* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:03] UM, LET ME, UH, OKAY, LET'S GET STARTED. LET ME APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE, BUT, UM, LARRY, LARRY PAYNE'S FUNERAL WAS TODAY AND, UH, SO THAT'S WHY, UH, UH, WE ARE RUNNING A LITTLE BIT LATE TODAY. OKAY. IT'S NOW [PRESENTATIONS] 1 1 43 ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER THE FIFTH, 2023. UH, MAYOR SYL ATTORNEY, I'M CALLING THIS MEETING HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO WATER. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER MC KAMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION TWO. IS THAT MY NU CONGREGATION? SHEMA NU OKAY. OKAY. IN CELEBRATION OF THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONGREGATION, AND AS MAYOR TURNER COMES DOWN, I'M GONNA INVITE, UM, RABBI SCOTT TO JOIN ME JUST WITH HIM THIS MORNING. THERE YOU GO. UH, WELL, AGAIN, IT'S THE FIRST PROCLAMATION, UM, OF THE DAY. IT'S MY HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO BE PRESENTING THIS PROCLAMATION TO CONGREGATION SHAMA KNU, UM, IN CELEBRATION OF THEIR 10TH ANNIVERSARY. UH, RABBI YOUR SYNAGOGUE IS, UH, VERY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL TO HOUSTON, UM, IN SO MANY WAYS. AND SO IT'S MY PLEASURE. THANK TO, UH, BE HONORING AND RECOGNIZING THIS ESPECIALLY, UH, ON THE EVE BEFORE HANUKKAH. UH, AND I WILL SAY TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE JOINED US, BOTH IN THE DISTRICT AND BEYOND, UM, YOU CONGREGATION, SHAMA KNU CONTINUES TO BE A LIGHT, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THESE DARKER TIMES. UH, SO ON THE THEME OF HANUKKAH, IT'S ALSO VERY NICE TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THIS TODAY. SO WITH THAT, AND, UM, RABBI, YOU MAY WANNA INVITE UP, I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR CONGREGANTS HERE, MAYOR, IS IT APPROPRIATE TO INVITE ALL OF THEM TO COME UP WITH US? SO IF YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE CONGREGATION, PLEASE JOIN US. WHEREAS CONGREGATION SHAMA CONU IS CELEBRATING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FIRST SHABBAT SERVICE, UH, ON DECEMBER 8TH, 2023. THE SECOND, WHICH WILL BE THE SECOND NIGHT OF HANUKKAH. THE CONGREGATION IS A LIBERAL JEWISH SYNAGOGUE THAT, SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 2013, MEETS REGULARLY FOR SHABBAT IN LOCATIONS ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, INCLUDING FIRST UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH, THE ROTHKO CHAPEL, THE E-R-J-C-C, THE MUR FISH TEEN CENTER, UH, WITH HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES, UH, BOTH FOR ROSH HASHANAH AND YOM KIPPUR THAT ARE CONDUCTED AT MY HIGH SCHOOL, UH, EMORY WIENER. THIS SYNAGOGUE WITHOUT WALLS OFFERS ITS CONGREGANTS, HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMMING, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONAL GROWTH, AND A COMMUNITY COMMITTED TO SERVING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES EDUCATIONALLY, SPIRITUALLY, AND SOCIALLY. THE CONGREGATION BENEFITS FROM THE ABLE LEADERSHIP OF ITS FOUNDER, RABBI SCOTT HOUSEMAN WEISS, AS WELL AS ITS ASSOCIATE RABBI LAURA CHEOP. AND WHEREAS FOR THE PAST DECADE, THE CONGREGATION HAS SERVED AS A POSITIVE FORCE IN THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY AND A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND GUIDANCE TO ITS MEMBERS. THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMEMORATES THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF SHEMA ANO AND EXTENDS SINCERE BEST WISHES FOR THE FUTURE OF ITS MEMBERS AND ITS CLERGY. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER. SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR, CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIM DECEMBER 6TH, 2023 AS CONGREGATIONS TO MY NU DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UM, RABBI, WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS WITH US. I KNOW MANY OF THEM PERSONALLY IN OTHER CAPACITIES, NOT JUST THROUGH THE CONGREGATION, BUT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, IN OUR COMMUNITIES. UH, BUT WOULD YOU MIND INTRODUCING EVERYONE? OF COURSE. OF COURSE. NOT A PROBLEM. SO THIS IS TIFFANY, HAL, FUN. TIFFANY'S THE PROGRAM AND OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR CSK, OUR CONGREGATION, UH, PRESTON TAUBER AND ANDY COHEN, WHO ARE MEMBERS OF OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM. UM, GENE GELSON, WHO'S A LONG TIME MEMBER. OFUM, JESS LEVINSON, UH, REBECCA FISHER, UH, TERRY KAMINSKY, UH, ALL SUPPORTERS AND INVOLVED IN CSK FOR MANY YEARS. AND WELL, JESS IS NEW, BUT STILL, AND ALAN, UH, MEMBER OF OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM. WONDERFUL. UM, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ABSOLUTELY. DID YOU WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS? OH, JUST SAY, JUST A FEW. [00:05:01] UM, AND TRUST ME, I KNOW I'M A RABBI, BUT STILL FEW, A FEW WORDS. I JUST WANNA, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU, UH, TO YOU ALL. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, UH, ABBY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, WE ARE, UH, A UNIQUE KIND OF CONGREGATION IN THAT WE ARE REALLY ALL OVER THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ALL OVER THE HARRIS COUNTY. WE SERVE, UH, JEWS, JEWISH FAMILIES, AND THOSE WHO LOVE THEM WITH MEANINGFUL AND UPLIFTING AND SPIRITUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW IN THEIR JEWISH UNDERSTANDING AND CONNECTION. MY FAVORITE STATISTIC ABOUT CSK IS THAT WE ARE NOW JUST ABOUT TO CELEBRATE OUR 69TH AND 70TH BAR AND BAT MITZVAHS, WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN 27 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, . SO THAT IS, THAT MEANS THAT HAVE TORAH WILL TRAVEL . UM, WE ARE INDEED A CONGREGATION THAT BELIEVES THAT WE WANNA MAKE JUDAISM AND JEWISH LIFE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE, ANYONE WHO FINDS IT INTERESTING, EXCITING, SOMETHING THEY WANNA PURSUE. WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT JEWS, JEWISH FAMILIES ARE ABLE TO FIND IT AFFORDABLE AND, UH, ABLE TO REALLY, UH, ACCESS IT. UM, THIS IS AS COUNCILMAN UH, CAYMAN MENTIONED, THIS IS AND HAS BEEN A DARK TIME FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, PARTICULARLY OBVIOUSLY, PARTICULARLY IN ISRAEL. BUT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, THE SUPPORT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM GOVERNMENTAL CIVIC LEADERS, FROM LOCAL UP THROUGH OUR NATIONAL LEADERSHIP HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD AS WE LIGHT HANUKKAH LIGHTS THIS COMING, UH, UH, TWO, TWO NIGHTS FROM NOW, WE WILL EMBRACE THE SAME TRADITION THAT JEWS HAVE DONE SO FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, WHICH IS TO LIGHT LIGHTS AGAINST THE DARKNESS. IF MY MENTOR REMINDED ME MANY YEARS AGO, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH DARKNESS IN THE WORLD THAT CAN DISPEL EVEN ONE SMALL MATCH. SO MAY WE CONTINUE TO LIGHT LIGHTS. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR THIS SUPPORT. MAY WE, UH, GO, AS WE SAY, UP THROUGH 120 YEARS OF LIFE, AND MAY YOU ALL MOVE FORWARD WITH BLESSING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER RABBI, WE HAVE A FEW COMMENTS. COUNCIL MEMBER Q VICE MAYOR PRO TEM. MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. UH, RABBI, IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND I SEE, UH, TERRY KAMINSKI HERE AND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ON IN 2018. I HAD A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE, AND I GOT TO GO TO ISRAEL WITH A GROUP CALLED APAC. AND, UH, IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE HANUKKAH, AND WE WERE IMMERSED IN THE, UM, THE CULTURE OF ISRAEL, AND WE GOT TO DO SOME REALLY EXCITING THINGS. THE MOST IMPORTANT AND MEMORABLE PART OF THAT TRIP WAS WE DID A SHABBAT SHALOM DINNER AT A RABBI'S HOUSE, AND HE TAUGHT US HOW TO SING WE SHALL OVERCOME IN HEBREW. AND THERE WAS NOT A DRY EYE IN THE ROOM BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A UNIFYING EVENT FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN DELEGATION THAT WAS THERE IN HIS HOME, HAVING THE SHABBAT DINNER. AND, UM, I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT, AND IT'LL HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART, ALWAYS. AND SO, UH, I WANNA CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, AND I WISH YOU MANY MORE YEARS OF WONDERFUL SUCCESS. AND MAY YOU JUST CONTINUE TO BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO US HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 10 YEAR AND GOD BLESS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I ABSOLUTE RIGHT. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER INSIDE JOKE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES COUNCIL [00:10:01] MEMBER TIFFANY D. THOMAS FOR A PROCLAMATION TO MASTER SIFU HOUSTON SHALIN TEMPLE SHALIN TEMPLE, IN RECOGNITION OF THE HIGHLIGHT OF THEIR WORK TO TRANSFER FROM HEALTH TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IT'S A REUNION. THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTI. THANK YOU COLLEAGUES, UH, AND MAYOR TURNER. UH, THERE, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAY MIRACLES ARE FOR EVERYONE, AND I, UH, I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE STARTED OFF TODAY'S PROCLAMATION ACKNOWLEDGING, UM, SOME OF OUR FAITH PARTNERS. AND SO IN THAT SAME TRADITION, WE'LL CONTINUE. BUT BEFORE I, UH, READ THE PROCLAMATION, SO Y'ALL REMEMBER WHEN I HAD TO RIDE THAT SPICY HORSE DURING THE RODEO, AND THAT HORSE HAD ME DOWN ON MY LUCK AFTER THAT, I VISITED THE TEMPLE, UH, FOR SOME HEALING. AND SO I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THEM. UM, YOU MAY ALL REMEMBER, UH, MASTER AND, UH, THE LION TEAM, THE LION DANCE TEAM IN JANUARY AT THE OPENING OF THE AILEY CENTER. THAT WAS A PART OF, UM, UM, SOME OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT COMES OUT THE CENTER. SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. SO WHEREAS THE ORIGINAL SHALIN SHALIN KUNG FU ACADEMY OPENED IN HOUSTON IN 1998, THE ACADEMY OFFERED LESSONS IN KUNG FU LION DANCE AND TAI CHI. THE STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS PERFORMED AROUND HOUSTON, AND THE STUDENTS ALSO COMPLETED REGIONALLY AND NATIONALLY. AND WHEREAS THE RENAMED AND RENOVATED Z ZONG YU SHALIN TEMPLE HELD ITS GRAND OPENING CEREMONY ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2020, THE SHALIN ORDER IS ACTUALLY THE CRADLE OF THE BUDDHIST MONASTIC MOVEMENT. WESTERNERS CALL ZEN, KNOWN IN CHINESE AS CHAN CHAN IS A FORM OF BUDDHISM THAT REJECTS DOGMA AS AN UL ULTIMATE AUTHORITY AND TEACHES SPIRITUAL SELF-DEVELOPMENT THROUGH MEDITATION. FOR THE SHALL END, THIS MEDITATIVE STATE IS FOUND IN BODY MOVEMENT, AND WHEREAS THE SHALLEN TEMPLE SERVES AS A BEACON OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS FOR THE GREATER COMMUNITY, BASED ON THE BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY AND VALUE SYSTEM, SHALL IN MARTIAL ARTS ARE ECI EMPHASIZE TOLERANCE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, RESPECT, AND A SENSE FOR COMMUNITY. THE GRAND HAS BEEN INSTRUCTING HIS STUDENTS IN THE PATH OF FITNESS, RESPECT, AND HONOR FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS. AND IN 2024, HE WILL CONTINUE TO SHARE HIS KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS BY DEVELOPING AND DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AIF, ISD MASTER, JAS EMBODIES THE TEACHINGS AND SPIRIT OF THE SHALL AND TEMPLE. HE BROUGHT A GENUINE SHALIN MASTERY TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON SALUTES AND COMMENDS. GRANDMA MASTER, SHE DON SEAN, HIS STAFF IN HIS ENTIRE SHALIN TEMPLE ORGANIZATION FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK. WHEREAS I RECOGNIZE THE EFFORT AND CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY, THE DISTRICT, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN CELEBRATION AND ADMIRATION OF THE ZONG YU SHALIN TEMPLE, MR. MAYOR. AND SO THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIMED DECEMBER 5TH, 2023 AS SHE DUNG SHALIN TEMPLE TEMPA DAY. YES. IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE GOT IT. . THANK YOU MUCH. SO I WANNA INTRODUCE THE GRANDMA AND THEN ALSO RICK SMITH AND ELLEN, WE AND, AND ELLEN WEISS, UM, JOINING US. WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE SOME REMARKS OR RICK CAN YEAH. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT IS A, A WONDERFUL HONOR TO BE HERE AND A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. AND, UM, AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF, OF ONE OF MASTER THE SEAFOOD'S DISCIPLES AND MEMBERS, WE HAVE SEVERAL THAT ARE HERE FROM THE TEMPLE AS WELL, THAT TRAIN IN THE TEMPLE. IT IS A WONDERFUL HONOR FOR US TO RECEIVE THIS. THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE AT THE TEMPLE IS AMAZING. IT'S JUST SIMPLY AMAZING. I HAVE BEEN GOING TO THE TEMPLE NOW FOR A LITTLE OVER FIVE YEARS, AND EVERYTHING THAT IS TAUGHT IN THE TEMPLE, WHETHER IT IS KUNG FU, TAI CHI Q KONG, ALL OF THE TEACHINGS AND ALL OF THE, THE PRACTICES ARE ALL AROUND THE BUDDHIST PRINCIPLE OF COMPASSION. AND, AND AS THE SEAFOOD HAS TAUGHT US, COMPASSION IS THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING. THAT'S WHAT COMPASSION REALLY IS. AND SO IT, IT, IT AMAZES ME FROM TIME TO TIME IS WHERE TRAINING MR. MAYOR, AND IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL THAT THERE ARE PHYSICAL APPLICATIONS THAT YOU CAN REALLY HURT SOMEBODY WITH THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LEARNING . BUT IT'S ALL BEAUTIFUL, IT'S ALL WONDERFUL. AND, AND, AND WE ARE HONORED TO BE HERE, AND WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR IT. THANK YOU. YOU HEAR THAT MAYOR PROTON, YOU HEAR THAT? YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. AND COMING FROM, UH, FROM FORMER GENERAL MANAGER RICK SMITH, THAT MEANS A LOT , SO I APPRECIATE [00:15:01] THAT. YES, SIR. I HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE. WE'LL START OFF WITH KUNG FU MASTER. ABBY CAN , I, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AGAIN, YOU TOUCHED ON IT, BUT LIKE THE SPIRIT OF HOW THIS MEETING HAS STARTED TODAY MM-HMM . UM, AND GRANDMASTER, UH, CONGRATULATIONS. BUT ALSO I JUST WANNA THANK EACH OF YOU FOR THE, UH, ON THE THEME OF LIGHT, THE LIGHT THAT EACH OF YOU BRINGS INTO OUR COMMUNITY, UM, THROUGH BUDDHISM, THROUGH YOUR TEACHINGS, UH, THROUGH ALL OF THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU IMPACT NOT ONLY ONE ANOTHER, BUT THE ENTIRE CITY AND THE RIPPLE EFFECT THAT THAT HAS. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BRINGING THIS. ABSOLUTELY. UM, IT, IT'S REALLY SPECIAL TO HAVE, UH, A MULTIFAITH APPROACH TODAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, MARTHA CASTEX TATUM. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TEM. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. THIS IS, UM, GREAT EXPOSURE INTO, UM, FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, SOME THINGS THAT WE MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH. BUT I WILL TELL YOU WHAT, UM, STOOD OUT TO ME IN THE HEARING OF THE PROCLAMATION WAS THE WORK OF THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM. UH, AFTERSCHOOL TIME IS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL TIME IN A DAY. UM, IT'S A TIME WHEN A LOT OF STUDENTS ARE NOT SUPERVISED OR THEY'RE UNSUPERVISED BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS ARE WORKING. UM, AND TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE GROUPS THAT ARE WILLING TO TAKE IN THE STUDENTS AND CHILDREN OF, UH, HOUSTON TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE BEING SUPERVISED AND DOING THINGS THAT ARE PRODUCTIVE IS REALLY POWERFUL. UM, GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE. SCHOOLS CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE. PARENTS CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE. AND WE NEED PEOPLE THAT ARE SHARING THE MESSAGE OF COMPASSION AND LIGHT. UM, I LOVE THE MEDITATION, UH, AND THE MEDITATIVE STATE. I WAS JUST THINKING RIGHT NOW I COULD PROBABLY USE A LITTLE MEDITATION WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S, THAT'S GOING ON. SO, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO GRANDMA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR TEACHINGS AND, UM, SPREADING MORE COMPASSION IN THE WORLD. WE CAN NEVER HAVE, UH, ENOUGH COMPASSION IN THE WORLD. I SAY IT ALL THE TIME THAT WE, WE MUST BE KIND AND EMPATHETIC, UM, AS WE ARE SERVING OTHERS. BUT, UH, TO SEE YOU ALL STANDING HERE TODAY IS, IS A WONDERFUL VISUAL. AND IT'S PART OF THE REASON WE ALL LOVE HOUSTON. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THE PROCLAMATION TODAY. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. GRAND MASTER AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. POOR TIM. AND I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, UH, MASTER HAD A HIGH WATER BILL AND I FIXED THAT. I JUST WANTED TO SAY I FIXED THAT. THAT'S SOME GOOD PLATINUM CONSTITUENT SERVICES OVER HERE. OKAY, WONDERFUL. THANK YOU MUCH IS THE TEAM OF COUNCIL MEMBERS ABBY CAYMAN AND SALLY ALCORN FOR A PROCLAMATION TO SURF HOUSE HOUSTON TO CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE ITS GRAND REOPENING. WE'RE GOING FROM, UM, FAITH COMMUNITIES TO SURFING , WHICH IS A FAITH COMMUNITY IN AND OF ITSELF. THERE YOU GO. UH, SO IT IS OUR PLEASURE, BOTH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND I TO BE PRESENTING THIS. HI . WELL, UM, HERE WITH ME, I HAVE THE BRIAN'S AND, UH, CRYSTAL CASEY, UH, TO CELEBRATE THE REOPENING OF, UH, SURF HOUSE. AND SURF HOUSE, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, UM, IS NOT ONLY KNOWN AS THE OLDEST SURF SHOP IN TEXAS, BUT ALSO THE OLDEST SKATE SHOP AS WELL. AND, UH, WAS VERY CLOSE TO [00:20:01] SHUTTERING ITS DOORS. UM, WHEN, UH, LLOYD AND CAROL SANDAL WERE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS, AND LLOYD PASSED AWAY AND CAROL RETIRED. UM, BUT RATHER THAN THEIR DOORS CLOSING, UH, BRIAN FISH AND BRIAN MEN, WHO I HAVE WITH ME TODAY, UH, STEPPED IN AND ACTUALLY REVITALIZED THE SHOP. SO IT MOVED FROM GARDEN OAKS INTO HEIGHTS ON 11TH STREET. UH, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY VERY COINCIDENTAL. UH, THIS WEEKEND I HAD THE PRIVILEGE, A LOT OF RESIDENTS CAME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE, UM, THE, IT'S CALLED THE, I LOVE 11TH STREET FEST, AND IT SUPPORTS ALL THESE LOCAL BUSINESSES. MAYOR, IT WAS PACKED, UH, WITH FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES ALL COMING TOGETHER. AND I HAPPENED TO JUST COME INTO THE SHOP. I WAS DOING LITTLE, UH, SHOPPING AND I REALIZED, OH, WE'RE PRESENTING THIS PROCLAMATION THIS WEEK, . UH, SO IT'S, I JUST MY HEARTFELT APPRECIATION. WE'RE GONNA PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. SHE'S A HUGE ADVOCATE FOR LOCAL BUSINESS AS WELL. UM, BUT, AND I LOVE THE BEACH . AND WE LIVE AND WE LIVE CLOSE TO THE BEACH. THERE YOU GO. ALRIGHT. WHEREAS LLOYD AND CAROL SANDAL OPEN SURF HOUSE IN DECEMBER, 1967, ORIGINALLY LOCATED ON SPRING BRANCH DRIVE, SURF HOUSE RELOCATED TO WEST 34TH AND ELLA BOULEVARD IN OAK FOREST, WHERE IT PROUDLY SERVED THE COMMUNITY FOR NEARLY SIX DECADES. AND WAREHOUSE SURF HOUSE IS KNOWN AS TEXAS'S OLDEST TRADITIONAL SURF SHOP, AS WELL AS THE STATE'S OLDEST SKATEBOARD SHOP. GENERATIONS OF OAK FOREST AREA RESIDENTS, ALONG WITH SURFING AND SKATEBOARDING AFICIONADOS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY CAME TO ADORE SURF HOUSE AND ITS LAID BACK OWNERS. AND WHEREAS LLOYD GREW UP IN HOUSTON AND SPENT SOME OF HIS YOUTH IN GALVESTON, LLOYD WAS AN AVID SURFER IN HIS YOUNGER YEARS AND IMMERSED HIMSELF IN THE SURFER LIFESTYLE DURING THE 1960S WAVE OF POPULARITY IN HOUSTON. HE MET CAROL IN 1962 AND THEY MARRIED THREE YEARS LATER. LLOYD SPENT EVERY DAY EXCLUDING HOLIDAYS AT HIS SHOP. HE SPECIALIZED IN CUSTOM BUILDS AND REPAIRS, IN SOME CASES, BUILDING SURFBOARDS FOR THREE GENERATIONS WITHIN THE SAME FAMILY. LLOYD AND CAROL FOSTERED A COME AS YOU ARE MENTALITY AT SURF HOUSE AND LIVED BY THE WORDS OF THE SIGN ON THE DOOR DOOR. NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO PROBLEM. THE SHOP PROVIDED THE COMMUNITY WITH THE CHANCE TO SATISFY ALL ITS SURFING NEEDS. COMPLETE WITH A SMILE AND GOOD CONVERSATION. A TRADITION CAR CAROL HOPES WILL LIVE ON LLOYD PASSED AWAY IN MAY OF 22. CAROL CONTINUED THE SHOPS OPERATIONS FOR OVER A YEAR, BUT HAS NOW CHOSEN TO RETIRE. SHE HAS SOLD THE BUSINESS TO LOCAL PATRONS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, BRIAN FISH AND BRIAN MEN. THEY'RE HAVE REOPENED, I WILL SAY, UH, THE SERVE HOUSE AT ITS NEW ADDRESS, 2 1 5 EAST 11TH STREET. THIS PAST, UH, IN OCTOBER, THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMENDS SERVE HOUSE FOR ENRICHING THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS. AND I WILL ADD, WE ARE SUPER STOKED THAT Y'ALL ARE HERE, , AND THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIMED DECEMBER THE NINTH, 2023 NOW SURF HOUSE DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS. YOUR TURN. UH, I'LL START. GO AHEAD. UH, WE WOULD, UH, LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR. UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS IS A LONG TIME COMING. LLOYD AND CAROL, WERE A HOUSTON INSTITUTION SINCE 1967. AND, UH, WE WISH LLOYD WAS HERE TO SEE THIS. BUT YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE VERY, VERY HAPPY AND VERY, VERY EXCITED FOR THE SANDAL FAMILY TO BE ABLE TO GET THIS HONOR. AND THEN I'LL LET BRIAN AND TO REITERATE THAT WE, UH, WE LOVE THE SURF HOUSE. WE GREW UP GOING TO THE SURF HOUSE. UM, I STARTED GOING TO THE SURF HOUSE BACK IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES AND STILL HAVE SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT MY DAD PURCHASED FOR ME BACK IN THOSE DAYS. AND YOU HEAR THAT KIND OF CONVERSATION HAPPENING FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE THAT COME INTO THE SURF HOUSE ALL THE TIME. TWO AND THREE. AND, AND NOW EVEN FOUR GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE ARE COMING IN AND SAYING, WAIT, WE USED TO SURF AND SKATE BACK IN THE SEVENTIES, AND LLOYD WAS A BIG PART OF OUR LIVES GROWING UP. SO THE SURF HOUSE HAS TOUCHED MANY LIVES ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND WE'RE HONORED TO BE ABLE TO CARRY THAT ON FOR THE NEXT 56 YEARS. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY [00:26:06] CALYX. UM, THEY'LL BE CARRYING ON THE TRADITION WITH US AS WELL. AND FISH HAS HIS CHILDREN HERE. THIS IS MY DAUGHTER MADISON, AND MY SON RILEY. THIS ALL CULMINATED FROM A CONVERSATION OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES. NICE. I CAME HOME ONE DAY AND TOLD MY DAUGHTER, MADISON, THAT THE SURF HOUSE WAS GONNA CLOSE AND OFF THE CUFF. SHE SAID, WELL, WHY DON'T YOU JUST BUY IT, ED? AND THAT STARTED THIS ENTIRE ENDEAVOR, SO THAT'S AWESOME. IT'S ALL HER FAULT, . CONGRATULATIONS. MY DAUGHTER TELLS ME TO JUST TO BUY IT EVERY DAY. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M BUYING, BUT THAT'S WHAT SHE DOES. YOU HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL. ABSOLUTELY. GOOD LUCK TO YOU. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE. NICE TO MEET, NICE TO MEET CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON FOR A PROCLAMATION TO COMMUNITIES FOR BETTER HEALTH, TO CONGRATULATE THEM ON RECEIVING THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION CULTURE OF HEALTH PRIZE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM. AND I'M GONNA ASK COMMUNITIES FOR BETTER HEALTH TO COME ON UP. I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT GIVING THIS PROCLAMATION, UM, BEING PART OF THIS PROCLAMATION. UM, COMMUNITIES FOR BETTER HEALTH HAS HAD A STRONG PRESENCE IN DISTRICT B. I'M JUST MAKING, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE WHAT THEY NEED TO LIVE HEALTHY LIVES. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR JUST YOUR WORK THAT YOU DO. UM, JUST NOT IN DISTRICT B, BUT ACROSS THE CITY. UM, WHEREAS HOUSTON, THE CROWN JEWEL OF TEXAS SHINES BRIGHT WITH ITS VIBRANT CULTURAL TAPESTRIES, THRIVING ART SCENE IN BURGEONING CREATIVE COMMUNITIES. THE ILLUSTRATE CITY STAND TALL AMONG THE NATION'S MOST BELOVED CITIES, OWING TO ITS GENEROUS SPIRIT AND UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO ITS RESIDENTS TO UPLIFT THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. EXEMPLIFYING THE ECHO. ITS OF BIGGER THAN LIFE PRIDE. AND WHEREAS THE UNITY OF BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES IN PLACES LIKE ACRES, HOMES, SUNNYSIDE, CASHMERE GARDEN, AND TRINITY GARDENS EMBODIES THE SPIRIT OF HOUSTON. FOSTERING COMMUNITY LED IN INITIATIVES THAT TACKLE PREVALENT CHALLENGES. AND WHEREAS THE COMMENDABLE EFFORTS OF THE COMMUNITIES FOR BETTER HEALTH ALONGSIDE CAN-DO, HOUSTON ACRES, HOME COMMUNITY ADVOCACY GROUP, IVY LEAF FORUMS, AND THE NORTHEAST HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT COUNCIL REPRESENTS A BEACON OF HOPE AND RESILIENCE, ACTIVELY STRIVING FOR THE HEALTH AND EQUITY, AND ADDRESSING VITAL ISSUES SUCH AS FOOD INSECURITIES. AND WHEREAS THESE VISIONARY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ADAPTED A GRASSROOT APPROACH, COLLABORATING DIRECTLY WITH RESIDENTS TO CULTIVATE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TAILORED TO EACH UNIQUE NEIGHBORHOOD'S CHARACTER, ALL WHILE CHAMPIONING THE LEADERSHIP OF THOSE INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES. AND WHEREAS THE PURSUIT OF FOOD JUSTICE IN HOUSTON HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS HAS, HAS RESULTED IN GROUNDBREAKING INITIATIVES INCLUDING FARMERS MARKETS, HEALTHY CORNER STORES, FORMER FOUNDED GROCERY OUTLETS AND EDUCATIONAL HUBS FOR URGENT URBAN, UM, AGRICULTURE, ALCO ALSO ECHOING VOICES AND NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE. AND WHEREAS THE COMMUNITY HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK'S UNWAVERING DE DEDICATION TO CONFRONTING SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES LIKE LAND ANNEXATION, REDLINING, AND STRUCTURAL RACISM, AND IN GEN, IN ITY, EXCUSE ME, AND RESOLVE SHOWCASES THE STRENGTH OF COMMUNITY DRIVEN INITIATIVES AND TRANSFORMING OUR CITIES FOR [00:30:01] THE BETTER. AND WHEREAS THROUGH ADVOCACY, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, THE NETWORK IS EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES TO FORGE A BRIGHTER FUTURE, ADDRESSING NOT ONLY INTIMATE NEEDS, BUT ALSO LAND THE GROUNDWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE CHANGE. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON ACKNOWLEDGED ITS AND CELEBRATES THE REMARKABLE EFFORTS OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH EQUITY, UM, NETWORK, AND ITS PARTNERS IN THEIR RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF HEALTHY EQUITY AND FOOD JUSTICE, THEIR COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY DRIVEN SOLUTIONS AS A TESTAMENT TO THE RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION SPIRIT OF THIS GREAT CITY MAYOR SITTING RIGHT HERE. OH, THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. SO IF THAT RISES, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM DECEMBER 5TH, 2023 AS CULTURE OF HEALTH DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL. CONGRATULATIONS. HI EVERYONE. I AM KRISTEN BENNETT, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITIES FOR BETTER HEALTH. AND JUST WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS RECOGNITION. UM, IT WAS A GREAT HONOR TO BE ONE OF NINE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES TO RECEIVE THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION CULTURE OF HEALTH PRIZE FOR THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE HERE IN HOUSTON. AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU. WE KNOW THAT HEALTH STARTS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. SO TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND LIVE WELL AND THRIVE IS A GREAT HONOR. UM, WE HAVE OUR MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK HERE. WE HAVE THE NORTHEAST HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, IVY LEAGUE FARMS CAN DO HOUSTON AND THE ACRES HOMES COMMUNITY ADVOCACY GROUP. UM, SO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR THIS WONDERFUL RECOGNITION. THANK YOU. AND I SEE WE GOT RAINMAN WITH, UM, ACRES HOMES, AND THEN WE GOT HU HUEY, JEREMY WILSON. I KNOW WE HAVE QUITE A FEW OTHER PEOPLE. DID Y'ALL ALL WANNA SAY ANYTHING? 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN THE COMMUNITY. SO, ON BEHALF OF, I I JUST WANNA REALLY ECHO THE SENTIMENT OF EVERYONE IN THIS NETWORK THAT WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP FROM MS. KRISTEN BENNETT. UM, HER INGENUITY AND HER TENACITY IN MAKING SURE THAT NOT ONLY WERE THESE ORGANIZATIONS FRONT AND CENTER WHEN IT CAME TO BEING THE VOICES FOR OUR COMM RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND NETWORKS TO BE ABLE TO DO IT EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY, REALLY SPEAKS TO HER LOVE OF MAKING SURE THAT THE SOLUTION STARTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND EMPOWERING THOSE VOICES TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SAVE OURSELVES BECAUSE WE HAVE THE LIVE LIVED EXPERIENCE. THEREFORE, WE SHOULD BE AT THE CENTER OF THE CONVERSATION WHEN IT COMES TO HOW DO WE RECTIFY CERTAIN ISSUES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. SO I DO JUST WANT TO GIVE HER HER FLOWERS FOR, YOU KNOW, BEING PATIENT WITH A LOT OF US, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF US WHO, YOU KNOW, JUST BUILDING THE PLANE AS WE WERE, UH, FLYING IT . BUT, UH, JUST CONGRATULATIONS TO HER. UM, DEFINITELY WANNA SHOUT OUT DR. SJU FOR LEADING THE INITIATIVES IN ACRES HOMES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE GETTING ACCESS TO OUR COMMUNITIES, UH, FOOD ACCESS THROUGH THE CORNER STORES, UH, IVY LEAGUE FARMS. I I LITERALLY WANNA GROW UP TO BE LIKE YOU ONE DAY AND MISS HUEY, MY LOVE FOR YOU KNOWS NO BOUNDS. SO I JUST REALLY WANNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR NOT JUST THE WORK, BUT THESE INDIVIDUAL WOMEN JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE THE WORK, THEY'VE TILLED THE LAND AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OF NOT ONLY BEING TORCH BEARERS, BUT BEING, UM, REVOLUTIONARIES IN HOW WE THINK OF FOOD ACCESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU, . THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS. UM, I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU. I MEAN, INDIVIDUALLY, YOU KNOW, YOURSELVES AND THE ORGANIZATIONS YOU REPRESENT ARE IMPRESSIVE. BUT LOOK HOW POWERFUL YOU ARE, HOW INFLUENTIAL YOU ARE WHEN YOU PULL TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY, I MEAN, YOU, YOU, YOU STRETCHED THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S SO MUCH, IT'S SO MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, UM, HOLD HANDS AND PULL TOGETHER IN THE SAME DIRECTION. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, WISHING YOU LOTS OF SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE TOO. AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN FOR THIS. SHOULD WE BOUNCE IT OUT? ? [00:35:51] ALRIGHT THEN. MR. GET READY FOR THE, UM, COMMUNITY SESSION, [2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] CIRO FOR VOCATION. UH, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS FOR THE INVOCATION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME, UM, ANOTHER FAITH PARTNER TO THE PODIUM TO DELIVER TODAY'S INVOCATION. SO, WELCOME PASTOR DANIEL VALIER, UM, WHO IS A RESIDENT OF DENVER HARBOR AND A LONG TIME MEMBER OF THE CONGREGATION AT ROCA PENTECOSTAL CHURCH, UM, IN THE DISTRICT H COMMUNITY OF DENVER HARBOR ON HALO STREET. UM, PASTOR VALIER, UM, UM, BEGAN SERVING IN, IN, UH, HIS NEW ROLE AS A PASTOR OF THE CHURCH LAST YEAR IN 2022. AND, UM, HE'S, HE'S ALSO NOW PURSUING A DEGREE IN BIBLICAL, UM, STUDIES FROM THE HOUSTON CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY. UM, AT 33 YEARS OLD, YOU CAN SEE HE'S A YOUNG MAN WITH, UM, A FAITHFUL HEART AND DEEP ROOTS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND, UM, HE WANTED TO SHARE THAT HE IS, HE'S EXCITED AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND CONTINUING THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY JUST AS PREVIOUS PASTORS HAVE DONE DURING THEIR SERVICE AT ROCA PENTECOSTAL CHURCH. THANK YOU PASTOR FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION AND, UH, TO REPRESENTATIVE CARROS FOR, UH, INVITING ME TODAY TO, UM, SHARE THE INVOCATION. I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO BOW YOUR HEADS AS WE PRAY. HEAVENLY FATHER, MY GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE, YOUR MERCY, YOUR GRACE UPON EVERY PERSON, MY GOD UPON THIS BODY, THIS COUNCIL LORD. AND WE COME BEFORE YOU ACKNOWLEDGING YOU LORD, BEFORE EVERY SINGLE MEMBER IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN, FOR THE BLESSINGS UPON EVERY, EVERY MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL. MY GOD, WE ASK FOR YOUR WISDOM. WE ASK FOR YOUR GUIDANCE IN THE MIDST OF EVERYTHING THAT WILL BE DONE TODAY, THAT YOUR NAME WOULD BE LIFTED UP. MY GOD, THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO, UH, GUIDE US, GUIDE OUR COMMUNITIES, GUARD OUR FAMILIES, THAT YOUR LOVE MAY BE TRANSPARENT IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, THAT YOU MAY, UH, BE GLORIFIED. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING. IN JESUS' NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. IF YOU PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD. INVIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, [ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING] MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MAYOR TURNER. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN PICK HERE. CONSTABLE JACKSON. HERE, CONSTABLE KAMAN. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN EVAN SHAVAR WILL BE ABSENT. CONSTABLE MARTIN PRESENT. CONSTABLE THOMAS. PRESENT. CONSTABLE HUFFMAN WILL BE ABSENT. CONSTABLE CISNEROS? HERE. COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS? HERE. CONSTABLE POLLARD. HERE. CONSTABLE CASTEX TATUM. HERE. CONSTABLE KNOX AND ROBINSON WILL BE ABSENT. CONSTABLE KASH HERE. CONSTABLE PLUM WILL BE ABSENT. CONSTABLE ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF JUNE 27TH AND 28TH. CASTEX TATUM. MOVE ON A SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND ON THE ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES. ANY OBJECTIONS? CHAIR NONE. AND THE MINUTES ARE ADOPTED. ALRIGHT, UM, WE HAVE [PUBLIC SPEAKERS] A VERY LONG LIST OF SPEAKERS, UH, SIGNED UP TODAY, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL RULES. SO, MADAM SECRETARY, WILL YOU READ THE APPLICABLE SECTION? UH, RULE EIGHT. NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SUBSECTION A, IF THE TOTAL OF THE TIMES REQUESTED BY SPEAKERS AT ANY COUNCIL MEETING IS GREATER THAN 150 MINUTES, THE MAYOR SHALL SO ANNOUNCE AND EACH SPEAKER'S TIME SHALL BE ONE MINUTE. FURTHERMORE, WHEN THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBSECTION ARE INVOKED, THE QUESTION TIME FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS SHALL BE LIMITED TO A CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF ONE MINUTE FOR EACH SPEAKER, NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISION OF THIS RULE AND RULE 10 TO THE CONTRARY. ALRIGHT, SO, SO LET ME, UM, KIND OF REITERATE, 'CAUSE I KNOW LAST TIME WHEN WE INVOKED THE RULE, UH, THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO DID NOT UNDERSTAND IT. SO LET ME REITERATE, UH, WHEN YOU REACH A, UM, [00:40:01] MORE THAN IT'S 108 HUNDRED 50, 150 MINUTES, UH, THEN THERE'S A SPECIAL RULE THAT IS INVOKED RULE EIGHT, WHICH MEANS YOU MAY HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THREE MINUTES, UH, BUT TODAY YOU'RE GOING TO BE LIMITED TO ONE MINUTE, UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY SPEAKERS. UH, SO EVEN IF YOU SIGNED UP FOR THREE MINUTES OR TWO MINUTES, UH, TODAY IS ONE MINUTE. AND THEN FOR MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, YOUR COLLECTIVE IS ONE MINUTE, WHICH MEANS THAT IF SOME CITY COUNCIL MEMBER SPEAKS FOR 50 SECONDS, THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEMBER GETS 10 SECONDS. OKAY? SO IT'S A COLLECTIVE OF ONE MINUTE. ALRIGHT, SO WE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. UH, AND THEN LET ME, LET ME ASK, UM, UH, THAT YOU, UH, EVERYONE BE MINDFUL AND RESPECTFUL OF EACH OTHER, WHO'S PRESENT, UH, TODAY. OKAY, HAVING SAID THAT, NO CLAPPING. OH, AND THERE'S NO CLAPPING ALLOWED DURING THE, DURING THIS PARTICULAR SESSION, SO, BUT YOU CAN RAISE YOUR HANDS. YOU CAN'T STAND UP. UH, AND I'M GOING TO ASK YOU, TRY NOT TO, IF YOU GOT SIGNS, TRY NOT TO BLOCK, UH, SOMEBODY THAT'S IN BACK OF YOU. OKAY. AND JUST BE RESPECTFUL OF, OF EVERYONE THAT'S PRESENT. UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, ON A PROCEDURAL MOTION. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER. UM, I MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES, UH, FOR CONSISTENCY TO ADD NATISHA MILES, LORRAINE ADAM MOORE AND JOHNNY JARRAH AFTER CEDRIC MIMS FOR THE ONE MINUTE STATED SECOND, BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR. NOW MOTION IS GRANTED IF YOU'LL REPEAT THAT ONE MORE TIME. SURE. NATASHA MILES. SORRY. NATISHA MILES. LORRAINE ADAM MOORE AND JOHNNY JARA UNDER CEDRIC MIMS FOR ONE MINUTE. THE LAST TWO ARE UNDER, UM, THEY'RE ON THE LAST PAGE. I'M HERE, CEDRIC. OKAY. GOTCHA. ANY OTHER PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? ANY OTHERS HEARING IS SAYING? NONE. OKAY, MADAM, MADAM. SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL PROCEED TO CALL THE SPEAKER'S LIST LIEN ER, LEAN NEER. LEAN LEAN. NEXT SPEAKER ROY SANCHEZ. ROY SANCHEZ IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ASTOR MARK. OKAY, UH, MAYOR? YES. UH, COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO SPEAK TO YOU ALL. MY NAME'S ROY SANCHEZ. I'M A, UH, REPRESENTATIVE FOR HOUSTON ORGANIZATION, PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. IT'S THE CITY UNION, UH, WORKERS. UH, I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSAL TO TURN OVER CONTROL OF OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANT TO A CORPORATION. THIS PROPOSAL WILL PUT THE OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE SOUTHEAST WATER, UH, I GUESS IT'S, UH, PURIFICATION PLANT, WHICH SERVES A MILLION PEOPLE UNDER THE CORPORATE CONTROL FOR UP TO 20 YEARS. A CORPORATION IS ACCOUNTABLE ONLY TO THEIR SHAREHOLDERS, NOT TO THE PEOPLE. AND SO, WHETHER WE CALL IT PRIVATIZATION OR A CORPORATE TAKEOVER, THE RESULTS OF A, OF A CORPORATION MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SERVICE THAT WE ALL RELY ON IS NOT GOOD AS A UNION. THAT WE REPRESENT THE CITY WORKERS, WE ARE TOTALLY AGAINST PRIVATIZATION OF ANY UNION WORK. THANK YOU. OKAY, ROY, LET, LET ME, LEMME JUST SAY THAT THAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, BUT FEEL FREE TO TAKE IT UP WITH THE NEXT MAYOR. THANK YOU. OKAY. BUT FOR NOW, IF Y'ALL CAN SAVE US THE TIME, UH, BUT THAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA. UH, BUT TAKE THAT OVER THE NEXT MAYOR. THANK YOU. OKAY. I AM SORRY. WHAT? THAT, DID I MISS SOMEBODY? COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, KUBA COUNCIL. KU ? YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION. I WAS GONNA ASK YOU WHAT AGENDA ITEM IT WAS. [00:45:01] I, I'M JUST SAYING I, I DIDN'T SEE IT. THE NEXT MAYOR MAY PUT IT ON THE AGENDA. ON THE AGENDA, BUT IT WON'T BE ON OUR AGENDA. OKAY. OKAY. THANKS. ALRIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER. AS MARK. AS MARK ASTOR. NO, TER. UH, NEXT SPEAKER, DANIELLE ALVAREZ. DANIELLE ALVAREZ IS HERE, FOLLOWED BY, BY MICHELLE JI. MY NAME IS DANIELLE FROM DISTRICT A. I'M TERRIFIED OF PUBLIC SPEAKING, BUT I RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS INSIGNIFICANT AND A PRIVILEGE COMPARED TO WHAT THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY FACING. I SEE MYSELF AND MY CHILDREN, AND THE MOTHERS AND CHILDREN OF PALESTINE. AS OF DECEMBER 4TH, AT LEAST 15,899 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN GAZA SINCE OCTOBER 7TH. THAT'S INCLUDING MORE THAN 4,000 CHILDREN AND 2,700 WOMEN. THAT'S 20, THAT'S 72 CHILDREN JUST LIKE MINE KILLED PER DAY IN 55 DAYS. THAT'S 49 WOMEN JUST LIKE ME, KILLED PER DAY IN 55 DAYS. THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE WOULD MUCH RATHER BE HERE TODAY TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES AND FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHT TO LIVE. INSTEAD, THEY'RE COUNTING ON US TO BE THEIR VOICE, RELYING ON US TO FIGHT FOR THEM. DEPENDING ON OUR HUMANITY, WE ARE THEIR LAST HOPE. ALTHOUGH IT FEELS LIKE NOT ENOUGH, I'VE BEEN DOING EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO FIGHT FOR THESE INNOCENT LIVES. CAN YOU SAY THE SAME, AT THE VERY LEAST, PUBLICLY SUPPORT A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE AND ANNOUNCED THE WAR CRIMES BEING COMMITTED AGAINST PALESTINIANS SILENCE AND COMPLIANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, MICHELLE JI. MICHELLE JI MICHELLE IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY DOLORES MAGRUDER, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TODAY I STAND BEFORE YOU WITH THE HEAVY HEART BURDENED BY THE UNIMAGINABLE SUFFERING IN GAZA. INNOCENT LIVES ARE BEING TORN APART, HOMES DESTROYED AND FAMILY SHATTERED. WE CANNOT TURN A BLIND EYE TO THIS BLOODSHED, WE MUST ACT NOW. A CEASEFIRE IS NOT JUST A NECESSITY, IT IS A LIFELINE FOR THE INNOCENT CIVILIANS CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE. CHILDREN, WOMEN AND MEN ARE LIVING IN CONSTANT FEAR. THEIR LIVES HANGING IN THE BALANCE. THE STREETS THEY ONCE CALLED HOME HAVE BECOME BATTLEGROUNDS. THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS REDUCED TO REBEL. WE MUST GIVE THEM HOPE, A CHANCE TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES, AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAP HEAL THE DEEP WOUNDS INFLICTED UPON THEM. AS CEASE FIRE IS NOT JUST ABOUT PROTECTING LIVES, IT IS ABOUT RESTORING HUMANITY AND COMPASSION. IN THE FACE OF UNIMAGINABLE SUFFERING, IT'S ABOUT FOSTERING THE DIALOGUE AND PROMOTING PEACE. MOREOVER, A CEASEFIRE IS CRUCIAL FOR THE STABILITY AND THE SECURITY FOR THE ENTIRE REGION. THE CONFLICT IN GAZA FUELS TENSIONS AND EXTREMISM THREATENING THE PEACE WE ALL STRIVE FOR. BY CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE, WE SEND A POWERFUL MESSAGE THAT WE VALUE PEACE AND STABILITY OVER CONFLICT AND CHAOS. THANK YOU. HAS EXPIRED? THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. COUNCILMAN UBA. HOLD ON ONE SECOND. UH, COUNCILMAN UBA. I'M FOR, I'M FOR WAR TO STOP. I WANT ALL THIS WAR TO STOP AND I'M HERE. ARE ARE YOU FOR THE RELEASING OF THE, UH, HOSTAGES? ALL THE HOSTAGES? I'M SORRY, I'M HARD OF HEARING SO I CAN'T ARE, ARE YOU FOR THE RELEASING OF ALL THE HOSTAGES THAT ARE BEING HELD IN GAZA, ARE YOU FOR RELEASING THE HOSTAGES? YEAH. THANK YOU. THAT I APPRECIATE THAT. 'CAUSE THAT WE NEED TO END ALL THIS WAR, ALL THIS HATE AND ALL THIS CONFLICT. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER, DOLORES MAGRUDER. DOLORES MAGRUDER. DOLORES. DOLORES. NEXT SPEAKER. RONALD FORD. RONALD FORD. RONALD FORD. RONALD. NEXT SPEAKER. SHEILA. BEN. SHEILA. BEN. SHEILA. BEN. SHEILA. NEXT SPEAKER. READY, HAYWARD. READY, HAYWARD. READY, HAYWARD. READY. NEXT SPEAKER, YOUNG DE JOHNSON. YOUNG DE JOHNSON, YOUNG DE YOUNG DE. NEXT SPEAKER. DAVID RIVAS. DAVID RIVAS. DAVID DAVID. NEXT SPEAKER DAVID CA. DAVID CA. DAVID CAVIN. NEXT SPEAKER ERICA HARRISON. ERICA HARRISON. ERICA HARRISON. ERICA. OH, PLEASE COME. [00:50:02] SHOULD WE FOLLOW? FOLLOWED BY AMY SIMS. AM I ABLE TO SPEAK? YES. HELLO EVERYBODY. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME ACTUALLY DOING IT IN THIS SETTING, SO I'M THANKFUL TO EVEN BE HERE. IT'S A BLESSING TO BE HERE. UM, I'M COMING JUST TO INTRODUCE MYSELF, UM, AND MY BUSINESS AND MINISTRY AND LOOKING TO EXPAND TO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO GIVE SERVICES FOR THOSE WHO HAVE, UM, SUFFERED MENTAL HEALTH. UM, EMOTIONAL HEALTH, UM, SPIRITUAL, AND JUST LOOKING TO BE A BLESSING TO BRING SERVICES FOR THOSE WHO NEED OPPORTUNITIES. UM, THERE'S A LOT OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, SEX TRAFFICKING, CHILD TRAFFICKING, AND I JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO BE A BLESSING FOR THOSE WHO NEED HELP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . COUNCILMAN P*****K. ONE SECOND, MA'AM. COME ON. COUNCIL MEMBER P*****K. THANK YOU MAYOR. MAYOR. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE. MA'AM. THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD. YOU SAID, YOU SAID YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR SERVICES. HOW, HOW CAN PEOPLE, UH, REACH OUT TO YOU? IS THERE A WEBSITE OR? YES, I ACTUALLY HAVE A, UM, BUSINESS. WE JUST, UH, WAS ESTABLISHED OFFICIALLY TODAY, UM, IN PASADENA, 27 0 9, UM, STRAWBERRY ROAD, UH, SUITE 100, PASADENA, TEXAS 7 7 5 0 2. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER. AMOS SIMS. AMOS SIMS. AMOS. AMOS. NEXT SPEAKER. RECIA ALLEN. RECIA ALLEN IS HERE. GOOD AFTERNOON, FRONT OF MICS. OH, GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM SPEAKING ABOUT THE MOVE OF THE GREYHOUND BUS STATION TO THE EAST END. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE GREYHOUND. THE GREYHOUND COMPANY PRIORITIZING PROFIT OVER SAFETY WITH SIX ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITHIN A ONE MILE RADIUS OF THE NEW STATIONS. STUDENTS WOULD BE WALKING THROUGH POTENTIAL DANGEROUS AREAS. THE GREYHOUND STATION IN MIDTOWN HAD A HISTORY OF CRIME AS REFLECTED IN LOCAL CRIME STATISTICS. WHAT MEASURES WILL THE CITY IMPLEMENT TO PREVENT THE GREYHOUND STATION IN THE EAST END FROM BECOMING A HAVEN FOR CRIME AND LOITERING? WELL, LEMME JUST SAY TO YOU THAT, UM, UM, AND, AND MAY I SAY ONE THING, I'M AWARE THAT PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE WAS BLINDSIDED BY THIS. OKAY. AND THAT IS TRUE. YEAH. YEAH. THEY DID NOT NEED ANY, UH, CERTIFICATES OF PERMITS, RIGHT. UH, FROM THE CITY. NOT NEITHER DID THEY REQUEST ANY PERMITS. UH, THEY SOLD THEIR PROPERTY IN MIDTOWN. THEY ALREADY HAD A STATION SMALLER IN EAST HOUSTON, AND THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE GOING. AND THEN THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION HAS HAD A CERTIFICATE OF OP OCCUPANCY SINCE 2010. SO THEY DIDN'T REQUEST ANYTHING FROM US, AND IT'S A PRIVATE ENTITY. AND, UM, THEY DIDN'T NEED OUR PERMISSION. CAN YOU GUYS HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR LIKE, NOT FOR LIKE, SAFETY ISSUES OF IT BEING LIKE CRIME RIDDEN PEOPLE HANGING OUT? I MEAN, CAN THEY BE DECLARED, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE A, WHAT DO THEY CALL IT, LIKE A, A CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION? ONLY IF THEY DO SOMETHING WRONG, BUT IT'S, IT IS A PRIVATE BUSINESS. UM, AND THEY ALREADY HAD THE BUSINESS, THE LOCATION IN THE EAST END. UM, NOW IF, IF SOMETHING ENDS UP HAPPENING, UH, THAT IS CONTRARY TO OUR LAWS, UH, THEN THAT'S ONE THING. OR IF THEY'RE NEEDING, UM, AN ADDITIONAL PERMIT OR SOMETHING, UM, WE WILL CERTAINLY, UM, CONSIDER IT AT THAT TIME. BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, IT'S A PRIVATE BUSINESS. THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO TO SALE, AND THEN THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO MOVE TO THEIR EXISTING LOCATION. YEAH. THEY DID NOT NEED OUR PERMISSION OR APPROVAL. I'M JUST AFRAID THAT WE ARE GONNA BECOME THE MIDTOWN. I LIVED IN MIDTOWN FOR A WHILE AS WELL WHEN THERE WAS DOWN IN MIDTOWN. AND IT WAS, I WOULDN'T GO ON THAT END. I WOULDN'T WALK THAT IN NOTHING. ONLY IF I DROVE AND I WOULD DEFINITELY NOT GO TO THAT MCDONALD'S. YEAH. SO I'M AFRAID THAT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH MY COMMUNITY. AND I ENJOY MY COMMUNITY. I'VE BEEN THERE FOR FOUR YEARS, AND THAT WAS THE REASON WHY WE PURCHASED THE HOUSE OVER THERE BECAUSE WE ENJOYED THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S FAMILY, VERY FAMILY ORIENTED, AND WE DON'T WANT THAT TO CHANGE. MM-HMM. OKAY. COUNCILMAN GGO. THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THANK, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND SPEAKING ON THAT. I KNOW THAT, UH, OF COURSE I REPRESENT, UH, THE EAST INDIAN DISTRICT. I, UH, AND I WAS NOTIFIED TUESDAY EVENING BY A TEXT FROM A CONSTITUENT SAYING THAT HE HAD HEARD THAT GREYHOUND WAS MOVING IN THAT WEEK [00:55:01] TO THE EAST END. SO LOOKING INTO IT, COME TO FIND OUT IT WAS TRUE, UH, THAT, UH, GREYHOUND CLOSED ON WEDNESDAY AND THEY OPENED UP IN THE EAST END OFFICIALLY ON THURSDAY. THEY DID HAVE A, UH, GREYHOUND TRANSIT, UH, GREYHOUND VALLEY TRANSIT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN OPERATING THERE FOR TWO, THREE YEARS, IF NOT LONGER. UH, BUT THEY WERE SHARING THE FOUR BAY, UH, BUS STATION, UH, WITH TWO MEXICAN CARRIERS. UH, BUT NOW WHAT I UNDERSTAND, I BELIEVE IT'S JUST GONNA BE ALL GREYHOUND. UH, SO YEAH, THERE IS A LOT OF CONCERN. UM, AND, AND I'VE, UH, I'M HAVING A MEETING THIS THURSDAY AT THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT'S OFFICE, UH, WITH COMMANDER COLEMAN FROM THE EAST SIDE DIVISION WITH CONSTABLE SYLVIA TREVINO, UH, WITH TOM LAMBERT. HE SAID HE WILL PERSONALLY BE THERE. HE'S THE PRESIDENT OF METRO. HE WILL BRING REPRESENTATIVES FROM METRO POLICE. MAY I HAVE AN EXTENSION. SHE'LL MOVE. HE, HE, HE WILL BRING, UH, REPRESENTATIVES, HE'LL BRING REPRESENTATIVES FROM METRO POLICE, UM, THE EASTERN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, EASTERN CHAMBER. I HAVE, UH, UH, REACHED OUT TO THE LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS AS WELL. AND WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S NOT ZONED, SO WE CAN'T SAY WHERE COMPANIES ARE PLACED. UH, YOU KNOW, UM, I'VE SPOKEN WITH DIRECTOR HADDOCK FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT THINKING MAYBE WE CAN DO SOME SOMETHING REGARDING PERMITS. UH, BUT LIKE SHE STATED, COUNCIL MEMBER, THEY'RE COMING FROM A BUS STATION, MOVING TO A BUS STATION, SO THERE'S NO PERMITS REALLY NEEDED. UH, SO WE CAN'T HANDLE IT THAT WAY. UH, BUT, BUT I'VE INVITED THE, THE MANAGER OF GREYHOUND, HARRISBURG TO BE IN THIS MEETING ON THURSDAY. OKAY? WE ARE GONNA FOLLOW IT UP ON WEDNESDAY NEXT WEEK, UH, WITH BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE THERE ALONG THE HARRISBURG CORRIDOR, SO THEY CAN HEAR WHAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE MEETING THIS THURSDAY REGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY. I DID WANT TO HAVE A MEETING WITH THE, UH, COMMUNITY. UH, BUT THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT SAYS, DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT'S THE HOLIDAYS, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH GOING ON. UH, SO I'M GOING TO LEAVE A PUBLIC MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY FOR THE MAYOR, UH, ELECT, UH, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ, POSSIBLY IN JANUARY. OKAY. I'LL BE THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. DERON LAIER. DERON LAIER. DERON DERON. NEXT SPEAKER. MARIAN WRIGHT. MARIAN WRIGHT. MARIAN WRIGHT. NEXT SPEAKER. WYATT HALL. WYATT HALL. WYATT. WYATT HALL. NEXT SPEAKER. AQUANET REED. AQUANET. REED ANETTA. AQUANET. MM-HMM . GOOD EVENING. UH, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME IN THIS SETTING, BUT, UM, I WAS, I'M A VICTIM OF A HIT AND RUN, UH, CAR ACCIDENT IN 2020. AND I WAS, UH, WANTING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE TO Y'ALL. YOU ALL ABOUT THE, UH, DETECTIVES AND THE OFFICERS THAT HANDLED MY CASE. UH, IT, IT NEVER HAS BEEN SOLVED. AND IT HAPPENED IN 2021, AND I HAD SPINE SURGERY, BROKE HAND, DISLOCATED SHOULDER, AND STILL DEALING WITH THIS. AND I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND OUT WHO THE YOUNG LADY IS, AND THE DETECTIVES WON'T EVEN TELL ME WHO SHE IS. UM, SO I'VE BEEN BACK AND FORTH WITH CALLING THE DA. SHE HUNG THE PHONE UP IN MY FACE AND THE, THEY JUST BEEN NOT TREATING ME FAIR ABOUT MY SITUATION. RIGHT. I, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR CAR WAS HIT AT, IN A, IN A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT. AND, UM, AND, UM, AND THE, THE DA, THE HARRIS COUNTY DA DECLINED TO ACCEPT ANY, UH, CHARGES. UH, THEY SAID IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. SO, AND THEY TELLING ME, UH, I'M SORRY FOR CUTTING YOU OFF. THEY KEEP TELLING ME, UH, AIN'T NOTHING THEY GOING TO DO ABOUT IT. AND ALSO ANOTHER OTHER ISSUE. I WAS SENDING H AND BHEB PARKING LOT AND A MAN JUST ON NINE 11, HE JUST CAME UP TO MY CAR AND RAMMED THE BUGGER TO MY CAR AND HE RAN IN THE STORE AND DISAPPEARED. THEY GAVE ME A DETECTIVE. HE TOLD ME HE WASN'T GONNA DO NOTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE MAN WAS THE OLD MAN AND HE WASN'T GONNA TRY TO FIND HIM. THEN HE TOLD ME THE SAME THING. THE DA SAID THE SAME THING. SO I'M STILL GOING THROUGH ALL THIS, STILL CONTINUE HAVING SURGERIES AND, UH, I EVEN HAD TO HAVE MY ESOPHAGUS STRETCHED BECAUSE I GOT INJURED REAL BAD. RIGHT? UNFORTUNATELY. AND I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT TO Y'ALL ABOUT THE OFFICERS. THEY NEED. SOME OF 'EM NEED TO BE MORE CONSIDERATE ABOUT STUFF LIKE THAT. [01:00:01] THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER. MARIAN SCOTT. MARIAN SCOTT. MARIAN SCOTT. NEXT SPEAKER ELIZABETH DIAZ. ELIZABETH DIAZ IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOSE DIAZ. IF YOU GET RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC, UH, OKAY. I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. UM, SO IT'S MYSELF AND MY HUSBAND. CAN WE BOTH SPEAK? YES. ONE AT A TIME? JUST ONE AT A TIME. OKAY. UM, WE DID BRING GIFTS TO GIVE TO EVERYONE. YOU, YOU CAN GIVE 'EM TO. I RUN RIGHT OVER THERE. OKAY. SO I BRING THEM? YEAH. OKAY. UM, SO I WANTED TO SAY HELLO TO EVERYONE AND MAYOR TURNER, THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME'S ELIZABETH DIAZ. I'M WITH THE DIAZ MUSIC INSTITUTE AND MY HUSBAND, JOSE DIAZ, WHO IS THE FOUNDER OF THE ORGANIZATION, IS ALSO HERE WITH ME. WE ARE HERE JUST TO SAY THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING, UM, FUNDS THROUGH THE HOUSTON ARTS AND CULTURAL DEBILITATION GRANT. THIS FUND HAS BEEN TRANSFORMATIONAL FOR THE DIAZ MUSIC INSTITUTE SERVICING THROUGHOUT THE HOUSTON AREA. THIS YEAR, WE'VE HOSTED YEAR ROUND SUMMER CAMPS, MUSIC WORKSHOPS IN EIGHT MARGINAL COMMUNITIES, AND COLORED UNDER, UM, OF COLORED AND UNDERSERVED OVER 600 STUDENTS. DIAZ MUSIC INSTITUTE HAS WORKED HARD TO MAKE OUR CITY PROUD. UM, WITH THE MINIMAL BUDGET, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A STRONG NATIONAL REPERTOIRE AS ONE OF THE BEST HISPANIC MUSIC ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COUNTRY. IN THE COUNTRY. UM, WE ARE A LOUIS PRIZE OF LOUIS PRIZE AWARD WINNERS AND FEATURED IN THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT OF THE ARTS MAGAZINES. OUR ACCOLADES ARE MANY AS WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PREPARED. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. ONE SECOND. MAY I PRO TIM MARTIN? SO, HEY, MS. ELIZABETH, HER AND MR. JOSE DIAZ OWNED DIAZ MUSIC INSTITUTE. YES, THEY'RE A STABLE IN KINGWOOD. THEY, EVERY YEAR WE, WE PROVIDE THEM FUNDS THROUGH VARIOUS PROGRAMS, AND THEN WE USE SOME OF OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO MATCH IT. JUST A GREAT PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES GREAT EDUCATION AND MUSIC FOR FOLKS THAT LIVE IN OUR AREA. JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS THAT, UM, THAT TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEIR INSTITUTE AND WHAT THEY DO. A HUNDRED PERCENT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT GRADUATION RATES. THEIR STUDENTS RECEIVED OVER $2 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DIAZ MUSIC INSTITUTE. THEY WERE TWICE SELECTED AS A NATIONAL ARTS AND HUMANITIES PROGRAM AWARD AS A FINALIST. THEY WERE RECOGNIZED BY TE TEXAS MONTHLY MAGAZINE AS ONE OF THE 20 REASONS TEXAS MUSIC IS BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER. AND THEY ARE ALUMNI THAT PERFORM WITH SUCH MUSICIANS AS STEVIE WONDER, KANYE WEST, TORY, KELLY, TD JAKES, AND SYLVESTER TURNER. I THINK IT SAYS HERE IN HIS SINGING ENDEAVORS, WHICH DIDN'T GO TOO WELL, BY THE WAY. HE'S A GREAT DANCER, BUT HE CAN'T SING, BUT HE THINKS HE CAN. BUT STUDENTS, UH, MO MOTION TO, UH, EXTEND THIS BEEN MOVED AND SECOND OBJECT I REAL MOTION TO GRANTED, UH, STUDENTS HAVE GRADUATED FROM PRESTIGIOUS SCHOOLS SUCH AS HARVARD, BERKELEY, AND UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI AND LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY. I HAD TO THROW THAT ONE IN. THANK YOU, MS. DIAZ. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, JOSE DIAZ. JOSE DIAZ IS HERE. THANK YOU JUSTICE. AS A CONTINUATION OF WHAT ELIZABETH'S TALKING ABOUT, UH, OUR COLAS ARE MANY. AS WE SUCCESSFULLY PREPARED MY AND LARGE STUDENTS FOR TO SUCCEED IN COLLEGE AND THEIR CAREER. AS COUNCIL MEMBER DAVE MARTIN HAS ILLUSTRATED. UH, ADDITIONALLY, WE WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS DRASHA JACKSON AND ROBERT GALLEGOS FOR PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THE DISTRICT OF THE CASE FOR KIDS CITY CONNECTS GRANT. WE ALSO WANNA SAY BIG THANK YOU TO OUR HOME BASE DISTRICT E COUNCIL MEMBER DAVE MARTIN, FOR HIS AMAZING ADVICE, SUPPORT, AND FUNDING THAT HE HAS PROVIDED TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE ARTS. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE ARTS FUNDING, ESPECIALLY TO HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS GEOS MUSIC INSTITUTE. THERE'S NOTHING MORE POWERFUL THAN COMMUNITY AND POWER THROUGH THE EXPOSURE AND VISIBILITY OF THE CULTURE. AGAIN, THANK YOU. AND WE HAVE A GIFT FOR ALL OF YOU TO SHOW OUR APPRECIATION. WHAT WE HAVE IS BASICALLY A, A PLAQUE OF APPRECIATION THAT HAS, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE INSTITUTE AND A TEACHER FOR ALL OF YOU THAT SAYS, MUSIC IS OUR THERAPY. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS. THANK YOU MR. DIAZ FOR, UH, EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE. I KNOW THAT YOU ALSO, UH, ARE ARE THERE IN DISTRICT I AS WELL. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. LIKE, UM, UH, MAYOR PROMA STATED, I MEAN, YY YOUR GROUP IS OUTSTANDING. UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN Y'ALL PERFORM AT MILLER OUTDOOR THEATER, IT'S, IT'S JUST EXCITING. I MEAN, THE CROWDS [01:05:01] ARE, ARE JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, EXCITED ABOUT HEARING THE MUSIC THAT YOUR STUDENTS ARE PLAYING. UH, SO THANK YOU EVERY FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU AND YOUR WIFE DOES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, AND TO ALL OF YOU. ONE LAST STATEMENT I WILL SAY IS THAT THIS MUSIC INSTITUTE YOUTH GROUP, CALIENTE, IT HAS BEEN SELECTED TO A VERY COMPETITIVE AUDITION TO PERFORM AT THE JAZZ EDUCATION NETWORK CONFERENCE. WE'RE THE ONLY GROUP FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT WILL BE PERFORMING THERE, AND WE'RE GONNA BE DOING PRE-CON AT THE HISTORIC EL DORADO BAR ROOM ON DECEMBER 30TH AT 4:00 PM AND WE'RE GONNA SEND YOU INVITATIONS TO ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, PATRICK BTA. PATRICK BTA. PATRICK PATRICK, NEXT SPEAKER. GUY COHEN. GUY COHEN. GUY COHEN GUY. NEXT SPEAKER. RACHEL EZ. RACHEL EZ. RACHEL EZ. NEXT SPEAKER, RAY ALI. RAY ALI RAY IS HERE. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS RIA ALI AND I'M HERE TO DEMAND CEASEFIRE IN GAZA. GROWING UP IN A WAR TORN COUNTRY, I UNDERSTOOD LIFE'S CRUELTIES AT A VERY EARLY AGE, AND I WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES THAT MADE IT OUT, OUT TO, TO THE US AS A REFUGEE, THIS LAND OF OPPORTUNITY, THIS LAND OF LIBERTY, THIS LAND THAT BECAME MY HOME. BUT HOW CAN I BE PROUD OF THESE VALUES NOW THAT MY HOME IS AIDING IN THE BOMBING OF OTHER PEOPLE'S HOMES? I WANTED TO LIST WHAT WE'RE LACKING IN OUR CITY, BUT YOU ALREADY KNOW ALL THESE STATISTICS. SO WHY ARE OUR TAX DOLLARS AIDING IN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE OTHER'S HOMES RATHER THAN THE CONSTRUCTION OF OUR HOME? INSTEAD, I WANTED TO SPEAK TO YOU OF ONE HUMAN TO ANOTHER. IF THERE'S ANY SHRED OF MORALITY IN YOU, IF THERE'S ANY SHRED OF LIGHT IN YOUR SOUL, YOU'D KNOW THAT THERE IS SOMETHING GRIEVOUSLY WRONG IN THIS SITUATION. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE, BUT RATHER A HUMANITARIAN ONE, CIVILIANS ARE DYING, CHILDREN ARE DYING. 61% OF LIKELY VOTERS SUPPORT THE US CALL FOR CEASE FIRE. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A VOICE FOR US, YOUR CONSTITUENTS, THE NUMBERS PROVE IT. SO WHO ARE YOU REPRESENTING? THE PEOPLE OR POWER AND MONEY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, SANAYA KGI SONIYA KGI, S-A-N-I-A, SONIYA. NEXT SPEAKER, ASHLEY CLOTH. ASHLEY CLOTH. ASHLEY CLOTH. NEXT SPEAKER, RANDY LANSKY ZALINSKY. RANDY ZELENSKY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR COUNCIL. AS THE WAR ENTER 60 DAYS, MANY HAVE FORGOTTEN WHY THE CEASEFIRE THAT WAS IN PLACE WAS BROKEN. HAMA ORGANIZATION BROKE THE CEASEFIRE ON OCTOBER 7TH. IN ITS REFUSAL, THE CEASEFIRE HAS BEEN BROKEN AGAIN BECAUSE THEY REFUSED TO RE RELEASE CHILDREN AND WOMEN. THE LATTER WE ARE LEARNING ARE BEING RAPED AND SEXUALLY ABUSED. HAMUS BROKE THE CEASEFIRE ON OCTOBER 7TH. CHILDREN WERE MASSACRED. EACH CHILD HAD HIS OR HER LIFE CUT SHORT. EACH CHILD WAS MORE THAN JUST A NAME, AN AGE, AND A PHOTO. EACH CHILD WAS A BROTHER, A SISTER, A SON, OR A DAUGHTER WITH DREAMS FOR A FUTURE NOYA. DON, 12 YEARS OLD, WAS MURDERED IN HER HOME AND NEAR OZ. JONATHAN ZAHA WAS 10 YEARS OLD IN LAN. ALONI WAS 12 YEARS OLD IN BARRY WAS MURDERED IN HER HOME. YANI HAT WAS 12 YEARS OLD, WAS MURDERED IN HIS HOME IN BARRY, RAFAEL. MAYOR MARAKI WAS 12 YEARS OLD, WAS KILLED BY A ROCKET NEAR HIS HOME. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANKS. THANKS, RANDY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. MM-HMM. NEXT SPEAKER, ROBERT ZERO ONE. ROBERT ZERO ONE IS HERE. ROBERT MAYOR, COUNCIL ABBY. I SPENT 50 YEARS IN MY LIFE PRACTICING MEDICINE IN HOUSTON, ALMOST ALL OF, IN THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER. I WAS IN CHARGE OF PEDIATRIC UNIT IN ONE OF OUR LARGEST HOSPITALS. I'VE, UH, SEEN WHAT, UH, HAS HAPPENED HERE AND A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE, BUT I ASSURE YOU, AND THAT NONE OF THE HOSPITALS THAT I'VE EVER OPERATED IN, DID WE SPONSOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, THE BASEMENT? DO WE NOT BUILD MISSILES OR ROCKETS IN THE BASEMENT? DID WE NOT, UH, USE OUR AMBULANCES TO TRANSPORT TERRORISTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OR, OR SHOOT PEOPLE FROM ANY OF THOSE PLACES THAT I PRACTICED? AND YET, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO IN GAZA. AND SO, UH, I AM CONCERNED THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SET CALLED FOR A CEASEFIRE, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY TO LET THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE USING THEIR OWN CHILDREN IN GAZA AS HUMAN SHIELDS, WHO PUT THEIR DOCTORS IN DANGER, UH, UH, PRACTICING IN THOSE HOSPITALS WHO PREVENT THEIR OWN PATIENTS FROM BEING TREATED. AND THOSE DOCTORS SEND THEIR SICK HAMAS TERRORIST LEADERS [01:10:01] TO ISRAEL TO BE TREATED BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE SKILLS THERE. SO THE PEOPLE HERE WHO ARE PRESIDENT PROTESTING AND HOLDING UP THOSE SIGNS ABOUT THE PALESTINE, YOUR TOWN HAS EXPIRED. THEY ARE COMPLICIT IN THE MURDER OF CHILDREN THAT THEY'RE SO INTERESTED IN SAYING, OH, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. LET ME LET, LET'S DO THIS. HOLD ON. LET, LET ME, LET ME JUST, LET ME, LET ME SAY THIS. PLEASE DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS TO UP HERE. THANK YOU. SORRY, MAYOR AND I, I CONCERNED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE RIGHT. LET'S BE RESPECTFUL. COUNCILMAN KUMAR, THANK YOU FOR GOING TO COLLEGE AND, AND BECOMING A, A DOCTOR. MY, UH, MY SON WAS IN THE MEDICAL CENTER FOR 111 DAYS IN INTENSIVE CARE AND, AND IT WAS THE FOLKS IN, IN THE MEDICAL CENTER THAT SAVED MY SON'S LIFE. AND I'M FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU PHYSICIANS FROM THE MEDICAL CENTER AND ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE. AND, AND WE HEAR YOUR CRY AND WE HEAR YOUR FRUSTRATION. THANK YOU. THANKS, ROBERT. THANKS. THANKS. I CARE ABOUT THOSE CHILDREN TOO. THANK YOU. THANKS, MAYOR. THANKS. OKAY, THANKS ABBY. NEXT SPEAKER, MIRIAM GANIM. MARIAN GANIM. MARIAN IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY NICOLE WON, RIGHT? RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC. MARION RIGHT BEHIND, RIGHT BEHIND . OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS MIRIAM GHANIM AND I'M HERE TO IMPLORE YOU TO CALL VERSUS CEASE FIRE IN GAZA. I HAD ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO GO ABOUT THIS AS USUAL ASKING KINDLY AND PRESENTING KNOWN FACTS AND STATISTICS. BUT THEN I REMEMBER THE PREMATURE INFANTS THAT WERE LEFT BEHIND WHEN THE ISRAELI INVADING ARMED FORCES FORCED A TOTAL EVACUATION OF THEIR HOSPITAL. DURING THE PAUSE, THEIR PARENTS RETURNED TO THEIR ROTTING BODIES, BUT WITH HARDER AT THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEIR PRECIOUS BABIES, FIRST AND FINAL MEMORIES WERE THAT OF STARVATION AND FEAR. THEN I REMEMBER THE LITTLE GIRL, NO OLDER THAN FIVE, THAT WAS DISEMPOWERED. THE ONLY THING COVERING HER ORGANS WAS A NAPKIN. I REMEMBERED THE MOTHER WHO BEGGED, PLEASE DON'T TAKE HER FROM ME. MY DAUGHTER DOESN'T BELONG IN A FRIDGE. SHE NEVER LIKED THE COLD. DO YOU SEE THEM? THEY'RE RECORDING THEIR DEATHS. DO YOU SEE THEM DYING? THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE SCREAMING AND YOU SHAMEFULLY PLUCK YOUR EARS. IN WHAT WAY IS THIS A PROPORTIONATE RESPONSE? WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO SAY PALESTINIAN AND GAZA, SO FORGIVE ME IF I COME OFF AS DISRESPECTFUL. I TIRE OF ABIDING BY DECORUM. SO YOU MAY RECEIVE A DAMPEN VERSION OF OUR GRIEF OR ANGER OR DESPAIR AS IT IS EASY TO, EASIER TO IGNORE, BUT IT WILL NO LONGER MAKE OUR RAGE EASY TO SWALLOW. IT'S HERE. IT IS PRESENT, AND WE PAY YOU WITH OUR TAXES. TAXES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, NICOLE WONG. NICOLE WONG. NICOLE. NICOLE. NEXT SPEAKER. ROBERTO JI. ROBERTO JI. ROBERTO IS HERE. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM NOT PALESTINIAN, BUT I HAVE LIVED LONG ENOUGH IN HOUSTON TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO, SO MUCH SO THAT I ENDED UP MARRYING ONE AT THE CHAPEL OF ST. BASIL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THESE BIG DECISIONS ARE NOT UP TO YOU TO DECIDE, BUT YOU ARE OUR CLOSEST ALLIES TO TALK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO EXPRESS WHAT YOUR PEOPLE THAT CHOSE YOU FOR THESE POSITIONS WANT. THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE FOR IT IS UP TO YOU TO SAY SOMETHING TO BE THE CHANGE THAT WE DEMAND. THAT IS WHY YOU WERE ELECTED. IF THESE MEETINGS ARE BECOMING TOO TEDIOUS, SAY SOMETHING. ASK YOUR COLLEAGUES TO DO SOMETHING. WE ARE ALL AGAINST HOUSE BILL 8 8 8, WHICH DOESN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS AS ACTUAL PEOPLE WHO EXIST. THIS IS NOT A MATTER OF HOSTAGES OR CALLING THEM PRISONERS. IT'S ABOUT ACTUAL HUMAN BEINGS THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE A RIGHT TO NATIONALITY. THEY DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO COUNTRY OR FREEDOM. YEAH, TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, NADINE OED. NADINE OED. NADINE IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY PRISCILLA RAMIREZ. MY NAME IS NADINA BAD. I AM A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN AND PALESTINIAN AMERICAN. I WAS BORN HERE, WENT TO COLLEGE HERE, AND I WORK IN THE MED CENTER. I'M A TAXPAYING LAW ABIDING CITIZEN THAT HAS TO WATCH HER HARD EARNED MONEY DIRECTLY GO TO A GENOCIDE AGAINST HER OWN FAMILY. ON NAKBA DAY IN 1948, ISRAEL STOLE MY GREAT GRANDPA'S FAMOUS BUILDING IN JERUSALEM. THE SANOR BUILDING TO SAY THIS STARTED ON OCTOBER 7TH IS ASININE. IT TAKES A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH TO SEE THAT ISRAEL IS A RACIST AND APARTHEID STATE. WITH [01:15:01] LAWS LIKE THE NATION STATE LAW. ARABS ARE TREATED LIKE SECOND CLASS CITIZENS. I REFUSE TO BE TREATED LIKE A SECOND CLASS CITIZEN AND BE DEHUMANIZED BY MY FELLOW AMERICANS. I SHOULD NEVER FEEL UNSAFE IN MY OWN CITY. I SHOULD NEVER BE TAXED WITHOUT PROPER REPRESENTATION. I SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAD TO BEG MY OWN REPRESENTATIVES TO CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. BUT HERE I AM STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY TO PLEAD FOR THE HUMANITY OF INNOCENT WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND MEN, TO STOP THE SLAUGHTER OF AN ENTIRE ETHNICITY JUST FOR THE FERTILITY OF THE MIDDLE EAST. STOP THE HIERARCHY OF HUMANS AND VOTE TO REGARD LIFE PRECIOUSLY. YOU CAN'T BUILD A HOLY LAND ON GRAVEYARD OF CHILDREN. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PRISCILLA RAMIREZ. PRISCILLA RAMIREZ. PRISCILLA. PRISCILLA. NEXT. NEXT SPEAKER, CIDRA KHAN. CIDRA KHAN. CIDRA KHAN IS HERE. MY NAME IS SADAN. I'M EIGHT YEARS OLD. MY FACE IS ROUND. MY HAIR IS LONG. I LOVE TO DRAW. I LOVE COLORS. I LOVE HORSES AND I LOVE BEADS. MY DREAM IS TO BECOME A DOCTOR. BUT AFTER OCTOBER 9TH, MY DREAMS CHANGED A LITTLE. MY DREAM BECAME A, A SMALL HOUSE WITH TOYS, A BOX OF BEADS AND A JACKET TO KEEP ME WARM AFTER I LOST MY HOME AND ALL OF MY BELONGINGS IN THE BOMBING OF GAZA CITY AND AFTER NOVEMBER 4TH, MY DREAM WAS FOR MY HAIR TO GROW LONGER BECAUSE THEY SHAVED IT OFF SO I COULD GATHER MY HEAD. AFTER THEY BONDED THE HOUSE WE WENT TO FOR REFUGE, MY DREAM IS TO RUN BECAUSE I HAVE AN INJURY IN MY LEG NOW AND MY FINGERS ARE BROKEN. MY DREAM IS TO REMOVE THE NEEDLE IN MY FINGER AND FOR MY FACE TO RETURN ROUND AND CLEAN BECAUSE MY FACE IS COVERED WITH STITCH MARKS AND MY HANDS AND FEET ARE LEFT WITH BURN MARKS. I WANNA BE A DOCTOR TO PROVE TO THE CHILDREN THAT EVERYTHING CAN BE TREATED AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. WITH JUST A LITTLE MORE TIME. THE WAY MY MOTHER TELLS ME EVERY DAY THAT ALL OF MY WOUNDS WILL HEAL AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE, MY HAIR WILL GROW. I WILL WALK ON MY LEGS AGAIN AND I'LL HAVE A HOUSE WITH A PILLOW, A SOFT PILLOW TO SLEEP ON WITHOUT THINKING THAT I'M STILL UNDER THE RUBBLE STRONG SEDAN. MY MOM CALLS ME. I AM THE STRONG SEDAN. CALL FOR A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE TO END THE YES. TIME HAS EXPIRED TO END THE MURDER OF CIVILIANS. THANK YOU. AND STOP THE INDISCRIMINATE BOMBING THAT THE STATE OF ISRAEL HAS PUT THE PALESTINIAN VERY PEOPLE UNDER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, SARAH SAYID. SARAH IS HERE. MY NAME IS SARA. SAY. I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE SENIOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZER FOR WOODY JUNTO JUNTOS LOCATED IN DISTRICT A. WE COME HERE VERY REGULARLY TO ENGAGE WITH YOU SO YOU CAN HEAR WITH OUR FROM OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. MARY TURNER. I'M A PART OF YOUR ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER, A API ADVISORY BOARD. WE HAVE RECENTLY AGREED TO REVIEW A DRAFT FOR A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION. RECENTLY, THE TEXAS DEMOCRATIC PARTY ALSO PUT OUT A RESOLUTION FOR A CEASEFIRE SURROUNDING DEMOCRATIC PARTIES IN FORT BEND HAVE ALREADY PUT ONE OUT. MONTGOMERY AND HARRIS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO DO SO TOO. WE ARE NOW AT A 60 DAY MILITARY CAMPAIGN MARKED BY DISPROPORTIONATE USE OF FORCE. IT HAS BEEN DETRIMENTAL TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DISPLACED, WHO CALL OCCUPIED PALESTINE, ISRAEL, SYRIAN LAN, AND SOUTHERN LEBANON, THEIR HOME. WE, ALONG WITH DOZENS OF OUR COALITION PARTNERS, ARE CLOSELY WORKING WITH PEOPLE IN HARRIS COUNTY, DIRECTLY IMPACTED, BUT ARE CONCERNED. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE TO SUPPORT PREDOMINANTLY ISRAELI NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND FAITH GROUPS. YET THERE IS NO EQUITABLE SOURCE OF RELIEF OR SUPPORT FOR THE LATTER. IT, ESPECIALLY FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. THIS TRICKLES DOWN INTO OUR COUNTY AND IT MAKES US FEEL UNSAFE. TIME HAS EXPIRED AND UNHEARD. WE DEMAND A CEASE FIRE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PERIA LATIF. PERIA. LATIF PERIA IS HERE. BE FOLLOWED BY HANNAH DENBERG. HELLO MAYOR. HELLO COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, MY SPEECH WAS THREE MINUTES LONG. I ONLY HAVE ONE MINUTE. I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT GAZA. I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY. I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT WA , WHO WAS STABBED 26 TIMES IN CHICAGO. I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE THREE PALESTINIAN MUSLIM AMERICAN STUDENTS IN BROWN UNIVERSITY WHO WERE SHOT, ONE OF WHOM WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK AGAIN. HE WAS ONLY 20 YEARS OLD, IS I WILL ALSO TALK ABOUT THE PAKISTANI DOCTOR LIKE ME, WHO HAD RECENTLY MOVED FROM SEATTLE WHO WAS STABBED IN HER APARTMENT BUILDING. UM, AS A MUSLIM MOM OF TWO YOUNG MUSLIM BOYS. I'M FEELING INCREASINGLY UNSAFE IN HOUSTON. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I FEEL IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH WHAT THE MEDIA [01:20:01] DOES TO US. DEHUMANIZES US. MY KIDS ARE NOT ROTTING IN AN INCUBATOR IN A HOSPITAL SOMEWHERE. THEY'RE HERE IN HOUSTON. BUT COULD YOU PLEASE GIVE ME AN ASSURITY THAT THEY'RE ALSO NOT GONNA BE SHOT WHILE PLAYING SOCCER OUTSIDE BECAUSE THERE ARE LESS HUMAN THAN THE REST OF US. WELL, I CAN CERTAINLY TELL YOU THAT THERE IS NO LESS HUMAN PERSON IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. EVERYBODY. I FEEL LIKE I AM ONE. MY CHILDREN ARE ONE. ALL THE MUSLIMS DO FEEL LESS HUMAN. THAT'S WHY I'M SPEAKING TO YOU. EVERYBODY SHOULD BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT EVERY, THERE IS NO MAYOR. ARE WE, IS THE COUNCIL HERE DOING ANYTHING TO ADDRESS ISLAMOPHOBIA AND HOUSTON? IS THERE A TASK FORCE WE HAVE ALWAYS ADDRESSED? IT IS SOMIA PHOBIA IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE HAVE SPEAKING, WE HAVE SPOKEN AND ACTED AGAINST ANY HATE. OKAY. THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE. THAT HAS NOT CHANGED. THAT IS, HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO SOMEBODY WHO LOOKS LIKE ME AND I I HAVE SPOKEN AT MANY GROUPS ACROSS THIS CITY. SO SPECIFICALLY AFTER OCTOBER 7TH. YES MA'AM. I HAVE SPOKEN AT THE ARAB CU UM, UM, UH, CULTURAL BANQUET GALA. YES. WITHIN THE LAST 30, 30 DAYS OR SO. SO NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. EVERYONE IS RESPECTED IN THIS CITY. THERE IS NO RESPECT OF PERSON BASED ON GROUPS. NOW, SIMPLY BECAUSE SOMEONE DOESN'T ACT, ACT LIKE PEOPLE WANT THEM TO ACT, DOESN'T MAKE PEOPLE, THE ENEMY OF ANYONE IN THIS CITY DOESN'T MAKE ANYONE THE ENEMY. YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME TO SPEAK. NOTHING HAS CHANGED AND, AND ANY HATE AGAINST MUSLIMS OR JEWS OR CHRISTIANS, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT PERMITTED OR TOLERATED IN THIS CITY. THAT HASN'T CHANGED. THAT HASN'T CHANGED. SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT PLEASE, WE ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW ANY GROUP OR ANY PERSON TO BE TREATED UNFAIRLY OR TO BE VICTIMIZED IN THIS CITY WITHOUT US RESPONDING. THAT HASN'T CHANGED. THAT HASN'T CHANGED, AND I'VE GONE TO EVERY GROUP IN THIS CITY. I'VE SPOKEN BEFORE PALESTINIANS IN THIS CITY. THAT'S NOT CHANGING. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. HANNAH THALBERG. HANNAH THALBERG. HANNAH. HANNAH IS HERE. MY NAME IS HANNAH THALBERG. I'M A DISTRICT I RESIDENT AND MEMBER OF JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE, AND I'M HERE TO CALL ON CITY COUNCIL TO DEMAND A PERMANENT CEASE FIRE AND FREE FLOW OF HUMANITARIAN AID IN . IT'S BASED ON THE JEWISH VALUE THAT ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE EQUAL FROM OUR MANDATES TO PRESERVE LIFE AND PURSUE JUSTICE. THAT I KNOW WE NEED A CEASEFIRE, A LIFTING OF THE TO RELEASE EVERYONE, FOR EVERYONE AND TO END THE ROOT CAUSE OF ALL THE VIOLENCE WE'RE SEEING. ISRAEL'S DECADES LONG SYSTEM OF OCCUPATION, DISPOSSESSION AND APARTHEID AGAINST PALESTINIANS. SAFETY FOR JEWS, PALESTINIANS, AND ALL PEOPLE COMES FROM SOLIDARITY, NOT SUBJUGATION. THE US GOVERNMENT IS SUPPORTING ISRAEL AND ITS PUBLICLY STATED INTENTION TO COMMIT GENOCIDE AGAINST PALESTINIANS, AND OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE FUNDING THE WEAPONS THAT MAKE THAT POSSIBLE. DON'T YOU WANT THAT FEDERAL MONEY TO FUND FLOOD MITIGATION, HEALTHCARE AND HOUSING RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON? Y'ALL CAN BE MODELS FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS IN STANDING ON THE SIDE OF JUSTICE AND RECOGNIZING THAT NO ONE SHOULD BE DEPRIVED OF THEIR HUMANITY SAFETY AND RIGHT TO THEIR LAND. MY OWN COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS AND MA MAYOR TURNER, YOU CAN FINISH YOUR TERMS ON THIS COURAGEOUS NOTE. WILL YOU CALL FOR CEASEFIRE NOW? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. ALICIA FACO. ALICIA FACO. ALICIA, ONE SECOND. ONE SECOND. ALICIA FACO. WAIT. NOW, ONE THING I WANT TO TOLERATE IS ANY DISRESPECT TO ANYBODY HERE. EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO VOICE THEIR VIEWS AND YOU'RE ENTITLED TO VOICE YOUR VIEWS, BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO SHOW DISRESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER. PLEASE, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU, IF YOU'LL MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL MONITOR WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT IN THE HALLWAY. OKAY. NEXT SPEAKER, WILL HILL. WILL HILL, WILL HILL. WELL, NEXT SPEAKER, GENEVA. COLBERT. GENE, GENEVA COLBERT. GENEVA. COLBERT. NEXT SPEAKER GEORGE LEBLANC. GEORGE LEBLANC. [01:25:02] GEORGE LEBLANC. GEORGE. NEXT SPEAKER STEPHANIE VALDEZ. STEPHANIE VALDEZ. STEPHANIE IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CEDRIC MIMS. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME'S STEPHANIE VALEZ AND I'M THE WATER JUSTICE ORGANIZER WITH SEER, THE COALITION FOR ENVIRONMENT EQUITY AND RESILIENCE. AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF THE PRIVATIZATION OF THE SOUTHEAST WATER PLANT. MANY PEOPLE IN OUR CITY, INCLUDING RESIDENTS, WORKERS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS ARE UNEASY ABOUT THIS IDEA, CONSIDERING THE CONSEQUENCE OF WATER PRIVATIZATION. WE'VE SEEN WHAT IN OTHER PLACES LIKE FLINT, MICHIGAN, WHEN PROFIT BECOMES A PRIORITY, IT CAN LEAD TO WATER QUALITY ISSUES, SERVICE DISRUPTIONS, AND EVEN HEALTH RISKS. IT WAS MORE ALARMING TO LEARN THAT MAYOR TURNER GOT $15,000 FROM 2018 TO 2019 FOR HIS CAMPAIGN FROM A GROUP LINKED TO ONE OF THE COMPANIES TRYING TO GET THE WATER PLAN CONTRACTED. THAT COMPANY IS JACOBS ALSO GOT A BIG CONTRACT TO HELP OUR CITY'S WATER SYSTEM LAST SUMMER. WE TRUST THAT YOU AS REPRESENTATIVES ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON, WILL MAKE DECISIONS THAT WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US, NOT JUST THOSE WITH DEEP POCKETS FOR POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS. SO TAKING IT UP WITH THE NEXT MAYOR, IT'S NOT ENOUGH. YOU ARE A MAYOR RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE ASKING YOU TO CANCEL THIS PLAN. THANK YOU. DO YOU KNOW I AM SO TEMPTED TO HOLD MY TONGUE TODAY? I DO. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO YOUR WAY TO TRY TO SLAM ANYBODY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. YOU CANNOT TAKE YOUR SEAT. C INFORMATION IS FREE ONLINE AND PUBLIC. YOU CAN TAKE, YOU CAN TAKE YOUR SEAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CEDRIC MIMS, CEDRIC MIMS, C CEDRIC CEDRIC'S. HERE CEDRIC IS HERE. ONE MINUTE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TELL YOU THAT VANESSA HARRIS FELL ILL BEHIND NOT HAVING NOWHERE TO STAY DUE TO STRESS. SHE HAD A BRAIN AISM. ONE MINUTE IS NOT ENOUGH TO TELL YOU THAT AKIA LEWIS HAD TO SEPARATE HER FAMILY DUE TO CORRUPTION AT THE REDFORD APARTMENTS. ONE MINUTE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO TELL YOU THAT WE ARE STILL HOMELESS. EVEN THOUGH OUR SITUATION IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE HAVE FUNDS FROM RENT RELIEF, WE ARE STILL OUT HERE. WE STILL NEED HELP. ONE MINUTE IS NOT ENOUGH TO TELL YOU TO RENT APARTMENTS OR IN THAT THIRD MANAGEMENT TO TAKE OVER THE PROPERTY. ONE MINUTE IS NOT ENOUGH TO TELL YOU THE CORRUPTION AND THE DEPTHS OF HOW IT HAS DESTROYED OUR LIVES. BUT ONE MINUTE IS NOT ENOUGH TO ASK. HOW CAN WE BE HELPED LIKE OUR PEERS FROM SECTION EIGHT WITH HHA RAPID REHOUSING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ONE MINUTE WAS NOT ENOUGH. COUNCILMAN POLL SIR. COME NEXT SPEAKER. NEXT SPEAKER. NEXT SPEAKER. WAS THIS, THIS NA. NATISHA MILES. NATISHA MILES. HI. HOW IS EVERYONE DOING? UM, AFTER BEING HERE AND LISTENING TO THE OTHER SPEAKERS? ALL LIVES MATTER. ALL OF OUR LIVES MATTER. AND IT'S A SHAME BECAUSE AS BIG AS OUR OUR OUR CITY IS, WE ALL SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT FOR EACH OTHER AND HELPING EACH OTHER AS HUMAN BEINGS, AS PEOPLE OF GOD. DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR BELIEFS ARE, BUT I KNOW WHERE MINE ARE IN. UM, HIS NAME WAS MISPRONOUNCED, BUT IT'S A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE. MR. FREDERICK MIMS. WE ARE WORKING IN WITH AN ORGANIZATION, S-E-T-I-O. UM, AND WE HAVE DECIDED THAT WE'RE GONNA HELP. AND UNTIL EVERYONE THAT THAT NEEDS HELP GETS HELP, EVERYONE HAS NOT BE BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE HELP. HE PAID RENT, HIS RENT WAS STOLEN. WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT? SIT BACK AND LET THINGS BE DONE AND NOT INVESTIGATE AND, AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. MS. JOHNNY DIDN'T COME TODAY. SHE'S SUPPOSED TO BE SPEAKING AFTER ME, BUT YOUR TIME. THESE LETTERS ARE FROM HER. ONE SECOND. WE NEED HELP. SHE'S A VICTIM OF BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULTED COUNCILMAN AND HAVING TO STAY AT THOSE APARTMENTS GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING. ONE SECOND, ONE SECOND. I'M SORRY. ONE SECOND. COUNCILMAN POLLETT. THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU MA'AM FOR COMING FORWARD. UH, WE HEAR [01:30:01] YOUR FRUSTRATION AND YOUR ISSUES. UH, DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC ASK FOR US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, REGARDING YOUR SPECIFIC, UM, CONCERN? I'M GONNA SAY, SAY IT LIKE THIS AT THE REDFORD APARTMENTS OFF OF 45 SOUTH, THE CABO ST. LUCAS APARTMENT, AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'VE BEEN, WE COME FROM. AND I'M ASKING THAT THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME FROM THERE, THEY GET THE ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRANSFER SOMEWHERE ELSE TO HAVE A, A PLACE THAT'S SAFE TO, TO RESIDE IN BECAUSE THAT HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED FOR US. WE'VE ENDURED A WHOLE LOT AND YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE OUR FACES. MINE ANYWAYS. I I'M NOT GIVING UP BECAUSE IT'S NOT RIGHT. WE'RE ALL HUMAN BEINGS. WHAT DO YOU HAVE WITH YOU? UM, THIS CAME FROM MISS JOHNNY. SHE WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE LAST NIGHT. HER DAUGHTER BROKE HER ARM. BUT THIS IS FROM THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE COME FROM AND I'M ASKING THAT Y'ALL WILL LOOK INTO HELPING EVERY LAST PERSON THAT IS REPRESENTED WITH US TO HELP US TO BE ABLE TO, TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. HIS RENT WAS STOLEN. HE WASN'T GIVEN A, A A, A VOUCHER. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. REINE ATMORE. REINE ATMORE LORRAINE, YOUR HONOR. I MEAN, I'M SORRY. MAYOR TURNER. HONORABLE MAYOR TURNER. WE WERE HERE SEVERAL TIMES. WE ASKED FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. YOU ASKED US TO WAIT FOR A WEEK AND WE CERTAINLY DID HEAR A RESPONSE. A RESPONSE. WE HEARD WE WERE GIVEN A 60 PAGE APPLICATION FOR THE HCV VOUCHER. WE WERE GIVEN TO US ON A THURSDAY EVENING. THE NEXT MORNING AT NINE O'CLOCK THEY CAME TO PICK IT UP. THERE WERE DOCUMENTS THAT NEEDED TO BE INSERTED THAT WERE NOT, WE HAD NOT GOTTEN A CHANCE TO, UH, GET DONE. SO THE PEOPLE WERE SUPPOSED TO COME BACK OUT AND PICK UP THE DOCUMENTS AND THEY DIDN'T. UH, WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING BACK. WE'RE JUST SIMPLY ASKING THAT YOU WILL HELP US COMPLETE THIS PROCESS AND GETTING THESE VOUCHERS IN OUR HANDS SO THAT WE CAN BE MOVED. I BELIEVE IN GOD. I BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD SAYS TO HE WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS ISRAEL AND HE WILL CURSE THOSE WHO CURSE ISRAEL. I ALONE, AND MY SON AND MY FAMILY STOOD WHEN HIS OLDER SON WAS MURDERED. YOUR TIME, WE LOST TIRED. I SIT RIGHT NOW EVERY NIGHT I SLEEP WITH MY CREMATED SON. I GOT YOU IN OUR HOME NOT KNOWING WHERE WE GOING TO BE. I GOT YOU. ONE SECOND. WHO PICKED UP? WHO, WHO PICKED UP THE DOCUMENTS UP FROM YOU? UH, WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE LADY? ANYONE HAVE THE NAME OF THE LADY THAT PICKED UP THE DOCUMENTS? WE EMAILED HER. DO YOU KNOW WHICH DEPARTMENT? DO YOU KNOW WHICH DEPARTMENT THEY WORKED WITH? YES. UM, UH, SO WHAT WE'RE WAITING ON IS I DIDN'T WANNA GO TO THE SECTION EIGHT OFFICE BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA BUS BUST ANY BALLOONS. THE BALL IS IN YOUR HANDS. YOU, YOU'VE TAKEN ACTION WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, AND WE ARE JUST SITTING BACK AT THE RECIPIENT AND WAITING FOR IT TO THE COMPLETION OF THE PROCESS. LET'S, LET'S, BUT RIGHT NOW NO ONE IS ANSWERING OUR PHONE CALLS. NO ONE IS COMING BACK OUT TO GIVE US A VOUCHER. AND WHO AND WHO ARE YOU CALLING? UH, WHAT'S THE NAME? LOOK IN THE PHONE. UM, DINA, WHAT'S HER NAME? DOES ANYBODY HAVE THE LADY'S NAME? OKAY, I TELL YOU WHAT, IF, IF YOU ARE PROVIDE WHATEVER INFORMATION WE HAVE THE NAME OF THE LADY, OKAY? GIVE, GIVE THAT, UH, NAME OF WHATEVER INFORMATION YOU HAVE. GIVE IT TO RHONDA RIGHT THERE. OKAY? OKAY. GIVE IT TO RHONDA. THAT'S RHONDA, RIGHT? AIN THERE. AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER THING. UH, MAYOR TURNER. I KNOW THESE, THESE THINGS THAT'S GOING ON, THEY, THEY NEED TO STOP BECAUSE MOST OF THESE VOUCHERS WAS DONE UNDERNEATH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN AND WE ARE PROTECTED BY THE CARES, UH, TENANT PROTECTION, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU DON'T JUST GIVE US A THREE DAY NOTICE, YOU HAVE TO GIVE US A 30 DAY NOTICE. RIGHT? I UNDERSTAND. AND THESE COUNTY JUSTICE AND THESE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE ARE TOTALLY VIOLATING PEOPLE'S RIGHTS. JUST SLIP, SITTING THEM OUT. I UNDERSTAND. AND THISAND IS NOT RIGHT. I HAVE ONE SON ONLY LEFT. I GOT YOU. IF YOU, IF YOU WALK RIGHT OVER THERE AND TALK TO RHONDA, OKAY? YOU'LL GO RIGHT OVER THERE AND TALK TO RHONDA. [01:35:01] THANK YOU. OKAY. RHONDA, IF YOU'LL GET WHATEVER INFORMATION YOU CAN TRY, LEMME TRY TO FIND OUT WHO, WHO THEY WERE TALKING WITH. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. JOHNNY JAR. I THINK JOHNNY JAR IS NOT HERE, RIGHT? UH, BILLY GUEVARA. BILLY GUEVARA. BILLY IS HERE. AND THIS MIC. ALRIGHT. RIGHT IN FRONT OF THAT MIC. I LOSE YOUR LEFT. THERE YOU GO. OKAY, BILLY. OKAY. YES. I'M HERE TO SPEAK, UH, ABOUT THE WATER PRIVATIZATION. NOW I KNOW WHAT YOU TOLD THE OTHERS, BUT JUST TO REITERATE, CANNOT TRUST A CORPORATE AMERICA. AND THE CITY TRIED TO FLY THIS UNDER OUR RADAR. WE WERE TOLD BY A CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT THIS WAS ACTUALLY GOING ON TO PRIVATIZE THE SOUTHEAST HOUSTON PARK OF THE CITY FOR WATER TREATMENT. WE NEED TO LEARN FROM THE LESSONS THAT IT DID NOT WORK IN FLINT, MICHIGAN. WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE. AND WE ALL KNOW THAT JACOBS HAS A CRAPPY TRACK RECORD, ESPECIALLY IN NORTH MIAMI BEACH. NOW, MAYOR TURNER, YOU SAID, UH, TAKE IT UP WITH THE NEXT MAYOR, BUT GUESS WHAT? YOU HAVE A STAKE IN THIS AND SO DOES THE NEXT MAYOR. WE ALL KNOW WHO THE NEXT MAYOR IS GONNA BE. CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM THIS. IT'S NOT GONNA GO AWAY. AND WE JUST NEED TO EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT RIGHT. THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE GONNA BENEFIT OR THE PEOPLE IN THE HIGHER UPS, PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT, CORPORATE AMERICA, AND, AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA HURT THE MOST ARE THE RESIDENTS. YOU START OFF WITH ONE. THANK YOU. YEAH. TIME HAS EXPIRED. WELL, THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT THERE'S, IT IS NOT GONNA BE ANY PROBLEMIZATION ON MY WATCH, BUT UH, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE NEXT MAYOR AND THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL. OKAY. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. ELIZABETH LUMIA. ELIZABETH LUMIA BE FOLLOWED BY TRACY HAMLIN. ELIZABETH LUMIA, SORRY. UM, MY NAME IS ELIZABETH. UM, I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MS. ALICE TORRES TODAY. UM, SHE IS A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE NORTH HOBBY CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND A RESPECTED COMMUNITY MEMBER AND ADVOCATE. UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN REGARD TO, UH, PRIVATIZATION OF THE SOUTHEAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT. IT'S PERPLEXING TO ME AS TO WHY THIS WOULD EVEN BE UNDER CONSIDERATION. SINCE THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF HAVING WATER, UM, ARE TO PROVIDE SAFE AND ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY TO THE CITY'S CONSTITUENTS BY A NOT PER NOT PERFOR PROFIT PROVIDER. BY HAVING A NOT, OH MY GOD, NOT PER PROFIT PROVIDER, IT SHOULD ENSURE THE SOLE GOAL OF HAVING CLEAN WATER IN SOUTHEAST. UM, AND THEN ALSO HAVING, AND ALSO PROVIDING WATER TO THE SOUTHEAST HOUSTON. THIS, UH, SPECIFIC WATER CENTER IS ONE OF THE BEST IN, UM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON. BY CHANGING THE SYSTEM, UM, TO A TAKEOVER FOR, TO TAKE OVER FOR A CORPORATION, UM, THIS CHANGES THE GOALS OF PROVIDING SERVICE, UM, OF CLEAN WATER TO BOTTOM LINE MENTALITY AND HOW TO LOWER COSTS, UM, TO MEET A PROFIT MARGIN. IT IS MY CONCERN THAT IF THE WATER IS PRIVATIZED, WE'LL NO LONGER HAVE A HAVE THE SAY THAT WE CURRENTLY HOLD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TIME HAS EXPIRED. NEXT SPEAKER, TRACY HAMLIN. TRACY HAMLIN. WE FOLLOWED BY ALICE LOU. HI. THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE. UH, MY NAME'S TRACY HAMLIN. I'M A MOTHER AND A RESIDENT IN DISTRICT I IN THE IDLE WOOD NEIGHBORHOOD IN SOUTHEAST HOUSTON. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSAL FOR THE TRANSFER OF MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT TO A CORPORATION. UM, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR SAYING THAT YOU GUARANTEE THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN. THAT IS REASSURING. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AROUND THE TOPIC THOUGH BRINGS THE MOTIVES INTO QUESTION. SO IT MAKES ME QUESTION, UH, WHAT YOU SAID. UM, I'VE HEARD NEIGHBORS HERE SPEAK ABOUT THIS IN AUGUST AND HAVEN'T HEARD ANY RESULTING TRANSPARENCY. UH, THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF THING THAT'S DAMAGING VOTER CONFIDENCE IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AS EVIDENCED BY HOUSTON'S EMBARRASSING VOTER TURNOUT NUMBERS. UM, I THINK I WOULD BE REMISS TO ALSO POINT OUT THAT I TOTALLY SUPPORT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, UH, VOCALLY EXPRESSING EXPLICITLY YOUR SUPPORT FOR A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA. UH, THERE IS [01:40:01] NO QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT'S A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. HAS EXPIRED. ALICE LIU. NEXT SPEAKER ALICE LOU IS HERE. BE FOLLOWED BY DAVE JOHNSON. MY NAME IS ALICE LIU. I'M HERE TODAY AS A CLIMATE ORGANIZER WITH WEST STREET RECOVERY AND THE NAC. AND I'M PROUD TO JOIN THE CALLS FROM AROUND THE WORLD FOR PALESTINIAN LIBERATION. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SPENT YEARS ADVOCATING FOR HOUSTON TO INVEST IN LIFESAVING DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, I KNOW HOW DAMN HARD IT IS TO FIGHT FOR THE THINGS WE NEED IN THIS COUNTRY. IT TOOK US THREE YEARS TO GET $20 MILLION FOR BETTER DRAINAGE IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON. WE SEE A CENTRAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS THE COUNTRY BEING SOLD OR CONTRACTED OUT TO PRIVATE COMPANIES, INCLUDING THE SOUTHEAST WATER PURIFICATION PLANT THAT SERVES OVER 1 MILLION HOUSTONIANS. UH, MAYOR TURNER, THANKS FOR YOUR STATEMENT, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT MAYOR. WE ARE HERE TO ASK CITY COUNCIL TO CANCEL THE RFP, UH, AS IS IN YOUR POWER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AND OVERALL, WE'RE TIRED OF BEING TOLD THAT THERE ISN'T MONEY FOR SAFE WATER. WE'RE TOLD THERE'S NO MONEY FOR HEALTHCARE, FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, FOR EDUCATION, BUT THERE IS ALWAYS MONEY FOR WAR. THERE IS ALWAYS MORE THAN ENOUGH MONEY TO BOMB CIVILIANS AS LONG AS THEY'RE BROWN. DO PALESTINIANS DESERVE TO DREAM FOR THE FUTURE TOO? OR IS IT ONLY WHEN BLUE EYE CHILDREN ARE BOMBED, MURDERED AND OCCUPIED THAT THE SO-CALLED DEMOCRACIES OF THE WEST SUDDENLY DECIDE TO CARE ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU BEING PRESENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I SEE WE ARE GONNA COMPLETE ALL THE ISSUES TODAY ALL INTO ONE. SO NEXT SPEAKER, DAVE JOHNSON. DAVE JOHNSON. GOOD AFTERNOON TO THIS BODY. UH, GLAD TO BE HERE. I REPRESENT A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS AND I WANNA SAY THAT THERE WAS SOME THINGS THAT WAS DONE. I FEEL IT WAS OUTTA ORDER. I'M A MEMBER OF DISTRICT H. OUR FAMILY HAVE LIVED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AND NOW WE BEEN RED LINING. THEY HAVE SESSION OUT INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS WHERE TRAVELS A MILE THIS WAY AND 15 TO FIVE MILES THE OTHER WAY. AND IT'S SESSION OUT TO JUST THREE BLOCKS BY FIVE BLOCKS. THEY HAVE REDLINING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY HAVE SEEN WHAT WE CALL THE HOP. HOP IS A TYPE OF ORGANIZATION LIKE THE HOA. THEY ENFORCE THE LAWS THAT WAS GIVEN ACCORDING TO UH, UH, CALLS 20 23, 2 32, WHERE THEY WANT REDISTRICT AUBURN NEIGHBORHOOD. JUST THOSE FIVE BLOCKS, NOT THE WHOLE INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS. AND WE THINK IT'S A STEAL. WE THINK IT'S A LAND GRAB. WE THINK WE'VE BEEN PER, SIR, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. I CAN COME BACK NEXT WEEK. YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY. I BETTER, BETTER THAN YET. I'M COMING. I'M COMING. I'M COMING OUT TO INDEPENDENT HIKES NEXT WEEK. UM, WHAT YOU NEED TO TALK TO US ABOUT. 'CAUSE MARTY MAY KNOW THAT'S WHY I'M COMING TO INDEPENDENT MARTY DON'T REPRESENT THAT PLACE. I'M COMING TO INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE IN INDEPENDENT HIKES. WELL, I'LL BE OUT THERE. OH, WHO YOU GONNA TALK TO? MARTY DOESN'T REPRESENT IT. SHE GAVE IT UP IN 1915. I'M COMING TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS. THEY, I'M COMING TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT 100 MEMBERS IN THIS ONE DECISION. WELL, I'M COMING TO EXPLAIN IT 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I TRIED TO CALL YOU, SO YEAH, I'M COMING TO WHERE YOU ALL ARE. OKAY. OH, YEAH. I REPRESENTED INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS FOR 27 YEARS. I I'M NO INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS. YEAH, YOU, I VOTED FOR YOU AND I APPRECIATE THAT. IN THIS STEP BACK, WE GONNA HAVE A, WE GONNA HAVE A CONVERSATION. I TODAY TALK. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL SEE YOU. OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER, ER, AB GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. I'M A PALESTINIAN AMERICAN AND HOUSTONIAN, YOU MIGHT WONDER WHAT WE'RE ALL DOING HERE AND WHAT DOES THE TEXAS POLITICIAN OR WHO, WHO HOUSTONIAN HAVE TO DO WITH INTERNATIONAL POLITICS? WELL, I'D LIKE TO BRING TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION THAT TEXAS ALONE CONTRIBUTES UPWARDS OF $200 MILLION A YEAR IN CONSTITUENT TAX DOLLARS TOWARDS THE ISRAEL'S MILITARY FUNDING. IN OCTOBER ALONE, THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER ANNOUNCED A PURCHASE OF $20 MILLION IN ISRAEL BONDS WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS SUPPORT TO SUPPORT FUNDING OF THEIR ONGOING MILITARY ACTIONS IN THE REGION. THE COMPTROLLER STATED, AND I QUOTE, FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS, ISRAEL BONDS HAVE BEEN A KEY COMPONENT OF OUR INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO AT THE STATE'S TREASURY PROVIDING A RELIABLE RETURN FOR THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS. I'M HERE TO EXPRESS TO YOU ON BEHALF OF THE THOUSANDS OF YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BRENDAN TRAINOR, BRENDAN TRAINER. [01:45:12] OKAY. UH, I'D LIKE TO START OFF BY SAYING THAT, UM, RECLAIMING MY TIME BECAUSE I'VE NOTICED A LOT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS NOT PAYING ATTENTION DURING PEOPLE'S SPEECHES, SO PLEASE PAY ATTENTION. WE ARE YOUR CONSTITUENTS. WE VOTED FOR YOU AND I'M LOOKING AT YOU. ABBY CAYMAN. YOUR TIME IS RUNNING. YOUR TIME IS RUNNING. YEAH. OKAY. WELL, UM, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, UH, WITH PEOPLE ONLINE. UH, YOU HAVE MEMBERS THAT CAME HERE TO SPEAK SAYING SCHOOLS IN GAZA WHERE THEY STORE ROCKETS AND HAVE KIDS LEARN HOW TO USE AK 40 SEVENS. THEY ARE CALLING CHILDREN HAMAS. UM, THEY ARE DOXING PEOPLE ONLINE POSTING THEIR PRIVATE INFORMATION. HOW MANY MORE FAMILY NAMES HAVE TO GO EXTINCT? HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE YOU CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE? HOW MANY MORE TEARS DO WE HAVE TO CRY BEFORE YOU CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE? BECAUSE WE ARE HERE BEGGING YOU ALL TO PAY ATTENTION, THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN DYING AND YOU HAVE, YOU GUYS JUST DON'T CARE. NOT EVERYONE, BUT CLEARLY COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN RIGHT HERE, WHO IS POST RETWEET FALSE INFORMATION ON TWITTER THAT THE MOSS ROCKET, THE ONE THAT BLEW UP THE HOSPITAL WHEN FORCES EXPIRED THE TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. MAD HA. KK HALF OF GAZA'S POPULATION IS CHILDREN 1.1 MILLION. THE NEW YORK TIMES STATED THAT THE WAR HAS TURNED GAZA INTO A GRAVEYARD OF CHILDREN. THE AVERAGE AGE OF THOSE KILLED IS FIVE YEARS OLD. 10,000 CHILDREN STRIPPED OF THEIR CHANCE TO LIFE AT ALL. NASSER HOSPITAL. NORTH GA GAZA TANKS AROUND IN THE HOSPITAL. THE IDF CUT THE ELECTRICITY AND BOMBED THE OXYGEN STATIONS. AMBULANCES WERE BOMBED AND HALTED FROM ENTRY. THE ENTIRE HOSPITAL WAS FORCED TO EVACUATE, BUT PARENTS AND DOCTORS WERE TOLD THEY COULD NOT TAKE THE PREMATURE BABIES THAT REQUIRED OXYGEN AND VENTILATORS. THE IDF PROMISED THEY WOULD TRANSFER THEIR CHILDREN TO THE RED CROSS AND FORCE FAMILIES TO LEAVE THEIR BABIES BEHIND OR BE KILLED. DURING THE TEMPORARY PAUSE AID ORGANIZATIONS RETURNED TO THE HOSPITAL ONLY TO FIND THE DECOMPOSED BODIES OF THOSE SAME BABIES IN THE SAME PLACE THEY LEFT THEM. THEY DIED OF STARVATION AND THE LACK OF INCUBATION EATEN BY WORMS, BLACKENED BY MOLD, MOLD BY STRAY DOGS. THE MORAL APATHY AND DISREGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE. A PALESTINIAN CHILDREN IS DANGEROUS AND DEPLORABLE. THIS IS ONE OF OUTTA MANY OF THE ATROCITIES COMMITTED AGAINST CHILDREN BY THE IDF. WHAT IF THESE WERE YOUR CHILDREN? NO GOVERNMENT CAN ACT WITH SUCH IMPUNITY AND MORAL DEPRAVITY. WE MUST COLLECTIVELY CALL FOR PERMANENT CEASE STOP US MILITARY AID AND WEAPONS TO STATE OF ISRAEL. YOUR VOICE NOW IS HOW YOU ALL WILL BE REMEMBERED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. STAND FOR HUMANITY, PLEASE. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, SAE KAIN. SAE KAZA SAIF. NEXT SPEAKER ANUSHA SADIK MAG IS HERE. DID YOU KNOW THAT PSYCHOLOGISTS ARE DEVELOPING A NEW FORM OF PTSD FOR THE CHILDREN OF GAZA? OUT OF 15,000 CASUALTIES THAT THE COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT, ISRAEL IS IMPOSED OVER 6,000. THEIR CHILDREN, THEY'RE NOT BOMBED, ONLY THEY'RE STARVED. THEY'RE ORPHANED. THEY'RE DETAINED AS YOUNG AS TWO YEARS OLD, AND THEY'RE TRAPPED UNDER THE REBEL. MOST PARLY, THEY'RE DIE. THEY'RE LEFT TO DIE IN THE NICU. NOW, I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF THESE STORIES, SO I'D LIKE TO DIRECT SOMETHING ELSE TO YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. COUNCIL MEMBER POLLARD. YOU GUYS HAVE THE LARGEST MAJORITY OF MUSLIMS AND ARABS. ONE OF YOU HAS THE RIGHT POLITICS. ONE OF YOU DOES NOT. I INVITE YOU TO CHANGE YOUR TUNE QUICKLY. WE WILL NOT SHOW UP TO THE POLLS. IN FACT, WE WILL VOTE FOR OPPOSITION. WE WILL NOT FUNDRAISE, WE WILL NOT BLOCK WALK. WE ARE OFFERING YOU A VERY OPEN INVITATION. WE HAVE MEMBERS FROM JEWISH VOICES OF PEACE, A NON ZIONIST ORGANIZATION THAT IS WILLING TO SPEAK FOR JEWISH PEOPLE. WE HAVE PALESTINIAN ORGANIZERS AND EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, IF YOU CAN RAISE YOUR HAND, IF YOU DON'T PLAN ON VOTING FOR SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T VOTE FOR A CEASEFIRE. INTERESTING. WE HAVE MORE NUMBERS THAN THAT. WE HAVE NUMBERS AND GROUP CHATS. WE HAVE NUMBERS AND COALITION. WE PLAN ON USING THEM. YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE, REMEMBER, REMEMBERED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY HERE. I INVITE YOU TO DO SO. WE WILL NOT BE COMPLICIT. THIS CITY HAS A POPULATION OF HOMELESSNESS THATS SKYROCKETING EVERY DAY. THE CITY CANNOT AFFORD HEALTHCARE FOR ITS OWN PEOPLE. OUR OWN ORGANIZERS COULDN'T GET HERE BECAUSE SOME OF THEM CAN'T AFFORD CARS. THE PUBLIC TRANSIT DOES NOT WORK. INVEST IN THIS CITY INSTEAD OF ISRAEL. THANK YOU. VERY I'LL JUST DETERMINED TO KEEP TALKING. NEXT SPEAKER, NEXT SPEAKER. SARAH ELSI. SARAH [01:50:01] ELSI. HI EVERYONE. UM, MARY TURNER. I JUST WANNA DIRECT THIS TO YOU. I, I HOPE IT WAS WORTH IT. WHATEVER FRIENDSHIPS YOU HAVE OR WHATEVER AGREEMENTS YOU MADE OR ARRANGEMENTS YOU MADE TO STAND SO FIRMLY ON THIS SIDE, I REALLY HOPE THE LIVES OF 8,000 CHILDREN WERE WORTH IT. THE 20,000 PALESTINIANS WHO'VE LOST THEIR LIVES, ALL OF THE ONES THAT ARE BURIED UNDER THE RUBBLE, THEY CAN'T BREATHE. THEY'RE SUFFOCATING, THEY'RE STARVING. I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU CAN GO TO BED AT NIGHT SAYING THAT IT WAS WORTH IT. YOU NEVER EVEN MADE ONE POST ABOUT THEM. I SAW YOUR INSTAGRAM. I SAW YOU SUPPORTING ISRAEL SAYING THAT HOUSTON STANDS FOR ISRAEL. YOU NEVER EVEN MADE ONE POST ABOUT ONE CHILD. I MEAN, THEY'RE SO INNOCENT. THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. SOME OF THEM WERE BORN YESTERDAY. THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. YOU COULD HAVE JUST PUBLICLY SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THEM. THESE ARE INNOCENT SOULS. THESE ARE INNOCENT CHILDREN. I HAVE A PALESTINIAN DAUGHTER. I DON'T WANT HER TO GROW UP AND SEE WHAT I'M SEEING. I'M BEING TORTURED. HOW COULD I ALLOW MY DAUGHTER, HER PURE EYES TO WITNESS WHAT I'M WITNESSING? I'VE BEEN WAKING UP EVERY SINGLE DAY AND I'VE BEEN SEEING WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE. VIDEOS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. YOU MAKE MISTAKES WHEN YOU DRAW ASSUMPTIONS. YOU HAVEN'T BEEN WITH ME. YOU DON'T KNOW THE TIMES THAT I'VE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST THE, UH, THE LOSS OF LIFE OF CHILDREN IN GAZA OR PALESTINIAN CHILDREN OR CIVILIANS. AND I HAVE YOU MAKE A VERY HUGE MISTAKE. FAKE, BUT THANK YOU. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I I HAVE SEEN YOUR INSTAGRAM. I HAVE SEEN NO, NO, YOU HAVE NOT. YOU HAVE NOT BEEN WITH ME WHEN I I'VE BEEN FOLLOW YOU. WE'VE ALL BEEN FOLLOWING YOU. YOU, YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR OPINION AND YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR ERRONEOUS ASSUMPTIONS. THEY'RE NOT WRONG. OH, WAIT, I LISTEN TO WAIT. YOU, YOU CAN SAY, YOU CAN SAY ONE THING. I'M, I'M SPEAKING NOW. WE HAVE SAT HERE AND LISTENED TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, AND YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO SPEAK YOUR VIEWS, WHETHER YOU ARE RIGHT OR WRONG, AND WE ARE LISTENING TO YOU. ABBY KAMAN ISN'T LISTENING. NO. WAIT A MINUTE. SHE IGNORES US EVERY TIME WE COME UP HERE. I'VE BEEN SEEING HER. YEAH. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME. THE NUMBERS ARE COMPLETELY YOUR DISPROPORTIONATE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. NEXT SPEAKER. AN TASIA ADAM DJI TO BE FOLLOWED BY NICK COOPER. GOOD AFTERNOON. HOLD ON. HOLD ON. TWO SECONDS. OKAY. GO. HELLO. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. WHEN SPEAKING EARLIER, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, YOU MENTIONED TO THAT GROUP EARLIER HOW POWERFUL IT WAS WHEN THEY WERE UNITED AND STICKING TOGETHER. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE. IT'S BEEN CUMBERSOME COMING UP HERE EVERY SINGLE TIME, HEARING THE SAME THINGS POWERED BY EMOTION. BUT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET A MESSAGE ACROSS. BUT THEN YOU HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER KOSH, AND ALL HE SAYS IS, WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT HOSTAGES AND GAZA? WHAT ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE? WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR HUMANITY AND FOR YOU GUYS TO SPEAK UP ON BEHALF OF THOSE THAT ARE BEING TRAPPED IN THIS WAR. THIS UNSETTLING FEELING IN THIS COURTROOM IS ONLY GOING TO GROW LARGER IN THE CITY UNTIL WE SUPPORT A RESOLUTION. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID AS A MUSLIM. MY MOTHER BEGS ME EVERY DAY TO QUIET DOWN BECAUSE SHE IS AFRAID OF ME BEING HURT. BUT I DON'T GET THAT LUXURY. I DON'T GET TO SIT AT HOME AND SEE OTHER PEOPLE BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BECAUSE THEY ARE POWERLESS UNDERNEATH OCCUPIED SETTLERS. THAT'S ALL THAT WE'RE ASKING. AND WE WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SPEAK UP AND MAKE NOISE. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, NICK COOPER, CHIEF FOLLOWED BY MARIO ZA. UM, IN THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE ONE OF THE ZIONIST SPEAKERS WAS ANGRY AT ME AND HE SAID, YOU'RE NOT JEWISH. AND, UH, WELL, OKAY. HE CAN HAVE HIS DETERMINATIONS ABOUT THAT. HE ALSO SAID, THE ONLY THING YOU SHOULD BE SAYING IS RELEASE THE HOSTAGES. THE ONLY THING THAT JEWISH PEOPLE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT IS RELEASING THE HOSTAGES WHEN THERE'S THOUSANDS OF BABIES BEING MURDERED EVERY DAY. YES. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES. HOW MANY TIMES CAN I SAY IT BEFORE WE CAN TALK ABOUT GENOCIDE? THE DEFINITION OF GENOCIDE IS NOT COMPLICATED. WE NEED, AS JEWISH PEOPLE, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PREVENT GENOCIDE. WE NEED THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA AND THEN IT CAN BE VOTED ON. CAN THREE OF YOU RAISE YOUR HANDS THAT YOU'LL PUT IT ON THE AGENDA? JUST, JUST FOR YOUR INFO. UH, DON'T INTERRUPT MY MINUTE, PLEASE. YES. I I'LL GIVE YOU JUST FOR, JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION. DON'T, DON'T [01:55:01] INTERRUPT MY MINUTE. THIS IS MY TIME. PLEASE LEAVE IT. THANK YOU. AND JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, THE CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT DO RESOLUTIONS. WE DON'T DO RESOLUTIONS. OKAY. SO LET'S JUST BE VERY CLEAR. CITY COUNCIL. HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT DO RESOLUTIONS. NOW, THERE ARE RESOLUTIONS WITH REGARDS TO BUSINESS MATTERS AS IT RELATES TO THE CITY, BUT WE DON'T DO RESOLUTIONS IN GENERAL. WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT AND WE CERTAINLY HAVEN'T DONE IT IN EIGHT YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE. I DON'T CARE WHICH, WHICH SITE YOU ARE ON, WE DO NOT DO RESOLUTIONS. OKAY? WE DON'T DO THEM. NOW, OTHER CITY COUNCILS MAY DO THEM, BUT HERE AT THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL IN THE A DA THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, I DON'T CARE WHICH ISSUE COMES UP OR WHERE YOU STAND ON EITHER ISSUE, OR EVEN IF THREE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS PUT TOGETHER AND WANTED TO DO A RESOLUTION, IT WOULD BE RULED OUT OF ORDER BECAUSE WE DON'T DO THOSE TYPE OF RESOLUTIONS. WE DON'T DO THEM. BUT YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO COME AND VOICE YOUR VIEWS. YOU CAN COME AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT TO. THAT'S YOUR RIGHT. NOBODY'S UPSET WITH YOU FOR DOING THAT. YOU CAN BE AS PASSIONATE AS YOU WANT TO BE, AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT DISRESPECTFUL. OKAY? BUT WE DO NOT DO RESOLUTION. THAT IS SOMETHING WE DON'T DO. ALRIGHT, NEXT SPEAKER. MARIO ZA. MARIO ZA TO BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB CLEMENTE. RIGHT BEHIND THE MIC, PLEASE. YEAH. FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THINK, UH, UH, UH, CONSULT ROS. UH, SHE GOT IN TOUCH WITH ME YESTERDAY FROM HER OFFICE, UH, BACK ON OH ONE. AROUND THAT TIME I WORK, UH, A LADY WALKED TO, UH, OUR BUSINESS AND ASKED US, UH, SHE GAVE ME, UH, SOME PAPERS AND ASKED US IF WE WOULD, UH, SUPPORT WHAT THEY WANT TO CREATE. AND AMONG THE THINGS WAS THE THIS, UH, NORTH SIDE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. AND, UH, SHE SAID THAT THEY WERE GONNA BE DOING PE UH, UH, GRAFFITI ABATEMENT, PATCHING HOLES ON THE STREET AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND I TOLD HER THAT WE CANNOT SUPPORT HER BECAUSE THOSE WERE THINGS THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS DOING NOT BACK THEN. AND SO, BUT AT THE END, A FEW YEARS LATER, SHE CAME BACK AND SAID THAT EVERYTHING WAS OKAY. THAT, THAT THIS, UH, WERE, THEY WERE GOING TO CREATE THAT ORGANIZATION. UH, THAT TIME WHEN SHE CAME FIRST, SHE WAS TRYING TO PICK UP SIGNATURES. UH, BUT NOWADAYS, UH, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. UM, COUNCILOR MR. CISNEROS, UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING. I'LL STEP OUT AND VISIT WITH YOU SOME MORE ABOUT THIS IF YOU'D LIKE. OKAY. PLEASE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER. JACOB CLEMENTI. HI GUYS. HEY JACOB. HELLO JACOB. WELCOME TO YOUR TIME. OKAY. UH, I CAN GET THE OFFICER A BOOK FOR Y'ALL TO LOOK AT AND PLEASE, PLEASE RETURN IT. BUT THEN WHEN I'M GONNA PLAY SOME, UH, UH, UM, COME ON. WELL, AND THEN, RIGHT, UM, WELL AT END RATE, UM, I'M GOING TO DO AN IMPRESSION OF, UH, BUGS BUNNY. EH, WHAT'S UP DUCK? BECAUSE HEY, WE HAVE A BUNCH OF LAME DUCKS HERE. . WOW. JACOB, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED AND I DIDN'T EVEN HEAR THE BELL. NEXT SPEAKER, RANDALL BAXLEY RANDALL IS HERE TO BE FOLLOWED BY CAROLYN RIVERA AFTERNOON. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO, UH, PUT, PUT THIS ON UNDER TAG LAST WEEK. GIVES ME A FEW EXTRA SECONDS TO TALK TODAY TO SAY THAT THE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES CORPORATION, WHATEVER THE NAME OF IT IS, UM, A DIFFERENT KIND OF RESOLUTION I GUESS IS, UH, THAT EQUITY EQUALITY IS NOT JUST SOMETHING PLEASANT THAT WE WANNA DO. IT'S, IT'S THE FEDERAL LAW [02:00:01] AND THE MAYOR HAS BEEN GOOD TO PUT IT FORWARD, TO MAKE IT SO UNDER COMPLETE COMMUNITIES AND HOPEFULLY THIS, UH, CORPORATION WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE IT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. CAROLYN RIVERA. CAROLYN RIVERA. CAROLYN NEXT. NEXT SPEAKER. THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND WE STAND [RECESS] IN RECESS. I'LL STAND RECESS AND WE STAND IN RECESS UNTIL 9:00 AM IN THE MORNING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ITEM ONE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE FIFTH AMENDMENT TO THE PROJECT PLAN, REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN FOR REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER ONE, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS ST. GEORGE PLAY ZONE. ITEM TWO, PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE SIXTH AMENDMENT TO THE PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN FOR REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 20, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS SOUTHWEST HOUSTON ZONE ITEM THREE, PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN FOR REINVESTMENT. ZONE NUMBER 24, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS GREATER HOUSTON ZONE. ITEM FOUR, PUBLIC HEARING TO PROVIDE A RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION FOR THE 4% TAX CREDIT APPLICATION OF LANDING ON ORM LP. ITEM FIVE, PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE CONSTITUTION OF AN UNDERGROUND WATER LINE TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 0.3447 ACRES FROM THE EXISTING TRITA PARK. ITEM SIX, PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSAL TO USE APPROXIMATELY 31,838 SQUARE FEET OF BLACK HAWK, BLACK HAWK PARK EAST OF BLACK HAWK BOULEVARD. ITEM SEVEN, NO, I'M SORRY. WE HAVE THE UM, REPORT FROM THE CITY CONTROL AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION REGARDING THE CURRENT FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE CITY. THEN WE GO TO ITEM SEVEN, THE REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION. THE APPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE HOUSTON CLEAN CITY COMMISSION. ITEM EIGHT, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF REAPPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO THE HOUSTON MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD. ITEM NINE, REQUEST FROM MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE REAPPOINTMENT OF GWENDOLYN GWEN TILLERSON TO SERVE AS ADVISORY NON-VOTING MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE HOUSTON LAND BANK. ITEM 10, RECOMMENDATION FROM HU DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF THE 2024 OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET FOR THE LAKE CONROE DAM AND RESERVOIR PROJECT OPERATED BY THE SAN SANTA RIVER AUTHORITY. ITEM 11, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF THE 2024 OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET FOR THE LAKE HOUSTON FACILITIES PROJECT OPERATED BY THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY. ITEM 12. RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF THE 2024 OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET FOR THE LOOSE BIO ASSISTANT PROJECT OPERATED BY THE COASTAL WATER AUTHORITY. ITEM 13. RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR A PAYMENT TO TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. ITEM 14, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO ADOPT AN UPTODATE 2023 MASTER PLAN. ITEM 15 RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON EMERGENCY CENTER FOR APPROVAL OF THE GREATER HARRIS COUNTY 9 1 1 EMERGENCY NETWORK BUDGET ITEM 16. RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $3,410,036 AND 70 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH VORTEX LINING SYSTEMS LLC FORMALLY QUAD X LINING SYSTEMS LLC ITEM 17, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF CURRENT CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $682,588 AND 29 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH CURRENT CONSTRUCTION INC. ITEM 18, RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF FIVE, MEETING $169,264 AND 48 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH PM CONSTRUCTION AND REHAB L-L-C-D-B-A-I-P-R SOUTH CENTRAL. ITEM 19. RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $3,032,975 AND 70 CENTS AND ACCEPTANCE WORK ON CONTRACT WITH RELIANCE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LP ITEM 20, RECOMMENDATION FROM CITY ATTORNEY TO DEPOSIT THE AMOUNT OF THE AWARD OF SPECIAL COMMISSIONERS AND TO THE REGISTRY OF THE COURT AND PAY OUR COSTS IN CONNECTION WITH EMORY DOMAIN. PROCEEDINGS STYLE CITY OF HOUSTON VERSUS NASA SHOPPING CENTER LP FOR ACQUISITION OF PARCELS KY 20 20 22 30 0, 31 TCY 22 0 1 3 AND TCY 22 0 1 4 FOR THE 42 INCH WATERLINE FROM CLEAR LAKE CITY WATER AUTHORITY PLANT NUMBER THREE TO LAKE CITY BOOSTER PUMP STATION PROJECT ITEM 21 SILBURY FORD INC. FOR PURCHASE OF FORD BRONCO SPORT AND FORD EDGE VEHICLES. ITEM 22, SALES FORD INC. FOR PURCHASE OF FORD INTERCEPTIVE VEHICLES. OKAY, ITEM 23 APPROVED. SPENDING AUTHORITY FOR REVIEWING DOCUMENTS, PREPARATION OF EXPORT EXPERT REPORT, REVIEWING AND ANALYZING DOCUMENTS, PERFORMING EXAMINATION, TESTIFY. ANY OTHER RELATED SERVICE FOR THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT FROM CAROL DAVIS [02:05:01] REPORTING CAROL DAVIS REPORTING COURT RECORD RESEARCH INC. DISCOVERY RESOURCE AND DISCOVERY SERVICES OF TEXAS. YES, YES. ITEM 24, APPROVE SPRING AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,724,813 AND 60 CENTS FOR AIRCRAFT ENGINE PARTS, OVERHAULS AND REPAIR SERVICES FOR THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM PRECISION AVIATION INC. ITEM 25, PATRICIA TECH SUPPLY AND SERVICE FOR PURCHASE OF A PRO MAG TRANSMITTER. ITEM 26, COBURN SUPPLY COMPANY INC FOR A PURCHASE OF POWER HYDRANT REPAIR PARTS FOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. ITEM 27, MUNICIPAL VALVE AND EQUIPMENT COMPANY FOR PURCHASE OF SWING AND PLUG VALVES. ITEM 28, PFEIFFER AND SUN LTD FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS TO TRAFFIC SIGNALS. ITEM 29, BUCKEYE CLEANING CER CENTER HOUSTON FOR INDUSTRIAL CLEANING PRODUCTS AND SUPPLIES. ITEM 30 ORDINANCE SUBMITTING CHAPTER 37 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS. ITEM 31 ORDINANCE SUBMITTING CHAPTER 47 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS. ITEM 32, ORDINANCE SUBMITTING SECTION 41 OMNI SECTION 14 DASH ONE 70 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCE HOUSTON, TEXAS. ITEM 33 ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 40 DASH THREE OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. ITEM 34 ORDINANCE AMENDING REVENUE AGREEMENTS WITH SSP AMERICA I-H-I-T-R-P-L-L-C PARITIES LAGUARDIA AT IAH 2021 LLC, LATRES GALLEY, LP AND S-H-O-U-J-V-L-L-C FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE AND RETAIL CONCESSIONS. ITEM 35 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATED $150 MILLION OUT OF AIRPORT SYSTEM CONSOLIDATED 2011 CONSTRUCTION FUND FOR MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND UNITED AIRLINES INC. ITEM 36 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $587,173 AND NO CENTS OUT OF AIRPORT SYSTEM CONSOLIDATED I TRIP A MT CONSTRUCTION FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO PROFESSIONAL MATERIALS ENGINEERING AND TESTING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE VILLAGE ENGINEERING CORPORATION. ITEM 37 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $2,245,140 OUT OF AIRPORTS IMPROVEMENT FUND AS ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION FOR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND ER WESTERN CONSTRUCTION LLC ITEM 38 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FOR AND ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDING THROUGH THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR THE FEMA FY 2022 FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM. ITEM 39 ORDINANCE ADMITTING ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 22 2 52 INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND S SMARTING INC. ITEM 40 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AWARDING CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND WINGO SERVICE COMPANY INC. ITEM 41 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FOR GRANT ASSISTANCE TO THE TEXAS STATE ENERGY CONSERVATION OFFICE FOR A MUNICIPALLY OWNED COMMUNITY OR RECREATION CENTER. LED LIGHTING RETROFITS GRANT. ITEM 42 ORDINANCE APPROVING AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BETA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. ITEM 43 ORDINANCE APPROVING FIFTH AMENDMENT AMENDED PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN FOR REINVESTMENT. ZONE NUMBER ONE C DIFF HOUSTON, TEXAS ST. GEORGE PLACE ZONE ITEM 44 ORDINANCE ENLARGING THE BOUNDARIES OF REINVESTMENT. ZONE NUMBER 20 C DIFF HOUSTON, TEXAS SOUTHWEST HOUSTON ZONE ITEM 45, ORDINANCE APPROVING SIX, AMENDED PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN FOR REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 20, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS SOUTHWEST HOUSTON ZONE. THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE. ITEM 44 ABOVE ITEM 46, ORDINANCE APPROVING. THIRD AMENDED PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN. BUT REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 24, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS GREATER HOUSTON ZONE ITEM 47 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING SECOND AMENDMENT TO END THE LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AND HARRIS COUNTY TEXAS. ITEM 48, ORDINANCE ANNEXING TO CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR A GENERAL PURPOSES. PROPERTY THAT IS LOCATED AT THE SOUTHWEST INTERSECTION OF FORT B TOLL ROAD AND ARD ROAD. ITEM 40 ORDINANCE ANNEXING TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES. TERRITORY CONSISTING OF 14.29 ACRES OF ROAD RIGHT OF WAY LOCATED IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TEXAS. ITEM 50 ORDINANCE ANNEX INTO CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES. PROPERTY THAT IS LOCATED AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE INTERSECTION OF NORTH HOUSTON ROSLYN ROAD AND KELLO STREET. ITEM 51 ORDINANCE ANNEX INTO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES. PROPERTY THAT IS LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY OF ANDERSON ROAD TO THE WEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF ALAMEDA ROAD. ITEM 52 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AND HARRIS COUNTY MINISTRY UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 8 2 85 ITEM 53 ORDINANCE ANNEX INTO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR LIMITED PURPOSES OF CERTAIN AREA LOCATED WITHIN THE HARRIS COUNTY MINISTRY UTILITY DISTRICT NUMBER 2 85. THIS ITEM SHOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM 52 ABOVE ITEM 54. ORDINANCE CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 82.0912 ACRES OF LAND TO SOUTHEAST REGIONAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. ITEM 55 ORDINANCE [02:10:01] CONSENTED TO THE ADDITION OF 64.9 2 73 ACRES OF LAND TO HARRIS COUNTY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NUMBER 15. ITEM 56 ORDINANCE RELEASING CERTAIN TERRITORY CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY 14.04 ACRES OF LAND OUT OF BAYVIEW. ADDITION ITEM 57 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY. INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT KNOWN AS THE 48 INCH WATERLINE FROM FORBES ROAD TO MARTINDALE ROAD ALONG ALAMEDA ROAD PROJECT ITEM 58 ORDINANCE FINDING AND DETERMINING THE PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPERTY PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT KNOWN AS THE CHATO FOREST DRAINAGE AND PAVING PROJECT. ITEM 59 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF A 20 FOOT WIDE DRAINAGE EASEMENT OUT OF CITY FEE OWNED LAND SITUATED IN THE SAMUEL D WALMAN SURVEY ABSTRACT 8 43 SELLING THE EASEMENT TO H-E-B-L-P ITEM 60 ORDINANCE APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AMONG CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS SOUTH POST OAK REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER NINE, CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS SOUTH POST OAK ZONE. ITEM 61 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $580,178 AND NO CENTS OUTTA WATER AND SEW SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AS AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING FIRST MEMBER TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SERVICES PA D-B-A-I-M-S ENGINEERS INC. ITEM 62 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $59,260 60 CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AUTHORIZING TRANSFER OF $394,621 20 CENTS FROM WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND INTO THE H-P-W-A-C-T-L CONSTRUCTION FUND AND APPROPRIATING $3,266,072 NO CENTS OUT OF CON CONSTRUCTION FUND INTO THE H-P-W-S-C-T-L CONSTRUCTION FUND. I'M SORRY, OUT OF WATER AUTHORITIES CAPITAL CONTRIBUTE CONTRIBUTION FUND SETL AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF $1,063,627 4 CENTS FROM WATER AUTHORITIES CAPITAL CONTRIBUTION FUND SCT TO THE WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND FOR COAST FOR COST RECOVERY. APPRO AND AUTHORIZING FIFTH AMENDMENT TO A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND LOCKWOOD AND JUICE AND NEWHAM INC. IT'S NOT WORKING. ITEM 63 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $4,904,900 NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEW SYSTEM. CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AWARDING CONTRACT TO RED ZONE ROBOTICS IN ITEM 64. ORDINANCE GRANTING TO AAA FLEXIBLE PIPE CLEANING COMPANY INC. ITEM 65, UH, FIRST READING ITEM 65. ORDINANCE GRANTING AMERICAN SANITATION SERVICES INC. FIRST READING ITEM 66 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO CSI CONSOLIDATED INC. LLC AT TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. FIRST READING ITEM 67 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO SO L-L-C-D-B-A ONE 800 JUNK. A TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. FIRST READING ITEM 68 ORDINANCE GRANTING TO A PLUS GREENLAND WASTE CORP AT TEXAS CORPORATION. FIRST READING ITEM 69, ORDINANCE GRANTING TO CZ CONSTRUCTION, LLCA, TEXAS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. FIRST READING ITEM 70, ORDINANCE GRANT, TOCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, LLC FIRST READING ITEM 71, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT FOR APPROVAL OF HOLIDAY, SCHEDULED FOR CALENDAR YEARS 2024 AND 2025. TAB BY COUNCIL MEMBER CAMAN. THIS IS ITEM THREE ON AGENDA OF NOVEMBER 29TH, 2023. ITEM 72, RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF COUNCIL, OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS AUTHORIZING THE CREATION OF HOUSTON COMPLETE COMMUNITIES AT LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION. THIS IS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PECK JACKSON AND THOMAS. THIS IS ITEM 10 ON AGENDA OF NOVEMBER 29TH, 2023 AND ITEM 73, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $302,386 NO CENTS OUT OF FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL PASS THROUGH FUND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ELIZABETH LGO SELLER AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POLLETT. THIS WAS ITEM 40 ON AGENDA OF NOVEMBER 29TH, 2023 AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A SUPPLEMENTAL POSTING. ITEM 74 WAS AN ORDINANCE MEETING CHAPTER 47 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, HOUSTON, TEXAS. THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE CITY COUNCIL SESSION OF DECEMBER 6TH, 2023. STATE TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULED BEGINNING AT 9:00 AM IN THE WORDS OF OUR CITY SECRETARY OF PAT JEFFERSON. DANIEL, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. HAVE A BLESSED AND FANTABULOUS DAY. OKAY, LET'S, [RECONVENE] LET'S GET, LET'S GET STARTED. UH, GOOD MORNING. IT IS [02:15:01] 9 0 5 ON WEDNESDAY. NO, UH, DECEMBER THE SIXTH, 2023. AND I'M MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER AND I'M CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER. UH, [ADMIN REPORT] THE FIRST ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA WILL BE THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT CHAIR RECOGNIZES COMPTROLLER CHRIS BROWN AND THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE DIRECTOR WILL JONES. I'M GONNA START WITH CHRIS BROWN. GOOD MORNING, MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING OCTOBER 31ST IN THE GENERAL FUND. THE CONTROLLER CONTROLLER'S OFFICE IS PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 379.4 MILLION FOR FY 24. THIS IS 45.8 MILLION LOWER THAN THE PROJECTION OF THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. BASED ON OUR CURRENT PROJECTIONS, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 193.1 MILLION ABOVE THE CITY'S TARGET OF HOLDING 7.5% IN RESERVES. OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS ARE UNCHANGED FROM THE SEPTEMBER 23 REPORT. EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES INCREASED BY 12.7 MILLION FROM THE SEPTEMBER, 2023 REPORT, AND THAT WAS DUE TO THE FOLLOWING, A 3.6 MILLION INCREASE IN CITY COUNCIL DUE TO PRIOR YEAR ROLLOVER ALLOCATION, A 1.5 MILLION INCREASE IN GENERAL SERVICES DUE TO IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE LATINO LEARNING CENTER FACILITY. AN 802,000 INCREASE IN POLICE, PRIMARILY DUE TO OVERTIME PAY AND PATROLS DURING PUBLIC PROTESTS. A 6.3 MILLION INCREASE IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT, MAINLY DUE TO A 5 MILLION TRANSFER TO THE FIFTH WARD VOLUNTARY RELOCATION FUND AND A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 1.3 MILLION FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS. UH, WE ARE PROJECTING NO CHANGES IN OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS. AND IF YOU MOVE ON TO OUR COMMERCIAL PAPER AND BONDS, UH, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF OUR VARIABLE RATE DEBT IS BELOW THE 20% THRESHOLD. UM, I'D LIKE TO JUST CLOSE WITH A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO, UH, SAY, I, I BELIEVE THEY'VE TOLD ME THIS IS OUR, OUR LAST MEETING OR MY LAST MEETING. UH, MAYOR, YOUR LAST MEETING. SO I JUST WANTED TO START AND SAY, UH, PUBLICLY THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR SERVICE. I KNOW WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OVER THESE EIGHT YEARS. UH, YOU SPECIFICALLY, IF YOU LOOK BACK HISTORICALLY AT WHAT MAYORS HAVE HAD TO FACE, UH, YOU'VE, UH, FACED THOSE CHALLENGES. UM, IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE WORKING WITH YOU. I KNOW WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE AND, UH, UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, THERE ARE SOME DISAGREEMENTS CURRENTLY. UM, ALSO DID WANNA MENTION, UH, THE SAME SENTIMENTS TO, UH, MAYOR PROAM MARTIN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS ROS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, WHO IS NOT PRESENT. UH, DAVID ROBINSON, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. AND FINALLY, COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH. BUT I DO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE WITH YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE THAT. UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR WILL JONES. SURE. MIC IS WORKING. UM, WHERE DID MAR TO GO? THERE WE GO. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. OKAY. GOOD MORNING. THIS IS THE FOUR PLUS EIGHT FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING OCTOBER 31ST, 2023. FISCAL YEAR 2024. PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON FOUR MONTHS OF ACTUAL RESULTS IN EIGHT MONTHS OF PROJECTIONS. AND THE GENERAL FUND, OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS IS 1.9 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM PRIOR MONTH. SO EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT CHANGING OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS, I DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT SINCE WE LAST MET, WE DID RECEIVE THE SEPTEMBER SALES TAX. UM, AND THE SEPTEMBER SALES TAX WERE 3.79% HIGHER, UH, THAN PRIOR YEAR. SO, JUST AS A REMINDER, WHEN WE BUILT THE BUDGET, WE BUILT IT, UH, WITH A CONSERVATIVE 3% REDUCTION IN OUR SALES TAX REVENUE. SO OUR, OUR SALES TAX AT 800 860 5 MILLION. UH, IN ORDER TO HIT THAT, THE REMAINING MONTHS WOULD HAVE TO COME IN AT, AT A NEGATIVE 4.36%. SO, AGAIN, WE'RE TRENDING AT A POSITIVE, UH, THREE, UH, AVERAGE OF 2.71 WHEN YOU AVERAGE THE FIRST QUARTER. AND, UM, AGAIN, OUR PROJECTION WAS CONSERVATIVE AT 3% DOWN. SO, GOOD NEWS SO FAR ON THE SALES TAX. HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THE OCTOBER SALES TAX BY LATER TODAY. UM, JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE'RE NOT MAKING THE CHANGES. WE'RE GONNA WAIT UNTIL, UNTIL WE SEE THE HOLIDAY RECEIPTS. UM, BUT STILL GOOD NEWS ON THE SALES TAX. SO MOVING ON TO THE EXPENDITURES IS 43 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND 12.7 MILLION HIGHER, UH, THAN LAST MONTH. AND THE BARONS [02:20:01] FROM PRIOR MONTH PROJECTIONS, PRIMARILY DUE TO A 6.1 MILLION INCREASE IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT, PRIMARILY DUE TO FUNDING TRANSFER FOR THE FIFTH WARD. VOLUNTARY, UH, RELOCATION FUND AND THE VECO INCINERATOR SITE CLEANUP. BOTH THOSE ITEMS WERE APPROVED BY COUNCIL. UM, AND 3.6 MILLION INCREASE IN CITY COUNCIL TO REFLECT PRIOR YEAR UNUTILIZED COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUND, 1.5 MILLION INCREASE IN IN GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT DUE TO IMPROVEMENT FOR LA, THE LATINO LEARNING CENTER, 700,000 INCREASE IN POLICE DEPARTMENT TO REFLECT OVERTIME FOR HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED PROTESTS, 410,000 INCREASE IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO REFLECT UNSPENT CITY COUNCIL FUNDING AND 306,000 INCREASE IN MUNICIPAL COURTS DEPARTMENT FOR PERSONNEL REALIGNMENT. SO WE ARE CURRENTLY PROJECTING AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 425.2 MILLION, WHICH IS 12.7 MILLION LOWER THAN POWER MONTHS, AND 17.1% OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO. SO THE FUND BALANCE IS 238.8 MILLION ABOVE THE TARGET AT 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO AGREE WITH THE CONTROLLER ON THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS. UH, SO BEFORE I WRAP UP, I DID WANNA JUST HIGHLIGHT, WE JUST COMPLETED THE, UH, 2023 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT. UM, AND SOME MORE GOOD NEWS THERE. THE NET POSITION WAS THE HIGHEST IN THE LAST 10 YEARS AT 7.6 BILLION AT THE END OF FY 23. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 1.7 BILLION FROM FY 22. UM, THE CITY'S UNRESTRICTED PORTION OF THE NET POSITION HAS IMPROVED BY APPROXIMATELY 1.3 BILLION, MEANING IT DECREASED BY 1.3 BILLION AND IS A DEFICIT OF 5 BILLION AT THE END OF FY 23. SO AGAIN, UH, MORE GOOD NEWS ON, ON THE CITY OF SNAP POSITION WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR. I APPROACH YOU MORNING. YES, THANK YOU. UH, MR. CONTROLLER AND THANK YOU, DIRECTOR JONES. UH, DIRECTOR JONES. UM, THIS IS THE OCTOBER REPORT, FOUR MONTHS INTO THE FISCAL YEAR. THE SALES TAX REVENUE NUMBER IS 25% THROUGH THE YEAR. YOUR PROJECTION WAS A DECREASE OF 3%. DR. GILMER, WHO WAS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, PROJECTED A DECREASE OF 10%. AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE RUNNING RIGHT AROUND 2.7% INCREASE FIRST 25% THROUGH THE YEAR. SO, EXTRAPOLATING THAT, IF IT CONTINUES IN A TREND, AND I KNOW TODAY WE'RE GETTING A ADDITIONAL REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, UM, OR IS THERE ANY FUTURE PLANS TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET AS IT WAS BUILT ON NEGATIVE 3% AND WE'RE GETTING A DELTA OF ANYWHERE FROM SIX TO 7% IN THE POSITIVE? ANY INDICATION? OR DO WE JUST MOVE FORWARD WITH BUILDING UP FUND BALANCE? WELL, WE, WE WAIT UNTIL NOW, IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, NO, NO PLANS TO CHANGE THE BUDGET, BUT WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT OUR, UH, THE HOLIDAY SALES. SO AROUND FEBRUARY OR SO, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND, AND DEPENDING ON HOW THAT GOES, WE'LL CHANGE OUR, UH, REVENUE FORECAST FOR SALES TAX. THANK YOU. AND, UM, MR. CONTROLLER, THE, UH, ITEM NUMBER 35 IN TODAY'S AGENDA. WE HAD A LIVELY DISCUSSION YESTERDAY ON UNITED AIRLINES, AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THERE, AND I'LL PICK UP TWO POINTS THAT WE BOTH MADE. I THINK YOUR POSITION IS THAT YOU WOULD RATHER KEEP DEFERRING THIS TILL A NEW ADMINISTRATION COMES ON BOARD. MY PUSHBACK IS WE HAVE A 17 MEMBER BODY THAT STAYS HERE UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST. AND OUR JOB IS TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE WILL HAVE AT LEAST SEVEN AND MAYBE AS MANY AS 10 NEW PEOPLE SITTING AROUND A 17 PERSON BODY, VAST MAJORITY, MAYBE IN SOME CASES, THAT ARE GONNA BE MAKING DECISIONS ON AN ITEM RELATED TO TERMINAL BI TRIP THAT WE'VE BEEN STUDYING FOR A MINIMUM IN THIS BODY OF FOUR YEARS, A MAXIMUM OF 11 YEARS. SO THE WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE WE HAVE MAKING THESE TYPES OF DECISION, KNOWING THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO US, I THINK IS BETTER SERVED MOVING THIS ITEM FORWARD. AND I KNOW THAT YOUR CHALLENGE IS ON THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY IS DEFAULT, IF WE DEFAULT ON THIS, IS A $2.5 BILLION ITEM FOR THE AIRPORT. IT'S SPECIAL FACILITY LEASE BONDS OF WHICH 1.9 BILLION ARE BEING PAID BY UNITED AIRLINES. 600 MILLION IS BEING PAID BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH THE AIRPORT, THROUGH THE ENTERPRISE FUND, GENERALLY THROUGH FEDERAL GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVE. SO THE DISCUSSION WE HAD YESTERDAY WAS THAT THE DEFAULT OF THOSE, WHICH YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, GOES TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. YET IN THE CONTROLLER'S REPORT THAT I LOOKED AT AGAIN YESTERDAY, LET ME READ ON PAGE 11 ON THE CONTROLLER'S REPORT, IT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN AIRPORT SPECIAL FACILITIES, REVENUE BONDS, AND IT'S NUMBER F OR LETTER F. AND IT SAYS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS NOT LEGALLY OBLIGATED FOR PAYMENT OF DEBT [02:25:01] SERVICE FOR THE SPECIAL FACILITATED REVENUE BONDS. YET YESTERDAY YOU SAID THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS LEGALLY LIABLE FOR THE PAYMENT OF DEBT SERVICE. SO IN YOUR REPORT YOU SAYS IT'S NOT, BUT YESTERDAY YOU STATED IT IS. SO WHERE ARE WE? AND I'LL LOOK TO ARTURO MICHELLE TO SEE EXACTLY, I'D LOVE TO GET THIS ITEM MOVING FORWARD. I THINK WE'RE IN A POSITION TO MAKE A DECISION. THAT'S WHAT THE VOTERS CHARGED US. WE HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AND THE KNOWLEDGE WORKING WITH THE AIRPORT. SO THAT'S MY INDIVIDUAL POSITION, BUT I'D LOVE YOUR COMMENTS ON THAT AS WELL. WELL, I APPRECIATE IT. WE DID HAVE A ROBUST DISCUSSION YESTERDAY. WE RAISED, UH, SEVERAL POINTS, UH, OF CONTENTION ABOUT THIS, UM, UH, PROPOSED, UH, DEAL. UM, YOU KNOW, I I I THINK YOUR, UM, QUESTION IS A VALID ONE. IT'S ONE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO, UH, EXPLORE AND, UH, I, I WOULD LOVE, UH, TO GET THE, UM, LEGAL DEPARTMENT'S VIEW ON THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, MEET AND WORK THROUGH OUR DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS. AND, AND AGAIN, I, I APOLOGIZED, UH, YESTERDAY IN COUNCIL, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING THAT, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY THIS ITEM REALLY WASN'T BROUGHT TO ME UNTIL THEY WERE ASKING ME TO SIGN, UH, TO APPROVE IT ON THE AGENDA. UH, SO UNFORTUNATELY, A DEAL OF THIS SIZE, UH, AS I'VE MENTIONED IN THE, UH, MEMO I PREVIOUSLY RELEASED, UM, YOU KNOW, REQUIRES A, A HIGH LEVEL OF DUE DILIGENCE. SO, YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO, AT THIS POINT, UH, CARRY OUT THAT DUE DILIGENCE. BUT WE CONTINUE TO WORK, UH, TOWARDS THAT GOAL. BUT ARE WE IN AGREEMENT, YOU AND I IN AGREEMENT, THAT LACK OF PAYMENT AND THE OBLIGATION FOR PAYMENT OF THE DEBT SERVICE FALLS TO UNITED AIRLINES, NOT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AS HAS BEEN FOOTNOTED IN YOUR CONTROLLER'S REPORT DATED OCTOBER 31ST. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UH, THE SCENARIOS THAT WOULD PLAY OUT IN THAT CASE, WE CAN GET TECHNICAL ABOUT BOND DEFAULT. WE CAN GET TECHNICAL ABOUT LIABILITY. WE WILL STILL HAVE A AIRPORT ASSET THERE THAT THE CITY WILL ESSENTIALLY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING. THERE'LL BE ONGOING OPERATIONS. THERE'S NEEDS TO BE SOME, I BELIEVE, ADDITIONAL FEASIBILITY IN THAT SCENARIO. I, I, I WANNA ALSO MENTION TO YOUR POINT, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTIN, MAYOR PRO TEM MARTIN, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID, WELL, UH, THAT'S A, A DOOMSDAY SCENARIO MOTION, MOTION STAND SECOND, MOVED TO SECOND. THAT'S DOMS DAY SCENARIO. AND, AND I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU HAD I HAD NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE DISCUSSIONS, UH, JUST THREE YEARS AGO, UN UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN WE WERE, UH, WORKING THROUGH THE COVID, UM, THE COVID DISASTER, AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE HAD THESE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE AIRLINES WHERE THEY WERE IN A POSITION WHERE PEOPLE WEREN'T FLYING, AND WE WERE HAVING TO ESSENTIALLY, UH, RELEASE THEM OF A LOT OF THESE OBLIGATIONS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, LEASE AND TERMINAL PAYMENTS. UH, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME, I WAS VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THAT PUT THE AIRPORT AS A WHOLE IN A VERY PRECARIOUS POSITION. NOW, UH, FAST FORWARD TODAY, WE KNOW THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STEPPED IN AND THEY PROVIDED A LIQUIDITY LINE, UH, TO HELP, UH, THE ONGOING OPERATIONS FOR NOT ONLY THE AIRPORT, BUT FOR, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, SO AGAIN, AS THE TAXPAYER WATCHDOG IN THIS, UH, HAVING NOT HAD A, UH, UH, ENOUGH TIME IN, IN MY, UH, PROFESSIONAL OPINION TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS, AND THIS BEING THE LARGEST DEAL, UH, THAT THE CITY HAS EN ENTERED INTO, UH, I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS A, A BAD DEAL. I THINK IT IS A GOOD DEAL. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE HAS DOTTED THE, I'S AND CROSSED THE T'S SO THAT WHEN I SIGN OFF ON IT, AND COINCIDENTALLY, UH, WE HAVE, UH, ABOUT A LITTLE OVER THREE WEEKS LEFT. SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 20 YEARS. MAYOR, YOU REMEMBER, WE WERE IN THIS VERY SITUATION EIGHT YEARS AGO. I WAS THE DEPUTY. NO, SIR, I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU GO THERE, . I'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT, BUT WE WERE NOT IN THIS SITUATION EIGHT YEARS AGO. EIGHT YEARS AGO. THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT. THIS IS NOT, I THINK WHAT THE SIMPLE QUESTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW, COMP CONTROLLER. THE SIMPLE QUESTION IS WHAT IS, WHAT IS IN THE COMPTROLLER'S REPORT, THE WRITTEN REPORT THAT THE LIABILITY DOES NOT FALL ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE COMPTROLLER'S REPORT. IS THAT A TRUE STATEMENT ARE NOT A TRUE STATEMENT. AND AGAIN, THAT IS ONE OF THE ITEMS OF THE EIGHT ITEMS I ADDRESSED IN MY MEMO. SO, UH, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. I'VE REACHED OUT TO OUR BOND COUNSEL. I'VE, I'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, NOTHING IN WRITING THAT, YOU KNOW, MAKES ME FEEL, UH, ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT THIS DEAL IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN, UH, OTHER DEALS, UH, IN THAT, THE SIZE AND, AND THE COMPLEXITY. UM, SO RESPECTFULLY, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'VE BEEN HERE [02:30:01] BEFORE WITH A SIMILAR AIRPORT DEAL. UH, AS YOU REMEMBER, UH, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU DECIDED WHEN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION HELD IT UP, UH, YOU REVIEWED IT AND, UH, YOU WERE ABLE TO HAVE THE, UM, ABILITY TO OPINE AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST TO RECANT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A $500 MILLION SAVINGS ON THAT PROJECT. I AGREE. THAT'S A DIFFERENT PROJECT, YOU KNOW, SO, BUT I THINK IT'S ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, AGAIN, WE'RE DOING THE LEVEL OF DUE DILIGENCE. AND TO THIS POINT, I HAVEN'T BEEN AFFORDED THAT. I, I APOLOGIZE ON BEHALF OF WHOEVER SHOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, IN MAY CONTACTED MY OFFICE, AND WE COULD HAVE STARTED THIS, THIS DISCUSSION. IT, IT, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. COMP CONTROLLER, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME ASK THE SAME QUESTION AGAIN. IS WHAT IS WRITTEN IN YOUR COMPTROLLER'S REPORT IS WHAT IS WRITTEN IN YOUR COMPTROLLER'S REPORT? IS, IS THIS A CORRECT STATEMENT IN YOUR COMPTROLLER'S? SHOULD WE TAKE YOUR STATEMENT WRITTEN IN THE COMPTROLLER'S REPORT AS A FACTUALLY CORRECT STATEMENT? ARE YOU SEEKING CORRECT. THAT IS A FOOTNOTE IN A FINANCIAL STATEMENT, AND I WILL, UH, HAPPY TO. UM, IS IT TRUE? IS IT TRUE? WHAT, WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE COMPTROLLER'S REPORT? WELL, IS IT TRUE? LET ME GET TO THAT. THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE, FOR SOME TIME QUESTIONED AS TO WHY WE'RE DISCLOSING THESE SPECIAL FACILITY REVENUE BONDS ON OUR FINANCIAL REPORTS. AND I REACHED OUT TO OUR BOND COUNSEL TO ASK, I SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE LEGAL LIABILITY? AND FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD, UH, WE HAVE TO DISCLOSE THIS AND THERE ARE SOME LIABILITY. SO I, I'M, AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE THAT DISCUSSION. UH, I'M NOT A BOND LAWYER. I CAN'T TELL YOU AT THIS MOMENT. I WOULD DEFER TO THE LEGAL COUNSEL, BUT I, I THINK YOU'RE PICKING ONE SPECIFIC ITEM AND ONE ANGLE OF THIS. THERE, THERE'S A BIGGER PICTURE IN THE SENSE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE DONE THE FEASIBILITY THAT WE CAN, UH, SATISFY THE DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE RATIOS, AND THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO FINANCE THE BONDS IN THE FUTURE. UH, SO, SO AGAIN, THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER PIECES OF THIS TO UNPACK. I THINK, UM, THE ONLY COMPTROLLER, THE ONLY THING THAT WE ARE ASKING IS WHEN THE COMPTROLLER'S REPORT SAYS THAT THAT $1.9 BILLION LIABILITY DOES NOT FALL ON THE CITY, THAT'S WHAT'S IN YOUR REPORT. AND THE ONLY THING WE ARE ASKING PUBLICLY, IS THAT A TRUE STATEMENT THAT'S IN THE CONTROLLER'S REPORT. AND I THINK, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE INDUCEMENT RESOLUTION AND HOW THAT'S STRUCTURED, BECAUSE THAT OUTLINES THE DEBT SERVICE AND HOW WE'LL BE, UH, LIABLE. UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS ONGOING DISCLOSURE FOR MY OFFICE. SO I, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION. I THINK WE CAN GO BACK AND FORTH ALL DAY LONG ON THIS SPECIFIC POINT. UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S GONNA CHANGE. UH, BUT I TELL YOU WHAT, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS. WHY DON'T YOU, WHY DON'T YOU OUTLINE SPECIFICALLY YOUR OBJECTIONS TO ITEM 35. MM-HMM . JUST TELL US WHY YOU'RE NOT CERTIFY THE ITEM. AND I DID DO THAT IN A, A MEMO, UH, THAT WAS DATED. UH, WHY DON'T YOU TELL US PUBLICLY WHY YOU'RE NOT CERTIFYING THE ITEM AT THIS MOMENT? YES, SIR. WELL, SURE, LET ME REFERENCE THE, UH, MEMO. BUT IN GENERAL, UM, SO MAIN POINT, I THINK, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ITEM NUMBER THREE, A FEASIBILITY STUDY TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT HOW, UH, GOING FORWARD THE CITY IS GOING TO PAY AND SERVICE THE DEBT AROUND THE $650 MILLION THAT THE CITY IS GONNA HAVE TO ISSUE IN REGARDS TO THIS PROJECT. UH, THERE'S AN INDUCEMENT RE RESOLUTION THAT'S GONNA OUTLINE THE FINANCING, THAT'S GONNA ANSWER THESE VERY QUESTIONS, UH, IN THE 1.9 BILLION IN SPECIAL FACILITY REVENUE THAT HAS NOT BEEN FINALIZED AND MADE AVAILABLE FOR ME TO REVIEW. AND AGAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, I DO APPRECIATE IF SOMEONE GIVES ME A DRAFT COPY, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO PEOPLE TO ASSUAGE THESE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE. UM, MOTION TO EXTEND. SECOND, MOVED IN SECONDING OBJECT. YOUR, GRANTED, I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE DONE, UH, ANY TYPE OF, UM, ANALYSIS AROUND, AS WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY AT BFA, UH, WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN IF WE DO COME INTO ANOTHER SITUATION LIKE, UH, COVID OR SOME TYPE OF NATURAL DISASTER, AND THESE GATES, 40 GATES THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE LEASING TO UNITED, IF THERE WAS, UH, SOME REASON THAT THEY WEREN'T UTILIZING ALL 40 OF THOSE GATES, WHAT IS THE CITY'S PLAN IF THAT HAPPENS? UM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE SOME, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT SB 13 AND SB 19. UH, THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS PUT RESTRICTIONS ON OUR UNDERWRITERS, UH, THAT MAY BE RESOLVED, BUT THAT SEVERELY LIMITS OUR POOL OF PEOPLE THAT WE CAN USE TO UNDERWRITE, UH, THESE BONDS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FINALLY, I THINK, UH, [02:35:02] THE TIMING OF THIS, WE HAVE A NEW ELECTION IN THREE DAYS. UM, I, I, I THINK IT'S PRUDENT AT LEAST TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW, WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING? WELL, BECAUSE THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION IS GONNA HAVE TO DEAL ENTIRELY WITH THIS PROJECT. ARE WE CERTAIN THAT THE AIRPORT DIRECTOR WILL BE HERE? THE CURRENT AIRPORT DIRECTOR? WE KNOW THE MAYOR AND CONTROLLER WON'T BE HERE. ARE WE CERTAIN THAT ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED IN CREATING THIS DEAL? I, I THINK THAT'S A CONCERN. SO, AND I, I GUESS CONTROL I, IF I, IF I GO WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, UM, THOSE OF US WHO ARE NOT GONNA BE HERE SHOULD JUST GO HOME RIGHT NOW. I GUESS THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE WORKING UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST. I'M, I'M NOT GONNA PROLONG THIS. I'LL LEAVE THIS UP TO, I TELL MICHELLE THE LEGAL ATTORNEY, BUT WHAT I DO WANT TO UNDERSCORE MM-HMM . WHAT I DO WANT TO UNDERSCORE IS THAT THE STATEMENT THAT MAYOR PRO TIM REFERRED TO, IT'S NOT COMING FROM, UH, THE CITY'S ADMINISTRATION. THE STATEMENT IS COMING FROM THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE. AND IN YOUR, YOUR REPORT IN SUBSECTION F, WHAT YOU WRITE IN YOUR REPORT FROM THE COMPTROLLER ON THIS ITEM, AND I'M QUOTING VERBATIM, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS NOT LEGALLY OBLIGATED FOR PAYMENT OF THE DEBT SERVICE FOR THE SPECIAL FACILITATED REVENUE BONDS. AND THAT'S SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO UNITED, THAT'S COMING FROM YOU COMPTROLLER. THAT'S COMING FROM YOU. THAT'S NOT COMING FROM ME, THAT'S COMING FROM YOU. NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, I AGREE WITH YOU. I AGREE WITH YOU. THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG. AND YOU INDICATED WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY DON'T FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE GATES IN THE AGREEMENT, THEN THEY THEN OFFER THE GATES TO SOMEONE ELSE, TO OTHER AIRLINES, OKAY? AND IF THAT DOESN'T WORK, THEN THERE'S A THIRD RECOURSE. BUT THE REALITY IS ON THIS DEAL, THIS IS GOOD FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THIS IS A GREAT DEAL FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO, UM, I'M GONNA LEAVE IT. CAN I, CAN I RECAPTURE? YEAH. LET ME, 30 SECONDS OF MY TIME. JUST TO SUM EVERYTHING UP, THE LONG DISCUSSION, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ITEM FOR THE AIRPORT. IT'S A LOT OF MONEY. IT'S $2.5 BILLION IN DEBT, OF WHICH UNITED IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 1.9 BILLION. THE CITY OF HOUSTON, 600 MILLION, MAINLY THROUGH FEDERAL GRANTS AND THINGS THAT WE WORK WITH AT THE AIRPORT AND THE ENTERPRISE FUND. UM, I LOOK AT THE FEASIBILITY POSITION, AND, AND I AGREE WITH CONTROLLER BROWN, BUT WE JUST HEARD THAT THE NET POSITION, WHICH IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN ANALYZE ANY ORGANIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES, PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, AND THE NET POSITION IS AS HIGH AS IT'S EVER BEEN IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THE FUND BALANCE THAT WE'RE GONNA TURN OVER TO ADMINISTRATION IS IN A GREAT POSITION AS WELL. YOU LOOK AT UNITED'S FEASIBILITY STUDY, UH, I SPENT 40 YEARS IN ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE, SO I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS SUBJECT. SO WHEN I READ UNITED AIRLINES THIRD QUARTER REPORT, AND THE FEASIBILITY OF UNITED AIRLINES IS BEING CHALLENGED, AND IT SAYS CAPACITY IS UP 16% COMPARED TO THIRD QUARTER 2022, TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE IS $14.5 BILLION UP 12.5 COMPARED TO THIRD QUARTER 2022. SO YOU LOOK AT THOSE STATEMENTS AND YOU HAVE ASKED FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY. THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY IS ALWAYS IN TURMOIL. AND IF COVID HITS TOMORROW, WHO THE HECK KNOWS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO US? BUT I LOOK AT IN PRESENT DAY, AND I LOOK AT THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY, AND WHILE IT'S NOT THE GREATEST INDUSTRY TO INVEST YOUR MONEY IN, IT'S NOT A BAD INDUSTRY. AND I LOOK AT THE AIRLINES WITHIN THE CONFIGURATION OF THAT, AND I LOOK AT DELTA, STRONG BALANCE SHEET NUMBER ONE ON MY CHART. NUMBER TWO IS UNITED, RIGHT THERE WITH THEM. THE FEASIBILITY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND UNITED SHOULD NOT BE CHALLENGED, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THIS IS 40 GATES THAT ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED MOSTLY WITH UNITED AIRLINES MONEY. AND IF WE CAN'T LE LET'S SAY SOMETHING HAPPENS WITH UNITED, THE LIABILITY FOR THE 40 GATES TO REPLACE THE AIRLINES THAT ARE SITTING THERE GOES TO UNITED, UNITED HAS TO REPLACE THE AIRLINES THAT COME TO THOSE 48, 40 GATES FIRST. THE SECOND, THE LIABILITY. OUR LIABILITY DOES NOT GO TO THE CITY. IT GOES TO NEW UNITED AIRLINES. SO THE NEW COUNCIL, WE HAVE A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE THAT NO, WE CAN SPELL I TRIP COUNCIL MEMBERS, TAKE IT FROM ME. MY FIRST DAY, I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE RESTROOM WAS. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS YOU HAVE TO SORT OUT WITHIN YOUR FIRST 30 TO 90 DAYS. YOU CAN ASK [02:40:01] ANY NEW COUNCIL MEMBER. IT'S A CHALLENGE. MOTION TO EXTEND. SECOND. SECOND. SO THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF THINGS ON THE NEW COUNCIL. LET'S GET THIS OVER WITH RIGHT NOW. I MET WITH UNITED LAST WEEK AT THEIR OPENING. THEY HAVE THREE CITIES THAT THEY LOOK AT IN MINCON, MIDCONTINENT, CHICAGO, DENVER, AND HOUSTON. THEY LOVE HOUSTON. QUITE FRANKLY, THEY DON'T LIKE CHICAGO. THEY LOVE DENVER. WE'RE IN COMPETITION WITH THIS, WITH DENVER. THEY KICKED OUR BUTT ON THE TRAINING CENTER. GOOD JOB, DENVER. YOU WANT IT? LET US NOT FORGET AND LET US WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE UNITED AIRLINES SIT IN AT INTERCONTINENTAL, BECAUSE IF THEY GO AWAY, IMAGINE WHAT INTERCONTINENTAL AIRLINE LOOKS LIKE. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KASH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THAT WAS A GOOD SPEECH, DAVE. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, SO IF, IF, IF YOU, YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED OFF ON IT, YOU'RE NOT PLANNING ON SIGNING OFF ON IT BEFORE YOU LEAVE OFFICE HERE, IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, I THINK WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE DUE DILIGENCE, SO I THINK ONCE WE GET TO A POINT WHERE WE GET THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT POINT WILL BE. WELL, WE HAVE TWO MORE COUNCIL MEETINGS AFTER TODAY MM-HMM . SO, UH, JUST LET US KNOW IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO IT. I GUESS YOU WILL, YOU, BECAUSE IF WE PUT IT ON HERE, WELL, WE HAVE A MEETING THAT WE'RE WORKING TO SCHEDULE NEXT WEEK TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF THESE CONCERNS. SO I THINK I CAN GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AFTER THAT MEETING, BECAUSE IF, IF WE PUT IT ON HERE ON THE LAST DAY OF COUNCIL AND SOMEBODY TAGS IT, THEN IT PUSHES IT OVER TO NEXT YEAR. SO THAT, THAT'S, UH, I DON'T WANNA LOSE CONTINENTAL. SO FROM OUR AIRPORT, I UNITED, FORMERLY, FORMERLY, FORMERLY FORMERLY CONTINENTAL. WELL, I'M OLD SCHOOL. I'M THE OLDEST COUNCIL MEMBER ON COUNCIL, SO Y'ALL HAVE TO FORGIVE ME. I JUST HAD A SENIOR MOMENT. SO, UM, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY. EVERY TIME I'VE EVER CALLED YOU, YOU'VE ALWAYS ANSWERED, I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED YOUR PROMPTNESS TO, TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS I HAVE. I, I DON'T ALWAYS AGREE, BUT, BUT I DO APPRECIATE IT. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY. BE OUR LAST TIME, I GUESS, TO SEE YOU HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, VICE MAYOR CAST. THANK YOU, MAYOR, UH, CONTROLLER BROWN ON YESTERDAY DURING THE BFA MEETING. UM, YOU, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY I SAID THAT THIS SEEMS VERY POLITICAL. UM, FROM ALL INDICATIONS FROM OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TERMINAL B AND UNITED AND THE UNDER TERMINAL B BEING UNDERSIZED. IT'S, UM, OUTDATED AND THE NEED FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT. SO WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS MONTH AFTER MONTH IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS. SO IT'S, IT SEEMS A LITTLE AWKWARD TO ME FOR YOU TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO DO THE DUE DILIGENCE. UM, AND THEN I JUST, IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE'VE NEVER HAD A SITUATION WHERE WE'VE HAD BIG PROJECTS. AND THE DUE DILIGENCE FROM YOUR OFFICE HAS TAKEN THIS AMOUNT OF TIME, ESPECIALLY FOR ME, IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONUS IS ON UNITED EVERY TIME WE'VE GONE BACK TO LOOK AT THIS, ALL OF THE BRIEFINGS THAT WE'VE HAD, THE INFORMATION WE'VE GARNERED FROM OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS, THE ONUS OF THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IS ON UNITED. WHILE WE APPRECIATE YOUR DILIGENCE IN BEING A WATCHDOG FOR THE CITY, UM, UNITED IS ON THE HOOK FOR THE MAJORITY OF THIS FINANCIAL COMMITMENT. THIS PROJECT IS GOOD FOR HOUSTON. WE NEED THIS PROJECT. WE NEED THESE NEW TERMINALS. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO, UH, THE AIRPORT LATELY, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND, UM, THAT, THAT YOU DO SO, SO YOU CAN SEE THE NEED FIRSTHAND. UM, BUT I'M CONCERNED THAT IF YOU DON'T SIGN OFF ON THIS, UH, THIS WEEK, UH, THAT MAY PUSH US INTO THE NEW ADMINISTRATION. AND I THINK IT'S UNFAIR TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PUT IN TIME ON THIS PROJECT, UM, RECENTLY AND OVER THE PAST YEAR, UH, FOR US TO DO THAT. BECAUSE THERE IS NO MAGIC HALO THAT COMES OVER YOUR HEAD WHEN YOU ARE ELECTED AND YOU SIT IN THIS SEAT. UM, IT TAKES TIME TO DIGEST THE PROCESS. IT TAKES TIME TO DIGEST WHAT'S HAPPENING IN EVERY DEPARTMENT. THIS IS A BIG CITY, AND WE'VE PUT IN THE WORK TO MAKE THIS DECISION, AND WE HAVE THIS WEEK AND MAYBE ONE MORE WEEK TO MAKE THAT DECISION. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, DO YOU THINK THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO DO YOUR NEEDED DUE DILIGENCE WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS DECISION, UM, BEFORE THE END OF THIS ADMINISTRATION? UH, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION. UM, AGAIN, I, I DON'T, UH, I WOULD'VE SAID IF WE HAD STARTED THIS SIX MONTHS AGO, WE WOULD'VE ALREADY BEEN DONE. [02:45:01] UM, BUT IN THIS COMPRESSED TIMELINE, I, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION AT THIS POINT. I, I DID, UH, REFERENCE TO COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN TALKING IN PART WITH, UH, CITY LEGAL AND AIRPORT DIRECTOR. AND, UH, THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP HAS TAKEN A LEAD ON THIS TO, UH, PUT A MEETING TOGETHER WITH UNITED AND START ANSWERING SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS IN MORE DETAIL. I THINK AFTER WE HAVE THAT MEETING, I'M HAPPY TO, UH, COM COMMUNICATE AN UPDATE. UM, I DO WANNA SAY, I, LIKE YOU HAD SEEN, UH, THIS, UH, PRESENTATION THAT WAS, UH, BROUGHT TO COUNCIL COMMITTEE, UM, THAT WAS IN, I BELIEVE MAY, UH, ABSENT. AND I WOULD, UH, REQUEST THAT YOU ALL GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT PRESENTATION. UH, BECAUSE WHEN I SAW IT, I THOUGHT, OKAY, WELL, THIS IS JUST AN FYI, IT'S ABOUT EIGHT SLIDES, AND THERE'S NOT ONE MENTION OF ANY FINANCIAL DATA IN THAT PRESENTATION. AND I THINK UNTIL I RAISED THE RED FLAG AND SAID, WE'RE ABOUT TO VOTE ON A $2.6 BILLION AIRPORT PROJECT, WHERE I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE HAD THE TIME TO BASICALLY UNPACK HOW THIS DEAL IS BEING DONE. UH, A LETTER WAS SENT MAYBE THE DAY BEFORE THAT THE MOU WAS PUT ON THE AGENDA, AND, UH, THEN IT WAS VOTED ON. SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UM, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 20 YEARS. I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE. I, I APOLOGIZE IF, UM, MANY OF YOU ARE LOOKING AT ME AND SAYING, I'M, I'M BEING DIFFICULT. BUT AGAIN, AS I LEAVE OFFICE, I'M CONTINUING TO BE THE TAXPAYER'S WATCHDOG. THIS IS A BIG DEAL. IT REQUIRES A HIGH LEVEL OF DUE DILIGENCE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK AND, AND DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE SEVERITY OF THIS. I DO WANNA APOLOGIZE TO UNITED AIRLINES. WE BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE A PARTNER. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY CONTINUE TO BRING THEIR, UH, THEIR BUSINESS HERE. UH, AS I SAID TO THE PARTNERSHIP THIS MORNING, I'M, UH, COMMITTED TO GETTING THIS DEAL DONE. WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE HOUSTON TAXPAYERS. MAYOR, I DO HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION BASED ON HIS RESPONSE. UM, WHAT, WHAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PARTNERSHIP AND WHY, WHY ARE THEY HAVING A SAY? YOU'LL HAVE TO ASK THE COMPTROLLER, I GUESS. CAN YOU EXPLAIN? YOU, YOU SAID THAT YESTERDAY, AND YOU SAID IT AGAIN TODAY. THE PARTNERSHIP. I, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IN THIS, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A SENSITIVE SITUATION, IS THAT, LOOK, WE DO NOT WANNA LOSE THIS DEAL. SO ESSENTIALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE PARTNERSHIP IN ENCOURAGING THEM AS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARM OF THE CITY TO SAY, LET'S CONTINUE TO NOT LET THIS THING, YOU KNOW, GET STALE. WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS GETTING IT DONE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, I NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME. MOTION TO STAND. SECOND. SECOND. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR? NOW, GRANTED, STAY WITH YOU, VICE MAYOR. CHAIRMAN, I'M SORRY. WE HAD TO DO THE MOTION. I DIDN'T HEAR THE END OF YOUR COMMENT. UM, UH, THE, UH, GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP BEING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, ARM OF THIS CITY, UH, OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN SEEING THIS COME THROUGH. AND, UM, HAD JUST ASKED, UH, THAT THEY, UH, ASSIST WITH UNITED IN MAKING SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE WANT THIS DEAL AND WE WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A GOOD DEAL FOR THE TAXPAYER. AND I, AND, AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I HOPE THAT THEY WOULD DO THAT, BUT THEY AREN'T ELECTED TO MAKE THOSE TYPE OF DECISIONS. UM, I THINK THAT THE PARTNERSHIP IS A, A GREAT ASSET FOR US. UM, BUT IT'S A BUSINESS ORGANIZATION FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I THINK THIS BODY, UM, WAS ELECTED TO MAKE THESE TYPES OF DECISIONS. UM, AND THEN MY QUESTION, MY NEXT QUESTION, MAYOR, WILL GO TO OUR, UH, UM, ATTORNEY, MICHELLE, IF THIS IS NOT CERTIFIED. UM, WHAT RECOURSE DO WE HAVE AS A, AS A BODY? UM, AT SOME POINT THE CITY COULD FILE A LAWSUIT TO DETERMINE WHAT THE, UM, WHAT CAN HAPPEN. IT, IT WON'T BRING A, A QUICK RESULT, BUT THAT'S AN OPTION THE CITY HAS. UH, AND, AND I'M JUST FRUSTRATED WITH IT BECAUSE IF WE HAVE A NEW CONTROLLER THAT WILL HAVE TO COME IN AND, UM, LEARN WHAT HAS HAPPENED, WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED, AND DO HIS DUE DILIGENCE, HOW MUCH LONGER IS THIS GOING TO TAKE BEFORE WE CAN MAKE A DO A NEW DECISION? I THINK THAT YOU ARE IN THE BEST POSITION TO CERTIFY THIS PROJECT, UM, AND GET IT DONE BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION. I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, UH, GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. UH, CONTROLLER BROWN, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS A GOOD DEAL. UM, WHY, WHY SAY IT'S A GOOD DEAL? WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE DEAL? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE DEAL? WHY NOT SAY IT'S, I'M STILL LOOKING AT IT. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A GOOD DEAL OR NOT. WHY ARE YOU SAYING IT'S A GOOD DEAL? YEAH, I THINK, UM, WELL, I THINK IT'S A GOOD DEAL FOR UNITED. UH, I THINK IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY CAN AFFORD. AND WHY DO YOU THINK IT'S A GOOD DEAL FOR UNITED? WELL, I THINK IT'S A GOOD DEAL FOR UNITED BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BUILD, UH, TERMINAL B, THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO ADD, UH, QUITE A BIT OF CAPACITY OUT THERE. AND THEY'RE [02:50:01] GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN PART, UH, UTILIZING, UH, THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, UM, ISSUING THOSE BONDS ON A TAX EXEMPT BASIS. YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED BEFORE TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN MY, MY MEMO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A, ESSENTIALLY AN A CREDIT, THE CITY, UM, UNITED'S, UH, UM, DOUBLE BBB CREDIT, DEPENDING ON WHICH RATING AGENCIES ALL THE AIRPORTS ARE, I'M SORRY, ALL THE AIRPORTS ARE AIRLINES. ALL THE AIRLINES ARE RIGHT. I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND THAT'S WHY THE AIRPORTS LEAN ON MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT TO HELP ISSUE THAT DEBT, BECAUSE WE'RE A STRONGER CREDIT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, ADVANTAGES IN THE MARKETPLACE. UM, SO AGAIN, I, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT I BELIEVE THIS IS A GOOD DEAL FOR UNITED. AND, BUT DO YOU THINK IT'S A, YOU DON'T REPRESENT UNITED, YOU REPRESENT THE TAXPAYERS, YOU'RE THE WATCHDOG FOR THE TAXPAYERS. ABSOLUTELY. SO WHEN YOU REFERENCE, YOU THINK IT'S A GOOD DEAL, ARE YOU REFERENCING ON BEHALF OF THE TAXPAYERS THAT YOU BELIEVE IT'S A GOOD DEAL? THIS IS THE QUESTION THAT I'M, I'M, I'M GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER, IS I WANNA MAKE SURE THIS IS A GOOD DEAL FOR THE TAXPAYERS. BUT YOU SAID EARLIER YOU THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD DEAL. SO ARE YOU ONLY REPRESENTING UNITED IN THAT, IN THAT, UH, COMMENT? NO, I'M NOT REP REPRESENTING UNITED. SO WHEN YOU SAY IT'S A GOOD DEAL, 'CAUSE YOU'VE RE REFERENCED THAT FIVE OR SIX TIMES TODAY. WHEN YOU SAY, LET, LEMME RE LET ME REPHRASE THAT, THEN. I THINK YOU'RE GETTING CAUGHT ON TECHNICALITIES. I FEEL LIKE I'M BEING CROSS-EXAMINED. IF THIS IS A GOOD DEAL TODAY, THIS WILL BE A GOOD DEAL IN THREE WEEKS FOR THE TAXPAYERS. SO LET'S GO WITH THAT. SO YOU SAY IN THREE WEEKS IT MAY BE A GOOD DEAL FOR THE TAXPAYER. WELL, AFTER, AFTER, AFTER THE DUE DILIGENCE. BUT THIS, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE. THREE, FOUR WEEKS. AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUILD A TIMELINE. I'M NOT, I'M NOT EXACTLY CERTAIN. SO WHEN YOU SAY IT WILL, IT WILL TAKE POSSIBLY THREE OR FOUR WEEKS. WHEN THIS FIRST WAS TO COME ON THE AGENDA, IT WAS ABOUT FOUR WEEKS AGO. MM-HMM . SO IN THOSE FOUR WEEKS, HAS THAT NOT BEEN ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT YOU SAY WILL TAKE ANOTHER THREE OR FOUR WEEKS? UH, WELL, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME, AND, AND I DON'T THINK WE WANNA GET INTO THE DETAILS OF, OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE SIDEBAR THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE CONTINUED OUR DUE DILIGENCE. WE'VE, UH, SENT OUT, UH, A MEMO. I KNOW THAT THE, UH, AIRPORT, UH, DIRECTOR HAS RESPONDED. UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE KEY POINTS IS THE FEASIBILITY STUDY. AND THE AIRPORT DIRECTOR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY ARE WORKING TO UPDATE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AROUND THIS PROJECT. SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, UH, REFER, UH, YOUR QUESTIONS AND A LOT OF THESE TIMELINE QUESTIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, BACK TO AIRPORT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE OF THE COMPLETION OF THE FEASIBILITY, UH, STUDY? SO, SO IF YOU GET A FEASIBILITY STUDY IN THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS OR SO, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO, SO JUST TO TELL YOU, UH, FEASIBILITY STUDY'S GONNA BE A THIRD PARTY THAT IS ESSENTIALLY GONNA GO IN AND THEY'RE GOING TO, UH, AND I'M GONNA USE THE TERM AUDIT AND VERIFY ALL OF THE CURRENT AND FUTURE REVENUES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, THIS PROJECT, AND THEN AUDIT AND VERIFY ALL THE CURRENT EXPENSES. AND THEN THEY'RE BASICALLY GONNA GIVE US AN INDICATION OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE, UH, PROBABILITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ISSUE THE DEBT. AND THEN WE WOULD GO TO OUR, UH, FINANCE WORKING GROUP AND OUR EXTERNAL, UH, FINANCIAL ADVISORS, AND WE WOULD SIT DOWN AND SAY, OKAY, LOOK, WE'VE GOT THIS FEASIBILITY. WE KNOW THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, AFFORD TO PAY THIS. AND AGAIN, THIS IS BASED ON, UH, PROJECTED, UH, REVENUES, WHICH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, SOMETIMES ARE, ARE, ARE DIFFICULT TO PROJECT. AND, AND, AND THEN WE WOULD START LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE GONNA STRUCTURE THIS DEBT. AND THEN CAN WE MEET THE MAXIMUM, UH, DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE RATIO? CAN WE, OR I SHOULD SAY, MINIMUM DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE RATIO TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE FUTURE, UH, WE WE'LL BE ABLE TO SERVICE THIS DEBT. SO WHY DID YOU MENTION EARLIER THEN ABOUT A NEW ADMINISTRATION OR A NEW COUNCIL COMING IN, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT IT? WHAT IMPORTANCE IS THAT TO YOU? WELL, I THINK THAT RUNS CONCURRENT WITH WHAT I'M DOING. I'M BASICALLY GOING THROUGH AND DOING MY FEASIBILITY. BUT THERE MIGHT BE OTHER THINGS, UH, THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF AT THIS MOMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE A CONCERN. AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T PREDICT THE FUTURE. I MEAN, YOU COULD SAY THAT ABOUT EVERY SINGLE DEAL THAT COMES FORWARD TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU MAKE THE, UH, NOTION THAT MAYBE BECAUSE OF A PANDEMIC OR SOME UNFORESEEN NATURAL DISASTER COMES, I MEAN, THAT YOU COULD PUT THAT HYPOTHETICAL AGAIN ON EVERY SINGLE ITEM THAT COMES HERE TO MAKE IT SEEM AS IF, I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO DO THIS RIGHT NOW. MAYBE WE NEED TO PAUSE, MAYBE WE NEED TO HESITATE ON PULLING THE TRIGGER. BUT EVERYONE AROUND THIS COUNCIL BODY HAS BEEN LOOKING AT THIS ITEM. IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN VETTED MANY TIMES OVER, AND YOU PERSONALLY HAVE SAID SEVERAL TIMES THAT YOU THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD DEAL. SECOND, ANY OBJECTION? NONE GRANTED. WELL, SO I, I JUST, I THINK WHAT I'M TRYING TO EXPRESS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA LOSE THIS DEAL. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU'RE PUTTING THE DEAL AT JEOPARDY BY, WELL, I'M, I'M WITH RESPECT TO MY ROLE IN THIS, THIS BODY IS SAYING IT, THIS BODY IS SAYING IT. THE PARTNERSHIP HAS SAID THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY ARE, UH, FEARFUL THAT THE DEAL MAY NOT GO THROUGH AND [02:55:01] WE MAY LOSE UNITED AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT. I'LL CLOSE ON THIS. WHEN I WAS A, WHEN I WAS A FORMER ATHLETE, THE COACH USED TO ALWAYS SAY, JUST GET, GET THE JOB DONE. OKAY? WE HAVE A FEW MORE WEEKS HERE, UH, UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION, UNDER YOUR TURN, IT WOULD SEEM AS IF THIS WOULD BE OF HIGHEST PRIORITY FOR THE CITY TO GET A MAJOR DEAL WITH A MAJOR CORPORATION LIKE THIS DONE. AND THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. AND IT WOULD SEEM AS IF, FROM YOUR OFFICE'S STANDPOINT, THAT WOULD BE THE, UH, UH, MINDSET THAT YOU ALL HAVE. AND I HOPE THAT IT IS BECAUSE THIS IS A GOOD DEAL. AND I THINK THAT THIS BODY DESERVES TO ENSURE THAT WE PASS IT BEFORE THE NEW YEAR. SO TO, SO TO PUT IT IN YOUR FOOTBALL ANALOGY, THIS IS THE SUPER BOWL, AND I HAVE NOT BEEN INVITED TO PRACTICE, AND NOW THEY'RE ACTUALLY EXPECTING ME TO SHOW UP ON GAME DAY AND WIN THE GAME. SO HAD WE HAD STARTED THIS PROCESS, I HAD BEEN INVOLVED BACK IN WHENEVER IT WAS THAT THE GENESIS OF THIS WAS WE WOULDN'T BE ON THIS EXPEDITED TIMELINE. LET ME, LET ME, LET ME AGAIN, LET ME INTERJECT HERE NOW ON YOUR STAFF. VERNON MIDDLETON LEWIS DIRECTOR, THE TREASURY DIVISION IN THE COM'S OFFICE, HAS BEEN FULLY BRIEFED BY MELISSA DUB BOSKY, ANDY KIN HAS TALKED TO YOUR STAFF. YOU HAVE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH ARTURO MICHELLE, TO SAY THAT YOU ARE COMING INTO THIS GAME LATE IS NOT A TRUE STATEMENT. WHAT IS TRUE IS THAT, UH, YOUR FAILURE TO CERTIFY IS PUTTING THIS DEAL AT RISK, AND YOU ARE PUTTING THE CITY IN AN ANTI-COMPETITIVE POSITION WHEN IT RELATES TO OTHER UNITED HUBS. AND QUITE FRANKLY, YOUR FAILURE TO CERTIFY IS CREATING IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO THIS CITY. AND LEMME GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER KINGMAN. YEAH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I WASN'T PLANNING TO SAY ANYTHING, UH, BUT I WAS RECENTLY AT, UH, TERMINAL B, AND IF ANYONE HAS BEEN IN TERMINAL B RECENTLY, UH, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE TAXPAYERS. THE TAXPAYERS, THE TAXPAYERS, AND I'M GONNA SAY ALL HOUSTONIANS. AND EVEN EVERYONE THAT TRAVELS TO HOUSTON, DISTRICT B NEEDS A FACELIFT. AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU MEAN TERMINAL B? I'M SORRY, TERMINAL B, DID I SAY DISTRICT B? SORRY, WE CAN USE THAT. BUT IT'S, IT'S IN, IT'S IN DISTRICT BS IN DISTRICT B, IT'S IN DISTRICT B. SO, EXCUSE ME. SO TERMINAL B NEEDS A FACELIFT. AND YOU KNOW, CHRIS, YOU TALKED ABOUT IF YOU HAD KNOWN ABOUT THIS SIX MONTHS AGO, WELL, WE'VE KNOWN ABOUT IT FOR AT LEAST SEVEN MONTHS. WE HAD THE COMMITTEE HEARING BACK IN MAY, WHICH YOU SAID, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DUE DILIGENCE, I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION, UH, IS HOW MANY STAFF DO YOU OVERSEE? UH, CURRENTLY 54. 54 EMPLOYEES. YOU'VE HAD AT LEAST, I'M GONNA SAY SEVEN MONTHS, BUT GOING TO YOU, AND WHEN IT CAME TO YOUR DESK AT LEAST THREE WEEKS NOW OUT OF OVER 54 EMPLOYEES, THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET DONE WITH BRIEFINGS WITH EVERYTHING ELSE. AND YOU, I BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED, UH, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, AND YOU AND I GO WAY BACK. UM, BUT I HATE THAT THIS MAY BE THE LEGACY THAT YOU LEAVE WITH. THAT KILLS ME. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, I THINK THERE'S ONLY ONE OTHER TIME THAT I CAN RECALL ALL THE WAY BACK. I BELIEVE IN, I THINK YOU SAID 2016, WHERE IT HAS TAKEN THIS LONG TO CERTIFY SOMETHING, AND THAT IT IS TAKING THIS LONG WHEN THERE HAS BEEN NOTICE, WHEN THERE HAS BEEN DILIGENCE DONE. UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT ONLY A DISAPPOINTMENT, I THINK IT'S A DISSERVICE TO WHAT WE ARE DOING AS A CITY, UH, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT THIS DEAL IS FOR THE CITY AND THE HARD WORK THAT HAS GONE IN, NOT ONLY FROM THE MAYOR AND HIS ADMINISTRATION, BUT COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING, EXCUSE ME, WORKING ON THIS FROM VICE MAYOR PRO TEM AS CHAIR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO MAYOR PRO, TEM MARTIN AS CHAIR OF BFA, AND ALL OF OTHERS AROUND THE HORSESHOE, INCLUDING COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, WHO HAS WORKED HARD, UM, TO GET OTHER IMPROVEMENTS AND PROTECTIONS FOR WORKERS. SO, YOU KNOW, I I JUST HAD TO EXPRESS MY FRUSTRATION BECAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY, [03:00:01] AND I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT THIS IS A QUOTE UNQUOTE LAME DUCK COUNCIL, UH, WHEN WE HAVE AN AGENDA PACKED WITH MEANINGFUL AND IMPORTANT THINGS THAT ARE GONNA BRING RELIEF TO RESIDENTS. YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. I WOULD SAY, UH, QUITE THE OPPOSITE ON THE LEGACY. I DON'T WANT THE LEGACY OF BEING A RUBBER, UH, LAME DUCK. THAT RUBBER STAMPED A DEAL THAT WE FIND OUT DOWN THE ROAD MAY HAVE NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE CITY'S BEST INTEREST. AND AGAIN, AS A TAXPAYER'S ADVOCATE AND WATCHDOG, THIS IS MY, MY CHARGE. LOOK, THIS IS ME DOING MY JOB. THIS IS A CULMINATION OF 20 YEARS OF BEING HERE AT THE CITY, UH, REVIEW, REVIEWING THESE KIND OF DEALS AND SEEING, UH, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY WENT RIGHT, SOMETIMES THEY DIDN'T. UH, WE'RE STILL UNPACKING THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE HERE OF, UH, FIRST SUBSTANTIAL DIALOGUE WAS 11 ONE. SO MM NOVEMBER 1ST WAS THE ESSENTIAL FIRST. AND SO NOW WE STAND HERE, UH, SOME 30 DAYS LATER, AND WE HAD, UH, THANKSGIVING IN BETWEEN THERE. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, I, I DO WANNA, UH, YOU KNOW, DEFEND MY STAFF WHO'S VERY HARDWORKING AND I DON'T APPRECIATE SHOTS DIRECTED AT THEM. I WOULD SAY A LOT OF THIS, UNFORTUNATELY, IS IN THE HANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE. SO, YOU KNOW, UH, DIRECTOR, UH, UM, CITY ATTORNEY MICHELLE, I, I'M NOT GONNA TALK, TALK PUBLICLY ABOUT THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE, BUT WE ARE WAITING ON ITEMS FROM, UH, DIRECTOR MICHELLE. WE ARE GONNA BE WAITING ON ITEMS FROM, UH, HAS. AND I'M GONNA RECLAIM A LITTLE BIT OF MY TIME. UH, ME DISCUSSING YOUR STAFF IS NOT ABOUT, UH, ME TAKING A SHOT AT YOUR STAFF. I HAVE THE MOST UTMOST RESPECT FOR YOUR STAFF. MANY OF THEM ARE MY FRIENDS. MANY OF THEM SERVE THE CITY UNDER MULTIPLE ADMINISTRATIONS. THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. YOU ARE THE BOSS AND THE BUCK STOPS WITH YOU THERE. CORRECT? CORRECT. SO THAT IS DIRECTED AT YOUR STAFF. IT'S THAT YOU HAVE A STAFF THAT MANY OF US COULD ONLY HOPE AND DREAM MM-HMM . TO HAVE IN TERMS OF CAPACITY. I MAYOR, UM, MAYOR, I TELL MARTIN, YES. AND, UH, CONTROLLER, YOU AND I HAVE HAD, UM, UM, VERY LIVELY DISCUSSIONS. I APPRECIATE YOUR FINANCIAL ACUMEN. YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT CONTROLLER FOR THE, I THINK IT'S THE SIX PLUS EIGHT. SO THE 14 YEARS THAT YOU'VE BEEN HERE, THIS IS PROBABLY OUR FIRST BIG DISAGREEMENT THAT WE'VE HAD. BUT LET ME TELL EVERYONE ABOUT FACTS. FACTS. WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT SALES TAX PROJECTION, THIS GENTLEMAN SITTING TO YOUR RIGHT, MY LEFT, MR. WILL JONES WAS ACCURATE. WHILE DR. GILMER, THE EXPERT ON SALES TAX, WAS PREDICTING NEGATIVE 11% WE'RE COMING IN AT POSITIVE THREE. THAT'S A 14% DELTA. YOU KNOW HOW MANY NEGATIVE MONTHS YOU HAVE TO HAVE IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR? IN ORDER TO GET TO THAT NUMBER THAT HE TALKED ABOUT, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE 30% DECREASE IN SALES TAX. SO KUDOS TO THE ADMINISTRATION. UM, THESE ARE SPECIAL REVENUE BONDS, AS I TALKED ABOUT. THEY'RE CALLED NON-RECOURSE DEBT. WHAT DOES NONRECOURSE DEBT MEAN? IT DOES NOT ALLOW THE LENDER TO PURSUE ANYTHING OTHER THAN COLLATERAL. THEY CANNOT FURTHER TAKE LEGAL ACTION TO COLLECT ANY OF THE MONEY OWED, WHETHER IT'S A CITY OR SOMEONE ELSE, BECAUSE THEY'RE NONRECOURSE DEBT. AND CORRECT ME IF ANY OF THESE STATEMENTS ARE ERRONEOUS TO ANYONE IN THIS AUDIENCE, INCLUDING THE COUNSELOR TO MY LEFT. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTS, AND THESE ARE THE FACTS THAT JUMP AT ME. YOUR COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE, 14 YEARS DOING THIS, NEW CONTROLLER'S GONNA HAVE A DAY AND HE'S GONNA BE HIT WITH THIS. AND THIS BODY HAS A COLLECTIVE WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE. WE KNOW I TRIP, WE KNOW THE AIRPORT. WHAT MAKES ME UPSET IS WHEN I TURN ON THE NEWS AND THERE IS ERRONEOUS INFORMATION COMING OUT ABOUT THIS SUBJECT. THAT'S WHY I'M SO PASSIONATE ABOUT IT TODAY. I'M WATCHING THE NEWS THIS MORNING AND THEY TALK ABOUT THIS ITEM COMING TO COUNCIL. AND THE BAD PART ABOUT IT, I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. AND LET ME TOUCH BASE ON THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP WHILE I'M ON A ROLL. THEIR MISSION IS ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THEY'RE OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO REPRESENT US. I ASK YOU LOOK AROUND THE STATE OF TEXAS AND HOW ARE WE DOING WITH THEIR MISSION STATEMENT. SO I REALLY QUICKLY GOOGLED DALLAS NEW COMPANIES THIS YEAR. FRONTIER THERMOMIX, RU HAS FOODS, CRITIQUE FOODS, KELLY MOORE FAMILY PAINTS. YOU LOOK AT AUSTIN, AMAZON, SALESFORCE. GO GOOGLE. WHAT DO WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP AND YOUR MISSION, BRINGING IN NEW COMPANIES? WHAT DO WE HAVE? WHAT'S THE LAST NEW COMPANY THAT CAME IN? SO INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S UNITED AIRLINES POSITION, COME TALK TO ME, COME TALK TO US. THEY DID A, A STUDY ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S FINANCIAL POSITION. I WOULD ARGUE THAT I HAD MORE EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAN ANYBODY WHO PUT THAT REPORT TOGETHER. I NEVER GOT A CALL. I WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY. I WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL 'EM HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BECAUSE I'LL PUT MY 40 YEARS OF ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE EXPERIENCE [03:05:01] UP AGAINST ANYONE THAT WORKS OVER THERE. SO WHILE YOU'RE DOING YOUR DILIGENCE, GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP, MAKE SURE YOU ATTRACT THE COMPANIES THAT ARE GONNA HELP THE CITY OF HOUSTON GROW. AND I BELIEVE, AND WHAT I LOOK AT FRISCO, FRISCO, TEXAS, LOOK WHAT'S GOING ON IN FRISCO, GOOGLE IT. THEY'RE BLOWING UP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. DALLAS, AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO, AND HERE WE COME CREEPING UP. BUT I DO BELIEVE, AND 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO, UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP IS SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA. THANKS. MM-HMM . THEY'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM BECAUSE I THINK, UH, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY RECOGNIZES THE VALUE OF, UM, REDOING TERMINAL B AND THE AMOUNT, AMOUNT OF, THE NUMBER OF TRAVELERS THAT WILL BE COMING IN AND OUT OF THE CITY. SO I THINK THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS SUPPORTIVE. I, I, IF I MAY, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, AND I DO, I DO NOT SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE GHP, BUT THEY'RE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ISSUE AND THEY WANNA SEE IT GET DONE. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU CONTROLLER BROWN. UM, I KNOW YOU AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ON MONDAY WHERE YOU KIND OF LIKE, WAS IT MONDAY OR TUESDAY WHERE YOU UPDATED ME ON, UM, YOUR POSITION? I KNOW, UM, WE WENT BACK TO THE PRESENTATION. I HAD SOME CONCERNS WITH THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAVE FINANCIAL, UM, THE FINANCIAL ASPECT IN IT, BUT LATER, YOU KNOW, WE GOT SOME INFORMATION. UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS A GOOD DEAL FOR THE TAXPAYERS. AND SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS WHAT DO THAT LOOK LIKE? I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH UNITED ABOUT JOBS. I TOLD YOU THAT MY MAIN PRIORITY IS JOBS, UM, FOR THE RESIDENTS AND DISTRICT B, OF COURSE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON TOO, BUT FOR DISTRICT B. UM, AND SO JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? WELL, I THINK THAT'S AGAIN, WHY WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS, UH, PROCESS OF FEASIBILITY AND MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THE CITY'S PORTION OF $640 MILLION IN DEBT, UH, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SERVICE THAT DEBT, AND THAT WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY STRUCTURING THIS DEAL IN A MANNER THAT IS, UH, BENEFICIAL FOR THE TAXPAYER GOING FORWARD. UH, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO, AS WE GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS AND EVENTUALLY THIS DEAL WILL GET SIGNED, AND THEN WE WILL GO THROUGH AND, UH, DO MORE OF THE DEAL STRUCTURING AND, UH, EVENTUALLY GO TO PRICING AND PRICE THE BONDS AND, AND THERE'LL BE MORE OF, UH, ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTION IN THE FUTURE. COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN EZ. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION. UM, WHEN I HEAR THE COMPTROLLER SAY THAT, UM, IT MAY TAKE THREE OR FOUR WEEKS TO REVIEW THIS, UM, THREE WEEKS IS DECEMBER 20TH. FOUR WEEKS FROM TODAY IS DECEMBER 27TH. IF HE DECIDES IN FOUR WEEKS THAT HE DOES, UH, UM, APPROVE AND, AND SIGNS OFF ON IT, IS, IS THERE ANY WAY TO CALL A SPECIAL MEETING AND POST, AND EVERYTHING IS LOGISTICALLY, IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? WELL, THE LAST, THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING IS DECEMBER THE 20TH. I THINK AFTER THAT, IT'S GONNA BE HARD TO KIND OF PULLED TOGETHER NINE COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE WILL BE, WE'LL BE DIRECTLY INTO THE HEART OF THE, UH, HOLIDAY SEASON. SO DECEMBER THE 20TH FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES, WILL, WILL BE OUR LAST MEETING. YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY, COUNCILMAN P*****K. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, WORDS MATTER. AND, AND, AND, AND JUST NOW, YOU, YOU, UH, RE RESPONDED TO COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON BY SAYING EVENTUALLY THIS DEAL WILL GET SIGNED. HOW DO YOU KNOW, JUST NOT IN THIS ADMINISTRATION, BUT HOW, HOW, HOW, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? WELL, BECAUSE YOU, THE JOB OF THE CONTROLLER IS JUST TO CERTIFY. SO IF THE, IF YOU DON'T CERTIFY, HOW, HOW DO YOU KNOW THE NEXT CONTROLLER WILL CERTIFY? WELL, I THINK THOSE WORDS ARE BETTER THAN THIS DEAL ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE. SO I'M TRYING TO BE OPTIMISTIC TO SAY, EVENTUALLY I BELIEVE THIS WILL BE SIGNED. I'VE MADE COMMITMENTS. BUT WHY DO YOU THINK THAT? UM, WELL, I THINK WE'LL GO THROUGH OUR FEASIBILITY AND THERE'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE SOME THINGS THAT WE FIND IN THAT, AND WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY TWEAK IT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU'RE GONNA TWEAK IT? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW YET UNTIL I HAVE THE INFORMATION. YEAH. THAT'S WHY I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT, BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING THIS IS GONNA BE A GOOD DEAL. YOU'RE SAYING THAT EVENTUALLY YOU THINK THIS DEAL WILL GET SIGNED. MM-HMM . UM, YOU'RE SAYING THAT IN THREE WEEKS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE A, A NEW ADMINISTRATION. IT, IT GOES BACK TO WHAT THE VICE MAYOR PRO TEM SAYS THAT, THAT IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE NUMBERS HERE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. AND REALLY YOUR JOB IS JUST TO LOOK AT, UH, WHETHER WE CAN AFFORD IT OR NOT. AND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING, THAT'S WHAT I'M WORKING ON, THE WORDS, BUT THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUTTA YOUR MOUTH LEAD TO THE ASSUMPTION THAT YES, THIS MAY TURNER POINT OF ORDER, I WOULD TO CLOSE THE HEARING AND CALL THE VOTE. [03:10:02] OKAY. THERE'S NO VOTE ON THIS. UM, FOR THE ACCEPT THE REPORT. TO ACCEPT THE REPORT. TO ACCEPT THE REPORT. OH, ACCEPT THE MONDAY. OKAY. NO. OKAY. WE JUST THESE TWO AND WE'LL BE DONE. ALL RIGHT. AND IF I MAY, I'M HAPPY TO, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE, UH, TO ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON HAS REACHED OUT. ANYBODY ELSE THAT HAS ANY CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO MEET WITH THEM. COUNCILMAN POLL, WILL YOU FINISH UP? ARE YOU DONE, TIFFANY? THANK, ARE YOU DONE? OKAY, VICE MAYOR PRO, TIM, I'M MARTIN WILL BE THE LAST ONE ON THE SUBJECT. THANK, THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I KNOW THAT THIS, THIS HAS GONE ON FOR A LONG TIME, BUT I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT THIS IS A $2.5 BILLION PROJECT. UM, UNITED IS, UH, HAS THE ONUS OF THE $1.9 BILLION, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON AT $600 MILLION. IF YOU ARE THE WATCHDOG FOR THE CITY'S FINANCES, THE DUE DILIGENCE ON $600 MILLION, WHICH WOULD BE OUR RESPONSIBILITY, UM, I, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THIS LEVEL OF DUE DILIGENCE FOR THAT $600 MILLION WHEN EVERYTHING HAS POINTED TO THE ONUS OF THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ON UNITED. AND I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY. I JUST, IT REITERATES WHY I MADE THE COMMENT YESTERDAY THAT THIS FEELS VERY POLITICAL. OKAY. LET'S, LET'S DO THIS. UM, THE FINAL QUESTION ON TO YOU WILL NOT ON THIS SUBJECT, WILL YOU JUST RESTATE THE NET POSITION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON? BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE REPORTING THAT THE CITY IS INSOLVENT, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY SOMETIMES THE MEDIA GOES BACK TO, WELL, LET ME BE POSITIVE. YEAH, JUST GIMME THE NET POSITION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON BASED ON THE, ON THE, UM, A OKAY. SO THE, THE NET POSITION IS, UH, 7.6 BILLION AT THE END OF FY 23, AND THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 1.7 BILLION, UH, COMPARED TO FY 22, 7 $0.6 BILLION INCREASE. AND IF I CAN RECALL IN 2016 WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE, THE NET POSITION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS A NEGATIVE $95 MILLION, A NEGATIVE 95 AS WE PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD. COUNCILMAN CIARA, UH, AND MAYOR PROM. THE NET POSITION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS 7.6 BILLION. UH, WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. SO, UM, THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU COMPTROLLER. UH, THANK YOU FINANCE DIRECTOR. UH, WILL JONES. UM, AND NOW IT'S TIME. IF THE, UM, CHAIR RECOGNIZES, MAY I ATTEMPT FOR A MOTION? MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MONTHLY FINANCE REPORT DATED OCTOBER 31ST, 2023 AS PRESENTED SECOND? IT'S BEEN MOVED IN SECOND. ANY DISCUSSIONS? HEARING NONE. THE MOTION IS ADOPTED. DISCUSSION, THANK YOU. OH, I'M SORRY. ON THIS ITEM. I, UM, APPRECIATE ALL THE DISCUSSION. UM, BUT IN MY FOUR YEARS OF SERVING, I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN ITEM, UH, NOT CERTIFIED WHEN, UH, UH, CONTRACTS THAT DON'T MEET THEIR MWBE GOALS. AND WE FIGHT AND TUSSLE IN THIS HORSESHOE AND WE TALK ABOUT THESE, YOU KNOW, UH, THESE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE DOING BUSINESS, THOSE DEALS WHO HAVE STILL BEEN CERTIFIED. UM, WE TALK ABOUT THOSE WHO CONTRACTORS THAT WE HAVE PAID AND THEY HAVE NOT FULFILLED THEIR PROMISE. THOSE DEALS HAVE STILL BEEN CERTIFIED, RIGHT? I WOULD'VE LOVED TO SEE THAT TYPE OF ENERGY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE EQUITY OF MWBES AT THE TABLE, UM, IN THE BUSINESS THAT WE DO FOR ALL RESIDENTS IN THE CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, NOW WE ARE MOVING TO, TO THE APPOINTMENTS. SO, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU WILL CALL UP ITEMS SEVEN AND EIGHT. ITEM SEVEN AND EIGHT, NEED A MOTION, HAVE TA MOVE THERE. SECOND. SECOND MOVED. AND SECOND ON ITEM SEVEN AND EIGHT. UH, DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANITE. IF YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD. UH, THIS IS TO THE HOUSTON CLEAN CITY COMMISSION. POSITION EIGHT IS JOSEPH MACHADO. NINE IS JUNE Z LEE. LOU, I KNOW I'VE MESSED UP ON THAT ONE. MESSED UP ON THAT ONE. 17 IS KIMBERLY BURKES. 20 IS CATHERINE MYERS. 29 IS THOMAS BONEY, AND 30 IS DREW D YEARWOOD. AND IF YOU'LL BRIEFLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF ONE MORE TIME, 'CAUSE I KNOW I MAY HAVE I MESSED UP YOUR NAME. LET'S START HERE. GOOD MORNING, I'M CATHERINE MYERS. I'M KIMBERLY BURS. HELLO, JOE MACHADO, DREW YEARWOOD THOMAS. B LET ME THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE. AND OF COURSE THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT, UH, COMMISSION. AND SO WHAT WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU THE REST OF THIS YEAR, AND THEN THE NEW ADMINISTRATION AS, AS, UH, COMING FORTH AS WELL. UM, VICE MAYOR JIM CAST TM. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THANK [03:15:01] YOU ALL FOR BEING WILLING TO SERVE, SERVE ON THE CLEAN CITY COMMISSION. UM, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF, UM, LIVING IN A CLEAN CITY AND, UH, RESIDENTS BEING, UH, A PART OF MAKING SURE THAT WE LIVE IN A CLEAN CITY. SO THE WORK THAT YOU WILL DO WILL IMPACT THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS. AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT, UM, COMMITTEE. THANK COUNCILMAN ALCO. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, MAYOR. LAST MONTH WE HEARD, UM, I GUESS WHEN THEY WERE DIGGING INTO WHAT THE CLEAN CITY COMMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO DO, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE QUARTERLY REPORTS. SO AS YOU RECALL, COLLEAGUES, THEY CAME WITH SOME REALLY GOOD IDEAS ON THE SCRAP TIRE ORDINANCE. SO JUST CHECKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION THAT THOSE KIND OF THINGS ARE MOVING ALONG. I THINK THAT THEY WERE REALLY GOOD SUGGESTIONS AND TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU GUYS CAN REALLY DO SOME REAL MEATY WORK ON ORDINANCES THAT WE CAN CHANGE TO, TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A CLEANER CITY. UM, I'M ALL FOR IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APOLOGIZE, JOBS HAD TO STAY HERE SO LONG, BUT REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. HAPPY HOLIDAYS. AND THEN ON POSITION EIGHT, WHICH IS THE HOUSTON HOUSTON MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD, IF YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD. UH, POSITION TWO IS ANNA GARZA. FOUR IS JASON KAIN. UH, FIVE IS TRACY DJO, SIX IS HENRY G DASH GIRI, EIGHT IS DEANDRE THORNTON. AND THEN ALTERNATE POSITION ONE IS MARISA S AND POSITION TWO IS MICHAEL MOORE. AND AGAIN, LET ME ASK YOU IF YOU WILL, IF YOU'LL INTRODUCE YOURSELF AGAIN. JASON KING, DEANDRE THORNTON, MICHAEL MOORE, HENRY GIDRICK, MARISSA SCIENCE CHA . OKAY. AND LOOK, AND AGAIN, UM, AND THIS IS A BOARD THAT WE RECENTLY STARTED, UM, BUT I'VE GOTTEN, I'VE HEARD SO MANY ACCOLADES, UH, FROM, FROM PEOPLE BEING ON IT AND PEOPLE BEING WILLING TO SERVE ON IT AND THE WORK THAT Y'ALL WILL BE DOING. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. UH, NICOLE URBAN, OF COURSE, IS OVER THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. REALLY QUICKLY, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL. 'CAUSE MAYOR, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. THEY HAVE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING. UM, THE, UNDER THE MUSIC ADVISORY BOARD AND THE DEPARTMENT UNDER DIRECTOR IRVING AND GRACIE, JUST YOU'RE KICKING BUTT. UM, THEY, WE JUST IN HOUSTON HOSTED THE TEXAS SOUNDS AND CITIES CONFERENCE, UM, THIS PAST MONTH, UH, THE KICKOFF BREAKFAST WAS IN DISTRICT C, BUT YOU ALL WERE TAKING, UM, INDUSTRY LEADERS AND PARTNERS FROM AROUND THE STATE, THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND BRINGING EVERYONE TOGETHER. SO THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, UM, THE LOVE OF MUSIC AND ART THAT YOU ALL ARE, UH, CONTINUING TO PROVIDE AND EXPAND UPON, UH, IS INVALUABLE. SO THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, MAYOR, THEY ARE JUST DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALSO VERY MUCH. AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING . OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. AND NOW WE ARE TURNING [HEARINGS] TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS. UH, AND NUMBER FIVE, NOW THE, THE FIFTH PUBLIC HEARING WILL NOT TAKE PLACE TODAY. UM, ARE WE STILL GONNA DO IT INTO BEING ABLE TO DO THE HEARING? OKAY, WELL, LET'S JUST PROCEED AS PLANNED. UH, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU, IF YOU'LL CALL THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, I THINK, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. UM, DO YOU WANNA DO MAYOR REPORTS FIRST? NO, THE PUBLIC HEARING. HOW DO I DO IT RIGHT HERE? SO WE'RE DOING HEARING ONE ST. GEORGE COUNTY. OKAY. IF YOU'LL CALL, UM, PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER ONE ST. GEORGE PLACE, MADAM SECRETARY. ITEM ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE FIFTH AMENDMENT TO THE PUBLIC PROJECT PLANNING REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN FOR REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER ONE. OKAY. UM, JENNIFER KEARLY, GOOD MORNING. I'M SORRY IF YOU HAD INTRODUCE YOURSELF. GO AHEAD. UH, GOOD MORNING. UH, BRANDON WALLEN, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON OCTOBER 26TH, 2023, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER ONE AND THE ST. GEORGE'S IN THE ST. GEORGE PLACE. REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY APPROVED THE FIFTH AMENDMENT TO THE ST. GEORGE PLACE ZONES PROJECT PLAN AND REDEVELOPMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN. AND SUBMITTED THE AMENDED PLAN TO COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 3 11 0 0 3 3 11 0 0 7, AND 3 11 0 11 OF THE TEXAS TAX CODE. A MUNICIPALITY MUST HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING WHEN PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO A PROJECT PLAN INCLUDE A CHANGE THAT INCREASES THE TOTAL ESTIMATED PROJECTED COSTS STATED IN A PROJECT PLAN OR REDUCES SLASH ENLARGES THE BOUNDARIES OF A ZONE. THE PUBLIC HEARING TODAY IS REGARDING THE PROPOSED FIFTH AMENDMENT TO [03:20:01] THE ST. GEORGE PLACE ZONE PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN. NOTICE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING WAS PUBLISHED IN THE NOVEMBER 17TH, 2023 EDITION OF THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE. IN BRIEF, THE AMENDED PLAN PROPOSES HARRIS COUNTY PARTICIPATION IN THE ST. GEORGE PLACE ZONE FROM TAX YEAR 2023 THROUGH TAX YEAR 2045. THE CONTRIBUTION GUIDELINE IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS. TAX INCREMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIFTH AMENDED PLAN WILL CONSIST OF CONTRIBUTIONS FROM HARRIS COUNTY. THE COUNTY WILL CONTRIBUTE 60% OF ITS TAX RATE OF 0.34 CENTS PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION. ADDITIONALLY, THE 33% OF THE AVAILABLE CAPTURED APPRAISED VALUE WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND 10% WILL BE RETAINED BY THE COUNTY FOR MAINTENANCE OF PROJECTS CONSTRUCTED BY THE TURS. IN CLOSING, CITY STAFF HAS WORKED WITH THE ST. GEORGE PLACE AUTHORITY ON THE PROPOSED FIFTH AMENDED PLAN AND RECOMMEND CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE FIFTH AMENDED PLAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY QUESTIONS TO BRANDON WALLEN? WALLEN? OKAY. UM, THERE IS NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY. IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? HEARING SCENE? NONE. IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING? CASTEX TELL YOU TO MOVE TO CLOSE THE HEARING MOVED SECOND TO CLOSE. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR NONE. MOTION GRANTED MA'AM. SECRETARY, YOU SHOULD NOW CALL PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER TWO ON CHURCH 20. ITEM TWO IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE SIXTH AMENDMENT TO THE PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN FOR REINVESTMENT. ZONE NUMBER 20. THANK YOU. UM, BRANDON? YEAH. OKAY. UM, ON OCTOBER 26TH, 2023, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF REINVESTMENT ZONE NUMBER 20 AND THE SOUTHWEST HOUSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY APPROVED A SIXTH AMENDMENT TO THE SOUTHWEST HOUSTON ZONE'S PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN, AND FORWARDED THE AMENDED PLAN TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTIONS THREE 11.0 0 3 3 11 0 0 7, AND THREE 11.0 11 OF THE TEXAS TAX CODE. A MUNICIPALITY MUST HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING WHEN PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO A PROJECT PLAN INCLUDE CHANGES THAT INCREASE THE TOTAL ESTIMATED PROJECT COSTS STATED IN A PROJECT PLAN OR REDUCE SLASH ENLARGES THE BOUNDARIES OF HIS OWN. THE PUBLIC HEARING TODAY IS REGARDING THE PROPOSED SIXTH AMENDMENT TO THE SOUTHWEST HOUSTON ZONE PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN. NOTICE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING WAS PUBLISHED IN THE NOVEMBER 17TH, 2023 EDITION OF THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE. IN BRIEF, THE AMENDED PLAN PROPOSES THE ANNEXATION OF APPROXIMATE OF APPROXIMATELY 340 ACRES INTO THE SOUTHWEST HOUSTON ZONE AND HARRIS COUNTY PARTICIPATION WITHIN THE ZONE. THE GENERAL AREA IS DESCRIBED IN SEVEN PARTS AS FOLLOWS. CHAPTER ONE IS A AREA OF 136.4 ACRES THAT IS SITUATED ALONG BREAKS BAYOU FROM BLIN LIFT DITCH ON THE WEST TO SOUTH RICE AVE TO THE EAST, THEN EXTENDING NORTH ALONG SOUTH RICE AVE TO CYPRESS SLOW DITCH AND SOUTH RICE AVE WEST TO CHIMNEY. ROCK ROAD TRACK TWO IS AN AREA OF 78.3 ACRES SITUATED ALONG BISSONNET STREET BETWEEN BRENT LIVED DITCH TO THE WEST AND HILLCROFT AVE TO THE EAST, WHICH INCLUDES BAYLIN PARK. TRACK THREE IS AN AREA OF 17.5 ACRES OF RIDE OF WAY ALONG BISSONNET STREET BETWEEN B BETWEEN BRAY BAYOU TO THE WEST AND BRENT LIFT DITCH TO THE EAST, BEGINNING AT THE SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY OF BIANET STREET AND NORTHWEST CORNER OF 9,600 SOUTH GESNER DRIVE. CHECK FOUR IS AN AREA OF 14.8 ACRES OF RIGHT OF WAY, SITUATED ALONG BIANET STREET AND SOUTH BRASSWOOD BOULEVARD WITH HIGHWAY 59 TO THE WEST AND KEEGAN'S AND BRAISE BAYOU ON THE EAST WITH THE POINT OF BEGINNING BEING THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF 8,800 BISSONNET STREET CHECK FIVE IS AN AREA OF 36.9 ACRES OF LAND SITUATED ALONG KEEGAN'S BAYOU ROIC ROAD TO THE WEST, AND INCLUDES THE WEST BELFORT PARK AND RIDE TRACK SIX, AN AREA OF 4.1 ACRES OF RIGHT OF WAY ALONG BISSONNET STREET, BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON CORPORATE LIMITS OLD RICHMOND ROAD TO THE WEST OF SOUTH DAIRY ASHFORD ROAD AND NORTH RIDE OF WAY OF BISSONNET STREET. TRACK SEVEN IS AN AREA OF 52 ACRES OF RIGHT OF WAY ALONG GULFTON STREET, BETWEEN C**K AVE TO THE WEST AND CHIMNEY ROCK ROAD TO THE EAST. AND THIS INCLUDES BURNETT BAYLAND PARK. THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION WOULD ENABLE THE SOUTHWEST HOUSTON ZONE AND AUTHORITY TO IMPROVE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY, INCREASE STORMWATER CAPACITY, DEVELOP AND ENHANCE RECREATIONAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS BIKE PATHS, PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES AND PUBLIC [03:25:01] GREEN SPACE, AND BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE TO SPUR ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WITHIN THE ZONE. IN ADDITION, THE AMENDED PLAN PROPOSES HARRIS COUNTY PARTICIPATION IN THE SOUTHWEST ZONE FROM TAX YEAR 2023 THROUGH TAX THROUGH TAX YEAR 2040. THE CONTRIBUTION GUIDELINE IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS. THE TAX INCREMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE SIXTH AMENDED PLAN WILL CONSIST OF CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE COUNTY. THE COUNTY WILL CONTRIBUTE 100% OF ITS TAX RATE OF 0.34 CENTS PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION. ADDITIONALLY, 33% OF THE AVAILABLE CAPTURED APPRAISED VALUE WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND 10% WILL BE RETAINED BY THE COUNTY FOR MAINTENANCE OF PROJECTS CONSTRUCTED BY THE TURS ENC CLOSING CITY STAFF HAS WORKED WITH THE SOUTHWEST HOUSTON AUTHORITY ON PROPOSED SIX AMENDED PLAN AND RECOMMEND CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE SIX AMENDED PROJECT PLAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, COUNCILMAN KAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS AND THE IMPROVEMENTS FOR, UM, IN THIS MULTI-DISTRICT EFFORT, INCLUDING, AS YOU SAID, UH, STORM WATER AND FLOOD MITIGATION, GREEN SPAIN INFRASTRUCTURE, ET CETERA. UM, I JUST, I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN ITEM RELATED TO THIS ITEM 44 THAT'S COMING ON OUR AGENDA. UM, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS NOTED. SO IN ITEM TWO, IT CORRECTLY LISTS ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS THAT ARE INCLUDED. UM, BUT ON ITEM 44, IT'S MISSING, UH, DISTRICT C. SO I JUST FOR THE RECORD, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S INCLUDED. YES, IT'S BEEN CORRECTED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS TO BRANDON THOMAS? ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU MUCH. UH, ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION AROUND THE, UH, FUNDS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IS THIS DESIGNATED TO JUAN, UH, ANY PARTICULAR ZONE WITHIN TURS 20? OR IS THIS A BROAD ACCESS? THIS IS THE, THOSE FUNDING WILL BE DESIGNATED OR, UM, IN PRECINCT FOUR. SO THE AREA IT WITHIN TURS 20, THAT IS IN PRECINCT FOUR, WE'RE ALL PRECINCT FOUR. SO THE AREA, BUT THE, THE AREA INTS 20, THAT'S, THAT'S IN THE, THE COUNTY'S PLAN IS TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING INTS 20 WITHIN THAT FOOTPRINT, FOOTPRINT OF PRECINCT FOR, RIGHT. BUT WHAT WAS REPORTED, WHAT IT WAS GOIN IN SHARPSTOWN, SO MY CLARIFYING QUESTION, THE HOUSTON LANDING REPORTED THAT THE DOLLARS WOULD BE DESIGN FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL BE DESIGNATED TO SHARPSTOWN ENG GOFTON. SO WITH THIS, UM, AMENDMENT, I'M JUST TRYING TO ENSURE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WITHIN THE TUR, THE TURS AGREEMENT, THAT THOSE DOLLARS WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO USE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF GALTON IN ADDITION TO GULFTON AND SHARPSTOWN WITHIN THE ENTIRE, WITHIN THE ENTIRE TURS 20 ZONE. OKAY. I JUST, RIGHT? YES. NOW THAT'S YOUR QUESTION, RIGHT? WHERE, BECAUSE IT'S REPORTED THAT IT'S IN SHARPSTOWN, IN GULFTON, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE FUNDS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ALL. LET ME GET A CLARIFICATION ON THAT. SURE. OKAY. OKAY. I MEAN, WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING, SO THIS IS THE TIME, RIGHT? YEAH. LET ME, Y LET ME GET A CLARIFICATION FOR THE COUNTY ON THE SPECIFIC AREAS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT BUILDING, IF THIS IS CITY OR IF THIS IS COUNTY PROPER. THIS YEAH. THE, THE REVENUE COMING INTO THE TOURS IS FOR A COUNTY PARTICIPATION. AND SO THOSE FUNDS ARE DIRECTED, IT DIRECTED WITHIN PRECINCT FOUR, WITHIN THE TURS BOUNDARY. NOW, THE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS, I, I DON'T HAVE, AND SO WE'LL HAVE TO VISIT WITH THE COUNTY, RIGHT? I MEAN, SINCE WE ALL, WE SHARE THATT, I HAVE A SLIVER DOMINANTLY J AND THEN ALSO IN C. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT C, J AND F AND K HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT. I KNOW A PORTION WOULD GO 24 0 9 TO SUPPORT SOME PROJECTS. I'M ASSUMING THAT NONE NO, NONE OF THE, NONE OF THE HARRIS COUNTY FUNDING WILL GO INTO 24 0 9. OKAY. ALL OF IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE DESIGNATED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. OKAY. OKAY. IF YOU CAN CLARIFY THAT, I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU MUCH. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS TO JENNIFER OR TO OR TO BRANDON? UH, I DON'T, THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP, UH, TO SPEAK TODAY. IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE HEARING AND SAYING? NONE? UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING? IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE? NO, MA'AM. SECOND, IT'S REMOVED. A SECOND TO CLOSE. ANY OBJECTION HERE? NONE. AND, AND THE HEARING CLOSES. MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'RE NOW CALLED HEARING NUMBER THREE, ITEM THREE IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN FOR REINVESTMENT. ZONE NUMBER 24. IS THAT BRANDON OR JENNIFER? THIS IS JENNIFER. OKAY. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JENNIFER CROWLEY. I'M WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THIS PUBLIC HEARING TODAY IS REGARDING THE PROPOSED THIRD AMENDED PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN FOR REINVESTMENT. ZONE NUMBER [03:30:01] 24. ON OCTOBER 23RD, 2023, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE GREATER HOUSTON ZONE AND THE HARRIS COUNTY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ADOPTED AMENDMENTS TO THE PROJECT PLAN AND REINVESTMENT ZONE FINANCING PLAN FOR THE GREATER HOUSTON ZONE, AND TRANSMITTED THE AMENDED PLAN TO THE CITY FOR CONSIDERATION BY CITY COUNCIL IN ACCORDANCE WITH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTIONS THREE 11.0033 11.007, AND THREE 11.01 OF THE TEXAS TAX CODE. THE CITY MUST HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE APPROVING THE AMENDED PLAN BECAUSE IT CHANGES THE PROJECT COST CATEGORIES AND INCREASES THE TOTAL ESTIMATED PROJECT COSTS. NOTICE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING WAS PUBLISHED IN THE NOVEMBER 17TH, 2023 ADDITION OF THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE. THE AMENDED PLAN ADDS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CATEGORY TO THE HARRIS COUNTY ESTIMATED PROJECT COSTS AND PROJECT COST BUDGET OF $100 MILLION FOR THE PURPOSE OF CREATING A PERMANENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND TO SUPPORT THE VALUES AND GOALS OF HARRIS COUNTY'S 10 YEAR HOUSING STRATEGY. THAT WAS DEVELOPED IN COORDINATION WITH THE CONSULTING TEAM LED BY RICE UNIVERSITY'S KINDER INSTITUTE, AND THE HARRIS COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THE STUDY DETERMINED THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR 200,000 SINGLE AND MULTIFAMILY HOUSING UNITS IN HARRIS COUNTY. WITHIN A 10 YEAR HORIZON, HARRIS COUNTY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY WILL LOOK AT CREATING ADDITIONAL AFFORDABLE HOMES, STABILIZE EXISTING HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS THROUGH HOUSING PRESERVATION, AND BUILD COMMUNITY WEALTH THROUGH ASSISTANCE TO HOMEOWNERS MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT THAT CREATES JOBS OR PARTNERSHIPS THAT HELP RENTERS PURCHASE HOMES. THE AMENDED PLAN HIGHLIGHTS APPROXIMATELY 49 MILLION IN SHORT TERM PRIORITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT WILL FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF THE ZONE AND THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE CULLIN AREA, WHICH WAS PART OF THE 2015 BOUNDARY ENLARGEMENT. THE PROJECT'S FOCUS ON WATER, WASTEWATER, ROADWAY, SIDEWALKS, INTERSECTIONS, AND SIGNAGE THAT WILL ATTRACT PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN THE AREAS. IN CLOSING, CITY STAFF HAS WORKED WITH THE AUTHORITY ON THE PROPOSED AMENDED PLAN AND A RECOMMENDATION FOR CITY COUNCIL TO THE APPROVE. THE AMENDED PLAN IS ON TODAY'S AGENDA. THANK YOU. ANY QUE QUESTIONS? SHOULD JENNIFER, YOU SAY NONE? UH, WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP TO, UH, TO SPEAK THIS MORNING. RENEE MARTINEZ. I'M MAD SECRETARY OF YOUR CALL. UM, RENEE. RENEE MARTINEZ. MS. MARTINEZ, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S ON. UM, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. UH, MEMBERS. MY NAME IS RENEE MARTINEZ. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HARRIS COUNTY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND THE GREATER HOUSTON TOUR NUMBER 24. AND I'D BE HERE TO SPEAK TODAY, UH, TO SUPPORT THE APPROVAL OF THE GREATER HOUSTON THIRD AMENDMENT. UH, WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH, UH, GWEN ELLIS AND BELL JENNIFER KERLEY AND STAFF, UH, REGARDING, UH, THESE EFFORTS. AND, UH, THE ZONE ITSELF IS 7,600 ACRES. IT'S QUITE LARGE, AND IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2012 AND THEN AMENDED IN 2015. UH, IT WAS CREATED ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY BY THE CITY AS A COUNTY LED ZONE. IT'S VERY UNIQUE IN THAT, UH, IN RETURN FOR THE COUNTY PARTICIPATING IN THE EAST DOWNTOWN TOUR NUMBER 15, IN 2020, THERE WAS A SECOND AMENDMENT THAT LED TO THE PARTICIPATION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO INCREASE, UH, THEIR PARTICIPATION AND ALSO, UH, PROVE PROJECTS IN THE CENTRAL CORE. NAMELY IN THE, UH, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. UH, WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY OVER THE YEARS AND IN FACT, UH, WE HAVE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, UH, TO JOINTLY FUND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR HOLMES ROAD AS ONE EXAMPLE. ALSO, WE CAN JOINTLY FUND PROJECTS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND HAVE HAD, UH, SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS. UH, THE BOARD IS APPROVED BY COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND WORKS COUNTYWIDE. SO THE, THE, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION IS THE HARRIS COUNTY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. THERE ARE THREE ZONES, AS, AS WAS DISCUSSED IN 2022. UH, THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ENGAGED EHRA ENGINEERING TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, NEEDS IN THE SOUTHERN AREA. THE SOUTHERN SECTOR IS, IS REALLY MOUNTED BY THE, UH, T-M-C-N-R-G AREA, ALL THE WAY TO THE, UH, WEST BY SOUTH MAINE TO THE EAST BY 2 88, AND THEN TO THE SOUTH BY ALAMEDA GENOA. UH, ALSO WE LOOKED AT THE CULLEN AREA, WHICH IS TO THE EAST OF U OF H MAINE CAMPUS. UH, AND, AND SO WITH THAT, WE IDENTIFIED $1.3 BILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE NEED FOR WATER, SEWER, ROADS, OPEN SPACE, TRANSORAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, TRAILS, UH, THAT [03:35:01] WOULD SERVE AN EXCAVATED 4,200 ACRES OF VACANT AND UNDERDEVELOPED LAND. THE REASON IT'S BEEN VACANT AND UNDERDEVELOPED ALL THESE YEARS IS 'CAUSE IT LACKS, UH, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. UH, THAT DEVELOPMENT WE PROJECT COULD LEAD TO 12 POINT $12 BILLION IN VALUE. SO, UH, IN THAT WE PROJECT THAT WE COULD HAVE 20, UH, 2100, NO, 21,000 HOUSING UNITS AND A POPULATION OF 50,000 PEOPLE OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS. UH, AND, AND ALSO SERVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. AS I'VE DISCUSSED. UM, TO ADDRESS THIS, WE ARE CREATING A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR, UM, PERMANENT AFFORDABILITY HOUSING FUND, AND THAT'S BASED ON THE RESULTS OF OUR 10 YEAR HOUSING STRATEGY. UH, AND, UM, ALSO IT ENABLES THE POWER OF CHAPTER THREE 80 BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ZONE FOR HOUSING, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND, UH, PUBLIC PURPOSES. COUNTIES HAVE SIMILAR POWERS UNDER CHAPTER 3 81. UH, ALSO PRIORITY PROJECTS WILL BE FUNDED, UH, THROUGH THE ZONE FROM A PLANNED BOND ISSUANCE AND ALSO FROM OUR EXISTING, UH, FUND BALANCE. TO BE CLEAR, THE, THE REVENUE COMING INTO THIS ZONE IS COUNTY AND FLOOD CONTROL REVENUE. UH, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE 10 YEAR HOUSING STRATEGY. WE PROJECTED THAT WE HAVE A NEED FOR 200,000 UNITS OF SINGLE AND MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING. AND WITH THAT, THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. VICE, VICE VICE MAYOR PRO CAST, MR. MARTINEZ. THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION. UM, A PART OF, UH, THIS COUNTY LED TO IS, IS IN, IN DISTRICT A MM-HMM . UM, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF HOLMES ROAD AND THE, AND THE PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING ALONG HOLMES ROAD. IT'S ONE OF THE, UM, KIND OF DESOLATE AREAS THAT GETS A LOT OF, UH, DRIVING TRAFFIC. MM-HMM. UM, BUT WE ALSO GET A LOT OF DUMPING ON HOLMES ROAD BECAUSE IT IS KIND OF, UM, A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT ISOLATED AT NIGHT AND, AND NOT HAVE A LOT OF LIGHTING THERE AT NIGHT. UM, BUT WHEN WE SAW BUFFALO SPEEDWAY GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH FROM WEST ORUM ACROSS INTO THE MEDICAL CENTER, WE, WE NOTICED THAT, UM, MORE INFRASTRUCTURE WAS COMING INTO THAT AREA. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, BE A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVED IN, IN THIS TOURS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S COUNTY LED MAYOR. I WANTED TO KNOW, UM, COULD JENNIFER, IF YOU COULD REMIND ME, LIKE, DO WE HAVE CITY APPOINTMENTS ON, ON, ON YOU? DO WE TWO, THERE'S FIVE MEMBERS. FIVE. THERE'S FIVE. IT'S, IT'S AN 11 MEMBER, UH, BOARD. MAJORITY COMPOSITION FROM THE COUNTY, AND FIVE MEMBERS ARE FROM THE CITY. SO FIVE OF THOSE. 11, 11, THE CI CITY REPRESENTATIVE. OKAY. THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE. AND IF WE COULD JUST, UM, OUR OFFICE WOULD PROBABLY WANNA BE A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVED IN, IN THIS PARTICULAR TS BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH THAT'S HAPPENING ALONG, UM, HOLMES ROAD AND WITH THE TMC AND IN THAT AREA, UM, WE REALLY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WOULD KEEP A WATCH ON THE, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE OF THE HOUSING THAT IS CURRENTLY IN THAT AREA IS HIGH END, UM, OVER NEAR FANON STATION. AND, UM, THOSE TOWN HOMES ARE, YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE, $600,000 TOWN HOMES. SO, UM, WE, WE REALLY NEED TO BE SPECIFIC ABOUT, UM, AFFORDABILITY IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA AS WE ARE PUTTING IN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE HERE TO TESTIFY? SPEAK ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. HEARING, SAYING NONE. IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE? SO MOVE. MOTION MOVED. AND SECOND. ANY OBJECTION? CHAIR IS NONE. MOTION GRANTED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. OKAY. NEXT, PUBLIC HEARING. ITEM FOUR IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO PROVIDE A RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION FOR THE 4% TAX CREDIT APPLICATION OF LANDING ON OMLP AND NO PRESENTATION, JUST PUBLIC SPEAKER. WE HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UH, NO PRESENTATION. MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU'LL CALLED THE PUBLIC SPEAKER. JOE POLLACK. JOE POLLACK IS HERE. GOOD MORNING MAYOR. UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M JOEL P*****K, MANAGING PARTNER OF STREAMLINE ADVISORY PARTNERS. I AM BRINGING FORTH A 369 UNIT NEW GROUND UP COMMUNITY THAT WILL BE A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF OREM AND MLK. UH, I'M HERE TO ASK, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. UH, I'M A HOUSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS WITH, UH, COMMUNITIES, UH, FROM, UH, MIDLAND, ODESSA TO, UH, HERE IN HOUSTON. I'VE JUST COMPLETED A 288 UNIT COMMUNITY AT [03:40:01] TORY CHASE IN, UH, 1960, AND IT'S LEASING UP, UH, VERY WELL. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THIS, UH, THIS COMMUNITY GOING. UH, MY PLAN IS TO BREAK GROUND SOMETIME IN MARCH OR APRIL AND DELIVER AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, TO FAMILIES IN EARLY SUMMER NEXT YEAR. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU MR. P*****K FOR, UM, SHARE SHARING REMARKS AND JUST COLLEAGUES, IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CH CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE MASTER PLAN, UH, FOR THE 4% RESOLUTION. UH, THIS PROPERTY PROVIDES AMENITIES ON, UH, ON THE SITE, BUT THEN ALSO I BELIEVE A HUNDRED PERCENT IS AT 60% A MI. YES, MA'AM. WHICH I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO THEY'LL HAVE NEW CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT. UM, IT'S A QUITE AN EXPANSIVE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS NECESSARY IN THAT AREA. UM, SO, UM, I KNOW THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LOOK AT THAT, UH, PROJECT PLAN SO YOU CAN, UH, BE VERY CLEAR ONCE IT COMES IN FOR VOTE. THANK YOU MUCH. AND COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. REALLY QUICKLY, I ALWAYS ASK THIS QUESTION OF ANY ONE COMING AND TESTIFYING AT THE CITY, ASKING FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OF DEAL. AND IT'S INCREDIBLE. AND CONGRATULATIONS, COUNCILMAN REVEREND SHABAZZ. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN A STRONG ADVOCATE ON THIS AS WELL. UM, REALLY QUICKLY, ARE YOU PROVIDING, UM, YOU KNOW, GREEN OR SUSTAINABILITY OPPORTUNITIES, UM, WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT? SO WHETHER THAT'S OFFERING, RECYCLING, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, WE DO THAT. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, I'M GONNA EXPAND ON YOUR QUESTION BEYOND WHAT YOU ASKED ME. UH, THE ONE THING THAT WE DO IS, UH, WE PROVIDE AFTERSCHOOL TUTORING. UH, MY COMMUNITY CENTERS ARE TYPICALLY 70 508,000 SQUARE FEET. SO IT'S JUST NOT A PLACE FOR, UH, RESIDENTS JUST TO COME TO. IT'S A PLACE FOR RESIDENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO EXCEL IN SCHOOL. SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR MAIN, UH, THAT'S ONE OF OUR MAIN MISSIONS, UH, MY PARTNER AND I, IS TO HELP KIDS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY TO GET THAT SUPPORT THAT THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET FROM THEIR PARENTS OR ANYONE ELSE. TERRIFIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, IS THERE ANYONE HERE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ON PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER FOUR, HEARING STAND NINE. IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE? MOVE SECOND. BEEN MOVED AND SECOND TO CLOSE. ANY OBJECTION, CHAIR? NONE. MOTION GRANTED. THANK YOU, SIR. VERY, VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MADAM SECRETARY. WE ARE NOT PROCEEDING WITH PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER FIVE. SO IF YOU'LL GO TO PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER SIX. ITEM SIX IS A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSAL TO USE APPROXIMATELY 31,838 SQUARE FEET OF BLACK HAWK PARK. SO WE, ON ITEM, UM, PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER SIX, DO WE HAVE ANY? WHO'S SPEAKING? ARE YOU ALL FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIVISION? UH, WE'RE WITH THE CITY TO TALK ABOUT THE PUBLIC AREA ON PUBLIC ON NUMBER SIX. YES, SIR. OKAY. IF YOU COME, TAKE IF YOU'LL COME AND, AND THEN IDENTIFY WHO YOU ARE. OKAY. UM, MY NAME IS MOHAMED HATER. I'M THE MANAGING ENGINEER WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE , WHO'S THE ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, AND THEN DIRECTOR ALLEN WITH, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION. OKAY. SO WHO'S TAKING THE LEAD? WHO'S SPEAKING TODAY? I WILL BE SPEAKING. OKAY, THANK YOU. SO THIS IS WITH REGARDS TO THE PUBLIC HEARING ON BLACKHAWK PARK, AND I'LL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT AND THE NECESSITY FOR PUBLIC HEARING. UH, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL PARTIAL B 85 DASH 23 OF BLACKHAWK PARK WAS ACQUIRED BY THE CITY THROUGH EMINENT DOMAIN FOR THE PURPOSE OF BLACK HAWK PARK SITE, AS SHOWN BY THE FINAL JUDGMENT DATED APRIL 20TH, 1988. AND RECORDED UNDER FILE NUMBER FIVE, UH, SORRY, S3 6 2 9 5 7, AND CONSISTS OF APPROXIMATELY, UH, 3345996.10 SQUARE FEET, WHICH IS 76.81 ACRES, LOCATED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF FUQUA STREET AND BLACK HAWK BOULEVARD, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 7 5. THE PARK IS IN THE CITY COUNCIL. DISTRICT D UM, CAROLYN EVAN CHABA IS THE COUNCIL MEMBER. THE PARK AMENITIES INCLUDE WALKING, RUNNING, AND BICYCLE TRAILS, RECREATIONAL FIELDS, AND IS A COVERED PAVILION. THE PROJECT EAST HAVEN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT FLOW DIVERSION PACKAGE NUMBER ONE INVOLVES THE INSTALLATION OF A PROPOSED 60 INCH UNDERGROUND WA UH, WASTEWATER LINE BY MICRO TUNNELING METHODS, ALONG WITH TWO MANHOLES AND VENTS. THE PROJECT WILL EXTEND THROUGH A PORTION OF THE BLACK HAWK PARK LOCATED EAST OF BLACK HAWK BOULEVARD AND NORTH OF FUQUA STREET. [03:45:01] AS PART OF THE PROJECT, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS WILL REQUIRE THE USE OF APPROXIMATELY 31,838 SQUARE FEET, DESCRIBED AS PARTIAL D DIVIDE 22 DASH 0 0 4 FOR 30 FOOT WIDE WASTEWATER LINE AND MANHOLE UTILITY CORRIDOR SECTION 26.001 OF THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE CODE PROVIDES THAT A CITY MAY NOT APPROVE ANY PROGRAM OR PROJECT FOR THE USE OR TAKING OFF LAND DESIGNATED AS PARKLAND, UNLESS AFTER A PUBLIC HEARING, ITS GOVERNING BODY DETERMINES THAT ONE, THERE IS NO FEASIBLE AND PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE TO THE USE OR TAKING OFF THE PARKLAND. AND TWO, THE PROGRAM OR PROJECT INCLUDES ALL REASONABLE PLANNING TO MINIMIZE HARM TO THE PARKLAND CITY COUNCIL WILL BE REQUESTED TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE MAKING THESE FINDINGS. INSTALLING THE PROPOSED 60 INCH WASTEWATER LINE WITHIN THE FUQUA RIGHT OF WAY IS NOT FEASIBLE DUE TO EXISTING UTILITIES INCLUDING 72 INCH DIAMETER WATERLINE, 96 INCH DIAMETER STORM SEWER, AND THE BRIDGE FOUNDATION FOR THE FUQUA STREET BRIDGE CROSSING BEAMER DITCH, UH, WHICH IS HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL A 1 2 0 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO ZERO. THE PROPOSED 16 INCH WASTEWATER LINE CANNOT BE ROUTED SOUTH OF THE FUQUA STREET RIGHT AWAY DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL HOMES. THEREFORE, THERE IS NO FEASIBLE AND PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE TO THE USE OF A PORTION OF THE PARK FOR THE PROJECT. HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT HAS A MINIMAL IMPACT ON THE PARK. THE PROJECT WILL INVOLVE AN UNDERGROUND TUNNELING METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION AND MINIMAL SITE CLEARING WILL BE NEEDED TO ACCESS THE DESIGNATED CONSTRUCTION AREA. EXCAVATION WILL OCCUR WHERE THE TWO TUNNELING SHAFTS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED. AT THE SURFACE, THERE WILL BE TWO MANHOLES, INCLUDING MANHOLE COVERS AT NATURAL GROUND LEVEL WITH MANHOLE VENTS PLACED CLOSED TO THE FUQUA STREET RIGHT AWAY. LINE SITE RESTORATION WORK INCLUDES REPLACEMENT OF DISTURBED PORTIONS OF THE SIDEWALK, SODDING OF UNPAVED AREAS, REPLACEMENT OF FENCE AND REPLACEMENT OF BOTHERS. THE DISTURB AREA WILL BE FULLY RESTORED TO THE SAME CONDITIONS OR BETTER. THEREFORE, THE PROJECT INCLUDES ALL REASONABLE PLANNING TO MINIMIZE HARM TO THE PARKLAND. THAT'S THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT. THANKS. OKAY, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH. ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE TO MAKE ONE STATEMENT, SORRY. DIRECTOR KENNETH ALLEN PARKS PERSPECTIVE. KENNETH ALLEN, DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PARKS RECREATION DEPARTMENT. CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? ALRIGHT. YEAH. EXCHANGE. YEAH. AS A PARKS DIRECTOR, YOU KNOW, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS DEFINITELY, WE'RE SATISFIED THAT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS HAS PROVEN THAT THERE IS NO FEASIBLE OR PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE, UH, TO THIS ROUTE. AND THAT ALL REASONABLE, UH, PLANNING, UM, TO REDUCE HARM, HARM TO THE PARK AS HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. I HAD TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT. THANK YOU. THANKS LAN. ANY QUESTIONS? ANYONE FROM LEGAL? NO. ANY QUESTIONS? UM, I DON'T SHOW ANYONE ON MY LIST. UH, SCHEDULED TO SPEAK. SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? YES, SIR. IF, IS THERE ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? HEARING? SAY NONE. IS THERE MOTION TO CLOSE CAST SEX? TATUM MOVED. CLOSE THE HEARING. SECOND. MARTIN MOVED. AND SECOND TO CLOSE. UH, HEARING NUMBER SIX. ANY OBJECTION? HEARING NONE DONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. WE'VE GOT A LOT TO DO TODAY, SO LET ME PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING. UH, TETRA TECH, UH, IS HERE, BEEN HERE. UH, SO LET ME TURN TO THE MAYOR'S REPORT JUST FOR THIS PARTICULAR, UH, PRESENTATION. AND THEN, UM, MY PLAN, IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, IS TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CALL UP ITEMS NUMBER 31 AND 74. UM, AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK BRIEFLY TO THE MAYOR'S REPORT AND PROCEED FROM THAT. ARE WE GOOD WITH THAT? PERFECT. OKAY. SO TETRATECH, JOHN, JOHN BURRY. WE'LL COME. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR PRO. TIM MARTIN, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL HERE. UH, MY NAME IS JOHN BURRY. I AM DIRECTOR OF DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAMS WITH TETRATECH, AND I'VE BEEN THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR OUR DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAMS WITH THE CITY SINCE 2008. UH, AND I'M HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, AND ITS HURRICANE HARVEY RECOVERY EFFORTS WITH THE FRANCISCO SANCHEZ AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE. UH, WITH ME HERE ARE A FEW OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM, REALLY THE BACKBONE HERE. UH, ALLISON MCCLEARY, [03:50:01] WHO IS OUR NATIONAL CHAIR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMMUNITY RESILIENCE INITIATIVES. UH, ACID CON, UM, HERE IS OUR PROJECT MANAGER AND HAS BEEN THE PROJECT MANAGER SINCE THE, UH, THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE HARVEY AND DON OLSON AND AARON OLSON, WHO ARE TWO OTHER PROJECT, UH, MANAGERS WITH OUR TEAM. IN ADDITION, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE SYLVIA CSOS WITH CSOS RESOURCES, UH, MICHELLE MCDANIEL WITH, UH, UH, ELITE IMAGE TAX AND STAFFING, AND CURTIS BOWENS WITH IMPACT STRATEGIC CONSULTING. THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF OUR SMALL MINORITY AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE CITY'S SUCCESS. THIS PROJECT'S SUCCESS, UH, AS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD CAPACITY WITHIN OUR, THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS OURS, UH, TO HANDLE THE MANY CHALLENGES THAT THE CITY HAS FACED. UM, THIS AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE IS TRULY DEDICATED TO THE SPIRIT OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH IS THE SPIRIT OF RESILIENCE. SINCE DAY ONE, I HAVE HAD THE HONOR OF SITTING NEXT TO, UH, MANY OF THE TEAM MEMBERS HERE TODAY IN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER. UH, AS I SAW INDIVIDUALS LIKE MAYOR TURNER FACE AN IMMENSE CHALLENGE, UH, SIX YEARS AGO. AND THAT IS A CHALLENGE THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN HEAD ON, WHETHER IT IS WITH OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES, OUR POLICE, FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS, SOLID WASTE TEAMS, FINANCE TEAMS, UH, AND NOW A RECOVERY OFFICE, UH, THAT HAS SPANNED THE, UH, THE MANY, MANY YEARS. UH, IT THEN QUICKLY MOVED ON FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE OUT THERE RESCUING, IMPACTED, UH, RESIDENTS OF THE CITY TO NOW MOVING, UH, TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE CITY, REBUILDING THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE, MOST NOTABLY WITH THE WORTHHAM, UH, CENTER, THE WORTHHAM THEATER AND GARAGES. THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION AS WELL AS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HAS REALLY BEEN A HALLMARK OF THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM. AND THEN, UH, MOST RECENTLY, UH, IT IS TRANSITIONED TO A LONG-TERM RECOVERY WHERE WE ARE NOW IN THAT REBUILDING STAGE. AND NOW LOOKING AT THE SUCCESSES WITH THE MUNICIPAL COURTS COMPLEX, I, AND I WANNA SHARE JUST ONE QUICK STORY. MAYOR, UH, HAVING BEEN A PART OF SEVERAL COME TO MAYOR MEETINGS, UH, AS PART OF THAT, UH, PROJECT AND BEING ABLE TO MEET THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU PLACED FORWARD UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP AND GUIDANCE, UH, AND BEEN ABLE TO REALLY SEE A PROJECT THAT, UH, STARTED WITH $7 MILLION OF FEDERAL FUNDS NOW GROWN INTO OVER 50 MILLION AND THE CITY HAS NOT DONE, AND THE CITY'S NOT DONE WITH THAT PROJECT. SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT HAS REALLY, UH, EXCEEDED THE, THE CHALLENGE, OR WE, I BELIEVE THAT THE TEAM HAS EXCEEDED THE CHALLENGES THAT IT'S FACED. UM, AND I I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE TWO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE, UH, WITH, WITH US HERE TODAY, UH, FROM THE CITY WHO HAVE REALLY EXEMPLIFY THE COMMITMENT TO, UM, THAT RECOVERY. YOU KNOW, ONCE THE TV CAMERAS STOP ROLLING THE CNN, THE TRUCKS HAVE LEFT. UH, THE CITY IS LEFT WITH THE PROCESS OF REBUILDING. AND THAT IS, UH, MR. ARE RASHID, WHO'S DEPUTY FINANCE DIRECTOR, AS WELL AS STEVEN COSTELLO, CHIEF RECOVERY OFFICER. UH, WHEN I TALK ABOUT THESE TWO, I TALK ABOUT RAREFIED AIR WHEN IT COMES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE, UH, LED THIS RECOVERY EFFORT SINCE DAY ONE HAVE BEEN A PART OF IT. AND I AM PLEASED TO, TO, UH, ASK MR. FRANCISCO SANCHEZ TO SAY A FEW WORDS, UH, IN, IN THEIR HONOR AS WELL. FRANCE, FRANCISCO IS, HI, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE HERE, MATT. HELLO, MAYOR. . . THANK Y'ALL. WELCOME, WELCOME HOME FRANCISCO. IT, IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME AND, AND IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE. I KNOW WE HAVE TRADED PHONE CALLS AND TEXTS AND EMAILS AT ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT DEALING WITH STORMS, AND IT'S NICE TO BE HERE WHEN THE SKIES ARE BLUE. UH, AND CONSIDERING THE TEMPERATURES IN DC RIGHT NOW WILL BE HERE AS LONG AS I CAN, . UM, SO, SO I DO APPRECIATE, UH, THE, THE WARM WELCOME. I'LL TELL YOU, UM, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE ROLE THAT HOUSTON PLAYS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, AND YOU LOOK AT, UH, THE SEVEN PRIORITIES, THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION FOR TY, VERY DIRECTLY TO THE ROLE THAT HOUSTON PLAYS AND OUR OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME GREAT THINGS IN THE DISASTER SPACE, THE RECOVERY OF COVID, RACIAL EQUITY, UH, THE ECONOMY AND CLIMATE. SO ALL OF THOSE ARE, UH, UH, NOT A PLAY ON WORDS THAT THE PERFECT STORM FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO BE ABLE, UH, TO MAKE SOME MEANINGFUL CHANGE. AND, UM, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING ACROSS THIS ADMINISTRATION, UM, UH, IT REALLY COMES IN THAT SPHERE FROM SOME OF THE LESSONS THAT HAVE LEARNED THE VERY HARD WAY, UH, HERE IN HOUSTON ALONG AND ALONG THE GULF COAST. UM, AND, AND IT IS, UH, THOSE KINDS OF LESSONS ARE LEADING, UH, TO THE GREATEST TRANSFORMATION IN SBA A'S APPROACH TO DISASTERS IN THE AGENCY, 70 YEAR HISTORY. AND, UH, MAYOR WANNA RECOGNIZE THE LEADERSHIP THAT, THAT YOU HAVE DONE, NOT ONLY ON CLIMATE MAYORS, AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYORS, IT'S CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, AND REALLY SETTING THE TONE, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT THE TEAM HERE HAS DONE, UH, UH, BUT REALLY RAISING THE BAR AND HOW WE LOOK AT THAT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. [03:55:01] AND THOSE LESSONS ARE, ARE, ARE PLAYING OUT THERE. AND THE FOLKS AT TETRATECH THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, PARTNERS, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT TRUSTED PARTNERS FOR US, UH, IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR DISASTER RECOVERY FOR, FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SO I'M, UH, I'M HAPPY AND HONORED TO BE HERE. HAPPY TO BE HERE FOR SELFISH REASONS. I THINK, MAYOR, YOU WERE THERE THE EVENING THAT TETRATECH NAMED THAT AWARD IN MY HONOR. UM, UH, AND HAPPY BECAUSE USUALLY THEY NAME AWARD AFTER YOU'VE HAD YOUR LIFETIME. SO JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE STILL , UH, BUT HONORED REALLY THAT TO CELEBRATE, UH, THE TEAM AND, AND THE VISION THAT HOUSTON HAS LAID OUT. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE AWARD SORT OF BEING, UH, UH, GIVEN. SO I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER, UH, GROUP OF PEOPLE OR COMMUNITY FOR, FOR TETTER TECH TO TO HONOR WITH THIS. AND, AND THE TEAM REALLY HERE IS PHENOMENAL. AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE WORK THAT, UH, STEVE AND THE TEAM AND, UH, THE FOLKS I KNOW, UH, CHIEF UCHS HERE WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE REALLY THE BACKBONE OF THIS. UM, AND I WILL REST ASSURED, UH, TO, TO, TO COUNCIL AND MAYOR THAT THEY STILL HAVE MY PRIVATE CELL PHONE NUMBER. THEY DO REACH OUT WHEN, WHEN THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE, UH, IN HOUSTON FOR US TO BE, UH, SUPPORTIVE. BUT I WANNA BRAG ON HOUSTON FOR A LITTLE BIT. UM, UH, IT HAS REALLY TRANSFORMED YOU TALK ABOUT RESILIENCE, IT'S THIS ASPIRATIONAL IDEA. UH, BUT THE CITY HAS MOVED THAT ASPIRATIONAL IDEA TO VERY PRACTICAL WAYS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITIES ARE MITIGATED AND MORE RESILIENT. AND, UH, EVERY TIME I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK, I REALLY SEE HOW THAT'S KIND OF PLAYING OUT, UH, OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. AND IT'S REALLY BEEN A PHENOMENAL JOB HERE AT THE CITY, CHANGING THE CULTURE AND THE MINDSET TO LOOK AT COM RESILIENCE. UH, IT REALLY IS A CULTURE CHANGE. YOU NEED TO EMBED THAT IN YOUR PUBLIC WORKS, IN YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE, IN YOUR PARKS AND EVERYTHING. IT'S A REAL WAYS IN WHICH THAT'S BEING DONE, UH, DAY IN AND DAY OUT. UM, AND, AND THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, THAT'S SUCH A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF THAT. AND THEN THE COUNCIL MEMBER VENTURE THAT, SO BRAG A LITTLE BIT ON, ON HOW WE'RE SUPPORTING THAT HERE. 14.6 MILLION NEW BUSINESS APPLICATIONS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY BEING LED BY WOMEN, PARTICULARLY IN WOMEN OF COLOR. UH, WE'VE GOT ABOUT $15 MILLION IN HISTORIC LENDING, UH, LAST YEAR FOR SMALL BUSINESSES LARGELY, UH, TO, TO MINORITY AND UNDERSERVED BUSINESSES. AND SO OUR JOB IN 70% INCREASED FROM 22 TO 2022. AND THOSE BEING WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES. AND SO OUR JOB IN THE DISASTER SPACE IS NOT ONLY CREATE THAT PROSPERITY, BUT TO PROTECT THAT PROSPERITY. UH, SO WE'RE BETTER POSITIONED, MOVING AHEAD. SO I DO APPLAUD EVERYTHING TERO TECH AND OUR PARTNERS HAVE BEEN DOING TO INCREASE LOCAL AND MINORITY PARTICIPATION IN THAT. WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS DURING MY VISIT HERE, UM, AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT HOUSTON HAS DONE TO UNDERSTAND THE RACE AGAINST TIME RIGHT BEFORE THE NEXT DISASTER COMES. UH, AND SO UNDERSTANDING THE URGENCY OF THAT LITTLE SIDE BACK, WE USED TO HAVE IT PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTER ABOUT EVERY NINE MONTHS IN HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY EVER SINCE I LEFT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. , THERE HASN'T BEEN ONE, BUT THE NUMBER OF NATIONAL NUCLEAR DISASTERS HAS, HAS INCREASED. SO I WILL, I WILL DO MY PART AND STAY AWAY AS, AS AS LONG AS I CAN AND JUST COME BACK AND VISIT. UM, AND, AND THE, AND TYING RECOVERY TO RESILIENCE AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO IS ABSOLUTELY, UH, PHENOMENAL. UM, BUT I WILL HIGHLIGHT JUST TWO THINGS IN CLOSING THAT I THINK HOUSTON DOESN'T GET THE CREDIT FOR, UH, IS THE MAGNITUDE OF HARVEY. UH, AND IT'S TIED AS KATRINA IS A SINGLE COST OF A STORM ON RECORD. AND KATRINA, UH, RECOVERY CONTINUES TODAY. UH, SO I THINK IT IS REALLY UNDERAPPRECIATED THE DEPTH, UH, THE EXPERTISE AND THE COMMITMENT IT IS TAKING FOR HOUSTON AND THIS COMMUNITY TO RECOVER FROM HARVEY AND THE LONG ROAD AHEAD. AND THEN FOR, UH, UH, FOR THE LEADERSHIP THAT THAT'S MOVING ON, THE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, UH, I REALLY WANNA TALK ABOUT THE, THE, THE WORK THEY'RE DOING IN RESILIENCE. YOU SEE THE SMALL WINS, YOU OCCASIONALLY GET A BIG WIN WHEN IT COMES HERE TO RESILIENCE, BUT, UH, THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE TODAY, UH, FROM, UH, THE CITY LEADERSHIP AND, UH, THE, THE TEAMS THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE, THE REAL IMPACTS OF THEIR WORK ARE PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE SEEN FOR DECADES OR GENERATIONS TO COME BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY LAYING THAT GROUND. AND IT TAKES A EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF PUBLIC LEADERSHIP TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WORK, UH, KNOWING THAT THE RESULTS ARE GONNA BE SEEN IN REAL MEANINGFUL WAYS LONG AFTER WE'RE HERE. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THE AWARD. GLAD TO BE HERE, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARTNERSHIP. THANKS FRANCISCO. UH, MAYOR, WE HAVE THE AWARD HERE, UH, ON YOUR BEHALF. AND, AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PLAQUES HERE FOR, UM, MR. RE, RASHID AND STEVEN CASTELLA. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. RECOGNIZ. GOOD GENTLEMEN? YES, THIS IS GREAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. TRYING TO GET HIM TO SAY SOMETHING. OH, NO, I'M NOT KIDDING. ARE, IT'S NO SHORTAGE OF WORDS. NEVER. WE NEED TO TAKE A PHOTO. WE MAY NEED THAT. SO WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS, BUT AREEF, GO AHEAD AND MAKE YOUR STATEMENT BEFORE WE, I JUST, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR FIRST AND FOREMOST BECAUSE, UH, IT IS BEEN A PLEASURE AND, UH, PRIVILEGE TO BE WORKING IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP. UH, I'VE BEEN IN, UH, MEETINGS WITH HIM ON TRYING TO ANSWER AND [04:00:01] RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE HARVEY VARIOUS PROJECTS, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE RELATED TO THE, UH, MUNICIPAL COURT. AND, UH, I HOPE, UH, I HAVE LIVED UP TO HIS EXPECTATIONS. AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR THE GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND THANK YOU TETRA TRACK FOR RECOGNI THIS RECOGNITION. AND, UH, APPRECIATE IT. THANKS A LOT. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL. WELL, THAT'S THE MOST WORDS I'VE HEARD FROM MARIE FROM MANY, MANY YEARS, . SO WE NEED TO DO THAT MORE OFTEN. AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK TERA TECH AS WELL. UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING WHEN WE GET AN AWARD AND WE'RE ACTUALLY REPRESENTING A LOT OF PEOPLE BEHIND US. AND THAT INCLUDES GSD, THAT INCLUDES PUBLIC WORKS, THAT INCLUDES THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, THAT INCLUDES HOUSTON FIRST. SO IT'S NOT JUST US, IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HELPING US ALONG THE WAY. AND ALSO, I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT TETRATECH, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAKE A LIVING AT DOING THIS WORK FOR US, UH, THEY'VE REALLY GUIDED US THROUGH THIS PROCESS. THEY'VE HELPED US SUBMIT THE, THE FIRST APPLICATIONS FOR THE FOUR HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROJECTS THAT I'M WORKING ON. AND THAT'S OVER $400 MILLION WORTH OF WORK THAT YES, THIS ADMINISTRATION WON'T SEE. BUT THE LEGACY OF THIS ADMINISTRATION AND Y'ALL'S ACTIVITIES WILL BE, WILL BE FELT FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. AND I DO WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY HERE. I'VE LEARNED A LOT WORKING WITH FEMA. I'VE LEARNED A LOT WITH THE GUIDANCE THROUGH TETRA TECH, AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THIS AWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, STEVEN. SO THE CHAIR NOW RECOGNIZES FOR COMMENTS, UH, MAYOR TEM, DAVE MARTIN, I'LL STAY, I'LL STAY IN MY SEAT. BUT, UH, WHERE'S FRANCISCO? FRANCISCO? BACK IN 2017, ON AUGUST 27TH WHEN WE FLOODED, UM, UM, YOU BECAME MY HERO. YOU BECAME MY MENTOR. YOU BECAME MY GUIDANCE COUNSELOR. THE WORK YOU DID BACK IN THOSE DAYS IS REMARKABLE. TO RE TO RECEIVE AN AWARD THAT HAS YOUR NAME ON IT, UH, BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYE. 'CAUSE YOU ARE A GREAT MAN. YOU DID A GREAT JOB. AND JOHN, UM, I NEVER WANTED TO MEET YOU , BUT BECAUSE WE FLOODED AND BECAUSE I MET YOU, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO GET A LOT OF THINGS DONE. YOU NEVER CAME WITH A, WELL, LET ME SEE IF I CAN DO THAT. IT WAS ALWAYS, WE WILL DO THAT. LET ME FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET IT DONE. AND YOU ALWAYS CAME WITH A POSITIVE SPIRIT. YOU ALWAYS CAME WITH A CAN-DO ATTITUDE. EVEN TO THIS DAY, YOU AND TETRATECH, UH, GO BEYOND ANYTHING I CAN DREAM OF. AND I PLAYED GOLF WITH A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF HARRY HAYES ON SUNDAY. AND WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU AND TETRATECH BECAUSE I KNEW THAT THIS WAS COMING. AND, UH, I SALUTE HARRY HAYES FOR EVERYTHING HE DID BACK IN THOSE DAYS. AND, UH, NOT ONLY A REEF, BUT GLORIA MORENO, WHO DOES A LOT OF WORK, UH, IN, IN MR. COSTELLO'S DEPARTMENT. BUT I'VE WORKED WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE OVER THE LAST 11 YEARS. BUT THERE IS NO ONE BETTER THAN STEVEN COSTELLO. UH, HE'S BEEN A FRIEND. HE'S THE SMARTEST ENGINEER I KNOW. LEMME REPEAT THAT. HE'S THE SMARTEST ENGINEER I KNOW. HE DOES A GREAT JOB, AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT HE WON'T DO, AND THERE'S NO STEP THAT HE WON'T TAKE, UH, BEYOND THE NORM. AND STEVEN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO EACH AND, AND EVERY DAY. MM-HMM . YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH CREDIT BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE IT. AND I GET THAT . UH, BUT WHAT YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY IS TREMENDOUS. NOT ONLY YOU, EVERYONE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT AND EVERYONE THAT I SEE BEHIND YOU IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AS WE HAVE TWO MEETINGS LEFT, IT'S GONNA BE THE SADDEST DAY WHEN I LEAVE, BECAUSE I LEAVE, BECAUSE I DON'T GET THE CHANCE TO WORK WITH GREAT PEOPLE. BRILLIANT PEOPLE CAN DO PEOPLE, AND I WILL MISS THAT. BUT MAYOR, YOU LED THE PARADE. YOU LED THE CHARGE. YOU WERE THE CEO, YOU WERE THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP. AND THE CAPTAIN ROSE VERY LOUDLY, UH, SHINED VERY BRIGHTLY, UH, IN DISASTER RECOVERY. AND WITHOUT YOUR INFLUENCE, WITHOUT YOUR HELP, AND WITHOUT YOUR DEDICATION. I REMEMBER ON DAY ONE, I CALLED YOU AND I SAID, HEY, WE JUST GOT HIT VERY BAD. WHAT, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO? I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT DISASTER RECOVERY. AND YOU LED THE CHARGE TO GET US SAN ANTONIO. YOU LED THE CHARGE WORKING WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THE ABILITY TO RECOVER, AND WE COULD HAVE GONE A DIRECTION THAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO, BUT WE WENT A DIRECTION THAT WAS REBUILD, RESTORE, AND MAKE IT BETTER THAN IT IS TODAY. AND WE FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT THAT, THAT WE'RE IN THAT SHAPE. SO VERY WORTHY OF THIS AWARD. UM, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO WORK WITH EVERYONE THAT I SIT IN FRONT OF, SEE, STANDING IN FRONT OF ME, AND HOPE WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN. NO OFFENSE, BUT I HOPE I NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN. , COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS. THANK YOU. I WANTED TO, TO ADDRESS YOU, MR. BREWERY. UM, WHEN YOU FIRST BEGAN SPEAKING, YOU WERE HIGHLIGHTING THE DIVERSITY OF THE TEAM. AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, SOMETHING PERSONAL ABOUT THAT. UH, WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT ME, THEY SEE AN ANGLO, BUT WHEN THEY SEE MY DAUGHTER, CHARLOTTE, THEY SEE A YOUNG [04:05:01] HISPANIC AND, UM, WHO LOOKS LIKE MY HUSBAND'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY. AND, UM, SHE WAS, SHE WORKED FOR TETRIC TECH SOME YEARS AGO, AND SHE IS AN ENGINEER. AND I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT SHE HAD SPOKE OFTEN ABOUT HOW COMFORTABLE SHE FELT THERE BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A DIVERSE TEAM. SHE'S WORKED OTHER PLACES AND SHE SAYS IT WASN'T THAT WAY, BUT SHE LIKED ALL THE DIFFERENT, ALL THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THERE. IT JUST, IT, IT MADE HER, SHE, SHE, SHE FELT LIKE IT, IT WAS JUST A GREAT WORK ENVIRONMENT. AND THAT, UM, THIS CULTURE OF, OF, UM, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, REALLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT LENS, YOU ARE ABLE JUST TO HIRE THE BEST AND LOOK AT THE RESULTS YOU GET, YOU KNOW, WORKING TOGETHER TO, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY BE SO EFFECTIVE, YOU KNOW, IN, UM, ADDRESSING RESILIENCE. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS AWARD FOR THIS RECOGNITION. I'M REALLY HAPPY TO, TO SEE YOU ALL HERE TODAY. COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA PLUMMER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MAYOR PRO TEM. EXCUSE ME, SORRY. UM, CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS. THIS IS MAYOR TURNER. THIS IS WHAT HOUSTON LOOKS LIKE. I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS EXACTLY HOW IT SHOULD LOOK. MR. COSTELLO RF, UM, TETRATECH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR, FOR DOING THIS. THE TWO THINGS I HEAR MOST OFTEN CITY OF HOUSTON IS WHEN IT FLOODS, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? AND FROM BUSINESS OWNERS, HOW DO I STAY ENGAGED AND HOW IS THERE FAIRNESS AND DIVERSITY WITH OUR MWBE PROGRAMS? AND SO YOU HAVE ANSWERED THOSE QUESTIONS. YOUR TEAM IS, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE STANDING BEHIND YOU, I KNOW THEY'RE HOLDING YOU UP, AND, UM, IT'S JUST A REALLY GOOD VISION RIGHT NOW. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, AND CONGRATULATIONS, MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN. THANK YOU MAYOR PROAM. CONGRATULATIONS, MAYOR AND ARE, AND STEVE AND JOHN BURRY, AND THE WHOLE TETRA TECH TEAM. UM, YOU KNOW, I SPENT A LONG, YOU KNOW, A LONG HARD YEAR IN THE RECOVERY OFFICE. I'M STILL NOT QUITE RECOVERED FROM YOU'RE RECOVERING RECOVERY OFFICER. AND SO GOT TO KNOW A LOT OF THESE PLAYERS. JOHN BARRY'S SUCH A STANDUP GUY, UM, REALLY NO QUESTION WENT UNANSWERED. LIKE YOU SAID, MAYOR PRO TEM, HE ALWAYS HAD A WAY TO GET THINGS DONE. UH, IT'S, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR ME TO SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT STEVE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I WORKED FOR HIM FOR, THAT MAKES SEVEN YEARS. I'VE WORKED WITH STEVE COSTELLO, AND YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THE FINEST PERSON I'VE EVER WORKED WITH IN THE HISTORY OF SALLY ALCORN. SO, UM, CONGRATULATIONS. UM, HARVEY WAS DEVASTATING. I MEAN, EVERYONE'S LOSS WAS OUR LOSS. WE STILL SEE THE EFFECTS OF IT. UM, BUT YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY MADE THE RECOVERY, UH, AS STELLAR AS IT CAN BE IN FRANCISCO. YOUR, YOUR ROLE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, WITH THE SBA, UM, EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT IT. YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING AND CONGRATULATIONS ALL COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN. THANK YOU, UM, MAYOR STEVE AREEF MUCH DUE, UM, RECOGNITION AND CONGRATULATIONS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TO TETRATECH THANK YOU FOR THE PARTNERSHIP. YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, RECOVERY, BUT IT'S ALSO FRANCISCO, AS YOU POINTED OUT. UM, SAVING LIVES FOR THE FUTURE AND SAVING LIVELIHOODS FOR THE FUTURE, AND THE RESILIENCE COMPONENT OF THAT. AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU RECOGNIZED. UM, CHIEF BUNICH IS IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY WITH OEM, AND WE ALSO HAVE DIRECTOR MOCK HERE FROM 9 1 1 AND HECK, AND ALSO, UM, I BELIEVE, UH, ROGER AND RICHARD. UM, BECAUSE ONE OF THESE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE VOTING ON IS THE REIMBURSEMENT, UM, FOR THE BUDGET FOR, FOR HARRIS COUNTY NINE ONE ONE FOR OUR CALL TAKERS AND OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT RECOVERY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE, THEY'RE THE ONES TAKING THOSE CALLS. SO OUR APPRECIATION ALL THE WAY ON HIGH FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, FRANCISCO, ALL THE WAY TO TETRATECH AND OUR OUTSIDE PARTNERS, TO THE GROUND LEVEL FOLKS AND ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. BUT, UH, WHAT YOU ALL HAVE ACCOMPLISHED, YOU KNOW, COMPARING KATRINA TO HARVEY, UH, I'VE BEEN THROUGH, I WENT THROUGH BOTH OF 'EM AND THAT WE ARE RECOVERING AND THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE TO MAKE SURE WE DO NOT HAVE FUTURE HARVEY'S. AND THE RISK IS THERE BECAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE. UM, BUT THAT WE HAVE TAKEN THE APPROACH, WE HAVE TAKEN MAYOR, UH, IS A EXAMPLE TO THE REST OF NOT JUST THE COUNTRY, BUT THE WORLD. UM, AND THAT WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HARD WORK OF FOLKS LIKE YOU, STEVE, UM, AND RF, BUT ALSO TETRATECH AND OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS. SO MY MOST SINCERE APPRECIATION COUNCIL MEMBER, ROBERT GALLEGOS, THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR TIM. UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, WELCOME HOME FRANCISCO, AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND FOR THE NATION. SO THANK YOU. UH, CONGRATULATIONS MAYOR. CONGRATULATIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER COSTELLO, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TE TREK. UM, I, I KNOW THAT RIGHT AFTER, UH, HARVEY, UH, WE WERE VOTING ON CONTRACTS IN REGARDS [04:10:01] TO THE CLEANUP AND WHAT HAVE YOU, AND I KNOW I BROUGHT IT TO YOUR ATTENTION, MAYOR, UH, IN REGARDS TO MORE DIVERSITY, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE CONTRACTORS AND THE SUBCONTRACTORS. UH, SO THANK YOU TEREK FOR MAKING SURE THAT IT WAS DIVERSIFIED, UH, AND THAT EVERYONE GOT A PIECE OF, OF THE PIE THERE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ROBERT. AND, UH, MAYOR, BEFORE I TURN IT UP BACK OVER TO YOU, UM, I HAVE A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE IN 2017 WE FLOODED, BUT IN 2005, MY MOM AND DAD, ALONG WITH SIX OF MY SIBLINGS FLOODED IN NEW ORLEANS. AND I SAW WHAT DISASTER RECOVERY LOOKED LIKE IN NEW ORLEANS. AND I SAW WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE HERE. AND I'LL POINT TO A COUPLE OF WORDS, IS TONE FROM THE TOP IN LEADERSHIP. AND I SAW WHAT I PERCEIVE AS A LACK OF LEADERSHIP COMING OUT OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. THE SECOND DAY I WENT THERE WHERE I COULD GET THROUGH AND THE WEEKS I WENT BACK AND THE MONTHS I WENT BACK TO HELP MY 80-YEAR-OLD PARENTS. AND I SAW WHAT IT DID IN MY OWN HOUSE, IN MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD. WHAT YOU DID, MAYOR, ON THE COVER OF MY REPORT I DID. TO SUM UP MY EXPERIENCE OF 11 YEARS ON COUNCIL IS A PICTURE OF YOU IN OUR NEIGHBOR'S YARD IN RECOVERY. UM, YOU HAD A HAT ON, YOU LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE, DIDN'T SLEEP FOR THREE DAYS, BUT THAT WAS YOU IN THOSE DAYS. AND THIS AWARD SHOULD BE GIVEN. IT SHOULD BE NOT ONLY NAMED THE FRANCISCO SANCHEZ, IT SHOULD BE NAMED THE SYLVESTER TURNER AWARD. AND SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPEN IN THAT RECOVERY PERIOD LIKE THAT, THAT MAKES YOU STAND UP AND REALIZE THE DIFFERENCE IS LEADERSHIP AND TONE FROM THE TOP. AND BECAUSE OF YOUR ACTIVITY AND 'CAUSE OF YOUR INVOLVEMENT, WE WERE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE DID. AND THAT IS RECOVER FASTER THAN ANYTHING I'VE EVER SEEN. I GO BACK TO NEW ORLEANS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH AND IT'S STILL A MESS AND IT WILL BE A MESS FOREVER. UH, BUT UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP AND GUIDANCE, IT WAS FANTASTIC. AND JOHN, I'M NOT SURE IF YOUR BOSS IS HERE, BUT WHOEVER IT IS, THEY NEED TO PAY YOU DOUBLE. 'CAUSE WE LOVE YOU, MAYOR. I CAN TELL I'M GONNA SHUT AT THESE LAST THREE MINUTES. OKAY. THAT'S, UH, GET GOING. WE GOT A LOT TO, STILL GOT A LOT TO DO. SO WE WILL GO, WE WILL BE GOING PAST 12 O'CLOCK, SO, BUT LET'S, LET'S KEEP PUSHING. UM, AND THAT'S, THE ROOM IS CLEAR. LET ME, LET ME THANK, UM, ESPECIALLY ON THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WERE, WHO WERE HERE DURING HARVEY TIME. SO LET ME THANK ALL OF YOU AND THEN ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SINCE THEN. AND QUITE FRANKLY, UM, A LOT OF THE WORK WILL BE, WILL TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS, LIKE WITH MUNICIPAL COURT. UH, WHAT I WILL SAY, YOU ONLY AS GOOD AS THE HELP YOU GOT. AND UM, SO WE'VE HAD SOME EXCEPTIONAL, UH, HELP. AND THEN OF COURSE TO SEE FRANCISCO SANCHEZ, WHO, UH, HAS BEEN A PART OF MANY OF THESE STORMS AND [04:15:01] TO SEE HIM ELEVATED WHERE HE IS, UM, BRINGS A GREAT DEAL OF PRIDE, UM, FOR ALL OF US. HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, UH, LET ME THANK, UH, TERO TECH, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO. SO. A LOT OF THANK YOUS TO, UH, TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. UM, COUNCILMAN ASH? UH, MAYOR, UH, IF I MAY, UH, I BELIEVE I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, UH, JACK CHRISTIE HERE WITH US. HE WAS WITH US DURING HURRICANE HARVEY. IS HE HERE? YEAH. YEAH. CHRIS, HE IS IN THE BACK OF THE ROAD. YES. SO I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE HIM. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES VICE MAYOR PRO TIM, TO CALL UP ITEMS 31 AND 74. THANK YOU MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO TAKE ITEM 31 AND 74 OUT OF ORDER, STARTING WITH ITEM 31 SECOND, MR. MAYOR. A SECOND. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSING GRANTED. UM, ON ITEM 31 MATTER, SECRETARY, WILL YOU CALL ITEM 31? ITEM 31 IS AN ORDINANCE YOU NEED TO VOTE. OH. UM, AND BEFORE WE PROCEED WITH ITEM 31, LET ME HAVE, UH, DIRECTOR CAROL HADDOCK AND, UM, AND, AND LISA, LISA GARRISON, GAR LISA GARRISON, WHO'S, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTS, UM, IN PUBLIC WORKS, UH, TO COME IN AND DIS AND, UH, KIND OF LAY OUT, UH, 31. UH, AND THEN WE CAN PROCEED FROM THERE. SO, UH, DIRECTOR HADDOCK MAYOR, I HAVE A POINT OF ORDER. YES. UH, I, I RECEIVED THE BACKUP ON, ON, UH, AGENDA ITEM 31 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. WOULD THAT QUALIFY FOR HA US HAVING IT 72 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE COUNCIL MEETING, OR IS THAT A VIOLATION OF, OF NO MM-HMM. NO, JUST THE AGENDA. IT'S THE BACK OF THE ITEMS POSTED. YEAH. THE ITEM WAS POSTED, BUT WE, WE, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T SEE IT. NO, WE ARE GOOD. SO WE'RE NOT IN VIOLATION. NO. MAY I ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY? SURE. NO. THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT POSTING IS FOR THE PUBLIC. IT'S WHAT'S PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE AND ON, UH, ON THE DOOR OF THE CITY HALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. DIRECTOR AT, UH, CAROL HADDOCK, IF, IF YOU WILL LAY OUT, UH, ALL EMBEDDED IN, IN, IN ITEM 31. UH, GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. UM, I'M DIRECTOR CAROL HADDOCK, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, AND I AM JOINED BY LISA GARRISON, UH, WHO'S A DEPUTY DIRECTOR IN PUBLIC WORKS, BUT IS THE DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER ACCOUNT SERVICES. AND I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME THE TIME TODAY TO SPEAK WITH YOU. UM, WE VALUE OUR CUSTOMERS AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON IMMENSELY AND ARE WORKING HARD TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS, UH, THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN RAISED ON HIGH WATER BILLS WHILE STAYING WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES THAT HAVE BEEN SET FOR US BY PAST CITY COUNCILS THROUGH ORDINANCES THAT WERE BASED ON A DIFFERENT SCENARIO IN A TIME WHERE OUR REMOTE READ INFRASTRUCTURE WAS WORKING CITYWIDE COMPARED TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL PRESENT PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGES THAT WILL EXPAND THE EXISTING ORDINANCE DRIVEN PROGRAMS SO THAT WE MAY ASSIST CUSTOMERS WITH UNUSUALLY HIGH WATER BILLS IN A FAIR AND MUCH NEEDED MANNER. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. AT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, WE ALWAYS BEGIN OUR PRESENTATIONS WITH OUR PURPOSE AND OUR FIVE TO THRIVE VALUES. THOSE FIVE VALUES ARE RESPECT, OWNERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, INTEGRITY, AND TEAMWORK. I WANNA FOCUS ON THE VALUE OF OWNERSHIP TODAY. WE AT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS WANT TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THIS ISSUE SO THAT WE MAY COLLECTIVELY ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS AND MOVE FORWARD WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOMERS AND THEIR UNUSUALLY HIGH WATER BILLS. AND WE HOPE THAT THESE PROPO PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGES CONVEY THAT MESSAGE TO ALL OF YOU AND DISPLAY ALL OF OUR FIVE TO THRIVE VALUES. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WHEN I SAID THAT WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT SCENARIO TODAY WITH WHERE WE WERE, UH, WE ARE REPLACING OUR AGING READING, REMOTE READING DEVICES, UH, ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. THIS CHART IS A VISUAL TIMELINE OF OUR ADVANCES IN REPLACING THE AGING, UH, REMOTE READING DEVICES ON WATER METERS INTO THE FUTURE. WITH A COMPLETION DATE OF 2030. WE PREDICT AN AVERAGE OF AROUND 60,000 READING DEVICES WILL BE REPLACED EVERY YEAR FOR THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS. UM, STARTING WITH 2024, WHICH IS THE, THE, YOU KNOW, COMING UP THIS YEAR. AND THAT WE'LL HAVE MORE THAN 500,000 OF THESE REPLACED CITYWIDE BY 2030. WE OPENLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS COMPLETION DATE WAS NOT WHAT WE ORIGINALLY PROJECTED WHEN CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE CONTRACT, UH, BACK IN 2019. UH, WE HAD A PLAN TO COMPLETE THAT DEPLOYMENT IN 10 YEARS, WHICH WOULD'VE HAD US DONE BY EARLY 2029. HOWEVER, THIS SCHEDULE THAT, THAT, UH, WE HAVE FROM THE, THE PROVIDER OF THESE DEVICES IN OUR ABILITY TO DELIVER IT ALLOWS US TO GET BACK TO DELIVERY IN 2030. EVEN THOUGH WE'VE BEEN SET BACK TWO TO THREE YEARS BY THE GLOBAL CHIP SHORTAGE, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND THE COVID TO 19 PANDEMIC, UH, WE, WE ARE, WE ARE HAPPY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACCELERATE IT TO MAKE UP SOME OF THAT TIME. UH, AND WE ALSO, I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT OF THE DEVICES IN [04:20:01] THE FIELD TODAY, WE HAVE REPLACED 71,000. CURRENTLY WE HAVE ABOUT 125,000 REMOTE BREED DEVICES THAT ARE NOT TRANSMITTING. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE NOT WORKING TODAY. TODAY OF THE MORE THAN 500,000 WE HAVE IN THE FIELD, 125,000 ARE THE ONES THAT ARE NOT TRANSMITTING OR NOT WORKING. WE HAVE 125,000 REMOTE READ DEVICES THAT ARE NOT WORKING TODAY. OF THE NEW ONES. NO, NO, NO, NO OLD ONES. OF THE OLD ONES EXISTING. OF THE EXISTING OLD ONES. WE HAVE REPLACED 71,000, UM, THAT ARE, THAT WERE NOT WORKING, THAT ARE WORKING NOW 'CAUSE WE REPLACED THEM WITH NEW ONES. SO, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UH, AND I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH, UH, EACH OF THE ORDINANCE CHANGES, UH, SIMILAR TO HOW THE MAYOR DID IT YESTERDAY. I WILL BE BRIEF. UH, LET'S, LET'S PROCEED WITH PROPOSAL. ORDINANCE CHANGES TO BENEFIT OUR CUSTOMERS. UH, CUSTOMERS WHO PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED LEAKS WERE LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM OF TWO ADJUSTMENTS A YEAR, AND A MAXIMUM ADJUSTMENT OF 50% OF THAT WATER, UM, CREDIT AND WASTEWATER CREDIT BACK TO THEIR ACCOUNT WHEN THEY EXPERIENCE THAT LEAK. UH, WE WANT TO REMOVE THAT TWICE A YEAR. LIMITATION. ANYTIME THAT SOMEONE HAS A LEAK, WE WANT THEM TO REPAIR THAT LEAK. WE WANT 'EM TO REPAIR IT QUICKLY. AND WE, THAT WE BELIEVE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT LIMITING IT TO TWICE A YEAR IS NOT IN THE CUSTOMER'S. UM, FAVOR. UH, WE ALSO WANT TO PROVIDE A HUNDRED PERCENT WASTEWATER ADJUSTMENT BACK TO THE AVERAGE, UH, BILL THAT YOU WOULD SEE. UH, THIS ADJUSTMENT REFLECTS THE FACT THAT ANY WATER THAT IS LEAKED OUTTA THE SYSTEM DOES NOT IMPACT OUR WASTEWATER SYSTEM, AND THE CUSTOMER SHOULD NOT BE PAYING FOR THAT. OUR FINAL RECOMMENDATION IS TO INCENTIVIZE CUSTOMERS TO REPAIR THESE WATER LEAKS AS SOON AS THE LEAK IS FIRST DISCOVERED. CURRENTLY, THE, THE, UH, ORDINANCE ALLOWS ONLY 50% CREDIT. WE WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A HUNDRED PERCENT CREDIT IF IT'S REPAIRED WITHIN THE FIRST BILLING CYCLE AFTER YOU HAVE, UM, IDENTIFIED THE LEAK, 75% CREDIT IF YOU REPAIR IT WITHIN THE SEC SECOND BILLING CYCLE. AND THEN BACK TO THE 50% CREDIT IF IT GOES ON MORE THAN THOSE TWO BILLING CYCLES, MORE THAN 60 DAYS. AND SO WE BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL PROVIDE INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO GET IT DONE QUICKLY BECAUSE THEY WILL GET THE BENEFIT OF GETTING THAT FULL CREDIT OF THE WATER THAT WENT THROUGH THE METER. THIS IS ALSO A BENEFIT TO THE CITY BECAUSE IT HELPS US REDUCE CITYWIDE WATER LOSS. UH, 'CAUSE WHETHER THE LEAK IS PRIVATE OR PUBLIC, THOSE NUMBERS GO INTO OUR WATER LOSS NUMBERS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WE ALSO KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE USE THESE SYSTEMS, THESE, THESE PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE. AND WHEN WE GET TO THE END OF IT, THEY STILL HAVE A, A LARGE LEAK BALANCE REMAINING. SO WE WANT TO ADDRESS THE, THE PROBLEM FOR MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS, AND, AND I DO WANNA SAY THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES THAT PEOPLE HAVE COME ON TUESDAY AND SPOKEN HERE, AND THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE AVAILED THEMSELVES TO ALL THE PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, AND THEY STILL HAVE A BALANCE. AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, OUR EMPLOYEES COULD NOT ADDRESS WITH THE ORDINANCES THAT WERE IN PLACE. AND SO WE WANT TO PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO DO THAT. CURRENTLY, THE THRESHOLDS FOR GETTING IN THE, UH, LEAK BALANCE REMAINING ARE $2,000 FOR MOST CUSTOMERS AND 250 FOR OUR SENIORS AND ELDERLY. WE WANNA REDUCE THOSE THRESHOLDS TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND A HUNDRED DOLLARS, A HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR OUR SENIORS AND ELDERLY. UM, AND OUR LOW INCOME AND 1000 FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. UH, WE ALSO, UM, HAVE THE, UH, THE LEAK BALANCE REMAINING ONLY ALLOWED US TO REDUCE IT TO 150% OF THE AVERAGE. WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE REDUCE THAT 150% TO 125% TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RELIEF. UH, WE WANT TO REDUCE THESE BILLS SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT IN THE, IN IN THE LONG RUN. UH, THE RESULT OF THAT IS THAT WE WILL HAVE A REDUCED LEAK BALANCE THRESHOLD. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. SOMETIMES WE HAVE HIGH WATER USAGE THAT ISN'T EXPLAINED BY A LEAK AND IT ISN'T EXPLAINED BY ANY OTHER REASON. AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADDRESS THOSE, UH, WHEN IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN, UM, A REASON THAT THE WATER WAS TAKEN. UM, BUT THE CURRENT RULES IN PLACE, UH, HAD A VERY HIGH THRESHOLD. UH, THEY YOU HAVE TO HAVE FIVE TIMES, UH, YOUR AVERAGE USAGE TO EVEN BE, AGAIN, TO QUALIFY FOR THIS PROGRAM, WE WANNA REDUCE THAT TO TWO TIMES YOUR AVERAGE USAGE. UH, WE WE'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO ADJUST UP TO $4,000. WE WANT TO INCREASE THAT ADJUSTMENT WHERE WE CAN ADJUST UP TO $10,000 ON THESE BILLS. AND WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE, BECAUSE THERE WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF, OF IT IS MORE ADMINISTRATIVE, BUT IT SAID, UM, 60 DAYS AND IF IT STARTED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BILLING CYCLE, THE 60 DAYS SOMETIMES DIDN'T GIVE YOU TWO FULL BILLING CYCLES TO RESOLVE THIS. AND [04:25:01] SO WE'RE JUST SWAPPING IT FROM DAYS TO BILLING CYCLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CLARIFY THAT, UH, THIS SHOULD, SHOULD REALLY ADDRESS THOSE, THOSE COMPLETELY, UH, WHERE WE, THERE IS NO EXPLAINABLE REASON FOR WHY THE HIGH WATER USAGES HAPPENED AND IT HAS RETURNED TO NORMAL, UH, BEYOND THAT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. WE'VE ALSO HEARD PEOPLE HERE AT CITY COUNCIL, UM, COMPLAIN ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE IS A METER IN THE GROUND, BUT THERE IS NOTHING ATTACHED TO IT, OR IT IS JUST COMPLETELY NOT IN USE. AND THEY'RE BEING BILLED THOSE BASE CHARGES FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER. UH, THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE WE ARE REQUIRED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS TO HOLD THAT WATER IN RESERVE FOR THEM IF THEY WANT TO USE IT. AND SO WE HAVE BEEN GIVING THEM THE OPTION OF REMOVING THAT METER AT A, AT A LARGE COST. IT CAN BE UP TO $1,500. BUT WE HAVE FOUND A WAY THAT WE CAN PROTECT OUR WATER SYSTEM, BUT WE CAN LEAVE THAT METER IN PLACE. UM, AND WE, WE WANT TO PROCEED FORWARD. AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE ALLOW THOSE CUSTOMERS TO REQUEST A LOCK BE PLACED ON THAT METER. ONCE THE LOCK IS PLACED ON THE METER. UH, THEN, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL RESERVING THAT WATER FOR THEM IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT IS SECURED. WATER CAN'T BE TAKEN THROUGH IT UNTIL THEY ACTIVATE AN ACCOUNT. AND WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD THAT WE'RE, WE WANT TO RECOVER OUR COSTS OF INSTALLING THAT LOCK. OUR ESTIMATES RIGHT NOW ARE ABOUT $150. THAT FEE WOULD SHOW UP IN THE ANNUAL FEE, UH, STATEMENT THAT THE CITY ADOPTS FOR ALL FEES CITYWIDE. UM, THIS ALSO IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE BY LEAVING THAT METER IN PLACE, CUSTOMERS CAN REACTIVATE THAT ACCOUNT WITHOUT A DEVELOPER IMPACT FEE. AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE A LOT THAT THEY WANT TO MAYBE HAVE VACANT FOR A WHILE, BUT REUSE IT. THEY WOULD GET THE CREDIT FOR THOSE SERVICE UNITS THAT IT'S CURRENTLY SERVING. UH, AND JUST KAREN, JUST TO POINT OUT THAT WITHOUT THE LOCK UNDER THE CURRENT SYSTEM, UH, THEY COULD GET A BILL UP THERE LIKE $1,500 WITH THIS LOCK AND THE ACCOUNT. IT'S 150. SO IT'S A, IT'S A TENFOLD REDUCTION ON WHAT THEY COULD SEE ON THEIR BILLS. CORRECT. AND WE'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME UP HERE AT TWO O'CLOCK TALKING ABOUT THAT OTHER METER THAT THEY HAVE THAT THEY'RE NOT USING, BUT THEY'RE GETTING A SUBSTANTIAL BILL. SO THIS WILL, THIS WILL CORRECT THAT PROBLEM. GO ON, KAREN. I'M SORRY. SO THE, UH, THE, THE NEXT PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, IS CURRENTLY WE INCUR A DIRECT CHARGE OF 40 CENTS FOR EVERY PAPER BILL THAT WE MAIL. AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY OF OUR, UM, PERSONNEL COSTS OR ANYTHING BEHIND THAT. AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO OFFER AN INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO CHOOSE TO GO TO AN E-BILLING. SO WE WOULD GIVE YOU THAT DIRECT CREDIT OF, UH, THE EXPENSES THAT WE WOULD NOT THEN INCUR. AND WE WOULD ALLOW THOSE, UH, 50 CENT CREDIT PER BILL CYCLE, UH, FOR GOING FROM PAPER BILLS TO E-BILL. WE RECOGNIZED NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO DO THIS. UM, BUT IF, IF, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO, THEN, THEN THEY CAN BE OFFSET THOSE DIRECT MAILING COSTS. AND THE, THE LITTLE BIT OF STAFF TIME THAT WE HAVE WITH IT, IT ALSO, UH, HAS THE ADDED BENEFIT OF NOT HAVING THE, UH, PAPER PRINTED OUT AND THE, THE MAIL DELIVERED. UH, NEXT, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO THE LAST, AND THAT, THE LAST ORDINANCE CHANGE THAT IS PROPOSED, UH, IS ACTUALLY THE CODIFICATION OF A PRACTICE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS. WE HAD ALREADY, UH, MOVED TO THE, THE CURRENT ORDINANCES ALLOW US TO BILL BACK UP TO TWO YEARS. UH, WHEN THERE HAS BEEN ESTIMATED BILLS AND A READING COMES IN THAT TELLS US THAT, UH, MORE WATER HAS BEEN USED, UH, BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT CONDITION OF HAVING REMOTE READ DEVICES UNAVAILABLE. AND FOR PEOPLE TO NOT KNOW, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE PAYING THEIR BILL ON A MONTHLY BASIS, THEY'RE PAYING WHAT THEY RECEIVE TO NOT KNOW, UM, THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN USING MORE WATER. UH, WE HAD ALREADY CHANGED THAT DOWN TO THREE MONTHS. UH, AND OUR, UM, SEVERAL OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD, UH, RECOMMENDED THAT THAT BE CODIFIED. UH, WE ACCEPT AND SUPPORT THAT CODIFICATION AND WE HAVE ROLLED IT INTO OUR PROPOSAL, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD THAT WE CODIFY THAT FOR RESIDENTIAL, UM, ACCOUNTS THAT, THAT WOULD DO THAT. UM, IT, IT REALLY IS BASED ON THE CURRENT STATUS OF OUR REMOTE READ INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, BUT, UM, WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN PAYING THE BILL, THEY'VE RECEIVED, UH, THAT IT IS REASONABLE FOR THEM TO, UH, WHEN, WHEN WE GET AN ACTUAL READING, THAT WE MOVE FORWARD FROM THAT POINT. AND THAT IS, THAT IS WHAT THIS, THIS CHANGE WILL REFLECT. UH, AND WITH THAT, UH, THAT IS ALL OF THE, UH, PROPOSALS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU IN THIS, UH, BLACK LINE THAT YOU HAVE ATTACHED TO THE ORDINANCE. UM, I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, THAT, THAT WE HAVE HEARD YOU, UM, AND THAT MANY OF THE TIMES THAT I'VE BEEN ASKED, UM, BY THE MAYOR, AND I'VE BEEN ASKED BY YOU, WHY CAN'T WE? UM, OUR RESPONSE HAS OFTEN BEEN BECAUSE THE ORDINANCE PROHIBITS AND THE, [04:30:01] THE, THE QUESTION WAS, WELL, WHY AREN'T WE CHANGING THE ORDINANCE? AND, UH, THE MAYOR, UH, UH, ASKED US SPECIFICALLY TO LOOK NOT AT A SINGLE ONE ISSUE FIX, BUT TO REVIEW THROUGH ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE BEING BROUGHT FORWARD AND TO MAKE SURE WE HAD A COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE TO BRING FORWARD. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HIM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, UH, TO ADDRESS ALL OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE SEEING HIGH BILLS AND BRING THAT FORWARD IN A SINGULAR PACKAGE. AND SO THAT IS WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY. UM, I I HOPE THAT, UH, THAT, UH, YOU WILL CONSIDER IT FAVORABLY AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO USE THESE NEW TOOLS TO REALLY ASSIST OUR CUSTOMERS. AND BEFORE, BEFORE WE GO TO THE, UM, TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, FOR YOUR QUESTIONS AND OUR COMMENTS, UH, WILL YOU TELL US, UM, ASSUMING THE PASSAGE OF, OF THIS ORDINANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WOULD THE CHANGES TAKE EFFECT? SO THE CHANGES WILL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY? UM, WE WOULD EXPECT THAT THE, UH, THE, UM, CHANGES REFLECTIVE OF THE, THE ESTIMATING AND, AND BACK BILLING STUFF WILL, IT WILL BE WHEN THE NEXT BILL CYCLE BEGINS. 'CAUSE WE, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BILL CYCLE, SO THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT A WAY TO, TO CHANGE THE MIDDLE OF A BILL CYCLE. BUT THE, THE NEXT ONE, AS IT BEGINS, UH, THAT WILL GO INTO EFFECT. BUT AS FAR AS THE OTHER CHANGES OF THE, THE TWO TIMES AND THE, THE NOT BILLING, THE WASTEWATER, UH, WE WILL BEGIN TO IMPLEMENT THOSE IN THE BILLING SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY. WE WILL, WE WILL PROGRAM THAT TO START AS SOON AS PRACTICAL WITHIN THE NEXT, WE WILL GET YOU A SPECIFIC DATE. AND THEN WITH REGARDS TO THE PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO HAVE ALREADY FILED COMPLAINTS, WE HAVE ALREADY QUESTIONING THEIR WATER BILLS. EVERYBODY WHO IS IN THE PROCESS, UH, RIGHT NOW WILL BE EVALUATED UNDER THIS PAST, UH, UNDER THIS ORDINANCE IF IT HAS PASSED. AND WE'LL TAKE A PROACTIVE POSITION TO ADDRESS THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY RAISED CONCERNS, THEY HAVE BEEN TO ADDRESS THEIR SITUATIONS. AND THEN AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THIS REMOVES THE STRUCTURAL HURDLE, UH, WHERE AN ORDINANCE MAY HAVE PREVENTED PUBLIC WORKS FROM MAKING AN ADJUSTMENT. NOW, WITH THE REMOVAL OF THESE ORDINANCES, PUBLIC WORKS CAN BE A LOT MORE RESPONSIVE, UH, TO PEOPLE'S, UM, HIGH WATER BILL BECAUSE, UM, WE DO NOT WANT TO ASSESS PEOPLE, UH, FOR WHAT THEY ARE NOT USING. UH, PEOPLE SHOULD ONLY PAY FOR THE WATER THAT THEY'RE USING. THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, AND IT CAME UP, UH, THE OTHER DAY, IS THAT OFTENTIMES PEOPLE COME AND WE'VE HEARD PEOPLE COME AND THEY HAVE APPEALED, BUT THE APPEAL DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. OKAY. WELL ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, WELL, THE MAIN REASON WHY THE APPEAL DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING IS BECAUSE WHEN THE PUBLIC HEARING EX OFFICER WAS LISTENING TO THE CASE, IF THE ORDINANCE SAID, THIS IS AS MUCH YOU CAN DO, THEN THE PUBLIC HEARING OFFICER WAS NOT, COULDN'T IGNORE THE ORDINANCE. MM-HMM . SO THE ORDINANCE, IF THE ORDINANCE SAYS YOU CAN ONLY GET A CREDIT UP TO LET'S SAY 2000, THEN, AND IF PUBLIC WORKS DID THAT PURSUANT TO THE ORDINANCE, THAT'S ALL YOU COULD DO. SO ONCE WE REMOVE THE ORDINANCES THAT CREATED THIS LIMITATION, THEN ON APPEAL, EVEN THE PUBLIC HEARING OFFICER NOW HAS MORE FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE WE'VE REMOVED THAT, THAT, UM, STRUCTURAL LIMITATION. UM, SO BY MAKING THE CHANGES HERE, WE ALSO MAKE IT MORE, UM, THE APPEAL PROCESS MORE REALISTIC, UH, FOR WHEN A CUSTOMER IS APPEALING. BUT THE, THE NOTION IS TO KIND OF GET OUT IN FRONT, WE DO NEED TO CORRECT THOSE METERS OUT THERE. YES SIR. THAT'S IMPORTANT. OKAY. BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP TO BRING DOWN PEOPLE'S CONCERNS. BUT THE REMOVAL OF THESE ORDINANCES THAT RESTRICT, OR BEING ABLE TO MAKE ONLY TWO ADJUSTMENTS PER YEAR, QUITE FRANKLY, WHENEVER THERE'S A LEAK OCCURRING, WHETHER IT'S TWO TIMES, FOUR TIMES, OR SIX TIMES A YEAR, WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY TIMES. SO IT'S TAKEN A HOLISTIC VIEW OF IT. AND I DO BELIEVE, AND LEMME JUST ASK, IF COUNCIL APPROVED THESE CHANGES, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF GIMME SOME IDEA OF THESE, UH, COMPLAINTS COMING FROM CONSUMERS THAT WE ARE HEARING WOULD BE ADDRESSED BY MAKING THESE, UM, NINE CHANGES? SO I BELIEVE THE VAST MAJORITY WILL, UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE'D BE WELL NORTH OF 90% THAT ARE ADDRESSED. THE, THE ONE AND I, AND IT'S NOT A CAVEAT OR A CAUTION. WE STILL HAVE TO FOLLOW THE PROCESSES OF HAVING APPLICATIONS TO THESE AND STILL HAVE THE, THE PROCESS OF THE, THE ACCOUNT OWNER, UM, WORKING WITH US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE FILLING OUT THE APPROPRIATE FORMS AND THEN WE'RE GETTING THE DOCUMENTATION IN PLACE, [04:35:01] UM, TO, TO DOCUMENT EACH OF THESE STEPS. SO I, IT'S NOT, UM, THAT, THAT WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS. THERE STILL NEEDS TO BE, THAT'S PART OF THE TRANSPARENCY OF THIS. UM, BUT WE, WE BELIEVE, AND WE HAVE REVIEWED THROUGH THIS, UM, THAT OTHER THAN, UM, PEOPLE WHO THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG, THE WATER THAT THEY USED AS THE WATER THAT THEY USED, AND THEY, THEY, THEY THINK THE BILL IS TOO HIGH. UM, IT'S GONNA RESOLVE ALL OF THE ONES THAT THERE'S AN UNEXPLAINED USE, THAT THERE IS A, A USE WHERE THERE WAS A LEAK. THAT, THAT ANY OF THOSE THINGS, UH, WE BELIEVE IN LOOKING THROUGH OUR LIST THAT 90% OF 'EM WOULD FALL WITHIN ONE OF THESE, UM, ADJUSTMENTS. AND THEN WE STILL HAVE FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THIS, THAT THE OTHERS MIGHT, AND I, AND, AND I SHOULD USE WORDS, THE, THE REVISING OF THESE ORDINANCES, NOT THE TOTAL, UH, REMOVAL. SO MORE WE ARE REVISING, MAKING A REVISION TO THESE ORDINANCES. OKAY. HAVING SAID THAT, COUNCILMAN K WANTS YOU OFF FIRST. THANK YOU. UH, DIRECTOR HADDOCK, UM, LONG TIME INCOMING , ONE OF THE, UM, PROBLEMS PEOPLE HAVE IS, IS BEING ABLE TO REPORT TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, TO CALL TO GET SOMEBODY ON THE LINE, A DECISION MAKER. AND I, I DIDN'T SEE THAT ADDRESSED IN HERE, BUT I, I KNOW THAT WE, WE NEED TO MAKE IT, UH, SIMPLER FOR SENIORS FOR SURE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, TO REPORT AND UH, UH, THAT WAY THEY CAN START THE PROCESS WITHOUT MAKING THE INITIAL REPORT, NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN. I NOTICED THAT WE HAVE 125,000 OLD, UH, MACHINE, YOU KNOW, WATER METERS. ARE YOU SAYING THAT, UM, AND YOU MENTIONED THAT, THAT, THAT SOME YOU TALKED ABOUT SOME NOT WORKING, UH, AND YET, UH, I THINK, UH, YOU SAID WE HAD 500,000 METERS AND FIVE THAT 1%, UH, HAVE A PROBLEM. SO THAT'D BE 5,000 OF THEM. IS THAT MEAN THAT, THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING ABLE TO BE READ ELECTRONICALLY, UH, REMOTELY? IS THAT THE PROBLEM? SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. I DID NOT CLARIFY THIS IN MY PRESENTATION. SO THERE ARE TWO PARTS THAT ARE IN THE GROUND AT YOUR LOCATION. ONE IS THE PHYSICAL METER. IT'S A MECHANICAL METER THAT ACTUALLY HAS A, A, A WHEEL IN IT THAT SPINS IS WATER GOES THROUGH. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT MEASURES THE GALLONS THAT GO THROUGH IT. AND THEN THE OTHER IS THE REMOTE READ DEVICE. AND IT'S THE PART THAT ACTUALLY READS THAT METER AND TRANSMITS IT TO US. WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE ARE REPLACING AND WHAT HAS FAILED ARE THOSE REMOTE READ DEVICES. AND SO IT REQUIRES A MANUAL INTERVENTION FOR US TO PHYSICALLY GO TO THAT METER AND READ THE ACTUAL READING ON THE METER. AND SO THE, THE MECHANICAL METERS LAST DECADES, THEY'LL LAST 30, 40, 50 YEARS. IT'S THOSE REMOTE READ DEVICES THAT FAIL MUCH QUICKER. 'CAUSE THEY'RE TECHNOLOGY WHENEVER THE, UM, WHENEVER THE REMOTE IS NOT WORKING AND IT DOESN'T SEND THE, DOES IT NOT SEND A PROPER SIGNAL OR, OR AN ERRONEOUS NUMBER? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT'S CAUSING THE PROBLEM? IT TYPICALLY DOESN'T SEND A SIGNAL AT ALL WHEN HE'S NOT . SO HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT TO BILL 'EM? WE JUST BILL 'EM ON AN AVERAGE OF THEIR LAST FEW MONTHS. AND THAT, THAT IS, UM, SO THERE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE DO. UH, WE TRY TO GO OUT AND GET A MANUAL READ FIRST. AND OF THE 125,000 THAT WE NEED TO READ EVERY MONTH, WE'RE CURRENTLY GETTING ABOUT 80,000, 85,000 OF THOSE MANUALLY READ. AND SO WHEN WE GET THAT MANUALLY READ, WE PUT IT IN THE BILLING SYSTEM AND IT, WHETHER IT TRANSMITS OR IT'S MANUAL, IT'S THE SAME TYPE OF ACTUAL READ. THE OTHER 40,000 WE'RE ESTIMATING AND WE ESTIMATE THOSE BASED ON A 12 MONTH AVERAGE. WE ESTIMATE IT BASED ON, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE LOOK AT THE, THE HISTORY OF USAGE AND USE AN ESTIMATE THAT WAY. IT'S TYPICALLY A 12 MONTH AVERAGE THROWING OUT THE HIGH AND THE LOW OR AN AN OUTLIER. IF, IF, IF A PERSON IS ON E-BILLING AND GETTING THE 50 CENTS OFF OF THEIR BILL AND THEN THEY GO INTO DEFAULT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T PAY IT, WILL THEY GET A PAPER BILL TO LET UP BEFORE WE GO THROUGH THE TURNOFF PROCESS OR DISCONNECT? OH, YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY GET A, A PAPER NOTIFICATION. YOU'LL GET AN EMAIL NOTIFICATION, YOU'LL PROBABLY GET A PHONE CALL BEFORE WE, UM, UM, GO TO A TERMINATION. WE DON'T, WE DON'T NEED ANY SENIORS GETTING THEIR WATER TURNED OFF 'CAUSE THEY'RE SICK OR SOMETHING. I, I PERSONALLY HAVE EBI AND I HAVE ACCIDENTALLY GOTTEN THE HEY, YOU'RE LATE PAPER BILL ONCE, SO. OKAY. THANK YOU MAYOR. OKAY. COUNCILMAN MAYOR . THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, UM, DIRECTOR FOR THESE CHANGES. UM, THIS, THIS IS GREAT NEWS. I KNOW WHEN, UM, WE'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE RECENTLY IT WAS, WE DID SAY MAYOR, THAT THAT THE, THE ORDINANCE, I MEAN THE, THE PEOPLE AT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND, AND THE APPEALS BOARD PEOPLE, THEY ARE GOVERNED BY THE ORDINANCE. SO GIVING US THIS FLEXIBILITY WILL BE HUGE. UH, I HAD A COUPLE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON THE, ON THE, UH, LEAK BALANCE, UH, CREDIT, I'M NOT SURE I'M FOLLOWING THAT EXACTLY. CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH AN EXAMPLE? WE'RE CHANGING THE NUMBERS ON THE LEAK [04:40:01] CREDIT ADJUSTMENT, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, PEOPLE STILL HAVE A, JUST GIVE ME LIKE AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEBODY'S BILL AND HOW THAT WOULD WORK. SO WE HAVE SOME RESIDENTIAL BILLS, UH, THAT ARE IN THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A MONTH TO BEGIN WITH. AND SO WHEN THEY HAVE A, A LEAK AND THEY COME IN AND GET THE 50% CREDIT, THEY MAY STILL HAVE A BILL THAT'S MORE THAN $2,000 AND IT'S, IT'S HIGHER THAN THEIR NORMAL BILL. OKAY. AND SO THIS, THIS ADJUSTING THE BALANCE REMAINING THRESHOLD ALLOWS US TO WORK WITH MORE OF THOSE CUSTOMERS. SO INSTEAD OF HAVING TO BE ONLY MORE THAN $2,000, UM, THEN, AND, AND ALSO IF YOU HAVE, LET'S, LET'S JUST SAY YOUR AVERAGE BILL'S $500, BUT YOU HAVE A $4,000 LEAK AND WE ADJUST IT TO $2,000. OKAY. BECAUSE YOU ONLY GET 50% BACK. RIGHT. SO THIS ALLOWS YOU TO ADJUST IT ALL THE WAY BACK TO WHAT THIS IS. UH, WELL IF YOU GET IT REPAIRED WITHIN 30 DAYS, THE OTHER PROPOSAL SAYS YOU'D GET A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT BACK AND YOU'D GO TO THE AVERAGE. GOT IT. BUT IF YOU WAITED TILL YOU ONLY GOT THE 75% OR THE 50%, THIS WOULD SAY IF YOU STILL HAVE A LARGE BALANCE REMAINING, WE CAN WORK WITH YOU. GOT IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND ON THE, THE WATER METER, YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT USING SITUATION. IF THEY DON'T OPT TO DO THE $150 LOCK KEY, THEY'LL STILL GET THE BASE CHARGE. THEY WILL, UNLESS THE METER IS, IS PHYSICALLY REMOVED FROM THE PROPERTY. OKAY. AND AND IT'S LISA, RIGHT? YES. YES. LISA, I WANTED YOU TO TALK A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE, WHEN WE MET YOU TALKED ABOUT KIND OF THE CULTURE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CHANGES THAT ARE MADE. UH, WE WANNA, WE WANNA SHORTEN THESE TIMELINES THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THESE ADJUSTMENTS TO HAPPEN. WE WANNA, UM, LESS ANGST AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HANGING ON THE PHONE FOREVER FOR PEOPLE, UM, THAT HAVE THESE PROBLEMS. CAN YOU TALK ME THROUGH HOW THE CULTURE IS KIND OF CHANGING AT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HOW, UM, WE'RE BETTER ABLE TO MORE QUICKLY ADDRESS PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS? YES, THANK YOU. UM, I'LL SPEAK TWOFOLD. MOST OF OUR CUSTOMER CALLS, UH, THE FIRST DIRECT CALL MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS MAKE IS TO OUR, UM, CONTACT CENTER. OUR CONTACT CENTER RESOLVES PRETTY MUCH ABOUT 90% OF THE CUSTOMER'S CALLS OR CONCERNS RELATIVE TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR BILL, AND IS ABLE TO EXPLAIN AND GIVE THE CUSTOMER, UM, COMMUNICATION AROUND USAGE AND ALL OF THAT. IT'S THAT 10% THAT DOES GET ESCALATED OVER TO OUR CUSTOMER LIAISON DEPARTMENT, WHICH THEN BEGINS THE ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW PROCESS THAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF TODAY. THAT IS WHERE THE TIMING, UH, DOES NOT HAPPEN SAME DAY BECAUSE AS STATED, MANY OF THE THINGS HAVE TO BE INVESTIGATED. WE SEND A TECHNICIAN OUT TO VERIFY AND CONFIRM THE, THE ISSUE AT HAND AND WAITING FOR THAT TO TAKE PLACE, GET THAT VERIFICATION BACK. SO THERE'S STEPS IN THE PROCESS THAT DOESN'T ALLOW US TO RESPOND TO A CUSTOMER WITH A RESOLUTION WITHIN A FIVE TO 10 DAY PERIOD AFTER. BUT WE ALSO, ONCE WE LOOK AT THE ISSUES AND LOOK AT THERE IS AN ADJUSTMENT REQUIRED, WE USUALLY WANT TO LOOK AT ANOTHER CYCLE TO ENSURE WHAT WE JUST DID AND WHAT THE CUSTOMER SAYS THEY HAVE DONE IS REFLECTIVE OF THE CHANGES TO ENSURE THE NEXT BILL IS NOT ANOTHER WRONG BILL. SO SOMETIMES WHAT YOU'RE, THE CUSTOMERS ARE STATING IT TAKES 60 DAYS BEFORE THEY SEE ANY RESOLVE. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I AM WORKING TO PUT THINGS IN PLACE TO SEE IF WE CAN JUST LOOK AT ONE BILLING CYCLE VERSUS A SECOND. IT IS DEPENDENT ON THE SIZE OF THE ACCOUNT, THE ISSUE OF THE ACCOUNT. AND WHEN IN THAT BILLING CYCLE, WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUT, DO THE INVESTIGATION AND FIX THE ISSUE. AND WHETHER THAT WAS A REPLACEMENT OF A READING DEVICE, REPLACEMENT OF A REGISTER, ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETIMES DOES NOT ALLOW US AND GIVEN THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO RESOLVE A CUSTOMER'S ISSUE WITHIN 30 DAYS. OKAY. AND REMIND ME YOUR STAFF ON IN CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE NUMBER. OH, THE NUMBER. WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 120 STAFF IN OUR CONTACT CENTER, BUT THEY'RE NOT ALL, UM, AGENTS. UM, AND I, I SAY THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 15, WHICH ARE OUR SUPERVISORY, AND THEN OUR BACK OFFICE ARE OUR PEOPLE HANDLING, UM, EMAILS, TRANSACTIONS. SO ON THE PHONE WE HAVE ABOUT 80 PEOPLE THAT ARE ANSWERING CALLS DATA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KAMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR, AND MAYOR, FOR BRINGING THESE FORWARD, UH, DISTRICT C RESIDENTS. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR, THAT I HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR. UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING ON THIS. UM, AND I, I WANT TO SAY THAT AT THE OUTSET BECAUSE I'M GONNA ASK A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN, UH, I'M NOT ABSOLUTELY [04:45:01] THRILLED ABOUT THIS. UM, WITH SO MANY NOT WORKING RIGHT NOW, I THINK YOU SAID ABOUT 125,000 SENSORS THAT SEND THAT COMMUNICATION. UM, WE'RE DISCOUNTING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE INCENTIVIZING 30 DAYS, YOU KNOW, TO FIX YOUR WATER LEAK. HOW ARE RESIDENTS GOING TO KNOW ABOUT THAT WITHIN THAT 30 DAYS? SO IT'S WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER YOU ARE MADE AWARE, OKAY? SO YOU CANNOT BE AWARE IF YOU DON'T HAVE A REMOTE READ DEVICE AND YOU DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE BEEN GETTING, YOU KNOW, A 4,000 GALLON BILL, 4,000 GALLON BILL, 4,000 GALLON BILL, AND WE GO OUT AND, AND GET THAT READ, AND THEN IT, IT, IT BEGINS TO SHOW THAT, UM, IT'S, THAT'S WHEN THE TIMELINE STARTS. IT'S NOT BEFORE IT DOESN'T GO BACK. GREAT. AND WE DO HAVE IN PLACE THOUGH, FOR THE INTEGRITY OF THE SYSTEM ITSELF. UM, I WOULD ASSUME NOTICE OR KNOWLEDGE OF A LEAK WOULD BE THE NEXT BILL OR TWO WHEN THAT COSTS SKYROCKETS, IS THAT CORRECT? SO FOR THOSE, UM, PEOPLE WITH REMOTE READ DEVICES, UM, YOU CAN EVEN KNOW IT BEFORE THE NEXT BILL CYCLE STARTS. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR NOT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN E-BILL TO SIGN UP FOR AN ACCOUNT AND SET YOUR ALERTS, UH, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DO NOT HAVE THAT REMOTE READ DEVICE. UM, THAT IS, THAT IT'S GONNA COME IN AFTER THE FACT. BUT I WILL ALSO SAY FOR PEOPLE THAT WE ARE ESTIMATING WITH THE CHANGE THAT, THAT THE SEPARATE CHANGE THAT WAS PROPOSED ON NOT BACK BILLING AND OUR PRACTICE OF NOT BACK BILLING, THAT THAT WILL ACTUALLY RESOLVE THE LEAK FOR THE ONES THAT DO NOT HAVE THE REMOTE REEV DEVICE BY GOING BACK TO THAT AVERAGE. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND HOW DO WE, IS THERE ANY WAY TO EXPEDITE, UM, THE 121, THE 125,000 THAT ARE CURRENTLY NOT WORKING? LIKE WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO EXPEDITE THOSE REPLACEMENTS? AND TWO, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT, UM, EVEN DESPITE ALL THE CHALLENGES, THE CHIP DELAYS, THE PANDEMIC, ET CETERA, WE'RE A YEAR BEHIND, BUT WHAT WOULD IT TAKE JUST FOR FUTURE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COUNCIL AS A WHOLE TO CONSIDER TO EXPEDITE THAT SO WE'RE NOT WAITING UNTIL 2030 IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. WHAT WOULD THAT TAKE? SO, SO LISA, THE, THE, UH, WE BELIEVE BASED ON WHAT THE MANUFACTURER IS TELLING US, THAT THAT IS THE AMOUNT THEY CAN DELIVER ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, THAT WE, WE CAN'T GET MUCH MORE THAN THAT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THAT IS CORRECT. WE ARE ABLE TO GET THE NUMBERS SHOWN, UH, MONTHLY. BUT TO SUPPORT AND ANSWER, IN ADDITION TO YOUR QUESTION, WE WILL BE COMING FORTH VERY SOON. WE HAVE SECURED A VENDOR THAT IS GOING TO JOIN, HOPEFULLY ONCE APPROVED, BE ABLE TO COME ABOARD, AND THEY WILL ASSIST US IN METER READING WHERE WE HAVE THE POPULATION THAT THE READS ARE NOT BEING RECEIVED, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES ARE GONNA BE TRANSITIONED OVER TO INSTALLING MORE ENDPOINTS. SO I WILL HAVE MORE BOOTS ON THE GROUND ABLE TO HOPEFULLY EXPEDITE THE PLAN THAT WE'VE DEMONSTRATED. SO WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS SOLUTIONS RELATED TO THAT. BUT THERE ARE CHALLENGES WITH EQUIPMENT PRODUCTION AND, AND OUR GOAL IS TO BE FASTER, BUT THAT'S THE, WE KNOW WE CAN DELIVER THAT GREAT. AND, UM, BE I FULLY SUPPORT THE ADJUSTMENTS. THIS COST SHOULD NOT, UM, BE BORNE BY RESIDENTS. BUT WHEN YOU DO LOSE WATER, THERE IS A COST TO THAT. SO DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT THAT COST IS OR IS THERE A COST TO THE CITY THAT NEEDS TO BE CALCULATED WITH ALL OF THIS? SO THIS IS A VERY SIMILAR QUESTION TO THE COST OF WHEN WE HAVE OUR OWN WATER LEAKS. UH, IT'S, IT'S AN INCREMENTAL COST OF, UH, CHEMICALS AND ELECTRICITY. IT'S NOT AN INCREMENTAL COST OF EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THEY ARE, THEY'RE WORKING, UM, WHETHER WE PRODUCE LESS WATER OR MORE WATER. AND THE ESTIMATES THAT WE HAD AND THAT YOU GET ON THE, I THINK IT'S A BIWEEKLY REPORT THAT YOU GET FROM US ESTIMATES THE ADDITIONAL COST OF ELECTRICITY AND CHEMICALS CITYWIDE IN WATER LOSSES. THIS IS A VERY, VERY SMALL FRACTION OF THAT. OKAY. SO WE ARE BEING RESPONSIBLE IN TERMS OF CITY BOTTOM LINE WITH THAT. YEAH, WE LOOKED AT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS. THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE VETTED BEFORE WE EVEN MAKE IN THESE RECOMMENDATIONS PUBLIC. AND THE COST IS NOMINAL. I, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND LASTLY, TO END ON A, ON A HIGH NOTE, UM, CAN YOU PUBLICLY SHARE, UH, I HAVE THAT INFORMATION, BUT I JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE EMPHASIZING IT. WHAT PERCENTAGE ARE IS THE CITY HITTING IN TERMS OF ACCURACY, UH, IN METER READINGS AND WATER BILLS? SO WE ARE OVER 99%, UH, IN ACCURACY ON, ON BOTH MANUAL AND REMOTE READ THAT WE RECEIVE. AND THAT TRANSLATING INTO A BILL, UM, THAT LESS THAN 1% IS STILL A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER. YES. AND, BUT THAT, BUT WE ARE MORE THAN 99% ACCURATE IN THE READINGS THAT WE RECEIVE AND THE BILLS THAT ARE GENERATED. AND I APPRECIATE [04:50:01] THAT. AND AGAIN, AS YOU SAID, I'M NOT DIMINISHING BY ANY MEANS. UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE INCURRED HIGH WATER BILLS AT CERTAIN POINTS, UH, THE, THE IMPLICATION OF WHAT THAT DOES TO A FAMILY'S BOTTOM LINE, UM, AND TO THEIR, THEIR CHECKBOOK, BUT THAT WE'RE AT 99%. I DID JUST ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DESPITE THE CHALLENGES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN POLLARD. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU BOTH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, HAPPY TO SEE THIS ON THE AGENDA AS WELL, MAYOR. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ALL THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO KIND OF SPOKE OUT ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. AND I'M SPEAKING MORE TOWARDS JUST THE CULTURE OF HOW I WOULD LIKE CITY HALL TO OPERATE AND THE DIRECTION I THINK WE'RE GOING IN, WHICH IS POSITIVE THAT AS A DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER, WHEN WE GET CALLS FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS, AND THIS IS A, UH, A FREQUENT CALL THAT WE GET, THAT THE ANSWER CAN'T BE THE ORDINANCE DOESN'T ALLOW US TO, RIGHT? THAT WE HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM AS A BODY LEANING ON THAT AS, AS A REASON FOR SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE ARE IDEAS OR THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO CHANGE THE ORDINANCE SO THAT WE DO HAVE MORE SOLUTIONS IN FRONT OF US. AND I THINK THAT'S A CHARGE TO US ALL WHO ARE COMING BACK TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE, UH, MAYOR, WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING WITH THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE AND LOOK AT OTHERS TO SAY, OKAY, THAT CAN'T BE THE ANSWER GOING FORWARD. AND IF WE HAVE A WAY IN WHICH WE CAN REVISE TO MAKE BETTER AND TO STRENGTHEN ON BEHALF OF THE, UH, OF THE RESIDENTS, THEN THEN WE WILL DO IT. I CAN ALSO SAY WHEN WE HAVE 99% ACCURACY, UM, WITH, UH, UM, THE WATER BILLS THAT DO, UH, GET GENERATED, THAT WE WANNA MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO PAY THOSE BILLS TOO. AND, UH, SOMETIMES THERE ARE FRUSTRATIONS WITH, HEY, JUST OPERATING THE ONLINE SYSTEM, UH, WHEN YOU PUT IN YOUR CREDIT CARD AND SOMETIMES IT REJECTS BACK, JUST MAKING IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE. SO THOSE 99% OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING ACCURATE BILLS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ONLY ON THAT AUTOMATED SYSTEM OR ONLINE FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, A MINUTE OR SO. SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE TO, UH, CONTINUE TO EXPLORE AND CONSIDER AS WELL. BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO VOTING FOR THIS, SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR, CAST TATUM. THANK YOU MAYOR AND, UH, DIRECTOR. AND, UH, MS. LISA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UM, THESE CHANGES ARE MUCH NEEDED CHANGES. UM, I DO WANNA TAKE UPON A PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO THANK BARBARA HEIGHTEN MY OFFICE, WHO HAS BEEN KEEPING A LOG OF ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CALLED OUR OFFICE WITH WATER BILL CONCERNS AND, UM, HAS HELPED THEM TO USHER THIS THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEWS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEIR ISSUES HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED. UM, BUT MY CONCERN IS, IS THERE ANY RECOURSE FOR, UM, THE VENDOR THAT IS PROVIDING THE, THE REMOTE READ DEVICE? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IF WE ARE HAVING THIS MANY CHALLENGES WITH THE REMOTE READ DEVICES, IS THAT A CONTRACTUAL ISSUE? IS THAT A, A DEVICE ISSUE? WHAT RECOURSE DO WE HAVE AS A CITY IF WE ARE BUYING THIS MANY REMOTE READ DEVICES? UM, EVEN THIS 1%, WHICH IS A LARGE NUMBER OF DEVICES THAT DON'T SEEM TO WORK, IS, IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. SO, SO LET ME CLARIFY REAL QUICK. THE, UM, THE ONES THAT WE ARE PUTTING IN THE GROUND TODAY, WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING COMPLETE SUCCESS THERE. THERE IS THE, THE NEW ONES THAT ARE BEING INSTALLED, THE REASON THAT THE, THE REMOTE READ DEVICES ARE FAILING, AND THE REASON THAT WE CAME TO THE CITY COUNCIL BACK IN 2019, THEY'RE ONLY DESIGNED TO LAST 10 TO 15 YEARS. WE FINISHED CITYWIDE DEPLOYMENT OF THE FIRST ROUND IN THE LATE TWO THOUSANDS. SO THE REASON WE CAME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL ASKING FOR A 10 YEAR CONTRACT TO REPLACE THEM IS WE WERE COMING INTO THE WINDOW WHERE WE WERE GONNA SEE THE OLD DEVICES BEGIN TO FAIL. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON TOP OF THAT IF WE HADN'T BEEN DELAYED BY THE PANDEMIC. THE TWO TO THREE YEARS DELAY THAT WE HAD IN GETTING CHIPS MANUFACTURING AND GETTING THE DEVICES PHYSICALLY IN OUR HANDS, THE OLD DEVICES WERE AT THE END OF THEIR LIFE AND THEY BEGAN TO FAIL IN HIGHER NUMBERS. SO WE HAD A JUST IN TIME PLAN TO BEGIN DEPLOYING AT THE TIME WE WERE GONNA SEE THOSE, THOSE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN FAILURES, THE PANDEMIC DELAYED US. SO IN THIS, IN THIS MARKET, IS IT, SHOULD WE ONLY EXPECT A 10 YEAR LIFE FOR A REMOTE READ DEVICE? I FEEL LIKE A, A CITY AS BIG AS HOUSTON, I WOULD, WHEN WE WERE DOING MANUAL READS, I MEAN WE, THAT WATER METER WAS THERE FOR 2030. I MEAN, THAT WATER METER WAS THERE A LONG TIME. SO IF WE'RE MOVING TO SMART METERS, I WOULD THINK THAT A A OR THE DEVICE, THE DEVICE DEVICE, IF WE'RE MOVING TO A SMART DEVICE, THAT [04:55:01] IT WOULD LAST LONGER THAN A DEVICE THAT WASN'T CONSIDERED A REMOTE READ DEVICE. SO I'M GONNA ANSWER YOUR QUESTION A COUPLE WAYS. ONE, UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR CLARIFYING THAT IT'S THE, THE REMOTE READ DEVICE. 'CAUSE THE METER ITSELF IS LASTING MUCH LONGER THAN THAT, RIGHT? THE SECOND ONE IS, I MEAN, IF YOU, IF YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVE IN OUR POCKETS, THE, THESE DON'T LAST 10 YEARS, UM, THEY, THEY, THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE WAY THAT THEY'RE BUILT AND THE WAY THAT THEY'RE USED, THEY, THAT, THAT IS THE LIFESPAN THAT IS STANDARD FOR THE INDUSTRY. AS THE TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES TO CHANGE AND THE COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES TO CHANGE, THEY'RE ALSO IN A VERY HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT. THEY ARE OUTSIDE, THEY'RE IN THESE METER BOXES, THEY'RE IN THE HEAT, THEY'RE IN THE RAIN, THEY'RE IN THE FREEZING, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT IMPACT THESE, THESE DEVICES. AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS TO UNDERSTAND WHY IT MAY BE WORKING FINE, BUT SOMETIMES WE DON'T GET A READ. THERE MAY BE A TRUCK PARKED ON TOP OF THE METER, THERE MAY BE SOME LANDSCAPING MAY HAVE GROWN UP THAT BLOCKS THE ABILITY FOR US TO CUT CABLE TO GET THAT READ CABLE AND, AND LISA ABSOLUTELY CUT CABLE. YEAH. CUT CABLE, PEOPLE, LAWN, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. UM, RIGHT. BUT IT IS, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I I THINK THAT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION. UM, THAT IS KIND OF THE INDUSTRY STANDARD TODAY, BUT WE HAVE NEVER HESITATED FROM CHALLENGING THE INDUSTRY STANDARD. AND WE WILL, WE WILL ASK THOSE QUESTIONS TO THE MANUFACTURERS AND I, AND I THINK WE SHOULD AS C AS BIG AS HOUSTON WITH THIS MANY CUSTOMERS. I MEAN, WE NEED TO DEMAND A, A BETTER READ DEVICE. UM, BECAUSE IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HAVING TO CHANGE THIS MANY CUSTOMERS, UM, READ DEVICES EVERY 10 YEARS, THAT'S GONNA BE PROBLEMATIC GOING FORWARD. AND AS TECHNOLOGY CHANGES, IF THAT EVEN IS A SHORTER LIFESPAN, UM, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A, A BIGGER, A BIGGER ISSUE. SO I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO CHALLENGE THE INDUSTRY STANDARDS. ABSOLUTELY. UM, I, I DON'T KNOW, DID DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? BECAUSE I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION IS I WANTED TO ASK WHAT YOU WERE SAYING. SO CAN PEOPLE, UM, HOW DO THEY SIGN UP FOR THE SET ALERTS? BECAUSE IF I'M A CUSTOMER IN HOUSTON, I WANNA KNOW HOW MUCH WATER AM I USING? AND JUST LIKE I LOOK AT MY ELECTRICITY, I, I NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH ARE, IS RELIANT SAYING THAT I'M USING, I LOOK AT MY ALERTS, HOW DO PEOPLE SIGN UP TO LOOK AT THEIR WATER ALERTS SO THEY CAN KNOW THAT THE REED DEVICE IS SAYING THAT I'M USING A LOT OF WATER, I NEED TO CALL SOMEBODY. GO AHEAD, LISA, DO I HIT? YEP. NO, YOU'RE GOOD. OH, I'M GOOD. GREAT QUESTION AND I HAVE A GREAT ANSWER. OKAY. THIS WEEKEND WE DEPLOYED, OR ALL OF THE 71,000 CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE THE NEW READING DEVICES THAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF THAT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED, WE SENT LETTERS TO, I'M SORRY. WE SENT EMAILS TO US TO EXTEND, WE SENT EMAILS TO ALL CUSTOMERS THAT WE HAD AN EMAIL ON THEIR ACCOUNT LETTING THEM KNOW THEY HAVE A NEW, UM, READING DEVICE, PLEASE, UH, LOG IN TO SIGN UP FOR USAGE ALERTS. AND THEY'RE ABLE TO SET THEIR THRESHOLDS ON WHATEVER THEY WANT TO SEE, AS WELL AS THEY CAN NOW GET, UM, TEXT ALERTS VIA PHONE. THIS IS JUST RECENTLY WROTE OUT ON DECEMBER 1ST, IN ADDITION TO IF THEY DID NOT HAVE AN EMAIL ON THEIR ACCOUNT, WE ARE SENDING, UH, LETTERS VIA MAIL LETTING THESE CUSTOMERS KNOW, BECAUSE EVERY CUSTOMER THAT SETS UP A PROFILE DOES NOT ALWAYS PUT THEIR EMAIL. SO WE ARE USING EVERY AVENUE TO REACH EVERY CUSTOMER. AND THE GO FORWARD PROCESS WILL BE ONCE WE INSTALL, ACCORDING TO THAT DEPLOYMENT SCHEDULE THAT WE SHOWED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION, AFTER THE FIRST BILLING CYCLE, TO ENSURE THAT INSTALL IS WORKING PROPERLY, THAT USAGE IS IN LINE WITH HISTORICAL, THAT CUSTOMER WILL GET AN EMAIL, I'M SORRY, EMAIL OR LETTER THE NEXT DAY SAYING YOU RECENTLY RECEIVED A NEW INSTALL ENDPOINT. PLEASE SIGN UP FOR YOUR ALERTS. SO THIS HAS JUST BEEN DEPLOYED DECEMBER 1ST TO ALLOW CUSTOMERS TO GET TEXT AND EMAIL ALERTS FOR THEIR USAGE. THEY CAN SEE DAILY, HOURLY, AND MONTHLY. THAT IS A GREAT ANSWER BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CLAMORING TO BE ABLE TO MONITOR THEIR USAGE IF IT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE. CAN YOU SEND US A COPY OF THE LETTER, UM, TO OUR CITY COUNCIL EMAILS, BECAUSE I KNOW EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER IS GONNA SEND OUT A NEWSLETTER TODAY. WELL, IT DOESN'T GO TO EVERY CUSTOMER THOUGH. WELL, BUT I DO WANNA CLARIFY EVERYBODY. THE LETTER THAT WENT OUT TO CUSTOMERS. YES. SO WE CAN INCLUDE THAT IN OUR NEWSLETTER AS ANOTHER AVENUE OF COMMUNICATING TO PEOPLE WHO GET WATER BILLS. AND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T, BUT WE WANT TO COVER AS MANY BASES AS WE CAN BECAUSE WE GET A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT PEOPLE'S WATER BILLS. AND IF WE CAN SAY SIGN UP FOR ALERT, I THINK IT'S GONNA HELP EVERYBODY TO COMMUNICATE THAT THAT IS A POSSIBILITY FOR PEOPLE TO MANAGE THEIR, [05:00:01] THEIR WATER USAGE. AND WE THANK YOU FOR THAT PARTNERSHIP. I WILL ALSO SAY WE, WE TALK ABOUT HAVING 125,000 THAT ARE NOT FUNCTIONING. THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE 420,000 THAT ARE FUNCTIONING. ALL OF THOSE ACCOUNTS, EVEN WITH THE OLD REMOTE READ DEVICES THAT ARE STILL WORKING, CAN ALSO ACCESS AND USE THE ALERT PORTION OF THE ONLINE PROFILE. ABSOLUTELY. EVERYBODY WANNA SHARE THAT HAS A FUNCTIONING REMOTE READ DEVICE, WHETHER IT'S THE OLD ONE, THE NEW ONE, ANY OF THE MANUFACTURERS CAN USE THAT ONLINE PROFILE AND SET UP ALERTS. THAT'S, AND I THINK THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WERE COMING HERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, I GOT THIS WATER BILL AND I'M SURPRISED BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW, I DIDN'T HAVE AN ALERT. I, I, I WASN'T ABLE TO MONITOR MY USAGE ON A DAILY BASIS. AND I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT THERE IS A, A, A, A PROCESS IN PLACE WHERE THEY CAN MONITOR THEIR USAGE. EVERYBODY'S HEIGHTENED AWARENESS WITH THEIR WATER BILLS. I MEAN, WATER IS A PRECIOUS COMMODITY. WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. UM, BUT WE SHOULD ALSO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE USING AND WHAT THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR. SO THANK YOU FOR THESE CHANGES. UM, WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND I THINK THAT HOUSTONIANS WILL APPRECIATE IT AND WE CAN GET THEIR ISSUES SOLVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. THANK YOU. HOPEFULLY, UH, LASTLY, I, UM, HAVE REVIEWED THESE ITEMS AND IT'S A SIGH OF RELIEF. AND MY SIGH OF RELIEF IS REALLY, I'M THINKING OF, UH, MR. FRANKLIN STEVENS, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HIM FOR A VERY LONG TIME TO MITIGATE HIS WATER BILL ON A PROPERTY THAT NO LONGER EXISTS, RIGHT? SO THE CHANGES DIRECTLY SPEAK TO THAT, AND I HOPE, AND HOPEFULLY RESIDENTS HAVE THE SAME SIGH OF RELIEF WITH THE, UM, HOPEFULLY WITH THE SUPPORT OF COUNCIL. UM, IN THE SAME VEIN OF THE VICE MAYOR APPROACH HIM IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION, WE OFTEN DO A LOT OF STUFF IN THE HORSESHOE, BUT GETTING IT TO THE STREETS OR RESIDENTS ARE INFORMED IN ADDITION TO THE ALERT, THE INFORMATION FOR THE ALERTS, UM, IS PUBLIC WORK'S GOING TO PROVIDE LIKE A QUICK HOW TO, THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. SO WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE STREET. UM, EVERYONE DOESN'T WATCH COUNCIL. THEY MAY NOT EVEN SEE THE PRESS CONFERENCE OR READ THE LOCAL PAPER, BUT IF WE CAN GET THIS TOO IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, THIS WILL BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. SO WE CAN LET RESIDENTS KNOW WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM. UM, AND SO THEY CAN START MAKING, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER APPROPRIATE DECISIONS IN THEIR HOME AND WITH THEIR FINANCES. WE DO HAVE A STEP BY STEP, UH, THAT IS GOING OUT WITH THE CUSTOMER'S BILLS ON HOW TO SIGN UP. UM, AND THERE'S ALSO A LINK ON THEIR BILL. CLICK HERE AND YOU'LL AUTOMATICALLY GO TO THE WEBSITE AND IT'LL WALK THEM THROUGH STEP BY STEP HOW TO SET UP FOR THEIR ALERTS. AND WE DO HAVE IT IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES. WE ACTUALLY HAD A CAMPAIGN A LITTLE YEAR AND A HALF AGO THAT THAT WAS HOW TO SIGN UP HOW TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT. AND SO ABSOLUTELY WE, WE WOULD WELCOME THE PARTNERSHIP IN HELPING GET THIS WORD OUT. OKAY. WITH THE PROPOSED CHANGES, ONCE THIS GOES THROUGH A VOTE, YES, WE WILL GET THAT. WE WILL GET THAT OVER TO, YOU'LL GET WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM AND WE WILL GET THAT STRAIGHT OVER. CAN I JUST, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO EXTEND PAST NOON, MOVE SECOND AND MOVED AND SECOND TO EXTEND PAST NOON. ANY OBJECTION? CHAIRS? NONE GRANTED. COUNCILMAN MAG GALLEGOS. THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR FOR, UH, WORKING ON THIS. AS, AS ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, HAVE GOTTEN MANY, MANY CALLS IN REGARDS TO THESE ISSUES, I KNOW THAT I'M EXCITED. I'VE ALREADY TOLD MY STAFF TO, UM, NOTIFY A CONSTITUENT WHO THEIR MOTHER IS BEDRIDDEN AND THE ONLY WATER THEY'RE USING IS THE SPONGE BATH, UH, FOR THEIR MOTHER, BUT YET THEY'VE GOTTEN SOME HIGH WATER BILLS. THEY'VE CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO LEAKS AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO LEAKS. SO, UH, EXCITED TO, UH, BRING THIS TO THEIR ATTENTION. UM, IN, IN REGARDS TO THE SIGNUP ALERTS, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS MENTIONED IT, BUT I I DIDN'T HEAR AN ANSWER. UH, IN REGARDS TO THE SIGNUP ALERTS, WILL THEY BE GOING OUT IN SPANISH? YES, IT IS. UH, WE HAVE IT PREPARED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND I BELIEVE IN VIETNAMESE AS WELL. I I WILL TRIPLE CHECK THE VIETNAMESE, BUT WE DEFINITELY HAVE ALL OF OUR LITERATURE AND INSTRUCTIONS IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH. OKAY, GREAT. AND UH, AND THEN ALSO IN REGARD, GOING BACK TO THE, THE REMOTE READING DEVICES, UH, YOU SAY THERE'S 125,000 THAT ARE NOT WORKING. SO, UH, IS THAT SAFE TO SAY THAT YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THESE 125,000 ARE AT THAT ARE NOT WORKING? WE DO KNOW THE SPECIFIC ADDRESSES. THEY ARE CITYWIDE. OKAY. SO, SO IN, IN, IN REGARDS TO, LET'S SAY I'M ONE OF THOSE RESIDENTS, THEN MY REMOTE READING DEVICE IS NOT WORKING AND YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT WORKING, BUT YET I GET A HIGH BILL. NOW IT IT, DID WE IMPLEMENT SOMETHING WHERE I CAN JUST CALL YOU, YOU COME OUT, YOU REALIZE THE REMOTE READER IS NOT WORKING. DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS? AM I GONNA HAVE TO BE BURDENED IN REGARDS TO TRYING TO GET THIS RESOLVED? BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT WORKING. SO ARE ARE, IS THERE SOMETHING WHERE YOU CAN SAY, OH YEAH, WE, WE, WE WENT OUT THERE, WE KNOW THE DEVICE IS NOT WORKING. YOU GOT [05:05:01] A HIGH WATER BILL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO BE BURDENED TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS. SO THE, THE LAST PROPOSAL, WHICH WAS THE INCORPORATION OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, UH, A RECOMMENDATION TO LIMIT IT TO THE THREE MONTHS OF BACK BILLING, UH, WE ALREADY HAVE THAT IN PRACTICE. IF WE HAVE ESTIMATED FOR MORE THAN THREE MONTHS, WE NOW AUTOMATICALLY BILL THE, THE LONG-TERM AVERAGE. UH, WE DON'T, UM, TAKE THAT READ FROM THAT POINT FORWARD. WE PUT IT IN A CYCLE WHERE WE'RE GETTING A MANUAL READ AT LEAST ONCE EVERY THREE MONTHS SO THAT, THAT WE'RE KEEPING THAT CURRENT AND THAT THREE MONTH ESTIMATE WILL NEVER EXTEND THREE MONTHS. BUT WE, WE BASICALLY ZERO IT OUT AT THAT FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE, WE'VE ESTIMATED LONGER THAN THREE MONTHS AND GO BACK TO THE AVERAGE. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? NO, I DON'T THINK SO. AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO APPLY FOR THAT. I'M SORRY IF I GET A HIGHER, A HIGH BILL IN MY REMOTE READING, YOU COME OUT AND YOU CHECK THIS AND YOU KNOW IT'S NOT WORKING. WHY DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THIS BURDEN? I MEAN, IS THERE A SAFEGUARD WHERE YOU SAY, OH YEAH, YOU, YOUR REMOTE'S NOT WORKING, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. WHAT I HEARD IS THAT THERE'S AN APPLICATION, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT. WHY DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT WHEN MY DEVICE IS NOT WORKING? SO THERE'S TWO THINGS TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. IF A CUSTOMER CALLS, LIKE I SAID, OUR CONTACT CENTER AND IS COMPLAINING ABOUT THEIR HIGH BILL, THERE IS A ESCALATION PROCESS THAT THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE REP THEN SENDS IT OVER TO OUR OTHER DEPARTMENT, WHICH WE THEN DEPLOY A TECHNICIAN TO GO OUT AND VERIFY AND CONFIRM IS THERE AN ISSUE WITH THIS CUSTOMER'S PROPERTY IS, DO THEY SEE A LEAK, ET CETERA. SO THE CUSTOMER DOESN'T HAVE TO TAKE ANY ACTION OTHER THAN THAT INITIAL CALL TO US SAYING, I HAVE A CONCERN, THIS DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT. IT IS AFTER THE VISIT OF THE TECHNICIAN AND THEY IDENTIFY, YEAH, THERE'S A PRIVATE LEAK ON THE CUSTOMER'S PROPERTY. THEN THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF PROVIDING THE DOCUMENTATION AND THE SUPPORT FOR US TO NOW FOLLOW THESE NEW, UM, ORDINANCE CHANGES. THE REPAIR WORK HAS BEEN DONE BY A PLUMBER, SO WE CAN GIVE THE A HUNDRED PERCENT CREDIT. THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS THE MOMENT THEY CALL AND IT'S IDENTIFIED, IT IS ONLY AFTER WE CONFIRM AND VALIDATE THERE IS A PROBLEM, THEN THEY HAVE TO START THE PROCESS. SO, SO, SO COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M, CAN I ADD TO THAT REAL QUICK? BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING AND, AND CLARIFY IF I'M WRONG, IS IF WE'VE BEEN ESTIMATING AND WE BECOME AWARE OF THAT, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT THE CUSTOMER NEEDS TO FILL OUT AND WITH, WITH THE PRACTICE THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE AND THE THREE MONTH THAT'S BEEN CODIFIED, UM, OR WOULD BE CODIFIED WITH THIS PROPOSAL? THERE WOULD NOT BE AN APPLICATION TO FILL OUT FOR THE CUSTOMER FOR THAT ACTION TO HAPPEN. THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE BILLING PROCESS THAT WE WOULD REDUCE IT TO THE AVERAGE AND THAT WOULD BE REFLECTED IN, IN THE REVISED BILL. SO, SO THERE'S NOT A, THERE'S NOT AN APPLICATION FROM THE CUSTOMER FOR THAT ACTION. SO, SO JUST FOR CLARITY, LIKE LISA HAD MENTIONED, IF THEY CITY SENDS SOMEONE OUT THERE, THEY LOOK, THEY, THEY LOOK OVER THE PROPERTY, THEY REALIZE THERE'S NO LEAK, UH, THERE'S NO LEAK, UH, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND YET THE PROPERTY OWNER GOT A HIGHER WATER BILL. WE REALIZE THAT THE, THE REMOTE READER IS BROKEN. CLAYS C YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE CASE IS CLOSED. YOU'RE JUST GOING TO CHARGE THE CUSTOMER AN AVERAGE OF THEIR PAST BILLS. CORRECT. IF WE GO OUT AS YOU STATED AND WE REALIZE THERE'S NO LEAK AND YES. UNEXPLAINABLE, ET CETERA, YES, WE WILL PROCEED WITH DOING THE ADJUSTMENTS WHERE THE CUSTOMER DOESN'T HAVE TO DO ANY ACTION. AND IT WOULD BE BASED ON THE AVERAGE, THE HISTORIC AVERAGE USE. YES. AND THE CUSTOMER HAS, HAS TO DO NOTHING. I MEAN, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE BURDENED WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN JUST, YOU'RE GOING OUT THERE, YOU'RE MAKING SURE THERE'S NO LEAKS TO VALIDATE. YES. YOU REALIZE THE METERS, UH, THE, THE REMOTE METERS BROKEN, THAT'S GONNA BE REPLACED AND THEN THE CUSTOMER GETS AN AVERAGE BILL FROM THE PAST. SO, SO COUNCIL MEMBER, I DO WANNA CLARIFY. WE WILL KNOW THE REMOTE READER'S BROKEN BEFORE WE GO OUT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING A READING MM-HMM . SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GOING OUT TO CONFIRM. WE MAY GO OUT TO CONFIRM THAT IT'S NOT JUST A CABLE THAT'S BEEN BROKEN, BUT, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING THAT READING BEFORE WE GO OUT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THE GOAL IS, THE GOAL IS TO BE AS PROACTIVE YES. AS POSSIBLE. CORRECT. I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT GOAL SHOULD BE THE MINDSET. UM, 'CAUSE IF YOU SEE WHERE THE BILL IS AB NORMALLY HIGH, UM, THAT'S JUST SET OFF AN ALARM. SO THE GOAL IS TO BE AS PROACTIVE MM-HMM . OKAY. TRY TO GET AHEAD OF IT AND TO EVEN CHANGE OUR, OUR BILLING SYSTEM WHERE IT KICKS OUT TO US BEFORE A BILL'S GENERATED. RIGHT. IF THE BILL IS OUT OF LINE. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHY YOU GOTTA CHECK YOUR AG ALGORITHM, UH, [05:10:01] AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I AM GRATEFUL FOR THESE CHANGES AND LOOK FORWARD TOVO VOTING AND SUPPORT. UH, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. THANK, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AND I WAS REALLY, I'M GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. AND SO, UM, AND MY, MY ISSUES REALLY ARE, ARE ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION PIECE. AND I HEAR YOU ADDRESSING THAT. BUT, BUT WILL, UM, THE WEBSITE THAT YOU HAVE, UM, ALSO DETAIL ALL OF THE CHANGES, YOU KNOW, TO THE ORDINANCE. UM, AND YOU KNOW, HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW AND WHERE THE, UM, THE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO GO TO GET THE DETAILS OF THE NEW CHANGES. AND, UM, AND, AND IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T VOTED ON IT YET, BUT I AM, I AM DESPERATELY, UM, URGENTLY WANTING THAT WEBSITE ADDRESS SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE IT IN OUR NEWSLETTER THAT GOES OUT TOMORROW MORNING. SO, OH. SO REAL QUICK, OUR, OUR, OUR ADDRESS IS VERY EASY. IT'S HOUSTON WATER.ORG. OKAY. THAT WILL TAKE YOU STRAIGHT TO, UM, UH, OUR, OUR CUSTOMER PORTAL WHERE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR, YOUR WATER BILLS AND EVERYTHING IS THERE. WE'LL HAVE IT ON WRITTEN STUFF, BUT IT'S HOUSTON WATER.ORG AND IT'LL BE EASY FOR SENIORS TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION ABOUT THEM. AND THEY'LL, IT'S ALL CLEAR. AND, AND I WILL WELCOME ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM EACH ONE OF YOU. WHEN YOU SAY IT'D BE, IT WOULD BE MORE INTUITIVE IF IT'S THIS WAY, IF IT'S THAT WAY, WE, WE CONTINUE, UM, THE, THE WEBSITE WAS COMPLETELY REDESIGNED A FEW YEARS AGO AND WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE IT. MM-HMM . UM, AND, AND WE, WE WELCOME THAT INPUT ON THINGS THAT, THAT WE MAY THINK IS INTUITIVE, THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE INTUITIVE FOR EVERY CUSTOMER. OKAY. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. AND CAN YOU, UH, ASSUMING THE, UM, THE ORDINANCE CHANGES, CAN YOU, CAN YOU JUST INCLUDE, UM, UH, THE CHANGES IN THE, IN THE WATER BILL AS AN ATTACHMENT? YES, WE CAN DO THAT. YEAH. I THINK THAT WE, WE, WE CAN, WE CAN CLEAN UP THAT TABLE THAT WAS, WE HAD AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE. RIGHT. AND WE WILL INCLUDE THAT AS A, AS A MAILER TO GO OUT WITH THE BILLS, WITH THE WATER BILLS. YEAH. I THINK, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP AS WELL. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER HOFFMAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I'M EXCITED ABOUT THESE CHANGES TOO. NOW, IN REGARDS TO THE BILLING ERRORS, UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CORRECTIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, BUT CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL? SO THE, THE MAIN REASON THAT WE'RE DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL IS THAT, UH, COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, UH, WE, WE HAVE, UH, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS WHERE, UH, WE HAVE, UM, BUSINESSES MOVE IN AND OUT OF STRIP CENTERS. UM, THAT, THAT IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE WHILE TO GET ACCOUNTS SET UP AND GET EVERYBODY, UM, ON THE SAME PAGE. AND EVEN WITH THAT, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT, THAT IT MAY GO BEYOND THAT THREE MONTHS, UM, TO GET EVERYTHING LINED OUT. WE ALSO HAVE METERS THAT ARE BEHIND FENCES AND BEHIND GATES AND ARE, ARE HARD FOR US TO ACCESS WHERE WE LITERALLY HAVE TO, UM, HAVE SOMEBODY MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO GO GET A METER READING, UH, IF IT'S IN AN INDUSTRIAL FACILITY, UH, SOME OF OUR, OUR CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ON AIRPORT PROPERTY. UM, AND IN THOSE CASES, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE BEYOND THOSE, THOSE THREE MONTHS. UH, AND, AND THE, THE CONCERNS THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION SOMETIMES THROUGH YOU AND SOMETIMES DIRECTLY TO US, UM, UH, HAVE REALLY BEEN ON THAT RESIDENTIAL SIDE. UH, NOT ON THE, NOT ON THE BUSINESS SIDE. AND FOR CLARIFICATION, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, RESIDENTIAL, UM, THAT DOES INCLUDE APARTMENT COMPLEXES, MULTIFAMILY, UM, THOSE AREN'T CONSIDERED COMMERCIAL, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. SO, UH, WHEN WE SAY RESIDENTIAL, WE MEAN ALL RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES, UM, THAT ARE, ARE MULTIFAMILY AND SINGLE FAMILY. OKAY. COUNCILMAN PAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, AND FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THESE CHANGES. UM, IT'S, THIS IS A BIG DEAL. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HURTING FROM THESE WATER BILLS FOR A LONG TIME AND IT'S, UM, DEFINITELY NEEDED CHANGES. AND IT'S NOT LIKE PEOPLE CAN JUST CANCEL THEIR SERVICE BECAUSE THEIR WATER IS TOO HIGH. WATER ISN'T A LUXURY. SO THAT'S, SO THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THIS RIGHT. AND I THINK THIS ORDINANCE REALLY DOES GET IT RIGHT, BUT IT GETS IT RIGHT FOR AFTER THERE'S BEEN A PROBLEM. SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE CALLING US BECAUSE THEY HAVE A HIGH WATER BILL, WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR METER. DID, WAS THERE A LEAK? WAS THERE, YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER ISSUE. SO LIKE THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS MENTIONED BEFORE, UNTIL WE GET THOSE ELECTRONIC, UM, END POINTS, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE PROBLEMS. SO, UM, THE WHOLE PROJECT TO INSTALL ALL OF THE METER, THE ELECTRONIC, UM, ENDPOINTS, WAS IT, DID YOU SAY $38 MILLION? IS THAT, AND I THINK WE'VE SPENT 18 OF THE 38 MILLION. SO WE, WE WILL GET YOU THOSE NUMBERS. I DIDN'T BRING THOSE IN MY NOTES TODAY. UM, BUT THAT, I THINK THAT WAS UPDATE THE LAST TIME I ASKED A FEW MONTHS AGO. YEAH. UM, SO, BUT THE OTHER $20 MILLION IS IN THE CIP, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE. IS THAT CORRECT? UH, SO, SO IF THE, THIS WAS A CAPITAL CONTRACT, SO WHEN WE ENTERED THE [05:15:01] CONTRACT, IT IS, UM, UNDER THE CAPITAL SIDE, WE HAVE TO ALLOCATE ALL THE MONEY UP. IT'S ONLY ON AN OPERATIONS CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE TO REALLOCATE IN FUTURE YEARS. SO CAPITAL MONEY IS, IS ALLOCATED UPFRONT FOR THE ENTIRE CONTRACT. OKAY. SO THAT $38 MILLION OR SO WAS IN THAT ORIGINAL THAT'S CORRECT. ONE THAT WAS PASSED. OKAY. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S, AND WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD ALL THESE MONTHS, IT'S NOT REALLY A FUNDING ISSUE, IT'S MORE OF A SUPPLY ISSUE. IS THAT STILL THE CASE? IT IS SUPPLY AND LABOR TO INSTALL. SO IT IS, IT IS PRIMARILY SUPPLY. AND NOW THAT THE SUPPLY IS CATCHING UP, UM, THE, THE LABOR IS, IS, IS MATCHING THE SUPPLY ON THE, THE, THE INSTALL SIDE. THANK YOU. AND I MEAN, AS THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE MENTIONED, WE REALLY NEED TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO EXPEDITE THAT TO GET THAT GOING. BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, IT'S, IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM UNLESS PEOPLE CAN SEE IN REAL TIME WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THEIR WATER, TO HAVE A BIG BILL AT THE END OF THE MONTH AND HAVE TO THINK, OH, WHAT HAPPENED TWO WEEKS AGO AT MY HOUSE THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED, YOU KNOW, THIS REALLY BIG BILL IS JUST UNREASONABLE. AND SO I COMPLETELY SUPPORT WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO GET THOSE ELECTRONIC ENDPOINTS INSTALLED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR MARTIN? YES, THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, I HAVE A NUMBER OF PAGES OF NOTES THAT I'VE MADE. SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS. I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET BACK INTO THE QUEUE, BUT I HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS. UH, NUMBER ONE IS I WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE SEEN THAT POWERPOINT IN ADVANCE. AND I KEEP CHECKING MY EMAIL AND WE STILL DON'T HAVE IT. WHEN CAN WE EXPECT IT? UH, WE WILL GET IT OUT AFTER THIS MEETING, AFTER THIS. SO MY QUESTIONS ARE EVOLVED AROUND CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMMUNICATION. I BELIEVE WE HAVE A SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM, BUT WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM. SO FOR ABOUT THE LAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, WE'VE HAD AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS WITH PROBLEMS ABOUT THIS. I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL 11 YEARS, I NEVER HADN'T FOR THE MAJORITY OF MY TIME. SO HOW ARE WE IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM THAT'S CAUSING US TO SPEND MONEY ON THE SOLUTION? AND WHAT ARE THE FIXES FOR THE PROBLEMS? 'CAUSE I DON'T SEE ANY FIXES FOR WHAT I PERCEIVE AS A PROBLEM. WE HAVE BAD METERS OUT THERE. WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT? NUMBER TWO IS, I REMEMBER THE MAN WHO CAME IN HERE THAT HAD A MILLION DOLLARS OF WATER THAT CAME FROM HIS HOUSE AND HE LIVED IN A SMALL HOUSE, BUT THERE WAS NO VISIBLE SIGN OF WATER ANYWHERE IN HIS LAWN, IN HIS HOUSE, ANYWHERE. SO THOSE WERE ONES THAT I WENT TO CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH AND THEY COULDN'T GIVE US AN ANSWER. SO, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE TODAY, WE HAVE SET DAYS, WE DO 3 1 1 IN MY OFFICE, PROBABLY LIKE A LOT OF YOU DO. WE ASK THEM TO CALL US. WE GO THROUGH THREE ONE ONE, WE PUT OURSELVES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROCESS BECAUSE WE SEEM TO THINK IT WORKS BETTER. SO WE'RE EXPERIENCED WHICH SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS AND HOW ARE THE SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS GONNA CHANGE IN LIEU OF WHAT I SEE AS THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A LOT MORE HANDS ON ATTENTION AND CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMMUNICATION. SO WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR THAT? DO WE NEED ADDITIONAL BODIES SO WE DON'T START BACKING UP IN THE QUEUE? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE QUEUE TODAY THAT WE NEED RELIEF FOR AND HOW ARE THEY GONNA BE COMMUNICATED THAT WE HAVE IN OUR 3 1 1 SYSTEM LIKE VICE MAYOR PRO TEM HAS THIS, WE HAVE, WE ALL HAVE THESE BECAUSE WE DO THE INDIVIDUAL TRACKING. SO AGAIN, SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM, UM, THE MECHANISM FOR PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE TRACKING. AND THEN I'LL COME BACK WITH SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE. SO A BIG PORTION OF THESE PROPOSALS IS TO HAVE FEWER PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE, IS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THINGS IN THE FIRST PHONE CALL OR VERY QUICKLY, OR TO NOT HAVE IT BE AN ISSUE BECAUSE WE'VE DEALT WITH THE ESTIMATED, UM, YOU KNOW, BEFORE IT EVEN GOT TO A POINT THAT IT NEEDED TO BE ESCALATED. UM, IT IT IS, IT IS NOT, YOU KNOW, I IT'S NOT A SECRET THAT, THAT THE ADDITIONAL REMOTE READ DEVICES GOING OUT HAS CREATED A HEAVIER LOAD ON OUR TEAM. IN 2019 WHEN WE ENTERED THE CONTRACT, WE HAD ABOUT 40,000 DEVICES CITYWIDE THAT WERE NOT TRANSMITTING TODAY. WE HAVE 125,000 DEVICES THAT AREN'T TRANSMITTING. AND WE KNOW THAT, THAT SOME OF THE ONES THAT WE REPLACED WERE NOT TRANSMITTING. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT IT, WE, WE DO EXPECT THAT SIGNIFICANT LOAD, THE, THE CALL CENTER LOAD WENT FROM. SO A QUESTION, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE QUEUE TODAY THAT WERE WORKING ON CASES? SO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE GO AHEAD, LISA, THAT ARE IN ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW, THAT, THAT ARE IN AN ESCALATED THAT HAVE GONE TO THE CUSTOMER LIAISON AND ARE SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE INITIAL PHONE CALL AND THE CUSTOMER LIAISON. I BELIEVE WE HAVE ABOUT 99 0 9 0. OKAY. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A VERY LOW NUMBER, DOESN'T IT? BASED ON THE NUMBER THAT ARE, THAT ARE, THAT ARE, THAT ARE ASKING. AND, AND, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE, THAT, THAT WERE NOT RESOLVED WITH AN INITIAL CALL, THE THREE MONTH THAT WE HAD IMPLEMENTED. UM, BUT WE DO EXPECT THAT THAT NUMBER WILL GO UP, UH, THE, THE, AND WE HAVE A HANDFUL THAT ARE WAITING TO GO TO THE REVIEW BOARD, AND I [05:20:01] THINK THAT'S LESS THAN 10. SO BACK TO MY SOLUTIONS. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ADDRESS A PROBLEM? WHERE ARE THE, WHEN THE, WHEN ARE THE METERS COMING? WHAT'S THE EXPENSE ON THAT? HOW QUICKLY CAN WE GET 'EM DONE? HOW QUICKLY CAN WE GET TO A POINT WHERE 90 PEOPLE AREN'T IN OUR QUEUE AND THEY HAVE ZERO? SO, SO MAYOR PRO TEM, I I, THE, THE SLIDE THAT WE LAID OUT FIRST IS THE DEPLOYMENT SLIDE. THAT IS, THAT IS IS WHAT THE, THE, FOR THE REMOTE READ DEVICES, THAT IS THE DEPLOYMENT SCHEDULE WE HAVE FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND OUR ABILITY TO GET THEM IN THE GROUND. I I, I'M HAPPY TO, UM, UH, MEET WITH YOU SEPARATELY AND, AND GO INTO THAT IN MORE DETAIL. UM, BUT THE, THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, IS THAT WE CAN'T SPEED UP THAT DEPLOYMENT SCHEDULE. WELL, THE, THE REALITY IS THAT TO ME, I WAS HA WE MAY ALWAYS HAVE PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE THAT'S, BUT THROUGH THESE CHANGES SHOULD GET 'EM OUT. WE ARE CREATING THE MECHANISM TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS CORRECT. IN A MORE HOLISTIC, UM, WAY THAN WHERE WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST. SO WE ARE REMOVING THE BARRIERS. SO YOU MAY ALWAYS HAVE THEM IN THE QUEUE. 'CAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, UH, PEOPLE MAY HAVE PRIVATE WATER LEAKS AND THEY THINK THEIR WATER THAT THEY ARE BEING OVERCHARGED, BUT THEIR WATER IS RUNNING IN THEIR COMMODE. OKAY. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UH, LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD SO THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONES CHARGING PEOPLE FOR MORE THAN WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY USING. I THINK BY THE PASSAGE OF THIS ORDINANCE, WE'LL BE, WE ARE A LONG WAY THERE, MAYOR WITH YOU. YEAH. HOW WOULD WE, HOW WOULD WE, UM, PUT A RESOLUTION TO DISPUTES LIKE, I'VE CALLED YOU, WE MADE AN ADJUSTMENT, I'M STILL NOT HAPPY. IS THERE ANY OTHER STEP THAT A CUSTOMER CAN TAKE, TAKE AN ADDITIONAL TO THE ADDITIONAL STEP WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE WORKING ON THEIR PRESENT SITUATION? HOW CAN THEY TAKE IT TO A ANOTHER REVIEW COMMITTEE OR SO, SO MAYOR PROTE, I, I BELIEVE THAT, UM, YOU'RE LIVING THE EXPERIENCE THAT EXISTS PRIOR TO PASSING THESE CHANGES WHERE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO USE THINGS TOGETHER AND WE REQUIRED THINGS TO BE APPEALED. UM, THE, THE PURPOSE OF THESE CHANGES IS TO GIVE US MUCH MORE FLEXIBILITY TO NOT GET TO THAT POINT. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMEBODY WHO BELIEVES THAT THEY SHOULDN'T PAY THIS MUCH FOR WATER. UM, BUT THAT WE BELIEVE THAT, THAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE, THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE, UM, WHAT IS ON YOUR BILL, HOW MUCH IT IS, UM, WHY IT'S THERE. AND THAT WHEN WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GIVE THE RELIEF THAT WE WILL IMPLEMENT THEM. OKAY. MAYOR PRO WILL BE PUT BACK INTO THE QUEUE. NOW WE'RE HEADING BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA. WE'RE GONNA GO THIS ROUND. WE COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON AND ON, BUT AT SOME POINT WE GOT TO VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE. OKAY. SO COUNCILMAN MEMBER EVAN SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I'VE KIND OF LOST MY VOICE JUST A LITTLE, WHICH SOME MAY BE HAPPY ABOUT, BUT, UH, CERTAINLY I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU HAVE HAVE PUT INTO THIS. AND OF COURSE, UH, SOME MONTHS AGO WE DID APPROVE UNANIMOUSLY, UH, FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL MONEY TO COME TO HELP CITIZENS TO GET EVEN MORE RELIEF. AND I'M THANK, I'M THANKFUL THAT MY COLLEAGUES APPROVED THE, UH, AMENDMENT THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD. BUT I'M GONNA SAY I MAY HAVE MISSED SOME OF THIS BECAUSE MY BRAIN IS A LITTLE WASHED OUT, PUN INTENDED. UH, BUT I WANNA FIND OUT, WELL MAKE THIS CLEAR BECAUSE I'VE HEARD A GREAT DEAL ABOUT PEOPLE SAYING THAT THESE WATER MAIN LEAKS HAVE ATTRIBUTED TO THESE HIGH WATER BILLS. AND I WOULD JUST LIKE YOU TO JUST CLARIFY THAT, THAT I THINK THAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS NO IMPACT REGARDING THE WATERING LEAKS BECAUSE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SENSORS. AND SO IF YOU COULD JUST CLARIFY THAT, THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION. AND THEN OF COURSE, I THINK, UH, MAYOR PRO TIM WAS TALKING ABOUT THE DEPLOYMENT AND HOW WILL CUSTOMERS BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHERE THEY ARE IN LINE IN REGARDS TO, UH, REPLACING THESE, UH, SENSORS? SO LET ME GO WITH THE FIRST ONE FIRST. SO THE WAY THAT THE, THE WATER METERS WORK, AND WE TALK ABOUT IT BEING TWO PIECES. THE, THE MECHANICAL METER WITH THE DIAL, WITH THE WHEEL IN IT, THAT SPINS AS WATER GOES THROUGH IT. WE CAN'T PUSH WATER THROUGH THE METER FROM THE OUTSIDE. WATER ONLY GOES THROUGH THE METER WHEN YOU LITERALLY TURN WATER ON IN YOUR HOUSE AT YOUR SPIGOT OR IF YOU HAVE A LEAK. SO IF THERE'S A LEAK RIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR METER, IT DOESN'T PUSH THROUGH YOUR METER. UM, SO, SO THAT, UM, IS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT THAT TYPICALLY, IF THAT METER'S SPINNING SOMETHING IS PULLING THAT WATER FROM OUR SYSTEM INTO, INTO THAT PRIVATE SYSTEM. UH, THE, THE, THE, THE SECOND PART OF, OF WHAT YOU ASKED, UM, THE DEPLOYMENT. THE DEPLOYMENT, YES MA'AM. I'M WASHED OUT, YOU KNOW, WASHED OUT . I DIDN'T WRITE THE SECOND ONE DOWN. I WROTE THE FIRST ONE DOWN. [05:25:02] I CAN ADD TO THAT. SO WHEN YOU ASK, DO WILL CUSTOMERS KNOW WHEN CURRENTLY AS WE DEPLOY, WE DEPLOY THE SAME WAY WE READ METERS, WE READ METERS VIA THE 20 CYCLES. SO AS THE CYCLES GO AND IF THERE ARE IDENTIFIED MISREADS WITHIN THOSE CYCLES, THAT IS HOW WE ARE INSTALLING THE NEW. SO WE'RE NOT COMMUNICATING TO A CUSTOMER, WE'RE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD THIS CYCLE. NO, WE ARE NOT DOING THAT. BUT THAT WE, WERE NOT DOING THAT. SO, SO, SO WE WILL HAVE A MAP THAT, THAT BASICALLY YOU CAN TELL BY ZIP CODE. WE, WE, WE DO IT BY BILLING CYCLES, BUT WE'LL HAVE TELL BY ZIP CODE WHAT OUR SCHEDULE IS FOR GETTING AROUND THE CITY TO GET THESE DEPLOYED. IT MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE FOR US TO DEPLOY THEM BLOCK FACE AT A TIME IN A GEOGRAPHIC AREA THAN IT DOES TO GO OUT AND, AND DO ONE THAT'S NOT WORKING HERE AND ONE THAT'S NOT WORKING THERE AND ONE THAT'S NOT WORKING THERE. AND SO THAT'S, SO THE DEPLOYMENT IS YOU COME INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU DEPLOY THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD, MOVE TO THE NEXT NEIGHBORHOOD AND DEPLOY IT. OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE MORE THAN ONE TEAM. YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE IN MULTIPLE NEIGHBORHOODS AT THE SAME TIME, BUT, UH, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IT. WE, WE WILL PREPARE, WE DO NOT HAVE PREPARED TODAY. WE WILL PREPARE A MAP THAT SHOWS THE, UM, THE, THE, THE SEQUENCE IN WHICH WE'RE DEPLOYING THEM CITYWIDE. OKAY. SO A CLEAR ANSWER TO, TO MY FIRST QUESTION, THE WATER MAIN LEAKS DO NOT IMPACT THE WATER BILLS IN LAY TERMS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE OF COURSE SAYING THAT. SO THE ANSWER TO THAT IS THEY DO NOT IMPACT THE WATER BILLS. UH, IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS, CERTAINLY, BUT NOT IMPACTING THE WATER BILLS. THANK YOU. SO THEY DO NOT IMPACT THE INDIVIDUAL WATER BILLS? THAT IS CORRECT. THANK YOU. OKAY. UM, WE'RE BACK TO, WE'RE BACK TO COUNCILMAN ALWAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. REAL QUICKLY, UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE PUT THESE IN PLACE, WE'RE REALLY, UM, WE'RE, THEY'RE MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT AND THAT'LL BE CERTAINLY DICTATED BY HOW MANY CALLS, HOWEVER MANY FEWER CALLS WE GET TO OUR OFFICES. BUT ALSO NOW THAT WE'RE IN OUTCOME-BASED BUDGETING, THIS IS REALLY, UM, GOOD PERFORMANCE METRICS TO, I'M LOOKING AT YOUR METRICS THAT METERING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE OPERATIONS HAVE NOW. AND IT SAYS, UM, UTILITY CUSTOMER CALLS ANSWERED WITHIN FIVE MINUTES AND YOUR TARGET FOR THIS YEAR IS 70%. UM, I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT THAT WERE ANSWERED WITHIN FIVE MINUTES, BUT HOW ARE WE DOING AS FAR AS ANSWERING THE FIRST CONTACT CALLS FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER? WE CLOSED OUT AT 80%. 80%. OKAY. THAT'S GOOD NEWS. THAT'S GOOD NEWS. SOME OTHER METRICS I'D BE INTERESTED IN SEEING, UM, ONCE WE DO THIS ARE, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF CALLS RESOLVED. YOU KNOW, BASICALLY FROM MAKE REACH SOME KIND OF RESOLUTION, A PERCENTAGE OF CALLS THAT REACH A RESOLUTION OF ANY TYPE, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, GOOD, BAD OR INDIFFERENT. BUT, UH, UH, THAT, THAT YOU'VE KIND OF CLOSED OUT WITH THE CUSTOMER NUMBER OF DAYS THAT TAKES, UM, FROM CONTACT TO RESOLUTION. AND, UM, THE PERCENTAGE OF, OR, OR BASICALLY SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THESE MANUAL READS. LIKE WHAT'S OUR, WHAT'S OUR GOALS WITH OUR, HOW MANY MANUAL READS, HOW MANY LESS, HOW MANY METER, YOU KNOW, ALL WITHIN THIS METERING AND CUSTOMER OPERATIONS. I'M JUST INTERESTED IN SEEING SOME PERFORMANCE METRICS, YOU KNOW, THAT SHOW, I MEAN, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SIT BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT WE DID HERE, UH, IS REALLY WORKING AND THE CULTURE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANNA SEE THE FIRST ANSWER IS WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH YOU TO WORK THIS OUT. WE'RE GONNA, AND WE'RE GONNA DO IT AS FAST AS WE CAN INSTEAD OF KIND OF BEING MET WITH RESISTANCE. SO I'D LOVE TO SEE SOME METRICS AROUND THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, MY QUESTION HERE DOESN'T, DOESN'T UH, REQUIRE IN REGARDS TO A HIGH WATER BILL, BUT MAYOR, IF, IF, IF, IF YOU CAN LISTEN TO MY DILEMMA THAT I'M HAVING HERE. THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN WORKING ON AND WE ONLY HAVE THREE AND A HALF WEEKS LEFT, SO I'M HOPING WE CAN GET THIS RESOLVED WITH YOUR OKAY COUNSEL, REMEMBER CAN WE, CAN WE JUST GET THIS, CAN WE VOTE THIS OUT FIRST? WELL, WELL ONLY IF I HAVE YOUR INSURANCE THAT, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE YOU TO TELL PUBLIC WORKS TO GET THIS DONE. I MEAN, DOES IT RELATE TO THIS ISSUE? IT'S, IT'S IN RELATION TO, TO A METER THAT'S IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THE CIVIC CLUB'S HAVING TO PAY, UH, TO HAVE A LANDSCAPER MOW A LOT THAT BELONGS TO THE CITY. THERE'S A WATER METER FROM AN APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT'S ON THAT LOT AND, AND, AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN COME, JUST COME VISIT WITH ME. JUST, I'M SORRY. JUST COME VISIT WITH ME. OKAY. YEAH, JUST, I MEAN, ALRIGHT. 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS AND, AND IT IS JUST A SIMPLE FIX. JUST GET PUBLIC WORKS TO MOVE THE METER AND EVERYBODY WILL BE HAPPY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. SEND IT TO ME. SEND IT TO ME. OKAY. KYLE, MY HUSBAND. OKAY, THANK YOU. SORRY, ONE MORE THING. SO YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT SOME OF THE NEW, UH, READING DEVICES THAT WERE [05:30:01] REPLACED ARE NOT WORKING. UM, LEMME CLARIFY. NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE AT ALL. THE NEW, THE NEW DEVICES THAT HAVE BEEN REPLACED ARE WORKING. SOME OF THEM REPLACED NON-WORKING DEVICES SINCE WE WENT IN AND DID A WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE REPLACED ALL OF THEM. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A FEW THAT WERE WORKING THAT WERE REPLACED BECAUSE WE REPLACED THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGY. SO BACK IN MAY, UM, THERE WERE ISSUES, I THINK THERE WERE LIKE 500 BRAND NEW READING DEVICES AND PUBLIC WORKS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY GAVE EXTREMELY HIGH AND ACCURATE READS. DO WE KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE, THOSE ERRORS? SO THEY CAME TO US FROM THE MANUFACTURER, NOT PROGRAMMED TO OUR SPECIFICATIONS. INSTEAD OF READING TO THE NEAREST GALLON, THEY WERE READING TO THE NEAREST 10 GALLONS. AND THAT RESULTED IN THE BILL BEING OFF BY A FACTOR OF 10. WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, WE CORRECTED IT. BUT ALL OF THAT'S BEEN FIXED. YEAH. OH YEAH. ALL THAT WAS FIXED. GOOD. UH, UH, AND THE LAST ONE BEFORE WE GIVE IT MAYOR FOR TIM MARTIN AND MINE'S ARE RELATED TO THE ORDINANCE ITSELF. THE 75% AFTER THE FIRST BILLING CYCLE. IS THAT ACCURATE? LEMME MAKE SURE I WROTE IT DOWN CORRECTLY. 75 A HUNDRED PERCENT ADJUSTMENT IF YOU DO IT WITHIN 30 DAYS. INCENTIVIZE INCENTIVE. 75. SO, AND, AND I HAD A HIGH WATER LEAK AND THEN, UM, I JUST DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT WATERED THE LAWN TOO MUCH. WHATEVER. THEN THE NEXT BILL CAME AND IT WAS EVEN HIGHER THAN THAT. SO I BROUGHT IN A PLUMBER AND WE IDENTIFIED WE HAD A PROBLEM. 'CAUSE WE NEVER GO UPSTAIRS. ALL OUR KIDS ARE OUT THE HOUSE. WE HAD SOME TOILETS THAT WERE LEAKING. SO IS THERE ANY LEEWAY INTO THE FIRST CYCLE? BECAUSE I MAY NOT IDENTIFY IT UNTIL ACTUALLY THE SECOND CYCLE OR EVEN LATER THAN THAT. IS THERE ANY LATITUDE WITH HELPING PEOPLE WITH THAT? HOW YOU BILL PAY YOU BILL. IT'S CALLED GRACE AND MERCY . PREVIOUS QUESTION. WHAT WAS YOUR PREVIOUS QUESTION? HEY, YOU BILL, SO I CAN GIVE CLARITY. THE, ONCE A LEAK HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, IT IS ON AFTER NOTIFICATION THAT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS NOTIFIES THE CUSTOMER BECAUSE WE'VE SENT A TECHNICIAN, WE IDENTIFIED YOU HAVE A LEAK. THAT IS WHEN THE CLOCK STARTS AFTER WE NOTIFY THEM 30 DAYS. THEY, THEY WILL UNDERSTAND THAT FROM THERE. IT'S NOT ABOUT THEY GO 60 DAYS AND DIDN'T KNOW THEY HAVE A LEAK. IT'S AFTER IDENTIFY AND WE SEND NOTIFICATION. IT'S CALLED THE MARTIN NOTIFICATION. UH, AMEN. THEY INCENT. WELL, LET'S MOVE ON BEFORE TIFFANY THOMAS RIPS MY FACE OFF. SO LET'S GO. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WE'VE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION. THANKS TO EVERYBODY PREPARED TO VOTE. MAYOR, I'M GONNA TAG THIS MATTER. OH NO, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT LYING. I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING DO THAT. MEMBER. THERE'S MAYOR, THERE'S NINE ITEMS. BEFORE I DIDN'T GET 'EM UNTIL YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. I DIDN'T SEE EM ALL THAT THEY DIDN'T DO. I WASN'T GONNA, I WASN'T GONNA STOP THEM FROM BEING ABLE TO PRESENT SINCE THEY WERE ALREADY HERE. I NEVER OVERRIDE A TAG YET. I WILL. WOW. COUNCIL MEMBER. YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR HELP LIKE YESTERDAY AND YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE GOING TO DENY THEM FROM STARTING GETTING THEIR HELP LIKE TOMORROW. WHAT ABOUT ITEM 70? FORT MAYOR THAT'S COMING UP AFTER THIS ONE HERE. WELL, BUT IT DEALS WITH THE SAME SUBJECT. WELL, BUT WE GOING UP TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE GO THEN LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS. WE'RE GONNA DO WHAT NOW? LET'S SEE IF 74 WE ON ONE WHERE WE ARE ON 74. WE ARE ON THIS ONE RIGHT NOW. OKAY. I TAGGED IT. 74. 74 FILLED RED. ITEM 31 IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KUBOSH. BOO BOO. THERE'S MOTION. NEXT ITEM. AND COUNSEL. AND, AND ITEM 74, 4 IS BEING TAGGED AS WELL. WHO TAGS? 74. WELL, THEY, THEY ALL PRETTY MUCH KIND OF GO TOGETHER AND THEY CONFLICT. ARE YOU TAGGING? 74? SO 74 MOVED. BUT IT HAS TO BE, IT NEEDS TO BE TAGGED AS WELL AS ONE. OKAY. CALL THE NEXT ITEM. ITEM 74. NO CHAIR. RECOGNIZE MAYOR. UH, MAYOR. SO TO COUNCIL MEMBER PECK, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, DOES THIS MOVE THAT YOUR ITEM IS NOW MOOT? ARE YOU SATISFIED THAT THIS SOLVES EVERYTHING WITHIN YOUR ITEM? I READ YOUR RED LINE. IT DIDN'T DIFFERENTIATE IN SHAPE BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN THE DETAILS WERE FILLED IN. [05:35:01] SO I LOOKED TO YOU THREE FOR THE ANSWER. I'M SATISFIED. OKAY. UH, CAN I REQUEST WITHDRAWAL OF ITEM NUMBER 70? IS IT PROPER OR JUST TURN IT DOWN? I I JUST SAY IT'S A GOOD, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE REFERRED BACK 'CAUSE WE CAN'T WITHDRAW IT. IT'S ALREADY ON THE AGENDA. [SUPPLEMENTAL POSTING] WE ARE ON 9 0 74 TURNER. I MOVE TO REFER THE ITEM BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION. IT'S BEEN MOVED TO THAT SECOND, SECOND. SECOND. YOU REFERRED TO MOTION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED THE ITEM 74 IS, IS, UH, REFERRED BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION. ITEM NUMBER 31 IS BEING TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KASH. [MAYOR'S REPORT] UH, BACK NOW TO, UM, TO THE MAYOR'S, TO THE MAYOR'S REPORT. UM, THE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES UNIVERSITY CLASS IS TAKING PLACE TONIGHT. UH, HOPE YOU CAN'T ATTEND. UH, CENTER POINT IS GIVING $1 MILLION TO THE, UH, ON ENERGY BILL ASSISTANCE. I APPRECIATE THEM MAKING IT AVAILABLE IN MY NAME. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. ELECTION DAY IS SATURDAY. ON A SATURDAY NOTE, UM, CIO REYES, UH, PASSED EARLY THIS MORNING. HE'S A, WAS THE TOP CRIMINAL ATTORNEY IN HARRIS COUNTY AND OUR ICONIC, UH, DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL ACTIVIST IN HOUSTON AND TEXAS. UH, VERY ACTIVE WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY COUNTY DEMOCRATS. WELL, IN FACT, HE WAS THE FOUNDER. HE'S, UH, THE DEAN OF THE HOUSTON AREA REDISTRICTING LITIGATION. HE WAS AN ATTORNEY WITH THE REYES AND REYES IN CASTILLO LAW FIRM. UM, BEEN PRACTICING FOR WELL OVER 50 YEARS IN THE AREA OF CRIMINAL LAW. HAS TAKEN AT LEAST ONE VOTING RIGHTS ACT CASE TO THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT. UM, I MEAN, JUST AN INCREDIBLE AND INCREDIBLE PERSON. AND IN 2012, HE GOT THE MARRIAGE HISPANIC HERITAGE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. I WANT TO EXTEND MY CONDOLENCES TO JANIE, HIS WIFE AND TO HIS FAMILY. UM, AND UM, JUST SOMEONE WHO, UM, JUSTICE MADE THIS CITY A MUCH, MUCH BETTER PLACE TO LIVE FOR EVERYONE. AND TODAY AT THE END WE WILL ADJOURN, ADJOIN, ADJOURN IN MEMORY OF CIO REYES. UH, THAT'S GONNA DO IT FOR THE MAYOR'S REPORT. UM, BACK TO THE AGENDA. MADAM [CONSENT AGENDA] SECRETARY, MAYOR. YES, SIR. UH, IF, UH, IF WE COULD, UH, LOOK AT 31 AND IF WE COULD, UH, INCREASE THE DATE, UH, THE, THE TERM FROM THREE MONTHS TO, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE LONGER. NO, I'M NOT NEGOTIATING ON THAT. COUNCIL MEMBER. KOSH ON THE AGENDA NEXT, UNDER THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, [CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA] ITEMS 14 AND 15 HAVE BEEN REMOVED. SEPARATE CONSIDERATION NEEDED MOTION FOR ITEMS 9, 10, 11, 12 AND 13. A SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN A SECOND. ON ITEMS NINE THROUGH 13. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSING GRANTED UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY. ITEM 17, HAS WE BEEN REMOVED? SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. NEED MOTION FOR ITEM 16, 18, AND 19. CASTEX STATE MOVE. I SECOND MOVED IN. SECONDED. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY. ITEM 20 NEEDS A MOTION CAST. TATUM MOVE THOMAS. SECOND. THEN MOVED IN SECOND ON ITEM 20. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANITE UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION OF B IS CATEGORY ITEMS 25 AND 28 HAVE BEEN REMOVED. SEPARATE CONSIDERATION NEEDED MOTION FOR ITEMS 21 THROUGH 24, 26, 27 AND 29. CAST MOVED. I A SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND IN DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSING AND GRANTED UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY. ITEMS 35 HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED IF IT IS RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING. ITEMS. 31. WELL WE JUST DID THAT. 33 AND 66 HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. ITEMS REMOVED, SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. R 30, 32, 33, 34, 40, 44, 45, 47, 48, 51, 58 AND 67. THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN ARE 30, 32, 33, 34, 30. I'M SORRY. 40. 44, 45, 47, 48, 51, 58 AND 67 NEED A VOTE ON THE BALANCE. DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR POST GRANTED. [05:40:18] ITEM REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION. ITEM 14 NEEDS A MOTION CASTEX T TO MOVE. COUNCILMAN MC KAMIN ON 14. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS PUT A LOT OF EFFORT IN INTO THIS AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THIS IS A FRIENDLY TAG. OKAY. ITEM 14 HAS BEEN TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN KAMIN. NEXT ITEM. ITEM 15 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATU MOVE. SECOND MOVED. AND SECOND ON ITEM 15. DISCUSSION ON 15. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANT. ITEM 17 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX STATE MOVE. SECOND. WE ON ITEM 17. BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED ON 17. COUNCILMAN JACKSON ON 17. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND REVIEW THE, UM, WORK OVER AT ALDEN, WESTFIELD AND, AND CARVER ROAD. THE SIDEWALKS LOOK VERY GREAT. WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 17? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 17. ITEM 25 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATU MOVE WE ITEM 25. DISCUSSION ON 25. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANTED ON 25. ITEM 28 NEEDS A MOTION. CASTEX TATUM, MOVE. SECOND. WE ITEM 28. DISCUSSION ON 28. DISCUSSION ON 28 IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRAND ON 28. ITEM 30 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE ON ITEM 30. DISCUSSION ON 30. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRAND ON 30. ITEM 32 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. ALRIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN CAYMAN ON 32 AFTER UH, DISCUSSION ON 32. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED GRANTED ON 32 CHAIR. RECOGNIZE THIS COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN ON 32. THANK YOU MAYOR. AND I SEE, UM, DIRECTOR CHEEKS IN THE AUDIENCE WITH HER TEAM. I JUST, THIS DESERVED A SHOUT OUT. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG MEETING. UM, COLLEAGUES. THIS ITEM WILL ACTUALLY, UM, WAIVE THE SIX MONTH WAITING PERIOD FOR NEW EMPLOYEES TO UTILIZE THEIR EARNED VACATION LEAVE. UM, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT NOT ONLY RECRUITMENT TOOL, BUT ALSO JUST IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. UH, SO I REALLY JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THE WORK OF HR AND GETTING THIS THROUGH. UH, AND IT WILL HELP US AS A CITY AND RECRUITMENT AS WELL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, NEXT ITEM, ITEM 33 IS AN ORDINANCE. DID YOU SEE THE VOTE, THOMAS? NO, NOT ON ITEM 33. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS ON 33. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO VOTING ON THIS ITEM. THIS REMOVES THE BARRIER TO, UM, A STREET LIGHTS. IT'S A DIRECT POINT AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY AND A LOT OF RESIDENTS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THIS. AND I THINK OUR NEIGHBORHOODS BECOME SAFE. THANK YOU MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PACK. THANK YOU MAYOR. I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS ORDINANCE. IT WAS DEFINITELY TURNING INTO WHERE THE PEOPLE WHO COULD AFFORD THE STREETLIGHTS WERE GETTING THEM AND THE PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T WERE NOT GETTING THEM. EVEN WHEN WE USED OUR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS TO PAY FOR IT, IT WAS HARD TO GET THAT WORD OUT TO PEOPLE. SO THIS IS GONNA BE REALLY GREAT. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HOFFMAN. THANK YOU MAYOR. I JUST KIND OF WANNA ECHO THAT SAME THING. YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT WELL-LIT AREAS DETER CRIME AND SO TAKING THE BURDEN OFF OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING A FEE TO INSTALL THESE LIGHTS IS A GREAT MOVE. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN. UH, JUST VERY BRIEFLY ECHOING EVERYONE AND ALSO ADDING, SO THE PUBLIC IS AWARE. UM, THE WAIVER OF THE FEE, IT'S ABOUT $200 PER APPLICATION. SO I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A, A TRUE HURDLE FOR RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, I ECHO MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF LIGHTING, UM, IN MY DISTRICT. YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, KEPT PUSHING ALWAYS PUSH FOR STREET LIGHTING THAT MAKES THEM FEEL SAFER. AND SO THIS GIVE THEM A, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET LIGHTING AT A, AT NO COUGH. SO THANK YOU, UM, FOR YOUR ADMINISTRATION FOR MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MAYOR SHABA. THANK YOU MAYOR. OH GOD, I SOUND TERRIBLE. UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I ECHO MY COLLEAGUES. CERTAINLY LIGHT DISPELS, DARKNESS. AND CERTAINLY I'M VERY HAPPY BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW DARK IT IS IN PLACES AND WE KNOW THAT THAT AFFECTS THE CRIME IN THE AREA. SO I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. UM, VICE MAYOR, PRO TATUM. THANK YOU MAYOR. I JUST HAD A QUICK, QUICK QUESTION. UM, I KNOW THAT WE ARE REMOVING THE FEE, WHICH IS GREAT, TOTALLY SUPPORT THAT. UM, BARRY OF THE $200, BUT WANTED TO KNOW, UM, WHEN WE HAVE REQUESTED THESE STREETLIGHTS BEFORE WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF FEET APART, IS THAT STILL GOING TO BE THE CASE? THAT UM, IF WE ARE NOT 150 FEET APART [05:45:01] OR 200 FEET APART, UM, IS THAT, IS THAT STILL GOING TO BE THE CASE? OR ARE WE GOING TO LOOK AT BEING ABLE TO PUT THESE STREETLIGHTS UM, MORE FREQUENTLY? WELL, IT DOESN'T, THE ONLY THING THAT THIS CHANGES IS THE FEE. OKAY. WE CAN LOOK, WE CAN LOOK AT THE OTHER RESTRICTIONS THOUGH. OKAY. WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE OTHER RESTRICTIONS. THANK YOU. OKAY, GO AHEAD. COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS. YEAH, MAYOR, I JUST NEED A CLARIFICATION IN REGARDS TO THIS. IS IT STREET LIGHTS THAT ARE CENTER POINT STREET LIGHTS THAT ARE ON TELEPHONE POLES? 'CAUSE ON THE, UH, THIRD PARAGRAPH HERE, IT MENTIONS ORNAMENTAL STANDARD TYPE STREET LIGHTS. NO, THESE ARE THE STREET LIGHTS. THAT THEY'RE STREET LIGHTS. STREET LIGHTS. SO ORNAMENTAL DOESN'T APPLY TO NONE OF THIS. OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. READY TO VOTE IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 33. THANK YOU ALL. ITEM 34 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. TAG. ITEM 34. IT'S BEEN TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN KUBOSH. OH, GALL IT GALL, RIGHT? GALLEGOS. I THOUGHT IT WAS COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS. COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS, USH AND GALLEGOS. OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT, NEXT ITEM. ITEM 40 IS IN ORDINANCE. SEE THE VOTE? ITEM 40 COUNCIL, VICE MEMBER CAST. TATUM. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, I, I REALLY WANTED TO ASK THIS QUESTION TO, UM, I WANTED TO ASK THIS QUESTION TO, UM, DIRECTOR HADDOCK. UM, BUT I WAS TRYING TO FIND OUT IF, WHEN WE WERE TALKING IN THE PRESENTATION TODAY, IS THIS THE VENDOR THAT WE WERE, UM, TALKING ABOUT THAT WE WERE BRINGING ON TO HELP WITH THE AUGMENTATION OF READING? BECAUSE I KNOW THEY SAID COMING SOON, BUT IS THIS THE REFERENCE TO THE VENDOR THAT THEY WERE REFERRING TO? IS WINO SERVICE COMPANY THE VENDOR? THAT, I DUNNO, YOU WANNA JUST TAG IT AND WE CAN FIND OUT? YEAH. OKAY. NO PROBLEM. I'LL TAG 40. OKAY. 40. IT'S BEEN TAGGED BY, UM, VICE MAIL PRO. OKAY. NEXT ITEM, ITEM 44 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE ON ITEM 44. DISCUSSION ON 44. DISCUSSION ON 44 IN FAVOR OPPOSED GRANTING ON 44. ITEM 45 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE ON ITEM 45. DISCUSSION ON 45 IN FAVOR OF POST GRANTED ON 45. ITEM 47 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. WE ON ITEM 47, COUNCILMAN PACK ON 47. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, FOR THIS ITEM. UM, THIS IS TO GIVE THE MAINTENANCE OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER AT FREE PARK OVER TO HARRIS COUNTY FOR MAINTENANCE. UM, WE GAVE THE PARK OVER TO THE COUNTY SEVERAL YEARS AGO, BUT KEPT THE MAINTENANCE OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE COMMUNITY CENTER NEEDS SO MUCH WORK. IT'S IN REALLY, REALLY BAD SHAPE. UM, THE BASKETBALL COURT, I MEAN, THE FLOOR IS WAVY. YOU CAN'T EVEN PLAY BASKETBALL ON IT. UM, AND SO JUST IT, IT NEEDS EVERYTHING. UM, AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO COMMISSIONER BRIANIS. I TOLD HER ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY CENTER AND JUST IMMEDIATELY SHE SAID, LET'S GO LOOK AT IT. LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. WE WENT AND TOURED IT AND I MEAN, JUST IMMEDIATELY SHE CAME UP WITH SO MANY IDEAS OF HOW TO REUSE THAT BUILDING. UM, INCLUDING, UM, A DISTRICT OFFICE FOR THE DISTRICT, A OFFICE. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT TOO. WE HAVE, UM, A SATELLITE OFFICE THERE, BUT IT'S BASICALLY THE STORAGE ROOM THAT WE CONVERTED INTO A LITTLE OFFICE. SO THIS WILL BE AN ACTUAL OFFICE. SO WE'RE JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. UM, AND FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE RIGHT AROUND THAT AREA, THERE'S UM, A SENIOR APARTMENT COMPLEX RIGHT NEXT DOOR. AND SO THERE'S JUST SO MUCH THAT CAN BE DONE AT THIS COMMUNITY CENTER. SO THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER NESS. THANKS. COMMISSIONER CALLED AND, UH, SHE'S LOOKING AT MAKING A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT, UM, IN THIS PARK. SO THANK YOU AS WELL. JUST NEED A VOTE AND, OKAY. AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER BROWNNESS IS TRYING TO WORK ON SOMETHING, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN POLL IN YOUR DISTRICT. AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET ON THE AGENDA BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT AS WELL. UM, ON 47, DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF OPPOSED, GRANTED ON 47. ITEM 48 NEEDS AN IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED TO VOTE. VICE, VICE MAYOR, 48. THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, I WAS BRIEFED ON THIS, UM, FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. I WANT TO AGAIN, JUST PUT ON THE RECORD THAT THE DEVELOPER THAT IS LOOKING TO, UM, DEVELOP IN THIS AREA. THERE IS A LISTING FOR A HOTEL, UM, IN THIS AREA IN THE HOTEL THAT IS PLANNED, IS ANTICIPATED TO BE EITHER A MARRIOTT BRAND OR A HILTON BRAND. UM, A LIMITED SERVICE BUSINESS HOTEL. UH, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT THAT ON THE RECORD BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING, UM, HOURLY MOTELS IN THE DISTRICT. AND I WANT TO JUST ENSURE THAT THE DEVELOPER IS CLEAR THAT [05:50:01] WE AGREE TO, UM, EITHER A MARRIOTT BRAND OR HILTON BRAND HOTEL IN THIS DEVELOPMENT. OKAY? NO TWEET. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ITEM 48? DISCUSSION IN FAVOR, OPPOSED GRANTED ON 48. NEXT ITEM. ITEM 51 IS AN ORDER. JUST NEED A VOTE. ONE ITEM 51. DISCUSSION ON 51. DISCUSSION ON 51 IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 51. ITEM 58 IS AN ORDER. JUST NEED A VOTE. COUNCIL MEMBER PACK ON 58. THANK YOU MAYOR. LOTS OF THANK YOUS TODAY ON THIS, UM, AGENDA. UM, THIS IS THE FIRST STEP FOR THE CHATEAU FOREST DRAINAGE AND PAVING PROJECT THAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG FOR. SO I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT. IT'S, UM, AN AREA BY INWOOD AND, UM, YOU KNOW, INWOOD GETTING THAT WHOLE PROJECT AND THIS IS KIND OF THE OTHER PIECE TO THAT. SO, UM, IT'S GONNA HELP SO MANY PEOPLE WHEN IT COMES TO FLOOD MITIGATION. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 58 IN FAVOR? OPPOSED GRANTED ON 58. NEXT ITEM, ITEM 67 IS AN ORDINANCE JUSTINA VOTE. WELL, ITEM 67, VICE MAYOR, PRO CAST STATE ON 67. THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, WHILE I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE, UM, 1-800-GOT-JUNK, BE ABLE TO, UM, HELP US IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. UM, I DID WANT TO ASK IF WE COULD BE, UM, DELIBERATE IN ASKING THEM NOT TO PUT BANDIT SIGNS AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UM, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING BANDIT SIGNS, UM, TRYING TO GET LEGISLATION PASSED TO INCREASE THE FINE FOR BANDIT SIGNS ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHEN PEOPLE CONTINUE TO PUT THEM ON THE RIGHT OF WAY, RIGHT? THEY PUT 'EM UP ON THE TELEPHONE POLES, THEY MAKE STICKERS AND PUT 'EM BEHIND SIGNS AND THEY, THEY'VE JUST BECOME VISUAL SPAM. UH, I, I THINK IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THAT THEY SHOULD DEFINITELY FOLLOW THE CITY ORDINANCES AND NOT PUT THOSE BANDIT SIGNS IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, WE USED TO SEE A LOT OF THEM, BUT WE PICKED THEM UP. BUT I KNOW THAT THEY ARE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AND IT, I'M HOPEFUL THAT AS WE ARE PARTNERING WITH, UM, WHY DON'T WE JUST TAG IT 1-800-GOD-JUNK, THAT THEY WILL NOT, UM, CONTINUE TO PUT BANDIT SIGNS AROUND THE COMMUNITY AND WE WILL TALK WITH THEM. THIS COMES UP AGAIN FOR A SECOND READING AS WELL BEFORE IT BECOMES FINAL. SO, UH, WE'LL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. OKAY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 67 IN FAVOR OPPOSED GRANTED ON 67? NEXT ITEM, [MATTERS HELD] ITEM 71 IS A MOTION. I, WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION. JUST NEED TO VOTE. HONOR ANNUAL 71 SHALL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN ON 71. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I TAGGED THIS ITEM LAST WEEK, UH, BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF SEVERAL REASONS. UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT SHOULD BE SAID THAT BETWEEN NOVEMBER 1ST AND JANUARY 15TH OF ANY GIVEN YEAR, ABOUT 29 HOLIDAYS ARE OBSERVED BY SEVEN OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST RELIGIONS. AND THE IMPORTANCE OF INCLUSIVITY WHEN WE ARE RECOGNIZING HOLIDAYS AND ALLOWING, UH, EMPLOYEES TIME OFF. BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF INCLUSION, UM, ONE DATE I FEEL THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALWAYS, ALWAYS RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE IS ELECTION DAY. UM, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT ELECTION DAY SHOULD BE A FEDERAL HOLIDAY. UH, BUT IN LIGHT OF THAT, I DO BELIEVE THAT ELECTION DAY SHOULD AT THE VERY LEAST BE A CITY HOLIDAY. UM, I WAS CONSIDERING ADDING IN, UH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024, UM, FOR NEXT YEAR'S ELECTION DAY. IT'S NOT A CITY ELECTION, THERE'S NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST THERE, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE CELEBRATING OUR DEMOCRACY AND ALLOWING ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE AND TAKING A STAND AS A CITY FOR OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, I, I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE TALKED OFFLINE, UM, BUT I, I'D LIKE TO, UM, HEAR FROM THE ADMINISTRATION FEEDBACK AS TO WHY, UH, WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE WITH ADDING ANOTHER DATE AS A HOLIDAY. WE PRETTY MUCH FOLLOW THE FEDERAL HOLIDAYS. THAT'S, THAT'S ONE. AND THEN SECONDLY, WE DO HAVE A FLOATING HOLIDAY, UM, THAT ANY, ANY, UM, EMPLOYEE CAN TAKE. UM, AND THIRD, THE PROBLEM WITH, UM, WITH TOO MANY HOLIDAYS IS THAT IT THROWS OFF CITY SERVICES AS, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY TAKE THANKSGIVING WHEN YOU'RE OFF ON THANKSGIVING DAY, UM, WITH SOLID WASTE, IT THROWS THEM OFF. SO [05:55:01] IF YOU NOTICE IN SOME CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE MINE, THE RECYCLING BINS OUT THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE THROWING OFF, SO THEY CATCH UP THE NEXT PICKUP CYCLE. UM, AND WHEN YOU TAKE, WHEN YOU HAVE THESE CITY HOLIDAYS, UH, OTHER THAN YOUR FIRST RESPONDERS, ALL EMPLOYEES WANNA TAKE OFF. SO IT JUST, IT JUST CREATES IT, IT SLOWS DOWN CITY SERVICES. UM, SO WE, WE, YOU KNOW, UM, AND THEN WHEN YOU START TAKING OFF ONE HOLIDAY FOR WHATEVER REASON, LET'S SAY IT'S A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY, THEN SOMEBODY ELSE MAY WANNA INCLUDE THEIR RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY. UM, I'M NOT SAYING NO, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, THE COMMITTEE NEED TO THOROUGHLY CONSIDER AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME AND, AND, UH, PROVIDE THEIR, THEIR VIEWPOINTS. UM, BUT I THINK TO ADD IN THIS ITEM, UH, WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THAT, THAT KIND OF LIKE VETTING PROCESS, UH, IT IS NOT THE BEST WAY TO DO IT. UH, BUT FOR ME, UM, I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO KEEP, TO KEEP DIRECTORS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES ON TASK WHEN THERE ARE, WHEN THERE ARE CITY HOLIDAYS, AND THEN WHO, WHO ENDS UP HAVING TO RESPOND TO IT. I HEAR IT. I'M SURE YOU GET IT AS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, BECAUSE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE, UM, IT MAY NOT BE A HOLIDAY THAT THEY WANT, BUT THEY WANT THAT SERVICE AND THEY EXPECT THAT. AND IT'S KIND OF HARD TO KIND OF RAMP BACK UP VERY, VERY QUICKLY. SO I DON'T, I'M NOT SAYING NO, I'M JUST SAYING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD GO TO, LET'S SAY COMMITTEE AND BE HASHED OUT, THOUGHT OUT, AND THEN, UH, AND THEN TO DETERMINE WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO PROCEED. AND MAYOR, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I ALSO RECOGNIZE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU MENTIONED RELATED TO TRASH. UH, MY RECYCLING HASN'T BEEN PICKED UP YET. I RECOGNIZE THAT, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING I BELIEVE THAT IS ON THE CITY TO FIX EXCLUSIVE, RIGHT? EXCLUSIVE OF ONE HOLIDAY DATE. UM, I'M, I'M RESPECTFULLY GOING TO WITHDRAW, UM, MY MOTION, UH, SO THAT WE CAN VOTE ON THIS BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT TO PASS THIS. BUT I WANNA PUBLICLY STATE MY INTENTION TO CONTINUE FIGHTING FOR ELECTION DAY, UM, AS A DECLARED HOLIDAY AND TIME OFF FOR CITY OF HOUSTON EMPLOYEES. UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. I THINK IT MEANS SOMETHING. UH, AND I THINK IT'S A STAND FOR OUR DEMOCRACY AT A TIME WHEN WE NEED IT MOST. OKAY. MAYOR MARTIN? YES, MAYOR, THANK YOU. AND I LOOK TO DIRECTOR CHEEKS FOR EITHER A THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN. I THOUGHT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAD A POLICY THAT ALLOWS EMPLOYEES TO TAKE TIME ON ELECTION DAY TO VOTE TWO HOURS. OKAY, SO I THINK WE GOT THAT COVERED. YOU LOOKING FOR THE WHOLE DAY? MAY I BE PROCEED? RECOGNIZED TO RESPOND. OH, SHE'S IN THE QUEUE. COUNCILMAN KAMAN. YEAH, SO THERE ARE CHALLENGES WITH THAT. UM, THERE'S, AND I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO THE DETAILS AND THE ANECDOTES FROM EMPLOYEES THAT ARE CHALLENGED IF THEY ASK FOR TWO HOURS OFF. BUT THE POINT OF THE MATTER IS THAT ELECTION DAY IN THE UNITED STATES FALLS DURING A WORKDAY. IT SHOULD, WITHOUT QUESTION BE A FEDERALLY DECLARED AND AT THE VERY LEAST A CITY DECLARED HOLIDAY AND TIME OFF SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST TO VOTE, IT'S TO PARTICIPATE. WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT WANT TO BE POLL WORKERS. WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT WANT TO USE THEIR VOICE IN OTHER WAYS TO ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS. AND WE SHOULD NOT BE, WE SHOULD MAKING BE PROVIDING GREATER ACCESS IN CELEBRATION OF THAT. RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE, YOUR HONOR. OKAY, . ALRIGHT, WE'RE BACK ON ITEM 71, THE MAIN MOTION. UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? GRANTED ON 71. THANK YOU ALL. NEXT ITEM, ITEM 72 IS AN ORDINANCE. JUST NEED A VOTE. MAYOR 72 IS BEEN, IS BEEN TAGGED BY COUNCILMAN MC KOSH. NEXT ITEM, ITEM 73 IS AN ORDINANCE, JUST NEED TO VOTE. ITEM 73. UH, DISCUSSION. DISCUSSION IN FAVOR OF POST GRANITE. ITEM 74. WE HAVE DOUBT DEALT WITH. OKAY, WHO [NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS] DO WE START WITH TODAY? WE START TODAY WITH COUNCILMAN P. I'LL PASS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. OH, YOU PASS COUNCIL, UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON? THANK YOU, MAYOR. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, I PASS , UH, SORRY, NOT SORRY, [06:00:01] NOT PASSING. WHO CAME IN THE, UH, FIRST I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE MAYOR. WE HAD A, THE I LOVE 11TH STREET FESTIVAL THIS PAST WEEKEND. UH, RESIDENTS PUT THIS TOGETHER, HUNDREDS TURNED OUT SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES, UH, BUT I, ALL OF THE PROCEEDS WENT TO FRIENDS OF LAWRENCE AND MILROY PARKS RESIDENTS ARE FUNDRAISING ON THEIR OWN TO IMPROVE OUR PARKS. BUT A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE ORGANIZERS, AGAIN, RESIDENTS WHO ARE CELEBRATING 11TH STREET AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE THERE. UM, AND SO JUST WANTED TO SHOUT OUT THEM. UH, I DID ALSO WANNA REC, UH, MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS KNEW TXDOT IS HOLDING PUBLIC HEARINGS RIGHT NOW. AND INFORMATION SESSIONS RELATED TO I 45, THE N-H-H-I-P SEGMENT THREE, WHICH HAS AN IMPACT ON DISTRICT C. UH, THERE IS AN IN-PERSON MEETING TONIGHT THAT TDOT IS HOSTING AT ST. JOHN'S DOWNTOWN TONIGHT FROM FIVE TO 7:00 PM AND THEN VIRTUALLY TOMORROW AS WELL. WE HAVE POSTED ABOUT THAT, BUT REALLY ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO, UM, ATTEND AND ENGAGE ON THAT. UH, MAYOR, THERE'S ONE ISSUE THAT I WANTED TO RAISE, AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT LEGAL HAS BEEN DOING ON THIS AND PUBLIC WORKS. YOU HAVE HEARD RESIDENTS COME BEFORE US ABOUT ISSUES WITH AIRBNB, AND PARTICULARLY IN MONTROSE AND HEIGHTS, THERE'S ONE BAD ACTOR WHO'S CREATING A LOT OF PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THOUGH, THE SAME ACTOR HAS PURCHASED PROPERTY, UM, IN DISTRICT C ILLEGALLY, STARTED BUILDING AN APARTMENT COMPLEX WITH ILLEGAL FILL IN AN AREA THAT FLOODS AND HAS NO PERMITS. NONE WHATSOEVER. IT'S THE SAME PERSON. SO MY QUESTION IS, IS WHEN WE KNOW OF A SINGLE BAD ACTOR THAT HAS INSTANCE AFTER INSTANCE, AFTER INSTANCE OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, WHAT IS OUR RECOURSE? BECAUSE, AND I'M RAISING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION. UM, MORE SO BECAUSE I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS WHERE LITERALLY AN ENTIRE TRACT OF LAND HAS BEEN CLEARED. TREES DEMOED PHIL BROUGHT IN AND THERE'S NO PERMITS FOR IT. SO IT'S BEEN RED TAGGED, BUT AGAIN, IT'S THE SAME GUY THAT'S DOING ALL THE AIRBNB LEASES AT THESE APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT YOU'RE HEARING RESIDENTS COME OVER AND OVER ABOUT. UM, SO AGAIN, I I KNOW IT'S SITTING WITH LEGAL RIGHT NOW, CITY ATTORNEY, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, BUT I'M, I'M RAISING THE ISSUE BECAUSE WE'RE ENDING, WE'RE NEARING THE END OF THE YEAR. AND, UM, I GOT THIS TRACT OF LAND JUST SITTING THERE WITH A LEGAL FILL RIGHT NOW. UM, AND I, I DON'T TRUST WHAT THIS PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL IS DOING. UH, SO I, I JUST RAISED THAT AND WOULD APPRECIATE ANYTHING THAT THE CITY COULD BE DOING, UH, TO PROTECT THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. UH, LASTLY, ON A LIGHT NOTE, UM, I WANNA WISH RESIDENTS AND DISTRICTS SEE AND AROUND THE CITY THAT ARE CELEBRATING A VERY HAPPY HANUKKAH. HANUKKAH BEGINS TOMORROW EVENING FOR EIGHT DAYS. UM, IT'S A CELEBRATION OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS, UH, AS WE SEE IN MANY FAITHS. UH, IT'S ALSO A STORY OF PERSEVERANCE, UM, OF SELF-DETERMINATION AND OF FREEDOM. AND, UH, FOR THOSE CELEBRATING I KNOW THIS YEAR MORE THAN OTHERS, IT REALLY, REALLY MEANS A LOT. UM, I, SO I HOPE EVERYONE IS SAFE, UM, AND CAN CELEBRATE SAFELY, BUT ALSO TAKING IN TIME TO SPEND WITH FAMILY AND BRINGING LIGHT INTO THIS WORLD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILMAN. UH, SHABA. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THIS WEEK WE CELEBRATED THE REMARKABLE, UH, STEPS TOWARDS SU SUSTAIN SUSTAINABILITY AT THE SUNNYSIDE SOLAR FARM EVENT. AND IT WAS A PIVOTAL MOMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE EVENT EMPHASIZING SOWING SEEDS OF SUCCESS WAS A TESTIMONY TO OUR DEDICATION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. ALSO, THE BEATRICE MAYS INSTITUTE CHARACTER BUILDING CEREMONY. IT WAS A PRIVILEGE TO WITNESS THE INSPIRING INDUCTION OF OUR FUTURE LEADERS AT THE BEATRICE MAYS INSTITUTE. THE CEREMONY WAS A VIBRANT DISPLAY OF THE POTENTIAL AND PROMISE OUR YOUTH HOLD. THE COUNCIL WAS LED BY PRESIDENT AMIRA LEWIS LONGORIA, VICE PRESIDENT CADEN FERBOS, RECORDING SECRETARY LOU GILL, CORRESPONDING SECRETARY KHALE BAO TREASURER MACKENZIE FORD PARLIAMENTARIAN, AARON ROBERSON, AND HISTORIAN KENNETH BLACKMAN. ALONG WITH, UH, GREAT REPRESENTATIVES, IT WAS VERY INSPIRING TO SEE THEIR, UH, ENTHUSIASM. AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL FUTURE THAT THEY'RE GONNA PROVIDE. AND THEY'RE ALL GONNA BE HEARD FROM IN LEADERSHIP ROLES. ALSO, UH, THE [06:05:01] SIMS BIO GREENWAY RIBBON CUTTING EARLIER THIS WEEK, WE GATHER TO COMMEMORATE THE EXPANSION OF THE SIMS BIO GREENWAY. AND THANK YOU MAYOR FOR BEING A PART OF THAT. UH, BETH WHITE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD. UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS, UH, CERTAINLY, UM, COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS AND KEY COMMUNITY LEADERS HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR DISTRICT'S CONNECTIVITY AND OUTDOOR ENJOYMENT. AND WE CERTAINLY THANK YOU ON YOUR, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF CHRIS CARROLL, WHO CERTAINLY REPRESENTED OUR DIRECTOR, KENNETH ALLEN FROM THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, SONNY GARZA OF THE GULF GATE REDEVELOPMENT TOURS, AND PAUL LOCKE FROM CENTER POINT ENERGY. ON TODAY WE HAVE AN UPCOMING EVENT THAT STARTED AT NOON. UH, BUT THERE WILL, THERE WILL BE TWO OPPORTUNITIES. THE THIRD WARD CUNY HOMES CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPLEMENTATION GRANT PROJECT, UH, TODAY WILL BE AN ENGAGEMENT IN CRUCIAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A TRANSFORMATIVE $50 MILLION GRANT PROJECT. THIS GRANT AIMS TO BRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO THE THIRD WARD. AND THE SESSIONS TODAY ARE FROM 12 NOON TO 3:00 PM AND 5:00 PM TO 8:00 PM AT THE HISTORIC EL DORADO BALLROOM. YOUR PARTICIPATION AND INPUT ARE VITAL AS WE WORK TOWARDS MAKING MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE THIRD WARD. AND SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THIS CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN CISNEROS. PAST MAYOR. OKAY, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEMP. THANK YOU MAYOR. A COUPLE OF QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS. DECEMBER'S PRETTY BUSY. UM, I DO WANT TO INVITE COUNCIL MEMBERS BECAUSE I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE DEMOLITION OF THE OLD MACO PROPERTY AT 48 0 2 WEST FUQUA ROAD. WE ARE HAVING A DEMOLITION PARTY. UM, WE ARE, THIS IS THE FIRST PROPERTY THATT 25 HAS ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO PURCHASE THROUGH, UM, THE FUNDS THAT THEY HAVE, UM, RECEIVED. UM, AND THE DEMOLITION OF THIS BUILDING IS, UM, A CULMINATION OF SO MANY, UM, PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO PREVENT THE ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING THERE FOR YEARS. YOU'VE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT IT. WE, THIS PLACE HAS BEEN A NUISANCE SINCE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL. AND FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DEMOLISH THIS BUILDING, UM, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS IS A, IS A GREAT, UM, ACHIEVEMENT. THE COMMUNITY'S LOOKING FORWARD TO IT, AND I HOPE PEOPLE WILL COME AND CELEBRATE, UM, THIS NEW HORIZON AND HOW TURS ARE REMOVING BLIGHT, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND REALLY MAKING AN IMPACT ON TRANSFORMING OUR COMMUNITIES. AND THEN ON DECEMBER THE 15TH, FROM 10 TO 12 AT THE FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER, UM, MANY OF OUR, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERS HAVE JOINED TOGETHER WITH US FOR OUR SENIOR TURKEY GIFT AWAY. MAYOR, HAVE YOU, YOU SEEN THE PRICES OF TURKEYS LATELY? UM, WE USED TO BUY 500 TURKEYS, UM, TO GIVE AWAY TO THE SENIORS IN OUR COMMUNITY AT CHRISTMAS TIME BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE GIVE IT AWAY AT THANKSGIVING. AND WE USED TO BUY 500 FOR ABOUT $3,500. NOW WE'RE BUYING 300 TURKEYS AND WE'RE PAYING ALMOST $8,000. OH, WOW. AND THE, THE COST OF TURKEYS AT A DOLLAR $89 99. WOW. UM, A POUND HAS JUST, UM, INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY. LAST WEEK I WAS, UM, AT A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EVENT IN THE BAHAMAS. THEY HAD A TURKEY DRIVE. THEY PAY A HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR ONE TURKEY IN THE BAHAMAS, UM, TO GIVE AWAY TO THEIR, THEIR CONSTITUENTS THERE. SO THE NEED IS PREVALENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. UM, EVERYWHERE WE GO, PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE DURING THIS, THIS TIME OF NEED. BUT I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS TO OUR SPONSORS OF THE EVENT HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THEM NOW MORE THAN EVER, BECAUSE THE CAUSE OF TURKEYS HAVE GONE UP SO HIGH. ABSOLUTELY. BUT WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO STILL DO THIS, UH, YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR OUR SENIORS. THEY LOOK FORWARD TO IT. UM, I'VE EVEN HAD SENIORS COME UP TO ME AND SAY, MAKE SURE IT'S NOT A BUTTER BALL BECAUSE YOU CAN'T FRY BUTTER BALL BECAUSE THEY PUT BUTTER ON IT. I SAID, OH, OKAY. WE'LL MAKE SURE IT'S . ALRIGHT, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. WELL, WE AIM TO PLEASE. AND THEN ON DECEMBER THE 16TH, IT'S A BIG DAY. WE HAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PREVIEW OF THE DR. SHANNON WALKER, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY MAYOR. WE'RE GOING ON A TOUR THAT DAY, RIGHT? THIS WILL BE THE THIRD STOP. IT'S A 23, UM, THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT BUILDING, INCLUDING A LITTLE CAFE, FLEXIBLE MEETING SPACES, AUDIO AND VIDEO TECHNOLOGY, A PODCAST RECORDING STUDIO, PRIVATE MEETING ROOMS, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE ASK FOR IN THIS LIBRARY. WE'LL BE ABLE TO PREVIEW THAT ON DECEMBER THE 16TH AT NOON. SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. WE HOPE THAT RESIDENTS WILL COME OUT AND MEET US THERE AT 55 0 5 BELROSE DRIVE TO CELEBRATE THIS PREVIEW WITH US. IF YOU AREN'T RECEIVING OUR NEWSLETTER, YOU CAN EMAIL US AT DISTRICT K@HOUSTONTX.GOV. BE KIND TO EACH OTHER. MAKE IT A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILMAN GALLEGOS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I, I, I TOO WANT TO JUST, UH, CONGRATULATE, [06:10:01] UH, BETH WHITE WITH THE PARKS BOARD, UH, YOU MAYOR THE GULF GATE TOURS, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE RIBBON CUTTING THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHABAS JUST MENTIONED, UH, THE SIMS BAYOU GREENWAYS HIKING BIKE TRAIL. UH, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY, UH, AND DOING THE, THE DOING THIS RIBBON CUTTING. UH, AND, UH, TO KNOW THAT, UH, AGAIN, RESIDENTS CAN RIDE THEIR BIKES OR WALK OR WALK THEIR DOGS AND WHAT HAVE YOU ON THIS NEW EXTENSION OF THIS HIKING BIKE TRAIL AND GO ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTANIC GARDEN, UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GO BACK HOME. SO, SO, SO, SO THIS WAS AN EXCITING DAY TO, TO KNOW THAT THAT CAN BE DONE. I ALSO WANT TO EXTEND AN A, UH, THANK YOU, UH, TO BAYOU OAKS CIVIC CLUB. I KNOW THEY HAD REPRESENTATION THERE IN, AT THE, UH, AT THE RIBBON CUTTING. UH, WE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THE CIVIC CLUB. THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS, UH, REGARDING THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, BUT EVERYTHING WORKED OUT AND THEY WERE VERY HAPPY, UH, THERE THAT DAY. AND, UH, MAYOR. SO, UH, AGAIN, UH, THIS WAS EXCITING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS WEEK. UM, I ALSO WANT TO ALSO MENTION THE I 45, UH, HOUSTON HIGHWAY PUBLIC MEETING. UH, THEY'RE HAVING A MEETING TODAY AT ST. JOHN'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 2019 CRAWFORD STREET FROM FIVE TO SEVEN O'CLOCK. UH, I'M INVITING RESIDENTS TO PLEASE GO. UH, THIS IS A, A, IT, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE MEETINGS. UH, THERE'S CONCERNS, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE REALIGNMENT OF 45 ON HOW THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE EAST END, UH, IN REGARDS TO MAKING SURE, UH, THAT WE DO NOT LOSE CONNECTIVITY, UH, FROM DOWNTOWN HOUSTON TO THE EAST END. UH, YOU KNOW, BEING A RESIDENT IN THE EAST END, IT'S JUST GREAT TO KNOW THAT WE'RE 10 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, UH, BUT WITH THE REALIGNMENT THAT WE JUST NEED TO STAY ON TOP OF THIS, MAKE SURE WE DO NOT LOSE CONNECTIVITY FROM THE EAST END INTO DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. SO, AGAIN, IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY'S MEET IN THE MEETING TODAY, THIS EVENING AT FIVE, FROM FIVE TO SEVEN. IT'S ST. JOHN'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 2019 CRAWFORD STREET, AND I INVITE EVERYONE TO PLEASE ATTEND THAT. UM, I TOO, MAYOR, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED, UH, THAT YOU'LL BE, UM, ADJOURNING THE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY IN MEMORY OF RUO REYES. I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, MY CONDOLENCES AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO JANIE AND, AND THEIR FAMILY. UH, I KNOW VINCIA REYES WAS A PILLAR IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. UH, MANY OF OUR, UH, LEADERS, INCLUDING MYSELF, UH, WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF VINCIA REYES. UH, HE, HE DID A LOT, A LOT TO ADDRESS ISSUES THAT IMPACTED THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. AND IT'S, IT'S A SAD DAY TO KNOW THAT, UH, TODAY WAS, IS THE DAY THAT HE PASSED AWAY. UH, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, CIO, UH, AND JANIE, UH, FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE, UH, IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. COUNCIL, MAYOR, OUTGOING. YES, MAYOR, UH, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE, UM, CLEAR, IT LOOKS LIKE THE ENCAMPMENT HASS BEEN CLEARED ON THE WAY FROM, UH, DOWN BAGBY. SO MANY PEOPLE ARE USING THAT DURING THE HOLIDAYS. I DID IT MYSELF AFTER THE MAYOR'S CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING WALKED DOWN TO THE POST. SO REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT'S DONE THERE AND HOPE WE'RE FINDING SUITABLE HOUSING FOR, FOR EVERYONE WHO WAS THERE. UM, ALSO SPEAKING OF THE POST YOU GUYS, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, GO SEE THE BARBARA JORDAN MONUMENT. THE MAYOR, MAYOR WAS THERE. MY FRIEND ANJA METTO, UM, DID THIS SCULPTURE. IT WAS HIS FIRST REALLY BIG SCULPTURE TO DO LIKE THAT, AND IT'S AMAZING. UM, PLEASE GO SEE IT. AND FINALLY, JUST, UH, DON'T FORGET, ELECTION DAY IS SATURDAY. VOTE SEVEN TO SEVEN IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. THANKS. OKAY. UM, I THINK THAT SHOULD WRAP US UP. WE STAND A ADJOURNED TODAY IN MEMORY OF RES. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.