[PRESENTATIONS]
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PLEASE COME TO ORDER.IT'S ONE 50 TUESDAY, JANUARY 23RD, 2024.
AND I'M CALLING THIS COUNCIL MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN FOR A PROCLAMATION.
UH, I AM JOINED TODAY, UH, BY HOUSTON'S UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN RECOGNITION.
JANUARY IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH.
UM, I'M ALSO JOINED MAYOR, UH, BY, UH, OUR DIRECTOR, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, MENAL PATEL DAVIS.
UM, WHO'S INSTRUMENTAL AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY RECOGNIZING HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH IS SO IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN HOUSTON, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, BUT THE PUBLIC MAY NOT KNOW, UH, THE I 10 CORRIDOR IS ONE OF THE LARGEST, UM, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, UH, CORRIDORS, I WOULD SAY, NOT JUST IN THE COUNTRY, BUT POTENTIALLY IN THE WORLD.
UM, AND SO THE WORK THAT UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS DOING IS, UH, CRITICAL TO THAT.
SO I AM JOINED BY A HOST OF FOLKS, UH, FROM THE ORGANIZATION, BUT STANDING WITH ME IS TAMIKA WALKER, UH, THE CEO, AND SHE'LL BE SPEAKING AND INTRODUCING EVERYONE IN A MOMENT.
BUT I DID WANNA SHARE, UH, A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION.
UH, UAHT PROVIDES A HOST OF PROGRAMS IN OUR CITY.
THEY PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES, EMPOWERING SURVIVORS, AND AT-RISK INDIVIDUALS THROUGH TRAUMA-INFORMED PROGRAMS, BOTH FOR ADULTS AND YOUTH.
UM, LAST YEAR ALONE, INCLUDING WITH CASE MANAGEMENT, OVER 6,000, UH, INDIVIDUALS WERE SERVED HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA, AND THEIR YOUTH PROGRAMMING, EDUCATING TEENAGERS WHO ARE HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RECRUITMENT, UH, THEY HAD CONTACT WITH AND ENGAGED NEARLY A THOUSAND YOUTH IN OUR AREA.
THEIR OUTREACH INCLUDES, UM, ENGAGING WITH THE HOMELESS, IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE POPULATIONS, HIV POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS, LGBTQIA PLUS INDIVIDUALS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS, UBSTANCE DEPENDENT COMMUNITIES.
THE LIST GOES ON AND REALLY SHOWS HOW MANY VULNERABLE POPULATIONS CAN UP, CAN END UP IN THESE SITUATIONS.
AND THE COALITION THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT TOGETHER OVER 50 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFITS, A BIG SHOUT OUT TO HPD AND ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS WHO ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS.
AND OF COURSE, MAYOR YOUR OFFICE UNDER, UH, DIRECTOR PATEL DAVIS DOES ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE WORK.
SO, WITH THAT, UM, I'M GOING TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION.
BEFORE I DO, I WOULD ASK ALL OF YOUR HELP IN SHARING OUT, UH, THE WORK THAT THIS ORGANIZATION DOES, UH, BUT ALSO YOU CAN VISIT AND SHARE THIS WITH THE PUBLIC WWW.UAT.ORG.
AND THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE FOR ANYONE IN NEED IS 8 8 8 3 7 3 7 8 8 8.
AND WITH THAT, WHEREAS HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS AN EGREGIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION THAT IMPACTS THE PUBLIC HEALTH OF ALL COUNTRIES ACROSS THE GLOBE AND THE US AS A SOURCE, TRANSIT, AND DESTINATION COUNTRY FOR VICTIMS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND VULNERABILITIES, THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION ESTIMATES THAT 28 MILLION INDIVIDUALS DISPROPORTIONATELY WOMEN AND GIRLS, ARE VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
HOUSTON IS HOME TO A DEDICATED AND DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL AND GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING BY RAISING AWARENESS, PROVIDING TRAUMA-INFORMED AND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES TO CONFIRMED AND POTENTIAL VICTIMS ENGAGING IN DIRECT ALI OUTREACH AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, BRINGING PERPETRATORS TO JUSTICE, THE NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE, CONFIRMED CASES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN HOUSTON DURING THE LAST YEAR THAT CUT ACROSS GENDER AND AGE, WHILE MANY MORE CASES AFFECTING ALL INDUSTRIES GO UNREPORTED, UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING WORKS RELENTLESSLY TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY ON HOW TO FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN OUR DAILY LIVES BY TRAINING FRONTLINE PROFESSIONALS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON HOW TO IDENTIFY DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, PROVIDING CARE FOR SURVIVORS, REBUILDING THEIR LIVES, AND FACILITATING COLLABORATION OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL AND GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS.
THROUGH THEIR RESCUE AND RESTORE COALITION.
THROUGH JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, VARIOUS EVENTS ARE TAKING PLACE AROUND OUR CITY IN
[00:05:01]
AN EFFORT TO CREATE A MORE AWARE, ENGAGED, AND UNIFIED COMMUNITY HELPING TO ELIMINATE MODERN DAY SLAVERY.THE CITY OF HOUSTON SALUTES AND COMMENDS THE ORGANIZERS AND PARTICIPANTS OF THIS WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR, AND WE EXTEND OUR BEST WISHES FOR SUCCESSFUL AND REWARDING MONTH OF EVENTS AND SERVICE.
THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON DUE, HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 2024, IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH.
I WOULD LIKE TO BRIEFLY SAY THANK YOU TO YOU.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
I KNOW I SPEAK FOR ALL THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UH, IN, IN ALL THE VERY FINE DIRECTORSHIPS OF HOW WE CAN NEVER BECOME COMPLACENT.
I KNOW AUSTIN FOR YEARS, HAS INCREASED THE PENALTIES FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
WE'VE ACTUALLY CREATED IN AUSTIN A SCHOOL ZONE TRAFFIC FREE ZONE.
SO WE'VE DONE OUR PART OF INCREASING THE PENALTIES, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO BE SO PROACTIVE AND OVERCOME THE LANGUAGE BARRIERS, THE, THE, THE YOUTH THAT ARE SO, UH, PREYED UPON.
SO I JUST THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE DESIGNATE THIS MONTH AND WE ALL REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS.
OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ARE DOING MUCH OF THE WORK, OUR SOCIAL AGENCIES, OUR NONPROFIT, AND THE FAITH COMMUNITY.
AND I COULD GO ON AND ON HOW WE HAVE TO HAVE LAYER UPON LAYER OF PREVENTION AND ENFORCEMENT.
SO, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS BEFORE COUNCIL.
I APPRECIATE YOU, MAYOR, AND FOR THE KIND WORDS THAT YOU SAID, I, IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME.
SO, AT TAMIKA WALKER, THE CEO OF UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING, IT'S BEEN SUCH A BLESSING EVERY YEAR TO STAND BEFORE YOU AND TALK ABOUT THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, AS AN ORGANIZATION AND ALSO WITH, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MANY, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT A, A BIG PIECE THAT I WANNA REALLY EMPHASIZE IS THAT THIS IS HAPPENING HERE IN OUR CITY.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, UH, COME TOGETHER TO COMBAT THE ISSUE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
IT'S SOMETHING AS AN ORGANIZATION THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR 19 YEARS.
UH, AND SO UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE, BUT ALSO UNDERSTANDING THAT AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO BRING LIGHT TO THE ISSUE, TO THE DARKNESS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
AND I THINK THE BEST WAY THAT WE DO THAT IS ABOUT COMING TOGETHER AND REALLY WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UH, UH, TO CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND FOR MANY YEARS, MENINO PATEL DAVIS HAS DONE A GREAT JOB SUPPORTING US IN THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
AND I THINK ULTIMATELY, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S IMPACTING ALL OF US.
IT, IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY, UH, IT'S NOT DISCRIM, IT'S NOT DISCRIMINATORY, RIGHT? EVERYBODY'S IMPACTED BY IT.
OUR YOUTH, UH, ADULTS, UH, MEN AND WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE IMPACTED BY HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
AND I THINK A LOT OF TIMES, UH, THERE'S A MISUNDERSTANDING IN MYTHS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE, THERE ARE ONLY CERTAIN POPULATIONS THAT ARE IMPACTED, AND IT'S HAPPENING OVERSEAS, AND IT'S HAPPENING IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR THAT IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE, RIGHT? UH, AND AS AN ORGANIZATION, WHAT WE DO WITH THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE IS REALLY CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
WE'RE CALLED UNITED AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING FOR A REASON.
WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF, OF, OF US COMING TOGETHER.
AND I THINK THAT AS WE SIT HERE TODAY, KNOWING THAT YOU MADE TIME FOR US, IS, IS, IS REALLY, UH, IT TOUCHES MY HEART.
UH, AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THAT WE COGNIZE THAT ABBY AND MEANO AND EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS HAPPEN, UM, BECAUSE AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU GUYS, RIGHT? UM, SO I REALLY WANNA TAKE A TIME TO REALLY HONOR OUR STAFF, WHO REALLY DO ALL THE GREAT WORK.
SO IF WE CAN GET A ROUND APPLAUSE FOR UNITED, AGAIN, HUMAN TRAFFICKING STAFF, CAN WE COME AND SHOW HIM LOVE RIGHT HERE? YEAH.
I WOULD LIKE HIM TO, TO STAND UP, BECAUSE THESE, YEAH.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, BY TRADE, I'M A SOCIAL WORKER, SO I BELIEVE IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO HONOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE WORK, RIGHT? WHO ARE REALLY DOING THE HARD WORK.
SO, YOU KNOW, TIDA, LENE, UH, ALL, SARAH, ERIC, I CAN NAME YOU ALL.
KEN, EVERYONE THAT'S HERE, JAYDEN, THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THEM UP, UH, TO THE PODIUM, UH, TO SHARE THIS MOMENT AS WELL, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS.
WE HAVE SOME OF OUR PARTNERS HERE, HPD, COME ON WITH, COME ON, SERGEANT GRA, HPD, RED M UH, WE HAVE KIMBERLY IN THE ROOM IF YOU WANNA COME UP, IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT.
SO WE JUST WANNA BRING THEM UP ALSO.
UH, ANY MEMBER NIECY, COME ON, COME ON UP.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, TO, TO HONOR THE SURVIVOR LEADERS AS A ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE AN AWESOME SURVIVOR LEADER IN THE ROOM, AND NIECY HAMILTON, WHO'S BEEN THERE FOR US, IF WE CAN GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND DONE SOME GREAT WORK AND HER SWEET, SWEET BABY AND HER SWEET BABY.
SO, JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL ABOUT LOVE AND CONNECTION AND REALLY ELEVATING THIS CONVERSATION.
AND TO BE ABLE TO BE DOING THIS GREAT WORK AND KNOWING THAT YOU MADE IT HAPPEN AND THAT YOU LOVE THE WORK THAT WE DO, AND THAT YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN ADVOCATE MEANS THE WORLD TO US.
I'M HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
CONGRATULATIONS FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND SO JUST KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE
WE DO HAVE A, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TE UH, AND I HAD TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, TAMIKA, SHE WAS MY BOSS FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS.
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BAKER RIP.UH, ANYTHING THAT TAMIKA DOES IS DEFINITELY, UH, IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE SOMETHING GREAT, UH, AND HONORABLE AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN, UH, THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH, OF COURSE, MANEL AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING, UH, THIS, THIS ISSUE SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT I COVERS I 10 AND 45, AND WE DO SEE A LOT OF CHALLENGES ALONG BOTH OF THOSE, UH, UH, FREEWAYS.
AND SO, UH, HOWEVER MY OFFICE COULD BE OF SUPPORT, UH, TAMIKA, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER.
SO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO, AND, AND YOU'RE DOING IT.
I, I CALL OUT THIS LITTLE BABY GIRL ARIA RIGHT HERE, THAT NIECY ISS HOLDING THE WORK YOU DO WILL IMPACT GENERATIONS TO COME.
AND YOUR EDUCATION AND AWARENESS THAT YOU PROVIDE, UH, I KNOW IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF WHAT YOU DO.
AND I JUST SAY, GOD BLESS YOU AND CONTINUE TO DO THE GOOD WORK, BECAUSE YOUR WORK WILL AFFECT GENERATIONS THAT YOU NEVER, EVER WILL KNOW.
AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THE CITY DIRECTOR PATEL DAVIS.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, REPRESENTED IN THESE SPACES.
GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE, AND WE NEED PARTNERS LIKE YOU TO CONTINUE THIS GREAT WORK FOR OUR CITY.
SO, UH, BEST WISHES, AND LET'S KEEP GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT THIS TRAGEDIES.
AND IT, UM,
I WANNA TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY FRIEND DR.
NIECY HAMILTON, WHO IS SO VERY AWESOME.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE EVER SEEN HER TALK TO THE YOUNG WOMEN AND MEN, UH, BUT SHE IS PHENOMENAL.
SO, I'M, I'M I, I GOTTA DO THIS.
I KNOW I MAY BE OUTTA ORDER, BUT YOU KNOW ME.
[2:00 P.M. – INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
GOOD.CHAIR RECOGNIZES, COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ FOR THE IMPLICATION.
UH, SO I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP DR. CARLSON FROM THE ROCK CHURCH, IF YOU CAN PLEASE COME UP.
UM, I, I JUST WANNA SHARE A FEW WORDS BEFORE I, UM, SHARE A SHORT BIO OF DR. CARLSON.
UM, SO DR. CARLSON HAS A CHURCH OUT IN THE BROAD BROADWAY HOBBY AIRPORT AREA.
AND, UM, THERE'S A LACK OF SERVICES IN THAT SPECIFIC COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S NO COMMUNITY CENTER WHERE THERE'S LACK OF, UH, CLINICS, AND THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEONE THAT I CAN CALL ON.
UH, WE OPENED UP A WARMING CENTER THERE THIS PAST WEEK, UH, MAYOR AND WITH YOUR SUPPORT.
AND, UH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S EVER A TIME THAT I'VE CALLED DR. CARLSON OR HIS STAFF AND, AND THERE'S BEEN A NO.
UM, HE'S ALWAYS THERE TO OPEN UP HIS DOORS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BUT THREE YEARS AGO, WE HAD AN APARTMENT FIRE OUT IN THE HOBBY AIRPORT AREA, AND RIGHT AWAY CALLED HIM AND WE WERE ABLE TO SET UP SHOP TO HELP THOSE FAMILIES AS WELL.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, THANK YOU TO DR. CARLSON, UH, TO THE CONGREGATION AS WELL AT THE ROCK.
THEY'RE ALWAYS SUPER SUPPORTIVE, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, HE'S GONNA BE SAYING A FEW WORDS, UH, FOR US AS WELL, PRAYER.
BUT BEFORE THAT, IF I CAN JUST SHARE, UH, HIS, HIS BIO.
SO, DR. CARLSON IS AN APOSTLE AND SENIOR PASTOR OF THE REFLECTIONS OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM WORLD OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL, A WORLDWIDE ORGANIZATION, BIBLE CENTERED SPIRIT FIELD, COMMUNITY BUILDING, AND KINGDOM MINDED CHURCH
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HEADQUARTERED IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.DR. CARLSON IS ONE OF THE NATION'S FOREMOST KINGDOM THEOLOGISTS AND DOWN TO EARTH PASTORS WHOSE RADICAL MESSAGE AND RAW DELIVERY ARE KNOWN ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
DR. CARLSON IS A, IS A KINGDOM DRIVEN MAN.
A KINGDOM MISSION POSSESSING A, AN APOSTOLIC CALLING, PROFOUND PASTORAL INSIGHT.
IN ALMOST FOUR DECADES OF EXECUTIVE PASTORAL MINISTRY EXPERIENCE, GOD SAID, DR. CARLSON DECIDE TO BE AIG, SIGNIFICANT LEADER IN THE KINGDOM REFORMATION MOVEMENT.
HE IS A WORLD RENOWNED FOR, FOR HIS EXPERTISE ON THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
HENCE, THE KINGDOM VOICE EMPHASIZING ITS JEWISH CONTEXT AND MESSAGE OF POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, APOSTOLIC ORDER, SONSHIP AND SERVICE DR. CARLSON HAS IDENTIFIED, EQUIPPED, EQUIPPED, IT, PLANTED, AND OVERSEEN HUNDREDS OF BIBLE CENTERED SPIRIT FIELD, COMMUNITY BUILDING, KINGDOM-MINDED LEADERS AND CHURCHES ON FOUR CONTINENTS, NORTH AMERICA, AFRICA, EUROPE, AND ASIA.
ALTHOUGH HE HAS, HE WAS A HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT FROM CHICAGO, DR. CARLSON HAS EARNED THREE DR.
HERTZ AND FOUR MASTER'S DEGREES, MAKING HIM ONE OF THE TOP 1% OF AFRICAN AMERICAN SCHOLARS IN THE US.
DR. CARLSON ALSO HOLDS SEVERAL EXECUTIVE CERTIFICATE CERTIFICATIONS FROM MIT NORTHWESTERN, KELLOGG, COLUMBIA.
DR. CARLSON IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE DISTINGUISHED KAPPA ALPHA SI FRATERNITY INCORPORATED.
DR. CARLSON IS A PROLIFIC SCHOLAR, AUTHOR WITH MORE THAN 230 PLUS BOOKS, DEVOTIONAL GUIDES, CURRICULA.
HE IS THE FOUNDER AND CHANCELLOR OF THE KINGDOM BIBLE UNIVERSITY, KINGDOM THEO THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.
DR. CARLSON IS ALSO A DYNAMIC AND GLOBALLY RE RENOWNED SPEAKER WHOSE MESSAGES HAVE BEEN BROADCAST ON T-B-N-B-E-T, DAYSTAR, THE WORLD NETWORK IMPACT, AND THE OMEGA NETWORK.
DR. CARLSON HAS ALSO BEEN A FEATURED SPEAKER, A FEATURED SPEAKER FOR THE INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN DR. CARLSON, FOR COMING.
UH, AND IF YOU CAN SHARE SOME, SOME OF THOSE WORDS WITH US, PLEASE.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS PROVIDE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.
AND I'M HONORED TO BE HERE STANDING AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO RENDER A PRAYER OF SUPPORT AND HELP BECAUSE YOUR WORK ISN'T EASY.
AND, UM, BUT IT'S VERY MUCH NECESSARY.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK THAT WE JUST BOW OUR HEADS NOW IN THE WORD OF PRAYER.
LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THESE MEN AND WOMEN THAT YOU'VE CALLED TO THE ARDUOUS TASK OF SUPPORTING ONE OF THE GREATEST CITIES IN THE WORLD.
AND GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THEIR TENACITY, THEIR PASSION, AND THEIR INTEREST IN BEING, UH, WORLD CHANGES BEGINNING HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
AND NOW, GOD, AS THEY MEET AND GATHER, WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD GIVE, UH, THEM THE VOICE OF UNITY, BECAUSE UNITY HAS A VOICE.
AND WHEN UNITY'S VOICE IS HEARD, THERE IS NOTHING THAT WE ATTEMPT OR TRY TO DO THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE.
GOD, WE PRAY NOW THAT YOU WOULD GIVE THEM CREATIVITY, INNOVATION, AND AN ABILITY TO BOTH ASSIMILATE AND INTEGRATE IDEAS THAT CAN CONTINUE TO PRODUCE A PROFITABLE AND MEANINGFUL CITY AS HOUSTON, TEXAS NOW CROWN THEM WITH WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, AND UNDERSTANDING, AND HELP US, GOD, TO BE AN ANSWER TO A HURTING WORLD.
IN JESUS' NAME, THANK GOD AND AMEN.
GOD BLESS YOU, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
MOMENT FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR
[ROLL CALL AND ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING]
SECRETARY, YOU'LL READ THE MAYOR WHITMEYER.COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN CHABA.
HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICK FLICKINGER WILL BE ABSENT.
COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN? PRESENT? COUNCILMAN CASTILLO? HERE.
COUNCILMAN PALMER WILL BE ABSENT.
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CONST.MEMBER ALCORN HERE NEED A MOTION TO DELAY THE MINUTES? CASTEX TAYLOR.
AND SECOND IT ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
NOW ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY PROCEDURALS.
NO PROCEDURAL MOTIONS? NO, SIR.
[PUBLIC SPEAKERS]
AND SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER, DAVID SMITH, TO BE FOLLOWED BY KEITH DOWNEY.MY NAME IS DR. DAVID MICHAEL SMITH.
I'M A SEMI-RETIRED POLITICAL SCIENTIST AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF HOUSTON UNITED FRONT AGAINST FASCISM.
I'M HERE THIS AFTERNOON TO ENERGETICALLY OPPOSE THE APPROVAL OF ANOTHER $1.7 MILLION TO FIGHT THE LAWSUIT FILED BY THE UNCLE OF DENNIS TUTTLE.
FOR ONE, I DO NOT THINK THE CITY OF HOUSTON SHOULD BE PAYING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BORROW A PHRASE TO DEFEND THE INDEFENSIBLE.
NEXT SUNDAY WILL BE THE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MURDER OF DENNIS TUTTLE AND REGINA NICHOLAS IN THEIR HOME BY HPD OFFICERS.
FOR SOME TIME, IT'S BEEN WIDELY KNOWN THAT THE NO-KNOCK SEARCH WARRANT ALLEGING NARCOTICS ACTIVITY THERE WAS BASED ON LIES, NOTHING BUT LIES.
WHILE FORMER OFFICER GERALD GERALD GOYS HAS BEEN INDICTED FOR FELONY MURDER, HE HAS STILL NOT GONE TO TRIAL.
FORMER OFFICER STEVEN BRYANT, AND I THINK FOR OTHER OFFICERS HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH FALSIFICATION OF GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS AND RELATED OFFENSES.
BUT TO DATE, THERE HAS BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT MEANINGFUL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE MURDER OF DENNIS AND REGINA.
THE FAILURE OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTRY IS KNOWN AND NOT WELL LOVED LIKE THE REST OF OUR COUNTRY.
GREATER HOUSTON HAS A LONG, UGLY HISTORY OF UNJUSTIFIED, MEANING AVOIDABLE KILLINGS BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY TARGETED AND VIOLENT CRIMES BY POLICE ARE USUALLY COMMITTED WITH IMPUNITY.
OUR LOCAL HISTORY INCLUDES THE HIGH PROFILE MURDERS OF CARL HAMPTON, JOE CAMPAS, TORRES IDA, LEE DELANEY, PEDRO ORGON, ELI ESCOBAR, COLLEEN KELLY, JORDAN BAKER, BRIAN CLU, ASHT, AND BARNES, ALBA, BRAZIL, MICHAEL MALDONADO, JOHN HERNANDEZ, JOSHUA JOHNSON, DANNY RAY, THOMAS, PAMELA TURNER, JOSHUA FEAST, AND SO MANY MORE.
AND SADLY, THESE KILLINGS HAVE CONTINUED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE TRAGIC DEATHS OF NICHOLAS CHAVEZ CHERRY AND LOCKETT, JALEN RANDALL, EDGAR LEONE, AND OTHERS AT THE HANDS OF HPD REMIND US THAT THE PLAGUE OF POLICE VIOLENCE WILL NOT END UNTIL WE RECOGNIZE IT IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM.
AND UNTIL WORKERS, OPPRESSED PEOPLE AND DEMOCRATICALLY MINDED PEOPLE, THAT'S WITH A SMALL D BUILD A MASS MOVEMENT TO END POLICE MURDERS.
GREATER HOUSTON RESIDENTS WHO'D LIKE TO HELP BUILD THIS MOVEMENT ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A DEMONSTRATION.
THIS SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 3:00 PM IN FRONT OF HPD HEADQUARTERS AT 1200 TRAVIS, TOGETHER, PROTESTERS WILL DEMAND AN END TO POLICE MURDERS AND THE IMPRISONMENT OF KILLER COPS.
THIS EVENT'S BEING ORGANIZED BY WE, THE PEOPLE ORGANIZED HOUSTON UNITED FRONT AGAINST FASCISM AND HOUSTON SOCIALIST MOVEMENT.
KEITH DOWNEY, TO BE FOLLOWED BY FRED WOODS.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
I'M SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PRESIDENT FOR CASHIER GARDEN.
ALSO THE VICE CHAIR OF THE ALLIANCE AM GONNA START OFF BY SAYING, WHY US? WHY AGAIN? WHY US? WHY AGAIN, ON DECEMBER 28TH, WE HAD THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR A RESILIENCE HUB.
ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF A RESILIENCE HUB IS A WARMING CENTER.
WE WERE COLD, WE WERE FREEZING LAST WEEK.
THERE ARE THREE MORE COMING ONLINE.
ONE IN A LEAF, ONE IN IN IN SUNNYSIDE, AND ONE IN ACRES HOME.
IF THERE NEEDS TO BE A PORTABLE GENERATOR BROUGHT IN, THEN THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES.
THE FALLACY OUT THERE IS CASHMERE FLOODED.
AND THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER FLOODED TOO.
IT DID NOT, THE COMMUNITY AROUND IT FLOODED.
[00:25:01]
THAT'S A HIGHER ELEVATION OF THE FOUNDATION OF THAT MULTI-SERVICE CENTER WHEN IT COMES TO RESOURCES.THE REASON I SAY WHY US, WHY, AGAIN, THIS DATES BACK TO HARVEY WHEN IT WAS THE TWO FREEZES, WHEN IT WAS COVID TESTING, WHEN IT WAS COVID VACCINE ADMINISTRATION, THERE WERE NO PENS ON THE MAP FOR NORTHEAST HOUSTON.
THAT'S OVER 200,000 RESIDENTS, LARGER THAN MOST MID MIDSIZE CITIES AND NO RESOURCES IN AN EMERGENCY.
YES, THE NORTHEAST MULTI-SERVICE CENTER OPENED.
WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT UNTIL, LIKE I SAY THE LAST MINUTE.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT NORTHEAST MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
IT SERVES AT LEAST FIVE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
FROM THE CITY, FOR A MULTI-SERVICE CENTER TO THE NORTH AND EAST AND THE WEST FOR THAT CENTER, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
COUNCILOR JACKSON, UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON.
I WAS, UM, GONNA GIVE YOU, MAY I SHARE THIS MR. DOWNING WITH THE COUNCIL HANDED OVER.
THIS IS A COPY OF THE SIGN AT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER,
UM, MR. DOWNEY, THANK YOU FOR, UM, JUST YOUR LEADERSHIP.
YOU KNOW, YOU AND I HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UM, THE RESILIENCE HUB NOT BEING OPEN.
UM, SEVERAL RESIDENTS, UM, IN DISTRICT B REACHED OUT AND, YOU KNOW, WANTED A FELT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A CENTER OPEN ON, ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE.
UM, I HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT THE NEED FOR A, UM, CENTER ON THE NORTH SIDE.
AND EVENTUALLY IT DID OPEN EVEN THOUGH IT WAS TOO LATE AND IT WASN'T BROADCAST.
AND SO, BUT I THINK MOVING FORWARD, UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH THE ADMINISTRATION STAFF ON COMING UP WITH A PLAN ON HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW, EVERYONE, UM, RECEIVE THE, THE, THE, THE SERVICES AND RECEIVE THAT SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING LIKE WHEN WE HAD THE FREEZE LAST YEAR, TRIED TO GET, UM, SOME OPEN, COULDN'T GET IT OPEN, BUT I'M HAPPY TO TO SAY THAT WE DID MAKE MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OF GETTING NORTHEAST, UM, OPEN.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE A RESILIENCE HUB.
SO JUST KNOW THAT I'M HAVING CONVERSATIONS.
THE MA THE MAYOR, HE'S BEEN, UM, UM, HIS TEAM BEEN TALKING TO OUR OFFICE ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO BETTER, UM, FOR THE NORTHEAST SIDE AND THE REST OF THE HOUSTON CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, REALLY QUICKLY, JUST FOR OUR INFORMATION, 'CAUSE I KNOW THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION HAS ACTUALLY BEEN DOING A GREAT NEW MODEL WITH, UM, WITH THIS FREEZE TRACKING HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS WERE UTILIZING DIFFERENT, UM, LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO IN THE AREA WHERE YOU RESIDE, MR. DOWNEY, UM, BASED ON YOUR CIVIC LEADERSHIP, BUT I KNOW THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS VERY PLUGGED IN THE COMMUNITY.
DO YOU HAVE, JUST FOR THE RECORD, UM, HOW MANY RESIDENTS YOU WERE PERSONALLY AWARE OF THAT DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, THE WARMING CENTER THAT WANTED ACCESS? WELL, I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER FOR THAT.
BUT, UM, LIKE I SAID, THAT NORTHEAST MULTI-SERVICE CENTER SERVES FIVE COMMUNITIES.
CASHMERE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER SERVES ABOUT TWO OR THREE COMMUNITIES.
AND THEN YOU HAVE FIFTH WARD MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AS WELL.
SO THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, PEOPLE SAID, WELL, WHY CAN'T CASHMERE PEOPLE GO TO DENVER HARBOR? THE ISSUE IS YOU HAVE A BRIDGE OVER A RAIL YARD.
AND, AND I JUST WANTED TO, UM, PIGGYBACK ON YOUR QUESTION.
THERE'S NO WAY, UM, I THINK LIKE WE, IT'S HARD FOR US TO KIND OF GAUGE WHO WOULD'VE WENT TO THESE CENTERS BECAUSE IT'S NEVER OPENED BEFORE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I TALKING AND PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW.
AND WHEN I TALKED TO DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, HE WAS LIKE, THEY HAD NEVER OPENED.
UM, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME NORTHEAST OPENED.
NOBODY SHOWED UP BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
BUT MOVING FORWARD, I THINK THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE A GREAT, A BETTER PLAN ON HOW WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THE NORTHEAST SIDE, BECAUSE THAT NORTHEAST SIDE, IT, IT, IT TAILORS TO, UM, IT CATERS TO, UM, HUMBLE AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HUMBLE, WE HAVE BORDERS VIEW.
THOSE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, THAT USE NORTHEAST MUSCLE SERVICE CENTER.
AND THEY COULD HAVE USED IT, BUT IT WASN'T OPEN.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. DOWNEY.
AND I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE PIECE.
DURING THE FIRST FREEZE THAT WE HAD, MS. HUEY GERMAN WILSON OPENED THE CITY WOULD NOT OPEN A CENTER, BUT SHE OPENED.
IT WAS A CHURCH THAT OPENED ON LOCKWOOD DOWN THE STREET, IF YOU REMEMBER THAT.
AND SO, UH, WE'VE DONE WHAT WE HAD TO DO.
LET ME SAY, I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THIS IS CERTAINLY MY FIRST FREEZE.
UH, AS MAYOR, WE LISTENED TO OUR DIRECTORS.
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UH, I WAS CONVINCED BY THE, UH, HEALTH DEPARTMENT PARK, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS THAT, UH, STAFFING CONSIDERATIONS WERE TAKING PLACE.UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON NOTIFIED ME.
THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND, UM, I THINK WE ALL, I CERTAINLY LEARNED, I THINK EACH INCIDENT IS, IS UNIQUE.
BUT AS YOU MENTIONED, THE COMMON DENOMINATOR IS PERHAPS NORTHEAST WAS NOT ADEQUATELY SERVED.
WE'LL DO AN AFTER ACTION INVESTIGATION.
WE'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU AND THE COMMUNITY, AND, UH, LISTEN TO OUR DIRECTORS AND, UH, MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
YOUR BEING HERE MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
FRED WOODS TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOETTA STEVENSON.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF NORTHWOOD MANOR CIVIC CLUB, AND I, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MR. DOWNEY AND OTHERS, A PART OF DISTRICT B UNITED, WHICH IS A COALITION OF EVERY SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD WITHIN DISTRICT B.
ALONG WITH SELECT CIVIC CLUBS, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, PRECINCT CHAIRS WANT YOUR COMMITMENT TO ENSURE THAT OUR MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS THROUGHOUT DISTRICT B BEING ACRES HOMES, NORTHEAST, CASHMERE GARDENS FIFTH WARD, AND THE JUDSON ROBINSON COMMUNITY CENTER, BE CONSIDERED FOR FUTURE WARMING COOLING CENTERS, AS WELL AS RESILIENCE HUBS.
WE ALSO REQUEST BETTER CLARITY AROUND HOW THESE CENTERS ARE SELECTED.
EQUALITY WOULD DICTATE THAT THE SAME NUMBER OF CENTERS ARE MADE AVAILABLE IN EVERY SINGLE LETTER.
DISTRICT EQUITY WOULD FURTHER SHIFT TO ENSURE THAT THOSE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE THE GREATER NEED, HAVE THE GREATER AMOUNT OF RESOURCES AND CENTERS.
FROM THE LIST OF CENTERS THAT I SAW AND WAS PROVIDED.
IT'S NOT OBVIOUS HOW THEY WERE SELECTED, NOR IF EQUALITY OR EQUITY WAS EVEN CONSIDERED IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE, THE AVAILABLE CENTERS, THEIR OPERATING HOURS, TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM, WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU, WOULD MEALS BE OFFERED? LET'S AGREE.
THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
NOW, IF THE RESISTANCE, THE HESITANCY FOR OPENING MORE CENTERS IS NOT HAVING ENOUGH RESOURCES, BE IT STAFF OR POLICE, TO ENSURE SAFETY, WE RECOMMEND TRAINING THE COMMUNITY TO FILL THE GAP IN STAFFING AND PARTNERING WITH OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES OUTSIDE OF HPD TO PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL OFFICERS REQUIRED.
LET'S FIND A SOLUTION THAT WE CAN AGREE UPON NOW TOGETHER, BECAUSE WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE NET, WHEN THESE CENTERS WILL BE NEEDED AGAIN, UH, AND WHEN, AND HURRICANE SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
NEXT, JOETTA STEVENSON, BE FOLLOWED BY DANIELLA FLANAGAN.
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND WELCOME MAYOR WHITMEYER.
UH, MY NAME IS JOTA STEVENSON AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE GREATER FIFTH WARD SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, I HOPE TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT SOME OTHER SUBJECTS, BUT I AM HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE WARMING CENTERS.
UM, I'M, I'M HEARING A LOT, YOU KNOW, I HEARD A LOT OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS BEEN SAID SO FAR, AND I'VE HEARD ABOUT, UH, A LOT OF TALKS THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT WHAT I HAVEN'T HEARD IS THROUGH THOSE TALKS, AND THERE'S BEEN TALKS EVER SINCE.
LET'S JUST START AT HURRICANE HARVEY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR OF HOUSTON, WHICH WAS THE HARDEST HIT AREA OF THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE'VE BEEN IN TALKS ABOUT EVERYTHING, THE TALKS, SOME SOMEHOW HAVE NOT TURNED INTO ACTUAL ACTION.
IT, IT HAVE NOT, UH, HELPED US SOLVE SOME VERY BASIC THINGS.
IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I'M LAYING IN BED TRYING TO NURSE MYSELF BACK TO HEALTH.
[00:35:01]
THE DENVER HARBOR, UH, A MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, WHICH WAS THE CLOSEST TO FIFTH WARD.AND THIS VOLUNTEERS, THEY'RE CALLING ME AND THEY'RE BEGGING FOR HELP FROM THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IN FIFTH WARD.
PLEASE, MS. STEVENSON, GET US SOME FOOD, GET US SOMETHING.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE OVERNIGHT AND, AND I GOT THIS CALL IN THE AFTERNOON, AND THEY'RE HUNGRY.
THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FOOD AND, AND WE CAN'T BRING FOOD ON BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD THAT WE CAN'T BRING OUTSIDE FOOD INTO THE CENTER.
SO I HAD TO GET OUT OF BED IN FREEZING COLD IN A HOUSE THAT WAS BUILT IN 1930 SOMETHING, BECAUSE FIFTH WARD IS ONE OF THOSE OLD COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE AT LEAST 3000 HOUSES THAT WERE BUILT BEFORE THE SEVENTIES.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A WARMING CENTER THAT HAD ABOUT 75 PEOPLE IN IT.
I'M DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY COLD TRYING TO FIND FOOD TO BRING TO THAT CENTER.
AND I, WE HAD TO BAG THEM, BAG EVERYTHING OUTSIDE IN THE COLD BECAUSE WE COULDN'T BRING IT INSIDE.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THE SOLUTIONS, BUT WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY DOING, TAKING ANY ACTIONS TO RESOLVE THINGS THAT ARE, TO ME, ARE SIMPLE, BE PREPARED.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EVERYTHING, RESILIENCE, BUT WE SEEM TO NOT BE ABLE TO DO SOME BASIC THINGS AS A MAJOR METROPOLIS.
CAN'T WE AT LEAST HAVE A WARMING CENTER THAT CAN HELP PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITIES? CAN'T WE AT LEAST HAVE ENOUGH WARMING CENTERS THAT NOT ONLY HELP AND POLICE DON'T HAVE, GET THE IDEA THAT THESE WARMING CENTERS ONLY HAD THE HOMELESS IN THEM.
THEY HAD SOME OF THOSE VERY PEOPLE THAT HAVE THOSE OLD HOUSES THAT THEY COULD NOT BE WARM IN.
THEY WERE FREEZING IN THOSE HOUSES.
I KNOW NOT ONLY HAD TO GO GET FOOD, I WAS ASKED TO FIND HEATERS FOR TWO OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THEIR EIGHTIES BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE HEAT IN THEIR HOMES.
IT, IT'S HEARTBREAKING WHAT TIME HAS EXPIRED AND WE CAN DO BETTER, MR. MAYOR.
AND I HOPE TO DO BETTER WITH YOU.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE.
AND MS. STEVENSON, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD AND, UM, YOUR, YOUR FELLOW COLLEAGUES AND RESIDENTS OF THE FIFTH WARD IN NORTHEAST AREA AS WELL.
AND, UM, WE NEED TO HEAR THAT.
WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL ON, UH, WHERE WE FELL SHORT AND WHERE WE CAN MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN, UM, YOURSELF AND MR. DOWNEY AND MR. WOODS, UH, ARE CORRECT.
AND I THINK THIS IS, UM, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM THAT WILL ALLOW US TO REEVALUATE OUR PROTOCOLS AND OUR SYSTEMS TO ENSURE THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
UM, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN PUT ON NOTICE, AND I'M SURE YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND OTHERS IN THE MAYOR, UH, ARE HEARING YOU LOUD AND CLEARLY AND SO AM I.
AND ALTHOUGH I DON'T REPRESENT THAT AREA OF TOWN, I WANT TO ENSURE THAT ALL PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED OF WARMING CENTERS AND SAFETY, UH, HAVE IT AVAILABLE TO THEM IN TRYING TIMES.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU AND MR. DOWNEY AND MR. WOODS FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
UH, IT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED AND I'M SURE, UH, COLLECTIVELY WE WILL DO BETTER GOING FORWARD.
THANK YOU, UH, MS. STEVENSON FOR ALWAYS COMING FORWARD.
IT'S REALLY APPRECIATED HOW YOUR COMMUNITY COMES OUT AND THEY SPEAK UP.
AND THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS IN MY AREA AS WELL.
I WOULD LIKE TO, WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN, SEEN THE THIRD WARD MULTI-SERVICE CENTER UTILIZE, BUT OF COURSE, THE MAYOR IS, THIS IS HIS FIRST, UM, FREEZE.
AND, UH, I'M SURE THAT HE'S LISTENING AND THAT THESE THINGS WILL, UH, BE ADDRESSED.
BUT CERTAINLY I WAS OUT MYSELF DISTRIBUTING HEATERS TO PEOPLE WHO DID NOT HAVE THEM.
FORTUNATELY, I, UH, WAS GIVEN SOME HEATERS AND AS I GOT CALLS, I PERSONALLY DROVE TO WHERE THEY LIVED AND, UH, IN MOST CASES, AND I DELIVERED THOSE.
SO WE ARE VERY MINDFUL OF THIS, BUT CERTAINLY WE WILL DO BETTER.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH TO YOU, MR. DOWNEY AND, UH, MR. WOODS FOR COMING FORWARD.
HI, MY NAME IS DANIELA FLANAGAN AND I WORK WITH A NEW LIBERTY ROAD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IN FIFTH WARD.
AND I FORMERLY WAS WORKING WITH THE COALITION OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, UH, IN FIFTH WARD WITH REVEREND CALDWELL.
AND I WANTED TO TAKE SOME TIME TO TALK ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE VOLUNTEERING IN THE WARMING CENTER AS THE, OUR FIRST OF THE FIFTH WARD, UH, CERT TRAINED FIRST RESPONDERS.
UM, AND IT WAS AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO
[00:40:01]
BE CALLED UP AND TO WORK IN THAT ENVIRONMENT.SO JUST AS A DEDICATED, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBER, I WANNA STAND BEFORE YOU TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES THAT CAME APPARENT DURING THE FREEZE AT THE WARMING CENTER IN DENVER HARBOR.
OUR COMMITMENT TO WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY IS UNWAVERING, AND IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE REFLECT ON OUR EXPERIENCES TO ENHANCE OUR SERVICES.
FIRSTLY, IS IMPERATIVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CHALLENGES WE FACED.
THE LACK OF ACCESS TO SHOWERS FOR FEMALES AND CHILDREN HIGHLIGHTED A GAP IN OUR PREPAREDNESS.
WE MUST PRIORITIZE THE WELLBEING AND DIGNITY OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUE PROMPTLY IS ESSENTIAL.
ADDITIONALLY, THE LACK OF COTS UNDERSCORED THE NEED FOR BETTER LOGISTICAL PLANNING.
PLANNING AND THE SIGNIFICANT GAP IN THE PREPAREDNESS RESPONSE.
THERE WERE ABOUT 90 PEOPLE AT DENVER HARBOR, AND THERE ARE AT LEAST 150 COTS, UH, AT OUR RED CROSS SHELTER IN FIFTH WARD THAT WE COULD HAVE TRANSFERRED OVER SO THAT THEY COULD BE BORROWED A LOAN TO DENVER HARBOR.
THE CHALLENGE WAS WE HAD AN 80 69-YEAR-OLD BLIND GENTLEMAN FROM FIFTH WARD WHO WAS LAYING ON THE FLOOR AND FOR TWO DAYS WITH A RED CROSS BLANKET.
AND THEN SINCE HE WAS BLIND AND DISABLED, WE DON'T WANT TO IN CAUSE ADDITIONAL DISCOMFORT.
UH, RAW GREEN IN EDIBLE BANANAS, CHEETO PUFFS AND WATER WERE PROVIDED FOR THE 24 HOURS FOR DAY ONE.
A CALL TO THE FOOD BANK WITHIN MILES OF DENVER HARBOR GARNERED THE RESPONSE THAT THEY COULD NOT SWAP THE RAW BANANAS FOR RIPE ONES, APPLES OR ORANGES.
HOWEVER, WITHIN 10 MINUTES, THE FOOD BANK DISTRIBUTION TRUCK DID SHOW UP TO DENVER HARBOR TO SWAP THOSE OUT.
SO THERE WAS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE FOOD BANK, UM, OR A BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION SO THAT WE COULD GET RID OF RAW UNEDIBLE BANANAS AND PROVIDE THEM SOMETHING OTHER THAN THAT.
UM, FURTHERMORE, THE ABSENCE OF WAY FINDING AND BUS PASSES FOR THE METRO AND THE HOMELESS WRAPAROUND SERVICES EMPHASIZE THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE THE AMAZING HOMELESS SERVICES WE HAVE HERE IN HOUSTON.
SPECIFICALLY, THE COALITION OF THE HOMELESS.
A WARMING CENTER OR A RESILIENT CENTER SHOULD NOT ONLY BE A PLACE OF SHELTER, BUT ALSO A HUB FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES CONNECTING INDIVIDUALS WITH THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES.
I WANNA EXPRESS MY HEARTFELT GRATITUDE TO THE FIFTH WARD, UH, PRESIDENT SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, JOE ATTA STEVENSON, KIMBERLY SATTERWHITE, THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE PROGRESSIVE FIFTH WARD CIVIC CLUB.
AND RITA ROBLES, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF DENVER HARBOR CIVIC CLUB, FOR THEIR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WITH PLENTIFUL DONATIONS OF SNACKS, FOOD, WATER, CLOTHING, WAY FINDING HOMELESS STUDENT SERVICES, AND HOMELESS VERIFICATION LETTERS.
THANK, JUST, JUST A MOMENT, MA'AM.
MS. PHILAN, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND FINISH YOUR, YOUR STATEMENT.
AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I TOOK TIME AS WELL TOO TO, THROUGHOUT OUR TIME AT THE WARMING CENTER, MS. SHOOK JONES WITH THE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT EXHIBITED UNPARALLELED LEADERSHIP, ENSURING THAT THE NEEDS OF THE VOLUNTEERS, SUPPORT AGENCIES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE OVERNIGHT GUESTS OF DENVER HARBOR WITH MET WITH RESOUNDING SUCCESS, EVEN WITH THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WERE GIVEN.
MS. SHOOK JONES WELCOMING SMILE, HUGS AND QUICK PIVOTING AND GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT, CREATED A COLLABORATIVE AND UNIFIED SPACE FOR ALL OF US TO SERVE, ESPECIALLY NEW MEMBERS LIKE MYSELF.
MS. SHOOK JONES CREATED A SPACE FOR ME TO BRING COORDINATED COMMUNITY ASSETS FROM FIFTH WARD IN DENVER HARBOR TO OUR FELLOW HOUSTONIANS.
AND TO HIGHLIGHT THE BEAUTY OF FIFTH WARD IN DENVER HARBOR.
I ALSO WANTED TO EXTEND MY APPRECIATION TO PASAL MONDI SEA, WHO SUPPORT AND COMRADERY DURING OUR TIME SERVING TOGETHER WAS GROUNDING AND SUPPORTIVE.
AND LASTLY, I WANNA THANK THE SANDRA EDWARDS, LIZ SCHULER AND THE HOUSTON EMERGENCY OFFICE, UH, OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND TRAINING.
ALL OF US IN FIFTH WARD, IN BOTH, UH, FIRST RESPONDER, AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN RED CROSS TRAINING.
THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS.
THANK YOU MS. FLANAGAN, FOR YOUR PRESENCE TODAY.
AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT THIS SITUATION, UH, IS DIARY AS IT WAS, BUT THERE NEED TO BE A PLAN PUT IN PLACE OUT OF ALL OF THE SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SPOKEN.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO THE MAYOR, AND AS HE EXPRESSED THAT THIS IS A FIRST FREEZE ON HIS ADMINISTRATION.
AND I THINK ALL OF US HAVE NOW BEEN MORE EDUCATED ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND THE REASON I WANNA SAY THIS TOO, ME, IS BECAUSE BACK FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT REMEMBER DOING THE, UM, KATRINA HURRICANE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON BECAME A SHELTER PLACE FOR SO MANY PEOPLE OUT OF THE, UH, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, INTO, INTO HOUSTON.
AND WE HAD A LOT OF CHURCHES AND OTHER ENTITIES THAT HELPED TO DO THAT.
I'M HOPING THAT WHATEVER PLAN IS ROLLED OUT BY YOU MAYOR, THAT IT WOULD INCLUDE
[00:45:01]
THE NECESSITY BECAUSE CHURCHES ARE IN ALL OF THESE, THESE COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST IN THE FIFTH WARD AND IN THE, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, CASHIER GARDEN COMMUNITIES, BUT THOSE CHURCHES ARE THERE AND THEY CAN BE GREAT RESOURCES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED.SO WHATEVER THAT PLAN IS, I'M HOPING THAT IT INCLUDE THAT, UH, AS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS PUT TOGETHER THE COALITION OF THE MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD TO THE, TO THE MAYOR, SO THAT WHEN THESE THINGS HAPPEN, WE BE ACTIVE IN IT JUST LIKE WE WERE IN 2005.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ON RECORD FOR STATING THAT THIS IS WHAT HELPED THE COMMUNITIES OUT A LOT.
LET ME JUST EMPHASIZE, IT MIGHT'VE BEEN MY FIRST FREEZE AS MAYOR, BUT IT WAS NOT THE FIRST FREEZE FOR THOSE THAT I LISTENED TO, PEOPLE THAT QUITE FRANKLY, WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK TO PREPARE THIS PLAN.
MR. WILLIAMS PARKS METRO FIRST RESPONDER, THE EMERGENCY CENTER.
SO WE HAD SOME OF OUR MOST EXPERIENCED AND BEST MINDS IN CITY GOVERNMENT LAID OUT THIS PLAN.
WE ALSO RESPONDED AND MADE ADJUSTMENTS AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE CONTACTING US.
SO NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR AN EXCUSE, BUT THE TRUTH IS, IT WAS A WELL PLAN, VERY EQUAL FAIRNESS BEING THE HIGHEST PRIORITY PLAN THAT MOST FOLKS BELIEVE WAS A GOOD PLAN ALWAYS CAN BE BETTER.
BUT I WAS LISTENING TO DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS RANK AND FILE EMPHASIZING, LET'S GET IT DONE.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE UNDERSTAFFED, UNDERFUNDED, THERE ARE OTHER DIFFICULTIES THAT MANY OF US ARE AWARE OF.
WE WILL, WE'LL DO AN AFTER ACTION REVIEW AND, UH, NORTHEAST WE'LL GET SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.
BUT DURING THE FREEZE, WE ALSO HEARD FROM MAGNOLIA, AND I COULD TALK ABOUT MOST OF THE CITY.
SO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DID A REVIEW OF THE CITY FOOTPRINT, PARTNERING WITH FAITH COMMUNITY, THE YMCA, CERTAINLY AN A LEAF.
AND, UH, IT WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT, UH, WILL IMPROVE ON.
BUT IT WASN'T BECAUSE ALL HANDS WERE NOT ON DECK.
OBVIOUSLY KEEPING PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS WAS A MAJOR FACTOR.
AND THANK GOODNESS THAT HISD ULTIMATELY USED GOOD JUDGMENT TO CLOSE OUR SCHOOLS.
SO LET'S ALL HANG IN THERE TOGETHER.
BUT EVERY COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT YES.
TO EVERY MEMBER SITTING AT THIS HORSESHOE.
YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY BEING HERE.
WE HAVE THANK YOU COUNCILOR JACKSON AGAIN.
I JUST WANTED TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT THE MAYOR SAID.
THANK YOU, MS. FLANAGAN, MR. WOODS, MR. DOWNING, AND, UM, MS. JOTA FOR COMING IN AND SHARING YOUR CONCERNS.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO THANK, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CHURCHES THAT DID THAT OPENED THEIR DOORS, COMMUNITY WORKS, CDC AND GREENHOUSE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH.
AND SO LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS YOU KNOW, UM, FIFTH WARD AND NORTHEAST NORTHWOOD MANOR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE FINE TUNE THIS PLAN.
AND SO I DON'T WANT TO JUST FORGET FOLKS THAT STEPPED UP 'CAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE STEP UP DURING THIS TIME.
AND SO, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD.
OBVIOUSLY
UH, ANYONE THAT NEEDED TRANSPORTATION COULD CALL 3 1 1 METRO WAS AVAILABLE.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE NOTICE THAT NORTHEAST OPENED, UH, WAS NOT COMMUNICATED AS WELL AS IT SHOULD.
SO, UH, NO EXCUSES WE CAN DO BETTER AND WILL DO BETTER.
GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR AND ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, MY NAME IS QUAN ODOM, A PASTOR OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH IN THE GREENSPOINT AREA.
AND WHEN I LOOK AROUND AND I SEE ALL OF YOU, ONE WORD THAT COMES TO MY MIND IS INVESTMENT AND THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH.
WE HAVE VARIOUS DIFFERENT GROUPS OF THE CHURCH FOR THE ELDERS FOR THE MIDDLE AGE, BUT I STAND HERE TODAY BASICALLY TO SPEAK ABOUT THE YOUTH.
I'M PRETTY SURE ALL OF YOU ARE AWARE, IT'S NO SECRET.
BUT HERE IN HOUSTON, WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH GUN VIOLENCE, GANG VIOLENCE, MURDER, RAPE.
I HEARD ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING EARLIER.
AND AS A VICTIM OF GANG VIOLENCE, GUN VIOLENCE, BEING A FORMER GANG MEMBER, SOME OF THE WORDS THAT USED TO DESCRIBE ME THERE IN NEW YORK WHERE I'M FROM, WOMANIZER, DRUG DEALER FAILURE.
[00:50:01]
BUT THE QUESTION IS, HOW WAS I ABLE TO BEAT THOSE ODDS WITH INVESTMENT? LIKE ALL OF YOU THAT ARE SITTING HERE BEFORE US THAT REPRESENT THE CITY COUNCIL, THAT REPRESENT HOUSTON.IF IT WASN'T FOR SOMEONE OR A FAMILY MEMBER, A CHURCH, SOMEONE INVESTED IN YOU, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT ANY OF YOU WOULD BE HERE.
ALTHOUGH YOU BELIEVED IN YOURSELF, SOMEBODY ELSE HAD TO BELIEVE IN YOU AS WELL.
AND IN THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH, THIS'S WHAT WE BELIEVE, EVERY SINGLE PERSON DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE.
AS A PERSON THAT WAS A VICTIM OF GUN VIOLENCE, AS I SAID.
BUT WHEN I CAME TO THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH, I WASN'T JUDGED SPECIFICALLY IN OUR YOUTH PROGRAM.
OUR YOUTH GROUP, THE PASTORS, THE COORDINATORS, THE HELPERS, THEY LOOKED AT ME AND THEY SAW SOMEBODY THAT COULD BE SUCCESSFUL.
NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS DID I THINK I WILL BE SITTING AND STANDING BEFORE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
I WAS EITHER HAVING ONE OF TWO OPTIONS, EITHER TO BE DEAD OR IN PRISON, BUT I'D BE BOTH OF THOSE ODDS BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENT I HEARD EARLIER SOMEONE SPEAK ABOUT INVESTMENT OF CHURCHES HELPING THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND THIS IS WHERE THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH COMES IN.
WE DON'T LOOK AT ANYBODY BASED ON THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, BASED ON THE FACT THEY COME FROM A BROKEN FAMILY, BASED ON THE FACT THAT THEY SOLD DRUGS, THEY'VE ROBBED, THEY STOLEN, BUT EVERYBODY DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE.
AND I JUST WANNA LEAVE ALL OF YOU WITH THIS THOUGHT THAT IF SOMEBODY DIDN'T INVEST WITH ME, WOULD I BE SITTING HERE NOW? SO I JUST WANNA ASK YOUR HELP FOR US TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THE YOUTH AS WE HAVE SOME DAYS AGO IN HUMBLE TEXAS, MARIO YOUNG, THAT KILLED A STORE CLERK IN THE GAS STATION OVER A BAG OF CHIPS, A BAG OF CHIPS THAT THE CLERK WOULD'VE GAVE TO HIM FOR FREE IF HE TOLD HIM, OR A BAG OF CHIPS THAT IF HE ASKED SOMEBODY AT THE CORNER, HEY, CAN YOU BUY THIS BAG OF CHIPS? OR IF YOU DON'T, I'M GONNA END UP MURDERING SOMEBODY AND GO INTO PRISON.
I'M PRETTY SURE ALL OF US HERE IN THIS ROOM IN HOUSTON THAT HAS A HEART AND HAS A MIND, ANYBODY WOULD'VE GAVE HIM A THOUSAND BAG OF CHIPS.
BUT NOW HIS FAMILY, HIS MOTHER, HIS FATHER, IF HE HAS CHILDREN, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE HIM ANYMORE UNLESS IT'S BEHIND A PLATE OF GLASS.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT I KNOW ALL OF YOU ARE AWARE OF, BUT I JUST WANT YOUR TIME HAS TO BE ABLE TO HELP TO BE ABLE TO FINISH THIS SITUATION ONCE AND FOR ALL.
AND THANK YOU MR. ODOM FOR COMING IN AND SHARING.
UM, THANK THE, THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY IN GREENSPOINT PARTICULAR, RIGHT? YES.
UM, WOULD LOVE TO, UM, SHARE THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, UM, THROUGHOUT DISTRICT B.
UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY TRAINED 97, UM, CREDIBLE MESSENGERS, WHICH ARE PAID MENTORS.
THESE ARE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE ONCE BEEN IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COME OUT.
WE TRAINED THEM TO AND HIRING THEM, BASICALLY TO, UM, WORK WITH OUR AT RISK YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS AND WOULD LOVE TO, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATE WITH YOU.
UM, NOT ONLY ARE WE CONNECTING THEM TO MENTORS, BUT WE'RE CONNECTING THEM TO JOBS TOO.
BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE A JOB, THEN YOU'RE NOT OUT COMMITTING CRIMES.
AND SO WOULD LOVE TO, UM, PARTNER WITH YOU, SHARE MORE ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING AND, UM, YEAH, JUST, I I THINK MY CONSTITUENT SERVICE REP IS OUT THERE.
WE CAN GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION SO THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW UP WITH MY OFFICE.
GOD BLESS YOU FOR THE MILESTONE THAT YOU AND THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED.
UM, THOSE OF YOU, YOU SAY YOU'RE FROM NEW YORK AND YOU WAS AN EX GANG MEMBER.
I SERVED FOUR YEARS IN CHICAGO AS WELL AS A NAVY STONE.
AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
CRIME HAS BEEN ONE OF MY MAJOR SITUATIONS BECAUSE IT AFFECTS EVERYTHING NOT ONLY TO THE EXTENT OF OUR YOUTH, BUT ALSO ECONOMICALLY WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT INVESTMENTS.
SO AGAIN, AS COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON SAID, WE DO WANT TO, UH, BE LET YOU BE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT I'M IN THE PROCESS AS AN AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER TO IDENTIFY THAT SITUATION.
MY DIRECTOR CONSTITUENCY IS HERE.
HE'LL CONTACT YOU SO THAT WE CAN PARTNER WITH NOT ONLY CONSTABLE JACK, BUT EVERY DISTRICT AS WELL AS AT LARGE TO MAKE THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS A SERIOUS ISSUE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TO COME DOWN AND, UH, PRESENT THAT TO US TODAY.
MY NAME IS JOSEPH SMITH SENIOR.
I'VE DEALING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BY MY IDENTITY THEFT.
I USED TO WORK FOR THE CITY AND EVERYBODY LIKE THEY CAN'T
[00:55:01]
LOCATE ME.SO THE GENTLEMAN WHO LEFT MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER HAD HIM TO WORK ON IT, ARE YET TO HEAR ANYTHING FROM HIM.
NOW I'M FINDING OUT SOME PEOPLE IS DID GETTING DISABILITY IN MY NAME AND THEY GETTING MY SOCIAL SECURITY.
I CAN'T RECEIVE A SOCIAL SECURITY CARD.
AND THEY ALSO SAYING THAT, UH, I HAD A DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE AND HOME DEPOT DID DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE AND CHILD SUPPORT, BOUGHT THE CASE OUT SAYING I OWED $107,000 WORTH OF BACK CHILD SUPPORT AND I DON'T OWE ANY CHILD SUPPORT.
SO I WENT TO AUSTIN AND GOT MY DRIVING LICENSE.
SO IF I OWE THIS MUCH MONEY, HOW DO I GET CDL LICENSE FROM AUSTIN? AND NOW THEY SAYING I OWE SOME MONEY BACK TO UNEMPLOYMENT.
HARRIS COUNTY, CITY OF HOUSTON SAYING I OWE HARRIS COUNTY, I GO TO AUSTIN.
EVERYTHING CLEAR, BUT I'M GETTING ALL THESE LETTERS SAYING I'M ING ALL THIS MONEY LIKE THIS FROM UNEMPLOYMENT SAYING I OWE SOME MONEY FROM, FROM I GOT A JOB HOW I'M GETTING UNEMPLOYMENT.
SO, AND THEN WHEN I GO TO SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE, THEY TELLING ME, THEY TELLING ME SOMEONE HAD HIRED A LAWYER TO GET SOCIAL SECURITY AND I GO TO THE LAW FIRM, THEY DON'T KNOW ME, BUT THE SOCIAL SECURITY PEOPLE SAYING THAT, SAYING THAT, UH, I CAN'T GET NO INFORMATION 'CAUSE I'M THE THIRD PARTY, BUT IT'S MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.
THEY, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET IN WITH THEM FOR TWO YEARS.
SO AFTER BEING WITH MY WIFE FOR 33 YEARS, WE DECIDED TO GET A DIVORCE.
MAYBE ALL THIS TO COME OUT IN FAMILY COURT, BUT HARRIS COUNTY WON'T EVEN MUCH PUT ME IN, WON'T EVEN LET ME DIVORCE MY WIFE.
SO ALL THIS STUFF GOING, I'M TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING LIKE THE KID.
MY SON NAME IS JOSEPH SMITH JR.
WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEY STARTED GARING MONEY OUTTA MY CHECK FOR JOSEPH MOSS.
AND WHEN I TALKED TO SYLVESTER TURNER ON IT, NOTHING HAPPENED HAPPENED.
AND I GOT CUSTODY OF MY SON AND I GOT ALL THE PAPERWORK SHOWING THE CUSTODY.
BUT HIS MOTHER KEEP HAVING KIDS, PUTTING THEM IN MY NAME AND I CAN'T DO NOTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY MAILED UP STUFF TO ANOTHER ADDRESS.
AND I'M THE KID FAR BY DEFAULT.
BUT THEN I'M SHOWING ALL THE PAPERWORK WHERE IT'S DISMISSED.
BUT, AND THE POLICE OFFICERS WON'T DO ANYTHING.
THE WOMAN I TELL THEM SHE VANDALIZED MY CAR, SHE TELL THEM TO TAKE PICTURES OF IT.
THE PEOPLE AT THE APARTMENT CALLED HER, BUT THEY WON'T ARRESTED.
'CAUSE IF THEY ARREST HER, THEY'LL SEE ALL THE STUFF FAMILY COURT IS DOING TO ME AND MY FAMILY.
THE WOMAN IS THERE WITH BRICKS.
TIME HAS EXPIRED TAKING THE WINDOW OUT.
BUT SHE'S SUPPOSED TO BE SCARED OF ME, BUT SHE TAKING MY, SHE VANDALIZED AND SHE'LL TELL THE THE OFFICERS SHE DID IT, BUT SHE WON'T GO TO JAIL.
BUT I'M GETTING ALL THESE KIDS PUT IN MY NAME AND IT'S SHOWING THAT ALL OF 'EM SMITH.
AND NOW MY KIDS, I'VE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM ALL OF THIS AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW MY NAME.
SO CAN I ASK THEM WHAT HE DID TO, UH, MR. TURNER ASKED HIM TO CHECK ON THIS? WE'LL, WE'LL FOLLOW UP FOR SURE.
SABRINA GRAY, BENJAMIN BROADWAY, BENJAMIN BROADWAY, SAMMY FORD.
DICK TYSON TO BE FOLLOWED BY LISA JENKINS.
JOHN, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW HAPPY I AM TO SEE YOU SITTING IN THAT CHAIR.
I I I REALLY APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO WALK UP HERE WITHOUT MY WALKER AND I HOPE I DON'T GET
[01:00:01]
SICK BECAUSE NORMALLY, UH, EVENTS OF THIS NATURE, UH, I HAVE A STOMACH THAT DOESN'T REACT WELL.BUT I WROTE SOMETHING AND I HOPE I GET A CHANCE TO READ IT.
IT IT, UH, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER AND I STAND BEFORE YOU WITH ONE REQUEST.
PLEASE ASK THAT NO INVESTIGATION BE CLOSED THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN.
THAT'S FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, OR ANY.
THE EVENT YOU USE AS AN EXAMPLE OF BEGGING FOR YOUR LIFE IS ONE OF MANY.
WE WERE BOTH BLESSED WHEN MY 450 POUND FRIEND CHRISTOPHER, WE CALLED HIM CHRISTMAS AND WE NAMED HIM CHRIS CAME BOUND IN DOWN THE ROAD.
HE AND I WERE BOTH BADLY HURT THAT NIGHT.
SO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY COULD LIVE AND YOUR MONEY COULD BE USED IN THIS ELECTION BECAUSE WE CAUGHT SOME, WE WERE ABLE TO GET HELP THERE.
AND I SALUTE YOU FOR YOUR HONESTY AND YOUR COURAGE AND YOUR FAMILY.
SO I'M VERY PLEASED THAT YOU'RE IN THAT CHAIR.
LEADERS HAD A FIRM BELIEF IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT STARTED THIS NATION.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WAS STARTED BY OLD HICKORY WITH HIS CAMPAIGN AGAINST POLITICAL CORRUPTION BY FOREIGN INTEREST OF MONEY AND POWER.
NOW WE'VE GONE FULL CIRCLE AND RETURN TO TAMMY HALL POLITICS OF HIRED THUGS, TRIBAL DIVISIONS AND STREET GANGS TO FORCE AND DEMAND ALLEGIANCE.
AND THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT SUBJECT.
NO NATION CAN SURVIVE WITH A TAX, A CORRUPT TAX SYSTEM LIKE WE NOW HAVE.
THAT'S HOW YOU'RE GONNA GET THE MONEY FOR PUBLIC INTEREST.
AND IF YOU'LL REMEMBER THE OLD BARBELL AND GARDENS WHERE YOUR BROTHER AND HIS WIFE AND YOU AND, AND WE SAT THERE BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO HAVE EVENTS.
AND I CAN REMEMBER HOW THERE I WARNED THAT HAD TRIED TO STOP, ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY STOPPED A HOT TAP ON THE VERY COLD, HIGH PRESSURE PIPELINE.
AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NO PROBLEM RESULT.
NO MORE GARDEN AND MANY FOLKS WERE HURT.
PIPELINES AND ELECTRIC LINES ARE A HUGE PROBLEM AS OUR CHEMICAL AND TRAIN LEAKS AND EXPLOSIONS.
TO QUOTE FORMER CITY SECRETARY ANNA RUSSELL, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HAS GONE TO HELL IN A HAND BASKET.
MRS. RUSSELL WAS A GREAT AND HONEST PUBLIC SERVANT, THE WAY HER HOME AND OFFICE WAS TREATED, CAUSED HER DEATH AND SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
CAN I SUBMIT IT PLEASE AND WRAP UP? I'M ENJOYING LISTENING TO YOU, BUT SIR, I SAID TRY TO WRAP UP.
CAN I LEAVE IT ON YOUR HANDS? YOU BET.
I'LL GO GET WELL, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT, JOHN, BECAUSE I LIVE IN ALVIN, THE CROSSROADS OF THE GULF NOW, THE BIGGEST REC CENTER IN TEXAS.
AND I'M PLEASED THAT IT'S JUST WHAT'S HAPPENED TO OUR COMMUNITY IS NOT GOOD.
BUT LET ME LEAVE THIS WITH WE HAVE A CITY.
IT'S A POLICE WORLD AND I'M GLAD OF THAT BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE'RE IN ANARCHY.
AND WE USED TO HAVE METRO THAT WOULD THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOU COVER EIGHT COUNTIES OR 12 OR 15.
SO GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR ENDEAVOR TO GET A PLAN THAT WORKS FOR THE REGION.
BE SAFE LISA JENKINS TO BE FILED BY JARVIS TILLMAN.
[01:05:01]
GOOD EVENING.I JUST COME HERE WITH NO, UH, I COME HERE TO THANK YOU FOR WHAT THE PREVIOUS MAIL DID AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT FOR THE EVERGREEN NEGRO CEMETERY.
AND I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF YOU FOR WINNING YOUR ELECTION AND TO HELP THIS GREAT CITY OF OURS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SAY WAS, I WANT TO HELP YOU, MAYOR, HELP US WRONG, RIGHT? A WRONG THAT WAS DONE TO THIS HISTORIC PROPERTY.
OKAY? AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE WRONG, WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERRED UNDER THE STREET OF LOCKWOOD.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO BE REBURIED IN A BEAUTIFUL PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND VISIT THEIR LOVED ONES.
SHE SAID DON'T READ IT, BUT I'M GONNA READ IT.
OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR YOUTH AND ADULTS TO JOURNEY TO HISTORICAL AREAS BY VISITING THESE PLACES WHERE HISTORY IS ETCHED AND STOLE.
THESE PLACE PROVIDE THINGS, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO WE, FOR US TO REVISIT OUR PAST, LEARNING ABOUT OUR PAST, HELP US KNOW AND WHAT TO DO WITH THE FUTURE.
IT ALSO HELPS US HELP THE YOUTH, HELP THE YOUTH THAT UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR HERITAGE AND KNOWING ABOUT YOUR PAST WILL CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO BETTER YOURSELF.
SO WE WANNA INVITE YOU TO COME OUT TO WHAT THEY DONE.
WE TAKE A BLIGHTED PIECE OF PROPERTY AND CREATED A BEAUTIFUL SCENERY.
AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN.
THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR HELP, AND WE LOOK FORWARD AND WORK WITH YOU BECAUSE THE FIRST PART IS THE RESTORATION.
WE STILL, STILL NEED HELP IN GETTING IT READY TO REENTER OUR LOVED ONES.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND I'LL TAKE YOU UP ON THAT.
AND THANK YOU MS. JENKINS FOR UM, JUST YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR PASSION AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO PRESERVING OUR HISTORY.
UM, NOT JUST IN FIFTH WARD, BUT YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WELL DISTRICT BE IN PARTICULAR.
AND SO, LIKE I SAID, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND WHATEVER MY OFFICE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE WE GET LIGHTS.
I KNOW WE NEED SO SOLAR LIGHTS FOR SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS.
JUST REACH OUT TO ME, OKAY? OKAY.
KELVIN WILLIAMS TO BE FOLLOWED BY GENEVA.
DOING, UH, MY NAME IS KEVIN WILLIAMS. THEY CALLED ME THE URBAN FARMER.
UH, I RESIDE IN THE HISTORIC INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS, THE FIRST BLACK INCORPORATED CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I'VE BEEN GROWING FOOD IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR SOME YEARS.
MY MOTHER CAME ALL THE WAY FROM EAST TEXAS.
I WAS BORN IN 1964 FIFTH WARD, BORN RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CRISO PLANT.
ONLY THE WAY WE CAN HEAL OUR COMMUNITY IS TO DO IT TOGETHER.
WELL, IT AIN'T A NONPROFIT, IT IS ACTUALLY A CONSULTING FIRM.
IT'S CALLED THE HOOD IN THE POLITICS.
THE LETTER N THE NUMBER TWO POLITICS.
I'M EDUCATING MY COMMUNITY ON HOW POLITICS IS RAN.
SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH IT SINCE THE LAST WITH MY, I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN SHE GOT IN OFFICE.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M LOOKING AT SOME OF THE FOLKS BEEN HERE, SOME OF THE FOLKS KNEW TO INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS.
BUT WHAT I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW IS WE ALSO HAVE A STATE REPRESENTATIVE THAT'S BEING ATTACKED.
HER SIGNS OF BEING VANDALIZED, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD THINK THAT WE HAVE GOT BEYOND THAT.
AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE SHE HAD A VOTE.
SHE HAD A VOTE THAT A CHILD SHOULD AT LEAST BE 18 BEFORE THEY HAVE A SEX CHANGE.
AND IF WE CAN'T COME TOGETHER, AND I'M CALLING ON MEN, MEN OF GOD TO STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT, CAN'T NOBODY TELL ME THAT THIS WOMAN SHOULD BE GETTING HARASSED.
ALL THE THINGS THAT WAS SAID WITH EVERYBODY PRAYING AND ALL THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT GOD Y'ALL SERVE, BUT I SERVE A MIGHTY GOD AND MY GOD SAVIOR TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
[01:10:01]
GARDEN.THE DEAL IS WE NOT HEALING OUR COMMUNITY.
WE CAN COME UP WITH EXCUSES, BUT IT'S TIME OUT FOR IT.
I'M THE LAST OF THE BABY BOOMERS.
I'M HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.
IF YOU WANNA BE ASSOCIATED WITH ME, YOU GONNA HAVE TO STAND UP AND SAY THAT.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T STOP ME FROM DOING WHAT I'M GONNA DO.
I'M FIGHTING THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THEY TOOK ME TO JAIL FOR TRESPASSING WARRANT.
I GOT PAPERWORK RIGHT HERE AND ALL Y'ALL COULD LOOK AT IT IF YOU WANT TO.
AND THE DEAL IS, YOU WOULD THINK YOU ARE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS, TO KNOW THAT WHO'S THE RIGHTFUL PERSON TO BE IN PLACE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS THAT PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT AND YOU SAY YOU WANT TO CLEAN THEM UP.
HOW WE CAN CLEAN IT UP IS TO START PUTTING REGULAR PEOPLE WHO QUALIFIED TO TAKE CARE OF THEY COMMUNITY ON THESE COMMITTEES.
SEE, WHEN YOU HOLD SOMEBODY ACCOUNTABLE, YOU ABLE TO WORK WITH 'EM AND TALK WITH 'EM.
YOU CAN TALK WITH ME ON CAMERA.
THAT'S WHY I COME DOWN HERE TO LOOK ALL Y'ALL IN Y'ALL FACE.
YOU HEAR ME? THE LBGT COMMUNITY IS NOT THE AGENDA THAT WE ARE DOING IN MY COMMUNITY.
NEXT GENEVA, WALWORTH COLBERT IS NOT PRESENT.
RANDALL DAVIDSON, UH, UH, EACH WEEK I COME AND SPEAK TO YOU ALL AND MOST OF YOU ROLL YOUR EYES.
UM, TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME TO THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE ACTUALLY REPRESENTING THE CITIZENS RATHER THAN SPECIAL INTERESTS COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER AND THOMAS HAVE CHOSEN TO NOT ONLY STAND WITH HUMANITY, BUT WITH THE CONSTITUENTS THAT VOTED THEM INTO OFFICE.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, YOUR SPEECH THIS WEEKEND BROUGHT ME TO TEARS.
I'VE WATCHED THE VIDEO AT LEAST 15 TIMES BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME THAT THE WORK WE'RE DOING HERE IS NOT IN VAIN.
IT'S BECOME INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT MOST OF YOU DON'T REPRESENT YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
YOU REPRESENT THE DONORS THAT PAY FOR YOUR ELECTIONS.
IF YOU TRULY LISTEN TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, YOU WOULD TAKE THE STANCE THAT A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS TAKE, WHICH IS A BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR A CEASEFIRE.
IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO BE HONORABLE AND DO YOUR DUTY TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE.
ANYBODY STAYING NEUTRAL IS MORE CONCERNED WITH THEIR IMAGE TO APPEASE THE BIG SPENDERS THAN THEY ARE WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY PUT YOU INTO THIS POSITION.
CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE AND STAND WITH HUMANITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON HAS A QUESTION.
OR COMMENT, SIR? FOR FOR THE RECORD, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? UM, I DON'T NEED TO GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION.
I USE AN ALIAS TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM THE VIOLENT ZIONISTS THAT HARASS US.
MALIK ABBASI, I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF ONE OF OUR ORGANIZERS WHO HAD TO LEAVE EARLY.
THE ISRAELI OCCUPATIONAL FORCE IS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS TO, HE HAS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, SO HE COULDN'T ATTEND TODAY.
CAN I SPEAK ON HIS BEHALF? SO YOU'RE SPEAKING FOR SOMEONE ELSE? YES.
HE SIGNED UP TO TESTIFY AND HAD A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND HAD TO LEAVE.
MOTION TO ALLOW MAD AND SECOND.
ISRAELI OCCUPATIONAL FIRST IS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS DESCRIBED AS TO REFER TO THEM TO THE IDEA F OF THE IDF OR BY DEFENSE FORCE AS A LIE GIVEN TO US BY THE OCCUPYING FORCE ITSELF.
AND BY AGREEING TO USE THIS TERM, WE DIMINISH THE VIOLENT BRUTALIZATION PALESTINIANS EXPERIENCE.
EVERY DAY, PALESTINIAN FAMILIES, INCLUDING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN, ARE UNEQUIVOCALLY BEING GENOCIDED, LIE FROM THE INTERNET WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY BEING STARVED AND HAVING THEIR HOMES, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, FARMS, MOSQUES, AND CHURCHES OBLITERATED.
IN THE FUTURE, CAN SOMEONE MAYBE NOT TOUCH MORE WITHOUT MY CONSENT THOUGH? I UNDERSTAND.
ACCORDING TO THE GENEVA CONVENTION, THIS OCCUPYING ENTITY HAS COMMITTED A MULTITUDE OF WAR CRIMES.
BUT EVEN OUTSIDE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW, WHAT IS OCCURRING IN PALESTINE IS UNIMAGINABLY TRAUMATIZING FOR THOSE TO BE LEFT, THEY'RE STRUGGLING TO SLEEP OUT OF FEAR.
THEY'RE STRUGGLING TO USE RESTROOMS DUE
[01:15:01]
TO MALNUTRITION.CHILDREN ARE DYING, ARE DYING OF HEART ATTACKS.
CHILDREN ARE FINDING WHAT APPEARS TO BE CANS OF FOOD LEFT IN SCHOOLYARDS WHEN IN REALITY THOSE CANS OR COMPACT BOMBS STRATEGICALLY LEFT TO MUTILATE ANYONE UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO FIND THEM ELDERLY OR BEGGING TO BE LEFT BEHIND OR EVEN KILLED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T BEAR THE PAIN TO WALK ANY LONGER.
AT A CERTAIN POINT, ACTIVISTS LIKE MYSELF BEGAN TO QUESTION THE PRODUCTIVITY OF SENDING MONETARY AID TO PALESTINIANS BECAUSE THE INTERNET AND SELF SERVICE WAS SHUT OFF.
AND THERE WAS TEMPORARILY NO WAY TO CONFIRM THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE EVEN RECEIVING OUR AID.
OVER A HUNDRED DAYS LATER, PALESTINIANS ARE RUNNING OUT OF FOOD AND SUPPLIES AND WE CAN'T SPEND THE LITTLE MONEY THAT WE HAVE AS THE IMPRESSION INTENSIFIES.
WHITE SUPREMACY, GREED IN THE NATURE OF CAPITALISM INTERTWINED INTO A VERY TOUGH ROPE THAT WERE ONE DAY DUE TO THE PRESSURE OF BROKEN SYSTEMS. YOU CHOOSE THE SIDE OF HISTORY YOU WISH TO STAND WITH.
THANK YOU TO TIFFANY THOMAS AND LAIA PLUMMER FOR CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE.
I ADVISE THE RIGHTS OF YOU TO FOLLOW SUIT AS PALESTINIANS ARE ASKING FOR OUR HELP.
AND PEOPLE IN AMERICA AND ACROSS THE WORLD ARE WAKING UP TO THE GRIM REALITY THEY'VE BEEN FORCED TO PARTAKE IN.
I'D LIKE TO OPEN UP TO QUESTIONS.
I KNOW WE COME REGULARLY AND I KNOW Y'ALL KNOW WHO WE ARE, SO I WANT TO KNOW HOW WE CAN HELP YOU.
BEST, MAYOR WHITMEYER, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR TERM.
WILL YOU BE A PART OF THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY? CAN WE HELP THE REST OF YOU? CAN WE ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS? WHAT CAN WE DO TO SUPPORT YOU? THANK YOU, MA'AM, FOR BEING HERE.
UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A PROCEDURAL MOTION TO ADD NOREEN PASCAL BEFORE JONATHAN SELLERS SECOND.
I AM TED WESCO, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL ON JANUARY 14TH, BEFORE FRIENDS AND FAMILY, INCLUDING MY ONLY SIBLING, MY SISTER, I GOT MARRIED.
WHAT WAS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF MY SISTER IS THAT SHE CAME HERE FROM THE PLACE THAT SHE'S CALLED HOME FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS.
ISRAEL, WHAT'S ALSO SIGNIFICANT IS THAT SHE'S GOING BACK AND THAT I FEAR I MAY NEVER SEE HER AGAIN.
SO WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL? FIRST, I AM YOUR CONSTITUENT.
AND AS THE WAR IN GAZA AND ISRAEL CONTINUES, I AM AFFECTED.
SECOND, THERE ARE FORCES IN THIS CITY WHO ARE ANGRY WITH ONE ANOTHER.
THAT IS NOT UNUSUAL, BUT IT'S GREATER AT THIS TIME IN HISTORY.
YOU CAN FEIGN DENIAL OR YOU CAN STEP UP AND DO SOMETHING.
YOU CAN MAKE AN EFFORT TO BRING, BRING TOGETHER, BESIDES REPRESENTED IN HOUSTON, JEWISH, ISRAELI, GAZEN, MUSLIM, MILITARISTIC PACIFISTIC, YOUNG OLD TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE OTHER IS COMING FROM, AND TO BEGIN A DIALOGUE THAT MIGHT ILLUSTRATE A PATHWAY TO PEACE.
IF WE CAN DO IT HERE, PERHAPS THEY CAN DO IT THERE.
MAYOR WHITMEYER, YOU'VE SAID THAT YOU WANT TO REDUCE CRIME IN HOUSTON.
IF I'VE HEARD YOU CORRECTLY, IN SUMMARY, YOU'VE SAID THAT YOU WANT TO INCREASE REASE, THE POWER OF THE POLICE.
I HOPE YOU'LL CONSIDER ANOTHER WAY, THE WAY OF THE CARROT, INSTEAD OF EXPENDING CITY RESOURCES ON INCARCERATION, HOW ABOUT LOOKING AT THE ROOT CAUSES AND STEPS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN TO ELIMINATE CRIME IN GAZA, HAMAS INITIATED VIOLENCE, BUT THEY DID IT UNDER A CLOUD OF REPRESSION THAT INCLUDED AND STILL INCLUDES ECONOMIC INEQUITY, A LIFESPAN 10 YEARS LESS THAN THAT OF ISRAELIS.
AND LITTLE HOPE THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE IN HOUSTON THAT RELATE TO THAT SENSE OF DESPERATION.
THIS IS HOUSTON WHERE WE ACCOMPLISH THE IMPOSSIBLE.
HOW CAN WE START? I HAVE IDEAS AND I KNOW MANY OTHERS WHO ARE READY TO SHARE THEIRS.
[01:20:01]
CAN ONE CAN ONE OR MORE OF YOU STEP UP TO BEGIN THE PROCESS.AS SOMEONE WHO'S CO-AUTHORED A BOOK ON ROBERT'S RULES AND MEETING MANAGEMENT AND ADVISED FORMER MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, READY HAS EXPIRED.
NEXT GAY HEART, BE FOLLOWED BY ANGEL CORTEZ.
SHALOM, SHALOM, UH, GREETINGS MAYOR.
UH, THE REST PROBABLY KNOW US.
WE ARE THREE WARS TONIGHT AND WE HAVE A FEW THAT HAVE COME TO BE IN UNITY.
AND, UM, FROM BEING, COMING HERE, UH, FOR TWO YEARS AND SPEAKING, UH, AND STANDING FOR UNITY, I HEAR SO MUCH, SO MUCH PAIN FROM EVERYONE.
AND THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO GET UNITY, MAYOR, ALL THE CITY COUNCIL, THIS WHOLE CITY.
AND THAT IS THROUGH LORD JESUS CHRIST.
SO, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, BECAUSE IF WE COME INTO UNITY IN PRAYER AND UNITE AND SOMETHING TOGETHER, THERE'LL BE A CHANGE.
AGAIN, TRULY, I TELL YOU, IF TWO OR MORE ON EARTH AGREE ABOUT SOMETHING, IT WILL BE DONE BY MY FATHER IN HEAVEN.
BECAUSE WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED IN MY NAME, I AM THERE AMONG THEM.
SO WE KNOW, UH, THERE ARE SOME UNBELIEVERS, BUT YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IN SOMETHING.
SO YOUR LAST THOUGHT AND YOUR LAST BREATH, WE HOPE IT IS JESUS BECAUSE THERE WON'T BE ANOTHER CHOICE AFTER THAT.
SO I'D LIKE TO READ SECOND CHRONICLES, WHICH I HAVE EVERY TIME I'VE COME, UH, SEVEN 13 THROUGH 15.
AND IT STARTS OUT WITH IF MY PEOPLE, EVERYONE, EVERYONE.
IF MY PEOPLE, BECAUSE THE LORD SAYS, WHEN I SHUT UP THE HEAVENS, SO THERE IS NO RAIN OR COMMAND LOCUSTS TO DEVOUR THE LAND OR SEND A PLAGUE AMONG PEOPLE.
WE ALL REMEMBER COVID, DON'T WE? IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, A WHOLE BUNCH OF THAT GOING ON, THEN I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND I WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN AND WILL HEAL THEIR LAND.
NOW MY EYES WILL BE OPEN AND MY EARS ATTENTIVE TO THE PRAYERS OFFERED IN THIS PLACE.
AND I HOPE A MAYOR THAT, UH, WE HAVE ALLOWED SATANIC CONCERTS IN HOUSTON AND WE LOST 10.
THEY WERE SACRIFICED, AND HE WAS ALLOWED TO COME BACK AND THANK YOU LORD.
WE WENT TO THE HOUSTON UNION AND IT WAS STOPPED.
WE HAVE GOT TO BE VERY ATTENTIVE BECAUSE WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ABSOLUTELY EVERY DECISION WE MAKE, NO MATTER WHAT OUR DEGREE OR WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO I'M LAYING IT UP ON YOUR HEART AND ASKING YOU, BEING THE MAYOR AND EVERYONE HERE IN THE CITY, PLEASE RETHINK ABOUT LETTING SATANIC CONCERTS COME IN AND TAKING OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR SOULS AND THEIR SPIRITS, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE WILL ALL HAVE A LAST BREATH.
SO OUR OUR PRAYER HERE AT PRAYER WARRIORS UNITE IS THAT, THAT YOU DO KNOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
IF YOU'RE IN NEED OF PRAYER, I DID HAND OUT.
I GUESS THEY'RE BEING PASSED OUT.
OKAY, SO EVERYONE HAS THANK YOU BLESSINGS.
AND, UH, WE'RE BE FREE BIBLE STUDY PRAYER WARRIORS UNITE.
AND AGAIN, YOUR SOUL MATTERS TO HIM AND IT MATTERS TO US.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO COME SAY TO ME?
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU, THOSE THAT ARE STILL REPRESENTING, UH, VERY ENCOURAGED BY YOUR, YOUR INTRODUCTION TO THE PASTOR THAT WAS THERE.
AGAIN, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT OUR IDENTITY IS FIRST AND WHAT HIS KINGDOM GIVES US, UH, THE IMAGE AND DESIGN WE WERE LEFT HERE FOR.
UH, WE'RE GONNA READ, UH, DEVOTIONAL THAT I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE TO IS IN BETWEEN.
HE WHO IS NOT WITH ME, IS AGAINST ME.
AND HE WHO DOES NOT GATHER WITH ME SCATTERS ABROAD BASED ON MATTHEW 1230.
JESUS CHRIST WAS A RADICAL RELIGIOUS TEACHER TO SAY THE VERY LEAST.
HE CLAIMED NOTHING LESS THAN TO BE GOD INCARNATE, BORN INTO THE WORLD, TO ATONE FOR OUR SINS AND PROVIDE ETERNAL SALVATION TO SUCH A FIGURE AS JESUS CHRIST.
IT IS DANGEROUS TO BE AGAINST JESUS CHRIST.
ANY PERSON WHO MAKES OF JESUS CHRIST, AN ENEMY HAS A DREADFUL ENEMY.
[01:25:01]
JOHN TELLS US HIS EYES WERE LIKE A FLAME OF FIRE.AND THE ARMIES IN HEAVEN, CLOTHED AND FINE LINEN, WHITE AND CLEAN, FOLLOWED HIM ON WHITE HORSES.
NOW, OUT OF HIS MOUTH GOES A SHARP SWORD THAT WITH IT HE SHOULD STRIKE THE NATIONS.
AND HE HIMSELF WILL RULE THEM WITH AN IRON ROD.
HE HIMSELF TREADS A WINE PRESS OF THE FIERCENESS AND WRATH OF ALMIGHTY GOD.
REVELATIONS 1912 THROUGH 15, AS THE LION OF JUDAH, JESUS HAS A FIERCENESS THAT IS EXTREMELY PERILOUS TO UNDERESTIMATE.
IT IS DANGEROUS TO BE FOR JESUS CHRIST.
THOSE WHO FOLLOW JESUS ARE IN FOR TROUBLE AT LEAST AS LONG AS THEY DWELL IN THIS WORLD.
THERE IS NO SIMPLE, THERE IS SIMPLY NO CONVENIENT OR CAREFREE WAY TO BE A CHRISTIAN.
JESUS' ENEMIES HATED HIM AND THEY WILL HATE ANYONE WHO FOLLOWS HIM.
HIS INVITATION IS NOT TO COME TO A SEMINAR OR A SYNOPSIS SYMPOSIUM, BUT TO AN EXECUTION FOR WHOEVER DESIRES TO SAVE HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT.
BUT WHOEVER LOSES HIS LIFE, FOR HIS SAKE WILL FIND IT.
BUT IT IS MOST DANGEROUS TO ALL TO BE IN BETWEEN WHEN IT COMES TO JESUS CHRIST.
WORDS LIKE HATRED AND HOSTILITY ARE FEARFUL WORDS TO BE SURE.
BUT LET ME GIVE YOU SOME WORDS THAT ARE FAR MORE FEARFUL.
INDIFFERENCE, APATHY, LUKEWARMNESS, NON NONCHALANCE, UNCERTAIN UNCONCERN DISINTEREST, DETACHMENT, UNIN INVOLVEMENT AND DISREGARD THE STRONGEST LANGUAGE IN THE SCRIPTURES BY FAR IS DIRECTED AGAINST THOSE WHO SIMPLY DON'T CARE.
MALACHI ONE, SIX THROUGH 14, MATTHEW 23 AND REVELATION THREE 16.
THERE IS A NEED THEN FOR US TO MAKE A CLEAR CUT DECISION FOR OUR FOR OR AGAINST JESUS CHRIST.
THERE IS NO GREATER INSULT THAT WE CAN OFFER TO THE MAN OF GALILEE THAN TO TRY TO TAKE BOTH YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED IF WE DON'T LOVE HIM ENOUGH TO STAND WITH HIM, BUT DON'T DESPISE HIM ENOUGH TO OPPOSE HIM.
MR. COURT, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
WE'VE GOT A CALENDAR HERE WE WANTED TO PASS OUT AS WELL.
THIS WILL KEEP US UP WITH THE AGENDA SATURDAY EVERY DAY AND WE'LL GET IT.
NOREEN PASCAL, DISAPPOINTED THAT JOHN STEPPED DOWN YOU FOR BEING HERE.
READY? ALRIGHT, SHALOM, WE'LL CATCH UP AGAIN.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HAVING ME AND MAYOR WHITMORE.
I AM A VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR FOR THE GLOBAL NONPROFIT WORKING YOUNG ADULTS GROUP, AS SAYS WOW.
UM, AS SAYS, UH, STANDS FOR SAVE THE WORLD FROM A TO Z.
AND WOW ACTUALLY REPRESENTS WE ARE ONE.
SO WITH THAT, UM, SAVE SAVING THE EARTH FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END AS ONE FAMILY IS OUR, UM, OUR GOAL.
AND, UM, WE HAVE, UH, PARTNERED WITH THE UNITED NATIONS AND OTHER STATES.
OUR ORGANIZATION IS GLOBAL AND, UM, WE HAVE THREE BRANCHES HERE IN HOUSTON.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BE CARRYING OUT INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN UPCOMING WEEKS, AND WE WANTED TO INVITE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR, UM, FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
ONE OF THE INITIATIVES WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, HAVING IS THE RIVER CLEANUP, WHICH IS IN LEAGUE CITY ON SUNDAY, UH, THE 28TH.
AND IT'S ULTIMATELY PART OF OUR BLUE OCEAN INITIATIVE, WHERE AS, AS WELL TAKES THE LEAD IN SAVING, UM, STREAMS, RIVERS, BEACHES AND SEAS.
UH, WE ARE ALSO GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER INITIATIVE, UM, WHICH IS OUR HEART TO HEART CAMPAIGN.
AND, UM, THIS IS, UM, IN RECOGNITION TO OUR COMMUNITY HEROES.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BE HOSTING A LUNCHEON FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS AT STATION EIGHT.
UM, THAT'S GONNA BE ON THE 31ST.
AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA GIVE THEM, UH, LIKE CERTIFICATE AND APPRECIATION FOR THEIR DEDICATION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO STARTING TOMORROW FROM FEBRUARY 6TH, WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING, UM, OUR CHAPTER COME FROM OVERSEAS.
THERE'S GONNA BE SIX MEMBERS, UM, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE HELPING US IN OUR INITIATIVES TO HELP THE COMMUNITY OF HOUSTON.
AND THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO, UM, BE CARRYING OUT, UM, THEIR OWN INITIATIVES.
SO WE HAVE A CALENDAR OF EVENTS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING, UM, AND WE WANTED TO INVITE ALL OF YOU, UM, TO COME AND SUPPORT, UM, OUR, SO THAT WE CAN HELP OUR COMMUNITY, UM, COME TOGETHER AS YOUNG ADULTS.
UM, AS MENTIONED, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH UNITED NATIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE SPONSORS THAT ARE HELPING US WITH OUR EVENTS, UM, LIKE PANDA EXPRESS.
AND WE HAVE, UM, HOME DEPOT, AMAZON.
UM, THESE COMPANIES HAVE ALSO, UM, COME TOGETHER TO SPONSOR
[01:30:01]
US SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A SUCCESSFUL EVENT FOR OUR, UM, THE MEMBERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.SO, UH, WE JUST WANTED TO, I JUST WANTED TO COME TODAY AND INTRODUCE US AS WELL.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON SO WE CAN, UM, BE SUCCESSFUL IN OUR INITIATIVES AND ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTNER SO THAT WE CAN, UM, INFLUENCE OTHER YOUNG ADULTS TO GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO WE CAN SEND MORE INFORMATION VIA EMAIL TOO.
AND JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD AND BRINGING THAT INFORMATION.
I WAS GONNA ADD YEAH, PLEASE SEND THAT TO US, UH, ELECTRONICALLY, OKAY.
SO WE CAN GET IT OUT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
NEXT, JONATHAN SELLERS, JONATHAN SELLS IS NOT PRESENT.
I'LL BE SHARING A HOLY SPIRIT GIVEN SONG FOR OUR NATION.
JESUS, I WANT YOU IN THIS TIME.
LORD FORGIVE US NATION HAS THIS TIME.
LORD, FORGIVE US, YOUR PEOPLE.
YOU ARE LORD, LORD, GOODNESS AND MERCY ARE YOURS IN MINE.
YOU ARE FILLED WITH ALL YOU HAVE MADE.
FORGIVE US, MY GOD, FOR WE KNOW NOT WHAT WE DO.
FOR IF SO, WE WOULD BE ON OUR KNEES EVERY MOMENT WORSHIPING YOU ALL THE WHILE YOU.
HOLY ARE YOU, YOU ARE SO HOLY.
I'M GOING TO START WITH MY ASK, WHICH IS THAT MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL REQUEST EVERYBODY FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA.
BECAUSE EVERY DAY THAT WE WAIT MORE AND, AND MORE PEOPLE ARE BEING KILLED.
MORE AND MORE CHILDREN ARE HAVING THEIR
[01:35:01]
LIMBS AMPUTATED WITHOUT ANESTHESIA.AND NOBODY IS HOLDING ISRAEL ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE ACTIONS AND THE ATROCITIES THAT IT IS COMMITTING AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
UM, WHAT'S MORE THE STATE OF TEXAS IN OCTOBER AND THEN IN NOVEMBER BOUGHT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF ISRAEL BONDS WITH THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF FUNDING THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT THAT IS GIVING THEM FUNDS TO BUY WEAPONS THAT THEY ARE USING TO COMMIT GENOCIDE AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
AND SINCE, UM, I DIDN'T REALIZE, BUT SINCE THAT LADY JUST PLAYED SOME AUDIO, I HAVE TWO MINUTES.
I WOULD LIKE TO PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF AUDIO OF ISRAEL MASSING JOURNALISTS THAT ARE CLEARLY MARKED IN PRESS VESTS.
SO THIS IS TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE IN GAZA ARE LIVING THROUGH EVERY DAY.
I WANT TO USE MY MINUTE TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE, THE CRIMES COMMITTED BY THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT.
UM, THIS IS THE CURRENT CITY OF HOUSTON RESOLUTION, UH, INVESTMENT POLICY FOR THE CITY'S FUNDS.
AND THE ONLY FOREIGN GOVERNMENT THAT THE CITY CONTROLLERS AUTHORIZED TO INVEST IN BONDS, IN THEIR BONDS IS THE, IS THE STATE OF ISRAEL.
THAT'S THE ONLY FOREIGN GOVERNMENT.
AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON OVER THE YEARS HAS, HAS INVESTED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ISRAELI BONDS.
MOST RECENTLY IN AUGUST, 2021, WHICH WAS JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTER ISRAEL COMMITTED A A, A MASS EFFORT TO DISPLACE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOMES IN EAST JERUSALEM, SOMETHING THAT WAS CONDEMNED BY HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AROUND THE WORLD.
UH, WHY IS THIS STILL THE CASE THIS COUNCIL CAN MAKE, CAN CHANGE THIS, IT CAN CHANGE THIS RESOLUTION.
IT CHANGE THIS POLICY TO MAKE SURE THAT ISRAEL IS NOT SINGLED OUT FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT SO THAT WE'RE NOT CONTRIBUTING TO THE GENOCIDE AND THE CRIMES OF THAT GOVERNMENT.
UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THIS COUNCIL CAN DO TODAY.
WHENEVER, NOW, UH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS COUNCIL TO DO.
YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO RESPOND, UH, TO, TO YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, AND I'VE INQUIRED ON OUR INVESTMENT POLICY AS WELL.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS NOT INVESTED AT ALL WITH ANY ISRAELI BONDS.
I KNOW THAT OUR PAST INVESTMENT POLICY HAS LISTED ISRAELI BONDS AS AN OPTION FOR US TO BE ABLE TO INVEST IN, AND I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE IN THE PAST.
BUT AS OF TODAY, UH, CURRENTLY WE ARE NOT INVESTED IN ANY ISRAELI BONDS.
UH, MAY, MAY I BRIEFLY RESPOND? COUNCIL MEMBER? UH, SO I ACTUALLY HAVE REQUESTED RECORDS FROM THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE AND THEY HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO MY PIA REQUEST, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME THAT THE CITY'S ACTUALLY FULLY DIVESTED.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THEIR MOST RECENT PURCHASE HAS MATURED, BUT IT DOESN'T.
I IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT THEY, THE CITY'S GOTTEN ITS MONEY BACK TO MY, TO MY, TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
UH, WE HAVE INVESTED IN THE PAST.
WE HAVE, UH, RECEIVED OUR MONEY BACK WITH INTEREST, BUT WE HAVE NOT CURRENTLY REINVESTED IN ANY ISRAELI BONDS AT THIS TIME.
AND, AND THE CURRENT POLICY THOUGH, STILL HASN'T CHANGED.
IT STILL AUTHORIZES THE CONTROLLER TO DO IT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT THIS COUNCIL CONTROLS AND, AND CAN, CAN CHANGE.
I ACTUALLY DID BRING, UH, COPIES OF SOME MATERIALS THAT I CAN PASS, PASS OUT.
THIS IS JUST A SUMMARY OF WHAT WE FOUND ABOUT THE BOND INVESTMENTS, UH, AS WELL AS THANK YOU.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR WHITMEYER.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY THAT WILL CAPTURE YOUR HEART AND MINDS.
[01:40:01]
DAYS AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED.I WONDERED IF I SHOULD TELL YOU ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S SCREAMING IN AGONY BURNED BY THE INTERNATIONALLY PROHIBITED WHITE PHOSPHORUS BOMBS ISRAEL USES WHO ARE BROUGHT TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT NO INTERVENTION CAN BE MADE.
SO THEIR SKIN CONTINUES TO BURN UNTIL THERE IS NO SKIN LEFT AND THERE'S JUST BONES.
I WONDERED, WHAT IF I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE FATHER CLUTCHING ONTO A PIECE OF CONCRETE FROM THE DEBRIS OF HIS DESTROYED HOUSE SCREAMING IN AGONY.
TELL ME, WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO HUG NOW? HE LOST ALL NINE CHILDREN IN AN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE THAT TARGETED AN ENTIRE RESIDENTIAL AREA IN THE SOUTHERN GAZA STRIP.
SHOULD I TELL YOU ABOUT THE MOTHER WHO C CLUTCHED THE LIFELESS BODY OF HER 2-YEAR-OLD? YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED AHEAD.
SHOULD I TELL YOU ABOUT THE MOTHER WHO CLUTCHED TO THE LIFELESS BODY OF HER 2-YEAR-OLD SCREAMING IN AGONY? OH GOD, PLEASE DON'T TAKE HER FROM ME.
WHAT WAS HER CRIME EXCEPT BEING BORN? OKAY, MAY I HAVE ONE MORE MINUTE PLEASE TRY TO WRAP IT UP.
WHAT IF I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE THREE-YEAR-OLD BABY GIRL SCREAMING OUT IN AGONY AS ONE SURGEON PULLS OUT A LONG PIECE OF CLOTH FROM ONE SIDE OF HER BELLY TO THE OTHER, TRYING TO REMOVE SHRAPNEL AS TWO OTHER PHYSICIANS HOLD HER DOWN.
THIS IS ALL WITHOUT ANESTHESIA OR PAIN MANAGEMENT.
DO YOU HEAR HER SCREAMS FOR HER MAMA? HER MOTHER WAS MOST LIKELY UNDER THE RUBBLE.
SHE WAS LAYING ON THAT HOSPITAL BED SUFFERING ALONE.
YOU AND I BOTH KNOW THE MEMORY OF THE PAIN WILL FADE WHILE THE TRAUMA OF THIS MOMENT WILL LAST A LIFETIME.
THIS IS JUST ONE TODDLER, ONE STORY.
THIS COULD BE YOU, YOUR DAUGHTER, YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER.
THE ONLY THING THAT SEPARATES ME AND YOU AND ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM THEM IS GEOGRAPHY.
I UNDERSTAND HOW HARD IT IS TO GO AGAINST THE LOBBIES AND PACS THAT RUN THE GOVERNMENT IN OUR COUNTRY, BUT YOU ARE CAPABLE AND YOU HAVE AN ENTIRE GENERATION BEHIND YOU.
OKAY? UM, YOU HAVE AN ENTIRE GENERATION BEHIND YOU.
OKAY? MAYBE YOU'LL LEASE THE CAN I HAVE ONE MORE MINUTE PLEASE? I'LL, I'M GONNA WRAP IT UP.
TRY TO WRAP IT UP 'CAUSE I, YES, YES SIR.
I UNDERSTAND YOU'LL FOREVER BE KNOWN FOR BEING THE MAYOR WITH THE BEST LOOKING HAIR.
WHO HAS, WHO WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.
SIR, PLEASE CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE SE CEASEFIRE AND PRESSURE OUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP TO DO THE SAME.
SET THE EXAMPLE FOR THIS COUNCIL, FOR THE CITY, FOR THIS NATION.
BE THE LEADER THAT YOU TOLD US YOU WILL BE.
HUMANITY IS WAITING FOR YOUR STATEMENTS.
PUTTING AN END TO THE SENSELESS KILLING COUNCIL MEMBER, TIFFANY THOMAS AND LETICIA PLUMMER.
THANK YOU FOR ALREADY CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE AND FREEDOM FOR THE PALESTINIANS.
SHE MAKE ME FEEL SO BAD ABOUT THIS SITUATION GOING SO I'M SORRY FOR EVERYBODY.
MY NAME IS JOSEPH NIA AND I'M RIGHT NOW WORKING ON OZONE LAYER.
I DUNNO HOW I CAN TELL YOU ANYWAY.
28.4 MILLION SQUARE KILOMETER RIGHT NOW WE HAVE HALL, THE OZONE HALL IS THE LARGEST ONE AND THE 2023 OZONE HALL HAS BEEN LARGER THAN 22 2.
OZONE DEPRESSION MAINLY OCCURRED BY ALL THIS THING HAPPEN.
ALL THIS THING HAPPENING TO US BECAUSE OF COLORING, COLORING, OXIDE, COLORING.
[01:45:01]
CFC, NITROGEN OXIDE.O OKAY, RA, RA, B, C, FLORIDA COLOR LIGHT.
ALL THESE CHEMICAL IS IS THERE AND IS GETTING BIGGER THE SITUATION WE HAVE IN AND WE WANNA GO AHEAD AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
THE FORMATION OF A START, A START OF AIR OZONE IS INTERNAL BY THE ULTRAVOLT UV RADIATION COMING FROM THE SAND.
JACOB CLEMENT HI GUYS AT IT WAS BEING BROUGHT YOU THE UNITED STATES PASTOR COUNCIL, UM, UH, BOOKS, BUT I THINK, UH, WINNING THEM WILL DO MORE GOOD THAN ME TO SPEAK ABOUT THEM.
SO I'M GOING TO PLAY Y'ALL A SONG THAT I THINK IS APROPO.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SPEAK, GIVE A A, UH, WORDS TO TO 12 HARDER AFTERWARDS BECAUSE IT, DRINKING WARM WATER WITH RICE IN THE MORNING BURNS 14 POUNDS A WEEK.
IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING TO LOSE WEIGHT AND YOU'RE OVER 25, SANG AN OLD COUNT MEETING SONG ONE THAT HANK WILLIAMS WROTE.
I SAW THE LIGHT, I HAPPY PRAISE IF TIME HAS EXPIRED.
WELL, UM, I I GOD YES, IS OF THE, OF THE BASEBALL ASSOCIATION AND TWO CAPITALISM, ONE TEAM UNDER.
THE NEXT SPEAKER, PERAL LATIF.
I AM READING THE WORDS OF A PALESTINIAN AMERICAN DOCTOR AND A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE WHO CONTINUES TO WORK, SAVING THE LIVES OF HOUSTONIANS WHILE HE ENDURES THE LOSS OF HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS IN GAZA DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC.
WHEN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN HOUSTON HIT ITS CAPACITY, WE HAD SHORTAGES IN STAFF SUPPLIES AND PPE.
WE HAD TO FIND A WAY TO CLEAN AND REUSE MASKS AND GOWNS AS WE CARRIED GOODBYE NOTES TO AND FROM PATIENTS TO THEIR FAMILIES WHO KNEW THEY WERE ABOUT TO DIE DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS.
THOSE WERE SOME OF THE TOUGHEST TIMES FOR NURSES AND DOCTORS IN THEIR CAREERS.
AFTER A VERY HARD DAY AT THE HOSPITAL, I REMEMBER WALKING BY A BEAUTIFUL CHALK DRAWING ON THE PAVEMENT THAT SAID, GOOD JOB, CLEARLY DRAWN BY A CHILD.
THE COMMUNITY GOT TOGETHER AND WE FOUND WAYS TO GET THROUGH.
THE DOCTORS AND NURSES IN GAZA DON'T GET BEAUTIFUL CHALK DRAWINGS.
THEY GET BULLETS FROM SNIPERS AND BOMBS.
THEY RAN OUT OF SUPPLIES A LONG TIME AGO AND NOW ARE ENDURING THE HORROR OF PERFORMING AMPUTATIONS WITHOUT ANESTHESIA.
IT PAINS ME TO KNOW THAT OUR TAX DOLLARS FROM THE SAME COMMUNITY THAT RALLIED BEHIND US ARE NOW BEING USED TO KILL HEALTHCARE.
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE YIELD MY TIME? I'M SPEAKING THE WORDS OF A DOCTOR IN HOUSTON.
I'M TRYING TO FIND WHERE I LEFT OFF.
IT PAINS ME TO KNOW THAT OUR TAX DOLLARS FROM THE SAME COMMUNITY THAT RALLIED BEHIND US ARE NOW BEING USED TO KILL HEALTHCARE WORKERS.
AND IN PALESTINE, THE HOME OF MY FAMILY, I SAW MYSELF AND EVERY DOCTOR AND NURSE THAT WAS PARADED AROUND NAKED BY ISRAELI FORCES BEFORE THEY DIED.
HAMAM ALO WHO ASKED WHY DID, WHO WAS ASKED WHY HE DID NOT EVACUATE ALFA HOSPITAL.
HE SAID, AND IF I GO, WHO TREATS MY PATIENTS? WE ARE NOT ANIMALS.
[01:50:01]
RIGHT TO RECEIVE PROPER HEALTH CARE.HE WAS KILLED A FEW DAYS LATER ALONG WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.
I ALWAYS BELIEVED HOSPITALS WERE TEMPLES OF HUMANITY, WHERE WE HELP THE WEAKEST AND MOST VULNERABLE OF US.
I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT NO MATTER HOW UGLY CONFLICTS GOT, THAT PROTECTING THE SICK AND THOSE TAKING CARE OF THEM IS A DIVINE, UNEQUIVOCAL, UNEQUIVOCAL RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE ALL AGREE ON.
AS OF TODAY, THERE ARE ZERO FUNCTIONING HOSPITALS IN GAZA.
36 HOSPITALS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED.
AND THESE ATTACKS, PREMATURE BABIES WERE LEFT TO DIE ALONE AS THE HOSPITAL STAFF FORCED.
CAN I HAVE JUST 30 MORE SECONDS? SURE.
IMAGINE IF AN ARMY INVADED THE MEDICAL CENTER, DESTROYED THE HOSPITALS, MURDERED THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS, AND LEFT NICU BABIES TO DIE.
HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THAT HORROR? IS IT ANY LESS OF A HORROR? BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS AND NOT YOUR FAMILIES.
MY FELLOW HUMANS, IF YOU WON'T CALL S CEASE FIRE FOR THE BABIES OF GAZA, FOR THE MOTHERS OF GAZA, FOR THE FATHERS OF GAZA, FOR THE GRANDPARENTS OF GAZA.
I FEAR FOR THE DAY WHEN THE KILLING AND TORTURE OF CHILDREN BECOMES NORMALIZED AND ACCEPTED IN OUR SOCIETY.
PLEASE FOR YOUR OWN HUMANITY, CALL FOR A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE.
THIS COMPLETES THE LIST OF SPEAKERS.
ANYTHING ELSE? COUNCIL STANDS.
[RECESS]
RECESS.I'M COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM THE ANN OF COUNCIL CHAMBER.
I'M ABOUT TO READ THE CAPTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA FOR THE WEEK.
ITEM ONE, REQUEST FOR MAYOR FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF MELISSA DSKY AS DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.
RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY FAST DEPARTMENT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF A RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT AREA IN THE 1800 BLOCK OF NORFOLK.
THREE RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT TO DESIGNATE AN HONORARY STREET MARKER FOR REVEREND EE COATES.
RECOMMENDATION FROM THE FIRE CHIEF FOR EXTENSION OF INJURY ON DUTY LEAVE SALARY CONTINUATION FOR FIREFIGHTER EMT BRIAN RICHARDSON.
FIVE RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $3,483,200 AND 66 CENTS.
AN ACCEPTANCE WORK ON CONTRACT WITH VORTEX TURNKEY SOLUTIONS.
RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL TO FINAL A CONTRACT AMOUNT OF ONE ME $839,801 AND 6 CENTS.
AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH THE JFT CONSTRUCTION INC.
SEVEN RECOMMENDATION FROM CITY ATTORNEY TO DEPOSIT THE AMOUNT OF THE AWARD OF SPECIAL COMMISSIONERS AND TO THE REGISTRY OF THE COURT AND PAY ALL COST IN CONNECTION WITH THE EMORY DOMAIN PROCEEDING STYLE.
CITY OF HOUSTON VERSUS SOUTHWAY HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
ET ALL FOR THE 24 INCH WATERLINE ALONG HIGHWAY THREE.
PROJECT ITEM EIGHT, ASSOCIATED SUPPLY COMPANY INC.
ITEM NINE, WHOLESALE ELECTRIC SUPPLY COAT OF HOUSTON, INC.
FOR ELECTRICAL SWITCH GEARS AND MOTOR CONTROLS.
ITEM 10, COUNTRY BALL U-S-A-L-L-C TO FURNISH TORQUE NUTS, STEM COVER ADAPTERS, STEM NUTS AND STEM PROTECTORS, EXCUSE ME.
ITEM 11, ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING 1,000,009 $95,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.
CONSOLIDATED CONSTRUCTION FUND AS AN APPROPRIATION TO SUPPORT THE ISSUANCE OF EMERGENCY PURCHASE ORDERS FOR THE CONTINUATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRAFFIC CONTROL SERVICES AT FOUR WASTEWATER CON WASTEWATER CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ITEM 12 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY IN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $600,000 AND NO CENTS FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE BYPASS OF PARK T AND WWTP ABANDONMENT AND FLOW DIVERSION TO TURKEY CREEK WTP CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AWARDED TO R AND B GROUP INC.
THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF VITAMIN 11 ABOVE ITEM 13.
APPROVE SPENDING AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $300,000 IN NO CENTS FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE FOR THE CONTINUATION OF TRAFFIC CONTROL SERVICES AT THREE WASTEWATER CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AWARDED TO TRAFFIC SIGNS AND LINES LLC.
THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASSAGE OF ITEM 11 ABOVE ITEM 14 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $80,000 AND NO CENTS FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE FOR THE CON CONTINUED RENTAL OF CONSTRUCTION SAFETY EQUIPMENT AT FOUR WASTEWATER CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AWARDED TO UNITED RENTALS INC.
THIS ITEM SHOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER A AFTER PASS OF ITEM 11 ABOVE ITEM 15 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $75,000 AND NO CENTS FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE FOR THE CONTINUATION OF TRAFFIC CONTROL SERVICES OF WASTEWATER CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
[01:55:01]
AWARDED TO ROYAL TRAFFIC CONTROL.THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PASTOR ITEM 11 ABOVE ITEM 16 APPROVED SPENDING AUTHORITY AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $40,000 AND NO CENTS FOR EMERGENCY PURCHASE FOR THE CONTINUATION OF FENCING AT FOUR WASTEWATER CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO AMERICAN FENCE COMPANY, INC.
THIS ITEM SHALL ONLY BE CONSIDERED AFTER PAST ITEM 11 ABOVE ITEM 17.
CITY SUPPLY COMPANY 2,000,788 AND NO CENTS AND COMPETITIVE CHOICE INC.
$392,000 IN NO CENTS FOR PLUMBING SUPPLIES FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
ITEM 18, ORDINANCE APPRO AND AUTHORIZING ELECTRONIC GRANT APPLICATION FOR AN ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE GRANT REFERRED TO AS CANCER OF TRANSFORMATIVE COMMUNITY DRIVEN RESEARCH ITEM 19 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 21 3 26 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR AGREEMENT FOR LEGAL SERVICES BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BECK REDDEN, LDLP RELATING TO A CONSOLIDATED LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST THE CITY AND AGAINST ART VEDO.
ITEM 20, ORDINANCE AMENING, ORDINANCE NUMBER 20 22 5 17 TO INCREASE MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY OF HOUSTON AND BI TECA LLC ITEM 21 ORDINANCE APPROVED AND AUTHORIZING FIRST AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT BETWEEN CITY AND NOVA TECHNOLOGIST INC.
ITEM 22 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH SIDE OF THE 1400 TO 1600 BLOCKS OF DEL NORD STREET BETWEEN OAK FOREST DRIVE AND THE END OF DALE NORD STREET I 23 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE 1100 BLOCK OF EAST SIXTH AND HALF STREET BETWEEN STREETY WOOD STREET AND NOR HILL BOULEVARD.
ITEM 24 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE 1100 BLOCK EAST SEVENTH STREET BETWEEN STU WOOD STREET AND NOR HILL BOULEVARD.
ITEM 25 ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE 6,600 BLOCK OF SYL ROAD BETWEEN SOUTH WAYSIDE STREET AND ILE WOOD DRIVE.
ITEM 26 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF A 100 FOOT WIDE PAVING AND SANITARY SEWER EASEMENT OUT OF FEE OWNED LAND IN THE DAVID WHITE SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER 8 82, SELLING THE EASEMENT TO PPC PROPERTIES LLC ITEM 27 ORDINANCE.
FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY NO LONGER REQUIRE THE CONTINUED USE OF EAST AVENUE O FROM CENTRAL STREET EAST TO HIS TERMINALS.
AND 95TH STREET FROM THE NORTH RIGHT OF WAY, LINE OF EAST AVENUE O SOUTH TO THE NORTH RIGHT OF WAY, LINE OF EAST AVENUE IN BOTH IN MANCHESTER SUBDIVISION BEING SITUATED IN THE MA CALLAHAN AND A VENT SURVEY ABSTRACT NUMBER NINE, ABANDONING CITY STREET EASEMENT TO VALERO REFINING TEXAS LP ITEM 28 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 HIGHWAY THREE DISTRIBUTION WATERLINE FROM DIXIE FARM ROAD TO NORTH OF WEST TEXAS AVENUE.
PROJECT ITEM 29 ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $5,750,000 AND NO CENTS OUT OF DEDICATED DRAINAGE AND STREET RENEWAL CAPITAL FUND DRAINAGE CHARGE AWARDING CONTRACTOR DL GLOVER UTILITIES LLC.
THAT IS THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA OF NON-CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM 30, SET A PUBLIC HEARING DATE REGARDING THE CONSTRUCTION DIG OF AN UNDERGROUND WATER LINE TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 0.3447 ACRES FROM THE EXISTING CHARTER PARK.
SUGGESTED HEARING DATE 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH, 2024 UNDER THE MATTER SALE CATEGORY.
ITEM 31 WAS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT OF 12,338,303 AND 51 CENTS.
AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ON CONTRACT WITH MAIN LANE INDUSTRIES.
THIS WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
THIS WAS ITEM FIVE ON AGENDA OF JANUARY 17TH, 2024.
ITEM 32 WAS A RECOMMENDATION FROM DIRECTOR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL, A CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $8,654,392 AND 70 CENTS.
AND ACCEPTED WORK ON CONTRACT WITH DCE CONSTRUCTION INC.
WAS TAGGED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
THIS WAS ITEM EIGHT ON AGENDA OF JANUARY 17TH, 2024.
THIS COMPLETES THE READING OF THE AGENDA FOR THE WEEK JANUARY 24TH, 2024.
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT SESSION OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL.
SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 9:00 AM I'D LIKE TO TAKE UPON A PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO WISH MY BROTHER A 70TH BIRTHDAY ON YESTERDAY AND MY OLDEST SISTER WILL BE 72 ON NEXT THE FOLLOWING MONDAY.
SO I WANT TO THANK GOD FOR THAT.
SO IN THE WORDS OF THE 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.
[RECONVENE]
GUEST.UH, YOU'RE TO HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
[02:00:01]
DIDN'T KNOW, IT'S A GREAT WEDNESDAY AND A GREAT PLACE TO BE.UH, WE HAVE A QUORUM, SO WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED.
WE HAVE SOME IMPORTANT BUSINESS.
FIRST, UH, I'LL ASK THE CITY SECRETARY TO CALL UP ITEM NUMBER ONE.
ITEM NUMBER ONE NEEDS A MOTION CAST EX TATUM.
ANYONE OPPOSED? ANYONE? NOT MOTION PASSES.
WE HAVE APPOINTED MEMBERS WITH THAT UNANIMOUS VOTE.
THE APPOINTMENT OF MELISSA DEBOWSKI IS A DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I MAKE ALL MY IMPORTANT APPOINTMENTS WITH, UH, GREAT CONSIDERATION AND IN THE SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THAT, UH, MS. DEBOWSKI HAS BEEN THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.
IN FACT, IN THE EARLY DISCUSSIONS, SHE WAS GONNA BE THE INTERIM.
AND I SAID, NO, SHE'S TOO GOOD TO BE AN INTERIM WHEN I'M SITTING THERE LISTENING TO EVERYTHING SHE SAYS.
AND IT'S MAKING SO MUCH SENSE.
AND I COULD SEE SHE LOVES THE CITY, LOVES HER JOB.
AND SO THERE'S NOTHING, THERE'S NO INTERIM IN FRONT OF THIS APPOINTMENT.
MELISSA, I I AM, UH, PROUD TO MAKE THIS APPOINTMENT, UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE SUCH A PROFESSIONAL AND YOU JUST QUIETLY WALK US THROUGH SOME COMPLICATED ISTS AND I WILL HAVE TOTAL CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ADVICE AND COUNSEL GOING FORWARD AND, AND WE'VE GOT SOME CHALLENGES, FINANCIAL CHALLENGES, WE ALL KNOW IT, BUT TO HAVE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND DEDICATION TO THE CITY IS VERY COMFORTING, UH, TO ME AS A NEW MAYOR.
AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO SAY ANYTHING.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT SUCH A SUPPORTIVE FAMILY THAT I KNOW THEY WANTED TO GET OUT OF PENNSYLVANIA WEATHER AND, AND GET HERE AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
YOUR FATHER-IN-LAW, I'M SO PLEASED TO SEE BILLY HAMILTON HERE, WHO IS A LONG TIME PUBLIC SERVANT AT THE STATE LEVEL AND UM, CERTAINLY HAVE LEARNED A LOT FROM BILLY.
HE'S ONE OF THE REALLY RECOGNIZED FINANCIAL EXPERTS IN THE STATE COMP CONTROLLER'S OFFICE FOR MANY YEARS.
AND NOW I BELIEVE, UH, IS ACTIVELY OVER AT A AND M TO MAKE JOHN SHARP LOOK AS GOOD AS HE CAN.
BUT, UH, BILLY HAMILTON'S A PUBLIC SERVANT THAT I'VE WORKED WITH FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY REALLY OUTSTANDING SUPPORT FROM YOUR FAMILY.
BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LONG HOURS IN IN PUBLIC SERVICE AND I'LL BE GLAD TO TO YIELD.
BUT, UM, I THINK, UM, WE, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT APPOINTMENT I'LL MAKE.
THERE'S GONNA BE OTHERS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT OR BREAK IT BASED ON YOUR ADVICE AND COUNSEL AND I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT.
IN FACT, WE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE.
WITH THAT SAID, UH, MEMBERS, UH, I WILL YIELD AT THIS TIME TO MELISSA.
UM, I HAD TO WRITE SOMETHING DOWN 'CAUSE I DIDN'T WANNA FORGET ANYTHING.
UM, SO THANK YOU MAYOR FOR YOUR TRUST IN ME TO LEAD THE DEPARTMENT AND TO CONTINUE TO MOVE YOUR GOALS FORWARD.
I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER JUST A SHORT TIME, BUT I ALREADY CAN TELL THAT YOU HAVE A GOOD VISION FOR THE CITY AND, UM, YOU WANNA MOVE THINGS FORWARD WITH FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
SO THAT'S, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR ME.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
UM, MY FAMILY'S HERE, LIKE YOU MENTIONED.
UM, I WANNA THANK THEM FOR ALL THEIR LOVE AND SUPPORT.
UM, MY SON MAX, WHO'S A YEAR AND A HALF OLD, SO HE'S AT DAYCARE 'CAUSE HE'D BE CRAWLING ALL OVER THE PLACE AND JUMPING OVER THINGS BY NOW.
UM, BUT THEY'VE BEEN PATIENT AND SO SUPPORTIVE WITH ME WITH THE LONG HOURS.
UM, MY IN-LAWS ARE HERE TODAY, LIKE YOU MENTIONED.
UM, THEY'VE INSPIRED MY JOURNEY IN PUBLIC SERVICE, UM, THROUGH THEIR ADVICE AND THEIR MENTORSHIP.
UM, LIKE YOU SAID, THEY CAME FROM PENNSYLVANIA TO, TO BE HERE WITH ME TODAY.
AND FROM THE TIME I WAS A LITTLE GIRL, THEY WORKED SO TIRELESSLY TO SACRIFICE AT THEIR TIME WORKING OVERTIME SHIFTS, WORKING NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, EXTRA HOURS TO MAKE SURE THAT MY BROTHER AND I HAD ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY COULD AFFORD US.
UM, AND I OWE EVERY EVERYTHING TO THEM.
UM, YOU'VE ALSO HEARD ME, A LOT OF YOU HAVE HEARD ME MENTION MY PARENTS AND THEIR SUPPORT EVERY YEAR WHEN I COME TO PRESENT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN BECAUSE MY MOM AND DAD, BUT ESPECIALLY MY MOM MAKES A, A TRIP DOWN TO TEXAS ANNUALLY, UH, IN MAY AND JUNE WHEN IT'S STARTING TO GET HOT AND STAYS FOR THREE WEEKS TO HELP OUT
[02:05:01]
WITH THE KIDS SO THAT I CAN STAY LATE WITH MY TEAM WORKING LATE TO, TO PRODUCE THOSE DOCUMENTS TO BE PROPOSED AT CITY COUNCIL.THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE A PROPOSED CIP BOOK EVERY YEAR WITHOUT MY MOM
SO, UH, SHE, SHE DOES ALL THE HARD WORK, UM, AND TO MY FINANCE FAMILY THAT'S HERE AND WATCHING, UM, VIRTUALLY THE PAST DIRECTORS THAT I'VE WORKED WITH, DIRECTOR KELLY DOW, TAN EMO, WILL JONES, I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM EACH OF THEM.
THEY EACH GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GROW AND THEY'VE TRUSTED ME AND THEIR GUIDANCE AND THEIR LEADERSHIP GOT ME TO WHERE I AM TODAY.
UM, BUT ALSO I LOOKED AS TODAY, NOT JUST ON MYSELF, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE FINANCE FAMILY THAT'S HERE AND VIRTUALLY, UM, I WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT THEM.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE DOING THE DAY IN THE DAY OUT THE HARD WORK BEHIND THE SCENES TO KEEP THE CITY RUNNING.
ALL THOSE SPREADSHEETS AND FORMULAS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PREPARING, RIGHT? I'M LEADING AND PRESENTING, BUT, BUT THEY'RE DOING ALL THE HARD WORK.
UM, ALL OF THEM HAVE STEPPED UP TO CHALLENGES THAT I KNOW SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT SURE THEY COULD FACE.
THEY'VE PUSHED THEMSELVES OUTTA THEIR COMFORT ZONES.
THEY'VE GROWN THROUGH THE CHALLENGES AND I'M SO PROUD OF EACH OF THEM TOO.
UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU.
UM, SOME, SOME OLD FACES, SOME NEW FACES.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD THAT, UH, TO GROW TOGETHER WITH EVERYONE AND, AND I'M READY FOR THE CHALLENGE.
IT IS SO NICE OF YOU TO, TO RECOGNIZE YOUR STAFF 'CAUSE WE'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS OUR STAFF AND YOU CERTAINLY POINT THAT OUT.
UH, AS A FATHER OF TWO DAUGHTERS THAT HAVE GROWN TO BE YOUNG WOMEN AND SUCCESSFUL, I WANNA SPEAK TO YOUR PARENTS.
UH, AND YOU'RE ALSO PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT LUCKY TOO.
YOU KNOW, I, I, I, I TELL ME, I GOT TWO DAUGHTERS I'M PROUD OF.
STAYED OUT OF TROUBLE, GOT EDUCATED, SO THEIR MOTHER AND I DID A GOOD JOB.
BUT WE WERE ALSO A LITTLE BIT LUCKY TOO.
SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING OUR GUESTS.
AND, AND, UH, I THINK AT THIS TIME, WHY DON'T WE GO IN THE ORDER OF, OR YOU'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE, I, I WANT YOUR FAMILY TO STAND UP SO WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PRINT.
SO I HAVE MOM OW AND YES, HAMILTON'S ONE TO STAND AND YOUR HUSBAND.
MY HUSBAND MICHAEL, MY SON FORD.
MY MOTHER-IN-LAW, CHRIS AND MY FATHER-IN-LAW, BILLY.
YEAH, DEFINITELY A DAY THAT Y'ALL SHOULD CELEBRATE AND WE, WE ARE HONORED BY YOUR PRESENCE.
AND ALSO I THINK WE SHOULD ASK YOUR FINANCE STAFF TO YES.
Y'ALL WANNA RISE IF YOU'RE IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S, THAT'S HALF A CITY HALL RIGHT THERE,
I'M GLAD WE'RE ITEM ONE SO THEY CAN GO BACK TO WORK AFTER
DON'T ALL Y'ALL LEAVE AT THE SAME TIME OR, WE'LL, WE'LL FEEL LIKE WE DID SOMETHING WRONG, BUT THAT'S REALLY A TRIBUTE TO YOU.
AND, AND THANK YOU CITY EMPLOYEES.
WE KNOW HOW HARD YOU WORK AND, AND, UH, WE, WE DEPEND ON YOU.
COUNCIL ALCO, UH, WE HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, STEVE CASTELLO, WHEN I WORKED FOR HIM, CHAIRED THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
SO I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH MELISSA FOR YEARS AND YEARS.
SHE KNOWS THE NUMBERS, SHE KNOWS THE DEBT SIDE, SHE KNOWS THE OPERATING BUDGET SIDE.
SHE KNOWS ALL SIDES OF THE BUDGET.
I LOVE THAT I'VE MET HER PARENTS AND IN-LAWS WHEN I FIRST GOT IN HERE.
IT'S GREAT TO KNOW WE'RE GETTING LIKE A BONUS FINANCE GUY FROM, UH, UH, FROM THE STATE AND FROM A AND M AND FROM, AND, UM, GREAT TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE GOOD BABYSITTERS ON HAND TOO, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA PUT HER TO WORK FOR SURE.
WE KNOW YOU ARE BEHIND THE SCENES MAKING ALL THIS WORK.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF CHALLENGES AHEAD.
UH, UH, MELISSA'S BEEN HELPING WITH OUTCOME-BASED BUDGETING.
MAYOR, SHE'S, SHE'S GONNA BE A STRONG VOICE FOR, FOR, UM, GETTING OUR FINANCIAL HOUSE IN ORDER.
SO, UH, JUST A GREAT APPOINTMENT.
AND SHE'S, SHE'S NOT SOMEBODY THAT ALWAYS SAYS YES, BUT SHE'S ALSO NOT SOMEBODY THAT ALWAYS SAYS NO.
SHE FINDS A WAY TO WORK WITH YOU.
I WORKED WITH HER A LOT ON, UM, HOPEFULLY DEVELOPING A MECHANISM FOR A SIDEWALK BOND IN THE FUTURE.
AND SHE CAME UP WITH A WAY THAT MIGHT POSSIBLY WORK.
SO I THINK IT'S GREAT TO, TO HAVE HER SKILLS, UM, ON BOARD AND, AND SO EXCITED FOR YOU.
AND THIS IS AN EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR THE DIRECTOR OF THIS DIVISION, UM, DIRECTOR.
UM, I HAVE KNOW THAT I'VE ASKED YOU SOME REALLY RANDOM QUESTIONS OVER THE YEARS AS WE WERE LOOKING AT BUDGET AMENDMENTS
[02:10:01]
AND OTHER THINGS, AND YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN SO GRACIOUS IN, UM, YOUR TIME AND ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS.I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S EVER BEEN A TIME THAT I'VE ASKED YOU SOME RANDOM, REALLY RANDOM QUESTION THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO.
SO I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED FOR YOU AND FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
I WANT TO SAY THAT THIS APPOINTMENT IS NOT ONLY WELL DESERVED, BUT WELL EARNED.
UM, YOU'RE ALWAYS PREPARED, ALWAYS INSIGHTFUL AND KNOWLEDGEABLE.
WHEN I WAS CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR OF BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS, I LEANED ON YOU A LOT.
WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS, UH, IN THE PAST AS, AS, AS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY.
UM, BUT IN YOUR ROLE AS COUNCIL, WE RELY ON YOU AND WE RELY ON YOUR STAFF AND THE INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL GIVE.
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN SOMEONE TO BE FORTHRIGHT.
UH, AS THE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO SAID, IT MAY NOT ALWAYS GIVE US THE ANSWERS WE WANT TO HEAR, BUT YOU GIVE US THE ANSWERS THAT WE NEED TO HEAR.
AND SO TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM, UH, I, I TRUST THAT THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE WILL ALL LOOK BACK ON AND SAY WAS, UH, A GREAT APPOINTMENT BY THE MAYOR.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTE, KASICK TATUM.
THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR HOUSTON.
UH, MAYOR, WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS APPOINTMENT IS THE CONTINUITY.
UM, DIRECTOR DEBOSKY HAS BEEN WITH US FOR 10, ALMOST 10 YEARS.
UM, AND TO HAVE SOMEONE INTERNALLY BE ABLE TO RISE TO THE DIRECTOR POSITION, UM, IS A GREAT THING FOR THE STAFF, FOR THE TEAM, UM, AND FOR HOUSTON BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE INS AND OUTS OF THIS DEPARTMENT, UH, AND YOU WILL LEAD US, UH, THROUGH THE NEXT BUDGET, UH, CYCLE.
AND WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT, UM, BASED ON THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE YEARS, THAT UM, WE WILL HAVE A GREAT BUDGET SEASON.
I WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MOM, UM, AS A, AS A WORKING MOTHER, I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE THAT SUPPORT WHEN YOU HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN.
UM, SO SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT SUPPORT HER TO HELP HER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, BUT I DID WANT TO JUST SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ENTIRE FINANCE TEAM.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO TOGETHER FOR HOUSTONIANS.
COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, YOU MAYOR.
I'M VERY EXCITED FOR YOU, BUT I'M EVEN MORE EXCITED FOR OUR CITY, SO THANK YOU.
I WANT TO THANK YOUR HUSBAND FOR GETTING YOU TO TEXAS.
'CAUSE I, YOU BROUGHT A REALLY GREAT PENNSYLVANIA DID IT TO TEXAS, AND THAT'S KIND OF COMMENTARY ON HOUSTON.
WE'RE JUST DIVERSE AND REALLY MADE UP OF FOLKS THAT COME TO HOUSTON AND, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND LET'S SEE, WE'RE LOOKING, I THINK YOUR GREATER GREATEST DAYS ARE STILL IN FRONT OF YOU'RE YOUNG AND BRIGHT AND SMART AND DEDICATED.
SO YOU'RE GONNA MAKE THIS CITY EVEN GREATER.
AND I, I MEAN THAT IN ALL SINCERITY.
UH, WHEN I GOT TO KNOW YOU A MONTH AGO AND WE'VE BEEN IN SOME NEGOTIATIONS, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FIRE CONTRACT, YOU'RE JUST SO CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL HOUSTONIANS, AND THAT'S ALL I NEEDED TO OBSERVE.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORK WITH YOU.
I DID WANT TO NOTE THAT WE DO HAVE THE FORMER, UH, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, UH, FORMER DIRECTOR TAN EMO IS HERE.
UM, AND THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES OF THE WORK THAT THEY DID TOGETHER.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
FORMER DIRECTOR EMO, UM, TO SUPPORT OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF FINANCE FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WELL THAT SAID, LET'S GO TO WORK.
MEMBERS, UH, PUBLIC, UH, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT ASKED ME TO ANNOUNCE, WHY DON'T WE WAIT ABOUT TWO MINUTES.
[02:15:01]
WOW.[MAYOR'S REPORT]
FOR THE PUBLIC'S CONSUMPTION.THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WANTED US TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE HPD AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN TRAINING EXERCISES ACROSS HOUSTON, UH, THROUGH JANUARY 28TH.
SO ANY NOISE OR EXCESSIVE HELICOPTER ACTIVITY WILL BE PART OF A TRAINING EXERCISE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT.
I'M, UH, EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE AND LET THE COUNCIL KNOW THAT 76 CADETS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT GRADUATE, UH, LAST WEEK ON JANUARY 29TH, UH, THIRD LARGEST CLASS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO NOTICE THAT FOLKS ARE COMING TO HOUSTON TO PROTECT US, AND WE APPRECIATE THEM.
UH, THE MAKEUP OF THE MLK PARADE WILL BE ON FEBRUARY 10TH, UM, DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
UH, THEN ANOTHER PARADE WILL BE ON FEBRUARY 17TH.
IT WAS, UH, IS NOW THE RESCHEDULED DATE OF FEBRUARY 17TH.
UH, WE'RE SORRY AND SEND OUR CONDOLENCES TO THE MARTIN LUTHER KING FAMILY FOR THE LOSS OF SCOTT KING, A SON.
HE WAS 62 AND HAD A DISTINGUISHED CAREER OF KEEPING THE MEMORY OF HIS FATHER ON ALL OF OUR MINDS.
WITH THAT SAID, UH, WITH THAT SAID, CLOSER TO HOME, UH, PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE ANTHONY DUFFIELD HAD A SERIOUS HEART ATTACK ON THE JOB.
HE WAS ACTUALLY DRIVING, RETURNING FROM A PROJECT, AND HIS COWORKER, CHRISTOPHER WALTON, TOOK CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, GAVE HIM COMPRESSIONS, AND, AND, UH, KEPT HIS HEART AND BLOOD FLOWING.
AND BEHIND THEM WAS A GENTLEMAN DRIVING A, UH, DUMP TRUCK.
CARL ROWAN, ANOTHER PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEE, AND WHAT A HEROIC, UH, INCIDENT WHERE THEY TOOK TURNS GIVING COMPRESSIONS TILL THEY GOT HIM TO MEMORIAL HERMANN IN THE MED CENTER.
AND I'M GLAD TO ANNOUNCE THAT HE'S DOING WELL.
NO DOUBT THESE COWORKERS SAVED HIS LIFE, AND THAT'S JUST A REAL TRIBUTE TO THEIR PUBLIC SERVICE.
SO WE NEED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THOSE PUBLIC WORK EMPLOYEES, CHRISTOPHER WALTON, CARL ROWAN, AND, UM, GIVE ANTHONY DUFFIELD.
YEAH, IT'S EMPHASIZED BY MARTY.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY NEW EMPLOYEES.
SO THAT'S A TRIBUTE TO THE QUALITY OF, OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE COMING TO JOIN OUR TEAM.
AND MR. DUFFIELD, UH, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE A SPEEDY RECOVERY.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
NOW, THE EXCITING PART, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU EVER PROCEED WITH A CONSENT CALENDAR UNDER MISCELLANEOUS, UNDER[CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA]
THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY, ITEM THREE HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.NEED A MOTION FOR ITEMS TWO AND FOUR PASS.
ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNDER THE ACCEPT WORK CATEGORY.
MOTION MADE AND SECOND OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES UNDER THE PROPERTY CATEGORY.
MOTION CARRIES UNDER THE PURCHASING AND TABULATION TO BS CATEGORY.
ITEMS EIGHT 11 THROUGH 16 HAVE BEEN REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.
NEED OF MOTION FOR ITEMS NINE, 10, AND 17? CAST TA MOVE, THOMAS.
ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNDER THE ORDINANCES CATEGORY.
ITEM 21 HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED IF IT IS RECEIVED BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING.
HAS WE REMOVED SEPARATE CONSIDERATION? NEED OF VOTE ON THE BALANCE? ALL IN FAVOR OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES
[02:20:03]
ITEMS, REMOVE SEPARATE CONSIDERATION.ITEM THREE NEEDS A MOTION CAST.
IS IT FOR, FOR COMMENT? I'M SORRY.
UM, I'M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT ITEM THREE.
EDWARD COATES WITH THIS EDWARD E COATES, WITH THIS STREET MARKER, WE PAY TRIBUTE TO A MAN WHOSE LIFE'S WORK HAS BEEN A CORNERSTONE OF COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE THIRD WARD AND THE BROADER HOUSTON COMMUNITY, HIS LEADERSHIP AT THE WESLEY CHAPEL, A ME CHURCH AND HIS DEDICATION TO INITIATIVES LIKE WESLEY SQUARE AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAVE LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON OUR CITY.
THIS MARKER WILL SERVE AS A LASTING SYMBOL OF REVEREND COATES LEGACY IN OUR COMMUNITY'S DEEP APPRECIATION FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS AND GREAT THINGS ARE PROPOSED FOR WESLEY CHAPEL, A ME TO FURTHER HIGHLIGHT HIS CONTRIBUTIONS WITH A WONDERFUL COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY AND THE GOSPEL COMMUNITY.
SO I CERTAINLY SUPPORT THIS ITEM AND I THANK YOU COLLEAGUES.
ITEM EIGHT NEEDS A MOTION CAST
UM, THIS IS EQUIPMENT FOR THE NEW DITCH MAINTENANCE OR THE DITCH REESTABLISHMENT PROGRAM THAT WE VOTED ON LAST YEAR.
AND I JUST HAD A FEW THINGS I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION WITH THAT.
UM, SO A FEW YEARS AGO, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN AND I STARTED A DITCH MAINTENANCE PROGRAM USING COUNCIL JUST SERVICE FUNDS THAT WERE TO ADDRESS CITY OWNED DITCHES.
AND THEN I LATER EXPANDED IT TO THE DITCHES ADJACENT TO PEOPLE'S HOMES WHERE THEY COULD NOT MAINTAIN THE DITCH.
SOMETIMES IT'S ON MAJOR THOROUGHFARES OR, UM, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE'S DISABLED OR ELDERLY, THEY COULDN'T NECESSARILY CLEAN THE DITCH AS OUR ORDINANCE MANDATES.
SO THAT PROGRAM WAS PAUSED BY PUBLIC WORKS AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN CITYWIDE.
UM, AND THEN WE FOUND OUT THAT THAT IS ACTUALLY, THIS PROGRAM IS REALLY PRIMARILY ONLY HAPPENING IN DISTRICT B, WHICH IS GREAT, AND I SUPPORT THAT AND WE SHOULD CONTINUE.
SO, UM, DEFINITELY WANNA CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM.
BUT MY ASK WITH THIS IS, UM, TWO THINGS.
FIRST, WE WERE TOLD THAT ANY DITCH THAT WAS CURRENTLY IN THE QUEUE BEFORE THIS PROGRAM STARTED WOULD AT LEAST, UM, BE EVALUATED.
SO MY STAFF AND I SPENT ABOUT A WEEK DRIVING AROUND THE ENTIRE DISTRICT AND PUTTING INTO 3 1 1 EVERY SINGLE OPEN DITCH IN OUR DISTRICT THAT LOOKED LIKE IT MIGHT NEED MAINTENANCE.
AND WE HAVE YET TO HEAR BACK FROM MANY OF, ABOUT MANY OF THOSE DITCHES.
AND THEN THE SECOND ASK IS THAT WE RESTART THE PROGRAM THAT I TRIED TO START IN DISTRICT A.
IT'S WITH COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS, AND IT'S NOT QUITE THE SAME PROGRAM.
OUR PROGRAM IS MORE TO MAINTAIN THE DITCHES, MOWING, CLEANING, THAT KIND OF THING, RATHER THAN JUST THE REESTABLISHMENT OF THE DITCH.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU AND, UM, YOUR TEAM FURTHER WITH PUBLIC WORKS TO GET THOSE TWO ITEMS GOING.
NEED A VOTE ON ITEM EIGHT? ON FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
UM, ONE OF THESE PROJECTS, UM, THAT, THAT NUMBER 11 IS GOING TOWARDS, IT WAS A PROJECT THAT STARTED, UM, ROUGHLY AT THE END OF 2021.
SO IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A REALLY LONG TIME NOW.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CONTRACTOR FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY AND THAT IT COULD BE NINE MONTHS BEFORE A NEW CONTRACT IS AWARDED THESE LANES OF TRAFFIC RIGHT THERE ON DAIRY ASHER.
THEY HAVE BEEN CLOSED DURING THIS CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO UNTIL A NEW CONTRACT'S AWARDED, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE COULD REOPEN THOSE LANES OF TRAFFIC OR DO SOMETHING TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE TRAFFIC RUN A LITTLE MORE SMOOTHLY THROUGH THAT AREA BECAUSE THE CITIZENS HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS PROJECT FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.
UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE ENCOURAGE OUR CONSTITUENTS TO GO TO ENGAGE HOUSTON TO SEE WHERE PROJECTS ARE, YOU KNOW, IN THE PROCESS, BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS UPDATED.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, US MAKE AN EFFORT TO REALLY KEEP ENGAGED HOUSTON UPDATED SO THAT WAY THE CONSTITUENTS ARE UPDATED WHENEVER THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT, UM, ABOUT THESE, THESE PROJECTS.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, BE UPDATED WHEN THESE PROJECTS.
[02:25:01]
I BELIEVE THAT THE DEPARTMENT KNEW THAT THIS PROJECT THAT THE CONTRACTOR HAD FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY, BUT THERE WAS NO COMMUNICATION WITH THE DISTRICT.AND SO WHEN WE RUN INTO PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING STALLED OR MAYBE BEING WITHDRAWN, OR PROJECTS THAT AREN'T GOING FORWARD, UM, OFTENTIMES COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHEN WE CALL TO GET AN UPDATE, THEN THEY TELL US.
UM, AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE THEM BE A LITTLE BIT MORE PROACTIVE WITH KEEPING THE COUNCIL MEMBERS UPDATED.
AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW THERE'S DEFICIENCIES IN PUBLIC WORKS.
YOU ALSO KNOW HOW INVOLVED I WANT COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE.
AND THAT STARTS WITH BEING INFORMED.
SO I THINK AS WE GO FORWARD, WE'VE GOT TO EMPHASIZE TO PUBLIC WORKS.
WE REALLY DON'T LIKE SURPRISES, BUT WE NEED TO BE MORE DELIBERATE AND TRANSPARENT.
AND IF THERE'S A PROBLEM IN ANY ONE OF YOUR DISTRICTS, UH, YOU NEED TO HEAR ABOUT IT BEFORE THE REST OF US HEAR ABOUT IT.
IT'S JUST, UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO GET TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE.
BUT THANK YOU AND I, AND I APPRECIATE AND EVERYONE OUGHT TO SHARE THAT TYPE INFORMATION 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S PRETTY UNIVERSAL.
WITH THAT SAID, UH, THOMAS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS DAVIS? NO, THOMAS.
UM, I HAVE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, UH, MY OFFICE WAS BRIEFED, UH, EARLY 2023, UM, ABOUT THE BANKRUPTCY OF THE, THE, THE PRIME FIRM.
UM, AND WHAT WE'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE, AND I BELIEVE IT ALSO WAS AN ON ENGAGED HOUSTON.
UM, UH, MY COMMENTS IS PRIMARILY FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR AN UPDATE ON SHE CITY AND JUST PUBLICLY, UH, FOR RESIDENTS.
THIS IS A, UM, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THIS IS A WASTEWATER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
I DRIVE DAIRY ASHFORD EVERY DAY TO GET HOME.
UM, AND SO THE, THE EMERGENCY PURCHASE ORDERS THAT YOU SEE ARE ACTUALLY SOME OF THE SUBS THAT ARE WORK, WERE WORKING UNDER THE PRIME THAT ARE CONTINUE TO WORK UNTIL THE BID IS OPEN UNTIL THEY CAN DO THAT.
SO YOU WILL NOTICE THERE'S NO MWBE UNDER THE EMERGENCY PURCHASE ORDER UNTIL THE BID COMES, UM, TO COUNCIL FOR VOTE TO VOTE ONCE THEY DO THAT PROJECT.
THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL PROJECT.
UM, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WALK HAND IN HAND WITH PUBLIC WORKS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS FOR PHASE ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
SO YOU'LL SEE ITEM ALUM 11, 12, 13, AND 14 AND 15, I BELIEVE 11 THROUGH 16.
UM, THEY'RE ALL EMERGENCY PURCHASE ORDERS, UH, TO GET THIS PROJECT DONE.
AND IT'S NOT PRETTY, UM, IT'S LOTS OF CONSTRUCTION, BUT IT'S EXTENSIVE AND IT'S DEFINITELY NEEDED ON THE WEST SIDE.
IT'S GOING FROM DAIRY ASHFORD UP TO ELDRIDGE, UM, CLOSE TO HIGHWAY SIX, UH, PORTIONS OF WEST PARK ALL THROUGHOUT.
SO, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, UM, ENGAGED, THAT'S MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN ENGAGED.
HOUSTON HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL, UM, IN, UH, PROVIDING DETAILS FOR RESIDENTS IN MY OFFICE.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS JUST THE CARDS THAT HAVE BEEN DEALT CORRECT AT THIS TIME.
IT'S NOT THE WAY WE WOULD CHOOSE TO GO.
CORRECT, BUT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE PROJECTS, WE GOTTA MOVE FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMED COMMENTS.
UH, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMENTS THAT ARE MADE BY COUNCILMAN HUFFMAN AND THOMAS, I MET, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS ON YESTERDAY BECAUSE I HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROCESS OF THE, UH, I WANTED TO GET MORE UNDERSTANDING ON THE PROCESS OF THE BANKRUPTCY, UH, DURING THIS PROJECT OF THIS, YOU KNOW, 1.95, YOU KNOW, DOLLARS AND THE FACT THAT THOSE MONIES ARE GOING TO BE ALLOCATED TO THOSE SUBS.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SUBS, UH, TO GET THE UNDERSTANDING AS TO HOW THAT'S GONNA BE CONTROLLED BY PUBLIC WORKS AND THE COMPANY AND HOW IT WAS THAT THE BANKRUPTCY HAD BEEN FILED.
AND OF COURSE, THE CITY IN MY, YOU KNOW, UH, OPINION SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED, UH, EARLY ON.
AND THEN I ALSO QUESTIONED THE ASSURANCE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE INSURED AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY GETS ITS MONEY BACK, UH, BY WAY OF THE ASSURANCE.
SO I GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARIFICATION, BUT I HOPE IN THE FUTURE THAT THROUGH THAT PROCESS WITH THE DISTRICT'S, UH, PROJECTS GOING FORWARD, THAT THEY WILL GET SOME NOTIFICATION EARLY ON AS TO THE STATUS OF THESE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO FILE BANKRUPTCY AND, AND MEMBER.
AND I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO AS WE GO FORWARD, I HAVE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ALREADY RUN ACROSS FOLKS THAT HAD CONTRACTS AND WENT BANKRUPT.
SO I THINK THERE PROBABLY NEEDS A BETTER SELECTION PROCESS, A LITTLE MORE SCRUTINY, UH, THE PRIME THAT IS CHOSEN.
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE, IT LEADS TO, UM, DISCUSSIONS
[02:30:01]
LIKE WE'RE HAVING THIS MORNING.SO SOME OF THE PREVENTION AND, AND, UH, EFFORT COULD BE MAYBE A LITTLE MORE SCRUTINY OF THE FINANCIAL CONDITION WHEN THEY'RE SELECTED AND THEIR COMPETENCE.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, AND JUST FOR CONSIDERATION AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS, 'CAUSE THE, THE BANKRUPTCY PIECE HAS COME UP A COUPLE OF TIMES AND I'M ALWAYS CURIOUS TO KNOW BECAUSE IT'S NOT AS IF WE HAVE A, UM, A FAST PROCESS OF PAYING OUR VENDORS.
AND I THINK WE HEARD THAT FROM SOME OF OUR, UM, EPO VENDORS THAT WERE HERE LAST WEEK.
AND SO WHEN, UH, FIRMS HAVE TO CARRY SO MUCH OVERHEAD AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH CITY CONTRACTS AND WE ARE NOT EXPEDIENT IN ISSUING THEIR FUNDS, THERE'S A PROBABILITY, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A, A SUB VENDOR, THAT ONCE IT'S NOW BEEN SCALED UP TO BE A PRIME, THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO FLOAT A COUPLE OF MONTHS OF, OF SALARY.
SO I THINK THE NUANCE OF, NOT NECESSARILY THE VIABILITY OF OF THE FIRM, BUT OPERATING IN OUR SYSTEM IN THE CURRENT STATE, IT MIGHT NEED SOME REVIEW.
AND I THINK IT'LL PROBABLY STOP THE POSITION WE'RE IN WITH A PHASE THREE PHASE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, HAVING A FIRM GO UNDER.
WE HAVE TO KIND OF TIGHTEN THAT SYSTEM UP MOVING FORWARD.
AND, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD AS I HAVE, THERE'S SOME VERY CAPABLE FIRMS WILL NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON JUST BECAUSE OF DELAY IN PAYMENTS, WHICH THERE AGAIN MAKES NO SENSE AND WE'RE ON IT.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE DISCUSSION.
NOW WE NEED TO VOTE ON, ON ITEM 11.
ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED AYES HAVE IT.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED AYES HAVE IT.
CASTEX TATUM, MOVE THOMAS SECONDS.
ITEM 15 NEEDS A MOTION CAST TATU MOVED SECONDS.
THOSE OPPOSED? NO AYES HAVE IT.
ANY DISCUSSION MEMBERS? ALL IN FAVOR? COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
UH, JUST WANTED TO HEAR FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON, ON THIS, UH, ITEM.
AND, UH, BEFORE I YIELD, UH, MICHELLE, UH, I'VE BEEN ASSURED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES IN POLICY WHICH ADDRESSES THIS TRAGEDY.
AND, UM, YOU'VE RAISED IT WITH ME AND WE'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT, AND I'LL LET ARTURA WALK THROUGH THE DETAILS, BUT THE ADMINISTRATION HEARD YOU AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HEARD YOU, AND NOW WE WANT THE CITIZENS TO HEAR THAT, UH, SOME BAD PRACTICES HAVE BEEN REFORMED.
THE, UH, MICHELLE, WOULD YOU WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE AGREEMENTS? YEAH, UH, I'LL ELABORATE ON THAT.
THIS WAS A UNIQUE SITUATION THAT HAPPENED HERE.
IT'S A CITY'S CONTENTION THAT THIS WAS AN OFFICER WHO WAS SIMPLY, UH, LYING AND MISLEADING.
BUT TO PREVENT SUCH A THING IN THE FUTURE, UH, OR TO PUT BETTER MEASURES IN PLACE, UM, WHAT LAWYERS CALL SUBSEQUENT REMEDIAL MEASURES.
ONE, THE CHIEF HAS TO APPROVE A OCK WARRANT.
UH, NUMBER TWO, IT'S EXECUTED BY A, UH, SPECIALIZED UNIT, A TACTICAL TEAM WITH TRAINING AND NOT THE INVESTIGATIVE TEAM THAT IS, THAT IS WORKING UP THE CASE.
AND NUMBER THREE, THE WARRANT IS GOING TO BE SIGNED ONLY BY A DISTRICT COURT JUDGE AND NOT A MAGISTRATE JUDGE OR A MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE.
SO THOSE HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE TO, UH, PREVENT, UM, FUTURE INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE.
UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST A FEW COMMENTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALK ABOUT TRUST, UH, WITH THE COMMUNITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS DEFINITELY A TRAGEDY WHERE EVEN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WERE, WERE INJURED AS WELL.
SO WE DON'T WANNA SEE THAT HAPPEN.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT, THAT, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, HAS TAKEN SOME STEPS TO ENSURE THAT WE, WE DON'T SEE THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
THIS HAPPENED RIGHT AROUND SCHOOL, WHEN SCHOOL WAS BEING LET OUT.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR, FOR THIS INFORMATION, MAYOR.
WELL, WE ALL KNOW WHAT A TRAGEDY.
IT WAS UNFORTUNATE, AND I CAN'T EMPHASIZE HAVING A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT NOW, A DISTRICT COURT HAVING TO
[02:35:01]
SIGN ON THE SEARCH WARRANTS WILL BE, UH, A HUGE IMPROVEMENT AS, AS THE OTHER REFORMS ARE AS WELL.SO, WITH THAT SAID, UM, JUST NEED A VOTE.
NEED A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR OF ITEM 19.
UH, AT THIS TIME, CHAIR RECOGNIZES, UH, CALL UP THE ITEM FIRST
[NON-CONSENT - MISCELLANEOUS]
SECRETARY, CALL UP THE ITEM 30.ITEM 30 IS TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING, UH, REGARDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN UNDERGROUND WATER LINE, TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 0.3447 ACRES FROM THE EXISTING TRTA PARK.
SET THE HEARING DATE FOR 9:00 AM ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH, 2024.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
[MATTERS HELD]
NEXT ITEM 31.ITEM 31 IS A MOTION WE JUST NEED TO VOTE.
UM, I TAG THIS ITEM LAST WEEK BECAUSE I WANTED TO GO OUT, UM, AND ASSESS THE WORK.
AND I KNOW I SPOKE WITH YOU YESTERDAY, GAVE YOU SOME PHOTOS OF THE AREA.
UM, MY STAFF, THEY WENT OUT TO THIS PARTICULAR, THE ADDRESSES, HOWEVER, THAT WAS NOT THE ADDRESSES THAT THE WORK TOOK PLACE, BUT IT WAS IN THE AREA THAT THE WORK TOOK PLACE.
AND SO WE WOULD BE GOING OUT TO PUBLIC WORK TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT, UM, THE PROJECT.
BUT IN, IN THE PROCESS OF ASSESSING THE WORK, WE SAW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT NEED TO BE DONE IN THOSE AREAS.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ADMINISTRATION AND, UM, PUBLIC WORKS ON ADDRESSING THOSE ROADS.
UM, THEY'RE PRETTY BAD, SO THANK YOU.
AND WE'RE GOING TO, UM, ADDRESS THE WARRANTY ISSUE.
AND EVEN GETTING BACK TO THE SELECTION PROCESS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE FOLKS WILLING TO GIVE YOU A FURTHER LONGER WARRANTY.
IT MIGHT COST MORE, BUT, UH, WE NEED TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
AND YOU BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION JUST PUSHES IT ON THE FRONT BURNER.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL WORK WITH YOU ON THAT, AS WE WILL THE OTHER MEMBERS.
UH, WE NEED, UH, A VOTE ON ITEM 31.
ALL IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
ANY DISCUSSION? MEMBERS? ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
[NON CONSENT - MATTERS TO BE PRESENTED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS]
OKAY.LEAVE, LEAVE SOME SPACE FOR THE REST OF US.
UH, I WANT TO, UH, SHARE WITH RESIDENTS AND ALSO MY COLLEAGUES.
THE 2023 DISTRICT F ANNUAL REPORT SHOULD BE HITTING THE MAILBOXES OF ALL OF OUR HOAS AND CIVIC CLUBS.
IT DETAILS OUR TOP FIVE PRIORITIES, UH, YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND MORE.
UM, SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF CULTURAL HERITAGE AND PRESERVATION IN OUR DISTRICT, BECAUSE DISTRICT F IS THE CULTURAL CURRENCY OF THE CITY.
UM, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU, UH, PERUSING THAT DOCUMENT, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED IT VIA OUR NEWSLETTER AT THE END OF THE YEAR IN 2023.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT TRASH.
MANY OF THE ROUTES IN DISTRICT F ARE A ROUTES ON MONDAY.
AND, UH, SOLID WASTE IS WORKING, UM, STEADILY TO PICK UP YOUR TRASH AND YOUR RECYCLE.
I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP YOUR BIN ON THE STREET.
UM, WE ARE FULLY AWARE OF ALL OF THE DELAYS FROM BELLA WEST HUNTINGTON VILLAGE TANGO OUT ON WESTMONT IMPERIAL POINT AND MORE.
UM, CONTINUE TO SEND A NOTE TO OUR, UM, DISTRICT F EMAIL.
WE'RE ROUTING THAT UP, BUT WE'RE FULLY AWARE AND WE'RE ON TRACK TO, TO CURE, UH, THE LONG AWAY TO DELAY.
I ALSO WANNA SPEAK TO A, A SERIOUS ISSUE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THAT TOOK PLACE, UM, UM, OVER THE HOLIDAYS.
YOU PROBABLY, UM, SAW THIS ON THE NEWS.
THERE WAS A MURDER SUICIDE THAT TOOK THE LIFE OF, UH, FIVE INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING AN 8-YEAR-OLD.
UM, I ACTUALLY WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH THE YOUNG WOMAN, THE MOTHER, AND SO THE FAMILY MEMBERS WORKED IN A LEAF.
ISD THE, THE, THE MURDER SUICIDE TOOK PLACE IN FORT BEND.
SO I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PROVIDE THEM SOME VICTIM SERVICES RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH CURRENT CRIME STOPPERS, FORT BEND COUNTY, HARRIS
[02:40:01]
COUNTY MISSION BIN PRECINCT FOR.SO JUST KEEP PEOPLE IN PRAYERS.
AND JUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THE SERVICES AND THE ITEMS THAT WE PUSH AND VOTE AT THIS COUNCIL TABLE DIRECTLY IMPACT, UH, RESIDENTS.
UM, I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT JANUARY IS SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH.
UM, IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD, GIVE 'EM A SHOUT OUT AND SHOW 'EM SOME LOVE.
UH, UH, TRUSTEES OF SCHOOL BOARDS ARE NON-PAID VOLUNTEERS.
AS A FORMER ISD TRUSTEE, IT'S A LABOR OF LOVE.
IT, ESPECIALLY AS OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN UNDER ATTACK.
UM, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF CELEBRATING, UH, THE SEVEN TRUSTEES AT A EAF ISD, UH, AND I APPRECIATE THEIR WORK AND I, I APPRECIATE THEIR, UH, SO, UH, REPRESENTATION OF OUR SCHOOL AND ALSO MYSELF.
UH, LAST WEEK I CELEBRATED THE 75 YEARS, THE 75TH YEAR OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN INDONESIA AND THE UNITED STATES.
THEY UNVEILED A PUBLIC ART MURAL, UM, RIGHT THERE IN THE HEART OF WEST CHASE.
UM, ALWAYS, UH, GLAD TO BE WITH, UH, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF INDONESIA AND ALSO MAYOR, UH, WHITMEYER.
WE HAD, UH, MEMBERS OF YOUR INTERNATIONAL OFFICE THAT WERE THERE CELEBRATING THAT, REPRESENTING YOUR OFFICE.
AND SO, UM, DRIVE BY ON RICHMOND AND SEE, UH, THE WONDERFUL MURAL ON SATURDAY.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, JOIN OUR PALESTINIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS AT THE ARAB COMMUNITY CENTER RIGHT THERE OFF OF STANCLIFFE FOR A PEACEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THE RENOWNED POET, DR.
UM, WHICH AIMED TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN SPIRIT AND HARMONY.
THERE WERE KITES, UH, VENDORS, MUSIC, SONG, UH, TESTIMONIALS.
AND SO, UH, IT WAS A TRIBUTE, UH, WITH AN INTERFAITH, UH, CANDLELIGHT VIGIL.
AND SO JUST CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL HURTING.
UM, OUR JEWISH BROTHERS AND SISTERS, OUR PALESTINIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND NOW HOUSTONIANS THAT ARE CHOOSING TO BE ALLIES AND, UH, STOP THE WAR AND THAT ARE CALLING FOR CEASEFIRE, UH, THAT ARE CALLING FOR THE HOSTAGES TO BE RETURNED.
JUST BE IN PRAYER AND KEEP THEM CLOSE IN YOUR THOUGHTS.
MORE COMING FROM THE WEST SIDE, UH, REAL SOON.
UH, MAYOR PRO TEM CAIC STADIUM.
WANTED TO REMIND THE COMMUNITY WE DID HAVE OUR SHRED DAY ON SATURDAY AND THE E-WASTE COLLECTION, ALONG WITH, UM, SOLID WASTE.
WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR WILL FALK, UH, AND HIS ENTIRE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT TEAM AND THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON STUDENT VOLUNTEERS, PASTOR LEWIS AT NEW FAITH CHURCH AND PASTOR COLVIN AT WESTBURY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP.
IF YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO SHRED YOUR DOCUMENTS THIS WEEKEND, UH, WE CAN DO IT AGAIN ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 27TH FROM NINE TO 12, UM, ASKING RESIDENTS IF YOU HAVE SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS THAT YOU NEED TO SHRED, WE'RE WORKING TO HELP YOU PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DISPOSING OF THESE PRO UM, PAP THIS PAPERWORK SECURELY WITH A DRIVE THROUGH EVENT.
WE'LL BE AT RIDGEMONT COMMUNITY CENTER AT 51 0 7 RIDGE CREEK CIRCLE.
AGAIN, THAT'S SATURDAY, JANUARY 27TH FROM 9:00 AM TO 12:00 PM AND THEN ALSO, MAYOR, I KNOW YOU HAD BEEN GETTING LOTS OF EMAILS FROM THE RESIDENTS AT WESTRIDGE CIVIC ASSOCIATION ABOUT THEIR CIP PROJECT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN READING THROUGH ALL OF THOSE, UH, EMAILS.
WE HAD A GREAT MEETING LAST NIGHT AT THEIR CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING.
AND I, I WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO DEPUTY DIRECTOR MICHAEL ESTI AND THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR NU UM, AND THE ENTIRE PROJECT ENGAGEMENT TEAM FOR COMING OUT AND REALLY HAVING A, A ROBUST DISCUSSION WITH THE RESIDENTS ABOUT THEIR CIP PROJECT.
WE DISCUSSED THE TIMELINE OF THAT PROJECT AND HOW WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE THREE PHASES.
UM, IT WASN'T A PERFECT SOLUTION, BUT IT'S A GOOD SOLUTION TO GO AHEAD AND GET THAT PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND, AND WE REALLY, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO FINALIZING THAT PROJECT AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS GET THE, THE QUALITY WORK THAT THEY DESERVE.
AND THEN I WANT TO, UM, ANNOUNCE THE HIAM CLARK REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
TURS 25 IS HOSTING A DEVELOPER'S NETWORKING RECEPTION ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY THE FIRST AT 6:00 PM AT THE FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER, UH, 1 4 0 8 3 SOUTH MAINE.
COME OUT TO LEARN HOW TO ACCESS CAPITAL FOR REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS IN SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND THEN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I WANTED TO JUST NOTE, I KNOW YOU, YOU'RE SEEING THE UPTICK IN THOSE BANDIT SIGNS BECAUSE IT IS TAX SEASON.
UH, WANT TO ASK THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS IF THEY COULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US WITH, UM, REMOVING THOSE BANDIT SIGNS AND, AND ISSUING THOSE CITATIONS SO THAT THESE REPEAT OFFENDERS WILL KNOW THAT THEY'RE VIOLATING THE CITY ORDINANCE WHEN THEY CONTINUE TO BLANKET OUR INTERSECTIONS AND OUR ESPLANADES WITH THESE VERY ANNOYING BANDIT SIGNS, UM, THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND, UH, MAYOR, UH, I KNOW YOU WERE IN THE SENATE AND I, THE, I WANNA THANK THE SENATE FOR PASSING THAT LEGISLATION TWICE.
WE COULDN'T GET IT THROUGH THE HOUSE
[02:45:01]
EITHER TIME, BUT WE'RE GONNA TRY IT AGAIN TO RAISE THE FINES.UM, FOR THESE REPEAT OFFENDERS THAT WE ARE COLLECTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FINES FROM THE PEOPLE THAT CONTINUE TO DO IT.
IT'S BECAUSE THE FINES ARE SO LOW THAT THEY JUST RATHER PAY THE FINE THAN TO STOP VIOLATING THE CITY ORDINANCE.
SO WE'LL TRY IT AGAIN NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UM, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THE, THE SUPPORT OF, OF THE COUNCIL AND THE, UM, OUR, OUR SENATORS AND, AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES.
AND THEN FINALLY, HELP ME WISH OUR DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES, BARBARA HEIGHT, A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY.
UM, IF YOU SEE BARBARA, TELL HER HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO CELEBRATE ANOTHER YEAR WITH HER ON OUR TEAM.
UH, BE KIND TO EACH OTHER AND MAKE IT A GREAT DAY.
UH, MEMBERS, WHEN WE WERE DOING THE, UH, ORDINANCES, THE PAPERWORK ON ORDINANCE 21 WAS NOT, HAD NOT ARRIVED, IT HAS NOW.
SO IF I COULD GET YOU TO FOCUS ON ORDINANCE 21 AND ASK SECRETARY TO REED ITEM 21 IS AN ORDINANCE, JUST NEED A VOTE.
ANY DISCUSSION READY TO VOTE? UH, THOSE IN FAVOR OF ORDINANCE 21, SAY, AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED AYES HAVE IT PASSES.
UH, NOW COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
UM, ON MONDAY WE WERE IN CARDALE CELEBRATING THAT THE LANDFILL EXPANSION APPLICATION WAS PULLED.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN, MAYOR, FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID IN THAT, UM, AS A STATE SENATOR AND THEN AS MAYOR TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS PROTECTED.
AND ALSO WANTED TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER.
THEY WERE RIGHT WITH US, YOU KNOW, WRITING LETTERS AND ATTENDING THE MEETINGS, AND ALSO TO ARTUR AND MICHELLE AND OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY, UM, MENIFEE AS WELL.
THEY WORKED TIRELESSLY ON THE LAWSUIT AND MAKING SURE THAT THE APPLICATION, UM, THAT THEY WERE COMPELLED BASICALLY TO, UM, STOP THIS APPLICATION.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE INVOLVED.
I KNOW, UM, OUR CARDALE COMMUNITY, THEY ARE JUST SO HAPPY THAT, UM, THAT'S ONE LESS THING THAT THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH NOW.
UM, MAYOR TODAY AND MARKS THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WATSON GRINDING AND MANUFACTURING EXPLOSION IN DISTRICT A.
AND I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REMEMBER THIS INCIDENT WHERE THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND, UM, MIN HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WERE DISPLACED BECAUSE THEIR HOMES WERE EITHER COMPLETELY DESTROYED OR UNLIVABLE.
UM, FOUR YEARS LATER, MANY ARE STILL DEALING WITH LAWSUITS AND OTHER CONCERNS.
SO I JUST WANTED THOSE WHO, UM, ARE STILL DEALING, DEALING WITH IT OR DID DEAL WITH IT TO KNOW THAT WE WON'T FORGET AND CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WAYS TO LIMIT THE LIKELIHOOD OF THIS HAPPENING AGAIN.
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE CARDALE VICTORY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN PLUMBER.
YOU, ME, WE ALL DID OUR JOBS AS THE CARDALE PEOPLE THAT MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE.
AND IT JUST SHOWS WHAT, WHEN YOU HAVE A CIVIC INVOLVEMENT, BE PERSISTENT MARCH RAISE CAN, YOU CAN WIN A BATTLE.
AND THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT ONE.
NOW WE NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT, UH, WE KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE PROJECT.
BUT, UH, FOR RIGHT NOW, IT'S DEFINITELY A, A VICTORY.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ALSO SHOWS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WORK ACROSS THE AISLE.
AND, AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHO GETS THE CREDIT FOR IT, JUST GET IT DONE.
UH, JUST, UH, BRIEFLY JUST WANT TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WAS TALKING, UH, SPEAKING TO WHEN IT COMES TO RECYCLING AND THE SCHEDULING.
UM, LAST YEAR, I, I KNOW AT TOWARDS THE END OF THE, UH, UM, MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, WE, WE CHANGED, UM, THE RECYCLING SCHEDULE FOR HOLIDAY PICKUP.
UH, AT THAT POINT, I THINK THE END OF THE WEEK WAS GETTING MISSED.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER PECK WAS VERY VOCAL ABOUT IT, AND NOW WE'RE MISSING THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEK.
UH, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A REAL SOLUTION FOR THIS.
UM, AND I KNOW YOU'RE ON BOARD WITH THAT AS WELL, UH, MAYOR.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO ADDRESS A LOT OF THE SOLID WASTE ISSUES, UH, SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE ADDITIONAL SERVICES ASIDE FROM THE BLACK CAN.
UM, ALSO WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO CHIEF FINNER.
UH, HE ATTENDED OUR, OUR MONDAY PIT MEETING FOR EAST SIDE SUBSTATION.
UM, IT, IT BROUGHT SOME REASSURANCES, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, THE GREYHOUND MOVING INTO THE EAST END HAS BEEN, UH, UH, SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT.
AND, AND FOR CHIEF FINNER TO BE THERE, UH, SUPPORTING HIS STAFF, UM, OUT IN THE EAST SIDE, UH, COMMAND STATION.
UM, IT, IT, IT BRINGS SOME, SOME SENSE OF, OF, OF SECURITY THAT, THAT PRI PUBLIC SAFETY IS A PRIORITY.
AND THEN I'LL CO I'LL, UH, FINISH WITH THIS.
UH, I ATTENDED, UH, AN EVENT, UH, HAD A FEW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COLLEAGUES, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO
[02:50:01]
AND COUNCILOR RAMIREZ, UH, WHERE AT THE JULIA I, UH, WITH BLANCA BLANCO, WHO HAD CONTRIBUTED, UH, SEVERAL YEARS OF VIVA MAGAZINE.UM, AND WHAT WE FOUND IS IN SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTINA MORALES'S, UH, FAMILY, UH, SHARING THEIR, THEIR HISTORY AS WELL, DOCUMENTS, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS THEM THERE, BUT THEY'RE NOT BEING ARCHIVED OR, OR DIGITIZED.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW, UH, I HAVE SUPPORT WITH, UH, COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO SEE HOW WE CAN START SEEING, UH, SOME MOVEMENT WITH THAT WITH THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UM, I TOO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, SOLID WASTE.
I KNOW THAT'S A HARD WORKING DEPARTMENT.
I REALLY SUPPORT THAT DIRECTOR.
I THINK HE DOES GOOD WORK, BUT THE RECYCLING ISSUE IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, MY BIG THING IS IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA PICK UP THE RECYCLING BECAUSE THEY'RE BEHIND FOR WHATEVER THE REASON MAY BE, UH, WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION.
UH, I KNOW THINGS GET PUT ON APPS AND THERE'S MAYBE WEBSITES THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME UPDATES, BUT EVERYONE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO UTILIZE THOSE.
EVERYONE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THOSE.
AND THEN MY OFFICE, ME SPECIFICALLY GET THE BRUNT OF WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW OR WHEN IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN? RIGHT? AND SO, JUST LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER REGARDING PUBLIC WORKS, YOU DON'T LIKE SURPRISES.
I DON'T LIKE SURPRISES WITH, YOU KNOW, NOT KNOWING WHEN THE RECYCLING IS GOING TO GET PICKED UP OR NOT.
AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE PAST WEEK IS, UM, PEOPLE GOT SO FRUSTRATED THAT THEIR RECYCLING WAS NEVER PICKED UP, THAT THEY START TAKING THEIR GREEN CAN AND JUST PUTTING IT BACK UP BY THE HOUSE.
AND THEN LO AND BEHOLD, THEY, THEY GET OUT THERE THE NEXT MORNING, THEY SEE THE RECYCLING TRUCK COMING DOWN THE STREET THAT'S ALREADY PASSED THEIR HOUSE, AND THEY'RE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEY SAY, WELL, IT'S BEEN OUT HERE FOR WEEKS, IT NEVER GOT PICKED UP.
THE ONE DAY I TAKE IT BACK UP TO MY HOUSE TO TRY TO BEAUTIFY OUR STREET, AND I HAVE TRASH CANS THAT'S OUT THERE, THEN THE TRASH TRUCKS ARE PULLING UP.
I DID HEAR THAT, UM, THE SAME TRUCKS THAT PICK UP THE BLACK CAN ALSO PICK UP THE RECYCLING.
SO IF THE, IF THE BLACK CAN PICKUP IS BACKED UP, THEN THAT'S GOING TO, THAT'S GONNA BE, UM, ENSURE THAT THE, THE GREEN CAN'S NOT GETTING PICKED UP, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO FIND A SOLUTION.
I, I KNOW THERE ARE SOME OPTIONS THAT YOU ALL ARE CONSIDERING THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION.
MY BIG THING IS JUST COMMUNICATION.
IF YOU'RE GONNA PUT SOMETHING ON THE APP SAYING WHEN THE RECYCLING IS GONNA BE THERE, LET OUR COUNCIL OFFICES KNOW AT THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE WE CAN PUT THAT INFORMATION OUT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS THROUGH A EMAIL OR FACEBOOK OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
BUT WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT IF THE RECYCLING OR THE TRASH IS COMING AND IT'S BEEN BEHIND THAT WE CAN GIVE THEM AN ACCURATE TIME TO EXPECT IT.
AND I THINK IF WE DO THAT ALONE, IT WILL GO A GREAT WAY INTO, UH, TO ENSURING THAT THOSE RESIDENTS HAVE, UH, RELIABILITY OF WHEN THEIR TRASH PICKUP WILL BE SPECIFICALLY, UH, RECYCLING.
SO WHATEVER MY OFFICE CAN DO TO ASSIST AND PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT, YOU KNOW, OH, I'M GONNA LET YOU KNOW.
BUT, BUT WE, WE ALL SHARE THAT CONCERN.
AND AS A RESIDENT, I'VE HAD TO PUT MY GARBAGE CANS OF, UH, BOTH NATURE OF GREEN AND BLACK BACK IN THE GARAGE.
UH, ONE OF THE CONCERNS ON THE COMMUNICATION IS I DON'T THINK THEY REALLY KNOW.
THEY ARE SO OVERWORKED AND THEY'RE WORKING LATE ON SATURDAY NIGHT, 18 HOUR DAYS, BAD EQUIPMENT, UNDERSTAFFED, UNDERPAID THAT SOME DAYS, AND WE'LL ENCOURAGE 'EM TO COMMUNICATE.
'CAUSE I GOT A LITTLE, LITTLE FLYER ON MINE A FEW WEEKS AGO.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO QUIT KICKING THAT CAN DOWN THE ROAD AND SOMETIME THIS SPRING DEAL WITH IT IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY.
I THINK THE VOTERS WOULD SUPPORT US.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE GREAT CITY WE HAVE, UH, GREAT CITIES JUST HAVE RELIABLE GARBAGE RECYCLING AND PICKUP.
SO IT'S, IT'S ON THE SHORT LIST OF THINGS FOR US TO TACKLE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR OFFER TO SHOW LEADERSHIP.
AND I APPRECIATE THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT SOLID WASTE.
UM, YEAH, WE CAN'T KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
WE ALL KNOW THERE'S MORE RESOURCES NEEDED IN THAT DEPARTMENT AND, UH, WE GOTTA GET ON IT.
SO I APPRECIATE THIS DISCUSSION VERY WELL.
AND ALONG THOSE LINES, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT COMPOSTING AGAIN.
I KNOW WE ARE, WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT PICKING UP JUST THE REGULAR TRASH, BUT CITY DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH COMPOSTING.
I GOT A PRIVATE VENDOR DOING THIS FOR FREE.
AND WE'RE, WE START, WE KICKED OFF ANOTHER PILOT.
WE DID ONE IN 2021, WE'RE FAR BEHIND OTHER CITIES.
ONE OF THE WAYS TO DEAL WITH THE TRASH PROBLEM IS TO HAVE LESS TRASH.
UH, FOOD WASTE IS 24% OF MUNICIPAL LANDFILLS.
IF YOU SEPARATE OUT YOUR FOOD WASTE, LIKE A LOT OF OTHER CITIES DO, THEY HAVE CURBSIDE COMPOSTING AND ALL THAT.
BUT IF YOU SEPARATE YOUR FOOD WASTE, YOU
[02:55:01]
HAVE VERY LITTLE IN RECYCLE.YOU HAVE VERY LITTLE, LITTLE TRASH LEFT.
WE HAVE A PILOT PROGRAM GOING ON FROM JANUARY 22ND THROUGH FEBRUARY 29TH IN CASHMERE GARDENS, ACRES, HOMES, ALE AND SUNNYSIDE.
UM, THERE'S DIFFERENT TIMES ON EACH OF THOSE.
ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO DO THAT.
THERE'LL BE A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THAT TOMORROW.
THIS IS ANOTHER ONE WE'RE EXPECTING A GRANT.
HOPEFULLY MAYOR IN FEBRUARY TO GET SOME MORE, UM, SOME MORE INTEREST IN THIS.
WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE LESS TRASH HERE.
UH, ROB TODD, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT E REACHED OUT TO ME THIS WEEK.
HE, UH, HE WANTED ME TO MENTION THAT HIS FATHER, ROBERT TODD, UH, PASSED AWAY IN SEATTLE.
HE WAS VERY ACTIVE AROUND CITY HALL, KNEW GOOD FRIENDS WITH ANNA RUSSELL AND LEE P BROWN.
AND HE JUST ASKED IF I WOULD PLEASE ANNOUNCE IT.
IT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO HIS FAMILY THAT WE WILL CERTAINLY BE MOURNING THE LOSS.
HE'S A, A KOREAN WAR VET AND WORLD WAR II VET.
SO ROB TODD, SHOUT OUT TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
AND, UM, UM, YOU ARE IN OUR PRAYERS.
YOU GUYS DO A LOT OF TRASH TALK.
SO I'M GONNA DO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HOMELESS.
UM, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, ARE MY TEAM'S GOING OUT TOMORROW TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE COALITION AND THE COUNT? IT'S RAINING.
WEAR YOUR RUBBER BOOTS, YOUR SLICKERS, GET OUT THERE.
IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S EVEN MORE CRITICAL IN THIS WEATHER BECAUSE THE HOMELESS TEND TO HIDE, RIGHT? THEY GO FOR COVER.
AND SO IT'S GONNA BE VERY CRITICAL THAT THIS COUNT IS ACCURATE.
UM, I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UM, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IN THESE RAINY DAYS, THE CALLS ARE EVEN GREATER DUE TO CAR ACCIDENTS, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, BUT ALSO TOO, YOU KNOW, THE HOMELESS ARE, HAVE SERIOUS NEEDS.
WHEN THE WEATHER'S BAD, IT, IT JUST IMPACTS THE CALLS TO HFD AND HPD.
REMEMBER, COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS.
COUNT TOMORROW, SIGN UP, SHOW UP.
UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE HOMELESS AND THE HOMELESS COUNT THE NEXT THREE DAYS.
AND WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOT WANTING TO KICK THINGS DOWN THE ROAD ANYMORE, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A TOPIC AND A POPULATION THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN PARTNER WITH OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT TO, TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE HOMELESS.
WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A SHELTER JUST AS THE WEATHER THEY'VE ENDURED.
UH, THE LAST WEEK IS, UH, SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
AND, UH, IT'S JUST SAD TO SEE HOMELESS FOLKS THAT NEED A SHELTER.
SO IT'S GONNA BE GREAT THAT WE COUNT, BUT, UM, THAT JUST POINTS TO THE PROBLEM WE'VE GOT.
IT'D BE NICE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE THREE DAYS TO COUNT THE HOMELESS.
WE HAD A FACILITY FOR THEM TO, TO APPEAR.
I'M GONNA TRY TO GO FAST BECAUSE I ALWAYS HAVE A LOT.
LAST WEEK WE WITNESSED AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT.
WITH THE FIRST REACTIVATION, UH, MEETING FOR THE SUNNYSIDE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, IT WAS HEARTENING TO SEE THE ENGAGEMENT AND COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT AMONG ALL ATTENDEES.
A SPECIAL NOTE OF APPRECIATION GOES OUT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS TEAM, INCLUDING RHONDA SALTER AND ELDRIDGE PUGH, AS WELL AS MAGGIE MARINO AND MS. SHIRLEY KING OF COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER'S TEAM, AND CC SCOTT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER STAFF FOR THEIR INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS AND SUPPORT DURING THIS MEETING AND YOUR EFFORTS TO CONTINUE TO LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR A MORE CONNECTED AND RESPONSIVE COMMUNITY.
IN SUNNYSIDE, UH, BUILDING ON THE MOMENTUM OF OUR RECENT GATHERINGS, WE ARE POISED FOR THE SECOND AND FINAL STAKEHOLDERS MEETING TO COMPLETE THE REACTIVATION OF COMBINED SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
NUMBER 76 SOUTH ACRES, CRESTMONT PARK, AND NUMBER 77 MINI TEXT.
THIS CRUCIAL MEETING WILL FOCUS ON ELECTING OUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL OFFICERS, MARKING A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN OUR JOURNEY TOWARDS ENHANCED COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND LEADERSHIP.
THAT MEETING WILL BE ON TOMORROW EVENING, THURSDAY, JANUARY THE 25TH AT 6:00 PM AT THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, 44 10 REED ROAD.
THIS EVENT IS A PIVOTAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL RESIDENTS, CIVIC CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS, AND CHURCHES AND BUSINESSES WITHIN THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
76 AND 77 AREAS TO COME TOGETHER AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE SHAPING OF OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE.
YOUR PARTICIPATION IN ENGAGEMENT ARE, ARE ESSENTIAL IN THIS COLLABORATIVE ENDEAVOR.
ON SATURDAY, THE 27TH, TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, A WONDERFUL CHURCH IN DISTRICT D WILL HAVE THEIR FRESH PRODUCE MO MOBILE MARCH FROM 10 TO 1:00 PM THE CHURCH IS LOCATED AT 26 OF HUNDRED HOLMAN AT LIVE OAK.
THERE WILL BE LOW PRICES AND SNAP CARDS ARE ACCEPTED.
ON MONDAY, THERE WILL BE A TSU PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMUNITY MEETING.
[03:00:01]
COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING EDUCATIONAL EX EXCELLENCE, I'M DELIGHTED TO INFORM YOU ABOUT THE COMMUNITY MEETING FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH AT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, THE TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.THIS MEETING IS A PLATFORM FOR THE COMMUNITY TO VOICE THEIR EXPECTATIONS AND ASPIRATIONS FOR THE NEXT LEADER OF TEXAS SOUTHERN.
THAT MEETING WILL BE ON MONDAY, JANUARY THE 29TH.
UM, I BELIEVE I DON'T HAVE THE TIME.
I THINK IT'S AT 6:00 PM UH, CERTAINLY ON THE CAMPUS, AND YOU CAN REFER TO, UH, THE TEXAS SOUTHERN WEBSITE TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
UH, AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO THESE EVENTS AND INITIATIVES, LET US REMAIN UNITED IN OUR EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT DISTRICT D CONTINUES TO BE A BEACON COMMUNITY OF ENGAGEMENT.
AND I ALSO, IN CLOSING, I WANNA GIVE CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF DEXTER KING, THE YOUNGEST SON OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, UH, WHO PASSED ON MONDAY.
WE CERTAINLY ALWAYS, UH, WILL HAVE A STRONG HEART AND LEGACY FOR THE KING FAMILY, AND HIS DEATH IS A LOSS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT CONCLUDES WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION.
I, UH, WANNA SAY THAT I APPRECIATE ALL THE DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD AROUND SOLID WASTE, UH, TODAY.
AS IT COMES AS NO SURPRISE, DISTRICT H HAS ALSO EXPERIENCED ITS FAIR SHARE OF ISSUES, UH, WITH SOLID WASTE.
AND, UM, I KNOW THE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING VERY HARD AND THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY CAN WITH THE EQUIPMENT AND THE, THE MANPOWER.
BUT WE ARE SIMPLY JUST NOT MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS OF OUR, OF OUR RESIDENTS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IN DISTRICT H, WE'VE GOT NORTH LYNDALE THAT'S GONNA GO, UH, 40 PLUS DAYS WITHOUT RECYCLE COLLECTION, UH, BECAUSE OF HOLIDAYS AND WEATHER.
AND, UH, WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, TO GET THIS RIGHT.
AND I'M EAGER TO BE PART OF, OF THAT SOLUTION, UM, BECAUSE WE, WE NEED TO, TO FIX IT, AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY DESERVE IT.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO WORKING WITH YOU AND MY COLLEAGUES ON, ON HOW WE CAN RIGHT THE SHIP THERE.
UH, A COUPLE OF EVENTS COMING UP THAT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT.
ONE, WE ARE GONNA HOST A SERIES OF TOWN HALLS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
THE FIRST ONE IS FEBRUARY THE THIRD, SATURDAY AT 9:30 AM AT VIA ACOS.
UH, WE WILL, UH, PUBLISH THE SCHEDULE OUT, AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT, UH, MY AT LARGE COLLEAGUES ARE ALL INVITED TO ATTEND AS WELL.
UH, BUT WE WILL BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH RESIDENTS ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND, UH, INTRODUCING STAFF AND ALSO BRINGING SOME RESOURCES AS WELL.
AND IN THE, UH, TRADITION OF FEBRUARY BEING ANIMAL SPAY NEUTER AWARENESS MONTH, UH, DISTRICT H WILL CONTINUE OUR LOVE YOUR PET INITIATIVES.
AND, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THAT.
SOME OF THESE ARE GONNA REQUIRE PRE-REGISTRATION.
UM, SO EVERY FRIDAY IN, UH FEBRUARY, WE WILL SPONSOR BART CLINIC DAYS FOR RESIDENTS, UH, TO GET THEIR ANIMALS THE CARE THEY NEED.
WE'LL BE COMING THROUGH THE DISTRICT WITH PET PANTRIES, MOBILE CLINICS, WITH THE PARTNERSHIP WITH PET SET, AND, UH, ALSO, UH, VACCINATION AND, AND MICROCHIP EFFORTS.
SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR MORE INFORMATION THERE.
A GREAT WAY TO STAY INFORMED IS THROUGH OUR NEWSLETTER, WHICH YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR, UH, ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT'S ALL AT MARIO FOR HOUSTON.
OR YOU CAN CONTACT THE DISTRICT H OFFICE AND WE CAN GET YOU SIGNED UP AS WELL.
COMING UP ON JANUARY THE 30TH, UH, PORT OF HOUSTON IS HOSTING A FREE GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP WEBINAR TO HELP FOLKS LEARN HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY DEVELOP COMMUNITY GRANTS.
UH, WE ARE ALSO PROVIDING MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN ACCESS THAT FROM OUR NEWSLETTER.
UH, AND ALSO YOU CAN COUNT, CONTACT MY STAFF TO GET CONNECTED THERE.
UM, I WANNA ALSO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR DIGITIZING OUR, OUR HISTORY, UH, SPECIFICALLY THE VIVA MAGAZINE COLLECTION.
YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ MARTINEZ.
WE WERE, WE WERE ALL THERE THIS WEEKEND.
AND SEEING THESE MAGAZINES, YOU KNOW, I WAS A CHILD WHEN THESE MAGAZINES WERE OUT.
SOME OF THE HISTORY THERE I WAS SEEING FOR THE FIRST TIME.
UM, BUT IT'S
UH, JUST SEEING THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME BEFORE YOU THAT HAVE PUT IN THE WORK, UH, TO, TO CREATE PATHS THAT ALLOW FOLKS LIKE US TO NOW STEP UP AND SERVE.
UM, IT WAS, IT WAS MOVING AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT IT IS STILL THERE.
BUT, UH, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DIGITIZE IT AND, AND I SUPPORT THAT EFFORT, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UM, FINALLY, AS I'M CONTINUING TO INTRODUCE MY STAFF TODAY, I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT MY DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES, TY KAKOA.
YOU MAY, UM, RECOGNIZE HIM AS HE, UH, WAS MY CAMPAIGN MANAGER THIS PAST YEAR, BUT, UH, YOU MAY NOT KNOW.
HE WAS BORN IN HAWAII, UH, BEFORE COMING TO TEXAS, UH, AS PART OF A, A MILITARY FAMILY OUT
[03:05:01]
IN SAN ANTONIO.ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, GRADUATED WITH A POLITICAL SCIENCE DEGREE, UM, AND HAS JOINED THE TEAM AND HAS REALLY STEPPED UP AND, AND PROVIDED A LOT OF SUPPORT.
HE'S ALREADY BEEN A PART OF SOME BIG, UH, CONSTITUENT CASES, HELPING US GET ISSUES RESOLVED OVER AT THE OLD YELLOW CAB SITE.
AND, UH, I'M GRATEFUL HE HAS CONTINUED, UH, TO BE A PART OF, OF OUR EFFORTS.
AND, UH, WELCOME HIM TO CITY HALL.
I JUST WANT TO, UH, SPEAKING ON THE HEELS OF HISTORY.
I CERTAINLY WANT TO COMMEND, UH, COUNCILMAN SHABAZZ FOR THE RECOGNITION AND, UH, GIVING THE HONORARY STREET MARKER TO, UH, PASTOR COATES, WHO WAS A GREAT, GREAT LEADER IN OUR CITY AND THE, UH, METHODIST CHURCH.
AND, UH, WANT TO COMMEND HER FOR THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO, UM, EXTEND MY, UH, APPRECIATION TO THE VISIT OF COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THOMAS IN DISTRICT F UH, AND TO, I PARTICIPATED AND GOT A CHANCE TO WITNESS, UH, OR YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, ENGAGEMENT.
AND THE PROCESS BY WHICH SHE'S LEADING THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, I THINK IS HONORABLE.
AND IT CERTAINLY BE RECOGNIZED BY THE WORK THAT SHE DO.
I INTEND TO VISIT ALL OF THE DISTRICTS WHEN INVITED AND, UH, WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY PERMITS ITSELF.
AND I HOPE TO DO THAT IF THEY LET US KNOW AS SHE DID.
AND ALSO ALSO, COUNCIL MEMBER TATUM IN DISTRICT K, UH, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO THERE DURING THE SHREDDING OF THE PAPERS AS WELL AS THE, UH, INSTRUMENTS, YOU KNOW, THOSE COMPUTER OBJECTS, WHICH I THINK WAS A VERY GOOD, UH, PROJECT.
AND I LOOK FORWARD, SHE DOES IT EVERY JANUARY.
SO I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THOSE AS WE'RE MOVING TOWARD THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO, UM, UH, SAY AS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CARTER MENTIONED THE HOMELESS.
I'VE ALREADY, MY OFFICE ALREADY MADE A PLAN TO VISIT, UH, WITH THEM TO TRAVEL, UH, TO THOSE VISITS WITH THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY.
UM, BECAUSE THAT IS A VERY SERIOUS, UH, SITUATION.
I HOPE TO PARTICIPATE, UH, IN THAT PROCESS AS WELL, IN TERMS OF THE CONDITION OF OUR HOMELESS.
AND I WANT TO, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP TWO WEEKS AGO AND CALLING FOR A FOUR WEEK DELAY.
UH, BEFORE WE SPEND $2 MILLION TO ADMINISTER $5 MILLION THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN APPROVED TO MOVE FOLKS OFF OF THE CANCER CLUSTER.
UM, WE HAD A SPIRITED DEBATE AND, UH, I KNOW AN ARGUMENT WAS MADE THAT, WELL, IT MAY NOT BE THE BEST PLAN, BUT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
AND, UM, FROM WHAT I'VE LEARNED, I THINK CALLING IT A PLAN IS, IS PRETTY GENEROUS AT THIS POINT.
UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.
THERE ARE DOTS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN CONNECTED AND, UM, THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE BEFORE WE, I THINK SHOULD REALLY MOVE FORWARD.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT YESTERDAY WITH A MEMBER OF MY STAFF, LEAH AL, AND MEET WITH SEVERAL OF THE RESIDENTS.
AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THERE'S A LOT OF DISTRUST OUT THERE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.
I KNOW EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO INFORM THEM, UH, ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
BUT, UH, IT HASN'T SUNK IN WITH A LOT OF THEM.
AND BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING, I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ON BOARD.
AND SO I, I APPRECIATE YOUR PUSHING FOR A DELAY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING UPDATES FROM YOUR OFFICE GOING FORWARD.
AND LET ME ALSO SAY THAT I THINK ALL HOUSTONIANS SHOULD BE ASKING, WHERE IS UNITED PACIFIC IN ALL OF THIS? UNION, UNION UNION, PACIFIC UNION, EXCUSE ME, FOR, FOR DECADES, THEY HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING OPERATIONS HERE IN HOUSTON, AND BUT FOR THOSE OPERATIONS, WE WOULD NOT HAVE A CANCER CLUSTER.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S BEEN NOTHING BUT CRICKETS FROM UNION PACIFIC IN ALL OF THIS.
I THINK, UM, CERTAINLY THEY SHOULD BEAR SOME OF THE COST OF RELOCATION AND OTHER SERVICES THAT ARE GONNA BE NEEDED, AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM UNION PACIFIC AS TO WHAT, UH, ROLE THEY WANT TO PLAY IN THIS.
UH, LET ME ALSO SAY, MAYOR, I WANT TO ECHO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ SAID ABOUT THE, UH, HISPANIC ARCHIVE COLLECTION, AND SPECIFICALLY IT RATES AS, UH, AS IT RELATES TO THE VEEVA MAGAZINE, UH, WHICH WAS AN INSERT IN THE HOUSTON POST BACK IN THE 1990S.
I REMEMBER IT, UH, FROM YEARS AGO.
UH, MAYOR, EACH ONE OF THOSE, UH, ISSUES IS A TIME CAPSULE AND AN ABSOLUTE TREASURE, UH, TO GO THROUGH 'EM AND SEE OLD PICTURES OF, UH, SOME OF THE LEADERS WE HAD AND STILL HAVE ADRIAN GARCIA, FOR INSTANCE, VIDAL MARTINEZ.
AND THE FIRST ONE I OPENED, UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I, I SAW A PICTURE OF MY SISTER
AND SO, UH, THAT IS HISTORY AND IT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE PRESERVED.
[03:10:01]
AND, UH, I HOPE THE LIBRARY ACTS AND, UH, DIGITIZES THOSE SO THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN, CAN, CAN SEE THEM AND, UH, THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY CAN PARTICIPATE THAT AS WELL.AND FINALLY, UM, TO YOUR POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CARTER, UH, WE TOOK YOUR ADVICE AND MY, MY STAFF ARE GONNA GO OUT AND PARTICIPATE IN THE PIT COUNT THIS AFTERNOON, WEATHER PERMITTING.
AND SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR.
LEMME THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
I SAW YOU ON THE NEWS LAST NIGHT.
I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT ON.
AND WE'LL HAVE A REPORT BACK IN TWO WEEKS.
UH, BUT YOU'RE PROACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IS, IS APPRECIATED BY ME.
THERE ARE SOME, UH, REAL CHALLENGES WITH THAT PROJECT.
UNION PACIFIC CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED AS WELL AS THE COUNTY STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I DON'T THINK HOUSTON HAS THE RESOURCES, UH, TO OWN THIS PROJECT BY THEMSELF.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS LEFT.
I COULD, I COULD GO DOWN THE ROAD LISTING THEM.
UH, I'VE TALKED TO SOME OF THE RESIDENTS, I'LL BE BACK OUT THERE THIS WEEKEND.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S A COUPLE OF RESIDENTS WITH SOME IMMIGRATION ISSUES THAT ARE VERY RELUCTANT TO SHARE THEIR RELOCATION PLANS.
AND SO I DON'T, YOU KNOW, THE CITY STARTED THIS PROGRAM, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY INCOMPLETE AT THIS STAGE.
SO WE'LL DO THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO SPEND 2 MILLION TO MANAGE A FIVE, 2 MILLION OF THE 5 MILLION TO MANAGE IT.
THAT'S ABOUT $200,000 A HOME TO MANAGE THEIR RELOCATION.
PLUS 150 TO $250,000 HOME WITH SOME REAL CHALLENGES FOR HOW THEY WOULD SUPPORT THOSE, UH, NEW RESIDENCES.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO THE RIGHT THING.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE A STATEMENT, BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED THE PARTNERSHIP OF HARRIS COUNTY, THE STATE, AND THE FEDS.
UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATION OF ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
THE WORST THING WE DO IS MISLEAD PEOPLE THAT THERE'S BEEN A, UH, PROPOSED SOLUTION WHEN IN FACT, IT'S JUST GETTING STARTED.
WITH THAT SAID, SIR, WHO ARE Y'ALL WITH? COME TELL US AND ASK YOUR STUDENTS TO STAND.
THOSE ARE THE FUTURE HOUSTONIANS.
WHAT GRADE? WHAT SCHOOL? ONE OF YOU COME TELL US
I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND SEE STUDENTS OF GOVERNMENT WATCHING US WITHOUT KNOWING WHO WE'RE HOPEFULLY MENTORING.
THESE ARE SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS.
WHAT GRADE? LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, WE HAD EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS.
BUT TODAY IS SIXTH GRADE AND WE HAVE ONE EIGHTH GRADE STUDENT.
WHAT GRADE? I'M IN EIGHTH GRADE.
WHERE? EIGHTH GRADE WHAT SCHOOL? HARTMAN.
IS THAT A D? SPEAK INTO THE MIC.
HI, MY NAME IS ISIS AND I'M IN SIXTH GRADE FROM HARTMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
HI, MY NAME IS MELINDY AND I'M A SIXTH GRADE FROM HARMOND MIDDLE SCHOOL.
MY NAME IS ERIN AND I'M A SIXTH GRADER AT HARMOND MIDDLE SCHOOL.
MY NAME IS NYLA AND I'M FROM HAR MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I'M FROM HARMOND MIDDLE SCHOOL, SIXTH GRADE.
I'M FROM HARMOND MIDDLE SCHOOL, SIXTH GRADE
I AM GLAD TO REPRESENT HARMOND MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I AM SAUL VALENCIA FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL, SIXTH GRADE.
I'M FROM HARTMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL, SIXTH GRADE.
HELLO, I AM WALTER AND I'M FROM SIXTH GRADE IN HARTMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
HELLO, I AM GAVIN JOHNSON FROM HARTMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL, SIXTH GRADE.
ELAR TEACHER AT HARTMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
UH, I YIELD A COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
UH, JUST WANNA WELCOME HARTMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
IT'S IN THE SOUTHEAST HOBBY AIRPORT AREA.
UM, AND AS YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER, JUST WANNA WELCOME YOU TO CITY HALL AS WELL.
KNOW THAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT GETTING INVITED.
WE SPOKE LAST WEEK WITH THE, I THINK IT WAS THE SEVENTH GRADE OR EIGHTH GRADE LAST WEEK.
HOPEFULLY I'LL BRING SEVENTH GRADE NEXT WEEK.
AND THEN, AND THEN EVENTUALLY I WOULD DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE I GO OUT THERE AND MEET WITH EVERYBODY FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.
[03:15:01]
KEEP DOING WHAT Y'ALL DOING GUYS.THE THE DEAL IS FOR IT TO BE RECOGNIZED IS THAT YOU'RE GONNA STAY INVOLVED.
YOU'RE GONNA PAY ATTENTION TO GOVERNMENT.
YOU'RE GONNA START REGISTERING TO VOTE WHEN YOU TURN 18.
AND THINK ABOUT RUNNING FOR OFFICE SOMEDAY, OR CERTAINLY SUPPORT SOME GOOD CANDIDATES.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO SOLVE SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE SOME OF YOU GET ON COUNCIL.