[Bicycle Advisory Committee on October 25, 2023.]
[00:00:14]
HELLO EVERYONE.MY NAME IS MISTY STANTON WITH THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
WELCOME TO THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING.
TODAY'S DATE IS OCTOBER 25TH, 2023, AND IT'S APPROXIMATELY 2:38 PM I'M GONNA GO OVER OUR MISSION AND VISION.
MISSION IS TO ADVISE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMISSION AND THE DIRECTOR ON ISSUES RELATED TO BICYCLING IN THE CITY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, AMENDMENTS TO THE BIKE PLAN, BICYCLE BICYCLE, SAFETY AND EDUCATION, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BIKE PLAN, DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR FUNDING PROJECTS RELATED TO BICYCLING AND PROMOTING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN BICYCLING, BAC VISION BY 2027, THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL BE A SAFER, MORE ACCESSIBLE, GOLD LEVEL BIKE FRIENDLY CITY.
I'M GOING TO START WITH ROAD CALL TOM THOMPSON.
JOE RO I THINK HE'S ON HIS WAY.
UM, FOR THOSE WHO ARE ON MICROSOFT TEAMS, YOU CAN FIND THE AGENDA IN THE SLIDES ON OUR HOUSTON BIKE PLAN.ORG WEBSITE.
YOU CAN ALSO JOIN BY PHONE (936) 755-1521.
THE ID NUMBER IS 4 8 6 2 7 9 2 0 8.
HASHTAG UH, MICROSOFT TEAMS, UM, MEETING INSTRUCTIONS IS PLEASE RE, UH, REMEMBER TO STAY ON MUTE UNLESS IDENTIFIED BY THE CHAIR TO SPEAK.
IF YOU ARE CONNECTING THROUGH THE PHONE, PLEASE MUTE OR UNMUTE BY PRESSING STAR SIX.
WE ARE NOW, UM, AT THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
UH, I'LL HAVE THE NOTES NOTE THAT JOE KARU FO HAS JOINED US IN PERSON IN THE CHAMBERS.
UM, SO A FEW UPDATES FOR EVERYBODY THIS MONTH.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK YOU'VE ALL RECOGNIZED THAT BRIAN SMITH A SECOND, UH, HAS RETURNED TO US.
WE ARE VERY, UH, APPRECIATIVE OF HIS SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY, BUT EVEN MORE APPRECIATIVE THAT HE HAS RETURNED TO US, UH, TO HELP US HERE.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, WE ALSO WANT TO GIVE RECOGNITION TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE STEPPED IN, UH, WHEN WE WERE SHORT OF STAFF, TOOK ON ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO KEEP EVERYTHING GOING.
WE, I'D LIKE TO OFFER MY APPRECIATION, HOPE YOU WILL TOO, TO BRENDAN MOSLEY, AS WELL AS MISTY STANTON, WHO BOTH STEPPED IN AND HELPED US HERE.
AND THEN, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STAFF UPDATES, UH, WE HAVE A NEW MEMBER OF THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING DIVISION.
I'D LIKE YOU TO WELCOME MONIQUE JOHNSON, UH, WHO HAS JUST JOINED US THIS MONTH.
AND WITH THAT, UH, WE FINALLY HAVE A FULL TEAM AND COMPLIMENT.
UH, SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN MOVE NOT JUST AT THE PACE WE'VE BEEN GOING, BUT EVEN MORE AND FASTER FOR YOU ALL.
UH, THE NEXT UPDATE, EXCUSE ME, UM, IS, UH, ONE OF THE REQUESTS, UH, ONE OF THE ITEMS IN THE VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN THAT OVERLAPS, UH, WITH THE REQUESTS OF THE BAC IS TO FIND OUT WHERE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIFFERENT CITY PROGRAMS TO WORK TOGETHER FOR ECONOMIES OF SCALE.
UM, UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS SPECIFICALLY WITH THEIR, UH, THE CREWS THAT DO REPAVING TO FIND OUT WHERE THERE ARE, UH, LOW COMFORT BIKEWAYS ON EITHER HIGH SPEED OR HIGH VOLUME STREETS THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING UP TO A REPAVING SEASON SOMETIME SOON.
AND USE THAT OPPORTUNITY IF POSSIBLE, TO REPLACE, UH, JUST THE PAINT WITH SOME KIND OF BUFFER.
THIS IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.
[00:05:01]
FOR YOU SOON.UH, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN WE PICK UP OUR HEADS AND STOP JUST RESPONDING TLS AND GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT THAT WE CAN GET AHEAD OF OUR GAME.
SO, SO THAT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
AND THEN, UH, MY LAST AND THIRD ITEM IS, UM, SOMETHING THAT IS RELATED TO YOU ALL, BUT ALSO A VISION ZERO ACTION THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT.
I'D MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, UH, WE ARE WORKING ON THE CITY'S FIRST CITYWIDE TRUCK, TRUCK PLAN BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, UH, TRUCK DRIVERS HAVE NO SPECIFIC DIRECTION ABOUT WHERE THEY SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T BE.
UM, ASIDE FROM, UH, SOME LESS THAN STRATEGIC SIGNAGE.
UM, SO WE ARE CREATING A CITYWIDE NETWORK OF TRUCK ROUTE THAT WILL ALSO EVENTUALLY OVERLAY WITH THE BIKE PLAN, UH, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, NOT BE ON THE SAME STREETS.
UM, IF IT DOES REQUIRE, THEN WE'LL NEED TO LOOK FOR SOME SPECIAL TREATMENTS.
BUT PART OF THAT IS THE SAFETY ASPECT THAT, YOU KNOW, TRUCKS HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS.
UM, TRUCK DRIVERS DON'T ALWAYS RECOGNIZE OUR OTHER DR, UH, USERS OF THE ROAD.
UM, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BENEFIT ALL OUR MODES, INCLUDING OUR BIKING COMMUNITY.
UH, THAT IS GOING TO THE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ON NOVEMBER 9TH.
AND THEN, FINGERS CROSSED, FINGERS CROSSED, UH, TO CITY COUNCIL SOON AFTER THAT.
WE'LL NOW MOVE OVER TO THE QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, SO, UH, IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN, WILL THERE BE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TRUCK DRIVERS OR, OKAY.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING ENGAGEMENT, UH, SINCE MAY.
I THINK, UH, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH THE TEXAS TRUCKING ASSOCIATION INDIVIDUAL, UH, DRIVERS AND OWNERS AS WELL AS, UH, MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES SPECIFICALLY.
THOSE ARE ON THE PORT THAT HAVE THE HEAVIEST TRUCK VOLUMES.
UH, SO SET AGAST, UM, UH, UH, DENVER HARBOR, UM, THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, WE'VE HAD A SURVEY ONLINE, WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING, I'M SORRY I DIDN'T MAKE AN EARLIER PRESENTATION TO YOU ALL ABOUT IT.
UM, THE FIRST STEP IS GOING TO BE AN AUTHORIZATION BY COUNCIL TO ADOPT A, A TRUCK PLAN.
UM, VERY MUCH MIRRORING SIMILAR LANGUAGE TO WHAT THEY PROVIDED FOR THE BIKE PLAN.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL DO A PILOT PROJECT, UH, IN SET OF GAS TO TEST THE METHODOLOGY.
AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK WITH THE FULL MAP OF WHAT THOSE, UH, WILL LOOK LIKE.
AND WHAT I'LL, I'LL MAKE A COMMITMENT IS TO BRING THAT MAP TO THIS COMMITTEE AS WELL.
I'M JUST THINKING, IS IT AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF SEEP IN SOME OF OUR EDUCATIONAL AMBITIONS WITH TRAINING? BRENDAN, DID YOU WANT TO TELL US, TELL EVERYBODY WHAT YOU JUST TOLD ME.
UH, LAST WEEK WE MET WITH THE HOME MOVERS, UH, MOVING ASSOCIATION.
UH, WE, WE PRESENTED TO THEM OUR TRUCK ROUTE STUDY AND STUFF WE WERE DOING.
I HAD GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AND LET 'EM KNOW THE GREAT THINGS WE'RE DOING WITH THE BAC.
ALL OF THEM ARE OPENING, UH, ARE OPEN TO TRAINING, UH, SOME SORT.
SO AS WE CONTINUED TO EXPAND THE BIKE NETWORK, I WANTED TO REVISIT, UH, MAYBE, MAYBE NOT DECEMBER, BUT COMING UP IN 24, UH, TO MAYBE DO A PRESENTATION FOR THEM AT THEIR LUNCHEON.
AND WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THAT GROUP AGAIN? MOVERS HOUSTON ASSOCIATION.
I, I CAN'T LET ME F*****G ASSOCIATION.
WAS IT, WE, WE WILL CONFIRM THAT NAME, BUT WE'LL CONFIRM THE NAME, BUT I'LL GET IT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, GREAT.
WE'LL NOW MOVE OVER TO THE CHAIR'S REPORT.
BEFORE I BEGIN, I'LL NOTE THAT IAN LAVA CHECK IS IN THE ROOM.
UM, I JUST GOT BACK FROM NORTHERN MICHIGAN YESTERDAY AND, UH, WE'VE SEEN THE FULL RANGE OF, OF SEASONS UP THERE, UM, SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, AND ALL THAT GOES WITH THAT.
AND IT'S INTERESTING TO COME BACK TO FULL ON SUMMER
UM, BUT SPEAKING OF SEASONS, I UNDERSTAND IT IS ELECTION SEASON HERE, AND I I'VE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH IT AS MUCH AS I CAN.
UM, FROM AFAR, I'LL TELL YOU ONE THING I'VE NOTICED IS THAT JUST IN THE RANGE OF MAYORAL CANDIDATES, THERE IS A FULL DIVERSITY THAT REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AS FAR AS OPINIONS AND MISSIONS AND VALUES AND SO FORTH.
AND I WOULD JUST URGE EVERYBODY HERE TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY VOTED.
'CAUSE I GUESS THAT ALREADY STARTED, BUT I'M GONNA DO MINE.
I'VE ALREADY DONE SOME ON THE MAYORAL CANDIDATES.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES, WE'VE GOT PROPOSITIONS.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE PRETTY CONSEQUENTIAL FOR THE FUTURE OF THE CITY IN SO MANY WAYS.
SO I WOULD REALLY, REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
FIND THE PEOPLE THAT ALIGN WITH YOUR INTERESTS AND VALUES, AND NOT ONLY VOTE ACCORDINGLY,
[00:10:01]
BUT SUPPORT YOUR CANDIDATES AND YOUR PROPOSITIONS.NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE JULY, 2023 BAC MINUTES.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, CHAIRS CANNOT MOVE, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO ENTER, WE ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
SO I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
UH, MOTION PASSES THE MEETING.
THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED AND ALEJANDRO HAS NOW JOINED US TOO.
NOW FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, AGAIN, PUBLIC COMMENTS, WRITTEN COMMENTS ARE SENT TO THE BAC@HOUSTONTX.GOV BY 5:00 PM THE DAY BEFORE THE BAC MEETING.
COMMENTS BE, BE READ OUT LOUD BY STAFF DURING THE MEETING, COMMENT BY PHONE TO JOIN DIAL (936) 755-1521 ID 4 8 6 2 7 9 2 0 8 POUND.
PRESS START, UH, SIX TO UNMUTE.
WHEN CALLED UPON A CHAIR, YOU CAN ALSO COMMENT VIA TEAMS. TYPE YOUR NAME AND WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON.
THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO SPEAK FOR UP TO TWO MINUTES.
I NOW OPEN, UM, THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I AM VICE PRESIDENT OF THE THIRD WARD, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD FOUNDER OF FRIENDS OF COLUMBIA TAP, AND A RESEARCH ASSISTANT WITH THE BULLARD CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE.
I WANTED TO THANK THE EAST DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB ON THEIR SECTION OF THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL THAT EXTENDS FROM EMANCIPATION, WHERE THEY PUT IN A NEW CROSSING LIGHT, UH, AT WALKER, UH, ALL THE WAY TO ENNIS STREET.
AND THEY ALSO JUST RECENTLY, IN ADDITION TO INSTALLING LIGHTS AND BENCHES AND GAR TRASH CANS, UM, THEY INSTALLED STOP SIGNS SO THAT THE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC HAS TO STOP FOR THE BIKE TRAIL.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE THAT DESERVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN ADVOCATING, ADVOCATING FOR FOR YEARS.
THE CITY DID THEIR STUDY LIKE SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS AGO WITH TOOL DESIGN THAT ADVOCATED FOR JUST EXACTLY THAT APPROACH.
UM, THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT'S MADE A, A DISPARATE, UM, INJUSTICE, EVEN WORSE, UH, BECAUSE NOW YOU HAVE CLEAR RIGHT OF WAY AS A CYCLIST OR, OR PEDESTRIAN OR, OR SCOOTER WRIST, UH, FROM EMANCIPATION, UH, OVER LIVE OAK AND NAGEL AND ENNI.
AND THEN YOU THINK YOU'RE IN THE CLEAR, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GET TO MCKINNEY WITHOUT ANY WARNING.
YOU DON'T REALIZE THAT THE CARS DON'T HAVE TO STOP FOR YOU ANYMORE.
UM, AND EARLIER THIS YEAR IN JANUARY, WE HAD A CYCLIST, UM, GRUESOMELY KILLED, UH, AT MCKINNEY.
AND WE HAVE A GHOST BIKE FOR HIM THERE.
AND NOW WE'VE MADE A DANGEROUS SITUATION ALMOST GUARANTEED TO KILL SOMEONE ELSE.
AND THE REST OF THE TRAIL, THE REST OF THE FOUR MILES HAVE NO SAFETY UPGRADES, HAVE NO STOP SIGNS FOR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.
IN FACT, SOME OF THE INTERSECTIONS STILL DON'T HAVE STOP SIGNS FOR THE CYCLISTS.
SO NEITHER THE VEHICLES NOR THE CYCLISTS REALIZE THEY HAVE TO STOP, INCLUDING AT THE GULF 45 OVERPASS.
THERE'S NO STOP SIGNS FOR THE CYCLISTS THERE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I, I I'M DONE.
I THINK IT'S CLEAR WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE TO SPEAK? UH, LINE TWO.
OKAY, CHRISTINA, UH, STAR SIX TO UNMUTE.
UM, SO I WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT IN REGARDS TO THE VISION ZERO CRASH DASHBOARD.
SO IF ANYONE'S NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, IT'S REALLY A RATHER INCREDIBLE RESOURCE.
YOU KNOW, IT TRACKS ALL OF THE INJURIES AND FATALITIES FOR EVERY SINGLE MODE.
SO THIS IS A CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, RESOURCE THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED.
WE HAD A MEETING, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK, WITH A LOT OF THE SOCIAL RIDERS.
SO I KNOW LEX WAS, UH, INVOLVED IN HELPING TO COORDINATE THAT AND REALLY BEING ABLE TO HEAR FROM SOME OF THE RIDERS WHO AREN'T GENERALLY REPRESENTED IN, SAY, THE BAC MEETINGS OR IN THE, A LOT OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE ATTEND.
[00:15:01]
A FEEDBACK THAT WE HEARD THERE WAS THAT THEY'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE NEAR MISSES, UM, PLACED SOMEWHERE.AND IT SEEMED TO ME LIKE YOU TRYING TO GET THE NEAR MISS MISSES LOCATIONS ON THIS DASHBOARD WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD WAY TO TRY TO DO SOME MORE PREVENTATIVE WORK.
UM, INSTEAD OF HAVING, YOU KNOW, THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK AS WE USE IT RIGHT NOW IS A LITTLE BIT RESPONSIVE, REACTIVE.
SO BEING ABLE TO ADD NEAR MISSES WOULD BE REALLY USEFUL.
SO I'D LIKE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD WORK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON STAFF ON FUNNELING NEAR MISS LOCATIONS INTO THIS DASHBOARD.
UH, SIMON, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SIMON, PLEASE.
UM, MY COMMENT IS ON THE HOUSTON BIKE PLAN NETWORK MAP.
THIS IS THE LIVE, UH, ESRI ARC, GIS MAP THAT'S LINKED TO FROM THE HOUSTON BAC WEBSITE.
UM, MY FIRST COMMENT IS THAT WHEN YOU OPEN THIS IN A DESKTOP BROWSER, FIREFOX CHROME OR EDGE, UM, THERE'S A PUBLISHED DATE AT THE TOP, WHICH IS STATIC, WHICH DOESN'T SEEM TO REFLECT, UH, UPDATES BEING MADE TO THE MAP LAYERS THEMSELVES.
SO ONE, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THAT STATIC TITLE BE REMOVED OR MADE DYNAMIC TO REFLECT WHEN THE DATA IS UPDATED.
UM, TWO, WITH ALL THE, UM, UH, EXCITEMENT AROUND THE MONTROSE BOULEVARD UPDATE, UM, SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THIS MAP FAIRLY FREQUENTLY, AND IT, IT, IT'S CLEAR THAT IN JANUARY AT SOME POINT, UM, THERE WERE PROPOSED, UH, BIKEWAYS ON MONTROSE BOULEVARD THAT WERE REMOVED FROM THOSE GIS LAYERS.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY WE KNOW THE APRIL 22ND, 2022, UH, TITLED THE TOP IS INCORRECT.
WHEN YOU OPEN THE MAP TODAY, ACTUALLY IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE HAVING DATA ISSUES.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S AGGRESSION TO VERY OLDER DATA.
FOR INSTANCE, WE'RE SEEING WHILE BOULEVARD AS A PROGRAMMED HIGH COMFORT STREET, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S COMPLETED AND, AND USED TO BE IN THE EXISTING HIGH COMFORT BOX.
SO I THINK THERE'S A ADDITIONAL PROBLEM HERE, UM, THAT THE DATA IS NOT ACCURATE OR UP TO DATE ANYMORE.
UM, I HAD AN ADDITIONAL COMMENT, BUT IT'S, IT'S HARD TO MAKE THIS COMMENT BECAUSE OF THE ISSUES WITH THIS ONLINE MAP TODAY OR RECENTLY, IS THAT, UM, THE MACHOS BOULEVARD PLANNED DEDICATED ON STREET HIGH COMFORT BIKEWAY WAS REMOVED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
BUT, UM, IT SEEMS ODD THAT IT WASN'T REPLACED WITH AN OFF STREET, UH, PLANNED LINE.
AND WITH ALL THE, UM, CONSTERNATION AND EXCITEMENT AROUND MONTROSE BOULEVARD WORK, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE BIKE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE BIKE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, UPDATE THAT AND, AND ACTUALLY PUT IN A, A VALID LINE FOR WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE ON MONTROSE BOULEVARD.
UH, I WANTED TO ADDRESS YOUR COMMENT BECAUSE IT WAS A PART OF MY ANNOUNCEMENTS.
SO ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE BIKE WAYS MAP IS IT APPEARS TO BE STATIC, IS BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE DUTIES OF MINE.
SO, UM, A LOT OF THE ONLINE BIKE MAP, UM, A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMPLETED, THE REASON WHY YOU'RE NOT SEEING THEM REFLECTED IS BECAUSE IT'S IN MY CURRENT PRIORITIES OF WORK RIGHT NOW.
AND SOME OF THE GLITCHES THAT YOU ARE SEEING ARE THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING ON THE BACK END WITH OUR GIS DEPARTMENT AND OUR IT DEPARTMENT, UM, TO FIX SOME OF THE DISCONTINUITIES THAT WERE THERE BEFORE I LEFT.
SO, BE A LITTLE PATIENT WITH US OVER THE NEXT QUARTER, WE'RE GONNA BE ACCUMULATING A LOT OF THE BIKEWAYS UPDATES THAT YOU'VE BEEN SEEING AS YOU'VE BEEN RIDING, AND ALSO YOU'VE BEEN HEARING IN THESE REPORTS FROM THE BAC AND HOPE TO HAVE THE MAP 100% AND UP TO DATE, UH, BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
ROB, ROBERT IS OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
UM, I, MY COMMENT WAS REGARDING THE SAFETY NETTING THAT IS BEING PUT UP AROUND CONSTRUCTION SITES.
I'M STILL NOTICING SAFETY NETTING BEING PUT UP AT BIKE PATHS WITHOUT ANY SORT OF REFLECTORS OR LIGHTS, UM, SPECIFICALLY AT THE SOUTH END OF THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL WHERE CENTERPOINT IS, UM, CLEANING UP SOME OF THE, UH, DAMAGE THAT THEY DID TO THE COLUMBIA TAP TRAIL.
AND SO I, I JUST WANT TO KEEP THAT TOP OF MIND AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT WE ARE ENFORCING THE, UM, RULES REGARDING SAFETY PRACTICES TO IDENTIFY HAZARDS AND COMMONLY USED BIKE TRAILS THAT, UH, AT NIGHT
[00:20:01]
WHEN THE TRAILS ARE NOT LIT UP, THAT THERE IS SOME SORT OF LIGHTING PROVIDED AT THESE OBSTRUCTIONS.UM, I'LL GIVE A QUICK RESPONSE.
SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE HEARD THIS BEFORE.
UH, THE CITY, HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL, UH, PARKS BOARD, SEVERAL OTHER AGENCIES ARE ACTUALLY WORKING TOGETHER TO UPDATE A REGIONWIDE STANDARD, UH, FOR, UH, UH, DETOURS, BOTH SIGNAGE AND MATERIAL LIGHTING.
UM, THAT WHOLE PACKAGE THAT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
UH, WE ACTUALLY ASKED YOUR CHAIR, TOM THOMPSON TO JOIN US AND TAKE A REVIEW OF THE DRAFT.
WE SUBMITTED A WHOLE PACKAGE OF COMMENTS.
WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THOSE TO KIND OF GET TO THE NEXT ROUND.
IT IS COMING VERY SOON, AND WE APPRECIATE THE SEVERITY OF IT.
MAY I, IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE CENTERPOINT MIGHT NEED TO BE BROUGHT IN ON THIS AS WELL.
YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ON OUR LIST.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN DURING CONSTRUCTION, WHAT, THANK YOU.
UH, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO PRESENTATIONS, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BAC UPDATED PHOTO.
SO, UH, FOR THOSE WHO ARE ONLINE, PLEASE, UH, STAY WITH US FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES WHILE WE DO THIS.
[00:25:15]
OKAY, COLLEEN, FOR OUR REASSEMBLE EVERYONE, UH, WE'RE ALL GETTING BACK TO OUR SEATS NOW.SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE PAT WALSH MEMORIAL BIKEWAY PRESENTATION.
PLEASE TELL ME NEXT LINE, MEN, MEN, ALWAYS HAVE THE MIC
MY NAME IS LINDSAY ALDRICH WALSH, AND I'M THE WIDOW OF PAT WALSH.
AND I'VE MET A LOT OF YOU OVER THE YEARS, SO GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL TODAY.
I KNOW MOST OF YOU, BUT BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION, IF I DON'T KNOW YOU, I'M A PED BIKE ACTIVIST, WHICH MEANS MY MISSION IN LIFE IS TO ADDRESS OUR PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS OF DEATHS AND INJURIES FROM CAR VIOLENCE.
SO ANYTHING THAT GETS US THERE IS IN MY WHEELHOUSE.
SO WE'RE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT TO YOU A, UM, YOU CAN GO TO NEXT SLIDE OR FIRST SLIDE OR, UM, TO PRESENT SOMETHING THAT I WAS BROUGHT INTO A WHILE AGO REGARDING MY LATE HUSBAND, PAT WALSH.
AND THIS IS, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND MAKE THIS QUICK, BY THE WAY.
UM, BUT BASICALLY GOING BACK THROUGH HIS, HIS HISTORY AS A HOUSTONIAN WHO HAD DONE A LOT FOR THE CITY, STARTING WITH, UH, PAW ON PATIOS.
SO WHEN YOU GO TO EMPIRE CAFE AND OTHER PLACES, THAT'S MY HUSBAND AND OUR DOG, UM, FOR HIM PLANNING THE PLANNING DIRECTOR TO THE BIKE PLAN TO PLAN HOUSTON, UM, BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY.
AND IT'LL BE FIVE YEARS AGO ON THANKSGIVING.
SO WHEN YOU'RE AT THANKSGIVING, YOU CAN THINK OF HIM.
UM, AND IT'S BEEN ABOUT FIVE YEARS.
AND MY, I BROUGHT MY KLEENEX THIS TIME IS, THIS IS MY OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR MY HUSBAND.
UM, AND A, A NUMBER OF YOU, I KNOW WERE AT HIS MEMORIAL ON DECEMBER 14TH, 2018.
I DIDN'T KNOW THE MAYORS WERE GONNA TALK SO MUCH, UM,
BUT THAT WAS WHERE MAYOR TURNER NOT ONLY SAID, BUT TWEETED, UM, OUT THE, WHAT PAT DID FOR THE CITY, BUT ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR HIM WOULD BE IN A BIKE PATH.
AND TO ME, THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS TO HONOR THAT PROMISE.
UM, BECAUSE JULIAN WAS 15 MONTHS OLD WHEN HIS DAD DIED, AND THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE THE MEMORIES THAT WE ALL HAVE OF HIM.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE REASONS I LIKE, KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOU GUYS, IS SO HE REMEMBERS HIS DAD AND HE'S LEARNED TO RIDE HIS BIKE AND DOING IT ON THE BIKE PATH THAT IS NAMED AFTER HIS FATHER WOULD BE A LONG WAY TO HONOR HIS LEGACY IN HOUSTON.
AND THEN I'M GONNA LET KEVIN GO THROUGH THE DETAILS, BECAUSE I'LL SAY THAT THIS IS NOT BIKES.
I MEAN, I LIKE BIKES AND I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO DIE.
SO, SORRY, I'M NOT SAYING THAT I'M NOT A BIKE SAFETY ADVOCATE, BUT I'M GONNA LET HIM TALK THROUGH THE DETAILS.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WANNA NOTE IS, UM, WE LIVE LITERALLY RIGHT OFF OF THIS BIKE PATH.
AND SO THE ROUTE TO SCHOOL WOULD BE JULIAN COULD DO THIS.
AND WE LIVE RIGHT BY LANIER, WHICH IS WHERE PAT WENT TO SCHOOL.
AND REALLY, WHEN KEVIN PRESENTED THIS TO ME, ONE OF THE THINGS I THOUGHT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT, AS JULIAN GETS OLDER, AND WE LIVE IN MONTROSE, WE LIVE NEAR THE NEW WOODHEAD GREAT BIKE AREAS, I WANT HIM TO BE ABLE TO BE LIKE, LET'S RIDE ON THIS.
I WANNA RIDE ON THE PET WALSH BIKE PLAY.
AND PEOPLE BE LIKE, HEY, WHO'S THAT? LIKE, THAT'S MY DAD.
THAT'S WHAT MY DAD FOR THE CITY.
UM, I CRIED AT THE FIRST TIME WE PRESENTED THAT.
SO I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO DO THAT TODAY.
UM, WE, UH, EMMANUEL COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY, AND IF YOU KNOW HIM, UH, HE'S AMAZING THE WORK HE DOES TO SORT OF PUT TOGETHER THESE, UH, PROJECTS WHERE WE CAN CONNECT, UM, THE CITY USING A BIKEWAY.
SO WHAT'S, UH, THERE ARE TWO REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
UM, WELL, I'M NOT GONNA GO IN A LOT OF DETAIL BECAUSE WE COVERED IT BEFORE AT THE INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE.
AND IF YOU WANT TO CRAWL INTO THE DETAILS, AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO ASK QUESTIONS, OBVIOUSLY, BUT IT'S IN YOUR PACKET IF YOU WANNA SEE MORE ABOUT.
SO I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT TWO THINGS.
I ONLY LEARNED, EVEN THOUGH I WORKED WITH PAT ON THE, UH, UH, THE PAUSE ON PATIO INITIATIVE I ONLY LEARNED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, HE'S ESSENTIALLY THE PERSON WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING THE BIKE PLAN IN MOTION SO THAT THE CITY WOULD ADOPT IT.
SO THAT WAS HAPPENED UNDER HIS WATCH.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CRITICIZED THE BIKE PLAN FOR FOR GOOD REASON, BUT IT'S ALSO AN AMAZING THING IN A CITY LIKE HOUSTON WITH THE CAR CULTURE WE'VE GOT.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO BE FRANK, IT'S OVERDUE THAT HIS CONTRIBUTION THERE SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED.
[00:30:01]
AND SO WE'RE HOPING WE CAN GIVE THE MAYOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT BEFORE YEAR END.UM, WE'RE PROPOSING THAT, SO THERE ARE TWO THINGS.
THERE'S NO CONSTRUCTION FOR THIS.
THIS IS ALL CONNECTING EXISTING, UH, BIKEWAYS.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF GAPS.
THAT'S OKAY 'CAUSE THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT WORKS.
AND THEN SECOND, THERE'S A WAY FINDING ELEMENT THAT EMMANUEL HAS INCORPORATED.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE WAY WE GET AROUND HOUSTON, IT'S ALWAYS DOMINATED BY CARS, UH, FREEWAYS AND STREETS, RIGHT? IT'S DIFFICULT FOR BICYCLISTS AND PEOPLE ON SKATEBOARDS, SCOOTERS, ANYBODY WHO'S OUTSIDE OF A CAR TO BE ABLE TO GET AROUND WITHOUT BEING DEPENDENT ON A STREET.
SO WE'RE PROPOSING THAT WE INCLUDE SOME WAY FINDINGS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SORT OF DESIGNATE, UH, WHERE THEY'RE GETTING FROM POINT A TO POINT Z ON THIS PLANET.
SO IT'S GONNA GO ALL THE WAY FROM, OH, THANK YOU.
I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO KEEP UP TELLING YOU WHICH SLIDES TO GO TO
UM, BE ABLE TO GO FROM THE HEIGHTS ALL THE WAY TO ENERGY.
UM, AND WE'RE HOPING, UM, THAT THE, THE SIGNAGE THAT WE GET CAN SORT OF REFLECT THAT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE.
WHAT WE REALLY WANT SO FAR IS JUST TO BE ABLE TO NAME THESE EXISTING BIKEWAYS AFTER PAT SO WE CAN START, IT'LL BE AN ONGOING PROJECT.
UM, HERE'S SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE, UH, EXISTING BIKEWAYS THAT WILL BE CONNECTED.
SO IF YOU'RE A PEOPLE WHO BIKE IN THE CITY, IF YOU EVER TRY TO USE GOOGLE MAPS, STICK IT AROUND BY BIKE.
AND THE OTHER POWERFUL THING ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL IS HOUSTON TENDS TO BE DOMINATED BY EAST WEST CORRIDORS, I GUESS BECAUSE OF THE BAYOU, OR I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHY WE DON'T HAVE VERY MANY NORTH SOUTH CORRIDORS.
AND THIS IS ONE TO CREATE A NORTH SOUTH SPINE, IF YOU WILL, THROUGH THE HEART OF THE CITY, THE INNER, THE INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, THIS IS INTERESTING 'CAUSE THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN MONTROSE, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE, UH, CITY AND THE MONTROSE TOURS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WOODHEAD WAS SORT OF A NORMAL STREET.
AND SO WHAT'S BEEN ACCOMPLISHED HERE IS ADDING, IT'S NOT A PROTECTED BIKE LANE OR IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT, BUT IF YOU'VE EVER BIKED THROUGH HERE, IT IS TRANSFORMATIVE IN BEING ABLE TO SHARE THE ROAD WITH CARS.
SOME EXAMPLES OF A WAY FINDING ON THE BAYOU PASS.
UM, I KNOW WHITE OAK BY YOU THE BEST, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE THIS SORT OF WAY FINDING.
SO BEING ABLE TO EXTEND THIS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN ON THE INNER CITY ON THIS PATH WOULD JUST BE SO POWERFUL FOR PEOPLE.
IT'S REALLY CONNECTING, UH, SO MANY DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS BY, UH, BY A BIKE PATH.
UM, THIS IS, UH, PAT, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK ABOUT PAT'S VISION? THIS PART? I FEEL, WELL, NO, THIS IS, SHE JUST KEEP GOING.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, I MEAN THIS, I THINK YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THIS QUOTE IN CITY HALL, AND THIS WAS WRITTEN, UM, PAT REALLY WORDSMITHED THIS BECAUSE HE REALLY, THIS IS TRULY HIS, HIS BELIEF, AND I THINK HE REALLY LIKED IT.
YOU GUYS KNOW HIM WELL ENOUGH THAT HE REALLY LIKED IT, WAS IN REALLY BIG LETTERS THAT ARE BIGGER THAN HER.
UM, JUST SOME MORE EXAMPLES OF LIKE, THE WAY THE WAYFINDING WOULD WORK, BEING ABLE TO GIVE PEOPLE A SENSE OF HOW LONG AND HOW FAR AWAY THEY ARE FROM THE NEXT STOP.
IF YOU'RE MAP CHALLENGED, LIKE I AM, I'M EXTREMELY MAP CHALLENGED.
DO NOT EVER ASK ME FOR DIRECTIONS OR IF I TELL YOU WHICH WAY TO GO, DO THE OPPOSITE AND YOU WILL BE OKAY AND I WILL NOT.
UM, SO JUST MORE EXAMPLES OF THE WAY THIS WAYFINDING WILL HELP PEOPLE GET FROM NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'VE GOTTEN SOME LETTERS OF SUPPORT, SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT.
UH, TS FIVE, WHICH IS THE MEMORIAL HEIGHTS, AND THESE ARE LETTERS SUPPORT FOR WHERE THE BIKE PATH WOULD TOUCH, UH, THANK YOU TO THEM.
UH, PRECINCT ONE, RODNEY ELLIS HAS PROVIDED US WITH A LETTER OF SUPPORT.
AS YOU'LL KNOW, RODNEY ELLIS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SO MUCH OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE USE FOR BIKING, UM, THE MONTROSE TOURS, WHICH IS THE NEAR TOWN TOURS.
AND, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 15, UH, WHICH IS MINE ON THE PRESIDENT OF THAT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE COMMITMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, ALCORN, CISNEROS, ROBINSON, CAYMAN, AND PLUMBER.
SO AT SOME POINT WE'LL HAVE LETTERS OF SUPPORT, UM, FROM THEM TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO.
YOU ALSO HAVE A LETTER FROM THE NEAR TOWN SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
[00:35:01]
SAY I LIVE, SO, UH, WINLOW PLACE, WHICH IS WHAT MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS, HAS ALSO, UM, AGREED TO SUPPORT, AND IT'S THE SECTION ON WOODHEAD.UM, JUST A WARNING TO, I GOT CISNEROS, I CORNERED HER AT THE NEW BARCELONA RESTAURANT, WHICH IS ON THE BIKE PATH, BASICALLY.
SO IF YOU GO OUT TO DINNER AND I SEE YOU, I MIGHT HECKLE YOU TO, TO SUPPORT.
UM, I'M HERE FOR TWO THINGS TO COME OUTTA THE BAC, AND I WILL SAY THAT I AM NOT MY, MY, MY CITY OF HOUSTON WORK IS USUALLY WATCHING, WAS WATCHING PAT ON HTV WAITING TO SEE WHAT TIME HE WOULD COME HOME AFTER THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS GOT OVER.
UM, SO, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE AND WHAT WE'D LIKE IS FIRST ENDORSEMENT OF THE BIKEWAY, THE POT WASH, BIKEWAY FROM THE BAC, UM, AND THEN ALSO JUST ENSURING THAT THERE'S SOME ACCOUNTABILITY AND UPDATES TO US OR TO EVERYONE, EVEN IF THERE'S NOT PROGRESS, JUST TO SEE WHERE WE ARE.
SO I'M HAPPY, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, I DIDN'T KNOW PAT, BUT I WAS HERE FOR THE INITIAL, UM, UH, PRESENTATION THAT KEVIN AND EMMANUEL DID, AND, AND THAT YOU WERE THERE, UM, REMOTELY.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S SEEMS LIKE A, A APPROPRIATE AND FITTING TRIBUTE.
UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THE, THE ROUTE WAS CHOSEN, KEVIN? I GET, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A QUESTION FOR YOU, HOW THE ROUTE WAS CHOSEN, AND THEN, UM, IF THERE'S A WAY TO ELABORATE ON WHAT COMPONENTS OF THIS ARE ALREADY IN THE BIKE PLAN.
I WISH, I WISH EMMANUEL WAS HERE.
EMMANUEL IS A UNIQUE GIFT FOR SORT OF PIECING TOGETHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE CRITICIZE THE BIKE PLAN, IT'S BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE A PUZZLE.
AND SO WHAT'S HAPPENING FOR THIS BIKE, THIS PROPOSAL IS WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER SEVERAL PIECES OF THE PUZZLE IN A WAY THAT YOU NORMALLY WOULDN'T SEE.
UM, AND BEING ABLE TO GET ACROSS SOME DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE CITY.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION DETAIL.
MAYBE, MAYBE IT'S NOT FOR YOU, BUT, UH, WHAT I WONDER IS LIKE ALUMNI DRIVE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S IN THE BIKE PLAN, FOR EXAMPLE, OR, UM, LIKE, I MEAN, WE KNOW PATTERSON IS SOON TO BE UNDER CON OR IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
UH, NICHOLSON ALREADY EXISTS, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF GAPS.
UM, AND WE WILL NEED SOME HELP FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SECTION WHERE, UM, IT GOES THROUGH, IT'S A RIGHT OF WAY, BUT IT GOES BEHIND A PARKING GARAGE.
SO BY NAMING THE BIKE WAY, IT HELPS, GIVES US, GIVES US SOME, UM, HEFT, SOME LEGITIMACY TO BE ABLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DESIGNATE THIS AS A, AS A BIKE WAY FOR PEOPLE.
'CAUSE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY USING IT.
I'M, I'M GONNA MAKE A QUICK COMMENT AND THEN DAVID NEEDS TO, UH, UH, ADD SOMETHING.
UM, THIS REMINDS ME IN A WAY OF SOMETHING I'VE RECENTLY BEEN INTRODUCED TO, WHICH IS THE INDIANAPOLIS, UH, CULTURAL TRAIL, WHICH I'VE NOT VISITED, WHICH I WOULD HIGHLY ENDORSE ANY OF US WHO CAN, IT'D BE GREAT FOR US TO DO A FACT FINDING, UH, TRIP UP THERE.
I MEAN, I KNOW SOME FOLKS FROM MICHIGAN THAT JUST DID THAT, AND THEY WERE JUST THRILLED AND THEY CAME BACK VERY EXCITED.
IT'S HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT HAS CONTINUITY AND A THEME AND CON AND CONNECTIVITY TO NEIGHBORHOODS IS KIND OF WHAT I UNDERSTAND THAT TRAIL IS ABOUT.
UM, NOT ONLY IS IT A GREAT CONNECTION FOR ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE TO USE, BUT THE DEVELOPMENT ALONG, IT'S BEEN AMAZING TOO.
I MEAN, AND, AND YOU KNOW, I, I'M GONNA GET MYSELF IN TROUBLE.
I'M AMAZED AT HOW LITTLE, UM, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS RECOGNIZE THE ECONOMIC VALUE THAT TRAILS AND TRANSIT, ET CETERA, THAT AMENITIES BRING TO THE CITY.
AND THIS IS A, A BIG STEP IN THAT DIRECTION.
I CERTAINLY HEARD ABOUT HIM EVEN FROM HIS SUGARLAND DAYS BEFORE HE CAME TO THE CITY AND, AND HEARD NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS.
AND, AND CERTAINLY THE BIKE PLAN IS JUST VERY CONCRETE EVIDENCE OF THAT.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
AND NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DAVID.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M GONNA JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT VERY BORING, UH, BUREAUCRATIC STUFF.
UM, AND, AND THIS IS A REPEAT OF WHAT SEVERAL OF YOU HEARD AT THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, TWO MONTHS AGO.
UM, THE CITY HAS AN OFFICIAL POLICY ON NAMING THINGS.
IT LAYS OUT THE STEPS WE NEED TO GO THROUGH.
UM, AS I TOLD YOU LAST TIME, IT DOES TAKE A BIT OF TIME.
I'M HAPPY TO BE THE PERSON WHO REGULARLY UPDATES THE BAC AS IT'S MOVING FORWARD.
I CAN'T MOVE IT FORWARD ANY FASTER THAN THE EO ALLOWS US TO DO THOUGH.
STEP ONE WAS SOMEBODY COMES UP WITH AN IDEA CHECK.
STEP TWO WAS PRESENTS IT TO THE BAC INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE WHO VOTED TO BRING IT TO YOU AS THE BAC OF THE WHOLE.
STEP THREE IS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY.
UM, AFTER WE ARE DONE WITH, UH, DEBATE AND DISCUSSION, UH, IF
[00:40:01]
SOMEBODY WERE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SAY, UH, THE BAC UH, RECOMMENDS, UH, THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE EVALUATE THE PROPOSED PAT WALSH BIKEWAY AND IT GETS APPROVED AS THAT MOTION, UH, THAT WOULD GO TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.THEY ASSIGN THE OWNING DEPARTMENT, WHICH IN THIS CASE IS PUBLIC WORKS, BUT WE'RE PRETTY SURE THEY'RE GONNA WORK PRETTY CLOSELY WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT 'CAUSE WE'RE GOOD FRIENDS.
UM, AND WE HAVE TO DO A BIT OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS ON WHAT THESE STREETS ARE, WHAT THESE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE, WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS, UM, BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME PROCESS WE GO THROUGH WHENEVER WE'RE GONNA RENAME ANY STREETS.
WE CAN'T JUST SAY, WELL, THIS IS A GREAT ONE, WE LOVE IT, LET'S MAKE IT GO FASTER.
YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE.
WE COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
UH, THERE'S ALSO A 30 DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, UH, WHERE THOSE COMMENT LETTERS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECEIVED WILL BE PART OF THAT PACKAGE AND ANY MORE THAT GET RECEIVED.
AND WE'VE BEEN KEEPING TRACK, ACTUALLY, BRIAN'S BEEN KEEPING THE FILE.
AND IF ANYBODY HAS MORE, JUST KEEP SENDING THEM, WE WILL, UH, MAKE THAT REPORT TO THE MAYOR.
THE MAYOR WILL DECIDE, UH, WHAT TO DO WITH THAT EITHER.
DIFFERENT VERSION OF IT, UH, OR NO, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMPLETELY UP TO THE MAYOR AND FORWARDS THAT TO CITY COUNCIL FOR A VOTE AND ADOPTION.
UM, THE QUESTIONS I THINK I'VE HEARD IN THE PAST IS, COULD THAT BE DONE BEFORE THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR? WE'RE ALREADY ON OCTOBER 25TH.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS POSSIBLE TO GET DONE IN THIS CALENDAR YEAR WITH ALL THOSE THINGS, INCLUDING THE 30 DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
UM, AND IT'S A MINIMUM 30 DAY.
BUT WHAT I CAN COMMIT TO IS WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE EO LAYS OUT AND THE STAFF IS NOT GOING TO BE CHANGING EVEN IF WHEN THE ADMINISTRATION DOES.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE THIS TO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE STEPS ALONG THE WAY AND REPORT BACK.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT PROCESS? JUST A QUICK ONE ON THE PROCESS.
I MEAN, WHAT IT, WHAT I MEAN THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AN ENDORSEMENT.
SO IS OUR MOTION TO ENDORSE THIS PLAN? OR WHAT WOULD OUR MOTION BE? UM, THE MOTION WOULD BE, UH, TO RECOMMEND CONSIDERATION OF THE BAT POUT S BIKE TRAIL TO, UH, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND THAT'LL CARRY OVER TO THE NEW ADMINISTRATION IF IT MISSES THE TIMELINE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THIS OR A FUTURE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT WHAT THEY WILL DO WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION.
I CAN ONLY TELL YOU WHAT THE PROCESS STAFF WILL FOLLOW.
ROBIN, NOT A QUESTION, BUT A COMMENT.
THE FIRST IS THAT WHEN I FIRST TRAINED AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER 18 YEARS AGO,
LIKE A PETITION WITH A BUNCH OF INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS IS NICE TO HAVE.
LIKE THAT'S GREAT, BUT THAT ORGANIZATIONS HAVE STAYING POWER.
AND IT'S WHY THINGS LIKE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CIVIC CLUBS MATTERS A LOT IN A WAY THAT 17 PEOPLE WHO ARE FOR SOMETHING DOESN'T MATTER.
BUT, AND THE KEY REASON IS THAT OVER TIME, INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE ARE OVERCOME BY LIFE EVENTS.
OR IN PAT'S CASE, HIS UNWELCOME AND UNTIMELY EARLY DEATH.
SO THE ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT TO CARRY THE THING FORWARD GIVES IT LIFE BEYOND PAT.
AND I AM REALLY EXCITED THAT THE BAC IS HELPING THAT, AND THE, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS ARE GONNA HELP MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
THE SECOND THING I WANNA SAY IS I AM STOKED THAT WE'RE GONNA HONOR PAT.
AND I THINK IT'S SUPER COOL THAT HIS DELIGHTFUL SON JULIAN COULD GROW UP REALLY CLOSE AND RIDE THIS THING THAT HONORS HIS DAD'S LEGACY.
BUT THAT IS NOT WHY THIS PROPOSAL NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD AND BECOME A THING.
IT IS BECAUSE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THE CITY CAN DO TO MAKE OUR CITY SAFER FOR PEOPLE WHO BIKE, IS TO TAKE A PIECE OF THE NETWORK AND MAKE IT SAFER AND MAKE IT MORE LEGIBLE AND MAKE IT OBVIOUS WHERE THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BIKE SAFELY CAN BIKE SAFELY.
AND THAT ALSO CREATES SAFETY IN NUMBERS, WHICH MAKES IT SAFER FOR THE PEOPLE WHO BIKE.
AND IT TELLS THE DRIVERS WHO GO, AH, THEY'RE PEOPLE ON BIKES.
IF THEY CAN'T HANDLE THAT, IT TELLS THEM WHERE TO GO DRIVE INSTEAD.
AND IT TELLS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DRIVING ALONG THAT FACILITY HOW TO BEHAVE IN THAT SPACE.
AND SO, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I'M ALL FOR HONORING YOUR LOVELY HUSBAND.
[00:45:01]
LUCKY TO GET TO WORK WITH HIM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO DO THIS FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA BIKE IN OUR CITY IN YEARS TO COME.SO UNLESS SOMEBODY HAS SOMETHING ELSE, I WOULD LIKE TO MOTION THAT THE BAC ADVANCE THE PROPOSAL FOR THE PAT WALSH BIKEWAY TO THE MAYOR FOR CONSIDERATION AS A PROJECT TO MAKE THIS THING HAPPEN.
CAN WE ALL, SECOND
LIKE, UM, UH, KEVIN SAID, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, MAIN OR, UH, PERMANENT EAST WEST CONNECTIONS BECAUSE OF THE BAYOU.
THAT'S, IT'S A REALLY, UM, OTHER THAN THE FREEWAYS, I MEAN 45 AND 59 GOING NORTH TO SOUTH.
SO IT'S, IT'S, UM, TIME THAT WE INVEST IN SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE CONSIDER REAL SERIOUS ABOUT OUR NETWORK TO LIKE, GIVE IT THE ATTENTION, UH, SOMETHING THAT THIS BIG BIKEWAY MEMORIAL CAN BE.
UM, SO YEAH, IT'S JUST MORE SUPPORT.
I LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T KNOW PAT EITHER.
I'M NEW TO THE VAC, SO, UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS IS STORYTELLING IS VERY, UH, IMPORTANT.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE WOULD BE DOING THIS FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CITY, PAT'S STORY WOULD BE VERY, UM, IT WOULD BE VERY IMPACTFUL BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD REMEMBER, PEOPLE REMEMBER A STORY.
AND SO THAT BIKE PATH WOULD, UM, MEAN A LOT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF HIS STORY.
SO, UM, PAT ACTUALLY GAVE ME MY FIRST JOB IN PLANNING.
UM, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF HIM THAT I GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO PLANNING IN THE CITY I GREW UP IN.
UM, AND I MET HIM AT PRIDE PARADE IN MAYBE 2013.
AND I MEMORIZED HIS FACE BECAUSE I WANTED A JOB
AND WHEN I SAW HIM OUT, I POINTED AT HIM AND I SAID, PLANNING DIRECTOR.
AND I WAS LIKE, HI, I AM JESSICA, I AM I, I'M IN SCHOOL STUDYING PLANNING.
I REALLY WANNA WORK IN HOUSTON, YOU KNOW? AND SO I STARTED WORKING, UH, AS AN INTERN WITH PAT AND THE TEAM AS WE WERE PUTTING TOGETHER THE GENERAL PLAN.
UM, AND THROUGHOUT THEN, YOU KNOW, MOVING THROUGH MY CAREER, I KIND OF MADE SURE THAT HE WAS STILL IN MY LIFE AND GAVE ME ADVICE, UH, IN, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT I WAS DOING.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M SO HAPPY TO, TO SEE THIS COMING THROUGH AND, UM, MORE THAN EXCITED TO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS.
UM, I DO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT INCORPORATING IT INTO THE BIKE PLAN, THE PROCESS THAT YOU MENTIONED.
IS THAT THE PROCESS TO INCORPORATE IT INTO THE BIKE PLAN, OR IS THAT A DIFFERENT PROCESS? THAT'S THE PROCESS TO NAME A ROUTE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IS CURRENTLY NAMED TODAY.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANYTHING IN THE BIKE PLAN THAT SAYS ABOUT ADOPTING ROOT NAMES.
UM, WE WILL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE PLANNING COMMISSION NEEDS A PRESENTATION, UM, FOR IT TO BE ADOPTED AS PART OF THE BIKE PLAN.
BUT THESE COULD BE TOO PARALLEL.
LET, LET US GIVE THAT SOME THOUGHT, BUT IT WON'T ADD.
THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION IS KIND OF THE BE ALL END ALL THAT THAT IS NEEDED.
UM, IF WE NEED TO THEN OVERLAY WITH THE BIKE PLAN, WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL, BUT THAT WON'T SLOW ANYTHING DOWN.
AND THEN DO YOU HAVE A BUDGET FOR THIS? UM, UM, THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY CONSTRUCTION REQUIRED.
WE, WE WOULD LIKE SIGNAGE THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AT SOME POINT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT'S A FUNDING IS A DEAL BREAKER AT THIS POINT OF THE EXERCISE.
'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY ONCE NAMING IT, THEN IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO INCLUDE THE WAY FINDING AND THE SIGNAGE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE FRANKLY HOPING THAT IF WE COULD DO THE FIRST PART BY THE END OF THE YEAR, IT'LL MAKE IT EASIER TO MAKE OUR CASE IN THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, THIS IS LEAH, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
THE, SO POTENTIALLY THE VOTE OR THE VOTE ON RECOMMENDING THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE CONSIDER IT, DO WE ALSO WANNA CONSIDER ACTUALLY WRITING A LETTER AS THE BAC? IS THAT A SEPARATE THING TO ENDORSE? ARE WE, IS THAT WITHIN OUR WHEELHOUSE TO WRITE A LETTER OF SUPPORT AS A BODY? YEAH, YOU CERTAINLY CAN.
THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO SLOW ANYTHING DOWN.
THAT CAN BE PART OF THE 30 DAY
[00:50:01]
COMMENT PERIOD.WE, IF WE DO OUR RECOMMENDATION, THEN WE COULD SPEND TIME DOING A LETTER YEAH.
I MIGHT MAKE A MOTION ABOUT THAT.
ANY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.
I THINK WE'RE READY FOR THE VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION IS MOVED, SAY AYE.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO ON THIS AND THE OTHER AREAS OF BIKE SAFETY, ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES, BECAUSE I SOMETIMES IT MAKES ME SAD THAT PAT'S NOT HERE TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
I'D LIKE TO, OH, I'M SORRY, LEAH, GO
I'D LIKE JUST LIKE TO ADD ANOTHER MOTION.
I MOVE THAT WE AS A BODY PUT TOGETHER AN ENDORSEMENT LETTER AS WELL.
SECOND, UH, SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION WHO'S GONNA WRITE IT? I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT.
IF I MADE THE MOTION, THEN I WAS LIKE, NO, NOT DOING IT.
WELL THIS MAY BE GOING WAY BACK.
I THOUGHT WE HAD A PROCESS FOR THIS FROM A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO FOR THE NAME FOR ONE LETTER WRITING WAS CALLED FOR.
UM, I REMEMBER TALKING ABOUT IT
SO I CAN DO SOME STAFF WORK ON THE BACK END TO KIND OF SEE IF WE HAVE SOME EXAMPLES OF LETTERS OF SUPPORT.
BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE ONE, WE CAN ALWAYS JUST KIND OF START FROM SCRATCH AND, AND MAKE SURE IT'S IN THE PACKET.
YEAH, I'M PRETTY SURE WE'VE DONE ONE OR TWO.
I BELIEVE I HELPED DRAFT ONE AND SIGN IT.
IT'S PROBABLY BEEN A YEAR OR MORE.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE THERE'LL BE SOME PRECEDENT FOR THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT TOO.
NEXT IS BIKEWAY FACIL, UH, FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES.
BRANDON MOSELEY WILL BE, UM, DOING THIS PRESENTATION.
UH, I AM, UH, DOING THE BIKE WAVE, UH, FATALITIES AND SERI SERIES INJURIES UPDATE.
UM, COMMANDER, UH, HAS DAVID, CAN I SAY ABOUT COMMANDER? YEP.
COMMANDER, UH, HAS RETIRED, SO WE WISH HER WELL.
UM, SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON GETTING HER REPLACEMENT.
SO IN THE MEANTIME, I'LL DO THE, UH, THE, UH, REPORT FOR YOU.
UM, BUT BEFORE I START, I WANNA JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO SAY, UM, THANK YOU TO THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, WORKING WITH YOU OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS HAS HELPED ME GROW PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY.
UH, AS, UH, BRIAN SHIFTS BACK INTO THIS ROLE.
JUST KNOW I'LL BE NEAR, BUT I MAY BE IN THE SHADOWS.
UH, DAVID, UH, THANK YOU PERSONALLY FOR ENTRUSTING ME, UM, ON THIS, UH, TO, TO CARRY THE BIKE PLAN AND WORK IN THE BAC.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ENTRUSTING ME IN THAT.
UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, CHAIR THOMPSON, VICE CHAIR PEREZ, UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIR, JOE.
UM, THANK YOU LEAH AND JESSICA SO MUCH FOR, UH, LETTING ME GET ON YOUR NERVES WITH THROUGH EMAILS AND WHATNOT.
UH, BUT IT WAS TRULY AN HONOR SERVING THIS COMMITTEE, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'LL HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
BRANDON, THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE WHEELS ON IT.
IT WAS DEFINITELY, IT IS BEEN A BIG JOB AND, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND MISS MISTY HAVE DONE.
BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR MISTY FOR BEATING MY EAR, SO THANK YOU TO AS WELL.
UM, SO I START, START THE PART? YES, DEX.
SO THE FOLLOWING STATISTICS ARE BASED ON VEHICULAR CRIMES DIVISION, THE VCD REPORT AS OF OCTOBER 16TH, 2023.
THE YEAR TO DATE PEDAL CYCLIST FATALITIES TOTAL IS 12 AND E-BIKES FATALITY FATALITIES REMAIN AT ONE.
UM, OF THE THREE CRASHES, THREE OF THE VEHICLES WERE FSRA FAILURE TO STOP AND RENDER AID, INCLUDING THE ONE E-BIKE FATALITY OF THOSE, ONE OF THE DRIVERS WERE ARRESTED AND CHARGED.
YEAR TO DATE, UH, PEDAL CYCLIST CRASHES FOR 2023 AREAS SUCH AS AT DOWNTOWN CENTRAL NORTH, NORTHEAST SOUTH CENTRAL CLEAR LAKE, SOUTHWEST HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBERS OF CRASHES, WHICH IS OVER 20.
UH, AS WELL AS EACH HAVING AT LEAST ONE FATAL CRASH.
ONLY ONE INTERSECTION HAS MORE THAN ONE CRASHES, AND THAT IS ANTOINE AND VICTORY.
UH, ONE WAS, UH, ONE MINOR WITH NO INJURY AND ONE WAS MAJOR, UH, WITH CLAIMS OF INJURY.
[00:55:01]
UH, THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY DESIGN OR INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.THERE WERE CONFLICTING STATEMENTS ON, UH, BOTH REPORTS ON, UH, WHO WAS AT FAULT.
NOW, THE, UH, THE UNFORTUNATE PART OF THE REPORT, UH, HERE IS, UH, OUR FATALITIES LIST.
UH, THE LAST TIME WE REPORTED THIS BACK IN JULY, WE DIDN'T HAVE A NUMBER FOR THE CYCLIST, UH, THAT PASSED AWAY ON JUNE 15TH, BUT THAT IS, HE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS JOSE PINEDA.
UM, THE NEXT WE HAVE GREGORY MEDUSA, UH, APOLOGIZE IF I SAID THAT NAME, UH, INCORRECTLY ON JULY 28TH.
AND THEN WE HAVE CRUZ MATA ON SEPTEMBER 27TH.
SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE ANY I UNDERSTAND.
UM, I READ A REPORT OF ANOTHER, UM, LIKELY FATAL CRASH, A HIT AND RUN, UH, IN PECAN PARK.
I'M GUESSING IT'S NOT MADE IT INTO THE DATA YET BECAUSE IT'S STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION, BUT THAT WOULD, THAT WAS IN THE LAST WEEK OR SO, CORRECT? YES.
WHERE WAS THAT, JOE? UM, PECAN PARK MAG, LIKE, UH, EAST FAR EAST END, UH, INSIDE SIX 10 OR JUST OUTSIDE OF SIX 10 RATHER.
IS THERE, WE TALKED ABOUT IT ORIGINALLY, BUT IS THERE ANY WAY TO TAKE THESE DIVISIONS, LAY THEM IN A MAP, AND MAYBE PUT THE INCIDENTS INSIDE THOSE SECTIONS SO WE CAN SEE WHERE IT'S HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE
SO I SAID MAP, UH, DIVISION IS ON.
I, I GUESS I HADN'T FOUND THAT YET.
BUT I CAN SEND THAT, UH, LINK TO YOU.
HEY, AS A SIDE NOTE, JUST, SORRY, I HATE TO INTERRUPT, BUT LIKE, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, HUFFMAN WAS ACTUALLY AT A MEETING I WAS AT LAST NIGHT AND I WAS TALKING WITH SOMEBODY EARLIER ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH OUR CROSSWALKS HERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT, I'VE BEEN TO OTHER STATES WHERE THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE SIGNAGE UP, TALKS ABOUT THE LAW THAT WHEN YOU'RE IN A PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK, YOU MUST STOP AND, AND ALLOW THEM TO PASS.
AND WE HAVE SO MANY CROSSWALKS THAT ARE NOT SIGNED.
THERE'S ONE ON BRIGHT FOREST, AND IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY STANDARD TO HOW WE TREAT THOSE CROSSWALKS.
OBVIOUSLY IN CINCO RANCH, THE KID DIED, UH, A FEW WEEKS BACK, WHICH WAS BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY PEOPLE ARE LOOKING DOWN, THEY'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
WE HAVE NO CULTURE WHATSOEVER AROUND CROSSWALKS.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GET THAT IN THE MENTALITY OR HOW YOU GET THAT, BUT SOMETHING HASN'T CHANGED.
AND THAT SIGNAGE HAS TO GET BETTER BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE BRI A FOREST 40 TO 45.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY I'M PERFECT, I HAVE MY MOMENTS AS WELL.
BUT IT'S LIKE YOU, WE'VE GOTTA CHANGE SOMETHING THERE BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE PEOPLE GET HIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THESE CROSSWALKS.
EARLY MORNINGS ESPECIALLY ARE JUST DISTRACTED DRIVING.
AND WE HAVE A CROSSWALK THAT'S MEADOW WOOD, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, IT'S WELL MARKED.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S A SCHOOL ZONE.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL KIDS ALMOST GET HIT IN THE PAST MONTH NOW THAT WE HAVE HPD PRESENCE THERE EVERY SINGLE MORNING NOW, WHICH IS RIDICULOUS.
WHAT I'VE SEEN MAY, UH, MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACTS ARE THE, THE RAISED CROSSWALKS THAT DOUBLE AS A SPEED HUMP, UM, AND ALSO A REFUGE ISLANDS.
AND I'VE BEEN SEEING A LOT MORE SIGNAGE AS WELL.
AT LEAST IN THE URBAN CORE THAT'S MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
SO I BELIEVE THAT WE COULD, OH, I, I ATTENDED THE, UH, CINCO RANCH, UH, LOGAN, UH, GHOST BIKE MEMORIAL PLACEMENT.
UM, AND I WENT THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION BECAUSE THEY DID THE ROUTE WITH WHAT HE WOULD DO TO GO TO SCHOOL.
AND, UM, ONE THING I NOTICED IS THE DIFFERENCES OF, 'CAUSE I, I FOLLOWED UP THE, THEY, THEY'RE INSTALLING HAWK SIGNALS NOW.
SO I DO KNOW THAT I THINK THE ONE, UM, THE ONE INTERSECTION RIGHT HERE THAT WE HAVE THAT HAS A RAISED SIDEWALK IS RIGHT HERE AT CITY HALL IN THE LIBRARY, UM, THAT HAS THE YELLOW ONES.
SO THAT'S THE SIGNS THAT THEY HAD INITIALLY.
AND I MEAN, THEY WEREN'T WORKING, UM, OVER THERE IN SINK RANCH, BUT HERE IN CITY HOUSTON, THEY WEREN'T WORKING.
BUT I DID NOTICE WHEN I WAS LOOKING LIKE, UM, THE YELLOW, YELLOW AND RED IS A DIFFERENCE THAT WE PERCEIVE.
AND I'VE HEARD COMMENTS WHEN I WAS GOING TO THIS GHOST PARK MEMORIAL THAT WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT YELLOW, THEY THINK OF IT AS A YIELD.
SO LIKE, THEY'RE NOT THINKING TO STOP, BUT ACTUALLY SPEED UP
RIGHT? BECAUSE LIKE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, YOU'RE LIKE, I DON'T WANNA SLOW DOWN.
BUT BEFORE IT TURNS RED, I WANT TO GET TO THE SIGNAL AND PASS IT UP.
SO IF YOU SEE THE HOT SIGNAL AND A RED LIGHT, THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, TRIGGERING YOUR BRAIN OR PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, TO, YOU KNOW, HOW PEOPLE'S MINDSET ON DRIVING AROUND HERE IS, IS, UM, SEEING RED LIKE TRIGGERS, LIKE, OKAY, I NEED TO LOOK OUT OR ACTUALLY PAY ATTENTION INSTEAD OF LIKE, SEE IF I CAN MAKE THE INTERSECTION.
UM, SO I THINK, UM, THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STANDARD IS FOR THAT.
WHY THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT CROSSING SIGNALS.
UM, I DIDN'T NOTICE THE YELLOW ONE BEFORE, BUT I DID KNOW ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE HAWK SIGNAL WHEN WE HAD A, A, A INCIDENT AT SHEPHERD WHEN THE MAYOR ANNOUNCED, LIKE IMPLEMENTING A HAWK SIGNAL THERE.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT.
AND THEN I SAW THESE YELLOW ONES.
THEY'RE LIKE, WHY ARE THESE AROUND? RIGHT? I MEAN, MAYBE IT'S LOW TRAFFIC COUNT
[01:00:01]
OR SOMETHING THAT HAS A, YOU KNOW, I GUESS ENGINEERING THING, BUT WHY IS THERE LIKE TWO SI TWO DIFFERENT TYPES? I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN PERSON IN A WHILE, SO SOMETIMES I FORGET ABOUT THE FORMALITIES.SO, UM, BUT THIS IS IAN LAVA CHECK WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
GOOD TO SEE ALL OF Y'ALL IN PERSON.
UM, EVERY TIME I'M HERE I LIKE TO, TO TO SAY 3 0 1 IS YOUR FRIEND, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT, IT'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
BUT, UM, WE ARE CONTINUALLY WORKING IN PUBLIC WORKS IN THE CITY WITH PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO, TO IMPROVE THESE STANDARDS.
AND THERE ARE STANDARDS FOR CROSSWALKS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF THEM EXIST AROUND TOWN.
UM, I, I THINK WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO THEM AS DRIVERS IS A DRIVER CULTURE ISSUE THAT, THAT, THAT VISION ZERO IS ALSO TIED INTO AND TRYING TO MAKE IT.
AND I THINK IT ALL KIND OF GOES TOGETHER, BUT I THINK THERE ARE DEFINITELY MANY CROSSWALKS AROUND TOWN THAT DON'T MEET OUR CURRENT STANDARDS.
AND THE BEST WAY TO LET US KNOW ABOUT THAT IS THROUGH, THROUGH 3 0 1 AND SOME OF OUR NEWER PROCESSES TO, TO GET TO WHY DIFFERENT CROSSWALKS LOOK DIFFERENTLY.
WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT THINGS, UM, UM, SUCH AS THE, THE, THE NUMBER OF, UM, THE, THE, THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC IS A BIG PART OF THAT.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, DURING ALL TIMES OF THE DAY, IF IT'S A LOCATION THAT WE THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO WALK AND BIKE ACROSS, UM, THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS FOR DETERMINING THAT.
BUT THEN IF WE THINK THAT'S A GOOD LOCATION THAT WE SAY, WHAT DOES IT TAKE, UH, TO, TO FIND A BREAK IN TRAFFIC SO THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY A SAFE AND COMFORTABLE THING TO DO.
AND DEPENDING ON THE DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND TRAFFIC VOLUMES, WE MIGHT, WE HAVE A WHOLE TOOLBOX THAT INCLUDE RAISED CROSSWALK.
WE HAVE, UM, YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN, I, I THINK WE, WE'VE UM, UH, WE, WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COLUMBIA TAP, UM, UM, IMPROVEMENTS, LIKE AN EMANCIPATION.
IF YOU, IF Y'ALL HAD EMANCIPATION A WALKER OVER IN EDO, YOU'LL SEE A NEW SIGNAL SYSTEM.
UM, AND, AND SO EV EVERY KIND OF CROSSING MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT JUST BASED ON THE KINDS OF WHAT THE CROSSING, IS IT A TRAIL CROSSING? IS IT JUST A SIDEWALK? UM, OR IS IT A BIKE LANE? UM, AND THEN THE KINDS OF TRAFFIC YOU'LL HAVE, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, BUT WE, BUT WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE LOCATIONS TO SEE WHAT KIND OF UPGRADES MIGHT NEED TO BE SCHEDULED.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET THOSE INTO US.
I'D MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT ON THAT TOO.
I, I LIKE HAWK LIGHTS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU I'VE HAD EXPERIENCES, IT'S AT TWO DIFFERENT CROSSINGS HERE.
ONE OF 'EM IS WHERE, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE TRAIL, BUT IT CROSSES HARRISBURG JUST EAST OF WHERE THE LIGHT RAIL ENDS.
AND FORTUNATELY
LIKE, 'CAUSE I MEAN, AFTER PUSHING IT AND THE LIGHTS COME ON, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CARS JUST BLASTED RIGHT THROUGH THERE.
AND I'VE HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE WHERE THE WIDE OAK TRAIL CROSSES ANTOINE.
I THINK IT TAKES A KI AND I'M, I'M SURE A RAISED CROSSING WOULD HELP.
AND SIGNS AND ALL THAT ENFORCEMENT IS ALSO IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK IF WE, OCCASIONALLY WE BEING HPD WOULD, WOULD STATION, UH, AN OFFICER THERE AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, PULL OVER AND CITE PEOPLE THAT ZIP THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
EVENTUALLY, AT LEAST THE FOLKS THAT GO THROUGH THERE PRETTY FREQUENTLY MIGHT GET THE IDEA.
IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL THIS STUFF.
I MEAN, IT'S PART OF EDUCATION, ENFORCEMENT, ENGINEERING.
WE'VE HEARD ALL THAT STUFF BEFORE.
I'VE SEEN THEM WORK REALLY WELL.
THERE'S A, A MAIN DRAG IN TRAVERSE CITY WHERE I WAS THIS SUMMER, AND MAN, PEOPLE STOPPED, YOU KNOW, WHEN THOSE RED LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING, PEOPLE STOPPED, YOU KNOW, AND WAITED FOR THE PEDESTRIANS AND, AND PEOPLE ON BIKES TO CROSS THAT, THAT VERY BUSY MAIN DRAG.
THIS IS A US, YOU KNOW, HIGHWAY, BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE DON'T HAVE THAT CULTURE HERE.
SO, AND SIGNAGE, ALL THIS, WE NEED IT ALL.
JUST, JUST WANNA DO A QUICK, GENTLE REMINDER TO THE, UH, COMMITTEE THAT WE DO HAVE A ROBUST, UH, AGENDA.
AND SO WE WANNA GET THROUGH IT AND ANY ADDITIONAL, UH, CONVERSATION.
CAN WE LEAVE FOR OPEN FORUM, IF THAT'S OKAY? I JUST WANNA MAKE A QUICK COMMENT ON THE RAISED CROSSWALKS REAL QUICK, DOC, THAT THEY, UH, SERVE A PURPOSE, A AS YOU CROSS THE CROSSWALK.
I REMEMBER NOW, I TORE MY CAR UP, SOMETHING PRIOR TO THE RAISED CROSSWALK, ACTUALLY SLOWS THE CAR DOWN.
UH, WE'LL BRING MISTY UP FOR THE BIKEWAY PROJECTS UPDATES.
UH, BIKEWAY UPDATES, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON, CIP COMMERCE STREET, ST.
PHASE EIGHT, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS IS DESIGNING AS PART OF AN ASPHALT MILL AND OVERLAY PROJECT.
THE RAIL TRACKS WILL BE REMOVED NORTH MAINE COTTAGE TO AIRLINE, CURRENTLY 90% IN THE DESIGN PHASE.
CITY COUNCIL APPROVED FUNDING ON OCTOBER 11TH OF LAST YEAR.
MOST RECENTLY HELD A PUBLIC MEETING ON AUGUST 2ND, AND THE DESIGN IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN THE FALL AND CONSTRUCTION, UM, TO BEGIN WINTER OF 2024.
POLK STREET TO SOUTH LOCKWOOD DRIVE, CURRENTLY IN CONSTRUCTION, EXPECTED TO BE FINISHED IN 2023.
[01:05:01]
PUBLIC WORKS IS INSTALLING A FACILITY WITH A MOUNTAIN, WITH, I'M SORRY, WITH A MOUNT ABLE CURB BARRIER TO MAINTAIN HEAVY TRASH PICKUP AS PART OF THE ASPHALT MILL AND OVERLAY PROJECT.PRECINCT PRECINCT ONE BLOT TO TIERWESTER.
IT'S 95% COMPLETE ON BLOT WEST MOUNT HOUSTON, WEST MONTGOMERY TO TC JESTER.
SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION FOR CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN MADE TRAIL TO KEEGAN'S BAYOU, WHICH ENCOMPASSES 0.3 MILES IS COMPLETE, AS WELL AS THE DEON UM, PARKWAY, WHICH IS A TOTAL OF 1.5 MILES NORTH MAINE COTTAGE TO AIRLINE.
CURRENTLY 90% IN THE DESIGN PHASE.
CITY COUNCIL APPROVED FUNDING ON OCTOBER 11TH OF LAST YEAR.
MOST RECENTLY HELD A PUBLIC MEETING IN AUGUST, AND THE DESIGN IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN THE FALL AND CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN WINTER.
2024 POLK STREET TO SOUTH LOCKWOOD DRIVE CURRENTLY IN CONSTRUCTION AND EXPECTED TO BE FINISHED IN 2023.
PUBLIC WORKS IS INSTALLING A FACILITY WITH A MOUNT ABLE CURB BARRIER TO MAINTAIN HEAVY TRASH PICKUP.
I THINK THIS IS, UH, YEAH, 21.
I'M ON PRECINCT ONE AND THAT'S NOT CORRECT.
UH, I COPY AND PASTED, SO
PRECINCT ONE COMMERCE, UH, STREET TO ST.
UH, THE DESIGN IS, NO, THAT'S, OH, WAIT, THAT'S THE, OKAY, GOT IT.
LET'S TRY THIS FOR THE THIRD TIME.
WEST MOUNT HOUSTON TO WEST MONTGOMERY AND TC JESTER CONSTRUCTION IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE.
ALSO BLOT TO WEST OF THE TSU PHASE BLOT IS 95% COMPLETE.
THE TRAIL TO KINGS BAYOU, UM, THE MILEAGE IS 0.03, AND THAT IS COMPLETE AS WELL AS THE DEON PARKWAY.
COA STREET ALDEN'S, SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE ON CONSTRUCTION.
ENVISION, UH, CERTIFICATION COMING UP WITH A RIBBON CUTTING ON IN JANUARY, 2024.
FAIRMONT PARKWAY TRAIL, PHASE ONE IN PASADENA.
DESIGN IS COMPLETE, AND CONSTRUCTION IS IN PROGRESS.
CONTRACTOR AND TP, UM, SEPTEMBER, 2020.
LAUDER BASIN TRAIL ALDING CONSISTING OF 1.3 MILES IS IN THE DESIGN PRO PRO, UM, PROCESS.
GREENS TO HA TRAIL ALDE IS, UH, IT CONSISTING OF ONE MILES IN THE DESIGN PROGRESS.
UH, BATTLE TRAIL, 1.6 MILES, UH, IS IN PROGRESS FOR DESIGN AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF DEER PARK, THE BAY AREA PET, UH, BIKE P PLAN IS IN PROGRESS FOR DESIGN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HEAC SOUTH BELT BASIN TRAIL.
ONE MILE IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CLEAR BOOK, UH, CITY MUD.
ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE AUSTIN TO MCKEE VIA COMMERCE STREET AND ELY VIA DUCT.
OH, THERE WAS NO UPDATE SUBMITTED FOR OCTOBER.
UH, TECH DOT, THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE IS, UM, SSH THREE.
RICHIE TO FM FIVE 18 IS COMPLETE IN CONSTRUCTION.
ANNA HAS ANNA ANNA STAR SIX TIMES.
UH, THIS IS ANNA RAMIREZ WITH TEXT DOT.
I'VE BEEN, UH, PARTICIPATING IN, IN THE MEETING, BUT I WANTED TO MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, FOR THE, UH, THERE HAS BEEN, UH, AN AWARD.
UM, I, I HEARD IAN HERE RECENTLY.
UH, $3.8 MILLION OF TAXON FUNDING, UH, HAS BEEN AWARDED TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR HSIP.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF THOSE KINDS, UH, OF ITEMS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD, UH, THIS BODY WOULD WANT TO SEE IN TERMS OF THE BUCK BIKE WAY UPDATES.
UH, I KNOW THERE'S THE, THE COLUMN CALLED STUDY DASH DESIGN, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S MORE STATUS OR WHETHER THERE'D BE AN INTEREST IN INCLUDING, UH, PROJECTS WHERE FUNDING
[01:10:01]
HAS ALREADY BEEN AWARDED.SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
THE CITY IS BASICALLY GETTING ABOUT $4 MILLION THIS TIME AROUND $3.8 MILLION.
UH, THEY'RE NOT VERY LONG, SO YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE THE MILEAGE, BUT THEY'RE MIGHTY IN TERMS OF SAFETY.
SO THAT IS, UH, ONE THING I WANTED TO MENTION.
AND TOMORROW WE'LL BE HEARING ABOUT THE TECH DOT, UM, TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES FUNDING.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING AGAIN, THAT IF THERE'S ANY CITY OF HOUSTON PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN AWARDED FUNDS, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE TRACKED IF THIS BODY THOUGHT THAT INCLUDING FUNDED, AWARDED FUNDING AS PART OF THE UPDATES WOULD BE OF INTEREST.
I SEE SOME, I SEE SOME NODDING HEADS AND I'LL ADD MINE TOO.
AND I THINK THAT'D BE GOOD TO ADD.
ANNA, IF I COULD JUST REAL FAST.
UH, THOSE ARE OUR, WE THANK YOU, ANNA, FOR THE REMINDER.
WE DON'T ACTUALLY CALL THOSE OUT, SPECIFICALLY THE, THE HSIP, IT'S REALLY A FUNDING SOURCE.
WE HAVE THOSE ON OUR C OUR CITY LIST ALREADY.
UM, SO WE WERE, WE ARE INCLUDING ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT THE CITY'S BUILDING.
UH, IF Y'ALL ARE INTERESTED, WE ALSO HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR HSIP PROJECTS ON OUR ENGAGE HOUSTON, UH, WEBSITE.
UH, WE CAN SEND OUT A LINK FOR THAT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF SAFETY PROJECTS.
THEY'RE MORE THAN JUST BIKE FACILITIES, BUT THEY'RE ALL AROUND TOWN AND I, I'M SURE THERE WOULD BE INTEREST HERE TO SEE THOSE.
WE CAN SEND THAT LINK OUT TO EVERYBODY TOO.
UM, QUESTION ON H CIP PROJECTS.
UM, OKAY, SO I SEE I, I'M SEEING AT LEAST THE H CIP PROJECTS IN PRECINCT FOUR ARE ON THIS LIST.
WILL THERE BE ANY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE, THE DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION PROCESS OF THESE? YES.
WE, WE WILL, WE WILL HAVE, UH, VARIOUS LEVELS DEPENDING ON THE FISCAL YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION, BUT IT'LL, WE WILL HAVE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WE'LL HAVE WEBSITES, UM, WE'LL, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT AND WE'LL, WE'LL BE ROLLING THAT OUT EARLY NEXT YEAR.
METRO MCGOWAN, BIKEWAY NT, I'M SORRY, NTP ISSUED AND CONSTRUCTION STARTED IN SEGMENT TWO.
DETER, UH, WEST DALLAS TERRELL TO DUNLEAVY BIKE LANES FROM TERRELL TO DUNLEAVY ARE IN.
AND THERE WILL BE AN IMPROVEMENT TO ADD SEPARATION AFTER DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS.
THEY'RE INSTALLING SEPARATION AT THIS TIME BECAUSE IT'LL BE DAMAGED DURING CONSTRUCTION.
WALKER EMANCIPATION TO DESCEND.
EMANUEL COMPLETED THE DESIGN AND IS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS FOR, FOR CONSTRUCTION.
AND NOW I HAND IT OVER TO BRIAN SMITH.
GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN, EVERYONE.
AND HERE ARE YOUR UPDATES FOR THE NO PARKING AND THE BIKE LANE ORDINANCE.
SO SINCE THE LAST BAC MEETING, AS OF AND AS OF OCTOBER 3RD, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL SIX CITATIONS, GIVEN AN ADDITIONAL $3,130 IN FEES AND FINES GATHERED.
FIVE TRAININGS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED IN LIEU OF THE FINE, AND THEN THERE HAVE BEEN THREE NEW LOCATIONS, UH, WHERE ENFORCEMENT HAS PICKED UP.
NO CHANGE TO THE TOP THREE LOCATIONS.
THE 9,100 BLOCK OF GALVESTON, THE 2300 BLOCK OF POLK, AND THE 900 BLOCK OF BASTROP, UM, THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA SIT PRETTY HIGH.
TWO OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS ARE REALLY CLOSE TO THE, UH, DYNAMO STADIUM, AND THAT IS ALWAYS A HOT SPOT FOR PEOPLE PARKING WHERE THEY SHOULDN'T BE.
AND THEN AS FAR AS THE NEW LOCATIONS GO, UM, TWO ARE ON LAWNDALE AND ONE IS AN ADDITIONAL BLOCK OF GRAY STREET.
SO IT GOES TO SHOW AS WE EXPAND THE NETWORK, WE ARE ALSO EXPANDING ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE LAWNDALE IS ONE OF OUR NEWEST BIKE FACILITIES TO BE FINISHED.
AND THAT IS IT, MY PRESENTATION.
AND NOW I WILL BE FOLLOWED BY KIM MICKELSON FOR HER BRIEFING
SO, UM, ONE THING I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A, UH, A SHOUT.
SO IF YOU LOOK IN THE SLIDES AND SOMETHING THAT WE'LL SEND OUT ARE THE UPDATES TO THE BIENNIAL REPORT.
UM, SO YOU WILL HAVE THAT IN YOUR PACKET AS YOU LOOK THROUGH IT.
WE HAVE TIME DURING THE OPEN FORUM FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS THEM, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, WE WON'T GO THROUGH THE SLIDES.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO WE'LL TAKE OPPORTUNITIES DURING THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEES IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL, LIKE, FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS OR ADDITIONAL DATA POINTS THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE US TO GATHER IN THE FUTURE.
HEY, BRIAN, CAN YOU SAY MORE ABOUT THE TIMELINE FOR UPDATING THE BIENNIAL REPORT? UH, YES.
[01:15:01]
UH, UPDATED EVERY TWO YEARS, USUALLY IN JANUARY.UM, SO ALTHOUGH YOU'RE GETTING THE REPORT NOW, THE, IT IS ALL THE DATA POINTS THAT'S REFLECTING FROM, IF WE PULLED IT IN JANUARY, 2023.
SO THE NEXT BIENNIAL REPORT, UH, WILL COME OUT IN JANUARY, 2025.
AND SOME OF THAT HAS JUST HAD TO DO WITH THE, UH, LOAD MANAGEMENT WITH, WITH ME BEING AWAY.
SORRY, WHAT I MEANT TO BE ASKING IS YOU SAID WE SHOULD LOOK AT IT AND THEN SHARE IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
HOW QUICKLY DO YOU NEED THAT FEEDBACK? OH, UM, I DON'T NEED IT IMMEDIATELY.
UM, JUST IN CASE YOU WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE SLIDES BEFORE THE MEETING, IT, IT WAS THERE, BUT, UM, DON'T THINK OF THIS AS THE LAST, UH, THE LAST TIME TO TALK.
SO, UM, IN THE LAST SLIDE, THERE IS A LIST OF PREVI OF DATA POINTS THAT WE HAVEN'T COLLECTED YET.
SOME OF THAT'S BEEN FROM FEEDBACK I'VE ALREADY ACCUMULATED IN JUST KIND OF READING THE MINUTES AND, AND SOME OF THE COMMENTS FROM PREVIOUS BAC MEETINGS THAT I WASN'T HERE FOR.
BUT WHAT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DO IS, DURING THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING AND THE EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING IS MAYBE TAKE 10 TO 15 MINUTES TO SAY, HEY, IF IT, IF IT WAS OR WASN'T IN THE BILLION OR REPORT, IS THERE A DATA POINT THAT YOU WANT US TO LOOK AT GATHERING? UM, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M GONNA WORK WITH, UH, CHAIR THOMPSON AND, UH, VICE CHAIR PEREZ ON FOR JANUARY, REMEMBER, WAS IT WE DID THAT EXERCISE IN LIKE THE TWO YEAR PLAN FOR THE BAC.
UM, AND, AND I THINK WE'RE OVERDUE FOR ANOTHER ONE.
SO KIND OF THOSE DATA POINTS AND THE GOALS OF THE BAC FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO GET, GET FROM YOU ALL AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SEE WHAT I MISSED, SEE WHAT, SEE WHAT WE'VE BEEN, BEEN WAITING TO GET AFTER.
SORRY, BRIAN, ONE MORE QUICK QUESTION.
I KNOW WE'RE GETTING TO KIM, UM, IN THE EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME DATA.
I JUST WANNA CLARIFY WHETHER THAT DATA IS IN THIS REPORT OR WOULD BE COMING? PROBABLY NOT.
UM, WITH THE INTENT THAT WE WERE GOING TO HOPEFULLY INCLUDE THEM IN THE FUTURE.
AND SOME OF THEM MAY NOT BE EVERY TWO YEARS.
SOME OF IT MAY BE PART OF QUARTERLY UPDATES OR, UM, ANOTHER FREQUENCY OF REPORTING DEPENDING ON WHAT THAT INFORMATION IS.
I, I JUST ALSO WANT TO ADD LEAH, UM, WE DO HAVE THAT LIST OF METRICS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
SO THEY ARE THERE, SO THEY'LL BE, WE'LL, WE'LL COLLECT THEM ON THE BACK END.
OKAY, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS KIM MICKELSON FOR THE ETHICS, UM, PRESENTATION.
IT'S THE MOST EXCITING PART OF YOUR MEETING.
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY INADVERTENT.
IF YOU DO HAVE TO CALL ME ABOUT AN ETHICS QUESTION, THIS IS MY BUTTON.
UM, SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR TOUGHING THIS OUT HERE.
I'M GONNA TRY AND GO THROUGH THESE SLIDES FAIRLY QUICKLY TODAY.
UM, AND I WANNA LEAVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR QUESTIONS, UM, AS YOU ALL REMEMBER.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY, IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS LIKE WHAT I ASK FOR, FOR CHRISTMAS AND DURING BUDGET SESSION.
EVERY SEASON, EVERY YEAR IS A CLONING MACHINE.
UM, I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL GET SOME ADDITIONAL HELP IN LEGAL AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME BACK ON A, ON A MUCH MORE FREQUENT, UM, BASIS.
AND SO I AM SORRY FOR MISSING YOUR LAST MEETING, BUT GOT TIED UP WITH OTHER MEETINGS.
AND AS MUCH AS I TRY TO CONVINCE THE CITY ATTORNEY THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE IN THE BUDGET, UM, NEITHER HE NOR SANTA CLAUS SEEM INCLINED TO BRING ME A CLONING DEVICE.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF START GOING THROUGH THE SLIDES.
UM, IT, THE MAYOR YOU MAY RECALL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO INSTITUTED A RULE THAT EVERY BOARD AND COMMISSION SHOULD HAVE ETHICS TRAINING ONCE A YEAR.
UM, GENERALLY WE TRY AND DO THAT IN THE SPRING.
SO YOU MAY SEE ME MUCH EARLIER NEXT YEAR, UM, IN DOING THIS.
AND ESPECIALLY IF THERE, THERE ARE NEW MEMBERS ON THE, ON THE, UH, COMMITTEE.
BUT WE TRY AND GO THROUGH SOME IMPORTANT OPEN GOVERNMENT ISSUES, UM, UH, ORDINANCE AND STATE LAW REQUIREMENTS THAT GOVERN CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS TIME, AS THE CHAIRMAN HAS NOTICED, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE NOW OR THE EARLY STAGES AT LEAST OF ELECTION SEASONS.
SO, UM, I NORMALLY DO GET QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT FOR, UM, FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UM, PLEASE DO STOP ME AS I GO THROUGH THIS IF YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BECAUSE I'M GONNA TRY AND GET THROUGH IT FAIRLY QUICKLY.
UM, BOTH TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BE RESPECTFUL OF Y'ALL'S TIME
[01:20:01]
AND TO TRY AND HIT WHAT I THINK I'M THINKING RIGHT NOW ARE REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS DURING ELECTION SEASON.UM, GO AHEAD AND SHIFT THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE.
PLEASE DON'T LEAVE YOUR ETHICS AT THE DOOR.
IS, IS THE NUMBER ONE RULE OF THIS.
UM, WE START OUT WITH JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS ETHICS? AND I ALWAYS TELL BOARDS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, CITY COUNCILS, WHEN I'VE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCILS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY A MORAL SET OF, OF PRINCIPLES THAT YOU ALL HAVE INHERENTLY, BUT AS WELL AS BECAUSE LAWYERS ARE INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING, IT ALSO INCLUDES STATE LAW AND, UM, LOCAL, UH, ORDINANCES AND PARTS OF OUR CITY CODE.
SO IT'S RULES OF PROCEDURES THAT APPLY TO THE MEMBERS OF AN ORGANIZATION WHO YOU CAN TALK TO, WHAT YOU CAN VOTE FOR, WHERE YOU SHOULD BE, WHAT YOU SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T SAY, THOSE KINDS OF ELEMENTS.
UM, A BORDER COMMISSION MEMBER IS DEFINED BY CITY CODE AND STATE LAW AS ALL OF THESE TERMS. AND THAT INCLUDES MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE, EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN SAY, WELL, WE'RE NOT A BOARD AND WE'RE NOT A COMMISSION, WE'RE JUST A COMMITTEE.
BECAUSE YOU'RE APPOINTED BY CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, AND YOUR COMMITTEE IS ESTABLISHED BY, BY ORDINANCE.
YOU ARE A PUBLIC SERVANT, YOU ARE A LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIAL, AND YOU ARE A CITY OFFICER UNDER THE TERMS OF, OF THESE RULES.
SO THAT MEANS THAT ALL THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, APPLY TO YOU.
AND IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT CALLED A BOARD.
I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH AND READ ALL OF THESE.
UM, THIS IS A COUPLE OF THE, THE SHORT ONES OUT OF, UH, ONE STATE LAW, WHICH APPLIES TO CONFLICT OF INTEREST RULES, AND THEN ANOTHER OUT OF, UH, CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES, UM, IN CHAPTER 18, WHICH GOVERNS ETHICS.
UM, YOU CAN, THESE WERE ATTACHED TO THE PACKET, CORRECT? YES.
UM, AND, AND BEAR IN MIND, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A QUESTION TODAY AND SOMETHING COMES TO MIND LATER, THIS HAS MY PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS IN IT SO YOU CAN, UH, GET AHOLD OF ME.
IT IS IMPORTANT UNLESS A CO UH, COMMITTEE OR BOARD, UH, ORDINANCE DESCRIBES OTHERWISE THAT YOU ALL ARE, ARE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY.
UM, I KNOW I'M PLANNING COMMISSION, WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE ETJI THINK HERE WE DO AS WELL.
UM, AND, AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT REQUIREMENT OTHERWISE.
THERE IS THAT GENERAL REQUIREMENT THAT THERE, THAT YOU MEET, RESIDENCY, UM, YOU ALL ARE CREATED BY, UH, DIVISION OF CHAPTER 33, UM, CREATING, UM, BOTH AUTHORIZING THE BICYCLE ACTION PLAN AND THEN CREATING THIS COMMITTEE TO TAKE CERTAIN BICYCLE RELATED, UM, AND OTHER SAFETY ISSUES TO, UH, TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL.
SO AGAIN, YOU'RE ESTABLISHED THERE BY ORDINANCE.
UM, I ALWAYS SAY TAKE THE HIGH ROAD.
AND A LOT OF TIMES, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS, THIS MAY AFFECT OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU ALL, BUT SOMETIMES IF YOU HAVE TO CALL ME AND ASK ME THE QUESTION OF SHOULD I DO OR SHOULD I TALK TO OR CAN I, YOU KIND OF ALREADY KNOW IN YOUR GUT THAT THERE'S AN ISSUE, UM, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT RISES TO THE LEVEL OF THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT WHERE YOU LATER HAVE TO ABSTAIN OR YOU'RE GONNA GET INTO TROUBLE.
UM, MY JOB IS TO KEEP YOU OUT OF TROUBLE.
SO, UM, SO, UM, FOLLOW ALONG WITH ME AND, AND PLAY THAT GAME IN A ALMOST 30 YEARS OF PRACTICE FOR GOVERNMENTAL OFFICIALS.
I HAVE NEVER HAD SOMEONE CHALLENGED ON A-T-P-I-A-A PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT OR OPEN MEETINGS ACT VIOLATION OR A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
AND I REALLY WANNA KEEP IT THAT WAY.
I'M KIND OF LIKING THIS STREAK.
SO, UM, SO, SO LET'S, LET'S KEEP DOING THAT.
UM, EVERYTHING WE TALK ABOUT IS IN THE TEXAS PENAL CODE, THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
AND AS I'VE MENTIONED, THE CITY CHARTER AND CITY ORDINANCES.
WE'LL TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT PENAL CODE, BUT IF I HAVE TO SAY THE WORD DON'T DO THAT, IT WILL VIOLATE THE PENAL CODE.
THAT MEANS THERE'S CRIMINAL PENALTIES.
SO THAT'S WHEN YOU REALLY GET TO TROUBLE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO WORRY A LOT ABOUT THINGS LIKE POSTING THE AGENDA AND WORRYING ABOUT, WOW, DID IT GET POSTED IN TIME? DOES IT HAVE EVERYTHING ON IT THAT WE WANNA DO? I SAT HERE TODAY, FOR EXAMPLE, AND DOUBLE CHECKED WITH STAFF THAT THE, THE ITEM FOR THE PAT WASH BIKE, UM, PATH WAS POSTED FOR A VOTE OR FOR ACTION.
[01:25:01]
SO STAFF IS TAKING REALLY GOOD CARE OF YOU.SO IN THAT REGARD, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.
WHAT YOU DO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, UM, IS COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT IS, IS REQUIRED FOR EVERY BOARD OF COMMISSION.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND IT REQUIRES THAT THAT AGENDA STAFF WILL POST IT WITHIN 72 HOURS.
IT'LL BE POSTED AT CITY HALL, IT'LL BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, HAS TO BE EVERYTHING ON THERE DESCRIBED WITH SUFFICIENT PARTICULARITY AND SUFFICIENT SPECIFICITY SO THAT IF SOMEONE WALKING BY READS IT OR POPS IT UP ON THE, ON THE INTERNET, THEY KNOW, WOW.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THE PAT WASH BIKEWAY IS REALLY INTERESTING.
UM, IF YOU ALL HAVE A TOPIC THAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT DURING OPEN COMMENT SESSION AND YOU KNOW IT'S CONTROVERSIAL, PLEASE LET STAFF KNOW.
IF YOU KNOW AHEAD OF THE MEETING THREE DAYS OR MORE, PLEASE LET STAFF KNOW, BECAUSE THAT SHOULD PROBABLY BE AN ITEM POSTED.
IF IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING SUPER CONTROVERSIAL, I DON'T KNOW, TURNING 45 INTO A BIKE LANE INSTEAD OF A HIGHWAY, YOU KNOW, MIGHT, THAT MIGHT CAPTURE SOME ATTENTION.
UM, SO, UM, YOU ALL HAVE HAD TO HAVE, SINCE YOU WERE APPOINTED, UM, A A MINIMUM OF ONE HOUR OF OPEN GOVERNMENT TRAINING, OPEN MEETINGS AT TRAINING.
HOPEFULLY YOU ALL HAVE TAKEN THAT ONLINE AND PRINTED OFF YOUR CERTIFICATES.
UM, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE THAT IF YOU ARE REAPPOINTED.
YOU JUST HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH THAT ONCE.
BUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AND THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT TRAINING AT LEAST, UM, WITHIN 90 DAYS OF YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT.
UM, IT'S FASCINATING AND HORRIBLY INTERESTING, AND SOMEDAY I'LL GET THIS, THIS, UH, TRAINING CERTIFIED TOO.
BUT, UM, YOU, THE, THE IMPORTANT PART I WANT YOU ALL TO REMEMBER ABOUT THE, UH, OPEN MEETINGS ACT IS THAT YOU ONLY HAVE A MEETING WHEN YOU MEET IN A QUORUM OF OR MORE TO DISCUSS OR TAKE ACTION PURSUANT TO A PROPERLY POSTED AGENDA.
HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU ALL CAN MEET IN LITTLE TINY GROUPS OUTSIDE AT BREAKFAST AND DISCUSS THINGS THAT ARE COMING UP AT THE MEETING.
IT IS A VIOLATION OF THE ACT TO MEET IN A GROUP OF, UH, IN GROUP OF MEMBERS LESS THAN A QUORUM FOR THE PURPOSE OF AVOIDING THE ACT.
UM, IF YOU'RE DISCUSSING ITEMS THAT ARE COMING UP AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING, THE WHOLE IDEA BEHIND THE OPEN GOVERNMENT LAWS BOTH IS THAT AS A CITY MANAGER ONCE DESCRIBED IT TO ME, IT IS GOVERNMENT IN YOUR UNDERWEAR IF YOU, THAT WAS A HARD PICTURE TO FORGET OF THAT CITY MANAGER.
BUT, UM, IT'S DESIGNED TO BE OUT IN THE OPEN.
IT'S DESIGNED TO LET EVERY MEMBER HERE, EVERYTHING ABOUT THE SUBJECT, SAME THING, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE INTERESTED, WHO ARE WATCHING ON TV OR, OR WATCH THIS TAPE LATER.
SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT'S DESIGNED TO BE.
SO IT IS DESIGNED TO KEEP YOU ALL FROM TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER OUTSIDE ABOUT BUSINESS THAT WILL COME BEFORE THE, BEFORE THE WHOLE BODY THAT YOU ALL WILL BE MAKING POLICY DECISIONS OR, UM, FORWARDING ACTION ITEMS ON, UM, A FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL NOW, SENATOR JOHN CORNY OPINED THAT A VIOLATION OF THE ACT OCCURRED IF TWO MEMBERS OF THE ACT, UH, TWO MEMBERS OF THE BODY WERE MEETING TO DISCUSS BUSINESS.
I THINK THAT'S A MISREADING OF THE ACT, BUT THAT OPINION IS STILL OUT THERE.
SO, UM, BE VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND IT BECOMES TOUGH, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A NEW MEMBER AND YOU SAY, BUT I WANNA LEARN SOMETHING FROM, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT, WELL, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THE MEETINGS GO AND PROCEDURAL ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS, NOT PROBABLY NOT A PROBLEM, BUT, UM, GOING AROUND TO DIFFERENT MEMBERS AND SAYING, WELL, HOW ARE YOU GONNA VOTE ON THIS? I HAVEN'T MADE UP MY MIND YET.
OR, I FEEL REALLY STRONGLY BECAUSE I TALKED TO SO AND SO.
THAT SORT OF THING CAN GET, GET YOU INTO TROUBLE UNDER THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WANT YOU TO, UH, REMEMBER IN THAT REGARD.
UM, EVERYBODY THOUGHT THIS WAS NEW AND UNIQUE, HAVING HYBRID MEETINGS DURING THE, THE PANDEMIC.
AND FOR MOST CITIES IT WAS, UH, THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT ALLOWS, UM, HYBRID OR PARTIALLY VIRTUAL MEETINGS IN ANY CITY THAT IS LOCATED WITHIN THREE OR MORE COUNTIES.
[01:30:01]
THAT'S A HANDFUL OF CITIES AROUND TEXAS, UM, INCLUDING US.SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE HAVING HYBRID MEETINGS.
THE CHAIR MUST ALWAYS BE PRESENT, UM, AT THE PLACE WHERE THE PUBLIC MEETING PUBLIC PORTION OF THE MEETING IS, IS BEING HELD.
UM, IN THE ABSENCE OF A CHAIR, WE CAN ALWAYS APPOINT AN ACTING OR A VICE CHAIR AND WORK, WORK IT THAT WAY.
BUT I THINK WHAT A LOT OF CITIES FOUND, AND HOPEFULLY YOU ALL DID TOO, IS THAT YOU GET MORE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
REAL QUICK, UM, BACK ON THAT SURE.
YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT BEING VISIBLE.
SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE NEED TO KEEP THEIR CAMERA ON THROUGHOUT THE YES.
AND THIS HAS COME UP BEFORE, I JUST THINK IT'S WORTH A REMINDER.
OR IF PEOPLE HAD MISSED THAT BEFORE.
NO, THAT, THAT'S A, THAT IS A VERY GOOD REMINDER.
MEMBERS WHO ARE VIRTUAL, UM, I NOTICE ROBIN IS BOTH VIRTUAL AND PRESENT, SO
MAYBE SHE GOT THE CLONING MACHINE.
UM, BUT YEAH, YOU HAVE TO BE VIRTUAL AND AUDIBLE.
NOW IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO HEAR EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND OF WHERE THEY ARE, BUT YEAH, FOR THEIR VOTES OR QUESTION QUESTIONS, CLEARLY.
UM, TALKED ABOUT MEETINGS OF QUORUM OR MORE, UM, IF YOU GET EMAILS FROM STAFF, UM, OR I HOPE NOT, OTHER MEMBERS, DON'T REPLY ALL.
TRY TO REPLY JUST TO THE STAFF MEMBER WHO IS ASKING A QUESTION.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU START REPLYING ALL ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE DISCUSSED AT A MEETING, THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE STARTING DELIBERATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS.
SO PLEASE, STAFF, I THINK, GENERALLY USES EMAIL BLIND COPY, UM, BUT FOR PRIMARILY ADMINISTRATIVE REASONS, REMIND YOU OF A MEETING, ET CETERA.
BUT DON'T REPLY ALL TO SAY, OH, YEAH, I CAN'T BE THERE.
BUT ON ITEM TWO B, I THINK X, BECAUSE YOU ARE DISCUSSING IT, ONE IMPORTANT RULE OF OPEN GOVERNMENT, UM, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS YOU MIGHT BE USED TO IS YOU DON'T GET TO GIVE A PROXY TO ACT AT A A PUBLIC BOARD OR COMMISSION MEETING.
SO YOU DON'T GET TO SAY, OH, HEY, I'M NOT GONNA BE AT NEXT WEEK'S MEETING, BUT I REALLY THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD VOTE THIS WAY.
OR MY FEELINGS ABOUT ITEM A ARE THE FOLLOWING.
UM, YOU KNOW, GET TO DO IT UNLESS YOU'RE HERE.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE PART, I GUESS PART OF WHAT YOU GIVE UP.
MAYBE, UM, IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WITH THAT, WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE PUBLIC COMPONENT.
UM, DURING THE MEETING, DON'T TALK OR TEXT OR EMAIL OTHER MEMBERS, PLEASE.
WE'LL TALK IN A MINUTE ABOUT THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.
ALL OF THAT IS SUBJECT TO PUBLIC DISCLOSURE.
UM, MAYBE LESS IMPORTANT ON THIS BOARD TOO, BUT I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONS WHERE THEY BREAK OFF INTO, THERE'LL BE A LITTLE PRIVATE CONVERSATION GOING ON OVER HERE WHILE SOMEONE IS PRESENTING AND SO FORTH THAT DEPRIVES OTHER MEMBERS OF HEARING WHAT THEIR CONVERSATION IS, WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE ABOUT AN ITEM, ET CETERA.
BUT I HAVE TOLD SOME OF THEM I'M GONNA HAVE TO SPLIT THEM UP.
SO, UM, SO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
SO JESS AND I ARE CO-CHAIRS OF ONE OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES.
AND WE ARE OKAY TO MEET AND DISCUSS AGENDA, LIKE UPCOMING AGENDA AND WHAT WE WANNA ACCOMPLISH.
'CAUSE THAT'S IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE SECTION.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE.
AND THEN THE MEETINGS ARE POSTED, CORRECT? CORRECT.
I THINK I TOOK A PRETTY STRONG STANCE ABOUT POSTING ALL OF THE MEETINGS.
THE CO COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND SUCH ARE POSTED.
BUT YEAH, CERTAINLY WHILE YOU'RE SETTING THE AGENDA WITH STAFF, I THINK THAT'S A, THAT THAT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE TASK, BUT YEAH, GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I GENERALLY OUT, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THIS COMMITTEE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF THE BOARDS AND COMMITTEES I WORK WITH OTHERWISE, IN THAT YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE FINAL DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY DELEGATED TO YOU.
YOU'RE AN ADVISORY TOTALLY RECOMMENDING IE QUASI LEGISLATIVE, UM, TYPE OF BODY.
UM, BUT I STILL ADVISE SOME CAUTION IN ENGAGING IN CONVERSATIONS EVEN ONE-ON-ONE OUTSIDE WITH, UM, RELATED ENTITIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, OR ENTITIES WHO MIGHT BE BRINGING REQUESTS
[01:35:01]
OR, OR, UM, ITEMS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AND ASKING, ASKING FOR THAT EX PARTE CONTACTS LIKE THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY ILLEGAL, THOUGH RECENT AMENDMENTS TO THE OPEN GOVERNMENT LAWS ARE STARTING TO KIND OF VEER THAT WAY.UM, THAT YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T BE DISCUSSING ITEMS THAT WILL COME BEFORE THE WHOLE BOARD WITH PARTIES ON THE OUTSIDE.
AND I DON'T, YOU KNOW, B CYCLE COMES TO MIND.
MAYBE, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER PEOPLE COMING UP AND ASKING FOR OTHER NAMING RIGHTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, UM, REALLY CONSIDER THAT CAREFULLY AGAIN BECAUSE IT JUST, IT DEPRIVES THE ENTIRE COMMITTEE OF, AND THE PUBLIC OF HEARING WHAT THOSE REQUESTS ARE AND, AND WHAT YOUR RESPONSES ARE.
SO KIM, IF SOMEONE COMES TO US AND SAYS, HEY, I'D LIKE TO DO THIS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON REGARDING BIKEWAYS IS OUR RESPONSE TO THEM TO SAY, WONDERFUL.
COME TO THE BAC MEETING AND TALK, TALK TO US ABOUT IT.
HERE'S BRANDON'S PHONE NUMBER,
OH, HE'S ALREADY PASSING THIS BACK, BUT YEAH.
HERE'S STAFF'S PHONE NUMBER OR COME TO THE MEETING.
THAT, THAT REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME CITIES I OFTEN JOKE IT'S A, IF IT'S A SMALL CITY, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON TRYING TO CORNER YOU ABOUT SOMETHING IS PROBABLY YOUR KID'S FOOTBALL COACH OR SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER.
AND THAT CAN GET REALLY, REALLY DELICATE.
BUT, UM, 'CAUSE MAYBE YOUR KID WON'T PLAY THE NEXT, THE NEXT GAME OR SOMETHING.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, HERE I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE MORE SPREAD OUT, BUT THEY KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND, UM, YEAH, I THINK REFERRING THEM TO STAFF OR TO THE MEETING IS, IS THE BEST RESPONSE.
IN, IN PART, BECAUSE WHEN I WAS APPOINTED, PART OF MY ROLE IS TO COMMUNICATE BACK WITH THE NEAR TOWN MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS AND THE PRESIDENTS IN MY HEAD, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOMEONE COMING AND SAYING, AT YOUR NEXT BAC MEETING, I REALLY NEED YOU TO ADVANCE AN AGENDA TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
THEN IF I'M AT A CIVIC CLUB MEETING AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING, I HAVE THIS ISSUE I CARE ABOUT, OR SOMEONE SET UP BY HOUSTON MEETING AND SAYING, HERE'S A THING I I WANT BA, C PEOPLE TO BE MINDFUL OF, LIKE, IT SEEMS LIKE INFORMATION GATHERING WOULD BE OKAY AND SEPARATE AND DIFFERENT FROM, HEY, CONSIDER MY AGENDA.
IS THAT, AM I HEARING THAT RIGHT? YES.
AND I THINK YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
YOU DON'T GIVE UP NECESSARILY YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO SPEAK OR CERTAINLY TO ASSOCIATE, AND YOU ALL BRING DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPOSURE FROM DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT SOURCES.
AND I THINK THE WAY TO HANDLE THAT IS TO BE ABLE TO SAY, I WAS AT THE BIKE HOUSTON MEETING AND THIS CAME UP.
AND THEN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND YOU'RE BRINGING BACK THAT INFORMATION.
YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THE EX PARTE CONTACTS OR THE CONTACTS OUTSIDE OF THIS GROUP OR OUTSIDE OF A MEETING, SAME SORT OF THING.
HEY, I GOT CORNERED IN THE FREEZER SECTION OF KROGER AND I HAD TO, YOU KNOW, TALK, I WAS TALKING TO THIS PERSON AND THEY SAID, X, Y, AND Z.
BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK AND LET 'EM KNOW.
IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO BECOME A HERMIT AND, AND HIDE AWAY.
UM, IN ADDITION TO OPEN MEETINGS, REQUIREMENTS, EMAILS, TEXT MESSAGES, ANYTHING RELATED TO WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING AS YOUR CITY BUSINESS IS POSSIBLY SUBJECT TO THE OPEN MEETINGS OR TO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.
UM, I'VE NOT SEEN REQUESTS FOR A LOT OF ITEMS FOR COMMISSIONERS OR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, BOARD MEMBERS FROM ANY GROUP SAVE.
AND EXCEPT ONE WE MAY ALL REMEMBER FROM LONG AGO, DIFFERENT DIFFERENT GROUP, BUT WHERE ALL EMAILS AND TEXT MESSAGES MAY BE REQUESTED.
SO ANYTHING ANYBODY SENDS ABOUT THE AIRPORT BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, OR IN YOUR CASE THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WELL, I WANNA KNOW WHAT CONVERSATIONS ROBIN HAD AND EMAIL EXCHANGES WITH MEMBERS OF MIKE HOUSTON.
ALL OF THAT BECOME POTENTIALLY BECOMES PUBLIC BECAUSE IT COULD BE CONSTRUED TO BE RELATED TO YOUR WORK HERE AT THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME GOOD COMMON SENSE THINGS TRICKLE DOWN.
UM, I DON'T CARE IF THIS PERSON'S PICTURE, YOU KNOW, THIS, WHETHER IT'S A NEWS REPORTER OR A PRIVATE CITIZEN, I DON'T CARE IF THEIR PICTURE IS IN THE OXFORD ENGLISH
[01:40:01]
DICTIONARY AS LYING, CHEATING SACK OF SCUM.I DON'T CARE IF IT'S REALLY DEFINITIONAL.
I'VE HAD CITIES WHERE REALLY CITY ENGINEER GOT SUED FOR LIBEL, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS FOUGHT.
I MEAN, IT'S GONNA MAKE A GREAT BOOK SOMEDAY.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S BE POLITE, BE, YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONAL IN YOUR, IN YOUR CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE THEY CAN ASK FOR IT.
UM, IF YOU'RE MAKING NOTES AND, YOU KNOW, DRAWING PICTURES OR DOODLING ON YOUR A PAPER AGENDA OR ON YOUR, ON YOUR, UM, PAD OR IN YOUR COMPUTER, DON TECHNICALLY IT'S POSSIBLY OPEN.
DON'T DRAW LITTLE POINTY HORN DEVIL FACES NEXT TO, NEXT TO AN ITEM.
I I DO NOT MAKE THIS STUFF UP.
ALL OF THIS STUFF HAS HAPPENED AND I REPRESENTED A CITY ONE TIME WHERE EVERYBODY LITERALLY WAS A ROCKET SCIENTIST AND JOHNSON SPACE CENTER AND NASA AND US SPACE ALLIANCE, WERE NOT HAPPY TO GET SUBPOENAS FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR, UH, EMAIL SERVERS TO, TO SEE IF, IF CITY WORK HAD BEEN COMMUNICATED ON THAT.
TRY TO EITHER HAVE A SEPARATE EMAIL OR KEEP THAT, THAT SEGREGATED.
SO A GOOD OLD FASHIONED WAY OF A PHONE CALL, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF AMAZING.
SO A QUESTION ON THAT, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY OF US, BESIDES CITY STAFF HAVE, NONE OF US HAVE CITY OF HOUSTON EMAILS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT OUR OWN PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS COULD BE SUBPOENAED.
IT, IT WON'T BE ANYTHING THAT'S RELATED JUST TO YOU PERSONALLY.
NOBODY'S, YOU KNOW, YOUR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, KIDS' SCHEDULE, NONE OF THAT'S GOING TO BE, UM, SUBJECT TO SUBJECT TO RELEASE.
BUT IF THERE, IF YOU HAVE EMAILS TO YOUR PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS ABOUT BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE WORK? POSSIBLY, YEAH.
JUST QUICK QUESTION AND, AND AND RECOGNIZING TOO, I LOVE IT WHEN CITIES ASSIGN BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, EMAIL ADDRESSES, BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS, I, YEAH.
AND HERE I CAN'T, I SHUDDER TO THINK HOW MANY, HOW MANY THAT WOULD BE, HOW MANY EMAIL ADDRESSES? SORRY.
IT MIGHT BE FOR YOU TOO AS WELL.
JUST BECAUSE WE'RE ON BOARDS OF LIKE BICYCLE EDUCATION ADVOCACY GROUPS, I AM INTERACTING WITH PRECINCT OFFICIALS, COUNTY OFFICIALS IN AN OFFICIAL CAPACITY SIGNING TEMPORARY RIGHT.
OF ENTRIES ADVOCATING FOR TRAILS.
THAT HAS TO DO WITH BY, I'M ON THE DIRT MOSTLY, SO I'M NOT AS OFFICIAL AS LIKE YOU IN THE CASE OF LIKE, ON ROAD STUFF, BUT LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, HOW DO YOU, I DON'T EVEN KNOW, LIKE, DOES THAT, THERE'S NO RUN UP THERE.
LIKE YEAH, I, I MEAN, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE, IF WE GOT AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST FOR, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF IT'S JUST SAY THE TWO OF YOU, ONE OR TWO OR ALL OF YOU, FOR ALL OF YOUR BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, RELATED EMAILS, UM, THAT REQUEST WOULD GO UP TO OUR GENERAL COUNSEL SECTION WHO HAS A ROTATING COURSE OF LAWYERS WHO WORK THROUGH, UM, TPIA REQUESTS.
AND WE WOULD ASK, THEY WOULD ASK YOU ALL TO, OKAY, SEND US A PRINTOUT, SEND US SOMETHING, THUMB DRIVE.
I DON'T HONESTLY KNOW HOW THEY DO IT, BUT THEN THEY'RE GONNA GO THROUGH AND ASK YOU TO HELP THEM GO THROUGH AND PULL WHAT YOU THINK ARE THE RESPONSIVE ONES.
YOU MAY SAY, OH, I HAVE THESE OTHERS, BUT THEY'RE NOT RELATED TO BAC, THEY'RE RELATED TO MY WORK WITH THIS.
AND I WOULD THINK THEY'D MAKE AN EXCEPTION.
I, I WILL TELL YOU, I THINK THE ONE WE HAD HERE IN HOUSTON, I THINK WE HAD OVER 4,000 EMAILS THAT, THAT THOSE GUYS HAD TO GO THROUGH.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THAT TOO? SORRY.
SO FOR THE, THE INFORMATION, THEY CAN'T JUST SAY, HEY, I WANT ALL OF HER EMAILS FROM THIS STATE TO THE OKAY, GREAT.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT SECOND GMAIL ADDRESS IS LOOKING REALLY GOOD.
I HAVE A QUESTION, AND IT MAY NOT BE A BAD IDEA, BUT YEAH, JUST, UH, YEAH, JUST NO.
IF THEY SAY WE WANT ALL OF THEIR EMAILS, WE'RE GONNA SAY, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA GIVE YOU PERSONAL ONES.
THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTED CASES WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE ASKED FOR CALENDARS AND COPIES OF PAPER AGENDAS AND ALL OF THAT, YOU KNOW, DATE BOOKS AND TEXT MESSAGE CHAINS AND ALL THAT.
SO, UM, IF IT'S OUT THERE, IT, THEY, THEY CAN ASK FOR, IT USED TO BE EASY BACK IN THE DAYS OF PAPER, PHONE RECORDS AND FAX MACHINES.
BUT SO, UH, OUR CHALLENGE IS THAT
[01:45:01]
WE ONLY REALLY HAVE FOUR MEETINGS IN A YEAR OTHER THAN THE SUBCOMMITTEES.SO THAT GIVES US EIGHT HOURS IN AN ENTIRE YEAR TO DISCUSS, UH, SUBJECTS, UH, BICYCLE SUBJECTS WITH, WITH EACH OTHER.
SO HAVE YOU SEEN OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAVE EN ENGAGE IN ANY TYPE OF ONLINE FORUM THAT IS PUBLICLY VIEWABLE TO NOT HERE ENABLE MORE OF A DISCUSSION? NOT HERE, BUT, UM, THERE IS AN EXCEPTION IN THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT THAT WAS ADOPTED, I'M GONNA SAY EIGHT YEARS AGO, BUT DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT PART.
I WANNA SAY FOUR, MAYBE FIVE SESSIONS AGO NOW, UM, TO ALLOW SOME OPEN EMAIL FORUMS FOR AT LEAST ELECTED OFFICIALS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY BOARDS OR COMMITTEES HERE THAT HAVE ADOPTED THAT.
SO ONE THING WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST IS ESTABLISH WORK GROUPS FOR VERY SPECIFIC THINGS WHERE MORE DISCUSSION NEEDS TO HAPPEN OR MORE STAFF ANALYSIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
AND USUALLY IN THOSE CASES, THE WORK GROUPS WOULD REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ON A ROUTINE BASIS SO THAT ALL OF THE FINDINGS, THE REPORTS AND WHATNOT YEAH.
AND GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS HOW WE GOT THE SPACE CITY SWEEPER.
WE HAD A MAINTENANCE WORK GROUP THAT MET ROUTINELY IN BETWEEN MEETINGS.
SO IF IT'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC, UM, WE CAN, WE CAN BRING BACK WORK GROUPS, UM, TO, TO DISCUSS THOSE IN BETWEEN THE MEETINGS.
LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, AN ENDORSEMENT LETTER
SO, SO THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF THIS PART.
DANCE, LIKE NO ONE'S WATCHING, BUT TEXT AND EMAIL, LIKE IT WILL BE READ IN COURT ONE DAY BY YOUR LAWYER.
PROBABLY GOOD GENERAL ADVICE IN ALMOST ANY, ANY SCOPE, UM, TEXAS PENAL CODE, REMEMBER, LET'S AVOID THESE.
I ALWAYS THINK I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THESE, BUT, UM, WE DO.
SO, UM, TEXAS PENAL CODE GOVERNS AND INCLUDES OFFENSES LIKE BRIBERY, CORRUPT INFLUENCE.
I KNOW BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, YOU PROBABLY THINK I HAVE SO MUCH INFLUENCE.
YOU GO TO THE BIKE SHOP, YOU CAN SAY, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT COULD WE SAY? BUT, UM, I'M A MEMBER OF BAC AND SO THEREFORE I CAN YEAH, ASSERT THAT
YEAH, MAYBE, MAYBE THAT IN A COUPLE DOLLARS GETS YOU A STARBUCKS.
BUT, UM, BUT IN ANY EVENT, UM, DON'T TAKE A BRIBE.
I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SAY THIS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, DON'T TAKE MONEY FOR VOTES.
DON'T TAKE MONEY FOR TRYING TO EXERCISE INFLUENCE, WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING THIS BOARD DOES OR SOMETHING ELSE WITHIN, WITHIN GOVERNMENT.
UM, ANY TIME, UM, TEXAS PENAL CODE, UH, PROHIBITS YOU ALL FROM TAKING ANY KIND OF PECUNIARY OR OTHER ADVANTAGE, WHETHER THAT'S MONEY OR SPECIAL ACCESS, UM, BASED ON YOUR, YOUR OFFICIAL POSITION, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S CONSIDERED A BENEFIT TO YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR OFFICIAL POSITION.
UM, IT'S JUST NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT WORTH IT IN THE LONG RUN.
UM, AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, CALL ME AND I WILL USE MY HANDY NO BUTTON.
I GET ASKED THIS QUESTION FAIRLY FREQUENTLY, AND I KNOW THIS COMES UP TO OUR GENERAL COUNSEL SECTION.
AND REALLY SERIOUSLY, AS YOU GET INTO THESE, IT MAY BE, I WANT YOU TO FEEL REALLY COMFORTABLE WHETHER YOU TALK TO STAFF FIRST OR WHETHER YOU JUST GET AHOLD OF ME.
I WANT YOU TO BE REALLY COMFORTABLE CALLING AND SAYING, KIM, I'VE BEEN ASKED THIS QUESTION.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE I JOKE ABOUT THE NO BUTTON, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA EXERCISE THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANNA BE ABLE TO TALK THROUGH IT.
HONORARIUMS IS ONE ISSUE WHERE WE OFTEN GET ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
WELL, I'VE BEEN ASKED TO ATTEND THIS CONFERENCE AND SPEAK BECAUSE I'M A MEMBER OF THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN HOUSTON, AND EVERYBODY'S INTERESTED IN WHAT HOUSTON IS DOING IN A LOT OF PLANNING AREAS.
SO WE DO GET ASKED THIS A LOT.
UM, OH, AND THEY WANNA PAY ME, THEY WANNA GIVE ME AN HONORARIUM.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE WORD WE GET FROM GENERAL COUNSEL IS NO, UM, BECAUSE THAT IS CONSIDERED A GIFT TO YOU IN YOUR OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
UM, THEY'VE EVEN RULED, AND THERE IS, I THINK IT'S AN ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION ON, ON THIS ISSUE
[01:50:01]
THAT, UM, EVEN WHERE SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN OFFERED AN HONORARIUM TO SPEAK, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE CHAIR OF THE BAC, UM, SAYS, OH, I CAN'T ACCEPT IT, BUT CAN YOU DONATE IT TO BY HOUSTONUM, YOU HAVE TO DECLINE THE HONORARIUM, BASICALLY.
YOU CAN GO SPEAK, YOU CAN ACCEPT THE TRAVEL COSTS, YOU CAN EXPECT, UH, YOU KNOW, ACCEPT THE, UH, TRAVEL FOOD RELATED TO THAT, BUT NOT THE HONORARIUM ITSELF.
SO, UM, JUST AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION.
BUT LIKE I SAY, IT DOES COME UP FAIRLY FREQUENTLY.
DON'T ASK FOR 'EM, DON'T TAKE 'EM.
I DON'T CARE IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO GIVE YOU ASTROS TICKETS TO THE SEVENTH GAME.
UM, UH, WE USED TO JOKE THAT IT WAS OKAY TO ACCEPT DALLAS COWBOY TICKETS BECAUSE THEY WERE A OF A DE MINIMUS VALUE
UM, WE MIGHT SAY THAT ABOUT THE TEXANS NOW, BUT, UM, JUST BETTER TO AGAIN, JUST SAY NO, THIS IS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY UNDER THE TEXAS PENAL CODE, BUT ALSO UNDER CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, ORDINANCES.
SO, UM, WHILE GENERALLY THE TEXAS PENAL CODE NEXT SLIDE, UM, HAS SOME EXCEPTIONS, UM, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, IT, IT DEFINES GIFT AS A GIFT OR SOME BENEFIT THAT YOU GET, UM, UNDER, UNDER THAT'S NOT INDEPENDENT OF YOUR, UM, OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP OR, UM, YOU KNOW, STATUS, BUT IT'S RELATED TO YOUR STATUS AS A BOARD MEMBER.
UM, IT COULD BE A, A VALUE THAT IS CONSIDERED DE MINIMIS, WHICH IS GENERALLY $50 IN STATE LAW.
UM, YOU CAN ACCEPT, AS I'VE MENTIONED, FOOD, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL, UM, AS A GUEST.
UM, I ALWAYS USE THE EXCEPTIONS.
SO DOES THAT MEAN I CAN GO ON AN ALL EXPENSES HAWAII PAID GOLF CRUISES AS LONG AS THE DEVELOPER IS THERE? NO, JUST DON'T, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT IF YOU KIND OF HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, DON'T DO IT, UM, WITH STAFF, UM, BECAUSE OF THE, THE CITY CODE REQUIREMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, I OFTEN SAY IN, IN A LOT OF CASES, DEVELOPERS DO THOSE BOTH, YOU KNOW, TO, TO MANY DEPARTMENTS.
YOU KNOW, THEY'LL SEND OVER BUCKETS OF POPCORN OR PLATES OF COOKIES OR WHATEVER.
THOSE ARE NOT FOR THE DEPARTMENT HEAD TO TAKE HOME OR WHATEVER STAFFERS AT THE FRONT DESK CAN SAY, OH, WOW, GREAT.
KIM, YOU GOT A QUESTION ONLINE? GO AHEAD, ADAM.
UM, YEAH, I HAVE A KIND OF QUICK CLARIFYING QUESTION ABOUT THIS IN PARTICULAR.
THIS A BENEFIT THAT IS INDEPENDENT FROM YOUR STATUS ON, ON THE BAC, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME PER, NOT HAPPENED TO ME PERSONALLY, BUT, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY PROFESSION, I HAVE BEEN INVITED TO ATTEND CONFERENCES OR, YOU KNOW, TRAVEL AND, UM, EXPENSES HAVE BEEN COVERED.
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD NOT HAVE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, IT WAS NOT A BICYCLE, UH, TYPE OF THING.
BUT FOR EXAMPLE, IF I DID ATTEND AN EVENT LIKE THAT AND INCLUDED IN MY BIO OR IN MY INTRODUCTION THAT I'M A MEMBER OF THE BAC IN HOUSTON, IS THAT A CONFLICT? YEAH.
AND SHOULD I AVOID, YEAH, I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A CONFLICT THAT'S, THAT'S A STATEMENT THAT IS PART OF YOUR RESUME, I MEAN, RIGHT.
I MEAN, IT'S PART OF, PART OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT CREATES THE CONFLICT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, WE HAVE SEVERAL, A COUPLE ACTUALLY WHO ARE ARCHITECTS.
THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO A I A CONFERENCES.
I'M A PLANNER AS, AS WELL AS A LAWYER.
I GO TO PLANNING CONFERENCES AND, YOU KNOW, GET TO SAY I'M, I'M THIS OR I'M THAT.
SO YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT CREATES A CONFLICT.
UM, OKAY, IF IT'S, IT'S NOT HELPFUL.
BUT THERE'S EVEN AG OPINIONS AND CASES THAT HOLD THAT EVEN.
UM, A LAND DEVELOPER GIVING A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, I FORGET THE AMOUNT, BUT BASICALLY PAYING FOR HIS DAUGHTER'S PRIVATE SCHOOL EDUCATION WAS NOT A GIFT AND A PROBLEM UNDER THE STATUTE BECAUSE THEY WERE FRIENDS, BASICALLY.
LET'S GO REAL QUICK THROUGH CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
UM, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ARE GOVERNED BY, UM, PART OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
AND THE IMPORTANT TWO THING, WELL, THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER HERE ARE THAT YOU, IF YOU HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A SUBSTANTIAL
[01:55:01]
INTEREST IN AN ENTITY, OR YOU RECEIVE A SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS INTEREST OR A SUBSTANTIAL REAL ESTATE INTEREST WHERE YOUR VOTE WOULD AFFECT YOU DIFFERENTLY THAN THE GENERAL PUBLIC, YOU NEED TO FILE AN AFFIDAVIT STATING WHAT THAT IS, STATING WHAT THE CONFLICT IS, AND ABSTAIN FROM DISCUSSION AND VOTING.UM, SUBSTANTIAL BUSINESS INTEREST INCLUDES IF THEY ARE YOUR EMPLOYER OR IF THEY ARE YOUR SPOUSE'S EMPLOYER.
SO LET'S SAY EXXON COMES IN HERE AND MAKES A PRESENTATION, AND ONCE YOU ALL TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL THAT THEY'RE GONNA DONATE X HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR BIKE PROGRAMS, AND THEY WANT THIS BOARD TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, THE MAYOR TO TAKE UP TO COUNCIL TO ACCEPT THESE FUNDS, AND YOUR SPOUSE WORKS FOR, WORKS FOR EXXON, PROBABLY MORE THAN 10% OF YOUR INCOME, WHICH IS THE THRESHOLD RULE.
I THINK THAT'S ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
I THINK, UH, WHERE IT'S KIND OF BROKEN DOWN A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BUT, UM, YOU CAN'T VOTE ON IT.
YOU NEED, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO ABSTAIN, YOU NEED TO ABSTAIN FROM THAT BY HOUSTON COMES UP IF YOU'RE EMPLOYED BY THEM, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING YOU'LL NEED TO ABSTAIN FROM.
UH, WE SEE THAT SORT OF CONFLICT A LOT ON PLANNING COMMISSION AND HISTORIC COMMISSION WITH, WITH DEVELOPERS.
SO IT MAY NOT AFFECT YOU AS MUCH HERE, BUT BEAR IN MIND THAT, UM, BECAUSE IN LARGE PART, BECAUSE OF THE CONS, UH, THE, UH, COMMON LAW RULES ABOUT PROPERTY IN TEXAS, UM, AND THE LANGUAGE IN THE CODE, THERE ARE CON WITHIN THE FIRST DEGREE OF CONSE LIQUIDITY, UM, AND AFFINITY, YOU CERTAINLY HAVE A CONFLICT AND LIKELY WITHIN THE SECOND.
SO, UM, AGAIN, JUST KIND OF ALWAYS ASK THE QUESTION, GO AHEAD AND GET OUT.
WHAT TIME DO YOU GUYS WANT TO GET OUTTA HERE BESIDES NOW?
LET'S SKIP AHEAD A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK THE OTHER TWO DISCLOSURE OF, OF CON, I LOVE THIS SLIDE, UM, DISCLOSURE OF, OF BUSINESS INTEREST AND, UM, INTEREST IN PROPERTY, I THINK GET COVERED WHEN YOU GET YOUR PAPERWORK TO SIGN IN.
BUT LET, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT REALLY QUICKLY.
CAN YOU JUMP TO SLIDE 29? OH, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T HAVE MY NEW ONE? UM, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GET YOU A REVISED ONE.
LET ME JUST GO OVER THIS REAL QUICKLY.
UM, BECAUSE IT IS CAMPAIGN SEASON, UM, THERE'S A LIST IN CITY CODE OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT, UM, CANNOT SOLICIT CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FOR, FOR VARIOUS CANDIDATES.
THIS BOARD IS NOT LISTED ON THAT, ON THAT, UM, AS ONE OF THOSE, THOSE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO I SUPPOSE TECHNICALLY THAT MEANS IF YOU'RE CAMPAIGNING FOR SOMEONE, YOU MAY SOLICIT THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS.
UM, I WOULDN'T DO IT AS A MEMBER OF THE BAC NECESSARILY DO IT IN YOUR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY.
YOU'RE A MEMBER TO ADAM'S QUESTION, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS THAT PART OF YOUR, YOUR INTRODUCTION PERHAPS.
UM, BUT I'VE GOTTEN THE QUESTION BEFORE, YOU KNOW, CAN I BE A, UM, SPONSOR OF A, OF A POLITICALLY ORGANIZED EVENT OF A WELCOME? AND THAT'S THE QUESTION I WANNA ASK.
SO AS A LONG TIME COMMUNITY PERSON, I GET CALLS FROM A CAMPAIGN OF THIS CANDIDATE IS HAVING AN EVENT, YOU KNOW, CAN WE LIST YOU AS A SUPPORTER? AND THAT'S THE, LIKE, SHOULD I SAY NO OR IS THAT OKAY? UM, I WOULD SAY EXERCISE, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU LISTING YOURSELF? ARE YOU LISTING YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU'RE A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER AND THAT'S YOUR PRIMARY RELATION? OR IS IT BECAUSE YOU'RE, ARE THEY ASKING YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR BAC CONNECTION AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT TO PUT ON THERE.
SO IF IT'S YOUR CITY RELATED CONNECTION, I, I DON'T THINK ANYONE ASKS ME BECAUSE I'M ON THE
YEAH, NO, I THINK YOU'RE, BUT BE CAUTIOUS.
WHAT I HEARD IS YOU'RE CAUTIOUS THINK.
UM, I THINK YOU WANT TO BE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT REPRESENTING SOMETHING TO SOMEONE AS I'M ON THE BAC AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHY WE SHOULD VOTE FOR THIS PERSONAL OR THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD CONTRIBUTE HERE.
UM, IF IT'S YOUR OWN PERSONAL OPINION, AGAIN, YOU DON'T LOSE YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AVOID
[02:00:01]
IT.I THINK, YOU KNOW, HERE DURING COMMENT, LET'S NOT HAVE, YOU KNOW, UM, COMMENTS FOR OR AGAINST ANY OF THE CANDIDATES OR PROPOSITIONS.
I, THERE'S LOTS ON THIS, ON THIS BALLOT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, PLEASE DO.
YEAH, PLEASE DO CONSIDER INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, WORK CAPACITY, NOT A PROBLEM, BUT, UM, YEAH, POLITICAL, IT'S WHAT
IS IT OKAY FOR US TO SAY, HEY, LIKE WE STARTED AT THE BEGINNING, DO YOUR HOMEWORK, GET OUT THE VOTE, BE SURE YOU TURN OUT THAT'S OKAY.
OR SHOULD WE STAY OUT OF THAT AS WELL? NO, I THINK, I THINK, YEAH, AND IN FACT, I THINK WHAT TOM SAID AT THE BEGINNING, GET OUT, YEAH.
RESEARCH YOUR VOTE THAT PARTICIPATE, THAT KIND OF, YEAH, LITTLE, LITTLE DE DEMOCRACY CONTROL.
BECAUSE THEN IT'S NOT DONE HERE IN A MEETING OF THIS CITY BODY AS BEING FOR OR AGAINST ANY PARTICULAR CANDIDATE OR, OR PROPOSITION.
NO, CERTAINLY I'M A MEMBER OF THE BAC AND I THINK YOU OUGHT TO GET OUT AND VOTE PERIOD
UM, IF YOU HAVE, I KNOW IT'S WEIRD.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
WE'RE HERE TO MAINTAIN MY STREAK OF KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF TROUBLE, SO, UM, DON'T HESITATE TO, TO REACH OUT.
UM, NEXT WE HAD THE BIKE BIKEWAY BY, BY, UM, BIANNUAL REPORT, BUT I THINK THAT'S, YEAH, I KNOW ABOUT TO SAY THAT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE ALREADY COVERED THAT.
SO WE'RE NOW MOVING OVER TO OPEN FORUM.
I'M GOING TO SPEAK VERY QUICKLY.
AND YOU MENTIONED THE SPACE CITY SWEEPER AND IT, AND IT KEEPS COMING UP, AND THANK GOD WE HAVE A SWEEPER.
IT'S BEEN IN THE SHOP A LOT, AND I'VE ALSO HEARD THAT THE TARGET MAINTENANCE INTERVAL IS QUARTERLY.
THAT'S WOEFULLY INADEQUATE, ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE HARD TO TELL SINCE IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN MAKING QUARTERLY VISITS TO VARIOUS, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, HIGH COMFORT BIKE WA I MEAN, PROTECTED BIKE LANES.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THERE'S STILL A MESS, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PLANS ARE TO GET ANOTHER ONE, GET A BETTER ONE, WHATEVER IT IS, BUT WE NEED TO DO BETTER.
UM, WE, WE STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM OF HAVING INVESTED IN PROTECTED BIKE LANES THAT ARE FULL OF DEBRIS THAT MAKE THEM UNUSABLE, AND IT, AND EVERYONE IS FRUSTRATED ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN THAT AND THAT WE START LOOKING AT WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE ON THAT, ON THAT TOPIC, CAN I JUST GIVE A QUICK SHOUT OUT, UH, TO HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
I CAUGHT A LIVE INACTION MAINTENANCE TEAM ON WA DRIVE A WEEK AGO WITH COMPLETE WITH A, A SCOOP LOADER AND PEOPLE WITH SHOVELS AND BROOMS, AND THEY, THEY DID THE LENGTH OF IT, AND IT WAS A SATURDAY, LIKE THEY WERE OUT ON THE WEEKEND MAKING THE BIKE WAY BETTER.
SO I AGREE, WE, WE CAN DO MORE AND WE MUST DO MORE, BUT I SEE PUBLIC WORK SUCCEEDING IN PLACES TOO.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S PEOPLE DOING LIKE MANUAL LABOR IN ADDITION TO THE MACHINE, BUT, UM, AND I GIVE THEM A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THAT.
UM, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW IF IT'S QUARTERLY.
I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN AS MUCH, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA SAY TRANSPARENCY REALLY, BUT LIKE, WE DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN THE LANES ARE BEING SWEPT OR IF THEY'RE RESPONDING TO 3 1 1 COMPLAINTS.
UM, I'VE SPOKEN WITH VERONICA DAVIS ABOUT THIS AND SHE SAID, REPORT THEM TO 3 1 1 AND IF THERE ARE PARTICULARLY CLOGGED LANES AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE CONTINUALLY BEING REPORTED TO 3 1 1, THEY, YOU KNOW, SQUEAKY WHEEL MAKE, GET THE GREASE ON THAT IN, IN THE ABSENCE OF, EXCUSE ME, IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT THOUGH, UM, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO KNOW, UM, WHEN THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, THE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ARE GREAT ONCE IN A WHILE WE SEE THOSE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LEARN IN THE BAC MEETINGS, LIKE THESE LANES WERE SWEPT SINCE THE LAST MEETING, SINCE WE MEET QUARTERLY, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET SWEPT QUARTERLY.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S, THAT'S ON MY WORK PLAN IS TO ENGAGE WITH THE SAME STAFF OF PUBLIC WORKS THAT WE GOT TO GET THE SWEEPER TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME, SOME INFORMATION ON HOW OFTEN MAINTENANCE BREAKDOWNS HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, HOW WELL IS IT COVERING THE AREA, AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET THAT IN SOME FORM OF RECURRING REPORT TO THE, TO THE BAC.
[02:05:01]
OKAY.UH, JUST ONE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ADD.
UM, WE ARE NOW AT AT LEAST THREE FATALITIES, UH, SORRY, 13 FATALITIES, UM, BY BICYCLIST FATALITIES THIS YEAR.
UM, WE STILL HAVE TWO PLUS MONTHS LEFT IN THIS YEAR.
UM, I BELIEVE THIS MAY BE THE MOST WE'VE SEEN SINCE THE VISION ZERO PLAN WAS ADOPTED, CERTAINLY, AND MAYBE THE MOST WE'VE SEEN SINCE, UM, IN, IN A SINGLE YEAR, UM, SINCE WE'VE BEEN MEASUR MEASURING THIS.
UM, IF, IF ANYONE HAS ALTERNATE DATA ON THAT, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
UM, THIS DOESN'T COUNT MATTHEW LAVINA, WHO WAS KILLED ON THE WHITE OAK BAYOU TRAIL, NOT BY A DRIVER, BUT BY NETTING.
AND, UM, AND THE MOST RECENT FATALITY.
SO IT, IT'S REALLY 14, MAYBE 15, UM, AND PERHAPS MORE THAT HAVEN'T YET BEEN REPORTED THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YET.
WE TEND TO HEAR ABOUT THESE WITH SOME DELAY, OR PERHAPS SOMEONE IS IN THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW WHO IS, YOU KNOW, MESA COME TO THEIR INJURIES, LIKE THE LAST COUPLE OF FATALITIES, UM, WEREN'T KILLED AT THE SCENE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S URGENCY TO THIS.
THIS IS STUFF THAT LIKE REALLY MATTERS OBVIOUSLY.
UM, WORLD DAY OF REMEMBRANCE IS COMING UP AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THE CITY IS SPONSORING THAT.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO DO MORE THAN JUST REMEMBER THESE VICTIMS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT DYING IN VAIN.
UH, AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT TO KEEP IT ON THE RECORD.
NEXT IS, UM, ANNOUNCE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS.
UH, REALLY QUICKLY, THERE ARE FOUR.
IT'S THE BAY, UH, THE BAY AREA BIKE PED, UH, SAFETY PLAN.
STILL IS LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK.
THE TEXAS STATESIDE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN IS ON NOVEMBER 7TH.
THEY'RE HAVING A PUBLIC MEETING AT THE GEORGIA R BROWN FROM FOUR 30 TO SIX 30.
THERE'S ONE WEEK LEFT FOR BY OCTOBER.
UM, YOU CAN STILL SIGN UP AND EARN POINTS TO WIN PRIZES.
VISION ZERO HAS UPDATED THEIR, UM, THEIR CRASH DATA, AND YOU CAN VISIT THAT WEBSITE THAT'S LISTED IN THAT SLIDE.
OUR NEXT MEETINGS, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE SUBCOMMITTEES NOVEMBER 15TH FROM TWO 30 TO FOUR 30 AT THE, UH, ON THE SIXTH FLOOR OF SIX 11 WALKER AT THE JOHNNY V RAIL CONFERENCE ROOM.
THE EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING'S DECEMBER 20TH FROM TWO 30 TO FOUR 30 AT THE SAME LOCATION.
AND OUR NEXT BAC MEETING IS JANUARY 24TH FROM 2 34 30 AND THIS LOCATION.
AND THAT CONCLUDES, UM, THE BAC MEETING.