO NOON.
UH, WE ARE HOPING THAT THIS WILL BE THE LARGEST ONE, UM, THAT WE, UH, HAVE HAD.
SO, UM, AND, UH, SO THAT IS JUNE THE 10TH AT 8:00 AM UM, THERE'S A, A JUNETEENTH NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY AT 2:00 PM AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS WILL JOIN US.
UH, AND THAT WILL BE, WHERE IS THAT GONNA BE? I MAYBE IN THE LEGACY ROOM? I'M NOT SURE.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S AT 2:00 PM UH, TODAY.
AND THEN TONIGHT IS THE CHAMPIONS OF DIVERSITY, UH, FROM BEING PRESENTED BY THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.
YEAH, WE'LL HOST ITS NINTH ANNUAL CHAMPION OF DIVERSITY AWARDS PROGRAM.
UM, AND SEE THAT WILL BE, UH, THIS EVENING.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT WILL BE AT THE, IS THAT THE GEORGIA GRB AT THE GEORGIA BROWN? UM, LET'S SEE.
AND THEN, AND THEN TODAY MARKS, UH, A SUMMER ANNIVERSARY OF THE 10TH YEAR SINCE THE DEADLY SOUTHWEST END FIRE OF WHICH CLAIMED THE LIVES OF FIVE OF OUR BRAVE HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS, UH, WHO WERE KILLED WHEN THE ROOF COLLAPSED.
SO, UH, TODAY WE REMEMBER ROBERT BEBE, UH, ROBERT GARNER, MATTHEW RENA AND SULLIVAN, AND CAPTAIN IRON BILL DOLING.
AND I'M GONNA ASK THAT WE ARE JOINED TODAY, UH, IN, IN THEIR, IN THEIR MEMORY.
UH, HAVING SAID THAT, UH, NOW LET'S PROCEED TO THE CONSENT.
I'M SORRY, UH, COUNCILMAN KASH MAYOR, DURING ONE OF THE SPEAKERS, I ASK IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER A, UH, EXECUTIVE ORDER, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT PASSING THE ORDINANCE TODAY, THAT WOULD GIVE DIRECTION TO THE MUNICIPAL COURTS.
AND, AND FOR THOSE THAT THAT HAVE BEEN BOOTED TO, TO DO THE PAYMENT PLAN.
I BELIEVE THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
AND, AND, AND, AND SEEING YOUR KINDNESS TODAY TOWARD THIS, UH, PEOPLE WITH THAT ARE SUFFERING LIKE THIS, I WOULD, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD INSTRUCT THEM TO START A PAYMENT PLAN SITUATION INSTEAD OF HAVING TO PUT UP A FULL CASH BOND.
THAT'S, THAT'S AN ORDINANCE THAT WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU SHORTLY.
UM, THE ORDINANCE ORDINANCE WAS PULLED, UH, TODAY FROM THE AGENDA FOR MY, FOR MY REVIEW.
ALRIGHT THEN, UH, MATTER SECRETARY, PROCEED WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA GOING BACK TO THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEM SIX AND SEVEN.
JUST NEED TO VOTE ON ITEM SIX.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OPPOSED GRANTING ON SIX.
ITEM SEVEN NEEDS A MOTION MOVE ROBINSON.
MARTIN MOVED AND SECONDED ON SEVEN.
DISCUSSION ON SEVEN IN FAVOR OF POST GRANITE UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY.
JUST NEED A MOTION MOVE ROBINSON.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST AND GRANTED UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF BIDS CATEGORY ITEM 12 HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
NEED MOTION FOR ITEMS 10, 11, 13, AND 14.
MARTIN BEEN MOVED IN SECOND AND ON 10, 11, 13, AND 14 IN FAVOR OF DISCUSSION.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANITE UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY.
ITEM 1630, NO, I'M SORRY, ITEM 16, 33
[01:35:01]
AND 34 HAVE BEEN PULLED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.AND ITEM 30 HAS BEEN RECEIVED.
THE ONLY ITEMS REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION IS ITEM 40.
DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED AND GRANTED.
[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
REMOVE SECOND CONSIDERATION.AND ON 12, COUNCIL MEMBER PACK ON ON 12.
THIS IS TO PAY, UM, FOR THE EMERGENCY SHELTERING AT GEORGIA BROWN FROM THE FREEZE, UM, LAST DECEMBER.
UM, BUT JUST WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHELTERING DURING DISASTERS, UM, THE NEED FOR SPREADING THAT OUT ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND NOT JUST HAVING THE ONE CENTRAL LOCATION.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME PLANS THAT ARE BEING LOOKED AT TO KIND OF SPREAD THAT AROUND.
UM, BUT WE'RE ENTERING ANOTHER HURRICANE SEASON WITHOUT THAT PLAN IN PLACE.
AND I KNOW SOME OF US, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS AND I HAVE, UM, HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD TO SET UP A PLAN FOR OUR DISTRICTS IN CASE OF A DISASTER.
BUT WE REALLY NEED SOMETHING, SOME COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO SOMEHOW MAKE THEIR WAY TO DOWNTOWN WHEN THEY'RE IN NORTHWEST HOUSTON.
YEAH, LET ME ASK, UH, CHIEF BING TO REACH OUT, UH, TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THEIR SUGGESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS.
BUT YEAH, THE, UM, GEORGIA BROWN, QUITE FRANKLY IS THE, IS THE LAST OPTION.
UH, WE WOULD PREFER THESE SHELTERS TO BE SET UP, UH, CLOSER TO THE COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS SO PEOPLE CAN ACCESS THEM.
UM, SO I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT.
WE NEED, UH, SHELTERS IDENTIFIED ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
'CAUSE TRYING TO SOMETIMES GET TO DOWNTOWN MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 12, UH, IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTING ON 12? ITEM 40 IS AN ORDINANCE.
OKAY, WE, ON ITEM 40, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN ON 40.
UH, I KNOW THE RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT YEAR ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS SECOND PHASE OF KIRKWOOD TO BE COMPLETED.
AND IT SAYS ON HERE THAT THE CONTRACT DURATION FOR THE PROJECT IS 815 DAYS.
UM, HOPEFULLY THAT'S JUST THE CONTRACT DURATION AND NOT THE CONSTRUCTION DURATION.
UM, SO WE'RE JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO FINALLY HAVING THAT DONE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 40? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 40, ITEM 41
[MATTERS HELD]
IS AN ORDER.HUFFMAN COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN ON 41.
UH, THIS ITEM, I TAGGED IT LAST WEEK.
IT IS FOR THE SALE OF AN EASEMENT THAT RUNS DOWN THE MIDDLE OF A PROPERTY.
UH, THE PROPERTY WAS ACQUIRED THROUGH WINDROCK NORTH PFC IN 2019.
UM, AND I SPOKE TO THE DEVELOPER, UH, LAST NIGHT, AND HE'S CONVEYED TO ME THAT THIS EASEMENT IS NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT, AS IS NOW.
WE RECENTLY HAD SOME NEW LEGISLATION PASSED REGARDING THE PUBLIC FACILITY CORPORATIONS.
UM, BUT THIS PROPERTY IS GRANDFATHERED IN TO THE OLD PFC LAW.
UM, AND WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE DEVELOPER, HE SAID THE SITE IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, 399 UNITS WITH ABOUT 50% OF THEM BEING FAIR MARKET VALUE, AND THE OTHER 50% BEING AT 80% AREA MEETING INCOME.
AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW LEGISLATION, BUT I THINK THIS IS, AGAIN, IS AN EXAMPLE OF, UM, TAKING PROPERTIES, YOU KNOW, 100% OFF THE TAX ROLL, BUT NOT REALLY PROVIDING AFFORDABILITY FOR PEOPLE IN HOUSTON.
UM, I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS ON THIS.
UH, THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROJECT.
SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT I'VE RECEIVED HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY HAVE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ABOUT THE $2 MILLION BEING TAKEN OFF THE TAX ROLLS.
THESE ARE TAX PAYMENTS THAT WOULD'VE CONTRI CONTRIBUTED TO OUR CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
UM, AND THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACTS ON OUR ALREADY LIEN, UH, RESOURCES FOR THE CITY.
SO, UM, I AM VOTING WITH MY CONSTITUENTS ON THIS AND I'M AGAINST THE SALE OF THE EASEMENT.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR? I OPPOSE AGREEMENT SHOW COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN VOTING NOTE AND COUNCIL MEMBER ASH VOTING NOTE.
COUNCIL MEMBER PAT, COUNCIL MEMBER MALCO.
[01:40:01]
AND ITEM PASSES.WHO WAS THE KNOW NEW START WITH MAYOR.
[NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
GONNA START WITH, UM, UM, MAYOR I PRO TEMP.THANK YOU MAYOR KINGWOOD MONTHLY RECYCLING EVENT WILL HAPPEN THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 3RD, 9:00 AM TO 3:00 PM OR UNTIL THE TRUCKS ARE FULL AT THE KINGWOOD METRO PARK.
AND ROD REMINDER, THE NEW WEEKEND RECYCLING PROGRAM IN KINGWOOD NOW ACCEPTS ALL TYPES OF PLASTICS.
YOU CAN BAG ALL YOUR PLASTICS FOR RECYCLING AND BRING THEM TO THE WEEKEND RECYCLING AT THE KINGWOOD METRO PARK AND RIDE LOT CURBSIDE PLASTIC RE RECYCLING HAS LIMITS, WHEREAS STYROFOAM, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN NOW BE RECYCLED ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
AS I MENTIONED TO MS. CORTEZ, WHO WAS ONE OF OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS TODAY, THE CRENSHAW ROAD RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT IS SET TO BEGIN ON MONDAY, JUNE 12TH, AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY MONDAY, JULY 10TH.
THE PROJECT BOUNDARIES FOR THE CRENSHAW ROAD PROJECT ARE FROM SOUTH SHAVER ROAD TO ALLEN GENOA ROAD.
THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT IS TO PRESERVE AND PROLONG THE LIFE OF THE ROAD BASE AND TO PROVIDE FOR A SMOOTH RODING SERVICE PROJECT IS BEING MANAGED BY HARRIS COUNTY ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND IS A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
UM, I GUESS I WANTED TO START BY THANKING YOU FOR BEING AT THE, UH, EVENT WITH THE ENGINEERS LAST NIGHT AT THE IRON.
THE NEW BOARD OF THE A CEC WAS SWORN IN, SO CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS TO THOSE WHO VOLUNTEERED TO SERVE, UH, OUR COMMUNITY OF ENGINEERS.
WE WERE JOINED, OF COURSE, BY COUNCIL MEMBERS, ALCORN, THOMAS, AND POLLARD.
THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING THERE AT THE ION.
UM, AND TALKING OF ENGINEERING ISSUES, WE WILL HAVE OUR TTI COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE MONTH, TOMORROW MORNING AT 10:00 AM.
UM, WE DO HAVE A, AN ITEM, UM, WELL JUST TELL YOU THE AGENDA REAL BRIEFLY.
THE PRESENTATIONS INCLUDE PUBLIC WORKS, COLLABORATION AND PROGRAMS TO IMPLEMENT, UH, YOUR RESILIENT HOUSTON PROGRAM, INCLUDING RESILIENT SIDEWALKS.
WITH ALL THE TOPICS ON TODAY'S AGENDA, UH, AND THE DISCUSSION ABOUT SIDEWALKS, UH, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL FIND IT INTERESTING AS WELL AS GREEN STREETS, A PILOT PROJECT WE'RE DOING.
AND ECO-FRIENDLY VEGETATION MANAGEMENT USING GOATS.
MAYOR, I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU LOVE THE GOATS.
UM, WE'LL ALSO HEAR ABOUT MICROSOFT, THE UNIFIED SUPPORT AND SERVER AND CLOUD ENROLLMENT FROM OUR HITS DEPARTMENT.
HITS WILL ALSO PRESENT ON THE IT OPERATIONS, THE AUTOMATION TOOL.
WE'RE GONNA HEAR A COUPLE OF ITEMS FROM THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM, UH, COLLEAGUES, YOU WANT TO COME AND HEAR ABOUT THIS.
THE, THE AIRPORT SYSTEM'S, WIFI, MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT SERVICES CONTRACT.
I KNOW MAYOR PRO TEM, BUT REALLY THE OCULUS IMMERSIVE MEDIA TECHNOLOGY.
THERE WILL BE A VIRTUAL REALITY SET OF, UM, GOGGLES IN THE CHAMBER.
SO I KNOW EVERYONE'S GONNA CANCEL ALL THEIR PLANS TO JOIN US TOMORROW.
AND MAYOR, LASTLY, KUDOS TO YOU AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS FOR RECOGNIZING, UM, UH, ASIAN AMERICAN, UM, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE, HERITAGE MUNCHED.
WE HAD TWO NOMINEES IN THAT, UH, FROM THE AT LARGE TWO OFFICE.
AND CONTINUING, CONTINUING IN THAT SAME VEIN.
UM, THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER FOR THAT.
UH, YESTERDAY WAS REALLY SPECIAL AND, UH, MANY OF THE, THE MEMBERS, THEY, UM, WERE JUST FULL WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF HOW THEY GET TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY.
SO I WANNA APPRECIATE YOU FOR THAT.
UM, ALSO, UH, THE DELTAS ARE COMING.
WE ARE CELEBRATING OUR 27TH, UH, DELTA DAYS AT CITY HALL.
UH, AND SO THIS WILL BE YOUR LAST TIME WITH US MAYOR TURNER.
WHEN ARE THEY COMING? JUNE 6TH.
AND SO WE ARE TURNING CITY HALL CRIMSON.
AND SO, UM, UH, WE ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD TIME.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
SO I WANNA KEEP THAT ON YOUR RADAR.
UM, WE HAVE CONFIRMED CHIEF FINNER, UH, FOR, UH, MONDAY, JUNE 26TH FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL DISTRICT F PUBLIC SAFETY TOWN HALL, WHICH IS REALLY POPULAR.
AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO ALSO INVITE, UH, POLICE CHIEFS FROM ALE, FISD IN HOUSTON, ISD 'CAUSE WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON YOUTH VIOLENCE AND KNOW IT'S THE SUMMERTIME.
AND, UH, I KNOW THERE'S A CALL, UH, CALL WENT OUT FROM CHIEF FINNER ABOUT HIS HEART FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND GETTING, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE.
AND SO, MAYOR TURNER WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU POP YOUR HEAD IN IF YOU'RE ABLE TO DO SO.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU ALSO HAVE A, A HEART FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S JUNE 26TH THAT'S COMING OUT.
AND THEN I AM EXCITED ABOUT YOU PLACING THE, UH, THOSE PARKING CHANGES ON THE AGENDA.
YOU KNOW, THE 18 WHEELERS AND THE, THOSE
[01:45:01]
LARGE, UH, VEHICLES WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR ALMOST A YEAR.I THINK IT WAS A YEAR AGO, UH, WHEN YOU CAME TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY TOWN HALL WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
SO THIS, SO THIS IS PERFECT TIMING.
UH, SO JUST A REMINDER TO LET FOLKS KNOW THAT THINGS ARE GETTING DONE AT CITY HALL AND WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ANY OF THEIR PRIORITIES.
AND SO THAT REALLY CONCLUDES ALL OF IT.
EXCITED TO JOIN YOU TODAY FOR THE JUNETEENTH CELEBR YES.
PRESS CONFERENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENT.
AND, UM, THAT'S IT FROM THE OFFICE OF DISTRICT F.
COUNCIL MEMBER P I'LL PASS ALSO.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, TOMORROW IS THE START OF PRIDE MONTH.
SO I WANNA WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY PRIDE.
UH, AND IN HONOR OF THE MONTH, WE ARE AGAIN GOING TO HOST OUR SECOND ANNUAL FAMILIES WITH PRIDE EVENT.
UH, IT'LL BE JUNE 24TH FROM 9:00 AM TO NOON.
UM, WE ARE ALSO GONNA HAVE A PROUD PUPPY PARADE THIS YEAR AT 9:00 AM SO RESIDENTS THAT DON'T HAVE KIDS CAN ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
UM, MAYOR, OF COURSE, YOU'RE INVITED AGAIN.
UH, BUT I WELCOME ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, TO JOIN US.
I ALSO, UH, HAVE A VERY EXTENSIVE LIST OF SPONSORS, SO I'LL HAVE TO LIST THOSE OUT AT ANOTHER TIME IN TERMS OF OUR APPRECIATION TO THEM.
UH, MEYER LAND, UH, SOME IMPORTANT CONSTRUCTION IS STARTING THIS WEEK IN FRONT OF THE MEYERLAND, PERFORMING IN VISUAL ARTS MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, TO PROVIDE IMPORTANT DRAINAGE AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS FROM, EXCUSE ME, CHENA TO WIGTON ON MANHATTAN.
UH, RESIDENTS WORKED AND CAME TOGETHER TO REPORT THE NEED.
UH, MY STAFF WORKED WITH PUBLIC WORKS, AND SO WE FOUND A QUICK SOLUTION TO GET IN WHILE SCHOOL IS OUT.
UH, SPECIAL THANKS TO D-D-O-T-D-O AND LANI, UH, FOR THEIR WORK.
UH, HURRICANE SEASON ALSO STARTS TOMORROW, SO I WANNA REMIND RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT C, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR, UH, SUPPLIES TO MAKE A PLAN TO STAY INFORMED.
UH, AND GO FOR MORE RESOURCES TO HOUSTON OEM.ORG AND SIGN UP FOR ALERT HOUSTON.
AND LASTLY, MAYOR, UM, ON FRIDAY, JUNE 2ND, IT'S ALSO WEAR ORANGE DAY, UH, NATIONALLY TO, UH, BRING AWARENESS TO THE NEED TO END GUN VIOLENCE.
SO I, I WILL BE WEARING ORANGE.
I BELIEVE CITY HALL WILL BE LIT UP ORANGE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, UM, AND ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO PARTICIPATE AND SPEAK OUT.
UH, JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AGAIN, UH, THIS PAST FRIDAY WE HAD THE UNVEILING OF THE HOUSTON VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL.
I WANT TO, UH, THANK YOU PUBLICLY FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT.
UM, THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR'S, OFFICE OF VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS, THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, H-P-D-H-F-D, ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS WHO PUT IN, UH, WORK TO HELP REALLY RECOGNIZE OUR VIETNAM VETERANS, GIVE THEM A PROPER WELCOME HOME.
UH, WE HAD ABOUT 500 PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT DAY.
AND, UM, IT WAS EVEN MORE THAN I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED.
SO THAT WAS A PROJECT THAT WE WORKED ON FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
A $1.5 MILLION MONUMENT THAT GOES TO TOWARDS, UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS OF A $15 MILLION PARK IN DISTRICT J.
SO, JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION FOR THAT.
I WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR ATTENDING.
AND, UH, I WANT TO GIVE SPECIAL PROPS TOT 20 BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR, UH, MAIN FUNDING SOURCE AND OUR PARTNERS WITHIN THAT PROJECT.
AND WITHOUT THEIR, UM, SUPPORT AND THEIR DILIGENCE, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, DO THAT PROJECT.
SO I WANT TO THANK THEM, THE BOARD AND THE STAFF.
AND THEN MAYOR, I HAVE A SPECIAL RECOGNITION, UH, FOR YOU AND A MEMENTO TO COMMEMORATE, UM, THE UNVEILING, WHICH IS A, UM, MINIATURE, UH, VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL THAT YOU CAN HAVE IN YOUR OFFICE, UH, THAT WILL NOT ONLY HAVE YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT SPECIAL DAY, BUT ALL OF THE SACRIFICE OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE VIETNAM WAR.
THIS IS, UM, THIS IS VERY, VERY NICE AND, UM, AND HEAVY TOO.
CAN YOU SHOW IT OFF, MA'AM? YEAH.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS VERY NICE.
AND IT WAS A VERY NICE, UH, COMMEMORATIVE EVENT.
UM, AND I KNOW I'VE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT JUST HOW WELL DONE THAT VIETNAM WAR MEMORIAL WAS.
AND, UM, I KNOW HTV COVERED IT AND, UM, THEY'RE DOING A SPECIAL SEGMENT ON IT AS WELL.
SO, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, TO
[01:50:01]
YOUR OFFICE, PAUL.UM, CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE, HIM AND TO, AND CHURCH.
20 I I I, I DO, UM, UH, TIP MY HAT OFF TO CHURCH 20.
BUT, UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
COUNCILMAN POLL, YOU REALLY TOOK THE LEAD ON THAT, SO IT WAS VERY, VERY, VERY WELL DONE.
UM, CHURCH SECRETARY COUNCILMAN, UH, EVAN SHABA,
I CERTAINLY, I WANNA START OUT WITH A WORD OF CAUTION, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE USING THE COLUMBIA TAP.
UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, SEVERAL INCIDENTS.
WE HAD A SHOW OF FORCE YESTERDAY WITH, UH, CHIEF SADDLE WHITE, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF, UH, CANTU AND COMMANDER JOHNSON AND THE FRIENDS OF COLUMBIA TAP.
I WANT TO ALSO GIVE A WARNING TO THOSE THAT ARE PERPETRATING THESE CRIMES.
HOPEFULLY YOU WON'T BE HURT AS WELL, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO START PROTECTING THEMSELVES AS THEY USE THE TRAIL.
AND SO HOPEFULLY PARENTS, YOU WILL LOOK AT THE WHEREABOUTS OF YOUR CHILDREN.
UH, WE HAVE JOB PROGRAMS THAT THEY NEED TO ENGAGE IN.
CERTAINLY THEY CAN, UH, MAYBE NEED TO GO TO THE CITY POOLS, BUT WE WANT THEM TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF THEIR LIVES AND ALSO LET THEM REALIZE THAT SOMETIMES THEY WANNA BE THE PERPETRATOR, BUT THEY CAN BECOME THE VICTIMS. AND SO WE INTEND TO STOP THAT UNSAFE BEHAVIOR ON THE COLUMBIA TAP AND ALL OVER.
DISTRICT D MY OFFICE HAS COMMITTED COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, SOUTHEAST, SOUTH CENTRAL TO TRY TO HELP WITH THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN DISTRICT D.
UH, ALSO, UM, WE CELEBRATED THE READY AND FORWARD CAPITAL CAMPAIGN LAUNCH AT THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS NATIONAL MUSEUM.
IT WAS A JOY TO SEE THE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE, AND IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL PLACE.
AND CERTAINLY YOU NEED TO GO BY AND SEE A WONDERFUL PIECE OF HISTORY IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
ALSO, WE MARKED THREE YEARS SINCE THE TRAGIC PASSING OF GEORGE FLOYD WITH THE SCREENING OF THE MAKING OF GEORGE, A DOCUMENTARY CAPTURING THE CREATION OF HIS SCULPTURE AT TOM BASS PARK, WHICH IS NOW ON DISPLAY.
AND THE FILM REMINDED OF US OF FLOYD'S PROFOUND IMPACT AND ONGOING FIGHT FOR JUSTICE.
THANKS AGAIN TO DANETTE DAVIS AND SCULPTOR ADRIAN RICE AND ISAM AND THE GEORGE FLOYD FOUNDATION FOR THEIR HARD WORK ON THIS PROJECT.
UH, WE WERE, UH, CATERED AND WE HAD A WONDERFUL EVENT.
UH, THIS PAST WEEKEND THERE WAS AN EXCITING TENNIS TOURNAMENT AT MCGREGOR PARK AND I WANNA EXTEND MY SPECIAL THANKS TO SHARON EVANS BROOKS FOR HER EXCELLENT ORGANIZATION OF THIS COMMUNITY EVENT.
AND IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE SO MANY FACES.
MAYOR, I THOUGHT YOU'D BE OUT THERE TRYING TO HIT A FEW BALLS, BUT NO ONE, I GUESS THAT WOULD'VE BEEN UNFAIR.
I GUESS NOBODY WANTED TO LOSE.
THERE WAS ALSO AN ENGAGEMENT, UH, WITH THE SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER REGARDING VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
AND WE CERTAINLY ARE, ARE FIGHTING THAT ON EVERY LEVEL TO TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN STOP THIS VIOLENCE, UH, DISTRICT D IN PARTICULAR, BUT CERTAINLY ALL OVER THE CITY.
I WANT TO CERTAINLY, UM, INDICATE THAT ON THIS MONDAY, HURRICANE SEASON, I THINK STARTS TODAY.
BUT AT ANY RATE, WE HAVE A HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS RESOURCE FAIR, WHICH WE HAVE EVERY YEAR.
IT WILL BE MONDAY, JUNE 5TH FROM SIX TO EIGHT AT THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, 44 10 REED ROAD.
WE'LL HAVE ONSITE EXPERTS, PREPAREDNESS GUIDES, LIFESAVING RESOURCES, KHOU, WEATHER GUIDES.
UH, THE WEATHER IS REALLY CHANGING, UH, THIS CLIMATE CHANGE, AND WE CERTAINLY KNOW THAT AT ANY POINT WE COULD BECOME UNSAFE.
THAT'S THE BEST WAY OF GETTING PAST IT.
AND SO CERTAINLY, MAYOR, I NOTICED HOW GENEROUS YOU HAVE BEEN TODAY.
SO I'M TRYING TO THINK OF SOME THINGS THAT I MAY NEED YOU TO PAY FOR
AND SO I'LL GET WITH YOU LATER.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.
UH, AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
WELL, THE ONLY THING I ASKED IS THAT Y'ALL APPROVED THE BUDGET UNANIMOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WITH MINIMUM AMENDMENTS, YOU KNOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS.
UM, I WANTED TO SAY THAT, UH, YESTERDAY EVENING I ATTENDED AN, AN AWARD CEREMONY FOR THE, THE YOUTH POLICE ADVISORY COUNCIL.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE 1997 AND, UM, AND CHIEF FINNER HAS, HAS SO EMBRACED IT AND, UM, UM, THERE'S A VOLUNTEER COMPONENT TO, TO THIS PROGRAM.
BUT THE HEART OF THE PROGRAM IS REALLY CHIEF FINNER AND, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, THESE YOUNG PEOPLE TO HAVE DIRECT CONVERSATIONS AND VERY SERIOUS DIALOGUE WITH HPD LEADERSHIP.
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THEY, UM, THEY, THEY DISCUSS EVENTS AND ISSUES AFFECTING THEIR LIVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES.UM, IT'S VERY DIVERSE GROUP, REALLY REPRESENTING THIS, THE WHOLE CITY.
UM, AND THEY ADVISE THE CHIEF ON CURRENT ISSUES AND, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATING MUTUAL CONCERNS.
UM, BUT, BUT I MEAN, IT'S CLEAR TO SEE HOW, HOW THIS GROUP, I MEAN, REALLY WAS VERY UNIFIED AND, AND FOCUSED ON, ON, UM, BEING A POSITIVE FORCE FOR GOOD.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCUSS WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A CRIME FREE LIFESTYLE AND, YOU KNOW, AND HOW THAT IN INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, UM, SHARING THIS INFORMATION WITH THEIR PEERS.
UM, I, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED.
UM, I, I SAW OPPORTUNITIES MYSELF AS A, AS A TEACHER TO MAYBE ADD SOME OTHER THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, AND, AND I, AND I MET AN OFFICER WHO, UM, IS PART OF THE PROGRAM, UM, WHO WAS A TEACHER BEFORE.
UM, SHE BECAME A POLICE OFFICER, AND SHE'S THE DAUGHTER OF, UM, UH, OF, UM, MR. BIRD WHO WAS, UM, KILLED IN, IN JASPER 25 YEARS AGO OR SO.
SHE'S, SHE'S NOW WORKING ON THIS PROGRAM TOO, RIGHT? AND I MEAN, WHAT AN ASSET SHE IS, RIGHT? UM, AND IT WAS JUST A PLEASURE TO MEET ALL THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE AND, AND, UM, AND TO MEET HER.
WELL, I GOT COUNCILMAN POLLARD.
UH, I THOUGHT I, I GAVE MY PROPS AND THANKS TO YOUR ADMINISTRATION AND A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY GROUPS, BUT I, I DO WANT TO GIVE RECOGNITION TO MY OFFICE STAFF FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT THEY PUT FORTH OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, UH, WITH THE HOUSTON VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL.
WITHOUT THEM, UH, IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.
AND, UH, MY CHIEF OF STAFF, PAUL YOUNG RAN POINT ON THAT PROJECT.
AND SO, UH, PROPS TO PAUL AND I WANT TO THANK HIM PUBLICLY FOR HIS, HIS WORK AS WELL.
PAUL'S NAME, YOU KNOW, THE MAY.
YOU KNOW, SO LOOK, I TRY TO FILL IN THE GAPS.
UH, ONE OTHER QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT.
UH, METRO HAS ASKED ALL OF US TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD.
UH, THEY HAVE THEIR SUMMER OF FUN FREE RIDES FOR STUDENT PROGRAM THAT STARTS TOMORROW.
SO THERE'S AN APPLICATION AND IT'S FREE FOR STUDENTS RUNNING FROM TOMORROW, JUNE 1ST THROUGH AUGUST 31ST.
SO I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WILL SEE SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS ON THERE.
I'M GONNA GET MY, AND THEN EVAN CHAIR, SECRETARY FOR A SECOND ROUND COUNCIL.
I JUST WANNA WELCOME, UH, MY NEW CONSTITUENTS, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME.
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, TUCKER TOOL TO MY STAFF.
HE'S NOT HERE, HE'S WORKING, BUT CERTAINLY I WANNA WELCOME HIM.
UH, HE'S BEEN A, A, A WONDERFUL ASSET ALREADY, AND HE'S A, AND HE'S A MOREHOUSE MAN.
WHAT COULD I SAY? I'M SPEND MORE.
LET'S REMEMBER TODAY WE ARE, WE ARE GOING TO ADJOURN IN MEMORY OF, UM, THOSE FIREFIGHTERS, BRAVE FIREFIGHTERS WHO, UH, DIED AS A RESULT OF THE SOUTHWEST END FIRE, ROBERT BEBE, ROBERT GARNER, MATTHEW AL AND SULLIVAN, AND CAPTAIN IRON BILL.
DARLING, WE STAND IN A JOURNEY MEMORY OF THEM.