* 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. [City Pulse] [00:00:30] WELCOME TO CITY PULSES. I'M TRAVIS LEMONS, YOUR HOST. THIS IS THE LAST EPISODE OF 2023, SO LET'S GET STRAIGHT TO THE PARADE THAT KEEPS GIVING EVERY YEAR. OH, WE COME TO ENJOY THE PARADE IN HOUSTON. IT WAS EVERYTHING. EXCELLENT. I LOVE EVERYTHING. I ENJOY TO SEE GARFIELD ALSO AND SANTA CLAUS. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THE DANCE ACTION, THE ESPECIALLY GIRLS THAT KICK KICK SO HIGH. BUT OF COURSE SANTA'S MY FAVORITE. I LIKE THE DANCERS AND THE BIG NINJA TURTLE. OH, AND UM, I LIKE THE, THE DRUM. SO WE WERE BEHIND THE HEV AND I'VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY PEOPLE SO EXCITED TO SEE A GROCERY BASKET , AND, UH, WE ALL HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR. TURNER. GIVE MY PRIDE, RECLAIM THIS DAY AS MOODY FROM JOHNSON'S DAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. COME OUT, BRING YOUR FAMILIES OUT. ENJOY. THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON. YOU HAVE SCHOOLS OUT HERE, YOU HAVE KIDS PERFORMING, YOU HAVE ALL THE FLOATINGS. IT'S, IT IS SOMETHING TO BRING THE FAMILY TOGETHER. I THINK IT BRINGS MORE PEOPLE. THEY CAN MEET EACH OTHER. WE GET TO LIKE COME OUTSIDE OF THE COMMUNITY, ENJOY OUR TIME. BUT YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO LIKE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS BEING IN THE PARADE TO SHOW COMMUNITY COMRADERY. ENJOY THE CITY TO SHOW OUR LOVE FOR HOUSTON. YOU LOVE HOUSTON. SO JUST COMING OUT OF CELEBRATING AND JUST EXPERIENCING IT, THE ENVIRONMENT, THE PEOPLE, THE LAUGHS, THE GOOD TIMES. IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL FEELING. IT'S WORTH IT. IT'S A GREAT TIME IN THE CITY. IT WAS, IT WAS SO FUN. IT WAS A FLYING PIG AND A FLYING ALLIGATOR. BEING AROUND THE WHOLE CITY OF HOUSTON, IT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SHOWS THAT WE'RE ALL TOGETHER. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE. HAPPY THANKSGIVING. OUR NEXT STORY INVOLVES A RESIDENT OF HOUSTON'S FIFTH WARD. SHE WAS A GREAT DEBATER AT TSU AND A POLITICIAN OF HIGH REGARD THAT SHE IS BARBARA JORDAN. A NEW MONUMENT AT POST HOUSTON IS SURE TO LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION TO TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DAY. ALMOST 40 YEARS AGO, BARBARA JORDAN STOOD WITH CONGRESSMAN MICKEY LELAND AT THIS SITE TO CELEBRATE THE RENAMING OF THIS POST OFFICE AND CERTAINLY THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF BARBARA JORDAN DEMONSTRATE QUITE VIVIDLY THAT GOOD THINGS CAN COME OUT OF FIFTH WARD. BARBARA JORDAN WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE DEBATE TEAM AS WELL. SO THIS WAS SUCH A GREAT HONOR FOR US. MADE THIS MONUMENT INSPIRE GENERATIONS TO COME REMINDING US THAT PROGRESS IS FORGED THROUGH DEDICATION. THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE WORK WAS TO PUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT ARE COMPILED OVER THE COURSE OF BARBARA'S LIFE, HER ACHIEVEMENTS. BUT WHAT I WAS REALLY SEEKING TO DO IS FIND A POINT THAT COULD IMMORTALIZE HER FOR OUR CITY. AS SOON AS IT WAS UNVEILED, I WAS LIKE, THIS REPRESENTS BARBARA JORDAN, HER STRENGTH, BUT ALSO HER IMPASSION VOICE. I JUST LOVED IT. THIS MONDAY WILL BE A REMINDER TO THEM THAT IT DOESN'T COME EASY. IT DOESN'T COME WITHOUT HARD WORK. IT DOESN'T COME WITHOUT SACRIFICE, BUT YOU STAND ANYWAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT BARBARA JORDAN DID. FROM EVERY SIDE THAT YOU VIEW THE WORK, IT CHANGES. SO IT'S A TRANSFORMATIVE WORK BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I THINK BARBARA JORDAN ALSO REPRESENTS. WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF BARBARA JORDAN. SHE WAS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH. THANK YOU FOR THE STATUE, BUT THANK YOU GOD FOR THE LIFE OF BARBARA JOYCE FROM A GREAT LEADER TO FUTURE LEADERS, OUR PARTNERS AT SPECTRUM FUSION MET THE NEW MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL TO FIND OUT THE ISSUES THEY'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT MOVING FORWARD. HI, WE'RE HERE AT CITY HALL AND I'M WITH LESHAWNA BROWN, THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL. THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL ARE THE ELITE OF THE ELITE. THEY ARE YOUR YOUTH VOICE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I AM THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL, DISTRICT K REPRESENTATIVE. AS THE [00:05:01] CHAIR OF THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE, ONE OF MY MAJOR GOALS IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING YOUTH OUTREACH IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND DISCUSSING AND DE-STIGMATIZING MENTAL HEALTH AND, AND AROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON. I AM ONE OF THE COUNCIL A I'M HERE TO REPRESENT KIDS WITH DISABILITIES, ESPECIALLY INVISIBLE ONES LIKE A DHD AND OTHER SLOW PRO PROCESSING DISORDERS. I AM THE SECRETARY OF THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE. AND WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR? I PARTICULARLY WANT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF MENTAL HEALTH IN YOUTH COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY HIGH SCHOOLS. I AM, UH, A PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE AND THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE. WHAT WE DO, WE JUST MAKE PROJECTS BASED OFF OUR COMMITTEES GIVE IDEAS. I AM THE DISTRICT, A REPRESENTATIVE ON THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL, AND I'M ALSO PART OF THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE IF I'M MEANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DISTRICT AREA REPRESENTATIVE OF HOUSTON AND COORDINATE PROJECTS AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES THROUGH THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE. I'M IN NINTH GRADE. I AM A PART OF THE VOTER EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND I'M ALSO THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE. I TAKE NOTES DURING OUR MEETING. I PLAN TO FIND WHERE WE'RE GONNA HOLD OUR EVENTS. AND WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR? GIVING AWARENESS THAT THE NYC IS HERE AND WE'RE READY TO HELP THE COMMUNITY. IN MY ROLE, I AM HERE TO LEAD THE COUNCIL AND PLAN TO BECOME MORE CIVICALLY ENGAGED, ADVOCATE FOR THE VOICELESS, AND, AND REALLY BRING AWARENESS TO ISSUES THAT AFFECT YOUTH AND ALL OF OUR CITIZENS ACROSS OUR CITY. I'M EXCITED TO SEE MY YOUNG PEOPLE AND I'M EXCITED FOR US TO WORK SO THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE THE GOALS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WHEN CITY PULSE RETURNS, HOUSTON'S BIGGEST AIRPORT CONTINUES TO GROW AND WE MAKE A DYNAMO DASH TO HELP SANTA. STAY TUNED FOR MORE. DID YOU KNOW THAT ONE IN THREE WOMEN AND ONE IN FOUR MEN HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME FORM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE? HERE'S THE DEAL. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CAN AFFECT ANYONE. IT DOESN'T CARE ABOUT AGE, GENDER, OR BACKGROUND. IT CAN BE PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO ENDURE. WE GET IT. SPEAKING UP CAN BE TOUGH. VICTIMS OFTEN FEEL EMBARRASSED OR AFRAID TO REPORT IT, BUT GUESS WHAT? YOU'RE NOT ALONE AND THERE ARE PEOPLE READY TO LISTEN AND HELP. SO IF YOU'VE EVER FELT TRAPPED, HURT, VERBALLY ABUSED OR THREATENED, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW IT IS NOT OKAY. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS AGAINST THE LAW AND THERE'S NO SHAME IN SEEKING SUPPORT. SPEAK UP, SHARE YOUR STORY, AND LET'S PUT AN END TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. YOU'VE GOT A WHOLE COMMUNITY HERE READY TO STAND BY YOU, HPD AND OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. WELCOME BACK. HOUSTON'S BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL IS GETTING A FIRST CLASS UPGRADE. UNITED AIRLINES IS INVESTING $2.6 BILLION IN TRANSFORMING TERMINAL B PROJECTS. LIKE THIS IS WHY WE SAY EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS. HOUSTON IS A GLOBAL CITY, A WORLD CLASS CITY, AND TODAY PRETTY MUCH, UH, ILLUSTRATES THAT. AND IN JUST A FEW YEARS, HOUSTON'S BIGGEST AIRPORT WILL FEATURE A BRAND NEW TERMINAL B. UH, THIS REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WILL BRING NEARLY 3000 JOBS, NEW JOBS TO HOUSTON, AND ONCE COMPLETED, A TRANSFORMED TERMINAL B IS POISED TO WELCOME 36 MILLION TRAVELERS. UH, THE BIGGER AND MORE MODERN DOMESTIC TERMINAL WILL AMPLIFY HOUSTON'S REPUTATION AS A PREMIER DESTINATION AND CULTIVATE EVEN MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JUST IN TIME FOR THE WORLD CUP. AS MAYOR OF HOUSTON, I'VE STAYED STEADFAST IN, IN MY PURSUIT TO MAKE OUR WORLD MORE INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE. NEW SENSORY ROOMS AND MORE ACCESSIBLE GATES AREAS WILL INVITE AND ENCOURAGE MORE FAMILIES, UH, TO TRAVEL THROUGH BUSH AIRPORT. AND FINALLY, WHILE ARTWORK AND DINING AND RETAIL WILL PROVIDE EVEN MORE FLAVOR TO THAT, THAT IS UNIQUELY HOUSTON THE INVESTMENT WE ARE CHOOSING TO MAKE. TODAY. WE'LL REWARD TRAVELERS EACH TIME THEY VISIT YOUR BLOODSHOT AIRPORT. WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE SAY IN CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU EITHER GO BIG OR YOU GO HOME. TODAY WE ARE CHOOSING WITH YOUR HELP IN UNITED TO GO BIG. THAT'S HOUSTON. IF PERMITTING HAS TO SPEED UP, WE WILL HELP TO GET IT DONE. RECENTLY, VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS VISITED HOUSTON AND TOOK PART IN A CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS EVENT. HDV SHAVONNE HERNDON HAS MORE [00:10:01] UNITED STATES OF AMERICA'S VICE PRESIDENT, KAMALA HARRIS GRACE'S STAGE AT HARDY SENIOR CENTER IN HOUSTON'S NORTH SIDE FOR THE ON THE ROAD SERIES TO INFORM HISPANIC VOTERS OF PROGRESS BEING MADE BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER WAS THERE TO WELCOME HER. AND IN OUR VICE PRESIDENT WE HAVE A FIGHTER. WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE AND A GOOD FRIEND, AND WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE HER TO THE BEST CITY IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. H TOWN MAYOR TURNER, THANK THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS FOR PROVIDING HOUSTON WITH FUNDING FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN AND BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW. BECAUSE OF FEDERAL FUNDING, HOUSTON AVOIDED MASSIVE BUDGET SHORTFALLS AND CONTINUED FUNDING PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAMS. HOUSTON WAS AWARDED ALMOST $38 MILLION FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF NAVIGATION AND COMMERCE STREET INTERSECTIONS. HOUSTON WAS AWARDED $21 MILLION FOR TELEPHONE ROAD THROUGH A RAISED FEDERAL GRANT TO RECONSTRUCT ROADS AND DRAINAGE, PROVIDE BETTER CROSSWALKS FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY TO AND FROM PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. THE MAYOR LAUNCHED ONCE SAFE HOUSTON, A 53 MILLION COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY RESPONSE INITIATIVE AIMED AT COMBATING CRIME AND INVESTING IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS WITH APPROPRIATE CARE. AND BECAUSE OF THESE FEDERAL DOLLARS, I CAN TELL YOU ESPECIALLY THOSE DOLLARS SPENT ON PUBLIC SAFETY. AS OF THIS MORNING, HOUSTON HAS 119 FEWER HOMICIDES THAN IN 2021 AND 77 FEWER HOMICIDES THAN IN 2022. AND KEEPING GUNS OFF THE STREETS IS A STAN HARRIS' FIRM ON, AS SHE OVERSEES THE FIRST WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION. I'M IN FAVOR OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT AND I'M IN FAVOR OF AN ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN AND UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS AND A RED FLAG LAW. I WANT TO THANK VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS FOR BEING SUCH AN EXAMPLE FOR ALL AMERICANS AND ESPECIALLY WOMEN AND GIRLS ACROSS OUR COUNTRY IN TEXAS. WE ARE GROUND ZERO IN THE FIGHT FOR REPRODUCTION RIGHTS, ALWAYS HAVE BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, I'M SIOBHAN HERNDON. OUR FINAL STORY IS ONE THAT IS SURE TO WARM YOU UP. THE HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT'S ANNUAL TOY GIVEAWAY OPERATION STOCKING STUFFER IS ON A ROLL. PLAYERS FROM THE HOUSTON DYNAMO AND THE HOUSTON DASH WE'RE THERE TO ASSIST. OPERATION STOCKING STUFFER IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR HFD, THE GIVEBACKS AND KIDS IN COMMUNITY. WE UNDERSTAND THAT ALL KIDS NOT GONNA HAVE A, UM, ALL THE TOYS UNDER THE TREATY THEY WANT EVERY YEAR FOR CHRISTMAS AND OPERATION STOCK AND SUFFERER IS A GREAT CONDUIT FOR AS FIRE, FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR SPONSORS TO HELP PROVIDE THAT EXTRA HELP. SOME FAMILIES NEED TO HELP KIDS HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON. AS FAR AS TODAY, WE HAVE A HOUSTON DYNAMO, UH, PARTNERING WITH US DOING SHOPPING AND WE LOVE, UH, OUR, OUR LOCAL SPORTS TEAM COME OUT AND SUPPORT A GREAT, UM, EFFORT LIKE OPERATION STOCK. A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO HOUSTON DYNAMO TODAY FOR THEIR EFFORTS. SPORTS SOCCER FOR BUDDY SOCCER PLAYERS, BASEBALL PLAYERS, VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS, YOU NAME IT. . I FOUND I, YEAH, I FOUND ONE OF THOSE LIKE LITTLE LIKE GEODE WHERE YOU LIKE, I HAVE A ROCK AND YOU HAVE TO LIKE UNCOVER OTHER ROCKS. AND I WAS LIKE, OH, I REMEMBER HAVING A GOOD TIME. I MAYBE NOT A LOT OF KIDS LIKE IT ANYMORE, BUT I STILL, I I STILL LIKE IT. BUT YEAH, SO IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY COOL JUST KIND OF, I GUESS WALKING DOWN THROUGH MEMORY LANE AND, AND LOOKING AT ALL THE TOYS. OH, I HAD NERF GUNS, I HAD LEGOS, I HAD, WHAT ELSE DID I HAVE? MOSTLY LEGOS. ACTUALLY LEGOS WAS LIKE THE GO-TO. I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SIBLINGS. THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR SIBLINGS. UM, OOH, I HAD LIKE A LITTLE SOCCER LIKE FINGER THING. I DON'T KNOW, BUT ANYTHING THAT REALLY JUST ALLOWED YOU TO PLAY WITH ANY OF YOUR SIBLINGS. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING. WE THINK OUR SPONSORS FOR ALLOWING US TO GO OUT AND PURCHASE ALL THESE TOYS. UM, AND IT BRINGS, IT WARMS MY HEART HONESTLY. I HAVE THREE KIDS OF MY OWN AND I KNOW THE EXCITEMENT I I GET WHEN I SEE THEM UP THEIR TOYS ON CHRISTMAS DAY. SO YOU CAN SPREAD THAT JOY TO OTHER FAMILIES. A BLESSING. HAPPY HOLIDAYS. THAT WILL DO IT FOR CITY PULSE IN 2023 FOR THE STAFF OF HT V HOUSTON TELEVISION. I'D LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE GOOD TIDINGS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. UNTIL NEXT TIME, DO BETTER AND BE KIND. * 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.